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Search results for: EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT
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Active Site Architecture and Reaction Mechanism Determination of Cold Adapted beta-D-galactosidase from Arthrobacter sp. 32cB
PublicationArthbetaDG is a dimeric, cold-adapted beta-D-galactosidase that exhibits high hydrolytic and transglycosylation activity. A series of crystal structures of its wild form, as well as its ArthbetaDG_E441Q mutein complexes with ligands were obtained in order to describe the mode of its action. The ArthbetaDG_E441Q mutein is an inactive form of the enzyme designed to enable observation of enzyme interaction with its substrate. The...
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Monitoring Lead Concentration in the Surrounding Environmental Components of a Lead Battery Company: Plants, Air and Effluents—Case Study, Kenya
PublicationLead (Pb) pollution from smelters and lead–acid battery has become a serious problem worldwide owing to its toxic nature as a heavy metal. Stricter regulations and monitoring strategies have been formulated, legislated and implemented in various parts of the world on heavy metal usage. Developed countries such as the USA and in Europe largely operate within the set standards, however, developing countries such as Kenya, Nigeria...
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Toward Mechanosynthesis of Diamondoid Structures: IX Commercial Capped CNT Scanning Probe Microscopy Tip as Nowadays Available Tool for Silylene Molecule and Silicon Atom Transfer
PublicationAccording to K. E. Drexler, advanced mechanosynthesis will employ advanced nanomachines, but advanced nanomachines will themselves be product of advanced mechanosynthesis. This circular relationship must be broken in SPM technology development. In the article, the possibility of use easy available commercial CNT tips to assembly silicon-based intermediate generations of nano-devices is considered. Mechanosynthesis of a target class...
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Consequences of New Approach of Chemical Stability Tests of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs)
PublicationThere is a great need of broaden look on stability tests of active pharmaceuticalingredients (APIs) in comparison with current requirements contained in pharmacopeia.By usage of many modern analytical methods the conception of monitoring the changesof APIs during initial stage of their exposure to harmful factors has been developed. Newknowledge must be acquired in terms of identification of each degradation...
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Chromium (III) removal by perennial emerging macrophytes in floating treatment wetlands
PublicationFloating treatment wetlands (FTWs) are a sustainable solution to treat polluted water, but their role in chromium (Cr(III)) removal under neutral pH conditions remains poorly understood. This study evaluated the potential of FTWs planted with two perennial emergent macrophytes, Phragmites australis and Iris pseudacorus, to remove Cr(III) and nutrients (N and PO4-P) from water containing 7.5 mg/L TN, 1.8 mg/L PO4-P, and Cr(III)...
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S-scheme heterojunction Bi2O3-ZnO/Bentonite clay composite with enhanced photocatalytic performance
PublicationThe industrial waste water is always a bottleneck problem in the modern civilization of the present era. In a quest to develop effective methods for the elimination of lethal pollutants from the waste water and water remediation, this work is focused on the development of a rapid and proficient approach for preparing supported binary metal oxide catalyst for photocatalytic advance oxidation process used in waste water treatment...
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Visual content representation and retrieval for Cognitive Cyber Physical Systems
PublicationCognitive Cyber Physical Systems have gained significant attention from academia and industry during the past few decade. One of the main reasons behind this interest is the potential of such technologies to revolutionize human life since they intend to work robustly under complex visual scenes, which environmental conditions may vary, adapting to a comprehensive range of unforeseen changes, and exhibiting prospective behavior...
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Evaluation of mercury content in combustible tobacco products by employing cold vapor atomic absorption spectroscopy and considering the moisture content: a comprehensive study
PublicationPlants are mainly made up of water, which constitutes between 80 and 90% of their weight. Moisture factor comes across as one of the most important in tobacco products. Rapid determination of moisture content in tobacco products comes at neces- sity in any tobacco management plants (before and after production). Therefore, the concern has been raised in this study to evaluate the moisture content in four kinds of combustible tobacco...
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Electrophoretic deposition (EPD) of nanohydroxyapatite - nanosilver coatings on Ti13Zr13Nb alloy
PublicationTitanium and its alloys are the biomaterials most frequently used in medical engineering, especially as parts of orthopedic and dental implants. The surfaces of titanium and its alloys are usually modified to improve their biocompatibility and bioactivity, for example, in connection with the deposition of hydroxyapatite coatings. The objective of the present research was to elaborate the technology of electrophoretic deposition...
