bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prehospital lactate improves prediction of the need for immediate interventions for hemorrhage after trauma
Authors: Fukuma Hiroshi , Nakada Taka-aki , Shimada Tadanaga , Shimazui Takashi , Aizimu Tuerxun , Nakao Shota , Watanabe Hiroaki , Mizushima Yasuaki , Matsuoka Tetsuya
Published: September 2019

The blood lactate level is used to guide the management of trauma patients with circulatory disturbance. We hypothesized that blood lactate levels at the scene (Lac scene) could improve the prediction for immediate interventions for hemorrhage. We prospectively measured blood lactate levels and assessed retrospectively in 435 trauma patients both at the scene and on arrival at the emergency room (ER) of a level I trauma center. Primary outcome was immediate intervention for hemorrhage defined as surgical/radiological intervention and/or blood transfusion within 24 h. Physiological variables plus Lac scene significantly increased the predictive value for immediate intervention (area under the curve [AUC] 0.882, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.839–0.925) compared to that using physiological variables only (AUC 0.837, 95% CI 0.787–0.887, P = 0.0073), replicated in the validation cohort (n = 85). There was no significant improvement in predicting value of physiological variables plus Lac scene for massive transfusion compared to physiological variables (AUC 0.903 vs 0.895, P = 0.32). The increased blood lactate level per minute from scene to ER was associated with increased probability for immediate intervention (P < 0.0001). Both adding Lac scene to physiological variables and the temporal elevation of blood lactate levels from scene to ER could improve the prediction of the immediate intervention.
Quantitative Phase and Intensity Microscopy Using Snapshot White Light Wavefront Sensing
Authors: Wang Congli , Fu Qiang , Dun Xiong , Heidrich Wolfgang
Published: September 2019

Phase imaging techniques are an invaluable tool in microscopy for quickly examining thin transparent specimens. Existing methods are limited to either simple and inexpensive methods that produce only qualitative phase information (e.g. phase contrast microscopy, DIC), or significantly more elaborate and expensive quantitative methods. Here we demonstrate a low-cost, easy to implement microscopy setup for quantitative imaging of phase and bright field amplitude using collimated white light illumination.
Velocity-dependent optical forces and Maxwell’s demon
Authors: Franson J. D.
Published: September 2019

An atom placed in a focused laser beam will experience a dipole force due to the gradient in the interaction energy, which is analogous to the well-known optical tweezers effect. This force will be dependent on the velocity of the atom due to the Doppler effect, which could potentially be used to implement a Maxwell’s demon. Photon scattering and other forms of dissipation can be negligibly small, which would seem to contradict quantum information proofs that a Maxwell’s demon must dissipate a minimum amount of energy. We show that the velocity dependence of the dipole force is cancelled out by another force that is related to the gradient in the phase of the laser beam. As a result, a Maxwell’s demon cannot be implemented in this way.
Population-scale hand tremor analysis via anonymized mouse cursor signals
Authors: White Ryen W. , Horvitz Eric
Published: September 2019

Tremors are a common movement disorder with a spectrum of benign and pathological causes, including neurodegenerative disease, alcohol withdrawal, and physical overexertion. Studies of tremors in clinical practice are limited in size and scope and depend on explicit tracking of tremor characteristics by clinicians. Data drawn from small numbers of patients observed in short-duration sessions pose challenges for understanding the nature and distribution of tremors over a large population. Methods are presented to estimate hand tremors based on anonymized computer mouse cursor movement data collected from millions of users of a web search engine. To determine the feasibility of using this signal for the estimation of the prevalence of tremors over a large population, the characteristics of tremor-like movements are computed and compared against user data that can be interpreted as self-reports, the findings of published clinical studies, and a target selection study where participants self-report hand tremors and known causes. The results demonstrate significant alignment between estimated tremors and both self-reports and clinical findings. Those with cursor tremor events are more likely to report tremor-related search interests. Variations in cursor tremor quantity and cursor tremor frequency with demographics mirror those from clinical studies. Distributions of cursor tremor frequencies vary as expected for different medical conditions. Overall, the study finds evidence for the validity of harnessing anonymized mouse cursor motion as a population-scale tremor sensor for epidemiologic studies. Feasible future applications include opt-in services for screening and for monitoring the progression of illness.
Nitroxide radical-containing polynorbornenes by ring-opening metathesis polymerization as stabilizing agents for polyolefins
Authors: Nicolas Clémence , Fontaine Laurent , Montembault Véronique
Published: September 2019

A series of original 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO)-containing dicarboximide norbornene monomers have been synthesized and polymerized via ring-opening metathesis polymerization using the Grubbs 3rd generation catalyst.
Synthesis and self-assembly of photoacid-containing block copolymers based on 1-naphthol
Authors: Wendler Felix , Tom Jessica C. , Schacher Felix H.
Published: September 2019

