Search results for: biological materials
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Study of the anticancer potential of Cd complexes of selenazoyl-hydrazones and their sulfur isosters
PublicationThe biological activity of Cd compounds has been investigated scarce since Cd has been recognized as a human carcinogen. However, the toxicity of cadmium is comparable to the toxicity of noble metals such as Pt and Pd. The paradigm of metal toxicity has been challenged suggesting that metal toxicity is not a constant property, yet it depends on many factors like the presence of appropriate ligands. Studies on anticancer activity...
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Bioavailability of Tannins and Other Oligomeric Polyphenols: a Still to Be Studied Phenomenon
PublicationPurpose of Review Polyphenols are a group of plant secondary metabolites characterized with the presence ofmultiples of phenol structural units. Tannins are plant originated phenolic substances, which play an important role in plant defense system as well as have found applications in medicine, industry, and other fields of human activity. Despite these, the mechanisms of bioavailability of these substances are poorly studied and...
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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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An overview of the strategies for the deammonification process start-up and recovery after accidental operational failures
PublicationThe deammonification process has been universally acknowledged as an energy-efficient technology for sewage disposal. In contrast with traditional biological nitrogen removal technology, the deammonification process is able to remove ammonia from wastewater with the simplest nitrogen removal process because of its advantages of lower operating expenses, no organic carbon consumption, lower biomass production, lower carbon dioxide...
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Structure, Physicochemical and Biological Properties of an Aqua (2,2′,2′′-Nitrilotriacetato)-oxidovanadium(IV) Salt with 4-Methylpyridinium Cation
PublicationThe crystal structure of a nitrilotriacetate (nta) oxidovanadi-um(IV) salt with 4-methylpyridinium cation, [4-Me(Py)H]+, of [4-Me(Py)H][VO(nta)(H2O)] stoichiometry was determined. The com-plex comprises a discrete mononuclear [VO(nta)(H2O)]–coordinationentity that can be rarely found among other known compounds con-taining nitrilotriacetate oxidovanadium(IV) moieties. The complex wascharacterized by spectroscopic (IR and EPR) methods,...
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Reliability and efficiency of pollution removal during long-term operation of a one-stage constructed wetland system with horizontal flow
PublicationThe paper presents the results of a study of the reliability and efficiency of pollutant removal during long term operation of a one-stage constructed wetland system with horizontal flow. The flow rate of the wastewater treatment plant was 1.2 m3·d-1 during the research period. Physical and chemical analyses of raw wastewater and treated effluent were carried out in the years 1997–2010 (14 years). During this study period, 56 series...
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Structure of Microemulsion Formulated with Monoacylglycerols in the Presence of Polyols and Ethanol
PublicationThe influence of polyols as cosurfactants (propylene glycol PG; glycerol G) and short chain alcohol as a cosolvent (ethanol EtOH) on the formation and solubilization capacity of the systems: hexadecane/monoacylglycerols (MAG)/polyol/water:EtOH, at 60C, was investigated. Electrical conductivity measurement, and the DSC method were applied to determine the structure and type of microemulsions formed. The dimension of the droplets...
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Dissolved and colloidal organic nitrogen removal from WWTP effluents and reject waters using physical-chemical processes
PublicationFour physical-chemical processes were compared in terms of the efficiencies of dissolved and colloidal organic nitrogen (DON and CON) removal from the secondary effluents (SE) and reject water from full-scale biological nutrient removal activated sludge systems. Adsorption on activated carbon was most efficient and allowed to remove from the SE up to 80% and 100% of DON and CON, respectively. High efficiencies of DON removal from...
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Influence of dissolved organic nitrogen on surface waters
PublicationThe aim of this study was to determine the susceptibility of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) contained in biologically treated wastewater disposed from municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to biodegradability and bioavailability in a water environment. Additionally an evaluation was performed of the participation of this organic nitrogen fraction, including bioavailable DON (bDON), in the nitrogen balance for the Baltic...
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Crystallographic study of self-organization in the solid state including quasi-aromatic pseudo-ring stacking interactions in 1-benzoyl-3-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)thiourea and 1-benzoyl-3-(2-hydroxypropyl)thiourea
Publication1-Benzoylthioureas contain both carbonyl and thiocarbonyl functional groups and are of interest for their biological activity, metal coordination ability and involvement in hydrogen-bond formation. Two novel 1-benzoylthiourea derivatives, namely 1-benzoyl-3-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)thiourea, C₁₆H₁₆N₂O₃S, (I), and 1-benzoyl-3-(2-hydroxypropyl)thiourea, C₁₁H₁₄N₂O₂S, (II), have been synthesized and characterized. Compound (I) crystallizes...
