Audio description for films in Poland : history, present state and future prospects

Rapid developments in the field of media accessibility for people with sensory impairments can be seen in numerous countries all around the world. Poland is one such country where accessibility services, such as audio description (AD), are becoming part of the audiovisual landscape and start attracting the interest of many, both in the industry and in research circles. This paper sets out to provide a detailed snapshot of the current situation in Poland with regard to the accessibility of films for persons with vision loss. We start with presenting a brief historical outline of the AD for films in Poland and then move on to discuss its present state. Special attention is given to challenges that need to be faced to mainstream accessibility. The data discussed in this article was obtained through literature review, desk research and personal contact with different actors of the AD provision chain in Poland. The results show that although AD is developing rapidly in Poland, it must face challenges in five main areas: (1) delivery and infrastructure; (2) distribution; (3) legislation; (4) communication, cooperation and coordination, and (5) financing

Making cinema accessible for the blind and visually impaired

Audio description (AD) services are no longer present only on television, but also in theatres, operas, museums or during sports events (Holland 2008; Kruger 2010; Matamala and Orero 2007; Michalewicz 2014). Another place that should cater for the needs of the blind and partially sighted users is the cinema. Although not many cinemas offer AD on a regular basis yet, except for the UK with more than 300 facilities screening films with AD, this situation is gradually changing. An ideal scenario would be for the visually impaired people to attend cinemas together with their sighted friends in a fully integrated manner. Thanks to the development of technology this may soon become a reality. As part of the UAB participation in the EU project Hybrid Broadcast Broadband for All (HBB4ALL, www.hbb4all.eu), UAB along with the Catalan Television (TVC) were asked to gather end-user feedback on the application called ArtAccéss. It was developed by the company S•Dos for the Catalan Government with the aim of facilitating access to culture for people with sensory impairments. To this end, a test was created. Its goal was to check the usability, utility and overall quality of the application when providing AD. Blind and partially sighted users were invited to a regular session at a film festival. They were watching a film and simultaneously listening to the AD via the application downloaded beforehand. After the screening the participants were interviewed. The results of the interviews along with the presentation of the application architecture will be the focus of this paper

Granice pojęcia „marka osobista”

Personal brand as a relatively new term still has not been fully analyzed in the scientific literature. Guidebooks, however, introduce many inconsistent definitions and models. The article is an attempt to define the limits of the term “personal brand” (including the monetization of the personal brand) and its main components (brand is more than image and promotion) and the conditions for the perception of self and other individuals in the personal brand category (initial capital). Unlike the most commonly discussed aspects in the scientific literature – that is, the image of a personal brand in social media, the work includes a multidisciplinary approach to the subject.Marka osobista, jako pojęcie stosunkowo nowe, nadal nie doczekała się kompleksowych analiz w literaturze naukowej. Opracowania o charakterze poradnikowym wprowadzają wiele niespójnych ze sobą definicji i modeli. Artykuł jest próbą określenia granic pojęcia „marka osobista” (z uwzględnieniem monetyzacji marki osobistej) oraz jego głównych składników (marka to więcej niż wizerunek i promocja), a także warunków postrzegania siebie i innych jednostek w kategorii marki osobistej (kapitał początkowy). W przeciwieństwie do najczęściej poruszanych aspektów w literaturze naukowej (m.in. takich, jak wizerunek marki osobistej w social media) praca uwzględnia multidyscyplinarne podejście do tematu

The first record of a potential pest Orientus ishidae (Matsumura, 1902) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) in Poland

This study provides the first data on the occurrence of the mosaic leafhopper Orientus ishidae (Matsumura, 1902) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) in Poland. This species is native to Southeast Asia, adventive in Europe and feeds on cultivated plants. Orientus ishidae is a well-known carrier of Grapevine flavescence doree phytoplasma which causes the grapevine yellows disease. Symptoms of phytoplasma diseases of grapevine include deformations, leaf chlorosis and withering of plants. The appearance of this species in Poland might be caused by observed climate variations and insufficient plant health controls in the international trade of plants

Audiodeskrypcja na lekcji historii, biologii i fizyki w klasie uczniów z dysfunkcją wzroku

