Search results for: TOXIC
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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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A facile approach to fabricate load-bearing porous polymer scaffolds for bone tissue engineering
PublicationBiodegradable porous scaffolds with oriented interconnected pores and high mechanical are load-bearing biomaterials for bone tissue engineering. Herein, we report a simple, non-toxic, and cost-effective method to fabricate high-strength porous biodegradable scaffolds, composed of a polymer matrix of polycaprolactone (PCL) and water-soluble poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO) as a sacrificial material by integrating annealing treatment,...
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Mineral Composition of Dietary Supplements-Analytical and Chemometric Approach
PublicationThere is a lack of data on the actual composition and effectiveness of beetroot-based dietary supplements. The research aimed to determine the profile of 22 elements (Na, K, Ca, Mg, P, Fe, As, Se, Zn, Cu, Ag, Co, Ni, Mo, Al, Mn, Sr, Cr, Ba, Li, Pb, Cd) in beetroot and its supplements by the microwave plasma atomic emission spectrometry (MP-AES) method. The analytical procedure was optimised and validated. The composition of both...
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Pilot-Scale Studies of WO3/S-Doped g-C3N4 Heterojunction toward Photocatalytic NOx Removal
PublicationDue to the rising concentration of toxic nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the air, effective methods of NOx removal have been extensively studied recently. In the present study, the first developed WO3/S-doped g-C3N4 nanocomposite was synthesized using a facile method to remove NOx in air efficiently. The photocatalytic tests performed in a newly designed continuous-flow photoreactor with an LED array and online monitored NO2 and NO system...
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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...
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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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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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Carbon nanowalls: A new versatile graphene based interface for laser desorption/ionization-mass spectrometry detection of small compounds in real samples.
PublicationCarbon nanowalls, vertically aligned graphene nanosheets, attract attention owing to their tunable band-gap, high conductivity, high mechanical robustness, high optical absorbance and other remarkable properties. In this paper, we report for the first time, the use of hydrophobic boron-doped carbon nanowalls (CNWs) for laser desorption/ionization of small compounds and their subsequent detection by mass spectrometry (LDI-MS). The...
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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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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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Small Polymeric Toys Placed in Child-Dedicated Chocolate Food Products—Do They Contain Harmful Chemicals? Examination of Quality by Example of Selected VOCs and SVOCs
PublicationThis study was focused on child-dedicated chocolate food products that contain a plastic package with a small toy inside (also known as chocolate eggs). Three types of these products that are commercially available on the Polish market, with different prices, chocolate composition, and main types of polymers used in the toy manufacturing process, were investigated. The polymers were identified using Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR)...
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New Carvone-Based Deep Eutectic Solvents for Siloxanes Capture from Biogas
PublicationDuring biogas combustion, siloxanes form deposits of SiO2 on engine components, thus shortening the lifespan of the installation. Therefore, the development of new methods for the purification of biogas is receiving increasing attention. One of the most effective methods is physical absorption with the use of appropriate solvents. According to the principles of green engineering, solvents should be biodegradable, non-toxic, and...
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Chemical analysis of low carbon content coals and their applications as dye adsorbent
PublicationCoal is primarily a fuel material but lately it has been utilized as an adsorbent for removing toxic metal ions. However, its usage for removing organic pollutants is not well studied. We report here a systematic study on the use of coal samples of varying carbon contents as adsorbents for removing Basic Blue 41 as a model cationic dye. The coal samples were collected from coal mines and were thoroughly characterized. The concentrations...
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Cell Density-Dependent Cytological Stage Profile and Its Application for a Screen of Cytostatic Agents Active Toward Leukemic Stem Cells
PublicationProliferation and expansion of leukemia is driven by leukemic stem cells (LSCs). Multidrug resistance (MDR) of LSCs is one of the main reasons of failure and relapses in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treatment. In this study, we show that maintaining HL-60 at low cell culture density or applying a 240-day treatment with anthrapyridazone (BS-121) increased the percentage of primitive cells, which include LSCs determining the overall...
