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Gdańsk University of Technology

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  • Potential degradation of norfloxacin using UV-C/Fe2+/peroxides-based oxidative pathways
    • Faiza Rehman
    • Nazish Parveen
    • Jibran Iqbal
    • Murtaza Sayed
    • Noor S. Shah
    • Sabah Ansar
    • Javed Ali
    • Afzal Shah
    • Farrukh Jamil
    • Grzegorz Boczkaj
    2023 JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY A-CHEMISTRY

    The removal of norfloxacin (NOR), a widely used pharmaceutical and emerging water pollutant, was studied using UV-C and Fe2+ catalyzed peroxides-based oxidative processes (e.g., UV-C/Fe2+/H2O2, UV-C/Fe2+/S2O82− and UV-C/Fe2+/HSO5−) and compared with UV-C and UV-C/Fe2+. The UV-C and UV-C/Fe2+ degraded NOR to 38 and 55 %. However, use of peroxides, i.e., H2O2, S2O82−, HSO5− with UV-C and UV-C/Fe2+ promoted NOR %degradation to 75, 83, and 90 % using [peroxides]0 = 50 mg/L, [Fe2+]0 = 1 mg/L, and [NOR]0 = 10 mg/L, respectively. The significant impact of peroxides on NOR degradation was due to their decomposition into ●OH and SO4●− which showed high activity towards NOR degradation. The ●OH and SO4●− formation from peroxides decomposition and their contribution in NOR degradation was verified by different scavenger studies. Among the UV-C/Fe2+/peroxides processes, UV-C/Fe2+/HSO5− showed better performance. The changing concentrations of peroxides, Fe2+, and NOR affected degradation of NOR. The use of different pH and inorganic anions also influenced NOR degradation. The degradation pathways of NOR were established and analyzed acute as well as chronic toxicities of NOR and its DPs.

  • Potential energy curves, transition and permanent dipole moments of KRb
    • Patryk Jasik
    • Piotr Łobacz
    • Józef Sienkiewicz
    2023 Full text ATOMIC DATA AND NUCLEAR DATA TABLES

    We present extensive calculations of 48 adiabatic potential energy curves of the KRb molecule. Efforts have been focused on preparing the appropriate basis sets. Compared to previous approaches, the set of new potential energy curves is extended to higher excitations, including the single-excited K(4s2S)+Rb(5d2D) and double-excited K(4p2P)+Rb(5p2P) atomic limits. Larger distances between nuclei are also taken into account. New features of potential energy curves have been found. The present spectroscopic parameters are compared with the available experimental data and other theoretical results, among which parameters of 15 high-laying excited electronic states are provided for the first time. We also present the values of the transition and permanent dipole moment functions and discuss their features. The aims of the study are to provide high-quality data for the KRb molecule, which may be useful in the physics of low temperatures and alternatively the analysis and assignment of molecular spectra.

  • Potential Impact of Waterway Development on Cultural Landscape Values: The Case of the Lower Vistula
    • Anna Golędzinowska
    2023 Full text Urban Planning

    The northern (“lower”) section of the Vistula is on the route of two international waterways—E70 and E40. However, the current condition of the riverbed prevents larger vessels from passing through. Plans for the waterway date back to the beginning of the 20th century. Following Poland’s ratification of the European Agreement on Main Inland Waterways of International Importance in 2017, the general concept has been transformed into more concrete studies and has found its place in the national development policy. The scientific and political discourse primarily addresses the potential benefits of river regulation in the field of transport and energy. Against this background, studies on the impact of investments on the natural environment are published less frequently. Meanwhile, the Vistula has for centuries influenced the formation of a unique cultural landscape, which will be severely transformed if the river is regulated. On the other hand, insufficient transit depths of the waterway result in the loss of the function of the historic transport corridor, which also changes the character of parts of the area dependent on the river—in particular, the riverside areas of towns. This article aims to indicate the need for a qualitative landscape assessment of how the impact of investments is assessed and the best solution chosen. Using the assumptions of the historic urban landscape, the author analyses the potential impact of the planned investment in the lower Vistula on the surrounding cultural landscape. The potential scope for change in two dimensions is indicated at the scale of the lower Vistula and the individual towns. The possible impact of the investments on the panoramas is illustrated for selected cases.

  • Potyczki algorytmiczne, czyli Alicja i Bogdan w nowych sytuacjach. 3. Alicja i Bogdan remontują mieszkanie.
    • Marek Kubale
    • Damian Niemczyk
    2023 Pismo PG

    Poniższe zagadki nawiązują z jednej strony do problemu kafelkowania płaszczyzny, który jest nierozstrzygalny, z drugiej do problemu rozkroju wstęgi, który jest NP-trudny. Jednakże przypadki szczególne, które tu rozważamy, nie są tak trudne i mogą być rozwiązane za pomocą algorytmów działających w czasie wielomianowym.

  • Potyczki algorytmiczne, czyli Alicja i Bogdan w nowych sytuacjach. 4. Alicja i Bogdan w samochodzie.
    • Marek Kubale
    2023 Pismo PG

    Zilustrowano problem przeszukiwania obiektów w nieznanych przestrzeniach na przykładzie jazdy samochodem.

  • Potyczki algorytmiczne, czyli Alicja i Bogdan w nowych sytuacjach. 5. Alicja kupuje buty.
    • Marek Kubale
    2023 Pismo PG

    Niniejszy miniesej pokazuje, w jaki sposób można efektywnie przeszukiwać uporządkowane tablice 2-wymiarowe oraz, w jaki sposób można radzić sobie (niekiedy) z trudnymi problemami obliczeniowymi.

  • Potyczki algorytmiczne, czyli Alicja i Bogdan w nowych sytuacjach. Alicja i Bogdan w pizzerii
    • Marek Kubale
    2023 Pismo PG

    Powracamy tutaj do zagadki sprzed 4 lat pod tym samym tytułem, którą uzupełniamy nowymi komentarzami i nowymi zagadkami na ten temat. Pozwala to nam zilustrować szerzej zasady działania algorytmu zachłannego.

  • Power converter interface for urban DC traction substations - solutions and functionality.
    • Mykola Lukianov
    • Ievgen Verbytskyi
    • Natalia Strzelecka
    • Ryszard Strzelecki
    2023 Full text Przegląd Elektrotechniczny

    This paper focuses on extending an urban DC traction substation functionality by means of an additional power converter interface (PCI). In particular, by enabling bidirectional energy exchange between LV DC traction grid, AC grid and V2G chargers. Among other things, the presented material compares general attributes of the most promising DC/DC converters that can be used in a PCI, meet the requirements of galvanic isolation and can operate in a wide voltage range. Based on the literature, the application suitability of typical PCI structures and isolated DC/DC converters was made. In addition, the principles of power flow in the power converter interface that connects an AC grid, DC traction grid, V2G chargers and PV source are discussed

  • Poziom emisji wybranych przedstawicieli z grupy terpenów z powszechnie stosowanych materiałów drewnopochodnych po długim okresie przechowywania
    • Karolina Budnarowska
    • Mariusz Marć
    2023 Analityka: Nauka i Praktyka

    Materiały drewnopochodne wykorzystywane do produkcji elementów wyposażeniowych uznawane są za istotne źródło emisji związków z grupy terpenów do powietrza wewnętrznego. Z tego względu stanowią kluczowy element przyczyniający się do kształtowania jakości środowiska wewnętrznego pomieszczeń, a tym samym potencjalnego oddziaływania na samopoczucie osób w nim przebywających. Przeprowadzone badania oraz uzyskana baza danych miały na celu określenie wielkości emisji wybranych związków z grupy terpenów uwalnianych do fazy gazowej z powierzchni próbek najpowszechniej stosowanych na rynku materiałów drewnopochodnych. Jednak równie istotnym aspektem, jest fakt, iż w wyniku interpretacji uzyskanych wyników, zaistniała możliwość uświadomienia użytkowników tego typu materiałów, iż pomimo upływu lat, materiały drewnopochodne nadal mogą stanowić znaczący element wpływający na jakość środowiska wewnętrznego.

