Filters
total: 733
filtered: 721
Search results for: PROCESS IMPROVEMENT
-
Study on some of the strength properties of soft clay stabilized with plastic waste strips
PublicationIt is well known that if plastic wastes are not well managed, it has a negative impact on the environment as well as on human health. In this study, recycling plastic waste in form of strips for stabilizing weak subgrade soil is proposed. For this purpose, a weak clay soil sample was mixed with 0.2%, 0.3%, and 0.4% of plastic strips by weight of soil, and the experimental results were compared to the control soil sample with 0%...
-
Laboratory fatigue assessment of large geocomposite-reinforced double-layered asphalt concrete beams
PublicationGeosynthetic reinforcement of asphalt layers has been used for several decades. Evaluation of the influence of these materials on pavement fatigue life is still ongoing, especially for new types of geocomposites. This paper presents the evaluation of fatigue performance of large asphalt concrete beams reinforced with a new type of composite in which square or hexagonal polypropylene stiff monolithic paving grid with integral junctions...
-
Antibiotic-sterol interactions provide insight into the selectivity of natural aromatic analogues of amphotericin B and their photoisomers
PublicationAromatic heptaene macrolides (AHMs) belong to the group of polyene macrolide antifungal antibiotics. Members of this group were the first to be used in the treatment of systemic fungal infections. Amphotericin B (AmB), a non-aromatic representative of heptaene macrolides, is of significant clinical importance in the treatment of internal mycoses. It includes the all-trans heptaene chromophore, whereas the native AHMs contain two...
-
Efficient Surrogate Modeling and Design Optimization of Compact Integrated On-Chip Inductors Based on Multi-Fidelity EM Simulation Models
PublicationHigh-performance and small-size on-chip inductors play a critical role in contemporary radio-frequency integrated circuits. This work presents a reliable surrogate modeling technique combining low-fidelity EM simulation models, response surface approximations based on kriging interpolation, and space mapping technology. The reported method is useful for the development of broadband and highly accurate data-driven models of integrated...
-
The protocol for using elastic wall model in modeling blood flow within human artery
PublicationMedical diagnostic tools will play a major role in the future for an effective patient treatment and reduction their mortality, related to the cardiovascular system diseases (CVDs). There is an urgent need for developing diagnostic procedure to be robust, reliable, accurate and efficient, in the framework of a paradigm shift. Application of numerical techniques is seen as a perspective tool for such purpose. Nevertheless, existing...
-
Enhanced electrochemical performance of partially amorphous La0.6Sr0.4CoO3-δ oxygen electrode materials for low-temperature solid oxide cells operating at 400 °C
PublicationThis work evaluates partially amorphous La0.6Sr0.4CoO3-δ (LSC) as a potential oxygen electrode for lowtemperature solid oxide cells. LSC was deposited using the spin-coating technique onto Ce0.8Gd0.2O2-δ (CGO) substrates. The optimal oxygen electrode thickness was determined as 500 nm. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) study showed a significant improvement in oxygen reduction/oxidation reaction kinetics when annealing...
-
THREE-DIMENSIONAL numerical investigation of MHD nanofluid convective heat transfer inside a CUBIC porous container with corrugated bottom wall
PublicationSimultaneous use of porous media and nanofluid as a heat transfer improvement method has recently captivated a great deal of attention. The heat transfer and entropy production of the Cu-water nanofluid inside a cubic container with a heated bottom wavy wall and an elliptic inner cylinder were numerically analyzed in this study. The container is partitioned into two sections: the left side is filled with permeable media and...
-
Ionic liquids-based microextraction techniques
PublicationIn recent years, the development of highly efficient analytical techniques is of great importance, however, the direct analysis of complex sample matrix is still impossible in many cases. Therefore, the step of sample preparation is commonly involved in an analytical procedure. Over the years, it has been realized that the major source of inaccuracy and imprecision on general analysis results from the operations associated to sample...
-
Customization of UWB 3D-RTLS Based on the New Uncertainty Model of the AoA Ranging Technique
PublicationThe increased potential and effectiveness of Real-time Locating Systems (RTLSs) substantially influence their application spectrum. They are widely used, inter alia, in the industrial sector, healthcare, home care, and in logistic and security applications. The research aims to develop an analytical method to customize UWB-based RTLS, in order to improve their localization performance in terms of accuracy and precision. The analytical...
