Surface area or diameter – which factor really determines the antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticles grown on TiO₂ coatings?

Titanium dioxide coatings were prepared on Si wafers using the sol–gel method. Four different types of coatings with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized. The diameter and surface density of AgNPs were conditioned by the concentration of Ag+ ions in the initial solution, time and UV illumination source. The bactericidal activity of AgNPs on the titanium dioxide coatings against the S. aureus strain were calculated as the percentage of the inhibition of bacterial growth after 24 hour incubation of microorganisms at 37°C on TiO₂ coatings with AgNPs. Control samples were coated with titanium dioxide without AgNPs. We concluded that the titanium dioxide coatings modified with silver nanoparticles had a high antibacterial activity. Moreover, we demonstrated strong dependence between surface areas of AgNPs and inhibition of bacterial growth. The obtained results evidence that the surface area of AgNPs grown on titanium dioxide coatings is a major factor determining their antimicrobial potential

Looking for black-holes in X-ray binaries with XMM-Newton: XTE J1817-330 and XTE J1856+053

The X-ray binary XTE J1817-330 was discovered in outburst on 26 January 2006 with RXTE/ASM. One year later, another X-ray transient discovered in 1996, XTE J1856+053, was detected by RXTE during a new outburst on 28 February 2007. We triggered XMM-Newton target of opportunity observations on these two objects to constrain their parameters and search for a stellar black holes. We summarize the properties of these two X-ray transients and show that the soft X-ray spectra indicate indeed the presence of an accreting stellar black hole in each of the two systems.Comment: to appear in the proceedings of the Second Kolkata Conference on Observational Evidence for Black Holes in the Universe, Feb. 2008, Editor Sandip Chakrabarti, AI

The Effect of Space Weather on Human Body at the Spitsbergen Archipelago

The study of the effects of the space weather on the human body was carried out at the Spitsbergen archipelago. A geophysical feature of the arch. Spitsbergen is its location in the cusp region—a kind of funnel on the dayside of the magnetosphere, where phenomena of space weather most express. Diverse radiation (from ULF to VHF) and waves in the field of polar cusp, covering the entire range of the body rhythms, give credit for studying the effects of space weather in the field of polar cusp. Assessment of the relationship between the dynamics of the monthly morbidity in Russian settlements and indicators of space weather revealed that, practically, all forms of morbidity are associated with solar activity and with the local geomagnetic activity in the polar cusp. A difference in correlations between the monthly incidence of residents in the Barentsburg and geocosmic agents during the polar day and the polar night was found. The links between the incidences of the population and the peculiarities of space weather will make it possible to develop prognoses of the morbidity for preventive measures aimed at increasing human health in high latitudes

Nutritional value of cruciferous oilseed crops in relation to profile of accumulated biomolecules with especial regard to glucosinolates transformation products

Cruciferous oilseed crops accumulate relatively high concentrations of nutritional high quality oil and proteins in their seeds. In addition to these major seed components, their co-occurrence with high concentrations of dietary fibre (DF) and various bioactive components as glucosinolates/glucosinolate products is decisive for the nutritional value of the seed meal or products obtained from it. Depending on structural types and concentration of glucosinolates and glucosinolate derived products, these compounds can be either health beneficial or act as antinutrients. The effects of these components depend, however, strongly on the type of animal and development of the animals fed with the diets based on these compounds. Results from studies based on differently treated and processed seeds and from use of individual isolated seed components included in standard diets are evaluated and treated in relation to literature data as a basis for recommendations of acceptable concentrations of glucosinolates/glucosinolate products in animal diets. A discussion on the relation between these recommendations of acceptable concentrations in feed to different animals and those reported as necessary for plant pathogen control (biofumigation) and health beneficial effects (chemoprotection) is also included

Processing-bioprocessing of oilseed rape in bioenergy production and value added utilization of remaining seed components

