Search results for: FREEVAL
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3D Hierarchical Boron-Doped Diamond-Multilayered Graphene Nanowalls as an Efficient Supercapacitor Electrode
PublicationSynthesis of stable hybrid carbon nanostructure for high-performance supercapacitor electrode with long life-cycle for electronic and energy storage devices is a real challenge. Here, we present a one-step synthesis method to produce conductive boron-doped hybrid carbon nanowalls (HCNWs), where sp2-bonded graphene has been integrated with and over a three-dimensional curved wall-like network of sp3-bonded diamond. The spectroscopic...
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Comparative Evaluation of Selected Biological Methods for the Removal of Hydrophilic and Hydrophobic Odorous VOCs from Air
PublicationDue to increasingly stringent legal regulations as well as increasing social awareness, the removal of odorous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from air is gaining importance. This paper presents the strategy to compare selected biological methods intended for the removal of different air pollutants, especially of odorous character. Biofiltration, biotrickling filtration and bioscrubbing technologies are evaluated in terms of...
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Reducing common mode voltage and bearing currents in quasi - resonant DC - link inverter
PublicationIn the paper, a concept of separation of an inverter-fed induction motor drive from its mains supply by two transistor switches inserted in the dc-link circuit is reexamined based on the proposed parallel quasi-resonant dc-link inverter (PQRDCLI). The objective of the paper is to show an advantage of the proposed topology in limiting high frequency common mode voltage and bearing currents. In the laboratory setup, an induction...
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A method of selecting light sources from night satellite scenes
PublicationSatellite images carries a lot of data. Very sophisticated methods of analyses may reveal very complicated nature of the observed objects. In case of night images, lights play the role of information sources. In this paper we would like to present results of the research aimed to describe light sources from satellite night images by providing description of their luminosity. The authors point source imaging data from the satellite...
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Properties of ordered titanium templates covered with Au thin films for SERS applications
PublicationtCurrently, roughened metal nanostructures are widely studied as highly sensitive Raman scattering sub-strates that show application potential in biochemistry, food safety or medical diagnostic. In this workthe structural properties and the enhancement effect due to surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) ofhighly ordered nano-patterned titanium templates covered with thin (5–20 nm) gold films are reported.The templates are formed...
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Local Conformation and Cocrystallization Phenomena in Renewable Diaminoisoidide-Based Polyamides Studied by FT-IR, Solid State NMR, and WAXD
PublicationBiobased polyamides synthesized from diaminoisoidide (DAII), 1,4-diaminobutane, and sebacic acid are investigated by FT-IR, 13C{1H} magic-angle spinning/cross-polarization (CP/MAS) NMR spectroscopy, and WAXD. Their molecular conformation and mobility undergo distinct changes as a function of temperature and diaminoisoidide content in the compositions. The presence of randomly distributed diaminoisoidide (DAII) in the polyamides...
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Upgrading low value-added activities in global value chains: a functional specialisation approach
PublicationThis paper aims to identify patterns of functional specialisation (FS) in global value chains (GVCs) and determinants of upgrading them for selected Central Eastern European (CEE) economies. By combing the World Input-Output Database with data on occupations, we reveal a new FS pattern among subgroups of CEEs. Poland and Slovakia have an unfavourable GVC position and specialise in low value-added fabrication function. In contrast,...
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Potential of Functionalized Polyolefins in a Sustainable Polymer Economy: Synthetic Strategies and Applications
PublicationPolymers play a crucial role in our modern life as no other material exists that is so versatile, moldable, and lightweight. Consequently, the demand for polymers will continue to grow with the human population, modernization, and technological developments. However, depleted fossil resources, increasing plastic waste production, ocean pollution, and related growing emission of greenhouse gases has led to a change in the way we...
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Investigation of Parallel Data Processing Using Hybrid High Performance CPU + GPU Systems and CUDA Streams
PublicationThe paper investigates parallel data processing in a hybrid CPU+GPU(s) system using multiple CUDA streams for overlapping communication and computations. This is crucial for efficient processing of data, in particular incoming data stream processing that would naturally be forwarded using multiple CUDA streams to GPUs. Performance is evaluated for various compute time to host-device communication time ratios, numbers of CUDA streams,...
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Automated Classifier Development Process for Recognizing Book Pages from Video Frames
PublicationOne of the latest developments made by publishing companies is introducing mixed and augmented reality to their printed media (e.g. to produce augmented books). An important computer vision problem that they are facing is classification of book pages from video frames. The problem is non-trivial, especially considering that typical training data is limited to only one digital original per book page, while the trained classifier...
