Political Corruption and Electoral Systems Seen with Economists’ Lenses

The ongoing process of democratisation lead to the growing importance of the electoral systems that regulate the procedures of gaining and legitimizing power in democracy. Taking it into account it is worth asking about the relationship between these particular ‘game rules’ contained into electoral law and the respect of the rule of law, being one of the basic norms of a democratic system. A question then may be raised about the existence and the character of the relation between electoral systems and the level of political corruption. It is worth noticing that besides the research conducted by political scientists and the representatives of various branches of social sciences the significant analysis of the issue have been presented by the economists. In this article a brief overview of the economic studies on the relationship between level of political corruption and the electoral systems is presented so as to assess to what degree this approach may be treated as fruitful

Economics in Times of Crisis. In Search of a New Paradigm

JEL Codes: B41, B50The relationship between the development of economics and economic performance is not reducible to any set of simple rules. Among the historians of economic thought there is even a handful of those who perceive the progress in economics mostly as an outcome of the attempts to solve the problems, inconsistencies and paradoxes within economic theory itself. Seen from this perspective, economic reality has minor (or no) importance. On the other hand, the endeavours to modify a mainstream approach are significantly greater in times of economic downturns. Seeing that economics is in such a state of ‘intellectual ferment’ nowadays, it is worth reconsidering the connection between economics and the economy. Thus the main aim of the paper is to analyse the current state of economic science in relation to the last economic slump. Although it is of course not possible to predict the future trajectories of economic theorising, taking into consideration the nature of the crisis the most feasible and potentially most fruitful areas are indicated

Alfred Marshall’s Puzzles. Between Economics as a Positive Science and Economic Chivalry

Alfred Marshall’s approach to economics hides a paradox. On one hand, the ‘father’ of neoclassical economics strongly favoured conducting economics as a positive science. However, the fact that Marshall was such a consistent and determined advocate of this ideal of economic research is puzzling for at least two reasons. Firstly, even a quick glance at his publications allows to notice that his texts are sated with moral teachings. What is more, in referring to the problems of economic policy he not only took into account ethical aspects, but also frequently gave pre-eminence to ethical arguments over conclusions stemming from research grounded solely on the theory of economics. The paper aims to explain the paradox and argues that the complexity of Marshall’s approach arises from his attempts to combine two approaches pointed by Amartya Sen of binding economics and ethics over the centuries: ‘the ethics-related tradition’ with ‘the engineering approach’

Diversity of transition paths in Central and Eastern Europe in light of contemporary economic theories

Zainicjowany ponad ćwierć wieku temu proces transformacji ustrojowej krajów byłego bloku wschodniego miał charakter bezprecedensowy. Wyjaśnienie jego wymiaru ekonomicznego – możliwych i ostatecznie obieranych dróg przejścia od gospodarki nakazowo-rozdzielczej do gospodarki rynkowej – już przez samą tę bezprecedensowość, ale i niezwykłą złożoność stanowiło i wciąż stanowi wyzwanie dla nauk ekonomicznych. Celem artykułu jest ocena, w jakiej mierze współczesna ekonomia poradziła sobie z tym wyzwaniem i próba uzasadnienia tezy, iż przy objaśnianiu zróżnicowanych trajektorii rozwojowych krajów transformacji i tłumaczeniu przyczyn osiąganych na tym polu sukcesów (lub ich braku) zdecydowanie bardziej adekwatne okazały się koncepcje stworzone przez reprezentantów szkół leżących na obrzeżach lub poza głównym nurtem badań ekonomicznych.The process of systemic transformation in the countries of the former Eastern Bloc, spearheaded about a quarter of a century ago, was unprecedented in the economic history of the world. Its economic dimension – the available, and ultimately chosen, paths of transition from socialism to market economy – has challenged economic sciences. The challenge has been all the greater not only because of the novelty of the phenomenon, but also because of its unusual complexity. 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Whatley (eds.), Stanford University Press, Stanford.Snowdon B., Vane H., Wynarczyk P. 1998 Współczesne nurty teorii makroekonomii, Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, Warszawa.Snowdon B., Vane H. 2005 Modern macroeconomics. Its origins, development and current state, E. Elgar, Cheltenham UK, Northampton MA.Teoria wyboru publicznego. Główne nurty i zastosowania, J. Wilkin (red.), Wydawnictwo Naukowe Scholar, Warszawa.Wilkin J. 1995 Jaki kapitalizm, jaka Polska?, Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, Warszawa.Wilkin J. 2012 Teoria wyboru publicznego – homo oeconomicus w sferze polityki, [w:] Teoria wyboru publicznego. Główne nurty i zastosowania, J. Wilkin (red.), Wydawnictwo Naukowe Scholar, Warszawa.Williamson J. 1990 What Washington Means by Policy Reform, [in:] Latin American Adjustment: How Much Has Happened? , J. 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Wpływ immobilizacji komórek bakteryjnych na biodegradację naproksenu

