Venture Capital and Business Angels and the Creation of Innovative Firms in Poland

The article also points out that conditions fostering further development of the described types of entrepreneurship and innovation financing and a dynamic environment generating innovative capacity should be created.W artykule zasygnalizowano również potrzebę kreowania uwarunkowań sprzyjających rozwojowi opisanych form finansowania przedsiębiorczości, innowacyjności i dynamicznego otoczenia generującego zdolności innowacyjne

Probe spectroscopy in an operating magneto-optical trap: the role of Raman transitions between discrete and continuum atomic states

We report on cw measurements of probe beam absorption and four-wave-mixing spectra in a $^{85}$Rb magneto-optical trap taken while the trap is in operation. The trapping beams are used as pump light. We concentrate on the central feature of the spectra at small pump-probe detuning and attribute its narrow resonant structures to the superposition of Raman transitions between light-shifted sublevels of the ground atomic state and to atomic recoil processes. These two contributions have different dependencies on trap parameters and we show that the former is inhomogeneously broadened. The strong dependence of the spectra on the probe-beam polarization indicates the existence of large optical anisotropy of the cold-atom sample, which is attributed to the recoil effects. We point out that the recoil-induced resonances can be isolated from other contributions, making pump-probe spectroscopy a highly sensitive diagnostic tool for atoms in a working MOT.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figure

София – олицетворенная Премудрость Божия. История сюжета в византийско-славянской культуре: No. XLVIII

В основе этой книги – кандидатская диссертация, подготовленная на Кафедре истории Византии Лодзинского университета и защищенная в апреле 2015 г. В центре внимания автора находятся представления и изображения, связанные с Софией – олицетворенной Премудростью Божией, характерные для духовной культуры восточного христианства, особенно Византии и ареала Slavia Orthodoxa. София Бжозовска пытается найти ответ на вопрос, кем, по мнению средневековых византийских и славянских авторов, была представленная в женском образе Премудрость Божия: имеем ли мы дело с символическим изображением Бога (Христа-Логоса или Святого Духа) или же с идеей второй, женской природы Творца? Монография была впервые опубликована издательством Лодзинского университета в 2015 г. Данное издание является переводом книги на русский язык. Основная цель монографии – показать место Софии в культуре ареала Slavia Orthodoxa. В книге анализируются избранные памятники средневековой южно- и восточнославянской письменности: тексты, в которых Премудрость Божия отождествлялась с Христом, ассоциировалась с Богородицей или фигурировала как отдельная личность с явно выраженной женской идентичностью. Автор стремится собрать и сопоставить как можно больше примеров иконографических изображений олицетворенной Премудрости Божией, появляющихся на иконах, миниатюрах, украшающих рукописи, мозаики и настенные росписи. Текст дополнен анализом новых источников, введенных в научный оборот в последние годы (археологические открытия и результаты кодикологических исследований). * Монография посвящена значимой, широкой и многогранной теме. Считаю, что автор проделала огромную исследовательскую работу, и ее книгу следует считать полностью научным, исследовательским и новаторским трудом. [...] Монография вносит важный вклад в исторические исследования. Она ценна для исследований византийской и древнерусской иконографии, это также большой вклад в святоотеческие исследования и историю христианской мысли в целом. Из рецензии священника проф. Юзефа НаумовичаУниверситет им. кардинала Стефана Вышинского в Варшаве   Publikacja dofinansowana ze środków budżetu państwa w ramach programu Ministra Nauki i Szkolnictwa Wyższego pod nazwą Narodowy Program Rozwoju Humanistyki, nr projektu: 21H 20 0042 88; kwota dofinansowania: 121 398 PLN; całkowita wartość projektu: 121 398 PL

Changes in Dietary Intake and Adherence to the NU-AGE Diet Following a One-Year Dietary Intervention among European Older Adults—Results of the NU-AGE Randomized Trial

