The Quality of Life of Residents of a Satellite Degraded City District as Part of Urban Development Policy

The purpose of this article is to assess the quality of life of the residents of a degraded satellite area of a city. It is considered in the context of urban development policy – as the result of decisions and as a challenge for long-term development. The research was based on a case study, which is the district of Opole referred to as Metalchem. It is characterized by an isolated location in the city structure as well as economic transformations. The study was based primarily on an analysis of source materials and results of a survey. The results show that the assessment of the quality of life is inconsistent. The living conditions are good, but satisfactory fulfilment of social needs is lacking. The residents of the studied area feel that their quality of life is lower than that of other residents of the city. This situation is the result of three main factors: insufficient access to public services, an ingrained negative image of the quarter, and a lack of coherence and continuity of the policy regarding this area. Research shows that the quality of life of the residents of degraded and satellite districts depends on the management and investments in the area, on the area’s perceived status within the city, but primarily on a consistent implementation of spatial and economic policies. Ensuring cohesion and integration between the satellite districts and the city center as well as other districts is also important

Analysis of knowledge-based economy impact on economic development in the European Union countries

Directions of changes in the world economy occurring in recent years show the transition from industrial era economy to knowledge-based economy. Increasing investments in fixed assets is no longer a sufficient way of ensuring permanent economic growth. Research-development activity, innovation and human capital become decisive factors of development. As an essential determinant of the innovativeness level of individual economies are considered expenditures on research and development designed to conduct basic, applied research and development activities as well as effects of these research appearing in the form of innovations. The objective of the article is to analyze correlative connections between the two main variables describing knowledge-based economy, that is between the share of R&D expenditures in GDP and R&D expenditures per capita, and the remaining characteristics of knowledge - based economy. Another aim of the article is to assess the impact of these two variables on the basic macroeconomic indicators in the European Union countries, and, connected with them, to analyze the impact of knowledge-based economy on economic development of these countries.Celem artykułu jest analiza związków korelacyjnych między dwiema głównymi zmiennymi opisującymi gospodarkę opartą na wiedzy, tj. między udziałem nakładów na B+R w PKB i nakładami na B+R per capita, a pozostałymi charakterystykami GOW, jak również ocena wpływu tych dwu zmiennych na podstawowe wielkości makroekonomiczne w krajach Unii Europejskiej, a co za tym idzie analiza wpływu gospodarki opartej na wiedzy na rozwój gospodarczy tych krajów

Evolution of the Polish Innovation Policy

The innovation policy realized at present in Poland seems to be convergent with the assumptions of the EU- documents and OECD- reports. Nevertheless, numerous problems still require a solution. A key question that remains is the acknowledgement of a clear priority in the economic policy to R&D expenditure, financed both from the government's budget and the private sector. It also seems necessary to adjust the tax system and the credit policy to the needs of the innovative economy. More importantly is developing a policy of an actual support of intellectual entrepreneurship that should aim towards creating advantageous development conditions for enterprises conducting research and producing high-tech products (particularly venture capital). These activities should also contribute to increase innovativeness of the Polish economy and affect the quality and rate of future economic growth.Celem artykułu jest analiza i ocena polityki innowacyjnej, zarysowanej w dokumentach rządowych. Polityka innowacyjna realizowana w ostatnich latach odpowiada pod względem koncepcyjnym współczesnym wyzwaniom zarówno na poziomie europejskim, jak i światowym. Z analizy programów polityki innowacyjnej wynika, że jej cele są zbieżne z założeniami przyjętymi w kluczowych dokumentach unijnych i raportach OECD. Wciąż jednak wiele problemów wymaga rozwiązania. Kluczową kwestią jest zatem przyznanie wyraźnego priorytetu w polityce gospodarczej nakładom na działalność B+R, zarówno finansowanym z budżetu państwa, jak i ze środków przedsiębiorstw. Konieczne wydaje się także właściwe dostosowanie systemu podatkowego i polityki kredytowej do potrzeb gospodarki innowacyjnej oraz opracowanie polityki rzeczywistego wspomagania przedsiębiorczości intelektualnej, której celem jest stworzenie korzystnych warunków rozwoju przedsiębiorstwom prowadzącym prace badawczo-rozwojowe i wytwarzającym produkty high-tech (w szczególności venture capital). Działania te powinny przyczynić się do zwiększenia aktywności innowacyjnej gospodarki oraz wpłynąć na tempo i jakość przyszłego wzrostu gospodarczego

Analysis of Knowledge-based Economy Development in Poland in the Light of Strategic Documents

The aim of article is to present and assess the most important documents referring to the strategy of knowledge-based economy development in Poland.Celem artykułu jest prezentacja i ocena najważniejszych dokumentów dotyczących strategii rozwoju gospodarki opartej na wiedzy w Polsce, tj. Strategii Rozwoju Kraju 2007-2015 (SRK), Narodowych Strategicznych Ram Odniesienia 2007-2013 (NSRO) i funkcjonujących w ich obrębie programów: Programu Operacyjnego Innowacyjna Gospodarka 2007-2013 (POIG) i Programu Operacyjnego Kapitał Ludzki 2007-2013 (POKL), jak również Strategii rozwoju nauki w Polsce do 2015 roku, Raportu "Polska 2030. Wyzwania Rozwojowe" i Programu Foresight, przygotowanego przez PAN

