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Social convergence in Nordic countries at regional level
PublicationResearch background: Geographical proximity, common historical roots and collaboration within the Nordic Council cause the Nordic countries to be often wrongly treated as monoliths. However, in reality, Nordic regions differ in terms of broadly defined social and economic development. Issues concerning the standard of living are one of the priorities of the Helsinki Treaty signed by Nordic countries. Purpose of the article: The...
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Stormwater runoff in the urbanized coastal basin of Gdańsk Urbanized basin of Gdańsk
PublicationAnthropopressure strongly affects the primal water cycle. Alternation of the natural basins imposes changes of drainage patterns, reduction of bioretention, infiltration and base flow. As a result the overland flow predominates and greater runoff rates flow into storm water collection systems and reservoirs. Moreover changing climatic conditions increase the frequency of rapid extreme weather events. Infrastructures of urban areas...
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Cyclodextrin polymers as efficient adsorbents for removing toxic non-biodegradable pimavanserin from pharmaceutical wastewaters
PublicationPresence of even small amount of active pharmaceutical ingredients in the environment carries risks tohuman and animal health, presenting an important issue. The paper presents issues related to the newdrug - pimavanserin (PMV). Biological treatment efficiency of pimavanserin (PMV) was evaluated usinglab-scale Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR). It has been shown to have a negative effect on aquatic or-ganisms by classifying it as...
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Organizacja systemu opieki nad seniorami wyzwaniem dla samorządów lokalnych
PublicationA significant part of the activities undertaken so far under the senior policy, also at the local level, have been focused on seniors’ social (physical and educational) activation. The growing number of the oldest seniors, with limited independence, living alone in single‑person households, away from their families, will force the policy priorities to be reoriented in such a way as to develop efforts to provide different types...
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The New Test Procedure for Group-Type Composition of Base Oils of Lubricating Oils, Especially Emitted into the Environment
PublicationMineral base oil, a product of multistep fine refining of the relevant fractions from vacuum distillation of crude oil, is a main component of so-called mineral lubricating oils containing aliphatic and alicyclic substituted aromatic hydrocarbons, i.e., derivatives of benzene and biphenyl. Mineral lubricating oil is composed mostly of mineral base oil and a low amount of enriching additives, most often products of advanced organic...
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Urban Lighting Research Transdisciplinary Framework—A Collaborative Process with Lighting Professionals
PublicationOver the past decades, lighting professionals have influenced the experience of the night by brightly illuminating streets, buildings, skylines, and landscapes 24/7. When this became the accepted norm, a dual perspective on night-time was shaped and the visual enjoyment of visitors after dusk was prioritized over natural nightscapes (nocturnal landscapes). During this time, researchers of artificial light at night (ALAN) observed...
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Detection of Bioactive Compounds in Organically and Conventionally Grown Asparagus Spears
PublicationIn the recent reports, there are contradictory conclusions about the nutritional and health properties of organic and conventionally growing vegetables. We hypothesized that organic cultivation system results in higher quality of asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) because of organic manure and effective organisms. Therefore, new analytical methods were applied in order to find the differences in bioactive compounds between the...
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Svalbard reindeer as an indicator of ecosystem changes in the Arctic terrestrial ecosystem
PublicationOver the years, noticeable effort has been directed towards contaminant determination in multiple biotic samples collected from the inhabitants of the Arctic. Little consideration has been given to polar herbivores, however, especially those from the European parts of the Arctic. To provide a broader perspective, we aimed to decipher trace element concentration in hairs of the key species in the Arctic, namely the Svalbard reindeer...
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Minimizing Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Ships Using a Pareto Multi-Objective Optimization Approach
PublicationTo confront climate change, decarbonization strategies must change the global economy. According to statements made as part of the European Green Deal, maritime transport should also become drastically less polluting. As a result, the price of transport must reflect the impact it has on the environment and on health. In such a framework, the purpose of this paper is to suggest a novel method for minimizing emissions...
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Self Portrait with a Mask
PublicationPaweł SASIN - Self Portrait with a Mask “Every work of art is the child of its time, and, in many cases, the mother of our emotions. “ Wassily Kandynsky, Concerning the Spiritual in Art The two years 2020 and 2021 were marked by the COVID-19 pandemic – a lengthy period of time in which everyone felt in danger of losing one’s health or life. As a result, many people were experiencing negative emotion, becoming subject to psychological...
