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Search results for: PROCESS IMPROVEMENT
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Femtosecond laser ablated trench array for improving performance of commercial solid oxide cell
PublicationThe performance of electrode-supported solid oxide cells (SOCs) is limited adversely by gas diffusion impedance in thick and porous support. This work focuses on the improvement of gas transport properties of commercial Ni-YSZ anode-supported SOFC by femtosecond laser-based micromachining where micro-holes of identical depth but different hole separations pitches with minimal heated affected zones were imposed. The polarization...
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Unprecedented Adhesive Performance of Propylene-Based Hydroxyl Functionalized Terpolymers
PublicationThe synthesis of hydroxyl functionalized propylene-based terpolymers and their performance as hot melt adhesives were investigated. The products comprise uniformly distributed butyl and 4-hydroxyl-butyl branches along the polypropylene backbone. Despite the low hydroxyl-functionality level of ≤ 0.5 mol%, hydroxyl functionalized terpolymers show formidable adhesion to aluminum and steel providing an adhesive strength exceeding 16...
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Experimental observations on the creep behaviour of frozen soil
PublicationConstitutive models in the literature for creep of frozen soil are based on the direct use of time counted from the onset of creep. An explicit time dependence in a constitutive equation violates the principles of rational mechanics. No change in stress or temperature is allowed for during creep, using the time-based formulations. Moreover, the existing descriptions need much verification and improvement on the experimental side...
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Intelligent Lossy Compression Method of Providing a Desired Visual Quality for Images of Different Complexity
PublicationLossy compression plays a vital role in modern digital image processing for producing a high compression ratio. However, distortion is unavoidable, which affects further image processing and must be handled with care. Providing a desired visual quality is an efficient approach for reaching a trade-off between introduced distortions and compression ratio; it aims to control the visual quality of the decompressed images and make...
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Review of the determination of modern used pesticides in water samples
PublicationThe increasingly widespread application of pesticides causes that larger amounts of them are entering the environment. Their presence in sources of drinking water, essential to life, is a particular danger. For these reasons it is important to monitor and analyse pesticide residues in the environment. The analysis of environmental samples for the presence of pesticides is very difficult. Firstly, the processes involved in sample...
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Time for temporariness! Temporary architecture - whim or necessity?
PublicationWhat are the qualities of temporary architectural objects that make them helpful instruments for evolving the image of contemporary urban space? Six hypotheses provide rationales for why current temporary architecture seems to be a remedy for dysfunctional city structures. The research was limited to the temporary architectural objects constructed in open-air city zones, including the architecture of events. The temporary objects'...
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The Taste of Waste: The Edge of Eggshell Over Calcium Carbonate in Acrylonitrile Butadiene Rubber
PublicationRubber technology experiences a new age by the use of biowaste or natural fillers. In this regard, taking properties of reinforcing agents from biowaste fillers remains as the challenging matter. Chicken eggshell (ES) biowaste has recently been introduced to substitute calcium carbonate (CaCO3) duo to its superior properties and low price. In this work, composites based on acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) reinforced with ES...
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Improving the Quality of Magnetic Signature Reproduction by Increasing Flexibility of Multi-Dipole Model Structure and Enriching Measurement Information
PublicationThe paper presents the construction of a multi-dipole model that allows reproducing magneticsignatures of ferromagnetic objects. The virtual object used in the paper is an ellipsoid, which is the sourceof synthetic data. To make the situation more realistic, noise is added to the synthetic data. Two significantimprovements compared to previous work are presented. Three-axial magnetometers are introduced insteadof uniaxial magnetometers....
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Influence of addition of carbon nanotubes on rheological properties of selected liquid lubricants - a computer simulation study
PublicationThis work is motivated by the improvement of anti-friction properties of lubricants by addition of CNTs proved experimentally in literature. In particular, a methodology is developed to compute the shear viscosity of liquid lubricants (Propylene Glycol) based on Molecular Dynamics simulation. Non-Equilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) approach is used with a reactive force field ReaxFF implemented in LAMMPS. The simulations are...
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Health Enhancing Physical Activity Policies in Poland: Findings from the HEPA PAT Survey
PublicationInsufficient physical activity (PA) is one of major risk factors for serious diseases and premature mortality worldwide. Public policies to enhance PA across society are recognized as an effective tool against the problem. This paper presents the results of a comprehensive assessment of national-level PA policy approach in Poland. A standardized survey of Word Health Organization named the Health-Enhancing Physical Activity Policy...
