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Search results for: dominant tree species
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Flexible dye-sensitized solar cells based on Ti/TiO2 nanotubes photoanode and Pt-free and TCO-free counter electrode system
PublicationFlexible dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are getting more attention compared to standard glass covered DSSCs due to their unique commercial applications (e.g. tents or sail surfaces) and the possibility of rolling up into a small, portable device. In this work, titania nanotubes (TiO2 NT) modified with titania nanoparticles (TiO2 NP) were photoelectrochemically characterized as an anode for flexible dye-sensitized solar cells....
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Examination of cyp51A and cyp51B expression level of the first Polish azole resistant clinical Aspergillus fumigatus isolate
PublicationAspergillus fumigatus is one of the most prevalent airborne fungal pathogens causing infections worldwide. Most A. fumigatus strains are susceptible to azoles, which are administered as the first line therapeutics. However, during last decade the acquired resistance to triazoles by these species has been described. There is a number of publications concerning the examination of clinical A. fumigatus strains from different countries,...
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The New LM-PCR/Shifter Method for the Genotyping of Microorganisms Based on the Use of a Class IIS Restriction Enzyme and Ligation Mediated PCR
PublicationThis study details and examines a novel Ligation-Mediated - Polymerase Chain Reaction (LM-PCR) method. Named the LM-PCR/Shifter, it relies on the use of a Class IIS restriction enzyme giving restriction fragments with different 4 base, 5' overhangs, this being the Shifter, and the ligation of appropriate oligonucleotide adapters. A sequence of 4-base, 5' overhangs of the adapter and a 4-base sequence of the 3' end of the primer(s)...
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Sensitive determination of isoprostanes in exhaled breath condensate samples with use of liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry
PublicationOxidative stress is the hallmark of various inflammatory lung diseases. Increased concentrations of reactive oxygen species in the lungs are reflected by elevated concentrations of oxidative stress markers in the breath, airways, lung tissue and blood. The aim of this work was to develop a method for the fast measurement of F2 isoprostanes in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) samples using equipment which is nowadays available and...
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Thermostability and photophysical properties of mixed-ligand carboxylate/benzimidazole Zn(II)-coordination polymers
PublicationThe reaction between Zn(NO3)2*6H2O or Zn(CH3COO)2*2H2O and isophthalic acid (1,3-H2bdc) in the presence of benzimidazole (Hbzim) in dimethylformamide (DMF)/ethanol (EtOH)/H2O solvent mixture at room temperature yielded two structurally different coordination polymers: [Zn2(1,3-bdc)2(Hbzim)2] (1) and [Zn2(1,3-bdc)(bzim)2] (2). (1) is a 2D-layered framework with a molecule of benzimidazole coordinated to the Zn center, whereas (2)...
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Carbon Nanomaterials in Seed Priming: Current Possibilities
PublicationThe prevailing agricultural system has become deeply ingrained and insufficient due to outdated practices inherited from the Green Revolution, necessitating innovative approaches for sustainable agricultural development. Nanomaterials possess the potential to significantly improve the efficient utilization of resources while simultaneously encouraging sustainability. Among these, carbonaceous nanomaterials have found diverse applications...
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Graphitic carbon nitride/bismuth-based Z-scheme heterojunctions for the photocatalytic removal of pharmaceuticals and personal care products — a review
PublicationZ-scheme heterojunction in recent years is one of the most promising approaches in photocatalytic materials in solar light region for various environmental applications, including the removal of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs). Integrating g-C3N4 and Bi-based semiconductors via Z-scheme is highly effective in providing efficient flow of charge carriers along with suitable redox sites. The g-C3N4/Bi-based photocatalysts...
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Influence of Giant Reed (Arundo Donax L.) Culms Processing Procedure on Physicochemical, Rheological, and Thermomechanical Properties of Polyethylene Composites
PublicationGiant reed (Arundo donax L.) is a plant species with a high growth rate and low requirements, which makes it particularly interesting for the production of different bioproducts, including natural fibers. This work assesses the use of fibers obtained from reed culms as reinforcement for a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) matrix. Two different lignocellulosic materials were used: i) shredded culms and ii) fibers obtained by culms...
