Polish Research Research Articles

Tardenoisian concept in Polish Mesolithic studies

The evolution of the concept of the Tardenoisian in Polish Mesolithic studies visibly falls into three phases, dating approximately to 1900-1970, 1971-1990, 1991-2016. In the first half of the twentieth century the geographical range of the Tardenoisian, known originally from French sites, was extended to areas in Central Europe, Poland included. Although criticised by Polish researchers of the Mesolithic already in the 1960s, this concept continued to appear in the literature until 1970. In the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s the local cultural taxonomy of the Polish Mesolithic was developed, based on meticulous analyses of the archaeological record. Using these sources, some researchers have recognized influences in southwestern Poland of the Western complex of Mesolithic cultures which includes e.g., the Tardenoisian and Beuronian. New material discovered after 1990 confirmed the presence ofBeuronian sites in the Polish zone of the Sudeten. The upland and mountainous zone of Central Europe with its great diversity of lithic resources was heavily exploited bycommunities of this cultural tradition.

Doubled Haploids: Contributions of Poland’s Academies in Recognizing the Mechanism of Gametophyte Cell Reprogramming and Their Utilization in Breeding of Agricultural and Vegetable Species

Abstract Diverse processes leading to doubled haploid (DH) plant production, such as microspore embryogenesis, gynogenesis, and distant hybridization followed by genome elimination, are based on the unique ability of plant cells to form haploid embryos without fertilization. All of these are possible because of various in vitro culture systems that enable the growth and development of tissues or single cells outside of the parental organism. The possibility of re-directing cell development from its original pathway to embryogenesis brings several benefits to many research areas, but the most important is the possibility of its implementation in breeding programs. This review summarizes the achievements of Polish research groups in studies of the mechanisms of haploid/DH embryo development and demonstrates the practical applications of these systems in basic studies and plant breeding. It shows the results of studies on economically important crops including barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.), oilseed rape ( Brassica napus L.), triticale (× Triticosecale Wittm.), oat ( Avena sativa L.), rye ( Secale cereale L.), sugar beet ( Beta vulgaris ssp. vulgaris L.), and some vegetable species, including carrot ( Daucus carota L.), onion ( Allium cepa L.), red beet ( Beta vulgaris L.), and members of the Brassicaceae.

Medieval Bulgaria in Polish Historiography after 1989

Polish-Bulgarian relations have a centuries-old history, and medieval Bulgarian history has been widely present in Polish research and publications throughout the 20th century. However, the deep crisis processes that started in the early 1980s, the massive activity of the Solidarity trade union in Poland, and the events of the 1980s marked the beginning of a new period in Polish research and, accordingly, in Polish-Bulgarian relations and contacts. The main task of the paper is to present and analyze studies and publications on medieval Bulgarian history over the decades following the fall of communist rule, in the context of complete liberalization of political, scientific, and cultural life in Polish society. Are there any traditional topics that continue to develop after 1989? Are there new topics and problems in Polish studies and publications on Bulgarian history that emerged in the decades of transition after 1989? Are there any new Polish research centres and schools working in the field of the Bulgarian Middle Ages that appeared in the last three decades? Despite the transition and difficulties of the 1980s and 1990s in Polish society and for Polish historians, the analysis demonstrates a strong and lasting interest in medieval Bulgarian history in Polish historiography at the end of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st centuries. Finally, the author expresses hope that, despite the vicissitudes and challenges facing the two nations in today’s globalizing world, this interest in the medieval Bulgarian past will persist in the coming decades.

Współczesna Armenia w opisie Macieja Falkowskiego (Armenia. Obieg zamknięty, Wydawnictwo Czarne, Wołowiec 2022)

MODERN ARMENIA IN MACIEJ FALKOWSKI’S DESCRIPTION
 The reportage book of Maciej Falkowski titled Armenia. Obieg zamknięty [Armenia. Closed Circulation] was issued in 2022 by the Czarne Publishing House. The author – longtime employee of the Polish embassy in Yerevan – in his relation about the contemporary state of Armenia uses his own memories and observations. The book constitutes a significant contribution to the Polish research on Armenia and an important compendium of knowledge concerning this country. The review, while emphasizing the value of the publication, indicates some minor mistakes regarding the Armenian language and the history of Armenia.