  • Prace remontowo-naprawcze w obiektach zabytkowych.Wybrane przykłady
    • Maciej Niedostatkiewicz
    2023

    Publikacja stanowi studium przypadku usterek i uszkodzeń występujących w obiektach zabytkowych. Szczególny nacisk położono na przedstawienie stanów przedawaryjnych i awaryjnych tego typu obiektów. W pracy przedstawiono następstwa projektowania i realizacji obiektów budowlanych będących dzisiaj zabytkami, często z pominięciem zasad wiedzy technicznej. Wskazano również konsekwencje niewłaściwego, wieloletniego użytkowania tych obiektów. W książce zaproponowano koncepcje rozwiązań projektowych naprawy występujących usterek i uszkodzeń.

  • Practical Approach to IP Scheduled Throughput Measurements in Dual Connectivity Systems
    • Arkadiusz Zięba
    • Martin Kollar
    • Krzysztof Tatarczyk
    • Jarosław Sadowski
    2023 Full text International Journal of Electronics and Telecommunications

    IP scheduled throughput defined according to 3GPP TS 36.314 reflects user throughput regardless of traffic characteristics, and therefore has become one of the most important indicators for monitoring Quality of Service (QoS) of the end user in Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN). However, networks built on a distributed architecture make the above definition impossible to be applied directly due to the implementation challenges. This paper gives an overview of the classical Long Term Evolution (LTE) architecture as opposed to Dual Connectivity (DC) topology and focuses on a novel method of solving the calculation issue with the IP scheduled throughput measurement in edge computing environment. Experimental results show a good agreement with the real end user perception.

  • Practical aspects of testing superconducting electromagnets by the capacitor discharge method taking into account the non-linearity of circuit parameters
    • Michał Michna
    • Andrzej Wilk
    • Marek Wołoszyk
    • Michał Ziółko
    • Stanisław Galla
    • Piotr Szwangruber
    2023 Full text Archives of Electrical Engineering

    The article presents selected issues related to the development and testing of the diagnostics systems dedicated for superconducting electromagnets. The systems were constructed to assess the production quality of superconducting electromagnets of the SIS100 synchrotron, a new accelerator being built as part of the Facility of Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR). One of the systems is used for automatic checking of electrical connection parameters and the continuity of electric circuits. The role of the second device is to assess the quality of winding insulation and to estimate circuit parameters of electromagnet coils using the capacitor discharge method. The work presents measurements and analysis of current and voltage waveforms acquired during discharges on a magnet coil simulator and on the SIS100 main dipole electromagnet

  • Praktyczne aspekty fotowoltaiki
    • Ewa Klugmann-Radziemska
    2023

    Wydajność instalacji fotowoltaicznej zależy od wielu czynników. Niektóre z nich są niezależne od właściciela modułów, inne pozwalają na podejmowanie świadomych działań, by lepiej wykorzystać potencjał instalacji i zwiększyć ilość generowanej energii, a tym samym poprawić efekt ekologiczny i ekonomiczny. Ograniczenie każdego z tych czynników ma istotne znaczenie ekonomiczne ze względu na możliwość uzyskania – przez zwiększenie sprawności konwersji fotowoltaicznej – większej mocy z tej samej powierzchni czynnej ogniw przy tym samym natężeniu promieniowania padającego. Wyżej wymienione czynniki powinny być analizowane na etapie wyboru modułów przez inwestora. Z kolei decyzja o miejscu i sposobie zainstalowania modułów i ich usytuowaniu jest podejmowana na etapie budowania instalacji i jest kluczowa dla uzyskania jak najbardziej korzystnych efektów jej pracy.

  • Pre-analytical aspects in metabolomics of human biofluids – sample collection, handling, transport, and storage
    • Dorota Garwolińska
    • Agata Kot-Wasik
    • Weronika Hewelt-Belka
    2023 Molecular Omics

    Metabolomics is the field of omics research that offers valuable insights into the complex composition of biological samples. It has found wide application in clinical diagnostics, disease investigation, therapy prediction, monitoring of treatment efficiency, drug discovery, or in-depth analysis of sample composition. A suitable study design constitutes the fundamental requirements to ensure robust and reliable results from the study data. The study design process should include a careful selection of conditions for each experimental step, from sample collection to data analysis. The pre-analytical variability that can introduce bias to the subsequent analytical process, decrease the outcome reliability, and confuse the final results of the metabolomics research, should also be considered. Herein, we provide key information regarding the pre-analytical variables affecting the metabolomics studies of biological fluids that are the most desirable type of biological samples. Our work offers a practical review that can serve and guide metabolomics pre-analytical design. It indicates pre-analytical factors, which can introduce artificial data variation and should be identified and understood during experimental design (through literature overview or analytical experiments).

  • Prebiotics and probiotics in food
    • Edyta Malinowska-Pańczyk
    2023

    Nowadays, food is not only used to satisfy hunger and is a source of nutrients, but is also considered a factor that directly affects human health. Consumers are looking for high-quality products that contain bioactive ingredients that affect the proper functioning of the body and good mood. Functional foods, which must exhibit health benefits when consumed as part of a balanced diet, are becoming increasingly popular among health-conscious individuals. Probiotics and prebiotics may be functional components of such foods.

  • Predicting emotion from color present in images and video excerpts by machine learning
    • Aleksandra Wędołowska
    • Dawid Weber
    • Bożena Kostek
    2023 Full text IEEE Access

    This work aims at predicting emotion based on the colors present in images and video excerpts using a machine-learning approach. The purpose of this paper is threefold: (a) to develop a machine-learning algorithm that classifies emotions based on the color present in an image, (b) to select the best-performing algorithm from the first phase and apply it to film excerpt emotion analysis based on colors, (c) to design an online survey to check the accuracy of the annotations of the collected film data. In the first, three approaches to color extraction are tested, namely clustering colors into a palette of predefined colors, assigning colors to the RYB (Red, Yellow, Blue) model, and extracting a histogram of colors present in an image. This is based on image datasets containing color and emotion annotations. Classification is conducted using several algorithms, both deep learning and baseline artificial intelligence algorithms. The obtained results, under different configurations of parameters and training sets, are then presented. In the second part, the bestperforming algorithm from the first phase is applied to film excerpt emotion analysis based on colors. This is followed by the third part, which is an online survey created to check the accuracy of the algorithm’s annotations to the collected film data by the questionnaire respondents. Further, a discussion of the results achieved is presented. Conclusions contain a summary of the results and further direction for improving the performance of the created algorithm.

  • Predicting seismic response of SMRFs founded on different soil types using machine learning techniques
    • Farzin Kazemi
    • Neda Asgarkhani
    • Robert Jankowski
    2023 ENGINEERING STRUCTURES

    Predicting the Maximum Interstory Drift Ratio (M-IDR) of Steel Moment-Resisting Frames (SMRFs) is a useful tool for designers to approximately evaluate the vulnerability of SMRFs. This study aims to explore supervised Machine Learning (ML) algorithms to build a surrogate prediction model for SMRFs to reduce the need for complex modeling. For this purpose, twenty well-known ML algorithms implemented in Python software are trained based on the dataset achieved from Incremental Dynamic Analyses (IDAs) performed on the 2-Story, 3- Story, 4-Story, 5-Story, 6-Story, 7-Story, 8-Story, and 9-Story SMRFs modeled in Opensees. Then, important features of weight, fundamental period of structure (T1), the RSN number of record subsets, the direction of the record subsets, soil types, and Sa(T1) of analysis, which affect the results of predictions, were selected by trial and error. Having these important features, data-driven techniques developed in Python software were compared for predicting the M-IDR of SMRFs as target. Results showed that ML algorithms of GPReg, PLSReg, SReg, LReg, GReg, MLPReg, SVM, and LSVR had lower values of coefficient of determination (R2 lower than 0.5) in both train and test datasets. In addition, XGBoost, BReg, HistGBR, and ERTReg algorithms achieved higher values of R2 (i.e. upper than 0.95 in the 5-Story SMRF) with low Mean Squared Error (MSE) for prediction of M-IDR. Therefore, using these algorithms mitigates the need for computationally expensive, time-consuming, and complex analysis, while preliminary prediction of M-IDR can be considered a low computational and efficient tool for seismic vulnerability assessment.

  • Prediction of maximum tensile stress in plain-weave composite laminates with interacting holes via stacked machine learning algorithms: A comparative study
    • Faramarz Bagherzadeh
    • Torkan Shafighfard
    • Raja Muhammad Awais Khan
    • Piotr Szczuko
    • Magdalena Mieloszyk
    2023 MECHANICAL SYSTEMS AND SIGNAL PROCESSING

    Plain weave composite is a long-lasting type of fabric composite that is stable enough when being handled. Open-hole composites have been widely used in industry, though they have weak structural performance and complex design processes. An extensive number of material/geometry parameters have been utilized for designing these composites, thereby an efficient computational tool is essential for that purpose. Different Machine Learning (ML) tools were integrated to obtain the model with the highest accuracy considering the maximum tensile stress of composite plates with two interacting notches while comparing the effectiveness of each technique. Finite Element (FE) simulations were carried out inside the ABAQUS software by employing python macro code to provide a data-rich framework (8960 data). The predictions given by ML methods were compared with the data given by the numerical simulations. An evolutionary algorithm (TPOT) and automatic neural network search (AuoKeras) were utilized for that purpose. An automatic grid search technique was employed to select the best method which could predict the material attribute target values (maximum stress) for different tests. 1% of the data was given as training while 99% was for testing to ensure the robustness of the model. It was concluded that the model containing the Gradient Boosting Regression (GBR), PolyFeatures, and LassoLarsCV algorithms outperformed other ML combinations and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) for predicting the target value. The coefficient of determination (2 ) and root mean square error (RMSE) of the proposed model were 0.97 and 253 respectively. Hence, this model could be utilized for prospective predictions in this type of materials and geometry by providing further reduction of the computational time and labor cost with high accuracy.

  • Pre‐exascale HPC approaches for molecular dynamics simulations. Covid‐19 research: A use case
    • Miłosz Wieczór
    • Vito Genna
    • Juan Aranda
    • Rosa M. Badia
    • Josep Lluís Gelpí
    • Vytautas Gapsys
    • Bert L. de Groot
    • Erik Lindahl
    • Martí Municoy
    • Adam Hospital
    • Modesto Orozco
    2023 Full text Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews-Computational Molecular Science

    Exascale computing has been a dream for ages and is close to becoming a reality that will impact how molecular simulations are being performed, as well as the quantity and quality of the information derived for them. We review how the biomolecular simulations field is anticipating these new architectures, making emphasis on recent work from groups in the BioExcel Center of Excellence for High Performance Computing. We exemplified the power of these simulation strategies with the work done by the HPC simulation community to fight Covid-19 pandemics.

  • Preparation and Characterization of Diamond-like Carbon Coatings for Biomedical Applications—A Review
    • Klaudia Malisz
    • Beata Świeczko-Żurek
    • Alina Sionkowska
    2023 Full text Materials

    Diamond-like carbon (DLC) films are generally used in biomedical applications, mainly because of their tribological and chemical properties that prevent the release of substrate ions, extend the life cycle of the material, and promote cell growth. The unique properties of the coating depend on the ratio of the sp3/sp2 phases, where the sp2 phase provides coatings with a low coefficient of friction and good electrical conductivity, while the share of the sp3 phase determines the chemical inertness, high hardness, and resistance to tribological wear. DLC coatings are characterized by high hardness, low coefficient of friction, high corrosion resistance, and biocompatibility. These properties make them attractive as potential wear-resistant coatings in many compelling applications, including optical, mechanical, microelectronic, and biomedical applications. Another great advantage of DLC coatings is that they can be deposited at low temperatures on a variety of substrates and can thus be used to coat heat-sensitive materials, such as polymers. Coating deposition techniques are constantly being improved; techniques based on vacuum environment reactions are mainly used, such as physical vapor deposition (PVD) and chemical vapor deposition (CVD). This review summarizes the current knowledge and research regarding diamond-like carbon coatings.

  • Preparation, characterization, and manufacturing of new polymeric materials for 3D printing for medical applications
    • Agnieszka Haryńska
    2023 Full text

    This work concerns the synthesis, formation, and characteristics of new filaments for 3D printing in FDM™/FFF technology for medical purposes. Two types of filaments were developed, i.e. degradable polyurethane and biodegradable polylactide-starch. The influence of the 3D printing process on selected filament properties was investigated. A detailed analysis of the filament formation process by the extrusion method was carried out, thus complementing the current state of knowledge. Porous structures and anatomical models were designed and 3D printed using, among others, developed filaments. The obtained details were subjected to a series of preliminary biological (in vitro) tests to determine their suitability for medical applications. The research results showed that the developed polyurethane filaments are biocompatible and susceptible to degradation, and the forming process does not affect their structural, thermal, and biological properties. Whereas, modification of polylactide with the addition of thermoplastic starch increased the hydrophilicity and susceptibility to hydrolytic degradation of the developed bio-filament. It has been shown that 3D printed polyurethane porous structures meet the prerequisites of cancellous bone tissue scaffolds. In turn, personalized anatomical models printed with the use of the developed bio-filament are characterized by increased compostability while maintaining the quality of printouts from commercial polylactide (PLA) filament. The basis of the presented doctoral dissertation is a series of six scientific articles published in journals indexed in the JCR list.

  • Pre-treatment of bio fraction waste prior to fermentation processes
    • Karolina Kucharska
    • Patrycja Makoś-Chełstowska
    • Edyta Słupek
    • Jacek Gębicki
    2023 Full text Chemical and Process Engineering : New Frontiers

    Current efforts are taken to increase resource efficiency, close material loops, and improve sustainable waste and by-products management. Thus, networking agro-food by-products and converting them into valuable products completely exhausting the potential of the raw material becomes significant. Model lignocellulosic and starch based biomass were subjected to pre-treatment with the application of acidic compounds, i.e. sulphuric (SA) and acetic (AA) acids. The response, i.e. total sugar content and derivative content was investigated depending on variables changed during hydrolysis: concentration of acid, process duration, temperature and the size of biomass particles. After saccharification, the hydrolysates were analysed via HPLC. Total reducing sugar concentration was in the range of 0.1–15.53 g/L. Among the substances present in the hydrolysates, protein, peptides, hydroxybenzyl acid (HA), 5-HMF, furfural (FF), vanillin (V), vanillic acid (VA), formic acid (FA) and levulinic acid (LA) were found in the range of 0.44–9.05 g/L and determined as total derivative concentration. The aim of the study was to evaluate the measurable effects of the research and deliver information about the statistically important parameters for the process course and relations between the variables

  • Previous Opinions is All You Need - Legal Information Retrieval System
    • Maciej Osowski
    • Katarzyna Lorenc
    • Paweł Drozda
    • Rafał Scherer
    • Konrad Szałapak
    • Kajetan Komar-Komarowski
    • Julian Szymański
    • Andrzej Sobecki
    2023

    We present a system for retrieving the most relevant legal opinions to a given legal case or question. To this end, we checked several state-of-the-art neural language models. As a training and testing data, we use tens of thousands of legal cases as question-opinion pairs. Text data has been subjected to advanced pre-processing adapted to the specifics of the legal domain. We empirically chose the BERT-based HerBERT model to perform the best in the considered scenario.

