This paper is a review of our research on the plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) process of tantalum in 12-tungstosilicic acid. For the characterization of microdischarges during PEO, real-time imaging and optical emission spectroscopy (OES) were used. The surface morphology, chemical and phase composition of oxide coatings were investigated by AFM, SEM-EDS and XRD. Oxide coating morphology is strongly dependent on PEO time. The elemental components of PEO coatings are Ta, O, Si and W. The oxide coatings are partly crystallized and mainly composed of WO3, Ta2O5 and SiO2.

Statistical analysis of data from crystal structures extracted from the Cambridge Structural Database (CSD) has shown that S and Se atoms display a similar tendency towards specific types of interaction if they are part of a fragment that corresponds to the side chains of cysteine (Cys), methionine (Met) selenocysteine (Sec) and selenomethionine (Mse). The most numerous are structures with C—H...Se and C—H...S interactions (∼80%), notably less numerous are structures with Se...Se and S...S interactions (∼5%), and Se...π and S...π interactions are the least numerous. The results of quantum-chemical calculations have indicated that C—H...Se (∼−0.8 kcal mol⁻¹) and C—H...S interactions are weaker than the most stable parallel interaction (∼−3.3 kcal mol⁻¹) and electrostatic interactions of σ/π type (∼−2.6 kcal mol⁻¹). Their significant presence can be explained by the abundance of CH groups compared with the numbers of Se and S atoms in the crystal structures, and also by the influence of substituents bonded to the Se or S atom that further reduce their possibilities for interacting with species from the environment. This can also offer an explanation as to why O—H...Se (∼−4.4 kcal mol⁻¹) and N—H...Se interactions (∼−2.2 kcal mol⁻¹) are less numerous. Docking studies revealed that S and Se rarely participate in interactions with the amino acid residues of target enzymes, mostly because those residues preferentially interact with the substituents bonded to Se and S. The differences between Se and S ligands in the number and positions of their binding sites are more pronounced if the substituents are polar and if there are more Se/S atoms in the ligand.

Well-balanced nutrition is important for the successful cultivation of healthy plants. In this paper, we demonstrate a nondestructive optical method that can sense a deficiency of certain nutrients. The setup was tested on hydroponically grown Ocimum basilicum. The plants were subjected to nutrient deficiency by the exclusion of one of the essential elements (Fe, Mg, P, N) from the hydroponic solution. A control group of plants, fed by the balanced hydroponic solution, was also grown under the same conditions. The proposed method tracks and records the optical transmittance of the plants' leaves. All groups exhibit clearly defined day-night Circadian rhythms. When compared to the control group, the treated plants exhibited modified circadian rhythms of the optical transmission, suggesting an early indicator of the plants' stress. The condition of the plants under test was also assessed by the more common (destructive) methods such as: measurements of the determination of the photosynthetic pigment content, dray weight determination and the efficiency of PSII. Several biological parameters were observed, calculated and compared to the graphs of optical transmission dependence in real time. Presented results have demonstrated a significant potential of the proposed optical method for the early detection of plants' stress in hydroponic cultivation.

Pectin is the focus of scientific interest due to both its physicochemical and biochemical properties, as well as its non-toxic nature. Methylation of pectin is a natural process that exists as part of the cell wall defence system against various pathogens. In this study the docking analysis was conducted to predict if methylation o affects the anticancer and antimicrobial properties of pectin and what extent. Four pectin derivatives with varying degrees of methylation and two sets of biomolecules were used. The first set included enzymes responsible for anticancer activity (HMGR, the AGE receptors, tumour protein p53 and oncogenic phosphatase SHP2), while the second set included those for antimicrobial activity (Salmonella Typhi TtsA, Pseudomonas aeruginosa Earp, Streptococcus mutans MetE and Staphylococcus aureus Cas9). The results indicated that the degree of methylation does not play a decisive role in the mentioned activities. because all bind to the same sites with similar binding energies. Additionally, it was shown that pectin derivatives have a higher binding affinity towards DNA than towards enzymes. Only the fully methylated derivative exhibited different behaviour, binding to a different binding site in the case of Streptococcus mutans MetE.