Search results for: stimuli-sensitive copolymers
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Regulation of the First Committed Step in Lipopolysaccharide Biosynthesis Catalyzed by LpxC Requires the Essential Protein LapC (YejM) and HslVU Protease
PublicationWe previously showed that lipopolysaccharide (LPS) assembly requires the essential LapB protein to regulate FtsH-mediated proteolysis of LpxC protein that catalyzes the first committed step in the LPS synthesis. To further understand the essential function of LapB and its role in LpxC turnover, multicopy suppressors of ΔlapB revealed that overproduction of HslV protease subunit prevents its lethality by proteolytic degradation...
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Enhanced Activity of P4503A4 and UGT1A10 Induced by Acridinone Derivatives C-1305 and C-1311 in MCF-7 and HCT116 Cancer Cells: Consequences for the Drugs’ Cytotoxicity, Metabolism and Cellular Response
PublicationActivity modulation of drug metabolism enzymes can change the biotransformation of chemotherapeutics and cellular responses induced by them. As a result, drug-drug interactions can be modified. Acridinone derivatives, represented here by C-1305 and C-1311, are potent anticancer drugs. Previous studies in non-cellular systems showed that they are mechanism-based inhibitors of cytochrome P4503A4 and undergo glucuronidation via UDP-glucuronosyltranspherase...
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Extremal thermal loading of a bifurcation pipe
PublicationThe subject of considerations is a spherical bifurcation pipe of a live steam made of steel P91, which is an element of a block of coal-fired power plant working with a 18K370 turbine. As experience shows, it is a very sensitive element of the boiler pipelines. An extreme work scenario for such a block has been adopted, in which the turbine is shutting down to a warm state three times in 24 hours. This is an action dictated by...
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Fatty acyl benzamido antibacterials based on inhibition of DnaK-catalyzed protein folding
PublicationWe have reported that the hsp70 chaperone DnaK from Escherichia coli might assist protein folding by catalyzing the cis/trans isomerization of secondary amide peptide bonds in unfolded or partially folded proteins. In this study a series of fatty acylated benzamido inhibitors of the cis/trans isomerase activity of DnaK was developed and tested for antibacterial effects in E. coli MC4100 cells. Nα-[Tetradecanoyl-(4-aminomethylbenzoyl)]-l-asparagine...
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Nanomaterials for photothermal and photodynamic cancer therapy
PublicationIn recent years, the role of optically sensitive nanomaterials has become powerful moieties in therapeutic techniques and has become particularly emphasized. Currently, by the extraordinary development of nanomaterials in different fields of medicine, they have found new applications. Phototherapy modalities, such as photothermal therapy (PTT) by toxic heat generation and photodynamic therapy (PDT) by reactive oxygen species, are...
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Probiotic potential of Bacillus Isolates from Polish Bee Pollen and Bee Bread
PublicationThe main goal of this study was the evaluation of the probiotic potential of 10 Bacillus spp. strains isolated from 5 bee bread and 3 bee pollen samples. The antagonistic interaction with Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli was a primary criterion for the preliminary selection of the isolates. Three out of ten strains—PY2.3 (isolated from pollen), BP20.15 and BB10.1 (both isolated from bee bread)—were found to be possible...
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Static Series and Shunt-series PE Voltage-quality Controllers
PublicationAs presented in the Chap. 7 static shunt power electronics (PE) voltage-quality controllers protect the utility electrical system from the unfavorable impact of customer loads. Shunt controllers, as shown in Chap. 6, are recommended mainly for mitigation of the causes of disturbances, and not their effects in distanced nodes of a power-electronics system. In the case when reduction of disturbances effects is required, which leads...
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Low Frequency Conducted Emissions of Grid Connected Static Converters
PublicationPulse-width modulated rectifiers are nowadays commonly used for AC to DC power conversion. PWM rectification technology is very effective and allows for bidirectional power flow with the possibility of power factor improvement and low-order harmonic emission limitation. Unfortunately, employed PWM boost topology results with generation of input current harmonic distortions in a frequency range tightly correlated to modulation frequency....
