Magnetic properties of biofunctionalized iron oxide nanoparticles as magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents.

One of the future applications of magnetic nanoparticles is the development of new iron-oxide-based magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) negative contrast agents, which are intended to improve the results of diagnostics and complement existing Gd-based contrast media. Iron oxide nanoparticles designed for use as MRI contrast media are precisely examined by a variety of methods: powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy, Mössbauer spectroscopy and zero-field nuclear magnetic resonance (ZF-NMR) spectroscopy. TEM and XRD measurements reveal a spherical shape of the nanoparticles with an average diameter of 5-8 nm and a cubic spinel-type crystal structure of space group -3.

Curvibasidium cygneicollum gen. nov., sp. nov. and Curvibasidium pallidicorallinum sp. nov., novel taxa in the Microbotryomycetidae (Urediniomycetes), and their relationship with Rhodotorula fujisanensis and Rhodotorula nothofagi.

Strains of Rhodotorula fujisanensis (Basidiomycota, Urediniomycetes, Microbotryomycetidae), including the type strain, are sexually compatible and produce clamped mycelium with teliospores. However, as teliospore germination had not been documented, the complete sexual cycle was not known. During the course of this work, the basidial stage of R.

Cryptococcus nemorosus sp. nov. and Cryptococcus perniciosus sp. nov., related to Papiliotrema Sampaio et al. (Tremellales).

Three mycocinogenic strains representing the genus Cryptococcus were isolated on glucuronate agar from plants and turf collected in the Prioksko-terrasny biosphere reserve (Russia). These isolates fit the standard description of Cryptococcus laurentii, but differ from its type strain in both their mycocin-sensitivity profiles and the killing patterns of their mycocins. Sequence analyses of the D1/D2 domain of the 26S rDNA and of the internal transcribed spacer region confirmed that these isolates represent two novel species, for which the names Cryptococcus nemorosus sp.