Advances in characterisation, preparation and application of polysaccharide-derived mesoporous carbons for environmental remediation

Starbons are a group of mesoporous carbonaceous materials derived from renewable and readily available gelling polysaccharides — starch, alginic acid and pectin. They possess a high mesopore volume, a developed surface area, and a wide range of surface properties, ranging from oxygen-rich and hydrophilic to carbon-rich and hydrophobic, achieved by controlled pyrolysis of mesoporous polysaccharide aerogels in the 300–800 ◦C range. The objective of the present work was to build on the existing knowledge and previous developments in characterisation and preparation of Starbons, and their application in adsorption of organic pollutants (phenolics, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, dyes). The aim was to improve our understanding of the relationship between the material properties and application performance. This thesis presents a systematic investigation of the change in chemical and textural properties of alginic acid and pectin-derived Starbons in the thermal range of 25–800 ◦C, using a wide range of complementary analytical techniques, such as N2 adsorption/desorption porosimetry, IR spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, UV spectroscopy, TG-IR, elemental analysis, pH drift, SEM and TEM. Analysis of the data demonstrates the common features of the thermal degradation process between alginic acid and pectin aerogels, and a wide range of biomass, and provides a comprehensive understanding of the properties of carbonized materials at any given temperature. An advancement in the preparation of highly-porous polysaccharide aerogels, using a novel freeze drying route, is reported. This development promises to lead to faster, lower cost and lower waste production of Starbons. The process is universally applicable to starch, alginic acid and pectin-derived materials. Finally, this thesis reports a systematic in-depth investigation of adsorption of a range of phenols and naphthols on alginic acid-derived Starbons prepared at different temperatures and having different surface areas and pore volumes. The analysis of adsorption kinetics, isotherms, thermodynamics, and desorption provided a comprehensive understanding of the factors governing and influencing the adsorption processes. Starbons demonstrate quantitatively greater desorption than conventional activated carbons

State of preparation of a teacher-psychologist for professional adaptation to an inclusive educational environment: Eurasian aspects

The article considers the conditions for preparing a teacher-psychologist for professional adaptation in the environment of inclusive education in the post-Soviet space. The authors consider the work on inclusive education and psychological and pedagogical support for problem categories of the population based on concepts in the field of education. The article is an analytical review. We analyse scientific and pedagogical research on the problems of domestic and foreign inclusive education, the process of personal development and career guidance in the countries of Eurasia, primarily Russia and Kazakhstan. Professional training of future specialists consists in the formation at a high level of professionally important qualities of their morality, communication skills, will, intelligence, etc. We consider the state of inclusive education in higher educational institutions of Russia and Kazakhstan, we focus on the issue of preparing a teacher-psychologist for professional adaptation in an inclusive education environment. The authors present in the article the results of research conducted by students on the issues of professional adaptation at the University

TEMPO-RHYTHMIC ABILITIES OF THE GYMNASTS AS A FACTOR DETERMINING THE DIFFICULTY OF COMPOSITE SOLUTION OF COMPETITIVE ROUTINE IN GROUP ROUTINES DEPENDING ON THE CHOICE OF MUSICAL ACCOMPANIMENT

Starting from 2018 the judges began to evaluate the level of difficulty of the compositions with an open scale according to the rules of the competition. The article is devoted to the evaluation of the compositional difficulty of competitive compositions of group routines in rhythmic gymnastics. One of the factors that determines both the difficulty of the composition and the synchronization of motor interaction execution by sportswomen in group routines is defined. The purpose of this research is to justify the necessity of taking into account tempo-rhythmic abilities of gymnasts that predetermine difficulty of compositional decision of competitive program in group routines. The objective of this study is to reveal the correlational interconnections between tempo-rhythmic abilities and expert evaluations of synchronicity of group motor activity. The methods that were applied in are an expert evaluation that assesses the synchronization of motor actions of gymnasts in group routines and testing that consists of listening to and playing of parts of pieces of music of different rhythmic patterns. The revealed correlational interconnections allow increasing the synchronicity of motor actions of gymnasts in group routines that will make competitive programs more qualitative and spectacular

Polysaccharide-derived mesoporous materials (Starbon®) for sustainable separation of complex mixtures

