Setting up proinnovative networks in Silesia

Silesia is the most industrialized region of Poland recently under huge reindustrialization in an effort to change its heavy industrial pattern into more diversified and innovative one. The reindustrialization processes is additionally complicated by the transformation of Polish economy from central planned to marked oriented. Proinnovative networks, in which under more or less formally conditions cooperate industrial/service companies, research/educational institutions, regional/central governments, professional bodies and even private persons, are put forward as a possible way to solve the reindustrialization problems. Their importance is emphasized in the Regional Development Strategy for Silesia, 2000-2015. The aim of present paper is to study factors and phenomena, which facilitate cooperation of partners within proinnovative networks, as well as describe problems, which are, faced both when setting up such a network and in its day by day business. Special attention is paid to so-called soft factors, the social capital of partners cooperating in the network. We introduce certain measures of social capital and demonstrate their usefulness. In second part of the paper we present a number of case studies of Silesia proinnovative networks. For each network we describe its objective, short history with results achieved so far, and future plans. We pay special attention to these networks, which are considered, at least in part, as the results of projects under the Framework Programmes of European Union.

Phylogeny as a proxy for ecology in seagrass amphipods: which traits are most conserved?

Increasingly, studies of community assembly and ecosystem function combine trait data and phylogenetic relationships to gain novel insight into the ecological and evolutionary constraints on community dynamics. However, the key to interpreting these two types of information is an understanding of the extent to which traits are phylogenetically conserved. In this study, we develop the necessary framework for community phylogenetics approaches in a system of marine crustacean herbivores that play an important role in the ecosystem functioning of seagrass systems worldwide. For 16 species of amphipods and isopods, we (1) reconstructed phylogenetic relationships using COI, 16S, and 18S sequences and Bayesian analyses, (2) measured traits that are potentially important for assembling species between and within habitats, and (3) compared the degree to which each of these traits are evolutionarily conserved. Despite poor phylogenetic resolution for the order Amphipoda as a whole, we resolved almost all of the topology for the species in our system, and used a sampling of ultrametric trees from the posterior distribution to account for remaining uncertainty in topology and branch lengths. We found that traits varied widely in their degree of phylogenetic signal. Body mass, fecundity, and tube building showed very strong phylogenetic signal, and temperature tolerance and feeding traits showed much less. As such, the degree of signal was not predictable based on whether the trait is related to environmental filtering or to resource partitioning. Further, we found that even with strong phylogenetic signal in body size, (which may have large impacts on ecosystem function), the predictive relationship between phylogenetic diversity and ecosystem function is not straightforward. We show that patterns of phylogenetic diversity in communities of seagrass mesograzers could lead to a variety of interpretations and predictions, and that detailed study of trait similarities and differences will be necessary to interpret these patterns

Social capital as critical success factor for innovation development processes in industrialised regions, case study RIS-Silesia in the Silesia Voivodship (Poland)

Pace and success of transformation of traditional national economies into competitive network-based economies in a global environment in such countries like Poland - countries currently facing intensive economic reconversion - is mainly depending on the role and capacities of regional economic centres in initiating and developing pro-innovative processes. These economic centres, among which the Slaskie Voivodeship, are often characterised by long tradition in heavy, labour- and raw materials intensive industries such as the mining, metallurgic and chemical sector. The Slaskie Voivodeship is placed among the leading regions of Poland as for its social and economic potential. It is characterised by a high number of inhabitants (4.8m. people) living on a relatively small area (3.9% of Poland), resulting in a high population density (3.2 times more than the country’s average). In 2000, the Slaskie Voivodeship was placed second in Poland (behind the Mazowieckie Voivodeship) as concerns its economic potential measured in Gross Domestic Product . The Slaskie Voivodeship is currently playing a pilot role in Poland in developing networks and systems around a regional innovation strategy. More than 150 organisations (R&D institutes, institutes of higher education, SMEs, large companies, local governments, NGO’s) are involved in this process. The paper will – based on the case study of the Slaskie Voivodeship - include problem areas and solutions concerning development of pro-innovative co-operation networks and will discuss the issue of trust between organisations as critical factor in innovation strategy building and implementation processes. The document will also present a methodology related to intellectual capital, among which social capital, as key-condition in the above-mentioned process.

