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Search results for: biological processes
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Bacterial presence in polar regions associated with environment modification by chemical compounds including contaminants
PublicationMicrobes are omnipresent and diverse members of all biological communities. In marine and freshwater ecosystems, microorganisms form the base of the food chain supporting higher trophic levels. Even though, microbes generally are thought to live in warm regions of Earth, many of them develop in cold climates. Polar regions remain relatively protected from widespread anthropogenic disturbances, which is a consequence of its remoteness...
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Silver-modified titania with enhanced photocatalytic and antimicrobial properties under UV and visible light irradiation
PublicationCommercial titania photocatalysts were modified with 2 wt% of silver by photodeposition. The properties of the samples were characterized by DRS, XPS, XRD, FE-SEM and STEM. The modified samples exhibited activity under visible light and enhanced activity under UV irradiation for 2-propanol and acetic acid oxidation, respectively. The time-resolved microwave conductivity (TRMC) analysis indicated that enhanced activity (2.5–8-fold...
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Reliability and Validity of Optoelectronic Method for Biophotonical Measurements
PublicationReliability and validity of measurements is of utmost importance when assessing measuring capability of instruments developed for research. In order to perform an experiment which is legitimate, used instruments must be both reliable and valid. Reliability estimates the degree of precision of measurement, the extent to which a measurement is internally consistent. Validity is the usefulness of an instrument to perform accurate...
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Synthesis and biological evaluation of thiophosphate tricyclic coumarin derivatives as steroid sulfatase inhibitors
PublicationSteroid sulfatase (STS) enzyme inhibition is an important approach to the management of hormone-dependent breast cancer. In this paper, we report convenient methods for the synthesis and biological evaluation of thiophosphate tricyclic coumarin analogs exhibiting STS activity. The described methods are based on the straightforward preparation of 7-hydroxy-2,3-dihydro-1H-cyclopenta[c]chromen-2-one, 3-hydroxy- 7,8,9,10-tetrahydro-6H-benzo[c]chromen-6-one,...
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Degradation of xylose using a microbial fuel cell
PublicationIt is generally known, that many kind of microorganisms are capable of using carbohydrates as a source of carbon and energy in an environment. The biodegradation process of monosaccharides from pentoses (in this case- racemic mixture of D - and L – xylose) is an immense opportunity for an entire reduction of biological contamination to neutral compounds through MFC. The process is occurred in a single-chamber MFC, which is contained...
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Common methods for the chiral determination of amphetamine and related compounds II: Capillary electrophoresis and nuclear magnetic resonance
PublicationAmphetamine group and related ring-substituted substances are generally synthetic compounds, belonging to one of the most heavily abused drug groups in recent years. Some compounds in this class also originate from plants. Analysis of the enantiomers of AM-type compounds and metabolites is extremely important for a number of scientific disciplines. From studies of biological activity or mechanisms through determination of precursor...
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The impact of precipitation and external carbon source addition on biological nutrient removal in activated sludge systems - experimentalinvestigation and mathematical modeling
PublicationThe aim of this study was to determine the effects of chemical precipitation and addition of external carbonsources on the denitrification capability and enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) interactions atthe 'Wschod' WWTP (600,000 PE) in Gdansk (northern Poland). For this purpose, different kinds of batch experimentswere carried out with the settled wastewater (without pretreatment and after coagulation-flocculation)and...
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The impact of precipitation and external carbon source addition on biological nutrient removal in activated sludge systems – experimental investigation and mathematical modeling
PublicationThe aim of this study was to determine the effects of chemical precipitation and addition of external carbonsources on the denitrification capability and enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) interactions atthe ‘Wschod’ WWTP (600,000 PE) in Gdansk (northern Poland). For this purpose, different kinds of batch experimentswere carried out with the settled wastewater (without pretreatment and after coagulation-flocculation)and...
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Endocrine disrupting compounds in the baby's world - A harmful environment to the health of babies
PublicationGlobally, there has been a significant increase in awareness of the adverse effects of chemicals with known or suspected endocrine-acting properties on human health. Human exposure to endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) mainly occurs by ingestion and to some extent by inhalation and dermal uptake. Although it is difficult to assess the full impact of human exposure to EDCs, it is well known that timing of exposure is of importance...
