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Introduction: Vascular prosthetic grafts are widely used in vascular surgery; however, graft infection remains a major concern. Silver-coated vascular grafts have demonstrated anti-infection properties in clinical settings; however, whether the silver irons influence foreign body reaction or neointimal hyperplasia remains unclear. Methods: Sodium alginate and hyaluronic acid (SA/HA) hydrogel patches loaded with rhodamine, with or without silver, were fabricated. Patches were implanted in the subcutaneous or abdominal cavity and inferior vena cava of rats. Samples were harvested on day 14 and examined via immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence analyses. Results: Silver hydrogel was found to decrease the foreign body reaction; after subcutaneous and abdominal cavity implantation in rats, the capsule was found to be thinner in the silver hydrogel group than in the control hydrogel group. The silver hydrogel group had fewer CD68-positive cells and proliferating cell nuclear antigen and interleukin-33 (IL-33) dual-positive cells than the control hydrogel group. Additionally, the silver hydrogel patch reduced the neointimal thickness after patch venoplasty in rats, and the number of IL-33- and IL-1β-positive cells was lower than that in the control patch. Conclusion: Silver-loaded SA/HA hydrogel patches decreased the foreign body reaction and venous neointimal hyperplasia in rats by the inhibition of IL-33 expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This numismatic chronicle presents a number of monetary or premonetary finds for which the exact place of finding cannot be specified: Dobrogea Passim (in the south of the Romanian coast?), 7+1? pieces, probably from the same hoard of bronze Scythian arrowheads and premonetary signs; 1 Thasos tetradrachm, found in Romania, no place specified, possibly part of a hoard; 5 notched Thasos tetradrachms from Transylvania (of the same type as in Șieu-Odorhei hoard), certainly found together in a hoard; 3 Dyrrhachium drachms, most probably part of a monetary hoard with Republican denarii, possibly from the Orăștiei Mountains area; 49 Roman Republican and Imperial denarii, part of one or more Roman denarii hoards, possibly from the Orăștiei Mountains area too; 3 bronze coins issued for Trajan, probably from the Roman provinces in Romania, without further details. To these pieces is added a gold stater of Koson type, without monogram, from a hoard at Sarmizegetusa Regia (Dealul Muncelului).

For the mythical-magical thinking of archaic and traditional communities, ritualistic purity represents a fundamental dimension of the entire universe, most often linguistically expressed through a reference to its antinomian pair, with the help of the clean-unclean opposition. According to the degree of contamination with various impure things, such as the multitude of good and evil spirits that populated the world, both space and time were qualitatively differentiated in good places and bad places, good hours and evil hours. People themselves had, in turn, to fulfil this condition of ritual purity, before beginning an important activity. If they were not pure from this point of view, they would be unsuccessful whether it was about working in the fields, going to church, or travelling somewhere. However, these metaphors from folkloric language, long discussed in Romanian ethnological literature, will be invoked only as points of reference in our study, since we intend to closely analyse here some of the least investigated meteorological metaphors, such as morning dew, mist, clouds and rainbow. We consider that they too deserve close attention, considering that a person, as a passing being, is represented in many folkloric creations as a forever wanderer, who begins their path With morning dew on your feet/With mist on your back. Starting from the image of the bathed person and, thus, purified by the morning dew, but burdened by the thick, impure mist that they symbolically carry on their back, we will attempt to remake the imaginary scheme that connects the pure and the impure in the archaic mentality, a scheme organised not after the principle of antithesis, but of the ambivalence specific to symbolic logic.

This work is related to the synthesis of silver-doped bioactive glass material 60SiO2-33CaO-4P2O5-3Ag2O by the modified sol-gel method based on hydrothermal reaction. Several physical-chemical methods such as TG-DSC, XRD, SEM, and TEM were used to evaluate the synthetic bioglass. TG-DSC shows that the processing temperature to form bioglass from dried gel is at 600 oC. XRD confirms the formation of silver crystalline phase on the amorphous phase of glass. SEM and TEM show the porous structure of the glass material containing nano-sized particles. Experiment with cells showed good biocompatibility of the bioglass material with the fibroblast L929 cell-line. Ag-doped bioglass material was mixed to make toothpaste with excellent antibacterial property. All Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria were destroyed when exposed to toothpaste containing bioglass.

