Search results for: TOXIC
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Modifications at the C(5) position of pyrimidine nucleosides
PublicationThis review summarizes the state of knowledge on the chemical methods of C(5)-modifications of uridine and cytidine derivatives and may serve as a useful tool for synthetic chemists to choose an appropriate reaction protocol. The synthesis of 5-substituted uracil derivatives is gaining an increasing interest because of their possible applications in medicine and pharmacy. Modifications at the C(5) position of pyrimidine nucleosides...
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Initial Field Validation of Poroelastic Pavement Made with Crumb Rubber, Mineral Aggregate and Highly Polymer-Modified Bitumen
PublicationTire/road noise in most driving conditions dominates other sources of traffic noise. One of the most efficient ways of reducing tire/road noise is to use the so-called “low noise pavement”. According to numerous studies, at present, poroelastic road pavement that is composed of rubber and mineral aggregate and polyurethane or bituminous binder gives the best noise reduction up to 12 dB. Unfortunately, there are many problems with...
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Methylmercury and total mercury content in soft tissues of two bird species wintering in the Baltic Sea near Gdansk, Poland
PublicationOf the various forms of Hg occurring in nature, (mono) methylmercury (MeHg) is an especially toxic form and practically all forms of Hg can be converted into MeHg as a result of natural processes. Total mercury (THg) and MeHg were determined in tissues of two piscivorous birds: razorbill Alca torda and black-throated loon Gavia arctica to provide baseline data on current mercury concentrations for liver, kidneys and pectoral muscle...
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Recycling of Waste Rubber by the Manufacturing of Foamed Polyurethane-Based Composites—Current State and Perspectives
PublicationWorn car tires are disruptive waste, and the issue of their management is crucial for the natural environment. In many countries, the primary method of end-of-life tires utilization is energy recovery. However, more effective and beneficial for the environment is material recycling. Using them for the production of polymer-rubber composites seems to be an auspicious direction of research. Incorporation of ground tire rubber into...
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A review on application of artificial neural network (ANN) for performance and emission characteristics of diesel engine fueled with biodiesel-based fuels
PublicationBiodiesel has been emerging as a potential and promising biofuel for the strategy of reducing toxic emissions and improving engine performance. Computational methods aiming to offer numerical solutions were inevitable as a study methodology which was sometimes considered the only practical method. Artificial neural networks (ANN) were data-processing systems, which were used to tackle many issues in engineering and science, especially...
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Economic crisis in Croatia
PublicationCroatia is becoming the 28th member of the European Union on July 1st, 2013. Croatia has gone a long way from a socialistic republic to an independent country recognized as one of the economic tigers of the Western Balkans in the first decade of the 21st century. Croatia has been hit by a global crisis which turned out to be a huge external shock for the region of the Western Balkans. Although it does not enter the economy through...
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Determination of Selected Metals in Fruit Wines by Spectroscopic Techniques
PublicationThe determination of metals in different types of food and beverages samples has drawn significant attention due to several reasons with the most important one being the nutritional and toxic effects of these elements or their compounds. The knowledge of certain elements content in wines/fruit wines is of special interest due to their toxicity in case of excessive intake and also the effect they seem to have on the organoleptic...
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Sample preparation techniques for determination of pesticide residues in food samples
PublicationPesticides are very important in increasing the efficiency and quality of agricultural production. They are applied in many spheres of life, not only in agriculture, and their applications are expanding. Despite their numerous merits, pesticides are some of the most toxic substances contaminating our environment and have a negative impact on the human health. Properties of pesticides such as stability, ability to bioaccumulation...
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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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Review of cigars and cigar-type products as potential sources of consumer exposure to heavy metals
PublicationThe popularity of cigars, growing since 1993, has not gone hand in hand with the increased interest of researchers in these products. Although the literature widely describes the harmfulness of tobacco and the content of toxic substances in tobacco products, the topic is often treated selectively as relating primarily to cigarettes and rarely extends to other products of the broadly defined tobacco industry. However, there is no...
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How pesticides affect neonates? - Exposure, health implications and determination of metabolites
PublicationThis review covers key information related to the effects of pesticides on fetal and child health. All humans are exposed to environmental toxicants, however child's health, due to their high vulnerability, should be of special concern. They are continuously exposed to environmental xenobiotics including a wide variety of pesticides, and other pollutants. These compounds can enter the child's body through various routes, both during...
