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Search results for: MICROBIAL PHYLOGENETICS
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Structure and the Biochemical Potential of the Bacterial Community in Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluent and in Receiving Waters: Northern Poland Case Study
PublicationWastewater treatment processes are monitored mainly in terms of biogenic substance removal efficiency. Little is known about the treated wastewater microbiome and its influence on the recipient. In this study, a wide range of methods (cultivation, microscopic analysis, New Generation Sequencing and Real Time PCR) were employed to determine the bacterial community composition of the treated wastewater and its receiver. Preliminary...
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Synthesis and antimicrobial activity of 6-sulfo-6-deoxy-D-glucosamine and its derivatives
Publication6-Sulfo-6-deoxy-D-glucosamine (GlcN6S), 6-sulfo-6-deoxy-D-glucosaminitol (ADGS) and their N-acetyl and methyl ester derivatives have been synthesized and tested as inhibitors of enzymes catalyzing reactions of the UDP-GlcNAc pathway in bacteria and yeasts. GlcN6S and ADGS at micromolar concentrations inhibited glucosamine-6-phosphate (GlcN6P) synthase of microbial origin. The former was also inhibitory towards fungal GlcN6P N-acetyl...
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Polypropylene structure alterations after 5 years of natural degradation in a waste landfill
PublicationUp to 25% of plastic waste in Europe is still disposed of in landfills, despite recycling efforts. The plastic waste in the landfill plot may be exposed both to abiotic and biotic degradation processes, although it is thought that most of the plastic materials tend to be resistant to biodegradation or biodeterioration even after a long time. To verify if polypropylene (PP) can undergo the process of short-term biodegradation and...
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Literature update of analytical methods for biogenic amines determination in food and beverages
PublicationBiogenic amines (BAs) have been reported in a variety of foods, such as fish, meat, cheese, and wines. The formation of BAs in food by the microbial decarboxylation of amino acids can result in human allergic reactions, characterized by difficulty in breathing, rash, vomiting, and hypertension. Control measures to prevent biogenic amine formation in foods and/or reduce their levels should be considered. Therefore, monitoring of...
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Influence of nitrogen and organic matter fractions on wastewater treatment in treatment wetland
PublicationMunicipal wastewater contains both biodegradable and non-degradable pollutants. Moreover, they are present in dissolved, colloidal and particulate forms. These fractions are characterised by various decomposition rates, hence their bioavailability during microbial respiration. It was confirm that biological degradation rate in terms of COD reduction is influenced by particle size speciation. Therefore, the objective of the study...
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Inhibitors of glucosamine-6-phosphate synthase as potential antimicrobials or antidiabetics – synthesis and properties
PublicationGlucosamine-6-phosphate synthase (GlcN-6-P synthase) is known as a promising target for antimicrobial agents and antidiabetics. Several compounds of natural or synthetic origin have been identified as inhibitors of this enzyme. This set comprises highly selective L-glutamine, amino sugar phosphate or transition state intermediate cis-enolamine analogues. Relatively low antimicrobial activity of these inhibitors, poorly penetrating...
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The Occurrence and Role of Tetrasphaera in Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal Systems
PublicationThe application of enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) has commonly been utilized worldwide. However, the optimum efficiency has not been realized over the past decades, prompting many studies and publications. The limitations, especially comprehension of the abundance and actual potential of polyphosphate-accumulating organisms (PAOs), are not fully understood. Recently identified...
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The occurrence and role of Nitrospira in nitrogen removal systems
PublicationApplication of the modern microbial techniques changed the paradigm about the microorganisms performing nitrification. Numerous investigations recognized representatives of the genus Nitrospira as a key and predominant nitrite-oxidizing bacteria in biological nutrient removal systems, especially under low dissolved oxygen and substrate conditions. The recent discovery of Nitrospira capable of performing complete ammonia oxidation...
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abiotic degradation of chlorinated ethanes and ethenes in water
PublicationIntroduction Chlorinated ethanes and ethenes are among themost frequently detected organic pollutants of water. Theirphysicochemical properties are such that they can contaminateaquifers for decades. In favourable conditions, they canundergo degradation. In anaerobic conditions, chlorinatedsolvents can undergo reductive dechlorination.Degradation pathways Abiotic dechlorination is usuallyslower than microbial but abiotic dechlorination...
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Defining a novel domain that provides an essential contribution to site-specific interaction of Rep protein with DNA
PublicationAn essential feature of replication initiation proteins is their ability to bind to DNA. In this work, we describe a new domain that contributes to a replication initiator sequence-specific interaction with DNA. Applying biochemical assays and structure prediction methods coupled with DNA–protein crosslinking, mass spectrometry, and construction and analysis of mutant proteins, we identified that the replication initiator of the...