Zoonyms from the Vilnius Region as a reflection of linguistic and cultural contacts

The issue of nomenclature for mixed breed animals has been taken up by Polish researchers many times and its significance for onomastic and dialectal research has been emphasised often enough. With respect to the North-Eastern Borderlands, sparse studies have been dedicated to it so far. Therefore, this paper discusses linguistic and cultural contacts reflected in proper names of two species of mixed breed animals in the Vilnius Region. The material was collected using the traditional and online survey method. This article presents the phonetic and morphological characteristics typical of the Polish of the Borderlands, lexical features, and nomenclature influences that were discovered while analysing zoonyms. It discusses the influences of the Lithuanian, Russian, and Belarusian languages on the nomenclature for animals living in households of people of Polish descent in the Vilnius Region

Cryopreservation of Plant Tissues in Poland: Research Contributions, Current Status, and Applications

Abstract Cryopreservation of vegetatively propagated plant material is an increasingly widely used method for the efficient and safe storage of germplasm resources around the world. In Poland, there are currently four cryobanks in use for long-term plant protection programs. However, plant tissues propagated in vitro constitute only a small portion of the accessions stored in them. To date, cryogenic storage techniques have been developed and adopted in this country for ornamental plants (roses, chrysanthemums, and geophytes), crop species (potato and garlic), forest tree species (the genera Quercus and Fraxinus ), and some ferns. Polish researchers have used suspension cultures of Gentiana spp. and shoot tips of Lamprocapnos spectabilis to improve cryopreservation knowledge. A better understanding of the benefits of cryopreservation and its widespread implementation in plant biodiversity conservation programs is required. The objective of this review is to provide a concise synthesis of the scientific contributions, current status, and applications of cryogenic techniques for the conservation of in vitro culture-derived plant tissues in Poland. First, the results contributing to research that has been achieved using cell suspensions and advances related to the use of nanoparticles and plant extracts to improve cryopreservation efficiency are discussed. Then, the applications and advances in cryopreservation of ornamental plants (roses, radiomutants, plant chimeras, Lamprocapnos spp., and geophytes), crop species (potato and garlic), forest trees, and ferns are summarized.

Oeuvre of Grigory Skovoroda in polish scientific thought

The article is devoted to present Polish research on the literary work and philosophical thought of Hryhorii Skovoroda. The scientific reflection on Skovoroda’s legacy was initially carried out on the historical and literary level. It was initiated by Adam Honory Kirkor in 1874. In the context of the history of Ukrainian literature, Józef Tretiak, Ivan Franko and Bohdan Lepkyi presented the general characteristics of Skovoroda’s work, seeing in it only the original style and compilation character of thoughts. Ivan Mirtchuk started his research on Skovoroda’s thoughts from the history of national philosophy, seeing in Skovoroda’s philosophy the features charac- teristic of Ukrainian philosophy, differing it fundamentally from Russian philosophy. As part of the research, it was possible to find an extensive article by Jarosław Ulwański, Philosophy of G.S. Skovoroda, published in 1930, in which the author presented arguments for a pantheistic interpretation of the Ukrainian philosopher’s thoughts. A breakthrough event was the publication of a monograph by Dmytro Tschižewskij, who formulated a view on the mystical philosophy of Skovoroda similar to the Western European mysticism of the 17th and 18th centuries. The interwar period ends with the work of Czesław Jastrzębiec-Kozłowski, in which the work of Skovoroda was analyzed against the background of Józef Hoene-Wronski’s messianic philosophy. After World War II and the 1990s, research on Skovoroda’s legacy was conducted primarily by philologists. Ryszard Łużny and Włodzimierz Mokry treated Skovoroda’s work as a Christian philosopher. In the 21st century, Polish research increasingly refers to philosophical interpretation. Denys Pilipowicz researched the ancient and patristic sources of Skovoroda’s mystical thought and compared it with the teachings of Paisij Velyczkovskyi. Iryna Betko analyzed his poetry from the perspective of Jung’s theory of archetypes. Michał Handzel conducted an in-depth historical and philosophical analysis of Skovoroda’s philosophy, seeing Skovoroda as a representative of the panentheistic trend, and Pavlo Snopkov examined the concept of Skovoroda’s self-knowledge from the perspective of Jung’s and Maslow’s psychological theories.

Forgotten Poles in the history of neurology: from Flatau to Frey.

With the majority of eponyms being removed from disease classification systems, it is even more difficult to remember the neurologists who influenced the development of techniques and understanding of the brain over the last centuries. Determining whether Polish researchers were given similar attention to Western equivalents based on eponymic presence in medical databases is an interesting way to provide an overview of unremembered Polish neurologists. This work aims to recognize the developments of forgotten Polish neurologists, whose work, although important, was not properly appreciated over the centuries.

