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Single-Phase 15-Level Switched-Capacitor Boost Multilevel Inverter Topology for Renewable Energy Applications
PublicationGalvanic isolation is a vital part of a grid-connected solar PV system. With the growth of multilevel inverters for grid-connected applications, the multilevel inverters having isolation are not sufficiently discussed in the literature. In this paper, a 15-level isolated multilevel inverter topology requiring only thirteen switches is proposed. The envisaged configuration includes two cells, designated as upper and lower cells....
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Effective sonophotocatalytic degradation of tetracycline in water: Optimization, kinetic modeling, and degradation pathways
PublicationHybrid advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are gaining interest in degradation of variety of recalcitrant compounds for water and wastewater treatment, due to possible synergistic effects. The present study systematically evaluated the degradation of tetracycline (TC) with a sonophotocatalytic process combining acoustic cavitation (sonocavitation) and photocatalysis based on N-doped TiO2 catalyst. The TC degradation rate constant...
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Ground lemon and stevia leaves as renewable functional fillers with antioxidant activity for high-density polyethylene composites
PublicationThe development of new sustainable material solutions in the processing of thermoplastic polymers concerns both the application of biopolymers and the use of valorized plant derivatives as fillers and modifiers of petrochemical polymers. Herein, the possibility of using unprocessed raw parts of two commonly used in the food industry leaves, i.e., lemon (LL) and stevia (ST), as active and functional fillers for high-density polyethylene...
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INFLUENCE OF TEST CONDITIONS ON TYRE/ROAD NOISE MEASURED BY THE DRUM METHOD
PublicationTyre/road noise is one of the most important environmental problems related to road traffic. Nowadays a few standard procedures of tyre/road noise measurements are in use. Unfortunately, measurement conditions specified within relevant standards are very different. For example, procedure described in ISO 11819-2 used for pavement investigations requires tyre load of 3200 N and capped inflation pressure of 200 kPa. At the same time...
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Spatial variability of throughfall in a stand of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) with deciduous admixture as influenced by canopy cover and stem distance
PublicationVegetation cover affects the amount of precipitation, its chemical composition and its spatial distribution, and this may have implications for the distribution of water, nutrients and contaminants in the subsurface soil layer. The aim of this study was a detailed diagnosis of the spatio-temporal variability in the amount of throughfall (TF) and its chemical components in a 72-year-old pine stand with an admixture of oak and birch....
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Genetic Algorithm Approach for Gains Selection of Induction Machine Extended Speed Observer
PublicationThe subject of this paper is gains selection of an extended induction machine speed observer. A high number of gains makes manual gains selection difficult and due to nonlinear equations of the observer, well-known methods of gains selection for linear systems cannot be applied. A method based on genetic algorithms has been proposed instead. Such an approach requires multiple fitness function calls; therefore, using a quality index...
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MRI assessment of ectopic fat accumulation in pancreas, liver and skeletal muscle in patients with obesity, overweight and normal BMI in correlation with the presence of central obesity and metabolic syndrome
PublicationPurpose: Obesity, defined as a body mass index (BMI) exceeding 30 kg/m2, is a serious health problem, which can be called an epidemic on a global scale and is one of the most important causes of preventable death. The aim of this study was to assess ectopic fat accumulation in pancreas, liver and skeletal muscle in patients with obesity, overweight and normal BMI in correlation with metabolic syndrome (MetS). Patients and methods:...
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Hidden Champions of Poland
PublicationPoland is a country with a strong entrepreneurial spirit. The hidden champions’ performance has been closely related to political and economic changes: the fall of communism in 1989 and the transition from a centrally planned economy to a market economy. This led to the emergence of small private businesses focused on the domestic market. The accession to the European Union in 2004 created new perspectives for the hidden champions’...
