The analysis of convergence process of voivodships’ efficiency in Poland using the DEA metod

Since 1999 – when the new administrative division in Poland was introduced – it has been possible to measure and compare standard of living between Polish and other European regions (NUTS II). In 2004 Poland has joined the European Union. Since that year voivodships have become main beneficiaries of the EU funds. The essential part of that aid is related to the EU cohesion policy (convergence objective). According to the fifth cohesion report “cohesion policy has made a significant contribution to spreading growth and prosperity across the Union, while reducing economic, social and territorial disparitiesâ€. However, the differences in standard of living still remains significant between countries as well as between regions within one country. In many researches the level of welfare is measured using “classic†indicators (GDP per capita, GNI per capita, unemployment rate, etc.). In this paper the authors focus on the regional economies’ efficiency. The efficiency will be measured using the Data Envelopment Analysis. Due to the method used, the efficiency will be measured as relative in nature, i.e. will be compared between voivodships within the period of research. The goal of the paper is to analyze variety of relative voivodships’ efficiency in order to answer the question if the dispersion in efficiency is increasing or decreasing over time.

In the search of the form and sense of quasi-linguistic and sylinguistic gestures in the French Italian and Polish communication

The present paper is an attempt supplying proofs that gestural signs are almost like standard linguistic signs. It is claimed that language gestures exhibit numerous properties of classical linguistic signs conceived of as in the works of de Saussure. The dividing line between the two pertains, in essence, to the type of motivation between the signifier and the signified, found within gestural, but not linguistic signs. There is a conspicuous connection between the two aspects of the sign within various kinds of gestures, including volitional ones (most akin to speech acts or „la parole” of the Saussure) as well as within those which are not performed on purpose (called „sylinguistic” gestures).The present paper is an attempt supplying proofs that gestural signs are almost like standard linguistic signs. It is claimed that language gestures exhibit numerous properties of classical linguistic signs conceived of as in the works of de Saussure. The dividing line between the two pertains, in essence, to the type of motivation between the signifier and the signified, found within gestural, but not linguistic signs. There is a conspicuous connection between the two aspects of the sign within various kinds of gestures, including volitional ones (most akin to speech acts or „la parole” of the Saussure) as well as within those which are not performed on purpose (called „sylinguistic” gestures)

Cztery rodzaje edukacji gerontologicznej w Polsce – sytuacja obecna i przyszłe potrzeby

An increased interest in gerontological (old age) education has been recently observed in Poland. It is moreover claimed that this discipline has undergone a rapid development. This observation is particularly true in the context of the Universities of Third Age (U3A) movement. In this paper, we would like to revise current concepts, developed for the purpose of gerontological education, and then contribute to the overall discussion to stress that there is a need to include all education-oriented activities related to old age and ageing in various aspects as one integrated theoretical concept. We would like to address this topic in a holistic manner. However, we aim to connect the aspect of the recent development of old age-focused educational activities carried out in Poland with some data that has not been published before. This will provide an option to understand the development of education of these concepts in Poland as well as help to identify the drawbacks of this process. We will contribute an in-depth evaluation of this process in Poland and outline future needs which have to be met to use all opportunities to prepare both the present and future society for the rapid ageing of Poland’s population

Nieparametryczna metoda DEA i obszary jej zastosowania

Publikacja z materiałów konferencyjnych: Scientific Research Priorities – 2017: theoretical and practical value. Edited by Dariusz Woźniak, Oleksandr Kendiukhov. Proceedings of the International Scientific and Practical Conference 22th-23th of June 2017. Wyższa Szkoła Biznesu – National-Louis University. Nowy Sacz, Poland. 2017, vol. 1.Uogólniony pomiar efektywności był podstawą do stworzenia metody DEA (data envelopment analysis), zapoczątkowanej w roku 1978 przez A. Charnes, W.W. Cooper i E. Rhodes. W metodzie tej nie występuje żaden składnik losowy oraz nie ma potrzeby określenia postaci funkcyjnej pomiędzy czynnikami, co było dużą wadą w przypadku jednowymiarowym. Powstały model CCR (inicjały od nazwisk autorów metody) przy użyciu programowania ilorazowego z rachunku optymalizacyjnego jest w stanie wyznaczyć stosowne wagi maksymalizujące efektywność jednostek DMU (decison making units). Obecnie metoda DEA jako metoda nieparametryczna, co jest jej dużym atutem, jest podstawową metodą w analizach badania i poszukiwania jednostek najbardziej efektywnych. W praktyce dysponujemy wieloma pochodnymi modelami klasy DEA, których różni podejście dotyczące orientacji modelu oraz rodzaju efektów działalności. Takie naukowe podejście po mimo drobnych wad, które można ograniczyć, sprawiło że lawinowo w postępie wykładniczym pojawiały się liczne opracowania i artykuły pokazujące różnorodność zastosowań tej metody. Jednostkami decyzyjnymi (DMU’s) mogą być jednostki prowadzące usługi, handel, produkcję oraz sektor publiczny, w praktyce wystarczą tylko aby dana jednostka była wstanie przekształcić nakład w efekt końcowy. Do wielu jednostek, w jakich wykorzystano metodę DEA, zaliczamy szpitale, szkoły, uczelnie, jednostki samorządowe, sądy, spółki komunalne, branże lotniczą, regiony administracyjne, państwa, banki, sektor energetyczny i wiele innych

