Search results for: material testing
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Machine learning-based prediction of preplaced aggregate concrete characteristics
PublicationPreplaced-Aggregate Concrete (PAC) is a type of preplaced concrete where coarse aggregate is placed in the mold and a Portland cement-sand grout with admixtures is injected to fill the voids. Due to the complex nature of PAC, many studies were conducted to determine the effects of admixtures and the compressive and tensile strengths of PAC. Considering that a prediction tool is needed to estimate the compressive and tensile...
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How to enhance perception of reassembled but incomplete works of ancient art? Eye-tracking study of virtual anastylosis.
Publicationn 1964 the Venice Charter described anastylosis as the only acceptable method of reassembly of architectural remains. Although the scientific community has agreed with the Charter’s decision, many questions pertaining to the technical and aesthetic aspects of anastylosis remain unanswered. Virtual anastylosis seems one of the most promising digital solutions to finding at least some answers, as it permits testing various solutions...
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Controlling nodal displacement of pantographic structures using matrix condensation and interior-point optimization: A numerical and experimental study
PublicationThis study presents an innovative approach for the precise control of nodal displacements in pantographic structures. The method is founded on the Matrix Condensation of Force Method, seamlessly integrated with an Interior Point Optimization algorithm. This combination offers a unique advantage by allowing users to manipulate displaced nodes within a defined coordination domain. Furthermore, this approach introduces the Interior...
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Comparison of 2D and 3D culture models in the studies of the biological response induced by unsymmetrical bisacridines in cancer cells
PublicationMulticellular tumor spheroids are a good tool for testing new anticancer drugs, including those that may target cancer stem cells (CSCs), responsible for cancer progression, metastasis, and recurrence. Therefore, following the initial evaluation of the impact of antitumor unsymmetrical bisacridines (UAs) on lung and colon cancer cells using traditional monolayer cultures, I extended my investigations and applied the spherical model....
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The In-House Method of Manufacturing a Low-Cost Heat Pipe with Specified Thermophysical Properties and Geometry
PublicationVarious types of heat pipes are available to purchase off the shelf, from various manufacturers, but most of them have strictly defined geometry and technical parameters. However, when there is a need to use a heat pipe (HP) with an unusual size and shape or working conditions other than the standard ones, it becomes very costly to order them from manufacturers, especially in small quantities, and only a few producers are willing...
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Assessing the attractiveness of human face based on machine learning
PublicationThe attractiveness of the face plays an important role in everyday life, especially in the modern world where social media and the Internet surround us. In this study, an attempt to assess the attractiveness of a face by machine learning is shown. Attractiveness is determined by three deep models whose sum of predictions is the final score. Two annotated datasets available in the literature are employed for training and testing...
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Fabrication of the cross-linked PVA/TiO2/C nanocomposite membrane for alkaline direct methanol fuel cells
PublicationA crosslinked Poly(vinyl alcohol) based composite membrane was developed through a phase inversion process for use in alkaline direct methanol fuel cells (ADMFCs). The titanium dioxide (TiO2) and carbon nanoparticles (NPs) have been incorporated into the PVA polymer matrix to improve the mechanical and thermal properties. The membrane samples were further modified with maleic acid, a carboxylic acid acting as the cross-linker,...
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Design and experimental investigations of a cylindrical microjet heat exchanger for waste heat recovery systems
PublicationCompact heat exchangers have more and more applications in many areas, including the HVAC, food and petrochemical industry. This paper describes the development of heat exchanger technology for waste heat recovery (WHR) from a range of processes. Case-study testing shows that the proposed heat exchanger can successfully enhance heat transfer and recover waste heat in a range of applications making them economically, environmentally and...
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Mobile inventory system for hydrotechnical objects using data from multiple sensors operating simultaneously
PublicationThe knowledge of the location, shape and other characteristics of spatial objects in the coastal areas has a significant impact on the functioning of ports, shipyards, and other water-infrastructure facilities, both offshore and inland. Therefore, measurements are taken of the underwater part of the waterside zone, which means the bottom of water and other underwater objects (e.g. breakwaters, docks, etc.), and objects above the...
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Investigations on the immunosuppressive activity of derivatives of mycophenolic acid in immature dendritic cell
PublicationThe main activity of mycophenolic acid (MPA) and its analogs is the inhibition of proliferation of T cells. Here, we hypothesized that MPA and its conjugates inhibits also the activity of antigen-presenting cells (APC) including dendritic cells (DCs). We tested the effect of novel amino acid derivatives of MPA and conjugates of MPA with acridines/acridones on DCs by flow cytometry, ELISA and MLR assay. Both acridines/acridone derivatives...
