Filters
total: 1127
filtered: 1076
displaying 1000 best results Help
Search results for: CARBOHYDRATE DEGRADATION
-
Multidecadal (1960-2011) shoreline changes in Isbjornhamna (Hornsund, Svalbard)
PublicationAsection of a gravel−dominated coast in Isbjørnhamna (Hornsund, Svalbard) was analysed to calculate the rate of shoreline changes and explain processes controlling coastal zone development over last 50 years. Between 1960 and 2011, coastal landscape of Isbjørn− hamna experienced a significant shift from dominated by influence of tide−water glacier and protected by prolonged sea−ice conditions towards storm−affected and rapidly...
-
Structural, mechanical and thermal behavior assessments of PCL/PHB blends reactively compatibilized with organic peroxides
PublicationThe efficiency of two commercially available organic peroxides, dicumyl peroxide (DCP) and di-(2-tert-butyl-peroxyisopropyl)-benzene (BIB), during reactive processing of poly (ε-caprolactone)/poly (3-hydroxybutyrate) (PCL/PHB) blends was investigated. The changes in chemical structure of PCL/PHB blends, as a function of organic peroxide type (DCP/BIB) and content (in range: 0–1.0 parts by weight - pbw), were characterized by Fourier...
-
Implementation of Solute Transport in the Vadose Zone into the “HYDRUS Package for MODFLOW”
PublicationThe “HYDRUS package for MODFLOW” is an existing MODFLOW package that allows MODFLOW to simultaneously evaluate transient water flow in both unsaturated and saturated zones. The package is based on incorporating parts of the HYDRUS‐1D model (to simulate unsaturated water flow in the vadose zone) into MODFLOW (to simulate saturated groundwater flow). The coupled model is effective in addressing spatially variable saturated‐unsaturated...
-
Ground tire rubber thermo-mechanically devulcanized in the presence of waste engine oil as asphalt modifier
PublicationCross-linked elastomers network is main limitation for industrial usage of ground tire rubber (GTR) as asphalts’ and road pavements modifier. GTR was thermo-mechanically devulcanized via extrusion in the presence of waste engine oil (WEO) at temperature ranges from 150 to 280 °C. Combined impact of WEO content and extruder barrel temperature on the change of cross-linked structure of degraded GTR (DTGR) was investigated through...
-
Review and evaluation of cold recycling with bitumen emulsion and cement for rehabilitation of old pavements
PublicationThe article presents Polish experience with cold recycling of asphalt pavements with theusage of bituminous emulsion and cement. In the 1990s numerous roads in Polandrequired immediate reinforcement due to their significant degradation. Implementation ofthe cold recycling technology was one of the solutions to this problem. Cold recycledmixtures containebeside the recycled asphalt pavement and aggregateetwo differenttypes of binding...
-
Preparation and photocatalytic properties of BaZrO 3 and SrZrO 3 modified with Cu 2 O/Bi 2 O 3 quantum dots
PublicationIn this study, we report a novel method of BaZrO3 and SrZrO3 surface modification by two different types of quantum dots (QDs, Cu2O and Bi2O3), which improved the photocatalytic performance of the obtained materials under UV-Vis light irradiation. Pristine BaZrO3 and SrZrO3 were prepared by the hydrothermal method. The deposition of Cu2O- and Bi2O3-QDs was carried out by chemical reduction. The morphology of the nanoparticles was...
-
Cyclodextrin polymers as efficient adsorbents for removing toxic non-biodegradable pimavanserin from pharmaceutical wastewaters
PublicationPresence of even small amount of active pharmaceutical ingredients in the environment carries risks tohuman and animal health, presenting an important issue. The paper presents issues related to the newdrug - pimavanserin (PMV). Biological treatment efficiency of pimavanserin (PMV) was evaluated usinglab-scale Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR). It has been shown to have a negative effect on aquatic or-ganisms by classifying it as...