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TaRh 2 B 2 and NbRh 2 B 2 : Superconductors with a chiral noncentrosymmetric crystal structure
PublicationIt is a fundamental truth in solid compounds that the physical properties follow the symmetry of the crystal structure. Nowhere is the effect of symmetry more pronounced than in the electronic and magnetic properties of materials—even the projection of the bulk crystal symmetry onto different crystal faces is known to have a substantial impact on the surface electronic states. The effect of bulk crystal symmetry on the properties...
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Relation of the polymorphism of cyp51A sequence and the susceptibility of Aspergillus fumigatus isolates to triazoles determined by commercial gradient test (Etest) and by reference methods
PublicationThe aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of commercial gradient test (Etest) in the detection of triazole resistant Aspergillus fumigatus isolates using reference microdilution methods and the analysis of sequences of the cyp 51A gene. The study was performed on twenty clinical isolates which were identified as Aspergillus fumigatus based on the DNA sequences of the ITS1-2 fragment of ribosomal DNA and the β-tubulin gene,...
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High Frequency Harmonics Emission in Smart Grids
PublicationPulse-width modulated rectifiers are nowadays commonly used for AC to DC power conversion. PWM rectification technology is very effective and allows for bidirectional power flow with the possibility of power factor improvement and low-order harmonic emission limitation. Unfortunately, employed PWM boost topology results with generation of input current harmonic distortions in a frequency range tightly correlated to modulation frequency....
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Myrosinase activity in different plant samples; optimisation of measurement conditions for spectrophotometric and pH-stat methods
PublicationMyrosinase found in Brassicaceae plants, is the enzyme responsible for hydrolysis of glucosinolates. As a result a variety of biologically active metabolites are liberated, whose importance in crop protection and especially in cancer chemoprevention is rapidly gaining recognition. The growing practical application of glucosinolate degradation products requires that sensitive and reliable methods of myrosinase activity determination...
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Broken rotor symptoms in the sensorless control of induction machine
PublicationThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the need for a universal method for sensorless controlled induction motor drive diagnosis. The increasing number of sensorless control systems in industrial applications require a universal method for the drive diagnosis, which provides reliable diagnostic reasoning independent of control system structure and state variables measurement or estimation method.Simulations and experimental...
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Occurrence of antimicrobial resistant bacteria in environment and the statistical analysis of this phenomenon
PublicationIntroduction: In this study the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance patterns among fecal indicators (Escherichia coli and Enterococcus spp.) was analyzed in water and wastewater samples. The trends in antimicrobial resistance were analyzed using basic statistical methods. Methods: Samples were obtained from two local watercourses (Oliwski Stream and Reda River) as well as from the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) Gdansk - Wschod....
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Molecular Strategy for Survival at a Critical High Temperature in Eschierichia coli
PublicationThe molecular mechanism supporting survival at a critical high temperature (CHT) in Escherichia coli was investigated. Genome-wide screening with a single-gene knockout library provided a list of genes indispensable for growth at 47°C, called thermotolerant genes. Genes for which expression was affected by exposure to CHT were identified by DNA chip analysis. Unexpectedly, the former contents did not overlap with the latter except...
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Capillary Electrophoresis in determination of short - chain carboxylic acids in aqueous samples
PublicationAnalysis of pollution is extremely important especially in areas directly adjacent tothe residential district. Studies show that short- chain carboxylic acids are a group ofcompounds widespread around sewage treatment plants, landfills, livestock farms. The mostcommon techniques for determination of short - chain carboxylic acids are chromatographictechniques, especially gas chromatography, whose main limitation is that only volatilemonocarboxylic...
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Social Differentiation of the Perception and Human Tissues Donation for Research Purposes.
PublicationThe willingness to donate human biological material for research purposes is shaped by socio-cultural factors; however, there is a lack of studies analysing the social perception of different human tissues, which may affect such willingness. This study aimed to distinguish different sociocultural categories of human tissues and types of potential donors based on their willingness to donate material. Quantitative research was...
