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Search results for: EQUITABLE HEALTHCARE
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Biopolyols obtained via crude glycerol-based liquefaction of cellulose: their structural, rheological and thermal characterization
PublicationIn this work lignocellulose biomass liquefaction was used to produce biopolyols suitable for the manufacturing of rigid polyurethane foams. In order to better evaluate the mechanism of the process, pure cellulose was applied as a raw material. The effect of time and temperature on the effectiveness of liquefaction and the parameters of resulting biopolyols were characterized. The prepared materials were analyzed in terms of their...
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Pile Model Tests Using Strain Gauge Technology
PublicationOrdinary pile bearing capacity tests are usually carried out to determine the relationship between load and displacement of pile head. The measurement system required in such tests consists of force transducer and three or four displacement gauges. The whole system is installed at the pile head above the ground level. This approach, however, does not give us complete information about the pile-soil interaction. We can only determine...
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The use of lightweight aggregate saturated with PCM as a temperature stabilizing material for road surfaces.
PublicationThis paper presents the possibility of adding lightweight building aggregates to increase the stability – mechanical as well as thermal - of constructions and road objects. This stability can be achieved through saturating the porous granules of aggregate with a phase-change material (PCM) that allows the accumulation of solar heat. Intense solar radiation, especially during the summer, can cause the asphalt on road surfaces, bridges...
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Polyurethanes Crosslinked with Poly(vinyl alcohol) as a Slowly-Degradable and Hydrophilic Materials of Potential Use in Regenerative Medicine
PublicationNovel, slowly-degradable and hydrophilic materials with proper mechanical properties and surface characteristics are in great demand within the biomedical field. In this paper, the design, synthesis, and characterization of polyurethanes (PUR) crosslinked with poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) as a new proposition for regenerative medicine is described. PVA-crosslinked PURs were synthesized by a two-step polymerization performed in a solvent...
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Impact of abiotic stressors on nutrient removal and rhizomicrobiome composition in floating treatment wetland with Equisetum hyemale
PublicationFloating treatment wetlands (FTW) are receiving growing interest as a phyto-technology. However, there are significant research gaps regarding the actual role of plant species and plant-microbiome interactions. In this study, the nutrient uptake of Equisetum hyemale was examined in FTW microcosms under the influence of abiotic stressors: As (3 mg/L) and Pb (3 mg/L) as well as Cl− (300 and 800 mg/L) in reference to a control during...
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Selective H2 production from plastic waste through pyrolysis and in-line oxidative steam reforming
PublicationThis study deals with the proposal of pyrolysis and in-line oxidative steam reforming (P-OSR) for plastic waste valorization and assesses the potential of this strategy for the selective production of H2. Overall, the study aims at progressing towards the fine-tuning of the pyrolysis-reforming technology by co-feeding O2. Thus, a multi-point O2 injection system has been developed to ensure a suitable O2 distribution in the reforming...
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Mechanical and Corrosion Properties of Laser Surface-Treated Ti13Nb13Zr Alloy with MWCNTs Coatings
Publication: Titanium and its alloys is the main group of materials used in prosthetics and implantology. Despite their popularity and many advantages associated with their biocompatibility, these materials have a few significant disadvantages. These include low biologic activity—which reduces the growth of fibrous tissue and allows loosening of the prosthesis—the possibility of metallosis and related inflammation or other allergic reactions,...
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Catalytic activity of Ni-MgAl2O4 modified with transition metal (Ti, Mo, W) carbides as potential catalysts for resource recovery via dry reforming of waste plastics
PublicationThe growing amounts of plastic waste and CO2 emissions are two environmental threats that require urgent attention. Pyrolysis combined with dry reforming (PCDR) is a technology that allows both CO2 utilization and resource recovery from waste plastic. New catalysts for PCDR are crucial for developing efficient and stable processes that can be widely implemented in the industry. In this study, Ni/MgAl2O4 catalysts modified using different...
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Globalized Knowledge-Based Simulation-Driven Antenna Miniaturization Using Domain-Confined Surrogates and Dimensionality Reduction
PublicationDesign of contemporary antenna systems encounters multifold challenges, one of which is a limited size. Compact antennas are indispensable for the new fields of application such as inter-net of things or 5G/6G mobile communication. Still, miniaturization generally undermines elec-trical and field performance. When attempted through numerical optimization, it turns into a constrained problem with costly constraints requiring electromagnetic...
