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Repozytorium publikacji
Politechniki Gdańskiej

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  • Badanie wpływu parametrów gruntu na obciążalność prądową długotrwałą kabli elektroenergetycznych
    • Filip Ratkowski
    2023 Pełny tekst

    Jednym z najważniejszych czynników wpływających na obciążalność prądową długotrwałą linii kablowych, poza przekrojem żyły roboczej, są parametry gruntu, w którym kable zostały ułożone. W celu poprawy odprowadzania ciepła z kabli, ziemię rodzimą zastępuje się najczęściej betonitem, czyli mieszaniną piaskowo-cementową, która ma mniejszą rezystywność cieplną w warunkach mniejszej wilgotności masowej od większości gruntów. W niniejszej rozprawie doktorskiej przedstawiono analizy numeryczne oraz badania eksperymentalne mające na celu sprawdzenie możliwości zwiększenia obciążalności prądowej długotrwałej linii kablowych. Omówiono zjawisko migracji wilgoci w pobliżu kabli, parametry wypełnień kontrolowanych, w tym betonitu oraz aspekty związane z wymianą ciepła w rurowych przepustach kablowych. Część analityczna rozprawy skupiona jest na wykazaniu stosowalności niekonwencjonalnych technik zwiększenia obciążalności linii kablowych, do których należą: zwiększenie średnicy przepustów rurowych wykorzystywanych przy układaniu kabli technologią bezwykopową oraz ponadnormatywny przekrój wypełnienia kontrolowanego (betonitu). Dla tej ostatniej przedstawiono przykładową analizę kosztową. W części eksperymentalnej przedstawiono charakterystykę rezystywności cieplnej betonitu w zależności od temperatury i wilgotności, wykazując poprawę odprowadzania ciepła z linii kablowych przy określonych poziomach wilgotności. Przedstawiono również wyniki trwającego 234 dni eksperymentu, polegającego na zbadaniu rozkładu przestrzennego wilgotności i temperatury wokół eksperymentalnego modelu linii kablowej. Porównano wyniki ułożenia linii kablowej w betonicie oraz przy wykorzystaniu nowej propozycji wypełnienia kontrolowanego, które miało na celu utrzymanie stałej wilgotności tego wypełnienia wokół linii kablowej. Zaproponowane w rozprawie metody zwiększenia obciążalności prądowej długotrwałej linii kablowej mogą być wykorzystane w praktyce.

  • Balanced Spider Monkey Optimization with Bi-LSTM for Sustainable Air Quality Prediction
    • Chelladurai Aarthi
    • Varatharaj Jeya Ramya
    • Przemysław Falkowski-Gilski
    • Parameshachari Bidare Divakarachari
    2023 Pełny tekst Sustainability

    A reliable air quality prediction model is required for pollution control, human health monitoring, and sustainability. The existing air quality prediction models lack efficiency due to overfitting in prediction model and local optima trap in feature selection. This study proposes the Balanced Spider Monkey Optimization (BSMO) technique for effective feature selection to overcome the local optima trap and overfitting problems. The air quality prediction data were collected from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) from four cities in India: Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Cochin. Normalization is performed using Min-Max Normalization and fills the missing values in the dataset. A Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) is applied to provide deep representation of the input dataset. The BSMO technique selects the relevant features based on the balancing factor and provides the relevant features for the Bi-directional Long Short-Term Memory (Bi-LSTM) model. The Bi-LSTM model provides the time series prediction of air quality for four cities. The BSMO model obtained higher feature selection performance compared to existing techniques in air quality prediction. The BSMO-BILSTM model obtained 0.318 MSE, 0.564 RMSE, and 0.224 MAE, whereas Attention LSTM reached 0.699 MSE, 0.836 RMSE, and 0.892 MAE. Our solution may be of particular interest to various governmental and non-governmental institutions focused on maintaining high Quality of Life (QoL) on the local or state level.

  • Ball milling treatment of Mn3O4 regulates electron transfer pathway for peroxymonosulfate activation
    • Huan Liu
    • Xiaohui Dai
    • Lingshuai Kong
    • Chengji Sui
    • Zixuan Nie
    • Yang Liu
    • Bin Cai
    • Shou-Qing Ni
    • Grzegorz Boczkaj
    • Jinhua Zhan
    2023 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL

    Heterogeneous metal catalysts have attracted considerable interest in advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) for wastewater treatment by activating peroxymonosulfate (PMS). However, it remains challenging to the rational design of efficient reaction pathway for high-performance contaminants removal by regulating the inherent structure of metal oxides. Herein, a high-energy ball milling method was employed to modulate the electronic structure of hausmannite (denoted as BM Mn3O4), which achieved the switching of singlet oxygen into electron transfer process (ETP)-dominated activation of PMS for efficient removal of bisphenol A - an emerging organic pollutant. The reaction pathway was evidenced through galvanic oxidation process, electrochemical techniques, and in-situ Raman spectroscopy, confirming the electrons transferred from pollutants to metastable PMS* complex with BM Mn3O4 serving as electron shuttle. The ETP mechanism was verified to be closely correlated with decreased eg occupancy of Mn in BM Mn3O4, offering high spatial overlapping with O 2p orbital in PMS for generating PMS* complex. Benefitting from the fine-tuned ETP, BM Mn3O4/PMS system showed enhanced intrinsic activity, higher PMS utilization efficiency, and practical applicability for selective oxidation of electron-rich pollutants. This study provided new insights into rational design of reaction-oriented catalysts for environmental engineering.

  • Band engineering of BiOBr based materials for photocatalytic wastewater treatment via advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) – A review
    • Zohaib Saddique
    • Muhammad Imran
    • Ayesha Javaid
    • Shoomaila Latif
    • Nazim Hussain
    • Przemysław Kowal
    • Grzegorz Boczkaj
    2023 Pełny tekst Water Resources and Industry

    Semiconductor based photocatalysts have been an efficient technology for water and wastewater remediation, addressing the concepts of green chemistry and sustainable development. Owing to narrow and suitable band structure, BiOBr is a promising candidate for efficient wastewater treatment via photocatalysis. Enhancement of photocatalytic properties can be obtained by various techniques like doping, element rich strategy, facet engineering, and defect control. This review primarily focuses on the band engineering of single BiOBr, its binary, ternary composites and their applications in degradation of hazardous pollutants in wastewater. Moreover, current challenges and future perspectives were discussed along with concluding comments.

  • Band Gap Engineering toward Semimetallic Character of Quinone-Rich Polydopamine
    • Adrian Olejnik
    • Karol Olbryś
    • Jakub Karczewski
    • Jacek Ryl
    • Robert Bogdanowicz
    • Katarzyna Siuzdak
    2023 Pełny tekst Journal of Physical Chemistry C

    Semiconductor|melanin interfaces have received increasingly more attention in the fields of photocatalysis and applied electrochemistry because of their facile synthesis, unique electrical properties, and strong capability toward photosensitization. In this work, we describe the electropolymerization of quinone-rich polydopamine (PDA) on the surface of hydrogenated TiO2 nanotubes with enhanced photoactivity in the visible spectrum. PDA is deposited uniformly on the nanotube walls, and the chemical structures of the resulting PDA layer strongly depend on the pH of the supporting electrolyte. The film thickness varies in the range of 2–8 nm depending on the number of electropolymerization cycles. Optical and electrochemical experiments coupled with density functional theory simulations revealed strong evidence of a semimetallic character of the junction with a broad distribution of midgap surface states induced by PDA. As a result of the nanotube modification, a 20-fold increase in the photocurrent response is observed. Quantum efficiency measurements show that the enhancement occurs mainly at wavelengths between 500 and 550 nm. Additionally, nonlinear electrochemical impedance spectroscopy experiments strongly suggest that, in the TiO2|PDA junction, PDA behaves as a set of redox mediators distributed at the surface rather than as a semiconducting polymer. This concept might be crucial for understanding the electronic properties of semiconductor|melanin junctions.

