Homogeneous and heterogeneous molecular catalysts for electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is a greenhouse gas whose presence in the atmosphere significantly contributes to climate change. Developing sustainable, cost-effective pathways to convert CO₂ into higher value chemicals is essential to curb its atmospheric presence. Electrochemical CO₂ reduction to value-added chemicals using molecular catalysis currently attracts a lot of attention, since it provides an efficient and promising way to increase CO₂ utilization. Introducing amino groups as substituents to molecular catalysts is a promising approach towards improving capture and reduction of CO₂. This review explores recently developed state-of-the-art molecular catalysts with a focus on heterogeneous and homogeneous amine molecular catalysts for electroreduction of CO₂. The relationship between the structural properties of the molecular catalysts and CO₂ electroreduction will be highlighted in this review. We will also discuss recent advances in the heterogeneous field by examining different immobilization techniques and their relation with molecular structure and conductive effects.

Electroreduction of CO₂ to CO using molecular catalysis.     

Synthesis,characterization, molecular docking,and biological activities of coumarin–1,2,3-triazole-acetamide hybrid derivatives

Coumarins and their derivatives are receiving increasing attention due to numerous biochemical and pharmacological applications. In this study, a series of novel coumarin–1,2,3-triazole-acetamide hybrids was tested against some metabolic enzymes including α-glycosidase (α-Gly), α-amylase (α-Amy), acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), human carbonic anhydrase I (hCA I), and hCA II. The new coumarin–1,2,3-triazole-acetamide hybrids showed K_i values in the range of 483.50–1,243.04 nM against hCA I, 508.55–1,284.36 nM against hCA II, 24.85–132.85 nM against AChE, 27.17–1,104.36 nM against BChE, 590.42–1,104.36 nM against α-Gly, and 55.38–128.63 nM against α-Amy. The novel coumarin–1,2,3-triazole-acetamide hybrids had effective inhibition profiles against all tested metabolic enzymes. Also, due to the enzyme inhibitory effects of the new hybrids, they are potential drug candidates to treat diseases such as epilepsy, glaucoma, type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), Alzheimer's disease (AD), and leukemia. Additionally, these inhibition effects were compared with standard enzyme inhibitors like acetazolamide (for hCA I and II), tacrine (for AChE and BChE), and acarbose (for α-Gly and α-Amy). Also, those coumarin–1,2,3-triazole-acetamide hybrids with the best inhibition score were docked into the active site of the indicated metabolic enzymes.     

Discovery of phthalimide derivatives as novel inhibitors of a soluble epoxide hydrolase

Soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) inhibitors are effective in reducing blood pressure, inflammation, and pain in a number of mammalian disease models. As most classical urea-based sEH inhibitors suffer from poor solubility and pharmacokinetic properties, the development of novel sEH inhibitors with an improved pharmacokinetic specification has received a great deal of attention. In this study, a series of amide-based sEH inhibitors bearing a phthalimide ring as the novel secondary pharmacophore (P₂) was designed, synthesized, and evaluated. Docking results illustrated that the amide group as the primary pharmacophore (P₁) was placed at a suitable distance from the three key amino acids (Tyr383, Tyr466, and Asp335) for an effective hydrogen bonding. In agreement with these findings, most of the newly synthesized compounds demonstrated moderate to high sEH inhibitory activities, relative to 12-(3-adamantan-1-yl-ureido)dodecanoic acid as the reference standard. Compound 12e with a 4-methoxybenzoyl substituent exhibited the highest sEH inhibitory activity, with an IC₅₀ value of 1.06 nM. Moreover, the ADME properties of the compounds were evaluated in silico, and the results revealed appropriate predictions.     

