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Search results for: lean six sigma
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Evidence of the impact of sport policies on physical activity and sport participation: a systematic mixed studies review
PublicationParticipation in sport contributes to increased physical activity (PA) levels. Increasing PA is a public health concern due to its recognised impact on health outcomes. International policy actors such as the Council of Europe, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the International Society for Physical Activity and Health (ISPAH) have recommended that ‘sport for all’ is promoted both for public health and as a basic right. This...
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Sources and composition of chemical pollution in Maritime Antarctica (King George Island), part 1: Sediment and water analysis for PAH sources evaluation in the vicinity of Arctowski station
PublicationThe paper presents a study regarding the identification of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in fresh waters and surface sediments on the western shore of Admiralty Bay over four sampling seasons from 2017 to 2018. The results were compared to literature data from 2016 to provide a more comprehensive image of the environmental fate of PAHs over the years. The highest value of Σ PAHs was 82.9 ng/L and 445 ng/g dw in water...
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The Course and the Effects of Agricultural Biomass Pyrolysis in the Production of High-Calorific Biochar
PublicationThe thermal pyrolysis of agriculture biomass has been studied in a fixed-bed reactor, wherethe pyrolysis was conducted at a steady temperature of 800◦C. This work analyses the pyrolysisproducts of six agricultural wastes: pistachio husks, walnut husks, sunflower hulls, buckwheat husks,corncobs and coconut shells. The conducted research compared examples of large waste biomassstreams from different parts of the world as a potential...
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Determination of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in house dust using standard addition method and gas chromatography with electron capture and mass spectrometric detection
PublicationMonitoring of the environmental fate of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) involves determination of their concentration in air, airborne particles and settled dust. This requires the implementation of appropriate analytical tools like measuring instruments, reference materials and analytical procedures. In this study an analytical procedure was developed for determining PBDEs in samples with a complex matrix composition. The...
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Machine Learning and Deep Learning Methods for Fast and Accurate Assessment of Transthoracic Echocardiogram Image Quality
PublicationHigh-quality echocardiogram images are the cornerstone of accurate and reliable measurements of the heart. Therefore, this study aimed to develop, validate and compare machine learning and deep learning algorithms for accurate and automated assessment of transthoracic echocardiogram image quality. In total, 4090 single-frame two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiogram...
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BEXUS 30 Stardust – Preliminary Results of Investigation of Microbes in the Stratosphere
PublicationThe stratospheric microbiome has been investigated several times using the methods of classical microbiology. In this experiment, we have combined them with some novel approaches.. Diversification of methods has helped better describe the collected microorganisms. The results of the experiment may help better understand the mechanisms of survivability of microorganisms in stratospheric conditions.
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Actions Speak Louder Than Words: Health Behaviours and Literacy of Future Healthcare Professionals
PublicationOur everyday behaviours in life can positively and negatively impact our health, thus cumulatively shaping our lifestyles as more or less healthy. These behaviours are often determined by our knowledge, literacy, motivations and socioeconomic backgrounds. The authors aimed to assess health behaviours and explore variables that may affect persons studying to become future healthcare professionals in Poland. This study was conducted...
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Determination of high-intensity sweeteners in beverages by high-performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry detection.
PublicationThe objective of the present study was to measure the concentration of nine high intensity sweeteners (acesulfame-K, aspartame, alitame, cyclamate, dulcin, neohesperidin dihydrochalcon, neotame, saccharin and sucralose) in different types of beverages available on the polish market. The proposed methodology reported here consists of a extraction with buffer composed of formic acid and N,N-diisopropylethylamine (pH 4.5) followed...
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Investigating beliefs in anti-vax conspiracy theories among medical students
PublicationAbstract: While the doctors’ role in immunization is essential, their lack of knowledge or vaccine hesitancy may affect their ability to communicate effectively and educate patients about vaccination, vaccine hesitancy, and vaccine conspiracy theories. This, in turn, may hinder health policy aimed at fighting infectious diseases. Vaccine hesitancy is prevalent not only among the general population but also among healthcare...
