Search results for: VANCOMYCIN-RESISTANT ENTEROCOCCUS
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Analysis of Transparent Concrete as an Innovative Material Used in Civil Engineering
PublicationSince the dawn of history concrete has been, right behind stone and brick, one of the oldest building materials. The ancient Romans took advantage of its opportunities. They constructed amazing architectural objects, which survived centuries as whole buildings or parts of them. Concrete is so ubiquitous, that when we are walking in a newer districts of cities we are virtually surrounded by concrete from everywhere. Sometimes...
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Phage Therapy—Challenges, Opportunities and Future Prospects
PublicationThe increasing drug resistance of bacteria to commonly used antibiotics creates the need to search for and develop alternative forms of treatment. Phage therapy fits this trend perfectly. Phages that selectively infect and kill bacteria are often the only life-saving therapeutic option. Full legalization of this treatment method could help solve the problem of multidrug-resistant infectious diseases on a global scale. The aim of...
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Alternative treatment approaches of urinary tract infections caused by uropathogenic Escherichia coli strains
PublicationUrinary tract infections (UTIs) are the most widespread and annoying infections affecting millions of people every year annually. The biggest problem of urinary diseases are recurrences, the increasing resistance of uropathogens to commonly used antibiotics, as well as the high health care costs of afflicted persons. Uropathogenic Escherichia coli strains (UPECs) are the most dominant etiologic agent of community-acquired infections...
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Nitrogen fraction fluctuation during wastewater treatment in a multistage treatment wetland
PublicationAlthough the size of pollutants discharged to a WWTP plays an important and often underestimated role in characterizing treat ability and hence the degree of contaminant removal of wastewater. From one hend In order to obtain efficient nitrogen removal in thedenitrification process, sufficient amounts of bioavailable carbon source should be ensured bur for the other hand in TWs, particulates from the wastewater are naturally trapped...
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Evaluating the antibacterial activity of muramyl dipeptide derivatives, retro-tuftsin derivatives, and anthraquinone oligopeptides against a range of pathogenic bacteria
PublicationSearch for new and efficient antibiotic is crucial because of microbial drug resistance and problems with side effects of the administered medication. In this study, we evaluate the in vitro microbiological activity of muramyl dipeptide derivatives, retro-tuftsin derivatives (i.e., tuftsin with reversed amino acid sequences), and combinations of retro-tuftsin derivatives with substituted anthraquinones. The potency of the investigated...
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Quality Evaluation of Voice Transmission Using BPL Communication System in MV Mine Cable Network
PublicationThis article presents results of a quality evaluation study, considering voice transmission in a 6 kV medium voltage cable network using the BPL (Broadband over Power Line) communication system. The tests are carried out under real mining conditions for the selected power cable without voltage, earthed at both sides. Such a method of monitoring work conditions is of great importance, especially during a disaster. Power cables are...
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Technological aspects of manufacturing polymer packaging materials degradable in seawater environment
PublicationIn recent years, the number of polymer materials used in the food packaging market was growing extremely fast. This contributed to depletion of non-renewable resources and more intense degradation of the environment due to resistant polymer. Therefore, such a dramatic situation has forced researchers to look for biodegradable materials, decomposable under action of microorganism. Currently, only a small number of researches examine...
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Novel Functionalization of Boron-Doped Diamond by Microwave Pulsed-Plasma Polymerized Allylamine Film
PublicationWe report the novel modification of a hydrogen-terminated polycrystalline boron-doped electrode with a microwave pulsed-plasma polymerized allylamine. Boron-doped diamond (BDD) was coated with a very thin layer of adherent cross-linked, pinhole- and additive-free allylamine plasma polymer (PPAAm) resistant to hydrolysis and delamination and characterized by a high density of positively charged amino groups. The pulsed microwave...
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Asphalt pavement structure optimization with alternative materials
PublicationThe paper briefly describes modern method assessment of the pavement structure based on the simplified viscoelastic continuum damage (S-VECD) model. The method was used to compare two types of pavement structures. There were analysed classical cstructures with asphalt concretes with neat bitumen and innovative one- or two layered structures with SMA 16 with highly polymer modified bitumen (HiMA). Pavement structures using SMA 16...
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Preparation and Characterization of Diamond-like Carbon Coatings for Biomedical Applications—A Review
PublicationDiamond-like carbon (DLC) films are generally used in biomedical applications, mainly because of their tribological and chemical properties that prevent the release of substrate ions, extend the life cycle of the material, and promote cell growth. The unique properties of the coating depend on the ratio of the sp3/sp2 phases, where the sp2 phase provides coatings with a low coefficient of friction and good electrical conductivity,...