Background: The Mediterranean Diet has been proposed as an effective strategy to reduce inflammaging, a chronic low grade inflammatory status, and thus, to slow down the aging process. We evaluated whether a Mediterranean-like dietary pattern specifically targeting dietary recommendations of people aged over 65 years (NU-AGE diet) could be effective to shift dietary intake of older adults towards a healthful diet. Methods: Adults aged 65–80 years across five EU-centers were randomly assigned to a NU-AGE diet group or control group. The diet group followed one year of NU-AGE dietary intervention specifying consumption of 15 food groups plus the use of a vitamin D supplement. Participants in the diet group received counselling and individually tailored dietary advice, food products and a vitamin D supplement. Dietary intake was assessed by means of seven-day food records at baseline and one-year follow-up. A continuous NU-AGE index (0–160 points) was developed to assess NU-AGE diet adherence. Results: In total 1296 participants were randomized and 1141 participants completed the intervention (571 intervention, 570 control). After one year, the diet group improved mean intake of 13 out of 16 NU-AGE dietary components (p < 0.05), with a significant increase in total NU-AGE index (difference in mean change = 21.3 ± 15.9 points, p < 0.01). Conclusions: The NU-AGE dietary intervention, based on dietary recommendations for older adults, consisting of individual dietary counselling, free healthy foods and a vitamin D supplement, may be a feasible strategy to improve dietary intake in an aging European population

Captives and Refugees. The Forced Migration of the Inhabitants of the Byzantine Eastern Frontier during the 5th–7th Centuries in Light of Byzantine-Slavic Hagiographical Texts

This article is devoted to the image of a social situation in the eastern parts of the Byzantine Empire during the 5th–7th century, which is to be found in the East Christian hagiographical texts. They cannot be treated as a completely reliable source of information, due to exaggerations and simplifications typical for the genre. On the other hand, they testify a long-lasting and vital literary tradition – they were circulating in the Byzantine Commonwealth during the Middle Ages, were translated to several languages (inter alia to the Church Slavic). They formed the basis for stereotypes – specific for the Medieval European imagination – that the eastern frontier of the Empire was rather dangerous territory, its neighbors (Persians, Arabs) were unpredictable pagans and the Christian inhabitants of the region ought to be called their innocent victims.

Mediterranean-style diet improves systolic blood pressure and arterial stiffness in older adults: Results of a 1-year European multi-center trial

We aimed to determine the effect of a Mediterranean-style diet, tailored to meet dietary recommendations for older adults, on blood pressure and arterial stiffness. In 12 months, randomized controlled trial (NU-AGE [New Dietary Strategies Addressing the Specific Needs of Elderly Population for Healthy Aging in Europe]), blood pressure was measured in 1294 healthy participants, aged 65 to 79 years, recruited from 5 European centers, and arterial stiffness in a subset of 225 participants. The intervention group received individually tailored standardized dietary advice and commercially available foods to increase adherence to a Mediterranean diet. The control group continued on their habitual diet and was provided with current national dietary guidance. In the 1142 participants who completed the trial (88.2%), after 1 year the intervention resulted in a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure (−5.5 mm Hg; 95% CI, −10.7 to −0.4; P=0.03), which was evident in males (−9.2 mm Hg, P=0.02) but not females (−3.1 mm Hg, P=0.37). The −1.7 mm Hg (95% CI, −4.3 to 0.9) decrease in diastolic pressure after intervention did not reach statistical significance. In a subset (n=225), augmentation index, a measure of arterial stiffness, was improved following intervention (−12.4; 95% CI, −24.4 to −0.5; P=0.04) with no change in pulse wave velocity. The intervention also resulted in an increase in 24-hour urinary potassium (8.8 mmol/L; 95% CI, 0.7–16.9; P=0.03) and in male participants (52%) a reduction in pulse pressure (−6.1 mm Hg; 95% CI, −12.0 to −0.2; P=0.04) and 24-hour urinary sodium (−27.1 mmol/L; 95% CI, −53.3 to −1.0; P=0.04). In conclusion, a Mediterranean-style diet is effective in improving cardiovascular health with clinically relevant reductions in blood pressure and arterial stiffness

Immunological aspects of the tumor microenvironment and epithelial-mesenchymal transition in gastric carcinogenesis

Infection with Helicobacter pylori, a Gram-negative, microaerophilic pathogen often results in gastric cancer in a subset of affected individuals. This explains why H. pylori is the only bacterium classified as a class I carcinogen by the World Health Organization. Several studies have pinpointed mechanisms by which H. pylori alters signaling pathways in the host cell to cause diseases. In this article, the authors have reviewed 234 studies conducted over a span of 18 years (2002–2020). The studies investigated the various mechanisms associated with gastric cancer induction. For the past 1.5 years, researchers have discovered new mechanisms contributing to gastric cancer linked to H. pylori etiology. Alongside alteration of the host signaling pathways using oncogenic CagA pathways, H. pylori induce DNA damage in the host and alter the methylation of DNA as a means of perturbing downstream signaling. Also, with H. pylori, several pathways in the host cell are activated, resulting in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), together with the induction of cell proliferation and survival. Studies have shown that H. pylori enhances gastric carcinogenesis via a multifactorial approach. What is intriguing is that most of the targeted mechanisms and pathways appear common with various forms of cancer

