Exploring the mediating role of self-efficacy beliefs among EFL university language learners: The relationship of social support with academic enthusiasm and academic vitality.

This study explores the intricate relationship between social support, academic enthusiasm, and academic vitality among English language learners (ELLs) in 2023, with a specific emphasis on the intermediary role of self-efficacy beliefs. Despite the existing body of literature, there has been a notable dearth of discussions concerning the influence of social support on academic enthusiasm and vitality. In 2023, the educational landscape is evolving rapidly, demanding a deeper understanding of the factors that drive student motivation and academic engagement. This study addresses this gap by investigating the role of social support and self-efficacy beliefs in shaping academic enthusiasm and vitality among ELLs in this contemporary educational context. Through a quantitative research approach, this study engaged a cohort of 242 ELLs from Zanjan University, encompassing both genders. Data were diligently collected through the administration of four distinct questionnaires by using multiple-stage cluster sampling. To unearth insights into the complex relationships under scrutiny, data analyses were meticulously conducted using SPSS 25 and AMOS 24. The consequential findings underscore the paramount significance of cultivating a supportive educational milieu that effectively bolsters self-efficacy beliefs. This nurturing environment, in turn, begets heightened academic enthusiasm and vitality among ELLs. The implications of these findings are manifold, offering universities a valuable toolkit to forge strategies and interventions aimed at fostering not only social support but also the crucial underpinning of self-efficacy beliefs. By doing so, these institutions can effectively nurture the academic enthusiasm and vitality of ELLs, thereby enhancing their educational experience and outcomes.

The effect of ostrich acellular dermal matrix on keratinized gingival width.

Background: Xenogeneic grafts have gained attention due to advantages in compare of autografts. This study aimed to compare Xeno (ostrich) Acellular Dermal Matrix (XADM) with the free gingival graft (FGG) to increase the width of Keratinized gingiva (KGW) in dogs. Materials and Methods: This split mouth animal study was performed on 10 mixed breed dogs. The upper second premolar sites were randomly selected for grafting by XADM (test) or FGG (control). Measurements of KGW were recorded before surgery, 1, 3, and 6 months after surgery. Biopsies from grafted sites for histologic and histomorphometric evaluations were harvested 6 months after surgery. Data were analyzed by repeated measured, paired samples t-test, and Wilcoxon Signed rank test. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: KGW increased in the two study groups after surgery with no significant statistical difference between them at any time intervals (P > 0.05). The graft shrinkage was 23% and 21% for the test and control groups, respectively, without statistically significant difference (P > 0.05). Histomorphometric evaluation showed no significant difference between the two study groups. Foreign body reaction was not seen in any of the study groups. Conclusion: Increased KWG was similar between the two study groups. With regard to FGG limitations, XADM may be assumed as a suitable alternative for FGG. It should be noted that this research was an animal study and clinical trials on human should be performed to approve the efficacy and safety of this material.

In Silico Optimization of Frizzled-8 Receptor Inhibition Activity of Carbamazepine: Designing New Anti-Cancer Agent.

BACKGROUND: Frizzled-8 (FZD8) receptor is a therapeutic target for cancer treatment and recent research has shown that carbamazepine (CBZ) can inhibit this receptor. OBJECTIVE: In this work, it has been tried to optimize CBZ to enhance its binding capacity to the N6W binding site of FZD8 by using structure-based drug design methods. METHODS: CBZ and its 83 derivatives were docked to the N6W binding site of FZD8. RESULTS: Docking results show that two compounds 79 and 82 have the smallest binding energies and are fitted to the N6W binding site. Compounds C79 and C82 have been synthesized by replacing a hydrogen atom of the seven-membered ring in CBZ with benzoate and nicotinate groups, respectively. In addition, docking results show that a trifluoromethyl on one of the phenyl rings is favorable for improving the FZD8 inhibition activity of the molecule. CONCLUSION: Both molecules C79 and C82 were subjected to molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. MD results show that FZD8-C82 complex is stable and this compound binds to the N6W binding site more strongly than compounds C79 and CBZ.

A Comparison between Mucoderm® and Connective Tissue Graft for Root Coverage.