Islamic metallic luster is one of the historical Islamic ceramic techniques that appeared in some Islamic states in periods of the century (9-15) AD, it appeared at first in Iraq, then in Egypt, then in Syria and Iran, then in Andalusia (currently Spain), and which is a style of ceramic decoration through drawing with copper and silver compounds on the glaze , At first starting with oxidizing fire and we end with reduction to convert the copper and silver oxide to the copper and silver to metal case, which appears in the beautiful mineral image, These resulting colors and their degrees depend on several factors, including the size and quantity of silver and copper particles, the composition of the glaze and fire (atmosphere of the reduced kiln),After studying the historical models of metallic luster products, performing chemical analyzes, x-ray analyzes, and others, It turns out that the glaze composition used in metallic luster contains lead because it gives the distinctive luster of metallic luster as well as tin that gives opacity in the glaze . The Iraqi metallic luster was distinguished by its multi-colored decorations resulting from the addition of silver and copper in different proportions. Multiple colors appeared, including golden, silver, copper and combinations of brown, ocher, greenish-black, copper and silver-white, and the multi-colored metallic luster did not appear again in Islamic ceramics until it appeared in Italy in the fifteenth and sixteenth century AD, while the Fatimid Egyptian luster was distinguished as monochromatic rich in silver and the colors of green, yellow and metallic brown appeared and they used clay rich in lime. As for the Syrian metallic luster, it was different, it depended on copper, and it appeared ruby red and did not use lead oxide in the glaze, the Syrian metallic luster was less luster than Fatimid, Abbasid and Spanish , As for the Iranian metallic luster was at the same time with the Syrian metallic luster, but it was similar to the Fatimid metallic luster in terms of the intensity of luster for their use of lead-glaze like Fatimid luster, while the Spanish luster used tin glaze with lead-rich and its colors were based on copper like the Iranian luster .

The present study determined if metal ions (zinc sulphate, silver nitrate, copper sulphate, manganese sulphate and ferric chloride) can be used as precursors to prepare nanoparticles using a baker’s yeast culture medium. The particles were characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), scanning electron microscope‒energy-dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). The antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Streptococcus aureus was also evaluated. Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain A12 culture only synthesized nanoparticles using a silver nitrate solution. FTIR indicated that the protein might play a role in capping the nanoparticles, which formed large aggregates and contained silver, oxygen and a small amount of phosphorus. The nanoparticles were spherical, ranging in size from 9 to 85 nm, crystalline and characterized as Ag2O, however, they demonstrated weak antibacterial activity.

The X-ray fluorescence analyses of 19 harnesses pieces and 13 beads from Agighiol show that they were made from silver, gold and copper; some items include copper to strengthen the alloy and some phalerae were gilded and contain more gold in the protome. The X-ray fluorescence analyses of ten Histrian obols from the first stylistical and weight system (475-410 BC), plus three didrachmas and 26 obols of the second group (410-380 / 350 BC) show that they were made principally of silver. The earlier obols contain a higher percentage of copper and lead than the later obols; the copper and lead do not indicate an intentional alloying, but they belong to the process of extraction of silver from ores, because the silver was not purified. The phalerae and the beads differ from the coins in the proportions of gold and silver, differences that can be explained functionally and technologically: most of the phalerae were gilded, but the coins were made using pure silver. The coins and the phalerae differ with regard to trace elements, from example iron and bismuth, because of the different original ores from which the silver was extracted. The phalerae and coins could not have been cast using Histrian silver coins.

This paper presents an overview of the analyses by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) of metal objects from Cretan sites, carried out in the frame of a research project on Bronze Age Cretan metallurgy, sponsored by the Institute for Aegean Prehistory (INSTAP). This paper focuses on the analysis of data from objects that were excavated at sites dating to different periods: copper-based and silver finds from Livari Skiadi, Hagia Photia, and Petras dated to the Early Minoan IB period (ca. 3000–2900 BC); the finds from Gournia, a Late Minoan I settlement (ca. 1625–1450 BC) now in the collection of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (Penn Museum); and those from the Late Minoan I–III (ca. 1625–1200 BC) town of Mochlos, an important port of trade.

Mexico’s relations with Spain and France during the first decades of independence were highly conditioned by economic factors. The production and circulation of silver and the payment of public debt stand out among them. These strictly financial matters, and not the productive economy, decisively influenced the rapprochements and ruptures, as well as the situation of the Spanish and French residents in Mexico.

