Influence of the use of remediated soil and agricultural drainage water on the safety of tomato fruits.

The objective of this study is to assess the effectiveness of different techniques employed in remediating contaminated soil and wastewater ecosystems to ensure the safety of tomato fruits (Solanum lycopersicum L. var. cerasiforme) cultivated in these environments. Three biochemical techniques T1-T3, besides two controls CCU and CCT, were used to remediate contaminated soil ecosystems using rock phosphate, elemental sulfur, bentonite, phosphate-dissolving bacteria, and Thiobacillus sp. The contaminated agricultural drainage water was remediated by a down-flow hanging sponge (DHS) system. Two experiments were conducted: a pot experiment took place in the greenhouse at the National Research Center of Cairo (Egypt) and a field experiment was carried out at the basin site in the village of El-Rahawy, applying the optimal treatment(s) identified from the greenhouse experiment. The health risk assessment for potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in the harvested tomato fruits was conducted by calculating estimated daily intake (EDI) and target risk quotient (THQ) values. Results from the greenhouse experiment indicated the high effectiveness of the DHS technique in remediating El-Rahawy agricultural drainage water. The content of PTEs after remediation was significantly reduced by 100%, 93.3%, 97.8, and 77.8% for cadmium, copper, manganese, and zinc, respectively. The application of treated drainage water in employed reclaimed soil ecosystems led to a remarkable decrease in PTE levels, especially under T3 treatment; the reduction reached 89.4%, 89.5%, and 78.4% for nickel, copper, and zinc, respectively. The bioremediation technique also reduced the content of PTEs in tomato fruits harvested from both greenhouse and field experiments; the cadmium content, for example, was below detection limits in all treatments. The T3 treatment applied in the greenhouse experiment caused the highest percentage decrease among the employed PTEs in tomato fruits grown in the greenhouse. The same trend was also reached in the field experiment. Microbiological analyses of tomato fruits revealed that E. coli, Salmonella, or S. aureus bacteria were identified on tomato fruits harvested from either greenhouses or field experiments, showing that the counted total bacteria were higher under the field experiment compared to the greenhouse experiment. The health risk assessment parameter THQ was below 1.0 for all tested metals under all treatments. This means that no potential health risk is expected from consuming tomato products produced under the different employed remediation treatments. In conclusion, the employed bioremediation techniques successfully reduced the PTE content and microbial load in both soil and drainage water ecosystems and in harvested tomato fruits. Henceforth, no health risks are expected from the consumption of this product.

Comprehensive environmental impact assessment and irrigation wastewater suitability of the Arab El-Madabegh wastewater treatment plant, ASSIUT CITY, EGYPT.

The presence of a wastewater treatment plant in the Arab El-Madabegh region, which discharges excessive amounts of raw effluent toward the nearby farming fields, is the area's main issue. Examining the harmful implications of raw effluent releases on groundwater quality, determining if treated wastewater effluent complies with regulations for discharge into the aquatic environment, and assessing irrigation appropriateness by the effluent are the main goals of this work. In order to accomplish these targets, twelve treated effluent samples from the Arab El-Madabegh wastewater treatment plant were gathered every two weeks starting in January 2012 and finishing in June 2012. They were tested to determine pH, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Temperature (Temp), Conductivity (EC), Turbidity (Turb.), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), Total Organic Carbon (TOC), NO3-, SO42-, Cl-, Ca2+, PO43-, HCO3-, Na+, Mg2+, and heavy metals such as (Fe, Mn, K+, Cr, Pb, Zn, Ni, Cu, and Cd). The outcomes revealed that all Egyptian and Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) standards for unrestricted irrigation were met by the treated effluents, except for COD, which exceeded than the Egyptian allowed limit. The evaluation indices of the effluent's EC, SAR, PI, MR, and MH were in the low-risk category according to indicators of water quality for irrigation, nevertheless, The SSP and RSC both showed slightly higher values (67.9% and 2.76, respectively). As well, The average values of heavy metals in treated wastewater effluent were found to be below permitted limits, with the exception of lead and phosphate, which exceeded permissible limits in Egypt. The environmental sustainability (ecological friendliness) of reusing and recycling tertiary treated wastewater can be achieved in agriculture to reduce the adverse impacts on the aquatic environment.

