Search results for: FUNCTIONAL SAFETY
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Engineering boron and nitrogen codoped carbon nanoarchitectures to tailor molecularly imprinted polymers for PFOS determination
PublicationPer- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have gained significant attention as emerging contaminants due to their persistence, abundance, and adverse health effects. Consequently, the urgent need for ubiquitous and effective sensors capable of detecting and quantifying PFAS in complex environmental samples has become a priority. In this study, we present the development of an ultrasensitive molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP)...
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Singlet oxygen in the removal of organic pollutants: An updated review on the degradation pathways based on mass spectrometry and DFT calculations
PublicationThe degradation of pollutants by a non-radical pathway involving singlet oxygen (1O2) is highly relevant in advanced oxidation processes. Photosensitizers, modified photocatalysts, and activated persulfates can generate highly selective 1O2 in the medium. The selective reaction of 1O2 with organic pollutants results in the evolution of different intermediate products. While these products can be identified using mass spectrometry...
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Targeting Spike‐ACE2 Interface of SARS‐CoV‐2 and its Omicron Variant: A Comparative Screening of Potential Inhibitors for Existing and Anticipating Variants Using Molecular Modelling Approach
PublicationThe recent COVID pandemic has shown major impact on public health and economic crisis. Despite the development of many vaccines and drugs against the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus 2, the pandemic still persists. The continued spread of the virus is largely driven by the emergence of viral variants such as α, β, γ, delta, epsilon spike, omicron and its subvariants (BA.1,2,3) which can evade the current vaccines...
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Synthesis of Cyano-Benzylidene Xanthene Synthons Using a Diprotic Brønsted Acid Catalyst, and Their Application as Efficient Inhibitors of Aluminum Corrosion in Alkaline Solutions
PublicationNovel cyano-benzylidene xanthene derivatives were synthesized using one-pot and condensation reactions. A diprotic Brønsted acid (i.e., oxalic acid) was used as an effective catalyst for the promotion of the synthesis process of the new starting xanthene–aldehyde compound. Different xanthene concentrations (ca. 0.1–2.0 mM) were applied as corrosion inhibitors to control the alkaline uniform corrosion of aluminum. Measurements were...
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Elastic scattering of electrons by water: An ab initio study
PublicationIn this work we devise a theoretical and computational method to compute the elastic scattering of electrons from a non-spherical potential, such as in the case of molecules and molecular aggregates. Its main feature is represented by the ability of calculating accurate wave functions for continuum states of polycentric systems via the solution of the Lippmann-Schwinger equation, including both the correlation effects and multi-scattering...
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Iron–Sulfur Cluster Biogenesis Chaperones: Evidence for Emergence of Mutational Robustness of a Highly Specific Protein–Protein Interaction
PublicationBiogenesis of iron–sulfur clusters (FeS) is a highly conserved process involving Hsp70 and J-protein chaperones. However, Hsp70 specialization differs among species. In most eukaryotes, including Schizosaccharomyces pombe, FeS biogenesis involves interaction between the J-protein Jac1 and the multifunctional Hsp70 Ssc1. But, in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and closely related species, Jac1 interacts with the specialized Hsp70 Ssq1,...
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Updating a hospital building. A task for innovation design
PublicationRefurbishment of a hospital, especially located in a historical building, is a task that goes far beyond a standard framework of architectural practice. A concept of modularity in the architecture of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century was only just to happen, building system installations and technical equipment appeared as the simplest solutions. Inscribing complex functional solutions into such a space is an interesting...
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Phenotypic consequences of the LYS4 gene disruption in Candida albicans
PublicationThe main scientific purpose of our studies was to verify the hypothesis that homoaconitase (HA) from Candida albicans, an enzyme catalyzing a second step of the α-aminoadipate pathway (AAP) of L-Lys biosynthesis may become a new target for antifungal chemotherapy. Previous studies indicated that the A. fumigatus mutant lacking the functional lysF gene, encoding HA, exhibited attenuated virulence in a low-dose mouse infection model...
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Microgrinding with single-disk lapping kinematics.
