Improved Electrochemical Hydrogen Peroxide Detection Using a Nickel(II) Phthalimide-Substituted Porphyrazine Combined with Various Carbon Nanomaterials.

A metal-free porphyrazine derivative with peripheral phthalimide substituents was metallated with a nickel(II) ion. The purity of the nickel macrocycle was confirmed using HPLC, and characterized by MS, UV-VIS, and 1D (H, C) and 2D (H-C HSQC, H-C HMBC, H-H COSY) NMR techniques. The novel porphyrazine was combined with various carbon nanomaterials, such as carbon nanotubes-single walled (SWCNTs) and multi-walled (MWCNTs), and electrochemically reduced graphene oxide (rGO), to create hybrid electroactive electrode materials.

Multi-faceted analysis of bacterial transformation of nitrofurantoin.

Excessive presence of antibiotics and their residues can be dangerous to the natural environment. To reduce this negative effect, efficient strategies to remove them from the ecosystem are required. This study aimed to explore the potential of bacterial strains to degrade nitrofurantoin (NFT).

Exploring Glycosylated Soy Isoflavones Affinities toward G-tetrads as Studied by Survival Yield Method.

Taking soy-based food supplements for menopausal symptoms by women may reduce the risk of cancer. Therefore, the interaction between nucleic acids (or their constituents) and ingredients of the supplements, e. g.

Efficiency of Diclofenac Removal Using Activated Sludge in a Dynamic System (SBR Reactor) with Variable Parameters of pH, Concentration, and Sludge Oxygenation.

Recently, traditional wastewater treatment systems have not been adapted to remove micropollutants, including pharmaceutical substances, which, even at low concentrations, cause adverse changes in aquatic and terrestrial living organisms. The problem of drug residues in the environment has been noticed; however, no universal legal regulations have been established for concentrations of these compounds in treated wastewater. Hence, the aim of the article was to determine the possibility of increasing the efficiency of diclofenac removal from activated sludge using the designed SBR reactor.

Thermal and Electrochemical Properties of Ionic Liquids Bearing Allyl Group with Sulfonate-Based Anions-Application Potential in Epoxy Resin Curing Process.

Sulfonate-based ionic liquids (ILs) with allyl-containing cations have been previously obtained by us, however, the present study aims to investigate the thermal, electrochemical and curing properties of these ILs. To determine the temperature range in which ionic liquid maintains a liquid state, thermal properties must be examined using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). Melting, cold crystallization and glass transition temperatures are discussed, as well as decomposition temperatures for imidazolium- and pyridinium-based ionic liquids.

Comprehensive Analysis of Metabolites in Brews Prepared from Naturally and Technologically Treated Coffee Beans.

Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world. Therefore, this study analyzed 49 coffee samples of Arabica and Robusta species of different geographical origins and the treatment of beans including three degrees of roasting with the use of LC-MS/MS. This is the first study to present a comprehensive analysis of Kopi Luwak coffee brew metabolites in comparison to fully washed coffees and the drying post-harvest treatment of Arabica or Robusta coffee brews.

Hermetia illucens frass improves the physiological state of basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) and its nutritional value under drought.

To counterbalance the growing human population and its increasing demands from the ecosystem, and the impacts on it, new strategies are needed. Use of organic fertilizers boosted the agricultural production, but further increased the ecological burden posed by this indispensable activity. One possible solution to this conundrum is the development and application of more environmentally neutral biofertilizers.

Bioactive Substances of Potato Juice Reveal Synergy in Cytotoxic Activity against Cancer Cells of Digestive System Studied .

More and more literature data indicate the health-promoting effect of potato juice (PJ). However, to date, it has not been precisely explained which of the many compounds present in PJ exhibit biological activity. The work aimed to establish the antiproliferative effect of gastrointestinal digested PJ and the products of its processing.

Advances in the Removal of Cr(III) from Spent Industrial Effluents-A Review.

The review presents advances in the removal of Cr(III) from the industrial effluents published in the last ten years. Although Cr(III) has low solubility and is less dangerous for the aquatic environment than Cr(VI), it cannot be released into the aquatic environment without limitations and its content in water should be restricted. The development of efficient techniques for the removal of Cr(III) is also a response to the problem of chromium wastewater containing Cr(VI) ions.

Discovery of endogenous nitroxyl as a new redox player in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Nitroxyl (HNO) is the one-electron reduced and protonated congener of nitric oxide (•NO), owning a distinct chemical profile. Based on real-time detection, we demonstrate that HNO is endogenously formed in Arabidopsis. Senescence and hypoxia induce shifts in the redox balance, triggering HNO decay or formation mediated by non-enzymatic •NO/HNO interconversion with cellular reductants.

Estrogen pollution of the European aquatic environment: A critical review.

Among the plethora of chemicals released into the environment, much attention is paid to endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs). Natural estrogens, such as estrone (E1), 17β-estradiol (E2), estriol (E3) are excreted by humans as well as animals, and can enter the environment as a result of discharging domestic sewage and animal waste. These compounds can cause deleterious effects such as feminization, infertility and hermaphroditism in organisms that inhabit water bodies.

Basic principles for biosurfactant-assisted (bio)remediation of soils contaminated by heavy metals and petroleum hydrocarbons - A critical evaluation of the performance of rhamnolipids.

Despite the fact that rhamnolipids are among the most studied biosurfactants, there are still several gaps which must be filled. The aim of this review is to emphasize and to indicate which issues should be taken into account in order to achieve efficient rhamnolipids-assisted biodegradation or phytoextraction of soils contaminated by heavy metals and petroleum hydrocarbons without harmful side effects. Four main topics have been elucidated in the review: effective concentration of rhamnolipids in soil, their potential phytotoxicity, susceptibility to biodegradation and interaction with soil microorganisms.

