Search results for: FACTOR INTERACTIONS
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Online brand communities’ contribution to digital business models
PublicationAbstract Purpose – There is limited research examining social drivers and mediators of online brand community identification in the context of business models development. This study aims to identify them behind the social mechanisms and present essential factors which should be applied in business models to foster value co-creation. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from a convenience sample of 712 cases gathered among...
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INFLUENCE OF MEASURING CONDITIONS ON TYRE/ROAD NOISE
PublicationA decisive factor for the development of tyres and road surfaces is the ability to conduct representative and reproducible measurements of selected characteristics related to the interaction of tyres and road surfaces. In terms of tyre/road noise measurements in Europe two methods described in ISO/FDIS 11819-2 and ECE Regulation No.117 are used. The latter is compulsory for assigning the tyre noise labels. The methodologies differ...
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Preparation and characterization of dummy-template molecularly imprinted polymers as potential sorbents for the recognition of selected polybrominated diphenyl ethers
PublicationThe main aim of this work was to conduct the preliminary/basic research concerning the preparation process of a new dummy molecularly imprinted polymer (DMIP) materials. Developed DMIPs were proposed as a sorption material in solid-phase extraction (SPE) technique for recognition of selected low mass polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) e PBDE-47 and PBDE-99. Four new DMIPs were synthesized employing bulky polymerization technique...
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Mechanism of Reduced Sintering Temperature of Al2O3–ZrO2 Nanocomposites Obtained by Microwave Hydrothermal Synthesis
PublicationA novel method to obtain Al2O3–ZrO2 nanocomposites is presented. It consists of the co-precipitation step of boehmite (AlO(OH)) and ZrO2, followed by microwave hydrothermal treatment at 270 ◦ C and 60 MPa, and by calcination at 600 ◦ C. Using this method, we obtained two nanocomposites: Al2O3–20 wt % ZrO2 and Al2O3–40 wt % ZrO2. Nanocomposites were characterized by Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy,...
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Bankruptcy system model and efficiency versus the entrepreneurship and innovation in selected European countries
Publicationmodel and its efficiency on the development of entrepreneurship and innovation in selected European countries and Turkey. This goal was achieved by examining the relationships between debtor-friendliness of the bankruptcy law model and its efficiency on one side and entrepreneurship and innovation on the other. The cross-sectional ANOVA test and OLS regression method were chosen as the research method. In order to verify the research...
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High Frequency Harmonics Emission in Smart Grids
PublicationPulse-width modulated rectifiers are nowadays commonly used for AC to DC power conversion. PWM rectification technology is very effective and allows for bidirectional power flow with the possibility of power factor improvement and low-order harmonic emission limitation. Unfortunately, employed PWM boost topology results with generation of input current harmonic distortions in a frequency range tightly correlated to modulation frequency....
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Rotational Molding of Linear Low-Density Polyethylene Composites Filled with Wheat Bran
PublicationApplication of lignocellulosic fillers in the manufacturing of wood polymer composites (WPCs) is a very popular trend of research, however it is still rarely observed in the case of rotational molding. The present study aimed to analyze the impact of wheat bran content (from 2.5 wt.% to 20 wt.%) on the performance of rotationally-molded composites based on a linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) matrix. Microscopic structure...
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MRI assessment of ectopic fat accumulation in pancreas, liver and skeletal muscle in patients with obesity, overweight and normal BMI in correlation with the presence of central obesity and metabolic syndrome
PublicationPurpose: Obesity, defined as a body mass index (BMI) exceeding 30 kg/m2, is a serious health problem, which can be called an epidemic on a global scale and is one of the most important causes of preventable death. The aim of this study was to assess ectopic fat accumulation in pancreas, liver and skeletal muscle in patients with obesity, overweight and normal BMI in correlation with metabolic syndrome (MetS). Patients and methods:...
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Flooding Extent Mapping for Synthetic Aperture Radar Time Series Using River Gauge Observations
PublicationThe flooding extent area in a river valley is related to river gauge observations such as discharge and water elevations. The higher the water elevations, or discharge, the larger the flooding area. Flooding extent maps are often derived from synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images using thresholding methods. The thresholding methods vary in complexity and number of required parameters. We proposed a simple thresholding method that...
