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  • Analysis of surface roughness of chemically impregnated Scots pine processed using frame-sawing machine
    • Daniel Chuchała
    • Kazimierz Orłowski
    • Salim Hiziroglu
    • Aleksandra Wilmańska
    • Aleksandra Pradlik
    • Karolina Miętka
    2023 Pełny tekst Wood Material Science & Engineering

    The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of the impregnation process of pine wood (Pinus sylvestris L.) on roughness parameters of the surface processed on a frame sawing. The samples weredried and impregnated using a commercial procedure by a local company. The touch method withthe use of measuring stylus (pin) was employed to determine of surface roughness of the samplesconsidering parameters, namely, arithmetical mean roughness value (Ra), total height of theroughness profile (Rt), maximum height of roughness profile (Rz) and root-mean-square roughness(Rq). All measured values of the analysed surface roughness parameters were normalised by the rawdensity of wood in order to eliminate the effect of differences in wood density and moisture contentof the tested samples of impregnated and non-impregnated pine. Generally, no effect of feed pertooth was observed for the analysed values of fz1= 0.11 mm and fz2= 0.22 mm on the surfaceroughness parameters. Only for the parameter Rq of impregnated wood was a significant effect offeed per tooth observed. The effect of the pine wood impregnation process on all analysed surfaceroughness parameters was observed for both analysed feeds per tooth

  • Analysis of the Capability of Deep Learning Algorithms for EEG-based Brain-Computer Interface Implementation
    • Kacper Ledwosiński
    • Paweł Czapla
    • Tomasz Kocejko
    • Jo Kang-Hyun
    2023

    Machine learning models have received significant attention for their exceptional performance in classifying electroencephalography (EEG) data. They have proven to be highly effective in extracting intricate patterns and features from the raw signal data, thereby contributing to their success in EEG classification tasks. In this study, we explore the possibilities of utilizing contemporary machine learning algorithms in decoding brain activity signals for a quick and efficient feature extraction in a potential BCI application. Specifically, the EEG data is associated with movement imagination as well as the state of relaxation. A total of 4 models based on neural networks, with distinct structures, were implemented and evaluated on a proprietary subject-specific dataset: EEGNet, EEG Inception, Spatial-Temporal Tiny Transformer (S3T), DeepConvNet. The experiments resulted in promising prediction accuracy. However, the performance of classifiers was not evaluated for new subjects or different hardware.

  • Analysis of the effect of the seismic gap on the response of buildings experiencing pounding during earthquakes
    • Mahmoud Miari
    • Robert Jankowski
    2023 AIP Conference Proceedings

    The aim of this paper is to investigate the effect of the seismic gap on the dynamic response of buildings experiencing earthquake-induced pounding. Three buildings have been analysed, which are 5-storey, 7-storey and 9-storey structures. Three possible pounding scenarios have been considered, which are pounding between 5-storey and 7-storey buildings, pounding between 5-storey and 9-storey buildings and pounding between 7-storey and 9-storey buildings. Three seismic gaps between these three buildings have been investigated, which are 1 mm (contact structures), 2 cm and 2 m (separated structures). The results of the study show that the acceleration and pounding force time histories are significantly affected by the seismic gap. Moreover, not necessarily smaller gaps lead to smaller accelerations and pounding forces. It has been observed that the response is larger for small gaps in certain cases, while the response is larger for large gaps in other cases. This means that increasing the gap will not reduce the response unless it is large enough to eliminate collisions.

  • Analysis of the Environmental Impact of the Hull Construction of a Small Vessel Based on LCA
    • Jacek Nakielski
    2023 Pełny tekst Polish Maritime Research

    In recent years, issues related to the impact of human activity on the natural environment have become pressing, and the challenge of global warming necessitates immediate action. To support environmental protection efforts, it has become imperative to adopt a broader perspective when evaluating various products and systems. A valuable tool for such assessments is a life cycle assessment (LCA), which enables a comprehensive analysis of the entire life cycle of a product. This paper presents a comparative analysis of the hull of a fast patrol craft, fabricated using three different materials: steel, aluminium, and composite materials. The LCA covers every stage from material production, through the construction and use of the hull, to its eventual disposal. A specific criterion was established to evaluate the impact of the hull on the environment, with clearly defined system boundaries. In the final section, we draw some conclusions that underscore the importance of reusing construction materials. By emphasising this approach, ecological footprints can be minimised and a sustainable future can be created.

  • ANALYSIS OF THE FEATURES OF EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF SOLAR POWER PLANTS IN LOCAL ENERGY SUPPLY SYSTEMS
    • Sergei Denysiuk
    • Ryszard Strzelecki
    • Ihor Bohoiko
    • Natalia Strzelecka
    2023 Pełny tekst POWER ENGINEERING

    Показано, що відновлені джерела енергії (ВДЕ) у багатьох країнах дедалі більше домінують на ринку електроенергії, при цьому обсяги генерації електроенергії сонячними електростанціями (СЕС) останніми роками зростають рекордними темпами. Зазначено, що хоча частка ВДЕ продовжує зростати і фотоелектрична індустрія стрімко розвивається, однак галузь все ще стикається з багатьма проблемами, зокрема як продовжувати знижувати нормовану вартість енергії в СЕС (Levelised Cost of Energy, LCOE), покращити ефективність експлуатації та oбслуговування, підтримувати стабільність електромережі, забезпечити безпеку системи. Виділено базові складові ефективного функціонування електроенергетичних систем з СЕС, а саме: концепції конфігурацій фотоелектричної систем, Smart-інвертори, системи накопичення енергії (Energy Storage System, ESS), віртуальні електростанції (Virtual Power Plant, VPP) на основі СЕС. Показано, що кожна із чотирьох концепції передбачає з’єднання серії фотоелектричних панелей або стрінгів та пристроїв силової електроніки (перетворювачів постійного струму та інверторів), які налаштовані з врахуванням особливостей функціонування різних структурних (схемотехнічних) рішень. Оцінено переваги використання Smart-інверторів, як нової технології, яка може допомогти інтегрувати сонячну енергію та інші розосереджені енергетичні ресурси в електричну мережу. Smart-інвертори використовуються з метою сприяти електричній мережі справлятися з переривчастою генерацією, допомагаючи електричній мережі залишатися стабільною та підтримувати вимоги до напруги та частоти. Визначено, що у будь-якій фотоелектричній системі власне ESS стають центральним компонентом, що суттєво впливає на вартість, вимоги до обслуговування, надійність і дизайн СЕС, а важливими параметрами ESS, які впливають на роботу та продуктивність фотоелектричної системи, є вимоги щодо обслуговування акумулятора, термін служби акумулятора, доступна потужність і ефективність. Представлено тренди на ринку передових систем зберігання енергії для СЕС на наступне десятиліття. Функціонування віртуальних електростанцій на основі СЕС, як мережі агрегованих розосереджених енергетичних ресурсів, що дистанційно підключені та сумісно працюють поряд з гнучкими споживачами електроенергії, направлено на максимізацію вигод учасників. Представлено можливості та тенденції розвитку СЕС у найближчому майбутньому, які базуються на дослідженнях компанії Huawei.

  • Analysis of the impact of wastewater discharge on recipients: synergistic approach
    • Agnieszka Kalinowska
    2023 Pełny tekst

    The dissertation presents the analysis of chemical and microbial composition of wastewater and examines the impact of wastewater discharge on the environment. Various case studies were analysed: from small settlements in a pristine European Arctic, to large municipal wastewater treatment plants in areas subjected to greater anthropogenic pressure. In order to comprehensively analyse the impact of wastewater discharge on the receiving waterbody, a holistic approach, combining multiple analytical methods, was chosen. The results of the study show that despite high bacterial removal rates, wastewater treatment plants based on biological methods, still release significant amounts of microorganisms into the environment. Wastewater included bacteria typical to (1) activated sludge (associated with nitrogen cycling or activated sludge bulking) or (2) to the human digestive system (including those showing antibiotic resistance). The biochemical potential and taxonomic structure of the treated wastewater microbiome varied throughout the year, reflecting seasonal fluctuations of wastewater treatment efficiency. At the same time, higher values of prokaryotic cells number, prokaryotic biomass or average cell volume were found in environmental samples influenced by wastewater discharge, compared to reference points. Additionally, this thesis proposed and validated a method for monitoring the occurrence of beta-lactam antibiotic resistance among coliform bacteria. This method can be widely used to assess the spread of antibiotic resistance.

