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The ever‐growing demand of human society for clean and reliable energy sources spurred a substantial academic interest in exploring the potential of biological resources for developing energy generation and storage systems. As a result, alternative energy sources are needed in populous developing countries to compensate for energy deficits in an environmentally sustainable manner. This review aims to evaluate and summarize the recent progress in bio‐based polymer composites (PCs) for energy generation and storage. The articulated review provides an overview of energy storage systems, e. g., supercapacitors and batteries, and discusses the future possibilities of various solar cells (SCs), using both past research progress and possible future developments as a basis for discussion. These studies examine systematic and sequential advances in different generations of SCs. Developing novel PCs that are efficient, stable, and cost‐effective is of utmost importance. In addition, the current state of high‐performance equipment for each of the technologies is evaluated in detail. We also discuss the prospects, future trends, and opportunities regarding using bioresources for energy generation and storage, as well as the development of low‐cost and efficient PCs for SCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhancing preventive maintenance (PM) by using condition monitoring of circuit breaker (CB) can reduce maintenance costs, if enough information about the condition of this expensive equipment are provided. Here, using recorded coil current data of CBs in a power system network and on the basis of their calculated failure probability function, an algorithm is developed for comprehensive CB condition assessment. For this purpose, first, CBs are prioritized according to their cumulative failure probability functions. Second, by introducing healthy/reference CBs and comparing them with the CB with the highest priority, the condition of the latter is assessed that whether it needs maintenance or not. At last, by creating two sets of reference CBs with healthy/reference features and/or mechanisms and comparing them with the features and/or mechanisms of the CB with the highest priority, the failure part of the considered CB that needs to be repaired will be identified. The proposed methodology is straightforward, completely rule‐based and relies just on recorded data and the results have enough clarity and reliability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Financial assessment of pharmacies and the factors affecting it is an important issue in health system and pharmaceutical industry. The present study aimed to analyze the revenue of pharmacies in Iran and the factors affecting it. Methods: In the present study revenue data of all active pharmacies in Shiraz in 2018 (n = 298) were gathered using a checklist. Descriptive statistics, mean difference test, correlation, and regression analysis were performed for statistical evaluation. Heteroskedasticity and multicollinearity also were checked. Stata 15 was used for statistical analysis. Results: Average monthly income of the pharmacies was $82,879 USD (SD = 30,635). The monthly revenue of 24 h pharmacies was about $6560 higher than that of the daily pharmacies. The pharmacies founded by non‐pharmacists made about $44,038 more than others, and the pharmacies located on main streets earned over $84,247 more than the ones located on side streets. Besides, the pharmacies inside or near hospitals, clinics, or physician buildings made more money than others. Correlation analysis also showed that the pharmacies' working years, the number of adjacent pharmacies, the number of OTC prescriptions, and the number of staff working at the cosmetics counters had a positive relationship with the pharmacies' income. Conclusions: Final findings indicated that 24 h pharmacies, pharmacies located on main streets, the ones located in hospitals or private clinics and physician buildings, pharmacies with more OTC prescriptions, and the ones with a larger number of employees in the cosmetics departments had higher monthly revenues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conventional method for analyzing fatty acid is gas chromatography (GC) with polar capillary columns. However, owing to the high cost and the sensitivity of these columns to the presence of water and oxygen, these columns are not the best choice for separation. Also, analyzing long‐chain acids (>C28) with polar columns is impossible. On the other hand, complete separation with nonpolar columns is not possible for some saturated, unsaturated and long‐chain fatty acids. Therefore, in this study, with the help of chemometric methods, a method was developed using GC/mass spectrometry (MS) with a nonpolar column to resolve the peaks to completely separate and accurately identify and quantify fatty acids. Using this method, the fatty acid profiles of the seed oils of Sesamum indicum L, Nigella sativa, Pimpinella