Wroclaw University of Economics and Business

Recently, attention has been drawn to the fact that increasing the consumption of edible insects may positively impact the state of the natural environment and reduce the problem of malnutrition in large parts of society. Indeed, insects are seen as an alternative to traditional meat products, primarily meat. This article aimed to compare the nutritional value of edible insects and meat. Based on tables of composition and nutritional value and on the licensed computer program Diet 6D, data on the nutritional value of 10 commonly consumed meat types were compiled. Based on a literature review, data on the nutritional value of seven commercially available edible insect species were collected and collated. There was a comparison of 100 g of edible insects with 100 g of meat (fresh weight). In addition, the atherogenic index thrombogenic index, the hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic ratio, and the nutritional quality index were calculated. It was found that both meat and insects are rich in nutrients, including those considered essential for the proper development and functioning of the human body. At the same time, it has been shown that the content of individual nutrients in both insects and meat varies significantly.

The concept of sustainability has been gaining importance and influencing the development of an approach towards employees referred to as sustainable HRM (SHRM). HR development is one of the principles of SHRM that should be implemented consistently along with other SHRM principles, which means, e.g., that the development of employees should be carried out having a long-term perspective in mind. It is crucial to acquire the so-called competencies of the future as the basis for implementing the idea of Industry 4.0. The purpose of the article is to present the development of human potential in an organization against the background of other detailed sustainable HRM principles, to be followed by confronting the theory and the research results on the development of future competencies referring to industrial engineers in Poland as the professional group responsible for implementing the idea of cleaner production and Industry 4.0. The Author analyzed the results of three research projects based on the survey method and representative data from Eurostat and Statistics Poland. The conducted research shows that industrial companies in Poland have more of a short-sighted perspective when it comes to developing the potential of their engineers. The HR development practices focusing only on current needs are not in line with the SHRM principles of a long-term perspective and flexibility. There is also a visible lack of employee participation in the process of making training-related decisions, which is another principle of sustainable HRM. In addition, environmental sustainability remains a neglected area of knowledge in terms of training, and the cooperation with external educational institutions is low. It results in certain implications for HR managers and educational institutions. The article also presents directions for further research.

The aim of this paper is to synthetize and critically analyze the linkage between leadership styles and sustainable performance (SP) through application of the rigor of systematic literature reviews. Bibliometric characterization of articles indexed in the Scopus database, network analysis and a manual in-depth review were carried out. The final sample consisted of 47 documents. The most discussed leadership styles were sustainable leadership and transformational leadership. The former was mostly linked with general SP, whereas the latter was linked with environmental performance. In 41 out of the 47 papers, the authors provided empirical research. Upper echelon theory and resource-based view theory have been used in most of previous papers. This study synthesizes how leadership influences SP (directly and indirectly) and reveals that the authors of the analyzed papers did not establish a consensus regarding their empirical evidence. The prospects for future research are shown in terms of research topics, methodology, and variables, as well as, i.a., terminological clarity and a holistic approach to SP.

ZnO, Zn(OH) 2 , Zn 5 (OH) 8 Cl 2 ·H 2 O, ZnCO 3 , and Zn 5 (CO 3 ) 2 (OH) 6 synthetic powders were prepared by chemical or solid-state method. Their crystalline phase structure, thermal behavior, and morphology were examined. Characteristic infrared absorbance bands were estimated by means of FT-IR ATR spectroscopy. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) allowed to calculate the modified Auger parameters ( α ′) thereof to 2010.2, 2009.3, 2009.4, 2009.7, and 2009.8 eV, respectively for ZnO, Zn(OH) 2 , Zn 5 (OH) 8 Cl 2 ·H 2 O, ZnCO 3 , and Zn 5 (CO 3 ) 2 (OH) 6 . Finally, comparison of surface composition may be crucial to evaluation of the unknown experimental spectra of corrosion products formed on the surface of zinc alloy coatings exposed in NaCl solution.

β-Carotene belongs to a group of more than 600 compounds, jointly called as carotenoids.It has numerous biological functions in the human body and because human is not able to synthesize any of them, it is necessary to supply these valuable compounds with food or pharmaceuticals.Rising, therefore, market demand stimulates the development of its diverse production methods.Originally β-carotene was recovered from plants by physicochemical extraction and mainly from carrots.Nowadays β-carotene is mainly produced through chemical synthesis.But quite recently biotechnology makes a great approach toward β-carotene production as bioactive compounds of natural origin reveal higher bioaccessibility and higher consumer trust on market.