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Olfactory receptor-based biosensors as potential future tools in medical diagnosis
PublicationThe detection of biomarkers is the future of non-invasive medical diagnosis and screening. Discovery and identification of reliable disease specific volatile organic compounds is dependent on repeatable, accurate analysis of trace level gaseous analytes mainly in breath samples. Natural variety of the olfactory systems and the compounds capable of gas molecules binding creates wide possibilities of acquisition and implementation...
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A facile strategy for reclaiming discarded graphite and harnessing the rate capabilities of graphite anodes
PublicationGraphite negative electrodes are unbeaten hitherto in lithium-ion batteries (LiBs) due to their unique chemical and physical properties. Thus, the increasing scarcity of graphite resources makes smart recycling or repurposing of discarded graphite particularly imperative. However, the current recycling techniques still need to be improved upon with urgency. Herein a facile and efficient hydrometallurgical process is reported to...
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Evaluation of bacterial strains for developing effective plant growth promoting strain on chickpea growth and physico chemical properties of soil
PublicationThe study was intended to isolate and characterize the plant growth-promoting properties. A collection of microbial consortia called plant growth-promoting microorganisms (PGPM) work to increase crop growth and yield through a variety of direct mechanisms, including as nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilization, synthesis of PGH, ammonia, and siderophore, as well as indirect mechanisms. The aim of the study was to evaluate the...
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Qualitative analysis of phospholipids and their oxidised derivatives – used techniques and examples of their applications related to lipidomic research and food analysis
PublicationPhospholipids (PLs) are important biomolecules that not only constitute structural building blocks and scaffolds of cell and organelle membranes, but also play a vital role in cell biochemistry and physiology. Moreover, dietary exogenous PLs are characterized by high nutritional value and other beneficial health effects, which are confirmed by numerous epidemiological studies. For this reason, PLs are of high interest in lipidomics...
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Microbiota-derived metabolites in colorectal cancer patients in preoperative period
PublicationShort-chain fat-ty acids (SCFAs) are microbial derived metabo-lites, which have multiple beneficial properties. The amount of SCFAs depends on several fac-tors, such as age, diet (mainly intake of dietary fiber), and overall health condition. The normal proportion between SCFAs is 3:1:1 for acetate, proprionate and butyrate, respectively. In col-orectal cancer (CRC) patients, microbiota alter-ations have been shown. Consequently,...
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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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PSYCHOMETRIC PROPERTIES OF THE POLISH VERSION OF THE GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER 7-ITEM SCALE (GAD-7) IN A NON-CLINICAL SAMPLE OF EMPLOYEES DURING PANDEMIC CRISIS
PublicationObjectives: The COVID-19 outbreak is an example of a crisis that triggered an increase in generalized anxiety disorder. The study aims to validate the Polish version of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7) by Spitzer et al. among a non-clinical sample of employees and examine the invariance depending on the gender and age of working adults. Material and Methods: For assessing factor structure of the Polish version...
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The selective salinity and hydrazine parameters for the start-up of non-anammox-specific biomass SBR
PublicationThe presence of ammonium (NH 4+ ) in wastewater above the permissible limits leads to undesirable ecological impact and public health concerns. In this study, the anaerobic ammonium oxidizing (anammox) bacteria-mediated nitrogen removal was investigated using a sequential batch reactor (SBR). Effects of different salinity levels were evaluated on the bacterial activity at: mild (below 0.2 g NaCl/L), elevated (18.2 g NaCl/L) and...
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On Memory-Based Precise Calibration of Cost-Efficient NO2 Sensor Using Artificial Intelligence and Global Response Correction
PublicationNitrogen dioxide (NO2) is a prevalent air pollutant, particularly abundant in densely populated urban regions. Given its harmful impact on health and the environment, precise real-time monitoring of NO2 concentration is crucial, particularly for devising and executing risk mitigation strategies. However, achieving precise measurements of NO2 is challenging due to the need for expensive and cumbersome equipment. This has spurred...
