Synthesis and luminescence spectra of poly(methyl methacrylate)/CdS:Ln(III) composites

Cadmium sulfide was prepared by colloidal synthesis in methyl methacrylate (MMA). Europium and terbium salts were added to the colloidal solutions. Using MMA radical polymerization, we synthesized PMMA/CdS:Eu(III), PMMA/CdS:Tb(III), and PMMA/CdS:Eu(III):Tb(III) luminescent composites. Their luminescence is due to defects in the CdS crystals and the 5Dо → 7Fj and 5D4 → 7Fj electronic transitions of the Eu3+ and Tb3+ ions, respectively. It depends on the composition of the materials, complexation on the surface of the colloidal particles, heat treatment time during synthesis, excitation wavelength, and other factors

The effect of silver-containing sorbent on red blood cells during hemosorption: an <i>in vitro</i> study

The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of the original porous silver–containing sorbent on the morphofunctional parameters of red blood cells during in vitro hemoperfusion. Material and methods. Donor blood was perfused through glass columns filled with a sorbent based on porous aluminum oxide, polydimethylsiloxane and silver nanoclusters and a sorbent without silver. The effect of a silver-containing sorbent on the change in morphofunctional parameters of red blood cells after perfusion through sorbents was determined by scanning flow cytometry. Results and their discussion. Due to the uniformity of the distribution of silver (0.1 %) over the sorbent granules, the parameters of the porous structure – the specific surface area and pore volume – practically do not change compared to the sorbent without silver. Morphological parameters of original donor blood and after hemoperfusion are within the norm. The functional parameters are also normal, although the introduction of silver in to the sorbent slightly increases the number of active band 3 (B3) proteins on erythrocyte membranes, both in comparison with the donor red cell mass as a control and in comparison with the sorbent without silver. There is also an increase in the ultimate extensibility of the erythrocyte membrane compared to the original blood (2.2 times) and the sorbent without silver (1.4 times). Conclusions. A sorbent modified with silver and a sorbent without silver does not have a damaging toxic effect on the morphofunctional parameters of blood under perfusion conditions. The mechanisms affecting the indicators of the ultimate extensibility of the erythrocyte membrane after blood perfusion through a silver-containing sorbent require further research

EUNIS Habitat Classification: Expert system, characteristic species combinations and distribution maps of European habitats

Aim: The EUNIS Habitat Classification is a widely used reference framework for European habitat types (habitats), but it lacks formal definitions of individual habitats that would enable their unequivocal identification. Our goal was to develop a tool for assigning vegetation‐plot records to the habitats of the EUNIS system, use it to classify a European vegetation‐plot database, and compile statistically‐derived characteristic species combinations and distribution maps for these habitats. Location: Europe. Methods: We developed the classification expert system EUNIS‐ESy, which contains definitions of individual EUNIS habitats based on their species composition and geographic location. Each habitat was formally defined as a formula in a computer language combining algebraic and set‐theoretic concepts with formal logical operators. We applied this expert system to classify 1,261,373 vegetation plots from the European Vegetation Archive (EVA) and other databases. Then we determined diagnostic, constant and dominant species for each habitat by calculating species‐to‐habitat fidelity and constancy (occurrence frequency) in the classified data set. Finally, we mapped the plot locations for each habitat. Results: Formal definitions were developed for 199 habitats at Level 3 of the EUNIS hierarchy, including 25 coastal, 18 wetland, 55 grassland, 43 shrubland, 46 forest and 12 man‐made habitats. The expert system classified 1,125,121 vegetation plots to these habitat groups and 73,188 to other habitats, while 63,064 plots remained unclassified or were classified to more than one habitat. Data on each habitat were summarized in factsheets containing habitat description, distribution map, corresponding syntaxa and characteristic species combination. Conclusions: EUNIS habitats were characterized for the first time in terms of their species composition and distribution, based on a classification of a European database of vegetation plots using the newly developed electronic expert system EUNIS‐ESy. The data provided and the expert system have considerable potential for future use in European nature conservation planning, monitoring and assessment