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Interactive Prototypes in Teaching User-Centred Design and Business Process Modelling
PublicationThis publication describes experiences gathered during the use of interactive prototyping in two areas: design of user interfaces for a touch screen information kiosk and interactive prototyping of business processes. Prototyping is promoted here as a technique useful for both visualizing design concepts and for stimulating communication within relevant teams. Developing interactive prototypes of use interfaces is discussed here...
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Large hydrodynamic thrust bearing: Comparison of the calculations and measurements
PublicationHydrodynamic thrust bearings, used to carry axial loads in heavily loaded shafts of water power plants hydro turbines, can reach outer diameters even exceeding 5 m. In such large objects scale effect could be observed. According to this, allowable bearing specific load assuring safe operation of the bearings has to be decreased, which increases thrust bearing dimensions. This effect is caused by excessive thermal deflections of...
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A novel in vitro assay for assessing efficacy and toxicity of antifungals using human leukaemic cells infected with Candida albicans
PublicationAims: This study describes a novel in vitro assay that simultaneously determines antifungal efficiency and host cell toxicity using suspensions of human leukaemic cells (HL-60) infected with Candida albicans. Methods and Results: The effect of Candida infection on host cell viability was evaluated by the microscopy of trypan blue-stained cells and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity. The in vitro ‘drug potency assay’ utilized...
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Curing characteristics, mechanical properties and morphology of butyl rubber filled with ground tire rubber (GTR)
PublicationThe results on testing application of ground tire rubber (GTR), as potential filler for butyl rubber, are pre- sented. The GTR content variation, within the range of 10–90 phr, was studied with respect to the vulcanization process, static mechanical properties (tensile strength, elongation-at-break, hardness and resilience), dynamic mechanical properties and the morphology of the obtained vulcanizates. Butyl rubber was characterized...
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Efficiency of thermomechanical reclaiming of ground tire rubber conducted in counter-rotating and co-rotating twin screw extruder
PublicationIn this article the results of research on a continuous thermomechanical reclaiming process of ground tire rubber (GTR) conducted in a twin screw extruder are presented. The effects of the rotation direction (co-rotating/counter-rotating), design of co-rotating plasticizing units and the rotational speed of the screws on the extruder working parameters, sol fraction and the degree of reclaiming in the obtained products were described....
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Inhibiting activity of HIV-1: protease, reverse transcriptase and integrase all together by novel compounds using computational approaches (flexible and rigid docking)
PublicationAcquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), caused by human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection, is one of the most challenging diseases in recent decades. Nevertheless the shortcomings of chemical drugs such as toxicity, lack of curative effects, the search for more potent anti-HIV agents have been focused in our study. In current study, novel scaffold was designed having a benzyl and imidazole in it which are very...
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Multi-layered tissue head phantoms for noninvasive optical diagnostics
PublicationExtensive research in the area of optical sensing for medical diagnostics requires development of tissue phantoms with optical properties similar to those of living human tissues. Development and improvement of in vivo optical measurement systems requires the use of stable tissue phantoms with known characteristics, which are mainly used for calibration of such systems and testing their performance over time. Optical and mechanical...
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Assessment of Wide-Sense Stationarity of an Underwater Acoustic Channel Based on a Pseudo-Random Binary Sequence Probe Signal
PublicationThe performances of Underwater Acoustic Communication (UAC) systems are strongly related to the specific propagation conditions of the underwater channel. Designing the physical layer of a reliable data transmission system requires a knowledge of channel characteristics in terms of the specific parameters of the stochastic model. The Wide-Sense Stationary Uncorrelated Scattering (WSSUS) assumption simplifies the stochastic description...
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The abrasive wear resistance of coatings manufactured on high-strength low-alloy (HSLA) offshore steel in wet welding conditions
PublicationSome marine and offshore structure elements exploited in the water cannot be brought to the surface of the water as this will generate high costs, and for this reason, they require in-situ repairs. One of the repair techniques used in underwater pad welding conditions is a wet welding method. This paper presents an investigation of the abrasive wear resistance of coatings made in wet welding conditions with the use of two grades...
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Temperature influence on tyre/road noise on poroelastic road surface based on laboratory measurements
PublicationThe temperature effect on measured tyre/road noise is very important phenomena as it may lead to significant errors in measurement results due to substantial influence of this parameter on the obtained values. It depends mainly on the particular tyre-road combination. It is different for dense and porous as well as for bituminous and cement concrete pavements. It differs also depending on tested tyre. The correction procedure for...