  • Analysis of the Possibilities of Applying 3D Print Methods for the Needs of Ship-Building Industry
    • Krzysztof Jasiński
    • Marek Chodnicki
    • Krzysztof Bobrowski
    • Krzysztof Lipiński
    • Marcin Kluczyk
    • Adam Szeleziński
    2023

    Article presents the analysis of applying additive and hybrid manufacturing methods and its impact on dynamic stiffness of prepared samples. Dynamic analysis of the handle bracket specimens consisted in plotting the resonance curves and using these curves to estimate the dynamic stiffness of elements produced with additive manufacturing technology. Authors focused especially on 3D print in Fused Deposiotion Modeling/Fused Filament Fabrication (FDM/FFF) technology to manufacture both new, fully functional components of ships and yachts and to produce spare parts in emergency conditions when there is a need of a temporary replacement of a damaged part (e.g. on-board of a ship during its voyage, to ensure that the part lasts until the ship reaches a shipyard or a port). This paper presents results of research conducted using a dynamic analysis of specimens in the form of a handle bracket and tests conducted within the scope of strength analysis of portholes spacers mounted below the ships water line.

  • Analysis of the structure of the atomized fuel spray with marine diesel engine injector in the early stage of injection
    • Joanna Grochowalska
    • Piotr Jaworski
    • Łukasz Kapusta
    2023 Pełny tekst Combustion Engines

    This paper presents the results of the experimental research of the atomized fuel spray with the marine diesel engine injector in the constant volume chamber. The specificity of the phenomena occurring in the marine engine cylinder was the reason to use the optical visualisation method in the studies – the Mie scattering technique. This work presents an analysis of the influence of different geometry of outlet orifice and opening pressures of marine diesel injector on the macrostructure of the fuel spray. In the results, it was observed that the increased L/D ratio of the outlet orifice of the injector caused: an increase in the spray cone angle and a decrease in the spray tip penetration in the early stage of injection. Furthermore, it was defined that the characteristic of spray tip penetration over time was power, whereas the spray cone angle over time was a logarithmic function.

  • Analysis of the Surface Stereometry of Alloyed Austenitic Steel after Fibre Laser Cutting using Confocal Microscopy
    • Sławomir Krajewski
    • Daniel Grochała
    • Jacek Tomków
    • Rafał Grzejda
    2023 Pełny tekst Coatings

    The paper extends the concept of cut edge quality and examines the fibre laser cutting process. A Prima Power Platino Fiber Evo device with a reference speed (RS) of 3500 mm/min was used for laser cutting. In order to analyse the influence of the laser cutting speed on the cut edge quality of X5CrNi18-10 stainless steel sheets, macroscopic studies were conducted on a stereoscopic microscope and surface stereometry on a confocal microscope. The obtained results were analysed to evaluate 2D and 3D parameters. These parameters make it possible to determine the cut edge quality and the susceptibility to the application of protective coatings. It was observed that the value of the Sa parameter is the highest for a cutting speed equal to 130% of RS. The Sz parameter is similar, while the Sk, Spk and Svk parameters rise as the speed increases, which is a negative phenomenon. Comparative tests were also conducted for four specimens made at cutting speeds of 70%, 85%, 100% and 115% of RS, respectively. It was found that the laser cutting speed has a significant impact on the cut edge quality and that stainless steel can be cut while maintaining the technological regime at 115% of RS.

  • Analysis of the Usefulness of Cheap Audio Recorders for Spectral Measurement of Environmental Noise
    • Jacek Skibicki
    • Roksana Licow
    • Natalia Karkosińska-Brzozowska
    • Karol Daliga
    • Piotr Chrostowski
    • Andrzej Wilk
    • Krzysztof Karwowski
    • Marek Szafrański
    • Tadeusz Widerski
    • Leszek Jarzębowicz
    • Sławomir Judek
    • Michał Michna
    • Sławomir Grulkowski
    • Julia Omilianowicz
    2023 Pełny tekst Metrology

    Environmental noise pollution is nowadays one of the most serious health threats. The impact of noise on the human body depends not only on the sound level but also on its spectral distribution. Reliable measurements of the environmental noise spectrum are often hampered by the very high price of top quality measuring devices. This paper explores the possibility of using much cheaper audio recorders for the frequency analysis. Comparative research was performed in laboratory and field conditions, which showed that, with some limitations, these devices can be useful in analyzing the frequency of environmental noise. This provides an opportunity for reducing the cost of noise analysis experimental work.

  • Analytical applications of smartphones for agricultural soil analysis
    • Marek Tobiszewski
    • Khrystyna Vakh
    2023 Pełny tekst ANALYTICAL AND BIOANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY

    Soil is one of the most important farming resources. Appropriate managing of its quality promotes productive and sustainable agriculture. The valuable farm practice in soil quality managing is based on regular soil analysis with the aim to determine the exact amount of nutrients or other chemical, physical and biological soil properties. Soil analysis usually requires samples collection at desired sampling depth following by samples delivering to the chemical laboratories. However, laboratory analyses are resource-intensive and costly, requires a lot of time, effort, and equipment. A low-cost, fast and effective alternative for soil quality control is an application of smartphones to perform chemical analyses directly in the field or on the farm. In this paper, an overview of recent developments on smartphone-based methodologies for agricultural purposes and portable evaluation of soil quality and its properties is presented. The discussion focuses on recent applications of smartphone-based devices for the determination of basic soil parameters, content of organic matter, mineral fertilizers as well as organic or inorganic pollutants. Obvious advantages of using smartphones, such as convenience and simplicity of use, and main shortcomings such as relatively poor precision of the results obtained are also discussed. The general trend shows the huge interest of the researchers to move the technology into the field with the aim to provide cost effective and rapid soil analysis. This paper can broaden the understanding of using smartphones for chemical analysis of soil samples, as it is a relatively new area and is expected to be develop rapidly.

  • AngioScore: An artificial intelligence tool to assess coronary artery lesions
    • Ewelina Błażejowska
    • Jakub Michał Zimodro
    • Tomasz Figatowski
    • Adam Brzeski
    • Tomasz Dziubich
    • Jarosław Parzuchowski
    • Aleksandra Gąsecka
    • Radosław Targoński
    2023 Pełny tekst Cardiology Journal

    The functionality scope of the AngioScore tool in semi-automatic assessment of stenoses according to the SYNTAX scale was presented. An evaluation of the preliminary accuracy of AngioScore in lesion assessment was performed.

  • Anisotropic optical properties of few-layer black phosphorus coatings: from fundamental insights to opto-electrochemical sensor design
    • Aleksandra Wieloszyńska
    2023 Pełny tekst

    Few-layer black phosphorus (FLBP) is characterised by a tuneable bandgap, high carrier mobility and anisotropic optical properties. It therefore has the potential to find applications in electronics and photonics. FLBP oxidizes upon exposure to air, limiting its utility in devices and components. To address this issue, the thesis introduces methods and tools developed for studying FLBP's optical parameters, with a particular emphasis on its potential for sensing applications. Spectroscopic ellipsometry and polarisation microscopy were utilised to characterise the optical properties of multilayer black phosphorus in relation to its degradation processes and optical anisotropy. The dissertation also employed photoluminescence and electrochemistry techniques for the characterization and evaluation of the black phosphorus-based sensor for metal ion detection. Ellipsometry was used to determine the refractive index and extinction coefficient of FLBP, demonstrating that separating and centrifuging the bulk material can yield a layer with optical parameters closely resembling those of a two-dimensional material. Polarizing microscopy studies made it possible to determine the kinetics of the black phosphorus oxidation process, thereby revealing how it modifies the polarization parameters. Polarizing microscopy studies made it possible to determine the kinetics of the black phosphorus oxidation process, which modifies the polarization parameters. For the sensor design, FLBP was combined with zinc oxide, firstly to increase the resistance of black phosphorus to degradation by oxidation, and secondly to shift the photoluminescence response of the sensor into the visible region. This approach allowed the use of silicon detector in the photoluminescent sensor, enabling the detection of zinc and magnesium ions at lower concentrations than those detected by standard solutions.

