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  • Electrically Conductive Carbon‐based (Bio)‐nanomaterials for Cardiac Tissue Engineering
    • Negin Jalilinejad
    • Mohammad Rabiee
    • Nafiseh Baheiraei
    • Ramin Ghahremanzadeh
    • Reza Salarian
    • Navid Rabiee
    • Omid Akhavan
    • Payam Zarrintaj
    • Aleksander Hejna
    • Mohammad Saeb
    • Ali Zarrabi
    • Esmaeel Sharifi
    • Sattar Yousefiasl
    • Ehsan Nazarzadeh Zare
    2023 Pełny tekst Bioengineering & Translational Medicine

    A proper self-regenerating capability is lacking in human cardiac tissue which along with the alarming rate of deaths associated with cardiovascular disorders makes tissue engineering critical. Novel approaches are now being investigated in order to speedily overcome the challenges in this path. Tissue engineering has been revolutionized by the advent of nanomaterials, and later by the application of carbon-based nanomaterials because of their exceptional variable functionality, conductivity, and mechanical properties. Electrically conductive biomaterials used as cell bearers provide the tissue with an appropriate microenvironment for the specific seeded cells as substrates for the sake of protecting cells in biological media against attacking mechanisms. Nevertheless, their advantages and shortcoming in view of cellular behavior, toxicity, and targeted delivery depend on the tissue in which they are implanted or being used as a scaffold. This review seeks to address, summarize, classify, conceptualize, and discuss the use of carbon-based nanoparticles in cardiac tissue engineering emphasizing their conductivity. We considered electrical conductivity as a key affecting the regeneration of cells. Correspondingly, we reviewed conductive polymers used in tissue engineering and specifically in cardiac repair as key biomaterials with high efficiency. We comprehensively classified and discussed the advantages of using conductive biomaterials in cardiac tissue engineering. An overall review of the open literature on electroactive substrates including carbon-based biomaterials over the last decade was provided, tabulated, and thoroughly discussed. The most commonly used conductive substrates comprising graphene, graphene oxide, carbon nanotubes, and carbon nanofibers in cardiac repair were studied.

  • Electrochemical Production of Sodium Hypochlorite from Salty Wastewater Using a Flow-by Porous Graphite Electrode
    • Ahmed A. Afify
    • Gamal K. Hassan
    • Hussein Al-Hazmi
    • Rozan M. Kamal
    • Rehab M. Mohamed
    • Jakub Drewnowski
    • Joanna Majtacz
    • Jacek Mąkinia
    • Heba A. El-Gawad
    2023 Pełny tekst ENERGIES

    The production of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) from salty wastewater using an electrochemical cell has several advantages over other methods that often require hazardous chemicals and generate toxic waste, being more sustainable and environmentally friendly. However, the process of producing sodium hypochlorite using an electrochemical cell requires careful control of the operating conditions, such as the current density, flow rate, inert electrode spacing, and electrolyte concentration, to optimize the conversion efficiency and prevent electrode fouling and degradation. In this study, NaOCl was produced via a bench-scale electrochemical cell using a flowing porous graphite electrode in a continuous flow system from salty wastewater collected from the Suez Canal in Egypt. The aim of the investigation was to examine the factors that affect the concentration of NaOCl and energy consumption, such as anodic current density, salinity, inert electrode spacing, and influent feed flow rate. A lab-scale reactor with two electrodes was used to conduct the experiments. The highest NaOCl yield of 20.6% was achieved with a graphite electrode, which had high current efficiency and rigidity at a flow rate of 4.5 mL/min, a current density of 3.183 mA/cm2, an electrode space of 0.5 cm, salinity of 40,000 ppm, and a pH of 6.4. The power consumption under these conditions was 0.0137 kwh. Additionally, a statistical and least square multivariate regression technique was employed to establish a correlation for predicting the % NaOCl production. The obtained correlation had an R2 value of 98.4%. Overall, this investigation provides valuable insights into the production of NaOCl using a continuous flow system from salty wastewater, which could have potential for industrial applications in various sectors such as textiles, detergents, paper, and pulp.

  • Electrochemistry/mass spectrometry (EC/MS) for fast generation and identification of novel reactive metabolites of two unsymmetrical bisacridines with anticancer activity.
    • Agnieszka Potęga
    • Valentin Göldner
    • Erik Niehaves
    • Ewa Paluszkiewicz
    • Uwe Karst
    2023 JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL AND BIOMEDICAL ANALYSIS

    The development of a new drug requires knowledge about its metabolic fate in a living organism, regarding the comprehensive assessment of both drug therapeutic activity and toxicity profiles. Electrochemistry (EC) coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) is an efficient tool for predicting the phase I metabolism of redox-sensitive drugs. In particular, EC/MS represents a clear advantage for the generation of reactive drug transformation products and their direct identification compared to biological matrices. In this work, we focused on the characterization of novel electrochemical products of two representative unsymmetrical bisacridines (C-2028 and C-2045) with demonstrated high anticancer activity. The electrochemical thin-layer flow-through cell μ-PrepCell 2.0 (Antec Scientific) was used here for the effective metabolite electrosynthesis. The electrochemical simulation of C-2028 reductive and C-2045 oxidative metabolism resulted in the generation of new products that were not observed before. The formation of nitroso [M-O+H]+ and azoxy [2M-3O+H]+ species from C-2028, as well as a series of hydroxylated and/or dehydrogenated products, including possible quinones [M-2H+H]+ and [M+O-2H+H]+ from C-2045, was demonstrated. For the latter, a glutathione S-conjugate (m/z 935.3130) was also obtained in measurements supplemented with the excess of reduced glutathione. For the identification of the products of interest, structural confirmation based on MS/MS fragmentation experiments was performed. Novel products of electrochemical conversions of unsymmetrical bisacridines were discussed in the context of their possible biological effect on the human organism.

  • Electron Scattering from Methyl Formate (HCOOCH3): A Joint Theoretical and Experimental Study
    • Natalia Tańska
    • Edvaldo Bandeira
    • Alessandra Souza Barbosa
    • Kuba Wójcik
    • Sylwia Dylnicka
    • Elżbieta Ptasińska-Denga
    • Czesław Szmytkowski
    • Márcio H F Bettega
    • Paweł Możejko
    2023 Pełny tekst JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY A

    Elastic low-energy electron collisions with methyl formate have been studied theoretically at the level of various theories. The elastic integral cross section was calculated using Schwinger multichannel and R-matrix methods, in the static-exchange and static-exchange plus polarization levels of approximations for energies up to 15 eV. The absolute total cross section for electron scattering from methyl formate has been measured in a wide energy range (0.2−300 eV) using a 127° electron spectrometer working in the linear transmission configuration. The integral elastic and the absolute total cross sections display a π* shape resonance at around 1.70−1.84 eV, which can be related to the resonance visible for formic acid, and a broad structure located at 7−8 eV, which can be associated to a superposition of σ* shape resonances. Our results were compared with theoretical and experimental results available in the literature and with the results of electron collisions with formic acid. The additivity rule was used to estimate the total cross section of methyl formate and the results agree well with the experimental data.

  • Electronic structure of intertwined kagome, honeycomb, and triangular sublattices of the intermetallics MCo2Al9 ( M = Sr, Ba)
    • Chiara Bigi
    • Sahar Pakdel
    • Michał Winiarski
    • Pasquale Orgiani
    • Ivana Vobornik
    • Jun Fujii
    • Giorgio Rossi
    • Vincent Polewczyk
    • Phil D. C. King
    • Giancarlo Panaccione
    • Tomasz Klimczuk
    • Kristian Sommer Thygesen
    • Federico Mazzola
    2023 Pełny tekst PHYSICAL REVIEW B

    Intermetallics are an important playground to stabilize a large variety of physical phenomena, arising from their complex crystal structure. The ease of their chemical tunabilty makes them suitable platforms to realize targeted electronic properties starting from the symmetries hidden in their unit cell. Here, we investigate the family of the recently discovered intermetallics MCo2Al9 (M=Sr, Ba) and we unveil their electronic structure. By using angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations, we discover the existence of Dirac-like dispersions as ubiquitous features in this family, coming from the hidden kagome and honeycomb symmetries embedded in the unit cell. Finally, from calculations, we expect that the spin-orbit coupling is responsible for opening energy gaps in the electronic structure spectrum, which also affects the majority of the observed Dirac-like states. Our study constitutes an experimental observation of the electronic structure of MCo2Al9 and proposes these systems as hosts of Dirac-like physics with intrinsic spin-orbit coupling. The latter effect suggests MCo2Al9 as a future platform for investigating the emergence of nontrivial topology.

