The aim of the research was to find out the opinions of stockbrokers working at the Warsaw Stock Exchange regarding the behaviour of Polish investors in the face of the coronavirus (COVID-19) ...pandemic. The research was carried out among 51 stockbrokers representing brokerage houses with a long history of operations. It has been found that psychological conditions of people and stock market sentiments play an important role in the decision-making process, and irrational investor behaviours, including largely herd effects, are particularly evident during the pandemic. The research shows that the occurrence of the coronavirus has not reduced the activity of Polish investors. Thus, significantly growing interest in shares of companies listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange has been noted. The behaviour and attitude of market participants towards risk were volatile during the developing pandemic, which manifested itself in rapid buying of overvalued assets or rapid selling of assets.
IMPORTANCE OF BUSINESS SOLUTIONS BASED ON BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY Wiśniewska, Marta
Polityki Europejskie, Finanse i Marketing/Zeszyty Naukowe Szkoły Głównej Gospodarstwa Wiejskiego w Warszawie. Polityki Europejskie, Finanse i Marketing,
12/2020
24(73)
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
The aim of this study is to determine the essence of blockchain technology and its capabilities to be utilized in business operations. The paper discusses the importance of blockchain technology and ...practical possibilities of its application. Based on industry reports, statistics on investments of enterprises in blockchain technology and attitudes of their senior executives towards this technology, as well as the validity of its implementation, have been presented. In addition, the most important advantages of blockchain technology in relation to existing information technology (IT) systems have been specified. The article describes organizational barriers hindering investments in blockchain technology and its actual applications in companies. Performed analyses show that companies around the world are actively investing in blockchain technology. This technology has been found to be positively recognized in business by executives, however companies, while planning its implementation, face numerous barriers which mainly arise from a lack of legal regulations, and technical problems. On the other hand, blockchain technology can be used in many areas of company activities, especially in the supply chain.
Canonical Wnt signaling, which is transduced by β‐catenin and lymphoid enhancer factor 1/T cell‐specific transcription factors (LEF1/TCFs), regulates many aspects of metazoan development and tissue ...renewal. Although much evidence has associated canonical Wnt/β‐catenin signaling with mood disorders, the mechanistic links are still unknown. Many components of the canonical Wnt pathway are involved in cellular processes that are unrelated to classical canonical Wnt signaling, thus further blurring the picture. The present review critically evaluates the involvement of classical Wnt/β‐catenin signaling in developmental processes that putatively underlie the pathology of mental illnesses. Particular attention is given to the roles of LEF1/TCFs, which have been discussed surprisingly rarely in this context. Highlighting recent discoveries, we propose that alterations in the activity of LEF1/TCFs, and particularly of transcription factor 7‐like 2 (TCF7L2), result in defects previously associated with neuropsychiatric disorders, including imbalances in neurogenesis and oligodendrogenesis, the functional disruption of thalamocortical circuitry and dysfunction of the habenula.
Bathymetry is a subset of hydrography, aimed at measuring the depth of waterbodies and waterways. Measurements are taken inter alia to detect natural obstacles or other navigational obstacles that ...endanger the safety of navigation, to examine the navigability conditions, anchorages, waterways and other commercial waterbodies, and to determine the parameters of the safe depth of waterbodies in the vicinity of ports, etc. Therefore, it is necessary to produce precise and reliable seabed maps, so that any hazards that may occur, particularly in shallow waterbodies, can be prevented, including the high dynamics of hydromorphological changes. This publication is aimed at developing a concept of an innovative autonomous unmanned system for bathymetric monitoring of shallow waterbodies. A bathymetric and topographic system will use autonomous unmanned aerial and surface vehicles to study the seabed relief in the littoral zone (even at depths of less than 1 m), in line with the requirements set out for the most stringent International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) order—exclusive. Unlike other existing solutions, the INNOBAT system will enable the coverage of the entire surveyed area with measurements, which will allow a comprehensive assessment of the hydrographic and navigation situation in the waterbody to be conducted.
Waste management is an important element of sustainable urban development. One of the directions of waste management is mechanical-biological treatment (MBT) of waste with biogas installation. In ...addition to the benefits of purifying waste from separate collection and sorting of raw material waste from the mixed waste stream (subsequently diverted to recovery or recycling), this direction is also characterised by energy benefits (energy production from biogas). Mechanical and biological treatment of municipal waste inevitably entails also negative impacts, such as odour emission. In Poland, there are no legal regulations concerning odour nuisances. Reference could be made, inter alia, to BAT conclusions on waste treatment or standards in other countries. There are many methods of testing for odour emissions, but none of them, taken individually, characterises it sufficiently. The paper presents the results of research carried out in one of the biogas plants in Poland. The results present the sources of the highest odour emission in the examined plant, to which they belong: digestate during the second-stage oxygen stabilisation in the open air and pump station of technological sludge.
