Activation of investment processes in the context of operation of special economic zones in Poland

Purpose: The paper aims to present the potential of activation of investment processes in special economic zones in Poland. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study's general purpose was to diagnose the status of investments in projects implemented by companies as part of special economic zones in Poland. The study was carried out by analyzing reports of special economic zones forming a part of the Polish Economic Zone. Two economic zones were selected for analysis, namely the Katowice Special Economic Zone (KSEZ) and the Pomorze Special Economic Zone (PSEZ). These zones clearly differ concerning the permissible level of regional aid. Data from the years 2014-2019 were analyzed on account of the introduction, in 2014, of the so-called new map of regional aid for years 2014-2020. Findings: This paper is devoted to the issue of investments and the basic terminology accompanying it. Definitions and main types of investments were specified, and results of studies about the activation of investment processes in special economic zones for the benefit of the region between 2014 and 2019 were presented. Enterprises investments are dominant in analyzed zones. Simultaneously, more companies invest in KSEZ, huge ones. The SME sector's interest in both zones is comparable, resulting from too high amounts that must be invested in making use of the SEZ aid. Practical Implications: The current legal solutions and the applicable quality requirements increase the significance of special economic zones in forming growth and development processes based on a set of criteria relying on sustainable attributes. Both the instrument of special economic zones and their operation concept contribute to the formation of sustainable processes in the actual sphere. Liquidation of territorial restrictions offers an impulse to create an investment climate and the possibility of its use by all local governments to activate local investment zones and primarily the opportunity for such an instrument to be used by every company that is developing and investing. Originality/Value: The article is, hence, an attempt to fill the gap in creating an investment climate. Furthermore, studies concerning corporate investments in special economic zones may be an important source of information that enterprises can apply to determine further development areas.peer-reviewe

Współczesne zagadnienia zarządzania: przedsiębiorstwo - biznes - region

Praca recenzowana / peer-reviewed pape

The 42nd Symposium Chromatographic Methods of Investigating Organic Compounds : Book of abstracts

The 42nd Symposium Chromatographic Methods of Investigating Organic Compounds : Book of abstracts. June 4-7, 2019, Szczyrk, Polan

Job satisfaction among smes employees in fibres & textiles of the cee countries

Purpose. The purpose of this study is to identify the determinants affecting employees’ professional satisfaction at small and medium-sized enterprises in the fibres and textile industry of the CEE countries. Design/methodology/approach - This empirical research is quantitative. The project investigated employee satisfaction at small and medium-sized enterprises. The sample consists of the data on 295 employees in fibres & textiles. The research was conducted in four countries belonging to the CEE countries, i.e., Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Lithuania. Findings - A number of positive answers regarding satisfaction with work corresponds to the social capital index. While assessing the factors affecting job satisfaction, workers’ relations and company communication as well as constancy and stability of employment were positively assessed by the employees. The incentive and remuneration systems in force were evaluated negatively. Research limitations/implications - The study was limited to the selected job satisfaction factors. The size of the research sample was not large enough to generalize the conclusions. The study was conducted using a self-designed questionnaire. Practical implications - Employers in the fibres and textile industry should pay more attention to their workers’ satisfaction, assuming that an increased level of satisfaction can contribute to an increased work efficiency, bringing measurable results. Originality/value – Although there are many studies dedicated to job satisfaction, a relatively limited number of such researches are focused on employees of small and medium-scale enterprises operating in the fibers & textiles branch. The article is, hence, an attempt to fill the aforementioned gap. Conducting the research in more than one country is sufficient enough to learn about the relationship between social capital and employee satisfaction

Pseudooporne nadciśnienie tętnicze u pacjentki z zaburzeniami psychicznymi

Kobieta w wieku 40 lat zgłosiła się do kliniki z wywiadem opornego nadciśnienia tętniczego, któremu towarzyszyły masywne krwawienia z nosa. Pomimo wykonania wielu badań w celu ustalenia przyczyny wtórnego nadciśnienia wykluczono wszystkie możliwe przyczyny. Nie stwierdzono uszkodzeń narządowych. Mimo zmian w schemacie leczenia hipotensyjnego i znacznej eskalacji leczenia farmakologicznego wystąpiły trudności w uzyskaniu prawidłowych wartości ciśnienia. Rozpoznano oporne nadciśnienie tętnicze. Podjęto decyzję o wykonaniu w Zakładzie Medycyny Sądowej badań w celu potwierdzenia stosowania przez pacjentkę leków hipotensyjnych oraz poszukiwania substancji podwyższających ciśnienie tętnicze. Metodą wysokosprawnej chromatografii cieczowej stwierdzono wysokie stężenie pseudoefedryny i jej metabolitów w moczu. W trakcie retrospektywnej analizy przypadku tej pacjentki z udziałem psychiatry wysunięto podejrzenie zespołu Munchhausena

Occurrence and significance of mono-, di- and anhydrosaccharide biomolecules in Mesozoic and Cenozoic lignites and fossil wood

