Photocatalytic Decolourization of Direct Yellow 9 on Titanium and Zinc Oxides

The photodecolourization of Direct Yellow 9, a member of the group of azo dyes which are commonly used in the various branches of the industry, was investigated. The photostability of this dye was not previously examined. Photocatalytic degradation method was evaluated. Solar simulated light (E=500 W/m2), titanium dioxide, and zinc oxide were used as irradiation source and photocatalysts, respectively. Kinetic studies were performed on a basis of a spectrophotometric method. Degradation efficiency was assessed by applying high performance liquid chromatography. Disappearance of a dye from titanium dioxide and zinc oxide surfaces after degradation was confirmed by thermogravimetry and Raman microscopy. Direct Yellow 9 was found to undergo the photodegradation with approximately two times higher efficiency when zinc oxide was applied in comparison with titanium dioxide. A simple and promising way to apply the photocatalytic removal of Direct Yellow 9 in titanium dioxide and zinc oxide suspensions was presented

Development of an SPR imaging biosensor for determination of cathepsin G in saliva and white blood cells

Cathepsin G (CatG) is an endopeptidase that is associated with the early immune response. The synthetic compound cathepsin G inhibitor I (CGI-I) was tested for its ability to inhibit the activity of CatG via a new surface plasmon resonance imaging assay. CGI-I was immobilized on the gold surface of an SPR sensor that was first modified with 1-octadecanethiol. A concentration of CGI-I equal to 4.0 μg·mL-1 and a pH of 8.0 were found to give the best results. The dynamic response of the sensor ranges from 0.25 to 1.5 ng·mL-1, and the detection limit is 0.12 ng·mL-1. The sensor was applied to detect CatG in human saliva and white blood cells

Preparation and application of the nanocomposites on the basis of fullerene C60 derivatives and titanium dioxide as potential photocatalysts

W obliczu wyczerpujących się konwencjonalnych źródeł energii oraz ze względu na potrzebę eliminacji kosztownych promienników UV, ogromnym postępem byłoby uzyskanie układów wykazujących fotokatalityczne właściwości w obecności światła słonecznego. Z tego też względu po raz pierwszy do syntezy układów fotokatalitycznych jednocześnie wykorzystano związki o silnym działaniu chromoforowym, do jakich należą porfiryny i ftalocyjaniny oraz pochodne fulerenu. Scharakteryzowano właściwości fizykochemiczne zsyntezowanych związków organicznych oraz kompozytów otrzymanych z ich udziałem oraz ditlenku tytanu. Aktywność fotokatalityczną oceniono, śledząc kinetykę rozkładu trzech związków modelowych: fenolu, kwercetyny oraz błękitu metylenowego. Wykazano także praktyczną użyteczność układu o najwyższej fotokatalitycznej aktywności, badając rozkład związków modelowych w środowisku matryc naturalnych w postaci próbek wód rzecznych i ścieków. Określono również produkty fotokatalitycznego rozkładu stosowanych związków modelowych.In the face of depleting conventional energy sources and because of the need to eliminate expensive UV lamps, enormous progress would be achieved by the preparation of the systems revealing photocatalytic properties in the presence of sunlight. Therefore, for the first time in the synthesis of the photocatalytic systems chromophoric compounds such as porphyrins and phthalocyanines, and derivatives of fullerene were simultaneously applied. Physicochemical properties of the synthesized organic structures and the composites with their and titanium dioxide participation were characterized. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated by the observation of the kinetics of decomposition of the three model compounds: phenol, quercetin and methylene blue. Also the practical utility of the system presenting the highest photocatalytic activity was proved by the examination of the model compounds degradation in the presence of natural matrices in the form of samples of river water and sewage.Wydział Biologiczno-Chemiczny. Instytut Chemii

Investigation of novel material for effective photodegradation of bezafibrate in aqueous samples

A novel composite with an enhanced photocatalytic activity was prepared and applied to study the removal of bezafibrate (BZF), a hypolypemic pharmaceutical, from an aqueous environment. For the enhancement of titanium dioxide photoactivity a fullerene derivative, 2-(ferrocenyl) fulleropyrrolidine (FcC(60)), was synthesized and applied. Obtained composite was found to show a higher catalytic activity than pristine TiO(2). Therefore, high hopes are set in composites that are based on carbonaceous nanomaterials and TiO(2) as a new efficient photocatalysts

Theories and typology of goal conflict in food consumption

The aim of this paper is to systemize the theoretical framework related to the conflict in consumption, exemplified by consumption of food. The article presents the basic concepts related to goal conflict and adapts social and psychological theories describing and explaining the conflict of objectives to identify the causes of conflicts in the sphere of food consumption. The paper describes also the most common conflicts in food choices identified in the literature and indicates the usefulness of a theoretical framework of goal conflict for new food product design and development.Celem publikacji jest usystematyzowanie ram teoretycznych związanych z konfliktem celów w konsumpcji. Teorię konfliktu celów zilustrowano również przykładami związanymi z konsumpcją żywności. W artykule przedstawiono podstawowe pojęcia związane z problematyką konfliktu celów oraz zaadaptowano teorie społeczne i psychologiczne opisujące oraz wyjaśniające konflikt celów do identyfikacji przyczyn konfliktów w sferze konsumpcji, a także szerzej opisano zidentyfikowane w literaturze przedmiotu najczęściej występujące konflikty celów w konsumpcji żywności. Zasygnalizowano również przydatność ram teoretycznych w identyfikacji konfliktów i ich rozwiązywaniu na polu projektowania nowych produktów spożywczych