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MXenes Antibacterial Properties and Applications: A Review and Perspective
PublicationThe mutations of bacteria due to the excessive use of antibiotics, and generation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria have made the development of new antibacterial compounds a necessity. MXenes have emerged as biocompatible transition metal carbide structures with extensive biomedical applications. This is related to the MXenes’ unique combination of properties, including multifarious elemental compositions, 2D-layered structure,...
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Tuning of the Electrochemical Properties of Transparent Fluorine-doped Tin Oxide Electrodes by Microwave Pulsed-plasma Polymerized Allylamine
PublicationWe report here the dry, one-step, and low-temperature modification of FTO surfaces using pulsed plasma polymerization of allylamine (PPAAm). PPAAm/FTO surfaces were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, spectroscopic ellipsometry, and contact angles to understand the morphological, structural, and optical properties. FTO were coated with a very thin layer of adherent cross-linked, pinhole-, and additive-free allylamine...
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Face with Mask Detection in Thermal Images Using Deep Neural Networks
PublicationAs the interest in facial detection grows, especially during a pandemic, solutions are sought that will be effective and bring more benefits. This is the case with the use of thermal imaging, which is resistant to environmental factors and makes it possible, for example, to determine the temperature based on the detected face, which brings new perspectives and opportunities to use such an approach for health control purposes. The...
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Ribes nigrum L. Extract-Mediated Green Synthesis and Antibacterial Action Mechanisms of Silver Nanoparticles
PublicationSilver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) represent one of the most widely employed metal-based engineered nanomaterials with a broad range of applications in different areas of science. Plant extracts (PEs) serve as green reducing and coating agents and can be exploited for the generation of Ag NPs. In this study, the phytochemical composition of ethanolic extract of black currant (Ribes nigrum) leaves was determined. The main components...
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Antibacterial properties of laser-encapsulated titanium oxide nanotubes decorated with nanosilver and covered with chitosan/Eudragit polymers
PublicationTo provide antibacterial properties, the titanium samples were subjected to electrochemical oxidation in the fluoride-containing diethylene glycol-based electrolyte to create a titanium oxide nanotubular surface. Afterward, the surface was covered by sputtering with silver 5 nm film, and the tops of the nanotubes were capped using laser treatment, resulting in an appearance of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) of around 30 nm in diameter...
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Primary degradation of antidiabetic drugs
PublicationType 2 diabetes is a chronic disease affecting a large portion of the world population and is treated by orally administered drugs. Since these drugs are often taken in high doses and are excreted unchanged or partially metabolised many of them are nowadays detected in surface waters or wastewater treatment plants effluents. Unmetabolised antidiabetics or some of their transformation products retain their pharmacological activity,...
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The effect of lyophilization on selected biologically active components (vitamin c, catalase, lysozyme), total antioxidant capacity and lipid oxidation in human milk
PublicationHuman milk is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, as well as lysozyme, vitamin C and other bioactive compounds. The effect of lyophilization on the content of antioxidants (vitamin C and catalase CAT), bactericidal compounds (lysozyme), total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and lipid peroxidation in human milk was investigated in this study. Samples of mature human milk were collected from five healthy women who gave birth on the scheduled...
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Highly effective degradation of selected groups of organic compounds by cavitation based AOPs under basic pH conditions
PublicationCavitation has become on the most often applied methods in a number of industrial technologies. In the case of oxidation of organic pollutants occurring in the aqueous medium, cavitation forms the basis of numerous advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). This paper presents the results of investigations on the efficiency of oxidation of the following groups of organic compounds: organosulfur, nitro derivatives of benzene, BTEX, and...
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Antibiotic resistance in wastewater, does the context matter? Poland and Portugal as a case study
PublicationAntibiotic resistance has been considered a major human health threat that may endanger the success of medicine. Recent studies have unveiled worldwide asymmetries of antibiotic resistance occurrence, being factors as diverse as climate, socioeconomic, or antibiotic use possible drivers of such asymmetric distribution. In Europe, where clinical antibiotic resistance is surveyed for more than 20 years, the European Center for Disease...
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The Effect of Conjugation with Octaarginine, a Cell-Penetrating Peptide on Antifungal Activity of Imidazoacridinone Derivative
PublicationAcridine cell-penetrating peptide conjugates are an extremely important family of compounds in antitumor chemotherapy. These conjugates are not so widely analysed in antimicrobial therapy, although bioactive peptides could be used as nanocarriers to smuggle antimicrobial compounds. An octaarginine conjugate of an imidazoacridinone derivative (Compound 1-R8) synthetized by us exhibited high antifungal activity against reference...