  • Electron-Induced Decomposition of 5-Bromo-4-thiouracil and 5-Bromo-4-thio-2′-deoxyuridine: The Effect of the Deoxyribose Moiety on Dissociative Electron Attachment
    • Farhad Izadi
    • Adrian Szczyrba
    • Magdalena Datta
    • Olga Ciupak
    • Sebastian Demkowicz
    • Janusz Rak
    • Stephan Denifl
    2023 Pełny tekst INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES

    When modified uridine derivatives are incorporated into DNA, radical species may form that cause DNA damage. This category of molecules has been proposed as radiosensitizers and is currently being researched. Here, we study electron attachment to 5-bromo-4-thiouracil (BrSU), a uracil derivative, and 5-bromo-4-thio-20 -deoxyuridine (BrSdU), with an attached deoxyribose moiety via the N-glycosidic (N1-C) bond. Quadrupole mass spectrometry was used to detect the anionic products of dissociative electron attachment (DEA), and the experimental results were supported by quantum chemical calculations performed at the M062X/aug-cc-pVTZ level of theory. Experimentally, we found that BrSU predominantly captures low-energy electrons with kinetic energies near 0 eV, though the abundance of bromine anions was rather low compared to a similar experiment with bromouracil. We suggest that, for this reaction channel, proton-transfer reactions in the transient negative ions limit the release of bromine anions.

  • Electro-optical transducer based on indium-tin-oxide-coated optical fiber for analysis of ionized media
    • Petr Sezemsky
    • Marcin Koba
    • Pavel Curda
    • Robert Bogdanowicz
    • Vitezslav Stranak
    • Mateusz Śmietana
    2023 MEASUREMENT

    The paper introduces a concept of an optical fiber based electro-optical transducer for monitoring of ionized media, such as low-temperature plasma. It utilizes optical fiber with a section of a core coated with tailored indium tin oxide (ITO) thin film and thus combines the optical phenomena of lossy-mode resonance (LMR) with the electrostatic probe. ITO is an optically transparent and electrically conductive material and if its properties such as thickness, as well as optical and electrical properties are optimized, the ITO-LMR sensor is sensitive to changes in properties of both the film and its close vicinity. The ITO-LMR sensor, with its conductive surface, corresponds well by shape and geometry to electrostatic Langmuir probe. In this work, ITO-LMR sensor was employed for simultaneous optical (LMR spectrum) and electrical (current–voltage) interrogation of ionized media, where low-temperature plasma was used as an example. It has been found that optical and electrical responses highly correspond to one another and are attributed to changes in the properties of a plasma sheath surrounding the sensor. The charged species in the sheath influence not only its electrical and optical properties, but also optical properties of ITO. Thus, the sensor allows for real-time, optical monitoring of properties of the ionized media and obtaining optical readout that can be delivered directly to distant locations via an optical fiber without interference of electromagnetic noise.

  • Electrophoretically deposited titanium and its alloys in biomedical engineering: Recent progress and remaining challenges
    • Balbina Makurat-Kasprolewicz
    • Agnieszka Ossowska
    2023 Pełny tekst JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL MATERIALS RESEARCH PART B-APPLIED BIOMATERIALS

    Over the past decade, titanium implants have gained popularity as the number of performed implantation operations has significantly increased. There are a number of methods for modifying the surface of biomaterials, which are aimed at extending the life of titanium implants. The developments in this field in recent years have required a comprehensive discussion of all the properties of electrophoretically deposited coatings on titanium and its alloys, taking into account their bioactivity. The development that took place in this field in recent years required a comprehensive discussion of all the properties of coatings electrophoretically deposited on titanium and its alloys, with particular emphasis on their bioactivity. Herein, we attempt to assess the influence of the electrophoretic deposition (EPD) process parameters on these coatings' biological and mechanical properties. Particular attention has been addressed to the in-vitro and in-vivo studies conducted hitherto. We have seen an increased interest in using titanium alloys without the addition of toxic compounds and gaps in the EPD field such as the uncommon endeavors to develop a “Design of experiments” approach as well as the lack of assessment of the surface free energy and detailed topography of electrophoretically deposited coatings. The exact correlation of coating properties with EPD process parameters still seems explicitly not understood, necessitating more future investigations. Ipso facto, the exact mechanism of particle agglomeration and Hamaker's law need to be fathomable.

  • Ellipticity in couple-stress elasticity
    • Victor Eremeev
    • Daria Scerrato
    • Violetta Konopińska-Zmysłowska
    2023 Pełny tekst ZEITSCHRIFT FUR ANGEWANDTE MATHEMATIK UND PHYSIK

    We discuss ellipticity property within the linear couple-stress elasticity. In this theory, there exists a deformation energy density introduced as a function of strains and gradient of macrorotations, where the latter are expressed through displacements. So the couple-stress theory could be treated as a particular class of strain gradient elasticity. Within the micropolar elasticity, the model is called Cosserat pseudocontinuum or medium with constrained rotations. Applying the classic definitions of ordinary ellipticity and strong ellipticity to static equations of the couple-stress theory, we conclude that these equations are neither elliptic nor strongly elliptic. As a result, one should be aware of extending properties of full strain gradient models such as Toupin–Mindlin strain gradient elasticity to models with incomplete set of second derivatives.

  • Ellipticity of gradient poroelasticity
    • Victor Eremeev
    2023 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING SCIENCE

    We discuss the ellipticity properties of an enhanced model of poroelastic continua called dilatational strain gradient elasticity. Within the theory there exists a deformation energy density given as a function of strains and gradient of dilatation. We show that the equilibrium equations are elliptic in the sense of Douglis–Nirenberg. These conditions are more general than the ordinary and strong ellipticity but keep almost all necessary properties of equilibrium equations. In particular, the loss of the ellipticity could be considered as a criterion of a strain localization or material instability.

  • Elucidation of chemical compounds in different extracts of two Lavandula taxa and their biological potentials: Walking with versatile agents on the road from nature to functional applications
    • Gokhan Zengin
    • Sakina Yagi
    • Selami Selvi
    • Zoltán Cziáky
    • József Jeko
    • Kouadio Ibrahime Sinan
    • Asena Ayyüce Topcu
    • Fatih Erci
    • Grzegorz Boczkaj
    2023 INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS

    Due to their health-promoting and nutraceutical properties, lavenders are frequently employed in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Here, we focused on investigate the chemical profile of hexane, MeOH, and water extracts of leaf, flower, and root of L. pedunculata and L. stoechas and to assess their antioxidant, enzyme inhibitory, and antibacterial properties. The highest total polyphenolic and flavonoids contents were recorded from the water and MeOH extracts of the leaf and flower of L. stoechas, respectively. Our HPLC/MS/MS analysis detected over 90 secondary metabolites, consisting of both known and novel terpenoids, polyphenols, flavonoids, and their derivative. Water leaf extract of L. stoechas displayed significantly (p < 0.05) the highest antiradical, Cu2+ and Fe3+ reducing capacity while hexane extract of the leaf and MeOH extract of the flower of L. pedunculata revealed the best metal chelating ability and total antioxidant activity respectively. The hexane extract of the leaf of L. pedunculata exerted the highest acetylcholinesterase and tyrosinase inhibition activity, whereas the hexane extracts from L. stoechas leaf and L. pedunculata root recorded the highest ability to inhibit the butyrylcholinesterase and ⍺-amylase enzymes respectively. The water extracts of the leaf of the two species, besides the hexane extract of the leaf of L. pedunculata exerted the best inhibition effect against the α-glucosidase. The sensitivities of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria species against different extracts at two different concentrations were tested based on agar well diffusion assay. According to the result, we found that the n-hexane extract of L. stoechas-flowers showed the highest antibacterial activity. In conclusion, the results suggest that both Lavandula species have promising potential as sources of bioactive agents for various industrial applications.

  • Emerging Processes for Sustainable Processing of Food Ingredients and Products
    • Roberto Castro Munoz
    2023 Pełny tekst Foods

    In recent decades, traditional food processing processes, such as homogenization, pasteurization, canning, drying, and smoking, among others, have been successfully applied to obtain, to some extent, acceptable food items. However, with the increasing food demand, as a consequence of the growing population worldwide, new, tunable, and enriched food products are demanded, requiring the implementation of emerging technologies in different areas of food processing. Such technologies offer the possibility of tuning the properties of food ingredients and several products and byproducts from traditional transformation processes [1,2]. Additionally, innovative technologies are providing relevant insights regarding reducing their waste, representing a promising alternative to environmental issues as well [3]. Therefore, we point out the importance of innovative and emerging techniques for processing food ingredients, products, and new food formulations.

  • Emotions and Their Relation with Knowledge Risks in Organizations
    • Małgorzata Zięba
    2023

    The aim of this chapter is to analyze and present knowledge risks from the perspective of emotions. Every year, new studies are published, where novel aspects of knowledge management field are examined and tested. One of such aspects that is worth examination and exploration is the role of emotions (both positive and negative) experienced by employees and managers that can contribute to their behaviors concerning knowledge risks (e.g., knowledge hiding, knowledge loss) and, therefore, knowledge management in organizations. Examples of positive emotions are love, joy, satisfaction, contentment, interest, amusement, happiness, serenity, or awe, while the most commonly felt negative emotions are fear, anger, disgust, sadness, rage, loneliness, melancholy, and annoyance. In this chapter, the potential influence of those emotions on the behaviors related to knowledge risks will be examined. The chapter lays theoretical grounds for the future studies related to emotions and their role in knowledge risks behaviors manifested by employees and managers.