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A GPU Solver for Sparse Generalized Eigenvalue Problems with Symmetric Complex-Valued Matrices Obtained Using Higher-Order FEM
PublicationThe paper discusses a fast implementation of the stabilized locally optimal block preconditioned conjugate gradient (sLOBPCG) method, using a hierarchical multilevel preconditioner to solve nonHermitian sparse generalized eigenvalue problems with large symmetric complex-valued matrices obtained using the higher-order finite-element method (FEM), applied to the analysis of a microwave resonator. The resonant frequencies of the low-order...
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Heterogeneous oxidation of highly boron-doped diamond electrodes and its influence on the surface distribution of electrochemical activity
PublicationThe electrochemical active surface area (EASA) of polycrystalline boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrodes is heterogeneous and can be affected by numerous factors. There is a strong need for proper consideration of BDD heterogeneity in order to improve this material's range of application in electrochemistry. Localized changes in surface termination due to the influence of oxidation agent result in increased surface resistance. The...
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Adipokine and cytokine levels in non-functioning adrenal incidentalomas (NFAI)
PublicationDue to the fact that overweight or obesity is accompanied by hormonally active adrenal tumors: Cushing Syndrome-(CS) and Subclinical Cushing Syndrome (SCS), it is of high interest the correlation between different adipokines and cytokines secreted by adipose tissue, with metabolic disorders and hormonal activity in this group. Even in non-functioning adrenal incidentalomas (NFAI) elevated risk for cardiovascular disease and metabolic...
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Long-range, water-mediated interaction between a moderately active antifreeze protein molecule and the surface of ice
PublicationUsing molecular dynamics simulations, we show that a molecule of moderately active antifreeze protein (type III AFP, QAE HPLC-12 isoform) is able to interact with ice in an indirect manner. This interaction occurs between the ice binding site (IBS) of the AFP III molecule and the surface of ice, and it is mediated by liquid water which separates these surfaces. As a result, the AFP III molecule positions itself at a specific orientation...
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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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Optimization of vortex-assisted supramolecular solvent-based liquid liquid microextraction for the determination of mercury in real water and food samples
PublicationA novel method was developed for sample preparation for spectrophotometric determination of Hg(II) in water and food samples. The method was based on vortex-assisted supramolecular solvent-assisted liquid-liquid microextraction (VA-SUPRASs-LLME). Analytical parameters such as pH, chelating agent, solvent type and volume, vortex time and salting out effect were optimized. Surface and normal probability plots were drawn for the variables...
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Game theory-based virtual machine migration for energy sustainability in cloud data centers
PublicationAs the demand for cloud computing services increases, optimizing resource allocation and energy consumption has become a key factor in achieving sustainability in cloud environments. This paper presents a novel approach to address these challenges through an optimized virtual machine (VM) migration strategy that employs a game-theoretic approach based on particle swarm optimization (PSO) (PSO-GTA). The proposed approach leverages...
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The role of atmospheric precipitation in introducing contaminants to the surface waters of the Fuglebekken catchment, Spitsbergen.
PublicationAlthough the Svalbard Archipelago is located at a high latitude, far from potential contaminant sources, it is not free from anthropogenic impact. Towards the Fuglebekken catchment, in the southern part of Spitsbergen, north of Hornsund fjord, contaminants can be transported from mainland pollution sources. In the precipitation and surface water collected in the catchment, the following elements were detected and quantified: Ag,...
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Low Frequency Conducted Emissions of Grid Connected Static Converters
PublicationPulse-width modulated rectifiers are nowadays commonly used for AC to DC power conversion. PWM rectification technology is very effective and allows for bidirectional power flow with the possibility of power factor improvement and low-order harmonic emission limitation. Unfortunately, employed PWM boost topology results with generation of input current harmonic distortions in a frequency range tightly correlated to modulation frequency....
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KM Challenges in Small KIBS Companies: Multi-case Analysis in Two Countries
PublicationKnowledge Intensive Business Services (KIBS) – i.e. companies like e.g. computer services, consulting, engineering, business communication, and R&D support - are key players in the modern economies. They stimulate the innovativeness of businesses and societies. Their competitiveness is based on knowledge, which is their key production factor and also the kind of “goods” they sell. The large majority of KIBS companies have a small...
