Wyniki wyszukiwania dla: SOLID PHASE MICROEXTRACTION – GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY (HS-SPME/GC)
-
Role of distillation in determination of SCFAs in samples of different origin
PublikacjaShort-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are very volatile compounds and choosing an appropriate isolation and enrichement technique is a key to their determination. Distillation is one of methods which can be applied. There are many types of distillation. The simplest ones are direct, steam and fractional distillation, but they are not used very often and have some drawbacks. However, many modifications of basic distillation have been...
-
New procedure for the examination of the degradation of volatile organonitrogen compounds during the treatment of industrial effluents
PublikacjaWe present a new procedure for the determination of 32 volatile organonitrogen compounds in samples of industrial effluents with a complex matrix. The procedure, based on dispersive liquid–liquid microex-traction followed by gas chromatography with nitrogen-phosphorus and mass spectrometric detection, wasoptimized and validated. Optimization of the extraction included the type of extraction and disperser sol-vent, disperser solvent...
-
Ionic conductivity behavior by activated hopping conductivity (AHC) of barium aluminoborosilicate glass–ceramic system designed for SOFC sealing
PublikacjaNon-conducting BaO-B2O3-Al2O3-SiO2 parent glasses designed for solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) sealing applications were prepared using the melt-quenching technique. The glass formation region was determined according to phase equilibrium relations and was found to be in the composition range 70BaO-(x)Al2O3-(10−x)B2O3-20SiO2 where 3.0 < x < 6.0 wt%. The conductivity values obtained conductivity ranged from 10−5 to 10−10 S/cm at temperatures...
-
Optimization of hydrodynamic vortex separator for removal of sand particles from storm water by computational fluid dynamics
PublikacjaStorm water treatment has been gradually acknowledged for the removal of pollutants from urban areas using the hydro cyclone separation technique. The separation efficiency of the hydrodynamic vortex separator (HDVS) is a complex phenomenon. With the aim enhance the separation potency of HDVS for storm runoff to get rid of sand particles, the HDVS with different structural configurations was studied by computational fluid dynamics....
-
KTaO3-based nanocomposites for air treatment
PublikacjaThe advantage is that photocatalytic methods allow removing VOCs, NOx, SO2, deodorants, and microorganisms at the same system. The new third generation of photoactive materials activated by low powered and low cost irradiation sources (such as LEDs or black fluorescent UV lamps) can be used as photocatalysts in air purification systems. A series of single semiconductors and their nanocomposites combination were prepared using hydrothermal...
-
Electron energy-loss spectroscopy of excited states of the diazine molecules: Pyridazine
PublikacjaExcitation of the valence electronic states of the pyridazine molecules in the gas phase have been studied using the technique of electron energy-loss spectroscopy. Varying the electron scattering conditions, the residual electron energy and scattering angle, enabled the optically-allowed and -forbidden excitations to be differentiated. The measured energy-loss spectra enabled the vertical excitation energies of the observed states...
-
The electrochemical studies of thin boron-doped diamond films deposited at conductive poly(lactic acid) 3D prints
Dane BadawczeThe dataset contains the electrochemical characteristics of the electrodes composed of thin boron-doped diamond films coated on commercially available graphene-doped polylactide acid. The boron doping level expressed as the [B]/[C] ratio in the gas phase for these studies was 500 and 10,000 ppm.
-
Opracowanie nowych układów sorpcyjnych na bazie krzemionki z unieruchomioną cieczą jonową do oznaczania organicznych zanieczyszczeń środowiska za pomocą mikroekstrakcji do fazy stacjonarnej i chromatografii gazowej (SPME-GC).
ProjektyProjekt realizowany w Katedra Chemii Fizycznej zgodnie z porozumieniem UMO-2014/15/N/ST4/02732 z dnia 2015-08-05
-
Application of molecularly imprinted polymers in analytical chiral separations and analysis
PublikacjaOver the last two decades the process of development and application of a new types of molecular imprinted polymer (MIP) sorbents in the field of analytical chemistry have been widely described in the literature. One of the new trends in analytical chemistry practice is the use of new types of MIP sorbents as specific sorption materials constituting the stationary phase in advanced separation techniques. The following review paper...
