Assessing the Interactions of Statins with Human Adenylate Kinase Isoenzyme 1: Fluorescence and Enzyme Kinetic Studies.

Statins are the most effective cholesterol-lowering drugs. They also exert many pleiotropic effects, including anti-cancer and cardio- and neuro-protective. Numerous nano-sized drug delivery systems were developed to enhance the therapeutic potential of statins.

Protocol and Evaluation of 3D-Planned Microsurgical and Dental Implant Reconstruction of Maxillary Cleft Critical Size Defects in Adolescents and Young Adults.

Functional and esthetic final reconstruction of the cleft maxilla is still challenging. Current reconstructive and augmentation techniques do not provide sufficient bone and soft tissue support for the predictable rehabilitation with dental implants due to presence of maxillary bone critical size defects and soft tissue deficiency, scaring and poor vascularity. In this article the protocol for the use of 3D virtual surgical planning and microvascular tissue transfers for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of cleft maxilla is presented.

Carboxin and Diuron Adsorption Mechanism on Sunflower Husks Biochar and Goethite in the Single/Mixed Pesticide Solutions.

The study focused on the adsorption mechanism of two selected pesticides: carboxin and diuron, on goethite and biochar, which were treated as potential compounds of mixed adsorbent. The authors also prepared a simple mixture of goethite and biochar and performed adsorption measurements on this material. The adsorbents were characterized by several methods, inter alia, nitrogen adsorption/desorption, Boehm titration, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

The influence of biochar on the content of carbon and the chemical transformations of fallow and grassland humic acids.

There is limited information regarding the effect of biochar (BioC) on the fertility of fallow and grassland soils, as well as on the properties of their humic acids (HAs). The objective of this study was to evaluate with a 3-year field experiment the influence of BioC on the organic matter (OM) in Haplic Luvisol. BioC (obtained via wood waste pyrolysis at 650 °C) was applied to the soil of subplots under fallow and grassland at doses of 0, 1, 2 and 3 kg m.

The effect of application of digestate and agro-food industry sludges on Dystric Cambisol porosity.

The spatial arrangement and pore size distribution play an important role in accumulation and protection of exogenous organic matter (EOM) in the soil, but how different organic materials contribute to modify pore structure is poorly understood. We aimed at exploring possible changes in the complexity of the soil phase during fertilization with different doses of digestate and sludges sourced from the agro-food industry. For this purpose, the short-term effects-one year, of soil fertilization, were investigated in several sampling periods and within two depths (0-25 cm and 25-40 cm).

Comparison of Monovalent and Divalent Ions Removal from Aqueous Solutions Using Agricultural Waste Biochars Prepared at Different Temperatures-Experimental and Model Study.

Copper (Cu) and silver (Ag) occur naturally in the environment but have toxic effects on organisms at elevated concentrations. This paper discussed the removal of Cu and Ag from aqueous solutions using biochars obtained at different pyrolysis temperatures. Three biomass sources-sunflower husks (SH), a mixture of sunflower husks and rapeseed pomace (SR) and wood waste (WW)-were pyrolyzed at 300, 400 and 500 °C.

Purification of Aqueous Media by Biochars: Feedstock Type Effect on Silver Nanoparticles Removal.

Due to the harmful effects of nanoparticles in the environment, their effective removal from aqueous media is of great importance. This paper described the research on the silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) sorption on biochars obtained from different feedstock types. The sorbents were produced through pyrolysis (double-barrel method) of the vineyard (BV), paulownia tree (BP), and tobacco (BT).

Study on Adsorption and Aggregation in the Mixed System of Polyacrylamide, Cu(II) Ions and Innovative Carbon-Silica Composite.

The paper presents an original study on adsorption and aggregation phenomena in a mixed system consisting of a macromolecular compound, heavy metal ions and an innovative adsorbent. The authors used ionic polyacrylamides (PAM), Cu(II) ions and carbon-silica composite (C-SiO) in the experiments. Such a system has not yet been described in the literature and therefore, the article is of significant novelty and great importance.

