New Superembeddings for Type II Superstrings

Possible ways of generalization of the superembedding approach for the supersurfaces with the number of Grassmann directions being less than the half of that for the target superspace are considered on example of Type II superstrings. Focus is on n=(1,1) superworldsheet embedded into D=10 Type II superspace that is of the interest for establishing a relation with the NSR string.Comment: 26 pages, LaTeX, JHEP.cls and JHEP.bst style files are used; v2: misprints corrected, comments, acknowledgments, references adde

Complex Dietary Supplements from Raw Plants Provide Nutrition for Athletes

The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of mechanically activated complexes from plant substances to enhance athletes’ adaptability to intense physical activity. Methods: The object of the study was the dietary supplement Kladorod, which is based on the reindeer lichen Cladonia rangiferina and Rhodiola rosea in weight ratio of 10:1. To test the dietary supplement, we developed a special scheme for the experiment and selected 10 elite athletes (boxers and mixfighters). Athletes were divided into 2 groups and were under the same conditions (nutrition, medical monitoring, living conditions and training process). Athletes of the experimental group were given the dietary supplement Kladorod (capsule of 0.4 g by mouth between meals 4 times a day for 28 days). The control group was given placebo (Ringer-Locke powder) capsules in the same terms in a similar way. During the experiment, the athletes were medically examined 3 times: at the beginning, in the middle, and after the course of intervention. We measured muscle performance, fat mass, muscle mass, and serum concentrations of cortisol and total testosterone. Results: It was established that during the intensive training of boxers and mixfighters for rating fights, administration of the dietary supplement Kladorod for 28 days stabilized the absolute and relative muscle mass, preventing its reduction, in comparison with the placebo group. At the same time, indicators of fat mass decreased significantly in the experimental group. After administering the course of Kladorod, we did not observe a significant decrease in testosterone/cortisol ratio, compared to the control group Thus, the use of biologically active supplements based on lichen raw materials and complexes of lichen raw materials with different plant substances enables the body to increase its adaptive potential and physical capacity

Investigation of Aggregation and Disaggregation of Self-Assembling Nano-Sized Clusters Consisting of Individual Iron Oxide Nanoparticles upon Interaction with HEWL Protein Molecules

In this paper, iron oxide nanoparticles coated with trisodium citrate were obtained. Nanoparticles self-assembling stable clusters were ~10 and 50–80 nm in size, consisting of NPs 3 nm in size. The stability was controlled by using multi-angle dynamic light scattering and the zeta potential, which was −32 ± 2 mV. Clusters from TSC-IONPs can be destroyed when interacting with a hen egg-white lysozyme. After the destruction of the nanoparticles and proteins, aggregates are formed quickly, within 5–10 min. Their sizes depend on the concentration of the lysozyme and nanoparticles and can reach micron sizes. It is shown that individual protein molecules can be isolated from the formed aggregates under shaking. Such aggregation was observed by several methods: multi-angle dynamic light scattering, optical absorption, fluorescence spectroscopy, TEM, and optical microscopy. It is important to note that the concentrations of NPs at which the protein aggregation took place were also toxic to cells. There was a sharp decrease in the survival of mouse fibroblasts (Fe concentration ~75–100 μM), while the ratio of apoptotic to all dead cells increased. Additionally, at low concentrations of NPs, an increase in cell size was observed

New Structural Nanocomposite Based on PLGA and Al₂O₃ NPs as a Balance between Antibacterial Activity and Biocompatibility with Eukaryotic Cells

Development of eco-friendly and biodegradable package materials is an important goal of modern science and international industry. Poly(lactic)-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) is suitable for this purpose. However, biocompatible materials may be contaminated with bacteria. This problem may be solved by the addition of metal oxides nanoparticles (NPs) with antibacterial properties. Although metal oxides NPs often show cytotoxicity against plant and mammalian cells, a new nanocomposite based on PLGA and aluminum oxide (Al2O3) NPs has been developed. The PLGA/Al2O3 NP composite has pronounced antibacterial properties. The addition of Al2O3 NPs 0.01% inhibited growth of E. coli for >50%. The antimicrobial effect of Al2O3 NPs is implemented through the generation of reactive oxygen species and damage of bacterial proteins and DNA. The biocompatibility of the nanocomposite with plant and mammalian cells was studied. The PLGA/Al2O3 NP composite did not influence the growth and development of tomatoes and cucumbers. PLGA and its composite with Al2O3 NPs 0.001–0.1% did not influence viability and proliferation of mammalian cells, on their density or substrate colonization rate. The developed nanocomposite has controlled mechanical properties, high antibacterial activity and high biocompatibility, which makes it an attractive candidate for building and food package material manufacture and agriculture