Organization and provision of municipal services in small towns on the example of the municipalities of Łódź Province

The organization of municipal services, including the choice of the way they are provided, is the responsibility of municipalities. This article presents the organization and the provision of municipal services in five small towns: Brzeziny, Głowno, Konstantynów Łódzki, Łęczyca and Rawa Mazowiecka. The data show that water supply, sewerage, purification, maintenance of greenery and municipal waste management are standard services, although differences occur in both the levels of the dissemination of services and in the density of the transmission networks.Organizacja usług komunalnych należy do zadań własnych gminy. W artykule przedstawiono zakres oraz sposób organizacji i świadczenia usług komunalnych, a także porównano taryfy opłat i cen oraz dochody i wydatki budżetowe, związane z sektorem usług komunalnych, w pięciu małych miastach województwa łódzkiego. Z danych wynika m.in., że usługi wodno-kanalizacyjne, oczyszczania miasta, utrzymania zieleni oraz odbiór i zagospodarowanie odpadów komunalnych są w tych miastach standardem, choć wyraźne różnice występują w gęstości sieci przesyłowych oraz w poziomach upowszechnienia usług

Background Paper for Seminar on Organizational and Management Problems Arising from Technological Changes - Coal: Issues for the Eighties

The Core Task of the Management and Technology Area included a subtask devoted to industry studies entitled "Issues for the Eighties"; the first to be studied was coal. Although this study is to terminate at the end of 1981 it is hoped that IIASA will continue to lend its name and support for holding a seminar each year on the problems of world coal prospects. At previous IIASA seminars on coal mining problems it was unanimously requested that such meetings should be continued. In this respect the Institute for Organizational and Management Problems of the Polish Academy of Sciences and the Computer Center for the Polish Mining Industry agreed to sponsor the next seminar which will be held in Kokotek (near Katowice) Poland, in October 1981. This seminar will be devoted to current developments in the systems assessment of the technological changes in coal mining and data-processing at a colliery, Special attention would be paid to the influences of advanced new mining and information technology on the organizational, managerial, and social subsystems. This paper outlines some issues which, it is hoped, will provoke discussion, Any comments by the participants or those who are interested in the subjects of the seminar would be of great interest to the organizers in helping them prepare a comprehensive program which will be of interest to those attending

Intelligent fuzzy controller for event-driven real time systems

Most of the known linguistic models are essentially static, that is, time is not a parameter in describing the behavior of the object's model. In this paper we show a model for synchronous finite state machines based on fuzzy logic. Such finite state machines can be used to build both event-driven, time-varying, rule-based systems and the control unit section of a fuzzy logic computer. The architecture of a pipelined intelligent fuzzy controller is presented, and the linguistic model is represented by an overall fuzzy relation stored in a single rule memory. A VLSI integrated circuit implementation of the fuzzy controller is suggested. At a clock rate of 30 MHz, the controller can perform 3 MFLIPS on multi-dimensional fuzzy data

Social-cultural aspects of the functioning of an institutional network, which is the base for the regional pro-innovating strategy implementation

A technology transfer is a key to an efficient innovating strategy implementation process. The institutional network should support this process. The aim of the paper is to point out the 'soft' circumstances which appear when institutions start to co-operate in such network. Furthermore some directions will be given how to face with negative circumstances. In the first part of the paper the social cultural aspects of cooperation between institutions within the network will be presented. The analyse will be mainly focused on processes of autonomisation and enclosing on an external cooperation in these institutions. The second part of the paper is a case study. A creation process of technological parks at the Silesian region will be analysed. Using this example the methods of dealing with difficulties which are discussed will be demonstrated.

