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Hydrophilic zeolites with low catalytic activity are considered as suitable adsorbents for drying gas streams containing olefinic compounds. In this contribution, the surface treatment of kaolin and attapulgite/zeolite A extrudates is investigated using argon glow discharge plasma. The zeolite is synthesized from kaolin using the hydrothermal method. Surface and bulk characterization is performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), N2 physisorption, Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, temperature-programmed-desorption (TPD) of NH3 and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques. Plasma treatment increases surface area and pore volume, but it decreases the weak acidic site density of the extrudates. The obtained results show that attapulgite/zeolite extrudates are more affected by plasma treatment than kaolin/zeolite extrudates. The catalytic activity of untreated and plasma-treated extrudates are compared with respect to coke formation resulting from 1-butene and 1,3-butadiene. The plasma-treated sample is more resistant to coke formation (∼35% decrease compared to untreated one). The potassium contents of extrudates decreased as a result of sputtering loosely bound potassium cations on the crystal surface by argon ions, which led to a decrease in water sorption capacity (by ∼15% of the initial sorption capacity).

Background Carbon steel is an important industrial material; its corrosion and protection are attracting more attention from researchers. The use of advanced corrosion inhibitors is widespread due to their accessibility, convenience, and high-efficiency characteristics. In this account, for the first time, the leaves of Achillea Millefolium were extracted using ultrapure water, and the synergistic action of Achillea Millefolium Extract (AME) with zinc ion for carbon steel corrosion in 3.5% NaCl solution was evaluated. Methods Polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) experiments were utilized to assess the suggested mixture's inhibition activity. Surface characterizations were carried out using ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) analysis, scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with EDX, Fourier transmission infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, contact angle (CA) examination, and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD). Furthermore, DFT and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were used to explain the inhibition mechanism at the atomic or molecular level. Significant Findings A combined protection attitude was identified, and for 500 ppm Zn + 500 ppm AME, the inhibition effectiveness was 93.49%. Polarization results suggest that the complex behaves as a mixed-type inhibitor, which simultaneously suppresses cathodic and anodic reactions. Surface analysis confirms the protective hydrophobic film formed on the steel surface, all of which demonstrate the outcomes of the electrochemical examination. Our work can provide a theoretical reference for further research on metal-organic-based corrosion inhibitors.

In this study, a multistage strain aging method that used rolling pre-strain (compression) was developed to study the effects of temperature, and inter-pass time on static strain aging behavior of low carbon steel. An increase in hardness and strength caused by work hardening due to the forming process and aging at every stage of aging that is calculated separately. To comparing the effects of multistage aging against typical strain aging, the samples were rolled and subjected to the aging process both exist in typical one-stage aging that setting a 20% rolling pre-strain and in multiple stages pre-strain by setting a 5% rolling ratio in four stages. The mechanical properties of aged samples are compared with each other to study the effects of time and temperatures on strength and hardness. To evaluate the effects of pre-strain type (tensile or compression) on mechanical properties, one sample was subjected to tensile and compared with rolling pre-strain samples in similar conditions. The results show that in multistage static strain aged samples with rolling pre-strain, the peak of the strain stress curve occurs in 10–15 min rather than samples that aged after tensile pre-strain. Multistage strain aging increased samples’ strength by 10% and reduced their plasticity by 5%. To evaluate the effects of temperature on the time, we propose the maximum hardness and strength, the aging temperature of the samples was increased to 250 °C and it was observed that the maximum hardness and strength time is reduced by 10 min.

An efficient approach to azidation of aryl halides is described here. Good yields of aryl azides were obtained with [CuI/EDTA]–3 as a catalytic system. Cost-affectivity of the EDTA compared to expensive DMEDA (1 : 500 times) along with the use of 7EtOH:3H2O as mixed solvent and green medium makes it to be a suitable method for selective synthesis of aryl azides.

Beta-carotene, a pigment found in plants, is mainly produced by microalgae. Nevertheless, this production has only been investigated in pure cultures. Beta-carotene production through mixed culture eliminates the costly procedure of sterilization and contamination prevention needed for pure cultures. In this study, for the first time, the growth, beta-carotene, and chlorophyll production of a mixed culture of microalgae from Caspian Sea was investiagted under different stress conditions. At the condition of tripled light intensity and nitrogen starvation, beta-carotene content increased from 18.03 to 43.8 and 46.5 mol beta-carotene g−1 protein, respectively. However, the salinity of 4 mol L−1 caused the beta-carotene content to fall to zero. The blank sample reached a constant value of 23 mol beta-carotene g−1protein. The comparable results with the specific monoculture species exhibit the high potential of a mixed culture of microalgae for beta-carotene production without need of the high sterilization cost. Nevertheless, more research is needed for where it can be a good substitute for pure culture.

Naphthalimide derivatives provide highly versatile self-assembled systems and aggregated forms with fascinating emission properties that make them potential candidates for many applications such as bioimaging and sensing. Although various aggregated species of naphthalimide derivatives have been well documented, little is known about the correlation between their structure and photophysical properties. Here the preparation of a series of tetrameric naphthalimide molecules in which naphthalimide units are linked by bis-N-heterocyclic carbene complexes of coinage metals is described. An in-depth structural investigation into these tetramers has been carried out in solution and the solid state using spectroscopic methods, X-ray crystallography, and computational methods. The experimental and calculated data indicate that the magnitude of the intramolecular interchromophoric π-interactions increases either by an increase in the metal ionic radius or on going from the solid to the solution state. These tetrameric naphthalimide compounds show intramolecular excimeric emissions in the solid and solution phases. However, the quantum yield efficiencies of these excimeric emissions show a trend similar to that for the intramolecular π-interactions either by going from the solution to the solid state or with an increase in the metal ionic radius. Surprisingly, the amine derivative analogues of the silver(I) compound showed an unusual increase in the emission quantum yield efficiency to 92% in solution due to intramolecular hydrogen bonds between amine substituents on adjacent naphthalimde units.

Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells are regarded as a prominent host for manufacturing therapeutic proteins. Although conventional strategies for generating recombinant proteins in CHO cells depend on the random integration of a gene of interest (GOI), these established techniques occasionally result in genetically heterogeneous cell lines, which causes diminished expression of the recombinant proteins in the long run. Production instability can be reduced by SSI and creates stable cell lines with a consistent expression of the GOI. In this experiment, we demonstrate the targeted incorporation of a reporter cassette in two PhiC31 pseudo attP sites of CHO cells exploiting the homology-directed repair (HDR) generated by the CRISPR/Cas9 platform. Genes encoding GFP and puromycin resistance marker were precisely inserted into these loci via CRISPR/Cas9. Stable cell lines were suitably produced following antibiotic selection. Junction PCR and fluorescence assay determined targeted integration and expression homogeneity of the reporter cassette, respectively. Taken together, our results indicate the possibility of these two PhiC31 pseudo attP sites as the target sites for site-specific integration of a transgene mediated by CRISPR/Cas9. Furthermore, higher knock-in efficiency and expression homogeneity was observed in the pseudo attP site associated with chromosome 6 compared to the pseudo attP site from chromosome 3.

Experiments were conducted for thirty representative surface and subsurface soils collected from different physiographic units and moisture regimes in southern Iran to assess factors affecting K pools distribution and potassium release rate, using two organic and inorganic extractants and their association to mineralogy and some physical and chemical properties in calcareous soils. Mineralogical analysis indicated that illite, smectite, chlorite and palygorskite were the main clay minerals in the studied soils. The highest content of illite and smectite was observed in the piedmont plain (P.P) units, whereas that of smectite in Lowland (L.L) unit was higher than in soils of alluvial fans (A.F). It seems that the P.P unit which is in more stable landform position contains larger amounts of all K compounds due to higher clay and illite contents. The exchangeable, non-exchangeable (NEK), structural, and total potassium were found to be significantly and positively correlated to the clay content, cation exchange capacity, and the contents of illite, smectite, and vermiculite minerals, while a negative correlation as observed between the mentioned K forms and the calcium carbonate (CaCO3) content. The cumulative rate of K release to 0.01 M CaCl2 and oxalic acid was examined for a period of 1200 h, ranging within 104–286 and 87–233 mg kg–1 for the surface soil and 98–241 and 82–211 mg kg–1 for the subsurface soil samples, respectively. The percentage of non-exchangeable K released varied greatly between the different units and moisture regimes. Higher values of NEK release were observed for P.P followed by A.F, and L.L units. Considering the obtained values of the highest amount of potassium compounds as well as the release values in the piedmont plain physiographic unit and the xeric moisture regime as well as the Alfisols, the results confirm that in addition to physicochemical and mineralogical properties, physiographic units and soil moisture regimes also play a key role in nature and in spatial distribution of different forms of potassium.

To assess the effect of long-term rice cultivation and aquic conditions on the physicochemical properties and different forms of iron and manganese and also to make a comparison with non-paddy and ...

Green chemistry or in other words “green world” is referred to a sustainable environment using biocompatible, biodegradable, renewable, economical, and simple materials, and methods. Without any exaggeration, the exceptional chemical and physical properties of ZnO bionanocomposites beside various utilizations, make it vital materials in research and green chemistry field. Biocompatible ZnO nanoparticles with fascinating antimicrobial, physicochemical, as well as photocatalytic performance could be applied as a prominent candidate to reinforce diverse biopolymer matrixes, for instance, chitosan, starch, cellulose, gelatin, alginate, poly(hydroxyalkanoates), carrageenan, and so on. With a combination of advantageous properties of these materials, they could be illustrated specific utilizations in different areas. In this regard, the following context focuses on highlighting the recent achievements of this category of material on three important and widely used scopes: eco-friendly food packaging, biomedical specially wound dressings, and water remediation technologies.

Determining the relative distribution of each chemical form of the elements and their relationship with the physical, chemical, and clay mineralogical properties of soils can help researchers to achieve the sustainable agricultural management. The present study was conducted to evaluate the chemical forms of four micronutrients (Zn, Cu, Fe and Mn) in some surface and subsurface soils of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad province and their relationship with the physical, chemical and mineralogical properties of the soils. The results showed that the exchangeable and sorbed chemical forms of the studied elements were very low and negligible, but the residual, carbonate, and organic forms had the highest to lowest values of the chemical forms of these elements, respectively. Examination of the correlation of the chemical forms of these elements with soil properties showed the effective correlation of organic carbon values with the Zn chemical forms; also, there was a correlation between clay, silt, cation exchange capacity and calcium carbonate and the chemical forms of Cu, Fe and Mn. The correlation between the quantities of clay minerals and the chemical forms of these elements showed that the amounts of different forms of the studied elements were directly related to 2:1 clay silicate minerals (especially vermiculite). Evaluation of Fe and Mn chemical forms also showed that the amounts of these elements were higher in the soils with developed profiles (Alfisol and Mollisol), the wetter climate and zeric moisture regime rather than in soils with non-developed profiles (Entisols and Inceptisols) and a drier climate and a ustic moisture regime. In general, the results showed that variations of soil forming factors such as climate (as well as the total amount of each micronutrients), could be effective on the chemical forms of micronutrients (especially on Mn and Fe); these can be effective in the management of weakly to highly-developed soils orders.

