Development and application of fluorine doped bismuth vanadate reduced graphene oxide Nafion composite electrode as an electrochemical sensor for 4-chlorophenol.

This study describes the synthesis of fluorine-doped bismuth vanadate (F0.1BiVO4) and its composite with graphene oxide (GO) to improve charge transport properties. Based on the structural and morphological analysis such as X-Ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and RAMAN the composite of F0.1BiVO4/r-GO/Nafion was successfully prepared with no filth. It was used to selectively detect the environmental contaminant 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) on a modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The electron channeling ability of reduced graphene oxide (r-GO) with F0.1BiVO4 yielded a great electrochemical response (ER) in cyclic voltammetry compared to pure GCE and other modified electrodes. The differential pulse voltammetry response of 4-CP was highly sensitive with the detection of limit (LOD) of 0.56 nM and a wide linear response of 0.77-45.0 nM. Fluorine doping, in particular, was able to affect the crystal growth of BiVO4, which was the primary cause of the aforementioned improvement. On the other hand, r-GO acts as an electron bridge to improve charge transfer between electrolytes and F-BiVO4 due to its high electron transport rate. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of F0.1BiVO4/r-GO/Nafion/GCE for the electrochemical detection of 4-CP.

Electron flux at the Schottky junction of Bi NPs and WO3-supported g-C3N4: an efficient ternary S-scheme catalyst for removal of fluoroquinolone-type antibiotics from water.

Recently, global-scale attempts have been conducted to develop clean technologies and affordable materials to remediate pharmaceutical contaminants of water resources that are resistant to the biodegradation. In line with global efforts, this study reports a facile method to fabricate Bi nanocrystals in situ decorated on WO3 nanoplates and its composite with graphitic carbon nitride (WO3/Bi/g-C3N4) for photocatalytic degradation of fluoroquinolone-type antibiotics (ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin). The designed ternary S-scheme WO3/Bi/g-C3N4 composite material was fully characterized by physicochemical and electrochemical analysis. Depositing the cost-effective and earth-abundant Bi nanocrystals onto WO3 via a facile reduction route has been shown to increase the boosting of electron flux at their interface (Schottky junction). The S-scheme separation is confirmed by the calculation of band positions and the analysis of photogenerated hydroxyl radicals and holes. The complete removal of contaminants was obtained over the WO3/Bi/g-C3N4 photocatalyst after 90 min under visible light irradiation. The present work would provide a rational route for developing Bi NP-based photocatalysis to replace metallic Au, Pt, and Ag NPs.

Confined-based catalyst investigation through the comparative functionalization and defunctionalization of Zr-MOF.

In metal-organic frameworks, confined space as a chemical nanoreactor is as important as organocatalysis or coordinatively unsaturated metal site catalysis. In the present study, a set of mixed-ligand structures with UiO-66 architecture have been prepared. To the best of our knowledge, for the first time, structures derived by the solvothermal mixing ligand method and ultrasonic-assisted linker exchange approaches have been compared. Additionally, the relationship between the preparation method, structural properties, and catalytic efficiency of the prepared materials in the Knoevenagel condensation of aldehydes has been investigated. The prepared catalyst is very stable and can be recovered and reused for at least ten periods.

Psychometric properties of the shortened Farsi version of the Food Cravings Questionnaire-Trait.

BACKGROUND: Food craving contributes to the incidence of weight and food-related disorders. Thus, an accurate measurement of food craving is important for clinical and research purposes. AIMS: We aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the shortened Farsi version of the Food Craving Questionnaire- Trait (FCQ-T-r), an internationally validated tool. METHODS: For this cross-sectional study, data was collected from 153 students of the University of Tehran between February and March 2019 using the Farsi version of FCQ-T-r; Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21); and the Quality of Life questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF). Confirmatory factor analysis using SPSS AMOS (version 21) failed to support the one-factor structure of FCQ-T-r in Farsi, so we conducted an exploratory factor analysis to investigate the factor structure of the questionnaire. RESULTS: Exploratory factor analysis reflected a 3-factor structure responsible 73.3% of the variance factor 1 "preoccupation with food", factor 2 "lack of control over eating" and factor 3 "emotional eating". Internal consistency of the FCQ-T-r was excellent (McDonald's ω = 0.950). The FCQ-T-r scores were correlated with body mass index, DASS-21, and WHOQOL-BREF values, which supports concurrent validity of the tool. CONCLUSION: The Farsi version of FCQ-T-r is a reliable and valid self-administrated tool to measure food craving traits among Iranian university students. Given the unstable factor structure of the questionnaire in different studies, further research should be conducted explore the factor structure of the tool.

Treatment of amphetamine abuse/use disorder: a systematic review of a recent health concern.

OBJECTIVES: The study systematically reviewed the effectiveness of pharmacological treatments alone or combined with brief cognitive-behavioural therapy (BCBT) for treating Iranian amphetamine abusers. The secondary aim was to review the efficacy of BCBT alone or combined with pharmacological treatments for treating amphetamine abusers in the world. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: Published trials were considered for inclusion. The review was conducted based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Web of Science, MEDLINE (via PubMed), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Drugs and Alcohol Group's Specialised Register of Trials, Embase, CINAHL, Scopus, PsychINFO, Iran Medex, Magiran and the Scientific Information Database were searched (January 2001 to March 2019). The reference lists of included studies were hand searched for more information. A systematic literature search in eight databases produced 10 trials. RESULTS: Risperidone reduced positive psychotic symptoms while aripiprazole reduced negative psychotic symptoms. Methylphenidate reduced craving and depression compared with placebo. Topiramate reduced addiction severity and craving for methamphetamine abuse compared with placebo. Buprenorphine reduced methamphetamine craving more than methadone. Haloperidol and risperidone reduced psychosis. Riluzole reduced craving, withdrawal, and depression compared with placebo. Abstinence from amphetamine or reduction in amphetamine abuse was confirmed in four BCBT studies and one study which applied BCBT with a pharmacological treatment which were stable between two and 12-months. Other changes in BCBT studies were as follows: reduced polydrug use; drug injection, criminality and severity of amphetamine dependence at six-month follow-up; improved general functioning; mental health; stage of change as well as improved motivation to change in a pharmacological + BCBT study. CONCLUSION: A review of trials indicates that pharmacological treatments and BCBT in a research setting outperform control conditions in treating amphetamines abuse and associated harms. Large-scale studies should determine if both treatments can be effective in clinical settings.

