Search results for: metal forming
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A miniaturized solid-contact potentiometric multisensor platform for determination of ionic profiles in human saliva
PublicationThis paper describes a miniaturized multisensor platform (MP-ISES) consisting of electrodes: a reference one (RE) and ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) for monitoring Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl−, and SCN− ions and pH in human saliva. Gold electrode surface was modified by deposition of two layers: electrosynthesized PEDOT:PSS forming an intermediate layer, and ion-selective membrane. The developed ISEs were characterized by a wide linear...
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Current divider-based nanosecond high current pulse measuring systems
PublicationThis paper presents the analysis of the new approach to the measurement methodology of significant values (in order of hundreds of kA) and huge steepness (in order of MA/μs) current pulses based on current dividers along with a comparison of the various types transducers suitability in measuring systems with such extreme parameters. Such dividers are used to extend the measurement ranges of current transducers with limited current...
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Experiencing the Ocean the Paths for Urban Development of Sao Pedro do Estoril in Lisbon Metropolitan Area
PublicationThe areas of Cascais Municipality, one of the richest Municipalities in Portugal, located west to Lisbon, at the estuary of Tagus and the Atlantic Ocean coast is popular tourist destination. With its unique landscape it became the most attractive venue for spending vacations, for sport activities and leisure. It arose around the coastal town of Cascais, the former fishing village famous as a refuge for notables and claiming to...
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ENERGY EFFICIENT SMALL INLAND PASSENGER SHUTTLE FERRY WITH HYBRID PROPULSION - CONCEPT DESIGN, CALCULATIONS AND MODEL TESTS
PublicationIn recent years, there has been a significant development in “green” and energy efficient propulsion systems, which fits into the general trend of environmentally friendly “green shipping”. The pursued goal is to construct a safe passenger ship that is low in energy demand and equipped with a highly energy efficient, emission-free propulsion system. The paper presents main problems encountered by designers of a small, hybrid-powered...
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Propagation of initially sawtooth periodic and impulsive signals in a quasi-isentropic magnetic gas
PublicationThe characteristics of propagation of sawtooth periodic and impulsive signals at a transducer are analytically studied in this work. A plasma under consideration is motionless and uniform at equilibrium, and its perturbations are described by a system of ideal magnetohydrodynamic equations. Some generic heating/cooling function, which in turn depends on equilibrium thermodynamic parameters, may destroy adiabaticity of a flow and...
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The influence of Be addition on the structure and thermal properties of alkali-silicate glasses
PublicationBe-Na-(Li)-Si oxide glasses containing up to 15 mol% of BeO were prepared. Their structure was characterized by X-ray powder diffraction and Raman as well as infrared spectroscopic techniques, while their chemical compositions were examined by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry. All materials were found to be amorphous and contain Al contaminations from minor dissolution of the alumina crucibles. The results...
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Model tests of cast-in-place piles formed by using different types of auger
PublicationModel tests are still a popular research tool used to observe and determine the mechanisms of pile-soil interaction. Due to the significant scale effect, the results of model tests performed in the 1g system can only be analysed from the qualitative side. This article describes and presents the results of 1g pile model tests carried out for comparative purposes. There were tested the effectiveness and efficiency of various types...
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Fabrication of wormhole-like YSZ and Ni-YSZ by the novel soft-hard template CTAB/NaCl-assisted route. Suppressing Ni coalescence in SOFC
PublicationA novel one-pot synthesis route leading to the formation of a wormhole-like structure was developed for the successful fabrication of porous YSZ and Ni-YSZ systems. This method involved co-precipitation in the presence of the micelle-forming agents CTAB/Pluronic P123 and crystallising NaCl. The obtained skeletons were mechanically stable and presented almost 50% uniform, open porosity without using any additional pore-formers....
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Induced-fit binding of laccase to gold and carbon electrodes for the biological fuel cell applications
PublicationAnalogues of laccase natural substrates (syringic, veratric, ferulic, vanillic, isovanillic, 3,5-dimethoxybenzoic aldehydes) were employed to bind and orient laccase molecules in a way which facilitates adsorption of the catalyst molecules and their electrical connection with the conductive support. Laccase was bound efficiently to these substrates both on gold and carbon electrodes forming, respectively, 2D and 3D films sensitive...
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Proton Conducting Ceramic Powder Synthesis by a Low Temperature Method
PublicationMolten salt synthesis (MSS) is a simple method for the preparation of ceramic powders with specific morphology. The main role of the molten salts is to increase the reaction rate and lower the reaction temperature. It occurs because of much higher mobility of reactants in the liquid medium than in the solid state. In this work the molten salt synthesis was applied to produce ceramic powders of La0995Ca0005NbO4 and BaCe09−xZrxY01O3....