Mapping COVID-19's potential infection risk based on land use characteristics: A case study of commercial activities in two Egyptian cities.

The contagious COVID-19 has recently emerged and evolved into a world-threatening pandemic outbreak. After pursuing rigorous prophylactic measures two years ago, most activities globally reopened despite the emergence of lethal genetic strains. In this context, assessing and mapping activity characteristics-based hot spot regions facilitating infectious transmission is essential. Hence, our research question is: How can the potential hotspots of COVID-19 risk be defined intra-cities based on the spatial planning of commercial activity in particular? In our research, Zayed and October cities, Egypt, characterized by various commercial activities, were selected as testbeds. First, we analyzed each activity's spatial and morphological characteristics and potential infection risk based on the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) criteria and the Kriging Interpolation method. Then, using Google Mobility, previous reports, and semi-structured interviews, points of interest and population flow were defined and combined with the last step as interrelated horizontal layers for determining hotspots. A validation study compared the generated activity risk map, spatial COVID-19 cases, and land use distribution using logistic regression (LR) and Pearson coefficients (rxy). Through visual analytics, our findings indicate the central areas of both cities, including incompatible and concentrated commercial activities, have high-risk peaks (LR = 0.903, rxy = 0.78) despite the medium urban density of districts, indicating that urban density alone is insufficient for public health risk reduction. Health perspective-based spatial configuration of activities is advised as a risk assessment tool along with urban density for appropriate decision-making in shaping pandemic-resilient cities.

Urban flood numerical modeling and hydraulic performance of a drainage network: A case study in Algiers, Algeria.

Urban sewer system management is challenging due to its higher vulnerability to flooding caused by rapid urbanization and climate change. For local decision-makers, storm water management is essential for urban planning and development. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to develop a numerical model for the sewerage network of the central catchment area of Algiers since it has experienced frequent overflows during the winter season. For this purpose, to model the sewerage networks, the model was built by coupling ArcGIS with MIKE URBAN. Its calibration and validation were performed using real-time measurements with a time step of 15 min. The model was evaluated by several statistical indicators, such as the coefficient of determination (R2), Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE), root mean square error (RMSE), and percent bias (PBIAS). The model results showed acceptable model performance, with an NSE superior to 0.50, R2 of approximately 0.63, RMSE of 7%, and PBIAS of 10% during the validation of the model. The performance parameters prove the reliability of the developed model. The employed model can be applied in other regions and could be helpful for policymakers and managers to improve flood mitigation measures based on the model prediction of the sewerage network.

Diagnosis of Monkeypox Disease Using Transfer Learning and Binary Advanced Dipper Throated Optimization Algorithm.

The virus that causes monkeypox has been observed in Africa for several years, and it has been linked to the development of skin lesions. Public panic and anxiety have resulted from the deadly repercussions of virus infections following the COVID-19 pandemic. Rapid detection approaches are crucial since COVID-19 has reached a pandemic level. This study's overarching goal is to use metaheuristic optimization to boost the performance of feature selection and classification methods to identify skin lesions as indicators of monkeypox in the event of a pandemic. Deep learning and transfer learning approaches are used to extract the necessary features. The GoogLeNet network is the deep learning framework used for feature extraction. In addition, a binary implementation of the dipper throated optimization (DTO) algorithm is used for feature selection. The decision tree classifier is then used to label the selected set of features. The decision tree classifier is optimized using the continuous version of the DTO algorithm to improve the classification accuracy. Various evaluation methods are used to compare and contrast the proposed approach and the other competing methods using the following metrics: accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, p-Value, N-Value, and F1-score. Through feature selection and a decision tree classifier, the following results are achieved using the proposed approach; F1-score of 0.92, sensitivity of 0.95, specificity of 0.61, p-Value of 0.89, and N-Value of 0.79. The overall accuracy of the proposed methodology after optimizing the parameters of the decision tree classifier is 94.35%. Furthermore, the analysis of variation (ANOVA) and Wilcoxon signed rank test have been applied to the results to investigate the statistical distinction between the proposed methodology and the alternatives. This comparison verified the uniqueness and importance of the proposed approach to Monkeypox case detection.

