Search Results (50)

The Lower Silesian Voivodeship is one of 16 Polish voivodeships—it covers the Lower Silesia region. The area was chosen for this study due to its location at the crossroads of three countries (Poland, the Czech Republic, and Germany), centuries-old traditions in terms of the tourist function, wealth of nature, and the specificity of its demographic potential (almost total replacement of the regional community after World War II). The article identifies the main components of the settlement network and refers to the 11th Sustainable Development Goal. The purpose of this article is to analyze demographic changes and the evolution of the tourist function in Lower Silesia, with particular focus on their correlations and spatial diversification. The conducted analyses were based on the statistical data provided by the Local Data Bank of the Statistics Poland (LDB SP). Synthetic measures of development were used to analyze the tourist function. The research period varies depending on the particular stage and results from the availability of statistical data. The core of the research covers the years 1946–2023. It was established that Lower Silesia is characterized by a developed tourist function but, simultaneously, has been experiencing an increasingly pronounced demographic crisis. The research findings point to divergent choices made by the users–residents and users–tourists. The leaders in terms of the tourist function include, i.e., the Karkonosze County and Jelenia Góra city with county rights and, at the same time, the rapidly depopulating areas. The leading cities of Lower Silesia are not developing in an even manner; in this respect, the region is moving away from the 11th Sustainable Development Goal. Full article

This article compares the socio-economic development of the two industrial EU regions, the Silesian Voivodeship Poland and the Düsseldorf District in North Rhine–Westphalia, Germany, in the last 20 years of the 21st century. The Ninth Cohesion Report, the EU Regional Competitiveness Index 2.0, and the two concepts of the regional development trap and just transition in the EU were used. It investigated whether the applied EU regional policy, cohesion policy, had the expected effect of strengthening sustainable growth in the regions. This article aims to compare development trajectories, identify development traps and barriers, consider the just transition in the analyzed regions, and provide recommendations for regional policy. Those heavily industrialized regions must respond to the demographic challenges of labor shortages and an aging population. In the case of the Silesia region, the indicated course of action includes labor activation of women and migration management. For both regions, improving productivity is the key. The vital economic challenges include: for the Silesian Voivodeship—strengthening innovation; for the Düsseldorf region—maintaining innovation momentum and increasing resilience. Developing skills that meet industries’ needs is essential. Regarding social cohesion, the Silesia region should focus on equality measures. On the other hand, the Düsseldorf region should strengthen social protection against poverty. Full article

Background/Objective: The aim of this study was to assess stress-coping patterns among Polish doctors, taking into account their degree of resilience and sociodemographic characteristics. Methods: This study involved 832 (100%) Polish physicians working in the Silesian Voivodeship, Poland. All respondents gave their informed and voluntary consent to participate. This study was conducted using an original questionnaire and the Resilience Measurement Scale (SPP-25) Stress Coping Inventory (Mini-COPE). Results: Women used the strategies: Seeking Emotional Support and Seeking Instrumental Support significantly more often than men. Positive Re-evaluation strategy was used more often by doctors working in surgical wards, who also declared more frequent use of psychoactive substances. Younger doctors (≤30 years) were characterized by lower mental resilience compared to other age groups and doctors with high psychological resilience were characterized by higher scores in strategies belonging to the group of active coping with stress. Conclusions: The examined doctors with high resilience were mostly characterized by the use of active methods of coping with stress, in contrast to doctors with low resilience. Actions should be taken to increase the awareness of healthcare system employees in the field of active stress coping techniques and their adverse effects on health. Full article

The aim of the article was to compare the landscape and cultural value of cemeteries located around wooden churches on the Polish–Czech border in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. Research regarding the history of the villages was undertaken, describing their development and the construction of the churches and the cemeteries so as to compare changes in cemetery spatial layout, architecture, and landscape. The villages involved were Grzmiąca, Kamieńczyk, Międzygórze, Nowa Bystrzyca, Rybnica Leśna, and Zalesie. The following analyses were conducted: assessment of the visual aspects of the landscape, evaluation of the architectural value, and assessment of land use. In the landscape of Lower Silesia, churchyard cemeteries, which bear witness to the rich past of this region, are gradually but remorselessly deteriorating. Adverse changes are occurring to their spatial layout, to church buildings, as well as in architecture and greenery. The article presents a new approach to the subject of sacred sites through multi-faceted research aimed at protecting the fragile and changing religious landscape. Full article