Gastric cancer treatment remains a major challenge. There are many reports on the positive efficacy of Bacteriocins associated with anti-cancer sequences. The main purpose of this study was to determine and design a fusion gene contraceptive containing anticancer Enterocin A, R-type pyocin, Lactocin, ligand against AGS gastric cancer cell line using Real Time_ RT_ PCR technique. This study was designed EntA-PynR-Lac recombinant proteins containing ligand and anticancer using bioinformatics software. Escherichia coli BL-21 was used to express cloned genes in expression vectors that have a T7 bacteriophage promoter. The specific ligand of the AGS cell line was designed and added to the recombinant construct sequence, and its three-dimensional structures, conformity, and stability were evaluated. Synthesis of fusion gene concentrate was performed in the expression vector, the transformation of the recombinant plasmid containing anticancer fusion gene construct in the respective host. Confirmation and purification of the recombinant protein by Western blotting and nickel column chromatography through the His tag, cytotoxicity determination against AGS cell line via the MTT technique, and finally, Real-time PCR was performed. Protein fusion at a concentration of 80 μg/ml in 24 h kills 83% of the cells tested and treatment of the cells with this concentration leads to increased expression of caspase3 and bax genes and decreased expression of bcl2. The results show that the treatment of gastric cancer cells with recombinant protein at a concentration of 80 μg/ml induces apoptosis in this cell line.

The many-body expansion (MBE) of energies of molecular clusters or solids offers a way to detect and analyze errors of theoretical methods that could go unnoticed if only the total energy of the system was considered. In this regard, the interaction between the methane molecule and its enclosing dodecahedral water cage, CH$_4$(H$_2$O)$_{20}$, is a stringent test for approximate methods, including density-functional theory (DFT) approximations. Hybrid and semilocal DFT approximations behave erratically for this system, with three- and four-body nonadditive terms having neither the correct sign nor magnitude. Here we analyze to what extent these qualitative errors in different MBE contributions are conveyed to post-Kohn-Sham random-phase approximation (RPA). The results reveal a correlation between the quality of the DFT input states and the RPA results. Moreover, the renormalized singles energy (RSE) corrections play a crucial role in all orders of MBE. For dimers, RSE corrects the RPA underbinding for every tested Kohn-Sham model: generalized-gradient approximation (GGA), meta-GGA, (meta-)GGA hybrids, as well as the optimized effective potential at the correlated level. Remarkably, the inclusion of singles in RPA can also correct the wrong signs of three- and four-body nonadditive energies as well as mitigate the excessive higher-order contributions to the MBE. The RPA errors are dominated by the contributions of compact clusters. As a workable method for large systems, we propose to replace those compact contributions with CCSD(T) energies and to sum up the remaining many-body contributions up to infinity with supermolecular or periodic RPA. As a demonstration of this approach, we show that for RPA(PBE0)+RSE it suffices to apply CCSD(T) to dimers and 30 compact, hydrogen-bonded trimers to get the methane-water cage interaction energy to within 1.6% of the reference value., Comment: Data available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4429677

Currently, due to economic importance and environmental characteristics, biopolymeric matrices containing metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are being extraordinarily considered in high-tech and commercial applications. In these materials, MOFs are usually incorporated into polymer chains and highly effective and multi-functional organic–inorganic composites are fabricated with high electrical, optical, mechanical, and thermal features. The excellent porous structure, flexibility, and organic–inorganic nature of MOFs are interesting properties for their examination in the fabrication of biopolymeric composites. Here, we provide a complete and vital review of MOF/biopolymeric composites in recent years and discuss their importance and features. Additionally, since bio–nanocomposite materials based on biodegradable polymers and MOFs have presented great potential in the past decade, in this review, we have critically concentrated on the most significant and interesting applications of MOF/biopolymeric composites and their advantages in modern technology.

In recent years, additive manufacturing, or in other words three-dimensional (3D) printing technology, has rapidly become one of the hot topics in the world. Among the vast majority of materials, chitosan and its hybrids with various wonderful features have played a noteworthy role in this science. There are lots of studies on the applications of chitosan and its derivatives in the biomedical field, but it is worth mentioning that one of the main differences of the present work with others is the consideration of the latest research on 3D bioprinted chitosan constructs, especially for biomedical applications. For this aim, this mini review starts with a definition and a brief history of 3D printing technology and the position and role of chitosan and its hybrids in this area. Subsequently, a critical discussion on current developments of chitosan for diverse applications especially for tissue engineering is provided.

Alumina nanoparticles (Al2O3 NPs) are one of the most extensively used nano-metallic oxides and nanofillers due to their fascinating properties in everyday applications. Furthermore, polymeric nanocomposites (PNCs) containing Al2O3 NPs as a filler have promising properties such as excellent thermal, mechanical, electrical and optical properties, and so on. Owing to the importance of this field, in the first section of this review, green synthesis, dispersion, and functionalization of Al2O3 NPs are studied since 2015. In the second section, the properties and utilization of different man-made or natural polymer matrixes containing Al2O3 NPs are studied, and then the effects of this extraordinary nanofiller on some prevalent PNCs are highlighted. It is followed by the perusal of the special uses of Al2O3 NPs in the dispersion of NPs in diverse media, elimination of pollutants, for instance, heavy metal ions and organic compounds, biomedicine, and also miscellaneous applications.

