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Drug transport and uptake in the subcutaneous tissue receives increasing attention in biomechanical and pharmaceutical researches, as subcutaneous administration becomes a common approach for the delivery of biotherapeutics, such as monoclonal antibodies. In this paper, high-fidelity numerical simulations are used to investigate the mechanisms governing drug transport and absorption in the subcutaneous tissue, which is expressed as a porous medium modeled by Darcy’s law. The effects of tissue properties (permeability and porosity), the injection flow rate, and the vascular permeability of lymphatic vessels on the lymphatic uptake are studied. Additionally, an empirical formula for the lymphatic uptake during the injection is developed based on the numerical results. The roles of lymphatic drainage, blood perfusion, osmotic pressure, and the drug binding to the cells and the extracellular matrix in the lymphatic uptake are systematically studied. Furthermore, the drug distribution and absorption in a multi-layered porous medium are investigated to illustrate the effect of heterogeneity of permeability, as the permeability varies over a wide range in different layers of the tissue (such as dermis, subcutaneous tissue, muscle). While the interstitial pressure plays an essential role in the mechanisms regulating the absorption of free monoclonal antibodies, the binding and metabolism of drug proteins also affect the drug absorption by reducing the total free monoclonal antibodies.

Goethite nanoparticles attached to sand grains in column reactors increase grown in length when exposed to ferrous iron and 4-chloronitrobenzene.

Apigenin, as a natural flavonoid present in several plants is characterized with potential anticancer, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. Recent studies proposed that apigenin affects depression disorder through unknown mechanistic pathways. The effects of apigenin’s anti-depressive properties on streptozocin-mediated depression have been investigated through the evaluation of behavioral tests, oxidative stress, cellular energy homeostasis and inflammatory responses. The results demonstrated anti-depressive properties of apigenin in behavioral test including forced swimming and splash tests and oxidative stress biomarkers such as reduced glutathione, lipid peroxidation, total antioxidant power and coenzyme Q10 levels. Apigenin, also, demonstrated its regulatory potency in cellular energy homeostasis and immune system gene expression through inhibiting Nlrp3 and Tlr4 overexpression. Furthermore, failure in energy production as the key factor in various psychiatric disorders was reversed by apigenin modulating effect on AMPK gene expression. Overall, 20 mg/kg of apigenin was recognized as the dose suitable for minimizing the undesirable adverse effects in the STZ-mediated depression model proposed in this study. Our data suggested that apigenin could be able to adjust behavioral dysfunction, biochemical biomarkers and recovered cellular antioxidant level in depressed animals. The surprising results were achieved by raise in COQ10 level, which could regulate the overexpression of the AMPK gene in stressful conditions. The regulatory effect of apigenin in inflammatory signaling pathways such as Nlrp3, and Tlr4 gene expression was studied at the surface part of the hippocampus.

The adducts between luminescent lanthanide tris(β-diketonate)s and diimine or triimine ligands have been explored exhaustively for their exceptional photophysical properties. Their formation, stability, and structures in solution, together with the design of extended metallopolymers exploiting these building blocks, remain, however, elusive. The systematic peripheral substitution of tridentate 2,6-bis(benzimidazol-2-yl)pyridine binding units (Lk = L1-L5), taken as building blocks for linear oligomers and polymers, allows a fine-tuning of their affinity toward neutral [Ln(hfa)3] (hfa = hexafluoroacetylacetonate) lanthanide containers in the [LkLn(hfa)3] adducts. Two trends emerge with (i) an unusual pronounced thermodynamic selectivity for midrange lanthanides (Ln = Eu) and (ii) an intriguing influence of remote peripheral substitutions of the benzimidazole rings on the affinity of the tridentate unit for [Ln(hfa)3]. These trends are amplified upon the connection of several tridentate binding units via their benzimidazole rings to give linear segmental dimers (L6) and trimers (L7), which are considered as models for programming linear Wolf-Type II metallopollymers. Modulation of the affinity between the terminal and central binding units in the linear multitridentate ligands deciphers the global decrease of metal-ligand binding strengths with an increase in the length of the receptors (monomer → dimer → trimer → polymer). Application of the site binding model shed light onto the origin of the variation of the thermodynamic affinities: a prerequisite for the programmed loading of a polymer backbone with luminescent lanthanide β-diketonates. Analysis of the crystal structures for these adducts reveals delicate correlations between the chemical bond lengths measured in the solid state (or bond valence parameters) and the metal-ligand affinities operating in solution.

Fused filament fabrication (FFF) is one of the most common 3D printing techniques having considerable potential in various fields such as pharmaceutical, medical, aerospace, and automotive. One of the impediments of FFF components is their lower mechanical performance compared with those from conventional fabrication methods. This work aims to investigate the effect of adding nanoclay due to being nontoxic to the biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) polymer matrix for medical applications. PLA granules were melt-compounded by a twin-screw extruder with nanoclay at 2 and 4 wt.%, and then, PLA and PLA/nanoclay filaments were produced using a single-screw extruder. An L9 orthogonal array of the Taguchi approach was utilized as the design of the experiment tool to study the process in detail considering nanoclay content, nozzle temperature and raster angle as material and processing parameters. The dispersion of nanoclay in the PLA matrix was assessed by X-ray diffraction test. The results indicated that the tensile strength was enhanced by 4.6% and 15.3% using the addition of 2 and 4 wt.% of nanoclay, respectively. The microscopic observations showed that the bonding between the rasters and between the contours and rasters was improved by increasing the temperature, and consequently, led to higher tensile strength values. The results revealed that the tensile strength of 38.9 MPa was obtained at the optimum condition.

In this study, the effect of solvent ratio of hexane to isopropanol (0:100, 50:50, and 100:0 v/v%), microwave power (180, 540, and 900 W) and extraction time (1, 2.5, and 4 min) were investigated on the oil extraction efficiency, total phenol content, DPPH radical scavenging, peroxide value and oil color index. Extraction conditions were optimized by response surface methodology and Box–Behnken Design. The optimal conditions were obtained as hexane-to-isopropanol ratio of approximately 3:2, microwave power of 450 W and the extraction time of 1 min. Then, the hemp seed oil was extracted under the optimal conditions. The optimal predicted contents for oil yield (26.34%), total phenolics (3.85 mg GA/g oil), DPPH inhibition (74.29%), peroxide (3.94 meq/kg) and Color index (58.13) were agreed with the predicted conditions because the Resident standard error (RSE) values were less than 5%.

