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Gdańsk University of Technology

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  • Centrifuge modelling of tapered wall jacked into dense sand
    • Lech Bałachowski
    • Worku Firomsa Kabeta
    • Luc Thorel
    • Matthieu Blanc
    • Thierry Dubreucq
    2024

    A series of static penetration tests of trapezoidal walls in dense Fontainebleau sand were performed in the geotechnical centrifuge at Gustave Eiffel University. The models of wall with three different shapes (straight profile with thickness D=16mm, 0.75 degree and 1.5 degree of taper angle) but with the same volume were used. The soil mass was instrumented with five stress cells located at two levels at 2D, 4D and 6D distance from the wall axis to follow the stress state changes during the model penetration. Moreover, three pressure sensors were integrated on the model surface to track the changes of normal stress during the continuous penetration of the wall. Thus for the three walls of different geometry the evolution of the following variables is considered during monotonic penetration of the wall: 1) total vertical force; 2) horizontal stresses in the soil mass; 3) normal stresses on the wall surface.

  • CFD COUPLING OF VOF MODEL WITH ARRHENIUS EQUATION FOR ANALYSIS OF LASER-INDUCED THERMAL DEACTIVATION OF E. COLI
    • Aimad Koulali
    • Piotr Radomski
    • L. De Sio
    • Dariusz Mikielewicz
    • Paweł Ziółkowski
    2024 Full text

    Understanding bacterial deactivation at the micro-scale, particularly with E. coli, is crucial for advancing microbiology and has promising applications in biomedical research. In this research contribution, we investigate the thermal inactivation of E. coli bacteria using gold nanoparticles irradiated by a green 1-W laser within a microfluidic chamber. The microfluidic device comprises a fluidic chamber filled with a thin film of water and air (1 mm thick). The chamber is constructed with 1 mm PDMS coating on the top and side walls, and 1 mm borosilicate glass on the bottom. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) calculations are executed using ANSYS Fluent software employing the Volume of Fluid (VOF) multi-phase model. Bacterial deactivation is described by a first-order kinetic model, while the Arrhenius equation is employed to define the decay coefficient. The light-heat conversion is modeled using a literature-based approach, validated against experimental data. Our findings affirm the efficacy of the proposed physical model (laser + gold nanoparticles) for bacterial inactivation. Additionally, we propose an innovative approach by coupling bacterial inactivation equations and VOF model, opening avenues for further applications in the field.

  • Chained machine learning model for predicting load capacity and ductility of steel fiber–reinforced concrete beams
    • Torkan Shafighfard
    • Farzin Kazemi
    • Faramarz Bagherzadeh
    • Magdalena Mieloszyk
    • Doo-Yeol Yoo
    2024 Full text COMPUTER-AIDED CIVIL AND INFRASTRUCTURE ENGINEERING

    One of the main issues associated with steel fiber–reinforced concrete (SFRC) beams is the ability to anticipate their flexural response. With a comprehensive grid search, several stacked models (i.e., chained, parallel) consisting of various machine learning (ML) algorithms and artificial neural networks (ANNs) were developed to predict the flexural response of SFRC beams. The flexural performance of SFRC beams under bending was assessed based on 193 experimental specimens from real-life beam models. The ML techniques were applied to predict SFRC beam responses to bending load as functions of the steel fiber properties, concrete elastic modulus, beam dimensions, and reinforcement details. The accuracy of the models was evaluated using the coefficient of determination (R2), mean absolute error (MAE), and root mean square error (RMSE) of actual versus predicted values. The findings revealed that the proposed technique exhibited notably superior performance, delivering faster and more accurate predictions compared to both the ANNs and parallel models. Shapley diagrams were used to analyze variable contributions quantitatively. Shapley values show that the chained model prediction of ductility index is highly affected by two other targets (peak load and peak deflection) that show the chained algorithm utilizing the prediction of previous steps for enhancing the prediction of the target feature. The proposed model can be viewed as a function of significant input variables that permit the quick assessment of the likely performance of SFRC beams in bending.

  • Characteristics of silver-dopped carbon nanotube coating destined for medical applications
    • Dorota Rogala-Wielgus
    • Beata Majkowska-Marzec
    • Andrzej Zieliński
    2024 Full text Materials Today Communications

    Carbon nanotubes are materials demonstrating outstanding mechanical, chemical, and physical properties and are considered coatings of titanium implants. The present research is aimed to characterize the microstructure and properties of the multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) layer decorated with silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) on the Ti13Nb13Zr alloy destined for long-term implants. The electrophoretic deposition of coatings was performed in a two-stage process, at first at 0.25 wt. pct. of MWCNTs, and next at 0.30 wt. pct. of Ag NPs content in the bath. The SEM, EDS, AFM, Raman spectroscopy, nanoindentation tests, nano-scratch test, wettability assessments, and corrosion tests were carried out. The effects of the presence of Ag NPs onto the MWCNTs coating were observed as the roughness increased to 0.380 µm and thickness to 5.26 µm, the improved adhesion and corrosion resistance, the water contact angle of 62.94◦, the decreased nanohardness, Young`s modulus and resistance to plastic deformation under load, and slightly improved adhesion. The obtained results can be explained by a specific two-layer structure of the coating, in which the Ag NPs agglomerates create the coating less porous and permeable, but softer structure. Future research will focus on the improvement of the adhesion of the component coatings in different ways.

  • Characterization of corrosion in reinforced concrete beams using destructive and non-destructive tests
    • Tomasz Ferenc
    • Erwin Wojtczak
    • Błażej Meronk
    • Magdalena Rucka
    2024 Full text Case Studies in Construction Materials

    The paper presents both non-destructive and destructive experimental tests on steel-reinforced concrete beams subjected to electrochemical corrosion. To examine the condition and behavior of the specimens, destructive tests were carried out, i.e., a three-point bending together with a modulated ultrasonic wave test. In addition, a series of non-destructive experiments were conducted, such as the potential measurement method, low-frequency vibrations, and ultrasonic wave propagation. A three-point bending test was conducted to examine the behavior of specimens under applied quasi-static force, together with a modulated ultrasonic wave test. The force-displacement relation, capacity, failure displacement, flexural stiffness, and failure mode were determined for each specimen. A modulated ultrasonic wave test was also performed during the flexural test. Prior to this, the specimens were visually inspected to check if any cracks occurred and a series of non-destructive tests such as potential measurement, low-frequency vibrations, and ultrasonic wave propagation were then performed.

  • Characterization of Corrosion-Induced Fracture in Reinforced Concrete Beams Using Electrical Potential, Ultrasound and Low-Frequency Vibration
    • Tomasz Ferenc
    • Erwin Wojtczak
    • Błażej Meronk
    • Jacek Ryl
    • Krzysztof Wilde
    • Magdalena Rucka
    2024 Full text JOURNAL OF NONDESTRUCTIVE EVALUATION

    The paper deals with the non-destructive experimental testing of the reinforced concrete beams under progressive corrosion. A series of experiments using electrical potential, ultrasound and low-frequency vibrations techniques are reported. Electrical potential and natural frequencies were used to characterise and monitor the corrosion process at its initial state. The P-wave velocity measurements were proved to be effective in quantitative assessment of the level of corrosion as it progresses. The possibility of early detection of damage using a proposed damage index and diagnostic framework is promising for possible applications in the non-invasive diagnostics of reinforced concrete elements.

  • Charakterystyka i zastosowanie związków powierzchniowo czynnych w produktach detergentowych. Skrypt do ćwiczeń
    • Patrycja Szumała
    2024

    Niniejszy skrypt zawiera podstawy teoretyczne wprowadzające w tematykę związków powierzchniowo czynnych znajdujących zastosowanie w produktach detergentowych. Ponadto przedstawiono charakterystykę innych, dodatkowych składników takich produktów, jak również opis specjalistycznych detergentów przemysłowych. Opracowanie jest przeznaczone przede wszystkim dla studentów technologii chemicznej, realizujących zajęcia z przedmiotu technologia związków powierzchniowo czynnych, w ramach którego prowadzone są też ujęte w skrypcie zajęcia laboratoryjne. Jednak zawarte treści mogą się stać użyteczne dla wszystkich osób zainteresowanych produktami detergentowymi, także ze środowiska przemysłowego.

  • Charge density wave, enhanced mobility, and large nonsaturating magnetoresistance across the magnetic states of HoNiC2 and ErNiC2
    • Kamil Kolincio
    • Marta Roman
    • Fabian Garmroudi
    • Michael Parzer
    • Ernst Bauer
    • Herwig Michor
    2024 Full text PHYSICAL REVIEW B

    We report on magnetotransport and thermoelectric properties of two ternary carbides HoNiC2 and ErNiC2 hosting both charge density wave and long-range magnetic order. In the charge density wave state, both compounds show relatively large magnetoresistance MR ≈ 150% in HoNiC2 and ≈ 70%in ErNiC2 at a magnetic field of 9 T and temperature as low as 2 K. This positive field-linear magnetoresistance shows no signatures of saturation. Our combined analysis of diagonal and off-diagonal transport responses reveals electronic mobility values on the order of 103 cm2 V−1 s−1 at 2 K. Both the elevated mobility and related enhanced magnetoresistance persist in the zero-field antiferromagnetic ground state and survive the field-induced crossovers through metamagnetic to field-aligned ferromagnetic states. The robustness of the high-mobility Fermi surface pockets across the magnetically ordered states suggests that the charge density wave is not suppressed but coexists with long-range magnetism in the entire dome of the magnetically ordered states.

