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Search results for: DROP-IN
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Light intensity analysis of photovoltaic parameters for perovskite solar cells
PublicationThe number of publications on perovskite solar cells (PSC) continues to grow exponentially. Although the efficiency of PSC is exceeded 25.5%, not every research laboratory can reproduce this result or even pass the border of 20%. Unfortunately, it is not always clear which dominating mechanism is responsible for the performance drop. Here, we develop a simple method of light intensity analysis of JV parameters allowing the understanding...
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Crack propoagation in MgO-PSZ ceramic materials
PublicationThe properties of ceramic materials such as elevated hardness, high temperature capability, low coefficient of thermal expansion are of interest for rolling element materials. Widely used ceramic materials in engineering applications are silicon nitride, zirconia and alumina. The paper presents an experimental study of the fatigue life of MgO-PSZ ceramic material in lubricated contact with defined types of cracks. A ceramic angular...
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INSIGHTS INTO THE PROCESSING, STRUCTURE, AND MECHANICAL PERFORMANCE OF POLYETHYLENE/GYPSUM COMPOSITES
PublicationPolymer composites are used in all branches of industry, with numerous applications. Despite the many years of modifying commodity polymers, using novel fillers allows the range of their applicability to be extended. The impact of new types of fillers on the polymer matrix is not always predictable and requires further studies. The presented study analyzed the application of gypsum as a filler for composites based on high-density...
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Preparation and Characterization of Au/Pd Modified-TiO2 Photocatalysts for Phenol and Toluene Degradation under Visible Light—The Effect of Calcination Temperature
PublicationRutile loaded with Au/Pd nanoparticles was prepared using a water-in-oil microemulsion system of water/AOT/cyclohexane followed by calcination.Theeffect of calcination temperature (from350 to 700∘C) on the structure ofAu/Pd nanoparticles deposited at rutile matrix and the photocatalytic properties of Au/Pd-TiO2 was investigated in two model reactions (toluene degradation in gas phase and phenol degradation in aqueous phase). The...
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Recuperator with microjet technology as a proposal for heat recovery from low-temperature sources
PublicationA tendency to increase the importance of so called dispersed generation, based on the local energy sources and the working systems uti- lizing both the fossil fuels and the renewable energy resources is observed nowadays. Generation of electricity on industrial or domestic scale together with production of heat can be obtained for example through employment of the ORC systems. It is mentioned in the EU directive 2012/27/EU for...
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Manufacturing of Lightweight Aggregates as an Auspicious Method of Sewage Sludge Utilization
Publication: Sewage sludge is a high-volume and low-cost waste commonly generated worldwide, so its utilization is a vital issue. The application of this waste in the manufacturing of lightweight aggregates was investigated. The process was performed using intensive mixers with volumes of 5 and 30 L, as well as the industrial 500 L mixer. Then, granulates were sintered in a tube furnace. The influence of composition and mixer size on the...
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Two-Row ESPAR Antenna with Simple Elevation and Azimuth Beam Switching
PublicationIn this letter, we propose a two-row electronically steerable parasitic array radiator (ESPAR) antenna designed for direction of arrival (DoA) estimation in Internet of Things (IoT) applications relying on simple microcontrollers. The antenna is capable of elevation and azimuth beam switching using a simple microcontroller-oriented steering circuit and provides 18 directional radiation patterns, which can be grouped in 3 distinctive...
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Development of a tropical disease diagnosis system using artificial neural network and GIS
PublicationExpert systems for diagnosis of tropical diseases have been developed and implemented for over a decade with varying degrees of success. While the recent introduction of artificial neural networks has helped to improve the diagnosis accuracy of such systems, this aspect is still negatively affected by the number of supported diseases. A large number of supported diseases usually corresponds to a high number of overlapping symptoms,...
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Experimental and Computational Fluid Dynamics Studies on Straight and U-Bend Double Tube Heat Exchangers with Active and Passive Enhancement Methods
PublicationIn this work, the authors wanted to demonstrate the possibility to increase the heat transfer efficiency by using simple wire coil inserts to create turbulent flow in the boundary layer as well as air blowing into the annulus of the pipe. Experimental investigations were carried out for four heat exchanger constructions, i.e., plain double tube, turbulized double tube, plain U-bend double tube, U-tube with turbulator, plain double...
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Building a Nest by an Automaton
PublicationA robot modeled as a deterministic finite automaton has to build a structure from material available to it. The robot navigates in the infinite oriented grid $Z x Z$. Some cells of the grid are full (contain a brick) and others are empty. The subgraph of the grid induced by full cells, called the {\em field}, is initially connected. The (Manhattan) distance between the farthest cells of the field is called its {\em span}. The robot...