Film Andrzeja Trzosa-Rastawieckiego „gdziekolwiek jesteś Panie Prezydencie…” (1978) – refleksje i komentarze historyka

The essay is a historian’s reflection on the drama documentary entitled “gdziekolwiek jesteś Panie Prezydencie…” (Wherever You Are Mr President…) directed by Andrzej Trzos-Rastawiecki. The author presents the circumstances in which the film was made, characterises members of the film crew, and describes the wartime fate of the President of Warsaw Stefan Starzyński. The second part of the article is devoted to the outstanding American photojournalist Julien Bryan, whose photographs of besieged in September 1939 Warsaw entered the canon of war photography.Tekst jest refleksją historyka na temat fabularyzowanego dokumentu „gdziekolwiek jesteś Panie Prezydencie…”, wyreżyserowanego przez Andrzeja Trzosa-Rastawieckiego. Autor opisuje okoliczności powstania filmu, charakteryzuje członków ekipy filmowej, a także przedstawia wojenne losy Stefana Starzyńskiego. Druga część artykułu poświęcona została wybitnemu fotoreporterowi amerykańskiemu Julienowi Bryanowi, którego zdjęcia oblężonej we wrześniu 1939 r. Warszawy weszły do kanonu fotografii wojennej

Gesture technical systems and sign languages as an example of alternative gesture communication

In the article we present short profiles and analysis of two gesture systems: the technical one - on the basis of conventional signs used by scuba-divers - and the Italian sign language in respect of signs of other languages. These are systems alternative to the gestures used in each verbal utterance and they show a lot of concurrence with language itself.In the article we present short profiles and analysis of two gesture systems: the technical one - on the basis of conventional signs used by scuba-divers - and the Italian sign language in respect of signs of other languages. These are systems alternative to the gestures used in each verbal utterance and they show a lot of concurrence with language itself

Facial Mimicry and Social Context Affect Smile Interpretation

Theoretical accounts and extant research suggest that people use various sources of information, including sensorimotor simulation and social context, while judging emotional displays. However, the evidence on how those factors can interplay is limited. The present research tested whether social context information has a greater impact on perceivers’ smile judgments when mimicry is experimentally restricted. In Study 1, participants watched images of affiliative smiles presented with verbal descriptions of situations associated with happiness or politeness. Half the participants could freely move their faces while rating the extent to which the smiles communicated affiliation, whereas for the other half mimicry was restricted via a pen-in-mouth procedure. As predicted, smiles were perceived as more affiliative when the social context was polite than when it was happy. Importantly, the effect of context information was significantly larger among participants who could not freely mimic the facial expressions. In Study 2 we replicated this finding using a different set of stimuli, manipulating context in a within-subjects design, and controlling for empathy and mood. Together, the findings demonstrate that mimicry importantly modulates the impact of social context information on smile perception

Measuring the Relative Efficiency of Economic Sectors. Advices for Policy Makers in Poland

The main goal of the paper is to present an idea of the Data Envelopment Analysis model and its potential as a method of evaluation of economic sectors efficiency. An empirical part is concentrated on the use of the DEA model to assess efficiency of the construction industry in Poland from 1999 to 2007. The first part of the article addresses the concept of DEA (CCR model) and the next section presents data and results of the analysis. To obtain the outcomes DEA solver software was applied.Głównym celem opracowania jest zaprezentowanie modelu Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) oraz jego potencjału jako metody oceny efektywności sektorów ekonomicznych gospodarki. Część empiryczna artykułu dotyczy oceny efektywności budownictwa (definiowanego według sekcji PKD) w latach 1999-2007. W pierwszej sekcji artykułu zaprezentowano istotę modelu DEA (w ujęciu CCR). Następnie przedstawiono charakterystykę zmiennych wykorzystanych w analizie oraz wyniki badania. W analizie wsparto się programem DEA solver software

Konspiracyjna broszura „Anegdota i dowcip wojenny” (1943) oraz jej twórcy

The article is a fragment of the author’s research project into the preservation by historians of the memory of past people, events and publications and symbols functioning in the past. Here, the author’s interest focuses on a conspiratorial pamphlet published in the Warsaw underground in 1943 with jokes circulating in occupied Poland and the fate of all those who contributed to this publication.Artykuł jest fragmentem realizowanego przez autora przedsięwzięcia badawczego dotyczącego utrwalania przez historyków pamięci o działających w przeszłości postaciach, ówczesnych wydarzeniach, publikacjach i symbolach. Przedmiotem zainteresowania jest tu wydana w 1943 r. w Warszawie broszura konspiracyjna zawierająca krążące w okupowanej Polsce dowcipy, a także losy wszystkich osób, które do powstania tej publikacji się przyczyniły