Search results for: XLPE INSULATION
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Design and Implementation of a Dual-band Filtering Wil-kinson Power Divider Using Coupled T-shaped Dual-band Resonators
PublicationThe paper introduces a novel structure of a dual-band filtering Wilkinson power divider (WPD). Its essential component is a dual-band bandpass filter (BPF), implemented using coupling lines and two T-shaped resonators. The BPF is incorporated into the divider structure to suppress the unwanted harmonics within the circuit. The latter is achieved owing to a wide stopband of the filter. The deigned dual-band WPD can suppress third...
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Design of a compact planar transmission line for miniaturized rat-race coupler with harmonics suppression
PublicationThis paper presents an elegant yet straightforward design procedure for a compact rat-race coupler (RRC) with an extended harmonic suppression. The coupler’s conventional λ/4 transmission lines (TLs) are replaced by a specialized TL that offers significant size reduction and harmonic elimination capabilities in the proposed approach. The design procedure is verified through the theoretical, circuit, and electromagnetic (EM) analyses,...
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Application of deep eutectic solvents for separation and determination of bioactive compounds in medicinal plants
PublicationThe medicinal plants industry, particularly in regard to products rich in biologically active substances for maintaining health, has grown by leaps and bounds in the last decade, with sales of over-the-counter drugs containing these substances growing by billions of dollars. Attention has thus also been paid to the safety and effectiveness of these medicines. We are currently witnessing a rapid increase in the number of publications...
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Progress in development of molecularly imprinted polymers as sorbents for sample preparation
PublicationSample preparation has been one of the most often investigated steps in analytical procedures.These investigations are focused on problems such as isolation of analytes from the sample matrix, matrix implification, analyte enrichment to the level above the detection limit of the instrumentation used, and the removal of interfering species to improve the final determination. Techniques based on solid (adsorption) and pseudo liquid...
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An improved scalable method of isolating asphaltenes
PublicationA new, improved and scalable procedure of asphaltene fraction isolation is presented and compared to standard test methods. The new procedure uses 1:40 feedstock to solvent (n-heptane) ratio (g/mL), filtration through a cellulosic thimble and extensive washing in a Soxhlet type extractor. The group type composition and purity of the asphaltene fractions have been examined using thin-layer chromatography with flame-ionization detection....
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Explicit Size-Reduction-Oriented Design of a Compact Microstrip Rat-Race Coupler Using Surrogate-Based Optimization Methods
PublicationIn this paper, an explicit size reduction of a compact rat-race coupler implemented in a microstrip technology is considered. The coupler circuit features a simple topology with a densely arranged layout that exploits a combination of high- and low-impedance transmission line sections. All relevant dimensions of the structure are simultaneously optimized in order to explicitly reduce the coupler size while maintaining equal power...
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Broadband Compact Single-Layer Magic-T Junction with Separation of DC Signals between All Ports
PublicationA novel structure for a four-port microstrip magic-T junction is presented. The device is composed of microstrip and slotline circuits etched onto two sides of a dielectric substrate. The device is extremely compact and occupies an area more than three times smaller than similar structures recently reported in the literature. The novelty of the device lies in the use of microstrip/slotline transitions for both input ports: summation...
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Comparison of different techniques for extracting Polychlorinated Biphenyls from bottom sediment samples using Isotope Dilution Mass Spectrometry
PublicationIn this work, problems that may occur during determination of trace levels of polychlorinated biphenyls in sediment samples are described. The main error sources are connected with extraction of analytes prior to final determination. During model studies, polychlorinated biphenyls have been extracted from sediment reference material (METRANAL 2) with the use of different solvents (dichloromethane, hexane, and toluene); the process...
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A Rapid and Simple Method for Screening Microorganisms with a Potential for Catechol Biodegradation
PublicationCatechol is a highly toxic compound that is also a key intermediate in biodegradation pathways of various aromatic compounds. In this paper, a new screening method for isolation of microorganisms with the potential for catechol biodegradation is reported. The method described is based on the ability of catechol to form a color complex with Fe3+ ions. For this purpose, basal medium that is widely used for classification of microorganisms...
