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  • Sustainable Chemically Modified Mater-Bi/Poly(ε-caprolactone)/Cellulose Biocomposites: Looking at the Bulk through the Surface
    • Aleksander Hejna
    • Mateusz Barczewski
    • Paulina Kosmela
    • Olga Mysiukiewicz
    • Agnieszka Tercjak
    • Adam Piasecki
    • Mohammad Saeb
    • Marek Szostak
    2023 Pełny tekst Research Square

    Sustainable polymer composites are progressively under development in a technological paradigm shift from "just use more and more" to "convert into value-added products". The bio-based blends based on Mater-Bi bio-plastic (A) and poly(ε-caprolactone) (B), at a weight ratio of 70:30 (A:B) were developed, followed by the addition of UFC100 cellulose (C) filler to yield 70/30 (w/w) (A:B)/C sustainable biocomposites. The effects of chemical modification of C with three diisocyanates, i.e., hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI), methylene bisphenyl isocyanate (MDI), or toluene diisocyanate (TDI) on the surface properties of biocomposites was evaluated by water contact angle and surface roughness detected by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Biocomposites containing C modified with HDI, MDI, or TDI revealed contact angle values of 93.5°, 97.7°, and 92.4°, respectively, compared to 88.5° for reference blend, indicating enlarged hydrophobicity window. This action was further approved by increased fracture surface roughness and miscibility detected by microscopic observation (scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and AFM) and in-depth oscillatory rheological evaluation. Correspondingly, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analyses showed more residue and higher melting temperatures for biocomposites, more promisingly with MDI and TDI modifiers. In conclusion, either incorporation or diisocyanate modification of C affects both surface and bulk properties.

  • Sustainable Development of Water Housing Using the Example of Poland: An Analysis of Scenarios
    • Emilia Miszewska
    • Maciej Niedostatkiewicz
    • Radosław Wiśniewski
    2023 Pełny tekst Sustainability

    At the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries, Polish cities began the process of returning to live by water. There is a growing interest in water reservoirs not only as places for recreation, but also as new areas suitable for living, at the very center of the city. Unfortunately, due to the lack of appropriate legal regulations, the dynamic development of floating homes (FHs) is starting to raise increasing concerns in Poland. Regardless of the potential direction of development in water construction in Poland (growth, stabilization, or regression), the question arises of “how to make the potential vision of the future of water construction in Poland consistent with the idea of sustainable development (SD)”. In order to try to answer this question, the authors of this publication indicate the future limitations of formulating a strategy for the development of houses on water in Poland, according to different domains of SD. These domains are the economic, socio-cultural, and environmental spheres. Using the states of surrounding scenarios method (SSSs for short), we developed future scenarios for FHs (an optimistic scenario, a pessimistic scenario, a surprise scenario, and the most probable scenario). Then, using five inferential methods, we defined the constraints that should be taken into account when strategizing for water construction in accordance with the values of SD.

  • Sustainable development requires risky decisions - problematic 300 ton overweight transport passing a bridge
    • Mikołaj Miśkiewicz
    • Andrzej Kozakiewicz
    • Łukasz Pyrzowski
    • Bartosz Sobczyk
    2023 Pełny tekst

    Oversize load passages over bridges are one of the research issues related to sustainable development that engineering and scientific teams around the world have to deal with . The article presents the scope of activities that enabled the passage of an oversized vehicle with a total weight of over 300 tons over a reinforced concrete slab. The bridge load capacity is 30 tons. In order to assess the capacity of the bridge, detailed visual inspection, inventory, tests during a load test, field and laboratory tests of concrete, location and inventory of reinforcement, static and strength calculations were carried out. Unfortunately, the tests done during the passage of an oversize vehicle on the bridge showed that the actual weight of the set were greater than originally declared. Fortunately, it turned out that there were still some reserves in the structure load-bearing capacity and the over-weighted vehicle entered the bridge without any damage to its structure.

  • Sustainable Investing. Socio-Economic Impacts of Exchange-Traded Funds
    • Ewa Lechman
    • Adam Marszk
    2023

    Sustainable Investing: Socio-Economic Impacts of Exchange-Traded Funds examines the social and economic effects of sustainable investing ETFs and their impacts on the global financial system. The book presents the key issues with regard to sustainable investing, discussing exchange-traded funds mechanisms and categories in comparison to competing investment funds. The book outlines the theoretical determinants of ETF markets development and the effects of their diffusion, both at the investor and firm levels, as well as financial system, entire economy, and society levels. The book presents various possible implementations of sustainable investing, and covers the methodological aspects of their identification and categorization. Hybrid investment products—such as exchange-traded funds that combine the investment features of mutual funds with the trading features of stocks—are one of the most rapidly growing categories of investment funds with their total global value reaching almost $5 trillion. The book examines the linkages between ETFs and the FinTech sector in the context of sustainable development, as well as global sustainable development policies in relation to their effects on the popularity of sustainable investing. The book concludes with a discussion of the significance for other entities that may be affected, such as policy makers and recipients of funds invested through sustainable investment strategies.

  • Sustainable nitrogen removal in anammox-mediated systems: Microbial metabolic pathways, operational conditions and mathematical modelling
    • Hussein Al-Hazmi
    • Lu Xi
    • Dominika Derwis
    • Joanna Majtacz
    • Michael Badawi
    • Jacek Mąkinia
    2023 SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT

    Anammox-mediated systems have attracted considerable attention as alternative cost-effective technologies for sustainable nitrogen (N) removal from wastewater. This review comprehensively highlights the importance of understanding microbial metabolism in anammox-mediated systems under crucial operation parameters, indicating the potentially wide applications for the sustainable treatment of N-containing wastewater. The partial nitrificationanammox (PN-A), simultaneous PN-A and denitrification (SNAD) processes have demonstrated sustainable N removal from sidestream wastewater. The partial denitrification-anammox (PD-A) and denitrifying anaerobic methane oxidation-anammox (DAMO-A) processes have advanced sustainable N removal efficiency in mainstream wastewater treatment. Moreover, N2O production/emission hotspots are extensively discussed in anammox-based processes and are related to the dominant ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and denitrifying heterotrophs. In contrast, N2O is not produced in the metabolism pathways of AnAOB and DAMO-archaea; Moreover, the actual contribution of N2O production by dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) and DAMO-bacteria in their species remains uncertain. Thus, PD-A and DAMO-A processes would achieve reduction in greenhouse gas production, as well as energy consumption for the reliability of N removal efficiencies. In addition to reaction mechanisms, this review covers the mathematical models for simultaneous anammox, partial nitrification and/or denitrification (i.e., PN-A, PD-A, and SNAD). Promising NO3 − reduction technologies by endogenous PD, sulfur-driven autotrophic denitrification, and DNRA by anammox are also discussed. In summary, this review provides a better understanding of sustainable N removal in anammox-mediated systems, thereby encouraging future investigation and exploration of the sustainable N bio-treatment from wastewater.

  • Sustainable polymers targeted at the surgical and otolaryngological applications: Circularity and future
    • Przemysław Gnatowski
    • Justyna Kucińska-Lipka
    2023 Pełny tekst Polymers from Renewable Resources

    The ongoing climate changes, high air and noise pollution have significant impact on humans’ health. This influence is especially visible in otolaryngology, which focuses on respiratory and hearing systems disfunctions. However, even though surgeries are done in response to diseases related to climate changes, they also have a negative impact on the environment, mostly connected with the inherence of single-use fossil fuel derived polymers. This leads to a self-perpetuating emission of greenhouse gases, as human beings developed a lot of synthetic materials to combat climate change derived dysfunctions, which itself endangers human health in a chaotic circular chain. Mitigating issues arising from using synthetic plastics would be possible by imparting biodegradable polymers from renewable resources. Nowadays, sustainable polymers are adopted mostly in emerging fields of medicine, such as 3D printing, tissue engineering of drug delivery systems. Sustainable polymers are particularly useful in otolaryngology, e.g., in the form of nasal drug eluting stents or bone substitutions. Nevertheless, some limitations in wider usage of renewable polymers in surgery should also be underlined, mainly related to lack of legislation, clinical considerations, and also inadequate materials’ circularity. Herein we briefly overviewed commonly used polymers in general surgery and otolaryngology, defined the trends in sustainable polymer usage in these fields, and highlighted the limitations in renewable polymers applications together with possible solutions. What this short review emphasizes, is that the significant increase in interest and demand for sustainable solutions will revolutionize the future of clinical treatments, where contribution to climate change and waste management will be centered in decision making protocols.

