Local Perspective on the Practices and Challenges of Migrant Integration: The Case of Warsaw

Poland is currently experiencing a transition with regard to migration trends. Foreign immigration, perceived until recently as a secondary issue by public administration, is on the increase. The largest groups of immigrants have traditionally included Ukrainians and the Vietnamese, although the country has not experienced a significant influx of foreigners arriving from Middle East and African countries. At present, Poland has no migration policy document in force and integrative actions are undertaken mostly by local governments, typically on an ad hoc basis. As Poland’s capital city, Warsaw plays a key role in governing diversity and implementing integrative actions. Significant challenges to immigrant integration include barriers to settlement and discrimination on the labour and housing market, along with a substantial rise in negative attitudes towards foreigners amongst members of Polish society. It is mainly this last aspect that is addressed by Warsaw’s local government, which prioritises educational and awareness-raising measures. It must be acknowledged that this is done in close cooperation with the non-governmental sector, where organisations with expertise in relevant fields are commissioned to perform many tasks. The main challenge of integrative actions at the local level is that these are mostly incoherent measures, which in most cases are not sufficient for the actual needs of immigrants. Hence, it is necessary to develop systemic solutions with sound, long-term financing. Moreover, in order for integration to be successful, it is essential to ensure the coordination of measures taken by public institutions at both central and local government level and to ensure the participation of immigrant communities in the development of public policies

New Horizons? Comparisons and Frames of Reference of Polish Multiple Migrants Worldwide

Building on the literature on transnational social fields (Levitt & Glick Schiller, 2004) and the research agenda on pluri-local transnational studies (Pries, 2001), in this article we examine the processes of Polish migrants’ social positioning. Nowadays many migrant trajectories are more complex than moving just from one place to another, involving repeated migration spells, returns, and onward mobility. In particular, multiple migration routes involving more than one destination expand the horizons lived by migrants and hence the frames in which they can position themselves. We adopt an actor-centred approach to better understand how highly mobile individuals negotiate social comparisons concerning the contexts they have engaged in during their multiple migration spells. This article draws on qualitative data from the MULTIMIG project that examines Polish migration worldwide. The analysis is based on a qualitative panel study with 70 Poles living abroad, who have the experience of multiple migration (who have lived in two countries outside of Poland for at least three months in each). The interviews shed light on how Polish migrants make social comparisons, and in particular, which frames of reference they adopt

Cardiovascular response to different types of acute stress stimulations

Introduction: Stress is an ubiquitous phenomenon in the modern world and one of the major risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Th e aim of our study was to evaluate the eff ect of various acute stress stimuli on autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity, assessed on the basis of heart rate (HRV) and blood pressure (BPV) variability analysis. Materials and Methods: The study included 15 healthy volunteers: 9 women, 6 men aged 20- 30 years (23.3 ± 1.8). ANS activity was assessed by HRV and BPV measurement using Task Force Monitor 3040 (CNSystems, Austria). ECG registration and Blood Pressure (BP) measurement was done 10 minutes at rest, 10 minutes aft er the stress stimulus (sound signal, acoustic startle, frequency 1100 Hz, duration 0.5 sec, at the intensity 95 dB) and 10 minutes aft er the cold pressor test. The cold pressor test (CPT) was done by placing the person’s hand by wrist in ice water (0-4°C) for 120 s. Results: Every kind of stress stimulation (acoustic startle; the CPT) caused changes of HRV indicator values. The time domain HRV analysis parameters (pNN50, RMSSD) decreased aft er acoustic stress and the CPT, but were signifi cantly lower aft er the CPT. In frequency domain HRV analysis, signifi cant diff erences were observed only after the CPT: (LF-RRI 921.23 ms2 vs. 700.09 ms2; p = 0.009 and HF-RRI 820.75 ms2 vs. 659.52 ms2; p = 0.002). Th e decrease of LF-RRI and HF-RRI value aft er the CPT was signifi cantly higher than aft er the acoustic startle (LF-RRI 34% vs. 0.4%, p = 0.022; HF-RRI 19.7% vs. 7% ms2, p = 0.011). The decreased value of the LF and HF components of HRV analysis are indicative of sympathetic activation. Nonlinear analysis of HRV indicated a signifi cant decrease in the Poincare plot SD1 (p = 0.039) and an increase of DFAα2 (p = 0.001) in response to the CPT stress stimulation. The systolic BPV parameter LF/HF-sBP increased significantly after the CPT (2.84 vs. 3.31; p = 0.019) and was higher than aft er the acoustic startle (3.31 vs. 3.06; p = 0.035). Signifi cantly higher values of diastolic BP (67.17 ± 8.10 vs. 69.65 ± 9.94 mmHg, p = 0.038) and median BP (83.39 ± 8.65 vs. 85.30 ± 10.20 mmHg, p = 0.039) were observed in the CPT group than in the acoustic startle group. Conclusions: The Cold Pressor Test has a greater stimulatory effect on the sympathetic autonomic system in comparison to the unexpected acoustic startle stress. Regardless of whether the stimulation originates from the central nervous system (acoustic startle) or the peripheral nervous system (CPT), the final response is demonstrated by an increase in the low frequency components of blood pressure variability and a decrease in the low and high frequency components of heart rate variability

