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As the demand for lithium-ion batteries increases, a better understanding of the complex phenomena involved in their operation becomes crucial. In this work, we propose a coupled thermo-chemo-mechanical model for electrode particles of Li-ion batteries. To this end, we start with a general finite strain continuum framework for the coupled thermo-chemo-mechanical problem and then narrow it down to cathode active particles of Li-ion batteries, particularly to lithium manganese oxide particles. Electrochemical kinetics at the surface of the particle and also heat generation due to current exchange are taken into account. Next, the numerical treatment of the problem using the finite element method is presented. Specific line elements are needed to evaluate the flux of ions at the surface of the particle. Finally, the performance of the proposed model is evaluated using a few representative boundary value problems., Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Projekt DEAL

Summary Surfactants are among the most common chemical materials injected into reservoirs to improve oil recovery. They can optimize the significant roles of chemical enhanced oil recovery (EOR) including interfacial tension (IFT) and wettability alteration. However, surfactants are relatively expensive materials. In the last decade, researchers have been attempting to introduce environmentally friendly and affordable surfactant to meet chemical EOR goals; therefore, biosurfactants were developed. This research has tried to introduce and develop an anionic synthesized surfactant [powder extracted from cottonseeds (PECS)] and has characterized it on the basis of the EOR targets. For this purpose, by conducting the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (HNMR) analysis, the existence of the saponin structure on this surfactant has been proved. Thereafter, to ensure the thermal stability, thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) has been carried out. Moreover, studying the micellar behavior of PECS through electrical conductivity and surface tension analysis, it was perceived that the critical micelle concentration (CMC) is 1,200 ppm. Other solution properties including pH and density have also been measured. To investigate and ensure the validated potential for EOR parameters, IFT and wettability alteration analyses have been executed, proving the reduction of the IFT from 29.7 to 0.46 mN/m and the reduction of the contact angle value from 126.3° to 57.8°, respectively. Other surfactant properties in EOR application including emulsion stability and foamability have also been studied, representing 12-week emulsion stability and 12-minute foam half-life, respectively. In addition, gas flow rate effect for foamability of surfactant was measured. As an important parameter to investigate the performance of the novel introduced surfactant, the adsorption of surfactant on rock surface has been studied to determine the acceptable range for EOR application. Finally, coreflooding experiments showed a 7.6% increase of recovery factor.

Carbon dots (CDs) have become the focus of many studies due to their outstanding optical properties and good biocompatibility. We investigated their potential application to produce a smart and highly efficient yet nontoxic nanovector for gene delivery. This was achieved by conjugating PEI

Four oil samples were collected from oilfields in the western Siberian Basin, and analyzed using conventional geochemical and physical methods. The results of this study were used to evaluate the oil samples, focusing on the characteristics of their source rocks, including the origin of organic matter input; redox depositional conditions and degree of thermal maturity of their probable source rock were studied. The obtained SARA results show that the examined oils are paraffinic oils owing to their high saturated hydrocarbon fraction values of greater than 70% volume. The observed API gravity values (23.55° to 32.57°) and low sulfur content of less than 0.25% wt indicate that the examined oils are sweet oils and were generated from source rock containing Type-II, with low sulfur content. The low sulfur content combined with the vanadium (V) and nickel (Ni) ratios indicates that the examined oils were scoured from a mixture of aquatic and terrestrial organic matter, depositing under generally suboxic environmental conditions. The n-alkane and isoprenoid distributions, with their ratios and parameters further suggest that the examined oil samples were generated from source rock containing a mixed organic matter input and deposited under suboxic to relatively oxic environmental conditions. Bulk compositions and distributions of n-alkane and isoprenoid indicate that the oil samples were generated from mature source rock.

Cellulose nanocrystal hydrogels, while mechanically weak, have high water content, are biocompatible and easily processed. Further improvement is needed to make cellulose nanocrystal hydrogels mechanically stable and self-healable. Herein, using quantitative fluorescence signal analysis, we assess stability, collapse, and level of self-healing of cellulose nanocrystal hydrogels with different cellulose nanocrystals and sodium chloride concentrations. We use the mean signal intensity obtained by confocal laser scanning microscopy to measure signal loss of the samples made of cellulose nanocrystal with different concentrations and as a function of initial gel height and sodium chloride loading. The cellulose nanocrystal dynamics inside the gels based on universality curve is unraveled which links the zeta potentials to the immobile particle percentages and the storage modulus as a function of sodium chloride/cellulose nanocrystal concentration ratio. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching recovery analysis shows that for the ratio of sodium chloride/cellulose nanocrystals beyond 0.1, the mobility of the ensemble of cellulose nanocrystals particles becomes severely restricted. Hydrogel sample with low cellulose nanocrystal concentrations (6 g/L and 10 g/L) experience a more substantial collapse rate under gravity than the rate observed for samples with a high concentration (30 g/L). Increasing the cellulose nanocrystal concentration hinders particle mobility and thus impedes the self-healing process. Quantification of the gel collapse behavior of cellulose nanocrystal gel and its self-healing property is critical in many applications, including water and air filters, oil spill sponges, and tissue engineering.

The aim of this research is the study of hexyltriphenylphosphonium bromide (HTPB) ionic liquid as a bifunctional promoter (solvent and catalyst) in the presence of cerium(IV) ammonium nitrate as a ...

Aims Hyaluronic acid (HA) gel fillers are the most commonly used filler materials for dermal purposes to augment soft tissue due to their superior properties and advantages over other alternative filling materials. One of the key drawbacks associated with the use of fillers is contamination and possible subsequent infection. Methods A prospective cross-sectional study conducted in Renew Cosmetic Clinics and King Abdulaziz University, Faculty of Medicine, female section from November 2019 to March 2020. Results A total of 50 samples with different concentrations (from five different brands) of hyaluronic acid gel fillers were collected. Samples were taken at four different time points: before injection, immediately after injection, one month after injection and three months after injection. The 50 samples were injected into nine different sites and collected from 27 females, aged between 18-55 years. No bacteria were detected in the culture media from any samples from the aerobic and anaerobic culture plates. Conclusion Our study did not find any evidence of contamination associated with the reuse of HA gel fillers regardless of the concentration and the injection site. Applying appropriate sterilization procedure for HA gel fillers extends its usability. There was no correlation between the length of storage time and the risk of contamination.

