Search results for: NATURAL VENTILATION,CHIMNEY CAP,ACH,WIND EFFECT,EFFECTIVENESS
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Nitrofurazone Removal from Water Enhanced by Coupling Photocatalysis and Biodegradation
Publication(1) Background: Environmental contamination with antibiotics is particularly serious because the usual methods used in wastewater treatment plants turn out to be insufficient or ineffective. An interesting idea is to support natural biodegradation processes with physicochemical methods as well as with bioaugmentation with efficient microbial degraders. Hence, the aim of our study is evaluation of the effectiveness of different...
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Detection of Denatonium Benzoate (Bitrex) Remnants in Noncommercial Alcoholic Beverages by Raman Spectroscopy
PublicationIllegal alcoholic beverages are often introduced into market using cheap technical alcohol, which is contaminated by denatonium benzoate (Bitrex) of very small concentration. Bitrex is the most bitter chemical compound and has to be removed before alcohol consumption. The home-made methods utilize sodium hypochlorite to disintegrate particles of denatonium benzoate in alcohol and to remove bitter taste before trading. In this experimental...
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Optimization of combined heat and power (CHP) market allocation: The case of Poland
PublicationCombined heat and power (CHP), that is production of electricity and useful heat in a single thermodynamic process, is a way of primary energy saving and emission reduction. Therefore, promotion of the electricity from high-efficiency cogeneration (CHP-E) was encouraged in the European Union. However, CHP-E promotion mechanisms proved low effectiveness in certain countries, like Poland, where the prices of certificates of origin...
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Quantitative Analysis of Biofilm Formed on Vascular Prostheses by Staphylococcus Epidermidis with Different ica and aap Genetic Status
PublicationOBJECTIVES: This study aims to examine biofilm formed on vascular prostheses by Staphylococcus epidermidis with different ica and aap genetic status, and to evaluate the effect of antibiotic-modified prostheses on bacterial colonization. METHODS: Biofilm formation was determined using fluorescence microscopy imaging. Quantitative analysis was conducted using the biofilm coverage ratio (BCR) calculations. RESULTS: Our investigations...
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Automotive fleet repair facility wastewater treatment using air/ZVI and air/ZVI/H2 O2 processes
PublicationAdvanced automotive fl eet repair facility wastewater treatment was investigated with Zero-Valent Iron/Hydrogen Peroxide (Air/ZVI/H2 O2 ) process for different process parameters: ZVI and H2 O2 doses, time, pH. The highest Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) removal effi ciency, 76%, was achieved for ZVI/H2 O2 doses 4000/1900 mg/L, 120 min process time, pH 3.0. COD decreased from 933 to 227 mg/L. In optimal process conditions odor and...
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Thermal degradation kinetics of poly(propylene succinate) prepared with the use of natural origin monomers
PublicationLinear biobased polyester polyols were prepared with the use of succinic acid and 1,3-pro- panediol (both with natural origin). Tetraisopropyl orthotitanate (TPT) was used as a catalyst. In order to determine the effect of various synthesis temperature conditions on the thermal degradation kinet- ics, nine sequences of temperature conditions were used during two-step polycondensation reaction. Thermogravimetric analysis was conducted...
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Flood Classification in a Natural Wetland for Early Spring Conditions Using Various Polarimetric SAR Methods
PublicationAbstract--- One of the major limitations of remote sensing flood detection is the presence of vegetation. Our study focuses on a flood classification using Radarsat-2 Quad-Pol data in a natural floodplain during leafless, dry vegetation (early spring) state. We conducted a supervised classification of a data set composed of nine polarimetric decompositions and Shannon entropy followed by the predictors' importance estimation to...
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Impact of the glazed roof on acoustics of historic interiors
PublicationThe paper discusses the adverse acoustic phenomena occurring in the semi-open interiors (courtyards, yards) covered with a glass roof. Particularly negative is the rever-beration noise, which leads to the degradation of the utility functions of the resulting spaces. It involves the drastically reducing the intelligibility of speech, loss of natural sounding of music, problems with the sound system, as well as disturbances in the...
