Level In Poland Research Articles

A Window Into the European City: Exploring Socioeconomic Residential Segregation in Urban Poland

AbstractIn this paper, we build on a long research effort aimed at identifying the specific conditions, functional and structural characteristics of urban areas, that produce different levels of residential segregation across cities. We explore segregation levels in Poland's 87 largest cities, cities with more than 50,000 residents, by measuring indices of dissimilarity relating to socio‐professional status. We then proceed by examining core structural determinants of the revealed segregation levels, including city size, and housing market characteristics. The results suggests that the structural characteristics of urban regions are indeed significant predictors of the level of socio‐spatial disparities in urban Poland. As expected, larger cities are more segregated than the smaller ones; higher shares of public housing also appear to contribute to more pronounced socioeconomic spatial divisions. Intriguingly, the share of new housing stock alone is not related to strong residential segregation.

Budgetary Provision of Sustainable Development of Spatial Formations in the Conditions of European Integration: the Experience of Poland for Ukraine

The study of the article is devoted to the theoretical analysis of the experience of the countries of the world in terms of effective practices of budgetary support for the sustainable development of spatial formations. Budget equalization is considered as a mechanism for ensuring balanced budgets of all levels, which is an urgent need for territorial entities of all levels in Ukraine. The main types of fiscal rules for ensuring budgetary balance according to the version of the International Monetary Fund are presented. The infographic of the application of the specified rules is presented with a breakdown by group of countries with different income levels. The process of budget balancing in Poland will be examined in detail. The budgetary capacity of authorities at the regional and local levels in Poland is characterized, the main sources of income at each level are illustrated. It was established that the experience of budget regulation in Poland is extremely important for Ukraine, both from the point of view of geographical proximity and administrative-territorial identity, and from the point of view of macroeconomic indicators. A parallel study of budgetary security at the levels of ATU in Poland and Ukraine, synchronized by territorial units with similar characteristics in terms of population and area, was conducted. Based on the results of the study, a number of conclusions were drawn regarding the application of Polish experience for the next stage of the decentralization process in Ukraine. By means of analytical and calculation methods of research, the need to strengthen the effectiveness of the budgetary provision of territorial communities to improve social standards has been proven. It is recommended to take measures to provide local self-government with additional powers that will allow it to improve the financial situation of communities to a self-sufficient level and, in the future, to sustainable development (bringing them to European social standards).

The impact of EU structural funds related to innovation in socio-economic development at a local level

Purpose: The aim of the paper is to verify the process of β-convergence at a local level in Poland within 2007-2016, taking the impact of spatial effects and obtained EU funds related to innovation on economic growth into account. Design/methodology/approach: Spatial econometric methods were used in the research procedure. The modelling uses the economic aggregate, which is an alternative to the GDP measure of development. In addition, the traditional convergence equations were modified by adding variables defining spatial interactions to the specifications of the estimated models that may affect the rate of economic growth. The study covers data from all counties (NTS4) in 2oland. Findings: The estimated econometric models showed that between 2007-2016, there was a slow process of reducing economic inequalities between counties in Poland. The convergence process was conditioned by the amount of European funds obtained for innovation. The funds acquired in a given county stimulated the economic growth of this unit while, at the same time, having negative impact on the development dynamics of neighbouring units. Originality/value: The added value of this elaboration is the inclusion of spatial effects affecting economic growth in the conducted analyses of conditional convergence. The presented study is one of a few in which the spatial impact was verified by including weights in the modelling of the matrix based on proximity, distance, flows and affiliation, carried out using data relating to all NTS4 units of a given European Union country. Keywords: β-convergence, European funds, innovation, spatial effects, spatial regression models. Category of the paper: research paper.