  • Price bubbles in commodity market – A single time series and panel data analysis
    • Marcin Potrykus
    2023 QUARTERLY REVIEW OF ECONOMICS AND FINANCE

    This paper examines thirty-five commodities, grouped into three market sectors (energy, metals, agriculture & livestock) in terms of the occurrence of price bubbles. The study was based on monthly data for each commodity separately and, in a panel approach, for selected sectors and for all commodities combined. The GSADF test and its version for panel data – panel GSADF – were used to identify bubbles. The beginning and end of the detected price bubbles were also determined. No price bubbles were found for commodities such as Bananas, Cocoa or Orange juice, while tin, tobacco and gold were identified as the commodities most prone to bubbles. Also, a distinction was made between those commodities characterized by short and infrequent periods of price bubbles (five commodities) and those characterized by frequent and usually lasting for at least six months periods of bubbles (eighteen commodities). The panel confirmed that the energy and metals sectors are exposed to periods of bubbles more frequently and for longer than the agriculture & livestock sector. For all identified panels, a clear impact of the financial crisis of 2008 and the European debt crisis on the emergence of commodity bubbles was found.

  • Probabilistic assessment of SMRFs with infill masonry walls incorporating nonlinear soil-structure interaction
    • Farzin Kazemi
    • Neda Asgarkhani
    • Robert Jankowski
    2023 Full text Bulletin of Earthquake Engineering

    Infill Masonry Walls (IMWs) are used in the perimeter of a building to separate the inner and outer space. IMWs may affect the lateral behavior of buildings, while they are different from those partition walls that separate two inner spaces. This study focused on the seismic vulnerability assessment of Steel Moment-Resisting Frames (SMRFs) assuming different placement of IMWs incorporating nonlinear Soil-Structure Interaction (SSI). The aim is to explore the damage states of IMWs and use their ability for improving the vulnerability of SMRFs. For this purpose, the three, five, seven, and nine story levels (3-Story, 5-Story, 7-Story, and 9-Story) SMRFs were modeled considering four soil types. Incremental Dynamic Analyses (IDAs) were performed to determine the seismic performance limit-state capacities of SMRFs considering the Far-Fault (FF) record subset suggested by FEMA P695. To accurately model the influence of IMWs on the seismic response of SMRFs, a Tcl programming algorithm was developed to intelligently monitor the damage states of IMWs in each floor level. Results of the analysis show that assuming different placement of IMWs can significantly increase the seismic limit-state capacities of SMRFs with and without considering SSI effects. In addition, IMWs can play a crucial role to improve the seismic performances as well as the seismic collapse probability, which may be suggested for retrofitting purposes.

  • Probabilistic estimation of diverse soil condition impact on vertical axis tank deformation
    • Kamil Żyliński
    • Jarosław Górski
    2023 Full text Bulletin of the Polish Academy of Sciences-Technical Sciences

    The calculations of fuel tanks should take into account the geometric imperfections of the structure as well as the variability of the material parameters of the foundation. The deformation of the tank shell can have a significant impact on the limit state of the structure and its operating conditions. The paper presents a probabilistic analysis of a vertical-axis, floating-roof cylindrical shell of a tank with a capacity of 50000 m3 placed on stratified soil with heterogeneous material parameters. The impact of a random subsoil description was estimated using the Point Estimated Method (PEM). In this way, the number of analyzed FEM models was significantly reduced. This approach also makes it possible to assess the sensitivity of tank settlement and deformation to the changing foundation conditions.

  • Probability distribution of flicker noise in AuNPdecorated graphene–Si Schottky barrier diode
    • Janusz Smulko
    • Andrzej Kwiatkowski
    • Katarzyna Drozdowska
    • Lars Österlund
    • Tesfalem Welearegay
    • Adil Rehman
    • Sergey Rumyantsev
    2023

    We present results of the probability distribution analysis of flicker noise generated in Au nanoparticle (AuNP) decorated graphene–Si Schottky barrier diodes with and without yellow light illumination (592 nm), close to the localized surface plasmon resonance in the AuNPs (586 nm). The AuNPs occupy imperfections in the single-layer graphene and reduce the flicker noise intensity generated in the graphene layer. The estimated probability distribution exhibited an asymmetry shift when the sample was irradiated by yellow light (a 10-fold increase of the skewness coefficient). This effect is attributed to AuNPs collecting low-frequency fluctuations in the graphene layer and reducing 1/f noise.

  • Probiotic potential of Bacillus Isolates from Polish Bee Pollen and Bee Bread
    • Karolina Pełka
    • Ahmer Hafeez
    • Randy Worobo
    • Piotr Szweda
    2023 Full text Probiotics and Antimicrobial Proteins

    The main goal of this study was the evaluation of the probiotic potential of 10 Bacillus spp. strains isolated from 5 bee bread and 3 bee pollen samples. The antagonistic interaction with Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli was a primary criterion for the preliminary selection of the isolates. Three out of ten strains—PY2.3 (isolated from pollen), BP20.15 and BB10.1 (both isolated from bee bread)—were found to be possible probiotic strains. All these strains are safe for humans (exhibiting  -hemolytic activity) and meet all essential requirements for probiotics in terms of viability in the presence of bile salts and acid conditions, hydrophobicity, auto-aggregation, and co-aggregation with the cells of important human pathogenic bacteria. They also assimilate more than 30% of cholesterol after 24 h of incubation. These three isolates are resistant to penicillin but sensitive (or exhibit moderate resistance) to the other nine antibiotics tested herein. On the basis of whole-genome sequencing, BP20.15 and BB10.1 were classified as B. subtilis and PY2.3 as B. velezensis. Moreover, genomic analyses revealed that all these isolates are potential producers of different antimicrobial compounds, including bacteriocins and secondary metabolites. The outcomes of this study have proven that some of the Bacillus strains isolated from bee pollen or bee bread are potential probiotics.

  • Problem jakości powietrza wewnętrznego na przykładzie placówek opieki nad dziećmi
    • Małgorzata Rutkowska
    • Mariusz Marć
    • Natalia Jatkowska
    • Bożena Zabiegała
    2023

    Zgodnie z informacjami udostępnionymi przez Światową Organizację Zdrowia, zanieczyszczone powietrze, jest przyczyną siedmiu milionów przedwczesnych zgonów na całym świecie. Wciąż jednak w społeczeństwie panuje przeświadczenie, że największe ryzyko dla zdrowia człowieka płynie z oddychania powietrzem atmosferycznym, pomijając istotność jakości powietrza wewnętrznego, które może być zanieczyszczone w podobnym stopniu lub nawet w większym niż powietrze zewnętrzne. Jest to o tyle istotne, iż szacuje się, że człowiek przeciętnie spędza ok. 90% swojego czasu w pomieszczeniach wewnętrznych. W społeczeństwie można wyróżnić dwie podgrupy szczególnie podatne na niekorzystny wpływ, jaki wywiera zanieczyszczone powietrze na organizm człowieka, są to dzieci, oraz osoby starsze. Dzieci w wieku przedszkolnym są szczególnie narażone na działanie zanieczyszczeń obecnych w fazie gazowej nie tylko ze względu na nie w pełni rozwinięty układ oddechowy ale również ze względu na istotny stopień narażenia na kontakt z kurzem i materią zawieszoną czy długi czas przebywania w pomieszczeniach zamkniętych takich jak żłobki czy przedszkola. Głównym celem przeprowadzonych badań jest kompleksowa ocena stopnia narażenia dzieci na obecność cząstek materii zawieszonej, wybranych lotnych związków organicznych, rtęci i dwutlenku węgla w powietrzu wewnętrznym. Badania prowadzone były dwutorowo: w czasie rzeczywistym, bezpośrednio w placówkach, za pomocą dedykowanego przenośnego sprzętu pomiarowego, oraz w laboratorium, gdzie pobrane próbki powietrza zostały poddane wieloczynnikowej analizie. Placówki będące obiektem badań zlokalizowane były w różnych regionach Polski i zostały wyselekcjonowane na podstawie stopnia zurbanizowania, zalesienia i zanieczyszczenia powietrza atmosferycznego.