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Thermodynamic and geometrical characteristics of mixed convection heat transfer in the shell and coil tube heat exchanger with baffles
PublicationThe article presents passive heat transfer enhancement method in the form of baffles to increase the energy efficiency of the shell coil heat exchanger. Conducted literature review shows that, despite numer- ous studies, there is little work on the intensification of heat transfer at the shell side. Most of the work focuses on the impact of geometrical parameters of the coil itself. This article successfully proves that it is possible...
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The effect of adding a standard on the result of determination of polychlorinated biphenyls in bottom sediment samples
PublicationBottom sediments are a very important component of aquatic ecosystems. The sediment matrix is highly diverse and heterogeneous; in consequence, compounds entering the aquatic environment from different sources are considerably enriched at its surface. Bottom sediments are regarded as natural sorbents, since they accumulate many harmful substances, such as heavy metals and stable organic contaminants.Extraction is a key stage in...
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The impact of thermomechanical and chemical treatment of waste Brewers’ spent grain and soil biodegradation of sustainable Mater-Bi-Based biocomposites
PublicationDue to the massive plastic pollution, development of sustainable and biodegradable polymer materials is crucial to reduce environmental burdens and support climate neutrality. Application of lignocellulosic wastes as fillers for polymer composites was broadly reported, but analysis of biodegradation behavior of resulting biocomposites was rarely examined. Herein, sustainable Mater-Bi-based biocomposites filled with thermomechanically-...
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Neutral Dissociation of Pyridine Evoked by Irradiation of Ionized Atomic and Molecular Hydrogen Beams
PublicationThe interactions of ions with molecules and the determination of their dissociation patterns are challenging endeavors of fundamental importance for theoretical and experimental science. In particular, the investigations on bond-breaking and new bond-forming processes triggered by the ionic impact may shed light on the stellar wind interaction with interstellar media, ionic beam irradiations of the living cells, ion-track nanotechnology,...
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Coffee Silverskin as a Multifunctional Waste Filler for High-Density Polyethylene Green Composites
PublicationThis work aims to describe the coffee silverskin effect as a lignocellulosic waste filler for high-density polyethylene (HDPE) composites development. The main task was to determine various modification effects resulting from the complex chemical composition of coffee silverskin containing compounds with potential antioxidative properties, including caffeine, polyphenols, tannins, or melanoidins. The processing, thermal, physicochemical,...
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Pounding mitigation of a short-span cable-stayed bridge using a new hybrid passive control system
PublicationThis paper investigates the effectiveness of a new hybrid passive control system on the seismic response of an existing steel cable-stayed bridge considering the pounding effect. The proposed hybrid passive control system comprises a seismic isolator and a metallic damper. The bridge is located in a high seismic zone and has suffered several damages including the earthquake-induced pounding damage during the 1988 earthquake....
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Alternative Methods of Preparation of Soluble Keratin from Chicken Feathers
PublicationHuge amount of keratinous waste, especially birds’ feathers, demands more value-added application instead of dumping. The present work reports the results of experiments aimed at preparing soluble keratin useful for novel bioproduct formation. The effect of thermo-chemical treatments with various reducing agents, i.e. 2-mercaptoethanol, dithiothreitol, sodium m-bisulphite, and sodium bisulphite, as well as sodium hydroxide, on...
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Clean energy in the European Union: Transition or evolution?
PublicationIn this paper, we analyse two phenomena. First, the relationship between greenhouse gases emission and effectiveness of the European Union energy policies and second the transition from the fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. We run two-step data analysis concerning 25 European Union member states in the period from 1990 to 2018. We use information on greenhouse gases emission, introduction of new energy policies, source...
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Model tests of cast-in-place piles formed by using different types of auger
PublicationModel tests are still a popular research tool used to observe and determine the mechanisms of pile-soil interaction. Due to the significant scale effect, the results of model tests performed in the 1g system can only be analysed from the qualitative side. This article describes and presents the results of 1g pile model tests carried out for comparative purposes. There were tested the effectiveness and efficiency of various types...
