Microeconometric Analysis of Telecommunication Services Market with the use of SARIMA Models

The paper presents the results of testing the effectiveness of the multi sectional model in the short-term forecasting of hourly demand for telephone services. The model was based on the integration of the linear regression model with dichotomous independent variables and the SARIMA model. The regression was used as a filter of modelled variability of the demand. The SARIMA was applied to model residual variability. The research shows that the proposed integration provides a greater possibility of approximation and prediction in comparison to the non-supported linear regression model. The results of the study provide support for operational planning of telecommunications operator

Emigration From Post-Communist Central Europe After 1989 Interpreted Within the Aspirations/Capabilities Framework

In the period of post-communist transition, Central Europe witnessed complex and multifaceted mobility processes; permanent outmigration, of an ethnic or labour-related nature, coexisted with temporary, seasonal, or cross-border movements and an increasing influx of foreigners. To study these complex processes, we have chosen to apply a holistic and comprehensive approach, rather than limit conceptual considerations to one theory of migration determinants. We focus on eleven post-communist countries that joined the European Union (EU-11) and on the period extending from around 1989, covering the EU's eastward enlargement, to the present. The aim of this study is twofold: first, we propose a general conceptual framework, based on the aspirations/capabilities approach, to present the main determinants of emigration from this part of the European continent. Second, in relation to each determinant, we formulate research questions postulated by selected theories of international migration and present the evidence, based on existing empirical studies, that addresses these questions. The paper contributes to the literature by providing a broad interpretation of post-transition mobility and pointing to commonly overlooked explanatory factors. We highlight the importance of economic factors that have enhanced and directed the outward migration from the EU-11 to selected EU member states and selected economic sectors; in particular, as regards capabilities, these factors include the lifting of labour market restrictions, high demand in the secondary sector of labour markets, and the roles of migration networks and the migration industry. Emphasis is also placed on aspirational factors, such as labour market failures and the substantial aspirational gap resulting from improvements in high educational attainment in the countries of origin. The aspirations/capabilities approach serves well as a general framework of migration determinants, but its explanatory power is enhanced by reference to other, more specific theories of migration. We show that a combination of the complementary approaches provides a more refined and in-depth picture of migration from the region

Ocena stopnia realizacji polityki telekomunikacyjnej w zakresie Strategii regulacyjnej do roku 2015

The purpose of this article is to analyze the progress in the telecommunications policy in Poland narrowed down to the objectives enunciated in the Regulatory Strategy until 2015.In the article the thesis that the current progress in the regulatory strategy is gratifying was confirmed. In the theoretical part the telecommunications policy and its role in the economic development are defined as well as the location of the policy in the classification of public policy is indicated. Furthermore, telecommunications market authorities, which are responsible for creating and conducting the policy in the telecommunication sector, are characterised. In the empirical part, which is based on the quantitative data, the foregoing values of indicators showing the progress in meeting the strategy objectives are presented. The conducted quantitative analysis is extended to the actions taken by the Office of Electronic Communications in order to implement the strategy.Celem artykułu jest analiza stopnia realizacji polityki telekomunikacyjnej w Polsce w zawężeniu do celów sformułowanych w Strategii regulacyjnej do roku 2015. W artykule pozytywnie zweryfikowano tezę, że poziom dotychczasowego wykonania obecnej strategii regulacyjnej jest zadowalający. W części teoretycznej zdefiniowano politykę telekomunikacyjną, dokonano analizy znaczenia tej polityki w rozwoju gospodarczym, a także określono jej lokalizację w klasyfikacji polityki publicznej. Ponadto, scharakteryzowano podstawowe instytucje władcze rynku telekomunikacyjnego, które są odpowiedzialne za kreowanie i realizację polityki prowadzonej w sektorze telekomunikacyjnym. W części empirycznej, opartej na danych ilościowych, zaprezentowano wartości mierników stopnia realizacji celów badanej strategii regulacyjnej. Przeprowadzoną analizę ilościową poszerzono o podejmowane przez Urząd Komunikacji Elektronicznej działania na rzecz realizacji strategii

Application of the Linear ordering Methods in the Voivodships Research in the Field of Social Media Usage in Enterprises in the Period 2014-2017