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Superhydrophobic and superoleophilic melamine sponges impregnated with deep eutectic solvents for oil spill cleanup
PublicationThe extensive extraction of oil from the bottom of seas and oceans and its transportation by tankers increase the risk of potential environmental disasters associated with hydrocarbon fractions entering water reservoirs. Therefore, this paper presents the preparation of a simple impregnation of a melamine sponge with deep eutectic solvents (DES), which can be obtained from natural sources, including coconut oil, palm kernel oil,...
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Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans: implementation process and indicators to evaluate effects on physical activity
PublicationBackground: Active mobility and public transport increase physical activity (PA) levels. With varying intensity and effectiveness, European cities implement Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) to spur transport-related PA. Therefore, we aim to examine drivers and barriers to SUMP implementation and assess its influence on PA across European cities. Methods: We screened policy reports to gain insights into SUMP implementation...
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Cavitation-based technologies for pretreatment and processing of food wastes: Major applications and mechanisms – A review
PublicationConversion of food wastes to valuable products is an important topic for sustainable development. Feedstock hydrolysis is a stage strongly affecting the anaerobic digestion process, and resistance of food waste towards hydrolysis causes a decrease in product yield. Such as biomethane, biohydrogen, biohythane, VFAs, and lactic acids. Moreover, mass transfer is a serious limitation of transesterification for the production of biodiesel....
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Study of the Resistance to Influence of Aggressive Liquids on Concrete with Lightweight Aggregate
PublicationThe corrosion of the structure of concrete caused by the aggressive external environment is one of the main problems that can reduce the durability of buildings. The paper analyzes the influence of the type of component on selected properties of lightweight concrete (LWC) exposed to aggressive liquids. When lightweight concrete containing porous aggregates is used, the influence of an aggressive environment may be of particular...
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Effect of hybrid modification by ceramic layer formation in MAO process and laser remelting on the structure of titanium bio-alloy Ti13Nb13Zr
PublicationTo improve the biological properties of titanium alloy Ti13Nb13Zr, hybrid modifications involving micro-arc oxidation (MAO) and Nd: YAG laser remelting were carried out in two combinations. The first consisted of laser modification before the production of the ceramic layer by the micro-arc oxidation process, and the second combination involved Nd: YAG laser modification after the MAO process. The creation of developed surface...
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A Novel Method for Intelligibility Assessment of Nonlinearly Processed Speech in Spaces Characterized by Long Reverberation Times
PublicationObjective assessment of speech intelligibility is a complex task that requires taking into account a number of factors such as different perception of each speech sub-bands by the human hearing sense or different physical properties of each frequency band of a speech signal. Currently, the state-of-the-art method used for assessing the quality of speech transmission is the speech transmission index (STI). It is a standardized way...
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Comparison of the Efficiency of Deammonification under Different DO Concentrations in a Laboratory-Scale Sequencing Batch Reactor
PublicationThe efficiency of deammonification depends on the cooperation of ammonium oxidizing bacteria and archaea (AOB/AOA), anaerobic ammonium oxidizing bacteria (AnAOB) and the effective suppression of nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB) that compete with AnAOB for nitrite (NO2 -N). One of the effective NOB suppression strategies is intermittent aeration. However, it is important to have a good understanding of the optimum dissolved oxygen...
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Nonconventional 1,8-Diazafluoren-9-One Aggregates for Green Light Enhancement in Hybrid Biocompatible Media
PublicationOrganic aggregates currently play a prominent role, mainly for their unique optoelectronic properties in the aggregated state. Such properties can be related to the aggregates’ structure and the molecular packing mode. In the literature, we have well-established models of H and J aggregates defined based on the molecular exciton model. However, unconventional aggregates, the most unrecognized forms, have been generating interest...
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On the Role of Polarimetric Decomposition and Speckle Filtering Methods for C-Band SAR Wetland Classification Purposes
PublicationPrevious wetlands studies have thoroughly verified the usefulness of data from synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensors in various acquisition modes. However, the effect of the processing parameters in wetland classification remains poorly explored. In this study, we investigated the influence of speckle filters and decomposition methods with different combinations of filter and decomposition windows sizes on classification accuracy....
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Challenges in operating and testing loop heat pipes in 500–700 K temperature ranges
PublicationThe potential applications of loop heat pipes (LHPs) are the nuclear power space systems, fuel cell thermal management systems, waste heat recovery systems, medium temperature electronic systems, medium temperature military systems, among others. Such applications usually operate in temperature ranges between 500–700 K, hence it is necessary to develop an LHP system that will meet this requirement. Such a thermal management device...
