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Search results for: SEMANTIC INDEXES
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Global and regional economic inequality: Methods of measurement and evidences
PublicationThe lack of countries’ statistical income data, comparable across countries and years, seems to be the main reason of controversial conjectures concerning global inequality and its evolution over time. In the databases, which purport to collect income data on a worldwide scale, only some summary statistics (quantile income shares, means, Gini indices) are presented. Therefore, the development of efficient methods of extracting...
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A comprehensive assessment of environmental pollution by means of heavy metal analysis for oysters' reefs at Hab River Delta, Balochistan, Pakistan
PublicationThe heavy metal pollution status of oyster reefs has been assessed with respect to ten metals pollutants in seawater, sediments, and tissues of above two oysters (soft tissues and shells) for assessing the pollution status in a short food chain in Hab River Delta. The results showed that heavy metals accumulated in M. bilineata were higher than those in M. cuttackensis. Simultaneously, the population of M. bilineata species has...
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MECONIUM SAMPLES USED TO ASSESS INFANT EXPOSURE TO THE COMPONENTS OF ETS DURING PREGNANCY
PublicationThe aim of the study was to use meconium samples to assess fetal exposure to compounds present in environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). Material and Methods: In order to assess fetal exposure to toxic tobacco smoke compounds, samples of meconium from the offspring of women with different levels of tobacco smoke exposure, and the samples of saliva from the mothers were analyzed. Thiocyanate ion as a biomarker of tobacco smoke exposure,...
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How Does International Competitiveness Affect Economic Development? A Two-Phase Hypothesis
PublicationThis paper analyses the impact of international competitiveness on economic development, based on the World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) and GDP/capita of 125 countries during the period 2007-2010. The results reveal two phases of the evolution of competitiveness. When GCI < 4.5 (on 1-7 scale), any improvement of a country’s competitiveness affects current development more than future development. When...
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Subsoil degradation effect in reliability analysis of the jack-up platform structure
PublicationStructural reliability analysis is considered, by FORM and SORM applied to a certain idealized soil-platform structure interaction problem due to cyclic water wave and wind loads. Wave and wind loads are random variables, whereas dead load is deterministic. Load parameters are typical for storm conditions in the Baltic Sea. The soil-structure interaction is idealized as a set of linear translational and rotational springs. Due...
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Determinants of Firm Innovation in Indonesia: The Role of Institutions and Access to Finance
PublicationThis paper investigates the determinants of firm innovation in Indonesia. Using quality of local regulations index constructed by the Indonesia’s Regional Autonomy Watch (KPPOD) as measure of institutions, We found that better institutional quality at the local level was associated with more innovation and that firms experiencing major obstacle in access to finance were less likely to innovate. Access to finance is more critical...
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Time-frequency analysis of acoustic signals using concentrated spectrogram
PublicationThe paper presents improved method of time-frequency (TF) analysis of discrete-time signals. The method involves signal's local group delay (LGD) and channelized instantaneous frequency (CIF) to purposely redistribute all Short-time Fourier transform (STFT) lines. Additionally, the energy concentration index (ECI) and some histogram-like statistics are used to evaluate readability of estimated TF distributions of the energy. Recorded...
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Preparation, characterization, and manufacturing of new polymeric materials for 3D printing for medical applications
PublicationThis work concerns the synthesis, formation, and characteristics of new filaments for 3D printing in FDM™/FFF technology for medical purposes. Two types of filaments were developed, i.e. degradable polyurethane and biodegradable polylactide-starch. The influence of the 3D printing process on selected filament properties was investigated. A detailed analysis of the filament formation process by the extrusion method was carried out,...
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Exploring the trends in flux-cored arc welding: scientometric analysis approach
PublicationFlux-cored arc welding (FCAW) is a universal group of welding methods in terms of the scope of application and automation possibilities, the share of which in various industries in many countries is still increasing. The paper presents the results of bibliographic analyses (scientometric analysis with the use of VOSviewer, Bibliometrix and CitNetExplorer tools) of a data set of 993 publications indexed in the Web of Science database...
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Reliability of Corroded Stiffened Plate Subjected to Uniaxial Compressive Loading
PublicationThe work is focused on the reliability of corroded stiffened plates subjected to compressive uniaxial load based on the progressive collapse approach as stipulated by the Common Structural Rules for Bulk Carriers and Oil Tankers, employing the limit state design. Two different cases have been investigated. In the first model, the corrosion degradation led to uniform thickness loss, whereas the mechanical properties were unchanged,...