Photoacids experience a strong increase in acidity when absorbing light and, hence, can be considered as molecular switches. The incorporation into amphiphilic block copolymers leads to novel stimuli-responsive materials with great potential.
Preparation of hydrophobically modified associating multiblock copolymers via a one-pot aqueous RAFT polymerization
Authors: St Thomas Claude , Muñoz López Cesar Nadem , Jiménez Regalado Enrique Javier , de Jesús Tellez Marco Antonio , Festag Grit , Schubert Ulrich S. , Guerrero-Sánchez Carlos
Published: September 2019

A versatile strategy for synthesizing hydrophobically modified associating multiblock copolymers via a one-pot aqueous RAFT polymerization at 70 °C is described. The resultant copolymers exhibited entanglement networks with excellent rheological properties.
Zinc–air batteries: are they ready for prime time?
Authors: Zhang Jie , Zhou Qixing , Tang Yawen , Zhang Liang , Li Yanguang
Published: September 2019

Zn–air batteries are under revival.
Simulation of fluid/gel phase equilibrium in lipid vesicles
Authors: Stelter David , Keyes Tom
Published: September 2019

Simulation of DPPC lipid vesicles of diameter 10 nm (1350 lipids), 20 nm (5100 lipids) and 40 nm (17 600 lipids) is performed using statistical temperature molecular dynamics (STMD), to study finite size effects upon the gel/fluid transition.
The infrared line-emitting regions of T Tauri protoplanetary disks
Authors: Greenwood A. J. , Kamp I. , Waters L. B. F. M. , Woitke P. , Thi W.-F.
Published: September 2019

Mid-infrared molecular line emission detected with the Spitzer Space Telescope is often interpreted using slab models. However, we need to understand the mid-infrared line emission in 2D disk models, such that we gain information about from where the lines are being emitted and under which conditions, such that we gain information about number densities, temperatures, and optical depths in both the radial and vertical directions. In this paper, we introduce a series of 2D thermochemical models of a prototypical T Tauri protoplanetary disk, in order to examine how sensitive the line-emitting regions are to changes in the UV and X-ray fluxes, the disk flaring angle, dust settling, and the dust-to-gas ratio. These all affect the heating of the inner disk, and thus can affect the mid-infrared spectral lines. Using the ProDiMo and FLiTs codes, we produce a series of 2D thermochemical disk models. We find that there is often a significant difference between the gas and dust temperatures in the line emitting regions, and we illustrate that the size of the line emitting regions is relatively robust against changes in the stellar and disk parameters (namely, the UV and X-ray fluxes, the flaring angle, and dust settling). These results demonstrate the potential for localized variations in the line-emitting region to greatly affect the resulting spectra and line fluxes, and the necessity of allowing for such variations in our models.
Strongly lensed SNe Ia in the era of LSST: observing cadence for lens discoveries and time-delay measurements
Authors: Huber S. , Suyu S. H. , Noebauer U. M. , Bonvin V. , Rothchild D. , Chan J. H. H. , Awan H. , Courbin F. , Kromer M. , Marshall P. , Oguri M. , Ribeiro T. ,   the LSST Dark Energy Science Collaboration
Published: September 2019

The upcoming Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) will detect many strongly lensed Type Ia supernovae (LSNe Ia) for time-delay cosmography. This will provide an independent and direct way for measuring the Hubble constant H0, which is necessary to address the current 4.4σ tension in H0 between the local distance ladder and the early Universe measurements. We present a detailed analysis of different observing strategies (also referred to as cadence strategy) for the LSST, and quantify their impact on time-delay measurement between multiple images of LSNe Ia. For this, we simulated observations by using mock LSNe Ia for which we produced mock-LSST light curves that account for microlensing. Furthermore, we used the free-knot splines estimator from the software PyCS to measure the time delay from the simulated observations. We find that using only LSST data for time-delay cosmography is not ideal. Instead, we advocate using LSST as a discovery machine for LSNe Ia, enabling time delay measurements from follow-up observations from other instruments in order to increase the number of systems by a factor of 2–16 depending on the observing strategy. Furthermore, we find that LSST observing strategies, which provide a good sampling frequency (the mean inter-night gap is around two days) and high cumulative season length (ten seasons with a season length of around 170 days per season), are favored. Rolling cadences subdivide the survey and focus on different parts in different years; these observing strategies trade the number of seasons for better sampling frequency. In our investigation, this leads to half the number of systems in comparison to the best observing strategy. Therefore rolling cadences are disfavored because the gain from the increased sampling frequency cannot compensate for the shortened cumulative season length. We anticipate that the sample of lensed SNe Ia from our preferred LSST cadence strategies with rapid follow-up observations would yield an independent percent-level constraint on H0.
An analysis of sales of coal products with reference to environmental regulations of the European Union
Authors: Manowska Anna , Rybak Aurelia
Published: September 2019

