2023 - Publications Repository - Gdańsk University of Technology

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Publications from the year 2023

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Photocatalytic hydrogen evolution from glycerol-water mixture under visible light over zinc indium sulfide (ZnIn2S4) nanosheets grown on bismuth oxychloride (BiOCl) microplates
- Onur Cavdar
- Mateusz Baluk
- Anna Malankowska
- Andrzej Zak
- Wojciech Lisowski
- Tomasz Klimczuk
- Adriana Zaleska-Medynska
- Mateusz Adam Baluk
2023 JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
ZnIn2S4 (ZIS) is one of the widely studied photocatalyst for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution applications due to its prominent visible light response and strong reduction ability. However, its photocatalytic glycerol reforming performance for hydrogen evolution has never been reported. Herein, the visible light driven BiOCl@ZnIn2S4 (BiOCl@ZIS) composite was synthesized by growth of ZIS nanosheets on a template-like hydrothermally pre-prepared wide-band-gap BiOCl microplates using simple oil-bath method to be used for the first time for photocatalytic glycerol reforming for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution (PHE) under visible light irradiation (k > 420 nm). The optimum amount of BiOCl microplates in the composite was found 4 wt% (4% BiOCl@ZIS) in the presence of in-situ 1 wt% Pt deposition. Then, the in-situ Pt photodeposition optimization studies over 4% BiOCl@ZIS composite showed the highest PHE rate of 674 lmol g-1h1 with the ultra-low platinum amount (0.0625 wt%). The possible mechanisms behind this improvement can be ascribed to the formation of Bi2S3 low-band-gap semiconductor during BiOCl@ZIS composite synthesis resulting in Z-scheme charge transfer mechanism between ZIS and Bi2S3 upon visible light irradiation. This work expresses not only the photocatalytic glycerol reforming over ZIS photocatalyst but also a solid proof of the contribution of wide-band-gap BiOCl photocatalysts to enhancement of ZIS PHE performance under visible light.
Photonic sensor to detect rapid changes in CRP levels
- Małgorzata Szczerska
- Monika Kosowska
- Roman Viter
- Paweł Wityk
2023 Full text Journal of Biophotonics
One of the most important biomarkers used to determine inflammation is C-reactive protein (CRP). Its level, when it is within the range that does not define inflammation, informs about the risk of cardiovascular events. If the norm is exceeded and inflammation is detected in the body, CRP level can increase 1000 times within a few hours. The type of infection can also be determined based on the level of elevated CRP. All this makes CRP a very important element of diagnostics. A sensor based on low coherence interference is presented. Preliminary studies have shown that its sensitivity is 5.65 μg/L and the measurement time is short, <10 min. The entire system is built of commercially available components, which allow production cost minimalization. In addition, the user-friendly operation allows it to be operated by unqualified people. Due to these features, our solution is a promising alternative to commercially used enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, which needs trained personnel to perform time-consuming measurement procedures.
Photos and rendered images of LEGO bricks
- Tomasz Boiński
2023 Full text Scientific Data
The paper describes a collection of datasets containing both LEGO brick renders and real photos. The datasets contain around 155,000 photos and nearly 1,500,000 renders. The renders aim to simulate real-life photos of LEGO bricks allowing faster creation of extensive datasets. The datasets are publicly available via the Gdansk University of Technology “Most Wiedzy” institutional repository. The source files of all tools used during the creation of the dataset were made publicly available via GitHub repositories. The images, both photos and the renders were annotated with the unique brick ID and category from the official LEGO catalog. The proposed datasets are stored in easy-to-read formats and are labeled via directory structure allowing easy manipulation and conversion of metadata to other formats.