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Reliability of nitrogen removal processes in multistage treatment wetlands receiving high-strength wastewater
Publicationreatment wetlands have been proved to be more effective than conventional treatment processes in case of high-strength wastewater containing high concentrations of ammonium nitrogen and recalcitrant organic matter. In this study nitrogen removal processes and reliability of nitrogen removal at two identical pilot-scale multistage treatment wetlands (MTWs) receiving real, non-synthetic wastewater were discussed. The wastewater discharged...
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Noise in biological Raman spectroscopy
PublicationRaman spectroscopy is a widely used method to investigate chemical molecules by analyzing their vibrational transitions. It utilizes inelastic scattering of the laser light irradiating the investigated object. The scattered light requires appropriate filtering to reduce dominant laser light and expose much weaker components having shifted wavelengths of a characteristic spectral pattern. These components are measured by dispersing...
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The influence of selenium addition during seeds' germination on the biological properties of obtained sprouts
PublicationSelenium plays a vital role in human body, because in the form of aminoacids (Se-methionine, Se-cysteine) it is found in the active centres of over 25 enzymes, including those regarded as 'cytoprotective'. Unfortunatelly, its daily intake in Poland and other European countries is lower than predicted by dietary recommendations. The consequences of selenium deficiency in diet might be severe, including higher susceptibility to cardio-vascular...
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Impact of aeration conditions on the removal of low concentrations of nitrogen in a tertiary partially aerated biological filter
PublicationA submerged biological aerated filter (BAF) partially aerated was used to study the removal of low concentrations of ammonia nitrogen (0.3 g N/m3 to 30.5 g N/m3) typically found in nutrient enriched river and lake waters, and treated effluents. Four series of experiments were performed with a synthetic wastewater at ammonia loading rates between 6 g N/m3 d and 903 g N/m3 d and C/N ratios from 2 to 20. The results showed that ammonia...
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Analytical applications of smartphones for agricultural soil analysis
PublicationSoil is one of the most important farming resources. Appropriate managing of its quality promotes productive and sustainable agriculture. The valuable farm practice in soil quality managing is based on regular soil analysis with the aim to determine the exact amount of nutrients or other chemical, physical and biological soil properties. Soil analysis usually requires samples collection at desired sampling depth following by samples...
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In vitro enzyme kinetics and NMR-based product elucidation for glutathione S-conjugation of the anticancer unsymmetrical bisacridine C-2028 in liver microsomes and cytosol: major role of glutathione S-transferase M1-1 isoenzyme
PublicationThis work is the next step in studying the interplay between C-2028 (anticancer-active unsymmetrical bisacridine developed in our group) and the glutathione S-transferase/glutathione (GST/GSH) system. Here, we analyzed the concentration- and pH-dependent GSH conjugation of C-2028 in rat liver microsomes and cytosol. We also applied three recombinant human GST isoenzymes, which altered expression was found in various tumors. The...
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Postbiotics in oncology: science or science fiction?
PublicationThe gut microbiome has been increasingly understood to play a critical role in carcinogenesis and cancer disease progression. The most recent research advancements have shown that different tools of microbiota manipulation contribute to gut microbiome–immune–oncology axis modulation, offering exciting opportunities for targeted interventions aimed at improving the efficacy of established anti-cancer therapy. Postbiotics are a new...
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Comparative Analysis of Phytochemical Profiles and Selected Biological Activities of Various Morphological Parts of Ligustrum vulgare
PublicationLigustrum vulgare (LV), widely cultivated in Europe and often used in hedges, has been histori-cally recognized in folk medicine for its potential health benefits. This study focused on exploring the untargeted identification of secondary metabolites in ethanol extracts (70% v/v) from differ-ent morphological parts (young shoots, leaves, flowers and fruits) of LV at various stages of plant development, using ultra-high-performance...
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Comprehensive Evaluation of the Biological Properties of Surface-Modified Titanium Alloy Implants
PublicationAn increasing interest in the fabrication of implants made of titanium and its alloys results from their capacity to be integrated into the bone system. This integration is facilitated by different modifications of the implant surface. Here, we assessed the bioactivity of amorphous titania nanoporous and nanotubular coatings (TNTs), produced by electrochemical oxidation of Ti6Al4V orthopedic implants’ surface. The chemical composition...
