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Diurnal variability of atmospheric water vapour, precipitation and cloud top temperature across the global tropics derived from satellite observations and GNSS technique
PublicationThe diurnal cycle of convection plays an important role in clouds and water vapour distribution across the global tropics. In this study, we utilize integrated moisture derived from the global navigation satellite system (GNSS), satellite precipitation estimates from TRMM and merged infrared dataset to investigate links between variability in tropospheric moisture, clouds development and precipitation at a diurnal time scale. Over...
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Fire-induced spalling of ultra-high performance concrete: A systematic critical review
PublicationUltra-high performance concrete (UHPC) is a novel concrete class characterized by a compressive strength of more than 150 MPa. One of the most significant drawbacks of employing UHPC is that is very low permeability owing to its great compactness of dense structure increases the risk of fire-induced spalling. It is challenging for fire safety and structural engineers to predict and analyze this issue due to the lack of widely accepted...
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Effects of Addictive Substances During Pregnancy and Infancy and Their Analysis in Biological Materials
PublicationThe use of addictive substances during pregnancy is a serious social problem, not only because of effects on the health of the woman and child, but also because drug or alcohol dependency it detracts from childcare and enhances the prospect of child neglect and family breakdown. Developing additive substance abuse treatment programs for pregnant women is socially important and can help ensure the health of babies, prevent subsequent...
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Accurate Lightweight Calibration Methods for Mobile Low-Cost Particulate Matter Sensors
PublicationMonitoring air pollution is a critical step towards improving public health, particularly when it comes to identifying the primary air pollutants that can have an impact on human health. Among these pollutants, particulate matter (PM) with a diameter of up to 2.5 μ m (or PM2.5) is of particular concern, making it important to continuously and accurately monitor pollution related to PM. The emergence of mobile low-cost PM sensors...
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Monitoring Lead Concentration in the Surrounding Environmental Components of a Lead Battery Company: Plants, Air and Effluents—Case Study, Kenya
PublicationLead (Pb) pollution from smelters and lead–acid battery has become a serious problem worldwide owing to its toxic nature as a heavy metal. Stricter regulations and monitoring strategies have been formulated, legislated and implemented in various parts of the world on heavy metal usage. Developed countries such as the USA and in Europe largely operate within the set standards, however, developing countries such as Kenya, Nigeria...
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Expedited Machine-Learning-Based Global Design Optimization of Antenna Systems Using Response Features and Multi-Fidelity EM Analysis
PublicationThe design of antenna systems poses a significant challenge due to stringent per-formance requirements dictated by contemporary applications and the high com-putational costs associated with models, particularly full-wave electromagnetic (EM) analysis. Presently, EM simulation plays a crucial role in all design phases, encompassing topology development, parametric studies, and the final adjustment of antenna dimensions. The latter...
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Preconcentration and Analytical Methods for Determination of Methyl Tert-Butyl Ether and Other Fuel Oxygenates and Their Degradation Products in Environment: A Review
PublicationFuel oxygenates (FOs) are mainly ethers or alcohols which are added to gasoline either to boost the octane number or to make the fuel burning process more "cleaner" with increasing the oxygen content, or to obtain a combination of both effects. FOs are water soluble with high mobility in the environment which presence even at very low concentrations lower the quality of water making it unsafe or unpleasant due to their objectionable...
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Effect of the welding environment and storage time of electrodes on the diffusible hydrogen content in deposited metal
PublicationIn the study the glycerin displacement method was used for determination of diffusible hydrogen content in deposited metal. Specimens were welded in the air and in the water with covered rutile electrodes. The first part of the specimens was made immediately after opening the package of the electrodes. The electrodes were then stored in opened packages in laboratory conditions that allowed for contact with the air for three years....
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Deep CNN based decision support system for detection and assessing the stage of diabetic retinopathy
PublicationThe diabetic retinopathy is a disease caused by long-standing diabetes. Lack of effective treatment can lead to vision impairment and even irreversible blindness. The disease can be diagnosed by examining digital color fundus photographs of retina. In this paper we propose deep learning approach to automated diabetic retinopathy screening. Deep convolutional neural networks (CNN) - the most popular kind of deep learning algorithms...