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Mercury contamination, a potential threat to the globally endangered aquatic warbler Acrocephalus paludicola
PublicationMercury (Hg) contamination is considered a global concern for humans and wildlife, and although the number of studies dealing with that issue continues to increase, some taxonomic groups such as small passerine birds are largely understudied. In this paper, concentration of mercury in the aquatic warbler (Acrocephalus paludicola) feathers, a globally threatened passerine species, was examined. The concentration differences between...
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Toward Mechanosynthesis of Diamondoid Structures: X. Commercial Capped CNT SPM Tip as Nowadays Available C2 Dimer Placement Tool for Tip-Based Nanofabrication
PublicationAccording to Drexler, advanced mechanosynthesis will employ advanced nano-machines, but advanced nano-machines will themselves be products of advanced mechanosynthesis. This circular relationship must be broken via TBN technology development. In this article, the possibility of using easily available commercial CNT tips to assemble carbon-based intermediate generations of nano-devices is considered. Mechanosynthesis of a target...
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Trophic Transfer of Mercury in a Temperate Marine Food Web, Southern Baltic Sea
PublicationMercury (Hg) is considered to be one of the most dangerous global environmental pollutants. The toxicity and bioavailabilityof Hg depend on its chemical form, and the greatest hazard is posed by the organomercurial compounds. Hg is introduced into the human body primarily through the consumption of fish and seafood. Despite numerous studies on Hg in marine organisms, there is still a gap in the knowledge on Hg uptake and...
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Molecular Strategy for Survival at a Critical High Temperature in Eschierichia coli
PublicationThe molecular mechanism supporting survival at a critical high temperature (CHT) in Escherichia coli was investigated. Genome-wide screening with a single-gene knockout library provided a list of genes indispensable for growth at 47°C, called thermotolerant genes. Genes for which expression was affected by exposure to CHT were identified by DNA chip analysis. Unexpectedly, the former contents did not overlap with the latter except...
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The dose-dependet influence of zinc and cadmium contamination of soil on their uptake and glucosinolate content in white cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata f. alba)
PublicationThe relationship between the ability to accumulate heavy metals (represented by Cd and Zn) and to synthesize bioactive compounds (represented by glucosinolates[GLS]) was investigated in two cabbage cultivars. Plants were grown in the greenhouse of a phytotron under controlled conditions in soils spiked with two different Zn or Cd concentrations. The measurements of Cd and Zn contents in soil and cabbage (leaf) samples were performed...
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Sub‐Nanometer‐Scale Cu9S5 Enables Efficiently Electrochemical Nitrate Reduction to Ammonia
PublicationThe sub-nanometer is a key feature size in materials science. Unlike single-atom and nanomaterials, size effects and inter-component cooperative actions in sub-nanomaterials will effective on its performance is more significant. Here, 0.95 nm ordered arrangement Cu9S5 sub-nanowires (Cu9S5 SNWs) are synthesized through the co-assembly effect of inorganic nuclei (Cu9S5) and clusters (phosphotungstic acid-PTA), achieving a significant...
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Do personality traits influence the user’s behavioral intention to adopt and use Open Government Data (OGD)? An empirical investigation
PublicationThe academic interest in the Open Government Data (OGD) domain has been burgeoning over the years. Conceding that the prime focus of an OGD initiative is its further re-use for value creation and innovation by stakeholders, the present study seeks to underscore the role of HEXACO personality traits on behavioral intention (BI) to adopt and use OGD in developing countries' context. We investigate the direct, indirect, and moderating...
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CYP3A4-dependent cellular response does not relate to CYP3A4-catalysed metabolites of C-1748 and C-1305 acridine antitumor agents in HepG2 cells
PublicationHigh CYP3A4 expression sensitizes tumor cells to certain antitumor agents while for others it can lower their therapeutic ef fi cacy. We have elucidated the in fl uence of CYP3A4 overexpression on the cellular response induced by antitumor acridine derivatives, C-1305 and C-1748, in two hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cell lines, Hep3A4 stably transfected with CYP3A4 isoenzyme, and HepC34 expressing empty vector. The compounds...
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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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An examination of an Antarctic soil metagenomic-derivate putative methylthioadenosine phosphorylase gene as a novel reporter gene for promoter trapping
PublicationThe rsfp gene was discovered during examination ofan Antarctic soil-derived metagenome library and encodesa bacterial methylthioadenosine phosphorylase (GenBank accession number GQ202582). In a previous study, we found that E. coli colonies expressing the rsfp gene reveal strong pink fluorescence after exposure to UV light when grown on culture medium supplemented with rhodamine B (Cieśliński et al., 2009). In contrast to that,...