  • Bandwidth Dependence of the Propagation Channel in Circular Metallic BAN Environments
    • Manuel M. Ferreira
    • Filipe D. Cardoso
    • Sławomir Ambroziak
    • Luis M. Correia
    2023 Pełny tekst IEEE Access

    In this paper, the bandwidth dependence of the propagation channel for Body Area Networks (BANs) in circular metallic environments is addressed and models are proposed to evaluate the appropriate short-term fading margins that should be considered as a function of the system bandwidth. The deployment of BANs in metallic indoor environments, such as ships, factories, warehouses and other similar environments, involves additional challenges compared to other indoor environments due to the specific propagation effects in this type of environments (i.e., with strong reflections). No studies of this kind and for this type of environment can be found in literature, giving the motivation for this work. Bandwidth dependent values of delay spread are also presented and discussed. It is observed that for a system bandwidth up to 100 MHz the fading depth is composed of three main stages, with the transitions between these stages being associated with the system ability to discriminate arriving rays at the receiver. Average values of fading depth are 16.4, 13.2 and 11.0 dB for stages 1, 2 and 3, respectively, the difference between consecutive stages ranging between 2.2 to 3.2 dB. For a system bandwidth larger than 100 MHz, the fading depth decreases with an increasing system bandwidth, with an average decay rate close to 3 dB per 100 MHz bandwidth, being about 2 dB for system bandwidths above 400 MHz.

  • Bandwidth-Controllable Third-Order Band Pass Filter Using Substrate Integrated Full- and Semi-Circular Cavities
    • Nrusingha Pradhan
    • Adam Kozieł
    • Rusan Kumar Barik
    • Anna Pietrenko-Dąbrowska
    2023 Pełny tekst SENSORS

    The article presents a novel circular substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) bandpass filter (BPF) with controllable bandwidth. The proposed BPF is configured using two microstrip feedlines, semi- circular SIW cavities, capacitive slots, and inductive vias. The circular cavity is bisected into two halves, with the two copies thereof being cascaded. Two bisected and cascaded structures obtained this way are subsequently connected back-to-back. Finally, by introducing two inductive vias to the circular center cavity, a transmission zero is generated. In order to examine the design concept, a coupling matrix is generated. To demonstrate the theory a third-order BPF is realized, fabricated, and experimentally validated. The BPF prototype features a wide passband of 8.7 %, a low insertion loss of 1.1 dB, and a stopband of 1.5 f0 with a rejection level better than 20 dB.

  • Battery Technologies in Electric Vehicles: Improvements in Electric Battery Packs
    • Parham Mohseni
    • Oleksandr Husev
    • Dmitri Vinnikov
    • Ryszard Strzelecki
    • Enrique Romero-Cadaval
    • Igor Tokarski
    2023 IEEE Industrial Electronics Magazine

    Restrictions on fossil fuels and related environmental pollution issues motivate many organizations and countries to set their focus on electric vehicles (EVs) rather than conventional internal combustion engine vehicles [1], [2]. EVs require an energy storage system to store converted electric power in another form of energy and then reconvert the stored energy to electric power whenever it is required. The energy stored can be converted to electric energy for various uses, such as movement, lighting, and heating (although accessories are supplied by a 12-V auxiliary battery; the auxiliary battery is supplied by the main battery pack or by recuperative energy). Fortunately, many electrical energy storage technologies are available, with some offered commercially while others are in the research and development stage [3], [4]. Electrochemical energy storage systems use various technologies. Energy storage systems, the heart of EVs, are composed of battery cells, battery modules, and a battery pack. Researchers work on various sections of battery packs to improve their performance [7]. These sections are illustrated in Figure 1. As shown in the figure, some EV battery technology developers are studying chemical materials to increase the capacity, power, energy density, safety, and cell voltage. In the past century, the most common batteries for EV applications were Pb–acid and Ni-based batteries [8]. In current use, Li-ion-based batteries are at the top.

  • BAZYLIKA pw. ŚW. MIKOŁAJA W GDAŃSKU. PRZYKŁAD MONITORINGU I DIAGNOSTYKI ZABYTKOWYCH OBIEKTÓW KUBATUROWYCH
    • Maciej Niedostatkiewicz
    • Tomasz Majewski
    2023

    W artykule opisano przypadek monitorowania stanu technicznego zabytkowego budynku sakralnego po wystąpieniu awarii oraz w trakcie prowadzenia prac remontowych. W celu monitorowania stanu budynku, bezpiecznego prowadzenia prac diagnostycznych, rozpoznania przyczyn awarii oraz bezpiecznego prowadzenia prac remontowych opracowano szczegółowy Program monitorowania obiektu, który został wdrożony do realizacji, funkcjonuje i stanowi źródło cennych danych wykorzystywanych do oceny aktualnego stanu obiektu.

  • Bending analysis of functionally graded nanoplates based on a higher-order shear deformation theory using dynamic relaxation method
    • M. E. Golmakani
    • Mohammad Malikan
    • S. Golshani Pour
    • Victor Eremeev
    2023 Pełny tekst CONTINUUM MECHANICS AND THERMODYNAMICS

    In this paper, bending analysis of rectangular functionally graded (FG) nanoplates under a uniform transverse load has been considered based on the modified couple stress theory. Using Hamilton’s principle, governing equations are derived based on a higher-order shear deformation theory (HSDT). The set of coupled equations are solved using the dynamic relaxation (DR) method combined with finite difference (FD) discretization technique for clamped and simply-supported boundary conditions. Finally, the effects of aspect ratio, thickness-to-length ratio, transverse load, boundary conditions, and length scale parameter are studied in detail. The results showed that by rising the length scale-to-thickness ratio, the influence of the grading index on the deflection decreased.

  • Bending Moment Control and Weight Optimization in Space Structures by Adding Extra Members in the Optimal Locations
    • Ahmed Manguri
    • Najmadeen Saeed
    • Marcin Szczepański
    • Robert Jankowski
    2023 Pełny tekst Advances in Science and Technology Research Journal

    This paper investigates the reduction of bending moment in critical members by adding some extra members in the optimum location. Instead of enlarging the size of members to resist the moment, eight additional members are added in the optimum location to reduce the bending moment in the critical members. The total weight of the proposed structure with extra members is less than that of the original structure that resists the induced bending moment. Moreover, the location of the additional bars significantly reduces the nodal displacements. This paper investigates the effect of placing extra members on vertically and/or horizontally loaded egg-shaped single-layer frames. An egg-shaped structure is designed based on the maximum induced moment; in such frames, the bending moment is the dominant internal force. Then some extra members are suggested to be added to the structure to reduce the maximum bending moment to the lowest possible value; thus, the designed cross-sectional area is minimized. Furthermore, the optimized structure’s total weight and shape deformation is less than the ordinary structure’s. The study results show that the extra bars’ location depends on the loadings’ direction. Moreover, the weight of the horizontally loaded egg-shaped structure can be optimized by up to 28%. The results were verified by MATLAB and SAP2000 software

  • Benzophosphol-3-yl Triflates as Precursors of 1,3-Diarylbenzophosphole Oxides
    • Agnieszka Brzyska
    • Sebastian Majewski
    • Łukasz Ponikiewski
    • Monika Zubik-duda
    • Agnieszka Lipke
    • Agnieszka Gładysz-płaska
    • Sylwia Sowa
    2023 Pełny tekst JOURNAL OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY

    Asimplemethodforthesynthesisof3-arylbenzophospholeoxidesunderSuzuki−Miyauracouplingconditionshasbeenpresented.Itemploysbenzophosphol-3-yltriflatestartingmaterialswhich,priortoourwork,hadnotbeenusedforthesynthesisof3-arylbenzophospholeoxides.Thereactionsproceedover24handprovidealibraryof3-arylbenzophospholeoxides.Thesyntheticaccesstothebenzophosphol-3-yltriflateshasbeenimproved.Thepreliminaryphotophysicalpropertiesofsome3-arylbenzophospholeoxideshavebeeninvestigatedbyabsorptionandemissionmeasurements.Thetheoreticalcalculationswereperformedtoestablishstructure−propertyrelationships.

  • Between therapy effect and false-positive result in animal experimentation
    • Paweł Sosnowski
    • Piotr Sass
    • Anna Stanisławska-Sachadyn
    • Michał Krzemiński
    • Paweł Sachadyn
    2023 Pełny tekst BIOMEDICINE & PHARMACOTHERAPY

    Despite the animal models’ complexity, researchers tend to reduce the number of animals in experiments for expenses and ethical concerns. This tendency makes the risk of false-positive results, as statistical significance, the primary criterion to validate findings, often fails if testing small samples. This study aims to highlight such risks using an example from experimental regenerative therapy and propose a machine-learning solution to validate treatment effects. The example analysed was the pharmacological treatment of ear pinna punch wound healing in mice. Wound closure data analysed included eight groups treated with an epigenetic inhibitor, zebularine, and eight control groups receiving vehicle alone, of six mice each. We confirmed the zebularine healing effect for all 64 pairwise comparisons between treatment and control groups but also determined minor yet statistically significant differences between control groups in five of 28 possible comparisons. The occurrences of significant differences between the control groups, regardless of standardised experimental conditions, indicate a risk of statistically significant effects in the case a compound lacking the desired biological activity is tested. Since the criterion of statistical significance itself can be confusing, we demonstrate a machine-learning algorithm trained on datasets representing treatment and control experiments as a helpful tool for validating treatment outcomes. We tested two machine-learning approaches, Naïve Bayes and Support Vector Machine classifiers. In contrast to the Mann-Whitney U-test, indicating enhanced healing effects for some control groups receiving saline alone, both machine-learning algorithms faultlessly assigned all animal groups receiving saline to the controls.