  • Empirical analysis of tree-based classification models for customer churn prediction
    • Fatima E. Usman-Hamza
    • Abdullateef O. Balogun
    • Salahdeen K. Nasiru
    • Luiz Fernando Capretz
    • Hammed Mojeed
    • Shakirat A. Salihu
    • Abimbola G. Akintola
    • Modinat Abolore Mabayoje
    • Joseph B. Awotunde
    2023 Pełny tekst Scientific African

    Customer churn is a vital and reoccurring problem facing most business industries, particularly the telecommunications industry. Considering the fierce competition among telecommunications firms and the high expenses of attracting and gaining new subscribers, keeping existing loyal subscribers becomes crucial. Early prediction of disgruntled subscribers can assist telecommunications firms in identifying the reasons for churn and in deploying applicable innovative policies to boost productivity, maintain market competitiveness, and reduce monetary damages. Controlling customer churn through the development of efficient and dependable customer churn prediction (CCP) solutions is imperative to attaining this goal. According to the outcomes of current CCP research, several strategies, including rule-based and machine-learning (ML) processes, have been proposed to handle the CCP phenomenon. However, the lack of flexibility and robustness of rule based CCP solutions is a fundamental shortcoming, and the lopsided distribution of churn datasets is deleterious to the efficacy of most traditional ML techniques in CCP. Regardless, ML-based CCP solutions have been reported to be more effective than other forms of CCP solutions. Unlike linear-based, instance-based, and function-based ML classifiers, tree-based ML classifiers are known to generate predictive models with high accuracy, high stability, and ease of interpretation. However, the deployment of tree-based classifiers for CCP is limited in most cases to the decision tree (DT) and random forest (RF). Hence, this research investigated the effectiveness of tree-based classifiers with diverse computational properties in CCP. Specifically, the CCP performances of diverse tree-based classifiers such as the single, ensemble, enhanced, and hybrid tree-based classifiers are investigated. Also, the effects of data quality problems such as the class imbalance problem (CIP) on the predictive performances of tree-based classifiers and their homogeneous ensemble variants on CCP were assessed. From the experimental results, it was observed that the investigated tree-based classifiers outperformed other forms of classifiers such as linear-based (Support Vector Machine (SVM)), instance-based (K-Nearest Neighbour (KNN)), Bayesian-based (Naïve Bayes (NB)) and function-based (MultiLayer Perceptron (MLP)) classifiers in most cases with or without the CIP.

  • Empirical Relationship Describing Total Convective and Radiative Heat Loss in Buildings
    • Michał Ryms
    • Grzegorz J. Kwiatkowski
    • Witold Lewandowski
    2023 Pełny tekst International Journal of Heat and Technology

    On the basis of theoretical considerations of convective-radiative heat transfer, a relationship was developed enabling the total convective and radiative heat flux QC+R emitted from any object at tw and its surroundings at t∞ to be calculated from known values of the surface temperature of such an object, i.e., the known temperature difference Δt=tw - t∞ and average air temperature Tav. This relationship is applied to thermal imaging cameras with the aim of developing appropriate software to enhance their measurement capabilities. They can then be used not only for monitoring and measuring temperature, local overheating, heat losses through insulation materials, thermal bridges, constructional defects, moisture, etc., but also for measuring the heat losses from any object, such walls and buildings. This empirical relationship includes constants relating to the object itself, such as its characteristic dimension l, surface area A, emissivity ε and temperature parameters, which depend on tw, t∞, Δt and Tav and on the physical properties of air. Experimental validation of the proposed relationship, performed for two values of the surface emissivity ε, showing the discrepancies ΔQC+R=1.75% (for ε=0.884) and 4.85% (for ε=0.932), has confirmed its correctness and its practicability.

  • Employee Well-Being and its Potential Link With Human Knowledge Risks
    • Martyna Gonsiorowska
    • Małgorzata Zięba
    2023 Pełny tekst

    Employee well-being is an essential component of any organisation organisation. Conscious companies make every effort to create a healthy work environment. The well-being of employees and their overall emotional, physical and economic health is affected by various internal and external factors. When employees feel well, they tend to perform better. Therefore, the impact of employee well-being on the organisation is a fact and has been proven in many studies. People with a high level of well-being have greater self-confidence and self-esteem, which means that they are not afraid to look for new solutions and innovations. They are also generally more committed to their work and more dedicated to the organisationorganizational goals (Kim, 2021). Finally, they are more productive, which affects the whole performance of the company. Despite the high importance of employee well-being for the success of organisations organisations, little is known about how this well-being might influence human knowledge risks appearing in organisations. The article aims to present the potential link between employee well-being and human knowledge risks. The paper presents theoretical insights related to employee well-being, as well as human knowledge risks, organisations and organisations.This study has allowed us to identify the potential link between employee well-being and human knowledge risks, which brings several implications for organisations and organisations. showsThe ability to create conditions by managers to increase the well-being of their employees might be useful, in the trial of minimising human knowledge risks in organisations. The study is of theoretical character, and thus its findings should be further examined in practise research studies. The study provides useful information for managers and owners of organisations in need of dealing with various human knowledge risks threatening their organizations. The paper is enriched with a number of sample solutions that they may apply to increase the well-being of their employees and, therefore, mitigate those risks. The paper lays the ground for a better understanding of human knowledge risks and its relationship with employee well-being. As such, the paper offers food for thought for researchers dealing with the topic of human knowledge risks and human resource management, in general.

  • Employment of a Nonlinear Adaptive Control System for Improved Control of Dissolved Oxygen in Sequencing Batch Reactor
    • Michał Banach
    • Michał Kolankowski
    • Robert Piotrowski
    • Tomasz Ujazdowski
    2023

    A proper control in a complex system, such as Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) with each year is becoming increasingly important. High quality control can minimize an environmental impact as well as reduce operational costs of the WWTP. One of the core issues is providing adequate dissolved oxygen (DO) concetration for microorganisms used in a treatment process. An aeration process of the wastewater realised by an system consisting of blowers, pipelines and dif-fusers generates a large proportion of the costs. This paper presents an employ-ment of a nonlinear adaptive control algorithm Extremum Seeking Control for improved control of DO. For the control design process, models of the aeration system and the biological processes are implemented. The control results based on performed simulation tests are presented.

  • EMULACJA ŚRODOWISKA DLA ZASTOSOWANIA PROTOKOŁU IN-BAND NETWORK TELEMETRY
    • Sylwester Kaczmarek
    • Mateusz Krasoń
    2023 Przegląd Telekomunikacyjny + Wiadomości Telekomunikacyjne

    Określenie jakości obsługi strumieni pakietów w sieci przełączników wymaga odpowiedniego środowiska badawczego w którym prowadzi się doświadczenia i pomiary wybranych wielkości. Protokół In-band Network Telemetry jest jednym z narzędzi, które można wykorzystać do realizacji tych zadań. W pracy zaproponowano zwirtualizowane środowisko badawcze w którym można emulować sieć przełączników programowalnych w języku P4 wraz z implementacją tego protokołu. Przeprowadzone testy wykazały poprawność działania zaproponowanego rozwiązania.

  • Encouraging Pro-environmental Behaviour Through an Educational Mobile Application: Preliminary Insights from Early Adopters
    • Ewa Duda
    • Helena Anacka
    • Jolanta Kowal
    • Iwona Nowakowska
    • Hanna Obracht-Prondzynska
    • Hanne Cecilie
    • Kacper Radziszewski
    • Małgorzata Romanowska
    • Aleksandra Wyciszkiewicz
    • Jakub Zawieska
    2023 Pełny tekst International Journal of Pedagogy, Innovation and New Technologies

    This article aims to explore the extent to which the educational mobile application PULA supports and promotes pro-environmental behaviours, identify the most utilised functionalities by early adopters, and explore the least engaged functionalities. The study employs a quantitative approach based on data collected from the application. The analysis provides a comprehensive understanding of users' experiences and behaviours within the application, contributing valuable insights into its potential to foster pro-environmental attitudes and behaviours. The results suggested that the users, especially women, were generally interested in the learning activities. Pro-environmental transport-related activities were also frequently undertaken by the users. While women tended to split their time into various functionalities of the application, men focused mainly on the transport-related ones. This research contributes to the emerging field of using educational mobile applications for promoting pro-environmental behaviour. The study's focus on early adopters provides unique perspectives on the mechanisms behind behaviour change and offers implications for future interventions. The findings of this study can impact environmental conservation efforts. By encouraging pro-environmental behaviour through an accessible mobile application, a broader audience can be reached and motivated to adopt greener habits. The insights gained from this research can inform the design and development of future applications to foster sustainable practices, benefiting society and contributing to building a more sustainable future.