Aim/purpose - The aim of this paper is to analyze and compare the development of voivodships in terms of social media usage in enterprises in the period from 2014 to 2017. The aim has been formulated because of the increasingly greater significance of social media in post-industrial enterprises. Design/methodology/approach - The two types of linear ordering methods were applied, i.e., the method based on the pattern of development (Hellwig's method) and the methods that were non-based on the pattern of development were used. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient ρ and Kendall's rank correlation coefficient τ were used to verify correlations between various rankings. Analysis of the dynamics, spatial visualizations, box plots and polar plots were used in relation to the aggregated measures. In conducted analyses, data from the period 2014-2017 (provided by the Central Statistical Office of Poland) was used. The each year for the period from 2014 to 2017 was analyzed. Findings - In all rankings (with the use of all types of applied measures and also in all analyzed years) the 1st place was taken by Masovian Voivodship. The distance between Masovian Voivodship and other voivodships was still significant during the analyzed period. The created rankings were similar in terms of statistical significance of computed correlation coefficients in all analyses. The research study results do not indicate a clear dispersion of the level of the analyzed phenomenon between eastern and western voivodships. It was also found that the higher is ICT usage by enterprises in a voivodship, the more common is social media usage by them. There is a clear overall tendency of increase in the phenomenon during the period from 2014 to 2017.Research implications/limitations - The main implications is that the identified differences between areas can be a basis to assess the social media usage as a specific factor of business development. The research results indicate voivodships that should employ social media more and the highest placed voivodships as well. The results can be regard as support for the policy of digitization and building a knowledge-based economy. Originality/value/contribution - The originality of this paper is based on: the created rankings of voivodships in terms of social media usage in enterprises in the period 2014- 2017, the comparison and assessment of voivodships in this context, and the identification of change of the social media usage in individual voivodships and in Poland as a whole.(original abstract

Microcirculation disorders of the oral cavity in patients with primary Raynaud phenomenon

Raynaud phenomenon is a medical condition in which the spasm of the arteries causes episodes of reduced blood flow. Potential disorders in the microcirculation of the oral mucosa may promote the occurrence of lesions. The aim of the study was to investigate the association of the frequency of oral cavity lesions with oral microcirculatory dysfunction in patients with primary Raynaud phenomenon (PRP) in comparison with healthy control group. Measurements of oral capillary flow were performed using laser doppler flowmetry (LDF) in 61 patients with PRP. In a group of 31 of 61 patients (group 1), the measurements were made during a Raynaud phenomenon (RP) attack. The RP attack was caused by stress initiated by the examination or the first visit itself. The RP attack was not deliberately caused by a cold test, vibration40w56 or any stress test. After 10 to 14 days, the measurements were repeated in all 61 patients and in the control group, and a dental examination was performed. Follow‑up visits were conducted every 3 months for a period of 12 months to monitor oral mucosa. Differences in LDF were found between various anatomical points in both the PRP and control groups. On the first visit, the LDF flow in group 1 was significantly lower at all examined points in comparison with those in the control group. On the second visit, differences were observed in the LDF of the teeth and oral mucosa temperature in all patients with PRP in comparison with controls. Oral cavity lesions reported in the past and at follow‑up were significantly more common in patients with PRP. Patients with PRP have dysfunction in the microcirculation of the oral mucosa and they more often have lesions in the oral cavity

Endovascular treatment of iatrogenic central vein stenosis and occlusion in patients undergoing haemodialysis : a two-year follow-up

Objectives: The objective of our report was to present the results of two-year follow-up of endovascular treatment of central venous occlusive disease in haemodialysis patients. Material and methods: Eighty-one consecutive patients with central venous occlusive disease, were included into the study group. There were 81 lesions treated (42 stenosis and 39 occlusions). Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) or percutaneous transluminal angioplasty with stenting (PTS) was committed. There was no randomisation. Stent implantation was avoided in vessels with a foreign body inside (catheter or electrode). Diagnostic phlebographies were performed after 12 and 24 months or if symptoms recurred. The follow-up period lasted for 24 months. There were 26 (70%) patients with primary stenosis and 11 (29%) with occlusion in the group with PTA therapy and 13 (38%) and 21 (61%) in the group with PTS therapy. Procedure was successful in all cases of stenosis, unsuccessful in 10 cases of occlusions. Seventeen patients died during first year of observation, 9 during the second. Two patients were lost to follow up. No serious adverse events were observed. Results: Primary patency (PP) after 12 and 24 months was 50% and 26% after PTS, 33% and 21% after PTA respectively. Primary assisted patency (PAP) was 70% and 52% in PTS group while 86% and 92% in PTA group. Secondary patency (SP) 70% and 52% after PTS to 93% and 92% after PTA. Conclusions: Both methods are safe and mildly effective in the treatment of central veins in haemodialysis patients. Both techniques should be applicable in specific clinical settings according to patient status and operator experience