One of the fundamental equations in calculate the saturation of fluid in hydrocarbon reservoirs is the Archie’s equation. In addition to the parameters measured by well logging such as porosity and resistivity, there are others parameters that called Archie’s coefficients. Archie provides constant values for this coefficient base on experimental core’s data, accordance with saturation formula in sandstone. In carbonate reservoirs nevertheless the sandstone reservoirs, high heterogeneity, variety in lithology and texture, shape and distribution of pores, due to this coefficient is not constant. So, variation of tortuosity as a coefficient that depends on the way correlation between pores, is high and considering a constant value due to error in calculation of fluid saturation. In this study, with the stoneley waves measured from DSI tools and required calculation, the value of tortuosity coefficient calculated continuously in well no.10 Darkhovin field. The regression of calculated values with the core data is 83.16 percent, that showed this method is useable for calculation the tortuosity.

Methyl ammonium lead iodide CH3NH3PbI3 Perovskite was synthesized by a new method mixing between one and two steps, in addition, the ethanol solvent was used to dissolve CH3NH3I and compared with isopropanol solvent. The characterizations of synthesized perovskite samples included the structural properties, morphological characteristics and optical properties. The intensity and orientation in X-ray diffraction patterns appear clearly in ethanol solvent while disappearing at a peak at 12o due to the speed reaction of perovskite in this solvent. Additionally, the ethanol solvent increasing the grain size of perovskite which homogeneity of the surface morphology. the ethanol solvent cause a decrease in the wavelength of absorbance edge in addition to an increase in the energy bandgap value. Keywords: Ethanol Solvent, Perovskite, Photovoltaic Technologies, X-ray diffraction.

The present study was designed to investigate the biological effects of kefir and whether kefir consumption protects and/or repairs the pancreas of high-fat diet-fed streptozotocin-diabetic rats, and how does it do that?. Our results showed Kefir decreased both the volume of nuclei and RNA content and increased both collagen and lipoproteins material contents in the normal pancreatic cells. Also, kefir increased RNA, protein, and lipoproteins materials content and decreased the volume of nuclei of pancreatic cells in diabetic male rats. Immunohistochemically, kefir showed highly immunoreactive signals of insulin granules inside the Langerhans Islands. Our results showed kefir consumption had a beneficial effect on controlling the glycemic state in diabetic rats by lowering insulin levels and kept the pancreas tissue structurally almost normal. Kefir probably acts as follows: From the cell biological and histochemical points of view, the results showed an increase in the nuclei volume and DNA, RNA, and total protein contents in the pancreatic cells of diabetic rats treated with kefir. Also, the biochemical and immunohistochemical results showed an increase in insulin hormone (functional protein) of these pancreatic cells, which’s probably a result of an increase in the cellular activities or/and the number of beta cells. Finally, therefore we propose that kefir has a stimulatory effect on the cellular activity of beta cells leading to activation of genes responsible for the protein synthesis included insulin hormone, and/or increasing the cell proliferation of beta cells in the pancreas of diabetic rats. From Cell biological, Histochemical, Immunohistochemical, pathological, and Biochemical points of view, the preclinical treatment with kefir or insulin of normal or diabetic male rats, beneficially highly alternates the cellular activities, histochemical and immunohistochemical materials components, and histological architecture. of the pancreas therefore Kefir and insulin may, to some extent, repair the pathological side effects of type 1 diabetes mellitus. The positive results of using kefir and insulin in treating the Pathogen effects of type 1 diabetes mellitus on the pancreas of male mice gave us a hope of possibility to obtain positive clinical applications/implications. Therefore, these positive beneficial results make us continue our work and complete the various pre-clinical trial and clinical experiments phases.

Radon gas has been recognized as one of the health hazards to humans. Building materials used for the construction of houses, which are considered as one of the major sources of this gas in indoor environments. The radon exhalation rate, radon concentration as well as the annual effective dose for 46 samples of building materials (granite, ceramic, marble, mosaic, rocks, gypsum, block and red brick) used in Yemen were measured using two methods. The can technique, containing CR-39 solid-state detector, and active method containing AlphaGuard detector were used. The results obtained from passive and active techniques were found in good agreement. The results showed that the highest values of radon exhalation rate, radon concentration and the annual effective dose indoor and outdoor were 0.93 ± 0.020 Bqm−2 h−1, 186.48 ± 3.73 Bqm−3, 4.7 ± 0.141 and 1.76 ± 0.053 mSvy−1 for granite samples, whereas the lowest values were 0.0076 ± 0.001 Bqm−2 h−1, 1.51 ± 0.03 Bqm−3, 0.04 ± 0.001 and 0.01 ± 0.001 mSvy−1 for the ceramic samples. The results also showed that the radon exhalation rate, as well as the annual effective dose, was found below the world average values of 57.600 Bq m−2 h−1, 1100 μSv y−1 with exception of some samples. The values of radon concentrations for granite samples were in the range of activity levels from 200 to 600 Bq m−3 recommended by (ICRP, 1994).

Biodegradable elastomers are important emerging biomaterials for biomedical applications, particularly in the area of soft-tissue engineering in which scaffolds need to match the physicochemical properties of native tissues. Here, we report novel fast photocurable elastomers with readily tunable mechanical properties, surface wettability, and degradability. These elastomers are prepared by a 5-min UV-irradiation of thiol-ene reaction systems of glycerol tripentenoate (GTP; a triene) or the combination of GTP and 4-pentenyl 4-pentenoate (PP; a diene) with a carefully chosen series of di- or tri-thiols. In the subsequent application study, these elastomers were found to be capable of overcoming delamination of myotubes, a technical bottleneck limiting the in vitro growth of mature functional myofibers. The glycerol-based elastomers supported the proliferation of mouse and human myoblasts, as well as myogenic differentiation into contractile myotubes. More notably, while beating mouse myotubes detached from conventional tissue culture plates, they remain adherent on the elastomer surface. The results suggest that these elastomers as novel biomaterials may provide a promising platform for engineering functional soft tissues with potential applications in regenerative medicine or pharmacological testing., Graphical abstract Image 1, Highlights • Biocompatible elastomers are formed by thiol-ene UV-curing within 5 min. • Tunable wettability, mechanical properties, and degradability of the elastomers. • The elastomers remarkably promote myogenic differentiation of myoblasts. • Myotubes on the elastomers exhibit enhanced attachment and beating frequency.

