In this paper, a graphene-based plasmonic D flip-flop with the ability to remain in the states has been designed. A graphene layer is sandwiched between two SnO
2
layers for guiding the surface ...plasmon polaritons. The structure consists of three input ports D, CLK, and Bias, and two output ports Q and Q′ where output Q is connected to input D through a waveguide, and output Q′ is activated via interference among the inputs D, CLK, and Bias. The proposed structure is based on wave dividing and interfering, and works at a wavelength of 13.8 µm. In comparison to the previous works, the flip-flop remains its previous state by using the Bias signal when CLK becomes inactive. The finite difference time domain method has been used to simulate the proposed structure. The area of the subwavelength structure is as small as 1.62 µm
2
, and the contrast ratio for Q and Q′ is equal to 5.9 dB and 15.2 dB, respectively.
Background and purpose: Malaria and cancer are two major health issues affecting millions of lives annually. Maltol complexes and derivatives have been extensively investigated as chemotherapeutic ...and antimalarial activities. In this study, the design, synthesis, biological activities, and docking study of a novel series of pyridinones derivatives were reported.
Experimental approach: The chemical structures of synthesized compounds were approved by FTIR, 1HNMR, 13CNMR, and mass spectroscopies. The antimalarial activity was evaluated through β-hematin inhibition assay and the cytotoxicity activities were evaluated against PC12 and fibroblast cell lines via MTT and cell uptake assays. To theoretically investigate the ability of compounds to inhibit hemozoin formation, the synthesized compounds were docked in a heme sheet to explore their binding mode and possible interactions.
Findings/Results: β-Hematin inhibition assay showed acceptable activity for 7f, 7c, and 7d compounds and the molecular docking study showed 7h and 7f had effective interactions with the heme sheet. The cytotoxic study revealed compound 4b (IC50 = 18 μM) was significantly more active against PC12 cells than docetaxel (IC50 = 280 μM). The observations of cell uptake images were also shown both cell penetration and monitoring potential of synthesized compounds.
Conclusion and implications: The compounds showed a moderate ability to inhibition of heme polymerization and also good interaction with heme through molecular docking was observed. Additionally, some of them have a good cytotoxic effect on the study2 cell line. So further study on these compounds can lead to compounds that can be considered as anti-malarial and/or anticancer agents.
As high as 20% of the population is thought to have recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS), hence, finding new therapeutic agents may be needed. Pomegranate (
), has been extensively used in the folk ...medicine of many cultures, as it possesses antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. In this study, it is hypothesized that a topical form of pomegranate peel extract (PPE) may shorten the duration, accelerate the healing and reduce the pain of RAS patients. The presented randomized, double-blind study was conducted on 56 patients. Herein, 28 patients were advised to apply PPE gel, and the other 28 patients were given placebo gel, twice daily for one week. Efficacy evaluations were made at days 0 (before using the gel), 3, 5 and 7. The mean values of ulcer size, pain and healing duration of ulcers were compared in both groups. PPE gel was significantly effective in reducing the pain (p<0.001), ulcer size (p<0.001), and healing duration of ulcers (p<0.001) over a period of one week. PPE in the form of oral gel can be used in the management of aphthous ulcers.
Dementia is a syndrome of cognitive and functional decline, commonly occurring in later life as a result of neurodegenerative and cerebrovascular processes beginning earlier in the life course. An ...excess of free radicals has an essential role in neurodegenerative diseases and aging. This paper aims to review the effects of noise and carbon monoxide as a risk factor in Alzheimer's disease as well as the role of free radicals in the progress of Alzheimer's disease. Articles included in this review were identified through a search of the databases PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar using the search terms Alzheimer's disease, dementia, noise, reactive oxygen species, and Carbon Monoxide. The literature search was restricted to the years 1982 to 2020 and articles published in the English language. The metabolism rate of the body is very high when exposed to noise and carbon monoxide; this leads to overproduction of reactive oxygen species and oxidative stress conditions. Oxidative stress has an essential role in the mechanisms concerned in Alzheimer's disease. In addition to the consequences of noise and a chemical substance on the auditory system, they also have non-auditory effects that affect the brain and induced neurodegenerative disease.
