Format 17+1 jako przykład chińskiego rozumienia i praktyki polityki zagranicznej

The main purpose of the article is to show the foreign policy of the People’s Republic of China from a different than western analytical perspective. According to author, not including in analysis of Pekin’s politic it’s different experience and view in international relations is the reason of their too western/European approach. In the result the picture is distorted by the western conceptual grid which makes it difficult to properly read and predict PRC moves in the international arena. In the article main concepts visible in the Chinese political culture, are talked over. As their roots reach to the classical philosophy and political practice of Middle Kingdom, they are also visible in contemporary Chinese foreign policy. Mentioned concepts are tianxia (all under heaven), ba (hegemony), shi (practically almost impossible to translate in one word) and guanxi (interpersonal connections). In the article all of them were defined and discussed, to show the reader China’s different approach to the international relations. Additionally, in the article author makes a bid to analyze Pekin’s international organization – 17+1 under the presence of above concepts. As it is shown, all of them can be found in it. 17+1 itself may be therefore an example of a universalism of Chinese foreign policy. Independently of the country toward which it is aimed, it is always formed by the concepts described in an article.Niniejsza praca ma na celu przedstawienie polityki zagranicznej Chińskiej Republiki Ludowej z innej niż zachodnia perspektywy badawczej. Nieuwzględnianie w analizach polityki Pekinu jego odrebnych doświadczeń i spojrzenia na stosunki międzynarodowe skutkuje nadmierną jej europeizacją/amerykanizacją. W efekcie obraz jest zniekształcony przez czysto zachodnią siatkę pojęciową, co znacząco utrudnia odpowiednie odczytanie i prognozowanie ruchów ChRL na arenie miedzynarodowej. W artykule omówione zostały kluczowe pojęcia funkcjonujące w kulturze politycznej Chin. Sięgające swoimi korzeniami aż do źródeł klasycznej filozofii i praktyki politycznej Państwa Środka, są według autora obecne również we współcześnie prowadzonej przez Pekin polityce zagranicznej. Należą do nich takie terminy jak tianxia (wszystko pod niebiem), ba (hegemonia), shi (termin praktycznie nieprzetłumaczalny), guanxi (sieć relacji/powiązań). W ramach artykułu zostały one zdefiniowane i omówione, co miało na celu zwrócenie uwagi czytelnika na odmienne spojrzenie, jakie mają Chiny na stosunki międzynarodowe. Dodatkowo w artykule podjęta została próba przeprowadzenia analizy powołanej do życia przez Pekin organizacji 17+1 pod kątem realizacji/obecności w niej wymienionych wyżej pojęć. Jak zostało wykazane, są one w niej obecne, a sama organizacja 17+1 może stanowić przykład na istnienie uniwersalizmu w chińskiej polityce zagranicznej. Niezależnie bowiem od państwa, wobec którego jest ona skierowana, zawsze jest kształtowana przez opisane w artykule pojęcia

Vicent Andrés Estellés and Ovidi Montllor : creative dialogue of poetry and music

