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Search results for: antifungal conjugates
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Isothiocyanates may chemically detoxify mutagenic amines formed in heat processed meat
PublicationMeat consumption represents a dietary risk factor increasing the incidence of common cancers, probably due to carcinogenic amines (HAAs) formed upon meat heating. Interestingly, cancers whose incidence is increased by meat consumption, are decreased in populations consuming brassica vegetables regularly. This inverse correlation is attributed to brassica anticarcinogenic components, especially isothiocyanates (ITCs) that stimulate...
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HDAC Inhibitors: Innovative Strategies for Their Design and Applications
PublicationHistone deacetylases (HDACs) are a large family of epigenetic metalloenzymes that are involved in gene transcription and regulation, cell proliferation, differentiation, migration, and death, as well as angiogenesis. Particularly, disorders of the HDACs expression are linked to the development of many types of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, making them interesting molecular targets for the design of new efficient drugs...
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Review on Current Status of Echinocandins Use
PublicationFungal infections are rising all over the world every year. There are only five medical compound classes for treatment: triazoles, echinocandins, polyenes, flucytosine and allylamine. Currently, echinocandins are the most important compounds, because of their wide activity spectrum and much lower sides effects that may occur during therapy with other drugs. Echinocandins are secondary metabolites of fungi, which can inhibit the...
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Influence of a lipid bilayer on the conformational behavior of amphotericin B derivatives - A molecular dynamics study.
PublicationAmphotericin B (AmB) is an effective but very toxic antifungal antibiotic. In our laboratory a series of AmB derivatives of improved selectivity of action was synthesized and tested. To understand molecular basis of this improvement, comparative conformational studies of amphotericin B and its two more selectivederivatives were carried out in an aqueous solution and in a lipid membrane. These molecular simulation studies revealed...
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Construction of glucosamine-6-phosphate synthase with an internal hexahistydyl fragment
PublicationL-Glutamine: D-fructose-6-phosphate aminotransferase (EC 2.6.1.16), known also as glucosamine-6-phosphate (GlcN-6-P) syntase, catalyzes the first committed step in the amino sugar biosynthetic pathway in prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. The enzyme carries out a complex reaction involving ammonia transfer and sugar phosphate isomerization. GlcN-6-P syntase is an important point of metabolic control of amino sugar biosynthesis...
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New Analogues of Mycophenolic Acid
PublicationMycophenolic acid (MPA) possesses antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, immunosuppressive and anticancer properties. It is a non-competitive and reversible inhibitor of dehydrogenase inosine-5'-monophosphate (IMPDH). This compound belongs to the immunosuppressive drugs used for the prevention of both acute and chronic transplant rejection. Until now, two derivatives of MPA have been used clinically: mycophenolate mofetil (MMF,...
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Isolation of the GFA1 gene encoding glucosamine-6-phosphate synthase of Sporothrix schenckii and its expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
PublicationGlucosamine-6-phosphate synthase (GlcN-6-P synthase) is an essential enzyme involved in cell wall biogenesis that has been proposed as a strategic target for antifungal chemotherapy. Here we describe the cloning and functional characterization of Sporothrix schenckii GFA1 gene which was isolated from a genomic library of the fungus. The gene encodes a predicted protein of 708 amino acids that is homologous to GlcN-6-P synthases...
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Tuning matrix-vector multiplication on GPU
PublicationA matrix times vector multiplication (matvec) is a cornerstone operation in iterative methods of solving large sparse systems of equations such as the conjugate gradients method (cg), the minimal residual method (minres), the generalized residual method (gmres) and exerts an influence on overall performance of those methods. An implementation of matvec is particularly demanding when one executes computations on a GPU (Graphics...
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A MODEL FOR FORECASTING PM10 LEVELS WITH THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORKS
PublicationThis work presents a method of forecasting the level of PM10 with the use of artificial neural networks. Current level of particulate matter and meteorological data was taken into account in the construction of the model (checked the correlation of each variable and the future level of PM10), and unidirectional networks were used to implement it due to their ease of learning. Then, the configuration of the network (built on the...