Assessing the effectiveness of nature-based solutions-strengthened urban planning mechanisms in forming flood-resilient cities.

Cities have experienced rapid urbanization-induced harsh climatic events, especially flooding, inevitably resulting in negative and irreversible consequences for urban resilience and endangering residents' lives. Numerous studies have analyzed the effects of anthropogenic practices (land use changes and urbanization) on flood forecasting. However, non-structural mitigation's effectiveness, like Nature-Based Solutions (NBS), has yet to receive adequate attention, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, which have become increasingly significant and indispensable for operationalizing cities efficiently. Therefore, our study investigated the predictive influence of incorporating one of the most common NBS strategies called low-impact development tools (LID) (such as rain gardens, bio-retention cells, green roofs, infiltration trenches, permeable pavement, and vegetative swale) during the urban planning of Alexandria, Egypt, which experiences the harshest rainfall annually and includes various urban patterns. City characteristics-dependent 14 LID scenarios were simulated with recurrence intervals ranging from 2 to 100 years using the LID Treatment Train Tool (LID TTT), depending on calibrated data from 2015 to 2020, by the Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency index and deterministic coefficient, and root-mean-square error with values of 0.97, 0.91, and 0.31, respectively. Our findings confirmed the significant effectiveness of combined LID tools on total flood runoff volume reduction by 73.7%, revealing that different urban patterns can be used in flood-prone cities, provided LID tools are considered in city planning besides grey infrastructure to achieve optimal mitigation. These results, which combined multiple disciplines and were not explicitly mentioned in similar studies in developing countries, may assist municipalities' policymakers in planning flood-resistant, sustainable cities.

Double Lumbar Localization of Myelomeningocele: Case Report.

INTRODUCTION: Myelomeningocele (MMC) is a malformation resulting from the neural tube's failure to close during embryonic development, and the majority of the cases of neural tube defects (NTDs) were prevalent as single location lesions along the spine; however, multiple NTDs (MNTDs) are a very rare condition. Only a few cases of MNTDs were found in the literature. CASE PRESENTATION: We report the case of a 2-month-old male infant prenatally diagnosed with MMC, presented with two unconnected lumbar and lumbosacral epidermal, soft, dome-shaped swellings located on both sides of the midline (paravertebral) covered by intact skin. MRI revealed double MMC at the level of L4-L5, with spinal nerve roots. The patient underwent surgical repair of the defects by replacing the spinal cord and its nerve roots inside the thecal sac and recreating a covering layer around the neural structures to resemble thecal sac. The outcome was favorable, and postoperative head CT scan did not show any complication. CONCLUSION: Our case report is considered the first from Algeria to report the condition and the first to report the occurrence of double lesions in the same spine region. MMC can be associated with neurological deficits or other congenital anomalies, thus it is necessary to thoroughly examine such patients. However, there was no antenatal folic acid deficiency in our case. We recommend antenatal care with adequate folic acid supplementation given that its deficiency during pregnancy is considered a ubiquitous risk factor for the condition. The optimal timing for surgery of MMC cases is 8 ± 5 days. Prenatal intrauterine repair of the condition provides favorable outcomes but carries high fetal and maternal risks. Surgical repair should include the sac removal, the reconstruction of the placode, and the closure of the overlying meninges. With early diagnosis and proper repair of such cases, MMC has good prognosis and favorable outcomes.

