A development of 3-DOF flight simulator

The Katowice conurbation is the largest traditional economic region in Central Europe and simultaneously a complex settlement system. Yet it faces numerous problems. The article attempts to answer the questions: (1) Does the hitherto relatively uniform economic structure of the Katowice conurbation, based on mining and metallurgy, cause similar intensities of depopulation, demographic ageing and urban shrinkage in 16 neighbouring towns? (2) Is the scope of policies mitigating the effects of these processes similar? The analysis of statistical data for 1999 and 2018 and the development strategies of individual towns shows that both the trends in population changes and the policies adopted towards them differ. The severity of the negative processes varies, with the largest being in Katowice, Sosnowiec and Bytom. Most towns recognize the problem yet consider its solution through selective actions (improvement in housing conditions, development of services or launching new industrial activities). There are also towns that, although seeing problems, marginalize them in their development strategies. Only Czeladź has a multifaceted approach to this problem. The general conclusion shows a need to coordinate the policies of local governments of the entire conurbation for the benefit of multifaceted measures to mitigate depopulation, demographic ageing and urban shrinkage

European Insurance Markets in Face of Financial Crisis: Application of Learning Curve Concept as a Tool of Insurance Products Innovation – Discussion

The paper aims to present the results of an assessment of development of insurance sector in chosen European countries like Poland, UK, Germany and France over the financial crisis especially from product's innovation point of view. The comparison between the level of taxonomic measures in two points in time let the Authors to write main conclusion that insurance markets have been not so innovative in chosen countries. The level of innovations have been especially law in terms of insurance offer (Products). The first part of the paper ends with a short description of so called new risks that impose a level of innovations within an insurance sector. The second part contains a discussion about possibility of using learning curve concept for the process of insurance product innovation especially products “without claims historyâ€

A reluctant partner: The pattern of Denmark's involvement in the European Community.

Denmark joined the European Community (EC) on 1 January 1973 together with the United Kingdom and Ireland. Its relationship with the EC has since then been uneasy, culminating with the popular vote against the Maastricht Treaty in June 1992 which threatened for a moment to halt the European integration process. Although Denmark's uneasy relationship with the Community has been noted by external observers, the reasons behind its reluctance towards European integration are not widely understood. The aim of this thesis is to explain the pattern of Denmark's involvement in the EC during three crucial periods in the evolution of the Community by analysing Denmark's adaptation to EC membership and response to the developments in the process of European integration. The thesis's theoretical framework combines the concept of acquis communautaire with the four basic elements of the theory of International Regimes - principles, norms, rules and decision-making procedures. These four basic elements are used to analyse Denmark's compliance with the rights and obligations of EC membership defined as the 'regime contract'. The concept of an integration dilemma serves to help to examine Denmark's attempts at balancing through a set of strategies, the external and internal pressures stemming from the process of integration. The empirical part of the thesis focuses on three episodes in Denmark's EC membership: the accession to the EC, the relaunch of the Community leading to the signing of the Single European Act and the negotiations and ratification of the Maastricht Treaty. The main conclusion of the thesis is that Denmark has been a reluctant partner in the European integration process mainly because of its difficulties to embrace the principles of the 'Community regime'. This reluctance towards the principles of European integration has conditioned Denmark's pattern of involvement in the EC and influenced its behaviour as a member of the EC

Innovations in Risk Management as Exemplified by the Polish Insurance Market

The era of knowledge based economy, which the world is dynamically entering, reveals many new factors and necessities which a modern company needs to consider and cope with if it wishes to stay on in business. The innovativeness of business activity, in a broad meaning of the word, is an area of significant factors. Holistically, one may ask about the borders of innovation applied in business. Are they determined by: the actual needs of end consumers and as a consequence the needs of companies participating in the chain of value delivered to these customers or primarily the actual needs to earn on corporate investments on the customer value chain?This paper analyses the problem of management of innovation programmes and projects introduced by companies from the microeconomic perspective. Its main aim is to show a new approach to innovation cost management and the innovation activity of the insurance sector in Poland. The paper consists of two sections. The first one describes innovation cost management. Innovative companies should be supported by the insurance sector. They should also apply knowledge and appropriately analyse and allocate costs within the algorithms of behaviour compliant with the risk management. The second section analyses the Polish insurance sector with the Multivariate Statistical Analysis. The paper ends with the conclusions with regard to the insurance sector. The examination of the sector shows that the insurance market in Poland in the analysed period was not innovative and it did not create innovation supporting services (and it is where the insurance risk appears due to the financial aspects of innovation)

Retrospective analysis of the diagnostic effectiveness of the sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in vulvar cancer