  • Problemy niepewności i integracji w przetwarzaniu danych o stanie emocjonalnym użytkownika komputera
    • Grzegorz Brodny
    2023 Full text

    Istnieje wiele programów automatycznego rozpoznawania emocji z pojedynczych modalności. Wykorzystują one różnorodne modele reprezentacji emocji, a także metody przetwarzania. Obecnie wyraźnie widoczny jest trend do wykorzystania analizy wielomodalnej oraz wielokanałowej, mającej na celu poprawę skuteczności rozpoznawania emocji oraz poprawę niezawodności. W dziedzinie automatycznego rozpoznawania emocji nie określono typowego modelu reprezentacji emocji ani typowej metody analizy wielomodalnej czy wielokanałowej. Celem pracy doktorskiej było zaproponowanie metody integracji danych o stanie emocjonalnym użytkowników komputerów, która uwzględnia różne programy, kanały dostępu oraz metody reprezentacji emocji, a także kontekstową niepewność pomiarów symptomów emocji. Autor pracy zaproponował nową metodę integracji składającą się z wzorca architektonicznego Scoreboard, metody kwantyfikacji niepewności oszacowania emocji oraz algorytmu integracji informacji o stanie emocjonalnym, opartego o miarę niepewności. Zaproponowane rozwiązanie zapewnia modularność i adaptowalność poprzez zastosowane paradygmaty obiektowe, pozwala na łatwą integrację umożliwiającą wykorzystanie rozwiązań napisanych w różnych technologiach, cechuje się odpornością na nieprawidłowe dane wejściowe oraz nieprawidłowe działania komponentów, dzięki zastosowaniu ich dynamicznej oceny w czasie działania programu. Zaproponowana metoda kwantyfikacji pozwala na liczbową reprezentację niepewności. Z kolei zaproponowana metoda integracji informacji o stanie emocjonalnym wyznacza poziom wiarygodności odpowiadający jakości danych wejściowych, a także zgodności danych z poszczególnych kanałów obserwacji takich jak zgodności informacji o stanie emocjonalnym z dwóch kamer. W ramach ewaluacji zaproponowanego rozwiązania wykorzystano trzy metody badawcze: eksperymenty na zaetykietowanym emocjonalnie zbiorze danych SEMAINE, symulacje przypadków brzegowych przygotowane przez autora pracy, eksperymenty oraz studium przypadku z wykorzystaniem danych z badania przeprowadzonego na Politechnice Gdańskiej na stanowisku Monitora Emocji. Przeprowadzono dziewięć eksperymentów, pięć symulacji oraz studium przypadku Monitora Emocji, co pozwoliło na walidację postawionych tez. Wykorzystywanymi w badaniach modalnościami były analiza mimiki twarzy, analiza prozodii głosu oraz analiza ładunku emocjonalnego tekstu. Za pomocą zaproponowanej wielomodalnej analizy uzyskano poprawę niezawodności.

  • Process control of air stream deodorization from vapors of VOCs using a gas sensor matrix conducted in the biotrickling filter (BTF)
    • Dominik Dobrzyniewski
    • Bartosz Szulczyński
    • Piotr Rybarczyk
    • Jacek Gębicki
    2023 Full text Archives of Environmental Protection

    This article presents the validity, advisability and purposefulness of using a gas sensor matrix to monitor air deodorization processes carried out in a peat-perlite-polyurethane foam-packed biotrickling filter. The aim of the conducted research was to control the effectiveness of air stream purification from vapors of hydrophobic compounds, i.e., n-hexane and cyclohexane. The effectiveness of hydrophobic n-hexane and cyclohexane removal from air was evaluated using gas chromatography as the reference method and a custom built gas sensor matrix consisting of seven commercially available sensors. The influence of inlet loading (IL) of n-hexane and cyclohexane on the biotrickling filtration performance was investigated. The prepared sensor matrix was calibrated with use of two statistical techniques: Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) and Principal Component Regression (PCR). The developed mathematical models allowed us to correlate the multidimensional signal from the sensor array with the concentration of the removed substances. The results based on gas chromatography analyses indicated that the elimination efficiencies of n-hexane and cyclohexane reached about 40 and 30 g m-3 h-1, respectively. The results obtained using a gas sensor matrix revealed that it was possible not only to determine concentration reliably of investigated hydrophobic volatile organic compounds in the gas samples, but also to obtain results of a similar high level of quality as the chromatographic ones. A gas sensor matrix proposed in this work can be used for on-line real-time monitoring of biofiltration process performance of air polluted with n-hexane and cyclohexane.

  • Processing, Mechanical and Morphological Properties of GTR Modified by SBS Copolymers
    • Agnieszka Susik
    • Agata Rodak
    • Javier Cañavate
    • Xavier Colom
    • Shifeng Wang
    • Krzysztof Formela
    2023 Full text Materials

    In this work, ground tire rubber (GTR) was thermo-mechanically treated in the presence of styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) copolymers. During preliminary investigation, the effects of different SBS copolymer grades, the variable content of SBS copolymer on the Mooney viscosity, and the thermal and mechanical properties of modified GTR were determined. Subsequently, GTR modified by SBS copolymer and cross-linking agents (sulfur-based system and dicumyl peroxide) was characterized by assessment of rheological, physico-mechanical, and morphological properties. Rheological investigations showed that linear SBS copolymer, with the highest melt flow rate among studied SBS grades, was the most promising modifier of GTR, considering processing behavior. It was also observed that an SBS improves the thermal stability of the modified GTR. However, it was found that higher content of SBS copolymer (above 30 wt%) does not bring any effective changes and, for economic reasons, is inefficient. The results showed that samples based on GTR modified by SBS and dicumyl peroxide have better processability and slightly higher mechanical properties compared to samples cross-linked by a sulfur-based system. This is due to the affinity of dicumyl peroxide to the co-cross-linking of GTR and SBS phases.

  • Production of Biogas from Distillation Residue as a Waste Material from the Distillery Industry in Poland
    • Otton K. Roubinek
    • Anna Wilińska-Lisowska
    • Magdalena Jasinska
    • Krzysztof Czerwionka
    • Andrzej G. Chmielewski
    2023 Full text ENERGIES

    In this paper, the possibility to obtain an alternative source of energy from methane fermentation, catalysed by biomass, has been discussed in detail. As a main substrate, the distillation residue from the distillery industry was taken in the case of mono-fermentation and its co-fermentation with sewage sludge. The results showed that higher biogas and methane production can be obtained in a mono-fermentation process. Fermentation lasted for 23 days, and during this time, 333.14 and 249.64 L/kg VS of the total biogas for mono- and co-fermentation was subsequently obtained, which gives around 63% and 50% of methane in both types of the process, respectively. Additionally, to interpret the experimental data obtained and to predict the trend of the accumulation curves, a simple Gompertz model has been applied. The application of the Gompertz model has enabled us to estimate some important parameters with a strict physical meaning, namely, the maximum production value of the biogas and its components, the production rate of a given gas, as well as the incubation phase time. Finally, an approximate analysis of the potential volume of biogas production was also carried out, based on the mass of distillation residue produced annually in Poland.