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The bile salt content of human bile impacts on simulated intestinal proteolysis of β-lactoglobulin
PublicationThe gastrointestinal hydrolysis of food proteins has been portrayed in scientific literature to predominantly depend on the activity and specificity of proteolytic enzymes. Human bile has not been considered to facilitate proteolysis in the small intestine, but rather to assist in intestinal lipolysis. However, human bile can potentially influence proteins that are largely resistant to gastric digestion, and which are mainly hydrolysed...
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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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Evaluation of antimicrobial activities of powdered cuttlebone against Klebsiella oxytoca, Staphylococcus aureus, and Aspergillus flavus
PublicationBackground: The presence of medicines in the environment is considered as a serious threat to the human health. The entrance of these substances into the water sources causes soil pollution, which eventually leads to the environmental pollution and it creates some problems for the public health. Also, increasing antibiotic resistant bacteria has attracted the attention of researchers to the use of natural resources such as marine...
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Biomass-Derived Nitrogen Functionalized Carbon Nanodots and Their Anti-Biofouling Properties
PublicationThe prevalence of the antibiotic resistant bacteria remains a global issue. Cheap, sustainable and multifunctional antibacterial membranes are at the forefront of filtrating materials capable of treating multiple flow streams, such as water cleansing treatments. Carbon nanomaterials are particularly interesting objects shown to enhance antibacterial properties of composite materials. In this article, amino-functionalized, photoluminescent...
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Direct amination of boron-doped diamond by plasma polymerized allylamine film
PublicationA novel microwave pulsed-plasma based method for the modification of the hydrogen-terminated polycrystalline boron-doped diamond (BDD) with a thin film of polymerized allylamine (PPAAm) is reported. A modified BDD surface is resistant to hydrolysis and delamination and is characterized by a high density of positively charged amino groups. Pulsed microwave plasma was applied to improve the degree of cross-linking and bonding of...
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Enhanced photocatalytic, electrochemical and photoelectrochemical properties of TiO2 nanotubes arrays modified with Cu, AgCu and Bi nanoparticles obtained via radiolytic reduction
PublicationTiO2 nanotubes arrays (NTs), obtained via electrochemical anodization of Ti foil, were modified with monometallic (Cu, Bi) and bimetallic (AgCu) nanoparticles. Different amounts of metals’ precursors were deposited on the surface of NTs by the spin-coating technique, and the reduction of metals was performed via gamma radiolysis. Surface modification of titania was studied by EDS and XPS analysis. The results show that AgCu nanoparticles...
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A new approach to design of weather disruption-tolerant wireless mesh networks
PublicationWireless Mesh Networks, offering transmission rates of 1–10 Gb/s per a millimeter-wave link (utilizing the 71–86 GHz band) seem to be a promising alternative to fiber optic backbone metropolitan area networks because of significantly lower costs of deployment and maintenance. However, despite providing high transmission rates in good weather conditions, high-frequency wireless links are very susceptible to weather disruptions....
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Sustainable Management of Food Wastes Through Cavitation-Assisted Conversion into Value-Added Products
PublicationMore than 30% of worldwide food consumption is thrown out as food wastes causing serious environmental, economic, and social problems. Therefore, it is required to develop sustainable food waste management methods leading to an enhancement in social and economic benefits and mitigation of environmental impacts. Anaerobic digestion can be regarded as one of those effective methods that can be employed for the conversion of food...
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Smooth least absolute deviation estimators for outlier-proof identification
PublicationThe paper proposes to identify the parameters of linear dynamic models based on the original implementation of least absolute deviation estimators. It is known that the object estimation procedures synthesized in the sense of the least sum of absolute prediction errors are particularly resistant to occasional outliers and gaps in the analyzed system data series, while the classical least squares procedure unfortunately becomes...
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Changes in enzymatic activity of fish and slaughter animals meat after high pressure treatment at subzero temperatures
PublicationThe aim of this study was to determine changes in the activity of proteolytic enzymes and transglutaminase of fish and mammal meat after pressurization at subzero temperatures. The activity was measured at the optimal pHs determined for enzymes from particular types of tested meat. It was found that increasing the pressure in the range of 60–193 MPa, did not change significantly the activity of acidic proteases of cod flesh, while...