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Mangiferin Affects Melanin Synthesis by an Influence on Tyrosinase: Inhibition, Mechanism of Action and Molecular Docking Studies
PublicationMangiferin is a strong antioxidant that presents a wide range of biological activities. The aim of this study was to evaluate, for the first time, the influence of mangiferin on tyrosinase, an enzyme responsible for melanin synthesis and the unwanted browning process of food. The research included both the kinetics and molecular interactions between tyrosinase and mangiferin. The research proved that mangiferin inhibits tyrosinase...
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The imidazoacridinone C-1311 induces p53-dependent senescence or p53-independent apoptosis and sensitizes cancer cells to radiation
PublicationC-1311 is a small molecule, which has shown promise in a number of preclinical and clinical studies. However, the biological response to C-1311 exposure is complicated and has been reported to involve a number of cell fates. Here, we investigated the molecular signaling which determines the response to C-1311 in both cancer and non-cancer cell lines. For the first time we demonstrate that the tumor suppressor, p53 plays a key role...
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Synthesis, molecular structure, and metabolic stability of new series of N' -(2-alkylthio-4-chloro-5-methylbenzenesulfonyl)-1-(5-phenyl-1 H -pyrazol-1-yl)amidine as potential anti-cancer agents
PublicationA series of new N'-(2-alkylthio-4-chloro-5-methylbenzenesulfonyl)-1-(5-phenyl-1H-pyrazol-1-yl)amidine derivatives have been synthesized and evaluated in vitro by MTT assays for their antiproliferative activity against cell lines of colon cancer HCT-116, cervical cancer HeLa and breast cancer MCF-7. The studied compounds display selective activity mainly against HCT-116 and HeLa cells. Thus, five compounds show selective cytotoxic...
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Application potential of dummy molecularly imprinted polymers as solidphase extraction sorbents for determination of low-mass polybrominated diphenyl ethers in soil and sediment samples
PublicationDespite the introduction of restrictive regulations in the USA and the European Union, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are still found in various types of environmental and biological samples at significant concentration levels. The presence of these persistent organic pollutants in the environment raises important issues because of their negative impact on immunological and neurological systems, and on the hormonal balances...
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Application of safirinium N-hydroxysuccinimide esters to derivatization of peptides for high-resolution mass spectrometry, tandem mass spectrometry, and fluorescent labeling of bacterial cells
PublicationMass spectrometry methods are commonly used in the identification of peptides and biomarkers. Due to a relatively low abundance of proteins in biological samples, there is a need for the development of novel derivatization methods that would improve MS detection limits. Hence, novel fluorescent N-hydroxysuccinimide esters of dihydro-[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a]pyridin-2-ium carboxylates (Safirinium P dyes) have been synthesized. The...
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Preconcentration and Analytical Methods for Determination of Methyl Tert-Butyl Ether and Other Fuel Oxygenates and Their Degradation Products in Environment: A Review
PublicationFuel oxygenates (FOs) are mainly ethers or alcohols which are added to gasoline either to boost the octane number or to make the fuel burning process more "cleaner" with increasing the oxygen content, or to obtain a combination of both effects. FOs are water soluble with high mobility in the environment which presence even at very low concentrations lower the quality of water making it unsafe or unpleasant due to their objectionable...
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In Vitro Biological Characterization of Silver-Doped Anodic Oxide Coating on Titanium
PublicationDespite the high biocompatibility and clinical effectiveness of Ti-based implants, surface functionalization (with complex osteointegrative/antibacterial strategies) is still required. To enhance the dental implant surface and to provide additional osteoinductive and antibacterial properties, plasma electrolytic oxidation of a pure Ti was performed using a nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA)-based Ag nanoparticles (AgNP)-loaded calcium–phosphate...
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Assessment and design of greener deep eutectic solvents – A multicriteria decision analysis
PublicationDeep eutectic solvents (DES) are often considered as green solvents because of their properties, such as negligible vapor pressure, biodegradability, low toxicity or natural origin of their components. Due to the fact that DES are cheaper than ionic liquids, they have gained many applications in a short period of time. However, claims about their greenness sometimes seem to be exaggerated. Especially, bearing in mind lots of data...