The labor and energy inputs for milking and milk cooling, the preparation and distribution of feed, and manure removal were analyzed on eight farms in the Masovian, Podlaskie, Lower Silesian, and Kuyavian–Pomeranian voivodeships. In these facilities, milking was carried out using milking robots, which were also employed during feed preparation and discharge. The cleaning of manure channels and walking corridors were also automated. Based on labor, fuel, energy consumption, weight of machinery and equipment, and building area, the cumulative energy intensity of the farms was calculated, taking into account the average density of cow herds. The lowest energy input, 0.974 kWh∙LU⁻¹∙day, and the lowest cumulative energy intensity, amounting to 19.601 MJ∙day⁻¹∙LU⁻¹ were observed in a farm with AF-AM5 technology, that is, an automated milking system (AMS) and an automated feeding system (AFS). The second lowest total energy intensity was measured in a farm utilizing the AF-AM7 technology and amounted to 22.505 MJ∙day⁻¹∙LU⁻¹. The highest cumulative energy intensity was measured in a farm practicing conventional milking in a fishbone milking parlor, with a traditional feeding wagon powered by an agricultural tractor. A high level of cumulative energy intensity, for the majority, was connected with a high energy and fuel consumption, especially during the preparation of feed and feed distribution. Full article

This article presents a comprehensive analysis of the occurrence of innovative solutions in accordance with CSR in various companies. It turns out that 71% of medium-sized enterprises (50–249 people) and 64% of smaller companies (10–49 people and up to 9 people) declare the introduction of innovative solutions in CSR strategies, which proves that innovations are not limited to large companies. A responsible approach to business can affect competitiveness and positive public perception. The implementation of a CSR strategy increases profits, improves image, increases customer loyalty, attracts media attention, and opens up new markets. The hindering factor is the additional cost of implementing CSR activities, insufficient knowledge and awareness of CSR, and unclear regulations and market conditions, as well as the need to adapt the organizational structure and culture. CSR strategies are important for the success of enterprises and society, and solving potential problems allows for effective introduction of responsible practices. In order to obtain the presented data, two research methods were used: an analysis of the international literature sources and a survey by manufacturing firms in the Silesian Voivodeship. Full article

This study presents findings from an empirical investigation into households’ decisions to further invest in renewable energy sources (RES). In the Lower Silesian Voivodeship, the survey gathered responses from 300 single-family homeowners who had already invested in RES. Notably, household income emerged as a significant influencer, with higher income levels correlating to a greater inclination for RES investment. Surprisingly, owning photovoltaic batteries was associated with reduced intent for further RES investment, potentially indicating contentment with prior outcomes. Moreover, many respondents reported decreased energy costs post-RES investment, underscoring its economic viability. Nonetheless, results also revealed a perceived shortfall in government financial support, suggesting a need for more effective support mechanisms. Economic factors, including financial accessibility and perceived profitability, were pivotal drivers for RES investment. Policy interventions should account for these factors to bolster green energy adoption, particularly for low-income households. Future research should probe the reasons behind perceived government support insufficiency and discern the roles of different forms of financial assistance. These endeavors could refine policy frameworks and invigorate energy transition efforts. In conclusion, the study highlights households’ keen interest in RES investment in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. Household income stood out as a critical determinant, underlining economic factors’ sway over investment decisions. An intriguing observation was that prior photovoltaic battery ownership might temper enthusiasm for future RES investments. Most respondents experienced energy cost reduction, reinforcing RES benefits, though calls for improved government support remain. Economic considerations drive RES investment and warrant policy attention. Future research could probe the causes of perceived support shortfalls and untangle financial aid impacts for more targeted approaches to energy transition. Full article

This article focuses on the role of local government in energy transition. The aim of this article is to answer the question of whether local government authorities undertake actions aimed at the energy transformation of the region. This article is based on both literature studies and independent research. The empirical research was carried out in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship, located in Southwestern Poland. This region was chosen because it experienced the negative effects of economic transformation (liquidation of the Lower Silesian Coal Basin). Two hypotheses (H1 and H2) were adopted in the article. H1 assumes that in Polish conditions, bottom-up energy transformation requires the involvement of local authorities, and they should act as both initiators and shareholders of energy cooperatives. According to H2, local authorities participate in the energy transition to a limited extent. According to the conducted surveys, there has been no investment in wind farms, hydroelectric power plants or biogas plants. Communes are not interested in large, capital-intensive investments, limiting themselves to local actions with a small spatial range and small economic significance, although they are aware of the advantages of RES. Full article

