Inflation and Price Setting in a Natural Experiment

We analyze the behaviour of prices using a large disaggregated data set for Poland during transition from a planned to a market economy. The size of price changes and the frequency of adjustment both fall as the inflation rate declines. Price setters follow a mixture of state- and time-contingent policies. We find that price setters are forward-looking. Intermarket price variability increases with inflation and the effect of expected inflation is much stronger than the effect of unexpected inflation. So the bottom line is this: it takes sellers of sausage, eggs, toothpaste, vacuum cleaners, car-wash operators etc. just a few years to figure out how to adjust prices in a market environment. Our results support both the menu cost, and the rational expectations, hypotheses.

Modern trends in diagnostics of technical condition of material handling equipment drives

This study presents problems of material handling equipment drives as objects of vibration diagnostics, as well as the concept of sensors integrated with a surface exposed to damage on an example of a DiaForce sensor integrated with the surface of the inner race of a rolling bearing according to the solution proposed by Fraunhofer Institute in Braunschweig

Determination of the damping characteristics of hydro pneumatic suspension strut

The paper presents the results of the hydropneumatic suspension strut researches on indicator test stand. The front hydropneumatic suspension strut for Citroen BX and C5 was researched. The aim of this investigation was to determine the damping characteristics (points of force for maximum linear velocity). The stroke and rotary velocities were selected on indicator test stand. For that extortion parameters force versus displacement and force versus velocity diagrams were determined. The damping characteristics were determined too

Influence of housing ribbing modification on frequencies and shapes of vibration

In article an experimental and theoretical modal analysis of selected structural solutions of housings gear was carried out. Results of the examinations enabled to determine a rate of FEM modal parameters conformity with parameters of actual objects by determination of MAC ratio value. Basing on obtained results of the experimental modal analysis, the numerical models of housings were fine tuned. The obtained conformity of the results of experimental and theoretical modal analysis of examined housings solutions enabled to ascertain the correctness of prepared FEM models. The executed modal analysis of various housing versions enabled to estimate influence of made ribbing modifications on form and frequency of its own vibrations

Europejski satelitarny system nawigacyjny Galileo. Telekomunikacja i Techniki Informacyjne, 2005, nr 1-2

Zaprezentowano podstawowe wiadomości o systemie Galileo, jego budowie, oczekiwaniach i programie działań. Podkreślono, że system Galileo, powstający z inicjatywy Unii Europejskiej przy współpracy Europejskiej Agencji Kosmicznej oraz przemysłu europejskiego, będzie stanowił dopełnienie istniejących systemów nawigacyjnych: GPS, GLONASS i innych. Wskazano, że będzie miał szerokie zastosowania w wielu dziedzinach gospodarki i działalności człowieka. Umożliwi on oferowanie licznych usług, takich jak: usługi ogólnodostępne (OS), usługi ubezpieczające życie (SoLS), usługi komercyjne (CS), usługi na rzecz służb publicznych (PRS) oraz poszukiwanie i ratowanie ludzi lub zagrożonych obiektów (SAR). Przypomniano, że pierwszym wkładem do realizacji Galileo jest EGNOS, europejski program przeznaczony do nawigacji z wykorzystaniem satelitów z GPS i GLONASS, uzupełnionych satelitami geostacjonarnymi, zapewniający bezpieczeństwo w warunkach krytycznych, tj. zwiększonego zagrożenia. Zwrócono uwagę, że także Polska włączyła się do realizacji systemu EGNOS

Research on influence of damages of car vehicle combustion engine on noise level

The article addresses results of the research on the preliminary research on influence of chosen damages of car vehicle engine on noise generated level. The diagnostics experiment was conducted and the noise levels were measured in defined measure points placed outside the vehicle. For the experiments vehicles with damages of the engine and its equipments were chosen. The measures were conducted before and after the repair. The research had preliminary character, so evaluation of the influence of damages of car vehicle engine on noise generated level have had qualitative dimension

Technical condition diagnosing of the cableway supports' foundations

The paper presents a test subject, which is a set of cableway support towers, and issues related to its diagnostics. The paper’s essential part of the paper concerns proposed method for evaluating technical condition of joints between tower's supporting structure and its foundation, which is based on vibrations' acceleration of joints' elements tests results analysis. The final part presents analysis results for one of tested supports, obtained before and after an overhaul

Physiological aspects of sex differences and Haldane’s rule in Rumex hastatulus

Haldane’s rule (HR, impairment of fertility and/or viability of interracial hybrids) seems to be one of few generalizations in evolutionary biology. The validity of HR has been confirmed in animals, and more recently in some dioecious plants (Silene and Rumex). Dioecious Rumex hastatulus has two races differing in the sex chromosome system: Texas (T) and North Carolina (NC), and T × NC males showed both reduced pollen fertility and rarity—two classical symptoms of Haldane’s rule (HR). The reduced fertility of these plants has a simple mechanistic explanation, but the reason for their rarity was not elucidated. Here, we measured selected physiological parameters related to the antioxidant defense system in parental races and reciprocal hybrids of R. hastatulus. We showed that the X-autosome configurations, as well as asymmetries associated with Y chromosomes and cytoplasm, could modulate this system in hybrids. The levels and quantitative patterns of the measured parameters distinguish the T × NC hybrid from the other analyzed forms. Our observations suggest that the rarity of T × NC males is caused postzygotically and most likely related to the higher level of oxidative stress induced by the chromosomal incompatibilities. It is the first report on the physiological aspects of HR in plants

Arabinogalactan proteins improve plant regeneration in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) anther culture

Androgenesis-based methods of doubled haploid (DH) production show considerable variation in efficiency in different barley genotypes. Arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs) have been shown to play a key role in several developmental processes, including embryogenesis, in different plant species. In this study we investigated the effect of exogenous AGPs from gum arabic on androgenesis and the regeneration efficiency in barley anther culture. Supplementation of the induction medium with 10 mg l^{-1} gum arabic increased the total plant regeneration rate up to 2.8 times; when exposure to GA was extended to also include the pretreatment step, the regeneration rate was up to 6.6-times higher than in control. The effect of gum arabic was reversed by the Yariv reagent, an AGPs antagonist. This suggests a direct involvement of AGPs in androgenic development from barely microspores. Addition of gum arabic reduced cell mortality, increased the frequency of mitotic divisions of microspores and the number of multicellular structures (MCSs) when compared to control. The positive effect of gum arabic also included reduction in time required for the androgenic induction and substantially improved the quality of formed embryos. Observations made in this study imply a complex role of AGPs during androgenic development and confirmed the usefulness of gum arabic in production of barley androgenic plants