Wrocław University of Technology

About: Wrocław University of Technology is a education organization based out in Wrocław, Poland. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Laser & Computer science. The organization has 13115 authors who have published 31279 publications receiving 338694 citations.

Pee power urinal – microbial fuel cell technology field trials in the context of sanitation

Abstract: This paper reports on the pee power urinal field trials, which are using microbial fuel cells for internal lighting. The first trial was conducted on Frenchay Campus (UWE, Bristol) from February–May 2015 and demonstrated the feasibility of modular MFCs for lighting, with University staff and students as the users; the next phase of this trial is ongoing. The second trial was carried out during the Glastonbury Music Festival at Worthy Farm, Pilton in June 2015, and demonstrated the capability of the MFCs to reliably generate power for internal lighting, from a large festival audience (∼1000 users per day). The power output recorded for individual MFCs is 1–2 mW, and the power output of one 36-MFC-module, was commensurate of this level of power. Similarly, the real-time electrical output of both the pee power urinals was proportional to the number of MFCs used, subject to temperature and flow rate: the campus urinal consisted of 288 MFCs, generating 75 mW (mean), 160 mW (max) with 400 mW when the lights were connected directly (no supercapacitors); the Glastonbury urinal consisted of 432 MFCs, generating 300 mW (mean), 400 mW (max) with 800 mW when the lights were connected directly (no supercapacitors). The COD removal was >95% for the campus urinal and on average 30% for the Glastonbury urinal. The variance in both power and urine treatment was due to environmental conditions such as temperature and number of users. This is the first time that urinal field trials have demonstrated the feasibility of MFCs for both electricity generation and direct urine treatment. In the context of sanitation and public health, an independent power source utilising waste is essential in terms of both developing and developed world.

Nonparametric system identification

Abstract: 1. Introduction 2. Discrete-time Hammerstein systems 3. Kernel algorithms 4. Semi-recursive kernel algorithms 5. Recursive kernel algorithms 6. Orthogonal series algorithms 7. Algorithms with ordered observations 8. Continuous-time Hammerstein systems 9. Discrete-time Wiener systems 10. Kernel and orthogonal series algorithms 11. Continuous-time Wiener system 12. Other block-oriented nonlinear systems 13. Multivariate nonlinear block-oriented systems 14. Semiparametric identification Appendices.

Biochemical bases for a widespread tolerance of cyanobacteria to the phosphonate herbicide glyphosate.

Abstract: Possible non-target effects of the widely used, non-selective herbicide glyphosate were examined in six cyanobacterial strains, and the basis of their resistance was investigated. All cyanobacteria showed a remarkable tolerance to the herbicide up to millimolar levels. Two of them were found to possess an insensitive form of glyphosate target, the shikimate pathway enzyme 5-enol-pyruvyl-shikimate-3-phosphate synthase. Four strains were able to use the phosphonate as the only phosphorus source. Low uptake rates were measured only under phosphorus deprivation. Experimental evidence for glyphosate metabolism was also obtained in strains apparently unable to use the phosphonate. Results suggest that various mechanisms may concur in providing cyanobacterial strains with herbicide tolerance. The data also account for their widespread ability to metabolize the phosphonate. However, such a capability seems limited by low cell permeability to glyphosate, and is rapidly repressed when inorganic phosphate is available.

Dimers of formic acid, acetic acid, formamide and pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid: an ab initio study.

Abstract: The intermolecular hydrogen bonds in dimers of formic acid, acetic acid, and formamide were investigated. Additionally, three configurations of the pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid (PCA) dimer were studied to analyze how the pyrrole π-electron system influences the carboxylic groups connected by double O−H···O hydrogen bonds. The ab initio calculations for the systems investigated were performed at MP2/6-311++G(d,p), MP2/aug-cc-pVDZ, and MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ//MP2/aug-cc-pVDZ levels of theory. The “atoms in molecules” theory of Bader was used and the analysis of the critical points was performed to study the nature of hydrogen bonds. The decomposition of the total interaction energy applied here reveals that the delocalization energy term is a particularly important attractive contribution in these systems, more important in the case of systems forming homonuclear O−H···O double hydrogen bonds than in the case of those connected through heteronuclear N−H···O bonds. Because the systems analyzed may be formally classifi...