Real estate management is a complex process that consists of making or indicating decisions of both a tactical and strategic character. To ensure the realization of the tasks, real property owners need to adjust their services to respond to technological pressure, a dynamically changing market, and the demands of the customer, thus resulting in various innovations introduced by the owners in the process of the public housing management. A review of the subject literature was the source of the theoretical motivation to conduct the empirical research on the innovations implemented by property owners. The main objective of said research was to ascertain which innovations have been implemented by the entities that were owners of public property in the Częstochowa City Commune and how were they evaluated by the residents. A questionnaire survey was used to verify the hypotheses. Statistical analyses were also carried out using the IBM SPSS Statistics 26 package, which was used to analyze basic descriptive statistics, including the Shapiro–Wilk test, the Student’s t-test for independent samples, Spearman’s rho correlation analysis, Pearson’s r correlation analysis, and linear regression analysis. The research presented in this paper was conducted in the Q3 and Q4 of 2020 among the residents of the public housing in Częstochowa, Silesian Voivodeship, Poland. The measurement tool used was a survey form. The survey itself was submitted by 444 respondents (n = 444). The results of the research made it possible to determine which innovations were implemented by the municipality in question and to what extent they were important or for the residents. The main finding of the survey is that residents of the municipal housing stock consider the innovations implemented by the municipality to be important. Full article

In recent years, forest fires have become an important issue in Central Europe. To model the probability of the occurrence of forest fires in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship of Poland, historical fire data and several types of predictors were collected or generated, including topographic, vegetation, climatic, and anthropogenic features. The main objectives of this study were to determine the importance of the predictors of forest fire occurrence and to map the probability of forest fire occurrence. The H2O driverless artificial intelligence (DAI) cloud platform was used to model forest fire probability. The gradient boosted machine (GBM) and random forest (RF) methods were applied to assess the probability of forest fire occurrence. Evaluation the importance of the variables was performed using the H2O platform permutation method. The most important variables were the presence of coniferous forest and the distance to agricultural land according to the GBM and RF methods, respectively. Model validation was conducted using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. The areas under the curve (AUCs) of the ROC plots from the GBM and RF models were 83.3% and 81.3%, respectively. Based on the results obtained, the GBM model can be recommended for the mapping of forest fire occurrence in the study area. Full article

Air pollution both indoors and outdoors is a major cause of various diseases and premature deaths. Negative health effects are more frequently observed in a number of European countries characterized by significant pollution. In Poland, especially in Upper Silesia, the most serious problem is the high concentration of particulate matter (PM) and PM10-bound benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P). The main source of these two pollutants is so-called “low emissions” associated with the burning of solid fuels mainly in domestic boilers and liquid fuels in road traffic. This study examined the variability in the PM and PM10-bound B[a]P concentrations and their relationships with meteorological parameters, i.e., atmospheric pressure, air temperature and wind speed, in 2018–2021 at 11 monitoring stations. In many Silesian cities, the average annual concentrations of PM10, PM2.5 and B[a]P were much higher than those recorded in other European countries. At each station, the average daily PM10 concentrations were exceeded on 12 to 126 days a year. Taking into account the WHO recommendation for PM2.5, the highest recorded average daily concentration exceeded the permissible level by almost 40 times. The same relationships were observed in all measurement years: PM10 concentrations were negatively correlated with air temperature (R = −0.386) and wind speed (R = −0.614). The highest concentrations were observed in the temperature range from −15 °C to −5 °C, when the wind speed did not exceed 0.5 m·s⁻¹. The calculated lifetime cancer risk (LCR) associated with the exposure to B[a]P in the Silesian Voivodeship suggested 30–429 cases per 1 million people in the heating season depending on the scenario used for the calculations (IRIS, EPA or WHO). Full article

