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Investigation of the electrochemical behaviour of AA1050 aluminium alloy in aqueous alkaline solutions using Dynamic Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy
PublicationThe paper presents the electrochemical behaviour of aluminium alloy AA1050 in aqueous alkaline media in the pH range 14–8.5. Electrochemical study was applied in order to obtain comprehensive information on the mechanism and kinetics of the process of anodic dissolution of aluminium, supplemented by monitoring of surface topography using an electron microscope. The corrosion rate of AA1050 increases with increasing concentration...
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Visible light activity of pulsed layer deposited BiVO4/MnO2 films decorated with gold nanoparticles: The evidence for hydroxyl radicals formation
PublicationThin films containing BiVO4 and MnO2 deposited on FTO and modified by Au nanoparticles were studied towards their photoelectrochemical and photocatalytical activities in an aqueous electrolyte. Electrodes were prepared by the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method. The surfactant-free ablation process was used for preparation of the gold nanoparticles (GNP) water suspension. Obtained layers of varied thicknesses (27–115 nm) were...
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How do sterols determine the antufungal activitiy of amphotericin B? Free energy of binding between the drug and its membrane targets.
PublicationAmphotericin B (AmB) is a well-known polyene antibiotic used to treat systemic fungal infections. It is commonly accepted that the presence of sterols in the membrane is essential for the AmB biological activity, that is, for the formation of transmembrane ion channels. The selective toxicity of AmB for fungal cells is attributed to the fact that it is more potent against fungal cell membranes containing ergosterol than against...
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Photocatalytical properties of maze-like MoO3 microstructures prepared by anodization of Mo plate
PublicationIn this work, we present a simple method of the formation of MoO3 microstructures via an electrochemical anodization of Mo plate carried out under varied conditions. The morphology, composition and structure of samples were investigated by SEM, EDX, XRD and Raman spectroscopy. The band gap energy was estimated using the Kubelka–Munk function and was found to be 2.87 eV. Finally, the photocatalytic activities of MoO3 samples were...
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Activity of Polish unifloral honeys against pathogenic bacteria and its correlation with colour, phenolic content, antioxidant capacity and other parameters.
PublicationThe use of honey as an antimicrobial agent gains importance due to often ineffectiveness of conventional treatment. However, activity of honey depends mainly on its botanical and geographical origin. To date, antimicrobial potential of Polish honeys has not yet been entirely investigated. In this study, 37 unifloral samples of 14 honey types (including rare varieties) from Poland were analysed and compared with manuka honey. The...
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Modulation of CYP1A1, CYP1A2 and CYP1B1 expression by cabbage juices and indoles in human breast cell lines
PublicationEpidemiological studies have shown that consumption of cab- bage and sauerkraut is connected with significant reduction of breast cancer incidences. Estrogens are considered a major breast cancer risk factor and their metabolism by P450 enzymes substan- tially contributes to carcinogenic activity. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of cabbage and sauerkraut juices of differ- ent origin on the expression profile...
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Instrumented end notched flexure - Crack propagation and process zonemonitoring Part II: Data reduction and experimental
PublicationA mode II instrumented end notched flexure three point bending (ENF) adhesion test is described. The adhesive joint consists of two aluminium alloy (AW7075-T6) plates bonded with a structural epoxy adhesive (Hysol EA 9395™). Strain gauges are attached to the outer surface (backface) of the substrates in the lengthwise direction to measure local surface strain during crack propagation. Simultaneously, load/displacement measurements...
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SnO2 nanoparticles embedded onto MoS2 nanoflakes - An efficient catalyst for photodegradation of methylene blue and photoreduction of hexavalent chromium
PublicationIn this work, a molybdenum disulfide/tin oxide (MoS2/SnO2) composite was successfully prepared via a hydrothermal method. The MoS2/SnO2 composite was used as a photocatalyst for photoreduction of hexavalent chromium and photodecomposition of methylene blue. It exhibited higher photocatalytic performance under simulated solar light irradiation than MoS2 itself. The obtained material was characterized by several spectroscopic and...