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Mussel‐inspired biomaterials: From chemistry to clinic
PublicationAfter several billions of years, nature still makes decisions on its own to identify, develop, and direct the most effective material for phenomena/challenges faced. Likewise, and inspired by the nature, we learned how to take steps in developing new technologies and materials innovations. Wet and strong adhesion by Mytilidae mussels (among which Mytilus edulis—blue mussel and Mytilus californianus—California mussel are the most...
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Ionic liquid as morphology-directing agent of two-dimensional Bi2WO6: New insight into photocatalytic and antibacterial activity
PublicationAn efficient and durable utilization of light to drive photocatalytic reactions still requires the overcoming of barriers. Herein, two-dimensional (2D) ultrathin IL_Bi2WO6 (IL_BWO) photocatalysts were prepared for the first time via ionic liquid-assisted hydrothermal route by adjusting the amount of tetrabutylammonium chloride [TBA][Cl], synthesis temperature and duration. IL played the role of morphology-directing agent given...
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UV-induced electron transfer between triethylamine and 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine. A puzzle concerning the photochemical debromination of labeled DNA
Publication5-Bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) photosensitizes DNA to strand break formation. However, this type of photodamage is completely quenched by the presence of triethylamine (TEA) which originates from RP-HPLC purification commonly employed by oligonucleotide providers. While the presence of TEA in oligonucleotide samples does not interfere with PCR or other molecular biology applications, the mechanism of photochemical reaction proceeding...
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ANTIOXIDANT POWER SERIES (APS) AS A TOOL FOR RATIONAL DESIGN AND ASSESSMENT OF HEALTH PROMOTING PROPERTIES OF FUNCTONAL FOODS BASED ON ANTIOXIDANT PHYTOCHEMICALS
PublicationOver past decades, plantborne antioxidants dominated so called "translational research" in the area of food, nutrition, and disease prevention. Among consumers and producers, such phytochemicals are synonyms of nutriceuticals. Popularity and commercial success of antioxidants stems from mechanistic studies suggesting the involvement of reactive oxygen species in etiology of chronic diseases. However, epidemiology failed to provide...
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A Colorimetric Microplate Assay for DNA-Binding Activity of His-Tagged MutS Protein
PublicationA simple microplate method was designed for rapid testing DNA-binding activity of proteins. The principle of the assay involves binding of tested DNA by his-tagged protein immobilized on a nickel-coated ELISA plate, following colorimetric detection of biotinylated DNA with avidin conjugated to horseradish peroxidase. The method was used to compare DNA mismatch binding activities of MutS proteins from three bacterial species. The...
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Anodic titania nanotubes decorated with gold nanoparticles produced by laser-induced dewetting of thin metallic films
PublicationHerein, we combine titania layers with gold species in a laser-supported process and report a substantial change of properties of the resulting heterostructures depending on the major processing parameters. Electrodes were fabricated via an anodisation process complemented with calcination to ensure a crystalline phase, and followed by magnetron sputtering of metallic films. The obtained TiO2 nanotubes with deposited thin (5, 10...
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Untargeted Lipidomics Analysis of the Cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803: Lipid Composition Variation in Response to Alternative Cultivation Setups and to Gene Deletion
PublicationCyanobacteria play an important role in several ecological environments, and they are widely accepted to be the ancestors of chloroplasts in modern plants and green algae. Cyanobacteria have become attractive models for metabolic engineering, with the goal of exploring them as microbial cell factories. However, the study of cyanobacterial lipids’ composition and variation, and the assessment of the lipids’ functional and structural...
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The Influence of Storage on Human Milk Lipidome Stability for Lipidomic Studies
PublicationHuman milk (HM) lipidome stability during storage is crucial in lipidomic studies to avoid misinterpretations. Facing the lack of comprehensive work on the HM lipidome stability, we performed a study on a potential alteration in the lipid profiles of HM samples stored under different conditions. An untargeted LC-Q-TOF-MS-based approach was applied to study the influence of storage conditions as well as the interaction of the storage...