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Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans: implementation process and indicators to evaluate effects on physical activity
PublicationBackground: Active mobility and public transport increase physical activity (PA) levels. With varying intensity and effectiveness, European cities implement Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) to spur transport-related PA. Therefore, we aim to examine drivers and barriers to SUMP implementation and assess its influence on PA across European cities. Methods: We screened policy reports to gain insights into SUMP implementation...
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Polymer and graphitic carbon nitride based nanohybrids for the photocatalytic degradation of pharmaceuticals in wastewater treatment – A review
PublicationPharmaceuticals, including antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs, have been frequently detected in water reservoirs, in concentrations ranging from ng/L to μg/L, owing to their wide use in treatment of human and animal disease. Their uncontrolled use results in their increased release into the environment which is harmful for humans, animals, aquatic life and aquatic system. To remove these pollutants from water bodies, various...
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Selected anionic and cationic surface active agents determined in river sediments – the Klodnica catchment
PublicationSurface active agents (SAAs) are specific compounds that contain hydrophilic/ hydrophobic group in their molecules named as amphiphilic structures. According to charge on the hydrophilic part of surfactants they can be classified into three main groups: anionic, cationic and non-ionic compounds. Due to the amphiphilic structure of SAAs they have specific properties (e.g. ability to adsorption at different surfaces, reduction of...
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The influence of global climate change on the environmental fate of anthropogenic pollution released from the permafrost
PublicationThis article presents a review of information related to the influence of potential permafrost degradation on the environmental fate of chemical species which are relased and stored, classified as potential influence in future Antarctic environment. Considering all data regarding climate change prediction, this topic may prove important issue for the future state of the Antarctic environment. A detailed survey on soil and permafrost...
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The effect of dehydration/rehydration of bacterial nanocellulose on its tensile strength and physicochemical properties
PublicationBacterial nanocellulose (BNC) is a natural biomaterial with a wide range of biomedical applications. BNC contains 99 % of water which makes it too thick to be used as a bioimplant material. The aim of the work was to determine the effect of the BNC dehydration followed by rehydration on its mechanical and physicochemical properties, in the context of the use of BNC as bio-prostheses in the cardiovascular system. Dehydration involved the...
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CLEANING METHODS FOR DUST DEPOSITED ON THE FRONT COVER OF PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULE
PublicationPhotovoltaic modules are one of the renewable energy sources with great potential for application in various regions of the world as well as for different terrain. They are, however, sensitive to external factors, affecting the overall amount of energy generated, such as solar irradiance, shading effects and any form of soil build-up on the front glass cover of solar device. The latter issue happens over a course of weeks, months...
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Photoluminescence of partially reduced Eu2+/Eu3+ active centers in a NaF–Al2O3–P2O5 glassy matrix with tunable smooth spectra
PublicationIn this work, a series of photoluminescent materials have been synthesized based on optically transparent and chemically stable glasses of the nominal composition Na3Al2(PO4)2F3 (NaF–Al2O3–P2O5 system) doped with 1 wt% of europium. It has been shown that the synthesis conditions (mainly the temperature and duration of the melting stage under reducing conditions) strongly affected the photoluminescence spectra of the material. This...
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DETERMINATION OF SEAKEEPING PERFORMANCE FOR A CASE STUDY VESSEL BY THE STRIP THEORY METHOD
PublicationThe increase of seakeeping performance is of particular importance for car and passenger ferries, service ships in the gas and oil extraction industry and offshore wind power farm industry, as well as for special purpose ships (including military applications). In the water areas of the Baltic Sea, North Sea, and Mediterranean Sea, which are characterised by a short and steep wave, the hull shape has a substantial impact on the...
