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Search results for: enhanced pretreatment
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Optimized Deep Learning Model for Flood Detection Using Satellite Images
PublicationThe increasing amount of rain produces a number of issues in Kerala, particularly in urban regions where the drainage system is frequently unable to handle a significant amount of water in such a short duration. Meanwhile, standard flood detection results are inaccurate for complex phenomena and cannot handle enormous quantities of data. In order to overcome those drawbacks and enhance the outcomes of conventional flood detection...
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Predicting the seismic collapse capacity of adjacent SMRFs retrofitted with fluid viscous dampers in pounding condition
PublicationSevere damages of adjacent structures due to structural pounding during earthquakes have emphasized the need to use some seismic retrofit strategy to enhance the structural performance. The purpose of this paper is to study the influence of using linear and nonlinear Fluid Viscous Dampers (FVDs) on the seismic collapse capacities of adjacent structures prone to pounding and proposing modification factors to modify the median...
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A dual-control strategy based on electrode material and electrolyte optimization to construct an asymmetric supercapacitor with high energy density
PublicationMetal-organic frames (MOFs) are regarded as excellent candidates for supercapacitors that have attracted much attention because of their diversity, adjustability and porosity. However, both poor structural stability in aqueous alkaline electrolytes and the low electrical conductivity of MOF materials constrain their practical implementation in supercapacitors. In this study, bimetallic CoNi-MOF were synthesized to enhance the electrical...
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Evaluating the Internal and External Usability of Mobile Technologies in Facilitating Knowledge Transfer
PublicationA worker’s performance and productivity depend on a variety of factors including knowledge, to be essential for self-effectiveness and self-efficacy. In the literature, knowledge transfer is argued to enhance the quality of work, and therefore, its value. When addressing this issue, the latest studies have considered and evaluated the use of mobile technologies, which are evidenced to improve a worker’s capacity and skills. However,...
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Barriers to inter-company cooperation in clusters
PublicationClusters have proved to be an important source of competitiveness for the economic development of regions within the European Union. One of the main goals of cluster development is to stimulate cooperation between companies in one or a few related sectors. The stakeholders of a cluster, as well as the local economy, can derive many benefits from such cooperation. However, there are numerous barriers, which make it difficult for...
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Performance of a plate heat exchanger operated with water-Al2O3 nanofluid
PublicationThis study is focused on experimental investigation of a selected type of brazed plate heat exchanger (PHEx). The main aim of the paper was to experimentally check the ability of nanofluids to enhance the performance of PHEx. A typical water-Al2O3 nanofluid was tested and compared to that of the base fluid, i.e. water. Nanoparticles were tested at the concentration of 0.1% and 1% by weight. Impact of the 1 day and 3 days break...
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New bulk liquid membrane oscillator composed of two coupled oscillators with diffusion-mediated physical coupling
PublicationA new type of bulk liquid membrane system, which represents the first example of a bulk liquid membrane oscillator characterised by the presence of two coupled oscillators, is described. When the benzyldimethyltetradecylammonium chloride surfactant undergoes an oscillatory mass transfer through a nitromethane liquid membrane, a new liquid layer (phase X) appears between the membrane and the acceptor phase. Kinetic analysis provides...
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How Sport Innovations Can Shape Sustainable Cities: An Interdisciplinary Approach
PublicationLeveraging the potential of sport can play a significant role in shaping cities of tomorrow, generate environmental and social change. The integration of sport into city planning can provide multiple benefits, such as promoting physical activity, health, well-being, and enhancing social cohesion. However to date, there is a lack of research on the potential of sport innovations to enhance the sustainable development of cities....
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Fault detection and diagnostics of complex dynamic systems using Gaussian Process Models - nuclear power plant case study
PublicationThe article examines the use of Gaussian Process Models to simulate the dynamic processes of a Pressurized Water nuclear Reactor for fault detection and diagnostics. The paper illustrates the potential of Gaussian Process Models as a tool for monitoring and predicting various fault conditions in Pressurized Water nuclear Reactor power plants, including reactor coolant flow and temperature variations, deviations from nominal working...
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Productivity effects of trade in natural resources—comparison with mechanisms of technological specialisation
PublicationThis paper compares two alternative growth paths, assessing the effects on productivity of specialisation in natural resources (NR) and in technologically advanced products. The empirical analysis exploits product-level export data for 109 developing and 51 developed economies over the period 1996–2018. We document two distinct types of specialisation, based on exports either of natural resources or of technological products, and...
