Search results for: SUBSOIL IMPROVEMENT
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Novel fast analytical method for indirect determination of MCPD fatty acid esters in edible oils and fats based on simultaneous extraction and derivatization
PublicationA novel method for indirect determination of MCPD esters levels in lipid samples has been developed. The method is based on combination of extraction and derivatisation in the same sample preparation step. It is achieved by the application of diethyl ether as extraction solvent for isolation of released from esterified forms analytes from water phase and dilution solvent for solid PBA – derivatisation agent. It is a noteworthy...
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Customization of UWB 3D-RTLS Based on the New Uncertainty Model of the AoA Ranging Technique
PublicationThe increased potential and effectiveness of Real-time Locating Systems (RTLSs) substantially influence their application spectrum. They are widely used, inter alia, in the industrial sector, healthcare, home care, and in logistic and security applications. The research aims to develop an analytical method to customize UWB-based RTLS, in order to improve their localization performance in terms of accuracy and precision. The analytical...
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IDENTIFICATION AND COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF FACTORS INFLUENCING ROAD SAFETY IN US REGIONS AND IN POLISH VOIVODESHIPS
PublicationAnalyses of road safety at national level have been run for many years and large number of publications concerning them appeared so far. How interdisciplinary the issue is, has been shown by literature studies done by the author of the paper. It appears that economists, mathematicians, doctors as well as engineers have studied the issue. It is not an easy one, as results of many analyses lead to conflicting conclusions and...
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Multi-layered tissue head phantoms for noninvasive optical diagnostics
PublicationExtensive research in the area of optical sensing for medical diagnostics requires development of tissue phantoms with optical properties similar to those of living human tissues. Development and improvement of in vivo optical measurement systems requires the use of stable tissue phantoms with known characteristics, which are mainly used for calibration of such systems and testing their performance over time. Optical and mechanical...
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Low Frequency Conducted Emissions of Grid Connected Static Converters
PublicationPulse-width modulated rectifiers are nowadays commonly used for AC to DC power conversion. PWM rectification technology is very effective and allows for bidirectional power flow with the possibility of power factor improvement and low-order harmonic emission limitation. Unfortunately, employed PWM boost topology results with generation of input current harmonic distortions in a frequency range tightly correlated to modulation frequency....
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Professional activity and women entrepreneurship in Poland – Europe 2020 Strategy perspective
PublicationThe level of economic activity of women in Poland is the lowest among Baltic Sea Region countries. The analysis of Europe 2020 targets, shows that at least 3 of the 5 main objectives relate, more or less, to women (e.g. participation in labor market). The objective concerning social inclusion assumes the increase in the employment rate of men and women (aged 20-64) in Poland up to 71%. To achieve this goal, support programs to...
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Recent advances in hydrogen production from biomass waste with a focus on pyrolysis and gasification
PublicationThis paper presents the results research on the optimal fuel compositions and the control parameters of the spark ignition engine fueled with syngas-biogas-hydrogen for the purpose of setting up a flexible electronic control unit for the engine working in a solar-biomass hybrid renewable energy system. In syngas-biogas-hydrogen mixture, the optimal content of hydrogen and biogas is 20% and 30%, respectively. Exceeding these thresholds,...
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Modeling and optimization of chemical-treated torrefaction of wheat straw to improve energy density by response surface methodology
PublicationToday, torrefaction is important technique for extending the potential of biomass for improvement of energy density. The independent variables investigated for torrefaction study were temperature, retention time, acid concentration, and particle size. The experiment was designed by central composite design (CCD) method using design expert (version 11). The three dependent variables were higher heating value (HHV), energy enhancement...
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Novel nitrogen precursors for electrochemically driven doping of titania nanotubes exhibiting enhanced photoactivity
PublicationNitrogen doped titania nanotubes were successfully sensitized by electrochemical method, i.e. as-anodized titania was immersed in different amine (diethyleneamine-DETA, triethyleneamine-TEA, ethylenediamine-EDA) and urea (U) solution and a constant potential was applied. The highly ordered morphology of fabricated N-TiO2 was investigated by using scanning electron microscopy. Spectroscopic techniques, i.e. UV-Vis spectroscopy,...
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Effect of kenaf fibre modification on morphology and mechanical properties of thermoplastic polyurethane materials
PublicationThe presented study examined the morphology and mechanical properties of biocomposites obtained from kenaf natural fibre and thermoplastic polyurethane. Kenaf was modified using various methods, namely: acetylation, blocked isocyanate, maleic anhydride and permanganate treatment. Those methods and ways of carrying out of surface modifications were not studied before on kenaf/thermoplastic polyurethane composites. Different fibre...