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The Drop-in-Drop Encapsulation in Chitosan and Sodium Alginate as a Method of Prolonging the Quality of Linseed Oil
PublicationNowadays, the encapsulation of sensitive products by various techniques has become popular as a promising preservation method. In particular, this applies to oils with a high content of unsaturated fatty acids and a high susceptibility to deterioration. This work presents the possibility of using a chitosan and sodium alginate in the form of a hydrogel membrane to protect food ingredients such as linseed oil, which is stored in...
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Widening of the electroactivity potential range by composite formation – capacitive properties of TiO2/BiVO4/PEDOT:PSS electrodes in contact with an aqueous electrolyte
PublicationComposites based on the titania nanotubes were tested in aqueous electrolyte as a potential electrode material for energy storage devices. The nanotubular morphology of TiO2 was obtained by Ti anodization. TiO2 nanotubes were covered by a thin layer of bismuth vanadate using pulsed laser deposition. The formation of the TiO2/BiVO4 junction leads to enhancement of pseudocapacitance in the cathodic potential range. The third component,...
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Morphology control via dual solvent crystallization for high-mobility functionalized pentacene-blend thin film transistors
PublicationWe present an approach to improving the performance of solution processed organic semiconductor transistors based on a dual solvent system. We here apply this to a blend containing the π-conjugated small molecule 6,13 bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl) pentacene (TIPS-pentacene) and polystyrene, which acts as an inert binder. Using a semiconductor-binder solution of two solvents, where the main solvent is a better solvent of the small...
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Rhodotorulic Acid and its Derivatives: Synthesis, Properties, and Applications
PublicationSiderophores are low molecular weight compounds produced by microorganisms to scavenge iron in iron-deficient environments. Rhodotorulic acid (RA), a natural hydroxamate siderophore, plays a vital role in iron acquisition for fungi and bacteria. As the simplest natural hydroxamate siderophore, RA exhibits a high affinity for ferric ions, enabling it to form stable complexes that facilitate iron uptake and transport within microorganisms....
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The Effect of Sterols on Amphotericin B Self-Aggregation in a Lipid Bilayer as Revealed by Free Energy Simulations
PublicationAmphotericin B (AmB) is an effective but toxic antifungal drug, known to increase the permeability of the cell membrane, presumably by assembling into transmembrane pores in a sterol-dependent manner. The aggregation of AmB molecules in a phospholipid bilayer is, thus, crucial for the drug’s activity. To provide an insight into the molecular nature of this process, here, we report an atomistic molecular dynamics simulation study...
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A non-linear direct peridynamics plate theory
PublicationIn this paper a direct non-local peridynamics theory for thin plates is developed. Peridynamic points are assumed to behave like rigid bodies with independent translation and finite rotation degrees of freedom. The non-local mechanical interaction between points is characterized by force and moment vectors. The balance equations including the linear momentum, the angular momentum and the energy are presented. Peridynamic deformation...
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A novel chemiluminescent immunoassay based on original acridinium ester labels as better solution for diagnosis of human toxoplasmosis than conventional ELISA test
PublicationToxoplasma gondii infection is one of the most common human zoonosis. Laboratory diagnosis of this disease is mainly based on the results of serological methods detecting specific antibodies in the patient’s sera. In this study we aimed to evaluate the performance of a chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA) based on the use of a novel immunochemical reagent in the form of the conjugate of original acridinium label (AL) attached to...
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Fluorescent analogs of trypsin inhibitor SFTI-1 isolated from sunflower seeds-synthesis and applications
PublicationThis article describes the synthesis and enzymatic study of newly synthesized analogs of trypsin inhibitors SFTI-1 that were fluorescent labeled on their N-terminal amino groups. Two fluorescent derivatives of benzoxazole (3-[2-(4-diphenylaminophenyl) benzoxazol-5-yl]-L-alanine[(4NPh(2)) Ph] Box-Ala and 3-[2-(2', 4', 5'-trimethoxyphenyl) benzoxazol-5-yl]-l-alanine-[2,4,5-(OMe)3Ph] Box-Ala) were used as efficient fluorescent labels....
