History of Poland during the Middle Ages

The present book “Poland – History, Culture and Society. Selected Readings” is the third edition of a collection of academic texts written with the intention to accompany the module by providing incoming students with teaching materials that will assist them in their studies of the course module and encourage further search for relevant information and data. The papers collected in the book have been authored by academic teachers from the University of Łódź, specialists in such fields as history, geography, literature, sociology, ethnology, cultural studies, and political science. Each author presents one chapter related to a topic included in the module or extending its contents. The book contains the extensive bibliography

DRAMATURGICALLY NONDESCRIPT SPECTACLES, OR CONSIDERATIONS ON THE HAPPINESS

[The aim of the paper is to consider the concept of the happiness. The text refers to several literary examples of the happiness and characterizes “the spectacles of the happiness”. It shows (in the context of Blanchot’s words) manifold destructive practices associated with the happiness with reference to everyday life. The paper compares the life to the structure of the spectacle and analyses “the spectacles of the happiness” in the context of Goffman’s theory (scene and wings, shown and hidden activities). The article expresses criticism of the vision of life based on the spectacular happiness.

Policy towards renewable energy sources in Poland and Japan – comparative analysis

In the era of globalization and increasing consumer awareness about caring for the environment, an important factor is the implementation of environmentally friendly and sustainable installations, in order to reduce the negative impact of human activity on the environment. The turning point of this concern for “clean planet” is the use of renewable energy sources and increase their share of total electricity consumption. The aim of this article is a comparative analysis of conditions for the development of renewable energy in Poland and Japan.W dobie globalizacji i coraz większej świadomości konsumentów dotyczącej troski o środowisko naturalne ważnym czynnikiem jest wdrażanie proekologicznych i zrównoważonych instalacji w celu ograniczenia negatywnego wpływu działalność ludzkiej na środowisko. Punktem zwrotnym troski o „czystą planetę” jest wykorzystywanie odnawialnych źródeł energii i zwiększenie ich udziału w całkowitym zużyciu energii elektrycznej. Celem artykułu jest analiza porównawcza uwarunkowań rozwoju energetyki odnawialnej w Polsce i Japonii. Pomimo deklarowanego zainteresowania energią odnawialną, w obu krajach praktyczne jej wykorzystanie pozostaje poniżej możliwości

I Polacchi in Sicilia nel periodo del regime comunista – ricordi, ‘reportages’ e relazioni di viaggi

The article is focused on accounts of journeys in Sicily performed by Polish columnists and historians in the period of 1949-1989. In other words it embraces almost half century of history of Poland that went through one of the most difficult moments in its days. Lack of freedom of expression, lack of freedom of movement throughout Europe resulted in a situation that only few could travel by establishing positive relationships with the communist authorities. Descriptions of Sicily from that period published by both writers (Marian Brandys, Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz) and historians (Joanna Olkiewicz), as well as publicists (Waldemar Łysiak, Marian Kałuża) present the island in a biased and shallow way. Beside Iwaszkiewicz book, which at times evokes Krasiński journals, we can deal with accounts focused on widely criticized political and economic situation. Thanks to those descriptions Polish readers, during the regime, could have consolidated their belief as to the poor life conditions in the West (particularly in Sicily). What is more there would be nothing to regret if they weren’t able to reach those destinations. It constitutes a radical difference with the way of depicting Sicily in XVIII and XIX century by Polish travelers. Then the island was presented in poetic and colorful way, and the descriptions were really encouraging to travel.The article is focused on accounts of journeys in Sicily performed by Polish columnists and historians in the period of 1949-1989. In other words it embraces almost half century of history of Poland that went through one of the most difficult moments in its days. Lack of freedom of expression, lack of freedom of movement throughout Europe resulted in a situation that only few could travel by establishing positive relationships with the communist authorities. Descriptions of Sicily from that period published by both writers (Marian Brandys, Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz) and historians (Joanna Olkiewicz), as well as publicists (Waldemar Łysiak, Marian Kałuża) present the island in a biased and shallow way. Beside Iwaszkiewicz book, which at times evokes Krasiński journals, we can deal with accounts focused on widely criticized political and economic situation. Thanks to those descriptions Polish readers, during the regime, could have consolidated their belief as to the poor life conditions in the West (particularly in Sicily). What is more there would be nothing to regret if they weren’t able to reach those destinations. It constitutes a radical difference with the way of depicting Sicily in XVIII and XIX century by Polish travelers. Then the island was presented in poetic and colorful way, and the descriptions were really encouraging to travel

Advances in Deep Learning Algorithms for Agricultural Monitoring and Management

This study examines the transformative role of deep learning algorithms in agricultural monitoring and management. Deep learning has shown remarkable progress in predicting crop yields based on historical weather, soil, and crop data, thereby enabling optimized planting and harvesting strategies. In disease and pest detection, image recognition technologies such as Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) can analyze high-resolution images of crops to identify early signs of diseases or pest infestations, allowing for swift and effective interventions. In the context of precision agriculture, these advanced techniques offer resource efficiency by enabling targeted treatments within specific field areas, significantly reducing waste. The paper also sheds light on the application of deep learning in analyzing vast amounts of remote sensing and satellite imagery data, aiding in real-time monitoring of crop growth, soil moisture, and other critical environmental factors. In the face of climate change, advanced algorithms provide valuable insights into its potential impact on agriculture, thereby aiding the formulation of effective adaptation strategies. Automated harvesting and sorting, facilitated by robotics powered by deep learning, are also investigated, as they promise increased efficiency and reduced labor costs. Moreover, machine learning models have shown potential in optimizing the entire agricultural supply chain, ensuring minimal waste and optimum product quality. Lastly, the study highlights the power of deep learning in integrating multi-source data, from weather stations to satellites, to form comprehensive monitoring systems that allow real-time decision-making

The 2015 emergency care reform in Poland: some improvements, some unmet demands and some looming conflicts

Between 2006 and 2015, the Act on the State Emergency Medical System was the key act governing the organization, financing and provision of emergency care in Poland. From the moment it entered into force, it had been heavily criticized. The critique focused, among others, on the lack of provisions allowing for emergency medical services (EMS) to be performed outside the EMS units, the lack of a separate Act regulating the profession of a medical rescuer and the lack of a separate professional organization representing medical rescuers. As early as 2008 a team of specialists was set up to work on amending the Act and these works resulted in the draft Act on the State Emergency Medical System that was submitted to public consultations on 19 August, 2014. This draft was further reworked in 2015 and was signed by the President on 25 September of the same year. The Act addressed some of the shortcomings of the EMS legislation that was previously in place. However, the new Act did not meet the key demands of medical rescuers; namely, it did not introduce a separate legal act regulating this profession nor established a professional organisation representing their interests. An analysis of the vested interests of various groups of medical professionals indicates that these interests are likely to have influenced the final legislative outcome. The Act, as well as its implementing executive regulation from April 2016, may reduce support of certain medical professional groups during the Act’s implementation as well as create tensions between these groups, especially between medical rescuers and nurses