  • Endocrine disrupting compounds in the baby's world - A harmful environment to the health of babies
    • Justyna Płotka-Wasylka
    • Ewa Mulkiewicz
    • Hanna Lis
    • Klaudia Godlewska
    • Aleksandra Kurowska-Susdorf
    • Muhammad Sajid
    • Dimitra Lambropoulou
    • Natalia Jatkowska
    2023 SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT

    Globally, there has been a significant increase in awareness of the adverse effects of chemicals with known or suspected endocrine-acting properties on human health. Human exposure to endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) mainly occurs by ingestion and to some extent by inhalation and dermal uptake. Although it is difficult to assess the full impact of human exposure to EDCs, it is well known that timing of exposure is of importance and therefore infants are more vulnerable to EDCs and are at greater risk compared to adults. In this regard, infant safety and assessment of associations between prenatal exposure to EDCs and growth during infancy and childhood has been received considerable attention in the last years. Hence, the purpose of this review is to provide a current update on the evidence from biomonitoring studies on the exposure of infants to EDCs and a comprehensive view of the uptake, the mechanisms of action and biotransformation in baby/human body. Analytical methods used and concentration levels of EDCs in different biological matrices (e.g., placenta, cord plasma, amniotic fluid, breast milk, urine, and blood of pregnant women) are also discussed. Finally, key issues and recommendations were provided to avoid hazardous exposure to these chemicals, taking into account family and lifestyle factors related to this exposure.

  • Endothelial dysfunction due to eNOS uncoupling: molecular mechanisms as potential therapeutic targets
    • Anna Janaszak-Jasiecka
    • Agata Płoska
    • Joanna M. Wierońska
    • Lawrence W. Dobrucki
    • Leszek Kalinowski
    2023 Pełny tekst CELLULAR & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY LETTERS

    Nitric oxide (NO) is one of the most important molecules released by endothelial cells, and its antiatherogenic properties support cardiovascular homeostasis. Diminished NO bioavailability is a common hallmark of endothelial dysfunction underlying the patho‑ genesis of the cardiovascular disease. Vascular NO is synthesized by endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) from the substrate L‑arginine (L‑Arg), with tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) as an essential cofactor. Cardiovascular risk factors such as diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension, aging, or smoking increase vascular oxidative stress that strongly affects eNOS activity and leads to eNOS uncoupling. Uncoupled eNOS produces superoxide anion (O2−) instead of NO, thus becoming a source of harmful free radicals exacerbat‑ ing the oxidative stress further. eNOS uncoupling is thought to be one of the major underlying causes of endothelial dysfunction observed in the pathogenesis of vascular diseases. Here, we discuss the main mechanisms of eNOS uncoupling, including oxida‑ tive depletion of the critical eNOS cofactor BH4, deficiency of eNOS substrate L‑Arg, or accumulation of its analog asymmetrical dimethylarginine (ADMA), and eNOS S‑glu‑ tathionylation. Moreover, potential therapeutic approaches that prevent eNOS uncou‑ pling by improving cofactor availability, restoration of L‑Arg/ADMA ratio, or modulation of eNOS S‑glutathionylation are briefly outlined.

  • Energetics of formation and stability in high pressure steam of barium lanthanide cobaltite double perovskites
    • Aleksandra Mielewczyk-Gryń
    • Shuhao Yang
    • Maria Balaguer
    • Ragnar Strandbakke
    • Magnus H. Sørby
    • Iga Szpunar
    • Agnieszka Witkowska
    • Sebastian Wachowski
    • Jose M. Serra
    • Alexandra Navrotsky
    • Maria Gazda
    2023 Pełny tekst DALTON TRANSACTIONS

    This study concerns energetics of formation and the stability in high water partial pressure of BaLnCo2O6−δ, (Ln = La, Pr, Nd, and Gd) (BLnC) and BaGd1−xLaxCo2O6−δ, where x = 0.2, 0.5, and 0.7 (BGLC) double perovskite cobaltites. Those materials are extensively studied due to their potential applications as a positrode in electrochemical devices. Therefore, their stability under such conditions is a key issue. All investigated materials are thermodynamically stable relative to binary oxides and exhibit strongly exothermic enthalpies of formation. Moreover, BaGd0.3La0.7Co2O6−δ and BaGd0.8La0.2Co2O6−δ remain the main perovskite structure up to 3 bars of water vapor at 400 °C. At higher steam pressure, reaching 10 bar at 300 °C, the partial decomposition to constituent oxides and hydroxides was observed. The BGLC compounds exhibit higher negative formation enthalpies in comparison to single-Ln compositions, which does not translate into higher chemical stability under high steam pressures since the BLnC series retained the main perovskite structure at higher temperatures as well as in higher water vapor pressures.

  • Energy consumption optimization in wastewater treatment plants: Machine learning for monitoring incineration of sewage sludge
    • Behrouz Adibimanesh
    • Sylwia Polesek-Karczewska
    • Faramarz Bagherzadeh
    • Piotr Szczuko
    • Torkan Shafighfard
    2023 Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments

    Biomass management in terms of energy consumption optimization has become a recent challenge for developed countries. Nevertheless, the multiplicity of materials and operating parameters controlling energy consumption in wastewater treatment plants necessitates the need for sophisticated well-organized disciplines in order to minimize energy consumption and dissipation. Sewage sludge (SS) disposal management is the key stage of this process, such that incineration due to the high costs of drying remains a matter of concern. Thus, a combination of experimental investigations and data analysis is required for an efficient plant design. Herein, we propose an intelligent tool based on Machine Learning (ML) algorithms (A: Parallel, B: Artificial Neural Network (ANN), and C: Chained, ML models) by employing SciKit-Learn library in Python, followed by hyper-parameter tuning and the k-fold cross-validation implementation. The optimizer receives simulation data from ASPEN PLUS software, and imitates the behavior of system outputs (namely, Y_i : fluidized bed temperature, steam heat transfer rate, and dryer residence time in the SS) to yield optimal changing variables (namely, X_i: feed temperature, air temperature, fume temperature, steam flow rate, moisture content in the feedstock, and steam inlet temperature to dryer). The authenticity and precision of our intelligent optimizer was validated in terms of optimum heat transfer amount (the higher the better) and dryer residence time (the lower the better) by data collected from wastewater treatment plant in Gdynia (Poland), demonstrating excellent predictability of the algorithm. The R^2 values for A, B, and C ML models were 0.85, 0.94, and 0.91, respectively. The B model, though slightly revealed better prediction than the C model, estimated the outputs in much lower time than the former. Thus, C model was selected as the computational tool for the optimization purpose. Overall, we claim that the methodology developed herein takes the advantage of ca. 6% saving in the total amount of energy required for incineration unit of SS disposal plant, which is well justified considering the energy crisis raised by the geopolitical issues in the area and also the high cost of energy worldwide.

  • Energy conversion in systems-contained laser irradiated metallic nanoparticles - comparison of results from analytical solutions and numerical methods
    • Piotr Radomski
    • Paweł Ziółkowski
    • Dariusz Mikielewicz
    2023 Pełny tekst Acta Mechanica et Automatica

    This work introduces the theoretical method of metallic nanoparticles’ (NPs’) heat and mass transfer where the particles are coated on a surface (base), together with considering the case wherein nanoparticles move freely in a pipe. In order to simulate the heat transfer, energy and radiative transfer equations are adjusted to the considered issue. NPs’ properties are determined following the nanofluidic theories, whereas absorption and scattering coefficients are described using either Mie-Lorenz theory or Rayleigh-Drude approximation. Thermal boundary conditions are implemented based on the microscale heat transfer and Smoluchowski theory. Results are compared with the classical Fourier transport differential solutions that have been adjusted to laser irradiation.

  • Energy Efficiency and Economic Policy: Comprehensive Theoretical, Empirical, and Policy Review
    • Muhammad Mushafiq
    • Muzammil Muhammad Khan Arisar
    • Hanan Tariq
    • Stanisław Czapp
    2023 Pełny tekst ENERGIES

    In this paper, we analyze the role of economic policy in prompting energy efficiency. This study reviews three aspects, theoretical, empirical, and existing policies to evaluate the relationship of energy efficiency and economic policy. This study furthermore identifies the existing issues from a policy perspective in energy efficiency. Although not all public policies may be justified, it suggests that these types of financial incentives, particularly those based on economic instruments, can play a crucial role in advancing energy efficiency. Additionally, this study identifies existing issues in energy efficiency target achievement and proposes solutions based on the literature review. Finally, it provides possible future research pathways from the aspect of economic policy tools in energy efficiency.