In this work, we investigated the simultaneous binding of curcumin (CUR) to human serum albumin (HSA) and human-holo transferrin (HTF) in the roles of binary and ternary systems. The binding affinity and binding site of protein-protein interaction were studied by the methods of multiple spectroscopic and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. According to the results, the measurements for binding constant of HSA-CUR, HTF-CUR and (HSA-HTF) CUR complexes were observed to be 1.51 × 105, 7.93 × 104 and 1.44 × 105 M-1 respectively. Thermodynamic parameters were considered to be set at three varying temperatures including 298, 303, and 308 K. In conformity to the negative values of ΔH0 and ΔS0 the significant roles of hydrogen binding and van der-Waals forces in the formation of complexes are quiet evident. The binding distance between Trp residues of HSA, HTF and HSA-HTF upon interaction with CUR, were acquired by applying the Forster's theory of non-radioactive energy transfer and reported to be 2.04 nm, 1.78 nm, and 1.86 nm, respectively. In accordance with the conductometry and Resonance light scattering (RLS) results, there were different interaction behaviors among the HSA-HTF complex and CUR in ternary system when being compared to the outcomes of binary system. The secondary structure of all three cases increased as the CUR concentration was intensified, which confirmed the inducement of proteins conformational changes through the application of circular dichroism (CD) technique. The experimental results that were acquired throughout the binding of HSA-CUR, HTF-CUR, and (HSA-HTF) CUR complexes were approved by molecular modeling.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Background and Objective: Dairy fermented foods such as yogurt, cheese, fermented milk, butter milk, curd, butter and ghee are used as major diet ingredients in west of IRAN, such as Kermanshah province. Ghee (Kermanshahi traditional oil or roghan-e heiwâni) is traditionally produced from butter milk of yoghurt after fermentation. Review of the literature yielded no study on isolating probiotics from Kermanshahi traditional oil preparation stages. Therefore, purpose of this study was just to focus on isolating and identifying lactic acid bacteria in these products using culture and PCR-sequencing methods. Materials and Methods: Fifteen samples from each dairy products including yogurt, butter and Kermanshahi traditional oil were collected in Kermanshah province, Iran. Each sample was diluted, homogenized, and cultured on selective medium for growing of lactic acid bacteria. 16SrRNA gene sequences analysis was carried out for final confirmation of these isolates. Results: After culturing of samples on MRS and M17 under aerobic and anaerobic condition, a total of 78 strains of bacteria were isolated and identified by conventional biochemical tests. The frequency of bacteria in all samples were 48.71% for Lactobacillus, 33.33% for Streptococcus, 6.41% for Enterococcus and 6.41% for Bacillus. Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and Bacillus genus, were isolated from 84.44%, 57.78%, 11.11% and 15.56% of all three kind of samples, respectively. Conclusion: Based on our findings, Lactic acid bacteria and other potentially probiotic microorganisms are present in Kermanshahi traditional oil. Of course the potential probiotic properties of these isolates and impact of consumption of Kermanshahi traditional oil containing those on human health need to be analyzed more. By proving the presence of probiotic bacteria in Kermanshahi oil, it may be falls in the category of functional foods.

Self-assembling amphiphilic peptides have recently received special attention in medicine. Nonetheless, testing the myriad of combinations generated from at least 20 coded and several hundreds of noncoded amino acids to obtain candidate sequences for each application, if possible, is time-consuming and expensive. Therefore, rapid and accurate approaches are needed to select candidates from countless combinations. In the current study, we examined three conventional descriptor sets along with a novel descriptor set derived from the simulated aggregation propensity of di- and tripeptides to model the critical aggregation concentration (CAC) of amphiphilic peptides. In contrast to the conventional descriptors, the radial kernel model derived from the novel descriptor set accurately predicted the critical aggregation concentration of the test set with a residual standard error of 0.10. The importance of aromatic side chains, as well as neighboring amino acids in the self-assembly, was emphasized by analysis of the influential descriptors. The addition of very long peptides (70–100 residues) to the data set decreased the model accuracy and changed the influential descriptors. The developed model can be used to predict the CAC of self-assembling amphiphilic peptides and also to derive rules to apply in designing novel amphiphilic peptides with desired properties.

Several strategies are available to control periparturient hypocalcaemia in dairy cows. Three complementary strategies were applied in this study: feeding a low DCAD (acidogenic) ration during late gestation, oral vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) administration in late gestation, and oral Ca administration immediately after parturition. Multiparous Holstein cows (n = 240) were fed an acidogenic ration in late gestation and randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups. Group A (n = 80) were fed the acidogenic diet without supplementary Ca or cholecalciferol. Group Ca + A (n = 80) received 50 g of Ca as an oral bolus at calving and 12 h later. Group D3 + Ca + A (n = 80) were administered 3 mg of cholecalciferol orally each day starting 3 to 5 days before the anticipated calving date and 50 g of Ca as an oral bolus at calving and 12 h later. Blood and urine samples were obtained periodically from a random subset of 20 cows in each group from day 5 antepartum to day 21 postpartum and selected analytes measured. Data was analyzed using mixed models analysis. Serum Ca concentrations in group D3 + Ca + A were higher 12 h before and at parturition, compared to the two other groups. Oral Ca administration transiently increased mean serum Ca concentrations at 6 h after treatment initiation in groups D3 + Ca + A and Ca + A. We conclude that daily oral administration of 3 mg of cholecalciferol for up to 5 days before calving, combined with feeding an acidogenic ration in late gestation and oral Ca immediately after parturition, provided the highest periparturient serum Ca concentrations.

