Search results for: biological methods
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Influence of configurations of the beds on contaminations removal in hybrid constructed wetlands.
PublicationThree hybrid constructed wetlands in configuration HF-VF-HF in Poland and one with another configuration VF-HF-Pond in Gremany were analysed. These hybrid constructed wetlands provide the second stage biological treatment. They are located in Pommerania region, in Sarbsk, Wiklino and Wieszyno, and their capacities are 29.7, 18.6 and 24.5 m3/day, respectively. The analysed system in Germany in Waizenfeld (Gemeinde Pommelsbrunn,...
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Biomimetic torene shells
PublicationThe genome inside the eukaryotic cells is guarded by a unique shell structure, called the nuclear envelope (NE), made of lipid membranes. This structure has an ultra torus topology with thousands of torus-shaped holes that imparts the structure a high flexural stiffness. Inspired from this biological design, here we present a novel ‘‘torene’’ architecture to design lightweight shell structures with ultra-stiffness for engineering...
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The effect of Sr and Mg substitutions on structure, mechanical properties and solubility of fluorapatite ceramics for biomedical applications
PublicationIonic substitutions play important role in the modifications of biological apatites. Recently, attention has been focused on the co-doping effects on the functional properties of apatite-based biomaterials. In this research work, the dense samples of fluorapatites, Ca10(PO4)6F2 and Ca8MgSr(PO4)6F2, were produced after sintering at 1250 °C for 6 h in air. Structural characterization carried out with XRD, IR, Raman and SEM, confirmed...
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Modeling the Structure, Dynamics, and Transformations of Proteins with the UNRES Force Field
PublicationThe physics-based united-residue (UNRES) model of proteins ( www.unres.pl ) has been designed to carry out large-scale simulations of protein folding. The force field has been derived and parameterized based on the principles of statistical-mechanics, which makes it independent of structural databases and applicable to treat nonstandard situations such as, proteins that contain D-amino-acid residues. Powered by Langevin dynamics...
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Balancing Energy Inputs/Outputs and GHG Emissions for Sustainable Wastewater Treatment – a Case Study
PublicationThe aim of the study is a model-based evaluation of the selected operating modes and technological upgrades on the energy balance and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in a large wastewater treatment plant in the city of Slupsk (northern Poland). The considered scenarios focus on energy savings for aeration, increasing energy recovery via biogas cogeneration and reduction of the CO2 equivalent emission from both direct processes (related...
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Offshore surface waters of Antarctica are free of microplastics, as revealed by a circum-Antarctic study
PublicationIn 2018, during a circum navigation of Antarctica below 62° S by the sailing boat Katharsis II, the presence of plastics was investigated with surface sampling nets at ten evenly spaced locations (every 36° of longitude). Although fibres that appeared to be plastic (particles up to 2 cm) were found in numbers ranging from 1 particle (0.002 particles per m3) to 171 particles (1.366 particles per m3) per station, a Fourier-transform...
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Quantum Coherence as a Resource
PublicationThe coherent superposition of states, in combination with the quantization of observables, represents one of the most fundamental features that mark the departure of quantum mechanics from the classical realm. Quantum coherence in many-body systems embodies the essence of entanglement and is an essential ingredient for a plethora of physical phenomena in quantum optics, quantum information, solid state physics, and nanoscale thermodynamics....
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Water chemistry of tundra lakes in the periglacial zone of the Bellsund Fiord (Svalbard) in the summer of 2013
PublicationClimate changes observed in the Arctic (e.g. permafrost degradation, glacier retreat) may have significant influence on sensitive polar wetlands. The main objectives of this paper are defining chemical features of water within six small arctic lakes located in Bellsund (Svalbard) in the area of continuous permafrost occurrence. The unique environmental conditions of the study area offer an opportunity to observe phenomena influencing...
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The process generation of WWTP models for optimization of activated sludge systems
PublicationThe objective of water and wastewater utilities, which are responsible for optimization of wastewater treatment plant operation, is threefold: environmental protection, saving money, and mitigation of pollutant emissions, both to water and air. The performed study aimed to assess the process generation of WWTP models that improve activated sludge systems operation, by means of new developed Mantis2 model. This model accounts for...
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Occurrence and Determination of Volatile Fatty Acids in Landfill Leachate and Gas
PublicationIn landfills containing biological matter volatile fatty acids (VFAs) are generated at high rate at the early stage of waste disposal and their content in leachate is high as compared to the leachate from old parts of landfill since they are converted to methane gas. Monitoring of the leachate for the content of VFAs can help determine the processes occurring in waste and possible effect of the leachate on the environment in the...
