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Search results for: TRACE ELEMENT
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New Trends in Sample Preparation Techniques for the Analysis of the Residues of Pharmaceuticals in Environmental Samples
PublicationPharmaceutical residues in the environment is a field of special interest due to the adverse effects to either human health or aquatic and soil environment. Pharmaceuticals have been already detected in underground, surface and wastewaters, soils, manure and sediments. The growing awareness of environmental pollution arising from human activity forces the need for their comprehensive determination. Environmental samples are complex...
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Determining pesticide contamination in honey by LC-ESI-MS/MS - Comparison of pesticide recoveries of two liquid-liquid extraction based approaches
PublicationHoney, a valuable food product, may be contaminated by xenobiotics during its production and/or harvest. The determination of trace levels of contaminants in a complex matrix like honey still presents a challenge to analytical chemists. The aim of this work was to assess and compare the extraction efficiencies of 30 pesticide residues (acaricides, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides), belonging to over 15 different chemical classes....
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Sample preparation procedure for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in petroleum vacuum residue and bitumen
PublicationThis paper describes a novel method of samplepreparation for the determination of trace concentrations ofpolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in high-boilingpetroleum products. Limits of quantitation of the investigatedPAHs in materials of this type range from tens ofnanograms per kilogram to <20 μg/kg. The studies revealedthat in order to separate most of interferences from theanalytes without a significant loss of PAHs, it...
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Molecular targets for antifungals in amino acid and protein biosynthetic pathways
PublicationFungi cause death of over 1.5 million people every year, while cutaneous mycoses are among the most common infections in the world. Mycoses vary greatly in severity, there are long-term skin (ringworm), nail or hair infections (tinea capitis), recurrent like vaginal candidiasis or severe, life-threatening systemic, multiorgan infections. In the last few years, increasing importance is attached to the health and economic problems...
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Heavy Metals in a High Arctic Fiord and Their Introduction with the Wastewater: A Case Study of Adventfjorden-Longyearbyen System, Svalbard
PublicationLongyearbyen is the largest settlement on Svalbard archipelago, with 2400 permanent residents and approximately 150,000 tourists visiting every year. The city annually releases approximately 285,000 m3 of untreated wastewater to the nearby Adventfjorden. To date, the environmental impact of this continuous input has been studied mainly regarding the sediments and benthic fauna in the fiord. Here, we present results from a study...
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Soil and groundwater contamination as a result of sewage sludge land application
PublicationThe leaching of chemical compounds (N-NO3, N-NH4, Norg, P-PO4, Ptot) and trace elements (Cd, Cu, Cr, Ni, Zn, and Pb) from sewage sludge and their migration through the soil profile was the subject of the study. The column experiments were carried out under atmospheric conditions corresponding to naturally occurring storm events - sewage sludge amended soil was irrigated with high rates of water. The column filter media used in...
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Application of ion chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection for the determination of trace cyanide in biological samples, including breast milk
PublicationCyanide (CN) is the biomarker of exposure to the components of tobacco smoke, although its presence in biological samples is also due to the consumption of products containing cyanogenic glycosides. In this work, we determine the concentration of the free cyanide in urine, saliva and breast milk matrices, using ion chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection (IC-PAD). IC-PAD is an emerging method, with only few documented...
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Application of safirinium N-hydroxysuccinimide esters to derivatization of peptides for high-resolution mass spectrometry, tandem mass spectrometry, and fluorescent labeling of bacterial cells
PublicationMass spectrometry methods are commonly used in the identification of peptides and biomarkers. Due to a relatively low abundance of proteins in biological samples, there is a need for the development of novel derivatization methods that would improve MS detection limits. Hence, novel fluorescent N-hydroxysuccinimide esters of dihydro-[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a]pyridin-2-ium carboxylates (Safirinium P dyes) have been synthesized. The...
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ESCASA : Analytical estimation of atomic coordinates from coarse‐grained geometry for nuclear‐magnetic‐resonance ‐assisted protein structure modeling. I. Backbone and Hβ protons
PublicationA method for the estimation of coordinates of atoms in proteins from coarse-grained geometry by simple analytical formulas (ESCASA), for use in nuclear-magnetic-resonance (NMR) data-assisted coarse-grained simulations of proteins is proposed. In this paper, the formulas for the backbone Hα and amide (HN) protons, and the side-chain Hβ protons, given the Cα-trace, have been derived and parameterized, by using the interproton distances...