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Density functional theory calculations on entire proteins for free energies of binding: Application to a model polar binding site
PublicationIn drug optimization calculations, the molecular mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann surface area (MM-PBSA) method can be used to compute free energies of binding of ligands to proteins. The method involves the evaluation of the energy of configurations in an implicit solvent model. One source of errors is the force field used, which can potentially lead to large errors due to the restrictions in accuracy imposed by its empirical nature....
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Evaluation of the suitability of electronic nose based on fast GC for distinguishing between the plum spirits of different geographical origins
PublicationPlum spirits are obtained exclusively via the alcoholic fermentation and distillation of meaty plums or must composed of plums, with or without stones. The European countries such as Poland, the Slovak Republic, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Romania are the leading producers of this alcoholic beverage. Information about the authentication of plum spirits produced in different countries can be found in the published literature....
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Bioactive and bioavailability of minerals in rats loaded with cholesterol and kiwi fruit
PublicationThe aim of this study was to compare the content of polyphenols (TP), minerals, ascorbic acid (AA) and total antioxidant capacities (TAC) of conventional and organic kiwifruit ‘Hayward’ treated with ethylene after harvest and to determine their influence on plasma TAC, mineral content in the liver and bioavailability (RBV — relative bioavailability value) in rats fed diet containing cholesterol. Organic and conventionally grown...
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Mechanisms of azole resistance among clinical isolates of Candida glabrata in Poland
PublicationCandida glabrata is currently ranked as the second most frequently isolated aetiological agent of human fungal infections, next only to Candida albicans. In comparison with C. albicans, C. glabrata shows lower susceptibility to azoles, the most common agents used in treatment of fungal infections. Interestingly, the mechanisms of resistance to azole agents in C. albicans have been much better investigated than those in C. glabrata....
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Tree rings as an indicator of atmospheric pollutant deposition to subalpine spruce forests in the Sudetes (Southern Poland)
PublicationIn spite of their moderate altitude (1000–1600m a.s.l.), the Western SudetyMountains belong to areas with the most efficient fog precipitation in Europe. Intense industrial activity in the area of windward western foothills caused an exceptional intensification of atmospheric pollutant deposition via precipitation and fog to take place since the 1950s. In the second half of the 1970s a massive spruce forest dieback began affecting...
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Screening stability, thermochemistry, and chemical kinetics of 3-hydroxybutanoic acid as a bifunctional biodiesel additive
PublicationThe thermo-kinetic aspects of 3-hydroxybutyric acid (3-HBA) pyrolysis in the gas phase were investigated using density functional theory (DFT), specifically the M06-2X theoretical level in conjunction with the cc-pVTZ basis set. The obtained data were compared with benchmark CBS-QB3 results. The degradation mechanism was divided into 16 pathways, comprising 6 complex fissions and 10 barrierless reactions. Energy profiles were calculated...
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How the Dimensions of Plant Filler Particles Affect the Oxidation-Resistant Characteristics of Polyethylene-Based Composite Materials
PublicationThis study analyzed the possibility of using plant-originated waste materials (black and green tea dust) as functional polyethylene fillers. The dependence between the size of the filler particles and their antioxidant potential is discussed. Six fractions were selected: below 50 µm, 50–100 µm, 100–200 µm, 200–400 µm, 400–630 µm and 630–800 µm. Significant differences between the effect of particle size and the antioxidant properties...
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Homoleptic mono-, di-, and tetra-iron complexes featuring phosphido ligands: a synthetic, structural, and spectroscopic study
PublicationWe report the first series of homoleptic phosphido iron complexes synthesized by treating either the β-diketiminato complex [(Dippnacnac)FeCl2Li(dme)2] (Dippnacnac = HC[(CMe)N(C6H3-2,6-iPr2)]2) or [FeBr2(thf )2] with an excess of phosphides R2PLi (R = tBu, tBuPh, Cy, iPr). Reaction outcomes depend strongly on the bulkiness of the phosphido ligands. The use of tBu2PLi precursor led to an anionic diiron complex 1 encompassing a planar...
