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Search results for: THERMALLY REDUCED GRAPHENE
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Rendezvous of heterogeneous mobile agents in edge-weighted networks
PublicationWe introduce a variant of the deterministic rendezvous problem for a pair of heterogeneous agents operating in an undirected graph, which differ in the time they require to traverse particular edges of the graph. Each agent knows the complete topology of the graph and the initial positions of both agents. The agent also knows its own traversal times for all of the edges of the graph, but is unaware of the corresponding traversal...
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Polyurethane/ground tire rubber composite foams based on polyglycerol: processing, mechanical and thermal properties
PublicationDuring the synthesis of rigid polyurethane foams, petrochemical polyol was substituted with polyglycerol, the product of thermo-catalytic polycondensation of waste glycerol, resulting from biodiesel production. Two types of ground tire rubbers, untreated and thermo-mechanically reclaimed, were used to obtain ‘‘green’’ polyurethane-polyglycerol composite foams. Samples were prepared by a single-step method for the ratio of NCO/OH...
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Effects of thermal history on the performance of low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells with Sm0.2Ce0.8O2-δ electrolyte and LiNi0.81Co0.15Al0.04O2 electrodes
PublicationIn this study, low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells with an ∼560 μm thick Sm0.2Ce0.8O2−δ (SDC) electrolyte and ∼890 μm thick LiNi0.81Co0.15Al0.04O2−δ (NCAL) electrodes are constructed and characterized under three experimental conditions. The cell with an NCAL cathode pre-reduced under an H2 atmosphere at 550 °C presents the best electrochemical performance. This is ascribed to facts that the reduction reaction generating Ni–Co...
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Vibrational Quenching of Optically Pumped Carbon Dimer Anions
PublicationCareful control of quantum states is a gateway to research in many areas of science such as quantum information, quantum-controlled chemistry, and astrophysical processes. Precise optical control of molecular ions remains a challenge due to the scarcity of suitable level schemes, and direct laser cooling has not yet been achieved for either positive or negative molecular ions. Using a cryogenic wire trap, we show how the internal...
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Correlations of structural, thermal and electrical properties of sodium doped complex borophosphosilicate glass
PublicationBorophosphosilicate glasses with varying sodium ion concentrations were investigated for their, structural, thermal, and electrical properties. All the obtained glasses were transparent except the glass with the highest sodium content, which exhibited translucency due to inhomogeneities. Increasing sodium content led to reduced boron and silicon content while maintaining a constant B/Si ratio, indicating progressive depolymerization...
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Influence of the Addition of Recycled Aggregates and Polymer Fibers on the Properties of Pervious Concrete
PublicationThe aim of the study was to check the possibility of reusing aggregate from recycled concrete waste and rubber granules from car tires as partial substitution of natural aggregate. The main objective was to investigate the effects of recycled waste aggregate modified with polymer fibers on the compressive and flexural strength, modulus of elasticity and permeability of pervious concrete. Fibers with a multifilament structure and...
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Effects of Post-Harvest Elicitor Treatments with Ultrasound, UV- and Photosynthetic Active Radiation on Polyphenols, Glucosinolates and Antioxidant Activity in a Waste Fraction of White Cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata)
PublicationBiosynthesis of phytochemicals in leaves of Brassica can be initiated by abiotic factors. The aim of the study was to investigate elicitor treatments to add value to waste of cabbage. A leaf waste fraction from industrial trimming of head cabbage was exposed to UV radiation (250–400 nm, 59 and 99 kJ m-2, respectively), photosynthetic active radiation (PAR, 400–700 nm, 497 kJ m-2), and ultrasound in water bath (35 kHz, at 15, 30...
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Performance tuning of chitosan-based membranes by protonated 2-Pyrrolidone-5-carboxylic acid-sulfolane DES for effective water/ethanol separation by pervaporation
PublicationToday, the applicability of deep eutectic solvents (DES) in various fields, including membrane science and technology, is extensively investigated. In pioneering works, we have implemented different DES as a component of chitosan (CS)-based flat membranes for pervaporation (PV) separation. Herein, we present a new protonated (by sulphuric acid) 2-Pyrrolidone-5-carboxylic acid: sulfolane DES, as a green additive for its chemical...
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Closing the loop: Upcycling secondary waste materials into nanoarchitectured carbon composites for the electrochemical degradation of pharmaceuticals
PublicationIn this study, we demonstrated the application of electrochemical oxidation as a safer and cleaner technology for minimizing the impact of pharmaceuticals in wastewaters, simultaneously mediated by upcycled secondary waste materials (SWMs)-derived electrodes, to further reduce their environmental impact. The modularity, scalability, ease of operation and reliability make electrochemical oxidation an ideal process for the destruction...