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Ionic liquids-based microextraction techniques
PublicationIn recent years, the development of highly efficient analytical techniques is of great importance, however, the direct analysis of complex sample matrix is still impossible in many cases. Therefore, the step of sample preparation is commonly involved in an analytical procedure. Over the years, it has been realized that the major source of inaccuracy and imprecision on general analysis results from the operations associated to sample...
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Optimum number of actuators to minimize the cross-sectional area of prestressable cable and truss structures
PublicationThis paper describes a new computational method for determining the optimum number of actuators to design the optimal and economic cross-sectional area of pin-jointed assemblies based on the conventional force method. The most active members are selected to be prestressed to redistribute stress in the whole structure, resulting in regulating the internal force of bars that face high stress. Reducing stress in critical members allows...
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Flexible syngas-biogas-hydrogen fueling spark-ignition engine behaviors with optimized fuel compositions and control parameters
PublicationThis paper presents the results research on the optimal fuel compositions and the control parameters of the spark ignition engine fueled with syngas-biogas-hydrogen for the purpose of setting up a flexible electronic control unit for the engine working in a solar-biomass hybrid renewable energy system. In syngas-biogas-hydrogen mixture, the optimal content of hydrogen and biogas is 20% and 30%, respectively. Exceeding these thresholds,...
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Effects of full displacement pile installation on the stress and deformation state of surrounding soil: review
PublicationSeveral field and model tests have been conducted to investigate the impact of pile installation on bearing capacity. However, little is known about how piles behave during installation, how they interact with the surrounding soil, and how this affects sandy soil properties. This review paper investigates the effect of pile driving on surrounding sandy soil as it compacts sandy soil near to the pile. For this purpose, various related...
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A Vision of Sustainable Design Concepts for Upgrading Vulnerable Coastal Areas in Light of Climate Change Impacts: A Case Study from Beirut, Lebanon
PublicationRapid urbanization combined with the effects of climate change has increased the vulnerability of poor urban communities to natural hazards, particularly to informal settlements located in coastal areas. Apart from socio-economic challenges, the effects of climate change threaten the very existence of these settlements. They are particularly vulnerable due to their poor structural quality and lack of adequate infrastructure to...
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Irregularities in university processes concerning the Lean Management typology: The pilot study results
PublicationPurpose: Identify the attitudes regarding key irregularities in university activities of universities referring to muda, mura, and muri from the perspective of two groups of stakeholders - academic teachers and administration/service personnel. Study design/methodology/approach: A pilot quantitative study with the use of a questionnaire containing 48 statements regarding six categories of irregularities assessed according to the...
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A facile approach to fabricate load-bearing porous polymer scaffolds for bone tissue engineering
PublicationBiodegradable porous scaffolds with oriented interconnected pores and high mechanical are load-bearing biomaterials for bone tissue engineering. Herein, we report a simple, non-toxic, and cost-effective method to fabricate high-strength porous biodegradable scaffolds, composed of a polymer matrix of polycaprolactone (PCL) and water-soluble poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO) as a sacrificial material by integrating annealing treatment,...
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Expedited Optimization of Passive Microwave Devices Using Gradient Search and Principal Directions
PublicationOver the recent years, utilization of numerical optimization techniques has become ubiquitous in the design of high-frequency systems, including microwave passive components. The primary reason is that the circuits become increasingly complex to meet ever growing performance demands concerning their electrical performance, additional functionalities, as well as miniaturization. Nonetheless, as reliable evaluation of microwave device...
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Tolerance Optimization of Antenna Structures by Means of Response Feature Surrogates
PublicationFabrication tolerances and other types of uncertainties, e.g., the lack of precise knowledge of material parameters, have detrimental effects on electrical and field performance of antenna systems. In the case of input characteristics these are particularly noticeable for narrow- and multi-band antennas where deviations of geometry parameters from their nominal values lead to frequency shifts of the operating frequency bands. Improving...
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Rapid Variable-Resolution Parameter Tuning of Antenna Structures Using Frequency-Based Regularization and Sparse Sensitivity Updates
PublicationGeometry parameter tuning is an inherent part of antenna design process. While most often performed in a local sense, it still entails considerable computational expenses when carried out at the level of full-wave electromagnetic (EM) simulation models. Moreover, the optimization outcome may be impaired if good initial design is not available. This paper proposes a novel approach to fast and improved-reliability gradient-based...