Projekt edukacyjny Unii Europejskiej formą poznania kulturowo-zawodowego

The processes of globalisation and the development of a common, united Europe entail the migration of people to various parts of our continent. Nowadays migration is mostly related to the search for employment by people at various stages of their lives. The contact with a different cultural and professional reality might be surprising and often arouses feelings which are far from positive. In the context of these processes intercultural competence, now called a key competence, a prerequisite for functioning in the post-modern, multicultural world, is assigned a particular significance. Equally central is, however, becoming familiar with the conditions of a country’s professional culture. Only then can we talk about effective functioning on the European job market. Numerous young people at the stage of high school education declare the will to build their future abroad. Therefore, it is necessary to search for tools which would render it possible for trainees to enter into professional life and cultural reality of a foreign country. One of such tools are the Leonardo da Vinci mobility programmes, which help students grow to know chosen professional fields while simultaneously “immersing themselves” in the deepest cultural strata of a given country. The essence of the above subject matter shall be discussed on the example of a mobility programme carried out in Germany, in the Construction Training Centre.Procesy globalizacyjne oraz budowa wspólnej, zjednoczonej Europy warunkują przemieszczanie się ludności w różne miejsca naszego kontynentu. W dzisiejszych czasach ruchy migracyjne związane są najczęściej z poszukiwaniem zatrudnienia przez osoby znajdujące się na różnych etapach swojego życia. Zetknięcie z odmienną rzeczywistością kulturowo-zawodową bywa zaskakujące i budzi niejednokrotnie niepozytywne emocje. W kontekście powyższych procesów przypisuje się szczególne znaczenie kompetencji interkulturowej określanej obecnie mianem kompetencji kluczowej, niezbędnej do funkcjonowania w postnowoczesnym, wielokulturowym świecie. Równie istotne jest jednak poznanie uwarunkowań zawodowej kultury narodowej. Dopiero wówczas można mówić o efektywnym funkcjonowaniu na europejskim rynku pracy. Wielu młodych ludzi będących na etapie kształcenia ponadgimnazjalnego deklaruje chęć budowania swojej przyszłości poza granicami kraju. Dlatego należy poszukiwać narzędzi, które umożliwią adeptom nauki zawodu wejście w obszary życia zawodowego oraz innej rzeczywistości kulturowej. Jednym z takich instrumentów są projekty mobilności programu Leonardo da Vinci, pozwalające na poznanie wybranych obszarów zawodowych przy równoczesnym „zanurzeniu” się w najgłębsze warstwy kulturowe kraju natywnego użytkownika języka. Istotę powyższej tematyki omówi Autorka na przykładzie jednego z projektów mobilności, realizowanego w Niemczech, w Centrum Kształcenia Budowlanego

Identification of the molecular basis of the lacrimo-auriculo-dento-digital (LADD) syndrome

Lacrimo-auriculo-dento-digital (LADD) syndrome, also known as Levy-Hollister syndrome, is a rare autosomal dominant developmental disorder, mainly characterized by abnormalities of the lacrimal system and salivary glands, ears and hearing, teeth and distal limb development. Besides these cardinal features, facial dysmorphism and malformations of the kidney and the respiratory system have been reported. In this study, the LADD1 locus was mapped to chromosome 10q26 by genome wide linkage analysis using the Affymetrix GeneChip 10K array in three large LADD families. In all three LADD families and in one sporadic case, heterozygous missense mutations were found in exon 16 of the gene encoding the fibroblast-growth-factor-receptor 2 (FGFR2). After exclusion of the FGFR2 locus by haplotype analysis in two additional LADD families, one missense mutation was identified in FGFR3 and one mutation was found in the fibroblast-growth-factor 10 (FGF10), a known ligand of FGFR2 [Rohmann et al., 2006]. The functional properties of FGF10 LADD and FGFR2 LADD mutants were analyzed and compared to the activities of their normal counterparts. Protein expression in BL21 cells and binding studies showed that each of the three analyzed FGF10 mutations demonstrated severely impaired activity by different mechanisms. Transient and stable expression studies exhibited that the FGFR2 mutations possess a reduced autophosphorylation and a weaker tyrosine kinase activity. Mutations also lead to diminished phosphorylation activity in FGFR2-mediated substrates (e. g. FRS2 and Shc) and to a decreased downstream signaling pathway, as shown by MAPK activity. While tested FGF10 LADD mutations caused haploinsufficiency, the FGFR2 LADD mutants could exert a dominant-negative effect on normal FGFR2 protein [Shams and Rohmann et al., 2007]. An in vitro kinase assay and crystallization of both, FGFR2 WT and the p.A628T missense mutation in the catalytic part of the tyrosine kinase domain, demonstrated that the A628T LADD mutation disrupts the catalytic activity due to conformational changes, leading to LADD syndrome. In addition, the newly described crystal structure of FGFR2 in comparison to FGFR1 revealed that the FGFR2 utilizes a less stringent mode of autoinhibition [Lew, Bae and Rohmann et al., 2007]

Pornography Debate, Gaze and Spectatorship in Sarah Daniels’s Masterpieces

Masterpieces by Sarah Daniels has been described as a voice in the debate on pornography, expressing the anti-pornography position as opposed to the liberal feminist stance in this debate. Despite its ideological clarity reported by many reviewers and critics, the play has been commented upon as deficient or inadequate because of evoking conflicting interpretations and ambiguity. The paper argues that these deficiencies stem from the play’s concern with the distribution of agency and passivity along gender lines as well as the influence of generic and essentialist notions of genders on the perception of social and individual power relations particularly in the domain of eroticism and sexuality. One of the key issues of the play is the question to what extent and in what ways human perception is conditioned by the place of the subject in relation to the agency/passivity dichotomy and his or her viewing/reading position in relation to erotic and pornographic material

In Search of a Strategy for Innovation Policy of Polish Economy

The paper is divided into three parts. First deals with the characteristics of innovative potential and innovative activity of Polish economy. Second is devoted to the problem of innovation policy in Poland. Considerations presented in this part allow to come to a few conclusions concerning evaluation of innovation policy implemented in Poland. The last part discusses the issue of innovation strategy suitable for development of Polish economy in long run