A country held captive by its past: The case of Zimbabwe

A country held captive by its past: The case of ZimbabweThe article provides an overview of the history of Zimbabwe in the context of economical, structural and social factors. It tries to answer a question, what were the main reasons that affected Zimbabwe’s development after gaining independence in 1980. It describes pre-colonial and colonial times as well as president Mugabe’s era, that ended with a military coup in November 2017. It portrays issues such as the after-effect of colonialism, land reform, political regime, internal struggles and conflicts between the ruling party ZANU-PF and opposition parties, hyperinflation crisis, as well as economic indicators like GDP, public and external debt, level of education and health care. In the context of upcoming elections in 2018, the article deliberates whether meaningful changes in the country’s situation are possible in the nearest future and what it will take to achieve them. A country held captive by its past: The case of ZimbabweThe article provides an overview of the history of Zimbabwe in the context of economical, structural and social factors. It tries to answer a question, what were the main reasons that affected Zimbabwe’s development after gaining independence in 1980. It describes pre-colonial and colonial times as well as president Mugabe’s era, that ended with a military coup in November 2017. It portrays issues such as the after-effect of colonialism, land reform, political regime, internal struggles and conflicts between the ruling party ZANU-PF and opposition parties, hyperinflation crisis, as well as economic indicators like GDP, public and external debt, level of education and health care. In the context of upcoming elections in 2018, the article deliberates whether meaningful changes in the country’s situation are possible in the nearest future and what it will take to achieve them

The Main Sanctuary of Amun-Ra in the Hatshepsut Temple at Deir el-Bahari. An introduction to architectural studies

The Main Sanctuary of Amun-Ra in the Temple of Hatshepsut in Deir el-Bahari has been studied repeatedly, but never comprehensively (Naville 1906; Winlock 1932; Wysocki 1985). In preparation for a full architectural study of this complex, which is one of the oldest parts of the Eighteenth Dynasty mortuary temple, the paper presents a general specification of the preserved architecture, contextualized in a brief account of the discovery of the sanctuary and the history of its restoration and conservation, tied by necessity with the bigger works conducted by Polish specialists in the temple itself. The sanctuary in its present state is the combined effect of a number of phases of development, the most recent being a rebuilding in the Ptolemaic period. The inventory drawings of the current state of the complex, made by the author, an architect, leave the reader with a good idea of the form of the sanctuary, opening the way to a comprehensive architectural study, which will trace the original plan through all the subsequent phases of development and modern conservation and restoration work

Activities of the Ambassador of the United States to Poland based on the example of Georgette Mosbacher

Celem pracy jest analiza aktywności Georgette Mosbacher na stanowisku ambasadora Stanów Zjednoczonych w Polsce. Rola szefa misji jest szczególnie istotną instytucją działającą na rzecz realizacji polityki zagranicznej danego państwa. Na przestrzeni lat można zaobserwować ewolucję funkcji dyplomatycznych oraz rozszerzenie zakresu zadań i obowiązków dyplomatów ze względu na szereg czynników. W pierwszym rozdziale zaprezentowano rys historyczny i ewolucję funkcjonowania stałych przedstawicielstw oraz istotę protokołu dyplomatycznego i etykiety w świecie dyplomacji. Drugi rozdział podejmuje tematykę aspektów prawnych, organizacyjnych i funkcjonalnych stałych przedstawicielstw dyplomatycznych. Szczególna uwaga jest poświęcona wyjaśnieniu procedury mianowania szefów misji dyplomatycznych, rozbudowania wewnętrznej struktury oraz najważniejszym przywilejom i immunitetom misji dyplomatycznej. Ostatni rozdział pracy jest poświęcony analizie aktywności Georgette Mosbacher na stanowisku szefa misji dyplomatycznej Stanów Zjednoczonych w Polsce w latach 2018-2021. Zgromadzony materiał badawczy został podzielony na najważniejsze kwestie, w które zaangażowała się była ambasador. W sposób szczególny wyróżniono wysiłki podjęte na rzecz włączenia Polski do Programu Ruchu Bezwizowego, kwestie bezpieczeństwa i obronności, a także działania na rzecz promocji kultury, nauki i gospodarki.The purpose of the thesis is to analyze the activities undertaken by the former Ambassador of the United States to Poland Georgette Mosbacher. The study focuses on the role that heads of mission play in forming the foreign policy of a country. Their activities and responsibilities have not only changed over the years, but also become more complex due to several factors. The first chapter reflects the historical evolution of permanent missions and the importance of diplomatic protocol and etiquette in diplomacy. The second one deals with legal, organizational, and functional aspects of permanent diplomatic missions. Particular attention is paid to explaining the procedure of appointing ambassadors, organizational structure of embassies as well as personal immunities and privileges of diplomats. The last chapter of the thesis is devoted to the analysis of the activities undertaken by Georgette Mosbacher who served as the U.S. Ambassador to Poland from 2018 to 2021. The collected research material was divided into the most important issues in which the former ambassador was engaged in. They include Poland’s inclusion in the Visa Waiver Program, defense and security issues and activities concerning cultural, economic, and scientific relations