Five core sandstone and carbonate rock samples from the Cretaceous Harshiyat Formation containing oil stains were collected from two wells in the North Hadramaut High area (eastern Yemen) and geochemically analyzed by their sterane and terpane biomarker and stable carbon isotope (δ13C) compositions. This paper studied the geochemical characteristics of the oil stains and their relation to probable potential source rocks. The source rock characteristics include the origin of organic matter input; redox depositional conditions, lithology, and degree of thermal maturity were investigated. The saturated and aromatic hydrocarbon fractions of the analyzed oil stain samples have δ13C values in the range of − 26.5‰ – − 28.6‰ and − 26.3‰ – − 26.7‰, respectively. These δ13C values indicate that the oil stain samples originated from a mixed organic matter input in their source rock. The presence of mixed marine and terrestrial organic matter in the source rock is further concluded from biomarker distributions of n-alkane, isoprenoid, terpane, and sterane. These biomarkers and their ratio parameters suggest that the analyzed oil stain samples were sourced from clay-rich rock deposited in marine-reducing environmental conditions and likely contained mixed planktonic/bacterial organic matter and land plant inputs. Both saturated and aromatic maturity biomarkers suggest that the analyzed oil stains were from a mature source rock, equivalent to a moderate to peak-mature oil window. The environmental biomarker indicators of the studied oil stain samples correlated well with the shales in the Late Cretaceous Harshiyat Formation in the onshore Jiza-Qamar Basin (eastern Yemen), indicating that the analyzed oil stains were generated from a mature Harshiyat source rock in the onshore Jiza-Qamar Basin and subsequently migrated into the Cretaceous Harshiyat sandstone and limestone reservoirs in the North Hadramaut High area (eastern Yemen) through normal faults system.

As the conventional therapeutic approaches were not completely successful in the treatment of colon cancer, there is still a need for finding the most efficient therapeutic agents. Here we investigated the anticancer activity of HPRP-A1 that was derived from the N-terminal region of Helicobacter pylori ribosomal protein L1 (RpL1) alone or in combination with tumor-homing peptide iRGD and 5-Fluorouracil (5FU) on colon cancer cell lines (CT26 and HT29) and isograft models of colon cancer. We assessed the tumor growth inhibitory activity of HPRP-A1 with or without iRGD and 5FU on colon cancer in vitro and in vivo. In the in vitro part, we investigate the effect of HPRP-A1 alone and in combination with iRGD/5FU. Our results demonstrated that co-administration of HPRP-A1 with iRGD increased the apoptosis, while these two peptides in combination with 5FU increased the intracellular level of p53 that upregulate the pro-apoptotic gene BAX and downregulate the anti-apoptotic gene BCL2. HPRP-A1 blocks the cell cycle progression in G0/G1. Co-administration of two peptides significantly reduced the size and weight of the tumors, while the group that received 5FU in combination with the peptides increased the necrotic and decrease the fibrotic area significantly in the tumor tissues, which also disrupt the oxidant/antioxidant balance. Our results indicated that HPRP-A1 could be considered an effective agent toward colon cancer in vitro and in vivo with the ability to enhance the effects of conventional chemotherapy agent 5FU.

This study was designed to investigate the protective role of kefir and insulin consumption on cellular activities, histochemical components, histological architecture, and integrity of the liver by measuring IL-6 and TNF-α in high fat-fed STZ- induced diabetic male Wistar rats. From a cell biological and histochemical point of view, both kefir and insulin have beneficial various effects on cellular activities and the histochemical components such as DNA, RNA, total protein, collagen, polysaccharides, and phospholipids materials synthesis in the examined normal and diabetic hepatocytes of the male rats. Biochemically, kefir and insulin have various biochemical effects on the serum IL-6 and TNF-α levels. From a pathological point of view, we can say the beneficial various cell biological and histochemical effects of kefir, pathologically may make kefir, to some extent, completely repair all the pathological side effects of type1 diabetes on the hepatocytes in diabetic rats. Also, insulin repair some of the pathological side effects of diabetes on the hepatocytes. The positive results of using kefir and insulin in treating the pathogen effects of diabetes make it possible to obtain positive clinical applications/implications. Therefore, these positive results encourage us to continue working and complete the various long-term pre-clinical trials and clinical trials phases.

This study was designed to investigate the possible protective role of kefir beverage on kidney structure biologically, histochemical and some biochemical parameters such as cholesterol level, MCP-1, and resistin in high-fat diet-fed streptozotocin-diabetic rats. 60 rats were divided into two experiments by six groups: experiment Ⅰ included 3 non-diabetic ones and experiment ⅠⅠ included three STZ- induced diabetes groups. The groups were fed as follows: group 1 received a standard diet and served as control. Group 2 was fed on a standard diet and kefir (0.7 ml/animal/day by gavage). Group 3 received a high-fat diet and kefir (0.7 ml/animal/day by gavage). The diabetic males of groups A, B, and C were fed on the high-fat diet. Group B received besides kefir (0.7 ml/animal/day by gavage), while group C was injected additionally with insulin (0.76 UI/200 mg BW/day). After 5 weeks, animals of all groups were sacrificed. From the cell biological, histochemical, and histopathological conceptions, both kefir and insulin have various effects on cellular activities and different chemical materials contents, such as DNA, RNA, total protein, collagen, polysaccharides, and lipoproteins, in the examined normal and diabetic renal tubule cells of the male rats. Overall, it seems like kefir beverage may, to some extent, completely repair the diabetic pathological side effects such as kidney dysfunction regarding keeping the kidney tissue structurally almost normal with some changes in the histochemical components investigated, also there was an improvement in cholesterol level with a beneficial effect on lowering inflammatory markers. Finally, kefir highly reduces the collagen formation in the renal cells that prevent renal nephron from its function and we propose probably kefir treats kidney failure as a side effect of diabetes, by a mechanism that is opposite to the proposed mechanism, for the formation of this kidney failure induced by diabetes, via us in the present work.