Audio Description in History, Biology and Physics Classes for Visually Impaired Learners The aim of this paper is to present the results of a research study on the possibility of using audio description (AD) as an additional didactic tool in the education of the blind and partially sighted children. More specifi cally, the study meant to investigate whether and, if so, to what extent adding AD enhances the comprehension of educational fi lms among children and what the possible value of AD in educational settings could be. In addition, the underlying objective of the study was to raise the awareness among teachers about the importance of AD as a means to achieve audiovisual accessibility. The filmic material employed for the purposes of the study consisted of three episodes from the educational animation series Once Upon a Time..., namely Once Upon a Time... Man (episode America), Once Upon a Time… Life (episode Blood) and Once Upon a Time… Discoverers (episode Newton). A total of 55 children participated in the study. After each screening, the children were invited to take part in a quiz competition, whose aim was to test their level of comprehension of the shown fi lm. To gather children’s responses, the researchers employed innovative clicker devices and supporting software from InterWrite PRS. Both the screenings and the questionnaires with clickers were greeted with much enthusiasm by children and they arouse interest and curiosity also among teachers. The study revealed that AD in educational fi lms helps to develop and retain specialised vocabulary. Moreover, it helps the children to follow the fi lm, thus improving its overall comprehension. It is the researchers’ assumption that AD, through its use of varied word choice, synonyms, metaphors and similes, can boost literacy of the blind and partially sighted children. Finally, a conclusion can be drawn that fi lms with AD could not only complement lessons, but also make them more enjoyable

ESP, czyli pracownik na zakręcie: outplacement dla pracowników

Publikacja prezentuje innowacyjny model wsparcia pracownika zagrożonego bezrobociem lub zwalnianego w wyniku restrukturyzacji firmy w czasach dekoniunktury gospodarczej wypracowany i testowany w ramach projektu badawczo-wdrożeniowego "PI-PWP: INNOWACJE NA ZAKRĘCIE - testowanie i wdrażanie nowych metod outplacementu", realizowanego na zlecenie Wojewódzkiego Urzędu Pracy w Białymstoku. Celem projektu było adaptowanie, utworzenie, testowanie, a następnie upowszechnienie i wdrożenie na terenie województwa podlaskiego do VI 2015 r. dwóch modeli outplacementu dla pracodawców oraz pracowników przedsiębiorstw przechodzących procesy modernizacyjne i adaptacyjne. W publikacji zaprezentowano jeden z dwóch modeli, jakim jest model wsparcia zwalnianych pracowników, w kontekście wyników badań regionalnych, portugalskich inspiracji będących efektem trzyletniej współpracy ponadnarodowej z Instituto de Soldadura e Qualidade (ISQ) z Lizbony oraz wyników rocznego testu w podlaskich instytucjach rynku pracy z udziałem zwalnianych pracowników opisanych w drodze ewaluacji narzędzi składających się na model ESP_Pracownik.This publication presents an innovative model to help companies in times of economic downturn that was developed and tested within the project "PI-PWP: INNOVATION ON THE CUSP - testing and implementation of new methods of outplacement", conducted at the request of the Regional Labour Office in Bialystok, Poland. The aim of the project was to adapt, create, evaluate, disseminate and implement two models of outplacement in the Podlaskie Voivodeship until the June 2015: for employers and employees of companies undergoing modernization and adaptation processes. The publication presents one of the two models, which is a model of support for laid-off workers, in the context of the regional research results of and example of the Portuguese model resulting from three years of transnational cooperation with the Instituto de Soldadura e Qualidade (ISQ) of Lisbon and the results of the annual test among labor market institutions from Podlaskie region and with the cooperation with workers