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Two-spinors, oscillator algebras, and qubits: aspects of manifestly covariant approach to relativistic quantum information
PublicationThe first part of the paper reviews applications of 2-spinor methods to relativistic qubits (analogies between tetrads in Minkowski space and 2-qubit states, qubits defined by means of null directions and their role for elimination of the Peres-Scudo-Terno phenomenon, advantages and disadvantages of relativistic polarization operators defined by the Pauli-Lubanski vector, manifestly covariant approach to unitary representations...
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Mobile Security: Threats and Best Practices
PublicationCommunicating mobile security threats and best practices has become a central objective due to the ongoing discovery of new vulnerabilities of mobile devices. To cope with this overarching issue, the goal of this paper is to identify and analyze existing threats and best practices in the domain of mobile security. To this extent, we conducted a literature review based on a set of keywords. The obtained results concern recognizable...
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A method for the production of D-tagatose using a recombinant Pichia pastoris strain secreting beta-D-galactosidase from Arthrobacter chlorophenolicus and a recombinant L-arabinose isomerase from Arthrobacter sp. 22c
PublicationD-Tagatose is a natural monosaccharide which can be used as a low-calorie sugar substitute in food, beverages and pharmaceutical products. It is also currently being tested as an anti-diabetic and obesity control drug. D-Tagatose is a rare sugar, but it can be manufactured by the chemical or enzymatic isomerization of D-galactose obtained by a beta-D-galactosidase-catalyzed hydrolysis of milk sugar lactose and the separation of...
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Novel Biodegradable Potato Starch-based Compositions as Candidates in Packaging Industry, Safe for Marine Environment
PublicationAbout 70 % of our planet’s surface is covered by seas and oceans to which even 10 million tons of waste go every year. It makes these places the largest global landfills, containing up to 90 % of plastic waste. In this article we present the results of research on novel starch-based compositions expected to be more safe for the marine environment. For these purpose biopolymers such as, thermoplastic starch (TPS), polylactide (PLA)...
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Theoretical and experimental study on scattering of low-energy electrons by dimethyl and diethyl ethers
PublicationWe report a joint theoretical and experimental investigation on low-energy electron scattering by dimethyl and diethyl ethers. The experimental elastic differential cross sections were measured at impact energies from 1 eV up to 30 eV and scattering angle range of 10◦ to 130◦. Theoretical elastic differential, integral and momentum-transfer cross sections are calculated at impact energies up to 30 eV, employing the Schwinger multichannel...
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Distribution and extent of benthic habitats in Puck Bay (Gulf of Gdańsk, southern Baltic Sea)
PublicationThe majority of the southern Baltic Sea seabed encompasses homogenous soft-bottom sediments of limited productivity and low biological diversity, but shallow productive areas in the coastal zone such as wetlands, vegetated lagoons and sheltered bays show a high variety of benthic habitat types offering favourable biotopic conditions for benthic fauna. Within Polish marine areas, semi-enclosed Puck Bay (the western part of the...
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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...
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Advanced oxidation processes for the removal of mono and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons – A review
PublicationAromatic hydrocarbons (AHs) are toxic environmental contaminants presented in most of the environmental matrices. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) for the removal of AHs in the account of complete mineralization from various environmental matrices have been reviewed in this paper. An in-depth discussion on various AOPs for mono (BTEX) and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their derivatives is presented. Most of the AOPs were...
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Polyether-block-amide PEBA membranes for gas separation and pervaporation; current design and applications
PublicationPolyether-block-amide (PEBA) membranes have attracted considerable attention for their exceptional efficacy in gas separation and pervaporation processes. This comprehensive review delves into the precise definition, distinguishing characteristics, and diverse applications of PEBA membranes over the past five years. A primary research objective focuses on enhancing gas separation efficiency, primarily through augmenting membrane...
