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Serotonin concentrations in the serum of sympatric lizard populations of Podarcis siculus and Podarcis melisellensis
No full textRod Podarcis predstavlja raznoliku skupinu gmazova dominantno rasprostranjenu područjem južne Europe. Na području istočnog Jadrana, brojna su ispitivanja ukazala na izraženu dominantnost kozmopolitske vrste P. siculus nad autohtonom vrstom, P. melisellensis. Periferni serotonin, kao jedan od faktora koji ubrzava metabolizam lipida i sudjeluje u homeostazi glukoze, doprinosi biološkoj prednosti vrste putem skladištenja veće količine masti, što posljedično dovodi do većeg rasta, veće pokretljivosti i bolje reproduktivne moći. Zato je glavni cilj ovog istraživanja bio otkriti postoji li razlika u razini perifernog serotonina u serumu gušterica P. siculus i P. melisellensis prethodno uhodanom metodom ELISA. Utvrđena je značajno viša razina serotonina kod mužjaka P. siculus u odnosu na ženke dok se koncentracija serotonina među spolovima vrste P. melisellensis nije značajno razlikovala. Zaključujemo da je spolna razlika u razini serotonina vrsno specifična i pretpostavljamo da je njegova viša razina kod mužjaka P. siculus povezana s boljim raspolaganjem energetskim resursima i posljedičnom kompetitivnom prednošću ove vrste u odnosu na P. melisellensis. Na dijelu uzoraka usporedno je izmjerena koncentracija serotonina metodom HPLC. Vrijednosti su umjereno, ali značajno korelirale, pri čemu su one izmjerene HPLC-om bile nešto više. Nakon dodatnog podešavanja uvjeta radi postizanja preciznijih rezultata, metoda HPLC omogućit će mjerenje razine serotonina na većem broju uzoraka.The genus Podarcis represents a diverse group of reptiles predominantly distributed across southern Europe. In the eastern Adriatic region, numerous studies have highlighted the pronounced dominance of the cosmopolitan species P. siculus over the native species P. melisellensis. Peripheral serotonin, as a key factor in lipid metabolism acceleration and glucose homeostasis, contributes to the biological advantage of a species by enabling greater fat storage, which consequently leads to increased growth, enhanced mobility, and improved reproductive capacity.
Accordingly, the primary aim of this study was to determine whether there is a difference in peripheral serotonin levels in the serum of P. siculus and P. melisellensis using the previously validated ELISA method. The results revealed significantly higher serotonin levels in male P. siculus than females, whereas no significant differences were observed between sexes in P. melisellensis. We conclude that the observed sex-specific variation in serotonin levels is species-specific and hypothesize that the elevated peripheral serotonin levels in male P. siculus are associated with more efficient energy resource allocation, ultimately conferring a competitive advantage over P. melisellensis. In one portion of samples serotonin concentrations were also measured by HPLC method. Comparative measurements showed a moderate yet significant correlation, with HPLC values being slightly higher. After optimization, in order to obtain more precise results, the HPLC method will allow serotonin measurements on a larger sample size
Simulated particle distributions obtained by various tunes in modern detectors
No full textKako bi se potvrdila odstupanja teorije od mjerenja u eksperimentima u fizici visokih energija, simuliraju se relativistički sudari čestica s pomoću različitih Monte Carlo simulatora koji prate fizikalne zakonitosti kvantne kromodinamike. S obzirom na to da nakon sudara dolazi do mnoštva fizikalnih fenomena koji se ne mogu egzaktno opisati, kvantnodinamičke simulatore potrebno je ugoditi tako da opisuju stvarne podatke izmjerene na detektorima. U okviru ovog rada proučava se utjecaj izbora ugađanja PYTHIA simulatora na svojstva izlaznih čestica u pp sudarima.
Pokazano je kako korištenje različitih prilagodbi utječe na distribucije čestica u dijelu prostora za koji prilagodbe obično nisu rađene. Distribucije se uspoređuju primjenom različitih statističkih testova. Uz analizu distribucija kinematičkih varijabli čestica, napravljena je nezavisna simulacija depozicije energije čestica u detektorima koji odgovaraju stvarnim eksperimentima. Uspoređene su distribucije deponiranih energija u centralnom i forward detektoru.
