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Background In this work, viscoelasticity, flow behaviour, thixotropy and thermo-rheological properties of binary mixtures of Lepidium perfoliatum seed gum (LPSG), as an emerging food gum, and xanthan gum (XG) at various blending ratios of 100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75 and 0:100 were studied for a depth insight into their interaction. FTIR analyses were also done to investigate the interaction between the XG and LPSG. Results FTIR results indicated the hydrogen bond formation between the hydrocolloids. At the linear viscoelastic region (LVE), XG-rich blends exhibited higher tan δLVE and τy, but lower τf. The values of apparent viscosity (ηa) and complex viscosity (η*) diminished with increasing shear rate/frequency, and XG and LPSG individual dispersions showed the greatest and the lowest values, respectively. Based on the extended Cox-Merz rule, a greater shift factor (α) is observed as the ratio of LPSG in the mixed gel increases. At higher fraction of LPSG, except for the fraction of 75%, the thixotropic behaviour appears to be less pronounced. The recovery parameter (R, %) obtained from in-shear structural recovery test decreased with increase in LPSG fraction. The results of non-isothermal kinetic analysis revealed higher thermodynamic incompatibility and immiscibility of LPSG-XG system in the presence of 75% XG. Moreover, according to the results of Cole–Cole plot, the greatest compatibility of LPSG and XG blends was for LPSG75-XG25 sample (β = 0.87), whereas the worst miscibility was found to be for LPSG25-XG75 one (β = 1.02). Conclusions Different rheological properties could be obtained by blending various ratios of LPSG and XG, which in some ratios synergistic behaviour was observed. The wide variety of rheological properties obtained may be appropriate for the use of LPSG-XG mixtures in food industries and pharmaceutical and biomedical applications. Graphical Abstract

Preparation of visible-light active photocatalysts for efficient degradation of pollutants from the industrial wastewater has received considerable attention in recent decades. The present study introduces a new sonochemical route for the preparation of graphene/TiO2/Ag nanocomposite for visible-light photocatalytic degradation of X6G (C.I. Reactive Yellow 2), a commonly used textile azo-dye. The obtained graphene/TiO2/Ag nanocomposite is extracted from the reaction solution by two drying methods: (1) conventional centrifuging and drying, and (2) freeze drying. Both of the dried samples are calcinated at 500 °C. The TEM images reveal that distribution of TiO2/Ag nanoparticles within the graphene sheets in the freeze dried nanocomposite is better than the conventional dried sample. Furthermore, the freeze dried nanocomposite has higher photocatalytic activity than the other nanocomposite. In conventional centrifuging and drying method, some of the TiO2/Ag nanoparticles are gradually pushed out from the graphene sheets during the drying process and graphene layers are stacked, therefore the dispersion effect of sonication is destroyed. However, in the freeze dried nanocomposite, because of the fast freezing of the sonicated sample by liquid N2, the TiO2/Ag nanoparticles are kept between the graphene sheets and calcination process attached and fixed them to the graphene, preserving the dispersion effect of sonication.

In the current work with innovative combination of sonochemical method with freeze-drying technique graphene/Pd-doped TiO2 nanocomposite was successfully synthesized which has high photocatalytic performance for degradation of Remazol navy blue a textile azo-dye under visible-light radiation. In the designed method, the ultrasound waves were used for dispersion of the Pd-doped TiO2 nanospheres between the graphene layers, which subsequent quick freezing of the obtained suspension by liquid N2 results in the fixing of the positions of the Pd-doped TiO2 nanospheres and the good dispersion of the graphene sheets in the nanocomposite. According to the obtained results, the freeze-dried sample has higher photocurrent, surface area and photocatalytic performance than the conventional dried one. All of these results are related to the best distribution of the graphene layers in the nanocomposite structure. Fast freezing of the graphene/nanoparticles suspension prevents from the stacking (due to the π-stacking interactions) and aggregation of graphene layers during drying, and results in the well distribution of graphene in the final nanocomposite.