  • Chat GPT Wrote It: What HCI Educators Can Learn from their Students?
    • Marcin Sikorski
    2024

    Recently students, teachers, and researchers equally have become impressed by Generative AI (GenAI) tools, with ChatGPT at the top. However, numerous concerns about the GenAI-related threats to academic integrity and the validity of learning outcomes are emerging. This problem is also vivid in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) education since students can use GenAI tools to rapidly generate ideas, user interface templates, screen graphics and mock-ups, or entire user research programmes. This paper presents the results of a small-scale survey performed with a group of HCI students regarding their experiences and expectations regarding the use of GenAI tools in their current HCI course, as well as expected GenAI-relevant university policies. Conclusions from this study can be informative for HCI teachers considering the potential use of GenAI tools in their classes and for university managers in the broader context of engineering university education, regarding computer science in particular. Also, results of this study can be useful for the educational management involving students as the teaching process stakeholders in the context of developing institutional policies as to the allowed use of GenAI tools.

  • Chemical and biological characterization of Ocimum basilicum L. phenolic extract and essential oil derived through ultrasound and microwave-assisted extraction techniques
    • Sarah Hamid
    • Naima Fadloun Oukil
    • Hamza Moussa
    • Nadjet Djihad
    • Marika Mróz
    • Barbara Kusznierewicz
    • Amel Attia
    • Katia Djenadi
    • Malik Mohamed Mahdjoub
    • Mustapha Mounir Bouhenna
    • Farid Chebrouk
    2024 Food Bioscience

    Plant-derived bioactive molecules are increasingly utilized in food processing as natural additives, driven by a growing interest in healthier lifestyles. This trend has spurred industries to reformulate products to meet the demands of health-conscious consumers. This study investigates the phenolic extract and essential oil of O. basilicum L. obtained via ultrasound-assisted extraction and microwave-assisted extraction, respectively. Characterization using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS) for the basil phenolic extract (BPE) and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GCMS) for the basil essential oil (BEO) identified 82 compounds in BPE and 51 compounds, with rosmarinic acid and estragole as the main constituents, respectively. Both BPE and BEO exhibited significant antioxidant capacity. BPE showed higher antioxidant activity, with IC50 values of 0.740 ± 0.023 mg/mL against DPPH•, 0.408 ± 0.02 mg/mL for ABTS+•, and 0.289 ± 0.02 mg/mL for iron chelation. Conversely, BEO demonstrated IC50 values of 16.296 ± 0.394 mg/mL, 0.6870 ± 0.0203 mg/mL, and 3.9 ± 0.12 mg/mL for DPPH•, ABTS+• scavenging assays, and iron chelation, respectively. The growth inhibitory effect of BEO surpassed that of BPE against microbial strains, achieving total growth inhibition against C. albicans with a minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of 0.04 mg/mL. BPE exhibited inhibitory effects against MRSA with a zone of inhibition of 19 ± 1.15 mm, while the lowest MIC value was observed against E. coli at 0.38 ± 0.03 mg/mL. These findings underling basil’s potential health-boosting, emphasizing its abundance in phenolic and volatile compounds.

  • Chemical investigation on the mechanism and kinetics of the atmospheric degradation reaction of Trichlorofluoroethene by OH⋅ and Its subsequent fate in the presence of O2/NOx
    • Abolfazl Shiroudi
    • Jacek Czub
    • Mohammednoor Altarawneh
    2024 CHEMPHYSCHEM

    The M06-2X/6-311++G(d,p) level of theory was used to examine the degradation of Trichlorofluoroethene (TCFE) initiated by OH⋅ radicals. Additionally, the coupled-cluster single-double with triple perturbative [CCSD(T)] method was employed to refine the single-point energies using the complete basis set extrapolation approach. The results indicated that OH-addition is the dominant pathway. OH⋅ adds to both the C1 and C2 carbons, resulting in the formation of the C(OH)Cl2−⋅CClF and ⋅CCl2−C(OH)ClF species. The associated barrier heights were determined to be 1.11 and −0.99 kcal mol−1, respectively. Furthermore, the energetic and thermodynamic parameters show that pathway 1 exhibits greater exothermicity and exergonicity compared to pathway 2, with differences of 8.11 and 8.21 kcal mol−1, correspondingly. The primary pathway involves OH addition to the C2 position, with a rate constant of 6.2×10−13 cm3 molecule−1 sec−1 at 298 K. This analysis served to estimate the atmospheric lifetime, along with the photochemical ozone creation potential (POCP) and ozone depletion potential (ODP). It yielded an atmospheric lifetime of 8.49 days, an ODP of 4.8×10−4, and a POCP value of 2.99, respectively. Radiative forcing efficiencies were also estimated at the M06-2X/6-311++G(d,p) level. Global warming potentials (GWPs) were calculated for 20, 100, and 500 years, resulting in values of 9.61, 2.61, and 0.74, respectively. TCFE is not expected to make a significant contribution to the radiative forcing of climate change. The results obtained from the time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) indicated that TCFE and its energized adducts are unable to photolysis under sunlight in the UV and visible spectrum. Secondary reactions involve the [TCFE-OH−O2]⋅ peroxy radical, leading subsequently to the [TCFE−OH−O]⋅ alkoxy radical. It was found that the alkoxy radical resulting from the peroxy radical can lead to the formation of phosgene (COCl2) and carbonyl chloride fluoride (CClFO), with phosgene being the primary product.

  • Chemical Structure and Thermal Properties versus Accelerated Aging of Bio-Based Poly(ether-urethanes) with Modified Hard Segments
    • Julia Godlewska
    • Joanna Smorawska
    • Ewa Głowińska
    2024 MOLECULES

    Aging of polymers is a natural process that occurs during their usage and storage. Predicting the lifetime of polymers is a crucial aspect that should be considered at the design stage. In this paper, a series of bio-based thermoplastic poly(ether-urethane) elastomers (bio-TPUs) with modified hard segments were synthesized and investigated to understand the structural and property changes triggered by accelerated aging. The bio-TPUs were synthesized at an equimolar ratio of reagents using the prepolymer method with the use of bio-based poly(trimethylene ether) glycol, bio-based 1,3-propanediol, and hexamethylene diisocyanate or hexamethylene diisocyanate/partially bio-based diisocyanate mixtures. The polymerization reaction was catalyzed by dibutyltin dilaurate (DBTDL). The structural and property changes after accelerated aging under thermal and hydrothermal conditions were determined using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA). Among other findings, it was observed that both the reference and aged bio-TPUs decomposed in two main stages and exhibited thermal stability up to approximately 300 °C. Based on the research conducted, it was found that accelerated aging impacts the supramolecular structure of TPUs.

  • CHEMOTHERAPY-MEDIATED COMPLICATIONS OF WOUND HEALING. AN UNDERSTUDIED SIDE EFFECT
    • Paulina Słonimska
    • Paweł Sachadyn
    • Jacek Zieliński
    • Marcin Skrzypski
    • Michał Pikuła
    2024 Full text Advances in Wound Care

    Significance: Chemotherapy is a primary method to treat cancer, but while cytotoxic drugs are designed to target rapidly dividing cancer cells, they can also affect other cell types, including dermal cells and macrophages involved in wound healing, which often leads to the development of chronic wounds. The situation becomes even more severe when chemotherapy is combined with surgical tumor excision. Recent advances: Despite its significant impact on patients' recovery from surgery, the issue of delayed wound healing in individuals undergoing chemotherapy remains inadequately explored. Critical Issues: This review aims to analyze the harmful impact of chemotherapy on wound healing. The analysis showed that chemotherapy drugs could inhibit cellular metabolism, cell division, and angiogenesis and lead to nerve damage. They impede the migration of cells into the wound and reduce the production of extracellular matrix. At the molecular level, they interfere with replication, transcription, translation, and cell signaling. This work reviews skin problems that patients may experience during and after chemotherapy and demonstrates insights into the cellular and molecular mechanisms of these pathologies. Future directions: In the future, the problem of impaired wound healing in patients treated with chemotherapy may be addressed by cell therapies like autologous keratinocyte transplantation, which has already proved effective in this case. Epigenetic intervention to mitigate the side effects of chemotherapy is also worth considering, but epigenetic consequences of chemotherapy on skin cells are largely unknown and should be investigated.