Mono-, di- and polysaccharides are common constituents of living organisms, but their occurrence and state of preservation in geological materials have only rarely been considered. Here, we present the monosaccharide, and for the first time the di- and anhydrosaccharide, identifications and distributions in Middle Miocene lignite and Middle Jurassic fossil wood samples. Detritic lignites contain fructose and glucose as dominant monosaccharides, and sucrose and trehalose as important disaccharides. Xylites contain monosaccharides (arabinose, arabinofuranose, glucose, and minor xylose and fructose), saccharols (erythritol, arabitol and mannitol), and also some disaccharides. The Middle Jurassic fossil wood samples contain glucose, glucofuranose and levoglucosan. The high content of holocellulose (up to 55 wt%) and co-occurrence of characteristic monosaccharides as arabinose, xylose and mannose in xylites suggests that not only cellulose, but also hemicellulose was preserved in samples as old as 13 Ma. Compounds like trehalose and mannitol appear to be products of wood-degrading fungi. Surprisingly, glucose, the most stable monosaccharide, and levoglucosan can occur in much older organic matter (ca. 168 Ma) as products from cellulose degradation, and possibly a remnant from wildfire burning of wood, respectively. Our findings confirm that saccharides can be preserved under favorable conditions in sedimentary organic matter of the Mesozoic to the Cenozoic eras, and can be used as specific biomarkers of cellulose and hemicellulose degradation, fungal metabolism, and wildfire events. However, we cannot exclude the possibility that at least part of the saccharides may be preserved in sedimentary rocks as the free compounds, common in plants and microorganisms

Analysis of Patients with Alcohol Dependence Treated in Silesian Intensive Care Units

Analysis of patients with alcohol dependence (AD) treated in intensive care units has never been performed in Poland. Data from 25,416 adult patients identified in a Silesian Registry of Intensive Care Units were analysed. Patients with AD were identified, and their data were compared with the remaining population. Preadmission and admission variables that independently influenced ICU death in these patients were identified. Among 25,416 analysed patients, 2285 subjects (9.0%) were indicated to have AD among their comorbidities. Patients with AD were significantly younger (mean age: 53.3 ± 11.9 vs. 62.2 ± 15.5 years, p < 0.001) but had a higher mean APACHE II score at admission and were more frequently admitted to the ICU due to trauma, poisonings, acute pancreatitis, and severe metabolic abnormalities. ICU death and unfavourable outcomes were more frequent in these patients (47.8% vs. 43.0%, p < 0.001 and 54.1% vs. 47.0%, p < 0.001, respectively). Multiorgan failure as the primary cause of ICU admission was among the most prominent independent risk factors for ICU death in these patients (OR: 3.30, p < 0.001). Despite the younger age, ICU treatment of patients with AD was associated with higher mortality and a higher percentage of unfavourable outcomes

Progressing Vulvar Melanoma Caused by Instability in cKIT Juxtamembrane Domain: A Case Report and Review of Literature

In order to identify the molecular pathways governing melanoma and track its progression, the next-generation sequencing (NGS) approach and targeted sequencing of cancer genes were employed. The primary tumor, as well as metastatic tissue, of an 84-year-old patient diagnosed with vulvar melanoma (VM), were investigated. The primary tumor specimen showed multiple somatic mutations in TP53 gene, suggesting its major contribution to melanoma origin. The metastatic sample showed additional alterations, including other melanoma-related genes. Clinical relevancy is postulated to juxtamembrane region instability of KIT gene (c-KIT). We did not identify BRAF or NRAS alterations, which are typical for the most common melanoma pathway–MAPK cascade. However, it should be noted that this is the first report evidencing PDGFRA in melanoma, although its role in triggering VM needs to be further elucidated

Preservation of hemicellulose remnants in sedimentary organic matter

Cellulose has been identified in fossil material, but the preservation potential of hemicelluloses, which are less resistant to decomposition than cellulose, is generally considered very low. Here we present the discovery of hemicellulose in Miocene xylites (fossil wood) and Cretaceous xylo-detritic coals from Poland. The main building blocks of hemicelluloses in softwood are mannose, glucose, xylose with lesser amounts of galactose and arabinose. These saccharides were detected in the coals and xylites using independent geochemical methods. Based on chemical analysis, the lignites contained significant holocellulose (22–37%), α-cellulose (8–29%) and hemicellulose (7–13%). In the smoke from a xylite burn test, levoglucosan and mannosan were dominant, the latter a specific hemicellulose alteration product. Glucose and mannose products dominated after methanolysis, with minor galactose and xylose. The main hemicellulosic polysaccharides in lignite appear to be glucomannan and/or galactoglucomannan but with a lower mannose content, possibly connected to wood degradation by fungi. The preservation of hemicelluloses in fossil material may be due to structural interconnection between lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose (i.e. lignocellulose), common in extant wood. This is the first documentation of hemicelluloses in fossil material. Our results show that not only cellulose, but also hemicelluloses can persist for millions of years under favorable conditions with only minor structural changes due to slow microbial and/or diagenetic decay. In fossil wood, types of hemicellulose can help assess whether the ancient plants were related to gymnosperms or angiosperms.This work was supported by the National Science Centre, Poland (grant 2018/31/B/ST10/00284 to LM