  • Energy efficiency of electric multiple units in suburban operation
    • Aleksander Jakubowski
    2023 Pełny tekst

    This thesis presents approach to analysis of energy efficiency of a suburban rail network, using novel models developed on the Matlab/Simulink basis. Necessary features and requirements for such models were determined thru in-depth review of the source literature in all applicable fields: electrified transportation systems, electric multiple units construction, vehicle drivetrains and finally, existing simulation methods. Existing and applied methods for improvement energy efficiency of electrified transportation were identified. Original model of electrified transportation system was developed. It can be characterized by unique implementation of the data bus structure that allows for simulating complex transport systems in a straightforward way while retaining high computation performance. Because every part of the program is an independent sub-model, the only limitation to size and complexity of analyzed system is the available computing power. Parameters of the analyzed transport system were assumed using technical datasheets, catalogues, tender documentation and a large set of recorded run data. Energy efficiency analysis for suburban railway system of SKM Trójmiasto was carried out, limiting the scope to railway line no. 250 between stations Gdańsk Śródmieście and Gdynia Redłowo. Practical and easy to implement approach to velocity profile optimization for electric multiple unit was proposed. Presented method allows for energy savings of about 8% while retaining the same travel time, simultaneously reducing drivetrain losses. Possibilities of further energy consumption reduction were suggested. Conducted research demonstrated that implementing model structure inspired by industrial communication networks improves model scalability and versatility, as it was used for two different electrified urban transport systems, with different power supply layouts. Moreover, proposed approach to energy consumption optimization, based on trackside signs and manageable by human driver was shown to improve energy efficiency of the whole system. This work also includes implementation of passenger flow and variable velocity profiles, which allowed for improvement of calculation accuracy.

  • Energy efficient beam control for 5G antennas
    • Damian Duraj
    • Luiza Leszkowska
    • Weronika Kalista
    • Kamil Trzebiatowski
    • Łukasz Kulas
    • Krzysztof Nyka
    2023

    The rapid development of 5G and beyond systems demands improvement in communication speed, latency and safety to maintain the required quality of service. This paper presents an overview of different concepts of energy-efficient antenna systems, which offer beam-shaping and beam-steering functionalities, that enhance connectivity performance and can be used in 5G applications. Different designs for 5.9 GHz, 39 GHz and 60 GHz frequency bands are proposed to further improve the capabilities of 5G MIMO systems or reduce energy consumption, i.e. antennas with low-power CMOS switches, antenna arrays that can be integrated with 3D-printed lenses, patch antennas with lenses, antennas with planar reconfigurable superstrate to focus the beam and a multi-beam antenna based on a multiport patch array producing beams de ected by an integrated 3D-printed lens.

  • Energy-Aware Scheduling for High-Performance Computing Systems: A Survey
    • Bartłomiej Kocot
    • Paweł Czarnul
    • Jerzy Proficz
    2023 Pełny tekst ENERGIES

    High-performance computing (HPC), according to its name, is traditionally oriented toward performance, especially the execution time and scalability of the computations. However, due to the high cost and environmental issues, energy consumption has already become a very important factor that needs to be considered. The paper presents a survey of energy-aware scheduling methods used in a modern HPC environment, starting with the problem definition, tackling various goals set up for this challenge, including a bi-objective approach, power and energy constraints, and a pure energy solution, as well as metrics related to the subject. Then, considered types of HPC systems and related energy-saving mechanisms are described, from multicore-processors/graphical processing units (GPU) to more complex solutions, such as compute clusters supporting dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVFS), power capping, and other functionalities. The main section presents a collection of carefully selected algorithms, classified by the programming method, e.g., machine learning or fuzzy logic. Moreover, other surveys published on this subject are summarized and commented on, and finally, an overview of the current state-of-the-art with open problems and further research areas is presented.

  • Engineering boron and nitrogen codoped carbon nanoarchitectures to tailor molecularly imprinted polymers for PFOS determination
    • Mattia Pierpaoli
    • Małgorzata Szopińska
    • Adrian Olejnik
    • Jacek Ryl
    • Sylwia Fudala-Książek
    • Aneta Łuczkiewicz
    • Robert Bogdanowicz
    2023 Pełny tekst JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS

    Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have gained significant attention as emerging contaminants due to their persistence, abundance, and adverse health effects. Consequently, the urgent need for ubiquitous and effective sensors capable of detecting and quantifying PFAS in complex environmental samples has become a priority. In this study, we present the development of an ultrasensitive molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) electrochemical sensor tailored by chemically vapour-deposited boron and nitrogen codoped diamond-rich carbon nanoarchitectures for the selective determination of perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS). This approach allows for a multiscale reduction of MIP heterogeneities, leading to improved selectivity and sensitivity in PFOS detection. Interestingly, the peculiar carbon nanostructures induce a specific distribution of binding sites in the MIPs that exhibit a strong affinity for PFOS. The designed sensors demonstrated a low limit of detection (1.2 μg L-1) and exhibited satisfactory selectivity and stability. To gain further insights into the molecular interactions between diamond-rich carbon surfaces, electropolymerised MIP, and the PFOS analyte, a set of density functional theory (DFT) calculations was performed. Validation of the sensor’s performance was carried out by successfully determining PFOS concentrations in real complex samples, such as tap water and treated wastewater, with average recovery rates consistent with UHPLC-MS/MS results. These findings demonstrate the potential of MIP-supported diamond-rich carbon nanoarchitectures for water pollution monitoring, specifically targeting emerging contaminants. The proposed sensor design holds promise for the development of in situ PFOS monitoring devices operating under relevant environmental concentrations and conditions.

  • Engineering TADF, Mechanochromism, and Second Harmonic Up- conversion Properties in Regioisomeric Substitution Space
    • Subrahmanyam Sappati
    • Abhijit Chatterjee
    • Chatterjee Joy
    • Mazurka Lahiri
    • Mandal Pankaj
    • Partha Hazra
    2023 Pełny tekst Chemical Science

    This research article explores the distinct TADF efficiency of three donor-acceptor based regio-isomers: DPAOCN (ortho- isomer), DPAMCN (meta-isomer), and DPAPCN (para-isomer). DPAPCN exhibits maximum TADF efficiency in both solution and solid-state with an impressive reverse inter-system crossing (RISC) rate of ~ 106 s-1; the underlying cause being the minimum singlet-triplet splitting energy or ∆EST and maximum SOC (spin-orbit coupling) between the S1 & T1 states. Apart from TADF, differences in crystal packing of the regio-isomers result in intriguing bulk phase properties. DPAOCN, with its non-centrosymmetric P212121 space group and substantial crystal void volume, enchants with reversible tri-color mechanochromic luminescent behavior, while the meta and para isomers, due to their centrosymmetric packing and diminished crystal void volume, remain inert to mechanical pressure. Expanding the horizon of possibilities, the non- centrosymmetric nature of ortho-isomer further renders it an excellent SHG material, with the χ(2) value of 0.19 pm/V at 1220 nm and laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) value of 13.27 GW/cm2. Overall, a comprehensive investigation into the regio-isomers has been carried out, encompassing their TADF, SHG, and mechanochromic luminescent properties.

  • Enhanced gas sensing by graphene-silicon Schottky diodes under UV irradiation
    • Katarzyna Drozdowska
    • Adil Rehman
    • Janusz Smulko
    • Sergey Rumyantsev
    • Bartlomiej Stonio
    • Aleksandra Krajewska
    • Mateusz Słowikowski
    • Maciej Filipiak
    • Pavlo Sai
    • Grzegorz Cywinski
    2023 SENSORS AND ACTUATORS B-CHEMICAL

    The effect of ultraviolet (UV) or blue irradiation on graphene/n-doped silicon Schottky junctions toward gas sensing was investigated. Schottky diodes were subjected to oxidizing nitrogen dioxide (NO2, 1–3 ppm) and reducing tetrahydrofuran (THF, 50–200 ppm), showing significantly different responses observed on the currentvoltage (I-V) characteristics, especially under UV light (275 nm). NO2 affected the resistive part of the forward region of the I-V curves, where graphene’s resistance dominates, and increased the junction current. A low detection limit of 75 ppb was obtained for NO2 detection at a 4 V voltage bias. THF influenced the reverse and forward regions, shifting the exponential parts of the characteristics, indicating the impact on the Schottky barrier height, and reducing the detection limit to 31 ppm. The adsorption of organic molecules increased the Schottky barrier height by up to tens of meV due to the dominating photogating effect. The width of the junction area may be crucial for optimizing graphene-silicon Schottky-based sensors and improving their performance, together with irradiation-induced modulation, to become one of the most advanced gas mixture sensors. The ease of fabrication of large-area graphene and forming stable graphene-silicon junctions determine a simple method for developing efficient gas sensing platforms.

