Search results for: POLAR FRESHWATER ENVIRONMENTS
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Applying the Lombard Effect to Speech-in-Noise Communication
PublicationThis study explored how the Lombard effect, a natural or artificial increase in speech loudness in noisy environments, can improve speech-in-noise communication. This study consisted of several experiments that measured the impact of different types of noise on synthesizing the Lombard effect. The main steps were as follows: first, a dataset of speech samples with and without the Lombard effect was collected in a controlled setting;...
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A Parallel MPI I/O Solution Supported by Byte-addressable Non-volatile RAM Distributed Cache
PublicationWhile many scientific, large-scale applications are data-intensive, fast and efficient I/O operations have become of key importance for HPC environments. We propose an MPI I/O extension based on in-system distributed cache with data located in Non-volatile Random Access Memory (NVRAM) available in each cluster node. The presented architecture makes effective use of NVRAM properties such as persistence and byte-level access behind...
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Artificial Intelligence Technologies in Education: Benefits, Challenges and Strategies of Implementation
PublicationSince the education sector is associated with highly dynamic business environments which are controlled and maintained by information systems, recent technological advancements and the increasing pace of adopting artificial intelligence (AI) technologies constitute a need to identify and analyze the issues regarding their implementation in education sector. However, a study of the contemporary literature reveled that relatively...
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Stability analysis of single-walled carbon nanotubes embedded in winkler foundation placed in a thermal environment considering the surface effect using a new refined beam theory
PublicationThis article is devoted to investigate the stability of different types of Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWCNTs) such as zigzag, chiral, and armchair types which are rested in Winkler elastic foundations exposing to both the low and high temperature environments. Also, the Surface effects which include surface energy and surface residual stresses, are taken into consideration in this study. It may be noted that the surface energy...
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Interdisciplinary e-collaboration tools / Narzędzia interdyscyplinarnej e-współpracy
PublicationW projektach interdyscyplinarnych niezwykle ważnym czynnikiem jest aktywne konsultowanie i bezpośrednie zastosowanie relatywnie nowo powstałej dziedziny zwanej współpracą interdyscyplinarną. Nawiązywanie interdyscyplinarnej współpracy przynosi wiele korzyści, jednakże niejednokrotnie wiąże się z licznymi problemami i niedogodnościami, a także koniecznością ciągłego doszkalania się i rozszerzania kompetencji zawodowych. Na podstawie...
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New methodology for determination cationic surfactants in liquid environmental samples
PublicationBecause of their specific physical and chemical properties (e.g. amphiphilicity, solubility in polar and nonpolar liquids, ability to form micelles, adsorption at phase boundaries, low toxicity) surfactants (surface-active compounds) are widely applied in industry and in the household. As their applications are on a very large scale, it has become necessary to acquire a more detailed understanding of their environmental fate. Mainly,...
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Application of a Gas Sensor Array to Effectiveness Monitoring of Air Contaminated with Toluene Vapors Absorption Process
PublicationThis article demonstrates the application of a gas sensor array to monitor the effectiveness of the absorption process of air stream purification from odorous compounds (toluene vapors). A self-constructed matrix consisting of five commercially available gas sensors was used. Multiple linear regression (MLR) was selected as the statistical technique used to calibrate the matrice. Gas chromatography coupled with a flame ionization...
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Comparison of hydrochemistry and organic compound transport in two non-glaciated high Arctic catchments with a permafrost regime (Bellsund Fjord, Spitsbergen)
PublicationAn increase in air temperature related to climate change results in the retreat of glaciers, the degradation of permafrost, and the expansion of glacier-free areas in the polar regions. All these processes lead to changes in the Arctic landscape. They influence the hydrochemistry of streams and rivers fed by glaciers and thawing permafrost. In this study, we examine eighty two water samples from two non-glaciated catchments with...
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Occurrence and seasonal variations of 25 pharmaceutical residues in wastewater and drinking water treatment plants
PublicationThousands of tons of pharmaceuticals are introduced into the aqueous environment due to their incomplete elimination during treatment process in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and water treat- ment plants (WTPs). The presence of pharmacologically active compounds in the environment is of a great interest because of their potential to cause negative effects. Furthermore, drugs can undergo different pro- cesses leading to the...