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Composition and antimicrobial activity of fatty acids detected in the hygroscopic secretion collected from the secretory setae of larvae of the biting midge Forcipomyia nigra (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)
PublicationThe hygroscopic secretion produced by the secretory setae of terrestrial larvae of the biting midge Forcipomyia nigra (Winnertz) was analysed using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The viscous secretion is stored at the top of each seta and absorbs water from moist air. GC-MS analyses (four independent tests) showed that the secretion contained 12 free fatty acids, the most abundant of which were oleic...
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Enhancing electrochemical properties of an ITO-coated lossy-mode resonance optical fiber sensor by electrodeposition of PEDOT:PSS
PublicationA sensor working in multiple domains may offer enhanced information about the properties of an investigated analyte, including those containing biological species. It has already been shown that a dual-domain sensing capability, i.e., in optical and electrochemical domains, can be offered by lossy-mode resonance (LMR) sensors based on indium-tin-oxide (ITO) thin film. The spectral response of the LMR sensors depends on the refractive...
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One-dimensional chaos in a system with dry friction: analytical approach
PublicationWe introduce a new analytical method, which allows to find chaotic regimes in non-smooth dynamical systems. A simple mechanical system consisting of a mass and a dry friction element is considered. The corresponding mathematical model is being studied. We show that the considered dynamical system is a skew product over a piecewise smooth mapping of a segment (the so-called base map). For this base map we demonstrate existence of...
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Engineering Candida albicans glucosamine-6-phosphate synthase for efficient enzyme purification
PublicationRationally designed muteins of Candida albicans glucosamine-6-phosphate synthase, an enzyme known as a promising target for antifungal chemotherapy, were constructed, overexpressed in Escherichia coli and purified to near homogeneity. To facilitate and to optimize the purification of the enzyme, three recombinant versionscontaining internal oligoHis fragments were constructed: (i) by substituting residues 343 - 348...
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Hydrazinolysis Products of Selected Sugar Lactones—Crystal Structure and Microbiological Activity
PublicationCommercially available lactones, as well as those synthesized by us, turned out to be good substrates for the synthesis of sugar hydrazides. The exception was L-ascorbic acid, whose hydrazinolysis led to the formation of a hydrazinium salt, not the hydrazide as expected. The structure of all compounds was confirmed by NMR and X-ray analyses. The lower durability of hydrazinium L-ascorbate was additionally confirmed by thermogravimetric...
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Single and Dual-GPU Generalized Sparse Eigenvalue Solvers for Finding a Few Low-Order Resonances of a Microwave Cavity Using the Finite-Element Method
PublicationThis paper presents two fast generalized eigenvalue solvers for sparse symmetric matrices that arise when electromagnetic cavity resonances are investigated using the higher-order finite element method (FEM). To find a few loworder resonances, the locally optimal block preconditioned conjugate gradient (LOBPCG) algorithm with null-space deflation is applied. The computations are expedited by using one or two graphical processing...
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An extended basis inexact shift–invert Lanczos for the efficient solution of large-scale generalized eigenproblems
PublicationThis paper proposes a technique, based on the Inexact Shift–Invert Lanczos (ISIL) method with Inexact Jacobi Orthogonal Component Correction (IJOCC) refinement, and a preconditioned conjugate-gradient (PCG) linear solver with multilevel preconditioner, for finding several eigenvalues for generalized symmetric eigenproblems. Several eigenvalues are found by constructing (with the ISIL process) an extended projection basis. Presented...
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Glutathione-mediated conjugation of anticancer drugs: an overview of reaction mechanisms and biological significance for drug detoxification and bioactivation.
