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Search results for: IMPROVED DIALOGUE INTELLIGIBILITY
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Identification of High-Value Dataset determinants: is there a silver bullet for efficient sustainability-oriented data-driven development?
PublicationOpen Government Data (OGD) are seen as one of the trends that has the potential to benefit the economy, improve the quality, efficiency, and transparency of public administration, and change the lives of citizens, and the society as a whole facilitating efficient sustainability-oriented data-driven services. However, the quick achievement of these benefits is closely related to the “value” of the OGD, i.e., how useful, and reusable...
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Tuning Electrochemical Performance by Microstructural Optimization of the Nanocrystalline Functional Oxygen Electrode Layer for Solid Oxide Cells
PublicationFurther development of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) oxygen electrodes can be achieved through improvements in oxygen electrode design by microstructure miniaturisation alongside nanomaterials implementation. In this work, improved electrochemical performance of an La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-d (LSCF) cathode was achieved by the controlled modification of the La0.6Sr0.4CoO3-d (LSC) nanocrystalline interlayer introduced between a porous...
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Impact performance of novel multi-layered prepacked aggregate fibrous composites under compression and bending
PublicationMulti-layered Prepacked aggregate fibrous composite (MLPAFC) is a new type of concrete, which is prepared in two subsequent stages of aggregate-fibre skeleton prepacking and cementitious grouting. In this study, ten MLPAFC mixtures were prepared in three subsequent layers incorporating different contents of four different types of steel fibres. Long and short hooked-end and crimped steel fibers were adopted with 3.0 and 1.5% dosages...
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Estimation of Broadband Complex Permeability Using SIW Cavity-Based Multimodal Approach
PublicationIn this article, an attractive multimodal substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) based methodology is presented for the characterization of magnetic materials in the broadband microwave frequency. The proposed approach employs a modified feed under-coupled SIW cavity instead of conventional feed over-coupled multiple SIW cavities; it uses the modified closedform expression, developed from the first principle to consider the effect...
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Combination of hydrodynamic cavitation and SR-AOPs for simultaneous degradation of BTEX in water
PublicationHydrodynamic cavitation (HC) is an emerging technology gaining interest in water treatment for use in elimination of a wide range of organic pollutants. The energy released during cavitation phenomenon has number of applications and, particularly, it can be utilized for activation of persulfate (PS) and peroxymonosulfate (PMS). In the present study, hybrid techniques: HC combined with persulfates – HC-PS and HC-PMS were tested...
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Mechanical and Corrosion Properties of Laser Surface-Treated Ti13Nb13Zr Alloy with MWCNTs Coatings
Publication: Titanium and its alloys is the main group of materials used in prosthetics and implantology. Despite their popularity and many advantages associated with their biocompatibility, these materials have a few significant disadvantages. These include low biologic activity—which reduces the growth of fibrous tissue and allows loosening of the prosthesis—the possibility of metallosis and related inflammation or other allergic reactions,...
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Accurate Modeling of Frequency Selective Surfaces Using Fully-Connected Regression Model with Automated Architecture Determination and Parameter Selection Based on Bayesian Optimization
PublicationSurrogate modeling has become an important tool in the design of high-frequency structures. Although full-wave electromagnetic (EM) simulation tools provide an accurate account for the circuit characteristics and performance, they entail considerable computational expenditures. Replacing EM analysis by fast surrogates provides a way to accelerate the design procedures. Unfortunately, modeling of microwave passives is a challenging...
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Multiple Cues-Based Robust Visual Object Tracking Method
PublicationVisual object tracking is still considered a challenging task in computer vision research society. The object of interest undergoes significant appearance changes because of illumination variation, deformation, motion blur, background clutter, and occlusion. Kernelized correlation filter- (KCF) based tracking schemes have shown good performance in recent years. The accuracy and robustness of these trackers can be further enhanced...