U zaključku, opazili smo statističke razlike među distribucijama i u centralnom i u forward detektoru te pokazali između kojih ugađanja su razlike najveće. Ustvrdili smo koliko podataka bi trebao prikupiti realni centralni detektor kako bi opazio razlike među simuliranim distribucijama dobivenima s pomoću ugađanja dizajniranih za generiranje podataka u centralnom području.In order to confirm the deviations of theory and measurements in experiments in high-energy physics, relativistic particle collisions are simulated using various Monte Carlo simulators that follow the physical laws of quantum chromodynamics. Considering that after the collision there are many physical phenomena that cannot be described exactly, the quantum dynamic simulator needs to be adjusted so that it describes the real data measured on the detectors. In the framework of this work, the influence of the tuning choice of the PYTHIA simulator on the properties of the exiting particles in pp collisions is studied.
It is shown how the use of different tunes affects the distribution of particles in a part of the space for which adjustments were not usually made. Distributions are compared using various statistical tests. In addition to checking the distributions of particle kinematic variables, an independent simulation of particle energy deposition in detectors corresponding to real experiments was made. The distributions of deposited energies in the central and forward detectors were compared.
In conclusion, we observed statistical differences between the distributions in both the central and forward detectors and showed which tunings had the largest differences. We determined how much data a real central detector would need to collect to detect differences between the simulated distributions obtained using tunings designed to generate data in the central region
Status of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica meadows in the marine area of the cape Kamenjak
No full textPosidonia oceanica predstavlja jedno od najvažnijih staništa u Jadranskom moru. Ova morska
cvjetnica je indikator čistoće mora kao i bitno stanište za mnoge vrste koje obitavaju u ovoj
biocenozi. Monitoring livada morske cvjetnice P. oceanica proveden je na području JU
Kamenjak na sedam postaja ronjenjem pomoću autonomne ronilačke opreme. Cilj ovog
diplomskog rada je utvrditi stanje livada morske cvjetnice P. oceanica te usporediti dobivene
podatke sa podatcima iz 2020. godine. Dobiveni podatci poslužit će za daljnji monitoring
istraživanih lokacija. Dugoročni cilj ovog projekta je aktivna zaštita morskih vrsta i staništa
morske cvjetnice P. oceanica te održivo gospodarenje morem. Livade su kategorizirane prema
gustoći izdanaka prema Giraud (1977) te su postaje Polje i Porer kategorizirane kao livade
rijetke gustoće dok su postaje Fenoliga, Školjić, Šekovac, Franina i Debeljak kategorizirane
kao livade vrlo rijetke gustoće. Usporedba istraživanja iz 2023. i 2020. godine pokazuje
degradaciju livada posidonije na svim istraživanim postajama, povećanje biomase epifitskih
alga na listovima posidonije. Na svim postajama utvrđena je plemenita periska Pinna nobilis,
ali nije utvrđena niti jedna živa jedinka. Prema indeksu sličnosti s obzirom na zabilježene vrste
koje obitavaju na livadama te su zabilježene tijekom ovog monitoringa, najveću sličnost od
99,57 % pokazuju postaje Franina i Školjić.Seagrass Posidonia oceanica represents one of the most important habitats in the Adriatic Sea.
This seagrass is an indicator of the cleanliness of the sea as well as an important habitat for
many species that live in the biocenosis of seagrass meadows. Monitoring of seagrass meadows
P. oceanica was carried out around Public Institution Kamenjak at seven stations by using
SCUBA diving equipment. This thesis aims to determine the state of the seagrass meadows P.