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From tryptophan to novel mitochondria-disruptive agent, synthesis and biological evaluation of 1,2,3,6-tetrasubstituted carbazoles
PublicationMitochondrial targeting plays an important role in anticancer therapy. The Mn(III)-promoted cyclization of 5- (1H-indol-3-yl)-3-oxopentanoic acid allow to obtain novel substituted carbazole derivatives that can act as mitochondria-disruptive agents. The starting materials used for the synthesis of these new aminocarbazoles are oxopentanoate derivatives of tryptophan. The scope and limitation of this method of synthesis are determined...
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Nitric Oxide-Dependent Pathways as Critical Factors in the Consequences and Recovery after Brain Ischemic Hypoxia
PublicationBrain ischemia is one of the leading causes of disability and mortality worldwide. Nitric oxide (NO), a molecule that is involved in the regulation of proper blood flow, vasodilation, neuronal and glial activity constitutes the crucial factor that contributes to the development of pathological changes after stroke. One of the early consequences of a sudden interruption in the cerebral blood flow is the massive production of reactive...
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Physical and sealing properties of BaO–Al2O3–SiO2–CaO–V2O5 glasses for solid oxide fuel cell applications
PublicationIn this study, the properties of BaO–Al2O3–SiO2 (SAB) glasses incorporated with CaO and V2O5 as the network modifier and additive, respectively, are evaluated. The electrical resistivities of the glasses decrease upon the addition of CaO but increase upon increasing their V2O5 content because the V5+ species lower the ionic mobility of the glasses. The addition of V2O5 improves the wettability of the glasses on the Crofer 22 APU...
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The Many Faces of Enterococcus spp.—Commensal, Probiotic and Opportunistic Pathogen
PublicationEnterococcus spp. are Gram-positive, facultative, anaerobic cocci, which are found in the intestinal flora and, less frequently, in the vagina or mouth. Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium are the most common species found in humans. As commensals, enterococci colonize the digestive system and participate in the modulation of the immune system in humans and animals. For many years reference enterococcal strains have...
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Borrelia burgdorferi BmpA-BBK32 and BmpA-BBA64: New Recombinant Chimeric Proteins with Potential Diagnostic Value
PublicationCurrently, the diagnosis of Lyme disease is based mostly on two-tiered serologic testing. In the new generation of immunoenzymatic assays, antigens comprise whole-cell lysates of members of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) species complex, with the addition of selected recombinant proteins. Due to the high diversity of members of the B. burgdorferi s.l. genospecies and the low degree of conservation among the amino acid...
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Data-driven Models for Predicting Compressive Strength of 3D-printed Fiber-Reinforced Concrete using Interpretable Machine Learning Algorithms
Publication3D printing technology is growing swiftly in the construction sector due to its numerous benefits, such as intricate designs, quicker construction, waste reduction, environmental friendliness, cost savings, and enhanced safety. Nevertheless, optimizing the concrete mix for 3D printing is a challenging task due to the numerous factors involved, requiring extensive experimentation. Therefore, this study used three machine learning...
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Study of various machine learning approaches for Sentinel-2 derived bathymetry
PublicationIn recent years precise and up-to-date information regarding seabed depth has become more and more important for companies and institutions that operate on coastlines. While direct, in-situ measurements are performed regularly, they are expensive, time-consuming and impractical to be performed in short time intervals. At the same time, an ever-increasing amount of satellite imaging data becomes available. With these images, it...
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Ultrasound and Clinical Preoperative Characteristics for Discrimination Between Ovarian Metastatic Colorectal Cancer and Primary Ovarian Cancer: A Case-Control Study
PublicationThe aim of this study was to describe the clinical and sonographic features of ovarian metastases originating from colorectal cancer (mCRC), and to discriminate mCRC from primary ovarian cancer (OC). We conducted a multi-institutional, retrospective study of consecutive patients with ovarian mCRC who had undergone ultrasound examination using the International Ovarian Tumor Analysis (IOTA) terminology, with the addition of evaluating...
