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Search results for: COST FACTOR
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Determinants of trade balance in Polish and Czech manufacturing sectors
PublicationResearch background: A strong industrial base is essential for achieving long-term sustainable economic growth and export competitiveness. In that sense, manufacturing remains a significant contributor to exports in the CEE countries. However, its role and its influence vary between CEE economies and change over time. Purpose of the article: The main objective of this paper is to compare the determinants of the international competitiveness,...
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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...
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Museums of Gdansk - Tourism Products or Signs of Remembrance?
PublicationMuseum buildings constitute a significant element in the composition and functionality of contemporary cities. They are both their attractions and landmarks. The article presents a case study illustrating the relation between museum buildings and their location, as well as the showcased exhibition. The article aims at demonstrating the way in which those elements form a harmonious whole - a cultural tourism product affecting the...
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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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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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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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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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Reverberation divergence in VR applications
PublicationThe aim of this project was to investigate the correlation between virtual reality (VR) imagery and ambisonic sound. With the increasing popularity of VR applications, understanding how sound is perceived in virtual environments is crucial for enhancing the immersiveness of the experience. By examining the relationship between visual scenes and sound scenes, this research attempts to explore how the interaction between vision and...
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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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Temperature influences on shear stability of a nanosize plate with piezoelectricity effect
PublicationPurpose The purpose of this paper is to predict the mechanical behavior of a piezoelectric nanoplate under shear stability by taking electric voltage into account in thermal environment. Design/methodology/approach Simplified first-order shear deformation theory has been used as a displacement field. Modified couple stress theory has been applied for considering small-size effects. An analytical solution has been taken into account...
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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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Open-Source Coprocessor for Integer Multiple Precision Arithmetic
PublicationThis paper presents an open-source digital circuit of the coprocessor for an integer multiple-precision arithmetic (MPA). The purpose of this coprocessor is to support a central processing unit (CPU) by offloading computations requiring integer precision higher than 32/64 bits. The coprocessor is developed using the very high speed integrated circuit hardware description language (VHDL) as an intellectual property (IP) core. Therefore,...
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Preliminary Identification of Quantitative Factors Determining the Duration of Court Proceedings in Commercial Cases
PublicationPurpose: The aim of the article was to identify factors that are linear combinations of the variables under scrutiny that affect the duration of court proceedings. Design/Methodology/Approach: This research was conducted on commercial cases, based on the Principal Components Analysis (PCA). The original variables were grouped into factors that are correlated with each other. The Kaiser Criterion (own value >1) was chosen as the...
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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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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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Impact of abiotic stressors on nutrient removal and rhizomicrobiome composition in floating treatment wetland with Equisetum hyemale
PublicationFloating treatment wetlands (FTW) are receiving growing interest as a phyto-technology. However, there are significant research gaps regarding the actual role of plant species and plant-microbiome interactions. In this study, the nutrient uptake of Equisetum hyemale was examined in FTW microcosms under the influence of abiotic stressors: As (3 mg/L) and Pb (3 mg/L) as well as Cl− (300 and 800 mg/L) in reference to a control during...
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From ashes to porous hierarchical nanocarbon electrode: Upcycling secondary waste materials through self-catalytic chemical vapour deposition
PublicationMetal and metal oxide particles are abundant in various ash-based wastes. Utilizing these as catalyst sources for the fabrication of carbon nanomaterials could present a valuable approach to reduce our reliance on non-renewable and costly catalyst sources, thereby facilitating large-scale nanomaterial production. In this context, secondary waste materials (SWMs) are by-products resulting from the (complete or partial) combustion...
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Damage detection in 3D printed plates using ultrasonic wave propagation supported with weighted root mean square calculation and wavefield curvature imaging
Publication3D printing (additive manufacturing, AM) is a promising approach to producing light and strong structures with many successful applications, e.g., in dentistry and orthopaedics. Many types of filaments differing in mechanical properties can be used to produce 3D printed structures, including polymers, metals or ceramics. Due to the simplicity of the manufacturing process, biodegradable polymers are widely used, e.g., polylactide (polylactide...
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Estimation of Broadband Complex Permeability Using SIW Cavity-Based Multimodal Approach
PublicationIn this article, an attractive multimodal substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) based methodology is presented for the characterization of magnetic materials in the broadband microwave frequency. The proposed approach employs a modified feed under-coupled SIW cavity instead of conventional feed over-coupled multiple SIW cavities; it uses the modified closedform expression, developed from the first principle to consider the effect...
