Evaluating the Effects of Using Recycled Asphalt Pavements on Fatigue Properties of Warm Mix Asphalt

This paper presented an experimental study to characterize thestiffness modulus and fatigue life of warm mix asphalt mixturecontaining recycled asphalt pavements (RAP) with and withouta rejuvenating agent. For this purpose, warm mix asphaltswere produced using Sasobit and Asphamin as two of the mostcommon additive materials. The following five mixes were preparedand tested: a mix with 30% RAP, two mixes with 30%RAP plus warm mix asphalt additives, and two mixes with 30%RAP plus warm mix asphalt additives and a rejuvenating agent.The results indicated no significant difference in the stiffnessmodulus of warm mix asphalt mixtures containing RAP andconventional mixtures including recycled asphalt pavement.However, the indirect tensile fatigue test results showed thatthe addition of the warm mix asphalt additives and rejuvenatingagent improved the fatigue life of the mixtures at differenttemperatures

Providing Laboratory Rutting Models for Modified Asphalt Mixes with Different Waste Materials

Due to the complex behavior of asphalt pavement materials under various loading conditions, pavement structure, and environmental conditions, accurately predicting the permanent deformation of asphalt pavement is difficult. This study discusses the application of artificial neural network (ANN) and the multiple linear regression (MLR) in predicting permanent deformation of asphalt concrete mixtures modified by waste materials (waste plastic bottles and waste high-density polyethylene). The use of waste materials in the pavement industry can prevent the accumulation of waste material and environmental pollution and can reduce primary production costs. The results of a laboratory study evaluating the rutting properties of Hot-Mix Asphalt (HMA) mixtures using dynamic creep tests were investigated. The results indicate ANN techniques are more effective in predicting the rutting of the modified mixtures tested in this study than the traditional statistical-based prediction models. On the other hand, results show that an increase in percentage of waste materials is very effective in reducing the final strain of asphalt mixtures. However, an increase in percentage of additives over 7% does not help to reduce permanent deformation under dynamic loading in the asphalt mixtures

Engineering Folate-Targeting Diselenide-containing Triblock Copolymer as a Redox-Responsive Shell-sheddable Micelle for Antitumor Therapy In Vivo

The oxidation-reduction (redox)–responsive micelle system is based on a diselenide-containing triblock copolymer, poly(ε-caprolactone)-bis(diselenide-methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)/poly(ethylene glycol)-folate) [PCL-(SeSe-mPEG/PEG-FA)2]. This has helped in the development of tumor-targeted delivery for hydrophobic anticancer drugs. The diselenide bond, as a redox-sensitive linkage, was designed in such a manner that it is located at the hydrophilic–hydrophobic hinge to allow complete collapse of the micelle and thus efficient drug release in redox environments. The amphiphilic block copolymers self-assembled into micelles at concentrations higher than the critical micelle concentration (CMC) in an aqueous environment. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses showed that the micelles were spherical with an average diameter of 120 nm. The insoluble anticancer drug paclitaxel (PTX) was loaded into micelles, and its triggered release behavior under different redox conditions was verified. Folate-targeting micelles showed an enhanced uptake in 4T1 breast cancer cells and in vitro cytotoxicity by flow cytometry and (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium) (MTS) assay, respectively. Delayed tumor growth was confirmed in the subcutaneously implanted 4T1 breast cancer in mice after intraperitoneal injection. The proposed redox-responsive copolymer offers a new type of biomaterial for drug delivery into cancer cells in vivo. Statement of Significance On-demand drug actuation is highly desired. Redox-responsive polymeric DDSs have been shown to be able to respond and release their cargo in a selective manner when encountering a significant change in the potential difference, such as that present between cancerous and healthy tissues. This study offers an added advantage to the field of redox-responsive polymers by reporting a new type of shell-sheddable micelle based on an amphiphilic triblock co-polymer, containing diselenide as a redox-sensitive linkage. The linkage was smartly located at the hydrophilic-hydrophilic bridge in the co-polymer offering complete collapse of the micelle when exposed to the right trigger. The system was able to delay tumor growth and reduce toxicity in a breast cancer tumor model following intraperitoneal injection in mice

Evaluating the MicroRNA Expression of IL-35 and IL-37 in Helicobacter pylori-infected Patients with Gastritis and Gastric Ulcer

