Filters
total: 396
filtered: 246
Search results for: SURFACE TREATMENT
-
(4-(Bis(4-Fluorophenyl)Methyl)Piperazin-1-yl)(Cyclohexyl)Methanone Hydrochloride (LDK1229): A New Cannabinoid CB1 Receptor Inverse Agonist from the Class of Benzhydryl Piperazine Analogs
PublicationSome inverse agonists of cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1) have been demonstrated to be anorectic antiobesity drug candidates. However, the first generation of CB1 inverse agonists, represented by rimonabant (SR141716A), otenabant, and taranabant, are centrally active, with a high level of psychiatric side effects. Hence, the discovery of CB1 inverse agonists with a chemical scaffold distinct from these holds promise for developing...
-
Improving performance of large thrust bearings through modeling and experimentation
PublicationLarge thrust bearings are highly loaded machine elements and their failures cause serious losses. Start ups and stoppages of the bearing under load are specially critical regimes of operation. Load carrying capacity depends on the profile of the oil gap. In transient states this profile is also changing. In the design of large thrust bearings minimizing thermo-elastic deformations is an important goal, which can be accomplished...
-
Magnetic semiconductor photocatalysts for the degradation of recalcitrant chemicals from flow back water
PublicationIn the present study treatability of persistent organic compounds from the flow back water after hydrauling fracturing was investigated. The combination of TiO2 photocatalyst and magnetic oxide nanoparticles enhance the separation and recoverable property of nanosized TiO2 photocatalyst. Fe3O4/ TiO2 and Fe3O4@SiO2/TiO2 nanocomposites were prepared by heteroagglomeration. The photocatalysts’ characteristics by X-ray diffractometry...
-
Removal of Arsenic from Wastewater Using Hydrochar Prepared from Red Macroalgae: Investigating Its Adsorption Efficiency and Mechanism
PublicationArsenic (As) is a prominent carcinogen component produced via both geogenic and anthropogenic processes, posing serious risks to human health. This study aimed to investigate the potential of hydrochar prepared from red macroalgae for removing As from synthetic wastewater. The hydrochar was produced through 5 h hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) treatment at 200 °C, and then, chemically activated with ferric chloride hexahydrate...
-
Annealing Rate as a Crucial Parameter Controlling the Photoelectrochemical Properties of AuCu Mosaic Core–Shell Nanoparticles
PublicationThermal processing is an essential step during the synthesis of various metal nanostructures and for tailoring their morphology, optical, and electrochemical properties. Herein, a profound impact of the annealing rate and time on photoactivity of gold–copper nanostructures by changes in the position and alignment of energy levels and surface states is reported. AuCu nanoparticles (NPs) are fabricated by sputtering of thin metal...
-
New hybrid quadrature schemes for weakly singular kernels applied to isogeometric boundary elements for 3D Stokes flow
PublicationThis work proposes four novel hybrid quadrature schemes for the efficient and accurate evaluation of weakly singular boundary integrals (1/r kernel) on arbitrary smooth surfaces. Such integrals appear in boundary element analysis for several partial differential equations including the Stokes equation for viscous flow and the Helmholtz equation for acoustics. The proposed quadrature schemes apply a Duffy transform-based quadrature...
-
A novel in vivo approach to assess strains of the human abdominal wall under known intraabdominal pressure
PublicationThe study concerns mechanical behaviour of a living human abdominal wall. A better mechanical understanding of a human abdominal wall and recognition of its material properties is required to find mechanically compatible surgical meshes to significantly improve the treatment of ventral hernias. A non-invasive methodology, based on in vivo optical measurements is proposed to determine strains of abdominal wall corresponding to...
-
The Influence of Cement Type on Early Properties of Cold In-Place Recycled Mixtures
PublicationCold in-place recycling is a commonly used maintenance treatment in rehabilitation of low and medium volume roads in Poland. Typically, two types of binding agents are used—cement and bituminous emulsion (or foamed bitumen).Due to the harsh Polish climate with many freeze/thaw cycles and frequent occurrence of saturated conditions, the used amounts of cement are higher than those commonly used in warmer parts of Europe. While there...
-
Scheelite-Type Wide-Bandgap ABO4 Compounds (A = Ca, Sr, and Ba; B = Mo and W) as Potential Photocatalysts for Water Treatment
PublicationIn the present study, alkaline-earth metal scheelite-type compounds ABO4 (A = Ca, Sr, Ba, B = Mo, W) synthesized by a hydrothermal method were systematically studied. The as-obtained photocatalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area analysis (BET), UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DR/UV-Vis), photoluminescence, and thermoluminescence (TL)...
