Solid-liquid equilibria for the dimethyl ether plus carbon dioxide binary system

A recently built experimental setup was employed for the estimation of the solid-liquid equilibria of alternative refrigerants systems. The behavior of dimethyl ether (DME) + carbon dioxide was measured down to temperatures of 131.6 K. To confirm the reliability of the apparatus, the triple point of the DME was measured. The triple point data measured revealed a good consistency with the literature. The results obtained for the mixtures were corrected by the Rossini method and interpreted by means of the Schröder equation. © 2010 Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest, Hungary

Carbon Dioxide + Fluoromethane and Nitrous Oxide + Fluoromethane: Solid−Liquid Equilibria Measurements

A recently built experimental setup was employed for the estimation of the solid-liquid equilibria (SLE) of alternative refrigerant systems. The behavior of two binaries, that is, carbon dioxide + fluoromethane (CO2 + R41) and nitrous oxide + fluoromethane (N2O + R41), was measured down to temperatures of 126.5 K. To confirm the reliability of the apparatus, the triple points of the pure fluids constituent of the binary systems were measured. All triple-point data measured revealed a generally good consistency with the literature. The results obtained for the mixtures were corrected by the Rossini method and interpreted by means of the Schröder equation. © 2010 American Chemical Society

Problem konkurencyjności systemu gospodarczego Unii Europejskiej i USA

The purpose of this article is to conduct a comparative analysis of the competitiveness of the EU and the US economies, in a systemic framework, that is, with respect to the main components of country’s economic system that determine its competitiveness. The analysis is based on the systemic framework of economic competitiveness and growth, developed by T.J. Hämäläinen. The analysis of the available data indicates that the US achieved better results in six of the seven study areas, that is: 1) productive resources; 2) innovation and diffusion; 3) organizational effi ciency of the economic system; 4) product market characteristics; 5) institutional framework; 6) government policy and activities. As far as the EU is concerned, it has potentially bigger opportunities to benefi t from the greater (than in the US) involvement of foreign investors on its market. However, this is not a factor that can compensate for the UE’s weaknesses in other areas. It will be extremely diffi cult to improve the international competitiveness of the EU without introducing signifi cant changes, that is in particular, without signifi cant improvement of the organizational efficiency and without – even partial – resignation from (so characteristic for the EU member states) policy of maintaining high government spending (in relation to GDP)

The COVID-19 pandemic vs. the economic political dimensions of the problem of air pollution in Poland

PURPOSE: The aim of the article is (1) to investigate whether the short-term reductions of air pollution related to the COVID-19 lockdowns resulted in a significant improvement in air quality in Poland throughout 2020, and thus positively influenced the level of Poland’s compliance with the EU’s air quality directives, and (2) to analyze the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on air quality policy (AQ policy) in Poland.DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The air quality analysis is based on the 24-hour average concentration of particulate matter (PM10), i.e., the primary atmospheric pollutant in Poland, about the EU’s air quality standards. Data on surface concentrations of PM10 were retrieved from air quality monitoring stations of the Chief Inspectorate for Environmental Protection. As regards the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on AQ policy in Poland, the analysis is conducted on a theoretical level, concerning: (1) the two-stage model of AQ policy development (Monks and Williams, 2020), (2) the theory of classification in policy-making (Rhinard, 2019), and (3) the research on the success and failure in public policies, tied to the theories of crisis management (McConnell, 2011).FINDINGS: Research results show that the COVID-19 lockdowns positively impacted Poland's air quality in 2020, and it considerably improved the level of Poland’s compliance with the EU’s air quality standards. However, the unexpected (i.e., not exclusively related to air quality reforms) reduction of air pollution decreased the pressure to implement policy measures that could lead to a long-term air quality improvement.PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Understanding how air pollution is affected by the restrictions on people's mobility and economic activity provides essential information for AQ policy development. Additionally, the article helps raise public awareness of poor air quality in Poland, which is also of great importance for AQ policy development.ORIGINALITY/VALUE: This is the first study to investigate whether the short-term reductions of air pollution during the COVID-19 lockdowns helped Poland comply with the EU’s air quality directives.peer-reviewe

Counteracting the COVID-19 crisis with innovation policy tools : a case study of the EU’s supranational innovation policy

Purpose: In June 2018, the European Union (“EU”) decided to use missions as tools of innovation policy in accordance with the market-shaping, mission-oriented innovation policy approach. It stemmed from the EU’s efforts to improve the efficiency of innovation policy when it comes to handling major social challenges. In the first quarter of 2020, the EU had to unexpectedly face another social challenge, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the economic and social crisis that followed. This article analyses the actions undertaken by the EU at the supranational level within its innovation policy in relation to the COVID-19 crisis. It also aims to assess the coherence of the EU’s interventions with the mission-oriented innovation policy approach implemented and promoted by the EU. Design/Methodology/Approach: The research is descriptive and analytical in nature. First, it covers a case study of the EU’s supranational innovation policy. Second, it searches, on a theoretical level, for the reasons of discrepancies between the market-shaping and mission-oriented policy approach promoted by the EU and the interventions that the EU in fact conducts in relation to the COVID-19 crisis. Findings: The results of the research point to certain incoherence in the EU’s innovation policy when tackling major policy platforms. On one hand, the EU implements and promotes a mission-oriented policy as a more efficient way of solving major social challenges. On the other hand, its actions (and plans) hardly consider the application of an innovation policy mission as a means for fighting the most recent and crucial challenge, namely the COVID-19 crisis. Originality/Value: This is the first study to point out the incoherence that currently characterise the EU’s innovation policy on the supranational level.peer-reviewe