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Preconcentration and Analytical Methods for Determination of Methyl Tert-Butyl Ether and Other Fuel Oxygenates and Their Degradation Products in Environment: A Review
PublicationFuel oxygenates (FOs) are mainly ethers or alcohols which are added to gasoline either to boost the octane number or to make the fuel burning process more "cleaner" with increasing the oxygen content, or to obtain a combination of both effects. FOs are water soluble with high mobility in the environment which presence even at very low concentrations lower the quality of water making it unsafe or unpleasant due to their objectionable...
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Exchange-Traded Funds on European Markets: Has Critical Mass been Reached? Implications for Financial Systems.
PublicationExchange-traded funds (ETFs) are one of the most rapidly expanding categories of financial products in Europe. One of the key yet still unanswered questions is whether European ETF markets have reached the size at which they could affect the financial systems. In our study, we examine 13 European countries during the period 2004–2017 in order to trace whether the share of ETFs in the total assets of investment funds has reached...
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Development of a simple biogas analyzer module (BAM) for real-time biogas production monitoring
PublicationAnaerobic digestion (AD) relies on the cooperation of specific microbial communities, making it susceptible to process disruptions that could impact biogas production. In this regard, this study presents a technological solution based on the Arduino platform, in the form of a simple online monitoring system that can track the produced biogas profile, named as biogas analyzer module (BAM). The applicability of the BAM focused on...
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Nonlinearity shaping in nanostructured glass-diamond hybrid materials for optical fiber preforms
PublicationNanodiamond integration with optical fibers has proved a compelling methodology for magneto-optics. We reveal that the applicability of nanodiamonds in nonlinear optics goes beyond the previous demonstrations of frequency converters. Instead, we exploit the recently reported volumetric integration of nanodiamonds along the optical fiber core and show that the nonlinear response of glasses can be manipulated by nanodiamonds. By...
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Structure and properties of the exopolysaccharides produced by Pseudomonas mutabilis T6 and P. mutabilis ATCC 31014
PublicationThis paper presents a study on the purification, primary structure, and rheological properties of exopolysaccharides isolated from cultures of Pseudomonas mutabilis T6 and P. mutabilis ATCC 31014. Both polymers are exopolysaccharides of D-mannose. The mannan isolated from P. mutabilis T6 contains on average about 5% of residual b-D-glucose, in contrast to the mannan from P. mutabilis ATCC 31014, which contained only trace amounts...
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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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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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Electrochemical determination of nitroaromatic explosives at boron-doped diamond/graphene nanowall electrodes: 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene and 2,4,6-trinitroanisole in liquid effluents
PublicationThe study is devoted to the electrochemical detection of trace explosives on boron-doped diamond/graphene nanowall electrodes (B:DGNW). The electrodes were fabricated in a one-step growth process using chemical vapour deposition without any additional modifications. The electrochemical investigations were focused on the determination of the important nitroaromatic explosive compounds, 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) and 2,4,6-trinitroanisole...
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Deep eutectic solvent based method for analysis of Niclosamide in pharmaceutical and wastewater samples – A green analytical chemistry approach
PublicationThe paper presents a simple, but very effective and sensitive spectrophotometric method for trace analysis of Niclosamide based on liquid–liquid microextraction using deep eutectic solvents (DESs) prior to its quantification. Here, different DES systems, such as Choline chloride (ChCl) + Urea, ChCl + Citric acid, ChCl + Ethylene glycol and ChCl + Phenol, were synthesized and evaluated at different molar ratios, selecting ChCl + Phenol...
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Properties of dimension witnesses and their semidefinite programming relaxations
PublicationIn this paper we develop a method for investigating semi-device-independent randomness expansion protocols that was introduced in Li et al. [H.-W. Li, P. Mironowicz, M. Pawłowski, Z.-Q. Yin, Y.-C. Wu, S. Wang, W. Chen, H.-G. Hu, G.-C. Guo, and Z.-F. Han, Phys. Rev. A 87, 020302(R) (2013)]. This method allows us to lower bound, with semi-definite programming, the randomness obtained from random number generators based on dimension...
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Deep eutectic solvents with solid supports used in microextraction processes applied for endocrine-disrupting chemicals
PublicationThe determination of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) has become one of the biggest challenges in Analytical Chemistry. Due to the low concentration of these compounds in different kinds of samples, it becomes necessary to employ efficient sample preparation methods and sensitive measurement techniques to achieve low limits of detection. This issue becomes even more struggling when the principles of the Green Analytical Chemistry...
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Coda wave interferometry in monitoring the fracture process of concrete beams under bending test
PublicationEarly detection of damage is necessary for the safe and reliable use of civil engineering structures made of concrete. Recently, the identification of micro-cracks in concrete has become an area of growing interest, especially using wave-based techniques. In this paper, a non-destructive testing approach for the characterization of the fracture process was presented. Experimental tests were made on concrete beams subjected to mechanical...