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Water Solubilization Using Nonionic Surfactants from Renewable Sources in Microemulsion Systems
PublicationIn this study the effect of temperature, NaCl andoils (hydrocarbons: C8-C16) on the formation and solubilizationcapacity of the systems of oil/monoacylglycerols(MAG):ethoxylated fatty alcohols (CEO20)/propylene glycol(PG)/water was investigated. The effects of the surfactantmixture on the phase behavior and the concentration ofwater or oil in the systems were studied at three temperatures(50, 55, 60 C) and with varied NaCl solutions...
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Heptaene macrolides biosynthesis by Streptomyces species
PublicationPolyene macrolides are one of the groups of secondary metabolites, generated by microorganisms belonging to the Streptomyces genus. These compounds, containing 3 - 7 conjugated double bonds systems in their molecules exhibit high antifungal activity against a broad spectrum of fungal pathogens with heptaenes demonstrating the highest antifungal potential. At the large extent, efficiency of biosynthesis of these natural products...
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In-tube extraction for the determination of the main volatile compounds in Physalis peruviana L
PublicationAn analytical procedure based on in-tube extraction followed by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry has been developed for the analysis of 24 main volatile components in cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana L.) samples. According to their chemical structure, the compounds were organized into different groups: one hydrocarbon, one aldehyde, four alcohols, four esters, and 14 monoterpenes. By single-factor experiments, incubation...
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Kształtowanie wartości wskaźników wspomagania finan-sowego przez ponadprzeciętnie rentowne MSP w okresie dobrej i złej koniunktury gospodarczej
PublicationW artykule porównano kształtowanie wartości wskaźników z obszaru wspomagania finansowego przez ponadprzeciętnie rentowne MSP w okresie dobrej i złej koniunktury gospodarczej. Celem przeprowadzonych badań było ponadto zaproponowanie przedziałów wartości rekomendowanych dla wskaźników z obszaru wspomagania finansowego, z osobna dla okresu dobrej jak i złej koniunktury gospodarczej. W trakcie przepro-wadzonych badań uwzględniono...
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Impact of Climate Change on Water Sources and River‐Floodplain Mixing in the Natural Wetland Floodplain of Biebrza River
PublicationThe origins of river and floodplain waters (groundwater, rainfall, and snowmelt) and their extent during overbank flow events strongly impact ecological processes such as denitrification and vegetation development. However, the long-term sensitivity of floodplain water signatures to climate change remains elusive. We examined how the integrated hydrological model HydroGeoSphere and the Hydraulic Mixing-Cell method could help us...
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The KLC Cultures, Tacit Knowledge, and Trust Contribution to Organizational Intelligence Activation
PublicationIn this paper, the authors address a new approach to three organizational, functional cultures: knowledge culture, learning culture, and collaboration culture, named together the KLC cultures. Authors claim that the KLC approach in knowledge-driven organizations must be designed and nourished to leverage knowledge and intellectual capital. It is suggested that they are necessary for simultaneous implementation because no one of...
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Sonocatalytic degradation of tetracycline antibiotic using zinc oxide nanostructures loaded on nano-cellulose from waste straw as nanosonocatalyst
PublicationThe aim of the present investigation was the combination of ZnO nanostructures with nano-cellulose (NC) for the efficient degradation of tetracycline (TC) antibiotic under ultrasonic irradiation. The removal efficiency of 12.8% was obtained by the sole use of ultrasound (US), while the removal efficiency increased up to 70% by the US/ZnO treatment process. Due to the integration of ZnO nanostructures with NC, the removal efficiency...
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On the origin of surfaces-dependent growth of benzoic acid crystal inferred through the droplet evaporation method
PublicationCrystal growth behavior of benzoic acid crystals on different surfaces was examined. The performed experiments documented the existence of very strong influence introduced by polar surfaces as glass, gelatin, and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) on the growth of benzoic acid crystals. These surfaces impose strong orientation effect resulting in a dramatic reduction of number of faces seen with x-ray powder diffractions (XPRD). However,...
