Reprezentacja polskich grup biznesowych w systemie instytucjonalnym Unii Europejskiej a rzetelne rzecznictwo interesów

The main aim of this paper is to demonstrate what role Polish business groups play at a supranational level. In Poland reliable advocacy of individual interests by Polish business groups brings negative associations, and the lobbying Polish business groups apply is perceived as an unfair way of exerting pressure on the authorities. Therefore, this paper outlines the conceptualization of the network of notions pertaining to Polish business groups. Lobbying is presented as an instrument applied by professional teams of lobbyists in lobbying campaigns aimed at exerting influence in a transparent, substantive and fair manner. The specificity of interest groups and the stages that affect the emergence of individual Polish business groups are also analyzed. The aspect of legal regulations concerning lobbying activity conducted at a national and supranational level is presented. The picture of the organizational structure, the functions business groups have in the Polish and EU law-making process are discussed as well. The paper also shows the forms of influence used by Polish business groups and exemplifies advantageous activities that contribute to the economic development of Poland

Argentina\u27s Emerging Standard of Intellectual Property Protection: A Case Study of the Underlying Conflicts between Developing Countries, TRIPS Standards, and the United States

This is called an article in the print version, but it appears to be (a note) written by a law student

Torsional elasticity and energetics of F-1-ATPase.

F(o)F(1)-ATPase is a rotary motor protein synthesizing ATP from ADP driven by a cross-membrane proton gradient. The proton flow through the membrane-embedded F(o) generates the rotary torque that drives the rotation of the asymmetric shaft of F(1). Mechanical energy of the rotating shaft is used by the F(1) catalytic subunit to synthesize ATP. It was suggested that elastic power transmission with transient storage of energy in some compliant part of the shaft is required for the observed high turnover rate. We used atomistic simulations to study the spatial distribution and structural determinants of the F(1) torsional elasticity at the molecular level and to comprehensively characterize the elastic properties of F(1)-ATPase. Our fluctuation analysis revealed an unexpected heterogeneity of the F(1) shaft elasticity. Further, we found that the measured overall torsional moduli of the shaft arise from two distinct contributions, the intrinsic elasticity and the effective potential imposed on the shaft by the catalytic subunit. Separation of these two contributions provided a quantitative description of the coupling between the rotor and the catalytic subunit. This description enabled us to propose a minimal quantitative model of the F(1) energetics along the rotary degrees of freedom near the resting state observed in the crystal structures. As opposed to the usually employed models where the motor mechanical progression is described by a single angular variable, our multidimensional treatment incorporates the spatially inhomogeneous nature of the shaft and its interactions with the stator and offers new insight into the mechanoenzymatics of F(1)-ATPase

A Study on the Analytical Sensitivity of 6 BSE Tests Used by the Canadian BSE Reference Laboratory

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) surveillance programs have been employed in numerous countries to monitor BSE prevalence and to protect animal and human health. Since 1999, the European Commission (EC) authorized the evaluation and approval of 20 molecular based tests for the rapid detection of the pathological prion protein (PrPsc) in BSE infection. The diagnostic sensitivity, convenience, and speed of these tests have made molecular diagnostics the preferred method for BSE surveillance. The aim of this study was to determine the analytical sensitivity of 4 commercially available BSE rapid-test kits, including the Prionics®-Check WESTERN, the Prionics® Check-PrioSTRIP™, the BioRad® TeSeE™ ELISA, and the IDEXX® HerdChek™ EIA. Performances of these tests were then compared to 2 confirmatory tests, including the BioRad® TeSeE™ Western Blot and the modified Scrapie Associated Fibrils (SAF)/OIE Immunoblot. One 50% w/v homogenate was made from experimentally generated C-type BSE brain tissues in ddH2O. Homogenates were diluted through a background of BSE-negative brainstem homogenate. Masses of both positive and negative tissues in each dilution were calculated to maintain the appropriate tissue amounts for each test platform. Specific concentrated homogenization buffer was added accordingly to maintain the correct buffer condition for each test. ELISA-based tests were evaluated using their respective software/detection platforms. Blot-protocols were evaluated by manual measurements of blot signal density. Detection limitations were determined by fitted curves intersecting the manufacturers' positive/negative criteria. The confirmatory SAF Immunoblot displayed the highest analytical sensitivity, followed by the IDEXX® HerdChek™ EIA, Bio-Rad® TeSeE™ Western Blot, the Bio-Rad® TeSeE™ ELISA, Prionics®-Check PrioSTRIP™, and Prionics®-Check WESTERN™, respectively. Although the tests performed at different levels of sensitivity, the most sensitive and least sensitive of the rapid tests were separated by 2 logs in analytical sensitivity, meeting European performance requirements. All rapid tests appear suitable for targeted BSE surveillance programs, as implemented in Canada

Porcine circovirus-2 capsid protein induces cell death in PK15 cells

AbstractStudies have shown that Porcine circovirus (PCV)-2 induces apoptosis in PK15 cells. Here we report that cell death is induced in PCV2b-infected PK15 cells that express Capsid (Cap) protein and this effect is enhanced in interferon gamma (IFN-γ)-treated cells. We further show that transient PCV2a and 2b-Cap protein expression induces cell death in PK15 cells at rate similar to PCV2 infection, regardless of Cap protein localization. These data suggest that Cap protein may have the capacity to trigger different signaling pathways involved in cell death. Although further investigation is needed to gain deeper insights into the nature of the pathways involved in Cap-induced cell death, this study provides evidence that PCV2-induced cell death in kidney epithelial PK15 cells can be mapped to the Cap protein and establishes the need for future research regarding the role of Cap-induced cell death in PCV2 pathogenesis

Konstrukcja i treść podstawowych autorskich praw osobistych w systemie prawa francuskiego

This article discusses the issues related to the construction and contents of basic moral rights in the system of French law. The article refers, fi rst of all, to the triad of basic moral rights: the right to decide on making the work available to the public (the right to disclosure), the right of authorship and the right of integrity of the work. Special emphasis has been laid on the analysis of judicial decisions of French courts, which decisions shape in a distinctive way legal basis, normative constructions and the contents of moral rights. Research based on the French copyright regime may be an excellent point of departure for comparative legal analysis as that regime constantly exerts considerable infl uence on the shape of the global and, in particular, the European system of copyright protection. That infl uence can also be seen in relation to Polish law, the more so the juridical order of French private law is clearly important for the development and culture of Polish civil law

Sprawozdanie

Sprawozdanie z III Międzynarodowej Interdyscyplinarnej Konferencji „Zrozumieć Płeć”, Wrocław 23–25 IX 200