Cruciferous oilseed crops accumulate relatively high concentrations of oil, proteins and dietary fibres (DF) in their seeds, in addition to bioactive components as glucosinolates and myrosinase isoenzymes (thioglucohydrolase; EC 3.2.1.147). When mixed in the presence of moisture, myrosinase isoenzymes and associated components transform glucosinolates into various types of products, which reduces the value of the extracted oil and the remaining seed components, as well as producing unwanted environmental effects due to smell and toxicity. This gives a need for special care concerning myrosinase inactivation as the initial step during processing of oilseed rape, including technologies applied for biodiesel/bioenergy production. The myrosinase inactivation is thus a critical processing step, which needs to be performed at conditions with limited negative effects on other seed components, including proteins and glucosinolates. New bioprocessing technologies are now developed at levels that allow technology transfer from laboratory scale through pilot plant to industrial scale. The extraction of glucosinolates from the seed components remaining after oil separation-pressing and/or extraction is technically possible and has proven successful with the use of bioprocessing technologies. This is also the case concerning isolation of active myrosinases. The possibilities therefore exist for extraction and formulation of glucosinolates as “natural product derived” food and plant protection agents. With the great amounts of partly de-oiled rapeseed meal resulting from bioenergy/biodiesel production, the new bioprocessing technologies call thus for attention in relation to environmental friendly production of food (vegetable oil, protein and DF products), feed and other non food products

Pengaruh Latihan Meraih Bola di Gantung terhadap Kemampuan Lompat Jauh Gaya Jongkok

Tujuan dalam penelitian ini untuk mengetahui pengaruh latihan meraihbola di gantung terhadap kemampuan lompat jauh gaya jongkok pada siswa kelasVIII Sekolah Menengah Pertama Negeri 3 Teriak Bengkayang. Metode yangdigunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah metode eksperimen dengan bentuk preexperimentaldesign. Populasi dalam penelitian ini adalah siswa kelas VIII SMPNegeri 3 Teriak yang berjumlah 26 orang. Teknik pengambilan sampelmenggunakan teknik sampling jenuh yaitu mengambil siswa kelas VIII SMPNegeri 3 Teriak yang berjumlah 26 orang. Analisis data dilakukan denganmenggunakan analisis uji-t. Hasil penelitian didapatkan nilai ttest yaitusebesar3,629. Dengan melihat tabel statistika dimana pada derajat kebebasandb=(N-1) adalah 26-1=25 dan pada taraf signifikansi 5% diperoleh nilai ttabelsebesar 2,060. Dengan demikian nilai dari ttest = 3,629 lebih besar dari nilai ttabel =2,060, artinya hipotesis diterima berarti terdapat pengaruh latihan meraih bola digantung terhadap kemampuan lompat jauh gaya jongkok pada siswa kelas VIIISekolah Menengah Pertama Negeri 3 Teriak Bengkayang, dengan persentasepeningkatan sebesar 1,47%.Kata Kunci: Latihan Meraih Bola di Gantung, Lompat Jauh Gaya Jongkok.Abstrct: The purpose of this study to determine the effect of exercise on the ballwon the long jump ability suspension squat style in class VIII Junior High School3 Teriak Bengkayang. The method used in this study is the experimental methodwith pre-experimental design form. The population in this study is the eighthgrade students of junior high school 3 Teriak numbering 26 people. Samplingtechnique using saturation sampling technique that is taking eighth grade studentsof SMP Negeri 3 Shouts numbering 26 people. Data analysis was performed usingt-test analysis. The result showed that sebesar3,629 ttest value. By looking at thetable of statistics where the degrees of freedom db = (N-1) is 26-1 = 25 and thesignificance level of 5% was obtained value ttabel 2,060. Thus the value of thettest = 3.629 greater than the table = 2.060, meaning that the hypothesis isaccepted means that there are significant grabbing exercise ball hanging on theability of the long jump squat force on middle school eighth grade students TeriakBengkayang First State 3, with a percentage increase of 1, 47%