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Seasonal and spatial differences in metal and metalloid concentrations in the snow cover of Hansbreen, Svalbard
PublicationMetals and metalloids in snow on glaciers, depending on the season of deposition, may come from various sources: local rock dust (erosion of the geological substratum), marine aerosol, local human activity (e.g. fuel combustion, waste incineration) and long-range atmospheric transport. Hansbreen glacier, located close to the Polish Polar Station in Svalbard, is a perfect site to study metals and metalloids: it has complex geological...
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Preliminary Identification of Quantitative Factors Determining the Duration of Court Proceedings in Commercial Cases
PublicationPurpose: The aim of the article was to identify factors that are linear combinations of the variables under scrutiny that affect the duration of court proceedings. Design/Methodology/Approach: This research was conducted on commercial cases, based on the Principal Components Analysis (PCA). The original variables were grouped into factors that are correlated with each other. The Kaiser Criterion (own value >1) was chosen as the...
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Potentiometric sensor with lipid-polymer membranes for quality assessment of French red wines
PublicationThe quality of wines resulting from vineyard management is important for consumers due to the taste and price of wines. In this work, the quality of red wines of three vintages has been investigated by potentiometric sensors with six all-solid-state electrodes. Two series of experiments were carried out. The first involved a qualitative analysis of wine of different vintages from freshly opened bottles. The second consisted of...
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Electrical Simulations of the SIS100 Superconducting Dipole and Quadrupole Circuits: Transients, Earthing and Failure Modes
PublicationThe 100 Tm superconducting synchrotron SIS100 is the main accelerator of the international Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR) currently under advanced construction in Darmstadt, Germany. The SIS100 dipole circuit which creates the magnetic field required to bend the beam, consists of 108 dipoles distributed over six arc sections of the ring. The magnetic field for the beam focusing is generated by three individual...
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Influence of grain shape on the mechanical behaviour of granular materials
PublicationWe performed series of numerical vertical compression tests on assemblies of 2D granular material using a Discrete Element code and studied the results in regard to the grain shape. The samples consist of 5000 grains made either of 3 overlapping discs (clump - grain with concavities) or of six-edged polygons (convex grain). These two types of grains have a similar external envelope, ruled with a geometrical parameter α. In the...
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APPLICATION OF CHEMOMETRIC ANALYSIS TO THE STUDY OF SNOW AT THE SUDETY MOUNTAINS, POLAND
PublicationSnow samples were collected during winter 2011/2012 in three posts in the Western Sudety Mountains (Poland) in 3 consecutive phases of snow cover development, i.e. stabilisation (Feb 1st), growth (Mar 15th) and its ablation (Mar 27th). To maintain a fixed number of samples, each snow profile has been divided into six layers, but hydrochemical indications were made for each 10 cm section of core. The complete data set was subjected...
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Whole-genome sequencing and antimicrobial potential of bacteria isolated from Polish honey
PublicationThe aim of this study was the whole-genome analysis and assessment of the antimicrobial potential of bacterial isolates from honey harvested in one geographical location—the north of Poland. In total, 132 strains were derived from three honey samples, and the antimicrobial activity of CFAM (cell-free after-culture medium) was used as a criterion for strain selection and detailed genomic investigation. Two of the tested isolates...
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Analityka surfaktantów w próbkach środowiskowych
PublicationSurfaktanty stanowią grupę związków charakteryzujących się specyficznymi właściwościami fizykochemicznymi (m.in. amfifilowa budowa, zdolność rozpuszczania się w cieczach o różnej polarności, zdolność do tworzenia micelli) i z tego względu są one wykorzystywane w wielu sferach działalności człowieka. Związki powierzchniowo-czynne ulegają różnorodnym przemianom fizykochemicznym, co umożliwia ich migrację między różnymi elementami...
