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Hesperidin (HD), a bioflavanone glycoside, was isolated from orange peel and converted to hesperetin (HT) using a simple and efficient green procedure. Then dextran-hesperetin conjugate (Dex-HT) was prepared by free radical grafting reaction and the functionalization degree of it was assessed by the Folin–Ciocalteu method. The antioxidant activity of HD, HT and Dex-HT was tested by DPPH⋅ radical method. Presence of dextran as a backbone in the Dex-HT structure, improved antioxidant activities of the hesperetin. In addition, antimicrobial effect of these compounds was evaluated against some food pathogens (Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella typhimurium). According to the results, L. monocytogenes was more sensitive to these compounds than S. typhimurium. Also, Dex-HT was more bacteriostatic than HD and HT. In addition, cytotoxic effect of Dex-HT against MCF-7(human breast adenocarcinoma), AGS (gastric adenocarcinoma) and normal fibroblast cells was determined in 48 and 72 h using MTT assay. The outcomes indicated that Dex-HT induced a significant dose-dependent cytotoxic effect on both AGS and MCF-7 cells. Moreover, Dex-HT showed a greater cytotoxic effect on MCF-7 cells than on AGS and normal cells. In this study, dextran, a biodegradeble carbohydrate polymer, was employed as a versatile scaffold to develop highly efficient antioxidant, antibacterial and anticancer hybrid material.

Background: Active packaging is one of the new packaging technologies which causes interaction between packaging material and food with the aim of food shelf life extension while maintaining food safety and quality. Biodegradable films like polylactic acid (PLA) can be good alternatives to non-biodegradable plastics because of environmental pollution and concerns about the limitations of petroleum resources. Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of PLA film incorporated with marjoram and clove essential oils (EOs) (0.5 and 1% v/v) in maintaining the microbial and chemical quality of minced beef during refrigerated storage. Materials and Methods: Minced beef was packaged with PLA film incorporated with marjoram and clove EOs (0.5 and 1% v/v) alone and in combination and stored at refrigerator temperature for 10 days. Then, microbiological and chemical analyses were done at 0, 2, 4, 7 and 10 days of examination. Results: A reduction of 1 log CFU/g in total count was observed between groups with simultaneous use of EOs and control group (P

Sulfur co-polymers have recently drawn considerable attention as alternative cathode materials for lithium-sulfur batteries, thanks to their flexible atomic structure and the ability to provide high reversible capacity. Here, we report on the atomic structure of sulfur/1,3-diisopropenylbenzene co-polymers (poly(S-co-DIB)) based on the insights obtained from density-functional theory calculations. The focus is set on studying the local structural properties, namely the favorable sulfur chain length (Sn with n=1⋯8 ) connecting two DIBs. In order to investigate the effects of the organic groups and sulfur chains separately, we perform series of atomic structure optimizations. We start from simple organic groups connected via sulfur chains and gradually change the structure of the organic groups until we reach a structure in which two DIB molecules are attached via sulfur chains. Additionally, to increase the structural sampling, we perform temperature-assisted minimum-energy structure search on slightly simpler model systems. We find that in DIB-Sn -DIB co-polymers, shorter sulfur chains with n∼4 are preferred, where the stabilization is mostly brought about by the sulfur chains rather than the organic groups. The presented results, corresponding to the fully charged state of the cathode in the thermodynamic limit, have direct applications in the field of lithium-sulfur batteries with sulfur-polymer cathodes.

In this research, first, ZnO nanorods were synthesized by hydrothermal method and characterized in terms of morphological and structural properties by means of field emission scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared, and X-ray diffraction techniques. Subsequently, polylactic acid/ZnO, polylactic acid/TiO2, and polylactic acid/ZnO/TiO2 nanocomposites with different percentages of nanoparticles and two different types of ZnO morphologies were prepared and their microstructural, optical, mechanical, hydrolytic degradation, and antibacterial properties were investigated. Field emission scanning electron microscopy results of polylactic acid/ZnO and polylactic acid/TiO2 samples showed a proper dispersion and nanoparticle distribution for low percentages (up to 5 wt%) and increased aggregation for the higher percentages. Besides, a large increase in the aggregation tendency was observed for combined nanoparticles (polylactic acid/ZnO/TiO2 nanocomposites). Results of the tensile test, the UV–Vis absorption tests, and the hydrolytic degradation tests of the samples showed an enhanced mechanical (approximately 55% increase in the presence of 3–5 wt% of nanoparticles) and light absorption and degradation (approximately 85% increase in the presence of 3–10 wt% of nanoparticles) for the polylactic acid by incorporating nanoparticles. It was also observed that, in addition to the quality of dispersion and distribution of nanoparticles in the polymeric matrix, the type of morphology of nanoparticles can contribute to the improvement of these properties. The cylindrical morphology of ZnO played a greater role on improving the polylactic acid mechanical properties compared to the spherical ZnO morphology (approximately 20%). On the contrary, the increased polylactic acid optical properties and degradation with ZnO spherical morphology were more pronounced (approximately 60%). Interestingly, when both ZnO and TiO2 were added, a synergistic effect in the case of UV-shielding and degradation rate and alternatively, a detrimental effect on the mechanical properties were detected. (The polylactic acid optical properties increased by about 17% and its degradation more than doubled.) Furthermore, the antibacterial activity of polylactic acid was investigated against the two Gram-positive Listeria monocytogenes and Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli by incorporating nanoparticles. The results indicated that as the nanoparticle percentage increases, the antibacterial activity steadily increases.