Glypican-3, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Golgi Protein-73 for Differentiation between Liver Cirrhosis and Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for more than 80% of primary liver cancers. Moreover, in the next 10 years, more than one million patients are expected to die from liver cancer as estimated by the World Health Organization. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the clinical utility of using Glypican (GPC3), Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and Golgi protein 73 (GP73) in serum by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and by Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR), as diagnostic markers to differentiate HCC from cirrhotic liver disease. METHODS: A total of 50 patients with histologically-proven HCC, 50 liver cirrhosis patients and 20 healthy volunteers as controls were enrolled in this study, blood samples were obtained from each patient. Expression of the studied biomarkers was evaluated by ELISA and Real-Time PCR. RESULTS: Statistical analysis of RT-PCR results showed that the expression of GPC3, VEGF and GP73 in serum of patients with HCC was significant (P value < 0.001, 0.01, and < 0.001) respectively and increased when compared to the cirrhotic group. Furthermore, the serum protein levels of GPC3 and VEGF in HCC and cirrhotic patients were significant when compared to the control group. While no significance was found between HCC and cirrhotic group. The serum protein level of GP73 was significantly increased in HCC and cirrhosis groups  compared to the control group (P value < 0.001). Moreover, a significant increase was  evident in HCC group compared to cirrhotic group (P value < 0.001). The results of the present study showed that the combination of VEGF and  GP73 could  discriminate HCC from cirrhosis. CONCLUSION: GPC3, VEGF and GP73 are reliable biomarkers for diagnosis of  HCC. The serum level of GP73 is a potential screening marker for discriminating HCC from liver cirrhosis.

Adsorption air conditioning: a comprehensive review in desiccant materials, system progress, and recent studies on different configurations of hybrid solid desiccant air conditioning systems.

The desiccant air conditioning system has multiple advantages (e.g., no use of ozone-depleting refrigerants, highly efficient moisture control, easy regenerative integration) over traditional vapor-compression refrigeration systems, thus increasingly attracting more research interest. Recently, several studies have been conducted that primarily aimed to enhance the overall performance of desiccant air conditioners by innovating new desiccant materials, innovating new system configurations and improving system designs and controls, and integrating different hybrid energy sub-systems technologies. Therefore, this paper provides a comprehensive review of the studies mentioned earlier. The present comprehensive review dealt with several axes: first, an overview of the importance of using desiccant air conditioners and their operations, and performance indicators. Second, a summary statement for desiccant materials that includes: the new innovative desiccant materials and the most important composite desiccant materials. Third, detailed information on the newest innovative designs and configurations of desiccant air conditioning systems and their control systems. Fourth, a detailed statement on the most important hybrid energy sub-systems technologies integrated with desiccant air conditioners. Based on the latest developments in desiccant air conditioning systems, this study presents discussions of urgent issues and recommendations for future work that can help focus necessary efforts to find solutions to critical and pending problems, which lead to further improvements in the overall performance of desiccant air conditioners.

Cooperative redox and spin activity from three redox congeners of sulfur-bridged iron nitrosyl and nickel dithiolene complexes.

The synthesis of sulfur-bridged Fe-Ni heterobimetallics was inspired by Nature's strategies to "trick" abundant first row transition metals into enabling 2-electron processes: redox-active ligands (including pendant iron-sulfur clusters) and proximal metals. Our design to have redox-active ligands on each metal, NO on iron and dithiolene on nickel, resulted in the observation of unexpectedly intricate physical properties. The metallodithiolate, (NO)Fe(N2S2), reacts with a labile ligand derivative of [NiII(S2C2Ph2)]0, NiDT, yielding the expected S-bridged neutral adduct, FeNi, containing a doublet {Fe(NO)}7. Good reversibility of two redox events of FeNi led to isolation of reduced and oxidized congeners. Characterization by various spectroscopies and single-crystal X-ray diffraction concluded that reduction of the FeNi parent yielded [FeNi]-, a rare example of a high-spin {Fe(NO)}8, described as linear FeII(NO-). Mössbauer data is diagnostic for the redox change at the {Fe(NO)}7/8 site. Oxidation of FeNi generated the 2[FeNi]+⇌[Fe2Ni2]2+ equilibrium in solution; crystallization yields only the [Fe2Ni2]2+ dimer, isolated as PF6- and BArF- salts. The monomer is a spin-coupled diradical between {Fe(NO)}7 and NiDT+, while dimerization couples the two NiDT+ via a Ni2S2 rhomb. Magnetic susceptibility studies on the dimer found a singlet ground state with a thermally accessible triplet excited state responsible for the magnetism at 300 K (χMT = 0.67 emu·K·mol-1, µeff = 2.31 µB), and detectable by parallel-mode EPR spectroscopy at 20 to 50 K. A theoretical model built on an H4 chain explains this unexpected low energy triplet state arising from a combination of anti- and ferromagnetic coupling of a four-radical molecular conglomerate.

