Template-free efficacious morphology of electrosynthesized polyaniline/ß-cyclodextrin host-guest complex on Au/rGO modified electrode for removal and recovery of rare-earth and heavy elements from seawater.

Global water pollution and scarcity of water resources are turning increasingly into serious threats to the survival of all living organisms on Earth. This study offers an influent strategy for the electrosynthesis of reduced graphene oxide/polyaniline/ß-cyclodextrin (rGO/PAni/ßCD) nanocomposite and its application to the removal/recovery of heavy elements (HEs) and rare-earth elements (REEs). Besides physicochemical and electrochemical studies, the surface morphological and statistical properties of fabricated nanocomposite electrode were examined. The textural and morphological characteristics of nanocomposite electrode were investigated via AFM data based on statistical, stereometric, and fractal theory. The cohesive, porous, and well-developed morphology of fabricated nanocomposite electrode has enabled the electrodeposition technique to achieve significant simultaneous removal/recovery efficiency of HE and REE ions such as Pb(II), Cu(II), Cd(II), Hg(II), Ce(IV), and Nb(V). Therefore, using rGO/PAni/ßCD, considerable removal of HEs and REEs was achieved under optimized pH, 0.1 M KNO3, and 35 mg L-1 metal ion initial concentration during 20 min. Removal capacity of the nanocomposite electrode is preserved subsequent to 10 cycles of electrodeposition/desorption, according to the desorption investigation through eluted adsorbent at time intervals in deionized water and adjusted acidic pH values. Then, using rGO/PAni/CD nanocomposite, simulated seawater remediation was accomplished successfully. This interdisciplinary approach reveals that the removal/recovery efficiency enhance linearly along with the improvement of well-developed morphology for electrosynthesized composites. Thus, these results suggest how the morphological features of the polymer composites could improve remediation of water resources.

Effect of Stress Management Counseling on Self-Efficacy and Continuity of Exclusive Breastfeeding.

Background: Self-efficacy is an important motivational factor that can be affected by physiological responses such as stress. Objective: The study aimed to determine the effect of stress management counseling on self-efficacy and continuity of exclusive breastfeeding in mothers. Materials and Methods: This randomized controlled trial was carried out on 46 pregnant women recruited at three Childbirth Preparation Centers of Zanjan (Iran) in 2018. The eligible women were allocated into two intervention and control groups according to the block design. Stress management counseling was carried out individually in four sessions, twice a week at 35 and 36 weeks of gestation. The control group only received routine cares. The self-efficacy and continuity of exclusive breastfeeding were measured monthly up to 4 months after childbirth. Results: Breastfeeding self-efficacy showed a statistically significant difference between the two study groups at 1 and 4 months after childbirth (p = 0.001). More women in the control group terminated exclusive breastfeeding compared to those in the intervention group (16 (72.7%) versus 8 (34.8%), p = 0.013). Conclusion: The results showed that integration of stress management counseling in breastfeeding education package can improve the self-efficacy and continuation of breastfeeding in mothers.

Interactions of small gold clusters, Aun (n=1-3), with graphyne: theoretical investigation.

The interactions of gold atom and clusters (Au2 and Au3) with the active sites of graphyne (GY) have been investigated using density functional theory (PBE, PBE-D3, and B3LYP-D3). In order to compare performance of DFT functional (BP86, PBE, TPSSh, B3LYP, PBE-D3, TPSSh-D3, and B3LYP-D3), the interactions of Au2 with various functional groups such as -sp, -sp(2) and aromatic sp(2) carbon atoms, -sp, -sp(2) and aromatic sp(2)-bonds have been investigated and also compared with the ab initio MP2 results. Additionally, the nature of interactions for graphyne-Au2 complexes are interpreted by means of the natural bond orbital (NBO), the quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) and energy decomposition analysis (EDA) and compared with those of related graphene-Au2. This study suggests that graphyne shows complex behavior in comparison to those of graphene and could also be useful in modeling of the next generation electronic devices.