The Impact of Migration on Poland

How has the international mobility of Polish citizens intertwined with other influences to shape society, culture, politics and economics in contemporary Poland? The Impact of Migration on Poland offers a new approach for understanding how migration affects sending countries, and provides a wide-ranging analysis of how Poland has changed, and continues to change, since EU accession in 2004. The authors explore an array of social trends and their causes before using in-depth interview data to illustrate how migration contributes to those causes. They address fundamental questions about whether and how Polish society is becoming more equal and more cosmopolitan, arguing that for particular segments of society migration does make a difference, and can be seen as both leveller and eye-opener. While the book focuses mainly on stayers in Poland, and their multiple contacts with Poles in other countries, Chapter 9 analyses ‘Polish society abroad’, a more accurate concept than ‘community’ in countries like the UK, and Chapter 10 considers impacts of immigration to Poland. The book is written in a lively and accessible style, and will be important reading for anyone interested in the influence of migration on society, as well as students and scholars researching EU mobility, migration theory and methodology, and issues facing contemporary Europe

Postocclusive hyperemia measured with laser Doppler flowmetry and transcutaneous oxygen tension in the diagnosis of primary Raynaud's phenomenon : a prospective, controlled study

The aim of this study was to measure the sensitivity and specificity of transcutaneous oxygen tension and postocclusive hyperemia testing using laser Doppler flowmetry in patients with primary Raynaud’s phenomenon. One hundred patients and one hundred controls were included in the study. Baseline microvascular blood flow and then time to peak flow following occlusion were measured using laser Doppler flowmetry. Afterwards, the transcutaneous oxygen tension was recorded. The sensitivities of baseline microvascular blood flow, postocclusive time to peak flow, and transcutaneous oxygen tension were 79%, 79%, and 77%, respectively. The postocclusive time peak flow had a superior specificity of 90% and area under the curve of 0.92 as compared to 66% and 0.80 for baseline microvascular flow and 64% and 0.76 for transcutaneous oxygen tension. Time to postocclusive peak blood flow measured by laser Doppler flowmetry is a highly accurate test for differentiating patients with primary Raynaud’s phenomenon from healthy controls

The relationship between pulse waveform analysis indices, endothelial function and clinical outcomes in patients with peripheral artery disease treated using percutaneous transluminal angioplasty during a one-year follow-up period

Background: Several predictors of clinical outcomes after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) interventions in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) have been investigated. Indices of endothelial function, arterial pulse waveform analysis (aPWA) and markers of peripheral artery ischemia were among the most commonly examined. The aim of the current study was to assess the relationship between potential predictors of clinical outcomes after peripheral artery PTA during a 1-year follow-up period. Methods: The study included 72 individuals with PAD at a mean age of 66.3 ± 7.2 (79.1% males). All patients underwent PTA of the peripheral arteries. Among them, 42.8% presented critical limb ischemia (CLI). During the first visit and at 1 month and 6 months after PTA, endothelial function and aPWA measurements were taken. Ankle-brachial index (ABI), toe-brachial index (TBI) and physical evalu­ation of the limbs took place during the first visit and at 1, 6 and 12 months after the PTA. The study endpoints included myocardial infarction, amputation, death, stroke and reintervention. All subjects included in the study were observed for 386 days after the PTA. Results: A significant improvement was noted in walking distance after PTA at the following time points, as well as transient improvement of ABI and flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) and no significant change in aPWA indices and reactive-hyperaemia index (RHI). The mean ABI, TBI, FMD and RHI values did not correlate with each other at baseline. There were 25 study endpoints which occurred in 16 patients during the follow-up period (22.2%). Patients with CLI, hypercholesterolemia, lower dias­tolic blood pressure, higher subendocardial viability ratio, a greater number of pack-years and lower TBI at baseline presented significantly poorer clinical outcomes in terms of endpoint events. Conclusions: Endothelial function assessed as FMD and reactive hyperemia–peripheral arterial tonometry (RH-PAT) before PTA in patients with advanced PAD do not predict clinical outcomes during the 1-year follow-up