The excellent conductivity and versatile surface chemistry of MXenes render these nanomaterials attractive for sensor applications. This mini-review puts recent advances in MXene-based sensors into perspective and provides prospects for the area. It describes the attractive properties and the working principles of MXene-based sensors fabricated from a MXene/polymer nanocomposite or a pristine MXene. The importance of surface modification of MXenes to improve their affinity for polymers and to develop self-healing and durable sensors is delineated. Several novel sensor fabrication methods and their challenges are discussed. Emerging applications of MXene-based sensors including moisture, motion, gas, and humidity detection as well as pressure distribution mapping are critically reviewed. Potential applications of MXene-based sensors in the food industry to monitor food materials and production plants are highlighted.

Objective(s): Azole antifungal agents, which are widely used as antifungal antibiotics, inhibit cytochrome P450 sterol 14α-demethylase (CYP51). Nearly all azole antifungal agents are Nsubstituted azoles. In addition, an azolylphenalkyl pharmacophore is uniquely shared by all azole antifungals. Due to the importance of nitrogen atom of azoles (N-3 of imidazole and N-4 of triazole) in coordination with heme in the binding site of the enzyme, here a group of N- un-substituted azoles in which both nitrogen are un-substituted was reported. Materials and Methods: Designed compounds were synthesized by reaction of imidazole-4-carboxaldehyde with appropriate arylamines and subsequently reduced to desired amine derivatives. Antifungal activity against Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cervisiae were done using a broth micro-dilution assay. Docking studies were done using AutoDock. Results: Antimicrobial evaluation revealed that some of these compounds exhibited moderate antimicrobial activities against tested pathogenic fungi, wherein compounds 3, 7, and 8 were potent. Docking studies propose that all of the prepared azoles interacted with 14α-DM, wherein azoleheme coordination played the main role in drug-receptor interaction. Conclusion: Our results offer some useful references for molecular design performance or modification of this series of compounds as a lead compound to discover new and potent antimicrobial agents.

ZrB2 matrix composites toughened with in-situ formed ZrC were fabricated by spark plasma sintering (SPS) utilizing ZrB2/ZrO2/graphite powder mixtures at 1900 °C for 7 min under 40 MPa load. Different amounts of graphite nano-flakes (3, 6, and 9 wt%) were added to ZrB2–20 vol% ZrO2 aiming in-situ formation of ZrC reinforcement. Clean ZrB2/ZrC interfaces were observed in the as-sintered microstructure, especially in the composite containing 6 wt% graphite. The reduction of ZrO2 with graphite, which formed ZrC, was progressed over a zirconium oxycarbide (ZrCxOy) intermediate. The hardness of the SPSed ZrB2-based composites was decreased with increasing the graphite content. However, the fracture toughness of the composites showed a reverse trend. By adjusting the graphite content to 6 wt%, excellent control of microstructure could be achieved for the prepared composites with a higher amount of ZrC and lower content of other unfavorable phases. It was finally found that achieving the optimum microstructure of the composite could improve its mechanical performance, and provides a hardness of 17.3 GPa and fracture toughness of 5.0 MPa m1/2.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) is a leading cause of nosocomial infections and death in cystic fibrosis patients. The study was conducted to evaluate the physicochemical structure, biological activity and serum stability of a recombinant anti-PcrV single chain variable antibody fragment genetically attached to the mCH3cc domain. The stereochemical properties of scFv-mCH3 (YFL001) and scFv (YFL002) proteins as well as molecular interactions towards Pseudomonas aeruginosa PcrV were evaluated computationally. The subcloned fragments encoding YFL001 and YFL002 in pET28a were expressed within the E. coli BL21-DE3 strain. After Ni–NTA affinity chromatography, the biological activity of the proteins in inhibition of PA induced hemolysis as well as cellular cytotoxicity was assessed. In silico analysis revealed the satisfactory stereochemical quality of the models as well as common residues in their interface with PcrV. The structural differences of proteins through circular dichroism spectroscopy were confirmed by NMR analysis. Both proteins indicated inhibition of ExoU positive PA strains in hemolysis of red blood cells compared to ExoU negative strains as well as cytotoxicity effect on lung epithelial cells. The ELISA test showed the longer serum stability of the YFL001 molecule than YFL002. The results were encouraging to further evaluation of these two scFv molecules in animal models.

The present prospective randomized experimental study was designed to determine the effects of doxapram on haematological, serum biochemical and antioxidant status in dogs after propofol anaesthesia. Twenty‐four healthy male mixed breed dogs, aged 1–2 years, weighing 20.4 ± 2.6 kg was studied. Each dog was anaesthetized twice, with at least one week for washout. Animals were sedated with acepromazine (0.1 mg/kg) intramuscularly. Forty minutes later, anaesthesia was induced using intravenous (IV) propofol (4 mg/kg) titration and maintained for 30 min by propofol (0.2 mg kg−1 min−1). After propofol was discontinued, doxapram (2 mg/kg) hydrochloride was administrated IV in PD treatment while an equal volume of saline was administrated in PS treatment. Blood parameters were analysed in four times: immediately before sedation (T1), after treatment (T2), after complete recovery (T3) and 24 hr later (T4). Haematological assessments revealed no significant difference between treatments except in haematocrit which was significantly reduced at T4 (24 hr later) in PD. A decreasing trend of all haematological variables was observed after doxapram administration until recovery, except monocyte, mean corpuscular haemoglobin, red blood cell distribution width and platelet count. Serum urea, creatinine, glucose, cholesterol, direct bilirubin concentration and alanine aminotransferase activity were not changed following doxapram administration compared to the PS treatment. After doxapram administration, Creatinine (T3), Albumin (T2) and Protein (T2 & T3) decreased while Glucose (T2 & T3) and BT (T3) increased. Antioxidant parameters measured showed no difference between treatments or time. Doxapram (2 mg/kg) IV did not induce any major negative effects on haematological, serum biochemical variables and oxidant/antioxidant status in dogs after propofol anaesthesia., The present prospective randomized experimental study was designed to determine the effects of doxapram on hematological, serum biochemical and antioxidant status in dogs after propofol anesthesia. Twenty four healthy male mixed breed dogs were studied. Doxapram (2 mg kg‐1) IV did not induce any major negative effects on hematological, serum biochemical variables and oxidant/antioxidant status in dogs after propofol anaesthesia.