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Study on the Positioning Accuracy of the GNSS/INS System Supported by the RTK Receiver for Railway Measurements
PublicationCurrently, the primary method for determining the object coordinates is positioning using Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) supported by Inertial Navigation Systems (INS). The main goal of this solution is to ensure high positioning availability, particularly when access to satellite signals is limited (in tunnels, areas with densely concentrated buildings and in forest areas). The aim of this article is to determine whether...
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Enriching the Context: Methods of Improving the Non-contextual Assessment of Sentence Credibility
PublicationThis paper presents several methods of automatic context enrichment of sentences that need to be evaluated, tagged or fact-checked by human judges. We have created a corpus of medical Web articles. Sentences from this corpus have been fact-checked by medical experts in two modes: contextually (reading the entire article and evaluating sentence by sentence) and without context (evaluating sentences from all articles in random order)....
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IMPROVING STUDENT SKILLS WITH ENGAGING IN HERITAGE PROTECTION PROJECTS. CASE STUDY OF ARCHITECTURAL INVENTORY WORKS AT WISŁOUJŚCIE FORTRESS, POLAND (2017)
PublicationToday's educational offer at universities contains a lot of theoretical and general knowledge, which becomes less understandable and less suitable for students of the new generation. Student's educational needs aimed at increasing the practical experience necessary for future professional life. Heritage conservation projects are a good opportunity to implement project-based learning methods. Such projects can be scientific and...
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Multifactor consciousness level assessment of participants with acquired brain injuries employing human–computer interfaces
PublicationBackground A lack of communication with people suffering from acquired brain injuries may lead to drawing erroneous conclusions regarding the diagnosis or therapy of patients. Information technology and neuroscience make it possible to enhance the diagnostic and rehabilitation process of patients with traumatic brain injury or post-hypoxia. In this paper, we present a new method for evaluation possibility of communication and the...
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Generalized Formulation of Response Features for Reliable Optimization of Antenna Input Characteristics
PublicationElectromagnetic (EM)-driven parameter adjustment has become imperative in the design of modern antennas. It is necessary because the initial designs rendered through topology evolution, parameter sweeping, or theoretical models, are often of poor quality and need to be improved to satisfy stringent performance requirements. Given multiple objectives, constraints, and a typically large number of geometry parameters, the design closure...
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Honey antibacterial activity: A neglected aspect of honey quality assurance as functional food
PublicationBackground Honey is considered as a functional food with health-promoting properties. Its potent antibacterial and antibiofilm effects are the major attributes of so called ‘medical-grade honey’ which is topically used for the treatment of burns, wounds and skin disorders. Nevertheless, the current set of honey quality parameters adopted in the European Union do not include its biological properties. Furthermore, in light of the...
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Experimental Study of the Resistance to Influence of Aggressive Liquids on Lightweight Concrete
PublicationIn light of the scientific research, the corrosion of concrete structures is one of the main problems that may reduce their durability due to the negative impact of the natural environment. The paper analyzes the influence of the type of component on the selected properties of lightweight concrete subjected to the influence of aggressive liquids. Four concrete mixes were prepared with a granular aggregate made of foamed glass (GEGA)...
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THE INFLUENCE OF POLYMER STRIPS IN REDUCTION OF A STEEL GRANDSTAND VIBRATIONS
PublicationGrandstands are types of structures commonly used during sport events or music concerts. Dynamic loads generated by crowd movement may have significant influence on human perception as well as may lead to the destruction of a structure. Lighter and more slender structural steel members are more easily excitable by spectators. If the synchronized movement is tuned with the natural frequency of the affected part of the structure,...
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Grid Implementation of a Parallel Multiobjective Genetic Algorithm for Optimized Allocation of Chlorination Stations in Drinking Water Distribution Systems: Chojnice Case Study
PublicationSolving multiobjective optimization problems requires suitable algorithms to find a satisfactory approximation of a globally optimal Pareto front. Furthermore, it is a computationally demanding task. In this paper, the grid implementation of a distributed multiobjective genetic algorithm is presented. The distributed version of the algorithm is based on the island algorithm with forgetting island elitism used instead of a genetic...
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Fabrication of polyurethane and polyurethane based composite fibers by the electrospinning technique for soft tissue engineering of cardiovascular system
PublicationElectrospinning is the unique technique, which provides forming of polymeric scaffolds for soft tissue engineering, which include tissue scaffolds for soft tissues of cardiovascular system. Such artificial soft tissues of cardiovascular system may possess mechanical properties comparable to native vascular tissues. Electrospinning technique gives the opportu nity to form fibres with nm- to μm-scale in diameter. The arrangement...