The aim of this study was to assess urban policies from the point of view of their impact on energy efficiency as a factor enhancing local competitiveness in Poland. To achieve this objective, we ...carried out an original study. The first step was to conduct a literature review. Next, an attempt was made to present the prevailing state of knowledge regarding the management of the competitiveness of cities and regions, as well as the functioning of energy efficiency in the economy. The development strategies of 18 selected cities serving as provincial capitals or playing other administrative roles at the regional level were also analysed. Importantly, the impact envisaged for municipal authorities to improve energy efficiency largely focuses on investments in the modernisation of public transport infrastructure and renewable energy sources. These investments certainly yield substantial cost savings, which are presented in the article. Nevertheless, it is essential to bear in mind that these are not the sole advantages of increased energy efficiency of local socio-economic systems. The investments also have the potential to enhance the perception of cities, increase the value of municipal real estate, and improve the health of urban residents by reducing emissions into the atmosphere. Still, a clearly discernible link between these arguments and a positive impact of cities’ energy savings on their competitive standing and competitive edge is absent from the analysed city development strategies.
Mineral excavation is a common process throughout the world. The open pits remaining after the closure of a mine require well-considered and meticulous reclamation activities aimed at restoring the ...environmental properties of a given area. The inspections carried out in Poland indicate numerous irregularities in implementing the reclamation process. The research in this study was conducted in six measurement series and includes both chemical and olfactometry determinations by devices: multisensor portable gas detector and field olfactometer. Statistical analysis of the results obtained show high concentrations in ambient air of both chemical compounds (NH3, VOCs, H2S, CH3SH) and odour, excluding the possibility of occurrence in the pit of only waste types contained in the administrative decision on reclamation. In addition to the unpleasant odour, the listed compounds can have dangerous effects on the health and life of living organisms. This paper presents a suitable method of control and detection of irregularities in the conducted processes. The main advantage is the relatively low cost of purchasing sensors and field olfactometers compared to other devices, and the possibility to test the polluted air in situ, without the risk of chemical processes occurring during transport of gas samples to the laboratory.
The identification and development of new agents with a therapeutic potential as well as novel drug combinations are gaining the attention of scientists and clinicians as a plausible approach to ...improve therapeutic regimens for chemoresistant tumors. We have recently reported that the flavonoid fisetin (FIS), at physiologically attainable concentrations, acts synergistically with clinically achievable doses of paclitaxel (PTX) to produce growth inhibitory and pro-death effects on A549 human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. To further investigate a potential therapeutic efficacy of the combination of fisetin with paclitaxel, we decided to assess its impact on metastatic capability of A549 cells as well as its toxicity toward normal human lung fibroblast. Cell viability, cell migration, and invasion were measured by thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, wound healing assay, and Transwell chamber assay, respectively. The expression of metastasis-related genes was assessed with quantitative reverse transcriptase real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Actin and vimentin filaments were examined under the fluorescence microscope. The combination of FIS and PTX significantly reduced cancer cell migration and invasion, at least partially, through a marked rearrangement of actin and vimentin cytoskeleton and the modulation of metastasis-related genes. Most of these effects of the combination treatment were significantly greater than those of individual agents. Paclitaxel alone was even more toxic to normal cells than the combination of this drug with the flavonoid, suggesting that FIS may provide some protection against PTX-mediated cytotoxicity. The combination of FIS and PTX is expected to have a synergistic anticancer efficacy and a significant potential for the treatment of NSCLC, however, further in vitro and in vivo studies are required to confirm this preliminary evidence.
To our knowledge, this study is the first to investigate the effect of the dietary flavonoid quercetin on the main cytoskeletal elements, namely microfilaments, microtubules and vimentin intermediate ...filaments, as well as cytoskeleton-driven processes in A549 non-small cell lung cancer cells. The methyl-thiazol-diphenyl-tetrazolium assay, annexin V/propidium iodide test, electron microscopic examination, cell cycle analysis based on DNA content, real-time PCR assays, in vitro scratch wound-healing assay, fluorescence staining of F-actin, β-tubulin and vimentin were performed to assess the effects of quercetin on A549 cells. Our results showed that quercetin triggered BCL2/BAX-mediated apoptosis, as well as necrosis and mitotic catastrophe, and inhibited the migratory potential of A549 cells. The disassembling effect of quercetin on microfilaments, microtubules and vimentin filaments along with its inhibitory impact on vimentin and N-cadherin expression might account for the decreased migration of A549 cells in response to quercetin treatment. We also suggest that the possible mechanism underlying quercetin-induced mitotic catastrophe involves the perturbation of mitotic microtubules leading to monopolar spindle formation, and, consequently, to the failure of cytokinesis. We further propose that cytokinesis failure could also be a result of the depletion of actin filaments by quercetin. These findings are important to our further understanding of the detailed mechanism of the antitumor activity of quercetin and render this flavonoid a potentially useful candidate for combination therapy with conventional antimicrotubule drugs, nucleic acid-directed agents or novel cytoskeletal-directed agents.
The actin cytoskeleton plays a crucial role in many cellular processes while its reorganization is important in maintaining cell homeostasis. However, in the case of cancer cells, actin and ABPs ...(actin-binding proteins) are involved in all stages of carcinogenesis. Literature has reported that ABPs such as SATB1 (special AT-rich binding protein 1), WASP (Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein), nesprin, and villin take part in the initial step of carcinogenesis by regulating oncogene expression. Additionally, changes in actin localization promote cell proliferation by inhibiting apoptosis (SATB1). In turn, migration and invasion of cancer cells are based on the formation of actin-rich protrusions (Arp2/3 complex, filamin A, fascin, α-actinin, and cofilin). Importantly, more and more scientists suggest that microfilaments together with the associated proteins mediate tumor vascularization. Hence, the presented article aims to summarize literature reports in the context of the potential role of actin and ABPs in all steps of carcinogenesis.
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