Gold, silver and tin play a key role in the iconographic representation of medieval murals or the material reality of objects (wealth of fabrics, armor, etc.). The applied brocade technique, for example, is used to mimic the richness of the tissues of the important characters. Today, these decors have often disappeared and set beneath the adhesive layer. The fluorescence of these binders under ultraviolet light was used to detect the traces of these lesions on about fifteen sites in the south-west of France. The results of analysis highlight the variety and evolution of gilding techniques (in the broad sense) between the eleventh century and the sixteenth century. The choice of type of gilding is oriented by symbolic, economic, technical considerations, the desire to prioritize scenes or for the sake of realism.

Among the most characteristic innovations in the genesis of the modern mining enterprise were small-scale assay techniques. There are archaeological remains attesting to the use of such operations in German mining areas from the late 12th century, but this practice was only followed systematically in the major Sardinian and Tuscan mining areas in the early 14th century, where it aided the introduction of a rational organisation in the operational process through a division of labour based on assays. Fast, precise and reproducible, these analyses, performed by sworn-in experts, guaranteed trust among the various participants in the exploitation. There are regulations making it possible to track the importation of this standardised organisation to Catalonia by the Aragonese kingdom following the conquest of Sardinia. Nonetheless, the failure of attempts to apply this mining procedure to small deposits shows that there was a minimum scale beneath which this new mining economic system was not viable.

Imiter, mine d'argent de l'Anti-Atlas marocain encore en activité, possède des vestiges archéologiques de travaux miniers et métallurgiques. L'étude de textes anciens et d'artefacts a permis de la rapprocher de la mine d'argent de Todgha connue à l'époque médiévale (El Ajlaoui 1994). Entre 2011 et 2014, une équipe pluridisciplinaire (historien, géologue métallogéniste, géochimiste, archéologues) a entrepris des prospections en surface et en souterrain, la fouille de trois cuves de traitement du minerai ainsi que la caractérisation minéralogique et géochimique de minerais et déchets métallurgiques anciens. Les résultats des datations des cuves placent le dépôt après utilisation entre le IIe siècle cal BC et le VIe siècle cal AD, soit avant la période islamique. Cet article fait état des résultats de ces recherches, qui documentent pour la première fois une exploitation antique de l'argent dans les régions méridionales du Maroc, exploitation qui s'est poursuivie à l'époque médiévale. Imiter, the silver mine of the Moroccan Anti-Atlas still in operation today, displays archaeological evidence of ancient mining and metallurgical works. Written sources and the study of artefacts has already allowed researchers to suggest that the site of Imiter was the ancient Todgha, a locality mentioned during the medieval period (El Ajlaoui 1994). Between 2011 and 2014, a multidisciplinary team (historian, metallogenic geologist, geochemist, archaeologists) undertook surface and underground prospection, the excavation of three ore enrichment tanks as well as the mineralogical and geochemical characterization of ancient ores and metallurgical wastes. The radiocarbon dates obtained on the tanks place their final use between the 2nd century cal BC and the 6th century cal AD, i.e. before the Islamic period. This article reports results of this research, which documents for the first time an ancient silver mining site in the southern regions of Morocco, whose use continued through medieval times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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New numismatics findings, in association with existing knowledge on coins in medieval Central and West Asia, strengthen the hypothesis that a large quantity of silver ingots of Chinese origin reached the western half of Eurasia, as far as London, around 1280, 1300 and 1350. The three peaks of silver issuance in London coincide with the establishment or resumption of sending tributes from the appanages, touxia 投下, in proper China allotted to western Mongolian Khanates. Numismatics evidences from Transoxania and Iran show that after the1270s silvers of high fineness substituted coins of billon and silver-coated copper. The forms and weights of 65 silver bars unearthed from the remains (1340-1360) at Orheiul Vechi, Moldavia, strongly suggest that the tributes of silver from the appanages in China surely reached the fortress of the Kipchap Khanate. The Mongolian regime did not seriously affect the lower level markets, but its empire-wide tribute transfers with a unified system of measurement happened to build a commensurability in distant exchanges, and subsequently invited a series of global transformations of entire exchange systems in later period.