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On the origin of surfaces-dependent growth of benzoic acid crystal inferred through the droplet evaporation method
PublicationCrystal growth behavior of benzoic acid crystals on different surfaces was examined. The performed experiments documented the existence of very strong influence introduced by polar surfaces as glass, gelatin, and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) on the growth of benzoic acid crystals. These surfaces impose strong orientation effect resulting in a dramatic reduction of number of faces seen with x-ray powder diffractions (XPRD). However,...
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On the origin of surfaces-dependent growth of benzoic acid crystal inferred through the droplet evaporation method
PublicationCrystal growth behavior of benzoic acid crystals on different surfaces was examined. The performed experiments documented the existence of very strong influence introduced by polar surfaces as glass, gelatin, and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) on the growth of benzoic acid crystals. These surfaces impose strong orientation effect resulting in a dramatic reduction of number of faces seen with x-ray powder diffractions (XPRD). However,...
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Structure and properties of the exopolysaccharides produced by Pseudomonas mutabilis T6 and P. mutabilis ATCC 31014
PublicationThis paper presents a study on the purification, primary structure, and rheological properties of exopolysaccharides isolated from cultures of Pseudomonas mutabilis T6 and P. mutabilis ATCC 31014. Both polymers are exopolysaccharides of D-mannose. The mannan isolated from P. mutabilis T6 contains on average about 5% of residual b-D-glucose, in contrast to the mannan from P. mutabilis ATCC 31014, which contained only trace amounts...
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Synthesis and Characterization of Poly(zwitterionic) Structures for Energy Conversion and Storage
PublicationZwitterions are unique class of molecules that possess two functional groups bearing electric charges, one positive and second negative. This setup results in peculiar properties such as high water retention and anti-fouling capability. Therefore, zwitterionic coatings and gels are commonly applied in e.g. biosensing and bioelectronic devices. Despite those applications, there are other perspectives for zwitterionic materials....
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Volumetric incorporation of NV diamond emitters in nanostructured F2 glass magneto-optical fiber probes
PublicationIntegration of optically-active diamond particles with glass fibers is a powerful method of scaling diamond's magnetic sensing functionality. We propose a novel approach for the integration of diamond particles containing nitrogen-vacancy centers directly into the fiber core. The core is fabricated by stacking the preform from 790 soft glass canes, drawn from a single rod dip-coated with submicron diamond particles suspended in...
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Morphology Regulation Mechanism and Enhancement of Photocatalytic Performance of BiOX (X = Cl, Br, I) via Mannitol-Assisted Synthesis
PublicationBiOX (X = Cl, Br, I) photocatalysts with dominant (110) facets were synthesized via a mannitol-assisted solvothermal method. This is the first report on the exposed (110) facets-, size-, and defects-controlled synthesis of BiOX achieved by solvothermal synthesis with mannitol. This polyol alcohol acted simultaneously as a solvent, capping agent, and/or soft template. The mannitol concentration on the new photocatalysts morphology...
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Enzymatic and Chemical Cross-Linking of Bacterial Cellulose/Fish Collagen Composites—A Comparative Study
PublicationThis article compares the properties of bacterial cellulose/fish collagen composites (BC/Col) after enzymatic and chemical cross-linking. In our methodology, two transglutaminases are used for enzymatic cross-linking—one recommended for the meat and the other proposed for the fish industry—and pre-oxidated BC (oxBC) is used for chemical cross-linking. The structure of the obtained composites is characterized by scanning electron...
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Analytical procedures used in examining human urine samples.
PublicationŹródłem informacji o stanie środowiska mogą być zarówno wyniki badań próbek części nieożywionej (woda, gleba, powietrze) jak i części biotycznej, w tym także tkanek i płynów ustrojowych człowieka, który jest nieustannie narażony na działanie szerokiego spektrum ksenobiotyków. Badanie płynów ustrojowych człowieka (głównie krwi i moczu) może być bardzo użyteczną i interesującą drogą do uzyskania informacji o stanie środowiska....
