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This paper presents a sustainable recycling process for the separation and recovery of tempered glass from end-of-life photovoltaic (PV) modules. As glass accounts for 75% of the weight of a panel, its recovery is an important step in the recycling process. Current methods, such as mechanical, chemical and thermal processes, often lead to contamination of the glass and pose significant environmental risks. In response to these challenges, a thermal–mechanical delamination approach is proposed in this study. The method utilizes controlled heat application (hot air gun) to weaken the adhesive bond between the glass and encapsulant, allowing for separation with a thin stainless steel wire. Various analytical methods, including X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), were used to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. The results show that the proposed method is effective. In less than a minute, the glass layer was separated and recovered with a success rate of over 99%, with no degradation of the material or release of gasses. The significance of this process lies in its ability to recover high-purity glass while minimizing the impact on the environment. This opens up the possibility of reusing the recovered tempered glass in new PV panels or other applications, reducing the need for virgin materials and lowering the overall environmental footprint of the solar energy industry.

Currently, one of the most serious global problems is the increasing incidence of infectious diseases. This is closely related to the increase in antibiotic use, which has resulted in the development of multidrug resistance in microorganisms. Another problem is the numerous microbiological contaminations of cosmetic products, which can lead to dangerous bacterial infections in humans. Natural fragrance raw materials exhibit a wide spectrum of biological properties, including antimicrobial properties. Despite their prevalence and availability on the commercial market, there is little research into their effects on multidrug-resistant microorganisms. This study examines the inhibitory effect of natural substances on Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. For this purpose, screening and appropriate assays were carried out to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of individual substances, using the alamarBlueTM reagent. The lowest MIC values were observed for Staphylococcus aureus (black seed (Nigella sativa) expressed oil, MIC = 25 µg/mL), Kocuria rhizophila (fir balsam absolute, MIC = 12.5 µg/mL), and Pseudomonas putida (cubeb oil and fir balsam absolute, MIC = 12.5 µg/mL). The most resistant Gram-negative species was Enterobacter gergoviae, while Staphylococcus epidermidis was the most resistant Gram-positive species.

Abstract Due to market and legislative expectations, there is a constant need to explore new potential antimicrobial agents for functional perfumery. In this study, we evaluated the antimicrobial activity of 53 low molecular oximes and the corresponding carbonyl compounds against Escherichia coli, Enterococcus hirae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Aspergillus brasiliensis, Legionella pneumophila and Candida albicans. The most potent compound was α-isomethylionone oxime, which exhibited a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 18.75 µg/mL against E. hirae. The evaluation of the MICs for bacterial and fungal strains was performed for selected compounds, for example, the MIC of 2-phenylpropionaldehyde, cis-jasmone oxime, and trans-cinnamaldehyde measured against A. brasiliensis was 37.50 µg/mL. ADME-Tox (Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion, and Toxicity) and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium (MTS) cell viability assays were performed to assess the cytotoxicity of tested compounds. ADME-Tox indicated the safety and promising properties of selected compounds, which enables their usage as nontoxic supporting antibacterial agents. The results of the in vitro MTS assay were consistent with the ADME-Tox results. None of the compounds tested was toxic to Human Embryonic Kidney 293T (HEK293T) cells, with all cell viabilities exceeding 85%.

Summary:. Procedures with polydioxanone (PDO) threads are increasingly used for aesthetic indications. To date, eight cases of serious complications following the use of PDO threads have been published. In this case report, we present a case of a serious bacterial complication after a procedure with four PDO threads. A 52-year-old female patient presented to our center 1 month after undergoing the procedure at another center. Despite early symptoms, no treatment had previously been implemented. Perforating abscesses were found along the course of the threads. After 5 days of antibiotic therapy (amoxicillin 875 mg and clavulanic acid 125 mg p.o. every 12 hours), the threads were surgically removed due to skin rippling. During the procedure, the threads were found to be fragile, and several incisions were necessary to remove them. After 1 month, no signs of inflammation were reported. However, persistent deformities occurred due to delayed treatment implementation. Bacterial complications seem to be a typical complication following the procedure with PDO threads. PDO threads can be difficult to remove due their fragility. The possible need for surgical removal of the threads should be considered when selecting areas for application.