Statement of the Problem: Subepithelial connective tissue graft (SCTG) is the gold stand-ard treatment for root coverage procedure; however, this technique has limitations such as the need for a donor site and the difficulty of the harvesting procedure. The potential bene-fits of Mucoderm®, a collagen matrix derived from porcine dermis, as an alternative treat-ment for root coverage can be investigated. Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of Mucoderm® for root coverage and compare its results with SCTG. Materials and Method: This double-blind split-mouth randomized clinical trial was con-ducted on seven patients with 12 bilateral gingival recessions (24 recession sites). Coronally advanced flap + Mucoderm® was applied on one side and coronally advanced flap + con-nective tissue graft (CTG) was applied on the contralateral side. We measured the periodon-tal pocket depth (PPD), clinical attachment level (CAL), recession depth (RD), keratinized tissue width (KTW) and gingival thickness (GT) with a surgical stent at baseline (preopera-tively) and at 1, 3 and 6 months postoperatively. The Wilcoxon and Friedman tests were used to analyse the data. Results: The mean percentage of root coverage was 26% in the Mucoderm® group and 60% in the SCTG group at 6 months, compared with baseline. The mean percentage of root coverage was significantly different between the two groups (p Value< 0.05). The results indicated that Mucoderm® did not increase the KTW, while CTG significantly increased the KTW (p Value< 0.05 at 1, 3 and 6 months). Conclusion: The results of this study showed that Mucoderm® might not be an appropriate alternative for the CTG in root coverage procedures.

Recent trends in dehydroxylative trifluoro-methylation, -methoxylation, -methylthiolation, and -methylselenylation of alcohols.

Owing to the prevalence of hydroxyl groups on molecules, much attention has been paid to the synthesis of functionalized organic compounds by dehydroxylative functionalization of parent alcohols. In this context, dehydroxylative trifluoromethylation, trifluoromethoxylation, trifluoromethylthiolation, and trifluoromethylselenylation of readily available alcohols have recently emerged as intriguing protocols for the single-step construction of diverse structures bearing C-CF3, C-OCF3, C-SCF3, and C-SeCF3 bonds, respectively. This Mini-Review aims to summarize the major progress and advances in this appealing research area with special emphasis on the mechanistic features of the reaction pathways.

Direct synthesis of sulfenamides, sulfinamides, and sulfonamides from thiols and amines.

Needless to say that organosulfur compounds with sulfur-nitrogen bonds have found various applications in diverse fields such as pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, polymers, and so forth. Three major groups of such compounds are sulfenamides, sulfinamides, and sulfonamides which have been widely applied as building blocks in medical chemistry. Owing to their significant role in drug design and discovery programs, the search for and development of efficient, environmentally friendly, and economic processes for the preparation of the title compounds is of great importance in the pharmaceutical industry. Recently, oxidative coupling of thiols and amines, two readily available low-cost commodity chemicals, has emerged as a highly useful method for synthesizing structurally diverse sulfenamides, sulfinamides, and sulfonamides in a single step. Since this strategy does not require additional pre-functionalization and de-functionalization steps, it considerably streamlines synthetic routes and substantially reduces waste generation. This review will focus on recent advances and achievements in this attractive research arena.

Alkoxysulfenylation of alkenes: development and recent advances.

Among the wide variety of synthetic transformations of inexpensive and abundant feedstock alkenes, vicinal difunctionalization of carbon-carbon double bonds represent one of the most powerful and effective strategies for the introduction of two distinct functional groups into target compounds in a one-pot process. In this context, the direct alkoxysulfenylation of alkenes has emerged as an elegant method to construct valuable ß-alkoxy sulfides in an atom- and pot-economic manner utilizing readily accessible starting materials. Here, we review the available literature on this appealing research topic by hoping that it will be beneficial for eliciting further research and thinking in this domain.

Development linear and non-linear QSAR models for predicting AXL kinase inhibitory activity of N-[4-(quinolin-4-yloxy)phenyl]benzenesulfonamides.

In this research, we used CoMFA, LSSVM and FFANN for creating QSAR models for predicting AXL Kinase inhibitory activity of N-[4-(Quinolin-4-yloxy)phenyl]benzenesulfonamides. A CoMFA model with three components was developed and CoMFA contour maps were interpreted to extract chemical features that influence the inhibitory activity of these molecules. R2 for train and test set of CoMFA model were 0.8900 and 0.8171, respectively. Model created by five Dragon descriptors and LSSVM model showed slightly better predictive power with respect to CoMFA model. R2 for train, test set of created LSSVM model were 0.0.8477 and 0.8218, respectively. Also, a FFANN model, using the same five descriptors, was developed with 2 neurons in its hidden layer and R2 for its train and test sets were 0.8314 and 0.8522, respectively. All created models were validated by calculating several statistical parameters and their applicability domain were investigated by calculating leverage. Furthermore, a homology model was built for Axl structure and molecules with the lowest and the greatest activity were docked to it and their interactions with Axl were investigated.