Housing policy instruments at the national level in Poland in the context of supporting housing affordability

Housing policy instruments at the national level in Poland in the context of supporting housing affordability

Care involvement and power relations. Parenting and gender in contemporary Poland

Objective: The study examines the opportunity structures of fathers and mothers in Polish society in the context of their right to use parental leave. Background: The use of parental leave by fathers remains at a low level in Poland. The reasons for this lie in the way the family policy system is designed and also in cultural norms regarding care and gender. Consequently, Polish fathers and mothers have different possibilities for actually taking parental leave. Method: The analysis is based on qualitative data gathered during in-depth interviews with Polish mothers and fathers. In total, 53 interviews were conducted with parents of children aged 1-8 from different socio-economic situations and with different attitudes to parenthood and gender roles. Results: The analysis shows that the opportunity structures of fathers and mothers differ distinctly. Fathers and mothers use different types of power in their relationship. Fathers usually use debilitative power that allows them to withdraw from unwanted obligations to care, and also not to take parental leave. In contrast, mothers use situational power, which helps them sustain control over family life. Both of these strategies for using power limit the other person’s right to use or not to use parental leave. Conclusion: The findings suggest that there is a need to change the system of parental leave in Poland if gender equality is to be achieved.

In Vitro Culture as a Tool for Studying Plant Developmental Processes at the Physiological Level in Poland

Abstract Over the last 40 years, in vitro tissue culture has developed dynamically and has become a popular technique for scientific research in the field of biology. Initially, studies were carried out to develop procedures to obtain callus cultures, cell suspensions, and protoplasts of various plant species. Over time, these cultures have been used to analyze the course of processes and mechanisms that occur at the cellular level, including the course of embryological development, formation of cellular structures, polyploidization, signal transduction, gene expression, and responses to various stress factors. In a minireview, different nutritional, hormonal, atmospheric, and light conditions occurring in in vitro cultures, which are stressful conditions compared to those in ex vitro plant culture, were discussed. In this review, some examples of physiological studies conducted on in vitro culture by Polish scientists are presented, including studies carried out to optimize the composition of media that induce callus and plant regeneration; determine the use of in vitro culture for the preservation of endangered plant species; understand the mechanisms of resistance responses to pathogens, salinity, nutritional stress, and low temperatures; and determine the potential production of plants with different chemical compositions. The potential of sterile plant culture is large and beyond the scope of its current use. Therefore, the number and variety of applications of these cultures will be significantly greater in the future.

Szara strefa tytoniowa w Polsce

Poland’s geographic location is conducive to cross-border economic crimes related to violations of excise tax regulations. The shadow economy is an economic activity that circumvents government regulation and is therefore beyond the knowledge of government authorities. It includes both monetary and non-monetary transactions of a legal nature and includes activities that would be taxable if reported to the appropriate authorities. The level of Poland's tobacco shadow economy declined significantly between 2015 and 2020. The aim of the article is to discuss the level of the shadow economy and identify the determinants affecting its level during the period studied. To achieve the objectives, analysis of national and international literature and reports was conducted. Conclusions were formulated deductively. On the basis of the analysis, it was concluded that the predictable and rational excise policy, effective enforcement of harsher penalties and improvement of the operational efficiency of relevant services are the key determinants of the decreasing level of the shadow economy in the examined period.

Copyright protection in Poland. Experience using digital platforms

During this terrible war in Ukraine, Ukrainian society became convinced of how important and useful for Ukrainians the “digitalization” policy pursued by the Ukrainian authorities was and remains. As the Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine aptly noted, digital infrastructure is the most stable and effective during wartime. Because it cannot be destroyed by missiles. Innovation drives this world, creators have a vested interest in protecting innovation, and the digital future involves digital interaction through digital platforms. That is why it is so interesting for the author of this article to look behind the curtain of an EU country, which is Poland, and investigate what are the procedures for registration and protection of copyright in Poland, as well as the experience of using digital platforms in this area. According to the author of the article, this study will be interesting for scientists from post-Soviet countries, such as Ukraine, which aspire to become part of the EU and try to escape from the “ghost” of socialism. In the article, the author considered copyright protection in Poland in general, registration procedures and the main interest copyright protection through digital platforms in Poland. As a result of the research, it turned out that there is no such institution in Poland where you can get official confirmation of copyright registration. At the same time, Polish practicing lawyers point out that copyright registration can have more advantages than its absence, and the lack of copyright registration can create unpleasant consequences for the author. Thus, we can conclude that it may be appropriate to create a free digital platform at the state level in Poland, which would provide rights holders with clear information about copyright protection methods, which would be confirmed by court decisions confirming the effectiveness of this protection. methods. At the same time, in Ukraine, in connection with the military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, so that creators do not lose the opportunity to protect their copyrights, the SE “Ukrainian Institute of Intellectual Property” introduced electronic submission of applications for the registration of copyright objects. In addition, on the state portal “DIIA” and the state portal UKRPATENT there are free “guides” “Registration of the right to a work”, where the entire process of copyright registration is described step by step in a language understandable to the average person, the result of which is the receipt of a certificate of state registration of copyright rights We consider it appropriate that in Poland it is also possible to create a digital platform at the state level, which would allow persons who wish to register their copyrights to submit online applications confirming the registration of copyrights or confirming the date of their creation.