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Determinants of Directionality and Efficiency of the ATP Synthase Fo Motor at Atomic Resolution
PublicationFo subcomplex of ATP synthase is a membrane-embedded rotary motor that converts proton motive force into mechanical energy. Despite a rapid increase in the number of high-resolution structures, the mechanism of tight coupling between proton transport and motion of the rotary c-ring remains elusive. Here, using extensive all-atom free energy simulations, we show how the motor’s directionality naturally arises from the interplay...
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Fatigue Bending of V-Notched Cold-Sprayed FeCoCrNiMn Coatings
PublicationCold-spray coatings were produced by FeCoCrNiMn high-entropy alloy powders deposited on carbon steel substrate. The coatings were realized at intermediate temperature and high pressure (at 1100 °C and 7 MPa). The coating microstructure was characterized by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction, revealing a very dense deposition and high flattening ratio of the splatted particles. This had a large influence on the...
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Why Are Left-Handed G-Quadruplexes Scarce?
PublicationG-quadruplexes (G4s) are nucleic acid structures crucial for the regulation of gene expression and genome maintenance. While they hold promise as nanodevice components, achieving desired G4 folds requires understanding the interplay between stability and structural properties, like helicity. Although right-handed G4 structures dominate the experimental data, the molecular basis for this preference over left-handed helicity is unclear....
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Low-Barrier Hydrogen Bond Determines Target-Binding Affinity and Specificity of the Antitubercular Drug Bedaquiline
PublicationThe role of short strong hydrogen bonds (SSHB) in ligand-target binding remains largely unexplored, thereby hin- dering a potentially important avenue in the rational drug de- sign. Here, we investigate the interaction between bedaquiline (Bq), a potent anti-tuberculosis drug, and the mycobacterial ATP synthase, to unravel the role of a specific hydrogen bond to a conserved acidic residue in the target affinity and specificity....
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Self-Perceived Personal Brand Equity of Knowledge Workers by Gender in Light of Knowledge-Driven Organizational Culture: Evidence From Poland and the United States
PublicationThis study contributes to the limited literature on the personal branding of knowledge workers by revealing that a culture that incorporates knowledge, learning, and collaboration supports (explicit and tacit) knowledge sharing among employees and that sharing matters for knowledge workers’ self-perceived personal brand equity. Analysis of 2,168 cases from the United States and Poland using structural equation modeling (SEM) showed...
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Including the Dark Side of Entrepreneurship in the Entrepreneurship Education
PublicationPursuing an entrepreneurial career is often rewarding in terms of both economic and psychological outcomes. However, becoming an entrepreneur also has its darker side that affects professional and personal life. Meanwhile, the positivity bias is prevalent in entrepreneurial education and research. It is recognized as emphasizing the advantages of becoming an entrepreneur and giving considerably less attention to potential downsides....
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Local Nusselt number evaluation in the case of jet impingement
PublicationJet impingement still is one of demanding cases regarding computational fluid dynamics, due to its highly turbulent behaviour, with occurrence of turbulent-laminar transition. Even recently developed methods exhibit some drawbacks – RANS based simulations lack accuracy, LES and DNS based ones require too much computational time. Hybrid methods also exist, but their development and validation is in progress. Nevertheless, CFD application...
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Synthesis and properties of AxV2Al20 (A = Th, U, Np, Pu) ternary actinide aluminides
PublicationPolycrystalline samples of AxV2Al20 (A = Ce, Th, U, Np, Pu; 0.7 ≤ x ≤ 1.0) actinide intermetallics were synthesized using the arc-melting method. Crystal structure studies were performed by means of powder x-ray diffraction and the Rietveld refinement method. All studied compounds crystallize in the CeCr2Al20-type structure (space group Fd-3m, no. 227) with the actinoid and Ce atom located in the oversized icosahedral cage formed...
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Progress, Challenge, and Perspective of Bimetallic TiO2-Based Photocatalysts
PublicationBimetallic TiO2-based photocatalysts have attracted considerable attention in recent years as a class of highly active catalysts and photocatalysts under both UV and Vis light irradiation. Bimetallic noble metal structures deposited on TiO2 possess the ability to absorb visible light, in a wide wavelength range (broad LSPR peak), and therefore reveal the highest level of activity as a result of utilization of a large amount of...
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Structure and hyperfine interactions in Bi1−xNdxFeO3 solid solutions prepared by solid-state sintering
PublicationThe series of polycrystalline ceramic powders, Bi1xNdxFeO3 (x = 0.11) was successfully synthesized by mixed oxide method followed by pressureless sintering. X-ray diffraction and Mössbauer spectroscopy were used as complementary methods to study structure and hyperfine interactions of the samples. It was found that with an increase of Nd content, within the range of x = 0.20.3 a structural phase transition from rhombohedral to...