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Novel fast analytical method for indirect determination of MCPD fatty acid esters in edible oils and fats based on simultaneous extraction and derivatization
PublicationA novel method for indirect determination of MCPD esters levels in lipid samples has been developed. The method is based on combination of extraction and derivatisation in the same sample preparation step. It is achieved by the application of diethyl ether as extraction solvent for isolation of released from esterified forms analytes from water phase and dilution solvent for solid PBA – derivatisation agent. It is a noteworthy...
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Semantic Analysis and Text Summarization in Socio-Technical Systems
PublicationIn this chapter the authors present the results of the development the methodology for increasing the reliability of the functioning of the Socio-Technical System. The existed methods and algorithms for processing unstructured (textual) information were studied. Taking into account noted above strengths and weaknesses of Discriminant and Probabilistic approaches of Latent Semantic Relations analysis in of the summarization projection...
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Direction of Arrival Estimation Based on Received Signal Strength Using Two-Row Electronically Steerable Parasitic Array Radiator Antenna
PublicationIn this paper, we present a novel approach to direction-of-arrival (DoA) estimation using two-row electronically steerable parasitic array radiator (ESPAR) antenna which has 12 passive elements and allows for elevation and azimuth beam switching using a simple microcontroller, relying solely on received signal strength (RSS) values measured at the antenna output port. To this end, we thoroughly investigate all 18 available 3D antenna...
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Fast Real-Time RDFT- and GDFT-Based Direct Fault Diagnosis of Induction Motor Drive
PublicationThis paper presents the theoretical analysis and experimental verification of a direct fault harmonic identification approach in a converter-fed electric drive for automated diagnosis purposes. On the basis of the analytical model of the proposed real-time direct fault diagnosis, the fault-related harmonic component is calculated using recursive DFT (RDFT) and Goertzel DFT (GDFT), applied instead of the full spectrum calculations...
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Regenerative Drug Discovery Using Ear Pinna Punch Wound Model in Mice
PublicationThe ear pinna is a complex tissue consisting of the dermis, cartilage, muscles, vessels, and nerves. Ear pinna healing is a model of regeneration in mammals. In some mammals, including rabbits, punch wounds in the ear pinna close spontaneously; in common-use laboratory mice, they remain for life. Agents inducing ear pinna healing are potential regenerative drugs. We tested the effects of selected bioactive agents on 2 mm ear pinna...
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Enhanced susceptibility of SARS-CoV-2 spike RBD protein assay targeted by cellular receptors ACE2 and CD147: Multivariate data analysis of multisine impedimetric response
PublicationSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) enters the cells through the binding of spike protein to the host cell surface-expressing angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) or by endocytosis mediated by extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (CD147). We present extended statistical studies of the multisine dynamic electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (DEIS) revealing interactions between Spike RBD and...
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Using Convolutional Neural Networks for Corneal Arcus Detection Towards Familial Hypercholesterolemia Screening
PublicationFamilial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a highly undiagnosed disease. Among FH patients, the onset of premature coronary artery disease is 13 times higher than in the general population. Early diagnosis and treatment is essential to prevent cardiovascular diseases and their complications, and to prolong life. One of the clinical criteria of FH is the occurrence of a corneal arcus (CA) among patients, especially those under 45 years...
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Towards classification of patients based on surface EMG data of temporomandibular joint muscles using self-organising maps
PublicationThe study considers the need for an effective method of classification of patients with a temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD). The self-organising map method (SOM) was applied to group patients and used together with the cross-correlation approach to interpret the processed (rectified and smoothed by using root mean square (RMS) algorithm) surface electromyography signal (sEMG) obtained from testing the muscles (two temporal...
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Tensile modulus of human orbital wall bones cut in sagittal and coronal planes
PublicationIn the current research, 68 specimens of orbital superior and/or medial walls taken from 33 human cadavers (12 females, 21 males) were subjected to uniaxial tension untill fracture. The samples were cut in the coronal (38 specimens) and sagittal (30 specimens) planes of the orbital wall. Apparent density (ρapp), tensile Young’s modulus (E-modulus) and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) were identified. Innovative test protocols were...
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Integrating Digital Twin Technology Into Large Panel System Estates Retrofit Projects
PublicationAs sustainability is now a standard for the proposed developments, the focus ought to be shifted towards the existing buildings and, among them, the worldwide stock of large panel system (LPS) buildings. Major upgrades and retrofits were done to some of the LPS estates in Germany and France, but a leading sustainable way must still be developed for LPS buildings in Eastern European countries, where apartments in those half‐a‐century‐old...
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Experimental and Numerical Study on Dynamics of Two Footbridges with Different Shapes of Girders
PublicationThe paper presents the experimental and numerical results of the dynamic system identification and verification of the behavior of two footbridges in Poland. The experimental part of the study involved vibration testing under different scenarios of human-induced load, impulse load, and excitations induced by vibration exciter. Based on the results obtained, the identification of dynamic parameters of the footbridges was performed...