Impact of the covid-19 pandemic on the activities and implementation of polish research institutes and their statutory activities in 2020–2021

Abstract This is a research article whose main objective is to discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the activities of research institutes in Poland. The sources of the paper are the results of surveys conducted twice in 2020, on a selected sample of research institutes associated with the Main Council of Research Institutes. For the purposes of the article, surveys of the literature and available sources were made, and the method of analysis and synthesis was applied. The article closes with a summary containing the most important conclusions.

Powstanie i działalność Katedry Historii Nauki i Oświaty w latach (1945) 1957–1970

The establishment of the Department of the History of Science and Education at the Jagiellonian University in 1956 took 11 years of efforts and attempts by the university authorities and Krakow historians of culture, education and science to develop these directions of research at the oldest Polish research center. The pre-WW2 chair was vacant because Professor Stanisław Kot took the position of the ambassador in Rome and after the communists had gained full power in Poland, he could not return to the country. The chairs of Barycz and Hulewicz began operating in 1946, but in 1947 the communist authorities decided to eliminate them. The implementation of these decisions, however, was not carried out immediately as it was delayed in the case of Barycz’s chair until 1949, and in the case of Hulewicz’s until 1953. It was not until 1956 that the thaw allowed the authorities of the Jagiellonian University to restore the closed departments as a single one under the name of the Department of the History of Science and Education, consisting of two seminars. The author discusses the organizational structure, composition, research results, and teaching activities of the Department’s employees.

What has not yet been said about Prussian proper names in Polish lands

The research of historical proper names reveals the necessity to emphasize and link the cultural, social and political aspects that play a role in the development of onyms. It should be noted that the language and the names of inhabited settlements reflecting it developed within a certain single system of life, which can be divided only hypothetically. The oikonymy of the extinct language, when viewed as the development of linguistic phenomena, should be addressed from a systematic perspective. It is impossible to draw the line that would divide the starting point and the end point of the development of historical proper names. The rich empirical data, mostly coming from historical manuscript sources, show an ongoing process. We cannot tell the exact date when the Old Prussian language became extinct. However, it is clear that the Old Prussian names of inhabited settlements outlived the language and were more resistant to the processes of Germanization and Polonization than it has been thought to this day. Linguistic, social and cultural phenomena occur in the same domain and are mutually dependent. Politics has the power to change the name. The replacement of some of East Prussia’s native toponyms with Russian ones is a sad proof of that power put into practice. Nevertheless, some indigenous toponyms had enough strength to survive. The dimension of historical time has been introduced to the research and the significance of change for the survival of Old Prussian proper names in the processes of Germanization and Polonization has been highlighted. Polish onomasticians also study the extralinguistic meaning of onyms through the heritage of the Teutonic Order, as onyms are the witnesses of history in the environment of language contacts. The monumental work of Polish researchers Nazwy miejscowe Polski (Eng. Polish Place Names) is also noteworthy, however, the material that is included or excluded occasionally poses quite a few questions for the researchers of Old Prussian proper names. The article discusses more interesting cases of Old Prussian oikonymy on the territory of present-day Poland.

On the harsh realities of researching television in Poland: Traditions, obstacles and perspectives

Television studies in Poland has not yet been recognized as an academic discipline in its own right. Despite this obvious omission in the institutional division of academic fields, Polish researchers have been studying television: its texts, audiences and history. This aerial review aims to present the main intellectual traditions that influenced academic writing of Polish scholars on the topic of television, both domestic and imported. This focus on research conducted by Polish scholars, and written mainly in Polish, allows for an examination of the body of work that is otherwise inaccessible to Anglo-American researchers due to the language barrier. Local academic debates are presented in a way that reflects the main disciplinary criteria of Anglo-American television studies, allowing for a clear organization of what is a substantial amount of literature. Additionally, this review aims to give a sense of what it is like to study television in an environment where TV criticism and analysis are not granted the status of an academic discipline. The consideration of the broader context for Polish studies on television allows for a thorough understanding of this academic field, its focus, main methodologies, challenges and its way forward.

