The synergy problem was discussed linking Se nanoparticles and different soil fertility agents. Se zero-valent-state nanoparticles were investigated as fertilizers and antioxidants. A technology was proposed for producing Se zero-valent-state nanoparticles. Se nanoparticles were obtained by laser ablation of Se in water using a fiber ytterbium laser, with a wavelength between 1060 and 1070 nm, a pulse repetition rate of 20 kHz, a pulse duration of 80 ns, and an average power of 20 W, and a copper vapor laser with wavelengths of 510.6 and 578.2 nm and an average power of 8 W. The main particle mass part shifted from 800 nm to a size less than 100 nm, corresponding to the increase in the laser fragmentation time. The resulting nanoparticles were monodisperse in size and mass. The Se nanoparticle water suspension was introduced into the soil. The soil Se nanoparticle concentrations were about 1, 5, 10, and 25 μg kg –1 . An experiment was carried out in a climate chamber in two series: (1) growing plants in soil imitating the standard organogenesis environment conditions such as illumination of 16 h per day, temperature of 22 °C, soil humidity of 25% SDW, and an experiment duration of 30 days and (2) growing plants in soil under changing environmental conditions of organogenesis. The standard environmental conditions for the first 10 days are illumination of 16 h day –1 , temperature of 22 °C, and soil humidity of 25% SDW. The plant stress for 5 days is hyperthermia of 40 °C. The standard environmental conditions for the next 15 days are illumination of 16 h day –1 , temperature of 22 °C, and soil humidity of 25% SDW. At standard organogenesis, the plant leaf plate surface area was 30 ± 2 cm 2 in the control option, and the Se nanoparticle doses were correspondingly 1 μg kg –1 for 32 ± 3 cm 2 , 5 μg kg –1 for 37 ± 2 cm 2 , 10 μg kg –1 for 38 ± 3 cm 2 , and 25 μg kg –1 for 28 ± 4 cm 2 . Hyperthermia stressed plant growth was studied. The highest plant growth rate was in Se nanoparticle concentrations of 5 and 10 μg kg –1 . The eggplant growth on the soil with the Se nanoparticle addition at a concentration of 10 μg kg –1 of leaf plate surface area was twice compared to the eggplant growth in untreated soil. The same was for tomato plants. The leaf plate surface area of the cucumber plant grown using Se nanoparticles was 50% higher compared to the control option. The Biogeosystem technique methodology of 20–45 cm soil-layer intrasoil milling for soil multilevel aggregate system formation and intrasoil pulse continuous-discrete watering for soil water regime control was proposed for the Se nanoparticles for better function in the real soil, providing a synergy effect of soil mechanical processin...

This Article covers the influence of the concentration of gold nanoparticles on laser-induced water decomposition. It was established that addition of gold nanoparticles intensifies laser-induced water decomposition by almost 2 orders of magnitude. The water decomposition rate was shown to be maximal at a nanoparticle concentration around 1010 NP/mL, whereas a decrease or increase of nanoparticle concentration leads to a decrease of water decomposition rate. It was demonstrated that, if the concentration of nanoparticles in water-based colloid was less than 1010 NP/mL, laser irradiation of the colloid caused formation of molecular hydrogen, hydrogen peroxide, and molecular oxygen. If the concentration of nanoparticles exceeded 1011 NP/mL, only two products, molecular hydrogen and hydrogen peroxide, were formed. Correlations between the water decomposition rate and the main optical and acoustic parameters of optical breakdown-generated plasma were investigated. Variants of laser-induced decomposition of colloidal solutions of nanoparticles based on organic solvents (ethanol, propanol-2, butanol-2, diethyl ether) were also analyzed.

A 5-min exposure of air-saturated bidistilled water to low-intensity laser infrared radiation at the wavelength of the electronic transition of dissolved oxygen to the singlet state ((3)∑(g)(-)→ (1)Δ(g)) induces, after a long latent period, auto-oscillations of water luminescence in the blue-green region, which last many hours. Laser irradiation causes the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide, which depends on the concentration of dissolved oxygen. The auto-oscillations do not arise if water is irradiated beyond the oxygen absorption band and if the oxygen is removed from water. The wavelet transform analysis of luminescence records indicates that there are two characteristic periods of pulsations of about 300 and 1150 s. The results obtained suggest that auto-oscillations are triggered by photoinduced singlet oxygen (1)Δ(g), and this phenomenon is closely related to formation of hydrogen peroxide.

Phospholipases A2 represent the most abundant family of snake venom proteins. They manifest an array of biological activities, which is constantly expanding. We have recently shown that a protein bitanarin, isolated from the venom of the puff adder Bitis arietans and possessing high phospholipolytic activity, interacts with different types of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and with the acetylcholine-binding protein. To check if this property is characteristic to all venom phospholipases A2, we have studied the capability of these enzymes from other snakes to block the responses of Lymnaea stagnalis neurons to acetylcholine or cytisine and to inhibit α-bungarotoxin binding to nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and acetylcholine-binding proteins. Here we present the evidence that phospholipases A2 from venoms of vipers Vipera ursinii and V. nikolskii, cobra Naja kaouthia, and krait Bungarus fasciatus from different snake families suppress the acetylcholine- or cytisine-elicited currents in L. stagnalis neurons and compete with α-bungarotoxin for binding to muscle- and neuronal α7-types of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, as well as to acetylcholine-binding proteins. As the phospholipase A2 content in venoms is quite high, under some conditions the activity found may contribute to the deleterious venom effects. The results obtained suggest that the ability to interact with nicotinic acetylcholine receptors may be a general property of snake venom phospholipases A2, which add a new target to the numerous activities of these enzymes.