Fourteen hollow and one cast anthropomorphic and zoomorphic figurines produced in Incan times for ritual offerings from the Ethnologisches Museum in Berlin were selected to investigate the technologies and alloys used for their fabrication with portable optical microscopy and non-destructive XRF elemental analysis. This group of gold and silver figurines includes typical specimens of the Inca production, such as the four silver figurines from the Island Coati in Lake Titicaca and the two gold figurines from Pachacamac, as well as specimens that are seldom present in collections, which makes them atypical. In addition to the tall figurines with atypical hair or standing pose, one bicolour figurine (half silver, half gold) and another with coloured inlays were included in this study for comparison. The large majority of the silver specimens are made from very high quality alloys and the gold figurines are made from alloys containing low copper contents and silver ranging from 30wt% to 52wt%.

Metallurgy in Inca times reflects a technological heritage of over 2,000 years of metalworking in the vast region of the Central Andes. Copper and its alloys, silver, and gold were widely used metals. This article presents the results of XRF-ED analyses of the collection of objects from the Museum of America in Madrid. These results make it possible to propose some ideas about the type of alloys and their chromatic characteristics; this latter focus was of great interest in pre-Hispanic Peru. This study also focuses on reviewing current knowledge about how these metals, particularly copper, bronze and silver, were obtained.

The hollow silver male miniature figurine from National Museums Scotland is one of the tallest specimens made in precious metals attributed to the Incas. In spite of showing the expected characteristics of this type of Inca production for ritual offerings —regular proportions and standing pose, representation of its gender, bulging cheek associated to coca leaves chewing and elongated earlobes— this figurine differs from the regular figurines by the form of the top of its head. In addition, the skilled decoration includes details such as well portrayed feet. The technologies and the alloy employed in its manufacture were examined using a stereo microscope and by non-destructive X-ray fluorescence analysis. Comparison between this figurine with the hollow silver male figurines of equivalent stature and typology kept at Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection and Museum of America shows that they are all made with the same technology and by employing silver alloys with copper contents below 0.5%. These alloys are richer in silver than the majority of the alloys employed to fabricate normal Inca hollow figurines of known provenance or from other museum collections.

In the 1960s two similar silver corncobs attributed to the Chimú-Inca period were sold by New York based art dealers to the Museum für Völkerkunde in Berlin, now the Ethnologisches Museum, and to the Denver Art Museum. The composition of the Berlin piece shows the use of different alloys, suggesting the reuse of different pre-Columbian objects. Only the hard-solders used to join the different parts of the corncobs contain an amount of zinc that might indicate a modern intervention. The hypothesis of this article is that economic stability in the 1960s combined with the desire to restore Second World War losses in museums collections particularly in Germany paved the way for doubtable purchases including forgeries.

The tupu, tupo or pin has been manufactured for more than 1700 years to embellish women’s clothing in the Andes. Women typically wore clothing pins, but archaeological evidencs shows that these pins were also used as part of the capacocha ceremonies and as an offering to the huacas. Depending on fashion and woman’s social status, tupus were made using different metals and alloys such as gold, silver, tumbaga, copper, bronze and brass. When taken out of context they are difficult to date. In our work we searched for the characteristics of the silver alloys used in their fabrication to check whether any criteria could be linked to their period of production, in particular for the miniature tupus from the capacocha silver figurines. A group of silver tupus belonging to the Museo Inka of the Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco, and to the Museo de Oro y Armas del Mundo of Lima were analyzed by X-ray fluorescence (XRF). A few capacocha silver figurines from the Museo de Oro y Armas del Mundo were included in this analytical study. Data obtained were compared to the composition of both silver coins struck in Potosi and the rare published tupus and figurines analysis.

Six figurines and seven miniature tupus from ritual sacrifices and offerings, made from silver alloys and gold alloys exist in the collection of the Museo Inka in Cusco (Peru). They are dated to the Inca period and were found in the archaeological site of Chimur, in Chayllabamba, district of Paucartambo. In this article, we present a study of them by optical microscopy and mobile X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (pXRF). This group of objects includes the only known two-coloured anthropomorphic figurine (made from silver and from copper) with provenience. It also includes an undamaged offering consisting of a wood box containing a silver female figurine wrapped in a cloth fastened with two silver tupus. The research results obtained on the figurines’ typology and on the diversity of the technologies and alloys employed for their production are discussed, as well as the homogeneity of the tupus production.