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Validated HPTLC method for determination of ledol and alloaromadendrene in the essential oil fractions of Rhododendron tomentosum plants and in vitro cultures and bioautography for their activity screening
PublicationRhododendron tomentosum (Ledum palustre) is a bog shrub used in traditional medicine for treatment of respiratory and rheumatic diseases. Due to the large variability of the chemical composition of its essential oil, depending on the habitat, the in vitro cultures were established as the alternative source of the volatile fraction. There is a need to monitor a quality of the field grown as well as in vitro plant material, especially...
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Svalbard reindeer as an indicator of ecosystem changes in the Arctic terrestrial ecosystem
PublicationOver the years, noticeable effort has been directed towards contaminant determination in multiple biotic samples collected from the inhabitants of the Arctic. Little consideration has been given to polar herbivores, however, especially those from the European parts of the Arctic. To provide a broader perspective, we aimed to decipher trace element concentration in hairs of the key species in the Arctic, namely the Svalbard reindeer...
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Mercury in suspended matter of the Gulf of Gdańsk: Origin, distribution and transport at the land–sea interface
PublicationThe coastal regions of inland seas are particularly vulnerable to Hg pollution. An important carrier of toxic Hg in the marine environment is suspended matter originating from multiple sources. The present study was conducted in the Gulf...
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Study of anticorrosion and microwave absprption properties of NiZn ferrite pigments
PublicationPurpose - The purpose of this paper is to report the electrochemical verification of anticorrosive properties of NiZn ferrites as pigments in protective coatings and evaluation of their microwave absorbing properties. Design/methodology/approach - Ferrites, represented by formula NixZn(1-x)Fe2O4, where x=0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1.0, were synthesized using a ceramic method. The samples of ferrites were examined by X-ray diffraction...
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Removal of phenolic inhibitor compounds from hydrolysates and post-fermentation broths by using a Hydrophobic Magnetic Deep Eutectic Solvent
PublicationHydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), furfural (FF), hydroquinone (HQ), and vanillin (VAN) are among the main inhibitors generated during most of biomass pre-treatments prior to fermentation processes. They are recognized as toxic to several fermentative microorganisms and therefore cause a decrease in biohydrogen or biofuel production (after hydrolysis). Moreover, if they are released into aqueous solutions (after fermentation), they can...
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Bimetallic Bi/Cu0-catalyzed persulfate-based advanced oxidation processes towards clofibric acid degradation in wastewater
PublicationClofibric acid (CFA), an important blood-lipid regulatory drug is an emerging organic pollutant and widely reported in water resources. A novel bimetallic, bismuth/zero valent cupper (Bi/Cu0) catalyst was prepared which showed better physiological, structural, and catalytic properties than Cu0. The Bi/Cu0 effectively catalyzed persulfate (S2O82−) and caused 85% degradation of CFA. The Bi coupling improved reusability and stability...
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Direct determination of paraquat herbicide by square-wave voltammetry by two-step transfer mechanism at heterogeneous boron-doped carbon nanowall electrodes
PublicationBoron-doped carbon nanowalls (B:CNW) versus boron-doped diamond (BDD) materials were investigated for the effective electrochemical detection of highly toxic herbicide paraquat (PQ). Depending on the surface morphology and functional groups of BDD and B:CNWs, the electrochemical absorption and detection of the target analyte PQ revealed different detection mechanisms. The surface absorption mechanism was mainly observed for BDD,...
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Evaluation of adhesion strength, corrosion, and biological properties of the MWCNT/TiO2 coating intended for medical applications
PublicationMulti-wall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) coatings are gaining increasing interest because of their special properties used in many science fields. The titania coatings are known for their improvement of osteoblast adhesion, thus changing the surface architecture. Bi-layer coatings comprising 0.25 wt% of the MWCNTs and 0.30 wt% of titania (anatase structure) were synthesized in a two-stage procedure using the electrophoretic deposition...
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How to make membrane distillation greener? A review on environmentally friendly and sustainable aspects
PublicationThere is an urgent need for the development of new water resources in order to solve the problem of the world’s growing demand for clean water. Membrane distillation (MD) is a promising alternative to conventional seawater desalination. Although MD itself is often defined as sustainable desalination technology, there are many aspects within the membrane manufacture and process operation that make it far from being green. For instance,...
