Poland In Terms Research Articles

CSR in the mission statements of Polish chemical companies (research report)

Purpose: The aim of the article is to answer the following research questions: Q1: What types of values do chemical companies in Poland declare in their mission statements? Q2: Do chemical companies in Poland declare values such as responsibility and ethics in their mission statements? Q3: Do these companies differ from other chemical companies1 in Poland in terms of declaring responsibility and ethics in mission statements? Design/methodology/approach: Independent research was carried out in 2021. Mission content in selected chemical organizations was analyzed. This was achieved by defining the coding scheme, testing it, cleaning and/or detailing it, and collecting, coding and analyzing the data. It was verified which values were displayed in those missions, using to this end the mission typology proposed by S. Cunningham, T.B. Cornwell and L.V. Coote. The hypotheses were verified using the Mann-Whitney U test (with continuity correction). Findings: Half of the chemical companies in Poland mention responsibility in their mission statement, while only one in eight (12.50%) mention ethics. Chemical companies in Poland involved in production and trade (i.e. those that pose a direct threat to the natural and social environment) are more likely to mention responsibility and ethics in their missions than service and/or trade companies in the same industry. Research limitations/implications: Only mission statements published on company websites were analyzed, perhaps excluding those that existed but were not posted online. The research was carried out only among Polish companies and so the conclusions should be limited to them only. To explore this trend in more depth, comparative analyses with companies from other industries and based in other countries should be conducted. This exploration would be facilitated by the use of techniques requiring direct contact, interviews, observations, surveys, case studies, etc. Originality/value: No research on the missions of chemical companies in Poland in terms of communicating specific types of values, or respective comparative studies, have been identified. In the course of this independent research, an attempt was made to partially fill this research gap. Keywords: chemical industry, mission statement, values, responsibility, ethics. Category of the paper: Research paper.

Przyrodnicze i społeczne aspekty wandalizmu podpaleń drzew pomnikowych

The article analyses cases of arson attacks on trees – natural monuments in Poland in terms of their social and natural losses over a period of almost 100 years (1925-2021), with the incidents recorded mainly in the second decade of the 21st century. The loss in the natural aspect is related to the species structure of the trees set on fire (only deciduous species), age (the reported minimum age was about 300 years), dimensions (the reported circumference range was from about 460 cm to about 1050 cm) and biocenotic value (hollows, decay, habitat for protected animal species). Some of the trees set on fire were exceptional in respect of nature terms on a national or even international scale (the Chrobry Oak, the Mieszko I Oak and the Napoleon Oak). The loss, in social aspect, results from the loss in the value of the monumental trees in terms of tourism and recreation, history, culture, emotions and education. However, the analysed websites lacked references to the undoubted value of these trees in the scientific aspect. The presented problem of arson attacks on monumental trees and the resulting considerable natural and social losses requires that legal and organisational steps be taken as soon as possible in order to reduce or eliminate the discussed threat in the future.

Merging Climate Action with Energy Security through CCS—A Multi-Disciplinary Framework for Assessment

Combining biomass-fired power generation with CO2 capture and storage leads to so-called negative CO2 emissions. Negative CO2 emissions can already be obtained when coal is co-fired with biomass in a power plant with CCS technology. The need for bioenergy with CO2 capture and storage has been identified as one of the key technologies to keep global warming below 2 °C, as this is one of the large-scale technologies that can remove CO2 from the atmosphere. According to the definition of bioenergy with CO2 capture and storage, capturing and storing the CO2 originating from biomass, along with the biomass binding with carbon from the atmosphere as it grows, will result in net removal of CO2 from the atmosphere. Another technology option for CO2 removal from the atmosphere is direct air capture. The idea of a net carbon balance for different systems (including bioenergy with CO2 capture and storage, and direct air capture) has been presented in the literature. This paper gives a background on carbon dioxide removal solutions—with a focus on ecology, economy, and policy-relevant distinctions in technology. As presented in this paper, the bioenergy with CO2 capture and storage is superior to direct air capture for countries like Poland in terms of ecological impact. This is mainly due to the electricity generation mix structure (highly dependent on fossil fuels), which shifts the CO2 emissions to upstream processes, and relatively the low environmental burden for biomass acquisition. Nevertheless, the depletion of non-renewable natural resources for newly built bioenergy power plant with CO2 capture and storage, and direct air capture with surplus wind energy, has a similar impact below 0.5 GJ3x/t of negative CO2 emissions. When the economic factors are a concern, the use of bioenergy with CO2 capture and storage provides an economic justification at current CO2 emission allowance prices of around 90 EUR/t CO2. Conversely, for direct air capture to be viable, the cost would need to be from 3 to 4.5 times higher.