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Using On-line Measurement by Electronic Nose and Computer Simulations for Real-time Control at WWTP
PublicationContinuous investigation of wastewater quality can be carried out by a device called an e-nose. One important feature of the proposed real-time control system for WWTP is that using on-line measurements by e-nose together (Figure 1) with technological sets picked on this basis by means of computer models, it is possible to change treatment process parameters, depending on the current quality of wastewater. It can be used for the...
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Prophylaxis of Non-communicable Diseases: Why Fruits and Vegetables may be Better Chemopreventive Agents than Dietary Supplements Based on Isolated Phytochemicals?
PublicationThe World Health Organization (WHO) report from 2014 documented that non-communicable socalled civilization diseases such as cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory diseases, cancer or type 2 diabetes are responsible for over 50% of all premature deaths in the world. Research carried out over the past 20 years has provided data suggesting that diet is an essential factor influencing the risk of development of these diseases....
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Possibilities of Leachate Co-Treatment Originating from Biogas Production in the Deammonification Process
PublicationIn the methane fermentation process, sewage sludge is the single substrate or serves as a co-substrate with the addition of various waste products. After the treatment stable digestate is obtained, which consists of two phases solid and liquid. Liquid phase, called as a leachate, due to the high content of nutrients must be treated before they are discharged into the final receiver. Physical and chemical methods of leachate treatment...
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Advanced Supervisory Control System Implemented at Full-Scale WWTP—A Case Study of Optimization and Energy Balance Improvement
PublicationIn modern and cost-eective Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs), processes such as aeration, chemical feeds and sludge pumping are usually controlled by an operating system integrated with online sensors. The proper verification of these data-driven measurements and the control of different unit operations at the same time has a strong influence on better understanding and accurately optimizing the biochemical processes at WWTP—especially...
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The Substantial Improvement of Amphotericin B Selective Toxicity Upon Modification of Mycosamine with Bulky Substituents
PublicationAbstract: Background: It is assumed that the unfavorable selective toxicity of an antifungal drug Amphotericin B (AmB) can be improved upon chemical modification of the antibiotic molecule. Objective: The aim of this study was verification of the hypothesis that introduction of bulky substituents at the amino sugar moiety of the antibiotic may result in diminishment of mammalian vitro toxicity of thus prepared AmB derivatives. Methods:...
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The Use of Organic Coagulants in the Primary Precipitation Process at Wastewater Treatment Plants
PublicationMeasurements for determining the effect of chemically enhanced primary treatment (CEPT) on the efficiency of pollutant removal from wastewater were carried out using conventional inorganic coagulants PIX113 with polymer A110 (Kemipol, Police, Poland) and unconventional cationic organic coagulants Cofloc (Attana, Coalville, UK) C29510 (Kemipol, Police, Poland) and Sedifloc 575 (3F Chimica, Sandrigo, Italy). The average removal efficiency...
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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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Modeling nutrient removal and energy consumption in an advanced activated sludge system under uncertainty
PublicationActivated sludge models are widely used to simulate, optimize and control performance of wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). For simulation of nutrient removal and energy consumption, kinetic parameters would need to be estimated, which requires an extensive measurement campaign. In this study, a novel methodology is proposed for modeling the performance and energy consumption of a biological nutrient removal activated sludge system...
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Convolutional Neural Networks for C. Elegans Muscle Age Classification Using Only Self-Learned Features
PublicationNematodes Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) have been used as model organisms in a wide variety of biological studies, especially those intended to obtain a better understanding of aging and age-associated diseases. This paper focuses on automating the analysis of C. elegans imagery to classify the muscle age of nematodes based on the known and well established IICBU dataset. Unlike many modern classification methods, the proposed...
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Impedimetric sensing of α-amino acids driven by micro-patterned 1,8-Diazafluoren-9-one into titania- boron- doped maze-like nanocarbons
PublicationThe development of impedimetric, non-faradaic label-free sensors for the detection of α-amino acids constitutes a trailblazing technology for the fast and inexpensive quantification of such biomarkers. Since α-amino acids, such as glycine and sarcosine, are basic constituents in biological processes, a variation in their concentration may be an indicator of cardiovascular diseases and metabolic disorders or neurological conditions....
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Hybrid systems using hydrodynamic cavitation/ultrasound/Fenton processes for effective treatment of wastewater
PublicationThe present situation of rapid growth in industrialization generates complex recalcitrant pollutants that are challenging to degrade by conventional wastewater treatment processes. The new generation pollutants such as non-metals in cosmetics or household cleaning chemicals and radioactive compounds which are recalcitrant are the emerging threat to the ecosystem. The headstrong micro and macro pollutants present in wastewater are...