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A novel one-variable first-order shear deformation theory for biaxial buckling of a size-dependent plate based on Eringen’s nonlocal differential law
PublicationPurpose – This paper aims to present a new one-variable first-order shear deformation theory (OVFSDT) using nonlocal elasticity concepts for buckling of graphene sheets. Design/methodology/approach – The FSDT had errors in its assumptions owing to the assumption of constant shear stress distribution along the thickness of the plate, even though by using the shear correction factor (SCF), it has been slightly corrected, the errors...
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Corporate social responsibility and forward default risk mediated by financial performance and goodwill
PublicationIn today’s business environment, corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become an increasingly significant factor for firms. This study is driven by the motivation to add to the current literature by investigating the mediating elements that explain the relationship between CSR and forward default risk. In this paper, we attempt to identify the important mediators and give a more comprehensive explanation of this connection...
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Modeling and optimization of chemical-treated torrefaction of wheat straw to improve energy density by response surface methodology
PublicationToday, torrefaction is important technique for extending the potential of biomass for improvement of energy density. The independent variables investigated for torrefaction study were temperature, retention time, acid concentration, and particle size. The experiment was designed by central composite design (CCD) method using design expert (version 11). The three dependent variables were higher heating value (HHV), energy enhancement...
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Evaluation of the energy efficiency of electric vehicle drivetrains under urban operating conditions
PublicationIn electric vehicles, as in hybrids vehicles, a very important factor affecting the energy efficiency of the powertrain is the ability to use the regenerative braking energy. Depending on the settings available in electric vehicles, the driver can choose different modes of operation: switch off the regenerative braking mode altogether, select the intensity of regenerative braking, or leave the control system in automatic mode....
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Culturable bacteria community development in postglacial soils of Ecology Glacier, King George Island, Antarctica
PublicationGlacier forelands are excellent sites in which to study microbial succession because conditions change rapidly in the emerging soil. Development of the bacterial community was studied along two transects on lateral moraines of Ecology Glacier, King George Island, by culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches (denaturating gradient gel electrophoresis). Environmental conditions such as cryoturbation and soil composition...
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Diamond-based protective layer for optical biosensors
PublicationOptical biosensors have become a powerful alternative to the conventional ways of measurement owing to their great properties, such as high sensitivity, high dynamic range, cost effectiveness and small size. Choice of an optical biosensor's materials is an important factor and impacts the quality of the obtained spectra. Examined biological objects are placed on a cover layer which may react with samples in a chemical, biological...
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RE-SHAPING THE LAND AND WATER CONNECTIONS AND ITS ROLE IN ACHIEVING LANDSCAPE AND ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS’ CONTINUITY ON THE POST-INDUSTRIAL TERRITORIES
PublicationThis paper delves into recently applied strategies of creating new water areas and modifying the existing ones as a part of the transformation processes of post-industrial territories. It proves that while the pursuit for unique architectural and urban space values remains an important factor contributing to such modifications, they may also play an important role in reclaiming ecological systems continuity. On the basis of theoretical...
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Design Methodology for Small Passenger Ships On the Example of the Ferryboat Motława 2 Driven by Hybrid Propulsion System
PublicationDynamic development in practically all elds of science and engineering has not passed over shipbuilding . In last years , engineers got to their use computer soware which makes it possible to perform strength and hydrodynamic calculations as well as to visualize design projects in 3 D space [1-4]. At their disposal they have full spectrum of modern solutions associated with the use of advanced materials and technologies [5-7]....
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Calculations of notch stress factor of a thin-walled spreader bracket fillet weld with the use of a local stress approach
PublicationPresence of geometric notches in welded joints causes concentration of strains and stresses, therefore reducing fatigue strength of such joints. This article presents an analysis of stress concentrations in a fillet weld of a spreader mounting bracket on a small sailing yacht. The aim of this article is to direct the attention of designers, manufacturers and regulatory bodies to issues of fatigue cracks that form in brackets fastening...
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Microbial diversity of inflamed and noninflamed gut biopsy tissues in inflammatory bowel disease.