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Structure and paramagnetism in weakly correlated Y8Co5
PublicationWe report the basic physical properties of monoclinic Y8Co5 determined by means of magnetic susceptibility, electrical resistivity, and specific heat measurements. The crystal structure of Y8Co5 is monoclinic (P21/c) with lattice parameters a = 7.0582(6) Å, b = 7.2894(6) Å, c = 24.2234(19) Å, and β = 102.112(6)° as refined by using synchrotron powder x-ray diffraction data. The compound shows temperature independent paramagnetism...
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The influence of nanostructures size on V2O5 electrochemical properties as cathode materials for lithium ion battery
PublicationIn this paper, V2O5 nanostructures with a size depending on the annealing temperature are successfully synthesized by a sol-gel method. The crystal structure and morphology of samples are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SEAD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. Electrochemical testing such...
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Thermomagnetic behavior of a semiconductor material heated by pulsed excitation based on the fourth-order MGT photothermal model
PublicationThis article proposes a photothermal model to reveal the thermo-magneto-mechanical properties of semiconductor materials, including coupled diffusion equations for thermal conductivity, elasticity, and excess carrier density. The proposed model is developed to account for the optical heating that occurs through the semiconductor medium. The Moore–Gibson–Thompson (MGT) equation of the fourth-order serves as the theoretical framework...
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Time reversal invariant single-gap superconductivity with upper critical field larger than the Pauli limit in NbIr2B2
PublicationRecently, compounds with noncentrosymmetric crystal structure have attracted much attention for providing a rich playground in search for unconventional superconductivity. NbIr2B2 is a new member to this class of materials harboring superconductivity below Tc = 7.3(2) K and a very high upper critical field that exceeds Pauli limit. Here we report on muon spin rotation (μSR) experiments probing the temperature and field dependence...
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Soft X-ray Induced Production of Neutral Fragments in High-Rydberg States at the O 1s Ionization Threshold of the Water Molecule
PublicationDissociation of water molecules after soft X-ray absorption can yield neutral fragments in high-Rydberg (HR) states. We have studied the production of such fragments by field ionization and ion time-of-flight (TOF) spectrometry. Neutral HR fragments are created at all resonances below the O 1s ionization potential (IP) and particularly within 1 eV above the O 1s IP. The latter effect is due to the recapture of the O 1s photoelectrons...
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The influence of intermolecular correlations on the infrared spectrum of liquid dimethyl sulfoxide
PublicationDimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is routinely applied as an excellent, water-miscible solvent and chemical reagent. Some of the most important data concerning its liquid structure were obtained using infrared (IR) spectroscopy. However, the actual extent of intermolecular correlations that connect the isolated monomer spectrum to the IR response of the bulk liquid is poorly studied thus far. Using ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations,...
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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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Evaluation of Street Lighting Efficiency Using a Mobile Measurement System
PublicationThe issue concerns the initial stage of work on a method for performing a rapid assessment of the energy efficiency and illuminance of a street lighting installation. The proposed method is based on simultaneous measurement of illuminance from three lux meters placed on the roof of the vehicle. The data are acquired in road traffic, while the vehicle is driving. The proposed solution will allow in the future to quickly and reproducibly...
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New insights on lithium storage in silicon oxycarbide/carbon composites: Impact of microstructure on electrochemical properties
PublicationIn this work, we study the impact of the preceramic precursor vinyltriethoxysilane (VTES) on the electrochemical performance of silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) glass/graphite composites. We apply an innovative approach based on high-power ultrasounds in order to obtain highly homogenous composites with a uniform distribution of small graphitic flakes. This procedure enhances gelation and drying of VTES-based preceramic polymer/graphite...
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Computational fluid dynamics simulation of heat transfer from densely packed gold nanoparticles to isotropic media
PublicationThis work aims to determine and compare heat generation and propagation of densely packed gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) induced by a resonant laser beam (532 nm) according to the Mie theory. The heat flux propagation is transferred into the materials, which here are: silica glass; soda-lime-silica glass; borosilicate glass; polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA); polycarbonate (PC); and polydimetylosiloxane (PDMS). This analysis aims to...