Tourist mobility of Polish residents in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

The purpose of this study is to identify the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on the tourism sector in Poland in terms of the tourist mobility of Poles, i.e., on the volume and nature of tourist trips of Polish residents. It is based on a comparison of the numbers and natures of tourist trips made during the pandemic (2020–21) against the preceding period (2018–19). This study is based on data from Statistics Poland collected from several hundred thousand participants (an average of over 136,000 people surveyed annually). The study discusses changes in: Polish residents’ level of participation in tourist trips; the number and breakdown of tourist trips; and the reasons/purposes for tourist trips. In addition, changes in the breakdown of transport used during tourist trips are shown. Changes observed in tourist travel expenses from 2018 to 2021 are also discussed. Another subject of our analysis is changes in tourist travel destinations and the seasonality of these trips.

CSR in mission statements of Polish chemical industry companies (content analysis results)

Due to the specific nature of their activities, chemical companies are exposed to significant reputational risk. One way to reduce this risk is by implementing a CSR policy. CSR can be built into the company’s strategy and communicated as a mission statement. The purpose of the article was to determine: 1. the types of values which chemical industry companies in Poland display in their mission statements, 2. if chemical industry companies in Poland display CSR values in their mission statements, 3. if these companies differ from others operating in the chemical sector in Poland in terms of displaying CSR in mission statements. The research was carried out through the Iramuteq program, which enabled content analysis of the collected research material. A total of 197 missions were analyzed to find that less than half of the examined chemical companies in Poland display CSR-related values sensu stricto in mission statements. It was also found that chemical companies (production-commercial) highlighted CSR values in their mission statements more often than analagous service-trade companies.

Participatory Budgeting as the Instrument of Technologically Supported Dialogue in Cracow, Poland

Abstract Ordinary citizens today support the local decision-making authorities in the domain of public spending using the instrument of participatory budgeting. The situation is of particular interest in Cracow, the second largest city in Poland in terms of the number of residents, as it stands out for its intensive and advanced use of technology. Here, participatory budgeting is a formalized, multi-stage procedure, composed of an information and education campaign, preparation and submission of projects, verification of submitted projects, submission and examination of protests, voting, implementing of projects, and informing about the concluded projects. Using participatory budgeting, the residents communicate their needs and obtain funds to satisfy them. Participatory budgeting covers on average 0.5% of the municipal budget and is decided by 5–7% of Cracow’s residents. The research covers the years 2019–2021 and takes into consideration the changes resulting from the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic. The article aims to examine the coexistence of forms of communication, supporting dialogue between residents and local officials in the participatory budgeting process. According to the adopted hypothesis, the two forms of communication used within participatory budgeting—the traditional ones and information and communication technologies (ICTs)—are not separated but are integrated into governance process and reinforce each other. The literature, legal provisions, the website on participatory budgeting, media information, social media, and evaluation reports based on qualitative and quantitative methods were analyzed. The results show that the introduction of participatory budgeting resulted in a new type of dialogue and relationship between residents and local officials, based on the traditional tools of communication and ICTs. ICTs cannot replace the traditional forms of communication but their potential should be used to a greater extent. As both forms of communication, direct and indirect (technologically supported), coexist and have their own advantages and limitations, especially under normal, non-epidemic conditions, the two should facilitate and reinforce each other.