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Management of Dark Fermentation Broth via Bio Refining and Photo Fermentation
PublicationLignocellulose and starch-based raw materials are often applied in the investigations regarding biohydrogen generation using dark fermentation. Management of the arising post-fermentation broth becomes a problem. The Authors proposed sequential processes, to improve the efficiency of both hydrogen generation and by-products management carried under model conditions. During the proposed procedure, the simple sugars remaining in...
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THREE-LEVEL F-TYPE INVERTER
PublicationGiven the recent available IGBT switch modules up to 6.5 kV, 1200 A rating, the prospect of the diode-free variant topology of the three-level neutral-point-clamped (3-level, T-type) inverter in certain medium voltage applications is bright; due to its small part count and low conduction losses compared to the diode-clamped NPC inverter. However, within this voltage range, the input dc voltage rating of 50% of the switches per...
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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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Performance-driven yield optimization of high-frequency structures by kriging surrogates
PublicationUncertainty quantification is an important aspect of engineering design, as manufacturing toler-ances may affect the characteristics of the structure. Therefore, quantification of these effects is in-dispensable for adequate assessment of the design quality. Toward this end, statistical analysis is performed, for reliability reasons, using full-wave electromagnetic (EM) simulations. Still, the computational expenditures associated...
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Nonlinear free and forced vibrations of a dielectric elastomer-based microcantilever for atomic force microscopy
PublicationThe majority of atomic force microcode (AFM) probes work based on piezoelectric actuation. However, some undesirable phenomena such as creep and hysteresis may appear in the piezoelectric actuators that limit their applications. This paper proposes a novel AFM probe based on dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs). The DE is modeled via the use of a hyperelastic Cosserat model. Size effects and geometric nonlinearity are included...
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Zero-range potentials for Dirac particles: Bound-state problems
PublicationA model in which a massive Dirac particle in $\mathbb{R}^{3}$ is bound by $N\geqslant1$ spatially distributed zero-range potentials is presented. Interactions between the particle and the potentials are modeled by subjecting a particle's bispinor wave function to certain limiting conditions at the potential centers. Each of these conditions is parametrized by a $2\times2$ Hermitian matrix (or, equivalently, a real scalar and a...
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The influence of Nigella sativa essential oil on proliferation, activation, and apoptosis of human T lymphocytes in vitro
PublicationIn previous work, we tested the immunomodulatory effect of Nigella sativa (NS) fatty oil. Our results demonstrated that unrefined, obtained by cold pressing black cumin seed oil inhibited lymphocytes’ proliferation and induced their apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. In this study, we examined the immunomodulatory properties of essential oil (EO) obtained from the NS seeds by hydrodistillation and its two main constituents:...
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The Synergistic Microbiological Effects of Industrial Produced Packaging Polyethylene Films Incorporated with Zinc Nanoparticles
PublicationZinc compounds in polyolefin films regulate the transmission of UV-VIS radiation, affect mechanical properties and antimicrobial activity. According to hypothesis, the use of zinc- containing masterbatches in polyethylene films (PE) with different chemical nature—hydrophilic zinc oxide (ZO) and hydrophobic zinc stearate (ZS)—can cause a synergistic effect, especially due to their antimicrobial properties. PE films obtained on an...
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Antenna Modeling Using Variable-Fidelity EM Simulations and Constrained Co-Kriging
PublicationUtilization of fast surrogate models has become a viable alternative to direct handling of fullwave electromagnetic (EM) simulations in EM-driven design. Their purpose is to alleviate the difficulties related to high computational cost of multiple simulations required by the common numerical procedures such as parametric optimization or uncertainty quantification. Yet, conventional data-driven (or approximation) modeling techniques...
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On Dynamic Extension of a Local Material Symmetry Group for Micropolar Media
PublicationFor micropolar media we present a new definition of the local material symmetry group considering invariant properties of the both kinetic energy and strain energy density under changes of a reference placement. Unlike simple (Cauchy) materials, micropolar media can be characterized through two kinematically independent fields, that are translation vector and orthogonal microrotation tensor. In other words, in micropolar continua...
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Ni/cerium Molybdenum Oxide Hydrate Microflakes Composite Coatings Electrodeposited from Choline Chloride: Ethylene Glycol Deep Eutectic Solvent
PublicationCerium molybdenum oxide hydrate microflakes are codeposited with nickel from a deep eutectic solvent-based bath. During seven days of exposure in 0.05 M NaCl solution, the corrosion resistance of composite coating (Ni/CeMoOxide) is slightly reduced, due to the existence of some microcracks caused by large microflakes. Multielemental analysis of the solution, in which coatings are exposed and the qualitative changes in the surface...