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Follow-up assessment of the microvascular function in patients with long COVID
PublicationLong COVID is a complex pathophysiological condition. However, accumulating data suggests that COVID-19 is a systemic microvascular endothelial dysfunction with different clinical manifestations. In this study, a microvascular function was assessed in long COVID patients (n = 33) and healthy controls (n = 30) using flow-mediated skin fluorescence technique (FMSF), based on measurements of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide fluorescence...
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A Compact Circularly Polarized Dielectric Resonator Antenna with MIMO Characterizations for UWB Applications
PublicationUltra-wideband (UWB) technology is extensively used in indoor navigation, medical applications, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices due to its low power consumption and resilience against multipath fading and losses. This paper examines a multiple input multiple-output (MIMO), circularly polarized (CP) dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) for UWB systems. Compact form factor, high gain, wideband response, improved port isolation,...
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Determination of free tyrosine in equestrian supplements by LC–MS/MS and comparison of its quantity with total free amino acids content in view of doping control
PublicationThe reports on the probable beneficial impact of tyrosine (TYR) supplementation on performance enhancement have contributed to the growth of interest in TYR in equestrian sports field and related industries, such as the manufacture of dietary and nutritional supplements. In this study, the first attempt to the assessment of horses exposure to TYR during nutritional supplementation was demonstrated by quantification of unbound TYR...
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Heavy Metals in Sediments of Urban Streams: Contamination and Health Risk Assessment of Influencing Factors
PublicationSediments of two urban streams in northern Poland outflowing to the Baltic Sea were assessed to explain the spatial variation in relation to urbanization level of the catchment, the role of retention tanks (RTs) and identification of pollution level. During the 3 month period of investigation sediment samples were collected from the inflow (IN) and outflow (OUT) of six RTs located on streams for flood protection. Six heavy metals...
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Transport deficiency is the molecular basis of Candida albicans resistance to antifungal oligopeptides
Publication(FMDP), an inhibitor of glucosamine-6-phosphate synthase, exhibited growth inhibitory activity against Candida albicans, with minimal inhibitory concentration values in the 0.05–50 mg/L range. Uptake by the peptide permeases was found to be the main factor limiting an anticandidal activity of these compounds. Di- and tripeptide containing FMDP (F2 and F3) were transported by Ptr2p/Ptr22p peptide transporters (PTR) and FMDP-containing...
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Pile Model Tests Using Strain Gauge Technology
PublicationOrdinary pile bearing capacity tests are usually carried out to determine the relationship between load and displacement of pile head. The measurement system required in such tests consists of force transducer and three or four displacement gauges. The whole system is installed at the pile head above the ground level. This approach, however, does not give us complete information about the pile-soil interaction. We can only determine...
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First report of seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in sheep in Pomerania, northern Poland
PublicationIntroduction and objective. Toxoplasmosis is parasitic disease which has economic relevance for both veterinary and human medicine. In sheep, toxoplasmosis is a major cause of abortion and can thus cause reproductive problems. The current study aimed to determine the occurrence of anti-Toxoplasma gondii IgG antibodies in sheep from 13 districts of northern Poland and thereby obtain actual data about T. gondii seroprevalence in...
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Multiple transcriptional factors regulate transcription of the rpoE gene in Escherichia coli under different growth conditions and when the lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis is defective.
PublicationThe RpoE sigma factor is essential for the viability of Escherichia coli. RpoE regulates extracytoplasmic functions including lipopolysaccharide (LPS) translocation and some of its non-stoichiometric modifications. Transcription of the rpoE gene is positively autoregulated by EσE and by unknown mechanisms that control the expression of its distally located promoter(s). Mapping of 5′ ends of rpoE mRNA identified five new transcriptional...
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Phytoecdysteroid containing plants – a source of bioactive compounds with potential anticarcinogenic effects
PublicationEcdysteroids are a group of steroids synthesized in inver- tebrates as molting hormones and also in some plants as secondary metabolites acting as a defense against parasites. These compounds do not naturally occur in mammals and are not structurally related to mammalian steroid hor- mones, consequently do not activate mammalian hormone receptors. Ecdysteroids exhibit very low toxicity to mam- mals and to date no serious side effects...
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Development of a Peptide Derived from Platelet-Derived Growth Factor (PDGF-BB) into a Potential Drug Candidate for the Treatment of Wounds
PublicationObjective: This study evaluated the use of novel peptides derived from platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF-BB) as potential wound healing stimulants. One of the compounds (named PDGF2) was subjected for further research after cytotoxicity and proliferation assays on human skin cells. Further investigation included evaluation of: migration and chemotaxis of skin cells, immunological and allergic safety, the transcriptional analyses...