Iranian Female Methadone Patients and the Perceived Educational Needs Related to Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

BACKGROUND: Iranian female methadone patients are at risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) due to involvement in high-risk sexual behaviours and/or needle sharing. The present study aimed to explore the perceived educational needs related to HIV among a group of Iranian female methadone patients. METHODS: The research design was qualitative and the participants were sampled purposively. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 34 women and 19 clinicians in Sari, Mashhad, and Tehran, Iran. Then, qualitative content analysis was implemented. FINDINGS: The emergence of three major themes and six minor themes was revealed. Women expressed a need to increase their knowledge including women-specific pathophysiology and disease progression and the modes of the virus transmission and prevention. Women also expressed a need to enhance their knowledge and skills related to the physical management of the virus including self-care and reproductive health. Other themes included perceived psychosocial needs including removing stigma and access to resources in the community. CONCLUSION: Women reported a wide range of educational needs from basic knowledge to advanced skills. The findings can be used in designing women-specific educational programs related to HIV in Iran. Larger studies are suggested with gender-mixed samples in the Persian context.

Clinical outcomes and quality of life in hemodialysis diabetic patients versus non-diabetics.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes is the leading cause of end stage renal disease (ESRD) worldwide. OBJECTIVES: We compared the clinical outcomes in diabetic patients on hemodialysis (HD) with non-diabetics. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Adult maintenance HD patients (N= 532) from 9 HD facilities were enrolled to this prospective cohort study in September 2012. Causes of death, hospitalization, and HD exit were recorded in a median 28 months follow up period. RESULTS: Forty-one percent of patients were diabetic. Diabetic patients compared to non-diabetics had significantly higher age (62.2 ± 11.2 versus 53.1 ± 16.7 years), lower dialysis duration (median: 23 versus 30 months), more cardiovascular comorbidities (64% versus 28%) , higher C-reactive protein (CRP) levels (median: 3.80 versus 2.25 mg/L), lower serum albumin (3.86 ± 0.35 versus 3.93 ± 0.35 g/dL), lower intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) (median: 272 versus 374 ρg/mL), higher serum triglyceride (167 ± 91 versus 139 ± 67 mg/dL) and low density lipoprotein (LDL) (82.5 ± 24.5 versus 77.5 ± 23.8 mg/dL), and worse short form health survey (SF36) score (45.7 ± 20.9 versus 52.7 ± 20.5). Annual admission rate was higher in diabetics (median: 0.86 versus 0.43) and diabetic foot involved 16% of their admissions. Transplantation rate was 4 and 9 per 100 patient years in diabetics and non-diabetics, respectively. Death rate was two folds higher in diabetics (24 versus 12 per 100 patient years). Cardiovascular diseases ( ± infections/other causes) comprised 80.5% of death in diabetics and 54.5% in non-diabetics. In Cox regression proportional hazard multivariate analysis, hazard risk of death in diabetics was 1.9 times higher than non-diabetics. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical outcomes and health related quality of life (HRQOL) are much worse in diabetic compared to non-diabetic HD patients mainly due to more frequent of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs).

Effect of suitable surfactant on the large scale preparation of WO3 nanorods for the synthesis of WS2 nanoparticles.

WO3 nanorods with average dimension about 23 x 145 nm have been synthesized in gram quantities by a hydrothermal method. Effect of various surfactants on the WO3 nanorods morphology was investigated. The results demonstrated that the application of suitable surfactant (such as Triton X-100), leads to obtain obviously individual morphology for WO3 nanorods (with average dimensions about 15 x 100 nm) and decrease the reaction time from 7 days to 3 days. With a very suitable and safe method, the as-prepared WO3 nanorods, will turn to WS2 nanoparticles by mixing them with Sulfur (S) powder, under reducing H2 atmosphere and high temperature. Therefore, application of the harmful and poisonous H2S gas was eliminated.

Facile method for the preparation of the WS2 nanoparticles.

A facile and simple synthetic route was proposed for the synthesis of WS2 nanoparticles. The as-prepared WS2 nanoparticles can be characterized with X-ray diffraction spectrum (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The average particle size of the product is about 85 nm that was calculated from XRD pattern by the Debye-Scherrer formula.

Molybdenum peroxo nanohybrid compounds in different structures and catalytic properties.

The new nanohybrid of molybdenum peroxo compounds based on pyridine dicarboxylate ligands were synthesized by employing one-pot procedure in aqueous media and characterized by infrared (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermal analysis (TGA/DTA). The prepared compounds were used as catalysts for the epoxidation of cyclohexene and cyclooctene in a mild condition. Results showed that these molybdenum peroxo compounds have significant potentials as oxidants in oxygen atom transfer reactions. These reagents oxidized olefins to epoxides in presence of hydrogen peroxide with high conversions and selectivity. Comparison of the relative reactivity of those compounds shows that the electronic nature of ligands influences the rate and activity of oxygen transfer reaction. It is also found that the addition of organic ligands not only prevented the formation of diols in epoxidation of alkenes, but also increased the reaction rate.