anisum, Linum asitatissimum L, Silybum marianum and Amygdalus communis L. var. Amara and var. Dulcis were identified. Through applying the multivariate curve resolution method after GC/MS, the C‐18 fatty acids such as α‐linolenic, linoleic, oleic and stearic acids were separated and quantified. Also, the total percentages of identified fatty acids increased by 1–6% after resolving overlapping peaks. Finally, the obtained percentages of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids were confirmed by reference reports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have great potential to contribute to numerous application fields of biomedicine, which are highly dependent on their physicochemical properties, such as size and shape. Due to the final characteristics, nanoparticles (NPs) are primarily affected by different factors of reaction conditions; the present study aimed to evaluate the effects of manipulating the main physical parameters of the Turkevich method to optimise the fabrication of citrated capped AuNPs in a spherical shape, desirable final size, and efficiency. For this purpose, various experiments of citrate‐capped spherical AuNPs synthesis were designed to study the roles of a wide range of initial pH values and temperature of reaction, Na3Cit/HAuCl4 molar ratio, and two order reagent additions, method I and method II, in the final characterisations and reaction efficacy. Prepared NPs synthesised with different experiments were characterised by dynamic light scattering, UV‐Visible, and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Furthermore, NPs obtained from optimised synthesis conditions were more detailed using UV‐Visible, transmission electron microscopy, and XRD. The findings indicated that the final size and synthesis efficacy of citrated capped spherical AuNPs were significantly affected by all studied synthesis parameters and the order addition of reagents. The higher initial reaction temperature and Na3Cit/HAuCl4 Molar ratio provided a smaller particle size with desirable synthesis efficacy. Besides, final optimised NPs were provided in cubic crystal structures, and each NP's single crystal was obtained. In sum, our findings indicated that optimising synthesis conditions could improve size distribution, morphology, crystallite size, and structures of final NPS, as well as efficiency, which is a principal factor associated with future cost‐effective productions on large scales. Further studies are needed in this regard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

β‐Lactam antibiotics are critical antibacterial agents and have rapidly become active ingredients in modern medicine. On the other hand, in the face of increasing rate of antibacterial resistance, there are many concerns requiring the design and synthesis of new antibacterial agents. Herein, we synthesized some monocyclic β‐lactams with various substituents through the Staudinger cycloaddition reaction. The formation of cycloadducts was confirmed by elemental analysis and different spectral data, including NMR, FTIR, and Mass spectroscopy. The investigation of in vitro antibacterial activity of synthesized β‐lactams was performed against some broad‐spectrum strains, including Escherichia coli (E. coli), streptococcus aureus (S. aureus), Salmonella Typhi (S. Typhi), Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis), and Candida albicans (C. albicans) and also some nosocomial multidrug‐resistant pathogens such as methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and vancomycin‐resistant enterococci (VRE). Penicillin Binding Proteins (PBPs) are responsible for the cell wall synthesis process as an enzymatic target for β‐lactam antibiotics. The molecular docking study exhibited a good correlation between the calculated binding affinity to PBP and the experimental data. Based on the obtained results, compound 4 d was successfully fitted in the BPB active site, and could potentially serve as a promising lead compound for the treatment of infectious diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new equivalent circuit model for aged‐polluted polymer outdoor insulators is proposed here. The structure of the model is constructed as such that it can be applied in investigating the effect of insulator aging and dry band discharge intensity on leakage current (LC) characteristics. To implement the capability of modelling aged insulators, the measured leakage currents from laboratory tests on field aged MV insulators with different level of aging and hydrophobicity were examined. Furthermore, the samples were artificially polluted and the corresponding measured leakage currents from laboratory tests were employed as references. The proposed circuit model can consider the effect of pollution by its topology and represents the aging phenomenon of insulator by the changes in the values of its elements. High similarity between test results and model outputs has confirmed model ability to represent aging effect on LC characteristics. Finally, mathematical