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Search results for: DEGRADATION
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Microcrack monitoring and fracture evolution of polyolefin and steel fibre concrete beams using integrated acoustic emission and digital image correlation techniques
PublicationThe use of polymer and steel fibres in plain concrete appears to be an excellent solution for limiting crack propagation and improving the post-ductility performance of concrete structures. Based on this premise, this study investigated the fracture evolution of polyolefin fibre-reinforced concrete (PFRC) and steel fibre-reinforced concrete (SFRC) specimens through the integrated application of two diagnostic techniques, acoustic...
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Self-Organization of Graft Copolymers and Retortable iPP-Based Nanoporous Films Thereof
PublicationPolyolefins might become inexpensive alternatives to the existing membranes based on polyethersulfone. Here we disclose the production of retortable, well-defined PP-based nanoporous membranes derived from amphiphilic graft copolymer precursors. The graft copolymers, containing a polypropylene backbone and polyester grafts, were obtained by grafting lactones, specifically δ-valerolactone and ε-caprolactone, from well-defined randomly...
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Knowledge-Based Expedited Parameter Tuning of Microwave Passives by Means of Design Requirement Management and Variable-Resolution EM Simulations
PublicationThe importance of numerical optimization techniques has been continually growing in the design of microwave components over the recent years. Although reasonable initial designs can be obtained using circuit theory tools, precise parameter tuning is still necessary to account for effects such as electromagnetic (EM) cross coupling or radiation losses. EM-driven design closure is most often realized using gradient-based procedures,...
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Rapid Antenna Optimization with Restricted Sensitivity Updates by Automated Dominant Direction Identification
PublicationMeticulous tuning of geometry parameters turns pivotal in improving performance of antenna systems. It is more and more often realized using formal optimization methods, which is demonstrably the most efficient way of handling multiple design variables, objectives, and constraints. Although in some cases a need for launching global search arises, a typical design scenario only requires local optimization, especially when a decent...
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The effect of gold shape and size on the properties and visiblelight-induced photoactivity of Au-TiO2
PublicationtIn the present investigation, TiO2modified with a different geometry and size of gold particles, suchas nanospheres (NSPs), nanostars (NSTs) and nanorods (NRs), were prepared by the immobilizationmethod. The effect of the gold shape, size and TiO2matrix type (TiO2microspheres or rutile TIO-6 TiO2)were systematically investigated. The obtained photocatalysts were thoroughly characterized by UV–visdiffuse-reflectance spectroscopy...
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Assessment of toxic and endocrine potential of substances migrating from selected toys and baby products
PublicationAnalysis of literature data shows that there is limited information about the harmful biological effects of mixture of compounds from the EDC group that are released from the surface of toys and objects intended for children and infants. One of the tools that can be used to obtain such information is appropriate bioanalytical tests. The aim of this research involved determining whether tests that use living organisms as an active...
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Wastewater treatment by means of Advanced Oxidation Processes at basic pH conditions: A review
PublicationAdvanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have been used as an alternative and effective option for treatment of industrial wastewater, especially in the case of the non-biodegradable compounds. Despite of several well developed AOPs, the majority of them are effective only at acidic or neutral pH, namely Fenton related processes, making the list of available effective advanced oxidation technologies strongly limited. In many cases,...
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Bioreactor shoot cultures of Rhododendron tomentosum (Ledum palustre) for a large-scale production of bioactive volatile compounds
PublicationRhododendron tomentosum Harmaja (Ledum palustre), a peat bog plant from Ericaceae family, has been used in traditional medicine as the anti-arthritis agent. Although modern researches confirm its anti-inflammatory properties, it remains threatened by habitat degradation and possibilities to collect this endangered species from its natural environment for further biological activity studies are limited. Therefore, R. tomentosum...
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Emerging oxidized and defective phases in low-dimensional CrCl3
PublicationTwo-dimensional (2D) magnets such as chromium trihalides CrX3 (X ¼ I, Br, Cl) represent a frontier for spintronics applications and, in particular, CrCl3 has attracted research interest due its relative stability under ambient conditions without rapid degradation, as opposed to CrI3. Herein, mechanically exfoliated CrCl3 flakes are characterized at the atomic scale and the electronic structures of pristine, oxidized, and defective...
