Rural economic development in the post-agricultural era : policy recommendations

Present rural economies of developed countries are no more dominated by agriculture. However, in policies of rural economic development the position of farming remains very strong due to the persisiting pro - ductivist thinking. Consequently, the tools of such policies are strongly related to agriculture, despite its minor contribution to rural economies of developed countries. The aim of this article is to offer recommendations for more efficient policies of rural economic development which are not based only on agriculture. These policy re - commendations for European or national, regional and local authorities are key research findings of the project Non-agricultural and non-tourism economic industries in rural peripheries of the Visegrad countries funded by the International Visegrad Fund

Infrastructure's and housing's development in the rural areas in Poland - some problems

The article refers to an analysis and an evaluation of changes in the technical infrastructure and housing in the rural areas in Poland in the years 1995-2008. The article covered all rural and rural-urban (excluding urban parts) gminas in Poland that altogether amount to 2,172 units (as of 2008). It was stated that in the rural areas in Poland a population density increases and it is caused mainly by dynamic suburbanisation processes and by a population movement from cities and towns towards suburban gminas, in the less degree by a natural increase. In the article there were presented spatial variations of rural gminas in the following elements: a length of the water-line and sewerage networks per 100 km2; a share of water-line and of sewerage systems’ users; a number of dwellings per 1,000 population; a number of rooms per 1 person; the usable floor space of a dwelling in m2 per 1 person; a share of dwellings fitted with water-line system and a share of dwellings equipped with flush toilet and bathroom. It was also shown that there are relationships between population density and infrastructure’s and housing’s elements by proving positive as well as negative correlations

A facile and green route to terpene derived acrylate and methacrylate monomers and simple free radical polymerisation to yield new renewable polymers and coatings

We present new acrylic monomers derived directly from abundant naturally available terpenes via a facile, green and catalytic approach. These monomers can be polymerised to create new polymers with a wide range of mechanical properties that positions them ideally for application across the commodity and specialty plastics landscape; from packaging, cosmetic and medical, through to composites and coatings. We demonstrate their utility through formation of novel renewable polymer coatings

The oncogene AAMDC links PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling with metabolic reprograming in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer

Adipogenesis associated Mth938 domain containing (AAMDC) represents an uncharacterized oncogene amplified in aggressive estrogen receptor-positive breast cancers. We uncover that AAMDC regulates the expression of several metabolic enzymes involved in the one-carbon folate and methionine cycles, and lipid metabolism. We show that AAMDC controls PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling, regulating the translation of ATF4 and MYC and modulating the transcriptional activity of AAMDC-dependent promoters. High AAMDC expression is associated with sensitization to dactolisib and everolimus, and these PI3K-mTOR inhibitors exhibit synergistic interactions with anti-estrogens in IntClust2 models. Ectopic AAMDC expression is sufficient to activate AKT signaling, resulting in estrogen-independent tumor growth. Thus, AAMDC-overexpressing tumors may be sensitive to PI3K-mTORC1 blockers in combination with anti-estrogens. Lastly, we provide evidence that AAMDC can interact with the RabGTPase-activating protein RabGAP1L, and that AAMDC, RabGAP1L, and Rab7a colocalize in endolysosomes. The discovery of the RabGAP1L-AAMDC assembly platform provides insights for the design of selective blockers to target malignancies having the AAMDC amplification

TMEM120A and B: Nuclear Envelope Transmembrane Proteins Important for Adipocyte Differentiation

<div><p>Recent work indicates that the nuclear envelope is a major signaling node for the cell that can influence tissue differentiation processes. Here we present two nuclear envelope trans-membrane proteins TMEM120A and TMEM120B that are paralogs encoded by the <i>Tmem120A</i> and <i>Tmem120B</i> genes. The TMEM120 proteins are expressed preferentially in fat and both are induced during 3T3-L1 adipocyte differentiation. Knockdown of one or the other protein altered expression of several genes required for adipocyte differentiation, <i>Gata3</i>, <i>Fasn</i>, <i>Glut4</i>, while knockdown of both together additionally affected <i>Pparg</i> and <i>Adipoq</i>. The double knockdown also increased the strength of effects, reducing for example <i>Glut4</i> levels by 95% compared to control 3T3-L1 cells upon pharmacologically induced differentiation. Accordingly, TMEM120A and B knockdown individually and together impacted on adipocyte differentiation/metabolism as measured by lipid accumulation through binding of Oil Red O and coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering microscopy (CARS). The nuclear envelope is linked to several lipodystrophies through mutations in lamin A; however, lamin A is widely expressed. Thus it is possible that the TMEM120A and B fat-specific nuclear envelope transmembrane proteins may play a contributory role in the tissue-specific pathology of this disorder or in the wider problem of obesity.</p></div

Unexpectedly high barriers to M–P rotation in tertiary phobane complexes : PhobPR behavior that is commensurate with tBu2PR