In order to use lactic acid bacteria as starter and non-starter cultures in fermentative products, their safety qualities should be evaluated. The objective of the present study was to evaluate safety characteristics including antibiotic sensitivity pattern, antimicrobial effect, H2O2 production, and biogenic amine production by Lactobacillus plantarum strains isolated from Siahmazgi cheese. Lactobacillus plantarum strains were unable to produce tyramine except for SD6 strain. All strains in the current study were able to produce histamine but unable to decarboxylate neither lysine nor ornithine. Lactobacillus plantarum strains showed considerable antimicrobial activity against Salmonella typhimurium and Listeria monocytogenes. All L. plantarum strains showed stronger antimicrobial activity against S. typhimurium (3.5-42.55 mm) than L. monocytogenes (1.5-30.49 mm). The SC9 strain had the strongest inhibitory effect against both pathogens. After titering pH of the medium to approximately 6.5, no antimicrobial activity was noticed indicating that the antimicrobial activity of L. plantarum strains was contributed to their acid production and not to bacteriocin. All L. plantarum strains were capable of producing H2O2. SA32 and SD13 strains with 2.37 and 0.77 mmol/L were the strongest and the weakest strains regarding H2O2 production, respectively (P˂ 0.05). All L. plantarum strains were sensitive to chloramphenicol, erythromycin, rifampicin, and tetracycline, yet resistant against vancomycin, and norfloxacin. Four patterns of antibiotic resistance were observed among L. plantarum strains. Only two strains of SC9 and SE4 were resistant against four antibiotics. L. plantarum strains naturally found in Siahmazgi cheese do not generally possess dangerous characteristics to be used in fermentative dairy products.

We report on the specific interaction of a small diamond-like molecule, known as diamondoid, with single amino-acids forming nano/bio molecular complexes. Using time-dependent density-functional theory calculations we have studied two different relative configurations of three prototypical amino acids, phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan, with the diamondoid. The optical and charge-transfer properties of these complexes exhibit amino acid and topology specific features which can be directly utilized for in the direction of novel biomolecule detection schemes.

Curcumin–dextran conjugate was synthesized by free radical grafting reaction between curcumin and dextran. The chemical characterization of the conjugate was obtained by Fourier-transform infrared and 1H-NMR (proton nuclear magnetic resonance) spectroscopy analysis, while the functionalization degree was determined by the Folin–Ciocalteu assay, finding a 22.93 mg of curcumin/g of dextran conjugate. Antioxidant activity of curcumin and curcumin–dextran conjugate was investigated employing DPPH• radical method, and IC50 (the half maximal inhibitory concentration) values of curcumin and the curcumin–dextran conjugate (Cur equivalents) were 86.6 ± 0.1 and 17.4 ± 1 µM, respectively. The presence of dextran into the curcumin–dextran conjugate improved radical scavenging activities of the curcumin. In addition, antimicrobial effect of curcumin and curcumin–dextran conjugate was evaluated against gram-positive ( Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus) and gram-negative ( Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella typhimurium) bacteria. According to our experiments, gram-positive microorganisms are more sensitive to these compounds than gram-negative ones. Curcumin–dextran is a more potent bacteriostat ( S. aureus (minimum inhibitory concentration = 0.008 µg/mL), E. coli O157:H7 (minimum inhibitory concentration = 250 µg/mL), and S. typhimurium (minimum inhibitory concentration = 500 µg/mL)) and also a more potent bacteriosid against S. aureus and S. typhimurium than curcumin. The cytotoxic effects of the curcumin–dextran conjugate toward AGS, MCF-7, and normal fibroblast cell lines were determined at 48 and 72 h using an MTT assay. The results revealed the considerable antiproliferative effects of the curcumin–dextran conjugate in both AGS and MCF-7 cancer cells in comparison with fibroblast cells. This study shows that dextran as a versatile scaffold develops the biological activities of curcumin by covalent grafting and can be regarded in further bioapplications.

Background: Food spoilage and foodborne diseases are two important problems in the food industry. On the other hand, consumers’ tendency to use natural additives is increasing. Hence, plant essential oils (EOs) can be safe alternatives in this regard. Objective: The objectives were to determine the chemical composition and to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of Cymbopogon citratus EO against some foodborne bacteria alone and in combination with Origanum majorana and Caryophyllus aromaticus EOs. Materials and Methods: Chemical composition of C. citratus EO was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Further, antibacterial activity of the EO against foodborne bacteria was assessed using disk diffusion method. In addition, the minimum inhibitory concentration of the EO was determined by microdilution broth method and then the minimum bactericidal concentration value was determined. Checkerboard synergy testing was also performed to determine the fractional inhibitory concentration index. Finally, time-kill curves were drawn based on the bacterial population (CFU/mL) against time (h). Results: The major compounds of C. citratus EO were isothymol, thymol, trans-caryophyllene, and cymene. The most and the least sensitive foodborne bacteria to C. citratus EO were Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis, respectively. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of C. citratus EO against all the evaluated bacteria were 0.1% and The minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values ranged between 0.1 and >2% (v/v). The combination of C. citratus and O. majorana EOs showed a synergistic activity against Salmonella typhimurium and partial synergism against B. subtilis, Escherichia coli O157:H7, S. aureus, and Listeria monocytogenes. Moreover, the combination of C. citratus and C. aromaticus EOs demonstrated partial synergism against S. aureus and L. monocytogenes, and additive interaction against S. typhimurium; however, the combination was indifferent against E. coli O157:H7 and B. subtilis. Furthermore, C. citratus plus O. majorana EOs and C. citratus plus C. aromaticus EOs showed a bactericidal effect against S. typhimurium after 24 hours in the time-kill assay. Conclusion: In general, the synergism, partial synergism, and additive effects of C. citratus in combination with C. aromaticus and O. majorana EOs strengthen the antimicrobial activity, expand the spectrum of activity, reduce the concentrations required, decrease the side effects, and prevent the alteration of organoleptic properties of food.