Background. Medicinal plants have been remarkable sources of current chemotherapeutic agents. Ethnobotanical utilization of Bryonia species goes back to the old era, and contemporary but preliminary ...studies have evidenced the anticancer effects of this kind of plant. Methods. The MTT assay was used to investigate the cytotoxicity of a range of concentrations from different extracts of Bryonia aspera root in cancer and noncancer cells. The apoptosis was assessed using annexinV-FITC/PI flow cytometry assay. The expression of selected hallmark genes from different cell death modalities, including apoptosis, necroptosis, ferroptosis, and pyroptosis, was investigated using the qPCR method. The ROS production was also measured by the fluorescence technique. Results. Compared to the normal cells, all three extracts could induce significant cell death in lower doses in breast, ovarian, and glioblastoma cancer cells. Flow cytometry and gene expression studies revealed that different extracts of Bryonia aspera tend to induce different types of cell death in the selective cancer cell lines. ROS production was not impacted significantly by any of those three extracts in none of the cancer cells. Conclusion. The findings showed that all three extracts of Bryonia aspera root contain biologically active compounds that induce different types of programmed cell death in the investigated breast, ovarian, and glioblastoma cancer cells in concentrations significantly less than the doses affecting normal cells.
Objective
To compare the clinical and paraclinical features and outcomes of pregnant and nonpregnant women with COVID‐19.
Methods
A multicenter retrospective cohort study of pregnant and nonpregnant ...women of reproductive age hospitalized between March and October 2020 in Tehran, Iran. Medical records were reviewed and women who tested positive for SARS‐CoV‐2 on RT‐PCR were included. Extracted data were compared and logistic regression performed.
Results
A total of 110 pregnant and 234 nonpregnant COVID‐19‐positive women were included. Frequency of severe disease was higher in nonpregnant women than pregnant women (29% vs 11.8%; P < 0.001). Symptoms including cough, dyspnea, chill, fatigue, and headache were more frequent in nonpregnant women (P < 0.05). Pregnant women had higher oxygen saturation levels and lower lymphocyte count (P = 0.001). Six (5.5%) pregnant and 12 (5.1%) nonpregnant women died (P = 0.80). No significant differences between the groups were found for ICU admission and end organ failure. Significantly more nonpregnant women had acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS, 9.4% vs 0%; P = 0.001). Univariate regression indicated association between hypertension and death; oxygen saturation and ARDS; and body mass index and ICU admission. No association was found between pregnancy and death, ICU admission, or ARDS.
Conclusion
Pregnant women with COVID‐19 are not at higher risk of adverse outcomes compared with nonpregnant women.
Synopsis
Pregnant women are not at higher risk of adverse outcomes of COVID‐19. Acute respiratory distress syndrome occurred more frequently in nonpregnant women.
Background
Acute liver damage may be followed by biochemical, behavioral, and pathological alterations, which can end up in serious complications and even death.
Aim
The aim of this study was to ...determine whether quercetin, a flavonoid compound, which is also known to have cell-protective, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects, has any protective impacts against thioacetamide (TAA)-induced liver damage in rats.
Methods
Thirty-six Sprague–Dawley rats were divided into three groups: group C1, normal rats; group C2, rats that received a single dose of TAA (350 mg/kg) intraperitoneally; and group E, rats that received a single dose of TAA (350 mg/ kg)+300 mg/kg quercetin intraperitoneally. At the end, liver enzymes and plasma ammonia (NH
4
) were measured, and pathological analysis of the liver carried out.
Results
The measured serological markers except for total bilirubin (alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and NH
4
) showed a significant decrease in group E compared with group C2. The quercetin-treated group showed a significantly lower clinical grade of encephalopathy. Pathological findings showed a significantly lower piecemeal necrosis in group E compared with group C2. Moreover, there was a nonsignificant decrease in focal necrosis, apoptosis, and focal inflammation in group E compared with group C2. Portal inflammation scores were lower in group E than in group C2. Therefore, quercetin significantly affected the grade of liver damage, as group E had lower grades compared with group C2 (
P
<0.05).
Conclusion
Overall, quercetin showed positive effects on both the liver injury and its related behavioral and biochemical changes.
