The growing importance of cooperative relationships may currently be observed throughout the world. The vast majority of such relationships take the form of coopetition, i.e., the simultaneous existence of cooperation and competition between competitors. Previous research on coopetition characterizes these relationships mostly in the context of the benefits achieved. Researchers emphasize a number of benefits resulting from coopetition, e.g., stimulation of innovations of partners, development of the technology, obtaining complementary resources, entering new markets, or creating new products. However, when deciding to begin coopetition, companies should not only consider the benefits, but also the drawbacks associated with such relationships. This is due to the fact that disadvantages are inherent features of coopetitive relationships between competitors. The relationship between the duration of cooperative relationships in particular areas and the benefits and costs associated with these relationships is scarcely researched. Using a sample of 210 companies operating in the high-tech sector in Poland, we aimed to cover this gap in the knowledge base and to analyze this aspect of coopetition. Several research methods including multidimensional correspondence analysis, correlation analysis of qualitative variables, a chi-square test, multi-table analysis, and association rules were applied. The results of our research showed that coopetition is a viable strategy which contributes to the sustainable development of firms. We also found that the duration of coopetitive relationships in different areas of company activity is related to different types of benefits to collaboration partners.

There is no sector of the economy that is not dependent on the state of development of the energy sector. This sector produces a significant share of global CO₂ emissions. Harmful CO₂ emissions and greenhouse gas emissions accelerate global warming. Therefore, more and more countries are adopting a strategy for the transition to carbon-neutral energy. However, energy independence and economic competitiveness are closely linked. One cannot analyze them separately. Given these facts, we focused on conducting an econometric study of the impact of key macroeconomic indicators on the level of CO₂ emissions into the air in the United States and the Asia-Pacific region as the regions with the largest CO₂ emissions. The modeling was carried out using the method of a correlation–regression analysis with the subsequent construction of econometric models. The quality of the built econometric models was checked using the coefficient of determination and Fisher’s criterion. The sample of statistics was formed from all the available values of the World Bank’s annual indicators for the period 1970–2020. The findings achieved showed that: (i) The results of our study confirmed the dependence of CO₂ emissions on macroeconomic factors such as GDP, exports and imports, the rate of inflation, and unemployment. It allows the governments of many countries to use research findings to diagnose, monitor, and forecast macroeconomic outcomes to reduce or maintain allowable CO₂ emissions. (ii) Identifying and assessing economic losses from environmental pollution by CO₂ emissions using econometric models will allow to ensure effective public environmental and economic policies aimed at reducing harmful CO₂ emissions into the air. It may be regarded as the practical importance of our study.

This in vitro study was undertaken to determine if ultrahigh dose rates could improve the radiation response of human tumors. Two cell lines, human glioma (U-87 MG), which is radioresistant, and human melanoma (HT-144), which is radiosensitive, were irradiated at ultrahigh and high dose rates under aerobic and anoxic conditions to determine if their oxygen enhancement ratios are modified by dose rate. In fact, the survival curves, and hence the oxygen enhancement ratios, were found to be independent of the dose rate. The oxygen enhancement ratio for glioma cells irradiated in plateau phase was 2.8 (+/- 0.3). The oxygen enhancement ratio was 2.7 (+/- 0.4) for melanoma cells in plateau phase and 2.8 (+/- 0.3) in exponential phase. These results indicate that there is no advantage in treating these tumors using ultrahigh dose rates instead of conventional dose rates.

`Background: In today’s business environment, a company is able to maintain its competitive position if it constantly generates knowledge and disseminates this knowledge within the organization, as well as transforms it into new competences. The ability to transfer knowledge becomes one of the key factors in the improvement of a company’s competitive position. This hypothesis is applicable particularly in the case of cooperation within networks, as they are an excellent opportunity for mutual learning between partners. Objectives: The purpose of the paper is to analyse the process of knowledge transfer in intra-organizational networks. Method: Due to the specificity of the research object, the case study method has been chosen. In order to make an in-depth analysis of the case study, we selected a group of several criteria based on the theory which we believe to be fundamental to the effectiveness of knowledge management in networks, and compared them with the situation in the ArcelorMittal Group. Results: Our research show that ArcelorMittal Group has met almost all the criteria of effective knowledge management in its intra-organizational network. Some exceptions, albeit merely to an extent, are mostly the result of historical circumstances, , i.e. the process of growth through acquisitions, and the acquisition of companies at different stages of organizational development, as well as organizational culture. Conclusion: Based on theoretical assumptions, the study analysed in details the components of knowledge management applied by the corporation in question. Therefore this study might be utilised to formulate a refutable hypothesis and verify them on a larger group of companies from different sectors of the economy. The main limitations of the paper are mostly related to the inherent approach therein

The literature about pathological phenomena within the inter-firm networks is very limited. Therefore the goal of this paper is to draw attention to the structural factors which create pathological situations in the networks and to the threat these situations pose to the development of the network system. We analyse structural pathologies associated with the position in the network, its density as well as a type of links between the companies in the network. Our analysis begins with a review of the benefits from the functioning in the network. We then presented the major structural pathologies in the networks and their threats. Finally, we described the consequences of pathologies which can be considered on three levels: the company, intra-network relationships, and the network as a whole