PublicationThe effectiveness of many anticancer drugs depends on the creation of specific metabolites that may alter their therapeutic or toxic properties. One significant route of biotransformation is a conjugation of electrophilic compounds with reduced glutathione, which can be non-enzymatic and/or catalyzed by glutathione-dependent enzymes. Glutathione usually combines with anticancer drugs and/or their metabolites to form more polar...
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The Chitosan-Based System with Scutellariae baicalensis radix Extract for the Local Treatment of Vaginal Infections
PublicationScutellarie baicalensis radix, as a flavone-rich source, exhibits antibacterial, antifungal, an-tioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activity. It may be used as a therapeutic agent to treat various
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PLANNING AND ANALYSIS OF EARTHQUAKE DISASTER RELIEF WORK IN ETHIOPIA
PublicationThis paper addresses dynamic planning and analysis of earthquake disaster relief work by analysis the disaster throughout the technical and procedural method. And combine this analysis as continues assessment for better input to investigating planning disaster for discontinuous economic growth. This implemented, considering the vulnerability and hazard analysis as a procedural analysis disaster to estimating acceptance risk leveling...
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Tuning a Hybrid GPU-CPU V-Cycle Multilevel Preconditioner for Solving Large Real and Complex Systems of FEM Equations
PublicationThis letter presents techniques for tuning an accelerated preconditioned conjugate gradient solver with a multilevel preconditioner. The solver is optimized for a fast solution of sparse systems of equations arising in computational electromagnetics in a finite element method using higher-order elements. The goal of the tuning is to increase the throughput while at the same time reducing the memory requirements in order to allow...
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The treatment of wastewater containing pharmaceuticals in microcosm constructed wetlands: the occurrence of integrons (int1–2) and associated resistance genes (sul1–3, qacEΔ1)
PublicationThe aim of this study was to analyze the occurrence of sulfonamide resistance genes (sul1–3) and other genetic elements as antiseptic resistance gene (qacEΔ1) and class 1 and class 2 integrons (int1–2) in the upper layer of substrate and in the effluent of microcosm constructed wetlands (CWs) treating artificial wastewater containing diclofenac and sulfamethoxazole (SMX), which is a sulfonamide antibiotic. The bacteria in the substrate...
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Low-Profile Interdigitated UHF RFID Tag Antenna for Metallic Objects
PublicationThis article presents a novel miniature interdigitated ultra-high frequency (UHF) radio frequency identification (RFID) tag antenna that can be placed on metallic objects. The tag structure comprises two horizontal strip lines, each loaded with seven identical open stubs, and an integrated circuit (IC) chip connected directly to the feed lines in the middle of the structure. The perfect match to the IC chip’s impedance is realized...
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Photovoltaic bulk heterojunctions with interpenetrating network based on semiconducting polymers
PublicationPhotovoltaic cells are supposed to be the most common generators of useful electricity in the nearest future as they utilize inexhaustible carriers of renewable energy called photons. Despite the fact that 95% of worldwide applied photovoltaic devices are based on inorganic semiconductors the area of organic photovoltaics grows successively due to possibility of considerable reduction of manufacturing costs. Since the Heeger's...
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Synthesis and characterization of ruthenium and rhenium dyes with phosphonate anchoring groups
PublicationRe(L1)–Re(L3), a series of rhenium(I) tricarbonyl chloride complexes with bpy-R2 derivatives L1–L3 (bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine, R represents the substitution at the 4- and 4′-positions), and their corresponding trishomoleptic Ru(L1)3–Ru(L3)3 as well as heteroleptic ruthenium(II) complexes Ru(tbbpy)2(L1) and Ru(tbbpy)2(L2) have been synthesized and characterized. Their applicability as immobilizable metal–organic chromophores in solar...
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Potential applications of by-products from the coffee industry in polymer technology – Current state and perspectives
PublicationCoffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world, and its popularity is continuously growing, which can be expressed by almost doubling production over the last three decades. Cultivation, processing, roasting, and brewing coffee are known for many years. These processes generate significant amounts of by-products since coffee bean stands for around 50% of the coffee cherry. Therefore, considering the current pro-ecological...