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Partial Admission Stages of High Efficiency for a Microturbine
PublicationThe paper presents the results of a design analysis of a microturbine for a cogeneration micro-power plant working in accordance with organic Rankine cycle. The heat power of the plant is assumed equal to 20kW and the corresponding available electric output is estimated to be about 3 kW. After the design analysis, the axial turbine with partial admission in all stages was built and tested experimentally. Special attentionwas paid...
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Concentration and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in surface soil near a municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill
PublicationDue to a continuous demand of land for infrastructural and residential development there is a public concern about the condition of surface soil near municipal solid waste landfills. A total of 12 surface (0–20 cm) soil samples from a territory near a landfill were collected and the concentration of 16 PAHs and 7 PCB congeners were investigated in these samples. Limits of detection were in the range of 0.038–1.2 μg/kg for PAHs...
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Partial Admission Stages of High Efficiency for a Microturbine
PublicationThe paper presents the results of a design analysis of a micro-turbine for a co-generation micro-power plant working in accordance with organic Rankine cycle. The heat power of the plant is assumed equal to 20kW and the corresponding available electric output is estimated to be about 3kW. After the design analysis, the axial turbine with partial admission in all stages was built and tested experimentally. Special attention was...
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Therapeutic intervention by the simultaneous inhibition of DNA repair and type I or type II DNA topoisomerases: one strategy, many outcomes
PublicationMany anticancer drugs reduce the integrity of DNA, forming strand breaks. This can cause mutations and cancer or cell death if the lesions are not repaired. Interestingly, DNA repair-deficient cancer cells (e.g., those with BRCA1/2 mutations) have been shown to exhibit increased sensitivity to chemotherapy. Based on this observation, a new therapeutic approach termed 'synthetic lethality' has been developed, in which radiation...
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Heat recovery from the hybrid photovoltaic tile – experimental studies with the solar light simulator
PublicationConsidering the current development of micro-cogeneration energy sources, supported by the national prosumer policy and the act on the renewable energy sources, there is a great demand for the effective solar technologies. In this area, the photovoltaic cells with a combined conversion of the solar radiation energy into the electrical and thermal energy (PV/T cells) seem to be attractive. They are already widely available and treated...
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Observation of the Hydrogen Migration in the Cation-Induced Fragmentation of the Pyridine Molecules
PublicationThe ability to selectively control chemical reactions related to biology, combustion, and catalysis has recently attracted much attention. In particular, the hydrogen atom relocation may be used to manipulate bond-breaking and new bond-forming processes and may hold promise for far-reaching applications. Thus, the hydrogen atom migration preceding fragmentation of the gas-phase pyridine molecules by the H+, H2+, He+, He2+, and...
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Controlled engineering of Bi4O5Br2 and BiOBr via interactions imidazolium ionic liquids and medium during synthesis as a simple method for enhancement of photocatalytic activity
PublicationIonic liquid-mediated synthesis of Bi4O5Br2 and BiOBr was carried out in non-polar solvents (glycerol, ethylene glycol) and a polar solvent (0.1 M mannitol). The effect of elongation of alkyl side chains (C4mim+, C8mim+, and C16mim+) of imidazolium ionic liquids, which act as a source of bromide and template, on the morphological, optical, and photocatalytic properties of materials was investigated. The crystallite size, morphology,...
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Micelle formation of Tween 20 nonionic surfactant in imidazolium ionic liquids
PublicationAggregation behavior of polyoxyethylene (POE)-type nonionic surfactant Tween 20 in imidazolium ionic liquids with varying chain length and different anions, such as tetrafluoroborate, hexafluorophosphate, bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide, and trifluoromethanesulfonate, was investigated by means of surface tension, conductivity and dynamic light scattering measurements. The role of the chain length, anion size as well as interactions...
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Unusual divergence of magnetoacoustic beams
PublicationTwo-dimensional magnetosonic beams directed along a line forming a constant angle h with the equilibrium straight magnetic field are considered. Perturbations in a plasma are described by the system of ideal magnetohydrodynamic equations. The dynamics of perturbations in a beam are different in the cases of fast and slow modes, and it is determined by h and equilibrium parameters of a plasma. In particular, a beam divergence may...
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Evolving neural network as a decision support system — Controller for a game of “2048” case study
PublicationThe paper proposes an approach to designing the neuro-genetic self-learning decision support system. The system is based on neural networks being adaptively learned by evolutionary mechanism, forming an evolved neural network. Presented learning algorithm enables for a selection of the neural network structure by establishing or removing of connections between the neurons, and then for a finding the beast suited values of the network...