  • Sustainable Strategy for Algae Biomass Waste Management via Development of Novel Bio-Based Thermoplastic Polyurethane Elastomers Composites
    • Ewa Głowińska
    • Olga Gotkiewicz
    • Paulina Kosmela
    2023 Pełny tekst MOLECULES

    This work concerns the waste management method of algae biomass wastes (ABW). For this purpose, we prepared bio-based thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer (bio-TPU) composites. Algae biomass wastes are derived from algal oil extraction of Chlorella vulgaris and from biomass of Enteromorpha and Zostera marina. ABWs were used in the bio-TPUs composites as a filler in the quantity of 1, 5, 10, and 15 wt.%. The bio-based composites were prepared via the in situ method. Polymer matrix was synthesized from a bio-based polyester polyol, diisocyanate mixture (composed of partially bio-based and synthetic diisocyanates), and bio-based 1,3 propanediol. In this study, the chemical structure, morphology, thermal and mechanical properties of prepared composites were investigated. Based on the conducted research, it was determined that the type and the content of algae waste influence the properties of the bio-based polyurethane matrix. In general, the addition of algae biomass wastes led to obtain materials characterized by good mechanical properties and noticeable positive ecological impact by increasing the total amount of green components in prepared bio-TPU-based composites from 68.7% to 73.54%.

  • Sustainable utilization of copper post-flotation waste in cement composites
    • Szymon Kalisz
    • Marek Lieder
    • Elżbieta Haustein
    • Aleksandra Kuryłowicz-Cudowska
    2023 CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING MATERIALS

    The current way of managing the copper ore flotation waste is by placing it in waste neutralization facilities. However, flotation waste has great potential in application in cement composites. The article presents the detailed characteristics of post-flotation waste (PFW) and three types of cements: CEM I, CEM II/B-V, and CEM III/A, 42.5 MPa class. The post-flotation waste added for 20% of the cement mass increase the water demand to obtain the standard consistency. The highest pozzolanic activity was noted for mortars made of Ordinary Portland Cement and cured at 20 °C. The lower curing temperature, i.e. 10 °C, delays the hydration reaction, extends setting time, and reduces compressive strength. The conducted tests showed that the specimens produced from CEM I and PFW have the highest compressive strength (after 28 and 90 days), which means that PFW does not react with silica fly ash (from CEM II/B-V) and granulated blast furnace slag (from CEM III/A). The reaction of the waste with the components of the Portland clinker is preferred. The performed studies proved that the utilization of copper post-flotation waste allows for the development of sustainable and durable composite made of CEM I and indicated the possibilities of further testing of waste, in the direction of its use as a mineral additive for concrete.

  • Sustainable Waste Management for Implementation of a Circular Economy Model in a Port
    • Agnieszka Deja
    • Paweł Weichbroth
    • Wojciech Ślączka
    2023 Pełny tekst Procedia Computer Science

    The manuscript presents the management of waste from marine vessels and cargo handling companies in a selected European Union port. The main objective of the paper is to analyse and evaluate the existing waste management model in the port of Szczecin in the context of circular economy. The expert research carried out is aimed, inter alia, at identifying which of the solutions currently in use need to be improved from an environmental perspective. These measures could serve as a basis for the development of green logistics chains for waste generated in connection with the organisation of shipping. What is of particular importance in this regard is the information flow, which preferably should be an integral part of an international IT system enabling tracking of waste streams from their place origin to final disposal. In light of the above, it is particularly important to look for solutions which will support the creation and adoption of models providing sufficient control over the entirety of green waste management activities, in line with the circular economy concept.

  • Symbolic multibody models for digital-twin applications
    • Nicolas Docquier
    • Krzysztof Lipiński
    • Olivier Lantsoght
    • Sebastien Timmermans
    • Paul Fisette
    2023 MULTIBODY SYSTEM DYNAMICS

    Symbolic generation of multibody systems equations of motion appeared in the 1980s. In addition to their computational advantage over their numerical counterparts, symbolic models can be very easily and straightforwardly interfaced with a wide range of software environments and hardware devices. These two features place this approach in a pole position to participate and intervene in the design of digital twins for systems such as vehicles, manipulators, walking robots or haptic devices. In this context, the first goal of this paper is to highlight the interest of symbolically generated multibody models – at the root of the ROBOTRAN program – in the form of a standalone set of equations calculating the dynamic model of multibody systems, for use as a computational component within a Digital-Twin-type process. The next goal is to embed realistic and complex multibody models within processes or devices whose functioning requires a synchronized real-time computation – or analysis – of their motion. An implementation (i) on specific hardware and (ii) on two extremely opposite but revealing applications (namely a railway vehicle and a digital piano) are presented to highlight the usefulness of symbolic models for the development of current and future multibody-based digital twins.

  • Synchronization system for underwater acoustic communications using in shallow waters
    • Jan Schmidt
    • Aleksander Schmidt
    2023 Pełny tekst Vibrations in Physical Systems

    A reliable synchronization system of the transmitted data frame has a significant impact on the efficiency of the underwater communication system. This applies in particular to communication systems dedicated to work in shallow waters, where the phenomenon of multipath permanently occurs. To overcome these difficulties, the concept of a synchronization system consisting of two broadband signals of opposite monotonicity was presented. The method of receiving these signals has been described in detail. The stochastic channel model with Rician fading and the Watermark simulator was used to test the efficiency of the synchronization system in the underwater multipath channel.

  • Synchrotron radiation photoemission spectroscopy of the oxygen modified CrCl3 surface
    • S Kazim
    • D Mastrippolito
    • Paolo Moras
    • Matteo Jugovac
    • Tomasz Klimczuk
    • Mohamad Al Ali
    • Luca Ottaviano
    • Roberto Gunnella
    2023 Pełny tekst PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY CHEMICAL PHYSICS

    We investigate the experimentally challenging CrCl3 surface by photon energy dependent photoemission (PE). The core and valence electrons after cleavage of a single crystal, either in a ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) or in air, are studied by keeping the samples at 150 1C, aiming at confirming the atomic composition with respect to the expected bulk atomic structure. A common spectroscopic denominator revealed by data is the presence of a stable, but only partially ordered Cl–O–Cr surface. The electronic core levels (Cl 2p, Cr 2p and 3p), the latter ones of cumbersome component determination, allowed us to quantify the electron charge transfer to the Cr atom as a net result of this modification and the increased exchange interaction between metal and ligand atoms. In particular, the analysis of multiplet components by the CMT4XPS code evidenced the charge transfer to be favored, and similarly the reduced crystal field due to the established polarization field. Though it is often claimed that a significant amount of Cl and Cr atomic vacancies has to be included, such a possibility can be excluded on the basis of the sign and the importance of the shift in the binding energy of core level electrons. The present methodological approach can be of great impact to quantify the structure of ordered sub-oxide phases occurring in mono or bi-layer Cr trihalides.

  • Synergistic effects of nitrogen-doped carbon and praseodymium oxide in electrochemical water splitting
    • Patrycja Grabowska
    • Mariusz Szkoda
    • Malgorzata Skorupska
    • Jerzy P. Lukaszewicz
    • Anna Ilnicka
    2023 Pełny tekst Scientific Reports

    Hybrid materials featuring perovskite-type metal oxide in conjunction with heteroatom-doped graphene hold immense promise as alternatives to costly noble metal catalysts for electrochemical water splitting, facilitating the generation of environmentally friendly hydrogen. In this study, perovskite-type oxide containing praseodymium, barium, strontium, cobalt, and iron atoms dispersed in a carbon matrix as a catalyst is synthesized via annealing of the carbon material with substrates for the preparation of perovskite oxide. The mass ratio of reagents regulates the porous structure and elemental composition. The result of the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), suggests that the hybrid catalysts exhibit intermediate HER kinetics compared to the commercial Pt/C and the catalyst without carbon. The Tafel slope for HER is lower for materials containing carbon, because of the improved reaction kinetics, facilitated proton transfer, and enhanced electrochemical surface area. Therefore, the study provides an effective strategy for the preparation of catalyst and their use as the active catalyst of water splitting.

