INVESTMENTS IN ENYIRONMENTAL PROJECTS AS AN ELEMENT OF A POLICY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN THE REGION OF OPOLE IN 1993-2004 - FROM A STRUCTURAL POINT OF YIEW

This article is devoted to the generating of Capital for environmental projects in the region of Opole through investments. The period analysed is from 1993, when there was a significant change in the financing of environmental projects in Poland. This was due to a change in the structure of the major institutions subsidising environmental projects. The regional funds for environmental protection and water management were given legal  status as corporate identities. This enabled them to carry out an active financial policy, reducing the level of dotations in favour of preferential loans. In addition, local government funds for environmental protection were set up, which reduced the transaction costs for environmental projectsat the level of local goyernment.1 This has influenced the level of investments in environmental projects. &nbsp

A STUDY ON THE ECOLOGICAL AWARENESS OF SUPERMARKET CLIENTS ON THE BASIS OF A QUESTIONNAIRE SURVEY

This research was aimed at investigating a given form of ecological awareness. The ecological awareness of consumers madę edivent in purchasing decisions is an important factor, sińce awareness that the State of the natural environment depends on the activities of each individual is clearly growing [see Sołdra-Gwiżcz, 2002, 35-53]. The choice of individuals in this field are particularly broad. For the purposes of this article we will adopt the approach taken by Parysek and Dutkowski [1994] that “one may assess the level of social awareness, in which the conditions and opportunities for the realisation of human values are recognized, by ecological awareness.

THE CRITERIA OF ECOLOGICAL POLICY INSTRUMENTS EVALUATION

The purpose of this paper is an interpretation of the criteria of instruments introduction into ecological policy [Fiedor, Graczyk 2003], It aims at describing the conditions in which the criteria of ecological policy instruments evaluationare better fulfilled. An interpretation of the criteria will be carried out from the perspective of the instruments contribution to the internalization of the external ecological costs. It is an evaluation undertaken from the perspectiveof regulating entities. It should be noted that an evaluation from the point of view of the reaction of entities subjected to regulation is also possible

Low-temperature behavior of the O(N)O(N) models below two dimensions

We investigate the critical behavior and the nature of the low-temperature phase of the $O(N)$ models treating the number of field components $N$ and the dimension $d$ as continuous variables with a focus on the $d\leq 2$ and $N\leq 2$ quadrant of the $(d,N)$ plane. We precisely chart a region of the $(d,N)$ plane where the low-temperature phase is characterized by an algebraic correlation function decay similar to that of the Kosterlitz-Thouless phase but with a temperature-independent anomalous dimension $\eta$. We revisit the Cardy-Hamber analysis leading to a prediction concerning the nonanalytic behavior of the $O(N)$ models' critical exponents and emphasize the previously not broadly appreciated consequences of this approach in $d<2$. In particular, we discuss how this framework leads to destabilization of the long-range order in favour of the quasi long-range order in systems with $d<2$ and $N<2$. Subsequently, within a scheme of the nonperturbative renormalization group we identify the low-temperature fixed points controlling the quasi long-range ordered phase and demonstrate a collision between the critical and the low-temperature fixed points upon approaching the lower critical dimension. We evaluate the critical exponents $\eta(d,N)$ and $\nu^{-1}(d,N)$ and demonstrate a very good agreement between the predictions of the Cardy-Hamber type analysis and the nonperturbative renormalization group in $d<2$.Comment: 10 pages, 10 figures, 1 tabl

Dystonic tics in patients with Gilles de la Tourette syndrome

Clinical rationale for the study. Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS) is a childhood onset disorder characterised by motor and vocal tics. Different types of motor tics may occur in GTS, including dystonic tics (DTs). Although DTs have been recognised as part of GTS symptomatology, little is known about their risk factors or about how often and at what age they appear in affected individuals.Aim of the study. The aim of our study was to investigate lifetime prevalence and clinical correlations of DTs in a Polish cohort of GTS patients.Material and methods. We performed a prospective, one-registration study in a cohort of 207 consecutive ambulatory patients (mean age: 16.5 ± 9.4 years, 131 children, 162 males) with GTS. Duration of GTS was 9.0 ± 8.0 years (range: 1–39 years). DTs were diagnosed during the interview. DTs were defined as slower and lasting longer than typical clonic tics, abnormal dystonia-like movements that led to a sustained, but not fixed, posture.Results. DTs occurred at some point in the lifetime of 73.9% (n = 153) of patients. The prevalence of DTs in adults and children was almost the same (p = 0.963). Age at onset of DTs was 9.9 ± 5.2 years with the most frequent onset in children (7–11 years, 74.4%, n = 64), followed by adolescence (12–18 years; 17.4%, n = 15) and adulthood (≥ 18 years, 8.1%, n = 7). DTs occurred 3.7 ± 4.2 years after tic onset. On average, patients suffered from 1.8 ± 1.7 types of DTs. The most frequent manifestations of DTs were:eyes (tightening resembling blepharospasm 84.3%, n = 129 and oculogyric crisis 45.8%, n = 70), trunk (dystonic postures 59.5%, n = 91), jaw (bruxism 34.6%, n = 53), neck (30.7%, n = 47), upper limb (26.1%, n = 40), and foot (20.9%, n = 32). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed significant associations of DTs with the total number of simple, and the total number of complex, tics.Conclusions and clinical implications. DTs are early and frequent symptoms of GTS. They tend to localise in the facial area. DTs occur more frequently in individuals with a higher number of tics and probably add to the global impairment caused by tics

Dystonic tics in patients with Gilles de la Tourette syndrome

Clinical rationale for the study. Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS) is a childhood onset disorder characterised by motor and vocal tics. Different types of motor tics may occur in GTS, including dystonic tics (DTs). Although DTs have been recognised as part of GTS symptomatology, little is known about their risk factors or about how often and at what age they appear in affected individuals. Aim of the study. The aim of our study was to investigate lifetime prevalence and clinical correlations of DTs in a Polish cohort of GTS patients. Material and methods. We performed a prospective, one-registration study in a cohort of 207 consecutive ambulatory patients (mean age: 16.5 ± 9.4 years, 131 children, 162 males) with GTS. Duration of GTS was 9.0 ± 8.0 years (range: 1–39 years). DTs were diagnosed during the interview. DTs were defined as slower and lasting longer than typical clonic tics, abnormal dystonia-like movements that led to a sustained, but not fixed, posture. Results. DTs occurred at some point in the lifetime of 73.9% (n = 153) of patients. The prevalence of DTs in adults and children was almost the same (p = 0.963). Age at onset of DTs was 9.9 ± 5.2 years with the most frequent onset in children (7–11 years, 74.4%, n = 64), followed by adolescence (12–18 years; 17.4%, n = 15) and adulthood (≥ 18 years, 8.1%, n = 7). DTs occurred 3.7 ± 4.2 years after tic onset. On average, patients suffered from 1.8 ± 1.7 types of DTs. The most frequent manifestations of DTs were: eyes (tightening resembling blepharospasm 84.3%, n = 129 and oculogyric crisis 45.8%, n = 70), trunk (dystonic postures 59.5%, n = 91), jaw (bruxism 34.6%, n = 53), neck (30.7%, n = 47), upper limb (26.1%, n = 40), and foot (20.9%, n = 32). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed significant associations of DTs with the total number of simple, and the total number of complex, tics. Conclusions and clinical implications. DTs are early and frequent symptoms of GTS. They tend to localise in the facial area. DTs occur more frequently in individuals with a higher number of tics and probably add to the global impairment caused by tics. Key words: Gilles de la Tourette syndrome, dystonic tics, simple tics, complex tics, dystoni