Search results for: antibiotic-resistant%20bacteria
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IMPACT-TOUGHNESS INVESTIGATIONS OF DUPLEX STAINLESS STEELS
PublicationDuplex stainless steels are very attractive constructional materials for use in aggressive environments because of their several advantages over austenitic stainless steels. Duplex steels have excellent pitting and crevice corrosion resistance, are highly resistant to chloride stress-corrosion cracking and are about twice as strong as common austenitic steels. Better properties are associated with their microstructures consisting...
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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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A model of damaged media used for describing the process of non-stationary creep and long-term strength of polycrystalline structural alloys
PublicationThe main laws of the processes of creep and long-term strength of polycrystalline structural alloys are considered. From the viewpoint of continuum damaged media (CDM), a mathematical model is developed that describes the processes of viscoplastic deformation and damage accumulation under creep. The problem of determining material parameters and scalar functions of the developed constitutive relations based on the results of specially...
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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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Biological and mechanical properties of bone cement with nanoarticles - in vitro and in vivo research
PublicationDespite antibiotic preventive treatment both before and after implant implementation, the risks of infection are real. These infections develop at the implant surface a few months after inserting them into the body. To prevent the development of bacteria and reduce the risk of infection, implants coated with nanoparticles are used. The Mechanical Department of the Technical University of Gdansk carries out research into using bone...
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Hybrid metal and non-metal activation of Oxone by magnetite nanostructures co-immobilized with nano-carbon black to degrade tetracycline: Fenton and electrochemical enhancement with bio-assay
PublicationElectrochemically synthesized magnetite nanostructures (ESMNPs) as a metal activator and nano-carbon black (NCB) as a non-metal activator were co-immobilized by alginate natural polymer to activate Oxone for the degradation of tetracycline (TC) antibiotic. The formation of sulfate radical was indirectly confirmed during the Oxone/ESMNPs/NCB/alginate process via the addition of scavenging compounds. This study revealed the high...
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Bovine Serum Albumin – Hydroxyapatite Nanoflowers as Potential Local Drug Delivery System of Ciprofloxacin
PublicationIntroduction: Hybrid nanoflowers are structures consisting of organic (enzymes, proteins, nucleic acids) and inorganic components (mostly metal phosphates) with a flower-like hierarchical structure. Novel hybrid nanoflowers based on bovine serum albumin (BSA) and hydroxyapatite (HA) were obtained and characterized. Study on BSA-HA nanoflowers as potential drug delivery system is reported for the first time. Methods: Embedding ciprofloxacin...
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Fabrication methods of smart composite coatings - review
PublicationPostoperative bacterial infections are one of the main reasons for unsuccessful implantation of long-term implants. The development of bacterial infection requires antibiotic therapy, in extreme cases a reimplantation procedure is necessary. In order to provide materials for implants with antibacterial properties, they are subjected to modifications to create a coating that will release the drug substance, when the inflammation...
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Novel Nystatin A1 derivatives exhibiting low host cell toxicity and antifungal activity in an in vitro model of oral candidosis
PublicationOpportunistic oral infections caused by Candida albicans are frequent problems in immunocompromised patients. Management of such infections is limited due to the low number of antifungal drugs available, their relatively high toxicity and the emergence of antifungal resistance. Given these issues, our investigations have focused on novel derivatives of the antifungal antibiotic Nystatin A1, generated by modifications at the amino...
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Discrimination of hospital isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii using repeated sequences and whole genome alignment differential analysis
PublicationAn optimized method for bacterial strain differentiation, based on combination of Repeated Sequences and Whole Genome Alignment Differential Analysis (RS&WGADA), is presented in this report. In this analysis, 51 Acinetobacter baumannii multidrug-resistance strains from one hospital environment and patients from 14 hospital wards were classified on the basis of polymorphisms of repeated sequences located in CRISPR region, variation...
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Chitosan-Based Membranes as Gentamicin Carriers for Biomedical Applications — Influence of Chitosan Molecular Weight
PublicationOver the past decade, much attention has been paid to chitosan as a potential drug carrier because of its non-toxicity, biocompatibility, biodegradability and antibacterial properties. The effect of various chitosan characteristics on its ability to carry different antibiotics is discussed in the literature. In this work, we evaluated the influence of the different molecular weights of this polymer on its potential as an antibacterial...
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Hydroxyl and sulfate radical-based degradation of ciprofloxacin using UV-C and/or Fe2+-catalyzed peroxymonosulfate: Effects of process parameters and toxicity evaluation
PublicationCiprofloxacin (CIP) is a valuable antibiotic and discharged in huge quantities in aquatic environment. Different •OH and SO4•−-based advanced oxidation technologies (AOTs), e.g., Fe2+/PMS, UV-C/PMS, and UV-C/Fe2+/PMS are developed for treatment of CIP. The removal of CIP by Fe2+/PMS, UV-C/PMS and UV-C/Fe2+/PMS was 63, 77, and 87 %, respectively, under identical conditions which showed better performance of UV-C/Fe2+/PMS. The UV-C/Fe2+/PMS...
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The effects of the IM1-12Br ionic liquid and the oxytetracycline mixture on selected marine and brackish microorganisms
PublicationThe number of applications and commercialized processes utilizing ionic liquids has been increasing, and it is anticipated that this trend will persist and even intensify in the future. Ionic liquids possess desirable characteristics, such as low vapor pressure, good water solubility, amphiphilicity, and stability. Nevertheless, these properties can influence their environmental behavior, resulting in resistance to biotic and abiotic...
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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 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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Membrane-SPME the best 'green' sample preparation technique for the gas chromatographic determination polar organic pollutants in polar media
PublicationOne of the most popular technique for sample preparation, which fulfill requirements of green analytical chemistry, is solid phase microextraction (SPME). Because of the undoubted advantages of SPME technique, solvent-free character of the extraction process and the enormous potential in analytical practice, a series of studies has been undertaken to develop new technical solutions, where improving the sensitivity and the extraction...
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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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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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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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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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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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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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Bitumen Aging—Laboratory Simulation Methods Used in Practice and Selected Directions of Research on New Methods
PublicationChanges in the properties of bitumen binders that occur as a result of aging have a huge impact on the durability of products produced from them. In particular, asphalt pavements, which constitute the most common use of petroleum bitumen, are susceptible to damage resulting from the increasing stiffness of the bitumen during its life cycle. Increased stiffness of asphalt pavements reduces the pavement resistance to low-temperature...
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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...