  • Annealing Rate as a Crucial Parameter Controlling the Photoelectrochemical Properties of AuCu Mosaic Core–Shell Nanoparticles
    • Wiktoria Lipińska
    • Adrian Olejnik
    • Jakub Karczewski
    • Katarzyna Grochowska
    • Katarzyna Siuzdak
    2023 Energy Technology

    Thermal processing is an essential step during the synthesis of various metal nanostructures and for tailoring their morphology, optical, and electrochemical properties. Herein, a profound impact of the annealing rate and time on photoactivity of gold–copper nanostructures by changes in the position and alignment of energy levels and surface states is reported. AuCu nanoparticles (NPs) are fabricated by sputtering of thin metal layers on the Ti nanopatterned foil followed by slow (0.67 °C s−1) or fast (30 °C s−1) treatment in the rapid thermal annealing furnace and then utilized as photoanodes. Photocurrent in the visible range of the slow-heated AuCu materials is 77 times higher, whereas for the fast heated 24 times higher than for pure Ti platform. On the other hand, the fast-heated material exhibits higher photon-to-current efficiency, longer recombination rate which reaches 10s, and higher carrier transport rate of 150 μs. Based on the simulated projected local density of states analysis and the characteristics of intensity-modulated spectra, this phenomenon is attributed to the presence of deeper midgap states in the electronic band structure for the fast-heated samples. Furthermore, photocurrent is enhanced by the presence of Au inside NPs, which increases tunneling across copper oxides junction.

  • Antecedents and outcomes of social media fatigue
    • Anna Baj-Rogowska
    2023 Pełny tekst Information Technology & People

    Purpose – This study aims to explore which of four chosen factors (i.e. privacy concerns, FoMO, self-disclosure and time cost) induce a feeling of strain among Facebook users in terms of social media fatigue (SMF), and if this occurs, whether it further influences such outcomes as discontinuance of usage (DoU) and interaction engagement decrement (IED). Design/methodology/approach – Through an online structured questionnaire, empirical data were gathered to verify the research model, based on the stressor-strain-outcome (SSO) framework. The SEM technique was employed for assessing the hypothesized relationships. Findings – The findings show that privacy concerns and time cost are strong antecedents of SMF and contribute significantly to its occurrence; while FoMO and self-disclosure do not exhibit any significant influence. Moreover, SMF positively and significantly affects DoU and IED. Practical implications – This study enhances the existing body of knowledge on SMF and it can help: (1) individuals to be aware of risks and adjust their activities in balance with their well-being, and (2) social media (SM) managers to develop unique strategies to address the specific needs of SM users. Originality/value – This research contributes to the limited literature on SMF by (1) introducing the concept of IED – as a consequence of SMF, and (2) creating measurement scales for IED.

  • Anthropogenic trace metals in Setiu Wetland: Spatial and seasonal distribution and implications for environmental health
    • Mod Izwan Bin Mohd Sallan
    • Hussein Al-Hazmi
    • Suhaimi Suratman
    • Sadeq Abdullah Abdo Alkhadher
    • Bartosz Szeląg
    • Joanna Majtacz
    • Przemysław Kowal
    • Tonni Agustiono Kurniawan
    • Grzegorz Piechota
    2023 Pełny tekst Journal of Water Process Engineering

    The growing urban wastewater volume poses a major global environmental challenge, especially in developing nations where inadequate treatment and discharge impact clean water availability. This study focused on Setiu Wetland, aiming to analyze seasonal and spatial variations of trace metals in particulate form from anthropogenic and pathogenic sources. Surface water samples were collected from multiple stations, measuring physical parameters like salinity, temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Samples were filtered using ultrafiltration and analyzed with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Correlations between trace metals and other parameters were examined to understand their dynamics in the area. The study found that particulate trace metals were influenced by anthropogenic sources, including municipal, industrial, agricultural, and domestic wastewater discharge. The measured concentrations for Cd, Cu, Pb, Fe, and Zn were 10.9 ± 5.1, 31.8 ± 16.8, 72.5 ± 28.5, 20,206 ± 17,929, and 46,742 ± 30,898 μg/g, respectively, indicating their significant presence. To gain deeper insights, a model incorporating principal component analysis (PCA) analyzed the relationships between trace metals, dissolved oxygen levels, and factors like pH, temperature, salinity, and DOC. Regression techniques predicted Cd, Zn, and Fe concentrations based on salinity, with pH serving as an additional predictor for Cu. Moreover, Pb concentration was influenced by temperature, dissolved oxygen, and dissolved organic carbon. These findings emphasize the importance of regular monitoring and assessment of trace metals in protected tropical areas and wetlands, helping mitigate environmental risks associated with wastewater discharge and preserving these ecosystems.

  • Antibiotic-sterol interactions provide insight into the selectivity of natural aromatic analogues of amphotericin B and their photoisomers
    • Julia Borzyszkowska-Bukowska
    • Jacek Czub
    • Paweł Szczeblewski
    • Tomasz Laskowski
    2023 Pełny tekst Scientific Reports

    Aromatic heptaene macrolides (AHMs) belong to the group of polyene macrolide antifungal antibiotics. Members of this group were the first to be used in the treatment of systemic fungal infections. Amphotericin B (AmB), a non-aromatic representative of heptaene macrolides, is of significant clinical importance in the treatment of internal mycoses. It includes the all-trans heptaene chromophore, whereas the native AHMs contain two cis-type (Z) double bonds within the chromophore system. Lately we have proven that it is possible to obtain AHMs’ stable derivatives in the form of all-trans (AmB-type) isomers by photochemical isomerization. Our further studies have shown that such alteration leads to the improvement of their selective toxicity in vitro. Computational experiments carried out so far were only an initial contribution in the investigation of the molecular basis of the mechanism of action of AHMs and did not provide explanation to observed differences in biological activity between the native (cis-trans) and isomeric (all-trans) AHMs. Herein, we presented the results of two-dimensional metadynamics studies upon AmB and its aromatic analogues (AHMs), regarding preferable binary antibiotic/sterol complexes orientation, as well as more detailed research on the behaviour of AHMs’ alkyl-aromatic side chain in cholesterol- or ergosterol-enriched lipid bilayers.

  • Antibody Cross-Reactivity in Serodiagnosis of Lyme Disease
    • Weronika Grąźlewska
    • Lucyna Holec-Gąsior
    2023 Pełny tekst Antibodies

    Lyme disease is a tick-borne disease caused by spirochetes belonging to the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex. The disease is characterized by a varied course; therefore, the basis for diagnosis is laboratory methods. Currently, a two-tiered serological test is recommended, using an ELISA as a screening test and a Western blot as a confirmatory test. This approach was introduced due to the relatively high number of false-positive results obtained when using an ELISA alone. However, even this approach has not entirely solved the problem of false-positive results caused by cross-reactive antibodies. Many highly immunogenic B. burgdorferi s.l. proteins are recognized nonspecifically by antibodies directed against other pathogens. This also applies to antigens, such as OspC, BmpA, VlsE, and FlaB, i.e., those commonly used in serodiagnostic assays. Cross-reactions can be caused by both bacterial (relapsing fever Borrelia, Treponema pallidum) and viral (Epstein–Baar virus, Cytomegalovirus) infections. Additionally, a rheumatoid factor has also been shown to nonspecifically recognize B. burgdorferi s.l. proteins, resulting in false-positive results. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully interpret the results of serodiagnostic tests so as to avoid overdiagnosis of Lyme disease, which causes unnecessary implementations of strong antibiotic therapies and delays in the correct diagnosis.

  • Anti-cancer effect of Rumex obtusifolius in combination with arginase/nitric oxide synthase inhibitors via downregulation of oxidative stress, inflammation, and polyamine synthesis
    • Mikayel Ginovyan
    • Hayarpi Javrushyan
    • Gayane Petrosyan
    • Barbara Kusznierewicz
    • Izabela Koss-Mikołajczyk
    • Zuzanna Koziara
    • Monika Kuczyńska
    • Patrycja Jakubek
    • Anna Karapetyan
    • Naira Sahakyan
    • Alina Maloyan
    • Agnieszka Bartoszek-Pączkowska
    • Nikolay Avtandilyan
    2023 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOCHEMISTRY & CELL BIOLOGY

    Cancer continues to be a leading cause of death worldwide, making the development of new treatment methods crucial in the fight against it. With cancer incidence rates increasing worldwide, ongoing research must focus on identifying new and effective ways to prevent and treat the disease. The combination of herbal extracts with chemotherapeutic agents has gained much interest as a novel strategy to combat cancer. Rumex obtusifolius L. is a wild plant known for its medicinal properties and is widely distributed worldwide. Our preclinical evaluations suggested that R. obtusifolius seed extracts possessed cancer-inhibiting properties and we also evaluated the beneficial effects of the arginase inhibitor NG-hydroxy-nor-L-arginine and nitric oxide inhibitor NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester in the treatment of breast cancer. The current study aimed to combine these observations and evaluate the antioxidant and antitumor properties of R. obtusifolius extracts alone and in combination with the arginase and nitric oxide synthase inhibitors. Metabolic characterization of the plant extract using a liquid chromatography/high-resolution mass spectrometry advanced system revealed the presence of 240 phenolic compounds many of which possess anticancer properties, according to the literature. In vitro studies revealed a significant cytotoxic effect of the R. obtusifolius extracts on the human colon (HT29) and breast cancer (MCF-7) cell lines. Thus, a new treatment approach of combining R. obtusifolius bioactive phytochemicals with the arginase and nitric oxide synthase inhibitors NG-nitro-L- arginine methyl ester and/or NG-hydroxy-nor-L-arginine, respectively, was proposed and could potentially be an effective way to treat breast cancer. Indeed, these combinations showed immunostimulatory, antiproliferative, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiangiogenic properties in a rat breast cancer model.