  • Beyond Antioxidant Activity: Redox Properties of Catechins May Affect Changes in the DNA Methylation Profile—The Example of SRXN1 Gene
    • Patrycja Jakubek
    • Rajic Jovana
    • Monika Baranowska
    • Klaudia Suliborska
    • Mateusz Heldt
    • Karol Dziedziul
    • Melita Vidaković
    • Jacek Namieśnik
    • Agnieszka Bartoszek-Pączkowska
    2023 Pełny tekst Antioxidants

    The role of catechins in the epigenetic regulation of gene expression has been widely studied; however, if and how this phenomenon relates to the redox properties of these polyphenols remains unknown. Our earlier study demonstrated that exposure of the human colon adenocarcinoma HT29 cell line to these antioxidants affects the expression of redox-related genes. In particular, treatment with (−)-epigallocatechin (EGC) downregulated transcription of gene encoding sulfiredoxin-1 (SRXN1), the peroxidase involved in the protection of cells against hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the observed SRXN1 downregulation was accompanied by changes in the DNA methylation level of its promoter and, if so, whether it was correlated with the redox properties of catechins. The impact on DNA methylation profile in HT29 cells treated with different concentrations of five catechins, varying in chemical structures and standard reduction potentials as well as susceptibility to oxidation, was monitored by a methylation-sensitive high-resolution melting technique employing the SRXN1 promoter region as a model target. We demonstrated that catechins, indeed, are able to modulate DNA methylation of the SRXN1 gene in a redox-related manner. The nonlinear method in the statistical analysis made it possible to fish out two parameters (charge transfer in oxidation process Qox and time of electron transfer t), whose strong interactions correlated with observed modulation of DNA methylation by catechins. Based on these findings, we present a proof-of-concept that DNA methylation, which limits SRXN1 expression and thus restricts the multidirectional antioxidant action of SRXN1, may represent a mechanism protecting cells against reductive stress caused by particularly fast-reacting reductants such as EGC and (−)-epicatechin gallate (ECG) in our study.

  • BEZPIECZEŃSTWO PRACY SYSTEMU ELEKTROENERGETYCZNEGO - WSTĘP
    • Paweł Bućko
    2023

    Wstęp omawia pięć kolejnych rozdziałów, o różnym poziomie szczegółowości, odnoszących się głównie do problemów bezpieczeństwa pracy i poprawy niezawodności pracy systemów elektroenergetycznych. Odniesiono się do aktualnych problemów w systemach energetycznych oraz podkreślono aspekt praktyczny rozważanych zagadnień.

  • Bi-based halide perovskites: Stability and opportunities in the photocatalytic approach for hydrogen evolution
    • Magdalena Miodyńska
    • Tomasz Klimczuk
    • Wojciech Lisowski
    • Adriana Zaleska-Medynska
    2023 Pełny tekst CATALYSIS COMMUNICATIONS

    In this study, we successfully prepared Bi-based single perovskites of the A3Bi2I9 type (A = Cs, Rb, MA, FA), and, for the first time, attempted to experimentally obtain double perovskites Cs2B’BiI6 type (B′ = Ag, Au, In, Cu). Despite the premises available in theoretical studies, our research has proven the impossibility of the existence of double perovskites of this type. Nevertheless, both types of obtained materials were subjected to detailed analysis of their physicochemical features and photocatalytic abilities in the hydrogen evolution reaction. This study proved the stability of the Cs3Bi2I9 in HI electrolyte compared to the methanolic solution, with this phenomenon resulting in almost 36 times higher photoactivity.

  • Bibliometric analysis and literature review of ultrasound-assisted degradation of organic pollutants
    • Luyao Wang
    • Dan Luo
    • Oualid Hamdaoui
    • Yasser Vasseghian
    • Malwina Momotko
    • Grzegorz Boczkaj
    • George Z. Kyzas
    • Chongqing Wang
    2023 SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT

    Ultrasound as a clean, efficient, and cheap technique gains special attention in wastewater treatment. Ultrasound alone or coupled with hybrid processes have been widely studied for the treatment of pollutants in wastewater. Thus, it is essential to conduct a review about the research development and trends on this emerging technique. This work presents a bibliometric analysis of the topic associated with multiple tools such as Bibliometrix package, CiteSpace, and VOSviewer. The literature sources from 2000 to 2021 were collected from Web of Science database, and the data of 1781 documents were selected for bibliometric analysis in respect to publication trends, subject categories, journals, authors, institutions, as well as countries. Detailed analysis of keywords in respect to co-occurrence network, keyword clusters, and citation bursts was conducted to reveal the research hotspot and future directions. The development of the topic can be divided into three stages, and the rapid development begins from 2014. The leading subject category is Chemistry Multidisciplinary, followed by Environmental Sciences, Engineering Chemical, Engineering Environmental, Chemistry Physical, and Acoustics, and there exists difference in the publications of different categories. Ultrasonics Sonochemistry is the most productive journal (14.75 %). China is the leading country (30.26 %), followed by Iran (15.67 %) and India (12.35 %). The top 3 authors are Parag Gogate, Oualid Hamdaoui, and Masoud Salavati-Niasari. There exists close cooperation between countries and researchers. Analysis of highly cited papers and keywords gives a better understanding of the topic. Ultrasound can be employed to assist various processes such as Fenton-like process, electrochemical process, and photocatalysis for degradation of emerging organic pollutants for wastewater treatment. Research topics in this field evolve from typical studies on ultrasonic assisted degradation to latest studies on hybrid processes including photocatalysis for pollutants degradation. Additionally, ultrasound-assisted synthesis of nanocomposite photocatalysts receives increasing attention. The potential research directions include sonochemistry in pollutant removal, hydrodynamic cavitation, ultrasound-assisted Fenton or persulfate processes, electrochemical oxidation, and photocatalytic process.

  • Bilansowanie lokalne w systemie elektroenergetycznym
    • Paweł Bućko
    2023 Rynek Energii

    Wprowadzenie rozliczeń rynkowych w handlu energią elektryczną wymusiło nowe podejście do krótkookresowego bilansowania energii w systemie elektroenergetycznym. Dla sprawnego funkcjonowania handlu energią, konieczne było wprowadzenie Rynku Bilansującego, łączącego realizację zadań technicznych i handlowych. Obecnie bilansowanie systemu rozwiązywane jest ogólnosystemowo. Decentralizacja procesu wytwarzania energii, rozwój niespokojnych źródeł odnawialnych, zwiększona rola prosumentów i stopniowa zmiana funkcji systemowej tzw. sieci dystrybucyjnych, powodują konieczność nowego podejścia do bilansowania systemu. Idą za tym nie tylko wyzwania techniczne, ale także organizacyjne i handlowe.

  • Billiard in a rotating half-plane
    • Sergey Kryzhevich
    • Alexander Plakhov
    2023 Pełny tekst JOURNAL OF DYNAMICAL AND CONTROL SYSTEMS

    The main objective of this research is to study the properties of a billiard system in an unbounded domain with moving boundary. We consider a system consisting of an infinite rod (a straight line) and a ball (a massless point) on the plane. The rod rotates uniformly around one of its points and experiences elastic collisions with the ball. We define a mathematical model for the dynamics of such a system and write down asymptotic formulae for its motions. In particular, we determine existence and uniqueness of solutions. We find all possible grazing impacts of the ball. Besides, we demonstrate that for almost every initial condition, the ball goes to infinity exponentially fast, with the time intervals between neighboring collisions tending to zero. The approach developed in this paper is an original combination of methods of Billiards and Vibro-Impact Dynamics. It could be a base for studying more complicated systems of similar types.