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A magnetic imprinted polymer nano-adsorbent with embedded quantum dots and mesoporous carbon for the microextraction of triazine herbicides
PublicationA magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer (MMIP) adsorbent incorporating amino-functionalized magnetite nanoparticles, nitrogen-doped graphene quantum dots and mesoporous carbon (MIP@MPC@NGQDs@ Fe3O4–NH2) was fabricated to extract triazine herbicides from fruit juice. The embedded magnetite nanoparticles simplified the isolation of the adsorbent from the sample solution. The N-GQDs and MPC enhanced adsorption by affinity binding...
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Quantification of ultrafine airborne particulate matter generated by the wear of car brake materials
PublicationThe wear of car brakes is one of the main sources of airborne particulate matter in urban environments. Ultrafine wear particles are of special environmental interest since they can easily penetrate the human body through inhalation and cause various diseases. In the present study, the contribution of ultrafine particles to airborne particulate matter emitted from car brake materials was investigated under different friction conditions....
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Determination of cyanide ion in urine samples using ion chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection.
PublicationCyanides are widely applied in industrial activity, including gold and silver mining and the production of organic chemicals. HCN is also formed directly from fossil fuel combustion sources from gasoline and diesel vehicles. In natural environment, in plants seeds for example an apple seed, it exists as a cyanogenic glycosides. The amount of cyanide ions originating from food products is however rather small. Larger concentrations...
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Expression of Deinococcus geothermalis Trehalose Synthase Gene in Escherichia coli and Its Enzymatic Properties
PublicationA novel trehalose synthase gene from Deinococcus geothermalis (DSMZ 11300) containing 1,692 bp reading-frame encoding 564 amino acids was amplified using PCR. The gene was ligated into pET30Ek/LIC vector and expressed after isopropyl alfa-D-thiogalactopyranoside induction in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3)pLysS. The recombinant trehalose synthase (DgeoTreS) containing a His6 tag at the C-terminus was purified by metal affinity chromatography...
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Determination of cyanide in urine and saliva samples by ion chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection
PublicationCommonly known as a highly toxic chemical, cyanide is also an essential reagent for many industrial processes. It naturally occurs in plant seeds as a cyanogenic glycosides. Another relatively common mode of cyanide exposure is inhalation of environmental tobacco smoke. This study concerns importance to determine cyanide ion in human biological samples. Urine and saliva samples were collected healthy volunteers exposed to tobacco...
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Precipitation and Transformation of Vaterite Calcium Carbonate in the Presence of Some Organic Solvents
PublicationIn this paper, the production of CaCO3 particles via the carbonation route in the reaction of CaCl2 and CO2, using NH3 as a promoter of CO2 absorption, was studied. The solvents used as the reaction media for CaCO3 precipitation were aqueous solutions of methanol, isopropanol and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), in a concentration range of 0–20% (v/v). It was found that the presence of an organic additive influenced the precipitation...
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Wielopoziomowy przekształtnik trakcyjny SiC z izolacją od sieci 3kV DC realizowaną za pomocą transformatorów 30kHz do napędów EZT
PublicationW referacie przedstawiono wielopoziomowy izolowany kaskadowy przekształtnik DC-AC z tranzystorami SiC MOSFET 1,2kV, przeznaczony do napędów elektrycznych zespołów trakcyjnych (EZT). Zaproponowana konstrukcja przekształtnika, przeznaczonego do pracy przy zasilaniu z sieci trakcyjnej 3kV DC, spełnia założenia energoelektronicznego transformatora trakcyjnego (z ang. Power Electronic Traction Transformer). Budowa modułowa z niskonapięciowych...