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Surface sliding in human abdominal wall numerical models: Comparison of single-surface and multi-surface composites
PublicationDetermining mechanical properties of abdominal soft tissues requires a coupled experimental-numerical study, but first an appropriate numerical model needs to be built. Precise modeling of human abdominal wall mechanics is difficult because of its complicated multi-layer composition and large variation between specimens. There are several approaches concerning simplification of numerical models, but it is unclear how far one could...
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The impact of institutions on innovation networks: empirical evidence from Poland
PublicationInnovation networks may accelerate and improve the innovation process, while institutional pathologies may hamper it. This study employs the Kruskal-Wallis H test and regression analysis to determine if the relationship between institutions and innovation networks does exist among the investigated variables. The purpose of the study was to find out whether cooperation with special local institutions influences the innovative behaviour...
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Active Control of Highly Autocorrelated Machinery Noise in Multivariate Nonminimum Phase Systems
PublicationIn this paper, a novel multivariate active noise control scheme, designed to attenuate disturbances with high autocorrelation characteristics and preserve background signals, is proposed. The algorithm belongs to the class of feedback controllers and, unlike the popular feedforward FX-LMS approach, does not require availability of a reference signal. The proposed approach draws its inspiration from the iterative learning control...
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Privacy-Preserving, Scalable Blockchain-Based Solution for Monitoring Industrial Infrastructure in the Near Real-Time
PublicationThis paper proposes an improved monitoring and measuring system dedicated to industrial infrastructure. Our model achieves security of data by incorporating cryptographical methods and near real-time access by the use of virtual tree structure over records. The currently available blockchain networks are not very well adapted to tasks related to the continuous monitoring of the parameters of industrial installations. In the database...
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Effect of osmolytes of different type on DNA behavior in aqueous solution. Experimental and theoretical studies
PublicationOsmolytes, the small organic molecules accumulated in cells under environmental stress, can modulate the stability of biopolymers such as proteins and DNA. In spite of many years of research, there is no established molecular mechanism of the influence of osmolytes on DNA structure. Here, we used two model osmolytes that denature (urea) or stabilize (trimethylglycine, TMG) proteins to study their effect on DNA in aqueous solutions...
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Domain segmentation for low-cost surrogate-assisted multi-objective design optimisation of antennas
PublicationAbstract: Information regarding the best possible design trade-offs of an antenna structure can be obtained through multiobjective optimisation (MO). Unfortunately, MO is extremely challenging if full-wave electromagnetic (EM) simulation models are used for performance evaluation. Yet, for the majority of contemporary antennas, EM analysis is the only tool that ensures reliability. This study introduces a procedure for accelerated...
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UV-induced electron transfer between triethylamine and 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine. A puzzle concerning the photochemical debromination of labeled DNA
Publication5-Bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) photosensitizes DNA to strand break formation. However, this type of photodamage is completely quenched by the presence of triethylamine (TEA) which originates from RP-HPLC purification commonly employed by oligonucleotide providers. While the presence of TEA in oligonucleotide samples does not interfere with PCR or other molecular biology applications, the mechanism of photochemical reaction proceeding...
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Development and test of fex, a fingers extending exoskeleton for rehabilitation and regaining mobility
PublicationThis paper presents the design process of an exoskeleton for executing human fingers' extension movement for the rehabilitation procedures and as an active orthosis purposes, together with its first clinical usability tests of a robotic exoskeleton. Furthermore, the Fingers Extending eXoskeleton (FEX) is a serial, under-actuated mechanism capable of executing fingers' extension. FEX is based on the state-of-art FingerSpine serial...
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Improved Performance of 1-Ethyl-3-Methylimidazolium Tetrafluoroborate at Steel/HCl Interface by Iodide Ions
PublicationThe corrosion and corrosion inhibition of St37 steel in 0.1 M HCl solution by 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (EMITFB) and the effect of addition of KI on the inhibitive performance of EMITFB have been examined by electrochemical [electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, potentiodynamic polarization, and dynamic electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (DEIS)] and surface examination [scanning electron microscope (SEM)...