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PLA–Potato Thermoplastic Starch Filament as a Sustainable Alternative to the Conventional PLA Filament: Processing, Characterization, and FFF 3D Printing
PublicationThe growing popularity of the fused filament fabrication (FFF) 3D printing technology in science, industry, and in-home use is associated with an increased demand for high-quality polymer filaments. This study presents an in-depth characterization and analysis of a self-made bio-based polylactide (PLA)/thermoplastic potato starch (TPS) filament dedicated for the FFF 3D printing technology. The obtained results were compared with...
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Two bacterial small heat shock proteins, IbpA and IbpB, form a functional heterodimer
PublicationSmall heat shock proteins (sHsps) are a conserved class of ATP-independent chaperones which in stress conditions bind to unfolded protein substrates and prevent their irreversible aggregation. Substrates trapped in sHsps-containing aggregates are efficiently refolded into native structures by ATP-dependent Hsp70 and Hsp100 chaperones. Most γ-proteobacteria possess a single sHsp (IbpA), while in a subset of Enterobacterales, as...
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Constrained multi-objective optimization of compact microwave circuits by design triangulation and pareto front interpolation
PublicationDevelopment of microwave components is an inherently multi-objective task. This is especially pertinent to the design closure stage, i.e., final adjustment of geometry and/or material parameters carried out to improve the electrical performance of the system. The design goals are often conflicting so that the improvement of one normally leads to a degradation of others. Compact microwave passives constitute a representative case:...
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A review on recent advances in the application of biosurfactants in wastewater treatment
PublicationMicroorganisms produce a variety of non-conventional surface-active molecules, known as biosurfactants. The biosurfactants find diverse applications in the oil industry, agriculture, emulsifiers, and wastewater treatment, to name a few. Since they are produced from microbes, advantages such as biodegradability, lower toxicity, and environmental compatibility can be leveraged compared to the chemical surfactants. Recently, biosurfactants...
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Enhancing Resilience of FSO Networks to Adverse Weather Conditions
PublicationOptical wireless networks realized by means of gigabit optical wireless communication (OWC) systems are becoming, in a variety of applications, an important alternative, or a complementary solution, to their fiber-based counterparts. However, performance of the OWC systems can be considerably degraded in periods of unfavorable weather conditions, such as heavy fog, which temporarily reduce the effective capacity of the network....
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Rethinking Sustainable Cities at Night: Paradigm Shifts in Urban Design and City Lighting
PublicationSince the establishment of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015, various perspectives on sustainable cities have been developed and adopted in order to achieve a better and more sustainable future. However, background research has revealed that these goals and targets are limited because they do not take into account the growing body of lighting-related research in diverse fields...
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Cavitation-Based Processes for Water and Wastewater Treatment
PublicationCavitation based on advanced oxidation processes (Cav-AOPs) is interesting alternatives for already implemented wastewater treatment technologies. Destructive and strongly undesirable phenomena in the industry, i.e., cavitation, revealed to be useful in a positive manner as a source of energy for chemical reactions. During the implosion of cavitation bubbles, focused energy and resulting high temperature and pressure allows to...
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Thermal dewetting as a method of surface modification of the gold thin films for surface plasmon resonance based sensor applications
PublicationHere, we report a quick and simple approach with low, optimized production costs to obtain surface plasmon resonance (SPR) based sensors fabricated through a time- and resource-effective method based on thermal dewetting of thin Au films. From the applicative point of view, the method of detection presented here should be easier to implement, since light transmission measurements seem to be much less challenging than light refractive...
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Tolerance-Aware Optimization of Microwave Circuits by Means of Principal Directions and Domain-Restricted Metamodels
PublicationPractical microwave design is most often carried out in the nominal sense. Yet, in some cases, performance degradation due to uncertainties may lead to the system failing to meet the prescribed specifications. Reliable uncertainty quantification (UQ) is therefore important yet intricate from numerical standpoint, especially when the circuit at hand is to be evaluated using electromagnetic (EM) simulation tools. Tolerance-aware...
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Structure and Stability Characterization of Natural Lake Pigments Made from Plant Extracts and Their Potential Application in Polymer Composites for Packaging Materials
PublicationNatural dyes were extracted from various plant sources and converted into lake pigments based on aluminum and tin. Three different plants (weld, Persian berries, and Brazilwood) were chosen as representative sources of natural dyes. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry (QqQ MS) were used to identify dyestuffs in the raw extracts. The natural dyes and lake pigments were further characterized...