  • Chitosan-based nanomaterials for removal of water pollutants
    • Mehvish Mumtaz
    • Nazim Hussain
    • Sidra Salam
    • Hafiz Muhammad Azam Husnain
    • Natalia Łukasik
    • Tak H. Kim
    • Jose Cleiton Sousa dos Santos
    • Jens Ejbye Schmidt
    2024

    The rise of micropollutants presents a significant threat to both the environment and human well-being, requiring effective strategies for their mitigation. Chitin serves as the precursor for chitosan, composed of two monomers featuring acetamido and amino groups. Chitosan possesses several noteworthy attributes, including its ability to bind water and fat, humidity content, solubility, consistent molecular weight, and various degrees of deacetylation, all of which facilitate surface functionalization. To enhance quality and effectiveness, chitosan can be combined with other adsorbent and/or functional nanomaterials to produce chitosan-based nanocomposites with distinct functionalities for various applications. These nanocomposites offer unique advantages in combating environmental issues. Examples of such nanocomposites include chitosan-grafted carbon nanoonions, polymer–chitosan blends, chitosan–clay mineral composites, chitosan–graphene oxide nanocomposites, magnetic chitosan, chitosan-based foams and sponges, and chitosan/activated carbon composites. Each of these nanohybrid materials plays a crucial role in selectively removing specific types of environmental contaminants. This chapter provides a recent perspective on innovative chitosan-based nanohybrids designed for the elimination of impurities from the environment. These nanohybrids exhibit diverse functions, including adsorption of contaminants, humus removal, extraction of heavy metals and metal ions, and reduction of inanimate impurities such as nitrate, borate, and phosphate. The adsorption kinetics of these chitosan-based nanocomposites have also been thoroughly reviewed, offering valuable insights for further research. Additionally, a comparative analysis of different chitosan-supported composites is conducted to provide potential methodologies for enhancing efficacy and fostering the development of novel compounds for environmental remediation.

  • Chitosan-coated coconut shell composite: A solution for treatment of Cr(III)-contaminated tannery wastewater
    • Tonni Agustiono Kurniawan
    • Fatima Batool
    • Ayesha Mohyuddin
    • Hui Hwang Goh
    • Mohd Hafiz Dzarfan Othman
    • Faissal Aziz
    • Abdelkader Anouzla
    • Hussein Al-Hazmi
    • Kit Wayne Chew
    2024 Journal of the Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers

    Tannery industry generates a large amount of Cr(III)-contaminated wastewater daily. Unless properly treated, not only this effluent contaminates the water body, but also damages the environment and threatens public health. This batch study investigates the feasibility of chitosan-coated coconut shells as a low-cost material for removing Cr(III) from tannery wastewater. Both chitosan and coconut shell (CS) waste are abundantly available from local agricultural and fishery industries. To enhance its treatment performance for Cr(III) removal, the CS was coated with chitosan as a composite. To sustain its cost-effectiveness, the saturated composite was regenerated with HNO3. Its performance for Cr(III) removal was evaluated and compared to other low-cost adsorbents in previous work. At the same initial concentration of 20 mg/L, it was found that the composite had a higher Cr(III) removal (97%) than the chitosan alone under the optimized conditions of 4 g/L of dose, pH 6.5, 200 rpm of agitation speed, and 1 h of reaction time. The isotherm of Cr(III) removal by the adsorbents followed the Langmuir model, while the pseudo-second order reaction was representative to simulate the adsorption data. The Cr(III) removal by the composite was based on attractive columbic forces between the negative charge of the adsorbent's surface and the positive charge of the metal cation. The negative value of ΔG thermodynamic parameter suggests the spontaneous nature of adsorption. The efficiency of machine learning regression (MLR) model was assessed in predicting the experimental data of adsorption. In spite of promising results, treated effluents still could not comply with the required limit of discharge standards of less than 0.5 mg/L mandated by local legislation. Therefore, a subsequent treatment using activated sludge is required. Overall, this work reveals a contribution of unused resources from the coconut and shrimp industries in the form of composite for protecting the aquatic environment.

  • Chronic Rhinosinusitis—Microbiological Etiology, Potential Genetic Markers, and Diagnosis
    • Michał Michalik
    • Beata Krawczyk
    2024 Full text INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES

    Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a significant public health problem. Bacterial colonization and impaired mucociliary clearance play a significant role in the inflammatory process. Several inflammatory pathways and host defense elements are altered in CRS, which may contribute to observed differences in the microbiome. To date, researching CRS has been difficult due to limited access to the studied tissue and a lack of available biomarkers. Ongoing scientific research is increasingly based on simple and objective analytical methods, including sensors, detection with PCR, and sequencing. Future research on microbiota and human factors should also include genomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics approaches. This report analyzes the changes that occur in the paranasal sinuses of people with acute and chronic rhinosinusitis, the composition of the microbiota, the human genetic markers that may shed light on the predisposition to CRS, and the advantages and disadvantages of classical and molecular diagnostic methods, as well as addressing the difficulties of sinusitis treatment.

  • Circularly Polarized Metalens Antenna Design for 5G NR Sub-6 GHz Communication Systems
    • Rao Aziz
    • Sławomir Kozieł
    2024 AEU-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATIONS

    5G NR (new radio) FR1 range refers to as Sub-6GHz band (410MHz to 7125MHz and 3.4GHz to 6GHz). In this paper, the frequency range of interest is from 3.4 to 6GHz, as many cellular companies are focusing on this Sub-6GHz band. A wideband circularly polarized (CP) antenna radiator is designed with diamond shape patches, fed by a microstrip line at the bottom through a rectangular shape wide slot on a ground plane. The proposed CP antenna covering a -10dB bandwidth of 21.52% (5.0 to 6.3GHz) with 3-dB axial ratio (AR) bandwidth of 12.48% (5.1 to 5.8GHz). Furthermore, a metasurface-based lens (metalens) is designed for gain enhancement and fed by 3  1 array of the proposed CP antennas for multibeam operation. The lightweight dual-layer metasurface structure consisting of circular shape unit cell elements are used to implement the lens. For the proof-of-concept, the array of radiating elements is implemented and experimentally validated, which gives a ±18o beam scanning range with a maximum gain of 13dBic at 5.6GHz.

  • Circulating miRNA profiles and the risk of hemorrhagic transformation after thrombolytic treatment of acute ischemic stroke: a pilot study
    • Marcin Stańczak
    • Adam Wyszomirski
    • Paulina Słonimska
    • Barbara Kołodziej
    • Bartosz Jabłoński
    • Anna Stanisławska-Sachadyn
    • Bartosz Karaszewski
    2024 Frontiers in Neurology

    Background: Hemorrhagic transformation (HT) in acute ischemic stroke is likely to occur in patients treated with intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) and may lead to neurological deterioration and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH). Despite the complex inclusion and exclusion criteria for IVT and some useful tools to stratify HT risk, sICH still occurs in approximately 6% of patients because some of the risk factors for this complication remain unknown. Objective: This study aimed to explore whether there are any differences in circulating microRNA (miRNA) profiles between patients who develop HT after thrombolysis and those who do not. Methods: Using qPCR, we quantified the expression of 84 miRNAs in plasma samples collected prior to thrombolytic treatment from 10 individuals who eventually developed HT and 10 patients who did not. For miRNAs that were downregulated (fold change (FC) <0.67) or upregulated (FC >1.5) with p < 0.10, we investigated the tissue specificity and performed KEGG pathway annotation using bioinformatics tools. Owing to the small patient sample size, instead of multivariate analysis with all major known HT risk factors, we matched the results with the admission NIHSS scores only. Results: We observed trends towards downregulation of miR-1-3p, miR-133a-3p, miR-133b and miR-376c-3p, and upregulation of miR-7-5p, miR-17-3p, and miR-296-5p. Previously, the upregulated miR-7-5p was found to be highly expressed in the brain, whereas miR-1, miR-133a-3p and miR-133b appeared to be specific to the muscles and myocardium. Conclusion: miRNA profiles tend to differ between patients who develop HT and those who do not, suggesting that miRNA profiling, likely in association with other omics approaches, may increase the current power of tools predicting thrombolysis-associated sICH in acute ischemic stroke patients. This study represents a free hypothesis-approach pilot study as a continuation from our previous work. Herein, we showed that applying mathematical analyses to extract information from raw big data may result in the identification of new pathophysiological pathways and may complete standard design works.

  • Classification of Covid-19 using Differential Evolution Chaotic Whale Optimization based Convolutional Neural Network
    • D.p. Manoj Kumar
    • Sujata N. Patil
    • Parameshachari Bidare Divakarachari
    • Przemysław Falkowski-Gilski
    • R. Suganthi
    2024 Full text Scalable Computing: Practice and Experience

    COVID-19, also known as the Coronavirus disease-2019, is an transferrable disease that spreads rapidly, affecting countless individuals and leading to fatalities in this worldwide pandemic. The precise and swift detection of COVID-19 plays a crucial role in managing the pandemic's dissemination. Additionally, it is necessary to recognize COVID-19 quickly and accurately by investigating chest x-ray images. This paper proposed a Differential Evolution Chaotic Whale Optimization Algorithm (DECWOA) based Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) method for identifying and classifying COVID-19 chest X-ray images. The DECWOA based CNN model improves the accuracy and convergence speed of the algorithm. This method is evaluated {by} Chest X-Ray (CXR) dataset and attains better results in terms of accuracy, precision, sensitivity, specificity, and F1-score values of about 99.89}%, 99.83%, 99.81%, 98.92%, and 99.26% correspondingly. The result shows that the proposed DECWOA based CNN model provides accurate and quick identification and classification of COVID-19 compared to existing techniques like ResNet50, VGG-19, and Multi-Model Fusion of Deep Transfer Learning (MMF-DTL) models.

