Acta Innovations

14-23

Authors: Anna Rył, Piotr Owczarz

The thermosensitive hydrogels are widely used in tissue engineering due to their non-invasive application. Special interest of researchers, due to the specific characteristics of both materials, is aimed at composites of natural origin obtained from chitosan hydrogels combined with collagen. The mechanical properties of the thermosensitive chitosan-fish collagen hydrogels and the sol-gel phase transition parameters were determined by the rotational rheometry measurement techniques. Based on comparison of the obtained storage modulus G' curves, it was found that the addition of collagen negatively affects the mechanical properties of composite scaffolds. The addition of this protein substance decreases their elasticity. Only the smallest concentration (0.25g collagen/1 g chitosan) of collagen improves the mechanical properties of composite hydrogels, from 56 kPa to 61 kPa. Conducted non-isothermal studies allowed to conclude that the addition of collagen causes an increasing temperature of sol-gel phase transition. However, the observed changes are not a monotone function of the biopolymer concentration.

31-45

Authors: Anna M. Pozdniakova

The article aims to analyse the strategies of the selected progressive smart cities (London-Stockholm-Vienna) based on the methodology described below along with the strategy of the emerging smart city (Kyiv). The idea is to see which components of Smart Sustainable city Framework are covered by the “actual” strategies and how they are presented, which projects are currently underway and prioritised and how the evolvement process goes in different cities. We wanted to find common elements and approaches among the selected cities along with the best practices which can be taken into account by the cities when developing their own Smart City Strategy based on the experience already available.

53-60

Authors: Anna W. Sobańska, Paulina Jakubczyk, Jarosław Pyzowski, Elżbieta Brzezińska

Synthetic food dyes (E102, E104, E110, E122, E124, E132, E133) were concentrated by solid phase extraction on aminopropyl modified silica with aqueous sodium hydroxide or selected amines as eluents. Ponceau 4R (E124) was used as the model dye in the studies of the elution step. The recoveries of E124 differed depending on the eluent and ranged from 76% (AMP) to over 90% (TEA, imidazole, NaOH). Diluted aqueous triethanolamine (TEA) was found to be a suitable eluent for E124 but other dyes were eluted more effectively with NaOH. The solid extraction process was combined with UV/VIS spectroscopy to quantify synthetic dyes in drinks and OTC pharmaceutical tablets. The SPE-UV/VIS spectroscopic method was validated in terms of linearity, accuracy (recovery of dyes from spiked preparations), precision (repeatability, intermediate precision) and limits of detection/quantification. The method was found sufficiently fast, easy and reliable for the routine control of dyes in these types of products.

21-27

Authors: Aleksandra Jastrzębska, Krzysztof Jastrzębski, Witold Jakubowski

In recent years, there has been observed a growing need for novel, multifunctional materials that would not only replace, but also heal the damaged tissues. In this paper, the titanium dioxide films manufactured by anodic oxidation method are investigated. The study of their structurization and antimicrobial properties of the coatings is presented. Samples anodized in water solutions of ethylene glycol exhibited various character -from structurized to porous ones. As the study revealed, all samples acted anti-adhesive in terms of bacterial (Escherichia coli) and fungal (Candida albicans) surface colonisation.

38-44

Authors: Olga Shtyka, Łukasz Przybysz, Jerzy Sęk

The transport of liquids driven by capillary suction-pressure and balanced by both viscous drag force and gravity acceleration is known as spontaneous imbibition. The prediction of spontaneous imbibition in porous media is of importance due to its relevance as a fundamental phenomenon in numerous industrial technologies as well as in nature. A vast majority of the experimental results and mathematical models concerning the imbibition process of single-phase liquids are considered and analyzed in the literature. The present research focuses on two-phase liquids transport in porous medium driven by capillary force. The penetrating liquids were surfactant-stabilized emulsions with the different dispersed phase concentrations. The discussed issues are the influence of porous bed composition and inner phase concentration on the height of an emulsion penetration, which allows to predict the velocity of imbibition process. From a practical point of view, the experimental results give the possibility to evaluate: productivity of granular sorbents applied to recover the environment, efficiency of building materials wetting with multiphase liquids, process of oil-derived pollutants migration in porous media, e.g. soil and other rock structures, etc.