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Rapid Evaluation of Poultry Meat Shelf Life Using PTR-MS
PublicationThe use of proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) for freshness classification of chicken and turkey meat samples was investigated. A number of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were selected based on the correlation (> 95%) of their concentration during storage at 4 °C over a period of 5 days with the results of the microbial analysis. In order to verify if the selected compounds are not sample-specific, a number...
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Hyperbaric Storage at Subzero Temperature – the Effect on the Shelf-Life and Selected Quality Characteristics of Raw Pork Sausages
PublicationThe aim of this study was to determine the microbiological stability and changes occurring in selected physicochemical properties of raw pork sausages during hyperbaric storage at subzero temperature (HS-ST). It was shown that storage at moderate pressures (up to 111 MPa) led to a reduction in microbial populations. After 21 days of storage under these conditions, no microorganisms were detected in the samples. Additionally, the...
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Identification and molecular modeling of a novel lipase from an Antarctic soil metagenomic library.
PublicationIn this work, we present the construction of a metagenomic library in Escherichia coli using pUC19 vector and environmental DNA directly isolated from Antarctic topsoil and screened for lipolytic enzymes. The screening on agar supplemented with olive oil and rhodamine B revealed one clone with lipolytic activity (Lip1) out of 11,000 E. coli clones. This clone harbored a plasmid, pLip1, which has an insert of 4722 bp that has been...
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Development of Strategies for AOB and NOB Competition Supported by Mathematical Modeling in Terms of Successful Deammonification Implementation for Energy-Efficient WWTPs
PublicationNovel technologies such as partial nitritation (PN) and partial denitritation (PDN) could be combined with the anammox-based process in order to alleviate energy input. The former combination, also noted as deammonification, has been intensively studied in a frame of lab and full-scale wastewater treatment in order to optimize operational costs and process efficiency. For the deammonification process, key functional microbes include...
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Photoinactivation of Staphylococcus aureus using protoporphyrin IX: the role of haem-regulated transporter HrtA
PublicationLight- and photosensitiser-based antimicrobial photodynamic therapy is a very promising approach to the control of microbial infections. How the phenotypic features of a microorganism affect its response to photosensitiser-based photokilling represents an area of substantial research interest. To understand the mechanisms governing the phenomenon of a strain-dependent response to photodynamic inactivation (PDI), we analysed the...
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The influence of sterilization with EnbioJet Microwave Flow Pasteurizer on composition and bioactivity of aronia and blue-berried honeysuckle juices
PublicationIn this study, fruit juices that are rich sources of anthocyanins, obtained from aronia (Am. chokeberry, Aronia melanocarpa) and blueberry honeysuckle (Lonicera caerulea L. var. edulis) were used to examine the preservation of plant phytochemicals and bioactivity upon sterilization -either thermal, or with an EnbioJet microwave flow pasteurizer. The chemical properties verified included determinations of anthocyanins and other...
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Mutagenic and Carcinogenic Compounds in Food
PublicationFood is a major environmental human cancer risk factor. One of the reasons for this is that food products contain substances that exhibit mutagenic and carcinogenic potential which may induce the transformation of normal somatic cells into cancerous cells. These compounds occur in food as a result of microbial contaminations (mycotoxins produced by molds), are generated from natural food components upon processing (e.g. heterocyclic...
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Effects of Xanthan Gum Biopolymer on the Permeability, Odometer, Unconfined Compressive and Triaxial Shear Behavior of a Sand
PublicationBiopolymers, which are microbially induced polymers, can be used as an alternative material to improve engineering performance of soils. In this paper, a laboratory study of 0.075-1.0 mm size sand and biopolymer (i.e., xanthan gum) mixtures with various mix ratios (0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, and 1.5%) was performed. The materials, specimen preparation, and test methods are described, as are the results of a suite of permeability, odometer, unconfined...
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Biological Activity of Tea-Chokeberry and Chokeberry Fermented Beverages
PublicationFermented beverages, such as kombucha are gaining more and more popularity due to their beneficial effects on human health. These products are obtained by the fermentation of tea infusion using so called tea fungus. This microbial consortium can also be used to prepare fermented fruit beverages. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the changes in the antioxidant profile of tea-chokeberry and chokeberry beverages...
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Real-Time PCR: molecular technique of many applications
PublicationReal-Time PCR is a sensitive DNA amplification technique initially applied in genetics and molecular biology. It enables in vivo copying of the selected DNA fragment (flanked by two primers) by the thermostable polymerase (in the presence of magnesium ions and deoxynucleotide triphosphates) and simultaneous measurement of the fluorescence. For one or more specific sequences in a DNA sample, real-time PCR enables both detection...