Hard-coal mines deliver coal with crucially diversified quality parameters to the energy market, thus demonstrating the considerable production capacity of the coal industry, which endeavours to adapt to the high quality demands of the market. An essential element influencing the situation of the Polish coal sector is its regulatory environment. European directives transposed to the domestic legislative system are mainly aimed at decarbonisation, which will result in a significant reduction of the economic role of the qualitatively worst coals. The impact of these regulations on the functioning energy and fuel sectors poses a challenge for both the mining industry and energy companies. Once Poland joined the European Union, the issue of mechanical processing, which influences the quality of market coal, became a major issue due to effective European coal quality requirements. The present article presents an analysis of the potential for selling hard coal in reference to environmental regulations of the European Union. This analysis enabled the development of a theoretical model for forecasting demand on the domestic market. A proper forecast of demand enables flexible and dynamic adjustment of levels of production or inventory to changes taking place in the market.
Unique properties of Ecoflex® electrospun structures
Authors: Borowczak Maciej , Sobczyk Karolina , Leluk Karol
Published: September 2019

Electrospinning of biodegradable poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) has been performed. Alternation of process parameters resulted in slight changes in the surface structure morphology of the obtained fibres which was evaluated by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
Long-wave radiation balances of the south-west Poland
Authors: Bryś Krystyna , Bryś Tadeusz , Głogowski Arkadiusz
Published: September 2019

The paper goal is to show trends of seasonal and year to year variability of long-wave radiation balances of the active surface in SW Poland, taking into account the standard meteorological data from 1971–2000 for Jelenia Góra, Kłodzko, Legnica, Leszno, Opole, Wrocław and Mt. Śnieżka. The average monthly values of these balances were calculated using the selected two variants of the Brunt’s formula (standard and modified by Michałowska-Smak). In the researched 30-year courses prevail positive trends but with different statistical significance. The analysed trends of the average annual values have been compared with appropriate trends of air temperature, sunshine duration and cloudiness to understand the regional relations of the long-wave radiation balance to these parameters of the climatic variability. These analyses are essential part of wider research fields on long-term variability and trends of net radiation fluxes and their components on different active surfaces in Lower Silesia.
A review of heat recovery possibility in flue gases discharge system of gas radiant heaters
Authors: Dudkiewicz Edyta , Szałański Paweł
Published: September 2019

Heating of large-cubage buildings accounts for significant share of energy consumption. The radiant heating system using gas heaters is a common solution for large-cubage halls and is considered to be energy efficient. There is a possibility of additional heat energy recovery from the flue gases of gas radiant heaters because new solutions were introduced to the market. Furthermore heat recovery consists the most promising solution and develop during the recent years rapidly. On the other hand, few works have been dedicated to heat recovery from exhaust gas but none of them consider exhaust gas from radiant heaters. Exhaust gas temperature depends on the type and efficiency of the gas heater. The selection of both the type of radiant heaters and the heat recovery system requires many factors to be taken into account. This study consider possibilities for application of different heat exchangers in exhaust gases system of gas radiant heaters. The authors propose to classify exhaust gas heat recovery systems in dependence on intermediary medium: water/air, gas heaters type: ceramic/tube and number (single/group) and their mounting location.
Analysis of the power extraction rate change for boreholes in time and in different heat load conditions
Authors: Fidorów-Kaprawy Natalia , Stefanowicz Ewelina
Published: September 2019

Paper shows the performance analysis of the boreholes being the lower heat source for the brine-to-water heat pump. Researchers focused on the changes of the specific power extraction rate change in time and in various loads. The measurements were the continuation of the analysis of the differences between the Thermal Response Test (TRT) and exploitation data made in 2016/2017 heating season. The heat source performance under greater load and in longer period have been examined. The analysis showed brine temperature drop in overload work conditions even when ambient temperature was high and severe heat source destabilization despite a return to original performance.
Studies on PV power plant designing to fulfil the energy demand of small community in Poland
Authors: Krawczak Ewelina
Published: September 2019

Although the total energy production from fossil fuels in Poland has been decreasing for the past few years, still at least 80% of the total energy consumption derives from coal. To reduce this high consumption rate alternative energy sources should be developed. One of the most promising is photovoltaics. This paper presents modeling studies of large scale PV power plant design to fulfil the electricity needs of a small community located in Poland. Based on the energy demand prognosis and monthly solar radiation data PV power plant capacity and a number of modules were computed. The distance between rows of the modules was also determined to avoid the shadowing effect. System configuration and energy production simulations were carried out using DDS-Cad software. Results of energy calculations were compared with the yearly energy needs of the studied community. Reduction of greenhouse gases emission was estimated. Modeling results show that proposed 3.1 MWp photovoltaic plant can produce enough energy to fulfil the yearly energy demand of the households in the studied area. Moreover, significant reduction of CO2 emission and other gaseous pollutants were observed.
Influence of temperature and C/N ratio on nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria of biofilters treating wastewater from de-icing airport runways
Authors: Mielcarek Artur , Ostrowska Kamila , Rodziewicz Joanna , Janczukowicz Wojciech , Struk-Sokołowska Joanna
Published: September 2019

