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Structural, physicochemical and anticancer study of Zn complexes with pyridyl-based thiazolyl-hydrazones
PublicationThiazolyl-hydrazones (THs) exhibit a wide spectrum of biological activity that can be enhanced by complexation with various metal ions. Zn(II) complexes with α-pyridine-1,3-TH ligands may represent an alternative to the standard platinum-based chemotherapeutics. In addition, they show photoluminescence properties and thus can be regarded as multifunctional materials. In this study, we synthesized and characterized three neutral...
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Nanomaterials for photothermal and photodynamic cancer therapy
PublicationIn recent years, the role of optically sensitive nanomaterials has become powerful moieties in therapeutic techniques and has become particularly emphasized. Currently, by the extraordinary development of nanomaterials in different fields of medicine, they have found new applications. Phototherapy modalities, such as photothermal therapy (PTT) by toxic heat generation and photodynamic therapy (PDT) by reactive oxygen species, are...
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Effective assessment of biopolymer-based multifunctional sorbents for the remediation of environmentally hazardous contaminants from aqueous solutions
PublicationPersistent contaminants in wastewater effluent pose a significant threat to aquatic life and are one of the most significant environmental concerns of our time. Although there are a variety of traditional methods available in wastewater treatment, including adsorption, coagulation, flocculation, ion exchange, membrane filtration, co-precipitation and solvent extraction, none of these have been found to be significantly cost-effective...
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Can high hydrostatic pressure processing be the best way to preserve human milk?
PublicationBreastfeeding is one of the most important factors influencing proper child development. When a mother cannot breastfeed, the best alternative, especially for feeding premature infants, is to then use of human milk (HM) which has been collected, preserved and stored in Human Milk Banks (HMB). Scope and approach: In this review, the impact of some stages of the management of HM in HMB on its final biological value and microbiological...
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Antenna Modeling Using Variable-Fidelity EM Simulations and Constrained Co-Kriging
PublicationUtilization of fast surrogate models has become a viable alternative to direct handling of fullwave electromagnetic (EM) simulations in EM-driven design. Their purpose is to alleviate the difficulties related to high computational cost of multiple simulations required by the common numerical procedures such as parametric optimization or uncertainty quantification. Yet, conventional data-driven (or approximation) modeling techniques...
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Bio-Based Polyurethane Networks Derived from Liquefied Sawdust
PublicationThe utilization of forestry waste resources in the production of polyurethane resins is a promising green alternative to the use of unsustainable resources. Liquefaction of wood-based biomass gives polyols with properties depending on the reagents used. In this article, the liquefaction of forestry wastes, including sawdust, in solvents such as glycerol and polyethylene glycol was investigated. The liquefaction process was carried...
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WHY SHOULD WE ADOPT NON-USED ATTICS OF MONUMENTAL SACRAL CATHOLIC CHURCHES FOR SECULAR PURPOSES?
PublicationA motive for adapting the desecrated churches to new purposes is a broadly discussed matter, progressively better investigated and defined. Is it advisable to introduce a new, permanent function, complementary to the sacred one in the historical ecclesial buildings? This paper presents the results of the research on benefits of adapting the non-utilized attics of monumental churches still performing their sacred function, located...
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Dual-Setting Bone Cement Based On Magnesium Phosphate Modified with Glycol Methacrylate Designed for Biomedical Applications
PublicationMagnesium phosphate cement (MPC) is a suitable alternative for the currently used calcium phosphates, owing to beneficial properties like favorable resorption rate, fast hardening, and higher compressive strength. However, due to insufficient mechanical properties and high brittleness, further improvement is still expected. In this paper, we reported the preparation of a novel type of dual-setting cement based on MPC with poly(2-hydroxyethyl...
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Phytochemical screening and biological evaluation of Greek sage (Salvia fruticosa Mill.) extracts
PublicationThis study explores the influence of extraction solvents on the composition and bioactivity of Salvia fruticosa extracts. Ultrasound-assisted extraction with water, ethanol and their mixtures in variable proportions was used to produce four different extracts. An untargeted UPLC/MS‑based metabolomics was performed to discover metabolites profile variation between the extracts. In the analyzed samples, 2704 features had been detected,...
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How green are ionic liquids? – A multicriteria decision analysis approach
PublicationDue to various desirable physicochemical properties, ionic liquids (ILs) are still gaining in popularity. ILs have been recurrently considered green solvents. However, environmental, health and safety assessments of ILs have raised certain doubts about their benignness, and their greenness status is currently unclear. To clarify the situation on their greenness, we perform a comprehensive assessment of more than 300 commercially...
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Planning optimised multi-tasking operations under the capability for parallel machining
PublicationThe advent of advanced multi-tasking machines (MTMs) in the metalworking industry has provided the opportunity for more efficient parallel machining as compared to traditional sequential processing. It entailed the need for developing appropriate reasoning schemes for efficient process planning to take advantage of machining capabilities inherent in these machines. This paper addresses an adequate methodical approach for a non-linear...
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Comparative Assessment of Bacteriophage and Antibiotic Activity against Multidrug-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Biofilms
PublicationProblems connected with biofilm-related infections and antibiotic resistance necessitate the investigation and development of novel treatment strategies. Given their unique characteristics, one of the most promising alternatives to conventional antibiotics are bacteriophages. In the in vitro and in vivo larva model study, we demonstrate that phages vB_SauM-A, vB_SauM-C, and vB_SauM-D are effective antibiofilm agents. The exposure...