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Supramolecular deep eutectic solvents and their applications
PublicationIn recent years, the growing awareness of the harmfulness of chemicals to the environment has resulted in the development of green and sustainable technologies. The compromise between economy and environmental requirements is based on the development of new efficient and green solutions. Supramolecular deep eutectic solvents (SUPRADESs), a new deep eutectic solvent (DES) subclass characterized by inclusion properties, are a fresh...
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Non-Isocyanate-Based Waterborne Polyurethanes
PublicationNon-isocyanate polyurethanes (NIPUs) are a greener alternative for the conventional polyurethanes synthesized using toxic and moisture-sensitive di- or polyisocyanates. The most often described method of NIPU synthesis involves the reaction of five-membered cyclic carbonates with amines, and resulting polymers containing primary and secondary hydroxyl groups (so they are also known as polyhydroxyurethanes), which can be further...
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In vivo imaging of the human eye using a two-photon excited fluorescence scanning laser ophthalmoscope
PublicationBACKGROUND. Noninvasive assessment of metabolic processes that sustain regeneration of human retinal visual pigments (visual cycle) is essential to improve ophthalmic diagnostics and to accelerate development of new treatments to counter retinal diseases. Fluorescent vitamin A derivatives, which are the chemical intermediates of these processes, are highly sensitive to UV light; thus, safe analyses of these processes in humans...
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Recent progress in ultra-low formaldehyde emitting adhesive systems and formaldehyde scavengers in wood-based panels: a review
PublicationTraditional wood-based panels are produced with synthetic, formaldehyde-based adhesives, commonly made from fossil-derived constituents, such as urea, phenol, melamine, etc. Along with their numerous advantages, such as chemical versatility, high reactivity and excellent adhesive performance, these adhesives are characterized by certain problems, connected with the hazardous volatile organic compounds (VOCs), mostly free formaldehyde...
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A Green Chemistry "environmentally friendly" approach to the synthesis of chloro-intermediates of ephedrine/pseudoephedrine
PublicationMethylamphetamine is an addictive stimulant drug that strongly activates certain systems in the brain. It is closely related chemically to amphetamine, but the central nervous system effects of methamphetamine are greater. There is much interest in methylamphetamine among scientists and therefore the synthesizes of methylamphetamine and its metabolites are carried out on a large scale in chemical laboratories. Globally, ephedrine...
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Phototransformation of Amlodipine: Degradation Kinetics and Identification of Its Photoproducts
PublicationNowadays, monitoring focuses on the primary compounds and does not include degradation products formed during various biological and chemical processes. Transformation products may have the same effects to human health and the environment or sometimes they can be more toxic than the parent compound. Unfortunately, knowledge about the formation of degradation products is still limited, however, can be very important for the environmental...
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The role of the sawage treatment plant in the removal of genotoxic compounds from the environment
PublicationOne reason for increased incidence of various types of cancer are environmental pollutants particularly of anthropogenic origin. All human activities may pollute the environment, but some have significant impact, just to mention energy industry, mining, transportation, chemical and petrochemical industries and housing. Environmental pollutants are a large group of compounds in terms of their physicochemical properties, some of...
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Miniaturized solid phase microextratcion
PublicationWithout any doubt analytical laboratories have an essential role in environmental protection due to the fact that they takes an active part in the monitoring pollutants present in air, water or soil. From the other side, the analytical activity is involved in the generation of toxic waste what is associated with the use of not eco-friendly reagents and solvents. For these reasons, green analytical chemistry (GAC) was introduced...
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The influence of crude glycerol and castor oil-based polyol on the structure and performance of rigid polyurethane-polyisocyanurate foams
PublicationIn this work, biopolyol obtained from two types of industrial crops’ processing products: crude glycerol and castor oil was used for preparation or rigid polyurethane-polyisocyanurate foams. Bio-based polyol was obtained via crude glycerol polymerization and further condensation of resulting polyglycerol with castor oil. Rigid polyurethane-polyisocyanurate foams were prepared at partial substitution (0–70 wt.%) of petrochemical...
