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The Simulation of Activated Sludge System for Optimization of Predictive Aeration at Large WWTP
PublicationEffective use of biodegradable substrates as an internal carbon sources (ICS) for denitrification and EBPR and predicting performance of aeration systems during nitrification in activated sludge bioreactors, may be useful in realization the sustainable development by potentially saving energy consumption at WWTPs. A large number of WWTPs use activated sludge systems with an integrated removal of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus...
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THE INFLUENCE OF WATER-LAND RELATIONS ON THE LANDSCAPE AND ARCHITECTURE OF THE VISTULA DELTA (POLAND)
PublicationThe Vistula Delta is unique region of water domination. In this part of Europe, historic rural assumptions have been developing since the 12th century. Practically, it can be said that most of the systems were related to the coexistence of the human and the water element. Relations of water and land, developed specific types of villages such as a water-based village. Water landscape; polders, canals, dikes and rivers, hydro-technical...
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An Overview of Treatment Approaches for Octahydro-1, 3, 5, 7-tetranitro-1, 3, 5, 7-tetrazocine (HMX) Explosive in Soil, Groundwater, and Wastewater
PublicationOctahydro-1, 3, 5, 7-tetranitro-1, 3, 5, 7-tetrazocine (HMX) is extensively exploited in the manufacturing of explosives; therefore, a significant level of HMX contamination can be encountered near explosive production plants. For instance, up to 12 ppm HMX concentrations have been observed in the wastewater effluent of a munitions manufacturing facility, while up to 45,000 mg/kg of HMX has been found in a soil sample taken from...
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SDGs implementation, their synergies, and trade-offs in EU countries – Sensitivity analysis-based approach
PublicationSustainable development is one of the most urgent challenges facing humanity. Its basic principle is to improve people’s well-being and maintain it over time. In 2015, the United Nations approved 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) to ensure a better and sustainable future for all, balancing economic, social and environmental development. SDGs create an ‘indivisible whole’; thus, examining their interactions is crucial. Our...
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Adaptive Algorithm of a Tap-Changer Controller of the Power Transformer Supplying the Radial Network Reducing the Risk of Voltage Collapse
Publicationhe development of renewable energy, including wind farms, photovoltaic farms as well as prosumer installations, and the development of electromobility pose new challenges for network operators. The results of these changes are, among others, the change of network load profiles and load flows determining greater volatility of voltages. Most of the proposed solutions do not assume a change of the transformer regulator algorithm....
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Corporate Social Responsibility Culture in the University of Technology – Polish Students Perspective
PublicationPurpose: The view on CSR concept is constantly broadening and still the new perspective is needed. New challenges are imposed by social, environmental and economic changes. A stakeholder approach defining organizations’ responsibility is no more valid. There is a need to redefine CSR concept and its role in sustainable development. Higher education and its role in shaping future attitudes towards corporate social responsibility...
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On Decision-Making Strategies for Improved-Reliability Size Reduction of Microwave Passives: Intermittent Correction of Equality Constraints and Adaptive Handling of Inequality Constraints
PublicationDesign optimization of passive microwave components is an intricate process, especially if the primary objective is a reduction of the physical size of the structure. The latter has become an important design consideration for a growing number of modern applications (mobile communications, wearable/implantable devices, internet of things), where miniaturization is imperative due to a limited space allocated for the electronic circuitry....
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Comparison of Renewable Energy Sources in ‘New’ EU Member States in the Context of National Energy Transformations
PublicationThe European Union strives to create sustainable, low-carbon economies; therefore, energy policies of all member states should move towards renewable energy sources (RES). That concerns also the so-called new EU member states. These countries, on the one hand, are characterized by significant historical similarities in terms of post-communist legacy and adopted development strategies linked with the EU membership, and on the other...
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Advanced Oxidation Processes for the Treatment of Contaminants of Emerging Concern
PublicationThe application of contaminants of emerging concern (CEC) such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), pesticides, plasticizers, endocrine disruptors, surfactants, flame retardants and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) became an indispensable requirement of the current era. Although the CEC are useful for wide-spectrum purposes, they can also result in undesirable effects on human health and other animals....
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Data augmentation for improving deep learning in image classification problem
PublicationThese days deep learning is the fastest-growing field in the field of Machine Learning (ML) and Deep Neural Networks (DNN). Among many of DNN structures, the Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) are currently the main tool used for the image analysis and classification purposes. Although great achievements and perspectives, deep neural networks and accompanying learning algorithms have some relevant challenges to tackle. In this...