  • Bimetallic Bi/Cu0-catalyzed persulfate-based advanced oxidation processes towards clofibric acid degradation in wastewater
    • Jibran Iqbal
    • Noor S. Shah
    • Javed Ali
    • Mohamed A. Habila
    • Grzegorz Boczkaj
    • Asam Shad
    • Yousef Nazzal
    • Ahmed A. Al-Taani
    • Fares Howari
    2023 Pełny tekst Water Resources and Industry

    Clofibric acid (CFA), an important blood-lipid regulatory drug is an emerging organic pollutant and widely reported in water resources. A novel bimetallic, bismuth/zero valent cupper (Bi/Cu0) catalyst was prepared which showed better physiological, structural, and catalytic properties than Cu0. The Bi/Cu0 effectively catalyzed persulfate (S2O82−) and caused 85% degradation of CFA. The Bi coupling improved reusability and stability of Cu0. The use of alcoholic and anionic radical scavengers and analyzing change in [S2O82−]0 proved that Bi/Cu0/S2O82− yield hydroxyl radicals (●OH) and sulfate radicals (SO4●–). The ●OH and SO4●– showed faster reaction with CFA, i.e., 4.65 109 and 3.82 109 M−1 s−1 and degraded CFA into four degradation products. Under optimal conditions of [Bi/Cu0]0 = 1.0 g/L and [S2O82−]0 = 40 mg/L, 99.5% degradation of the 10 mg/L of CFA was achieved at 65 min. Temperature showed promising effects on the removal of CFA by Bi/Cu0/S2O82− and caused 98% removal at 323 K than 75% at 298 K at 32 min. The temperature effects were used to calculate activation energy, enthalpy, and rate constant of CFA degradation. The Bi/Cu0/S2O82− showed effective removal of CFA in real water samples also. The ecotoxicity study confirmed non-toxic product formation which suggests high capability of the proposed technology in the treatment of CFA.

  • Bimodal Emotion Recognition Based on Vocal and Facial Features
    • Mateusz Woźniak
    • Michał Sakowicz
    • Kacper Ledwosiński
    • Jakub Rzepkowski
    • Paweł Czapla
    • Szymon Zaporowski
    2023 Pełny tekst

    Emotion recognition is a crucial aspect of human communication, with applications in fields such as psychology, education, and healthcare. Identifying emotions accurately is challenging, as people use a variety of signals to express and perceive emotions. In this study, we address the problem of multimodal emotion recognition using both audio and video signals, to develop a robust and reliable system that can recognize emotions even when one modality is absent. To achieve this goal, we propose a novel architecture based on well-designed feature extractors for each modality and use model-level fusion based on a TFusion block to combine the information from both sources. To be more efficient in real-world scenarios, we trained our model on a compound dataset consisting of RAVDESS, RML, and eNTERFACE'05. It is then evaluated and compared to the state-of-the-art models. We find that our approach performs close to the modern solutions and can recognize emotions accurately when one of the modalities is missing. Additionally, we have developed a real-time emotion recognition application as a part of this work.

  • Bioactive Ingredients with Health-Promoting Properties of Strawberry Fruit (Fragaria x ananassa Duchesne)
    • Joanna Newereli-Guz
    • Maria Śmiechowska
    • Alicja Drzewiecka
    • Robert Tylingo
    2023 Pełny tekst MOLECULES

    Strawberries (Fragaria x ananassa Duchesne) belong to the berry group and are characterized primarily by delightful sensory properties. Due to their chemical composition, these fruits are a rich source of bioactive compounds that can modify the metabolic and physiological functions of the body. The aim of this work is to present the current state of research on bioactive ingredients found in these fruits in the context of their health-promoting properties. The paper presents compiled and reviewed data on the content of polyphenolic compounds, organic acids, and vitamins, especially vitamin C, in strawberries. The content of these compounds is influenced by many different factors that are discussed in the paper. It also draws attention to the presence of oxalates and allergenic compounds, which are classified as anti-nutritional compounds of strawberries.

  • Biochemical assays of intensified methane content in biogas from low-temperature processing of waste activated sludge
    • Archana Kasinath
    • Hubert Byliński
    • Wojciech Artichowicz
    • Anna Remiszewska-Skwarek
    • Małgorzata Szopińska
    • Ewa Zaborowska
    • Aneta Łuczkiewicz
    • Sylwia Fudala-Książek
    2023 ENERGY

    Anaerobic digestion (AD) is implemented as an important ‘waste to energy’ approach for converting organic-rich byproducts such as sewage sludge into biogas and nutrient-rich digestate. Sewage sludge consists of primary sludge and waste activated sludge (WAS), and low biodegradability of WAS limits methane production. This study presents the influence of the low-temperature pretreatment (LT-PT) of WAS on the efficiency of AD. Different conditions of LT-PT process were tested in terms of temperature (45 °C/50 °C/55 °C/60 °C) and exposure time (24h/48h). LT-PT caused the increase of biomethane potential, which was even 43% higher if compared with the untreated WAS; 90% of all methane production was reached between 6 and 12 day of the LT-PT process. The highest improvements were observed in samples pretreated at 55 °C and 60 °C for 48 h (198.8 ± 5.5 NmL CH4/g VS and 194.3 ± 4.2 NmL CH4/g VS, respectively). Changes in the microbial community during LT-PT of WAS showed an oxygen-driven decrease among the predominant phyla except for Firmicutes. Taxonomic diversity and numerous rare taxa with the potential for functional compensation were observed. It was also proved that AD of pretreated WAS, combined with the heat recovery, achieved a positive net energy balance (improved by over 40%) and better energy performance, than AD without LT-PT.

  • Biocompatibility and potential functionality of lanthanum-substituted cobalt ferrite spinels
    • Paweł Pęczkowski
    • Elżbieta Szostak
    • Ewa Pocheć
    • Jan Michalik
    • Jarosław Piętosa
    • Tarek Tahraoui
    • Maciej Łuszczek
    • Łukasz Gondek
    2023 JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS

    Bulk and nanostructurized lanthanum-cobalt spinels have attracted a lot of interest from researchers, due to their unique physical and chemical properties as well as functionalities, which are interesting for biomedical and electronic industries. In this manuscript we show that introducing small lanthanum (La3+) content can tune magnetic, electronic and cytotoxic properties of the CoFe2− xLaxO4 system (x ≤ 0.1). The mechanisms of the tuning are comprehensively studied by theoretical electronic structure calculations; spectroscopic methods (FTIR, Mo¨ssbauer, XAS); structural and microstructural research; magnetometry; and cytotoxic viabilities of normal and cancer cells. It was found that the mechanism originate mainly from the complex exchange interaction of the 3d states of cations with 2p states of oxygen caused by mixing of the metals over the tetragonal and octahedral positions. For synthesized CoFe2− xLaxO4 nanoparticles (NPs) in vitro studies of toxicity on the tested cell lines (human Hs27 fibroblasts, A375 melanoma, Nthy-ori 3-1 thyrocytes, and FTC-133 thyroid cancer cells) revealed that CoFe2− xLaxO4 NPs have high impact on cancer cells, while their toxicity towards normal cells is significantly lower. Along to soft magnetic properties this is a key factor for functionalization.

  • Biological processes modelling for MBR systems: A review of the state-of-the-art focusing on SMP and EPS
    • Giorgio Mannina
    • Bing-Jie Ni
    • Jacek Mąkinia
    • Jerome Hermand
    • Marion Alliet
    • Christoph Brepols
    • María Victoria Ruano
    • Angel Robles
    • Marc Heran
    • Hazal Gulhan
    • Ignasi Rodriguez-Roda
    • Joaquim Comas
    2023 WATER RESEARCH

    A mathematical correlation between biomass kinetic and membrane fouling can improve the understanding and spread of Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) technology, especially in solving the membrane fouling issues. On this behalf, this paper, produced by the International Water Association (IWA) Task Group on Membrane modelling and control, reviews the current state-of-the-art regarding the modelling of kinetic processes of biomass, focusing on modelling production and utilization of soluble microbial products (SMP) and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). The key findings of this work show that the new conceptual approaches focus on the role of different bacterial groups in the formation and degradation of SMP/EPS. Even though several studies have been published regarding SMP modelling, there still needs to be more information due to the highly complicated SMP nature to facilitate the accurate modelling of membrane fouling. The EPS group has seldom been addressed in the literature, probably due to the knowledge deficiency concerning the triggers for production and degradation pathways in MBR systems, which require further efforts. Finally, the successful model applications showed that proper estimation of SMP and EPS by modelling approaches could optimise membrane fouling, which can influence the MBR energy consumption, operating costs, and greenhouse gas emissions.