Mijn herinneringen aan Professor Ludwik Zabrocki (1907–1977)

Professor Ludwik Zabrocki (1907–1977), an eminent Polish linguist, was an inspiration in linguistic research on Germanic languages for a young scholar from Wrocław. At the end of the 50’s of the 20th century, Norbert Morciniec took part in scientific meetings in Poznań, where Zabrocki had worked on a holistic approach of Polish research on Germanic languages. The young MA then started to develop studies on the Dutch language. That resulted in establishing a language course, then a specialisation of Dutch within the Germanic studies. New books about Dutch language and literature were written, a scientific journal was established, finally an autonomous Chair for Dutch at the University of Wrocław was created. Today this Chair employs numerous researchers who have further developed the Dutch studies and who are educating numerous students in this field. The text ends with a wish to the pupils of the author, today themselves professors: that they, too, do open new horizons for their pupils.

Together or apart? Doing biographical research and oral history in an interdisciplinary context

This article compares research and analytical approaches with biographical materials in the fields of biographical research in sociology and oral history practised by a historian. The reflection is based on the experience of long-term cooperation between biographical sociologists and oral historians in the Polish research context. These contacts have created a space for the fruitful exchange of experiences in the field as well as for strengthening the researchers’ distinctiveness and disciplinary identity. It also makes it possible to identify various concerns, both mutual and individual, for each research field. The main objective of this article is to share perspectives, highlight the similarities and differences between the two disciplines, and to show concerns related to the practice of oral history and biographical research, especially those close to the boundaries between the two approaches when they use the same tool, that is, the autobiographical narrative interview. The first section of the article focuses on the specifics of each approach. It then describes the different results of the common research practice and their consequences in relation to anonymising, archiving and reanalysing the data. Ethical issues are embedded into the whole course of our argument.

Teaching foreign languages at the pre-primary level in a monolingual setting: the case of Poland


 In Poland, teaching a foreign language to very young children, i.e. aged 6 and below, has had a relatively long tradition in both educational services and research, which grew out of strong parental aspirations for their children’s educational, and consequently vocational, achievements in the globalized job market.
 The goals of the paper are twofold: firstly, it aims to outline the evolution of research directions in language teaching methodology to very young learners (i.e. below 6) over the last three decades. In this respect three major strands are distinguished, i.e. the language acquisition approach, the pedagogical approach and the ecological approach. Secondly, Polish research in pre-primary education is going to be outlined against the backdrop of these major trends in applied linguistics. It is believed that some of the findings may bear relevance to other contexts in which very early teaching of foreign languages is being implemented.

Tissue Culture Techniques for the Production of Interspecific Hybrids in Poland: History and Achievements

Abstract Interspecific hybridization is a significant plant evolutionary process and, concomitantly, a frequently used method to broaden the genetic variability of species and genetically improve crops. However, in distant crosses, many prezygotic and postzygotic barriers are encountered that prevent free, uncontrolled gene flow between species. Therefore, various experimental methods exploiting tissue culture, such as in vitro fertilization, embryo rescue, and protoplast fusion, have been developed to raise hybrids that cannot be obtained naturally through conventional approaches. Professor Maciej Zenkteler of the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań pioneered the use of tissue culture in Poland to overcome barriers to sexual crossing. In the mid-1960s, he employed in vitro pollination in which pollen grains were directly applied onto the surface of exposed ovules as the primary method to bypass prezygotic barriers and in vitro culture of isolated ovules and developing embryos (embryo rescue) to overcome post-zygotic barriers. These approaches proved effective for species possessing numerous ovules and large placentas, such as representatives of the families Caryophyllaceae, Solanaceae, and Brassicaceae. Soon thereafter, these methods were extended to other Polish institutes and universities and applied for crop improvement, such as for the production of intergeneric hybrids between Salix and Populus species, resynthesis and broadening of the genetic variability of oilseed rape ( Brassica napus L.), and the generation of new interspecific hybrids of Allium . In the late 1970s, Professor Zenkteler was the first to undertake protoplast fusion. At that time, it appeared that no incompatibility could exist at the fusion level and that somatic hybridization would supersede the possibilities offered by sexual hybridization; however, the reality turned out to be slightly harsh. Nonetheless, successful regeneration of different interspecific hybrids of potato, tomato, or gentians has been achieved by Polish research groups thus far.