Coal beneficiation processes are often based on gravitational enrichment techniques. Therefore, various types of jigs are often used in this area. A number of factors determine the quality of the final product. Therefore, proper and systematic monitoring of such a process is necessary. The present work examined the effect of the hutch water amount and the amount of processed coal (system capacity) on the yield and ash grade in individual density–size fractions. A statistical method in the form of the Kruskal–Wallis test and the Friedman test was used to evaluate the process. These tests were proposed as universal and reliable alternatives to classical analysis of variance (ANOVA) analysis. The performed analysis allowed for the determination of what process conditions should be selected in order to obtain certain effects. Therefore, it allowed us to apply certain combinations of hutch water amount, system capacity and particle characteristics to maximize the expected effects. The application of statistical analysis methods in the form of Kruskal–Wallis and Friedman tests to evaluate process efficiency creates new possibilities to monitor and optimize the jigging process in both context of amount and quality of final product and is very important not only for mining enterprise but also from an environmental point of view.

This paper presents the jig operating properties of the selected final parameters of the hard coal concentrate. The quality parameters of the product, such as the yield and ash content, were evaluated in terms of the technical and hydrodynamic parameters of the jig’s operation. The research program included a series of experiments in which the efficiency and the amount of hutch water were changed. The variables selected and analyzed were divided into two categories, i.e., one related to the characteristics of the concentrate produced, and the other to the characteristics of the jig operation. Models were built for narrowed particle size fractions based on concentrate yield and ash content in the concentrate. In addition, a multidimensional analysis was performed, considering variables such as machine throughput, which was determined by the flow rate of the material, the amount of hutch water, the quality of the concentrate, and the amount of concentrate, as well as the accuracy of the jig operation expressed by the imperfection. Two main parameters were taken into account for modeling the operation to examine their significance of influence on the final responses in terms of the possibility of adjusting the value of independent settings of the jig operation. The presented approach to modeling the operation of the jig can be extended by considering the impact of other parameters, taking into account the variability of the final effect, as long as it is allowed under the industrial conditions of machine operation and the assumed production requirements. The approach presented in this paper is a new technique, which was not found in the literature.

Oximes, which are highly bioactive molecules, have versatile uses in the medical sector and have been indicated to possess biological activity. Certain oximes exist in nature in plants and animals, but they are also obtained by chemical synthesis. Oximes are known for their anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant and anticancer activities. Moreover, they are therapeutic agents against organophosphate (OP) poisoning. Two oximes are already commonly used in therapy. Due to these abilities, new oxime compounds have been synthesized, and their biological activity has been verified. Often, modification of carbonyl compounds into oximes leads to increased activity. Nevertheless, in some cases, oxime activity is connected to the activity of the substrate. Recent works have revealed that new oxime compounds can demonstrate such functions and thus are considered to be potential drugs for pathogenic diseases, as adjuvant therapy in various types of cancer and inflammation and as potential next-generation drugs against OP poisoning.

The paper presents a way of combining neural networks with evolutionary algorithms in order to find optimal parameters of the copper flotation enrichment process. The neural network was used in order to build a model describing the flotation process. The network learning was carried out with the use of samples from previous empirical measurements of the actual process. The model created in this way made it possible to find optimal parameters not only from among the measurement spaces, but also those that go beyond the measurements. Then, evolutionary algorithms were used in order to find optimal flotation parameters. The learned neural network previously described was used to calculate the criterion in the evolutionary algorithm.

Oximes, which are highly bioactive molecules, have versatile uses in the medical sector and have been indicated to possess biological activity. Certain oximes exist in nature in plants and animals, but they are also obtained by chemical synthesis. Oximes are known for their anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant and anticancer activities. Moreover, they are therapeutic agents against organophosphate (OP) poisoning. Two oximes are already commonly used in therapy. Due to these abilities, new oxime compounds have been synthesized, and their biological activity has been verified. Often, modification of carbonyl compounds into oximes leads to increased activity. Nevertheless, in some cases, oxime activity is connected to the activity of the substrate. Recent works have revealed that new oxime compounds can demonstrate such functions and thus are considered to be potential drugs for pathogenic diseases, as adjuvant therapy in various types of cancer and inflammation and as potential next-generation drugs against OP poisoning.