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Cost-Efficient Design Methodology for Compact Rat-Race Couplers
PublicationIn this article, a reliable and low-cost design methodology for simulation-driven optimization of miniaturized rat-race couplers (RRCs) is presented. We exploit a two-stage design approach, where a composite structure (a basic building block of the RRC structure) is first optimized using a pattern search algorithm, and, subsequently, the entire coupler is tuned by means of surrogate-based optimization (SBO) procedure. SBO is executed...
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The influence of meteorological conditions and anthropogenic activities on the seasonal fluctuations of BTEX in the urban air of the Hanseatic city of Gdansk, Poland
PublicationThe results of studies conducted in Gdansk in the period from January to December 2013 and focused on the determination of BTEX in the atmospheric air are presented. At the stage of the isolation and/or enrichment of analytes from the gaseous medium, a passive sampling technique—Radiello® diffusive passive samplers, was applied. The time-weighted average annual concentration of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and total xylenes...
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Superconductivity in the Cu(Ir1-xPtx)2Se4 spinel
PublicationWe report the observation of superconductivity in the CuIr2Se4 spinel induced by partial substitution of Pt for Ir. The optimal doping level for superconductivity in Cu(Ir1-xPtx )2Se4 is x = 0.2, where Tc is 1.76 K. A superconducting Tc vs composition dome is established between the metallic, normal conductor CuIr2Se4 and semiconducting CuIrPtSe4. Electronic structure calculations show that the optimal Tc occurs near the electron count...
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FROM HARVESTING TO DISTILLATION - EFFECT OF ANALYTICAL PROCEDURES ON THE YIELD AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF RHODODENDRON TOMENTOSUM (LEDUM PALUSTRE) ESSENTIAL OIL
PublicationRhododendron tomentosum possesses the anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antimicrobial properties, determined by the chemical composition of its essential oil. The effects of place (Miszewko, Lubichowo) and time of harvesting (June, November) as well as drying (air-drying, oven-drying, freeze-drying) and isolation (in Deryng, Clevenger and Likens-Nickerson apparatus) procedures on the yield and quality of R. tomentosum essential...
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New achievements in the field of extraction of trace analytes from samples characterized by complex composition of the matrix
PublicationWithout any doubt, the monitoring of compounds present in samples at trace or ultra-trace level usually requires a preliminary step of isolation and/or enrichment of analytes due to the fact that majority of analytical techniques are not sensitive enough for direct determination of trace compounds. On the other hand, sample preparation is considered as crucial part of whole analytical procedures, in particular in samples characterized...
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Green Sample Collection
PublicationThe term of “green sample collection” is directly associated with both passive and dynamic analytical tools which allow for simultaneous management of the stage of collection and isolation and/or enrichment of a broad spectrum of chemical compounds from environmental samples. The use of passive sampling techniques at the stage of sample collection makes it possible to obtain in a simple yet inexpensive manner an analytical information...
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Cellulose Nanofibers Isolated from the Cuscuta Reflexa Plant as a Green Reinforcement of Natural Rubber
PublicationIn the present work, we used the steam explosion method for the isolation of cellulose nanofiber (CNF) from Cuscuta reflexa, a parasitic plant commonly seen in Kerala and we evaluated its reinforcing efficiency in natural rubber (NR). Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), and Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) techniques...
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Mangiferin: A comprehensive review on its extraction, purification and uses in food systems
PublicationWith the target of fabricating healthier products, food manufacturing companies look for natural-based nutraceuticals that can potentially improve the physicochemical properties of food systems while being nutritive to the consumer and providing additional health benefits (biological activities). In this regard, Mangiferin joins all these requirements as a potential nutraceutical, which is typically contained in Mangifera indica...
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Numerical Analysis of Mice Carotid Arteries’ Response Emphasizing the Importance of Material Law Constants’ Validation
PublicationIn this paper, a detailed validation of the passive material properties of mice carotid arteries and constants of the Fung and Holzapfel hyperelastic material laws is conducted by means of static nonlinear FEM analyses. The response of the carotid arteries in an inflation test is studied here for the following mouse models: wild-type, mdx, sgcd−/−, Eln+/+, Eln+/−, Fbln5+/+, and Fbln5−/−. All FEM computations are conducted on models...