Effect of nonsurgical periodontal therapy on the level of salivary antioxidants in patients with generalized moderate-to-severe chronic periodontitis.

Background: In the course of periodontal diseases, polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) produce oxidative agents and free radicals, thus triggering oxidant-antioxidant disequilibrium in the saliva. Due to the reduction of antioxidant protective effect, oxidative stress is induced, destroying periodontal tissues. This study aimed to investigate the consequences of the non-surgical phase of periodontal therapy on the level ofsalivary antioxidantsin patients with generalized moderate-to-severe chronic periodontitis. Methods: Un-stimulated salivary samples were collected from 43 patients with generalized moderate-to-severe chronic periodontitis for 5 minutes. Clinical parameters, including clinical attachment loss (CAL), bleeding on probing (BoP) and pocket depth (PD), were recorded in each tooth and subsequently, scaling and root planing (SRP) was carried out. After four weeks, salivary samples were collected once again, and the above-mentioned clinical parameters were recorded. Following centrifugation and freezing at a temperature of -80°C, salivary samples were examined simultaneously in a single day, and the level of their antioxidants was measured with ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) method using a spectrophotometer. Results: The concentration of salivary antioxidants significantly increased four weeks following the non-surgical periodontal therapy (P<0.0001). Moreover, the clinical parameters of CAL, BoP and PD showed a significant decrease in 4 weeks as well (P<0.0001). Conclusion: The level of salivary antioxidants in patients with generalized moderate to severe chronic periodontitis significantly increased after etiotropic periodontal therapy, indicating the possible beneficial influence of periodontal therapy on the level of salivary antioxidants in patients suffering from periodontitis.

Clinical and Histomorphometric Assessment of Lateral Alveolar Ridge Augmentation Using a Corticocancellous Freeze-Dried Allograft Bone Block.

Horizontal ridge augmentation with allografts has attracted notable attention because of its proper success rate and the lack of disadvantages of autografts. Corticocancellous block allografts have not been adequately studied in humans. Therefore, this study clinically and histomorphometrically evaluated the increase in ridge width after horizontal ridge augmentation using corticocancellous block allografts as well as implant success after 12 to 18 months after implantation. In 10 patients receiving implants (3 women, 7 men; mean age = 45 years), defective maxillary alveolar ridges were horizontally augmented using freeze-dried bone allograft blocks. Ridge widths were measured before augmentation, immediately after augmentation, and ∼6 months later in the reentry surgery for implantation. This was done at points 2 mm (A) and 5 mm (B) apically to the crest. Biopsy cores were acquired from the implantation site. Implant success was assessed 15.1 ± 2.7 months after implantation (range = 12-18 months). Data were analyzed using Friedman and Dunn tests (α = 0.05). At point A, ridge widths were 2.77 ± 0.37, 8.02 ± 0.87, and 6.40 ± 0.66 mm, respectively, before surgery, immediately after surgery, and before implantation. At point B, ridge widths were 3.40 ± 0.39, 9.35 ± 1.16, and 7.40 ± 1.10 mm, respectively, before surgery, immediately after surgery, and before implantation. The Friedman test showed significant increases in ridge widths, both at point A and point B (both P = .0000). Postaugmentation resorption was about 1.5-2 mm and was statistically significant at points A and B (P < .05, Dunn). The percentage of newly formed bone, residual graft material, and soft tissue were 33.0% ± 11.35% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 24.88%-41.12%), 37.50% ± 19.04% (95% CI = 23.88%-51.12%), and 29.5%, respectively. The inflammation was limited to grades 1 or zero. Twelve to 18 months after implantation, no implants caused pain or showed exudates or pockets. Radiographic bone loss was 2.0 ± 0.7 mm (range = 1-3). It can be concluded that lateral ridge augmentation with corticocancellous allograft blocks might be successful both clinically and histologically. Implants might have a proper clinical success after a minimum of 12 months.

Comparison of acidic and neutral PH root conditioners prior to a coronally positioned flap to treat gingival recession.