Tick-borne microorganisms belong to important etiological agents of many infectious diseases affecting humans and animals. Among them, there are haemoprotozoans of the Babesia genus, which infect erythrocytes of a host and may cause many clinical symptoms. Canine babesiosis is an emerging tick-borne disease in Southern and Central Europe. In this study, we report two cases of symptomatic canine babesiosis caused by Babesia canis in domestic dogs from the Silesian Voivodeship, Poland, as well as the presence of Dermacentor reticulatus ticks detected on one of the Babesia-infected dogs (D. reticulatus-free zone). The molecular analysis confirmed the presence of Babesia canis in the dogs’ blood, and the sequencing analysis showed that the obtained sequence is 100% identical to the sequence of Babesia canis isolate 3469 (sequence ID: KX712122.1). Our findings should raise awareness of B. canis infection among dog owners and veterinarians in the region where B. canis was not previously reported in residential, non-traveling dogs, as well as ensuring that adequate diagnostic methods are available. Full article

Background: Considering that health behaviors and personality traits play an important role in the formation of health attitudes, the main objective of this study was to evaluate the relations that occur between type D personality and health behaviors in a group of obese patients. Methods: 443 adult patients with BMI ≥ 30 kg/m², who had been hospitalized in selected hospital facilities in the Silesian Voivodeship (Poland), participated in the study. Respondents completed three standardized questionnaires—the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale, version A (MHLC-A), the Inventory of Health Behaviors (IZZ), and the Type D Scale (DS-14). Results: Patients with type D personality were characterized by the least effective mental attitudes and preventive behaviors, and differed significantly from the other personality types (intermediate and non-type D). Type D personality increased the risk of initiating improper health behaviors by more than five times. Regarding the sense of health control, patients with type D personality had significantly lower scores for the Internal Dimension subscale (21.3 ± 3.1) and higher for the Powerful Others Dimension subscale (24.0 ± 2.6), compared to patients with intermediate and non-type D personality. Proper health behaviors correlated with an internal sense of health control; the strongest correlation, defined as a medium, was with Preventive Behaviors (R = 0.42; p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Type D personality was associated with poorer attitudes towards health. Among obese respondents with a type D personality, there was a significantly higher prevalence of those who believed that their health status was a consequence of chance events. Full article

Innovative ecological transformations are implemented in order to improve the quality and comfort of people’s lives, especially in urban spaces. The ecological awareness of the society has increased in recent years, which resulted in the emergence of a growing number of social initiatives in the field of ecological activities. The main purpose of the article was to conduct a survey in order to examine the environmental awareness of the inhabitants and the need to implement pro-ecological solutions in their area of residence. We analysed the results of research carried out among the residents of ZGM TBS Sp. z o.o. in Częstochowa. The authors’ own research presented in the article was conducted in the first and second quarter of 2021 among the inhabitants of a medium-sized city in the Śląskie Voivodeship. Research was conducted in Częstochowa, which is a specialized Silesian region, is one of the most polluted pollutants in Poland, and is a reserved research stand. The survey was conducted with the use of a questionnaire administered to 400 respondents, the number of whom was considered sufficient to express the opinion of a part of the population on the topic under study. The obtained results of the research prove the respondents’ awareness of the implementation of modern ecological solutions, allowing for a reduction in maintenance costs and unfavourable actions for the natural environment. The results of the study clearly indicate the need to adapt urban spaces to the requirements of its community and the respondents’ willingness to implement ecological solutions. Ecological changes in the management of municipal real estate should be implemented and modernized in accordance with the standards set by modern society. Full article

Physical and mental well-being are important determinants of medical doctors’ lives, including their professional activity, which has a direct impact on the health and lives of patients. The aim of the study was to assess the health condition of medical doctors from the Silesian Voivodeship. The physical health condition, including the prevalence of chronic diseases, drug therapy, and pro-health activities, was assessed. Data on mental health according to the HADS scale (hospital anxiety and depression scale) referred to the selected socio-economic and professional aspects of life, as well as life and job satisfaction. The doctors most often reported diseases of the circulatory system and diseases of endocrine system, nutritional status and metabolic changes, allergies, and degenerative changes in the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue. Chronic diseases and anxiety or depressive disorders affected doctors aged 50–80 years more frequently, and those doctors undertook preventive pro-health activities more often. The higher risks of anxiety and depression were related to their social and professional roles, lower economic status, overweight or obesity, chronic diseases, pharmacotherapy, diets, and chronic fatigue. On the other hand, frequent physical activity, a longer sleep duration, smaller weekly workload, type of rest, a higher sense of job satisfaction, and a higher level of life satisfaction reduced the risk of disorders. The health condition of medical doctors in the Silesian Voivodeship requires decisive remedial actions in the professional and non-professional spheres. Full article