-
Rare earth ions doped K 2 Ta 2 O 6 photocatalysts with enhanced UV–vis light activity
PublikacjaNew rare earth-doped K2Ta2O6 photocatalysts were successfully synthesized by hydrothermal method. The effect of dopant type (Y,Yb,Ho,Pr,Er) and amount of rare earth precursor (2,4,8 and 10 mol%) on the physicochemical and photocatalytic properties of RE-K2Ta2O6 have been investigated. All as-prepared materials were characterized by UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller specific surface area measurement,...
-
Green products from herbal medicine wastes by subcritical water treatment
PublikacjaHerbal medicine wastes (HMWs) are byproducts of medicine factories, which are mainly landfilled for their environmental problems. Only bearing in mind the contamination and concerns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and environmental emissions, the worth of herbal medicine wastes management and conversion to green products can be understood. In this work, subcritical water treatment was carried out batch-wise in a stainless tube...
-
Correlation between charge density waves and antiferromagnetism in Nd1−xGdxNiC2 solid solutions
PublikacjaWe report a study on the evolution of a charge density wave and antiferromagnetism in the series of the polycrystalline solid solution Nd1−xGdxNiC2 (0 _ x _ 1) by means of magnetic and transport properties measurements. The experimental results reveal the violation of the de Gennes law and a strong correlation between the Peierls, Néel, and Curie-Weiss temperatures, which strongly suggests a cooperative interaction between the...
-
Impact of selected parameters of the fermentation process of wine and wine itself on the biogenic amines content: Evaluation by application of chemometric tools
PublikacjaThe demand for safer foods has promoted more research into biogenic amines (BAs) over the past few years, however, there are still some questions that remain unanswered. Despite the fact that BAs are present in wine and can cause toxic effect to the body, a shared regulation limiting the amounts of BAs in wine is still lacking. A detailed understanding of their presence in wine is also important for the food trade sector. Therefore,...
-
Ni-WC/Al2O3 and Ni-WC/MgWO4/MgAl2O4 catalysts for resource recovery via pyrolysis combined with the dry reforming of plastics (PCDR)
PublikacjaPlastic waste (PW) is currently one of an environmental threat. Despite the increasing share of recycled plastics, their disposal remains high. Therefore, there is a high demand for new PW management systems. Among them, pyrolysis combined with dry reforming (PCDR) is an advantageous solution because it allows for resource recovery in the form of gas and liquid fuels, with simultaneous utilization of CO2. To date, catalysts based...
-
Design and computational fluid dynamics analysis of the last stage of innovative gas-steam turbine
PublikacjaResearch regarding blade design and analysis of flow has been attracting interest for over a century. Meanwhile new concepts and design approaches were created and improved. Advancements in information technologies allowed to introduce computational fluid dynamics and computational flow mechanics. Currently a combination of mentioned methods is used for the design of turbine blades. These methods enabled us to improve flow efficiency...
-
Ionization and fragmentation of furan molecules by electron collisions
PublikacjaCation mass spectra obtained by electron impact were measured to investigate the ionization and ionic fragmentation of furan, C4H4O, molecules in the gas phase. The most abundant cations, with comparable intensities in the mass spectra, were the parent, C4H4O+, cation (68 amu) and the C3H3+ fragment (39 amu). The appearance energies of most of the observed ionic fragments were determined and the possible fragmentation processes...
-
Ionization and ionic fragmentation of tetrahydrofuran molecules by electron collisions
PublikacjaElectron impact ionization and ionic fragmentation of tetrahydrofuran molecules in the gas phase were studied in the energy range from ionization threshold up to 150 eV using the technique of mass spectrometry. The cation mass spectra, ionization and ionic fragmentation efficiencies were measured over this energy range. Well-resolved mass peaks were detected in the mass range 10-72 amu and assigned to corresponding ionic molecular...
-
Evolution of charge density wave order in continuous solid solutions Lu(Ni1-xCox)C2
PublikacjaPseudo-ternary solid solutions, Lu(Ni1-xCox)C2 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1), were studied by means of powder X-ray diffraction, differential thermal analysis as well as electrical resistivity and heat capacity measurements. The crystal structure of the Lu(Ni1-xCox)C2 series, as investigated by means of X-ray powder diffraction, is of structure type CeNiC2, space group Amm2, Pearson symbol oS8. The structural analysis reveals a non-monotonous evolution,...