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To Survive in a CBRN Hostile Environment: Application of CAVE Automatic Virtual Environments in First Responder Training
PublicationThis paper is of a conceptual nature and focuses on the use of a specific virtual reality environment in civil-military training. We analyzed the didactic potential of so-called CAVE automatic virtual environments for First Responder training, a type of training that fills the gap between First Aid training and the training received by emergency medical technicians. Since real training involves live drills based on unexpected situations,...
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Procognitive activity of nitric oxide inhibitors and donors in animal models
PublicationNitric oxide is a small gaseous molecule that plays important roles in the majority of biological functions. Impairments of NO-related pathways contribute to the majority of neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and mental disorders, such as schizophrenia. Cognitive decline is one of the most serious impairments accompanying both AD and schizophrenia. In the present study, the activities of NO donors, slow (spermine...
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Detection and Model of Thermal Traces Left after Aggressive Behavior of Laboratory Rodents
PublicationAutomation of complex social behavior analysis of experimental animals would allow for faster, more accurate and reliable research results in many biological, pharmacological, and medical fields. However, there are behaviors that are not only difficult to detect for the computer, but also for the human observer. Here, we present an analysis of the method for identifying aggressive behavior in thermal images by detecting traces...
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How do sterols determine the antufungal activitiy of amphotericin B? Free energy of binding between the drug and its membrane targets.
PublicationAmphotericin B (AmB) is a well-known polyene antibiotic used to treat systemic fungal infections. It is commonly accepted that the presence of sterols in the membrane is essential for the AmB biological activity, that is, for the formation of transmembrane ion channels. The selective toxicity of AmB for fungal cells is attributed to the fact that it is more potent against fungal cell membranes containing ergosterol than against...
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The impact of slowly biodegradable organic compounds on the oxygen uptake rate in activated sludge systems
PublicationThe hydrolysis process of slowly biodegradable substrate (Xs) have impact on the efficiencies of nutrient removal in activated sludge systems. Measurement of OUR and corresponding COD is accepted as a very useful tool to reflect the consumption of biodegradable substrates. The influence of the readily biodegradable substrate (Ss) in biological wastewater treatment systems has been extensively investigated, but little is known about...
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The impact of slowly biodegradable organic compounds on the oxygen uptake rate in activated sludge systems
PublicationThe hydrolysis process of slowly biodegradable substrate (Xs) have impact on the efficiencies of nutrient removal in activated sludge systems. Measurement of OUR and corresponding COD is accepted as a very useful tool to reflect the consumption of biodegradable substrates. The influence of the readily biodegradable substrate (Ss) in biological wastewater treatment systems has been extensively investigated, but little is known about...
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The influence of plant protection by effective microorganisms on the content of bioactive phytochemicals in apples
PublicationThe phytochemicals of two apple cultivars (Yellow Transparent and Early Geneva) protected in two ways, conventionally with chemical pesticides or by effective microorganisms (EM), were compared. Two types of components were determined: lipids synthesised constitutively and generated via inducible pathways polyphenols along with antioxidant activity and profiles. The antioxidant activities assessed with ABTS, DPPH and Folin–Ciocalteu...
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Impact of influent wastewater quality on nitrogen removal rates in multistage treatment wetlands
PublicationNitrogen removal in treatment wetlands is influenced by many factors, and the presence of electron donors (biodegradable organic matter) and electron acceptors (nitrate ions) is the main limiting one; for obtaining these conditions, multistage treatment wetlands (MTWs) are required, where an extensive nitrification can be obtained in the first stages under aerobic conditions leaving then to the following anoxic/anaerobic stages...
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Polyurethanes modified with natural polymers for medical application. I. Polyurethanes/ Chitosan and polyurethane/collagen.
PublicationFor over three decades polyurethanes (PUR or PU) have been reported for application in a variety of medical devices. These polymers consist of hard and soft segments, which allow for more subtle control of their structure and properties. By varying the composition of the different segments, properties of PURcan be tuned up for use in many areas of medicine. Recently there is a great interest in modification of biomedical PUR with...