PublicationBACKGROUND: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic gastrointestinal condition without any known cause or cure. An imbalance in normal gut biota has been identified as an important factor in the inflammatory process. METHODS: Fifty-eight biopsies from Crohn's disease (CD, n = 10), ulcerative colitis (UC, n = 15), and healthy controls (n = 16) were taken from a population-based case-control study. Automated ribosomal intergenic...
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Fruit seeds oils as a cosmetic emulsions component
PublicationThe fruit seeds are known to have a considerable amount of oil and their potential specialty as nutraceutical oil was suggested based on high level of unsaturated triacyglycerols (major fatty acids are linoleic, linolenic, oleic) and a high content of tocols (tocopherols and tocotrienols). In this study the possibility of application fruit seeds oils in W/O and O/W emulsion systems was investigated to find the influence of the...
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FAILURE OF MAGNETIC FLUID SEALS OPERATING IN WATER: PRELIMINARY CONCLUSIONS
PublicationThe article analyses properties of magnetic fluid seals installed in rotary sealing no des which operate in the utility water environment. Seals of this type have been examined as a possible solution to the problem with ship manoeuvring propulsion sealing. The present analysis bases on laboratory durability tests of magnetic fluid seals expo sed to long - term utility water loads, at different water pressures and shaft revolutions....
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Particle Swarm Optimization Based Optimal Design of Six-Phase Induction Motor for Electric Propulsion of Submarines
PublicationRecent research reveals that multi-phase motors in electric propulsion systems are highly recommended due to their improved reliability and efficiency over traditional three phase motors. This research presented a comparison of optimal model design of a six phase squirrel cage induction motor (IM) for electric propulsion by using Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). A six phase squirrel cage induction...
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Measuring research on radio wave propagation
PublicationTelecommunication connections are increasingly based on the wireless links, both fixed and mobile, carried out under different radio systems. This kind of solution has many advantages. However, the propagation medium is a factor that causes many difficulties in designing wireless networks, because of large diversity of propagation environments. Transmission loss in each environment is determined by many variables phenomena and...
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Crystalline Silicon (c-Si)-Based Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact (TOPCon) Solar Cells: A Review
PublicationContact selectivity is a key parameter for enhancing and improving the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of crystalline silicon (c-Si)-based solar cells. Carrier selective contacts (CSC) are the key technology which has the potential to achieve a higher PCE for c-Si-based solar cells closer to their theoretical efficiency limit. A recent and state-of-the-art approach in this domain is the tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon)...
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The correlation of fractal dimension to fracture surface slope for fatigue crack initiation analysis under bending-torsion loading in high-strength steels
PublicationIn this study, the fractal dimension of fatigue fracture surfaces is investigated in order to find an alternative failure loading indicator. Some of many metrological factors are generalized by reducing the fracture surface structure to one factor and develop an entire fracture surface procedure by analyzing the impact of surface slope and calculation resolution. Three notched geometries are studied under cyclic bending-torsion:...
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Study on the prevalence of mobile phone use by car drivers – the case of Poland
Publication: Distracted driving is a significant factor affecting road safety and it can occur as a result of using mobile phones while driving. The aim of the current research is to present the prevalence of mobile phone use by Polish car drivers, based on the roadside and online survey. The field study showed that 11.6% of 1867 drivers were using mobile phones while being in motion and 26.1% of 203 drivers when stopped in front of traffic...
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Field Evaluation of High Modulus Asphalt Concrete Resistance to Low-Temperature Cracking
PublicationHigh-modulus asphalt concrete has numerous advantages in comparison to conventional asphalt concrete, including increased resistance to permanent deformations and increased pavement fatigue life. However, previous studies have shown that the construction of road pavements with High Modulus Asphalt Concrete (HMAC) may significantly increase the risk of low-temperature cracking. Those observations were the motivation for the research...
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Importance of Bile Composition for Diagnosis of Biliary Obstructions
PublicationDetermination of the cause of a biliary obstruction is often inconclusive from serum analysis alone without further clinical tests. To this end, serum markers as well as the composition of bile of 74 patients with biliary obstructions were determined to improve the diagnoses. The samples were collected from the patients during an endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). The concentration of eight bile salts, specifically...