  • Productivity effects of trade in natural resources—comparison with mechanisms of technological specialisation
    • Zuzanna Helena Zarach
    • Aleksandra Parteka
    2023 Full text WORLD ECONOMY

    This paper compares two alternative growth paths, assessing the effects on productivity of specialisation in natural resources (NR) and in technologically advanced products. The empirical analysis exploits product-level export data for 109 developing and 51 developed economies over the period 1996–2018. We document two distinct types of specialisation, based on exports either of natural resources or of technological products, and compare their role in labour productivity growth by GMM estimation of a conditional convergence model. In general, natural resource exports weakly slow down growth but we find that the type of resources exported is important: Metals enhance productivity catch-up and can stimulate growth in developing countries. Technological specialisation, especially in products typical of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, reinforces productivity growth but does not affect natural resources–productivity growth relationship.

  • PROGRAM BADAŃ DIAGNOSTYCZNYCH MODELU TURBOZESPOŁU WIATROWEGO W MAŁEJ SKALI
    • Zbigniew Korczewski
    2023 Full text Journal of Polish CIMEEAC

    W artykule przybliżono wybrane problemy eksploatacyjne morskich turbozespołów wiatrowych uzasadniających podjęcie badań diagnostycznych na modelu w małej skali w zakresie identyfikacji symptomów i syndromów najczęściej występujących uszkodzeń ich układów mechanicznych. W zaproponowanym programie badań eksperymentalnych przyjęto koncepcję obserwacji realizowanych procesów energetycznych: podstawowych i towarzyszących, przy zastosowaniu metod tensometrycznych, optoelektronicznych, wibroakustycznych oraz termowizyjnych. Przedstawiono schemat ideowy budowanego stanowiska laboratoryjnego turbozespołu wiatrowego napędzanego generatorem strumienia powietrza (wiatru) o regulowanej wydajności. Przewiduje się możliwość faktycznego wprowadzania zmian w strukturze konstrukcyjnej turbozespołu, odwzorowujących znane i rozpoznawalne stany niezdatności eksploatacyjnej charakterystyczne dla konstrukcji morskich. Relacje diagnostyczne wyznaczane na drodze realizacji eksperymentów czynnych stanowić będą dane wejściowe dla systemu ekspertowego wspierającego proces wnioskowania o stanie technicznym testowanego turbozespołu wiatrowego. Istnieje możliwość przeniesienia wyników badań modelowych na obiekty rzeczywiste - pełnowymiarowe turbozespoły wiatrowe.

  • Programmes to Combat the Economic Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Kazakhstan and Ukraine and Unemployment
    • Krystyna Gomółka
    2023 Full text International Journal of Social Science

    The following article presents economic programmes to combat the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysed programmes were undertaken by the governments of Ukraine and Kazakhstan. They contributed to reducing unemployment in both countries. The findings of Ukrainian researchers focused mainly on estimating losses in the SME sector, especially in the hotel, tourism and transport sectors. Scientific literature in Kazakhstan has focused on examining the effects of the government program to counteract the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially from the labour market perspective (employees). The methods used in the paper include literature studies, analysis of government programmes in the combat against the economic effects of the pandemic and comparative analysis of statistical data of employed and unemployed people in Ukraine and Kazakhstan. The article focuses on identifying the countermeasures undertaken by the governments of Kazakhstan and Ukraine aimed at entrepreneurs and employees. The author also assessed the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the labour market, mainly in terms of unemployment. In the Ukrainian government programme, the main emphasis was placed on supporting entrepreneurs and the self-employed. The government also provided tax preferences, loan grace periods, financial support for enterprises that limited or stopped performance during the pandemic, and special financial assistance for agribusiness. The programme of the Kazakh government was addressed to entrepreneurs, self-employed and employees. The implementation of the programme in Kazakhstan did not encounter any difficulties, while in Ukraine the local authorities did not comply with the decisions of the central authorities. The closure of many businesses or reductions in working hours contributed to rising unemployment in both countries. Kazakhstan was in a more favourable situation, where a small and short-term increase in unemployment was recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic period. In Ukraine, the decline in employment in all sectors of the economy was much greater than in Kazakhstan and meant a significant increase in unemployment.

  • Project-Based Collaborative Research and Training Roadmap for Manufacturing Based on Industry 4.0
    • Marek Chodnicki
    • Mariusz Deja
    • George-Ch. Vosniakos
    • Panorios Benardos
    • Lihui Wang
    • Robert Reimann
    2023

    The importance of the economy being up to date with the latest developments, such as Industry 4.0, is more evident than ever before. Successful implementation of Industry 4.0 principles requires close cooperation of industry and state authorities with universities. A paradigm of such cooperation is described in this paper stemming from university partners with partly overlapping and partly complementary areas of expertise in manufacturing. Specific areas that are targeted include Additive Manufacturing, cloud computing and control, Virtual Reality, Digital Twins, and Artificial Intelligence. The manufacturing system domains that are served pertaining to process planning and optimization, process and system monitoring, and innovative / precision manufacturing. The described collaborative research and training framework involves a combination of pertinent targeted individual exploratory innovation projects as well as a synthetic multifaceted common research project. Based on these, the research and innovation project knowledge will be transferred to the industry by building a Cluster of Excellence, i.e., a network consisting of academic and industrial stakeholders.

  • PROJEKT STANDARDÓW DOSTĘPNOŚCI DLA OSÓB ZE SZCZEGÓLNYMI POTRZEBAMI DO TRANSPORTOWYCH WĘZŁÓW PRZESIADKOWYCH
    • Romanika Okraszewska
    • Kazimierz Jamroz
    • Marek Wysocki
    • Jacek Szmagliński
    2023

    W artykule opisano projekt standardów dostępności zintegrowanych węzłów przesiadkowych, które zawierają spójne dla wszystkich elementów ZWP z uwzględnieniem potrzeb i wymagań osób ze szczególnymi potrzebami zasady projektowania, budowy i utrzymania oraz minimalne parametry kluczowych dla samodzielnej realizacji podróży przez osoby ze szczególnymi potrzebami rozwiązań i udogodnień. Przedstawione standardy zawierają zasady i wymagania w zakresie następujących tematów: charakterystyka i klasyfikacja zintegrowanych węzłów przesiadkowych i ich elementów, podstawowe wymagania dostępności do węzłów przesiadkowych, standardy dostępności dla systemu informacji w węźle przesiadkowym, standardy dostępności dla miejsc wymiany pasażerów w węzłach przesiadkowych, dostępności dla zewnętrznych tras dostępu, standardy dostępności dla terminali transportowych, zasad wyznaczania tras dostępu. Standardy dostępności są jednym z narzędzi systemu zarządzania dostępnością wypracowanego w ramach projektu „System zarządzania dostępnością zintegrowanych węzłów przesiadkowych” o akronimie „Przesiadka bez barier.”

  • Projektowanie, synteza i charakterystyka fotokatalizatorów nowej generacji na bazie związku Ti3C2Tx do usuwania aktywnych substancji farmaceutycznych
    • Anna Grzegórska
    2023 Full text

    Celem niniejszej pracy było zastosowanie materiałów nowej generacji na bazie związku Ti3C2Tx w procesach fotokatalitycznej degradacji aktywnych substancji farmaceutycznych: karbamazepiny, acetaminofenu i ibuprofenu. Zakres prac badawczych obejmował syntezę fotokatalizatorów, charakterystykę ich właściwości fizykochemicznych, oraz ocenę aktywności fotokatalitycznej. Przedstawiono możliwość zastosowania węglika tytanu jako kokatalizatora procesów fotokatalitycznych oraz prekursora do otrzymania kompozytu TiO2/Ti3C2. Ponadto zaproponowano metody modyfikacji kompozytów TiO2/Ti3C2 za pomocą metali takich jak żelazo i miedź oraz związku z grupy ferrytów spinelowych – MnFe2O4, celem poprawy ich właściwości. Modyfikacja powierzchni kompoztów za pomocą metali prowadziła do osiągnięcia wyższej aktywności fotokatalitycznej degradacji farmaceutyków w świetle UV-vis. Dzięki wprowadzeniu nanocząstek magnetycznych MnFe2O4 możliwa była efektywna separacja fotokatalizatora po procesie. Finalnie, synergizm degradacji substancji farmaceutycznych uzyskano w wyniku kombinacji procesu fotokatalizy z aktywacją nadtlenomonosiarczanu za pomocą Cu lub MnFe2O4, prowadzącą do wytworzenia reaktywnych rodników siarczanowych.