Teaching for social justice: Challenging stereotypes and prejudice

In this action research study, I worked with a class of twenty-five students as a teacher-researcher to describe and document how the students’ thoughts and learning changed over the course of an eleven-week Society and Environment program I developed entitled “Australian Immigration”. Specifically, this study draws on student work samples and my own reflective journal writings to document if and how changes took place in their understanding of prejudice and stereotypes. This study was situated in a mono-cultural community and took place at a small independent College in Australia. The program was specifically designed to challenge the current held stereotypes and prejudices’ that many students carry with them towards minority groups in Australian society. The results of this study demonstrate that when students are challenged to question their own values and beliefs in context to the community in which they live, that changes can take place in their learning. It was a challenge as a teacher-researcher to engage students in a meaningful curriculum that asks them to use their lived experiences as the basis for learning. As such, this study also documents the ‘struggles’ I faced as a practitioner in the twenty first century engaging students in a democratic curriculum that asked them to pose problems, collaborate and use critical thinking to connect with ‘big picture’ ideas related to social justice. The data that was collected suggests, that as both teacher and researcher trying to implement and engage students in a democratic curriculum is hard. The students carried with them misconceptions about Australia’s past and as a result had formed prejudice and stereotypes towards minority groups. The data also revealed that the community in which the students lived contributed towards the historical understanding they had. This understanding was one sided and biased. Although I struggled to connect with some students, who opted to take a more independent route to completing their work, I did have six students who successfully followed through with their group work and documentary tasks. Of the six that finished the assessment, they all made ‘big picture’ connections. Of the nineteen that opted to ‘go it alone’ there were only a few who were able to ‘connect’ with the ideas. The six students who worked in groups and the three independent students were my ‘glimmers of hope’. The work they produced demonstrated how students’ thoughts and learning changed over the duration of the eleven-week Society and Environment Program. This study concludes that teacher designed curriculum based on the values of social justice, critical inquiry and social action is far more desirable and effective than teaching to the test to bring about social change

Melungeon Portraits: Lived Experience and Identity

The desire to claim an ethnicity may be in response to an institutional and systemic political movement towards multiculturalism where ethnic difference is something to be recognized and celebrated (Jimenez, 2010; Tatum, 1997). Those who were a member of a dominant or advantaged group took that element of their identity for granted (Tatum, 1997). Identity work has included reflections and congruence between how individuals see themselves and how they perceive others to see them, including Optimal Distinctiveness Theory where one determines the optimal amount of individual distinctiveness needed to feel a healthy group and personal identity (Brewer, 2012). When most of the people one is surrounded by can verify and support an accepted identity construction, the process is less complicated, and attention is not drawn to the differences because there are very few, if any. As the dominant culture becomes increasingly bombarded with the celebratory aspects of an ethnic identity, it is likely that one will begin searching for one\u27s own (Jimenez, 2010; Tatum, 1997). This study will present portraits of individuals who are considering an ethnic identity as they are searching for belonging and inclusion from the group with which they desire to identify. In short, through the use of portraiture, I intend to privilege the voices and experiences of several co-researchers as they describe their lives, explain whether or not they have accepted or rejected a Melungeon identity, how they came to that decision, and what it means in their lived experience. This dissertation is accompanied by the author\u27s MP4 video introduction, as well as 15 MP4 videos of the coresearchers who participated in this study (see the List of Supplemental Media Files). The electronic version of this Dissertation is at OhioLink ETD Center, www.ohiolink.edu/etd.

Melungeon Portraits: Lived Experience and Identity

The desire to claim an ethnicity may be in response to an institutional and systemic political movement towards multiculturalism where ethnic difference is something to be recognized and celebrated (Jimenez, 2010; Tatum, 1997). Those who were a member of a dominant or advantaged group took that element of their identity for granted (Tatum, 1997). Identity work has included reflections and congruence between how individuals see themselves and how they perceive others to see them, including Optimal Distinctiveness Theory where one determines the optimal amount of individual distinctiveness needed to feel a healthy group and personal identity (Brewer, 2012). When most of the people one is surrounded by can verify and support an accepted identity construction, the process is less complicated, and attention is not drawn to the differences because there are very few, if any. As the dominant culture becomes increasingly bombarded with the celebratory aspects of an ethnic identity, it is likely that one will begin searching for one\u27s own (Jimenez, 2010; Tatum, 1997). This study will present portraits of individuals who are considering an ethnic identity as they are searching for belonging and inclusion from the group with which they desire to identify. In short, through the use of portraiture, I intend to privilege the voices and experiences of several co-researchers as they describe their lives, explain whether or not they have accepted or rejected a Melungeon identity, how they came to that decision, and what it means in their lived experience. This dissertation is accompanied by the author\u27s MP4 video introduction, as well as 15 MP4 videos of the coresearchers who participated in this study (see the List of Supplemental Media Files). The electronic version of this Dissertation is at OhioLink ETD Center, www.ohiolink.edu/etd.