pH-Responsive Drug Delivery Nanoplatforms as Smart Carriers of Unsymmetrical Bisacridines for Targeted Cancer Therapy
- Joanna Pilch
- Agnieszka Potęga
- Agata Kowalczyk
- Artur Kasprzak
- Patrycja Kowalik
- Piotr Bujak
- Ewa Paluszkiewicz
- Ewa Augustin
- Anna M. Nowicka
2023 Full text Pharmaceutics
Selective therapy and controlled drug release at an intracellular level remain key challenges for effective cancer treatment. Here, we employed folic acid (FA) as a self-navigating molecule in nanoconjugates containing quantum dots (QDs) and β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) for the delivery of antitumor unsymmetrical bisacridine compound (C-2028) to lung and prostate cancers as well as normal cells. The bisacridine derivative can form the inclusion complex with β-cyclodextrin molecule, due to the presence of a planar fragment in its structure. The stability of such a complex is pH-dependent. The drug release profile at different pH values and the mechanism of C-2028 release from QDs-β-CD-FA nanoconjugates were investigated. Next, the intracellular fate of compounds and their influence on lysosomal content in the cells were also studied. Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy studies proved that all investigated compounds were delivered to acidic organelles, the pH of which promoted an increased release of C-2028 from its nanoconjugates. Since the pH in normal cells is higher than in cancer cells, the release of C-2028 from its nanoconjugates is decreased in these cells. Additionally, we obtained the concentration profiles of C-2028 in the selected cells treated with unbound C-2028 or nanoconjugate by the HPLC analysis.
Phytochemical screening and biological evaluation of Greek sage (Salvia fruticosa Mill.) extracts
- Marika Mróz
- Barbara Kusznierewicz
2023 Full text Scientific Reports
This study explores the influence of extraction solvents on the composition and bioactivity of Salvia fruticosa extracts. Ultrasound-assisted extraction with water, ethanol and their mixtures in variable proportions was used to produce four different extracts. An untargeted UPLC/MS‑based metabolomics was performed to discover metabolites profile variation between the extracts. In the analyzed samples, 2704 features had been detected, of which 95 were tentatively identified. The concentrations of the important metabolites, namely, caffeic acid, carnosic acid, carnosol, rosmarinic acid, salvianolic acid B and scutellarin, were determined, using UPLC-PDA methods. Rosmarinic acid was the dominant metabolite and antioxidant in all tested extracts, except the aqueous extract, in which scutellarin was the most abundant compound. The extracts and standards were examined for antioxidant activity and xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibitory activity. The most diverse in terms of chemical composition and rich in antioxidant compounds was 70% ethanolic extract and the strongest antioxidant was caffeic acid. All analyzed extracts showed the ability to inhibit XO activity, but the highest value was recorded for 30% ethanolic extract. Among tested standards, the most potent XO inhibitor was caffeic acid. The results suggest that the leaves of Greek sage are a source of natural XO inhibitors and may be an alternative to drugs produced by chemical synthesis.
Pin-on-Substrate Gap Waveguide: An Extremely Low-Cost Realization of High-Performance Gap Waveguide Components
- Ali Karami Horestani
- Michał Mrozowski
2023 Full text IEEE Antennas and Wireless Propagation Letters
Considering the limitations of currently available technologies for the realization of microwave components and antennas, a trade-off between different factors including the efficiency and fabrication cost is required. The main objective of this letter is to propose a novel method for the realization of gap waveguides (GWGs) that take advantage of conventional PCB fabrication technology, thus are low cost and light weight. Moreover, by avoiding dielectric loss and minimizing conductive loss, the proposed GWGs benefit from a very low loss. To highlight potential applications, a high-performance slot-array antenna based on the proposed GWG is presented.