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Adapting education to a changing climate: preparing architecture students for climate-resilient design
PublicationIn this article, the authors explore the connection between climate change and the fields of architecture and urban planning. With the increasing frequency of flooding and extreme weather events, the built environment is confronting challenges in terms of sustainability and resilience. To meet these problems, it is necessary to prepare various specialists to assume responsibility for making future decisions. The authors of this...
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Triangular 3D Laser Scanning in Underwater Photogrammetry
PublicationThe use of triangular 3D laser scanning may significantly enhance the visual inspection of underwater objects. In these days of high demand for accurate information, exclusively photographic documentation is not enough, as it is geometrically flawed. The authors of this article are trying to present the rudiments of laser scanning, a modern means of measuring, which is reliable, relatively easy to use and works in accordance with...
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Performance of a plate heat exchanger operated with water-Al2O3 nanofluid
PublicationThis study is focused on experimental investigation of a selected type of brazed plate heat exchanger (PHEx). The main aim of the paper was to experimentally check the ability of nanofluids to enhance the performance of PHEx. A typical water-Al2O3 nanofluid was tested and compared to that of the base fluid, i.e. water. Nanoparticles were tested at the concentration of 0.1% and 1% by weight. Impact of the 1 day and 3 days break...
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Experiment with small objects floating under water in the harbor security aspect.
PublicationObservation of the underwater area is the element of general trend which primary purpose is to protect and enhance the safety of the selected region. The aim of the paper is to present the acoustic characteristics of typical objects floating on the surface or under the water, which constitute some knowledge on how to detect these objects. Create a catalog of acoustic signatures and acoustic images of objects mostly floating under...
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abiotic degradation of chlorinated ethanes and ethenes in water
PublicationIntroduction Chlorinated ethanes and ethenes are among themost frequently detected organic pollutants of water. Theirphysicochemical properties are such that they can contaminateaquifers for decades. In favourable conditions, they canundergo degradation. In anaerobic conditions, chlorinatedsolvents can undergo reductive dechlorination.Degradation pathways Abiotic dechlorination is usuallyslower than microbial but abiotic dechlorination...
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Towards the value-based design of on-line services
PublicationThe paper identifies economic factors shaping customer bahaviour in on-line services in two interrelated dimensions; (1) economic needs and requirements, relevant to expected benefits and values perceived by customers; (2) technical components, allowing technical realization of on-line services. Technical components were cathegorized into four groups, creating so-called VIPR model: Visual, Interactive, Process and Relationship-relevant...
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Performance of a plate heat exchanger operated with water-Al2O3 nanofluid
PublicationThis study is focused on experimental investigation of a selected type of brazed plate heat exchanger (PHEx). The main aim of the paper was to experimentally check the ability of nanofluids to enhance the performance of PHEx. A typical water-Al2O3 nanofluid was tested and compared to that of the base fluid, i.e. water. Nanoparticles were tested at the concentration of 0.1% and 1% by weight. Impact of the 1 day and 3 days break...
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Bimodal classification of English allophones employing acoustic speech signal and facial motion capture
PublicationA method for automatic transcription of English speech into International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) system is developed and studied. The principal objective of the study is to evaluate to what extent the visual data related to lip reading can enhance recognition accuracy of the transcription of English consonantal and vocalic allophones. To this end, motion capture markers were placed on the faces of seven speakers to obtain lip...
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Thermal degradation assessment of canola and olive oil using ultra-fast gas chromatography coupled with chemometrics
PublicationOil blending is often used to enhance the properties of vegetable oils. The admixture of a more thermally stable oil makes the resulting blend more suitable for use in frying. A new method of quality assessment of vegetable oils used in frying is presented in this paper. In this method, ultra-fast gas chromatography coupled with flame ionization detector and chemometrics is employed. Principal component analysis was used for data...
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Bioaugmentation of a sequencing batch reactor with Archaea for the treatment of reject water
PublicationIn this study, the bioaugmentation of a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) for the treatment of reject water from wastewater treatment plant was evaluated. For the bioaugmentation step a product containing an enrichment of microorganisms from the Archaea domain was used to enhance the performance of the reactor for treating reject water. The experiment was carried out in two parallel lab-scale sequencing batch reactors. The first one...
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Responsible Court in the Global World - Managerism or Managerialism
PublicationOne can look at the improvement of the effectiveness and efficiency of the justice system from three perspectives: macro, mezo, and micro. After all, the general goal is to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the justice system as a whole (the macro perspective), the courts (the mezo scale), and court proceedings (the micro scale). The need to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the justice system was noticed in...
