West Pomeranian Research Articles

The Use of EU Funds to Finance Regional Development on the Example of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship

The Use of EU Funds to Finance Regional Development on the Example of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship

Changes within permanent grasslands used for agriculture in the West Pomeranian Voivodship

Changes within permanent grasslands used for agriculture in the West Pomeranian Voivodship

Classification of Daily Body Weight Gains in Beef Calves Using Decision Trees, Artificial Neural Networks, and Logistic Regression.

The aim of the present study was to compare the predictive performance of decision trees, artificial neural networks, and logistic regression used for the classification of daily body weight gains in beef calves. A total of 680 pure-breed Simmental and 373 Limousin cows from the largest farm in the West Pomeranian Province, whose calves were fattened between 2014 and 2016, were included in the study. Pre-weaning daily body weight gains were divided into two categories: A-equal to or lower than the weighted mean for each breed and sex and B-higher than the mean. Models were developed separately for each breed. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and area under the curve on a test set for the best model (random forest) were 0.83, 0.67, 0.76, and 0.82 and 0.68, 0.86, 0.78, and 0.81 for the Limousin and Simmental breeds, respectively. The most important predictors were daily weight gains of the dam when she was a calf, daily weight gains of the first calf, sex of the third calf, milk yield at first lactation, birth weight of the third calf, dam birth weight, dam hip height, and second calving season. The selected machine learning models can be used quite effectively for the classification of calves based on their daily weight gains.

Phenotypic Characterization and Phylogeny of Godronia myrtilli (Anamorph: Topospora myrtilli)-Causal Agent of Godronia Canker on Highbush Blueberry.

Godronia canker caused by Godronia myrtilli (Feltgen) J.K. Stone is considered one of the most dangerous diseases of blueberry crops. The purpose of the study was the phenotypic characterization and phylogenetic analysis of this fungus. Infected stems were collected from blueberry crops in the Mazovian, Lublin, and West Pomeranian Voivodships in 2016-2020. Twenty-four Godronia isolates were identified and tested. The isolates were identified on the basis of their morphology and molecular characteristics (PCR). The average conidia size was 9.36 ± 0.81 × 2.45 ± 0.37 µm. The conidia were hyaline, ellipsoid or straight, two-celled, rounded, or terminally pointed. The pathogen growth dynamics were tested on six media: PDA, CMA, MEA, SNA, PCA, and Czapek. The fastest daily growth of fungal isolates was observed on SNA and PCA, and the slowest on CMA and MEA. Pathogen rDNA amplification was performed with ITS1F and ITS4A primers. The obtained DNA sequence of the fungus showed 100% nucleotide similarity to the reference sequence deposited in the GenBank. Molecular characterization of G. myrtilli isolates was performed for the first time in this study.

Hydrochemical conditions of three lakes located in the West Pomeranian region in the annual cycle

The objective of the study was to trace the variability of the hydrochemical conditions in three lakes of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship (Poland) – Starzyca, Maszewskie and Nowogardzkie in the annual cycle. The research was done in 2018–2019, and samples for analysis were collected 4 times a year. All analyses were performed applying standard methods. Such hydrochemical indices were determined as dissolved oxygen, chemical oxygen demand, content of orthophosphates, total phosphorus, nitrite, nitrate, ammonium, chlorophyll a and iron. The study showed that all lakes in the research cycle were characterised by a polymictic type of water mixing, and the trophic level, based on the adopted criteria, indicated advanced eutrophy, which may also be caused by anthropogenic pressure. Oxygen conditions characterised by deoxidation of the waters in the bottom layer in the spring and summer seasons, and clear oxygenation in the surface water layer (in Lake Maszewskie reaching even 188.5% in the spring) confirm the significant advancement of the eutrophication process. The supply of phosphorus and nitrogen in spring from pelagic waters in the waters of the examined lakes influences concentrations of chlorophyll a in the summer. The influence of “internal supply” (bottom waters and bottom sediments) on the amount of nutrients available for autotrophs is clearly visible in the analysed lakes – an increase in nitrogen and mineral phosphorus concentrations in relation to surface waters was observed in the bottom layer.