Planning Around Polarisation: Components of Finding Common Ground Based on Regeneration Projects in London and Gdańsk
- Piotr Lorens
- Agnieszka Zimnicka
2023 Full text Urban Planning
Various forms of public participation in urban design and planning—as presented and discussed in literature—have recently been challenged by the needs and expectations of different stakeholders, including those coming from the private sector. This comes with a redefinition of the public good and the roles and responsibilities of municipal authorities in post‐liberal times. As a result, contemporary participatory processes need to evolve to accommodate not only the wishes and ideas of the local communities, but also those of institutional stakeholders including investors, developers and land owners. This is also accompanied by the demands, expressed by all partners in this process, associated with having a much stronger influence on the final shape of the development policies and planning regulations. The gradual democratisation of spatial planning results in more engagement of stakeholders in the process. The article focuses on the co‐design method as a way to bridge the polarisation of interests and find a consensus. The article focuses on identifying co‐design components lead‐ ing to the successful bridging of divisions and the realisation of large‐scale regeneration initiatives that could be replicated. The authors have selected examples of large‐scale regeneration areas in London and Gdańsk for a qualitative assessment, given the growing polarisation in both Polish and British societies. The discussion will focus on aspects of inclusivity, partnership working in co‐design and political risks associated with co‐design
Platelet RNA Sequencing Data Through the Lens of Machine Learning
- Sebastian Cygert
- Krzysztof Pastuszak
- Franciszek Górski
- Michał Sieczczyński
- Piotr Juszczyk
- Antoni Rutkowski
- Sebastian Lewalski
- Robert Różański
- Maksym Albin Jopek
- Jacek Jassem
- Andrzej Czyżewski
- Thomas Wurdinger
- Myron G Best
- Anna Żaczek
- Anna Supernat
2023 Full text Cancers
Liquid biopsies offer minimally invasive diagnosis and monitoring of cancer disease. This biosource is often analyzed using sequencing, which generates highly complex data that can be used using machine learning tools. Nevertheless, validating the clinical applications of such methods is challenging. It requires: (a) using data from many patients; (b) verifying potential bias concerning sample collection; and (c) adding interpretability to the model. In this work, we have used RNA sequencing data of tumor-educated platelets (TEPs) and performed a binary classification (cancer vs. no-cancer). First, we compiled a large-scale dataset with more than a thousand donors. Further, we used different convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and boosting methods to evaluate the classifier performance. We have obtained an impressive result of 0.96 area under the curve. We then identified different clusters of splice variants using expert knowledge from the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). Employing boosting algorithms, we identified the features with the highest predictive power. Finally, we tested the robustness of the models using test data from novel hospitals. Notably, we did not observe any decrease in model performance. Our work proves the great potential of using TEP data for cancer patient classification and opens the avenue for profound cancer diagnostics.
Pluralist View on Inequality from Luxemburg Income Study (LIS)
- Daniele Checchi
- Piotr Paradowski
2023
The authors start by reviewing the history of the Luxembourg Income Study (LIS), originating from an interdisciplinary project involving economists, sociologists, and political scientists, centered on the cross-country perspective in inequality analysis. They then conduct a meta-analysis of the papers produced by scholars who have taken advantage of the data availability, showing how the theme of income/wealth inequality has been differently addressed in the research conducted thank to free availability of LIS data. The analysis is based on 268 LIS/LWS working papers produced since 2013 by LIS data users. Inequality analysis, an elusive and multidimensional concept, cannot become prerogative of a specific discipline or school of thought, favoring a pluralist approach to the topic. As a consequence, we present how four academic communities (economists, sociologists, social policy, and political scientists) adopt different methodological perspectives in terms of unit of analysis (the individual, the household, or the community), heterogeneity (by gender, age, race, education), outcomes (income, wealth, consumption, education, employment, and work hours, fertility), institutional framework (household, local labor markets, nations) and methodological approach (poverty, inequality, income shares).