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In-Reactor Polypropylene Functionalization─The Influence of Catalyst Structures and Reaction Conditions on the Catalytic Performance
PublicationTo unravel the relationship between silylene-bridged metallocene catalyst structures and polymerization conditions and their effect on the performance in in-reactor functionalization of polypropylene, the behaviors of rac-Me2Si(2-Me-4-Ph-Ind)2ZrCl2/MMAO, rac-Me2Si(Ind)2ZrCl2, rac-Me2Si(2-Me-4-Ph-Ind)2HfCl2, and rac-Me2Si(Ind)2HfCl2 in propylene/aluminum alkyl-passivated 10-undecen-1-ol copolymerization were compared. Kinetic analysis...
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Computationally Efficient Surrogate-Assisted Design of Pyramidal-Shaped 3D Reflectarray Antennas
PublicationReflectarrays (RAs) have been attracting considerable interest in the recent years due to their appealing features, in particular, a possibility of realizing pencil-beam radiation patterns, as in the phased arrays, but without the necessity of incorporating the feeding networks. These characteristics make them attractive solutions, among others, for satellite communications or mobile radar antennas. Notwithstanding, available microstrip...
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Green energy extraction for sustainable development: A novel MPPT technique for hybrid PV-TEG system
PublicationThe Photovoltaic (PV) module converts only a small portion of irradiance into electrical energy. Most of the solar energy is wasted as heat, resulting in a rise in PV cell temperature and a decrease in solar cell efficiency. One way to harvest this freely available solar thermal energy and improve PV cell efficiency is by integrating PV systems with thermoelectric generators (TEG). This cogeneration approach of the hybrid PV-TEG...
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Mission impossible for cellular internalization: When porphyrin alliance with UiO-66-NH2 MOF gives the cell lines a ride
PublicationIs it possible to accelerate cell internalization by hybridization of nanomaterials? Herein we support the realization of using metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with the assistance of rigid porphyrin structure (H2TMP) aimed at drug loading, drug release, relative cell viability, and targeted in vitro drug delivery. There are several MOFs, i.e., UiO-66-NH2 (125 ± 12.5 nm), UiO-66-NH2 @H2TMP (160 ± 14 nm), UiO-66-NH2 @H2TMP@DOX, and...
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Generalized regression neural network and fitness dependent optimization: Application to energy harvesting of centralized TEG systems
PublicationThe thermoelectric generator (TEG) system has attracted extensive attention because of its applications in centralized solar heat utilization and recoverable heat energy. The operating efficiency of the TEG system is highly affected by operating conditions. In a series-parallel structure, due to diverse temperature differences, the TEG modules show non-linear performance. Due to the non-uniform temperature distribution (NUTD) condition,...
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On the Role of Polarimetric Decomposition and Speckle Filtering Methods for C-Band SAR Wetland Classification Purposes
PublicationPrevious wetlands studies have thoroughly verified the usefulness of data from synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensors in various acquisition modes. However, the effect of the processing parameters in wetland classification remains poorly explored. In this study, we investigated the influence of speckle filters and decomposition methods with different combinations of filter and decomposition windows sizes on classification accuracy....
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Generalized Formulation of Response Features for Reliable Optimization of Antenna Input Characteristics
PublicationElectromagnetic (EM)-driven parameter adjustment has become imperative in the design of modern antennas. It is necessary because the initial designs rendered through topology evolution, parameter sweeping, or theoretical models, are often of poor quality and need to be improved to satisfy stringent performance requirements. Given multiple objectives, constraints, and a typically large number of geometry parameters, the design closure...
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Synergistic effect of TiO2 photocatalytic advanced oxidation processes in the treatment of refinery effluents
PublicationDifferent types of photolytic and photocatalytic advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) were used for treatment of refinery effluents from bitumen production. The treatment efficiency was evaluated by analyzing chemical oxygen demand (COD), biological oxygen demand (BOD5), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and sulfide ions concentration. The studies revealed a synergistic effect of application of external oxidants (O3, H2O2, O3/H2O2)...