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Poly(ε-Caprolactone)/Poly(Lactic Acid) Blends Compatibilized by Peroxide Initiators: Comparison of Two Strategies
PublicationPoly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and poly(lactic acid) (PLA) blends were compatibilized by reactive blending and by copolymers formed during reaction in the solution. The reactive blending of PCL/PLA was performed using di-(2-tert-butyl-peroxyisopropyl)benzene (BIB) or dicumyl peroxide (DCP) as radical initiator. PCL-g-PLA copolymers were prepared using 1.0 wt. % of DCP or BIB via reaction in solution, which was investigated through...
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Application of shifted Chebyshev polynomial-based Rayleigh–Ritz method and Navier’s technique for vibration analysis of a functionally graded porous beam embedded in Kerr foundation
PublicationPresent study is dealt with the applicability of shifted Chebyshev polynomial based Rayleigh-Ritz method and Navier’s technique on free vibration of Functionally Graded (FG) beam with uniformly distributed porosity along the thickness of the beam. The material properties such as Young’s modulus, mass density, and Poisson’s ratio are also considered to vary along the thickness of the FG beam as per the power-law exponent model....
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The influence of atmospheric circulation on the occurrence of dry and wet periods in Central Poland in 1954–2018
PublicationThis work presents the influence of atmospheric circulation on the occurrence of dry and wet periods in the central Polish region of Kujawy. The material on which the authors relied encompassed monthly totals of precipitation obtained from 10 weather stations in the period 1954–2018. Both dry and wet periods have been identified on the basis of monthly values of the Standardised Precipitation Index (SPI). Additionally, the calendar...
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Exergy and Energy Analyses of Microwave Dryer for Cantaloupe Slice and Prediction of Thermodynamic Parameters Using ANN and ANFIS Algorithms
PublicationThe study targeted towards drying of cantaloupe slices with various thicknesses in a microwave dryer. The experiments were carried out at three microwave powers of 180, 360, and 540 W and three thicknesses of 2, 4, and 6 mm for cantaloupe drying, and the weight variations were determined. Artificial neural networks (ANN) and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference systems (ANFIS) were exploited to investigate energy and exergy indices of...
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Transparency of publicly available information about fiscal and monetary policy in Poland
PublicationResearch background: The quality of information provided by fiscal and monetary authorities are important in a democratic state. Ensuring fiscal policy transparency reduces fiscal risk and corruption and promotes public acceptance of fiscal reforms. Ensuring transparency in monetary policy allows market participants to anticipate central bank responses and take their effects into account when making investment and consumption decisions. Aim...
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Thermoplastic starch nanocomposites using cellulose-rich Chrysopogon zizanioides nanofibers
PublicationGreen thermoplastic starch (TPS) nanocomposite films aided by cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) from Chrysopogon zizanioides roots were developed and characterized. When compared to other lignocellulosic fibers, Chrysopogon zizanioides roots revealed exceptionally high cellulose content (~48%). CNFs were separated using an environmentally friendly acid isolation technique that included three stages: (i) alkali treatment; (ii) bleaching;...
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Industry-level analysis of COVID-19’s impact in emerging markets – evidence from Pakistan
PublicationPurpose – The main purpose of this study is to evaluate COVID-19’s impact on the emerging stock markets. Design/methodology/approach – To evaluate the influence of COVID-19, this study uses a novel method of event study methodology to measure the impact of COVID-19 on emerging stock markets. The research’s sample includes a total of 79 firms from 26 industries that are included in the KSE-100 Index from the Pakistan Stock Exchange....
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Implementation of the Concept of Flexicurity in the Selected Countries of Central Eastern Europe
PublicationThe CEE countries have to create their own flexicurity policies which would take into account the employment policy guidelines, cultural traditions and socio-economic development. The aim of this article is to examine and evaluate the implementation of the flexicurity concept on the basis of the adopted set of composite indicators. The study covers 9 countries of the CEE region, and the research period covers the years 2007 and 2013....
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Organic Acids and Polyphenols Determination in Polish Wines by Ultrasound-Assisted Solvent Extraction of Porous Membrane-Packed Liquid Samples
PublicationIn the near future, Poland is going to have more and more favorable conditions for viticulture. Organic acids and polyphenols are among the most commonly analyzed compounds due to their beneficial properties for human health and their importance in the winemaking process. In this work, a new technique involving ultrasound-assisted solvent extraction of porous membrane-packed liquid samples (UASE-PMLS) was for the first time described...