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Preparation and X-ray structures of selected aminium thiosulfates
PublicationVarious types of aminium thiosulfates (1–6), including hydrates and mixed salts, have been obtained by the reaction of ammonium thiosulfate with amines. Tertbutylamine, cyclo-hexylamine and 1,6-diaminohexane gave crystals of (t-BuNH3)2S2O3·H2O (1), (c-C6H11NH3)2S2O3 (3) and {(NH4)2(H3NC6H12NH3)(S2O3)2} (6), respectively, which were investigated by X-ray structural analysis. Extensive hydrogen bonding of the N-H…O and N-H…S type...
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IDENTIFICATION OF THE INTERFECE OF LATERAL SLIDE BEARINGS
PublicationIn the paper, the model of slide bearings of motor engine, the metodology of research on this type of bearings and its results are presented measurement standpoint consisting of main elements of Briggs & Stratton 550 serie 10 T 802 model piston motor engine driven by three phase elektric engine is introduced . On the measurement standpoint are measurements were done, needed for specification...
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Hybrid cross-linked chitosan/protonated-proline:glucose DES membranes with superior pervaporation performance for ethanol dehydration
PublicationThis work explores a protonated L-proline:glucose (molar ratio 5:1) deep eutectic solvent (DES) in fabricating biopolymer membranes utilizing chitosan (CS). Initially, the miscibility of CS and DES to prepare homogeneous dense blend membranes has been investigated. Different techniques, such as scanning electron microscopy, contact angle (CA), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and swelling...
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<i>N,N,N</i>-Trimethyl-N-(methyl 5-deoxy-2,3-<i>O</i>-isopropylidene-β-D-ribofuranosid-5- yl)ammonium 4-methylbenzenesulfonate sesquihydrate.
PublicationThe structure of the title compound, [C12H24NO4][C7H7O3S]·1.5H2O, contains alternating layers parallel to (001) of hydrophobic and polar character, stabilized by C-H...O hydrogen bonding. The furan ring adopts an envelope conformation with the C(OMe) atom as the flap, and the dioxolane ring is twisted about one of the O-C(methine) bonds. A comparison to related compounds is presented. The tosylate-O atoms were disordered over two...
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Conception for diagnosing SI engines fed with biofuel in operation conditions
PublicationThe article deals with the question of diagnosing the high power self ignition (SI) engines fed with pro-ecologic fuels in an aspect of appearing operation problems. There has been presented the specific of action and techno-operation profile of the combustion engine foreseen as an investigations object. The preliminary conception of diagnostic investigations of the engine 7L35MC type produced in H. Cegielski - Poznan S.A. factory...
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Improvement of CO2 absorption and inhibition of NH3 escape during CaCO3 precipitation in the presence of selected alcohols and polyols
PublicationThis research aims to investigate the effect of selected organic substances containing hydroxyl groups on the reduction of NH3 escape and the improvement of CO2 capture during the precipitation of calcium carbonate by carbonation method using post-distillation liquid from the Solvay process and gas stream containing CO2 in the amount corresponding to the exhausted gases produced by the combustion of fossil fuels. Glycerol, ethylene...
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Potential applications of crude glycerol in polymer technology–Current state and perspectives
PublicationThe increasing use of bio-based fuels and fuel additives, among them biodiesel, causes significant surplus of crude glycerol on the market which creates new challenges in terms of its sustainable utilization. A lot of ways for the incorporation of this by-product into different branches of industry requires purification by expensive and complicated processes. Therefore, researchers are seeking for applications of untreated crude...
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Performance of microbial fuel cells operated under anoxic conditions
PublicationNowadays, microbial fuel cells (MFC) stand up as a promising renewable energy source. Due to the ability of the MFC to oxidize a wide spectrum of substrates, wastewater seems to be one of the most interesting fuels. Unfortunately, wastewater could contain electron acceptors such as nitrate, which could interfere with the electrical performance of the MFC. In this work, the influence of oxidised nitrogen forms on the electricity...
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Export diversification and dependence on natural resources
PublicationLow export diversification is a risk-augmenting factor for many countries dependent on natural resources. The literature tends to focus on the growth effects of resource dependence (‘resource curse’ debate) while not much is known on how it affects the variety of non-resource exports. To quantify this effect we decompose the relative Theil index using product-level export data from 160 countries over the time period 1996–2018....
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Management and economic of engineer projects
e-Learning CoursesLectures - 05 October-30 November, 2023 1. Project management: Engineers, projects, management, planning and scheduling, personnel and organizational, team building, project control, estimating and ordering. 2. Team building: personality types, team effectiveness. 3. Project management: WBS, Gantt, Earned Value Method, critical path, risk management. 4. Economic Engineering: Establishing economic equivalence, Interest: cost...
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Analiza przestrzenna sprzedaży paliw
PublicationZe względu na zmieniające się warunki i niepewność ekonomiczną gospodarowania, przeprowadzane badania dotyczące popytu na paliwa płynne dotyczą głównie zmian popytu w czasie, rzadziej w przestrzeni. Jednak rozwój narzędzi ekonometrycznych, który dokonał się w latach dziewięćdziesiątych, umożliwił nie tylko badania zmian popytu wynikające ze związków przyczynowo-skutkowych zachodzących w czasie, ale również w przestrzeni oraz w...
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Uniwersalna metoda projektowania regulacji osi toru z wykorzystaniem pomiarów satelitarnych i optymalizacji
PublicationW pracy zwrócono uwagę na ograniczenia stosowanej w naszym kraju metodyki regulacji osi toru związane w głównym stopniu z uzyskiwaną dokładnością określania istniejącego kształtu toru. Jako rozwiązanie alternatywne wskazano opracowaną przez interdyscyplinarny zespół naukowy Politechniki Gdańskiej i Akademii Marynarki Wojennej / Akademii Morskiej w Gdyni i stosowaną od 2009 roku nowatorską technikę mobilnych pomiarów satelitarnych....