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Molecular Targets for Anticandidal Chemotherapy
PublicationA relatively small number of anticandidal chemotherapeutics used in clinical practice is at least in part consequence of a limited number of their molecular targets: ergosterol in the membrane, lanosterol demethylase, b(1!3) glucan synthase, and DNA/RNA biosynthesis. Much more potential novel targets have been revealed by the comparative genomic studies identifying essential genes unique for Candida albicans or resulted from recognition...
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A chemo-mechano-thermodynamical contact theory for adhesion, friction, and (de)bonding reactions
PublicationThis work presents a self-contained continuum formulation for coupled chemical, mechanical, and thermal contact interactions. The formulation is very general and, hence, admits arbitrary geometry, deformation, and material behavior. All model equations are derived rigorously from the balance laws of mass, momentum, energy, and entropy in the framework of irreversible thermodynamics, thus exposing all the coupling present in the...
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Chiral Schiff base complexes as an effective catalyst in Diels-Alder reaction
PublicationDiels Alder reaction is a very important tool in carbon-carbon bond formation. It is a cycloaddition between a conjugated diene and a second compound called dienophile. Where one or more heteroatoms are present in the diene and/or dienophile framework, the cycloaddition is called hetero-Diels-Alder reaction (HDA). The asymmetric Diels-Alder reaction is among the most powerful available methodologies for that construction of optically...
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A Colorimetric Microplate Assay for DNA-Binding Activity of His-Tagged MutS Protein
PublicationA simple microplate method was designed for rapid testing DNA-binding activity of proteins. The principle of the assay involves binding of tested DNA by his-tagged protein immobilized on a nickel-coated ELISA plate, following colorimetric detection of biotinylated DNA with avidin conjugated to horseradish peroxidase. The method was used to compare DNA mismatch binding activities of MutS proteins from three bacterial species. The...
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Antibiotic-sterol interactions provide insight into the selectivity of natural aromatic analogues of amphotericin B and their photoisomers
PublicationAromatic heptaene macrolides (AHMs) belong to the group of polyene macrolide antifungal antibiotics. Members of this group were the first to be used in the treatment of systemic fungal infections. Amphotericin B (AmB), a non-aromatic representative of heptaene macrolides, is of significant clinical importance in the treatment of internal mycoses. It includes the all-trans heptaene chromophore, whereas the native AHMs contain two...
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Evaluation of antimicrobial activities of powdered cuttlebone against Klebsiella oxytoca, Staphylococcus aureus, and Aspergillus flavus
PublicationBackground: The presence of medicines in the environment is considered as a serious threat to the human health. The entrance of these substances into the water sources causes soil pollution, which eventually leads to the environmental pollution and it creates some problems for the public health. Also, increasing antibiotic resistant bacteria has attracted the attention of researchers to the use of natural resources such as marine...
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Linear and Nonlinear Optical Properties of Azobenzene Derivatives Modified with an (Amino)naphthalene Moiety
PublicationThe design of two-photon absorbing azobenzene (AB) derivatives has received much attention; however, the two-photon absorption (2PA) properties of bis-conjugated azobenzene systems are relatively less explored. Here, we present the synthesis of six azobenzene derivatives and three bisazobenzenes substituted (or not) at para position(s) with one or two amino group(s). Their linear and nonlinear absorption properties are studied...
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Fluoroaromatic substituents attached to carbon nanotubes help to increase oxygen concentration on biocathode in biosensors and biofuel cells
PublicationBased on the known ability of perfluorodecalin/perfluorohydrocarbons to enhance oxygen solubility we modified oxygen sensitive biocathode by adding perfluorinated components to the catholite. This procedure improved the efficiency of the oxygen sensitive cathodes. Glassy carbon electrodes covered with single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) with covalently bonded perfluoroaromatic groups were shown to be more sensitive to oxygen,...
