Polish Academy of Sciences

The initial concept of Negative Hesitation Fuzzy Sets (NHFSs) has been introduced recently. NHFSs are applied to decision-making problems accompanied by soft set theory. In this paper, a detailed clarification of NHFSs is proposed. Meanwhile, we introduced the way to construct membership, non-membership, and negative hesitation degrees by studying the overlap area between the projections of the element and classes in a two-dimensional space. This unified construction has concluded the relationship between NHFSs and Intuitionistic Fuzzy Sets (IFSs). A corollary of cosine similarity satisfying the NHFSs is employed for the pattern recognition problems. Classification of both synthetic numerical examples and the EEG signals are evaluated for the effectiveness of NHFSs in this paper.

Collective interactions are a novel type of chemical bond formed between metals and electron‐rich substituents around an electron‐poor central atom. So far only a limited number of candidates for having collective interactions are reported. In this work, we extend the newly introduced concept of collective bonding to a series of neutral boron complexes with the general formula M2BX3 (M=Li, Na, and K; X=F, Cl, and Br). Our state‐of‐the‐art ab initio computations suggest that these complexes form trigonal bipyramidal structures with a D3h to C3v distortion along the C3 axis of symmetry. The BX3 unit in the complexes distorts from planar to pyramidal akin to a sp³ hybridized atom. Interestingly, the interaction of the metals with the pyramidal side of BX3, where the lone pair in a hypothetical [BX3]²⁻ should be located, is weaker than the interactions of metals with the inverted side, i. e., the middle of three halogen atoms. The origin of this stronger interaction can be explained by the formation of collective interactions between metals and halogen atoms as we explored via energy decomposition within the context of the theory of interacting quantum atoms, IQA.

Porous carbons find various applications, including as adsorbents for clean water production and as electrode materials in energy storage devices such as supercapacitors. While supercapacitors reach higher power densities than batteries, they are less widely used, as their energy density is lower. We present a low-temperature wet ultrasonochemical synthesis technique to modify the surface of activated carbon with 1 wt% Cu nanoparticles. We analyzed the modified carbon using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy and confirmed the composite formation by N2 adsorption–desorption isotherms at 77 K. For comparison, we did the same tests on pristine carbon. We used the modified carbon as an electrode material in a home-built supercapacitor filled with gel polymer electrolyte and as an absorbent of Malachite green dye. In both applications, the modified carbon performed substantially better than its pristine counterpart. The modified-carbon supercapacitor exhibited a single electrode-specific capacitance of approximately 68.9 F g−1. It also demonstrated an energy density of 9.8 W h kg−1 and a power density of 1.4 kW kg−1. These values represent improvements over the pristine-carbon supercapacitor, with increases of 25.7 F g−1 in capacitance, 3.8 W h kg−1 in energy density, and 0.5 kW kg−1 in power density. After 10 000 charging–discharging cycles, the capacitance of the modified-carbon supercapacitor decreased by approximately 10%, indicating good durability of the material. We found that the modified carbon's absorbance capacity for Malachite dye is more than that of the pristine carbon; the adsorption capacity value was ∼153.16 mg g−1 for modified carbon with pseudo-second kinetic order, in accordance with the Redlich–Peterson adsorption model.

With the emergence of Olympic internationalism, scholarly networking in East Central Europe came to be dominated by the idea of scholars representing their nations, which replaced the previously leading pattern of private elite scholars with extensive international contacts. This also formalised trans-border contacts, which became increasingly seen as international. In this article, we trace the relationship between these formal and informal networks from the late 19th century to the end of the socialist period, showing that even as formalisation grew, it depended heavily on a variety of informal connections. Even during the period of socialism, when the state sought to control international exchange, scholars used informality to circumvent politically determined constraints. Nevertheless, these informal contacts were not outside the system, but were an integral part of it and depended on formal preconditions. Concentrating on Czechoslovak-Polish relations we argue that in addressing the issue of the relationship between the formal and the informal, a combination of sources must be used, which should then be scrutinised for the stories their authors wish to tell. While archival sources are used for the formal part, oral histories or memoirs reveal the informal part. In East Central Europe, formal sources are likely to ignore informality, especially when it was associated with illegality, whereas ego-documents, especially those produced after 1989, are likely to ignore or downplay connections to the state and overemphasise informality as a means of acting outside politics. Thus, writing the history of informality in socialist scholarship, not only in terms of international contacts but also in terms of everyday practices, is a way of developing counter-narratives to the state-centeredness of current research, which must be linked to a critical study of the contemporary memory of socialist scholarship that shapes the narratives told in oral history.

The study tested how the use of positive- (e.g. beautiful) and negative-valenced (e.g. horrible) words in natural language and its change in time affects the severity of depression and anxiety symptoms among depressed and non-depressed individuals. This longitudinal mixed methods study (N = 40 participants, n = 1440 narratives) with three measurements within a year showed that at the between-person level the use of negative-valenced words was strongly associated with the increase in anxiety and depression symptoms over time while the use of positive-valenced words was slightly associated with the decrease in anxiety and depression symptom. These effects were not supported for within-person level (i.e. changes in word usage). No significant differences were observed in the effects between depressed and non-depressed groups. Summing up, the overall use of positive- and negative-valenced words (particularly negative-valenced words) had a stronger effect on the severity of psychopathological symptoms than their change over time. The results were discussed in the context of natural language processing and its application in diagnosing depression and anxiety symptoms.

