Ivana Diviša zmagania z Historią. "Teorie spolehlivosti" ("Teoria niezawodności") jako próba oswojenia dziejów

Ivan Diviš, czeski poeta i prozaik jest bohaterem niniejszego artykułu. Autorka zastanawia się nad jego związkiem z Historią i stara się krótko scharakteryzować jego życie i twórczość pod tym kątem.Udostępnienie publikacji Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego finansowane w ramach projektu „Doskonałość naukowa kluczem do doskonałości kształcenia”. Projekt realizowany jest ze środków Europejskiego Funduszu Społecznego w ramach Programu Operacyjnego Wiedza Edukacja Rozwój; nr umowy: POWER.03.05.00-00-Z092/17-00

Central European literary escapes from history : Vladimir Bartol, Witold Gombrowicz, Sándor Márai

Defence date: 10 June 2022Examining Board: Prof. Pavel Kolář (European University Institute/ Universität Konstanz, Supervisor); Prof. Alexander Etkind (European University Institute, Supervisor); Prof. Paweł Rodak (Institute of Polish Culture, University of Warsaw, External Supervisor); Prof. Simona Škrabec, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (External Supervisor)The dissertation titled “Central European Literary ‘Escapes’ from History (Vladimir Bartol, Witold Gombrowicz, Sándor Márai)” is an outcome of the interdisciplinary research project conducted at the crossroads of literary studies, history, and anthropology. Inspired by contemporary methodology exploring the category of experience, the author aims to provide new insights into the writers’ narrative self-identifications, diaristic practices, and their common background of a Central European community of historical fate. This comparative study attempts to replace geopolitical conceptualisations of Central Europe in terms of regional identity with a geopoetic map of this area focusing on self-identifications of writers and their sensual experiences of this space. Whereas geopolitical Central Europe has been a laboratory of ideologies nourished by modernist dialectical tradition, the geopoetic Central European condition can be articulated in life writing and particularly in a diary. The dissertation’s overarching theme regards the three writers’ attitudes to the History of the twentieth century, its accelerated pace as well as the changeable spatial coordinates of Central Europe and temporary places of stay in exile. The author argues that to the post-war historical circumstances enclosed within the ideologised dialectical thought and thus reverberating with the absurd overtone, Bartol, Gombrowicz and Márai responded with a hermeneutic laboratory of self, explored in diary and exile. They embarked on an exilic odyssey and diaristicwriting which allowed them not only to maintain a certain distance from History (with a specific exception for Bartol) but also to reconfigure their experience of time and in the end also self-identifications. The main sources are analysed using the anthropological approach which regards the diaries in terms of practice, existentially crucial for their authors in the process of redefining their selves in the face of rapidly shifting spatiotemporal contexts. The diaristic reconfiguration of time puts the kairotic dimension of temporality to the foreground which consequently undermines for a while its chronological, impersonal side

Research project evaluation : learnings from the PATHWAYS project experience

Background: Every research project faces challenges regarding how to achieve its goals in a timely and effective manner. The purpose of this paper is to present a project evaluation methodology gathered during the implementation of the Participation to Healthy Workplaces and Inclusive Strategies in the Work Sector (the EU PATHWAYS Project). The PATHWAYS project involved multiple countries and multi-cultural aspects of re/integrating chronically ill patients into labor markets in different countries. This paper describes key project’s evaluation issues including: (1) purposes, (2) advisability, (3) tools, (4) implementation, and (5) possible benefits and presents the advantages of a continuous monitoring. Methods: Project evaluation tool to assess structure and resources, process, management and communication, achievements, and outcomes. The project used a mixed evaluation approach and included Strengths (S), Weaknesses (W), Opportunities (O), and Threats (SWOT) analysis. Results: A methodology for longitudinal EU projects’ evaluation is described. The evaluation process allowed to highlight strengths and weaknesses and highlighted good coordination and communication between project partners as well as some key issues such as: the need for a shared glossary covering areas investigated by the project, problematic issues related to the involvement of stakeholders from outside the project, and issues with timing. Numerical SWOT analysis showed improvement in project performance over time. The proportion of participating project partners in the evaluation varied from 100% to 83.3%. Conclusions: There is a need for the implementation of a structured evaluation process in multidisciplinary projects involving different stakeholders in diverse socio-environmental and political conditions. Based on the PATHWAYS experience, a clear monitoring methodology is suggested as essential in every multidisciplinary research projects

