Foreign investments in Polish agribusiness as a factor increasing the pace of its development

The study presented the scale of foreign direct investments in Poland in the years 1993- 2004. It was found out that these investments related both to production and financial, commercial and logistical activity. A considerable part of investments was made in the agricultural and food industry, especially in the first years after the transition from a socialist economy to a market economy. The greatest resources were invested in the tobacco industry and then in the production of sweets and beverages. As a result of research it was found out that the agricultural and food industry in Poland developed dynamically after the transformation, both increasing the value of production and investing more than the consumption of fixed assets amounted to.foreign direct investments, agricultural and food industry., Agribusiness,

The Teaching and Learning of Lexical Chunks: A Comparison of Observe Hypothesise Experiment and Presentation Practice Production.

The focus of this study is the comparison of two teaching frameworks: Presentation Practice Production (PPP) and Observe Hypothesise Experiment (OHE) in the context of teaching twelve lexical chunks to two groups of twenty-one EAP students. An analysis of pre- and post-test scores demonstrated that both frameworks were successful in aiding students’ productive and receptive knowledge of the target language. The question as to whether one framework was more effective than the other in the context studied was answered negatively, since no statistically significant difference between the treatment types was found. The results suggest that both input and output oriented activities can aid the acquisition of chunks to the same extent and thus, perhaps, the choice between these frameworks may be more dependent on teaching and learning styles than upon their impact on the acquisition of formulaic language. Key words: Observe Hypothesise Experiment, Presentation Practice Production, formulaic language, lexical chunks, productive knowledge, receptive knowledge, input oriented activities, output oriented activitie

The comparison of the effectiveness of the Observe Hypothesise Experiment and the Presentation Practice Production models on teaching procedural language of circumlocution and stalling devices to upper intermediate EFL students

The study presented in this thesis compared the effectiveness of two teaching frameworks: Presentation Practice Production (PPP) and Observe Hypothesise Experiment (OHE). The investigation was conducted in the context of teaching formulaic sequences with pragmatic functions, in this case procedural language for two communication strategies (stalling and circumlocution) to twenty upper-intermediate students enrolled on an International Foundation Programme (IFP) in a UK university. The focus of this study was on the following areas: a) the effect of explicit instruction on productive and receptive acquisition of chunks b) the comparison of the effect of the frameworks to teach the same chunks c) the students’ views on the usefulness of the chosen formulaic sequences and their opinions on the frameworks employed. In order to address the notions in focus, a mixed-methods design was used. First, the participants who were already assigned to two intact classes, completed productive and receptive vocabulary pre-tests, next they received a 90-minute instruction on the chunks (with the use of either PPP or OHE), then they completed post-tests, and after two weeks a delayed test was distributed. The pre-test-treatment-post-test-delayed test design allowed an assessment of the effectiveness of the frameworks within each group and their comparison against each other. The use of questionnaires and focus groups permitted an enquiry into students’ views on the teaching frameworks employed and their attitudes with regards to teaching the chunks used in this study, as well as other kinds of formulae with pragmatic functions. The results revealed that both types of instruction had a short-term impact on the students’ productive knowledge and a sustained effect on their receptive knowledge. However, no significant difference between the effect of each framework upon receptive and productive knowledge of the target forms was found. The qualitative data revealed that the learners were positive towards instruction on formulaic language and emphasised the need for instruction on interpersonal language within the context of IFP. In terms of evaluation of the teaching frameworks, PPP students expressed more positive views on the activities, due to the presence of output practice. The students’ strong views on the place of practice in ELT highlighted the need for defining effective practice in a given context

Energy Release Rates for a Plane Crack Subjected to General Loading and their Relation to Stress-Intensity Factors

The well-known J integral of elastic fracture mechanics has been related to potential energy-release rate associated with crack extension and has proved to be of great value in fracture testing. In particular, the path-independence of the J integral has been used to an advantage in performing acoustoelastic measurements along a closed contour surrounding a crack tip. In Mode I (opening mode) for example, the J integral depends essentially only on the corresponding stress intensity factor KIwhich can thus be determined. Actually, J is the component of a vector in the plane of the crack and there exists a component of this vector normal to the crack plane, which, however, has not been interpreted properly in the past. It is one aim of this paper to supply a valid interpretation of this path-independent integral and to relate it to still another integral, also path-independent, which has been termed the L integral. It will be further shown explicitly that for a crack under mixed-mode loading this latter integral represents the energy release rate for rotation which can be used to determine both KI and KII

Bifurcation of closed orbits from equilibria of Newtonian systems with Coriolis forces

We consider autonomous Newtonian systems with Coriolis forces in two and three dimensions and study the existence of branches of periodic orbits emanating from equilibria. We investigate both degenerate and nondegenerate situations. While Lyapunov’s center theorem applies locally in the nondegen- erate, nonresonant context, equivariant degree theory provides a global answer which is significant also in some degenerate cases. We apply our abstract results to a problem from Celestial Mechanics. More precisely, in the three-dimensional version of the Restricted Triangular Four- Body Problem with possibly different primaries our results show the existence of at least seven branches of periodic orbits emanating from the stationary points

Implementation of the principles of sustainable development by agricultural producers in Poland

Purpose: The aim of the research is to identify and assess the opportunities and processes of implementing sustainable development in agricultural activities. It is also to assess farmers’ awareness and knowledge of the principles of sustainable development in agriculture. Design/Methodology/Approach: Research on the application of the principles of sustainable development in agricultural production was carried out in 2019. Data was collected in four voivodships using the interview questionnaire. The research area was chosen deliberately. They were voivodships with the largest share of sown crops. The collected material was analyzed in terms of farmers’ knowledge of the principles of sustainable development in agricultural production and the level of their application on the farm. Findings: Based on the collected information, it was found that the respondents had a high level of knowledge about the sustainable development of agriculture. The results show significant differences in the application of sustainable development principles. It was also found that there is a relationship between the level of education and age of farmers and the application of sustainable development principles among them. Knowing the principles of sustainable development has not always coincided with the application. Practical Implications: The results obtained may be used for development of the agricultural policy, aimed at agricultural farms, as well as in programming agricultural development and shaping farmers’ income. Originality/Value: The results are original because they can be used to develop future agricultural policy scenarios in terms of compensation for conducting agricultural production in a sustainable way.peer-reviewe

Cancer cell heterogeneity and plasticity: A paradigm shift in glioblastoma

Phenotypic plasticity has emerged as a major contributor to intra-tumoral heterogeneity and treatment resistance in cancer. Increasing evidence shows that glioblastoma (GBM) cells display prominent intrinsic plasticity and reversibly adapt to dynamic microenvironmental conditions. Limited genetic evolution at recurrence further suggests that resistance mechanisms also largely operate at the phenotypic level. Here we review recent literature underpinning the role of GBM plasticity in creating gradients of heterogeneous cells including those that carry cancer stem cell (CSC) properties. A historical perspective from the hierarchical to the nonhierarchical concept of CSCs towards the recent appreciation of GBM plasticity is provided. Cellular states interact dynamically with each other and with the surrounding brain to shape a flexible tumor ecosystem, which enables swift adaptation to external pressure including treatment. We present the key components regulating intra-tumoral phenotypic heterogeneity and the equilibrium of phenotypic states, including genetic, epigenetic, and microenvironmental factors. We further discuss plasticity in the context of intrinsic tumor resistance, where a variable balance between preexisting resistant cells and adaptive persisters leads to reversible adaptation upon treatment. Innovative efforts targeting regulators of plasticity and mechanisms of state transitions towards treatment-resistant states are needed to restrict the adaptive capacities of GBM.publishedVersio