  • Anticarcinogenic and antioxidant activities of leaves and flowers hydroalcoholic extracts of Nerium oleander L.: PCA analysis and phytochemical content by FTIR spectroscopy
    • Siham Ayouaz
    • Izabela Koss-Mikołajczyk
    • Nawel Adjeroud-Abdellatif
    • Agnieszka Bartoszek-Pączkowska
    • Radia Arab
    • Khokha Mouhoubi
    • Dimas Rahadian Aji Muhammad
    • Dwi Larasatie Nur
    • Khodir Madani
    2023 Pełny tekst The North African Journal of Food and Nutrition Research

    Aims: The aim of this work is the evaluation the anticarcinogenic effect on HT29 cancer cells lines and antioxidant effect of three extracts from different morphological parts (leaves (LE), pink flowers (PFE) and white flowers (WFE)) of Nerium oleander lin. Methods: This research provides the anticarcinogenic activity of extracts from N. oleander white flowers. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied to estimate the relationship between antioxidant and anticarcinogenic activities, and to further understand the similarities and differences between the extracts. Results: All of the extracts exhibited different antioxidant (ABTS, DPPH and FC) and anticarcinogenic activities. FTIR analysis designed the existence of various functional groups in extracts confirming the presence of alcohol, alkanes, amino, aromatic compound and primary alcohol. The PCA results show that the WFE extract exhibits a greater antioxidant activity with a potent potential for inhibiting the cell growth of colorectal cancer HT29 than the two other extracts (LE and PFE). Conclusions: Nerium oleander may therefore be an excellent source of natural antioxidant and anticancer agents, as well as a possible pharmaceutical supplement.

  • Anti-crisis activities and export performance in the Covid-19 pandemic: The case of Polish exporters
    • Nelly Daszkiewicz
    • Aleksandra Kordalska
    • Magdalena Olczyk
    2023 Pełny tekst Entrepreneurial Business and Economics Review

    The article aims to investigate the impact of anti-crisis activities undertaken by the Polish exporting firms on their export sales during the Covid-19 pandemic. We used a quantitative research design. We conducted the survey on the sample of 161 manufacturing Polish exporting firms between April 21 and June 25, 2021. To verify the assumed relationships, we used the probit regression model. The main novelty is a firm-level analysis of the Covid-19 pandemic impact on exporting firms from the perspective of the anti-crisis activities they undertook, which fills a gap in the litera-ture and informs discussions of the potential impact of Covid-19 on export performance.

  • Antimicrobial and Antiproliferative Coatings for Stents in Veterinary Medicine—State of the Art and Perspectives
    • Szymon Graczyk
    • Robert Pasławski
    • Arkadiusz Grzeczka
    • Urszula Pasławska
    • Beata Świeczko-Żurek
    • Klaudia Malisz
    • Ketul Popat
    • Alina Sionkowska
    • Patrycja Golińska
    • Mahendra Rai
    2023 Pełny tekst Materials

    Microbial colonization in veterinary stents poses a significant and concerning issue in veterinary medicine. Over time, these pathogens, particularly bacteria, can colonize the stent surfaces, leading to various complications. Two weeks following the stent insertion procedure, the colonization becomes observable, with the aggressiveness of bacterial growth directly correlating with the duration of stent placement. Such microbial colonization can result in infections and inflammations, compromising the stent’s efficacy and, subsequently, the animal patient’s overall well-being. Managing and mitigating the impact of these pathogens on veterinary stents is a crucial challenge that veterinarians and researchers are actively addressing to ensure the successful treatment and recovery of their animal patients. In addition, irritation of the tissue in the form of an inserted stent can lead to overgrowth of granulation tissue, leading to the closure of the stent lumen, as is most often the case in the trachea. Such serious complications after stent placement require improvements in the procedures used to date. In this review, antibacterial or antibiofilm strategies for several stents used in veterinary medicine have been discussed based on the current literature and the perspectives have been drawn. Various coating strategies such as coating with hydrogel, antibiotic, or other antimicrobial agents have been reviewed.

  • Anti-plane shear waves in an elastic strip rigidly attached to an elastic half-space
    • Gennadi Mikhasev
    • Baris Erbas
    • Victor Eremeev
    2023 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING SCIENCE

    We consider the anti-plane shear waves in a domain consisting of an infinite layer with a thin coating lying on an elastic half-space. The elastic properties of the coating, layer, and half-space are assumed to be different. On the free upper surface we assume the compatibility condition within the Gurtin–Murdoch surface elasticity, whereas at the plane interface we consider perfect contact. For this problem there exist two possible regimes related to waves exponentially decaying in the half-space. The first one, called transversely exponential–transversely exponential (TE–TE) regime, is related to waves described by exponential in transverse direction functions; the second, transversely harmonic–transversely exponential (TH–TE) regime, corresponds to waves in the upper layer which have the harmonic behaviour in the transverse direction. Detailed analysis of the derived dispersion equations for both regimes is provided. In particular, the effects of surface stresses, the layer thickness as well as of the ratio of shear moduli of the upper layer and half-space on the dispersion curves is analysed.

  • Antipsychotic drug prescription sequence analysis in relation to death occurrence and cardiometabolic drug usage: A retrospective longitudinal study
    • Paweł Zagozdzon
    • Piotr Dorozynski
    • Przemysław Waszak
    • Adam Harasimowicz
    • Tomasz Dziubich
    2023 EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY

    The potential role of antipsychotics in increasing cardiovascular risk of mortality is still debated. The aim of this study was to assess the death risk associated with sequences of first-generation antipsychotic (FGA) and second-generation antipsychotic (SGA) prescriptions, including clozapine and lithium, and drugs for cardiometabolic diseases. We conducted a retrospective longitudinal analysis involving 84,881 patients who received antipsychotics between 2008 and 2012. Data on deaths were collected from the National Death Registry. The sequence creation was performed according to an algorithm that iterates prescriptions in chronological order and appends them to the end of the patient’s prescription sequence. Fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (FsQCA) was also used to produce causal combinations of conditions that best lead to survival. There were 1,095,518 antipsychotic prescriptions and 16,010 deaths among antipsy- chotic users. Among the reimbursement data, 85,272 drug sequences were identified. The most prevalent sequence consisted of FGA (69.1%). Subsequent groups consisted of FGA, followed by SGA (13.1%) and SGA-only (12.3%) sequences. The highest occurrence of death and cardiometabolic drug use after introducing antipsychotic treatment was observed for clozapine. The FsQCA analysis revealed the highest coverage for combinations of young age with FGA (40.6%) or with no cardiometabolic risk factors drug therapy (39.5%).

  • Application of 3D- printed hydrogels in wound healing and regenerative medicine
    • Milena Deptuła
    • Małgorzata Zawrzykraj
    • Justyna Sawicka
    • Adrianna Banach-Kopeć
    • Robert Tylingo
    • Michał Pikuła
    2023 Pełny tekst BIOMEDICINE & PHARMACOTHERAPY

    Hydrogels are three-dimensional polymer networks with hydrophilic properties. The modifiable properties of hydrogels and the structure resembling living tissue allow their versatile application. Therefore, increasing attention is focused on the use of hydrogels as bioinks for three-dimensional (3D) printing in tissue engineering. Bioprinting involves the fabrication of complex structures from several types of materials, cells, and bioactive compounds. Stem cells (SC), such as mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are frequently employed in 3D constructs. SCs have desirable biological properties such as the ability to differentiate into various types of tissue and high proliferative capacity. Encapsulating SCs in 3D hydrogel constructs enhances their reparative abilities and improves the likelihood of reaching target tissues. In addition, created constructs can simulate the tissue environment and mimic biological signals. Importantly, the immunogenicity of scaffolds is minimized through the use of patient-specific cells and the biocompatibility and biodegradability of the employed biopolymers. Regenerative medicine is taking advantage of the aforementioned capabilities in regenerating various tissues muscle, bones, nerves, heart, skin, and cartilage.