equations for model parameters in terms of aging level are extracted using curve fitting, in order to predict the age and life‐time of polymer insulator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several monocyclic β‐lactams have been synthesized via a [2+2] ketene–imine cycloaddition reaction (Staudinger reaction) and evaluated for their biological activities. The structure of synthesized products was confirmed by spectral data and elemental analyses. β‐Lactams 4 b and 4 h exhibited 31 and 27 anti‐inflammatory ratios, respectively, which are as well as the well‐known dexamethasone corticosteroid with a 32 anti‐inflammatory ratio. The two most active compounds 4 b and 4 h showed IC50 values more than 200 μM against the HepG2 cell line, in comparison with doxorubicin (IC50<1 μM), indicated biocompatibility and nontoxic behavior. 4 d, 4 j, 4 k, and 4 l, were active against S. aureus and E. coli and had broad spectrum property. The tested compounds were subjected to in silico prediction of pharmacokinetics properties (ADMET) to assess the potential in vivo effectiveness. The molecular docking study confirmed that the active inhibitors 4 b and 4 h are well fitted in the iNOS active site. This data suggests that 4 b and 4 h could potentially serve as effective iNOS inhibitors, a represent promising lead compounds for treating inflammatory disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, one‐pot synthesis of pyrimido[4,5‐b]quinoline and indenopyrido[2,3‐d]pyrimidine derivatives was developed by the three‐component reaction of aldehydes, 6‐amino‐1,3‐dimethyluracil, and 1,3‐dicarbonyl compounds in the presence of glycolic acid‐supported cobalt ferrite CoFe2O4@SiO2@Si (CH2)3NHCOOCH2COOH as a novel magnetic catalyst in ethanol at reflux conditions. Glycolic acid‐supported cobalt ferrite was characterized via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDX), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). Moreover, the catalyst was easily recovered with magnetic separation and recycled at least for five times without significant loss of its catalytic activity. The products were formed in excellent yields over appropriate reaction times under environmentally friendly conditions. The high efficiency and easy isolation of catalyst from products with an external permanent magnet are some of the remarkable advantages of this method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Root canal ecosystem is a complex environment due to its anatomy and persistence of microorganisms; those may reside within the canal after therapeutic efforts and cause subsequent complications and treatment failure. Nanomaterials with unique physicochemical properties have high accessibility to untouched areas of the intracanal ecosystem. Therefore, they have attracted the attention of researchers on the efficacy of nanodentistry in endodontics. This Letter reviews the recent advances in nanodentistry, especially in root canal treatment. In addition, it focuses on the application of nanoparticles in treatment and prevention of a variety of post‐treatment infections in endodontics, treatment of antibiotic resistance and bacterial biofilm structures. In addition, it points out applications of nanoparticles in endodontic materials, restorative materials, dental adhesives, implants, prostheses and dentures. At last, the Letter elaborates on how nanoparticles used for targeted endodontic drug delivery and their efficiently controlled releases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In modern medicine, major attention has been paid to superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs). Recent studies have shown the antibacterial properties of SPIONs against some Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacterial strains. These nanoparticles (NPs) can bind to bacterial membranes via hydrophobic or electrostatic interactions and pass through cell barriers. In this study, the authors evaluated the antibacterial activity of magnetic NPs in comparison with ferrous and ferric ions. The level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the treated Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli bacteria were directly measured by fluorometric detection. The results showed that iron ions and SPIONs had significant dependent antimicrobial activities. SPIONs showed greater inhibitory effects than ferrous and ferric ions against the growth of treated bacterial strains under anaerobic conditions, while in aerobic conditions, ferrous showed the strongest antibacterial activity. In anaerobic conditions, they observed the greatest ROS formation and lowest minimum inhibitory concentration in the SPION‐treated group in comparison with the other groups. It seems that the release of iron ions from SPIONs and subsequent activation of ROS pathway are the main antibacterial mechanisms of action. Nevertheless, the greater antibacterial effect of SPIONs in anaerobic conditions represents other mechanisms involved in the antibacterial