  • Projekty NFT i bariery ich wejścia na rynek
    • Sławomir Ostrowski
    • Krzysztof Molenda
    2023 Full text Studia i Prace Kolegium Zarządzania i Finansów

    Niniejsza praca traktuje o barierach wejścia na rynek dla projektów NFT. Porusza zagadnienia związane z kapitałochłonnością, regulacjami prawnymi, dostępem do wiedzy i patentów, a także ze zróżnicowaniem produktów i dostawców na rynku NFT. Celem pracy jest identyfikacja i opis barier wejścia, które napotykają nowe przedsiębiorstwa wchodzące na rynek. Autorzy przewidują, że wraz z rosnącym zainteresowaniem konsumentów wzrośnie zainteresowanie uruchomieniem projektów NFT przez przedsiębiorców, którzy będą mogli wykorzystać przedstawione wyniki, aby usprawnić swój proces wejścia z projektem NFT na rynek. Pierwszym etapem pracy jest wprowadzenie w podjętą problematykę, w którym autorzy wyjaśniają technologię blockchain oraz przedstawiają zarys sytuacji panującej na rynku NFT, która była motywacją do powstania niniejszego artykułu. W kolejnej części, bazując na studiach przypadków, autorzy omawiają pięć barier wejścia na rynek projektów NFT. W końcowej części natomiast przedstawione są wnioski, na podstawie których autorzy stwierdzają, że bariery wejścia na rynek NFT są małe i atrakcyjne dla przedsiębiorców, co wraz z napływem nowych konsumentów może wskazywać na rosnącą w niedalekiej przyszłości liczbę nowych projektów wypuszczanych na badany ryn

  • Propagation Characteristics of Partial Discharges in an Oil-Filled Power Transformer
    • Sayed Mohammad Kameli
    • Shady S. Refaat
    • Ali Ghrayeb
    • Haitham Abu-Rub
    • Jarosław Guziński
    2023

    Power transformers are among the most important assets in the power transmission and distribution grid. However, they suffer from degradation and possible faults causing major electrical and financial losses. Partial discharges (PDs) are used to identify the insulation health status and their degradation level. PDs are incipient, low-magnitude faults caused by localized dielectric breakdown. Those activities emit signals in many forms, including electrical, chemical, acoustic, electromagnetic, and optical, facilitating various detection methods. This paper provides a theoretical basis for the condition evaluation of an oil-filled power transformer and clarifies the relationship between the operating voltage, void location, and electric-field intensity within the void. This was achieved by investigating the propagation characteristics of partial discharge signals in an oil-filled power transformer using a 3D finite element method (FEM) based simulation. Moreover, the characterization of simulated PD sources at different positions is investigated in this paper. The simulation results are curried out to show that air voids near the windings are subject to greatest peak electric field intensity.

  • Properties of an innovative multi-functional finish for the improvement of indoor air quality
    • Chiara Giosuè
    • Mattia Pierpaoli
    • Costanzo di Perna
    • Barbara Citterio
    • Gianmarco Mangiaterra
    • Maria Letizia Ruello
    • Francesca Tittarelli
    2023 BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT

    Due to lifestyle changes, people spend most of their time indoors at present; thus, Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is a matter of utmost importance. Multi-functional and innovative finishes can help to passively improve the IAQ, benefitting the health and comfort of occupants. For this study, reference and pre-mixed commercial mortars are compared to a new multi-functional hydraulic lime mortar for indoor finishes, in which conventional aggregates are substituted by a highly porous adsorbent material and biomass waste ashes. The up to 20% higher accessible porosity of the multi-functional finish led to lower density (30%), higher thermal insulation properties (30%), higher water vapor permeability (more than 40%), and improved moisture buffering capacity (three times higher), when compared to the reference mortar. Different types of photocatalytic agents (TiO2) were also added into the new multi-functional hydraulic lime mortar, in order to investigate their effect on the de-polluting properties of the finish. Even if the photocatalytic efficiency remained unexpressed under indoor conditions, due to the predominance of the adsorption process, the de-polluting properties of the new mix were more than 30% higher than that of the reference mortar. The obtained results confirm that the developed innovative multi-functional finish—besides fulfilling the ordinary requirements—is better than commercial mortars, as it can improve the IAQ passively, thus benefitting the health and comfort of occupants.

  • Property-performance relationship of core-shell structured black TiO2 photocatalyst for environmental remediation
    • Sajjad Haider
    • Rab Nawaz
    • Muzammil Anjum
    • Tahir Haneef
    • Vipin Kumar Oad
    • Salah Uddinkhan
    • Rawaiz Khan
    • Muhammad Aqif
    2023 Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering

    Understanding the relationship between the properties and performance of black titanium dioxide with core-shell structure (CSBT) for environmental remediation is crucial for improving its prospects in practical applications. In this study, CSBT was synthesized using a glycerol-assisted sol-gel approach. The effect of different water-to-glycerol ratios (W:G = 1:0, 9:1, 2:1, and 1:1) on the semiconducting and physicochemical properties of CSBT was investigated. The effectiveness of CSBT in removing phenolic compounds (PHCs) from real agro-industrial wastewater was studied. The CSBT synthesized with a W:G ratio of 9:1 has optimized properties for enhanced removal of PHCs. It has a distinct core-shell structure and an appropriate amount of Ti3+ cations (11.18%), which play a crucial role in enhancing the performance of CSBT. When exposed to visible light, the CSBT performed better: 48.30% of PHCs were removed after 180 min, compared to only 21.95% for TiO2 without core-shell structure. The CSBT consumed only 45.5235 kWh/m3 of electrical energy per order of magnitude and cost $2.4127 per unit volume of treated agro-industrial wastewater. Under the conditions tested, the CSBT demonstrated exceptional stability and reusability. The CSBT showed promising results in the treatment of phenols-containing agro-industrial wastewater.

  • prospekt indywidualnej wystawy pt. ‘istota zamieszkiwania: relacje [nie]codzienne
    • Agnieszka Kurkowska
    2023

    Prospekt towarzyszący wystawie łączy dwie funkcje. Jest mini katalogiem i mapką: przewodnikiem po ekspozycji. Jego rola to wyjaśnienie procesu, którego element stanowią prezentowane rzeźby oraz zaproszenie odbiorcy we wszystkie miejsca, w których ulokowano obiekty. Taki przewodnik był konieczny, ponieważ niewielkie rzeźby usytuowane zostały w parku w nieoczywistych miejscach. Zgodnie z zamysłem twórczym upodabniają się do otoczenia, dla uzyskania spasowanie z miejscem. Prospekty dostępne są w trakcie trwania wystawy w budynku muzeum - w Spichlerzu Opackim.

