Search results for: NEGATIVE ASPECTS
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Occurrence of Surface Active Agents in the Environment
PublicationDue to the specific structure of surfactants molecules they are applied in different areas of human activity (industry, household). After using and discharging from wastewater treatment plants as effluent stream, surface active agents (SAAs) are emitted to various elements of the environment (atmosphere, waters, and solid phases), where they can undergo numerous physic-chemical processes (e.g., sorption, degradation) and freely...
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Non-isolating 2-bondage in graphs
PublicationA 2-dominating set of a graph G=(V,E) is a set D of vertices of G such that every vertex of V(G)D has at least two neighbors in D. The 2-domination number of a graph G, denoted by gamma_2(G), is the minimum cardinality of a 2-dominating set of G. The non-isolating 2-bondage number of G, denoted by b_2'(G), is the minimum cardinality among all sets of edges E' subseteq E such that delta(G-E') >= 1 and gamma_2(G-E') > gamma_2(G)....
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Novel methods for diagnosis of pulmonary microangiopathy in diabetes mellitus
PublicationLung microangiopathy is a little known negative influence of diabetes mellitus on the functioning of the lungs. In current medical practice lung microangiopathy is diagnosed by comparing two measurements of lung diffusing capacity - one with the subject standing and one with the subject lying. The necessity to take two measurements is inconvenient. In lung microangiopathy we observe a reduction of diffusing capacity, lung flow...
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Car-sharing: The Impact on Metropolitan Spatial Structures
PublicationMany examples from the past show that new technologies designed to solve particular problems can also create side effects generating new problems. Some unforeseen or unwanted results may influence space use and spatial structures. Car-sharing is an invention to compete with car ownership. It drastically rise efficiency of car use, reducing the number of vehicles per users. Diffusion of car-sharing is going to accelerate in the...
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Modelling of FloodWave Propagation with Wet-dry Front by One-dimensional Diffusive Wave Equation
PublicationA full dynamic model in the form of the shallow water equations (SWE) is often useful for reproducing the unsteady flow in open channels, as well as over a floodplain. However, most of the numerical algorithms applied to the solution of the SWE fail when flood wave propagation over an initially dry area is simulated. The main problems are related to the very small or negative values of water depths occurring in the vicinity of...
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Inhibitory and antimicrobial activities of OGTI and HV-BBI peptides, fragments and analogs derived from amphibian skin
PublicationA series of linear and cyclic fragments and analogs of two peptides (OGTI and HV-BBI) isolated from skin secretions of frogs were synthesized by the solid-phase method. Their inhibitory activity against several serine proteinases: bovine beta-trypsin, bovine alpha-chymotypsin, human leukocyte elastase and cathepsin G from human neutrophils, was investigated together with evaluation of their antimicrobial activities against Gram-negative...
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Influence of electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields on the circadian system – current stage of knowledge
PublicationOne of the side effects of each electrical device work is the electromagnetic field generated near its workplace. All organisms, including humans, are exposed daily to the influence of different types of this field, characterized by various physical parameters. Therefore, it is important to accurately determine the effects of an electromagnetic field on the physiological and pathological processes occurring in cells, tissues and...
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Non-isolating bondage in graphs
PublicationA dominating set of a graph $G = (V,E)$ is a set $D$ of vertices of $G$ such that every vertex of $V(G) \setminus D$ has a neighbor in $D$. The domination number of a graph $G$, denoted by $\gamma(G)$, is the minimum cardinality of a dominating set of $G$. The non-isolating bondage number of $G$, denoted by $b'(G)$, is the minimum cardinality among all sets of edges $E' \subseteq E$ such that $\delta(G-E') \ge 1$ and $\gamma(G-E')...
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Analytical procedures for the determination of fuel combustion products, anti-corrosive compounds, and de-icing compounds in airport runoff water samples
PublicationThe purpose of this study is to propose and evaluate new procedures for determination of fuel combustion products, anti-corrosive and de-icing compounds in runoff water samples collected from the airports located in different regions and characterized by different levels of the activity expressed by the number of flights and the number of passengers (per year). The most difficult step in the analytical procedure used for the determination...
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Risk factor assessment in agricultural supply chain by fuzzy logic
PublicationSignificant uncertainty characterizes the harvest period. This aspect is due to various risks impacting agrifood supply chains. The occurrence of risks is due to hazards: technological failures, technical breakdowns, or adverse weather conditions. Hence, the operational time of the agricultural supply chain during the harvest period increases due to such risk factors. In essence, some hazards are fuzzy, and the nature of most threats...