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The use of a one-step PCR method for the identification of Microsporum canis and Trichophyton mentagrophytes infection of pets
PublicationIntroduction: Dermatophytes are a closely related group of keratinophilic fungi. They encompass important etiological agents of superficial fungal infections. These fungi are able to invade keratinized tissues of humans and animals, causing dermatophytosis (ringworm) of hair, nails or skin. The aim: Traditional diagnostics of ringworm is based on morphological identification of cultured fungi and is time-consuming. Materials and methods:...
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Nitrofurazone Removal from Water Enhanced by Coupling Photocatalysis and Biodegradation
Publication(1) Background: Environmental contamination with antibiotics is particularly serious because the usual methods used in wastewater treatment plants turn out to be insufficient or ineffective. An interesting idea is to support natural biodegradation processes with physicochemical methods as well as with bioaugmentation with efficient microbial degraders. Hence, the aim of our study is evaluation of the effectiveness of different...
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Evaluating the antibacterial activity of muramyl dipeptide derivatives, retro-tuftsin derivatives, and anthraquinone oligopeptides against a range of pathogenic bacteria
PublicationSearch for new and efficient antibiotic is crucial because of microbial drug resistance and problems with side effects of the administered medication. In this study, we evaluate the in vitro microbiological activity of muramyl dipeptide derivatives, retro-tuftsin derivatives (i.e., tuftsin with reversed amino acid sequences), and combinations of retro-tuftsin derivatives with substituted anthraquinones. The potency of the investigated...
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AI-Driven Sustainability in Agriculture and Farming
PublicationIn this chapter, we discuss the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in promoting sustainable agriculture and farming. Three main themes run through the chapter. First, we review the state of the art of smart farming and explore the transformative impact of AI on modern agricultural practices, focusing on its contribution to sustainability. With this in mind, our analysis focuses on topics such as data collection and storage, AI...
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Biological processes modelling for MBR systems: A review of the state-of-the-art focusing on SMP and EPS
PublicationA mathematical correlation between biomass kinetic and membrane fouling can improve the understanding and spread of Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) technology, especially in solving the membrane fouling issues. On this behalf, this paper, produced by the International Water Association (IWA) Task Group on Membrane modelling and control, reviews the current state-of-the-art regarding the modelling of kinetic processes of biomass, focusing on...
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Xanthone synthetic derivatives with high anticandidal activity and positive mycostatic selectivity index values
PublicationWith the current massive increases in drug-resistant microbial infection as well as the significant role of fungal infections in the death toll of COVID-19, discovering new antifungals is extremely important. Natural and synthetic xanthones are promising derivatives, although only few reports have demonstrated their antifungal mechanism of action in detail. Newly synthetized by us xanthone derivative 44 exhibited strong antifungal...
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Untargeted Lipidomics Analysis of the Cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803: Lipid Composition Variation in Response to Alternative Cultivation Setups and to Gene Deletion
PublicationCyanobacteria play an important role in several ecological environments, and they are widely accepted to be the ancestors of chloroplasts in modern plants and green algae. Cyanobacteria have become attractive models for metabolic engineering, with the goal of exploring them as microbial cell factories. However, the study of cyanobacterial lipids’ composition and variation, and the assessment of the lipids’ functional and structural...
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Origin and fate of nanoparticles in marine water – Preliminary results
PublicationThe number, morphology and elemental composition of nanoparticles (<100 nm) in marine water was investigated using Variable Pressure Scanning Electron Microscopy (VP-SEM) and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Preliminary research conducted in the Baltic Sea showed that the number of nanoparticles in seawater varied from undetectable to 380 (x102) cm-3. Wind mixing and density barriers (thermocline) had a significant impact...
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Recent advances on the removal of phosphorus in aquatic plant-based systems
PublicationPhosphorus (P) is a vital nutrient for the ecosystems and its excess in wastewater streams leads to some environmental issues such as extensive algae growth (eutrophication). Phytoremediation is a green technology that is based on the combined actions of plants and their associated microbial groups to remove and transfer the toxic compounds in surface water, groundwater and soil. Aquatic plants are widely used for the remediation...
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The Many Faces of Enterococcus spp.—Commensal, Probiotic and Opportunistic Pathogen
PublicationEnterococcus spp. are Gram-positive, facultative, anaerobic cocci, which are found in the intestinal flora and, less frequently, in the vagina or mouth. Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium are the most common species found in humans. As commensals, enterococci colonize the digestive system and participate in the modulation of the immune system in humans and animals. For many years reference enterococcal strains have...
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Development of a simple biogas analyzer module (BAM) for real-time biogas production monitoring
PublicationAnaerobic digestion (AD) relies on the cooperation of specific microbial communities, making it susceptible to process disruptions that could impact biogas production. In this regard, this study presents a technological solution based on the Arduino platform, in the form of a simple online monitoring system that can track the produced biogas profile, named as biogas analyzer module (BAM). The applicability of the BAM focused on...
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Characterisation of Escherichia coli isolates from the blood of haematological adult patients with bacteraemia: translocation from gut to blood requires the cooperation of multiple virulence factors
PublicationThe aim of the study was to investigate whether there are unique pathotypes of Escherichia coli capable of transmission from the gastrointestinal tract to the vascular bed. The study included E. coli strains isolated from clinical materials collected from 115 patients suffering from haematologic malignancies diagnosed with bacteraemia. The genotyping techniques established that 89 E. coli isolates from the blood had the same genotype...
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Whole-genome sequencing and antimicrobial potential of bacteria isolated from Polish honey
PublicationThe aim of this study was the whole-genome analysis and assessment of the antimicrobial potential of bacterial isolates from honey harvested in one geographical location—the north of Poland. In total, 132 strains were derived from three honey samples, and the antimicrobial activity of CFAM (cell-free after-culture medium) was used as a criterion for strain selection and detailed genomic investigation. Two of the tested isolates...
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Analysis of the impact of wastewater discharge on recipients: synergistic approach
PublicationThe dissertation presents the analysis of chemical and microbial composition of wastewater and examines the impact of wastewater discharge on the environment. Various case studies were analysed: from small settlements in a pristine European Arctic, to large municipal wastewater treatment plants in areas subjected to greater anthropogenic pressure. In order to comprehensively analyse the impact of wastewater discharge on the receiving...
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Effective assessment of biopolymer-based multifunctional sorbents for the remediation of environmentally hazardous contaminants from aqueous solutions
PublicationPersistent contaminants in wastewater effluent pose a significant threat to aquatic life and are one of the most significant environmental concerns of our time. Although there are a variety of traditional methods available in wastewater treatment, including adsorption, coagulation, flocculation, ion exchange, membrane filtration, co-precipitation and solvent extraction, none of these have been found to be significantly cost-effective...
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Evaluation of Partial Nitritation/Anammox (PN/A) Process Performance and Microorganisms Community Composition under Different C/N Ratio
PublicationA one-stage partial nitritation/anammox (PN/A) process with intermittent aeration is possible under sidestream conditions, but implementation in a mainstream is a challenge due to increased Carbon/Nitrogen (C/N) ratios in domestic wastewater. This study investigated the effect of C/N ratios on process efficiency and the effect of narrowing non-aeration time on process improvement at high chemical oxygen demand (COD) load. An increase...
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Raman investigation of the patina layers on Hungarian copper ingots from a fifteenth century shipwreck
PublicationWe report results of the patina study of underwater archeological finding ofmedieval copper objects performed by means of the Raman and complementary spectroscopic techniques. The objects were found submerged in the sea as cargo part of the ship which sunk in the Gulf of Gdańsk in 1408. The excavated collection consists of 230 oval ingots of the size and mass up to about 60 cm and 18 kg (total of 2 tons), respectively. In the Raman...
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Structure and performance properties of environmentally-friendly biocomposites based on poly(ɛ-caprolactone) modified with copper slag and shale drill cuttings wastes
PublicationThe potential application of two types of industrial wastes, drill cuttings (DC) and copper slag (CS), as silica-rich modifiers of poly(ɛ-caprolactone) (PCL) was investigated. Chemical structure and physical properties of DC and CS fillers were characterized using X-ray diffractometer, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, particle size and density measurements. PCL/DC and PCL/CS composites with a variable content of filler (5 to 50...
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Genetic Background and Antibiotic Resistance Profiles of K. pneumoniae NDM-1 Strains Isolated from UTI, ABU, and the GI Tract, from One Hospital in Poland, in Relation to Strains Nationally and Worldwide
PublicationIn recent years, there has been an observed increase in infections caused by carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumonia (Kp) strains. The aim of this study was the phenotypic and genotypic analysis of eight K. pneumoniae NDM (Kp NDM) isolates, recovered in Poland during the years 2016 and 2018 from seven patients with urinary tract infections (UTIs), asymptomatic bacteriuria (ABU), or colonization of the gut. PCR melting profile...