  • Biological properties of chitosan/Eudragit E 100 and chitosan/poly(4-vinylpyridine) coatings electrophoretically deposited on AgNPs-decorated titanium substrate
    • Łukasz Pawłowski
    • Muhammad Asim Akhtar
    • Andrzej Zieliński
    • Aldo R. Boccaccini
    2023 MATERIALS LETTERS

    The objective of the study was the determination of the response, in contact with human osteoblast-like MG-63 cells, of electrophoretically deposited coatings composed of chitosan (CS), Eudragit E 100 (EE100), or poly(4- vinylpyridine) (P4VP) on a silver nanoparticle (AgNPs)-decorated titanium substrate. Before deposition, the substrate was coated with silver by electro-reduction of silver nitrate. The coatings deposition was carried out in suspensions containing 0.1 % (w/w) of one of the biopolymers, EE100 or P4VP, with 0.1 % (w/w) of CS for 10 V and 1 min. Biopolymer coatings were successfully deposited while maintaining high uniformity. The deposited silver did not cause cytotoxicity. The biological study revealed that when compared to CS/P4VP, CS/EE100 coating performed better and showed a decrease in MG-63 cell viability only after three days of testing.

  • Biomasa jako źródło energii odnawialnej
    • Katarzyna Januszewicz
    2023

    Historia wykorzystania biomasy jako źródła energii jest znana od początku istnienia ludzkości i nieodzownie towarzyszy człowiekowi. Spalanie znane jest jako pierwsza metoda konwersji biomasy drzewnej w celu produkcji energii cieplnej, która stanowiła podstawę bytu. Obecnie, po latach eksploatacji, głównym celem gospodarki biomasą jest redukcja odpadów pochodzenia organicznego, zwłaszcza tych, które będą składowane, ale również pozyskiwania z nich energii. Z uwagi na to, że strumienie generowanych odpadów w różnych przemysłach (na przykład leśnym, rolnym) utrzymują się na stałym poziomie, mogą w sposób ciągły zasilać instalacje, które generują energię cieplną lub/i elektryczną. Instalacje i procesy konwersji powinny w przyszłości stanowić kluczowy element systemu zarządzania odpadami, jak również główny wkład do energetyki poszczególnych miast Polski i UE.

  • Biomechanical causes for failure of the Physiomesh/Securestrap system
    • Mateusz Zamkowski
    • Agnieszka Tomaszewska
    • Izabela Lubowiecka
    • Maciej Śmietański
    2023 Pełny tekst Scientific Reports

    This study investigates the mechanical behavior of the Physiomesh/Securestrap system, a hernia repair system used for IPOM procedures associated with high failure rates. The study involved conducting mechanical experiments and numerical simulations to investigate the mechanical behavior of the Physiomesh/Securestrap system under pressure load. Uniaxial tension tests were conducted to determine the elasticity modulus of the Physiomesh in various directions and the strength of the mesh-tissue-staple junction. Ex-vivo experiments on porcine abdominal wall models were performed to observe the system’s behavior under simulated intra-abdominal pressure load. Numerical simulations using finite element analysis were employed to support the experimental findings. The results reveal nonlinearity, anisotropy, and non-homogeneity in the mechanical properties of the Physiomesh, with stress concentration observed in the polydioxanone (PDO) stripe. The mesh-tissue junction exhibited inadequate fixation strength, leading to staple pull-out or breakage. The ex-vivo models demonstrated failure under higher pressure loads. Numerical simulations supported these findings, revealing the reaction forces exceeding the experimentally determined strength of the mesh-tissue-staple junction. The implications of this study extend beyond the specific case of the Physiomesh/Securestrap system, providing insights into the mechanics of implant-tissue systems. By considering biomechanical factors, researchers and clinicians can make informed decisions to develop improved implants that mimic the mechanics of a healthy abdominal wall. This knowledge can contribute to better surgical outcomes and reduce complications in abdominal hernia repair and to avoid similar failures in future.

  • Biomimetic torene shells
    • Maziyar Bazmara
    • Roger Sauer
    • Ashutosh Agrawal
    2023 Pełny tekst MATHEMATICS AND MECHANICS OF SOLIDS

    The genome inside the eukaryotic cells is guarded by a unique shell structure, called the nuclear envelope (NE), made of lipid membranes. This structure has an ultra torus topology with thousands of torus-shaped holes that imparts the structure a high flexural stiffness. Inspired from this biological design, here we present a novel ‘‘torene’’ architecture to design lightweight shell structures with ultra-stiffness for engineering applications. We perform finite element analyses on classic benchmark problems to investigate the mechanics of torene shells. This study reveals that the torene shells can achieve one order of magnitude or higher flexural stiffness than traditional shells with the same amount of material. This novel geometric strategy opens new avenues to exploit additive manufacturing to design lightweight shell structures for extreme mechanical environments.

  • Bio-mitigation of organic pollutants using horseradish peroxidase as a promising biocatalytic platform for environmental sustainability
    • Muhammad Bilal
    • Anil Kumar Singh
    • Hafiz M.N. Iqbal
    • Tak H. Kim
    • Grzegorz Boczkaj
    • Khawlah Athmaneh
    • Syed Salman Ashraf
    2023 ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH

    A wide array of environmental pollutants is often generated and released into the ecosystem from industrial and human activities. Antibiotics, phenolic compounds, hydroquinone, industrial dyes, and Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) are prevalent pollutants in water matrices. To promote environmental sustainability and minimize the impact of these pollutants, it is essential to eliminate such contaminants. Although there are multiple methods for pollutants removal, many of them are inefficient and environmentally unfriendly. Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) has been widely explored for its ability to oxidize the aforementioned pollutants, both alone and in combination with other peroxidases, and in an immobilized way. Numerous positive attributes make HRP an excellent biocatalyst in the biodegradation of diverse environmentally hazardous pollutants. In the present review, we underlined the major advancements in the HRP for environmental research. Numerous immobilization and combinational studies have been reviewed and summarized to comprehend the degradability, fate, and biotransformation of pollutants. In addition, a possible deployment of emerging computational methodologies for improved catalysis has been highlighted, along with future outlook and concluding remarks.

  • Bionic relations as features of the author’s original concept of biomorphic plastic forms that belong to a place
    • Agnieszka Kurkowska
    2023 Pełny tekst Architectus

    The article concerns the search for an architectural formula for living organically in the area of Pojezierze Kaszubskie [the Kashubian Lake Dis- trict]. The original project consisted in creating a series of biomorphic plastic forms that belong to the place. In this way, a set of alternative solutions was created in the form of small clay sculptures that account for bionic relationships between the newly created cultural elements (dedicated to the place) and natural elements (characteristic of the analyzed area). The project assumed a specific method of creative and research work. The method consisted in a repeated process of sketching (with the use of natural elements encountered in the lake district), followed by sculpting and placing the sculptures. It led to gathering a collection of documentary photographs that record the successive attempts to place cultural objects in a natural context. Thanks to the photos, further solutions can be put together and compared. A kind of catalog was created to prove a strong bionic affinity of forms, common to all the created sculptures. The sculptures in specific “layouts” are attuned to the existing place; they enter a “dialogue” with it. The catalog can be used as research material, but also as a tool to contemplate the relationship between objects and places “supplemented” by them.

  • Biopolymer-based composites for tissue engineering applications: A basis for future opportunities
    • Payam Zarrintaj
    • Farzad Seidi
    • Mohamadreza Youssefi Azarfam
    • Mohsen Khodadadi Yazdi
    • Amir Erfani
    • Mahmood Barani
    • Narendra Pal Singh Chauhan
    • Navid Rabiee
    • Tairong Kuang
    • Justyna Kucińska-Lipka
    • Mohammad Saeb
    • Masoud Mozafari
    2023 Pełny tekst COMPOSITES PART B-ENGINEERING

    Biomimetic scaffolds supporting tissue regeneration are complex materials with multifunctional characteristics. The unique biocompatibility and biodegradability of biopolymers make them excellent candidates for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Biopolymers, which have a wide range of properties, can be obtained from different natural sources. Depending on the target tissue, biopolymers can be engineered to meet a series of specific functions. We review different types of biopolymers and their composites, besides their interactions with specific cells and tissues. Specific cellular mechanisms in tissue regeneration are also considered to elucidate the effects of biopolymers on controlling cellular mechanisms given their advantages and challenging aspects. Furthermore, the modifications required to mimic the properties of neural, cardiac, bone, and skin tissues are discussed. Utilization of biopolymer-based composites in tissue engineering requires additional improvements, where several challenges should be overcome. This work is mainly focused on biopolymers used in tissue engineering, providing support for engineering of future biocomposites for the same purpose. Some examples of biocomposites are also provided, a general guide for selection of biopolymers and the secondary component (biopolymers as complements, additives, or nano-scale biomaterials) to develop biocomposites.

