Chemically bound gold nanoparticle arrays on silicon: assembly, properties and SERS study of protein interactions

A highly reproducible and facile method for formation of ordered 2 dimensional arrays of CTAB protected 50 nm gold nanoparticles bonded to silicon wafers is described. The silicon wafers have been chemically modified with long-chain silanes terminated with thiol that penetrate the CTAB bilayer and chemically bind to the underlying gold nanoparticle. The silicon wafer provides a reproducibly smooth, chemically functionalizable and non-fluorescent substrate with a silicon phonon mode which may provide a convenient internal frequency and intensity calibration for vibrational spectroscopy. The CTAB bilayer provides a potentially biomimetic environment for analyte, yet allows a sufficiently small nanoparticle separation to achieve a significant electric field enhancement. The arrays have been characterized using SEM and Raman spectroscopy. These studies reveal that the reproducibility of the arrays is excellent both between batches (< 10% RSD) and across a single batch (< 5% RSD). The arrays also exhibit good stability, and the effect of temperature on the arrays was also investigated. The interaction of protein and amino acid with the nanoparticle arrays was investigated using Raman microscopy to investigate their potential in bio-SERS spectroscopy. Raman of phenylalanine and the protein bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor, BPTI were studied using 785 nm excitation, coincident with the surface plasmon absorbance of the array. The arrays exhibit SERS enhancements of the order of 2.6 x 104 for phenylalanine, the standard deviation on the relative intensity of the 1555 cm-1 mode of phenylalanine is less than 10% for 100 randomly distributed locations across a single substrate and less than 20% between different substrates. Significantly, comparisons of the Raman spectra of the protein and phenlyalanine in solution and immobilized on the nanoparticle arrays indicates that the protein is non-randomly orientated on the arrays. Selective SERS enhancements suggest that aromatic residues penetrate through the bilayer inducing conformational changes in the protein

Post-Privatisation Corporate Performance in Poland. Evidence from Companies Privatized in 2008-2011

The study concerns the effects of Polish privatisation program conducted in the years 2008-2011. After drawing a broad picture of this process we investigate the performance of 59 privatised companies, and finally focus on a deeper analysis of three companies, which is the core part of our study. We test the hypotheses that privatisation increases a company's profitability, labour productivity, capital investment spending, plow-back ratio and leverage. In case studies, we additionally explore the effect of privatization on each company's value. The outcomes concerning the larger group of companies are partly ambiguous (with four hypotheses confirmed and four rejected). Profitability has been not visibly improved, although a number of positive initiatives and improvements in performance occurred. By contrast, the three case studies showed a significant improvement of profitability and all other performance indicators observed, as well as a considerable increase of company value. Our results show that privatisation works, though its full effects need time to occur

Field water consumption in intensive crop rotation on rendzina soil in respect to sprinkler irrigation and nitrogen fertilization

Исследования проведены в годах 1981-1984 на рендзине касались влияния разных доз азота и дождевания на полевое водопотребление в севообороте: сахарная свёкла ++ - кукуруза на силос - картофель -озимая пшеница. Можно судить, что полевое водопотребление растёт одновременно, как растут дозы воды с дождевания, самое высокое значение принимает под бураками и кукурузой. Нет зато связи между величиной полевого водопотребления а уровнем азотного удобрения. Показатель полевого водопотребления слишком мало уточнён, чтобы определить водные потребности растений.The experiments led on typical rendzina soil in years 1981 - 1984 aimed to determine field water consumption in crop rotation: sugar beet (manured) - corn for silage - potatoe - winter wheat. It has been found that field water consumption increased according to dose of water in sprinkler irrigation, the highest value reaching on the fields with sugar beet and corn. There was no relation however between amount of field water consumption and level of nitrogen fertilization. Field water consumption index is not precise enough to determine water demands of plants

Zmianowanie roslin, deszczowanie oraz zroznicowane nawozenie azotowe a pH gleby lekkiej

