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Search results for: fecal indicators
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Preparation and characterization of TiO2 nanostructures for catalytic CO2 photoconversion
PublicationThe titanium dioxide target (99.7%) of 1 cm in dia was ablated in vacuum by laser pulses(6 ns) at 266 nm and at repetition rate of 10 Hz. During deposition the laser fluence between 1 and 3.5 J/cm2 and the O2 pressure from the range of 10-2 - 1 Pa were applied. The thin TiO2 films were deposited on glass substrate (1 × 1 cm2) heated up to 500 °C. The chemical composition of the film and samples produced by annealing were investigated...
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Prognostic and diagnostic capabilities of OOBN in assessing investment risk of complex construction projects
PublicationModelling decision problems using Bayesian networks is extremely valuable especially in case of issues related to uncertainty; it is also very helpful in constructing and understanding visual representation of the elements and their relations. This approach facilitates subsequent application of Bayesian networks, however there can be situations where using simple Bayesian networks is impractical or even ineffective. The aim of...
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Polymer journal bearings behaviour research under limited lubrication and cooling conditions conducted on high torque test rig
PublicationPolymer journal bearings are frequently used as a water-lubricated bearings of small marine units’ propeller shafts . Choice of these bearings is based on their simple construction and relatively low purchase and maintenance costs. Although properly designed and installed water lubricated bearings may well last for over a decade, rapid wear or failure of these bearings can be observed...
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Symbiosis of Art and Technology – From Renaissance to Interactive Art,
PublicationThe article presents the mutual relations between art and technology from the Renaissance to the interactive art of today. It indicates important factors influencing the possibilities of imaging and interpreting reality by artists, ranging from the development of oil painting techniques, linear perspective, the invention of printing and photography, to achievements related to the development of information technologies (computers,...
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Low-strain sensor based on the flexible boron-doped diamond-polymer structures
PublicationA free-standing high boron-doped diamond nanosheet (BDDNS) has been fabricated for the development of a flexible BDDNS strain senor. High boron-doped diamond was initially grown on a tantalum substrate in a microwave plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition method, and was then transferred to a Kapton polymer substrate to fabricate the flexible BDDNS/Kapton device. Before performing the transfer process, the thin BDDNS’s morphology...
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Mapping of Flood-Prone Areas Utilizing GIS Techniques and Remote Sensing: A Case Study of Duhok, Kurdistan Region of Iraq
PublicationOne of the most common types of natural disaster, floods can happen anywhere on Earth, except in the polar regions. The severity of the damage caused by flooding can be reduced by putting proper management and protocols into place. Using remote sensing and a geospatial methodology, this study attempts to identify flood-vulnerable areas of the central district of Duhok, Iraq. The analytical hierarchy process (AHP) technique was...
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Technical Limitations in Merging Secular and Sacred Functions in Monumental Churches
PublicationThe abandonment of churches and their adaptation for secular purposes is a current subject in Europe and worldwide. Most cases involve objects that were desacralized and then rebuilt as a whole object for alternative functions. Thus far, the merging of secular and sacred functions in one monumental Catholic church has not raised any issues. The paper describes the case of St. Catherine’s Church in Gdansk, Poland, where sacred function...
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Expedited Design Closure of Antenna Input Characteristics by Trust Region Gradient Search and Principal Component Analysis
PublicationOptimization-based parameter tuning has become an inherent part of contemporary antenna design process. For the sake of reliability, it is typically conducted at the level of full-wave electromagnetic (EM) simulation models. This may incur considerable computational expenses depending on the cost of an individual EM analysis, the number of adjustable variables, the type of task (local, global, single-/multi-objective optimization),...
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Low noise poroelastic road pavements based on modified asphalt binder
PublicationTire/road noise is one of the most important environmental problems related to road traffic. As the most effective way to fight noise is reduction of sound emission from the source, a lot of work is being done to improve tire and road surfaces construction. This paper describes the first “road” results obtained within the SEPOR project, which is focused on developing a low noise poroelastic road surface based on bituminous binder....
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Origin and fate of nanoparticles in marine water – Preliminary results
PublicationThe number, morphology and elemental composition of nanoparticles (<100 nm) in marine water was investigated using Variable Pressure Scanning Electron Microscopy (VP-SEM) and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Preliminary research conducted in the Baltic Sea showed that the number of nanoparticles in seawater varied from undetectable to 380 (x102) cm-3. Wind mixing and density barriers (thermocline) had a significant impact...