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Flow boiling of R1233zd(E) in a 3 mm vertical tube at moderate and high reduced pressures
PublicationThe results of flow boiling of R1233zd(E) in a 3 mm vertical stainless steel tube are presented at moderate and high saturation temperatures. Integral flow characteristics in the form of pressure drop and heat transfer coefficient are discussed for saturation temperatures ranging from 115 to 145 °C (corresponding reduced pressures from 0.2 to 0.7), mass velocity of 800 kg/m2s and heat flux of 20 kW/m2. All of the obtained heat...
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Cure kinetics of epoxy/MWCNTs nanocomposites: Nonisothermal calorimetric and rheokinetic techniques
PublicationNonisothermal calorimetric and isothermal rheokinetic analyses were used to study cure kinetics of epoxy/anhydride systems containing very low concentration of pristine and amine-functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). Isoconversional methods were applied in calorimetric modeling of cure kinetics. Eα vs. α dependency and autocatalytic nature of curing were identified for both types of nanocomposites by isoconversional...
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A semi-empirical model for flow boiling heat transfer with account of the reduced pressure effect
PublicationIn the present study the attention was focused on the influence of reduced pressure on the predictions of heat transfer during flow boiling at the extensive range of pressures. The results of calculations were to test the sensitivity of the in-house flow boiling model with respect to the selection of the appropriate two-phase flow multiplier, which is one of the distinctive elements of that model. For this purpose a few two-phase...
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NUMERICAL ANALYSIS OF SPECIES DIFFUSION AND METHANOL DECOMPOSITION IN THERMOCATALYTIC REACTOR BASED ON THE INTERMETALLIC PHASE OF Ni3Al FOR LOW REYNOLDS NUMBERS
PublicationNumerical modelling of hydrogen production by means of methanol decomposition in a thermocatalytic reactor using corrugated foil made of the Ni3Al intermetallic phase is shown in the paper. Experimental results of the flow analysis of mixtures containing helium and methanol in a thermocatalytic reactor with microchannels were used for the initial calibration of the CFD calculations (calculations based on the Computational Fluid...
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Applying response surface method to optimize the performance of a divergent-chimney solar power plant
PublicationOne of the effective tools to generate electricity from solar energy is Divergent-chimney solar power plant (DSPP). Divergent and cylindrical chimneys of solar power plants have different performances considering turbine pressure drop ratio (ft). For the first time, the divergent angle (DA) and solar radiation (SR) interaction effects on 〖ft〗_opt are discussed through applying the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Response...
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Poly(ε-Caprolactone)/Brewers’ Spent Grain Composites—The Impact of Filler Treatment on the Mechanical Performance
PublicationWaste lignocellulose materials, such as brewers’ spent grain, can be considered very promising sources of fillers for the manufacturing of natural fiber composites. Nevertheless, due to the chemical structure differences between polymer matrices and brewers’ spent grain, filler treatment should be included. The presented work aimed to investigate the impact of fillers’ reactive extrusion on the chemical structure and the poly(ε-caprolactone)/brewers’...
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Dynamic model of nuclear power plant turbine
PublicationThe paper presents the dynamic multivariable model of Nuclear Power Plant steam turbine. Nature of the processes occurring in a steam turbine causes a task of modeling it very difficult, especially when this model is intended to be used for on-line optimal process control (model based) over wide range of operating conditions caused by changing power demand. Particular property of developed model is that it enables calculations...
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Recuperator with microjet technology as a proposal for heat recovery from low-temperature sources
PublicationA tendency to increase the importance of so called dispersed generation, based on the local energy sources and the working systems utilizing both the fossil fuels and the renewable energy resources is observed nowadays. Generation of electricity on industrial or domestic scale together with production of heat can be obtained for example through employment of the ORC systems. It is mentioned in the EU directive 2012/27/EU for cogenerative...
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Entire fracture surface topography parameters for fatigue life assessment of 10H2M steel
PublicationIn this paper, the entire fracture surface approach was used to assess an effect of 280,000 h of exploitation under internal pressure of 2.9 MPa and high temperature of 540 °C on the fatigue response of 10H2M (10CrMo9–10) power engineering steel. The mechanical testing was carried out on the hourglass specimens produced from the as-received, unused pipeline and the same material after long-time exploitation. The uniaxial tensile...