-
Application potential of dummy molecularly imprinted polymers as solidphase extraction sorbents for determination of low-mass polybrominated diphenyl ethers in soil and sediment samples
PublikacjaDespite the introduction of restrictive regulations in the USA and the European Union, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are still found in various types of environmental and biological samples at significant concentration levels. The presence of these persistent organic pollutants in the environment raises important issues because of their negative impact on immunological and neurological systems, and on the hormonal balances...
-
Insights Into Hydrodynamics of Spinning Fluids Reactor
PublikacjaSpinning fluids reactor (SFR) is one of the most efficient gas-liquid contacting system with high potential of application in many fields. The unique solution of SFR is the contacting of two spinning fluids which generated centrifugal force. The aim of this study was to investigate the pressure field distribution on the inner surface of reactors dispersing element. Obtained results confirm the high heterogeneity of the field pressure...
-
Comparison of classical and modern approach of determination of highly polar compounds by High Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled with Tandem Mass Spectrometry
PublikacjaAbstract: Sugars and sugar alcohols are known as highly polar compounds. Four analytes were taken into consideration for comparison of classical and modern approach of separation of highly polar substances. Mannitol was chosen as an example of simple sugar alcohol, sucrose and lactulose as examples of disaccharides and structural isomers, raffinose as an example of complex trisaccharide. Raffinose was also used as internal standard...
-
Determination of flavanols by liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. Application to the characterization of cranberry-based pharmaceuticals through profiling and fingerprinting approaches
PublikacjaIn this work, a new method based on reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection (FLD) was established for the determination of catechins and related oligomeric proanthocyanidins (PACs) in cranberry-based pharmaceuticals. Compounds were recovered by liquid extraction using methanol/water/hydrochloric acid (60:39:1, v:v:v) as the extraction solvent. The chromatographic separation was carried...
-
Badania połączeń spawanych rurociągu wody pitnej we Włocławku, ang. Welding joints tests in drinking water pipeline.
PublikacjaCelem badań opisanych w pracy było określenie przyczyn korozji powstałej w strefie wpływu ciepła (SWC) w obwodowych połączeniach spawanych w rurociągu wody pitnej. Materiałem, z którego wykonano rurociąg to stal 304/304L. W obszarze złącza spawanego stwierdzono wżery inicjowane od niezgodności geometrycznych, gdzie mogły gromadzić się osady zwiększające udział chlorków bezpośrednio przy powierzchni rury, promujące tym procesy korozyjne....
-
Wpływ azotowania jarzeniowego i laserowego nadtapiania na odporność kawitacyjną stali X5CrNi18-10
PublikacjaNierdzewne stale austenityczne charakteryzują się doskonałą odpornością korozyjną, aczkolwiek niskimi właściwościami mechanicznymi. W wielu przypadkach ogranicza to ich eksploatację w warunkach przemysłowych. Ponadto, nierdzewne stale austenityczne są wrażliwe na korozję lokalną w obecności jonów halogenkowych. Technologie materiałowe, które dają potencjalne możliwości otrzymywania korzystnego wpływu na właściwości mechaniczne...
-
Mono- and bimetallic nanoparticles decorated KTaO 3 photocatalysts with improved Vis and UV–Vis light activity
PublikacjaNew mono- and bimetallic nanoparticle-decorated perovskite-type KTaO3 photocatalysts were successfully synthesized by hydrothermal reaction followed by photodeposition of MNPs/BNPs. The effect of noble metal type, amount of metal precursor as well as photoreduction method on the physicochemical and photocatalytic properties of MNPs- and BNPs-KTaO3 have been investigated. Photocatalytic activity under Vis light irradiation was estimated...
-
Volatile Organohalogen Compounds Determination with Dispersive Liquid-Liquid Microextraction Applying Solvent Lighter than Water
PublikacjaBackground: Volatile organohalogen compounds (VOX) are a group of environmental pollutants that risk the quality of drinking water. These compounds are characterized by certain acute and chronic toxicities, possessing mutagenic properties. Because of these potential risks factors that these compounds cause, the maximum allowable concentrations (MACs) have been established by respective organizations. The abundance of VOX, their...