PublicationGrinding operations are carried out with a variety of tool-workpiece configurations. The selection of a grinding process for a particular application depends on part shape, part size, ease of fixture, requirements concerning the acceptable shape errors. It is evident that lapping is very effective in eliminating the waviness while surface grinding is not. Dual disk machines for the double face grinding with planetary kinematics...
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Density functional theory calculations on entire proteins for free energies of binding: Application to a model polar binding site
PublicationIn drug optimization calculations, the molecular mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann surface area (MM-PBSA) method can be used to compute free energies of binding of ligands to proteins. The method involves the evaluation of the energy of configurations in an implicit solvent model. One source of errors is the force field used, which can potentially lead to large errors due to the restrictions in accuracy imposed by its empirical nature....
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Novel single-stranded DNA-binding proteins from extreme psychrophilic bacterium Psychromonas ingrahamii 37
PublicationWe report the identification and characterization of the single-stranded DNA binding protein (SSB) from extreme psychrophilic bacterium Psychromonas ingrahamii 37 (PinSSB) that grows expotentially at -12°C and may well grow at even lower temperatures. PinSSB is one of the largest known bacterial SSB protein consisting 222 amino acid residues with a calculated molecular mass of 25.1 kDa. The analysis by gel filtration chromatography...
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Characterization of exceptionally thermostable single-stranded DNA-binding proteins from Thermotoga maritima and Thermotoga neapolitana
PublicationBACKGROUND: In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in SSBs because they find numerous applications in diverse molecular biology and analytical methods.RESULTS: We report the characterization of single-stranded DNA binding proteins (SSBs) from the thermophilic bacteria Thermotoga maritima (TmaSSB) and Thermotoga neapolitana (TneSSB). They are the smallest known bacterial SSB proteins, consisting of 141 and 142 amino...
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Modernization of historic healthcare buildings
PublicationThe practice of transforming and adapting the existing healthcare facilities to meet the growing demands of modern medicine applies not only to buildings of historical value. Of course, one can set a time point from which hospitals, erected mostly with industrialized technologies, undergo upgrades for better or worse effect. Existing healthcare buildings or facilities, including historic ones, have to be refurbished and adapted...
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Linear-scaling calculation of Hartree-Fock exchange energy with Non-orthogonal Generalised Wannier Functions
PublicationWe present a method for the calculation of four-centre two-electron repulsion integrals in terms of localised non-orthogonal generalised Wannier functions (NGWFs). Our method has been imple- mented in the ONETEP program and is used to compute the Hartree-Fock exchange energy component of Hartree-Fock and Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations with hybrid exchange-correlation functionals. As the NGWFs are optimised in situ...
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Web-based real-time simulation system
PublicationThe paper presents the development of a simulation system composed of a real-time plant simulator with real-time controller included in the software-in-the-loop structure using web-based communication. The client-server architecture build in a TCP/IP network environment was introduced, where the server is a computing unit for real-time high temporal resolution plant simulation (and optionally also as controllers' platform) and...
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Advanced Potential Energy Surfaces for Molecular Simulation
PublicationAdvanced potential energy surfaces are defined as theoretical models that explicitly include many-body effects that transcend the standard fixed-charge, pairwise-additive paradigm typically used in molecular simulation. However, several factors relating to their software implementation have precluded their widespread use in condensed-phase simulations: the computational cost of the theoretical models, a paucity of approximate models...
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Renewable Resources for Polyurethanes and Polyurethane Composites: A Review
PublicationEach year, more than two million tons of polyurethane is produced in the EU by reacting isocyanates with polyols made from fossil fuel. In addition, there are appreciable quantities of petroleum based functional additives applied in the industry nowadays for both polyols and polyurethane materials. It is therefore of key importance to develop sustainable economically viable polyols with enhanced functionalities, and thereby reducing...