-
Improved cytotoxicity and preserved level of cell death induced in colon cancer cells by doxorubicin after its conjugation with iron-oxide magnetic nanoparticles
PublicationA promising strategy for overcoming the problem of limited efficacy in antitumor drug delivery and in drug release is the use of a nanoparticle-conjugated drug. Doxorubicin (Dox) anticancer chemotherapeutics has been widely studied in this respect, because of severe cardiotoxic side effects. Here, we investigated the cytotoxic effects, the uptake process, the changes in cell cycle progression and the cell death processes in the...
-
The Influence of the Electrodeposition Parameters on the Properties of Mn-Co-Based Nanofilms as Anode Materials for Alkaline Electrolysers
PublicationIn this work, the influence of the synthesis conditions on the structure, morphology, and electrocatalytic performance for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) of Mn-Co-based films is studied. For this purpose, Mn-Co nanofilm is electrochemically synthesised in a one-step process on nickel foam in the presence of metal nitrates without any additives. The possible mechanism of the synthesis is proposed. The morphology and structure...
-
Bioactive hybrid metal-organic framework (MOF)-based nanosensors for optical detection of recombinant SARS-CoV-2 spike antigen
PublicationFast, efficient, and accurate detection of SARS-CoV-2 spike antigen is pivotal to control the spread and reduce themortality of COVID-19. Nevertheless, the sensitivity of available nanobiosensors to detect recombinant SARS-CoV-2 spike antigen seems insufficient. As a proof-of-concept, MOF-5/CoNi2S4 is developed as a low-cost, safe, and bioactive hybrid nanostructure via the one-pot high-gravity protocol. Then, the porphyrin, H2TMP,...
-
Potential and limits of landfill leachate treatment in a multi-stage subsurface flow constructed wetland – evaluation of organics and nitrogen removal
PublicationConstructed wetlands have potential of treating wastewater of poor biodegradability. The performance of a multistage sub-surface flow wetland treating municipal landfill leachate was assessed during three years of operation. During the study three research periods with different operation conditions were established. The hydralic loads, operation mode of vertical flow beds and type of treated wastewater (raw leachate – leachate...
-
Preliminary Results from the Removal of Phosphorus Compounds with Selected Sorption Material
PublicationDue to the resources of phosphorous are limited and are exhausted in the next 30 years the management of the resources is become current issue. Most of the phosphorus compounds is lost forever, because it is discharged with sewage into surface waters, causing eutrophication and in this way causing a further problem and challenge. On the other hand, there is a considerable need for phosphorus compounds, primarily in bioavailable...
-
The Influence of Drying Temperature on Color Change of Hornbeam and Maple Wood Used as Surface and Inner Layers of Wood Composites
PublicationThe thermal treatment of wood changes its structure due to the degradation of wood polymers (cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin), so the physical properties of wood are either improved or degraded. Color changes apply not only to natural wood, but also to such wood composites for which some amount of glue is used in their construction (e.g., plywood, blockboard or laminboard). This article is focused on the analysis of hornbeam...
-
Rapid development of the photoresponse and oxygen evolution of TiO2 nanotubes sputtered with Cr thin films realized via laser annealing
PublicationRecently, earth abundant transition metal oxides have gained particular attention as potential catalyst candidates due to their availability and low-cost comparing to substrates containing precious Pt or Au species. Herein, we present characterization of morphology, structure and electrochemical properties of pulsed 532 nm laser treated TiO2 nanotubes (NT) sputtered by the thin film of chromium. Scanning electron microscopy enables...
-
First evaluation of wastewater discharge influence on marine water contamination in the vicinity of Arctowski Station (Maritime Antarctica)
PublicationIn Antarctica,waste is generatedmainly during scientific research programmes and related logistics. In this study, the impact ofwastewater on the western shore of Admiralty Baywas investigated during austral summer in 2017 and 2019. A range of physicochemical parameters and the presence of selected trace metals, formaldehyde and different groups of surfactants were determined in wastewater coming from Arctowski Station and in nearby coastal...
-
Effect of Chitosan Solution on Low-Cohesive Soil’s Shear Modulus G Determined through Resonant Column and Torsional Shearing Tests
PublicationIn this study the effect of using a biopolymer soil stabilizer on soil stiffness characteristics was investigated. Chitosan is a bio-waste material that is obtained by chemical treatment of chitin (a chemical component of fungi or crustaceans’ shells). Using chitosan solution as a soil stabilizer is based on the assumption that the biopolymer forms temporary bonds with soil particles. What is important is that these bonds are biodegradable,...