Interleukin (IL)-35 and IL-37 are two anti-inflammatory cytokines. IL-35 inhibits the development of T-effector cells such as Th1, and Th17; while increasing regulatory T cells (Tregs). IL-37 causes the suppression of inflammatory cytokines. Regarding the positive impact of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection on inflammation and considering the anti-inflammatory effects of IL-35 and IL-37, this study aimed to evaluate the expression of these two cytokines in H. pylori-infected patients with gastrointestinal problems. The case group consisted of H. pylori-infected individuals with gastric ulcer and/or gastritis (n=50) and the control group consisted of cases with gastric ulcer and/or gastritis non -H. pylori infected (n=50). Sampling and classification of patients were based on pathology findings. A realtime polymerase chain reaction was performed for evaluating the IL-35 and IL-37 expression levels. H. pylori-infected gastritis patients showed lower expression of IL-35 and IL-37 than the non infected group. There was a significant difference between the expression levels of IL-35 and IL 37 in patients with gastric ulcers and/or gastritis who were infected and non-infected by H. pylori. There were no significant differences in the expression level of IL-35 and IL-37 in H. pylori infected patients with gastric ulcer or gastritis. Interleukins 37 and 35 were less expressed in patients with H. pylori-infection. In differentiation between patients with gastrointestinal symptoms who have H. pylori infection or with similar symptoms who do not have H. pylori-infection, mentioned interleukins can be used as diagnostic markers

Smart and Multi-Functional Magnetic Nanoparticles for Cancer Treatment Applications: Clinical Challenges and Future Prospects

Iron oxide nanoparticle (IONPs) have become a subject of interest in various biomedical fields due to their magnetism and biocompatibility. They can be utilized as heat mediators in magnetic hyperthermia (MHT) or as contrast media in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and ultrasound (US). In addition, their high drug-loading capacity enabled them to be therapeutic agent transporters for malignancy treatment. Hence, smartening them allows for an intelligent controlled drug release (CDR) and targeted drug delivery (TDD). Smart magnetic nanoparticles (SMNPs) can overcome the impediments faced by classical chemo-treatment strategies, since they can be navigated and release drug via external or internal stimuli. Recently, they have been synchronized with other modalities, e.g., MRI, MHT, US, and for dual/multimodal theranostic applications in a single platform. Herein, we provide an overview of the attributes of MNPs for cancer theranostic application, fabrication procedures, surface coatings, targeting approaches, and recent advancement of SMNPs. Even though MNPs feature numerous privileges over chemotherapy agents, obstacles remain in clinical usage. This review in particular covers the clinical predicaments faced by SMNPs and future research scopes in the field of SMNPs for cancer theranostics

Engineering triphenyl phosphonium conjugated iron oxide nanoparticles for Oxaliplatin loading: Application in cancer treatment

Cancer remains one of the most pervasive and lethal diseases globally, with conventional chemotherapy often failing to effectively eradicate tumors or prevent their progression (e.g., breast, ovarian, and colon cancers). Iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe3O4 NPs) have emerged as promising candidates for drug delivery in cancer treatment due to their excellent biocompatibility, versatile surface chemistry, tunable magnetic properties, and potential for multi-modal applications on a single platform. In this study, the unique contribution lies in the functionalisation of Fe3O4 NPs with (3-carboxypropyl) triphenylphosphonium bromide (TPP) and their subsequent loading with the chemotherapeutic agent oxaliplatin (OXA). TPP functionalization can enable mitochondrial targeting, providing a novel strategy to enhance drug delivery efficacy. The Fe3O4 NPs were synthesised via a co-precipitation reaction at elevated temperature (80 °C) and high pH (11), followed by coating with tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (3-APTES), and functionalisation with TPP. Analytical characterisation (XPS, ICP-OE) confirmed the successful TPP functionalisation and loading of OXA. Notably, the nanoparticles exhibited good stability across a range of temperatures (4 °C, 25 °C, 37 °C, and 43 °C) and retained their superparamagnetic properties, highlighting their suitability for biomedical applications. Cell toxicity analysis has shown that the IC50 values (i.e. the concertation at which 50 % of cell growth is inhibited) of corresponding OXA concentration delivered by the NPs is comparable with the pure OXA, suggesting an effective drug delivery to the cells using NPs. It should be noted that the TPP modification was aimed at enabling mitochondrial targeting and promoting immunogenic cell death, both of which will be further investigated in future in vitro/in vivo studies

The Private Companies, and Sponsorship Motivation: A Case Study in Persian Gulf Premier League

Purpose: Regarding the restrictions of football clubs and insufficient income sources on the one hand and the revenue gained through television broadcasting rights, environmental advertising, and ticket sales, financial support from football clubs by sponsors should be mounted. Unfortunately, some issues have caused private companies to be disinclined in providing capital for football. Therefore, the present research was carried out to identify the factors influencing private companies' motivation for sponsorship.Methodology: The present research was conducted via a qualitative method based on the phenomenological approach. Predominantly, the phenomenological approach reveals the nature of meaning concealed in experiences and aims to comprehend the experience concept in the same way the person did. The Participants into semi-structured interviews included sport management faculty members, senior managers of the football federation, football clubs, managers, senior managers of private companies, and sports instructors. The validity and reliability of the findings were applied.Findings: The factors impact the private companies, motivation to support football clubs. They include 52 sub-contents from 8 main contents: Adherence to Behavioral Norms, Financial Growth, Government Support, Development of Refereeing, Media Promotion, Managerial Development, Club Brand Enhancement, and supporting companies’ development.Originality: We found new concepts to increase private companies’ motivation in football club sponsorship