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Gdańsk University of Technology

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  • Relative quantification of pork and beef in meat products using global and species-specific peptide markers for the authentication of meat composition
    • Katarzyna Nalazek-Rudnicka
    • Ilona Kłosowska-Chomiczewska
    • Jens Brockmeyer
    • Andrzej Wasik
    • Adam Macierzanka
    2022 Full text FOOD CHEMISTRY

    We used global and species-specific peptide markers for a relative quantitative determination of pork and beef in raw and processed meat products made of the two meat species. Four groups of products were prepared (i.e., minced raw meats, sausages, raw and fried burgers) in order to represent products with different extents of food processing. In each group, the products varied in the pork/beef proportions. All products were analysed by multiple reaction monitoring mass spectrometry (MRM–MS) for the presence/concentration of pork- and beefspecific peptide markers, as well as global markers – peptides widely distributed in muscle tissue. The combined MRM-MS analysis of pork-specific peptide HPGDFGADAQGAMSK, beef-specific peptide VLGFHG and global marker LFDLR offered the most reliable validation of declared pork/beef compositions across the whole range of meat products. Our work suggests that a simultaneous analysis of global and species-specific peptide markers can be used for composition authentication in commercial pork/beef products.

  • Reliability of acicular grindable thermocouples for transient temperature measurements at sliding contacts
    • Oleksii Nosko
    • Yurii Tsybrii
    • Wojciech Tarasiuk
    • Andrey Nosko
    2022 Full text MEASUREMENT

    Acicular grindable thermocouples represent an interesting and prospective technique of temperature measurements at sliding contacts. This study aimed at the investigation of their reliability and accuracy as applied to the friction materials of various classes in contact with steel. The tests were conducted on a pin-on-disc tribometer under stationary and transient regimes. The experimental results were validated by comparing the temperature data obtained by the acicular thermocouple, conventional thermocouples and infrared thermography. It was found that the measurements conducted with the acicular thermocouples are test-retest reliable for copper and a brake pads material, whereas they are not reliable for a polyamide. The temperature rise measured with the acicular thermocouple deviates from that registered by infrared thermography by 7–15% for copper and 10–19% for the brake pads material.

  • Reliable EM-driven size reduction of antenna structures by means of adaptive penalty factors
    • Sławomir Kozieł
    • Anna Pietrenko-Dąbrowska
    2022 Full text IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ANTENNAS AND PROPAGATION

    Miniaturization has become of paramount importance in the design of modern antenna systems. In particular, compact size is essential for emerging application areas such as internet of things, wearable and implantable devices, 5G technology, or medical imaging. On the other hand, reduction of physical dimensions generally has a detrimental effect on antenna performance. From the perspective of numerical optimization, miniaturization is a heavily constrained problem, with most constraints being expensive to evaluate due to involving full-wave electromagnetic (EM) simulation. A convenient way of handling such a task is a penalty function approach where constraint violations contribute, upon suitable scaling, to the primary objective, i.e., the antenna size. The penalty coefficients determining the aforementioned contributions are normally adjusted through engineering experience, which does not allow for a reliable control of antenna performance figures. This paper proposes an efficient management scheme for adaptive adjustment of penalty coefficients, which eliminates the need for objective function setup by trial and error, and ensures precise control of the design constraints. Our approach is demonstrated using three broadband antennas optimized for minimum size with acceptance thresholds imposed on the in-band matching level. The adaptive adjustment of penalty coefficients is shown to outperform experience-driven setups in terms of constraint control precision and the final design quality.

  • Remarks on use of the term “deep eutectic solvent” in analytical chemistry
    • Vasil Andruch
    • Patrycja Makoś-Chełstowska
    • Justyna Płotka-Wasylka
    2022 Full text MICROCHEMICAL JOURNAL

    About 20 years ago, Abbott and co-workers researched new solvents that were based on mixtures of choline chloride with urea and carboxylic acids and that were liquid at ambient temperature. The term “deep eutectic solvent” (DES) was later adopted for similar mixtures. As DESs have a number of interesting features, they quickly attracted the attention of researchers and found application in various branches of chemical and materials research. To date, various definitions of DES have been proposed. Nevertheless, there are still differing views among researchers on what a DES really is and what exact properties a mixture must have in order to be included into this group. The prefix “deep” should only be used for deep eutectic solvents with melting points significantly below ideal predictions. Otherwise, the simpler term “eutectic solvent” (ES) should be used. It therefore follows that in order to correctly assign a solvent to the DES or ES group, a phase diagram must be available to evaluate the deviation from the ideality, as well as to quantify the DES’s liquid window. The term DES is now commonly used in analytical chemistry, but authors rarely go into a detailed examination of a DES from the viewpoint of whether it actually is a DES or an ES. Instead, they logically focus mainly on the analytical part, that is, on taking advantage of the benefits that the DES provides. Therefore, it may happen that the solvent used is designated as a DES, even if it does not meet all the necessary requirements. Of course, we cannot or should not expect analytical chemists to do a detailed study of the physical properties of DESs in addition to solving analytical tasks, although we should encourage analysts to pay due attention to the correct use of the terms (D)ES in their publications, as it would certainly help further development in the utilization of DESs in various areas, not just in analytics.

  • Remote Health Monitoring of Wind Turbines Employing Vibroacoustic Transducers and Autoencoders
    • Andrzej Czyżewski
    2022 Full text Frontiers in Energy Research

    Implementation of remote monitoring technology for real wind turbine structures designed to detect potential sources of failure is described. An innovative multi-axis contactless acoustic sensor measuring acoustic intensity as well as previously known accelerometers were used for this purpose. Signal processing methods were proposed, including feature extraction and data analysis. Two strategies were examined: Mel Frequency Cepstral Coefficients pruned with principal component analysis and autoencoder-based feature extraction. The scientific experiment resulted in data gathering and analysis to predict potential wind turbine mechanism failures.

  • Remote Work Support Needs of Employees with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Poland: Perspectives of Individuals with Autism and Their Coworkers
    • Michał Tomczak
    • Elias Mpofu
    • Nathan Hutson
    2022 Full text International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

    Background and Aims: With remote work becoming more common across industries, employees with autism may experience different work support needs from neurotypical peers. However, the specific remote work needs of this group of employees are underexplored in the literature. We aim to propose ways to assess workplace digital adaptation needs for individuals with autism and a framework for communicating these needs to employers. Methods: This qualitative study included interviews with 13 Polish business professionals, including coworkers and/or supervisors of employees with autism (n = 9) and female employees with autism (n = 4), about their remote work support needs. Participants responded to semi-structured interview questions identifying advantages and risk factors associated with remote work for this specific group of employees. Results: Participants reported advantages of remote work, such as limiting sensory overload and intensive interpersonal contacts, indirect interpersonal communications, flexible work hours, and eliminating the need to travel to work. Participants also reported challenges of remote work, such as reducing wanted or helpful social contacts, engaging in direct electronic communications, limiting opportunities to learn from other employees, and managing work–life balance. Conclusion: These findings suggest a need for an autism-inclusive digitalized remote work design customized to the unique needs of employees on the autism spectrum. Business managers would be key partners in the design of autism-inclusive digitalized remote work systems. Additional research is needed with larger and more diverse samples of employees with autism.