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Developing the Urban Blue-Green Infrastructure as a Tool for Urban Air Quality Management
PublicationUrban structure is an important factor that shapes the process of urban ventilation and pollution dispersion. With proper planning of the urban spatial layout, city breathability can be effectively regulated, contributing to urban air quality improvement. This paper investigates the development and current management of urban systems of green and open spaces in four Polish cities: Gda ´nsk, Warsaw, Pozna ´n and Wrocław, with a...
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Dynamic Route Discovery Using Modified Grasshopper Optimization Algorithm in Wireless Ad-Hoc Visible Light Communication Network
PublicationIn recent times, visible light communication is an emerging technology that supports high speed data communication for wireless communication systems. However, the performance of the visible light communication system is impaired by inter symbol interference, the time dispersive nature of the channel, and nonlinear features of the light emitting diode that significantly reduces the bit error rate performance. To address these problems,...
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Mitigating the seismic pounding of multi-story buildings in series using linear and nonlinear fluid viscous dampers
PublicationSeismic-induced pounding between adjacent buildings may have serious consequences, ranging from minor damage up to total collapse. Therefore, researchers try to mitigate the pounding problem using different methods, such as coupling the adjacent buildings with stiff beams, connecting them by using viscoelastic links, and installing damping devices in each building individually. In the current paper, the effect of using linear and...
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Physicochemical properties of Mn1.45Co1.45Cu0.1O4 spinel coating deposited on the Crofer 22 H ferritic steel and exposed to high-temperature oxidation under thermal cycling conditions
PublicationThe Crofer 22 H ferritic steel substrate was coated with an Mn1.45Co1.45Cu0.1O4 spinel by means of electrophoresis. After high-temperature oxidation under thermal cycling conditions, the physicochemical properties of the obtained system were evaluated. During 48-h cycles that involved heating the samples up to temperatures of either 750 or 800 °C, the oxidation kinetics of both coated and unmodified steel approximately obeyed...
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Ukrainian Market of Electrical Energy: Reforming, Financing, Innovative Investment, Efficiency Analysis, and Audit
PublicationThe aim of this research is to determine the influence of electrical energy market regulation reform in Ukraine on the competitive environment, the reproduction processes of financial and innovative support, and the energy efficiency of the national economy. The authors have put forward and verified the hypothesis that, under conditions of institutional maturity of the Ukrainian electrical energy market, its liberalization and...
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The Effectiveness of Basic Resuscitation Activities Carried out by Combat Paramedics of the Police, as Exemplified by Polish Counterterrorist Units
PublicationThe tasks carried out by Police officers are often accompanied by dangerous situations that threaten the life and health of the people involved, the police themselves, and bystanders. It concerns especially counter-terrorism police units whose activities are aimed at terrorists and particularly dangerous criminals, and their course is violent and aggressive. In conjunction with the inability to bring civilian rescue services into...
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Improving the Performance of a Graphite Foil/Polyaniline Electrode Material by a Thin PEDOT:PSS Layer for Application in Flexible, High Power Supercapacitors
PublicationIn this study, we present a novel strategy for enhancing polyaniline stability and thus obtaining an electrode material with practical application in supercapacitors. A promising (graphite foil/polyaniline/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) GF/PANI/PEDOT:PSS) electrode material was characterized and used in the construction of a symmetric supercapacitor that provides an outstanding high power density. For this...
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Optimization of thermal backfill configurations for desired high-voltage power cables ampacity
PublicationThe ampacity of high-voltage power cables depends, among others, on their core cross-sectional area as well as thermal resistivity of the thermal backfill surrounding the cables. The cross-sectional area of the power cables’ core is selected according to the expected power to be transferred via the cable system. Usually, the higher the power transfer required, the higher the cross-sectional area of the core. However, the cost of...
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Rapid Multi-Criterial Antenna Optimization by Means of Pareto Front Triangulation and Interpolative Design Predictors
PublicationModern antenna systems are designed to meet stringent performance requirements pertinent to both their electrical and field properties. The objectives typically stay in conflict with each other. As the simultaneous improvement of all performance parameters is rarely possible, compromise solutions have to be sought. The most comprehensive information about available design trade-offs can be obtained through multi-objective optimization...
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Psychological capital and happiness at work: The mediating role of employee thriving in multinational corporations
PublicationWorking in multicultural work environments of multinational corporations (MNCs) creates challenges whose expected impact on happiness is equivocal. In the following paper, we examine the relationship between psychological capital and happiness at work in the specific MNCs’ context. We assume that thriving (eudemonic well-being) at work fosters individuals’ development and enhances their happiness composed of both the affective...