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Wykorzystanie metafor w identyfikacji i kształtowaniu postaw przedsiębiorczych
PublicationEdukacja przedsiębiorcza odgrywa coraz większą rolę w promowaniu i kształtowaniu zachowań oraz kompetencji przedsiębiorczych młodego pokolenia. W tym kontekście szczególnie podkreśla się znaczenie wykorzystywania nowych, interaktywnych metod i form kształcenia, niezwykle istotnych dla jednego z aspektów edukacji przedsiębiorczej, jakim jest kształcenie kreatywności i proaktywności. Zastosowanie metafor spełnia wymagania stawiane...
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Usługi ośrodków podregionalnych w Polsce
PublicationOśrodki podregionalne definiowane są jako miasta, w których skoncentrowane są takie usługi, które w Polsce mogą być w kilku miastach województwa, ale nie w każdym mieście powiatowym. Usługi zawsze miały tendencję do koncentracji, tworząc ośrodki różnych poziomów w hierarchicznej sieci osadniczej. Celem prezentowanych badań było: (1) określenie usług typowych dla poziomu podregionalnego; (2) rozpoznanie koncentracji tych usług,...
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Albumin–Hyaluronan Interactions: Influence of Ionic Composition Probed by Molecular Dynamics
PublicationThe lubrication mechanism in synovial fluid and joints is not yet fully understood. Nevertheless, intermolecular interactions between various neutral and ionic species including large macromolecular systems and simple inorganic ions are the key to understanding the excellent lubrication performance. An important tool for characterizing the intermolecular forces and their structural consequences is molecular dynamics. Albumin...
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Physical properties of homogeneous TiO2 films prepared by high power impulse magnetron sputtering as a function of crystallographic phase and nanostructure
PublicationOptical, photo-electrochemical, crystallographic and morphological properties of TiO2 thin films prepared by high power impulse magnetron sputtering at low substrate temperatures (<65 ◦C) without post-deposition thermal annealing are studied. The film composition-anatase, rutile or amorphous TiO2-is adjusted by the pressure (p ∼ 0.75-15 Pa) in the deposition chamber. The different crystallographic phases were determined with grazing...
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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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Manifestation of Intermolecular Interactions in the IR Spectra of 2- and 4-Methylmethcathinones Hydrochlorides: DFT Study and Hirshfeld Surfaces Analysis
PublicationThis paper reports a Hirshfeld surfaces analysis of crystalline 2- and 4-methylmethcathinone (2-MMC and 4-MMC) hydrochlorides to analyze NH∙Cl and CH∙∙∙Cl intermolecular interactions and approve the formation of the NН2+–Cl– salt fragment in both 2-MMC∙HCl and 4-MMC∙HCl crystals. Two isomeric dimers were separated from the corresponding crystal packing to model IR spectra of the crystalline 2-MMC∙HCl...
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Conservation and diversity of MutS proteins
PublicationThe homologues of MutS, mismatch repair protein, exist in all prokaryotes, with the exception of Actinobacteria, Mollicutes and part of the Archaea. Multiple alignments of 316 MutS amino acid sequences from 169 species revealed conserved residues and sequence motifs distinguishing MutS homologues. All MutS homologues show high conservation within the ATPase domain. MutS1, the homologue responsible for DNA mismatch recognition,...
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Optimal conditions of naphthoquinones separation from carnivorous plants extracts using thin-layer chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography
PublicationDroseraceae plants are owned by the family of carnivorous plants, which in an unusual way adapt to environments poor in nutrients. Droseraceae obtain essential nutrients catching insects and other small invertebrantes. Plumbagin, chloroplumbagin, ramentaceon and droseron are naphthoquinones, which could be found in leaves and shoots of plants from Droseraceae family. In the literature there are a lot of information about the pharmacological...