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A natural deep eutectic solvent - protonated L-proline-xylitol - based stationary phase for gas chromatography
PublicationThe paper presents a new kind of stationary phase for gas chromatography based on deep eutectic solvents (DES) in the form of a mixture of L-proline (protonated with hydrochloric acid) as a hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA) and xylitol as a hydrogen bond donor (HBD) in a molar ratio of HBA:HBD 5:1. DES immobilized on a silanized chromatographic support was tested by gas chromatography (GC) in order to determine its resolving power for...
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Exposure to cooking emitted volatile organic compounds with recirculating and extracting ventilation solutions
PublicationEnergy-efficient urban development leads to the compact design of apartments. Recirculating ventilation solutions are an attempt to minimize the space required for ventilation ducting, but more data on their performance are needed. Cooking is a major source of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emissions. It is necessary to assess how well recirculating kitchen hoods perform in reducing the residents' exposure to cooking fumes compared...
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Optimization of Polycrystalline CVD Diamond Seeding with the Use of sp³/sp² Raman Band Ratio
PublicationThe influence of various nanodiamond colloids used for seeding nondiamond substrates in microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition diamond process was investigated. Colloids based on deionized water, isopropanol alcohol and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) were used with different grain size dispersion: 150, 400 and 35 nm, respectively. The influence of growth time was also taken into consideration and bias enhanced nucleation....
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Optical and electrical properties of boron doped diamond thin conductive films deposited on fused silica glass substrates
PublicationThis paper presents boron-doped diamond (BDD) film as a conductive coating for optical and electronic purposes. Seeding and growth processes of thin diamond films on fused silica have been investigated. Growth processes of thin diamond films on fused silica were investigated at various boron doping level and methane admixture. Two step pre-treatment procedure of fused silica substrate was applied to achieve high seeding density....
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Ground Tire Rubber Modified by Elastomers via Low-Temperature Extrusion Process: Physico-Mechanical Properties and Volatile Organic Emission Assessment
PublicationIn this paper, low-temperature extrusion of ground tire rubber was performed as a proecological waste tires recycling method. During this process, ground tire rubber was modified with constant content of dicumyl peroxide and a variable amount of elastomer (in the range: 2.5–15 phr). During the studies, three types of elastomers were used: styrene-butadiene rubber, styreneethylene/butylene-styrene grafted with maleic anhydride and...
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Personal branding of artists and art-designers: necessity or desire?
PublicationPurpose Personal branding becomes a new in-demand skill for all professionals today. To be well-known helps to achieve success in the networked business environment. Personal relationships and a good reputation in the reality of network economy help young artists and art designers move up the career ladder. This paper aims to discuss a problem of artists who often find it difficult to define their artistic and self-distinction...
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Employee Commitment Matters for CSR Practice, Reputation and Corporate Brand Performance—European Model
PublicationSo far, there have been no studies that explore how employee brand commitment moderates CSR practice outcomes. Employee brand commitment is often claimed as a focal input and output of the CSR. So, it means that it shapes CSR conditions. Then, it is a moderator. This study aims to verify it. Besides, commitment exists in many forms and can be achieved in many ways. Hence the question, if employees are committed to the brand, then...
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Analysis of Reconstituted Tripartite Complex Supports Avidity-based Recruitment of Hsp70 by Substrate Bound J-domain Protein
PublicationHsp70 are ubiquitous, versatile molecular chaperones that cyclically interact with substrate protein(s). The initial step requires synergistic interaction of a substrate and a J-domain protein (JDP) cochaperone, via its J-domain, with Hsp70 to stimulate hydrolysis of its bound ATP. This hydrolysis drives conformational changes in Hsp70 that stabilize substrate binding. However, because of the transient nature of substrate and JDP...