-
Rapid multi-objective optimization of antennas using nested kriging surrogates and single-fidelity EM simulation models
PublicationEver increasing performance requirements make the design of contemporary antenna systems a complex and multi-stage process. One of the challenges, pertinent to the emerging application areas but also some of the recent trends (miniaturization, demands for multi-functionality, etc.), is the necessity of handling several performance figures such as impedance matching, gain, or axial ratio, often over multiple frequency bands. The...
-
Refinement of the Hardening Soil model within the small strain range
PublicationThe popularity of the elasto-plastic Hardening Soil (HS) model is based on simple parameter identification from standard testing and empirical formulas. The HS model is implemented in many commercial FE codes designed to analyse geotechnical problems. In its basic version, the stress–strain behaviour within the elastic range is subject to the hypoelastic power law, which assures the barotropy of the elastic stiffness. However,...
-
Reduced-Cost Design Optimization of High-Frequency Structures Using Adaptive Jacobian Updates
PublicationElectromagnetic (EM) analysis is the primary tool utilized in the design of high-frequency structures. In vast majority of cases, simpler models (e.g., equivalent networks or analytical ones) are either not available or lack accuracy: they can only be used to yield initial designs that need to be further tuned. Consequently, EM-driven adjustment of geometry and/or material parameters of microwave and antenna components is a necessary...
-
Optical and photocatalytic properties of rare earth metal-modified ZnO quantum dots
PublicationA series of novel ZnO quantum dots modified with rare earth metals was successfully prepared by a simple sol-gel approach. The effects of types (Eu, Er, Tb, Yb, Ho, La) and amounts (from 0.09 to 0.45 mmol) of lanthanides on the optical properties, structural characterization and photocatalytic activity of ZnO/RE QDs were systematically investigated. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform...
-
Scalable Route toward Superior Photoresponse of UV-Laser-Treated TiO2 Nanotubes
PublicationTitanium dioxide nanotubes gain considerable attention as a photoactive material due to chemical stability, photocorrosion resistance, or lowcost manufacturing method. This work presents scalable pulsed laser modification of TiO2 nanotubes resulting in enhanced photoactivity in a system equipped with a motorized table, which allows for modifications of both precisely selected and any-large sample area. Images obtained from scanning...
-
Wastewater treatment by means of Advanced Oxidation Processes at basic pH conditions: A review
PublicationAdvanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have been used as an alternative and effective option for treatment of industrial wastewater, especially in the case of the non-biodegradable compounds. Despite of several well developed AOPs, the majority of them are effective only at acidic or neutral pH, namely Fenton related processes, making the list of available effective advanced oxidation technologies strongly limited. In many cases,...
-
Bioreactor shoot cultures of Rhododendron tomentosum (Ledum palustre) for a large-scale production of bioactive volatile compounds
PublicationRhododendron tomentosum Harmaja (Ledum palustre), a peat bog plant from Ericaceae family, has been used in traditional medicine as the anti-arthritis agent. Although modern researches confirm its anti-inflammatory properties, it remains threatened by habitat degradation and possibilities to collect this endangered species from its natural environment for further biological activity studies are limited. Therefore, R. tomentosum...
-
IN VITRO PROPAGATION OF RHODODENDRON TOMENTOSUM - AN ENDANGERED ESSENTIAL OIL BEARING PLANT FROM PEATLAND
PublicationRhododendron tomentosum Harmaja (formerly Ledum palustre L.) is a medicinal peat bog plant native to northern Europe, Asia and North America. This plant has a distinctive aroma thanks to the presence of essential oil, to which it also owes its anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antimicrobial and insecticidal properties. However, in Europe R. tomentosum is classified as an endangered species, mainly due to degradation of peatlands. In...
-
Stable and degradable microgels linked with cystine for storing and environmentally triggered release of drugs
PublicationEnvironmentally sensitive, degradable microgels based on poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (pNIPA) crosslinked with the diacryloyl derivative of cystine (BISS) were synthesized by applying surfactant-free emulsion polymerization. pNIPA contributed the sensitivity to temperature to the microgels and the cross-linker made them degradable and sensitive to pH. The morphology of the microgels was investigated by using scanning and transmission...