In this work, the degradation of Nitro toluene (NT) which is one of the constituents of petrochemical wastewater was explored byMnO2/Clinoptilolite/O3 process. The Box-Behnken experimental design was used and the effect of some operating parameters such as concentration of pollutant, initial pH, and amount of MnO2/Cp was inspected. A radical mechanism with the formation of an anion radical ( before hydroxyl radical is proposed for describing the interaction between ozone and MnO2/Cp . The optimum conditions predicted by the model were as the following: [MnO2/Cp ] = 0.45 mg/L, pH at 8.5, ozonation time at 48 min and [NT] = 30 mg/L.In optimum condition, the removal of NT and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) was 99.8, and 74% respectively. The removal of NT in the ozone along with MnO2/CP was higher than the sum of the separate processes of single adsorption of catalyst (6%) at 0.6 mg/L and single ozonation(79%).

Venetoclax (Ven) combined with a hypomethylating agent (HMA) has now emerged as an effective treatment regimen for acute myeloid leukemia, in both de novo and relapsed/refractory setting. The current multicenter study retrospectively examined Ven + HMA treatment outcome among 32 patients (median age 69 years; 59% males) with blast‐phase myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN‐BP). Pre‐leukemic phenotype included essential thrombocythemia (ET)/post‐ET myelofibrosis (34%), polycythemia vera (PV)/post‐PV myelofibrosis (38%) and primary myelofibrosis (28%). Twenty‐nine study patients were fully annotated cytogenetically and molecularly (NGS): 69% harbored complex karyotype and/or mutations, including TP53 (41%), IDH1/2 (21%), ASXL1 (21%), N/KRAS (14%), SRSF2 (10%), EZH2 (10%) and U2AF1 (7%). All patients received Ven combined with either azacitidine (n = 12) or decitabine (n = 20); either up front (n = 23) or after failing another induction therapy (n = 9). Complete remission with (CR) or without (CRi) count recovery was achieved in 14 (44%) patients and was more likely to occur in the absence of pre‐leukemic PV/post‐PV myelofibrosis phenotype (p

This work was aimed to study effect of C. intybus root extract on blood parameters of chicks under CCl4-induced toxicity. Totally, 240 one-day-old broiler chicks were divided into diverse groups of control, CCl4 (1 mL/kg body weight IM injection), C. intybus root extract (500 mg/kg body weight/daily orally from days 20 to 29) and finally both C. intybus and CCl4. Blood samples are collected daily from age of 20 to 31 days. Levels of alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransaminase and alanine aminotransferase and glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase were assessed by commercial kits. Decrease in the levels of AST and ALT and increase in the levels of SOD and GPx were observed. The lowest levels of AST, ALP and ALT in day 31 of blood sampling were achieved in chicks treated with C. intybus (500 mg/kg BW/daily from days 20 to 29) (130.91±31.18 U/L), CCl4 (1 mL/kg BW IM on days 24 and 25) (346.59±83.75 U/L) and C. intybus (from days 20 up to 29) (4.51±2.03 U/L) groups. The highest amounts of SOD and GPx in the stage 2 of blood sampling were achieved in chicks treated with C. intybus (500 from days 20 up to 29) and CCl4 (1 mL/kg BW on days 24 and 25) (590.33±73.22 U/L) and those treated with C. intybus (from days 20 up to 23) and CCl4 (on days 24 and 25) (261.91±32.18 U/L) groups, respectively. Oral prescription of chicory extract for 10 days can be used as a hepatoprotective agent on poultry.

An existing survey was performed to assess the hepatoprotective effects of C. intybus root extract on carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity in broiler chickens. A total of 240 one-day-old broiler chickens were divided into diverse groups of control, carbon tetrachloride (1 mL/kg body weight IM injection), C. intybus root extract (500 mg/kg body weight/daily orally) and finally both C. intybus root extract and carbon tetrachloride. Liver samples were dissected and examined histopathologically at the day 31 of maintenance. Numerical grading of histopathological findings was performed according to the types of lesions at different criteria. Liver samples of carbon tetrachloride-treated group harbored moderate fatty degeneration and necrosis. Those treated with C. intybus extract showed normal cellular and tissue structure. Chicks faced with carbon tetrachloride and treated with C. intybus extract exhibited mild fatty degeneration and normal tissue structure. Chicks treated with C. intybus extract displayed the lowermost scores of necrosis (1.08±0.28), degeneration (1.33±0.49), inflammation (1.16±0.38) and total pathologic indexes (3.58±0.79). Broilers faced with carbon tetrachloride displayed the uppermost scores of necrosis (2.83±0.57), degeneration (3.66±0.49), inflammation (2.16±0.38) and total pathologic indexes (8.66±0.98). C. intybus extract application to broilers faced with carbon tetrachloride caused statistically significant decrease in the scores give to necrosis, degeneration, inflammation and total pathologic indexes (P

This communication predicts the previously undocumented “operating space” for melt electrowriting (MEW) of polycaprolactone as a model linear homopolymer by demonstrating the relative importance of...

The comparative of some abiotic compounds (Ascorbic acid, Citric acid, DL-Aspartic acid, Indole-3Acetic acid, Indole-3Butyric acid, DL-leucine, Gibberllic acid, L-Arginine and Sulfosalicylic acid), as resistance inducing for managing Meloidogyne javanica infecting tomato (Super strain B Australian cv.) was studied under greenhouse conditions. The results showed that all tested compounds reduced all nematode parameters compared with untreated control. Application of Citric acid caused a superior effect in the reduction percentage of J2 in soil (95.2%) followed by L-arginine (92.9%) and then Gibberllic acid (92.2%). Also, DL-Aspartic acid gave the highest effect in the reduction percentage of root galls (95.6%) followed by Citric acid and then L-Arginine acid as following (94.3% and 93.02%) respectively compared with untreated control. The treatments of L-arginine followed by Gibberllic acid were recorded the best in plant growth response of tomato plants compared with the untreated control. Tested abiotic agent inducers activators had the potential to suppress M. javanica infection through the stimulation of tomato tolerance. Most of the treatments showed a significant reduction in the percentage values of total and non-reducing sugars comparing with infected and healthy control, while Sulfosalicylic acid and L-arginine recorded high amounts in total and non-reducing sugars. On the other hand, Dl-Aspartic acid, Indol-3Acetic acid and Citric acid showed a high percentage of total phenols comparing with untreated control. Among all treatments, only Dl-leucine showed a significant increment in proline comparing with untreated control and healthy control. The level of Polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase activity increased in the treated plants compared with untreated plants.