Neurotoxicity and neuroinflammatory effects of bisphenol A in male rats: the neuroprotective role of grape seed proanthocyanidins.

Exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) contributes to neurological disorders, but the underlying mechanisms are still not completely understood. We studied the neurotoxic effect of BPA and how it promotes inflammation and alteration in the neurotransmission synthesis, release, and transmission. This study was also designed to investigate the neuroprotective effect of grape seed proanthocyanidins (GSPE) against BPA-induced neurotoxicity in rats. Rats were equally divided into 4 groups with 7 rats in each: control group, BPA group, GSPE + BPA group, and GSPE group. Rats were orally treated with their respective doses (50 mg BPA/kg BW and/or 200 mg GSPE/kg BW) daily for 70 days. BPA elicits significant elevation in malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) associated with a significant reduction in glutathione (GSH), total thiols, glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione-S-transferase (GST). BPA exposure results in increased dopamine and serotonin levels, elevation in acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, and reduction in Na/K-ATPase and total ATPase activities in the brain. Also, BPA induces upregulation in the gene expression of the inflammatory markers, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and in the tumor suppressor and pro-oxidant p53 protein. The pretreatment with GSPE attenuates or ameliorate all the oxidative and neurotoxic parameters induced by BPA. Our results suggest that GSPE has a promising role in modulating BPA-induced neuroinflammation and neurotoxicity and its antioxidant and free radical scavenging activities may in part be responsible for such effects.

Transcrestal sinus lift with simultaneous implant placement using osseodensification in posterior maxilla with residual bone height of 4-6 mm / Elevação de seio maxilar via crista do rebordo com instalação simultânea de implante utilizando osseodensificador em região posterior de maxila com altura do remanescente ósseo de 4 a 6 mm

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the transcrestal sinus lift using Osseodensification technique with simultaneous implant placement. Material and Methods: In this case series 7 patients who needed implant placement in the atrophic posterior maxilla were enrolled. In all the cases the residual bone height between the sinus floor and the alveolar crest was 4-6 mm. Transcrestal sinus lift was performed using Osseodensification with simultaneous implant placement. Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) were obtained immediately postoperative and 6 months after operation. Implant stability using Osstell® were assessed at the time of implant placement and implant exposure (6 months). Results: The results showed that the mean bone height gain was 5.33±0.83mm at 6 months postoperatively. Mean bone density value was 818.43±109.63 HU. Mean ISQ value was 80.00±3.11 at 6 months postoperatively. The duration of surgical procedure (minutes) ranged between 25-38 minutes with an average of 30.86±4.10 minutes. Conclusion: The crestal maxillary sinus floor elevation using Osseodensification technique with simultaneous implant placement provide superior results regarding bone density and implant stability and less duration of surgical procedure. (AU)

Objetivo: O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a elevação de seio maxilar via crista do rebordo com a técnica de Osseodensificação com instalação simultânea de implante. Material e Métodos: Nesta série de casos, participaram 7 pacientes que necessitavam de implantes em região posterior de maxila atrófica. Em todos os casos a altura de remanescente ósseo entre o soalho do seio e a crista alveolar estava entre 4 a 6 mm. A elevação de seio maxilar via crista do rebordo foi realizada com osseodensificação com instalação simultânea de implante. As Tomografias Computadorizadas Cone Beam (TCCB) foram obtidas imediatamente após a cirurgia e 6 meses depois. A estabilidade dos implantes utilizando Osstell® foi avaliada no momento da instalação do implante e no momento da reabertura (6 meses). Resultados: Os resultados mostraram que a média de ganho de altura óssea foi de 5.33±0.83mm após 6 meses da cirurgia. A média da densidade óssea foi de 818.43±109.63 HU. A média de ISQ foi de 80.00±3.11 após 6 meses da cirurgia. A duração do procedimento cirúrgico (minutos) foi entre 25 a 38 minutos com uma média de 30.86±4.10 minutos. Conclusão: A elevação do soalho de seio maxilar via crista do rebordo com instalação simultânea de implante utilizando osseodensificador promove resultados superiores em relação à densidade óssea, estabilidade do implante e menor duração do tempo cirúrgico (AU)

