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It has been argued, at least since the 1970s, that Canadian literature is pervaded by gothic themes, moods and conventions. This Canadian streak of Gothicism may be defined as a predilection for the grotesque and the excessive, which threaten the established boundaries so dear to a culture outwardly dedicated to moderation and stability, to "a constant pursuit of a consensus beyond the incongruous and opposing interests and ideological visions," as the conference's Call for Papers puts it. Drawing examples from Canadian literature and film, I would like to demonstrate how the challenges of history and a rather extreme geography trigger anxieties over identity, corporeality, gender, sexuality, and even such basic categories as "the human" and "the organic." With their disparate histories (indigenous, French, English, immigrant, queer) Canadians may appear, both to themselves and to the outside world, a Frankenstein of a nation, an arbitrary entity stitched roughly together from a number of heterogenous elements and maintained by a neoliberal enforcement of the politics of multicultural consensus. ; Rafał Majka

Starting from the older meaning of the word "queer" as referring to counterfeit money, the article looks at queer strategies of naming and self-naming and how they relate to issues of identity, authenticity, and socio-political validity. The author argues against the current modes of identity-based sexual politics and calls for an 'ecologization' that will insist on the ultimate namelessness of queer subjectivities. ; Starting from the older meaning of the word "queer" as referring to counterfeit money, the article looks at queer strategies of naming and self-naming and how they relate to issues of identity, authenticity, and socio-political validity. The author argues against the current modes of identity-based sexual politics and calls for an 'ecologization' that will insist on the ultimate namelessness of queer subjectivities. ; Rafał Majka

This article argues that if an alliance between the Left and the LGBTQ movement is to be real and operational, it must be worked out, rather than pressupposed, via a thorough rethinking of the political as such, of its axioms, goals and ethical frameworks. ; It is often taken for granted that there exists a more or less "natural" link between left-wing politics and the progressive social movements referred to as "cultural," such as feminist, ecological or LGBT struggles. This article argues that if an alliance between the Left and the LGBTQ movement is to be real and operational, it must be worked out, rather than pressupposed, via a thorough rethinking of the political as such, of its axioms, goals and ethical frameworks. The authors see a parallel between the dissatisfaction that recent grassroots left-wing movements feel towards more established parties and institutions, and the dissatisfaction that a new wave of queer actvism feels towards more traditional policies of mainstream LGBT organizations. Much of this dissatisfaction can be derived, in both cases, from the perceived neoliberalization of the political and social spheres and the subsequent cooptation of leftist / queer politics and activism to the neoliberal, or even neoconservative, agenda. This moment of shared dissatisfaction should be used creatively to devise common strategies, rather than maintain the artificial and disadvantageous division (which only seems to work to the benefit of the neoliberal hegemony) between the so-called "economic" and "cultural" lefts. Regrettably, at the moment there is very little understanding of queerness on the Left, just as there is little dedication to countering the disastrous effects of capitalism among LGBT activists. The New Left and the queer movement have much to learn and gain from each other, but to make this happen new leftists must rethink the political through the sexual, whereas the queer movement (seen as separate from LGBT or uneasily attached to it) must rethink the sexual through the economic, to put it simply. The article ends with an outline of a new comprehensive ethical and political model from which an anti-exclusionary and pro-social ethics could be derived as a common ground for a workable queer and left alliance. ; Rafał Majka

An introduction to the book "Out Here: Local and International Perspectives in Queer Studies". ; Rafał Majka

Introduction: The healthcare sector, like other sectors of the economy, is based on competition. Due to the uniqueness of the services provided (involving saving human health and life), the competitiveness of healthcare entities differs from the typical free market. Purpose: The aim of the study was to identify the factors of competitiveness of healthcare entities in four distinguished areas of competitiveness of enterprises - external factors (macro- and micro-environment) and internal factors (resources and assets). Results: Macro-environment factors were grouped into: political-legal, economic, social, technological, and demographic. Micro-environment was divided into: consumers, competitors (considering their intensity and entry barriers), and suppliers. Resources were divided into: financial assets, room infrastructure, and equipment facilities. Assets, on the other hand, were characterized based on the elements of the organization's system, determining their efficiency – strategy, styles, competencies, employees, structure, and organization's culture. Conclusions: The review and systematization of factors influencing the competitiveness of healthcare entities enables to assess their competitive potential in the context of individual areas and key success factors. ; Wstęp: Rynek ochrony zdrowia, podobnie jak inne sektory gospodarki oparty jest o konkurencyjność. Z uwagi na unikalność świadczonych usług (polegających na ratowaniu ludzkiego zdrowia i życia), konkurencyjność podmiotów leczniczych różni się od typowego wolnego rynku. Cel: Celem pracy była identyfikacja czynników konkurencyjności podmiotów leczniczych w czterech wyróżnionych obszarach konkurencyjności przedsiębiorstw – czynników zewnętrznych (makro- i mikrootoczenie) oraz czynników wewnętrznych (zasoby i aktywa). Wyniki: Czynniki makrootoczenia zostały pogrupowane na: polityczno-prawne, ekonomiczne, społeczne, technologiczne i demograficzne. Mikrootoczenie zostało podzielone na: konsumentów i konkurentów, uwzględniając ich intensywność oraz ...