-
Professional activity and women entrepreneurship in Poland – Europe 2020 Strategy perspective
PublicationThe level of economic activity of women in Poland is the lowest among Baltic Sea Region countries. The analysis of Europe 2020 targets, shows that at least 3 of the 5 main objectives relate, more or less, to women (e.g. participation in labor market). The objective concerning social inclusion assumes the increase in the employment rate of men and women (aged 20-64) in Poland up to 71%. To achieve this goal, support programs to...
-
Low Frequency Conducted Emissions of Grid Connected Static Converters
PublicationPulse-width modulated rectifiers are nowadays commonly used for AC to DC power conversion. PWM rectification technology is very effective and allows for bidirectional power flow with the possibility of power factor improvement and low-order harmonic emission limitation. Unfortunately, employed PWM boost topology results with generation of input current harmonic distortions in a frequency range tightly correlated to modulation frequency....
-
Novel nitrogen precursors for electrochemically driven doping of titania nanotubes exhibiting enhanced photoactivity
PublicationNitrogen doped titania nanotubes were successfully sensitized by electrochemical method, i.e. as-anodized titania was immersed in different amine (diethyleneamine-DETA, triethyleneamine-TEA, ethylenediamine-EDA) and urea (U) solution and a constant potential was applied. The highly ordered morphology of fabricated N-TiO2 was investigated by using scanning electron microscopy. Spectroscopic techniques, i.e. UV-Vis spectroscopy,...
-
Effect of kenaf fibre modification on morphology and mechanical properties of thermoplastic polyurethane materials
PublicationThe presented study examined the morphology and mechanical properties of biocomposites obtained from kenaf natural fibre and thermoplastic polyurethane. Kenaf was modified using various methods, namely: acetylation, blocked isocyanate, maleic anhydride and permanganate treatment. Those methods and ways of carrying out of surface modifications were not studied before on kenaf/thermoplastic polyurethane composites. Different fibre...
-
Metodyka badań rozwojowych nowego typu silników i pomp satelitowych
PublicationResearch and development of new type satellite motors and satellite pumps SM with small geometrical displacement, from 5 to 73 cm3/rev, has been conducted in cooperation with Stosowanie Maszyn company from Katowice (manufacturer of motors and pump SM). The improvement of construction of those machines, especially construction of axial compensation and construction of fluid distribution channels have been the main problem of research...
-
A Method for the Evaluation of Urban Freight Transport Models as a Tool for Improving the Delivery of Sustainable Urban Transport Policy
PublicationThe article presents a method which helps local authorities to evaluate urban freight transport models. Given the complex requirements for input data and the inability to supply them for most cities, a proper quantitative evaluation of model functionality may be quite difficult for local authorities. Freight transport models designed to support sustainable urban freight transport objectives are a particular example. To overcome...
-
A facile approach to fabricate load-bearing porous polymer scaffolds for bone tissue engineering
PublicationBiodegradable porous scaffolds with oriented interconnected pores and high mechanical are load-bearing biomaterials for bone tissue engineering. Herein, we report a simple, non-toxic, and cost-effective method to fabricate high-strength porous biodegradable scaffolds, composed of a polymer matrix of polycaprolactone (PCL) and water-soluble poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO) as a sacrificial material by integrating annealing treatment,...
-
Psychological capital and happiness at work: The mediating role of employee thriving in multinational corporations
PublicationWorking in multicultural work environments of multinational corporations (MNCs) creates challenges whose expected impact on happiness is equivocal. In the following paper, we examine the relationship between psychological capital and happiness at work in the specific MNCs’ context. We assume that thriving (eudemonic well-being) at work fosters individuals’ development and enhances their happiness composed of both the affective...
-
Determination of long-chain aldehydes using a novel quartz crystal microbalance sensor based on a biomimetic peptide
PublicationThere is an increasingly popular trend aimed at improvement of fundamental metrological parameters of sensors via implementation of materials mimicking biological olfactory systems. This study presents investigation on usefulness of the peptide mimicking HarmOBP7 region as a receptor element of the piezoelectric sensor for selective analysis of long-chain aldehydes. Identification of odorant binding proteins creates new possibilities...
-
An Analysis of Neural Word Representations for Wikipedia Articles Classification
PublicationOne of the current popular methods of generating word representations is an approach based on the analysis of large document collections with neural networks. It creates so-called word-embeddings that attempt to learn relationships between words and encode this information in the form of a low-dimensional vector. The goal of this paper is to examine the differences between the most popular embedding models and the typical bag-of-words...
-
Psychosocial risks associated with the profession of train driver
PublicationExcellent competencies as well as a good physical and mental health are required in train drivers’ profession. Despite the changes in the structure of employment the train drivers above 46 years and job tenure longer than 30 years are the largest group. The generation gap is becoming more pronounced, and its fulfilment will not be easy. It is related not only to training of new personnel but also promotion of healthy work environment...