Zinc Binding to Fulvic acids: Assessing the Impact of pH, Metal Concentrations and Chemical Properties of Fulvic Acids on the Mechanism and Stability of Formed Soluble Complexes.

The aim of the study was defined as a complementary analysis of molecular interactions between zinc (Zn) and fulvic acids (FAs) at a broad pH range (3-7), different metal concentrations (0-50 mg dm) and chemical properties of FAs and their impact on the Zn binding mechanism, stability, and efficiency. The results showed that the complexation reaction prevailed at pH 6 and 7, whereas protons exchange dominated interactions at pH 3. Stability constant of the complexes increased along with pH (logK increased from ~3.

Hay-based activated biochars obtained using two different heating methods as effective low-cost sorbents: Solid surface characteristics, adsorptive properties and aggregation in the mixed Cu(II)/PAM system.

The main aim of the study was to compare the sorption capacity of hay-based activated biochars, obtained using conventional and microwave furnance, relative to copper(II) ions and ionic polyacrylamides (PAM). Surface properties of the solids were characterized by, inter alia, N adsorption/desorption isotherm method, whereas their tendency to aggregation was established turbidimetrically. Adsorption capacity of biochars were performed in the simple and mixed Cu(II)/PAM systems, i.

Insight into the interaction mechanism of iron ions with soil humic acids. The effect of the pH and chemical properties of humic acids.

The main aim of this work was to study the mechanisms of interaction between iron(II) ions and humic acids as a function of pH, iron concentration and various humic acids chemical properties, including the degree of humification, elemental composition, aromaticity and content of acidic functional groups. The results indicated that iron was bound by humic acids at pH 7 in amounts ∼2 times higher than at pH 5 (averaged capacities: 117 and 57 cmol/kg, respectively). Iron binding at pH 7 increased with increasing the total carboxylic and phenolic groups content and the degree of humification of humic acids (R-coefficients: 0.

Use of thermal analysis coupled with differential scanning calorimetry, quadrupole mass spectrometry and infrared spectroscopy (TG-DSC-QMS-FTIR) to monitor chemical properties and thermal stability of fulvic and humic acids.

Thermogravimetry-coupled with differential scanning calorimetry, quadrupole mass spectrometry, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (TG-DSC-QMS-FTIR)-was applied to monitor the thermal stability (in an N2 pyrolytic atmosphere) and chemical properties of natural polymers, fulvic (FA) and humic acids (HA), isolated from chemically different soils. Three temperature ranges, R1, 40-220°C; R2, 220-430°C; and R3, 430-650°C, were distinguished from the DSC data, related to the main thermal processes of different structures (including transformations without weight loss). Weight loss (ΔM) estimated from TG curves at the above temperature intervals revealed distinct differences within the samples in the content of physically adsorbed water (at R1), volatile and labile functional groups (at R2) as well as recalcitrant and refractory structures (at R3).

A Comparative Study of the Application of Fluorescence Excitation-Emission Matrices Combined with Parallel Factor Analysis and Nonnegative Matrix Factorization in the Analysis of Zn Complexation by Humic Acids.

The main aim of this study was the application of excitation-emission fluorescence matrices (EEMs) combined with two decomposition methods: parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) and nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) to study the interaction mechanisms between humic acids (HAs) and Zn(II) over a wide concentration range (0-50 mg·dm). The influence of HA properties on Zn(II) complexation was also investigated. Stability constants, quenching degree and complexation capacity were estimated for binding sites found in raw EEM, EEM-PARAFAC and EEM-NMF data using mathematical models.

Interactions of Zn(II) Ions with Humic Acids Isolated from Various Type of Soils. Effect of pH, Zn Concentrations and Humic Acids Chemical Properties.