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Thermodynamics aspects of interactions between acridine derivatives and DNA
PublicationDNA is a molecular target for many anticancer and antiviral drugs. Therefore, a clear understanding of the interaction of small molecules with DNA is important in the rational design of ligands that can bind to DNA with high affinity and selectivity. There are several methods to investigate interactions between drug and DNA. Some of them measure changing into DNA structures, such as lengthening and untwisting of helix of DNA. Other...
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MnWO4/reduced graphene oxide-based electrochemical sensing platform for simultaneous detection of catechol and resorcinol
Publicationn this study, a novel electrochemical sensor for accurate and sensitive catechol determination was demonstrated employing a screen-printed graphite electrode (SPGE) modified with MnWO4/reduced graphene oxide (MnWO4/rGO) nanocomposite. The MnWO4/rGO nanocomposite has been successfully prepared by using hydrothermal technique, and it was then characterized using several microscopic and spectroscopic methods (XRD, FE-SEM, and EDS)....
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Synthesis of 3-(2-Alkylthio-4-chloro-5-methylbenzenesulfonyl)-2-(1-phenyl-3-arylprop-2-enylideneamino)guanidine Derivatives with Pro-Apoptotic Activity against Cancer Cells
PublicationThe untypical course of reaction between chalcones and benzenesulfonylaminoguanidines led to the new 3-(2-alkylthio-4-chloro-5-methylbenzenesulfonyl)-2-(1-phenyl-3-arylprop-2- enylideneamino)guanidine derivatives 8–33. The new compounds were tested in vitro for their impact on the growth of breast cancer cells MCF-7, cervical cancer cells HeLa and colon cancer cells HCT-116 by MTT assay. The results revealed that the activity of...
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N-doped carbon nanospheres as selective fluorescent probes for mercury detection in contaminated aqueous media: chemistry, fluorescence probing, cell line patterning, and liver tissue interaction
PublicationA precise nano-scale biosensor was developed here to detect Hg2+ in aqueous media. Nitrogen-doped carbon nanospheres (NCS) created from the pyrolysis of melamine–formaldehyde resin were characterized by FESEM, XRD, Raman spectra, EDS, PL, UV–vis spectra, and N2 adsorption–desorption, and were used as a highly selective and sensitive probe for detecting Hg2+ in aqueous media. The sensitivity of NCS to Hg2+ was evaluated by photoluminescence...
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Deterministic versus stochastic modelling of unsaturated flow in a sandy field soil based on dual tracer breakthrough data
PublicationThe 216 km2 Neuenhagen Millcreeck catchment can be characterized as a drought sensitive landscape in NE Germany. It is therefore a fundamental human interest to understand how water that fell as precipitation moves through the unsaturated soils and recharges groundwater. Additionally, a better knowledge of nutrient transport from soil to groundwater is important also, especially in landscapes with light sandy soils. For a better...
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The effects of gas exposure on the graphene/AlGaN/GaN heterostructure under UV irradiation
PublicationThis work demonstrates a graphene/AlGaN/GaN sensing device with two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) toward nitrogen dioxide (NO2), tetrahydrofuran, and acetone detection under UV light irradiation. We propose combining measurements of the DC characteristics with a fluctuation-enhanced sensing method to provide insight into the gas detection mechanisms in the synergistic structure of highly stable GaN and gas-sensitive graphene....
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Homogeneous nucleation rate of methane hydrate formation under experimental conditions from seeding simulations
PublicationIn this work, we shall estimate via computer simulations the homogeneous nucleation rate for the methane hydrate at 400 bars for a supercooling of about 35 K. The TIP4P/ICE model and a Lennard-Jones center were used for water and methane, respectively. To estimate the nucleation rate, the seeding technique was employed. Clusters of the methane hydrate of different sizes were inserted into the aqueous phase of a two-phase gas–liquid...
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Unveiling the Pool of Metallophores in Native Environments and Correlation with Their Potential Producers
PublicationFor many organisms, metallophores are essential biogenic ligands that ensure metal scavenging and acquisition from their environment. Their identification is challenging in highly organic matter rich environments like peatlands due to low solubilization and metal scarcity and high matrix complexity. In contrast to common approaches based on sample modification by spiking of metal isotope tags, we have developed a two-dimensional...