One of the key elements in the operational management of airports is effective de-icing of surfaces. The run-off of precipitation water loaded with pollutants from de-icing is a considerable and costly problem. The aim of our research has been to evaluate the applicability of biofilters filled with light expanded clay aggregate (LECA) generated from incineration of sewage sludge and now serving as a matrix for the development of microorganisms. The tested biofilters treated precipitation water polluted with agents used to de-ice airports. The solution was tested on a laboratory scale, in a range of temperatures from 0 to 25°C, and at concentrations of pollutants from airport de-icing expressed as COD and varying from 503.30 to 3827.50 mg O2·L-1. The tested filling allowed nitrifying as well as denitrifying bacteria to grow and develop even at low temperatures. Biofilters provide simultaneous nitrification and denitrification, as well as removal of organic compounds, even at 0°C. Biofilters based on the granulate prepared from fly ash from sewage sludge thermal treatment can be a cost-efficient and low-maintenance technology to treat airport surface runoff.
Experimental and CFD analysis on heat transfer and fluid flow characteristic of a tube equipped with variable pitch twisted tape
Authors: Paneliya Sagar , Prajapati Parth , Patel Umang , Trivedi Ingit , Patel Anshu , Patel Krunal , Khanna Sakshum
Published: September 2019

In this paper, we report an experimental and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) investigation on the overall heat transfer coefficient, friction factor and effectiveness of a tube equipped with classic and variable twisted tape inserts. Constant (Y = 4.0) and variable pitch twisted inserts (Y = 4-3-4) made of Stainless Steel and Aluminium were used during the experiments due to their ease in machinability. Resistance thermometers were used to measure temperature of the working fluid at the inlet and outlet of the test section. It was observed that the twisted tape in the tube imposes the turbulence in the fluid and enhances the heat transfer due to swirling flow. The results showed that the overall heat transfer coefficient and effectiveness of aluminium variable pitch twisted tape were higher than stainless steel inserts. The experimental data obtained were validated using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations. The constant pitch inserts for aluminium and stainless steel showed an enhancement of 67.54% and 66.65% as compared to plain tube. Whereas aluminium variable pitch inserts showed an enhancement of overall heat transfer coefficient by 18.15% as compared to constant pitch insert and stainless-steel variable pitch insert showed enhancement of 15.25% as compared to constant pitch insert.
A GIS Open Source Software application for mapping solar energy resources in urban areas
Authors: Pietras-Szewczyk Małgorzata
Published: September 2019

This paper presents the development of an open source geographical information system (GIS) software module for mapping solar energy resources for urban areas. The main goal of this work is to demonstrate the potential use of the r.sun module, a component of GRASS software, in calculating real solar radiation for urban areas. Modelling of the spatial distribution of solar radiation is one of the program functions. The r.sun module is dedicated for that purpose; however, it can only generate the spatial distribution of potential solar radiation. To get the real solar radiation maps it is advisable to use meteorological data, that describe diminution of solar radiation caused by cloud cover. In order to facilitate the generation of maps a GRASS source code modification was made. As a result, the r.sun module used in this work generates the real spatial distribution of solar radiation. The results are shown to be comparable with solar radiation satellite data obtained from the HelioClim project.
Design of materials for solid oxide fuel cells cathodes and oxygen separation membranes based on fundamental studies of their oxygen mobility and surface reactivity
Authors: Sadykov Vladislav , Sadovskaya Ekaterina , Eremeev Nikita , Pikalova Elena , Bogdanovich Nina , Filonova Elena , Fedorova Yulia , Krasnov Alexey , Skriabin Pavel , Lukashevich Anton
Published: September 2019

Design of materials for solid oxide fuel cells cathodes and oxygen separation membranes and studying their oxygen transport characteristics are important problems of modern hydrogen energy. In the current work, fundamentals of such materials design based on characterization of their oxygen mobility by oxygen isotope exchange with C18O2 and 18O2 in flow and closed reactors for samples of Ruddlesden – Popper-type oxides Ln2-xCaxNiO4+δ, perovskite-fluorite nanocomposites PrNi0.5Co0.5O3-δ – Ce0.9Y0.1O2-δ, etc. are presented. Fast oxygen transport was demonstrated for PNC – YDC (DO ~10-8 cm2/s at 700°C) nanocomposites due to domination of the fast diffusion channel involving oxygen of the fluorite phase with incorporated Pr cations and developed perovskite-fluorite interfaces. For LnCNO materials a high oxygen mobility (DO ~10-7 cm2/s at 700°C) provided by the cooperative mechanism of its migration was demonstrated. Depending on Ca dopant content and Ln cation nature, in some cases 1–2 additional channels of the slow diffusion appear due to decreasing the interstitial oxygen content and increasing the energy barrier for oxygen jumps due to cationic size effect. Optimized by the chemical composition and nanodomain structure materials of these types demonstrated a high performance as SOFC cathodes and functional layers in asymmetric supported oxygen separation membranes.
Potentialities of hydrogen enriched natural gas for residential heating decarbonization and impact analysis on premixed boilers
Authors: Schiro Fabio , Stoppato Anna , Benato Alberto
Published: September 2019