  • Application of a stochastic compartmental model to approach the spread of environmental events with climatic bias
    • Joan Boters Pitarch
    • María Signes-Pont
    • Julian Szymański
    • Higinio Mora-Mora
    2023 Pełny tekst Ecological Informatics

    Wildfires have significant impacts on both environment and economy, so understanding their behaviour is crucial for the planning and allocation of firefighting resources. Since forest fire management is of great concern, there has been an increasing demand for computationally efficient and accurate prediction models. In order to address this challenge, this work proposes applying a parameterised stochastic model to study the propagation of environmental events, focusing on the bias introduced by climatic variables such as wind. This model’s propagation occurs in a grid where cells are classified into different compartments based on their state. Furthermore, this approach generalises previous non-stochastic models, which are now considered particular cases within this broader framework. The use of the Monte Carlo method is highlighted, which allows for obtaining probabilistic estimates of the state of the cells in each time step, considering a level of confidence. In this way, the model provides a tool to obtain a quantitative estimate of the probability associated with each state in the spread of forest fires.

  • Application of Aqueous Biphasic Systems Extraction in Various Biomolecules Separation and Purification: Advancements Brought by Quaternary Systems
    • Mateusz Marchel
    • Isabel M. Marrucho
    2023 Pełny tekst SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION REVIEWS

    Aqueous biphasic systems (ABS) extraction is a simple, selective, efficient and easy to scale-up technology that, over the years, has attracted a considerable attention from the researcher community as an alternative methodology in downstream processing of a wide variety of biomolecules. This review summarizes and discusses the fundamental features of ABS, as well as its advantages and disadvantages, as a separation and purification technology of biomolecules. Nevertheless, the focus of this review are quaternary ABS formed by the addition of neutral salts and ionic liquids to conventional ABS or those ABS composed by deep eutectic solvents and another phase forming compound. The advantages brought by quaternary ABS in terms of separation and purification of biomolecules, as well as the main issues governing the phase behavior of these systems, are discussed. With examples of application of quaternary ABS as an alternative extraction and purification methodology, it is shown that such ABS are a promising method to improve the effectiveness of biomolecules downstream processing, potentially providing a response to the increasing demand for high purity bioproduct. Furthermore, some of the discussed quaternary ABS have a great potential as a novel, sustainable and cost-effective purification platform for biomolecules downstream processing that can potentially simplify the whole ABS-based purification process due to no need for target bioproduct recovery or phase formers removal. Finally, perspectives of such quaternary ABS are made, and some future challenges pointed out.

  • Application of chemometric modeling for ionic liquid-based ultrasonic-assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction: Analysis of fosetyl-aluminum in fruit and vegetable samples
    • Hameed Haq
    • Adil Elik
    • Hasan Durukan
    • Handan Sarac
    • Ahmet Demirbas
    • Grzegorz Boczkaj
    • Nevcihan Gürsoy
    • Nail Altunay
    2023 JOURNAL OF FOOD COMPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

    This manuscript presents a new method for selective extraction and determination of fosetyl-aluminum in fruits and vegetable samples based on ultrasonic-assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction method using ionic liquids (IL-UA-DLLME). A UV-Visible spectrophotometer was used for detection and quantification. Plants used for sample collection were grown under controlled conditions in a greenhouse. Central composite design (CCD)-response surface methodology (RSM) analysis was used for the optimization of significant factors (volume of IL, pH, ultrasonication time, and THF volume). Under optimal conditions, the limit of detection and limit of quantification of the IL-UA-DLLME procedure were 1.5 ng mL−1 and 5.0 ng mL−1 respectively with relative standard deviation 1.9–3.3%. The developed IL-UA-DLLME procedure demonstrated linearity within the concentration range of 5–600 ng mL−1 with an R2 value of 0.9914. The enrichment factor was 114 with a recovery% of 94.2–98.6% (n = 3) at optimal conditions. The IL-UA-DLLME assay was used for the analysis of fosetyl-aluminum in a variety of food samples and was found highly selective and efficient.

  • Application of deep eutectic solvents in analytical sample pretreatment (update 2017–2022). Part A: Liquid phase microextraction
    • Vasil Andruch
    • Alina Kalyniukova
    • Justyna Płotka-Wasylka
    • Natalia Jatkowska
    • Denys Snigur
    • Serhii Zaruba
    • Julia Płatkiewicz
    • Agnieszka Zgoła-Grześkowiak
    • Justyna Werner
    2023 MICROCHEMICAL JOURNAL

    Sustainable development in all branches of human activity has become an unequivocal necessity in the last two decades, and green chemistry goes hand in hand with it. Various ways have been proposed in analytical chemistry to meet the current requirements of green chemistry. One such approach is the research of new reagents and solvents for analytical purposes. Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) began being investigated and used in analytical chemistry in the middle of the last decade; since then, we can observe a sharp increase in published works in this area. This paper focuses on liquid–liquid (micro)extraction (LLME) procedures and describes the applications of DESs for the determination of organic and inorganic analytes in various matrices. The use of DESs in sorbent-based procedures will be discussed in a separate paper.

  • Application of Feed Forward Neural Networks for Modeling of Heat Transfer Coefficient During Flow Condensation for Low and High Values of Saturation Temperatur
    • Stanisław Głuch
    • Tacjana Niksa-Rynkiewicz
    • Dariusz Mikielewicz
    • Piotr Stomma
    2023 Pełny tekst

    Most of the literature models for condensation heat transfer prediction are based on specific experimental parameters and are not general in nature for applications to fluids and non-experimental thermodynamic conditions. Nearly all correlations are created to predict data in normal HVAC conditions below 40°C. High temperature heat pumps operate at much higher parameters. This paper aims to create a general model for the calculation of heat transfer coefficients during flow condensation which could be applied to a wide range of fluids and thermodynamical parameters up to the vicinity of the critical point. To achieve this goal authors present a model based on Feed Forward Neural Network. The designed neural network consists of 5 hidden layers and utilizes ReLu and linear activation functions. The first four layers consist of 50 neurons, and the last layer consists of 1 neuron. The network was trained on a consolidated database which consists of 4659 data points for 25 fluids and covers a range of reduced pressure from 0.1 to 0.9 for various mass velocities and diameters. Two input variants were considered. For randomly selected test data Mean Square Root achieved 0.1093 and Mean Absolute Error MAE achieved 0.2243 for the first configuration which consist of 4 parameters. For the second variant, which consists of 17 parameters, MSE achieved 0.0452 MAE achieved 0.1028.

  • Application of fiber optic sensors using Machine Learning algorithms for temperature measurement of lithium-ion batteries
    • Kacper Cierpiak
    • Marta Szczerska
    • Paweł Wierzba
    2023 Pełny tekst Photonics Letters of Poland

    Optical fiber sensorsusing low-coherence interferometry require processing ofthe output spectrum or interferogramto quickly and accurately determine the instantaneous value of the measured quantity, such as temperature.Methods based on machine learning are a good candidate for this application. The application of four such methods in an optical fiber temperature sensoris demonstrated.Using aZnO-coated sensing interferometer and spectral detection,the sensor is intended for monitoring lithium-ion rechargeable batteries. While the performance of all methods was good, some of them seem to be better suited for this application

  • Application of galvanodynamic impedance spectroscopy for studying passive film cracking under mechanical strain
    • Juliusz Orlikowski
    • Kacper Jurak
    • Kazimierz Darowicki
    • Michał Szociński
    • Anna Karólkowska
    • Szymon Wysmułek
    • Maciej Kalinowski
    2023 ELECTROCHIMICA ACTA

    The paper reports the results of simultaneous mechanical and electrochemical investigations on austenitic (18/8) stainless steel in a 2 % solution of sulphuric acid. The measurements were performed using Galvanodynamic Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (GDEIS). Electrochemical analysis of mechanical passive layer cracking and repassivation conditions during a tensile test was carried out. Application of this methodology allowed monitoring of the natural corrosion process without external current (IDC = 0A) nor potential perturbation of the system. The results proved the usefulness of measurements of actual electrochemical systems at zero external current conditions. It was found that a transition to an active state occurred for relatively high strain rates, while the passive layer cracking process did not depend on the strain rate.