  • Enhanced supercapacitor materials from pyrolyzed algae and graphene composites
    • Mariusz Szkoda
    • Malgorzata Skorupska
    • Jerzy P. Lukaszewicz
    • Anna Ilnicka
    2023 Pełny tekst Scientific Reports

    This study focuses on the synthesis and characterization of supercapacitor materials derived from pyrolyzed natural compounds. Four compounds were investigated: methylcellulose with lysine (ML), methylcellulose with lysine-graphene composite (MLG), algae (A), and algae-graphene composite (AG). The pyrolysis process was utilized to convert these natural compounds into carbon-based materials suitable for supercapacitor applications. The properties of the resulting materials were analyzed extensively to evaluate their potential as supercapacitor electrodes. The electrochemical performance, including specific capacitance, cyclic stability, and rate capability was measured using various characterization techniques. The effects of incorporating graphene into the lysine-methylcellulose and algae matrices were also studied to explore the enhancements in supercapacitor performance. In both cases, the addition of graphene resulted in a positive effect. Among all the materials investigated, the algae-graphene composite exhibited the most favorable properties, demonstrating a specific capacitance of 192 F g−1 after 10,000 galvanostatic charge–discharge cycles at a current of 5 A g−1 in K2SO4 electrolyte. This exceptional performance underscores the potential of the algae-graphene composite as a highly efficient and durable electrode material for supercapacitor applications.

  • Enhancement of photocatalytic-based processes by mono- and bimetallic (CuPd) rutile loaded nanoparticles for antibiotic resistance genes and facultative pathogenic bacteria removal
    • Marta Gmurek
    • Johannes Alexander
    • Paweł Mazierski
    • Magdalena Miodyńska
    • Maciej Fronczak
    • Tomasz Klimczuk
    • Adriana Zaleska-Medynska
    • Harald Horn
    • Thomas Schwartz
    2023 Pełny tekst CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL

    The aim of the study was the strong reduction of facultative pathogenic bacteria (FPB), and clinically relevant antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) from secondary effluent. To evaluate the ARGs removal efficiency comparative study of individual unit processes and combined AOPs has been performed. The present work investigated: i) removal of selected ARGs, namely blaTEM, ermB, qnrS, tetM, five FPB as well as 16S rDNA and the integrase gene intl1 involved in horizontal gene transfer; ii) bacterial regrowth potential after treatment; (iii) the removal of the total genomic DNA content, by mono- and bimetallic TiO2-CuPd rutile photocatalysts under visible light radiation in real secondary effluent. The nanoparticles were characterized by UV–vis, XRD, HRTEM, Raman and XPS. TiO2-CuPd/VIS inactivation gives the highest (more than 2 log units removal) efficiency for almost all targets (blaTEM, ermB, tetM, intl 1, and 16S rRNA) compared to monometallic catalysts. The highest efficiency toward blaTEM was achieved after ozonation and TiO2-CuPd/O3/VIS (3.22 and 3.23 LRV, respectively). It was found that despite similar FPB inactivation, lower DNA destruction was found after O3 compared to TiO2-CuPd/O3/VIS treatment. The blaTEM and enterococci were completely removed during TiO2-CuPd/O3/Vis and TiO2-Cu/O3/Vis. While, catalytic ozonation leads to only slightly blaTEM removal (0.64 and 0.44 LRV for TiO2-CuPd/O3 and TiO2- Cu/O3, respectively). Photocatalytic ozonation with the application of TiO2-CuPd leads to significant removal of FPB and ARGs due to synergistic effect between Pd and Cu, which leads to acceleration of ozone – catalysts reaction. Photocatalytic ozonation has the greatest potential giving promising possibilities for eliminating AMR.

  • Enhancement of the Magnetoresistance in the Mobility‐Engineered Compensated Metal Pt 5 P 2
    • Alex H. Mayo
    • Hidefumi Takahashi
    • Shintaro Ishiwata
    • Jan Jaroszynski
    • Robert J. Cava
    • Weiwei Xie
    • Tomasz Klimczuk
    • Karolina Górnicka
    • Michał Winiarski
    2023 Pełny tekst Advanced Electronic Materials

    The magnetoresistance (MR) in nonmagnetic materials continues to be a fertile research area in materials science. The search for giant, positive MR has been limited to a rather small window of materials such as high-mobility semimetals in single-crystalline form. Here, the observation of a very large positive MR in metallic Pt5P2 in polycrystalline form is reported. The observations reveal that improvement of the crystallinity results in a significant enhancement of the positive MR, exceeding 10 000% at 9 T, comparable to high-mobility semimetals. Based on first-principles calculations combined with magnetotransport and thermoelectric measurements, the Fermi surface of Pt5P2 is found to consist of a collection of multiple electron and hole pockets compensating one another, along with a characteristic pocket continuously connected to the adjacent Brillouin zone, together with possible topologically protected band crossings. This work extends the landscape of high MR candidate materials to polycrystalline metals, which demonstrates the importance of crystallinity and purity of the samples for the optimization of the MR.

  • Enhancing Economic Development Through ICT-Based Governance: Evidence for Developing Countries
    • Ewa Lechman
    2023

    his shows novel empirical evidence on how e-government solutions enhance the emergence of inclusive societies, increase institutional quality, and through that channels dynamize economic development in developing countries. With this aim we examine digital development inequalities adopting 2 core ICT indicators: mobile cellular telephony and Internet users; and gross per capita income and Human Development Index to show the level of economic development, and these indicators are then with e-governments developments. Adopted empirical strategy involves graphical identification of changes in digital and economic development as well as it aims to identify changes in e-governance development, using kernel densities functions, time trends analysis, and panel regression approach. Our empirical sample combines 40 developing economies, and the time span for the analysis is 1990–2019. Statistical data are entirely extracted from World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database 2020 and World Band Development Indicators 2021. Our major conclusions unveil that e-government solutions are positively associated with economic growth and development. We claim that these results are poorly robust and massive cross-country disparities exist in regard to the state of deployment of electronic government mainly due to uneven diffusion of digital technologies in developing economies.

  • Enhancing Renal Tumor Detection: Leveraging Artificial Neural Networks in Computed Tomography Analysis
    • Mateusz Glembin
    • Aleksander Obuchowski
    • Barbara Klaudel
    • Bartosz Rydziński
    • Roman Karski
    • Paweł Syty
    • Patryk Jasik
    • Wojciech Józef Narożański
    2023 Pełny tekst Medical Science Monitor

    Renal cell carcinoma is one of the most common cancers in Europe, with a total incidence rate of 18.4 cases per 100 000 population. There is currently significant overdiagnosis (11% to 30.9%) at times of planned surgery based on radiological studies. The purpose of this study was to create an artificial neural network (ANN) solution based on computed tomography (CT) images as an additional tool to improve the differentiation of malignant and benign renal tumors and to aid active surveillance. A retrospective study based on CT images was conducted. Axial CT images of 357 renal tumor cases were collected. There were 265 (74.2%) cases histologically proven to be malignant, while 34 (9.5%) cases were benign. Radiologists diagnosed 58 (16.3%) cases as angiomyolipoma (AML), based on characteristic appearance, not confirmed histopathologically. For ANN training, the arterial CT phase images were used. A total of 7207 arterial-phase images were collected, then cropped and added to the database with the associated diagnosis. For the test dataset (ANN validation), 38 cases (10 benign, 28 malignant) were chosen by subgroup randomization to correspond to statistical tumor type distribution. The VGG-16 ANN architecture was used in this study. Trained ANN correctly classified 23 out of 28 malignant tumors and 8 out of 10 benign tumors. Accuracy was 81.6% (95% confidence interval, 65.7-92.3%), sensitivity was 82.1% (63.1-93.9%), specificity was 80.0% (44.4-97.5%), and F1 score was 86.8% (74.7-94.5%). The created ANN achieved promising accuracy in differentiating benign vs malignant renal tumors.

  • Enhancing seismic performance of buckling-restrained brace frames equipped with innovative bracing systems
    • Benyamin Mohebi
    • Mohammad Sartipi
    • Farzin Kazemi
    2023 Pełny tekst Archives of Civil and Mechanical Engineering

    Nowadays, to improve the performance of conventional bracing systems, in which, buckling in the pressure loads is the main disadvantage, the buckling-restrained brace (BRB) is introduced as a solution. In this study, the performance of the BRB system was improved with innovative lateral-resisting systems of double-stage yield buckling-restrained brace (DYB), and a combination of DYB improved with shape memory alloy (SMA) materials (DYBSMA). The proposed systems have been verified and implemented in the 2- to 12-story elevation steel buckling-restrained brace frames (BRBFs). To evaluate their effects on the seismic performance, two types of analysis including nonlinear dynamic analysis (NDA) and incremental dynamic analysis (IDA) were performed considering design-based earthquakes (DBE) and maximum considered earthquakes (MCE) levels for far-field ground motions. The results showed that the BRB system in all BRBFs had the highest values of residual drift ratio (RDRMed) demands, while implementing innovative DYBSMA can considerably reduce the values of RDRMed compared to other lateral-resisting systems. In addition, under MCE level, the BRB-DYBSMA system had lower values of the interstory drift ratio (IDRMed) and RDRMed demands (e.g., the IDRMed reduced by 79.67% and 18.5% compared to BRB and DYB systems, respectively), and can be introduced as the best lateral-resisting system. Therefore, the proposed BRB-DYBSMA system can effectively reduce the IDRMed and RDRMed demands, as result, higher performance levels can be achieved, as well as, the collapse probability occurrence over 1 and 50 years impressively decreased.