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Application of Open-Hardware-Based Solutions for Rapid Transition From Stationary to the Remote Teaching Model During Pandemic
PublicationWhile research indicates usefulness of remote laboratories in teaching of digital hardware systems, their main application is to complement stationary classes. This work presents a low-cost, scalable architecture that supports rapid transformation of teaching to a model based solely on remote access mechanisms. Background: Adaptation of online laboratory solutions from the literature to en-masse teaching of digital circuits is...
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Adopting Collaborative Games into Agile Requirements Engineering
PublicationIn agile software development, where great emphasis is put on effective informal communication involving diverse stakeholders, success depends on human and social factors. Not surprisingly, the Agile Manifesto advocates principles and values such as “individuals and interactions over processes and tools”, “focus on the customer”, “collaborate regularly”, “communicate face-to-face within the team” and “have regular team introspection”....
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Latent fingerprint imaging by spectroscopic optical coherence tomography
PublicationOptical coherence tomography (OCT) is a non-contact and non-invasive optical method for evaluating semitransparent and scattering objects. Its unique features, such as non-destructive 3D measurements of tested objects with a fast scanning rate, make this technique interesting for latent fingerprint reading, which is the subject of this paper. So far, OCT has not found widespread use for reading fingerprints directly from surfaces...
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Molecular and structural characteristics of cod gelatin films modifiedwith EDC and TGase
PublicationCod gelatin films before and after cross-linking of gelatin with 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC) or transglutaminase (TGase) have been characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy and DSC analysis. For comparison, a film prepared from unmodified pig gelatin has been also analysed. The difference spectra showed that cod gelatin during the film formation involved first of all water-to-amide hydrogen bonds, and the film...
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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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Long-Term Impact of Wind Erosion on the Particle Size Distribution of Soils in the Eastern Part of the European Union
PublicationWind erosion is the leading cause of soil degradation and air pollution in many regionsof the world. As wind erosion is controlled by climatic factors, research on this phenomenon isurgently needed in soil and land management in order to better adapt to climate change. In thispaper, the impact of wind erosion on the soil surface in relation to particle size distribution wasinvestigated. Changes in percentage of sand, silt and...
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Ships - inspiring objects in architecture
PublicationSea-going vessels have for centuries fascinated people, not only those who happen to work at sea, but first and foremost, those who have never set foot aboard a ship. The environment in which ships operate is reminiscent of freedom and countless adventures, but also of hard and interesting maritime working life. The famous words of Pompey: “Navigare necesseest, vivere non estnecesse” (sailing is necessary, living – is not necessary),...
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Enhancing Customer Engagement in Social Media with AI – a Higher Education case study
PublicationPurpose. The study aims to demonstrate the importance of artificial intelligence (AI) and examples of tools based on it in the process of enhancing (building, measuring, and managing) customer engagement (CE) in social media in the higher education industry. CE is one of the current essential non-financial indicators of company performance in Digital Marketing strategy. The article presents a decision support system (DSS) based...
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Assessment of the factors influencing on the formation of energy-oriented modes of electric power consumption by water-drainage installations of the mines
PublicationPurpose. Performing the analysis to determine energy-efficient modes and assess the characteristics of the main indicators of electric power consumption by mine water-drainage installations based on the developed research mathematical model. Methods. To achieve the purpose set, a methodology is used to develop the multiple multifactor correlation-regression modeling with respect to the modes of electric power consumption by electrical...
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Injury Prediction Models for Onshore Road Network Development
PublicationIntegrating different modes of transport (road, rail, air and water) is important for port cities. To accommodate this need, new transport hubs must be built such as airports or sea ports. If ports are to grow, they must be accessible, a feature which is best achieved by building new roads, including fast roads. Poland must develop a network of fast roads that will provide good access to ports. What is equally important is to upgrade...
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Family business succession – the practical or also theoretical problem. Bibliometric analysis
PublicationFamily businesses, in various forms, have existed since societies began to be created. However, family business research has a decidedly shorter tradition. In favorable conditions, family enterprises develop for many generations, and their fate is intertwined with the fate of the families. The topics of family businesses are raised by researchers around the world. Estimates regarding the number of family businesses are a frequent...
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Interspecific and intraspecific variation in organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls using non-destructive samples from Pygoscelis penguins
PublicationAs humans are present in Antarctica only for scientific and tourism-related purposes, it is often described as a pristine region. However, studies have identified measurable levels of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), such as organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), in the Antarctic region. These are highly toxic anthropogenic compounds with tendency to travel long distances and reach remote environments, where...
