Neogene sediments and modern depositional environments of the Zagros foreland basin system

A sedimentological investigation of the Neogene deposits of the Zagros foreland basin in SW Iran reveals a continuous and largely gradational passage from supratidal and sabkha sediments at the base (represented by the Gachsaran Formation) to carbonates and marine marls (Mishan Formation with basal Guri carbonate member) followed by coastal plain and meandering river deposits (Agha Jari Formation) and finally to braided river gravel sheets (Bakhtyari Formation). This vertical succession is interpreted to represent the southward migration of foreland basin depozones (from distal foredeep and foredeep to distal wedge-top and proximal wedge-top, respectively) as the Zagros fold-thrust belt migrated progressively southward towards the Arabian foreland. This vertical succession bears a striking similarity to modern depositional environments and sedimentary deposits observed in the Zagros region today, where one passes from mainly braided rivers in the Zagros Mountains to meandering rivers close to the coast, to shallow marine clastic sediments along the northern part of the Persian Gulf and finally to carbonate ramp and sabkha deposits along the southeastern coast of the Persian Gulf. This link between the Neogene succession and the modern-day depositional environments strongly suggests that the major Neogene formations of the Zagros foreland basin are strongly diachronous (as shown recently by others) and have active modern-day equivalent

A novel 3D pillar-layered metal-organic framework: Pore-size-dependent catalytic activity and CO2/N-2 affinity

The structure-activity relationship plays the main role in the applicability of Metal-organic Frameworks (MOFs) in different areas including catalysis. Regarding to this herein a novel pillar-layered MOF (TMU-52) that is isostructural to our recently reported TMU-25 is introduced. The structure of this framework was analyzed using X-ray crystallography, FT-IR spectroscopy, Thermogravimetric and elemental analyses. According to the similar organic and inorganic backbone, a comparative study was done on catalytic manner of TMU-25 and TMU-52 toward in aldol-type condensation reaction. TMU-52 was designed through replacing the biphenyl core in the pillar linker of TMU-25 with phenyl group as a better candidate heterogeneous catalysis. The selectivity of the TMU-52 was higher owing to its narrower channels. CO2/N-2 affinity of these structures was also investigated

2-Phenyl-1H-imidazole

In the title compound, C9H8N2, a mirror plane lies perpendicular to the phenyl and imidazole rings and passes through the bridging C—C bond, so that the imidazole ring is disordered over two sites about the mirror plane with the equal site occupancy; the asymmetric unit contains one half-mol­ecule. In the crystal, adjacent mol­ecules are linked via N—H⋯N hydrogen bonds

Influence of the Amide Groups in the CO2/N2 Selectivity of a Series of Isoreticular, Interpenetrated Metal–Organic Frameworks

Here we report the use of a pillaring strategy for the design and synthesis of three novel amide-functionalized metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), TMUs-22/-23/-24, isoreticular to the recently reported imine-functionalized TMU-6 and TMU-21 MOFs. An extensive study of their CO2 sorption properties and selectivity for CO2 over N2, from single gas sorption isotherms to breakthrough measurements, revealed that not only the incorporation of amide groups but also their accessibility is crucial to obtain enhanced CO2 sorption and CO2/N2 selectivity. Therefore, the MOF with more accessible amide groups (TMU-24) shows a CO2/N2 selectivity value of ca. 10 (as revealed by breakthrough experiments), which is ca. 500% and 700% of the selectivity values observed for the other amide-containing (TMU-22 and TMU-23) and imine-containing (TMU-6 and TMU-21) MOFs.This work was supported by the Spanish MINECO (projects PN MAT2015-65354-C2-1-R and MAT2013-45008-P), the Catalan AGAUR (project 2014 SGR 80), and the ERC under the EU FP7 (ERC-Co 615954). I.I. and E.V.R.F. thank the MINECO for their RyC fellowships RYC-2010-06530 and RyC-2012-11427 and V.G. is grateful to the Generalitat de Catalunya for a Beatriu de Pinós Fellowship (2014 BP-B 00155). ICN2 acknowledges the support of the Spanish MINECO through the Severo Ochoa Centers of Excellence Program, under Grant SEV-2013-0295. E.V.R.F. and J.S.A. acknowledge the Generalitat Valenciana for PROMETEOII/2014/004. Support of this investigation by Tarbiat Modares University is gratefully acknowledged