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Rapid design optimization of antennas using variable-fidelity EM models and adjoint sensitivities
PublicationPurpose – Development of techniques for expedited design optimization of complex and numerically expensive electromagnetic (EM) simulation models of antenna structures validated both numerically and experimentally. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – The optimization task is performed using a technique that combines gradient search with adjoint sensitivities, trust region framework, as well as...
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Nowe rozwiązania metodyczne i techniczne w zakresie techniki mikroekstrakcji do fazy stracjonarnej
PublicationSample preparation has been recognized as a critical step of the analytical process, being even considered as the bottleneck of the overall process. Enrichment of target compounds, transfer of the analytes into a solvent compatible with the analytical instrumentation, minimization of potential interferences, and efficient sample clean-up, are among the main aims of sample preparation techniques. In this regard, liquid-liquid extraction...
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Formation of Porous Structure of the Metallic Materials Used on Bone Implants
PublicationResearch on improvement of structure and fabrication methods of the bone implants are carried out for many years. Research are aimed to shape the structures, that will have a Young's modulus value similar to the value of the human bones Young's modulus. Depending on theporosity, Young's moduli can even be tailored to match the modulus of bone closer than solid metals can, thus reducing the problems associated with stress shielding...
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Genotyping Techniques for Determining the Diversity of Microorganisms
PublicationTyping of microbial pathogens, or identifying bacteria at the strain level, is particularly important for diagnosis, treatment, and epidemiological surveillance of bacterial infections. This is especially the case for bacteria exhibiting high levels of antibiotic resistance or virulence, and those involved in nosocomial or pandemic infections. Strain typing also has applications in studying bacterial population dynamics. The part...
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Mutually polarizable QM/MM model with in situ optimized localized basis functions
PublicationWe extend our recently developed quantum-mechanical/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) approach [Dziedzic et al., J. Chem. Phys. 145, 124106 (2016)] to enable in situ optimization of the localized orbitals. The quantum subsystem is described with ONETEP linear-scaling density functional theory and the classical subsystem – with the AMOEBA polarizable force field. The two subsystems interact via multipolar electrostatics and are fully...
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Shore Construction Detection by Automotive Radar for the Needs of Autonomous Surface Vehicle Navigation
PublicationAutonomous surface vehicles (ASVs) are becoming more and more popular for performing hydrographic and navigational tasks. One of the key aspects of autonomous navigation is the need to avoid collisions with other objects, including shore structures. During a mission, an ASV should be able to automatically detect obstacles and perform suitable maneuvers. This situation also arises in near-coastal areas, where shore structures like...
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Tailoring Defects in B, N-Codoped Carbon Nanowalls for Direct Electrochemical Oxidation of Glyphosate and its Metabolites
PublicationTailoring the defects in graphene and its related carbon allotropes has great potential to exploit their enhanced electrochemical properties for energy applications, environmental remediation, and sensing. Vertical graphene, also known as carbon nanowalls (CNWs), exhibits a large surface area, enhanced charge transfer capability, and high defect density, making it suitable for a wide range of emerging applications. However, precise...
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Screening of predicted synergistic multi-target therapies in glioblastoma identifies new treatment strategies
PublicationAbstract Background IDH-wildtype glioblastoma (GBM) is a highly malignant primary brain tumor with a median survival of 15 months after standard of care, which highlights the need for improved therapy. Personalized combination therapy has shown to be successful in many other tumor types and could be beneficial for GBM patients. Methods We performed the largest drug combination screen to date in GBM, using a high-throughput effort...
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On a flexomagnetic behavior of composite structures
PublicationThe popularity of the studies is getting further on the flexomagnetic (FM) response of nano-electro-magneto machines. In spite of this, there are a few incompatibilities with the available FM model. This study indicates that the accessible FM model is inappropriate when considering the converse magnetization effect that demonstrates the necessity and importance of deriving a new FM relation. Additionally, the literature has neglected...
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Fast multi-objective design optimization of microwave and antenna structures using data-driven surrogates and domain segmentation
PublicationPurpose Strategies and algorithms for expedited design optimization of microwave and antenna structures in multi-objective setup are investigated. Design/methodology/approach Formulation of the multi-objective design problem oriented towards execution of the population-based metaheuristic algorithm within the segmented search space is investigated. Described algorithmic framework exploit variable fidelity modeling, physics- and...
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Measures of Functional Reliability of Two-Lane Highways
PublicationRural two-lane highways are the most common road type both in Poland and globally. In terms of kilometres, their length is by far greater than that of motorways and expressways. They are roads of one carriageway for each direction, which makes the overtaking of slower vehicles possible only when there is a gap in the stream of traffic moving from the opposite direction. Motorways and express roads are dual carriageways that are...
