Search results for: BARRIER
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Laboratory assessment of permeability of sand and biopolymer mixtures
PublicationLaboratory assessment of permeability of sand and biopolymer mixtures. This research presents a method of creating seepage barriers in a sandy soil using biopolymer additives (biosubstance), which consist of polysaccharides and water. Polysaccharides strongly interact with water to produce a viscous suspension. The paper aims to investigate the infl uence of a biosubstance employed in a highly permeable sandy soil. Amount of the...
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Pseudo-superparamagnetic behaviour of bariumhexaferrite particles
PublicationThe effect of hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) addition on the crystal structure, morphology,and magnetic properties of co-precipitated hexagonal barium ferrite was investigated. For afixed amount ofsurfactant, different Fe3+concentrations and Fe3+/Ba2+ratios were used to optimize the formation ofsingle-phase barium ferrite particles. The results indicated that the obtained ferrite particles exhibitedcoercivity changes...
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Gender, equality, science and information systems
PublicationIn the entire Europe more women than men graduate from tertiary education institutes1. However, they are underrepresented in scientific and engineering disciplines. Women researchers still constitute a minority in the Government and Higher Education Sectors that both are related to power. A number of industry reports highlight a low number of women in IT occupations2. The EU Member States have, on political levels, committed themselves...
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3D Monitoring - Identification of measurement problems at larger movements of the tracked points
PublicationAuthors identified the problems associated with the determination of the controlled points coordinates by use of automated Total Station placed behind transparent barrier. Important thing in the mentioned analysis was a large change of controlled points position and not stable Total Station’s stand (because of stand’s thermal drift). This two elements, combined with measurement made through glass plate determine the need for impact...
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Investor confidence and high financial literacy jointly shape investments in risky assets
PublicationHouseholds consistently invest less in equities and bonds than predicted by economic theory. We explain this from a behavioral economics perspective and distributional analysis using rich US survey microdata. We find that higher investor self-confidence in her financial abilities and financial literacy jointly increase the probability of investing in equities. Conditional on participation, confidence in the macroeconomy additionally...
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The potential of web awareness as a determinant of dually defined customer value
PublicationIn the conditions of increasing demand barrier, the enterprise’s basic capital is customers. From an enterprise point of view, this means the need to create a dual perceived and defined customer value which remains related to market value (income and development potential) and customer resource value (reference, information and cooperative potential). The progressing digitisation process transfers business processes, and thus relationships, into...
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The role of numerical tests in assessing road restraint system functionality
PublicationKey to understanding the needs and building road infrastructure management tools to prevent and mitigate run-off-road accidents is to identify hazards and their sources which are a result of wrong design, construction, and installation of road restraint systems. Building such tools requires advanced studies with field tests, simulations and models to demonstrate the effects of selected parameters on road user safety. The research...
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Investor confidence and high financial literacy jointly shape investments in risky assets
PublicationHouseholds consistently invest less in equities and bonds than predicted by economic theory. We explain this from a behavioral economics perspective and distributional analysis using rich US survey microdata. We find that higher investor self-confidence in her financial abilities and financial literacy jointly increase the probability of investing in equities. Conditional on participation, confidence in the macroeconomy additionally...
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Gender and Digital Divide - Information and Communication Technologiesand their Impact on Equality
PublicationIn the entire Europe more women than men graduate from tertiaryeducation institutes. However, they are underrepresented in scientific and engineering disciplines. Women researchers still constitute a minority in the Government and Higher Education Sectors. A number of industry reports highlight a low number of women in IT occupations49. This has led to a variety of public policy measures, such as subsidies on community provision,...
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Some geomechanical properties of a biopolymer treated medium sand
PublicationSome geomechanical properties of a biopolymer treated medium sand. This paper presents a laboratory assessment of geomechanical properties of sandy soil improved by biopolymer application. Additives (biosubstance) consist of polysaccharides and water. Biosubstance used in the project was xanthan gum, which comes from bacteria Xanthomonas campestris. Triaxial shear compression tests and unconfi ned compression tests were carried...
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Evaluation of organic coating systems for corrosion protection of industrial equipment using impedance spectroscopy
PublicationThe high economic impact of corrosion can be reduced by enhanced corrosion management and prevention based on appropriate means. This applies in particular to the protection of structures with organic protective coatings. Steel is subject to corrosion that reduces its service life and leads to destruction in most severe cases. The application of paints to metallic objects for corrosion control has been known for a long time and...