  • Synteza oraz charakterystyka strukturalna i elektrochemiczna wieloskładnikowych nanokompozytów jako materiałów elektrodowych w urządzeniach do magazynowania energii
    • Anita Cymann
    2023 Pełny tekst

    W trakcie studiów doktoranckich prowadziłam badania strukturalne i elektrochemiczne materiałów elektrodowych zarówno do zastosowania w kondensatorach elektrochemicznych, jak i bateriach. Celem moich badań było wytworzenie wieloskładnikowych materiałów kompozytowych do zastosowań w urządzeniach magazynujących energię o dużej mocy. Łącząc ze sobą materiały o różnych sposobach magazynowania ładunku elektrycznego uzyskałam materiały kompozytowe o lepszych właściwościach elektrochemicznych (np. o wyższej pojemności) oraz strukturalnych (np. poprawa przewodności elektrycznej). Badałam między innymi wpływ dodatków węglowych na właściwości kompozytu opartego na matrycy z polimeru przewodzącego. Pojemności materiałów elektrodowych kondensatora elektrochemicznego badałam głównie w elektrolitach wodnych. Syntezowałam również związki o strukturze superprzewodników jonów sodu (fosforan sodowo-wanadowy) do zastosowania jako materiały katodowe w ogniwach sodowo-jonowych. Głównym celem była poprawa niskiej przewodności fosforanu sodowo-wanadowego poprzez równomierne rozmieszczenie materiału węglowego w próbce, co w efekcie pozwoliło na uzyskanie zarówno wyższej wartości pojemności jak i lepszej stabilności w trakcie pracy półogniwa.

  • Synteza poliuretanu z udziałem biomonomerów i jego recykling chemiczny
    • Marcin Włoch
    • Barbara Wojciechowska
    • Janusz Datta
    2023 Pełny tekst Przemysł Chemiczny

    Przeprowadzono recykling chemiczny (aminoliza i glikoliza) zsyntezowanego wcześniej poliuretanu, otrzymanego z wykorzystaniem surowców pochodzenia naturalnego, oraz zbadano podstawowe właściwości otrzymanych produktów depolimeryzacji chemicznej. Poliuretan otrzymano metodą prepolimerową, wykorzystując surowce pochodzenia naturalnego, czyli poliol PriplastTM 1838 i diizocyjanian TolonateTM X FLO 100. Łańcuchy prepolimeru uretanowego zostały przedłużone z wykorzystaniem 1,4-butanodiolu (BDO). Depolimeryzację prowadzono, stosując trietylenotetraminę (TETA) i glikol etylenowy (GE), przy stosunkach masowych poliuretanu do czynnika depolimeryzującego równych 2:1, 1:1 i 1:2. Strukturę chemiczną poliuretanu i otrzymanych produktów depolimeryzacji zweryfikowano z wykorzystaniem spektroskopii w podczerwieni z transformacją Fouriera (FTIR). Dla uzyskanych produktów recyklingu chemicznego oznaczono liczbę aminową oraz określono właściwości reologiczne i stabilność termiczną (z wykorzystaniem analizy termograwimetrycznej).

  • Synthesis and application of biomass-derived magnetic biochar catalyst for simultaneous esterification and trans-esterification of waste cooking oil into biodiesel: modeling and optimization
    • Samuel Latebo Majamo
    • Temesgen Amibo
    • Tesfaye Kassaw Bedru
    2023 Pełny tekst Materials for Renewable and Sustainable Energy

    This work created, characterized, and used a magnetic biochar catalyst that is both eco-friendly and very effective. Sugarcane bagasse was selected as primary raw material for catalyst preparation, because it is renewable and ecofriendly biomass. Cata- lyst created by doping sugarcane bagasse biochar with magnetic material in the form of (FeSO 4 ·7H 2 O). Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to characterize the catalyst. In addition, physical and textural characteristics of the catalyst were identified and interpreted. The characterization outcome showed that the catalyst has good catalytic qualities. For the manufacturing of biodiesel, discarded cooking oil served as the primary feedstock. The experiment was created utilizing the Box–Behnken Design (BBD) technique. There are four variables with the following three levels each: temperature, methanol to oil ratio, catalyst concentration, and reaction time. 29 experiments in total were carried out. Using the RSM function, optimization was done. The optimal conditions for obtaining biodiesel yield—temperature, methanol to oil ratio, reaction time, and catalyst weight—were 43.597 °C, 9.975 mol/L, 49.945 min, and 1.758 wt%. A study of the produced biodiesel using a FTIR showed that the conventional biodiesel IR spectra were confirmed. All physiochemical characteristics found suggested the biodiesel complied with ASTM and EN norms. Overall, the synthesized catalyst had conducted simultaneous reactions in a single batch reactor and had demonstrated suitability for converting used cooking oil to biodiesel.

  • Synthesis and crystal structure of ferrocenyl benzothiazole derivatives
    • Yordan Stremski
    • Maria Bachvarova
    • Stela Statkova-Abeghe
    • Plamen Angelov
    • Iliyan Ivanov
    • Anife Ahmedova
    • Anna Dołęga
    2023 JOURNAL OF ORGANOMETALLIC CHEMISTRY

    Novel ferrocenyl-containing benzothiazole derivatives were synthesised in moderate yields by one-pot α-amidoalkylation of ferrocene. The reaction conditions were critically evaluated and the crystal structure of one of the amidoalkylated ferrocenes was resolved. Oxidation of the obtained compounds led to known fully aromatic 2-ferrocenylbenzothiazole in 81 % yield, which represents a convenient alternative to earlier methods utilizing cyclocondensation reactions.

  • Synthesis, Antimicrobial and Mutagenic Activity of a New Class of d-Xylopyranosides
    • Karol Sikora
    • Piotr Szweda
    • Karolina Słoczyńska
    • Justyna Samaszko-Fiertek
    • Janusz Madaj
    • Beata Liberek
    • Elżbieta Pękala
    • Barbara Dmochowska
    2023 Pełny tekst Antibiotics-Basel

    Eight N-[2-(2′,3′,4′-tri-O-acetyl-α/β-d-xylopyranosyloxy)ethyl]ammonium bromides, a new class of d-xylopyranosides containing a quaternary ammonium aglycone, were obtained. Their complete structure was confirmed using NMR spectroscopy (1H, 13C, COSY and HSQC) and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). An antimicrobial activity against fungi (Candida albicans, Candida glabrata) and bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli) and a mutagenic Ames test with Salmonella typhimurium TA 98 strain were performed for the obtained compounds. The greatest activity against the tested microorganisms was shown by glycosides with the longest (octyl) hydrocarbon chain in ammonium salt. None of the tested compounds exhibited mutagenic activity in the Ames test.

  • Synthesis, characterization, and application of 2D/2D TiO2-GO-ZnFe2O4 obtained by the fluorine-free lyophilization method for solar light-driven photocatalytic degradation of ibuprofen
    • Izabela Malinowska
    • Piotr Madajski
    • Adam Ostrowski
    • Cristina Gómez-Polo
    • Laura Carvera
    • Waldemar Bednarski
    • Paweł Kubica
    • Anna Zielińska-Jurek
    2023 Pełny tekst ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH

    In this study, we report the potential of 2D/2D TiO2- GO-ZnFe2O4 photocatalyst obtained using the fluorine-free lyophilization technique for the degradation of ibuprofen belonging to the group of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API). The improved ibuprofen degradation under simulated solar light was achieved in the presence of a composite of 2D TiO2 combined with GO and embedded ZnFe2O4, which additionally provides superparamagnetic properties and enables photocatalyst separation after the photodegradation process. After only 20 min of the photodegradation process in the presence of 2D/2D TiO2- GO-ZnFe2O4 composite, more than 90% of ibuprofen was degraded under simulated solar light, leading to non-toxic and more susceptible to biodegradation intermediates. At the same time, photolysis of ibuprofen led to the formation of more toxic intermediates. Furthermore, based on the photocatalytic degradation analysis, the degradation by-products and possible photodegradation pathways of ibuprofen were investigated. The photodegradation tests and electronic spin resonance analyses indicated the significant involvement of superoxide radicals and singlet oxygen in the ibuprofen photodegradation process.