  • Protection and renovation of public areas in a modernist city: the case of three streets in the historic City Centre of Gdynia
    • Robert Hirsch
    • Celina Łozowska
    2023 Full text Ochrona Dziedzictwa Kulturowego

    This article concerns issues related to the preservation and restoration of public space in Gdynia’s city centre, which was designed and built mainly in the 1920s and 1930s. In 2007, a major part of the city centre was entered into the register of monuments asa historic complex of urban architecture. Moreover, in 2015, the area was declared a Monument of History. Protection of a complex of urban architecture covers not only the renovation of historic buildings but also the protection of public spaces that comprise an integral partof the historic complex. Therefore, preservation of the historic shape and design of public space in the centre of Gdynia is one of the city’s key conservation tasks. Since protection of urban space in relatively young historic centres (less than a hundred years old) is a novel issue from the perspective of conservation, it is therefore worth analysing. Issues connected with the protection and restoration of public space in the centre of Gdynia are exemplified by three historic streets, built in the late 1920s and located within a historic complex entered into the register of monuments. They have been the subject of various investments in recent years. The streets differ in terms of their historic condition, renovation requirements, social expectations and investment plans. Already at the developmental stage of investments all these factors have led to different assumptions and approaches, bringing different results in each case.

  • Protein overproduction alters exosome secretion in Chinese hamster ovary cells
    • Aleksandra Steć
    • Monika Targońska
    • Edyta Karkosińska
    • Monika Słowik
    • Agata Płoska
    • Leszek Kalinowski
    • Bartosz Wielgomas
    • Krzysztof Waleron
    • Jacek Jasiecki
    • Szymon Dziomba
    2023 Full text ANALYTICAL AND BIOANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY

    Despite the abundance of available cell lines, nearly 70% of all recombinant therapeutic proteins today are produced in Chi-nese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. The impact of protein overproduction on the secretion of exosomes by CHO cells has been investigated here. Increased secretion of extracellular vesicles (EVs) by protein overexpressing CHO cells was demonstrated with protein content assay, nanoparticle tracking analysis, and capillary electrophoresis. Our results revealed that a protein overproduction might induce EVs secretion, which might be accompanied by the sequestration and loading of overexpressed proteins into the exosomes. These findings are of vital importance for the manufacturing of therapeutics in CHO expres-sion systems due to the risk of product loss during downstream processing of culture medium as well as the application of exosomes as nanocarriers of therapeutic proteins. The study indicates also the importance of culturing process control.

  • Proteomic and Metabolomic Changes in Psoriasis Preclinical and Clinical Aspects
    • Adrianna Radulska
    • Iwona Pelikant-Malecka
    • Kamila Jendernalik
    • Iwona T. Dobrucki
    • Leszek Kalinowski
    2023 Full text INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES

    Skin diseases such as psoriasis (Ps) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) are immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. Overlap of autoinflammatory and autoimmune conditions hinders diagnoses and identifying personalized patient treatments due to different psoriasis subtypes and the lack of verified biomarkers. Recently, proteomics and metabolomics have been intensively investigated in a broad range of skin diseases with the main purpose of identifying proteins and small molecules involved in the pathogenesis and development of the disease. This review discusses proteomics and metabolomics strategies and their utility in research and clinical practice in psoriasis and psoriasis arthritis. We summarize the studies, from in vivo models conducted on animals through academic research to clinical trials, and highlight their contribution to the discovery of biomarkers and targets for biological drugs.

  • Proton conductivity in multi-component ABO4-type oxides
    • Ashraf A.A. Elameen
    • Arkadiusz Dawczak
    • Tadeusz Miruszewski
    • Maria Gazda
    • Sebastian Wachowski
    2023 PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY CHEMICAL PHYSICS

    This work investigates how configurational entropy in oxides could affect proton conductivity. For this purpose, three samples of different elemental compositions are synthesized. Five, six and seven elements were introduced into the A-site of ANbO4, forming La1/5 Nd1/5 Sm1/5Gd1/5 Eu1/5NbO4, La1/6Nd1/6Sm1/6Gd1/6Eu1/6Ho1/6NbO4 and La1/7Nd1/7Sm1/7Gd1/7Eu1/7Ho1/7Er1/7NbO4, respectively. The high configuration disorder changes the local environment, which can have a notable effect on many properties, including proton transport, which is the focus of this work. The conductivity was measured in different atmospheres; dry and wet and in a different temperature range (600–800 °C) to compare the proton transport as well as study the effect of temperature. A homogenous single-phase monoclinic fergusonite was obtained for the three samples. Proton conductivity, measured by means of comparing the conductivity in dry and wet atmospheres, was observed in all samples. La1/5 Nd1/5 Sm1/5Gd1/5 Eu1/5NbO4 exhibited the highest conductivity, about 3.0 × 10−6 S cm−1 at 800 °C in the wet atmosphere, while in the dry atmosphere it was about 2.2 × 10−6 S cm−1 at the same temperature, which implies a modest proton conductivity in this class of materials.

  • Proximal fibular osteotomy as a treatment for degenerative meniscal extrusion
    • Piotr Łuczkiewicz
    • Karol Daszkiewicz
    • Jarosław Dzierżanowski
    • Wojciech Witkowski
    2023 Full text MEDICAL HYPOTHESES

    Meniscal extrusion treatment is a key focus area for research and clinical study of degenerative knee pathology. The contact forces between the meniscus and the bones cause external displacements of the meniscus that are resisted by the circumferential fibres. The main risk factors for the excessive deformation of the meniscus are meniscal root tears, disruption of the circumferential fibres, knee malalignment and high body mass index. Prior research has shown meniscal extrusion to be a crucial determinant of successful procedures in knee osteoarthritis treatment. The characteristics of medial knee osteoarthritis are an increase in varus malalignment and the load transferred through the medial compartment. This is associated with greatest reduction of the joint space width over the medial meniscus body and an increase in contact forces acting on the meniscus, which results in increased extrusion of the medial meniscal body. Relocating the meniscus in its anatomic position restores the correct distribution of contact force across the knee joint, and prevents destruction of the cartilage. Thus, clinical and biomechanical research focus on improving surgical techniques that allow for diminished meniscal extrusion. Proximal fibula osteotomy is a relatively new technique which involves the removal of a 10 mm piece of fibula, 4–10 cm from the fibular head. This technique has been shown to reduce the knee-lever arm, load transferred through the medial compartment and increase the medial joint space width. We hypothesise that proximal fibular osteotomy could be an effective, simple, and minimally invasive treatment for degenerative meniscal extrusion.

  • Proximity and the Cluster Organization
    • Anna Lis
    • Adrian Lis
    2023

    Including the category of proximity in theoretical considerations and empirical analyzes in cluster organizations is an attempt to integrate existing approaches to understand and explain the specificity of inter-organizational cooperation developed in geographical proximity. The importance of geographical proximity to create a competitive advantage is emphasized in all theories on the establishment and development of industrial clusters. However, proximity should not be perceived only in the geographical dimension. The similarity of knowledge systems (cognitive proximity), relationships based on trust (social proximity), organizational links (organizational proximity), and finally the similarity of institutional operating conditions (institutional proximity) enable and facilitate the development of cooperation relationships between business entities. Each of the above-mentioned threads deals separately with issues that have much in common, namely they can be treated as different dimensions of the same concept – proximity. Proximity provides a specific concretization of the features, processes and mechanisms underlying inter-organizational cooperation, and thus facilitates its understanding, increasing the possibility of its effective management. The study provides new important elements to the current system of knowledge, filling in the cognitive and research gaps in the scientific literature on problems related to proximity development in cluster organizations. The new element includes a multidimensional concept of proximity explaining its role in the development of cooperative relationships in the cluster organizations. A strong point of the developed concept is its inductive-abductive origin and the use of grounded theory methodology, which is rare in the studies of cluster organizations. The developed concept has also significant practical advantages since it allows to consciously shape proximity in COs, thus contributing to the development of cooperation between cluster enterprises.