Karneval je vrijeme slobode, razuzdanosti, igre, veselja. Svoj začetak nalazi u pretkršćanskoj tradiciji, a kalendarski označava razdoblje od Sveta tri kralja do Pepelnice. U europskoj kulturnoj ...svijesti zauzimao je važno mjesto, a danonoćno slavlje nije zaobišlo ni Dubrovnik. Sukladno potonjem, cilj je ovog rada prikazati kako su to izgledale pokladne svetkovine Dubrovčana za koje su kasniji dubrovački pisci nostalgično tvrdili kako su predstavljale Dionizove svečanosti. Tako će, između ostaloga, u radu
biti prikazani pokladni običaji Dubrovčana, različite vrste pokladne lirike, ali će se nešto riječi posvetiti i talijanskom karnevalu koji je uvelike utjecao na dubrovački.
Tijekom Drugoga svjetskoga rata započet je razvoj raketne tehnologije, a isti je u godinama nakon rata ubrzano rastao. Ubrzo je, zahvaljujući stručnjacima kao što su Sergej Pavlovič Koroljov i ...Wernher von Braun, bilo omogućeno stvaranje snažnih raketa za izbacivanje umjetnih satelita i svemirskih letjelica, što je rezultiralo time da je svemir postao novim poprištem nadmetanja velikih sila, SAD-a i SSSR-a. Dakako, u pozadini nadmetanja nalazila se politika, prestiž i ideologija, dok je znanost pala u drugi plan. Također je bitno istaknuti kako je svemir, zbog straha od nuklearnoga rata, bio jedina prikladna arena. Što se tiče samoga rada on polazi od teze kako ni SAD ni SSSR nisu odnijeli pobjedu u svemirskoj utakmici. Rad započinje uvodom u kojem se ukratko objašnjava njegova tematika, odnosno okolnosti vezane uz početak Hladnoga rata, a time i borbu „za svemir“. Zatim slijedi poglavlje nazvano Prvo poluvrijeme u kojem se detaljnije obrađuju prvi američki i sovjetski svemirski pothvati, počevši od sovjetskog Sputnika 1 do američkog Vanguarda. Nadalje, opisat će se američko „uzvraćanje udarca“ sovjetskim uspjesima „osvajanjem“ Zemljinog satelita, Mjeseca, te će se nastojati prikazati koliku je ulogu u svemirskoj utakmici imala propaganda. Na samom kraju rad bit će iznesen zaključak. Prilikom pisanja rada korišteno je više literaturnih jedinica različitih autora. Kao dvije najzastupljenije ističu se ona s potpisom britanskoga autora Johna Higgsa, „Apsolutno nezamislivo: Pokušaj shvaćanja 20. stoljeća“, te rad Lovre Grgića pod nazivom „Slučajna utrka“.
The aim of this research was the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (SPA- and SPR-AgNPs) using the aqueous extracts of the aerial (SPA) and the root (SPR) parts of the plant
L., their ...characterization, reaction condition optimization, and evaluation of their biological and catalytic activity. UV-Vis spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), scanning electron microscopy with EDS analysis (SEM/EDS), and dynamic light scattering (DLS) analysis were utilized to characterize the nanoparticles, while Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was used to detect some functional groups of compounds present in the plant extracts and nanoparticles. The phenolic and flavonoid contents, as well as the antioxidant activity of the extracts, were determined spectrophotometrically. The synthesized nanoparticles showed twice-higher activity in neutralizing 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS
) compared with the respective extracts. SPR-AgNPs exhibited strong antimicrobial activity against almost all of the tested bacteria (<0.0039 mg/mL) and fungal strains, especially against the genus
(<0.0391 mg/mL). Moreover, they were fully biocompatible on all the tested eukaryotic cells, while the hemolysis of erythrocytes was not observed at the highest tested concentration of 150 µg/mL. The catalytic activity of nanoparticles toward Congo Red and 4-nitrophenol was also demonstrated. The obtained results confirm the possibility of the safe application of the synthesized nanoparticles in medicine and as a catalyst in various processes.