  • Climate change impact on groundwater resources in sandbar aquifers in southern Baltic coast
    • Anna Gumuła-Kawęcka
    • Beata Jaworska-Szulc
    • Maciej Jefimow
    2024 Full text Scientific Reports

    Shallow coastal aquifers are vulnerable hydrosystems controlled by many factors, related to climate, seawater‑freshwater interactions and human activity. Given on‑going climate change, sea level rise and increasing human impact, it is especially true for groundwater resources situated in sandbars. We developed numerical models of unsaturated zone water flow for two sandbars in northern Poland: the Vistula Spit and the Hel Spit using HYDRUS‑1D. The simulations were performed for three types of land use: pine forest, grass cover and bare soil, for 2024–2100 based on weather data and sea level rise forecasts for two emissions scenarios (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5). The results present prognosis of groundwater recharge, water table level and water content changeability in near‑term (2023–2040), mid‑term (2041–2060), and long‑term period (2081–2100). Expected sea level rise and decreasing hydraulic gradient of the sandbar aquifers will probably cause in‑land movement of the freshwater– saltwater interface, leading to significant decrease or complete salinization of groundwater resources. The study shows that holistic monitoring including groundwater level and salinization, sea level rise, and metheorological data (precipitation amount and variability, temperature) is crucial for sustainable management of vulnerable aquifers located in sandbars.

  • Cluster-spin-glass behavior in new ternary RE2PtGe3 compounds (RE = Tb, Dy, Ho)
    • Leszek Litzbarski
    • Michał Winiarski
    • Igor Oshchapovsky
    • Przemysław Skokowski
    • Karol Synoradzki
    • Tomasz Klimczuk
    • Bartłomiej Andrzejewski
    2024 Materials Research Express

    Two new ternary germanides Tb2Pt1.2Ge2.8, Dy2Pt1.15Ge2.85 and one already known germanium Ho2Pt1.1Ge2.9.were synthesized using an arc melting technique. The obtained samples were investigated by powder X-ray diffraction, which indicated that all of them crystallized in a hexagonal structure with P6/mmm (no. 191) space group. This structure is a disordered variant of the AlB2 aristotype that favors the formation of a spin-glass-like state. The physical properties were examined by measuring magnetic susceptibility, heat capacity and electrical resistance. Experiments indicated that all of the compounds can be classified as cluster-spin-glasses with the freezing temperature of Tf = 12.0 K, Tf = 6.0 K and Tf = 2.9 K for Tb2Pt1.2Ge2.8, Dy2Pt1.15Ge2.85 and Ho2Pt1.1Ge2.9 respectively.

  • CNN-CLFFA: Support Mobile Edge Computing in Transportation Cyber Physical System
    • Ashok Bhansali
    • Raj Kumar Patra
    • Parameshachari Bidare Divakarachari
    • Przemysław Falkowski-Gilski
    • Gandla Shivakanth
    • Sujatha N. Patil
    2024 Full text IEEE Access

    In the present scenario, the transportation Cyber Physical System (CPS) improves the reliability and efficiency of the transportation systems by enhancing the interactions between the physical and cyber systems. With the provision of better storage ability and enhanced computing, cloud computing extends transportation CPS in Mobile Edge Computing (MEC). By inspecting the existing literatures, the cloud computing cannot fulfill the requirements in transportation CPS like lower context-awareness and latency. For enhancing the context-awareness and reducing the latency in a realistic MEC environment, an efficient portable deep learning model: Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) with Chaotic Lévy Flight based Firefly Algorithm (CLFFA) is implemented in this article. In the CNN model, the CLFFA selects the appropriate hyper-parameters or reduces the redundant parameters that results in minimal model size and inference latency than the traditional CNN models. Additionally, the CNN-CLFFA model significantly outperformed the existing models by means of recall, accuracy, F1-score, and precision on the benchmark datasets like German Traffic Sign Recognition Benchmark (GTSRB), MIOvision Traffic Camera Dataset (MIO-TCD) classification, and VCifar-100 datasets. The numerical analysis demonstrates that the CNN-CLFFA model obtained maximum accuracy of 99.02%, 99.11%, and 99.03% on the VCifar-100, MIO-TCD, and GTSRB-T datasets, which are superior to the traditional models.

  • CO2 capture through direct-contact condensation in a spray ejector condenser and T- junction separator
    • Milad Amiri
    • Michał Klugmann
    • Jaroslaw Mikielewicz
    • Paweł Ziółkowski
    • Dariusz Mikielewicz
    2024 INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS IN HEAT AND MASS TRANSFER

    The design principle underlying the steam condensation and CO2 purification in a gas power plant with a focus on reducing CO2 emissions encompasses the deployment of a spray ejector condenser (SEC) and separator. This innovative system facilitates direct-contact condensation of steam with non-condensable gas (CO2) by inter acting with a spray of subcooled water, seamlessly integrated with a T-junction separator mechanism aimed at yielding pure CO2. Because of decreased convective heat transfer and heightened diffusion resistance between the subcooled water and steam phases caused by CO2, the research examined the effects of various thermo physical parameters of the injected water, specifically temperature (20–40 with Steam Mass Flow Rates (2.2–4.6 g s ◦ C) and pressure (12–16 bar) along ) to improve heat transfer rates within the SEC. The SEC utilizes a Eulerian- Eulerian multiphase model, wherein water is considered the continuous phase while the mixture of steam and CO2 constitutes the dispersed phase. Turbulence within the ejector is represented applying standard k model. Furthermore, the separator employs turbulence and operates in three dimensions using the control volume method. The simulation of turbulent two-phase flow in the gas-liquid T-junction separator is conducted utilizing K standard ε ε turbulence model and a mixture model. The results imply that the maximum temperature difference (ΔT) between inlet and outlet of SEC is observed when the steam mass flow rate is 2.2 (g/s) without CO2, while the presence of CO2 leads to a reduction in ΔT. Additionally, the performance of the SEC is notably affected by the optimal settings of water temperature and pressure, where lower coolant water temperatures (20 ◦ C) and higher water pressures (16 bar) contribute to improved condensation performance. Furthermore, the study ex plores the decrease in separation efficiency associated with elevated inlet mass flow rate, attributed to maldis tribution in the vertical impact T-junction separator.

  • CO2 capture using steam ejector condenser under electro hydrodynamic actuator with non-condensable gas and cyclone separator: A numerical study
    • Milad Amiri
    • Jaroslaw Mikielewicz
    • Dariusz Mikielewicz
    2024 SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY

    The concept for condensation of steam and CO2 separation in a negative CO2 emission gas power plant involves the utilization of a steam ejector condenser (SEC) for direct-contact condensation of vapor with inert gas (CO2) on a spray of subcooled liquid, integrated with a separator to produce pure CO2. Due to the increasing diffusion resistance and reduced convective heat transfer between the steam and subcooled water phases in the presence of non-condensable gas (CO2), the study utilized an electrohydrodynamic (EHD) actuator to enhance heat transfer rate in the SEC. To optimize CO2 purification, the effect of single, dual and quadruple inlets on separation efficiency was analysed. In the SEC, the Eulerian-Eulerian multiphase model is employed, treating water as the continuous phase and the compressible gas mixture (steam and CO2) as the dispersed phase. The standard k-ε model is chosen to depict the turbulence in the ejector. The separator is transient, turbulent, and threedimensional, using the control volume method. The RSM turbulent model and mixture model are utilized to simulate the turbulent two-phase flow in the gas–liquid separator. The findings indicated that when the mass flux of steam and voltage are increased, the condensation heat transfer coefficient also increases. For a mass flux of steam of 51 ( kg m2 .s ), the condensation heat transfer coefficients were measured to be 0.98, 1.029, 1.08, and 1.134 ( MW m2.K) at electrode voltages of 0, 20, 25, and 30 kV, respectively. In addition, a single-inlet cyclone attains a separation efficiency of 95.1 %, while incorporating two inlets improves the performance to 97.9 %. However, the most remarkable outcome is witnessed in cyclones with four inlets, where an impressive separation efficiency of 99.9 % is achieved.