Polish Contribution to Global Research on Somatic Embryogenesis

AbstractSomatic embryogenesis (SE) is a complex process that begins with regaining totipotency in some somatic cells, proceeds through embryo development and maturation, and ends with the formation of a whole plant. Since the first publications on SE in 1958, this regeneration process has been applied to the in vitro propagation of many plant species and has led to the development of some specific model systems. SE has been used to expand our understanding of the cytomorphological, physiological, biochemical, and genetic processes that govern the earliest developmental events in the life of plants. This paper summarizes the achievements of Polish research groups working on SE systems established for several plants (gentians, the tree fernCyathea delgadiiSternb., and conifers) and three model species (Arabidopsis thaliana,Medicagosativa, andM. truncatula). SE systems have used a broad spectrum of experimental approaches involving genomic tools (transcriptomics, proteomics, and chromatin analyses), physiological methods which focus on phytohormones, and cytological techniques. Studies on the experimental models ofA. thalianaandMedicagospp. have resulted in the identification of new genetic and epigenetic elements of the complex regulatory network controlling embryogenic induction in plant somatic cells. The protocol developed for ferns has provided a unique and simple system for cytological analysis of early SE events that occur in a single cell of initial explants. Gentian embryogenic suspension cultures have successfully been used in broad biotechnological applications, including plant transformation, protoplast isolation, culture, and fusion. Systems described for coniferous species effectively produced many vigorous somatic seedlings and cost-efficient storage of genotypes during clonal field-testing. The research undertaken by Polish scientists has resulted in developing experimental systems that have enabled significant advances in SE knowledge.

Zombie i inni zarażeni, czyli obraz epidemii w literaturze popularnej

Od dżumy do Eboli. Sposób przedstawienia wybranych chorób zaraźliwych w przykładowych tekstach literatury popularnej [From the plague to Ebola: The presentation of selected contagious diseases in popular literature texts] by Edyta Izabela Rudolf is a pioneering achievement in the Polish research field, opening scientific discourse on the image of an epidemic in popular literature. Published on the eve of the COVID-19 pandemic, the monograph also provides tools for the study of the newly created pandemic literature.
 Taking into account the complexity of the research material, which lies on the borderline between the humanities, the social, and biological sciences, the author has quite rightly decided to include her study in the field of medical humanities. The chronological distribution of the extensive research material allowed for taking into consideration the broad historical and social context which influenced the shape of works created in subsequent eras.
 Minor inaccuracies include the inappropriate use of terminology (such as the term topos) and the questionable assignment of the novel The Andromeda Strain to Chapter Three (it could easily have found its place in Chapter Four).
 Despite these shortcomings, Edyta Rudolf’s work is a valuable monograph which provides tools for studying the image of contagious diseases in popular literature.

Fantastyka Antoniego Smuszkiewicza

The article is of a review and reminiscent nature. It presents the profile and scientific activity of one of the most outstanding Polish researchers of fantasy literature — Professor Antoni Smuszkiewicz. The Professor’s works — books, articles, monographs — defined Polish fantasy not only in strictly literary studies, but also in the social dimension. Antoni Smuszkiewicz collaborated with the Polish fandom for many years and was recognized in the community of fantasy writers and lovers of this genre as the greatest authority in Poland. His Enchanted Game: An Outline of the History of Polish Science Fiction remains the only historical and literary study of phenomena and tendencies in the field of Polish science fiction. Literature for children remains the second passion of Antoni Smuszkiewicz, who for many years was a Polish language teacher. Professor Smuszkiewicz — gifted with an extraordinary didactic talent — not only analyzed and discussed this literature, but also taught how to discuss it with students. The research concepts of Antoni Smuszkiewicz, despite the passage of time, still find their functional application, both in the field of literary studies and in game studies.

Comparative analysis of the information security environment in Ukraine and Poland (survey of journalists and editors)

Information security of Ukraine and Poland with the beginning of the Russian Federation’s armed aggression against Ukraine is sensitive to various forms of information threats. Information attacks by the aggressor country accompany the challenges of the full-scale war that exploded within Eastern Europe. Active military actions on the territory of Ukraine, the migrant crisis on the border with Poland –all this tests both countries’ information environment for resilience. Journalists play an essential role in the process of information defense. In the study, we compare legal acts and governmental regulations of Ukraine and Poland in the field of information security in order to identify the current state of information security environment in both countries. In our work, we analyze the concept of “information security” in scientific studies of Ukrainian and Polish researchers, as well as in normative legal acts. Journalists and editors of leading Ukrainian and Polish media outlets were questioned about their attitudes toward existing information security doctrines and strategies. It was found that journalists of both countries (n = 46, α(ua)=0.75; α(pl)=0.78) find the tools of protection against information threats insufficient, consider the participation of journalists in the formation of information policy significant, and also consider as risky the possibility to adopt documents that would describe the social responsibility of journalists in conditions of information aggression.