School Risk Factors in Developing a Sense of Competence by Polish Pupils: Their Fourth and Fifth Year of Learning at Primary School – Longitudinal Studies

The article presents the results of a qualitative and quantitative analysis of school pupil responses to open-ended questions concerning their desired changes during lessons. The studies were carried out in Poland, in primary schools, at the beginning and end of the fourth year of learning and at the end of the fifth year of learning (the mean age of respondents participating in the measurement was 9 years and 7 months). They included a diagnosis of the conditions and effects of psychosocial development. Every respondent was characterised  based on a diagnosis on a scale called the Indeks Ryzyka [Risk Index] built on the results from nine variables describing the conditions of psychosocial development in a school class and such effects of psychosocial development as: a sense of helplessness and stereotype threat of low abilities in Polish language and maths lessons, as well as the explanatory style assumed by pupils to explain their own successes and failures in learning. A risk category for the improper execution of a developmental task was identified for each variable – instead of the development of a sense of competence there was a dominance of feelings of inferiority and the Risk Index (RI) scale was construed on this basis. An analysis of the reactions of pupils to the possibility of suggesting changes in the hitherto work of teachers during lessons indicates that only towards the end of the fifth year of learning did the position on the RI scale statistically significantly differentiate the frequency of acceptance of the status quo reported by the respondents, the need for change, or not taking up the chance to express one’s views on the topic. The qualitative analysis of the content of the respondent statements led to the identification of two main categories: (1) Needs relating to the everyday relationships between teachers and pupils, and (2) Needs associated with the teaching process. In the first pupil statement category, they usually expressed the desire for teachers to stop raising their voice or shouting during lessons, in the second, they concerned ensuring peace and quiet during lessons and slowing down the pace of work. A list of the topics mentioned by the pupils forms a list of the most pressing changes—from the pupils’ perspective—in the work of teachers during lessons

Method of testing the readiness of means of transport with the use of semi-Markov processes

In the analysis of the readiness of means of transport, the Markov and semi-Markov processes are particularly applicable, allowing for the description of the usage process over long periods of time, determination of indicators of the exploitability and readiness of the used set of objects, as well as simulation of long-term forecasts of the usage process results. The studies presented in the literature usually concern the theoretical side of the matter, mainly the construction of formal models of the process of changing the operating states of a vehicle. Less attention is paid to the empirical side, especially with regard to the actual conditions of use. Examples of experimental observations presented in the literature most often concern individual cases. This paper lists selected irregularities and presents an example of a study of a real transport system based on semi-Markov processes

Application of ARIMA models for the analysis of utilization process of military technical objects.

AbstractThe newest solutions in Polish Armed Forces are implemented gradually and focus mainly on soldiers combat readiness. Many concurrent processes occur, which proper analysis and interpretation could constitute command process and task realization support, however poor and standing (paper) record seems to be an obstacle in their modeling. Therefore the author of the article tried to depict the process of military technical objects exploitation based on archived data according to present methods of documents preparation, circuit and record, applicable in Polish Armed Forces. Based on that, the method of aircraft ships from military air base readiness research, powered by ARIMA model was proposed. Using empirical data of two years of exploitation, the identification of researched time series, and then a few models estimation was made. Finally, the best model was chosen and verified.

Maintaining technical readiness in the context of military exploitation systems

Readiness and reliability is a special attribute of rescue systems (army, police, fire service), where performance at the highest level is more important than economic efficiency. For this reason, special attention is given to the process of renewal of technical objects. In such systems, a preventive strategy is most often used. Though this is a safe model, it does not always take into account the specifics of the use of a technical object. Moreover, in some situations, it forces the end of life of a device that could still continue to operate as intended. The article analyzes precisely such technical objects, removed from operation after just 10 years of use. It was shown that such approach is not justified and that modern management strategies must be implemented also in relation to machinery and equipment operating in rescue systems. The most important achievements of the article are the use of reliability analysis methods in the systems where it is not common, and the indication of the benefits of such analysis. It has been shown that knowing the characteristics of reliability, you can consciously control each process and make decisions in this regard based on the technical condition of the facility and not on instructions. In the case under study, this would make it possible to undermine the decision to withdraw the analyzed objects from operation