Nowadays, decarbonization of energy economy is a topical theme and several pathways are under discussion. Gaseous fuels will play a primary role during this transition, and the production of renewable or low carbon-impact gaseous fuels is necessary to deal with this challenge. Decarbonization will be sustained by an increasing share of renewables, which production intermittency can be critical for the energy system. Renewable hydrogen generation is a viable solution since this energy vector can be produced from electricity with a fast response and injected in the existing natural gas infrastructures, granting storage capacity and easy transport. Parallelly to the renewable-based energy production, fossil-based energy can be exploited with a low carbon impact, using methane from reservoirs to produce hydrogen capturing CO2. The mentioned scenarios will lead to hydrogen enrichment of natural gas, which impact on the infrastructures is being actively studied. The effect on end-user devices, instead, is poorly analysed, but is fundamental to be assessed. This paper highlights the impact on the widely used premixed condensing boilers, which will be fired with hydrogen enriched natural gas in the near future, and the changes required to components.
Air-to-air heat pump: review of recent advances and future potential
Authors: Serey Nicolas , Ahmad Darem , Jouhara Hussam
Published: September 2019

As the demand for energy is increasing and due to more focus on the utilization of low impact energy heat sources, heat pumps are a renewable energy technology that transfers thermal energy from one place to another. Heat pumps are used in various applications such as space heating, space cooling, heating water and many others. Heat pumps have many configurations but in essence they compose of components which are found in all units. The framework for 2030 climate and energy policy has decided that greenhouse emissions must be reduced by 40%. This has therefore, increased the need to utilize low grade energy. Heat pumps have the capability to utilize the upgrade of low grade energy and reuse it within any domestic and industrial application. This paper will explain the working principle of an air-to-air heat pump, describing the different configurations, and evaluate the performance of such systems.
Antibiotic resistance in tap water during the summer season – preliminary research
Authors: Siedlecka Agata , Piekarska Katarzyna
Published: September 2019

Antibiotic resistance of bacteria is regarded as a global health risk and should be monitored in all environments, including tap water distribution systems. In this study, tap water samples were collected from two water treatment plants and selected points-of-use from the water distribution network. The abundances of antibiotic resistant bacteria were determined via culture-dependent method and the presence of selected antibiotic resistance genes was detected via PCR. The influence of the distance of points-of-use from water treatment plants on bacterial loads and antibiotic resistance phenomenon was evaluated. The paper presents preliminary results of a large-scale study concerning spatial and seasonal variation in antibiotic resistance of bacteria dwelling in the tap water system in Wrocław.
Impact of location characteristics on renewable energy production for a group of buildings
Authors: Szczerbak Krystian
Published: September 2019

The climate in Poland is slightly disparate in each region. The differences in temperature not always come along with the intensity of solar radiation in 5 climate zones. South of the country is colder, but well irradiated by the Sun and northern regions have milder climate, but are less irradiated. This fact alone makes people consider the suitability and safety of using renewable energy sources such as air-to-water heat pumps, solar collectors and photovoltaics instead of more traditional, fossil fuel powered sources. This paper presents a comparison analysis of energy demand and the cost for heating in a group of single-family buildings by 4 variants (gas boiler, gas boiler and solar collectors, air-to-water heat pump, air-to-water heat pump and photovoltaics) in 5 chosen cities in each polish climate zone. Calculations were done for space heating and domestic hot water energy demand, CO2 emissions and cumulative costs for all variants and locations. The results confirm the inconsistency of polish climate and have shown profitability and utility of renewable energy sources.
Estimation of sensible and latent heat based on measurements for non-typical large room
Authors: Szczęśniak Sylwia , Walaszczyk Juliusz
Published: September 2019

The knowledge about dynamic changing heating and cooling load in existing building is essential for proper energy management. Whenever existing building is analyzed or ventilation system is going optimized, it’s essential to estimate temporary sensible and latent heat based on historical data. The basic conditions for heat calculations are quasi-stable thermal conditions. If supply air temperature significantly varies in short time, what happens very often, the calculations can give untrue results. The procedure described in this article improves usability of measured data affected by rapid supply air temperature changing. Therefore real sensible and latent heat can be calculated, what it is important for future optimization process. Specified, on the basis of varying supply and exhaust air temperatures, thermal loads range from -55.8 kW to 40.7 kW was substitute to more authentic range from -14.1 kW to 51.2 kW received from the conducted simulations. In addition, the data obtained from the simulation showed that latent heat gains were associated with the air temperature in the room, and not with the operation mode of the ventilation unit (day/night) as observed on the basis of historical data.
Perspectives on the use of geothermal heat pump systems to reduce low emitted air pollutants in the health resort areas
Authors: Szulc Aleksandra , Tomaszewska Barbara
Published: September 2019