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The ONETEP linear-scaling density functional theory program
PublicationWe present an overview of the ONETEP program for linear-scaling density functional theory (DFT) calculations with large basis set (planewave) accuracy on parallel computers. The DFT energy is computed from the density matrix, which is constructed from spatially localized orbitals we call Non-orthogonal Generalized Wannier Functions (NGWFs), expressed in terms of periodic sinc (psinc) functions. During the calculation, both the...
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Genotyping Techniques for Determining the Diversity of Microorganisms
PublicationTyping of microbial pathogens, or identifying bacteria at the strain level, is particularly important for diagnosis, treatment, and epidemiological surveillance of bacterial infections. This is especially the case for bacteria exhibiting high levels of antibiotic resistance or virulence, and those involved in nosocomial or pandemic infections. Strain typing also has applications in studying bacterial population dynamics. The part...
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Anomaly Detection in Railway Sensor Data Environments: State-of-the-Art Methods and Empirical Performance Evaluation
PublicationTo date, significant progress has been made in the field of railway anomaly detection using technologies such as real-time data analytics, the Internet of Things, and machine learning. As technology continues to evolve, the ability to detect and respond to anomalies in railway systems is once again in the spotlight. However, railway anomaly detection faces challenges related to the vast infrastructure, dynamic conditions, aging...
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Machine-learning-based precise cost-efficient NO2 sensor calibration by means of time series matching and global data pre-processing
PublicationAir pollution remains a considerable contemporary challenge affecting life quality, the environment, and economic well-being. It encompasses an array of pollutants—gases, particulate matter, biological molecules—emanating from sources such as vehicle emissions, industrial activities, agriculture, and natural occurrences. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a harmful gas, is particularly abundant in densely populated urban areas. Given its...
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Technological solutions to landfill management: Towards recovery of biomethane and carbon neutrality
PublicationInadequate landfill management poses risks to the environment and human health, necessitating action. Poorly designed and operated landfills release harmful gases, contaminate water, and deplete resources. Aligning landfill management with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) reveals its crucial role in achieving various targets. Urgent transformation of landfill practices is necessary to address challenges like climate change,...
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Gender as a Moderator of the Double Bias of Mistakes – Knowledge Culture and Knowledge Sharing Effects
PublicationThere is no learning without mistakes. The essence of the double bias of mistakes is the contradiction between an often-declared positive attitude towards learning from mistakes, and negative experiences when mistakes occur. Financial and personal consequences, shame, and blame force desperate employees to hide their mistakes. These adverse outcomes are doubled in organizations by the common belief that managers never make mistakes,...
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Diving boldly into COVID‐19 contaminated wastewater: Eyes at nanotechnology‐assisted solutions
PublicationSeveral studies have been directed to find scalable, swift, accurate, and cost-effective strategies for detecting, monitoring, and treating coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Indeed, the lack of a fast and practical method for detecting the infected regions makes decision-making challenging to combat the critical pandemic-struck situations. The probable ‘wrong’, or rather inadequate, decisions not only have a boomerang effect...
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Tackling microplastics pollution in global environment through integration of applied technology, policy instruments, and legislation
PublicationMicroplastic pollution is a serious environmental problem that affects both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Small particles with size of less than 5 mm, known as microplastics (MPs), persist in the environment and pose serious threats to various species from micro-organisms to humans. However, terrestrial environment has received less attention than the aquatic environment, despite being a major source of MPs that eventually...
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Development and evaluation of RADA-PDGF2 self-assembling peptide hydrogel for enhanced skin wound healing
PublicationBackground: Wound healing complications affect numerous patients each year, creating significant economic and medical challenges. Currently, available methods are not fully effective in the treatment of chronic or complicated wounds; thus, new methods are constantly sought. Our previous studies showed that a peptide designated as PDGF2 derived from PDGF-BB could be a promising drug candidate for wound treatment and that RADA16-I...
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DEFORMATIONS OF INNOVATIVE COLD-FORMED GEB SECTIONS
PublicationPermanent urban growth of the world of today world implies demanding challenges for the steel construction industry. Nowadays, one of the most important issues is the cost optimization of steel structures. Since the weight of building materials is a major component of the total cost, engineers and designers try to reduce structural weight, without compromising durability and sustainability of a steel structure. Therefore, light...
