Corporate governance and industrial relations in Poland

The paper discusses Polish privatisation from the industrial relations point of view. It focuses on the role of trade unions and workers councils in the privatisation process. Two polar privatisation blueprints are identified: those aiming at competitive 'atomistic' firms and those, which accentuate corporate financial-industrial structures and networks. The internal structure of corporate control in Polish companies is evaluated from this perspective, taking into account the role of organised labour, of the managers and of the politicians in the privatisation process

Enhancing the Fresh and Early Age Performances of Portland Cement Pastes via Sol-Gel Silica Coating of Metal Oxides (Bi2O3 and Gd2O3)

Data Availability Statement: The datasets generated and/or analyzed during this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.Copyright © 2023 by the authors. Incorporating metal oxide nanoparticles into cement-based composites delays the hydration process and strength gain of cementitious composites. This study presents an approach toward improving the performance of bismuth oxide (Bi2O3) and gadolinium oxide (Gd2O3) particles in cementitious systems by synthesizing core–shell structures via a sol-gel process. Two types of silica coatings on cementitious pastes with 5% and 10% substitution levels were proposed. The rheology, hydration, and mechanical properties of the pastes were analyzed to determine the relationship between the coating type and nanoparticle concentration. The results indicate that despite the significant disparities in the performance of the resulting material, both methods are appropriate for cement technology applications. Bi2O3’s silica coatings accelerate the hydration process, leading to early strength development in the cement paste. However, due to the coarse particle size of Gd2O3, silica coatings exhibited negligible effects on the early age characteristics of cement pastes.National Science Centre, Poland (project no. 2020/39/D/ST8/00975 (SONATA-16))

Functional Bi2O3/Gd2O3 Silica-Coated Structures for Improvement of Early Age and Radiation Shielding Performance of Cement Pastes

Data Availability Statement: The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.Copyright © 2024 by the authors. This study presents a new approach towards the production of sol-gel silica-coated Bi2O3/Gd2O3 cement additives towards the improvement of early mechanical performance and radiation attenuation. Two types of silica coatings, which varied in synthesis method and morphology, were used to coat Bi2O3/Gd2O3 structures and evaluated as a cement filler in Portland cement pastes. Isothermal calorimetry studies and early strength evaluations confirmed that both proposed coating types can overcome retarded cement hydration process, attributed to Bi2O3 presence, resulting in improved one day compressive strength by 300% and 251% (depending on coating method) when compared to paste containing pristine Bi2O3 and Gd2O3 particles. Moreover, depending on the type of chosen coating type, various rheological performances of cement pastes can be achieved. Thanks to the proposed combination of materials, both gamma-rays and slow neutron attenuation in cement pastes can be simultaneously improved. The introduction of silica coating resulted in an increment of the gamma-ray and neutron shielding thanks to the increased probability of radiation interaction. Along with the positive early age effects of the synthesized structures, the 28 day mechanical performance of cement pastes was not suppressed, and was found to be comparable to that of the control specimen. As an outcome, silica-coated structures can be successfully used in radiation-shielding cement-based composites, e.g. with demanding early age performances.National Science Centre of Poland within Project no. 2020/39/D/ST8/00975 (SONATA-16)

Case report: response to the ERK1/2 inhibitor ulixertinib in BRAF D594G cutaneous melanoma.

Melanoma is characterized by oncogenic mutations in pathways regulating cell growth, proliferation, and metabolism. Greater than 80% of primary melanoma cases harbor aberrant activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase/extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (MEK/ERK) pathway, with oncogenic mutations in BRAF, most notably BRAF V600E, being the most common. Significant progress has been made in BRAF-mutant melanoma using BRAF and MEK inhibitors; however, non-V600 BRAF mutations remain a challenge with limited treatment options. We report the case of an individual diagnosed with stage III BRAF D594G-mutant melanoma who experienced an extraordinary response to the ERK1/2 inhibitor ulixertinib as fourth-line therapy. Ulixertinib was obtained via an intermediate expanded access protocol with unique flexibility to permit both single-agent and combination treatments, dose adjustments, breaks in treatment to undergo surgery, and long-term preventive treatment following surgical resection offering this patient the potential for curative treatment

Recycled brick aggregates in one-part alkali-activated materials: Impact on 3D printing performance and material properties