Praca zawiera artykuły w języku angielskim.More and more researches are reporting the presence of pharmaceuticals, especially non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the natural environment. One of them, naproxen is not fully degraded in the human body. Additionally, wastewater treatment plants are not adapted to its utilization. In recent years, bacterial strains which are characterized by increased naproxen degradation potential have been isolated and described. Therefore, the aim of the doctoral dissertation was to immobilize bacterial strains capable to degrade naproxen. The characteristics of the carrier used and bacterial biofilms formed on its surface were made. The effect of immobilization on the course of drug degradation in monocultural conditions, as well as in the presence of autochthonous microflora of the trickling filter was determined. In addition, changes in the activity of enzymes involved in naproxen degradation as a result of immobilization were investigated. Studies on the effects of immobilization on the biodegradation of naproxen began with the optimization of the immobilization process. However, to correctly assess the physiological state of immobilized bacteria in the biofilm, the method based on the fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis was modified. The modification was to omit the detachment of the biofilm from the carrier and conducting the test on the intact biofilm together with the carrier. The developed procedure assumed shaking of samples in phosphate buffer with a pH in the range of 7.4-7.6 for 1 hour and the result was expressed as total metabolic activity (TEA). The sensitivity assay, during which changes in TEA as a result of starvation were measured, allowed to determine the minimal endogenous metabolism of the Bacillus thuringiensis B1(2015b) which was equal to 161-170 μg/g dry weight per hour. It was also observed that nutrient deficiency induced biofilm formation by B1(2015b) cells on the surface of polyurethane foam. As a result of optimization of the immobilization of the strain Planococcus sp. S5 on Loofah sponge, it was observed that the highest TEA values (1250.26 ± 87.61 μg/g dry weight per hour) were achieved during 72-hour incubation in mineral salt medium (MSM; pH 7.2) additionally supplemented with glucose, NaCl and MnSO₄, shaken at 90 rpm at 30°C and with high cell concentration. Strain Bacillus thuringiensis B1(2015b) immobilized on the Loofah sponge showed the highest TEA values (790.14 ± 40.60 μg/g dry weight per hour) after 48-hour incubation in HTC medium (pH 8), supplemented with glucose and MnSO4, shaken at 110 rpm at 20°C with low cell concentration. Analysis of naproxen degradation by Planococcus sp. S5 strain showed an inhibitory effect at a concentration higher than 12 mg/L on free S5 cells. It was observed that free S5 cells were able to completely degrade the drug in a concentration of 6, 9 and 12 mg/L in 38, 44 and 62 days, respectively. The degradation of the drug proceed in two phases. The first phase, lasting 29 days, was characterized by a slower naproxen degradation rate. During the second phase, drug degradation was twice as fast. Immobilized S5 cells on Loofah sponge were able to completely degrade the drug in all analyzed concentrations, and the degradation rate was constant, independent of the day of incubation and similar to degradation during phase II performed by free cells. Studies on the course of repeated cycles of naproxen degradation at the lowest analyzed concentration showed that as a result of immobilization, Planococcus sp. S5 cells maintained full degradation capacity for 55 days, during which degraded 3 doses of the drug. Additionally, during naproxen degradation, S5 cells secreted significant amounts of exopolysaccharides to increase the protective barrier against naproxen. Studies on the impact of the Planococcus sp. S5 immobilization on the activity of enzymes involved in naproxen degradation have shown that immobilization did not change the degradation pathway. However, significant changes were observed in the values of these activities. It was shown that the enzymatic activity in the first phase of drug degradation by free S5 cells was much lower than in the faster degradation phase. Despite the similar rate of drug degradation by free S5 cells in phase II and by immobilized S5 cells, the activity of the analyzed enzymes of immobilized cells was significantly higher than that of free cells. The naproxen biodegradation by Bacillus thuringiensis B1(2015b) immobilized on the Loofah sponge was monitored in a trickling filter augmented with autochthonous microflora from the Imhoff tank flow chamber in Krupski Młyn – Ziętek. Analysis showed that immobilized B1(2015b) cells degraded 70% of naproxen at a concentration of 1 mg/L in the trickling filter without autochthonous microflora. However, in the presence of indigenous microflora, immobilized B1(2015b) cells at the same time degraded 90% of the drug. Obtained results showed synergistic interactions between the autochthonous microflora of the trickling filter and introduced B1(2015b) cells, which resulted in acceleration of naproxen biodegradation. By analyzing the bacterial V3-V5 regions of the 16S rRNA gene using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), it was confirmed that the introduced Bacillus thuringiensis B1(2015b) was able to survive and multiply in the trickling filter after the process of naproxen degradation. In addition, an analysis of the qualitative changes of bacterial and fungal communities of autochthonous microflora after exposure to naproxen, as well as after the introduction of immobilized B1(2015b) was performed. Naproxen has been shown to cause a significant reduction in bacterial microflora biodiversity. Fungal strains were less sensitive to the drug. However, as a result of the introduction of immobilized B1(2015b) cells, which were able to quickly eliminate the drug, an increase in the biodiversity of bacterial and fungal microflora was observed