The paper presents the possibilities of using geothermal heat pump systems in order to reduce the so-called “low-emission” in health resort area. The analysis was carried out on the example of the health resort Rabka-Zdrój, located in the southern part of Poland. Based on the acquired geological profiles of the boreholes, a detailed analysis of the rock mass was made in terms of thermal parameters. An interpretation of the potential unit heat output from individual boreholes was also made and the total lengths of vertical heat exchangers were determined for them. It was found that the health resort area has good thermal parameters of the rock mass, which can be used in shallow geothermal systems. Thermal conductivity coefficients (λ) of boreholes are in the range of 1.59–3.42 [W/(m·K)]. In addition, the value of the λ coefficient below 2.0 [W/(m·K)] was recorded in two cases. It was emphasized that the use of geothermal heat pump systems can have a significant contribution to reducing emission of pollutants and contribute to the reduction of so-called “low-emission”. The obtained values of the ecological effect in relation to coal-fired boilers limit by 99% the dust emission and B(a)P, which are the dominant pollutants in the context of so-called “low-emissions”.
Influence of ammonia on wet-limestone flue gas desulfurization process from coal-based power plant
Authors: Wypiór Tomasz , Krzyżyńska Renata
Published: September 2019

The paper presents data concerning the influence of ammonia on wet flue gas desulfurization (WFGD) absorber. Paper presents preliminary results of an industrial scale study on WFGD absorber, that collects flue gases from four boilers with total flue gas flow capacity of the WFGD equal to 1 500 000 Nm3/h. Each boiler is equipped with selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR) with urea injection. It was shown, that ammonia present in the flue gas upstream the WFGD increases the pH of absorption slurry, impacting the desulphurization process. In addition, analysis of particulate matter upstream and downstream the absorber shows an increase of the concentration of ammonium species in the particulate matter about 14 times, as average. Moreover, a non-optimized denitrification process can cause a high NH4+ concentration in the absorption slurry (up to 768 mg/L) and raw wastewater (up to 891 mg/L).
Improvement of operation of steam cushion system for sensible thermal energy storage
Authors: Zwierzchowski Ryszard
Published: September 2019

The paper contains a method for improvement of operation of steam cushion system including its energy savings analyses, for a Thermal Energy Storage (TES) tank. Energy savings analyses were performed using operational data from selected Combined Heat and Power plants, which supply heat to large cities in Poland and are furnished with the TES. The role of the steam cushion system in the TES tank is to prevent the stored water against absorbing oxygen from atmospheric air. In the TES tank, which is a non-pressure tank, oxygen from atmospheric air could penetrate to the network water through the surge chamber and safety valves. The steam pressure under the roof is generated from technological steam injected under the roof. Energy savings in the steam cushion system are generated by using an appropriate technical solution for the upper orifice and suction pipe for circulation water, i.e., to make it movable through the use of pontoons. An isolating buffer layer is created at the top of the tank with very small convective and turbulent heat transport, which causes limited heat transfer from steam bed to the stored water in the tank. This results in heat flux of approximately 10% of the heat flux that occurs in the typical technical solution of the upper orifice and suction pipe for circulation water in the TES tank. This technology offers great opportunities to improve the operating conditions of District Heating System, cutting energy production costs and emissions of pollutants to the atmosphere.
Physics Potential of a Radio Surface Array at the South Pole
Authors: Schröder Frank G.
Published: September 2019

A surface array of radio antennas will enhance the performance of the IceTop array and enable new, complementary science goals. First, the accuracy for cosmic-ray air showers will be increased since the radio array provides a calorimetric measurement of the electromagnetic component and is sensitive to the position of the shower maximum. This enhanced accuracy can be used to better measure the mass composition, to search for possible mass-dependent anisotropies in the arrival directions of cosmic rays, and for more thorough tests of hadronic interaction models. Second, the sensitivity of the radio array to inclined showers will increase the sky coverage for cosmic-ray measurements. Third, the radio array can be used to search for PeV photons from the Galactic Center. Since IceTop is planned to be enhanced by a scintillator array in the near future, a radio extension sharing the same infrastructure can be installed with minimal additional effort and excellent scientific prospects. The combination of ice-Cherenkov, scintillation, and radio detectors at IceCube will provide unprecedented accuracy for the study of highenergy Galactic cosmic rays.
Signal recognition and background suppression by matched filters and neural networks for Tunka-Rex
Authors: Shipilov D. , Bezyazeekov P.A. , Budnev N.M. , Chernykh D. , Fedorov O. , Gress O.A. , Haungs A. , Hiller R. , Huege T. , Kazarina Y. , Kleifges M. , Korosteleva E.E. , Kostunin D. , Kuzmichev L.A. , Lenok V. , Lubsandorzhiev N. , Marshalkina T. , Monkhoev R. , Osipova E. , Pakhorukov A. , Pankov L. , Prosin V.V. , Schröder F.G. , Zagorodnikov A.
Published: September 2019