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Essays on China's international trade - focus on One-Belt One-Road initiative
PublicationThis thesis explores China's international trade from trade, global value chains (GVCs) and export diversity, focusing on the "One-Belt One-Road" (OBOR) initiative proposed at the end of 2013. Specifically, I verify the potential association of OBOR with bilateral imports and exports in the first chapter. Then the relationship between OBOR and GVCs has been explored in Chapter 2. And I have extended the research in GVCs to China's...
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The determinants of European universities patenting and co‑patenting with companies
PublicationThis study examines the determinants of European universities patenting and co-patenting with companies. The analysis takes into account more than 400 universities from 17 countries over the period 2011–2018. We test several determinants of the commercial activity of universities, such as: student enrolment (size), age, public or private nature of the institution, students per academic staff, publications per academic staff (research...
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Suppressors of lapC mutation identify new regulators of LpxC, which mediates the first committed step in lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis
PublicationGram-negative bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, are characterized by an asymmetric outer membrane (OM) with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) located in the outer leaflet and phospholipids facing the inner leaflet. E. coli recruits LPS assembly proteins LapB, LapC and LapD in concert with FtsH protease to ensure a balanced biosynthesis of LPS and phospholipids. We recently reported that bacteria either lacking the periplasmic domain of...
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Microplastics removal from aqueous environment by metal organic frameworks
PublicationThis paper provides an overview of recent research performed on the applications of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) for microplastics (MPs) removal from aqueous environments. MPs pollution has become a major environmental concern due to its negative impacts on aquatic ecosystems and human health. Therefore, developing effective and sustainable methods for removing them from aqueous environments is crucial. In recent years, MOFs...
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Young Shoots of White and Red Headed Cabbages Like Novel Sources of Glucosinolates as Well as Antioxidative Substances
PublicationMost literature data indicate that the diet rich in plant products reduces the risk of developing chronic non-communicable diseases and cancer. Brassica vegetables are almost exclusively synthesizing glucosinolates. Glucosinolates are higher in sprouts than in mature plants, being related to the activity of the specific myrosinase involved in the degradation of glucosinolates during developmental stages. This study compares the...
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Application of g-C3N4/ZnO nanocomposites for fabrication of anti-fouling polymer membranes with dye and protein rejection superiority
PublicationPolysulfone (PSf) membranes are privileged for water and wastewater treatment, but because of their hydrophobic nature, they suffer from fouling, which lowers their performance and lifetime. In this work, g-C3N4 and g-C3N4/ZnO nanomaterials were synthesized via a hydrothermal method to modify the PSf membrane for effective dye separation and reduction of organic fouling. Since g-C3N4/ZnO possesses –OH and –NH reactive groups, g-C3N4/ZnO/PSf...
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Multi-Channel Virtual Instrument for Measuring Temperature—A Case Study
PublicationThe article presents the hardware and software configuration of the developed multi-channel temperature measurement system as well as calibration procedures and measurement results verifying the properties of measurement channels. The system has been developed and dedicated primarily for measuring the temperature distribution in a laboratory model simulating underground power lines. With the adopted configuration of the analog...
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Analysis of the Surface Stereometry of Alloyed Austenitic Steel after Fibre Laser Cutting using Confocal Microscopy
PublicationThe paper extends the concept of cut edge quality and examines the fibre laser cutting process. A Prima Power Platino Fiber Evo device with a reference speed (RS) of 3500 mm/min was used for laser cutting. In order to analyse the influence of the laser cutting speed on the cut edge quality of X5CrNi18-10 stainless steel sheets, macroscopic studies were conducted on a stereoscopic microscope and surface stereometry on a confocal...
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Constant-Factor Approximation Algorithm for Binary Search in Trees with Monotonic Query Times
PublicationWe consider a generalization of binary search in linear orders to the domain of weighted trees. The goal is to design an adaptive search strategy whose aim is to locate an unknown target vertex of a given tree. Each query to a vertex v incurs a non-negative cost ω(v) (that can be interpreted as the duration of the query) and returns a feedback that either v is the target or the edge incident to v is given that is on the path towards...
