Polyaniline/Cu(II) Metal-organic Frameworks Composite for High Performance Supercapacitor Electrode

The specific capacitance of supercapacitors can be benefited by the porosity of the metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). In this study, a nanocomposite of polyaniline-Cu(II) MOFs (PANI/Cu-MOF) was fabricated by a two-step process including chemical polymerization of aniline and room temperature synthesis of Cu�MOFs in the presence of the as-prepared polyaniline. The obtained compounds were characterized by FT-IR, PXRD, SEM, EDAX mapping, and XPS techniques. PXRD patterns revealed the amorphous character of the nanocomposite. FT-IR and EDS-mapping demonstrate the formation of PANI/Cu�MOF nanocomposite. SEM was applied for studying the PANI/Cu-MOF morphology. As demonstrated by CV (cyclic voltammetry), GCD (galvanostatic charge/discharge), and EIS (electrochemical impedance spectroscopy), PANI/Cu-MOF composite shows better capacitive properties compared to the pure Cu-MOF. Furthermore, the results of CVs indicate that the PANI/Cu-MOF composite has a higher capacitance (734 F g �1 at 5 mV s �1 ) with good electrochemical cycling stability. © 2019, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature

Secondary toxic effect of graphene oxide and graphene quantum dots alters the expression of miR-21 and miR-29a in human cell lines

For in vitro studies, non-toxic doses of nanomaterials are routinely selected by quantification of live cells after exposing to different concentrations of nanoparticles but considering only morphological changes or viability of cells is not sufficient to conclude that these nanomaterials are non-cytotoxic. Here we investigated if secondary toxicity is active in the cells exposed to non-toxic doses of graphene oxide (GO) and graphene quantum dots (GQDs). Non-cytotoxic dose of 15 μg mL�1 of GO (100 nm) and GQDs (50 nm) was selected according to MTT and Hoechst 33342/PI double staining assays. In order to investigate the secondary toxicity, the expression of miR-21, miR-29a and three genes at both mRNA and protein level were evaluated in MCF-7, HUVEC, KMBC/71 cells 4 and 24 h post exposure. Mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) was assessed by Rhodamine 123 staining. According to our results, there was no significant decrease in viability of cells after exposure to the non-cytotoxic dose of GO and GQDs, but we observed significant alterations in the expression level of miR-21, miR-29a, Bax, Bcl2 and PTEN genes after treatment in all three cells. In addition to molecular changes, we observed alteration in mitochondrial activity at cellular level. However, we also observed that GO influenced the basal level of genes and MMP more compare to GQDs. Considering that all these genes are involved in breast tumor development and metastasis, the observed changes in miRNA expression and protein synthesis may alter cell fate and susceptibility and cause deviation in the desired outcome of GO and GQDs application in medical research. © 2020 Elsevier Lt

Chronic Kidney Disease in Iran: First Report of the National Registry in Children and Adolescences

Purpose: Knowing the epidemiological aspects of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in children is crucial for early recognition, identification of reversible causes, and prognosis. Here, we report the epidemiological characteristics of childhood CKD in Iran. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted during 1991 � 2009. The data were collected using the information in the Iranian Pediatric Registry of Chronic Kidney Disease (IPRCKD) core dataset. Results: A total of 1247 children were registered. The mean age of the children at registration was 0.69 ± 4.72 years (range, 0.25 �18 years), 7.79 ± 3.18 years for hemodialysis (HD), 4.24 ± 1.86 years for continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD), and 3.4±1.95 years for the children who underwent the renal transplantation (RT) (P < .001). The mean year of follow-up was 7.19 ± 4.65 years. The mean annual incidence of CKD 2�5 stages was 3.34 per million age-related population (pmarp). The mean prevalence of CKD 2�5 stages was 21.95 (pmarp). The cumulative 1-, 5-, and 10-year patients� survival rates were 98.3, 90.7, and 84.8, respectively. The etiology of the CKD included the congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT) (40.01), glomerulopathy (19.00), unknown cause (18.28), and cystic/hereditary/congenital disease (11.14). Conclusion: The incidence and prevalence rate of pediatric CKD in Iran is relatively lower than those reported in Europe and other similar studies. CAKUT was the main cause of the CKD. Appropriate management of CAKUT including early urological intervention is required to preserve the renal function. Herein, the long-term survival rate was higher among the children with CKD than the literature. © 2021. All Rights Reserved