The four isomers of 9-butylphosphabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane, s-PhobPBu, where Bu = n-butyl, sec-butyl, isobutyl, tert-butyl, have been prepared. Seven isomers of 9-butylphosphabicyclo[4.2.1]nonane (a5-PhobPBu, where Bu = n-butyl, sec-butyl, isobutyl, tert-butyl; a7-PhobPBu, where Bu = n-butyl, isobutyl, tert-butyl) have been identified in solution; isomerically pure a5-PhobPBu and a7-PhobPBu, where Bu = n-butyl, isobutyl, have been isolated. The σ-donor properties of the PhobPBu ligands have been compared using the JPSe values for the PhobP(═Se)Bu derivatives. The following complexes have been prepared: trans-[PtCl2(s-PhobPR)2] (R = nBu (1a), iBu (1b), sBu (1c), tBu (1d)); trans-[PtCl2(a5-PhobPR)2] (R = nBu (2a), iBu (2b)); trans-[PtCl2(a7-PhobPR)2] (R = nBu (3a), iBu (3b)); trans-[PdCl2(s-PhobPR)2] (R = nBu (4a), iBu (4b)); trans-[PdCl2(a5-PhobPR)2] (R = nBu (5a), iBu (5b)); trans-[PdCl2(a7-PhobPR)2] (R = nBu (6a), iBu (6b)). The crystal structures of 1a–4a and 1b–6b have been determined, and of the ten structures, eight show an anti conformation with respect to the position of the ligand R groups and two show a syn conformation. Solution variable-temperature 31P NMR studies reveal that all of the Pt and Pd complexes are fluxional on the NMR time scale. In each case, two species are present (assigned to be the syn and anti conformers) which interconvert with kinetic barriers in the range 9 to >19 kcal mol–1. The observed trend is that, the greater the bulk, the higher the barrier. The magnitudes of the barriers to M–P bond rotation for the PhobPR complexes are of the same order as those previously reported for tBu2PR complexes. Rotational profiles have been calculated for the model anionic complexes [PhobPR-PdCl3]− using DFT, and these faithfully reproduce the trends seen in the NMR studies of trans-[MCl2(PhobPR)2]. Rotational profiles have also been calculated for [tBu2PR-PdCl3]−, and these show that the greater the bulk of the R group, the lower the rotational barrier: i.e., the opposite of the trend for [PhobPR-PdCl3]−. Calculated structures for the species at the maxima and minima in the M–P rotation energy curves indicate the origin of the restricted rotation. In the case of the PhobPR complexes, it is the rigidity of the bicycle that enforces unfavorable H···Cl clashes involving the Pd–Cl groups with H atoms on the α- or β-carbon in the R substituent and H atoms in 1,3-axial sites within the phosphabicycle

Level of Farmers’ Educational Attainment in Poland – Spatial and Temporal Analysis

Rolnicy kojarzeni są zazwyczaj z niskim poziomem wykształcenia, wykorzystania nowoczesnych technologii – stają się niejako synonimem grupy osób o niskim poziomie wiedzy. Takie przekonanie można powiązać z tym, że często wiejskie (silnie związane z rolnictwem) rynki pracy nie wykazują (nie wykazywały) dużego zapotrzebowania na wysoko wykwalifikowanych pracowników. Jednak współczesne kierunki rozwoju rolnictwa, związane z coraz intensywniejszym wykorzystaniem nowoczesnych technologii i umiejętnością podejmowania szybkich, ryzykownych decyzji odnośnie do produkcji rolnej wiążą się z koniecznością posiadania konkretnych (niemałych) zasobów wiedzy. Stawia to istotne wyzwania przed prowadzącymi działalność rolniczą, szczególnie gdy ma ona być podstawowym źródłem ich utrzymania.The aim of the present study is to show the changes in the level of farmers’ educational attainment in Poland in recent years and studying the education’s attitudes of farmers on acquisition of the farm. The work was based on data collected during the Agricultural Censuses in 1996, 2002 and 2010 and results of a survey realized in the spring of 2014 among 2,411 farmers from 60 municipalities in the country. The presented data show that the education of farmers in Poland in recent years has changed significantly in terms of shares of the various types of education, while in the case of spatial distribution only slightly, as a result of historical and contemporary socio-economic relations

Emissions of methyl chloroform (CH3CCl3) from biomass burning and the tropospheric methyl chloroform budget

The only known sources of atmospheric methyl chloroform are industrial production and biomass burning. With the phase‐out of industrial methyl chloroform production the atmospheric burden of methyl chloroform is rapidly declining. Consequently the potential importance of nonindustrial sources is increasing. Up to now only one experimental investigation of methyl chloroform emissions from biomass burning has been published. Here laboratory studies of methyl chloroform emission from wood burning are presented. The emission ratios relative to carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide are 12.7 ± 2.6 × 10−8 and 15.6 ± 3.3 × 10−7, respectively. Although based on a limited number of measurements, they strongly suggest that methyl chloroform emissions from biomass burning are at the lower end of previous estimates. The impact of these emissions on the chemistry of the atmosphere will be marginal. However, reliable knowledge of the biomass burning source strength will be essential for a detailed analysis of the trend of atmospheric methyl chloroform concentrations