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Fermi-liquid behavior of binary intermetallic compounds Y3 M (M = Co, Ni, Rh, Pd, Ir, Pt)
PublicationA series of polycrystalline samples of Y3 M (M = Co, Ni, Rh, Pd, Ir, Pt), intermetallic binary compounds were synthesized by the arc-melting method. Powder x-ray diffraction (pXRD) confirmed the orthorhombic cementite-type crystal structure and allowed for the estimation of the lattice parameters. Physical properties were investigated by means of electrical resistivity and heat capacity measurements between 1.9 K and 300 K. All...
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Connected & Automated Urban Mobility, Zombie Cars and Kitchen Knives: Will Autonomous Automobiles, Self-Driving Car-Sharing and Ride-Hailing, and Driverless Shuttles Harm Cities?
PublicationThere is a deficiency of supportive evidence to verify thesis that cities are prepared for mobility revolution which already begun and will advance exponentially. Furthermore, present revisions mostly emphasize how emerging mobility solutions will alter transport efficiency or affect mass transit usage, rather than on urban morphology, metropolitan society, nor local communities. Author is thoroughly concerned that municipalities...
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Microporous Polyurethane Thin Layer as a Promising Scaffold for Tissue Engineering
PublicationThe literature describes that the most efficient cell penetration takes place at 200–500 µm depth of the scaffold. Many different scaffold fabrication techniques were described to reach these guidelines. One such technique is solvent casting particulate leaching (SC/PL). The main advantage of this technique is its simplicity and cost efficiency, while its main disadvantage is the scaffold thickness, which is usually not less than...
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Markthal Rotterdam as a contemporary continuation of nineteenth-entury market-halls' architectural ideas in Europe, 3rd International Multidisciplinary Scientific Conference, Social Sciences and Arts, Conference proceedings, book 4, Arts, Performing Arts, Architecture and design, Volume II, Vienna, Austria; pp. 391-398
PublicationIn the nineteenth century the reorganization of the European city local trading model resulted in the network of a series of newly constructed covered market halls. The large-format objects superseded the trade forms of previous streets and squares. In the second half of the twentieth century the panoply of the public trade markets was dominated by food super- and hypermarkets. It seemed that the era of old-time market halls,...
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Properties of Oxygen Vacancy and Hydrogen Interstitial Defects in Strontium Titanate: DFT + Ud,p Calculations
PublicationThis work presents extensive theoretical studies focused on the mixed ion-electron transport in cubic strontium titanate (STO). A new approach to the description of this difficult system was developed within the framework of linear-scaling Kohn–Sham density functional theory, as realized in the ONETEP program. The description we present is free of any empirical parameters and relies on the Hubbard U and Hund’s J corrections applied...
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Tool Wear Monitoring Using Improved Dragonfly Optimization Algorithm and Deep Belief Network
PublicationIn recent decades, tool wear monitoring has played a crucial role in the improvement of industrial production quality and efficiency. In the machining process, it is important to predict both tool cost and life, and to reduce the equipment downtime. The conventional methods need enormous quantities of human resources and expert skills to achieve precise tool wear information. To automatically identify the tool wear types, deep...
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Electronic structure calculations in electrolyte solutions: Methods for neutralization of extended charged interfaces
PublicationDensity functional theory (DFT) is often used for simulating extended materials such as infinite crystals or surfaces, under periodic boundary conditions (PBCs). In such calculations, when the simulation cell has non-zero charge, electrical neutrality has to be imposed, and this is often done via a uniform background charge of opposite sign (“jellium”). This artificial neutralization does not occur in reality, where a different...
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Bortezomib induces methylation changes in neuroblastoma cells that appear to play a significant role in resistance development to this compound
PublicationThe anticancer activity of bortezomib (BTZ) has been increasingly studied in a number of indications and promising results for the use of this treatment have been shown in neuroblastoma. As BTZ treatment is usually administered in cycles, the development of resistance and side effects in patients undergoing therapy with BTZ remains a major challenge for the clinical usage of this compound. Common resistance development also means...
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Optical and photocatalytic properties of rare earth metal-modified ZnO quantum dots
PublicationA series of novel ZnO quantum dots modified with rare earth metals was successfully prepared by a simple sol-gel approach. The effects of types (Eu, Er, Tb, Yb, Ho, La) and amounts (from 0.09 to 0.45 mmol) of lanthanides on the optical properties, structural characterization and photocatalytic activity of ZnO/RE QDs were systematically investigated. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform...