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Determination of long-chain aldehydes using a novel quartz crystal microbalance sensor based on a biomimetic peptide
PublicationThere is an increasingly popular trend aimed at improvement of fundamental metrological parameters of sensors via implementation of materials mimicking biological olfactory systems. This study presents investigation on usefulness of the peptide mimicking HarmOBP7 region as a receptor element of the piezoelectric sensor for selective analysis of long-chain aldehydes. Identification of odorant binding proteins creates new possibilities...
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An Analysis of Neural Word Representations for Wikipedia Articles Classification
PublicationOne of the current popular methods of generating word representations is an approach based on the analysis of large document collections with neural networks. It creates so-called word-embeddings that attempt to learn relationships between words and encode this information in the form of a low-dimensional vector. The goal of this paper is to examine the differences between the most popular embedding models and the typical bag-of-words...
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IRREGULARITIES IN UNIVERSITY PROCESSES CONCERNING THE LEAN MANAGEMENT TYPOLOGY. THE PILOT STUDY RESULTS
PublicationPurpose: Identify the attitudes regarding key irregularities in university activities of universities referring to muda, mura, and muri from the perspective of two groups of stakeholders - academic teachers and administration/service personnel. Study design/methodology/approach: A pilot quantitative study using a questionnaire containing 48 statements regarding six categories of irregularities assessed according to the 5-point...
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Deep Eutectic Solvents: Properties and Applications in CO2 Separation
PublicationNowadays, many researchers are focused on finding a solution to the problem of global warming. Carbon dioxide is considered to be responsible for the “greenhouse” effect. The largest global emission of industrial CO2 comes from fossil fuel combustion, which makes power plants the perfect point source targets for immediate CO2 emission reductions. A state-of-the-art method for capturing carbon dioxide is chemical absorption using...
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Effective sonophotocatalytic degradation of tetracycline in water: Optimization, kinetic modeling, and degradation pathways
PublicationHybrid advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are gaining interest in degradation of variety of recalcitrant compounds for water and wastewater treatment, due to possible synergistic effects. The present study systematically evaluated the degradation of tetracycline (TC) with a sonophotocatalytic process combining acoustic cavitation (sonocavitation) and photocatalysis based on N-doped TiO2 catalyst. The TC degradation rate constant...
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Automatic detection and correction of detuned singing system for use with query-by-humming applications
PublicationThe aim of the paper is to present an idea of using the automatic detection and correction of detuned singing as a subsystem in query-by-humming (QBH) applications. The common approach to searching for a requested song basing on the melody retrieved from hummed pattern usually employs the so-called Parsons code or melody contour. In such a case information about sound pitch is discarded. It was thought out that an additional module...
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Laser-assisted modification of titanium dioxide nanotubes in a tilted mode as surface modification and patterning strategy
PublicationElectrochemical anodization is regarded as a facile and easily scalable fabrication method of titania nanotubes (TiO2NTs). However, due to the extended duration of calcination and further modifications, much faster alternatives are highly required. As a response to growing interest in laser modification of nanotube arrays, a comprehensive investigation of pulsed-laser irradiation and its effect onto TiO2NT properties has been carried out....
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A Task-Scheduling Approach for Efficient Sparse Symmetric Matrix-Vector Multiplication on a GPU
PublicationIn this paper, a task-scheduling approach to efficiently calculating sparse symmetric matrix-vector products and designed to run on Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) is presented. The main premise is that, for many sparse symmetric matrices occurring in common applications, it is possible to obtain significant reductions in memory usage and improvements in performance when the matrix is prepared in certain ways prior to computation....
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Noise profiling for speech enhancement employing machine learning models
PublicationThis paper aims to propose a noise profiling method that can be performed in near real-time based on machine learning (ML). To address challenges related to noise profiling effectively, we start with a critical review of the literature background. Then, we outline the experiment performed consisting of two parts. The first part concerns the noise recognition model built upon several baseline classifiers and noise signal features...
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Towards large-scale application of nanoporous materials in membranes for separation of energy-relevant gas mixtures
PublicationMembranes containing nanoporous materials (such as zeolites, metal–organic materials and 2D materials such as graphene derivatives) may allow more efficient separation of gas mixtures relevant to emerging energy technologies. For example, such membranes could be applied in the separation of gases containing mixtures of carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen (H2). However, these membranes are currently at a relatively low technology...
