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Abstract This study explored the catalytic performance of two robust zirconium-based metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), MIP-202(Zr) and UiO-66-(CO2H)2 in the ring-opening of epoxides using alcohols and amines as nucleophilic reagents. The MOFs were characterized by techniques such as FT-IR, PXRD, FE-SEM, and EDX. Through systematic optimization of key parameters (catalyst amount, time, temperature, solvent), MIP-202(Zr) achieved 99% styrene oxide conversion in 25 min with methanol at room temperature using 5 mg catalyst. In contrast, UiO-66-(CO2H)2 required drastically harsher conditions of 120 min, 60 °C, and four times the catalyst loading to reach 98% conversion. A similar trend was observed for ring-opening with aniline –MIP-202(Zr) gave 93% conversion in one hour at room temperature, while UiO-66-(CO2H)2 needed two hours at 60 °C for 95% conversion. The superior performance of MIP-202(Zr) likely stems from cooperative Brønsted/Lewis acid sites and higher proton conductivity enabling more efficient epoxide activation. Remarkably, MIP-202(Zr) maintained consistent activity over five recycles in the ring-opening of styrene oxide by methanol and over three recycles in the ring-opening of styrene oxide by aniline. Testing various epoxide substrates and nucleophiles revealed trends in reactivity governed by electronic and steric effects. The results provide useful insights into tuning Zr-MOF-based catalysts and highlight the promise of the cost-effective and sustainable MIP-202(Zr) for diverse epoxide ring-opening reactions on an industrial scale.

Summary: Patients with long-standing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) face an increased risk of developing colitis-associated cancer (CAC). Although IBD-induced prolonged inflammation seems to be involved in CAC pathogenesis, the specific molecular changes that contribute remain unknown. Here, we applied digital spatial RNA profiling, RNAscope, and imaging mass cytometry to examine paired uninflamed, inflamed, and early dysplastic mucosa of patients with IBD. We observed robust type 3 (IL-17) responses during inflammation, accompanied by elevated JAK-STAT signaling and phosphorylated STAT3 (P-STAT3) levels, with both inflamed and dysplastic mucosa displaying immune cell activation. Higher stromal P-STAT3 was detected in uninflamed and inflamed mucosa of patients who eventually developed dysplasia. CD8a+ T cells did not infiltrate inflamed or dysplastic epithelial regions in these patients, while control patients showed elevated CD8a in inflamed mucosa. Our study reveals distinct inflammatory patterns throughout CAC development, marked by an activated IL-17 pathway, engaged STAT3, and diminished cytotoxic T cell infiltration.

Abstract A new organic-functionalized Cu-based Anderson-type polyoxomolybdate, namely (C7H15N4)2[Na(H2O)4]2[C6H12CuMo6N2O24]·2(H2O) (CuII-POM), was synthesized via a simple one-pot reaction and subsequently characterized using a range of analytical and spectral techniques. Structural investigation by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that the polyanion component of the synthesized compound (i.e. [C6H12CuMo6N2O24]4−) possesses a δ-isomer Anderson-type structure, which is surrounded by four lattice water molecules and four [C7H15N4–NaH15(H2O)8]4+ cations in the crystal packing arrangement. The resulting double-sided tris-functionalized Anderson-type compound can function as highly effective heterogeneous photocatalysts for the copper(I)-catalyzed Huisgen azide-alkyne cycloaddition (Cu-AAC) reaction of terminal alkyne, benzyl halides, and sodium azide (acts as the azidonation and reducing agent) in aqueous media. Ultraviolet light irradiation enhances the catalytic activity of CuII-POM ~ 4.4 times of the “off” situation under reaction conditions of 0.00239 mmol cat., 80 °C, 8 h, 2 mL H2O, So that the isolated yields for the AAC reaction involving a variety of terminal alkynes and benzyl halides using the CuII-POM catalyst ranged between 19–97%. The current study is the first report about using an efficient and economical Cu(II)-POM/UV/NaN3 catalytic system in the Cu-AAC reaction and reveals its significant potential for applying to other Cu(I)-catalyzed reactions.