-
Dipole-driven dynamics for near-threshold electron/positron interactions with pyrimidinic DNA bases: a path to compound formations
PublikacjaCalculations are reported for electron and positron scattering from isolated cytosine and thymine, where the two pyrimidinic single-ring DNA bases, in the gas-phase at energies near the elastic threshold, they reveal the special features of the dipole-driven scattering states. All molecules examined exhibit, in fact, supercritical (>1.67 D) permanent dipoles which can therefore also support, below threshold, excited bound compound...
-
Novel decahedral TiO2 photocatalysts modified with Ru or Rh NPs: Insight into the mechanism
PublikacjaNovel decahedral TiO2 modified with Ru or Rh NPs were successfully synthesized by hydrothermal method. The effect of metal type as well as amount of noble metal precursor (0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.5 wt.%) on the photocatalytic activity were investigated. Decahedral TiO2 decorated by Ru and Rh nanoparticles was prepared by photodeposition method, whereas Rh doped TiO2 was obtained by onestep hydrothermal method with introduction...
-
Pharmaceutical and forensic drug applications of chiral supercritical fluid chromatography
PublikacjaTHE SUPERCRITICAL FLUID IS AN EXCELLENT CHOICE AS THE CHROMATOGRAPHIC MOBILE PHASE BECAUSE IT ALLOWS RAPID SEPARATION WITH HIGH EFFICIENCY AND APPLICATIONS INVOLVING ENANTIORESOLUTION ARE COMMON. SUPERCRITICAL FLUID CHROMATOGRAPHY (SFC) IS INCREASINGLY USED FOR ANALYTICAL, SEMI-PREPARATIVE AND PREPARATIVE PURIFICATION OF CHIRAL COMPOUNDS, INCLUDING PRODUCTION OF ENANTIOMERS THAT ARE MAINLY ENCOUNTERED DURING DRUG DEVELOPMENT. SFC...
-
Analysis of features of stainless steels in dissimilar welded joints in chloride inducted corrosion
PublikacjaStainless steels of femtic-austenitic microstructure that means the duplex Cr-Ni-Mo steels, in comparison with austenitic steel includes less expensive nickel and has much better mechanical properties with good formability and corrosion resistance, even in environments containing chloride ions. Similar share of high chromium ferrite and austenite, which is characterized by high ductility, determines that the duplex steels have...
-
Effect of Semiconductor Element Substitution on the Electric Properties of Barium Titanate Ceramics
PublikacjaThe investigated ceramics were prepared by a solid-state reaction from simple oxides and carbonates with the use of a mixed oxide method (MOM). The morphology of BaTi0.96Si0.04O3 (BTSi04) ceramics was characterised by means of a scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It was found that Si+4 ion substitution supported the grain growth process in BT-based ceramics. The EDS results confirmed the high purity and expected quantitative composition...
-
Effects of Na+, K+ and B3+ Substitutions on the Electrical Properties of La10Si6O27 Ceramics
PublikacjaDoping of Na and K at La sites and of B at Si site in La10Si6O27 with oxyapatite structure and fabrication of their ceramics were made by the solid-state reaction method. It was found that partial substitution of Na+ and K+ on La sites decreased the sinterability of the La10Si6O27 based ceramics, whereas partial substitution of B3+ on the Si site improved the sinterability. Na+ and K+ substitutions in La10−xNaxSi6O27−x and La10−xKxSi6O27−x...
-
Electron impact ionization and cationic fragmentation of the pyridazine molecules
PublikacjaElectron impact mass spectroscopy was used to investigate ionization and cationic fragmentation of the pyridazine (1,2 diazine), C4H4N2, molecules in the gas phase. The mass spectra were measured and the observed mass peaks assigned to the corresponding cations. The appearance energies of most of the cationic fragments were determined and the possible fragmentation processes are discussed. The total cross section for electron...
-
Preparation of porous TiO2 films by means of pulsed laser deposition for photocatalytic applications
PublikacjaIn this work the preparation and structure properties of porous thin films of TiO2 were investigated. The films were produced by means of the pulsed laser deposition technique using laser pulses at 266nm (10Hz) and at fluencies of 1-3.5J/cm2. The process was performed in vacuum using O2 buffer gas and films were deposited on the SiO2 glass or Si substrate. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman analysis of the structure and chemical...