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Wage response to global production links: evidence for workers from 28 European countries (2005–2014)
PublicationUsing rich individual-level data on workers from 28 European countries, this study provides the first so extensive cross-country assessment of wage response to global production links within GVC in the period 2005–2014. Unlike the other studies, the authors (i) address the importance of backward linkages in globally integrated production structures (capturing imports of goods and services needed in any stage of the production of...
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Selected problems of decision making modelling in power engineering
PublicationThe paper presents the selected problems of decision making modelling in power engineering specially investment risk evaluation methods. The proposed model can be used in the range programming the development and investing process in power engineering. Decision making problems in power engineering and the evaluation of investment effectiveness in particular are closely related to modelling which relatively accurately reflects...
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Review of International Standards and Policy Guidelines for Smart Sustainable Cities
PublicationSmart cities are often criticized for preoccupation with technology, for ignoring the negative effects of technology, for irrelevance to the needs of the poor, and for ubiquitous data collection creating perfect conditions for surveillance societies and autocratic states. In response, cities pursue smartness and sustainability simultaneously, becoming global (by participation in global digital networks) and local (by addressing...
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The effect of paleo-environment on hydrocarbon generation potential: Example from Vaca Muerta Formation, Neuquén Basin, Argentina
PublicationA 137-m continuous core from the Jurassic-Early Cretaceous marine derived oil shale with the maturity Ro about 0.7 %, representing the oil window in the Vaca Muerta Formation, Neuquén Basin, Argentina, was examined using geological, mineralogical, petrographic, and geochemistry techniques. Three distinct intervals were identified within the core: the upper carbonate-rich section with intense bioturbation, indicating dysoxic to...
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Guanosine Dianions Hydrated by One to Four Water Molecules
PublicationIntermolecular interactions such as those present in molecule···water complexes may profoundly influence the physicochemical properties of molecules. Here, we carried out an experimental–computational study on doubly deprotonated guanosine monophosphate···water clusters, [dGMP – 2H]2–·nH2O (n = 1–4), using a combination of negative anion photoelectron spectroscopy (NIPES) with molecular dynamics (MD) and quantum chemical (QM) calculations....
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Role of size scale of ZnO nanoparticles and microparticles on toxicity toward bacteria and osteoblast cancer cells
PublicationThe specific role of size scale, surface capping, and aspect ratio of zinc oxide (ZnO) particles on toxicity toward prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells was investigated. ZnO nano and microparticles of controlled size and mor- phology were synthesized by wet chemical methods. Cytotoxicity toward mammalian cells was studied using a human osteoblast cancer cell line and antibacterial activity using Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia...
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A comparative analysis of phenotypic and genotypic methods for the determination of the biofilm-forming abilities of Staphylococcus epidermidis
PublicationThe collection of 146 Staphylococcus epidermidis strains isolated from the nasopharynx of lung cancer patients has been studied for the ability of slime secretion and biofilm formation using the Congo red agar (CRA) test and the microtiter plate (MtP) method, respectively. The prevalence of the icaAD and the aap genes was also analyzed. Some isolates (35.6%) were biofilm positive by the MtP method, while 58.9% of isolates exhibited...
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How can HSR promote inter-city collaborative innovation across regional borders?
PublicationMany studies have shown that high-speed rail (HSR) can reshape the spatial pattern of economic geography. However, there needs to be more logical argumentation and rigorous empirical design on the paths and mechanisms involved. This paper considers the impact of the border effect on HSR links and innovation clusters from the perspective of inter-regional collaborative innovation. It provides a logical and compact theoretical...
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Stable nanoconjugates of transferrin with alloyed quaternary nanocrystals Ag–In–Zn–S as a biological entity for tumor recognition
PublicationOne way to limit the negative effects of anti-tumor drugs on healthy cells is targeted therapy employing functionalized drug carriers. Here we present a biocompatible and stable nanoconjugate of transferrin anchored to Ag-In-Zn-S quantum dots modified with 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (Tf-QD) as a drug carrier versus typical anticancer drug, doxorubicin. Detailed investigations of Tf-QD nanoconjugates without and with doxorubicin...
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Anisotropic mechanical behavior and auxeticity of penta-graphene: Molecular statics/molecular dynamics studies
PublicationWe investigate the mechanical properties of penta-graphene (PG), a recently proposed two-dimensional carbon allotrope using atomistic simulation techniques combined with the empirical description of interatomic interactions. We report on the dependence of its three in-plane mechanical moduli (i.e. Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio and shear modulus) on the deformation direction, strain and temperature. We show that PG displays a...