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The Emergence of ETFs in Asia-Pacific
PublicationThe major objective of this book is to contribute to the present state of knowledge by exploring empirical links between the processes of diffusion of financial innovations— exchange-traded funds—and growing deployment of ICT across Asia-Pacific countries, between 2004 and 2017. We examine the evolutionary patterns of ETFs on selected Asia-Pacific stock exchanges and verify the hypothesized relationship between increasing ICT penetration...
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CONSUMERS’ APPROACH TO THE CREDIBILITY OF THE INFLATION FORECASTS PUBLISHED BY CENTRAL BANKS: A NEW METHODOLOGICAL SOLUTION
PublicationModern monetary policy focuses on credibility and shaping inflation expectations. In keeping with the concept of inflation forecast targeting, the inflation forecasts published by central banks play a crucial role in the instrument rate decision-making process and may be treated as a specific intermediate target. This study proposes an inflation forecast credibility index, the scope of which is narrowed to non-specialists’ approach...
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Structure and properties comparison of poly(ether-urethane)s based on nonpetrochemical and petrochemical polyols obtained by solvent free two-step method
PublicationThe application of thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU) is becoming more and more extensive, and the decreasing of used petrochemical monomers and reduction of energy for the polymerization and processing processes is getting increasingly important. In this paper, we confirmed the positive influence of high bio-based monomers contents (by replacing petrochemical polyol and glycol by bio-based counterparts) on processing and properties...
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Opto-Electrochemical Sensing Device Based on Long-Period Grating Coated with Boron-Doped Diamond Thin Film
PublicationThe fabrication process of thin boron-doped nanocrystalline diamond (B-NCD) microelectrodes on fused silica single mode optical fiber cladding has been investigated. The B-NCD films were deposited on the fibers using Microwave Plasma Assisted Chemical Vapor Deposition (MW PA CVD) at glass substrate temperature of 475 ºC. We have obtained homogenous, continuous and polycrystalline surface morphology with high sp3 content in B-NCD...
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Nanocrystalline diamond microelectrode on fused silica optical fibers for electrochemical and optical sensing
PublicationFabrication process of thin boron-doped nanocrystalline diamond (B-NCD) microelectrode on fused silica single mode optical fiber has been investigated. The B-NCD films were deposited on the fibers using Microwave Plasma Assisted Chemical Vapor Deposition (MW PA CVD) at glass substrate temperature of 475 ºC. We have obtained homogenous, continuous and polycrystalline surface morphology with the mean grain size in the range of 100-250...
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Fire-Retardant Flexible Foamed Polyurethane (PU)-Based Composites: Armed and Charmed Ground Tire Rubber (GTR) Particles
PublicationInadequate fire resistance of polymers raises questions about their advanced applications. Flexible polyurethane (PU) foams have myriad applications but inherently suffer from very high flammability. Because of the dependency of the ultimate properties (mechanical and damping performance) of PU foams on their cellular structure, reinforcement of PU with additives brings about further concerns. Though they are highly flammable and...
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Facing the brainstorming theory. A case of requirements elicitation
PublicationKnowledge is still considered to be power and its externalization makes it possible for others to use that power. In this paper, we examine the theory of brainstorming, and the claim by father Alex Osborn that in a group session an individual can think of twice as many ideas than working alone. In the context of requirements elicitation, we performed an experiment on a “nominal” and a “real” group of participants, following a procedure...
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The conditions of the business services sector in Poland and its competitiveness in the global market
PublicationThe following article presents the conditions of the business services sector (BSS) in Poland and the assessment of its competitiveness in the global market. The first section discusses the BSS sector and the categories of the provided services, in the division of business process outsourcing, shared services center, information technology outsourcing, research and development. Next the authors presents the status of the business...
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One Europe, one product, two prices - the price disparity in the EU
PublicationThe price dispersion in the European Union in the last fifteen years (1990-2005) is analysed. The analysis of price convergence is examined on aggregate and disaggregate levels. The macro approach is based on Comparative Price Level index calculated as the ratio between PPPs and exchange rate. The disaggregate analysis utilizesactual prices of 148 individual products sold in the 15 capital cities of the EU. The calculations comprise...
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Eventual Convergence of the Reputation-Based Algorithm in IoT Sensor Networks
PublicationUncertainty in dense heterogeneous IoT sensor networks can be decreased by applying reputation-inspired algorithms, such as the EWMA (Exponentially Weighted Moving Average) algorithm, which is widely used in social networks. Despite its popularity, the eventual convergence of this algorithm for the purpose of IoT networks has not been widely studied, and results of simulations are often taken in lieu of the more rigorous proof....