  • Synthesis, Characterization and Biological Investigations of Half-Sandwich Ruthenium(II) Complexes Containing Benzimidazole Moiety
    • Patrycja Rogala
    • Agnieszka Jabłońska-Wawrzycka
    • Grzegorz Czerwonka
    • Katarzyna Kazimierczuk
    • Katarzyna Gałczyńska
    • Sławomir Michałkiewicz
    • Justyna Kalinowska-Tłuścik
    • Marta Karpiel
    • Karel D. Klika
    2023 Pełny tekst MOLECULES

    Half-sandwich Ru(II) complexes belong to group of biologically active metallo-compounds with promising antimicrobial and anticancer activity. Herein, we report the synthesis and characteri- zation of arene ruthenium complexes containing benzimidazole moiety, namely, [(η6-p-cymene)RuC l(bimCOO)] (1) and [(η6-p-cymene)RuCl2(bim)] (2) (where bimCOO = benzimidazole-2-carboxylate and bim = 1-H-benzimidazole). The compounds were characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, IR, UV–vis and CV. Molecular structures of the complexes were determined by SC-XRD analysis, and the results indicated the presence of a pseudo-tetrahedral (piano stool) geometry. Interactions in the crystals of the Ru complexes using the Hirshfeld surface analysis were also examined. In addition, the biological studies of the complexes, such as antimicrobial assays (against planktonic and adherent microbes), cytotoxicity and lipophilicity, were performed. Antibacterial activity of the complexes was evaluated against S. aureus, E. coli, P. aeruginosa PAO1 and LES B58. Cytotoxic activity was tested against primary human fibroblasts and adenocarcinoma human alveolar basal epithelial cells. Obtained biological results show that the ruthenium compounds have bacteriostatic activity toward Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 strain and are not toxic to normal cells. A molecular docking study was applied as a predictive source of information about the plausibility of examined structures binding with HSA as a transporting system.

  • Synthesis of 3-(2-Alkylthio-4-chloro-5-methylbenzenesulfonyl)-2-(1-phenyl-3-arylprop-2-enylideneamino)guanidine Derivatives with Pro-Apoptotic Activity against Cancer Cells
    • Aneta Pogorzelska
    • Jarosław Sławiński
    • Anna Kawiak
    • Grzegorz Stasiłojć
    • Jarosław Chojnacki
    2023 Pełny tekst INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES

    The untypical course of reaction between chalcones and benzenesulfonylaminoguanidines led to the new 3-(2-alkylthio-4-chloro-5-methylbenzenesulfonyl)-2-(1-phenyl-3-arylprop-2- enylideneamino)guanidine derivatives 8–33. The new compounds were tested in vitro for their impact on the growth of breast cancer cells MCF-7, cervical cancer cells HeLa and colon cancer cells HCT-116 by MTT assay. The results revealed that the activity of derivatives is strongly related to the presence of hydroxy group in the benzene ring at the 3-arylpropylidene fragment. The most cytotoxic compounds 20 and 24 displayed mean IC50 values of 12.8 and 12.7 uM, respectively, against three tested cell lines and were almost 3- and 4-fold more active toward MCF-7 and HCT-116 when compared with non-malignant HaCaT cells. Furthermore, compound 24 induced apoptosis in cancer cells and caused a decrease of mitochondrial membrane potential as well as an increase of cells in sub-G1 phase in contrast to its inactive analog 31. The strongest activity against the most sensitive HCT-116 cell line was found for compound 30 (IC50 = 8 uM), which was 11-fold more effective in the growth inhibition of HCT-116 cells than those of HaCaT cells. Based on this fact, the new derivatives may be promising leading structures for the search for agents for the treatment of colon cancer.

  • Synthesis of Cyano-Benzylidene Xanthene Synthons Using a Diprotic Brønsted Acid Catalyst, and Their Application as Efficient Inhibitors of Aluminum Corrosion in Alkaline Solutions
    • Amin Mohammed
    • Gaber Mersal
    • Morad El-Hendawy
    • Abdallah Shaltout
    • Ali Badawi
    • Johan Boman
    • Adil Gobouri
    • Murat Saracoglu
    • Fatma Kandemirli
    • Rabah Boukherroub
    • Jacek Ryl
    • Mohamed Khalifa
    2023 Pełny tekst MOLECULES

    Novel cyano-benzylidene xanthene derivatives were synthesized using one-pot and condensation reactions. A diprotic Brønsted acid (i.e., oxalic acid) was used as an effective catalyst for the promotion of the synthesis process of the new starting xanthene–aldehyde compound. Different xanthene concentrations (ca. 0.1–2.0 mM) were applied as corrosion inhibitors to control the alkaline uniform corrosion of aluminum. Measurements were conducted in 1.0 M NaOH solution using Tafel extrapolation and linear polarization resistance (LPR) methods. The investigated xanthenes acted as mixed-type inhibitors that primarily affect the anodic process. Their inhibition efficiency values were enhanced with inhibitor concentration, and varied according to their chemical structures. At a concentration of 2.0 mM, the best-performing studied xanthene derivative recorded maximum inhibition efficiency values of 98.9% (calculated via the Tafel extrapolation method) and 98.4% (estimated via the LPR method). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to examine the morphology of the corroded and inhibited aluminum surfaces, revealing strong inhibitory action of each studied compound. High-resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) profiles validated the inhibitor compounds’ adsorption on the Al surface. Density functional theory (DFT) and Monte Carlo simulations were applied to investigate the distinction of the anticorrosive behavior among the studied xanthenes toward the Al (111) surface. The non-planarity of xanthenes and the presence of the nitrile group were the key players in the adsorption process. A match between the experimental and theoretical findings was evidenced.

  • Synthesis of N-doped TiO2 nanoparticles with enhanced photocatalytic activity for 2,4-dichlorophenol degradation and H2 production
    • Javed Ali Khan
    • Murtaza Sayed
    • Noor S. Shah
    • Sanaullah Khan
    • Ashfaq Ahmad Khan
    • Muhammad Sultan
    • Ammar M. Tighezza
    • Jibran Iqbal
    • Grzegorz Boczkaj
    2023 Pełny tekst Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering

    Nitrogen-doped titanium dioxide (N-TiO2) nanoparticles were prepared using a modified sol-gel method. The as-prepared nanoparticles were characterized by state-of-the-art techniques for their optical, structural and morphological properties. The crystallite size, surface area and bandgap energy of reference TiO2 and N-TiO2 nanoparticles were found to be 16.1 and 10.9 nm, 83.6 and 131.8 m2 g−1 and 3.23 and 2.89 eV, respectively. The photocatalytic activities, in terms of 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) degradation, of reference TiO2 and N-TiO2 were found to be 46.9% and 65.4% at 120 min of treatments under UV light irradiation and 21.5% and 77.6% at 240 min of treatment under visible light irradiation, employing 153.4 µM 2,4-DCP, 1 g/L photocatalyst dosage, and pH 5.6. Interestingly, considerable H2 production rate (i.e., 386 μmol h−1 g−1) was observed for visible/N-TiO2 system in presence of 0.2 wt% Pt. The study revealed that visible/N-TiO2 photocatalytic system can be used as an economically viable technology for environmental sustainability.

  • SYNTHESIZING MEDICAL TERMS – QUALITY AND NATURALNESS OF THE DEEP TEXT-TO-SPEECH ALGORITHM
    • Bożena Kostek
    • Barbara Szyca
    2023 Pełny tekst Journal of the Acoustical Society of America

    The main purpose of this study is to develop a deep text-to-speech (TTS) algorithm designated for an embedded system device. First, a critical literature review of state-of-the-art speech synthesis deep models is provided. The algorithm implementation covers both hardware and algorithmic solutions. The algorithm is designed for use with the Raspberry Pi 4 board. 80 synthesized sentences were prepared based on medical and everyday language employing the TTS algorithm. For tests, an application is built, containing a questionnaire allowing for evaluating the quality and naturalness of the synthesized speech, for both types of language. It is followed by the algorithm efficiency tests. A presentation of the performed tests, along with the results obtained from 30 respondents, is shown. The discussion consists of a statistical analysis of the obtained results and a comparison with other speech recognition solutions used as a reference. Finally, in the summary section, there is an overall conclusion of this approach and promising directions for future development. This work is supported by the Polish National Center for Research and Development (NCBR) project: “ADMEDVOICE-Adaptive intelligent speech processing system of medical personnel with the structuring of test results and support of therapeutic process,” no. INFOSTRATEG4/0003/2022.