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Identification of Emotional States Using Phantom Miro M310 Camera
PublicationThe purpose of this paper is to present the possibilities associated with the use of remote sensing methods in identifying human emotional states, and to present the results of the research conducted by the authors in this field. The studies presented involved the use of advanced image analysis to identify areas on the human face that change their activity along with emotional expression. Most of the research carried out in laboratories...
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PRINCIPLES OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE APPLICATION IN CONTROL OF THE ENTERPRISE
PublicationThe implementation of the tasks of evaluating historical financial information, the control or audit of business activities are based primarily on professional judgments about the object of study of a professional accountant or auditor. Their findings are drawn on the basis of the study of documents, the use of audit evidence, risk assessment, etc. There is always a probability (and rather high) that professional judgment will...
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Sources and composition of chemical pollution in Maritime Antarctica (King George Island), part 2: Organic and inorganic chemicals in snow cover at the Warszawa Icefield
PublicationThe study area is located on King George Island, where 90% of the area is permanently glaciated. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the inorganic and organic chemistry of snow cover in the icefield and a comparison against previous results obtained in fresh water. Snow samples were collected in the summer of 2017 in the Warszawa Icefield area. Sampling points are located along two transects: between the Arctowski Polish...
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Oxide nanoparticle exsolution in Lu-doped (Ba,La)CoO3
PublicationThis study investigated Lu doping of Ba0.5La0.5CoO3 and its influence on the exsolution of oxide nanoparticles (NPs). As a result of Lu doping, we observed the phase segregation into the main Ba0.4La0.6Co0.85Lu0.15O3 (BLCO–Lu) phase and the secondary Ba0.85La0.15Co0.75Lu0.25O3 (BCO–Lu) phase. We noticed the exsolution of BCO–Lu nanoparticles on the main BLCO–Lu phase. Moreover, the BLCO–Lu phase exsolved in the form of nanoparticles...
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Challenges in determination of pesticides from various chemical groups in fruits and vegetables applying QuEChERS method
PublicationPesticides are a large group of compounds with different physical and chemical properties, which place some of them among the most toxic, environmentally stable, and mobile substances. Nevertheless, their number, use, and application are continuously expanding. A consequence of their use is the possible presence of residues in treated food products. To protect consumers from exposure to unacceptable levels of pesticides Maximum...
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The chemistry of river–lake systems in the context of permafrost occurrence (Mongolia, Valley of the Lakes). Part I. Analysis of ion and trace metal concentrations
PublicationThis study provides a description of water chemistry in river–lake systems located in central Mongolia, at the borderline of permafrost occurrence. The analysis involved water samples collected from two river–lake systems: Baydrag River–Böön Tsagaan Lake system, and Shargalyuut/Tuyn Rivers–Orog Lake system. In the water samples, ions and trace elements were detected and quantified. Additionally, the parameters of pH, electrical...
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The role of atmospheric precipitation in introducing contaminants to the surface waters of the Fuglebekken catchment, Spitsbergen.
PublicationAlthough the Svalbard Archipelago is located at a high latitude, far from potential contaminant sources, it is not free from anthropogenic impact. Towards the Fuglebekken catchment, in the southern part of Spitsbergen, north of Hornsund fjord, contaminants can be transported from mainland pollution sources. In the precipitation and surface water collected in the catchment, the following elements were detected and quantified: Ag,...
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L'industria e la Storia. La lezione di Giorgio Mori
PublicationThe wide contribution of Giorgio Mori for a better understanding of the long-term historical relationships between history and industry is the focus of this chapter. By analysing the long list of books and articles written all along his scientific and academic life it is possible to trace a sort of fil rouge that permits to appreciate the huge effort made by this scholar in offering a fresh and never banal interpretation of the...
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Long-term performance and microbial characteristics of the anammox-enriched granular sludge cultivated in a bench-scale sequencing batch reactor
PublicationThe anammox-enriched granular sludge was successfully formed during the long-term biogranulation experiment lasting over 330 days. The cultivation was conducted at 30 ◦C in a 10-L sequencing batch reactor (SBR) fed with synthetic medium containing ammonia, nitrite and trace elements. The properties of the developed granules were investigated in terms of the biomass activity (including the growth rate of anammox bacteria), size...