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Occurrence and Determination of Volatile Fatty Acids in Landfill Leachate and Gas
PublicationIn landfills containing biological matter volatile fatty acids (VFAs) are generated at high rate at the early stage of waste disposal and their content in leachate is high as compared to the leachate from old parts of landfill since they are converted to methane gas. Monitoring of the leachate for the content of VFAs can help determine the processes occurring in waste and possible effect of the leachate on the environment in the...
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Types of wear and tear of biomaterials used in orthopaedic surgery
PublicationPurpose of this paper is presentation of observations on different kinds of wear and tear of biomaterials used in contemporary orthopaedic surgery. Types of prosthesis damage, encountered in medical practice, and their causes have been described. Results of many clinical studies were analysed to review prosthesis damage from the stage of implanting (such as intrusion of a foreign object between its components) to their natural...
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Partial characterization of three Korean white lotus cultivars
PublicationThe nutritional and bioactive values of Korean white lotus cultivars (Muan, Chungyang, and Garam)extracted with methanol, water, and acetone solvents were evaluated by the contents of their bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity determined by ABTS, CUPRAC, FRAP, DPPH, and β-carotene-linoleic acid assays. HPLC, fluorometry, and FTIR spectroscopy were employed for evaluation of polyphenols and fatty acids. All lotus cultivar...
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Removal of Pharmaceutically Active Compounds in Sequencing Batch Reactor
PublicationIn recent years, considerable attention was paid to the presence of organic micro-pollutants such as Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) in the aquatic environment due to their negative impact on public health and aquatic ecosystems. Numerous papers have pointed out API presence as common constituents of effluents from Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs). This is the result of various efficiencies of API removal by conventional...
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Determination of isoprostanes in exhaled breath condensate samples by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry
PublicationOxidative stress (OS) is a state of imbalance between continuously generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) during normal cell metabolism and mechanism of detoxifying oxygen radicals through a network of antioxidative enzymes. Isoprostanes are prostaglandin -like substances that are produced in vivo primarily by free radical-induced peroxidation of arachidonic acid. The measurement of isoprostanes in biological fluids and/or tissue...
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Pilot study of the influence of thermoplastic starch based polymer packaging material on the growth of diatom population in sea water environment
PublicationNovel polymeric packaging materials susceptible to environmentally friendly decomposition appeared on the global market. The paper is devoted to an investigation of the impact of degradable polymer packaging on marine life. The chosen polymer was a commercial packaging based on thermoplastic starch (TPS over 85%). The microorganism chosen was Phaeodactylum tricornutum diatom (identified in many aquatic reservoirs, with a tendency...
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New Analogues of Mycophenolic Acid
PublicationMycophenolic acid (MPA) possesses antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, immunosuppressive and anticancer properties. It is a non-competitive and reversible inhibitor of dehydrogenase inosine-5'-monophosphate (IMPDH). This compound belongs to the immunosuppressive drugs used for the prevention of both acute and chronic transplant rejection. Until now, two derivatives of MPA have been used clinically: mycophenolate mofetil (MMF,...
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The role of analytical chemistry in the study of the Anthropocene
PublicationThe term “Anthropocene” refers to not yet formalized epoch of geologic time during which geologic processes have been dominated by the human impact. This impact takes on many forms. Biological, physical and chemical changes to the Earth System caused by anthropogenic activity are recorded in natural archives either as new fossil assemblages (neobiota), anthropogenic deposits or a wide variety of pollutants emitted to the environment....
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The exposure to UV filters: Prevalence, effects, possible molecular mechanisms of action and interactions within mixtures
PublicationSubstances that can absorb sunlight and harmful UV radiation such as organic UV filters are widely used in cosmetics and other personal care products. Since humans use a wide variety of chemicals for multiple purposes it is common for UV filters to co-occur with other substances either in human originating specimens or in the environment. There is increasing interest in understanding such co-occurrence in form of potential synergy, antagonist,...
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A novel method of creating thermoplastic chitosan blends to produce cell scaffolds by FDM additive manufacturing
PublicationDue to its remarkable and promising biological and structural properties, chitosan has been widely studied in several potential applications in the biomedical sector. Attempts are being made to use this polymer and its properties in thermoplastics dedicated to 3D printing in FDM technology. However, chitosan can be processed only from acid solution, which limits its applications. The paper presents a new path for the production...