Whereas the traditional approaches of cancer therapy including radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy have failed to properly treat cancer due to the condition of the space inside the tumor with the hypoxic/necrotic regions, abnormality of blood vessels that prevent delivery of enough oxygen, nutrients, and therapeutic agents, also, and the emergence of resistance, finding a new way has still remained a challenge. Antimicrobial peptides with dual anticancer activity have received more attention as a new approach for cancer treatment. Using bacteria and their products including the bacterial peptides have shown promising results in tumor regression or inhibition. Surprisingly, the small peptides derived from N-terminus of the ribosomal proteinL1 (RpL1) of Helicobacter pylori demonstrate the strong anticancer activity including activation of caspase-3, -8 and -9-dependent pathway, inducing apoptosis, arresting the cell cycle at the G0/G1 and G2/M and inhibiting the cell proliferation. Moreover, in addition to the anticancer effects, these peptides exhibit the antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-parasitic activities through membrane disruption, pore-forming, and enhancing the membrane permeability. The present study is a comprehensive review of the anticancer activity as well as antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-parasitic activities of small peptides derived from N-terminus of the ribosomal proteinL1 (RpL1) of H. pylori as an anticancer therapeutic peptide.

In the present work, we report highly sensitive and selective nanosensors constructed with metal-decorated graphene-like BC6N employing nonequilibrium Green's function (NEGF) formalism combined by density functional theory (DFT) toward multiple inorganic and sulfur-containing gas molecules (NO, NO2, NH3, CO, CO2, H2S, and SO2) as disease biomarkers from human breath. Monolayer sheets of pristine BC6N and Pd-decorated BC6N were evaluated for their gas adsorption properties, electronic property changes, sensitivity, and selectivity toward disease biomarkers. The pristine BC6N nanosheets exhibited sharp drops in the bandgap when interacted with gases such as NO2 while barely affected by other gases. However, the nanosecond recovery time and low adsorption energies limit the gas sensing applications of the pristine BC6N sheet. On the other hand, the Pd-decorated BC6N-based sensor underwent a semiconductor to metal transition upon the adsorption of NO x gas molecules. The conductance change of the sensor's material in terms of I-V characteristics revealed that the Pd-decorated BC6N sensor is highly sensitive (98.6-134%) and selective (12.3-74.4 times) toward NO x gas molecules with a recovery time of 270 s under UV radiation at 498 K while weakly interacting with interfering gases in exhaled breath such as CO2 and H2O. The gas adsorption behavior suggests that metal-decorated BC6N sensors are excellent candidates for analyzing pulmonary disease and cardiovascular biomarkers, among other ailments of the stomach, kidney, and intestine.

MXenes, two-dimensional (2D) transition metal carbides and nitrides, have been arousing interest lately in the field of gas sensing thanks to their remarkable features such as graphene-like morphology, metal-comparable conductivity, large surface-to-volume ratio, mechanical flexibility, and great hydrophilic surface functionalities. With tunable etching and synthesis methods, the morphology of the MXenes, the interlayer structures, and functional group ratios on their surfaces were effectively harnessed, enhancing the efficiency of MXene-based gas-sensing devices. MXenes also efficiently form nanohybrids with other nanomaterials, as a practical approach to revamp the sensing performance of the MXene sensors. This Mini-Review summarizes the recent experimental and theoretical reports on the gas-sensing applications of MXenes and their hybrids. It also discusses the challenges and provides probable solutions that can accentuate the future perspective of MXenes in gas sensors.

Sheytoor Iron Ore deposit is located in Yazd province of Iran (Bafq). The most abundant ore is magnetite, which can be seen in the form of mass and granular tissue in various forms of self-shaped, semi-self-shaped and amorphous. The main purpose of this study is to identify the geochemical relationship of phosphorus and sulfur elements and also three-dimensional modeling of mineralization of these elements in iron ore. In order to achieve the research goal, methods such as k-mean clustering technique, concentration-volume fractal as well as block modeling with kriging estimator and Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) interpolator were used. The model of geochemical behavior of phosphorus and sulfur elements compared to iron is of great importance because these two elements are known as deleterious elements in mineral processing and steelmaking processes, which are the post-mining stages. Existence of geochemical model and identification of elements’ behavior towards each other play a key role in optimizing mining operations in order to achieve geometallurgical goals. The results of this study are the three-dimensional model of mineralization of iron, phosphorus and sulfur elements, separation of phosphorus and sulfur mineralization communities and also presenting the model of enrichment community of these two elements. All the results are in line with geometallurgical studies and can optimize the next steps by optimizing the mining process.

Due to the complicated problems coming from excessive applications of insecticides, searching for safe substitutes to these insecticides has become a necessity. Thus, the insect growth regulators are candidates to be used in such concern. Comparative studies of the effects of three compounds, 2-benzoyl-N-phenylhydrazine-1-carbothioamide (1), 2-(cyanoacetyl)-N-phenylhydrazine-1-carboxamide (2) and N-(2-(2-cyanoacetyl)hydrazinecarbonothioyl)furan-2-carboxamide (3) (an insect growth regulator inhibiting chitin synthesis), were conducted on Spodoptera littoralis (Boisduval, 1833). The compounds, orally administered, caused larval mortality proportional to the concentrations in the food source. larvae were unable to complete the molting process and died in the old larval cuticle. Larvae contaminated by sublethal doses completed their development to adulthood. N-(2-(2-cyanoacetyl)hydrazinecarbonothioyl)furan-2-carboxamide (3) is more active than the other compounds have LC50 17.082 ppm for 2nd instar larvae and 60.832 ppm for 4th instar larvae.