The functional properties of food gums are remarkably affected by the quality of solvent/cosolutes and temperature in a food system. In this work, for the first time, the chemical characterizations and dilute solution properties of

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Background: Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria is one of the hazardous human pathogens. Consequently, developing the rapid and effective method for identification and quantization of E. coli is popular in biotechnological researches in recent years. Experimental: In this research, a label-free capacitance E. coli biosensor was fabricated based on immobilizing bacteriophage on the carbon paste electrode (Cp). Reduced graphene (RGr) was synthesized and used as a substrate for immobilization of bacteriophage on the Cp surface. E. coli bacteriophage was trapped in graphene modified carbon paste electrodes. The immobilization accuracy was confirmed via electrochemical techniques. The modified electrodes were applied as indicator electrodes for capacitance measurements of E. coli. Results: Through this method, E. coli was detected in a concentration range of 33×10-3 to 330×10-3 N L-1 (number of E. coli per Liter) with a correlation coefficient of 0.99 and a detection limit of 12×10-3 N L-1. Conclusion: The proposed biosensor has a fast response time of about 5 s and good selectivity over other bacteria.

Nanostructured TiO2 and S-doped TiO2 thin films with high transparency were prepared on glass substrate through ultrasonic-assisted spray pyrolysis technique. The effect of sulfur doping on morphological, optical, and structural properties of TiO2 was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, FTIR, photoluminescence spectroscopy, and UV–visible absorption spectroscopy techniques. Because of the high uniformity and monodispersity of the prepared TiO2 and S-doped TiO2 thin films, these samples have high visible-light transparency of about 81.89% and 69.73%, respectively. Both the TiO2 and S-doped TiO2 thin films have anatase crystal structure; however, introduction of the S dopant in the lattice of TiO2 creates some oxygen vacancies and structural defects in the S-doped TiO2 sample. Because of the presence of defects which could act as charge trapping center in the structure of S-doped TiO2, this sample has lower electron–hole recombination rate than undoped TiO2. Furthermore, sulfur doping results in the band-gap narrowing of TiO2. Compared to the undoped TiO2 sample, suppression of the electron–hole recombination and band-gap narrowing in the S-doped TiO2 thin film result in the enhancement of its visible-light photocatalytic activity.

The interaction of ZnO nanoparticles with biological molecules such as proteins is one of the most important and challenging problems in molecular biology. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are useful technique for understating the mechanism of various interactions of proteins and nanoparticles. In the present work, the interaction mechanism of insulin with ZnO nanoparticles was studied. Simulation methods including MD and replica exchange molecular dynamics (REMD) and their conditions were surveyed. According to the results obtained by REMD simulation, it was found that insulin interacts with ZnO nanoparticle surface via its polar and charged amino acids. Unfolding insulin at ZnO nanoparticle surface, the terminal parts of its chains play the main role. Due to the linkage between chain of insulin and chain of disulfide bonds, opposite directional movements of N terminal part of chain A (toward nanoparticle surface) and N termini of chain B (toward solution) make insulin unfolding. In unfolding of insulin at this condition, its helix structures convert to random coils at terminal parts chains.

Overuse of the organophosphorus pesticides such as Paraoxon in agriculture industry has raised significant threats to the environment by contamination of soils and groundwaters. Therefore, extensive studies have been carried out to develop an effective method for removing of these poisonous pollutants from contaminated resources. In the current study, Pd nanoparticle loaded TiO2 nanocomposites with different weight percentages of Pd were prepared via a facile photoreduction method and for the first time, were used for photocatalytic degradation of Paraoxon under visible-light irradiation. The prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and photoluminescence spectroscopy techniques. In these nanocomposites, the presence of Pd nanoparticles enhances the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 by their surface plasmon resonance effect and also by narrowing the band gap energy of TiO2. The results of photocatalytic activity measurements indicate that the nanocomposite with 0.8 wt% content of Pd (PT0.8) has the best photocatalytic activity. The result of total organic carbon test shows that Paraoxon was completely mineralized by PT0.8 photocatalyst after 120 min, under visible-light irradiation.