Beyond being "the Limits of Empire" in the Audience of the Confines, the Kingdom of Guatemala played a key role in the transoceanic shipping routes that connected the various regions of the world during the colonial era. Especially important were the ports of Acajutla and El Realejo on the Callao-Acapulco-Manila route. In this context, the royal prohibitions of voyages from Callao fostered an emerging smuggling trade in which the main goods were silver and silk. The original research presented here reveals Central American participation in the diversion of part of the silver intended in principle for Seville to China, where it reached a higher value than gold, and thus endangered the Atlantic economy.

Nanoparticles of silver were treaeted as clinical trials in some broiler farms for its disinfecting characters in 4 broiler farms during growing period. The nanosilver were used orally and inhalatory in amount of 2 -4 ppm and 40 ppm respectively. Some samples of Breast muscle, Femora muscle, Heart, Gizzard, Liver, Skin, Spleen, Lung, Kidney and Cloacal feces were collected randomly in slaughterhouse. The silver nanoparticles residues accumulation in samples were examined by miniature neutron source reactor (MNSR) with a high specificity and sensitivity in ppb levels. Regarding to the results the silver residues were detectable in all the samples (>131ppb), The average of residues in ppb level in examined samples were as 131(a) for Spleens, 132(a) for Gizzards, 144(a) for Hearts, 147(a) for Kidneys, 160(a) for Lungs, 168(a) (a)for Breast muscles, 172(a) for Femora muscles, 185(a) for Livers, 194(a) for Skins and 557(b) for cloacal Feces. Comparison of averages among treatments by ANOVA (Duncan) (p

Research background: Commodities are attractive investment opportunities and are objects of many researches. Traditional and most stable seem to be precious metals gold and silver. In the global world where anyone can access information in seconds it is crucial to know the background of price development in order to make the right investment decision. Purpose of the article: This paper focuses on international commodity exchanges and analyzes factors affecting prices of selected commodities. It offers a summary of recent studies and continues with an analysis of most relevant factors affecting price of gold and silver. Methods: After collecting data and testing their consistency we construct two hypothesis models. Using linear regression model we test the appropriateness of models which are constructed for each commodity. Subsequently, we test statistical significance of individual explanatory variables, such as dollar exchange rate, VIX, CPI, DJIA, DAX or oil price. Additionally, we take into consideration not traditional factors e.g. Bitcoin. Findings & Value added: Finally an evaluation of results are carried out and the influence of variables are quantified. For instance, negative impact of VIX and dollar exchange rate in observed period of time was confirmed. Given the fact that there can be various other factors influencing price development of gold and silver this paper serves as basis for further analysis in this direction.

This article argues that the commodity “nature” ascribed to early modern money should be understood as an ideological effect of Chinese domination of the early modern global monetary system. In the three centuries before 1800, Chinese demand for silver anchored a global system that made silver valued by weight and fineness the apparently natural money of the world, just as it in late Ming and Qing China. We argue that this naturalization should be understood as resulting from Chinese power, and that the early modern era is perhaps best understood as an era of Chinese global hegemony. We follow the effects of this Chinese monetary hegemony through three different fields. First, we trace it through early modern English financiers and philosophers’ formulation of the ideal qualities of a universal money, deliberately based on the Chinese model. Second, we show the importance of Chinese demand for silver for evoking and determining the character of the British Empire in India. And finally, we show how officials naturalized silver as money in early modern Ottoman statecraft

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a natural renewable and biodegradable polymer and mostly synthesized from the bacteria genus, Acetobacter. More recent studies on effective biopolymer in various applications have been conducted due to its uniform structure and morphology superior to those of plant cellulose. In this study, the researchers have observed the effectiveness on antimicrobial activity of BC produced by sweet glutinous rice as a raw material instead of cellulosic materials. In the process, sweet glutinous rice fermented by Loog-pang was fermented for alcohol before further making rice vinegar product by inoculating with Gluconacetobacter xylinum TISTR 086, or mixed with indigenous vinegar producers, isolated Acetobacter spp. from our laboratory. Both these two samples gave comparable BC yields and the antimicrobial activity after impregnating with silver nanoparticles and also comparable to the control coconut vinegar medium (2.20 vs 2.00 g/L within 3 days). The optimum conditions for high BC production were pH 4 to 7, temperature approximately 25-30°C, slow agitation (50 to 90 rpm) as well as static cultivation. The remarkable antimicrobial activities of silver nanoparticles impregnated BC products (Ag-BC) showed high tentative in vitro inhibition on common pathogens in contaminated wounds; Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa by agar diffusion test. From this study, Ag-BC produced by fermented sweet glutinous rice (FSR) will therefore be one attractive affordable choice for being biomaterials applied in medical interests, especially skin disinfectant.