-
Inner-shell fragmentation of molecules into neutral fragments in high-Rydberg states induced by soft X-ray excitation with pulsed-field ionization
PublikacjaIn the present communication, we will show the results of measurements probing the production of neutral high-Rydberg fragments at the K edges of the molecules containing oxygen and nitrogen atoms. The experiments were performed at the Gas Phase beamline of the Elettra synchrotron radiation laboratory (Trieste, Italy), exploiting a combined soft X-ray excitation with pulsed-field ionization and ion time-of-flight (TOF) spectrometry...
-
Method of managing drill cuttings from shale gas formations
PublikacjaProposed management method of drill cuttings involves recycling for the expanded clay production. A theoretical presentation of the possibility, choosing planning path based on similarity between the materials used in the manufacture of expanded clay and oily cuttings. Application for the main stages of manufacture of expanded clay production of drill cuttings from shale gas extraction. Introduced into circulation solid waste partly...
-
Properties and determination of pesticides in fruits and vegetables
PublikacjaThe intensive development of agriculture means that more and more toxic organic and inorganic compounds are entering theenvironment. Because of their widespread use, stability, selective toxicity and bioaccumulation, pesticides are among the mosttoxic substances contaminating the environment. They are particularly dangerous in fruit and vegetables, by which people areexposed to them. It is therefore crucial to monitor pesticide...
-
Characterization of volatile compounds, structural, thermal and physico-mechanical properties of cross-linked polyethylene foams degraded thermo-mechanically at variable times
PublikacjaWaste cross-linked polyethylene foam (wXLPE) was thermo-mechanically degraded at variable time using internal batch mixer. The progress of wXLPE degradation has been investigated by using a simultaneous thermogravimetric/differential scanning calorimetry analyzer coupled with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, swelling measurements, tensile tests and scanning electron microscopy. Volatile organic compounds generated during...
-
Simultaneous Removal of Hexane and Ethanol from Air in a Biotrickling Filter—Process Performance and Monitoring Using Electronic Nose
PublikacjaBiofiltration is a well-accepted method for the removal of malodorous compounds from air streams. Interestingly, the mechanisms underlying this process are not fully understood. The aim of this paper was to investigate the simultaneous removal of hydrophobic hexane with hydrophilic ethanol, resulting in the enhanced removal of hexane in the presence of ethanol. Investigations were performed in a peat-perlite packed biotrickling...
-
Time Delay Estimation in Two-Phase Flow Investigation Using the γ-Ray Attenuation Technique.
PublikacjaTime delay estimation is an important research question having many applications in a range of technologies. Measurement of a two-phase flow in a pipeline or an open channel using radioisotopes is an example of such application. For instance, the determination of velocity of dispersed phase in that case is based on estimation of the time delay between two stochastic signals provided by scintillation probes. The proper analysis...
-
Study of oxygen electrode reactions on symmetrical porous SrTi0.30Fe0.70O3-δ electrodes on Ce0.8Gd0.2O1.9 electrolyte at 800 °C–500 °C
PublikacjaIron doped strontium titanates (SrTi1-xFexO3-δ) are an interesting mixed ionic-electronic conductor model used to study basic oxygen reduction/oxidation reactions. In this work, we performed an impedance spectroscopy study on symmetrical porous SrTi0.30Fe0.70O3-δ (STF70) electrodes on a ceriabased electrolyte. The sample was measured in varying oxygen concentration: from 0.3% to 100% in 800 °C - 500 °C temperature range. Low polarisation...
-
Synthesis, single crystal growth and properties of Sr5Pb3ZnO12
PublikacjaAbstract The novel Sr5Pb3ZnO12 oxide was synthesized by the solid-state reaction method. The crystal structure was studied by means of the powder x-ray diffraction Rietveld method and was found to be similar to 3 other previously known Sr5Pb3MO12 compounds (M = Co, Ni, Cu). Crystals of several hundred microns in size of the new phase were grown in molten sodium chloride and imaged using confocal optical and scanning electron microscopy....