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DESIGN LOGICAL LINGUISTIC MODELS TO CALCULATE NECESSITY IN TRUCKS DURING AGRICULTURAL CARGOES LOGISTICS USING FUZZY LOGIC
Publication: The study is aimed to develop the logic-linguistic models to design a number of rules for the correct calculation of the vehicles needed, taking into account the technical, technological, and weather and climate conditions of the harvesting and transport complex. The article has shown that the construction of the design of logic-linguistic models was not performed earlier to solve the problem of the agro-industrial production...
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Explainable machine learning for diffraction patterns
PublicationSerial crystallography experiments at X-ray free-electron laser facilities produce massive amounts of data but only a fraction of these data are useful for downstream analysis. Thus, it is essential to differentiate between acceptable and unacceptable data, generally known as ‘hit’ and ‘miss’, respectively. Image classification methods from artificial intelligence, or more specifically convolutional neural networks (CNNs), classify...
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GUIDED WAVES IN SHIP STRUCTURAL HEALTH MONITORING – A FEASIBILITY STUDY
PublicationShips and offshore structures operate in a severe corrosion degradation environment and face difficulty in providing long- lasting corrosion protection. The Classification Societies recommend regular thickness measurements leading to structural component replacements, to ensure structural integrity during service life. The measurements are usually performed using ultrasonic thickness gauges and such an approach requires multiple...
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Water uptake kinetics and electrical transport in BaCe0.6Zr0.2Y0.1M0.1O3−δ (M = Tb, Pr, Fe) protonic conductors
PublicationBaCe0.6Zr0.2Y0.1M0.1O3−d (M = Fe, Pr, Tb) is a mixed conducting oxide in which three mobile charge carriers – oxygen ion, electron/hole, and protonic defects – are present. These types of materials have gained much interest as electrode materials for protonic ceramic fuel cells (PCFCs) and protonic ceramic electrolysis cells (PCECs). In this study, the water uptake and oxygen transport properties of different BaCe0.6Zr0.2Y0.1M0.1O3−d...
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Study of microstress state of P91 steel using complementary mechanical Barkhausen, magnetoacoustic emission, and X-ray diffraction techniques
PublicationThe paper deals with assessment of microstress state of martensite P91 steel using three complementary techniques: mechanical Barkhausen emission, magnetoacoustic emission (MAE), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) profile analysis. Magnetic coercivity Hc and microstructure were investigated with inductive magnetometry and magnetic force microscopy (MFM), respectively. Internal stress level of P91 steel was modified by heat treatment....
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Thermodynamics and kinetics of amphotericin B self-association in aqueous solution characterized in molecular detail
PublicationAmphotericin B (AmB) is a potent but toxic drug commonly used to treat systemic mycoses. Its efficiency as a therapeutic agent depends on its ability to discriminate between mammalian and fungal cell membranes. The association of AmB monomers in an aqueous environment plays an important role in drug selectivity, as oligomers formed prior to membrane insertion – presumably dimers – are believed to act differently on fungal (ergosterol-rich)...
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A new assay for the simultaneous identification and differentiation of Klebsiella oxytoca strains.
PublicationKlebsiella oxytoca is the second most frequently identified species of Klebsiella isolated from hospitalized patients. Klebsiella spp. is difficult to identify using conventional methods and is often misclassified in clinical microbiology laboratories. K. oxytoca is responsible for an increasing number of multi-resistant infections in hospitals because of insufficient detection and identification. In this study, we propose a new...
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Mercury contamination, a potential threat to the globally endangered aquatic warbler Acrocephalus paludicola
PublicationMercury (Hg) contamination is considered a global concern for humans and wildlife, and although the number of studies dealing with that issue continues to increase, some taxonomic groups such as small passerine birds are largely understudied. In this paper, concentration of mercury in the aquatic warbler (Acrocephalus paludicola) feathers, a globally threatened passerine species, was examined. The concentration differences between...
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Structure and performance properties of environmentally-friendly biocomposites based on poly(ɛ-caprolactone) modified with copper slag and shale drill cuttings wastes
PublicationThe potential application of two types of industrial wastes, drill cuttings (DC) and copper slag (CS), as silica-rich modifiers of poly(ɛ-caprolactone) (PCL) was investigated. Chemical structure and physical properties of DC and CS fillers were characterized using X-ray diffractometer, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, particle size and density measurements. PCL/DC and PCL/CS composites with a variable content of filler (5 to 50...