Niniejszy artykuł ma na celu przybliżyć polskiemu czytelnikowi postaci walenc-kiego poety Vicenta Andrésa Estellésa oraz pieśniarza Ovidiego Montllora. Obaj artyści wnieśli nową jakość do poezji katalońskiej i sztuki piosenki tworzonej w tym języku w XX wieku. Twórczość Estellésa i Montllora można z powo-dzeniem analizować z osobna i takie właśnie podejście dominuje w dyskursie historycznoliterackim. Autorka chce pokazać jednak, że w interpretacjach Mon-tllora wiersze Estellésa i muzyka tworzą całość, którą można interpretować jako odrębne dzieło sztuki, niejako wyemancypowane z indywidualnej twórczości obu artystów. Skrótowo przedstawione biografie obu artystów służą umiejscowieniu ich dzieł w szerszym kontekście kulturowym i społecznym regionu Walencji w dru-giej połowie XX wieku. Podobieństwa i różnice w życiorysach artystów okazują się interesującym punktem wyjścia do porównywania ich twórczości zarówno pod względem podejmowanej tematyki, jak i reakcji na otaczające twórców realia. Autorka podejmuje próbę opisania miejsca, które Estellés zajmuje w panora-mie intelektualnej Walencji połowy ubiegłego wieku, obok takich postaci jak na przykład Joan Fuster. Wskazuje także najważniejsze wątki jego poezji: śmierć, miłość, opresja polityczna i społeczna. Poezja Estellésa była protestem przeciw kulturowej dyskryminacji społeczno-ści walenckiej. Poeta nie godził się na usunięcie z dyskursu publicznego kultury i języka swojego regionu. Duch oporu przeciw reżimowi politycznemu sprawił, że wiersze Estellésa doczekały się wielu aranżacji muzycznych. Jednym z najważ-niejszych pieśniarzy, którzy wykonywali wiersze poety, był Ovidi Montllor. Jako przedstawiciel katalońskiego ruchu muzycznego Nova Cançó współpracował on blisko z walenckim poetą. Jego niezrównane aktorsko i muzycznie interpretacje wierszy Estellésa sprawiły, że dorobek poety trafił do szerokiej publiczności i stał się synonimem walenckiej tożsamości. Owocem współpracy poety i muzyka są utwory gorzkie, ironiczne, a czasem też liryczne, które trwale zapisały się w kulturze Walencji, a także w świadomo-ści mieszkańców regionu. Dzieła te pozostają inspiracją dla młodych twórców realizujących się w różnych dziedzinach sztuki.This article aims at introducing the Valencian poet Vincent Andrés Estellés and songwriter Ovidi Montllor to the Polish audience. Both artists were able to make their mark in the field of Catalan poetry and songwriting in the 20th century. The works of Estellés and Montllor can successfully be analysed separately and such approach dominates the historical and literary discourse. The author, however, wants to show that in Montllor’s interpretations the Estellés’ poems and the music is interested in the way in such poetry and music are related in the interpretations of performed by Montllor create a whole that could be interpreted as a separate piece of art emancipated from the individual accounts of both artists. Brief recount of both artists’ biographies aims at placing their work in the broader cultural and social context of the Valencia Region in the second half of the 20th century. The similarities as well as the differences between their lives prove to be an interesting starting point for the comparison of their works, both when it comes to topics they choose as well as their reactions to the reality in which they were living. The author attempts to define the place that Estellés occupied in the intellectual panorama of Valencia in the last century, beside such intellectuals as Joan Fuster, among others. Moreover, the author points out the most important topics in poetry of Estellés, such as death, love, political and social opression. Estellés’ poetry was a protest against the cultural discrimination of the Valencian community. The poet stood against the elimination of the culture and language of the region that defined his identity. The resistance against the political regime resulted in a great number of musical arrangements. One of the most prominent songwriters who performed the poet’s works was Ovidi Montllor. As one of the representants of Catalan musical movement, Nova Cançó, Montllor shared a special creative bond with the Valencian poet. Montllor’s interpretations of Estellés’ texts were incomparable, both as stage performances and musical pieces. They allowed the poet’s works to reach a wider audience and become a synonym of the Valencian identity. The songs that came to existence thanks to the collaboration of both artists are sometimes bitter, ironic but also lyrical. They have a special place in the culture of the Valencia region as well as in the minds of the people of Valencia. These pieces of art still inspire young artists of different art forms

MEMS 411: The Adjustable Bit Brace

This group set out to create an open-source adjustable bit brace as a tool to lower the barrier to entry for smaller individuals looking to pick up tools and work on DIY projects. The brace is designed to highlight 3D printed parts, as well as components that can be fabricated at home by an experienced maker. The design uses standard adjustment mechanisms such as button clips and bolts to bring the bit brace from full size down to 2/3 scale in seconds. The device is advised by engineering models, FEA analysis, stiffness/strength targets, and destructive testing protocols to create a brace that satisfies user needs and predefined performance goals. Several parts were created in an iterative process to determine the best 3D printed design, material, and integration method. The final brace underwent validation proof load testing to ensure that assembly-level analysis was correct and that the brace was safe for operation. With the final addition of steel gussets to the 3D printed components, the brace now exceeds the predetermined strength requirements for functionality. Finally, the brace was used to drill holes into wood beams at several size configurations including the largest and smallest to ensure that functionality and tactile feedback were preserved