Decreased levels of histidine-rich glycoprotein in advanced lung cancer : association with prothrombotic alterations

Background. Histidine-rich glycoprotein (HRG) displays anticoagulant and antifibrinolytic properties in animal models, but its effects in humans are unclear. We investigated serum HRG levels and their associations with the disease stage and prothrombotic alterations in lung cancer (LC) patients. Methods. In 148 patients with advanced LC prior to anticancer therapy (87 non-small-cell LC and 61 small-cell LC) versus 100 well-matched controls, we measured HRG levels in association with clot permeability (Ks), clot turbidimetry (lag phase and maximum absorbance), and clot lysis time (CLT). Results. Compared to controls, LC patients had 45.9% lower HRG levels with no associations with demographics and comorbidities. Decreased HRG, defined as the 90th percentile of control values (<52.7 μg/ml), was 16 times more common in subjects with than without LC (OR = 16 4, 95% CI 9.2-23.5, p < 0 01). HRG < 38 μg/ml discriminated stage IIIAB/limited disease from IV/extensive disease (ED) LC. In LC patients, HRG correlated inversely with CLT (r = −0 41, p < 0 001), but not with other fibrin variables. Among stage IV/ED LC, HRG correlated significantly with Ks and lag phase (r = 0 28 and r = 0 33, respectively, both p < 0 001). LC patients with low Ks (10th percentile of control values) combined with prolonged CLT (90th percentile of control values) had reduced HRG levels compared to the remainder (p = 0 003). No such observations were noted in controls. Conclusions. Our study is the first to show that decreased HRG levels occur in advanced LC and are associated with the disease stage and hypofibrinolysis

It’s not just about how long you play. Indirect gaming involvement and genre preferences in predicting gaming disorder risk: evidence from preregistered studies

IntroductionThe strength of the association between gaming involvement and gaming disorder is weak to moderate. Gamers cannot be directly involved in gaming all the time, but how much they are involved in activities indirectly related to gaming during gaming-free time may play an important role. Also, specific game genres may matter. The present investigation focuses on the role of indirect gaming involvement and genres in gaming disorder risk prediction.MethodsTwo pre-registered studies were conducted. Study 1 (N = 205) was conducted online, whereas Study 2 (N = 250) was conducted in a lab. In both cases, participants reported their direct and indirect involvement in gaming (DGI and IGI, respectively) and completed a screening tool that estimates the risk of gaming disorder (Gaming Disorder Test).ResultsBoth IGI and DGI were weakly to moderately correlated with gaming disorder (GD) and moderately with each other. The correlations between DGI and GD were similar to those obtained in related studies; the correlation between IGI and GD has not been previously reported. Hierarchical regression that took IGI together with DGI into account showed an increase in the percentage of explained variance, but only in Study 1. Contrary to expectations, IGI did not interact with DGI. As is consistent with previous research, some game genres were found to be more closely related to GD than others: in both studies, this was an RPG; in Study 1, this was also an MMORPG; in Study 2, driving and shooting games also predicted GD risk.DiscussionOverall, the results clearly indicate that not only gaming time plays a role in GD risk assessment: IGI can also predict it and in some cases may allow for more accurate predictions. Gaming genres once again proved to play a role, but these and similar results should be treated with caution due to the partial lack of repeatability