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Decomposition of halogenated nucleobases by surface plasmon resonance excitation of gold nanoparticles
PublicationHalogenated uracil derivatives are of great interest in modern cancer therapy, either as chemotherapeutics or radiosensitisers depending on their halogen atom. This work applies UV-Vis spectroscopy to study the radiation damage of uracil, 5-bromouracil and 5- uorouracil dissolved in water in the presence of gold nanoparticles upon irradiation with an Nd:YAG ns-pulsed laser operating at 532nm at dierent uences. Gold nanoparticles...
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Seismic damage diagnosis in adjacent steel and RC MRFs considering pounding effects through improved wavelet-based damage-sensitive feature
PublicationThis paper aims to propose complex Morlet (cmorfb-fc) wavelet-based refined damage-sensitive feature (rDSF) as a new and more precise damage indicator to diagnose seismic damages in adjacent steel and Reinforced Concrete (RC) Moment Resisting Frames (MRFs) assuming pounding conditions using acceleration responses. The considered structures include 6- and 9-story steel and 4- and 8-story RC benchmark...
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Influence of the boron doping level on the electrochemical oxidation of raw landfill leachates: advanced pre-treatment prior to the biological nitrogen removal
PublicationThe electrochemical oxidative treatment of landfill leachates (LLs) containing high amounts of ammonia nitrogen and organic matter was used as a promising method, prior to biological processes, to achieve the final effluent quality that would be acceptable by current regulations. The deposited boron-doped diamond electrodes (BDDs) with different boron doping concentrations (10000, 5000 and 500 ppm of B) were applied as anodes....
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The Business Environment of Georgia and Ukraine: Approaches to a Comparative Analysis
PublicationThe formation of a favourable business environment and the intensification of entrepreneurial activity on this basis is one of the priorities of economic policy of governments around the world. The aim of this article is to conduct a comparative analysis of some of the characteristics of the business environment of Georgia and Ukraine. The theoretical basis of the study is the understanding of the business environment as a necessary...
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The lethal effect of hydrotechnical concrete on freshwater Bivalvia
PublicationMost hydrotechnical buildings under construction demand the concrete mixture to be set directly under water. The main reason for such a procedure is to limit the washing away of the the concrete binding mixture and to increase the efficiency of organisation of work so as to ensure continuity in concreting. The impact on the aquatic environment of recent developments in concrete technology and the use of new components has not yet...
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Effect of the integration into Global Value Chains on the employment contract in Central and Eastern European countries
PublicationResearch background: In the era of globalization, there is a need to address decent work deficits in Global Value Chains (GVCs). The forms of working conditions reveal a broad dispersion of contents. The literature review exposes hardly any Europe-focused research assessing the socioeconomic impact of global production links and going beyond their pure economic effects assessed in terms of employment, productivity or wages. Purpose...
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Concentrations of alfa- and gamma- tocopherols in human breast milk during the first months of lactation and in infant formulas
PublicationThe aim of this study was to determine the concentrations of alpha- and gamma-tocopherols in human breast milk samples from different periods of lactation and to compare them with tocopherol content in commercially available formulas for infants at corresponding ages. The study included 93 breast milk samples obtained on the 2nd (colostrum, n=17), 14th (n=30), 30th (n=27) and 90th day of lactation (n=19), along with 90 samples...
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Studies on the formation of formaldehyde during 2-ethylhexyl 4-(dimethylamino)benzoate demethylation in the presence of reactive oxygen and chlorine species
PublicationIn order to protect the skin from UV radiation, personal care products (PCPS) often contain chemical UV-filters. These compounds can enter the environment causing serious consequences on the water ecosystems. The aim of this study was to examine, the effect of different factors, such as UV light, the presence of NaOCl and H2O2 on the formaldehyde formation during popular UV filter, 2-ethylhexyl 4-(dimethylamino)benzoate (ODPABA)...
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Trophic Transfer of Mercury in a Temperate Marine Food Web, Southern Baltic Sea
PublicationMercury (Hg) is considered to be one of the most dangerous global environmental pollutants. The toxicity and bioavailabilityof Hg depend on its chemical form, and the greatest hazard is posed by the organomercurial compounds. Hg is introduced into the human body primarily through the consumption of fish and seafood. Despite numerous studies on Hg in marine organisms, there is still a gap in the knowledge on Hg uptake and...
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Materiały do poznania ważek (Odonata) Pojezierza Litewskiego (Polska północno-wschodnia), ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem Suwalskiego Parku Krajobrazowego, zebrane przy okazji XIX Sympozjum Sekcji Odonatologicznej Polskiego Towarzystwa Entomologicznego w 2023 r.