-
Tailoring Diffusional Fields in Zwitterion/Dopamine Copolymer Electropolymerized at Carbon Nanowalls for Sensitive Recognition of Neurotransmitters
PublicationThe importance of neurotransmitter sensing in the diagnosis and treatment of many psychological illnesses and neurodegenerative diseases is non-negotiable. For electrochemical sensors to become widespread and accurate, a long journey must be undertaken for each device, from understanding the materials at the molecular level to real applications in biological fluids. We report a modification of diamondized boron-doped carbon nanowalls...
-
DETERMINATION OF SURFACTANTS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SAMPLES. PART II. ANIONIC COMPOUNDS
PublicationSurfactants (SAA) with negative charge of polar group are named as anionic compounds. They are main constituent of most products containing synthetic surfactants. The linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LAS), alkyl ethoxysulfates (AES) and alkyl sulfates (AS) are typically applied from this class of compounds. Those surfactants are ingredients of household detergents and cleaners, laundry detergents, cosmetic. Moreover they can be...
-
Poroelastic Road Surfaces - State of The Art
PublicationPoroelastic Road Surfaces (PERS) constitute a specific group of pavements containing a great amount of crumbled rubber. In most cases rubber aggregate constitutes about 20% of the mixture (by weight) and a polyurethane resin is used as a binder. As a result, PERS is characterized by a much higher elasticity than asphalt and a high porosity typical for drainage pavements. Due to this, tire/road noise is greatly reduced and on top...
-
Removal of lead ions from wastewater using lanthanum sulfide nanoparticle decorated over magnetic graphene oxide
PublicationIn this study, the new lanthanum sulfide nanoparticle (La2S3) was synthesized and incorporated onto magnetic graphene oxide (MGO) sheets surface to produce potential adsorbent (MGO@LaS) for efficient removal of lead ions (Pb2+) from wastewater. The synthesized MGO@LaS adsorbent was characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The...
-
Fine-Tuning the Photocatalytic Activity of the Anatase {1 0 1} Facet through Dopant-Controlled Reduction of the Spontaneously Present Donor State Density
PublicationThe present study highlights the importance of the net density of charge carriers at the ground state on photocatalytic activity of the faceted particles, which can be seen as a highly underexplored problem. To investigate it in detail, we have systematically doped {1 0 1} enclosed anatase nanoparticles with Gd3+ ions to manipulate the charge carrier concentration. Furthermore, control experiments using an analogical Nb5+ doped...
-
CaZnO-based nanoghosts for the detection of ssDNA, pCRISPR and recombinant SARS-CoV-2 spike antigen and targeted delivery of doxorubicin
PublicationOverexpression of proteins/antigens and other gene-related sequences in the bodies could lead to significant mutations and refractory diseases. Detection and identification of assorted trace concentrations of such proteins/antigens and/or gene-related sequences remain challenging, affecting different pathogens and making viruses stronger. Correspondingly, coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) mutations/alterations and spread could lead to overexpression...
-
The optimization of enzyme immobilization at Au-Ti nanotextured platform and its impact onto the response towards glucose in neutral media
PublicationThe market of non-invasive glucose sensors is drastically growing due to increasing number of people suffering from diabetes. Therefore, there is a significant need for any improvement in the field of biosensors that can be used for monitoring glucose level in human body. In recent years the emphasis is put onto the modification of electrode material with enzymes possessing recognition centre specific towards particular molecules....
-
The Effect of Laser Re-Solidification on Microstructure and Photo-Electrochemical Properties of Fe-Decorated TiO2 Nanotubes
PublicationFossil fuels became increasingly unpleasant energy source due to their negative impact on the environment; thus, attractiveness of renewable, and especially solar energy, is growing worldwide. Among others, the research is focused on smart combination of simple compounds towards formation of the photoactive materials. Following that, our work concerns the optimized manipulation of laser light coupled with the iron sputtering to...
-
Oil refinery dusts: morphological and size analysis by TEM
PublicationThe objectives of this work were to develop a means of sampling atmospheric dusts on the premises of an oil refinery for electron microscopic study to carry out preliminary morphological analyses and to compare these dusts with those collected at sites beyond the refinery limits. Carbon and collodion membranes were used as asupport for collection of dust particles straight on transmission electron microscopy (TEM) grids. Micrographs...
-
The occurrence of heavy metals and metal-resistant bacteria in water and bottom sediments of the Straszyn reservoir (Poland)
PublicationThe aim of this study is investigate the distribution of selected heavy metals (zinc, copper, lead, cadmium) and metal-resistant bacteria in water and bottom sediments of drinking water reservoir for Gdańsk (Poland). The research area - Straszyn Lake is a dam reservoir on Radunia river, of the total volume of 3 mln m3. Sediment and water sampling took place between May and October 2013 (eight series). Regarding metal concentration...