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PERS - QUIET ROAD SURFACE FOR URBAN AREAS
PublicationTraffic noise is one of the most important environmental problems in densely populated urban areas. At low speeds the tyre/road interaction dominates all other sources. It is anticipated that when electric and hybrid vehicles gain dominance in city traffic, the importance of tyre/road noise will still increase as electric engines are much less noisy than combustion engines. On the other hand, electric and hybrid urban vehicles...
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Mitigating metal-organic framework (MOF) toxicity for biomedical applications
PublicationMetal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a novel class of crystalline porous materials, consisting of metal ions and organic linkers. These hybrid materials are highly porous and have a large specific surface area, making them of great interest for applications in gas separation, energy storage, biomedical imaging, and drug delivery. As MOFs are being explored for biomedical applications, it is essential to comprehensively assess their...
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Searching for the primary metabolic alterations of polycystic ovary syndrome by application of the untargeted metabolomics approach
PublicationDespite a large number of studies, the pathogenesis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) still remains unexplained. In light of ambiguous observations reported in metabolomics, there is a need to carry out studies focusing on confirming the discriminating power of the proposed metabolomics biomarkers. Our research aimed to perform a validation study of metabolites detected in our previous study from serum samples, on the new set...
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Glutathione-mediated conjugation of anticancer drugs: an overview of reaction mechanisms and biological significance for drug detoxification and bioactivation.
PublicationThe effectiveness of many anticancer drugs depends on the creation of specific metabolites that may alter their therapeutic or toxic properties. One significant route of biotransformation is a conjugation of electrophilic compounds with reduced glutathione, which can be non-enzymatic and/or catalyzed by glutathione-dependent enzymes. Glutathione usually combines with anticancer drugs and/or their metabolites to form more polar...
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Chemical and biological evaluation of antioxidant activity of endogenous redox-active compounds compared to plant-derived exogenous antioxidants
PublicationThe research conducted so far has shown that endogenous antioxidants, despite being regarded as the first line of antioxidant defense, may not be sufficient to maintain redox homeostasis in cells exposed to oxidative stress. The results obtained in the doctoral dissertation show that endogenous redox-active compounds were moderate or weak scavengers of ABTS and DPPH radicals, while in cellular setting, their impact on the reducing...
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Stable nanoconjugates of transferrin with alloyed quaternary nanocrystals Ag–In–Zn–S as a biological entity for tumor recognition
PublicationOne way to limit the negative effects of anti-tumor drugs on healthy cells is targeted therapy employing functionalized drug carriers. Here we present a biocompatible and stable nanoconjugate of transferrin anchored to Ag-In-Zn-S quantum dots modified with 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (Tf-QD) as a drug carrier versus typical anticancer drug, doxorubicin. Detailed investigations of Tf-QD nanoconjugates without and with doxorubicin...
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Synthesis, Molecular Structure, Anticancer Activity, and QSAR Study of N-(aryl/heteroaryl)-4-(1H-pyrrol-1-yl)Benzenesulfonamide Derivatives
PublicationA series of N-(aryl/heteroaryl)-4-(1H-pyrrol-1-yl)benzenesulfonamides were synthesized from 4-amino-N-(aryl/heteroaryl)benzenesulfonamides and 2,5-dimethoxytetrahydrofuran. All the synthesized compounds were evaluated for their anticancer activity on HeLa, HCT-116, and MCF-7 human tumor cell lines. Compound 28, bearing 8-quinolinyl moiety, exhibited the most potent anticancer activity against the HCT-116, MCF-7, and HeLa cell lines,...
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Chiral Schiff base complexes as an effective catalyst in Diels-Alder reaction
PublicationDiels Alder reaction is a very important tool in carbon-carbon bond formation. It is a cycloaddition between a conjugated diene and a second compound called dienophile. Where one or more heteroatoms are present in the diene and/or dienophile framework, the cycloaddition is called hetero-Diels-Alder reaction (HDA). The asymmetric Diels-Alder reaction is among the most powerful available methodologies for that construction of optically...