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Mechanism-based inactivation of human cytochrome P450 1A2 and 3A4 isoenzymes by antitumor triazoloacridinone C-1305.
Publication5-Dimethylaminopropylamino-8-hydroxytriazoloacridinone, C-1305, is a promising antitumor therapeutic agent with high activity against several experimental tumors. It was determined to be a potent and selective inhibitor of liver microsomal and human recombinant cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A2 and 3A4 isoenzymes. Therefore, C-1305 might modulate the effectiveness of other drugs used in multidrug therapy. The objective of this study was...
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Quantum structure in competing lizard communities
PublicationAlmost two decades of research on applications of the mathematical formalism of quantum theory as a modeling tool in domains different from the micro-world has given rise to many successful applications in situations related to human behavior and thought, more specifically in cognitive processes of decision-making and the ways concepts are combined into sentences. In this article, we extend this approach to animal behavior, showing...
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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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Silver nanoparticles incorporated with superior silica nanoparticles-based rice straw to maximize biogas production from anaerobic digestion of landfill leachate
PublicationTreating hazardous landfill leachate poses significant environmental challenges due to its complex nature. In this study, we propose a novel approach for enhancing the anaerobic digestion of landfill leachate using silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) conjugated with eco-friendly green silica nanoparticles (Si NPs). The synthesized Si NPs and Ag@Si NPs were characterized using various analytical techniques, including transmission electron...
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MOF/TiO2 erythrocyte-like heterostructures decorated by noble metals for use in hydrogen photogeneration and pollutant photodegradation
PublicationVarious metal–organic framework (MOF)/TiO2 heterostructures can be obtained by the partial hydrolysis or calcination of Ti-based MOFs. By adjusting the hydrolysis and calcination steps of NH2-MIL-125 (Ti), a novel photoactive material composed of a MOF (NH2-MIL-125 (Ti)) and TiO2, with a unique “erythrocyte” shape, was developed. Furthermore, modification of the composition prepared by the partial hydrolysis of NH2- MIL-125 (Ti)...
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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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Singlet oxygen-dominated peroxymonosulfate activation by layered crednerite for organic pollutants degradation in high salinity wastewater
PublicationAdvanced oxidation processes have been widely studied for organic pollutants treatment in water, but the degradation performance of radical-dominated pathway was severely inhibited by the side reactions between the anions and radicals, especially in high salinity conditions. Here, a singlet oxygen (1O2)-dominated non-radical process was developed for organic pollutants degradation in high salinity wastewater, with layered crednerite...
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Principles and applications of Ligation Mediated PCR methods for DNA-based typing of microbial organisms
PublicationA significant number of DNA-based techniques has been introduced into the field of microorganisms’ characterization and taxonomy. These genomic fingerprinting methods were developed to detect DNA sequence polymorphisms by using general principles, such as restriction endonuclease analysis, molecular hybridization, and PCR amplification. In recent years, some alternative techniques based on ligation of oligonucleotide adapters before...
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Detection of the Plant Pathogen Pseudomonas Syringae pv. Lachrymans on Antibody-Modified Gold Electrodes by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy
PublicationThe present work describes an impedimetric immunosensor for Pseudomonas syringae pv. lachrymans (Psl) detection. This pathogen infects many crop species causing considerable yield losses, thus fast and cheap detection method is in high demand. In the assay, the gold disc electrode was modified with 4-aminothiophenol (4-ATP), glutaraldehyde (GA), and anti-Psl antibodies, and free-sites were blocked with bovine serum albumin (BSA)....
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Decomposition of halogenated nucleobases by surface plasmon resonance excitation of gold nanoparticles
PublicationHalogenated uracil derivatives are of great interest in modern cancer therapy, either as chemotherapeutics or radiosensitisers depending on their halogen atom. This work applies UV-Vis spectroscopy to study the radiation damage of uracil, 5-bromouracil and 5- uorouracil dissolved in water in the presence of gold nanoparticles upon irradiation with an Nd:YAG ns-pulsed laser operating at 532nm at dierent uences. Gold nanoparticles...