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Analytical progress on emerging pollutants in the environment: An overview of the topics
PublicationThis overview discusses the ideas behind a collection of articles by invited authors on a diverse range of complex chemical mixtures and analytical methods which represent some of the most relevant and interesting issues on emerging contaminants of environmental health concerns. These chemicals, including those in high volume production, are released on an ongoing basis as a result of various human activities. Moreover, these emerging contaminants...
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The effect of PEDOT morphology on hexavalent chromium reduction over 2D TiO2/PEDOT photocatalyst under UV–vis light
PublicationThe present study represents an approach to apply organic-inorganic hybrid materials for photocatalytic removal of heavy metals from the aqueous environment. The photocatalytic activity of the semiconductor modified with the conjugated polymer may depends on the conjugated polymer type, its amount and morphology. Therefore, in the present study the effect of poly (3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) morphology on adsorption and photoreduction...
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Biological responses to environmental contamination. How can metal pollution impact signal honesty in avian species?
PublicationEnvironmental pollution, for example with metals, can significantly affect the ecosystem balance leading to severe changes. Biologically active pigments are relevant for the appearance and condition of birds. Melanin and carotenoid particles are the most frequently deposited pigments in avian integument. They are responsible for the majority of colors of bird plumage. The phenotypic expression can be affected by metal contamination....
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The speciation of organotin compounds in sediment and water samples from the port of Gdynia
PublicationOrganotin compounds (OTC) are toxic towards all living organisms. The application of organitin-based antifouling systems is becoming the main source of OTC in the ocean. Harbor sediments and water contain large deposits of organotin compounds due to application of antifouling systems in the shipping industry. OTC contamination presents a potential risk to the marine environment. Sediment and water samples were collected in 2009...
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Deep eutectic solvents – based green absorbents for effective volatile organochlorine compounds removal from biogas
PublicationVolatile organochlorine compounds (VOXs) presented in biogas can cause many technological and environmental problems. During the combustion of biogas containing VOXs, the corrosion of installation, as well as the formation of toxic by-products (polyhalogenated dioxins and furans) and further emission to the atmosphere, may occur. Therefore, in this study, a new procedure based on physical absorption was developed. In order to meet...
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Recent advances on the removal of phosphorus in aquatic plant-based systems
PublicationPhosphorus (P) is a vital nutrient for the ecosystems and its excess in wastewater streams leads to some environmental issues such as extensive algae growth (eutrophication). Phytoremediation is a green technology that is based on the combined actions of plants and their associated microbial groups to remove and transfer the toxic compounds in surface water, groundwater and soil. Aquatic plants are widely used for the remediation...
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Hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents in microextraction techniques–A review
PublicationOver the past decade, deep eutectic solvents (DES) have been widely studied and applied in sample preparation techniques. Until recently, most of the synthesized DES were hydrophilic, which prevented their use in the extraction of aqueous samples. However, after 2015 studies on the synthesis and application of hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents (HDES) has rapidly expanded. Due to unique properties of HDES i.e. density, viscosity,...
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Novel N-(aryl/heteroaryl)-2-chlorobenzenesulfonamide derivatives: synthesis and anticancer activity evaluation
PublicationA new series of N-(aryl/heteroaryl)-2-chlorobenzenesulfonamide derivatives 4-21 have been synthesized, and evaluated at the National Cancer Institute (USA) for their in vitro activities against a panel of 60 different human cancer cell lines. Among them, compounds 16, 20 and 21 exhibited remarkable cytotoxic activity against numerous human cancer cell lines. We found that sulfonamide derivative 21 appeared to be more selective...
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Diamine derivatives of dimerized fatty acids and bio-based polyether polyol as sustainable platforms for the synthesis of non-isocyanate polyurethanes
PublicationA series of environmentally friendly non-isocyanate polyurethanes (NIPUs) were successfully prepared via the polyaddition reaction of bio-based polyether polyol-based cyclic carbonate with diamine derivative of dimerized fatty acids. The syntheses of NIPUs were realized by the three-step method in the absence of toxic solvents and, importantly, the process of carbonation did not require the use of elevated pressure. The effect...