-
The effect of gold shape and size on the properties and visiblelight-induced photoactivity of Au-TiO2
PublicationtIn the present investigation, TiO2modified with a different geometry and size of gold particles, suchas nanospheres (NSPs), nanostars (NSTs) and nanorods (NRs), were prepared by the immobilizationmethod. The effect of the gold shape, size and TiO2matrix type (TiO2microspheres or rutile TIO-6 TiO2)were systematically investigated. The obtained photocatalysts were thoroughly characterized by UV–visdiffuse-reflectance spectroscopy...
-
Multi-Analytical Techniques for the Study of Burial Clothes of Polish King Sigismund III Vasa (1566–1633) and His Wife Constance Habsburg (1588–1631)
PublicationThe subjects of this research are the burial clothes of Polish King Sigismund III Vasa and his wife Constance, which were woven and embroidered with silk and metal threads. Fragments of the textiles underwent spectroscopic, spectrometric, and thermogravimetric analyses. The hydrofluoric acid extraction method was improved to isolate various classes of dyes from the textile samples that had direct contact with human remains. High-performance...
-
PVA-Based Films with Strontium Titanate Nanoparticles Dedicated to Wound Dressing Application
PublicationBioactive materials may be applied in tissue regeneration, and an example of such materials are wound dressings, which are used to accelerate skin healing, especially after trauma. Here, we proposed a novel dressing enriched by a bioactive component. The aim of our study was to prepare and characterize poly(vinyl alcohol) films modified with strontium titanate nanoparticles. The physicochemical properties of films were studied,...
-
The effect of groyne field on trapping macroplastic. Preliminary results from laboratory experiments
PublicationMacroplastic, a precursor of microplastic pollution, has become a new scope of research interest. However, the physical processes of macroplastic transport and deposition in rivers are poorly understood, which makes the decisions of where to locate macroplastic trapping infrastructure difficult. In this research, we conducted a series of experiments in a laboratory channel, exploring the impact of groynes and flexible artificial...
-
Assessment of toxic and endocrine potential of substances migrating from selected toys and baby products
PublicationAnalysis of literature data shows that there is limited information about the harmful biological effects of mixture of compounds from the EDC group that are released from the surface of toys and objects intended for children and infants. One of the tools that can be used to obtain such information is appropriate bioanalytical tests. The aim of this research involved determining whether tests that use living organisms as an active...
-
Self-Organization of Graft Copolymers and Retortable iPP-Based Nanoporous Films Thereof
PublicationPolyolefins might become inexpensive alternatives to the existing membranes based on polyethersulfone. Here we disclose the production of retortable, well-defined PP-based nanoporous membranes derived from amphiphilic graft copolymer precursors. The graft copolymers, containing a polypropylene backbone and polyester grafts, were obtained by grafting lactones, specifically δ-valerolactone and ε-caprolactone, from well-defined randomly...
-
Rapid Antenna Optimization with Restricted Sensitivity Updates by Automated Dominant Direction Identification
PublicationMeticulous tuning of geometry parameters turns pivotal in improving performance of antenna systems. It is more and more often realized using formal optimization methods, which is demonstrably the most efficient way of handling multiple design variables, objectives, and constraints. Although in some cases a need for launching global search arises, a typical design scenario only requires local optimization, especially when a decent...
-
Emerging oxidized and defective phases in low-dimensional CrCl3
PublicationTwo-dimensional (2D) magnets such as chromium trihalides CrX3 (X ¼ I, Br, Cl) represent a frontier for spintronics applications and, in particular, CrCl3 has attracted research interest due its relative stability under ambient conditions without rapid degradation, as opposed to CrI3. Herein, mechanically exfoliated CrCl3 flakes are characterized at the atomic scale and the electronic structures of pristine, oxidized, and defective...
-
Rethinking Sustainable Cities at Night: Paradigm Shifts in Urban Design and City Lighting
PublicationSince the establishment of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015, various perspectives on sustainable cities have been developed and adopted in order to achieve a better and more sustainable future. However, background research has revealed that these goals and targets are limited because they do not take into account the growing body of lighting-related research in diverse fields...