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Innowacja urbanistyczna w kontekście kształtowania środowiska mieszkaniowego
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Pyrolysis of Waste Biomass: Technical and Process Achievements, and Future Development-A Review
PublicationPyrolysis has been applied in the human economy for many years, and it has become a significant alternative to the production of chemical compounds, including biofuels. The article fo-cuses mostly on recent achievements in the technical and processing aspects of pyrolysis. The aim of the review is to present the latest research on the process of waste biomass pyrolysis to fuel production. The paper describes the mechanisms of...
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Challenges in determination of pesticides from various chemical groups in fruits and vegetables applying QuEChERS method
PublicationPesticides are a large group of compounds with different physical and chemical properties, which place some of them among the most toxic, environmentally stable, and mobile substances. Nevertheless, their number, use, and application are continuously expanding. A consequence of their use is the possible presence of residues in treated food products. To protect consumers from exposure to unacceptable levels of pesticides Maximum...
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Peptidoglycan hydrolases - potential weapons against Staphylococcus aureus
PublicationBacteria of the genus Staphylococcus are common pathogens responsible for a broad spectrum of human and animal infections and belong to most important etiological factors causing food poisoning. Because of rapid increase in prevalence of isolation of staphylococci resistant to many antibiotics, there is an urgent need for development of new alternative chemotherapeutics. A number of studies have recently demonstrated the strong...
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Single-Family Treatment Wetlands Progress in Poland
PublicationLong distances from one farm to another as well as unfavourable terrain configuration in rural areas in Poland result in high investment and operation costs of sewerage systems. Treatment wetlands (TWs) can be an alternative solution to sewage treatment in rural communities, schools, at campsites and for single houses. In this paper the results of 4 years monitoring of single-family treatment plants (SFTWs) in Kaszuby Lake...
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Long-distance quantum communication over noisy networks without long-time quantum memory
PublicationThe problem of sharing entanglement over large distances is crucial for implementations of quantum cryptography. A possible scheme for long-distance entanglement sharing and quantum communication exploits networks whose nodes share Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) pairs. In Perseguers et al. [Phys. Rev. A 78, 062324 (2008)] the authors put forward an important isomorphism between storing quantum information in a dimension D and transmission...
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Large hydrodynamic thrust bearing: Comparison of the calculations and measurements
PublicationHydrodynamic thrust bearings, used to carry axial loads in heavily loaded shafts of water power plants hydro turbines, can reach outer diameters even exceeding 5 m. In such large objects scale effect could be observed. According to this, allowable bearing specific load assuring safe operation of the bearings has to be decreased, which increases thrust bearing dimensions. This effect is caused by excessive thermal deflections of...
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A Robust Random Forest Model for Classifying the Severity of Partial Discharges in Dielectrics
PublicationPartial Discharges (PDs) are a common source of degradation in electrical assets. It is essential that the extent of the deterioration level of insulating medium is correctly identified, to optimize maintenance schedules and prevent abrupt power outages. Temporal PD signals received from damaged insulation, collected through the IEC-60270 method is the gold standard for PD detection. Temporal signals may be transformed to the frequency...
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Impact evaluation of a cycling promotion campaign using daily bicycle counters data: The case of Cycling May in Poland
PublicationThe promotion of active and sustainable transport modes as an alternative to motorised individual transport has become a key policy priority in Europe, to reduce air pollution, road congestion, noise, traffic injuries, and the adverse health outcomes of sedentary lifestyles. Policymakers are implementing a wide range of measures to encourage this shift in attitudes and behaviours. These interventions are most valuable when targeting...
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Is mesh fixation necessary in laparoendoscopic techniques for M3 inguinal defects? An experimental study.
Publicationrepairs, in case of large direct hernias (M3) mesh fixation is recommended to reduce recurrence risk. Despite lack of highquality evidence, the recommendation was upgraded to strong by expert panel. The authors conducted a research experiment to verify the hypothesis that it is possible to preserve the mesh in the operating field in large direct hernias (M3) without the need to use fixing materials. Method The authors conducted...
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A New Expression System Based on Psychrotolerant Debaryomyces macquariensis Yeast and Its Application to the Production of Cold-Active β-D-Galactosidase from Paracoccus sp. 32d
PublicationYeasts provide attractive host/vector systems for heterologous gene expression. The currently used yeast-based expression platforms include mesophilic and thermotolerant species. A eukaryotic expression system working at low temperatures could be particularly useful for the production of thermolabile proteins and proteins that tend to form insoluble aggregates. For this purpose, an expression system based on an Antarctic psychrotolerant...
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Water-Lubricated Sintered Bronze Journal Bearings—Theoretical and Experimental Research
PublicationWater lubricated bearings are used from many years in shipbuilding, hydro power and other industries because of their advantages such as: extensive serviceable life, low coefficient of friction, longevity of shaft sleeve, good abrasion resistance, low maintenance required, unit simplicity, no danger of pollution and low price. Various types of water lubricated sliding bearings have been tested at the Technical University of Gdansk...
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Elicitation strategies for the improvement of essential oil content in Rhododendron tomentosum (Ledum palustre) bioreactor-grown microshoots
PublicationRhododendron tomentosum Harmaja, previously Ledum palustre L., is a fragrant plant growing in swampy areas, which is characterized by well-known repellent properties and the anti-arthritic potential. In the present study, R. tomentosum microshoots cultivated in RITA® bioreactor, providing the alternative, environment-independent source of the valuable essential oil, were treated for 7 days with copper and nickel salts, methyl jasmonate,...