  • Bio‐polyols synthesized by liquefaction of cellulose: Influence of liquefaction solvent molecular weight
    • Adam Olszewski
    • Paulina Kosmela
    • Łukasz Piszczyk
    2023 Pełny tekst JOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE

    Currently, the plastics industry including polyurethanes is based on the use of petrochemicals. For this reason, scientists are looking for new types of renewable resources for the substitution of petrochemical substances. This work aims to evaluate the effect of polyethylene glycols (PEG) with different molecular mass impact on properties of bio-based polyols synthesized via biomass liquefaction of cellulose. To date, research has mostly focused on the use of different biomass sources, but the area of bio-polyols synthesis with PEG with various molecular weights has not been explored in depth. For this reason, polyols were synthesized using PEG with a molecular weight in the range of 200–600 g/mol. Depending on the type of liquefaction solvent, the bio-polyols showed a hydroxyl value of 519–652 mgKOH/g, a viscosity of 0.736–1.415 Pa∙s, and a water content below 1%. Observed difference may be related to change of reactivity of the PEG chains caused by steric hindrance of longer chains and the difference in the amount of reactive OH groups. These findings add substantially to understanding of the influence of liquefaction solvent molecular mass on the properties of new bio-polyols and those of polyurethane materials.

  • Bioreactors and biophoton-driven biohydrogen production strategies
    • Sadia Anjum
    • Shakira Aslam
    • Nazim Hussain
    • Muhammad Bilal
    • Grzegorz Boczkaj
    • Wojciech Smułek
    • Teofil Jesionowski
    • Hafiz M.N. Iqbal
    2023 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY

    Given the current issues with global warming and rising greenhouse gas emissions, biohydrogen is a viable alternative fuel option. Technologies to produce biohydrogen include photo fermentation, dark fermentation, direct and indirect bio-photolysis, and two-stage fermentation. Biological hydrogen generation is a green and promising technique with mild reaction conditions and low energy consumption compared to thermochemical and electrochemical hydrogen generation. To optimize hydrogen gas output using this method, the activity of hydrogen-consuming bacteria should be restricted during the production stages of hydrogen and acetate to prevent or limit hydrogen consumption. Raw material costs, poor hydrogen evolution rates, and large-scale output are the main limitations in biological hydrogen generation systems. Organic wastes would be the most preferred target feedstock for hydrogen fermentation, aside from biodegradable wastes, due to their high amount and simultaneous waste treatment advantage. This study examined the three primary methods for converting waste into bio-hydrogen: microbial electrolysis cell, thermochemical gasification, and biological fermentation, from both a technological and environmental standpoint. The effectiveness and applicability of these bioprocesses in terms of aspects influencing processes and their constraints are discussed. Alternative options for improving process efficiency, like microbial electrolysis, bio-augmentation, and multiple process integration, are also considered for industrial-level applications. Biohydrogen generation might be further enhanced by optimization of operating conditions and adding vital nutrients and nanoparticles. Cost reduction and durability enhancement are the most significant hindrances to fuel-cell commercialization. This review summarizes the biohydrogen production pathways, the impact of used organic waste sources, and bacteria. The work also addresses the essential factors, benefits, and challenges.

  • Biorefinery Approach for H2 and Acids Production Based on Uncontrolled pH Fermentation of an Industrial Effluent
    • María Eugenia Lopez Ibanez
    • Encarnacion Domínguez Díaz
    • Miguel Suffo
    • Jacek Mąkinia
    • Jose Luis Garcia Morales
    • Francisco-Jesus Fernandez-Morales
    2023 Pełny tekst Fermentation

    In this work, the feasibility of uncontrolled pH acidogenic fermentation of industrial organic effluent from corn-bioethanol production was studied and modelled by using a Monod-based mathematical model. In order to do that, several tests were carried out at different initial pH values, ranging from 4 to 6. The experimental data showed a pH reduction during the fermentation process due to the generation of short-chain acids. When starting at initial pH of 5.0 and 6.0, the substrates were fully fermented reaching final pH s over 4 units in both cases and a final undissociated fatty acid concentration of about 80 (mmolL1) in both cases. Regarding fermentation at an initial pH of 4, the pH decreased to 3.5 units, and the organic substrates were not fully fermented due to the stoppage of the fermentation. The stoppage was caused by the very acidic pH conditions. The biomass showed an uncoupled growth as the operating conditions became more acidic, and, finally, the biomass growth was zero. Regarding the generation of fermentation products, in general terms, the highest economical value of products was obtained when fermenting at an initial pH of 5. More specifically, acetic acid was the acid that presented the highest yield at an initial pH value of 4. Butyric yield showed the highest values at initial pH values of 5 and 6. The highest H2 yield (1.1 mol H2mol1 dextrose) was achieved at an initial pH value of 5. Finally, the experimental data were modelled using a Monod-based model. From this model, the value of the main kinetics and stoichiometric parameters were determined.

  • Bisphenols and their derivatives in baby diaper samples.
    • Aneta Chabowska
    • Natalia Jatkowska
    • Paweł Kubica
    • Justyna Płotka-Wasylka
    2023 Pełny tekst

    Many common products contain and leach hazardous chemicals, including endocrine-disrupting chemicals such as bisphenols that are harmful to human health. For toddlers, this dangerousness is higher because of their not fully developed detoxification system. Due to this, bisphenols content in products such as baby diapers, should be monitored. Baby diapers not only remain in close contact with the skin, but are also used from the first hours of life. Baby diaper samples were prepared by ultrasound assisted solvent microextraction of porous membrane-packed solid sample (UASE-PMSS) and extracted analytes were determined by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Obtained recoveries value ranged from 60% to 115%. Bisphenol A was determined in 81% of the tested samples with a concentration in the range of 5.0-520 ng/g, while bisphenol A bis(3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyl) ether in 15% of the samples with a concentration ranged from 6.8 to 530 ng/g.

  • Bitumen Aging—Laboratory Simulation Methods Used in Practice and Selected Directions of Research on New Methods
    • Paweł Czajkowski
    • Andrzej Przyjazny
    • Grzegorz Boczkaj
    2023 Pełny tekst Materials

    Changes in the properties of bitumen binders that occur as a result of aging have a huge impact on the durability of products produced from them. In particular, asphalt pavements, which constitute the most common use of petroleum bitumen, are susceptible to damage resulting from the increasing stiffness of the bitumen during its life cycle. Increased stiffness of asphalt pavements reduces the pavement resistance to low-temperature cracks and fatigue cracks, ultimately leading to the loss of their functional properties and the need for road repair. The rate of changes in bitumen properties is influenced by many factors, the most important of which are environmental conditions, technological parameters of binder processing, and physicochemical properties. The greatest impact on minimizing the adverse effect of aging is the use of bitumen suitably resistant to aging, and changing the technological parameters of its application. This article reviews the literature and standardized test methods of bitumen aging, with a focus on the methods that are most often used in practice, to evaluate the suitability of bitumen for use in road construction. The presented methods are limited to aging simulation. This mini-review presents the most important stages of aging procedures, their advantages and limitations, as identified by the authors of this publication for different types of bitumen. Moreover, the most important directions of developments in the field of new laboratory aging tests are highlighted. The suggestions are based on the industrial practice of the authors of this review, taking into account identified demands for quality control in the industry.

  • Bitumen-Based Poroelastic Pavements: Successful Improvements and Remaining Issues
    • Piotr Jaskuła
    • Jerzy Ejsmont
    • Władysław Gardziejczyk
    • Piotr Mioduszewski
    • Marcin Stienss
    • Marek Motylewicz
    • Cezary Szydłowski
    • Paweł Gierasimiuk
    • Dawid Ryś
    • Marta Wasilewska
    2023 Pełny tekst Materials

    This article presents the development process of designing and testing poroelastic pavement based on highly polymer-modified bitumen. Poroelastic wearing course was composed of mineral and rubber aggregate mixed with highly polymer-modified bitumen, in contrast to previous trials, during which polyurethane resins were mainly used as binder, which led to several serious technological problems concerning difficult production, insufficient bonding to the base layer, and unsatisfactory durability. The laboratory testing phase was aimed at finding the proper composition of the poroelastic mixture that would ensure required internal shear strength and proper bonding of the poroelastic layer with the base layer. After selecting several promising poroelastic mixture compositions, field test sections were constructed and tested in terms of noise reduction, rolling resistance and interlayer bonding. Despite the very good acoustic properties of the constructed poroelastic wearing course, it was not possible to solve the problem of its insufficient durability. Still, the second major issue of poroelastic pavements that concerns premature debonding of the poroelastic layer from the base layer was completely solved. Experience gained during the implementation of the described research will be the basis for further attempts to develop a successive poroelastic mixture in the future.