The Impact of Bone Mineral Biomarkers on Cardiac Dysfunction in Predialysis Chronic Kidney Disease Children.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association of bone mineral biomarkers of calcium, phosphorus metabolism, and 25-hydroxy vitamin D with diastolic dysfunction of the left ventricle and left ventricle mass in predialysis chronic kidney children. Patients and Methods. A cross-sectional observational study was conducted on 60 children with chronic kidney disease and treated by conservative treatment from October 2018 to September 2019 in the Pediatric Nephrology and Cardiology Department at our University Hospital. RESULTS: The most common causes of CKD were congenital renal anomalies accounted for 22 (36.67%) of the studied cases. The mean age of children was 7.05 ± 2.74 years, and 32 (53.33%) were males. The children who had a normal diastolic function were 32 (53.33%), while those who had diastolic dysfunction were 28 (46.67%). There was a statistically significant in serum phosphorus (p value = 0.03), serum PTH (p value = 0.002), and hypertension (p value = 0.03). There was a statistically significant positive correlation between LVMI and iPTH level (r = 0.89, p ≤ 0.0001), 25(OH) cholecalciferol (r = -0.27, p = 0.04), serum Ca (r = -0.37, p = 0.004), and serum phosphorus (r = -0.45, p = 0.0003). CONCLUSION: Our results revealed that hyperparathyroidism, hyperphosphatemia, and hypertension were significantly associated with diastolic dysfunction while hypovitaminosis D was not significantly associated. Vitamin D deficiency was prevalent in all children with CKD. Biomarkers of mineral bone density were significantly associated with left ventricular hypertrophy and increased left ventricular mass index.

Therapeutic effects of astragaloside IV and Astragalus spinosus saponins against bisphenol A-induced neurotoxicity and DNA damage in rats.

BACKGROUND: Bisphenol A (BPA) is an endocrine disruptor to which humans are often subjected during daily life. This study aimed to investigate the ameliorative effect of astragaloside IV (ASIV) or saponins extracted from Astragalus spinosus (A. spinosus) against DNA damage and neurotoxic effects induced by BPA in prefrontal cortex (PFC), hippocampal and striatal brain regions of developing male rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Juvenile PND20 (pre-weaning; age of 20 days) male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly and equally divided into four groups: control, BPA, BPA+ASIV and BPA+A. spinosus saponins groups. Bisphenol A (125 mg/kg/day) was administrated orally to male rats from day 20 (BPA group) and along with ASIV (80 mg/kg/day) (BPA+ASIV group) or A. spinosus saponin (100 mg/kg/day) (BPA+ A. spinosus saponins group) from day 50 to adult age day 117. RESULTS: Increased level of nitric oxide (NO) and decreased level of glutamate (Glu), glutamine (Gln), glutaminase (GA) and glutamine synthetase (GS) were observed in the brain regions of BPA treated rats compared with the control. On the other hand, co-administration of ASIV or A. spinosus saponin with BPA considerably improved levels of these neurochemicals. The current study also revealed restoration of the level of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NR2A and NR2B) gene expression in BPA+ ASIV and BPA+A. spinosus saponins groups. The co-treatment of BPA group with ASIV or A. spinosus saponin significantly reduced the values of comet parameters as well as the intensity of estrogen receptors (ERs) immunoreactive cells and improved the histological alterations induced by BPA in different brain regions. CONCLUSION: It could be concluded that ASIV or A. spinosus saponins has a promising role in modulating the neurotoxicity and DNA damage elicited by BPA.

Photodriven Elimination of Chlorine From Germanium and Platinum in a Dinuclear PtII →GeIV Complex.