The phenomenon of self-oscillation is abundant in nature, which often occurs in response to various environmental stimuli. The most common stimuli for these processes are heat and light. Oscillations based on bending are one type of self-oscillating phenomenon. In this study, oscillations frequency and amplitude of liquid crystalline polymer network (LCN) structures with light are investigated. Due to the anisotropy of LCN, which originates from a specific orientation in the LCN surfaces, all studies are performed with polarized light to accurately determine the effect of different orientations of these networks on frequency and oscillation parameters. The different polarizations of light show different oscillating behaviors in terms of amplitude and frequency of the LCN oscillation. To investigate the factors affecting the amplitude and frequency, such as temperature and optical behaviors, the effect of increasing the power of the polarized light source on the behavior of these materials is evaluated.

Background In patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) the inflammatory and metabolic responses to epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) are unknown. Objectives Evaluate the impacts of EGCG on metabolic factors and some biomarkers of stress oxidative in patients with T2DM. Methods In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 50 patients with T2DM consumed either 2 tablets (300 mg) EGCG (n=25) or wheat flour as placebo (n=25) for 2 months. The total antioxidant capacity (TAC), interleukin-6 (IL-6), lipid profile, mean arterial pressure (MAP), atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) were evaluated before and after the intervention. Results The finding of present study exhibited a significant increase in the serum levels of TAC after the EGCG supplementation (p=0.001). Also, in compare with control group, the mean changes of TAC were significantly higher in supplement group (p=0.01). In intervention group, a significant decrease was observed in the mean levels of triglyceride, total cholesterol, diastolic blood pressure (DBP), AIP, and MAP (p Conclusions This study recommended that EGCG supplementation may be improved blood pressure, lipid profile, AIP, and oxidative status in patients with T2DM.

Poor prognosis, rapid progression and the lack of an effective treatment make pancreatic cancer one of the most lethal malignancies. Recent studies point to a role for liver receptor homolog-1 (LRH-1) in pathogenesis of pancreatic cancer and suggest prevention of the β-catenin/LRH-1 complex formation as a potential strategy for inhibition of the pancreas cancer cells progression. In the current investigation, we have followed a biomimetic strategy and designed an affinity peptide with sequence DEMEEPQQTE to inhibit formation of the β-catenin/LRH-1 complex. Quantitative real-time PCR experiments on the AsPC-1 pancreatic metastatic cells showed that the peptide has an inhibitory effect on the Wnt signaling proliferation line by reducing the expression levels of the

A two years field experiment was carried out to determine the effect of planting time and foliar application of zinc (Zn) and nano silicon particle (NSP) on maize. SPAD value, leaf area index, grain quality and quantity of maize were evaluated at Haji Abad-e-Hormozgan Agriculture Research center, Hormozgan, Iran during the 2018 and 2019 growing seasons Planting time (on time and delayed planting) and foliar treatment including: no application, application of NSP, application of Zn, and application of NSP + Zn were the treatments group. At 50% tasseling, the plants measured for leaf greenness (Spad) and leaf area index. The main effects of planting time and foliar treatments significantly influenced all traits except stearic acid and oil percentage in foliar application. In addition, the interaction effect of planting time and foliar treatments showed that the SPAD, grain yield, oil yield and linoleic acid were observed with on-time planting and NSP + Zn application. Averaged across foliar treatment, leaf area index, grain weight, oil percentage, biological yield and oleic acid decreased by delay in planting date and the highest of these traits achieved from on-time planting. Increase in the linoleic acid content by delay planting and high temperature, results in decreased quality of maize meal, which is greatly influenced by Zn, NSP and environmental factors. The current findings suggest that Zn or NSP + Zn can be recommended for on-time planting to increase the grain yield of maize plants by 33% and 37% than control, respectively.

The combined action of ultraviolet irradiation and microwave heating onto acetonitrile solution of [Re( NN )(CO)3 (NCMe)]OTf ( NN =phenantroline and neocuproine) afforded cis,trans-Re( NN )(CO)2 (NCMe)2 ]+ acetonitrile derivatives. Substitution of relatively labile NCMe with a series of aromatic N-donor ligands (pyridine, pyrazine, 4,4'-bipyridine, N-methyl-4,4'-bipyridine) gave a novel family of the diimine cis,trans-[Re( NN )(CO)2 (L)2 ]+ complexes. Photophysical studies of the obtained compounds in solution revealed unusually high absorption across the visible region and NIR phosphorescence with emission band maxima ranging from 711 to 805 nm. The nature of emissive excited states was studied using DFT calculations to show dominant contribution of 3 MLCT (dπ(Re)→π*( NN )) character. Electrochemical (CV and DPV) studies of the monocationic diimine complexes revealed one reduction and one oxidation wave assigned to reduction of the diimine moiety and oxidation of the rhenium center, respectively.

Physico-mechanical and antibacterial properties of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)-based films incorporating Cloisite 30B (C30B) and montmorillonite (MMT) clay nanoparticles (NPs) modified with Ag and Cu ions were investigated. X-Ray diffraction patterns for modified clays with Ag and Cu ions showed that they were effectively located in the interlayer space of C30B and MMT clay NPs and increased their interlayer spacing. Scanning electron microscopy showed a smooth and homogeneous structure for a pure CMC film. Films containing MMT had coarser and more heterogeneous surface compared to C30B film, suggesting a better dispersion of modified C30B in the matrix of CMC. Mechanical analysis showed that films containing Ag- or Cu-modified C30B NPs exhibited higher tensile strength than that of MMT films. The ultraviolet spectroscopy showed that nanocomposite films containing Ag modified C30B had the highest UV absorption compared to other samples. Water vapor permeability of CMC films loaded by Ag- or Cu-modified C30B and MMT NPs significantly decreased compared to those of non-modified types and control. Microbial tests revealed that Ag-modified clay NPs had significantly higher antibacterial activity than Cu-modified types against E. coli and S. aureus bacteria. Films loaded with non-modified C30B NPs had the second most antibacterial effect followed by non-modified MMT NPs and control films.