  • Co-gasification of waste biomass-low grade coal mix using downdraft gasifier coupled with dual-fuel engine system: Multi-objective optimization with hybrid approach using RSM and Grey Wolf Optimizer
    • Thanh Tuan Le
    • Prabhakar Sharma
    • Bhaskor Jyoti Bora
    • Jerzy Kowalski
    • Sameh M. Osman
    • Duc Trong Nguyen Le
    • Thanh Hai Truong
    • Huu Cuong Le
    • Prabhu Paramasivam
    2024 PROCESS SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

    The looming global crisis over increasing greenhouse gases and rapid depletion of fossil fuels are the motivation factors for researchers to search for alternative fuels. There is a need for more sustainable and less polluting fuels for internal combustion engines. Biomass offers significant potential as a feed material for gasification to produce gaseous fuel. It is carbon neutral, versatile, and abundant on earth. The present study thus explores a mix of different feedstocks, such as mahua wood and low-grade coal for downdraft gasifiers. The resultant producer gas (PG), after cooling-cleaning will be used as the gaseous fuel to run the diesel engine in dual-fuel mode, while a tiny quantity of linseed biodiesel-diesel blends as B20 (20 % biodiesel + 80 % diesel) will be supplied as injected pilot fuel. The data from experimental work at different engine operation settings was employed to develop a prediction-optimization model using a twin approach of RSM and Grey wolf optimization (GWO). The three control factors for the engine were compression ratio (CR) 17 – 17.5 – 18, equivalence ratio 0.12–0.41, and engine loads in the range of 10–100 % were used to collect data on response variables i.e., brake-thermal efficiency (BTE) and emission data (CO2, NOx, UHC, and CO). A comparative approach of RSM and GWO was utilized for the multi-objective optimization revealing the best results were attained at 17.65 CR, 0.4 ER, 82.55 % engine load in the case of GWO.

  • Cold plasma treatment of tannic acid as a green technology for the fabrication of advanced cross-linkers for bioactive collagen/gelatin hydrogels
    • Beata Kaczmarek-Szczepańska
    • Marcin Wekwejt
    • Anna Pałubicka
    • Anna Michno
    • Lidia Zasada
    • Amir M. Alsharabasy
    2024 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES

    Tannic acid (TA) is a natural compound studied as the cross-linker for biopolymers due to its ability to form hydrogen bonds. There are different methods to improve its reactivity and effectiveness to be used as a modifier for biopolymeric materials. This work employed plasma to modify tannic acid TA, which was then used as a cross-linker for fabricating collagen/gelatin scaffolds. Plasma treatment did not cause any significant changes in the structure of TA, and the resulting oxidized TA showed a higher antioxidant activity than that without treatment. Adding TA to collagen/gelatin scaffolds improved their mechanical properties and stability. Moreover, the obtained plasma-treated TA-containing scaffolds showed antibacterial properties and were non-hemolytic, with improved cytocompatibility towards human dermal fibroblasts. These results suggest the suitability of plasma treatment as a green technology for the modification of TA towards the development of advanced TA-crosslinked hydrogels for various biomedical applications.

  • Collaborative development model and strategies of multi-energy industry clusters: Multi-indicators analysis affecting the development of coastal energy clusters
    • Chen Xiu
    • Anna Lis
    2024 ENERGY

    The paper explores Coastal Energy-Based Industrial Clusters (EBICs) and their role in advancing energy efficiency and sustainability through collaborative innovation. Economic growth theory and energy sustainability have been introduced into industrial clusters to illustrate indicators that have a greater impact on the development of EBICs. This paper proposes an EBICs development model based on the Cobb-Douglas function, in which accounts for various factors that drive the progress of such clusters. The outcomes of the economic model also provide insights into how the interaction of various factors affects the economic growth of EBICs and their eventual dominance in the energy market of coastal regions, dependent on gradually investing in areas such as research and development (R&D). Different development strategies demonstrate that the final development of a cluster has low dependence on the cluster's initial advantages. The study also illustrates how clusters can gradually monopolize the energy market, even with initial disadvantages. Through quantitative analysis, it showcases the transformation process of developing advantageous clusters into sub-clusters. Next, an energy symbiosis framework for coastal is proposed, which places greater emphasis on the multi-energy complementary system and reduces production costs. Finally, this paper also sheds light on shaping energy strategies for public authorities who shape economic policies at various levels of aggregation and in diverse dimensions.

  • Collaborative planning? Not yet seen in Poland. Identifying procedural gaps in the planning system 2003–2023
    • Izabela Mironowicz
    • Michał Marek Ciesielski
    2024 Full text Bulletin of Geography. Socio-economic Series

    Collaborative planning aims to increase the legitimacy of decision-making in spatial development. In this approach, planning involves debate and engagement in discourse, and participation and interaction between actors are thus at the heart of the planning process. This article examines whether the planning system in Poland as defined for the period 2003–2025 provides a level of participation and deliberation and other qualities that together allow it to be classified as a collaborative model. The legal procedures in the most commonly used planning instruments are therefore analysed in detail to determine whether they provide honest, open, equal and transparent access to the decision-making process to all stakeholders. The analysis reveals numerous deficiencies in the planning procedures that undermine the collaborative nature of spatial planning in Poland. The study summarises the experience of twenty years of spatial planning practice in Poland and provides a useful starting point for assessing the new planning system that has gradually been being implemented since 2023.

  • Comment on permeability conditions in finite element simulation of bone fracture healing
    • Agnieszka Sabik
    2024 COMPUTER METHODS IN BIOMECHANICS AND BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING

    The most popular model of the bone healing considers the fracture callus as poroelastic medium. As such it requires an assumption of the callus’ external permeability. In this work a systematic study of the influence of the permeability of the callus boundary on the simulated bone healing progress is performed. The results show, that these conditions starts to play significant role with the decrease of the callus size. Typically enforced impermeability inhibits the progress of healing during simulation. A remedy for this effect is imposing drainage conditions at the callus’ boundary.

  • Compact Substrate-Integrated Hexagonal Cavity-Backed Self-Hexaplexing Antenna for Sub-6 GHz Applications
    • Vijay Jayaprakash
    • Chandu Ds
    • Rusan Kumar Barik
    • Sławomir Kozieł
    2024 Full text IEEE Access

    A self-multiplexing SIW antenna based on hexagonal SIW cavity is proposed. The self-hexaplexing antenna consists of different sizes of resonating elements, which provide the hexaband operations. The antenna resonates at 5 GHz, 5.17 GHz, 5.32 GHz, 5.53 GHz, 5.62 GHz, and 5.72 GHz by employing different slot lengths between the resonating elements. The proposed antenna provides the individual tunable characteristics of the operating frequencies without changing the other resonant frequencies. The self-hexaplexing antenna exhibits a port isolation of > 29 dB between the resonating elements with a low frequency ratio of 1.14. The simulated gains of the antenna are 5.32 dBi, 5.68 dBi, 5.41 dBi, 5.91 dBi, 5.43 dBi and 5.14 dBi at the corresponding operating frequencies. The proposed self-hexaplexer operates in the NR band (n46) that can be suitable for communication system applications.

  • Comparative Analysis of Laboratory-Made and Industrial-Made Sewage Sludge Ash: Implications for Effective Management Strategy Development
    • Bartłomiej Cieślik
    • Oskar Ronda
    • Grządka Elżbieta
    • Jolanta Orzeł
    • Justyna Płotka-Wasylka
    2024 Full text Toxics

    first_pageDownload PDFsettingsOrder Article Reprints Open AccessArticle Comparative Analysis of Laboratory-Made and Industrial-Made Sewage Sludge Ash: Implications for Effective Management Strategy Development by Bartłomiej Michał Cieślik 1,*ORCID,Oskar Ronda 1ORCID,Elżbieta Grządka 2ORCID,Jolanta Orzeł 2 andJustyna Płotka-Wasylka 1 1 Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Gdańsk University of Technology, Gabriela Narutowicza 11/12 Str., 80-233 Gdańsk, Poland 2 Institute of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Chemistry, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, M. Curie-Skłodow-9 ska Sq 3, 20-031 Lublin, Poland * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. Toxics 2024, 12(5), 344; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12050344 (registering DOI) Submission received: 13 March 2024 / Revised: 30 April 2024 / Accepted: 7 May 2024 / Published: 8 May 2024 (This article belongs to the Section Metals and Radioactive Substances) Downloadkeyboard_arrow_down Browse Figures Versions Notes Abstract In the pursuit of environmentally and economically sustainable sewage sludge ash (SSA) management methods, researchers often employ laboratory-made SSA (L-SSA) as a substitute for industrial-made SSA (I-SSA) produced in fluidized bed furnaces. To check whether L-SSA is a material that imitates I-SSA well, the fractionation of metals whose presence is a significant problem during SSA management was performed. In addition, the grain distribution, specific surface area, and textural properties of the tested materials were examined. Differences in total Pb and Hg content and mobility of Cu, Ni, Mn, and Zn were observed between I-SSA and L-SSA. Larger particle sizes of L-SSA compared to I-SSA were confirmed, while comparable textural properties and specific surface area of both types of materials were maintained. Based on the results, it was concluded that L-SSA is chemically different compared to I-SSA, and that L-SSA should not be used as a reference in research focused on the design of SSA management methods. Moreover, fractionation of metals was performed in disposed fluidized beds (FBs), which are diverted to non-hazardous waste landfills without prior analysis. It has been proven that studied metals are present in FBs as abundantly as in SSA, while Cu, Mn, and Ni may show higher mobility than in I-SSA.