-
Estimating inequality aversion from subjective assessments of the just noticeable differences in welfare
PublicationResearch background: In Economics, the concept of inequality aversion corresponds with the concept of risk aversion in the literature on making decision under uncertainty. The risk aversion is estimated on the basis of subjective reactions of people to various lottery prospects. In Economics, however, an efficient method of estimating inequality aversion has not been developed yet. Purpose of the article: The main aim of this paper...
-
Novel fast analytical method for indirect determination of MCPD fatty acid esters in edible oils and fats based on simultaneous extraction and derivatization
PublicationA novel method for indirect determination of MCPD esters levels in lipid samples has been developed. The method is based on combination of extraction and derivatisation in the same sample preparation step. It is achieved by the application of diethyl ether as extraction solvent for isolation of released from esterified forms analytes from water phase and dilution solvent for solid PBA – derivatisation agent. It is a noteworthy...
-
Reliability and efficiency of pollution removal during long-term operation of a one-stage constructed wetland system with horizontal flow
PublicationThe paper presents the results of a study of the reliability and efficiency of pollutant removal during long term operation of a one-stage constructed wetland system with horizontal flow. The flow rate of the wastewater treatment plant was 1.2 m3·d-1 during the research period. Physical and chemical analyses of raw wastewater and treated effluent were carried out in the years 1997–2010 (14 years). During this study period, 56 series...
-
High Frequency Harmonics Emission in Smart Grids
PublicationPulse-width modulated rectifiers are nowadays commonly used for AC to DC power conversion. PWM rectification technology is very effective and allows for bidirectional power flow with the possibility of power factor improvement and low-order harmonic emission limitation. Unfortunately, employed PWM boost topology results with generation of input current harmonic distortions in a frequency range tightly correlated to modulation frequency....
-
Analysis of temporary steel grandstand with different bracing systems exposed to crowd load
PublicationGrandstands are structures which are regularly subjected to dynamic loads generated by crowd motions. It is a dangerous situation when spectators induce rhythmic jumping, dancing, stamping, etc. If the synchronized movement of spectators excites a natural frequency of the structure, resonant response might occur. To avoid such situations, temporary steel grandstands are commonly strengthened using additional elements that create...
-
Recent advances in hydrogen production from biomass waste with a focus on pyrolysis and gasification
PublicationThis paper presents the results research on the optimal fuel compositions and the control parameters of the spark ignition engine fueled with syngas-biogas-hydrogen for the purpose of setting up a flexible electronic control unit for the engine working in a solar-biomass hybrid renewable energy system. In syngas-biogas-hydrogen mixture, the optimal content of hydrogen and biogas is 20% and 30%, respectively. Exceeding these thresholds,...
-
Modeling and optimization of chemical-treated torrefaction of wheat straw to improve energy density by response surface methodology
PublicationToday, torrefaction is important technique for extending the potential of biomass for improvement of energy density. The independent variables investigated for torrefaction study were temperature, retention time, acid concentration, and particle size. The experiment was designed by central composite design (CCD) method using design expert (version 11). The three dependent variables were higher heating value (HHV), energy enhancement...
-
Deep Eutectic Solvents: Properties and Applications in CO2 Separation
PublicationNowadays, many researchers are focused on finding a solution to the problem of global warming. Carbon dioxide is considered to be responsible for the “greenhouse” effect. The largest global emission of industrial CO2 comes from fossil fuel combustion, which makes power plants the perfect point source targets for immediate CO2 emission reductions. A state-of-the-art method for capturing carbon dioxide is chemical absorption using...
-
Improving the Performance of a Graphite Foil/Polyaniline Electrode Material by a Thin PEDOT:PSS Layer for Application in Flexible, High Power Supercapacitors
PublicationIn this study, we present a novel strategy for enhancing polyaniline stability and thus obtaining an electrode material with practical application in supercapacitors. A promising (graphite foil/polyaniline/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) GF/PANI/PEDOT:PSS) electrode material was characterized and used in the construction of a symmetric supercapacitor that provides an outstanding high power density. For this...
-
Optimization of thermal backfill configurations for desired high-voltage power cables ampacity
PublicationThe ampacity of high-voltage power cables depends, among others, on their core cross-sectional area as well as thermal resistivity of the thermal backfill surrounding the cables. The cross-sectional area of the power cables’ core is selected according to the expected power to be transferred via the cable system. Usually, the higher the power transfer required, the higher the cross-sectional area of the core. However, the cost of...