  • Removal of diphenols using pine biochar. Kinetics, equilibrium, thermodynamics, and mechanism of uptake
    • Nilton F.G.M. Cimirro
    • Eder C. Lima
    • Mariene R. Cunha
    • Pascal S. Thue
    • Alejandro Grimm
    • Glaydson S. dos Reis
    • Navid Rabiee
    • Mohammad Saeb
    • Farhad Keivanimehr
    • Sajjad Habibzadeh
    2022 JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS

    Thermal pyrolysis synthesized activated biochar from the Pinus elliottii sawdust (PS) at 600° C. The obtained activated biochar (PB600) was used for the removal of three diphenols, catechol (CAT), resorcinol (RES), and hydroquinone (HYD), which are utilized mainly in different industries. The PB600 was characterized by several analytical techniques. The BET surface area of 1473 m2.g−1 and a total pore volume of 0.707 cm3 g−1 was obtained. The functional groups and amount of acidic and basic groups on the biochar were determined by FTIR and Bohem titration, respectively. From the isotherm studies, it was obtained that the maximum adsorption capacities (Qmax) based on the Liu isotherm model were 419.8 (CAT 45 °C), 263.8 (RES 40 °C), and 500.9 mg g−1 (HYD 25 °C). The values of thermodynamic parameters demonstrated that CAT, RES, and HYD adsorption processes were spontaneous, exothermic, and energetically favorable, and the magnitude of ΔH° was compatible with physisorption. The CAT, RES, and HYD adsorption mechanism onto the biochar is followed by porous filling, π-π interactions, and hydrogen bonds. Subsequently, PB600 biochar was employed as a potential adsorbent for treating simulated industrial effluents in a complex matrix simulating a real industrial effluent, and the overall removal attained up to 95.97 %. In concert with the experimental results, the electronic properties of the developed adsorption systems, including frontier molecular orbitals, charge density difference, and partial density of states, were studied by the density functional theory (DFT) approach to explore the mechanism of adsorption on the activated biochar surface.

  • Removal of lead ions from wastewater using lanthanum sulfide nanoparticle decorated over magnetic graphene oxide
    • Shahabaldin Rezania
    • Amin Mojiri
    • Junboum Park
    • Nicole Nawrot
    • Ewa Wojciechowska
    • Najat Marraiki
    • Nouf S.S. Zaghloul
    2022 Full text ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH

    In this study, the new lanthanum sulfide nanoparticle (La2S3) was synthesized and incorporated onto magnetic graphene oxide (MGO) sheets surface to produce potential adsorbent (MGO@LaS) for efficient removal of lead ions (Pb2+) from wastewater. The synthesized MGO@LaS adsorbent was characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The effective parameters on the adsorption process including solution pH (∼5), adsorbent dosage (20 mg), contact time (40 min), initial Pb2+ concentration and temperature were studied. The removal efficiency was obtained >95% for lead ions at pH 5 with 20 mg adsorbent. To validate the adsorption rate and mechanism, the kinetic and thermodynamic models were studied based on experimental data. The Langmuir isotherm model was best fitted to initial equilibrium concentration with a maximum adsorption capacity of 123.46 mg/g. This indicated a monolayer adsorption pattern for Pb2+ ions over MGO@LaS. The pseudo-second-order as the kinetic model was best fitted to describe the adsorption rate due to high R2 > 0.999 as compared first-order. A thermodynamic model suggested a chemisorption and physisorption adsorption mechanism for Pb2+ ions uptake into MGO@LaS at different temperatures; ΔG° < −5.99 kJ mol−1 at 20 °C and ΔG° −18.2 kJ mol−1 at 45 °C. The obtained results showed that the novel nanocomposite (MGO@LaS) can be used as an alternative adsorbent in wastewater treatment.

  • Removal of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and analgesics from wastewater by adsorption on cross-linked β-cyclodextrin
    • Anna Skwierawska
    • Dominika Nowacka
    • Katarzyna Kozłowska-Tylingo
    2022 Full text Water Resources and Industry

    We present a method using the material in the form of cross-linked β-cyclodextrin (CD) showing high efficiency in the simultaneous removal of hazardous pollutants from sewage, such as diclofenac (DIC), ibuprofen (IBU), ketoprofen (KETO), naproxen (NAPR), salicylic acid (SALI) and tramadol (TRAM). The material is stable and particularly easy to regenerate. The sorbent probably remembers the shape of the contaminants, which increases its sorption capacity after the second use. The kinetics of the KETO adsorption process from one-, two- and three-component solutions are well described by the pseudo-second-order model. The maximum polymer capacity was 162.60 mg g−1. The interactions of KETO with CD were investigated, indicating that the main sorption mechanism is based on supramolecular interaction and uptake by a polymer network. The material is not sensitive to low pH and high salinity, so it can be used for the treatment of DIC, IBU, and KETO post-production wastewaters.

  • Removal of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) from Air: Focus on Biotrickling Filtration and Process Modeling
    • Piotr Rybarczyk
    2022 Full text Processes

    Biotrickling filtration is a well-established technology for the treatment of air polluted with odorous and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Besides dozens of successful industrial applications of this technology, there are still gaps in a full understanding and description of the mechanisms of biotrickling filtration. This review focuses on recent research results on biotrickling filtration of air polluted with single and multiple VOCs, as well as process modeling. The modeling offers optimization of a process design and performance, as well as allows deeper understanding of process mechanisms. An overview of the developments of models describing biotrickling filtration and conventional biofiltration, as primarily developed and in many aspects through similar processes, is presented in this paper.

  • Renewable and Sustainable Energy: Current State and Prospects
    • Bartłomiej Igliński
    • Michał Pietrzak
    2022 Full text ENERGIES

    The last two decades of the twentieth century represented a period of above-average, systematic growth of formal and informal interdependencies between economies of different countries and between world markets. The intensity, magnitude, and diversity of these interdependencies have never been recorded before in economic history, and the market transformations taking place have been referred to in the literature as the process of world globalization. Over the next twenty years of the 21st century, the dynamic and systematic development of globalization processes has progressed to such an extent that, in fact, a very high level of interdependence has been achieved in every sector of the economy [1]. This means that national economies for the last forty years have faced functioning in new economic conditions, forced mainly by the developing globalization processes. This has mainly contributed to a significant increase in the socio-economic development [2,3] and the associated enrichment of the populations of most economies and worldwide changes in the labor market [4]. In addition, there have been new trends in consumer attitudes [5,6], where environmental issues have begun to play a dominant role in consumer decision-making.

  • Representing and Managing Experiential Knowledge with Decisional DNA and its Drimos® Extension
    • Edward Szczerbicki
    • Cesar Sanin
    • Karina Sterling-zuluaga
    2022 Full text

    The Semantic Web concept is proposing a future concept of the WorldWideWeb (WWW) where both humans and man-made systems are able to interconnect and exchange knowledge. One of the challenges of Semantic Web is smart and trusted accommodation of knowledge in artificial systems so it can be unified, enhanced, reused, shared, communicated and distributed with added aptitude. Our research represents an important component of addressing the above challenge and exciting, cutting-edge exploration trend in the general area of developing tool for intelligence augmentation.

  • Research of Accuracy of RSSI Fingerprint-Based Indoor Positioning BLE System
    • Michał Wysocki
    • Robert Nicpoń
    • Marta Trzaska
    • Agnieszka Czapiewska
    2022

    Radio localization in indoor environment is still a challenging task due to environment volatility. In the paper are compared achieved localization accuracies for RSSI-Fingerprinting method utilizing Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) for two different environments: large empty hall and narrow corridor. Measurements were done by 6 different smartphones of 3 different producers, which makes those measurements unique as accuracies achieved by different devices can be compared

  • Research of Accuracy of RSSI Fingerprint-Based Indoor Positioning BLE System
    • Michał Wysocki
    • Robert Nicpoń
    • Marta Trzaska
    • Agnieszka Czapiewska
    2022 Full text Przegląd Elektrotechniczny

    Radio localization in indoor environment is still a challenging task due to environment volatility. In the paper are compared achieved localization accuracies for RSSI-Fingerprinting method utilizing Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) for two different environments: large empty hall and narrow corridor. Measurements were done by 6 different smartphones of 3 different producers, which makes those measurements unique as accuracies achieved by different devices can be compared.