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The new silica-based coated SPME fiber as universal support for the confinement of ionic liquid as an extraction medium
PublicationThe new silica-based SPME fiber coating is reported for the first time as universal support purposed to confinement of ionic liquid as an extraction medium. Fiber coating was prepared by the sol-gel process, using potassium silicate (K2SiO3) as a precursor and dimethylformamide (DMF) as a pore-forming medium. The concept of synthesis assumes obtaining a solid porous material on the surface of the glass rod and, being characterized...
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Study Analysis of Transmission Efficiency in DAB+ Broadcasting System
PublicationDAB+ is a very innovative and universal multimedia broadcasting system. Thanks to its updated multimedia technologies and metadata options, digital radio keeps pace with changing consumer expectations and the impact of media convergence. Broadcasting analog and digital radio services does vary, concerning devices on both transmitting and receiving side, as well as content processing mechanisms. However, the biggest difference is...
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Hydraulic potential of the Lower Vistula (Poland)
PublicationThe Vistula is the largest river in Poland. Lower Vistula (part of the river discussed in this paper) is almost four hundred kilometers long river section extending from the tributary Narew to the outflow to the Baltic Sea. In the 17th century the Vistula was the most navigable river in Europe. After partitioning of Poland the Vistula lost its significance. Now the Lower Vistula should provide a navigation connection to the Europe...
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Voltage Dependence of Supercapacitor Capacitance
PublicationElectronic Double-Layer Capacitors (EDLC), called Supercapacitors (SC), are electronic devices that are capable to store a relatively high amount of energy in a small volume comparing to other types of capacitors. They are composed of an activated carbon layer and electrolyte solution. The charge is stored on electrodes, forming the Helmholtz layer, and in electrolyte. The capacitance of supercapacitor is voltage- dependent. We...
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Activation of small molecules by ambiphilic NHC-stabilized phosphinoborenium cation: formation of boreniums with B–O–C, B–O–B, and B–O–P structural motifs
PublicationThe reactivity of the phosphinoborenium cation supported by a 1,3,4,5-tetramethylimidazolin-2-ylidene ligand toward small molecules was explored. The phosphinoborenium cation exhibited dual Lewis acid–base properties due to the presence of the Lewis acidic boron center and the Lewis basic phosphido ligand connected by a covalent bond. The reaction of the title cation with CO2 led to the insertion of a CO2 molecule into the P–B...
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High-temperature Corrosion of ~ 30 Pct Porous FeCr Stainless Steels in Air: Long-Term Evaluation Up to Breakaway
PublicationIn this work, a long-term (up to 6000 hours) corrosion evaluation of three porous (~ 30 pct of initial porosity) ferritic iron-chromium alloys with different Cr contents (20, 22, and 27 wt pct of Cr) was carried out at 600 C, 700 C, 800 C, and 900 C in air. Mass gain measurements and SEM analyses revealed that at temperatures above 600 C, all alloys exhibit breakaway corrosion, whereas at 600 C, none of the alloys were heavily...
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A gap waveguide-based mechanically reconfigurable phase shifter for high-power Ku-band applications
PublicationThis paper presents a novel design of a low-loss, reconfgurable broadband phase shifter based on groove gap waveguide (GGW) technology. The proposed phase shifter consists of a folded GGW and three bends with a few pins forming the GGW and one bend attached to a movable plate. This movable plate allows for adjustments to the folded waveguide length, consequently altering the phase of electromagnetic waves. The advantage of GGW...
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Application of quartz crystal microbalance and dynamic impedance spectroscopy to the study of copper corrosion inhibitors
PublicationThe study investigates the application of Dynamic Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (DEIS) and Electrochemical Quartz Crystal Microbalance (EQCM) techniques to examine the corrosion inhibition of copper by Benzotriazole and Sodium Folate in a 0.1 M NaCl solution. DEIS, an advanced version of Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS), allows for real-time monitoring of non-stationary electrochemical systems,...
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Material characterisation of biaxial glass-fibre non-crimp fabrics as a function of ply orientation, stitch pattern, stitch length and stitch tension
PublicationDue to their high density-specific stiffnesses and strength, fibre reinforced plastic (FRP) composites are particularly interesting for mobility and transport applications. Warp-knitted non-crimp fabrics (NCF) are one possible way to produce such FRP composites. They are advantageous because of their low production costs and the ability to tailor the properties of the textile to the reinforcement and drape requirements of the application....