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Wisdom from Experience Paradox: Organizational Learning, Mistakes, Hierarchy and Maturity Issues
PublicationOrganizations often perceive mistakes as negligence and low-performance indicators, yet they can be a precious learning resource. However, organizations cannot learn from mistakes if they have not accepted them. This study aimed to explore how organizational hierarchy and maturity levels influence the relationship between mistakes acceptance and the ability to change. A sample composed of 380 Polish employees working in knowledge-driven...
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Progress in ATRP-derived materials for biomedical applications
PublicationThe continuing wave of technological breakthroughs and advances is critical for engineering well- defined materials, particularly biomaterials, with tailored microstructure and properties. Over the last few decades, controlled radical polymerization (CRP) has become a very promising option for the synthesis of precise polymeric materials with an unprecedented degree of control over mo lecular architecture. Atom transfer radical...
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On the origin of surface imposed anisotropic growth of salicylic and acetylsalicylic acids crystals during droplet evaporation
PublicationIn this paper droplet evaporative crystallization of salicylic acid (SA) and acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) crystals on different surfaces, such as glass, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and paraffin was studied. The obtained crystals were analyzed using powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) technique. In order to better understand the effect of the surface on evaporative crystallization, crystals deposited on glass were scraped off. Moreover,...
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Perfectly Wetting Mixtures of Surfactants from Renewable Resources: The Interaction and Synergistic Effects on Adsorption and Micellization
PublicationThis paper presents a study of the surface properties of mixtures of surfactants originating from renewable sources, i.e., alkylpolyglucoside (APG), ethoxylated fatty alcohol (AE), and sodium soap (Na soap). The main objective was to optimize the surfactant ratio which produces the highest wetting properties during the analysis of the solution of the individual surfactants, twoand three-component mixtures, and at different pH values....
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Fabrication of the cross-linked PVA/TiO2/C nanocomposite membrane for alkaline direct methanol fuel cells
PublicationA crosslinked Poly(vinyl alcohol) based composite membrane was developed through a phase inversion process for use in alkaline direct methanol fuel cells (ADMFCs). The titanium dioxide (TiO2) and carbon nanoparticles (NPs) have been incorporated into the PVA polymer matrix to improve the mechanical and thermal properties. The membrane samples were further modified with maleic acid, a carboxylic acid acting as the cross-linker,...
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Botanical and geographical origin characterization of polish honeys by headspace SPME-GCxGC-TOFMS
PublicationVolatile organic compounds (VOCs) composition of Polish honeys obtained from various geographical regions was studied. Headspace solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) using Divinylbenzene/Carboxen/Polydimethylsiloxane-coated fibers was used in combination with comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC× GC-TOFMS) because of the complexity of the samples. Acacia, linden, rapeseed, buckwheat...
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Measurements of Activity Coefficients at Infinite Dilution for Organic Solutes in the Ionic Liquids N-Ethyl- and N-Octyl-N-methylmorpholinium Bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide. A Useful Tool for Solvent Selection
PublicationIn recent years, many papers describing ionic liquids (IL) as promising solvents in separation techniques have been published. The conscious choice of appropriate ionic liquid as absorption media in effective extraction of selected types of analytes requires deeper understanding of the analyte−IL interactions. Therefore, intensive research is conducted to determine the values of activity coefficient at infinite dilution, which...
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Magnetyczne fotokatalizatory na bazie TiO2 do degradacji zanieczyszczeń w fazie wodnej
PublicationFotokataliza stanowi alternatywę dla tradycyjnych metod oczyszczania wód i ścieków z trudno degradowalnych zanieczyszczeń organicznych. Zastosowanie TiO2 umożliwia efektywne usuwanie związków chloroorganicznych, alkoholi, kwasów organicznych, pestycydów, barwników, węglowodorów aromatycznych oraz związków powierzchniowo czynnych z fazy wodnej. Poważnym ograniczeniem zastosowania TiO2 na szeroką skalę w procesach oczyszczania ścieków...