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TEST METHOD FOR DETERMINING THE CHEMICAL EMISSIONS OF A MARINE DIESEL ENGINE EXHAUST IN OPERATION
PublicationThe article briefly describes the problem of air pollution caused by sea-going ships and the resulting restrictions on the emission of toxic and harmful chemical compounds in the exhaust of marine engines, introduced by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) under the International Convention for the Prevention of Sea Pollution from Ships (MARPOL 73/78). Such emissions provide a significant metrological problem, not only...
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Interactions between bioactive components determine antioxidant, cytotoxic and nutrigenomic activity of cocoa powder extract
PublicationNumerous studies have shown, rather disappointingly, that isolated bioactive phytochemicals are not as biologically effective as natural plant products. Such a discrepancy may be explained by the concept of food synergy, which was verified in this research for cocoa extract versus its major components with regard to cancer chemoprevention. The evaluation embraced the relationship between redox properties evaluated in cell-free systems...
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UV Light-Modulated Fluctuation-Enhanced Gas Sensing by Layers of Graphene Flakes/TiO2 Nanoparticles
PublicationWe present experimental results of fluctuation-enhanced gas sensing by low-cost resistive sensors made of a mixture of graphene flakes and TiO2 nanoparticles. Both components are photocatalytic and activated by UV light. Two UV LEDs of different wavelengths (362 and 394 nm) were applied to modulate the gas sensing of the layers. Resistance noise was recorded at low frequencies, between 8 Hz and 10 kHz. The sensors’ response was...
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Environmental characteristics of a tundra river system in Svalbard. Part 2: Chemical stress factors
PublicationBacterial communities in the Arctic environment are subject to multiple stress factors, including contaminants, although typically their concentrations are small. The Arctic contamination research has focused on persistent organic pollutants (POPs) because they are bioaccumulative, resistant to degradation and toxic for all organisms. Pollutants have entered the Arctic predominantly by atmospheric and oceanic long-range transport,...
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A mixture of cellulose production waste with municipal sewage as new material for an ecological management of wastes
PublicationChemical contaminants present in cellulose production waste and municipal sewage sludge condition the necessity to treat these wastes before they are introduced into the environment. Environmental use of the these wastes appears to be justified owing to the content of organic substances as well as the considerable fertilising value. The aim of the study was to assess chemical composition and ecotoxicity of cellulose production...
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Phytoplankton communities of polar regions–Diversity depending on environmental conditions and chemical anthropopressure
PublicationThe polar regions (Arctic and Antarctic) constitute up to 14% of the biosphere and offer some of the coldest and most arid Earth's environments. Nevertheless several oxygenic phototrophs including some higher plants, mosses, lichens, various algal groups and cyanobacteria, survive that harsh climate and create the base of the trophic relationships in fragile ecosystems of polar environments. Ecosystems in polar regions are characterized...
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Polysaccharide nanocomposites in wastewater treatment: A review
PublicationIn modern times, wastewater treatment is vital due to increased water contamination arising from pollutants such as nutrients, pathogens, heavy metals, and pharmaceutical residues. Polysaccharides (PSAs) are natural, renewable, and non-toxic biopolymers used in wastewater treatment in the field of gas separation, liquid filtration, adsorption processes, pervaporation, and proton exchange membranes. Since addition of nanoparticles...
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Advanced Oxidation Processes for the Treatment of Contaminants of Emerging Concern
PublicationThe application of contaminants of emerging concern (CEC) such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), pesticides, plasticizers, endocrine disruptors, surfactants, flame retardants and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) became an indispensable requirement of the current era. Although the CEC are useful for wide-spectrum purposes, they can also result in undesirable effects on human health and other animals....
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Novel steroid sulfatase inhibitors based on N ‐thiophosphorylated 3‐(4‐aminophenyl)‐coumarin‐7‐O‐sulfamates
PublicationIn the present work, we described convenient methods for the synthesis ofN-thiophosphorylated 3-(4-aminophenyl)-coumarin-7-O-sulfamates as steroid sulfatase(STS) inhibitors. To design the structures of the potential STS inhibitors, molecularmodeling techniques were used. A computational docking method was used to deter-mine the binding modes of the synthesized inhibitors as well as to identify potentialinteractions between specified...