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Anodic titania nanotubes decorated with gold nanoparticles produced by laser-induced dewetting of thin metallic films
PublicationHerein, we combine titania layers with gold species in a laser-supported process and report a substantial change of properties of the resulting heterostructures depending on the major processing parameters. Electrodes were fabricated via an anodisation process complemented with calcination to ensure a crystalline phase, and followed by magnetron sputtering of metallic films. The obtained TiO2 nanotubes with deposited thin (5, 10...
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Annealing Rate as a Crucial Parameter Controlling the Photoelectrochemical Properties of AuCu Mosaic Core–Shell Nanoparticles
PublicationThermal processing is an essential step during the synthesis of various metal nanostructures and for tailoring their morphology, optical, and electrochemical properties. Herein, a profound impact of the annealing rate and time on photoactivity of gold–copper nanostructures by changes in the position and alignment of energy levels and surface states is reported. AuCu nanoparticles (NPs) are fabricated by sputtering of thin metal...
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Homoisocitrate dehydrogenase from Candida albicans: properties, inhibition, and targeting by an antifungal pro-drug
PublicationThe LYS12 gene from Candida albicans, coding for homoisocitrate dehydrogenase was cloned and expressed as a His-tagged protein in Escherichia coli. The purified gene product catalyzes the Mg2+- and K+-dependent oxidative decarboxylation of homoisocitrate to alpha-ketoadipate. The recombinant enzyme demonstrates strict specificity for homoisocitrate. SDS-PAGE of CaHIcDH revealed its molecular mass of 42.6±1 kDa, while in size-exclusion...
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Chalcogen bonding interactions in a series of aromatic selenocyanates
PublicationSelenium atoms in aromatic selenocyanates are characterized by the occurrence of two σ-holes, a stronger one in the prolongation of the NC–Se bond and a weaker one in the prolongation of the Ar–Se bond. The crystal structures of several bis(selenocyanato) derivatives, prepared by a method originally developed for ortho bis-substituted derivatives, illustrate very well this difference, with a short NC–Se⋯NC ChB interaction organizing...
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Band Gap Engineering toward Semimetallic Character of Quinone-Rich Polydopamine
PublicationSemiconductor|melanin interfaces have received increasingly more attention in the fields of photocatalysis and applied electrochemistry because of their facile synthesis, unique electrical properties, and strong capability toward photosensitization. In this work, we describe the electropolymerization of quinone-rich polydopamine (PDA) on the surface of hydrogenated TiO2 nanotubes with enhanced photoactivity in the visible spectrum....
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The pulsed laser ablation synthesis of colloidal iron oxide nanoparticles for the enhancement of TiO2 nanotubes photo-activity
PublicationThe rapid, only a few minutes long synthesis of FeO, Fe3O4, and Fe2O3nanoparticles mixture utilizing the pulsedlaser ablation using simply pure iron target and water was demonstrated. The size and crystal phase of Fe-basedNPs were characterized using DLS and HR-TEM techniques, respectively. The metastable suspension of FeO,Fe3O4, and Fe2O3nanoparticles was used to the decoration of anodized TiO2nanotubes (TiO2-NTs) by means ofthe...
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Company versus consumer performance: does brand community identification foster brand loyalty and the consumer’s personal brand?
PublicationThis study investigates the effect of community identification in building brand loyalty (attitudinal and behavioural) and a personal brand via social networks. The proposed model explained the main community identification antecedents and how identification can lead to enhanced company and consumer performance. This study adopts the theoretical lens of uses and gratifications theory and identifies three motivational drivers of...
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Cabbage Juices and Indoles Modulate the Expression Profile of AhR, ERα, and Nrf2 in Human Breast Cell Lines
PublicationOur previous studies showed the diversified effect of cabbage juices and indoles on the estrogen metabolism key enzymes (CYP1A1, CYP1A2, CYP1B1) in breast epithelial cells differing in ER status, i.e., in tumorigenic—MCF7, MDA-MB-231 and non-tumorigenic—MCF10A cells. The aim of the present study was to further investigate the mechanism of chemopreventive action of cabbage juice and its active components by evaluating their effect...
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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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Influence of addition of carbon nanotubes on rheological properties of selected liquid lubricants - a computer simulation study
PublicationThis work is motivated by the improvement of anti-friction properties of lubricants by addition of CNTs proved experimentally in literature. In particular, a methodology is developed to compute the shear viscosity of liquid lubricants (Propylene Glycol) based on Molecular Dynamics simulation. Non-Equilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) approach is used with a reactive force field ReaxFF implemented in LAMMPS. The simulations are...
