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Search results for: disaster prevention
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Presence of antibiotics in the aquatic environment in Europe and their analytical monitoring: Recent trends and perspectives
PublicationThe presence of antibiotics and their metabolites in the aquatic environment exerts a negative impact on all organisms. Moreover, the easy migration of these substances to drinking water may also have serious consequences for public health, such as drug resistance. Although antibiotics and their metabolites are detected in surface waters and wastewater, there are still no systemic solutions preventing environmental pollution with...
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Evolutionary Sets of Safe Ship Trajectories Within Traffic Separation Schemes
PublicationThe paper presents the continuation of the author's research on Evolutionary Sets of Safe Ship Trajectories (ESoSST) methodology. In an earlier paper (Szlapczynski, 2011) the author described the foundations of this methodology, which used Evolutionary Algorithms (EA) to search for an optimal set of safe trajectories for all the ships involved in an encounter. The methodology was originally designed for open waters or restricted...
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Investigation of the antimicrobial potential and microbiota of bee pollen and bee bread derived from Polish apiaries
PublicationThe phenomenon of resistance of microorganisms to antibiotics is becoming one of the greatest challenges of modern medicine. At the same time, the number of new antibiotics introduced into clinical practice is decreasing. This creates the need to search for new, effective, non-antibiotic methods of combating and preventing infectious diseases. Over the last two decades, there has been renewed interest in the antimicrobial potential...
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Determining and visualizing safe motion parameters of a ship navigating in severe weather conditions
PublicationThe paper presents a method of determining, organizing and displaying ship collision avoidance information, which is based on the Collision Threat Parameters Area (CTPA) technique. The method makes it possible to visualize navigational threats as well as possible collision avoidance manoeuvres. The solution is focused on supporting navigation in severe weather conditions. Normally collision avoidance decisions are made taking into...
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Digital Innovations and Smart Solutions for Society And Economy: Pros and Cons
PublicationRecent developments in artificial intelligence (AI) may involve significant potential threats to personal data privacy, national security, and social and economic stability. AI-based solutions are often promoted as “intelligent” or “smart” because they are autonomous in optimizing various processes. Be-cause they can modify their behavior without human supervision by analyzing data from the environ-ment, AI-based systems may be...
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Glutathione-mediated conjugation of anticancer drugs: an overview of reaction mechanisms and biological significance for drug detoxification and bioactivation.
PublicationThe effectiveness of many anticancer drugs depends on the creation of specific metabolites that may alter their therapeutic or toxic properties. One significant route of biotransformation is a conjugation of electrophilic compounds with reduced glutathione, which can be non-enzymatic and/or catalyzed by glutathione-dependent enzymes. Glutathione usually combines with anticancer drugs and/or their metabolites to form more polar...
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How acidic amino acid residues facilitate DNA target site selection
PublicationDespite the negative charge of the DNA backbone, acidic residues (Asp/Glu) commonly participate in the base readout, with a strong preference for cytosine. In fact, in the solved DNA/protein structures, cytosine is recognized almost exclusively by Asp/Glu through a direct hydrogen bond, while at the same time, adenine, regardless of its amino group, shows no propensity for Asp/Glu. Here, we analyzed the contribution of Asp/Glu...
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Assessment of codes recommendations for the evaluation of the seismic gap of buildings founded on different soil types
PublicationSeveral equations have been proposed in the literature to evaluate the seismic gap preventing earthquake-induced structural pounding, such as the ones based on the absolute sum of the peak displacements (ABS), the square root of the sum of the squares (SRSS), the double difference method (DDC), Australian code and the approach proposed by Naderpour et al. The aim of this paper is to investigate the accuracy of these equations taking...
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Turning maneuver as a potential cause of the next stability failure mode for a ship in operation
PublicationThe only formal stability-related requirement referring to a turning maneuver of a ship results from the IS Codeand its application is limited to passenger ships only. The goal of the adopted criterion is to prevent an excessiveangle of heel in turn. Likewise, the remaining prescriptive criteria, this one is simply based on the concept ofa threshold that must not be exceeded. In this case, the angle of heel...