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Organic Rankine cycle as bottoming cycle to a combined Brayton and Clausius - Rankine cycle
PublicationA preliminary evaluation has been made of a possibility of bottoming of a conventional Brayton cycle cooperating with the CHP power plant with the organic Rankine cycle installation. Such solution contributes to the possibility of annual operation of that power plant, except of operation only in periods when there is a demand for the heat. Additional benefit would be the fact that an optimized backpressure steam cycle has the advantage...
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Nowe rozwiązania metodyczne i techniczne w zakresie techniki mikroekstrakcji do fazy stracjonarnej
PublicationSample preparation has been recognized as a critical step of the analytical process, being even considered as the bottleneck of the overall process. Enrichment of target compounds, transfer of the analytes into a solvent compatible with the analytical instrumentation, minimization of potential interferences, and efficient sample clean-up, are among the main aims of sample preparation techniques. In this regard, liquid-liquid extraction...
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Analysing Ways to Achieve a New Urban Agenda-Based Sustainable Metropolitan Transport
PublicationThe New Urban Agenda (NUA) sets a new vision of sustainable urban development to help cities deal with the challenges of changing demography. While numerous articles have addressed how the NUA can be implemented at different levels and in different areas, this article points out the potential limitations in incorporating the NUA into metropolitan transport policies. The relevance of the limitations can be seen in three main fields:...
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Mutually polarizable QM/MM model with in situ optimized localized basis functions
PublicationWe extend our recently developed quantum-mechanical/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) approach [Dziedzic et al., J. Chem. Phys. 145, 124106 (2016)] to enable in situ optimization of the localized orbitals. The quantum subsystem is described with ONETEP linear-scaling density functional theory and the classical subsystem – with the AMOEBA polarizable force field. The two subsystems interact via multipolar electrostatics and are fully...
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CMGNet: Context-aware middle-layer guidance network for salient object detection
PublicationSalient object detection (SOD) is a critical task in computer vision that involves accurately identifying and segmenting visually significant objects in an image. To address the challenges of gridding issues and feature...
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Incorporation of the sulfur cycle in sustainable nitrogen removal systems - A review
PublicationIn wastewater treatment systems, sulfur (S) removal processes are generally based on heterotrophic sulfate (SO42−) reduction by sulfate reducing bacteria and S-dependent autotrophic denitrification by sulfur oxidizing bacteria. A combination of either two cycles (N and S) or three cycles (N, S and C) appears to be a viable approach to sustainable wastewater treatment, resulting in energy savings and reduction of sludge production....
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A Case Study on Implementing Agile Techniques and Practices: Rationale, Benefits, Barriers and Business Implications for Hardware Development
PublicationAgile methodologies, along with the corresponding tools and practices, are claimed to facilitate teams in managing their work more effectively and conducting their work more efficiently while fostering the highest quality product within the constraints of the budget. Therefore, the rate of awareness and adoption of Agile frameworks both within and outside the software industry has increased significantly. Yet, the latest studies...
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Towards Changes of Macro-Economic Structures in Middle Eastern Countries. Empirical Evidence for 1970–2018
PublicationMiddle East countries share a wide bundle of specific structural economic features and one of the latest is a high dependency of these economies on fossil fuels, which is quantitatively demonstrated through the share of oil and gas revenues in total export, but also in gross domestic product composition. This high economic dependency on natural resources on one hand has recently generated a material wealth of Middle Eastern countries...
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Book Review
PublicationActing over the last three decades as an Editor and Associate Editor for a number of international journals in the general area of cybernetics and AI, as well as a Chair and Co-Chair of numerous conferences in this field, I have had the exciting opportunity to closely witness and to be actively engaged in the stimulating research area of machine learning and its important augmentation with deep learning techniques and technologies. From...
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Experiment-Based Study of Heat Dissipation from the Power Cable in a Casing Pipe
PublicationThe paper deals with the important challenges in terms of electricity transmission by means of underground cable lines. The power cable’s performance is characterized by an ampacity that represents its maximum electric current-carrying capacity. The ampacity of power cables depends on their ability to diffuse the heat generated by the current flow into the environment. In the performed research, the analysis of the efficiency of...