Background & Aims of the Study: Recently, the advanced oxidation processes have received growing attention in industrial wastewater treatment. In this project, the degradation and mineralization of an aqueous environment containing nitrobenzene (NB) as the main carcinogenic contaminant were inspected by a Fenton-like process. In addition, the influence of operational variables, such as initial concentrations of H2O2, Ferric ion, and pH on the removal of NB was investigated. Materials and Methods: The Box-Behnken design (BBD) of experiments and the response surface methodology were applied to explore the effects of three independent variables on the response functions to get the optimum conditions. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine the significance of the effects of independent variables on the response function. Different amounts of variables were optimized for the removal of NB in the Fenton-like processes. Results: At optimum conditions (H2O2 and Ferric concentrations of 15.33 and 1.30 mM, respectively, and a pH of 6.23) and after 30 min of reaction, the removal efficiency for NB and chemical oxygen demand (COD) were 99.0% and 56.7%, respectively. Conclusion: The Fenton-like process influenced the removal of NB; however, it could only remove the COD to some extent. The obtained results at optimized circumstances were outstanding from the environmental point of view.

Ochradenus arabicus is a significant therapeutic plant which grows in desert zones of Saudi Arabia. It has antimicrobial, anticancer, cancer prevention, antidiabetic, allopathic and pabulum properties. The present study evaluated the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) utilizing the leaf concentrate of plant O. arabicus having novel ethnomedicinal potential. The incorporated AgNPs were visualized utilizing UV-Visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The antimicrobial impact of AgNPs delivering O. arabicus was considered utilizing distinctive pathogenic microorganisms, for example, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Streptococcus mutans. From the plate dispersion results, the incorporated silver nanoparticles demonstrated potent antibacterial properties and high antimicrobial action contrasted with the ionic silver. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/13102818.2021.1961609 .

Biologically active organic compounds continue to attract great interest due to the wide variety of interesting applications observed for these compounds. This review results from the literature survey containing the organic compounds that are used as insect growth regulators with a focus on their mode of action and some synthetic routes.

Background & Aims of the Study: 4-Nitrotoluene (4NT) is a toxic, resistant, and carcinogenic pollutant. The current study aimed to investigate the degradation and mineralization of 4NT regarded as one of the components of petrochemical wastewater using MnO2/Clinoptilolite (CP)/O3 process. The present study also examined the effect of several operational parameters. Materials and Methods: Synthesized wastewater was used in this study. It is proposed to apply a radical mechanism by the generation of an anion radical ( prior to hydroxyl radical in order to describe the interaction between ozone and MnO. Results: The obtained findings of the present study are not similar to those of the ozonation process alone. In ozonation, 4NT removal was positively affected by higher pH due to the formation of hydroxyl radicals. The degradation efficiency values of 4NT in optimum pH for the ozonation and MnO2/CP/O3 processes were reported as 89.0 and 98.5% within 75 min of reaction, respectively. Conclusion: In addition, it was obviously shown that the degradation efficiency of 4NT was higher at neutral pH conditions (pH=7) in catalytic ozonation. The removal of the chemical oxygen demand (COD) increased from 50% (only ozonation) to 69.5% (MnO2/CP/O3) after 75 min of reaction. The kinetic of degradation was pseudo first-order. Furthermore, the degradation and relative mineralization of 4NT were estimated by high-performance liquid chromatography and COD, respectively.

A convenient, transition-metal-free access to a series of unprecedented saccharin substituted 2,5-dihydropyrroles is reported. This approach employs a post-Ugi–Smiles 5-endo-dig Conia–ene cyclization sequence under mild conditions while incorporating a series of readily available precursors and sodium azide substrate as a catalyst for the cyclization step. The method provides a broad scope of 2,5-dihydropyrrole derivatives in good yields.

Gilsonite is a natural, brittle, and glisten tar hydrocarbon, which widely uses in the chemical, paint, and oil industry, besides asphalt production and thermal insulation. Major gangues of Gilsonite are gypsum, pyrite, silica, dolomite, calcite, and shale which are known as ash. Due to the fine liberation degree of gangue minerals from Gilsonite, most of the physical mineral processing methods are not applicable. Gilsonite has partially a behavior like coal in flotation due to its high carbon content and the similar composition of ash. As a result, flotation is one of the best methods to decrease the ash content of Gilsonite. In this study, four factors i.e. the dosage of collector, frother, and depressant, and solid to liquid ratio in three levels were examined in flotation to reduce the ash content and increase the recovery of Gilsonite. These tests were designed with the Taguchi method by Design-Expert software. Our results showed the lowest ash content of 5.2% was obtained in the condition which 200 g/t Gasoil as collector, 100 g/t MIBC as a frother, 300 g/t sodium silicate as a depressant, and pulp density was 5% solid to liquid weight ratio.

Inspired by prior advancements and the growing utilization of two-dimensional (2D)-based gas sensors, this work presents the potential of black phosphorene for sensing volatile organic compound (VOC) gas molecules. First-principles density functional theory (DFT) combined with non-equilibrium Green's function (NEGF) calculations was employed to evaluate the VOC sensing performance of suspended pristine and Pt-decorated phosphorene materials. Several VOCs, such as acetone, ethanol, formaldehyde, methanol, and toluene, along with CO2 and H2O molecules, were considered as the target gases. The results indicated that although the electronic properties of pristine phosphorene were slightly affected by the VOC adsorption, decorating the phosphorene sheet with Pt atoms drastically increased its sensitivity to alcohols. Sensors based on Pt-decorated phosphorene were found to be more sensitive and selective toward methanol among the other considered gas molecules with a gas response of 41.10%. A short recovery time of 0.17 s at room temperature and under UV light was obtained theoretically, and it confirmed the potential application of Pt–phosphorene-based sensors for alcohol detection at room temperature.

