Elements of the Integrated Support Model for Innovative Academic Entrepreneurship

Przedstawiony artykuł poświęcony jest tendencjom rozwoju przedsiębiorczości akademickiej. W pierwszej jego części omówiono pojęcie oraz formy przedsiębiorczości akademickiej. Rozwój tej postaci przedsiębiorczości jest konsekwencją przekształceń uczelni wyższych oraz jej dopasowania do wyzwań współczesnego rozwoju gospodarczego. W drugiej części skoncentrowano się na wybranych zagadnieniach związanych ze wsparciem przedsiębiorczości akademickiej, a w szczególności: etapach działań wspierających inicjatywy przedsiębiorcze, czynnikach i modelach wsparcia przedsiębiorstw. Omówiono także kontekst międzynarodowy podejmowania innowacji i jego wpływ na postawy przedsiębiorcze w środowisku akademickim

Gründer- und Technologiezentren in Polen 1997

Die mittel- und osteuropäischen Länder, darunter Polen, suchen seit der wirtschaftspolitischen Wende den Anschluß an die Weltwirtschaft und unternehmen Anstrengungen, ihre Volkswirtschaften dem strengen internationalen Wettbewerb anzupassen. Es zeigt sich am Beispiel Polens, daß sich im Zuge der Annäherung an die EU die bisherigen Vorteile der niedrigen Produktionskosten verringern. Das Wirtschaftswachstum des Landes wird zunehmend von der Innovationsfähigkeit der Unternehmen, der Modernisierung und von dem technischen Fortschritt abhängig. Um den technischen Fortschritt zu fördern, greift man in Polen auf die Einrichtung der Technologie- und Gründerzentren zurück. Wie die vorliegende Studie zeigt, spielen diese Zentren für die Gesamtentwicklung in Polen noch, eine geringe Rolle. Die von den Technologie- und Gründerzentren ausgehenden Technologieimpulse sind zur Zeit noch bescheiden, da oft bei der Einrichtung dieser Zentren die arbeitsmarktpolitischen Kriterien (Arbeitslosigkeitsbekämpfung) im Vordergrund stehen. --

Investigation of an Innovative “Cotton Hollow” Yarn

Cotton is a basic raw material processed in the textile industry all over the world. Some new cotton products have been developed thanks to the inventions and efforts of scientists and engineers dealing with cotton. One of the innovative cotton products is SPINAIR yarn by Kurabo (Japan). It is so called “hollow” yarn made of cotton and PVA fibres. PVA fibres are introduced into the yarn during the spinning process. Next they are dissolved and removed in fabric finishing, thanks to which in the final product the yarn is composed only of cotton fibres. The yarn has been developed to improve the thermal insulation of cotton fabrics. Due to the dissolving of PVA fibres, the structure of yarn and fabrics made of it is loose and porous. The air trapped inside the yarn between the cotton fibres increases the thermal resistance of fabrics. Within the framework of the work presented composite “hollow” yarn 42 tex made of cotton (80%) and modified PVA (Polyvinyl alcohol) fibres (20%) was investigated within the range of its structural, mechanical and technological parameters. Woven fabric was then manufactured with the application of the 42 tex CO80/ PVA20 yarn in the weft direction. Investigation of the manufactured woven fabric with Alambeta confirmed that fabric with weft yarn 42 tex CO80/PVA20 is characterised by a higher thermal resistance and warmer sensation while touching than that made of 42 tex cotton rotor yarn in the weft

China vs. Central Asia. The achievements of the past two decades. OSW Study 45/2013

The collapse of the USSR brought about conditions conducive to the dynamic development of relations between Central Asia and China. These relations have evolved from deep mistrust to the continually growing Chinese presence primarily in the region’s economy but also increasingly in its politics. Central Asia is playing a growing role in those areas of the economy which China sees as strategic (in particular in energy and communications). China’s ambitions and capabilities with regard to new areas and its geopolitical competitors are also being tested here. For the time being, it can be said that China has achieved vast success: its offer is appealing for the region, and Beijing has outpaced its Western rivals and has seriously challenged Russia’s position in the region. It remains, however, an open question whether China will be able to maintain and secure its present achievements and trends, which will be a serious challenge given the eternal instability in the region and Russia’s reintegration ambitions