Being one of the most efficient devices for passive two-phase heat transfer, pulsating heat pipes (PHPs) exchange considerable heat powers through a small cross-sectional area, which can be used in various fields such as thermal control, electronic cooling, waste heat recovery, etc. Numerous studies have been performed in recent years to investigate the effect of channel geometry and characteristics as a critical challenge that directly affects system thermal performance. An overview of recent developments in PHPs for improving thermal performance is provided in the present article, with particular emphasis on the effects of channel geometry and channel characteristics. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of this field, discusses experimental and numerical studies conducted, challenges still facing this field, and discusses the current state of the art. This review is a valuable resource for researchers and scholars studying the numerical modeling and experimental aspects of PHPs. It supplies them with detailed insights and analysis, helping them stay updated with the latest developments in the field. Exploring the effects of channel geometry and characteristics on thermal performance enhancement offers a foundation for future research directions. Therefore, researchers and scholars can utilize this comprehensive overview to inform their investigations, refine their methodologies, and contribute to advancing PHP technology.

In this study, a very sensitive fluorescence nano-biosensor was developed using CeO2 nanoparticles for the rapid detection of DNA methylation. The characteristics of CeO2 nanoparticles were determined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy, UV–visible spectroscopy, and fluorescence spectroscopy. The CeO2 nanoparticles were reacted with a single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) probe, and then methylated and unmethylated target DNAs hybridized with an ssDNA probe, and the fluorescence emission was measured.Upon adding the target unmethylated and methylated ssDNA, the fluorescence intensity increased in the linear range of concentration from 2 × 10−13 - 10−18 M. The limit of detection (LOD) was 1.597 × 10−6 M for methylated DNA and 1.043 × 10−6 M for unmethylated DNA. The fluorescence emission intensity of methylated sequences was higher than of that unmethylated sequences. The fabricated DNA nanobiosensor showed a fluorescence emission at 420 nm with an excitation wavelength of 280 nm. The impact of CeO2 binding on methylated and unmethylated DNA was further demonstrated by agarose gel electrophoresis.Finally, the actual sample analysis suggested that the nanobiosensor could have practical applications for detecting methylation in the human plasma samples.

Summary: Colitis is a prevalent adverse event associated with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy with similarities to inflammatory bowel disease. Incomplete mechanistic understanding of ICI colitis curtails evidence-based treatment. Given the often-overlooked connection between tissue architecture and mucosal immune cell function, we here applied imaging mass cytometry (IMC) to gain spatial proteomic insight in ICI colitis in comparison to ulcerative colitis (UC). Using a cell segmentation pipeline that simultaneously utilizes high-resolution nuclear imaging and high-multiplexity IMC, we show that intra-epithelial CD8+ T cells are significantly more abundant (and numerically dominant) in anti-PD-1 ± anti-CTLA-4-induced colitis compared to anti-CTLA-4-induced colitis and UC. We identified activated, cycling CD8+ tissue-resident memory T(RM) cells at the lamina propria-epithelial interface as drivers of cytotoxicity in ICI colitis and UC. Moreover, we found that combined ICI-induced colitis featured highest granzyme B levels both in tissue and serum. Together, these data reinforce CD8+ TRM cells as potentially targetable drivers of ICI colitis.

A newly binuclear nickel(II) complex, [Ni2(en)4(ox)](ClO4)2 (1) (where en = ethylenediamine, and ox = oxalate), has been isolated from a reaction of NiCl2·6H2O, ethylenediamine, ammonium oxalate and sodium perchlorate in water and its crystal structure has been determined by X-ray crystallography and infra-red techniques. Compound 1 was successfully employed to promote the one-pot reaction of aldehydes, amines and acetylenes for the construction of corresponding propargylamines under solvent-free media with fine yields. Further studies reveal this catalytic system can be refreshed and used again in five runs.

Abstract Background Visualizing and quantifying cellular heterogeneity is of central importance to study tissue complexity, development, and physiology and has a vital role in understanding pathologies. Mass spectrometry-based methods including imaging mass cytometry (IMC) have in recent years emerged as powerful approaches for assessing cellular heterogeneity in tissues. IMC is an innovative multiplex imaging method that combines imaging using up to 40 metal conjugated antibodies and provides distributions of protein markers in tissues with a resolution of 1 μm2 area. However, resolving the output signals of individual cells within the tissue sample, i.e., single cell segmentation, remains challenging. To address this problem, we developed MATISSE (iMaging mAss cyTometry mIcroscopy Single cell SegmEntation), a method that combines high-resolution fluorescence microscopy with the multiplex capability of IMC into a single workflow to achieve improved segmentation over the current state-of-the-art. Results MATISSE results in improved quality and quantity of segmented cells when compared to IMC-only segmentation in sections of heterogeneous tissues. Additionally, MATISSE enables more complete and accurate identification of epithelial cells, fibroblasts, and infiltrating immune cells in densely packed cellular areas in tissue sections. MATISSE has been designed based on commonly used open-access tools and regular fluorescence microscopy, allowing easy implementation by labs using multiplex IMC into their analysis methods. Conclusion MATISSE allows segmentation of densely packed cellular areas and provides a qualitative and quantitative improvement when compared to IMC-based segmentation. We expect that implementing MATISSE into tissue section analysis pipelines will yield improved cell segmentation and enable more accurate analysis of the tissue microenvironment in epithelial tissue pathologies, such as autoimmunity and cancer.