Conditions of the Reform of Institutional Structure of Official Food Control – Need for Systemic

Niepokojące wyniki przeprowadzanych w ostatnich latach przez NIK kontroli dotyczących bezpieczeństwa żywności, spowodowane zdaniem Izby „brakiem spójnego i efektywnego systemu nadzoru nad bezpieczeństwem produkcji i dystrybucji żywności”, stały się bodźcem do wznowienia rozważań na temat możliwości konsolidacji struktury polskich organów jej urzędowej kontroli. Dalekosiężnym celem jest skupienie w jednej instytucji nadzorującej wszystkich lub przynajmniej większości elementów zróżnicowanego zakresu przedmiotowego prawa żywnościowego. Służyłoby to z jednej strony poprawie skuteczności nadzoru nad podmiotami obecnymi na rynku spożywczym, a z drugiej zmniejszeniu administracyjnego obciążenia, np. dzięki redukcji liczby organów, które badają ich działalność gospodarczą. Pomimo konsensusu świata nauki, przedstawicieli administracji publicznej i organizacji przedsiębiorców co do celu reformy, od wielu lat nie doczekała się ona realizacji. Dyskutuje się o usytuowaniu nowej inspekcji lub jej centralnego organu. Proponuje się podporządkowanie nowego podmiotu ministrowi właściwemu ds. zdrowia, który w Polsce koordynuje działalność instytucji związanych z bezpieczeństwem żywności, albo Prezesowi Rady Ministrów, zamiast postulowanej w ostatnim projekcie podległości ministrowi ds. rolnictwa.Changes in Poland The alarming results of the audits conducted by NIK over the last years in the area of food safety, stemming from the lack of a consistent and effective system for supervision of the safety of food production and distribution, have become an inspiration for reconsidering potential options of consolidating the structure of the Polish bodies dealing with official food control. The long-term objective is to provide for a single institution that would supervise all, or at least the majority of, elements of the varied food-related law, with a view to, on the one hand, improving the effectiveness of the entities that operate on the food market, and, on the other hand, diminishing the administrative burden of these entities, e.g. through reducing the number of bodies that supervise their economic activity with regard to health protection and other interests of consumers. Despite the consensus of the scientific circles, public administration and entrepreneur organisations as for the said objective of the reform, it has not been implemented for many years, among others due to the broad scope of the problem. Furthermore, for many years the issue of the supervision of a new inspectorate or its central body has been discussed. There are proposals to make it subordinate to the minister of health, who in Poland coordinates food safety, or to the Prime Minister, instead of the subordination to the minister of agriculture, which has been set forth, among others, in the latest draft law

The effect of chronic mild stress and imipramine on the markers of oxidative stress and antioxidant system in rat liver

Liver abnormalities have been reported to occur in up to 20 % of patients on a long-term therapy with the tricyclic antidepressant drug imipramine (IMI). The mechanism involved in this IMI-induced process is unknown but a contribution of oxidative stress is highly likely. Chronic mild stress (CMS) is widely used for modeling depressive-like behavior in rats. In the present study, we examined the effects of CMS and chronic IMI treatment, applied alone or in combination, on the levels of oxidative stress markers, such as reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), non-protein sulfhydryl groups, and sulfane sulfur as well as on activities of key antioxidant enzymes: catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and superoxide dismutase in the rat liver. Administration of IMI for 5 weeks to rats subjected to CMS resulted in a gradual significant reduction of anhedonia measured by sucrose intake, in a majority of animals (CMS IMI-reactive, CMS IMI-R), although about 20 % of rats did not respond to the IMI treatment (CMS IMI non-reactive, CMS IMI-NR). CMS-induced hepatic oxidative stress, estimated by increased ROS and MDA concentrations, was not prevented by the IMI administration, moreover, in CMS IMI-NR animals, the level of the marker of lipid peroxidation, i.e., MDA was increased in comparison to CMS-subjected rats and activity of antioxidant enzymes (GPx and CAT) was decreased compared to IMI-treated rats. The clinical significance of this observation remains to be established

Hydrogeological databases : the scope of data and sharing collected information

An important task of the Polish Geological Institute - National Research Institute (PGI-NRI) acting as the Polish Hydrogeological Survey (PHS) is to collect hydrogeological data and information for the entire country. Hydrogeological databases contain information on hydrogeological conditions, groundwater resources, and groundwater monitoring results in terms of chemical and quantitative status, which together form the PHS data processing system. Input data of databases are: results of cartographic works, information from hydrogeological documentations, data produced by other institutions and users, as well as results of research conducted in the groundwater monitoring network. The article presents the characteristics of hydrogeological databases that constitute the basis for the implementation of the main tasks of the PHS, which is the recognition, balancing and protection of groundwater in the country. The information contained in the hydrogeological databases kept by PGI-NRI is made available on request, in accordance with regulations. The main recipients of this data are government and local administration, companies commissioned by government or local administration, as well as universities and research institutes