Pływające wyspy hydrofitowe jako rozwiązanie problemów eutrofizacji wód – koncepcja metody, zastosowanie i wybrane zagadnienia projektowe
- Nicole Nawrot
- Natalia Janowicz
- Ewa Wojciechowska
2023 Full text Instal
Pływające wyspy hydrofitowe są coraz częściej spotykanym elementem krajobrazu – szczególnie na otwartych akwenach miejskich. Posiadają walory estetyczne, są rozwiązaniami opartymi na naturze, poprawiają mikroklimat, a przede wszystkim pełnią funkcję oczyszczającą. Do tej pory jednak nie udało się precyzyjnie sklasyfikować rozwiązań pływających wysp hydrofitowych (z ang. floating treatment islands) w nomenklaturze polskiej. Brakuje również specyficznych wytycznych do ich projektowania. W niniejszym artykule podjęto się wyjaśnienia idei metody, klasyfikacji systemu pływających wysp hydrofitowych, omówiono podstawowe mechanizmy usuwania zanieczyszczeń oraz wybrane zagadnienia projektowe. Praca powstała w wyniku realizacji projektu Preludium 18 [2019/35/N/ST8/01134].
POLAND’S ENERGY DEPENDENCE AT THE TURN OF THE 21ST CENTURY
- Krystyna Gomółka
- Piotr Kasprzak
2023 Full text Ekonomia i Środowisko
The following article is an attempt to assess Poland's energy independence in the years 1993-2020. The main aim of the paper is to present Poland's dependence on raw materials from foreign partners - in the field of imports of electricity, natural gas, crude oil, non-renewable energy resources, i.e., hard coal and lignite, and the country's dynamics in the amount of imports. In addition, the aim of the work is to answer research questions pertaining to the level of Poland's energy dependence on foreign sources, countries from which Poland imported energy or energy resources, the structure of imports, as well as the country's energy balance in the period under study. The research methods used in the paper include a descriptive research method, an analysis of Eurostat data as well as the literature review in the field of the subject study. The main results posit that, in the analyzed period, Poland was highly dependent on foreign energy sources, especially in the field of gas and crude oil. What is more, between 1993- 2020, a growing diversification of energy resources sources was noted.
Polaronic and Mott insulating phase of layered magnetic vanadium trihalide VCl3
- Dario Mastrippolito
- Luigi Camerano
- Hanna Świątek
- Břetislav Šmíd
- Tomasz Klimczuk
- Luca Ottaviano
- Gianni Profeta
2023 Full text PHYSICAL REVIEW B
Two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) magnetic 3d-transition metal trihalides are a new class of functional materials showing exotic physical properties useful for spintronic and memory storage applications. In this article, we report the synthesis and electromagnetic characterization of single-crystalline vanadium trichloride, VCl 3 , a novel 2D layered vdW Mott insulator, which has a rhombohedral structure (R3, No. 148) at room temperature. VCl 3 undergoes a structural phase transition at 103 K and a subsequent antiferromagnetic transition at 21.8 K. Combining core levels and valence bands x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) with first-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we demonstrate the Mott Hubbard insulating nature of VCl 3 and the existence of electron small 2D magnetic polarons localized on V atom sites by V-Cl bond relaxation. The polarons strongly affect the electromagnetic properties of VCl 3 promoting the occupation of dispersion-less spin-polarized V-3d a1g states and band inversion with e′ g states. Within the polaronic scenario, it is possible to reconcile different experimental evidences on vanadium trihalides, suggesting that also VI 3 hosts polarons. Our results highlight the complex physical behavior of this class of crystals determined by charge trapping, lattice distortions, correlation effects, mixed valence states, and magnetic states.
Polskie górnictwo i hutnictwo miedzi w sztuce medalierskiej
- Dariusz Świsulski
2023 Wiadomości Elektrotechniczne
Polska jest jednym z największych producentów miedzi na świecie. W artykule przypomniano historię górnictwa miedzi od najdawniejszych lat przez odkrycie złóż miedzi przez Jana Wyżykowskiego do czasów współczesnych. Obecnie górnictwem i hutnictwem miedzi zajmuje się wiele przedsiębiorstw w ramach KGHM Polska Miedź. Ich opis zilustrowano zdjęciami: medali, plakiet i statuetek, które znajdują się w zbiorach autora.