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Nanokrystaliczne warstwy ceramiczne otrzymywane metodą pirolizy aerozolowej w tlenkowych ogniwach paliwowych
PublicationNiniejsza rozprawa doktorska dotyczy badań materiałów wytwarzanych w postaci cienkich, nanokrystalicznych warstw ceramicznych metodą pirolizy aerozolowej dla zastosowań w tlenkowych ogniwach paliwowych (SOFC). Badane są trzy możliwe obszary zastosowań wytwarzanych warstw tj. osadzanie powłok ochronnych na stalowych interkonektorach dostarczających gazy do elektrody tlenowej, wytwarzanie bariery ochronnej zapobiegającej dyfuzji...
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New generation of the satellite hydraulic pumps
PublicationHydraulic satellite machines are known and produced in many versions, recognizable by the number of humps on their inner rotor and external gear, and therefore by the number of cooperating gears (satellites). All known shapes were however designed on the base of preliminary assumption that rotor’s and external gear’s pitch lines are formed by merging arcs, tangent to each other in the. This assumption makes calculations easier,...
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Identification of defected sensors in an array of amperometric gas sensors
PublicationPurpose Amperometric gas sensors are commonly used in air quality monitoring in long-term measurements. Baseline shift of sensor responses and power failure may occur over time, which is an obstacle for reliable operation of the entire system. The purpose of this study is to check the possibility of using PCA method to detect defected samples, identify faulty sensor and correct the responses of the sensor identified as faulty. Design/methodology/approach In...
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Long-Term Stability of Benzodiazepines and Z-Hypnotic Drugs in Blood Samples Stored at Varying Temperatures
PublicationBenzodiazepines (BZDs) and Z-drugs are among the most commonly prescribed pharmaceuticals in the world and are considered standard care for various mental illnesses and for treatment of sleeping and anxiety disorders, alcohol withdrawal, muscle spasms and epilepsy. Some BZDs are not allowed as pharmaceuticals in many countries, and they are used as "designer benzodiazepines" (DBZDs). All these compounds are typically screened in...
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China’s international trade and global value chains under One-Belt One-Road initiative
PublicationResearch background: After China acceded to the WTO in 2001, its foreign trade has expanded rapidly to be the largest share in the world. However, China's economic development changing from high-speed growth to medium high-speed growth in recent years. At the same time, the increase in labour cost and overcapacity also hinder China’s international trade. In order to solve these challenges and strengthening ties...
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Oil refinery dusts: morphological and size analysis by TEM
PublicationThe objectives of this work were to develop a means of sampling atmospheric dusts on the premises of an oil refinery for electron microscopic study to carry out preliminary morphological analyses and to compare these dusts with those collected at sites beyond the refinery limits. Carbon and collodion membranes were used as asupport for collection of dust particles straight on transmission electron microscopy (TEM) grids. Micrographs...
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System for automatic singing voice recognition
PublicationW artykule przedstawiono system automatycznego rozpoznawania jakości i typu głosu śpiewaczego. Przedstawiono bazę danych oraz zaimplementowane parametry. Algorytmem decyzyjnym jest algorytm sztucznych sieci neuronowych. Wytrenowany system decyzyjny osiąga skuteczność ok. 90% w obydwu kategoriach rozpoznawania. Dodatkowo wykazano przy pomocy metod statystycznych, że wyniki działania systemu automatycznej oceny jakości technicznej...
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Investigation of Microbes in the Stratosphere – Stardust Project
PublicationThe stratospheric microbiota has been investigated many times using the methods of classical microbiology. In this research a few modern methods, including NGS sequencing and multiple displacement amplification of DNA, were in use. The analysis of metagenome helped to determine the content of various species of bacteria in the sample collected in the stratosphere by a hydrogen-filled balloon holding...