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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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The Interaction of Heptakis (2,6-di-O-Methyl)-β-Cyclodextrin with Mianserin Hydrochloride and Its Influence on the Drug Toxicity
PublicationOne tetracyclic antidepressant, mianserin hydrochloride (MIA), has quite significant side effects on a patients’ health. Cyclodextrins, which are most commonly used to reduce the undesirable features of contained drugs within their hydrophobic interior, also have the potential to alter the toxic behavior of the drug. The present paper contains investigations and the characteristics of interaction mechanisms for MIA and the heptakis...
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The mechanisms of degradation of titanium dental implants
PublicationTitanium dental implants show very good properties, unfortunately there are still issues regarding material wear due to corrosion, implant loosening, as well as biological factors—allergic reactions and inflammation leading to rejection of the implanted material. In order to avoid performing reimplantation operations, changes in the chemical composition and/or modifications of the surface layer of the materials are used. This research...
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A GPU Solver for Sparse Generalized Eigenvalue Problems with Symmetric Complex-Valued Matrices Obtained Using Higher-Order FEM
PublicationThe paper discusses a fast implementation of the stabilized locally optimal block preconditioned conjugate gradient (sLOBPCG) method, using a hierarchical multilevel preconditioner to solve nonHermitian sparse generalized eigenvalue problems with large symmetric complex-valued matrices obtained using the higher-order finite-element method (FEM), applied to the analysis of a microwave resonator. The resonant frequencies of the low-order...
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In vitro biological evaluation of a novel folic acid-targeted receptor quantum dot−β−cyclodextrin carrier for C-2028 unsymmetrical bisacridine in the treatment of human lung and prostate cancers
PublicationTraditional small-molecule chemotherapeutics usually do not distinguish tumors from healthy tissues. However, nanotechnology creates nanocarriers that selectively deliver drugs to their site of action. This work is the next step in the development of the quantum dot−β−cyclodextrin−folic acid (QD−β−CD−FA) platform for targeted and selected delivery of C−2028 unsymmetrical bisacridine in cancer therapy.Herein, we report an initial...
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Diagnostic PCR assay for Microsporum and Trichophyton infections
PublicationWe have previously described a highly sensitive 5-hour PCR test for the rapid diagnosis of onychomycosis which detects any dermatophyte and species-identify T. rubrum from patient specimens. We have subsequently developed and evaluated new PCR tests for detection of Trichophyton and Microsporum canis/audouinii infections.58 dermatophyte isolates (21) Microsporum spp. (4 different species), 35 Trichophyton spp (10 different species)...
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Phenotypic consequences of the LYS4 gene disruption in Candida albicans
PublicationThe main scientific purpose of our studies was to verify the hypothesis that homoaconitase (HA) from Candida albicans, an enzyme catalyzing a second step of the α-aminoadipate pathway (AAP) of L-Lys biosynthesis may become a new target for antifungal chemotherapy. Previous studies indicated that the A. fumigatus mutant lacking the functional lysF gene, encoding HA, exhibited attenuated virulence in a low-dose mouse infection model...
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Quality control of cheese samples for the presence of natamycin preservative – A natural deep eutectic solvent (NADES) based extraction coupled with HPLC
PublicationA new protocol for the determination of natamycin – an antifungal agent used as a food preservative - in cheese samples – is described. This new method is based on a natural deep eutectic solvent (NADES) green extraction procedure. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used for detection and quantification. NADESs with different molar ratios were evaluated for efficient and selective extraction. NADES made of thymol...
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Progress in ATRP-derived materials for biomedical applications
PublicationThe continuing wave of technological breakthroughs and advances is critical for engineering well- defined materials, particularly biomaterials, with tailored microstructure and properties. Over the last few decades, controlled radical polymerization (CRP) has become a very promising option for the synthesis of precise polymeric materials with an unprecedented degree of control over mo lecular architecture. Atom transfer radical...