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Self-assembly, stability and conductance of amphotericin B channels: bridging the gap between structure and function
PublicationAmphotericin B (AmB), one of the most powerful but also toxic drugs used to treat systemic mycoses, is believed to selectively permeabilize fungal cell membranes to ions in a sterol-dependent manner. Unfortunately, the structure of the biologically active AmB channels has long eluded researchers, obstructing the design of safer alternatives. Here, we investigate the structural and thermodynamic aspects of channel formation, stability,...
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Poszukiwanie nowych leków immunosupresyjnych (Quest for new immunosuppressive drugs)
PublicationTransplantology is getting more and more important in medicine. Development of surgical techniques and immunosuppressive treatment enabled to establish successful transplantations with various organs and tissues. However, allografts are recognized as foreign tissues and stimulate rejection, i.e. a strong immunological response which, if not stopped, results in complete destruction of the transplanted tissue. In order to prevent...
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Mercury concentration in the sediments as a function of changing climate in coastal zone of Southern Baltic Sea – preliminary results
PublicationMercury, despite of its many uses in industry, is also highly toxic. It is highly neurotoxic, and because of the ability of mercury to penetrate placental barrier, in some countries ban on predatory fish consumption (the main route of mercury into human organism) by pregnant women was introduced. There are very little publications describing the consequences of weather anomalies on contaminants cycles. No research was published...
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Thermodynamics and kinetics of amphotericin B self-association in aqueous solution characterized in molecular detail
PublicationAmphotericin B (AmB) is a potent but toxic drug commonly used to treat systemic mycoses. Its efficiency as a therapeutic agent depends on its ability to discriminate between mammalian and fungal cell membranes. The association of AmB monomers in an aqueous environment plays an important role in drug selectivity, as oligomers formed prior to membrane insertion – presumably dimers – are believed to act differently on fungal (ergosterol-rich)...
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Diagnostic system of wheeled tractors detecting four defect's categories
PublicationIn a classical approach to damage diagnosis, the technical condition of an analyzed machine is identified based on the measured symptoms, such as performance, thermal state or vibration parameters. In wheeled tractor the fundamental importance has monitoring and diagnostics during exploitation concerning technical inspection and fault element localizations. The main functions of a diagnostic system are: monitoring tractor components...
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Synthesis and modification of reduced graphene oxide aerogels for biofuel cell applications
PublicationWe have carried out the preparation of reduced graphene oxide aerogels using eco-friendly method that is based on the Hummers method of graphite oxidation without the use of NaNO3 that produces toxic gases. To obtain a porous 3D structure of reduced graphene oxide, we performed the hydrothermal reduction at elevated temperature. We also prepared the rGO aerogel/CNT composite using multiwalled carbon nanotubes as linkers. The rGO...
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Green aspects, developments and perspectives of liquid phase microextraction techniques
PublicationDetermination of analytes at trace levels in complex samples (e.g. biological or contaminated water or soils) are often required for the environmental assessment and monitoring as well as for scientific research in the field of environmental pollution. A limited number of analytical techniques are sensitive enough for the direct determination of trace components in samples and, because of that, a preliminary step of the analyte...
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In Silico Safety Assessment of Bacillus Isolated from Polish Bee Pollen and Bee Bread as Novel Probiotic Candidates
PublicationBacillus species isolated from Polish bee pollen (BP) and bee bread (BB) were characterized for in silico probiotic and safety attributes. A probiogenomics approach was used, and in-depth genomic analysis was performed using a wide array of bioinformatics tools to investigate the presence of virulence and antibiotic resistance properties, mobile genetic elements, and secondary metabolites. Functional annotation and Carbohydrate-Active...
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Vascular stents - materials and manufacturing technologies
PublicationThe objective of this article is to present materials and technology for the manufacture of vascular stents with appropriate design requirements. The use of the right material is very important in implantology. A biomaterial introduced into the circulatory system must be biocompatible and hemocompatible. At the same time, it should not initiate toxic, mutagenic, or immunological reactions. Currently, 316L stainless steel (316L...
