Biosorption of heavy metals by microalgae: hazardous side effects for marine organisms.

Biosorption is nowadays recommended as an ecological and environmentally friendly alternative to remove metals from contaminated regions. Even in situ incubations of algae on the seabed are conducted to investigate potential future ways of reducing metal contamination. Our study investigated the negative effects on microorganisms when metal-enriched algae are released into the marine environment.

Using Zeolite Materials to Remove Pharmaceuticals from Water.

Pharmaceutical drugs, including antibiotics and hormonal agents, pose a significant threat to environmental and public health due to their persistent presence in aquatic environments. Colistin (KOL), fluoxetine (FLUO), amoxicillin (AMO), and 17-alpha-ethinylestradiol (EST) are pharmaceuticals (PhCs) that frequently exceed regulatory limits in water and wastewater. Current removal methods are mainly ineffective, necessitating the development of more efficient techniques.

Performance Analysis of Additively Manufactured Hydraulic Check Valves with Different Postprocessing.

Due to the need to use very precise manufacturing processes, hydraulic applications are one of the most demanding parts in production. Such a feature requires using molded and properly machined parts. On the other hand, such an approach makes hydraulic parts very heavy and requires the use of large amounts of material.

Hyaluronic acid/tannic acid films for wound healing application.

In this study, thin films based on hyaluronic acid (HA) with tannic acid (TA) were investigated in three different weight ratios (80HA/20TA, 50HA/50TA, 20HA/80TA) for their application as materials for wound healing. Surface free energy, as well as their roughness, mechanical properties, water vapor permeability rate, and antioxidant activity were determined. Moreover, their compatibility with blood and osteoblast cells was investigated.

Recycling of Tire-Derived Fiber: The Contribution of Steel Cord on the Properties of Lightweight Concrete Based on Perlite Aggregate.

The increasing amount of waste from the vulcanization industry has become a serious environmental challenge. Even the partial reuse of the steel contained in tires as dispersed reinforcement in the production of new building materials may contribute to reducing the environmental impact of this industry while supporting the principle of sustainable development. In this study, the concrete samples were made of Portland cement, tap water, lightweight perlite aggregates, and steel cord fibers.

Erythromycin Scavenging from Aqueous Solutions by Zeolitic Materials Derived from Fly Ash.

Erythromycin (EA) is an antibiotic whose concentration in water and wastewater has been reported to be above the standard levels. Since the methods used so far to remove EA from aquatic environments have not been effective, the development of effective methods for EA removal is necessary. In the present study, fly ash (FA)-based zeolite materials, which have not been investigated as EA sorbents before, were used.

Rehydration Driven Acid Impregnation of Thermally Pretreated Ca-Bentonite-Evolution of the Clay Structure.

A new approach to acid activation of raw Ca-bentonite was explored. The method consisted in dehydration of clay by thermal pretreatment at 200 °C, followed by immediate impregnation with HSO solution. The acid concentration was 1.

Wear Analysis of Additively Manufactured Slipper-Retainer in the Axial Piston Pump.

Additive manufacturing (AM) of spare parts is going to become more and more common. In the case of hydraulic solutions, there are also some applications of AM technology related to topological optimization, anti-cavitation improvements, etc. An examination of all available research results shows that authors are using specialized tools and machines to properly prepare AM spare parts.

Three-Stage Membrane Treatment of Wastewater from Biodiesel Production-Preliminary Research.

As biodiesel production as renewable fuel increases, so does the amount of wastewater resulting from this technology. Wastewater is generated during the so-called biodiesel washing, i.e.

Rehydration Driven Na-Activation of Bentonite-Evolution of the Clay Structure and Composition.

A new method of Na-activation of raw bentonite, rich in Ca-montmorillonite, consisting of combined thermal treatment at 200 °C, followed by immediate impregnation with aqueous solution of NaCO of concentration corresponding to 0.5, 1.0, 1.

Influence of Dry Milling on Phase Transformation of Sepiolite upon Alkali Activation: Implications for Textural, Catalytic and Sorptive Properties.

Activation of natural sepiolite by means of grinding in a planetary mill followed by wet NaOH activation was studied for the purpose of endowing the product with enhanced basicity for potential catalytic/sorptive applications. Synthesized solids were characterized with X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), N adsorption/desorption, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive (EDX), atomic absorption (AAS), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) and Si magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS NMR) spectroscopies. Surface basicity was determined by titration with benzoic acid.

Structural Transformations of Hydrolysates Obtained from Ti-, Zr-, and Ti, Zr-Solutions Used for Clay Pillaring: Towards Understanding of the Mixed Pillars Nature.

Structural characteristics of hydrolysates formed from the aqueous Ti-, Zr-, and Ti, Zr-pillaring solutions prepared from inorganic precursors (TiCl₄ and ZrOCl₂), was investigated and compared with that of precipitates obtained from the same solutions after a slight alkalization of pH to the values reported for the conditions of clay pillaring. The materials were recovered by lyophilization and subsequently subjected to calcination at 500, 800 and 1000 °C. Of special interest was the effect of pH on the possible formation of mixed Ti, Zr-oxide species.

Air pollution control and flue gas desulfurization residues from Polish copper smelting facility as adsorbents of Pb(II) and Cu(II) from aqueous solutions.

This study aimed at evaluation of air pollution control residues (APCR) and flue gas desulfurization residues (FGDR) from copper foundry in Southwestern Poland as adsorbents of Cu(II) and Pb(II) from simulated wastewater. Studies of the impact of pH and adsorbent dose, as well as sorption isotherms, and kinetic and thermodynamic studies were conducted in a series of batch experiments. The maximum adsorption capacities were equal to 42.

Different effects of FK506, rapamycin, and mycophenolate mofetil on glucose-stimulated insulin release and apoptosis in human islets.

Pancreatic islet transplantation has the potential to be an effective treatment for type 1 diabetes mellitus. While recent improvements have improved 1-year outcomes, follow-up studies show a persistent loss of graft function/survival over 5 years. One possible cause of islet transplant failure is the immunosuppressant regimen required to prevent alloimmune graft rejection.

Caveolin-3 is adjacent to a group of extradyadic ryanodine receptors.

Caveolae are present in almost all cells and concentrate a wide variety of signaling molecules, receptors, transporters, and ion pumps. We have investigated the distribution of the ryanodine receptor, the Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchanger, the predominant Na(+) channel isoform rH1, and the L-type calcium channel, Ca(v)1.2, relative to the muscle-specific caveolin isoform, caveolin-3, in adult rat ventricular myocytes.

The molecular architecture of calcium microdomains in rat cardiomyocytes.

We have used standard indirect immunofluorescence techniques in combination with wide-field microscopy and image deconvolution to assess the distribution of proteins implicated in excitation-contraction coupling and Ca(2+) homeostasis in adult rat cardiomyocytes. We begin by discussing our earlier results and summarizing what is known about the molecular architecture of this species to provide a rationale for the work presented here. The previous results showed that the dyads contain Ca(2+) channels and ryanodine receptors, but few Na(+) channels or Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchangers.