A new insight into the rate determining step of cathodic delamination

One of the most important mechanisms of organic coating degradation is cathodic delamination. Although a significant progress towards the fundamentals of delamination was achieved in the recent decades, the underlying key parameters are not fully understood. It is believed that either cation migration along the delaminated interface or oxygen reduction at the interface are rate determining. However, as will be shown here this is not the case. A new hypothesis, which is cation insertion into the intact interface as the rate determining step in delamination, is proposed using a combined Scanning Kelvin Probe/potentiostat set-up and an in-depth delamination rate analysis. © 2022 The Author

Phytochemicals as Modulators of Paraoxonase?1 in Health and Diseases

Chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), atherosclerosis, chronic liver disease, and neurodegenerative diseases are major causes of mortality. These diseases have gained much attention due to their complications, and therefore novel approaches with fewer side effects are an important research topic. Free radicals and oxidative stress are involved in the molecular mechanisms of several diseases. Antioxidants can scavenge free radicals and mitigate their adverse effects. One of the most important antioxidant enzymes are paraoxonases (PONs). These enzymes perform a wide range of physiological activities ranging from drug metabolism to detoxification of neuroleptics. Paraoxonase?1 (PON1) is produced in the liver and then transferred to the bloodstream. It has been demonstrated that PON1 could have beneficial effects in numerous diseases such as atherosclerosis, CVD, diabetes mellitus, and neurodegenerative diseases by modulating relevant signalling pathways involved in inflammation and oxidative stress. These pathways include peroxisome proliferator?activated receptor gamma (PPAR??) and protein kinase B/nuclear factor kappa?light?chain?enhancer of activated B cells (AKT/NF??B)?dependent signalling pathways. Increasing PON1 could potentially have protective effects and reduce the incidence of various diseases by modulating these signalling pathways. Several studies have reported that dietary factors are able to modulate PON1 expression and activity. This review aimed at summarizing the state of the art on the effects of dietary phytochemicals on PON1 enzyme activity and the relevant signalling pathways in different diseases

Cyanobacteria use micro-optics to sense light direction

Bacterial phototaxis was first recognized over a century ago, but the method by which such small cells can sense the direction of illumination has remained puzzling. The unicellular cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 moves with Type IV pili and measures light intensity and color with a range of photoreceptors. Here, we show that individual Synechocystis cells do not respond to a spatiotemporal gradient in light intensity, but rather they directly and accurately sense the position of a light source. We show that directional light sensing is possible because Synechocystis cells act as spherical microlenses, allowing the cell to see a light source and move towards it. A high-resolution image of the light source is focused on the edge of the cell opposite to the source, triggering movement away from the focused spot. Spherical cyanobacteria are probably the world’s smallest and oldest example of a camera eye

Cyanobacteria in motion

This work was supported by a grant from the DFG (WI 2014/7-1) to A.W

The Historical Semiotics of Hafez’s Poems

Semiotics is defined as the study of signs. It is a general field one branch of which is language. There are literary signs in literature, as part of language, that are encoded to provoke meaning. The signs or forms in Hafez’s poems will be assessed here to discover what meaning he has meant to convey. Failure in relating the right meanings to the signs deprive us from the right interpretation of the poems. Semiotic achievements can help us to study meaning related to the form. Saussure’s structural view and his overlooking context and cultural background and his proposed indissoluble link between form and meaning cannot in all cases provide us with the precise meanings of literary signs. Poststructuralists, on the other hand, postulate an unstable relationship between sign and meaning. According to them, under different circumstances different meanings can be attributed to signs. In the present research, the posed question was if taking cultural and historical background into account could shed light on providing us with the very meaning meant by the poet. Based on content analysis, the history of Hafez’s age as one aspects of culture as well as the achievements of modern semiotics were studied and then numerous signs Hafez has encoded in his poems were randomly assessed. The theoretical basis of the research is Juri Lotman’s cultural semiotics. His “semiosphere” refers to the whole semiotic signs within a culture. The Tartu School has had a tendency to cultural history and cultural anthropology. It was clarified that historical awareness of the age in which the poet has versified his poems can lead us to the precise meaning the poet has meant to convey

Effectiveness of Sexual skills Training on Women\'s Sexual Schemas, Sexual Self-Esteem and Sexual Satisfaction of Women Referring to Isfahan Counseling Centers

Abstract Background & Aim:sexual skills training and the importance of learning it can prevent conflicts, disorders and sexual problems. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of sexual skills training on women's sexual schemas, sexual self-esteem and sexual satisfaction referring to Isfahan counseling centers. Methods & Materials: The research method was a semi-experimental design with pre-test, post-test design and control and experimental group. The statistical population of the study consisted of women referring to the one of the counseling centers in Isfahan who had a case about sexual problems in the center. Using convenience sampling, 30 women who had the conditions of the study were randomly assigned into two experimental (15) and control (15) groups. The data collection tool was Questionnaire of cognitive schema activation in sexual context (QCSASC), Sexual Self-Esteem (SSFIW), and Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction (ISS). Duration of applying the independent variable (sexual skills training) on the experimental group was 15 hours, which was performed in a weekly format and one session per week. In the post-test part, the two groups (control and experimental) were tested for the effectiveness of the intervention using the questionnaires. Results: Using the covariance analysis, the findings of this study showed that the training of sexual skills was effective on sexual self-esteem and sexual satisfaction of women, but it was not effective on women's sexual schemas. Conclusion: training of sexual skills was effective on sexual self-esteem and sexual satisfaction &nbsp

Comparison of the effectiveness of the schema therapy package based on psychosocial issues of obsessive-compulsive patients with cognitive-behavioral therapy on early maladaptive schemas and anxiety in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder

Background and Aim: obsessive-compulsive disorder is a debilitating anxiety disorder whose main feature is the occurrence of obsessions and compulsive actions. The purpose of this study is to compare the effectiveness of the schema therapy package based on psycho-social issues of obsessive-compulsive patients with cognitive-behavioral therapy on early maladaptive schemas and anxiety in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Methods: This article was a semi-experimental method, pre-test-post-test type with a control group and a 45-day follow-up period. The research population in this study included all patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder who referred to two psychotherapy clinics in Isfahan city. For the study, 45 people were randomly selected into two groups of schema therapy based on psychosocial issues (based on Yang, Kliusko and Wishar, 2003), cognitive-behavioral therapy (Struch et al., 2007) and a control group (each group). 15 people) were placed. Before and after the intervention and 45 days later (follow-up stage), the subjects responded to the short-form Young’s schema questionnaire (Young, 1994) and the anxiety questionnaire (Beck, 1989). The data was analyzed using the method of analysis of variance with repeated measurements and Spss.22 software. Results: The results of the study showed that there is a significant difference in the mean of early maladaptive schemas and anxiety in two experimental groups (schema therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy) and evidence. In addition, based on the results of schema therapy compared to cognitive-behavioral therapy, in the reduction of early maladaptive schemas (F=33.06; P<0.001) and anxiety (F=11.26; P<0.001) Patients were more effective. Conclusion: Compared to cognitive-behavioral therapy, schema therapy treatment based on psycho-social issues can play an effective role in reducing the early maladaptive schemas and anxiety of these patients