Effect of Fine Size-Fractionated Sunflower Husk Biochar on Water Retention Properties of Arable Sandy Soil.

Biochar application has been reported to improve the physical, chemical, and hydrological properties of soil. However, the information about the size fraction composition of the applied biochar as a factor that may have an impact on the properties of soil-biochar mixtures is often underappreciated. Our research shows how sunflower husk biochar (pyrolyzed at 650 °C) can modify the water retention characteristics of arable sandy soil depending on the biochar dose (up to 9.

Impact of soil incorporation of biochar on environmental radioactivity.

Biochar (charcoal made from biomass in the pyrolysis process) has found broad application in agriculture. It helps to improve both the physical and chemical properties of soil through decontamination of heavy metals and pesticides. This work examines the potential for biochar application to improve the radiological condition of soil.

Spatio-Temporal Mapping of L-Band Microwave Emission on a Heterogeneous Area with ELBARA III Passive Radiometer.

Water resources on Earth become one of the main concerns for society. Therefore, remote sensing methods are still under development in order to improve the picture of the global water cycle. In this context, the microwave bands are the most suitable to study land-water resources.

The effect of copper nanoparticles and copper (II) salt on redox reactions and epigenetic changes in a rat model.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of a diet containing different levels of Cu in two different chemical forms (carbonate and nanoparticles) on redox reactions and epigenetic changes in a rat model. For 4 weeks, five experimental groups (eight rats in each) were fed diets with two dosages of added Cu (standard-6.5 mg/kg or half of the standard dosage-3.

Amphotericin B-silver hybrid nanoparticles: synthesis, properties and antifungal activity.

Unlabelled: High antifungal activity is reported, in comparison with commercially available products, of a novel hybrid system based on silver nanoparticles synthesized using a popular antifungal macrocyclic polyene amphotericin B (AmB) acting both as a reducing and stabilizing/capping agent. The synthesis reaction proceeds in an alkaline environment which prevents aggregation of AmB itself and promotes nanoparticle formation. The innovative approach produces monodisperse (PDI=0.

The orientation of the transition dipole moments of a polyene antibiotic Amphotericin B under UV-VIS studies.

Amphotericin B (AmB) belongs to naturally occurring fluorescent antibiotics, commonly used in the treatment of life-threatening fungal infections. Open question regarding mechanism of action of this molecule calls for its orientation and organization studies in biomembranes. Here, we present studies on linear dichroism and fluorescence polarization of AmB embedded in isotropic and oriented poly(vinyl) alcohol films to characterize their transition dipole moments to low energy excited electronic transitions S1 (2 Ag(-)) and S2 (1 Bu(+)).

Self-association of amphotericin B: spontaneous formation of molecular structures responsible for the toxic side effects of the antibiotic.

Amphotericin B (AmB) is a lifesaving antibiotic used to treat deep-seated mycotic infections. Both the pharmaceutical activity and highly toxic side effects of the drug rely on its interaction with biomembranes, which is governed by the molecular organization of AmB. In the present work, we present a detailed analysis of self-assembly of AmB molecules in different environments, interesting from the physiological standpoint, based on molecular spectroscopy techniques: electronic absorption, circular dichroism, steady state and time-resolved fluorescence and molecular dynamic calculations.