Efforts to engineer high‐performance protein‐based materials inspired by nature have mostly focused on altering naturally occurring sequences to confer the desired functionalities, whereas de novo design lags significantly behind and calls for unconventional innovative approaches. Here, using partially disordered elastin‐like polypeptides (ELPs) as initial building blocks this work shows that de novo engineering of protein materials can be accelerated through hybrid biomimetic design, which this work achieves by integrating computational modeling, deep neural network, and recombinant DNA technology. This generalizable approach involves incorporating a series of de novo‐designed sequences with α‐helical conformation and genetically encoding them into biologically inspired intrinsically disordered repeating motifs. The new ELP variants maintain structural conformation and showed tunable supramolecular self‐assembly out of thermal equilibrium with phase behavior in vitro. This work illustrates the effective translation of the predicted molecular designs in structural and functional materials. The proposed methodology can be applied to a broad range of partially disordered biomacromolecules and potentially pave the way toward the discovery of novel structural proteins.

An equal sex ratio at the population level is the usual, evolutionarily stable condition. However, at the individual level, it may be adaptive for parents to manipulate the sex of their offspring, especially in species with sexual size dimorphism (SSD) when the costs and benefits of producing sons and daughters can vary. In this study, we investigated the hatching sex ratio (HSR) and fledging sex ratio (FSR) in the Whiskered Tern ( Chlidonias hybrida ). Despite the fact that SSD exists in Whiskered Terns already at the chick stage, HSR and FSR did not deviate from parity at the population level. We tested the dependence of HSR, FSR and the survival probability of males and females on the individual hatching date, average egg volume (in a clutch) and the number of nestlings. None of these factors influenced HSR. Survival probability was negatively correlated with the number of hatchlings. The proportion of females among the fledglings was positively correlated with the average egg volume per clutch. To better explore the effect of egg volume on the sex ratio, we tested the relationship between exact egg volume and hatchling sex or hatching success at the individual level; but despite the quite large sample size, our analyses failed to reveal any relationship. The sex ratio was equal among chicks that were found dead in a nest, mostly due to starvation, but more female than male chicks disappeared from nests (mostly due to predation), primarily in the first week of life. This indicates that females may be easier to predate, very likely by frogs hunting small chicks.

Photoelectrochemical water splitting is considered one of the most promising methods for generating clean energy. Band gap engineering based on introducing transition metal oxides into the crystalline network of stable nanostructured semiconductors (e.g., TiO2) is of great interest. In the present work, nanotubular TiO2 was synthesized via anodization followed by wet impregnation with a cobalt acetate solution (2−10 impregnation cycles) to obtain a heterojunction based on CoOx-modified TiO2 upon annealing. To gather information connected to the material morphology, composition, crystallinity, optical, semiconducting, and photoelectrochemical properties, a variety of techniques were used, for example, scanning electron microscopy (SEM)/energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy (RS), ultraviolet−visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV−Vis DRS), Mott−Schottky analysis, and finally photoelectrochemical tests. Deposition of CoOx onto TiO2 resulted in a reduction of the optical band gap (from 3.21 to 2.38 eV), which led to a significant improvement of the studied materials’ photoresponse in the visible range (the wavelength range in which the material is active has been extended to 600 nm).

While the toxicity of pollutants has been rather well explored in simple laboratory conditions, there is little knowledge on their real toxicity in natural environments and living organisms because pollutants are often interacting and trapped into organic matter. Because of these interactions, their real concentrations can also be underestimated. Here we studied the nature, intensity, and strength of the interactions between bisphenol A and nano-sized natural organic matter. The bioavailability and toxicity of the complexed bisphenol A were tested with human colon adenocarcinoma cell lines. Results show that that interaction of bisphenol A with organic matter reduces bisphenol A cytotoxicity. Moreover, the bisphenol A-organic matter interaction is weak in the first hour then very stable after 24 h. Once formed, the bisphenol A-organic matter complex escapes detection and, as a consequence, the levels of pollutants in organic-rich media is most probably underestimated. The mechanism of interaction involves hydrophobic and π-stacking forces inside the core of nano-sized organic matter.

This chapter is devoted to polyelectrolytes (PEs), which possess macromolecules with a substantial part comprised of ionic or ionizable functional groups. Solutions of PEs reveal non-trivial physical phenomena when such functional groups are ionized under dissociation of counterions. Accordingly, electrostatic interactions between PE charges and dissociated counterions in solution, or in complex with another PE suspended in the same electrolyte reveal unexpected and attractive properties. As a result, conformations and dynamics of such PEs in solution are significantly affected by electrostatic interactions with the other PEs of the same or an opposite polarity. Especially interesting for applications are macromolecular polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs) resulting from the association of oppositely charged PEs. Polyelectrolytes can be electrospun to form nanofibers and nanofiber membranes. Electrospinning of polyelectrolytes is described here in detail, including the unusual physical properties of the resulting nanofibers and their internal structure. The deformable polyelectrolyte fibrous membranes can sustain an electro-osmotic throughflow and serve as a key element of artificial dynamically-tunable responsive malleable surfaces of the type of those considered in Sect. 1.3.6 in Chap. 1.