The needs of persons with chronic health conditions to maintain or return to work 30 years after transformation from socialism into capitalism a preliminary report from the Polish part of the PATHWAYS project

Objectives: An increased burden of chronic diseases in the working age population is observed across high income countries. Persons with chronic diseases (PwCDs) are less likely to maintain or return to work due to several constraints they experience. The purpose of the study was to assess the preferences and needs of PwCDs regarding 6 areas of flexibility at the workplace. It was assessed whether there were any personal characteristics associated with higher or lower expectations and needs. Material and Methods: This was a part of a large multicenter international project, i.e., the PArticipation To Healthy Workplaces And inclusive Strategies in the Work Sector (PATHWAYS) project, aimed to contribute to the development of innovative approaches to promote professional integration and reintegration of PwCDs into the work sector. In Poland, 59 respondents diagnosed with different chronic diseases were identified through advocacy groups. An on-line survey was conducted to collect information on their needs and expectations. A cluster analysis was performed to reveal some expectation types which differentiated individuals across 6 analyzed domains, along with a multivariable logistic regression to identify some characteristics associated with a special expectation type. Results: Workplace facilitator items were generally scored as needed (“rather conductive” and “very conductive” groups identified). The factors positively associated with higher needs in this domain were education, and a hindering type of the disease. Unrestricted working hours were very conductive or indifferent, and were positively associated with education. Legal solutions were more conductive for older people. Medical support, access to training, and supervisors’ knowledge were needed in general, with no associations with the personal characteristics identified. Conclusions: Persons with chronic diseases report several facilitators which are needed for them to maintain or return to work, but they are not satisfied with the existing economy in Poland. These needs should be taken into consideration in the effective policy development

Challenges for the labor market : 2 complementary approaches to premature cessation of occupational activity

Objectives: Current demographic trends, such as society aging, the spreading of chronic diseases, as well as early retirement choices, lead to the dwindling labor market population. Taking into consideration the foregoing tendencies and their consequences, the issue of the shrinking labor force resources seems to be the most important challenge for the labor market. In response to it, this paper identifies individual and institutional causes of withdrawal from the labor market, and explores the views of Polish stakeholders on existing strategies for the occupational re-integration of persons with chronic diseases (PwCDs). Material and Methods: Polish results of 2 European projects: “Participation to Healthy Workplaces and Inclusive Strategies in the Work Sector” (the PATHWAYS project) and “The Collaborative Research on Aging in Europe” (COURAGE in Europe) complemented each other. The cross-sectional population data and data from stakeholders’ interviews were used. Results: The authors identified several causes which could encourage people to withdraw from the labor market before attaining the official retirement age at 3 different levels: individual, occupational, and institutional. Although research has shown that the macro-level situation is crucial to staying occupationally active, in Poland stakeholders have reported the lack of effective coordination in the implementation of policies for the occupational re-integration of PwCDs. Conclusions: A decision to cease work prematurely reflects a combination of many different factors, such as individual determinates, work characteristics, personal convictions, and systemic solutions. The study demonstrated that, despite the awareness of the dwindling resources of labor force, the employment-related challenges faced by PwCDs as well as people who are close to the retirement age remain unaddressed

Difficult entry and return to the labor market : on the professional (re)integration of people with disabilities and chronic health conditions in Poland : the PATHWAYS research project

Objectives: The objective of this study is to present the barriers existing in Poland to professional integration and reintegration of people with chronic diseases, including mental health conditions, and discuss them on the basis of expert opinions and in comparison with the situation in other European countries. Material and Methods: The research methodology was based on a mixed-methods approach, including literature review, in-depth expert interviews, and a survey (based on a structured questionnaire) performed with experts. Results: The mapping of policies, systems and services facilitating the integration and reintegration of people with chronic diseases in Poland, as well as expert opinions, made it possible to identify many barriers regarding access to support, such as an obligation to have a certificate of disability, and a system of certification by 2 institutions. There are also barriers regarding the support itself, including problems with subsidies and with professional (re)integration services. Conclusions: Poland has a multilevel and multi-sector system of public institutions, which should provide support for people with disabilities and chronic diseases. Nevertheless, the research conducted in Poland indicates an insufficient implementation of the existing solutions