53-61

Authors: Katarzyna Pieklarz, Alicja Zawadzka

Odorous substances emitted to ambient air from wastewater treatment plants cause a serious nuisance to inhabitants in the direct vicinity of such emitters. The solutions currently used to remove malodorous gases in the Wastewater Treatment Plant in Belchatow do not fulfill their function properly. This article presents the test results of the composition and concentrations of odorous compounds emitted from the abovementioned plant. In addition, the paper introduces the concept of eliminating substances by the biofiltration process. Due to the applied method, one can expect to reduce the odor by at least 90%.

75-80

Authors: Kinga Korniejenko

The article presents the ways of support from European funds in the development of student competencies and organizational innovation in the field education. It is based on a case study of the project ‘Inżynieria materiałowa – inżynieria przyszłości’ (Material engineering – engineering of the future’), financed by the European Social Fund in Poland. The project was implemented at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the Cracow University of Technology in the years 2012-15. The research methods used are critical analysis of literature sources, surveys and a case study of the project mentioned above.

13-20

Authors: Justyna Czerwińska, Grzegorz Wielgosiński, Alicja Zawadzka

The aim of the study was the analysis of acoustic climate around the Municipal Sewage Treatment Plant in Lask. In the analysis, using computer program HPZ_2001 ITB, the calculations on the impact of the acoustic climate were carried out. In addition, to verify the calculations, current noise emission measurements during the operation of the wastewater treatment plant were made. The results found that during operation, the wastewater treatment plant does not teach exceeded permissible noise levels in adjacent areas under acoustic protection, both during the day and night.

29-37

Authors: Adrian Smagur, Karolina Nowak

Nowadays we see an increase of interest in immersive technologies connected with new modes of communication. With novel devices possibilities open for research in the field of Human-Computer Interfaces (HCI) and Virtual Reality (VR). This project is focused on the creation of interactive virtual reality scenery and on the verification of usefulness of different interfaces in such contexts. We designed a virtual urban space that is accessible to users through VR goggles: Oculus Rift paired with Leap Motion. We prepared an experiment to test how well users can interact in proposed virtual environment through this setup. Results show that in simple tasks users can quickly learn on their own how to use given interface without tutoring.

47-56

Authors: Michał Gacki, Karolina Kafarska

The novel metal complexes of ketoprofen (Hket)(1) with general formulae Mn(L)4(2), Co(L)4(3), Ni(L)4(4), and Zn(L)4(5) (where L= Hket, ket) were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, FTIR- spectroscopy and thermal decomposition techniques. All IR spectra revealed absorption bands related to the asymmetric (νas) and symmetric (νs) vibrations of carboxylate group. The Nakammoto criteria clearly indicate that this group is bonded in a bidentate-chelate mode. The thermal behavior of complexes was studied by TG, DTG methods under dynamic condition in air. Upon heating, all compounds decompose progressively to metal oxides, which are the final products of pyrolysis.

14-21

Authors: Katarzyna Zajda

Non-governmental organizations encounter some barriers when trying to implement social innovations, such as having limited ability to collaborate with other entities designed to solve social problems or limiting that collaboration to entities which are not interested in implementing such innovations. The aim of this article is to characterize the collaboration between non-governmental organizations from Lubelskie Province and local entities, as well as to evaluate the collaboration in terms of the possibility of implementing social innovations. The study was carried out between October and December 2016 and was based on the following research questions: 1. What kind of social problems do the investigated non-governmental organizations from the rural communes of Lubelskie Province try to solve? 2. What entities are involved in solving those problems? 3. Do the investigated organizations often collaborate with them? 4. Should the collaboration be modified or changed? 5. What entities should increase their participation in the cooperation network? The study involved 108 chairpersons of non-governmental organizations from the rural communes of Lubelskie Province, with whom in-depth interviews with a standardized list of targeted information were carried out. The article presents part of the collected empirical material. Although non-governmental organizations are willing to engage in non-standard, unconventional or atypical projects, they limit their activity to problems regarded as “easier to solve” or to activities that are not likely to solve those problems. In this context, extending nongovernmental organizations' cooperation networks by new local non-governmental organizations (out of the social welfare field) does not seem as desirable as their further collaboration with public sector organizations based on the principle of partnership and oriented at implementing social innovations.