Synthetic colors have advantages in comparison to natural colors, but they cause cancer, attentiondeficit hyperactivity disorder, immune system suppression and vitamin deficiency. In the present study, authorized and unauthorized synthetic colors in saffron barbecued chicken from meat shops and restaurants in Babol city have been identified by thin-layer chromatography. Fifty samples of saffron barbecued chicken from meat shops and restaurants in Babol city have been collected from July to September 2019. Out of 50 samples, 20 had natural color, while 27 and 3 samples contained authorized and unauthorized synthetic colors respectively. According to the Institute of Standards and Industrial Research of Iran, the application of synthetic colors is banned in saffron barbecued chicken. Therefore, 40% were consumable and 60% were inconsumable, out of which 54% contained quinoline yellow and 6% had tartrazine. About 58.06% and 63.15% of samples from meat shops and restaurants were inconsumable, respectively. There were no significant differences regarding the frequency of the evaluated colors between samples from meat shops and restaurants (p>0.05). Based on the results, it is essential that the presence of synthetic colors is traced constantly and more strictly in food products and that the perpetrators receive more serious punishment.

This study aimed at to formulate a food-grade nanoemulsion of tarragon essential oil (NEO) and investigate its antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Oil in water NEO was formed by blending 10% of tarragon EO (TEO), 85% water, and a mixture of 5% surfactants, then antioxidant and antimicrobial activities were evaluated. The main components of TEO were estragole, beta-cis-ocimene, beta-trans-ocimene, and l-limonene. NEO droplet had a diameter of 50 nm and a zeta potential of − 30 mV. Results of free radical DPPH scavenging activity revealed that hydrogen donating capacity of the nanoemulsion was significantly higher than TEO and at 2.5 µg/mL concentration it showed complete inhibitory activity against DPPH. The ferric reducing potential was almost similar for TEO and NEO. NEO showed higher antibacterial potential against Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes and Shigella dysenteriae. The results of this work indicated that NEO had higher antioxidant and antimicrobial activity compared with free TEO.

The effect of feeding broccoli byproduct-wheat straw silage [BBWS; 69:31 ratio, dry matter (DM) basis] on performance, microbial N synthesis (MNS), rumen, and blood parameters in Fashandy lambs were evaluated. Three diets, with equal metabolizable energy and crude protein (CP) with a forage to concentrate ratio of 27:73 (DM basis), were formulated in which forage (lucerne and wheat straw) was replaced by BBWS (0, 100, or 200 g/kg of diet DM). These were assigned to three groups (n = 15/group) in a completely randomized block design for a 70-d period in which diets were offered as a total mixed ration. For each animal, dry matter intake (DMI), average daily gain (ADG), in vivo apparent digestibility, MNS, N retention, rumen, and blood parameters were measured. The BBWS diets had no influence on DMI, ADG, feed conversion efficiency, in vivo apparent digestibility coefficients of DM, organic matter, CP, and ash-free neutral detergent fiber. Neither MNS and N retention nor serum concentrations of glucose, triglycerides, creatinine, cholesterol, urea N, triiodothyronine, thyroxine, total protein, albumin, and globulin were affected. Rumen pH, NH3-N, short-chain fatty acid concentrations, the ratio of acetic to propionic acid, and protozoa numbers were, also, not influenced. In summary, BBWS may be fed to Fashandy lambs up to 200 g/kg of diet DM without any adverse impacts on growth performance.

DNA mutations and epigenetics have a vital role in cell development and human diseases. The identification of mutants among healthy nucleotides is indispensable and engineered nanomaterials can be an ideal platform for next-generation sequencing technology. Herein, we explore the sensitivity of memantine-thiol diamondoid in sensing and identifying modified DNA nucleotides by considering a mutation and an epigenetic marker as representative modified forms of cytosine and guanine. We demonstrate the possibility of detecting small modifications in nucleotides using optical absorption spectroscopy and charge transfer analysis. The results underline distinct features in the diamondoid–nucleotide complexes with respect to the modification in the nuclotides. A transient excitation of the complexes at certain energies obtained from their absorption spectra reveals different characteristics in the temporal evolution of the dipole moment oscillations for healthy and modified DNA nucleotides. Our study has clearly shown distinct peaks in the transformed spectra, detectable through high resolution spectroscopy studies. Accordingly, a diamondoid has high potential to optically probe chemical modifications within single DNA nucleotides, a significant aspect towards DNA sensing.

Background: Food products need to be protected against pathogenic and non-pathogenic microorganisms. One method is adding antimicrobial agents. Consumers’ tendency to use synthetic additives is drastically decreasing due to their side effects and also the emergence of multidrug resistant microorganisms. Plant essential oils (EOs) are natural antimicrobial compounds which are widely used in food industry. Objective: The objectives were to determine the chemical compositions of Caryophyllus aromaticus and Origanum majorana EOs and also to assess their antimicrobial activities against foodborne bacteria alone and in combination. Materials and Methods: The EOs were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Antibacterial activities of the EOs against foodborne bacteria were assessed using disc diffusion method. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of the EOs were determined by microdilution broth method and then minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values were determined. Checkerboard synergy testing was performed to determine the fractional inhibitory concentration index. Then time-kill curves were drawn based on the bacterial population (CFU/mL) against time (h). Results: The major constituents of C. aromaticus were eugenol and carvacrol, while O. majorana had carvacrol, thymol, trans-caryophyllene, and cymene as the main constituents. Zone of inhibition for O. majorana EO was greater than that for C. aromaticus EO. The inhibition zone of O. majorana EO against all the tested bacteria except for Bacillus subtilis was significantly greater than that of streptomycin (P ˂ 0.05). MIC value of the EOs against bacteria was 0.1% except for O. majorana EO against B. subtilis (0.3%). MBC values of C. aromaticus and O. majorana EOs ranged from 0.5% to 1.0% and 0.3% to 0.5% (v/v), respectively. The EOs were more effective on gram-positive bacteria than gram-negative ones. The combination of EOs revealed synergistic activity against Listeria monocytogenes, partial synergistic activity against B. subtilis, and additive effect against Salmonella typhimurium, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Staphylococcus aureus were indifferent against the combination of EOs. Time–kill curves of the EOs demonstrated strong bactericidal effect against all foodborne bacteria at 6 and 24 hours either alone or in combination. Conclusion: The synergistic, partial synergistic, and additive effects of the combination of C. aromaticus and O. majorana EOs strengthen the antimicrobial activity, expand the spectrum of activity, reduce the concentrations required, decrease the side effects, and prevent the alteration of organoleptic properties of food.