oceanica and to compare the obtained data with the data collected from 2020. The obtained data
will be used for further monitoring of these researched locations. The long-term goal of this
project is the active protection of marine species and the habitat of the seagrass P. oceanica,
and sustainable management of the sea. Meadows are categorized according to the density of
shoots according to Giraud (1977), stations Polje and Porer are categorized as meadows of
sparse density, while the stations Fenoliga, Školjić, Šekovac, Franina and Debeljak are
categorized as meadows of very sparse density. A comparison of research from 2023 and 2020
shows the degradation of Posidonia meadows at all research stations and an increase in the
biomass of epiphytic algae on Posidonia leaves. The protected bivalve Pinna nobilis was
observed at all stations, but not a single living individual was identified. According to the Index
of similarity regarding the recorded species that live in the meadows, and were recorded during
this monitoring, the highest similarity of 99.57% is shown in the stations Franina and Školjić
Razvoj detektorskog sustava za mjerenje polarizacijskih korelacija anihilacijskih gama fotona i istraživanje njegove primjene u pozitronskoj emisijskoj tomografiji
No full textPositron emission tomography (PET) is a medical imaging technique based on positron annihilation with an electron inside a patient’s tissue. This process releases two entangled gamma photons, with 511 keV energy, opposing momenta, and orthogonal polarizations. The first two characteristics of the process are implemented for image reconstruction in PET imaging, but the orthogonality of the polarizations of these two photons is not exploited in conventional PET devices. If implemented, it could enhance to the reconstructed images through random background rejection that does not exhibit the same correlation. The work presented in this thesis encompasses the development and evaluation of the PET demonstrator device, capable of measuring the polarization correlations of the annihilation quanta with single-layer Compton polarimeters. The first part of the research is oriented towards optimization and testing of possible configurations of the polarimeters, investigating the sensitivity of the detector setups to measurement of the polarization correlations. One part of these explorations is a Monte Carlo simulation in the Geant4 framework, giving insight into the polarimetric performance of different detector setups based on segmented gadolinium aluminium gallium garnet (GAGG) and lutetium-yttrium oxyorthosilicate (LYSO) scintillating crystals in two configurations, with a 3.2 mm and a 2.2 mm matrix pitch. Following the simulation, four modules were assembled in the laboratory and mounted on the PET demonstrator, where each detector module contains four 8x8 matrix detectors read out by silicon photomultipliers, totaling 256 pixels per module. Two modules with 3.2 matrix pitch were made of GAGG crystals, while of the other two with 2.2 mm pitch, one was made of GAGG and the other of LYSO scintillators. The detector modules with the matching matrix pitch were mounted opposite of one another, their fronts facing each other. Since the gantry of the PET demonstrator device has the ability for precise rotation around the annihilation source, this experimental setup allowed for the emulation of 16 transaxial PET rings. Measurements of two Ge-68 line sources and the NEMA NU-4 phantom filled with Ga- 68 with clinically relevant activities were conducted at the University Hospital Center Zagreb. The data acquisition system utilized in the measurements was TOFPET2, and analysis of the acquired data was done with the ROOT programming package. Image reconstruction was done in MATLAB environment, utilizing the Ordered Subset Expectation Maximization (OSEM) iterative algorithm from the OMEGA programming package. For the first time, images of the two Ge-68 line sources and NEMA NU-4 phantom filled with Ga-68 are reconstructed solely from polarization-correlated annihilation quanta. The spatial resolution of the demonstrator was estimated to be ∼ 3 mm for single-pixel events and ∼ 6 mm for polarization-correlated events. Measurements of the polarization correlations also demonstrate up to ∼ 30% random background reduction potential compared to conventional single-pixel event measurements in PET.Tema ovog rada je razvoj detektorskog sustava kojim je moguće