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Ultrasound assisted solvent extraction of porous membrane-packed samples followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for determination of BADGE, BFDGE and their derivatives in packed vegetables
PublicationThe problem of the presence of trace organic pollutants in food is of growing importance due to increasing awareness about their impact on newborns, infants and adults of reproductive age. Despite the fact that packaged food products offer many advantages, packaging can be a source of contamination for stored food. Thus, monitoring such pollution in food is of high importance. In this work, a novel methodology based on the solvent...
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Spatial variability of the hydrochemistry of shallow groundwaters and surface waters of the Rensdyrbekken: A case study of a permafrost catchment in Bellsund (SW Spitsbergen, Svalbard)
PublicationProgressive climate change may have unpredictable consequences for the Arctic environment. Permafrost catchments off the west coast of Svalbard, described as “thin” and “warm,” are particularly sensitive to climate change. The interdisciplinary research on the hydrochemical response of surface and underground water functioning within a small permafrost catchment area focused on the determination of the impact of meteorological...
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Evolution of charge density wave order in continuous solid solutions Lu(Ni1-xCox)C2
PublicationPseudo-ternary solid solutions, Lu(Ni1-xCox)C2 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1), were studied by means of powder X-ray diffraction, differential thermal analysis as well as electrical resistivity and heat capacity measurements. The crystal structure of the Lu(Ni1-xCox)C2 series, as investigated by means of X-ray powder diffraction, is of structure type CeNiC2, space group Amm2, Pearson symbol oS8. The structural analysis reveals a non-monotonous evolution,...
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Impact of a newly-formed periglacial environment and other factors on fresh water chemistry at the western shore of Admiralty Bay in the summer of 2016 (King George Island, Maritime Antarctica)
PublicationThis study provides a comprehensive analysis of the inorganic chemistry of flowing water at the western shore of Admiralty Bay. In the water samples, ions, and major and trace metals (and B)were detected and quantified. Additionally, the parameters of pH, specific electrolytic conductivity (SEC25) and total organic carbon (TOC) were determined. Moreover, multivariate data set was created and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was...
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Release of selected chemical elements from shale drill cuttings to aqueous solutions of different pH
PublicationThe effect of pH changes on leachability of light and heavy metals from shale drill cuttings generated from unconventional shale gas production was investigated. Cuttings, being the primary byproduct generated from drilling operations, belong to the potentially hazardous type of wastes due to presence of heavy and radioactive elements and remains of drilling fluid. In this regard, assessment of potentially dangerous components...
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Ionic Liquid Assisted Dissolution of Dissolved Organic Matter and PAHs from Soil Below the Critical Micelle Concentration
PublicationIncreased use and production of ionic liquids (ILs) may result in emissions into the environment. Particularly vulnerable are industrial areas and landfills where ILs are utilized and ultimately disposed of. This study investigates how IL contamination can affect soil properties and the sorption of pre-existing contaminants. The commonly used IL 1-methyl-3-octyl imidazolium chloride ([OMIM][Cl]) was added at various quantities...
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An evaluation of sucrose as a possible contaminant in e-liquids for electronic cigarettes by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry
PublicationThe influence of sucrose combustion products on smoking and nicotine addiction is still controversial because the presence of the sucrose may be treated as a source of aldehydes and organic acids. In e-liquids used as refills for electronic cigarettes, which are made primarily of poly(propylene glycol), glycerine and ethanol, sucrose may be present at trace levels, and its impact on mainstream smoke formation, and hence on human...
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Automated Reasoning Based User Interface
PublicationMotivation: The ability to directly trace how requirements are implemented in a software system is crucial in domains that require a high level of trust (e.g. medicine, law, crisis management). This paper describes an approach that allows a high level of traceability to be achieved with model-driven engineering supported by automated reasoning. The paper gives an introduction to the novel, automated user interface synthesis in...
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Arctic catchment as a sensitive indicator of the environmental changes: distribution and migration of metals (Svalbard)
PublicationArctic regions experience metal pollution, despite their remote location, and the distribution and migration of those metals determine their potential impact on the local environment. Here, a High-Arctic catchment (Revelva, Svalbard) located remotely from human-induced pollution sources is studied with respect to the distribution and migration of chosen trace elements (Ag, Al, As, B, Ba, Bi, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Cs, Mo, Ni, Pb,...
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LIGHT POLLUTION IN THE CONTEXT OF THREATS TO THE WILDLIFE CORRIDORS
PublicationAccess to remote sensing night-time imagery allows for modeling of light pollution Increasingly, data on the propagation of artificial light are a source of interesting information for different fields of science and affect the planning of economic development. The article presents the problem of light pollution in the context of threats to the wildlife corridors in Poland. Wildlife corridors are areas that allow safe migration...