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Settlement Networks in Polish Spatial Development Regional Plans
PublicationIn 1999, ten years after the great political changes in Poland, 16 self-governed regions (in Polish: voivodeship) were created. According to Polish law, voivodeship spatial development plans, or regional plans in short, determine basic elements of the settlement network. No detailed regulations indicate the specific elements of the settlement network or what features of these elements should be determined. For this reason, centres...
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Assembly of Lipopolysaccharide in Escherichia coli Requires the Essential LapB Heat Shock Protein
PublicationHere, we describe two new heat shock proteins involved in the assembly of LPS in Escherichia coli, LapA and LapB (lipopolysaccharide assembly protein A and B). lapB mutants were identified based on an increased envelope stress response. Envelope stress responsive pathways control key steps in LPS biogenesis and respond to defects in the LPS assembly. Accordingly, the LPS content in ΔlapB or Δ(lapA lapB) mutants was elevated, with...
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Molecular basis and quantitative assessment of TRF1 and TRF2 protein interactions with TIN2 and Apollo peptides
PublicationShelterin is a six-protein complex (TRF1, TRF2, POT1, RAP1, TIN2, and TPP1) that also functions in smaller subsets in regulation and protection of human telomeres. Two closely related proteins, TRF1 and TRF2, make high-affinity contact directly with double-stranded telomeric DNA and serve as a molecular platform. Protein TIN2 binds to TRF1 and TRF2 dimer-forming domains, whereas Apollo makes interaction only with TRF2. To elucidate...
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The effective elastic properties of human trabecular bone may be approximated using micro-finite element analyses of embedded volume elements.
PublicationBoundary conditions (BCs) and sample size affect the measured elastic properties of cancellous bone. Samples too small to be representative appear stiffer under kinematic uniform BCs (KUBCs) than under periodicity-compatible mixed uniform BCs (PMUBCs). To avoid those effects, we propose to determine the effective properties of trabecular bone using an embedded configuration. Cubic samples of various sizes (2.63, 5.29, 7.96, 10.58...
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Multi-objective optimization of expensive electromagnetic simulation models
PublicationVast majority of practical engineering design problems require simultaneous handling of several criteria. For the sake of simplicity and through a priori preference articulation one can turn many design tasks into single-objective problems that can be handled using conventional numerical optimization routines. However, in some situations, acquiring comprehensive knowledge about the system at hand, in particular, about possible...
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FLOOD MANAGEMENT IN URBAN BASINS OF THE CITY OF GDAŃSK
PublicationOver the last years, the City of Gdańsk suffers twice from flash floods. Both events were caused by intense storms which produced significant surface runoff and caused inundation private and cities properties. The first case of July 2001 flood [3], [9] was the turning point for the city authorities, who decide to look close on the flood management in small urban catchments. The aim of research projects was to establish technical...
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Assessment of River Water Quality and Pollution Status Using Physicochemical and Biometrics, Awetu River, Ethiopia
PublicationThe surface water is contaminated by a variety of synthetic organic and inorganic compounds, chemicals, and nutrients; due to this reason, the quality of the water resources of Ethiopia is declining at an alarming rate, resulting in severe environmental degradation. The main objective of the study was to recognize the pollution status river for the study area by physicochemical parameters and the extent of microbial environmental...
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The potential role of bisphenol A in the pathogenesis of polycystic ovary syndrome
PublicationPolycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrinopathy in women of reproductive age, that lead to infertility, type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease. Bisphenol A (BPA) is one of the most abundant chemicals produced worldwide and is used as a plasticizer in daily life. Nowadays it is also well know that it can interact with estrogen receptors, androgen receptors and peroxisome proliferatoractivated receptors g (PPARg)....
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Psychophysiological strategies for enhancing performance through imagery – skin conductance level analysis in guided vs. self-produced imagery
PublicationAthletes need to achieve their optimal level of arousal for peak performance. Visualization or mental rehearsal (i.e., Imagery) often helps to obtain an appropriate level of activation, which can be detected by monitoring Skin Conductance Level (SCL). However, different types of imagery could elicit different amount of physiological arousal. Therefore, this study aims: (1) to investigate differences in SCL associated with two instructional...