Mapping the meaning of "difference' in Europe: A social topography of prejudice

This paper draws on original empirical research to investigate popular understandings of prejudice in two national contexts: Poland and the United Kingdom. The paper demonstrates how common-sense meanings of prejudice are inflected by the specific histories and geographies of each place: framed in terms of ‘distance’ (Poland) and ‘proximity’ (United Kingdom), respectively. Yet, by treating these national contexts as nodes and linking them analytically the paper also exposes a connectedness in these definitions which brings into relief the common processes that produce prejudice. The paper then explores how inter-linkages between the United Kingdom and Poland within the wider context of the European Union are producing – and circulating through the emerging international currency of ‘political correctness’ – a common critique of equality legislation and a belief that popular concerns about the way national contexts are perceived to be changing as a consequence of super mobility and super diversity are being silenced. This raises a real risk that in the context of European austerity and associated levels of socioeconomic insecurity, negative attitudes and conservative values may begin to be represented as popular normative standards which transcend national contexts to justify harsher political responses towards minorities. As such, the paper concludes by making a case for prejudice reduction strategies to receive much greater priority in both national and European contexts

New Strategies in Internet Book Promotion

Celem poniższej pracy jest przedstawienie panoramy metod promowania książki w Internecie. Autorka przedstawia i analizuje strategie promocyjne obecne w przestrzeni wirtualnej, posługując się przykładami działań polskich wydawców. W kolejnych rozdziałach pracy omówione zostało znaczenie różnych segmentów Internetu dla efektywnej promocji tytułu. W pierwszym rozdziale przedstawiono funkcjonowanie mediów społecznościowych w kontekście budowania wizerunku wydawnictwa, komunikacji z czytelnikiem oraz promowania oferty wydawniczej. Rozdział drugi dotyczy blogów recenzenckich i stron internetowych określanych jako platformy rekomendacji oraz ich znaczenia dla reklamy tytułu w sieci. Pojawia się także kwestia marketingu szeptanego. Rozdział trzeci prezentuje zagadnienie wideo-promocji i konwergencji mediów w marketingu książki oraz ich znaczenie w kontekście zmian zachodzących na rynku książki pod wpływem nowych technologii. W zakończeniu ma miejsce podsumowanie zaprezentowanych treści oraz przedstawienie wniosków.The purpose of this degree essay is to deliver a panoramic view over the methods of book promotion on the Internet. The author introduces and analyses various strategies of book promotion in virtual world and gives examples of Polish publishers promoting their books online. The essay is divided into sections; the sections match the particular areas of the Internet, which are crucial for effectivenes of the book promotion. In the first chapter Author presents the importance of social media in building publisher's identity, stimulating communication with the readers and promoting the book offer. The second chapter deals with the problem of the role of the book promotion on blogs and "recommendation platforms". It also presents the amplyfing strategy and Word of Mouth Marketing in book promotion. The third chapter tells about the idea of book trailers and convergent book promotion in the perspective of the changes caused by new technologies on the book market. The last section summarizes the information given in the essay and presents general conclusion

Typographic shape of the sixteenth-century statutes published in Poland

Tematem pracy jest analiza kształtu typograficznego szesnastowiecznych statutów wydanych w Polsce. Wybrano pięć kodyfikacji; opisano okoliczności wydania, strukturę treści, typograficzne ukształtowanie oraz wykorzystany materiał zdobniczy, w tym drzeworyty. Przedstawiono znaczenie grafiki statutów jako nośnika treści ideowych dotyczących państwa, prawa i władzy. Zawarto wnioski związane z problematyką estetyki i funkcjonalności druku.The subject of the thesis is typographical analysis of sixteenth-century law codifications (statutes) printed in Poland. The author chooses five significant statutes published in Cracow over the century and explores content, layout, woodcuts and lettering of the prints, as well as the use of images and symbols. The main interest is to portray rules and models of typographical design, to describe differences and reccuring patterns, and to unveil relations between political circumstances and iconography. The thesis also raises the question of readability and estethics in book design

Preferowane podejścia do rozwiązywania konfliktów wśród polskich i amerykańskich studentów prawa, w kontekście systemu kształcenia

The purpose of this article is to initially identify conflict resolution strategies among law students of the University of Warsaw, as well as to compare their approach to conflict resolution to similar research done among US law students. In this study Thomas-Kilmann Test was used as a tool for analyzing the preferred conflict resolution approaches. The test was developed in the US but also used in other parts of the world. The results of test among the Polish students obtained during the study were compared with available data of US students. The study was conducted to verify the approach to conflict resolution for those who start legal profession carrier. The researchers were also interested in the question whether the attitude to the conflict changed during the legal education