Light is one of the most critical factors for the growth of microalgae; therefore, optimization and accessibility of light improve productivity and wastewater nutrient removal is important. The flashing light effect allows microalgae to use light effectively through intermittent exposure. Nutrient assimilation and membrane fouling were considered in a reciprocal membrane photobioreactor (RMPBR) and an LED flashing light was provided as a source of illumination. The objective of this study was to bridge the gap between light delivery and RMPBR performance. In this connection, we examined flashing lights with frequencies of 1 Hz and 1000 Hz at a constant duty cycle of 60% along with continuous light. Regarding the effect of the flashing light on RMPBR, the cells which acclimated to flashing light of 1000 Hz resulted in maximum removal of nitrate (97%) and phosphate (70%). However, the culture with the low frequency of 1 Hz was only able to remove nitrate and phosphate up to 68% and 47%, respectively. Furthermore, the reactor with 1-Hz flashing light frequency was fouled earlier within 84 h thereby reaching the highest pore-blocking. Proteins and carbohydrates were recognized as a major cause of fouling in the low-frequency flashing light. We conclude that high-frequency flashing light (1000 Hz) could be an effective light condition for nutrient uptake in wastewater treatment.

An ecofriendly one-pot three-component reaction of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds, aromatic aldehydes and malononitrile was carried out in deep eutectic solvent (DES) based on choline chloride, to synthesize highly functionalized pyran derivatives under moderate conditions. The main advantages of this approach are mild reaction conditions, high yields, relaxed workup without chromatographic purification steps or extraction and easily reusable of DES’s. Then, these compounds were evaluated for anti-mycobacterium activity against Mycobacterium bovis (Bacillus Calmette–Guerin). The preliminary results indicated that most of the tested compounds showed relatively good activity against the test organism. The compounds 4a, 4c, 4e, 4n demonstrated the high activities against Mycobacterium (0.044–0.084 μM/mL) and 4k showed highest activity (0.033 μM/mL). The commonalities of these compounds are having a chlorine atom on the ring which is located on position 4 of the 4H-pyran structures.

Satureja khuzistanica jamzad (SKJ), which is a member of Lamiaceae, has various proven effects such as antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, antioxidant, and antifungal properties. Ho...

Nitrite (NO2−) accumulation and retaining of anammox bacteria are two decisive factors for stable operation of partial denitrification coupled with the anammox process. Denitrifying ammonium oxidation (DEAMOX) process has been regarded as a promising method for nitrogen removal from wastewater containing both ammonium (NH4+) and nitrate (NO3−) pollutants simultaneously. However, performance and efficiency of DEAMOX process in biofilm reactors are still not fully understood. This study successfully implements biodegradable Luffa Cylindrica fiber as both carbon source and biofilm carrier in the DEAMOX system. 87% nitrate-to-nitrite transformation was achieved through the partial denitrification process. An average total nitrogen (TN) removal efficiency of ~98% was obtained with influent NH4+-N and NO3−-N concentration of 100 mg L−1 in an up-flow packed bed biofilm reactor. The Field Emission-Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM) analysis indicated that for the proposed conditions, the DEAMOX packed bed reactor favor biofilm granulation developed on L. cylindrica. The results imply that solid phase partial denitrification and granulation of anammox bacteria were achieved using L. cylindrica as a carbon source and biofilm carrier, respectively. Complete NO3− removal observed in this study supports the hypothesis that solid carbon source can support denitrification of NO3− produced through the anammox process.

The current global economic trends of low commodity prices for hydrocarbons, competition due to the emergence of shale oil and gas, as well as the decline in production from mature oilfields in Trinidad and Tobago (TT) have fuelled the need for the implementation of efficient and enhanced oil recovery methods. Of particular concern locally is the issue of decreasing oil production and increasing production costs in mature oil fields due to the prevalence of organic deposits (paraffin or asphaltenes), which results in the coating of production tubing causing the plugging of surface equipment, pipelines, perforations and pore spaces in the geological formation. Major deposition compound paraffins and asphaltene are soluble in condensate, which is relatively cheap and is produced as a by-product and flared in TT, and it is already used as a pipeline diluent and cleaner for deposits. The strategy of utilizing this “waste” solvent as an economical and environmentally friendly strategy for EOR was worth investigation. The FR 1346 RD well was selected for evaluation, and a pilot test was conducted using the compositional reservoir simulation model (CMG–GEM). Laboratory studies were conducted using a constructed pressure permeability flow chamber, and results from the device indicated that an asphaltene plug decreased the permeability by approximately 24%, but after treatment with condensate, there was an improvement in permeability of approximately 10% (300 md to 420 md). Tuning of the simulation model incorporating the laboratory-derived permeability data resulted in an increase in production rate to 35 bopd, which matched very closely with the field pilot well test result of an increase of 46% (from 20 to 39 bopd) when the condensate soak was performed. This increase translated in an overall gain of 30,531 bbls of oil associated with a financial gain of approximately $4.7 MM TT per well over the 16-year period. Injection types including condensate, carbon dioxide and nitrogen yielded the production of the same order. This study offers compelling evidence that the use of produced condensate in EOR is an economically and environmentally friendly strategy in TT.

Bariatric surgery is a treatment option for those affected by severe obesity. This study investigated changes in gut microbiota and serum biomarkers after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG). A total of 126 patients with morbid obesity who underwent LSG were enrolled in this study. Routine biochemical tests, hormonal (insulin and glucagon), and cytokine levels (IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-10, and TGF–β 1) were measured, in addition, real-time PCR (quantitative PCR, qPCR) quantitated gut microbiota. All the parameters were measured pre-operatively, 3, and 12 months post-surgery (F0, F3, and F12, respectively). At F3, the level of FBS, HbA1c, HOMA-IR, triglyceride, cholesterol, LDL, BUN, creatinine, urea, SGOT, SGPT, IL-1β, IL-6, IFNγ, insulin, glucagon, the abundance of Prevotella and Bacteroides fragilis group, as well as the concentration of Firmicutes spp. showed significant decrease (P

Characterization and extraction of plant secondary metabolites are important in agriculture, pharmaceutical, and food industry. In this regard, the applied analytical methods are mostly costly and time-consuming; therefore, choosing a suitable approach is essential for optimum results and economic suitability. One of the recently considered methods used to characterize new types of materials is MIPs. Among the various applications of MIPs is the identification and separation of various plant-derived compounds, such as secondary metabolites, chemical residues, and pesticides. The present review describes the application of MIPs as a tool in medicinal plant material analysis, focusing on plant secondary metabolism.