activity of these NPs [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim In the present in vitro study, we investigated the time-related antimicrobial efficacy of Aloe vera and Zataria multiflora ( Z. multiflora) plant essential oils compared to calcium hydroxide ([Ca[ OH]2) to eliminate Enterococcus faecalis ( E. faecalis) from root canals. Methods A new strain of E. faecalis ( Enterococcus spp. AGH04) was isolated from a previously root-filled tooth with persistent apical periodontitis. The 16S rRNA sequence was analyzed and deposited in GeneBank under accession number . A total of 108 extracted human single-rooted teeth were contaminated with this bacterial strain and treated with Aloe vera essential oil, Z. multiflora essential oil, and Ca(OH)2 for 1, 7, and 14 days. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to determine the chemical composition of the oils. The percentage reduction from initial c.f.u./ mL counts were calculated and analyzed. Results Carvacrol, thymol, and linalool were the main constituents of both essential oils. The c.f.u./ mL count reductions significantly increased for all three medicaments when the contact time was extended. A statistically-significant difference was observed between the medicaments after 1 and 7 days, but there was no significant difference after 14 days. Conclusions Both medicinal herbs showed equal antimicrobial efficiency against E. faecalis, comparable to Ca( OH)2 for the prolonged contact time of 14 days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transient electromagnetic fields during switching operation in gas-insulated substations (GISs) have rise times on the order of nanoseconds. These fields leak into the external environment through the discontinuities of gas-insulated modules and affect the control cables and induce the transient voltage on cables, which results in malfunctioning of the equipment. The amplitudes of the electric and magnetic fields could be a few tens of kilovolts per meter and a few hundred amperes per meter according to layout of GIS, respectively. In this work, the induced voltage in the central conductor of a control cable and the induced current in its sheath, which is parallel to bus duct in a GIS with rated voltage of 230 kV, are calculated. Influence of the sheath material on the induced voltage and the type of its grounding on the induced current are analyzed. Furthermore, the impact of installing ferrite rings over the control cable sheath in mitigating the induced voltage and current is investigated. © 2013 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanotechnology has emerged as a pivotal tool in biomedical research, particularly in developing advanced sensing platforms for disease diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring. Since gold nanoparticles are biocompatible and have special optical characteristics, they are excellent choices for surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensing devices. Integrating fluorescence characteristics further enhances their utility in real‐time imaging and tracking within biological systems. The synergistic combination of SERS and fluorescence enables sensitive and selective detection of biomolecules at trace levels, providing a versatile platform for early cancer diagnosis and drug monitoring. In cancer detection, AuNPs facilitate the specific targeting of cancer biomarkers, allowing for early‐stage diagnosis and personalized treatment strategies. The enhanced sensitivity of SERS, coupled with the tunable fluorescence properties of AuNPs, offers a powerful tool for the identification of cancer cells and their microenvironment. This dual‐mode detection not only improves diagnostic accuracy but also enables the monitoring of treatment response and disease progression. In drug detection, integrating AuNPs with SERS provides a robust platform for identifying and quantifying pharmaceutical compounds. The unique spectral fingerprints obtained through SERS enable the discrimination of drug molecules even in complex biological matrices. Furthermore, the fluorescence property of AuNPs makes it easier to track medication distribution in real‐time, maximizing therapeutic effectiveness and reducing adverse effects. Furthermore, the review explores the role of gold fluorescence nanoparticles in photodynamic therapy (PDT). By using the complementary effects of targeted drug release and light‐induced cytotoxicity, SERS‐guided drug delivery and photodynamic therapy (PDT) can increase the effectiveness of treatment against cancer cells. In conclusion, the utilization of gold fluorescence nanoparticles in conjunction with SERS holds tremendous potential for revolutionizing cancer detection, drug analysis, and photodynamic therapy. The dual‐mode capabilities of these nanomaterials provide a multifaceted approach to address the challenges in early diagnosis, treatment monitoring, and personalized medicine, thereby advancing the landscape of biomedical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]