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Low-Cost Yield-Driven Design of Antenna Structures Using Response-Variability Essential Directions and Parameter Space Reduction
PublicationQuantifying the effects of fabrication tolerances and uncertainties of other types is fundamental to improve antenna design immunity to limited accuracy of manufacturing procedures and technological spread of material parameters. This is of paramount importance especially for antenna design in the industrial context. Degradation of electrical and field properties due to geometry parameter deviations often manifests itself as, e.g.,...
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Refinement of the Hardening Soil model within the small strain range
PublicationThe popularity of the elasto-plastic Hardening Soil (HS) model is based on simple parameter identification from standard testing and empirical formulas. The HS model is implemented in many commercial FE codes designed to analyse geotechnical problems. In its basic version, the stress–strain behaviour within the elastic range is subject to the hypoelastic power law, which assures the barotropy of the elastic stiffness. However,...
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Reduced-Cost Design Optimization of High-Frequency Structures Using Adaptive Jacobian Updates
PublicationElectromagnetic (EM) analysis is the primary tool utilized in the design of high-frequency structures. In vast majority of cases, simpler models (e.g., equivalent networks or analytical ones) are either not available or lack accuracy: they can only be used to yield initial designs that need to be further tuned. Consequently, EM-driven adjustment of geometry and/or material parameters of microwave and antenna components is a necessary...
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Facet effect of TiO2 nanostructures from TiOF2 and their photocatalytic activity
PublicationIn this study, special attention is focused on the design of TiO2 morphology and microstructure in the two-step preparation procedure using TiOF2 as a precursor to study their photodegradation mineralization efficiency. Firstly, TiOF2 was synthesized by a simple solvothermal method using titanium(IV) tetrafluoride, which was further used as a precursor in preparation of anatase 2D nanosheets, octahedral, decahedral, and rectangular prisms...
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The effect of Ag, Au, Pt, and Pd on the surface properties, photocatalytic activity and toxicity of multicomponent TiO2-based nanomaterials
PublicationMulticomponent TiO2-based nanomaterials (MC-NMs) show better physicochemical properties than their individual components or bulk materials. However, the same unique properties that offer innovative applications might also pose unknown risks to human health and the environment. In this context, TiO2- based nanomaterials with a mixture of noble metal precursors (Ag, Au, Pt, and Pd) for large-scale technological applications in air...
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Bringing Bathymetry LiDAR to Coastal Zone Assessment: A Case Study in the Southern Baltic
PublicationOne of the major tasks in environmental protection is monitoring the coast for negative impacts due to climate change and anthropopressure. Remote sensing techniques are often used in studies of impact assessment. Topographic and bathymetric procedures are treated as separate measurement methods, while methods that combine coastal zone analysis with underwater impacts are rarely used in geotechnical analyses. This study presents...
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Rapid multi-objective optimization of antennas using nested kriging surrogates and single-fidelity EM simulation models
PublicationEver increasing performance requirements make the design of contemporary antenna systems a complex and multi-stage process. One of the challenges, pertinent to the emerging application areas but also some of the recent trends (miniaturization, demands for multi-functionality, etc.), is the necessity of handling several performance figures such as impedance matching, gain, or axial ratio, often over multiple frequency bands. The...
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Optical and photocatalytic properties of rare earth metal-modified ZnO quantum dots
PublicationA series of novel ZnO quantum dots modified with rare earth metals was successfully prepared by a simple sol-gel approach. The effects of types (Eu, Er, Tb, Yb, Ho, La) and amounts (from 0.09 to 0.45 mmol) of lanthanides on the optical properties, structural characterization and photocatalytic activity of ZnO/RE QDs were systematically investigated. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform...
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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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Scalable Route toward Superior Photoresponse of UV-Laser-Treated TiO2 Nanotubes
PublicationTitanium dioxide nanotubes gain considerable attention as a photoactive material due to chemical stability, photocorrosion resistance, or lowcost manufacturing method. This work presents scalable pulsed laser modification of TiO2 nanotubes resulting in enhanced photoactivity in a system equipped with a motorized table, which allows for modifications of both precisely selected and any-large sample area. Images obtained from scanning...