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A Flexible Nafion Coated Enzyme‐free Glucose Sensor Based on Au‐dimpled Ti Structures
PublicationThe detection of glucose at low concentrations using electrochemical sensors is of great importance due to the possibility of using different human body fluids than blood, such as e.g. urine, saliva, sweat or tears. The interest behind those biofluids is related to their utility in non-invasive sugar determination. In this work, we present flexible, fully biocompatible electrode material based on Au nanoparticles immobilized onto...
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The influence of ILs on TiO2 microspheres activity towards 5-FU removal under artificial sunlight irradiation
PublicationIn this work, the effect of various ionic liquids (ILs), namely, choline chloride [Chol][Cl], hexadecylpyridynium chloride [HDPy][Cl], and tributylmethylammonium chloride [TBMA][Cl], on the morphology, surface compo-sition in relation to photocatalytic oxidation of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and phenol in the presence of TiO2 pho-tocatalysts under artificial sunlight conditions was investigated. The highest photoactivity towards cytostatic...
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Potential of Silver Nanoparticles in Overcoming the Intrinsic Resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to Secondary Metabolites from Carnivorous Plants
PublicationCarnivorous plants are exemplary natural sources of secondary metabolites with biological activity. However, the therapeutic antimicrobial potential of these compounds is limited due to intrinsic resistance of selected bacterial pathogens, among which Pseudomonas aeruginosa represents an extreme example. The objective of the study was to overcome the intrinsic resistance of P. aeruginosa by combining silver nanoparticles (AgNPs)...
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Deposition and Electrical and Structural Properties of La0.6Sr0.4CoO3 Thin Films for Application in High-Temperature Electrochemical Cells
PublicationLow-temperature deposition of electroceramic thin films allows the construction of new devices and their integration with existing large-scale fabrication methods. Developing a suitable low-cost deposition method is important to further advance the development of microdevices. In this work, we deposited a 1-lm-thick La0.6Sr0.4CoO3d (LSC) perovskite with high electrical conductivity on sapphire substrates at 400C and analyzed its...
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Novel Tools for Comprehensive Functional Analysis of LDLR (Low-Density Lipoprotein Receptor) Variants
PublicationFamilial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an autosomal-dominant disorder caused mainly by substitutions in the low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) gene, leading to an increased risk of premature cardiovascular diseases. Tremendous advances in sequencing techniques have resulted in the discovery of more than 3000 variants of the LDLR gene, but not all of them are clinically relevant. Therefore, functional studies of selected variants...
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Aluminium in glacial meltwater demonstrates an association with nutrient export (Werenskiöldbreen, Svalbard)
PublicationThe aluminium (Al) cycle in glacierised basins has not received a great deal of attention in studies of biogeochemical cycles. As Almay be toxic for biota, it is important to investigate the processes leading to its release into the environment. It has not yet been ascertained whether filterable Al (passing through a pore size of 0.45 m) is incorporated into biogeochemical cycles in glacierised basins. Our study aims to determine...
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Towards Hybrid Urban Mobility: Kick Scooter as a Means of Individual Transport in the City
PublicationThe characteristic feature of a contemporary city is its inconvenience and oppressiveness caused by the hitherto dominant paradigm of urban planning based on car mobility. As a result, the inhabitants have to cope with air pollution, noise, spatial barriers, sedentary lifestyle and other factors which worsen their health and quality of life. Ecological and physically activating urban mobility thus plays an increasingly important...
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Design centering of compact microwave components using response features and trust regions
PublicationFabrication tolerances, as well as uncertainties of other kinds, e.g., concerning material parameters or operating conditions, are detrimental to the performance of microwave circuits. Mitigating their impact requires accounting for possible parameter deviations already at the design stage. This involves optimization of appropriately defined statistical figures of merit such as yield. Alt-hough important, robust (or tolerance-aware)...