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Culturable bacteria community development in postglacial soils of Ecology Glacier, King George Island, Antarctica
PublicationGlacier forelands are excellent sites in which to study microbial succession because conditions change rapidly in the emerging soil. Development of the bacterial community was studied along two transects on lateral moraines of Ecology Glacier, King George Island, by culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches (denaturating gradient gel electrophoresis). Environmental conditions such as cryoturbation and soil composition...
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High-Temperature Oxidation of Heavy Boron-Doped Diamond Electrodes: Microstructural and Electrochemical Performance Modification
PublicationIn this work, we reveal in detail the effects of high-temperature treatment in air at 600 °C on the microstructure as well as the physico-chemical and electrochemical properties of boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrodes. The thermal treatment of freshly grown BDD electrodes was applied, resulting in permanent structural modifications of surface depending on the exposure time. High temperature affects material corrosion, inducing...
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A systematic review on cellular responses of Escherichia coli to nonthermal electromagnetic irradiation
PublicationInvestigation of Escherichia coli under electromagnetic fields is of significance in human studies owing to its short doubling time and human‐like DNA mechanisms. The present review aims to systematically evaluate the literature to conclude causality between 0 and 300 GHz electromagnetic fields and biological effects in E. coli. To that end, the OHAT methodology and risk of bias tool were employed. Exponentially growing cells exposed...
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Biochemical assays of intensified methane content in biogas from low-temperature processing of waste activated sludge
PublicationAnaerobic digestion (AD) is implemented as an important ‘waste to energy’ approach for converting organic-rich byproducts such as sewage sludge into biogas and nutrient-rich digestate. Sewage sludge consists of primary sludge and waste activated sludge (WAS), and low biodegradability of WAS limits methane production. This study presents the influence of the low-temperature pretreatment (LT-PT) of WAS on the efficiency of AD. Different...
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Structure of the US investment company industry over the period 2000 to 2017: substitution analysis
PublicationOver the last years the investment company industry has undergone deep transformation in the majority of the most advanced economies, including the United States. Traditional investment companies, such as mutual funds, have lost their market share to innovative exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The main distinctive features of ETFs are listing and trading in their units on the stock exchanges as well as lower costs for investors. The...
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Effect of oxidation and in vitro intestinal hydrolysis on phospholipid toxicity towards HT29 cell line serving as a model of human intestinal epithelium
PublicationOxidation of food-derived phospholipids (PLs) can influence nutrient digestion and induce oxidative stress in gastrointestinal epithelium. In this study, hen egg yolk PL fraction was used to evaluate the effect of lipoxygenase (LOX)-induced PL oxidation on the rate of PL hydrolysis catalyzed by pancreatic phospholipase A2 (PLA2) in the presence of bile salts (BSs). Then, PL/BS solutions containing native or oxidized PLs were used...
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Emerging oxidized and defective phases in low-dimensional CrCl3
PublicationTwo-dimensional (2D) magnets such as chromium trihalides CrX3 (X ¼ I, Br, Cl) represent a frontier for spintronics applications and, in particular, CrCl3 has attracted research interest due its relative stability under ambient conditions without rapid degradation, as opposed to CrI3. Herein, mechanically exfoliated CrCl3 flakes are characterized at the atomic scale and the electronic structures of pristine, oxidized, and defective...
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Small Polymeric Toys Placed in Child-Dedicated Chocolate Food Products—Do They Contain Harmful Chemicals? Examination of Quality by Example of Selected VOCs and SVOCs
PublicationThis study was focused on child-dedicated chocolate food products that contain a plastic package with a small toy inside (also known as chocolate eggs). Three types of these products that are commercially available on the Polish market, with different prices, chocolate composition, and main types of polymers used in the toy manufacturing process, were investigated. The polymers were identified using Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR)...
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Characterization of Arctic Driftwood as Naturally Modified Material. Part 1: Machinability
PublicationArctic driftwood has reached the coast of Iceland for centuries. This material was used by the inhabitants of the island as a building material for houses, boats, churches and pasture fences. Nowadays, the driftwood is used in the furniture industry, for the finishing of internal and external walls of buildings and also by artists. The properties of driftwood differ to that of original resource due the long-term effects of exposure...
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Real-time monitoring of volatiles and particles emitted from thermoplastic filaments during 3D printing
PublicationThe proliferation of consumer-grade three-dimensional (3D) printers using fused deposition, also known as fused filament fabrication, has given rise to concerns over the exposure of users to potentially harmful substances. Thermoplastic filaments made of different polymers are extruded through a heated printer nozzle and deposited layer by layer on a build platform to form the printed object. This process leads to the emission...