  • Blue applicability grade index (BAGI) and software: a new tool for the evaluation of method practicality
    • Natalia Manousi
    • Wojciech Wojnowski
    • Justyna Płotka-Wasylka
    • Victoria F. Samanidou
    2023 Pełny tekst GREEN CHEMISTRY

    In this work, blue applicability grade index (BAGI) is proposed as a new metric tool for evaluating the practicality of an analytical method. BAGI can be considered complementary to the well-established green metrics, and it is mainly focused on the practical aspects of White Analytical Chemistry. This tool evaluates ten main attributes including the type of analysis, the number of analytes that are simultaneously determined, the number of samples that can be analyzed per hour, the type of reagents and materials used in the analytical method, the required instrumentation, the number of samples that can be simultaneously treated, the requirement for preconcentration, the automation degree, the type of sample preparation, and the amount of sample. Through the evaluation of these attributes, an asteroid pictogram is generated, together with the respective score. To facilitate the use of the metric a simple, open-source application was created (mostwiedzy.pl/bagi). It is accompanied by a web application available at bagi-index.anvil.app. The functionality of the tool was demonstrated by evaluating the applicability of five different analytical methods as case studies. All things considered, BAGI can be easily used to identify the weak and strong points of a method in terms of practicality and applicability, as well as to compare the performance of different analytical methods. We believe that BAGI metric tool will gain not only attention but also trust and acceptance from the chemical community.

  • BODIPY‐Perylene Charge Transfer Compounds; Sensitizers for Triplet‐Triplet Annihilation Up‐conversion
    • Ruben Arturo Arellano-Reyes
    • Amrutha Prabhakaran
    • Rengel Cane Sia
    • Julien Guthmuller
    • Keshav Kumar Jha
    • Tingxiang Yang
    • Benjamin Dietzek‐Ivanšić
    • Vickie McKee
    • Tia E. Keyes
    2023 Pełny tekst CHEMISTRY-A EUROPEAN JOURNAL

    BODIPY heterochromophores, asymmetrically substituted with perylene and/or iodine at the 2 and 6 positions were prepared and investigated as sensitizers for triplet-triplet annihilation up conversion (TTA-UC). Single-crystal X-ray crystallographic analyses show that the torsion angle between BODIPY and perylene units lie between 73.54 and 74.51, though they are not orthogonal. Both compounds show intense, charge transfer absorption and emission profiles, confirmed by resonance Raman spectroscopy and consistent with DFT calculations. The emission quantum yield was solvent dependent but the emission profile remained characteristic of CT transition across all solvents explored. Both BODIPY derivatives were found to be effective sensitizers of TTA-UC with perylene annihilator in dioxane and DMSO. Intense anti-Stokes emission was observed, and visible by eye from these solvents. Conversely, no TTA-UC was observed from the other solvents explored, including from non-polar solvents such as toluene and hexane that yielded brightest fluorescence from the BODIPY derivatives. In dioxane, the power density plots obtained were strongly consistent with TTA-UC and the power density threshold, the Ith value (the photon flux at which 50% of ΦTTAUC is achieved), for B2PI was observed to be 2.5x lower than of B2P under optimal conditions, an effect ascribed to the combined influence of spin-orbit charge transfer intersystem crossing (SOCT-ISC) and heavy metal on the triplet state formation for B2PI.

  • Boron-doped carbon nanowalls for fast and direct detection of cytochrome C and ricin by matrix-free laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry
    • Ioana Hosu
    • Michał Sobaszek
    • Mateusz Ficek
    • Robert Bogdanowicz
    • Yannick Coffinier
    2023 TALANTA.The International Journal of Pure and Applied Analytical Chemistry

    Detecting proteins via surface assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (SALDI-MS) method is still highly challenging, and only few examples of nanomaterials have been demonstrated to perform such detection so far. In this study, carbon nanowalls (CNWs), vertically aligned graphene sheet-based materials, presenting specific morphology, dimensions, and boron doping levels have shown improved performances for both qualitative and quantitative detection of Cytochrome C under optimized experimental conditions. Boron doped carbon nanowalls (B-CNWs) with a [B]/[C] ratio of 5000 ppm and growing time of 4 h have shown the best performance in terms of signal intensity and reliability. Then, the detection of ricin, a ribosomal-inhibiting protein (RIP) classified as category B bioterrorism agent by CDC (Centre of Disease and Control and Prevention), was performed. For the first time, direct SALDI-MS detection of ricin B chain was reported without tedious sample preparation steps or database interrogation, and results were obtained within few minutes and a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.5 pmol/μl was obtained. Thanks to the introduction of galactosamine residues on B–CNW, we were able to selectively detect ricin B chain protein in complex media such as serum and soft drinks with enhanced signal intensity. B-CNWs are not toxic and are adaptable to any commercial MALDI-TOF mass spectrometer, showing their great potential as SALDI based materials.

  • Boron-doped diamond nanosheet volume-enriched screen-printed carbon electrodes: a platform for electroanalytical and impedimetric biosensor applications
    • Mateusz Ficek
    • Mateusz Cieślik
    • Monika Janik
    • Mateusz Brodowski
    • Sawczak Mirosław
    • Robert Bogdanowicz
    • Jacek Ryl
    2023 Pełny tekst MICROCHIMICA ACTA

    This paper focuses on the development of a novel electrode based on boron-doped diamond nanosheet full-volume-enriched screen-printed carbon electrodes (BDDPE) for use as an impedimetric biosensor. Impedimetric biosensors offer high sensitivity and selectivity for virus detection, but their use as point-of-care devices is limited by the complexity of nanomaterials’ architecture and the receptor immobilisation procedures. The study presents a two-step modification process involving the electroreduction of diazonium salt at the BDDPE and the immobilisation of antibodies using zero-length cross-linkers for a selective impedimetric biosensor of Haemophilus influenzae (Hi). The incorporation of diamond nanosheets into BDDPE leads to enhanced charge transfer and electrochemical behaviour, demonstrating greatly improved electrochemically active surface area compared with unmodified screen-printed electrodes (by 44% and 10% on average for [Ru(NH3)6]Cl2 and K3[Fe(CN)6], respectively). The presented sensing system shows high specificity towards protein D in Hi bacteria, as confirmed by negative controls against potential interference from other pathogens, with an estimated tolerance limit for interference under 12%. The Hi limit of detection by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was 1 CFU/mL (measured at − 0.13 V vs BDDPE pseudo-reference), which was achieved in under 10 min, including 5 min sample incubation in the presence of the analyte.

  • Bovine Serum Albumin – Hydroxyapatite Nanoflowers as Potential Local Drug Delivery System of Ciprofloxacin
    • Kornelia Bobrowska
    • Kamila Sadowska
    • Krzysztof Stolarczyk
    • Marta Prześniak-Welenc
    • Piotr Golec
    • Renata Bilewicz
    2023 Pełny tekst International Journal of Nanomedicine

    Introduction: Hybrid nanoflowers are structures consisting of organic (enzymes, proteins, nucleic acids) and inorganic components (mostly metal phosphates) with a flower-like hierarchical structure. Novel hybrid nanoflowers based on bovine serum albumin (BSA) and hydroxyapatite (HA) were obtained and characterized. Study on BSA-HA nanoflowers as potential drug delivery system is reported for the first time. Methods: Embedding ciprofloxacin in the structure of hybrid nanoflowers was confirmed by ATR-FTIR and thermogravimetric analysis. The inorganic phase of the nanoflowers was determined by X-ray diffraction. UV‒Vis spectroscopy was used to evaluate the release profiles of ciprofloxacin from nanoflowers in buffer solutions at pH 7.4 and 5. The agar disk diffusion method was used to study the antibacterial activity of the synthesized nanoflowers against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Results: Bovine serum albumin – hydroxyapatite nanoflowers were obtained with diameters of ca. 1–2 µm. The kinetics of ciprofloxacin release from nanoflowers were described by the Korsmeyer-Peppas model. The antibacterial activity of the synthesized nanoflowers was demonstrated against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa, two main pathogens found in osteomyelitis. Conclusion: The formulated nanoflowers may act as an efficient local antibiotic delivery system. Due to the use of nonhazardous, biodegradable components and benign synthesis, hybrid nanoflowers are very promising drug delivery systems that could be applied in the treatment of skeletal system infections.