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A Perspective on Missing Aspects in Ongoing Purification Research towards Melissa officinalis
PublicationMelissa officinalis L. is a medicinal plant used worldwide for ethno-medical purposes. Today, it is grown everywhere; while it is known to originate from Southern Europe, it is now found around the world, from North America to New Zealand. The biological properties of this medicinal plant are mainly related to its high content of phytochemical (bioactive) compounds, such as flavonoids, polyphenolic compounds, aldehydes, glycosides...
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Simulation of the weight averaging of pulse frequency modulated sensor output signal
Open Research DataThe aim of the research is investigation of the efficiency of weight averaging of pulse frequency modulated signal. It was shown that from the point of view of the reduction of the sampling error the best are polynomial weighing functions, for which the maximum of this component error decreases proportionally to the appropriate power of the number of...
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Green and sustainable hydrogels based on quaternized chitosan to enhance wound healing
PublicationHydrogel-based biomaterials applied as wound dressings provide the wound with a moist environment, which facilitates tissue regeneration through granulation and re-epithelialization. The inherent flexibility and adjustable architecture of hydrogels enables incorporation of cells, antimicrobial drugs, growth factors, and bioactive compounds, which leads to expediting wound contraction and enhancing the regeneration process. The...
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Nieliniowa statyka 6-parametrowych powłok sprężysto plastycznych. Efektywne obliczenia MES
PublicationGłównym zagadnieniem omawianym w monografii jest sformułowanie sprężysto-plastycznego prawa konstytutywnego w nieliniowej 6-parametrowej teorii powłok. Wyróżnikiem tej teorii jest występujący w niej w naturalny sposób tzw. stopień 6 swobody, czyli owinięcie (drilling rotation). Podstawowe założenie pracy to przyjęcie płaskiego stanu naprężenia uogólnionego na ośrodek typu Cosseratów. Takie podejście stanowi oryginalny aspekt opracowania....
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Zastosowanie testu biologicznego Microtox do oceny skuteczności działania oczyszczalni ścieków bytowo-przemysłowych
PublicationOcena efektywności procesu oczyszczania ścieków z zastosowaniem biotestu Microtox® na przykładzie wybranej oczyszczalni Powszechnie praktykowanym sposobem wprowadzania ścieków oczyszczonych do środowiska jest ich punktowy zrzut do wód powierzchniowych. Różnorodność działalności prowadzonej w ramach współczesnej gospodarki sprawia, że do oczyszczalni docierają nie tylko substancje, których oznaczanie jest wymagane przez przepisy...
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The application of environmental issues in designing urban structures – a framework for comprehensive local planning policies
PublicationThe implementation of environmental issues in planning and designing urban structures is becoming a novel approach and a common practice consistent with the paradigm of sustainable development. Maintaining environmental quality in urban areas, managing natural resources and understanding the complexity of urban systems is becoming increasingly challenging. Therefore, it is important to develop strategies for the integration of...
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Effect of chemical structure on complexation efficiency of aromatic drugs with cyclodextrins: The example of dibenzazepine derivatives
PublicationIt is widely believed that the hydrophobic effect governs the binding of guest molecules to cyclodextrins (CDs). However, it is also known that high hydrophobicity of guest molecules does not always translate to the formation of stable inclusion complexes with CDs. Indeed, a plethora of other factors can play a role in the efficiency of guest–CD interactions, rendering structure-based prediction of the complexation efficiency with...
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Dimethyl ether (DME) as potential environmental friendly fuel
PublicationIn recent years, there has been a growing interest in replacing petroleum fuels with so-called second generation environmental friendly fuels. Compared to traditional petroleum fuels dimethyl ether (DME) could be used as a clean high-efficiency compression ignition fuel with reduced particulate matter (PM), sulfur oxides (SOx), hydrocarbons (HC), carbon monoxide (CO) as well as combustion noise. Compared to some of the other leading...