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Mechanical and radiation shielding properties of concrete reinforced with boron--basalt fibers using Digital Image Correlation and X--ray micro--computed tomography
PublicationThe paper presents experimental investigations of the radiation shielding, mechanical and fracture properties of concrete reinforced with 5 kg/m3 of novel basalt fibers infused with boron oxide (BBF). However, further studies concerning other dosages i.e. 1 kg/m3, 10 kg/m3, 15 kg/m3 and 20 kg/m3 are currently carried out. Experiments with neutron source revealed that addition of BBF as a dispersed concrete reinforcement could improve...
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Recombinant !ermostable AP Exonuclease from Thermoanaerobacter tengcongensis: Cloning, Expression, Purification, Properties and PCR Application
PublicationApurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) sites in DNA are considered to be highly mutagenic and must be corrected to preserve genetic integrity, especially at high temperatures. !e gene encoding a homologue of AP exonuclease was cloned from the thermophilic anaerobic bacterium Thermoanaerobacter tengcongensis and transformed into Escherichia coli. The protein product showed high identity (80%) to human Ape1 nuclease, whereas to E. coli exonuclease...
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Human poverty - measuring relative deprivation from basic achievements: a comparative study for 144 countries over the period 1990-2010
PublicationPoverty – differently defined and measured – still remains one the crucial parts of the world development debate. It`s broadly perceived as multidimensional phenomenon which deprives people from basic capabilities and freedoms, limits their opportunity to educate and fully participate in the labor market contributing to overall country`s socioeconomic performance. Referring to seminal works of Sen and many others(see e.g. Morris...
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Ensembling noisy segmentation masks of blurred sperm images
PublicationBackground: Sperm tail morphology and motility have been demonstrated to be important factors in determining sperm quality for in vitro fertilization. However, many existing computer-aided sperm analysis systems leave the sperm tail out of the analysis, as detecting a few tail pixels is challenging. Moreover, some publicly available datasets for classifying morphological defects contain images limited only to the sperm head. This...
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Modelling of Different Aeration Modes Influencing Processes in SBR Bioreactor
PublicationCurrently, computer modelling together with the simulation tools tailored for that purpose constitute a very important element in planning technological changes within wastewater treatment plant. From the point of view of the WWTP operator every modification should be introduced in order to improve the quality of treated sewage with the lowest financial outlays. These requirements can be met by using computer programmes to effectuate...
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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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Carotid Artery Stenting and Blood–Brain Barrier Permeability in Subjects with Chronic Carotid Artery Stenosis
PublicationFailure of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a critical event in the development and progression of diseases such as acute ischemic stroke, chronic ischemia or small vessels disease that affect the central nervous system. It is not known whether BBB breakdown in subjects with chronic carotid artery stenosis can be restrained with postoperative recovery of cerebral perfusion. The aim of the study was to assess the short-term effect...
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Teaching Architecture – contemporary challenges and threats in the complexity of built environment
PublicationThe complexity of the modern built environment is a problem n ot only of architectural and urban issues. This issue extends to many othe r disciplines as well as covering a wide range of social engagements. The idea of writing this pa per is generally initiated by the debate which took place in Gdańs k on 22.01.2016, and was prepar ed in order to meet representatives of the four circles of interest...
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Quality of limes juices based on the aroma and antioxidant properties
PublicationKaffir (Citrus hystrix) and Key (Citrus aurantifolia) limes juices were investigated and compared. Two dimensional gas chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC-TOF-MS) was applied to assess the botanical origin of Kaffir and Key limes juices, based on volatile substances. The biggest differences in the contents of selected terpenes in Kaffir and Key limes occur in chemical compounds such as Limonene,...