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Voltage variations and their reduction in a rural low-voltage network with PV sources of energy
PublicationRenewable sources of energy (RES), especially photovoltaic (PV) micro-sources, are very popular in many countries. This way of clean power production is applied on a wide scale in Poland as well. The Polish legal regulations and tariffs specify that every prosumer in a low-voltage network may feed this network with a power not higher than the maximum declared consumed power. In power networks with RES, the voltage level changes...
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Ionic liquid as morphology-directing agent of two-dimensional Bi2WO6: New insight into photocatalytic and antibacterial activity
PublicationAn efficient and durable utilization of light to drive photocatalytic reactions still requires the overcoming of barriers. Herein, two-dimensional (2D) ultrathin IL_Bi2WO6 (IL_BWO) photocatalysts were prepared for the first time via ionic liquid-assisted hydrothermal route by adjusting the amount of tetrabutylammonium chloride [TBA][Cl], synthesis temperature and duration. IL played the role of morphology-directing agent given...
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Trailing-Edge Separation Control of a NACA 0015 Airfoil Using Dielectric-Barrier-Discharge Plasma Actuators
PublicationThis paper presents a part of the works conducted in the Plasmaero European project (task 3.1), where the trailing-edge flow separation of a NACA 0015 airfoil has been controlled using four different dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) actuator types at three institutions across Europe. The results show that it is possible to enhance the aerodynamic performance of aircraft at speeds up to 40 m/s. Dielectric-barrier-discharge vortex...
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Enhancement of lift and drag performances of a NACA0012 airfoil by multi-DBD plasma actuator with additional floating interelectrodes
PublicationIt is clear that the improvement of aircraft aerodynamic performances is currently and will continue to be a significant area of research for the aeronautical industry. The current study is focused on theenhancement of aerodynamic airfoil performances by using a multi-DBD plasma actuator mounted around the model leading-edge. Experiments have been conducted at the University of Orleans, in the 2 m x 2 m test section of a large...
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A new method for real-time monitoring of volatiles in frying fumes using proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry with time-of-flight analyse
PublicationTo safeguard the consumers’ well-being, it is necessary to develop novel methods for determination of carcinogens in food, including volatiles generated during frying. The currently used procedures for analysis of volatile fraction of vegetable oils are not based on real-time measurements and thus do not enable the determination of carcinogenic compounds in frying fumes; instead, only the headspace or liquid fraction is sampled....
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Improved Performance of 1-Ethyl-3-Methylimidazolium Tetrafluoroborate at Steel/HCl Interface by Iodide Ions
PublicationThe corrosion and corrosion inhibition of St37 steel in 0.1 M HCl solution by 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (EMITFB) and the effect of addition of KI on the inhibitive performance of EMITFB have been examined by electrochemical [electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, potentiodynamic polarization, and dynamic electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (DEIS)] and surface examination [scanning electron microscope (SEM)...
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Human memory enhancement through electrical stimulation in the temporal cortex
PublicationDirect electrical stimulation of the human brain can elicit sensory and motor perceptions as well as recall of memories. Stimulating higher order association areas of the lateral temporal cortex in particular was reported to activate visual and auditory memory representations of past experiences (Penfield and Perot, 1963). We hypothesized that this effect could be used to modulate memory processing. Recent attempts at memory enhancement...
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Polymer-Enhanced Active Layer Crystallization in Low-Temperature Carbon-Based Perovskite Solar Cells
PublicationHigh-efficiency perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are emerging as a promising next-generation, low-cost, photovoltaic technology. A key advantage of PSCs is their compatibility with diverse manufacturing techniques, enabling the pursuit of low-cost, stable PSCs. Carbon electrodes, known for their scalability, chemical inertness, and ease of processing through screen printing, have recently seen the development of low-temperature carbon...
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In situ soil mixing.
PublicationOpracowanie stanowi 9-ty rozdział w książce ''Ground Improvement'' (Wzmacnianie gruntu).W podrozdziałach 9.1 i 9.2 przedstawiono rys historyczny oraz aktualny stan zaawansowania technologii mieszania gruntu na sucho i na mokro. Wprowadzono także klasyfikację metod wdrożonych na świecie przez firmy specjalistyczne. W podrozdziale 9.3 opisano sprzęt i technologię i przebieg mieszania, z podziałem na urządzenia do mieszania głębokiego...
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Hybrid geothermal-fossil power cycle analysis in a Polish setting with a focus on off-design performance and CO2 emissions reductions
PublicationGrowing demand for electricity due to economic development contributes to increased greenhouse gas production, especially CO2. However, emissions can be limited by enhancing the efficiency of primary energy conversion, such as integrating geothermal energy into coal-fired power plants. Therefore, this paper proposes replacing conventional feed-water heaters with geothermal preheaters to create a hybridized system. This study was...