  • System Loss Model for Body Area Networks in Room Scenarios
    • Manuel M. Ferreira
    • Filipe D. Cardoso
    • Sławomir Ambroziak
    • Mariella Särestöniemi
    • Luis M. Correia
    2023

    This paper presents an analysis of system loss in Body Area Networks for room scenarios, based on a wideband measurement campaign at 5.8 GHz. The measurements were performed with a fixed antenna transmitting vertically and horizontally polarised signals, while the user wears dualpolarised antennas. The average system losses in co- and crosspolarised channels are 41.4 and 42.6 dB for vertically polarised transmitted signals and 41.8 and 45.0 dB for horizontally ones, showing that polarisation plays a role in the radio channel. Analytical models for the average and standard deviation of system loss are presented, with a linear dependence on user mobility, on transmitted/received polarisation, and on link visibility and dynamics. Overall, a good fit between model and measurements is obtained, with a mean square error of 2.3 and 0.12 dB for the average and standard deviation, respectively.

  • System Loss Model for Body-to-Body Networks in Indoor and Outdoor Environments
    • Sławomir Ambroziak
    • Krzysztof Cwalina
    • Manuel M. Ferreira
    • Filipe D. Cardoso
    • Luis M. Correia
    2023

    A system loss model for body-to-body networks in indoor and outdoor environments is proposed in this paper, based on measurements taken at 2.45 GHz. The influence of the type of environment, antenna visibility and user mobility on model parameters has been investigated. A significant impact of mutual antennas’ placement and their visibility is shown. The proposed model fits well to empirical data, with the average root mean square error being 2.1 dB and the coefficient of determination being above 0.6 in the majority of cases. For designing purposes in generalised cases, it is recommended that the system loss exponent is set to 1.5, and the system loss at the reference distance is equal to 55.9 dB.

  • System monitorowania korozji w instalacjach wodnych platformy wydobywczej Baltic Beta
    • Kinga Domańska
    2023 Pełny tekst

    Realizacja doktoratu rozwiązała problemy korozyjne w jednym ze strategicznych obszarów procesu eksploatacji ropy. Polegała na uruchomieniu monitoringu korozji w instalacji zatłaczającej wodę morską do złoża ropy, na platformie wydobywczej firmy LOTOS Petrobaltic. Wdrożono automatyczny system monitorowania korozji metodą polaryzacji liniowej, oszacowano korozyjność uzdatnionej wody, zidentyfikowano rodzaje korozji występujące w instalacji. Zainstalowano dwa czujniki korozyjne: na odcinku, gdzie realizowane jest chlorowanie i filtracja wody oraz po wieży odtleniającej, gdzie odtleniona woda jest obrobiona dodatkiem inhibitora korozji. Wskazania automatycznego systemu monitorowania korozji zestawiano z parametrami pracy instalacji oraz wynikami dodatkowych analiz chemicznych i biologicznych uzdatnianej wody. Pozwoliło to zidentyfikować zagrożenia korozyjne oraz określić wpływ parametrów pracy instalacji na szybkość korozji. Opracowano skuteczną metodę ochrony antykorozyjnej, wybrano najefektywniejszy inhibitor korozji, przeprowadzono jego testy laboratoryjne i polowe bezpośrednio w instalacji. Przyczyniło się to do polepszenia jakości wody zatłaczanej i zmniejszenia ryzyka kolmatacji złoża ropy B3, które mogłoby doprowadzić do zmniejszenia wielkości wydobycia ropy oraz do pogorszenia jej jakości. Zdobyte doświadczenie będzie w przyszłości wykorzystywane również w innych instalacjach zatłaczających LOTOS Petrobaltic’u.

  • SYSTEM RADIOLOKALIZACYJNY OPARTY NA FARMIE TURBIN WIATROWYCH
    • Jacek Stefański
    • Jarosław Sadowski
    2023 Przegląd Telekomunikacyjny + Wiadomości Telekomunikacyjne

    W referacie zaproponowano wykorzystanie farmy turbin wiatrowych do budowy systemu radiolokalizacyjnego dla obiektów latających (samolotów). Zaproponowane rozwiązanie umożliwia oszacowanie położenia obiektu w przestrzeni, zwłaszcza w ruchu, za pomocą sygnałów lokalizacyjnych nadawanych asynchronicznie z wież turbin wiatrowych. Przedstawiono matematyczną analizę metody oraz wyniki badań symulacyjnych efektywności pracy rozwiązania dla wybranych parametrów systemowych.

  • System waluty lokalnej dla wspierania zrównoważonych zachowań wśród mieszkańców Gdańska
    • Piotr Czyż
    • Małgorzata Romanowska
    • Iga Perzyna
    2023 Alcumena. Pismo Interdyscypliname - Alcumena. Interdisciplinary Jouma

    Niniejszy artykuł ma na celu wprowadzenie do systemu alternatywnej waluty lokalnej, wspierającej zrównoważone działania, która jest rozwijana na terenie Gdańska pod marką PULA. System waluty alternatywnej jest wielostronną umową na używanie czegoś innego niż legalny środek płatniczy (np. pieniądz krajowy) jako medium wymiany. Jego stworzenie ma na celu łączenie niezaspokojonych potrzeb z nieużywanymi zasobami (Telalbasic, 2017). Waluty alternatywne (inaczej: uzupełniające) są specyficznym rodzajem innowacji społecznej, łączącym aspekty społeczne z procesami ekonomicznymi (Dagnes, Storti, 2020). Wspierają lokalny rozwój, gospodarkę, a także wzmacniają wzajemne uznanie i relacyjne zaufanie. Mają na celu lepsze zaspokajanie potrzeb społecznych i nawiązywanie nowych powiązań między działalnością gospodarczą a podstawami społecznymi.

  • Systematic Literature Review on Click Through Rate Prediction
    • Paulina Leszczełowska
    • Maria Bollin
    • Marcin Grabski
    2023

    The ability to anticipate whether a user will click on an item is one of the most crucial aspects of operating an e-commerce business, and clickthrough rate prediction is an attempt to provide an answer to this question. Beginning with the simplest multilayer perceptrons and progressing to the most sophisticated attention networks, researchers employ a variety of methods to solve this issue. In this paper, we present the findings of a comprehensive literature review that will assist researchers in getting a head start on developing new solutions. The most prevalent models were variants of the state-of-the-art DeepFM model.

  • Systemic analysis of a manufacturing process based on a small scale bakery
    • Radosław Drozd
    • Radosław Wolniak
    • Jan Piwnik
    2023 Quality and Quantity

    The main aim of the article is to present two new innovative concepts of reliability of a functioning manufacturing system in the process of making bread in small-scale bakeries. Reliability is understood as one of the representations of an operator acting on specifc streams in time to - t. One of these represents the global reliability of a system as a function of parallel action of all the streams of the system in time to to t and is denoted as Pg(t). The second representation of reliability is a scalar value, Pss It shows a new function of global reliability of a manufacturing process as a product of system stream reliability. In order to plot the fow of the manufacturing process’s global reliability function, we need to perform detailed calculations, computations, and analysis of the diferences of individual values in real time, as well as plan an algorithm of the fow of system streams. This needs a lot of efort, translating however, to a detailed picture of the process. In the analysed example, measurements and research revealed an important increase of the value of reliability in a transition from a traditional to a robotised bakery. The article also presents a new concept of the reliability of a technological process, based on the analysis of relations of elements of the following streams: energy, matter, information, time, and fnances. It shows the method of specifying streams and the method for defning the reliability of important and supportive relations. Important relations between stream elements are defned as having the reliability value of one in time. The Pss value characterises failure-free operation of the whole system. Its average value in the normative time tn expresses the efciency of the manufacturing system. The value Pss is a quotient of the number of important relation and the sum of important and supportive relations. The formula for Pss shows the method of optimising the process through the increasing of the number of important relations between the input stream components. The concept has been applied to study the efciency of operation of a small-scale bakery. Systemic analysis of a bakery allows for important increase in the reliability of baking bread if robotisation has been implemented. The concept of systemic-stream reliability Pss may be applied to analyse the efficiency of any technological process and optimisation of any manufacturing process.

