Journals University of Lodz
Not a member yet
21192 research outputs found
Sort by
Cardiovascular Risk Factors at Different Stages of Menopause: A Study among Bengali-Speaking Hindu Ethnic Group, India
No full textA reduction in the estrogen and progesterone levels during midlife leads to adverse changes in body fat distribution, insulin and lipid metabolism, and endothelial dysfunction; all of these increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, scholars are not unanimous on whether menopause enhances the CVD risk, independent of the normal process of aging and other confounding factors. Despite the cardio-protective effect of endogenous estrogen during their premenopausal years, the increased life expectancy of women exposes them to a greater lifetime risk of CVD compared to men. The aim of the present study was to understand the cardiovascular risk factors associated with different stages of menopause. This study was cross-sectional in nature and was carried out in the Howrah district of West Bengal, India. Two hundred and one participants were recruited for the study (Premenopausal 71, Perimenopausal 61, and Postmenopausal 69). Data on body fat distribution, blood glucose levels, and total cholesterol, blood pressure, and socio-demographic, menstrual and reproductive history, and lifestyle characteristics were obtained following standard protocols. Multivariate analysis of covariance was performed to understand how menopausal status impacted CVD risk factors after controlling the effects of the confounders. Menopausal status significantly predicted the CVD risk factors and body fat measures after removing the effects of the confounding variables, reinforcing the role of estrogen in the development of CVD. An overwhelming majority of the participants in our study have central obesity; so, this group is more prone to developing CVD in the near future. Future cross-cultural studies are required to understand how the link between menopause and CVD varies across different cultural groups and throughout the menopausal transition
How do age and sex influence pain threshold and tolerance among Santal tribal people living in West Bengal, India?
Get PDFThe perception of pain, encompassing pain threshold and tolerance levels, is a complex phenomenon influenced by biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors. Notably, age and sex have consistently emerged as pivotal determinants in modulating pain perception. The study aimed to examine age and sex differences in pain threshold and tolerance levels. Furthermore, it delved into exploring whether age-related differences in pain threshold and tolerance levels vary between males and females. This study incorporated 484 healthy Santal tribal individuals aged 18–88 years (male 203 and female 281) living in Howrah and Purba Bardhaman Districts of West Bengal State, India, who reported no chronic or significant pain at the time of data collection. Pain threshold and tolerance levels were assessed using a digital algometer. Results of two-way ANOVA revealed significant main effects of age and sex on every pain threshold and tolerance level assessed in this study, indicating that older individuals had lower pain threshold and tolerance levels than younger ones. Males demonstrated greater levels of pain threshold and tolerance relative to females. Age and sex showed a significant interaction effect on pain tolerance levels, but not on pain threshold levels demonstrating the age-associated declining trend in pain threshold levels was consistent for either sex; however, such a tendency in pain tolerance levels was more pronounced in men. These findings highlight the importance of considering age and sex factors when assessing pain perception
Cloud technologies and blockchain in auditing: a new stage in the development of control systems
No full textThe purpose of the article is to study the impact of cloud technologies and blockchain on the development of control systems in auditing, in particular on the effectiveness of internal control procedures and information transparency. The central hypothesis is that the integration of modern digital technologies into accounting and audit processes can significantly increase the transparency of financial transactions, reduce information asymmetry and improve the effectiveness of risk management and internal control procedures. The study is a response to the growing challenges faced by traditional auditing in a dynamic business environment.
Methodology. The methodological approach of the study is theoretical, based on a comprehensive analysis and synthesis of modern scientific literature. The study draws on general scientific methods, including bibliometric analysis, synthesis and systems-structural approaches, to explore the potential of cloud computing and blockchain technologies as tools for increasing financial transparency and control. The study findings were enriched by a multidimensional view of how these technological practices can be shaped by real-world constraints and organizational readiness.