  • Enhancing seismic performance of rigid and semi-rigid connections equipped with SMA bolts incorporating nonlinear soil-structure interaction
    • Farzin Kazemi
    • Robert Jankowski
    2023 ENGINEERING STRUCTURES

    Nowadays, using smart connections can improve the performance of buildings with some recentering features that are from the superelastic behavior of Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs). It seems that there is different rigidity between the designed connection and the real one in Steel Moment-Resisting Frames (SMRFs), which can be considered as a problematic issue due to the importance of connections in seismic performance assessment. This paper aims to investigate the seismic limit-state capacities of rigid and semi-rigid connections implemented in the 3-Story, 5-Story, 7-Story, and 9-Story SMRFs considering the nonlinear Soil-Structure Interaction (SSI) effects. A Tcl programming code was developed to model semi-rigid connection and SSI effects using Opensees. Incremental Dynamic Analyses (IDAs) were employed to assess the seismic performance levels of SMRFs considering Near- Fault Pulse-Like (NF-PL) and Near-Fault No-Pulse (NF-NP) records suggested by FEMA-P695. The results showed that assuming semi-rigid connections with rigidity of 80%, 70%, and 60%, significantly decreased the median values of IDA curves compared to rigid connection. Considering the SSI effects can considerably decrease the Sa (T1) values of IDA curves and seismic collapse probability in all soil types; therefore, it is suggested to assume the real condition of the structure by modeling the connection rigidity and the SSI effects. It can be concluded that SMA bolts have the ability to improve the seismic performance of connection to compensate the lack of rigidity in semi-rigid connections of SMRFs; as well as, they can be used as a retrofitting strategy for existing buildings.

  • Enhancing Seismic Performance of Semi-rigid Connection Using Shape Memory Alloy Bolts Considering Nonlinear Soil–Structure Interaction
    • Benyamin Mohebi
    • Farzin Kazemi
    • Atefeh Yousefi
    2023

    Steel Moment-Resisting Frames (SMRFs) have their lateral resistance for their rigid connections, while real conditions have shown that the rigidity of a connection depends on the bolts and the end-plate thickness, which may not provide the assumed rigidity in design process. In this research, the main goal is to enhance the semi-rigid connections using shape memory alloy (SMA) bolts and explore their effects on the seismic limit-state capacities of the 3-Story, 5-Story, and 7-Story SMRFs considering the effects of nonlinear Soil–Structure Interaction (SSI). To model the 3-Story, 5-Story, and 7-Story SMRFs, ETABS software was used; then, 2D models were developed in Opensees and the SSI effects were added using Beam on Nonlinear Winkler Foundation (BNWF) model. To achieve the seismic limit-state capacities of SMRFs, Incremental Dynamic Analysis (IDA) was performed and three rigidities of 80%, 70%, and 60% were considered. In each model, the SMA bolts were used to find out the improvements of semi-rigid connections. The results showed that assuming different rigidities as well as the SSI effects could reduce the performance levels. In addition, the results confirmed that SMA bolts could increase the seismic limit-state capacities of SMRFs and this approach can be used for retrofitting of existing buildings.

  • Ensembling noisy segmentation masks of blurred sperm images
    • Emilia Lewandowska
    • Daniel Węsierski
    • Magdalena Mazur-Milecka
    • Joanna Liss
    • Anna Węsierska
    2023 Pełny tekst COMPUTERS IN BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE

    Background: Sperm tail morphology and motility have been demonstrated to be important factors in determining sperm quality for in vitro fertilization. However, many existing computer-aided sperm analysis systems leave the sperm tail out of the analysis, as detecting a few tail pixels is challenging. Moreover, some publicly available datasets for classifying morphological defects contain images limited only to the sperm head. This study focuses on the segmentation of full sperm, which consists of the head and tail parts, and appear alone and in groups. Methods: We re-purpose the Feature Pyramid Network to ensemble an input image with multiple masks from state-of-the-art segmentation algorithms using a scale-specific cross-attention module. We normalize homogeneous backgrounds for improved training. The low field depth of microscopes blurs the images, easily confusing human raters in discerning minuscule sperm from large backgrounds. We thus propose evaluation protocols for scoring segmentation models trained on imbalanced data and noisy ground truth. Results: The neural ensembling of noisy segmentation masks outperforms all single, state-of-the-art segmen- tation algorithms in full sperm segmentation. Human raters agree more on the head than tail masks. The algorithms also segment the head better than the tail. Conclusions: The extensive evaluation of state-of-the-art segmentation algorithms shows that full sperm segmentation is challenging. We release the SegSperm dataset of images from Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection procedures to spur further progress on full sperm segmentation with noisy and imbalanced ground truth. The dataset is publicly available at https://doi.org/10.34808/6wm7-1159

  • Entangled rendezvous: a possible application of Bell non-locality for mobile agents on networks
    • Piotr Mironowicz
    2023 Pełny tekst NEW JOURNAL OF PHYSICS

    Rendezvous is an old problem of assuring that two or more parties, initially separated, not knowing the position of each other, and not allowed to communicate, are striving to meet without pre-agreement on the meeting point. This problem has been extensively studied in classical computer science and has vivid importance to modern and future applications. Quantum non-locality, like Bell inequality violation, has shown that in many cases quantum entanglement allows for improved coordination of two, or more, separated parties compared to classical sources. The non-signaling correlations in many cases even strengthened such phenomena. In this work, we analyze, how Bell non-locality can be used by asymmetric location-aware agents trying to rendezvous on a finite network with a limited number of steps. We provide the optimal solution to this problem for both agents using quantum resources, and agents with only 'classical' computing power. Our results show that for cubic graphs and cycles it is possible to gain an advantage by allowing the agents to use the assistance of entangled quantum states.

  • ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF SOLAR CELL MATERIALS
    • Ewa Klugmann-Radziemska
    2023 Pełny tekst Ecological Chemistry and Engineering S - Chemia i Inżynieria Ekologiczna S

    In today’s world, fossil fuels, including coal, oil, and gas, are the primary energy sources from which electricity is obtained. As they are exhaustible and their exploitation has a negative impact on the natural environment, they should be, at least partially, replaced by renewable energy sources. One of these sources is solar energy. The use of solar energy releases no CO2, SO2, or NO2 gases, and does not contribute to global warming. Photovoltaics is one of the technologies that makes it possible to generate electricity in an environmentally friendly manner. By using the energy of solar radiation, a photovoltaic cell converts energy without emitting harmful substances to the atmosphere, noise, and waste. Photovoltaics is the cleanest technology among all the technologies that use renewable energy. Considering the shorter and shorter times needed to generate energy equal to that required by the module production process, during its lifetime it will produce much more electricity than was used to produce it. This results in a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Although the technologies for the production of photovoltaic cells and modules entail a lower environmental burden compared to other sources of electricity, it is necessary to remember about the risks associated with the use of chemicals at the stage of module production, which threatens their release to groundwater or air, and the need to recycle modules after their disassembly. Also, the energy consumption in the production phase of PV systems significantly worsens the ecological balance. This article presents an analysis of the impact of the materials and technologies used on the result of the environmental analysis of PV installations. In the article a detailed energybalance analysis of the EPBT value has been carried out. The values of greenhouse gas emissions throughout the life cycle of the solar module were determined. Methods of limiting the impact of photovoltaic technologies on thenatural environment were indicated.

  • Environmental exposure to cadmium in breast cancer – association with the Warburg effect and sensitivity to tamoxifen
    • Kateryna Tarhonska
    • Beata Janasik
    • Joanna Roszak
    • Kornelia Kowalczyk
    • Monika Lesicka
    • Edyta Reszka
    • Edyta Wieczorek
    • Marcin Braun
    • Agnieszka Kolacinska-Wow
    • Jaroslaw Skokowski
    • Leszek Kalinowski
    • Ewa Jablonska
    2023 Pełny tekst BIOMEDICINE & PHARMACOTHERAPY

    The association between cadmium and breast cancer remains unexplained due to inconsistent epidemiological data and unknown underlying mechanisms. This study aimed to assess the relationship between environmental exposure to cadmium and the Warburg effect in breast cancer and, thus, its possible interference with breast cancer treatment. The observational study in two groups of breast cancer patients indicated a positive correlation between urinary cadmium concentration and tumor expression of HIF1A (a master regulator of the Warburg effect). Further explanatory research in MCF-7 cells showed no impact of cadmium exposure on molecular and biochemical markers of the Warburg effect. However, long-term exposure to a low and environmentally relevant concentration of cadmium led to the accumulation of the metal in MCF-7 cells and decreased their sensitivity to tamoxifen. To conclude, the association between cadmium and the Warburg effect was suggested in the observational study, although not confirmed in vitro. Nevertheless, cadmium seems to interfere with tamoxifen treatment which deserves further investigation in terms of its possible implication in intrinsic resistance to hormone therapy.