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Propagation of Acoustic Disturbances in Shallow Sea
PublicationPropagation of acoustic waves in shallow sea differs fundamentally from the same phenomenon occurring in deep sea in view of non-negligible distance from the sea bottom in the first case, where presence of two regions limiting the water layer results in the acoustic pressure distribution induced by a harmonic source has an interferential nature as a result of multi-path propagation of the acoustic signal. These interferential properties...
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Experimental study on polymer mass used to repair damaged structures
PublicationA new method of repairing damaged structures by injecting the cracks with specially designed polymer mass (flexible two-component grout based on polyurethane resin) has been recently proposed. The technique is mainly dedicated to damaged masonries, especially historical structures where minimum intervention is permitted. The cracks are filled with the special injection, forming the flexible joints bonding the disrupted structural...
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Bis(diisopropylammonium) thiosulfate and bis(tert-butylammonium) thiosulfate
PublicationTwo new dialkylammonium thiosulfates, namely bis(diisopropylammonium) thiosulfate, 2C6H16N+S2O3 2-, (I), and bis(tert-butylammonium) thiosulfate, 2C4H12N+S2O3 2-, (II), have been characterized. The secondary ammonium salt (I) crystallizes with Z = 4, while the primary ammonium salt (II), with more...
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Effect of interconnect coating procedure on solid oxide fuel cell performance
PublicationChromium (Cr) species vaporizing from chromia-forming alloy interconnects is known as a source of degradation in solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stacks called “cathode poisoning”. (Mn,Co)3O4 spinel coatings offer good protection against Cr evaporation during operation. In this study, Crofer 22 APU steel interconnects were electrophoretically deposited in different mediums to obtain high packing of green coating layer. The optimized...
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A strong preference for the TA/TA dinucleotide step discovered for an acridine-based, potent antitumor dsDNA intercalator, C-1305: NMR-driven structural and sequence-specificity studies
PublicationTriazoloacridinone C-1305, a potent antitumor agent recommended for Phase I clinical trials, exhibits high activity towards a wide range of experimental colon carcinomas, in many cases associated with complete tumor regression. C-1305 is a well-established dsDNA intercalator, yet no information on its mode of binding into DNA is available to date. Herein, we present the NMR-driven and MD-refined reconstruction of the 3D structures...
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The Structure of Entrepreneurial Team Members’ Competencies: Between Effectuation and Causation
PublicationA conscious shaping of entrepreneurial competence is a relevant element of entrepreneurial education. In order to recognize which of the competencies regarded as entrepreneurial are characteristic of members of entrepreneurial teams, which is crucial for the work of those teams, it is necessary to identify the structure of those competencies. This quantitative study was conducted with the use of a survey method and involved 111...
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Structural, functional, and stability change predictions in human telomerase upon specific point mutations,
PublicationOverexpression of telomerase is one of the hallmarks of human cancer. Telomerase is important for maintaining the integrity of the ends of chromosomes, which are called telomeres. A growing number of human disease syndromes are associated with organ failure caused by mutations in telomerase (hTERT or hTR). Mutations in telomerase lead to telomere shortening by decreasing the stability of the telomerase complex, reducing its accumulation,...
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Galerkin formulations of isogeometric shell analysis: Alleviating locking with Greville quadratures and higher-order elements
PublicationWe propose new quadrature schemes that asymptotically require only four in-plane points for Reissner–Mindlin shell elements and nine in-plane points for Kirchhoff–Love shell elements in B-spline and NURBS-based isogeometric shell analysis, independent of the polynomial degree p of the elements. The quadrature points are Greville abscissae associated with pth-order B-spline basis functions whose continuities depend on the specific...
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Double-diffusive natural convection energy transfer in magnetically influenced Casson fluid flow in trapezoidal enclosure with fillets
PublicationThe prime motive of this disquisition is to deal with mathematical analysis of natural convection energy transport driven by combined buoyancy effects of thermal and solutal diffusion in a trapezoidal enclosure. Casson fluid rheological constitutive model depicting attributes of viscoelastic liquids is envisioned. The influence of the inclined magnetic field governed by Lorentz field law is also considered. To raise the essence...
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Hyaluronan-Chondroitin Sulfate Anomalous Crosslinking Due to Temperature Changes
PublicationGlycosaminoglycans are a wide class of biopolymers showing great lubricating properties due to their structure and high affinity to water. Two of them, hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate, play an important role in articular cartilage lubrication. In this work, we present results of the all-atom molecular dynamics simulations of both molecules placed in water-based solution. To mimic changes of the physiological conditions,...