Abstract Ultra-small and highly dispersive (

Summary: Exploring tissue heterogeneity on a single-cell level by imaging mass cytometry (IMC) remains challenging because of its limiting resolution. We previously demonstrated that combining higher resolution fluorescence with IMC data in the analysis pipeline resulted in high-quality single-cell segmentation. Here, we provide a step-by-step workflow of this MATISSE pipeline, including instructions regarding the staining procedure, and the analysis route to generate single-cell data.For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Baars et al., 2021.

Abstract Background The characteristics of a larval habitat is an important factor which affects the breeding pattern and population growth of mosquitoes Information about the larval habitat characteristics and pupal productivity can be utilized for the surveillance of the level of population growth, species diversity, and preferred breeding sites of mosquitoes, which are important aspects of integrated vector control. In the present study, mosquito larvae were collected from 22 natural habitats in five counties of the West Azerbaijan Province in the Northwest of Iran during May–November 2018. Physicochemical characteristics of the habitats were investigated. These included alkalinity, chloride (Cl) content, water temperature (°C), turbidity (NTU), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) (ppm), Electrical Conductivity (EC) (μS/cm), and acidity (pH). The index of affinity between the collected species was calculated using Fager & McGowan test. Results A total of 2715 specimens were collected and identified. Seven different species belonging to four genera were identified in our study sites. The species included, Culex pipiens Linnaeus 1758, Culex theileri Theobald 1903, Culex mimeticus Noé 1899, Culex modestus Ficalbi 1947, Culiseta longiareolata Macquart 1838, Anopheles maculipennis Meigen 1818complex, and Aedes caspius Pallas 1771. There was a significant difference in chloride content and water temperature preferences among the different species (P 0.05). The affinity between the pair of species Cx. mimeticus/Cs. longiareolata was 0.526. There was no affinity between other pairs of species or the affinity was very weak. Conclusions The physicochemical and biological characteristics of mosquito larval habitats play an important role in zoning of areas suitable for breeding and distribution. Surveillance of these characteristics can provide valuable information for entomological monitoring of mosquito vectors and for designing targeted control programs. Also, further studies should be undertaken in a wider geographical area, taking into account the complex characteristics of the physicochemical and ecological factors of the study area and their interaction with various mosquito species.

High levels of soil salinity can cause substantial decline in growth and productivity of crops worldwide, thus representing a major threat to global agriculture. In recent years, engineered nanoparticles (NPs) have been deemed as a promising alternative in combating abiotic stress factors, such as salinity. In this context, the present study was designed to explore the potential of cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2NPs) in alleviating salt stress in grapevine (Vitis vinifera L. cv. Flame Seedless) cuttings. Specifically, the interaction between CeO2 NPs (25, 50 and 100 mg L−1) and salinity (25 and 75 mM NaCl) was evaluated by assaying an array of agronomic, physiological, analytical and biochemical parameters. Treatments with CeO2 NPs, in general, alleviated the adverse impacts of salt stress (75 mM NaCl) significantly improving relevant agronomic traits of grapevine. CeO2 NPs significantly ameliorated chlorophyll damage under high levels of salinity. Furthermore, the presence of CeO2 NPs attenuated salinity-induced damages in grapevine as indicated by lower levels of proline, MDA and EL; however, H2O2 content was not ameliorated by the presence of CeO2 NPs under salt stress. Additionally, salinity caused substantial increases in enzymatic activities of GP, APX and SOD, compared with control plants. Similar to stress conditions, all concentrations of CeO2 NPs triggered APX activity, while the highest concentration of CeO2 NPs significantly increased GP activity. However, CeO2 NPs did not significantly modify SOD activity. Considering mineral nutrient profile, salinity increased Na and Cl content as well as Na/K ratio, while it decreased K, P and Ca contents. Nevertheless, the presence of CeO2 NPs did not lead to significant alterations in Na, K and P content of salt-stressed plants. Taken together, current findings suggest that CeO2 NPs could be employed as promising salt-stress alleviating agents in grapevine.