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Immunophenotyping and transcriptional profiling of in vitro cultured human adipose tissue derived stem cells
PublicationAdipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) have become an important research model in regenerative medicine. However, there are controversies regarding the impact of prolonged cell culture on the ASCs phenotype and their differentiation potential. Hence, we studied 10 clinical ASCs replicates from plastic and oncological surgery patients, in six-passage FBS supplemented cultures. We quantified basic mesenchymal cell surface marker transcripts...
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Reasons for Implementing Movement in Kinetic Architecture
PublicationThe paper gives insights into different forms of movement in contemporary architecture and examines them based on the reasons for their implementation. The main objective of the paper is to determine: the degree to which the complexity of kinematic architecture results from functional and spatial needs and what other motivations there are. The method adopted to investigate these questions involves theoretical studies and comparative analyses...
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Wastewater treatment by means of advanced oxidation processes based on cavitation – A review
PublicationHydrodynamic and acoustic cavitation combined with advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), including, among others, the Fenton process, is a promising alternative to the technologies of wastewater treatment technologies in use today. The present review discusses processes based on cavitation combined with AOPs and evaluates their effectiveness in oxidation of organic contaminants. Complete degradation of, among others, p-nitrotoluene,...
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A highly thermostable, homodimeric single-stranded DNA-binding protein from Deinococcus radiopugnans
PublicationWe report the identification and characterization of the single-stranded DNA-binding protein (SSB) from the mesophile and highly radiation-resistant Deinococcus radiopugnans (DrpSSB). PCR-derived DNA fragment containing the complete structural gene for DrpSSB protein was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The gene consisting of an open reading frame of 900 nucleotides encodes a protein of 300 amino acids with a calculated...
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Antifungal Activity and Synergism with Azoles of Polish Propolis
PublicationThe aim of our work was to check if one of the products of natural origin, namely honey 19 bee propolis may be an alternative or supplement to currently used antifungal agents. The activity 20 of 50 ethanolic extracts of propolis (EEPs), harvested in Polish apiaries, was tested on a group of 69 21 clinical isolates of C. albicans. Most of the EEPs showed satisfactory activity, with minimum 22 fungicidal concentrations (MFC) mainly...
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Up-conversion white emission and other luminescence properties of a YAG:Yb2O3·Tm2O3·Ho2O3@SiO2 glass-nanocomposite
PublicationWe report on a glass-nanocomposite material consisting of yttrium aluminum garnet (Y3Al5O12, YAG) nanocrystals co-doped with Yb3+, Tm3+ and Ho3+ ions as well as entrapped into a SiO2 xerogel. This 94YAG·5Yb2O3·0.8Tm2O3·0.2Ho2O3@SiO2 (abbr. YAG:YbTmHo@SiO2) nanocomposite material has been prepared by sol–gel procedure. Its structure and morphology has been characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope...
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Gesture Recognition With the Linear Optical Sensor and Recurrent Neural Networks
PublicationIn this paper, the optical linear sensor, a representative of low-resolution sensors, was investigated in the multiclass recognition of near-field hand gestures. The recurrent neural network (RNN) with a gated recurrent unit (GRU) memory cell was utilized as a gestures classifier. A set of 27 gestures was collected from a group of volunteers. The 27 000 sequences obtained were divided into training, validation, and test subsets....
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Rapid Design of 3D Reflectarray Antennas by Inverse Surrogate Modeling and Regularization
PublicationReflectarrays (RAs) exhibit important advantages over conventional antenna arrays, especially in terms of realizing pencil-beam patterns without the employment of the feeding networks. Unfortunately, microstrip RA implementations feature narrow bandwidths, and are severely affected by losses. A considerably improved performance can be achieved for RAs involving grounded dielectric layers, which are also easy to manufacture using...
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Analytical applications of smartphones for agricultural soil analysis
PublicationSoil is one of the most important farming resources. Appropriate managing of its quality promotes productive and sustainable agriculture. The valuable farm practice in soil quality managing is based on regular soil analysis with the aim to determine the exact amount of nutrients or other chemical, physical and biological soil properties. Soil analysis usually requires samples collection at desired sampling depth following by samples...
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Improving the procedure of probabilistic load testing design of typical bridges based on structural response similarities
PublicationThis paper concerns load testing of typical bridge structures performed prior to operation. In-situ tests of a two-span post-tensioned bridge loaded with three vehicles of 38-ton mass each formed the input of this study. On the basis of the results of these measurements, an advanced FEM model of the structure was developed for which the sensitivity analysis was performed for chosen uncertainty sources. Three uncorrelated random...
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Exploring the Role of Social Media Use Motives, Psychological Well-Being, Self-Esteem, and Affect in Problematic Social Media Use
PublicationGiven recent advances in technology, connectivity, and the popularity of social media platforms, recent literature has devoted great attention to problematic Facebook use. However, exploring the potential predictors of problematic social media use beyond Facebook use has become paramount given the increasing popularity of multiple alternative platforms. In this study, a sample of 584 social media users (Mage = 32.28 years; 67.81%...
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Real-time isothermal DNA amplification monitoring in picoliter volumes using an optical fiber sensor
PublicationRolling circle amplification (RCA) of DNA can be considered as a great alternative to the gold standard polymerase chain reaction (PCR), especially during this pandemic period, where rapid, sensitive, and reliable test results for hundreds of thousands of samples are required daily. This work presents the first research to date on direct, real-time and label-free isothermal DNA amplification monitoring using a microcavity in-line...