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Changes in the addiction prevalence in Polish population between 1990-2019: Review of available data
PublicationThe 1989 collapse of the socialist political system in Poland initiated an avalanche of modifications regarding healthcare policy resulting with new institutions and programs dedicated to monitoring and preventing addiction. In the current article, we look at the available data allowing to track changes in (1) the prevalence of exposure to addictive substances and behaviors, and (2) changes of addictions prevalence in Poland...
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DNA-damaging imidazoacridinone C-1311 induces autophagy followed by irreversible growth arrest and senescence in human lung cancer cells
PublicationImidazoacridinone 5-diethylaminoethylamino-8-hydroxyimidazoacridinone (C-1311) is an antitumor inhibitor of topoisomerase II and FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 receptor. In this study, we describe the unique sequence of cellular responses to C-1311 in human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines, A549 and H460. In A549 cells, C-1311 (IC80 = 0.08 µM) induced G1 and G2/M arrests, whereas H460 cells (IC80 = 0.051 µM) accumulated...
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Interfacial behaviour of human bile and its substitution for in vitro lipolysis studies
PublicationThis study examined the interfacial evolution of individual bile salts (BSs) and their blends with phosphatidylcholine (BS/PC) to simulate the complex behaviour of human bile (HB) during lipolysis at the triglyceride/water interface. Using adsorption and desorption cycles, mimicking exposure to small intestinal fluids, we demonstrate that the interfacial behaviour of real HB can be replicated using simple mixtures of BSs and PC....
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Application of dispersive liquid - liquid microextraction for determination of pesticides from various chemical groups in water samples
PublicationPesticides are a global risk because they move with the wind, rain and sea currents from other regions, which makes getting to places which were never used before. Their presence was detected in all types of water circulating in the ecosystem, which is an easy source of exposure to life and health of all living organisms. Currently, it is considered one of the most dangerous and toxic pollutants, which fate and function is still...
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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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One Year Evaluation of Material Properties Changes of Polylactide Parts in Various Hydrolytic Degradation Conditions
PublicationBiodegradable biocompatible materials are widely used in medical applications. Determining the possibility of using biodegradable materials depends on determining the changes in their parameters over time due to degradation. The current scientific research on biodegradable materials has presented results based on research methods characterized by the different geometry and cross-section size of the specimen, type of degradation...
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Anisotropic optical properties of few-layer black phosphorus coatings: from fundamental insights to opto-electrochemical sensor design
PublicationFew-layer black phosphorus (FLBP) is characterised by a tuneable bandgap, high carrier mobility and anisotropic optical properties. It therefore has the potential to find applications in electronics and photonics. FLBP oxidizes upon exposure to air, limiting its utility in devices and components. To address this issue, the thesis introduces methods and tools developed for studying FLBP's optical parameters, with a particular emphasis...
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Online Volatile Compound Emissions Analysis Using a Microchamber/Thermal Extractor Coupled to Proton Transfer Reaction-Mass Spectrometry
PublicationIndoor air is a complex and dynamic mixture comprising manifold volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that may cause physiological and/or psychological discomfort, depending on the nature of exposure. This technical note presents a novel approach to analyze VOC emissions by coupling a microchamber/thermal extractor (μ-CTE) system to a proton transfer reaction-mass spectrometer (PTR-MS). This configuration provides an alternative to...
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Impact of high-pressure processing on the bioactive compounds of milk - A comprehensive review
PublicationHigh-pressure processing (HPP) is a promising alternative to thermal pasteurization. Recent studies highlighted the effectivity of HPP (400–600 MPa and exposure times of 1–5 min) in reducing pathogenic microflora for up to 5 logs. Analysis of modern scientific sources has shown that pressure affects the main components of milk including fat globules, lactose, casein micelles. The behavior of whey proteins under HPP is very important...
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Protect our right to light
Publication“The struggle for light” is how the Swiss architect Le Corbusier described the history of architecture in 1935. Today, with the skies crowded out by buildings in modern cities, those words should ring in the ears of policymakers and planners. Skyscraper construction is booming. China is the leader, last year completing 88 of the 143 buildings around the world that are taller than 200 metres (see ‘Vertical growth’). As the nation’s...
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Novel insights into conjugation of antitumor-active unsymmetrical bisacridine C-2028 with glutathione: characteristics of non-enzymatic and glutathione S-transferase-mediated reactions
PublicationUnsymmetrical bisacridines (UAs) are a novel potent class of antitumor-active therapeutics. A significant route of phase II drug metabolism is conjugation with glutathione (GSH), which can be non-enzymatic and/or catalyzed by GSH-dependent enzymes. The aim of this work was to investigate the GSH-mediated metabolic pathway of a representative UA, C 2028. GSH supplemented incubations of C-2028 with rat, but not with human, liver...