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Two bacterial small heat shock proteins, IbpA and IbpB, form a functional heterodimer
PublicationSmall heat shock proteins (sHsps) are a conserved class of ATP-independent chaperones which in stress conditions bind to unfolded protein substrates and prevent their irreversible aggregation. Substrates trapped in sHsps-containing aggregates are efficiently refolded into native structures by ATP-dependent Hsp70 and Hsp100 chaperones. Most γ-proteobacteria possess a single sHsp (IbpA), while in a subset of Enterobacterales, as...
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Photoresponsive Amide-Based Derivatives of Azobenzene-4,4′-Dicarboxylic Acid—Experimental and Theoretical Studies
PublicationAzobenzene derivatives are one of the most important molecular switches for biological and material science applications. Although these systems represent a well-known group of compounds, there remains a need to identify the factors influencing their photochemical properties in order to design azobenzene-based technologies in a rational way. In this contribution, we describe the synthesis and characterization of two novel amides...
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PAYMENT TRANSACTIONS’ ENERGY EFFICIENCY
PublicationThe payment system and infrastructure is a sector that is not given enough attention today in the context of energy efficiency. This sector plays a big role in organizing and ensuring money circulation and funds. It has its value consisting on the one hand of the cost of payment equipment, infrastructure, payment instruments. On other hand, its value consists of the cost of energy for their manufacture and maintenance. The European...
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Chitosan-based inks for 3D printing and bioprinting
PublicationThe advent of 3D-printing/additive manufacturing in biomedical engineering field has introduced great potential for the preparation of 3D structures that can mimic native tissues. This technology has accelerated the progress in numerous areas of regenerative medicine, especially led to a big wave of biomimetic functional scaffold developments for tissue engineering demands. In recent years, the introduction of smart bio-inks has...
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Multi-pathway mechanism of polydopamine film formation at vertically aligned diamondised boron-doped carbon nanowalls
PublicationBoron-doped carbon nanowall (B:CNW) electrodes were used as a platform for studying the electropolymerisation of dopamine. Due to the unique properties of B:CNW, including the fast charge-transfer kinetics and high surface conductivity, a high degree of reversibility of redox reactions was achieved. Three separated redox peaks were observed on voltammograms and attributed to three fundamental reactions in the dopamine polymerisation...
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Emerging oxidized and defective phases in low-dimensional CrCl3
PublicationTwo-dimensional (2D) magnets such as chromium trihalides CrX3 (X ¼ I, Br, Cl) represent a frontier for spintronics applications and, in particular, CrCl3 has attracted research interest due its relative stability under ambient conditions without rapid degradation, as opposed to CrI3. Herein, mechanically exfoliated CrCl3 flakes are characterized at the atomic scale and the electronic structures of pristine, oxidized, and defective...
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Solid state versus fiber picosecond infrared lasers applied to two-photon vision tests
PublicationDevelopment of new microperimetric tools dedicated for imaging of early functional changes in the retina may help in the monitoring of various ocular diseases progression e.g. Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Recently described two-photon vision may be applied to microperimetric devices. Many subjects with well-known disease history could be investigated with newly developed instrumentation that tests ability of human eye to perceive...
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New kagome prototype materials: discovery of KV3Sb5, RbV3Sb5, and CsV3Sb5
PublicationIn this work, we present our discovery and characterization of a new kagome prototype structure, KV3Sb5. We also present the discovery of the isostructural compounds RbV3Sb5 and CsV3Sb5. All materials exhibit a structurally perfect two-dimensional kagome net of vanadium. Density-functional theory calculations indicate that the materials are metallic, with the Fermi level in close proximity to several Dirac points. Powder and single-crystal...
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Modernisation of existing hospitals
PublicationProgress in medicine and development of medical technologies directly affect the evolution of methods for treating patients in hospitals. The main task of 19th-century hospitals was patient care and nursing, while the aim of hospitals today is to diagnose and treat patients effectively in the shortest time possible. The changes which are taking place in methods of treatment affect the functional-spatial layout of hospitals. This...