MXene/polymer nanocomposites simultaneously benefit from the attractive properties of MXenes and the flexibility and facile processability of polymers. These composites have shown superior properties such as high light-to-heat conversion, excellent electromagnetic interference shielding, and high charge storage, compared to other nanocomposites. They have applications in chemical, materials, electrical, environmental, mechanical, and biomedical engineering as well as medicine. This property-based review on MXene/polymer nanocomposites critically describes findings and achievements in these areas and puts future research directions into perspective. It surveys novel reported applications of MXene-based polymeric nanocomposites. It also covers surface modification approaches that expand the applications of MXenes in nanocomposites.

Transient solvates are unstable crystals that readily desolvate upon harvesting but can significantly alter the outcome of the crystallization process. In this study, we investigated a new crystal structure of a methanol solvate of dasatinib that shows transient characteristics. Using SC-XRD, PXRD, HSM, and DSC, this new crystal was characterized to shed light on the mechanism of achieving different anhydrous polymorphs of dasatinib upon desolvation. The single-crystal X-ray structure of this methanol solvate was determined for the first time in this work. Via Hirshfeld surface analysis and molecular electrostatic potential maps (MEPs), the intermolecular interactions are discussed. In addition, void map analysis sheds light on the transient nature of the DAS–MeOH solvate crystals. The effect of various crystallization techniques, including slow evaporation and grinding/milling techniques, on the product of desolvation, has also been discussed. Finally, with the aid of particle size distribution measurements, we illustrated the potential benefit of such transient crystals on particle size reduction.

The ever-increasing proliferation of miniaturized and wearable electronics demands lightweight and easy-to-process electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials. Herein, we develop flexible micrometer-thick Ti3C2Tx/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) nanocomposite films with exceptional electrical conductivity and shielding effectiveness, and with sufficiently uniform thickness. In particular, a ∼7 μm-thick nanocomposite film containing 25 wt% PEDOT:PSS has an exceptional electrical conductivity of 2900 ± 400 S cm−1 and an EMI shielding effectiveness of 55.4 dB after a co-treatment with sulfuric acid and methanol. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest electrical conductivity ever reported for MXene-based polymer nanocomposites. Besides, the thin film possesses a specific EMI shielding effectiveness of 38 079 dB cm2 g−1, which is among the highest values for conductive polymer nanocomposites. The inclusion of PEDOT:PSS endows great film-forming ability to Ti3C2Tx suspensions and hampers unwanted phenomena such as the coffee-ring effect. We also implement a wet-transfer approach to form Ti3C2Tx/PEDOT:PSS nanocomposite films on complex geometries with curves, angles, and corners, which not only opens up new opportunities for developing EMI shields on complex geometries but also offers a feasible pathway for developing flexible and wearable electronics.

Nepeta curvidens is a plant of the mint family and an important species of the genus Nepeta. The main habitat of the N. curvidens in the Garin Mountains in Lorestan Province, Iran. Although locals have used N. curvidens as a food flavoring agent for years, few studies have been conducted on its phytochemical and biological properties. The chemical constituents of N. curvidens essential oil and then its biological properties were studied in detail in this investigation. N. curvidens essential oil was prepared from the aerial parts of the plant using the hydrodistillation method and its chemical composition was analyzed by the GC-MS method. Antimicrobial, antifungal, anti-Leishmania, and cytotoxic activities of the essential oil were investigated in vitro. In addition, antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects were evaluated in vivo. Most of N. curvidens essential oil compositions are composed of trans-caryophyllene (17.53%), allo-spathulenol (13.41%), germacrene D (10.12%), bicyclogermacrene (9.36%), α-pinene (9.12%), and β-phellandrene (6.87%). The highest antimicrobial and antifungal effects were observed against L. monocytogenes (MIC=156.25 μg/ml) and K. marxianus (MIC=625 µg/ml), respectively. Concentration-dependent effects were detected in the treatment of L. major, so that the number of macrophages infected with amastigote dropped significantly with higher concentrations. The essential oil showed the highest effect on the lung cancer cell line (A549) with the lowest IC50 (133.2μg/mL). The most resistant cell line to the essential oil was bladder cancer (C450) with an IC50 of 430.69 µg/mL. SI 19.49 index indicated high immunity of the essential oil on macrophage lines. Compared with morphine analgesic, the highest pain control effect of the essential oil was observed in primary and secondary phases at 100 mg/kg concentration in rats. At 100 mg/kg concentration, reduced swelling of the paw and ear was observed in mice compared to the dexamethasone anti-inflammatory drug. The essential oil presents remarkable therapeutic properties such as antifungal, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory properties that probably attributed to the presence of an important trans-caryophyllene compound. Outstandingly, the essential oil has low toxic effects on the normal line and high antitumor properties against cancer cells. Therefore, it is expected to be used in the preparation of less toxic drugs than chemical ones, although more studies are required.

Objectives The development of novel antibiotic compounds requires riboswitches; in fact, riboswitches are RNA elements present in the 5′ untranslated region of bacterial mRNA and have a metabolite-binding aptamer domain and an expression platform regulating the expression of vital genes. In the present research, one riboswitch, namely thi-box riboswitch with distinct regulatory mechanisms, was studied. It recognizes Thiamine Pyrophosphates (TPP) regulating TPP-biosynthesis genes in Escherichia coli. Methods First, the compounds similar to riboswitch ligands were studied, and their binding with the riboswitch and nucleosides was investigated by molecular docking. Then, compounds containing high binding energy were chosen, and their minimum inhibitory concentration in E. coli was determined by the MIC test. Finally, the binding of compounds to nucleotides and RNA was investigated by measuring the absorbance spectrum through NanoDrop and circular dichroism (CD). Results In the thi-box riboswitch, nalidixic acid was found to have the best binding energy (−5.31 kJ/mol), and it inhibited E. coli growth at the minimum inhibitory concentration of 125 μg/mL, and it could bind to ribonucleosides and RNA in vitro. Conclusions One possible mechanism involved in the action of nalidixic acid in inhibiting the E. coli growth is to influence thi-box riboswitch.

