Alkali modified hydrochar of grape pomace as a perspective adsorbent of Pb(2+) from aqueous solution.

Hydrochar produced via hydrothermal carbonization of grape pomace was considered as novel sorbent of Pb(2+) from aqueous solution. In order to enhance the adsorption capacity, hydrochar was chemically modified using 2 M KOH solution. Both materials were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction technique.

Can the origin of some metals in the seagrass Posidonia oceanica be determined by the indexes of metals pollutions?

To assess metal pollution, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Pb, Ni, Co, As, Cd, and Hg contents in samples of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica and surface sediment, collected at eight locations along the Montenegrin coast, were determined. The metal pollution index (MPI) and metal enrichment factor (EF) were then calculated. MPI and EF were lower in sediment than in P.

Another look at the molecular mechanism of the resistance of H5N1 influenza A virus neuraminidase (NA) to oseltamivir (OTV).

In the context of a recent pandemic threat by the worldwide spread of H5N1 avian influenza, the high resistance of H5N1 virus to the most widely used commercial drug, oseltamivir (Tamiflu), is currently an important research topic. Herein, molecular bases of the mechanism of H5N1 NA resistance to oseltamivir were elucidated using a computational approach in a systematic fashion. Using the crystal structure of the complex of H5N1 NA with OTV (PDB ID: 2hu0) as the starting point, the question, how mutations at His274 by both smaller side chain (Gly, Ser, Asn, Gln) and larger side chain (Phe, Tyr) residues influence the sensitivity of N1 to oseltamivir, was addressed and correlated with the experimental data.