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Injectable bone cement based on magnesium potassium phosphate and cross-linked alginate hydrogel designed for minimally invasive orthopedic procedures
PublicationBone cement based on magnesium phosphate has extremely favorable properties for its application as a bioactive bone substitute. However, further improvement is still expected due to difficult injectability and high brittleness. This paper reported the preparation of novel biocomposite cement, classified as dual-setting, obtained through ceramic hydration reaction and polymer cross-linking. Cement was composed of magnesium potassium...
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The role of hydrodynamic cavitation in tuning physicochemical properties of food items: A comprehensive review
PublicationBackground: Today, food processing industries are looking for alternative technologies with an eco-friendly character for the processing of food, beverages and agricultural crops. Ideally, such technologies may preserve the original properties of the food products while reaching their primary target of application. Scope and approach: At this point, hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) is recognized as one of the potential technologies...
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Influence of Giant Reed (Arundo Donax L.) Culms Processing Procedure on Physicochemical, Rheological, and Thermomechanical Properties of Polyethylene Composites
PublicationGiant reed (Arundo donax L.) is a plant species with a high growth rate and low requirements, which makes it particularly interesting for the production of different bioproducts, including natural fibers. This work assesses the use of fibers obtained from reed culms as reinforcement for a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) matrix. Two different lignocellulosic materials were used: i) shredded culms and ii) fibers obtained by culms...
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Hardware realization of shadow detection algorithm in FPGA
PublicationW referacie opisano problem detekcji cieni w sekwencjach wideo. Na podstawie metod znanych z literatury opracowano algorytm detekcji cieni, działający w czasie rzeczywistym i przeznaczony do realizacji sprzętowej w układzie FPGA. Algorytmy zostały przetestowane i porównane w środowisku MATLAB. Za pomocą języka VHDL zrealizowano system detekcji cieni wykorzystujący opracowany algorytm i zaimplementowano go w układzie Virtex-4. Został...
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Toward Polyethylene–Polyester Block and Graft Copolymers with Tunable Polarity
PublicationThe synthesis and characterization of polyethylene–polyester block and graft copolymers and their potential as compatibilizers in polyethylene-based polymer blends are being described. The various routes to functionalized polyethylenes and the corresponding block/graft copolymers have been compared and evaluated for their scalability to industrial scale production. Hydroxyl chain-end and randomly OH-functionalized HDPE as well...
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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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The Analysis of Working Parameters Decrease in Photovoltaic Modules as a Result of Dust Deposition
PublicationThe aspect of dust accumulation on the surface of photovoltaic (PV) modules should be thoroughly understood in order to minimize possible obstacles affecting energy generation. Several elements affect the amount of pollutant gathered on the surface of a solar device, mainly its localization, which is irreversibly linked to factors such as annual rainfall, occasional snow coverage, or, in a dry climate, increased blow of dust during...
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Aerodynamic Shape Optimization for Delaying Dynamic Stall of Airfoils by Regression Kriging
PublicationThe phenomenon of dynamic stall produce adverse aerodynamic loading which can adversely affect the structural strength and life of aerodynamic systems. Aerodynamic shape optimization (ASO) provides an effective approach for delaying and mitigating dynamic stall characteristics without the addition of auxiliary system. ASO, however, requires multiple evaluations time-consuming computational fluid dynamics models. Metamodel-based...
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Efficient Surrogate Modeling and Design Optimization of Compact Integrated On-Chip Inductors Based on Multi-Fidelity EM Simulation Models
PublicationHigh-performance and small-size on-chip inductors play a critical role in contemporary radio-frequency integrated circuits. This work presents a reliable surrogate modeling technique combining low-fidelity EM simulation models, response surface approximations based on kriging interpolation, and space mapping technology. The reported method is useful for the development of broadband and highly accurate data-driven models of integrated...
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Laboratory fatigue assessment of large geocomposite-reinforced double-layered asphalt concrete beams
PublicationGeosynthetic reinforcement of asphalt layers has been used for several decades. Evaluation of the influence of these materials on pavement fatigue life is still ongoing, especially for new types of geocomposites. This paper presents the evaluation of fatigue performance of large asphalt concrete beams reinforced with a new type of composite in which square or hexagonal polypropylene stiff monolithic paving grid with integral junctions...
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Toxoplasma gondii Recombinant antigen AMA1: Diagnostic Utility of Protein Fragments for the Detection of IgG and IgM Antibodies
PublicationToxoplasma gondii is an important zoonotic protozoan that infects a wide variety of vertebrates as intermediate hosts. For this reason, the diagnosis of this disease is very important and requires continuous improvement. One possibility is to use recombinant antigens in serological tests. Apical membrane antigen 1 (AMA1), a protein located in specific secretory organelles (micronemes) of T. gondii, is very interesting in regard...
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Simple empirical formula to estimate the main geomechanical parameters of preplaced aggregate concrete and conventional concrete
PublicationPreplaced aggregate concrete (PAC) or two-stage concrete is a specific type of concrete successfully employed in many projects including underwater concrete structures, massive concrete structures, structures made of reinforced concrete, and improvement of concrete structures. PAC is significantly different than the conventional concrete. In this type of concrete, aggregates are initially poured into the mold, the voids between...
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Influence of Surface Modification of Titanium and Its Alloys for Medical Implants on Their Corrosion Behavior
PublicationTitanium and its alloys are often used for long-term implants after their surface treatment. Such surface modification is usually performed to improve biological properties but seldom to increase corrosion resistance. This paper presents research results performed on such metallic materials modified by a variety of techniques: direct voltage anodic oxidation in the presence of fluorides, micro-arc oxidation (MAO), pulse laser treatment,...
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Study on some of the strength properties of soft clay stabilized with plastic waste strips
PublicationIt is well known that if plastic wastes are not well managed, it has a negative impact on the environment as well as on human health. In this study, recycling plastic waste in form of strips for stabilizing weak subgrade soil is proposed. For this purpose, a weak clay soil sample was mixed with 0.2%, 0.3%, and 0.4% of plastic strips by weight of soil, and the experimental results were compared to the control soil sample with 0%...
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A System for Heart Sounds Classification
PublicationThe future of quick and efficient disease diagnosis lays in the development of reliable non-invasive methods. As for the cardiac diseases – one of the major causes of death around the globe – a concept of an electronic stethoscope equipped with an automatic heart tone identification system appears to be the best solution. Thanks to the advancement in technology, the quality of phonocardiography signals is no longer an issue. However,...
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Optimal selection of input features and an acompanying neural network structure for the classification purposes - skin lesions case study
PublicationMalignant melanomas are the most deadly type of skin cancers however detected early enough give a high chances for successful treatment. The last years saw the dynamic growth of interest of automatic computer-aided skin cancer diagnosis. Every month brings new research results on new approaches to this problem, new methods of preprocessing, new classifiers, new ideas to follow etc. In particular, the rapid development of dermatoscopy,...
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Investigation of tracking systems properties in CAVE-type virtual reality systems
PublicationIn recent years, many scientific and industrial centers in the world developed a virtual reality systems or laboratories. One of the most advanced solutions are Immersive 3D Visualization Lab (I3DVL), a CAVE-type (Cave Automatic Virtual Environment) laboratory. It contains two CAVE-type installations: six-screen installation arranged in a form of a cube, and four-screen installation, a simplified version of the previous one. The...
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Performance evaluation of unified memory and dynamic parallelism for selected parallel CUDA applications
PublicationThe aim of this paper is to evaluate performance of new CUDA mechanisms—unified memory and dynamic parallelism for real parallel applications compared to standard CUDA API versions. In order to gain insight into performance of these mechanisms, we decided to implement three applications with control and data flow typical of SPMD, geometric SPMD and divide-and-conquer schemes, which were then used for tests and experiments. Specifically,...
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Parametric study of fluid flow and heat transfer over louvered fins of air heat pump evaporator
PublicationTwo-dimensional numerical investigations of the fluid flow and heat transfer have been carried out for the laminar flow of the louvered fin-plate heat exchanger, designed to work as an air-source heat pump evap- orator. The transferred heat and the pressure drop predicted by simulation have been compared with the corresponding experimental data taken from the literature. Two dimensional analyses of the louvered fins with varying...
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UAV-Based Hyperspectral Ultraviolet-Visible Interpolated Reflectance Images for Remote Sensing of Leaf Area Index
PublicationDespite its relation to a number of environmental parameters, ultraviolet (UV) reflectance is rarely used in remote sensing. In this study, we investigate the applicability of UV-vis reflectance for vegetation monitoring with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). We measure point reflectance over the study area using a UAV-borne spectrometer, project the points onto the Earth's surface, and interpolate them to obtain continuous reflectance...