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Electrophoretically deposited titanium and its alloys in biomedical engineering: Recent progress and remaining challenges
PublicationOver the past decade, titanium implants have gained popularity as the number of performed implantation operations has significantly increased. There are a number of methods for modifying the surface of biomaterials, which are aimed at extending the life of titanium implants. The developments in this field in recent years have required a comprehensive discussion of all the properties of electrophoretically deposited coatings on...
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Closing the loop: Upcycling secondary waste materials into nanoarchitectured carbon composites for the electrochemical degradation of pharmaceuticals
PublicationIn this study, we demonstrated the application of electrochemical oxidation as a safer and cleaner technology for minimizing the impact of pharmaceuticals in wastewaters, simultaneously mediated by upcycled secondary waste materials (SWMs)-derived electrodes, to further reduce their environmental impact. The modularity, scalability, ease of operation and reliability make electrochemical oxidation an ideal process for the destruction...
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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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Effective assessment of biopolymer-based multifunctional sorbents for the remediation of environmentally hazardous contaminants from aqueous solutions
PublicationPersistent contaminants in wastewater effluent pose a significant threat to aquatic life and are one of the most significant environmental concerns of our time. Although there are a variety of traditional methods available in wastewater treatment, including adsorption, coagulation, flocculation, ion exchange, membrane filtration, co-precipitation and solvent extraction, none of these have been found to be significantly cost-effective...
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Monitoring Lead Concentration in the Surrounding Environmental Components of a Lead Battery Company: Plants, Air and Effluents—Case Study, Kenya
PublicationLead (Pb) pollution from smelters and lead–acid battery has become a serious problem worldwide owing to its toxic nature as a heavy metal. Stricter regulations and monitoring strategies have been formulated, legislated and implemented in various parts of the world on heavy metal usage. Developed countries such as the USA and in Europe largely operate within the set standards, however, developing countries such as Kenya, Nigeria...
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Structure and performance properties of environmentally-friendly biocomposites based on poly(ɛ-caprolactone) modified with copper slag and shale drill cuttings wastes
PublicationThe potential application of two types of industrial wastes, drill cuttings (DC) and copper slag (CS), as silica-rich modifiers of poly(ɛ-caprolactone) (PCL) was investigated. Chemical structure and physical properties of DC and CS fillers were characterized using X-ray diffractometer, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, particle size and density measurements. PCL/DC and PCL/CS composites with a variable content of filler (5 to 50...
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Optical Detection of Ketoprofen by Its Electropolymerization on an Indium Tin Oxide-Coated Optical Fiber Probe
PublicationIn this work an application of optical fiber sensors for real-time optical monitoring of electrochemical deposition of ketoprofen during its anodic oxidation is discussed. The sensors were fabricated by reactive magnetron sputtering of indium tin oxide (ITO) on a 2.5 cm-long core of polymer-clad silica fibers. ITO tuned in optical properties and thickness allows for achieving a lossy-mode resonance (LMR) phenomenon and it can be...
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Technical State Assessment of Charge Exchange System of Self-Ignition Engine, Based On the Exhaust Gas Composition Testing
PublicationThis paper presents possible use of results of exhaust gas composition testing of self - ignition engine for technical state assessment of its charge exchange system under assumption that there is strong correlation between considered structure parameters and output signals in the form of concentration of toxic compounds (ZT) as well as unambiguous character of their changes. Concentration of the analyzed ZT may be hence considered...
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The impact of sediment, fresh and marine water on the concentration of chemical elements in water of the ice-covered lagoon
PublicationThe common use of chemical elements by man has been contributing to their extraction for centuries. As a consequence, they have been directly or indirectly introduced into the biogeochemical cycle. In the framework of many conventions, mining and processing of elements are currently subject to many restrictions. However, their large load that has already been deposited in the soil and bottom sediments can be remobilised and...
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The protection and monitoring of a distribution piping network for potable water supply
PublicationPurpose – The purpose of this paper is to implement the corrosion protection method for steel pipes used in a municipal water-pipe network. Results of an inhibitor protection system installed on the system are presented. Inhibitor protection was required due to the high corrosivity of the water collected by a surface intake, which had resulted in a large number of failures and low water quality, due to the presence of corrosion...