-
Anthropogenic trace metals in Setiu Wetland: Spatial and seasonal distribution and implications for environmental health
PublicationThe growing urban wastewater volume poses a major global environmental challenge, especially in developing nations where inadequate treatment and discharge impact clean water availability. This study focused on Setiu Wetland, aiming to analyze seasonal and spatial variations of trace metals in particulate form from anthropogenic and pathogenic sources. Surface water samples were collected from multiple stations, measuring physical...
-
Mechanism of Binding of Antifungal Antibiotic Amphotericin B to Lipid Membranes: An Insight from Combined Single-Membrane Imaging, Microspectroscopy, and Molecular Dynamics
PublicationAmphotericin B is a lifesaving polyene antibiotic used in the treatment of systemic mycoses. Unfortunately, the pharmacological applicability of this drug is limited because of its severe toxic side effects. At the same time, the lack of a well-defined mechanism of selectivity hampers the efforts to rationally design safer derivatives. As the drug primarily targets the biomembranes of both fungi and humans, new insights into the...
-
Thermally tuneable optical and electrochemical properties of Au-Cu nanomosaic formed over the host titanium dimples
PublicationAu-Cu nanostructures offer unique optical and catalytic properties unlike the monometallic ones resulting from the specific interaction. Among others, they have the ability to exhibit surface plasmon resonance, electrochemical activity towards the oxygen and hydrogen evolution reaction (OER, HER) as well as improved photoresponse in relation to monometalic but those properties depend highly on the substrate where bimetallic structures...
-
Fracture in Asymmetric Bonded Joints
PublicationAdhesion was studied in asymmetric bonded joints using fracture mechanics tests. The asymmetric bonded joints consist of two different type and/or thickness materials bonded by an adhesive. Mentions of asymmetric bonded joint tests employed so far are rare in the literature. They are imperfect and therefore are not standardized. Accordingly three new tests were introduced in this work to study bonded joints. The new metrological...
-
Membrane Sterols Modulate the Binding Mode of Amphotericin B without Affecting Its Affinity for a Lipid Bilayer
PublicationMembrane-active antibiotics are known to selectively target certain pathogens based on cell membrane properties, such as fluidity, lipid ordering, and phase behavior. These are in turn modulated by the composition of a lipid bilayer and in particular by the presence and type of membrane sterols. Amphotericin B (AmB), the golden standard of antifungal treatment, exhibits higher activity toward ergosterol-rich fungal membranes, which...
-
Unlocking the Secrets of River Pollution: Analyzing Organic Pollutants in Sediments—Experimental Study
PublicationUntreated wastewater released into rivers can result in water pollution, the spread of waterborne diseases, harm to ecosystems, contamination of soil and groundwater, as well as air pollution and respiratory problems for nearby humans and animals due to the release of greenhouse gases. The current study aims to investigate the recent input of anthropogenic loads into the rivers using linear alkylbenzene (LAB), which is one of the...
-
Exsolution of Ni nanoparticles on the surface of cerium and nickel co-doped lanthanum strontium titanate as a new anodic layer for DIR-SOFC. Anti-coking potential and H2S poisoning resistance of the prepared material
PublicationThe aim of this study was to evaluate a new catalytic material for biogas fueled DIR-SOFC. This material was a perovskite-type SrTiO3 doped with La, Ce and Ni of a general formula La0.27Sr0.54Ce0.09Ni0.1Ti0.9O3-σ (LSCNT). Additional preparation steps were undertaken to promote a nickel exsolution process. Heat post-treatment of powders in a humidified H2 resulted in an intensive growth of nickel nanoparticles (NPs) while the temperature...
-
Magnetically recyclable TiO2/MXene/MnFe2O4 photocatalyst for enhanced peroxymonosulphate-assisted photocatalytic degradation of carbamazepine and ibuprofen under simulated solar light
PublicationIn this study, a novel TiO2/Ti3C2/MnFe2O4 magnetic photocatalyst with dual properties, enabling (i) improved photocatalytic degradation with PMS activation under simulated solar light and (ii) magnetic separation after the degradation process in an external magnetic field was developed and applied for the efficient photodegradation pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) frequently present in wastewater and surface waters worldwide. MXene...
-
Caffeine Inhibits Differentiation Of Lung Cancer Stem Cells By Modulating Their Respiratory Metabolism
PublicationIt is ell established that many tumor types contain a fraction of cells, with stem cell-like properties, called cancer stem cells (CSCs), that are resistant to apoptosis induced by therapeutic agents. The presence of CSCs may explain why a standard anticancer treatment, that eliminates only differentiated cancer cells, does not lead to cancer cure.We previously showed the existence of caffeine-sensitive mechanism that controls...