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Factors determining accumulation of bisphenol A and alkylphenols at a low trophic level as exemplified by mussels Mytilus trossulus
PublicationThe aim of the study was to investigate abiotic and biotic factors influencing the accumulation of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) such as bisphenol A (BPA), 4-tert-octylphenol (OP) and 4- nonylphenol (NP) in mussels Mytilus trossulus from the Gulf of Gdansk (Southern Baltic). The key abiotic factor influencing BPA, OP and NP accumulation in mussels is their hydrophilicity/lipophilicity, which affects their main assimilation...
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Monitoring of odors emitted from stabilized dewatered sludge subjected to aging using proton transfer reaction–mass spectrometry
PublicationOne of the potential emission sources of odorous compounds from wastewater treatment plants is sludge processing. The odorous compounds released from dewatered sludge can result in odor nuisance. This study concerns the use of flux hood chamber combined with proton transfer reaction—time of flight—mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) technique for periodical monitoring of odorous compounds emitted from aged, stabilized dewatered sludge samples...
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Import Intensity of Production, Tasks and Wages: Microlevel Evidence for Poland.
PublicationObjective: This article relates to recent literature on labour market consequences of production fragmentation within Global Value Chains, analysed in the presence of workers’ heterogeneity and differences in the task content of jobs. The main aim is to assess if there is a relationship between wages of Polish workers and the degree of Polish production dependence on imported inputs. Research Design & Methods: Using microdata from...
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Medical-Grade PCL Based Polyurethane System for FDM 3D Printing—Characterization and Fabrication
PublicationThe widespread use of three-dimensional (3D) printing technologies in medicine has contributed to the increased demand for 3D printing materials. In addition, new printing materials that are appearing in the industry do not provide a detailed material characterization. In this paper, we present the synthesis and characterization of polycaprolactone (PCL) based medical-grade thermoplastic polyurethanes, which are suitable for forming...
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Unconditionally blue: Curing epoxy with polyethylene glycol (PEG) surface-functionalized Zn Fe3-O4 magnetic nanoparticles
PublicationNanoparticles govern early (chemical-controlled) and late (diffusion-controlled) stages of epoxy crosslinking, respectively. Surface functionalization of nanoparticles with macromolecules was recognized as an effective route to compensate for inadequate diffusion-controlled crosslinking. However, the effect of bulk composition amended with cations having catalytic effect towards epoxy ring opening has remained hitherto undescribed....
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Super-resolved Thermal Imagery for High-accuracy Facial Areas Detection and Analysis
PublicationIn this study, we evaluate various Convolutional Neural Networks based Super-Resolution (SR) models to improve facial areas detection in thermal images. In particular, we analyze the influence of selected spatiotemporal properties of thermal image sequences on detection accuracy. For this purpose, a thermal face database was acquired for 40 volunteers. Contrary to most of existing thermal databases of faces, we publish our dataset...
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Coupling of Blood Pressure and Subarachnoid Space Oscillations at Cardiac Frequency Evoked by Handgrip and Cold Tests: A Bispectral Analysis
PublicationThe aim of the study was to assess blood pressure–subarachnoid space (BP–SAS) width coupling properties using time–frequency bispectral analysis based on wavelet transforms during handgrip and cold tests. The experiments were performed on a group of 16 healthy subjects (F/M; 7/9) of the mean age 27.2 ± 6.8 years and body mass index of 23.8 ± 4.1 kg/m². The sequence of challenges was first handgrip and then cold test. The handgrip...
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Adipokine and cytokine levels in non-functioning adrenal incidentalomas (NFAI)
PublicationDue to the fact that overweight or obesity is accompanied by hormonally active adrenal tumors: Cushing Syndrome-(CS) and Subclinical Cushing Syndrome (SCS), it is of high interest the correlation between different adipokines and cytokines secreted by adipose tissue, with metabolic disorders and hormonal activity in this group. Even in non-functioning adrenal incidentalomas (NFAI) elevated risk for cardiovascular disease and metabolic...