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Network oscillations modulate interictal epileptiform spike rate during human memory
PublicationEleven patients being evaluated with intracranial electroencephalography for medically resistant temporal lobe epilepsy participated in a visual recognition memory task. Interictal epileptiform spikes were manually marked and their rate of occurrence compared between baseline and three 2 s periods spanning a 6 s viewing period. During successful, but not unsuccessful, encoding of the images there was a significant reduction in...
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Probiotic potential of Bacillus Isolates from Polish Bee Pollen and Bee Bread
PublicationThe main goal of this study was the evaluation of the probiotic potential of 10 Bacillus spp. strains isolated from 5 bee bread and 3 bee pollen samples. The antagonistic interaction with Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli was a primary criterion for the preliminary selection of the isolates. Three out of ten strains—PY2.3 (isolated from pollen), BP20.15 and BB10.1 (both isolated from bee bread)—were found to be possible...
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A new assay for the simultaneous identification and differentiation of Klebsiella oxytoca strains.
PublicationKlebsiella oxytoca is the second most frequently identified species of Klebsiella isolated from hospitalized patients. Klebsiella spp. is difficult to identify using conventional methods and is often misclassified in clinical microbiology laboratories. K. oxytoca is responsible for an increasing number of multi-resistant infections in hospitals because of insufficient detection and identification. In this study, we propose a new...
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Differential expression profile between amygdala and blood during chronic lithium treatment in a rat model of depression – a pilot study
PublicationLithium is a mood stabilizer widely used in the pharmacotherapy of bipolar disorder and treatment‑resistant depression. Taking into account dysregulated inflammatory activity in depression and the immunomodulatory role of lithium, we hypothesized that genes associated with inflammatory responses may be potential biomarkers of lithium action. We aimed to compare gene expression changes between the brain and the periphery after...
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Elicitation strategies for the improvement of essential oil content in Rhododendron tomentosum (Ledum palustre) bioreactor-grown microshoots
PublicationRhododendron tomentosum Harmaja, previously Ledum palustre L., is a fragrant plant growing in swampy areas, which is characterized by well-known repellent properties and the anti-arthritic potential. In the present study, R. tomentosum microshoots cultivated in RITA® bioreactor, providing the alternative, environment-independent source of the valuable essential oil, were treated for 7 days with copper and nickel salts, methyl jasmonate,...
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A highly thermostable, homodimeric single-stranded DNA-binding protein from Deinococcus radiopugnans
PublicationWe report the identification and characterization of the single-stranded DNA-binding protein (SSB) from the mesophile and highly radiation-resistant Deinococcus radiopugnans (DrpSSB). PCR-derived DNA fragment containing the complete structural gene for DrpSSB protein was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The gene consisting of an open reading frame of 900 nucleotides encodes a protein of 300 amino acids with a calculated...
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Status report on high temperature fuel cells in Poland – Recent advances and achievements
PublicationThe paper presents recent advances in Poland in the field of high temperature fuel cells. The achievements in the materials development, manufacturing of advanced cells, new fabrication techniques, modified electrodes and electrolytes and applications are presented. The work of the Polish teams active in the field of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) and molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC) is presented and discussed. The review is oriented...
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Increased concentration of Taq DNA polymerase as a solution for GC-rich templates from clinical and environmental samples
PublicationDNA polymerase is an enzyme which plays crucial role in replication and DNA repair. It found application in PCR (polymerase chain reaction) where catalyses process of in vitro DNA synthesis. To meet the demands posed by mod- ern diagnostic, molecular biology or genetic engineering it is necessary to improve DNA polymerases to obtain new or better features useful in these fields. So far implemented modifications in majority are...
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Simple synthesis route for fabrication of protective photo‐crosslinked poly(zwitterionic) membranes for application in non‐enzymatic glucose sensing
PublicationThis work focuses on the fabrication of non-enzymatic glucose sensing materials based on laser-formed Au nanoparticles embedded in Ti-textured substrates. Those materials possess good catalytic activity toward glucose oxidation in 0.1 × phosphate buffered saline as well as resistance to some interferants, such as ascorbic acid, urea, and glycine. The electrodes are further coated with three different polymers, that is, Nafion,...
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Whether Carbon Nanotubes Are Capable, Promising, and Safe for Their Application in Nervous System Regeneration. Some Critical Remarks and Research Strategies
PublicationCarbon nanotubes are applied in or considered for different fields of medicine. Among them is the regeneration or rebuilding of nervous system components, which still lack substantial progress; this field is supported by carbon nanotubes to a great extent as the principal material. The limited research on this issue has involved PU/silk/MWCNTs, PCL/silk/MWCNTs, PCL/PGS/CNTs, chitin/CNTs, PGF/CNTs, CNTs/PGFs/PLDLA,MWCNTs chitosan,MWCNTs/PPy,...