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Statistical Data Pre-Processing and Time Series Incorporation for High-Efficacy Calibration of Low-Cost NO2 Sensor Using Machine Learning
PublicationAir pollution stands as a significant modern-day challenge impacting life quality, the environment, and the economy. It comprises various pollutants like gases, particulate matter, biological molecules, and more, stemming from sources such as vehicle emissions, industrial operations, agriculture, and natural events. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2), among these harmful gases, is notably prevalent in densely populated urban regions. Given...
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Elucidation of chemical compounds in different extracts of two Lavandula taxa and their biological potentials: Walking with versatile agents on the road from nature to functional applications
PublicationDue to their health-promoting and nutraceutical properties, lavenders are frequently employed in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Here, we focused on investigate the chemical profile of hexane, MeOH, and water extracts of leaf, flower, and root of L. pedunculata and L. stoechas and to assess their antioxidant, enzyme inhibitory, and antibacterial properties. The highest total polyphenolic and flavonoids contents were recorded...
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Pealizacija inicjatiw wostocznogo partnerstwa w Azerbajdżane
PublicationAzerbaijan established political relations with the EU during the implementation of TACIS Programme projects and signed the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement with the EU in 1996. It joined the European Neighbourhood Policy in 2004 and the Eastern Partnership programme in 2009. Despite the sceptical attitude taken by Azerbaijan's government towards the Eastern Partnership initiative, the EU earmarked further funds for Azerbaijan for 2011 – 2014 as part of the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument. During the third Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius in November 2013, Azerbaijan signed only an agreement concerning visa facilitations and readmission. However, it also undertook certain measures as part of the five Eastern Partnership initiatives. In the framework of the Integrated Border Management Programme, Azerbaijan implemented projects connected with improving the access of resettled people to the judicial system, creation of electronic border control systems, social protection, increasing public awareness to eliminate domestic violence, improving assimilation of asylum - seekers and immigrants, and supporting occupational health organisations. Activities aimed at supporting SMEs included training for entrepreneurs, promotional conferences and loans to the SME sector. Recommendations of the initiative promoting the creation of regional electrical and renewable energy markets were implemented by Azerbaijan in the form of 33 projects as part of the INOGATE Programme. With respect to environmental management, Azerbaijan developed a digital regional atlas of natural disasters, and with respect to natural disaster mitigation it planned population protection measures. Azerbaijan was ranked last but one in the evaluation presented in the annual report prepared by the EU. The transformation process in this country has been slow and illusory in certain aspects. Nevertheless, the EU has continued its Eastern Partnership initiative activities, allocating between EUR 252,000 and 308,000 for transformations in Azerbaijan
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Storm petrels as indicators of pelagic seabird exposure to chemical elements in the Antarctic marine ecosystem
PublicationData on trace element bioavailability in the south-polar marine ecosystem is still scarce, compared to that relating to temperate zones. Seabirds can be used as indicators of ecosystem health and sentinels of environmental pollution, constituting a link between marine and terrestrial environments. Here, we analysed the concentration of 17 elements (with special emphasis on mercury, Hg) in feathers of adults and chicks of two pelagic...
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Investigation on air quality of specific indoor environments—spa salons located in Gdynia, Poland
PublicationDue to excessive application of essential oils and scented products in spa salons during aromatherapy and massage sessions, the elevated concentration of total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs), particularly terpenes, which are known as secondary organic aerosol (SOA) precursors, is expected there. This study was aimed at determination of VOCs with a particular regard to terpenes in air samples collected in selected spa salons...
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DATA JOURNALS AND DATA PAPERS IN VARIOUS RESEARCH AREAS AND SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINES – BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS BASED ON INCITES
PublicationThe main aim of this work is to provide insight into a bibliometric analysis of Data Journals and Data Papers in terms of research areas, disciplines, publication year and country. In particular, we calculated many bibliometric indicators, especially: the number of publications and citations. Furthermore, this work also investigated the top 20 journals in which scientists published the largest number of Data Papers. It was found...
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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 Physical Activity Environment Policy Index for monitoring government policies and actions to improve physical activity
PublicationBackground A multifaceted response, including government action, is essential to improve population levels of physical activity (PA). This article describes the development process of the ‘Physical Activity Environment Policy Index’ (PA-EPI) monitoring framework, a tool to assess government policies and actions for creating a healthy PA environment. Methods An iterative process was undertaken. This involved a review of policy...