Data availability: Data will be made available on request.This study investigates the printability of one-part brick powder-based alkali-activated materials (AAMs) containing end-of-life brick particles as aggregate. The novel formulation showcases promise for 3D printing of small to medium-sized building blocks, reminiscent of a Lego-type system, capitalising on the rapid setting time inherent to one-part AAMs. The effect of replacing up to 50% by weight of natural aggregate with brick aggregate on the fresh properties of brick powder-based alkali-activated materials, including slump measurements, flowability, setting time, open time and green strength were investigated. In addition, the flexural and compressive strength of the 3D printed mixtures were determined and compared to those of cast specimens. The buildability and microstructure were also examined. The results showed that incorporating high porous and rough brick aggregate to replace natural aggregate is beneficial in improving the mixtures’ slump, which is essential for retaining the shape of the printed layers. However, it decreased the flowability, setting time and open time when incorporating up to 50% brick aggregate. The green, flexural and compressive strengths were increased with increasing brick aggregate content up to 50% due to enhancing interlock between the binder and brick aggregate, and the better compaction because of the absorption properties of brick aggregate. The mechanical results revealed the better performance of 3D printed specimens than the cast specimens. Moreover, the incorporation of brick aggregate enhanced the buildability of the mixtures showcasing their potential in advancing 3D printing capabilities.This work was funded as part of the DigiMat project, which has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement ID: 101029471. This research was funded in part by the National Center for Research and Development (NCBR), Poland within Project no. ERA-MIN3/140/Recycl3D/2022 (ERA-NET Cofund ERA-MIN3 (Joint Call 2021)). The funding provided by FCT - the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, is acknowledged: references UIDB/04625/2020 (CERIS research centre) and ERA-MIN3/0001/2021 (ERA-NET Cofund ERA-MIN3)

Wpływ auksyn i preparatu AlgaminoPlant na ukorzenianie sadzonek pędowych dwóch odmian derenia białego (Cornus alba ‘Aurea’ i ‘Elegantissima’)

Wprowadzane przez UE ograniczenia produkcji i zastosowania środków ochrony roślin wymuszają na szkółkarzach poszukiwania nowych substancji bezpiecznych dla środowiska a skutecznych w produkcji materiału roślinnego. Celem niniejszej pracy było określenie wpływu preparatu z grupy biostymulatorów – AlgaminoPlantu – zastosowanego w formie opryskiwania sadzonek 0.2% roztworem wodnym, na proces ukorzeniania sadzonek pędowych Cornus alba ‘Aurea’ i ‘Elegantissima’. Dla porównania użyto stosowane dotąd w praktyce szkółkarskiej ukorzeniacze pudrowe: Ukorzeniacz AB (0.3% NAA) i Rhizopon AA (2% IBA). Zastosowane ukorzeniacze w niewielkim stopniu oddziaływały na rizogenezę u derenia. Wyniki przeprowadzonego doświadczenia wskazują natomiast na możliwość wykorzystania preparatu AlgaminoPlant w procesie ukorzeniania w/w odmian derenia, ponieważ jego zastosowanie zwiększyło procent i stopień ukorzenienia sadzonek w porównaniu z sadzonkami kontrolnymi. Preparat ten wpłynął na wzrost zawartości chlorofilu, węglowodanów zawartość i wolnych aminokwasów w liściach sadzonek.The UE-imposed restrictions on the manufacture and application of plant protection chemicals impose on the nurseryman the need to screen for new substances that are environmentally friendly and yet effective in the production of plant material. Biopreparations may constitute such a group as they contain substance little affecting the environment. The aim of the work was to evaluate effects of the biopreparation AlgaminoPlant on rooting of stem cuttings in Cornus alba ‘Aurea’ and C. alba ‘Elegantissima’. Freshly harvested cuttings were sprayed with the 0.2% water solution of the biopreparation. To compare its effectiveness with the commercial rooting powders used routinely in the nursery production part of the cuttings were treated with “Ukorzeniacz AB” (0.3% NAA) or Rhizopon AA (2% IBA). Both powders little affected rhizogenesis. Application of the biopreparation increased percentage and degree of rooting in dogwood as compared to control cuttings what shows its potential in a commercial production. The above treatment increased chlorophyll, carbohydrate contents and free amino acids in leaves of the sprayed cuttings

First year of transformation and the behaviour of state-run enterprises

This paper summarizes a year of empirical research on the adjustment patterns of Polish state enterprises. The research was undertaken by the Research Group on Enterprise Adjustment at the Gdansk Institute for Market Economics. The paper is in three main parts. In the first section we give a thumbnail description of the macro-economic performance of the Polish economy during 1990. The second section reviews the changes in the organizational, legal and sociological structures of state-run enterprises. The third section discusses the performance of state firms and challenges a number of stereotypes concerning their activity. We argue that small and medium-sized enterprises adjusted more dynamically to the changing environment than their larger counterparts and also that state enterprises which were under competitive pressure and operating on the consumer markets were significantly more active than other firms.Transformation stabilization state-run enterprise