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Functionalized Peptide Fibrils as a Scaffold for Active Substances in Wound Healing
PublicationTechnological developments in the field of biologically active peptide applications in medicine have increased the need for new methods for peptide delivery. The disadvantage of peptides as drugs is their low biological stability. Recently, great attention has been paid to self-assembling peptides that can form fibrils. Such a formulation makes bioactive peptides more resistant to enzymatic degradation and druggable. Peptide fibrils...
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BPL-PLC Voice Communication System for the Oil and Mining Industry
PublicationApplication of a high-efficiency voice communication systems based on broadband over power line-power line communication (BPL-PLC) technology in medium voltage networks, including hazardous areas (like the oil and mining industry), as a redundant mean of wired communication (apart from traditional fiber optics and electrical wires) can be beneficial. Due to the possibility of utilizing existing electrical infrastructure, it can...
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Behaviour of asymmetric structures with base isolation made of Polymeric Bearings
PublicationEarthquake-induced ground motions are the most severe and unpredictable threats to the structures all around the world. Seismic excitations cause a lot of damage in a wide variety of ways, leaving thousands of casualties in their wake. During the last few years alone, the world has witnessed many major earthquakes, five of which have caused far-reaching consequences of a national scale for Haiti (January 2010), Chile (February...
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Evaluation of possibilities in identification and susceptibility testing for Candida glabrata clinical isolates with the Integral System Yeast Plus (ISYP)
PublicationThe aim of this study was to evaluate possibilities of correct identification and susceptibility testing of C. glabrata clinical isolates with Integral System Yeast Plus (ISYP). For species identification, as the reference method, API Candida test and species-specific PCR reactions were used. The potential of antifungal susceptibility testing by the ISYP test was compared with the Sensititre Yeast One. Whilst the reference methods...
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Peptidoglycan hydrolases - potential weapons against Staphylococcus aureus
PublicationBacteria of the genus Staphylococcus are common pathogens responsible for a broad spectrum of human and animal infections and belong to most important etiological factors causing food poisoning. Because of rapid increase in prevalence of isolation of staphylococci resistant to many antibiotics, there is an urgent need for development of new alternative chemotherapeutics. A number of studies have recently demonstrated the strong...
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Semi-transparent ordered TiO2 nanostructures prepared by anodization of titanium thin films deposited onto the FTO substrate
PublicationIn a significant amount of cases, the highly ordered TiO2nanotube arrays grow through anodic oxidationof a titanium metal plate immersed in electrolyte containing fluoride ions. However, for some practicalapplications, e.g. solar cells or electrochromic windows, the semi-transparent TiO2formed directly onthe transparent, conductive substrate is very much desired. This work shows that high-quality Ti coatingcould be formed at room...
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Price bubbles and Co-bubbles in the green economy market
PublicationIn light of growing concerns about climate change and environmental issues, investor interest has surged in the new green economy market. However, the existing literature is limited regarding potential price bubble and co-bubble within this new domain. This study examines price bubble and co-bubble in the new green economy market, covering 31 indexes classified into three groups: the green economy market and its components, geographical...
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The Influence of Different Hydrothermal Processes Used in the Preparation of Brussels Sprouts on the Availability of Glucosinolates to Humans
PublicationCruciferous vegetables represent a valuable source of bioactive compounds. However, there is currently a deficiency of information regarding the extent to which these compounds remain bioaccessible to the body following thermal treatment and digestion processes within the digestive tract. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of heat treatment and in vitro digestion on the level of selected bioactive compounds...
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Proteases immobilized on nanomaterials for biocatalytic, environmental and biomedical applications: Advantages and drawbacks
PublicationProteases have gained significant scientific and industrial interest due to their unique biocatalytic characteristics and broad-spectrum applications in different industries. The development of robust nanobiocatalytic systems by attaching proteases onto various nanostructured materials as fascinating and novel nanocarriers has demonstrated exceptional biocatalytic performance, substantial stability, and ease of recyclability over...
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Preparation and properties of composite coatings, based on carbon nanotubes, for medical applications
PublicationThe coatings based on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are increasingly developed for their applications, among others, in medicine, in particular for implants in implantology, cardiology, and neurology. The present review paper aims at a detailed demonstration of diferent preparation methods for such coatings, their performance, and relationships between deposition parameters and microstructure and material, mechanical, physical, chemical,...