The hematological side effects associated with mycophenolic acid (MPA) are relatively common and have severe consequences. The majority of literature data have not shown clear consistency in the MPA exposure-neutropenia relationship. We hypothesized that (i) adult de novo kidney transplant recipients who develop neutropenia have relatively higher dose-normalized MPA exposure than patients without neutropenia, and (ii) the observed neutropenia may be explained by polymorphisms in metabolism and/or transporter genes responsible for MPA disposition. Adult kidney transplant recipients on steady-state tacrolimus and MPA, not receiving a corticosteroid, and with stable renal function were recruited for investigation at three periods post-transplant (1, 3, and 12 months; n = 21, 17, and 13, respectively). Clinical variables (age, weight, MPA daily dose, albumin, serum creatinine, absolute neutrophil count), tacrolimus and MPA concentrations (for exposure calculation), and genotypes (UGT2B7 G211T, UGT2B7 C802T, UGT1A9 T-275A, UGT1A9 T98C, MRP2 C-24T, MRP2 G1249A, OATP1B1 A388G, OATP1B1 C463A) were characterized. A significant inverse association between dose-normalized MPA exposure (a surrogate marker for apparent MPA clearance) and absolute neutrophil count in all three study periods (r2 ~ 0.3–0.7) was observed. No associations between characterized single nucleotide polymorphisms and MPA exposure or absolute neutrophil count were established. However, significant alterations in the minor allele frequencies of UGT2B7*2 C802T, UGT1A9 T275A, and MRP2 G1249A were evident. These findings support the clinical strategy for conducting MPA therapeutic drug monitoring in adult kidney transplant patients on steroid-free immunosuppressant therapy. The novel population genomic analysis data warrant further epidemiological investigations in a larger study sample.

Partial circulatory support is a promising concept for the treatment of heart failure patients. A better understanding of induced hemodynamic changes is essential for optimizing treatment efficacy. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is an alternative method to gain insight into flow phenomena difficult to obtain in vivo. In 10 patients implanted with a Circulite Synergy Micro-pump (HeartWare, Framingham, Massachusetts) (a continuous flow partial circulatory assist device connecting the left atrium to the right subclavian artery), transient CFD simulations were performed. Patients were divided into two groups depending on their cardiac output (CO; high CO group: 5.5 ± 1.1 L/min, low CO group: 1.7 ± 0.7 L/min). The partial assist device provided a supporting flow of 1.5 ± 0.8 L/min. Support was highest at diastole and decreased during systole because of a collision of the blood flows from the partial assist device and the CO. Reversed flow counteracting the flow of the device was significantly higher for the high CO group (mean flow in peak systole: -2.18 ± 1.08 vs. 0.23 ± 0.59 L/min; p = 0.002) showing an inverse correlation between CO and amount of reversed flow during peak systole (R = -0.7; p < 0.02). The flow collision lead to higher total pressures at the point of collision and consequently in the Circulite outflow graft. The CFD simulations allow quantifying hemodynamic alterations in patients with partial support consisting of a flow collision, thereby reducing effectiveness of the circulatory support. Partial support in heart failure patients alternates their hemodynamics not only in providing support for the circulation but also inducing unfavorable changes in flow patterns.

DNA sensing with engineered nanomaterials can bestow a new platform for single nucleotide identification and sequencing. Nevertheless, understanding the relevant nano-bio interfaces can provide a wealth of information on structures, energetics, and dynamics with a great potential in molecular nanotechnology. Herein, we explore the sensitivity of DNA units, the nucleotides, with a tiny probe, the diamond-like structures known as diamondoids. The probe diamondoid and the target nucleotides interact via hydrogen bonding, forming nano-bio complexes. The binding strengths for these complexes lie between the physisorption and chemisorption, allowing a suitable probe to sense the DNA nucleotides. Besides electronic properties, herein we investigate the optical properties of the nucleotides interacting with a functional diamondoid for the first time by assessing the absorption spectra and the charge dynamics within these complexes. The relative arrangements and bonding characteristics of the diamondoid with the n...

Rechargeable lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries have drawn significant attention as next-generation energy storage systems. Sulfur-copolymers are promising alternative cathode materials to elemental sulfur in Li–S batteries as they provide high reversible capacity. However, the redox mechanisms of these materials are not well understood owing to the difficulty in characterizing amorphous structures and identifying individual ionic species. Here, we use solid-state NMR techniques together with electrochemistry experiments and quantum calculations to investigate the structural evolution of the prototype S-copolymer cathodes, sulfur–diisopropenylbenzene copolymers (poly(S-co-DIB)), during cycling. We demonstrate that polysulfides with different chain lengths can be distinguished by 13C and 7Li NMR spectroscopy, revealing that the structure of the copolymers can be tuned in terms of polysulfide chain lengths and resulting reaction pathways during electrochemical cycling. Our results show that the improved cyclab...

Today, the increased rate of electronic portable devices has led to an unprecedented amount of electronic waste. The mass production of the new generation of batteries, such as lithium-ion and lithium-ion polymer batteries used in the electronic devices releases a high volume of toxic metals to the environment, causing pollution and affecting human health. Additionally, the release of vinasse from the ethanol industry causes negative and irrecoverable effects on humans and the environment. In this paper, we investigate an innovative and eco-friendly procedure for recycling metals in lithium-ion polymer batteries in the presence of a mixed fungal culture of Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus tubingensis and pure sucrose, impure sucrose, and vinasse in three different methods: one step bioleaching, two-step bioleaching, and spent medium bioleaching. A variety of analyses, done during this investigation, indicated that the metals were recycled successfully and with high efficiency through spent medium bioleaching.