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Production of Biogas from Distillation Residue as a Waste Material from the Distillery Industry in Poland
PublicationIn this paper, the possibility to obtain an alternative source of energy from methane fermentation, catalysed by biomass, has been discussed in detail. As a main substrate, the distillation residue from the distillery industry was taken in the case of mono-fermentation and its co-fermentation with sewage sludge. The results showed that higher biogas and methane production can be obtained in a mono-fermentation process. Fermentation...
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Endocrine disrupting compounds in the baby's world - A harmful environment to the health of babies
PublicationGlobally, there has been a significant increase in awareness of the adverse effects of chemicals with known or suspected endocrine-acting properties on human health. Human exposure to endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) mainly occurs by ingestion and to some extent by inhalation and dermal uptake. Although it is difficult to assess the full impact of human exposure to EDCs, it is well known that timing of exposure is of importance...
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Estimation of smokers' exposure to mercury from combustible tobacco products, based on the approach used in food consumers’ exposure estimation
PublicationSmoking has been known to mankind for centuries, but it is only in recent decades that much attention has been paid to the harmfulness of this habit. Mercury inhalation is particularly dangerous in this respect and smoking creates extremely favorable conditions for the emission and targeted delivery of this element into the lungs. Despite this fact, a lack of a clear method for estimating the exposure of tobacco consumers to mercury...
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Extracellular proteolytic activity of Deinococcus geothermalis
PublicationProduction of extracellular protease by extremophilic bacteria Deinococcus geothermalis cultivated in liquid media containing 0.1% (w/v) of peptone K, 0.1% yeast extract and 0.2% marine salt reached a maximum in 14 h of the cell growth at 45°C and pH 8.0. The enzyme was purified by a two-step procedure using fractionation by a graded ammonium sulphate precipitation technique and gel filtration on Sephadex G-100 column. Protease...
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Using UAV Photogrammetry to Analyse Changes in the Coastal Zone Based on the Sopot Tombolo (Salient) Measurement Project
PublicationThe main factors influencing the shape of the beach, shoreline and seabed include undulation, wind and coastal currents. These phenomena cause continuous and multidimensional changes in the shape of the seabed and the Earth’s surface, and when they occur in an area of intense human activity, they should be constantly monitored. In 2018 and 2019, several measurement campaigns took place in the littoral zone in Sopot, related to...
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In Vitro and In Vivo Imaging-Based Evaluation of Doxorubicin Anticancer Treatment in Combination with the Herbal Medicine Black Cohosh
PublicationAs a substitution for hormone replacement therapy, many breast cancer patients use black cohosh (BC) extracts in combination with doxorubicin (DOX)-based chemotherapy. In this study, we evaluated the viability and survival of BC- and DOX-treated MCF-7 cells. A preclinical model of MCF-7 xenografts was used to determine the influence of BC and DOX administration on tumor growth and metabolism. The number of apoptotic cells after...
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Specific detection of Alternaria alternata by PCR and real-time PCR
PublicationFungi of Alternaria genus are cosmopolitan organisms, which spores can be found in the air, soil, water, clothing and food. They commonly occur as saprotrophs on the plant remains, contributing to the decomposition of organic matter. Additionally, they are components of the normal human and animal skin flora. Alternaria spp. are also known human allergens, causing hay fever and allergic reactions that can lead to the development...
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Material characterisation of biaxial glass-fibre non-crimp fabrics as a function of ply orientation, stitch pattern, stitch length and stitch tension
PublicationDue to their high density-specific stiffnesses and strength, fibre reinforced plastic (FRP) composites are particularly interesting for mobility and transport applications. Warp-knitted non-crimp fabrics (NCF) are one possible way to produce such FRP composites. They are advantageous because of their low production costs and the ability to tailor the properties of the textile to the reinforcement and drape requirements of the application....