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Evaluation and cellular responses of modulators of TRF1/TRF2 protein’s function as potential anticancer drugs interfering with telomeric shelterin’s function
PublicationA number of proteins that interact with telomeres have been identified in human cells, indicating the high plasticity of human nucleoprotein complex organization. The most important complex is the "shelterin" complex, which consists of six proteins: TRF1, TRF2, TIN2, POT1, TPP1. The TRF1 and TRF2 directly bind to telomeric double-stranded DNA and the TIN2 protein. The TIN2 protein also binds to the TPP1 protein, stabilizing the...
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Addressing challenges of BiVO4 light-harvesting ability through vanadium precursor engineering and sub-nanoclusters deposition for peroxymonosulfate-assisted photocatalytic pharmaceuticals removal
PublicationIn this study, we present a complex approach for increasing light utilisation and peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation in BiVO4-based photocatalyst. This involves two key considerations: the design of the precursor for BiVO4 synthesis and interface engineering through CuOx sub-nanoclusters deposition. The designed precursor of ammonium methavanadate (NH4VO3, NHV) leads to reduction in particle size, better dispersion and improved light...
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Evaluation of the content of inorganic anions in tree saps
PublicationTree saps were once commonly used in the countries of Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. Although once almost forgotten, their popularity has been growing recently as part of an interest in organic food and traditional medicine. Tree saps, tapped mainly from birch and maple trees, are drunk both fresh and fermented or are used as raw material for the production of food products, e.g. syrups. The aim of this study was to determine...
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Between therapy effect and false-positive result in animal experimentation
PublicationDespite the animal models’ complexity, researchers tend to reduce the number of animals in experiments for expenses and ethical concerns. This tendency makes the risk of false-positive results, as statistical significance, the primary criterion to validate findings, often fails if testing small samples. This study aims to highlight such risks using an example from experimental regenerative therapy and propose a machine-learning...
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RAGE as a Novel Biomarker for Prostate Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
PublicationThe receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) has been implicated in driving prostate cancer (PCa) growth, aggression, and metastasis through the fueling of chronic inflammation in the tumor microenvironment. This systematic review and meta-analysis summarizes and analyzes the current clinical and preclinical data to provide insight into the relationships among RAGE levels and PCa, cancer grade, and molecular effects....
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Rekonstrukcja ewolucji układu przestrzennego średniowiecznego miasta i portu Szczecin Reconstruction of the Spatial Evolution of the Medieval City and Port of Szczecin
PublicationPraca rekonstruuje ewolucję układu osadniczego Szczecina w okresie od połowy VIII w. do początku XIV w., w oparciu o interpretację dostępnej literatury naukowej dotyczącej historii i archeologii Szczecina oraz metodę analizy planistycznej. Bardzo istotnym elementem opisu struktury urbanistycznej wczesnośredniowiecznego Szczecina było określenie roli i położenia portu. W wyniku analizy zmian układu przestrzennego miasta w omawianym...
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Electrochemical simulation of metabolic reduction and conjugation reactions of unsymmetrical bisacridine antitumor agents, C-2028 and C-2053
PublicationElectrochemistry (EC) coupled with analysis techniques such as liquid chromatography (LC) and mass spectrometry (MS) has been developed as a powerful tool for drug metabolism simulation. The application of EC in metabolic studies is particularly favourable due to the low matrix contribution compared to in vitro or in vivo biological models. In this paper, the EC(/LC)/MS system was applied to simulate phase I metabolism of the representative...
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The role of the One-Belt One-Road initiative in China's exports and global value chains
PublicationResearch background: China is regarded as the “world factory” highly involved in international trade and plays an increasingly important role in the global value chains (GVC). Additionally, the “One-Belt One-Road” (OBOR) initiative was proposed by the Chinese government to further promote China in the international market. Purpose of the article: The article explores the role of the OBOR in China’s exports and global value...