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polychlorodibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) determination in disposable baby diapers with the application of natural deep eutectic solvent
- Aneta Chabowska
- José Grau
- Magdalena Fabjanowicz
- Patrycja Makoś-Chełstowska
- Patrycja Janicka
- Natalia Jatkowska
- Justyna Płotka-Wasylka
2023 MICROCHEMICAL JOURNAL
In this work a new method involving solvent extraction of porous membrane-packed solid samples (SE-PMSS) coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) has been developed for the determination of six polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and five polychlorodibenzo-p-dioxines (PCDDs) in disposable baby diapers. In that aim, a terpenoid-based natural deep eutectic solvent (NADES) composed of carvone and camphor in a 1:1 M ratio was used. The extraction process consisted on a first sealing step of the homogenized whole diaper inside a polypropylene bag. The bag was then immersed in a proper amount of NADES and agitated. After that, measurements were carried out injecting the NADES with the extracted analytes directly into the GC–MS system. Previously, a design of experiment was performed employing a Box Behnken design (BBD) to calculate the optimum variables of the extraction process. With the optimum values, the method was validated obtaining good analytical features such as low limits of detection (0.065–0.60 μg/g) and limits of quantification (0.22–2.0 μg/g). Relative recoveries ranging between 84 and 114 % and relative standard deviations under 15 % for all the analytes. Finally, the green character of this method was evaluated employing the tools complementary green analytical procedure index (ComplexGAPI) and analytical greenness metric for sample preparation (AGREEprep).
Polymers for burn dressings and skin substitutes
- Przemysław Gnatowski
- Karolina Gwizdała
- Edyta Piłat
- Justyna Kucińska-Lipka
2023
Skin burns belong to the group of the most complex injuries due to convoluted skin structure which includes nerve cells, muscles, sweat and sebaceous glands and blood vessels. Both on the market and at the research stage, there are many different dressing and skin substitutes proposals that utilize various materials and active substances. This chapter focuses on summarizing and describing the most popular polymer-based commercial products currently in use and the main lines of research for skin burn treatments. The most common materials used in commercial products are collagen, fibroblasts, polyurethanes and various hydrogels. In current research there is more emphasis placed on modifying materials with synthetic active substances, nanoparticles and incorporation of well-known natural materials such as curcumin, chitosan or propolis. Despite the great achievements in the field of burn treatment, the developed solutions are not perfect. In the case of advanced commercial products containing human cells, a great barrier to widespread application is their high price, and simpler solutions are still insufficiently effective. In short time there is a perspective of the introduction to the market of products with high efficiency and moderate price, modified with nanoparticles and substances of natural origin. Some of those materials are currently undergoing clinical trials and FDA approval process.
Polynomial analysis as a new way of describing dynamic impedance spectra – Differential and relative impedance spectra
- Kazimierz Darowicki
- Szymon Wysmułek
- Anna Karólkowska
2023 Full text ELECTROCHEMISTRY COMMUNICATIONS
Model measurements of an equivalent electrical system were carried out using the technique of Dynamic Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy. The measurement took the form of potentiodynamic changes imposed on the tested system. Using the possibility of continuous impedance measurements, an attempt was made to develop an original and innovative method of analyzing impedance spectrograms, which is termed polynomial analysis. As a result of this approach, it is possible to generate two novel impedance spectra from the primary impedance spectrogram. The innovation lies in the use of simple polynomials to describe a set of spectra, and then performing differential and division operations, which result in differential- and relative-impedance spectra. Among other things, differential spectra have the ability to track the rate of change in impedance as a function of an independent variable. By contrast, relative impedance spectra eliminate surface influence, which opens the way to the direct comparison of physicochemical processes and more.
Polysaccharides-Based Hybrid Materials for Bio- and Non-Bio Sectors. Edytorial
- Muhammad Bilal
2023 Full text STARCH-STARKE
This special edition spotlights the recent research in the design, development, and emerging applications of polysaccharides-based hybrid materials for biotechnological and biomedical purposes. All the articles published in this issue underscore the significance of materials derived from cellulose, alginate, chitosan, starch, and carrageenan for various applications, including enzyme production, encapsulation, targeted drug delivery, controlled drug release, tissue engineering, cosmeceutical formulations, food packaging, and water/wastewater treatment. On behalf of the editorial board, I would like to extend sincere gratitude to all the authors who have made significant contributions to this special issue. The Starch journal is committed to advancing our understanding of polysaccharides-based hybrid materials in biotechnology.