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Novel “acid tuned” deep eutectic solvents based on protonated L-proline
PublicationThe paper presents new types of deep eutectic solvents (DESs) based on L-proline protonated using three different acids (hydrochloric, sulfuric and phosphoric)and playing the role of a hydrogen bond acceptor(HBA). Glucose and xylitol were used as hydrogen bond donors (HBD). A series of deep eutectic solvents with various mole ratios were obtained for the systems L-proline: glucose and L-proline: xylitol. Density, melting point,...
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Diatomaceous earth as a drug-loaded carrier in a glass-ionomer cement
PublicationThe effect of a natural filler (diatomaceous earth [DE], a promising drug-delivery agent) and its content was investigated on the performance of a model glass-ionomer cement (GIC). Three sample series, differing in DE content (0, 2.5 and 5 wt%), were prepared using a commercial GIC as a matrix (3M Ketac Molar Easymix). The resultant surface microhardness and roughness, wear performance, and compressive strength of the samples were...
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Novel composite of Zn/Ti-layered double hydroxide coupled with MXene for the efficient photocatalytic degradation of pharmaceuticals
PublicationIn the present study, a hybrid photocatalyst of Zn/Ti layered double hydroxide (LDH) coupled with MXene – Ti3C2 was synthesized for the first time and applied in photocatalytic degradation of acetaminophen and ibuprofen, two commonly present in the natural environment and prone to accumulate in the aquatic ecosystem pharmaceuticals. The effect of MXene content (0.5 wt%, 2.5 wt%, and 5 wt%) on the photocatalytic activity of LDH/MXene...
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Hybrid metal and non-metal activation of Oxone by magnetite nanostructures co-immobilized with nano-carbon black to degrade tetracycline: Fenton and electrochemical enhancement with bio-assay
PublicationElectrochemically synthesized magnetite nanostructures (ESMNPs) as a metal activator and nano-carbon black (NCB) as a non-metal activator were co-immobilized by alginate natural polymer to activate Oxone for the degradation of tetracycline (TC) antibiotic. The formation of sulfate radical was indirectly confirmed during the Oxone/ESMNPs/NCB/alginate process via the addition of scavenging compounds. This study revealed the high...
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The Effectiveness of Rubber Bumpers in Reducing the Effects of Earthquake-Induced Pounding between Base-Isolated Buildings
PublicationTh e methods for preventing earthquake-induced structural pounding between two adjacent buildings include ensuring a sufficient separation distance between them or decreasing their relative displacement during seismic excitation. Some equations or even specific values of such gap sizes between two buildings have been introduced so as to avoid collisions. Increasing the stiffness of buildings, using tuned mass dampers, applying...
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The possibility of use by-products for synthesis of emulsifiers
PublicationIn the last years the interest in use of materials originated from natural sources, e.g. vegetables to produce attractive products still grows. According to that, also the synthesis of these products should be adequate to the green chemistry requirements. The typical example observed in recent years focuses on utlization of bioglycerol - the by - product of global biodiesel manufacturing. The still growing production of biodiesel...
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Dynamic coloring of graphs
PublicationDynamics is an inherent feature of many real life systems so it is natural to define and investigate the properties of models that reflect their dynamic nature. Dynamic graph colorings can be naturally applied in system modeling, e.g. for scheduling threads of parallel programs, time sharing in wireless networks, session scheduling in high-speed LAN's, channel assignment in WDM optical networks as well as traffic scheduling. In...
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Biopolyols obtained via crude glycerol-based liquefaction of cellulose: their structural, rheological and thermal characterization
PublicationIn this work lignocellulose biomass liquefaction was used to produce biopolyols suitable for the manufacturing of rigid polyurethane foams. In order to better evaluate the mechanism of the process, pure cellulose was applied as a raw material. The effect of time and temperature on the effectiveness of liquefaction and the parameters of resulting biopolyols were characterized. The prepared materials were analyzed in terms of their...