Background: Osthole, one of the most active components of Cnidium monnieri, has different pharmacological and biological effects such as boosting the immune system, reducing rheumatoid pain, hepatoprotective, and inhibitory effect on osteoporosis. Furthermore, it showed anti inflammatory, anti-cancer, and antioxidant properties. However, there is little information about the antioxidant effects of osthole using cell-based assays. In the current work, we used in vitro model of 2,2-azobis (2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH)-induced hemolysis of erythrocytes to investigate the protective effects of osthole against oxidative damage of biological membranes. Methods: Erythrocytes were challenged with 2, 2ꞌ-azobis (2-aminopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH) as a model oxidant in the presence and absence of osthole. The protective effects of osthole on lipid peroxidation, protein carbonyl oxidation, glutathione (GSH) content of erythrocytes were evaluated and compared with control samples. Results: It was found that osthole has protective effects on erythrocyte hemolysis induced by AAPH at different concentrations in a time-dependent manner. Osthole also suppressed lipid and protein oxidation as well as reductions in GSH content in a concentration and timedependent manner. Conclusion: Osthole showed protective effects against free radical-induced hemolysis in rat erythrocytes. Therefore, it can be considered as a supplement for the prevention or treatment of a variety of human health problems associated with oxidative stress. However, further investigations are required to illustrate other possible impacts of osthole on cells.

The aim of this article is to study the sodalite synthesis from sepiolite through an alkali fusion method followed by hydrothermal process, and to investigate its application in heavy metal removal...

Summary In this paper, we describe a laboratory investigation of a nonionic surfactant for carbon dioxide-(CO2-) foam mobility control in the East Seminole field, a heterogeneous carbonate reservoir in the Permian Basin of west Texas. A method of high-performance liquid chromatography-evaporativelight-scattering detector (HPLC-ELSD) was followed for characterizing the surfactant stability. The foam transport process was studied in the absence and the presence of East Seminole crude oil, with test results showing that strong CO2-foam forms in either a bulk-foam test or foam-flow test. An oxygen scavenger, carbohydrazide, was found effective for controlling the stability of the surfactant up to 80°C and total dissolved solid of ∼34,000 ppm. Moreover, a phosphonate scale inhibitor was investigated and found to be compatible with the oxygen scavenger to accommodate a surfactant solution in a gypsum-oversaturated reservoir brine. During the oil-fractional flow test, an emulsion appears to form, causing a noticeable pressure increase; however, emulsion generation failed to cause a significant phase plugging in the test. Also, a STARS™ (Computer Modelling Group Ltd., Calgary, Alberta, Canada) foam model was applied to obtain the foam parameters from the foam-flow experiments at steady-state conditions. The insights from laboratory experiments better enable translation of the foam technology to the field.

We extend the single-chain slip-spring model developed by Likhtman [Macromolecules 38, 6128 (2005)] to describe the dynamics and rheology of entangled polymers to wormlike micellar solutions by incorporating chain breakage and rejoining, which are the key additional dynamics present in wormlike micellar solutions. We show that the linear rheological properties obtained from this micelle slip-spring model are in good agreement with mesoscopic simulations using the “pointer algorithm” [W. Zou and R. G. Larson, J. Rheol. 58, 681 (2014)] and can be fit to experimental results after an adjustment to correct for the too-high flexibility of the micelles assumed in the slip-spring model. Finally, we use this model to predict the nonlinear rheological properties of entangled wormlike micelles, which are the first predictions that include the effects of entanglements, breakage and rejoining, Rouse modes, and stretch of bead-spring micellar chains with Hookean springs.

Previous studies have found GABA in vestibular end organs. However, existence of GABA receptors or possible GABAergic effects on vestibular nerve afferents has not been investigated. The current study was conducted to determine whether activation of GABAB receptors affects calyx afferent terminals in the central region of the cristae of semicircular canals. We used patch-clamp recording in postnatal day 13-18 (P13-P18) Sprague-Dawley rats of either sex. Application of GABAB receptor agonist baclofen inhibited voltage-sensitive potassium currents. This effect was blocked by selective GABAB receptor antagonist CGP 35348. Application of antagonists of small (SK)- and large-conductance potassium (BK) channels almost completely blocked the effects of baclofen. The remaining baclofen effect was blocked by cadmium chloride, suggesting that it could be due to inhibition of voltage-gated calcium channels. Furthermore, baclofen had no effect in the absence of calcium in the extracellular fluid. Inhibition of potassium currents by GABAB activation resulted in an excitatory effect on calyx terminal action potential firing. While in the control condition calyces could only fire a single action potential during step depolarizations, in the presence of baclofen they fired continuously during steps and a few even showed repetitive discharge. We also found a decrease in threshold for action potential generation and a decrease in first-spike latency during step depolarization. These results provide the first evidence for the presence of GABAB receptors on calyx terminals, showing that their activation results in an excitatory effect and that GABA inputs could be used to modulate calyx response properties.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Using in vitro whole cell patch-clamp recordings from calyx terminals in the vestibular end organs, we show that activation of GABAB receptors result in an excitatory effect, with decreased spike-frequency adaptation and shortened first-spike latencies. Our results suggest that these effects are mediated through inhibition of calcium-sensitive potassium channels.