Nonmetallic (based on polymers or oxides) and metallic protective coatings are used to protect metal products against the harmful action of the corrosion environment. In recent years, self-healing coatings have been the subject of increasing interest. The ability of such coatings to self-repair local damage caused by external factors is a major factor contributing to their attractiveness. Polymer layers, silica-organic layers, conversion layers, metallic layers and ceramic layers, to mention but a few, are used as self-healing coatings. This paper presents the main kinds of self-healing coatings and explains their self-healing mechanisms.

Since the education sector is associated with highly dynamic business environments which are controlled and maintained by information systems, recent technological advancements and the increasing pace of adopting artificial intelligence (AI) technologies constitute a need to identify and analyze the issues regarding their implementation in education sector. However, a study of the contemporary literature reveled that relatively little research has been undertaken in this area. To fill this void, we have identified the benefits and challenges of implementing artificial intelligence in the education sector, preceded by a short discussion on the concepts of AI and its evolution over time. Moreover, we have also reviewed modern AI technologies for learners and educators, currently available on the software market, evaluating their usefulness. Last but not least, we have developed a strategy implementation model, described by a five-stage, generic process, along with the corresponding configuration guide. To verify and validate their design, we separately developed three implementation strategies for three different higher education organizations. We believe that the obtained results will contribute to better understanding the specificities of AI systems, services and tools, and afterwards pave a smooth way in their implementation.

Caspases are proteases at the heart of networks that govern apoptosis and inflammation. The past decade has seen huge leaps in understanding the biology and chemistry of the caspases, largely through the development of synthetic substrates and inhibitors. Such agents are used to define the role of caspases in transmitting life and death signals, in imaging caspases in situ and in vivo, and in deconvoluting the networks that govern cell behavior. Additionally, focused proteomics methods have begun to reveal the natural substrates of caspases in the thousands. Together, these chemical and proteomics technologies are setting the scene for designing and implementing control of caspase activity as appropriate targets for disease therapy.

Citric acid finds broad applications in various industrial sectors, such as the pharmaceutical, food, chemical, and cosmetic industries. The bioproduction of citric acid uses various microorganisms, but the most commonly employed ones are filamentous fungi such as Aspergillus niger and yeast Yarrowia lipolytica. This article presents a literature review on the properties of citric acid, the microorganisms and substrates used, different fermentation techniques, its industrial utilization, and the global citric acid market. This review emphasizes that there is still much to explore, both in terms of production process techniques and emerging new applications of citric acid.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the fatty acid profile and health lipid indices of meat from 3 Polish local goose varieties (Romanian-RO, Pomeranian-PO, and Subcarpathian-SB) and the commercial cross White Kołuda goose (W31). Birds were fed ad libitum with the same complete feeds until 17 wk of age. The geese (n = 72) with body weight close to the arithmetic mean in particular flock were fasted for 12 h and slaughtered in an experimental slaughterhouse (18 females in each flock). Carcasses were stored at 2 to 4°C for 24 h. The breast muscles (m. pectoralis major) were cut out from the left side of carcass, separately vacuum-packed, and stored at -80°C until analysis. Fatty acid profile of meat was determined by gas chromatography and health lipid indices were calculated. The W31 muscles had a higher percentage of C 18:0 and a lower of C 16:0 than those of RO, PO, and SB geese. The W31 muscles were characterized by a significantly higher proportion of monounsaturated fatty acids (46.5%) than remaining ones (43.28%-PO, 43.38%-SB, and 44.24%-RO). The lowest proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids was established for W31 muscles (22.05%). The breast muscles of RO, SB, and PO had more favorable polyunsaturated n-6 and n-3 fatty acid (PUFA)/ saturated fatty acid (SFA) ratio (0.85, 0.82, 0.83, respectively) than W31 geese (0.72). The current findings showed that UFA/SFA, PUFA/SFA, and PUFA n-6/n-3 ratios in RO and SB muscles were within the optimum values for human diets. No significant differences were observed in the atherogenic, thrombogenic, and hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic indices between the analyzed muscles. Commercial W31 geese breast muscles showed a lower value (43.90%) of peroxidizability index (PI) compared to SB (52.88%), PO (53.93%), and RO (53.47%). However, the higher values of the PUFA/SFA and PI in the meat of SB, PO, and RO birds may indicate a higher prohealth value of their meat.