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Anticancer Properties of Amino Acid and Peptide Derivatives of Mycophenolic Acid
PublicationBackground: Although Mycophenolic Acid (MPA) is applied as prodrugs in clinic as an immunosuppressant, it also possesses anticancer activity. MPA acts as Inosine-5’-Monophosphate Dehydrogenase (IMPDH) inhibitor, where the carboxylic group at the end of the side chain interacts with Ser 276 of the enzyme via hydrogen bonds. Therefore, MPA derivatives with other polar groups indicated high inhibition too. On the other hand, potent...
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Elemental composition, environment of deposition of the Lower Carboniferous Emma Fiord Formation oil shale in Arctic Canada
PublicationThe sedimentary succession of 51-m consisting of a thin coal seam (1 m) and oil shale with a marlstone and carbonate-mudstone matrix of the Lower Carboniferous (Viséan) Emma Fiord Formation located on the Grinnell Peninsula, Devon Island, Arctic Canada was examined. The techniques used include reflected light microscopy, and instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) for elemental concentration, and inductively coupled plasma...
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Bridging challenges of clinical decision support systems with a semantic approach. A case study on breast cancer
PublicationThe integration of Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS) in nowadays clinical environments has not been fully achieved yet. Although numerous approaches and technologies have been proposed since 1960, there are still open gaps that need to be bridged. In this work we present advances from the established state of the art, overcoming some of the most notorious reported difficulties in: (i) automating CDSS, (ii) clinical workflow...
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The Many Faces of Enterococcus spp.—Commensal, Probiotic and Opportunistic Pathogen
PublicationEnterococcus spp. are Gram-positive, facultative, anaerobic cocci, which are found in the intestinal flora and, less frequently, in the vagina or mouth. Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium are the most common species found in humans. As commensals, enterococci colonize the digestive system and participate in the modulation of the immune system in humans and animals. For many years reference enterococcal strains have...
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Dynamics of Antimicrobial Peptide Encapsulation in Carbon Nanotubes: The Role of Hydroxylation
PublicationIntroduction: Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been widely employed as biomolecule carriers, but there is a need for further functionalization to broaden their therapeutic application in aqueous environments. A few reports have unraveled biomolecule–CNT interactions as a measure of response of the nanocarrier to drug-encapsulation dynamics. Methods: Herein, the dynamics of encapsulation of the antimicrobial peptide HA-FD-13 (accession...
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Effective density of airborne wear particles from car brake materials
PublicationPeople living in urban environments are subject to high health risks due to various anthropogenic sources of airborne particulate matter, including wear of transport vehicle brakes. Studies of airborne particles often require an estimate of the effective particle density, a property that allows correct matching of mass and size characteristics measured by different aerosol instruments. In this study we investigated the effective...
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Porosity and shape of airborne wear microparticles generated by sliding contact between a low-metallic friction material and a cast iron
PublicationThe wear of brakes in transport vehicles is one of the main anthropogenic sources of airborne particulate matter in urban environments. The present study deals with the characterisation of airborne wear microparticles from a low-metallic friction material / cast iron pair used in car brakes. Particles were generated by a pin-on-disc machine in a sealed chamber at sliding velocity of 1.3 m/s and contact pressure of 1.5 MPa. They...
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Measuring Tilt with an IMU Using the Taylor Algorithm
PublicationThis article addresses the important problem of tilt measurement and stabilization. This is particularly important in the case of drone stabilization and navigation in underwater environments, multibeam sonar mapping, aerial photogrammetry in densely urbanized areas, etc. The tilt measurement process involves the fusion of information from at least two different sensors. Inertial sensors (IMUs) are unique in this context because...
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Investigation on environmental chemistry changes in the Antarctic Special Management Area (ASMA 1): King George Island, South Shetlands Islands
PublicationThe doctoral dissertation included a review of the scientific literature that resulted in the selection of the research area, type of samples and chemical species that were marked. The published series of articles contains an in-depth description of the results of chemical analyses of surface water, sediment and snow samples from the Antarctic Specially Managed Area (ASMA 1) – King George Island. In addition, studies have been...
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Multi-Taper-Based Automatic Correction of Non-Anechoic Antenna Measurements
PublicationPrototype measurements belong to the key steps in the development of antenna structures. Although accurate validation of their far-field performance can be realized in dedicated facilities, such as anechoic chambers, the high cost of their construction and maintenance might not be justified if the main goal of measurements is to support teaching or low-budget research. Instead, they can be performed in non-anechoic conditions and...
