Determinants of a traditional agricultural landscape

The study aim was to define the landscape determinants as certificates of natural and cultural heritage which identify the young glacial landscape under traditional agricultural management. These studies were conducted in the upper Parsęta basin (Pomerania, Poland) covered by the many annual environmental monitoring programs since 1994. The aim of this monitoring is to observe changes in geoecosystems of the temperate climate zone. The parameters of the abiotic landscape subsystem have been monitored in a wide range of terms, whereas biotic elements and cultural resources only in a very limited way. This was the reason for undertaking complementary studies. The paper presents the so-called “zero-state” for 2014, which will be a reference point from which to track the direction of landscape changes in the future. The abiotic, geobotanical, and cultural determinants of this state chosen have been characterized on the basis of field mapping data and the available literature. They were chosen based on the methodology of landscape audit to define the specificity of the traditional agricultural landscape. They were selected on the basis of assessment criteria for landscape structure: complexity (diversification of land use and cover), naturalness (syngenesis of plant communities, hydrochemical properties of surface waters), coherence of composition with natural conditions, stewardship (intensity of use, crop weeds, ecological succession, fallows, anthropogenic denudation), aesthetic and visual perception, historicity (continuity of natural landscape elements, continuation of traditional agricultural use, architectural objects), and disharmonious elements

The benefits of organic farming to spontaneous vascular flora biodiversity, West Pomerania, Poland

Research was carried out on the importance of organic farming practices for maintaining agricultural landscape complexity with consequent benefits for spontaneous vascular flora biodiversity. An agricultural landscape unit (75 ha) composed of extensively used arable lands and grasslands and small remnant natural habitats, occurring among fields or in field verges in the West Pomerania region, Poland, was investigated. Spontaneous vascular flora of extensively farmed landscape was mapped using the topographic method. The examined flora was analyzed in terms of plant species richness and diversity. The following attributes of flora were considered: taxonomic and syntaxonomic diversity, and the share of geographical and geographical–historical elements, Raunkiaer’s life forms, archaeophytes, kenophytes, plants with conservation status and threatened in the Polish regions or countries of the European Union, and ancient woodland plant species indicators. Spontaneous vascular flora included 338 species / 75 ha and represented rich taxonomic diversity: 213 genera, 71 families and 48 orders. The phytocoenoses included 52 plant associations from 17 classes, 23 orders, and 32 alliances of the phytosociological system, including 6 segetal synanthropic communities

Current practices and opinions of Northwest Ohio and Southeastern Michigan AAOS members regarding anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction and rehabilitation in athletes versus non-athletes

Scholarly project (M.S.)

Norweskie partie polityczne wobec problemu zmian klimatu i polityki klimatycznej

Due to the social and economic costs the problem of climate change has recently become one of the factors which antagonizes or merges national political systems and their entities. The case of Norway as a leading European producer and exporter of oil and gas seems to deserve particular attention. Although the main political actors in the country, such as the Norwegian Labour Party (DnA), the Conservative Party of Norway (H), the Socialist Left Party (SV), the People’s Christian Party (Kr.F), the Centre Party (S) and the Liberal Party (V) have quite similar ideas about the major objectives of the national climate policy, their opinions differ in operational matters. The position of the Progress Party (Fr.P) is an important exception to the approach towards the discussed issue. This article aims to analyse the programme assumptions about the climate policy and climate protection of all parliamentary groups and assess their practical implementation in the past decade.Problem zmian klimatu ze względu na koszty społeczne i ekonomiczne staje się w ostatnich latach jednym z czynników antagonizujących bądź scalających narodowe systemy polityczne i występujące tam podmioty. Casus Norwegii jako czołowego w Europie producenta oraz eksportera ropy i gazu wydaje się zasługiwać na szczególną uwagę. Główne podmioty polityczne w tym państwie, jak: Norweska Partia Pracy (DnA), Partia Konserwatywna (H), Socjalistyczna Partia Lewicy (SV), Chrześcijańska Partia Ludowa (Kr.F), Partia Centrum (S), Partia Liberalna (V) wyrażają w kwestii celów narodowej polityki klimatycznej dość istotną zbieżność, choć różnią się w kwestiach operacyjnych. Istotnym wyjątkiem w podejściu do omawianej problematyki jest stanowisko Partii Postępu (Fr.P).Celem artykułu jest analiza założeń programowych w obszarze polityki klimatycznej i ochrony klimatu wszystkich ugrupowań parlamentarnych oraz ocena ich praktycznej implementacji w minionej dekadzie

17β-estradiol and xenoestrogens reveal synergistic effect on mitochondria of human sperm