Measurement of CO 2 -brine interfacial tension (IFT) in laboratory is time consuming, expensive and may exhibit various sources of errors. Hence, developing precise models for estimation of the CO 2 -brine IFT sounds to be greatly important. In this work, it has been attempted to study the application of two computer based models, namely radial basis function neural network optimized by particle swarm optimization method (PSO-RBF) and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system trained by hybrid method (Hybrid-ANFIS) for estimation of CO 2 -brine IFT. It is worthwhile to state that the database of this work includes 1716 CO 2 -brine IFT data collected from literature. The brine consists of NaCl, KCl, Na 2 SO 4 , MgCl 2 or CaCl 2. The performance of these models was evaluated through various statistical and graphical methods. The results of the above-mentioned models were also measured against four correlations of IFT presented in former literature works. Consequently, it was found that the aforementioned models exhibit more accurate results than empirical correlations for different systems including pure CO 2 -pure water, pure CO 2 -brine and impure CO 2 -water systems. Furthermore, the Hybrid-ANFIS model provides superior and most precise outcomes compared to PSO-RBF model with an overall R 2 and AARD% values of 0.9892 and 1.96%, respectively.

This study investigated the antiurolithiasic effects of the aqueous and ethanolic extracts of cactus prickly pear fruit in male Wistar rats. The effect of oral administration of cactus fruit extrac...

Rhamnolipids are the most common biosurfactants and P. aeruginosa strains are the most frequently studied microorganisms for the production of rhamnolipids. Eco-friendly advantages and promising applications of rhamnolipids in various industries are the major reasons for pursuing the economic production of these biosurfactants. This study shows that cultivation of P. aeruginosa MR01 in medium contained inexpensive soybean oil refinery wastes which exhibited similar levels and homologues of rhamnolipids. Mass spectrometry indicated that the Rha-C10-C10 and Rha-Rha-C10-C10 constitute the main rhamnolipids in different cultures of MR01 including one of oil carbon source analogues. Moreover, rhamnolipid mixtures extracted from different cultures showed critical micelle concentrations (CMC) in the range of ≃24 to ≃36mg/l with capability to reduce the surface tension of aqueous solution from 72 to ≃27-32mN/m. However, the sol-gel technique using tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) was used as a gentler method in order to entrap the P. aeruginosa MR01 cells in mold silica gels. Immobilized cells can be utilized several times in consecutive fermentation batches as well as in flow fermentation processes. In this way, reusability of the cells may lead to a more economical fermentation process. Approximately 90% of cell viability was retained during the silica sol-gel immobilization and ≃84% of viability of immobilized cells was preserved for 365days of immobilization and storage of the cells in phosphate buffer at 4°C and 25°C. Moreover, mold gels showed good mechanical stability during the seven successive fermentation batches and the entrapped cells were able to efficiently preserve their biosurfactant-producing potential.

In many optical applications, knowing the variations of the plasmonic resonance wavelengths of a special kind of nanoparticles in terms of their size before the experiment began, can assist the users in selection of an appropriate preparation method for the optimum functionality. In this work, in order to show the role of the preparation method on the mean size and the size distribution of nanoparticles, two different chemical bottom-up and physical top-down methods were used for the synthesis of palladium and gold nanoparticles. Chemical reduction of metal salt and laser ablation in liquid media methods were respectively used for preparation of palladium and gold nanoparticles. It is shown that the chemical bottom-up method results in the formation of smaller particles with narrower size distribution. Optical properties and plasmonic resonance absorption of the prepared nanoparticles were investigated by UV–vis spectroscopy and their size distribution were determined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images. Using the measured size distribution of nanoparticles, their optical extinctions are modelled using the Mie theory of scattering. A comprehensive study on the extrinsic size effect of palladium and gold nanoparticles is performed and the dipolar and the quadrupolar Mie resonances in these nanoparticles are investigated in details. The reported results can be used for selecting the preparation method of these nanoparticles and for choosing the appropriate laser wavelength to excite stronger or weaker Mie resonances for specific applications.

Despite the statistical control methods are extensively explored in the literature, there are rarely published researches in ferrotitanium industries. Ferrotitanium is used by steelmakers as a stabilizer to prevent chromium carbide forming at grain boundaries and in the production of low-carbon steels. Steels with relatively high titanium content include interstitial-free, stainless and high-strength low-alloy steels. Ferrotitanium is lighter, stronger and has higher resistance of corrosion compared with iron. The main statistical method which is applying by ferrotitanium industries is a statistical process control method which ignores the correlations between the chemical components to determine the main predict variables for each response variable. In this paper, by applying the supervised learning methods we recognize the possible correlations between the main alloys and prioritize them in the production process of this industry to be a guidance in predicting the quality results of production and to decrease the manufacturing cost of this industry because of producing out-of-range products.

Sulfurized polyacrylonitrile (S-cPAN) shows an intrinsic shuttle-free capability during cycling with high reversible capacity, making it a promising material for lithium-sulfur (Li–S) battery. However, the lithiation/delithiation mechanism of S-cPAN is still debatable and unclear. In this work, the fundamental reaction mechanism of S-cPAN cathode material is unveiled by in-situ Raman and in-situ X-ray absorption (XAS) spectroscopies. Together with density functional theory calculation, the formation of -N-Sx-N- (x

We report on real-time time-dependent density functional theory calculations on direction-dependent electron and hole transfer processes in molecular systems. As a model system, we focus on α-sulfur. It is shown that time scale of the electron transfer process from a negatively charged S8 molecule to a neighboring neutral monomer is comparable to that of a strong infrared-active molecular vibrations of the dimer with one negatively charged monomer. This results in a strong coupling between the electrons and the nuclei motion which eventually leads to S8 ring opening before the electron transfer process is completed. The open-ring structure is found to be stable. The similar infrared-active peak in the case of hole transfer, however, is shown to be very weak and hence no significant scattering by the nuclei is possible. The presented approach to study the charge transfer processes in sulfur has direct applications in the increasingly growing research field of charge transport in molecular systems. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

New oral anticoagulants (NOAC) serve as alternatives for patients currently using warfarin for the prevention and treatment of venous thromboembolic (VTE) disease. This article provides a brief summary of the clinical use of these drugs as well as a review of the landmark clinical trials which evaluated described their safety and efficacy. As more data becomes available, a fundamental understanding of these medications will be vital to cardiovascular practitioners managing patients with VTE.