The “Blessing” of Pregnancy? Barriers to accessing adequate maternal care in Poland: A mixed-method study among women, healthcare providers, and decision-makers

ObjectiveAll women should have access to adequate and respectful maternal care to maximise health outcomes. In Poland, there is a mismatch between good maternal health indicators and poor care experiences. This study examined stakeholder views on access to adequate maternal care in Poland in terms of availability, appropriateness, affordability, approachability, and acceptability. DesignA mixed-methods study. SettingOnline survey and online semi-structured interviews conducted between March 2021 and May 2021. ParticipantsFive-hundred fifty-seven (557) women who recently gave birth in Poland, maternal care providers and decision-makers active in the field of maternal health. FindingsThe main barriers to adequate care were inappropriate communication of maternal care providers, insufficient compliance with standards of care, over-medicalisation of childbirth and suboptimal engagement of women in care provision, and high levels of out-of-pocket spending on maternal care services. Other barriers included limited availability of maternal care providers, particularly midwives, and low reproductive health literacy in women. Key conclusionsProvision of adequate and women-centred maternal care remains erratic, despite substantial care provision advancements in recent years. Addressing the barriers could substantially improve the experience of and access to adequate maternal care in Poland. Implications for practiceBarriers identified in the survey with women largely converged with those highlighted in the interviews. In addition, maternal care providers and decision-makers provided context-specific information and explanation of the current state of maternal care system. Consequently, this study provides direction-setting information for policy and practice in Poland and other Central and Eastern European countries, which share similar shortcomings related to adequate maternal care provision.

Living in sprawling areas: a cost–benefit analysis in Poland

Suburbanization still remains the key urbanization process in the world. Urban sprawl, as a specific manifestation of suburban morphology, belongs to the urban phenomena that is very often studied but still remains ambivalent. The ambivalence of the assessment results from the problems of weighing costs and benefits generated by sprawl. At the same time, there is a gap in international research on the costs and benefits of urban sprawl for households. Therefore, the aim of this article is to analyze and evaluate the household budgets in Poland in terms of potential costs and benefits of living in an urban sprawl area. The research hypothesis that households causing urban sprawl achieve net budgetary benefits was also adopted. In order to achieve the aim and verify the hypothesis, the data on the budgets of Polish households purchased from the Polish Central Statistical Office was used, and a questionnaire survey was carried out to determine the conclusions. The research hypothesis was not confirmed. The analysis and evaluation of many income and expenditure items of household budgets indicate that net costs in a significant group of budget items is high, while net benefits are relatively low. Households relocating to the sprawl zone, striving to meet their own needs, do not fully take into account all operating expenditures and ultimately incur net costs.

Types of Rural Residents in Central Poland in Terms of Their Local Participation: The Perspectives of the Local Authorities and the Inhabitants

This article analyzes the public participation of rural inhabitants in Poland. It aims to identify the types of rural residents in terms of their local participation. In our research, we adopted the triangulation approach involving using two types of data, qualitative and quantitative, from the research including two types of respondents: mayors of rural communes and inhabitants. On this basis, two typologies of rural inhabitants were created, which were then confronted. First, the local authorities’ views on residents’ engagement in public affairs are presented. Free-form interviews with six mayors of selected rural municipalities of the Łódzkie Region in central Poland were conducted. Based on their observations, the typology of rural inhabitants includes two variables, namely, engagement (activity versus passivity) and motivations for an activity, or a lack of it. Second, we analyzed data from a survey conducted among inhabitants of the same rural municipalities concerning their forms of local participation, their interest in public affairs, their satisfaction with different dimensions of local life and local policy, as well as their trust in the local authorities and sense of impact on local policies and management. The distinguished types of rural inhabitants based on these data differ in their levels of public engagement (very active vs. totally inactive) and preferred forms of activity (individual vs. collective and public vs. social). In the comparison of the results of both studies, we confirmed some of the mayors’ observations concerning the most common type of resident, which is alienated people who are not interested in any public activity. The group of fully active residents, who could be partners in local governance for the local authorities, is very small. On the basis of the interviews with mayors, one can suppose that the situation can be used by local authorities as a justification for not involving residents in local public management.