  • Research on Linear Actuators for Active Foil Bearings
    • Łukasz Breńkacz
    • Rafał Kędra
    • Waldemar Janicki
    • Artur Maurin
    • Paweł Bagiński
    • Artur Andrearczyk
    • Beata Zima
    2022 Full text Materials

    Active foil bearings are a kind of gas foil bearing. They contain actuators which allow for modification of the bearing sleeve size and the shape of the lubrication gap. Rotor vibrations can be actively controlled by these changes. It is possible, among other things, to reduce the starting torque, control the vibration amplitude at different speeds and improve operational safety. Prototypes of active foil bearings are being developed based on different mechanical concepts. This paper provides an analysis of the linear mechanisms that are the base, and they are crucial for such developments. In the literature, there is a lack of characteristics of these actuators tested under real operating conditions of an active foil bearing. This article aims to fill this gap. New test rigs have been developed and used to precisely investigate the possibility of using actuators in active foil bearings. Since their geometry and control methods differ, the measurement systems have been adapted accordingly. The actuators studied were piezoelectrics, shape-memory alloys (SMAs) and stepper motors. Each of them was characterized by different operating characteristics. The results obtained allow for a comparison of the actuators. This approach is especially useful for the design and analysis of active foil bearings.

  • Residents' Perception of Intangible Benefits and Costs Associated with Hosting Major Sporting Events
    • Krystian Zawadzki
    2022 Full text Event Management

    The main purpose of this paper is to estimate on the basis of inhabitants’ perception the overall composite and aggregated scores of two major sporting events held in Ergo Arena hall, on the border of Gdańsk and Sopot, in northern Poland. The indirect aim is to identify the determinants affecting the monetary offers of the locals of the two cities. The research results unveil that major sporting events may determine the appearance of intangible social effects which are eagerly valued by the citizens of host cities. The resident’s valuation ranges between 6,08 PLN (1,96 USD) and 11,29 PLN (3,64 USD) for intangible benefits, while between 1,75 PLN (0,56 USD) and 2,21 PLN (0,71 USD) for intangible costs, depending on the city and the event. The results determines an increase in the values of intangible net benefits. The amount of net intangible benefit is much lower than in the case of mega sporting events. Nevertheless, it is more likely to host many major sporting events in a short time in one place. The regression analysis shows that the decision to allocate funds to support the Championships in 2016 and 2017 in Gdańsk/Sopot was made by people with high incomes, who expressed an interest in sport, but not necessarily in the sports discipline, and perceived intangible benefits, in particular civic pride and the feel-good factor. In turn, the level of WTPcost was particularly high among people with high incomes who perceived the threats connected with the hosting of a major sporting event.

  • Residual current devices in installations with PV energy sources
    • Stanisław Czapp
    2022 Full text Przegląd Elektrotechniczny

    The paper presents the principles of residual current devices (RCDs) application in photovoltaic (PV) installations. Provisions of standards in this regard are commented on, in particular, attention is drawn to the lack of obligation to use of RCDs in PV installations. The issue of the shape of the earth fault current and the level of leakage currents in such installations are discussed. These factors influence the selection of RCDs in terms of their rated residual operating current as well as the type of tripping characteristic.

  • Residual Current Devices: Selection, Operation, and Testing
    • Stanisław Czapp
    2022

    In this book, the idea for residual current protection has been presented. The evolution in construction types of residual current devices, which has taken place over decades, is discussed. Types and functional properties of the contemporary residual current devices are described. The main parameters of these devices, from the point of view of their selection and application, are indicated. Special constructions of the protective devices, among other portable and socket-outlets residual devices, are described. The reliability of residual current devices and main sources of their defects are discussed. The rules of backup protection of residual current devices without integrated overcurrent protection are presented. The application of residual current devices in TN, TT, and IT low-voltage systems is commented upon. Requirements of the standards, regarding the obligatory use of residual current devices, are quoted. The principles of application of residual current devices in protection in case of a fault, additional protection, as well as protection against fire, are explained. As extended information related to the use of residual current devices in protection against fire, arc fault detection devices are described, which can be treated as complementary protective devices especially in the case of dangerous series arcing. The issue of residual current devices’ operation in circuits with nonsinusoidal currents is commented in detail. Residual current devices also make difficulties during an earth fault loop impedance measurement, which is one of the commonly performed measurements to verify the effectiveness of protection against electric shock by automatic disconnection of the supply. The sources of unwanted tripping of the devices, during this type of measurement, are indicated and suitable methods of measurement are shown. Immunity of residual current devices to the impulse leakage currents is discussed. Moreover, coordination of residual current devices with surge protective devices is commented upon. Principles of residual current devices’ verifications, examples of their results, as well as fault diagnosis in circuits with these devices are described. At the end of the book, Appendix A presents examples of residual current devices’ selection. Additionally, Appendix B covers a list of the standards regarding residual current devices’ performance, application, and operation.

  • Resistant to correlated noise and outliers discrete identification of continuous non-linear non-stationary dynamic objects
    • Janusz Kozłowski
    • Zdzisław Kowalczuk
    2022

    In this article, specific methods of parameter estimation were used to identify the coefficients of continuous models represented by linear and nonlinear differential equations. The necessary discrete-time approximation of the base model is achieved by appropriately tuned FIR linear integral filters. The resulting discrete descriptions, which retain the original continuous parameterization, can then be identified using the classical least squares procedure. Since, in the presence of correlated noise, the relevant parameter estimates suffer from an asymptotic systematic error, the instrumental variable method is used here to significantly improve the consistency of the estimates. The finally applied algorithm based on the criterion of the smallest sum of absolute values is used to identify linear and nonlinear models in the presence of sporadic measurement errors. In summary, the effectiveness of the proposed solutions is demonstrated by means of numerical simulations.

  • Resistant to correlated noise and outliers discrete identification of continuous non-linear non-stationary dynamic objects
    • Janusz Kozłowski
    • Zdzisław Kowalczuk
    2022

    In this study, dedicated methods of parameter estimation were used to identify the coefficients of continuous models represented by linear and nonlinear differential equations. The necessary discrete-time approximation of the base model is achieved by appropriately tuned FIR linear integral filters. The resulting discrete descriptions, which retain the original continuous parameterization, can then be identified using the classical least squares procedure. Since, in the presence of correlated noise, the relevant parameter estimates suffer from an asymptotic systematic error, the instrumental variable method is used here to significantly improve the consistency of the estimates. The finally applied algorithm based on the criterion of the smallest sum of absolute values is used to identify linear and nonlinear models in the presence of sporadic measurement errors. In summary, the effectiveness of the proposed solutions is demonstrated by means of numerical tests.