Objectives Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is one of the most important progressive pulmonary disorders. Diaphragmatic dysfunction is an essential factor in the worsening and progression of symptoms in patients with COPD. Therefore, we investigated the effect of diaphragmatic respiratory training on some pulmonary indexes in these patients. Methods & Materials This quasi-experimental study type with pretest-posttest design, 16 male patients (Mean±SD=55 ± 5.4 y) with moderate COPD were selected through convenient sampling method and were randomly divided into two groups of 8 (diaphragmatic training and control group). A demographic questionnaire was used to control the inclusion criteria. Maximal inspiratory pressure, forced expiratory volume in 1 second, and respiratory rate per minute were measured by laboratory equipment. The training group performed the respiratory exercises 3 sessions per week for 8 weeks. The control group did not do any exercise. After the end of training, the pulmonary indexes were re-evaluated. Statistical data were analyzed by ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc test in SPSS21. Results The results indicated that diaphragmatic respiratory exercises had a significant effect on pulmonary indexes (P=0.001). There was no improvement in any of the variables in the control group (P ˃ 0.05). Conclusion Diaphragmatic respiratory training seems to play an essential role in improving the respiratory indexes of patients with pulmonary disease. The results of our study showed that respiratory training improves the respiratory function of patients and should be included in the pulmonary rehabilitation program for these patients.

Abstract Background Translation quality assessment (TQA) suffers from subjectivity in both neighboring disciplines: ‘TEFL’ and ‘Translation Studies, and more empirical studies are required to get closer to objectivity in this domain. The present study evaluated the quality of the written translation of TEFL students through three different approaches to translation quality assessment (TQA) in order to examine the efficiency and reliability of the three methods and ultimately suggest the most reliable one. Methods Thirty BA TEFL university students translated a text from English into Persian, and three raters scored the translated texts through three different methods of assessment. Results The results of statistical analysis indicated that, the error analysis method B was more reliable than holistic method C, but was less reliable than combined method D. Conclusions That is, when we combined the results of both error analysis and holistic methods in a proportion of 70/30, the new combined error analysis-holistic method got a better reliability rating, and accurate results than holistic and analytic methods. Therefore, the combined method may be suggested as a reliable method for evaluating and scoring the TEFL students’ translations.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to compare dimensional changes of two types of auto polymerizing acrylic resin patterns (APARPs) in three different storing environments. Methods: 60 acrylic post and core patterns were made of two types of Duralay acrylic resins (Aria dent, Iran and Reliance, Dental Mfg. Co, USA) using a canine model. Then coronal, apical diameter and coronoapical length of patterns were measured. Afterwards, they were divided into two categories of 30 for each type of Duralay acrylic resin type. Each category was divided into three groups of ten randomly to immerse in three storage environments (Deconex®53plus Borer ChemieAG, Switzerland), Unident ® Impre(USF Healthcare S.A, Sweitzerland) and water. After one hour, three mentioned values were measured again. Data were analyzed by SPSS20 using t-test, paired t-test and ANOVA. Results: Results showed that there were no statistically difference (p value> 0.05) about all dimensions of auto polymerizing acrylic post and core patterns except apical diameter and coronoapical length of Dental Mfg. Co, USA in Deconex®53 plus. Conclusion: The best environment to store Duralay APARPs with minimal changes was water and for disinfection, Deconex®53plus and Unident ® Imprecan showed acceptable properties with both of Duralay types.

In this study, a new recoverable catalyst for the epoxidation of olefins was developed using a layered polysiloxane as a support for immobilizing (salen) molybdenum(VI) complex by electrostatic interaction between the surface of the solid support and the electrically charged molybdenum complex. Characterization of the heterogeneous catalyst by Fourier transform infrared, XRD,1H NMR, and atomic absorption spectroscopes as well as thermogravimetric and CHN elemental analyses confirmed successful immobilization of the (salen) molybdenum(VI) complex to the support. The prepared catalyst catalyzed the epoxidation of olefins efficiently. The effect of different factors on the epoxidation of cyclooctene was investigated. Reaction conditions including reaction temperature, solvent type, substrate amount, catalyst amount and oxidant amount were systematically optimized in order to achieve the highest conversion of cyclooctene. Various other olefins showed high catalytic activity and selectivity under the optimal reaction conditions. Regenerability test demonstrated that the catalyst can be recycled for at least five times without leaching of molybdenum. Moreover, the catalyst showed good stability under the reaction conditions as determined by FT-IR and ICP-OES analyses.