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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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Determination of fuel combustion product in airport runoff water samples using liquid–liquid extraction with gas chromatography–spectrometry
PublicationDetermination of xenobiotics in samples of airport runoff water is both a complex and indispensable task due to an increasing threat resulting from the activities of numerous airports. The aim of this study was to develop, optimize, and validate a procedure based on liquid–liquid extraction (LLE) coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). So far, no...
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Ionic liquids-based microextraction techniques
PublicationIn recent years, the development of highly efficient analytical techniques is of great importance, however, the direct analysis of complex sample matrix is still impossible in many cases. Therefore, the step of sample preparation is commonly involved in an analytical procedure. Over the years, it has been realized that the major source of inaccuracy and imprecision on general analysis results from the operations associated to sample...
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Economic Situation in Balkan Countries in the First Decade of 21st Century
PublicationThe recent economic crisis affected most of the countries in the world to a greater or lesser extent, including small economies sector. Small economies are a distinctive group of countries distinguished by particular qualities. They are dependent on trade exchange or international investment stream, and both their aggregate demand and supply, and price level depend on the development of the big economies dynamics. This is the reason...
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An overview of the strategies for the deammonification process start-up and recovery after accidental operational failures
PublicationThe deammonification process has been universally acknowledged as an energy-efficient technology for sewage disposal. In contrast with traditional biological nitrogen removal technology, the deammonification process is able to remove ammonia from wastewater with the simplest nitrogen removal process because of its advantages of lower operating expenses, no organic carbon consumption, lower biomass production, lower carbon dioxide...
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In vitro biological evaluation of a novel folic acid-targeted receptor quantum dot−β−cyclodextrin carrier for C-2028 unsymmetrical bisacridine in the treatment of human lung and prostate cancers
PublicationTraditional small-molecule chemotherapeutics usually do not distinguish tumors from healthy tissues. However, nanotechnology creates nanocarriers that selectively deliver drugs to their site of action. This work is the next step in the development of the quantum dot−β−cyclodextrin−folic acid (QD−β−CD−FA) platform for targeted and selected delivery of C−2028 unsymmetrical bisacridine in cancer therapy.Herein, we report an initial...
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Boron-doped carbon nanowalls for fast and direct detection of cytochrome C and ricin by matrix-free laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry
PublicationDetecting proteins via surface assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (SALDI-MS) method is still highly challenging, and only few examples of nanomaterials have been demonstrated to perform such detection so far. In this study, carbon nanowalls (CNWs), vertically aligned graphene sheet-based materials, presenting specific morphology, dimensions, and boron doping levels have shown improved performances for both qualitative...
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Analysis of friction ridge evidence for trace amounts of paracetamol in various pharmaceutical industries by Raman spectroscopy
PublicationThe detection of potentially harmful substances presents a multifaceted challenge. On one hand, it can directly save lives, on the other, it can significantly aid and enhance police work, thereby increasing the effectiveness of investigations. The research conducted in this study primarily aims to identify paracetamol in fingerprints, considering situations involving direct contact of a person with paracetamol either chronically...
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Preparation and properties of composite coatings, based on carbon nanotubes, for medical applications
PublicationThe coatings based on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are increasingly developed for their applications, among others, in medicine, in particular for implants in implantology, cardiology, and neurology. The present review paper aims at a detailed demonstration of diferent preparation methods for such coatings, their performance, and relationships between deposition parameters and microstructure and material, mechanical, physical, chemical,...
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Synthesis, Characterization and Biological Investigations of Half-Sandwich Ruthenium(II) Complexes Containing Benzimidazole Moiety
PublicationHalf-sandwich Ru(II) complexes belong to group of biologically active metallo-compounds with promising antimicrobial and anticancer activity. Herein, we report the synthesis and characteri- zation of arene ruthenium complexes containing benzimidazole moiety, namely, [(η6-p-cymene)RuC l(bimCOO)] (1) and [(η6-p-cymene)RuCl2(bim)] (2) (where bimCOO = benzimidazole-2-carboxylate and bim = 1-H-benzimidazole). The compounds were characterized...
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Green chromatography
PublicationAnalysis of organic compounds in samples characterized by different composition of the matrix is very important in many areas. A vast majority of organic compound determinations are performed using gas or liquid chromatographic methods. It is thus very important that these methods have negligible environmental impact. Chromatographic techniques have the potential to be greener at all steps of the analysis, from sample collection...