Humane Dendritische Zellen: Identifizierung und funktionelle Charakterisierung von neuen Oberflächenantigenen

DC sind APC, deren Hauptfunktion in der Antigenaufnahme und Induktion T-Zell-abhängiger Immunantworten besteht. In den letzten Jahren wurden viele neue Subpopulationen von DC beschrieben, was die hohe Heterogenität dieser Population deutlich macht. Die einzelnen Subpopulationen unterscheiden sich nicht nur in ihrem Phänotyp, sondern auch in ihrer Morphologie, Funktion und Gewebeverteilung. Die charakteristische Funktion einzelner Subpopulationen wird größtenteils durch die Oberflächenrezeptoren bestimmt, über die die Zellen mit ihrer Umgebung in Verbindung stehen. Um die Rolle der DC innerhalb des Immunsystems und die funktionellen Unterschiede zwischen den einzelnen DC-Subpopulationen besser verstehen zu können, ist es daher notwendig, diese Moleküle genau zu erforschen. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde mit Hilfe der kontralateralen Immunisierung eine Reihe von monoklonalen Antikörpern generiert, die drei BDC-spezifische Oberflächenantigene erkennen: BDCA-2, BDCA-3 und BDCA-4. BDCA-3 wird von CD11c+ CD123- myeloiden BDC ausgeprägt und ist identisch mit Thrombomodulin, einem Rezeptor des vaskulären Endothels, der mit Thrombin 1:1 Komplexe bilden kann und somit die Funktion eines natürlichen Antikoagulans besitzt. BDCA-2 und BDCA-4 werden im Gegensatz zu BDCA-3 von CD11c- CD123++ PDC ausgeprägt. Bei BDCA-4 handelt es sich um Neuropilin-1, einen neuronalen Rezeptor, der bei der Ausbildung von Axonen eine wichtige Rolle spielt. Zusätzlich wird Neuropilin-1 neben den PDC auch von endothelialen und Tumor-Zellen als Rezeptor für den vaskulären, endothelialen Wachstumsfaktor-A (VEGF-A) ausgeprägt und spielt eine Schlüsselrolle in der Angiogenese. Weiterhin wird die Ausprägung von BDCA-4 auf CD11c+ BDC, Monozyten und T-Zellen durch Stimulation bzw. in vitro-Kultivierung induziert. Die Funktion von BDCA-3 und BDCA-4 im Fall der BDC ist allerdings noch nicht bekannt. Ausprägungsklonierung von BDCA-2 ergab, dass es sich bei diesem Molekül um ein neues Typ II c-Typ-Lektin handelt, das eine 50,7%-ige Übereinstimmung der AS-Sequenz mit seinem murinen Ortholog, Dectin-2, aufweist. Das Ausprägungsmuster von BDCA-2 ist in allen bisher untersuchten Geweben ausschließlich auf die CD11c- CD123++ PDC beschränkt. Die Tatsache, dass anti-BDCA-2 mAk nach ihrer Bindung an BDCA-2 sofort internalisiert, prozessiert und über MHC Klasse II-Moleküle präsentiert werden, deutet daraufhin, dass BDCA-2 bei der Antigenaufnahme und -präsentation eine Rolle spielen könnte. Weiterhin induziert die Ligation von BDCA-2 mit dem spezifischen mAk AC144 eine nahezu vollständige Inhibition der Sekretion von IFN-a/b. Da IFN-a/b die Produktion von IL-12 inhibiert, verstärkt die Ligation von BDCA-2 gleichzeitig die CD40L-abhängige IL-12-Sekretion bei PDC. Aus diesem Grund wird durch die Ligation von BDCA-2 weniger die Polarisation der PDC-induzierten T-Zell-Antwort beeinflusst, sondern vielmehr ein Wechsel von IFN-a/b-kontrollierten zu IL-12-kontrollierten Immunität induziert. Da IFN-a/b und IL-12 sehr vielfältige und zum Teil ähnliche Funktionen ausüben, sind die in vivo-Folgen einer BDCA-2-Ligation nur sehr schwierig vorherzusagen. Gleichwohl macht die Tatsache, dass IFN-a/b eine wichtige Rolle bei einer Reihe von autoimmunologischen Erkrankungen spielt, BDCA-2 sehr interessant als Ziel zukünftiger Therapien