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Rapid Multi-Criterial Antenna Optimization by Means of Pareto Front Triangulation and Interpolative Design Predictors
PublicationModern antenna systems are designed to meet stringent performance requirements pertinent to both their electrical and field properties. The objectives typically stay in conflict with each other. As the simultaneous improvement of all performance parameters is rarely possible, compromise solutions have to be sought. The most comprehensive information about available design trade-offs can be obtained through multi-objective optimization...
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One More Step Towards a Circular Economy for Thermal Insulation Materials—Development of Composites Highly Filled with Waste Polyurethane (PU) Foam for Potential Use in the Building Industry
PublicationThe rapid development of the building sector has created increased demand for novel materials and technologies, while on the other hand resulting in the generation of a severe amount of waste materials. Among these are polyurethane (PU) foams, which are commonly applied as thermal insulation materials. Their management is a serious industrial problem, due to, for example, their complex chemical composition. Although some chemical...
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PREDICTION OF SHIP MOTIONS IN IRREGULAR WAVES BASED ON RESPONSE AMPLITUDE OPERATORS EVALUATED EXPERIMENTALLY IN NOISE WAVES
PublicationThe most common methods for predicting ship roll motions in a specified sea state are direct measurements of motions in a representative irregular wave realisation (time domain) or calculations of motions from response amplitude operators (RAOs) in the frequency domain. The result of the first method is valid only for the tested sea state, whilst the second method is more flexible but less accurate. RAO-based predictions are calculated...
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Synthesis and characterization of biopolyols through biomass liquefaction of wood shavings and their application in the preparation of polyurethane wood composites
PublicationThe sustainability of production systems in wood processing, wood industry, and wooden waste disposal is an important issue for European industry and society. Proper development of products based on renewable wood resources gives an opportunity to provide materials with long-term environmental, social, and economic sustainability. This study aims to establish a new way of forestry and agricultural waste materials utilization by...
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Deep eutectic solvents microbial toxicity: Current state of art and critical evaluation of testing methods
PublicationDeep eutectic solvents (DESs) were described at the beginning of 21st century and they consist of a mixture of two or more solid components, which gives rise to a lower melting point compared to the starting materials. Over the years, DESs have proved to be a promising alternative to traditional organic solvents and ionic liquids (ILs) due to their low volatility, low inflammability, easy preparation, and usually low cost of compounds...
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Post-Pyrolytic Carbon as a Phase Change Materials (PCMs) Carrier for Application in Building Materials
PublicationThis article covers new application for char as a carrier of phase-change materials (PCM) that could be used as an additive to building materials. Being composed of bio-char and PCM, the granulate successfully competes with more expensive commercial materials of this type, such as Micronal® PCM. As a PCM carrier, char that was obtained from the pyrolysis of chestnut fruit (Aesculus hippocastanum) with different absorbances of the...
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Interpretation and modeling of emotions in the management of autonomous robots using a control paradigm based on a scheduling variable
PublicationThe paper presents a technical introduction to psychological theories of emotions. It highlights a usable ideaimplemented in a number of recently developed computational systems of emotions, and the hypothesis thatemotion can play the role of a scheduling variable in controlling autonomous robots. In the main part ofthis study, we outline our own computational system of emotion – xEmotion – designed as a key structuralelement in...
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Low-Cost Automated Design of Compact Branch-Line Couplers
PublicationBranch-line couplers (BLCs) are important components of wireless communication systems. Conventional BLCs are often characterized by large footprints which make miniaturization an important prerequisite for their application in modern devices. State-of-the-art approaches to design of compact BLCs are largely based on the use of high-permittivity substrates and multi-layer topologies. Alternative methods involve replacement of transmission-line...
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Preparation and Characterization of Defective TiO2. The Effect of the Reaction Environment on Titanium Vacancies Formation
PublicationAmong various methods of improving visible light activity of titanium(IV) oxide, the formation of defects and vacancies (both oxygen and titanium) in the crystal structure of TiO2 is an easy and relatively cheap alternative to improve the photocatalytic activity. In the presented work, visible light active defective TiO2 was obtained by the hydrothermal reaction in the presence of three different oxidizing agents: HIO3, H2O2, and...
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The Influence of COD Fraction Forms and Molecules Size on Hydrolysis Process Developed by Comparative OUR Studies in Activated Sludge Modelling
PublicationThe activated sludge models (ASMs) commonly used by the International Water Association (IWA) task group are based on chemical oxygen demand (COD) fractionations. However, the proper evaluation of COD fractions, which is crucial for modelling and especially oxygen uptake rate (OUR) predictions, is still under debate. The biodegradation of particulate COD is initiated by the hydrolysis process, which is an integral part of an ASM....
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Biological and mechanical properties of bone cement with nanoarticles - in vitro and in vivo research
PublicationDespite antibiotic preventive treatment both before and after implant implementation, the risks of infection are real. These infections develop at the implant surface a few months after inserting them into the body. To prevent the development of bacteria and reduce the risk of infection, implants coated with nanoparticles are used. The Mechanical Department of the Technical University of Gdansk carries out research into using bone...
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Solubility of Carbon Dioxide in Deep Eutectic Solvents Based on 3-Amino-1-Propanol and Tetraalkylammonium Salts at Low Pressure
PublicationDeep eutectic solvents (DESs) became an object of a great interest as an alternative to ionic liquids (ILs) and commonly used in CO2 capture amine solutions. In the present study, five different DESs based on 3-amino-1-propanol as physical-chemical CO2 absorbents were used. The composition was chosen in order to estimate the effects of hydrogen bond acceptor:hydrogen bond donor (HBA:HBD) molar ratio, anion type and length of alkyl...