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The overexpression of CPR and P450 3A4 in pancreatic cancer cells changes the metabolic profile and increases the cytotoxicity and pro-apoptotic activity of acridine antitumor agent, C-1748
PublicationDrug resistance is one of the major cause of pancreatic cancer treatment failure. Thus, it is still imperative to develop new active compounds and novel approach to improve drug efficacy. Here we present 9-amino-1-nitroacridine antitumor agent, C-1748, developed in our laboratory, as a candidate for pancreatic cancer treatment. We examined (i) the cellular response of pancreatic cancer cell lines: Panc-1, MiaPaCa-2, BxPC-3 and...
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New Chalcones Derivatives With Potent Antitumor Activity And Their Metabolism In Vitro
PublicationChalcone derivatives exhibit a broad range of biological activities, with antioxidant and cytotoxic properties among the most studied. Despite numerous reports on chalcones as cytotoxic, and potentially anticancer agents, very little is know on their actual mechanism of activity. Generally, chalcones are considered as antimitotic agents, which interfere with tubulin assembly.We have recently developed a new class of chalcones with...
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Design and Preparation of Magnetically-Oriented Poly(styr-co-MMA)-3MPS Capped Fe(ZnO) Hybrid Microspheres for Ion Exchange Removal of Toxic Pollutants from Wastewater
PublicationIn this work, polymeric microspheres derived from polystyrene-co-methyl methacrylate embedded with magnetic ZnO nanoparticles (poly(styrene-co-MMA)-3MPS-Fe (ZnO)) were synthesized using the suspension polymerization method. The surfaces of polymeric Fe(ZnO) microspheres were improved by functionalization with amino and sulphonate groups. The physicochemical analysis indicated a large number of positively charged (anion exchange)...
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Release systems based on self-assembling RADA16-I hydrogels with a signal sequence which improves wound healing processes
PublicationSelf-assembling peptides can be used for the regeneration of severely damaged skin. They can act as scaffolds for skin cells and as a reservoir of active compounds, to accelerate scarless wound healing. To overcome repeated administration of peptides which accelerate healing, we report development of three new peptide biomaterials based on the RADA16-I hydrogel functionalized with a sequence (AAPV) cleaved by human neutrophil elastase...
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Electrophoretic deposition and characterization of composite chitosan/Eudragit E 100 or poly(4-vinylpyridine)/mesoporous bioactive glass nanoparticles coatings on pre-treated titanium for implant applications
PublicationTitanium implants are surface-modified to achieve bioactivity and often antibacterial properties. Such surface coatings may increase corrosion degradation and be weakly attached to the substrate. In the present research, biodegradable composite coatings, investigated so far as smart environment-sensitive, slowly releasing silver to the implant neighborhood, were produced as a combination of chitosan (CS) with Eudragit E 100 (EE100)...
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Microcracking monitoring and damage detection of graphene nanoplatelets-cement composites based on acoustic emission technology
PublicationThis study aims to identify the micro-cracking pattern and structural applications of cement composites replaced with 0 wt%, 0.04 wt%, and 0.08 wt% contents of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) over cement weight through acoustic emission (AE) monitoring under mechanical degradation. The ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV–vis) results showed that at 60 min sonication period, GNP-4 showed maximum absorbance rate of 16.15% compared...
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Microstructure and mechanical properties of laser surface-treated Ti13nb13zr alloy with MWCNTs coatings
PublicationLaser surface modification of titanium alloys is one of the main methods of improving the properties of titanium alloys used in implantology. This study investigates the microstructural morphology of a laser-modified surface layer on a Ti13Nb13Zr alloy with and without a carbon nanotube coating deposited by electrophoretic deposition. Laser modification was performed for samples with and without carbon nanotube coating for two...
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Muramyl dipeptide-based analogs as potential anticancer compounds: Strategies to improve selectivity, biocompatibility, and efficiency
PublicationAccording to the WHO, cancer is the second leading cause of death in the world. This is an important global problem and a major challenge for researchers who have been trying to find an effective anticancer therapy. A large number of newly discovered compounds do not exert selective cytotoxic activity against tumorigenic cells and have too many side effects. Therefore, research on muramyl dipeptide (MDP) analogs has attracted interest...