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Challenges in operating and testing loop heat pipes in 500–700 K temperature ranges
PublicationThe potential applications of loop heat pipes (LHPs) are the nuclear power space systems, fuel cell thermal management systems, waste heat recovery systems, medium temperature electronic systems, medium temperature military systems, among others. Such applications usually operate in temperature ranges between 500–700 K, hence it is necessary to develop an LHP system that will meet this requirement. Such a thermal management device...
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Pharmaceuticals and other contaminants of emerging concern in Admiralty Bay as a result of untreated wastewater discharge: Status and possible environmental consequences
PublicationConsidering how the impact of human activity in Antarctica is growing, the aim of this study was to conduct the first assessment of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), other emerging contaminants (ECs), and antibiotic resistance genes present in the western shore of the Admiralty Bay region of King George Island. In total, more than 170 substances were evaluated to assess the potential environmental risks they pose...
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Reverse vaccinology-based prediction of a multi-epitope SARS-CoV-2 vaccine and its tailoring to new coronavirus variants
PublicationThe genome feature of SARS-CoV-2 leads the virus to mutate and creates new variants of concern. Tackling viral mutations is also an important challenge for the development of a new vaccine. Accordingly, in the present study, we undertook to identify B- and T-cell epitopes with immunogenic potential for eliciting responses to SARS-CoV-2, using computational approaches and its tailoring to coronavirus variants. A total of 47 novel...
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DETERMINATION OF SURFACTANTS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SAMPLES - PART I. CATIONIC COMPOUNDS = Oznaczanie Surfaktantów W Próbkach Środowiskowych. Część I. Związki Kationowe
PublicationCompounds from the group of cationic surfactants are widely applied in household, industrial, cleaning, disinfectant, cosmetic and pharmaceutical products as their specific properties (antimicrobial, emulsifying, anticorrosion, softening). After use, cationic surfactants are disposed to wastewater-treatment plants and finally with effluent water to surface waters due to their incomplete degradation. Moreover, they can freely circulate...
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Recent developments in biological sample testing methods for the confirmation of gestational exposure to tobacco smoke anddrugs of abused
PublicationSubstance use is most prevalent in reproductive-aged people also by women during pregnancy. In national prevalence surveys among women aged 15 to 44 years, 10.8 % of women reported using alcohol during pregnancy, 17 % reported smoking during pregnancy, and 4.4 % reported abusing any illicit substances during pregnancy. Virtually all illegal drugs, such as heroin and cocaine, pose dangers to a pregnant woman. Legal substances, such...
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Relationship between the betalain composition in Opuntia ficus indica and Beta vulgaris varieties and biological activity of their extracts
PublicationBetalains are a class of pigments that are much less com- monly found in nature than anthocyanins or carotenoids. They occur only in a few edible plants such as red beetroot (Beta vulgaris), prickly pears (Opuntia ficus indica), amaranth (Amaranthus sp.) and some mushrooms. This group of pig- ments can be divided into two major groups: yellow vulgax- anthins and red betanins. Despite their structural similarity to compounds from...
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Determination of Surfactants in Environmental Samples. Part III. Non-Ionic Compounds
PublicationNon-ionic surface active agents are a diverse group of chemicals which have an uncharged polar head and a non-polar tail. They have different properties due to amphiphilic structure of their molecules. Commercial available non-ionic surfactants consist of the broadest spectrum of compounds in comparison with other types of such agents. Typically, non-ionic compounds found applications in households and industry during formulation...
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Evaluation of the content of inorganic anions in tree saps
PublicationTree saps were once commonly used in the countries of Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. Although once almost forgotten, their popularity has been growing recently as part of an interest in organic food and traditional medicine. Tree saps, tapped mainly from birch and maple trees, are drunk both fresh and fermented or are used as raw material for the production of food products, e.g. syrups. The aim of this study was to determine...
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Synthesis, structure and properties of novel poly(hydroxyurethane)s obtained by non-isocyanate route
PublicationNon-isocyanate polyurethanes (NIPUs) can be synthesized by polyaddition of five-membered bis(cyclic carbonate)s and primary diamines. NIPUs are an alternative for the commonly used (in the form of foams, elastomers, coatings or fibers) in the industry polyurethanes obtained using toxic and moisture sensitive diisocyanates, polyols and low-molecular weight chain extenders. The main aim of this work was to synthesize non-isocyanate...