Objectives: Old age refers to years near or passed the middle age and therefore, near to the end of life cycle. Old-aged people have limited reviving capability and are more at risk of catching diseases, syndromes, and ailments. Falling is one of the most common problems in the elderly that occur due to their inability to maintain balance. This study aimed to examine the effect of aerobic exercises on static and dynamic balance in healthy elderly inactive men. Methods & Materials: This quasi-experimental research was done in older people living in a nursing home in Qazvin, Iran. The study population included 200 elderly men (65-75 years old); of them, 26 healthy, inactive men were randomly selected and assigned to the experimental (13 subjects) and control (13 subjects) groups. The experimental group participated in selected exercise programs for 8 weeks. We used personal information questionnaire to check the inclusion criteria that comprised independency in doing daily chores, lack of problems in vision or fall during the last year, and not having joints dislocation, chronic arthritis or vertigo. In the case of having these problems, the subjects were excluded from the study. Stork balance test and Timed Up and Go test were used to measure the static and dynamic balance of subjects before the initiation and after the termination of the program. The statistical analyses were done by paired and independent t-tests. Results: The results of independent t-test did not indicate any significant differences between 2 groups with regard to age, height, and weight (P>0.05). Homogeneity was observed in the 2 groups with respect to individual features affecting balance and walking. After performing the aerobic exercise program, the dynamic balance in the experimental group increased significantly (P

Nanoparticles of the ZnO and TiO2 were synthesized and the physicochemical properties of the compounds were characterized by IR, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The XRD patterns of the ZnO and TiO2 nanoparticles could be indexed to hexagonal and rutile phase, respectively. Aggregated nanoparticles of ZnO and TiO2 with spherical-like shapes were observed with particle diameter in the range of 80-100 nm. These nanoparticles were used for photocatalytic degradation of various dyes, Rhodamine B (RhB), Methylene blue (MB) and Acridine orange (AO) under solar light irradiation at room temperature. Effect of the amount of catalyst on the rate of photodegradation was investigated. In general, because ZnO is unstable, due to incongruous dissolution to yield Zn(OH)2 on the ZnO particle surfaces and thus leading to catalyst inactivation,the catalytic activity of the system for photodegradation of dyes decreased dramatically when TiO2 was replaced by ZnO.

Background: West Nile fever, as an expanding zoonotic disease, has been reported from different creatures involved in the disease from Iran. In addition to biological mosquito-associated factors, various elements such as their activi­ties, distribution, behavior and vectorial capacity could be affected by environmental factors. We determined the dis­tribution of West Nile virus (WNV) vectors, the environmental factors affecting WNV transmission and the high-risk areas across West Azerbaijan Province (Northwestern Iran), regarding the potential of WNV transmission using Ge­ographical Information System (GIS). Methods: Mosquitoes’ larvae and adults were collected from different habitats of the province in 2015 and identified using standard morphological keys. The data regarding the distribution of mosquitoes across the studied area were organized in ArcMap databases. Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) interpolation analysis was conducted on the data of synoptic stations to find climatic variables in the collection sites of different mosquito species. Layers of transmis­sion-related environmental factors were categorized and weighed based on their effects on disease transmission. Results: Overall, 2813 samples of different mosquito species from different regions of the province were collected and identified. According to the GIS analysis, areas in the northeastern province, which have lower altitudes and slopes with higher temperatures and more water bodies, were found to have better condition for the activity of mos­quitoes (as high-risk areas: hot spots). Conclusion: The precision of our results was proven to be in line with previous study results that identified high-risk areas, where WNV-infected vectors were captured from these same areas.

RasGRPs are guanine nucleotide exchange factors that are specific for Ras or Rap, and are important regulators of cellular signaling. Aberrant expression or mutation of RasGRPs results in disease. An analysis of RasGRP1 SNP variants led to the conclusion that the charge of His 212 in RasGRP1 alters signaling activity and plasma membrane recruitment, indicating that His 212 is a pH sensor that alters the balance between the inactive and active forms of RasGRP1. To understand the structural basis for this effect we compared the structure of autoinhibited RasGRP1, determined previously, to those of active RasGRP4:H-Ras and RasGRP2:Rap1b complexes. The transition from the autoinhibited to the active form of RasGRP1 involves the rearrangement of an inter-domain linker that displaces inhibitory inter-domain interactions. His 212 is located at the fulcrum of these conformational changes, and structural features in its vicinity are consistent with its function as a pH-dependent switch.