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Does offshoring affect industry employment? Evidence from a wide European panel countries
Publicationis paper contributes to the literature on the possible impact of international outsourcing on domestic labour markets. We focus on off shoring-employment relationship. Th e analysis is performed for a wide European panel, composed of 27 EU countries and 13 manufacturing sectors, observed in the period 1995-2009. Th anks to the use of input-output tables from the WIOD project, we measure the intensity of off shoring in the sectors,...
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Experimental and theoretical studies on the photodegradation of 2-ethylhexyl 4-methoxycinnamate in the presence of reactive oxygen and chlorine species
Publication2-Ethylhexyl 4-methoxycinnamate (EHMC) is one of the most commonly used sunscreen ingredient. In this study we investigated photodegradation of EHMC in the presence of such common oxidizing and chlorinating systems as H2O2, H2O2/HCl, H2O2/UV, and H2O2/HCl/UV. Reaction products were detected by gas chromatography with a mass spectrometric detector (GC-MS). As a result of experimental studies chloro-substituted 4-methoxycinnamic...
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Modelling of Abdominal Wall Under Uncertainty of Material Properties
PublicationThe paper concerns abdominal wall modelling. The accurate prediction and simulation of abdominal wall mechanics are important in the context of optimization of ventral hernia repair. The shell Finite Element model is considered, as the one which can be used in patient-specific approach due to relatively easy geometry generation. However, there are uncertainties in this issue, e.g. related to mechanical properties since the properties...
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Properties of Different Varieties of Durian
PublicationDurian (Durio zibethinus Murr.), like many other exotic, tropical, and conventional fruits, is important in the prevention of different diseases. In this study, the characterization of the main bioactive compounds of the most popular cultivars of durian and their properties are described. The changes in the quality indices of the antioxidant status were determined by CUPRAC, ABTS, FRAP, DPPH, and ORAC assays. The profiling of phytochemicals...
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Chronographic Imprint of Age-Induced Alterations in Heart Rate Dynamical Organization
PublicationBeat-to-beat changes in the heart period are transformed into a network of increments between subsequent RR-intervals, which enables graphical descriptions of short-term heart period variability. Three types of such descriptions are considered: (1) network graphs arising from a set of vertices and directed edges, (2) contour plots of adjacency matrices A, representing the networks and transition matrices T, resulting from A, and (3)...
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On Computational Aspects of Greedy Partitioning of Graphs
PublicationIn this paper we consider a problem of graph P-coloring consisting in partitioning the vertex set of a graph such that each of the resulting sets induces a graph in a given additive, hereditary class of graphs P. We focus on partitions generated by the greedy algorithm. In particular, we show that given a graph G and an integer k deciding if the greedy algorithm outputs a P-coloring with a least k colors is NP-complete for an infinite...
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An analysis of the characteristics of Japanese industrial sectors from 2005 through 2011
PublicationThe purpose of the current study is to analyze the characteristics of Japanese industrial sectors from 2005 through 2011. The study employs the analysis tools from the Input-Output (IO) analysis, namely the indices of the power of dispersion, and the sensitivity of dispersion. The study focuses on the thirteen industries. The characteristics are described by the quadrants of analyzed charts. The results show that industries 3 and...
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Characterizing surface and air temperature in the Baltic Sea coastal area using remote sensing techniques and GIS
PublicationEstimation of surface temperature using multispectral imagery retrieved from satellite sensors constitutes several problems in terms of accuracy, accessibility, quality and evaluation. In order to obtain accurate results, currently utilized methods rely on removing atmospheric fluctuations in separate spectral windows, applying atmospheric corrections or utilizing additional information related to atmosphere or surface characteristics...
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Employment Specialization in the Enlarged European Union
PublicationThis paper presents the evolution of absolute employment specialization along the course of economic growth of 25 EU countries. We focus on the degree to which EU economies concentrate labor force in a few sectors/industries. Using disaggregated statistics classified according to NACE Rev. 1 division (71 sectors) we calculate various synthetic indices measuring the degree of diversification typical for the employment structures...
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Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography for determination of the terpenes profile of blue honeysuckle berries
PublicationTerpenes are the main group of secondary metabolites, which play essential role in human. The establishment of the terpenes profile of berries of different blue honeysuckle cultivars was achieved by headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HS-SPME/GCGC-TOFMS). The berries were found to contain 44 terpenes identified by GCGC-TOFMS....