The Role of Non-Governmental Organisations in Public Services Delivery at the Local Level – the Case of Poland

The socio-economic and political changes in Poland after 1989, the process of reforms commenced in that period and the decentralisation of administration exerted a substantial influence on the change in the attitude to the process of public service delivery at the local level. This process owes its shape, first of all, to the essence of the reactivated local government, implementation of certain elements of the conception of new public management and Poland’s integration with the European Union. The aim of this paper is to determine the actual influence of the third sector on the process of public services delivery at the local level in Poland. The attempts are made to answer the basic question if the existing legal possibilities of local government are reflected in an effective provision of public services for citizens. The literature and the results of published research show that non-profit organizations more and more often establish cooperation with public administration, especially at the level of local government. In Poland, a practical reflection of this cooperation are created joint cooperation programs of municipalities and non-governmental organizations. Due to the specificity of goals and the local nature of activities of a large number of non-governmental organizations, local government is a natural partner for cooperation in this sector. Despite the significant development of multifaceted cooperation between NGOs and the public sector in Poland, there are many different obstacles and problems hampering this cooperation, which are in part indicated in this article. Numerous conducted studies on the barriers and the development of this cooperation also formulate a number of recommendations for the system and for entities of the cooperation in order to improve this situation.

The Bayesian Method in Estimating Polish and German Industry Betas. A Comparative Analysis of the Risk between the Main Economic Sectors from 2001–2020

This paper examines the long‑term dependence between the Polish and German stock markets in terms of industry beta risk estimates according to the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM). The main objective of this research is to compare the Polish and German beta parameters of five Polish and three German sector indices using the Bayesian methodology in the period 2001–2020. The study has two detailed aims. First, to develop a modified, Bayesian approach (SBETA model) that generates significantly more precise beta than the traditional model. Second, to compare the results of different time‑varying industry betas in the Polish and German economies, giving a simple investment recommendation, i.e., which sector could be classified as aggressive or defensive. The betas were time‑varying in both markets but less persistent in the German industries, which seems characteristic of an advanced economy. The Banking sector betas were the highest in both markets, implying the aggressive nature of that industry in the last twenty years. For the Polish market industry, the betas of Construction, IT, Food and Drinks, and Telecom were classified as defensive. For the German economy, the Technologies (IT) sector was also classified as aggressive, but Telecom was defensive. The results give a valuable insight into the systematic risk levels in Poland and Germany, reflecting the investors' learning process and indicating that Polish Banking and German technologies outperformed the market in the last twenty years.

Proposing Anti-LGBTQIAP Resolutions at the Municipal Level in Poland: Meeting the Social Demand or Making Use of the Available Resources?

During the eight months preceding the 2019 parliamentary election in Poland, resolutions aimed against the LGBTQIAP minority were adopted by over 60 out of 2,477 municipalities. They were proposed by a local right-wing organization called Ordo Iuris. Based on the prerequisites from the political opportunity structure approach, I test two sets of explanations as to why certain municipalities were targeted by the organization, while others were not. One set of hypotheses is associated with social demand; municipalities chosen by Ordo Iuris are expected to be more religious and supportive of the political right. The other approach assumes that the activity of the organization was determined by the resources available in the community, such as high percentage of members of the local council representing the right-wing Law and Justice party, electoral turnout, membership in religious organizations, and population density. The empirical analysis confirms the significance of resources and disproves the argument associated with social demand. The study has implications for understanding how the social movements of the radical right gain political influence in Eastern European countries. It shows that they do not serve a particular demand from the society for the worldview they represent, but they rather rely on the aid from political elites and the resources provided by them and the community to promote their agenda where they can.