  • Comparative analysis of mechanical conditions in bone union following first metatarsophalangeal joint arthrodesis with varied locking plate positions: A finite element analysis
    • Agnieszka Sabik
    • Karol Daszkiewicz
    • Wojciech Witkowski
    • Piotr Łuczkiewicz
    2024 Full text PLOS ONE

    First metatarsophalangeal joint arthrodesis is a typical medical treatment performed in cases of arthritis or joint deformity. The gold standard for this procedure is arthrodesis stabilisation with the dorsally positioned plate. However, according to the authors’ previous studies, medially positioned plate provides greater bending stiffness. It is worth to compare the mechanical conditions for bone formation in the fracture callus for both placements of the locking plate. Two finite element models of the first metatarsophalangeal joint with the dorsally and medially positioned plate were defined in the Abaqus software to simulate differentiation of the fracture callus. A simplified load application, i.e. one single step per each day and the diffusion of the mesenchymal stem cells into the fracture region were assumed in an iterative hardening process. The changes of the mesenchymal stem cells into different phenotypes during the callus stiffening were governed by the octahedral shear strain and interstitial fluid velocity according to Prendergast mechanoregulation theory. Basing on the obtained results the progress of the cartilage and bone tissues formation and their distribution within the callus were compared between two models. The obtained results suggest that after 6 weeks of simulation the healing progress is in general comparable for both plates. However, earlier closing of external callus was observed for the medially positioned plate which had greater vertical bending stiffness. This process enables faster internal callus hardening and promotes symmetrical bridging.

  • Comparative Analysis of Phytochemical Profiles and Selected Biological Activities of Various Morphological Parts of Ligustrum vulgare
    • Szymon Litewski
    • Izabela Koss-Mikołajczyk
    • Barbara Kusznierewicz
    2024 Full text MOLECULES

    Ligustrum vulgare (LV), widely cultivated in Europe and often used in hedges, has been histori-cally recognized in folk medicine for its potential health benefits. This study focused on exploring the untargeted identification of secondary metabolites in ethanol extracts (70% v/v) from differ-ent morphological parts (young shoots, leaves, flowers and fruits) of LV at various stages of plant development, using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography with high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS). Additionally, the selected biological activities (antioxidant ac-tivity, cyclooxygenase-2 inhibition (COX-2), α-amylase inhibition and cytotoxicity) of the tested extracts were determined. Untargeted metabolomics showed that LV extracts were a rich source of phenylethanoid compounds, flavonoids, iridoids and their derivatives. The flowers of LV had the highest content of oleuropein (33.43 ± 2.48 mg/g d.w.). The lowest antioxidant activity was obtained for ripe and post-seasonal fruits, while in the case of other samples, the activity was at a similar level. All tested extracts showed α-amylase and COX-2 inhibitory activity. In addition, LV extracts showed strong antiproliferative properties in colorectal (HT29) and liver (HepG2) cancer cell lines. The obtained results show the difference in the content of bioactive compounds in various morphological parts of Ligustrum vulgare. These differences may influence the multifac-eted medicinal potential of this plant.

  • Comparative analysis of seismic response reduction in multi-storey buildings equipped with base isolation and passive/active friction-tuned mass dampers
    • Morteza Akbari
    • Mohammad Seifi
    • Tomasz Falborski
    • Robert Jankowski
    2024 ADVANCES IN ENGINEERING SOFTWARE

    This study presents an innovative approach to mitigating seismic responses in multi-storey buildings equipped with a base-isolation (BI) system and passive friction-tuned mass dampers (PFTMDs). The key innovation lies in the combined use of a BI system and a PFTMD system, as well as the activation of this mechanical system by controllers. Additionally, the research design optimizes the parameters of these devices specifically for each earthquake scenario and compares the results to the average of the optimal parameters, which has not been investigated in previous studies. In this study, a 10-storey structure is modeled, featuring a BI system beneath the first floor and a PFTMD system on the roof. The parameters for the BI, PFTMD, BI-PFTMD, and BI-active FTMD (BI-AFTMD) systems are independently optimized using a multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO) algorithm. To enhance the passive BI-PFTMD system, a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller is incorporated into the friction-tuned mass damper system, resulting in the BI-AFTMD hybrid control system that adjusts the final control force transmitted to the structure. The seismic performance of these systems is assessed for the 10-storey building under both far-field and near-field earthquakes. The findings reveal that these control systems significantly decrease average peak displacement, acceleration, and inter-storey drift as compared to an uncontrolled structure, especially when system parameters are optimized for the same earthquake scenario. Using average optimal parameters, the BI-AFTMD system achieves the most substantial reduction in average peak displacement, while the BI system offers the greatest reduction in average peak acceleration and inter-storey drift.

  • Comparative analysis of three‐phase dual active bridge converter with different transformer topology and modern universal control for DC microgrids
    • Serafin Bachman
    • Marek Turzyński
    • Marek Jasiński
    2024 Full text IET Power Electronics

    The presented work discusses issues related to the use of modern multiphase topologies of Dual Active Bridge (DAB)-type converters. Converters of this type are widely used in most DC microgrid applications. The introduction emphasizes a comparative analysis between single-phase and multi-phase DAB topologies within high-power DC microgrids, delving into their respective advantages, drawbacks, design procedures, and considerations based on the latest knowledge. The publication explores the comparison and selection of viable topologies for deployment in high-power and high-efficiency DC microgrids. The unified method of controlling 1-phase and multi-phase DAB converters was proposed in this design, simplifying the issues of DC microgrid control. All topologies were tested on the same controller concept. The study performs laboratory investigation of DAB 1-phase and 3-phase: Star–Star, and Star–Delta topologies. Attention was paid to maintaining uniform operating conditions of the system, contrary to studies known from the literature, all tests were carried out on the same laboratory stand and the same magnetic components in different configurations. Analytical and laboratory analyses of the Zero Voltage Switching (ZVS) region were performed, accounting for non-linear phenomena. Based on these findings, an assessment of the system’s performance in soft switching was carried out. The pre- sented results were implemented in a simulation model and subsequently validated through tests on a constructed laboratory setup to ensure the proper operation of the system. This work meticulously presents and discusses variations in efficiency, dynamic response, phase current harmonic distribution, phase shift distribution, ZVS switching region, and more among the examined topologies. To ensure a fair comparison, the converter configuration for both simulation and laboratory models utilized identical components across all configurations.

  • Comparative study of numerical modelling and experimental investigation for vessel-docking operations
    • Xueliang Wen
    • Jianan Zhang
    • Muk Chen Ong
    • Aleksander Kniat
    2024 Full text MARINE STRUCTURES

    A comparative study between numerical modelling and experimental investigation is performed to validate the developed numerical method for simulating floating dock operations with a vessel on board. Both model-scale and full-scale experimental tests are performed on floating docks with a vessel on board, and the draughts using draught meters, floating positions and bending of the floating dock are measured. The present numerical method is proposed based on a quasi-static assumption during vessel-docking operations. A static analysis model is built to determine the static response of a floating dock under a specific ballast water distribution based on a hydrostatic force model and a Newton-Raphson method. A bending model is proposed to calculate the deflection of the floating dock along the longitudinal direction. Results of the mode-scale tests show that the draught measurements and the floating positions of the dock and vessel predicted using the present numerical method agree well with the corresponding experimental results. It proves the accuracy of the present numerical method for simulating vessel-docking operations. Moreover, a well-designed ballast plan enables successful de-ballasting operations on the model-scale dock, even in the event of one to three pump failures. The comparison of the deflection changes of the floating dock in the field test measurements further proves the accuracy of the present bending model. Therefore, the validated numerical model tested on both model-scale and full-scale docks provides a reliable foundation for creating digital twin of floating docks in shipyards.

  • Comparative study on fracture evolution in steel fibre and bar reinforced concrete beams using acoustic emission and digital image correlation techniques
    • Shahzad Ashraf
    • Magdalena Rucka
    2024 Full text Case Studies in Construction Materials

    In recent decades, the demand for sustainable construction practices has increased, but raw materials such as reinforcing steel remain scarce. Therefore, steel fibres have emerged as a popular and sustainable choice in the construction industry, offering a cost-effective alternative to traditional steel bar reinforcement for both flatwork and elevated structures. The purpose of this study is therefore to compare the performance of fracture behaviour between steel fibre-reinforced concrete (SFRC) and steel bar-reinforced concrete (SBRC) beams subjected to three-point bending. The fracture process was monitored by using two non-invasive techniques: acoustic emission (AE) and digital image correlation (DIC). The damage level was identified by characterizing the parameter-based AE data such as hit rate, energy release, count, rise time, amplitude, and signal strength. DIC images were employed to visualise the crack propagation in parallel with the AE data. To further understand the fracture characteristics, the integration of 2D source localization of AE events (based on local AE fracture energies) with DIC results was investigated. The parameter-based AE results showed that SBRC beam experienced a high density of AE hits with large peak amplitude events that were accelerated during the pre-peak loading phase. The Ib-value analysis revealed that SBRC beam exhibited a higher degree of fracture magnitude during the primary crack development process than SFRC beam. Following the main cracking stage, SFRC beam demonstrated an improved post-cracking softening behavior and superior ability to arrest crack propagation compared to SBRC beam. The integration of local AE fracture energy and DIC results provided a novel approach for a better understanding of the fracture behaviour in both SFRC and SBRC beams. This study’s findings contribute to more precise monitoring of fracture evolution in SFRC and SBRC beams, ultimately improving the selection process for primary reinforcement in flatwork and elevated structures.