B has been proposed to extend persistent luminescence from minutes to > 10 h in Eu, Dy, and B co-doped Sr4Al14O25 (S4A7EDB) by facilitating the incorporation of Eu2+ and Dy3+ into adjacent Sr sub-lattice sites and enabling energy transfer between them. To evaluate additional influences of B on the kinetics of microstructural evolution and dopant distribution that support afterglow in S4A7EDB, the effect of heating rates to 1300 °C is compared for spark-plasma sintering and conventional sintering, with and without the addition of B2O3. Analysis of the microstructure and elemental distribution, by a combination of imaging, WDS, and CL in the SEM, XRD, dilatometry, and STEM-EELS, reveals that when the diffusivity of Eu and Dy is increased, Eu and Dy segregate to the intergranular phase. The partitioning of Eu and Dy concentrations to below their solubility limit in the grains appears to be essential to material structure enabling longer afterglow.

In this study, electrocoagulation was evaluated for landfill leachate as a complex wastewater. Effects of all significant parameters including inter-electrode gap, current density, electrode material, time, pH, electrode numbers, salinity, and concentration were investigated. This study reports the changing patterns for chemical xxygen demand (COD) removal, temperature, voltage, and pH during EC for both Fe and Al electrodes under different conditions. According to the results, the best COD removals were achieved at shortest inter-electrode distance (0.5 cm), highest current density (1000 A m−2), highest number of electrodes (6 plates), longest time (60 min), and within acidic pH. Furthermore, for different NaCl concentrations (0–16 g l−1), both falling and rising patterns were observed. This study also provides separate results for the effect of operational parameters on pH, voltage, temperature, and energy consumption during EC. With higher inter-electrode distances, voltage and temperature rose to larger values, whereas pH fell. Besides, increases in initial pH caused rises in all voltage, temperature and pH parameters during EC. Experiments also displayed that higher values of voltage, temperature, and pH occurred at larger current densities. Additionally, with time, pH increased to more basic measures, and voltage similarly increased. Results also reported that although addition of NaCl into medium could drop the voltage and temperature, it formed both falling and rising patterns for pH at different NaCl concentrations. Plus, according to the results, voltage, temperature, and pH all experienced rising patterns in accordance with the increase in the number of electrodes. Finally, a comparative study of energy consumption was performed to analyse the operation parametric effect.

Iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) are two essential micronutrients for plant growth, which their deficiency has usually been observed in calcareous soils. Herein the chemical fractionation status of Fe ...

This study aimed to compare the efficacy of four treatments in the management of knee osteoarthritis. We carried out a randomized clinical trial with four study arms in an outpatient Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at a University Hospital. In total, 120 patients with knee osteoarthritis ≥50 years of age were randomly allocated to four groups. The primary outcome was knee pain in visual analog scale and the secondary outcome was the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score. The exercise was prescribed daily for all participants throughout the study. For physical therapy (group 1), participants received superficial heat, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and pulsed ultrasound. We administered a single intra-articular injection of botulinum neurotoxin type A (group 2) and three injections of hyaluronic acid (group 3) or 20% dextrose (group 4) to patients in the corresponding groups. Mixed analysis of variance showed that there was statistically significant difference between the groups in pain (P < 0.001), and Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (P < 0.001). Pairwise between- and within-group comparisons showed that botulinum neurotoxin and dextrose prolotherapy were the most, and hyaluronic acid was the least efficient treatments for controlling pain and recovering function in patients. An intra-articular injection of botulinum toxin type A or dextrose prolotherapy is effective first-line treatments. In the next place stands physical therapy particularly if the patient is not willing to continue regular exercise programs. Our study was not very supportive of intra-articular injection of hyaluronic acid as an effective treatment of knee osteoarthritis.

The six-coordinated silver(I) complex [Au2Ag(μ-(PPh2)2py)2(OTf)2](OTf), 4 (py = pyridine, OTf = CF3SO3), and the five-coordinated silver(I) complex [Au2Ag(acetone)(μ-(PPh2)2py)2](PF6)3, 6, were prepared by the reaction of the precursor complexes 1(OTf)2 and 1(PF6)2, in which 1 = [Au2(μ-(PPh2)2py)2]2+, with 1 equiv of Ag(OTf) in dichloromethane and excess of Ag(PF6) in a mixture of dichloromethane/acetone, respectively. Also, the five-coordinated silver(I) complex [Au2Ag(μ-(PPh2)2py)2(py)(OTf)](OTf)2, 5, was obtained by the reaction of 4 with pyridine. The clusters 4-6 were characterized using multinuclear NMR spectroscopy and elemental microanalysis. The single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis revealed the octahedral and distorted square pyramidal geometries around the silver(I) centers in the crystal structures of 4 and 6, respectively; a dynamic structure was observed for cluster 5 due to pendulum motion of the Ag(pyridine) moiety, which was anchored in the metallomacrocyclic unit [Au2(μ-(PPh2)2py)2]2+. Although the crystal structure of 6 did not display disorders for the silver atom and the acetone ligand similar to that observed for 5, the low-temperature NMR spectroscopies and calculations show a dynamic structure for cluster 6 due to linear motion of the Ag(acetone) moiety. The reaction of the precursor complex 1(PO2F2)2 with 2 equiv of Ag(PO2F2) yielded the tetranuclear Au2Ag2 cluster [Au2Ag2(PO2F2)2(μ-(PPh2)2py)2](PO2F2)2, 7, with a planar-shaped {Au2Ag2} metal core in which alternating Au and Ag atoms occupy the tetragon vertices and showed a strong argentophillic interaction between the silver(I) centers. All clusters 4-7 are emissive in the solid state, and the origins of their emissive excited states were determined using time-dependent density functional theory calculations. Cluster 7 showed a dual phosphorescence emission, which displays strong dependence of the contributions of each emissive component onto the excitation wavelength.