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Determination of antifreeze substances in the airport runoff waters by solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry method
PublicationA new method has been developed for the determination of antifreeze agents such as ethylene glycol (EG), propylene glycol (PG), and diethylene glycol (DEG) in the samples of airport runoff water. The method is based on headspace solid–phase microextraction (HS–SPME) of target analytes, which is coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Until now, there was a lack of appropriate methodology for collecting reliable...
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Spatial Differences in the Chemical Composition of Surface Water in the Hornsund Fjord Area: A Statistical Analysis with A Focus on Local Pollution Sources
PublicationSurface catchments in Svalbard are sensitive to external pollution, and yet what is frequently considered external contamination may originate from local sources and natural processes. In this work, we analyze the chemical composition of surface waters in the catchments surrounding the Polish Polar Station in Svalbard, Hornsund fjord area. We have pooled unpublished and already published data describing surface water composition...
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Potentiometric sensor containing set of ion selective electrodes with lipid modified membranes for quality assessment of tested non-alcoholic beverages
PublicationPotentiometric sensors may be a good tool for fast quality control of commercial drinks. In this work, such a sensor, containing a set of ion-selective electrodes with lipid-modified membranes (benzylhexadecyldimethylammonium chloride monohydrate, hexadecylamine, 1-dodecanol, elaidic acid, cholesterol) was used for discrimination and quality control of non-alcoholic beverages, mainly composed of sugar and citric acid. It was found...
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Real-time isothermal DNA amplification monitoring in picoliter volumes using an optical fiber sensor
PublicationRolling circle amplification (RCA) of DNA can be considered as a great alternative to the gold standard polymerase chain reaction (PCR), especially during this pandemic period, where rapid, sensitive, and reliable test results for hundreds of thousands of samples are required daily. This work presents the first research to date on direct, real-time and label-free isothermal DNA amplification monitoring using a microcavity in-line...
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Public art in the era of urban transformations. A case study of Eduardo Paolozzi’s artistic output in Edinburgh and in London
PublicationUrban space dedicated to cultural life, entertainment or business is currently exposed to dynamic urbanistic transformations. Monumental works of art within the boundaries of cities, for years embedded in the urban landscape and awareness of viewers, are moved to other places or even destroyed. Decisions about a change of their location and context, which are fundamental aspects for the impression made by a given work of art, cause...
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An Impact Analysis of Artificial Light at Night (ALAN) on Bats. A Case Study of the Historic Monument and Natura 2000 Wisłoujście Fortress in Gdansk, Poland
PublicationThe artificial light at night (ALAN) present in many cities and towns has a negative impact on numerous organisms that live alongside humans, including bats. Therefore, we investigated if the artificial illumination of the historic Wisłoujście Fortress in Gdańsk, Poland (part of the Natura 2000 network), during nighttime events, which included an outdoor electronic dance music (EDM) festival, might be responsible for increased...
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Material Design and Optimisation of Electrochemical Li-Ion Storage Properties of Ternary Silicon Oxycarbide/Graphite/Tin Nanocomposites
PublicationIn this work, we present the characterization and electrochemical performance of various ternary silicon oxycarbide/graphite/tin (SiOC/C/Sn) nanocomposites as anodes for lithium-ion batteries. In binary SiOC/Sn composites, tin nanoparticles may be produced in situ via carbothermal reduction of SnO2 to metallic Sn, which consumes free carbon from the SiOC ceramic phase, thereby limiting the carbon content in the final ceramic nanocomposite....
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Fast Real-Time RDFT- and GDFT-Based Direct Fault Diagnosis of Induction Motor Drive
PublicationThis paper presents the theoretical analysis and experimental verification of a direct fault harmonic identification approach in a converter-fed electric drive for automated diagnosis purposes. On the basis of the analytical model of the proposed real-time direct fault diagnosis, the fault-related harmonic component is calculated using recursive DFT (RDFT) and Goertzel DFT (GDFT), applied instead of the full spectrum calculations...