Natural cold pressed oils as cosmetic products

Background. It seems that patients may ask general practitioners about natural cosmetics applied on the skin regarding their safety and suitability. Objectives. The aim of the study was to analyze natural cold pressed oils as potential cosmetic products. Material and methods. Cold pressed oils obtained from selected seeds and fruit stones were analyzed, including: chokeberry seed oil, blackcurrant seed oil, elderberry seed oil, raspberry seed oil, apricot seed oil, tomato seed oil, strawberry seed oil, broccoli seed oil, Nigella sativa seed oil, hemp oil, safflower seed oil, Silybum marianum seed oil and coconut oil. 80 adult volunteers assessed the cosmetic properties of the analyzed oils. Each of the volunteers tested 2 to 4 different oils, by applying them on the skin. In addition, patch tests with all analyzed oils were performed on 23 individuals. Results. The majority of tested oils were positively evaluated by the participants: in the opinion of the participants, oil extracted from safflower had the best appearance (100% positive opinions), coconut oil had the best smell (70% positive opinions), while black currant seed oil showed the best absorbency (85% positive opinions). No irritation was observed within the analyzed product group, albeit one allergic reaction to apricot seed oil was observed with patch testing. Conclusions . Based on the achieved results, it could be suggested that natural cold pressed oils can be applied to the skin as cosmetics. Our observations may be helpful for general practitioners when choosing natural cosmetics

Gender perspective in the analysis of the relationship between health and work cessation, and how to deal with IT

Objectives: The main objective of this study is to examine the relationship between health and an early exit from paid employment in the Finnish, Polish, and Spanish populations. The authors have addressed the following 3 issues: who chooses not to work according to gender patterns, whether the health status is a determinant of being non-employed, and what diseases are associated with being non-employed. Material and Methods: The studied material consists of data from the Collaborative Research on Ageing in Europe (COURAGE in Europe) project. The analysis was based on a sample of 5868 individuals, including 1214 from Finland, 2152 from Poland and 2532 from Spain. In the paper, these data were complemented with the results of the PArticipation To Healthy Workplaces And inclusive Strategies in the Work Sector (PATHWAYS) project. Results: The results of the study revealed that self-rated health was a strong predictor of being non-employed for different reasons. Chronic diseases, such as arthritis, angina, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, depression and hypertension, were typically associated with an increased risk of being non-employed due to health problems and early retirement. Women more frequently reported arthritis and depression, while a higher proportion of men suffered from angina and diabetes. Conclusions: The results obtained by the authors highlight the importance of evaluating gender patterns in work cessation and, at the same time, the importance of gender-focused actions in terms of preventing withdrawal from the labor market. In principle, all chronic diseases have some impact on participation in the labor market. It is worth noting, however, that each of them affects workforce participation in a different manner, depending on the specific disease, country and gender. For this reason, tailored support to every individual's needs is highly recommended

Classification supporting COVID-19 diagnostics based on patient survey data

Distinguishing COVID-19 from other flu-like illnesses can be difficult due to ambiguous symptoms and still an initial experience of doctors. Whereas, it is crucial to filter out those sick patients who do not need to be tested for SARS-CoV-2 infection, especially in the event of the overwhelming increase in disease. As a part of the presented research, logistic regression and XGBoost classifiers, that allow for effective screening of patients for COVID-19, were generated. Each of the methods was tuned to achieve an assumed acceptable threshold of negative predictive values during classification. Additionally, an explanation of the obtained classification models was presented. The explanation enables the users to understand what was the basis of the decision made by the model. The obtained classification models provided the basis for the DECODE service (decode.polsl.pl), which can serve as support in screening patients with COVID-19 disease. Moreover, the data set constituting the basis for the analyses performed is made available to the research community. This data set consisting of more than 3,000 examples is based on questionnaires collected at a hospital in Poland.Comment: 39 pages, 5 figure