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Wpływ przechyłki na zjawisko postępowania zużycia bocznego szyn kolejowych w łukach poziomych
PublicationDegradacja elementów nawierzchni kolejowej jest zagadnieniem bardzo złożonym, w które uwikłane jest wiele czynników związanych między innymi z układem geometrycznym toru kolejowego, właściwościami trybologicznymi poszczególnych elementów nawierzchni, jak również z parametrami podłoża gruntowego, a także z właściwościami samych pojazdów szynowych. W artykule omówiono jeden z powyższych problemów, tj. wpływ ukształtowania toru kolejowego...
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Transport of Particles in Intestinal Mucus under Simulated Infant and Adult Physiological Conditions: Impact of Mucus Structure and Extracellular DNA
PublicationThe final boundary between digested food and the cells that take up nutrients in the small intestine is a protective layer of mucus. In this work, the microstructural organization and permeability of the intestinal mucus have been determined under conditions simulating those of infant and adult human small intestines. As a model, we used the mucus from the proximal (jejunal) small intestines of piglets and adult pigs. Confocal...
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Selected anionic and cationic surface active agents: case study on the Kłodnica sediments
PublicationSurface active agents (surfactants) are a group of chemical compounds, which are used as ingredients of detergents, cleaning products, cosmetics and functional products. After use, wastes containing surfactants or their degradation products are discharged to wastewater treatment plants or directly into surface waters. Due to their specific properties of SAAs, compounds are able to migrate between different environmental compartments...
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Comparison of hydrochemistry and organic compound transport in two non-glaciated high Arctic catchments with a permafrost regime (Bellsund Fjord, Spitsbergen)
PublicationAn increase in air temperature related to climate change results in the retreat of glaciers, the degradation of permafrost, and the expansion of glacier-free areas in the polar regions. All these processes lead to changes in the Arctic landscape. They influence the hydrochemistry of streams and rivers fed by glaciers and thawing permafrost. In this study, we examine eighty two water samples from two non-glaciated catchments with...
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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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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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Landscape Rurality: New Challenge for The Sustainable Development of Rural Areas in Poland
PublicationThe standard of country living was a matter of Polish elites’ concern from the eighteenth century. In different historical conditions different concepts of the rural renewal were formed. Today in rural areas of Poland some spatial processes that threaten the quality of life occur. The disadvantageous changes are the result of national or local governments spatial policy and they are an inhabitants’ response to it. The political...
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The ILs-assisted solvothermal synthesis of TiO2 spheres: the effect of ionic liquids on morphology and photoactivity of TiO2
PublicationEffect of the ionic liquid (IL) structure (chain length in the imidazolium cation) on morphology and photoactivity of TiO2 particles has been systematically investigated. The TiO2 microspheres have been successfully synthesized via facile solvothermal method assisted by ionic liquids, such as 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride [BMIM][Cl] and 1-decyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride [DMIM][Cl] using tetra-tert-butyl orthotitanate...
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Nanoparticle-assisted biohydrogen production from pretreated food industry wastewater sludge: Microbial community shifts in batch and continuous processes
PublicationBiohydrogen production from industrial waste has gained a significant attention as a sustainable energy source. In this study, the enrichment of biohydrogen production from pretreated dissolved air flotation (DAF) sludge, generated from food industry wastewater treatment plants, was investigated using SiO2@Cu-Ag dendrites cor- e–shell nanostructure (NS). The effect of NS on the changes of the microbial community and biohydrogen...
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Maximizing Bio-Hydrogen and Energy Yields Obtained in a Self-Fermented Anaerobic Bioreactor by Screening of Different Sewage Sludge Pretreatment Methods
PublicationEgypt faces significant challenges in managing its sewage sludge generated in large quantities from wastewater treatment plants. This study investigates the feasibility of utilizing sewage sludge as a renewable resource for hydrogen production through anaerobic digestion at the 100 L bioreactor level. Hydrogen is considered a promising alternative energy source due to its high energy content and environmental benefits. To optimize...
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Electrochemical Production of Sodium Hypochlorite from Salty Wastewater Using a Flow-by Porous Graphite Electrode
PublicationThe production of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) from salty wastewater using an electrochemical cell has several advantages over other methods that often require hazardous chemicals and generate toxic waste, being more sustainable and environmentally friendly. However, the process of producing sodium hypochlorite using an electrochemical cell requires careful control of the operating conditions, such as the current density, flow rate,...