The interaction of methylene blue (MB) as a photosensitizer with graphene oxide nano-sheets (GO) was examined in aqueous solution using UV-vis spectrophotometric techniques. MB-GO composites were prepared by mixing the solutions of GO nano-sheets and methylene blue due to interacting of the cationic methylene blue photosensitizer via electrostatic and π-π stacking or hydrophobic cooperative interactions. The cell killing potential of nanocomposite was examined on the MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells in the absence and presence of red LED irradiation. The results demonstrated that the MB-GO nanocomposite has good performance in photodynamic therapy (PDT) during red LED irradiation. The cytotoxicity of nanocomposite caused reducing cell viability up to 20%. These effects would be due to the nano size structure of composite that could lead to effective cellular penetration. Also the significant difference has seen in lower concentrations of MB and MB-GO nanocomposite. The results show more than 40% increases in cell killing potential in lower concentrations of nanocomposite by using 2.5 μg/mL of each compound. The ratio of GO/MB can affect the interaction and higher ratios of graphene oxide (GO/MB 1) can induce dimerization of MB. In lower concentrations and ratios of (GO/MB 1) the free MB concentration increases and the electron shuttling effect of GO in photo activity decreases - which could affect the photocatalytic yield in PDT. The cell viability measurements confirm these effects on cancer cell killing potential of nanocomposite. According to microscopic and PDT assay results, the nanocomposite distribution and diffusion in cells enhanced the photochemical reaction yield in photodynamic therapy of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line.

Ellagic acid (ELA), as a polyphenolic natural compound and food additive, which has reported to possess anti-carcinogenic, antioxidant, antidepressant, ameliorative and anti-mutagenic effects. In the current work, the effects of ELA on the conformation and catalytic activity of catalase were investigated by using spectroscopic techniques including ultraviolet visible (UV–vis), fluorescence, synchronous fluorescence and attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy as well as molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. Kinetic studies showed that the enzymatic activity of catalase increases in the presence of ELA (almost 2-fold higher than free enzyme activity). Moreover, analysis of fluorescence data revealed two binding sites for ELA on the catalase and static type of quenching mechanism. The binding constants between ELA and catalase were obtained to be 47.35 × 107 M−1 (at 298 K) and 17.60 × 107 M−1 (at 310 K) and the binding distance was calculated to be 2.83 nm. Thermodynamic data showed that hydrogen bonds have a main role in the ELA-catalase complex formation. The best binding sites for ELA were, in the middle of β-barrel and wrapping domain and in the middle of β-barrel and helical domain, according to molecular docking data. MD simulation results were confirmed that ELA can increase catalase activity through increasing the distance between an upper side α-helix structure and a down side random coil structure.

Cancer remains common and often is difficult to eradicate. In particular resistant forms like triple negative breast cancer and melanoma generally allow for very short survival. Curcumin and quercetin as two important polyphenols from plants which have different biological roles, potentially including anti-cancer effect. But their clinical application is limited due to poor solubility in aqueous medium. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a cancer treatment using select chemical compounds as photosensitizers, which when activated by light create toxic singlet oxygen. Studies done on plant based photosensitizers such as curcumin and quercetin have shown the ability to ablate tumors. Here we discuss using them as improved PS by making their complex with cerium ions as a delivery system for MDA-MB-231 and A375 cancer cell lines treatment. For this purpose, the MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cell line exposed to red light irradiation (as pretreatment) then treated with curcumin and quercetin alone and also their complex with cerium. In another study the cells treated with curcumin-cerium and quercetin-cerium complex and then irradiated with blue light (photodynamic treatment). Cell survival and apoptosis were determined using MTT and fluorescence microscopy. The result showed that curcumin and quercetin in complex with cerium ions have better toxic effect against both breast and melanoma cancer cells as compared to each compound alone. The finding revealed that curcumin and quercetin in cerium complex could be considered as a new approach in the photodynamic treatment of breast and melanoma cancer cells.

Ag/TiO2/freeze-dried graphene nanocomposites have been prepared via a facile one-step solvothermal method for the photocatalytic degradation of RhB under visible light irradiation. During the solvothermal process, reduction of graphene oxide and loading of Ag/TiO2 nanoparticles on graphene sheets were achieved. Investigation of chemical state of products showed that covering of Ag/TiO2 surface with higher weight ratio of graphene resulting in that Ag metals in Ag/TiO2 were oxidized to Ag2O in nanocomposite structure after solvothermal process. Degree of photocatalytic activity enhancement strongly depends on the coverage of Ag/TiO2 surface by porous graphene. The sample of 1 wt% porous graphene hybridized Ag/TiO2 showed the highest photocatalytic activity, which is related to high migration efficiency of photo-induced of electrons and reduction of electron–hole recombination rate due to high electrical conductivity of graphene. Expanding of absorption to visible light region was ascribed to surface plasmon resonance effect of Ag metals and presence of graphene. Investigation of photocatalytic performance of formic acid as a dye-less organic pollutant showed that dye sensitization effect of RhB molecules during evaluation of photocatalytic performance was negligible.