The Tunka Radio Extension (Tunka-Rex) is a digital antenna array, which measures radio emission of the cosmic-ray air-showers in the frequency band of 30-80 MHz. Tunka-Rex is co-located with the TAIGA experiment in Siberia and consists of 63 antennas, 57 of them are in a densely instrumented area of about 1 km2. In the present workwe discuss the improvements of the signal reconstruction applied for Tunka-Rex. At the first stage we implemented matched filtering using averaged signals as template. The simulation study has shown that matched filtering allows one to decrease the threshold of signal detection and increase its purity. However, the maximum performanceof matched filtering is achievable only in case of white noise, while in reality the noise is not fully random due to different reasons. To recognize hidden features of the noise and treat them, we decided to use convolutional neural network with autoencoder architecture. Taking the recorded trace as an input, the autoencoder returns denoised traces, i.e. removes all signal-unrelated amplitudes. We present the comparison between the standard method of signal reconstruction, matched filtering and the autoencoder, and discuss the prospects of application of neural networks for lowering the threshold of digital antenna arrays for cosmic-ray detection.
Modeling the Acoustic Field Generated by a Pulsed Beam for Experimental Proton Range Verification
Authors: Riva Michele , Vallicelli Elia A. , Baschirotto Andrea , De Matteis Marcello
Published: September 2019

Proton range verification by ionoacoustic wave sensing is a technique under development for applications in adron therapy as an alternative to nuclear imaging. It provides an acoustic imaging of the proton energy deposition vs. depth using the acoustic wave Time of Flight (ToF). State-of-the-art (based on simulations and experimental results) points out that this detection technique achieves better spatial resolution (< 1 mm) of the proton range comparing with Positron-Emission-Tomography (PET) and prompt gamma ray techniques. This work presents a complete Geant4/k-Wave model that allows to understand several physical phenomena and to evaluate the key parameters that affect the acoustic field generated by the incident proton radiation.
Initial research for passive and energy efficient building awareness in Bulgaria
Authors: Yosifova Veneta , Petrov Rosen , Haralampieva Milena
Published: September 2019

The paper observes the newest innovative technologies regarding buildings energy efficiency like passive building and smart home technologies. The market situation in Europe and in Bulgaria for these types of technologies is analyzed. The outcome of the research will serve as a milestone in developing of a methodology for determining Bulgarian society’s awareness and attitude towards their using in home, business and production buildings.
The personal crisis in the selected hospital and impact to the safety
Authors: Hoke Eva , Heinzová Romana , Konečný Jiří
Published: September 2019

The contribution focuses on the current economic situation, especially on low unemployment, which has an impact on the labor market situation in the Czech Republic. Generally, low unemployment is a positive phenomenon in the economy, but what if unemployment is so low that organizations and businesses cannot find high-quality employees? Today, it is already proven that effective using of human capital within economic operators significantly improves their economic performance and, as far as public sector organizations are concerned, it improves public services. Well educated and motivated employees who are not overloaded can become the "brand" of individual healthcare facilities and a human factor as the source of the wealth and prosperity of state and non-state healthcare facilities. Our attention is therefore focused on selected health care organization, where there has been an acute shortage of medical and non-medical staff. The paper deals with the analysis of low unemployment, which is called the personal capacities crisis, its causes and its consequences as well. How to solve this critical shortage of health care staff? So far, the quality of Czech health care has been very high, but if this situation is maintained, the quality of patient care can be fundamentally endangered. The conclusion of the paper contains suggestions and recommendations on how to make this area more effective.
Study of interface composition and height column during absorption process
Authors: Juan Carlos Beltrán-Prieto , Karel Kolomazník
Published: September 2019

Packed and tray columns are widely used in the study of gas-liquid interaction during mass and heat transfer process. There exist a variety of column configurations and each design is performed according to specific purposes, such as nature of processing feed, number of components, product streams, type of operation, etc. Continuous contact between phases allows mass transfer, which is the case of process like absorption, distillation and extraction were fluid phases can be added at constant rate to the column. Understanding of mass transfer during such process is important for design purposes because proper design will allow correct separation and extraction of components. The concentration of components being transferred changes as it flows through the column. As a result, the concentration driving force changes along the height of the column. In the present paper we aim to model a gas absorption process after performing a mass balance along the column and determining the interface composition (mole fraction) and height of a packed tower.
Application of the genetic algorithm for cascade control of a HVAC system
Authors: Ivanova Donka , Valov Nikolay , Deyanov Martin
Published: September 2019