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An attempt to mechanistically explain the viscoelastic behavior of transparent epoxy/starch-modified ZnO nanocomposite coatings
PublicationThe effects of bare and starch-modified ZnO (ZnO-St) nanoparticles on viscoelastic and mechanical properties are studied by dynamic mechanical and tensile analyses. Transparent epoxy-based nanocomposite films are prepared by incorporating bare or starch-modified ZnO particles into the epoxy matrix. The results demonstrated that ZnO particles hindered the curing reactions and hence the final properties of the cured epoxy. As a result,...
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Ionic liquid as morphology-directing agent of two-dimensional Bi2WO6: New insight into photocatalytic and antibacterial activity
PublicationAn efficient and durable utilization of light to drive photocatalytic reactions still requires the overcoming of barriers. Herein, two-dimensional (2D) ultrathin IL_Bi2WO6 (IL_BWO) photocatalysts were prepared for the first time via ionic liquid-assisted hydrothermal route by adjusting the amount of tetrabutylammonium chloride [TBA][Cl], synthesis temperature and duration. IL played the role of morphology-directing agent given...
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Deep eutectic solvents – based green absorbents for effective volatile organochlorine compounds removal from biogas
PublicationVolatile organochlorine compounds (VOXs) presented in biogas can cause many technological and environmental problems. During the combustion of biogas containing VOXs, the corrosion of installation, as well as the formation of toxic by-products (polyhalogenated dioxins and furans) and further emission to the atmosphere, may occur. Therefore, in this study, a new procedure based on physical absorption was developed. In order to meet...
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Superconductivity in LiGa2Ir Heusler type compound with VEC = 16
PublicationPolycrystalline LiGa2Ir has been prepared by a solid state reaction method. A Rietveld refnement of powder x-ray difraction data confrms a previously reported Heusler-type crystal structure (space group Fm-3m, No. 225) with lattice parameter a= 6.0322(1) Å. The normal and superconducting state properties were studied by magnetic susceptibility, heat capacity, and electrical resistivity techniques. A bulk superconductivity with...
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Investigation of the Combustion Processes in the Gas Turbine Module of an FPSO Operating on Associated Gas Conversion Products
PublicationIn this paper, we consider the issue of thermo-chemical heat recovery of waste heat from gas turbine engines for the steam conversion of associated gas for offshore vessels. Current trends in the development of offshore infrastructure are identified, and the composition of power plants for mobile offshore drilling units and FPSO vessels is analyzed. We present the results of a comparison of power-to-volume ratio, power-to-weight...
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Underfrequency Load Shedding: An Innovative Algorithm Based on Fuzzy Logic
PublicationIn contemporary power systems, the load shedding schemes are typically based on disconnecting a pre-specified amount of load after the frequency drops below a predetermined value. The actual conditions at the time of disturbance may largely dier from the assumptions, which can lead to non-optimal or ineective operation of the load shedding scheme. For many years, increasing the eectiveness of the underfrequency load shedding (UFLS)...
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Effect of the North Atlantic Thermohaline Circulation on changes in climatic conditions and river flow in Poland
Publication: The purpose of this study is to find connections between the North Atlantic Thermohaline Circulation (NA THC), climate elements, such as cloud cover, precipitation, air temperature, sunshine duration, and relative humidity, and flow of rivers in Poland. The intensity of NA THC was characterized by the DG3L index, which was established to assess changes in the amount of heat transported by NA THC along with the transport of water...
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Microwave-assisted synthesis of a TiO2-CuO heterojunction with enhanced photocatalytic activity against tetracycline
PublicationA microwave method was used for the synthesis of TiO2-CuO oxide systems. A detailed investigation was made of the effect of the molar ratio of components (TiO2:CuO=9:1, 7:3, 5:5, 3:7, 1:9) on the crystalline structure and morphology. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirmed the presence of octahedral and rod-shaped titania particles and sheet copper(II) oxide particles; moreover, HRTEM analysis indicated the presence of...