We study the particle size distribution and phase changes of the anatase TiO2 nanopowder samples when they are subject to the plasma treatments of three different kinds of gases as nitrogen (N2), oxygen (O2), and argon (Ar). The plasma gas pressures vary as 0.1, 0.3, and 0.6 Torr. We demonstrate that the plasma treatments have an effect neither on the phase structure nor on the mean nanocrystalline size. The phase and size invariances of the samples are attributed to their nanoscale thermodynamic aspects. We find out that elevating the gas pressure in some cases creates fine-size amorphous nanoparticles with a narrow distribution. Our findings authenticate that plasma treatment affects the amorphous phase with etching particles down to a mean value of ∼3 nm. The small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) technique was utilized to obtain the size distribution of the nanoparticles, and the wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) technique was used to probe the phase and size changes of the crystalline structure.

Background and purpose: Cancer is the leading cause of death in today’s world, therefore the efforts to achieve anticancer drugs with higher potency and fewer side effects have always been conducted by researchers in the field of pharmaceutical chemistry. Monastrol, a cytotoxic small molecule, from dihydropyrimidinone scaffold, is an inhibitor of the kinesin-5 protein. So, efforts to identify more derivatives of this molecule have been of interest. Experimental approach: Some of monastrol’s analogs as Eg5 inhibitors with different substitution patterns were analyzed, synthesized, and their cytotoxic effects were evaluated on MCF-7 and HeLa cancerous cells in vitro using the MTT assay. The structure-activity relationship (SAR) was studied in silico by molecular docking. Findings / Results: Among all proposed structures, in ducking study, those with hydrophobic moieties on the C2-N3 region, those with a hydroxyl group on the phenyl on C4 position, and those with a carboxylic group on C5 were the best candidates. In vitro studies, on the other side, emphasized that monastrol still was the most potent derivative. Another finding was the more moderate activity of synthesized compounds on the HeLa cell compared to the MCF-7 cell line. During different challenges for substitution at 5-position, some earlier reports around the dihydropyrimidinone reactions were questioned. It seems that the change at the position 5 is not merely accessible, as earlier reports claimed. Also, we could not achieve any better cell cytotoxicity by the larger group in the thiourea region or position 5; nonetheless, it seems that the introduction of a methylene group at this position could be beneficial. Conclusion and implications: The initial results of this study were valuable in terms of design and synthesis and will be useful for future investigations.

Thermochemical processing of lignin ends up with a major problem which is the high yield of char remained from lignin conversion, causing low yields of desired products. The ReS2/Al2O3 catalyst, used in this work, exhibited a high char-suppressing potential and high hydrodeoxygenation efficiency in the reductive liquefaction of kraft lignin. Compared to NiMo/Al2O3, as a conventional sulfide catalyst, ReS2/Al2O3 showed significantly better catalytic performance with 72.4 % lower char yield, due to its high efficiency in stabilizing the lignin-depolymerized fragments. The remarkable catalytic performance of ReS2/Al2O3 is attributed to its high oxophilicity, the metal-like behavior of rhenium sulfide and sufficient acidity. The effects of reaction temperature and different catalyst supports (Al2O3, ZrO2 and desilicated HY zeolite) were also studied. In an alkali (NaOH)-assisted depolymerization of lignin, it was revealed that ReS2/Al2O3-to-NaOH (stabilization-to-depolymerization) ratio plays a crucial role in determining the reaction pathway toward either solid char residues or liquid monomeric products.

Drought stress is playing an increasingly important role in crop production due to climate change. To investigate the effects of drought stress on protein quantity and quality of wheat, two Iranian (Alvand, Mihan) and four German (Impression, Discus, Rumor, Hybery) winter wheat genotypes, representing different quality classes and grain protein levels, were grown under field conditions in Eqlid (Iran) during the 2018–2019 growing season. Drought stress was initiated by interrupting field irrigation during the anthesis phase at two different stress levels. Drought stress at anthesis did not significantly change total grain protein concentration in any of the wheat genotypes. Similarly, concentrations of grain storage protein sub-fractions of albumin/globulin, gliadin and glutenin were unaltered in five of the six genotypes. However, analysis of protein sub-fractions by SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed a consistent significant increase in ω-gliadins with increasing drought stress. Higher levels of HMW glutenins and a reduction in LMW-C glutenins were observed exclusively under severe drought stress in German genotypes. The drought-induced compositional change correlated positively with the specific bread volume, and was mainly associated with an increase in ω-gliadins and with a slight increase in HMW glutenins. Despite the generally lower HMW glutenin concentrations of the Iranian genotypes and no effect of drought on the concentration of HMW sub-fraction, there was still high specific bread volume under drought. It is suggested that for the development of new wheat cultivars adapted to these challenging climatic conditions, the protein composition should be considered in addition to the yield and grain protein concentration.