The paper presents the results of investigations of chromium recovery from the Cr waste mud, originating in the production of sodium dichromate. The differentiation of physical properties of particles of different contents of chromium and magnesium compounds is a premise for the use of physical separation methods. The investigations were performed on 2 waste samples, taken by random from the waste dump. The investigations of magnetic and gravity concentration for sample I and II were made, respectively. The results of screen and float and sink analyses of sample II indicate that it is possible to obtain Cr- and Mg-enriched products by means of a combined method of separation, i.e. hydraulic classification and, next, gravitational concentration on the shaking table. The concept of gravity concentration of the tested chromium waste was verified in the technical scale on multiboard shaking tables. The advantage of these fittings in relation to laboratory conditions is the possibility of separation of discussed waste without previous classification. The longer time of separation on the industrial shaking table as well as the respective amount of water directed to the process together with feed enabled an exact separation of initial material. The obtained concentrate in such conditions contains from 25 to 35% Cr2O3, depending on the chromium content in the initial waste material. It results from the fractional magnetic analysis of sample I that by means of the magnetic separation it is possible to obtain the magnetic concentrate of Cr2O3 content minimum 20% and, simultaneously, to obtain the non-magnetic product of increased MgO content. The optimum separation conditions regarding the yield and content of Cr2O3 were determined. The highest value of criterion K for the grade of the concentrate containing over 20% of Cr2O3 is obtained when the 10 mm diameter balls and the 1150 kA/m magnetic field intensity are applied. The yield of the concentrate equals about 9.5 % and recovery of Cr2O3 almost 22%. In the non-magnetic product the content of Cr2O3 equals 7.74% and MgO 27.36%.

Flotation is a method of enrichment used to distribute particles, which differ in their surface properties. Hydrophobic solids intrinsically create contact at the solid-liquid-gas interface. However, not all minerals, including copper minerals, can be characterized by this crucial ability. In that case it is necessary to use the collector reagents which guarantees a high efficiency of the enrichment process. The main aim of the paper was to examine the impact of selected collector types and dosages on the results of Polish sandstone copper ore flotation and to find optimal parameter values for products that meet quality and quantity requirements. The laboratory tests were carried out with an application of two types of collectors (Hostaflot, sodium ethyl xanthate aqueous solution) in dosages 100 and 150 g/Mg. Data analysis was based on the use of the taxonomy methods in order to select optimal conditions of collector dosage and type. Based on the indexes, it was found that the best enrichment effects were obtained with a sodium ethyl xanthate aqueous solution 150 g/Mg.

Betulin and betulinic acid are naturally occurring pentacyclic triterpenes showing cytotoxicity towards a number of cancer cell lines. These compounds can be found in the bark of the many plants. In this report we have compared the cytotoxic activity of crude birch bark extract and purified betulin and betulinic acid towards human gastric carcinoma (EPG85-257) and human pancreatic carcinoma (EPP85-181) drug-sensitive and drug-resistant (daunorubicin and mitoxantrone) cell lines. Our results show significant differences in sensitivity between cell lines depending on the compound used, and suggest that both betulin and betulinic acid can be considered as a promising leads in the treatment of cancer.

It is suggested that tumour stromal myofibroblasts exert an unfavourable effect on the biology of breast cancer. We are aware of only a single study which examined relationships between manifestation of myofibroblasts in the stroma of breast cancer and clinicopathological data of the patients. The present study was aimed at estimation of the effect exerted by myofibroblasts present in the tumour stroma on principal pathological parameters and on expression of Ki67, P53 and HER-2 proteins in the group of the most frequent breast cancers, the ductal cancers. In paraffin sections of 60 ductal breast cancers (20 cases in G1, 20 in G2 and 20 in G3), immunohistochemical reactions were performed to detect expression of smooth muscle actin (SMA) in order to visualize myofibroblasts, Ki67, P53 and HER-2. The studies demonstrated that the most numerous myofibroblasts were present in G3 cases and they were the least frequent in G1 cases (P = 0.02). Positive correlations were observed between the presence of myofibroblasts in tumour stroma and expression of Ki67 and HER-2 in breast cancer cells in the entire group (P < 0.001 and P = 0.001, respectively), in G2 cases (P = 0.003 and P = 0.03) and in G3 cases (P = 0.01 and P = 0.03). Considering that the higher grade, Ki67 and HER-2 are thought to represent unfavourable prognostic factors, the elevated content of myofibroblasts in tumour stroma is probably typical for cases with worse prognosis.