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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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Degradation of tetracycline antibiotic utilizing light driven-activated oxone in the presence of g-C3N4/ZnFe LDH binary heterojunction nanocomposite
PublicationIn the present study, a binary heterojunction nanocomposite composed of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) and Zn/Fe-contained layered double hydroxide (ZnFe LDH) was employed as heterogeneous catalyst for the decomposition of tetracycline (TC) antibiotic utilizing Oxone and UV light irradiation. The sole use of g-C3N4/ZnFe LDH as adsorbent led to the negligible elimination of TC. In addition, the sole use of Oxone or UV (photolysis)...
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A New Expression System Based on Psychrotolerant Debaryomyces macquariensis Yeast and Its Application to the Production of Cold-Active β-D-Galactosidase from Paracoccus sp. 32d
PublicationYeasts provide attractive host/vector systems for heterologous gene expression. The currently used yeast-based expression platforms include mesophilic and thermotolerant species. A eukaryotic expression system working at low temperatures could be particularly useful for the production of thermolabile proteins and proteins that tend to form insoluble aggregates. For this purpose, an expression system based on an Antarctic psychrotolerant...
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Novel ABTS-dot-blot method for the assessment of antioxidant properties of food packaging
PublicationThe new ABTS-dot-blot method for the direct determination of antioxidant activity of active packaging that is in contact with foodstuffs has been developed. The usefulness of the new method was verified with the use of agarose, pork gelatin, bacterial cellulose and cellulose-chitosan films with incorporated standard antioxidant – Trolox or plant phytochemicals derived from three types of berry juices (chokeberry, blue-berried honeysuckle,...
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Multi-Technique Investigation of Grave Robes from 17th and 18th Century Crypts Using Combined Spectroscopic, Spectrometric Techniques, and New-Generation Sequencing
PublicationThe textile fragments of the funeral clothes found in the 17th and 18th century crypts were subjected to spectroscopic, spectrometric, and microbial investigation. The next-generation sequencing enabled DNA identification of microorganisms at the genus and in five cases to the species level. The soft hydrofluoric acid extraction method was optimized to isolate different classes of dyes from samples that had direct contact with...
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Novel application of terminal restriction fragments length polymorphism method (t-RFLP) for identification of six clinically important Candida sp.
PublicationTerminal restriction fragments length polymorphism method (t-RFLP) is a modified classical RFLP method. The main difference is based on carrying out PCR using a fluorescently labeled primer or primers. The result of such modification is that after digestion of amplicons only terminal fragments of PCR product (containing fluorescent dye) are visualized. T-RFLP method has found application in environmental microbiology and epidemiology....
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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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Feasibility Study of Biohydrogen Production from Acid Cheese Whey via Lactate-Driven Dark Fermentation
PublicationThe high loading of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) present in cheese whey still limits its use as hydrogen feedstock. This study aims to investigate the feasibility of producing hydrogen from acid cheese whey via lactate-driven dark fermentation (LD-DF). Mesophilic batch fermentations were performed with delipidated acid cheese whey at a fixed pH of 5.8 and driven by an acidogenic bacterial culture containing LAB and lactate-oxidizing...
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Possibilities and benefits of a new method of modifying conventional building materials with phase-change materials (PCMs)
PublicationThe paper presents a current study devoted to the optimization of the amount of PCM present within traditional building materials, utilized in this case in hollow-brick walls. Authors focus on proposing an alternative to typical direct addition of PCM to existing building materials: introducing two- and three-component mixtures, based on a porous PCM carrier, which in this case was construction aggregate. Preliminary studies of...
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Host and pathogen factors in Klebsiella pneumoniae upper urinary tract infections in renal transplant patients
PublicationPurpose . To analyse the role of virulence factors (VFs) and host in Klebsiella pneumoniae upper urinary tract infections (UTIs) in renal transplant (RTx) recipients. Methodology. Clinical and demographic data were registered prospectively. Phylogenetic background of K. pneumoniae isolates was analysed by PCR melting profiles (MP) and the following VFs genes: fimH-1, uge, kpn, ycfM, mrkD, rmpA, magA, hlyA, cnf-1, irp-1, irp-2,...
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Evaluation of bacterial strains for developing effective plant growth promoting strain on chickpea growth and physico chemical properties of soil
PublicationThe study was intended to isolate and characterize the plant growth-promoting properties. A collection of microbial consortia called plant growth-promoting microorganisms (PGPM) work to increase crop growth and yield through a variety of direct mechanisms, including as nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilization, synthesis of PGH, ammonia, and siderophore, as well as indirect mechanisms. The aim of the study was to evaluate the...