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Automatic Threat Detection for Historic Buildings in Dark Places Based on the Modified OptD Method
PublicationHistoric buildings, due to their architectural, cultural, and historical value, are the subject of preservation and conservatory works. Such operations are preceded by an inventory of the object. One of the tools that can be applied for such purposes is Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR). This technology provides information about the position, reflection, and intensity values of individual points; thus, it allows for the creation...
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Interspecies distances between propionic acid degraders and methanogens in syntrophic consortia for optimal hydrogen transfer
PublicationA mixed culture from an anaerobic biowaste digester was enriched on propionate and used to investigate interspecies hydrogen transfer in dependence of spatial distances between propionate degraders and methanogens. From 20.3 mM propionate, 20.8 mM acetate and 15.5 mM methane were formed. Maximum specific propionate oxidation and methane formation rates were 49 and 23 mmol mg−1day−1, respectively. Propionate oxidation was inhibited by...
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Determination of COD Fractionation as a Key Factor for Appropriate Modelling and Monitoring of Activated Sludge Processes
PublicationAn operation of wastewater treatment plant is usually controlled by global parameters such as flow, solids retention time, sludge age, concentration of ammonia and dissolved oxygen, etc. It is considered that, together with the chemical and biological oxygen demand (COD and BOD), those parameters indirectly exhibit the effectiveness of activated sludge processes. Especially the BOD indicate the amount of organic pollution that...
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Recent advances on the removal of phosphorus in aquatic plant-based systems
PublicationPhosphorus (P) is a vital nutrient for the ecosystems and its excess in wastewater streams leads to some environmental issues such as extensive algae growth (eutrophication). Phytoremediation is a green technology that is based on the combined actions of plants and their associated microbial groups to remove and transfer the toxic compounds in surface water, groundwater and soil. Aquatic plants are widely used for the remediation...
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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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Permeability of the small intestinal mucus for physiologically relevant studies: Impact of mucus location and ex vivo treatment
PublicationThe small intestinal mucus is a complex colloidal system that coats the intestinal mucosa. It allows passage on nutrients/pharmaceuticals from the gut lumen towards the epithelium, whilst preventing it from direct contact with luminal microorganisms. Mucus collected from intestinal tissue is often used in studies looking at inter-mucosal transport of food particulates, drug carriers, etc. However, detaching the highly hydrated...
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Biological and mechanical properties of bone cement with nanoparticles - in vivo and in vitro research
PublicationDespite antibiotics preventive treatment, before and after an implant implementation, risk of infection are real. These infections at the implant surface develop in a few months after applying them into the body. To prevent the development of bacteria and to reduce the risk of infection, implants coated with nanoparticles come into use. The Mechanical Department of the Technical University of Gdańsk carried out a research with...
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MicroGal Gravity Measurements with MGS-6 Micro-g LaCoste Gravimeter
PublicationKnowing the exact number of fruit and trees helps growers to make better decisions about how to manage their production in the orchard and prevent plant diseases. The current practice of yield estimation is to manually count fruit or flowers (before harvesting), which is a very time-consuming and costly process. Moreover it’s not practical for large orchards. It also doesn’t allow to make predictions of plant development in a more...
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School psychologist’s interventions to promote successful school re-entry of chronically ill children aiming at altering peers’ attitudes towards them
PublicationThe aim of this article is to outline school psychologist’s interventions, which might be useful while supporting a chronically, somatically ill child in their re-entry to school, aiming at broadening their peers’ knowledge about the chronic disease and positively changing their attitudes towards the ill child. In the first part, the importance of peer relationships in childhood and adolescence, the relation of their quality...
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The impact of equity pledge on inefficient investment: a perspective from family entrepreneurship
PublicationAs an efficient and convenient financing method, equity pledges may have a heterogeneous impact on the inefficient investment of family firms. In order to verify this point, this paper takes A-share listed family enterprises from 2010 to 2021 as a research sample. It conducts an empirical test on the impact of equity pledges on inefficient investment in family firms by constructing a panel regression model. The results show...