Vaporization enthalpy is an essential property in various areas of science and engineering applications such as optimizing the transportation processes, designing the oil and gas production and processing facilities, and heat flux calculations. This work aims to develop an intelligent technique, namely Radial Basis Function (RBF) approach to predict the vaporization enthalpy of petroleum fractions and pure hydrocarbons. The model was coupled with an optimization algorithm namely Genetic Algorithm (GA) to determine the tuning parameters of RBF model. The model performance was evaluated through various graphical and statistical approaches. Results of the developed GA-RBF model were also compared with other literature correlations and intelligent models. It was found that the proposed GA-RBF model exhibits reliable results with acceptable accuracy for the prediction of experimental vaporization enthalpy data. In addition, results show that the model outperforms other literature models and correlations and exhibits better performance for prediction of experimental data.

Introduction: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the most frequent microvascular complication of diabetes and can lead to several retinal abnormalities including microaneurysms, exudates, dot and blot hemorrhages, and cotton wool spots. Automated early detection of these abnormalities could limit the severity of the disease and assist ophthalmologists in investigating and treating the disease more efficiently. Segmentation of retinal image features provides the basis for automated assessment. In this study, exudates lesion on retinopathy retinal images was segmented by different image processing techniques. The objective of this study is detection of the exudates regions on retinal images of retinopathy patients by different image processing techniques. Methods: A total of 30 color images from retinopathy patients were selected for this study. The images were taken by Topcon TRC-50 IX mydriatic camera and saves with TIFF format with a resolution of 500 × 752 pixels. The morphological function was applied on intensity components of hue saturation intensity (HSI) space. To detect the exudates regions, thresholding was performed on all images and the exudates region was segmented. To optimize the detection efficiency, the binary morphological functions were applied. Finally, the exudates regions were quantified and evaluated for further statistical purposes. Results: The average of sensitivity of 76%, specificity of 98%, and accuracy of 97% was obtained. Conclusion: The results showed that our approach can identify the exudate regions in retinopathy images.

Dense dual-phase membranes 40% Sm 0.5 Sr 0.5 Cu 0.2 Fe 0.8 O 3− δ – 60% Ce 0.8 Sm 0.2 O 2 −δ (SmSrCF5528-CSO) and 40% Sm 0.3 Sr 0.7 Cu 0.2 Fe 0.8 O 3− δ – 60% Ce 0.8 Sm 0.2 O 2− δ (SmSrCF3728-CSO) were prepared via the citric acid/EDTA complexing sol–gel process. The phase composition and the microstructure of the membranes were characterized by XRD, SEM and EDXS analysis. The newly developed cobalt-free membranes SmSrCF5528-CSO and SmSrCF3728-CSO (0.6 mm thick) exhibited high oxygen fluxes of 1.12 and 1.15 cm 3 min −1 cm −2 , respectively, at 1000 °C with pure CO 2 as the sweep gas. The long-term CO 2 stability of each membrane was studied in the temperature range of 900–1000 °C for more than 200 h on stream. The SmSrCF5528-CSO membrane displayed very good stability at all temperatures. The oxygen permeation fluxes of the Sr-rich membrane SmSrCF3728-CSO were stable at 1000 and 950 °C.

This research develops a rapid method for sampling and analysis of maleic anhydride (MA) in air using a one-step hollow fiber (HF) membrane in the liquid phase followed by high-performance liquid chromatography. A sampling chamber was prepared for sampling of MA with HF-supported de-ionized water absorbency. Several important parameters, such as sampling flow rate, sampling time, and breakthrough volume (BTV), were optimized at different concentrations using a central composite design. The results showed that sampling could be performed at the maximum period of 4 h with a flow rate of 1 mL min–1 for different concentrations (in the range of 0.05–2 mg m–3). The BTV was 240 mL. The relative standard deviations for the repeatability of interday and intraday were 7–10%, 10%, respectively, and the pooled standard deviation was 0.088. The limit of detection and limit of quantitation values were 0.033 and 0.060 mg m–3, respectively. Moreover, our findings revealed that the samples could be stored in sealed HF flexible plastic tubes in a cover at refrigerator temperature (4°C) for up to 7 days. The HF method was compared with method number 3512 National Institute Occupational Safety and Health for determination of MA. There was a good correlation (R2 = 0.99) between the two methods at a concentration of 0.05 to 2 mg m–3 in the laboratory and the average concentration of MA for both methods was 0.11 mg m–3 in the ambient air at an adhesive manufacturer. Our findings indicated that the proposed HF can act as a reliable, rapid, and effective approach for sampling of MA in workplaces.

This is the first report on nano semiconductor photocatalytic synthesis of aldonitrones through in situ trapping of hydroxylamine intermediates in the presence of aromatic aldehydes in aqueous media under visible light irradiation. A new highly efficient dispersible CdS nanorod photocatalyst was synthesized. The characterization of the catalyst was done by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis, CHNS elemental analysis, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and diffuse reflection spectroscopy (DRS). The CdS nanorods have 12–18 nm sizes according to TEM. The catalyst was used successfully in the chemoselective photocatalytic reduction of nitroarenes using a CdS/poly ethyleneglycol 400–water system (CdS/PEG–H2O). The reaction was successfully carried out under green and blue LED illumination by using ammonium formate as a sacrificial electron donor in the presence and absence of an aldehyde, producing aromatic amines or aromatic nitrones respectively. The reusability of the CdS nanorod photocatalyst was tested four times. Moreover, the stability of the catalyst was confirmed by the characterization of a reused catalyst.