  • Szlifowanie na docierarkach tarczowych
    • Adam Barylski
    2023 Stal Metale & Nowe Technologie

    Przedstawiono technologie szlifowania powierzchni płaskich na docierarkach tarczowych. Omówiono stosowane narzędzia segmentowe, obrabiarki dwutarczowe i zalety mikroszlifowania. Porównano proces docierania konwencjonalnego luźnym ścierniwem z mikroszlifowaniem z kinematyką docierania.

  • Tacit knowledge acquisition & sharing, and its influence on innovations: A Polish/US cross-country study
    • Wioleta Kucharska
    • G. Scott Erickson
    2023 Pełny tekst INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

    This study measures the relationship between tacit knowledge sharing and innovation in the Polish (n=350) and US (n=379) IT industries. Conceptually, the study identifies the potential sources of tacit knowledge development by individuals. That is, the study examines how “learning by doing” and “learning by interaction” lead to a willingness to share knowledge and, as a consequence, to support process and product/service innovation. This study empirically demonstrates that tacit knowledge internalization and externalization (awareness and sharing) significantly mediate between tacit knowledge experimentation and socialization (acquisition) and its final combination (knowledge in action). While such theoretical assumptions already exist, they have not yet been empirically explained and revealed in a single structural model. Further, this empirical approach enabled a demonstration that internalization and externalization of tacit knowledge may occur consciously or unconsciously with equal success. Even so, the study also showed conscious tacit knowledge’s greater impact on innovation. Therefore, an organizational effort to manage autonomous, informal, and strongly contextual tacit knowledge is worthwhile and creates the capacity for superior competitive advantage. Finally, this study also demonstrates that national context influences tacit knowledge acquisition. In the US, “learning by doing” is dominant, whereas in Poland, “learning by interaction” and critical thinking are more common. This might be related to factors such as risk acceptance that could be studied in more detail and provide opportunities for future research.

  • Tackling microplastics pollution in global environment through integration of applied technology, policy instruments, and legislation
    • Tonni Agustiono Kurniawan
    • Ahtisham Haider
    • Ayesha Mohyuddin
    • Rida Fatima
    • Muhammad Salman
    • Anila Shaheen
    • Hafiz Muhammad Ahmad
    • Hussein Al-Hazmi
    • Mohd Hafiz Dzarfan Othman
    • Faissal Aziz
    • Abdelkader Anouzla
    • Imran Ali
    2023 JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

    Microplastic pollution is a serious environmental problem that affects both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Small particles with size of less than 5 mm, known as microplastics (MPs), persist in the environment and pose serious threats to various species from micro-organisms to humans. However, terrestrial environment has received less attention than the aquatic environment, despite being a major source of MPs that eventually reaches water body. To reflect its novelty, this work aims at providing a comprehensive overview of the current state of MPs pollution in the global environment and various solutions to address MP pollution by integrating applied technology, policy instruments, and legislation. This review critically evaluates and compares the existing technologies for MPs detection, removal, and degradation, and a variety of policy instruments and legislation that can support the prevention and management of MPs pollution scientifically. Furthermore, this review identifies the gaps and challenges in addressing the complex and diverse nature of MPs and calls for joint actions and collaboration from stakeholders to contain MPs. As water pollution by MPs is complex, managing it effectively requires their responses through the utilization of technology, policy instruments, and legislation. It is evident from a literature survey of 228 published articles (1961–2023) that existing water technologies are promising to remove MPs pollution. Membrane bioreactors and ultrafiltration achieved 90% of MPs removal, while magnetic separation was effective at extracting 88% of target MPs from wastewater. In biological process, one kg of wax worms could consume about 80 g of plastic/day. This means that 100 kg of wax worms can eat about 8 kg of plastic daily, or about 2.9 tons of plastic annually. Overall, the integration of technology, policy instrument, and legislation is crucial to deal with the MPs issues.

  • Tailoring a low-energy ball milled MnCo2O4 spinel catalyst to boost oxygen evolution reaction performance
    • Sylwia Pawłowska
    • Krystian Lankauf
    • Patryk Błaszczak
    • Jakub Karczewski
    • Karolina Górnicka
    • Grzegorz Cempura
    • Piotr Jasiński
    • Sebastian Molin
    2023 APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE

    The development of cost-efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts is one of the most important tasks facing modern techniques for hydrogen production. In this work, for the first time, a low-energy ball milling process of MnCo2O4 (MCO) spinel powders, with a mechanical modification time exceeding 1 day was used. After 6 days of ball-milling, the obtained overpotential of the electrocatalyst reached the value of 375 mV at 10 mA cm-2, which is a relatively low value obtained for this type of compound. The studies showed how the mechanical (low-energy long-term milling process) and chemical modification of the fragmented spinel powder nanoparticle surfaces affects the increase of the electrocatalytic properties. The addition of the appropriate amount of conductive carbon black (cCB) and Nafion ionomer to the ink of the MCO spinel also has a significant effect on the improvement of the catalytic performance of the manganese-cobalt oxide during the milling process. By reducing the amount of Nafion to 10% of its initial value, the overpotential dropped to 352 mV at 10 mA cm-2 after 30 days of ball-milling. This shows that catalyst ink and layer composition are important factors influencing the catalyst’s efficiency in the OER

  • Tailoring diamondised nanocarbon-loaded poly(lactic acid) composites for highly electroactive surfaces: extrusion and characterisation of filaments for improved 3D-printed surfaces
    • Mateusz Cieślik
    • Agnieszka Susik
    • Mariusz Banasiak
    • Robert Bogdanowicz
    • Krzysztof Formela
    • Jacek Ryl
    2023 Pełny tekst MICROCHIMICA ACTA

    A new 3D-printable composite has been developed dedicated to electroanalytical applications. Two types of diamondised nanocarbons - detonation nanodiamonds (DNDs) and boron-doped carbon nanowalls (BCNWs) - were added as fillers in poly(lactic acid) (PLA)-based composites to extrude 3D filaments. Carbon black served as a primary filler to reach high composite conductivity at low diamondised nanocarbon concentrations (0.01 to 0.2 S/cm, depending on the type and amount of filler). The aim was to thoroughly describe and understand the interactions between the composite components and how they affect the rheological, mechanical and thermal properties, and electrochemical characteristics of filaments and material extrusion printouts. The electrocatalytic properties of composite-based electrodes, fabricated with a simple 3D pen, were evaluated using multiple electrochemical techniques (cyclic and differential pulse voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy). The results showed that the addition of 5 wt% of any of the diamond-rich nanocarbons fillers significantly enhanced the redox process kinetics, leading to lower redox activation overpotentials compared with carbon black–loaded PLA. The detection of dopamine was successfully achieved through fabricated composite electrodes, exhibiting lower limits of detection (0.12 μM for DND and 0.18 μM for BCNW) compared with the reference CB-PLA electrodes (0.48 μM). The thermogravimetric results demonstrated that both DND and BCNW powders can accelerate thermal degradation. The presence of diamondised nanocarbons, regardless of their type, resulted in a decrease in the decomposition temperature of the composite. The study provides insight into the interactions between composite components and their impact on the electrochemical properties of 3D-printed surfaces, suggesting electroanalytic potential.

  • Tailoring optical constants of few-layer black phosphorus coatings: Spectroscopic ellipsometry approach supported by ab-initio simulation
    • Aleksandra Wieloszyńska
    • Krzysztof Pyrchla
    • Paweł Jakóbczyk
    • Dawid Lentka
    • Mirosław Sawczak
    • Łukasz Skowroński
    • Robert Bogdanowicz
    2023 Pełny tekst JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY

    2D black phosphorus (BP) has attracted extensive attention as an anisotropic platform for novel optoelectronic and polarizing optics applications. Insight into the factors that tune the optical and polarizing properties of 2D BP reveals their essential influence on BP-based photonic and optoelectronic devices. In this work, studies of the optical constants of few-layer black phosphorus coatings are studied and discussed, with particular emphasis on the complex dielectric function. Herein, the complex optical constants of multi-flake composite films in the energy range of 1.38–6.2 eV by spectroscopic ellipsometry with the use of the classical optical model have been determined. Classical optical simulations were supplied by dielectric function estimations delivered by density functional theory. Additionally, few-layer black phosphorus coatings were imaged by polarizing microscopy and investigated by Raman spectroscopy, revealing a size-tunable flake composition. The pattern analysis of the polarization images reveals a shift in polarization anisotropy originated mainly from the central region of the flake. The semi-isotropic optical properties suggest that the extinction coefficient of BP flakes defines the applications of BP in photonics, waveguides, and directional optoelectronic devices.