Analysis of the relationship between personality traits and Internet addiction

Introduction Behavioral addictions are a growing problem in the society. Digital technologies are used by people of different ages, and their number is increasing every year. The precise reasons for the development of addictions remain unknown. In the case of behavioral addictions, especially Internet addiction, the significance of personality traits and behaviors predisposing an individual to addiction, such as depressiveness, anxiety, hostile attitude, aggression, impulsiveness, psychotic behaviors, shyness and self-esteem disorders, are emphasized. Personality predispositions play an essential role in Internet addiction. Objectives The aim of this study was a general assessment of the level of Internet addiction with regard to personality traits according to the Big Five model by Costa and McCrae among women from the West Pomeranian Voivodeship. Methods The study involved 556 women, whose average age was 34 years and who met the inclusion criteria: female sex, age of 18 years or above, place of residence in the West Pomeranian Voivodship, an informed consent for participation in the study, and completion of the set of questionnaires. The study was conducted using a diagnostic poll method with a questionnaire technique. To carry out the analysis both author’s own and standardized tools were used: the author’s questionnaire covering socio-demographic data, the NEO-Five Factor Inventory which assesses the levels of personality traits, and the Internet Addiction Test used to measure behaviors and characteristics related to compulsive use of the Internet. Results Most (70.9%) of the women were average users of the Internet, 25% of respondents were at risk of addiction, and the least numerous group of women (4.1%) was addicted to the Internet. Conscientiousness negatively correlated with Internet addiction (r = -0.22; p < 0.001; R2 = 4.9%). Openness to experience was conducive to Internet addiction (r = 0.15; p < 0.001; R2 = 11.1%). A positive link between neuroticism and Internet addictions was established (r = 0.33; p < 0.001; R2 = 11.1%). No significant relationships between Internet addiction and extraversion (r = 0.03; p = 0.45) as well as agreeableness (r = -0.07; p = 0.10) were demonstrated. Conclusions The type of personality of the studied women implicated relationships to Internet addiction. Neuroticism might be a personality trait that particularly predisposes to an increased risk of Internet addiction. Openness to experience was conducive to Internet Addiction. Low levels of conscientiousness more often become addicted to the Internet. Disclosure of Interest None Declared

Diagnostic markers of insulin resistance to discriminate between prediabetes and diabetes in menopausal women.

Menopause is an important transition period in a woman's reproductive life during which hormonal changes occur, resulting in an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. In this study, we assessed the possibility of using surrogate measures of insulin resistance (IR) to predict the risk of insulin resistance in perimenopausal women. The study involved 252 perimenopausal women living in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship. The methods employed in this study were diagnostic survey based on the original questionnaire, anthropometric measurement, and laboratory tests performed to determine the levels of selected biochemical parameters. In the entire study population, the highest area under the curve was found for the homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI). Triglyceride-glucose index (TyG index) showed a higher diagnostic value as a distinction tool between prediabetes and diabetes in perimenopausal women than the other markers. HOMA-IR significantly positively correlated with fasting blood glucose (r = 0.72; p = 0.001), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C, r = 0.74; p = 0.001), triglycerides (TG, r = 0.18; p < 0.005), and systolic blood pressure (SBP, r = 0.15; p= 0.021), and negatively with high-density lipoprotein (HDL, r = -0.28; p = 0.001). QUICKI negatively correlated with fasting blood (r = -0.051; p = 0.001), HbA1C (r = -0.51; p = 0.001), TG (r = -0.25; p = 0.001), low-density lipoprotein (LDL, r = -0.13; p= 0.045), and SBP (r = -0.16; p = 0.011), and positively with HDL (r = 0.39; p = 0.001). Anthropometric and cardiometabolic parameters were found to significantly correlate with IR markers. HOMA-beta, the McAuley index (McA), visceral adiposity index (VAI), and lipid accumulation product (LAP) may be useful as predictors of pre-diabetes and diabetes in postmenopausal women.

Circulation of Human Immunodeficiency Virus 1 A6 Variant in the Eastern Border of the European Union-Dynamics of the Virus Transmissions Between Poland and Ukraine.

