MILD AND EFFICIENT METHOD FOR OXIDATION OF ALCOHOLS IN IONIC LIQUID MEDIA

In this study the strong oxidative agent, potassium permanganate, has been moderated with using under ionic liquid media for selective oxidation of some benzylic and aliphatic alcohols to their corresponding carbonyl compounds under mild and green conditions. 1-Butyl-3-methylimidazoliumbromide ([bmim]Br) (BMIM) associated with acetonitrile has been employed as modified media for oxidation of benzylic alcohols. This chemoselective and efficient process produced aldehydes and ketones with higher purity and yields and shorter reaction period in [bmim]Br as ionic liquid than conventional solvents

Protocol Design for Large–Scale Cross–Sectional Studies of Surveillance of Risk Factors of Non–Communicable Diseases in Iran: STEPs 2016

INTRODUCTION: The rise in non-communicable diseases (NCDs) has gained increasing attention. There is a great need for reliable data to address such problems. Here, we describe the development of a comprehensive set of executive and scientific protocols and instructions of STEPs 2016. METHODS/DESIGN: This is a large-scale cross-sectional study of Surveillance of Risk Factors of NCDs in Iran. Through systematic proportional to size cluster random sampling, 31,050 participants enrolled in three sequential processes, of completing questionnaires; physical measurements, and lab assessment. RESULTS: Out of 429 districts, samples were taken from urban and rural areas of 389 districts. After applying sampling weight to the samples, comparing the distribution of population and samples, compared classification was determined in accordance with the age and sex groups. Out of 31,050 expected participants, 30,541 participant completed questionnaires (52.31% female). For physical measurements and lab assessment, the cases included 30,042 (52.38% female) and 19,778 (54.04% female), respectively. DISCUSSION: There is an urgent need to focus on reviewing trend analyses of NCDs.To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first comprehensive experience on systematic electronic national survey. The results could be also used for future complementary studies

Dynamic resource allocation in buffer-aided relay-assisted cellular networks

The increasing interest in wireless connectivity to the Internet has led to new technologies in cellular networks to provide ubiquitous access to users. One of the promising solutions is to deploy wireless relays, equipped with buffers, in different parts of the cellular networks, to improve both coverage and capacity. In this thesis, the goal is to investigate resource allocation in such networks, considering different challenges, system constraints and users' service requirements. First, based on simple reasoning, analytical investigations and intuitive generalizations, we show that the use of buffers at relays improves both throughput and average end-to-end packet delay. Extensive computer simulations confirm the validity of the presented discussions and the derived results. Subsequently, we propose Channel-, Queue-, and Delay-Aware (CQDA) resource allocation policies, which provide quality of service (QoS) for both delay-sensitive and delay-tolerant users, in a multiuser orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) network enhanced with buffering relays. Numerical results demonstrate significant improvements in providing QoS through the proposed resource allocation policies compared with the existing algorithms. Moreover, we introduce a perspective based on which we divide the network area, in a relay-assisted OFDMA system, to smaller cells served by the base station (BS) and the relays. Using convex optimization and dual decomposition, we derive closed form expressions for iterative signaling among the serving nodes to decide about resource allocation. The resulted framework provides insights for designing efficient algorithms for practical systems. Next, we introduce important parameters to be considered in the instantaneous problem formulation for data admission and resource allocation in the relay-assisted OFDMA cellular networks. Taking into account several practical constraints, we propose novel and efficient algorithms for deciding about time slot, subchannel and power allocation in a distributed manner. Numerical results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed parameters and algorithms in reaching the objectives and satisfying the constraints. Finally, we propose a novel scheduling policy, which provides queue stability and is efficient and fair in terms of delay. The proposed policy can be used in the scenarios with shared or independent channels at the BS and relays, leads to less overhead, and facilitates decentralized resource allocation.Applied Science, Faculty ofElectrical and Computer Engineering, Department ofGraduat

