Determining the possibility of using selected composts to remove aqueous solutions from zinc ions in concentrations of up to 1000 mg.L-1

The high sorption capacity of compost indicates that it can be a cheap alternative to the currently used sorbents, also in the case of heavy metals. The sorption of zinc from aqueous solutions with the use of the selected compost types not meeting standards was carried out in accordance with the batch method in the constant contact conditions of a liquid (100 mL) and a solid (5,0 g) when the concentrations of Zn2+ were 100, 250, 500, 750 and 1000 mg·L-1. The efficiency of the process decreased with an increasing Zn2+ concentration and was strongly dependent on the quality of the compost and the composition of the initial compost mixture. For the highest concentration of zinc, the best efficiency (nearly 70%) was obtained in case of the commercial compost, while the lowest one (only 25%) in the case of the compost made only from green waste and prepared in a garden compost bin. The experimental results were described using the Freundlich isotherms and the obtained equation parameters show the adsorption process. It was found that compost can serve as an efficient sorbent with regard to zinc ions

Measurement of hadron cross sections with the SND detector

New results on exclusive hadron production in $e^+e^-$ annihilation obtained in experiments with the SND detector at the VEPP-2M and VEPP-2000 $e^+e^-$ colliders are presented.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, presented at the 14th International Workshop on Meson Production, Properties and Interaction (MESON 2016), Cracow, Poland, 2nd - 7th June 201

Heparan sulfate expression in the neural crest is essential for mouse cardiogenesis

Impaired heparan sulfate (HS) synthesis in vertebrate development causes complex malformations due to the functional disruption of multiple HS-binding growth factors and morphogens. Here, we report developmental heart defects in mice bearing a targeted disruption of the HS-generating enzyme GlcNAc N-deacetylase/GlcN N-sulfotransferase 1 (NDST1), including ventricular septal defects (VSD), persistent truncus arteriosus (PTA), double outlet right ventricle (DORV), and retroesophageal right subclavian artery (RERSC). These defects closely resemble cardiac anomalies observed in mice made deficient in the cardiogenic regulator fibroblast growth factor 8 (FGF8). Consistent with this, we show that HS-dependent FGF8/FGF-receptor2C assembly and FGF8-dependent ERK-phosphorylation are strongly reduced in NDST1(-/-) embryonic cells and tissues. Moreover, WNT1-Cre/LoxP-mediated conditional targeting of NDST function in neural crest cells (NCCs) revealed that their impaired HS-dependent development contributes strongly to the observed cardiac defects. These findings raise the possibility that defects in HS biosynthesis may contribute to congenital heart defects in humans that represent the most common type of birth defect