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An adaptive-noise Augmented Kalman Filter approach for input-state estimation in structural dynamics
PublicationThe establishment of a Digital Twin of an operating engineered system can increase the potency of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) tools, which are then bestowed with enhanced predictive capabilities. This is particularly relevant for wind energy infrastructures, where the definition of remaining useful life is a main driver for assessing the efficacy of these systems. In order to ensure a proper representation of the physical...
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Non-toxic fluorine-doped TiO2 nanocrystals from TiOF2 for facet-dependent naproxen degradation
PublicationIn the present study, the photocatalytic degradation of naproxen (NPX), which is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), frequently detected in drinking water, was investigated. The F-doped TiO2 with defined morphology was successfully obtained from TiOF2 and applied for photocatalytic degradation under UV-vis and visible light. All samples were characterised by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron...
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Self-standing Nanoarchitectures
PublicationDespite there are structures invisible for the human eye, they mastered the world of advanced electronic devices, sensors, novel cosmetics or drugs. When the dimensions of the materials go down to the nanometres scale, their properties change dramatically comparing to the observable objects. Because of their tiny size, they gained the name of nanomaterials but simultaneously their importance has significantly grown up. Nanomaterials...
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Mono- and bimetallic (Pt/Cu) titanium(IV) oxide core–shell photocatalysts with UV/Vis light activity and magnetic separability
PublicationTitanium(IV) oxide is one of the most widely investigated photocatalysts. However, separation of nano-sized particulate titania might result in profitless technologies for commercial applications. Additionally, bare titania is almost inactive under the Vis range of solar spectrum due to its wide bandgap. Therefore, the present study aims to prepare novel coreinterlayer- shell TiO2 magnetic photocatalysts modified with metal nanoparticles...
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Generating actionable evidence from free-text feedback to improve maternity and acute hospital experiences: A computational text analytics & predictive modelling approach
PublicationBackground Patient experience surveys are a key source of evidence for supporting decision-making and quality improvement in healthcare services. These surveys contain two main types of questions: closed and open-ended, asking about patients’ care experiences. Apart from the knowledge obtained from analysing closed-ended questions, invaluable insights can be gleaned from free-text data. Advanced analytics techniques are increasingly...
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Screening of predicted synergistic multi-target therapies in glioblastoma identifies new treatment strategies
PublicationAbstract Background IDH-wildtype glioblastoma (GBM) is a highly malignant primary brain tumor with a median survival of 15 months after standard of care, which highlights the need for improved therapy. Personalized combination therapy has shown to be successful in many other tumor types and could be beneficial for GBM patients. Methods We performed the largest drug combination screen to date in GBM, using a high-throughput effort...
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Thermally tuneable optical and electrochemical properties of Au-Cu nanomosaic formed over the host titanium dimples
PublicationAu-Cu nanostructures offer unique optical and catalytic properties unlike the monometallic ones resulting from the specific interaction. Among others, they have the ability to exhibit surface plasmon resonance, electrochemical activity towards the oxygen and hydrogen evolution reaction (OER, HER) as well as improved photoresponse in relation to monometalic but those properties depend highly on the substrate where bimetallic structures...
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Extending the Frequency Limit of Microstrip-Coupled CSRR Using Asymmetry
PublicationAbstract— This article explains the frequency limitation in designing microstrip circuits based on a complementary split-ring resonator (CSRR) and reports a novel technique for increasing its operating frequency, which makes the CSRR suitable for high-frequency applications. This study helps in synthesizing the dimensions of symmetric CSRR (SCSRR) and asymmetric CSRR (ACSRR) circuits, which shows the applicability of the proposed...
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Influence of B/N co-doping on electrical and photoluminescence properties of CVD grown homoepitaxial diamond films
PublicationBoron doped diamond (BDD) has great potential in electrical, and electrochemical sensing applications. The growth parameters, substrates, and synthesis method play a vital role in the preparation of semiconducting BDD to metallic BDD. Doping of other elements along with boron (B) into diamond demonstrated improved efficacy of B doping and exceptional properties. In the present study, B and nitrogen (N) co-doped diamond has been...