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Chromatographic lipophilicity determination using large volume injections of the solvents non-miscible with the mobile phase
PublicationA new perspective in the lipophilicity evaluation through RP-HPLC is permitted by analysis of the retentionfactor (k) obtained by injecting large volumes of test samples prepared in solvents immiscible withmobile phase. The experiment is carried out on representative groups of compounds with increasedtoxicity (mycotoxins and alkaloids) and amines with important biological activity (naturally occurringmonoamine compounds and related...
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INWESTYCJE A ZATRUDNIENIE W POLSCE W PERSPEKTYWIE FINANSOWE 2007-2013
PublicationNakłady inwestycyjne przedsiębiorstw traktowane są jako jeden z głównych czynników wzrostu gospodarczego. Ich wielkość i dynamika mogą mieć wpływ na zmiany w poziomie zatrudnienia. Światowy kryzys finansowy przyczynił się do spowolnienia dynamiki wzrostu oraz gwałtownego spadku w 2009 roku PKB w większości gospodarek świata. We wspomnianym okresie w Polsce zaobserwowano spowolnienie gospodarcze, które miało wpływ na decyzje...
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Współpracować i konkurować w szkolnictwie wyższym – czy to ma sens? Analiza wybranych związków statystycznych
PublicationCel: Celem głównym artykułu jest wykazanie, że współpraca i pozycja konkurencyjna uczelni są ze sobą powiązane. Celem szczegółowym jest wykazanie, że sukces, jakim jest uzyskanie finansowania projektu badawczego jest powiązany z poziomem współpracy międzynarodowej konkurujących uczelni, a także z relacją liczby studentów do liczby nauczycieli akademickich. Materiał i metoda: W artykule przyjęto metodę ilościową, której elementem...
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Reliability Analysis of Sea Cliff Slope Stability by Point Estimate Method
PublicationThe paper presents a reliability analysis of a sea cliff slope. The cliff, located in Jastrzębia Góra, is characterised by a complicated geological structure. Although currently stable, it is in fact close to the limit state. The objective of this paper is to present the point estimate method (PEM) of determining the mean value and standard deviation of the safety factor of the slope. Assuming its normal distribution, these statistical...
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Reliability Analysis of Sea Cliff Slope Stability by Point Estimate Method
PublicationThe paper presents a reliability analysis of a sea cliff slope. The cliff, located in Jastrzębia Góra, is characterised by a complicated geological structure. Although currently stable, it is in fact close to the limit state. The objective of this paper is to present the point estimate method (PEM) of determining the mean value and standard deviation of the safety factor of the slope. Assuming its normal distribution, these statistical...
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Green thermoplastic poly(ether-urethane)s – synthesis, chemical structure and selected properties investigation
PublicationThis work aimed to characterize the effect of the monomers chemical structure on the selected properties of the green thermoplastic poly(ether-urethane)s. During synthesis two types of polyether biopolyols, 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate and bio-based 1,3-propanediol were employed. Materials were synthesized with the use of two step method and two different prepolymers, which were mixed together in equimolar quantities. Obtained...
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Modeling of multi-cavity Fabry-Perot optical fiber sensors
PublicationReflectance characteristics of a two-cavity extrinsic Fabry-Perot optical fiber sensor were investigated using computer modeling. Calculations were performed using a plane wave-based approach, selected for clarity of results. Based on the modeling results, it can be concluded that the two-cavity Fabry-Perot interferometer can be used to measure two different quantities, such as refractive index and temperature, independently. It...
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Evaluation of technical efficiency of heat and electric power generation
PublicationThis paper presents an evaluation of technical efficiency and time-dependent changes in productivity of Polish professional electric power and heat&electric power stations by using Data Envelopment Analysis non-parametric method. The research covered the enterprises whose total available electric power amounted to about 98% of that of all professional thermal electric power stations in this country. The analysis has concerned...
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Analysis of nonlinear effects as a diagnostic tool
PublicationMetody analizy efektów nieliniowych nieliniowej analizy sygnałów na wyjściu testowanych obiektów umożliwiają badanie występowania defektów i uszkodzeń w materiałach i elementach elektronicznych, co jest niezbędne w predykcji niezawodności. W odniesieniu do elementów biernych bardzo skutecznym narzędziem okazuje się być wskaźnik trzeciej harmonicznej (THI - Third Harmonic Index). W artykule bardziej szczegółowo opisano pomiary parametru...