Results of the research. The analysis confirmed that the integration of cloud technologies and blockchain fundamentally transforms auditing into a continuous and proactive process. Key findings demonstrate that these technologies provide unique advantages, such as increased scalability, immutability and transparency, which are crucial for combating fraud and financial crimes. At the same time, the study also identified significant challenges, including cybersecurity threats, dependence on network infrastructure, integration complexity and regulatory uncertainty. The results offer a new perspective on how technology solutions can be applied to improve financial control systems and improve corporate governance
GPT Models or Econometric Models: A Comparative Analysis of Gold Price Determinants
No full textThe purpose of the article. The main objective of this article is to compare the results of data analysis regarding gold prices and their determinants using two approaches: a classical econometric model and Microsoft Copilot, which integrates advanced artificial intelligence technologies, including the GPT-4 language model (Generative Pre-trained Transformer 4). The secondary objective is to identify, based on the existing literature, the main factors influencing fluctuations in gold prices. These include: the price of crude oil, the USD/EUR exchange rate, the S&P 500 index, and the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in the United States.
Methodology. The empirical study involves determining the descriptive statistics of the analyzed variables, the correlation matrix, and estimating the structural parameters of the model explaining the gold price.
Results of the research. The best results were obtained for the logarithmic returns of the analyzed variables. In line with the stated hypotheses, there is a negative relationship between the gold price and changes in the S&P 500 index, a negative relationship between the gold price and changes in the US$/EUR exchange rate, and a positive relationship between the gold price and the CPI. The study shows that, during the analyzed period (02.2004–11.2023), changes in crude oil prices did not have a statistically significant impact on gold price changes. To obtain data analysis results using Microsoft Copilot, a "chat" session was conducted. The responses provided the following information: proposed determinants of gold prices, a list of scientific articles, and R code to perform the auto.arima procedure. A comparison was made between the model incorporating economic theory-based factors and the model from the auto.arima procedure suggested by Microsoft Copilot. Based on the conducted study, it can be concluded that the model incorporating both autoregressive factors and other gold price determinants better explains the analyzed variable
Euro adoption and inflation stability: Early evidence from Croatia and the Czech Republic
No full textThe purpose of the article is to explore the link between monetary policy regimes and inflation dynamics in small open economies. Croatia and the Czech Republic provide a natural experiment for examining how small open economies with different monetary frameworks respond to global and regional shocks, including euro adoption and other external disturbances. The analysis sheds light on how institutional arrangements affect the stability of inflation rates in the presence of global shocks.
Methodology includes a Vector Autoregression (VAR) approach with monthly data covering the period from 2000 to 2024 and is complemented by Granger causality tests, as well as a structural break analysis to account for major events such as the global financial crisis in 2008, the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the 2022 European energy shock, and Croatia’s euro adoption.
The results of the empirical analysis reveal that euro adoption is associated with reduced short-term inflation volatility but weaker responsiveness to external shocks, while monetary independence allows greater policy flexibility at the cost of heightened inflation variability. These findings provide early evidence on the inflation-stabilizing role of euro adoption and contribute to ongoing policy debates on monetary integration within the European Union
Zderzenie cywilizacji? Religia jako główny składnik zróżnicowania kulturowego na przykładzie Białorusi i Polski