-
Cavitation-Based Processes for Water and Wastewater Treatment
PublicationCavitation based on advanced oxidation processes (Cav-AOPs) is interesting alternatives for already implemented wastewater treatment technologies. Destructive and strongly undesirable phenomena in the industry, i.e., cavitation, revealed to be useful in a positive manner as a source of energy for chemical reactions. During the implosion of cavitation bubbles, focused energy and resulting high temperature and pressure allows to...
-
Thermal dewetting as a method of surface modification of the gold thin films for surface plasmon resonance based sensor applications
PublicationHere, we report a quick and simple approach with low, optimized production costs to obtain surface plasmon resonance (SPR) based sensors fabricated through a time- and resource-effective method based on thermal dewetting of thin Au films. From the applicative point of view, the method of detection presented here should be easier to implement, since light transmission measurements seem to be much less challenging than light refractive...
-
Tolerance-Aware Optimization of Microwave Circuits by Means of Principal Directions and Domain-Restricted Metamodels
PublicationPractical microwave design is most often carried out in the nominal sense. Yet, in some cases, performance degradation due to uncertainties may lead to the system failing to meet the prescribed specifications. Reliable uncertainty quantification (UQ) is therefore important yet intricate from numerical standpoint, especially when the circuit at hand is to be evaluated using electromagnetic (EM) simulation tools. Tolerance-aware...
-
Structure and Stability Characterization of Natural Lake Pigments Made from Plant Extracts and Their Potential Application in Polymer Composites for Packaging Materials
PublicationNatural dyes were extracted from various plant sources and converted into lake pigments based on aluminum and tin. Three different plants (weld, Persian berries, and Brazilwood) were chosen as representative sources of natural dyes. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry (QqQ MS) were used to identify dyestuffs in the raw extracts. The natural dyes and lake pigments were further characterized...
-
Low-Cost Yield-Driven Design of Antenna Structures Using Response-Variability Essential Directions and Parameter Space Reduction
PublicationQuantifying the effects of fabrication tolerances and uncertainties of other types is fundamental to improve antenna design immunity to limited accuracy of manufacturing procedures and technological spread of material parameters. This is of paramount importance especially for antenna design in the industrial context. Degradation of electrical and field properties due to geometry parameter deviations often manifests itself as, e.g.,...
-
Constrained multi-objective optimization of compact microwave circuits by design triangulation and pareto front interpolation
PublicationDevelopment of microwave components is an inherently multi-objective task. This is especially pertinent to the design closure stage, i.e., final adjustment of geometry and/or material parameters carried out to improve the electrical performance of the system. The design goals are often conflicting so that the improvement of one normally leads to a degradation of others. Compact microwave passives constitute a representative case:...
-
A review on recent advances in the application of biosurfactants in wastewater treatment
PublicationMicroorganisms produce a variety of non-conventional surface-active molecules, known as biosurfactants. The biosurfactants find diverse applications in the oil industry, agriculture, emulsifiers, and wastewater treatment, to name a few. Since they are produced from microbes, advantages such as biodegradability, lower toxicity, and environmental compatibility can be leveraged compared to the chemical surfactants. Recently, biosurfactants...
-
Enhancing Resilience of FSO Networks to Adverse Weather Conditions
PublicationOptical wireless networks realized by means of gigabit optical wireless communication (OWC) systems are becoming, in a variety of applications, an important alternative, or a complementary solution, to their fiber-based counterparts. However, performance of the OWC systems can be considerably degraded in periods of unfavorable weather conditions, such as heavy fog, which temporarily reduce the effective capacity of the network....
-
PLA–Potato Thermoplastic Starch Filament as a Sustainable Alternative to the Conventional PLA Filament: Processing, Characterization, and FFF 3D Printing
PublicationThe growing popularity of the fused filament fabrication (FFF) 3D printing technology in science, industry, and in-home use is associated with an increased demand for high-quality polymer filaments. This study presents an in-depth characterization and analysis of a self-made bio-based polylactide (PLA)/thermoplastic potato starch (TPS) filament dedicated for the FFF 3D printing technology. The obtained results were compared with...