Polyurethane-wood composites (PU-WC) as a method of wood waste management
- Adam Olszewski
- Paulina Kosmela
- Łukasz Piszczyk
2023
In recent years, due to the progressive environmental degradation and increase of environmental awareness, the sustainability of production systems in wood processing, the wood industry, and wood waste management is a crucial issue for European industry and society. Consequently, the problem of generating wood-like waste and the associated risks has become an increasingly noticeable challenge for science. Although various methods of wood waste management have been developed, managing of post-industrial and post-consumer waste remains one of the most vital and challenging problems. The lack of an effective wood waste management system, particularly for post-consumer waste, leads to the implementation of low-quality solutions such as incineration or landfilling of valuable products that could be recycled and re-used. According to the EU Directive 2018/851, reuse and recycling of wastes are more preferred than energy recovery or landfilling. It is important to note that energy recovery and landfilling of waste are rather forms of material disposal and not recycling methods. Therefore, there is an urgent demand for innovative technologies that enable the efficient processing of wooden waste into valuable products. In this work we developed a new type of polyurethane wood-composite (PU-WC) by the utilization of large amount of wood wastes with properties comparable to MDF boards during simple production process.
Pomiar impedancji pętli zwarciowej w obwodach z wyłącznikami różnicowoprądowymi selektywnymi
- Kornel Borowski
- Stanisław Czapp
2023 Full text Przegląd Elektrotechniczny
Pomiar impedancji pętli zwarciowej w obwodach z wyłącznikami różnicowoprądowymi bezzwłocznymi jest kłopotliwy, ponieważ przy stosowaniu typowych mierników o prądzie pomiarowym rzędu 10-20 A zwykle następują zbędne zadziałania tych zabezpieczeń. W przypadku obwodów z wyłącznikami różnicowoprądowymi selektywnymi jest inaczej. W artykule wykazano, że pomiar ten można wykonać nawet miernikiem wielkoprądowym wymuszającym prąd o wartości szczytowej około 200 A. Przedstawiono przykładowe oscylogramy prądu pomiarowego oraz wyniki badań reakcji wyłączników różnicowoprądowych na pomiar impedancji pętli zwarciowej.
Porównanie obciążenia wiatrem wyznaczonego na podstawie procedur normowych z wynikami symulacji w cyfrowym tunelu aerodynamicznym dla hali stalowej.
- Wojciech Migda
- Małgorzata Gordziej-Zagórowska
- Patryk Deniziak
- Wioletta Leszczyńska
2023 Full text Builder
W niniejszych badaniach porównano obciążenia od wiatru wyznaczonego metodą normową oraz w cyfrowym tunelu aerodynamicznym. Analizom poddano typowy budynek hali na planie prostokąta z dwuspadowym dachem w czterech wariantach geometrycznych. W pierwszym etapie budynki zwymiarowano bazując na obciążeniach od wiatru wyznaczonych według Eurokodu. Następnie dla poszczególnych elementów konstrukcyjnych określono poziom wytężenia. Dla tak zaprojektowanych budynków halowych, w kolejnym kroku, przeprowadzono analizy w cyfrowym tunelu aerodynamicznym, który pozwolił na wyznaczenie obciążeń od wiatru. Zauważono wyraźną tendencję: konstrukcja obciążona w cyfrowym tunelu aerodynamicznym wpływa na mniejsze wytężenia przekrojów oraz mniejsze wartości przemieszczeń. Należy pamiętać jednak, że analiza konstrukcji w cyfrowym tunelu aerodynamicznym wymaga od projektanta wiedzy, doświadczenia i kontroli otrzymywanych wyników.