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Extending the Frequency Limit of Microstrip-Coupled CSRR Using Asymmetry
PublicationAbstract— This article explains the frequency limitation in designing microstrip circuits based on a complementary split-ring resonator (CSRR) and reports a novel technique for increasing its operating frequency, which makes the CSRR suitable for high-frequency applications. This study helps in synthesizing the dimensions of symmetric CSRR (SCSRR) and asymmetric CSRR (ACSRR) circuits, which shows the applicability of the proposed...
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Phytoextraction and recovery of rare earth elements using willow (Salix spp.)
PublicationSoil and water contaminations are caused by rare earth elements (REEs) due to mining and industrial activities, that threaten the ecosystem and human health. Therefore, phytoremediation methods need to be developed to overcome this problem. To date, little research has been conducted concerning the phytoremediation potential of Salix for REEs. In this study, two Salix species (Salix myrsinifolia and Salix schwerinii) and two Salix...
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Towards a modification of a regulatory framework aiming at bunker oil spill prevention from ships - A design aspect of bunker tanks vents location guided by CFD simulations
PublicationAlthough accidental bunker oil spills at seaway are relatively rare events, they can be pose real threat to the natural marine environment. One of the reasons for the bunker spill to occur is a design failure; one of the ways it can demonstrate is an improper location or height of vent heads, leading to a bunker oil discharge during heavy rolling, due to sloshing phenomenon. Design of a ship and her systems is guided by various...
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A framework for accelerated optimization of antennas using design database and initial parameter set estimation
PublicationThe purpose of this paper is to exploit a database of pre-existing designs to accelerate parametric optimization of antenna structures is investigated. Design/methodology/approach The usefulness of pre-existing designs for rapid design of antennas is investigated. The proposed approach exploits the database existing antenna base designs to determine a good starting point for structure optimization and its response sensitivities....
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A comprehensive evaluation of flexible FDM/FFF 3D printing filament as a potential material in medical application
PublicationThe use of FDM/FFF in 3D printing for medical sciences is becoming common. This is due to the high availability and decent price of both 3D printers and filaments useful for FDM/FFF. Currently, researchers' attention is focused mainly on the study of medical filaments based on PLA, PCL or their modifications. This contributes to insufficient diversity of medical-grade filaments on the market. Moreover, due to the lack of specified...
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Characterization and Technical Application of Fine Photocatalytical Particles - A Study of the Immobilization of Photocatalysts
PublicationThe main aim of this dissertation was the transfer of photocatalytical laboratory scale experiments to semi-technical scale. Preliminary experiments of the purification of organic chlorine-loaded waters and the immobilization of photocatalysts were performed, which yielded the research back to the roots of synthesis. The first applied research was carried out on treatment of recreational water. Several light sources, particularly...
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Flavones in cocoa defence against Phytophthora megakarya
PublicationCross-pollination of suitable genotypes and earlier selection of elite offspring using adequate plants-associated defence markers in plantlets leaves are decisive for development of T. cacao genotypes tolerant to black pods disease (BPD). T. cacao plantlets from manual cross-pollination of ♀SNK64 × ♂UPA143 were analyzed for their susceptibility to BPD using leaf disc test. Subsequently, leaves (healthy, wounded and wound+infected)...
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Spatial Heterogeneity Impacts of Bilateral Foreign Direct Investment on Green Energy Efficiency in China
PublicationAt present, green energy transformation and climate policy are increasingly connected. The need to improve national competitiveness and implement climate and energy strategies means that an energy-consuming country like China must rapidly enhance its green energy efficiency (GEE) and energy consumption structure. The following paper contributes to the existing literature by analyzing the effects of bilateral FDI on GEE from...
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System of monitoring of the Forest Opera in Sopot structure and roofing
PublicationThe authors present a solution realized in Forest Opera (name in Polish: Opera Leśna) in Sopot (Poland) in connection with the modernization and construction of a new roof. The complicated structure of the roof of the facility and the used covering in form of membrane made of technical fabric required (for security reasons) to install the unit of devices allowing for the continuous geodetic monitoring of the facility. Monitoring...
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UWB Microstrip Antennas on a Cylindrical Surfaces
PublicationConformal antennas are becoming popular due to their many advantages and possibilities of applications they offer. The advantages of using antennas with a curved surface arise not only from the possibility of integrating them with the object on which they are mounted on but also from the increase, relatively to planar antennas, of their visible angular range. The circular antenna arrays, or arrays of radiators located on the surface...