Interwencja państwa za pomocą instrumentów polityki innowacyjnej: wprowadzenie bodźców podatkowych w celu zwiększenia nakładów na działalność badawczo-rozwojową w Polsce

Globally, tax incentives belong to the group of the most popular state intervention tools which are directed to support R&D activities. From a historical perspective, the prevalence of R&D tax incentives has increased both in the long-run and also over the past decade. When it comes to Poland, until the beginning of 2016 R&D tax incentives were used only to a very limited extent. Afterwards they became available to a wide range of entrepreneurs. The aim of the article is to analyze state interventions involving the introduction of R&D tax incentives, and in particular to answer the following questions: (1) When should the state intervene with the use of innovation policy instruments? (2) What factors have determined the popularity and increasing generosity of R&D tax incentives? (3) What were the circumstances and reasons for the introduction of R&D tax incentives in Poland?W ujęciu globalnym bodźce podatkowe są obecnie jednym z najpopularniejszych narzędzi interwencji państwa, mających na celu wsparcie rozwoju działalności badawczo-rozwojowej. W ujęciu historycznym wzrost popularności ww. instrumentów można zaobserwować zarówno w perspektywie długookresowej, jak i w ciągu ostatniej dekady. Jeżeli chodzi o Polskę, bodźce podatkowe wspierające działalność B+R były do niedawna stosowane jedynie w bardzo ograniczonym zakresie. Instrument ten został udostępniony szerokiemu gronu podmiotów gospodarczych dopiero na początku 2016 r. Celem artykułu jest analiza interwencji państwa polegającej na wprowadzeniu bodźców podatkowych wspierających działalność B+R, w tym w szczególności odpowiedź na następujące pytania: (1) Kiedy państwo powinno podejmować interwencję za pomocą instrumentów polityki innowacyjnej? (2) Jakie czynniki zadecydowały o popularności i coraz większej hojności bodźców podatkowych wspierających działalność B+R? (3) Jakie były okoliczności i powody wprowadzenia ww. bodźców podatkowych w Polsce

Development and optimization of a method for analyzing biodiesel mixtures with non-aqueous reversed phase liquid chromatography

Biodiesel (a mixture of fatty acid esters) is normally analyzed using gas chromatography/flame ionization detection, as specified by the ASTM D6584 and EN14105 standards. This paper proposes a binary gradient method for analyzing biodiesel mixtures using non-aqueous reverse phase HPLC with a UV detector capable of overcoming the drawbacks of the gas chromatographic technique normally used. The new analytical method was developed by means of a statistical sensitivity analysis applied to the main parameters influencing the recording, using the full factorial design method combined with the Yates algorithm and the steepest ascent optimization procedure. The present study shows the influence of the main biodiesel mixture separation analysis parameters. The resulting tool proved valid for analyzing not only biodiesel but also any traces of unreacted oil

Geschichte und Gegenwart in den polnisch-ukrainischen Beziehungen 1989-2023

In den letzten Jahrzehnten intensivierten sich die Kontakte zwischen Polen und Ukrainern, was sich auch auf die Beziehungen zwischen den beiden Staaten niederschlug. Die Ukrainer sahen in Polen zunächst v. a. den wirtschaftlichen Erfolg und ein Muster, wie man Staat und Wohlstand nach dem Kommunismus (wieder)aufbaut. In Polen rückten Kreise der politischen Rechten die gemeinsame Geschichte beider Länder in den Fokus, insbesondere die an der polnischen Zivilbevölkerung von ukrainischen Nationalisten verübten Verbrechen während des Zweiten Weltkrieges. Infolge des russischen Angriffskrieges gegen die Ukraine und der Solidarität Polens mit der Ukraine stiegen die beiderseitigen Sympathiewerte rasant, doch der Deutungskonflikt schwieriger historischer Themen ist dadurch noch nicht gelöst

Unbiased Sampling for Rodents and Other Small Mammals: How to Overcome Neophobia Through Use of an Electronic-Triggered Live Trap—A Preliminary Test

Live-trapping of urban rodents and other small mammals poses several challenges for researchers and pest control professionals (PMPs). Most traps are novel to the natural environment and elicit neophobic, or trap-shy, behaviors. Thus, animals captured in traditional traps may either be the least risk-averse, or most desperate. Consequently, individuals of the lowest social ranks, those in poorest health, and the slowest learners are more likely to be captured. This is problematic for research because non-random samples may lead to over-generalization and false conclusions. To address these problems, we developed an inconspicuous, hanging live-trap prototype. In addition to being hard to detect, the trap enables setting several parameters of animal movement and detection before the trap is triggered. The neophobic reaction could then be significantly reduced because animals do not need to enter any trap-like objects—instead they move and feed on a familiar surface. At a time predefined by the user, the triggering mechanism drops a transparent cover over the animal, preventing it from fleeing and enabling either transport to the laboratory, mark-and-release or disposal. Here, we report our initial purpose, design and preliminary results. Animals triggered the trap 34 times during our 1-month preliminary assessment. During this time, 32 individuals were captured (25 Norway rats and 7 house mice) for a 94% catch rate. Video surveillance revealed no obvious signs of non-random sampling as all trapped rats were representative of a broad range of sizes and ages. There were no signs of low social status (e.g., scar markings, parasitism, or poor health). Importantly, we found a low latency following capture, as released animals showed no instances of increased exploratory or cautious behaviors such as rearing or sniffing, near the hidden traps. More monitoring of this design is needed before future conclusions can be drawn. However, these results should encourage a full range of experimental trials from neuroscientists, urban ecologists, pest control professionals (PMPs) and conservationists who seek randomized samples or who work with trap-shy species