Evaluation of the effects of photodynamic therapy consisted of the blue laser and zinc oxide QDs on MDA-MB-231 cancer cells by inhibiting cancer markers and inducing apoptosis.

The increasing number of cancer patients has cast attention on developing new anti-cancer modalities. Photodynamic therapy is a safe anti-cancer approach, which encompasses (1) local administration of a photosensitizer and (2) light irradiation. Zinc oxide (ZnO) quantum dots (QDs) are photosensitizers that can be utilized for this purpose. In the present study, to better appreciate the likely more efficient cytotoxic effect of the combination of ZnO QDs and the visible 470-nm blue light in comparison to the QDs alone, several assays were to be conducted upon breast cancer MDA-MB 231 cells. MTT assay showed that in certain groups the combination displayed higher cytotoxic effects compared to those following QD treatment alone. LDH leakage and lipid peroxidation rates by the combination were significantly higher than treatment with either the blue laser or QDs. Although the combination managed to meaningfully reduce the number of colonies and CAT activity compared to QD treatment, there were no palpable differences between them. Lastly, the combination was able to increase the apoptotic genes, including BAX, TP53, caspase 3, and caspase 9 compared to QD, while, in the case of Bcl-2, an anti-apoptotic gene, none of the groups managed to make any tangible differences on its expression levels. Our findings propose that there may be synergistic effects between the blue laser and QD that can possibly be adopted in anti-cancer therapy in the future. However, further investigations regarding this matter are of the essence.

Electrocoagulation/flotation process for removing copper from an aqueous environment.

The presence of copper in aqueous environments such as drinking water has led to several environmental effects, such as flavor and odor. The increase in Cu levels in ground and surface water has been mainly attributed to anthropogenic and natural sources. Consequently, this applied-analytical study aimed to investigate copper removal from urban drinking water through batch reactor electrocoagulation/flotation (ECF) with aluminum electrodes. The copper removal efficiency was evaluated under various operating conditions of current density (0.8-2.4 mA/cm2), initial concentration (1-100 mg/L), pH (3.5-10.5), and time (10-30 min). Cu was determined using the method outlined in the standard procedures (3500-Cu B at 4571 nm). The results indicated that increasing the current density from 0.8 to 2.4 mA/cm2 and the reaction time from 10 to 30 min improved Cu+2 removal efficiency (from 95 to 100%). In addition, the results demonstrated that Cu+2 reduction is 100% with an initial concentration of 100 mg/L, a pH of 7.5, a reaction time of 30 min, and an anode current density of 2.4 mA/cm2. The Taguchi method results for copper removal efficiency show that reaction time is the most significant variable. Furthermore, Cu removal kinetics models in an ECF reactor are second-order (R2 > 0.92). The Cu removal in the ECF reactor is due to redox and adsorption. Moreover, the operational costs of Cu treatment with Al electrode pairs are estimated to range from 8857 and 9636 Rial/kg of Cu removed. Thus, it can be concluded that the ECF process is very efficient in removing Cu from aqueous environments under optimum conditions.

Cigarette butt littering consequences: a study of pollution rate on beaches and urban environments.

Cigarette butts are hazardous wastes that are not properly discarded by most smokers. They are one of the most abundant litters in the environment and a threat to various organisms because they leak numerous pollutants. This study aimed to assess the distribution of cigarette butts in a coastal city south of the Caspian Sea in Mazandaran Province, Iran. Observations were performed using the visual survey technique based on standardized protocol. The results showed 11,261 littered cigarette butts in 15 studied urban areas ( an average of 0.306 units per square meter). Also, the average density of littered cigarette butts on the studied beaches was 0.106 per square meter. The littered cigarette butts had significant spatial variation, and the number of counts was 135 to 2090. The land-use has a significant effect on the density of littered cigarette butts due to its population density. The inquiry's index demonstrated that 33.3% of the studied urban areas are high pollution and severe pollution, while all beaches are high and severe. Therefore, a significant focus must be considered to reduce cigarette butts littering due to the collection problems and challenges of cigarette butt management. Because the pollution on the beaches is higher than in urban areas, improving waste management services and establishing a regular cleaning program are essential.

Optimization of extraction conditions and determination of the Chlorpyrifos, Diazinon, and malathion residues in environment samples: Fruit (Apple, Orange, and Tomato).

Organophosphate (OP) insecticide, such as diazinon is found in the environments like water which is still approved for agricultural uses. When diazinon residues enter the human body, it functions as an acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor. This research aims to measure of chlorpyrifos (CPF), diazinon, and malathion residues in fruit such as apple, orange, and tomato after optimizing extraction conditions. Pesticide residues are measured by gas chromatography (GC) technique. Effective variables on pesticide residues are studied including pesticides kind, sampling station, and fruit kind. Results show that average concentration CPF, diazinon, and malathion residues in orange water are 7.05 ± 0.01 mg L-1, 6.66 ± 0.03 mg L-1, and 12.38 ± 0.02 µgL-1, respectively. The average concentration CPF, diazinon, and malathion residues in apple water are 0.74 ± 0.02 mgL-1, 0.70 ± 0.01 mgL-1, and 1.10 ± 0.01 µgL-1, respectively. The average concentration CPF, diazinon, and malathion residues in tomato water are 0.60 ± 0.02 mgL-1, 0.57 ± 0.02 mgL-1, and 0.89 ± 0.01 µgL-1, respectively. The highest CPF concentration is observed in the orange fruit from station 20. Due to an appropriate storage condition and presenting organic fruits in the supermarket, the least mean concentration of pesticides is obtained in studied fruits from station 2. The manner of washing, peeling, and storage period before consuming fruits lead to decreasing studied pesticides concentration about 15-35, 40-50, and 50-60%, respectively. Increasing the fruit shelf-life led to decreasing studied pesticides concentration. Between pesticide concentration and variables: pesticides kind, sampling station, fruit kind, are not seen meaningful statistic relationship (P > 0.05). This study showed that pesticide residues in fruits can be decreased by washing, refrigerating, peeling procedures and increase in public surveillance.

Design, synthesis and antifungal activity of some new imidazole and triazole derivatives.

Triazole and imidazole are incorporated into the structures of many antifungal compounds. In this study a novel series of 1,2,4-triazole, imidazole, benzoimidazole, and benzotriazole derivatives was designed as inhibitors of cytochrome P450 14α-demethylase (14DM). These structures were docked into the active site of MT-CYP51, using Autodock program. Sixteen compounds with the best binding energy were synthesized. The chemical structures of the new compounds were confirmed by elemental and spectral ((1) H-NMR and Mass) analyses. All compounds were investigated for antifungal activity against Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, Candida glabrata, Candida parapeilosis, Candida kruzei, Candida dubliniensis, Aspergillus fomigatus, Aspergillus flavus, Microsporum canis, Microsporum gypseum, Trichophyton mentagrophyte, Epidermophyton floccosum. Some compounds showed excellent in-vitro antifungal activity against most of the tested fungi. Compounds 2, 9, and 10 had antifungal activity against several resistant fungi against fluconazole and itraconazole.