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 A6 variant is dominating in high-prevalence Eastern European countries, with increasing prevalence over the remaining regions of Europe. The recent war in Ukraine may contribute to further introductions of this A6 lineage. Our aim was to model the transmission dynamics of the HIV-1 A6 variant between Poland and Ukraine. HIV-1 A6 partial pol sequences originating from Poland (n = 1185) and Ukraine (n = 653) were combined with publicly available sequences (n = 7675) from 37 other countries. We used maximum likelihood-based tree estimation followed by a bayesian inference strategy to characterize the putative transmission clades. Asymmetric discrete phylogeographic analysis was used to identify the best-supported virus migration events across administrative regions of Poland and Ukraine. We identified 206 clades (n = 1362 sequences) circulating in Poland or Ukraine (63 binational clades, 79 exclusively Polish, and 64 exclusively Ukrainian). Cross-border migrations were almost exclusively unidirectional (from Ukraine to Poland, 99.4%), mainly from Eastern and Southern Ukraine (Donetsk, 49.7%; Odesa, 17.6% regions) to the Central (Masovian, 67.3%; Lodz, 18.2%) and West Pomeranian (10.1%) districts of Poland. The primary sources of viral dispersal were the Eastern regions of Ukraine, long affected by armed conflict, and large population centers in Poland. The Polish outbreak of the A6 epidemic was fueled by complex viral migration patterns across the country, together with cross-border transmissions from Ukraine. There is an urgent need to include war-displaced people in the national HIV prevention and treatment programs to reduce the further spread of transmission networks.

Assessment of Fatty Acid Content in the Milk of Women from the West Pomeranian Region of Poland with Regard to Supplementation and the Amount of Adipose Tissue

We analyzed milk samples obtained 6-7 weeks postpartum from 60 women. The content of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) in lipids was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) using a Clarus 600 device (PerkinElmer). Women using dietary supplements had significantly higher levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) (C22:6 n-3) (p = 0.000) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) (20:5 n-3) (p = 0.000). The levels of eicosatrienoic acid (ETA) (C20:3 n-3) and γ-linolenic acid (GLA) increased with the amount of body fat, and the level of DHA was lowest in subjects where body fat exceeded 40% (p = 0.036). The contents of fatty acids in the milk of women from the West Pomeranian region of Poland were similar to that reported by other authors. The levels of DHA in women using dietary supplements was also comparable to the values reported worldwide. BMI had an effect on the levels of ETE and GLA acids.

Proximate Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Selected Morphological Parts of Herbs

The aim of the study was to provide an analytical evaluation of the proximate composition, the total content of polyphenolic compounds and the antioxidant activity, of 27 selected plant materials collected in Poland (West Pomeranian). The basic chemical composition was determined in the ground samples according to the Association of Official Analytical Chemists methods. Antioxidant activity was tested using free radical methods ABTS•+, DPPH•+ and the FRAP method. The lowest concentration of dry matter (DM) was measured in black chokeberry (88.82 g/100 g) and the highest was found in milk thistle (94.65 g/100 g) as well as black cumin (95.09 g/100 g). The content of total polyphenols, assessed using the Folin–Ciocalteu method, ranged from 291.832–7565.426 mg of chlorogenic acid equivalent (CGA)/100 g of DM. Antioxidant activity measured sequentially against the radical ABTS•+, DPPH•+ and using the FRAP method was 26.334–1912.016 µM Trolox/g DM, 9.475–1061.068 µM Trolox/g DM and 26.252–1769.766 µM Trolox/g DM, respectively. The methanolic extract from milk thistle fruit in most assays was characterized by the lowest antioxidant activity and the lowest total content of polyphenolic compounds. Methanol extracts prepared from garlic, stinging nettle and cleavers showed the highest content of total polyphenols and antioxidant activity among the tested plant materials. The parts of plants with the highest antioxidant potential can be a source of new bioactive compounds, but further research is required to describe the profile of compounds harmful to human health.

Identification and delimitation of problem areas on the example of the West Pomeranian voivodeship (Poland, EU)

In Poland, even though there is already richer literature on the subject of the regional economy, there is still a need for knowledge on various dimensions and aspects of the development of problem areas. The reason for this is to search for ways to boost the country's development, to find new opportunities to activate both growth centres, as well as, and perhaps above all, to activate underdeveloped, backward areas burdened with hidden unemployment in agriculture and to activate those areas which lack features that favour the development of the modern, knowledge-based economy of the 21st century. The key problem addressed in this article is „what criteria should be taken into account when delimiting the problem areas in order for public intervention to be effective and to contribute to the desired changes?” This article presents the method of delimiting problem areas on the example of the “Five Capitals” model. The case study is the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in Poland (EU).

Oral Mucosa Status in Patients with End-Stage Chronic Kidney Disease Undergoing Hemodialysis.