Although major advances have occurred in treating patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) with the development of new direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), treatment of liver transplant recipients with HCV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) coinfection, and renal disease is challenging due to the lack of efficacy and safety data in this population. We report a case of successful HCV therapy in a postliver transplant HIV coinfected patient, with stage 4 chronic kidney disease, using an all-oral regimen of simeprevir, sofosbuvir, and ribavirin. The 51-year-old male achieved SVR24, and no specific HIV-related or transplant-related adverse events were documented during the treatment period. The new DAAs show promise for HIV coinfected patients and those with severe to end-stage renal disease (ESRD); however, robust clinical trials or large cohort studies will need to be conducted to confirm the efficacy and safety of these newer agents in this setting.

The corrosion behavior of copper cold spray coatings on a carbon steel substrate was compared to that of commercially available wrought copper under the conditions anticipated in a nuclear waste repository. Corrosion potential and linear polarization resistance measurements were conducted over 90 d to 120 d in 3.0 mol/L NaCl under anoxic (1) and oxygenated-to-anoxic (2) conditions to simulate the long (1) and short (2) term redox conditions expected in a Canadian repository. Scanning electron microscopy and x-ray diffractometry were used to observe the morphology of the corroded surface and to identify the corrosion products formed. The two specimens behaved very similarly under both sets of conditions. Negligible corrosion was observed under anoxic conditions and the formation of both Cu+1 (Cu2O) and Cu+2 (Cu2(OH)3Cl) phases occurred under oxygenated conditions. No evidence was observed to suggest the particle boundaries in the cold sprayed coating were preferential corrosion sites.

We extend the method of Silvestrelli [P. L. Silvestrelli, J. Chem. Phys. 139, 054106 (2013)] to approximate long-range van der Waals interactions at the density functional level of theory to periodic systems. The eventual approach is based on a combination of maximally localized Wannier functions with the quantum harmonic oscillator-model. Applying this scheme to study London dispersion forces between graphene and water layers, we find that collective many-body effects beyond simple pair-wise additive interactions are essential to accurately describe van der Waals forces.

Seventy-one lactic-acid bacteria (LAB) were isolated from a sample of “Siahmazgi”, an Iranian traditional cheese. Lactobacilli were then screened for some technological properties such as rapid and adequate production of lactic acid, growth in different salt concentrations, gas production from carbohydrates, catalase activity and antimicrobial activity. Finally, the selected lactobacilli were tested for their growth profile in a fluid model-medium modified according to the special conditions of fermented sausages. LSCD5, LSCD7, LSCD10, LSCD11 and LSCD14 showed high acidifying activity, and reduced the pH of MRS broth medium to ∼4.0 in 24 h at 30 °C and in 48 h at 20 °C. These strains were identified by biochemical and molecular methods (16s rDNA sequencing) as Lactobacillus plantarum . The screened lactobacilli, except LSCD11, were able to grow at a high salt concentration of 10%. They also showed antimicrobial activities against Listeria monocytogenes , Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli O157:H7. Relatively acceptable souring properties and good growth properties in simulated fermented sausage (SFS) medium were found for LSCD7 and LSCD14, with maximum numbers of 7.21, and 7.99 log CFU/ml, respectively. As a result, LSCD7 and LSCD14 exhibited the best technological properties to act as starter cultures for manufacturing fermented meat products.

The electrochemical behaviour of two Al-Mn materials (Al- 5.5 at % Mn and Al- 13.5 at % Mn) has been studied in 0.275 M NaCl and 0.138 M MgCl2 solutions to simulate the cathodic environment of Al-Mn particles during the corrosion of a Mg alloy. Upon polarization in NaCl solution to a potential in the range expected on a corroding Mg alloy, the Al-5.5 at % Mn alloy proved unstable undergoing de-alloying (loss of Al) and delamination of layers of the Al(OH)3 formed. This leads to a steady increase H2O reduction current. When polarized in MgCl2 solution the surface was partially protected from de-alloying and the current for H2O reduction suppressed by the deposition of Mg(OH)2. The Al-13.5 at % Mn alloy was considerably more stable when cathodically polarized. This increased stability was attributed to the higher density of Mn-enriched areas in the alloy surface. This simulation of the microgalvanic cathodic behaviour of Al-Mn intermetallic particles confirms that the appearance of corrosion product domes on the Al-Mn intermetallic particles during the corrosion of Mg alloys as an indication of their cathodic behaviour and that Al-Mn intermetallic particles are efficient, yet unstable cathodes.

In this article the problem of mass transfer of ozone of the second order from a gaseous phase into an aqueous phase has been studied. Homotopy perturbation method is employed to derive an analytical approximation to the solutions of the system of differential equations governing on the problem. Some parametric studies have been included. The effects of the temperature and hydroxyl ion reaction order to the solutions are illustrated by some plots

Dense single-phase perovskite-type Pr0.6Sr0.4CoxFe1–xO3−δ (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 1.0) membranes (0.6 mm thick) were synthesized via EDTA–citric acid complexing route. Subsequently, the effect of various B-site Co/Fe compositions on oxygen permeability, temperature-dependent CO2 stability, microstructure, and electrical properties of the membranes were studied. The crystal structures and the high-temperature phase stability of the perovskite structure in a CO2-containing atmosphere were analyzed using X-ray diffraction. The highest oxygen permeation flux was observed for Pr0.6Sr0.4CoO3−δ with 1.57 cm3(STP) min–1 cm–2 and 1.37 cm3(STP) min–1 cm–2 at 1000 °C under air/He and air/CO2 gradients, respectively. Furthermore, the effect of CO2 as the sweep gas on the temperature-dependent oxygen permeability and stability of the membranes was studied. Basically, the membranes with lower Co contents were found to be less susceptible to CO2 exposure and their microstructures were less affected by CO2. The partial oxidation of m...

Spintronic devices require channels to efficiently conduct spin current. Carbon nanofibers based on polyacrylonitrile (PAN) are already of keen interest in nanotechnology and energy science; could they be useful in spintronics as well? Modeling PAN nanofibers as N-terminated zigzag graphene nanoribbons, the authors study the electronic structures and quantum transport properties of these quasi-one-dimensional systems as a function of width. They demonstrate that narrow ribbons bear finite magnetic moments, with spin-polarized electronic states exhibiting similar spin configurations on both edges, resulting in spin-dependent transport channels.