  • Rethinking Sustainable Cities at Night: Paradigm Shifts in Urban Design and City Lighting
    • Karolina Zielińska-Dąbkowska
    • Katarzyna Bobkowska
    2022 Full text Sustainability

    Since the establishment of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015, various perspectives on sustainable cities have been developed and adopted in order to achieve a better and more sustainable future. However, background research has revealed that these goals and targets are limited because they do not take into account the growing body of lighting-related research in diverse fields on the impact of outdoor illumination on humans, flora and fauna. Recently, exterior lighting has been also linked to environmental degradation and as an indirect contributor to the current climate change emergency. Therefore, this study aims, by using online interviews with over 50 experts who work in the field of artificial light at night (ALAN), to assess whether the SDG objectives adequately reflect the latest knowledge about sustainable cities. The Elsevier 2021 SDG mapping matrix was used to find the correlation between the keywords that define each SDG and the keywords used by a group of international experts. This work suggests there are missing targets in current SDGs, especially SDG 11, connected to sustainable cities and communities. It also offers useful guidance on how to rethink the existing approach of cities that aim for sustainability, by applying eight (8) key aspects of urban lighting for healthier and environmentally responsible outdoor illumination, by means of a correct design process, along with a five-step strategic plan of action. The crucial role of multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary collaboration with experts has also been outlined, via the inclusion of new actors such as lighting professionals and researchers, who are currently absent in this important discourse

  • Reversible data hiding in encrypted DICOM images using sorted binary sequences of pixels
    • Mariusz Dzwonkowski
    • Bartosz Czaplewski
    2022 SIGNAL PROCESSING

    In this paper, a novel reversible data hiding method for encrypted DICOM images is proposed. The method utilizes binary decomposition of the input data paired with a sorting process of the obtained binary sequences to ensure efficient data embedding in each predefined data block for specific most significant bit (MSB) planes while exploiting the properties of run-length encoding. The proposed scheme is lossless, and based on the receiver's privileges, allows separate or simultaneous recovery of the original and embedded data. The proposed method was originally designed for 16-bit DICOM images of monochrome photometric interpretation, however it can be used with any type of data while providing satisfactory results. A computer-based analysis has been carried out and simulation results for DICOM and non-DICOM images are shown at the end of this paper.

  • Review of cigars and cigar-type products as potential sources of consumer exposure to heavy metals
    • Paweł Hać
    • Bartłomiej Cieślik
    • Piotr Konieczka
    2022 Full text JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND HEALTH PART C-ENVIRONMENTAL CARCINOGENESIS & ECOTOXICOLOGY REVIEWS

    The popularity of cigars, growing since 1993, has not gone hand in hand with the increased interest of researchers in these products. Although the literature widely describes the harmfulness of tobacco and the content of toxic substances in tobacco products, the topic is often treated selectively as relating primarily to cigarettes and rarely extends to other products of the broadly defined tobacco industry. However, there is no reason to marginalize the harmful effects of other nicotine products, (which include tobacco products such as cigars). The study analyzed the available literature on the con- tent of selected heavy metals in cigar tobacco. Among the heavy metals, the following contents of elements in tobacco were recorded in cigars: Fe (420–2200mg/g), Mn (100–370mg/ g), Zn (14–180 mg/g), Cu (15–140 mg/g), Pb (not detec- ted–32mg/g), Cd (nd–19mg/g), Ni (nd–13mg/g), Cr (nd–10mg/ g), Co (0.65–1.0 mg/g), As (nd–0.66 mg/g), Hg (18–25 ng/g). Importantly, the values often differ between cigars of different origins and types, indicating the need for more extensive research.

  • Revitalisation Living Lab as a Format to Accelerate an Energy Transition in Polish Rural Areas: The Case Studies of Metropolitan Outskirts Gdańsk-Orunia and Lubań
    • Bartosz Pietrzykowski
    • Gabriela Rembarz
    • Adam Cenian
    2022

    The paper deals with the issue of energy transition in the revitalization process dedicated to the rural and semi-rural areas of the Pomerania Region (PR). Two distinct areas, located in sub- and ex-urban zones of the Gdańsk-Gdynia-Sopot Metropolitan Area (OMGGS), in which bottom-up community initiatives have been playing a key role in the transformation, have been focused on. The village of Lubań (Municipality of Nowa Karczma) and the Orunia agrihood suburb of Gdańsk, i.e. two case studies in a planned revitalization program, pose an opportunity for extensive refurbishment of the heat and energy supply. The research approach runs in the Living Lab format, allowing studies based on the activities implemented and planned in the hitherto neglected field of integrated quest for energy efficiency.

  • Rewaloryzacja historycznego zajazdu Adlera w Gdyni Orłowie
    • Robert Hirsch
    • Celina Łozowska
    2022

    Tekst omawia kompleksowe prace konserwatorskie przy zabytkowym zajeździe położonym w Gdyni Orłowie. Budynek powstał w XIX w. w dwóch etapach. Przeprowadzone w latach 2011-2013 prace obejmowały m.in. wzmocnienie fundamentów, wybudowanie niezależnej konstrukcji stalowej, która odciążyła szkielet z belek drewnianych, termomodernizację oraz prace restauratorskie przy elewacjach.

  • Rheology of Variable Viscosity‐Based Mixed Convective Inclined Magnetized Cross Nanofluid with Varying Thermal Conductivity
    • Adil Darvesh
    • Tanveer Sajid
    • Wasim Jamshed
    • Assad Ayub
    • Zahir Shah
    • Mohamed Eid
    • Syed M. Hussain
    • Muhammad Bilal Hafeez
    • Marek Krawczuk
    2022 Full text Applied Sciences-Basel

    Cross nanofluid possesses an extraordinary quality among the various fluidic models to explore the key characteristics of flowing fluid during very low and very high shear rates and its viscosity models depend upon shear rate. The current study establishes the numerical treatment regarding variable viscosity‐based mixed convective inclined magnetized Cross nanofluid with var‐ ying thermal conductivities over the moving permeable surface. Along with variable thermal con‐ ductivities, we considered thermal radiation, thermophoresis, and the Brownian motion effect. An inclined magnetic field was launched for velocity scrutiny and the heat transfer fact was numeri‐ cally seen by mixed convective conditions. Similarity variables were actioned on generated PDEs of the physical model and conversion was performed into ODEs. Numerical results showed that the frictional force and Nusselt quantity considerably influence the skinning heat transfer processes over the geometry of a moving permeable surface. Furthermore, less velocity was noticed for the greater suction parameter and the Brownian motion parameter corresponds to lower mass transport.

  • Ribes nigrum L. Extract-Mediated Green Synthesis and Antibacterial Action Mechanisms of Silver Nanoparticles
    • Zaruhi Hovhannisyan
    • Marina Timotina
    • Jemma Manoyan
    • Lilit Gabrielyan
    • Margarit Petrosyan
    • Barbara Kusznierewicz
    • Agnieszka Bartoszek-Pączkowska
    • Claus Jacob
    • Mikayel Ginovyan
    • Karen Trchounian
    • Naira Sahakyan
    • Muhammad Jawad Nasim
    2022 Full text Antibiotics-Basel

    Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) represent one of the most widely employed metal-based engineered nanomaterials with a broad range of applications in different areas of science. Plant extracts (PEs) serve as green reducing and coating agents and can be exploited for the generation of Ag NPs. In this study, the phytochemical composition of ethanolic extract of black currant (Ribes nigrum) leaves was determined. The main components of extract include quercetin rutinoside, quercetin hexoside, quercetin glucuronide, quercetin malonylglucoside and quercitrin. The extract was subsequently employed for the green synthesis of Ag NPs. Consequently, R. nigrum leaf extract and Ag NPs were evaluated for potential antibacterial activities against Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and kanamycin-resistant E. coli pARG-25 strains). Intriguingly, the plant extract did not show any antibacterial effect, whilst Ag NPs demonstrated significant activity against tested bacteria. Biogenic Ag NPs affect the ATPase activity and energy-dependent H+-fluxes in both strains of E. coli, even in the presence of N,N’-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD). Thus, the antibacterial activity of the investigated Ag NPs can be explained by their impact on the membrane-associated properties of bacteria.