There are reports in the literature of interrelationships between chronic kidney disease and periodontitis pathophysiology; similar risk factors play a role in these conditions. Due to chronic kidney disease (CKD), patients on hemodialysis (HD) are more susceptible to developing pathological processes in the gingiva, periodontium, and oral mucosa. This study aimed to evaluate the condition of the oral cavity, with particular attention to lesions of the oral mucosa of patients with end-stage renal disease in Poland, West Pomeranian Voivodship. A case-control study assessed oral health in 200 Polish subjects, including 100 dialysis-station patients who constituted the study group (HD) and 100 healthy patients who formed the control group (K). The physical examination consisted of a general medical and dental history. Evaluation of the oral mucosa included detailed noting of the type of lesions, nature of complaints, and their location. The results showed a higher prevalence of oral lesions highlighting oral mucosal pathology in patients with HD than in group K. Most common symptoms reported by patients with CKD (HD) were xerostomia, taste disorders, and burning mouth. These findings highlight the need to implement comprehensive multispecialty care in patients with chronic systemic diseases.

ChatGPT - opportunities or threats in the educational process

The article is based on surveys carried out among students of selected technical universities in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship (Poland). It aims to determine students' knowledge of new tools such as ChatGPT, the use of which raises a discussion among the scientific community and beyond. According to some groups it can support learning, whereas others claim that it can limit problem-solving skills and creative thinking. Three hundred students of engineering and master's studies participated in the study. The results of the conducted research show the directions of the use of ChatGPT by students and their interest in this tool.

The range IT technologies used in the West Pomeranian microenterprises

The article on the use of IT logistics systems by microenterprises. The purpose is to analyze and evaluate the functionality of logistics IT systems used by microenterprises in Middle Pomerania. The methods are a systems analysis and a diagnostic survey conducted using the CAWI method. The result is an analysis of the use of such software in microenterprises as ERP (54.55%) and SAP (72.73%), or WMS (43.55%), MES (34.36%) and TMS (45.45%) modules and their low evaluation of 2.63-3.78 and high evaluation of EDI functionality (4.09), as well as the use of 87.69%.

The sector of modern business services in the West Pomeranian region in Poland - directions of changes in terms of the development of new technologies

The aim of the article is an attempt to characterize the business services outsourcing market in the West Pomeranian region. The author presents the current state of the market, the most popular technologies used and developed in the region, and also the prospects for its development, pointing the important technological trends in the world. The dynamics of some market changes will undoubtedly have a great impact on the sector in the region.The author shows potential for the development of the business services sector in the West Pomeranian region by compiling data and forecasts for the evolution of the sector in Poland and globally.The study was conducted using the CAWI method (electronic questionnaire) and the expert discussion method.

Transformation towards sustainability on the example of the SME's steel processing enterprise

Recent focus on sustainability and its three pillars (economic, environmental, and social) brought new issues, especially for manufacturing companies, to be addressed. The article uses the methodology of a case study based on observation, panel expert, interviews with employees and the documentation analysis. The research had been carried out in steel processing enterprise in West Pomeranian region in Poland. The purpose of the article is twofold. Firstly, the aim is to present the company in the context of the production scheme and information flow, as well as the scheme for solving a decision problem that may increase the company's sustainable development potential. Secondly, the aim of the paper is to present the methodology of the process of selecting and assessing a range of criteria and fields of operation based on the identified sustainability criteria, which should be taken into account when deciding what type of the product to choose to improve the potential of sustainability of the company. The described methodology of this process is a scientific contribution based on literature research, observation of the company under study, interviews with employees, analysis of documents and work with experts inside the company, which allowed the creation of a tool for determining operational and decision-making areas that are directly related to the company's sustainable development potential.

Using high-tech tools for consumer buying decisions of FMCG

Purpose: The main aim of this paper is to explore consumer decisions and emotions during shopping at the self-service store with fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG). Design/methodology/approach: The subject of the study is to assess the impact of emotions during the choice-making process on consumers' buying decisions. The respondents are citizens of the West Pomeranian region, Poland. The survey was conducted using state-of-the-art data acquisition technologies, i.e., Virtual Reality and EEG. An interview was also used as a complementary form. The research was both qualitative and quantitative, with a research sample of 34 respondents and took place in the virtual world. The researchers used primary data. The results presented here are part of a broader research project that used a triangulation of research methods to allow a deeper analysis of the conscious and unconscious aspects of the subjects. Findings: The research provided independent data on consumer emotions. The authors identified 4 groups of emotions that appeared during the selection of a product and were highly differentiated and strongly dependent on such characteristics as consumer type and gender. It has also been noticed that the longer a product is held, the lower emotional “sleepiness’. Research limitations/implications: One of the main limitations is the data collection process, which is relatively expensive, so the sample size is limited. The results obtained can be a signpost for a researcher who would like to use this new technology for further research. Practical implications: The results obtained can be used by shop managers in planning the sales activities or shop space to help the customer decide. Originality/value: In the research was used an innovative combination of virtual reality (VR) equipment and an electroencephalogram (EEG). To the best of the authors' knowledge, the results of a study from the FMCG industry using both devices simultaneously have never been published. Keywords: consumer behaviour, virtual reality, new technology, EEG. Category of the paper: Research paper.