provesti pozitronsku emisijsku tomografiju mjerenjima polarizacijskih korelacija anihilacijskih gama fotona. U sljedećih nekoliko odlomaka opisani su osnovni principi na kojima je zasnovano istraživanje (Uvod i Polarizacijske korelacije anihilacijskih kvanta), te razvoj simulacije za vrednovanje i optimizaciju osnovnog detektorskog postava (Geant4 simulacije). Sami detektorski sustav, odnosno novi PET demonstrator, opisan je u poglavlju Eksperimentalni postav, zajedno sa mjernim postavkama te opisom obavljenih mjerenja. Rezultati su dobiveni metodama opisanim u poglavljima Analiza i Rekonstrukcija slike, te sistematizirani u poglavlju Rezultati, gdje se po prvi put mogu vidjeti slike radioaktivnih izvora sa klinički relevantnim aktivnostima (dva linijska izvora Ge-68 i NEMANU-4fantomispunjenizvoromGa-68). Napravljena je procjena prostorne razlučivosti PET demonstratora te mogućnosti odbacivanja nasumične pozadine
Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of biscarbamates as potential selective inhibitors of butyrylcholinesterase
No full textInhibicija butirilkolinesteraze (BChE) predstavlja novi, obećavajući pristup liječenju Alzheimerove bolesti (AB). U sklopu ove disertacije dizajnirani su i sintetizirani biskarbamati s različito supstituiranim atomima dušika karbamatnih skupina i 1-hidroksi-2-aminoetilnog lanca. Za 25 biskarbamata određena je sposobnost inhibicije ljudske BChE i acetilkolinesteraze (AChE), procijenjena je sposobnost prelaska krvno-moždane barijere pasivnim transportom, in vitro toksičnost prema jetrenim, bubrežnim i živčanim stanicama te sposobnost kelatiranja biometala Cu2+, Zn2+ i Fe2+. Svi ispitivani biskarbamati pokazali su vremenski ovisnu inhibiciju s konstantama brzine inhibicije od 103−106 mol-1 dm3 min-1i općenito većom selektivnošću prema BChE u odnosu na AChE. Za tri biskarbamata utvrđena je mogućnost prolaska krvnomoždane barijere pasivnim transportom, dok je za njih devet ta sposobnost ograničena. Većina biskarbamata nije pokazala citotoksični učinak prema odabranim staničnim linijama, dok su svi pokazali sposobnost kelatiranja najmanje jednog od ispitanih iona biometala. Radi visoke BChE selektivnosti, netoksičnosti, sposobnosti kelatiranja biometala i prolaska krvno-moždane barijere, za daljnji razvoj kao lijekova za liječenje kasnijih stadija AB istaknula su se tri spoja (3, 9 i 26).Inhibition of butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) represents a new, promising approach to the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). As part of this dissertation, biscarbamates with different substituted nitrogens of carbamate groups and 1-hydroxy-2-aminoethyl chain were designed and synthesized. For 25 biscarbamates, the ability to inhibit human BChE and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) was determined, the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) by passive transport, in vitro toxicity to liver, kidney and neural cells and the ability to chelate biometals Cu2+, Zn2+ and Fe2+ were evaluated. All of the tested biscarbamates showed a timedependent inhibition with inhibition rate constants in 103 − 106 mol-1 dm3 min-1 range with a generally higher preference for BChE compared to AChE. For three biscarbamates it was found that they should be able to cross the BBB by passive transport, while this ability was limited for nine biscarbamates. Most of the biscarbamates did not show a cytotoxic effect against the selected cell lines. All of the biscarbamates were shown to have the ability to chelate at least one of the biometals. Due to the high BChE selectivity, non-toxicity, ability to chelate biometals and pass the BBB, three compounds (3, 9 and 26) were pointed out for further development as drugs for the treatment of later stages of AD
Population and genetic characteristics of the invasive blue crab Callinectes sapidus in the Special Ornithological Reserve Palud - Palu
No full textPlavi rak (Callinectes sapidus) uvršten je među 100 najinvazivnijih stranih vrsta u
Sredozemnom moru u koje je dospio putem balastnih voda brodova i uspostavio populacije na
hrvatskom dijelu Jadrana 2010. godine. U sjevernom Jadranu zabilježen je od 2013./2014.
godine, a 2022. godine vrsta je nađena i u slanoj močvari Posebnog ornitološkog rezervata
Palud – Palu'. Cilj rada bio je utvrditi populacijske i genetske značajke plavog raka na Paludu.
Jedinke su istraživane u travnju, lipnju, srpnju i kolovozu 2024. godine, lovom vršama i rukom.