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High-Resolution Discharge Forecasting for Snowmelt and Rainfall Mixed Events
PublicationDischarge events induced by mixture of snowmelt and rainfall are strongly nonlinear due to consequences of rain-on-snow phenomena and snowmelt dependence on energy balance. However, they received relatively little attention, especially in high-resolution discharge forecasting. In this study, we use Random Forests models for 24 h discharge forecasting in 1 h resolution in a 105.9 km 2 urbanized catchment in NE Poland: Biala River....
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Fading Modelling in Dynamic Off-Body Channels
PublicationThis paper presents an off-body fading channel model for Body Area Networks (BANs) in indoor environments. The proposed model, which is based on both simulations and measurements in a realistic environment, consists of three components: mean path loss, body shadowing, and multipath fading. Seven scenarios in an indoor environment (a medium-size room with furniture, mostly consisting of wooden tables and chairs) have been measured:...
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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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Detection of the First Component of the Received LTE Signal in the OTDoA Method
PublicationIn a modern world there is a growing demand for localization services of various kinds. Position estimation can be realized via cellular networks, especially in the currently widely deployed LTE (Long Term Evolution) networks. However, it is not an easy task in harsh propagation conditions which often occur in dense urban environments. Recently, time-methods of terminal localization within the network have been the focus of attention,...
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Application of Open-Hardware-Based Solutions for Rapid Transition From Stationary to the Remote Teaching Model During Pandemic
PublicationWhile research indicates usefulness of remote laboratories in teaching of digital hardware systems, their main application is to complement stationary classes. This work presents a low-cost, scalable architecture that supports rapid transformation of teaching to a model based solely on remote access mechanisms. Background: Adaptation of online laboratory solutions from the literature to en-masse teaching of digital circuits is...
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Untargeted Lipidomics Analysis of the Cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803: Lipid Composition Variation in Response to Alternative Cultivation Setups and to Gene Deletion
PublicationCyanobacteria play an important role in several ecological environments, and they are widely accepted to be the ancestors of chloroplasts in modern plants and green algae. Cyanobacteria have become attractive models for metabolic engineering, with the goal of exploring them as microbial cell factories. However, the study of cyanobacterial lipids’ composition and variation, and the assessment of the lipids’ functional and structural...
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Creating dynamic maps of noise threat using pl-grid infrastructure; materiały konferencyjne
PublicationThis paper presents functionality and operation results of the system for creating dynamic maps of noise thread with the use of the PL-Grid infrastructure integrated with distributed sensors network for measuring, modeling and rendering noise level distribution. The work presented provides a demonstration of the services being prepared within the PLGrid Plus project. Specific computational environments, so called domain grids,...
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State of the Art in Open Platforms for Collaborative Urban Design and Sharing of Resources in Districts and Cities
PublicationThis work discusses recent developments in sharing economy concepts and collaborative co-design technology platforms applied in districts and cities. These developments are being driven both by new technological advances and by increased environmental awareness. The paper begins by outlining the state of the art in smart technology platforms for collaborative urban design, highlighting a number of recent examples. The case of peer-to-peer...
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Digital Innovations and Smart Solutions for Society And Economy: Pros and Cons
PublicationRecent developments in artificial intelligence (AI) may involve significant potential threats to personal data privacy, national security, and social and economic stability. AI-based solutions are often promoted as “intelligent” or “smart” because they are autonomous in optimizing various processes. Be-cause they can modify their behavior without human supervision by analyzing data from the environ-ment, AI-based systems may be...
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On the non-linear dynamics of torus-shaped and cylindrical shell structures
PublicationIn this study, the non-linear dynamic analysis of torus-shaped and cylindrical shell-like structures has been studied. The applied material is assumed as the functionally graded material (FGM). The structures are considered to be used for important machines such as wind turbines. The effects of some environmental factors on the analysis like temperature and humidity have been considered. The strain field has been calculated in...
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Asymmetrical-Slot Antenna with Enhanced Gain for Dual-Band Applications
PublicationDual-band operation is an important feature of antennas to be applied in modern communication systems. Although high gain of radiators is rarely of concern in urban areas with densely located broadcasting stations, it becomes crucial for systems operating in more remote environments. In this work, a dual-band antenna with enhanced bandwidth is proposed. The structure consists of a driven element in the form of an asymmetrical radiator/slot...