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An overview of the cognitive and biological effects of city nighttime illumination including a London case study
PublicationCurrent scientific research demonstrates how critical the effects of city nighttime illumination are upon cognitive and biological health1 – which needs to be adequately acknowledged, understood and addressed by conscious cities and the plans they develop. Until recent decades, the design of nighttime lighting was determined mostly by electrical engineers who often applied technical standards to meet the requirements of vehicle-focused...
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Strategies for mitigating nitrous oxide production and decreasing the carbon footprint of a full-scale combined nitrogen and phosphorus removal activated sludge system
PublicationNitrous oxide (N2O) emitted from biological nutrient removal activated sludge systems contributes significantly to the total carbon footprint of modern wastewater treatment plants. In the present study, N2O production and emissions were experimentally determined in a large-scale plant (220,000 PE) employing combined nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) removal. As a modelling tool, the Activated Sludge Model 2d (ASM2d) was extended...
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Integrated plant-wide modelling for evaluation of the energy balance and greenhouse gas footprint in large wastewater treatment plants
PublicationModern wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) should maintain a balance between three combined sustainability criteria, including effluent quality, energy performance and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. All of these criteria were considered in the integrated plant-wide model developed in this study. The proposed model incorporates new features, including: (i) the addition of associated facilities to the overall energy balance and...
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Quantum Dots as a Good Carriers of Unsymmetrical Bisacridines for Modulating Cellular Uptake and the Biological Response in Lung and Colon Cancer Cells
PublicationNanotechnology-based drug delivery provides a promising area for improving the efficacy of cancer treatments. Therefore, we investigate the potential of using quantum dots (QDs) as drug carriers for antitumor unsymmetrical bisacridine derivatives (UAs) to cancer cells. We examine the influence of QD–UA hybrids on the cellular uptake, internalization (Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope), and the biological response (flow cytometry...
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Incorporation of the complete ammonia oxidation (comammox) process for modeling nitrification in suspended growth wastewater treatment systems
PublicationThe newly discovered process complete ammonia oxidation (comammox) has changed the traditional under-standing of nitrification. In this study, three possible concepts of comammox were developed and incorporated as part of an extended two-step nitrification model. For model calibration and validation, two series of long-term biomass washout experiments were carried out at 12 ◦C and 20 ◦C in a laboratory sequencing batch reactor....
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Synthesis, Chemical Characterization and Multiscale Biological Evaluation of a dimericcRGD Peptide for Targeted Imaging of αVβ3 Integrin Activity
PublicationCyclic peptides containing the Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) sequence have been shown to specifically bind the angiogenesis biomarker α V β3 integrin. We report the synthesis, chemical characterization, and biological evaluation of two novel dimeric cyclic RGD-based molecular probes for the targeted imaging of α V β3 activity (a radiolabeled version, 64Cu-NOTA-PEG4-cRGD2, for PET imaging, and a fluorescent version, FITC-PEG4-cRGD2, for in...
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Bioreactor shoot cultures of Rhododendron tomentosum (Ledum palustre) for a large-scale production of bioactive volatile compounds
PublicationRhododendron tomentosum Harmaja (Ledum palustre), a peat bog plant from Ericaceae family, has been used in traditional medicine as the anti-arthritis agent. Although modern researches confirm its anti-inflammatory properties, it remains threatened by habitat degradation and possibilities to collect this endangered species from its natural environment for further biological activity studies are limited. Therefore, R. tomentosum...
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Validated HPTLC method for determination of ledol and alloaromadendrene in the essential oil fractions of Rhododendron tomentosum plants and in vitro cultures and bioautography for their activity screening
PublicationRhododendron tomentosum (Ledum palustre) is a bog shrub used in traditional medicine for treatment of respiratory and rheumatic diseases. Due to the large variability of the chemical composition of its essential oil, depending on the habitat, the in vitro cultures were established as the alternative source of the volatile fraction. There is a need to monitor a quality of the field grown as well as in vitro plant material, especially...
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Phototransformation of Amlodipine: Degradation Kinetics and Identification of Its Photoproducts
PublicationNowadays, monitoring focuses on the primary compounds and does not include degradation products formed during various biological and chemical processes. Transformation products may have the same effects to human health and the environment or sometimes they can be more toxic than the parent compound. Unfortunately, knowledge about the formation of degradation products is still limited, however, can be very important for the environmental...
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Assessment of toxic and endocrine potential of substances migrating from selected toys and baby products
PublicationAnalysis of literature data shows that there is limited information about the harmful biological effects of mixture of compounds from the EDC group that are released from the surface of toys and objects intended for children and infants. One of the tools that can be used to obtain such information is appropriate bioanalytical tests. The aim of this research involved determining whether tests that use living organisms as an active...