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Production of fuel briquette from solid waste biomass using natural resin as a binder
PublicationAbstract Background: This research aimed to evaluate the use of natural resin as a binder for the production of fuel briquette from solid waste biomass. Methods: Proximate analyses were made for fuel briquette prepared from solid waste biomass using natural resin as a binder in comparison with using starch as a binder. Results: The results for density, percent content of moisture, percent content of volatile matter, percent content...
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Dietary behaviour and physical activity policies in Europe: learnings from the Policy Evaluation Network (PEN)
PublicationThe European Policy Evaluation Network (PEN), initiated in autumn 2018, aimed at advancing the evidence base for public policies impacting dietary behaviour, physical activity and sedentary behaviours in Europe. This is needed because non-communicable diseases—the leading cause of global mortality—are substantially caused by physical inactivity and unhealthy dietary behaviours, which in turn are driven by upstream factors that...
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Mercury concentration and the absolute and relative sizes of the internal organs in cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo (L. 1758) from the breeding colony by the Vistula Lagoon (Poland)
PublicationThis work analyses the effect of mercury on the condition of cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) from an extensive breeding colony in northern Poland, the largest in Europe. A total of 55 birds (44 adults and 11 immature) were obtained. Total mercury (Hg) concentrations were measured in the liver, kidneys, breast muscles, heart, gullet (oesophagus), stomach, intestines, trachea, lungs and eyeballs. The total body mass (TBM) and empty...
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Production of fuel briquette from solid waste biomass using natural resin as a binder
PublicationBackground: This research aimed to evaluate the use of natural resin as a binder for the production of fuel briquette from solid waste biomass.Methods: Proximate analyses were made for fuel briquette prepared from solid waste biomass using natural resin as a binder in comparison with using starch as a binder.Results: The results for density, percent content of moisture, percent content of volatile matter, percent...
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Drinking water safety evaluation in the selected sub-Saharan African countries: A case study of Madagascar, Uganda and Rwanda
PublicationIn the sub-Saharan region of Africa, access to safe drinking water remains limited in many countries. This study provides an overview of the quality of surface water and groundwater in rural and peri-urban areas of Madagascar, Uganda, and Rwanda. Selected physico-chemical parameters, inorganic species (including inorganic ions), and organic pollution indicators, such as total organic carbon, non-ionic surfactants, cationic surfactants, anionic...
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Spectroscopic Optical Coherence Tomography for Thin Layer and Foil Measurements
PublicationThe main goal of this research was to assess if it is possible to evaluate the thickness of thin layers (both thin films on the surface and thin layers below the surface of the tested object) and foils using optical coherence tomography (OCT) for thickness assessment under the resolution of the standard commercially available OCT measurement system. In the proposed solution, light backscattered from the evaluated thin layer has...
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Merton-type default risk and financial performance: the dynamic panel moderation of firm size
PublicationPurpose – The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the probability of default and examine the relationship between default risk and financial performance, with dynamic panel moderation of firm size. Design/methodology/approach – This study utilizes a total of 1,500 firm-year observations from 2013 to 2018 using dynamic panel data approach of generalized method of moments to test the relationship between default risk and financial...
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Bending analysis of functionally graded nanoplates based on a higher-order shear deformation theory using dynamic relaxation method
PublicationIn this paper, bending analysis of rectangular functionally graded (FG) nanoplates under a uniform transverse load has been considered based on the modified couple stress theory. Using Hamilton’s principle, governing equations are derived based on a higher-order shear deformation theory (HSDT). The set of coupled equations are solved using the dynamic relaxation (DR) method combined with finite difference (FD) discretization technique...
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Influence of sensor design and optical properties of tissue on the photoplethysmographic signal
PublicationPhotopletysmography and an associated technique called pulse oximetry are still explored due to the expectations that they give a lot of information about the state of the patient and, also, due to the fact that they are non invasive. Knowledge about the impact of various parameters on the measured signal leads to a faster and a more reliable way of analyzing measurement results and finding the dependencies between the involved...
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Deep compaction control of sandy soils
PublicationVibroflotation, vibratory compaction, micro-blasting or heavy tamping are typical improvement methods for the cohesionless deposits of high thickness. The complex mechanism of deep soil compaction is related to void ratio decrease with grain rearrangements, lateral stress increase, prestressing effect of certain number of load cycles, water pressure dissipation, aging and other effects. Calibration chamber based interpretation...
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Developments in Green Chromatography
PublicationGreen analytical chemistry is a widely recognized concept that has led to the development of new analytical methods with reduced environmental impact and minimized analyst occupational exposure. Achievements include the development of microextraction, ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) techniques. Research towards greener separation processes focuses on the elimination of toxic solvents...