SYNTHESIS OF GOLD NANOPARTICLES BY BLUE-GREEN ALGAE Spirulina platensis

Kalabegishvili T. et al. E14-2012-31 Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles by Blue-Green Algae Spirulina platensis The synthesis of gold nanoparticles by one of the many popular microorganisms Å blue-green algae Spirulina platensis was studied. The complex of optical and analytical methods was applied for investigation of experimental samples after exposure to chloroaurate (HAuCl4) solution at different doses and for different time intervals. To characterize formed gold nanoparticles UV-vis, TEM, SEM, EDAX, and XRD were used. It was shown that after 1.5Ä2 days of exposure the extracellular formation of nanoparticles of spherical form and the distribution peak within the interval of 20Ä30 nm took place. To determine gold concentrations in the Spirulina platensis biomass, neutron activation analysis (NAA) and atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) were applied. The results obtained evidence that the concentration of gold accumulated by Spirulina biomass is rapidly growing in the beginning, followed by some increase for the next few days. The obtained substance of Spirulina biomass with gold nanoparticles may be used for medical, pharmaceutical, and technological purposes. The investigation has been performed a

Laboratory animal models to study foot-and-mouth disease: a review with emphasis on natural and vaccine-induced immunity

Laboratory animal models have provided valuable insight into foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) pathogenesis in epidemiologically important target species. While not perfect, these models have delivered an accelerated time frame to characterize the immune responses in natural hosts and a platform to evaluate therapeutics and vaccine candidates at a reduced cost. Further expansion of these models in mice has allowed access to genetic mutations not available for target species, providing a powerful and versatile experimental system to interrogate the immune response to FMDV and to target more expensive studies in natural hosts. The purpose of this review is to describe commonly used FMDV infection models in laboratory animals and to cite examples of when these models have failed or successfully provided insight relevant for target species, with an emphasis on natural and vaccine-induced immunity

The media's agenda-setting role in Liberia's 2005 presidential runoff election

“Studying the relationships between news sources, media professionals, the public and government actions within an agenda-setting framework is a demanding task, of course, but one worth pursuing if we are to gain a more complete and holistic understanding of the role of the mass communication in democratic political system” (Weaver, 1987, p. 190). Weaver's argument is examined in the context of the immediate circumstances leading to the historic victory of Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Africa's first elected female president, in the Liberian presidential runoff election in November 2005. It is argued that by framing ‘qualification and experience’ (Sirleaf's strength) over ‘common sense and popularity’ (soccer celebrity George Weah's strength), the media played an important role in influencing the presidential vote in favour of the former. It is argued that the public threats issued by Sirleaf's rival, Weah, “to teach journalists a lesson” if he was to be elected president, proved counterproductive for Weah as it only helped to reinforce the framing of his opponent's strengths and exposing his weakness, eventually tipping the balance against him in the runoff after beating his opponent by a wide margin in the first rounds