Analysis of farm production development on an ex ample of advisory service in selected province at East Poland

Celem analizy było przedstawienie warunków doskonalenia produkcji rolniczej w gospodarstwach z udziałem różnych form doradztwa. Na podstawie wyników ankiety przeprowadzonej w jednej z gmin wschodniej Polski stwierdzono, że aż ok. 80% producentów rolnych oczekuje doradczej pomocy w zakresie doboru sprzętu technicznego i rozwiązań technologicznych w gospodarstwie, a niemalże połowa jest zainteresowana uzyskaniem szczegółowych informacji o korzyściach towarzyszących akcesji Polski do Unii Europejskiej. W opinii 90% badanych skuteczność pomocy realizowanej poprzez doradztwo rolnicze jest uwarunkowana praktyczną wiedzą doradcy.The paper presents the current situation of advisory service in Poland with the special attention to private advisory service. The possibilities of further development of sector are shown. The basic element of the analysis was the market research conducted in Bełżyce region. The results permitted to define personal preferences of farmers in the form and the range of expected assistance of advisory service. They allowed, also, to determine attitude towards the private advisory service

Biopolymers-Based Materials Containing Silver Nanoparticles as Active Packaging for Food Applications–A Review

Packaging is an integral part of food products, allowing the preservation of their quality. It plays an important role, protecting the packed product from external conditions, maintaining food quality, and improving properties of the packaged food during storage. Nevertheless, commonly used packaging based on synthetic non-biodegradable polymers causes serious environmental pollution. Consequently, numerous recent studies have focused on the development of biodegradable packaging materials based on biopolymers. In addition, biopolymers may be classified as active packaging materials, since they have the ability to carry different active substances. This review presents the latest updates on the use of silver nanoparticles in packaging materials based on biopolymers. Silver nanoparticles have become an interesting component of biodegradable biopolymers, mainly due to their antimicrobial properties that allow the development of active food packaging materials to prolong the shelf life of food products. Furthermore, incorporation of silver nanoparticles into biopolymers may lead to the development of materials with improved physical-mechanical properties

Perception and preservation of national heritage in historically conditioned regions

Celem artykułu jest przedstawienie autorskiej propozycji wyodrębnienia regionów na podstawie granic historycznych (z ostatnich 400 lat, przede wszystkim granic przecinających Polskę w XIX i XX w.) oraz weryfikacja hipotezy, że granice te różnicują nasz kraj w sferze postrzegania dziedzictwa narodowego i kultywowania tradycji oraz w odniesieniu do analizowanych wskaźników społecznych. W opracowaniu wykorzystano dane statystyczne o postrzeganiu dziedzictwa narodowego i kultywowaniu tradycji, uogólnione dla wyodrębnionych regionów uwarunkowanych historycznie, pochodzące z cyklicznego, wieloaspektowego, ankietowego Badania spójności społecznej (BSS), przeprowadzonego przez GUS w 2015 r. Uwzględniono również dane Narodowego Instytutu Dziedzictwa (NID) o zabytkach oraz statystykę ludności według rejestru TERYT. Największe różnice — w stosunku do przeciętnych dla kraju — wartości analizowanych wskaźników wystąpiły w przypadku: Ziem Zachodnich i Północnych, obszaru woj. śląskiego w II RP, Galicji i wschodniej części zaboru rosyjskiego w obecnych granicach Polski (kongresowego Królestwa Polskiego) — na wschód od Wisły, Narwi i Pisy.The aim of the article is to present an author’s proposal to distinguish regions based on the analysis of historical borders (from the last 400 years, mainly the borders crossing Poland in the 19th and the 20th century) and to verify the hypothesis that those historical borders diversify our country in the sphere of perception and preservation of national heritage and in relation to the analysed social indicators. The study contains statistical data on the perception and preservation of national heritage generalised for the elaborated historically conditioned regions from the cyclic, multidimensional Social Cohesion Survey conducted by Statistics Poland in 2015. In addition, data on monuments of the National Heritage Board of Poland and population data based on National Official Register of the Territorial Division of the Country (TERYT) were also taken into account. The largest differences in relation to the country’s average values of the analysed indicators occurred in the western and northern territories of Poland, the Śląskie voivodship area in Poland before the World War II, as well as Galicia and the eastern part of Russian partition within the present borders of Poland — east of the Vistula, Narew and Pisa rivers

Trash from a temple: a deposit next to the Isis Temple at Berenike (Egypt)

The article discusses the stratigraphy and chronological phasing of a late antique trash deposit discovered just outside the north wall of the Isis Temple courtyard. It appears to be consumption waste collected from a large-scale event taking place in the immediate vicinity over a short period of time. Several elements of architectural decoration were found among the rubble, including three fragments of ‘Ionic’ cornice blocks that are an indication of the presence of at least one building with a classical-style architecture in the urban landscape. The fragments are quite unusual in the southern part of the Eastern Desert of Egypt and the first and somewhat unexpected attestation of this style recorded from Berenike