Searching for a connection between the two-electron redox behavior of Group-14 elements and their possible use as platforms for the photoreductive elimination of chlorine, we have studied the photochemistry of [(o-(Ph2 P)C6 H4 )2 GeIV Cl2 ]PtII Cl2 and [(o-(Ph2 P)C6 H4 )2 ClGeIII ]PtIII Cl3 , two newly isolated isomeric complexes. These studies show that, in the presence of a chlorine trap, both isomers convert cleanly into the platinum germyl complex [(o-(Ph2 P)C6 H4 )2 ClGeIII ]PtI Cl with quantum yields of 1.7 % and 3.2 % for the GeIV -PtII and GeIII -PtIII isomers, respectively. Conversion of the GeIV -PtII isomer into the platinum germyl complex is a rare example of a light-induced transition-metal/main-group-element bond-forming process. Finally, transient-absorption-spectroscopy studies carried out on the GeIII -PtIII isomer point to a ligand arene-Cl. charge-transfer complex as an intermediate.

Construction of 2D layered TiO2@MoS2heterostructure for efficient adsorption and photodegradation of organic dyes.

In this work, heterostructures of coupled TiO2@MoS2with different phases of MoS2were synthesized via hydrothermal technique. The prepared materials were thoroughly characterized using various techniques, including XRD, SEM, transmission electron microscopy, Brunauer-Emmet-Teller, XPS, Zeta potential and UV-vis spectroscopy. The optimized nanocomposites were tested for the photocatalytic degradation of methyl Orange (MO) under visible light as well as the adsorption of Rhodamine b (RhB) and methelene blue (MB) dyes. The TiO2@1T/2H-MoS2heterostructures exhibited a narrow bandgap compared to the other studied nanomaterials. A remarkable photodegradation efficiency of TiO2@1T/2H-MoS2was observed, which completely degraded 20 ppm of MO after 60 min with high stability over four successive cycles. This can be assigned to the formation of unique heterostructures with aligned energy bands between MoS2nanosheets and TiO2nanobelts. The formation of these novel interfaces promoted the electron transfer and increased the separation efficiency of carriers, resulting in high photocatalytic degradation. Furthermore, the adsorption efficiency of TiO2@1T/2H-MoS2was unique, 20 ppm solutions of RhB and MB were removed after 1 and 2 min, respectively. The superior adsorption performance of the TiO2@1T/2H-MoS2can be attributed to its high surface area (279.9 m2g-1) and the rich concentration of active sites. The kinetics and the isothermal analysis revealed that the TiO2@1T/2H MoS2heterstructures have maximum adsorption capacity of 1200 and 970 mg g-1for RhB and MB, respectively. This study provides a powerful way for designing an effective photocatalyst and adsorbent TiO2-based nanocomposites for water remediation.

Molecular and Electronic Structures and Single-Molecule Magnet Behavior of Tris(thioether)-Iron Complexes Containing Redox-Active α-Diimine Ligands.

Incorporating radical ligands into metal complexes is one of the emerging trends in the design of single-molecule magnets (SMMs). While significant effort has been expended to generate multinuclear transition metal-based SMMs with bridging radical ligands, less attention has been paid to mononuclear transition metal-radical SMMs. Herein, we describe the first α-diiminato radical-containing mononuclear transition metal SMM, namely, [κ2-PhTttBu]Fe(AdNCHCHNAd) (1), and its analogue [κ2-PhTttBu]Fe(CyNCHCHNCy) (2) (PhTttBu = phenyltris(tert-butylthiomethyl)borate, Ad = adamantyl, and Cy = cyclohexyl). 1 and 2 feature nearly identical geometric and electronic structures, as shown by X-ray crystallography and electronic absorption spectroscopy. A more detailed description of the electronic structure of 1 was obtained through EPR and Mössbauer spectroscopies, SQUID magnetometry, and DFT, TD-DFT, and CAS calculations. 1 and 2 are best described as high-spin iron(II) complexes with antiferromagnetically coupled α-diiminato radical ligands. A strong magnetic exchange coupling between the iron(II) ion and the ligand radical was confirmed in 1, with an estimated coupling constant J < -250 cm-1 (J = -657 cm-1, DFT). Calibrated CAS calculations revealed that the ground-state Fe(II)-α-diiminato radical configuration has significant ionic contributions, which are weighted specifically toward the Fe(I)-neutral α-diimine species. Experimental data and theoretical calculations also suggest that 1 possesses an easy-axis anisotropy, with an axial zero-field splitting parameter D in the range from -4 to-1 cm-1. Finally, dynamic magnetic studies show that 1 exhibits slow magnetic relaxation behavior with an energy barrier close to the theoretical maximum, 2|D|. These results demonstrate that incorporating strongly coupled α-diiminato radicals into mononuclear transition metal complexes can be an effective strategy to prepare SMMs.