Background Improving anti-cancer drug delivery performance can be achieved through designing smart and targeted drug delivery systems (DDSs). For this aim, it is important to evaluate overexpressed biomarkers in the tumor microenvironment (TME) for optimizing DDSs. Materials and methods Herein, we designed a novel DDS based on magnetic mesoporous silica core–shell nanoparticles (SPION@MSNs) in which release of doxorubicin (DOX) at the physiologic pH was blocked with gold gatekeepers. In this platform, we conjugated heterofunctional polyethylene glycol (PEG) onto the outer surface of nanocarriers to increase their biocompatibility. At the final stage, an epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) aptamer as an active targeting moiety was covalently attached (Apt-PEG-Au@NPs-DOX) for selective drug delivery to colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. The physicochemical properties of non-targeted and targeted nanocarriers were fully characterized. The anti-cancer activity, cellular internalization, and then the cell death mechanism of prepared nanocarriers were determined and compared in vitro. Finally, tumor inhibitory effects, biodistribution and possible side effects of the nanocarriers were evaluated in immunocompromised C57BL/6 mice bearing human HT-29 tumors. Results Nanocarriers were successfully synthesized with a mean final size diameter of 58.22 ± 8.54 nm. Higher cytotoxicity and cellular uptake of targeted nanocarriers were shown in the EpCAM-positive HT-29 cells as compared to the EpCAM-negative CHO cells, indicating the efficacy of aptamer as a targeting agent. In vivo results in a humanized mouse model showed that targeted nanocarriers could effectively increase DOX accumulation in the tumor site, inhibit tumor growth, and reduce the adverse side effects. Conclusion These results suggest that corporation of a magnetic core, gold gatekeeper, PEG and aptamer can strongly improve drug delivery performance and provide a theranostic DDS for efficient CRC therapy. Graphic abstract

Conventional antimicrobial and anti-cancer treatments, including chemotherapy, surgery, radiation therapy, etc., have all been associated with antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and side effects on healthy cell damage. Recently, bacteriocins have emerged as a promising option in antimicrobial and anticancer therapies.In this study, EntA-PynR-Lac gene sequence was obtained using bioinformatics software. The designed fusion gene was synthesized and cloned into the pET22b expression vector and transferred to the engineered E. coli BL21 bacterium for expression of the recombinant protein. The three-dimensional structures and stability of the designed recombinant protein were evaluated. Confirmation and purification of the recombinant protein was performed by Western blotting and nickel column chromatography and determination of cell lethality of different concentrations of the recombinant protein against AGS cell line by MTT technique was conducted. Treatment of cells with different concentrations of protein to evaluate the apoptosis of AGS cells was performed by flow cytometry. The results showed that the percentage of cells treated with recombinant protein at a concentration of 80µg/ml with total apoptosis was 46.91% and increased by 36.25% compared to untreated cells. Due to the anti-apoptotic properties of fusion protein, it can be used to inhibit cancer cells as a therapeutic supplement and prevention.

Reduction of auric acid with polyethyleneimine (PEI) provides a simple, low-cost alternative for the production of cationic gold nanoparticles (GNPs). However, linear PEI (lPEI) failed to produce small, colloidally stable GNPs, so far. Since lPEI is a polyelectrolyte, pH should be an important factor both in reduction and stabilization of GNPs and may be optimized to produce small and stable lPEI/GNPs. Cationic GNPs were produced by the direct reduction of auric acid in water with lPEI utilizing two different methods to dissolve the polymer: by protonation or at high temperature. The influence of pH on the particle formation and properties was studied over a wide pH range (3.5 to 10). The impacts of the PEI/Au mass ratio, polymer molecular weight (2.5 and 25 kDa) and post-synthetic pH on the particle properties were also studied. Best is to dissolve lPEI by protonation and to clean the GNPs via controlled centrifugal precipitation. The MW did not influence the hydrodynamic size, stability or particle shape, but low MW lPEI provided faceted particles. This simple one pot synthesis of small, stable cationic GNPs in water is a valuable, simple alternative for producing new cationic GNPs with even low molecular weight lPEI. Additionally, these GNPs were evaluated as catalysts in the degradation of methyl orange (MO) (anionic-zwitterionic) and methylene blue (MB) (cationic) azo dyes at different pH values. The fastest degradation of MO and MB was recorded at pH 7.5 and 3.5, respectively. Overall, this is a rare case where a single catalyst quickly and effectively catalyzes the degradation of both cationic and anionic dyes., NA

Background: Efficient production of alveolar epithelial cells and achieving optimal functionality and maturity has presented a serious challenge in recent years. The extracellular matrix (ECM) provides a dynamic environment and mediates cellular responses during both development and tissue repair. Decellularized ECM (dECM) which retains its native-like structure and biochemical composition provides the signals needed to induce differentiation into tissue-specific lineages in vitro. Results: Here, we repopulated lung ECM-derived scaffold (scaffold) with human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) derived lung progenitor cells and compared with the cells grown on either lung ECM-derived hydrogel (hydrogel) or fibronectin-coated plates in 2D cultures. We found that scaffold preserved its composition and native structures. All groups displayed progenitor cell differentiation as revealed by the expression of NKX2.1, P63, and CK5. Although no significant differences in cell viability between groups, cells differentiated on scaffold and hydrogel showed significant upregulation of SOX9 (a marker of the distal airway epithelium), cells differentiated on scaffold showed enhanced expression of SFTPC (AT2 marker), FOXJ1 (ciliated cell marker) and MUC5A (secretory cell marker). Conclusion: Overall, our results suggest that scaffold improves differentiation of progenitors into alveolar type 2 cells in comparison with hydrogel and fibronectin as well as efficient retention and homing to the alveolar region.

The aim of this study was to enhance the photocatalytic performance of commercial rutile TiO2 nanoparticles using non-thermal glow discharge plasma methodology. Due to the lower photocatalytic performance compared to the anatase phase, the rutile phase has seldom been explored by researchers, despite its significant advantages. Nanoparticles of rutile TiO2 were immobilized on glass plates using heat attachment method whose surface properties were modified by non-thermal glow discharge plasma using different gases. XRD, FE-SEM, UV-DRS, XPS, PL, and BET analyses were performed for physiochemical characterization of rutile nanoparticles. While the stable rutile crystalline phase remained intact, a variety of physiochemical modifications were observed. XPS analysis revealed diminished titanium to lattice oxygen ratio, suggesting the formation of surface oxygen vacancies. Pseudo-first-order reaction rate for photocatalytic degradation of malachite green was improved by 3.31, 2.22, and 1.83 times over unmodified photocatalysts using argon, oxygen, and nitrogen gases, respectively. The proposed surface modification method remarkably improved the photocatalytic performance of immobilized rutile nanoparticles without adding any impurities to its structure. Further, the reusability of plasma-treated photocatalysts was satisfying, where the relative decolorization efficiency dropped by 4.4% after four consecutive 60-minute cycles, suggesting a good potential for operation in wastewater treatment reactors.