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SnO2 nanoparticles embedded onto MoS2 nanoflakes - An efficient catalyst for photodegradation of methylene blue and photoreduction of hexavalent chromium
PublicationIn this work, a molybdenum disulfide/tin oxide (MoS2/SnO2) composite was successfully prepared via a hydrothermal method. The MoS2/SnO2 composite was used as a photocatalyst for photoreduction of hexavalent chromium and photodecomposition of methylene blue. It exhibited higher photocatalytic performance under simulated solar light irradiation than MoS2 itself. The obtained material was characterized by several spectroscopic and...
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Ionic liquid as morphology-directing agent of two-dimensional Bi2WO6: New insight into photocatalytic and antibacterial activity
PublicationAn efficient and durable utilization of light to drive photocatalytic reactions still requires the overcoming of barriers. Herein, two-dimensional (2D) ultrathin IL_Bi2WO6 (IL_BWO) photocatalysts were prepared for the first time via ionic liquid-assisted hydrothermal route by adjusting the amount of tetrabutylammonium chloride [TBA][Cl], synthesis temperature and duration. IL played the role of morphology-directing agent given...
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Linking optical and electronic properties to photoresponse of heterojunctions based on titania nanotubes and chromium, molybdenum, and tungsten oxides
PublicationThe development of photosensitization strategies for titanium dioxide is necessary for the enhancement of its optical and electronic properties towards its application potential in solar photoelectrochemistry. In this work, significant differences in the photosensitizing capability of the 6th group transition metal oxides applied on the surface of titania nanotubes are reported. For the first time, correlations between the experimentally...
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Improving the prediction of biochar production from various biomass sources through the implementation of eXplainable machine learning approaches
PublicationExamining the game-changing possibilities of explainable machine learning techniques, this study explores the fast-growing area of biochar production prediction. The paper demonstrates how recent advances in sensitivity analysis methodology, optimization of training hyperparameters, and state-of-the-art ensemble techniques have greatly simplified and enhanced the forecasting of biochar output and composition from various biomass...
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Influence of selected submicron inorganic particles on mechanical and thermo-mechanical properties of unsaturated polyester/glass composites
PublicationIn this paper, the influence of different submicron-scaled particles (zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, or silica) on mechanical and thermo-mechanical properties of unsaturated polyester matrix composites reinforced with glass fabric was investigated. Surface morphology of obtained composites was also examined. At first inorganic particles were mechanically dispersed into unsaturated polyester resin system as per the calculated weight...
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Properties of water in the region between a tubulin dimer and a single motor head of kinesin
PublicationA kinesin is a molecular motor that can perform movement on a microtubule track in a stepping-like manner. This motion is connected with processes of association and dissociation of kinesin and tubulin. Water is an important participant in these kinds of molecular interactions. This is why we have decided to investigate the dynamical and structural properties of water in the region between the kinesin catalytic domain and the tubulin...
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How do sterols determine the antufungal activitiy of amphotericin B? Free energy of binding between the drug and its membrane targets.
PublicationAmphotericin B (AmB) is a well-known polyene antibiotic used to treat systemic fungal infections. It is commonly accepted that the presence of sterols in the membrane is essential for the AmB biological activity, that is, for the formation of transmembrane ion channels. The selective toxicity of AmB for fungal cells is attributed to the fact that it is more potent against fungal cell membranes containing ergosterol than against...
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Seeding enhancement for microcrystaline diamond layers growth on non-diamond substrates
PublicationThe present paper gives an overview on the possible methods of seeding substrates for diamond layers growth. Diamond in reason of his properties is very desirable material in microelectronic, biomedical and waste treatment sensors. Microcrystalline diamond for these applications must be grown on silicon substrate in microwave plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition (MPACVD). To grow diamond on non-diamond surface pre-growth...
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Accuracy improvement of the prestressed concrete structures precise geometry assessment by use of bubble micro-sampling algorithm
PublicationPrestressed concrete structures are well-known technology for a vast period, but nevertheless, this very technology is a leading solution, currently used in construction industry. Prestressed concrete structures have a huge advantage over conventional methods because it uses the properties of concrete in a very efficient way. The main idea behind this technology is to introduce into the cross-section of the structure, the internal...
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STILL ‘FEW, SLOW AND LOW’? ON THE FEMALE DIMENSION OF TECHNOLOGY, LABOUR MARKETS AND ECONOMIC ACTIVITY: EVIDENCE FOR THE PERIOD OF 1990-2017
PublicationThe known in empirical economics question ‘Why so Few? Why so Slow? Why so Low?’ refers here to the persistently small number of women involved in innovative activities, the slowness of change in the inequalities between women and men in these fields, and women’s continuing lower rank in business and academic positions. In developing countries, women`s labour and entrepreneurial activity remains an ‘untapped resource’ for economic...