Enhanced Degradation of Naproxen by Immobilization of Bacillus thuringiensis B1(2015b) on Loofah Sponge

The naproxen-degrading bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis B1(2015b) was immobilised onto loofah sponge and introduced into lab-scale trickling filters. The trickling filters constructed for this study additionally contained stabilised microflora from a functioning wastewater treatment plant to assess the behavior of introduced immobilized biocatalyst in a fully functioning bioremediation system. The immobilised cells degraded naproxen (1 mg/L) faster in the presence of autochthonous microflora than in a monoculture trickling filter. There was also abundant colonization of the loofah sponges by the microorganisms from the system. Analysis of the influence of an acute, short-term naproxen exposure on the indigenous community revealed a significant drop in its diversity and qualitative composition. Bioaugmentation was also not neutral to the microflora. Introducing a new microorganism and increasing the removal of the pollutant caused changes in the microbial community structure and species composition. The incorporation of the immobilised B1(2015b) was successful and the introduced strain colonized the basic carrier in the trickling filter after the complete biodegradation of the naproxen. As a result, the bioremediation system could potentially be used to biodegrade naproxen in the future

The early stages in the evolution of Economic Man. Millian and marginal approaches

The homo economicus (Economic Man) concept is one of the best-known components of economic theorising frequently recognised as a part of the “hard core” of the mainstream 20th-century economics. This model gained such a high status in times of the marginal revolution, although it was coined in the 1830s by the classical economist John S. Mill. Nowadays, homo economicus is commonly perceived as a model of rational economic agent maximising utility or preferences. The article aims to show that both the Millian approach and the marginal approach were more complex than the contemporary incarnation of Economic Man. One of the key differences between the early stages in the evolution of homo oeconomicus and the modern version of it refers to the notion of rationality. Whereas it is the constitutive element of the 20th-century homo oeconomicus, the requirement of full rationality was never explicitly articulated by Mill and marginal economists. Therefore, at the early stages of its evolution, the homo economicus model would have been much more resistant to the objections formulated against it by the 20th-century critics.Publication of English-language versions of the volumes of the "Annales. Ethics in Economic Life" financed through contract no. 501/1/P-DUN/2017 from the funds of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education devoted to the promotion of scholarship

Fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis using the whole biofilm as a sensitive tool to evaluate the physiological state of immobilized bacterial cells

Due to the increasing interest and the use of immobilized biocatalysts in bioremediation studies, there is a need for the development of an assay for quick and reliable measurements of their overall enzymatic activity. Fluorescein diacetate (FDA) hydrolysis is a widely used assay for measuring total enzymatic activity (TEA) in various environmental samples or in monoculture researches. However, standard FDA assays for TEA measurements in immobilized samples include performing an assay on cells detached from the carrier. This causes an error, because it is not possible to release all cells from the carrier without affecting their metabolic activity. In this study, we developed and optimized a procedure for TEA quantification in the whole biofilm formed on the carrier without disturbing it. The optimized method involves pre-incubation of immobilized carrier in phosphate buffer (pH 7.6) on the orbital shaker for 15 min, slow injection of FDA directly into the middle of the immobilized carrier, and incubation on the orbital shaker (130 rpm, 30◦C) for 1 h. Biofilm dry mass was obtained by comparing the dried weight of the immobilized carrier with that of the unimmobilized carrier. The improved protocol provides a simple, quick, and more reliable quantification of TEA during the development of immobilized biocatalysts compared to the original method

Economics in times of crisis. In search of a new paradigm in economic sciences

The relationship between the development of economics and economic performance is not reducible to any set of simple rules. Among the historians of economic thought there is even a handful of those who perceive the progress in economics mostly as an outcome of the attempts to solve the problems, inconsistencies and paradoxes within economic theory itself. Seen from this perspective, economic reality has minor (or no) importance. On the other hand, the endeavours to modify a mainstream approach are significantly greater in times of economic downturns. Seeing that economics is in such a state of ‘intellectual ferment’ nowadays, it is worth reconsidering the connection between economics and the economy. Thus the main aim of the paper is to analyse the current state of economic science in relation to the last economic slump. Although it is of course not possible to predict the future trajectories of economic theorising, taking into consideration the nature of the crisis the most feasible and potentially most fruitful areas are indicate