-
Dynamic Route Discovery Using Modified Grasshopper Optimization Algorithm in Wireless Ad-Hoc Visible Light Communication Network
PublicationIn recent times, visible light communication is an emerging technology that supports high speed data communication for wireless communication systems. However, the performance of the visible light communication system is impaired by inter symbol interference, the time dispersive nature of the channel, and nonlinear features of the light emitting diode that significantly reduces the bit error rate performance. To address these problems,...
-
Flexible syngas-biogas-hydrogen fueling spark-ignition engine behaviors with optimized fuel compositions and control parameters
PublicationThis paper presents the results research on the optimal fuel compositions and the control parameters of the spark ignition engine fueled with syngas-biogas-hydrogen for the purpose of setting up a flexible electronic control unit for the engine working in a solar-biomass hybrid renewable energy system. In syngas-biogas-hydrogen mixture, the optimal content of hydrogen and biogas is 20% and 30%, respectively. Exceeding these thresholds,...
-
Optimum number of actuators to minimize the cross-sectional area of prestressable cable and truss structures
PublicationThis paper describes a new computational method for determining the optimum number of actuators to design the optimal and economic cross-sectional area of pin-jointed assemblies based on the conventional force method. The most active members are selected to be prestressed to redistribute stress in the whole structure, resulting in regulating the internal force of bars that face high stress. Reducing stress in critical members allows...
-
Irregularities in university processes concerning the Lean Management typology: The pilot study results
PublicationPurpose: Identify the attitudes regarding key irregularities in university activities of universities referring to muda, mura, and muri from the perspective of two groups of stakeholders - academic teachers and administration/service personnel. Study design/methodology/approach: A pilot quantitative study with the use of a questionnaire containing 48 statements regarding six categories of irregularities assessed according to the...
-
Effects of full displacement pile installation on the stress and deformation state of surrounding soil: review
PublicationSeveral field and model tests have been conducted to investigate the impact of pile installation on bearing capacity. However, little is known about how piles behave during installation, how they interact with the surrounding soil, and how this affects sandy soil properties. This review paper investigates the effect of pile driving on surrounding sandy soil as it compacts sandy soil near to the pile. For this purpose, various related...
-
A Vision of Sustainable Design Concepts for Upgrading Vulnerable Coastal Areas in Light of Climate Change Impacts: A Case Study from Beirut, Lebanon
PublicationRapid urbanization combined with the effects of climate change has increased the vulnerability of poor urban communities to natural hazards, particularly to informal settlements located in coastal areas. Apart from socio-economic challenges, the effects of climate change threaten the very existence of these settlements. They are particularly vulnerable due to their poor structural quality and lack of adequate infrastructure to...
-
IRREGULARITIES IN UNIVERSITY PROCESSES CONCERNING THE LEAN MANAGEMENT TYPOLOGY. THE PILOT STUDY RESULTS
PublicationPurpose: Identify the attitudes regarding key irregularities in university activities of universities referring to muda, mura, and muri from the perspective of two groups of stakeholders - academic teachers and administration/service personnel. Study design/methodology/approach: A pilot quantitative study using a questionnaire containing 48 statements regarding six categories of irregularities assessed according to the 5-point...
-
Ukrainian Market of Electrical Energy: Reforming, Financing, Innovative Investment, Efficiency Analysis, and Audit
PublicationThe aim of this research is to determine the influence of electrical energy market regulation reform in Ukraine on the competitive environment, the reproduction processes of financial and innovative support, and the energy efficiency of the national economy. The authors have put forward and verified the hypothesis that, under conditions of institutional maturity of the Ukrainian electrical energy market, its liberalization and...
-
The Effectiveness of Basic Resuscitation Activities Carried out by Combat Paramedics of the Police, as Exemplified by Polish Counterterrorist Units
PublicationThe tasks carried out by Police officers are often accompanied by dangerous situations that threaten the life and health of the people involved, the police themselves, and bystanders. It concerns especially counter-terrorism police units whose activities are aimed at terrorists and particularly dangerous criminals, and their course is violent and aggressive. In conjunction with the inability to bring civilian rescue services into...
-
Mitigating the seismic pounding of multi-story buildings in series using linear and nonlinear fluid viscous dampers
PublicationSeismic-induced pounding between adjacent buildings may have serious consequences, ranging from minor damage up to total collapse. Therefore, researchers try to mitigate the pounding problem using different methods, such as coupling the adjacent buildings with stiff beams, connecting them by using viscoelastic links, and installing damping devices in each building individually. In the current paper, the effect of using linear and...