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Activation of endogenous regenerative potential in mammals using epigenetic inhibitor zebularine
PublicationIn this work, a nucleoside inhibitor of DNA methyltransferases, zebularine, was investigated as a wound healing and regeneration promoting agent. It was found that a high dose of intraperitoneally delivered zebularine improved punch wound closure in the ear pinna in mice. Both cytidine, a zebularine analogue, and uridine, a zebularine metabolite, did not promote ear pinna hole closure. The effect of zebularine on ear pinna healing...
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Evaluating Industry 4.0 Implementation Challenges Using Interpretive Structural Modeling and Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process
PublicationThe fourth industrial revolution known as Industry 4.0 is reshaping and evolving the way industries produce products and individuals live and work therefore, gaining massive attraction from academia, business and politics. The manufacturing industries are optimistic regarding the opportunities Industry 4.0 may offer such as, improved efficiency, productivity and customization. The present research contributes to the Industry 4.0...
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G2DC-PL+: a gridded 2 km daily climate dataset for the union of the Polish territory and the Vistula and Odra basins
PublicationG2DC-PL+, a gridded 2 km daily climate dataset for the union of the Polish territory and the Vistula and Odra basins, is an update and extension of the CHASE-PL Forcing Data – Gridded Daily Precipitation and Temperature Dataset – 5 km (CPLFD-GDPT5). The latter was the first publicly available, high-resolution climate forcing dataset in Poland, used for a range of purposes including hydrological modelling and bias correction of...
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Monolithic vs. Microservice Architecture: A Performance and Scalability Evaluation
PublicationContext. Since its proclamation in 2012, microservices-based architecture has gained widespread popularity due to its advantages, such as improved availability, fault tolerance, and horizontal scalability, as well as greater software development agility. Motivation. Yet, refactoring a monolith to microservices by smaller businesses and expecting that the migration will bring benefits similar to those reported by top global companies,...
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Rapid Design Centering of Multi-Band Antennas Using Knowledge-Based Inverse Models and Response Features
PublicationAccounting for manufacturing tolerances as well as uncertainties concerning operating conditions and material parameters is one of the important yet often neglected aspects of antenna development. Appropriate quantification of uncertainties allows for estimating the fabrication yield but also to carry out robust design (e.g., yield maximization). For reliability reasons, statistical analysis should be executed at the accuracy level...
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Voltammetric and biological studies of folate-targeted non-lamellar lipid mesophases
PublicationFolate-targeted lipid nanostructures are promising strategies for the development of biocompatible drug delivery systems. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of drug delivery to cancer cells by folate-targeted lipid mesophases, cubosomes (CUB) and hexosomes (HEX), loaded with doxorubicin (DOX). Three cancer-derived cell lines (KB, HeLa, T98G) exhibiting different expressional levels of folate receptor protein...
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Electrochemical performance of indium-tin-oxide-coated lossy-mode resonance optical fiber sensor
PublicationAnalysis of liquids performed in multiple domain, e.g., optical and electrochemical (EC), has recently focus significant attention. Our previous works have shown that a simple device based on indium-tin-oxide (ITO) coated optical fiber core may be used for optical monitoring of EC processes. At satisfying optical properties and thickness of ITO a lossy-mode resonance (LMR) effect can be obtained and used for monitoring of optical...
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Computed tomography indicators of cerebral microperfusion improve long term after carotid stenting in symptomatic patients
PublicationOBJECTIVES: We tested the hypothesis that computed tomography (CT) perfusion markers of cerebral microcirculation would improve 36 months after internal carotid artery stenting for symptomatic carotid stenosis while results obtained 6-8 weeks after the stenting procedure would yield a predictive value. METHODS: We recruited consecutive eligible patients with >70% symptomatic carotid stenosis with a complete circle of Willis and...