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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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Particle Swarm Optimization Based Optimal Design of Six-Phase Induction Motor for Electric Propulsion of Submarines
PublicationAbstract: Recent research reveals that multi-phase motors in electric propulsion systems are highly recommended due to their improved reliability and efficiency over traditional three phase motors. This research presented a comparison of optimal model design of a six phase squirrel cage induction motor (IM) for electric propulsion by using Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). A six phase squirrel cage induction...
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UAV Photogrammetry under Poor Lighting Conditions—Accuracy Considerations
PublicationThe use of low-level photogrammetry is very broad, and studies in this field are conducted in many aspects. Most research and applications are based on image data acquired during the day, which seems natural and obvious. However, the authors of this paper draw attention to the potential and possible use of UAV photogrammetry during the darker time of the day. The potential of night-time images has not been yet widely recognized,...
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Generalized temperature dependence model for anammox process kinetics
PublicationTemperature is a key operational factor influencing the anammox process kinetics. In particular, at temperatures below 15 °C, the specific anammox activity (SAA) considerably decreases. This study aimed to describe the temperature dependence of the anammox process kinetics in the temperature range from 10 to 55 °C, including the specific characteristics of“cold anammox”. The commonly used Arrhenius and extended and modifiedRatkowsky...
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Balanced Spider Monkey Optimization with Bi-LSTM for Sustainable Air Quality Prediction
PublicationA reliable air quality prediction model is required for pollution control, human health monitoring, and sustainability. The existing air quality prediction models lack efficiency due to overfitting in prediction model and local optima trap in feature selection. This study proposes the Balanced Spider Monkey Optimization (BSMO) technique for effective feature selection to overcome the local optima trap and overfitting problems....
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Free trade with the former COMECON Countries as Unequal Exchange
PublicationTwo authors of this chapter were born to the East of what was once The Iron Curtain and two to the West. From both angles, the two systems – capitalism and communism – seemed to be as contrary to each other as possible. Few people are aware that in terms of industrial and trade policy, both classical capitalism and communism had a common root in the theories of German economist Friedrich List (1789-1846) (List, 1841). In fact,...
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Mechanical Properties of Bio-Composites Based on Epoxy Resin and Nanocellulose Fibres
PublicationThe aim of our research was to investigate the effect of a small nanocellulose (NC) addition on an improvement of the mechanical properties of epoxy composites. A procedure of chemical extraction from pressed lignin was used to obtain nanocellulose fibers. The presence of nanoparticles in the cellulose pulp was confirmed by FTIR/ATR spectra as well as measurement of nanocellulose particle size using a Zetasizer analyzer. Epoxy...
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Credibility of Business Operations via Internet: Customer Perspective
PublicationTourism plays an important role in economy of Mediterranean countries. Year after year, more and more people spend or like to spend their vacations (and money) in the Mediterranean region. Hiring private apartments or houses by individual persons for themselves and their families becomes more and more popular way of vacation arrangement and, in the result, constitutes an important factor of the countries' incomes. Versatile and...
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Modeling of medium flow processes in transportation pipelines - the synthesis of their state-space models and the analysis of the mathematical properties of the models for leak detection purposes
PublicationThe dissertation concerns the issue of modeling the pipeline flow process under incompressible and isothermal conditions, with a target application to the leak detection and isolation systems. First, an introduction to the model-based process diagnostics is provided, where its basic terminology, tools, and methods are described. In the following chapter, a review of the state of the art in the field of leak detection and isolation...
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Comparison of hydrophilic interaction and reversed phase liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry for the determination of eight artificial sweeteners and common steviol glycosides in popular beverages
PublicationHydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) was used to separate artificial and natural sweeteners approved for use in European Union (EU). Among three tested HILIC columns (BlueOrchid PAL-HILIC, Ascentis Express Si and Acclaim™ Trinity™ P2) the last one was selected for the development of HILIC method due to the best results obtained with it. Early eluting and coeluting compounds...
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Propagation of Ship-Generated Noise in Shallow Sea
PublicationContamination of sea environment by noise and any energy radiated to water constitutes today a problem to which more and more attention is paid, in view, a.o., of consequences of an impact of these factors onto marine fauna. European Union has introduced a directive by which EU countries are made responsible to undertake efforts aimed at reaching a good envirenmental status of European seas by 2020. A main source of underwater...