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Człowiek zanurzony w rzeczywistości wirtualnej na przykładzie Laboratorium Zanurzonej Wizualizacji Przestrzennej
PublicationArtykuł opisuje Laboratorium Zanurzonej Wizualizacji Przestrzennej (LZWP), które umożliwia swobodną podróż w czasie i przestrzeni. Jego podstawowym wyposażeniem jest jaskinia rzeczywistości wirtualnej, czyli pomieszczenie o ścianach, suficie i podłodze stanowiących ekrany projekcyjne, wyświetlające generowane komputerowo obrazy 3D, tworzące spójny widok jednej sceny. Człowiek znajdujący się w takiej jaskini jest zatem zanurzony...
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Sea, River, Lake Ice Properties and Their Applications in Practices
PublicationThis Special Issue aims to highlight research articles focusing on the geographical scale of glacier and lake ice variations, as well as the engineering scale of ice properties and their practical applications via laboratory tests and numerical modeling. Additionally, it includes research on ecosystems under lake ice. The main goal is successfully achieved through the joint efforts of authors, anonymous reviewers, and editorial...
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Supercomputing Grid-Based Services for Hearing Protection and Acoustical Urban Planning, Research and Education
PublicationSpecific computational environments, so-called domain grids, are developed within the PLGrid Plus project in order to prepare specialized IT solutions, i.e., dedicated software implementations and hardware (infrastructure adaptation), suited for particular research group demands. One of the PLGrid Plus domain grids, presented in this paper, is Acoustics. The article describes in detail two kinds of the acoustic domain services....
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Optimal conditions of naphthoquinones separation from carnivorous plants extracts using thin-layer chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography
PublicationDroseraceae plants are owned by the family of carnivorous plants, which in an unusual way adapt to environments poor in nutrients. Droseraceae obtain essential nutrients catching insects and other small invertebrantes. Plumbagin, chloroplumbagin, ramentaceon and droseron are naphthoquinones, which could be found in leaves and shoots of plants from Droseraceae family. In the literature there are a lot of information about the pharmacological...
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Creating Dynamic Maps of Noise Threat Using PL-Grid Infrastructure
PublicationThe paper presents functionality and operation results of a system for creating dynamic maps of acoustic noise employing the PL-Grid infrastructure extended with a distributed sensor network. The work presented provides a demonstration of the services being prepared within the PLGrid Plus project for measuring, modeling and rendering data related to noise level distribution in city agglomerations. Specific computational environments,...
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Investigating lubricants behaviour in microgravity for vibration damping purposes
PublicationVibration is one of the harshest environments an object is exposed to during and after launch into space on a launch vehicle. Such vibrations should be damped to avoid destruction of the spacecraft or its elements. Currently, active and material damping is used. A possibility of using lubrication as the damping factor is suggested by some research. MoS2 is a typical solid lubricant used in space applications. Its properties vary...
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Lighting conditions in Home Office and occupant’s perception: an international study
PublicationThe global pandemic and physical distancing restrictions are forcing us to rethink how residential buildings are used regarding the visual environment. This paper describes home office lighting conditions within different countries and continents. The aim is to define the current limitations of home offices in providing a resilient visual environment. The work was developed by a team of international experts working together on...
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Enzyme-linked carbon nanotubes as biocatalytic tools to degrade and mitigate environmental pollutants
PublicationA wide array of organic compounds have been recognized as pollutants of high concern due to their controlled or uncontrolled presence in environmental matrices. The persistent prevalence of diverse organic pollutants, including pharmaceutical compounds, phenolic compounds, synthetic dyes, and other hazardous substances, necessitates robust measures for their practical and sustainable removal from water bodies. Several bioremediation and...
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In Silico Safety Assessment of Bacillus Isolated from Polish Bee Pollen and Bee Bread as Novel Probiotic Candidates
PublicationBacillus species isolated from Polish bee pollen (BP) and bee bread (BB) were characterized for in silico probiotic and safety attributes. A probiogenomics approach was used, and in-depth genomic analysis was performed using a wide array of bioinformatics tools to investigate the presence of virulence and antibiotic resistance properties, mobile genetic elements, and secondary metabolites. Functional annotation and Carbohydrate-Active...
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Development of the System Assurance Reference Model for Generating Modular Assurance Cases
PublicationAssurance cases are structured arguments used to demonstrate specific system properties such as safety or security. They are used in many industrial sectors including automotive, aviation and medical devices. Larger assurance cases are usually divided into modules to manage the complexity and distribute the work. Each of the modules is developed to address specific goals allocated to the specific objects i.e. components of the...