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Business continuity management framework for Industry 4.0 companies regarding dependability and security of the ICT and ICS/SCADA system
PublicationThis chapter addresses a business continuity management (BCM) framework for the Industry 4.0 companies including the organizational and technical solutions, regarding the dependability and security of the information and telecommunication technology (ICT), and the industrial control system (ICS) / supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system. These technologies and systems play nowadays important roles in modern advanced...
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Personalized prediction of the secondary oocytes number after ovarian stimulation: A machine learning model based on clinical and genetic data
PublicationControlled ovarian stimulation is tailored to the patient based on clinical parameters but estimating the number of retrieved metaphase II (MII) oocytes is a challenge. Here, we have developed a model that takes advantage of the patient’s genetic and clinical characteristics simultaneously for predicting the stimulation outcome. Sequence variants in reproduction-related genes identified by next-generation sequencing were matched...
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Urban Mentoring as a new polish management technique in participatory planning
PublicationA decade of experience in implementation of numerous urban modernization projects in Poland resulted in a lively debate on socialization of the planning process, in which the matter of the public space quality has become the center of gravity. In those years, transformation from the classic administrative model of „bureaucracy planning” to the model of „management planning” has not been complete. The socialist primacy of the public...
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DNA restriction analysis as a supportive tool in mechanistic studies carried out by 32P-postlabelling
PublicationNumerous antitumor and carcinogenic compounds are able to modify DNA by forming covalent bonds with its constituents, while some anticarcinogenic compounds are known to prevent such a modification. All these processes are of vital biological import_ance, though deeper inside into factors influencing formation of DNA adducts is difficult due to the low level of their occurrence. 32P-Postlabelling approach ensures very sensitive...
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Health System Efficiency in European Countries: Network Data Envelopment Analysis Approach
PublicationPurpose: The article's main aim is to investigate the effectiveness of health systems in European countries based on EUROSTAT data. A comparative analysis of the health systems' effectiveness in different countries is based on their improvement (reform), using the best practices approach. Design/Methodology/Approach: The network DEA model and a slack-based model (NDEA – SBM) are used. A non-oriented model is used. The research...
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Application and modelling of Shape-Memory Alloys for structural vibration control: State-of-the-art review
PublicationOne of the most essential components of structural design for civil engineers is to build a system that is resistant to environmental conditions such as harsh chemical environments, and catastrophic disasters like earthquakes and hurricanes. Under these circumstances and disturbances, conventional building materials such as steel and concrete may demonstrate inadequate performance in the form of corrosion, deterioration, oxidizing,...
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The effect of lyophilization on selected biologically active components (vitamin c, catalase, lysozyme), total antioxidant capacity and lipid oxidation in human milk
PublicationHuman milk is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, as well as lysozyme, vitamin C and other bioactive compounds. The effect of lyophilization on the content of antioxidants (vitamin C and catalase CAT), bactericidal compounds (lysozyme), total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and lipid peroxidation in human milk was investigated in this study. Samples of mature human milk were collected from five healthy women who gave birth on the scheduled...
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Asphalt Overlay Enhancement with Fatigue High-Performing Multiaxial Geocomposite
PublicationThe use of gecomposite incorporating multiaxial geogrid and non-woven fabric of high bitumen retention in asphalt overlays results in the increase of life of the designed pavement structure. Such an approach can offer an opportunity to increase the fatigue life (higher traffic capacity) without the need to increase asphalt overlay thickness or to reduce the thickness of asphalt overlay without reduction of pavement life eventually....
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Chiral analysis of chloro intermediates of methylamphetamine by one-dimensional and multidementional NMR and GC/MS
PublicationImpurity profiling and classification of abused drugs using chiral analytical techniques is of particular interest and importance because of the additional information obtained fromthis approach. When these methods are applied to the synthesis of illicitly used substances, they can supply valuable information about the conditions/chemicals used in the synthesis. We have applied GC and NMR methods to the study of intermediates found...
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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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Functional safety and cyber security analysis for life cycle management of industrial control systems in hazardous plants and oil port critical infrastructure including insurance
PublicationThis report addresses selected methodological aspects of proactive reliability, functional safety and cyber security management in life cycle of industrial automation and control systems (IACS) in hazardous plants and oil port critical installations based on the analysis of relevant hazards / threats and evaluation of related risks. In addition the insurance company point of view has been also considered, because nowadays the insurer,...