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CURRENT SITUATION ON THE POLAND REAL ESTATE MARKET
PublicationIn recent years the polish real estate market has been characterised by a significant increase in supply and demand. This was facilitated by a number of macroeconomic factors. In recent years, housing has been commissioned as 30 years ago. Therefore, the depth analysis issue of the causes and consequences for the Polish economy of these trends is now relevant. Among the reasons are significant economic growth, low interest rates...
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Multi-transformer primary-side regulated flyback converter for supplying isolated IGBT and MOSFET drivers
PublicationThis paper presents primary-side voltage regulated multi-transformer quasi-resonant flyback converter (MTFC) for supplying isolated power switch drivers. The proposed topology offers distinct advantages over frequently used flyback converter possessing one high frequency transformer with isolated multiple outputs. Particularly, when a large number of separate dc supply units is required, then MTFC enables improved regular distribution...
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Circular polarization diversity implementation for correlation reduction in wideband low-cost multiple-input-multiple-output antenna
PublicationIn this paper, a multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) antenna featuring circular polarization diversity, and designed on a common coplanar ground is presented. The proposed antenna design utilizes a coplanar waveguide (CPW) feeding technique with three parallel coplanar ground planes, and two feedlines in-between. For circular polarization (CP), quasi-loops are created by etching slots on the outermost ground planes. With this...
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Determination of volatile organic compounds in water samples using membrane-solid phase microextraction (M-SPME) (headspace version)
PublicationThe results of a study on the use of membrane-solid phase microextraction (M-SPME) for sampling volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the headspace above the liquid medium are presented. The sampled VOCs were subsequently quantified by gas chromatography (GC). Two systems were compared in this study, i.e. a novel two-phase sorption system (M-SPME), and a commercial fibre. Headspace sampling using SPME was optimized with respect...
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Integration and verification of meteorological observations and NWP model data for the local GNSS tomography
PublicationGNSS meteorology applies the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) to derive information about the state of the atmosphere (particularly troposphere). The tomography is one of the methods used in GNSS meteorology. The input data of GNSS tomography are the signal troposphere delays, results of GNSS data processing and additionally meteorological observations and Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models data. Different types...
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Machine-aided detection of SARS-CoV-2 from complete blood count
PublicationThe current gold standard for SARS-CoV-2 detection methods lacks the functionality to perform population screening. Complete blood count (CBC) tests are a cost-effective way to reach a wide range of people – e.g. according to the data of the Central Statistical Office of Poland from 2016, there are 3,000 blood diagnostic laboratories in Poland, and 46% of Polish people have at least one CBC test per year. In our work, we show...
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α-Pinene, 3-carene and d-limonene in indoor air of Polish apartments: The impact on air quality and human exposure
PublicationMonoterpenes are among most ubiquitous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to be detected in indoor air. Since the quality of indoor air is considered important for inhabitants' well-being, the present study aimed at investigating impact of human activity on levels of selected monoterpenes applying passive sampling technique followed by thermal desorption and gas chromatography coupled mass spectrometry. One of the objectives of...
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A fast start-up of the organotrophic anammox process inoculated with constructed wetland sediment
PublicationOrganotrophic anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) bacteria can utilize small volatile fatty acids with nitrate as electron acceptors with less energy consumption and no biomass production. To achieve a faster and stable start-up of organotrophic anammox process, in this study, the growth of organotrophic anammox bacteria seeded from hybrid constructed wetland (CW) sediment under different TOC/TN ratios and different chloramphenicol...