A Novel Cell-based In vitro Assay for Antiviral Activity of Interferons α, ß, and γ by qPCR of MxA Gene Expression.

BACKGROUND: Human MxA gene is related to the class of interferon (IFN)-stimulated genes (ISGs) that plays a role in antiviral resistance. OBJECTIVE: Implementation of standard curves obtained from designing a procedure for data processing in relative qPCR between MxA expression and interferon's antiviral activity (IU/ml). These standard curves can be used to detect the antiviral activity of any new compound rapidly and safely. METHODS: To detect the optimum incubation time for maximum MxA gene expression in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), the isolated human PBMCs (1x106 cells) were incubated with a concentration of 1000 IU/ml of each IFN at different time intervals; 2 h, 4 h, 6 h, and 24 h post-treatment. A standard curve was performed for each IFN (α, ß, and γ) at different concentrations (250, 500, 750, 1000, 1500, and 2000 IU/ml). RESULTS: As observed at 4 h incubation time of 1000 IU/ml concentration, IFN-γ provided a higher expression of MxA compared to IFN-α and IFN-ß. Correlation analyses between IFN-α and IFN-ß, IFN-ß and IFN-γ were non-significant. However, there was a significant correlation between IFN-α and IFN-γ (p<0.01). Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analysis revealed that cut-off values of IFN- γ, IFN-ß, and IFN-α were 58.14 > 7.31 and > 3.33, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The relative expression of MxA is a biomarker for IFN-α, ß, and γ, especially IFN-α. It has compiled and validated a standard curve-based protocol for PCR data processing. It shows that the standard curve is an easy alternative tool to assess antiviral activity. We revised all patents relating to the antiviral assays of the used interferons.

Magnetostructural and EPR Studies of Anisotropic Vanadium trans-Dicyanide Molecules.

A series of trans-dicyanide vanadium(III) compounds based on acetylacetonate, (PPN)[VIII(acac)2(CN)2]·(PPN)Cl·2MeCN (1), and salen ligands, (Et4N)[VIII(salen)(CN)2] (2a), (PPN)[VIII(MeOsalen)(CN)2]·DMF·2MeCN (3), and (PPN)[VIII(salphen)(CN)2]·DMF (4) [salen = N,N'-ethylenebis(salicyl-imine), MeOsalen = N,N'-ethylenebis(methoxysalicylimine), salphen = N,N'-phenylenebis(salicyl-imine), and PPN = bis(triphenylphosphine)iminium], were prepared and structurally characterized. High-field EPR studies reveal that the complexes exhibit moderate magnetic anisotropy with positive D values of +5.70, +3.80, +4.05, and +3.99 cm-1 for 1-4, respectively.

Slow magnetic relaxation in cobalt N-heterocyclic carbene complexes.

The combined experimental and theoretical investigation of the magnetic properties of the cobalt(ii) NHC complexes (NHC = N-heterocyclic carbene); [Co(CH2SiMe3)2(IPr)] (1), [CoCl2(IMes)2] (2) and [Co(CH3)2(IMes)2] (3) revealed a large easy plane anisotropy for 1 (D = +73.7 cm-1) and a moderate easy axis anisotropy for 2 (D = -7.7 cm-1) due to significant out-of-state spin-orbit coupling. Dynamic magnetic measurements revealed slow relaxation of the magnetization for 1 (Ueff = 22.5 K, τ0 = 3 × 10-7 s, 1000 Oe) and for 2 (Ueff = 20.2 K, τ0 = 1.73 × 10-8 s, 1500 Oe). The molecular origin of the slow relaxation phenomena was further supported by the retention of AC signal in 10% solutions in 2-MeTHF which reveals a second zero field AC signal in 1 at higher frequencies. Compound 3 was found to be an S = 1/2 system.