The settling velocity is an independent variable of the hydraulic separation performed for instance by means of jigs. Therefore, the settling velocity characterizes the material forwarded to the separation process. The paper presents a method of determining the distribution of settling velocity in the sample of non-spherical particles for the turbulent particle motion in which the settling velocity is expressed by the Newton formula. Because it depends on thee size, density and shape factors of the particle, which are random variables of certain distributions, the settling velocity is a random variable too. Applying theorems of probability calculation concerning the functions of random variables, formulae for the frequency fractions of settling velocity were presented.

Quality of applied hard coal fuel to combustion processes influence significantly on process efficiency and effects of its influence on surrounding environment. It is particularly important issue in time of Clean Coal Technologies (CTW). The paper presents the analysis of hard coal beneficiation in a jig for getting an optimal recovery of useful fraction in concentrate (combustible matter) and not useful fraction (ash and sulfur). On the basis of industrial sampling of coal dust jig the density analysis of collected samples of concentrate and tailings was performed in laboratory conditions. In separated fractions of separation products the yields of products were calculated and the contents of ash and total sulfur were marked in them. On the basis of the results of density and chemical analyzes, separation products balance and appropriate calculations the Fuerstenau beneficiation curves were plotted which allowed to evaluate process and compare results of beneficiation of material containing various components. This is a different approach to evaluation of coal beneficiation effects, so far being used mainly for multi-component metals ores. Furthermore, the evaluation of separation preciseness on the basis of separation curves and factors was done and the statistical analysis of mutual correlations of analyzed parameters was done.

The flotation of copper ore is a complex technological process that depends on many parameters. Therefore, it is necessary to take into account the complexity of this phenomenon by choosing a multidimensional data analysis. The paper presents the results of modelling and analysis of beneficiation process of sandstone copper ore. Considering the implementation of multidimensional statistical methods it was necessary to carry out a multi-level experiment, which included 4 parameters (size fraction, collector type and dosage, flotation time). The main aim of the paper was the preparation of flotation process models for the recovery and the content of the metal in products. A MANOVA was implemented to explore the relationship between dependent (β, ϑ, ε, η) and independent (d, t, cd, ct) variables. The design of models was based on linear and nonlinear regression. The results of the variation analysis indicated the high significance of all parameters for the process. The average degree of matching of linear models to experimental data was set at 49% and 33% for copper content in the concentrate and tailings and 47% for the recovery of copper minerals in the both. The results confirms the complexity and stochasticity of the Polish copper ore flotation.

In parthanatos, a PARP-1 (poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1)-mediated cell death, dissipation of mitochondrial membrane potential, large-scale DNA fragmentation and chromatin condensation were observed. In contrast to apoptosis, it does not cause apoptotic bodies formation. Although PARP-1-mediated cell death presents loss of membrane integrity similar to necrosis, it does not induce cell swelling. The purpose of the study was to correlate the immunohistochemical parameters of PARP-1 reactivity and the selected cytomorphological features of parthanatos: the lack of apoptotic bodies and the absence of necrosis in breast cancer (BC) specimens. Immunohistochemistry for PARP-1 was performed on 83 BC specimens. Correlations between parameters of PARP-1 expression and sub-cellular localisation and the presence of apoptotic bodies and necrosis were evaluated. High expression of PARP-1 (ImmunoReactive Score ≥6) was associated with the lack of apoptotic bodies (P=0.013) and with the absence of necrosis (P=0.002). The presence of apoptotic bodies was correlated with re-distribution of PARP-1 from the nucleus to cytoplasm in BC cells (P=0.029). Additionally, a tendency was observed between necrosis and loss of nuclear PARP-1 expression (P=0.049). Our study suggests that PARP-1 may play a crucial role in induction and regulation of specific type of cellular death called parthanatos.