-
Hydration of N-Hydroxyurea from Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics Simulations
PublicationN-Hydroxyurea (HU) is an important chemotherapeutic agent used as a first-line treatment in conditions such as sickle cell disease and β-thalassemia, among others. To date, its properties as a hydrated molecule in the blood plasma or cytoplasm are dramatically understudied, although they may be crucial to the binding of HU to the radical catalytic site of ribonucleotide reductase, its molecular target. The purpose of this work...
-
Towards high quality ITO coatings: the impact of nitrogen admixture in HiPIMS discharges
PublicationThe paper reports controlled deposition of optically transparent and electrically conductive ITO films prepared by a combination of rf (13.56 MHz) and High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering (HiPIMS) systems without any post deposition thermal treatment/annealing. It is shown that (i) reactive admixture of N2 gas to the process and (ii) pressure in the deposition chamber enable to optimize optical properties of ITO films. Furthermore,...
-
Influence of laser processing of the low alloy medium carbon structural steel on the development of the fatigue crack
PublicationThe paper contains the results of the structural analysis, hardness tests and fatigue tests conducted for the medium carbon structural steel with low content of Cr and Ni after its processing with CO2 laser beam. Pre-cracks were made in the round compact tension (RCT) specimen used for fatigue test. Next, four paths, parallel to each other, were melted on both sides of the samples using a laser beam. The paths were perpendicular...
-
The possibility of the application of a potentiometric sensor with all-solid-state electrodes for the quality control of different natural waters
PublicationThe quality of various natural waters was examined by a new potentiometric sensor with six all solid state electrodes containing an appropriate lipophilic compound in a polymer membrane. Physicochemical parameters such as conductivity and acidity of tested waters were also tested. All waters were neutral or slightly alkaline and contained different ions (e.g., Cl–) due to the place of their sampling (a coastal zone and a moraine...
-
Speciation of heavy metals in bottom sediments of drinking water reservoir for Gdansk, Poland – changes over the 14 years
PublicationThere was conducted a comparative study of the concentrations of heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Pb, and Cd) in the surface layer of sediments collected in two investigation periods: 1999–2000 and 2013. Theresults demonstrated that the degree of metals pollution decreased over time. The contamina-tion factors (Cf) calculated for Zn, Cu, Pb, and Cd were respectively 3.63, 3.86, 3.23, and 3.25 in the first period of research and 1.35, 3.42,...
-
Fluconazole resistant Candida auris clinical isolates have increased levels of cell wall chitin and increased susceptibility to a glucosamine-6-phosphate synthase inhibitor
PublicationIn 2009 Candida auris was first isolated as fungal pathogen of human disease from ear canal of a patient in Japan. In less than a decade, this pathogen has rapidly spread around the world and has now become a major health challenge that is of particular concern because many strains are resistant to multiple class of antifungal drugs. The lack of available antifungals and rapid increase of this fungal pathogen provides an incentive...
-
Speciation of heavy metals in bottom sediments of a drinking water reservoir for Gdańsk, Poland – changes over the 14 years
PublicationThere was conducted a comparative study of the concentrations of heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Pb, andCd) in the surface layer of sediments collected in two investigation periods: 1999–2000 and 2013.The results demonstrated that the degree of metals pollution decreased over time. The contaminationfactors (Cf) calculated for Zn, Cu, Pb, and Cd were respectively 3.63, 3.86, 3.23, and 3.25 in thefirst period of...
-
Drug-Eluting Biopsy Needle as a Novel Strategy for Antimicrobial Prophylaxis in Transrectal Prostate Biopsy
PublicationOBJECTIVES: To preclinically evaluate drug-eluting biopsy needles (patent pending WO2016118026) as a new potential way of antimicrobial prophylaxis for transrectal prostate biopsy. METHODS: Twenty steel biopsy needles have been coated with polyvinyl alcohol, ciprofloxacin, and amikacin. Modified biopsy needles have been randomly divided into 3 groups (1:2:1 ratio). Needles from group I were immersed for 30 minutes in dedicated...
-
Helium-assisted, solvent-free electro-activation of 3D printed conductive carbon-polylactide electrodes
PublicationFused filament fabrication is one of the most rapidly developing 3D printing techniques, with numerous applications, including in the field of applied electrochemistry. Here, the utilisation of conductive carbon black polylactic acid (CB-PLA) for 3D printouts is the most promising. To use CB-PLA as an electrode material, an activation process must be performed, removing the polymer matrix and uncovering the electrically conductive...