Za svaku ulovljenu jedinku zabilježen je spol i masa, te su sve jedinke podijeljene po spolu u
veličinske razrede kako bi se utvrdila uzrasno-spolna struktura. Dio jedinki je detaljno mjeren
za izračunavanje kondicijskog indeksa, od kojih je 30 jedinki uzorkovano za potrebe genetskih
analiza. Ukupno je uhvaćeno 783 jedinke, a ukupna masa iznosila je 67,92 kg. U istraživanom
razdoblju u populaciji prevladavaju mužjaci, a u uzrasnoj strukturi prevladavaju subadultne i
odrasle jedinke veličine do 12 cm. Analizom mitohondrijskog gena COI utvrđena je pripadnost
populacije na Paludu s postojećem haplotipu CSWM1 utvrđenom u Sredozemnom moru. Ovi
rezultati ukazuju na stabilnost populacije plavog raka na Paludu, te su potrebna daljnja
istraživanja u cilju saznanja negativnog utjecaja ove vrste na Ornitološki rezervat Palud.The blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) is included among the 100 most invasive alien species in
the Mediterranean Sea, where it entered through the ballast water of ships and established
populations in the Croatian part of the Adriatic in 2010. In the northern Adriatic, it has been
recorded since 2013/2014, and in 2022 the species was also found in the salt marsh of the
Special Ornithological Reserve Palud - Palu'. The aim of the work was to determine the
population and genetic characteristics of the blue crab on Palud. Individuals were sampled in
April, June, July and August of 2024, hunting with spikes and by hand. Sex and weight were
recorded for each individual caught, and all individuals were divided by sex into large classes
in order to determine the age-sex structure. Part of the individuals were measured in detail to
calculate the condition index, of which 30 individuals were sampled for the purposes of genetic
analysis. A total of 783 individuals were caught, and the total weight was 67.92 kg. In the
researched period, males predominate in the population, and subadult and adult individuals up
to 12 cm in size predominate in the age structure. The analysis of the mitochondrial gene COI
determined the belonging of the population on Palud to the existing haplotype CSWM1 in the
Mediterranean Sea. These results indicate the stability of the blue crab population on Palud, and
further research is needed in order to find out the negative impact of this species on the Palud
Ornithological Reserve
Quantification of NAC041, NAC084, DREB2A and HSFA2 gene expression in wild cabbage (Brassica incana) exposed to abiotic stress
No full textKao posljedica klimatske krize, čimbenici abiotičkog stresa poput povišene temperature, suše i
povišenog saliniteta tla negativno utječu na biljni rast i razvoj, što ostavlja značajne posljedice na
prinos i kvalitetu poljoprivrednih kultura. Otkrivanje složenih mehanizama biljnog odgovora na
stres, razvoj strategija za povećanje otpornosti poljoprivrednih kultura te očuvanje genetičkih
resursa ključni su koraci za osiguranje globalne prehrambene sigurnosti. Mnoge divlje vrste iz roda
Brassica iznimno su otporne na stresne uvjete okoliša u kojima prirodno rastu, stoga predstavljaju
bitan izvor poželjnih svojstava za povećanje genetičke raznolikosti u poljoprivrednim vrstama
kupusnjača. U ovom radu predstavljena je analiza kvantitativne ekspresije četiriju gena uključenih
u biljni odgovor na abiotički stres NAC041, NAC084, DREB2A i HSFA2 u klijanaca divljeg kupusa
(Brassica incana) izloženih različitim čimbenicima abiotičkog stresa: povišenoj temperaturi,
osmotskom stresu, povišenom salinitetu te kombiniranom abiotičkom stresu. Značajno povišenje
ekspresije gena DREB2A i HSFA2 u dvije linije potvrdilo je bitnu ulogu ovih transkripcijskih
faktora u odgovoru divljeg kupusa na abiotički stres, dok su druge dvije linije pokazale značajno
manju promjenu ekspresije, što ukazuje na mogućnost postojanja više genskih varijanti. Utvrđeno
je smanjenje ekspresije gena NAC041 pod utjecajem osmotskog stresa, dok je značajno smanjenje
ekspresije gena NAC084 utvrđeno pod utjecajem visoke temperature i kombiniranog abiotičkog
stresa.As a result of an ongoing climate crisis, abiotic stress factors such as elevated temperature, drought,
and increased soil salinity negatively affect plant growth and development, causing damage to the
yield and quality of agricultural crops. Unraveling the complex stress response mechanisms in
plants, developing crop improvement strategies, and undertaking germplasm conservation efforts
are key steps to ensure global food security. In an attempt to reintroduce genetic diversity into
Brassica crops, crop wild relative species are studied for their valuable stress resistance traits. This
study presents a quantitative gene expression analysis of the stress-responsive NAC041, NAC084,
DREB2A, and HSFA2 genes in wild cabbage (Brassica incana) exposed to different abiotic stress
treatments, including high-temperature stress, osmotic stress, salt stress, and combined abiotic
stress. A significant increase in DREB2A and HSFA2 expression in two accessions confirmed the
important role of these transcription factors in B. incana response to abiotic stress, while the other