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Enhanced interfacial and mechanical performance of styrene-butadiene rubber/silica composites compatibilized by soybean oil derived silanized plasticization
PublicationSilanized plasticizer (SP) was chemically derived and synthesized from soybean oil (SBO) co-vulcanized with bis-(3-(triethoxysilyl)-propyl) tetrasulfide (TESPT) by using the sulfur-accelerated curing system. SP extended styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR)/silica composites have been studied for their improved filler dispersion through coupling interaction at the SBR/silica interface. The effect of SP on cross-link density, thermal,...
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SiC-Based Power Electronic Traction Transformer (PETT) for 3 kV DC Rail Traction
PublicationThe design of rolling stock plays a key role in the attractiveness of the rail transport. Train design must strictly meet the requirements of rail operators to ensure high quality and cost-eective services. Semiconductor power devices made from silicon carbide (SiC) have reached a level of technology enabling their widespread use in traction power converters. SiC transistors oering energy savings, quieter operation, improved reliability...
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Testing Stability of Digital Filters Using Multimodal Particle Swarm Optimization with Phase Analysis
PublicationIn this paper, a novel meta-heuristic method for evaluation of digital filter stability is presented. The proposed method is very general because it allows one to evaluate stability of systems whose characteristic equations are not based on polynomials. The method combines an efficient evolutionary algorithm represented by the particle swarm optimization and the phase analysis of a complex function in the characteristic equation....
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Bioavailability of Tannins and Other Oligomeric Polyphenols: a Still to Be Studied Phenomenon
PublicationPurpose of Review Polyphenols are a group of plant secondary metabolites characterized with the presence ofmultiples of phenol structural units. Tannins are plant originated phenolic substances, which play an important role in plant defense system as well as have found applications in medicine, industry, and other fields of human activity. Despite these, the mechanisms of bioavailability of these substances are poorly studied and...
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Elicitation strategies for the improvement of essential oil content in Rhododendron tomentosum (Ledum palustre) bioreactor-grown microshoots
PublicationRhododendron tomentosum Harmaja, previously Ledum palustre L., is a fragrant plant growing in swampy areas, which is characterized by well-known repellent properties and the anti-arthritic potential. In the present study, R. tomentosum microshoots cultivated in RITA® bioreactor, providing the alternative, environment-independent source of the valuable essential oil, were treated for 7 days with copper and nickel salts, methyl jasmonate,...
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An application for a new type of pneumatic engine concept
PublicationHeavy trucks are often equipped with loading and unloading systems like dock levellers with swing lip or telescopic lip. Most of these devices require hydro-electrical energy supply systems (eg. the pump that presses the working substance to the actuators must be propelled by electric engine.) The space taken by pump with electric engine can be reduced on condition that a new type of pneumatic drive will be considered. It is possible...
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Phase I and phase II metabolism simulation of antitumor-active 2-hydroxyacridinone with electrochemistry coupled on-line with mass spectrometry.
PublicationHere, we report the metabolic profile and the results of associated metabolic studies of 2-hydroxyacridinone (2-OH-AC), the reference compound for antitumor-active imidazo- and triazoloacridinones. Electrochemistry coupled with mass spectrometry was applied to simulate the general oxidative metabolism of 2-OH-AC for the first time. The reactivity of 2-OH-AC products to biomolecules was also examined. The usefulness of the electrochemistry...
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Peptidoglycan hydrolases - potential weapons against Staphylococcus aureus
PublicationBacteria of the genus Staphylococcus are common pathogens responsible for a broad spectrum of human and animal infections and belong to most important etiological factors causing food poisoning. Because of rapid increase in prevalence of isolation of staphylococci resistant to many antibiotics, there is an urgent need for development of new alternative chemotherapeutics. A number of studies have recently demonstrated the strong...
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Numerical Study on Mitigation of Flow Maldistribution in Parallel Microchannel Heat Sink: Channels Variable Width Versus Variable Height Approach
PublicationMicrochannel heat sink on one hand enjoys benefits of intensified several folds heat transfer performance but on the other hand has to suffer aggravated form of trifling limitations associated with imperfect hydrodynamics and heat transfer behavior. Flow maldistribution is one of such limitation that exaggerates temperature nonuniformity across parallel microchannels leading to increase in maximum base temperature. Recently, variable...