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Design, Synthesis, and Enzymatic Evaluation of Novel ZnO Quantum Dot-Based Assay for Detection of Proteinase 3 Activity
PublicationHerein, the synthesis and application of functionalized quantum dot-based protease probes is described. Such probes are composed of nontoxic ZnO nanocrystals decorated by amino groups followed by linker and labeled peptide attachment. Spherical NH2-terminated ZnO quantum dots (QDs) with the average size ranging from 4 to 8 nm and strong emission centered at 530 nm were prepared using the sol−gel method. The fluorescence of ZnO...
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Unconventional and user-friendly sampling techniques of semi-volatile organic compounds present in an indoor environment: An approach to human exposure assessment
PublicationThe commonly applied solutions used to assess the potential risk of human exposure to semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) are based on the investigation of biological samples collected in an invasive or non-invasive manner. For SVOCs, which are typically introduced to humans through the respiratory system, dermal adsorption, or digestive system, sampling solutions generally used in the indoor environments are classified as...
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The occurrence and role of Nitrospira in nitrogen removal systems
PublicationApplication of the modern microbial techniques changed the paradigm about the microorganisms performing nitrification. Numerous investigations recognized representatives of the genus Nitrospira as a key and predominant nitrite-oxidizing bacteria in biological nutrient removal systems, especially under low dissolved oxygen and substrate conditions. The recent discovery of Nitrospira capable of performing complete ammonia oxidation...
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Novel Research on Biomedical Polyurethanes
PublicationThe variety of mechanical properties characterizes properly designed PURs. They may be biocompatible and reveal compatibility with blood, making them attractive materials for the fabrication of tissue scaffolds; however, like all synthetic materials, PURs don’t reveal sufficient biocompatibility. PURs may undergo certain chemical modifications (e.g., 1,4:3,6-dianhydro-D-sorbitol, ascorbic acid (AA), growth factors, covering with...
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"Food Oxidants and Antioxidants" Book review
PublicationThe book is the 14th title in the CRC series Chemical and Functional Properties of Food Components, edited since 2001 by Zdzisław E. Sikorski. The editor of the book, a professor in the University of Łódź and member of the Polish Academy of Sciences, is an internationally recognized authority in biochemistry and biophysics of reactive oxygen species. In Poland Grzegorz Bartosz has a reputation as the author of his most interesting...
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Antimicrobial molecular nanocarrier–drug conjugates
PublicationMany antimicrobial drugs are poorly active against pathogenic microbes causing intracellular infections, such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis or Plasmodium falciparum. On the other hand, several known antimicrobial agents are not effective enough because of their limited cellular penetration. A common feature of both challenges is the inability of an active agent to cross the biological membrane(s). One of the possible approaches...
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Efficiency of acoustic heating produced in the thermoviscous flow of a fluid with relaxation
PublicationInstantaneous acoustic heating of a fluid with thermodynamic relaxation is the subject of investigation. Among others, viscoelastic biological media described by the Maxwell model of the viscous stress tensor, belong to this type of fluid. The governing equation of acoustic heating is derived by means of the special linear combination of conservation equations in differential form, allowing the reduction of all acoustic terms in...
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Two-Level Multivariable Control System of Dissolved Oxygen Tracking and Aeration System for Activated Sludge Processes
PublicationThe problem of tracking dissolved oxygen is one of the most complex and fundamental issues related to biological processes. The dissolved oxygen level in aerobic tanks has significant influence on behaviour and activity of microorganism inhabiting the plant. Aerated tanks are supplied with air from an aeration system (blowers, pipes, throttling valves, diffusers). It is a complex dynamic system governed by nonlinear hybrid dynamics....
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Spetiation of organic matter in Vertical Flow Constructed Wetlands
PublicationThe object of the research were VFCWs which are a component of biological treatment of two hybrid hydrophyte systems located in Wieszyno and Wiklino, close to Słupsk, Poland. The facilities that are subject to analyses are unified in terms of structure (filtration material, depth of the bed and time of operation), but they differ in organic matter load, amounting respectively to: 8.0 gCOD/m2day and 31.0 gCOD/m2day.The intensity...
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Impact of Microphytobenthos Photosynthesis on the Characteristics of the Echo Signal from Baltic Sandy Sediments
PublicationThe understanding the influence of biological processes on the characteristics of the signals backscattered by the sea floor is crucial in the development of the hydroacoustical benthic habitat classification techniques. The impact of the microphytobenthos photosynthesis on the acoustical backscattering properties of the Atlantic sandy sediments was previously demonstrated by Holliday et al. (2004) and Wildman and Huettel (2012). To...