Mathematical modelling as an element of planning rail transport strategies

Effective planning and optimization of rail transport operations depends on effective and reliable forecasting of demand. The results of transport performance forecasts usually differ from measured values because the mathematical models used are inadequate. In response to this applicative need, we report the results of a study whose goal was to develop, on the basis of historical data, an effective mathematical model of rail passenger transport performance that would allow to make reliable forecasts of future demand for this service. Several models dedicated to this type of empirical data were proposed and selection criteria were established. The models used in the study are: the seasonal naive model, the Exponential Smoothing (ETS) model, the exponential smoothing state space model with Box–Cox transformation, ARMA errors, trigonometric trend and seasonal components (TBATS) model, and the AutoRegressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) model. The proposed time series identification and forecasting methods are dedicated to the processing of time series data with trend and seasonality. Then, the best model was identified and its accuracy and effectiveness were assessed. It was noticed that investigated time series is characterized by strong seasonality and an upward trend. This information is important for planning a development strategy for rail passenger transport, because it shows that additional investments and engagement in the development of both transport infrastructure and superstructure are required to meet the existing demand. Finally, a forecast of transport performance in sequential periods of time was presented. Such forecast may significantly improve the system of scheduling train journeys and determining the level of demand for rolling stock depending on the season and the annual rise in passenger numbers, increasing the effectiveness of management of rail transport

The role of Polish armed forces in the fight against epidemiological threats (SARS-Cov-2)

First, the authors will refer to the general tasks that the armed forces are faced with in connection with the epidemiological threat. Then, the tasks and areas of Polish soldiers' involvement during the fight against the pandemic will be presented. Further, the impact of the existing threat on the functioning of the armed forces will be analyzed. Finally, based on the analyses carried out, conclusions will be drawn to boost the readiness for epidemiological threats, allowing the appropriate state security level to be achieved more effectively. The appearance of SARS-Cov-2 coronavirus, causing the COVID-19 disease in Poland, was a new and unprecedented threat posing an enormous challenge to the state security management system. Therefore, the armed forces have been involved in the fight to stop the pandemic quickly and efficiently. Primarily, the services of territorial defense forces, operational forces, and cadets were relied upon. Soldiers support the health service, carry out preventive measures, and monitor and control national borders. They participate in mitigating the effects of the crisis and in strengthening the resilience of local communities. They support the activities of local government and sanitary institutions. The evolving pandemic has become a test of military units' effectiveness and readiness taking part in the fight. military units' effectiveness and readiness taking part in the fight. This allows us to draw conclusions that are significant for the armed forces' on-going operations and define future directions concerning modernization and development.peer-reviewe

Food safety delivered for Polish military cadets during the COVID-19 pandemic

PURPOSE: Nutrition of cadets during the period of biological threat caused by SARS-CoV-2 is an important element shaping their combat readiness, however, scientific research in this area is scarce. The need to analyse this specific group has become the genesis of this article. The main purpose of the study was to verify the significance of the effect of selected factors on the assessment of the quality and quantity of meals provided to soldiers.DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: Due to the qualitative and multi-level form of the dependent variable, multinomial logistic regression was used, which allowed the evaluation of the effect of all selected predictors on the results.FINDINGS: Research involved students of 4 years of study. The article presents a discussion of the study group and the effect of selected factors on the opinions about meals received during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. An interesting question was the assessment of whether and how a surveyed cadet’s year of study, BMI and gender affected their decisions regarding the qualitative and quantitative assessment of food consumed during this period.PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The analysis showed that there are factors related to the characteristics of the respondents which significantly affect their assessment of nutrition, and thus it is important to select the right study sample. The answers obtained in the survey differed depending on the respondent’s gender, BMI level or year of study. The results of the study provide a basis for further research aimed at optimizing nutrition for students of military universities.ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The results of the study showed that there are factors related to the characteristics of the respondents, such as gender, year of study or the BMI, which significantly affect their final value. The ratings given by women were definitely higher than those of men. Perhaps this was due to a greater tendency to show empathy and appreciate the effort associated with preparing meals.peer-reviewe