Assessment of the Impact of Flow Changes and Water Management Rules in the Dam Reservoir on Energy Generation at the Jeziorsko Hydropower Plant

This paper presents the impact of flow changes in the Warta River and water management rules regarding the Jeziorsko dam reservoir on the energy production by the hydropower plant in the period 1995–2021. The Jeziorsko dam reservoir was built in 1986. It is the second largest dam reservoir in Poland in terms of surface area. In 1994, a hydropower plant with an installed capacity of 4.89 MW started operation. The study results show the average annual energy production from 1995 to 2021 at a level of 18,718 MWh. On the other hand, energy production largely changed from year to year, from 12,432 MWh (in 2019) to 26,916 MWh (in 2001). The droughts that have occurred in the Warta River basin over the past two decades have had a major impact on energy production. As a consequence of the drought, it was not possible to maintain the required water level in the reservoir. Moreover, a change in the rules for the reservoir’s management that led to lower water levels in the reservoir by 1.5 m between April and June was important from the point of view of energy production. Improving the efficiency of energy production requires changing the rules of water management in the reservoir. More flexible reservoir operation schemes should be considered, including operational management based on meteorological and hydrological forecasts. Moreover, other criteria should also be considered, such as maintaining environmental flows, ensuring protection from flooding, and operating a nature reserve around the reservoir.

ROAD SAFETY AND THE CAUSES OF ROAD ACCIDENTS IN POLAND

The number of road traffic accidents in the world has been increasing. This is mainly related to the constant increase in road traffic. The aim of this article is to examine the causes of road accidents in Poland in terms of road traffic safety. For this purpose, road incidents that occurred in Poland were analysed. In order to verify the presented statistical data on the state of safety in Poland, a survey was carried out to indicate the factors that most often cause traffic accidents. Possibilities for increasing the efficiency of traffic safety and an evaluation of the level of safety in vehicles were also part of the survey. The results showed that the state of RS, in the opinion of the respondents, is poor. The respondents correctly indicated the most frequent causes of road accidents, which confirms their knowledge in the field of road safety. The survey also showed that the activities of the police and programmes for increasing safety need improvement. According to the respondents, the actions that should be taken to improve safety are, first of all, the improvement of the technical condition of roads and the modernisation of road infrastructure. In addition, the survey showed that most men are car drivers, while women primarily travel on foot; the results also showed that the knowledge of RS is better among women.

Urban Resilience and Residential Greenery—The Evidence from Poland

Social distancing and movement restrictions associated with COVID-19 have highlighted the role played by easily accessible greenery at one’s own residence, which is of key importance to people’s physical and psychological wellbeing. The main focus of this study is to provide insights into residential green areas in Wrocław, Poland in terms of knowledge, investment, trends and associated issues, as examined from the perspective of the potential to boost urban resilience. Sixty-six representative multi-family construction projects typical of Central European cities were analyzed. The study is divided into three stages: I—pre-construction (selection of locations), II—construction of a housing estate (clearance of vegetation, number of trees planted, use of pro-ecological solutions), and III—post-construction (monitoring of the condition of green areas by means of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and data from Sentinel-2 satellites). The results highlighted the insufficient use of pro-ecological solutions (green roofs, fountains or ponds) and shortage of woody plants in residential green areas. Their implementation should be included in any strategies for Wrocław’s transformation toward a sustainable post-pandemic city. Furthermore, the main findings of the study also revealed an imbalance between the amount of vegetation cleared vs. vegetation planted during construction and unequal access to high-quality greenery for local residents. Although some positive trends in spatial planning were observed compared to previous studies, two construction projects were implemented in floodplains. NDVI analyses indicate the poor condition of residential green areas; moreover, the change in NDVI for the period 2015–2020 attests to the poor standards of vegetation maintenance. The results of this study suggest that the potential of residential green areas for boosting urban resilience has not been fully utilized in Wrocław. It is highly recommended to implement monitoring of the condition of green areas by means of NDVI and to introduce detailed provisions on the shaping of green estate areas in the Local Development Plans to enhance Wrocław’s resilience. The main findings being presented expand the directions of methods of monitoring residential areas’ conditions in terms of applied landscape research and boosting urban resilience.