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Study on a polish peat bog “Rucianka” as a source of yeast strains capable of effective phenol biodegradation
PublicationPhenol is one of the most widely distributed environmental pollutants which can be found in wastewaters and industrial effluents. Due to its toxicity and resistance to self-degradation, it could become even lethal for humans and animals. The treatment of this toxic compound is focused on psychical–chemical methods, although biological treatment of phenol is preferable for economic aspects related to relatively...
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Mercury in suspended matter of the Gulf of Gdańsk: Origin, distribution and transport at the land–sea interface
PublicationThe coastal regions of inland seas are particularly vulnerable to Hg pollution. An important carrier of toxic Hg in the marine environment is suspended matter originating from multiple sources. The present study was conducted in the Gulf...
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Hydration of aprotic donor solvents studied by means of FTIR spectroscopy
PublicationThe paper attempts to explain the mutual influence of nonpolar and electron-donor groups on solute hydration,the problem of big importance for biological aqueous systems. Aprotic organic solvents have been used asmodel solutes, differing in electron-donating power. Hydration of acetonitrile, acetone, 2-butanone, andtriethylamine has been studied by HDO and (partially) H2O spectra. The quantitative version of...
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Characteristics and fate of organic nitrogen in municipal biological nutrient removal wastewater treatment plants
PublicationThe aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence and fate of colloidal and dissolved organic nitrogen (CON and DON) across biological nutrient removal (BNR) activated sludge bioreactors. Primary and secondary effluent total nitrogen (TN) measurements and component fractionation, CON and DON concentration profiles across BNR bioreactors, and laboratory batch experiments with the process mixed liquor were carried out at several...
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Seasonal variability and morphological structure of bacteria in the Admiralty Bay (King George Island, Antarctic).
PublicationIntroduction: The aim of investigations was to state whether melting glaciers cause mass mortality of the sea stenohalyne organisms, what in consequence can lead to an increase of accumulation and growth of psychrophilic bacteria. It may be also that fresh melting water is unfavourable to the sea bacteria and front glacier's regions are not the areas of their intensive development. Methods: Field investigations were done in Admiralty...
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Removal of indicator bacteria from treated wastewater using physical and chemical methods. Pilot plant study.
PublicationEven after highly efficient biological processes the effluents from wastewater treatment plants may contain significant number of fecal bacteria, from 104 to 106 CFU/100 mL. Since no standards are set on the bacteriological quality of treated wastewater in Poland the elimination of bacterial contaminants is not a priority in wastewater treatment policy. Thus microbiological hazards become particularly significant in the situation...
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Modeling organic nitrogen conversions in activated sludge bioreactors
PublicationFor biological nutrient removal (BNR) systems designed to maximize nitrogen removal, the effluent total nitrogen (TN) concentration may range from 2.0 to 4.0 g N/m3 with about 25-50% in the form of organic nitrogen (ON). In this study, current approaches to modeling organic N conversions (separate processes vs. constant contents of organic fractions) were compared. A new conceptual model of ON conversions was developed and combined...
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Enhancing rheological muscle models with stochastic processes
PublicationPurpose: Biological musculoskeletal systems operate under variable conditions. Muscle stiffness, activation signals, and loads change during each movement. The presence of noise and different harmonic components in force production significantly influences the behaviour of the muscular system. Therefore, it is essential to consider these factors in numerical simulations. Methods: This study aims to develop a rheological mathematical...
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Hydrophobic (deep) eutectic solvents (HDESs) as extractants for removal of pollutants from water and wastewater – A review
PublicationDeep eutectic solvents (DESs) are a new generation of solvents that attracted increasing attention in diverse applications. In last years, growing number of studies on hydrophobic (deep) eutectic solvents (HDESs) as an alternative extractants for various chemicals from aqueous environments have been reported. This article provides an overview on the usage of HDESs in liquid–liquid extraction (LLE) of different pollutants from water...
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Evaluation of adhesion strength, corrosion, and biological properties of the MWCNT/TiO2 coating intended for medical applications
PublicationMulti-wall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) coatings are gaining increasing interest because of their special properties used in many science fields. The titania coatings are known for their improvement of osteoblast adhesion, thus changing the surface architecture. Bi-layer coatings comprising 0.25 wt% of the MWCNTs and 0.30 wt% of titania (anatase structure) were synthesized in a two-stage procedure using the electrophoretic deposition...