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Machining process sequencing and machine assignment in generative feature-based CAPP for mill-turn parts
PublicationProcess selection and sequencing, as one of the most complex issues when evaluated from a mathematical point of view and crucial in CAPP, still attract research attention. For the current trend of intelligent manufacturing, machining features (MFs) are the information carriers for workpiece geometry and topology representation. They are basically derived from CAD models and are used by downstream engineering applications. A feature-based...
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Bulk-Surface Modification of Nanoparticles for Developing Highly-Crosslinked Polymer Nanocomposites
PublicationSurface modification of nanoparticles with functional molecules has become a routine method to compensate for diffusion-controlled crosslinking of thermoset polymer composites at late stages of crosslinking, while bulk modification has not carefully been discussed. In this work, a highly-crosslinked model polymer nanocomposite based on epoxy and surface-bulk functionalized magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) was developed. MNPs were...
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Formation of chlorinated breakdown products during degradation of sunscreen agent, 2-ethylhexyl-4-methoxycinnamate in the presence of sodium hypochlorite
PublicationIn this study, a new degradation path of sunscreen active ingredient, 2-ethylhexyl-4-methoxycinnamate (EHMC) and 4-methoxycinnamic acid (MCA) in the presence of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), was discussed. The reaction products were detected using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Since HOCl treatment leads to more polar products than EHMC, application of polar extracting agents, dichloromethane and ethyl acetate/n-hexane...
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RecA Proteins from Deinococcus geothermalis and Deinococcus murrayi - Cloning, Purification and Biochemical Characterisation
PublicationEscherichia coli RecA plays a crucial role in recombinational processes, the induction of SOS response and mutagenic lesion bypasses. It has also been demonstrated that RecA protein is indispensable when it comes to the reassembly of shattered chromosomes in gamma-irradiated Deinococcus radiodurans, one of the most radiation-resistant organisms known. Moreover, some functional differences between E. coli and D. radiodurans RecA...
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The Metal-Free Regioselective Deuteration of 2-Methylquinolin-8-ol and 2,5-Dimethylquinolin-8-ol, Spectroscopic and Computational Studies
PublicationAbstract: Aim and Background: Introducing deuterium to a molecule is of interest to a wide variety of research, including investigation of reaction mechanisms or kinetics, analysis of drug metabolism, structural elucidation of molecules, and syntheses of isotopically labeled materials used for NMR spectroscopy and medicinal research. Objective: The transition-metal-free regioselective deuteration of 2-methylquinolin-8-ol...
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Sewage sludge co-pyrolysis with agricultural/forest residues: A comparative life-cycle assessment
PublicationThis study aims to determine the sustainability and energy efficiency of co-pyrolysis scenarios as treatment processes for municipal sewage sludge through a life cycle assessment (LCA). In addition, sensitivity and energy recovery analyses are conducted to determine the possible methods for optimizing the co-pyrolysis process from a circular bioeconomy perspective. Corncob and wood residue have been selected as potential co-feed...
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Quasi-one-dimensional exchange interactions and short-range magnetic correlations in CuTeO4
PublicationCuTeO4 has been proposed as a crystallographically distinct, yet electronic structure analog, of the superconducting cuprates. Here, we present a detailed characterization of the physical properties of CuTeO4 to address this proposal. Fitting of magnetic susceptibility data indicates unexpected quasi-one-dimensional, antiferromagnetic correlations at high temperature, with a nearest-neighbor Heisenberg exchange of 1=164(5) K....
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Solvothermal growth of {0 0 1} exposed anatase nanosheets and their ability to mineralize organic pollutants. The effect of alcohol type and content on the nucleation and growth of TiO2 nanostructures
PublicationHerein, the series of {0 0 1} exposed anatase nanosheets from HF-assisted solvothermal growth synthesis were obtained. The two-dimensional TiO2 were characterized, including both bulk (XRD, DR-UV–Vis, Mott-Schottky) and surface characteristics (N2 sorption, XPS, SEM) with experimental results compiled with Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations. The effect of alcohol amount and type was studied, demonstrating the crucial...
