Extensive damage to organisms and declines in wildlife populations have been observed together with long-term bioaccumulation and biomagnification of persistent xenobiotic chemicals. Heavy metals, especially organic or biomethylated mercury, lead, cadmium and organic tin compounds have caused environmental damage through bioaccumulation on a local scale. Effects on wildife caused by bioaccumula...

Using the first-principles plane wave pseudopotential method we have studied structural, electronic, and transport properties of atomic chains of group-IV elements and group III-V and group II-VI binary compounds. Several materials which are insulating or semiconducting in bulk are found to be metallic in nanowire structures. Our calculations reveal that monatomic chains of Si, Ge, and Sn eleme...

The aggregating effects of adenosine diphosphate, thrombin, 5-hydroxytryptamine, tryptamine, adrenaline and noradrenaline, and tri-ethyl tin have been carefully compared. The first three compounds in some circumstances produce remarkably similar effects although there are important differences. The kinetics of aggregation induced by adrenaline (and noradrenaline) are quite different and the tri...

Leishmania amazonensis is the etiologic agent of the cutaneous and diffuse leishmaniasis often associated with drug resistance. Lapachol [2-hydroxy-3-(3'-methyl-2-butenyl)-1,4-naphthoquinone] displays a wide range of antimicrobial properties against many pathogens. In this study, using the classic microscopic in vitro model, we have analyzed the effects of a series of lapachol and chlorides com...

The article presents the results of the detection of low-concentration C1-C4 alcohols using a planar sensor, in which a sepiolite filter was applied next to the gas-sensitive layer based on tin dioxide. The sepiolite layer is composed of tubes that have a length of several microns, and the diameter of the single tube ranges from several to tens of nanometers. The sepiolite layer itself demonstr...

As concerns of the environmental impact of lead waste increase, the electronics industry is coming under increasing pressure to reduce or eliminate the use of lead in their manufacturing processes. Circuit assembly providers consequently must develop alternatives to eutectic tin-lead solder for use in their operations. Many ramifications are likely, including an initial decrease in process yiel...