  • Application of Nanomaterials for Cadmium Adsorption for Sustainable Treatment of Wastewater: a Review
    • Muhammad Atif Irshad
    • Rab Nawaz
    • Ewa Wojciechowska
    • Muhammad Mohsin
    • Nicole Nawrot
    • Iqra Nasim
    • Fida Hussain
    2023 WATER AIR AND SOIL POLLUTION

    Many heavy metals, particularly cadmium, are detrimental to both people and the environment when present in large quantities. In wastewater treatment plants, several conventional approaches are employed for cadmium abatement to restore the ecosystem, food supplies, and health of people and animals. Ion exchange, coagulation, membrane filtration, and chemical precipitation are a few examples of ways for removing heavy metals from wastewater, among the many other strategies for removing Cd from wastewater. Recent materials science and chemistry developments have made it possible to remove specific targets like cadmium using nanomaterials, which have very large specific surface areas and numerous functions. Adsorption by using nanomaterials is acknowledged as a viable method for removing dangerous metals from contaminated water, such as Cd, due to its accessibility, improved benefits, and cost-effectiveness when used properly. Adsorption of heavy metals onto the surface of nanomaterial is the simplest, most cost-effective, clean, and sustainable method for the removal of HMs from wastewater, according to the thorough literature mentioned. This review examined the benefits and downsides of removing cadmium from wastewater using nanomaterials, as well as its production, potentially harmful effects on human health, and removal techniques. This paper examines the most current advancements and trends in cadmium mitigation technologies using nanomaterial adsorption. Future research will concentrate on the encapsulation of nanoparticles in order to gather complete and contrasting data on the diverse applications of different nanomaterials in the adsorption process.

  • Application of nonmetallic frustrated cations in the activation of small molecules
    • Kinga Kaniewska-Laskowska
    • Marcin Czapla
    • Jarosław Chojnacki
    • Rafał Grubba
    2023 Pełny tekst DALTON TRANSACTIONS

    The concept of nonmetallic frustrated cations has been used in small molecule activation. The in situ generated ambiphilic phosphinoborinium cation activated phenyl isocyanate, diisopropylcarbodiimide, and acetonitrile under very mild conditions without any catalyst, yielding single-, double-, or mixed-activation products. Furthermore, the mechanisms of the reactions of the phosphinoborinium cation with small molecules were elucidated using density functional theory calculations.

  • Application of Smart IoT Technology in Project Management Scenarios
    • Kumeel Rasheed
    • Syed Ammad
    • Akhunzada Younis Said
    • Mohammed Balbehaith
    • Vipin Kumar Oad
    • Aimal Khan
    2023

    The report presents a low-cost and flexible solution to control and monitor home and industrial appliances. The popularity of automation devices has increased greatly in recent years due to higher affordability and simplicity through IoT phone and tablet connectivity. For this purpose, we have developed the IoT Outlet: a stand-alone communication unit, used to connect outlets to the internet. The IoT Plug is a power switch which can be accessed via Wi-Fi connection. Users can plug devices into the IoT Plug to remotely switch power on/off, get information of device’s power consumption and local motion status, using wireless commands from the web and Android application. To access IoT Plug, it is connected with a router in Wi-Fi access point mode and control the Plug. An Android-based IoT phone application and Website having the control panels, employs standard operations such as Get and Post requests that return responses to communicate between the remote user and the Plug using PHP MySQL Databases. The main purpose of the paper is for IoT application to control and save power by setting the time scheduling through the controlling interface. Through this IoT device we can control and get feedback from any plugged device. There is a lot of need on large scale industries, laboratories, military fields and real-life situation, where one wants to know the status of the electric operated devices. This project is the building block for the application such as wireless controlling of any appliance that can be plugged in with local voltages i.e. 220V.

  • Application of Text Analytics in Public Service Co-Creation: Literature Review and Research Framework
    • Nina Rizun
    • Aleksandra Revina
    • Noella Edelmann
    2023 Pełny tekst

    The public sector faces several challenges, such as a number of external and internal demands for change, citizens' dissatisfaction and frustration with public sector organizations, that need to be addressed. An alternative to the traditional top-down development of public services is co-creation of public services. Co-creation promotes collaboration between stakeholders with the aim to create better public services and achieve public values. At the same time, data analytics has been fuelled by the availability of immense amounts of textual data. Whilst both co-creation and TA have been used in the private sector, we study existing works on the application of Text Analytics (TA) techniques on text data to support public service co-creation. We systematically review 75 of the 979 papers that focus directly or indirectly on the application of TA in the context of public service development. In our review, we analyze the TA techniques, the public service they support, public value outcomes, and the co-creation phase they are used in. Our findings indicate that the TA implementation for co-creation is still in its early stages and thus still limited. Our research framework promotes the concept and stimulates the strengthening of the role of Text Analytics techniques to support public sector organisations and their use of co-creation process. From policy-makers' and public administration managers' standpoints, our findings and the proposed research framework can be used as a guideline in developing a strategy for the designing co-created and user-centred public services.

  • Application of the 3D DEM in the modelling of fractures in pre-flawed marble specimens during uniaxial compression
    • Daniel Tomporowski
    • Michał Nitka
    • Andrzej Tejchman-Konarzewski
    2023 ENGINEERING FRACTURE MECHANICS

    Przedstawiono w tym artykule wyniki modelowania pęknięć w cylindrycznych próbkach marmurowych ze wstępnymi nacięciami w czasie jednoosiowego ściskania . Zastosowano metodę elementów dyskretnych (DEM). Zbadano propagację i koalescencję pęknięć w próbkach marmuru z istniejącymi otwartymi nacięciami pod różnymi kątami do poziomu. Wyniki numerycznych symulacji trójwymiarowych (3D) zostały bezpośrednio porównane z badaniami laboratoryjnymi. Czyste kule i grona złożone z kul symulujące strukturę marmuru zostały użyte do oszacowań pęknięć. Zbadano powstawanie skrzydłowych i wtórnych pęknięć pod obciążeniem. Przestudiowano także wpływ mniejszych ziaren i relacji między spójnością kontaktową i normalną wytrzymałością kontaktową. Właściwości geometryczne początkowych nacięć i efekt blokowania wpłynęły na maksymalną siłę ściskającą, odpowiedź pokrytyczną i wzorce propagacji rys w próbkach marmuru. Wyniki obliczeń w porównaniu z doświadczeniami były satysfakcjonujące. Symulacje DEM pokazały, że wyniki zależały od stosunek kohezyjnego do rozciągającego normalnego naprężenia kontaktowego. Wyniki DEM również pokazały korelację wyników z kształtem cząstek (kule kontra grona).

  • Application of unmanned USV surface and AUV underwater maritime platforms for the monitoring of offshore structures at sea
    • Mirosław Gerigk
    • Mateusz Gerigk
    2023 Pełny tekst Zeszyty Naukowe Akademii Morskiej w Szczecinie

    The operation of offshore structures at sea requires the implementation of advanced systems for their permanent monitoring. There is a set of novel technologies that could be implemented to deliver a higher level of effective and safe operation of these systems. A possible novel solution may be the application of a new maritime unmanned (USV) surface and underwater vehicles/platforms (AUV). Application of such vehicles/platforms may increase the level of operability and safety of the offshore structures and installations. Practical use of these platforms requires the application of advanced forms of different technologies to platform structures, materials, strength of structures, applied propulsion systems, energy supply sources, dynamics of platforms, control, and communication systems. The new control and communication systems may require an application of AI (artificial intelligence) technology to obtain more advanced offshore monitoring systems. The application of the USV/AUV platforms for monitoring offshore structures may provide an increase in the functionality, performance, and safety levels of those structures in operation. This paper presents a concept for an offshore monitoring system based on the application of the USV/AUV platforms. The complexity of the research is shown by presenting the performance-oriented risk-based method. The basic information on the platforms is given. The main drivers that determine the functionality, performance, and safety of the USV/AUV platforms are introduced. A brief description of the primary operational characteristics of the platforms is presented. An example of a simple operational procedure (scenario) during the monitoring of an offshore structure is described. In the final part of this paper, conclusions are given.