  • Tam gdzie fikcja spotyka się z rzeczywistością
    • Jacek Lebiedź
    2023 Pismo PG

    Na tyłach budynku A Wydziału Elektroniki, Telekomunikacji i Informatyki (tego z zerami i jedynkami na elewacji) mieści się laboratorium odmienne wyglądem od innych laboratoriów politechnicznych. Zajmuje ono sięgającą czwartego piętra czarną sześcienną kostkę dobudowaną 10 lat temu w bezpośrednim sąsiedztwie audytorium, któremu od dwóch lat patronuje doc. Marianna Sankiewicz, przysiadłszy na ławeczce przed jego wejściem. Wydaje się, że nie tylko zaprasza do audytorium, ale również do wspomnianego wyżej nietypowego laboratorium, do którego prowadzą drzwi przed wejściem do audytorium.

  • Targeting Spike‐ACE2 Interface of SARS‐CoV‐2 and its Omicron Variant: A Comparative Screening of Potential Inhibitors for Existing and Anticipating Variants Using Molecular Modelling Approach
    • Dineshbabu Takkella
    • Sudhanshu Sharma
    • Radosław Krzemieniecki
    • Ashok Pabbathi
    • Subrahmanyam Sappati
    • Krishna Gavvala
    2023 ChemistrySelect

    The recent COVID pandemic has shown major impact on public health and economic crisis. Despite the development of many vaccines and drugs against the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus 2, the pandemic still persists. The continued spread of the virus is largely driven by the emergence of viral variants such as α, β, γ, delta, epsilon spike, omicron and its subvariants (BA.1,2,3) which can evade the current vaccines through mutations in the spike protein.[1] For instance, spike to omicron has modifications at different mutations (D405N, K417N, S477N, E484A, Q493R, N501Y, Y505H).[1b] These mutations will affect functional properties and hence may alter the specificity towards potential drug candidates. Therefore, it is important to understand the role of these mutations on interactions with existing drug candidates. In this study, we focus on the two forms of SARS-CoV-2, such as wild-type spike and omicron and unveil their interactions with different drugs. For this purpose, we have taken about hundred drugs categorised in twelve groups of anticancer, natural products, enzyme inhibitors, antivirals, antioxidants, anti-bacterials, anti-malarials, antidiabetics, antimicrobials, anti-inflammatory, antifungals and other drugs. We used in-silico methods to understand the effect of these drug molecules on wild type and omicron spike RBD at the interface of ACE2 enzyme. Based on molecular docking results, we have chosen 7 best docked compounds and studied their interaction patterns in detail by molecular dynamics simulation.

  • Technical and economic analysis of energy storage in the compressed air technology with low capacity for the production plant
    • Krzysztof Kosowski
    • Marian Piwowarski
    • Wojciech Włodarski
    • Paweł Ziemiański
    • Gabriel Pawlak
    2023 ENERGY CONVERSION AND MANAGEMENT

    Compressed air energy storage (CAES) system is a promising technology due to its numerous advantages, including relatively low maintenance cost, a long lifespan and high operational flexibility. This article explores the possibility of designing a CAES power plant as a source of electricity and heat for an existing industrial plant. The study involves the technical analysis of the power plant parameters and the economic analysis of the pro- ject’s feasibility. The proposed power plant is an innovative solution with an air expander with an external combustion chamber and a bypass that allows the combustion of virtually any fuel, making it particularly environmentally friendly. In the system, the use of a combustion chamber at the outlet of the turbine makes the chamber operate at a constant pressure that is close to atmospheric pressure. The designed power plant has a capacity of approx. 3.1 MW. Turbine operation reaches an efficiency of about 76%. Additional modification of the power plant and the use of heat from compressor cooling could increase the power of the power plant by about 0.5 MW. The conducted financial analysis showed that the project is economically feasible under the adopted assumptions in three modeled scenarios. Under the most optimistic scenario, the internal rate of return (IRR) reached 14.27%, and the investment return time was 10 years. When using long-term energy prices data, it was 7.46% and 23 years, respectively. The proposed CAES system is original and competitive in comparison to the currently used solutions.

  • Techniki zwiększania efektywności metody elementów skończonych poprzez redukcję dziedziny obliczeniowej z wykorzystaniem własności geometrii struktur
    • Małgorzata Warecka
    2023 Pełny tekst

    Współczesna elektronika ze względu na swój szybki rozwój wymaga od nas efektywnego modelowania zjawisk polowych. Celem rozprawy jest zwiększanie efektywności metody elementów skończonych poprzez redukcję dziedziny obliczeniowej z wykorzystaniem własności geometrii struktur oraz jej hybrydyzację z użyciem technik analitycznych. Rozprawa zawiera przegląd stanu wiedzy na temat dostępnych obecnie technik modelowania jak również opis kluczowych aspektów metody elementów skończonych. W ramach przeprowadzonych badań powstało pięć algorytmów, które obejmują zarówno rozpraszanie fali elektromagnetycznej jak i analizy prowadnic falowych czy struktur rezonansowych. Zaprezentowane techniki wykorzystują między innymi symetrię osiową czy dekompozycję dziedziny. Praca zawiera hybrydyzację metody elementów skończonych wykorzystującą uogólnioną macierz impedancji, która pozwala w łatwy sposób modelować otwartą przestrzeń. Przebadane zostały również ograniczenia związane z jej wykorzystaniem do modelowania struktur periodycznych w porównaniu z periodycznymi warunkami brzegowymi. Praca obejmuje dwie struktury rezonansowe, przy czym jedna z nich wymaga rozwiązania nieliniowego problemu własnego. Dla wszystkich zaproponowanych technik w celu potwierdzenia poprawności prezentowanych podejść, otrzymane wyniki porównano z rezultatami dostępnymi w literaturze oraz otrzymanymi innymi uznanymi metodami.

  • Technique for reducing erosion in large-scale circulating fluidized bed units
    • Jarosław Grochowalski
    • Agata Widuch
    • Sławomir Sładek
    • Bartłomiej Melka
    • Marcin Nowak
    • Adam Klimanek
    • Marek Andrzejczyk
    • Marcin Klajny
    • Lucyna Czarnowska
    • Bartłomiej Hernik
    • Zhou Minmin
    • Sebastian Pawlak
    • Wojciech Adamczyk
    2023 POWDER TECHNOLOGY

    This paper presents a methodology, implemented for a real industrial-scale circulating fluidized bed boiler, to mitigate the risk of heating surfaces exposed to an intensive particle erosion process. For this purpose, a machine learning algorithm was developed to support the boiler reliability management process. Having a tool that can help mitigate the risk of uncontrolled power unit failure without expensive and technically complex modernization is desired. A virtual procedure can be seen as a milestone towards the application of digital models to the diagnostic procedure of large power units, providing answers for many scenarios that cannot be normally studied during boiler operation. The predictive model developed in this work allows us to provide the requested feedback to the unit control systems regarding possible changes in boiler operating conditions and reduce the erosion effect. The functionality of the discussed methodology is investigated via application of the developed multiphase computational model.

  • Techno-economic assessment of cooperation of hybrid renewable energy sources with hydrogen storage
    • Jakub Łukasik
    • Marcin Jewartowski
    • Jan Wajs
    2023 Instal

    The paper presents a technical and economic analysis of the power supply for a model industrial facility with the use of the most promising renewable energy sources (RES), supported by a hydrogen energy storage. This scenario was compared with the variants of supplying the facility directly from the grid and from RES without energy storage. A strategy was proposed for powering the plant aimed at maximising self-consumption of self-generated electricity. In this paper the importance of hybrid renewable energy systems (HRES) with hydrogen energy storage in the Polish Power System is pointed out. For the analysed industrial object, the modelling and optimisation of the systems were performed in the HOMER software, in terms of the lowest net present cost. Attention was also paid to the need to compress hydrogen and the associated electricity consumption.