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Organotin Compounds: Environmental Fate and Analytics
PublicationFor more than 50 years, organotin compounds have been used in almost all sectors of industry. As a consequence, specific environmental compartments are affected by the emission of these xenobiotics. The emissions of organotin compounds into the environment from paints used in the shipbuilding industry for ship hull coating, and from the plant protection products are particularly significant.In 2001, the IMO introduced a global...
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Physical crosslinking of hyaluronic acid in the presence of phospholipids in an aqueous nano-environment
PublicationHyaluronic acid and phospholipids are two components in the synovial joint cavity that contribute to joint lubrication synergistically. Molecular dynamics simulations were performed and hydrogen bonds in hyaluronic acid were analyzed to identify specific sites that are responsible for its physical cross-linking. Two molecular masses of hyaluronic acid, 10 kDa and 160 kDa, were considered. We use molecular dynamics simulations and...
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Binary Mixtures of Selected Bisphenols in the Environment: Their Toxicity in Relationship to Individual Constituents
PublicationBisphenol A (BPA) is one of the most popular and commonly used plasticizer in the industry. Over the past decade, new chemicals that belong to the bisphenol group have increasingly been used in industrial applications as alternatives to BPA. Nevertheless, information on the combined effects of bisphenol (BP) analogues is insufficient. Therefore, our current study aimed to find the biological response modulations induced by the...
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Study of pH and temperature effect on lipophilicity of catechol-containing antioxidants by reversed phase liquid chromatography
PublicationLipophilicity of selected antioxidant phytochemicals, including flavonoids, phenolic acids and xanthonoids, was determined by reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography with UV detection (RP-HPLC-UV). The analyses run at different temperature and pH conditions in isocratic mode suggested that lipophilicity as distribution coefficient (logD) between aqueous and organic phase decreases with increasing temperature. For...
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Combination of air-dispersion cathode with sacrificial iron anode generating Fe2+Fe3+2O4 nanostructures to degrade paracetamol under ultrasonic irradiation
PublicationIn the present study, ultrasound (US) was coupled with an electrochemical process (ECP) consisting of a novel cathode of carbon cloth (CC)-carbon black (CB) as the nano-composite air-dispersion cathode (NADC) for the degradation of paracetamol (APAP) in an aquatic medium. The NADC favored in situ production of H2O2 by the cathodic reduction. The implementation of iron sacrificial anode instead of dimensionally stable anodes resulted...
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Injectable poloxamer/graphene oxide hydrogels with well‐controlled mechanical and rheological properties
PublicationAlthough significant progress has been made in the design and application of injectable hydrogels for biomedical applications, concurrent control of rheological and mechanical properties of injectable hydrogels has remained as an open challenge to the researchers. In this work, we introduce and put into practice a photo‐curable poloxamer (also known as Pluronic)/graphene oxide (Plu/GO) injectable hydrogel with well‐controlled rheological...
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The computational methods in the development of a novel multianalyte calibration technique for potentiometric integrated sensors systems
PublicationIn recent years, integration and miniaturization of ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) have brought many benefits resulting in the possibility of simultaneous determination of the ions concentration in small volume samples. One of the key problems related to the preparation of potentiometric integrated sensors systems (PISSs) is a calibration procedure due to the necessity to calibrate each particular sensor separately. The main aim...
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Lighting Design for the 21st Century Applied research in lighting practice
PublicationFor those who are unfamiliar with research, it’s important to know there are two categories. Fundamental (or basic) research and applied research. Basic research often discusses scientific ideas/theories, whereas, applied research explores testing these ideas in practice to develop technology or techniques. It’s applied research which most interests lighting practitioners. Great lighting design that creates a pleasant and beneficial...
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Obtaining and Characterization of the PLA/Chitosan Foams with Antimicrobial Properties Achieved by the Emulsification Combined with the Dissolution of Chitosan by CO2 Saturation
PublicationA new method of obtaining functional foam material has been proposed. The materials were created by mixing the poly lactic acid (PLA) solution in chloroform, chitosan (CS) dissolved in water saturated with CO2 and polyethylene glycol (PEG), and freeze-dried for removal of the solvents. The composite foams were characterized for their structural (SEM, FT-IR, density, porosity), thermal (DSC), functional (hardness, elasticity, swelling...