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Mobile wireless measurement system for potatoes storage management
PublicationThe paper discusses the idea and the design of a remote control system for a storage management of agricultural products which temperature may rise in a result of biological processes during the storage. Exemplary potatoes storehouse is discussed as an application of the automation system. Because of existing buildings and infrastructure in the farm, wireless data transfer system has been proposed for both sensors to data acquisition...
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Agricultural products' storage control system
PublicationThe paper discusses the idea and the design of a remote control system for storage management of agricultural products which temperature may rise as the result of biological processes during the storage. An actual potatoes storehouse is discussed as an application for the proposed automation system. Because of existing buildings and infrastructure at the farm, wireless data transfer system has been proposed for communication between...
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Lipids and Food Quality
PublicationThis chapter deals with lipids present in food as well as their chemical, biological, and functional properties. The chapter begins with a presentation of the main groups of lipids including their chemical structure and physical properties. The physical properties of lipids affecting food processing are covered. Then, the role of lipids in human nutrition is presented. This is followed by a description of the undesirable changes...
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Solvent Exchange around Aqueous Zn(II) from Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics Simulations
PublicationHydrated zinc(II) cations, due to their importance in biological systems, are the subject of ongoing research concerning their hydration shell structure and dynamics. Here, ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations are used to study solvent exchange events around aqueous Zn2+, for which observation in detail is possible owing to the considerable length of the generated trajectory. While the hexacoordinated Zn(H2O)62+ is the...
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Polydopamine Biomaterials for Skin Regeneration
PublicationDesigning biomaterials capable of biomimicking wound healing and skin regeneration has been receiving increasing attention recently. Some biopolymers behave similarly to the extracellular matrix (ECM), supporting biointerfacial adhesion and intrinsic cellular interactions. Polydopamine (PDA) is a natural bioadhesive and bioactive polymer that endows high chemical versatility, making it an exciting candidate for a wide range of...
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Selenium enrichment in broccoli sprouts as an initial step in the preparation of Certified Reference Material
PublicationSelenium is considered one of the essential elements in animals and humans. The main source of selenium intake for humans is the diet. Selenium deficiency has one of the most concerning issues worldwide. Broccoli sprouts are five-to-six-day old broccoli plants,...
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Microscale diamond protection for a ZnO coated fiber optic sensor
PublicationFiber optic sensors are widely used in environmental, biological and chemical sensing. Due to the demanding environmental conditions in which they can be used, there is a risk of damaging the sensor measurement head placed in the measuring field. Sensors using nanolayers deposited upon the fiber structure are particularly vulnerable to damage. A thin film placed on the surface of the fiber end-face can be prone to mechanical damage...
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Hydroperoxyl radical and formic acid formation from common DNA stabilizers upon low energy electron attachment
Publication2-Amino-2-(hydroxymethyl)-1,3-propanediol (TRIS) and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) are key components of biological buffers and are frequently used as DNA stabilizers in irradiation studies. Such surface or liquid phase studies are done with the aim to understand the fundamental mechanisms of DNA radiation damage and to improve cancer radiotherapy. When ionizing radiation is used, abundant secondary electrons are formed...
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Meconium analysis as a promising diagnostic tool for monitoring fetal exposure to toxic substances: Recent trends and perspectives
PublicationPrenatal exposure to toxic substances is an important public health problem. Many biological specimens obtained from the fetus or mother are used for biomonitoring. Each material reflects exposure in a specific time period and has different advantages and disadvantages in terms of accuracy, time window of detection and cost/benefit ratio. Recently, meconium has become the matrix of choice in toxicology screening for detecting exposure...
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Synthesis and antimicrobial activity of amino acid and peptide derivatives of mycophenolic acid
PublicationThe series of 16 novel amino acid and peptide mycophenolic acid (MPA) derivatives was obtained as potential antibacterial agents. Coupling of MPA with respective amines was optimized with condensing reagents such as EDCI/DMAP and T3P/TEA. Amino acid analogs were received both as methyl esters and also with the free carboxylic group. The biological activity of the products was tested on five references bacterial strains: Klebsiella...
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Analytical applications and physicochemical properties of ionic liquid-based hybrid materials: A review
PublicationIonic liquids with their unique properties found so far numerous analytical applications. Among them ionic liquids immobilized on the surface or within the pores of a solid support were successfully utilized in extraction techniques dedicated to preconcentration of the analytes from food, environmental and biological samples. In this review we focus on comprehensive summarizing of available literature data on the examples of ionic...