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The impact of graphene on the electrochemical performance of BiMeVOx catalysts in water splitting
PublicationThe development of efficient catalysts for electrochemical water splitting has become a significant contemporary challenge. Transition metal oxides, due to their unique electrochemical properties, have emerged as promising candidates. Among these, a group of BiMeVOx-based compounds shows particular potential for practical applications in hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions. However, improvement is still necessary to achieve...
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Enhanced electrochemical performance of partially amorphous La0.6Sr0.4CoO3-δ oxygen electrode materials for low-temperature solid oxide cells operating at 400 °C
PublicationThis work evaluates partially amorphous La0.6Sr0.4CoO3-δ (LSC) as a potential oxygen electrode for lowtemperature solid oxide cells. LSC was deposited using the spin-coating technique onto Ce0.8Gd0.2O2-δ (CGO) substrates. The optimal oxygen electrode thickness was determined as 500 nm. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) study showed a significant improvement in oxygen reduction/oxidation reaction kinetics when annealing...
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Static Shunt PE Voltage-Quality Controllers
PublicationThis chapter focuses on power electronics (PE)-based solutions used in distribution networks for reduction of supply-voltage-quality deterioration, from long interruptions to the harmonics. Various PE devices and their combinations are addressed for particular or a range of voltage disturbances. A particular solution is applied taking into account demands for voltage quality and network configuration. In general, there are three...
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Laboratory fatigue assessment of large geocomposite-reinforced double-layered asphalt concrete beams
PublicationGeosynthetic reinforcement of asphalt layers has been used for several decades. Evaluation of the influence of these materials on pavement fatigue life is still ongoing, especially for new types of geocomposites. This paper presents the evaluation of fatigue performance of large asphalt concrete beams reinforced with a new type of composite in which square or hexagonal polypropylene stiff monolithic paving grid with integral junctions...
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Antibiotic-sterol interactions provide insight into the selectivity of natural aromatic analogues of amphotericin B and their photoisomers
PublicationAromatic heptaene macrolides (AHMs) belong to the group of polyene macrolide antifungal antibiotics. Members of this group were the first to be used in the treatment of systemic fungal infections. Amphotericin B (AmB), a non-aromatic representative of heptaene macrolides, is of significant clinical importance in the treatment of internal mycoses. It includes the all-trans heptaene chromophore, whereas the native AHMs contain two...
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The protocol for using elastic wall model in modeling blood flow within human artery
PublicationMedical diagnostic tools will play a major role in the future for an effective patient treatment and reduction their mortality, related to the cardiovascular system diseases (CVDs). There is an urgent need for developing diagnostic procedure to be robust, reliable, accurate and efficient, in the framework of a paradigm shift. Application of numerical techniques is seen as a perspective tool for such purpose. Nevertheless, existing...
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Experimental study of the impact of notches and holes made in the front edge of adherends on the properties of static and fatigue strength of adhesive joints
PublicationThe paper presents the results of experimental studies aimed at determining the effect of holes and notches at the front edge of adherends on the strength of adhesive joints. Single-lap joints made of S235JR steel sheets joined with Araldite 2014-2 epoxy adhesive were tested. Comparative tests of static strength in the shear test as well as high-cycle fatigue strength tests were carried out. Joints with three holes with a diameter...
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Thermal and Mechanical Behavior of Elastomers Incorporated with Thermoregulating Microcapsules
PublicationPolyurethane (PU) is one of the principal polymers in the global plastic market thanks to its versatility and continuous improvement. In this work, PU elastomeric materials having thermoregulating properties through the incorporation of microcapsules (mSD-(LDPE·EVA-RT27)) from low-density polyethylene and vinyl acetate containing paraffin®RT27 as PCM were produced. Elastomers were synthesized while varying the molar ratio [NCO]/[OH]...
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Metodyka badań rozwojowych nowego typu silników i pomp satelitowych
PublicationResearch and development of new type satellite motors and satellite pumps SM with small geometrical displacement, from 5 to 73 cm3/rev, has been conducted in cooperation with Stosowanie Maszyn company from Katowice (manufacturer of motors and pump SM). The improvement of construction of those machines, especially construction of axial compensation and construction of fluid distribution channels have been the main problem of research...
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THREE-DIMENSIONAL numerical investigation of MHD nanofluid convective heat transfer inside a CUBIC porous container with corrugated bottom wall
PublicationSimultaneous use of porous media and nanofluid as a heat transfer improvement method has recently captivated a great deal of attention. The heat transfer and entropy production of the Cu-water nanofluid inside a cubic container with a heated bottom wavy wall and an elliptic inner cylinder were numerically analyzed in this study. The container is partitioned into two sections: the left side is filled with permeable media and...