In the last decade, optimized treatment for non-small cell lung cancer had lead to improved prognosis, but the overall survival is still very short. To further understand the molecular basis of the disease we have to identify biomarkers related to survival. Here we present the development of an online tool suitable for the real-time meta-analysis of published lung cancer microarray datasets to identify biomarkers related to survival. We searched the caBIG, GEO and TCGA repositories to identify samples with published gene expression data and survival information. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis, Kaplan-Meier survival plot with hazard ratio and logrank P value are calculated and plotted in R. The complete analysis tool can be accessed online at: www.kmplot.com/lung. All together 1,715 samples of ten independent datasets were integrated into the system. As a demonstration, we used the tool to validate 21 previously published survival associated biomarkers. Of these, survival was best predicted by CDK1 (p

As far as coal is concerned, the data are usually considered to be independent variables, and such an approach is not always appropriate. Therefore, the paper focuses on the multidimensional analysis, which allows to conduct the comparisons of the coal types and to determine the relationship between their specific characteristics. The paper presents an analysis of variance and an observational tunnels method, which enabled to examine the differences between three types of coals: 31, 34.2 and 35. In order to achieve the experimental aim, a number of laboratory analyses of coal were carried out. Such parameters as combustion heat, ash contents, sulfur contents, volatile parts contents and analytical moisture were determined for samples, including the mass and density of these fractions, so seven various features were specified for each coal. The results of the observational tunnels method and the ANOVA application confirmed that the accepted parameters were sufficient for the proper identification of the coal sample origin and their size fractions. As a result of ANOVA, the volatile matter content was determined as the feature on which identification of the coal types can be based, regardless of size fraction. However, the remaining parameters affect the study groups randomly. While applying the methods of multidimensional analysis, some limitations were encountered that indicated the complex structure of the grained material.

Copper ores located in the Lubin-Glogow Copper Basin contain three main lithological fractions: sandstone, carbonate and shale. This fact is the basic problem of organization and conducting ore preparation to flotation. The existing circuit of feed preparation contains (in ZG Rudna) five classification nodes of hydrocyclones which fit for various purposes. The elaboration of concept of monitoring work of these nodes should be based on appropriate mathematical models of process. It was decided that either regressive or non-dimensional models that is classification according to Svarovsky, and particularly Plitt’s, will be suitable, in the aspects of d50 and partition sharpness. Errors resulting from determination of the features being part of the equations were also important. In this paper the errors were divided into technical and technological. The issue of experiments organization (mineralogical investigation connected with each classification node) was also addressed. It is obvious that each classification node must obtain its characteristics because of various comminution products directed to classification.

Electric field has a lot of applications in technology. One of them is electrodynamic separation: electric field influences selectively granular solids of different moments or charges. A mathematical model of the separation process in high voltage drum separator is presented in the paper. Particles are charged both by induction and corona phenomena: next, they are separated by effects of the field forces. Some computational and experimental results are given and analyses.

The coal gasification process is one of the technologies which gain more and more attention among technologists dealing with processing and utilization of coal. In case of ground gasification, one of such technologies is fluidized bed gasification. For such gasification the guidelines were elaborated within the scientific project of NCBiR no. 23.23.100.8498/R34 Authors chose main of these guidelines, concerning the required levels of certain coal features. In purpose of investigating coal for its suitability to gasification, samples were collected from two Polish mines: ZG Janina and ZG Wieczorek and processed properly. The methods being used to visualization of multidimensional data through transformation of multidimensional space into two-dimensional space allow to present multidimensional data on computer screen. Among such methods, relevance maps method can be found which was used in this paper to present and analyze set of seven-dimensional data describing coal samples originating from both mines. It was decided to check whether this method of visualization of multidimensional data allows to divide the samples space into subspaces of various usefulness to the process of fluidal gasification or not. The method enables the visualisation of the optimal subspace containing the set requirements concerning the properties of coals intended for this process.