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Tailoring diamondised nanocarbon-loaded poly(lactic acid) composites for highly electroactive surfaces: extrusion and characterisation of filaments for improved 3D-printed surfaces
PublicationA new 3D-printable composite has been developed dedicated to electroanalytical applications. Two types of diamondised nanocarbons - detonation nanodiamonds (DNDs) and boron-doped carbon nanowalls (BCNWs) - were added as fillers in poly(lactic acid) (PLA)-based composites to extrude 3D filaments. Carbon black served as a primary filler to reach high composite conductivity at low diamondised nanocarbon concentrations (0.01 to 0.2...
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Chitosan, Collagen and Gelatin in the design of novel materials with antimicrobial acticity
PublicationMedical devices containing and releasing antiinfective agents directly on the site of injury are a common group of materials available and widely used in treating difficult to heal wounds. Sustained contact of the active agent to the damaged tissue, needed to inhibit infection and preservation of microbiological purity of the wound, is provided by the immobilization antimicrobial agents on the surface of the matrix material or...
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Estimation and modeling hydrolysis of slowly biodegradable substrate based on the batch respirometric tests in activated sludge systems
PublicationNowadays, appropriate determination of chemical oxygen demand (COD) fractionation together with degradation kinetics of organic compounds have a prime importance on the design and operation of activated sludge systems. Batch respirometric tests based on the oxygen uptake rates (OUR) and corresponding COD is accepted method to reflect the consumption of biodegradable substrates. The influence of the readily biodegradable (Ss) fraction...
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Bioactive polyurethanes applied as a surgical implants
PublicationSynthetic materials are applied in many branches of the industry, i.a. in medicine as a casing of apparatus, elements of artificial organs (hearts, blood vessels), catheters, wound healings, intra aortic balloons, mammary implants to mention but a few. Polymeric material used in such applications must be distinguished by a good biocompatybility. Since many years extensive research are employed to develop a new polymers that can...
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Damage-involved response of two colliding buildings under non-uniform earthquake loading
PublicationPounding between insufficiently separated buildings, which may result in considerable damage or may even lead to the total collapse of colliding structures, has been repeatedly observed during earthquakes. Earthquake-induced collisions of buildings has been intensively studied applying various structural models. It was assumed in the analyses, however, that the seismic excitation is identical for all structural supports; whereas,...
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DETERMINATION OF SURFACTANTS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SAMPLES - PART I. CATIONIC COMPOUNDS = Oznaczanie Surfaktantów W Próbkach Środowiskowych. Część I. Związki Kationowe
PublicationCompounds from the group of cationic surfactants are widely applied in household, industrial, cleaning, disinfectant, cosmetic and pharmaceutical products as their specific properties (antimicrobial, emulsifying, anticorrosion, softening). After use, cationic surfactants are disposed to wastewater-treatment plants and finally with effluent water to surface waters due to their incomplete degradation. Moreover, they can freely circulate...
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Bio‑derived polyurethanes obtained by non‑isocyanate route using polyol‑based bis(cyclic carbonate)s—studies on thermal decomposition behavior
PublicationNon-isocyanate polyurethanes (NIPUs) constitute one of the most prospective groups of eco-friendly materials based on their phosgene-free synthesis pathway. Moreover, one of the steps of their obtaining includes the use of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), which allows for the promotion of the development of carbon dioxide capture and storage technologies. In this work, non- isocyanate polyurethanes were obtained via three-step synthesis...
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The impact of thermomechanical and chemical treatment of waste Brewers’ spent grain and soil biodegradation of sustainable Mater-Bi-Based biocomposites
PublicationDue to the massive plastic pollution, development of sustainable and biodegradable polymer materials is crucial to reduce environmental burdens and support climate neutrality. Application of lignocellulosic wastes as fillers for polymer composites was broadly reported, but analysis of biodegradation behavior of resulting biocomposites was rarely examined. Herein, sustainable Mater-Bi-based biocomposites filled with thermomechanically-...
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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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Phytoplankton communities of polar regions–Diversity depending on environmental conditions and chemical anthropopressure
PublicationThe polar regions (Arctic and Antarctic) constitute up to 14% of the biosphere and offer some of the coldest and most arid Earth's environments. Nevertheless several oxygenic phototrophs including some higher plants, mosses, lichens, various algal groups and cyanobacteria, survive that harsh climate and create the base of the trophic relationships in fragile ecosystems of polar environments. Ecosystems in polar regions are characterized...