The results of studies of the cyanide and an alternative methods for leaching gold and silver from oxidized ores of the Malmyzh field are presented. The possibility of recovering gold and silver from oxidized porphyry copper ores by thiosulfate solutions in agitation and percolation modes without intensifying the process – heating the solutions and adding copper ions – has been shown. Also, in a separate cycle – copper leaching with low-concentration sulfuric acid-sulfite solutions with additional opening of the silicate matrix with ammonium hydrofluoride – has been studied. The possibility of using ammonia-thiosulfate leaching in percolation mode has been investigated.

Accounting books of the Caboga (Kabužić) brothers 1426-1433 (Squarço/Reminder, Journal and Main Ledger) kept at the Historical Archives of Dubrovnik provide new evidence for the composition and advanced levels of processing of precious metals from Serbian medieval mines. Notably, that the residue left after the process of obtaining fine silver was copper. Even the price of the refining process is specified. Two items of a transaction entered in the Squarço in 1430 contain some previously unknown data about auriferous silver (argento di glama). Besides gold, it also contained copper and, moreover, the ratio of the two per pound is specified. Apart from the Caboga brothers’ accounting books, neither the other written sources nor geological research have provided any indication about the presence of copper in the auriferous silver mines.

Account Books of the Caboga (Kabužić) Brothers 1426-1433 (Squarço - Reminder, Diary and Ledger) from the Historical Archive of Dubrovnik provide new evidence about the high degree of treatment and composition of precious metals from the Serbian medieval mines. First of all, that the residue, after the purification of unprocessed into fine silver, was copper. Even the price of this process is listed. In the Squarço, in two items in a receipt from 1430, there is previously unknown data about auriferous silver (argento di glama), the composition of which, besides gold, also included copper, and the precisely determined shares of these metals per litre. Apart from the Account Books of the Caboga (Kabužić) Brothers, other written sources and hitherto geological explorations have provided no clues regarding the presence of copper in the auriferous silver mines.

The treasure of Sâncrăieni (Harghita County, România) includes eight cups with stems and holders (of the kantharos type), seven hemispherical cups (the mastós type), two bracelets, a fibula and two coins. This is the largest set of silver tableware from the Late La Tène Dacia (1st century BC). Its exceptional weight (3650 g) makes it heavier than any other Dacian silver hoard. The way the kantharos cups in Sâncrăieni (Fig. 1– 8) were manufactured and the way they were restored is extremely important for understanding the meanings of this treasure. The technological and stylistic differences in the elements of the kantharos cups from Sâncrăieni allow us to identify several distinct artisans : (1) the artisan of the engraved bowls (the bowls of cups no. 4– 8) ; (2) the artisan of the imported cup no. 1 ; (3) the artisan of cups no. 2 and 3, probably of the 3rd type of stems as well (Fig. 12 and 13/ 2– 3) and (4) the artisan of the 2nd type of stems (Fig. 12). Artisans 1, 3 and 4 are local, while the 2nd one is Greek-Roman. One can also assume that there is a chronological gap between the work of craftsman no. 1, on the one hand, and those of the 3rd and 4th, on the other hand, perhaps a matter of one generation. However, the less than harmonious collaboration of a number of craftsmen with different manners of ornamentation, led to a lack of unity in the style of the elements constituting the kantharos cups produced in a „ Barbarian” milieu (cups no. 2– 8). The lack of stylistic unity, as well as the disassembly of the Sâncrăieni cups prior to their burial brought forth insurmountable dilemmas to modern restoration. It is therefore preferable to avoid interventions of an irreversible nature in an attempt to preserve the separate elements of the kantharos cups in the state in which they had been discovered.