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The Staged Combustion of Meat-and-Bone Meal:The Characteristics of Conversion Sub-processes and Large-Scale Process Outputs
Publicationt Organic waste has been playing an increasingly important role in the energy market as those that may support the economies in pursuing towards decarbonization by increasing the share of renewables in the overall energy balance. In this group of alternative fuels, meat-and-bone meals being a post-production waste of the steadily developing meat industry, constitute a considerable proportion. Though they are rich in minerals, their...
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Technical solutions and benefits of introducing rain gardens – Gdańsk case study
PublicationNowadays, Nature-Based Solutions (NBSs) are developing as innovative multifunctional tools to maximize urban ecosystem services such as storm water preservation, reduction of runoff and flood protection, groundwater pollution prevention, biodiversity enhancement, and microclimate control. Gdańsk is one of the first Polish cities to widely introduce rain gardens (one example of an NBS) in different areas such as parks, city center,...
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Architects and urban planners in the face of energy transition - smart cities energy aspects in shaping building structures and cities
PublicationContemporary architects and urban planners are facing steadily increasing challenges. The growing problems around environmental issues, shrinking natural resources and climate action are just some of them. Currently, planning should also include balancing with all the aspects of sustainable development such as not only the environmental issues, but also social and economic ones. How to meet them in the era of energy transition...
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Assessment of Citizens’ Actions against Light Pollution with Guidelines for Future Initiatives
PublicationDue to the wide reach of media reports about scientific research and technological tools such as the world wide web (WWW), the Internet, and web browsers, citizens today have access to factual information about the negative impact of artificial light at night (ALAN) on their dark skies, and their health and well-being. This means they can now make educated decisions and take the necessary steps to help protect themselves and their...
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Functional safety and managing competence
PublicationSą nowe wyzwania związane z badaniami, edukacją i szkoleniem w obszarach bezpieczeństwa i ochrony systemów i sieci krytycznych. W rozdziale podkreśla się, że kompetencje specjalistów powinny być kształtowane w zintegrowanych procesach edukacji i szkolenia. Dlatego uzasadnione jest, aby opracować w Europie standardy i programy kształcenia na bazie odpowiednich prac badawczych i najlepszych doświadczeń z praktyki przemysłowej w celu...
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Regenarative tourism – between theory and practice
PublicationPurpose: The aim of this article is to present a shift in thinking in terms of implementing the systems and practices needed to transition to a regenerative approach in tourism. The article aims to provide concrete ways to change thinking and move towards a regenerative paradigm in the tourism industry. Design/methodology/approach: This viewpoint paper defines regenerative tourism and explores its principles and the possibilities...
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Knowledge Management and Resilience in SMEs Sector
PublicationPurpose: The aim of this paper is to investigate the role of resilience in surviving major disruptions, such as pandemic or war. This problem is especially vital for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as they often lack both resources needed for survival during prolonged economic hardship and knowledge management (KM) practices which are useful for developing the necessary business resilience. Methodology: The paper uses...
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Accurate Modeling of Antenna Structures by Means of Domain Confinement and Pyramidal Deep Neural Networks
PublicationThe importance of surrogate modeling techniques has been gradually increasing in the design of antenna structures over the recent years. Perhaps the most important reason is a high cost of full-wave electromagnetic (EM) analysis of antenna systems. Although imperative in ensuring evaluation reliability, it entails considerable computational expenses. These are especially pronounced when carrying out EM-driven design tasks such...
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An experimental assessment on a diesel engine powered by blends of waste-plastic-derived pyrolysis oil with diesel
PublicationThe utilization of plastic solid wastes for sustainable energy production is a crucial aspect of the circular economy. This study focuses on pyrolysis as an effective method to convert this feedstock into renewable drop-in fuel. To achieve this, it is essential to have a comprehensive understanding of feedstock composition, pyrolysis process parameters, and the physicochemical characteristics of the resulting fuel, all correlated...
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Innovations in Wastewater Treatment: Harnessing Mathematical Modeling and Computer Simulations with Cutting-Edge Technologies and Advanced Control Systems
PublicationThe wastewater treatment landscape in Central Europe, particularly in Poland, has undergone a profound transformation due to European Union (EU) integration. Fueled by EU funding and rapid technological advancements, wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have adopted cutting-edge control methods to adhere to EU Water Framework Directive mandates. WWTPs contend with complexities such as variable flow rates, temperature fluctuations,...