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Photocatalytic and Antimicrobial Properties of Ag2O/TiO2 Heterojunction
PublicationAg2O/TiO2 heterojunctions were prepared by a simple method, i.e., the grinding of argentous oxide with six different titania photocatalysts. The physicochemical properties of the obtained photocatalysts were characterized by diffuse-reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) with an energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The photocatalytic activity was...
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Effect of User Mobility upon Trust Building among Autonomous Content Routers in an Information-Centric Network
PublicationThe capability of proactive in-network caching and sharing of content is one of the most important features of an informationcentric network (ICN). We describe an ICN model featuring autonomous agents controlling the content routers. Such agents are unlikely to share cached content with other agents without an incentive to do so. To stimulate cooperation between agents, we adopt a reputation and trust building scheme that is able...
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Analysis of Reasons of Accidents Between Cyclists and Public Transport Vehicles in Cities
PublicationIn European cities, a bicycle is now or is systematically becoming an equal means of transport. Unfortunately, the growth of bicycle traffic is associated with an increase in the number of accidents involving cyclists. Some of these accidents, are events with cyclists and public transport vehicles - and therefore means of transport, which together are to constitute a serious alternative to a car. Although the share of these kind...
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Examining Government-Citizen Interactions on Twitter using Visual and Sentiment Analysis
PublicationThe goal of this paper is to propose a methodology comprising a range of visualization techniques to analyze the interactions between government and citizens on the issues of public concern taking place on Twitter, mainly through the official government or ministry accounts. The methodology addresses: 1) the level of government activity in different countries and sectors; 2) the topics that are addressed through such activities;...
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GreedyMAX-type Algorithms for the Maximum Independent Set Problem
PublicationA maximum independent set problem for a simple graph G = (V,E) is to find the largest subset of pairwise nonadjacent vertices. The problem is known to be NP-hard and it is also hard to approximate. Within this article we introduce a non-negative integer valued functionp defined on the vertex set V(G) and called a potential function of agraph G, while P(G) = max{vinV(G)| p(v)} is called a potential of G. For any graph P(G) <= D(G),...
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Study of the Anti-Staphylococcal Potential of Honeys Produced in Northern Poland
PublicationThe antimicrobial activity of 144 samples of honeys including 95 products from apiaries located in Northern Poland was evaluated. The antibacterial activity of those natural products, their thermal stability, and activity in the presence of catalase was investigated by microdilution assays in titration plates. The MTT assay was performed for the determination of anti-biofilm activity. Spectrophotometric assays were used for the...
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Effect of osmolytes of different type on DNA behavior in aqueous solution. Experimental and theoretical studies
PublicationOsmolytes, the small organic molecules accumulated in cells under environmental stress, can modulate the stability of biopolymers such as proteins and DNA. In spite of many years of research, there is no established molecular mechanism of the influence of osmolytes on DNA structure. Here, we used two model osmolytes that denature (urea) or stabilize (trimethylglycine, TMG) proteins to study their effect on DNA in aqueous solutions...
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Investigation of the electrochemical behaviour of AA1050 aluminium alloy in aqueous alkaline solutions using Dynamic Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy
PublicationThe paper presents the electrochemical behaviour of aluminium alloy AA1050 in aqueous alkaline media in the pH range 14–8.5. Electrochemical study was applied in order to obtain comprehensive information on the mechanism and kinetics of the process of anodic dissolution of aluminium, supplemented by monitoring of surface topography using an electron microscope. The corrosion rate of AA1050 increases with increasing concentration...
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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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Organotin Compounds: Environmental Fate and Analytics
PublicationFor more than 50 years, organotin compounds have been used in almost all sectors of industry. As a consequence, specific environmental compartments are affected by the emission of these xenobiotics. The emissions of organotin compounds into the environment from paints used in the shipbuilding industry for ship hull coating, and from the plant protection products are particularly significant.In 2001, the IMO introduced a global...
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Sample preparation techniques for determination of pesticide residues in food samples
PublicationPesticides are very important in increasing the efficiency and quality of agricultural production. They are applied in many spheres of life, not only in agriculture, and their applications are expanding. Despite their numerous merits, pesticides are some of the most toxic substances contaminating our environment and have a negative impact on the human health. Properties of pesticides such as stability, ability to bioaccumulation...