Challenges in Heart Transplantation in COVID 19 Pandemic New Biopsy Protocol a Single Center Experience

PurposeOrthotopic heart transplantation remains the treatment of choice for endstage heart failure. In the face of the COVID19 pandemic, managing patients with advance HF before and after OHT has become an increasing challenge in both: in immunosuppression treatment and postoperative managements including biopsy protocolMethodsWe retrospectively evaluated the outcomes of all patients who underwent OTH from March 2020 to February 2021 at Silesian Heart Diseases Center, Zabrze, Poland. Due to global pandemic of COVID19 several challenges including reduced numbers of myocardial biopsies were doneResults88 patients (67 male, 21 female) underwent OHT. During this period of time the COVID-19 infections were at high level in Poland. Both donor and recipients were tested for SARSCOV2 within 48 hrs of the procedure and none tested positive. We employed strict protocol of hand hygiene, PPE usage, isolation and regular staff PCR testing. We elected to reduce the routine myocardial biopsy rate from 4to1 in first month in order to reduce exposure of the patients to the potential of COVID19 disease. All patients received a standard triple regimen of calcineurin inhibitor (tacrolimus), antimetabolite (mycophenolate mofetil) and methylprednisolone. The level of immunosuppressive medications was done every day. 20 of 88 patients underwent first biopsy at 7 - 10 days post-operatively, and 3 more biopsies at one-month interval. The first myocardial biopsies did not demonstrate acute cellular rejection. We observed acute cellular rejection (2R grade) among 3 patients (15%) in second myocardial biopsy and they were treated with methylprednisolone 1gram iv for 3 days and after we return to previous prednisone dose. Third myocardial biopsy did not demonstrated acute cellular rejection. All of patients were discharged from the hospital at day14 days, and followed up in OPD once a week till the next admission. Ultrasonography including strain echo parameters of left and right ventricle, lab tests and the level of immunosuppression were done during each OPD visit.ConclusionOHT recipients who underwent reduced numbers of myocardial biopsies appear to have reasonable outcomes (including adequate home support) compared to recipients with standard protocol. We have shown that successful heart transplantation could be performed during of COVID19 disease pandemic.

E-Democracy and E-Tools of citizen participation on local level in Poland

The development of information and communication technologies (ICT) brought many changes in various areas of human life. Also, democracy is being influenced by the use of electronic communication technologies, such as the Internet. ICT’s impact on democracy and participation has led to the emergence of specific tools that allow citizens to use electronic tools of political participation. The use of technology in politics is a fascinating example of interaction between technology, public policy and also public opinion. How the law and society respond to advanced technology is worthy of study, particularly in countries, where e-tools of people’s participation are becoming more and more popular among certain groups of political actors. The application of information and communication technologies in political decision-making processes in Poland is relatively new phenomenon – we may say that it has been observed for not more than 15 years. This paper will analyze Polish local practices and also attitudes of the Poles towards selected etools of civic participation on local level. Findings presented in the article prove that it is worth to consider the implementation of new participation solutions, since the society is interested in new convenient forms of participation in public life – not only on the local level but certainly also on the state level as well.

Modeling the Spatial and Temporal Spread of COVID-19 in Poland Based on a Spatial Interaction Model

This article describes an original methodology for integrating global SIR-like epidemic models with spatial interaction models, which enables the forecasting of COVID-19 dynamics in Poland through time and space. Mobility level, estimated by the regional population density and distances among inhabitants, was the determining variable in the spatial interaction model. The spatiotemporal diffusion model, which allows the temporal prediction of case counts and the possibility of determining their spatial distribution, made it possible to forecast the dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic at a regional level in Poland. This model was used to predict incidence in 380 counties in Poland, which represents a much more detailed modeling than NUTS 3 according to the widely used geocoding standard Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics. The research covered the entire territory of Poland in seven weeks of early 2021, just before the start of vaccination in Poland. The results were verified using official epidemiological data collected by sanitary and epidemiological stations. As the conducted analyses show, the application of the approach proposed in the article, integrating epidemiological models with spatial interaction models, especially unconstrained gravity models and destination (attraction) constrained models, leads to obtaining almost 90% of the coefficient of determination, which reflects the quality of the model’s fit with the spatiotemporal distribution of the validation data.