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Combination of air-dispersion cathode with sacrificial iron anode generating Fe2+Fe3+2O4 nanostructures to degrade paracetamol under ultrasonic irradiation
PublicationIn the present study, ultrasound (US) was coupled with an electrochemical process (ECP) consisting of a novel cathode of carbon cloth (CC)-carbon black (CB) as the nano-composite air-dispersion cathode (NADC) for the degradation of paracetamol (APAP) in an aquatic medium. The NADC favored in situ production of H2O2 by the cathodic reduction. The implementation of iron sacrificial anode instead of dimensionally stable anodes resulted...
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Electrochemical Stability of Few-Layered Phosphorene Flakes on Boron-Doped Diamond: A Wide Potential Range of Studies in Aqueous Solutions
PublicationTwo-dimensional phosphorene has attracted great interest since its discovery as a result of its extraordinary properties. Two-dimensional single crystals of phosphorene can be useful for electrochemical (EC) sensing applications due to their enhanced surface-to-volume ratio. We proposed to investigate the electrochemical performance of phosphorene deposited directly on boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrodes. Noncovalent interaction...
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Understanding the origin of high corrosion inhibition efficiency of bee products towards aluminium alloys in alkaline environments
PublicationVarious bee products were found to be efficient corrosion inhibitors of aluminium in different environments. In particular, bee pollen was found to be highly effective in alkaline electrolytes, yet its highly complex composition and possible synergistic interactions hinder determination of the compounds acting as active corrosion inhibitors. The main purpose of the following work is to investigate the effect of solvents used for...
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Photocatalytic and Antimicrobial Properties of Ag2O/TiO2 Heterojunction
PublicationAg2O/TiO2 heterojunctions were prepared by a simple method, i.e., the grinding of argentous oxide with six different titania photocatalysts. The physicochemical properties of the obtained photocatalysts were characterized by diffuse-reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) with an energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The photocatalytic activity was...
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Structural and physico-mechanical properties of natural rubber/GTR composites devulcanized by microwaves: Influence of GTR source and irradiation time
PublicationGround tire rubber from car and truck was modified using microwave irradiation at variable time. The irradiated ground tire rubber was used as filler in composites based on natural rubber. The composites, with high content of ground tire rubber, were prepared using an internal batch mixer and subsequently cross-linked at 160℃. The influence of the ground tire rubber source (car/truck) and irradiation time on structure, physico-mechanical...
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Rapid simulation-driven design of miniaturised dual-band microwave couplers by means of adaptive response scaling
PublicationOne of the major challenges in the design of compact microwave structures is the necessity of simultaneous handling of several objectives and the fact that expensive electromagnetic (EM) analysis is required for their reliable evaluation. Design of multi-band circuits where performance requirements are to be satisfied for several frequencies at the same time is even more difficult. In this work, a computationally efficient design...
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Flexible dye-sensitized solar cells based on Ti/TiO2 nanotubes photoanode and Pt-free and TCO-free counter electrode system
PublicationFlexible dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are getting more attention compared to standard glass covered DSSCs due to their unique commercial applications (e.g. tents or sail surfaces) and the possibility of rolling up into a small, portable device. In this work, titania nanotubes (TiO2 NT) modified with titania nanoparticles (TiO2 NP) were photoelectrochemically characterized as an anode for flexible dye-sensitized solar cells....
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Ordered titanium templates functionalized by gold films for biosensing applications – Towards non-enzymatic glucose detection
PublicationRecently, metal nanostructures evoke much interest due to application potential in highly sensitive detectors in biochemistry and medical diagnostics. In this work we report on preparation and characteristics of thin (1–100 nm) Au films deposited onto highly ordered structured titanium templates for SERS (Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy) and electrochemical sensing. The Ti templates are formed by selective removal of TiO2 nanotubes...
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Designing a high-sensitivity dual-band nano-biosensor based on petahertz MTMs to provide a perfect absorber for early-stage non-melanoma skin cancer diagnostic
PublicationThe purpose of this study is development of a novel high-performance low-Petahertz (PHz) biosensor for non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) diagnosis. The presented device is designed to work within a microwave imaging regime, which is a promising alternative to conventional diagnostic methods such as visual examination, dermoscopy, and biopsy. The suggested biosensor incorporates a dual-band perfect absorber (operating bands at 0.909...