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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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Microbe Cultivation Guidelines to Optimize Rhamnolipid Applications
PublicationIn the growing landscape of interest in natural surfactants, selecting the appropriate one for specific applications remains challenging. The extensive, yet often unsystematized, knowledge of microbial surfactants, predominantly represented by rhamnolipids (RLs), typically does not translate beyond the conditions presented in scientific publications. This limitation stems from the numerous variables and their interdependencies...
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Oxolane Ammonium Salts (Muscarine-Like)—Synthesis and Microbiological Activity
PublicationCommercially available 2-deoxy-D-ribose was used to synthesize the appropriate oxolane derivative—(2R,3S)-2-(hydroxymethyl)oxolan-3-ol—by reduction and dehydration/cyclization in an acidic aqueous solution. Its monotosyl derivative, as a result of the quaternization reaction, allowed us to obtain eight new muscarine-type derivatives containing a quaternary nitrogen atom and a hydroxyl group linked to the oxolane ring. Their structure...
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Nonlinearity shaping in nanostructured glass-diamond hybrid materials for optical fiber preforms
PublicationNanodiamond integration with optical fibers has proved a compelling methodology for magneto-optics. We reveal that the applicability of nanodiamonds in nonlinear optics goes beyond the previous demonstrations of frequency converters. Instead, we exploit the recently reported volumetric integration of nanodiamonds along the optical fiber core and show that the nonlinear response of glasses can be manipulated by nanodiamonds. By...
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Effect of Ion and Binding Site on the Conformation of Chosen Glycosaminoglycans at the Albumin Surface
PublicationAlbumin is one of the major components of synovial fluid. Due to its negative surface charge, it plays an essential role in many physiological processes, including the ability to form molecular complexes. In addition, glycosaminoglycans such as hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate are crucial components of synovial fluid involved in the boundary lubrication regime. This study presents the influence of Na+, Mg2+ and Ca2+ ions...
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Exploring the relationship between investment choices, cognitive abilities risk attitudes and financial literacy
PublicationPurpose The main purpose of this study is to investigate the investment choices' relationship with cognitive abilities, risk aversion, risky investment intentions, subjective financial literacy and objective financial literacy. Design/methodology/approach To examine the relationship, two investment choices were given to 256 subjects from Pakistan. Questionnaire had total 20 questions for measuring five variables. To review this...
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Effects of the Covid-19 travel restrictions on metropolises mobility: empirical evidence from the Tricity metropolis (Poland)
PublicationThis paper aims to assess changes in mobility and modal shift caused by COVID-19 travel restrictions among the residents of Gdańsk Bay Metropolis (Poland). Measurement’s moments were assumed in periods differing in the level of restric- tions. The computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI) was carried out in November and December 2020. The results did not confirm the expected modal shift. However, significant changes in the number...
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Superconductivity and appearance of negative magnetocaloric effect in Ba1–xKxBiO3 perovskites, doped by Y, La and Pr
PublicationRecently, substantial attention is given to the bismuth-based perovskites for variety of electronic applications. The perovskites are used for quantum dots displays (QLED), photovoltaic systems and superconducting (HTS) devices. In this paper comprehensive studies of Ba1–xKxBi1–yREyO3 bismuth perovskites (REBKBO, RE = Y , La or Pr) are reported. Apart from structural anomalous behavior at low temperatures, the electronic properties...
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Synthesis and Characterization of Poly(zwitterionic) Structures for Energy Conversion and Storage
PublicationZwitterions are unique class of molecules that possess two functional groups bearing electric charges, one positive and second negative. This setup results in peculiar properties such as high water retention and anti-fouling capability. Therefore, zwitterionic coatings and gels are commonly applied in e.g. biosensing and bioelectronic devices. Despite those applications, there are other perspectives for zwitterionic materials....
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A New Direct-Sequence Spread Spectrum Signal Detection Method for Underwater Acoustic Communications in Shallow-Water Channel
PublicationDirect-Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) is one of the modulation and coding techniques used in Underwater Acoustic Communication (UAC) systems for reliable data transmision even at low signal levels. However, in a shallow water channel, there is a strong multipath propagation which causes a phase fluctuation of the received signal, affecting the performance of the spread-spectrum system. The article presents a differential method...