Influence of Modified Starch Admixtures on Selected Physicochemical Properties of Cement Composites.

The conducted research aimed to evaluate the influence of admixtures of various modified starches on the rheological properties of cement composites and their influence on the compressive strength of hardened cement mortars. The study involved 17 different modified starch admixtures. Using a rheometer, the values of viscosity and tangential stresses were determined depending on the shear rate, and were subsequently used to determine the yield point and plastic viscosity of cement slurries.

Electrolysis as a Universal Approach for Isolation of Diverse Chitin Scaffolds from Selected Marine Demosponges.

Three-dimensional chitinous scaffolds often used in regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, biomimetics and technology are mostly isolated from marine organisms, such as marine sponges (Porifera). In this work, we report the results of the electrochemical isolation of the ready to use chitinous matrices from three species of verongiid demosponges (, and ) as a perfect example of possible morphological and chemical dimorphism in the case of the marine chitin sources. The electrolysis of concentrated NaSO aqueous solution showed its superiority over the chemical chitin isolation method in terms of the treatment time reduction: only 5.

Dynamics of microbial communities during biotransformation of nitrofurantoin.

The purpose of this research was to investigate the biodegradation of nitrofurantoin (NFT), a typical nitrofuran antibiotic of potential carcinogenic properties, by two microbial communities derived from distinct environmental niches - mountain stream (NW) and seaport water (SS). The collected environmental samples represent the reserve of the protected area with no human intervention and the contaminated area that concentrates intense human activities. The structure, composition, and diversity of the communities were analyzed at three timepoints during NFT biodegradation.

Clinical, Nutritional, and Functional Evaluation of Chia Seed-Fortified Muffins.

Health-protective functional foods are gaining popularity in the world of nutrition because they promote excellent health while decreasing pharmaceutical burdens. Chia seeds (CS) ( L.), the greatest vegetative source of α-linolenic acid, bioactive proteins, and fibers, are among the top unconventional oilseeds shown to have bounteous benefits against various non-communicable diseases.

Chromium(III) Removal from Nickel(II)-Containing Waste Solutions as a Pretreatment Step in a Hydrometallurgical Process.

This paper presents Cr(III) removal from nickel sulfate waste solutions as a pretreatment step for the modification of hydrogen storage alloys. Adsorption with two cation exchange resins, Dowex G26 (strongly acidic) and MAC-3 (weakly acidic), and precipitation with various solutions were chosen as simple operations for Cr(III) removal from waste solutions. The adsorption of Cr(III) was investigated for both model and real waste nickel solutions.

Operando Monitoring of Local pH Value Changes at the Carbon Electrode Surface in Neutral Sulfate-Based Aqueous Electrochemical Capacitors.

The operando monitoring of pH during the charging and discharging of an electrochemical capacitor in an aqueous neutral salt solution is presented. Proper knowledge of transient and limiting pH values allows for a better understanding of the phenomena that take place during capacitor operation. It also enables the proper assignment of the reaction potentials responsible for water decomposition.

Variation in the Content of Bioactive Compounds in Infusions Prepared from Different Parts of Wild Polish Stinging Nettle ( L.).

Nettle is a common plant that offers many health benefits and is grown all over the world. The content of active compounds in roots, stems, and leaves was determined based on the extraction procedure optimized using the Central Composite Design. Flavonols, phenolic acids, trigonelline, nicotinamide, nicotinic acids, and short-chain organic acids were determined with the use of LC-MS/MS and capillary isotachophoresis.

Gas-Phase Internal Ribose Residue Loss from Mg-ATP and Mg-ADP Complexes: Experimental and Theoretical Evidence for Phosphate-Mg-Adenine Interaction.

Gas-phase decompositions of magnesium complexes with adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP) and adenosine-5'-diphosphate (ADP) were studied by using electrospray ionization-collision-induced dissociation-tandem mass spectrometry, in the negative ion mode. The loss of internal ribose residue was observed and was found to occur directly from the [ADP-3H+Mg] ion. The occurrence of this process indicates the presence of a strong phosphate-Mg-adenine interaction.

Electrocatalytic performance of oxygen-activated carbon fibre felt anodes mediating degradation mechanism of acetaminophen in aqueous environments.

Carbon felts are flexible and scalable, have high specific areas, and are highly conductive materials that fit the requirements for both anodes and cathodes in advanced electrocatalytic processes. Advanced oxidative modification processes (thermal, chemical, and plasma-chemical) were applied to carbon felt anodes to enhance their efficiency towards electro-oxidation. The modification of the porous anodes results in increased kinetics of acetaminophen degradation in aqueous environments.

Influence of Temperature on the Quantity of Bisphenol A in Bottled Drinking Water.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a component used in the production of polycarbonate plastics (PC) and epoxy resins, which are currently widely used in food and beverage packaging. Although BPA is not used in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) manufacturing, a recent study reported its presence in PET water bottles. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of storage conditions on the release of BPA from PET bottles as well as to assess health risks associated with the consumption of bottled water.

Control of hydrogen release during borohydride electrooxidation with porous carbon materials.

Due to their highly tunable electrical and structural properties, carbon materials are widely used in fuel cells. This study reviews the latest modifications carried out in order to improve the electrochemical properties of carbon-based anodes in Direct Borohydride Fuel Cell (DBFC). However, in this type of fuel cell, various types of carbon ( carbon black, activated carbons, carbon nanotubes, graphene and heteroatom-doped carbons and MOF-derived carbon materials) can provide not only catalyst support, but also hydrogen storage due to the extremely complex process of borohydride electrooxidation.