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Theoretical design of nanocatalysts based on (Fe2O3)n clusters for hydrogen production from ammonia
PublicationThe catalytic activities of high-spin small Fe(III) oxides have been investigated for efficient hydrogen production through ammonia decomposition, using the artificial force induced reaction method within the framework of density functional theory with the B3LYP hybrid exchange–correlation functional. Our results reveal that the adsorption free energy of NH3 on (Fe2O3 )n (n = 1–4) decreases with increasing cluster size up to n...
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Mechanical Properties and Wear Susceptibility Determined by Nanoindentation Technique of Ti13Nb13Zr Titanium Alloy after “Direct Laser Writing”
PublicationLaser treatment has often been applied to rebuild the surface layer of titanium and its alloys destined for long-term implants. Such treatment has always been associated with forming melted and re-solidified thin surface layers. The process parameters of such laser treatment can be different, including the patterning of a surface by so-called direct writing. In this research, pulse laser treatment was performed on the Ti13Nb13Zr...
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Nano soil improvement technique using cement
PublicationNano soil-improvement is an innovative idea in geotechnical engineering. Nanomaterials are among the newest additives that improve soil properties. Herein, laboratory tests, such as unconfined compressive strength, direct shear test, and initial tests, were conducted to investigate the geotechnical properties of Kelachay clay with micro- and nanosized cement to evaluate its particles in untreated soil and observe changes in the...
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Results of the “DPDT-Auger” Research Project on Screw Displacement Piles
PublicationThe main objective of the “DPDT-Auger” research project was to test the prototype DPDT auger for forming screw displacement piles in the ground (patented in Poland in 2020). An additional aim was to develop design methods and rules for the making of such piles. The augers and piles were first tested on a model scale, and then more extensively in the real scale on experimental field plots. The results found the overall functionality...
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Contactless hearing aid designed for infants
PublicationIt is a well known fact that language development through home intervention for a hearing-impaired infant should start in the early months of a newborn baby's life. The aim of this paper is to present a concept of a contactless digital hearing aid designed especially for infants. In contrast to all typical wearable hearing aid solutions (ITC, ITE, BTE), the proposed device is mounted in the infant's bed with any parts of its set-up...
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Dimeric structure of the N-terminal domain of PriB protein from Thermoanaerobacter tengcongensis solved ab initio
PublicationPriB is one of the components of the bacterial primosome, which catalyzes the reactivation of stalled replication forks at sites of DNA damage. The N-terminal domain of the PriB protein from the thermophilic bacterium Thermoanaerobacter tengcongensis (TtePriB) was expressed and its crystal structure was solved at the atomic resolution of 1.09 Å by direct methods. The protein chain, which encompasses the first 104 residues of the...
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C-1311 (Symadex), a potential anti-cancer drug, intercalates into DNA between A and G moieties. NMR-derived and MD-refined stereostructure of the d(GAGGCCTC) 2 :C-1311 complex
PublicationImidazoacridinone C-1311 (Symadex®) is an antitumor agent which has been recommended for Phase II clinical trials a few years ago. Previously, it was shown experimentally that during the initial stage of its action C-1311 forms stable intercalation complexes with DNA duplexes. Herein, a NMR-derived stereostructure of d(GAGGCCTC)2:C-1311 complex was reported. The ligand was found locating itself between A and G moieties, forming...
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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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Optical fiber aptasensor for label-free bacteria detection in small volumes
PublicationHighly sensitive devices for fast bacteria detection are sought to be developed with the task of quantifying the worldwide problem of pathogenic bacteria and thus helping to take control over spreading bacterial infections. This work concerns a sensing solution based on microcavity in-line Mach-Zehnder interferometer (μIMZI) induced in an optical fiber. Such a device exhibits ultrahigh sensitivity to refractive index changes...
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Why do G-quadruplexes dimerize through the 5’-ends? Driving forces for G4 DNA dimerization examined in atomic detail
PublicationG-quadruplexes (G4) are secondary structures formed by guanine-rich nucleic acid sequences and shown to exist in living cells where they participate in regulation of gene expression and chromosome maintenance. G-quadruplexes with solvent-exposed guanine tetrads show the tendency to associate together through cofacial stacking, which may be important for packaging of G4-forming sequences and allows for the design of higher-order...
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Enhanced gas sensing by graphene-silicon Schottky diodes under UV irradiation
PublicationThe effect of ultraviolet (UV) or blue irradiation on graphene/n-doped silicon Schottky junctions toward gas sensing was investigated. Schottky diodes were subjected to oxidizing nitrogen dioxide (NO2, 1–3 ppm) and reducing tetrahydrofuran (THF, 50–200 ppm), showing significantly different responses observed on the currentvoltage (I-V) characteristics, especially under UV light (275 nm). NO2 affected the resistive part of the forward region...