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imPlatelet classifier: image‐converted RNA biomarker profiles enable blood‐based cancer diagnostics
PublicationLiquid biopsies offer a minimally invasive sample collection, outperforming traditional biopsies employed for cancer evaluation. The widely used material is blood, which is the source of tumor-educated platelets. Here, we developed the imPlatelet classifier, which converts RNA-sequenced platelet data into images in which each pixel corresponds to the expression level of a certain gene. Biological knowledge from the Kyoto Encyclopedia...
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Latest Achievements in Concrete Structures Three-Dimensional Printing
PublicationWe can hear about three-dimensional printed concrete structures for several years, up to date solutions in this technology allow entire printing settlements of tiny concrete houses. Due to technical limitations, these houses are still small and not very durable, but undoubtedly, this technology is developing. Home printed in three-dimensional technology can be an alternative to modular container buildings implemented in areas affected...
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Functionalized Peptide Fibrils as a Scaffold for Active Substances in Wound Healing
PublicationTechnological developments in the field of biologically active peptide applications in medicine have increased the need for new methods for peptide delivery. The disadvantage of peptides as drugs is their low biological stability. Recently, great attention has been paid to self-assembling peptides that can form fibrils. Such a formulation makes bioactive peptides more resistant to enzymatic degradation and druggable. Peptide fibrils...
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Dynamic Route Discovery Using Modified Grasshopper Optimization Algorithm in Wireless Ad-Hoc Visible Light Communication Network
PublicationIn recent times, visible light communication is an emerging technology that supports high speed data communication for wireless communication systems. However, the performance of the visible light communication system is impaired by inter symbol interference, the time dispersive nature of the channel, and nonlinear features of the light emitting diode that significantly reduces the bit error rate performance. To address these problems,...
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Unveiling the Pool of Metallophores in Native Environments and Correlation with Their Potential Producers
PublicationFor many organisms, metallophores are essential biogenic ligands that ensure metal scavenging and acquisition from their environment. Their identification is challenging in highly organic matter rich environments like peatlands due to low solubilization and metal scarcity and high matrix complexity. In contrast to common approaches based on sample modification by spiking of metal isotope tags, we have developed a two-dimensional...
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Development of a new green analytical methodology for the determination of phthalates in single-use babies diapers using ultrasound-assisted extraction and polypropylene porous membrane
PublicationA green extraction strategy was developed and utilized for the extraction and determination of phthalates. The extraction is based on ultrasound-assisted extraction and a polypropylene porous membrane. The Box-Behnken model was performed to optimize the extraction condition. The optimal extraction conditions are 5.5 mL of ethyl acetate, 10 min of extraction time and 55 C for extraction temperature. The developed green extraction...
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Modeling and optimization of chemical-treated torrefaction of wheat straw to improve energy density by response surface methodology
PublicationToday, torrefaction is important technique for extending the potential of biomass for improvement of energy density. The independent variables investigated for torrefaction study were temperature, retention time, acid concentration, and particle size. The experiment was designed by central composite design (CCD) method using design expert (version 11). The three dependent variables were higher heating value (HHV), energy enhancement...
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INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE IN “SACRIFICE ZONES”. THE POTENTIAL OF BOCAMINA I & II THERMOELECTRIC IN CORONEL, CHILE
PublicationThis work aims to present the recovery potential of the Chilean Sacrifice Zones, urban areas affected by high amounts of pollution caused by industrial activities. It centers in the case of “Bocamina I & II”, two Thermoelectric based in the city of Coronel, southern Chile. A settlement historically related to the mining processes. These plants operated for decades supplying the national energy grid and are seen as both symbols...
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g-C3N4 for Photocatalytic Degradation of Parabens: Precursors Influence, the Radiation Source and Simultaneous Ozonation Evaluation
PublicationGraphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) is a promising catalyst for contaminants of emerging concern removal applications, especially as a visible-light-driven material. In this study, g-C3N4 catalysts were effectively synthesized through a simple thermal polymerization method, using melamine, urea, and thiourea as precursors to elucidate the influence of these compounds on the final product’s photocatalytic performance. The degradation...
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Treatment innovation using solar/UV In book: The Treatment of Pharmaceutical Wastewater: Innovative Technologies and the Adaptation of Treatment Systems
PublicationSince ancient times, sunlight irradiation has been widely used for water purification. Apart from solar water disinfection techniques, UV irradiation is of particular interest when considering the photodegradation of various classes of emerging pollutants. Pharmaceutically active compounds are one of the largest classes of micropollutants. The main sources of these contaminants in wastewater and aqueous environments are households,...
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Compliance tests of the polymer layers used as hydrodynamic bearing coatings
PublicationOperational experience and scientific investigations results showed that polymer lined hydrodynamic bearings can withstand more severe operating conditions compared than white metal bearings. PTFE and PEEK-based coatings are the most frequently used as Babbitt alternatives. Both polymers differ significantly from the each other in material properties. According to catalogue data compression modulus of PTFE, it is about an order...
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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...
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Unexpected Z/E isomerism of N-methyl-O-phosphothioyl benzohydroxamic acids, their oxyphilic reactivity and inertness to amines
PublicationThiophosphinoylation of N-methyl p-substituted benzohydroxamic acids using disulfanes (method A) or diphenylphosphinothioyl chloride (method B) provides only one conformer of the respective O-phosphothioyl derivative (Xray and NMR analysis). Undergoing the P-transamidoxylation reaction is an evidence of the reversibility of thiophosphinoylation. Only those products containing strong EWG substituents in the aroyl residue or bulky...
