Financial Market Risk and Macroeconomic Stability Variables: Dynamic Interactions and Feedback Effects

This study investigates dynamic interactions and feedback effects between financial market risk proxied by VIX and key macroeconomic stability variables that include the rate of unemployment, headline inflation and market-based inflation expectations reflected by the breakeven inflation. I argue that market risk should play a stronger role in macroeconomic modeling and forecasting than it has been recognized thus far in the literature. I employ vector autoregression with impulse response functions, as well as two-state Markov switching tests to examine these interactions on the longest available US monthly data. The empirical tests show that the association between market risk and macroeconomic fundamentals is predominantly neutral at normal, predictable economic conditions. It becomes however very pronounced at times of financial distress, in the environment of elevated market risk coupled with uncertain expectations for macroeconomic variables. Shocks in VIX have a longer impact on macroeconomic stability than that generally claimed in the prior literature. The Markov switching tests for CPI and breakeven inflation indicate that households and businesses are concerned primarily about episodes of increasing inflation, while bond market participants are worried mainly about declining inflation and deflation

Pregnant women's diets and fatty acid intake - a study of the frequency of intake of products that are sources of fatty acids among women in the third trimester of pregnancy

Background: Polyunsaturated fatty acids, essential for the human body, have several positive functions that affect human health. Pregnancy is a time of particular demand for these acids, especially DHA and EPA, whose sources are mainly oily marine fish. The supply of adequate amounts of these acids conditions the proper development of the fetus, influencing, among other things, the formation of the central nervous system and the development of the child's retina, as well as protecting against premature birth and increasing the child's birth weight. The aim of the study was to assess the frequency of consumption of fish, vegetable oils, and products rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids and evaluate DHA supplementation by pregnant women, as well as to assess knowledge of PFAs, especially DHA and EPA.Material and methods: 210 pregnant women were included in the study. A self-administered and online survey questionnaires were used as the research tool. A database was created using Microsoft Excel.Results: According to the recommended amounts, 2-3 times a week, Marine fish was consumed by only 12.86% of the women surveyed. Regular consumption of ALA-rich products, such as flaxseed, was declared by 10 respondents, while 59.05% of the surveyed women did not consume it at all. The use of DHA acid supplementation during pregnancy was unequivocally declared by 58 women surveyed, representing only ¼ of the women surveyed.Conclusions: The dietary behavior of pregnant women related to fish consumption is not correct, the overall proportion of fish in the diet of the subjects does not cover the recommended amounts. Vegetable oils and products rich in PFAs are not consumed with adequate frequency by pregnant women. DHA supplementation by pregnant women, despite low fish consumption, is underestimated and at a very low level

Effect of Growing Period and Cultivar on the Yield and Biological Value of Brassica rapa var. narinosa

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the usefulness of Brassica rapa var. narinosa for field production in Central European climatic zone in order to introduction of this species to large-scale farming. Chinese flat cabbage cultivars, ‘Tatsoi’ and ‘Misome’, were the object of the 2-year-long field experiment in south Poland, conducted in 2 terms: plantings in the middle and at the end of August, harvests in the middle of September and on the beginning of October (1st and 2nd growing period, respectively). Plants were evaluated for morphological and chemical variability at the transplant stage. The yield and bioactive compounds content in the leaf petioles of mature plants were also studied. Analyses of juvenile plants, conducted before transplanting, showed that ‘Misome’ transplants were greater, but they had less leaves then ‘Tatsoi’. Transplants of both cultivars from the 2nd growing period had greater fresh weight, but the content of dry matter, soluble sugars and carotenoids was lower. Total and marketable yield, rosette mass, L-ascorbic acid and crude fibre content were greater for both cultivars planted in the middle of August and harvested in the middle of September. Leaf petioles of Chinese flat cabbage from the 2nd growing period were significantly richer in dry matter and soluble sugars. Only the level of carotenoids and chlorophylls was not influenced by the growing period. ‘Misome’ gave the greater marketable yield of better structure, and had a higher content of biologically active compounds than ‘Tatsoi’, with the exception of crude fibre. In Central Europe conditions, this cultivar should be recommended for plantings in the middle of August to achieve the best yields of high nutrient content

(E-)manufaktura „Napisu”. Tradycyjne czasopismo naukowe w epoce internetu

The article presents the direction of substantive and typographical changes that the academic yearbook “Napis. Pismo poświęcone literaturze okolicznościowej i użytkowej” [„Inscription. Periodical on occasional and applied literature”], has undergone while adapting to the functioning in the online version. The increasing professionalization of the graphic side of the journal is one of its distinguishing features – but at the same time it poses additional tasks to the editorial team, wishing to maintain the individual visual character of the website and conscious references to the typographic tradition. The path of slow evolution of the form chosen by the editors of the yearbook has its advantages and disadvantages, briefly discussed in the text.Artykuł przedstawia kierunek zmian o charakterze merytorycznym i typograficznym, które w ciągu niemal trzydziestu lat istnienia przeszedł rocznik naukowy „Napis. Pismo poświęcone literaturze użytkowej i okolicznościowej”, dostosowując się do funkcjonowania w wersji internetowej. Coraz większa profesjonalizacja strony graficznej pisma stanowi jeden z jego wyróżników – zarazem jednak stawia dodatkowe zadania przed zespołem redakcyjnym, pragnącym zachować indywidualny rys wizualny strony WWW i świadome nawiązania do tradycji typograficznej. Wybrana przez redakcję rocznika droga powolnej ewolucji formy ma swoje wady i zalety, pokrótce omówione w tekście

„Przekreśl albo nie wydrukuję”. Autograf fragmentu "Pana Graby" jako dokument warsztatu pisarskiego młodej Elizy Orzeszkowej i relacji autorki z redaktorami w świetle jej korespondencji z Józefem Sikorskim