No full textThis comparative study investigates the role of religion as an important factor in shaping political and economic mental models, focusing on the contexts of Belarus and Poland. It builds upon Samuel Huntington’s thesis, which posits that cultural and religious differences are fundamental to civilisational conflicts. By analysing how Catholicism and Orthodoxy have shaped the divergent mentalities of these neighbouring nations, this research highlights the long-lasting influence of religious traditions on societal development. Employing a mixed-methods approach, including CATI surveys, statistical analyses, and historical comparisons, the study identifies significant differences in political and economic behaviours between Belarusians and Poles. These disparities underline the long-term impact of religion on attitudes toward power, property, and individualism. The findings contribute to a nuanced understanding of how religious values not only define societal norms but also shape national trajectories and contemporary geopolitical alignments. This research underscores the enduring relevance of religion in explaining cultural dynamics and civilisational divides in Eastern Europe.Niniejsze studium porównawcze bada rolę religii jako kluczowego czynnika w kształtowaniu politycznych i ekonomicznych modeli mentalnych, koncentrując się na przykładach Białorusi i Polski. Opiera się ono na tezie Samuela Huntingtona, która zakłada, że różnice kulturowe i religijne mają fundamentalne znaczenie dla konfliktów cywilizacyjnych. Analizując, w jaki sposób katolicyzm i prawosławie ukształtowały rozbieżne mentalności tych sąsiadujących ze sobą narodów, badania te podkreślają głęboki wpływ tradycji religijnych na rozwój społeczny. Wykorzystując zróżnicowane metody badawcze, w tym ankiety CATI, analizy statystyczne i porównania historyczne, badanie identyfikuje znaczące różnice w zachowaniach politycznych i ekonomicznych między Białorusinami i Polakami. Różnice te podkreślają długoterminowy wpływ religii na postawy wobec władzy, własności i indywidualizmu. Wyniki badania mogą przyczynić się do lepszego zrozumienia tego, w jaki sposób wartości religijne nie tylko definiują normy społeczne, ale także kształtują trajektorie rozwoju i współczesne układy geopolityczne. Badania te podkreślają trwałe znaczenie religii w wyjaśnianiu dynamiki kulturowej i podziałów cywilizacyjnych w Europie Wschodniej
Zmiana wariancji czy asymetria? Mechanizm transmisji monetarnej w małych, otwartych gospodarkach europejskich w czasie kryzysu finansowego
No full textThe article analyses the influence of crisis-induced changes in economic activity on the monetary transmission mechanism in the small open economies of Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Sweden from 2000: 1 to 2016: 5 using the Markov Switching Structural Bayesian Vector Autoregressive models. The results confirm that in countries where the exchange rate transmission channel is relatively weak (Hungary and Sweden), changes in volatilities coincide with changes in the coefficients of the monetary transmission mechanism, reducing the efficiency of a monetary policy during a crisis. The changes of the coefficients occurred in neither Poland nor Czechia, where the exchange rate pass-through was not closed completely. The results imply that in small open economies, public authorities’ efforts to sustain exchange rate pass-through may critically affect their ability to retain monetary control during a crisis.W artykule przeprowadzono analizę wpływu wywołanych kryzysem zmian w aktywności gospodarczej na mechanizm transmisji monetarnej w małych gospodarkach otwartych Czech, Węgier, Polski i Szwecji w okresie od stycznia 2000 do maja 2016 roku. W badaniu wykorzystano strukturalne bayesowskie modele wektorowej autoregresji z przełączaniem Markowa (MSBSVAR). Wyniki wskazują, że w krajach, w których kanał transmisji kursu walutowego jest stosunkowo słaby (Węgry i Szwecja), zmianom wariancji procesów gospodarczych w okresie kryzysu towarzyszyła zmiana wartości współczynników mechanizmu transmisji monetarnej, co w sposób negatywny wpływało na skuteczność polityki pieniężnej. Zmiany tego typu nie były obserwowane w Polsce i w Czechach, gdzie kanał transmisji kursu walutowego nie został całkowicie zneutralizowany. Wyniki sugerują, że wysiłki władz publicznych w małych gospodarkach otwartych, mające na celu utrzymanie kanału transmisji kursu walutowego, mogą mieć decydujący wpływ na ich zdolność do utrzymania skuteczności polityki pieniężnej w okresie kryzysu
Prawicowy radykalizm a płeć – analiza zróżnicowania zjawiska wśród młodych