The second hoard from Strzelce Krajeńskie (2014) – preliminary studies and metal analyses of selected coins

The second hoard from Strzelce Krajeńskie was discovered in 2014. The assemblage consists of at least 1948 coins. The article presents the interdisciplinary study of 109 of these coins. Apart from all Prague groschen, wittens, hellers and Jagiellonian pennies also 10 Brandenburg and 70 West Pomeranian pennies were loaned for this project by the museum where the assemblage is housed. Care was taken to select the most statistically representative sample possible. Twenty Vinkenaugen from the Szczecin mint were selected – as well as ten pennies minted in Gryfino, Koszalin, Słupsk, Stargard and Kołobrzeg. Additionally, 48 coins were subjected to a metallographic analysis – 18 Prague groschen of Wenceslas IV, two pennies of Vladislaus III, two Mecklenburg and three West Pomeranian wittens, four coins identified as Silesian hellers and 19 West Pomeranian pennies. The results we obtained demonstrate the benefits of collaboration between numismatics and natural sciences. Interdisciplinary research conducted on part of the second hoard from Strzelce Krajeńskie reveals its research potential and value as an archaeological source for the study of monetary history.

Folklore of the Polish-Ukrainian Borderland in the Studies of Mikhał Łesiów (On the Occasion of the 95th Anniversary of Birthday)

The article is based on a review of the published works of Ukrainian folklore by the Polish scholar Mikhał Łesiów (1928–2016), who is known primarily as a Slavic studier and dialectologist. He is the author of scientific works in the history and culture of language. Studies dedicated to folklore, inter-ethnic contacts, folklore aspects of linguistic interaction on the Polish-Ukrainian borderland occupy a significant place in his scientific heritage. He is also the author of the studies representing folklore materials from the Lublin region and Podlasie. In the 1950s M. Łesiów, while collecting dialect material, has recorded casually oral literature from the inhabitants of the Podillian village of Stara Huta in Buszacki County. These people have been relocated to the territory of the Western Voivodeships of Poland to the villages of the Szczecin Voivodeship (now it is the West Pomeranian Voivodeship) in the 1945–1946. Collected factual material has been published in a number of the researcher’s studies. Cohabitation over the centuries has influenced the folklore of both ethnoi. Ukrainian oral literature has become an integral part of the spiritual culture of Poles, who have incorporated a number of systemic features of the local dialects and Ukrainian folklore into their speech. Characterizing the situation of folklore usage on the Polish-Ukrainian borderland, the scholar has concluded that the works of oral literature continue partially to function among the representatives with a conscious belonging to both Polish and Ukrainian people. These works can have Polish, Ukrainian and even mixed linguistic form. Regardless the language in which folklore texts are performed, they have become the property and common ownership of the borderland cultural space. The existence of linguistically mixed folklore texts is one of the main external distinguishing features determining the specific identity of the culture of the Polish-Ukrainian borderland. Folklore bilingualism is a consequence of borrowing, as well as the fact of two-way translation of works, where certain sentences, phrases or separate words have been preserved in the original state.

Report on the jubilee international conference "Towns that created Europe. 70 years of Polish archaeological research in Wolin", Wolin, 26-28.08.2022

On 26-28 August 2022, an anniversary conference was held in Wolin entitled 'Towns that created Europe. 70 years of Polish archaeological research in Wolin'. The event was organised as part of the 6th Wolin Medievalist Meetings by the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, the Andrzej Kaube Regional Museum in Wolin, the National Museum in Szczecin and the Wolin Municipality. The event was held under the honorary patronage of the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Culture and National Heritage, Prof. dr. hab. Piotr Gliński, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prof. dr. hab. Zbigniew Rau, Minister of Education and Science, Dr. hab. Przemysław Czarnek, Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Marek Gróbarczyk, West Pomeranian Voivode Zbigniew Bogucki, and the Polish National Committee of the International Council for Monuments Protection ICOMOS POLAND. The conference was attended by nearly 70 participants (including 19 speakers) from Poland, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Spain, Estonia, Ukraine and England. During the conference, a letter of intent to include Wolin on the UNESCO World Heritage List was signed.