-
Physicochemical properties of Mn1.45Co1.45Cu0.1O4 spinel coating deposited on the Crofer 22 H ferritic steel and exposed to high-temperature oxidation under thermal cycling conditions
PublicationThe Crofer 22 H ferritic steel substrate was coated with an Mn1.45Co1.45Cu0.1O4 spinel by means of electrophoresis. After high-temperature oxidation under thermal cycling conditions, the physicochemical properties of the obtained system were evaluated. During 48-h cycles that involved heating the samples up to temperatures of either 750 or 800 °C, the oxidation kinetics of both coated and unmodified steel approximately obeyed...
-
IDENTIFICATION AND COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF FACTORS INFLUENCING ROAD SAFETY IN US REGIONS AND IN POLISH VOIVODESHIPS
PublicationAnalyses of road safety at national level have been run for many years and large number of publications concerning them appeared so far. How interdisciplinary the issue is, has been shown by literature studies done by the author of the paper. It appears that economists, mathematicians, doctors as well as engineers have studied the issue. It is not an easy one, as results of many analyses lead to conflicting conclusions and...
-
Multi-layered tissue head phantoms for noninvasive optical diagnostics
PublicationExtensive research in the area of optical sensing for medical diagnostics requires development of tissue phantoms with optical properties similar to those of living human tissues. Development and improvement of in vivo optical measurement systems requires the use of stable tissue phantoms with known characteristics, which are mainly used for calibration of such systems and testing their performance over time. Optical and mechanical...
-
Exploring the preferences of Polish EFL teachers towards the accents of English
PublicationThis language attitudes study investigates the preferences of EFL (English as a foreign language) teachers from Poland towards the accents of English they speak and teach. Despite the substantial amount of research on EFL learners, little has been done to investigate the impact of preferences of Polish teachers for different variations of English language on their...
-
Photocatalytically Active TiO2/Ag2O Nanotube Arrays Interlaced with Silver Nanoparticles Obtained from the One-Step Anodic Oxidation of Ti–Ag Alloys
PublicationThe development of a photocatalyst with remarkable activity to degrade pollutants in aqueous and gas phase requires visible lightresponsive stable materials, easily organized in the form of a thin layer (to exclude the highly expensive separation step). In this work, we present a one-step strategy for synthesizing material in the form of a self-organized TiO2/Ag2O nanotube (NT) array interlaced with silver nanoparticles (as in a...
-
UN DECADE OF ACTION FOR ROAD SAFETY IN THE NATIONAL ROAD SAFETY STRATEGY UNTIL 2020 – POLISH APPROACH
PublicationPoland continues to have the highest number of road deaths per one million population in the European Union, according to a 2012 European Commission report – in 2011 the rate in Poland was 109 fatalities compared to the EU average of 61 killed. Adopted by the government in 2005 Poland’s National Road Safety Programme GAMBIT 2005 was the response to the EU’s 3rd Road Safety Action Programme. Despite extensive road safety efforts,...
-
Enhanced capacitance of composite TiO2 nanotube / boron-doped diamond electrodes studied by impedance spectroscopy
PublicationWe report on the novel composite nanostructures based on boron-doped diamond thin film grown on top of TiO2 nanotubes. The nanostructures made of BDD-modified titania nanotubes showed an increase in activity and performance when used as electrodes in electrochemical environments. The BDD thin films (~200-500 nm) were deposited using microwave plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition (MW PA CVD) onto anodically fabricated TiO2...
-
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...
-
Ground tire rubber thermo-mechanically devulcanized in the presence of waste engine oil as asphalt modifier
PublicationCross-linked elastomers network is main limitation for industrial usage of ground tire rubber (GTR) as asphalts’ and road pavements modifier. GTR was thermo-mechanically devulcanized via extrusion in the presence of waste engine oil (WEO) at temperature ranges from 150 to 280 °C. Combined impact of WEO content and extruder barrel temperature on the change of cross-linked structure of degraded GTR (DTGR) was investigated through...
-
Investigation of Weigh-in-Motion Measurement Accuracy on the Basis of Steering Axle Load Spectra
PublicationWeigh-in-motion systems are installed in pavements or on bridges to identify and reduce the number of overloaded vehicles and minimise their adverse eect on road infrastructure. Moreover, the collected trac data are used to obtain axle load characteristics, which are very useful in road infrastructure design. Practical application of data from weigh-in-motion has become more common recently, which calls for adequate attention to...