ZnO quantum dots (QDs) have been used in many biomedical applications such as bioimaging, cancer treatments and etc. Crystallinity, particle size, optical absorption and photoluminescence spectra of ZnO QDs were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-vis absorption spectroscopy and fluorescence spectroscopy respectively. Interaction of ZnO QDs with insulin was investigated by fluorescence quenching, circular dichroism (CD), isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and thermal aggregation tests. The fluorescence quenching results showed a static type quenching along with red shift in synchronize fluorescence (a sign of protein unfolding). CD spectroscopy results also confirmed this unfolding and show a reduction in alpha helices content of insulin in contact with ZnO QDs and their conversion to random coils. According to ITC results, the ΔG, ΔH and binding constant of this interaction are -32.35 kJ/mol, -43.21 kJ/mol and 4.69 × 10(5) M(-1), respectively. Thermal aggregation test showed fast aggregation of insulin in the presence of ZnO QDs. Therefore in biological application of ZnO QDs such as bioimaging, presence of such QDs in vicinity of insulin could unfold this protein.

Purpose Chitosan is a natural polymer that has excellent properties include biocompatibility, biodegradability, no cytotoxicity, high charge density, low cost, mucoadhesive, permeation enhancing (ability to cross tight junction), and immunomodulating ability that makes the spectrum of its applicability much broader. This study was conducted to investigate the stabilizing, preservative and immunogenicity properties of N-trimethyl chitosan nanospheres (N-TMCNS). Materials and methods The tetanus toxoid (TT) was encapsulated into N-TMCNS and then characterized by scanning electron microscope, atomic force microscope, and dynamic light scattering. For stabilizer assay of N-TMCNS after storage of TT-N-TMCNS at different temperatures for 3 weeks, they were used for immunization of mice and different temperatures groups' anti-TT-N-TMCNS production compared with other groups. Finally, the immunized mice were challenged with tetanus toxin. The preservation activity of TT-N-TMCNS against Escherichia coli was compared with thimerosal formulated TT. Results Our results revealed that heat-treated TT-N-TMCNS could induce higher titer of neutralizing immunoglobulin G in compared to TT vaccine and was able to protect the mice better than TT vaccine in challenge test. Furthermore, N-TMCNS as a preservative inhibited the growth of E. coli more effective than thimerosal. Conclusion Overall, the obtained results indicated that the N-TMCNS is one of the best stabilizer and preservative agent that can be used in the formulation of TT vaccine.

Antibody engineering is now a noteworthy area in biopharmaceuticals as the next generation of marketed antibodies is engineered antibodies such as affinity- or stability-improved antibodies, fragmented or fused antibodies, antibody drug conjugates (ADCs), and PEGylated antibody fragments. In the current study, affinity enhancement of Nb against PlGF was performed by an in silico affinity maturation and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. First, 300 single-point mutants were designed by identifying the residues involved in interaction with PlGF and different energy distributions. An energy based screening was performed to select best single-point mutants. Additionally, one variant containing two mutations was designed based on the selected single-point mutants. Finally, mutants-PlGF complexes were analyzed in details by all atom MD simulation. Trajectory analysis revealed that in both single (L112H, S31D, A97K, and R45E) and double (S31D & R45E) mutants, the free binding energies and the stability of complexes were significantly improved. The highest increment in affinity was observed for S31D mutant due to substantial increase in polar and electrostatic interactions. The secondary structure of Nb was intact in all variants and a shrinkage of PlGF over Nb was observed in all mutant-PlGF complexes during simulation. In addition, contact area and hydrogen-bond analysis as well as distance measurement in mutants-PlGF complexes also confirmed the affinity enhancement of variants relative to the native form. Our study showed that ligand-based affinity improvement could be considered as a promising approach for designing high affinity fragmented antibodies.