Curcuma longa L. is a famous spice cultivated in many countries with significant variations reported in its phytochemical contents and biological potential. For the first time, the present work is aimed to identify the major phytochemicals present in methanol:chloroform (MC) and petroleum ether (PE) extracts of Curcuma longa rhizome and leaves (by determining polyphenols and GC/MS analysis), and their in-vitro antioxidant and anti-protein denaturation potential. Results showed that the highest value (P < 0.05) of polyphenolic content was in MC extract of rhizome (51.46 ± 0.46 mg GAE/g) followed by 31.20 ± 0.53 mg GAE/g in MC leaves extract. The strong antiradical activity was evaluated in MC extract of rhizome with IC50 value of 92 ± 0.02 µg/mL. MC extracts of both the rhizome and leaves exerted a potent inhibitory effect against protein denaturation with IC50 values of 106.21 ± 0.53 and 108.06 ± 4.67 μg/mL (P > 0.5), respectively. GC/MS analysis showed that α-tumerone was the main component in the rhizome oil (32.44%), whereas in the leaf oil, palmitic acid was the prominent constituent (28.33%) and α-phellandrene recorded a comparable percentage (7.29). In conclusion, C. longa is a valuable source of natural antioxidants and anti-inflammatory constituents, as indicated by its high polyphenolic content and by its considerable in vitro antiradical and anti-protein denaturation potential.

In this project, the removal of p-Nitrotoluene (PNT) in typical synthetic wastewater was investigated using Peroxymonosulfate (PMS) motivated by Ferrous Ion. The PNT was degraded by sulfate and hyd...

BackgroundMethicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of the major pathogens in Iran with a high prevalence and a high level of antibiotic resistance. Ceftaroline is a fifth generation cephalosporin binding and inhibiting penicillin binding protein (PBP2a).MethodsIn the present study, 228 clinical MRSA isolates were collected from four cities of Iran and their susceptibility to ceftaroline was evaluated by E-test and the disk diffusion method.ResultsOur results showed a high susceptibility rate (97.3%) to ceftaroline in MRSA strains from Iran. Six isolates were found to be ceftaroline non-susceptible (CPT-NS) with Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ≥2 µg/mL. All CPT-NS isolates were isolated from blood and tracheal aspirate and belonged to SCCmec type III as well as agr type I and were all susceptible to vancomycin. Out of six isolates, three, two and one belonged to spa type t030, t4864, and t969, respectively. Vancomycin, quinupristin/dalfopristin, linezolid, chloramphenicol, and tigecycline were the most active agents against CPT-NS isolates.ConclusionDue to the broad-spectrum activity and low toxicity of ceftaroline as well as the increased rate of vancomycin resistance among MRSA strains in recent years, ceftaroline can be considered as a novel approach to treat MRSA-induced infections.

Проведен расчет температур плавления и кристаллизации и построена фазовая диаграмма металлических частиц системы Pd - Pt размером 10 нм. Поверхностная и межфазная энергии, их температурные и размерные зависимости оценивались модифицированным электронно-статистическим методом. Установлено, что вид фазовой диаграммы для наночастиц Pd - Pt имеет существенные отличия от диаграммы объемных фаз, включая гистерезис плавления-кристаллизации. The melting and crystallization temperatures have been calculated and the phase diagram of Pd - Pt metal particles of 10 nm in size has been constructed. The surface and interfacial energies, their temperature and size dependences were estimated by a modified electron-statistical method. It was found that the form of the phase diagram for Pd - Pt nanoparticles has significant differences from the diagram of bulk phases, including the melting-crystallization hysteresis.

BackgroundImatinib is mainly metabolized by CYP3A4 and to a lesser extent by other isoenzymes, withN-desmethyl imatinib being its major equipotent metabolite. Being a CYP3A4 substrate, imatinib co-administration with CYP3A4 modulators would change its pharmacokinetic profile. The cancer chemoprevention potential and anticancer efficacy of many herbal products such as grape seed (GS) and green tea (GT) extracts had led to an increase in their concomitant use with anticancer agents. GS and GT extracts were demonstrated to be potent inhibitors of CYP3A4. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of standardized GS and/or GT extracts at two different doses on the pharmacokinetics of imatinib and its metabolite,N-desmethyl imatinib, in SD-rats.MethodsStandardized GS and/or GT extracts were administered orally once daily for 21 days, at low (l) and high (h) doses, 50 and 100 mg/kg, respectively, before the administration of a single intragastric dose of imatinib. Plasma samples were collected and analyzed for imatinib andN-desmethyl imatinib concentrations using LC-MS/MS method, then their non-compartmental pharmacokinetic parameters were determined.Resultsh-GS dose significantly decreased imatinib’s Cmaxand the$$ {\mathrm{AUC}}_0^{\infty } $$AUC0∞by 61.1 and 72.2%, respectively. Similar effects onN-desmethyl imatinib’s exposure were observed as well, in addition to a significant increase in its clearance by 3.7-fold.l-GT caused a significant decrease in imatinib’s Cmaxand$$ {\mathrm{AUC}}_0^{\infty } $$AUC0∞by 53.6 and 63.5%, respectively, with more significant effects onN-desmethyl imatinib’s exposure, which exhibited a significant decrease by 79.2 and 81.1%, respectively.h-GT showed similar effects as those ofl-GT on the kinetics of imatinib and its metabolite. However, when these extracts were co-administered at low doses, no significant effects were shown on the pharmacokinetics of imatinib and its metabolite. Nevertheless, increasing the dose caused a significant decrease in CmaxofN-desmethyl imatinib by 71.5%.ConclusionsThese results demonstrated that the pharmacokinetics of imatinib andN-desmethyl imatinib had been significantly affected by GS and/or GT extracts, which could be partially explained by the inhibition of CYP3A-mediated metabolism. However, the involvement of other kinetic pathways such as other isoenzymes, efflux and uptake transporters could be involved and should be characterized.Graphical abstract

There are two approaches for measuring hydrocarbon saturation: well log interpretation and usually developed formulas. Archie’s equation is one of the most fundamental equations used for water saturation calculation. Archie’s equation includes three factors: cementation factor, tortuosity and saturation exponent. Archie determines these factors based on lab results in sandstone and provides fixed value for them. Carbonate reservoirs have a variety of textures, shapes and distribution of pores; therefore, the mentioned factors, especially cementation are not considered constant. In this study, the relationship between cementation factor and density log was examined because cementation factor is defined as a parameter that has a close relationship with density. By calculating the matrix density and accordance factor between the matrix density and cementation factor from core’s analysis, a log will be generated that can estimate the variation of cementation factor around the borehole. This method is useable for calculating the cementation factor in carbonate rocks. Keywords: Cementation factor, carbonate reservoir, density, new method, exponents.