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Generalized Formulation of Response Features for Reliable Optimization of Antenna Input Characteristics
PublicationElectromagnetic (EM)-driven parameter adjustment has become imperative in the design of modern antennas. It is necessary because the initial designs rendered through topology evolution, parameter sweeping, or theoretical models, are often of poor quality and need to be improved to satisfy stringent performance requirements. Given multiple objectives, constraints, and a typically large number of geometry parameters, the design closure...
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Highly antifouling polymer-nanoparticle-nanoparticle/polymer hybrid membranes
PublicationWe introduce highly antifouling Polymer-Nanoparticle-Nanoparticle/Polymer (PNNP) hybrid membranes as multi-functional materials for versatile purification of wastewater. Nitrogen-rich polyethylenimine (PEI)-functionalized halloysite nanotube (HNT-SiO2-PEI) nanoparticles were developed and embedded in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) membranes for protein and dye filtration. Bulk and surface characteristics of the resulting HNT-SiO2-PEI...
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Honey antibacterial activity: A neglected aspect of honey quality assurance as functional food
PublicationBackground Honey is considered as a functional food with health-promoting properties. Its potent antibacterial and antibiofilm effects are the major attributes of so called ‘medical-grade honey’ which is topically used for the treatment of burns, wounds and skin disorders. Nevertheless, the current set of honey quality parameters adopted in the European Union do not include its biological properties. Furthermore, in light of the...
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The impact of filler thermomechanical modifications on static and dynamic mechanical performance of flexible foamed polyurethane/ground tire rubber/zinc borate composites
PublicationThe rapid development of the automotive industry is very beneficial to many aspects of human life, but it is also a very significant environmental burden. The most straightforward impact is related to the generation of exhaust, but the management of post-consumer car parts is also a major challenge. Among them, waste tires are very burdensome due to their enormous numbers. Therefore, it is essential to develop novel, environmentally...
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Solvent influence on the crystal structures of new cadmium tri-tert -butoxysilanethiolate complexes with 1,4-bis(3-aminopropyl)piperazine: luminescence and antifungal activity
PublicationMonocrystals of dinuclear 1,4-bis(3-aminopropyl)piperazine-�4N1,N10:N4,N40-bis[bis(tri-tert-butoxysilanethiolato-�S)cadmium(II)], [Cd2(C12H27O3SSi)4(C10-H24N4)] or [Cd2{SSi(OtBu)3}4(�-BAPP)], 1, and polynuclear catena-poly[[bis- (tri-tert-butoxysilanethiolato-�S)cadmium(II)]-�-1,4-bis(3-aminopropyl)piperazine-�2N10:N40], [Cd(C12H27O3SSi)2(C10H24N4)]n or [Cd{SSi(OtBu)3}2(�-BAPP)]n, 2, with 1,4-bis(3-aminopropyl)piperazine (BAPP)...
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Intramolecular Proton Transfer in the Radical Anion of Cytidine Monophosphate Sheds Light on the Sensitivities of Dry vs Wet DNA to Electron Attachment-Induced Damage
PublicationSingle-strand breaks (SSBs) induced via electron attachment were previously observed in dry DNA under ultrahigh vacuum (UHV), while hydrated electrons were found not able to induce this DNA damage in an aqueous solution. To explain these findings, crossed electron-molecular beam (CEMB) and anion photoelectron spectroscopy (aPES) experiments coupled to density functional theory (DFT) modeling were used to demonstrate the fundamental...
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A modern solid waste management strategy – the generation of new by-products
PublicationTo benefit the environment and society, EU legislation has introduced a ‘zero waste’ strategy, in which waste material should be converted to resources. Such legislation is supported by the solid waste hierarchy concept, which is a set of priorities in waste management. Under this concept, municipal solid waste plants (MSWPs) should be equipped with sorting and recycling facilities, composting/incineration units and landfill prisms...