Opportunities and threats for local governments in new programming period 2014-2020

W artykule zostały przedstawione główne założenia obowiązujące przy tworzeniu budżetu Unii Europejskiej jako finansowego planu przychodów, a zarazem źródła finansowania realizacji przyjętej polityki społecznej i gospodarczej państw członkowskich. Autorka pokazała, jaki wpływ ma obowiązujący w 2014 roku nowy standard wyliczeń PKB na główne źródło dochodu budżetu Unii Europejskiej, czyli składki członkowskie. Zostały także opisane korzyści społeczne i gospodarcze dla sektora samorządu terytorialnego wynikające z przystąpienia Polski do Unii Europejskiej. Nowa perspektywa finansowa na lata 2014-2020 z jednej strony stwarza możliwości dalszego rozwoju, czego potwierdzeniem jest ukazana w artykule znaczna wysokość funduszy unijnych, przyznanych Polsce w ramach programów krajowych i regionalnych. Z drugiej strony wprowadzone w minionych latach przepisy prawne, mające na celu ograniczenie nadmiernego deficytu państwa, istotnie oddziałują na sektor samorządowy. Pojawia się obawa, że wdrażane reformy finansów publicznych spowodują zmniejszenie możliwości absorpcji funduszy unijnych przez samorządy. Celem badawczym jest pokazanie korzyści, jak i przyszłych możliwości wynikających z obecności Polski w Unii Europejskiej z uwzględnieniem uwarunkowań prawno-finansowych, obowiązujących jednostki samorządu terytorialnego od 1 stycznia 2014 roku. W artykule wskazano główne kierunki działań, których przyjęcie, w sytuacji istniejących już ograniczeń finansowych, zmniejszy ryzyko niepełnego wykorzystania funduszy unijnych w nowym okresie programowania 2014-2020. Ponadto, mając na względzie perspektywę dalszego rozwoju sektora samorządowego, zaprezentowano najważniejsze obszary działań na najbliższe lata, które są efektem dokumentów strategicznych zatwierdzonych przez Komisję Europejską, jak również zgodne z kierunkami polityki gospodarczej i społecznej krajów członkowskich.The paper discusses the main assumptions taken into account during the creation of the European Union budget as a financial revenue plan which is a source of funding for the implementation of social and economic policies adopted by the Member States. The author demonstrates the impact of the 2014 standard for the calculation of the GDP on the main source of EU’s revenue, i.e. the membership fees. The author also mentions the social benefits for the local government sector resulting from the Polish accession to the European Union. On the one hand, the new financial perspective creates opportunities for further development, which is reflected in the significant amount of EU funds allocated to Poland within the framework of national and regional programmes. On the other hand, the legislation aimed at reducing excessive budget deficit that was introduced in the past few years, seriously affects the local government sector. It is feared that the latest reform of public finance will hamper the capacity of local governments to absorb EU funds. The author’s purpose is to present the legal and financial conditions applicable to local government units since 1st January, 2014 and their impact on the ability to provide own contribution resulting from the principles of co-financing of European projects. The article outlines the main courses of action which, given the existing financial constraints, will reduce the likelihood of failing to take full advantage of EU funds in the new programming period 2014-2020. Additionally, the author presents the major areas of activities planned for the coming years, crucial for further development prospects of the local industry. These activities are in line with the European Commission's strategic documents and the social policies of member [email protected]ąd Miejski w Starym Sączu6(72)15416

Dipicolinic Acid Release and the Germination of Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris Spores under Nutrient Germinants

The presence of Alicyclobacillus, a thermoacidophilic and spore-forming bacterium, in acidic fruit juices poses a serious problem for the processing industry. A typical sign of spoilage in contaminated juices is a characteristic phenolic off-flavour associated with the produc­tion of guaiacol. Spores are formed in response to starvation and in a natural environment re-access the nutrients, e.g.: L-alanine and AGFK – a mixture of asparagine, glucose, fructose and potassium, triggers germination. The aim of this study was to estimate the impact of L-alanine and AGFK on the germination of the spores of two Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris strains and to evaluate the relationship of the germination rate with dipicolinic acid (DPA) release. The spores were suspended in apple juice or in buffers at pH 4 and pH 7, followed by the addition of L-alanine and AGFK. Suspensions were or were not subjected, to a temperature of 80°C/10 min and incubated for various periods of time at 45°C. Optical density (OD660) was used to estimate the number of germinated spores. The amount of DPA released was determined using HPLC. The results indicate that the degree of germination of A. acidoterrestris spores depended on the strain and time of incubation and the nutritious compounds used. The data obtained show that the amount of DPA released correlated to the number of A. acidoterrestris spores germinated

Characterization of mAb6-9-1 monoclonal antibody against hemagglutinin of avian influenza virus H5N1 and its engineered derivative, single-chain variable fragment antibody

Hemagglutinin (HA), as a major surface antigen of influenza virus, is widely used as a target for production of neutralizing antibodies. Monoclonal antibody, mAb6-9-1, directed against HA of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus A/swan/Poland/305-135V08/2006(H5N1) was purified from mouse hybridoma cells culture and characterized. The antigenic specificity of mAb6-9-1 was verified by testing its cross-reactivity with several variants of HA. The mimotopes recognized by mAb6-9-1 were selected from two types of phage display peptide libraries. The comparative structural model of the HA variant used for antibody generation was developed to further facilitate epitope mapping. Based on the sequences of the affinity- selected polypeptides and the structural model of HA the epitope was located to the region near the receptor binding site (RBS). Such localization of the epitope recognized by mAb6-9-1 is in concordance with its moderate hemagglutination inhibiting activity and its antigenic specificity. Additionally, total RNA isolated from the hybridoma cell line secreting mAb6-9-1 was used for obtaining two variants of cDNA encoding recombinant single-chain variable fragment (scFv) antibody. To ensure high production level and solubility in bacterial expression system, the scFv fragments were produced as chimeric proteins in fusion with thioredoxin or displayed on a phage surface after cloning into the phagemid vector. Specificity and affinity of the recombinant soluble and phage-bound scFv were assayed by suitable variants of ELISA test. The observed differences in specificity were discussed