Purpose Considering the vital role of higher education institutions (HEIs) in accomplishing sustainable development goals, this study aims to examine how and when sustainable leadership (SL) influences sustainable performance by examining social innovation (SI) as a mediating mechanism and managerial discretion (MD) as a boundary condition based on upper echelon theory. Design/methodology/approach This study is cross-sectional in nature. The authors adopted a cluster-sampling approach to collect data from 500 employees of HEIs in Pakistan and China. The response rate for this study was 52.63%. As the proposed model is complex, the authors used structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyze the research hypothesis. Findings The empirical findings confirm the presence of SI as a competitive partial mediator between SL and sustainable performance. Nevertheless, the findings of this study do not suggest a higher positive effect of SL on SI in the presence of high MD. Research limitations/implications The study evaluated the role of SL and SI in fostering sustainable performance from the perspective of employees in HEIs in China and Pakistan. Before the empirical evidence can be generalized, there is a need to conduct similar studies in other parts of Asia and Western countries as well. Practical implications This study presents implications for higher education leaders and policymakers at the national level to foster the sustainable performance of their institutions. Social implications The current evidence reveals the effectiveness of SL in achieving the social goals of HEIs through SI. The recommendations presented in this study can have an impact on society, providing it with a sustainable future. Originality/value This study is the first of its kind to examine the mediating role of SI on the relationship between SL and sustainable performance. The present study also provides pioneering empirical evidence about the negative effects of MD in the context of HEIs.

Failure is not the outcome which entrepreneurs strive for when they start their businesses. However, thousands of entrepreneurs fail each year, experiencing painful and damaging consequences in their professional and private lives. Current knowledge on entrepreneurial failure is quite fragmentary. Our study aims at integrating knowledge on the effects of entrepreneurial failure. Departing from a systematic literature review, we develop a multilevel framework of entrepreneurial failure effects which categorises: (1) their manifestations over time; (2) the directness of the link to the failure event; (3) the degree of impact on the failed entrepreneur; and (4) the level of long‐term outcomes generated. Our findings reveal a broad scope of multilevel impacts of entrepreneurial failure .

Abstract During the COVID‐19 pandemic, universities worldwide are going into ‘emergency mode’—radically transforming education by switching to online and e‐learning education. In the face of these emergent changes, many academic teachers who are unwilling to use e‐learning or who lack the appropriate competences are suddenly being forced to teach via electronic devices and the Internet. But how will this COVID‐19 forced e‐learning influence academic teachers' motivation and performance? In this conceptual paper, drawing from Job Characteristics Theory—a model of human work motivation, we would like to discuss the possible changes in six motivational job characteristics of the academic teacher's job (task identity, task significance, skill variety, feedback, autonomy, social dimensions of the work) caused by COVID‐19 forced e‐learning. Our concise conceptual elaboration might spark a debate on the possible unintended consequences of COVID‐19 forced e‐learning.

An international association advancing the multidisciplinary study of informing systems. Founded in 1998, the Informing Science Institute (ISI) is a global community of academics shaping the future of informing science.

Streptomycetes are antibiotic-producing filamentous microorganisms that have a mycelial life style. In many ways streptomycetes are the odd ones out in terms of cell division. While the basic components of the cell division machinery are similar to those found in rod-shaped bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis, many aspects of the control of cell division and its co-ordination with chromosome segregation are remarkably different. The rather astonishing fact that cell division is not essential for growth makes these bacteria unique. The fundamental difference between the cross-walls produced during normal growth and sporulation septa formed in aerial hyphae, and the role of the divisome in their formation are discussed. We then take a closer look at the way septum site localization is regulated in the long and multinucleoid Streptomyces hyphae, with particular focus on actinomycete-specific proteins and the role of nucleoid segregation and condensation.

Abstract Job satisfaction has a big impact on how an employee performs his job. Both elements have an impact on job safety and employee perception of it. A satisfied employee devotes himself to work, performs orders better, cares for others and for himself. He feels safe in the enterprise. The aim of the paper was to assess employees' job satisfaction and their work performance with use of simply survey. In order to achieve this aim, a survey was conducted among employees of a chosen metallurgical enterprise who were asked to assess level of their job satisfaction. The employees defined their job satisfaction by referring to 20 statements describing this satisfaction and evaluating three factors that were used to compute the satisfaction index. The survey allowed for indication the general level of employee satisfaction.