The present paper pertains to the changes of pH values of soil under plants cultivated in two crop rotations: market-oriented (1. sugar beet, 2. brewery barley, 3. edible potato, 4. winter wheat) and fodder (1. fodder beetroot, 2. fodder barley, 3. fodder potato, 4. winter triticale). The research was made on the basis of the experiment held in the years 1986-1989 on non-uniform podzolic soil laying on marl with grain-size distribution of light and heavy loamy sand. The influence of water conditions naturally differentiated and optimized through sprinkling, as well as of two levels of nitrogen fertilization: basic - amounting for respective pairs of plants in both crop rotations 90, 30 and 60, 75, 75 kg N/ha and doubled one, on yields of plants and changes of some physical and chemical properties of soil was compared. The soil reaction was determined potentiometricaly in 1 mol KC1 dm⁻³ in two terms: early spring before starting the experiment and after harvesting. Soil samples were taken from the layers 0-25 and 25-50 cm. The statistic analysis of the results showed that only sprinkling and season conditions had a significant influence on the soil acidity. The plant species tested did not modify the soil reaction. Nitrogen fertilization did not prove to change the acidity of the tested layers of soil and it did not interact with irrigation. This leads us to the conclusion that during sprinkling light textured soils one should take into consideration a certain acidification of soil which in case of sensitive plant's cultivation may lead to the decrease of yields if it will not be prevented through liming.Praca dotyczy zmian wielkości pH gleby pod roślinami uprawianymi w dwóch płodozmianach: towarowym (1. burak cukrowy, 2. jęczmień browarny, 3. ziemniak jadalny, 4. pszenica ozima) i pastewnym (1. burak pastewny, 2. jęczmień pastewny, 3. ziemniak pastewny, 4. pszenżyto ozime). Badania wykonano na podstawie doświadczenia przeprowadzonego w latach 1986-1989 na glebie bielicowej niecałkowitej na podłożu marglistym, o składzie granulometrycznym piasku gliniastego lekkiego i mocnego. Porównywano w nim wpływ warunków wodnych, zróżnicowanych na naturalne oraz optymalizowane drogą deszczowania a także 2 poziomów nawożenia azotowego - podstawowego, wynoszącego dla kolejnych par roślin obu płodozmianów 90, 30 i 60, 75, 75 kg N/ha i dwukrotnie zwiększonego na plonowanie roślin oraz niektórych fizycznych i chemicznych właściwości gleby. Odczyn oznaczano potencjometrycznie w 1 mol KC1 dm⁻³ w dwóch terminach: wczesną wiosną przed założeniem doświadczenia i po zbiorze roślin. Próbki glebowe pobierano z warstw 0-25 i 25-50 cm. Analiza statystyczna wyników wykazała, iż istotny wpływ na kwasowość gleby wywierało jedynie deszczowanie i warunki sezonowe. Badane gatunki roślin nie modyfikowały odczynu gleby. Nawożenie azotowe nie zmieniało w sposób udowodniony kwasowości badanych warstw gleby, nie wchodziło też w interakcję z nawadnianiem. Doprowadza to do wniosku, że deszczując rośliny na glebach lżejszych należy się liczyć z pewnym zakwaszeniem gleby, co w przypadku uprawy wrażliwych gatunków może prowadzić do obniżki ich plonów, jeśli się temu nie zapobiegnie poprzez wapnowanie

Borelioza jako choroba zawodowa rolników. Ocena trendu wzrostu zachorowań w latach 2000-2019

Subject and purpose of work: The aim of this paper is to make an analysis and evaluation of Lyme disease incidence, understood as a diagnosed farmers’ occupational disease. Materials and methods: The analysis and an evaluation were made based on materials, data and information originating, among other things, from the following: The analysis and an evaluation were made based on materials, data and information originating, among other things, from the following: The Agricultural Social Insurance Fund, the Main Sanitary Inspectorate and the National Institute of Hygiene, official legal acts published in the Journal of Laws, industry literature, as well as works and publications of researchers dealing with Lyme disease. Results: The results of this study indicate that Lyme disease is not only the main and dominant occupational disease of farmers, but also an infectious disease having a growing trend among Polish society. Every year, an increase in cases in which Lyme disease spirochete infection was found and diagnosed, is observed. This situation is affected not only by insufficient preventive measures, difficult and ineffective diagnostics, or low awareness of Lyme disease, but also by environmental factors and climate change. Conclusions: Considering that the disease leads to numerous dangerous health-related consequences, while a protective vaccine has not yet been prepared, it seems extremely important to implement preventive measures and conduct education on prevention among farmers as well as other professional groups and the entire population

Wplyw nawozenia azotem i roznych sposobow odchwaszczania na zachwaszczenie wtorne buraka cukrowego na redzinie