  • Robust and Efficient Machine Learning Algorithms for Visual Recognition
    • Sebastian Cygert
    2022 Full text

    In visual recognition, the task is to identify and localize all objects of interest in the input image. With the ubiquitous presence of visual data in modern days, the role of object recognition algorithms is becoming more significant than ever and ranges from autonomous driving to computer-aided diagnosis in medicine. Current models for visual recognition are dominated by models based on Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), which achieve impressive performance on many benchmarks. However, when deployed to the real world, the performance of these CNN models can drop drastically, lacking the desired robustness property. This is because of the so-called distributional shift, where the test-time data differ from data observed during training, and it poses one of the most important challenges in modern machine learning. At the same time, modern CNN-based models may be too expensive or too slow for general deployment. As such, the goal of this thesis is to develop robust and efficient models for visual object recognition. In the experimental section, the focus is on autonomous driving because of the datasets' availability, and also because the aforementioned problems are essential for autonomous driving. The next goal was to understand the impact of model compression methods is on model accuracy. Model compression works by removing some neurons or filters during training, which improves the inference time, without hurting overall accuracy. It was hypothesized that one of the reasons for this is data imbalance, a~compressed model (with smaller capacity) will firstly remove neurons responsible for recognition of less-common data. The experimental section found that using data balancing methods helped to improve the accuracy of some classes.

  • Robust Object Detection with Multi-input Multi-output Faster R-CNN
    • Sebastian Cygert
    • Andrzej Czyżewski
    2022

    Recent years have seen impressive progress in visual recognition on many benchmarks, however, generalization to the out-of-distribution setting remains a significant challenge. A state-of-the-art method for robust visual recognition is model ensembling. However, recently it was shown that similarly competitive results could be achieved with a much smaller cost, by using multi-input multi-output architecture (MIMO). In this work, a generalization of the MIMO approach is applied to the task of object detection using the general-purpose Faster R-CNN model. It was shown that using the MIMO framework allows building strong feature representation and obtains very competitive accuracy when using just two input/output pairs. Furthermore, it adds just 0.5% additional model parameters and increases the inference time by 15.9% when compared to the standard Faster R-CNN. It also works comparably to or outperforms the Deep Ensemble approach in terms of model accuracy, robustness to out-of-distribution setting, and uncertainty calibration when the same number of predictions is used. This work opens up avenues for applying the MIMO approach in other high-level tasks such as semantic segmentation and depth estimation.

  • Robust Object Detection with Multi-input Multi-output Faster R-CNN
    • Sebastian Cygert
    • Andrzej Czyżewski
    2022 Full text

    Recent years have seen impressive progress in visual recognition on many benchmarks, however, generalization to the out-of-distribution setting remains a significant challenge. A state-of-the-art method for robust visual recognition is model ensembling. However, recently it was shown that similarly competitive results could be achieved with a much smaller cost, by using multi-input multi-output architecture (MIMO). In this work, a generalization of the MIMO approach is applied to the task of object detection using the general-purpose Faster R-CNN model. It was shown that using the MIMO framework allows building strong feature representation and obtains very competitive accuracy when using just two input/output pairs. Furthermore, it adds just 0.5% additional model parameters and increases the inference time by 15.9% when compared to the standard Faster R-CNN. It also works comparably to or outperforms the Deep Ensemble approach in terms of model accuracy, robustness to out-of-distribution setting, and uncertainty calibration when the same number of predictions is used. This work opens up avenues for applying the MIMO approach in other high-level tasks such as semantic segmentation and depth estimation.

  • Role of the Synergistic Interactions of Environmental Pollutants in the Development of Cancer
    • Francisco Alejandro Lagunas‐Rangel
    • Jenni Viivi Linnea‐Niemi
    • Błażej Kudłak
    • Michael Williams
    • Jörgen Jönsson
    • Helgi B. Schiöth
    2022 Full text GeoHealth

    There is a growing awareness that the large number of environmental pollutants we are exposed to on a daily basis are causing major health problems. Compared to traditional studies that focus on individual pollutants, there are relatively few studies on how pollutants mixtures interact. Several studies have reported a relationship between environmental pollutants and the development of cancer, even when pollutant levels are below toxicity reference values. The possibility of synergistic interactions between different pollutants could explain how even low concentrations can cause major health problems. These intricate that molecular interactions can occur through a wide variety of mechanisms, and our understanding of the physiological effects of mixtures is still limited. The purpose of this paper is to discuss recent reports that address possible synergistic interactions between different types of environmental pollutants that could promote cancer development. Our literature studies suggest that key biological pathways are frequently implicated in such processes.

  • Rotational molding of polylactide (PLA) composites filled with copper slag as a waste filler from metallurgical industry
    • Mateusz Barczewski
    • Aleksander Hejna
    • Joanna Aniśko
    • Jacek Andrzejewski
    • Adam Piasecki
    • Olga Mysiukiewicz
    • Małgorzata Bąk
    • Bartosz Gapiński
    • Zaida Ortega
    2022 Full text POLYMER TESTING

    The research work carried out so far indicates the ever wider possibilities and demand for shaping composite products in the rotational molding technology. This trend was the main reason to use waste-based filler from the metallurgical process as a filler for manufacturing polylactide (PLA)-based remolded composites. Copper slag (CS) was introduced in the single-step processing method to PLA matrix at 5, 10, 20, and 35 wt%. The rotomolded composites with different filler content were subjected to in-depth structural analysis discussed in relationship with mechanical and thermomechanical properties changes. Evaluation of the composite structures by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and 3D computer tomography (3D CT) analyses showed that incorporating up to 10 wt% of the filler did not cause adverse changes in the filler dispersion in the product volume was homogeneous. Lack of unfavorable structural changes in composites with concentrations of up to 20 wt% was related to the rheological properties of the composition. Except for series with the highest filler content (35 wt%), the produced composites were characterized by increased stiffness and hardness than rotomolded parts made from pure PLA. Despite the deterioration of the tensile strength of composite materials using higher filler concentrations, the mechanical performance of 5 and 10 wt% showed an acceptable level while increasing the stiffness by about 15% compared to neat PLA. Moreover, it was shown that the interfacial adhesion between PLA and CS, despite the lack of surface modification of the filler waste, was advantageous.

  • Rozwój diagnostyki termicznej metodami detekcji podczerwieni i wdrożenie procedur nieinwazyjnej, ilościowej diagnostyki podczerwieni w monitoringu zabiegów kardiochirurgicznych, leczeniu ran oparzeniowych i pooperacyjnych
    • Mariusz Kaczmarek
    • Antoni Nowakowski
    2022 Przegląd Telekomunikacyjny + Wiadomości Telekomunikacyjne

    Celem naukowym prowadzonych prac był rozwój algorytmów i procedur diagnostyki termicznej drogą bezkontaktowych pomiarów termicznych w podczerwieni, w celu wdrożenia ich do obiektywnej, ilościowej, nieuraźnej i bezstresowej oceny stanu tkanki w wybranych aplikacjach diagnostyki medycznej. Opracowane metody zweryfikowano w następujących aplikacjach medycznych: w ocenie głębokości oparzeń, w ocenie stanu mięśnia sercowego w zabiegach pomostowania tętnic wieńcowych metodami klasycznymi, jak również małoinwazyjnymi oraz w innych zabiegach na otwartym sercu; w ocenie stanu i postępów gojenia się ran pooperacyjnych, w tym po interwencjach kardiochirurgicznych. Prace badawcze wykazały, że metody termiczne (aktywna termografia dynamiczna) mają doskonałe właściwości różnicowania tkanek, porównywalne z jakością referencyjnej metody, jaką są badania histopatologiczne. Metody termiczne są całkowicie nieinwazyjne oraz umożliwiają szybki, obiektywny i rozległy przestrzennie pomiar oraz klasyfikację rany, a także właściwą ilościową dokumentację przebiegu leczenia. Takie badanie można wielokrotnie powtarzać bez szkody dla pacjenta oraz personelu. Metodę zweryfikowano klinicznie w Gdańskim Uniwersytecie Medycznym, w klinikach: Chirurgii Plastycznej, Chirurgii Onkologicznej, Kardiochirurgii i Chirurgii Naczyniowej oraz w Zachodniopomorskim Centrum Leczenia Ciężkich Oparzeń i Chirurgii Plastycznej w Gryficach. Rezultatem prac jest opracowanie, optymalizacja i implementacja prototypowej aparatury i oprogramowania nadającego się do wdrożenia produkcyjnego i aplikacji w warunkach klinicznych.