Curcumin and salicylic acid are both phenolic compounds and they can both affect cancer treatment efficacy. In this study, the effects of methylene blue-curcumin (CU-MB) and methylene blue-salicylic acid (SA-MB) ion pair complexes on MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells are studied. According to the thermodynamic parameters, the stability of curcumin and salicylic acid complexes ion pair complexes was compared. The free energy of ion pair interactions was calculated based on binding constants. A comparison of the free energies of the complexes (CU-MB: ∆G°b1 = − 21.11 kJ/mol and ∆G°b2 = − 8.37 kJ/mol, SA-MB: ∆G°b1 = − 12.92 kJ/mol and ∆G°b2 = − 9.02 kJ/mol) indicates that the interaction of methylene blue in first binding interaction with curcumin is greater than that of methylene blue with salicylic acid. Electrostatic interactions are the main forces in the binding of both compounds to methylene blue. All forces are inter-molecular physical interactions. The results of cellular experiments show that ion pairing has enhanced the reduction of cell viability. By increasing molecular stability and prevention of dimerization of methylene blue, the cell killing potential of methylene blue increases and it subsequently causes enhancement of photodynamic efficacy.

In this study, a WO3–multiwalled carbon nanotube nanocomposite has been prepared for the first time by in situ liquid phase process. The prepared nanocomposite was used for photodegradation of dilute solution of naphthalene under visible light irradiation. Based on our results, comparing photocatalytic activity of WO3 nanoparticle with WO3–multiwalled carbon nanotube nanocomposite showed that the photodegradation of naphthalene is negligible by using pure WO3 nanoparticles while, composition of WO3 nanoparticles with multi walled carbon nanotubes could improve significantly their photocatalytic activity under visible light. Due to its high electrical conductivity, carbon nanotube can transfer photogenerated electron on its surface and in this way decreases electron–hole recombination rate and increases photocatalytic activity. After the reaction, the irradiated solution has been analyzed by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry techniques for identification of the naphthalene photodegradation intermediates and products. 1-Naphthol, 1,4-naphthalenedione and 1,2-benzendicarboxilic acid have been determined as intermediates and based on these intermediates a suitable mechanism for photodegradation of naphthalene was suggested.

The growing use of organophosphorus compounds such as paraoxon as agriculture pesticides results in their accumulation in soils and groundwater. Therefore there is a high demand for developing efficient methods for removing these materials from contaminated environmental resources. In this study, Ag nanoparticle and graphene co-loaded TiO2 with various contents of Ag and graphene was prepared via a facile surfactant free solvothermal method in a mixture of water and ethanol solvents and was applied, for the first time, for the photocatalytic degradation of paraoxon (as a model organophosphorus compound) under visible light irradiation. In this ternary nanocomposite, the presence of Ag nanoparticles is for narrowing the band gap to the visible region due to its surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect and the presence of graphene is for diminishing the recombination rate of the photogenerated electron and holes due to its high electrical conductivity. The results of photocatalytic activity tests demonstrate that the nanocomposite with 6% wt Ag and 1% wt graphene content has the best photocatalytic activity among the products. Investigation of the chemical state of the nanocomposites showed that the covering of Ag nanoparticle loaded TiO2 with a high weight ratio of graphene resulted in the formation of Ag–O bonds through bonding of Ag to the oxygen functional groups of graphene which causes a decrease of the SPR effect of Ag and by this way decreases the photocatalytic activity. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) was used as analytical tool for determination of the photocatalytic reaction intermediates. GC-MS analysis results show that photodegradation of paraoxon produces 4-nitrophenol, di-ethylphosphate, mono-ethylphosphate, hydroquinone and hydroxyhydroquinone as major intermediates and subsequent photodegradation of these results in complete mineralization of paraoxon.