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Functional safety and cyber security analysis for life cycle management of industrial control systems in hazardous plants and oil port critical infrastructure including insurance
PublicationThis report addresses selected methodological aspects of proactive reliability, functional safety and cyber security management in life cycle of industrial automation and control systems (IACS) in hazardous plants and oil port critical installations based on the analysis of relevant hazards / threats and evaluation of related risks. In addition the insurance company point of view has been also considered, because nowadays the insurer,...
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Electro-optical transducer based on indium-tin-oxide-coated optical fiber for analysis of ionized media
PublicationThe paper introduces a concept of an optical fiber based electro-optical transducer for monitoring of ionized media, such as low-temperature plasma. It utilizes optical fiber with a section of a core coated with tailored indium tin oxide (ITO) thin film and thus combines the optical phenomena of lossy-mode resonance (LMR) with the electrostatic probe. ITO is an optically transparent and electrically conductive material and if its...
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STUDY ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VEHICLE MAINTENANCE AND FUEL CONSUMPTION
PublicationA contemporary road vehicle (RV) is a rather complex system, consisting of a large number of subsystems, assemblies, units, and elements (parts). While operating, an RV interacts with the environment, and its elements interact with each other. Consequently, the properties (parameters) of these elements change in the process - hardness, roughness, size, relative position, gapping, etc. A partial solution to the presented problems...
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Metoda i algorytmy sterowania procesami miksowania dźwięku za pomocą gestów w oparciu o analizę obrazu wizyjnego
PublicationGłównym celem rozprawy było opracowanie systemu miksowania dźwięku za pomocą gestów rąk wykonywanych w powietrzu oraz zbadanie możliwości oferowanych przez takie rozwiązanie w porównaniu ze współczesną metodą miksowania sygnałów fonicznych, wykorzystującą środowisko komputera. Opracowany system rozpoznaje zarówno dynamiczne jak i statyczne gesty rąk. Rozpoznawanie gestów dynamicznych zrealizowano w oparciu o metody logiki rozmytej...
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Mechanics of Micro- and Nano-Size Materials and Structures
PublicationNanotechnology knowledge is always looking to expand its boundaries to achieve the mostsignificant benefit to human life and meet the growing needs of today. In this case, we can refer tomicro- and nanosensors in micro/nano-electromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS). These electricaldevices can detect minimal physical stimuli up to one nanometer in size. Today, micro/nano-sensordevices are widely used in the...
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Simulations of freshwater lens recharge and salt/freshwater interfaces using the HYDRUS and SWI2 packages for MODFLOW
PublicationThe paper presents an evaluation of the combined use of the HYDRUS and SWI2 packages for MODFLOW as a potential tool for modeling recharge in coastal aquife rs subject to saltwater intrusion. The HYDRUS package for MODFLOW solves numerically the one-dimensional form of the Richards equation describing water flow in variably- saturated media. The code computes groundwater recharge to or...
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Polyurethane porous scaffolds (PPS) for soft tissue regenerative medicine applications
PublicationTissue engineering requires suitable polymeric scaffolds, which act as a physical support for regenerated tissue. A promising candidate might be polyurethane (PUR) scaffold, due to the ease of the PUR properties design, which can be adjusted directly to the intended purpose. In this study, we report a successful fabrication of porous polyurethane scaffolds (PPS) using solvent casting/particulate leaching technique combined with...
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Mechanisms of Damage to DNA Labeled with Electrophilic Nucleobases Induced by Ionizing or UV Radiation
PublicationHypoxia—a hallmark of solid tumors—makes hypoxic cells radioresistant. On the other hand, DNA, the main target of anticancer therapy, is not sensitive to the near UV photons and hydrated electrons, one of the major products of water radiolysis under hypoxic conditions. A possible way to overcome these obstacles to the efficient radio- and photodynamic therapy of cancer is to sensitize the cellular DNA to electrons and/or ultraviolet...