-
Two bacterial small heat shock proteins, IbpA and IbpB, form a functional heterodimer
PublicationSmall heat shock proteins (sHsps) are a conserved class of ATP-independent chaperones which in stress conditions bind to unfolded protein substrates and prevent their irreversible aggregation. Substrates trapped in sHsps-containing aggregates are efficiently refolded into native structures by ATP-dependent Hsp70 and Hsp100 chaperones. Most γ-proteobacteria possess a single sHsp (IbpA), while in a subset of Enterobacterales, as...
-
Facet effect of TiO2 nanostructures from TiOF2 and their photocatalytic activity
PublicationIn this study, special attention is focused on the design of TiO2 morphology and microstructure in the two-step preparation procedure using TiOF2 as a precursor to study their photodegradation mineralization efficiency. Firstly, TiOF2 was synthesized by a simple solvothermal method using titanium(IV) tetrafluoride, which was further used as a precursor in preparation of anatase 2D nanosheets, octahedral, decahedral, and rectangular prisms...
-
The effect of Ag, Au, Pt, and Pd on the surface properties, photocatalytic activity and toxicity of multicomponent TiO2-based nanomaterials
PublicationMulticomponent TiO2-based nanomaterials (MC-NMs) show better physicochemical properties than their individual components or bulk materials. However, the same unique properties that offer innovative applications might also pose unknown risks to human health and the environment. In this context, TiO2- based nanomaterials with a mixture of noble metal precursors (Ag, Au, Pt, and Pd) for large-scale technological applications in air...
-
Bringing Bathymetry LiDAR to Coastal Zone Assessment: A Case Study in the Southern Baltic
PublicationOne of the major tasks in environmental protection is monitoring the coast for negative impacts due to climate change and anthropopressure. Remote sensing techniques are often used in studies of impact assessment. Topographic and bathymetric procedures are treated as separate measurement methods, while methods that combine coastal zone analysis with underwater impacts are rarely used in geotechnical analyses. This study presents...
-
Knowledge-Based Expedited Parameter Tuning of Microwave Passives by Means of Design Requirement Management and Variable-Resolution EM Simulations
PublicationThe importance of numerical optimization techniques has been continually growing in the design of microwave components over the recent years. Although reasonable initial designs can be obtained using circuit theory tools, precise parameter tuning is still necessary to account for effects such as electromagnetic (EM) cross coupling or radiation losses. EM-driven design closure is most often realized using gradient-based procedures,...
-
Microcrack monitoring and fracture evolution of polyolefin and steel fibre concrete beams using integrated acoustic emission and digital image correlation techniques
PublicationThe use of polymer and steel fibres in plain concrete appears to be an excellent solution for limiting crack propagation and improving the post-ductility performance of concrete structures. Based on this premise, this study investigated the fracture evolution of polyolefin fibre-reinforced concrete (PFRC) and steel fibre-reinforced concrete (SFRC) specimens through the integrated application of two diagnostic techniques, acoustic...
-
Influence of CeO2 and TiO2 Particles on Physicochemical Properties of Composite Nickel Coatings Electrodeposited at Ambient Temperature
PublicationThe Ni-TiO2 and Ni-CeO2 composite coatings with varying hydrophilic/hydrophobic characteristics were fabricated by the electrodeposition method from a tartrate electrolyte at ambient temperature. To meet the requirements of tight regulation by the European Chemicals Agency classifying H3BO3 as a substance of very high concern, Rochelle salt was utilized as a buffer solution instead. The novelty of this study was to implement a...
-
The effects of the IM1-12Br ionic liquid and the oxytetracycline mixture on selected marine and brackish microorganisms
PublicationThe number of applications and commercialized processes utilizing ionic liquids has been increasing, and it is anticipated that this trend will persist and even intensify in the future. Ionic liquids possess desirable characteristics, such as low vapor pressure, good water solubility, amphiphilicity, and stability. Nevertheless, these properties can influence their environmental behavior, resulting in resistance to biotic and abiotic...