Poisoning deaths in Poland : types and frequencies reported in Łódź, Kraków, Sosnowiec, Gdańsk, Wrocław and Poznań during 2009-2013

Objectives: The aim of this study has been to assess the characteristics of acute poisoning deaths in Poland over a period of time 2009–2013. Material and Methods: The analysis was based on the data obtained from the patient records stored in toxicology departments in 6 cities – Łódź, Kraków, Sosnowiec, Gdańsk, Wrocław and Poznań. Toxicological analyses were routinely performed in blood and/or urine. Major toxic substances were classified to one of the following categories: pharmaceuticals, alcohol group poisonings (ethanol and other alcohols), gases, solvents, drugs of abuse, pesticides, metals, mushrooms, others. Cases were analyzed according to the following criteria: year, age and gender of analyzed patients, toxic substance category and type of poisoning. The recorded fatal poisonings were classified according to the International Classification of Diseases. Results: The record of 261 deaths were retrospectively reviewed. There were 187 males (71.64%) and 74 females (28.36%) and the male to female ratio was 2.52. Alcohol group poisonings were more frequently responsible for deaths in men compared to all poisonings, 91.1% vs. 71.6%, respectively (p < 0.05), and pharmaceutical agents were more frequently responsible for deaths in women, 47.4% vs. 28.4%, (p < 0.05). Methanol was the most common agent in the alcohol group poisonings, accounting for 43.75% (N = 49), followed by ethylene glycol, 39.29% (N = 44), and ethanol, 16.96% (N = 19). Conclusions: Epidemiological profile data from investigation of poisoning deaths in Poland may be very useful for the development of preventive programs. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2017;30(6):897–90

O wyzwaniach stojących przed ewaluacją w kontekście funduszy unijnych do 2020 r. - wybrane aspekty

Nowa perspektywa finansowa na lata 2014-2020 postawiła przed ewaluacją w Polsce wiele nowych wyzwań. Jednym z nich jest wykorzystanie w badaniach ewaluacyjnych metod kontrfaktycznych, na co Komisja Europejska kładzie obecnie ogromny nacisk. W związku z tym wyzwaniem już dzisiaj możemy zdiagnozować kilka problemów, które mogą mieć duży wpływ na sprawną realizację badań. Należą do nich: brak doświadczenia w zlecaniu badań ewaluacyjnych wykorzystujących metody kontrfaktyczne, niewielka praktyka firm badawczych w realizacji tego typu badań, brak niezbędnych danych lub problemy w ich pozyskaniu, w szczególności w kontekście budowania grup kontrolnych, otrzymywanie wyników post factum itd. Istnieje jednak kilka środków zaradczych mogących pomóc zniwelować trudności. O tym właśnie oraz o innych wyzwaniach ewaluacyjnych traktuje niniejszy artykuł

Analysis of the germination proteins in Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris spores subjected to external factors

The presence of Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris, a thermoacidophilic and spore-forming bacterium, in pasteurized acidic juices poses a serious problem for the processing industry. Therefore, the use of other more effective techniques, such as high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) and supercritical carbon dioxide (SCCD), is considered for preserving juices in order to inactivate these bacteria, while reducing the loss of nutrients and sensory quality of juices. On the other hand, HHP and SCCD when combined with a moderately elevated temperature can induce germination of bacterial spores, making them more vulnerable to inactivation. The spore germination can be also induced by nutrients, such as L-alanine or a mixture of asparagine, glucose, fructose and potassium ions (AGFK). The aim of this work was to determine whether applying activating agents: HHP, SCCD and nutrient germinants (L-alanine and the AGFK mixture), could influence the number of spores which start to germinate and how this affects the proteins involved in the spore germination. SDS-PAGE was used to resolve proteins isolated from the A. acidoterrestris spores. The results that were obtained indicate that the germination of A. acidoterrestris spores treated with HHP, SCCD and nutrient germinants reflect the number of spores which start to germinate. The SDS-PAGE data indicated changes in the level of selected proteins occurring when subjected to the germination activating factors as well as noticeable differences in those proteins' molecular weights

Analysis of the germination proteins in Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris spores subjected to external factors

The presence of Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris, a thermoacidophilic and spore-forming bacterium, in pasteurized acidic juices poses a serious problem for the processing industry. Therefore, the use of other more effective techniques, such as high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) and supercritical carbon dioxide (SCCD), is considered for preserving juices in order to inactivate these bacteria, while reducing the loss of nutrients and sensory quality of juices. On the other hand, HHP and SCCD when combined with a moderately elevated temperature can induce germination of bacterial spores, making them more vulnerable to inactivation. The spore germination can be also induced by nutrients, such as L-alanine or a mixture of asparagine, glucose, fructose and potassium ions (AGFK). The aim of this work was to determine whether applying activating agents: HHP, SCCD and nutrient germinants (L-alanine and the AGFK mixture), could influence the number of spores which start to germinate and how this affects the proteins involved in the spore germination. SDS-PAGE was used to resolve proteins isolated from the A. acidoterrestris spores. The results that were obtained indicate that the germination of A. acidoterrestris spores treated with HHP, SCCD and nutrient germinants reflect the number of spores which start to germinate. The SDS-PAGE data indicated changes in the level of selected proteins occurring when subjected to the germination activating factors as well as noticeable differences in those proteins' molecular weights