Breast tumor stroma: A driving force in the development of resistance to therapies

Breast cancer is the most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer‐related death in women worldwide. In spite of huge advancements in early detection and ever‐increasing knowledge of breast cancer biology, approximately 30% of patients with early‐stage breast cancer experience disease recurrence. Most patients are chemosensitive and cancer free immediately after the treatment. About 50% to 70% of breast cancer patients, however, will relapse within 1 year. Such a relapse is usually concomitant with adenocarcinoma cells acquiring a chemoresistant phenotype. Both de novo and acquired chemoresistance are poorly understood and present a major burden in the treatment of breast cancer. Although, previously, chemoresistance was largely linked to genetic alterations within the cancer cells, recent investigations are indicating that chemoresistance can also be associated with the tumor microenvironment. Nowadays, it is widely believed that tumor microenvironment is a key player in tumor progression and response to treatment. In this study, we will review the interactions of breast tumor cells with their microenvironment, present the latest research on the resistance mediated by the stromal component in breast cancer, and discuss the potential therapeutic strategies that can be exploited to treat breast cancers by targeting tumor microenvironment.     

The prevalence of osteoporosis/osteopenia in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS): a systematic review and meta-analysis

Neurological Sciences - The prevalence of osteoporosis is reported differently. We designed this systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate pooled prevalence of osteoporosis and osteopenia in...     

Measurement of the mechanical properties of soccer balls using digital image correlation method

There are some features for an approved soccer ball by Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), such as properties of the material, mass, pressure, stitches, etc. Many of these features up to now have been studied; nevertheless, the mechanical properties of the soccer balls to date have not been well reported. The chief purposes of the current research, hence, were to calculate the mechanical properties of the soccer balls, i.e., linear elastic, nonlinear hyperelastic, and viscoelastic, at two different sizes, including 4 and 5 which are using for football and futsal, respectively. To do this, compressive and stress-relaxation loading were applied to 38 approved soccer balls to quantify the stress–strain as well as reduced relaxation function of the balls. The strain/displacement of the balls was also measured via a high-speed camera using Digital Image Correlation (DIC) technique. The results revealed the mean elastic modulus of 66 and 67 kPa for the football and futsal balls, respectively. In addition, the maximum stresses of the football and futsal balls were 16 and 13 kPa, respectively. The nonlinear mechanical response of the soccer balls were analyzed using hyperelastic material models, i.e., Mooney-Rivlin and Ogden. A Finite Element (FE) model was also developed to verify the hyperelastic data compared to the experimental ones and, remarkably, the numerical data were in consistence with the experimental data. Finally, Prony- series was employed to quantify the viscoelastic properties of the balls. During the game, a soccer ball can reach to a speed of 210 km/h that can damage the human eye; however, the injury detail still has not been studied.     

The effects of low-level laser irradiation on breast tumor in mice and the expression of Let-7a,miR-155, miR-21, miR125, and miR376b

Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) is a form of photon therapy which can be a non-invasive therapeutic procedure in cancer therapy using low-intensity light in the range of 450–800 nm. One of the main functional features of laser therapy is the photobiostimulation effects of low-level lasers on various biological systems including altering DNA synthesis and modifying gene expression, and stopping cellular proliferation. This study investigated the effects of LLLT on mice mammary tumor and the expression of Let-7a, miR155, miR21, miR125, and miR376b in the plasma and tumor samples. Sixteen mice were equally divided into four groups including control, and blue, green, and red lasers at wavelengths of 405, 532, and 632 nm, respectively. Weber Medical Applied Laser irradiation was carried out with a low power of 1–3 mW and a series of 10 treatments at three times a week after tumor establishment. Tumor volume was weekly measured by a digital vernier caliper, and qRT-PCR assays were performed to accomplish the study. Depending on the number of groups and the p value of the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test of normality, a t test, a one-way ANOVA, or a non-parametric test was used for data analyses, and p?<?0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. The average tumor volume was significantly less in the treated blue group than the control group on at days 21, 28, and 35 after cancerous cell injection. Our data also showed an increase of Let-7a and miR125a expression and a decrease of miR155, miR21, and miR376b expression after LLLT with the blue laser both the plasma and tumor samples compared to other groups. It seems that the non-invasive nature of laser bio-stimulation can make LLLT an attractive alternative therapeutic tool.