  • Breast MRI segmentation by deep learning: key gaps and challenges
    • Khadijeh Askaripour
    • Arkadiusz Żak
    2023 Pełny tekst IEEE Access

    Breast MRI segmentation plays a vital role in early diagnosis and treatment planning of breast anomalies. Convolutional neural networks with deep learning have indicated promise in automating this process, but significant gaps and challenges remain to address. This PubMed-based review provides a comprehensive literature overview of the latest deep learning models used for breast segmentation. The article categorizes the literature on deep learning based on input modalities, use of labeled/unlabeled data during training, and different architectures. Additionally, it describes more complex frameworks structured using hierarchical, ensemble, or fused learning. Then, MRI processing approaches, key aspects of convolutional neural networks, and key gaps and challenges are focused. The need for large breast MRI datasets with accurate annotations and the generalization of the proposed structures to diverse and comprehensive datasets are among the gaps.

  • Broad Stopband, Low-Loss, and Ultra-Compact Dual-Mode Bandpass Filter Based on HMSIRC
    • Rusan Barik
    • Sławomir Kozieł
    • Anna Pietrenko-Dąbrowska
    2023 Pełny tekst Electronics

    In this investigation, an ultra-compact dual-mode bandpass filter (BPF) with a wide stopband re-sponse is realized by using a half-mode substrate-integrated rectangular cavity (HMSIRC). The HMSIRC resonator is designed with a cavity that is rectangular in shape and has metallic vias along three of the sides. The fourth side is open-ended and contains microstrip feed lines. For the purpose of constructing a magnetic wall, a rectangular slot is cut into each of the HMSIRC’s three edges. In order to produce an electrical wall that may generate a variety of resonances, the side with the open edges is provided with a single metallic via in the center. After that, a second-order BPF is generated by loading a transverse slot in the middle of the BPF, which enables independent frequency regulation of the mode frequencies. The eigen-mode analysis; field distributions; cou-pling matrix; and full-wave simulation of the proposed HMSIRC filter topology are used to de-velop the working principle of the filter. A second-order BPF is realized, constructed, and experi-mentally validated in order to provide evidence that the theory is correct. The BPF prototype achieves satisfactory performance thanks to its compact footprint of 0.028 λg2; its broad passband of 15.9%; its low insertion loss of 0.41 dB; and its wide stopband of 4.36 f0 with a rejection level greater than 20 dB. Both the measured and EM-simulated responses of the BPF are very consistent with one another.

  • Broadband/Dual-band Metal-Mountable UHF RFID Tag Antennas: A Systematic Review. Taxonomy Analysis, Standards of Seamless RFID System Operation, Supporting IoT implementations, Recommendations and Future Directions
    • Fuad Erman
    • Sławomir Kozieł
    • Leifur Leifsson
    2023 IEEE Internet of Things Journal

    The employment of broadband/dual-band ultra-high frequency (UHF) radio frequency identification (RFID) tag antennas contributes to the growth of RFID technology, with many potential implications, such as the increase of international trade, and reducing costs thereof. This study presents all reported articles on RFID tags for metal objects that can work seamlessly across different countries. Moreover, it addresses all available approaches to design of wideband/dual-band metal-mountable tag antennas and showcases the techniques used to expand the tag bandwidth. The relevant works were gathered by applying a designated query ‘("tag antenna*" OR "RFID tag*") AND (metal*) AND ("broadband" OR "wideband" OR "dual band" OR "tri band")’ in three scientific research engines. (Web of Science, IEEE Xplore, and Scopus). The final set is determined on the basis of the exclusion and inclusion criteria, revealing 38 articles. The selected papers were categorized into five groups based on the tag structure, and all techniques utilized to widen the bandwidth of each specific structure. This taxonomy attempts to provide a deeper insight into the considered topic through a comprehensive presentation. The bandwidth measurement criterion, which is 3-dB return loss (RL) bandwidth is selected due to showing an adequate reading distance on the edge of the bandwidth. In addition, the criterion clarifies the operation frequencies that facilitate the worldwide operation of the RFID technology. This paper fosters adaptation of suitable regulations to support the use of RFID systems, and researchers to design proper metal-mountable tags, which must be assessed based on operating frequencies, performance, size, cost, and compatibility with the targeted applications.

  • Brownian Motion in Optical Tweezers, a Comparison between MD Simulations and Experimental Data in the Ballistic Regime
    • Krzysztof Zembrzycki
    • Sylwia Pawłowska
    • Filippo Pierini
    • Tomasz Aleksander Kowalewski
    2023 Pełny tekst Polymers

    The four most popular water models in molecular dynamics were studied in large-scale simulations of Brownian motion of colloidal particles in optical tweezers and then compared with experimental measurements in the same time scale. We present the most direct comparison of colloidal polystyrene particle diffusion in molecular dynamics simulations and experimental data on the same time scales in the ballistic regime. The four most popular water models, all of which take into account electrostatic interactions, are tested and compared based on yielded results and resources required. Three different conditions were simulated: a freely moving particle and one in a potential force field with two different strengths based on 1 pN/nm and 10 pN/nm. In all cases, the diameter of the colloidal particle was 50 nm. The acquired data were compared with experimental measurements performed using optical tweezers with position capture rates as high as 125 MHz. The experiments were performed in pure water on polystyrene particles with a 1 μm diameter in special microchannel cells.

  • Buckling and shape control of prestressable trusses using optimum number of actuators
    • Ahmed Manguri
    • Najmadeen Saeed
    • Marcin Szczepański
    • Robert Jankowski
    2023 Pełny tekst Scientific Reports

    This paper describes a method to control the nodal displacement of prestressable truss structures within the desired domains. At the same time, the stress in all members is unleashed to take any value between the allowable tensile stress and critical buckling stress. The shape and stresses are controlled by actuating the most active members. The technique considers the members’ initial crookedness, residual stresses, and slenderness ratio (S). Furthermore, the method is premeditated so that the members with an S between 200 and 300 can carry only tension before and after adjustment (i.e., the maximum compressive stress for the members with an S between 200 and 300 is zero). In addition, the derived equations are coupled with an optimization function that relies on five optimization algorithms (interior-point, trust-region-reflective, Sequential quadratic programming (SQP), SQP-legacy, and active-set). The algorithms identify and then exclude inactive actuators in the subsequent iterations. The technique is applied to several examples, and its results are compared with a quoted method in the literature.

  • Buckling resistance of a metal column in a corrugated sheet silo - experiments and non-linear stability calculations
    • Karol Rejowski
    • Aleksander Iwicki
    • Andrzej Tejchman-Konarzewski
    • Michał Wójcik
    2023 Pełny tekst THIN-WALLED STRUCTURES

    The results of experimental and numerical tests of a single corrugated sheet silo column’s buckling resistance are presented in this study. The experiments were performed in a real silo with and without bulk solid (wheat). A very positive impact of the bulk solid on the column buckling resistance occurred. The experimental results were first compared to the buckling resistance calculated by Eurocode 3 formulae. The comparison revealed that code formulae were overly conservative for the empty and pre-filled silo. The experiments were next simulated using the finite element method (FEM) with initial geometric imperfections, based on geodetic measurements or linear bifurcation analyses. The bulk solid’s behaviour was described by two different linear elastic approaches. For real geometric imperfections, the FE computations and experimental findings were in good agreement (particularly for an empty silo). For the pre-filled silo with the code elasticity of the bulk solid and the geodetic amplitude of geometric imperfection of the empty silo, the numerical buckling resistance was too low as compared to the experimental outcomes. In addition, the model tests were performed for a single column with a corrugated sheet at the laboratory scale

  • Budownictwo elektroenergetycznej infrastruktury przesyłowej i dystrybucyjnej
    • Waldemar Kamrat
    2023

    Książka zawiera zagadnienia poświęcone liniom elektroenergetycznym wysokich napięć, tematykę zwiazaną z funkcjonowaniem stacji elektroenergetycznych, problematykę projektowania i budowy , elementy rachunku ekonomicznego przedsięwzięć inwestycyjnych