The main aim of this study was the analysis of the interaction between humic acids (HAs) from different soils and Zn(II) ions at wide concentration ranges and at two different pHs, 5 and 7, by using fluorescence and FTIR spectroscopy, as well as potentiometric measurements. The presence of a few areas of HAs structures responsible for Zn(II) complexing was revealed. Complexation at α-sites (low humified structures of low-molecular weight and aromatic polycondensation) and β-sites (weakly humified structures) was stronger at pH 7 than 5.

Mixtures of ions and amphiphilic molecules in slit-like pores: A density functional approach.

We investigate microscopic structure and thermodynamic properties of a mixture that contains amphiphilic molecules and charged hard spheres confined in slit-like pores with uncharged hard walls. The model and the density functional approach are the same as described in details in our previous work [Pizio et al., J.

The structure and properties of a simple model mixture of amphiphilic molecules and ions at a solid surface.

We investigate microscopic structure, adsorption, and electric properties of a mixture that consists of amphiphilic molecules and charged hard spheres in contact with uncharged or charged solid surfaces. The amphiphilic molecules are modeled as spheres composed of attractive and repulsive parts. The electrolyte component of the mixture is considered in the framework of the restricted primitive model (RPM).

Fluid of Janus molecules between two walls: the solvation force.

We apply a density functional theory to calculate the solvation force in the system involving Janus particles confined between two planar walls. Janus particles are modeled as spheres composed of attractive and repulsive parts and their orientation is described by the vectors representing internal degrees of freedom. We consider the cases of pores with identical walls, as well as the pores with competing walls (the so-called Janus-like pores).

Photosensitizing properties of water-extractable organic matter from soils.

Water-extractable organic matter (WEOM) was extracted using pure water from two black soils and from the Elliott reference soil of the International Humic Substances Society (IHSS). WEOMs were characterized by chemical and spectroscopic methods. The apparent quantum yields of singlet oxygen, triplet excited states and hydroxyl radicals formation upon irradiation within the wavelength range 290-450 nm were determined using chemical probes and compared to those of standard Elliott humic substances.

Stretching tethered polymer chains: density functional approach.

We propose application of density functional theory to calculate the force acting on a selected segment of a tethered polymer chain that leads to stretching the chain. The density functional allows one to determine the effects due to the presence of other chains and solvent molecules. For high and moderate solvent densities the plot of the force versus the distance of the segment from the surface exhibits oscillatory behavior that has not been predicted by other approaches.

Electric double layer capacitance of restricted primitive model for an ionic fluid in slit-like nanopores: A density functional approach.

We apply recently developed version of a density functional theory [Z. Wang, L. Liu, and I.

Adsorption of ions on surfaces modified with brushes of polyampholytes.

We apply density functional theory to study adsorption of ions, treated in the framework of the restricted primitive model (RPM), on surfaces modified by tethered polyampholytes. The residual electrostatic contribution to the free energy functional is approximated by using the approach proposed by Wang et al. [J.

Phase behavior of binary symmetric mixtures in pillared slit-like pores: a density functional approach.

Density functional approach is applied to study the phase behavior of symmetric binary Lennard-Jones(12,6) mixtures in pillared slit-like pores. Our focus is in the evaluation of the first-order phase transitions in adsorbed phases and lines delimiting mixed and demixed adsorbed phases. The scenario of phase changes is sensitive to the pore width, to the energy of fluid-solid interaction, the amount, and the length of the pillars.

Density functional approach to the description of fluids in contact with bilayers.

We discuss an application of a density functional approach to describe a bilayer, or a simplified model of a membrane, that is built of tethered chain molecules. The bilayer integrity is maintained by tethering chain particles to two common sheets. We study the structure of a two-component mixture in contact with the bilayer, as well as the solvation force acting between two bilayers, immersed in a fluid.

Solvation force between surfaces modified by tethered chains: a density functional approach.

The behavior of Lennard-Jones fluid in slitlike pores with walls modified by tethered chain molecules is studied using density functional theory. The effects of confinement and chemical modification of pore walls on the solvation force are investigated. Two models of the pore walls are considered.