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Industry 4.0 Implementation Challenges in Manufacturing Industries: an Interpretive Structural Modelling Approach
PublicationFor the last few years, the fourth industrial revolution, known as Industry 4.0, has been a hot topic among academics. Industry 4.0 literature involves researches presenting studies related to its different aspects including challenges, opportunities, implementation and adoption. However, a detailed study of challenges and barriers towards the Industry 4.0 implementation in manufacturing industries is missing. Hence, this paper...
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Hydraulic conductivity of a biopolymer treated sand
PublicationThis paper presents results of laboratory assessment of creating seepage barriers in a sandy soil using biopolymer additives (bio substance), which consist of polysaccharides and water. Polysaccharides strongly interact with water to produce a viscous suspension. The aim of the conducted work was to investigate the influence of a biosubstance employed in a highly permeable sandy soil. The amount of the biopolymer used in a sample...
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Transdermal transport of collagen and hyaluronic acid using water in oil microemulsion
PublicationCollagen and hyaluronic acid (HA) are biopolymers that affect the appearance and condition of the skin. Delivery of these compounds into the skin is highly challenging since have a number of disadvantageous properties, such as high molecular weight and hydrophilicity. Here, we evaluated the transdermal penetration of low and high molecular weight collagen and HA from microemulsions. A number of microemulsion formulations, differing...
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Sensing the onset of epoxy coating degradation with combined Raman spectroscopy/atomic force microscopy/electrochemical impedance spectroscopy
PublicationThe paper presents the results of investigation on epoxy resin durability upon 12-week exposure to UV radiation. The aim was early determination of the onset of epoxy degradation and for this purpose an epoxy film on steel substrate systems were periodically inspected using Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The behaviour of examined polymer could be divided into three periods: immunity,...
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Four Degree-of-Freedom Hydrodynamic Maneuvering Model of a Small Azipod-Actuated Ship With Application to Onboard Decision Support Systems
PublicationThe main contribution of this paper is a numerical ship motion model of NTNU’s research vessel Gunnerus, capturing the surge, sway, roll, and yaw dynamics when sailing in uniform and steady currents. The model utilizes a crossflow drag formulation for the transverse viscous loads, and it includes a nonlinear formulation for the propulsion and steering loads provided by two azipod thrusters. A wide range of experimental data obtained...
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Genetic and pharmacologic proteasome augmentation ameliorates Alzheimer’s-like pathology in mouse and fly APP overexpression models
PublicationThe proteasome has key roles in neuronal proteostasis, including the removal of misfolded and oxidized proteins, presynaptic protein turnover, and synaptic efficacy and plasticity. Proteasome dysfunction is a prominent feature of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We show that prevention of proteasome dysfunction by genetic manipulation delays mortality, cell death, and cognitive deficits in fly and cell culture AD models. We developed...
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Rigid polyurethane foams modified with selected layered silicate nanofillers
PublicationThe aim of this study was to investigate the effect of three different nanofillers on the properties of rigid polyurethane foams, which were prepared by a one-step, laboratory-scale method from a two-component system at the ratio of NCO groups to OH groups equaled to 2. The reaction mixture consisted of the proper amounts of the commercial oligoether polyol, catalysts, water, nanoclays, and polymeric diphenylmethane diisocyanate....
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GDANSK-ORUNIA AS A LIVING LAB FOR INNOVATION IN REVITALISATION
PublicationPoland is at the beginning of the revitalization process, which started in 2015, when the legal framework had been provided. The revitalization process, understood as an innovative change that is based on four equally important aspects – the social, the economic, the infrastructural and the ecological ones, has been facing an important barrier in Poland. After over two decades of constant modernization, public involvement in planning...
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Tribological Properties of Ni-P/Si3N4 Nanocomposite Layers Deposited by Chemical Reduction Method on Aluminum Alloy AW-7075
PublicationThe article presents the results of tribological tests of Ni-P/Si3N4 nanocomposite and Ni-P nickel layers deposited on the AW-7075 aluminum alloy by chemical reduction method, and the AW-7075 alloy without coating. Nanocomposite layers were produced using Si3N4 siliconnitride in the form of a polydisperse powder whose particle sizes ranged from 20 to 25 nm. The influence of the content of the dispersion phase layer material on...
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The effects of vehicle restraint systems on road safety
PublicationKey to understanding the needs and tools of road infrastructure management for preventing run-off-road crashes or minimising their consequences, is to identify the hazads and sources of hazards caused by wrong or improper use of road safety devices and identify errors in the desifn, structure, construction and operation of road safety devices. Studying such an extended scope of the problem required fieldwork and surveys with road...