-
Screening stability, thermochemistry, and chemical kinetics of 3-hydroxybutanoic acid as a bifunctional biodiesel additive
PublicationThe thermo-kinetic aspects of 3-hydroxybutyric acid (3-HBA) pyrolysis in the gas phase were investigated using density functional theory (DFT), specifically the M06-2X theoretical level in conjunction with the cc-pVTZ basis set. The obtained data were compared with benchmark CBS-QB3 results. The degradation mechanism was divided into 16 pathways, comprising 6 complex fissions and 10 barrierless reactions. Energy profiles were calculated...
-
Hydraulic conductivity of a biopolymer treated sand
PublicationThis paper presents results of laboratory assessment of creating seepage barriers in a sandy soil using biopolymer additives (bio substance), which consist of polysaccharides and water. Polysaccharides strongly interact with water to produce a viscous suspension. The aim of the conducted work was to investigate the influence of a biosubstance employed in a highly permeable sandy soil. The amount of the biopolymer used in a sample...
-
Lighting requirements for pedestrian crossings - positive contrast
PublicationFor many years now in Poland there has been a large number of road accidents at pedestrian crossings during night periods [5, 11]. One of the technical solutions that can improve this condition is the use of proper lighting for pedestrian crossings. The designated pedestrian crossing should be visible in different weather conditions and at different times of the day. In case of night vision restrictions use artificial lighting...
-
Wpływ przechyłki na zjawisko postępowania zużycia bocznego szyn kolejowych w łukach poziomych
PublicationDegradacja elementów nawierzchni kolejowej jest zagadnieniem bardzo złożonym, w które uwikłane jest wiele czynników związanych między innymi z układem geometrycznym toru kolejowego, właściwościami trybologicznymi poszczególnych elementów nawierzchni, jak również z parametrami podłoża gruntowego, a także z właściwościami samych pojazdów szynowych. W artykule omówiono jeden z powyższych problemów, tj. wpływ ukształtowania toru kolejowego...
-
Protocolo de Preparación y Evaluación de Pilas de Combustible de Óxido Sólido
PublicationEste protocolo describe la metodología para la preparación de celdas de óxido sólido y su evaluación como pila de combustible (SOFC). Es fruto del estudio realizado en el marco de los proyectos FCTESTNET [1] y SOFCNET [2] del V Programa Marco, en el Comité IEC/TC105 [3] e investigaciones llevadas a cabo en el laboratorio. Las pilas de combustible son dispositivos capaces de transformar la energía química de un combustible en energía...
-
Chitosan, Collagen and Gelatin in the design of novel materials with antimicrobial acticity
PublicationMedical devices containing and releasing antiinfective agents directly on the site of injury are a common group of materials available and widely used in treating difficult to heal wounds. Sustained contact of the active agent to the damaged tissue, needed to inhibit infection and preservation of microbiological purity of the wound, is provided by the immobilization antimicrobial agents on the surface of the matrix material or...
-
Bioactive polyurethanes applied as a surgical implants
PublicationSynthetic materials are applied in many branches of the industry, i.a. in medicine as a casing of apparatus, elements of artificial organs (hearts, blood vessels), catheters, wound healings, intra aortic balloons, mammary implants to mention but a few. Polymeric material used in such applications must be distinguished by a good biocompatybility. Since many years extensive research are employed to develop a new polymers that can...
-
Transport of Particles in Intestinal Mucus under Simulated Infant and Adult Physiological Conditions: Impact of Mucus Structure and Extracellular DNA
PublicationThe final boundary between digested food and the cells that take up nutrients in the small intestine is a protective layer of mucus. In this work, the microstructural organization and permeability of the intestinal mucus have been determined under conditions simulating those of infant and adult human small intestines. As a model, we used the mucus from the proximal (jejunal) small intestines of piglets and adult pigs. Confocal...