This research investigates the bond performance of metakaolin based geopolymer concrete (GPC). Pullout tests were conducted for steel and GFRP bars embedded in plain and fiber-reinforced GPC. Three types of mixes were adopted to produce plain and steel fiber-reinforced GPC by controlling both alkaline solids to metakaolin ratio and sodium silicate to sodium hydroxide ratio. Comparative reference tests were also performed on cement concrete. Concrete splitting was observed for plain geopolymer mixes with both GFRP and steel bars. The steel fiber-reinforced GPC having GFRP bars experienced bar pullout while specimens with steel bars failed by concrete splitting, bar pullout, or bar rupture. For cement concrete mixes, the bond strength of steel bars was better than that of GFRP bars. The average normalized bond strength of plain GPC mixes was generally lower than that of cement concrete by 11%–27% and 21%–40% for steel and GFRP bars, respectively. The inclusion of steel fibers in GPC improved the bond performance for specimens with steel and GFRP bars by 7%–45% and 33%–114%, respectively. A model is proposed for the prediction of bond strength of GFRP and steel rebars embedded in plain and fiber-reinforced GPC.

Mapping of effective protein domains is a demanding stride to disclose the functional relationship between regulatory complexes. Domain analysis of protein interactions is requisite for understanding the pleiotropic responses of the respective partners. Cti6 is a multifunctional regulator for which we could show recruitment of co-repressors Sin3, Cyc8 and Tup1. However, the responsible core domain tethering Cti6 to these co-repressors is poorly understood. Here, we report the pivotal domain of Cti6 that is indispensable for co-repressor recruitment. We substantiated that amino acids 450–506 of Cti6 bind PAH2 of Sin3. To analyse this Cti6–Sin3 Interaction Domain (CSID) in more detail, selected amino acids within CSID were replaced by alanine. It is revealed that hydrophobic amino acids V467, L481 and L491 L492 L493 are important for Cti6–Sin3 binding. In addition to PAH2 of Sin3, CSID also binds to tetratricopeptide repeats (TPR) of Cyc8. Indeed, we could demonstrate Cti6 recruitment to promoters of genes, such as RNR3 and SMF3, containing iron-responsive elements (IRE). Importantly, Sin3 is also recruited to these promoters but only in the presence of functional Cti6. Our findings provide novel insights toward the critical interaction domain in the co-regulator Cti6, which is a component of regulatory complexes that are closely related to chromatin architecture and the epigenetic status of genes that are regulated by pleiotropic co-repressors. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s00294-020-01109-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Cytokine-primed neutrophils can undergo a nonapoptotic type of cell death using components of the necroptotic pathway, including receptor-interacting protein kinase-3 (RIPK3), mixed lineage kinase-like (MLKL) and NADPH oxidase. In this report, we provide evidence for a potential role of serine proteases in CD44-mediated necroptotic death of GM-CSF–primed human neutrophils. Specifically, we observed that several inhibitors known to block the enzymatic function of fibroblast activation protein-α (FAP-α) were able to block CD44-mediated reactive oxygen species production and cell death, but not FAS receptor–mediated apoptosis. To understand how FAP-α is involved in this nonapoptotic death pathway, we performed immunoblotting experiments in the presence and absence of inhibitors of RIPK3, MLKL, p38 MAPK, PI3K, and FAP-α. The results of these experiments suggested that FAP-α is active in parallel with RIPK3, MLKL, and p38 MAPK activation but proximal to PI3K and NADPH oxidase activation. Interestingly, neutrophils isolated from the joints of patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis underwent a GM-CSF–independent necroptosis following CD44 ligation; this effect was also blocked by both FAP-α and MLKL inhibitors. Taken together, our evidence shows that the RIPK3–MLKL pathway activates NADPH oxidase but requires, in addition to p38 MAPK and PI3K, a serine protease activity, whereby FAP-α is the most likely candidate. Thus, FAP-α could be a potential drug target in neutrophilic inflammatory responses to avoid exaggerated nonapoptotic neutrophil death, leading to tissue damage.

Ordinary Portland cement (OPC) is commonly adopted as an effective binder in the production of concrete and cementitious mortars. The metakaolin (MK) based geopolymer (GP) binder offers a sustainable alternative to the OPC due to its essential environmental and technical benefits in reducing the carbon footprint. In the present study, two conventional and six GP repair mortars were used. Three GP mortars were plain (without fibers), and the remaining three were produced by mixing Polyvinyl-alcohol (PVA) fibers. The GP mixes were produced by varying sand content, alkaline solids to MK, and sodium silicate to NaOH ratios, resulting in different molar ratios. The test specimens were prepared by overlaying a 5 mm thick layer of repair mortar on a concrete substrate for conducting pull-off strength tests. This research was undertaken to investigate the effect of exposure to elevated temperatures on the performance of bond strength of GP mortar used as a repair material. The test specimens were subjected to ambient temperature and elevated temperatures of 200 and 400 °C for a duration of 3 h before conducting pull-off tests. The test results revealed that the selected GP mixes could be a promising alternative repair material for structures due to their good bond strength performance. The addition of fibers in stable mixes of GP mortars enhanced the bond strength at ambient as well as when exposed to 200 °C, through crack control mechanism.

In this experimental work, the effects of multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on electrical characteristics of zinc oxide–MWCNT–high-density polyethylene composite varistors have been investigated. All the samples were made at the temperature of 130 °C and pressure of 60 MPa by the hot-press method. Results show that increasing zinc oxide content in the mixture increases breakdown voltage up to 170 V, where the highest nonlinear coefficient (α ~ 13) corresponds to the samples with 95 wt% of ZnO. Results with regard to the effects of MWCNT as an additive reveal that increasing its content from 1 to 2.5% in the composites, the breakdown voltage decreases to 50 V, but the highest nonlinear coefficient (~ 14) corresponds to the sample with 1.5% of MWCNT content. It is also revealed that, heat treatment of the sample at a constant temperature of 135 °C and different time intervals from 2 to 10 h, the sample with 6 h annealing time shows maximum breakdown voltages (Vb = 140 V) with the highest nonlinear coefficient (~ 14). Investigation of the potential barrier height of samples shows a complete consistency with the breakdown voltage variations. The results have been justified regarding XRD patterns and SEM micrographs of samples.