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Bismuth-Doped Nano Zerovalent Iron: A Novel Catalyst for Chloramphenicol Degradation and Hydrogen Production
PublicationIn this study, we showed that doping bismuth (Bi) at the surface of Fe0 (Bi/Fe0, bimetallic iron system)—synthesized by a simple borohydride reduction method—can considerably accelerate the reductive degradation of chloramphenicol (CHP). At a reaction time of 12 min, 62, 68, 74, 95, and 82% degradation of CHP was achieved with Fe0, Bi/Fe0-1 [1% (w/w) of Bi], Bi/Fe0-3 [3% (w/w) of Bi], Bi/Fe0-5 [5% (w/w) of Bi], and Bi/Fe0-8 [8%...
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Biopolymer-based composites for tissue engineering applications: A basis for future opportunities
PublicationBiomimetic scaffolds supporting tissue regeneration are complex materials with multifunctional characteristics. The unique biocompatibility and biodegradability of biopolymers make them excellent candidates for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Biopolymers, which have a wide range of properties, can be obtained from different natural sources. Depending on the target tissue, biopolymers can be engineered to meet a series...
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Antimicrobial and Antiproliferative Coatings for Stents in Veterinary Medicine—State of the Art and Perspectives
PublicationMicrobial colonization in veterinary stents poses a significant and concerning issue in veterinary medicine. Over time, these pathogens, particularly bacteria, can colonize the stent surfaces, leading to various complications. Two weeks following the stent insertion procedure, the colonization becomes observable, with the aggressiveness of bacterial growth directly correlating with the duration of stent placement. Such microbial...
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WARUNKI REZONANSOWE W WĘŹLE Z KOMPENSATOREM SVC
PublicationInstalowanie kompensatorów statycznych w sieciach rozdzielczych i przesyłowych służy poprawie profili napięciowych. Kompensatory jako źródła mocy biernej zwiększają stabilność napięciową systemu. Pozwalają także na szybszą odbudowę systemu w przypadku awarii napięciowej. W artykule zaprezentowano wpływ struktury i wysterowania układu SVC na zmianę impedancji w układzie zasilania. Ma to bezpośredni wpływ na częstotliwości, przy...
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Stability Assessment of Coastal Cliffs Incorporating Laser Scanning Technology and a Numerical Analysis
PublicationWe investigated the cli coast in Jastrzebia Gora, Poland. The measurements that were taken between 2014 and 2018 by applying terrestrial, mobile, and airborne laser scanning describe a huge geometric modification involving dislocations in a 2.5 m range. Dierential maps and a volumetric change analysis made it possible to identify the most deformed cli’s location. Part of the monitoring of coastal change involved the measurement...
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Ordered TiO2 nanotubes with improved photoactivity through self-organizing anodization with the addition of an ionic liquid: effects of the preparation conditions
PublicationModifying the geometric and surface parameters of oriented TiO2 nanotubes (NTs) is beneficial to the utilization of solar energy for chemical reactions, and this performance may be further improved. Thus, the effects of adding an ionic liquid (IL), 1-butylpiridinium chloride [BPy][Cl], and the effects of the water content and preparation conditions on the surface morphological, physicochemical, photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical...
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Performance of extended Lagrangian schemes for molecular dynamics simulations with classical polarizable force fields and density functional theory
PublicationIterative energy minimization with the aim of achieving self-consistency is a common feature of Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics (BOMD) and classical molecular dynamics with polarizable force fields. In the former, the electronic degrees of freedom are optimized, while the latter often involves an iterative determination of induced point dipoles. The computational effort of the self-consistency procedure can be reduced by re-using...
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Evaluation of Connectivity Gaps Impact on TCP Transmissions in Maritime Communications
PublicationMany organizations and research working groups, including among others IEEE, ITU, ETSI and IMO are currently working towards improvements in communication of different types of vehicles (cars, trains, planes and vessels) and upgrading utilities and services offered to their crews and passengers travelling all over the world. The paper deals with selected aspects of the TCP protocol connectivity in maritime wireless networks. The...
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Measuring the effectiveness of digital communication - social media performance: an example of the role played by AI-assisted tools at a university
PublicationThe aim of the article is to show the role played by AI-powered tools in measuring the effectiveness of digital communication in social media using a university case study. Therefore, a research problem was formulated to identify the metrics (KPIs) used to measure the effectiveness – non-financial outcomes – of digital social media communication at the university using AI tools. The literature review on the role of AI in digital...
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A stochastic approach for the solution of single and multi – objective optimisation problems of biological processes in sequencing batch reactor
PublicationThis paper investigates the impact of implementing single and multi-optimisation solutions on the biological treatment process in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR). The research is based on a case study of the water resource recovery facility (WRRF) in Swarzewo, Northern Poland. The paper introduces the adaptive extremum seeking control (ESC) method for dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration control and places it in a layered control structure....