Bialystok University of Technology

There is a widespread belief in the Bayesian network (BN) community that while the overall accuracy of the results of BN inference is not sensitive to the precision of parameters, it is sensitive to the structure. We report on the results of a study focusing on the parameters in a companion paper, while this paper focuses on the BN graphical structure. We present the results of several experiments in which we test the impact of errors in the BN structure on its accuracy in the context of medical diagnostic models. We study the deterioration in model accuracy under structural changes that systematically modify the original gold standard model, notably the node and edge removal and edge reversal. Our results confirm the popular belief that the BN structure is important, and we show that structural errors may lead to a serious deterioration in the diagnostic accuracy. At the same time, most BN models are forgiving to single errors. In light of these results and the results of the companion paper, we recommend that knowledge engineers focus their efforts on obtaining a correct model structure and worry less about the overall precision of parameters.

Agnieszka Onisko; Marek J. Druzdzel. Sensitivity of Bayesian Networks to Errors in Their Structure. Entropy 2024, 26, 975 .

Agnieszka Onisko, Marek J. Druzdzel. Sensitivity of Bayesian Networks to Errors in Their Structure. Entropy. 2024; 26 (11):975.

Agnieszka Onisko; Marek J. Druzdzel. 2024. "Sensitivity of Bayesian Networks to Errors in Their Structure." Entropy 26, no. 11: 975.

The objective of this paper is twofold. First, it systematizes knowledge about green management practices as a manifestation of the green human resource management (HRM) concept. Second, it diagnoses the practices of green management in construction companies in Poland. The research is qualitative and was conducted in three construction companies (one large, one medium, and one small-sized). Due to the small sample size, the study is treated as a pilot study. The research concluded that although green management practices are employed in the studied companies, they are neither systemic nor satisfactory in intensity. In the large company, green management practices are visible at all stages of the human resource process except for employee appraisal. In the medium and small companies, green management is limited to the development of green knowledge and employee awareness activities. The added value of this paper is an original tool for diagnosing the level of advancement of green management practices in competence management, which can be used in various types of business entities, regardless of the sector or industry.

Joanna Moczydłowska; Joanna Sadkowska; Krystyna Leszczewska. Exploring Green HR Practices in the Construction Industry—Evidence from Poland. Sustainability 2024, 16, 9886 .

Joanna Moczydłowska, Joanna Sadkowska, Krystyna Leszczewska. Exploring Green HR Practices in the Construction Industry—Evidence from Poland. Sustainability. 2024; 16 (22):9886.

Joanna Moczydłowska; Joanna Sadkowska; Krystyna Leszczewska. 2024. "Exploring Green HR Practices in the Construction Industry—Evidence from Poland." Sustainability 16, no. 22: 9886.

The growing demand for products made of polymeric materials, including the commonly used polypropylene (PP), is accompanied by the problem of storing and disposing of non-biodegradable waste, increasing greenhouse gas emissions, climate change and the creation of toxic products that constitute a health hazard of all living organisms. Moreover, most of the synthetic polymers used are made from petrochemical feedstocks from non-renewable resources. The use of petrochemical raw materials also causes degradation of the natural environment. A potential solution to these problems is the use of biopolymers. Biopolymers include biodegradable or biosynthesizable polymers, i.e., obtained from renewable sources or produced synthetically but from raw materials of natural origin. One of them is the poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (P3HB) biopolymer, whose properties are comparable to PP. Unfortunately, it is necessary to modify its properties to improve its processing and operational properties. In the work, hybrid polymer nanobiocomposites based on P3HB, with the addition of chain, uncross-linked polyurethane (PU) and layered aluminosilicate modified with organic salts (Cloisite^®30B) were produced by extrusion process. The introduction of PU and Cloisite^®30B to the polymer matrix (P3HB) influenced the processing parameters beneficially and resulted in a decrease in the extrusion temperature of more than 10 °C. The influence of the simultaneous addition of a constant amount of PU (10 m/m%) and the different amounts of nanoadditives (1, 2 and 3 m/m%) on the compatibility, morphology and static mechanical properties of the resulted nanobiocomposites were examined. The component interactions by Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis, nano- and microscale structure studies using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and morphology by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were carried out, and the hardness and tensile strength of the obtained polymer nanobiocomposites were determined. FTIR analysis identified the compatibility of the polyester matrix, PU, and organomodified montmorillonite, the greatest being 3 m/m% Cloisite30B content. The addition of PU to the polyester elasticizes the material and decreases the material’s strength and ductility. The presence of nanoclay enhanced the mechanical properties of nanobiocomposites. The resulting nanobiocomposites can be used in the production of short-life materials applied in gardening or agriculture.

Iwona Zarzyka; Beata Krzykowska; Karol Hęclik; Wiesław Frącz; Grzegorz Janowski; Łukasz Bąk; Tomasz Klepka; Jarosław Bieniaś; Monika Ostapiuk; Aneta Tor-Świątek; Magda Droździel-Jurkiewicz; Adam Tomczyk; Anna Falkowska; Michał Kuciej. Modification of Poly(3-Hydroxybutyrate) with a Linear Polyurethane Modifier and Organic Nanofiller—Preparation and Structure–Property Relationship. Materials 2024, 17, 5542 .

Iwona Zarzyka, Beata Krzykowska, Karol Hęclik, Wiesław Frącz, Grzegorz Janowski, Łukasz Bąk, Tomasz Klepka, Jarosław Bieniaś, Monika Ostapiuk, Aneta Tor-Świątek, Magda Droździel-Jurkiewicz, Adam Tomczyk, Anna Falkowska, Michał Kuciej. Modification of Poly(3-Hydroxybutyrate) with a Linear Polyurethane Modifier and Organic Nanofiller—Preparation and Structure–Property Relationship. Materials. 2024; 17 (22):5542.

Iwona Zarzyka; Beata Krzykowska; Karol Hęclik; Wiesław Frącz; Grzegorz Janowski; Łukasz Bąk; Tomasz Klepka; Jarosław Bieniaś; Monika Ostapiuk; Aneta Tor-Świątek; Magda Droździel-Jurkiewicz; Adam Tomczyk; Anna Falkowska; Michał Kuciej. 2024. "Modification of Poly(3-Hydroxybutyrate) with a Linear Polyurethane Modifier and Organic Nanofiller—Preparation and Structure–Property Relationship." Materials 17, no. 22: 5542.