Organic contaminants [polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs), nonylphenols], organotin compounds and trace metals (cadmium, chromium, mercury and zinc) were determined in flounder (Platichthys flesus) liver and sediment from the Amsterdam harbour (North Sea Canal) and Rotterdam harbour (Euromonding) and off the Dutch coast betwe...

The YNi9In2-type copper-rich compounds RECu9Cd2 (RE = La, Ce, Pr, Nd) were synthesized directly from the elements in sealed niobium ampoules in an induction furnace and were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction. The structure of PrCu9Cd2 was refined from single-crystal Xray diffractometer data: P4/mbm, a = 849.0(3), c = 498.2(3) pm, wR2 = 0.0418, 374 F2 values, 23 variables. The structure ...

The cadmium-rich intermetallic compounds REPdCd2 (RE = Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm) were obtained by high-frequency melting of the elements in sealed niobium ampoules and subsequent annealing in muffle furnaces. The REPdCd2 phases crystallize with the orthorhombic MgCuAl2-type structure, space group Cmcm. The structure of NdPdCd2 was refined from single-crystal X-ray diffractometer data: a = 421.9(3), b = 9...

Cumulative effect of urbanization, industrialization and population growth is increasing pressure on the limited natural resources. The change in living style has aggravated the problems. Among the diverse environmental problems, the discharge of heavy metals in environment through industrial, agricultural and domestic activities is of great concern. Removal of heavy metal from environment is a...

Phenotypic and genotypic tolerance in 71 Listeria monocytogenes isolates from different varieties of foods to benzalkonium chloride (BC) and cadmium were investigated by susceptibility test and molecular methods. To investigate the role of efflux pumps in BC tolerance, reserpine, an efflux pump inhibitor, was added to the BC tolerant strains. Tolerance to BC and cadmium were 26.8% (19/71) and 4...

Studies aimed at the influence of smoking on reproductive functions have found out fertility disorders in smokers occurring at any stage of reproductive processes. In our experiments the role of cadmium, nicotine and anabasine was investigated in the expansion of oocyte-cumulus complexes (OCC) isolated from large antral porcine follicles. Suppression of FSH-induced cumulus expansion and signifi...

In early-nineteenth-century Prussia, quality control of pharmaceuticals was entrusted to government-appointed physicians. In 1817, one such physician, Johann Roloff, became suspicious of a batch of zinc oxide that could be traced back to the factory of Karl Hermann. Roloff’s preliminary tests suggested that the samples contained arsenic, and so Hermann — worried about the reputation of his busi...

-Bioremediation is the application of biological process principles to the treatment of groundwater, soil and sludge contaminated with hazardous chemicals. It requires the control and manipulation of microbial processes in surface reactors or in the subsurface. Of prime importance, microorganisms are capable of producing enzymes that will degrade the hazardous chemical (target compound) as enzy...

S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) is considered a natural nitric oxide (NO.) reservoir and a reactive nitrogen intermediate in animal cells, but little is known about this molecule and its metabolism in plant systems. In this work, using pea plants as a model system, the presence of GSNO in collenchyma cells was demonstrated by an immunohistochemical method. When pea plants were grown with a toxic Cd...