Trinidad and Tobago (TT) is seeking to develop more economical methods of enhanced oil recovery to arrest the decline in crude oil production and to meet the current and future energy demand. The utilization of alkaline-polymer flooding to enhance oil recovery in TT requires key studies to be conducted to obtain critical information of the flooding system (soil type, additive type, pH, adsorption characteristics and rheological (flow) characteristics). Understanding the role of, interplay and optimizing of these variables will provide key input data for the required simulations to produce near realistic projections of the required EOR efficiencies. The parameters of various wells in TT were compared to the screening criteria for alkali-polymer flooding, and the EOR 4 well was found to be suitable and thus selected for evaluation. Laboratory adsorption studies showed that the 1000 ppm xanthan gum flooding solution containing 0.25% NaOH exhibited the lowest absorption capacity for the gravel packed sand and exhibited the lowest viscosity at all the tested shear rates. The lowest adsorption was 2.27 × 10−7 lbmole/ft3 which occurred with the 1000 ppm xanthan gum polymer containing 0.25% NaOH, and the evidence showed that the polymer was adsorbed on the other side of the faults, indicating that it has moved further and closer to the producing well. Implementation of an alkali polymer flooding resulted in an incremental increase in the recovery factors (~ 3%) compared to polymer flooding; however, a change in the oil recovery as a function of the alkaline concentration was not observed. The simulated economic analysis clearly shows that all the analysed EOR scenarios resulted in economically feasible outcomes of net present value (NPV), Internal Rate of Return (IRR) and payback period for oil price variations between $35 and $60 USD per barrel of oil. A comparison of the individual strategies shows that the alkali-polymer flood system utilizing 0.25% sodium hydroxide with 1000 ppm xanthan gum is the best option in terms of cumulative production, recovery factor, NPV, IRR and time to payback.

Soil reinforcement is an efficacious technique for improvement of soil behavior against applied loads and deformations. In recent years, synthetic fibers have been introduced as a novel material for soil reinforcement. Therefore, it is essential to thoroughly investigate the behavior of fiber-reinforced soils. In this research, the behavior of synthetic fiber-reinforced sand was experimentally investigated. Consolidated undrained monotonic triaxial experiments were conducted on specimens reinforced with glass and polypropylene fibers at different effective confining pressures and relative densities. The tested soil specimens were stabilized using different fiber contents and were then subjected to compression loading. The results suggested that the shear strength of the fiber-reinforced sand specimens was increased by increasing the effective confining pressure and the relative density. The specimens reinforced with 1% of fibers exhibited the highest shear strength. Moreover, it was revealed that under the identical conditions, the polypropylene fiber-reinforced specimens illustrated higher shear strength compared to the glass fiber-reinforced specimens.

BackgroundCurcumin is herbal compound that has been shown to have anti-cancer effects in pre-clinical and clinical studies. The anti-cancer effects of curcumin include inhibiting the carcinogenesis, inhibiting angiogenesis, and inhibiting tumour growth. This study aims to determine the Clinical effects of curcumin in different types of cancers using systematic review approach.MethodsA systematic review methodology is adopted for undertaking detailed analysis of the effects of curcumin in cancer therapy. The results presented in this paper is an outcome of extracting the findings of the studies selected from the articles published in international databases including SID, MagIran, IranMedex, IranDoc, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, Scopus, PubMed and Web of Science (ISI). These databases were thoroughly searched, and the relevant publications were selected based on the plausible keywords, in accordance with the study aims, as follows: prevalence, curcumin, clinical features, cancer.ResultsThe results are derived based on several clinical studies on curcumin consumption with chemotherapy drugs, highlighting that curcumin increases the effectiveness of chemotherapy and radiotherapy which results in improving patient’s survival time, and increasing the expression of anti-metastatic proteins along with reducing their side effects.ConclusionThe comprehensive systematic review presented in this paper confirms that curcumin reduces the side effects of chemotherapy or radiotherapy, resulting in improving patients’ quality of life. A number of studies reported that, curcumin has increased patient survival time and decreased tumor markers’ level.

Silicon carbide (SiC) has become a key player in realization of scalable quantum technologies due to its ability to host optically addressable spin qubits and wafer-size samples. Here, we have demonstrated optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) with resonant excitation, and clearly identified the ground state energy levels of the NV centers in 4H-SiC. Coherent manipulation of NV centers in SiC has been achieved with Rabi and Ramsey oscillations. Finally, we show the successful generation and characterization of single nitrogen vacancy (NV) center in SiC employing ion implantation. Our results are highlighting the key role of NV centers in SiC as a potential candidate for quantum information processing.

In this study, ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) spectrophotometry approach was developed to measure the trace amounts of 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (2-MBT) in aqueous solutions, soil, and rubber using sur...

This study investigates the uptake of the nickel (II) metal ions from aqueous sources using the xanthan magnetic biocompatible nano-composites. The desired nano-sorbent was first synthesized, analysed, and evaluated by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and (FT-IR), then used as adsorbent for removing the nickel from aqueous solution. Then the effect of different parameters such as contact time, adsorbent amount, pH, initial concentration, and temperature on the adsorption rate was investigated. The equilibrium time for the stirring state was 60 min and the optimum adsorbent value was 0.1 g and the acidity of 4 was the best pH. The highest removal efficiency was obtained at 97.6%. The kinetic studies of nickel removal by the synthesized adsorbent were performed and the results obtained for batch experiments follow the pseudo-quadratic kinetic model with (R2=0.9987). Equilibrium adsorption studies also revealed that, the adsorption process was in better agreement with the Freundlich isotherm (R2=0.9978). The positive Gibbs free energy (15.08 KJ/mole-1) showed that the process was spontaneous. Also the entropy changes was positive (0.03 KJ/mole-1), indicated an increase in entropy during the adsorption process in the system. Therefore, the adsorption process was associated with increasing the disorder.

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a toxic and immunogenic agent for human. Additionally, LPS is a good target for some antimicrobial compounds, including antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). LPS-binding peptides (LBPs) can recognize and neutralize LPS. Rabbit and human cathelicidins are AMPs with LPS-binding activity. In this study, we designed and synthesized two new truncated LBPs from rabbit and human CAP18 peptides by in silico methods. After synthesis of peptides, the antimicrobial properties and LPS-binding activity of these peptides were evaluated. The parental rabbit and human CAP18 peptides were selected as positive controls. Next, the changes in the secondary structure of these peptides before and after treatment with LPS were measured by circular dichroism (CD). Human cytotoxicity of the peptides was evaluated by MTT and red blood cells (RBCs) hemolysis assays. Finally, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), confocal microscopy, and flow cytometry were performed to study the action mechanism of these peptides. Results indicated that the hCap18 and rCap18 had antibacterial activity (at a MIC of 4-128 μg/mL). The results of the quantitative LAL test demonstrated that LPS-binding activity of hCap18 peptide was better than rCap18, while rCap18 peptide had better antimicrobial properties. Furthermore, rCap18 had less cytotoxicity than hCap18. However, both peptides were nontoxic for normal human skin fibroblast cell in MIC range. In conclusion, rCap18 has good antibacterial properties, while hCap18 can be tested as a diagnostic molecule in our future studies.