The shape of nanostructure has important effects on their properties, therefore in this study, we have prepared and characterized three different morphologies of WO3 nanostructures i.e. nanorod, nanosphere and nanoplate for surveying shape effect on their photocatalytic properties toward degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) dye. Obtained results show that nanoplate WO3 in comparison with others has the best photocatalytic activity. According to SEM, and photocatalytic degradation results, the reason for this behavior is the sharp edges and corners of WO3 nanoplates. Because of their low coordination number, atoms located in the edges and corners of the WO3 nanoplates have more activity, adsorb more RhB and therefore give more photocatalytic activity to the WO3 nanoplates. Using of different scavengers showed that hydroxyl radicals are mainly responsible for photocatalytic activity of WO3 nanoplates and nanospheres but for WO3 nanorods, superoxide radicals are the main photocatalytic degradation agents.

In the present work TiO2 coatings with different level of oxygen vacancy defect and different shapes of nanosphere, nanocube, and nanopyramid were deposited on glass substrate by modified ultrasonic spray pyrolysis method. The prepared coatings were successfully used for the photocatalytic degradation of paraoxon pesticide under visible light irradiation. Based on the obtained results, among the papered coatings, the TiO2 coating with nanopyramidal shape and oxygen vacancy defect has the highest photocatalytic activity, and the lowest photocatalytic activity was observed in the case of the TiO2 coating with nanospherical shape and without oxygen vacancy defect. The reason for these results is the sharp edges and corners of nanopyramid which decreases the electron-hole recombination rate. Furthermore, presence of oxygen vacancy defect improve the visible light photocatalytic activity via narrowing the band gap energy and separation of the electron-hole.

Interaction of quantum dots (QDs) and proteins strongly influenced by the surface characteristics of the QDs at the protein-QD interface. For a precise control of these surface-related interactions, it is necessary to improve our understanding in this field. In this regard, in the present work, the interaction between the insulin and differently functionalized ZnS quantum dots (QDs) were studied. The ZnS QDs were functionalized with various functional groups of hydroxyl (OH), carboxyl (COOH), amine (NH2), and amino acid (COOH and NH2). The effect of surface hydrophobicity was also studied by changing the alkyl-chain lengths of mercaptocarboxylic acid capping agents. The interaction between insulin and the ZnS QDs were investigated by fluorescence quenching, synchronous fluorescence, circular dichroism (CD), and thermal aggregation techniques. The results reveal that among the studied QDs, mercaptosuccinic acid functionalized QDs has the strongest interaction (∆G°=-51.50kJ/mol at 310K) with insulin, mercaptoethanol functionalized QDs destabilize insulin by increasing the beta-sheet contents, and only cysteine functionalized QDs improves the insulin stability by increasing the alpha-helix contents of the protein, and. Our results also indicate that by increasing the alkyl-chain length of capping agents, due to an increase in hydrophobicity of the QDs surface, the beta-sheet contents of insulin increase which results in the enhancement of insulin instability.

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), a transmembrane glycoprotein, is overexpressed in many cancers such as head-neck, breast, prostate, and skin cancers for this reason it is a good target in cancer therapy and diagnosis. In nanobody-based cancer diagnosis and treatment, nanobodies with high affinity toward receptor (e.g. EGFR) results in effective treatment or diagnosis of cancer. In this regard, the main aim of this study is to develop a method based on molecular dynamic (MD) simulations for designing of 7D12 based nanobody with high affinity compared with wild-type nanobody. By surveying electrostatic and desolvation interactions between different residues of 7D12 and EGFR, the critical residues of 7D12 that play the main role in the binding of 7D12 to EGFR were elucidated and based on these residues, five logical variants were designed. Following the 50 ns MD simulations, pull and umbrella sampling simulation were performed for 7D12 and all its variants in complex with EGFR. Binding free energy of 7D12 (and all its variants) with EGFR was obtained by weighted histogram analysis method. According to binding free energy results, GLY101 to GLU mutation showed the highest binding affinity but this variant is unstable after 50 ns MD simulations. ALA100 to GLU mutation shows suitable binding enhancement with acceptable structural stability. Suitable position and orientation of GLU in residue 100 of 7D12 against related amino acids of EGFR formed some extra hydrogen and electrostatic interactions which resulted in binding enhancement.

In this work, monodisperse nanoparticles and nanorods of lanthanum hydroxide was synthesized from the reaction of lanthanum(III) nitrate and sodium hydroxide by sonochemical method. The effect of some of the parameters such as feeding rate of precursors, different solvents of reaction, time of sonication, and various surfactants on the particle size and morphology of products was studied. The as-prepared products were characterized by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy.