Channel-, Queue-, and Delay-Aware Resource Allocation in Buffer-Aided Relay-Enhanced OFDMA Networks

Resource allocation is an important factor in providing different varieties of services in next-generation broadband wireless systems. In this paper, we consider dynamic routing and subchannel allocation for providing quality of service (QoS) in the downlink of orthogonal frequency-division multiple-access (OFDMA) networks enhanced with buffering relays. Specifically, we consider satisfying the QoS requirements of both delay-sensitive users with the goal of meeting packet deadline constraints and delay-tolerant users who need guarantees on their average throughputs. We provide a framework for 'time-domain scheduling' and 'frequency-domain resource allocation,' and based on this, we propose novel channel-, queue-, and delay-aware policies for formulating and solving the joint routing and resource allocation problem. In particular, these policies take different approaches to decide on the set of users considered in the utility function, the delay budget division between the base station and relays, the routing path of delay-sensitive users' packets, and the computation of minimum rate requirements for serving their queues. We present an iterative algorithm to solve the resulting problems. Numerical results show significant improvements in throughput and delay performance of the proposed resource allocation mechanisms compared with existing algorithms.Scopu

Advances in Alzheimer's Diagnosis and Therapy: The Implications of Nanotechnology

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a type of dementia that causes major issues for patients’ memory, thinking, and behavior. Despite efforts to advance AD diagnostic and therapeutic tools, AD remains incurable due to its complex and multifactorial nature and lack of effective diagnostics/therapeutics. Nanoparticles (NPs) have demonstrated the potential to overcome the challenges and limitations associated with traditional diagnostics/therapeutics. Nanotechnology is now offering new tools and insights to advance our understanding of AD and eventually may offer new hope to AD patients. Here, we review the key roles of nanotechnologies in the recent literature, in both diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of AD, and discuss how these achievements may improve patient prognosis and quality of life. Nanotechnology offers a multitude of diagnostic, mechanistic, and therapeutic tools for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Nanobased approaches are already providing new insights to address the pathogenesis of AD. Nanotechnology addresses the multifaceted nature of age-related degeneration, while simplistic linear models of AD, such as amyloid cascade, have failed to address it. Nanoparticles have the utility to address each compartment and phase of the disease in a highly sophisticated manner. Nanotechnology offers new hope for AD where conventional approaches have stalled

Disease-related metabolites affect protein-nanoparticle interactions

Once in biological fluids, the surface of nanoparticles (NPs) is rapidly covered with a layer of biomolecules (i.e., the “protein corona”) whose composition strongly determines their biological identity, regulates interactions with biological entities including cells and the immune system, and consequently directs the biological fate and pharmacokinetics of nanoparticles. We recently introduced the concept of a “personalized protein corona” which refers to the formation of different biological identities of the exact same type of NP after being exposed to extract plasmas from individuals who have various types of diseases. As different diseases have distinct metabolomic profiles and metabolites can interact with proteins, it is legitimate to hypothesize that metabolomic profiles in plasma may have the capacity to, at least partially, drive the formation of a personalized protein corona. To test this hypothesis, we employed a multi-scale approach composed of coarse-grained (CG) and all atom (AA) molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to probe the role of glucose and cholesterol (model metabolites in diabetes and hypercholesterolemia patients) in the interaction of fibrinogen protein and polystyrene NPs. Our results revealed that glucose and cholesterol had the capacity to induce substantial changes in the binding site of fibrinogen to the surface of NPs. More specifically, the simulation results demonstrated that increasing the metabolite amount could change the profiles of fibrinogen adsorption and replacement, what is known as the Vroman effect, on the NP surface. In addition, we also found out that metabolites can substantially determine the immune triggering potency of the fibrinogen–NP complex. Our proof-of-concept outcomes further emphasize the need for the development of patient-specific NPs in a disease type-specific manner for high yielding and safe clinical applications