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Retrievable strain measuring system in screw displacement piles - readings and results interpretation problems
PublicationStatic load tests on foundation piles are generally carried out in order to determine load – displacement characteristic of the pile. For more detailed information, e.g. force distribution along the shaft, load transfer mechanism and characteristics of soil-structure interaction (unit resistance curves t-z, q-z) additional pile instrumentation is required. Most popular techniques focus on direct concrete strain measurements and...
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Understanding the origin of high corrosion inhibition efficiency of bee products towards aluminium alloys in alkaline environments
PublicationVarious bee products were found to be efficient corrosion inhibitors of aluminium in different environments. In particular, bee pollen was found to be highly effective in alkaline electrolytes, yet its highly complex composition and possible synergistic interactions hinder determination of the compounds acting as active corrosion inhibitors. The main purpose of the following work is to investigate the effect of solvents used for...
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Anisotropic mechanical behavior and auxeticity of penta-graphene: Molecular statics/molecular dynamics studies
PublicationWe investigate the mechanical properties of penta-graphene (PG), a recently proposed two-dimensional carbon allotrope using atomistic simulation techniques combined with the empirical description of interatomic interactions. We report on the dependence of its three in-plane mechanical moduli (i.e. Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio and shear modulus) on the deformation direction, strain and temperature. We show that PG displays a...
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Electrochemical, theoretical and surface physicochemical studies of the alkaline copper corrosion inhibition by newly synthesized molecular complexes of benzenediamine and tetraamine with π acceptor
PublicationTwo charge transfer complexes, namely [(BDAH)+(PA−)] CT1 [(BTAH)2+(PA−)2] and CT2 (BDAH = 1,2-benzenediamine, BTAH = 1,2,4,5-benzenetetramine, and PA− = 2,4,6-trinitrophenolate), were synthesized and fully characterized using various spectroscopic techniques. CT1 and CT2 were tested as inhibitors to effectively control the uniform and anodic corrosion processes of copper in an alkaline electrolyte (1.0 M KOH) using various electrochemical...
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Objectivization of phonological evaluation of speech elements by means of audio parametrization
PublicationThis study addresses two issues related to both machine- and subjective-based speech evaluation by investigating five phonological phenomena related to allophone production. Its aim is to use objective parametrization and phonological classification of the recorded allophones. These allophones were selected as specifically difficult for Polish speakers of English: aspiration, final obstruent devoicing, dark lateral /l/, velar nasal...
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New light on the photocatalytic performance of NH4V4O10 and its composite with rGO
PublicationSolar-driven photocatalysis has shown great potential as a sustainable wastewater treatment technology that utilizes clean solar energy for pollutant degradation. Consequently, much attention is being paid to the development of new, efficient and low-cost photocatalyst materials. In this study, we report the photocatalytic activity of NH4V4O10 (NVO) and its composite with rGO (NVO/rGO). Samples were synthesized via a facile one-pot...
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The influence of reactions conditions on aggregation of dyes used in biochemistry
PublicationSelf-association of dyes and related substances is a very important phenomenon in many fields of applied chemistry. It is also fundamental model reaction of many kinds of molecular interactions such as the micelle formation of amphiphilic substances and the binding of small organic molecules to macromolecules. In spite of many studies concerning the dimerization equilibria of dyes and related substances, the mechanism seems not...
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Albumin–Hyaluronan Interactions: Influence of Ionic Composition Probed by Molecular Dynamics
PublicationThe lubrication mechanism in synovial fluid and joints is not yet fully understood. Nevertheless, intermolecular interactions between various neutral and ionic species including large macromolecular systems and simple inorganic ions are the key to understanding the excellent lubrication performance. An important tool for characterizing the intermolecular forces and their structural consequences is molecular dynamics. Albumin...