The Impact of Tourism on the Socio-Cultural Environment in the Gorce National Park and its Vicinity

The paper presents the problems of tourism in terms of its relationship with the social as well as cultural environment. The purpose of the article was to examine how tourism affects the socio-cultural environment in the Gorce National Park and its vicinity. I examined whether tourist traffic in the Park brings about more benefits or problems, and whether changes taking place in communities visited by tourists are positive or negative? The impact of tourism on the socio-cultural environment has been analyzed on the basis of a questionnaire I conducted. At the end I present a balance of benefits and costs of tourism in the Gorce National Park and its surroundings in the social and cultural contexts

The Use of Geothermal Waters in Podhale in Terms of Tourism and Industrial Applications

In recent years, there has been observed an increased interest of various industrial and economy branches in geothermal waters. In Poland, one of the more famous geothermal systems is the Podhale Basin, which forms an important reservoir of geothermal waters with relatively low mineralization and high temperatures. More and more often geothermal water is used not only for balneological or recreational purposes, but also as a heat source for heating. New areas of application of geothermal waters are also appearing, eg. use of cooled geothermal water as a raw material to produce fresh water. Another example of the application of geothermal waters is the cosmetic industry. For instance, a cream based on geothermal water from Podhale was introduced to the cosmetics market in 2013. This paper presents the possibilities of using the geothermal waters of Podhale, with particular emphasis on geothermal waters from Banska PGP-1, Banska IG-1 and Banska PGP-3 boreholes

Satisfaction and discontent of Polish patients with biological therapy of rheumatic diseases : results of a multi-center questionnaire study

Objectives: Biologics are medications widely applied in the management of inflammatory rheumatic diseases. The drugs were found to be effective but their application is associated with some disadvantages. Medication with biologics is relatively expensive, and in Poland, it is carried out in specialized centers. The study was designed to evaluate various aspects of satisfaction and dissatisfaction of Polish patients treated with biologics. Material and methods: An anonymous questionnaire was distributed in 23 Polish rheumatological centers involved in the treatment; 1212 returned questionnaires were used for analysis. Responses were received from 606 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, 427 with ankylosing spondylitis, 117 psoriatic arthritis, and 62 adult patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (in whom administration of the drugs had been introduced before they were 18 years old). The investigated group constituted about one-fifth of all rheumatic patients on biologics in Poland. Results: A beneficial or very beneficial influence of the medication on the state of physical health was found mostly in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (51.3 and 30.5%) and ankylosing spondylitis (51.0 and 36.8%). Family life was improved by the treatment especially in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (40.7 and 35.6% beneficial and very beneficial, respectively), sleep quality and sexual life mostly in those with ankylosing spondylitis (beneficial/very beneficial influence 41.5/38.4, and 38.7/23.9, respectively). There was a rather small influence of biological treatment on the financial situation of the patients. In general, satisfaction with the treatment was evaluated as positive or very positive in 88% of all investigated patients. In a significant part of the patients, transportation to the medical center was considered as a disadvantage of the treatment. About one-third of the patients considered laboratory and imaging tests to be done before initiation of the medication as a difficulty, and for about 40% waiting time for qualification for the medication was a significant disadvantage. The route of drug administration was without importance for 4/5 of the patients. Conclusions: Summing up, the results were similar in the patients suffering from various diseases although those with psoriatic arthritis felt the highest satisfaction (possibly due to the positive aesthetic effect), and those with ankylosing spondylitis had significant improvement in sexual life (probably due to younger age). Relatively low satisfaction was found in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. There was a small influence of medication on financial status of the patients. Application of biologics has few disadvantages and most of them are associated with the organization of health services (waiting time for the tests, transportation to the medical centers)