Communication management in the aspect of the food industry

The aim of this study. Sectors of the food economy create systems which existence is dependent upon effective communication. Because they operate in a turbulent market environment, they need information about customers, competitors or allies in order to create a trust atmosphere that will lead to the increased interest in their products or service. The results of the analysis. It should be emphasized that globalization implies social acceptance, which takes place on the market and is reflected in the fact that there are buyers for products or services. In terms of the food economy it is a continuous process involving collection and transmission of information which will be used in an appropriate manner, in order to create competitive products or services. Entities operating in the food economy can therefore function only on the basis of effective communication management, which may affect their innovation and competitiveness. Internationalization and globalization of the food economy postulate new communication needs, thereby emphasizing the role of communication in dealing with the environment in which the primary source of profit become the information and methods of their identifying and sharing. The studies refer to the application aim in the aspect of communication in the food economy sector. The discussion is theoretical and is based on literature on the food economy sector in the context of effective communication management. Evaluation of the pace and scope of the development of communication management is one of the significant research areas in the food economy sector. Such evaluation should be a starting point for formulating further strategies and programs for the economy development. The authors undertook a study which, through concentration on communication management, fills a significant gap in literature dedicated to identification of a communication system in the aspect of a supply chain and as an element of strategies of food industry enterprises. Conclusions and directions of further researches. Effective communication requires appropriate management aimed at achievement of success by an enterprise in the form of strong and stable market position. Communication management should be understood as a system that is oriented towards durable relationships with market participants, basing on partnership that underlies building of these relationships and achievement of long-term benefits. Thus, we should stress the importance of integration of decisions and instruments in the process of managing the activities undertaken as part of communication. Comprehensive communication, which consists in integrating the participants of the communication process around clear and coherent message when offering benefits to consumers, requires an effective management and creation of mechanisms of strategic links. The effective management of communication has a significant impact on all kinds of activities in the sector of food industry, especially market operations. Communication in this area refers to interaction between the participants of the supply chain and execution of market transactions. The impact of effective communication management is especially visible in the processes of planning and implementation of such elements of the supply chain as supply, stock control and logistics

Formation and structure of ionomer complexes from grafted polyelectrolytes

We discuss the structure and formation of Ionomer Complexes formed upon mixing a grafted block copolymer (poly(acrylic acid)-b-poly(acrylate methoxy poly(ethylene oxide)), PAA21-b-PAPEO14) with a linear polyelectrolyte (poly(N-methyl 2-vinyl pyridinium iodide), P2MVPI), called grafted block ionomer complexes (GBICs), and a chemically identical grafted copolymer (poly(acrylic acid)-co-poly(acrylate methoxy poly(ethylene oxide)), PAA28-co-PAPEO22) with a linear polyelectrolyte, called grafted ionomer complexes (GICs). Light scattering measurements show that GBICs are much bigger (~70–100 nm) and GICs are much smaller or comparable in size (6–22 nm) to regular complex coacervate core micelles (C3Ms). The mechanism of GICs formation is different from the formation of regular C3Ms and GBICs, and their size depends on the length of the homopolyelectrolyte. The sizes of GBICs and GICs slightly decrease with temperature increasing from 20 to 65 °C. This effect is stronger for GBICs than for GICs, is reversible for GICs and GBIC-PAPEO14/P2MVPI228, and shows some hysteresis for GBIC-PAPEO14/P2MVPI43. Self-consistent field (SCF) calculations for assembly of a grafted block copolymer (having clearly separated charged and grafted blocks) with an oppositely charged linear polyelectrolyte of length comparable to the charged copolymer block predict formation of relatively small spherical micelles (~6 nm), with a composition close to complete charge neutralization. The formation of micellar assemblies is suppressed if charged and grafted monomers are evenly distributed along the backbone, i.e., in case of a grafted copolymer. The very large difference between the sizes found experimentally for GBICs and the sizes predicted from SCF calculations supports the view that there is some secondary association mechanism. A possible mechanism is discussed