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Genetic and Epigenetic Aspects of Atopic Dermatitis
PublicationAtopic dermatitis is a heterogeneous disease, in which the pathogenesis is associated with mutations in genes encoding epidermal structural proteins, barrier enzymes, and their inhibitors; the role of genes regulating innate and adaptive immune responses and environmental factors inducing the disease is also noted. Recent studies point to the key role of epigenetic changes in the development of the disease. Epigenetic modifications...
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Electrical properties of Na2O-CaO-P2O5 glasses doped with SiO2 and Si3N4
PublicationSodium-calcium-phosphate glasses doped with SiO2 or Si3N4 having similar sodium ion concentrations were prepared by melt quenching. The conductivity was measured by impedance spectroscopy under nitrogen atmosphere in a wide frequency range (10 mHz–1 MHz) and wide temperature range (153–473 K). At 36.6 °C, DC conductivities of all glasses vary between 1.1 ∗ 10−12 and 8.9 ∗ 10−12 S cm−1 and have similar activation energies (between...
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Improvement of the Chimney Effect in Stack Ventilation
PublicationThe article is focused on the airflow in a ventilation system in a building. The work examines the methods which enhance the chimney effect. In this paper, three cases with different chimneys were analyzed for the full-scale experiment. These cases were characterized by different geometrical and material parameters, leading to differences in the intensity of the ventilation airflow. The common denominator of the cases was the room...
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Theoretical studies of fragmentation processes of neutral and ionized furan molecule
PublicationThis PhD thesis focuses on the fragmentation mechanism of the furan molecule in the gas phase. The approach taken in this work comprised of three theoretical methodologies considering the dynamical, energetical and entropic aspects of the studied process. First, molecular dynamics simulations were performed. Next, the potential energy surfaces were explored at the DFT/B3LYP level of theory. Finally, a new statistical Microcanonical...
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Genetic and pharmacologic proteasome augmentation ameliorates Alzheimer’s-like pathology in mouse and fly APP overexpression models
PublicationThe proteasome has key roles in neuronal proteostasis, including the removal of misfolded and oxidized proteins, presynaptic protein turnover, and synaptic efficacy and plasticity. Proteasome dysfunction is a prominent feature of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We show that prevention of proteasome dysfunction by genetic manipulation delays mortality, cell death, and cognitive deficits in fly and cell culture AD models. We developed...
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The Effect of Sodium Tetrafluoroborate on the Properties of Conversion Coatings Formed on the AZ91D Magnesium Alloy by Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation
PublicationMagnesium and its alloys are widely used in many areas because of their light weight, excellent dimensional stability, and high strength-to-weight ratio. However, the material exhibits poor wear and corrosion resistance, which limits its use. Plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) is an effective surface modification method for producing ceramic oxide layers on Mg and their alloys. The influence of the additions of sodium tetrafluoroborate...
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Mechanism of Li nucleation at graphite anodes and mitigation strategies
PublicationLithium metal plating is a critical safety issue in Li-ion cells with graphite anodes, and contributes significantly to ageing, drastically limiting the lifetime and inducing capacity loss. Nonetheless, the nucleation mechanism of metallic Li on graphite anodes is still poorly understood. But in-depth understanding is needed to rationally design mitigation measures. In this work, we conducted FirstPrinciples studies to elucidate...
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High performance LaNi1-xCoxO3-δ (x = 0.4 to 0.7) infiltrated oxygen electrodes for reversible solid oxide cells
PublicationOxygen electrodes prepared by infiltration of yttria stabilized zirconia backbone with Ce0.8Gd0.2O1.95 barrier layer and LaNi1-xCoxO3-δ (x=0.4 to 0.7) catalyst for application in reversible solid oxide cells have been studied. The effect of temperature and Ni:Co ratio on their phase composition, microstructure and electrochemical properties are discussed. It was shown that oxygen electrodes infiltrated with LaNi0.5Co0.5O3-δ had...
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Flame retardant epoxy/halloysite nanotubes nanocomposite coatings: Exploring low-concentration threshold for flammability compared to expandable graphite as superior fire retardant
PublicationEpoxy nanocomposites containing halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) were developed and their low-concentration thresholds for thermal stability and flame retardancy were compared with that of epoxy system containing expandable graphite (EG), as a reference with superior flame retardancy. The effects of HNTs and EG on the peak of Heat Release Rate (pHRR), Total Heat Release (THR), and Time-To-Ignition (TTI) of the prepared samples were...
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Topical delivery of pharmaceutical and cosmetic macromolecules using microemulsion systems
PublicationMicroemulsions are transparent, thermodynamically stable colloidal systems. Over the recent years, they have been increasingly investigated due to their potential as skin delivery vehicles for a wide range of drug molecules. The nanoscale particle size and the specificity of microemulsion components are the main features determining the skin permeation process. However, in order to effectively cross the skin barrier, the active...