In this work lanthanum hydroxide nanoparticles were synthesized by sonochemical method. La 2 O 3 nanoparticles were obtained after calcination of the La(OH) 3 nanoparticles precursor in air at 600 °C for 2 h. The effect of some parameters such as concentration of precursors, pulse time of sonication, time of sonication, and addition of PEG as surfactant on the morphology and the particle size were studied. The as-prepared products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectrum (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra.

Lanthanum carbonate nanoparticles were synthesized from the reaction of lanthanum acetate and Na2CO3 under sonication via sonochemical method. Lanthanum hydroxide nanoparticles were prepared by facial hydrothermal processing from the resulted product at 110 °C for 24 h. The role of surfactant, calcination temperature and sonication time were investigated on the morphology and particle size of the products. Products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectrum (XPS), and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra. La2O3 nanoparticles were obtained by calcinations of the nanoparticles of lanthanum carbonate at 600 °C.

A calcic copper-bearing skarn zone in East-Azarbaidjan, NW of Iran is located to the east of the Sungun-Chay river. Skarn-type metasomatic alteration and mineralization occurs along the contact between Upper Cretaceous impure carbonates and an Oligo-Miocene Cu-bearing granitoid stock. Both endoskarn and exoskarn are developed along the contact. Exoskarn is the principal skarn zone enclosed by a marmorized and skarnoid–hornfelsic zone. The skarnification process occurred two stages: (1) prograde and (2) retrograde. The prograde stage is temporally and spatially divided into two sub-stages: (a) metamorphic–bimetasomatic (sub-stage I) and (b) prograde metasomatic (sub-stage II). Sub-stage I began immediately after the intrusion of the pluton into the enclosing impure carbonates. Sub-stage II commenced with segregation and evolution of a fluid phase in the pluton and its invasion into fractures and micro-fractures of the marmorized and skarnoid–hornfelsic rocks developed during sub-stage I. The introduction of considerable amounts of Fe, Si and Mg led to the development of substantial amounts of medium- to coarse-grained anhydrous calc-silicates. From texture and mineralogy the retrograde metasomatic stage can be divided into two discrete sub-stages: (a) early (sub-stage III) and (b) late (sub-stage IV). During sub-stage III, the previously formed skarn zones were affected by intense multiple hydro-fracturing phases in the Cu-bearing stock. In addition to Fe, Si and Mg, substantial amounts of Cu, Pb, Zn, along with volatile components such as H 2 S and CO 2 were added to the skarn system. Consequently considerable amounts of hydrous calc-silicates (epidote, tremolite–actinolite), sulfides (pyrite, chalcopyrite, galena, sphalerite, bornite), oxides (magnetite, hematite) and carbonates (calcite, ankerite) replaced the anhydrous calc-silicates. Sub-stage IV was concurrent with the incursion of relatively low temperature, more highly oxidizing fluids into skarn system, bringing about partial alteration of the early-formed calc-silicates and developing a series of very fine-grained aggregates of chlorite, clay, hematite and calcite.

Because of the extensive use of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) as an additive to increase the octane quality of gasoline, the environmental pollution by this compound has increased in recent decades. Environmental release of MTBE may lead to its entry to the blood stream through inhalation or drinking of contaminated water, and its interactions with biological molecules such as proteins. The present study was proposed to comparatively investigate the interactions of MTBE with hemoglobin (Hb) from diabetic and nondiabetic individuals using various spectroscopic methods including UV-visible, fluorescence, chemiluminescence, and circular dichroism. These results demonstrated the effects of MTBE on heme degradation of Hb and the reaction of these degradation products with water generating reactive oxygen species. Interaction of Hb with MTBE enhanced its aggregation rate and decreased lag time, indicating the antichaperone activity of MTBE upon interaction with Hb. Furthermore, the diabetic Hb showed more severe effects of MTBE, including heme degradation, reactive oxygen species production, unfolding, and antichaperone behavior than the nondiabetic Hb. The results from molecular docking suggested that the special interaction site of MTBE in the vicinity of Hb heme group is responsible for heme degradation.

La2(CO3)3·1.7H2O nanoparticles are prepared by sonication of aqueous solutions of Na2CO3 and La(OAc)3.