  • Comparison of 2D and 3D culture models in the studies of the biological response induced by unsymmetrical bisacridines in cancer cells
    • Jolanta Kulesza
    2024 Full text

    Multicellular tumor spheroids are a good tool for testing new anticancer drugs, including those that may target cancer stem cells (CSCs), responsible for cancer progression, metastasis, and recurrence. Therefore, following the initial evaluation of the impact of antitumor unsymmetrical bisacridines (UAs) on lung and colon cancer cells using traditional monolayer cultures, I extended my investigations and applied the spherical model. This approach aimed to uncover the cellular response induced by UAs in these cancer cells, with an additional focus on the CSC-like population. In my research, I showed that UAs affected the viability of the studied cells, as well as their spherogenic potential in 2D and 3D. Furthermore, I proved that the most promising UAs (C-2045 and C-2053) induced apoptosis in HCT116 colon and A549 lung cancer spheroids, to a similar, or even higher extent than in monolayer. Finally, I identified the population of CSC-like cells in 2D and 3D cultures of the studied cell lines by determining the levels of CD166, CD133, CD44, and EpCAM markers and I showed that selected UAs affected the CSC-like population in both cell lines, in A549 more profoundly in 3D than 2D. Thus, I have proven that UAs exhibit high antitumor properties in both 2D and 3D conditions and affect the CSC-like population, which makes them promising candidates for future therapeutic applications.

  • Comparison of 3D Point Cloud Completion Networks for High Altitude Lidar Scans of Buildings
    • Marek Kulawiak
    2024 PHOTOGRAMMETRIC ENGINEERING AND REMOTE SENSING

    High altitude lidar scans allow for rapid acquisition of big spatial data representing entire city blocks. Unfortunately, the raw point clouds acquired by this method are largely incomplete due to object occlusions and restrictions in scanning angles and sensor resolution, which can negatively affect the obtained results. In recent years, many new solutions for 3D point cloud completion have been created and tested on various objects; however, the application of these methods to high-altitude lidar point clouds of buildings has not been properly investigated yet. In the above context, this paper presents the results of applying several state-of-the-art point cloud completion networks to various building exteriors acquired by simulated airborne laser scanning. Moreover, the output point clouds generated from partial data are compared with complete ground-truth point clouds. The performed tests show that the SeedFormer network trained on the ShapeNet-55 data set provides promising shape completion results.

  • Comparison of Deep Neural Network Learning Algorithms for Mars Terrain Image Segmentation
    • Wojciech Wicki
    • Wiktor Burblis
    • Miłosz Tkaczeń
    • Jerzy Demkowicz
    2024 Full text

    This paper is dedicated to the topic of terrain recognition on Mars using advanced techniques based on the convolutional neural networks (CNN). The work on the project was conducted based on the set of 18K images collected by the Curiosity, Opportunity and Spirit rovers. The data were later processed by the model operating in a Python environment, utilizing Keras and Tensorflow repositories. The model benefits from the pretrained backbones trained for analysis of the RGB images. The project achieves an accuracy of 83.5% when extending the scope of classification to unknown objects and 94.2% when omitting unknown results. The results were compared with related projects of Zooniverse and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientific group. From amongst the evaluated configurations, the best results and resource utilization were achieved by applying the UNet architecture with resnext_50 backbone and Adam optimizer.

  • Comparison of Doppler Effect Estimation Methods for MFSK Transmission in Multipath Hydroacoustic Channel
    • Agnieszka Czapiewska
    • Andrzej Łuksza
    • Ryszard Studański
    • Łukasz Wojewódka
    • Andrzej Żak
    2024 Full text IEEE Access

    Underwater wireless communication remains a challenging topic, particularly for applications such as wreck penetration where multipath and Doppler effects are very intense. These effects are becoming even more difficult to mitigate for fast data transmission systems that utilize wideband signals. Due to the low propagation speed of acoustic wave in the water, there is a significant difference between the Doppler shift for lower and upper frequencies of the utilized spectrum. To address these challenges, this paper describes various methods for determining the Doppler frequency shift for MFSK signals, including cross-correlation, double FFT, pilots, and additional Up-Down chirp signals. The reception quality of the transmitted data in a real environment was used as an evaluation criterion for each method. The tests were carried out in motion within the towing tank for different movement speeds of the transmitter relative to the receiver. The tank’s limited dimensions created conditions for multipath signal propagation. Under very difficult multipath signal propagation conditions, the pilots method was found to be the most effective. It gave over two times lower BER than the well-known Up-Down chirp method.

  • Comparison of heat transfer from single- and double-sided heated horizontal plate under free convection in air with constant heat flux condition
    • Michał Ryms
    • Krzysztof Tesch
    • Witold Lewandowski
    2024 Full text INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS IN HEAT AND MASS TRANSFER

    This paper presents the results of an experimental and numerical study of convective heat transfer from a newly designed double-sided heated horizontal plate in air. To ensure equal heat transfer from both surfaces, the plate was equipped with two independently supplied electric heaters and resistance thermometers on each side. Minimizing the plate's thickness reduced lateral heat loss and improved measurement accuracy. The study used the balance method for convective heat transfer analysis, and results were validated through standard numerical calculations for q = const. Additionally, results were compared with experimental literature for intermediate cases, such as a cuboid, where convection occurs from both horizontal and vertical sides. Experimental results for the plate showed a 15.5–18.0% difference from numerical ones and a 24.7–29.3% difference from average extreme cases. These findings, presented as the Nusselt-Rayleigh relationship, were positively verified by numerical calculations, confirming their reliability. This advancement enables separate studies of free convection from the upper and lower parts of horizontal plates.

  • Comparison of Tire Rolling Resistance Measuring Methods for Different Surfaces
    • Jerzy Ejsmont
    • Grzegorz Ronowski
    • Lisa Ydrefors
    • Wojciech Owczarzak
    • Sławomir Sommer
    • Beata Świeczko-Żurek
    2024 Full text INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY

    The rolling resistance of car tires is one of the most important parameters characterizing tires today. This resistance has a very significant contribution to the energy consumption of wheeled vehicles. The climate crisis has forced tire and car manufacturers to place great emphasis on the environmental impact of their products. Paradoxically, the development of electric vehicles has led to an even greater importance of rolling resistance, because in electric vehicles, a large part of the influence of grade resistance and inertial resistance has been eliminated due to re-generative braking, which resulted in rolling resistance and air resistance remain as the most important factors. What is more, electric and hybrid vehicles are usually heavier, so the rolling resistance is increased accordingly. To optimize tires for rolling resistance, representative test methods must exist. Unfortunately, the current standards for measuring rolling resistance assume that tests are carried out in conditions that are far from real road conditions. This article compares the results of rolling resistance tests conducted in road conditions with the results of laboratory tests conducted on roadwheel facilities. The overview of results shows that the results of tests conducted in accordance with ISO and SAE standards on steel drums are very poorly correlated with more objective results of road tests. Significant differences occur both in the Coefficients of Rolling Resistance (CRR) and in the tire ranking. Only covering the drums with replicas of road surfaces leads to a significant improvement in the results obtained. For investigations of rolling resistance in non-steady-state conditions, the flat track testing machine (TTF), equipped with asphalt cassettes, is shown to provide measurement data in agreement with the road test data.

  • Completely entangled subspaces of entanglement depth k
    • Maciej Demianowicz
    • Kajetan Vogtt
    • Remigiusz Augusiak
    2024 Full text PHYSICAL REVIEW A

    We introduce a class of entangled subspaces: completely entangled subspaces of entanglement depth k (k-CESs). These are subspaces of multipartite Hilbert spaces containing only pure states with an entanglement depth of at least k. We present an efficient construction of k-CESs of any achievable dimensionality in any multipartite scenario. Further, we discuss the relation between these subspaces and unextendible product bases (UPBs). In particular, we establish that there is a nontrivial bound on the cardinality of a UPB whose orthocomplement is a k-CES. Further, we discuss the existence of such UPBs for qubit systems.

  • Composite 2D Material-Based Pervaporation Membranes for Liquid Separation: A Review
    • Roberto Castro Munoz
    2024 Full text MOLECULES

    Today, chemistry and nanotechnology cover molecular separations in liquid and gas states by aiding in the design of new nano-sized materials. In this regard, the synthesis and application of two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials are current fields of research in which structurally defined 2D materials are being used in membrane separation either in self-standing membranes or composites with polymer phases. For instance, pervaporation (PV), as a highly selective technology for liquid separation, benefits from using 2D materials to selectively transport water or other solvent molecules. Therefore, this review paper offers an interesting update in revising the ongoing progress of PV membranes using 2D materials in several applications, including solvent purification (the removal of water from organic systems), organics removal (the removal of organic molecules diluted in water systems), and desalination (selective water transport from seawater). In general, recent reports from the past 3 years have been discussed and analyzed. Attention has been devoted to the proposed strategies and fabrication of membranes for the inclusion of 2D materials into polymer phases. Finally, the future trends and current research gaps are declared for the scientists in the field.