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The Effect of Increasing the Amount of Indium Alloying Material on the Efficiency of Sacrificial Aluminium Anodes
PublicationAl-Zn-In alloys having 4.2% zinc content and various indium content in the range of 0.02–0.2% were tested with respect to the most important electrochemical properties of sacrificial anodes in a cathodic protection, i.e., the current capacity and potential of the operating anode. The distribution of In and Zn in the tested alloys was mapped by means of the EDX technique, which demonstrated that these elements dissolve well in the...
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Results of acoustic emission tests of corrosion protection degree of ship steel tanks covered by means of protective coatings (Phase I)
PublicationThis paper presents methods and results of the 1st series of tests of acoustic emission (AE) signals, aimed at assessing degree of corrosion protection of a tank made of hull structural steel, protected by means of a protective coating combined from polyurethane layer and concrete filler. The tests were carried outin compliance with a method specially elaborated for application to the work in question. In the method were used requirements...
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c-Myc inhibition and p21 modulation contribute to unsymmetrical bisacridines-induced apoptosis and senescence in pancreatic cancer cells
PublicationBackground Pancreatic cancer (PC) is one of the most aggressive cancers and is the seventh leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. PC is characterized by rapid progression and resistance to conventional treatments. Mutations in KRAS, CDKN2A, TP53, SMAD4/DPC4, and MYC are major genetic alterations associated with poor treatment outcomes in patients with PC. Therefore, optimizing PC therapy is a tremendous challenge. Unsymmetrical...
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The Ellenbogen's “Matter as Software” Concept for Quantum Computer Implementation. C60 and X@C60 Molecules as Available Molecular Building Blocks (MBBs) for Tip-Based Nanofabrication (TBN) of Quantum Computing Devices
PublicationThe TBN bottom-up strategy of building quantum devices from C60 and X@C60 MBBs is proposed as an extension of the Ellenbogen's “Matter as Software” idea to quantum information processing. The capped SW or DW CNT STM tip is considered as device for manipulating C60 and X@C60 molecules. In this article, the possibility of using easily available on the market C60 Fullerene and endohedral X@C60 molecules together with commercial CNT...
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Visual Content Representation for Cognitive Systems: Towards Augmented Intelligence
PublicationCognitive Vision Systems have gained significant attention from academia and industry during the past few decades. One of the main reasons behind this interest is the potential of such technologies to revolutionize human life since they intend to work robustly under complex visual scenes (which environmental conditions may vary), adapting to a comprehensive range of unforeseen changes, and exhibiting prospective behavior. The combination...
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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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Impact of abiotic stressors on nutrient removal and rhizomicrobiome composition in floating treatment wetland with Equisetum hyemale
PublicationFloating treatment wetlands (FTW) are receiving growing interest as a phyto-technology. However, there are significant research gaps regarding the actual role of plant species and plant-microbiome interactions. In this study, the nutrient uptake of Equisetum hyemale was examined in FTW microcosms under the influence of abiotic stressors: As (3 mg/L) and Pb (3 mg/L) as well as Cl− (300 and 800 mg/L) in reference to a control during...
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Beyond Antioxidant Activity: Redox Properties of Catechins May Affect Changes in the DNA Methylation Profile—The Example of SRXN1 Gene
PublicationThe role of catechins in the epigenetic regulation of gene expression has been widely studied; however, if and how this phenomenon relates to the redox properties of these polyphenols remains unknown. Our earlier study demonstrated that exposure of the human colon adenocarcinoma HT29 cell line to these antioxidants affects the expression of redox-related genes. In particular, treatment with (−)-epigallocatechin (EGC) downregulated...
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A mechanistically approached review upon assorted cell lines stimulated by athermal electromagnetic irradiation
PublicationThe probable influence of electromagnetic irradiation on cancer treatment has been deduced from the interaction of artificial electromagnetic emissions with biological organisms. Nonetheless, the suspected health effects induced by electromagnetic-based technology imply that such a treatment may contaminate the adjacent healthy cells. Thus, gaining mechanistic insights into the problem is required to avoid athermal health hazards....
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Corrosion Inhibition Mechanism and Efficiency Differentiation of Dihydroxybenzene Isomers Towards Aluminum Alloy 5754 in Alkaline Media
PublicationThe selection of efficient corrosion inhibitors requires detailed knowledge regarding the interaction mechanism, which depends on the type and amount of functional groups within the inhibitor molecule. The position of functional groups between different isomers is often overlooked, but is no less important, since factors like steric hinderance may significantly affect the adsorption mechanism. In this study, we have presented how...