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Framework of an Evolutionary Multi-Objective Optimisation Method for Planning a Safe Trajectory for a Marine Autonomous Surface Ship
PublicationThis paper represents the first stage of research into a multi-objective method of planning safe trajectories for marine autonomous surface ships (MASSs) involved in encounter situations. Our method applies an evolutionary multi-objective optimisation (EMO) approach to pursue three objectives: minimisation of the risk of collision, minimisation of fuel consumption due to collision avoidance manoeuvres, and minimisation of the extra...
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The influence of the substrate temperature on the preparation of DNA films for studies under vacuum conditions
PublicationExperiments were carried out to determine the dependence of the physical form of supercoiled DNA films on the initial temperature of the substrate. Such films are often used in irradiation experiments involving low energy particles, like electrons or photons. In order to obtain absolute values for cross sections for such experiments, the spatial distribution of the sample in the film has to be well estimated. These investigations...
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Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents as Agents for Improving Solubility, Stability and Delivery of Curcumin
PublicationPurpose Study on curcumin dissolved in natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) was aimed at exploiting their beneficial properties as drug carriers. Methods The concentration of dissolved curcumin in NADES was measured. Simulated gastrointestinal fluids were used to determine the concentration of curcumin and quantum chemistry computations were performed for clarifying the origin of curcumin solubility enhancement in NADES. Results NADES...
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Preparation of MnCo2O4 and Mn1.7CuFe0.3O4 single-layer, and novel MnCo2O4/ Mn1.7CuFe0.3O4 dual-layer spinel protective coatings on complex-shaped metallic interconnects by EPD method
PublicationCeramic protective coatings applied to metallic interconnects play a vital role in solid oxide cells (SOCs) preventing interconnect degradation. In this study, uniform, dense, and crack-free single-layer coatings of MnCo2O4, Mn1.7CuFe0.3O4, and dual-layer coatings of MnCo2O4/ Mn1.7CuFe0.3O4 spinel are deposited onto complex-shaped metallic interconnect using electrophoretic deposition (EPD) method. The porosity of sintered MnCo2O4...
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CGO FILMS ON YSZ ELECTROLYTE FABRICATED BY SPRAY PYROLYSIS FOR SOFC
PublicationINTRODUCTION Solid oxide fuel cells are one of the fastest developing energy converters. The advancement introduced by research community provides steady state progress is stability and performance of the fuel cells. Significant influence on the cell’s performance and stability is related to cell design. The simplest design just consists of an anode, a solid electrolyte and a cathode. However, in order to improve the properties,...
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Genotoxic properties of glucosinolates and isothiocyanates present in Brassica vegetables
PublicationThe bioactive phytochemicals found in Brassica vegetables, in this number glucosinolates (GLS), as well as products of their degradation such as isothiocyanates (ITC) and indoles, are regarded as the most promising chemopreventive compounds. These secondary metabolites display stron antibiological activity and constitute defence system preventing the development of agrophages attacking Brassica plants. Such properties suggest...
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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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Antifungal Activity of Capridine β as a Consequence of Its Biotransformation into Metabolite Affecting Yeast Topoisomerase II Activity
PublicationIn the last few years,increasing importance is attached to problems caused by fungal pathogens. Current methods of preventing fungal infections remain unsatisfactory. There are several antifungal compounds whichare highly effective in some cases, however, they have limitations in usage: Nephrotoxicity and other adverse effects. In addition, the frequent use of available fungistatic drugs promotes drug resistance....
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FACTORS AFFECTING THE CONCLUSION OF AN ARRANGEMENT IN RESTRUCTURING PROCEEDINGS: EVIDENCE FROM POLAND
PublicationThe EU Restructuring Directive (2019/1023) requires Member States to provide a preventive restructuring framework for financially distressed entities that remain viable or are likely to readily restore economic viability. The first step to a successful restructuring is the approval of an arrangement between the debtor and creditors. The main research objective of the article is to identify factors affecting the conclusion of an...