  • Application of Wavelet Transform and Fractal Analysis for Esophageal pH-Metry to Determine a New Method to Diagnose Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
    • Piotr Tojza
    • Łukasz Doliński
    • Grzegorz Redlarski
    • Jacek Szkopek
    • Mariusz Dąbkowski
    • Maria Janiak
    2023 Pełny tekst Applied Sciences-Basel

    In this paper, a new method for analysing gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is shown. This novel method uses wavelet transform (WT) and wavelet-based fractal analysis (WBFA) on esophageal pH-metry measurements. The esophageal pH-metry is an important diagnostic tool supporting the physician’s work in diagnosing some forms of reflux diseases. Interpreting the results of 24-h pH-metry monitoring is time-consuming, and the conclusions of such an analysis can sometimes be too subjective. There is no strict procedure or reference values to follow when the impedance measurements are assessed. Therefore, an attempt was made to develop a point of reference for the assessment process, helping to distinguish healthy patients from GERD patients. In this approach, wavelet transform (WT) and wavelet-based fractal analysis (WBFA) were used to aid the diagnostic process. With this approach, it was possible to develop two efficient computer methods to classify healthy and sick patients based on the pH measurement data alone. The WT method provided a sensitivity value of 93.33%, with 75% specificity. The results of the fractal analysis confirmed that the tested signals have features that enable their automatic classification and assignment to a group of sick or healthy people. The article will be interesting for those studying the application of wavelet and fractal analysis in biomedical waveforms. The authors included in the work a description of the implementation of the fractal and wavelet analysis, the descriptions of the results of the analyses, and the conclusions drawn from them. The work will also be of interest to those who study the methods of using machine learning and artificial intelligence in computer-aided, automatic medical diagnostics.

  • Applying the Lombard Effect to Speech-in-Noise Communication
    • Grazina Korvel
    • Krzysztof Kąkol
    • Povilas Treigys
    • Bożena Kostek
    2023 Pełny tekst Electronics

    This study explored how the Lombard effect, a natural or artificial increase in speech loudness in noisy environments, can improve speech-in-noise communication. This study consisted of several experiments that measured the impact of different types of noise on synthesizing the Lombard effect. The main steps were as follows: first, a dataset of speech samples with and without the Lombard effect was collected in a controlled setting; then, the frequency changes in the speech signals were detected using the McAulay and Quartieri algorithm based on a 2D speech representation; next, an average formant track error was computed as a metric to evaluate the quality of the speech signals in noise. Three image assessment methods, namely the SSIM (Structural SIMilarity) index, RMSE (Root Mean Square Error), and dHash (Difference Hash) were used for this purpose. Furthermore, this study analyzed various spectral features of the speech signals in relation to the Lombard effect and the noise types. Finally, this study proposed a method for automatic noise profiling and applied pitch modifications to neutral speech signals according to the profile and the frequency change patterns. This study used an overlap-add synthesis in the STRAIGHT vocoder to generate the synthesized speech.

  • Areas of Fan Research—A Review of the Literature in Terms of Improving Operating Efficiency and Reducing Noise Emissions
    • Marian Piwowarski
    • Damian Jakowski
    2023 Pełny tekst ENERGIES

    Fans as industrial devices are among the most significant single recipients of driving energy. Therefore, they represent an important area of energy savings to reduce CO2 emissions. The ubiquity of fans and their operation under conditions different from the optimum provides an opportunity for more significant global reductions in the energy used to drive them. The second important aspect, besides energy efficiency, related to the operation of fans is the noise they generate. This article studies fans in various operating configurations, emphasizing improving operating efficiency and reducing noise emissions. The subject matter undertaken is based on the current trends and needs of the industry, notably the ventilation and power industry. The article attempts a detailed literature review taking into account just these aspects. The paper is divided into three main sections, with an analysis of the literature in the areas of energy efficiency, considering the operation of fans with the necessary instrumentation, the incidence of vibration, and noise optimization. The final area of analysis is the parameters and components of the plant in which the fans operate. This article identifies possible sites for further research and scientific work to improve and optimize the areas identified earlier.

  • Artificial intelligence and productivity: global evidence from AI patent and bibliometric data
    • Aleksandra Parteka
    • Aleksandra Kordalska
    2023 Pełny tekst TECHNOVATION

    In this paper we analyse the relationship between technological innovation in the artificial intelligence (AI) domain and macroeconomic productivity. We embed recently released data on patents and publications related to AI in an augmented model of productivity growth, which we estimate for the OECD countries and compare to an extended sample including non-OECD countries. Our estimates provide evidence in favour of the modern productivity paradox. We show that the development of AI technologies remains a niche innovation phenomenon with a negligible role in the officially recorded productivity growth process. This general result, i.e. a lack of a strong relationship between AI and registered macroeconomic productivity growth, is robust to changes in the country sample, in the way we quantify labour productivity and technology (including AI stock), in the specification of the empirical model (control variables) and in estimation methods

  • Artificial neural network prophecy of ion exchange process for Cu (II) eradication from acid mine drainage
    • Vikas S. Hakke
    • R. W. Gaikwad
    • A. R. Warade
    • Shirish H. Sonawane
    • Grzegorz Boczkaj
    • S.s. Sonawane
    • V. S. Sapkal
    2023 International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology

    The removal of heavy metal ions from wastewater was found to be significant when the cation exchange procedure was used effectively. The model of the cation exchange process was built using an artificial neural network (ANN). The acid mine drainage waste’s Cu(II) ion was removed using Indion 730 cation exchange resin. Experimental data from 252 cycles were recorded. In a column study, 252 experimental observations validated the three-layered ANN module’s ion exchange process forecasting. The model design for the ion exchange process focuses on the process’s major constraints, such as initial flow rate, initial concentration of Cu (II) ions, and AMDW residence time in the column, to fit the working environment. The maximum metal ion removal efficiency was found at 5 LPH initial flowrate, 5 pH suspension, and 60 cm bed height. With a regression value of 0.99, the proposed model matches experimental values. A hidden layer with 6 neurons and an outer layer with a linear transfer function can predict adsorption efficiency using the three-layer ANN module’s backpropagation (BP) technique. A linear method was used to construct the correlation between dependent and independent variables. The BP-ANN module’s coefficient of correlation was 0.99 with accurate dependent variable predictions. In a feedforward neural network, the current research’s ANN module predicts the best conditions for Cu(II) ion extraction.

  • Asfalteny jako fazy stacjonarne w chromatografii cieczowej w normalnych układach faz
    • Dorota Wojewódka
    2023 Pełny tekst

    Rozprawa doktorska dotyczy zbadania możliwości wykorzystania asfaltenów wydzielonych z: próżniowej pozostałości ropy naftowej, produktów jej utleniania i naturalnego asfaltu jako fazy stacjonarnej na powierzchni sorpcyjnej żelu krzemionkowego do rozdzielania nisko polarnych organicznych związków chemicznych w warunkach chromatografii cieczowej w normalnych układach faz, w odniesieniu do żelu krzemionkowego jako nośnika. Opracowano metodykę wydzielania i oczyszczania materiałów asfaltenowych. Określono ich charakterystyki spektralne i skład elementarny. Modelowano warunki impregnacji powierzchni żelu krzemionkowego w kolumnach HPLC w warunkach TLC i SPE. Na podstawie parametrów retencji i selektywności rozdzielania mieszanin testowych węglowodorów oraz badań składu grupowego, zarówno w warunkach TLC, szczególnie HPLC, stwierdzono zróżnicowaną w stosunku do żelu krzemionkowego i różną dla różnych asfaltenów retencję i selektywność rozdzielania nisko polarnych związków chemicznych o charakterze węglowodorów. Dotyczy to również grupowego rozdzielania benzyny pirolitycznej oraz olejów bazowych i smarowych. Stwierdzono też nieoczekiwaną zdolność materiałów asfaltenowych do wzbudzania fluorescencji asfaltenów i frakcji asfaltenowych przez alifatyczne i innego rodzaju molekularne struktury organicznych związków chemicznych niewykazujących absorpcji światła UV.