Spark plasma sintering was employed for the fabrication of ZrB2–V–C composites at different consolidation temperatures (1800, 1900 and 2000 °C) using an external pressure of 40 MPa for 7 min under vacuum atmosphere. Vanadium powders and graphite nano-flakes were applied as metallic and carbonaceous sinter additives, respectively, in the ZrB2 matrix ultrahigh temperature ceramic composites. All composites approached their theoretical densities as the relative density values were >99%. The in-situ synthesis of VB2 and ZrC compounds, during the reactive sintering process at all temperatures, was verified by phase and microstructural analyses. It was found that vanadium and graphite were entirely consumed via reaction with the matrix by sintering at 1900 °C, while the majority of them were left intact at the temperature of 1800 °C. However, the compounds of VB2 and ZrC were partially reacted together, at 2000 °C, which led to the synthesis of extra complex phases of V1.54B50 and V3Zr3C. The hardness of composites slightly decreased with increasing the sintering temperature, while the fracture toughness was remarkably enhanced.

In the current research, a carbohydrate-derived mesoporous ZnO-TiO2 hollow spheres was synthesized in presence of incomplete carbonized glucose (ICG) as a template using autoclave-assisted reactor. The synthesized mesoporous ZnO-TiO2-ICG composites were further functionalized via thermal treatment with chlorosulfonic acid in chloroform in order to attach -SO3H functional groups on the mesopore walls. The textural, structural, morphological and thermal properties of the sulfonated mesoporous ZnO-TiO2-ICG catalyst were further evaluated. The catalytic performance of the sulfonated ZnO-TiO2-ICG catalyst was investigated through transesterification of waste cooking palm oil (WCPO). A series of transesterification reactions was done to evaluate the influence of operational conditions including; catalyst amount (0.25–1.50 wt%), methanol:WCPO molar ratio (3:1–15:1), operating temperature (60–140 °C), and stirring power (200–800 rpm). Gas chromatography (GC) was also employed to determine WCPO methyl ester content. From the catalyst testing on transesterification of WCPO under optimized conditions (mesoporous ZnO-TiO2-ICG catalyst amount of 1 wt%, methanol:WCPO molar ratio of 6:1, operating temperature of 100 °C, and mixing intensity of 400 rpm), the sulfonated mesoporous ZnO-TiO2-ICG catalyst revealed promising ester yield of 96.1% at 75 min by using autoclave reactor. Reusability experiments indicated that the spent sulfonated mesoporous ZnO-TiO2-ICG catalyst was highly potential to stay active for ten repeated cycles while the FAME yield dropped insignificantly. The high activity and stability were associated to the exceptional textural and structural characteristic of the sulfonated ZnO-TiO2-ICG catalyst along with extremely well-attached of SO3H functional-groups to the majority of active spots. The fuel properties of the prepared WCPO methyl ester was tested by measuring its density, viscosity, pour point, cloud point, flash point, and water and sulfur contents. The results were highly in accordance with particular EN (14214) and ASTM (D6751) standards.

The economy of Trinidad and Tobago which mainly relies on its energy sector is facing significant challenges due to declining crude oil production in a low commodity price environment. The need for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) methods to meet the current and future energy demands is urgent. Studies on the use of polymer flooding in Trinidad and Tobago are limited, especially in terms of necessary data concerning the characterization of the adsorption of polymer flooding chemicals such as xanthan gum and aquagel polymers on different soil types in Trinidad and the viscosity characteristics of the polymer flooding solutions which affect the key attributes of displacement and sweep efficiency that are needed to predict recovery efficiency and the potential use of these flooding agents in a particular well. Adsorption and viscosity experiments were conducted using xanthan gum and aquagel on three different soil types, namely sand, Valencia clay (high iron) and Longdenville clay (low iron). Xanthan gum exhibited the lowest adsorption capacity for Valencia clay but absorbed most on sand at concentrations above 1000 ppm and Longdenville clay below 1000 ppm. At concentrations below 250 ppm, all three soil-type absorbent materials exhibited similar adsorption capacities. Aquagel was more significantly absorbed on the three soil types compared to xanthan gum. The lowest adsorption capacity was observed for Valencia clay at concentration levels above 500 ppm; however, the clay had the highest adsorption capacity below this level. Sand had the highest adsorption capacity for aquagel at concentrations above 500 ppm while Longdenville clay was the lowest absorbent above 500 ppm. Generally, all three soil types had a similar adsorption capacity for xanthan gum at a concentration level of 250 ppm and for aquagel at a concentration level of 500 ppm. The results offered conclusive evidence demonstrating the importance that the pore structure characteristics of soil that may be present in oil wells on its adsorption characteristics and efficiency. Xanthan gum polymer concentration of 2000 ppm, 1000 ppm and 250 ppm showed viscosities of 125 cp, 63 cp and 42 cp, respectively. Aquagel polymer concentrations of 2000 ppm, 1000 ppm and 250 ppm showed viscosities of 63 cp, 42 cp and 21 cp, respectively. Aquagel polymer solutions were found to generally have lower viscosities than the xanthan gum polymer solutions at the same concentration. Adsorption and viscosity data for the xanthan gum and aquagel polymers were incorporated within CMG numerical simulation models to determine the technical feasibility of implementing a polymer flood in the selected EOR 44 located in the Oropouche field in the southwest peninsula of the island of Trinidad. Overall, aquagel polymer flood resulted in a higher oil recovery of 0.06 STB compared to the xanthan gum polymer flood, so the better EOR method would be aquagel polymer flood. Additionally, both cases of polymer flooding resulted in higher levels of oil recovery compared to CO2injection and waterflooding and therefore polymer flooding will have greater impact on the EOR 44 well oil recovery.