Effects of Hydroalcoholic Extract of Tanacetum Sonbolii (Asteraceae) on Pain-related Behaviors during Formalin Test in Mice

Introduction: Tanacetum sonbolii (Asteraceae) is an endemic species in Iran. In the present study, we examined the effects of Tanacetum sonbolii hydroalcoholic extract on the formalin test in mice. Methods: 126 Swiss albino mice weighing 230-280g were used as subjects. The formalin test was performed on two control groups (marked as intact and saline groups n = 6 in each group) and an experimental group. In all groups, the formalin test was recorded for 60 min after administration of extract and drugs in mice. Results: The results showed that Tanacetum sonbolii (150 and 300 mg/kg) produced significant antinociception in phase 2. In addition, different doses of Tanacetum sonbolii extract (600, 900 and 1200 mg/kg) also induced antinociceptive effects in phase1 and phase 2. On the other hand, morphine could induce antinociception in a dose-dependent manner. Diclofenac (10 mg/kg) failed to affect the pain scores compared to Tanacetum sonbolii (300 mg/kg) group. Discussion: It seems that administration of hydroalcoholic extract of Tanacetum sonbolii has the potential to relieve pain through both central and peripheral mechanisms in persistent inflammatory nociception

Exploring the Relationship between Corporate Reputation, Employer Branding, and Corporate Social Responsibility

Given the significant role of corporate social responsibility, employer branding, and corporate reputation in the success of organizations and their competitive advantage, the present study aims to investigate the relationship between corporate social responsibility, employer branding, and corporate reputation. This research has been conducted with an applied objective and a descriptive research method. The statistical population of this study includes financial employees of industrial companies in Yazd province, and using the Cochran formula, a sample of 288 individuals was selected. A questionnaire was used to measure the research variables, and the structural equation modeling approach using partial least squares was employed for hypothesis testing and data analysis. The results indicate that corporate social responsibility has a positive and significant impact on employer branding and corporate reputation. Employer branding also has a positive impact on corporate reputation and contributes to the creation of a positive reputation for organizations. According to the research findings, organizations should attach great importance to corporate social responsibility and create a suitable brand to achieve a good reputation. These factors create a better image of the organization's brand help meet social expectations and achieve their economic goal

Neogene sediments and modern depositional environments of the Zagros foreland basin system

A sedimentological investigation of the Neogene deposits of the Zagros foreland basin in SW Iran reveals a continuous and largely gradational passage from supratidal and sabkha sediments at the base (represented by the Gachsaran Formation) to carbonates and marine marls (Mishan Formation with basal Guri carbonate member) followed by coastal plain and meandering river deposits (Agha Jari Formation) and finally to braided river gravel sheets (Bakhtyari Formation). This vertical succession is interpreted to represent the southward migration of foreland basin depozones (from distal foredeep and foredeep to distal wedge-top and proximal wedge-top, respectively) as the Zagros fold–thrust belt migrated progressively southward towards the Arabian foreland. This vertical succession bears a striking similarity to modern depositional environments and sedimentary deposits observed in the Zagros region today, where one passes from mainly braided rivers in the Zagros Mountains to meandering rivers close to the coast, to shallow marine clastic sediments along the northern part of the Persian Gulf and finally to carbonate ramp and sabkha deposits along the southeastern coast of the Persian Gulf. This link between the Neogene succession and the modern-day depositional environments strongly suggests that the major Neogene formations of the Zagros foreland basin are strongly diachronous (as shown recently by others) and have active modern-day equivalents