  • Rozwój podejścia proekologicznego w projektowaniu urbanistycznym i architektonicznym.
    • Katarzyna Zielonko-Jung
    2022

    Rozdział dotyczy rozwoju tendencji w podejściu projektowania z uwzględnieniem kryteriów ekologicznych. Zapoczątkowane w połowie XX wieku wciąż się rozwija, wzrasta liczba kryteriów oraz przesuwają się towarzyszące im akcenty. W artykule wskazano kryteria obecnie uważane za kluczowe. Odniesiono je następnie do elementów projektowych zawartych w prezentowanym w monogrrafii zestawie koncepcji studencki dotyczących nowej dzielnicy Rumi.

  • S09-4 The development of the Physical Activity Environment Policy Index (PA-EPI): a tool for monitoring and benchmarking government policies and actions to improve physical activity
    • Catherine B Woods
    • Liam Kelly
    • Kevin Volf
    • Peter Gelius
    • Sven Messing
    • Sarah Forberger
    • Jeroen Lakerveld
    • Nicole den Braver
    • Joanna Żukowska
    • Enrique García Bengoechea
    2022 EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

    Background Insufficient physical activity (PA) is a global issue for health. A multifaceted response, including government action, is essential to improve population levels of PA. The purpose of this study was to develop the ‘Physical Activity Environment Policy Index’ (PA-EPI) monitoring framework to assess government policies and actions for creating a healthy PA environment. Methods An iterative process was undertaken. This involved a review of policy documents from authoritative organisations, a policy audit of four European countries, and systematic reviews of scientific literature. This was followed by an online consultation with academic experts (N = 101; 20 countries, 72% response rate), and policymakers (N = 40, 4 EU countries). During this process, consensus workshops where quantitative and qualitative data alongside theoretical and pragmatic considerations were used to inform PA-EPI development. Results The PA-EPI is conceptualised as a two-component ‘policy’ and ‘infrastructure support’ framework. The two components comprise eight policy and seven infrastructure support domains. The policy domains are education, transport, urban design, healthcare, public education (including mass media), sport-for-all, workplaces and community. The infrastructure support domains are leadership, governance, monitoring and intelligence, funding and resources, platforms for interaction, workforce development, and health-in-all-policies. Forty-five ‘good practice statements’ (GPS) or indicators of ideal good practice within each domain concludes the PA-EPI. A potential eight-step process for conducting the PA-EPI is described. Conclusions Once pre-tested and piloted in several countries of various sizes and income levels, the PA-EPI GPS will evolve into benchmarks established by governments at the forefront of creating and implementing policies to address inactivity.

  • Scaled agile framework. Dealing with software process‐related challenges of a financial group with the action research approach
    • Michał Kowalczyk
    • Bartosz Marcinkowski
    • Adam Przybyłek
    2022 Full text Journal of Software-Evolution and Process

    This article reports on a domain-specific software development venture at Nordea. We explore organizational constraints, challenges, and corrective actions undertaken when scaling the agile development approach of their Core Banking Platform program. The fit and required customizations of the rather complex and rigid SAFe framework in a policy-heavy financial institution are audited against the organic growth of the program. In a qualitative study with three cycles using the Action Research method, both organizational and technical restrictions were tackled jointly with the company employees. Thirty-four potential solutions were developed—some of which turned out to be dead-ends. Ultimately, the effectiveness of prior recommendations was tested in a highly challenging implementation environment, and the list of guidelines was extended. We discovered several meeting and collaboration schemes that are not fully aligned with previous reports.

  • Scheduling on Uniform and Unrelated Machines with Bipartite Incompatibility Graphs
    • Tytus Pikies
    • Hanna Furmańczyk
    2022

    The problem of scheduling jobs on parallel machines under an incompatibility relation is considered in this paper. In this model, a binary relation between jobs is given and no two jobs that are in the relation can be scheduled on the same machine. We consider job scheduling under the incompatibility relation modeled by a bipartite graph, under the makespan optimality criterion, on uniform and unrelated machines. Unrelated machines are considered first. An FPTAS for R2|G=bipartite|Cmax is provided. We also show that for any ϵ>0,b>0 and m≥3 , there is no polynomial-time algorithm of approximation ratio O(nbp1−ϵmax) for Rm|G = bipartite |Cmax , unless P = NP. Uniform machines are considered as second. For any ϵ>0 , we show that under P = NP assumption there is no polynomial-time O(n1/2−ϵ )-approximation algorithm, even in the case of unit time jobs. We also provide a polynomial-time Σpj−−−√ -approximation algorithm for the case of jobs of arbitrary lengths pj , matching the established bound. To enrich the analysis, bipartite graphs generated randomly according to Gilbert's model Gn,n,p(n) are considered. We show that there exists an algorithm producing a schedule with makespan almost surely at most twice the optimum for a broad class of p(n) functions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study of randomly generated graphs in the context of scheduling in the considered model.

  • Scheduling with Complete Multipartite Incompatibility Graph on Parallel Machines: Complexity and Algorithms
    • Tytus Pikies
    • Krzysztof Turowski
    • Marek Kubale
    2022 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

    In this paper, the problem of scheduling on parallel machines with a presence of incompatibilities between jobs is considered. The incompatibility relation can be modeled as a complete multipartite graph in which each edge denotes a pair of jobs that cannot be scheduled on the same machine. The paper provides several results concerning schedules, optimal or approximate with respect to the two most popular criteria of optimality: (makespan) and (total completion time). The problems are considered for a variety of machine types: identical, uniform and unrelated. The results consist of delimitation of the easy (polynomial) and NP-hard problems within these constraints. Also, polynomial-time exact algorithms are provided for easier problems and algorithms with a guaranteed constant worst-case approximation ratio for harder ones. In particular, there is provided a polynomial-time approximation scheme (PTAS) for scheduling with respect to on uniform machines, when the number of parts (i.e. sets of vertices constituting the mentioned graph) is bounded. The problem is addressed by developing a linear programming relaxation technique with appropriate rounding. This technique together with an exhaustive search (albeit in a manner controlled by the precision parameter) allows to provide the desired algorithm. For a PTAS is provided for the case of unit time jobs, but when the number of parts is part of the input. Interestingly, the latter result shows a connection between the considered problem of scheduling and covering problems.

  • Schronienia. Modelowanie struktur bionicznych warsztaty kreatywne
    • Agnieszka Kurkowska
    • Anna Górka
    • Magdalena Szarejko
    2022

    Warsztaty miały na celu przemyślenie i odnalezienie związków pomiędzy naturalnym ukształtowaniem krajobrazu, elementami przyrody ożywionej i nieożywionej. Uczestnicy wykonali studia rysunkowe elementów zastanych w miejscowości Piotrowo podczas zajęć terenowych. Następnie stworzono niewielkie formy gliniane, kolejno lokowane w wybranym, analizowanym uprzednio miejscu. Powstały propozycje obiektów bionicznych o możliwym architektonicznym przeznaczeniu użytkowym jako siedzib ludzkich dopasowanych do studiowanego miejsca.