ESP, czyli firma na zakręcie. Outplacement dla pracodawców

Polish Abstract: Niniejsza publikacja prezentuje innowacyjny model wsparcia firm w czasach dekoniunktury gospodarczej wypracowany i testowany w ramach projektu badawczo-wdrożeniowego "PI-PWP: INNOWACJE NA ZAKRĘCIE - testowanie i wdrażanie nowych metod outplacementu", realizowanego na zlecenie Wojewódzkiego Urzędu Pracy w Białymstoku. Celem projektu było adaptowanie, utworzenie, testowanie, a następnie upowszechnienie i wdrożenie na terenie województwa podlaskiego do VI 2015 r. dwóch modeli outplacementu dla pracodawców oraz pracowników przedsiębiorstw przechodzących procesy modernizacyjne i adaptacyjne. W publikacji zaprezentowano jeden z dwóch wypracowanych w projekcie modeli, jakim jest model wsparcia firm w kontekście wyników badań regionalnych, angielskich inspiracji będących efektem trzyletniej współpracy ponadnarodowej z Accelerated Learning Systems Ltd. (ALS) z Wielkiej Brytanii oraz wyników rocznego testu w podlaskich firmach sformułowanych w drodze ewaluacji narzędzi składających się na model ESP_Firma. English Abstract: This publication presents an innovative model to help companies in times of economic downturn that was developed and tested within the project "PI-PWP: INNOVATION ON THE CUSP - testing and implementation of new methods of outplacement", conducted at the request of the Regional Labour Office in Bialystok, Poland. The aim of the project was to adapt, create, evaluate, disseminate and implement two models of outplacement in the Podlaskie Voivodeship until the June 2015: for employers and employees of companies undergoing modernization and adaptation processes. The publication presents one of the two models developed in the project, which is a support system for companies in the context of regional research results, inspired by the English model resulted from three years of transnational cooperation with the Accelerated Learning Systems Ltd. (ALS) from the UK and the results of the annual test in companies from the Podlaskie region formulated by evaluation tools that make up the model ESP_Firma

The influence of start-up capital on building a personal brand

PURPOSE: The objective of the article is to discuss the results of the study concerning the impact of start-up capital and the specific profession a person practices upon the intensity of activities undertaken in personal brand building.DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The review of literature was conducted in order to identify the components of the start-up capital and to establish the relationship between the personal brand building process and the start-up capital. The empirical study employed the survey method with the use of a questionnaire. The study examined a representative sample of Polish Internet users in May 2021.FINDINGS: The authors proposed to view the start-up capital of the personal brand as a sum of the cultural, social and economic capital. The results of the study suggest that the higher the sum, the more personal branding activities are undertaken. People pursuing professions characterized by creativity, a broad scope of decision-making, and dependent on individual performance manifest a higher activity concerning personal brand building.PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The article contributes to the discussion regarding the viability of the practical application of the personal brand concept among various social and professional groups.ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The results of the analysis and theoretical considerations discussed in this article complement existing research concerning the intensity of activities undertaken in personal brand building.peer-reviewe

Early and late endothelial response in breast cancer metastasis in mice : simultaneous quantification of endothelial biomarkers using a mass spectrometry-based method

The endothelium plays an important role in cancer metastasis, but the mechanisms involved are still not clear. In the present work, we characterised the changes in endothelial function at early and late stages of breast cancer progression in an orthotopic model of murine mammary carcinoma (4T1 cells). Endothelial function was analysed based on simultaneous microflow liquid chromatography' tandem mass spectrometry using multiple reaction monitoring (microLC/MS-MRM) quantification of 12 endothelium-related biomarkers, including those reflecting glycocalyx disruption' syndecan-1 (SDC-1), endocan (ESM-1); endothelial inflammation' vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1), intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), E-selectin (E-sel); endothelial permeability' fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (FLT-1), angiopoietin 2 (Angpt-2); and haemostasis' von Willebrand factor (vWF), tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1), as well as those that are pathophysiologically linked to endothelial function' adrenomedullin (ADM) and adiponectin (ADN). The early phase of metastasis in mouse plasma was associated with glycocalyx disruption (increased SDC-1 and ESM-1), endothelial inflammation [increased soluble VCAM-1 (sVCAM-1)] and increased vascular permeability (Angpt-2). During the late phase of metastasis, additional alterations in haemostasis (increased PAI-1 and vWF), as well as a rise in ADM and substantial fall in ADN concentration, were observed. In conclusion, in a murine model of breast cancer metastasis, we identified glycocalyx disruption, endothelial inflammation and increased endothelial permeability as important events in early metastasis, while the late phase of metastasis was additionally characterised by alterations in haemostasis

Struktura i uwarunkowania kapitału społecznego lokalnych grup działania.

Narodowe Centrum Nauk