The Forecasting of Dangerous Goods Transport by Railin Poland in Terms of Environmental Security

The Forecasting of Dangerous Goods Transport by Railin Poland in Terms of Environmental Security

Remarks on the Methodology of Comparative Legal Research in the Context of the History of Law in Poland

Is there anything outstanding about the history of law in Poland? Is it particularly conducive to comparative research? In my attempt to answer these questions, I focussed on presenting two distinct comparative law methods: historical legal comparison and comparative legal history.
 The paper is divided into two parts. The first part elaborates on the characteristics of the respective methods and on the challenges of comparative legal history in a temporally diachronic perspective and why they are not so pronounced in historical legal comparison. In this part, I tried to document the claim that the existence of a comparative platform of similarities is a condition to obtain more reliable and better-documented results of comparative research.
 In the second part, I focussed on three cases visualising the possibilities for comparative legal research on the history of law in Poland. Regarding the pre-partition times, I analysed the comparative possibilities related to an analysis of the impact of the Roman law on the Old Polish legal culture. The other two examples concerned the history of law in post-partition Poland. First, I explored the potential triggered by the adoption of foreign laws in Poland in terms of comparative research. I used French commercial law to exemplify the problem. Then, I undertook to show the dormant potential of the particular situation of Poland divided into different legal areas for the development of the country’s own codes of law.

Comparative Analysis of the Incidence of Selected Sexually Transmitted Viral Infections in Poland in 2010-2015: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) represent a major cause of morbidity in women and men worldwide. The main aim of this study was to perform a comparative analysis of the incidence of sexually transmitted viral infections in 2010–2015 in Poland, taking into account the administrative division of the country into provinces. This was a retrospective study. The analysed data came from the Centre for Health Information Systems of the Ministry of Health and the National Institute of Public Health-National Research Institute and constituted information from the epidemiological surveillance system in Poland. We collected data on the incidence of the following diseases: genital herpes (HSV), genital warts, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The key groups with the highest risk of infection were young people between 20 and 29 years of age. The reported data on the incidence of genital herpes in Poland (n = 3378; 1.5/100,000) showed a downward trend, which does not coincide with global trends. Genital warts were the most frequent genital infections in Poland (n = 7980; 3.46/100,000), with significant regional variation. Over the analysed period, the situation of newly detected HIV infections seemed to be stable (n = 7144; 3.1/100,000). The incidence of these infections appeared to be highly correlated with urbanisation rates, which was not confirmed in the case of other analysed infections. The worsening epidemic situation with respect to sexually transmitted infections, the inefficiency of the current surveillance system and the reduction in funding for diagnosis and prevention, combined with inadequate legal solutions, make it necessary to undertake new legal and organisational measures aimed at improving the reproductive health in Poland in terms of sexually transmitted infections.

Virulence Factor Genes and Cytotoxicity of Streptococcus agalactiae Isolated from Bovine Mastitis in Poland.

ABSTRACTStreptococcus agalactiae can produce a wide variety of virulence factors, including toxins and proteins which facilitate adhesion to and colonization and invasion of the host cells. There are few reports on the characteristics of field isolates from bovine mastitis in Poland. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the occurrence of types of hemolysis on blood agar, virulence factor genes, and cytotoxicity of S. agalactiae isolates derived from cows with mastitis across Poland. The study included 68 isolates. Virulence genes were tested using standard PCR, and cytotoxicity was determined using methylthiazol tetrazolium (MTT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) tests. Among the tested isolates, 89.7% were β-hemolytic, 8.8% γ-hemolytic, and 1.5% alpha-hemolytic. The only genes detected in all isolates were the cfb, cspA, hylB, and sip genes. Cytotoxicity assessment based on the LDH test revealed that isolates were cytotoxic only to Vero cells. However, according to the results obtained from the MTT test, more than half of the isolates exhibited low cytotoxicity to both SK and Vero cells, whereas the other isolates showed moderate or no cytotoxicity to both cell lines. Our research confirms the prevalence of various virulence genes in S. agalactiae isolated from Polish dairy herds, which have previously been found in isolates recovered from human and animal infections. For the first time, the presence of bac- and scpB-positive isolates of S. agalactiae was determined in Polish dairy cattle, and the cytotoxicity of bovine isolates was assessed.IMPORTANCE We believe that this manuscript is one of the few reports on the characteristics of field S. agalactiae isolates derived from cases of bovine mastitis in cows in Poland in terms of the occurrence of virulence genes and cytotoxicity. For the first time, the presence of bac- and scpB-positive isolates of S. agalactiae was determined in Polish dairy cattle, and the cytotoxicity of bovine isolates was assessed.