  • Screw displacement pile shaft deformations measured by vibrating wire and fiber optic systems during a static load test
    • Mateusz Wiszniewski
    • Adam Krasiński
    2022 Full text

    This paper describes a full scale static load test performed on a 400 mm diameter screw displacement pile equipped with four different strain measuring systems. Three types of vibrating wire strain gauges (VWSG) were used: global - retrievable, local attached to steel pipe and local concrete embedded. The fourth system was distributed fiber optic sensors based on Rayleigh back scattering (DFOS) - three in the pile cross section. It is generally assumed that the combined cross section deforms equally. However, especially in the upper part of the pile, stress and therefore strain distribution might be non-uniform. In the case of steel tube (installed centrally in the pile axis), additional sliding effect may occur. Pile bending and local shaft imperfection may also affect strain readings, therefore using multiple gauges in a single plane might be necessary for proper result interpretation. Those assumptions were verified in the paper as the differences in readings have significant influence on final load distribution interpretation. Adaptation of several strain measurement techniques in one test allowed their applicability assessment and effectiveness verification.

  • Search for identity of Pomeranian house by means of educational activities
    • Agnieszka Kurkowska
    • Robert Idem
    2022 Full text AIP Conference Proceedings

    Architecture is a universal phenomenon and is a culture-creating field closely related to other fields of art. Hence, experiencing and feeling identity are also conditioned by the proper formation of architectural objects, which are carriers specific values which co-decide about the possibility of this experience occurring in connection with a specific place and the fulfilment of a specific need in it. In the era of ubiquitous thoughtless consumption and common avoidance of the written word, objects belonging to the material culture that architecture co-creates become essential objects in the process of conveying ideas and specific content. Belonging to a place, cultural group, community or regional community is reflected in consciously designed spatial forms. However, in order to ensure this awareness, the above-mentioned issues should be included in the general education as part of expanding knowledge about regional planning, but also the knowledge of regional architectural forms and settlement systems. The Pomeranian home experience can be related to two contrasting situations. First of all - a former Kashubian village with its regional buildings, where the house was a wooden Kashubian cottage. This architecture, arising from local conditions and culturally embedded in the consciousness of Kashubians, strengthened the sense of identification with the inhabited region and a specific place. Secondly - a contemporary Pomeranian housing estate, built up with multi-frame, prefabricated blocks. It seems that this type of development, devoid of cultural roots in regional traditions, impoverishes personal identification with the inhabited building / apartment. The space of housing estates, as well as neglected buildings in some villages await revalorization. A lost identity can be searched for by caring for valuable housing based on knowledge of architecture and regional settlement. The authors will present a publication made as part of the project entitled "ZASPA: house in a block of flats. The spaces of architecture. " In line with its assumptions, the issue of the residence of inmates in the region was raised. The book entitled "Block and hut: wandering" is an educational material for children from higher grades of primary schools. It provides knowledge about the regional form of the Kashubian house and settlement forms typical of the area. At the same time, contemporary settlement forms are shown - housing estates.

  • Seasonal Patterns and Trends in Dermatoses in Poland
    • Krzysztof Bartosz Klimiuk
    • Dawid Krefta
    • Karol Kołkowski
    • Karol Flisikowski
    • Małgorzata Sokołowska-Wojdyło
    • Łukasz Balwicki
    2022 Full text International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

    The amount of data available online is constantly increasing, including search behavior and tracking trends in domains such as Google. Analyzing the data helps to predict patient needs and epidemiological events more accurately. Our study aimed to identify dermatology-related terms that occur seasonally and any search anomalies during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Methods: The data were gathered using Google Trends, with 69 entries between January-2010 and December-2020 analyzed. We conducted the Seasonal Mann–Kendal Test to determine the strength of trends. The month with the highest seasonal component (RSV) and the lowest seasonal component (RSV) was indicated for every keyword. Groups of keywords occurring together regularly at specific periods of the year were shown. Results: We found that some topics were seasonally searched in winter (e.g., herpes, scabies, candida) and others in summer (e.g., erythema, warts, urticaria). Conclusions: Interestingly, downward trends in searches on sexually transmitted diseases in comparison with increased infection rates reported officially show a strong need for improved sexual education in Poland. There were no significant differences in trends for coronavirus-related cutaneous symptoms during 2020. We have shown that the seasonality of dermatologically related terms searched in Poland via Google did not differ significantly during SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

  • Segmentacja obrazów medycznych przy ograniczonej liczbie adnotacji
    • Tomasz Gruzdzis
    • Krzysztof Wicki
    • Patrycja Gładkowska
    • Tomasz Boiński
    2022

    W dziedzinie badań klinicznych i opieki zdrowotnej tradycyjne podejście w uczeniu głębokim polegające na wykorzystaniu dużych zbiorów danych jest trudne w realizacji. Przyczyną takiego stanu rzeczy są koszty znakowania obrazów medycznych, zwłaszcza w przypadku segmentacji obrazów medycznych. Jest to żmudna operacja, która zazwyczaj wymaga intensywnego znakowania pikseli wykonanego przez ekspertów – lekarzy. W tym rozdziale zaprezentowano podejście bazujące na wykorzystaniu metod uczenia maszynowego w semantycznej segmentacji obrazów medycznych. Celem badań była taka realizacja segmentacji, aby zminimalizować konieczną liczbę pełnych adnotacji na wybranym zbiorze danych. W tym celu zaproponowano użycie sieci nnU-Net. Skupiono się na zbadaniu, czy uczenie modelu z wykorzystaniem ograniczonej liczby adnotacji jest możliwe.

  • Seismic gap between buildings founded on different soil types experiencing pounding during earthquakes
    • Mahmoud Miari
    • Robert Jankowski
    2022 EARTHQUAKE SPECTRA

    Several formulas have been suggested in the literature to evaluate the minimum seismic gap that would prevent collisions between adjacent buildings during earthquakes, including those based on the absolute sum of the peak displacements (ABS), square root of the sum of the squares (SRSS), the double difference method (DDC), Australian code, and approach proposed by Naderpour et al. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the influence of the seismic gap on the behavior of buildings experiencing pounding, as well as verify the accuracy of these five formulas for structures founded on different soil types. Three buildings (4-story, 6-story and 8-story buildings) were considered and three pounding scenarios were modeled. In the first part of the study, these three pounding scenarios were analyzed by considering three different seismic gaps (1 mm, 1 cm, and 1 m). In the second part, the accuracy of the aforementioned formulas was verified for buildings founded on different soil types (hard rock, rock, very dense soil and soft rock, stiff soil, and soft clay soil). The results indicated that the seismic gap had a significant influence on the response of colliding buildings, including the peak story accelerations and pounding forces. Moreover, increasing the gap did not always lead to a reduction in the effects of pounding, unless it was large enough to eliminate structural collisions during earthquakes. In addition, all five formulas were found to provide poor estimates when considering different soil types. The ABS and the Naderpour et al. formulas were found to always be conservative, but they overestimated the minimum gap that would prevent pounding. Moreover, the DDC and Australian code formulas provided overestimate, accurate, and underestimate results, and the SRSS formula provided both accurate and overestimate results.

  • Selecting wells for an optimal design of groundwater monitoring network based on monitoring priority map: A Kish Island case study
    • Hamid Amiri
    • Sama Azadi
    • Sirus Javadpour
    • Ali Asghar Naghavi
    • Grzegorz Boczkaj
    2022 Full text Water Resources and Industry

    This paper presents a novel approach, i.e. a combination of gamma test and monitoring priority map, for optimal design of groundwater monitoring network (GMN) by considering the cumulative effects of industries, human activities, and natural factors on the groundwater quality. The proposed method was successfully applied to design an optimal network for groundwater salinity monitoring on Kish Island, Persian Gulf. The priority map of groundwater salinity monitoring was obtained based on the GALDIT index and two new factors including the average fluctuation of groundwater electrical conductivity (F) and distance from industries discharging saline effluents (P). The optimal number of monitoring wells was determined using a data analysis based on gamma test method. Then, a practical algorithm was presented to determine the optimal location of monitoring wells. Based on the results, the optimal number of monitoring wells is 110 and their location have an equitable distribution on the whole island.