BACKGROUND: Localized gingival recession can be treated successfully via coronally positioned flap (CPF) and additional use of root surface demineralization agents. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of additional use of ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) and citric acid as a root conditioner in association with CPF to cover localized buccal gingival recessions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-seven patients with 66 Miller class I buccal gingival recession ≥ 2 mm on single-rooted teeth were studied. Patients were randomly assigned: CPF with EDTA gel (test 1) and CPF with saturated citric acid (test 2) or CPF alone (control). Clinical parameters were measured at baseline and 1, 2, 3 and 6 months after surgery; assessment included recession depth (RD), clinical attachment level (CAL), probing depth (PD) and height of keratinized gingiva (HKG). SPSS version-20 was used to perform all statistical analyses. Data was reported as Mean ± SD. Age, RD, CAL, PD, and HKG before treatment and after 6 months among study groups were compared by one-way ANOVA followed by the Tukey test. The level of significance was considered to be less than 0.05. RESULTS: At 6 months, all treatment modalities showed significant root coverage and gain in CAL. RD was reduced from 2.86 ± 0.76 mm to 0.55±0.53 mm in the EDTA group and from 2.37±0.57 mm to 1.03±0.43 mm in the acid group and from 2.37±0.54 mm to 0.85±0.49 mm in the control group. The average percentage of root coverage for the EDTA, acid, and control groups were 80.73%, 52.16%, and 64.50%, respectively. At 6 months, there was a significant difference (P < 0.05) in all parameters for the EDTA group (except HKG that did not vary among the groups). CONCLUSION: Root preparation with EDTA was an effective procedure to cover localized gingival recessions and significantly improved the amount of root coverage obtained.

Electrochemical detection of the MT-ND6 gene and its enzymatic digestion: application in human genomic sample.

A simple electrochemical biosensor was developed for the detection of the mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase 6 gene (MT-ND6) and its enzymatic digestion by BamHI enzyme. This biosensor was fabricated by modification of a glassy carbon electrode with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs/GCE) and a probe oligonucleotide (ssDNA/AuNPs/GCE). The probe, which is a thiolated segment of the MT-ND6 gene, was deposited by self-assembling immobilization on AuNPs/GCE. Two indicators including methylene blue (MB) and neutral red (NR) were used as the electroactive indicators and the electrochemical response of the modified electrode was measured by differential pulse voltammetry. The proposed biosensor can detect the complementary sequences of the MT-ND6 gene. Also the modified electrode was used for the detection of an enzymatic digestion process by BamHI enzyme. The electrochemical biosensor can detect the MT-ND6 gene and its enzymatic digestion in polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-amplified DNA extracted from human blood. Also the biosensor was used directly for detection of the MT-ND6 gene in all of the human genome.

Urinary endothellin-1 level in children with pyelonephritis and hydronephrosis.

Hydronephrosis is a common finding in patients with urinary tract infection (UTI). Endothellin-1 (ET-1) is a potent vasoactive peptide that has vasoconstrictive effects. It has been shown that urinary ET-1 increases in urinary obstructions. In this study, we measured the urinary ET-1 level in patients with UTI and hydronephrosis of various causes. In this case-control study, we evaluated the urinary ET-1 level in 45 patients who had UTI and hydronephrosis, serving as a case group, and 45 patients who had UTI without hydronephrosis, serving as a control group. Urinary ET-1 was quantified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and urinary creatinine (Cr) by Jaffe method. To rule out the effect of urinary flow rate, the urinary ET-1 to Cr correlation was considered for analysis of the results. The mean age of the patients in the case and control groups was 36.5 ± 27.2 and 26.2 ± 15.5 months, respectively (P >0.01). The mean urinary ET-1 was 89.6 ± 41.7 pg/dL in the case group and 29.3 ± 26 pg/dL in the control group, P <0.001. The mean urinary ET-1 was 121 ± 55.4 pg/dL in patients who had grade 4 hydronephrosis. We conclude that urinary ET-1 was significantly higher in the obstructed than in non-obstructed cases. Urinary ET-1 could be a useful marker that can be utilized in young children for diagnosis of hydronephrosis, especially obstructive cases.

(4,4'-Dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine-κN,N')(dimethyl sulfoxide-κO)diiodidocadmium(II).