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LED Light Sources and Their Complex Set-Up for Visually and Biologically Effective Illumination for Ornamental Indoor Plants
PublicationOrnamental plants are often used in indoor environments as part of biophilic design to improve the health and wellbeing of occupants, and to support sustainable, green architecture. Unfortunately, many plants do not thrive and need to be continuously replaced, which is economically unsustainable. The wavelengths and spectrum ratio of commonly used light sources such as light emitting diode (LED), and the lack of an appropriate...
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Risks to Older People in Road Traffic
Publicationhe article looks at road traffic risks and main trends from the perspective of older road users (drivers, cyclists, pedestrians). With a longer time to react, poor eyesight and hearing, impaired mobility, ill health and medication, older road users are put at risk. A comprehensive and pro-active strategy is needed to deal with these risk factors and meet the safety and mobility needs...
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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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White light thermoplasmonic activated gold nanorod arrays enable the photo-thermal disinfection of medical tools from bacterial contamination
PublicationThe outspread of bacterial pathogens causing severe infections and spreading rapidly, especially among hospitalized patients, is worrying and represents a global public health issue. Current disinfection techniques are becoming insufficient to counteract the spread of these pathogens because they carry multiple antibiotic-resistance genes. For this reason, a constant need exists for new technological solutions that rely on physical...
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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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Unmasking the COVID-19 Pandemic Prevention Gains: Excess Mortality Reversal in 2022
PublicationObjectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the long-term effectiveness of COVID-19 pandemic prevention measures in saving lives after European governments began to lift restrictions. Study design: Excess mortality interrupted time series.Methods: Country-level weekly data on deaths were fitted to the Poisson mixed linear model to estimate excess deaths. Based on this estimate, the percentage of excess deaths...
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The impact of cooking method on the phenolic composition, total antioxidant activity and starch digestibility of rice (Oryza sativa L.)
PublicationThis study investigated changes in the phenolic composition, total antioxidant activity (TAA) and starch digestibility in white and brown rice due to three different cooking procedures, and subsequent reheating of cooked rice after storage. Among the analyzed samples, brown rice showed the highest TAA and phenolic content (622.5 mg kg-1 DW). All cooking methods resulted in significant decrease of phenolic content and TAA of rice...
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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...
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Towards Hybrid Urban Mobility: Kick Scooter as a Means of Individual Transport in the City
PublicationThe characteristic feature of a contemporary city is its inconvenience and oppressiveness caused by the hitherto dominant paradigm of urban planning based on car mobility. As a result, the inhabitants have to cope with air pollution, noise, spatial barriers, sedentary lifestyle and other factors which worsen their health and quality of life. Ecological and physically activating urban mobility thus plays an increasingly important...
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Fire Protection and Materials Flammability Control by Artificial Intelligence
PublicationFire safety has become a major challenge of materials developers because of the massive production of organic materials, often combustibles, and their use for different purposes. In this sense, fire safety is critically considered in the development of engineering materials [1, 2]. The multiplicity of parameters contributing to the development of formulation of flame-retardant materials from one side and the sustainability concerns...
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Nonlocal Models of Plates and Shells with Applications in Micro- and Nanomechanics
PublicationNowadays, the use of small-scale structures in micro/nanomachines has become more and more widespread. The most important applications of such small-sized parts are in micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) as well as nano-electro-mechanical systems (NEMS) as actuators, sensors, energy harvesters. For example, nanosensors are nanoscale devices that measure physical quantities and convert these to signals that can be detected and...
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Systematic review examining the evidence for impact of school policies on physical activity
PublicationBackground Epidemiological evidence has demonstrated that physical activity can have substantive health benefits for children and young people. The 'Policy Evaluation Network' is a multi-disciplinary research network across 7 European countries and New Zealand aimed at building capacity and evaluating the level of impact of policy interventions for promoting healthy lifestyles. The Toronto Charter identified 'whole-of-school' programmes...
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Comparison of Absorbed and Intercepted Fractions of PAR for Individual Trees Based on Radiative Transfer Model Simulations
PublicationThe fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (fAPAR) is a key parameter for estimating the gross primary production (GPP) of trees. For continuous, dense forest canopies, fAPAR, is often equated with the intercepted fraction, fIPAR. This assumption is not valid for individual trees in urban environments or parkland settings where the canopy is sparse and there are well-defined tree crown boundaries. Here, the distinction...