Background: Studies have shown that consumption of high levels of alcohol causes many negative effects on the liver and kidneys where antioxidant ingredients can be a proper solution to reducing the resulting damages. So, the present study investigated the effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Crocus sativus L. (saffron) petal with antioxidant properties on the changes in inflammatory and enzymatic indices resulting from alcohol use in the male rats' kidney and liver. Materials and methods: After preparing the extract, LD50 was determined and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was employed to specify the type and the rate of the active ingredients of the extract. Then, 36 male Wistar rats were randomly assigned into six groups (n=6). The first group was only administered with normal saline and the second group only received ethyl alcohol 6 mL/kg/day.BW. The third and the fourth groups received ethyl alcohol 6 mL/kg/day.BW plus 167.5 and 335 mg/kg/day.BW saffron petal extract for 8 weeks. The fifth and the sixth groups received ethyl alcohol 6 mL/kg/day.BW for the first 8 weeks and were subsequently gavage fed on saffron extract for 167.5 and 335 mg/kg/day.BW, respectively, during the next 8 weeks. In the beginning and after the termination of the treatment, blood samples were collected from all rats. Results: The LD50 of the extract was about 670 mg/kg. The HPLC results indicated that the extract contains important antioxidant ingredients. At the end of the study, the serum concentration of the inflammatory indices, renal enzymes, and hepatic enzymes experienced a significant reduction in all of the intervened groups compared to the negative control group (minimum significant difference: P

Two tetranuclear Au2Cu2 cluster complexes [Au2Cu2(μ-(PPh2)2py)2(μ-OH)](PF6)3, 2, and [Au2Cu2Cl2(μ-(PPh2)2 py)2](OTf)2, 4, have been prepared by the reactions of precursor complexes [Au2(μ-(PPh2)2py...

Using the SAPT2 + 3(CCD)δMP2 method in complete basis set (CBS) limit, it is shown that the interactions in the recently studied silane⋯carbene dimers are mainly dispersive in nature. Consequently, slow convergence of dispersion energy also forces slow convergence of the interaction energy. Therefore, obtaining very accurate values requires extrapolation of the correlation part to the CBS limit. The most accurate values obtained at the CCSD(T)/CBS level of theory show that the studied silane⋯carbene dimers are rather weakly bound, with interaction energies ranging from about -1.9 to -1.3 kcal/mol. Comparing to CCSD(T)/CBS, it will be shown that SCS-MP2 and MP2C methods clearly underestimate and methods based on SAPT2+ and having some third-order corrections, as well as the MP2 method, overestimate values of interaction energies. Popular SAPT(DFT) method performs better than SCS-MP2 and MP2C; nevertheless, underestimation is still considerable. The underestimation is slightly quenched if third-order dispersion energy and its exchange counterpart is added to the SAPT(DFT). The closest value of CCSD(T)/CBS has been given by the SAPT2 + (3)(CCD)δMP2 method in quadruple-ζ basis set. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

In this study, silver (Ag), zinc oxide (ZnO), and copper oxide (CuO) metallic nanoparticles were used in preparation of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) nanobiocomposite films. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (EDXA), water vapor permeability (WVP), ultraviolet and visible light (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, and mechanical and microbial tests were used to determine the characteristics of the obtained active films. SEM results showed that the CMC nanobiocomposite films had roughness deflection levels and the EDXA test confirmed the presence of Ag, ZnO, and Cuo nanoparticles in the biopolymer tissue. UV-Vis spectroscopy confirmed that with addition of metallic nanoparticles to the pure CMC film, absorption rate increased and WVP decreased. In the mechanical tests, addition of nanoparticles also increased the tensile strength of the films, and the nanobiocomposite films exhibited higher resistance compared to the pure CMC film. Films incorporating metallic nanoparticles showed antibacterial properties against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus growth. Thus, nanobiocomposite films can be used as active packaging films and could increase the shelf-life of the food.

Increased awareness on environmental drawbacks of petroleum-based industries are promoting transition from fossil-based succinic acid to its bio-based alternative. However, due to low price of oil the economic feasibility of the bio-succinic acid production is still challenged. The current study focuses on valorization of organic fraction of household kitchen waste pretreated by enzymatic hydrolysis to produce succinic acid with process CO2 supply from biogas. The total sugar content of 119.3 ± 1.7 g/L with 15% xylose and 85% glucose was obtained by enzymatic hydrolysis. Moreover, based on substrate inhibition tests with glucose, lower glucose concentration was more efficient in terms of succinic acid yield and production rate. Through fermentation of hydrolysate (17 g/L sugar) with Basfia succiniciproducens succinic acid was produced in 0.46 ± 0.0 and 0.25 ± 0.0 gSA/gglucose, using magnesium carbonate and raw biogas, respectively. Batch fermentation in the bioreactor with raw biogas resulted in glucose consumption rate of 2.22 ± 0.25 gGlu/gDCW.h, and 8.0% (v/v) of CO2 decrease compared to raw biogas. This study shows a proof of concept of organic waste valorization and raw biogas application in succinic acid production.