  • Selection of Organic Coating Systems for Corrosion Protection of Industrial Equipment
    • Michał Drozda
    • Andrzej Miszczyk
    2022 Full text Coatings

    The most important element of corrosion protection in industrial conditions is the protective coating system. However, selecting the right coating can often be a real problem due to the sheer number of coating manufacturers and their products on the market. A quantitative approach based on the data mining technique used to analyze the obtained multi-site exposure data has been proposed. This was demonstrated by the example of the selection of a coating system to protect an industrial ball mill located in a hall for the enrichment of copper ore at the Polish company KGHM Polska Miedz S.A. A collection of 21 two-layer coating systems from different manufacturers was tested for one year. Multiple areas on the industrial ball mill, subjected to varying degrees of vibrations and abrasion, were painted. In addition, sets of samples that can be detached from the mill housing were mounted, as well as the set exposed in the hall without vibrations. The condition of the coatings after exposure was assessed using impedance spectroscopy. The obtained data from many different exposure areas were analyzed using principal components analysis (PCA). In this way, the most advantageous coating systems for the specific conditions in the hall were indicated. Additionally, on this basis, the contribution of various destructive factors, including vibrations and abrasion, to the protective properties of the tested coatings, was estimated.

  • Selectivity Tuning by Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents (NADESs) for Extraction of Bioactive Compounds from Cytinus hypocistis—Studies of Antioxidative, Enzyme-Inhibitive Properties and LC-MS Profiles
    • Gokhan Zengin
    • María de la Luz Cádiz-Gurrea
    • Álvaro Fernández-Ochoa
    • Francisco Javier Leyva-Jiménez
    • Antonio Segura Carretero
    • Malwina Momotko
    • Evren Yildiztugay
    • Refik Karatas
    • Sharmeen Jugreet
    • Mohamad Fawzi Mahomoodally
    • Grzegorz Boczkaj
    2022 Full text MOLECULES

    In the present study, the extracts of Cytinus hypocistis (L.) L using both traditional solvents (hexane, ethyl acetate, dichloromethane, ethanol, ethanol/water, and water) and natural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs) were investigated in terms of their total polyphenolic contents and antioxidant and enzyme-inhibitive properties. The extracts were found to possess total phenolic and total flavonoid contents in the ranges of 26.47–186.13 mg GAE/g and 0.68–12.55 mg RE/g, respectively. Higher total phenolic contents were obtained for NADES extracts. Compositional differences were reported in relation to antioxidant potential studied by several assays (DPPH: 70.19–939.35 mg TE/g, ABTS: 172.56–4026.50 mg TE/g; CUPRAC: 97.41–1730.38 mg TE/g, FRAP: 84.11–1534.85 mg TE/g). Application of NADESs (choline chloride—urea 1:2, a so-called Reline) allowed one to obtain the highest number of extracts having antioxidant potential in the radical scavenging and reducing assays. NADES-B (protonated by HCl L-proline-xylitol 5:1) was the only extractant from the studied solvents that isolated a specific fraction without chelating activity. Reline extract exhibited the highest acetylcholinesterase inhibition compared to NADES-B and NADES-C (protonated by H2SO4 L-proline-xylitol 5:1) extracts, which showed no inhibition. The NADES extracts were observed to have higher tyrosinase inhibitory properties compared to extracts obtained by traditional organic solvents. Furthermore, the NADES extracts were relatively better inhibitors of the diabetic enzymes. These findings provided an interesting comparison in terms of total polyphenolic content yields, antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory properties (cholinesterase, amylase, glucosidase, and tyrosinase) between traditional solvent extracts and NADES extracts, used as an alternative. While the organic solvents showed better antioxidant activity, the NADES extracts were found to have some other improved properties, such as higher total phenolic content and enzyme-inhibiting properties, suggesting functional prospects for their use in phytonutrient extraction and fractionation. The obtained results could also be used to give a broad overview of the different biological potentials of C. hypocistis.

  • Self-Organization of Graft Copolymers and Retortable iPP-Based Nanoporous Films Thereof
    • Lidia Jasinska-Walc
    • Rob Duchateau
    • Thomas Defize
    • Miloud Bouyahyi
    • Artur Rozanski
    • Lanti Yang
    • Bhaskar Patham
    • Teun Sweere
    • Sebastian Hochstädt
    • Michael Ryan Hansen
    • Katrien Bernaerts
    2022 Full text ACS Applied Polymer Materials

    Polyolefins might become inexpensive alternatives to the existing membranes based on polyethersulfone. Here we disclose the production of retortable, well-defined PP-based nanoporous membranes derived from amphiphilic graft copolymer precursors. The graft copolymers, containing a polypropylene backbone and polyester grafts, were obtained by grafting lactones, specifically δ-valerolactone and ε-caprolactone, from well-defined randomly functionalized poly(propylene-co-10-undecen-1-ol) as a macroinitiator. Depending on the composition, the graft copolymers self-assemble into droplet, cylindrical, lamellar or interconnected two-phase morphologies. Functional mesoporous iPP-based membranes were fabricated by the selective degradation of the polyester blocks of the copolymers. Their structure and morphology were studied using AFM, SEM and SAXS and solid state NMR, while the mesoporosity was assessed by nitrogen sorption experiments. The pore size of the membranes is strongly influenced not only by the volume fraction of the copolymer blocks but unexpectedly also by the topology (i.e. number of grafts) of the graft copolymer, as was confirmed by computational modeling studies using the Dynamic Density Functional Theory (DDFT) engine within the Culgi software. This work provides a conclusive answer on how the morphology of iPP-based graft copolymers is tuned by the copolymer composition and the amount and length of the grafted polyester blocks. Filtration tests and flux determination demonstrated that such structurally-well defined mesoporous products can be successfully applied for ultrafiltration processes while the chemical resistance- and sterilization tests revealed their robust performance and suitability for water purification applications.

  • Semantyczne wektory słów
    • Szymon Olewniczak
    2022

    Niniejszy rozdział stanowi wstęp do rozległego zagadnienia, jakim są semantyczne wektory słów. W szczególności skupiono się w niej na metodach automatycznego tworzenia tego typu reprezentacji na podstawie dużych zbiorów danych. Omówiono także różne możliwe interpretacje tego, czym tak naprawdę jest podobieństwo słów, oraz przedstawiono wybrane zastosowania tego typu modeli.

  • Sensing Direction of Human Motion Using Single-Input-Single-Output (SISO) Channel Model and Neural Networks
    • Sameer Ahmad Bhat
    • Muneer Ahmad Dar
    • Piotr Szczuko
    • Dalia Alyahya
    • Farhana Mustafa
    2022 Full text IEEE Access

    Object detection Through-the-Walls enables localization and identification of hidden objects behind the walls. While numerous studies have exploited Channel State Information of Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) WiFi and radar devices in association with Artificial Intelligence based algorithms (AI) to detect and localize objects behind walls, this study proposes a novel non-invasive Through-the-Walls human motion direction prediction system based on a Single-Input-Single-Output (SISO) communication channel model and Shallow Neural Network (SNN). The motion direction prediction accuracy of SNN is highlighted against the other types of Machine Learning (ML) models. The comparative analysis of models in this study shows that unique human movement patterns, superimposed on received pilot radio signal, can be classified precisely by SNN, with an accuracy of approximately 89.13% compared to the other ML based models. The results of this study would guide scholars, active in developing human motion recognition systems, intrusion detection systems, or Well-being and healthcare systems, and in processes that innovate and improve processing techniques for monitoring and control.