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Filter-Hilbert Method for Automatic Correction of Non-Anechoic Antenna Measurements with Embedded Self-Calibration Mechanism
PublicationOne of the most important steps in the process of antenna development involves measurements of its prototype. Far-field performance of radiators is normally characterized in strictly controlled environments such as anechoic chambers which can ensure certification-grade accuracy. Unfortunately, they are also characterized by high construction costs which might not be justified for low-budget research and/or teaching-related activities....
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ESPAR Antenna-Based WSN Node With DoA Estimation Capability
PublicationIn this paper, we present a low-cost energy-efficient electronically steerable parasitic array radiator (ESPAR) antenna-based wireless sensor network (WSN) node designed for IEEE 802.15.4 standard that is capable of performing direction of arrival (DoA) estimation in real-life outdoor environments. To this end, we propose the WSN node architecture, design and realization that utilizes NXP JN5168 radio frequency (RF) wireless transceiver...
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Long-Period Gratings and Microcavity In-Line Mach Zehnder Interferometers as Highly Sensitive Optical Fiber Platforms for Bacteria Sensing
PublicationSelected optical fiber sensors offer extraordinary sensitivity to changes in external refractive (RI), which make them promising for label-free biosensing. In this work the most sensitive ones, namely long-period gratings working at (DTP-LPG) and micro-cavity in-line Mach-Zehnder interferometers (µIMZI) are discussed for application in bacteria sensing. We describe their working principles and RI sensitivity when operating in water...
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Online Interactivity – Shift Towards E-textbook-based Medical Education
PublicationTextbooks have played the leading role in academic education for centuries and their form has evolved, adapting to the needs of students, teachers and technological possibilities. Advances in technology have caused educators to look for new sources of knowledge development, which students could use inside and outside the classroom. Today’s sophisticated learning tools range from virtual environments to interactive multimedia resources,...
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Thriving in multicultural work settings
PublicationOwing to globalization and the global mobility of workforce, working in multicultural environments has become a daily reality for an increasing number of manpower. Such an environment does introduce unique challenges to individuals, enabling some of them to thrive. The aim of the paper, therefore, is to explore the antecedents of thriving and its components in multicultural work settings of multinational corporations (MNCs). The...
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Optimization of Data Assignment for Parallel Processing in a Hybrid Heterogeneous Environment Using Integer Linear Programming
PublicationIn the paper we investigate a practical approach to application of integer linear programming for optimization of data assignment to compute units in a multi-level heterogeneous environment with various compute devices, including CPUs, GPUs and Intel Xeon Phis. The model considers an application that processes a large number of data chunks in parallel on various compute units and takes into account computations, communication including...
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A repeated game formulation of network embedded coding for multicast resilience in extreme conditions
PublicationComputer networks and data sharing applications are vital for our current society and fundamental for any available ICT solution, so that networking is considered as one of the key critical infrastructures and its correct behavior should be always enforced, even in case of disasters or severe execution conditions. Resilience is a strongly demanding nonfunctional requirement for current computer networks, and one of the key factors...
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On Software Unit Testing For Security and Performance Gain At Unit Level
PublicationPerformance and security are software (SW) application attributes situated on the opposite corners of system design. In the most drastic example the most secure component is the one totally isolated from the outside world, with communication performance reduced to zero level (e.g. disconnected physically from the network, placed inside a Faraday cage to eliminate possible wireless accessibility). On the other hand the most performance-optimized...
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On Software Unit Testing For Improving Security And Performance Of Distributed Applications
PublicationPerformance and security are software (SW) application attributes situated on the opposite corners of system design. In the most drastic example the most secure component is the one totally isolated from the outside world, with communication performance reduced to zero level (e.g. disconnected physically from the network, placed inside a Faraday cage to eliminate possible wireless accessibility). On the other hand the most performance-optimized...
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A new procedure for the determination of distillation temperature distribution of high-boiling petroleum products and fractions
PublicationThe distribution of distillation temperatures of liquid and semi-fluid products, including petroleum fractions and products, is an important process and practical parameter. It provides information on properties of crude oil and content of particular fractions, classified on the basis of their boiling points, as well as the optimum conditions of atmospheric or vacuum distillation. At present, the distribution of distillation temperatures...