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The significance of proximity in cluster initiatives
PublicationPurpose – The main aim of this paper is to analyse relations between geographical and competence proximity and development of cooperation in cluster initiatives. Design/methodology/approach – The research was based on an original theoretical concept referring to the trajectory of development of cooperative relations in cluster initiatives. The research was carried out in mid-2017, in four purposefully selected clusterinitiatives....
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Corrosion Inhibition Mechanism and Efficiency Differentiation of Dihydroxybenzene Isomers Towards Aluminum Alloy 5754 in Alkaline Media
PublicationThe selection of efficient corrosion inhibitors requires detailed knowledge regarding the interaction mechanism, which depends on the type and amount of functional groups within the inhibitor molecule. The position of functional groups between different isomers is often overlooked, but is no less important, since factors like steric hinderance may significantly affect the adsorption mechanism. In this study, we have presented how...
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Model-based identification of the dominant N2O emission pathway in a full-scale activated sludge system
PublicationActivated sludge models (ASMs), extended with an N2O emission module, are powerful tools to describe the operation of full-scale wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Specifically, such models can investigate the most contributive N2O production pathways and guide towards N2O and carbon footprint (CF) mitigation measures. A common practice is to develop and validate models using data from a single WWTP. In this study, a successfully...
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From the pills to environment – Prediction and tracking of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug concentrations in wastewater
PublicationThe extend of environment pollution by pharmaceuticals is in a stage that required more automatic and integrated solutions. The non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are one of the most popular pharmaceutical in the world and emerging pollutants of natural waters. The aim of the paper was to check the correlation of the sales data of selected NSAIDs (ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac) and their concentration in the WWTP...
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The effects of relational and psychological capital on work engagement: the mediation of learning goal orientation
PublicationPurpose – This paper proposes a research model in which learning goal orientation (LGO) mediates the impacts of relational capital and psychological capital (PsyCap) on work engagement. Design/methodology/approach – Data obtained from 475 managers and employees in the manufacturing and service industries in Poland were utilized to assess the linkages given above. Common method variance was controlled by the unmeasured latent method...
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Experimental Study of the Resistance to Influence of Aggressive Liquids on Lightweight Concrete
PublicationIn light of the scientific research, the corrosion of concrete structures is one of the main problems that may reduce their durability due to the negative impact of the natural environment. The paper analyzes the influence of the type of component on the selected properties of lightweight concrete subjected to the influence of aggressive liquids. Four concrete mixes were prepared with a granular aggregate made of foamed glass (GEGA)...
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Role of Sports Facilities in the Process of Revitalization of Brownfields
PublicationThe paper gives an evidence that building a large sports facility can generate beneficial urban space transformation and a significant improvement in the dilapidated urban areas. On the basis of theoretical investigations and case studies it can be proved that sports facilities introduced to urban brownfields could be considered one of the best known large scale revitalization methods. Large urban spaces surrounding sport facilities...
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Study of the Resistance to Influence of Aggressive Liquids on Concrete with Lightweight Aggregate
PublicationThe corrosion of the structure of concrete caused by the aggressive external environment is one of the main problems that can reduce the durability of buildings. The paper analyzes the influence of the type of component on selected properties of lightweight concrete (LWC) exposed to aggressive liquids. When lightweight concrete containing porous aggregates is used, the influence of an aggressive environment may be of particular...
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Determination of trace levels of eleven bisphenol A analogues in human blood serum by high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry
PublicationChemicals showing structural or functional similarity to bisphenol A (BPA), commonly called BPA analogues, have recently drawn scientific attention due to their common industrial and commercial application as a substitute for BPA. In the European Union, the use of BPA has been severely restricted by law due to its endocrine disrupting properties. Unfortunately, it seems that all BPA analogues show comparable biological activity,...
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Intra-operative biopsy in chronic sinusitis detects pathogenic Escherichia coli that carry fimG/H, fyuA and agn43 genes coding biofilm formation
PublicationThe aim of this study was to investigate whether or not surgical biopsy of sinus tissue in chronic sinusitis, not responsive to treatment, would detect E. coli. We intended to evaluate E. coli virulence genes, therefore dispute the causal role of such an unusual microorganism in chronic sinusitis, as well as consider effective pathogen-targeted therapy. Patients with E. coli isolated by intra-operative puncture biopsy were included...
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Coupling transformation of carbon, nitrogen and sulfur in a long-term operated full-scale constructed wetland
PublicationThe coupling transformation of carbon, nitrogen and sulfur compounds has been studied in lab-scale and pilot-scale constructed wetlands (CWs), but few studies investigated full-scale CW. In this study, we used batch experiments to investigate the potentials of carbon, nitrogen and sulfur transformation in a long-term operated, full-scale horizontal subsurface flow wetland. The sediments collected from the HSFW were incubated for...