AID ACTIVITIES OF LODZ PARISHES BELONGING TO TWO CURRENTS OF CHRISTIANITY – CATHOLICISM AND EVANGELISM. SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES

Charity and mercy, that is, selfless help to another person who is in need, are key concepts and commands in Christianity. However, these ordinances apply not only to individuals, but also to the church institutions that constitute local parishes at the lowest level of the organizational hierarchy. The largest religion in Poland in terms of the number of followers is Christianity. Its biggest groups in relation to its followers are Catholics (almost 94% of the Poles) and Protestants (in various factions, including almost a million Poles). Institutions belonging to both fractions carry out numerous aid activities on a national scale. However, comparative research at the micro level, i.e. on the example of individual cities, is rarely undertaken. The aim of the article is to characterize the aid activities carried out by parishes in Lodz belonging to two currents of Christianity – Catholicism and Protestantism. In particular, I intend to show the differences in the aid activities of the two denominations and determine their reasons.

Analysis of OpenStreetMap Data Quality for Selected Counties in Poland in Terms of Sustainable Development

One potential source of geospatial open data for monitoring sustainable development goals (SDG) indicators is OpenStreetMap (OSM). The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the spatial data quality elements of OSM against the national official data—the database of topographic objects at a scale of 1:10,000. Such spatial data quality elements as location accuracy, data completeness and attribute compatibility were analysed. In the conducted OpenStreetMap tests, basic land-cover classes such as roads, railroads, river network, buildings, surface waters and forests were analysed. The test area of the study consisted of five counties in Poland, which differ in terms of location, relief, surface area and degree of urbanization. The best results of the quality of OSM spatial data were obtained for highly urbanized areas with developed infrastructure and a high degree of affluence. The highest degree of completeness of OSM linear and area objects in the studied counties was acquired in Piaseczyński County (82%). The lowest degree of completeness of the line and area objects of OSM in the studied counties was obtained in the Ostrowski County (51%). The calculated correlation coefficient between the quality of OSM data and the income per capita in the county was 0.96. The study complements the previous research results in the field of quantitative analysis of the quality of OSM data, and the obtained results confirm their dependence on the geometric type of the analysed objects and characteristics of test areas, i.e., in this case counties in Poland. The obtained results of OSM data quality analysis indicate that OSM data may provide strong support for other spatial data, including official and state data. OSM stores significant amounts of geospatial data with relatively high data quality that can be a valuable source for monitoring some SDG indicators.

Polymorphism association of NIL1, NIL2, CYP1A1 xenobiotic metabolism genes and their expression with the risk of colorectal cancer in the Polish population.

<b>Introduction:</b> Colorectal cancer (CRC), despite intensive research on the improvement of diagnosis and treatment, is still the second most deadly cancer in Poland in terms of mortality. One of the factors predisposing to a higher risk of CRC may be the individual differences in the effectiveness of proteins responsible for the metabolism of xenobiotics - it seems that the removal of potentially harmful exogenous substances significantly reduces the risk of carcinogenesis. </br></br> <b>Aim:</b> In this work, we analyzed the effect of polymorphisms of genes responsible for metabolizing xenobiotics on the risk of CRC - rs72554606 polymorphism of N AT 1 gene, rs1799930 polymorphism of N AT 2 gene and rs1799814 polymorphism of CYP1A1 gene, as well as the level of expression of these genes. </br></br> <b> Conclusions:</b> The results indicate that the GC genotype for N AT 1 and the GA genotype for CYP1A1 may increase the risk of CRC, and in those already diagnosed with colorectal cancer, the expression level of NAT1 is significantly lower than in the control. We believe that these factors may have potential prognostic and diagnostic significance in the treatment of CRC.

Multidimensional Analysis of Real Estate Prices in Seventeen Cities in Poland in Terms of Economic Security

The article presents a multidimensional comparative analysis of apartment prices in seventeen cities in Poland from the first quarter of 2017 to the first quarter of 2021 in terms of the maintenance of economic security. Prices were analyzed in two aspects: value and dynamics of changes, referring to the first period under consideration in spatial terms (in each of the seventeen cities). The research used multidimensional comparative analyzes, such as: Chernoff faces and normalization with the use of stimulants. This, in turn, made it possible to examine the similarities and differences in the prices of 1 m2 of residential real estate in respective cities in Poland in a dynamic approach.