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Nanotubular oxide layers and hydroxyapatite coatings on porous titanium alloy Ti13Nb13Zr
PublicationThe surface condition of an implant has a significant impact on response occurring at the implant-biosystem border. The knowledge of physical-chemical and biological processes allows for targeted modification of biomaterials to induce a specified response of a tissue. The present research was aimed at development of technology composing of obtaining the nanotube oxide layers on a porous titanium alloy Ti13Nb13Zr, followed by the...
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The Use of Artificial Neural Networks and Decision Trees to Predict the Degree of Odor Nuisance of Post-Digestion Sludge in the Sewage Treatment Plant Process
PublicationThis paper presents the application of artificial neural networks and decision trees for the prediction of odor properties of post-fermentation sludge from a biological-mechanical wastewater treatment plant. The input parameters were concentrations of popular compounds present in the sludge, such as toluene, p-xylene, and p-cresol, and process parameters including the concentration of volatile fatty acids, pH, and alkalinity in...
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Enhancing electrochemical properties of an ITO-coated lossy-mode resonance optical fiber sensor by electrodeposition of PEDOT:PSS
PublicationA sensor working in multiple domains may offer enhanced information about the properties of an investigated analyte, including those containing biological species. It has already been shown that a dual-domain sensing capability, i.e., in optical and electrochemical domains, can be offered by lossy-mode resonance (LMR) sensors based on indium-tin-oxide (ITO) thin film. The spectral response of the LMR sensors depends on the refractive...
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Role of the Synergistic Interactions of Environmental Pollutants in the Development of Cancer
PublicationThere is a growing awareness that the large number of environmental pollutants we are exposed to on a daily basis are causing major health problems. Compared to traditional studies that focus on individual pollutants, there are relatively few studies on how pollutants mixtures interact. Several studies have reported a relationship between environmental pollutants and the development of cancer, even when pollutant levels are below...
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Evaluation and start-up of an electro-Fenton-sequencing batch reactor for dairy wastewater treatment
PublicationThis study examined the performance of an integrated wastewater (WW) treatment system, namely an electro-Fenton (EF)-sequencing batch reactor (SBR), for dairy industry WW. The EF process was used as the first stage of the SBR. It degrades bio-refractory compounds via advanced oxidation processes, thereby resulting in the formation of simple biodegradable intermediates. Several factors, including the hydraulic retention time (HRT),...
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Interactions between hydration spheres of two different solutes in solution: The least squares fitting with constraints as a tool to determine water properties in ternary systems
PublicationBiological systems are complex and the problem of their description lies in mutual interactions between their components. This paper is focused on model experiment-based studies which can reduce these difficulties. The ternary aqueous N-methylacetamide (NMA)–Na2HPO4 system has been studied by means of the FTIR spectroscopy. A novel difference spectra method aimed to extract the spectral contribution of water affected simultaneously...
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Synthetic strategies in construction of organic macromolecular carrier–drug conjugates
PublicationMany metabolic inhibitors, considered potential antimicrobial or anticancer drug candidates, exhibit verylimited ability to cross the biological membranes of target cells. The restricted cellular penetration ofthose molecules is often due to their highhydrophilicity. One of the possible solutions to this problem is aconjugation of an inhibitor with a molecular organic nanocarrier. The conjugate thus formed should beable to penetrate...
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Influence of Two-Stage Anodization on Properties of the Oxide Coatings on the Ti–13Nb–13Zr Alloy
PublicationThe increasing demand for titanium and its alloys used for implants results in need of such innovative surface treatment that may jointly increase corrosion resistance and biocompatibility, and demonstrate antibacterial protection at no cytotoxicity. The purpose of this research was to characterize the effect of two-stage anodization, performed for 30 min in phosphoric acid, at the presence of hydrofluoric acid in the second stage....
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Stabilizing lactate production through repeated batch fermentation of food waste and waste activated sludge
PublicationBio-valorization of organic waste streams, such as food waste and waste activated sludge, to lactic acid (LA) has recently drawn much attention. It offers an opportunity for resource recovery, alleviates environmental issues and potentially turns a profit. In this study, both stable and high LA yield (0.72 ± 0.15 g/g total chemical oxygen demand) and productivity rate (0.53 g/L•h) were obtained through repeated batch fermentation....