W doświadczeniu polowym, przeprowadzonym w latach 1996-1998 na rędzinie badano wpływ dawek azotu (90 i 120 kg N·ha⁻¹), terminu jego stosowania (dwukrotny i trzykrotny) oraz sposobu odchwaszczania: 1 - Pyramin Turbo 520 SC (6 dm³·ha⁻¹) + zabiegi mechaniczne; 2 - Pyramin Turbo 520 SC (3 dm³·ha⁻¹) oraz Betanal Progress AM 180 EC (6 dm³·ha⁻¹ ) nalistnie; 3 - Betanal Progress AM 180 EC (6 dm³·ha⁻¹) nalistnie metodą dawek dzielonych na zachwaszczenie wtórne buraka cukrowego. Stwierdzono, że sposoby odchwaszczania nie wpływały istotnie na wtórne zachwaszczenie, choć najbardziej ograniczająco na liczbę chwastów oddziaływała metoda chemiczno-mechaniczna. Najsłabsze zaś działanie chwastobójcze wykazał Betanal Progress AM 180 EC stosowany metodą dawek dzielonych, zwłaszcza nieskuteczny okazał się w stosunku do chwastów wieloletnich. Stosowanie azotu w trzech terminach istotnie ograniczało ogólną liczbę chwastów, natomiast intensyfikacja nawożenia do 120 kg N·ha⁻¹ obniżała jedynie liczbę chwastów krótkotrwałych we wtórnym zachwaszczeniu buraka cukrowego.In the field experiment carried out in 1996-1998 on rendzina, the effect of nitrogen doses (90 and 120 kg N·ha⁻¹), terms of their application (twice and three times) as well as the way of weed control: 1 - Pyramin Turbo 520 SC (6 dm³·ha⁻¹) + mechanical method; 2 - Pyramin Turbo 520 SC (3 dm³·ha⁻¹) and Betanal Progress AM 180 EC (6 dm³·ha⁻¹) foliar; 3 - Betanal Progress AM 180 EC (6 dm³·ha⁻¹) foliar in splitting rates on secondary weed infestation of sugar beet were investigated. It was stated that the ways of weed control did not significantly affect the secondary weed infestation, although the number of weeds was most limited when chemical and mechanical methods were used. Betanal Progress AM 180 EC in splitting rates was the least effective. It turned out particularly ineffective in case of perennial weeds. The total number of weeds was significantly limited by using nitrogen at three terms, however, the fertilizing intesification to 120 kg N·ha⁻¹ decreased just the number of short-lived weeds in the secondary weed infestation of sugar beet

Structure of flora after ten years land lying fallow on two types of soil

In the paper the structure of flora in 1st and 10th year of arable land lying fallow has been presented. Phytosociological observations were carried out on two fields lying on different soil (rendzina and podsolic soil). Analyses of flora concerned geografical and historical groups, origin of apophytes as well as living forms of plants. The conducted research showed that in the flora of fallows, with the time of exclusion of arable land from the agricultural use, there was incease in the number of apophytes and decrease of antropophytes, especially archeophytes, independent of types of soil. Ruderal apophytes, dominating in early stage of succession, gave way to meadow apophytes on the heavy soil, whereas segetal apophytes took place of forest and bushwood species on the light soil. In phytocenosis of multi-year fallows on the light and heavy soil, among the living forms, the most numerous were represented by hemicryptophytes, which replaced the dominating terophytes on the one-year fallow.W pracy przedstawiono strukturę flory w pierwszym i dziesiątym roku odłogo- wania gruntów ornych. Obserwacje fitosocjologiczne przeprowadzono na dwóch par- celach położonych na różnych glebach (na rędzinie i glebie bielicowej). Dokonano analizy flory ze względu na przynależność do grup geograficzno-historycznych, grup ekologicznych oraz form życiowych. Stwierdzono, że we florze odłogów, niezależnie od typu gleby, wraz z upływem czasu od zaniechania uprawy przybywa gatunków rodzimych, a ubywa antropofitów, a zwłaszcza archeofitów. Na glebie ciężkiej apofity ruderalne, dominujące we wczesnych etapach sukcesji, ustępują miejsca apofitom łąkowym, zaś na glebie lekkiej miejsce apofitów segetalnych zajmują gatunki leśne i zaroślowe. Wśród form życiowych, w fitocenozie dziesięcioletnich odłogów, najlicz- niej reprezentowane były hemikryptofity, które zastąpiły dominujące na jednorocz- nym odłogu terofity