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Laser-assisted modification of titanium dioxide nanotubes in a tilted mode as surface modification and patterning strategy
PublicationElectrochemical anodization is regarded as a facile and easily scalable fabrication method of titania nanotubes (TiO2NTs). However, due to the extended duration of calcination and further modifications, much faster alternatives are highly required. As a response to growing interest in laser modification of nanotube arrays, a comprehensive investigation of pulsed-laser irradiation and its effect onto TiO2NT properties has been carried out....
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Development of different methods for drugs and psychoactive substances extraction from hair samples and their identification based on HPLC-ESI-QTOF analysis
PublicationOver the past decade, the use of non-controlled designer drugs and drug of abuse has rapidly increased. Hair, as a human matrix, enables detection of drugs incorporated into its structure. Studies of presence and identification of drug metabolites in human hair samples has been performed using liquid chromatography electrospray ionization quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS) with steady alternation of...
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Fundamental Schemes to Determine Disjoint Paths for Multiple Failure Scenarios
PublicationDisjoint path routing approaches can be used to cope with multiple failure scenarios. This can be achieved using a set of k (k> 2) link- (or node-) disjoint path pairs (in single-cost and multi-cost networks). Alternatively, if Shared Risk Link Groups (SRLGs) information is available, the calculation of an SRLG-disjoint path pair (or of a set of such paths) can protect a connection against the joint failure of the set of links...
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A model of fuel combustion process in the marine reciprocating engine work space taking into account load and wear of crankshaft-piston assembly and the theory of semi-Markov processes
PublicationThe ar ticle analyses the operation of reciprocal internal combu stion engines, with mar ine engines u sed a s an example. The analysis takes into account types of energy conversion in the work spaces (cylinders) of these engines, loads of their crankshaft-piston assemblies, and types of fuel combustion which can take place in these spaces during engine operation. It is highlighted that the analysed time-dependent loads of marine...
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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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Możliwości zastosowania zasobnikowych jednostek trakcyjnych na liniach kolejowych na przykładzie Pomorskiej Kolei Metropolitalnej
PublicationW artykule zwrócono uwagę, że zasobniki stosowane głównie do rekuperacji energii, mogą być również wykorzystane do zasilania pociągów na niezelektryfikowanych i zelektryfikowanych odcinkach linii kolejowych. Innowacyjność tego rozwiązania wykazano na podstawie dwóch aplikacji kolejowych elektrycznych zasobnikowych jednostek trakcyjnych: pierwszej funkcjonującej od 2014 roku na linii Utsunomiya – Karasuyama w Japonii oraz drugiej,...
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Convenient and efficient N-methylation of secondary amines under solvent-free ball milling conditions
PublicationIn the present work, we report the development of a rapid, efcient, and solvent-free procedure for the N-methylation of secondary amines under mechanochemical conditions. After optimization of the milling parameters, a vibrational ball mill was used to synthesize 26 tertiary N-methylated amine derivatives in a short time of 20 min (30 Hz frequency) and high yields ranging from 78 to 95%. An exception was compounds having a hydroxyl...
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Process layout planning and optimised product range selection in manufacture of wooden construction sets
PublicationThis paper introduces a systematic deterministic framework for planning and the analysis of facility layouts aimed at manufacturing a variety of parts, as components of specific end products. The essence of the proposed approach lies in the decomposition of a traditional job-shop into layout modules of generic material flow patterns, that inherently yields improved efficiency of the entire system. It entails the use of a relevant...
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Binary Mixtures of Selected Bisphenols in the Environment: Their Toxicity in Relationship to Individual Constituents
PublicationBisphenol A (BPA) is one of the most popular and commonly used plasticizer in the industry. Over the past decade, new chemicals that belong to the bisphenol group have increasingly been used in industrial applications as alternatives to BPA. Nevertheless, information on the combined effects of bisphenol (BP) analogues is insufficient. Therefore, our current study aimed to find the biological response modulations induced by the...
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Hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents in microextraction techniques–A review
PublicationOver the past decade, deep eutectic solvents (DES) have been widely studied and applied in sample preparation techniques. Until recently, most of the synthesized DES were hydrophilic, which prevented their use in the extraction of aqueous samples. However, after 2015 studies on the synthesis and application of hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents (HDES) has rapidly expanded. Due to unique properties of HDES i.e. density, viscosity,...
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Application of GC-MS/MS technique for the determination of benzodiazepines in blood samples
PublicationAbstract Benzodiazepines (BZD) are widely used as pharmaceuticals in medicine. However, due to psychostimulatory effect of BZD, in the last decade, they are more and more often used as drugs of abuse. These compounds produce similar effects to classical illicit drugs and are sold as “legal” alternatives to them as new psychoactive substances (NPS). Currently new BZD, named designer benzodiazepines (DBZD), are synthesized each year...
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Self-assembly, stability and conductance of amphotericin B channels: bridging the gap between structure and function
PublicationAmphotericin B (AmB), one of the most powerful but also toxic drugs used to treat systemic mycoses, is believed to selectively permeabilize fungal cell membranes to ions in a sterol-dependent manner. Unfortunately, the structure of the biologically active AmB channels has long eluded researchers, obstructing the design of safer alternatives. Here, we investigate the structural and thermodynamic aspects of channel formation, stability,...
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TEST FOR ASSESSING THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY OF VEHICLES WITH INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES
PublicationThe most popular method for assessing the energy efficiency of vehicles is to compare the fuel consumption achieved in the conditions of selected approval test. Operating conditions are defined using the speed profiles, usually for only two categories: urban and extra-urban driving. Assessing the energy efficiency of vehicles should be performed using a more detailed classification of conditions. Presented results of comparison...