The circular economy (CE) is a proposal for a new, more sustainable, and durable economy model. As a consequence, this pro-environmental economic model induces visible changes in the labor market which are Green Jobs (GJs). This paper is focused on the creation of Green Jobs in the CE. The GJs are most visible in the environmental goods and services sector (EGSS). This study aims to investigate EGSS among 28 European Union countries in the years 2009-2019. The adopted method was literature research complemented by the statistical analysis of secondary data from Eurostat in the linear regression method. Then, some Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their measure were used as main indicators reflecting changes in the labor market. Results are presented as a model indicating which of the SDGs can support CE and enhance a number of the Green Jobs. Presented results contribute to the science because combine factors influencing GJs creation in EGSS, in a CE perspective. This study underlines a lack of uniform methods for measuring and forecasting the effects of Green Jobs creation and indicates future research directions.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to verify if soft-skills training is an effective intervention in reducing work-related stress among miners, that is, people who run the risk of losing health and/or life due to unpredictable natural forces or human error at work. BACKGROUND: The motivation for the intervention was based on Job Demands-Resources model where soft skills are job resources that help individuals to cope with or prevent high demands of the environment. The needed skills as well as work demands were first investigated and then a custom training was developed. The rationale for introducing soft-skills training into the work environment can be seen as compatible with the Human Capital Model (HCM) which is designed to stimulate positive organizational behaviour by providing an effective approach to ensure employees' adequate coping with work-related stress. METHOD: 96 volunteer employees were assigned to intervention (n = 48) and comparison (n = 48) groups. 16-hour tailored training covered tasks and simulation games related to communication, teambuilding, self-management and conflict resolution skills. Job Content Questionnaire, Occupational Stress Indicator (modified to fit the mining environment) and General Health Questionnaire were used in the study. A MANOVA with effect-size measures was conducted. RESULTS: Results revealed a significant increase in decision latitude and social support for the trainees. A substantial decrease in stress was also observed, along with a significant decrease in general health problems. There were no such changes in the comparison group. CONCLUSIONS: A soft-skills training, including communication, teamwork, self-motivation and conflict-resolution skills, helped participants to cope better with the stressful environment and improved their mental health. These effects lasted three months later. APPLICATION: The intervention improved miners' psychosocial health and the strategies of coping with stress, which increased safety and health in the company. Investigating the effectiveness of such interventions included in the general Human Capital Model, as it was done in the study, might be a step forward towards building an interdisciplinary approach for health and safety and human resources.

Based on high nutritional value and low production costs, edible insects are an excellent and sustainable source of animal proteins. However, completely replacing meat with edible insects requires a change in consumer mentality not only in Poland, but also in other European countries. In western countries, most people reject eating insects, mainly for cultural reasons. Concerning this, the objective of the study was to examine the knowledge, behavior, and attitudes of the Polish community about edible insects and to understand the main factors driving edible insect consumption. The study was held at the Wroclaw University of Economics and Business, Poland and consisted of two parts: The survey (among 464 students) and the tasting session (among 402 participants). The main findings suggest that there is low willingness to adopt edible insects as a meat substitute among Polish students due to the psychological barriers, such as neophobia and disgust. However, the willingness to eat processed insect food (bread, biscuit) is far higher than for unprocessed whole insects. Environmental benefits are the factors that least affected students' willingness to try edible insects. Additionally, the tasting session of the bread with powdered insects was attended by the vast majority of participants, which indicates that a positive sensory experience can improve the acceptability of insects as food.

Abstract The key to a successful implementation of the idea of sustainable development in organizations is competent, motivated employees. Therefore, Human Resource Management (HRM) is of particular interest to practitioners and researchers. New HRM concepts that address emerging problems – such as sustainable HRM – arise and develop. The aim of this article is to answer the following research questions: What kind of issues are presented in the most cited articles in the field of sustainable HRM, taking into account the following division of HRM functions: recruitment and selection, performance appraisal, compensation, training and development, and HR flow? Which HRM functions require further research in the context of sustainable HRM? This study applies H‐Classics methodology and presents a hybrid literature review linking bibliometric characterization of the articles on sustainable HRM (including green HRM, socially responsible HRM, triple bottom line HRM, and common good HRM) with a manual review of those publications that made up the H‐Core of this research field. The most discussed HRM function was HR training, while the least discussed was HR flow. Moreover, HRM is mainly presented in relation to the environmental bottom line. Most of the cited papers present general guidance on how to shape individual functions of sustainable HRM and indicators for measuring the extent to which organizational practices are green. Research directions in H‐Core papers have been formulated toward all HRM functions, treated as a system and separately. The article also presents directions for additional research that were identified in the course of this study.