  • Environmentally acceptable lubricants (EAL) compared with a reference mineral oil as marine stern tube bearing lubricant – Experimental and theoretical investigations
    • Jacek Frost
    • Marcin Frycz
    • Jerzy Kowalski
    • Michał Wodtke
    • Wojciech Litwin
    2023 TRIBOLOGY INTERNATIONAL

    The purpose of this research is to indicate the potential differences in bearing characteristics resulting from the application of different lubricant types with the same viscosity grade. The effect of different environmentally acceptable lubricants (EALs) on hydrodynamic journal bearing properties is studied experimentally and compared to the properties obtained after lubrication with a reference mineral oil. The results of the studies proved that a bearing lubricated with EALs had practically the same properties as one lubricated with mineral oil. The calculations for the tested bearing system showed that the variations of selected lubricant parameters, such as specific heat or thermal conductivity, do not significantly affect the properties of the bearing, i.e. the minimum film thickness or power losses.

  • Enzyme-conjugated MXene nanocomposites for biosensing and biocatalysis acuities
    • Muhammad Bilal
    • Anil Kumar Singh
    • Hafiz M.N. Iqbal
    • Grzegorz Boczkaj
    2023 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL

    Engineered two-dimensional (2-D) MXenes-based materials with tunable characteristics and multi-functionalities have brought up new paradigms in the biosensing and catalysis of chemical compounds. The profusion of electroactive functional moieties on the surface of few/multi-layer MXenes facilitates their ability to retain biomolecules such as enzymes resulting in unique dimensions for bioanalytical and biosensing applications. As a result, the biosensing phenomenon of enzyme-linked MXenes incorporates both counterparts' electro-catalytic potential behavior and characteristics. Enzyme-linked MXenes are equipped with several noteworthy and essential features, including a large and functional surface area, tunable surface chemistry, a high capacity for anchoring biomolecules, metallic conductivity, hydrophilicity, ion transport potential, accessible diffusion barrier, excellent fluorescent and optical properties rendered MXene as appealing candidate nanocomposites to deploy and detect a variety of organic and inorganic molecules of emerging concerns. The application of enzyme-linked nanocomposites based on MXenes in biosensing platforms is expected to effectively address the unresolved challenges encountered by conventional analytical and sensing techniques in various practical settings. Considering the above-mentioned critiques and potentialities, we reviewed enzyme-linked MXenes as a fascinating interface to design, develop and deploy a new generation of monitoring systems to aid bioanalytical applications. More precisely, various challenges and obstacles connected to the synthesis processes, surface functionalization, influencing properties (such as mechanical, electrical, magnetic, and optical), and enzyme immobilization chemistry of MXenes have been highlighted with relevant examples, emphasizing their significant role in bioanalytical sensing applications. In the end, concluding remarks and future expectations have been outlined to document modern expansions in this area.

  • Epitope Mapping of BmpA and BBK32 Borrelia burgdorferi Sensu Stricto Antigens for the Design of Chimeric Proteins with Potential Diagnostic Value
    • Weronika Grąźlewska
    • Lucyna Holec-Gąsior
    • Karolina Sołowińska
    • Tomasz Chmielewski
    • Beata Fiecek
    • Marinela Contreras Rojo
    2023 Pełny tekst ACS Infectious Diseases

    Lyme disease is a tick-borne zoonosis caused by Gramnegative bacteria belonging to the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) group. In this study, IgM- and IgG-specific linear epitopes of two B. burgdorferi sensu stricto (s.s.) antigens BmpA and BBK32 were mapped using a polypeptide array. Subsequently, two chimeric proteins BmpABBK32-M and BmpA-BBK32-G were designed to validate the construction of chimeras using the identified epitopes for the detection of IgM and IgG, respectively, by ELISA. IgG-ELISA based on the BmpABBK32-G antigen showed 71% sensitivity and 95% specificity, whereas a slightly lower diagnostic utility was obtained for IgM-ELISA based on BmpA-BBK32-M, where the sensitivity was also 71% but the specificity decreased to 89%. The reactivity of chimeric proteins with nondedicated antibodies was much lower. These results suggest that the identified epitopes may be useful in the design of new forms of antigens to increase the effectiveness of Lyme disease serodiagnosis. It has also been proven that appropriate selection of epitopes enables the construction of chimeric proteins exhibiting reactivity with a specific antibody isotype.

  • Equivalence scales for continuous distributions of expenditure
    • Stanisław Maciej Kot
    2023 Pełny tekst EQUILIBRIUM Quarterly Journal of Economics and Economic Policy

    Research background: In the actual sizable populations of households, the standard microeconomic concept of equivalence scales is intractable since its necessary condition of equality of household welfare levels is unlikely to be fulfilled. Purpose of the article: This paper aims to develop a concept of an equivalence scale, which can be suitable for continuous distributions of expenditures in the population. Methods: Using household welfare intervals, we get the random equivalence scale (RES) as the ratio of expenditure distributions of the compared populations of households. Findings & value added: We derive the parametric distribution of RES for the lognormal distributions of expenditures. The truncated distribution of RES is applied to account for possible economies of scale in the household size. A society’s inequality aversion can be helpful when selecting a single equivalence scale. We estimate RES for Poland using microdata on expenditures and subjective assessments of household welfare intervals. The estimated equivalence scales turned out to be very flat and dependent on welfare.

  • ESG investing during the Covid-19 crisis. Evidence from Central European Stock Exchanges
    • Agnieszka Wałachowska
    2023

    As COVID-19 turned into a global pandemic, world markets gradually began to recover after initial dynamic declines. Restrictions, and their subsequent loosening, were, and are, not without significance for the financial markets. These particular circumstances provide a unique opportunity to contribute to the literature by focusing on the potential resilience of ESG (environmental, social and governance) investing in an era of crisis. This article analyses selected socially responsible investments from the Central Europe region during the two-year pandemic period. The purpose of this article is to evaluate the performance of the WIG-ESG, VÖNIX and CECE SRI indices by comparing their main risk and return characteristics with typical stock exchange benchmarks. A comparative analysis of the indices in a period of uncertainty that is a pandemic shows that Austrian ESG investments have an advantage in profitability and efficiency over the other indices of the region. The Polish WIG-ESG index, despite its growing popularity and positive returns, failed to conquer the market in the period under review.

  • Estimation of Screw Displacement Pile-Bearing Capacity Based on Drilling Resistances
    • Adam Krasiński
    2023 Pełny tekst Studia Geotechnica et Mechanica

    This article presents an engineering, empiricalmethod of estimating the bearing capacity and settlementcharacteristics Q-s of screw displacement piles andcolumns, based on soil resistance encountered during thedrilling to form piles/columns in the ground. The methodwas developed on the basis of correlation analyses of thetest results of 24 piles made during the “DPDT-Auger”research project (Krasiński et al., 2022a). In the proposedmethod, the load capacity of a screw displacement pile isestimated using two main parameters of auger screwingresistance: torque MT and the number of auger rotationsper depth unit nR. The method applies to piles andcolumns made with a standard screw displacement pile(SDP) auger and with the proprietary, prototype DPDT(displacement pile drilling tool) aguer, patented in Poland(2020). Based on the estimated ultimate capacities of thepile shaft and base, an approximate method of predictingthe pile settlement characteristics Q-s was also proposed,using the transfer function method. This article describesa correlation procedure of field test results togetherwith their statistical analysis and presents a method ofestimating the pile-bearing capacity based on correlationresults. A calculation example is also provided. Theconclusion looks at the useful practical applications thatcould be found for the proposed method.

  • Estimation of smokers' exposure to mercury from combustible tobacco products, based on the approach used in food consumers’ exposure estimation
    • Paweł Hać
    • Małgorzata Rutkowska
    • Bartłomiej Cieślik
    • Piotr Konieczka
    2023 FOOD AND CHEMICAL TOXICOLOGY

    Smoking has been known to mankind for centuries, but it is only in recent decades that much attention has been paid to the harmfulness of this habit. Mercury inhalation is particularly dangerous in this respect and smoking creates extremely favorable conditions for the emission and targeted delivery of this element into the lungs. Despite this fact, a lack of a clear method for estimating the exposure of tobacco consumers to mercury was identified. This work shows justification to transfer the approach of estimating food product consumers' exposure to estimate the exposure of combustible tobacco product consumers to this element. In addition, it was noted that researchers' attention is mainly focused on cigarettes, while the tobacco market has a wide range of combustible products. Therefore, in this work, the mercury content of cigars (8.45 ± 0.18–41.02 ± 0.20 μg/kg), pipe tobaccos (8.03 ± 0.52–25.48 ± 0.50 μg/kg), bidis (14.93 ± 0.47–31.79 ± 0.26 μg/kg) and cigarette tobaccos (14.22 ± 0.71–34.5 ± 1.4 μg/kg) was analyzed. This study demonstrates that smoking can contribute significant total mercury exposure to consumers', although it is unlikely to cause mercury poisoning regardless of other exposure sources.