In the hinterland of the middle Adriatic, at the sites Ivoševci (Burnum) and Podgrađe (Asseria), were found the knee-like fibulae made of silver, on which were hanged the chains made of silver twisted wire with pendants. Silver fibulae of same type, also with hanged silver chains, were found in the region of south-east Dalmatia, at the sites Komini (Municipium S…) and Kolovrat. These finds confirmed the already existing thesis about the migration of the part of population from middle Dalmatia into its south-east regions around Komini and Kolovrat. The anlysis of jewelry from that region confirmed also the existence of an older ethnic component, maybe of Celtic origin, whose style of decorations is close to that one practiced by the inhabitants of the upper and middle part of Drina Valley. The specific local forms of decorations and jewelry have their origin in the transformation of the long-lasting influences from the Greek cultural circle and they bear witness to the conservatism of this population.

A pair of nearly identical silver artefacts was found in Rutevac by Aleksinac, known as Mramorac type belts, which used to be found exclusively in Pomoravlje and within the Big Confluence zone. Twenty four such artefacts were published; of which 20 are of silver plate, two of gilt silver plate and two of gold plate. The very fact that they are void of any fastening devices at the corresponding ends for buckling up purposes or pinning up to a surface (cloth or leather), excludes their purpose as belts to be used around people's waist; it could, however, be assumed that they served as a part of equipment of secular and religious leaders - as a kind of decorative ribbon - broad bands with ample symbols, worn over the shoulder and breast - at the same time cult object and a sign of dignity of the person wearing it. The fact that all the artefacts were found within one and the same territory and that they were reconstructed due to frequent wear suggest the production and maintenance in one or more local workshops in Pomoravlje. Artefacts belonged to the Triballi, the only ancient Balkan peoples who were confirmed, both archaeologically and on the basis of historical sources, in Pomoravlje, in the Triballian valley, living at the end of the 6th and in the 5th centuries BC, the period to which these luxurious artefacts were dated to.

The novel binary chelating co-polymers of butyl acrylate with itaconic and maleic acids were prepared by emulsion polymerization process. The chelating co-polymers of butyl acrylate-co-itaconic acid (BuA/IA) and butyl acrylate-co-maleic acid (BuA/MA) and their silver complexes were characterized and identified using IR spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements. The biological activities of these compounds were studied against various types of fungal species. The dose and the rate of leached silver ions were controlled by the type of the co-polymers used and the solubility in the medium. The results provided laboratory support for the concept that the polymers containing chemically bound biocide are useful for controlling microbial growth. The silver uptake by strains of different fungal species was studied to determine their difference in behavior to the antifungal activities of these compounds. The uptake strategy was examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

Group find of the silver jewelry of the Hellenistic and Celtic type has been discovered by chance in the area of the Hrtkovci village. The find consists of gilded hinged fibula, three fibulae of the Middle La Tène type and many pendants made of thin silver foil. Most of the finds are dated in the 2nd-1st century BC and only the new type of hinged fibula dates from considerably earlier period, possibly from the end of 4th or the beginning of the 3rd century BC. The new finds of silver jewelry discovered in the area of eastern Srem and dating from the Pre-Roman times confirm the existence of the local workshop connected most probably to the Pre-Roman fortified settlement in Sremska Mitrovica.

Nanoecotoxicology strives to understand the processes and mechanisms by which engineered nanoparticles (ENP) may exert toxic effects on aquatic organisms. Detailed knowledge of the chemical reactions of nanoparticles in the media and of their interactions with organisms is required to understand these effects. The processes of agglomeration of nanoparticles, of dissolution and release of toxic metal ions, and of production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) are considered in this article. Important questions concern the role of uptake of nanoparticles in various organisms, in contrast to uptake of ions released from nanoparticles and to nanoparticle attachment to organism surfaces. These interactions are illustrated for effects of silver nanoparticles (AgNP), cerium oxide (CeO2 NP) and titanium dioxide (TiO2 NP), on aquatic organisms, including algae, biofilms, fish cells and fish embryos.

Silver and its compounds have been used for centuries for e.g. water storage, burn wounds or as eye ointment. Almost forgotten after the discovery of antibiotics, silver chemistry has had a revival over the past years as a means to combat multi-resistant bacteria. Although the details of its mechanism of action are still unknown, silver seems to be efficient as it interacts with many biomolecular targets in a cell. In our group, we contribute to the elucidation of this mechanism of action by investigating the interactions of silver ions with amino acids and peptides as well as the formation of nanoparticles related to the mechanism of biomineralization of silver.