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Interfacially modified LDPE/GTR composites with non-polar elastomers: From microstructure to macro-behavior
PublicationThis paper provides some new insights into the mechanism of interaction and modifications in thermoplastic composites based on low density polyethylene (LDPE), ground tire rubber (GTR) and non-polar elastomer. The composites were prepared using a co-rotating twin-screw extruder at variable LDPE/GTR ratio and constant elastomer content. Two types of commercial elastomer were applied: styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) block copolymers (Kraton®)...
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The influence of azide and imidazole on the properties of Mn- and Cd-based networks: conductivity and nonlinear phenomena
PublicationWe report a study on a family of four new Mn- and Cd-azide-imidazolate-based compounds with various crystal architectures. Notably, three of these compounds display noncentrosymmetric crystal arrangements at room temperature, a rare phenomenon in hybrid organic–inorganic materials. Both nonlinear optical (NLO) and electrical phenomena in these compounds are observed. The NLO processes include second and third harmonic generation,...
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Ball milling treatment of Mn3O4 regulates electron transfer pathway for peroxymonosulfate activation
PublicationHeterogeneous metal catalysts have attracted considerable interest in advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) for wastewater treatment by activating peroxymonosulfate (PMS). However, it remains challenging to the rational design of efficient reaction pathway for high-performance contaminants removal by regulating the inherent structure of metal oxides. Herein, a high-energy ball milling method was employed to modulate the electronic...
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An Adaptive Network Model for a Double Bias Perspective on Learning from Mistakes within Organizations
PublicationAlthough making mistakes is a crucial part of learning, it is still often being avoided in companies as it is considered as a shameful incident. This goes hand in hand with a mindset of a boss who dominantly believes that mistakes usually have negative consequences and therefore avoids them by only accepting simple tasks. Thus, there is no mechanism to learn from mistakes. Employees working for and being influenced by such a boss...
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Electrophoretically deposited titanium and its alloys in biomedical engineering: Recent progress and remaining challenges
PublicationOver the past decade, titanium implants have gained popularity as the number of performed implantation operations has significantly increased. There are a number of methods for modifying the surface of biomaterials, which are aimed at extending the life of titanium implants. The developments in this field in recent years have required a comprehensive discussion of all the properties of electrophoretically deposited coatings on...
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Water uptake kinetics and electrical transport in BaCe0.6Zr0.2Y0.1M0.1O3−δ (M = Tb, Pr, Fe) protonic conductors
PublicationBaCe0.6Zr0.2Y0.1M0.1O3−d (M = Fe, Pr, Tb) is a mixed conducting oxide in which three mobile charge carriers – oxygen ion, electron/hole, and protonic defects – are present. These types of materials have gained much interest as electrode materials for protonic ceramic fuel cells (PCFCs) and protonic ceramic electrolysis cells (PCECs). In this study, the water uptake and oxygen transport properties of different BaCe0.6Zr0.2Y0.1M0.1O3−d...
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Size-exclusion chromatography for the determination of the boiling point distribution of high-boiling petroleum fractions
PublicationThe paper describes a new procedure for the determination of boiling point distribution of high-boiling petroleum fractions using size exclusion chromatography with refractive index detector. Thus far, the determination of boiling range distribution by chromatography has been accomplished using simulated distillation with gas chromatography with the flame ionization detection. This study revealed that in spite of substantial differences...
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Unusual structural properties of water within the hydration shell of hyperactive antifreeze protein
PublicationMany hypotheses can be encountered explaining the mechanism of action of antifreeze proteins. One widespread theory postulates that the similarity of structural properties of solvation water of antifreeze proteins to ice is crucial to the antifreeze activity of these agents. In order to investigate this problem, the structural properties of solvation water of the hyperactive antifreeze protein from Choristoneura fumiferana were...
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Ice Phenomena in River Mouths
PublicationRiver outlets located in tideless areas are analyzed in this paper. First, ice processes in the St Clair River mouth are presented. The river mouth, called St. Clair Flats is a typical river delta located on the shore of Lake St. Clair. Based on this example ice jam formation in river delta has been analyzed followed by a presentation of the main mechanism of ice jam formation. The Vistula River mouth is a man-made, artificial...