PublicationFrom 6-9 July 2023, the participants of the 19th Symposium of the Odonatological Section of the Polish Entomological Society carried out fieldwork on the dragonflies in and around the Suwałki Landscape Park (SPK) (NE Poland). The symposium was preceded by a field reconnaissance (8-10 June). The results of this fieldwork, which yielded 45 species at 22 sites, are presented and discussed. Three species...
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Age, frequency of volunteering, and Present-Hedonistic time perspective predict donating items to people in need, but not money to combat COVID-19 during lock-down
PublicationRestrictions due to COVID-19 necessitated staying at home, but in some cases, encouraged charitable behavior, e.g., donating items to people in need (e.g., clothes, food), or money to support combatting COVID-19. Drawing on the previous findings regarding helping during disastrous situations and roles of time perspective in helping behaviors, the study tested the predictive value of age, gender, previous volunteering, altruistic...
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Physicochemical Properties and Application of Silica-Doped Biochar Composites as Efficient Sorbents of Copper from Tap Water
PublicationThis article concerns research on new sorption materials based on silica-doped activated carbon. A two-stage synthesis involved pyrolysis of plant material impregnated in a water glass solution , followed by hydrothermal activation of the pyrolysate in KOH solution. The resulting composite can be used as a sorbent in drinking water filters. The proposed method of synthesis enables the design of materials with a surface area...
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Comparative Analysis of Text Representation Methods Using Classification
PublicationIn our work, we review and empirically evaluate five different raw methods of text representation that allow automatic processing of Wikipedia articles. The main contribution of the article—evaluation of approaches to text representation for machine learning tasks—indicates that the text representation is fundamental for achieving good categorization results. The analysis of the representation methods creates a baseline that cannot...
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Computational analysis of substituent effects on proton affinity and gas-phase basicity of TEMPO derivatives and their hydrogen bonding interactions with water molecules
PublicationThe study investigates the molecular structure of 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO) and its derivatives in the gas phase using B3LYP and M06-2X functional methods. Intermolecular interactions are analyzed using natural bond orbital (NBO) and atoms in molecules (AIM) techniques. NO2-substituted TEMPO displays high reactivity, less stability, and softer properties. The study reveals that the stability of TEMPO derivatives...
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Long-range, water-mediated interaction between a moderately active antifreeze protein molecule and the surface of ice
PublicationUsing molecular dynamics simulations, we show that a molecule of moderately active antifreeze protein (type III AFP, QAE HPLC-12 isoform) is able to interact with ice in an indirect manner. This interaction occurs between the ice binding site (IBS) of the AFP III molecule and the surface of ice, and it is mediated by liquid water which separates these surfaces. As a result, the AFP III molecule positions itself at a specific orientation...
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Driving forces of informal employment: An empirical study based on Polish enterprise data
PublicationObjective: The article aims to indicate the determinants of informal employment in registered enterprises using company-level evidence from Poland. Research Design & Methods: The survey conducted among Polish small and medium-sized (SME) enterprises in 2018 was used to find the driving forces of informal employment in Poland. The adequate sample comprised 952 representative surveys derived from the computer-assisted telephone...
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Selected aspects of performance of organic Rankine cycles incorporated into bioenergy with carbon capture and storage using gasification of sewage sludge
PublicationThe study aims to investigate the application of the Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) in the bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) using gasification of sewage sludge. The tool used in the investigation is the Aspen Plus software with REFPROP property methods for calculating fluid properties. The reason for this study is that a detailed analysis of the proposed BECCS process flow diagram indicates that a certain amount of...
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Assessment, optimisation and working fluid comparison of organic rankine cycle combined with negative CO2 gas power plant system
PublicationThis study aims to investigate the application of the Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) as an alternative to low-pressure expansion in the negative CO2 power plant (nCO2PP). The reason for this study is that a detailed analysis of nCO2PP indicates a certain amount of waste heat present in the exhaust gas from the high-to-intermediate pressure gas turbine. Some of this energy can be used by the application of the expansion in a low-pressure...
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INFLUENCE OF MEASURING CONDITIONS ON TYRE/ROAD NOISE
PublicationA decisive factor for the development of tyres and road surfaces is the ability to conduct representative and reproducible measurements of selected characteristics related to the interaction of tyres and road surfaces. In terms of tyre/road noise measurements in Europe two methods described in ISO/FDIS 11819-2 and ECE Regulation No.117 are used. The latter is compulsory for assigning the tyre noise labels. The methodologies differ...