A Two-Step Surface Modification Methodology for the Advanced Protection of a Stone Surface.

The biodeterioration of the natural surface on monuments, historical buildings, and even public claddings brings to the attention of researchers and historians the issues of conservation and protection. Natural stones undergo changes in their appearance, being subjected to deterioration due to climatic variations and the destructive action of biological systems interfering with and living on them, leading to ongoing challenges in the protection of the exposed surfaces. Nanotechnology, through silver nanoparticles with strong antimicrobial effects, can provide solutions for protecting natural surfaces using specific coupling agents tailored to each substrate.

Phenotypic and Genotypic Characterization of Recently Isolated Multidrug-Resistant Clinical and Aquatic Strains and Demonstration of Silver Nanoparticle Potency.

This study aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) on multidrug-resistant (MDR) (AB) strains isolated from the clinical and aquatic environment. Three types of Ag NPs were investigated for their antimicrobial, antibiofilm, and antivirulence properties on a total number of 132 AB strains isolated in the same temporal sequence from intra-hospital infections (IHIs), wastewater (WW), and surface water (SW) samples between 2019 and 2022 from different Romanian locations and characterized at the phenotypic and genotypic levels. The comparative analysis of the antimicrobial resistance (AR) profiles according to the isolation source and the geographical location demonstrated a decrease in MDR level in AB recovered from WW samples in 2022 from north-eastern/central/southern regions (N-E/C-W/analyzed strains S): 87.

Comparative Antimicrobial Activity of Silver Nanoparticles Obtained by Wet Chemical Reduction and Solvothermal Methods.

The synthesis of nanoparticles from noble metals has received high attention from researchers due to their unique properties and their wide range of applications. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), in particular, show a remarkable inhibitory effect against microorganisms and viruses. Various methods have been developed to obtain AgNPs, however the stability of such nanostructures over time is still challenging.