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Hierarchical MnO2 nanoflowers blooming on 3D nickel foam: A novel micro-macro catalyst for peroxymonosulfate activation
PublicationIn this work, birnessite-type δ-MnO2 nanoflowers were uniformly deposited on 3D nickel foam (NF) by one-step hydrothermal route for high-efficient activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) towards degradation of acid orange 7 (AO7). High specific surface area, large pore volume and 3D hierarchical structure promotes the mass and electron transfer for great catalytic activity. Low reaction energy barrier (Ea=27.5 kJ/mol) and outstanding...
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Hydrogen Embrittlement and Oxide Layer E ect in the Cathodically Charged Zircaloy-2
PublicationThe present paper is aimed at determining the less investigated effects of hydrogen uptake on the microstructure and the mechanical behavior of the oxidized Zircaloy-2 alloy. The specimens were oxidized and charged with hydrogen. The different oxidation temperatures and cathodic current densities were applied. The scanning electron microscopy, X-ray electron diffraction spectroscopy, hydrogen absorption assessment, tensile, and...
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Pathogenesis of psoriasis in the “omic” era. Part II. Genetic, genomic and epigenetic changes in psoriasis
PublicationPsoriasis is a multifactorial disease in which genetic, environmental and epigenetic factors regulating gene expression play a key role. In the “genomic era”, genome-wide association studies together with target genotyping platforms performed in different ethnic populations have found more than 50 genetic susceptible markers associated with the risk of psoriasis which have been identified so far. Up till now, the strongest association...
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Attributes of Entrepreneurial Teams as Elements of a Mental Model
PublicationAn entrepreneurial team can be defined as a small group of individuals holding ownership or control positions who create or develop an entrepreneurial venture and have shared commitments towards each other. Entrepreneurial teams start numerous new ventures or affect the performance of firms due to their social capital based on some characteristic attributes. The mental models of teams refer to internal, organised representation...
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Russian companies on foreign stock markets: alternative to domestic market?
PublicationFirst aim of this study is to present the main aspects of the Russian stock market, including obstacles for local companies and investors. Second aim is presentation of the Russian companies listed on foreign stock exchanges. In order to perform such analysis, descriptive statistics and information about qualitative features were used. Assessment of the Russian stock market’s development level covered 2003-2012 time period. According...
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Clay-filled starch films. Part I: Effect of clay kind and glycerol concentration on functional properties of composites
PublicationThe aim of this work was to improve the mechanical and water barrier properties of composite filmsprepared from starch and clays, plasticized with glycerol at different concentrations. The effects ofhydrophilic Closite Naþand Nanomer PGV were compared with that exerted by organicallymodifiedmorehydrophobicNanofil2 and NanoBent ZR-1. The antimicrobial activity of compositescontaining hydrophobic clays was also investigated. The hydrophilic...
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Polymers for burn dressings and skin substitutes
PublicationSkin burns belong to the group of the most complex injuries due to convoluted skin structure which includes nerve cells, muscles, sweat and sebaceous glands and blood vessels. Both on the market and at the research stage, there are many different dressing and skin substitutes proposals that utilize various materials and active substances. This chapter focuses on summarizing and describing the most popular polymer-based commercial...
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Enzymatic and Chemical Cross-Linking of Bacterial Cellulose/Fish Collagen Composites—A Comparative Study
PublicationThis article compares the properties of bacterial cellulose/fish collagen composites (BC/Col) after enzymatic and chemical cross-linking. In our methodology, two transglutaminases are used for enzymatic cross-linking—one recommended for the meat and the other proposed for the fish industry—and pre-oxidated BC (oxBC) is used for chemical cross-linking. The structure of the obtained composites is characterized by scanning electron...
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THE COST ANALYSIS OF CORROSION PROTECTION SOLUTIONS FOR STEEL COMPONENTS IN TERMS OF THE OBJECT LIFE CYCLE COST
PublicationSteel materials, due to their numerous advantages - high availability, easiness of processing and possibility of almost any shaping are commonly applied in construction for carrying out basic carrier systems and auxiliary structures. However, the major disadvantage of this material is its high corrosion susceptibility, which depends strictly on the local conditions of the facility and the applied type of corrosion protection system....
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Colloidal transport of lipid digesta in human and porcine small intestinal mucus
PublicationSmall intestinal mucus transport of food-derived particulates has not been extensively studied, despite mucus being a barrier nutrients need to cross before absorption. We used complex dispersions of digesta obtained from simulated, dynamic gastrointestinal digestion of yogurt to examine the penetrability of human and porcine mucus to the particles formed of lipolysis products. Quantitative, time-lapse confocal microscopy revealed...