-
Antimicrobial Activity of Chimera Peptides Composed of Human Neutrophil Peptide 1 (HNP-1) Truncated Analogues and Bovine Lactoferrampin
PublikacjaThree chimera peptides composed of bovine lactoferrampin and the analogue of truncated human neutrophil peptide 1 were synthesized by the solid-phase method. In two compounds peptide chains were connected via isopeptide bond, whereas in the third one disulfide bridge served as a linker. All three chimeras displayed significantly higher antimicrobial activity than the constituent peptides as well as their equimolar mixtures. The...
-
Effects of Na+, K+ and B3+ Substitutions on the Electrical Properties of La10Si6O27 Ceramics
PublikacjaDoping of Na and K at La sites and of B at Si site in La10Si6O27 with oxyapatite structure and fabrication of their ceramics were made by solid-state reaction method. It was found that partial substitution of Na+ and K+ on La sites decreased the sinterability of the La10Si6O27 based ceramics, whereas partial substitution of B3+ on Si site imporved the sinterability. Na+ and K+ substitutions in La10-xNaxSi6O27-x and La10-xKxSi6O27-x...
-
X-Ray Diffraction, Mössbauer Spectroscopy and Magnetoelectric Effect Studies of Multiferroic Bi5Ti3FeO15 Ceramics
PublikacjaBi5Ti3FeO15 ceramics belongs to multiferroic class of materials. In this work it was prepared by solid-state sintering method and investigated by X-ray diffraction, Mössbauer spectroscopy, and magnetoelectric effect measurements. As it was proved by X-ray diffraction studies the single-phase Bi5Ti3FeO15 compound was obtained. The Mössbauer investigations revealed paramagnetic character of the compound at room temperature as well...
-
Analogues of trypsin inhibitor SFTI-1 modified in the conserved P1′ position by synthetic or non-proteinogenic amino acids retain their inhibitory activity
PublikacjaA series of linear and monocyclic (with a disulfide bridge only) analogues of trypsin inhibitor SFTI-1 modified in the P-1 and/or P-1' positions were synthesized by the solid-phase method. In the substrate specificity P-1 position, Phe or N-benzylglycine (Nphe) were introduced, whereas the conserved Ser6 in Bownam-Birk (BBI) inhibitors was replaced by Hse (L-homoserine), Nhse [N-(2-hydroxyethyl)glycine], Sar, and Ala. Kinetic studies...
-
Cell-penetrating peptides – mechanism of transduction and synthesis – short review
PublikacjaPotential antimicrobial agents may be effective if they are delivered efficiently to their site of action. In many cases, lack of permeability through the cell membrane is the main problem. One of the possible solutions could be a novel intracellular delivery system involving cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs), which may improve the efficiency of many new biophar-maceuticals. Among other things, CPPs are capable of trans-porting...
-
Modeling and Evaluation of Electric Treeing Phenomena in Polymeric Cable Insulation
PublikacjaThis paper investigates the treeing phenomenon in polymeric materials such as crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE) that is widely used in medium and high voltage power cables as primary insulation. The modeling of electrical tree growth in the insulation from its initiation to breakdown is significant research work that illustrates the discharge dynamics and its impact on aging process in polymeric insulation. This study utilizes pulse...
-
Complementary use of GCxGC–TOF–MS and statistics for differentiation of variety in biosolid samples
PublikacjaFormation of biosolid cakes, which are one of the main wastes generated in wastewater treatment plants, is connected with emission of many hazardous chemical compounds, including odoriferous ones. To optimize particular processes of biosolid cake processing, it is necessary to assess chemical composition of the gas mixtures containing the compounds released from the cakes. The paper proposes application of two-dimensional gas chromatography...
-
Preparation and Characterization of Indomethacin Supramolecular Systems with β-Cyclodextrin in Order to Estimate Photostability Improvement
PublikacjaCyclodextrins have found wide application in contemporary chemistry, pharmacy andmedicine. Because of their unique properties, cyclodextrins are constantly used in research on solubility or stability improvement, as well as other physicochemical properties of medicinal substances. Indomethacin (IND) is a photolabile molecule that also attracts the interest of researchers due to its therapeutic potential and the need to...