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Mixed integer nonlinear optimization of biological processes in wastewater sequencing batch reactor
PublicationWastewater treatment plays a key role for humanity. The waste entering lakes, rivers, and seas deteriorates daily quality of life. Therefore, it is very important to improve the efficiency of wastewater treatment. From a control point of view, a biological wastewater treatment plant is a complex, non-linear, multidimensional, hybrid control system. The paper presents the design of the optimizing hierarchical control system applied...
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Cross-talk Between the Heart and Arteries in Older 65+ Adults
PublicationRegulatory synchronization between the heart and the arterial walls is essential for optimal blood delivery to tissues. We investigated functional coherence between heart rhythm and aortic wall compliance in 30 volunteers aged 65 – 74. ECG and carotid and iliac pulse-wave were recorded and digitized at 2 kHz. Carotid-femoral pulse-wave transit time (cfTT) which reflex aortic compliance was assessed using the intersecting tangent...
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Analysis of start energy of Stirling engine type alpha
PublicationThe Stirling engine type alpha is composed of two cylinders (expansion space E and compression space C), regenerator that forms the space between the cylinders and the buffer space (under the pistons). Before the start-up and as a result of long-term operation, the average pressure in the working space (above the pistons) and in the buffer space is the same. However, in the initial phase of operation, the average pressure in the...
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Influence of dissolved organic nitrogen on surface waters
PublicationThe aim of this study was to determine the susceptibility of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) contained in biologically treated wastewater disposed from municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to biodegradability and bioavailability in a water environment. Additionally an evaluation was performed of the participation of this organic nitrogen fraction, including bioavailable DON (bDON), in the nitrogen balance for the Baltic...
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Verification of algorithms determining wave loads on support structure of wind turbine
PublicationThe offshore wind turbines require determination of wave loads on their support structure. This structure is fixed and, therefore, this problem is reduced to solving only the diffraction problem, which is determined by Laplace equation and conditions on the following boundaries: on the support structure, on the sea free surface and on its bottom, and at infinity on free surface. The linear problem was applied to determine the wave...
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Effect of ground tire rubber on structural, mechanical and thermal properties of flexible polyurethane foams
PublicationFlexible polyurethane foams were modified with two kinds of ground tire rubber, untreated and thermo-mechanically reclaimed. A reclamation process was performed in auto-thermal conditions, which reduced the cost of the process and decreased the environmental impact of devulcanization (e.g., emission of gases). The reclamation process was carried out in a continuous manner using a co-rotating twin screw extruder. The foams were...
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Management Strategy for Seaports Aspiring to Green Logistical Goals of IMO: Technology and Policy Solutions
PublicationRecently, because of serious global challenges including the consumption of energy and climate change, there has been an increase in interest in the environmental effect of port operations and expansion. More interestingly, a strategic tendency in seaport advancement has been to manage the seaport system using a model which balances environmental volatility and economic development demands. An energy efficient management system...
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Application of Feed Forward Neural Networks for Modeling of Heat Transfer Coefficient During Flow Condensation for Low and High Values of Saturation Temperatur
PublicationMost of the literature models for condensation heat transfer prediction are based on specific experimental parameters and are not general in nature for applications to fluids and non-experimental thermodynamic conditions. Nearly all correlations are created to predict data in normal HVAC conditions below 40°C. High temperature heat pumps operate at much higher parameters. This paper aims to create a general model for the calculation...
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An overview of fermentation in the food industry - looking back from a new perspective
PublicationFermentation is thought to be born in the Fertile Crescent, and since then, almost every culture has integrated fermented foods into their dietary habits. Originally used to preserve foods, fermentation is now applied to improve their physicochemical, sensory, nutritional, and safety attributes. Fermented dairy, alcoholic beverages like wine and beer, fermented vegetables, fruits, and meats are all highly valuable due to their...
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Development of a simulation model of the activities of a transport and forwarding enterprise in the organization of international road cargo transportation
PublicationThe object of this study is the process of planning the work of a transport and forwarding company when serving different categories of customers who need organizational support for the delivery of goods by road transport in international traffic. The solved problem is due to the need to devise recommendations for organizing the work of forwarders when interacting with customers of transport and forwarding services that export...
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Enhanced electrochemical activity of boron-doped nanocarbon functionalized reticulated vitreous carbon structures for water treatment applications
PublicationAn extraordinary charge transfer kinetics and chemical stability make a boron-doped diamond (BDD) a prom- ising material for electrochemical applications including wastewater treatment. Yet, with flat geometrical sur- faces its scaling options are limited. In this study, the reticulated Vitreous Carbon (RVC) served as a substrate for boron-doped diamondized nanocarbons (BDNC) film growth resulting with complex heterogeneity carbon structures...