  • Techno-economic evaluation of combined cycle gas turbine and a diabatic compressed air energy storage integration concept
    • Sylwia Kruk-Gotzman
    • Iliya Iliev
    • Gabriel-Paul Negreanu
    • Janusz Badur
    • Paweł Ziółkowski
    2023 ENERGY

    More and more operational flexibility is required from conventional power plants due to the increasing share of weather-dependent renewable energy sources (RES) generation in the power system. One way to increase power plant’s flexibility is integrating it with energy storage. The energy storage facility can be used to minimize ramping or shutdowns and therefore should lower overall generating costs and CO2 emissions. In this article, we examined the effects of a combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power plan and a compressed air energy storage (CAES) system integration. The main feature of the CCGT-CAES integration concept is using the CCGT installation as a heat recipient and provider for the CAES installation. This approach was applied to a real-life case study of the PGE Gorz´ow CCGT power plant. First, technical feasibility of itegrating a CCGT plant with a CAES system was verified and the restrictions on the operating conditions were identified. Next, the improvement in flexibility was quantified by the additional profits gained from the integration. Polish day-ahead electricity prices were used as a measure for remunerating flexibility. Two models were developed in the Python computer programming language: a thermodynamic one and an economic one. The former was buit without the use of flowsheeting software or purpose-built industry specific tool. The latter was implemented within the frame of the PuLP library and solved using its default solver (CBC). By means of mixed integer linear programming (MILP) optimal generation schedules and maximum profits were found for three cases: an independent operation of the CCGT, an integrated CCGT-CAES plant and an integrated CCGT-ES plant with 81% storage efficiency. The results of the computational simulations contradict the supposition that the integration is economically viable, even if mechanical energy storage efficiency of 81% is assumed. Regarding the impact of the integration on the optimal schedule, although it is negligible for the 56% mechanical energy storage efficiency case, a significant change in operation profiles is observed for the 81% case. The model developed here can be used either when making decisions about investment in flexibility improvements or for planning daily operation of a generating unit.

  • Technological solutions for boosting hydrogen role in decarbonization strategies and net-zero goals of world shipping: Challenges and perspectives
    • Anh Tuan Hoang
    • Ashok Pandey
    • Francisco Javier Martinez De Osés
    • Wei-Hsin Chen
    • Zafar Said
    • Kim Hoong Ng
    • Ümit Ağbulut
    • Wiesław Tarełko
    • Aykut I. Ölçer
    • Xuan Phuong Nguyen
    2023 RENEWABLE & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS

    Facing the problems concerning greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from international ocean shipping has meant that the latest regulations of the International Maritime Organization, issued on 1st January 2023, have come into force, with the aim of reducing GHG emissions from maritime activities. Hydrogen has been suggested as an alternative fuel to achieve decarbonization ambitions in the near future. Although hydrogen has been investigated and developed over the years, its application in ocean freight is still at an embryonic stage, with a very limited number of studies exploring its feasibility. Therefore, this work comprehensively reviewed the pertinent knowledge in the field, associated with the production, storage, and energy-derivation of hydrogen on ships and aims to identify the potential issues and provide possible solutions for fueling the shipping industry with hydrogen energy. It was found that the under-par development of hydrogen-based energy for the shipping industry can be explained by the following reasons: (i) the inability of space-limited ships to use the currently available hydrogen technologies; (ii) difficulties in hydrogen storage; (iii) under-developed infrastructure at hydrogen-bunkering ports; (iv) high retrofitting, maintenance, and operating costs; (v) incomplete guidelines, international rules and regulations for the implementation of hydrogen in fueling global shipping; and (vi) cheaper conventional fuels leading to the reluctancy of industry players to become involved in such a green transition. Finally, several suggestions relating to technological aspects and policy implications were given aiming at advocating the green transition of hydrogen-powered maritime industries for cleaner and more sustainable global trading.

  • Technological vs. Non-Technological Mindsets: Learning From Mistakes, and Organizational Change Adaptability to Remote Work
    • Wioleta Kucharska
    • Maciej Kucharski
    2023 Pełny tekst European conference on management, leadership and governance

    The permanent implementation of the change in working methods, e.g., working in the virtual space, is problematic for some employees and, as a result, for management leaders. To explore this issue deeper, this study assumes that mindset type: technological vs. non-technological, may influence the organizational adaptability to change. Moreover, the key interest of this research is how non-technological mindsets adapt to remote work in the long run. Based on the OLS regression (SPSS PROCESS), authors analyze three data sets gathered via the questionnaire distributed using the CAWI method among Polish knowledge workers; the first data set was gathered in December 2019 before the COVID-19 crisis, and the next in 2021 and 2022. Findings revealed that before COVID-19, high intensity of contacts via technology-supported change adaptability only for the IT industry. Results obtained two and three years later exposed that interactions via technology also increased the change adaptability in other sectors. This study confirms that the technological environment can change the employee mindset. Nevertheless, at the same time, the adaptability process can be prolonged and complex even for highly educated knowledge workers’ groups. Since there is no development without technology today - patience and long-run perspective thinking are recommended to achieve sustainable growth. It is critical. Adaptation to technology-dominated virtual workspaces must continue, even if this is problematic for non-technological mindsets; abandoning this idea will only make the inevitable transformation longer and more challenging. Collective intelligence creation requires inclusion and patience instead of exclusion of those who face problems or abandonment of change when facing implementation problems rooted in mindsets.

  • Technologies for Joining and Forming Thin-Walled Structures in the Construction of Transportation Vehicles
    • Dariusz Fydrych
    • Andrzej Kubit
    • Ján Slota
    • Agnieszka Kowalczyk
    2023 Pełny tekst Materials

    Editorial

  • Technology adoption review for ageing well: analysis of technical solutions
    • Ishaya Gambo
    • M. Victoria Bueno-Delgado
    • Kerli Mooses
    • Francisco J. Melero Muñoz
    • Rina Zviel-Girshin
    • Aliaksei Andrushevich
    • Michael Mrissa
    • Agnieszka Landowska
    • Kuldar Taveter
    2023 Pełny tekst Frontiers in Public Health

    While several technological solutions are available for older adults to improve their wellbeing and quality of life, little is known about the gaps between the needs, provided solutions, and their adoption from a more pragmatic perspective. This paper reports on reviewing existing technological solutions for older adults, which span the work life, life in the community, and wellbeing at home. We analyzed 50 different solutions to uncover both negative and positive features of these solutions from the perspective of the impact of technology adoption on the quality of life of older adults. Our approach harnesses holistic reasoning to determine the most suitable technologies available today and provides suggestions for improvement toward designing and implementing better solutions.

  • Technology brands in the digitally-based and network economy. Setting the background
    • Wioleta Kucharska
    • Ewa Lechman
    2023

    This chapter defines and draws a general picture on Digital Technologies and Technology Brands’ meaning in the current economy. It contextualises the role and channels of digital technology’s impact on their shaping technology brands in network economy. It briefly explains why digital, innovative technologies constitute a perfect background and environment for technology brands of global scope. It discusses the place of technology brands in modern and technology-driven economies, showing their contribution to economic activities, jobs creation, and business running modes—both in economic and managerial terms. Furthermore, it proposes further studies directions.

  • Technology-Enhanced Environmental Learning: Co-design of Educational Mobile Application Case
    • Jolanta Kowal
    • Helena Anacka
    • Iwona Nowakowska
    • Ewa Duda
    • Hanna Obracht-Prondzyńska
    2023

    The process of co-creating an educational mobile application to support environmentally friendly behavior is presented in this paper. The research material consisted of quantitative data collected on the application during the first testing phase by early adopters. The results suggest that the most frequently used features of the app were related to transport and educational activities. While women tended to split their time between transport and learning, men focused mainly on transport. This study contributes to the growing field of the use of educational mobile applications for the promotion of environmentally friendly behavior. The study results can support the design and development of future applications that encourage sustainable practices, benefit society, and contribute to a more sustainable future.