  • Comprehensive evaluation of physical properties and carbon dioxide capacities of new 2-(butylamino)ethanol-based deep eutectic solvents
    • Bartosz Nowosielski
    • Marzena Jamrógiewicz
    • Iwona Cichowska-Kopczyńska
    • Dorota Warmińska
    2024 PURE AND APPLIED CHEMISTRY

    The aim of this research was to assess the impact of the components of alkanolamine deep eutectic solvents (DESs) on the physical properties of those DESs and their carbon dioxide capacity. To achieve this goal, novel deep eutectic solvents were synthesized by using 2-(butylamino)ethanol (BAE) as the hydrogen bond donor (HBD), along with tetrabutylammonium bromide TBAB), tetrabutylammonium chloride (TBAC), or tetraethy- lammonium chloride (TEAC) as the hydrogen bond acceptors (HBA) at various molar ratios (1:6, 1:8, and 1:10). To confirm the presence of hydrogen bond interactions between the components Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy measurements were conducted. Furthermore, thermal properties, including melting points and thermal stability, of these deep eutectic solvents as well as key physical properties, such as density, viscosity, refractive index, and sound velocity, within the temperature range of 293.15–333.15 K and at a pressure of 0.1 MPa were examined. The effect of the molar ratio of HBA to HBD, the type of anion, and the length of the alkyl chain were studied and analysed in regard to physicochemical properties. In this work, the solubility of carbon dioxide in DESs derived from 2-(butylamino)ethanol, 3-aminopropan-1-ol (AP), and 2-(methylamino)ethanol (MAE) was measured. The highest CO 2 capacity was found for TEAC:MAE 1:10 DES characterized by the shortest alkyl chain length in both HBA and HBD molecules, the highest amine content, and the lowest viscosity. Additionally, the effect of water addition on carbon dioxide solubility was explored. The results showed that the influence of water on CO 2 solubility varies with the type of DES. In general, this work highlighted that DESs can serve as effective media for carbon dioxide capture, and their performance can be tailored by changing the type of hydrogen bond acceptor or donor, their molar ratio and by the addition of water.

  • Comprehensive exploration of technological tensioning effects in welded thin plate girders: an in-depth investigation
    • Hassanein I. Khalaf
    • D. Chodorowska
    • Raheem Al-Sabur
    • Andrzej Kubit
    • Wojciech Macek
    2024 Journal of the Brazilian Society of Mechanical Sciences and Engineering

    Thin-walled plate girders are widely used in structures and construction due to their effectiveness in transferring loads. The permanent deformations of the girder lead to a lack of stability, which necessarily leads to its replacement. Replacing permanently deformed thin-walled load-bearing structures requires large financial outlays. Technological prestressing is one of the most effective methods for studying and treating permanent deflections in girder elements. This study looks at the defection of welded thin-plate S235JR steel girders, examining how technological tensioning effects interact with different loading conditions. Four girders, A2 (welded in bottom caps), A3 (welded in two side caps), and A4 (welded in two side caps and bottom caps), as well as the prestressed B2 girder, which has two welded side caps, were subjected to a bend test. The girders were subjected to a load P (20, 40, 60, 80 and 95) kN. All points were examined during the 95 min of cooling time. For technological compression, the results showed that there is a convergence between the analytical solution and the experimental results, as the most significant deviation achieved in the analysis was 5.21 mm compared to 6 mm experimentally. When the girder is loaded with the force P = 50 N, the maximum deflection achieved at girder A4 is 4 mm, compared with 1mm at girder A2. In prestressed girder B, the deflections that were reached were 2.50 mm, 3.50 mm, and 3.52 mm in the analytical, experimental, and FE numerical models, respectively. The tensions that were reached were 36.96 MPa, 44.28 MPa, and 27.93 MPa.

  • Computational analysis of power-law fluids for convective heat transfer in permeable enclosures using Darcy effects
    • Maryam Rehman
    • Muhammad Bilal Hafeez
    • Marek Krawczuk
    2024 Full text JOURNAL OF THERMAL ANALYSIS AND CALORIMETRY

    Natural convection is a complex environmental phenomenon that typically occurs in engineering settings in porous structures. Shear thinning or shear thickening fuids are characteristics of power-law fuids, which are non-Newtonian in nature and fnd wide-ranging uses in various industrial processes. Non-Newtonian fuid fow in porous media is a difcult problem with important consequences for energy systems and heat transfer. In this paper, convective heat transmission in permeable enclosures will be thoroughly examined. The main goal is to comprehend the intricate interaction between the buoyancyinduced convection intensity, the porosity of the casing, and the fuid’s power-law rheology as indicated by the Rayleigh number. The objective is to comprehend the underlying mechanisms and identify the ideal conditions for improving heat transfer processes.The problem’s governing equations for a scientifc investigation are predicated on the concepts of heat transport and fuid dynamics. The fuid fow and thermal behavior are represented using the energy equation, the Boussinesq approximation, and the Navier–Stokes equations. The continuity equation in a porous media represents the conservation of mass. Finite Element Analysis is the numerical method that is suggested for this challenging topic since it enables a comprehensive examination of the situation. The results of the investigation support several important conclusions. The power-law index directly impacts heat transmission patterns. A higher Rayleigh number indicates increased buoyancyinduced convection, which increases the heat transfer rates inside the shell. The porosity of the medium signifcantly afects temperature gradients and fow distribution, and it is most noticeable when permeability is present. The fndings show how, in the context of porous media, these parameters have complicated relationships with one another

  • Computational analysis of substituent effects on proton affinity and gas-phase basicity of TEMPO derivatives and their hydrogen bonding interactions with water molecules
    • Abolfazl Shiroudi
    • Maciej Śmiechowski
    • Jacek Czub
    • Mohamed A. Abdel-Rahman
    2024 Full text Scientific Reports

    The study investigates the molecular structure of 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO) and its derivatives in the gas phase using B3LYP and M06-2X functional methods. Intermolecular interactions are analyzed using natural bond orbital (NBO) and atoms in molecules (AIM) techniques. NO2-substituted TEMPO displays high reactivity, less stability, and softer properties. The study reveals that the stability of TEMPO derivatives is mainly influenced by LP(e) → σ∗ electronic delocalization effects, with the highest stabilization observed on the oxygen atom of the nitroxide moiety. This work also considers electron density, atomic charges, and energetic and thermodynamic properties of the studied NO radicals, and their relative stability. The proton affinity and gas-phase basicity of the studied compounds were computed at T = 298 K for O-protonation and N-protonation, respectively. The studied DFT method calculations show that O-protonation is more stable than N-protonation, with an energy difference of 16.64–20.77 kcal/mol (22.80–25.68 kcal/mol) at the B3LYP (M06-2X) method. The AIM analysis reveals that the N–O…H interaction in H2O complexes has the most favorable hydrogen bond energy computed at bond critical points (3, − 1), and the planar configurations of TEMPO derivatives exhibit the highest EHB values. This indicates stronger hydrogen bonding interactions between the N–O group and water molecules.

  • Computational Approach towards Repetitive Design Tasks: The Case Study of Parking Lot Automated Design
    • Jan Cudzik
    • Michał Nessel
    2024 Full text Sustainability

    The study aims to develop and assess an algorithm for efficiently generating parking spot layouts within predefined area outlines. The algorithm is an attempt to streamline the decisionmaking process by producing different design variants and optimizing the utilization of available space. The algorithm’s primary objective is to streamline decision-making by generating diverse design variants while optimizing the use of available space, with a distinct focus on mitigating environmental impact and fostering ecological well-being. Researchers conduct thorough tests on the algorithm across various outlines, resulting in multiple layout options for each scenario. They analyzed five representative parking locations and compare the algorithm’s results with the existing parking spot layouts. Throughout the evaluation process, they consider quantitative and qualitative data, considering the complexities of communication solutions within each context. The study findings indicate that the algorithm demonstrates comparable or superior performance to existing solutions. Overall, the study highlights the promising potential of algorithmic design approaches in the context of parking lot automated design. Achieving a balance between innovative designs and user-friendly layouts is crucial, and this is achievable by conducting comprehensive analyses that consider various factors. The consistent findings underscore the algorithm’s potential to significantly contribute to sustainable design practices in parking lot layouts, highlighting decreased environmental strain, efficient land use, and creating urban spaces that prioritize ecological benefits. Furthermore, seamlessly integrating algorithmic solutions with existing communication systems is paramount to ensure practical applicability in real-world scenarios. This integration will enable more effective and practical implementation of the algorithm’s outputs in actual parking lot design projects.