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Influence of hydrochloric acid concentration and type of nitrogen source on the electrochemical performance of TiO2/N-MoS2 for energy storage applications
PublicationIn this work, nitrogen-doped molybdenum sulfide was directly deposited on titanium dioxide nanotubes substrate (TiO2/N-MoS2) during hydrothermal synthesis. The study focuses on the influence of hydrochloric acid concentration used for the synthesis, with the results indicating its essential role in thioacetamide hydrolysis and thus in the effectiveness of the N-MoS2 deposition. The electrode material itself is characterized by...
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Screw displacement pile shaft deformations measured by vibrating wire and fiber optic systems during a static load test
PublicationThis paper describes a full scale static load test performed on a 400 mm diameter screw displacement pile equipped with four different strain measuring systems. Three types of vibrating wire strain gauges (VWSG) were used: global - retrievable, local attached to steel pipe and local concrete embedded. The fourth system was distributed fiber optic sensors based on Rayleigh back scattering (DFOS) - three in the pile cross section....
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Development of a compact microstrip resonant cell aimed at efficient microwave component size reduction
PublicationA comprehensive comparison of a wide collection of compact microstrip resonant cells (CMRCs) found in the extensive body of literature has been presented. The evaluation of different CMRC designs has led to the selection of the most promising CMRC geometry for the efficient miniaturisation of modern microwave components. In order to showcase the vital effectiveness of the approach, the initially selected CMRC has been notably...
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Assessing ecotoxicity, synergic and antagonistic actions of commonly used components of polymerization mixture in molecularly imprinted polymers preparation process
PublicationIncreasingly, the challenge is the optimal process of developing a suitable MIP-type sorptive material (taking into account its final form and application area), which is mainly related to the efficiency/effectiveness of the polymerization process. The lack of reaction or its low efficiency generates additional waste and puts it into the environmental cycle. The main aim of the performed research was the estimation of ecotoxicity,...
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Disaster-Resilient Routing Schemes for Regional Failures
PublicationLarge-scale natural disasters can have a profound effect on the telecommunication services in the affected geographical area. Hence, it is important to develop routing approaches that may help in circumventing damaged regional areas of a network. This prompted the development of geographically diverse routing schemes and also of disaster-risk aware routing schemes. A minimum-cost geodiverse routing, where a minimum geographical...
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Structure analysis and thermal degradation characteristics of bio-based poly(propylene succinate)s obtained by using different catalyst amounts
PublicationLinear bio-based polyester polyols were prepared with the use of succinic acid and 1.3-propanediol (both with natural origin). As a catalyst was used tetraisopropyl orthotitanate (TPT). In order to determine the effect of various catalyst content on the thermal degradation characteristics, three different TPT amounts, as a 1.3-propanediol equivalent, were used, namely 0.1 mass% (PPS-0.1), 0.2 mass% (PPS-0.2) and 0.25 mass% (PPS-0.25)....
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ECHOES REDUCTION DURING DIGITAL DATA TRANSMISSION IN HYDROACOUSTIC CHANNEL – LABORATORY EXPERIMENT
PublicationThe possibility of using a hydroacoustic channel for digital data transmission is very limited. This is due to the effect of multipath propagation of the emitted acoustic wave and the damping of the mechanical wave in this medium, which increase with frequency. The first of these phenomena results in inter-symbol interference disturbances in data transmission systems, including even hundreds of symbols. Due to the number of reflections...
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Market knowledge and new product performance: the mediating effects of new product performance
PublicationMarket knowledge is recognised as an important predictor of new product performance, which existing studies have proven. However, a missing link in this relationship is creativity, and specifically, as a natural process in product innovation. This study aims to examine a model that includes two mediating mechanisms between market knowledge scope and two new product outcomes, respectively: a new product’s competitive advantage and...
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Assessment and design of greener deep eutectic solvents – A multicriteria decision analysis
PublicationDeep eutectic solvents (DES) are often considered as green solvents because of their properties, such as negligible vapor pressure, biodegradability, low toxicity or natural origin of their components. Due to the fact that DES are cheaper than ionic liquids, they have gained many applications in a short period of time. However, claims about their greenness sometimes seem to be exaggerated. Especially, bearing in mind lots of data...