Tomography MCMC method exploration software package

Statistical methods such as Monte Carlo Markov Chain (MCMC) coupled with Bayesian approach proved its usefulness to the Electrical Capacitance Tomography (ECT) inverse problem solution. However, this methodology is very sensitive to the values of method parameters. The dedicated tool for investigation of this statistical method and for algorithm adjusting, testing, verification and optimization is proposed in the paper

Elemental anomalies in the hippocampal formation after repetitive electrical stimulation : an X-ray fluorescence microscopy study

Our previous studies carried out on the pilocarpine model of seizures showed that highly resolved elemental analysis might be very helpful in the investigation of processes involved in the pathogenesis of epilepsy, such as excitotoxicity or mossy fiber sprouting. In this study, the changes in elemental composition that occurred in the hippocampal formation in the electrical kindling model of seizures were examined to determine the mechanisms responsible for the phenomenon of kindling and spontaneous seizure activity that may occur in this animal model. X-ray fluorescence microscopy was applied for topographic and quantitative analysis of selected elements in tissues taken from rats subjected to repetitive transauricular electroshocks (ES) and controls (N). The detailed comparisons were carried out for sectors 1 and 3 of the Ammon's horn (CA1 and CA3, respectively), the dentate gyrus (DG) and hilus of DG. The obtained results showed only one statistically significant difference between ES and N groups, namely a higher level of Fe was noticed in CA3 region in the kindled animals. However, further analysis of correlations between the elemental levels and quantitative parameters describing electroshock-induced tonic and clonic seizures showed that the areal densities of some elements (Ca, Cu, Zn) strongly depended on the progress of kindling process. The areal density of Cu in CA1 decreased with the cumulative (totaled over 21 stimulation days) intensity and duration of electroshock-induced tonic seizures while Zn level in the hilus of DG was positively correlated with the duration and intensity of both tonic and clonic seizures

Temperature driven spin-zero effect in TaAs2_2

The electrical and thermo-electrical transport effects of the TaAs$_2$ semimetal were measured in a magnetic field applied along [-2 0 1] direction. The resulting field dependences of the resistivity as well as the Hall, Seebeck and Nernst coefficient below T ~ 100 K can be satisfactory described within the two-band model consisting of the electron and hole pockets. At low temperature all the measured effects exhibit significant contribution from quantum oscillations. The fast Fourier transform (FFT) of the oscillatory Nernst signal shows two fundamental frequencies, Fa = 105 T and Fb = 221 T, and the second harmonic of the latter (F2b = 442 T). The ratio between FFT amplitudes of Fb and F2b changes with temperature in an unusual way, indicating that we observe the spin-zero effect caused by temperature change. This is likely related to substantial temperature dependence of the Lande g-factor, which in turn can result from non-parabolic energy dispersion or temperature evolution of the spin-orbit coupling.Comment: 30 pages, 14 figure

Heart rate variability (HRV) and muscular system activity (EMG) in cases of crash threat during simulated driving of a passenger car

Objectives: The aim of the study was to verify whether simultaneous responses from the muscular and circulatory system occur in the driver's body under simulated conditions of a crash threat. Materials and Methods: The study was carried out in a passenger car driving simulator. The crash was included in the driving test scenario developed in an urban setting. In the group of 22 young male subjects, two physiological signals - ECG and EMG were continuously recorded. The length of the RR interval in the ECG signal was assessed. A HRV analysis was performed in the time and frequency domains for 1-minute record segments at rest (seated position), during undisturbed driving as well as during and several minutes after the crash. For the left and right side muscles: m. trapezius (TR) and m. flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS), the EMG signal amplitude was determined. The percentage of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) was compared during driving and during the crash. Results: As for the ECG signal, it was found that in most of the drivers changes occurred in the parameter values reflecting HRV in the time domain. Significant changes were noted in the mean length of RR intervals (mRR). As for the EMG signal, the changes in the amplitude concerned the signal recorded from the FDS muscle. The changes in ECG and EMG were simultaneous in half of the cases. Conclusion: Such parameters as mRR (ECG signal) and FDS-L amplitude (EMG signal) were the responses to accident risk. Under simulated conditions, responses from the circulatory and musculoskeletal systems are not always simultaneous. The results indicate that a more complete driver's response to a crash in road traffic is obtained based on parallel recording of two physiological signals (ECG and EMG)