Objectives: Inguinal lymphadenectomy used in the treatment of vulvar cancer often results in complications, such aslymphoedema or abnormal wound healing. Aim of this study was assessment of the diagnostic effectiveness of the sentinellymph node biopsy (SLNB) procedure in patients treated due to vulvar cancer.Material and methods: Eighty-four patients diagnosed with squamous cell vulvar carcinoma (FIGO I-IV) underwentpreoperative lymphoscintigraphy with technetium 99 to map sentinel lymph node. During surgery sentinel lymph nodeswere identified and resected, followed by complete bilateral groin lymphadenectomy.Results: Sentinel lymph nodes were mapped with lymphoscintigraphy and biopsied in 84.3% and 90.1% of patients, respectively.False negative predictive value (FNPV) was 9.1% and false negative rate (FNR) was recorded in 16.7% of cases. Patientsin advanced stages (FIGO III and IV) had significantly lower rate of lymphatic mapping compared to those in stage I and II(OR = 0.148, p = 0.022). Detection of sentinel lymph node in lymphoscintigraphy for tumor grade 2 and 3 was nearly eighttimes lower than for grade 1 cancers, however without statistical significance (OR = 0.126, p = 0.058).Conclusions: The use of SLNB should be limited to vulvar cancer patients in early clinical stages

ANAEROBIC POWER IN SPORTS

The aim of the present study is to determine the anaerobic power of men of similar age representing different sports disciplines. Professional athletes representing the following sports participated in the study: soccer (n=15, PS), martial arts (n=12, MA), weightlifting (n=15, WL), powerlifting (n=15, PL), middle- and long distance running (n=12, DR), race walking (n=14, RW), and recreational soccer (n=15, RS). After recording personal and somatic data, the subjects performed a 3-minute warm-up followed immediately by a 30 seconds cycloergometric Wingate test. The following variables of anaerobic power were calculated: total external work (TEW-KJ/30s), maximal power (Pmax-W/kg), mean power (Pmean-W/kg), fatigue index (FI-%). It was shown that the examined groups differed in body weight (F=13.560, p0.001), body height (F=3.342, p0.01) and BMI (F=28.868, p0.01). There were also significant differences in the TEW range (F=5.764, p0.001), Pmax (F=2.807, p=0.013) and FI=4.942, p0.001) and no intergroup difference in the Pmean range. In conclusion, it should be pointed out that various types of sports training develop in the various degree different components of anaerobic power, however they develop similarly its average value

Niewydolność serca — niekorzystne rokowanie u pacjenta ze współistnieniem wielu chorób

Niewydolność serca (HF) jest poważnym problemem współczesnej kardiologii ze względu na częstość występowania (w Polsce ok. 750 tys.) przy jednoczesnym krótkim czasie przeżycia (tylko ok. 50% pacjentów przeżywa 4 lata od rozpoznania). Przedstawiony przypadek kliniczny dotyczy pacjenta z HF obciążonego wieloma chorobami współistniejącymi, które znacząco utrudniają określenie rokowania. Ocena kliniczna jest kluczowa w ustaleniu właściwego postępowania i podjęciu ewentualnej decyzji o wdrożeniu leczenia paliatywnego. W opisywanym przypadku mimo optymalnej farmakoterapii HF stan pacjenta w ciągu 2 miesięcy znacząco się pogorszył — do tego stopnia, że trzeba było wdrożyć leczenie charakterystyczne dla schyłkowego okresu życia. Takie postępowanie znajduje potwierdzenie w aktualnych doniesieniach naukowych sugerujących stosowanie leczenia paliatywnego już na wcześniejszych etapach zaawansowania HF, a w szczególności gdy współistnieją ciężkie choroby towarzyszące

Niewydolność serca — niekorzystne rokowanie u pacjenta ze współistnieniem wielu chorób

Due to its incidence (approx. 750,000 patients in Poland) and simultaneous short survival time (only approx. 50% of patients survive 4 years after the diagnosis), heart failure (HF) poses a serious problem in contemporary cardiology. The clinical case presented below concerns a HF patient with multiple comorbidities which make prognosis significantly more difficult. Clinical assessment is of key importance with regard to the determination of treatment and the decision to implement palliative care. Despite the administration of optimal pharmacological treatment of HF, the condition of the patient in question deteriorated significantly within two months — to such extent that treatment characteristic of the end-of-life period had to be implemented. Such procedure is supported by the current scientific reports suggesting the implementation of palliative treatment already at earlier stages of HF advancement, particularly in patients with severe comorbidities.Niewydolność serca (HF) jest poważnym problemem współczesnej kardiologii ze względu na częstość występowania (w Polsce ok. 750 tys.) przy jednoczesnym krótkim czasie przeżycia (tylko ok. 50% pacjentów przeżywa 4 lata od rozpoznania). Przedstawiony przypadek kliniczny dotyczy pacjenta z HF obciążonego wieloma chorobami współistniejącymi, które znacząco utrudniają określenie rokowania. Ocena kliniczna jest kluczowa w ustaleniu właściwego postępowania i podjęciu ewentualnej decyzji o wdrożeniu leczenia paliatywnego. W opisywanym przypadku mimo optymalnej farmakoterapii HF stan pacjenta w ciągu 2 miesięcy znacząco się pogorszył — do tego stopnia, że trzeba było wdrożyć leczenie charakterystyczne dla schyłkowego okresu życia. Takie postępowanie znajduje potwierdzenie w aktualnych doniesieniach naukowych sugerujących stosowanie leczenia paliatywnego już na wcześniejszych etapach zaawansowania HF, a w szczególności gdy współistnieją ciężkie choroby towarzyszące