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Regulated Control of the Assembly and Diversity of LPS by Noncoding sRNAs
PublicationThe outer membrane (OM) of Gram-negative bacteria is asymmetric due to the presence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) facing the outer leaflet of the OM and phospholipids facing the periplasmic side. LPS is essential for bacterial viability, since it provides a permeability barrier and is a major virulence determinant in pathogenic bacteria. In Escherichia coli, several steps of LPS biosynthesis and assembly are regulated by the RpoE...
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Mercury concentration in the sediments as a function of changing climate in coastal zone of Southern Baltic Sea – preliminary results
PublicationMercury, despite of its many uses in industry, is also highly toxic. It is highly neurotoxic, and because of the ability of mercury to penetrate placental barrier, in some countries ban on predatory fish consumption (the main route of mercury into human organism) by pregnant women was introduced. There are very little publications describing the consequences of weather anomalies on contaminants cycles. No research was published...
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Regulated Assembly of LPS, Its Structural Alterations and Cellular Response to LPS Defects
PublicationDistinguishing feature of the outer membrane (OM) of Gram-negative bacteria is its asymmetry due to the presence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the outer leaflet of the OM and phospholipids in the inner leaflet. Recent studies have revealed the existence of regulatory controls that ensure a balanced biosynthesis of LPS and phospholipids, both of which are essential for bacterial viability. LPS provides the essential permeability...
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Permeability of the small intestinal mucus for physiologically relevant studies: Impact of mucus location and ex vivo treatment
PublicationThe small intestinal mucus is a complex colloidal system that coats the intestinal mucosa. It allows passage on nutrients/pharmaceuticals from the gut lumen towards the epithelium, whilst preventing it from direct contact with luminal microorganisms. Mucus collected from intestinal tissue is often used in studies looking at inter-mucosal transport of food particulates, drug carriers, etc. However, detaching the highly hydrated...
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Nanokrystaliczne warstwy ceramiczne otrzymywane metodą pirolizy aerozolowej w tlenkowych ogniwach paliwowych
PublicationNiniejsza rozprawa doktorska dotyczy badań materiałów wytwarzanych w postaci cienkich, nanokrystalicznych warstw ceramicznych metodą pirolizy aerozolowej dla zastosowań w tlenkowych ogniwach paliwowych (SOFC). Badane są trzy możliwe obszary zastosowań wytwarzanych warstw tj. osadzanie powłok ochronnych na stalowych interkonektorach dostarczających gazy do elektrody tlenowej, wytwarzanie bariery ochronnej zapobiegającej dyfuzji...
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Bias-Dependent Dynamics of Degradation and Recovery in Perovskite Solar Cells
PublicationDegradation of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is often found to be partially or fully reversible when the cells are allowed to recover in the dark. Unlike the dynamics of degradation, knowledge about the dynamics of PSC cell recovery is very limited. Here, we demonstrate that the PSC recovery strongly depends on the electrical bias conditions during the light-induced degradation and that it can be manipulated by applying an external...
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Physicochemical properties of Mn1.45Co1.45Cu0.1O4 spinel coating deposited on the Crofer 22 H ferritic steel and exposed to high-temperature oxidation under thermal cycling conditions
PublicationThe Crofer 22 H ferritic steel substrate was coated with an Mn1.45Co1.45Cu0.1O4 spinel by means of electrophoresis. After high-temperature oxidation under thermal cycling conditions, the physicochemical properties of the obtained system were evaluated. During 48-h cycles that involved heating the samples up to temperatures of either 750 or 800 °C, the oxidation kinetics of both coated and unmodified steel approximately obeyed...
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Checkpoints that regulate balanced biosynthesis of lipopolysaccharide and its essentiality in Escherichia coli
PublicationThe outer membrane (OM) of Gram-negative bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, is essential for their viability. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) constitutes the major component of OM, providing the permeability barrier, and a tight balance exists between LPS and phospholipids amounts as both of these essential components use a common metabolic precursor. Hence, checkpoints are in place, right from the regulation of the first committed step...
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Enhanced electrochemical activity of boron-doped nanocarbon functionalized reticulated vitreous carbon structures for water treatment applications
PublicationAn extraordinary charge transfer kinetics and chemical stability make a boron-doped diamond (BDD) a prom- ising material for electrochemical applications including wastewater treatment. Yet, with flat geometrical sur- faces its scaling options are limited. In this study, the reticulated Vitreous Carbon (RVC) served as a substrate for boron-doped diamondized nanocarbons (BDNC) film growth resulting with complex heterogeneity carbon structures...