two accessions showed more moderate expression changes, implying the possible presence of
multiple gene variants. A decrease in NAC041 expression was observed in one accession under
osmotic stress, while a substantial decrease in NAC084 expression was observed under heat stress
and combined stress in all four B. incana accessions
Climate changes as a topic in Physics lessons: Waves
No full textRad se bavi integracijom teme klimatskih promjena u nastavu fizike, s posebnim naglaskom na koncept valova kao ključan alat za razumijevanje prijenosa energije sa Sunca na Zemlju i njenih učinaka na klimu. Klimatske promjene, kao jedan od najvećih izazova 21. stoljeća, zahtijevaju interdisciplinarni pristup u obrazovanju, pri čemu fizika igra centralnu ulogu zahvaljujući svojoj sposobnosti da objasni procese apsorpcije, emisije, refleksije i refrakcije elektromagnetskih valova. U radu su opisani pokusi koji demonstriraju kako različiti faktori, poput boje površine i prisutnosti “atmosferskog” pokrova, utječu na brzinu zagrijavanja i hlađenja, čime se na jednostavan i praktičan način ilustrira „efekt staklenika“. Izvođenjem ovih pokusa, učenici imaju priliku aktivno sudjelovati u istraživanju prirodnih pojava, razvijajući pritom kritičko razmišljanje i sposobnost samostalnog donošenja zaključaka. Takav pristup potiče učenike na povezivanje apstraktnih teorijskih koncepta s konkretnim primjerima iz svakodnevnog života. Na taj se način povećava njihova motivacija za učenje i sudjelovanje u rješavanju globalnih izazova.The diploma thesis deals with the integration of the topic of climate change into physics teaching, with special emphasis on the concept of waves as a key tool for understanding the transfer of energy from the Sun to the Earth and its effects on the climate. Climate change, as one of the biggest challenges of the 21st century, requires an interdisciplinary approach in education, where physics plays a central role thanks to its ability to explain the processes of absorption, emission, reflection and refraction of electromagnetic waves. The thesis describes experiments that demonstrate how various factors, such as the color of the surface and the presence of an "atmospheric" cover, affect the speed of heating and cooling, thus illustrating the greenhouse effect in a simple and practical way. Through the performance of these experiments, students can actively participate in the research of natural phenomena, while developing critical thinking and the ability to draw conclusions independently. Such an approach encourages students to connect abstract theoretical concepts with concrete examples from everyday life, thus increasing their motivation to learn and participate in solving global challenges
Naslov projekta: Prostorno-vremenska varijabilnost kopnenih i vodenih zajednica povremenih tekućica dinarskog krša (DinDRY)
No full textSpectrometric analysis of removal of lanthanide ions from aqueous solutions using calcium alginate encapsulated iron nanoparticles
No full textElementi rijetkih zemalja zbog nekontroliranog razvitka rudarenja, tehnologije i drugih industrija, imaju sve veću praktičnu primjenu čime dolazi do povećanja njihove količine u okolišu, a posebice u vodenim medijima. Kako bi se zagađenje voda lantanoidima smanjilo potrebne su metode i tehnike koje omogućuju njihovo uspješno uklanjanje. Nanočestice željeza zbog svoje reaktivnosti i niske cijene čine pogodan nanomaterijal za uklanjanje lantanoida iz vodenih otopina. Cilj ovog rada je ispitivanje učinkovitosti sorpcije odabranih lakih i teških iona lantanoida; praseodimija, neodimija, erbija i tulija, neutralnim i funkcionaliziranim nanočesticama željeza inkapsuliranim u kalcijev alginat. Funkcionalizacija nanočestica željeza provodi se uz piridin-2,6-dikarboksilnu kiselinu. Spektrometrijom masa uz induktivno spregnutu plazmu (ICP-MS) analizirana je učinkovitost sorpcije odabranih iona lantanoida. Neutralne nanočestice željeza, u usporedbi s funkcionaliziranim nanočesticama željeza, pokazuju veću učinkovitost sorpcije.Rare earth elements, due to the uncontrolled development of mining, technology and other industries, have an increasing practical application, which leads to an increase in their amount in the environment, especially in aquatic environments. To reduce water pollution by lanthanides, it is necessary to develop methods and techniques that enable their successful removal. Iron nanoparticles are, due to their reactivity and low cost, a suitable nanomaterial for the removal of lanthanides from aqueous solutions. The aim of this work is to examine the efficiency of sorption of selected light and heavy lanthanide ions; praseodymium, neodymium, erbium and thulium, by neutral and functionalized iron nanoparticles encapsulated in calcium alginate. Functionalization of iron nanoparticles is carried out with pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid. The sorption efficiency of selected lanthanide ions was analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Neutral iron nanoparticles, compared to functionalized iron nanoparticles, show higher sorption efficiency