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The new pandemic lifestyle advocates new rules for sport at all levels, from amateur to elite. Consequently, it has transformed the ways in which sports are performed and consumed, provoking demand for new technologies and/or the development of existing ones. This paper aims to identify, describe, and visualize the process of sport transformation as radical internal and external industry changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. It is intended to qualitatively explain the current ‘metamorphoses’ in the field and subsequently answer the question of how the COVID-19 pandemic drastically changed all aspects of sports and physical culture. The literature and empirical dataset (qualitative open-ended written interviews, N = 147) were analysed in the spirit of grounded theory, referring to the holistic approach. The results demonstrated that the COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented effect on sports by touching on all aspects, levels, and stakeholders. The paper also outlines challenges and opportunities for the industry in these extraordinary times. The key dimensions of transformation are identified and explained. The findings of this research have significant implications for the understanding of how COVID-19 gave rise to the transformation of sports in different aspects. This study adds to the growing body of research on the positive and negative impacts of COVID-19 on sports, new technologies demand, and the transformation of sports.

This study compared the prophylactic effects from vaccines based on dendritic cells (DCs) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) by pulsing the cells in-vitro with p5 peptide. The different test groups of mice were injected with free peptide or with peptide pulsed with DCs or PBMCs. Two weeks after the last booster dose, immunological tests were performed on splenocyte suspensions from three mice in each group and the remaining mice (5/each group) were evaluated for tumor growth and survival time. The levels of IFN-[gamma], granzyme B, and IL-10 were detected in T cells. Additionally, [GAMMA]FN-[gamma] and perforin as well as mRNA levels of some genes associated with immune responses were assessed after challenging the splenocytes with TUBO cells. A significant increase was observed in frequency of CD4+ IFN-[[gamma].sup.+],CD[8.sup.+] LFN-[[gamma].sup.+],and CD[8.sup.+] granzyme [B.sup.+] T cells, and the perforin of supernatants from mice in the DC and PBMC treatment groups. Significant expression levels of Fas ligand (FasL)and forkhead box P3 (Foxp3) were observed in the DC and PBMC groups. These responses led to smaller tumors and longer survival time in our mouse model of breast cancer. The efficacy of the PBMC-based vaccine in improving the protective immune response makes it a simpler and less expensive candidate vaccine compared with DC-based vaccines. Key words: peripheral blood mononuclear cells, dendritic cells, peptide vaccine, breast cancer, active immunity. Cette etude visait a comparer les effets prophylactiques de vaccins a base de cellules dendritiques (CD) et de cellules mononucleaires du sang peripherique (PBMC) en les stimulant in vitro avec le peptide p5. Les differents groupes de souris ont recu des injections de peptide libre ou de peptide incube avec les CD ou les PBMC. Deux semaines apres la derniere dose de rappel, des tests immunologiques ont ete effectues sur des suspensions de splenocytes de trois souris de chaque groupe, et les souris restantes (5/chaque groupe) ont ete evaluees pour la croissance de la tumeur et le temps de survie. L'IFN-[gamma],la granzyme B et l'IL-10 ont ete detectes dans les cellules T. En outre, l'IFN-[gamma] et la perforine ainsi que les niveaux d'ARNm de certains genes associes a la reponse immunitaire ont ete evalues apres une provocation des splenocytes avec les cellules TUBO. Une augmentation significative a ete observee dans la frequence des cellules T CD4+ LFN-[[gamma].sup.+],CD[8.sup.+] IFN-[[gamma].sup.+] et CD8+ granzyme B+, et de perforine dans les surnageants des groupes CD et PBMC. Une expression significative de FasL (Fas ligand)et de Foxp3 (forkhead box P3) a ete observee dans les groupes CD et PBMC. Ces reponses ont conduit a une reduction de la taille des tumeurs et a un allongement de la duree de survie dans le modele tumoral chez la souris. L'efficacite de ce vaccin a base de PBMC pour ameliorer la reponse immunitaire protectrice en fait un candidat vaccin plus simple et moins cher queles vaccins a basedeCD. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles: cellules mononucleaires du sang peripherique, cellules dendritiques, vaccin peptidique, cancer du sein, immunite active., Introduction There have been rapid advancements in synthesized therapeutic vaccines for cancer, and they are considered one of the main treatments for cancer after surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and targeted therapy [...]