30-37

Authors: Ilona Matysiak

The article explores the potential of elderly people living in rural areas in terms of implementing social innovations related to care provision. It is argued that seniors should receive greater recognition as important actors organizing care at the local level. Two examples of care cooperatives recently established in Dutch rural communities are used to illustrate the argument. The article is based on a literature review and in-depth interviews conducted in the Netherlands in February 2017. The challenges involved in transferring this model to Poland are also discussed.

47-52

Authors: Małgorzata Dziekanowska

The purpose of this is to address the social activities of women living in rural areas, and especially the degree to which such activities are innovative. Special attention is given to innovations designed to improve the quality of life in local communities, to identify their needs and social problems, and to make attempts to address these. Data for this study comes from in-depth interviews with women who are particularly involved in various areas of social life in their local communities.

65-73

Authors: Kamila Hernik

The article discusses problems of joining of social economy and social innovation, illustrated by the example of activities undertaken in the last decade in the rural commune of Bałtów (Świętokrzyskie voivodship). In the theoretical section, I present the context of emergence of social innovations in Europe and some of their definitions. In the empirical section, I depict the development of social entrepreneurship initiatives in Bałtów commune based on the case study conducted in 2013 and analyse them in the context of social innovation.

87-93

Authors: Barbara Szczepańska

The scientific objective of the research conducted on Lower Silesia in 2013 was to identify social factors that influence the implementation process of agricultural development in agricultural holdings. The processes of land concentration proceed very slowly and the agricultural structure is dominated by small farms with low economic viability where income from farming is not sufficient to maintain the family, and surely does not provide any possibilities for development of such farms. To increase the productivity and efficiency of agriculture, it is necessary and essential to speed up the absorption of progress in agricultural holdings of 5 to 50 ha in area.

17-24

Authors: Ewelina Pawlikowska, Dorota Kręgiel

The aim of the study was to characterize the antimicrobial properties of 5 strains belonging to the yeast species Metschnikowia pulcherrima. The antimicrobial activity of the strains was studied by observing pulcherrimin production and inhibition of microbial growth on YPG plates. Enzymatic assays were carried out using API ZYM tests. All strains of M. pulcherrima showed α-glucosidase and leucine arylamidase activities. The widest spectrum of activity was observed for strains NCYC2321, CCY145, and CCY149. All tested strains produced pucherrimin, and the yeasts Wickerhamomyces anomalus and Dekkera bruxellensis, the bacterium Bacillus subtilis and the moulds Penicillium chrysogenum and Aspergillus brasiliensis were the most sensitive to M. pulcherrima.

35-42

Authors: Karolina Nowak, Adrian Smagur

In the digital age, more and more artists are starting to present their works in an interactive way. Due to the rapid progression of the virtual environment and its attractiveness, it appears that new explorations of intuitive and user-friendly galleries are required. We created a draft of a computer application interface and then prepared a special gallery driven by different hand motions performed in mid-air. We conducted research of our proposed solution to compare these gestures and to find out how it is being perceived by people from outside the IT industry.

51-61

Authors: Robert Cichowicz, Artur Wacław Stelęgowski

In every boiler plant, including industrial boiler plants of thermal capacity above 2 MW, substantial heat gains are generated during the work of combustion units. As a result, the indoor air temperature raises in the room, which affects thermal comfort of workers operating such technological installations. Therefore, heat removal requires an effective mechanical ventilation system. A numerical analysis of the selected air parameters in a room equipped with combustion devices was undertaken using computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations in the DesignBuilder software. This was done for a combustion plant in the “Installation of Thermal Treatment of Sewage Sludge” building, located in the “Group Sewage Treatment Plant” complex of Lodz, Poland. The numerical analysis was based on experimental measurements and the results concerning the personnel work area were compared to the guidelines of the ISO international standard 7730:2005.