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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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Heavy metal accumulation and distribution in Phragmites australis seedlings tissues originating from natural and urban catchment
PublicationThe retention of heavy metal (HM) was studied in root and rhizomes (BLG), stems (ST), and leaves (LF) of Phragmites australis (common reed) seedlings collected from different locations, differing in the scale of anthropogenic interference. The analysis includes the reference samples of sediments in uncontaminated lake Garczonki and contaminated roadside ditch in Cieplewo. The concentrations of Zn, Cu, Pb, Cd, Ni, and Cr were analyzed...
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Attitudes of oncology patients’ towards biospecimen donation for biobank research
PublicationBackground Since the biological material that remains after diagnostic and therapeutic procedures plays crucial role in biobank research, this study aims to explore cancer patients’ views on the donation of biospecimens for research purposes. Methods 548 oncology patients from two hospitals with oncology treatment units in Poznan, Poland,...
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METHODS OF TEACHING NOISE PROTECTION AT ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
PublicationNoise strongly influences both our health and behavior in everyday life and as employees or employers. The lost of hearing and other effects of noise on humans result not only in a significant decrease in the quality of life or work efficiency but have also have economic consequences. As noise can be preventable in part by the Environmental Engineers, but it is necessary to introduce them noise issues during their education process....
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Chitosan-coated coconut shell composite: A solution for treatment of Cr(III)-contaminated tannery wastewater
PublicationTannery industry generates a large amount of Cr(III)-contaminated wastewater daily. Unless properly treated, not only this effluent contaminates the water body, but also damages the environment and threatens public health. This batch study investigates the feasibility of chitosan-coated coconut shells as a low-cost material for removing Cr(III) from tannery wastewater. Both chitosan and coconut shell (CS) waste are abundantly available...
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Emotional experiences of family caregivers of children with Dravet syndrome
PublicationBackground: Since the psychosocial implications of Dravet syndrome (DS) are much more serious and far-reaching than in other types of epilepsy, caring for a DS child seriously affects the entire family. This study describes the emotional experiences of family caregivers of DS children and evaluates the way caregiving affects their perceived quality of life. Methods: An anonymous, self-administered...
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Serodiagnosis of Toxoplasma gondii infection in farm animals (horses, swine, and sheep) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using chimeric antigens
PublicationToxoplasma gondii infects all warm-blooded animals including humans, causing serious public health problems and great economic loss in the animal husbandry. Commonly used serological tests for diagnosis of toxoplasmosis involve preparation of whole Toxoplasma lysate antigen (TLA) from tachyzoites. The production of this antigen is associated with high costs and lengthy preparation and the possibility of staff infection. There are...
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Społeczne uwarunkowania dostępności przestrzeni publicznej
PublicationDziałania projektowe urbanistów i architektów powinny iść w kierunku tworzenia pełnej dostępności przestrzeni publicznej, która spełni oczekiwania wszystkich mieszkańców, bez względu na wiek, stan zdrowia czy ogranicznia mobliności lub percepcji. Powszechna dostępność przestrzeni warunkuje prawidłowy rozwój jednostki i całych wspólnot oraz sprzyja tworzeniu zintegrowanego społeczeństwa obywatelskiego. Dla poprawy bezpieczeństwa...
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Prenatal exposure to substance of abuse: A worldwide problem
PublicationSubstance abuse during pregnancy is an important public health issue affecting the mother and the growing infant. Preterm labor, miscarriage, abruption and postpartum hemorrhage are obstetric complications which have been associated with women who are dependent on abused substances. Moreover, women are also at an increased risk of medical problems such as poor nutrition, anemia, urinary tract infections as well as sexually transmitted...
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Metabolomic and antioxidant properties of different varieties and origins of Dragon fruit
PublicationDragon fruit has appealed much concern from consumers as a novelty fruit with potent nutritional and medicinal benefits. Dragon fruit quality warrants comprehensive evaluation, based on the contents of pigments and health- promoting natural compounds in different varieties. This study was aimed to evaluate the differences among dragon fruit varieties extracted with methanol–water (CD3OD-D2O) and methanol (CD3OD) by proton nuclear magnetic...