In this article the application of genetic algorithm for tuning of HVAC cascade system is proposed. The tuning procedure for a cascade system is very time-consuming and practice shows that additional controller tuning is needed when classical method is used. The main problem in classical method is the interconnection between the parameters of the two controllers. The proposed optimal tuning procedure overcomes the disadvantages. It is based on the following criteria: minimum integral square error, minimum settling time and minimum overshoot. The best process quality is achieved with PI controller in the inner loop and a PID controller in the outer loop of the cascade HVAC system. The proposed method for simultaneous tuning of controller parameters in a cascade control system can be applied in different control systems.
Applying CMMI Best Practices to Improve Processes
Authors: Bayona-Oré Sussy , Chamilco Josselyn , Perez Dayvis
Published: September 2019

Today more and more organizations are demanding quality software products. To cover this demand, companies that provide computer solutions focus on the quality of their processes to generate value in a competitive market. This article presents the case study of an educational institution that decides to use the best practices of CMMI to improve the areas of management processes of requirements, verification and validation. The results of the improvement process show that the practices were improved, the defects decreased and the customer satisfaction was improved.
Innovative Approach for 3D Presentation of Plane Culturally-Historical Objects by Tactile Plates for Disadvantaged Users (low- sighted or visually impaired)
Authors: Karastoyanov Dimitar , Stoimenov Nikolay , Gyoshev Stanislav
Published: September 2019

The presented paper aims to create a more affordable way to present culturally-historical objects like paintings, masterpieces, tapestries, objects, artifacts, etc., and make it more accessible to visually impaired or blind people. The State of the Art of the team shows that the already used method received good feedback at the exhibition "Battle of Pavia 1525" in Pavia, Italy, from more than 11 000 people, who take part in exhibition in Italy. This encouraged the team to continue developing the idea. An approach on the base of the Bulgarian patent application named “Tactile graphical tile for visually impaired people” is described. By using innovative methods for 3D digitalization, also by using more accessible and affordable materials for 3D printing the culturally- historical objects can be presented in schools for visually impaired or blind people. By using approaches are shown how can be reduced the time for 3D digitalization. Conclusion and future developments are presented.
Finger Recognition by Feature Length
Authors: Su Ching-Liang
Published: September 2019

A small circle cake in a finger image is used to extract the partial finger image. Subsequently, the major axis length of this extracted circle cake is computed. Next, more circle cakes are extracted and the major axis length of each individual circle cake is computed. These obtained major axis lengths are chained together circularly to generate recognition features. These features are used to recognize a finger. The chain-generated feature is compared to its adjacent features to locate the most match one. For every pixel in the sample image, the address of the match target in the unknown image is recorded. The trajectories from the sample image to unknown image can be similar and can be diverted significantly depending on the similarity of the two compared images. If the trajectories are similar, the match targets can hold together. Otherwise, the match targets are deviated to different places. The convergence and deviation situation can be used as an indictor to show whether the two compared images are coming from the identical source or not.
The Relationship between the Phases of the Menstrual Cycle on the Incidence and Severity of Headache after Spinal Anesthesia
Authors: Moradkhani Mahmoud reza , Karimi Arash , Zarei Zahra , Vahabi Sepideh
Published: September 2019

Introduction Headache after spinal anesthesia is a common complication, which is caused after dural puncture due to discharge of cerebrospinal fluid and reduction in the volume and pressure. Studies have shown that a variety of factors are involved including needle shape, needle size, patient's sex, age, duration of surgery, history of spinal anesthesia, and history of headaches. One possible factor is the phase of the menstrual cycle. Many studies have investigated the effect of the menstrual cycle on factors such as postoperative nausea, vomiting, propofol injection pain, and sore throat after intubation. Also, many studies have investigated the effect of different phases of the menstrual cycle on migraine headaches. Therefore, we decided to investigate the effect of different phases of the menstrual cycle on headache after spinal anesthesia.

Materials and Methods To determine the relationship between headache after spinal anesthesia and menstrual cycle, the study included all the patients undergoing spinal anesthesia in Shohada Ashayer and Asalian Hospitals of Khorramabad. This cohort study included 279 patients, and data collection tool was a questionnaire. The data from the questionnaire included age, menstrual phase, surgical procedures, pain location, pain intensity, history of spinal anesthesia, history of headache, and headache after spinal anesthesia.

Results There was no statistically significant difference between the location of headache, the history of spinal anesthesia, the location of headache, the history of headache, and menstrual phase.

Conclusion Considering the high incidence of postdural puncture headache in follicular phase, it is recommended that patients with a high risk of headaches undergo spinal anesthesia and surgery in the luteal phase.