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Przygotowanie, realizacja i ocena pomiarów terenowych do identyfikacji oporności hydraulicznej sieci wodociągowej
PublicationW procesie tworzenia komputerowego modelu przepływów (KMP) jednym z wiodących zadań jest przygotowanie i realizacja pomiarów terenowych w celu identyfikacji oporności hydraulicznej czynnej sieci wodociągowej. Motywacją autora do przedstawienia zasad postępowania w tym zakresie jest narastająca niefrasobliwość twórców KMP, którzy w nieuprawniony sposób używają paramodeli do rozwiązywania problemów inżynierskich. W pracy zdefiniowano...
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Numerical analysis of high temperature minichannel heat exchanger for recuperative microturbine system
PublicationConsidering the development of energy sector, distributed small-scale power generation, e.g., gas micro-CHP, is attracting considerable interest. In such installations, the heat exchanger is one of the key components possessing a significant influence on overall performance. Most studies concentrate on units operating below 900C, which do not fulfil the requirements of gas micro-CHP. Therefore, there remains a challenge to design...
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Changes in the structure of Armenia’s labour resources between 1993 and 2020
PublicationThe article characterises the structure of Armenia’s labour resources in the period between1993 and 2020. It aims to assess the changes on the Armenian labour market by means of a deductive analysis of historical data and observation of changes in the structure of resources based on generally available macroeconomic data. The authors evaluate these processes against the background of demographic and economic changes, by presenting...
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Ground Tire Rubber Filled Flexible Polyurethane Foam—Effect of Waste Rubber Treatment on Composite Performance
PublicationThe application range of flexible polyurethane (PU) foams is comprehensive because of their versatility and flexibility in adjusting structure and performance. In addition to the investigations associated with further broadening of their potential properties, researchers are looking for new raw materials, beneficially originated from renewable resources or recycling. A great example of such a material is ground tire rubber (GTR)—the...
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Assessment of Fuel Cells’ State of Health by Low-Frequency Noise Measurements
PublicationWe proposed applying low-frequency (flicker) noise in proton-exchange membrane fuel cells under selected loads to assess their state of health. The measurement set-up comprised a precise data acquisition board and was able to record the DC voltage and its random component at the output. The set-up estimated the voltage noise power spectral density at frequencies up to a few hundred mHz. We observed the evolution of the electrical...
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Behaviour of deformed steel columns exposed to impact load during earthquakes - experimental study
PublicationIt has been observed during major earthquakes that the so called soft-storey failure of an upper floor of a structure results in large impact load acting on structural members of the lower storeys. It may further lead to progressive collapse of the whole structure substantially intensifying human and material losses. The aim of this paper is to investigate experimentally the behaviour of horizontally deformed columns (deformation...
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Effects of the Origin and Deacetylation Degree of Chitosan on Properties of Its Coatings on Titanium
PublicationThe properties of chitosan coatings on titanium surfaces may be influenced by a variety of factors, including their chemical characteristics and the deposition method. The aim of this research was to determine the influence of a chitosan’s origin (a type of shrimp) and deacetylation degree (DD), when deposited on a very smooth titanium surface, on adhesion and biological behavior. The tests were performed using chitosan of a degree...
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Visible light activity of pulsed layer deposited BiVO4/MnO2 films decorated with gold nanoparticles: The evidence for hydroxyl radicals formation
PublicationThin films containing BiVO4 and MnO2 deposited on FTO and modified by Au nanoparticles were studied towards their photoelectrochemical and photocatalytical activities in an aqueous electrolyte. Electrodes were prepared by the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method. The surfactant-free ablation process was used for preparation of the gold nanoparticles (GNP) water suspension. Obtained layers of varied thicknesses (27–115 nm) were...
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Study of Nanohydroxyapatite Coatings Prepared by the Electrophoretic Deposition Method at Various Voltage and Time Parameters
PublicationThe aim of the work is to compare the properties of nanohydroxyapatite coatings obtained using the electrophoretic deposition method (EDP) at 10 V, 20 V, and 30 V, and with deposit times of 2 and 5 min. The primary sedimentation was used to minimize the risk of the formation of particle agglomerates on the sample surface. Evaluation of the coating was performed by using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Energy-Dispersive Spectroscopy...
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Research of chitosan coatings deposited by electrophoretic deposition method at various voltage and time parameters
PublicationThe aim of this research is to estimate the electrophoretic deposition main parameters, such as voltage and time duration, that will provide optimal characteristics of the surface layer. Chitosan coatings were synthesized on biomedical Ti13Zr13Nb alloys at 20 V and 30 V and with deposit times of 2min, 5 min, 10 min, and 15 min. Evaluation of the coating was performed by using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Energy-Dispersive...