The use of spatial statistics in the analysis of salaries at poviat level in Poland

The spatial differentiation of salaries is the subject of many scientific studies, both theoretical and empirical. One of the factors determining remuneration in Poland is the structure and type of business activity, specific for a given region and depending on its poviats (counties) in terms of the level of the average gross monthly salary by means of spatial autocorrelation statistical methods. The analysed statistical data for 2010–2019 come from the Local Data Bank (Bank Danych Lokalnych – BDL) of Statistics Poland. Global and local measures were used in the analysis. The calculation of the global parameters of spatial autocorrelation was based on the I Moran and C Geary statistics, while the Ii Moran statistic, which belongs to local spatial indicators from the LISA group (Local Indicators of Spatial Association), was used to identify the local autocorrelation. The statistical significance of the global statistics was verified by means of a randomisation approach based on theoretical moments. The I Moran and C Geary global statistics indicated a significant (very weak or weak) and positive spatial autocorrelation between poviats in terms of the level of average gross monthly salaries in 2010–2019, which shows the existence of spatial poviat structures of similar values, i.e. clusters with high or low values of average salaries. The increase in I Moran’s statistics and the growth of the C Geary in the analysed period indicate a decrease in the differentiation of average monthly salaries between poviats, thus signifying an increase in the dependence of spatial autocorrelation. The analysis of the results of the obtained local statistics allowed the determination of clusters of similar poviats in Poland, e.g. Mazowiecki, Pomorski and Śląski. Furthermore, the results of the analysis indicated the presence of outlier poviats.

Structural Determinants of Changes in Unemployment in Poland during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Objective : The study analyses the determinants of the level and dynamics of unemployment in Poland in the years 2018–2021. The general hypothesis explored is: the level and structure of unemployment are influenced by the economic situation, the number of job offers reported by employers, migration and border movements, and social attitudes to employment. The article presents an analysis of whether these factors had an impact on the unemployment level in Poland during the COVID-19 pandemic by presenting the development of these measures in the Polish economy. Research Design & Methods : The determinants were presented in the form of quantitative measures available for the quarters of the 2018–2021 period (sometimes the scope and availability of data resulted in a different time range). The data were obtained from public databases of the Central Statistical Office (GUS) and the results of surveys carried out by the Center for Public Opinion Research (CBOS) were used. To achieve the study’s aims, descriptive statistics, analysis, including logical analysis of cause-and-effect influences were used. Findings : The results of the analysis of the presented research material led to conclusions confirming the relationship between the successive waves of disease and the introduction of economic restrictions and the shaping of measures of the economic situation, the number of job offers reported to labour, migration and border traffic offices, as well as social moods regarding employment and opportunities of finding a job. Further research on the causality and determinants of the unemployment situation could lead to the diagnosis of monthly data, or to search for the strength of the tested relationships using more advanced econometric methods. Implications / Recommendations : The analysis included in this paper is an enrichment of the empirical explanation of the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. This pandemic is an interesting phenomenon not only in the medical sphere, but also carries a number of consequences affecting the world of the economy, which should be investigated with the greatest possible detail. Contribution : This article deepens the understanding the pandemic period and its implication on the labour market and its influence on the unemployment in 2018–2021.