Objectives: The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of 17β-estradiol (main endogenous estrogen) and selected xenoestrogens (genistein, bisphenol-A), individually and in combination, on the mitochondrial function of human sper­matozoa. In natural environment, human beings are exposed to multiple xenoestrogens, so their impact is combined with endogenous steroids. Material and methods: The effects of ligands on human spermatozoa were assessed regarding the following phenomena: spermatozoa vitality (propidium iodide staining), phosphatidylserine membrane translocation (staining with annexin V marked with fluorescein), mitochondrial membrane potential (using JC-1 fluorochrome), and production of superoxide anion in mitochondria (using MitoSOX RED dye). Results: Two-hour incubation of spermatozoa with 17β-estradiol, genistein, and bisphenol-A neither altered cell vitality nor stimulated phosphatidylserine membrane translocation. Incubation of spermatozoa with 17β-estradiol or bisphenol-A sepa­rately, as well as incubation with the three ligands simultaneously, resulted in altered mitochondrial membrane potential. Spermatozoa incubation with the three ligands significantly increased the mitochondrial superoxide anion level. Conclusions: It seems safe to conclude that human spermatozoa mitochondria are target cell structures for both, 17β-estradiol and xenoestrogens. The reaction to the 17β-estradiol and xenoestrogens mixture suggests a synergistic mechanism of action. Xenoestrogens may increase the sensitivity of spermatozoa to 17β-estradiol

Management Model of Energy Enterprises Innovative Development Within Physiological Working Conditions

This paper takes into account scientific approaches to mathematical modeling usage of interval data analysis to develop and improve the innovation management system due to effective innovative solutions related to the sale of energy resources and services including physiological working conditions of employees. The research outlines the tools for implementing the strategy of energy companies’ innovative development based on dynamic interval management models of enterprises innovative development, which substantiate management decisions and correlates physiological working conditions of employees. As a result, all these factors make it possible to predict the impact of a system of innovative development factors on the enterprise financial condition. Construction methods of an integrated indicator level combined with workers physiological conditions of energy enterprises innovative development have been used and provided on the optimization of the factor space that creates the company's innovation policy and takes into account its causal links, human factor, physical level of readiness. The article results allowed its usage for modeling the impact of innovation level on the financial performance of energy companies as well as a study of the state of innovative development of energy enterprises in the region. The mathematical modeling has been used to build such a tool for managing the innovative development of energy market enterprises. One of the most effective approaches to modeling the dynamics of economic processes is the set-theoretic approach accompanied with physical level of employee. Within this approach, the models contain parameters and variables represented as sets of guaranteed or acceptable values, or as fuzzy sets with known matching functions.  The paper determines that the advantage of this approach is that it does not require large samples of data (time series) to obtain adequate models, and preliminary study of statistical characteristics of data, such as the law of data distribution and others. The interval models, which describe indicators of economic processes in intervals of possible values or functional corridors, have been chosen as one type of models. It has been proposed to choose gross income as an indicator of the financial condition of energy market enterprises, because the activities of energy companies are essentially the sale of energy resources and services. Accordingly, innovative solutions aimed at improving sales should receive a response to gross sales revenue.  The management mathematical dynamic models proposed in the work scientifically substantiate the decisions made and allow predicting the influence of the system of innovative development factors and physiological working conditions of employees on the financial condition of the enterprise

Management Model of Energy Enterprises Innovative Development Within Physiological Working Conditions

This paper takes into account scientific approaches to mathematical modeling usage of interval data analysis to develop and improve the innovation management system due to effective innovative solutions related to the sale of energy resources and services including physiological working conditions of employees. The research outlines the tools for implementing the strategy of energy companies’ innovative development based on dynamic interval management models of enterprises innovative development, which substantiate management decisions and correlates physiological working conditions of employees. As a result, all these factors make it possible to predict the impact of a system of innovative development factors on the enterprise financial condition. Construction methods of an integrated indicator level combined with workers physiological conditions of energy enterprises innovative development have been used and provided on the optimization of the factor space that creates the company's innovation policy and takes into account its causal links, human factor, physical level of readiness. The article results allowed its usage for modeling the impact of innovation level on the financial performance of energy companies as well as a study of the state of innovative development of energy enterprises in the region. The mathematical modeling has been used to build such a tool for managing the innovative development of energy market enterprises. One of the most effective approaches to modeling the dynamics of economic processes is the set-theoretic approach accompanied with physical level of employee. Within this approach, the models contain parameters and variables represented as sets of guaranteed or acceptable values, or as fuzzy sets with known matching functions.  The paper determines that the advantage of this approach is that it does not require large samples of data (time series) to obtain adequate models, and preliminary study of statistical characteristics of data, such as the law of data distribution and others. The interval models, which describe indicators of economic processes in intervals of possible values or functional corridors, have been chosen as one type of models. It has been proposed to choose gross income as an indicator of the financial condition of energy market enterprises, because the activities of energy companies are essentially the sale of energy resources and services. Accordingly, innovative solutions aimed at improving sales should receive a response to gross sales revenue.  The management mathematical dynamic models proposed in the work scientifically substantiate the decisions made and allow predicting the influence of the system of innovative development factors and physiological working conditions of employees on the financial condition of the enterprise