Get PDFThe article is devoted to the phenomenon of the differentiation of political views of young people based on gender. In the introduction, I indicate the beginnings of the growth of right- -wing political sympathies of young people, which can be dated to the period 2013–2015, then referred to as the “right-wing turn”, and then I discuss the dynamics of political self-identification of young people. In the following sections, I present existing data that illustrate the described phenomenon of differentiation of political views and right-wing radicalism based on gender and selected ways of interpretation. Then, I describe the results of my own research from the unpublished doctoral thesis “Portret socjologiczny młodych mieszkańców aglomeracji poznańskiej o prawicowej autoidentyfikacji. Wymiar odświętny a życie codzienne” in the context of gender differentiation of narratives. The article ends by reflecting on the current political situation and identifying further interesting research areas.Artykuł poświęcony jest zjawisku zróżnicowania poglądów politycznych młodych ze względu na płeć. We wstępie wskazuję na początki wzrostu prawicowych sympatii politycznych młodych osób, które szczególnie wyraźnie widoczne były w okresie 2013–2015, zyskując miano „zwrotu prawicowego”; następnie omawiam, jak kształtowała się w czasie dynamika autoidentyfikacji politycznych tej grupy wiekowej. W kolejnych częściach prezentuję dane zastane, poświęcone fenomenowi zróżnicowania poglądów politycznych i prawicowego radykalizmu ze względu na płeć oraz wybrane sposoby ich interpretacji, a także opisuję wnioski z własnych badań z niepublikowanej pracy doktorskiej Portret socjologiczny młodych mieszkańców aglomeracji poznańskiej o prawicowej autoidentyfikacji. Wymiar odświętny a życie codzienne, skupiając się na kontekście płciowego zróżnicowania narracji. Artykuł kończy się refleksją na temat aktualnej sytuacji politycznej oraz określeniem dalszych interesujących obszarów badawczych
Bartłomiej z Bydgoszczy wobec terminologii prawniczej omówionej w „Vocabulariusie” Johannesa Reuchlina
Get PDFVocabularius breviloquus by the German humanist Johannes Reuchlin contained specialized vocabulary, including legal terminology. Bartholomew of Bydgoszcz, who owned a copy of the work, made his own notes alongside certain entries. The article examines which equivalents of Latin legal terms Bartholomew introduced, their stability/variability, etymology, and collocations; which meaningsinterested him and which he omitted. The study also aimed to determine the monk’s legal awareness and identify the legal issues that caught his interest. The analyses followed a two-step approach: first, the Latin entries Ius and Lex were examined to explore how Bartholomew interpreted them; then, the Polish lexeme prawo (law) was analyzed to track which Latin entries it corresponded to. It was found that the monk annotated legal terms in both Latin and Polish. The Polish vocabulary he used was of native origin and reflected Slavic customary law. Bartholomew showed little interest in entries related to specific Roman legal statutes. Instead, he focused primarily on judicial practice, as evidenced by his notes, which expanded the lexical network of Vocabularius with terms related to this area.
Obrzęd koronacji królewskiej w kronice Aleksandra Gwagnina – uwarunkowania historyczno-liturgiczne i rys teologiczny
Get PDFIn the introduction to the article, the author takes into consideration the source from which Gwagnin drew when describing the coronation rite. An analysis of the structure of the rite and its comparison to liturgical books suggests that Gwagnin’s description is based on the liturgical book, which was a compilation of two pontificals. The core is Pontificalis liber (Piccolomini) (from 1485) to which few rites and prayers, taken from the ponticifals used in Poland, were added. The author makes an effort to present reasons for changes in the rite. Then the author presents texts of the prayers, their translation and discusses the prayers and accompanying gestures. The author attempts to describe the Christian vision of the authority and the king. The obligations and the attributes of the king were presented. Attention was drawn to the monarch’s responsibility for the moral state of a society. The author mentions that before a dogmatic definition of the number of sacraments (The Council of Trent) the coronation rite might have been understood as a sacrament.We wprowadzeniu do artykułu autor podejmuje rozważania na temat źródła, z którego czerpał Gwagnin dokonując opisu obrzędu koronacji. Analiza struktury obrzędu i porównanie jej z księgami liturgicznymi pozwalają przypuszczać, że opis Gwagnina oparty jest na księdze liturgicznej, która była kompilacją dwóch ceremoniałów. Bazę stanowi Pontificalis liber (Piccolomini) (z 1485 roku), do którego dodano obrzędy i modlitwy z używanych w Polsce pontyfikałów. Autor stara się wskazać możliwe przyczyny zmian w ceremoniach koronacyjnych. Następnie przedstawia teksty modlitw, ich tłumaczenie oraz omawia modlitwy i towarzyszące im gesty. Autor podejmuje próbę przedstawienia chrześcijańskiej wizji władzy i władcy. Wymieniono zobowiązania oraz właściwe przymioty króla. Zwrócono uwagę na odpowiedzialność władcy za stan moralny społeczeństwa. Wskazano również, że przed dogmatycznym określeniem liczby sakramentów (Sobór Trydencki) obrzęd koronacji królewskiej mógł być rozumiany jako sakrament