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Photosensitive and pH-dependent activity of pyrazine-functionalized carbazole derivative as promising antifungal and imaging agent
PublicationCarbazole skeleton plays a significant role as a structural scaffold of many pharmacologically active compounds. Pyrazine-functionalized carbazole derivative was constructed by coupling 2-amino-5-bromo-3-methylaminepyrazine (ABMAP) into 3 and 6 positions of the carbazole ring. Multi-experimental methods were used, e.g., potentiometric, spectroscopic (ATR, UV, XRD powder,1H and13C NMR), electrochemical (cyclic voltammetry), and...
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Obtaining and Characterization of the PLA/Chitosan Foams with Antimicrobial Properties Achieved by the Emulsification Combined with the Dissolution of Chitosan by CO2 Saturation
PublicationA new method of obtaining functional foam material has been proposed. The materials were created by mixing the poly lactic acid (PLA) solution in chloroform, chitosan (CS) dissolved in water saturated with CO2 and polyethylene glycol (PEG), and freeze-dried for removal of the solvents. The composite foams were characterized for their structural (SEM, FT-IR, density, porosity), thermal (DSC), functional (hardness, elasticity, swelling...
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Influence of Storage Time and Temperature on the Toxicity, Endocrine Potential, and Migration of Epoxy Resin Precursors in Extracts of Food Packaging Materials
PublicationThe aim of the present study was to establish a standard methodology for the extraction of epoxy resin precursors from several types of food packages (cans, multi-layered composite material, and cups) with selected simulation media (distilled water, 5% ethanol, 3% dimethyl sulfoxide, 5% acetic acid, artificial saliva) at different extraction times and temperatures (factors). Biological analyses were conducted to determine the acute...
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Preferences of the Facade Composition in the Context of Its Regularity and Irregularity
PublicationAbstract: The aim of this study is to determine the preferences of Polish society towards building facades depending on the degree of the composition regularity of the facade elements. The subject matter is inspired by the authors’ observations in relation to the current architectural trends. The purposefulness of the conducted research results from several issues. Firstly, the reports of psychology and neurosciences clearly indicate...
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Prediction of Bioactive Peptides From Chicken Feather and Pig Hair Keratins Using In Silico Analysis Based on Fragmentomic Approach
PublicationBackground: Keratin is among the most abundant structural proteins of animal origin, however it remains broadly underutilized. Objective: Bioinformatic investigation was performed to evaluate selected keratins originating from mass-produced waste products, i.e., chicken feathers and pig hair, as potential sources of bioactive peptides. Methods: Pepsin, trypsin, chymotrypsin, papain, and subtilisin were used for in silico keratinolysis...
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Synthesis, Structure, and Spectroscopic Properties of Calcium Thiophenecarboxylate Polymers. Structural Comparison with Analogous Lead Complexes
PublicationThree novel calcium coordination polymers [Ca(2tpCOO)2(2mpa)(H2O)]n (1), [Ca(3tpCOO)2(2mpa)(H2O)]n (2), and {[Ca(3tpacCOO)2(H2O)2]⋅⋅⋅H2O}n (3) (2tpCOO− or 3tpCOO− – thiophene-2- or thiophene-3-carboxylate, 3tpacCOO− – thiophene-3-acetate, 2mpa – 2-methylpropanal), were synthesised using a self-assembly method. The obtained polymers were characterised using SC-XRD, FTIR, UV-Vis DRS, thermogravimetric and luminescence analyses. The...
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Application of GC-MS/MS technique for the determination of benzodiazepines in blood samples
PublicationAbstract Benzodiazepines (BZD) are widely used as pharmaceuticals in medicine. However, due to psychostimulatory effect of BZD, in the last decade, they are more and more often used as drugs of abuse. These compounds produce similar effects to classical illicit drugs and are sold as “legal” alternatives to them as new psychoactive substances (NPS). Currently new BZD, named designer benzodiazepines (DBZD), are synthesized each year...