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Gas Turbine Cycle with External Combustion Chamber for Prosumer and Distributed Energy Systems
PublicationThe use of various biofuels, usually of relatively small Lower Heating Value (LHV), affects the gas turbine efficiency. The present paper shows that applying the proposed air by-pass system of the combustor at the turbine exit causes tan increase of efficiency of the turbine cycle increased by a few points. This solution appears very promising also in combined gas/steam turbine power plants. The comparison of a turbine set operating...
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UPDRS tests for diagnosis of Parkinson's disease employing virtual-touchpad
PublicationThis paper presents a new approach to diagnosing Parkinson's disease. The progression of the disease can be measured by the UPDRS (Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale) scale which is used to evaluate motor and behavioral symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Hitherto the evaluation of the advancement of the disease in the UPDRS scale was made by a specialist through medical observation. The authors suggest a partial automation of...
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Potential energy curves, transition and permanent dipole moments of KRb
PublicationWe present extensive calculations of 48 adiabatic potential energy curves of the KRb molecule. Efforts have been focused on preparing the appropriate basis sets. Compared to previous approaches, the set of new potential energy curves is extended to higher excitations, including the single-excited K(4s2S)+Rb(5d2D) and double-excited K(4p2P)+Rb(5p2P) atomic limits. Larger distances between nuclei are also taken into account. New...
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Bounds on the Cover Time of Parallel Rotor Walks
PublicationThe rotor-router mechanism was introduced as a deterministic alternative to the random walk in undirected graphs. In this model, a set of k identical walkers is deployed in parallel, starting from a chosen subset of nodes, and moving around the graph in synchronous steps. During the process, each node maintains a cyclic ordering of its outgoing arcs, and successively propagates walkers which visit it along its outgoing arcs in...
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Silicon Oxycarbide (SiOC) Ceramic Materials as Anodes for Lithium Ion Batteries
PublicationPolymer derived ceramics (PDCs) have attracted attention as alternative anode material for Li-ion batteries. It has been found that ternary SiOC and SiCN ceramics obtained through pyrolysis of various preceramic polymers display high reversible capacities of 500 – 650 mAh/g. In this work we try to correlate the electrochemical performance of polymer derived silicon oxycarbide with its chemical composition and microstructural features....
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Calculations of notch stress factor of a thin-walled spreader bracket fillet weld with the use of a local stress approach
PublicationPresence of geometric notches in welded joints causes concentration of strains and stresses, therefore reducing fatigue strength of such joints. This article presents an analysis of stress concentrations in a fillet weld of a spreader mounting bracket on a small sailing yacht. The aim of this article is to direct the attention of designers, manufacturers and regulatory bodies to issues of fatigue cracks that form in brackets fastening...
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The New LM-PCR/Shifter Method for the Genotyping of Microorganism
PublicationTechniques relies on the ligation of appropriates adapters (LM-PCR) as AFLP, PCR MP and ADSRRS are successfully used for epidemiological studies for prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms. In this study we propose a new method, called the LM-PCR/Shifter, based on the use of a Class IIS restriction enzyme giving restriction fragments with different 4 base 5' overhangs (Shifter) and the ligation of appropriate oligonucleotide...
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Removal of indicator bacteria from treated wastewater using physical and chemical methods. Pilot plant study.
PublicationEven after highly efficient biological processes the effluents from wastewater treatment plants may contain significant number of fecal bacteria, from 104 to 106 CFU/100 mL. Since no standards are set on the bacteriological quality of treated wastewater in Poland the elimination of bacterial contaminants is not a priority in wastewater treatment policy. Thus microbiological hazards become particularly significant in the situation...
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Determination of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in house dust using standard addition method and gas chromatography with electron capture and mass spectrometric detection
PublicationMonitoring of the environmental fate of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) involves determination of their concentration in air, airborne particles and settled dust. This requires the implementation of appropriate analytical tools like measuring instruments, reference materials and analytical procedures. In this study an analytical procedure was developed for determining PBDEs in samples with a complex matrix composition. The...
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Characterization of exceptionally thermostable single-stranded DNA-binding proteins from Thermotoga maritima and Thermotoga neapolitana
PublicationBACKGROUND: In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in SSBs because they find numerous applications in diverse molecular biology and analytical methods.RESULTS: We report the characterization of single-stranded DNA binding proteins (SSBs) from the thermophilic bacteria Thermotoga maritima (TmaSSB) and Thermotoga neapolitana (TneSSB). They are the smallest known bacterial SSB proteins, consisting of 141 and 142 amino...
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Application of dispersive liquid - liquid microextraction for determination of pesticides from various chemical groups in water samples
PublicationPesticides are a global risk because they move with the wind, rain and sea currents from other regions, which makes getting to places which were never used before. Their presence was detected in all types of water circulating in the ecosystem, which is an easy source of exposure to life and health of all living organisms. Currently, it is considered one of the most dangerous and toxic pollutants, which fate and function is still...
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Density functional theory calculations on entire proteins for free energies of binding: Application to a model polar binding site
PublicationIn drug optimization calculations, the molecular mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann surface area (MM-PBSA) method can be used to compute free energies of binding of ligands to proteins. The method involves the evaluation of the energy of configurations in an implicit solvent model. One source of errors is the force field used, which can potentially lead to large errors due to the restrictions in accuracy imposed by its empirical nature....
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Evaluation of polycaprolactone as a new sorbent coating for determination of polar organic compounds in water samples using membrane–SPME
PublicationCommercially available solid-phase microextraction fibers used for isolation of polar analytes are based on the adsorption phenomenon. In consequence, typical limitations bonded with analytes displacement and matrix effects are very frequent. In the present study, alternative solution is described. Polycaprolactone (PCL) was used for the first time as sorbent to isolate polar organic compounds from water samples using the membrane–solid-phase...