Chemical compounds and antimicrobial activity of petitgrain (Citrus aurantium L. var. amara) essential oil

Introduction: Due to its low cost and easy availability on the market, the petitgrain oil is commonly used in food, cosmetics, and aromatherapy. Objective: The examination of chemical composition and antibacterial activity of commercial petitgrain oil. Methods: Identification of chemical components of the petitgrain oil was performed by gas chromatography (GC). The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimum bactericidal/fungicidal concentrations (MBC/MFC) were determined using macrodilution method for the reference strains of bacteria and fungi. Results: Twenty components were identified. The petitgrain oil contained mostly oxygenated monoterpene hydrocarbons (98.01%), and the main components included linalyl acetate (48.06%) and linalool (26.88%). The MIC/MBC of the petitgrain oil for bacteria was in the range of 0.63-5.0/1.25-5.0 mg/ml and for fungi in the range of 1.25-40/5.0-80 mg/ml. Conclusion: The petitgrain oil had higher antibacterial activity than antifungal activity. Bacillus subtilis among the tested bacteria and Aspergillus niger and Penicillium expansum among the fungi were found to be highly inhibited by the petitgrain oil

CONDITIONS OF FISH FARMING IN NATURA 2000 AREAS, BASED ON THE EXAMPLE OF THE CATCHMENT OF BARYCZ

One of the factors that contributed to the construction of approx.77 km2 offish ponds in the catchment of Barycz starting from the 13th century, which in turn transformed the woods into a mosaic of waters, forests and arable land, were the advantageous physiographic conditions. Fish farming operations conducted in this area led to the creation of a cultural landscape characterised by unique natural values, similar to the natural landscape.Approx.240 species of birds are observed here, of which 170 are nesting species. Due to its natural values, this area has been subject to natural reserve protection as part of the Landscape Park "Dolina Baryczy" (the Barycz Valley). It was entered in the "Living Lakes" list and it is protected under the Ramsar Convention as well as under the European nature protection network Natura 2000.The established forms of nature protection mean the introduction of a certain binding regime, pursuant to which the economic activity conducted in protected areas must take into account the prohibitions and orders introduced by documents that establish the said forms of protection. Additionally, there is a legal requirement to create a protection plan or conservation plan that constitutes a basis for the realisation of conservation-related objectives. A commercial company Stawy Milickie S.A. (public limited company) operates in the area of this largest fish pond complex in Poland. The scope of its operations includes more than just the breeding and sale of freshwater fish (6500 ha of ponds) but also environmental protection, environmental education and the development of tourism as well as stimulating the development and professional activation of local communities basing on the natural resources that exist in the catchment of Barycz. This study presents the conditions related to fish farming operations conducted in this area. Conducting an extensive management (i.e. often uneconomical from the economic point of view) is a prerequisite for maintaining the biodiversity of this naturally valuable area. The conservation plan of the nature reserve "Stawy Milickie" (Milicz Ponds) contains a series of obligations and limitations with respect to fish farming. The development strategy of the Stawy Milickie SA Company takes into account all these conditions

Analiza SWOT polskiego sektora żywności ekologicznej w kontekście wpływu na środowisko naturalne i zdrowie człowieka

The organic food sector is one of the most dynamically developing food sector branches nowadays. Increased interest in organic food production and consumption is a response to the growing negative effects of agriculture intensification, which has contributed to environmental degradation and reduced food safety. The aim of the study was to identify and analyse the strengths and weaknesses, as well as the opportunities and threats of the organic food sector in the context of its impact on the environment and human health. The research material consisted of data collected by analysing literature of the subject. The results are presented using a SWOT matrix. It was found that organic agriculture has more strengths than weaknesses, and that taking advantage of the identified opportunities and minimizing existing threats would affect its further development, with benefits to the environment and humans.Sektor żywności ekologicznej jest jednym z najdynamiczniej rozwijających się sektorów branży spożywczej. Wzrost zainteresowania produkcją ekologiczną jest m.in. odpowiedzią na narastające negatywne skutki intensyfikacji rolnictwa, która przyczyniła się do degradacji środowiska i zmniejszenia bezpieczeństwa żywności. Celem niniejszej pracy była identyfikacja i analiza mocnych i słabych stron oraz szans i zagrożeń sektora żywności ekologicznej, w kontekście wpływu na środowisko naturalne oraz zdrowie człowieka. Materiał badawczy stanowiły dane zebrane na podstawie analizy literatury przedmiotu. Wyniki zostały przedstawione w formie macierzy analizy SWOT. W wyniku przeprowadzonej analizy stwierdzono, że w rolnictwie ekologicznym mocne strony przeważają nad słabymi, a wykorzystanie zidentyfikowanych szans i minimalizowanie istniejących zagrożeń wpłynęłoby na jego dalszy rozwój, z korzyścią dla środowiska naturalnego i zdrowia ludzi