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The Physiological Effects of ASMR on Anxiety
PublicationPurpose: Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response is a novel phenomenon that is very popular these days on Youtube and Reddit to its anti-anxiety effects. As the name suggests, ASMR is a relaxing warm sensation that begins on the scalp and spreads throughout the body. This technique is also known as "brain massage," and it relies on soothing sights and sounds, like whispers and slow movements. Investigating these videos is primarily motivated...
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Red Kale (Brassica oleracea L. ssp. acephala L. var. sabellica) Induces Apoptosis in Human Colorectal Cancer Cells In Vitro
PublicationThis article presents the results of studies investigating the effect of red kale (Brassica oleracea L. ssp. acephala L. var. sabellica) extract on cancer cells (HT-29). The cytotoxicity of the red kale extract was assessed using MTT and LDH assays, while qRT-PCR was employed to analyze the expression of genes associated with the p53 signaling pathway to elucidate the effect of the extract on cancer cells. Furthermore, HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS...
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In vitro biological evaluation of a novel folic acid-targeted receptor quantum dot−β−cyclodextrin carrier for C-2028 unsymmetrical bisacridine in the treatment of human lung and prostate cancers
PublicationTraditional small-molecule chemotherapeutics usually do not distinguish tumors from healthy tissues. However, nanotechnology creates nanocarriers that selectively deliver drugs to their site of action. This work is the next step in the development of the quantum dot−β−cyclodextrin−folic acid (QD−β−CD−FA) platform for targeted and selected delivery of C−2028 unsymmetrical bisacridine in cancer therapy.Herein, we report an initial...
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Numerical modeling of PFAS movement through the vadose zone: Influence of plant water uptake and soil organic carbon distribution
PublicationIn this study, we investigated the effects of soil organic carbon (SOC) distribution and water uptake by plant roots on PFAS movement in the vadose zone with a deep groundwater table under temperate, humid climate conditions. Two series of numerical simulations were performed with the HYDRUS computer code, representing the leaching of historical PFOS contamination and the infiltration of water contaminated with PFOA, respectively. We...
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Testing the Effect of Bathymetric Data Reduction on the Shape of the Digital Bottom Model
PublicationDepth data and the digital bottom model created from it are very important in the inland and coastal water zones studies and research. The paper undertakes the subject of bathymetric data processing using reduction methods and examines the impact of data reduction according to the resulting representations of the bottom surface in the form of numerical bottom models. Data reduction is an approach that is meant to reduce the size...
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Linear viscoelastic transversely isotropic model based on the spectral decomposition of elasticity tensors
PublicationThe linear viscoelasticity is still a useful model in the engineering for studying the behavior of materials loaded with different loading rates (frequencies). Certain types of materials reveal also an anisotropic behavior: fiber reinforced composites, asphalt concrete mixtures, or wood, to name a few. In general, researchers try to identify experimentally the dependence of engineering constants like: directional Young’s moduli...
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Multi-layered tissue head phantoms for noninvasive optical diagnostics
PublicationExtensive research in the area of optical sensing for medical diagnostics requires development of tissue phantoms with optical properties similar to those of living human tissues. Development and improvement of in vivo optical measurement systems requires the use of stable tissue phantoms with known characteristics, which are mainly used for calibration of such systems and testing their performance over time. Optical and mechanical...
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Diversity of fecal coliforms and their antimicrobial resistance patterns in wastewater treatment model plant.
PublicationThe occurrence of resistance patterns among wastewater fecal coliforms was determined in the study. Susceptibility of the isolates was tested against 19 antimicrobial agents: aminoglycosides, aztreonam, carbapenems, cephalosporines, b-lactam/b-lactamase inhibitors, penicillines, tetracycline, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, and fluoroquinolones. Additionally the removal of resistant isolates was evaluated in the laboratory-scale...
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Diagnosis of Damage in a Steel Tank with Self-Supported Roof through Numerical Analysis
PublicationThe safety of civil engineering structures is one of the most important issues of building industry. That is why the assessment of the damage-involved structural response has recently become of major concern to engineers. Among a number of different approaches to diagnosis of damage, the method of measuring the changes in natural frequencies is considered to be one of the most effective indicators of global damage. From the practical...
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The role of rewards and demands in burnout among surgical nurses
PublicationObjective: Job rewards have both, an intrinsic and an extrinsic motivational potential, and lead to employees’ development as well as help them to achieve work goals. Rewards can balance job demands and protect from burnout. Due to changes on the labour market, new studies are needed. The aim of our study was to examine the role of demands and individual rewards (and their absence) in burnout among surgical nurses. Materials and...