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Unusual divergence of magnetoacoustic beams
PublicationTwo-dimensional magnetosonic beams directed along a line forming a constant angle h with the equilibrium straight magnetic field are considered. Perturbations in a plasma are described by the system of ideal magnetohydrodynamic equations. The dynamics of perturbations in a beam are different in the cases of fast and slow modes, and it is determined by h and equilibrium parameters of a plasma. In particular, a beam divergence may...
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Chitosan-based electrospun nanofibers for encapsulating food bioactive ingredients: A review
PublicationToday, society has been more aware of healthy food products and related items containing bioactive compounds, which potentially contribute to human health. Unfortunately, the long-term stability and bioactivity of biologically active compounds against environmental factors compromise their target and effective action. In this way, lab-designed vehicles, such as nanoparticles and nanofibers, provide enough properties for their preservation...
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O 1s excitation and ionization processes in the CO2 molecule studied via detection of low-energy fluorescence emission
PublicationOxygen 1s excitation and ionization processes in the CO2 molecule have been studied with dispersed and non-dispersed fluorescence spectroscopy as well as with the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photon-photoion coincidence technique. The intensity of the neutral O emission line at 845 nm shows particular sensitivity to core-to-Rydberg excitations and core-valence double excitations, while shape resonances are suppressed. In contrast,...
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Novel methods for diagnosis of pulmonary microangiopathy in diabetes mellitus
PublicationLung microangiopathy is a little known negative influence of diabetes mellitus on the functioning of the lungs. In current medical practice lung microangiopathy is diagnosed by comparing two measurements of lung diffusing capacity - one with the subject standing and one with the subject lying. The necessity to take two measurements is inconvenient. In lung microangiopathy we observe a reduction of diffusing capacity, lung flow...
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The relationship between phytochemical composition and biological activities of differently pigmented varieties of berry fruits; Comparison between embedded in food matrix and isolated anthocyanins.
PublicationThe aim of this research was to correlate the composition of phenolic compounds and bioactivities (antioxidant, cytotoxic, antigenotoxic, and influence on selected enzymatic activities) exhibited by extracts from differently pigmented raspberry (yellow and red), grape (white and red), mulberry (white and black), and currant (white, red, and black) varieties. It was presumed that phytocomplexes of the same species will be similar...
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Effective degradation of sulfide ions and organic sulfides in cavitation-based Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs)
PublicationThe paper presents the results of investigations on the effectiveness and reaction rate constants of the oxidation of sulfide ions and organic sulfides in real industrial effluents from the production of bitumens (2000 mg S2- L-1) using hydrodynamic and acoustic cavitation. The content of the effluents was analysed in terms carbon disulfide, dimethyl sulfide, and di-tert-butyl disulfide concentration. A possibility of complete...
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Experimental and Quantum Chemical Evaluation of 8-Hydroxyquinoline as a Corrosion Inhibitor for Copper in 0.1 M HCl
PublicationThe corrosion inhibition properties of 8-hydroxyquinoline (8-HQ) in 0.1 M HCl for copper have been investigated by using experimental (electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), dynamic electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (DEIS), and potentiodynamic polarization) and theoretical methods complemented by surface morphological examination with the aid of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron dispersive X-ray spectroscopy...
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Synthesis and characterization of ruthenium and rhenium dyes with phosphonate anchoring groups
PublicationRe(L1)–Re(L3), a series of rhenium(I) tricarbonyl chloride complexes with bpy-R2 derivatives L1–L3 (bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine, R represents the substitution at the 4- and 4′-positions), and their corresponding trishomoleptic Ru(L1)3–Ru(L3)3 as well as heteroleptic ruthenium(II) complexes Ru(tbbpy)2(L1) and Ru(tbbpy)2(L2) have been synthesized and characterized. Their applicability as immobilizable metal–organic chromophores in solar...
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Influence of orientational disorder on the optical absorption properties in hybrid metal‐halide perovskite CH3NH3PbI3. A combined DFT/TD‐DFT and experimental study.
PublicationAn experimental and theoretical investigation is reported to analyze the relation between the structural and absorption properties of CH3NH3PbI3 in the tetragonal phase. More than 3000 geometry optimizations were performed in order to reveal the structural disorder and to identify structures with the lowest energies. The electronic structure calculations provide an averaged band gap of 1.674 eV, which is in excellent agreement...
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Anion–water interactions of weakly hydrated anions: molecular dynamics simulations of aqueous NaBF4 and NaPF6
PublicationIn aqueous ionic solutions, both the structure and the dynamics of water are altered dramatically with respect to the pure solvent. The emergence of novel experimental techniques makes these changes accessible to detailed investigations. At the same time, computational studies deliver unique possibilities for the interpretation of the experimental data at the molecular level. Here, using molecular dynamics simulations, we demonstrate...