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Transcriptional profile of in vitro expanded human epidermal progenitor cells for the treatment of non-healing wounds
PublicationBackground Epidermal progenitor cells (EPCs) have been under extensive investigation due to their increasing potential of application in medicine and biotechnology. Cultured human EPCs are used in the treatment of chronic wounds and have recently became a target for gene therapy and toxicological studies. One of the challenges in EPCs culture is to provide a high number of undifferentiated, progenitor cells displaying high viability...
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Affective Learning Manifesto – 10 Years Later
PublicationIn 2004 a group of affective computing researchers proclaimed a manifesto of affective learning that outlined the prospects and white spots of research at that time. Ten years passed by and affective computing developed many methods and tools for tracking human emotional states as well as models for affective systems construction. There are multiple examples of affective methods applications in Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS)....
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Functionalized polyolefins, synthesis application and industrial relevance
PublicationPolymers play a key role in our modern life full of technical advances and a continuous request for new materials with tailored properties for a low price. Their excellent mechanical properties, good processability, chemical stability and low price make polyolefins the polymers of choice for most commodity and some more specialized applications. As a result, polyolefins account for over 65% of the total world demand of plastic...
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Macro-nutrients recovery from liquid waste as a sustainable resource for production of recovered mineral fertilizer: Uncovering alternative options to sustain global food security cost-effectively
PublicationGlobal food security, which has emerged as one of the sustainability challenges, impacts every country. As food cannot be generated without involving nutrients, research has intensified recently to recover unused nutrients from waste streams. As a finite resource, phosphorus (P) is largely wasted. This work critically reviews the technical applicability of various water technologies to recover macro-nutrients such as P, N, and...
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Fast multi-objective optimization of antenna structures by means of data-driven surrogates and dimensionality reduction
PublicationDesign of contemporary antenna structures needs to account for several and often conflicting objectives. These are pertinent to both electrical and field properties of the antenna but also its geometry (e.g., footprint minimization). For practical reasons, especially to facilitate efficient optimization, single-objective formulations are most often employed, through either a priori preference articulation, objective aggregation,...
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Wastes from Agricultural Silage Film Recycling Line as a Potential Polymer Materials
PublicationThe recycling of plastics is currently one of the most significant industrial challenges. Due to the enormous amounts of plastic wastes generated by various industry branches, it is essential to look for potential methods for their utilization. In the presented work, we investigated the recycling potential of wastes originated from the agricultural films recycling line. Their structure and properties were analyzed, and they were...
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Precise Identification of Different Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia (CIN) Stages, Using Biomedical Engineering Combined with Data Mining and Machine Learning
PublicationCervical cancer (CC) is one of the most common female cancers worldwide. It remains a significant global health challenge, particularly affecting women in diverse regions. The pivotal role of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in cervical carcinogenesis underscores the critical importance of diagnostic strategies targeting both HPV infection and cervical...
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Advancing sustainable wastewater management: A comprehensive review of nutrient recovery products and their applications
PublicationWastewater serves as a vital resource for sustainable fertilizer production, particularly in the recovery of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). This comprehensive study explores the recovery chain, from technology to final product reuse. Biomass growth is the most cost-effective method, valorizing up to 95 % of nutrients, although facing safety concerns. Various techniques enable the recovery of 100 % P and up to 99 % N, but challenges...
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On Nature-Inspired Design Optimization of Antenna Structures Using Variable-Resolution EM Models
PublicationNumerical optimization has been ubiquitous in antenna design for over a decade or so. It is indispensable in handling of multiple geometry/material parameters, performance goals, and constraints. It is also challenging as it incurs significant CPU expenses, especially when the underlying computational model involves full-wave electromagnetic (EM) analysis. In most practical cases, the latter is imperative to ensure evaluation reliability....
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Historic Urban Settings, LED Illumination and its Impact on Nighttime Perception, Visual Appearance, and Cultural Heritage Identity
PublicationMany cities, towns and villages around the world have adopted new Lighting Emitting Diode (LED) technology in order to save energy, operational and maintenance costs. While energy-efficient, these light sources have a critical effect on the appearance of historic sites at night and the technology has unique properties and numerous inherent drawbacks that present challenges to decision makers as well as inexperienced lighting...