Tyrosinase is an essential enzyme in melanin production, which plays an important role in the browning of plants and vegetables and skin diseases in humans. Therefore, the design and synthesis of tyrosinase inhibitors are important in the food industry and in treating melanin-related skin diseases. In this study, the tyrosinase inhibitory activity and the antioxidant capacity of a series of 3-hydroxypyridin- 4-one derivatives that have been synthesized in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry at the Faculty of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, were assessed. The antioxidant activities were evaluated using the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazine (DPPH) radical scavenging method. The biological results indicated that these derivatives exhibit mild anti-tyrosinase and antioxidant properties. Docking studies were also conducted, and the results showed that the compounds have suitable binding free energy and interactions with the active site of the tyrosinase enzyme, which were not consistent with the biological results. Finally, the investigation of the pharmacokinetic characteristics and drug-likeness of the derivatives showed that they have the potential for oral bioavailability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to qualitatively assess and describe the societal and political outcomes of elite sporting success from the stakeholders' perspective. In order to address the research questions and investigate a substantive issue, a grounded theory approach was employed. Using theoretical sampling, we identified participants who could contribute to the development of concepts or the filling of knowledge gaps. The theoretical sampling process involved four steps. The open-ended responses were analysed using NVivo software. A number of novel factors that can affect the political and societal outcomes of Olympic success have been identified in this study, including environmental issues, human rights, integration, accessibility, anti-discrimination, and anti-racism. This research has contributed to our understanding of the Olympic Games' success and can be used to inform future planning and decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this investigation, low molecular weight polyethyleneimine (LMW PEI; 1.8 kDa branched PEI) was conjugated to phathalated dextrin. The aim of this chemical modification was to decorate PEI molecules with a hydrophilic layer to improve its biophysical properties while the phthalic moiety may improve the hydrophilic‐hydrophobic balance of the final structure. The polymers were prepared at various conjugation degrees ranging from 6.5% to 16.5% and characterized in terms of biophysical characteristics as well as their gene transfer ability and cell‐induced toxicity. The results showed that dextrin‐phthalated‐PEI (DPHPEI) polymer was able to form nanoparticles with the size range of around 118–170 nm, with the zeta potential of 6.2–9.5 mV. DPHPEI polymers could increase the level of desired protein expression in the cells by up to three folds compared with unmodified LMW PEI while the cell viability of the modified polymers was around 80%. The result of this study shows a promising approach to improve the transfection efficiency of LMW PEI while maintaining its low toxic effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the differences in sperm function and embryo morphokinetics following sperm cryopreservation by ultra-rapid freezing or rapid freezing methods compared to fresh spermatozoa. Thirty samples of normozoospermia were divided equally into fresh, ultra-rapid freezing, and rapid freezing groups. In the rapid freezing, sperm suspension was placed horizontally on nitrogen vapor. In the ultra-rapid freezing, sperm suspension with a straw-in-straw system was directly immersed in liquid nitrogen. Sperm function was assessed in terms of motility, morphology, viability, mitochondrial membrane potential, sperm DNA fragmentation, and acrosome reaction status. Also, the effects of two cryopreservation methods were assessed on global DNA methylation and DNA methyltransferase activity. Moreover, 730 embryos in three groups were cultured using time-lapse imaging until day 6 for embryo morphokinetics. Progressive motility (38.80 ± 4.21 vs. 34.86 ± 4.19; p < 0.001) and viability (64.30 ± 6.24 vs. 58.10 ± 8.69; p < 0.01) in ultra-rapid freezing were significantly higher than rapid group. DNA fragmentation and acrosome reaction were significantly increased in both cryopreserved groups (p < 0.001). However, DNA fragmentation (16.30 ± 1.14 vs. 14.33 ± 2.94; p < 0.01) was significantly higher in the rapid than the ultra-rapid freezing group. No significant differences were noted in global DNA methylation (p > 0.05) and DNA methyltransferases activity (p > 0.05) in fresh compared to cryopreservation groups. The kinetic times, including tPB2, tPNa, tPNf, t2, t3, t4, t5, t6, t7, t8, and tM, showed a significant delay in cell divisions in both cryopreservation groups. Furthermore, tPNa, tPNf, and t8 occurred with a significantly higher delay in embryos fertilized by sperm from the rapid freezing compared to the ultra-rapid freezing group. In addition, blastocysts formation was similar in both cryopreservation groups. Ultra-rapid freezing preserved the sperm biological integrity and lead to better embryo morphokinetics compared to the rapid freezing method. However, both methods of sperm cryopreservation were epigenetically safe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, green synthesis, characterizations, photocatalytic performance, and antibacterial applications of α-Mn2O3 nanoparticles are reported. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), Brunauer Emmett Teller (BET), Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS), Photoluminescence (PL), and Differential reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) analysis. The investigation verified that the α-Mn2O3 nanoparticles possessed a cubic structure, with a crystallite size of 23 nm. The SEM and TEM techniques were used to study the nanoscale morphology of α- Mn2O3 nanoparticles, which were found to be spherical with a size of 30 nm. Moreover, the surface area was obtained as 149.9 m2 g−1 utilizing BET analysis, and the band gap was determined to be 1.98 eV by DRS analysis. The photocatalysis performance of the α-Mn2O3 NPs was evaluated for degrading Eriochrome Black T (EBT) dye under visible light and degradation efficiency was 96% in 90 min. The photodegradation mechanism of EBT dye was clarified with the use of radical scavenger agents, and the degradation pathway was confirmed through Liquid Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (LC–MS) analysis. Additionally, the produced nanoparticles could be extracted from the solution and continued to exhibit photocatalysis even after five repeated runs under the same optimal conditions. Also, the antibacterial activity of green synthesized α-Mn2O3 nanoparticles was investigated by using the broth microdilution method towards Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212 (Gram-positive), Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213 (Gram-positive), Salmonella typhimurium ATCC 14028 (Gram-negative), Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 7881 (Gram-negative), Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 (Gram-negative), Proteus mirabilis ATCC 7002 (Gram-negative), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 (Gram-negative) bacterial strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thalassemia is a genetic disease that significantly affects human health. The common treatment of thalassemia is the regular injection of red blood cell, which is associated with the accumulation of iron in different tissues of the body, and makes chelation therapy necessary. Deferiprone and deferoxamine are broadly used as iron chelating agents in the vast majority of thalassemia cases. In this study, an efficient method for the synthesis of deferiprone was used by reacting maltol with methylamine in a mixture of water and ethanol as solvent. The structure of deferiprone was assigned using different spectroscopic techniques such as IR, 1H-NMR, and 13C-NMR. The advantages of this pathway are simple, practical, one-pot cascade, mild condition and high yield. The statistics of the Ministry of Health of Iran show the growing trend of deferiprone drug consumption in the country. Therefore, the domestic preparation of this drug can help the pharmaceutical industry in order to reduce costs and make it available for target patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Domestic sports brands seek to establish consumer relations with the brand to survive and earn continuous profits among foreign competitors. Therefore, this manuscript investigates the effect of domestic brands' authenticity on consumers' emotional dependence on domestic sports goods, including the Daei, Majid, and Momentum brands, with customer bias as a mediator. Methodology: This study was based on a practical purpose and a descriptive correlation data collection method conducted in the field. The statistical population was all consumers of domestic sports goods (Daei, Majid, and Momentum brands), and 191 people were selected as a statistical sample based on the law of structural equations (five times the number of observable variables). The research tools included three Kadirov's (2010) brand authenticity questionnaires, Lee et al.'s (2013) customer bias, and Thomson et al.'s (2005) emotional attachment. Experts confirmed the formal and content validity and the reliability of the questionnaires, estimated to be 0.7, 0.92, and 0.95, respectively. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS/25 and Smart-PLS.3.2.8 software. Findings: The research results indicated a positive and significant relationship between brand authenticity, emotional attachment, and customer bias. However, there was no significant relationship between customer bias and emotional attachment. Originality: So far, no research has investigated the mediation of customer bias in the relationship between brand authenticity and consumer emotional attachment; therefore, this research is original. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]