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Factors affecting the conclusion of an arrangement in restructuring proceedings: evidence from Poland
PublicationThe EU Restructuring Directive (2019/1023) requires Member States to provide a preventive restructuring framework for financially distressed entities that remain viable or are likely to readily restore economic viability. The first step to a successful restructuring is the approval of an arrangement between the debtor and creditors. The main research objective of the article is to identify factors affecting the conclusion of an...
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Public space as a place of rehabilitation for the elderly – a systematic literature review
PublicationThe phenomenon of the population’s gradual global ageing means that an increasing proportion of research is concerned with the space in which seniors function on a daily basis. They are primarily aimed at identifying elements of the built environment that need updating in the new social context. The purpose of the analyses presented in this article is to review the current scientific literature on various aspects of physical activity...
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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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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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Brewery spent grain valorization through fermentation: Targeting biohydrogen, carboxylic acids and methane production
PublicationThis study investigated three different fermentation approaches to explore the potential for producing biohydrogen, carboxylic acids, and methane from hydrolysates of thermally dilute acid pretreated brewer's spent grains (BSG). Initially, the research focused on maximizing the volumetric hydrogen production rate (HPR) in the continuous dark fermentation (DF) of BSG hydrolysates by varying the hydraulic retention time (HRT). The...
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Efficiency of thermomechanical reclaiming of ground tire rubber conducted in counter-rotating and co-rotating twin screw extruder
PublicationIn this article the results of research on a continuous thermomechanical reclaiming process of ground tire rubber (GTR) conducted in a twin screw extruder are presented. The effects of the rotation direction (co-rotating/counter-rotating), design of co-rotating plasticizing units and the rotational speed of the screws on the extruder working parameters, sol fraction and the degree of reclaiming in the obtained products were described....
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Membrane-SPME the best 'green' sample preparation technique for the gas chromatographic determination polar organic pollutants in polar media
PublicationOne of the most popular technique for sample preparation, which fulfill requirements of green analytical chemistry, is solid phase microextraction (SPME). Because of the undoubted advantages of SPME technique, solvent-free character of the extraction process and the enormous potential in analytical practice, a series of studies has been undertaken to develop new technical solutions, where improving the sensitivity and the extraction...
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Electrodes criticality: the impact of CRMs in the leachate electrochemical oxidation
Publication. Landfill leachate possesses high concentrations of ammonia, micropollutants, and heavy metals, and are characterised for low biodegradability. For this reason, conventional treatment technologies may result ineffective for complete pollutant removal. Electrochemical oxidation allows most of the of recalcitrant pollutants to be oxidised effectively within an easy operational and acceptable retention time, without the need to provide...
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Entrepreneurial competencies and intentions among students of technical universities
PublicationThe study investigates the entrepreneurial competencies and intentions of students. Their formation is a requirement of modern times. The question arises whether students of modern technical universities get entrepreneurial competencies and whether they transform these competencies into their entrepreneurial intentions. More than 3.6 thousand students from six technical universities from Poland, Ukraine, Latvia, Bulgaria, and Lithuania...
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Combined effect of nitrogen-doped functional groups and porosity of porous carbons on electrochemical performance of supercapacitors
PublicationIn this work, nitrogen-doped porous carbons obtained from chitosan, gelatine, and green algae were investigated in their role as supercapacitor electrodes. The effects of three factors on electrochemical performance have been studied— of the specific surface area, functional groups, and a porous structure. Varying nitrogen contents (from 5.46 to 10.08 wt.%) and specific surface areas (from 532 to 1095 m2g−1) were obtained by modifying...
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Tuning the Laser-Induced Processing of 3D Porous Graphenic Nanostructures by Boron-Doped Diamond Particles for Flexible Microsupercapacitors
PublicationCarbon (sp3)-on-carbon (sp2) materials have the potential to revolutionize fields such as energy storage and microelectronics. However, the rational engineering and printing of carbon-on-carbon materials on flexible substrates remains a challenge in wearable electronics technology. This study demon-strates the scalable fabrication of flexible laser-induced graphene (LIG)-boron doped diamond nanowall (BDNW) hybrid nanostructures...