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Wpływ wybranych parametrów środowiska na przebieg degradacji rur okładzinowych ze stali P110
PublicationMateriały używane na orurowanie odwiertów w poszukiwaniu i wydobyciu ropy i gazu poddawane są niekorzystnym warunkom eksploatacji takich jak: podwyższona temperatura, wysokie ciśnienie, turbulentny przepływ korozyjnych cieczy z zawieszonymi cząstkami stałymi. Jednym z gatunków stali używanych do produkcji rur okładzinowych jest stal P110 (za normą API 5CT) będąca stalą średnio-węglową, niskostopową o wysokiej wytrzymałości. Celem...
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Mutual Coupling Reduction in Antenna Arrays Using Artificial Intelligence Approach and Inverse Neural Network Surrogates
PublicationThis paper presents a novel approach to reduce undesirable coupling in antenna arrays using custom-designed resonators and inverse surrogate modeling. To illustrate the concept, two stand-ard patch antenna cells with 0.07λ edge-to-edge distance are designed and fabricated to operate at 2.45 GHz. A stepped-impedance resonator is applied between the antennas to suppress their mutual coupling. For the first time, the optimum values...
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Tyre/road noise measurements on ISO tracks according to the UNECE Regulation 117
PublicationWithin the Polish-Norwegian research project ELANORE, a limited Round Robin Test has been performed on 3 ISO tracks in Northern Europe. The basic objective of the project is to improve the EU directive on labelling of tyres for noise and rolling resistance, and this directive is based on the measurement procedures defined in the UN ECE Reg.117. The same test car, test tyres and measurement equipment as well as personnel were used...
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An optimal designed experiment for the alkaline hydrolysis of feather keratin
PublicationFeathers, burdensome waste from the poultry industry, can be a cheap source of keratin, a protein with excellent physico- chemical, biological, and mechanical properties. Acid and alkaline hydrolyses are usually adopted for isolation of keratin from its natural resources. This study aimed at assessing the statistically significant effect of input variables in the alkaline hydrolysis of keratin from chicken feathers on the process...
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Structural Health Monitoring of Overhead Power Transmission Lines
PublicationStructural Health Monitoring (SHM) is a novel and continuously developing branch of science and technology that draws attention of scientists all over the world. It creates opportunities to detect, localize and identify structural damage of various types such as: line breakage, permissible sag, bolt loosening, fatigue cracking or insulator contamination. On the other hand the methods used to estimate the remaining operational...
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Economic crisis in Croatia
PublicationCroatia is becoming the 28th member of the European Union on July 1st, 2013. Croatia has gone a long way from a socialistic republic to an independent country recognized as one of the economic tigers of the Western Balkans in the first decade of the 21st century. Croatia has been hit by a global crisis which turned out to be a huge external shock for the region of the Western Balkans. Although it does not enter the economy through...
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IS THE REGIONAL DIVERGENCE A PRICE FOR THE INTERNATIONAL CONVERGENCE? THE CASE OF THE VISEGRAD GROUP
PublicationThe main goal of this article is to verify whether the Visegrad Group countries are achieving social convergence at national level at the expense of internal divergence. For this purpose, the existence of social beta-, sigma- and gamma-convergence at national and regional level was tested. The author of this article decided to tackle the convergence problem since there is a high risk that countries are trying to catch up at...
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Highly effective asphaltene-derived adsorbents for gas phase removal of volatile organic compounds
PublicationA novel nitrated asphaltene-derived adsorbent (Asf-Nitro) was prepared using facile isolation and modification procedures. The successful modification was confirmed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The nitrated adsorbent was evaluated in terms of dispersive and specific interactions, Lewis acid-base properties and adsorption isotherms by means of inverse gas chromatography (IGC). Nitration was found to be extremely...
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Probiotic potential of Bacillus Isolates from Polish Bee Pollen and Bee Bread
PublicationThe main goal of this study was the evaluation of the probiotic potential of 10 Bacillus spp. strains isolated from 5 bee bread and 3 bee pollen samples. The antagonistic interaction with Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli was a primary criterion for the preliminary selection of the isolates. Three out of ten strains—PY2.3 (isolated from pollen), BP20.15 and BB10.1 (both isolated from bee bread)—were found to be possible...