The preserved manuscript of the end of chapter 5 of the first part of Eliza Orzeszkowa’s novel Pan Graba (1868–1869) reflects the work on the crystallization of the text and the improvement of the style. The corrections made on the brochures in the light of Orzeszkowa’s letters to Józef Sikorski, an editor of “Gazeta Polska” (1867–1873) reveal the editor's influence on the final form of the work: changes in the text of the manuscript, as well as imposing his own worldview and aesthetic tastes on the young writer, who begins to increasingly defend her creative independence. Zachowany autograf końca piątego rozdziału pierwszego tomu powieści Elizy Orzeszkowej Pan Graba (1868-1869) obrazuje prace nad krystalizowaniem się tekstu i doskonaleniem stylu. Nanoszone na brulionie poprawki w świetle listów Orzeszkowej do Józefa Sikorskiego, redaktora „Gazety Polskiej” (1867-1873), ukazują też wpływ redaktora na ostateczną postać utworu: zmiany na tekście rękopisu, a także narzucanie przez niego własnego światopoglądu i gustów estetycznych młodej pisarce, która zaczyna coraz mocniej bronić niezależności twórczej

Zachowany fragment autografu "Pana Graby" Elizy Orzeszkowej – opracowanie edytorskie

The preserved manuscript of the end of chapter 5 of the first part of Eliza Orzeszkowa’s novel "Pan Graba" (1868–1869) reflects the work on the crystallization of the text and the improvement of the style of writer. The editorial study of a fragment of the manuscript of the novel and a list ofvariations compared to the press first edition of the novel (“Tygodnik Romansów i Powieści” 1869, No. 46–47) as well as their comparison makes it possible to analyze the creative methods of young Orzeszkowa.Zachowany rękopis końca piątego rozdziału z pierwszego tomu powieści ElizyOrzeszkowej Pan Graba (1868–1869) obrazuje etap pracy nad krystalizowaniem się tekstu i doskonaleniem  stylu pisarki. Edytorskie opracowanie fragmentu rękopisu Pana Graby oraz lista odmian względem prasowego pierwodruku powieści („Tygodnik Romansów i Powieści” 1869, nr 46–47) wraz z ich porównaniem umożliwia analizę metod twórczych młodej Orzeszkowej

A highly sensitive electrochemical genosensor based on Co-porphyrin-labelled DNA

We report the use of Co-porphyrins as electrochemical tags for a highly sensitive and selective genosensor. An avian influenza virus-based DNA sequence characteristic of H5N1 was detected at femtomolar levels from competing non-complementary sequences through hybridisation with the labeled DNA

Neither action nor phonological video games make dyslexic children read better

The prevalence and long-term consequences of dyslexia make it crucial to look for effective and efficient ways of its therapy. Action video games (AVG) were implied as a possible remedy for difficulties in reading in Italian and English-speaking children. However, the studies examining the effectiveness of AVG application in dyslexia suffered from significant methodological weaknesses such as small sample sizes and lack of a control group with no intervention. In our study, we tested how two forms of training: based on AVG and on phonological non-action video games (PNAVG), affect reading in a group of fifty-four Polish children with dyslexia. Both speed and accuracy of reading increased in AVG as much as in PNAVG group. Moreover, both groups improved in phonological awareness, selective attention and rapid naming. Critically, the reading progress in the two groups did not differ from a dyslexic control group which did not participate in any training. Thus, the observed improvement in reading in AVG and PNAVG can be attributed either to the normal reading development related to schooling or to test practice effect. Overall, we failed to replicate previous studies: Neither AVG nor PNAVG remedy difficulties in reading in school children

Application of modern agronomic and biotechnological strategies to valorise worldwide globe artichoke (Cynara cardunculus L.) potential - an analytical overview

The globe artichoke [Cynara cardunculus L. var. scolymus (L.) Fiori], an ancient vegetable originated in the Mediterranean Basin, is currently cultivated in many regions of the world under a perennial cycle or as an annual crop, with the first method being more widespread globally. The growing importance of globe artichoke as modern functional food as well as a source of pharmaceuticals has raised new issues that all producers have to face; hence the necessity of contemporaneous development of new centres of production and new technologies application in traditional regions of growing which can complement the global market. This review is focused on development of globe artichoke technology of production in recent several years which meet the diversified requirements of global and local markets. We considered the recent literature to highlight specific applications of modern farming practices and plant breeding along with genetic variation to globe artichoke production system as well as to postharvest management in order to enhance the value added of this commodity. The latter targets are mainly addressed to particular regions of the world and they are based on farmers knowledge, equipment, scale and methods of production, processing, final market. Our reports are focused on sustainable and environmentally friendly methods which can improve the profitability of production as well as product's quality and quantity traits. We discussed the balanced mineral application which can precisely affect the yield chemical composition, attractiveness and shelf life of globe artichoke heads as well as create the opportunities to attain standardised by-products, valuable on the market of health and convenient food. Further topics were developed, such as introduction of seed propagation, intercropping, grafting, flowering induction, postharvest treatments as linked to different regions and conditions of production. Precise selection of modern management practices was recognised as a main goal to fulfil the requirements of local and global market for fresh, processed and new potential globe artichoke products

Saponins as cytotoxic agents : an update (2010-2018) : part I-steroidal saponins

Steroidal saponins are a group of glycosides widely distributed among monocotyledonous families. They exert a wide spectrum of biological effects including cytotoxic and antitumor properties which are the most studied. This review is an update of our previous paper-Saponins as cytotoxic agents (Podolak et al. in Phytochem Rev 9:425-474, 2010) and covers studies that were since published (2010-2018). In this paper we refer to steroidal saponins presenting results of cytotoxicity studies, mechanisms of action and structure-activity relationships