Novel dual-phase oxygen-transporting membranes with compositions 40 wt% Nd0.6Sr0.4Al0.2Fe0.8O3−δ–60 wt% Ce0.9Nd0.1O2−δ (NSAF6428–CN91) and 40 wt% Nd0.5Sr0.5Al0.2Fe0.8O3−δ–60 wt% Ce0.8Nd0.2O2−δ (NSAF5528–CN82) were successfully synthesized via a one-pot sol–gel method. The oxygen permeation performance and the structural properties of the membranes could be simultaneously improved owing to Al doping of the perovskite phase. The newly developed dense ceramic membranes (0.6 mm thick) displayed long-term stable oxygen permeation fluxes of 0.31 and 0.51 cm3 min−1 cm−2 under an air/CO2 oxygen partial pressure gradient at 950 °C for NSAF6428–CN91 and NSAF5528–CN82, respectively. The NSAF6428–CN91 showed a stable oxygen flux of 0.15 cm3 min−1 cm−2 at 900 °C for 100 h, without any deterioration of the microstructure under pure CO2 sweeping.

For nearly 30 years, coenzyme M (CoM) was assumed to be present solely in methanogenic archaea. In the late 1990s, CoM was reported to play a role in bacterial propene metabolism, but no biosynthetic pathway for CoM has yet been identified in bacteria. Here, using bioinformatics and proteomic approaches in the metabolically versatile bacterium Xanthobacter autotrophicus Py2, we identified four putative CoM biosynthetic enzymes encoded by the xcbB1, C1, D1, and E1 genes. Only XcbB1 was homologous to a known CoM biosynthetic enzyme (ComA), indicating that CoM biosynthesis in bacteria involves enzymes different from those in archaea. We verified that the ComA homolog produces phosphosulfolactate from phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP), demonstrating that bacterial CoM biosynthesis is initiated similarly as the phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent methanogenic archaeal pathway. The bioinformatics analysis revealed that XcbC1 and D1 are members of the aspartase/fumarase superfamily (AFS) and that XcbE1 is a pyridoxal 5'-phosphate-containing enzyme with homology to d-cysteine desulfhydrases. Known AFS members catalyze β-elimination reactions of succinyl-containing substrates, yielding fumarate as the common unsaturated elimination product. Unexpectedly, we found that XcbC1 catalyzes β-elimination on phosphosulfolactate, yielding inorganic phosphate and a novel metabolite, sulfoacrylic acid. Phosphate-releasing β-elimination reactions are unprecedented among the AFS, indicating that XcbC1 is an unusual phosphatase. Direct demonstration of phosphosulfolactate synthase activity for XcbB1 and phosphate β-elimination activity for XcbC1 strengthened their hypothetical assignment to a CoM biosynthetic pathway and suggested functions also for XcbD1 and E1. Our results represent a critical first step toward elucidating the CoM pathway in bacteria.

This study investigated the effect of oral administration of Cactus fruit extracts on calcium oxalate deposition, malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in rat model. About 42 rats were used for the study. The animals were divided into seven groups. Control group maintained on regular rat food and drinking water throughout the study period, whereas in other groups nephrolithiasis was induced by ethylene glycol. Rats in kidney stone group were sacrificed after 28 days and all remaining groups after 58 days. Treatment groups were treated with 1 and 100 mg/kg of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Cactus fruit for 30 days. After treatment, SOD activity was increased and MDA was decreased significantly. CaOx depositions were decreased significantly, especially in ethanolic extract of Cactus fruit in high dose (100 mg/kg).

Background Patients with psoriasis may have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Objective We sought to evaluate the potential association between subclinical atherosclerosis and psoriasis by measuring the intima-media wall thickness (IMT) of the common carotid artery (CCA) in patients with psoriasis and evaluating its correlation with serum leptin and resistin levels. Methods The mean IMT (MIMT) of the CCA and leptin, resistin, triglyceride (TG), and total cholesterol levels in serum were determined in 60 patients and 60 healthy sex- and age-matched control subjects. Results Compared with the healthy control subjects, patients with psoriasis had significantly higher MIMT of the CCA and higher levels of serum leptin, resistin, TG, and total cholesterol. In addition, MIMT of the CCA was positively correlated with serum leptin, resistin, TG, and total cholesterol levels in patients with psoriasis. Limitations This was a cross-sectional single-center study, and we could not evaluate additional biomarkers such as adipokine or adiponectin because of our restricted facilities. Conclusion Although serum leptin, resistin, TG, and total cholesterol levels and MIMT of the CCA were significantly increased in patients with psoriasis, MIMT of the CCA was also positively correlated with these biomarkers. Therefore, psoriasis could be an independent risk factor for subclinical atherosclerosis.

In this study, the chemical and microbiological properties of Siahmazgi cheese, an Iranian artisanal cheese made of unheated ewe and goat milk without addition of starter culture, were evaluated. The pH of the samples ranged from 4.76 to 5.18. The average numbers of total viable count and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in cheese samples were 3.7 × 106 and 6.9 × 106 cfu/g, respectively. Coliforms and Enterobacteriaceae were absent in all the samples. A total of 125 LAB isolates were selected according to their Gram-positive and catalase-negative characteristics, out of which 23 strains were cocci and 102 were lactobacilli. Identification of the selected isolates was done through biochemical tests and 16s rDNA sequencing. Isolated strains were identified as Lactobacillus plantarum group (41.6%), Lactobacillus brevis (39.2), Lactobacillus parabuchneri (0.8%), Enterococcus faecium (13.6%), Enterococcus durans (3.2%) and Pediococcus parvulus (1.6%). The results of this study showed the microbiological diversity of traditional Siahmazgi cheese. Practical Applications Exploring the microbiological diversity of traditional dairy products is required for selection of appropriate strains to manufacture the products with consistent quality and original taste on industrial scale.