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Phosphorus concentration and availability in raw organic waste and post fermentation products
PublicationThe aim of the study was to determine the mobility of phosphorus forms in raw organic waste and from the solid and liquid fractions of digestate. To achieve the purpose of this study, the components (including livestock manure, agricultural waste, food waste, sewage sludge) and their post fermentation products were considered. Subsequently, the effect of the fermentation process on the mobility of phosphorus forms in post-fermentation fractions...
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Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Combined GTAW and SMAW Dissimilar Welded Joints between Inconel 718 and 304L Austenitic Stainless Steel
PublicationA dissimilar welded joint of Inconel 718 and 304L austenitic stainless steel was prepared using a combined procedure with the gas tungsten arc welding and shielded metal arc welding processes by employing the Ni-based fillers: ERNiCr-3 and ENiCrFe-3. The welded joints were investigated for metallographic testing and mechanical properties, and a relationship was established between the microstructure and the resultant mechanical...
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Hybrid no-signaling-quantum correlations
PublicationFundamental investigations in non-locality have shown that while the no-signaling principle alone is not sufficient to single out the set of quantum non-local correlations, local quantum mechanics and no-signaling together exactly reproduce the set of quantum correlations in the two-party Bell scenario. Here, we introduce and study an intermediate hybrid no-signaling quantum set of non-local correlations that we term HNSQ in the...
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Machine learning-based prediction of preplaced aggregate concrete characteristics
PublicationPreplaced-Aggregate Concrete (PAC) is a type of preplaced concrete where coarse aggregate is placed in the mold and a Portland cement-sand grout with admixtures is injected to fill the voids. Due to the complex nature of PAC, many studies were conducted to determine the effects of admixtures and the compressive and tensile strengths of PAC. Considering that a prediction tool is needed to estimate the compressive and tensile strengths...
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Sustainable utilization of copper post-flotation waste in cement composites
PublicationThe current way of managing the copper ore flotation waste is by placing it in waste neutralization facilities. However, flotation waste has great potential in application in cement composites. The article presents the detailed characteristics of post-flotation waste (PFW) and three types of cements: CEM I, CEM II/B-V, and CEM III/A, 42.5 MPa class. The post-flotation waste added for 20% of the cement mass increase the water demand...
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Theoretical and experimental analysis of guided wave propagation in plate-like structures with sinusoidal thickness variations
PublicationGuided waves have attracted significant attention for non-destructive testing (NDT) and structural health monitoring (SHM) due to their ability to travel relatively long distances without significant energy loss combined with their sensitivity to even small defects. Therefore, they are commonly used in damage detection and localization applications. The main idea of incorporating guided waves in NDT and SHM is based on processing...
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Drill holes decrease cancellous bone strength: A comparative study of 33 paired osteoporotic human and 9 paired artificial bone samples
PublicationThis study was designed to compare compressive strength of cancellous bone retrieved from the femoral head in a specimen with and without guide wire hole, with comparison to synthetic bone samples. Femoral heads retrieved from 33 patients who sustained femoral neck fractures and underwent hip arthroplasty were cut into cuboids leaving two matching samples from the same femoral head. Similar samples were prepared from synthetic femurs....
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Towards sustainable catalyst-free biomass-based polyurethane-wood composites (PU-WC): From valorization and liquefaction to future generation of biocomposites
PublicationA substantial aspect of materials engineering lies in the responsible process of designing polymer-based materials. Due to environmental pollution, excessive consumption of natural resources, and increasing environmental awareness of society, there is a massive need for polyurethane (PU) materials with reduced environmental impact. To date, research on catalyst-free polyurethane-wood composites (PU-WC) has demonstrated a huge potential...
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Ni-WC/Al2O3 and Ni-WC/MgWO4/MgAl2O4 catalysts for resource recovery via pyrolysis combined with the dry reforming of plastics (PCDR)
PublicationPlastic waste (PW) is currently one of an environmental threat. Despite the increasing share of recycled plastics, their disposal remains high. Therefore, there is a high demand for new PW management systems. Among them, pyrolysis combined with dry reforming (PCDR) is an advantageous solution because it allows for resource recovery in the form of gas and liquid fuels, with simultaneous utilization of CO2. To date, catalysts based...