Application of the digital twin concept in assessing the readiness of production systems

PURPOSE: This paper is devoted to evaluating the efficiency of production systems using classification methods. These methods are not popular in application to manufacturing companies, therefore the possibility of their use in the process of system improvement and enhancement of business models is presented.DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The article uses classification methods, emphasizing their practical significance in assessing the performance of production processes. They allow the construction of a model for classifying new objects based on the relationships found in the collected empirical observations. Such data mining methods may find application primarily in non-computerized systems with limited information processing capabilities.FINDINGS: The result of the publication is the presentation of a comprehensive method for assessing the efficiency of the production system. As a result, this solution will allow for more effective planning of processes and tasks, their ongoing correction, adequate to the available human, material and equipment resources, and reducing the risk of the system not being ready to perform the activities for which it is intended.PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The presented method is primarily used to assess the impact of selected factors on the efficiency of production processes as well as to support decisions in the area of production planning.ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The presented model is built on the basis of archival data, but allows the transfer of the solution to cloud computing and obtaining readings in real time (online), which will allow for ongoing assessment and support of the operation of the investigated system in terms of monitoring and ongoing analysis of the implemented processes in real time, but also through the creation of simulation scenarios, considering decision-making options.peer-reviewe

MORPHOLOGICAL, PHENOLOGICAL AND AGRONOMICAL CHARACTERISATION OF VARIABILITY AMONG COMMON BEAN (PHASEOLUS VULGARIS L.) LOCAL POPULATIONS FROM THE NATIONAL CENTRE FOR PLANT GENETIC RESOURCES: POLISH GENEBANK

ABSTRACT The main purpose of this work was to analyse the morphological, phenological and agronomical variability among common bean local populations from The National Centre for Plant Genetic Resources, Polish Genebank, in order to know the relation among them, and to identify potentially useful accessions for future production and breeding. A considerable genotypic variation for number of seeds per plant, number of pods per plant and weight of seeds per plant were found. Studied bean accessions differed significantly in terms of thousand seeds weight (TSW) as well as severity of bacterial halo blight and anthracnose, the major bean diseases. The lowest genotypic diversity was found for the percentage of protein in the seeds, the length of the vegetation period and lodging. The cluster analysis allowed identification of five groups of bean accessions. Genotypes from the first cluster KOS 002 and Raba cv.) and from the second cluster (WUKR 06-573a, KRA 4, WUKR 06-0534 together with Prosna cv.) are of the highest usefulness for breeding purposes. There was no grouping of local populations depending on region of origin

Kwasy Omega-3 w profilaktyce zwyrodnienia plamki związanego z wiekiem

Zwyrodnienie plamki związane z wiekiem (AMD) jest wiodącą przyczyną utraty widzenia, a możliwości leczenia tego schorzenia są nadal ograniczone. Plamka jest obszarem położonym w centrum siatkówki i odpowiedzialnym za widzenie precyzyjne. Zwyrodnienie plamki związane z wiekiem obejmuje zmiany degeneracyjne w obszarze plamki, takie jak druzy, zaburzenia nabłonka barwnikowego siatkówki oraz obecność neowaskularyzacji podsiatkówkowej. Identyfikacja modyfikowalnych czynników ryzyka wystąpienia AMD może mieć wpływ na poprawę profilaktyki i leczenia tego schorzenia. Jest prawdopodobne, że dieta tłuszczowa ma związek z ryzykiem wystąpienia AMD. Wielonienasycone kwasy tłuszczowe z grupy Omega-3, a zwłaszcza kwas dokozaheksaenowy, są obecne w siatkówce i odgrywają ważną rolę w prawidłowym jej funkcjonowaniu. Im większe spożycie kwasów Omega-3 i ryb, przy obniżonej podaży w diecie kwasu linolenowego, tym większy spadek ryzyka wystąpienia AMD i progresji schorzenia do postaci wysiękowej