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The Substantial Improvement of Amphotericin B Selective Toxicity Upon Modification of Mycosamine with Bulky Substituents
PublicationAbstract: Background: It is assumed that the unfavorable selective toxicity of an antifungal drug Amphotericin B (AmB) can be improved upon chemical modification of the antibiotic molecule. Objective: The aim of this study was verification of the hypothesis that introduction of bulky substituents at the amino sugar moiety of the antibiotic may result in diminishment of mammalian vitro toxicity of thus prepared AmB derivatives. Methods:...
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On the Handling of Outliers in the GNSS Time Series by Means of the Noise and Probability Analysis
PublicationThe data pre-analysis plays a significant role in the noise determination. The most important issue is to find an optimum criterion for outliers removal, since their existence can affect any further analysis. The noises in the GNSS time series are characterized by spectral index and amplitudes that can be determined with a few different methods. In this research, the Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) was used. The noise amplitudes...
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Development of cluster analysis methodology for identification of model rainfall hyetographs and its application at an urban precipitation field scale
PublicationDespite growing access to precipitation time series records at a high temporal scale, in hydrology, and particularly urban hydrology, engineers still design and model drainage systems using scenarios of rainfall temporal distributions predefined by means of model hyetographs. This creates the need for the availability of credible statistical methods for the development and verification of already locally applied model hyetographs....
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Field Evaluation of High Modulus Asphalt Concrete Resistance to Low-Temperature Cracking
PublicationHigh-modulus asphalt concrete has numerous advantages in comparison to conventional asphalt concrete, including increased resistance to permanent deformations and increased pavement fatigue life. However, previous studies have shown that the construction of road pavements with High Modulus Asphalt Concrete (HMAC) may significantly increase the risk of low-temperature cracking. Those observations were the motivation for the research...
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Synergistic effects of hybrid advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) based on hydrodynamic cavitation phenomenon – A review
PublicationHigh-performance water treatment systems based on cavitational processes have received an increasing interest of scientific community in the past few decades. Numerous studies indicated the advantageous application of hydrodynamic cavitation as an alternative, reagent-free treatment method of various pollutants in water. Both approaches were proved as an effective method to achieve mineralization of many organic contaminants as...
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Comprehensive Investigation of Stoichiometry–Structure–Performance Relationships in Flexible Polyurethane Foams
PublicationPolyurethane (PU) foams are versatile materials with a broad application range. Their performance is driven by the stoichiometry of polymerization reaction, which has been investigated in several works. However, the analysis was often limited only to selected properties and compared samples differing in apparent density, significantly influencing their performance. In the bigger picture, there is still a lack of comprehensive studies...
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Thermal dewetting as a method of surface modification of the gold thin films for surface plasmon resonance based sensor applications
PublicationHere, we report a quick and simple approach with low, optimized production costs to obtain surface plasmon resonance (SPR) based sensors fabricated through a time- and resource-effective method based on thermal dewetting of thin Au films. From the applicative point of view, the method of detection presented here should be easier to implement, since light transmission measurements seem to be much less challenging than light refractive...
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Computational analysis of power-law fluids for convective heat transfer in permeable enclosures using Darcy effects
PublicationNatural convection is a complex environmental phenomenon that typically occurs in engineering settings in porous structures. Shear thinning or shear thickening fuids are characteristics of power-law fuids, which are non-Newtonian in nature and fnd wide-ranging uses in various industrial processes. Non-Newtonian fuid fow in porous media is a difcult problem with important consequences for energy systems and heat transfer. In this...
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Magnetic field mapping along a NV-rich nanodiamond-doped fiber
PublicationIntegration of NV−-rich diamond with optical fibers enables guiding quantum information on the spin state of the NV− color center. Diamond-functionalized optical fiber sensors have been demonstrated with impressive sub-nanotesla magnetic field sensitivities over localized magnetic field sources, but their potential for distributed sensing remains unexplored. The volumetric incorporation of diamonds into the optical fiber core allows...