  • ASPEKTY DECYDUJĄCE O ODPOWIEDZI DYNAMICZNEJ KOLEJOWEGO MOSTU ŁUKOWEGO NA PODSTAWIE REZULTATÓW WIELOKRYTERIALNEJ ANALIZY OPTYMALIZACYJNEJ
    • Przemysław Kalitowski
    • Krzysztof Żółtowski
    2023

    W artykule podjęto problem optymalizacji jednotorowego stalowego mostu łukowego o rozpiętości 70 metrów. Zastosowano optymalizację wielokryterialną, której funkcjami celu były masa konstrukcji oraz maksymalne przyspieszenia podczas dynamicznego przejazdu taboru dużych prędkości. Zastosowano wielokryterialną wersję algorytmu optymalizacji roju cząstek. Przeprowadzono dziewięć wariantów optymalizacji, różnicując układ wieszaków: pionowe, ukośne, siatkowe i maksymalną prędkość pociągu: 160, 200 i 300 km/h. Wyniki pozwoliły na wyciągnięcie wniosków dotyczących wpływu sztywności głównych elementów konstrukcyjnych na odpowiedź dynamiczną. Przedstawienie wyników w dziedzinie częstotliwości i postaci drgań własnych umożliwiło korelację odpowiedzi dynamicznej z częstotliwościami drgań własnych konstrukcji oraz prędkościami rezonansowymi podczas przejazdu. W podsumowaniu sformułowano zalecenia dotyczące analizy dynamicznej i projektowania obiektów tej klasy.

  • Assessing and Mitigating Ice-Jam Flood Hazards and Risks: A European Perspective
    • Karl-Erich Lindenschmidt
    • Knut Alfredsen
    • Dirk Carstensen
    • Adam Choryński
    • David Gustafsson
    • Michał Halicki
    • Bernd Hentschel
    • Niina Karjalainen
    • Michael Kögel
    • Tomasz Kolerski
    • Marika Kornaś-Dynia
    • Michał Kubicki
    • Zbigniew W. Kundzewicz
    • Cornelia Lauschke
    • Albert Malinger
    • Włodzimierz Marszelewski
    • Fabian Möldner
    • Barbro Näslund-Landenmark
    • Tomasz Niedzielski
    • Antti Parjanne
    • Bogusław Pawłowski
    • Iwona Pińskwar
    • Joanna Remisz
    • Maik Renner
    • Michael Roers
    • Maksymilian Rybacki
    • Ewelina Szałkiewicz
    • Michał Szydłowski
    • Grzegorz Walusiak
    • Matylda Witek
    • Mateusz Zagata
    • Maciej Zdralewicz
    2023 Pełny tekst Water

    The assessment and mapping of riverine flood hazards and risks is recognized by many countries as an important tool for characterizing floods and developing flood management plans. Often, however, these management plans give attention primarily to open-water floods, with ice-jam floods being mostly an afterthought once these plans have been drafted. In some Nordic regions, ice-jam floods can be more severe than open-water floods, with floodwater levels of ice-jam floods often exceeding levels of open-water floods for the same return periods. Hence, it is imperative that flooding due to river ice processes be considered in flood management plans. This also pertains to European member states who are required to submit renewed flood management plans every six years to the European governance authorities. On 19 and 20 October 2022, a workshop entitled “Assessing and mitigating ice-jam flood hazard and risk” was hosted in Poznań, Poland to explore the necessity of incorporating ice-jam flood hazard and risk assessments in the European Union’s Flood Directive. The presentations given at the workshop provided a good overview of flood risk assessments in Europe and how they may change due to the climate in the future. Perspectives from Norway, Sweden, Finland, Germany, and Poland were presented. Mitigation measures, particularly the artificial breakage of river ice covers and ice-jam flood forecasting, were shared. Advances in ice processes were also presented at the workshop, including state-of-the-art developments in tracking ice-floe velocities using particle tracking velocimetry, characterizing hanging dam ice, designing new ice-control structures, detecting, and monitoring river ice covers using composite imagery from both radar and optical satellite sensors, and calculating ice-jam flood hazards using a stochastic modelling approach.

  • Assessing ecotoxicity, synergic and antagonistic actions of commonly used components of polymerization mixture in molecularly imprinted polymers preparation process
    • Natalia Jatkowska
    • Laura Olszewska
    • Mariusz Marć
    2023 MICROCHEMICAL JOURNAL

    Increasingly, the challenge is the optimal process of developing a suitable MIP-type sorptive material (taking into account its final form and application area), which is mainly related to the efficiency/effectiveness of the polymerization process. The lack of reaction or its low efficiency generates additional waste and puts it into the environmental cycle. The main aim of the performed research was the estimation of ecotoxicity, and effect of joint action of commonly used components of polymerization mixture applied in MIPs preparation process. The general purpose of this work is to apply bioluminescent bacteria in order to find any potential interactions taking place in two and three-component polymerization mixtures containing selected MIP polymerization components. According to calculated EC50 values for all tested compounds, the toxicity of MIP components to the bioluminescent bacterium Vibrio fischeri can be arranged in decreasing order as follows: DVB > DCM > EDGMA > MAA > TMSPMA > APTES > MMA > TEOS > TMPTA > AA > ACN. Based on obtained results, it was concluded that EGDMA has a strong influence on the antagonistic interactions among mixture components. An overestimation of the toxicity value was noticed for only eight mixtures, where one of the component was DVB, EGDMA, or TEOS.

  • Assessing historical church tower asymmetry using point cloud spatial expansion
    • Paweł Szymon Dąbrowski
    • Marek Zienkiewicz
    • Linh Truong-hong
    • Roderik Lindenbergh
    2023 Journal of Building Engineering

    Church towers are key cultural heritage. In theory, towers are vertical, while facade elements are symmetrically positioned around the tower axis. However, during service of a structure, building and lifetime conditions cause deviations, with associated risks. Laser scanning point clouds can be used to assess the structural state but a universal approach was missing. The proposed algorithm first estimates the tower inclination, and tests which multi-axis representation best represents the course of the tower. Next, point cloud spatial expansion recovers relative distances and deviations of facade elements. The resulting procedure was applied to assess two Dutch medieval towers including the Old Church in Delft and the St. Bavo Church in Haarlem, respectively. As results of analysis, significant asymmetry was found with a 1.4° deviation of the multi-modal axis of the St. Bavo Church tower together with variations of 0.1%–1.5% for facade slopes, while 0.1°–3.1° radial deviations were found in the position of the turrets of the Old Church tower.

  • Assessing the attractiveness of human face based on machine learning
    • Adriana Żejmo
    • Maciej Gielert
    • Marcin Grabski
    • Bożena Kostek
    2023 Pełny tekst

    The attractiveness of the face plays an important role in everyday life, especially in the modern world where social media and the Internet surround us. In this study, an attempt to assess the attractiveness of a face by machine learning is shown. Attractiveness is determined by three deep models whose sum of predictions is the final score. Two annotated datasets available in the literature are employed for training and testing the algorithms, i.e., a dataset named SCUT-FBP5500 to train the deep learning models to predict facial attractiveness and Face Research Lab London Set designated for the test. The first model pays attention to the dominant background colors in the photo; the second model is based on a pre-trained deep neural network. Finally, for facial proportion assessment, distances between key points on the face are linked with attractiveness ratings, so the last dataset considers face proportions. Several algorithms are trained and tested, including baseline machine learning algorithms, i.e., LinearSVR, SDGRegressor, Lasso, RandomForestRegressor, and deep models, such as Xception VGG19 ResNet50v2, and MobileNetv2. A discussion of the results, as well as some concluding remarks, are also provided. The results from the trained models based on SCUT-FBP5500 show a systematic error for the Face Research Lab London Set database. This is probably caused by a different type of image evaluation in both databases. Although the results obtained show no visible winner among the algorithms employed, the best results are seen for five clusters and five colors fed onto the regressor.

  • Assessing the failure of Open Government Data initiatives in Brazil
    • Guilherme Costa Wiedenhöft
    • Charalampos Harris Alexopoulos
    • Stuti Saxena
    • Nina Rizun
    • Ricardo Matheus
    2023 Pełny tekst Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries

    While assessing the potential of a particular digital innovation initiative, especially when it has implications for a range of societal stakeholders, it becomes pertinent to understand the possible bottlenecks in its acceptability as well. In this regard, the present study seeks to understand how the Open Government Data (OGD) initiatives in Brazil are being confronted with bottlenecks in terms of their execution and acceptability. This exploratory study adopts a qualitative cross-sectional research approach wherein interviews are being conducted with 11 managers working in public organizations and are directly associated with the OGD initiatives. Findings from the interview responses delineate internal and external factors, resource availability, data maintenance, and lack of knowledge as the key determinants for the bottlenecks associated with the execution and acceptability of OGD initiatives by the societal stakeholders. The study's originality lies in its theoretical contribution towards an understanding of how a novel digital innovation-OGD, in the present case- is fraught with impediments in terms of its execution and acceptability. The study concludes with directions for further research and practitioner implications