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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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Green aspects, developments and perspectives of liquid phase microextraction techniques
PublicationDetermination of analytes at trace levels in complex samples (e.g. biological or contaminated water or soils) are often required for the environmental assessment and monitoring as well as for scientific research in the field of environmental pollution. A limited number of analytical techniques are sensitive enough for the direct determination of trace components in samples and, because of that, a preliminary step of the analyte...
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Friction Resistances in Internal Gear Pump with Modified Sickle Made of Plastic
PublicationThis paper presents modifications of the sickle insert (constructional and material) made in a gear pump with internal meshing. The introduced design change consists in making an incision in the sickle insert. Due to this treatment, the races of the insert are pressed against the apex wheels of the gears. The introduced compensation causes a smaller drop in pump efficiency with increasing discharge pressure. The article describes...
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Chosen aspects of muscle biomechanics
PublicationConsidering a striated skeletal muscle as a different properties mechanical system, one can understand series of important phenomena happening in a real muscle phenomenon of muscle: 1) force delivery to skeletal apparatus through tendons; 2) changing of exerted muscle belly mass distribution with regards to skeletal apparatus; 3) beginning drop of muscle force. A disregard of first phenomenon causes an impossibility to explain...
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Determination of binder-aggregate adhesion by contact angle measurement
PublicationThe key factor in asphalt pavement durability, especially in the presence of water, is adhesion of the bituminous binder to mineral aggregates. There are currently no standard laboratory test procedures that can quickly and accurately measure the strength of the interaction (bond) between the binder and aggregate. In this regard, to evaluate the adhesion force measurements based on the contact angle between the binder and the aggregate...
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Investigation of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) deposition method influence on properties of ion-selective electrodes based on bis(benzo-15-crown-5) derivatives
PublicationGlassy carbon electrodes modified by conductive polymers and membrane with derivatives of bis(benzo-15-crown-5) were tested as solid contact ion selective electrodes for K+ ions concentration determination. PEDOT with PSS, Cl- and ClO4- counter ions was electrochemically deposited onto glassy carbon substrates using four different electrochemical approaches (potentiostatic, galvanostatic, potentiodynamic and potentiostatic pulses)....
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Experimental investigation of heat transfer enhancement in straight and U-bend double-pipe heat exchanger with wire insert
PublicationIn this paper, the possibility of heat transfer enhancement in the U-bend exchanger was presented. Experimental research has been carried out for four individual heat exchanger constructions i.e. plain tube in tube, turbulized tube in tube, plain U-bend and U-bend with turbulator. Also, heat transfer experiments for various boundary conditions were performed to obtain reference values. In case of U-bend exchanger with and without...
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Impact of adverse winter weather on traffic flow
PublicationThe paper aims to analyse the impact of adverse weather in winter on traffic flow using data from a dual carriageway section of an express road located in Gdansk. For the purposes of the analysis, traffic and meteorological data were collected for a period of 15 months in 2014-2015 and aggregated to 5 minutes intervals. The impact of winter weather conditions on traffic flow was assessed by comparing aggregated traffic stream parameters...
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Compact High Efficiency and Zero-Emission Gas-Fired Power Plant with Oxy-Combustion and Carbon Capture
PublicationReduction of greenhouse gases emissions is a key challenge for the power generation industry, requiring the implementation of new designs and methods of electricity generation. This article presents a design solution for a novel thermodynamic cycle with two new devices—namely, a wet combustion chamber and a spray-ejector condenser. In the proposed cycle, high temperature occurs in the combustion chamber because of fuel combustion...
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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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Packing Incubation and Addition of Rot Fungi Extracts Improve BTEX Elimination from Air in Biotrickling Filters
PublicationThe removal of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) from air was investigated in two similar biotrickling filters (BTFs) packed with polyurethane (PU) foam, differing in terms of inoculation procedure (BTF A was packed with pre-incubated PU discs, and BTF B was inoculated via the continuous recirculation of a liquid inoculum). The effects of white rot fungi enzyme extract addition and system responses to variable VOC...
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Impact Assessment of Electric Vehicles Integration and Optimal Charging Schemes Under Uncertainty: A Case Study of Qatar
PublicationThe integration of electric vehicles (EVs) is rapidly growing compared to conventional vehicles in Qatar. To assess how these electric vehicles will impact Qatar’s distribution network, it is necessary to accurately model EV loads. However, EV loads exhibit uncertainties due to driving behaviour in charging time, state of charge (SOC), number of trips, and distance travelled. This necessitates the development of a probabilistic...