Assessment of the composition and microbiological purity of cold-pressed oils manufactured by OleoWita

Wprowadzenie: Nienasycone kwasy tłuszczowe, wchodząc w skład naturalnych olei, stanowią niezbędny składnik potrzebny do prawidłowego funkcjonowania organizmu, w tym również skóry. Celem badania była analiza składu lipidów oraz czystości mikrobiologicznej tłoczonych na zimno olei przeznaczonych do użytku jako produkty kosmetyczne. Materiał i metody: Ocenie poddano tłoczone na zimno oleje firmy OleoWita otrzymane z pestek aronii, czarnej porzeczki, czarnego bzu, malin, moreli, pomidora, truskawek, nasion brokułów, czarnuszki siewnej, konopi, krokosza barwierskiego, ostropestu oraz z kokosa. W oparciu o spektrometrię masową dokonano analizy zawartości procentowej poszczególnych kwasów tłuszczowych. Ponadto wszystkie testowane oleje poddano ocenie czystości mikrobiologicznej zgodnie z ustawowymi wymogami dotyczącymi kosmetyków. Wyniki: Największą zawartością kwasów omega-3 charakteryzowały się olej z pestek czarnego bzu (34,93%), truskawek (29,01%) i malin (22,31%); natomiast najwięcej kwasów omega-6 zawierały olej z krokosza barwierskiego (75,11%), olej z pestek aronii (61,54%) oraz czarnej porzeczki (61,48%). Badane oleje zawierały również nienasycone kwasy tłuszczowe omega-9, w tym najwięcej olej z nasion brokułów (69,46%), z pestek moreli (68,16%), z nasion pomidora (29,67%). Kwasy tłuszczowe omega-7 stanowiły niewielki odsetek procentowy w składzie badanych olejów; największą zawartością cechował się olej z nasion pomidora (4,09%), z pestek czarnej porzeczki (1,4%) i z nasion brokułów (1,11%). W przeprowadzonym badaniu mikrobiologicznym z wykorzystaniem próbek gotowych do zastosowania stwierdzono, że 12 produktów spełniało mikrobiologiczne kryteria kosmetyku klasy I, natomiast jeden produkt (olej kokosowy) został zakwalifikowany jako kosmetyk klasy II. Wnioski: Testowane oleje naturalne mogą być wykorzystane jako produkty kosmetyczne. Wysoka zawartość nienasyconych kwasów tłuszczowych może przyczyniać się do poprawy własności kosmetycznych tych produktów.Introduction: Unsaturated fatty acids, essential for proper functioning of whole organism including skin, are the components of natural oils. The aim of the project was the assessment of lipid composition and microbiological purity of natural cold pressed oils. Materials and methods: Cold pressed oils of OleoWita company obtained from chokeberry seeds, blackcurrant seeds, elderberry seeds, raspberry seeds, apricot stones, tomato seeds, strawberry seeds, broccoli seeds, Nigella sativa seeds, cannabis seeds, safflower seeds, milk thistle seeds, and coconut were analyzed. Mass spectrometry was used in order to conduct percentage analysis of fatty acids. Moreover, all oils were microbiologically tested according to the official legal requirements respecting cosmetics. Results: Oils with the highest content of omega-3 fatty acids were: elderberry oil (34.93%), strawberry seed oil (29.01%) and raspberry seed oil (22.31%). The highest concentration of omega-6 fatty acids was observed in safflower oil (75.11%), chokeberry seed oil (61.54%), and blackcurrant seed oil (61.48%). Analyzed oils also contained omega-9 acids, the ones with the highest percentage were broccoli seed oil (69.46%), apricot stone oil (68.16%), and tomato seed oil (29.67%). Omega-7 fatty acids constituted a small part of the total fatty acid content, e.g. tomato seed oil (4.09%), blackcurrant seed oil (1.4%) and broccoli seed oil (1.11%). Microbiological analysis has shown that 12 products were qualified as class 1 cosmetics, while coconut oil was assessed as class 2 cosmetic. Conclusions: High concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids enhances potential cosmetic properties of examined products, which can be used as cosmetics