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Remote sensing and photogrammetry techniques in diagnostics of concrete structures
PublicationRecently laser scanning technologies become widely used in many areas of the modern economy. In the following paper authors show a potential spectrum of use Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) in diagnostics of reinforced concrete elements. Based on modes of failure analysis of reinforcement concrete beam authors describe downsides and advantages of adaptation of terrestrial laser scanning to this purpose, moreover reveal under which...
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What should we know when choosing feather, blood, egg or preen oil as biological samples for contaminants detection? A non-lethal approach to bird sampling for PCBs, OCPs, PBDEs and PFASs
PublicationBirds are considered as good bio-monitors and they can provide highly valuable data about the level of contamination in their habitat. During the design of biomonitoring studies one of the first issues after choosing species is the choice of biological material. Non-lethally collected samples have recently been gaining greater attention as they offer several ethical and practical advantages. However, not all sample matrices are...
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Galerkin formulations of isogeometric shell analysis: Alleviating locking with Greville quadratures and higher-order elements
PublicationWe propose new quadrature schemes that asymptotically require only four in-plane points for Reissner–Mindlin shell elements and nine in-plane points for Kirchhoff–Love shell elements in B-spline and NURBS-based isogeometric shell analysis, independent of the polynomial degree p of the elements. The quadrature points are Greville abscissae associated with pth-order B-spline basis functions whose continuities depend on the specific...
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Wear Resistance Enhancement of Al6061 Alloy Surface Layer by Laser Dispersed Carbide Powders
PublicationIn this paper, results of the experimental study on improving wear resistance in sliding friction of Al-based alloy are presented. The technique used involves the formation of a metal matrix composite (MMC) in the alloy surface layer by laser dispersion of carbide powders such as WC, TiC and SiC. For WC and TiC MMC surface coatings fabricated under conditions typical for most of the technologically relevant solid-state lasers (wavelength...
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Discriminatory expressions, the young and social networks: The effect of gender
PublicationIn the framework of the «Project I: CUD» (Internet: Creatively Unveiling Discrimination), carried out in the United Kingdom, Italy, Belgium, Romania and Spain, we conducted a study into the expressions of discrimination used by young people on social network sites. To do so we designed a methodological strategy for detecting discriminatory content in 493 Facebook profiles and used this strategy to collect 363 examples for further...
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Employment and export specialization patterns versus GDP per capita performance - unifying approach
PublicationThis paper analyses the evolution of specialization patterns along the process of economic development. The scope of the paper is twofold: first of all, it aims at understanding if the evolution of employment specialization is reflected in the same manner in trade specialisation patterns. Secondly, it explores the link between the degree of specialization on one side and cross country GDP per capita performance on the other. We...
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Damage of a post-tensioned concrete bridge – Unwanted cracks of the girders
PublicationThe cracking of a post-tensioned T-beam superstructure, which was built using the incremental launching method, is analyzed in the paper. The problem is studied in detail, as specific damage was observed in the form of longitudinal cracks, especially in the mid-height zone of the girder at the interface of two assembly sections. The paper is a case study. A detailed inspection is done and non-destructive testing results of the...
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Photophysics of Untethered ZnTPP-Fullerene Complexes in Solution
PublicationThe spectroscopy and dynamic behavior of the self-assembled, Soret-excited zinc tetraphenylporphyrin (ZnTPP) plus fullerene (C60) model system in solution has been examined using steady state fluorescence quenching, nanosecond time-correlated single photon counting, picosecond fluorescence upconversion, and picosecond transient absorption methods. Evidence of ground state complexation is presented. Steady-state quenching of the...
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Nonlinearity shaping in nanostructured glass-diamond hybrid materials for optical fiber preforms
PublicationNanodiamond integration with optical fibers has proved a compelling methodology for magneto-optics. We reveal that the applicability of nanodiamonds in nonlinear optics goes beyond the previous demonstrations of frequency converters. Instead, we exploit the recently reported volumetric integration of nanodiamonds along the optical fiber core and show that the nonlinear response of glasses can be manipulated by nanodiamonds. By...
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Revisiting the estimation of cutting power with different energetic methods while sawing soft and hard woods on the circular sawing machine: a Central European case
PublicationIn the classical approaches, used in Central Europe in practice, cutting forces and cutting power in sawing processes of timber are commonly computed by means of the specific cutting resistance kc. It needs to be highlighted that accessible sources in handbooks and the scientific literature do not provide any data about wood provenance, nor about cutting conditions, in which cutting resistance has been empirically determined. In...