In the title compound, [CdI(2)(C(12)H(12)N(2))(C(2)H(6)OS)], the Cd(II) cation is coordinated by two N atoms from a dimethyl-bipyridine ligand, one O atom from a dimethyl sulfoxide mol-ecule and two I(-) anions in a distorted trigonal-bipyramidal geometry. Intra-molecular C-H⋯O hydrogen bonding and inter-molecular π-π stacking between parallel pyridine rings [centroid-centroid distance = 3.658 (3) Å] are present in the crystal structure.

catena-Poly[[(5,5'-dimethyl-2,2'-bi-pyridine-κN,N')cadmium(II)]-di-µ-iodido].

In the title coordination polymer, [CdI(2)(C(12)H(12)N(2))](n), the Cd(2+) ion lies on a twofold rotation axis: it is six-coordinated in a distorted cis-CdN(2)I(4) octa-hedral geometry by two N atoms from a chelating 5,5'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine ligands and four bridging iodide anions. The bridging function of the iodide ions leads to a chain structure propagating in [001].

Dibromido(6-methyl-2,2'-bipyridine-κN,N')zinc(II).

In the title compound, [ZnBr(2)(C(11)H(10)N(2))], the Zn(II) atom is four-coordinated in a distorted tetra-hedral configuration by two N atoms from a 6-methyl-2,2'-bipyridine ligand and two terminal Br atoms. Weak inter-molecular C-H⋯Br hydrogen bonds and π-π stacking inter-actions between the pyridine rings [centroid-centroid distances = 3.763 (5) and 3.835 (6) Å] contribute to crystal-packing effects.

Dibromido(2,3,5,6-tetra-2-pyridyl-pyrazine-κN,N,N)zinc(II).

In the title compound, [ZnBr(2)(C(24)H(16)N(6))], the Zn(II) ion is coordinated by the N,N',N''-tridentate 2,3,5,6-tetra-2-pyridyl-pyrazine ligand and two bromide ions, generating a distorted ZnN(3)Br(2) trigonal-bipyramidal geometry for the metal ion, with both bromide ions in equatorial sites. The dihedral angles between the pyrazine ring and the coordinated pyridine rings are 13.3 (2) and 24.8 (2)°; those between the pyrazine ring and the uncoordinated pyradine rings are 31.3 (2) and 44.2 (2)°. In the crystal, inversion dimers linked by pairs of weak C-H⋯Br hydrogen bonds occur.

Dichloridobis(phenanthridine-κN)zinc(II).

In the mol-ecule of the title compound, [ZnCl(2)(C(13)H(9)N)(2)], the Zn(II) atom is four-coordinated in a distorted tetra-hedral configuration by two N atoms from two phenanthridine ligands and by two terminal Cl atoms. The dihedral angle between the planes of the phenanthridine ring systems is 69.92 (3)°. An intra-molecular C-H⋯Cl inter-action results in the formation of a planar five-membered ring, which is oriented at a dihedral angle of 8.32 (3)° with respect to the adjacent phenanthridine ring system. In the crystal structure, π-π contacts between the phenanthridine systems [centroid-centroid distances = 3.839 (2), 3.617 (1) and 3.682 (1) Å] may stabilize the structure. Two weak C-H⋯π inter-actions are also found.

5,5'-Dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine.

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C(12)H(12)N(2), contains two half-mol-ecules related by an inversion center, the planes of their pyridine rings being oriented at a dihedral angle of 69.62 (4)°. In the crystal structure, a π-π contact between the pyridine rings [centroid-centroid distance = 3.895 (3) Å] may stabilize the structure. A weak C-H⋯π inter-action is also found.

Dichlorido(2,9-dimethyl-4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline-κN,N')mercury(II) acetonitrile hemisolvate.

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, [HgCl(2)(C(26)H(20)N(2))]·0.5CH(3)CN, contains two crystallographic-ally independent [HgCl(2)(C(26)H(20)N(2))] mol-ecules and one acetonitrile solvent mol-ecule. The Hg(II) atoms are four-coordin-ated in distorted tetra-hedral configurations by two N atoms from 2,9-dimethyl-4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline ligands and two Cl atoms. The ligand ring systems are not planar. The phenyl rings are oriented at dihedral angles of 74.61 (3) and 66.00 (3)° in the two molecules. In the crystal structure, π-π contacts between phenanthroline rings [centroid-centroid distances = 3.809 (1), 3.686 (1), 3.986 (1), 3.877 (1), 3.697 (1), 3.789 (1), 3.745 (1), 3.797 (1) and 3.638 (1) Å] may stabilize the structure.