The six topics covered in the present chapter stem from recent applications of nanofibers in novel materials and devices. (i) Self-healing vascular nanotextured materials incorporate nanofibers filled with healing agents. When a material like that is damaged, the healing agents are released and polymerize spanning cracks and reparing engineering materials in situ, similarly to living tissues. (ii) Biopolymer-derived nanofibers can be formed from bio-waste, while serve in important novel biomedical and agricultural applications, as well as sophisticated filter media. The additional benefits of such nanotextured materials are in their biocompatibility and biodegradability. (iii) Nanofibers are also involved in thermo-pneumatic soft robots and actuators, which were recently developed. (iv) Biopolymer-derived nanofibers reveal significant triboelectric properties and thus, can be used as triboelectric nanogenerators. On the other hand, superhydrophobic electrospun fibrous membranes comprise an attractive venue for development of novel fabrics. (v) Nanofibers can be electroplated or sputter-coated, which leads to multiple novel applications, e.g., as nanotextured heaters, sensors, or highly effective electrostatic filters. (vi) Several additional physical properties, which can be incorporated in nanofibers include ferroelectricity, flexoelectricity and piezoelectricity, which can be employed in such devices as nanotextured wave-energy harvesters. Nanofibers can also be formed from conducting polymers and used in transparent fibrous heaters.

This chapter presents an overview of the biomedical applications of electrospun nanofibers. Due to the impact of novel technological advancements on nanoplatform fabrication, this well-explored topic is still one of the most dynamic and exciting biomedically-oriented scientific fields. The entire chapter comprises three sections dealing with different applications of nanofibers linked by a shared element, which is the vital role of the nanostructure for the functional properties of the fibrous biomaterials under discussion. The first section introduces the key contribution of electrospun nanomaterials in developing injectable biomaterials for targeted nanomedicine. The second section reviews the interaction between fibrous hemostatic agents fabricated via electrospinning and blood, starting from basic principles to the final clinical applications. The last section is entirely focused on one of the most timely topics, such as the fabrication of innovative face masks. The evolution of face mask development is discussed in order to pave the way for providing an overview of the most challenging aspect of the fabrication of the next generation of face masks characterized by multifunctionality and the possibility to activate them on demand.

Fluid flows coupled with electrical phenomena represent a fascinating and highly interdisciplinary scientific field. Recently, a remarkable success of electrospinning in producing polymer nanofibers has led to extensive research aimed at understanding the behavior of viscoelastic jets affected by the applied electric and aerodynamic forces, such as those imposed by the surrounding gas flows. Theoretical models have uncovered various unique aspects of the underlying physics of polymer solutions in these jets, offering valuable insights for experimental platforms. This chapter explores the progress made in the theoretical description and numerical simulations of polymer solution jets in electrospinning. It emphasizes the instability phenomena arising from both electric and hydrodynamic factors, which are pivotal for understanding the flow physics. The chapter also outlines specifications for creating accurate and computationally feasible models. Topics covered include electrohydrodynamic modeling, theories describing jet bending instability, recent advancements in Lagrangian approaches for jet flow description, strategies for dynamic refinement of simulations, and the effects of intense elongational flow on polymer networks. In addition, the present chapter discusses current challenges and future prospects in this field, which encompasses the physics of jet flows, non-trivial material properties, and the development of multiscale techniques for modeling viscoelastic jets.

The purpose of this review was to analyze the scientific literature on exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) in dogs and cats and our own research on porcine model to compare animal-and microbial-derived enzymes in the treatment of animals with this disease. Clinical signs of EPI occur when more than 85% of the pancreatic parenchyma is non-functional. EPI can be a consequence of various diseases. The insufficient activity or deficiency of pancreatic enzymes leads to impaired digestion and absorption, and consequently , to malnutrition. The primary treatment for enzyme insufficiency is pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT). PERT in animals with EPI is a lifetime therapy. Most commercially available products are of animal origin (processed pancreata obtained from a slaughter house) and contain lipases, alpha-amylase, and proteases. Enzymes of microbial and plant origin seem to be a promising alternative to animal-derived enzymes, but to date there are no registered preparations containing all enzymes simultaneously for use in clinical practice to treat EPI. Results from some previous studies have highlighted the "extra-digestive" functions of pancreatic enzymes, as well as the actions of pancreatic-like microbial enzymes. For example, trypsin activates protease-activated receptor and provokes maturation of enterocytes and enterostatin inhibits fat absorption. It has been postulated that intrapancreatic amylase is the main component of the acini-islet-acinar axis—the reflex which down regulates insulin release, while gut and blood amylase exhibit anti-incretin actions “per se.” Additionally, high but still physiological blood amylase activity coincide with physiological glucose homeostasis and a lack of obesity. KEYWORDS animal-derived enzymes, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, microbial-derived enzymes, pancreatic replacement therapy