Both Nigella sativa oil and atorvastatin possess anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties that benefit wound healing. In this work, chitosan-carboxymethyl ...cellulose was loaded on N. sativa oil to synthesize oil nanogel (ONG) which was later used to load with atorvastatin to obtain atorvastatin-oil nanogel (ATONG). Evaluation of the particle size of ONG and ATONG proved the average of 172 and 193 nm, and their surface charges were found to be 32.2 and 34.7 mV, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy of the sample showed that the particles had homogeneous size distributions with spherical structures. Moreover, drug loading efficiency, drug release, and stability of ATONG were investigated, and their results confirmed the appropriate loading and release of atorvastatin. Cytotoxicity evaluation demonstrated that ATONG can safely release atorvastatin intracellularly in fibroblasts. Results from in vitro skin permeation of ONG and ATONG also revealed that the nanogels (NGs) has proper flux through the skin layers. The in vitro wound closure assay for ATONG verified the proliferation and migration capabilities of fibroblasts, confirming the positive effect on wound-healing applications. In scratch model of fibroblasts, the treatment with ATONG resulted in an increase in the expression of the FGF2, TGF-β1, and VEGF genes involved in fibroblast proliferation and migration aimed at wound healing (p < .001). ATONG, also demonstrated bactericidal effects against Staphylococcus, S. aureus, and S. epidermidis species. Based on the results, ONG and ATONG exhibited great potential to be used as a transdermal drug carrier and skin wound healing NG, respectively.
•A novel complex of Zn(II) has been synthesized through a one-pot reaction and without using chemical solvents•The structure of the complex was characterized by X-ray crystallography•In vitro ...cytotoxicity of the compounds was studied against four cancer cell lines and a normal cell line•Effect of the complex was assayed on production of ROS and decrease of MMP in A375 and HT29 cells•In vitro antimicrobial activity of the compounds was tested
A zinc(II) complex formulated as (4-apyH)2Zn(pydc)(pydcH)2.(pydcH2)2.10H2O was prepared through a one-pot reaction of pyridine-2,6- dicarboxylic acid, 4-aminopyridine, and zinc chloride anhydrous metal salt. In all the steps, only distilled water was used as the solvent. The compound was fully characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and disordered octahedral geometry was recognized for it. The cytotoxicity of the complex and its ligands was evaluated by MTT method against A375, LN229, DLD1, HT29, and HFF cell lines. The strongest anti-proliferative effect of the complex was exhibited toward HT29 (IC50=10 µM, Viability inhibition =78.23%) cells. The apoptosis was proposed as the main pathway for the death of the cells according to the product of ROS high value and reduction of MMP. The antibacterial effect of compounds was studied against two Gram-positive bacteria namely Staphylococcus aureus, and Staphylococcus epidermidis, and also three Gram-negative bacteria namely Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Proteus vulgaris. The established antibacterial tests were including the broth microdilution method and the agar well diffusion method. S. aureus (MIC=16 µg/mL, IZD=30 mm) and S. epidermidis (MIC=32 µg/mL, IZD=22 mm) were considered as the most susceptible bacteria following treatment of the complex.
A new Zn(II) complex was synthesized without using chemical solvents and was characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Anticancer activity of the complex, ligands, and zinc chloride anhydrous metal salt was evaluated by MTT assay toward A375, LN229, DLD1, HT29, and HFF cells. The strongest cytotoxic effect was indicated by the complex toward A375 and HT29 cells, in vitro. Accordingly, these two cell lines were selected to evaluate MMP and ROS. Also, the antimicrobial activity of the compounds was investigated against 5 strains of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. S. aureus and S. epidermidis were realized as the most susceptible bacteria following the treatment of the complex. Display omitted
One of the important issues in tissue engineering has been the development of 3D scaffolds, which guide cells to grow functional tissues and allow the diffusion of nutrients, metabolites, and soluble ...factors. Factors governing scaffold design include considerations of pore size and morphology, mechanical properties versus porosity, surface properties, and appropriate biodegradability. Three-dimensional structures with low density, high surface area and porosity can be utilized effectively in the tissue engineering. Recently two-nozzle electrospinning was used for fabricate polymeric and ceramic bulky layers with specific formulation. Fabrication of 3D carbon nanofiber with this method was investigated in this assay with FESEM, TGA-DTA, FTIR and XRD. Polyacrylonitrile was used as precursor. The collector speed was changed (15, 30, 60, 150, 300 and 450 rpm) to result in oriented 3D carbon nanofiber after stepwise thermal process under neutral gas atmosphere. The effect of the mechanical force applied by the collector rotation not only can arranged carbon fiber mat but also can change the crystallinity of the carbon structure
.
The viability and growth capability of cells on nanofibers towards the lowest cytotoxicity of them proved by MTT test. The growth characteristic of neural and mouse bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells cultured in the webs showed the good adhesion with the blown web relative to a normal electrospun mat. The electrospun nanofibers mat had good tensile properties and high porosity and provides a favorable environment for neural cell attachment and proliferation comparable to other scaffolds. The cell viability and cell growth capability in prepared nanofibers were assessed.
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