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Visual measurement system for chosen parameters of current collectors
PublicationA current collector is an element in a traction vehicle, used for movable, contact con-nection between the main circuit of this vehicle and the contact line. Bad technical condi-tion of these important elements in the main circuit of the vehicle result in its incorrect cooperation with contact line. Periodic control of technical condition of current collectors ensures infallible current collection. The pantograph diagnostics consists...
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Economic Situation in Balkan Countries in the First Decade of 21st Century
PublicationThe recent economic crisis affected most of the countries in the world to a greater or lesser extent, including small economies sector. Small economies are a distinctive group of countries distinguished by particular qualities. They are dependent on trade exchange or international investment stream, and both their aggregate demand and supply, and price level depend on the development of the big economies dynamics. This is the reason...
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Behaviour of deformed steel columns exposed to impact load during earthquakes: numerical analysis
PublicationIt has been observed during earthquakes that the so called soft-storey failure of an upper floor of a building leads to considerable vertical impact load acting on structural members of the lower storeys. The aim of this paper is to investigate numerically the behaviour of horizontally deformed columns (deformation as the result of earthquake loading) that are additionally subjected to vertical impact load. In the first stage of...
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Long Distance Geographically Distributed InfiniBand Based Computing
PublicationCollaboration between multiple computing centres, referred as federated computing is becom- ing important pillar of High Performance Computing (HPC) and will be one of its key components in the future. To test technical possibilities of future collaboration using 100 Gb optic fiber link (Connection was 900 km in length with 9 ms RTT time) we prepared two scenarios of operation. In the first one, Interdisciplinary Centre for Mathematical...
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Structural Properties and Water Uptake of SrTi1−xFexO3−x/2−δ
PublicationIn this work, Fe-doped strontium titanate SrTi1−xFexO3−x/2−δ, for x = 0–1 (STFx), has been fabricated and studied. The structure and microstructure analysis showed that the Fe amount in SrTi1−xFexO3−x/2−δ has a great influence on the lattice parameter and microstructure, including the porosity and grain size. Oxygen nonstoichiometry studies performed by thermogravimetry at different atmospheres showed that the Fe-rich compositions...
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Mapping the Transglycosylation Relevant Sites of Cold-Adapted β-D-Galactosidase from Arthrobacter sp. 32cB
PublicationB-Galactosidase from Arthrobacter sp. 32cB (ArthbetaDG) is a cold-adapted enzyme able to catalyze hydrolysis of beta-D-galactosides and transglycosylation reaction, where galactosyl moiety is being transferred onto an acceptor larger than a water molecule. Mutants of ArthbetaDG D207A and E517Q were designed to determine the significance of specific residues and to enable formation of complexes with lactulose and sucrose and to...
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New nanoadsorbent based on magnetic iron oxide containing 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane in outer chain (Fe3O4@SiO2-cyclen) for adsorption and removal of selected heavy metal ions Cd2+, Pb2+, Cu2+
PublicationMagnetic Fe3O4@SiO2-cyclen nanoparticles were prepared and used as adsorbent for Cd2+, Pb2+ and Cu2+ from aqueous solution removal process controlled with differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV) and hanging mercury drop electrode (HDME). Nanomaterial was synthesised in three-step process co-precipitation of Fe3O4 core, coating with silane and N-(3-(triethoxysilyl)propyl)-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1-carboxamide...
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Impact of slow breathing on the blood pressure and subarachnoid space width oscillations in humans
PublicationThe aim of the study was to assess cardiac and respiratory blood pressure (BP) and subarachnoid space (SAS) width oscillations during the resting state for slow and fast breathing and breathing against inspiratory resistance. Experiments were performed on a group of 20 healthy volunteers (8 males and 12 females; age 25.3 ± 7.9 years; BMI = 22.1 ± 3.2 kg/m2). BP and heart rate (HR) were measured using continuous finger-pulse photoplethysmography....
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Porous structures in aspects of transpirating cooling of oxycombustion chamber walls
PublicationA wet oxycombustion chamber, which must be effectively cooled due to high temperature evolved during the oxy-combustion process, by using the phenomena of Reynolds thermal transpiration and Navier slip velocity. Closures needed to execute mass flow rate in a microchannel, which should be treated as a single porous structure in the walls of the combustion chamber, have been obtained by applying a local 3D approach. The Navier-Stokes...