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Time-frequency analysis in optical coherence tomography for technical objects examination
PublicationOptical coherence tomography (OCT) is one of the most advanced optical measurement techniques for complex structure visualization. The advantages of OCT have been used for surface and subsurface defect detection in composite materials, polymers, ceramics, non-metallic protective coatings, and many more. Our research activity has been focused on timefrequency spectroscopic analysis in OCT. It is based on time resolved spectral analysis...
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Diagnostic PCR assay for Microsporum and Trichophyton infections
PublicationWe have previously described a highly sensitive 5-hour PCR test for the rapid diagnosis of onychomycosis which detects any dermatophyte and species-identify T. rubrum from patient specimens. We have subsequently developed and evaluated new PCR tests for detection of Trichophyton and Microsporum canis/audouinii infections.58 dermatophyte isolates (21) Microsporum spp. (4 different species), 35 Trichophyton spp (10 different species)...
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Brain circuit imprints of developmental 17α-Ethinylestradiol exposure in guppies (Poecilia reticulata): Persistent effects on anxiety but not on reproductive behaviour
PublicationThe effects of endocrine disruptors may vary with the timing of exposure. The physiological implications of adult exposure are present during and shortly after exposure while embryonic exposure can imprint changes manifested in adulthood. In this study, guppy (Poecilia reticulata) embryos were exposed to 2 and 20 ng/L of 17α-ethinylestradiol during development via the mother and reared in clean water from gestation until 6 months...
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Phospholipid-functionalized gold electrode for cellular membrane interface studies - interactions between DMPC bilayer and human cystatin C
PublicationThis work describes the electrochemical studies on the interactions between V57G mutant of human cystatin C (hCC V57G) and membrane bilayer immobilized on the surface of a gold electrode. The electrode was modified with 6-mercaptohexan-1-ol (MCH) and 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC). DMPC was used as a membrane mimetic for monitoring electrochemical changes resulting from the interactions between the functionalized...
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Magnetic field mapping along a NV-rich nanodiamond-doped fiber
PublicationIntegration of NV−-rich diamond with optical fibers enables guiding quantum information on the spin state of the NV− color center. Diamond-functionalized optical fiber sensors have been demonstrated with impressive sub-nanotesla magnetic field sensitivities over localized magnetic field sources, but their potential for distributed sensing remains unexplored. The volumetric incorporation of diamonds into the optical fiber core allows...
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Electrochemistry/mass spectrometry (EC/MS) for fast generation and identification of novel reactive metabolites of two unsymmetrical bisacridines with anticancer activity.
PublicationThe development of a new drug requires knowledge about its metabolic fate in a living organism, regarding the comprehensive assessment of both drug therapeutic activity and toxicity profiles. Electrochemistry (EC) coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) is an efficient tool for predicting the phase I metabolism of redox-sensitive drugs. In particular, EC/MS represents a clear advantage for the generation of reactive drug transformation...
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Temperature influences on shear stability of a nanosize plate with piezoelectricity effect
PublicationPurpose The purpose of this paper is to predict the mechanical behavior of a piezoelectric nanoplate under shear stability by taking electric voltage into account in thermal environment. Design/methodology/approach Simplified first-order shear deformation theory has been used as a displacement field. Modified couple stress theory has been applied for considering small-size effects. An analytical solution has been taken into account...
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UAV Photogrammetry under Poor Lighting Conditions—Accuracy Considerations
PublicationThe use of low-level photogrammetry is very broad, and studies in this field are conducted in many aspects. Most research and applications are based on image data acquired during the day, which seems natural and obvious. However, the authors of this paper draw attention to the potential and possible use of UAV photogrammetry during the darker time of the day. The potential of night-time images has not been yet widely recognized,...
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Tailoring properties of indium tin oxide thin films for their work in both electrochemical and optical label-free sensing systems
PublicationThis work is devoted to the identification properties of indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films responsible for their possible application in combined optical and electrochemical label-free sensing systems offering enhanced functionalities. Since any post-processing would make it difficult to identify direct relation between deposition parameters and properties of the ITO films, especially when deposition on temperature-sensitive substrates...