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Anisotropic optical properties of few-layer black phosphorus coatings: from fundamental insights to opto-electrochemical sensor design
PublicationFew-layer black phosphorus (FLBP) is characterised by a tuneable bandgap, high carrier mobility and anisotropic optical properties. It therefore has the potential to find applications in electronics and photonics. FLBP oxidizes upon exposure to air, limiting its utility in devices and components. To address this issue, the thesis introduces methods and tools developed for studying FLBP's optical parameters, with a particular emphasis...
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Proximal fibular osteotomy as a treatment for degenerative meniscal extrusion
PublicationMeniscal extrusion treatment is a key focus area for research and clinical study of degenerative knee pathology. The contact forces between the meniscus and the bones cause external displacements of the meniscus that are resisted by the circumferential fibres. The main risk factors for the excessive deformation of the meniscus are meniscal root tears, disruption of the circumferential fibres, knee malalignment and high body mass...
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Processing, mechanical and thermal behavior assessments of polycaprolactone/agricultural wastes biocomposites
PublicationIn this paper, brewer’s spent grain (BSG) was applied as potential lignocellulose biofiller in biocompos-ites based on polycaprolactone (PCL). The PCL/BSG biocomposites filled with varying content of biofillerswere prepared via low-temperature melt-compounding. These conditions allow limiting thermal degra-dation of used biofillers during processing. The influence of biofiller content (ranging from 25 to 200parts by weight on 100...
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Investigation of sour substances by five-channel potentiometric taste sensor containing all-solid-state-electrodes ( ASSEs)
PublicationAn elaboration of taste sensor for discrimination of different food products is of great importance for food industry. Potentiometric taste sensor containing ion selective electrodes with lipid/polymer membranes has already been applied commercially in food industry. However, time-consuming and demanding preconditioning method of ions selective electrodes as well as maintenance of electrodes’ bodies are disadvantages of this taste...
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INVESTIGATION OF SOUR SUBSTANCES BY FIVE-CHANNEL POTENTIOMETRIC TASTE SENSOR CONTAINING ALL-SOLID-STATE- ELECTRODES (ASSEs)
PublicationAn elaboration of taste sensor for discrimination of different food products is of great importance for food industry. Potentiometric taste sensor containing ion selective electrodes with lipid/polymer membranes has already been applied commercially in food industry. However, time-consuming and demanding preconditioning method of ions selective electrodes as well as maintenance of electrodes’ bodies are disadvantages of this taste...
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Inhomogeneity of low-noise wearing courses evaluated by tire/road noise measurements using the close-proximity method
PublicationPerforming numerous analyses of tire/road noise measurements on low-noise pavements during the last several years, the authors observed significant inhomogeneity of the wearing course in numerous cases, while similar problems were almost non-existent when dense pavements were measured. Three main causes of low-noise pavement inhomogeneity can be defined. The first one is imperfections in the technology used for asphalt mix production...
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Bulk-Surface Modification of Nanoparticles for Developing Highly-Crosslinked Polymer Nanocomposites
PublicationSurface modification of nanoparticles with functional molecules has become a routine method to compensate for diffusion-controlled crosslinking of thermoset polymer composites at late stages of crosslinking, while bulk modification has not carefully been discussed. In this work, a highly-crosslinked model polymer nanocomposite based on epoxy and surface-bulk functionalized magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) was developed. MNPs were...
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Conjugates of Ciprofloxacin and Levofloxacin with Cell-Penetrating Peptide Exhibit Antifungal Activity and Mammalian Cytotoxicity
PublicationSeven conjugates composed of well-known fluoroquinolone antibacterial agents, ciprofloxacin (CIP) or levofloxacin (LVX), and a cell-penetrating peptide transportan 10 (TP10-NH2) were synthesised. The drugs were covalently bound to the peptide via an amide bond, methylenecarbonyl moiety, or a disulfide bridge. Conjugation of fluoroquinolones to TP10-NH2 resulted in congeners demonstrating antifungal in vitro activity against human...