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Recycling of Industrial Waste as Soil Binding Additives—Effects on Soil Mechanical and Hydraulic Properties during Its Stabilisation before Road Construction
PublicationTo improve the in situ soil stabilization, different chemical additives are used (ion exchange compounds, additives based on H2SO4 or vinyl polymers, and organic additives using lignosul- fonates). One interesting alternative is the production of additives from various waste materials. The extensive testing of waste-based blends with soil was performed; the mechanical (unconfined compressive strength (UCS)) and hydraulic (capillary...
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Zastosowanie georadaru do badań muru ceglanego
PublicationPostęp technologiczny w dziedzinie diagnostyki konstrukcji badaniami nieniszczącymi NDT (z ang. nondestructive testing) pozwala na coraz dokładniejsze określenie stanu technicznego danej konstrukcji. Jedną z tego rodzaju technik jest metoda georadarowa należąca do grupy metod elektromagnetycznych. Wykorzystuje ona zjawisko odbicia fali elektromagnetycznej na granicy ośrodków o różnych właściwościach elektrycznych. Metoda znalazła...
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Bioactive and bioavailability of minerals in rats loaded with cholesterol and kiwi fruit
PublicationThe aim of this study was to compare the content of polyphenols (TP), minerals, ascorbic acid (AA) and total antioxidant capacities (TAC) of conventional and organic kiwifruit ‘Hayward’ treated with ethylene after harvest and to determine their influence on plasma TAC, mineral content in the liver and bioavailability (RBV — relative bioavailability value) in rats fed diet containing cholesterol. Organic and conventionally grown...
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RMS-based damage identification in adhesive joint between concrete beam and steel plate using ultrasonic guided waves
PublicationAdhesive joints have numerous applications in many branches of industry, such as civil engineering, automotive, aerospace and shipbuilding. As with most structural elements, adhesive joints can experience any damage mechanism, which induces the need for diagnostic testing. Ultrasonic waves are widely used for non-destructive inspection of many structures and their elements, including adhesive joints. Guided wave propagation method...
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Investigating the Impact of Curing System on Structure-Property Relationship of Natural Rubber Modified with Brewery By-Product and Ground Tire Rubber
PublicationThe application of wastes as a filler/reinforcement phase in polymers is a new strategy to modify the performance properties and reduce the price of biocomposites. The use of these fillers, coming from agricultural waste (cellulose/lignocellulose-based fillers) and waste rubbers, constitutes a method for the management of post-consumer waste. In this paper, highly-filled biocomposites based on natural rubber (NR) and ground tire...
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The application of non-destructive methods in the diagnostics of the approach pavement at the bridges
PublicationThe article presents the possibility of using non-destructive methods of road pavement diagnostics as an alternative to traditional means to assess the reasons for premature cracks adjacent to bridge objects. Two scanning methods were used: laser scanning to measure geometric surface deformation and ground penetrating radar (GPR) inspection to assess the road pavement condition. With the use of a laser scanner, an effective tool...
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Application of a hybrid mechanistic/machine learning model for prediction of nitrous oxide (N2O) production in a nitrifying sequencing batch reactor
PublicationNitrous oxide (N2O) is a key parameter for evaluating the greenhouse gas emissions from wastewater treatment plants. In this study, a new method for predicting liquid N2O production during nitrification was developed based on a mechanistic model and machine learning (ML) algorithm. The mechanistic model was first used for simulation of two 15-day experimental trials in a nitrifying sequencing batch reactor. Then, model predictions...
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Antibiotic Resistance of Uropathogens Isolated from Patients Hospitalized in District Hospital in Central Poland in 2020
PublicationThe aim of this study was to determine antibiotic resistance patterns and the prevalence of uropathogenes causing urinary tract infections (UTIs) in patients hospitalized in January–June 2020 in central Poland. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the disk-diffusion method. Escherichia coli (52.2%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (13.7%), Enterococcus faecalis (9.3%), E. faecium (6.2%), and Proteus mirabilis (4,3%) were...
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Analysis of the Heating Process of Hydraulic Motors during Start-Up in Thermal Shock Conditions
PublicationConditions that prevail during harsh winters and hot summers pose a serious challenge for machine designers building devices suitable for operation in extreme weather. It is essential for the designers and the users to define the principles and conditions for the safe operation of machines and devices with hydraulic drive in low ambient temperatures. Bearing in mind the above, the author tested the hydraulic motors in thermal shock...
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Medially positioned plate in first metatarsophalangeal joint arthrodesis
PublicationObjective The purpose of this study was to biomechanically compare the stability of first metatarsophalangeal (MTP1) joint arthrodesis with dorsally and medially positioned plates. Methods A physical model of the MTP1 joint consists of printed synthetic bones, a titanium locking plate and screws. In the experiments, samples with dorsally and medially positioned plates were subjected to loading of ground load character in a universal...