The recovery and separation of high value and low volume extractives are a considerable challenge for the commercial realisation of zero-waste biorefineries. Using solid-phase extractions (SPE) based on sustainable sorbents is a promising method to enable efficient, green and selective separation of these complex extractive mixtures. Mesoporous carbonaceous solids derived from renewable polysaccharides are ideal stationary phases due to their tuneable functionality and surface structure. In this study, the structure-separation relationships of thirteen polysaccharide-derived mesoporous materials and two modified types as sorbents for ten naturally-occurring bioactive phenolic compounds were investigated. For the first time, a comprehensive statistical analysis of the key molecular and surface properties influencing the recovery of these species was carried out. The obtained results show the possibility of developing tailored materials for purification, separation or extraction, depending on the molecular composition of the analyte. The wide versatility and application span of these polysaccharide-derived mesoporous materials offer new sustainable and inexpensive alternatives to traditional silica-based stationary phases

Safety and immunogenicity of a seasonal trivalent inactivated split influenza vaccine: a phase I randomized clinical trial in healthy Serbian adults

This study was a phase I double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of a Serbian-produced seasonal trivalent split, inactivated influenza vaccine in healthy adults. The vaccine was manufactured in eggs by the Torlak Institute of Virology, Vaccines and Sera, Belgrade, Serbia and contained A/H1N1, A/H3N2 and B viruses. The clinical trial took place at the Clinical Center of Serbia in Belgrade. Sixty healthy volunteers, aged 18-45years, were enrolled in the trial. On the day of immunization, volunteers were randomly assigned to receive either a single dose of the trivalent seasonal influenza vaccine (15g of hemagglutinin per strain) or placebo (phosphate-buffered saline). Subjects were monitored for adverse events through a clinical history and physical examination, and blood was taken for testing at screening and on day 8 to assess vaccine safety. Serum samples obtained before and 21days after immunization were tested for influenza antibody titers using hemagglutination-inhibition (HAI) and microneutralization (MN) tests. No serious adverse events were reported. Pain and tenderness at the injection site were the most commonly reported symptoms in both vaccine and placebo groups. Overall, serum HAI responses of fourfold or greater magnitude were observed to H1, H3, and B antigen in 80%, 75%, and 70% of subjects, respectively. Seroprotection rates as measured by HAI were also high (100%, 100% and 86.67%, respectively, for H1, H3 and B). Thus, Torlak's seasonal trivalent influenza vaccine was not associated with adverse events, was well-tolerated and immunogenic. It should be further evaluated in clinical trials to provide sufficient safety and immunogenicity data for licensing in Serbia

The Fischer–Tropsch reaction in the aqueous phase over rhodium catalysts: a promising route to selective synthesis and separation of oxygenates and hydrocarbons

International audienc

GIS-based Valuation of Ecosystem Services in Mountain Regions: A Case Study of the Karlovo Municipality in Bulgaria

This study aims to apply approaches, methods, and indicators from the conceptual framework of ecosystem services valuation to a real world, local level case study. It tests a GIS-based mapping and valuation of ecosystem services model in a typical mountain municipality in Bulgaria. Investigation results address opportunities, challenges and limitations in the practical application of the ecosystem services concept. They include an integrated assessment of the ecosystem services in a specific administrative territorial unit and suggest its Total Economic Value. The introduction of the term “ecosystem services dysergy” should contribute to valuation theory and practice. The study upgrades the currently available knowledge base that supports geospatial planning and sustainable development of the Karlovo Municipality and offers recommendations for improvement of the municipal ecosystem services utilization, which include identification, analysis, and visualization of hotspots and dysergy areas

Aqueous-Phase Fischer-Tropsch Reaction over Highly Dispersed Rhodium Catalysts: Synthesis and Separation of Oxygenates and Hydrocarbons

International audienc

The Comparative Immunotropic Activity of Carrageenan, Chitosan and Their Complexes

The immunotropic activity of polyelectrolyte complexes (PEC) of κ-carrageenan (κ-CGN) and chitosan (CH) of various compositions was assessed in comparison with the initial polysaccharides in comparable doses. For this, two soluble forms of PEC, with an excess of CH (CH:CGN mass ratios of 10:1) and with an excess of CGN (CH: CGN mass ratios of 1:10) were prepared. The ability of PEC to scavenge NO depended on the content of the κ-CGN in the PEC. The ability of the PEC to induce the synthesis of pro-inflammatory (tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)) and anti-inflammatory (interleukine-10 (IL-10)) cytokines in peripheral blood mononuclear cell was determined by the activity of the initial κ-CGN, regardless of their composition. The anti-inflammatory activity of PEC and the initial compounds was studied using test of histamine-, concanavalin A-, and sheep erythrocyte immunization-induced inflammation in mice. The highest activity of PEC, as well as the initial polysaccharides κ-CGN and CH, was observed in a histamine-induced exudative inflammation, directly related to the activation of phagocytic cells, i.e., macrophages and neutrophils