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Implementation of Hermite-Ritz method and Navier’s Technique for Vibration of Functionally Graded Porous Nanobeam Embedded in Winkler-Pasternak Elastic Foundation Using bi-Helmholtz type of nonlocal elasticity
PublicationPresent study is devoted to investigating the vibration characteristics of Functionally Graded (FG) porous nanobeam embedded in an elastic substrate of Winkler-Pasternak type. Classical beam theory (CBT) or Euler-Bernoulli beam theory (EBT) has been incorporated to address the displacement of the FG nanobeam. Bi-Helmholtz type of nonlocal elasticity is being used to capture the small scale effect of the FG nanobeam. Further, the...
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Level of public finances decentralization in European Union countries
PublicationResearch background: Despite of the universality of the implementation in democratic countries the principle of decentralization resulting from the belief that it is an instrument to improve the efficiency of public funds management, both the scope of public services and the level of decentralization in individual countries are not identical. Purpose of the article: Comparison the scope of fiscal decentralization...
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Can Web Search Queries Predict Prices Change on the Real Estate Market?
PublicationThis study aims to explore whether the intensity of internet searches, according to the Google Trends search volume index (SVI), is a predictor of changes in real estate prices. The motivation of this study is the possibility to extend the understanding of the extra predictive power of Google search engine query volume of future housing price change (shift direction) by (i) the introduction of a research approach that combines...
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Effect of pavement roughness and vehicle dynamic loads on decrease of fatigue life of flexible pavements
PublicationDue to the fact that pavement surfaces are not ideally even, dynamic loads of vehicle axles deviate from static loads. Higher dynamic loads contribute to faster pavement distress. The distribution of dynamic loads is similar to normal distribution and can be described by static load and factors DI (dynamic impact) and DLC (dynamic load coefficient). With the deterioration of pavement condition its evenness decreases as well and...
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Multicultural coastal cities: what are the differences in culture of urban planning management. Comparison analysis of Gdańsk and Gdynia
PublicationThe goal of this book chapter is the analysis of the multiculturalism of the seaside cities (Gdansk and Gdynia). We define multiculturalism by ethnic aspects, as concentration of multiple nationalities and ethnic groups over the given area and non ethnic aspects, as occurrence of multiple symbols, signs or cultures. We sense multiculturalism of the cities through the cultural and social properties of the citizens and urban architecture....
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Error analysis for European IGS stations
PublicationEach of the GPS time series that describes the changes of topocentric components consists of a deterministic and a stochastic part, whose character influences the errors of the deterministic parameters. As to the uncertainties of reliable velocities of permanent satellite station systems, surveys that estimate and take into account any dependencies that may affect subsequent operational efficiency are very important. For this analysis,...
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Bioreactor shoot cultures of Rhododendron tomentosum (Ledum palustre) for a large-scale production of bioactive volatile compounds
PublicationRhododendron tomentosum Harmaja (Ledum palustre), a peat bog plant from Ericaceae family, has been used in traditional medicine as the anti-arthritis agent. Although modern researches confirm its anti-inflammatory properties, it remains threatened by habitat degradation and possibilities to collect this endangered species from its natural environment for further biological activity studies are limited. Therefore, R. tomentosum...
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Werkzeugübergreifende Konsistenzsicherung von Artefakten bei der Entwicklung softwarebasierter Systeme im Automobil
PublicationDie Entwicklung von eingebetteten Systemen im Auto mobilbereich zeichnet sich zunehmend durch steigende Komplexität der zu entwickelnden Fahrzeugfunktionen aus. Die Handhabung dieser Kompl exität wird über entsprechend mächtige Werkzeuge, welche die verschi edenen Aktivitäten des Softwareentwicklungsprozesses unterstützen, angestr ebt. Als eine Schwachstelle erweist sich dabei, dass die eingesetzten Werkzeugk etten im Automobilbereich...