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Emerging strategies for enhancing detection of explosives by artificial olfaction
PublicationExplosives detection systems need to be able to reliably detect a wide range of explosive materials and their vapours. The continued development and improvement of artificial olfaction techniques, including electronic nose (EN), remains important to overcome existing challenges and meet requirements posed by new improvements in the field of explosives. There is an increasingly popular trend aimed at improvement of fundamental metrological...
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Pharmaceuticals and another groups of emerging contaminants: Occurrence and sources in Admiralty Bay (King George Island, Maritime Antarctica)
PublicationEveryday live activities may introduce a wide range of chemicals into wastewater systems. In this study presence of selected types of pharmaceuticals from cardiovascular system group, nervous and muscolo-skeleton system group, antimicrobial agents, genitourinary and sex hormones were tested in the wastewater from H. Arctowski Antarctic station. Moreover, the receiver of discharged wastewater (Admiralty Bay) were also studied. Considering...
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Olfactory receptor-based biosensors as potential future tools in medical diagnosis
PublicationThe detection of biomarkers is the future of non-invasive medical diagnosis and screening. Discovery and identification of reliable disease specific volatile organic compounds is dependent on repeatable, accurate analysis of trace level gaseous analytes mainly in breath samples. Natural variety of the olfactory systems and the compounds capable of gas molecules binding creates wide possibilities of acquisition and implementation...
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Implementation of advanced micropollutants removal technologies in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) - Examples and challenges based on selected EU countries
PublicationThe accumulation of micropollutants (MPs) and their increasing concentration in the aquatic environment are an emerging issue for water quality in the world. The complex web of exposure pathways, as well as the variety in the chemical structure and potency of MPs, represents enormous challenges for researchers and policy initiatives. In order to manage MPs, it has to be decided which of them have to be reduced and to what extent,...
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Development and Validation of SPE-HPLC-MS/MS Method for Determining Cyclophosphamide in Surface Waters
PublicationA rapid and selective method for trace amounts determination of cyclophosphamide in surface water samples has been developed. A solid phase extraction SPE method for extraction and clean-up procedure has been optimized for determination by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. The analyses proceed in the positive ion mode by means of the electrospray ionization method (ESI). Clean...
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Determination of trace levels of eleven bisphenol A analogues in human blood serum by high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry
PublicationChemicals showing structural or functional similarity to bisphenol A (BPA), commonly called BPA analogues, have recently drawn scientific attention due to their common industrial and commercial application as a substitute for BPA. In the European Union, the use of BPA has been severely restricted by law due to its endocrine disrupting properties. Unfortunately, it seems that all BPA analogues show comparable biological activity,...
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Comparative molecular dynamics study of dimeric and monomeric forms of HIV-1 protease in ligand bound and unbound state
PublicationHuman immunodeficiency virus type 1 protease (HIV-1 PR) is a viral-encoded enzyme that forms a homodimer. HIV-1 PR is essential for replication and assembly of the virus and inactivation of HIV-1 PR enzyme causes production of immature, noninfectious viral particles and thus HIV-1 PR is an attractive target in anti-AIDS drug design. In our current work, we performed molecular dynamics (MD) calculations (500 ns) for two different...
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Characteristics of volatile organic compounds emission profiles from hot road bitumens
PublicationA procedure for the investigation and comparison of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emission profiles to the atmosphere from road bitumens with various degrees of oxidation is proposed. The procedure makes use of headspace analysis and gas chromatography with universal as well as selective detection, including gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The studies revealed that so-called vacuum residue, which is the main component...
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The content of conjugated linoleic acid and vaccenic acid in the breast milk of women from Gdansk and the surrounding district, as well as in, infant formulas and follow-up formulas. Nutritional recommendation for nursing women
PublicationFatty acids are some of the most important components of human milk. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are essential nutrients required for the optimal growth and development of infants, especially the central nervous system, brain and retina. AIM: To determine the conjugated linolenic acid (CLA) and vaccenic acid (VA) content of human breast milk from mothers consuming different diets, and to compare the results with CLA and...
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Rainwater chemistry composition in Bellsund: Sources of elements and deposition discrepancies in the coastal area (SW Spitsbergen, Svalbard)
PublicationDiscrepancies in rainfall chemistry in Bellsund were found to be influenced by the orographic barrier and related to the variability in the inflow of air masses as well as to the distance of sampling sites from the sea and thus the extent of sea spray impact. This study covers measurements of rainfall (P) and air temperature (T), physicochemical parameters (pH, specific electrolytic conductivity (SEC), major ions (Cl , NO3 , SO4...