Change in the level of socio-economic development in Poland in the subregional dimension

The compilation involved an analysis of the level of socioeconomic development at the NUTS-3 subregion level in Poland, based on 60 indicators classified within 4 subcomponents (factors) of regional development: material capital, human capital, natural environment and both innovativeness and entrepreneurship. The purpose of the article is to present the varied nature of the socio-economic level of development in Poland based on the NUTS-3 subregion concept. The level of socio-economic development, as well as the level of its shaping factors, is presented based on a synthetic gap exhibiting the taxonomic distance of a particular subregion in terms of the established pattern of development. The examination was carried out in the static dimension (based on the values of the indicators in 2019) as well as in parallel with the dynamic dimension (based on changes in the values of the gaps in the years 2010–2019). In the compilation, a hypothesis which was tested according to which the socio-economic development of the subregions in Poland is highly varied, and its highest level is registered in the largest provincial cities: Warsaw, Cracow, Wrocław and Poznań, and the lowest in the subregions far away from these major cities, which constitute the centers of development.

Public Debt Sustainability and the COVID Pandemic: The Case of Poland

Abstract This paper aims to analyse and assess the impact of the COVID pandemic effect on the public debt sustainability level in Poland. We put the following research hypothesis in our study: the pandemic period disallowed the production of primary fiscal surpluses and increased the level of fiscal unsustainability in Poland. We took the data from Eurostat and the European Commission databases. We used the Primary gap indicator and no-Ponzi condition as the research methods (for the short-term and the long-term analyses, respectively). Both methods derive from the theory of the intertemporal budget constraint. The results of the empirical studies did not allow us to reject the research hypothesis.

Financing of Immunization Programs by Local Government Units in Poland as an Element of Health Policy.

Introduction: The scope and schedule of immunization in Poland is regulated by the Immunization Programme prepared and announced by the State Sanitary Inspector. There are two kinds of vaccines: compulsory vaccines, financed by the state budget at the disposal of the Minister of Health, and vaccines recommended by the central health authorities but financed by local governments within health policy programmes. Compulsory vaccines cover people up to 19 years of age and individuals at higher risk of infections. The public health programmes organized and financed by local governments play an important role in infectious disease control in the country. Objective: The objective of this study is to analyse health policy programmes including immunization programmes, which were developed, implemented and financed by local government units of all levels in Poland between 2016 and 2019. Material and Methods: This analysis covers data compiled by voivodes and submitted to the Minister of Health as annual information on public health tasks carried out by local government units. From the aggregate information, data on all health policy programmes conducted by individual local government units between 2016 and 2019, including immunization, were extracted and analysed. The data were obtained pursuant to the provisions of the act on access to public information. Results: In the analysed period, local government units implemented a total of 1737 health policy programmes that financed the purchase of vaccines, qualification tests for immunization and carrying out immunization by authorized medical entities. Among the vast majority of programmes, promotional activities were also implemented. Conclusions: In Poland, local governments are deeply engaged in the immunization of their citizens by organizing and financing specific health care programmes. These programmes are an essential addition to the state financial resources in infectious disease control. This engagement expresses local government maturity regarding the health needs of the population and public health measures. Communes are the most engaged units among all levels of local governments. It is probably due to close mutual communication between the people and local governments. The growing awareness of the important role of HPV immunization in the prevention of cervical cancer among local government units is reflected in the increase in the number of girls vaccinated against HPV and the increase in financial resources allocated for primary HPV prevention. The decrease in the number of people vaccinated against pneumococci may result from including pneumococcal vaccines in the compulsory immunization schedule.

Intercultural Teaching in the EFL Classroom

The qualitative research reported in this article investigated whether and to what extent students’ intercultural competence is developed in the English language classroom at the secondary education level in Poland. In interviews teachers demonstrated their positive attitudes toward intercultural teaching and decent knowledge of the issue. However, the teachers’ narratives uncovered that they assigned the interculturality the secondary role, focusing on developing linguistic and sociolinguistic competences. The collected data revealed that students in class had very few opportunities to explore foreign cultures and compare/ contrast one culture with another. There was a lack of attention to teaching that promotes critical thinking skills among learners along with activities which foster them. However, there is insufficient evidence that teachers can currently do anything more, given the context in which they work, their constraints and lack of training and support. The findings of the current study have clear implications for curriculum designers, textbook writers and institutions in charge of teacher training - EFL syllabuses, teaching materials and teacher training should focus more on developing students’ intercultural and critical thinking skills.