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The Influence of the Electrodeposition Parameters on the Properties of Mn-Co-Based Nanofilms as Anode Materials for Alkaline Electrolysers
PublicationIn this work, the influence of the synthesis conditions on the structure, morphology, and electrocatalytic performance for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) of Mn-Co-based films is studied. For this purpose, Mn-Co nanofilm is electrochemically synthesised in a one-step process on nickel foam in the presence of metal nitrates without any additives. The possible mechanism of the synthesis is proposed. The morphology and structure...
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Smart Virtual Product Development: Manufacturing Capability Analysis and Process Planning Module
PublicationSmart Virtual Product Development (SVPD) system provides effective use of information, knowledge, and experience in industry during the process of product development in Industry 4.0 scenario. This system comprises of three primary modules, each of which has been developed to cater to a need for digital knowledge capture for smart manufacturing in the areas of product design, production planning, and inspection planning. Manufacturing...
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3D X-ray Micro-CT Analysis of Rebar Corrosion in Reinforced Concrete Subjected to a Chloride-Induced Environment
PublicationThe paper presents experimental investigations of the concrete cover protective ability to coun-teract rebar corrosion in reinforced concrete cubes. To study and quantify the consequences of corrosion a reinforced concrete sample was subjected to chloride-induced environment in order to get corroded and combined with un-corroded sample. Chloride-accelerated technique can in-duce a high degree of corrosion within at a controlled...
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Wild oscillations in a nonlinear neuron model with resets: (II) Mixed-mode oscillations
PublicationThis work continues the analysis of complex dynamics in a class of bidimensional nonlinear hybrid dynamical systems with resets modeling neuronal voltage dynamics with adaptation and spike emission. We show that these models can generically display a form of mixed-mode oscillations (MMOs), which are trajectories featuring an alternation of small oscillations with spikes or bursts (multiple consecutive spikes). The mechanism by...
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Dissection of σE‐dependent cell lysis in Escherichia coli: roles of RpoE regulators RseA, RseB and periplasmic folding catalyst PpiD
PublicationTo understand the mechanism of sigma(E)-dependent cell lysis, we examined the consequences of deletion derivatives of rpoE regulators rseA, rseB and rseC on sigma(E) transcription, on levels of free versus membrane-bound sigma(E) and on OMP-biogenesis limiting factor(s) that could impact cell lysis. RT-PCR showed that individual nonpolar DeltarseA and DeltarseB increased the rpoE expression to varying extents, with pronounced induction...
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An Ultra-Low-Energy Analog Comparator for A/D Converters in CMOS Image Sensors
PublicationThis paper proposes a new solution of an ultra-low-energy analog comparator, dedicated to slope analog-to-digital converters (ADC), particularly suited for CMOS image sensors (CISs) featuring a large number of ADCs. For massively parallel imaging arrays, this number may be as high as tens-hundreds of thousands ADCs. As each ADC includes an analog comparator, the number of these comparators in CIS is always high. Detailed analysis...
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Anticancer Imidazoacridinone C-1311 is Effective in Androgen-Dependent and Androgen-Independent Prostate Cancer Cells
PublicationAndrogen receptor (AR) plays a crutial role in prostate cancer (PCa) development and metastasis. Here, we reported potent anti-PCa activity of a small molecule imidazoacridinone C-1311. In AR-positive PCa cells, C-1311 was found to inhibit the transcriptional activity of AR uncovering a novel mechanism that may be relevant for its anticancer effect. Mechanistically, C-1311 decreased AR binding to prostate-specific antigen (PSA)...
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Ti/TiO2 nanotubes sensitized PbS quantum dots as photoelectrodes applied for decomposition of anticancer drugs under simulated solar energy
PublicationOne of the challenges in research into photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) degradation of pollutants is finding the appropriate photoanode material, which has a significant impact on the process efficiency. Among all others, photoelectrodes based on an ordered TiO2 nanotube arrays are a promising material due to well-developed surface area and efficient charge separation. To increase the PEC activity of this material, the SILAR method was...