We report two cases of bovine babesiosis caused by
Babesia divergens
in a region of central Bosnia and Herzegovina. The cases were detected in June 2017 and July 2018 from two small backyard farms. ...Routine clinical assessments, including physical examination and haematology, revealed lethargy, fever, anaemia, leukopenia and haemoglobinuria in the affected animals. Serum alterations included an elevation of aspartate aminotransferase and a decrease of serum phosphate or hypophosphatemia. Thrombocytopenia was detected in the first clinical case. Microscopic examination of blood smears revealed intracytoplasmic protozoan parasites from the genus
Babesia
. Molecular screening of both animals confirmed the presence of
Babesia divergens
, the causative agent of bovine babesiosis.
B. divergens
DNA was also detected in two engorged female
Ixodes ricinus
ticks removed from these animals. In addition,
Mycoplasma wenyonii
DNA was identified by molecular screening in the animal examined in June 2017, and in
I. ricinus
ticks feeding on this animal. This study provides molecular confirmation of
B. divergens
as a cause of piroplasmosis in cattle in South-East Europe. The detection of
M. wenyonii
DNA ain
I. ricinus
also provides the first evidence of this bacterium in ticks in Europe.
This study was designed to evaluate the optimal conditions for the eco-friendly synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using
L. (Lythraceae) aqueous extracts and their potential application and ...safe use. AgNPs synthesized using
aerial parts (LSA-AgNPs) and root extract (LSR-AgNPs) were characterized by UV-Vis spectrophotometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM/EDS), and X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD). Dynamic light scattering (DLS) was used for the determination of the size distribution profiles of the obtained nanoparticles. Both
extracts showed high phenolic content, while the flavone
-glucosides orientin, vitexin, and isovitexin were detected in extracts using HPLC. The synthesized AgNPs displayed growth inhibition of the tested bacteria and fungi in concentrations between 0.156 and 1.25 mg mL
. The studied nanoparticles also showed antioxidant potential and gained selectivity at different concentrations on different cancer cell lines. Concentrations of LSA-AgNPs were found to be 20.5 and 12 μg mL
towards A431 and SVT2, respectively, while LSR-AgNPs were effective only against A431 cancer cells (62 μg mL
). The hemolytic activity of LSA-AgNPs in concentrations up to 150 μg mL
was not observed, while LSR-AgNPs in the highest applied concentration hemolyzed 2.8% of erythrocytes. The degradation possibility of Congo red and 4-nitrophenol using LSA-AgNPs and LSR-AgNPs as catalysts was also proven. The results indicate that
may be used for the eco-friendly synthesis of AgNPs with possible applications as antimicrobial and selective cytotoxic agents towards cancer cell lines, as well as in catalytic degradation of pollutants.
The aim of this research was the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (SPA- and SPR-AgNPs) using the aqueous extracts of the aerial (SPA) and the root (SPR) parts of the plant Salvia pratensis L., their ...characterization, reaction condition optimization, and evaluation of their biological and catalytic activity. UV–Vis spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), scanning electron microscopy with EDS analysis (SEM/EDS), and dynamic light scattering (DLS) analysis were utilized to characterize the nanoparticles, while Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was used to detect some functional groups of compounds present in the plant extracts and nanoparticles. The phenolic and flavonoid contents, as well as the antioxidant activity of the extracts, were determined spectrophotometrically. The synthesized nanoparticles showed twice-higher activity in neutralizing 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTSsup.+) compared with the respective extracts. SPR-AgNPs exhibited strong antimicrobial activity against almost all of the tested bacteria (<0.0039 mg/mL) and fungal strains, especially against the genus Penicillium (<0.0391 mg/mL). Moreover, they were fully biocompatible on all the tested eukaryotic cells, while the hemolysis of erythrocytes was not observed at the highest tested concentration of 150 µg/mL. The catalytic activity of nanoparticles toward Congo Red and 4-nitrophenol was also demonstrated. The obtained results confirm the possibility of the safe application of the synthesized nanoparticles in medicine and as a catalyst in various processes.