Introduction: The healthcare sector, like other sectors of the economy, is based on competition. Due to the uniqueness of the services provided (involving saving human health and life), the competitiveness of healthcare entities differs from the typical free market. Purpose: The aim of the study was to identify the factors of competitiveness of healthcare entities in four distinguished areas of competitiveness of enterprises - external factors (macro- and micro-environment) and internal factors (resources and assets). Results: Macro-environment factors were grouped into: political-legal, economic, social, technological, and demographic. Micro-environment was divided into: consumers, competitors (considering their intensity and entry barriers), and suppliers. Resources were divided into: financial assets, room infrastructure, and equipment facilities. Assets, on the other hand, were characterized based on the elements of the organization's system, determining their efficiency – strategy, styles, competencies, employees, structure, and organization's culture. Conclusions: The review and systematization of factors influencing the competitiveness of healthcare entities enables to assess their competitive potential in the context of individual areas and key success factors. ; Wstęp: Rynek ochrony zdrowia, podobnie jak inne sektory gospodarki oparty jest o konkurencyjność. Z uwagi na unikalność świadczonych usług (polegających na ratowaniu ludzkiego zdrowia i życia), konkurencyjność podmiotów leczniczych różni się od typowego wolnego rynku. Cel: Celem pracy była identyfikacja czynników konkurencyjności podmiotów leczniczych w czterech wyróżnionych obszarach konkurencyjności przedsiębiorstw – czynników zewnętrznych (makro- i mikrootoczenie) oraz czynników wewnętrznych (zasoby i aktywa). Wyniki: Czynniki makrootoczenia zostały pogrupowane na: polityczno-prawne, ekonomiczne, społeczne, technologiczne i demograficzne. Mikrootoczenie zostało podzielone na: konsumentów i konkurentów, uwzględniając ich intensywność oraz ...

This paper presents results from a selection of tactile sensors that have been designed and fabricated. These sensors are based on a common approach that consists in placing a sheet of piezoresistive material on the top of a set of electrodes. We use a thin film of conductive polymer as the piezoresistive mate¬rial. Specifically, a conductive water-based ink of this polymer is deposited by spin coating on a flexible plastic sheet, giving it a smooth, homogeneous and conducting thin film. The main interest in this procedure is that it is cheap and it allows the fabrication of flexible and low cost tactile sensors. In this work we present results from sensors made using two technologies. Firstly, we have used a flexible Printed Circuit Board (PCB) technology to fabricate the set of electrodes and addressing tracks. The result is a simple, flexible tactile sensor. In addition to these sensors on PCB, we have proposed, designed and fabricated sensors with screen printing technology. In this case, the set of electrodes and addressing tracks are made by printing an ink based on silver nanoparticles. The intense characterization provides us insights into the design of these tactile sensors. ; This work has been partially funded by the spanish government under contract TEC2006-12376-C02.

Purpose – The paper presents an analysis of the broadly defined essence of competitiveness in the healthcare sector and the closely related issue of the competitiveness of healthcare organisations accounting for the specifics of key types of competition in healthcare. The objective of the paper is to demonstrate that the essence of competition between healthcare organisations is represented by a better use of resources by some enterprises and enhanced cost efficiency in the conditions of the increased demand for top quality services. Research method – The research methodology applied in the study was literature research, the analysis of available empirical research results and of the laws and regulations applicable to the healthcare market. The analysis focused on the specifics of the Polish healthcare market and the ensuing conse-quences for the competitiveness of healthcare organisations. Results – The results of the analysis show how complex the issue of competitiveness of healthcare organisations is and how relevant it is for the increase of quality, availability, and innovativeness of healthcare for patients.