Instant and accurate evaluation of drug resistance in tumors before and during chemotherapy is important for patients with advanced colon cancer and is beneficial for prolonging their progression-free survival time. Here, the possible biomarkers that reflect the drug resistance of colon cancer were investigated using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) in vivo. SW480[5-fluorouracil(5-FU)-responsive] and SW480/5-FU (5-FU-resistant) xenograft models were generated and subjected to in vivo 1H-MRS examinations when the maximum tumor diameter reached 1–1.5 cm. The areas under the peaks for metabolites, including choline (Cho), lactate (Lac), glutamine/glutamate (Glx), and myoinositol (Ins)/creatine (Cr) in the tumors, were analyzed between two groups. The resistancerelated protein expression, cell morphology, necrosis, apoptosis, and cell survival of these tumor specimens were assessed. The content for tCho, Lac, Glx, and Ins/Cr in the tumors of the SW480 group was significantly lower than that of the SW480/5-FU group (p < 0.05). While there was no significant difference in the degree of necrosis and apoptosis rate of tumor cells between the two groups (p > 0.05), the tumor cells of the SW480/5-FU showed a higher cell density and larger nuclei. The expression levels of resistance-related proteins (P-gp, MPR1, PKC) in the SW480 group were lower than those in the SW480/5-FU group (p < 0.01). The survival rate of 5-FU-resistant colon cancer cells was significantly higher than that of 5-FUresponsive ones at 5-FU concentrations greater than 2.5 μg/mL (p < 0.05). These results suggest that alterations in tCho, Lac, Glx1, Glx2, and Ins/Cr detected by 1H-MRS may be used for monitoring tumor resistance to 5-FU in vivo.
This study investigates the impact of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) on employee job satisfaction within Pakistan’s construction industry, with a focus on the mediating role of organizational commitment and the moderating role of perceived organizational support (POS). Employing survey data collected from a diverse range of construction firms across Pakistan, the quantitative analysis reveals that CSR initiatives significantly enhance employee job satisfaction, primarily through the mediating influence of organizational commitment. The findings suggest that when employees perceive their organization as socially responsible and engaged in community betterment, they exhibit greater commitment to the organization, which in turn fosters higher levels of job satisfaction. Although POS does not significantly moderate the CSR—job satisfaction relationship, it remains a critical factor in cultivating a supportive and positive work environment. This study contributes to the growing literature on CSR and employee outcomes by offering empirical evidence from a developing economy context. The results have practical implications for construction firms aiming to enhance employee morale and reduce turnover by leveraging CSR as a strategic tool to improve organizational commitment and overall job satisfaction.
Modified chitosan hybrids were obtained via chemical reaction of chitosan with two pyrazole aldehyde derivatives to produce two chitosan Schiff bases, Cs-SB1, and Cs-SB2, respectively. FTIR spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy confirmed both chemical structures and morphology of these Schiff bases. Thermal gravimetric analysis showed an improvement of thermal properties of these Schiff bases. Both chitosan Schiff bases were evaluated in a batch adsorption approach for their ability to remove Cu(II) ions from aqueous solutions. Energy dispersive X-ray for the Schiff bases adsorbed metal ions in various aqueous solutions was performed to confirm the existence of adsorbed metal ions on the surface substrate and their adsorptive efficiency for Cu(II) ions. Results of the batch adsorption method showed that prepared Schiff bases have good ability to remove Cu(II) ions from aqueous solutions. The Langmuir isotherm equation showed a better fit for both adsorbents with regression coefficients (R2 = 0.97 and 0.99, respectively) with maximum adsorption capacity for Cu(II) of 10.33 and 39.84 mg/g for Cs-SB1 and Cs-SB2, respectively. All prepared compounds, pyrazoles and two chitosan Schiff bases, showed good antimicrobial activity against three Gram +ve bacteria, three Gram –ve bacteria and Candida albicans, with varying degrees when compared to the standard antimicrobial agents.
HRIS is a crucial tool for HR departments as it provides a digital platform for managing and automating various HR functions. HRIS is a comprehensive solution that integrates HRM functions with IT, enhancing the daily operations of HR professionals. In today’s knowledge-based economy, business success relies heavily on the performance of its human resources, which are essential in a rapidly changing global environment. Businesses continually strive to stay ahead of the curve in the ever-evolving technology landscape to thrive in the market. Some scholars have highlighted the negative impact of Human Resource Information Systems, primarily focusing on the invasion of privacy as the main disadvantage. The study indicates that implementing a Human Resource Information System (HRIS) enhances business performance in the tourism and hospitality industry of the Maldives. It highlights that user satisfaction and ease of use are positively influenced by these systems. The research surveyed 211 professionals and managers from the Maldives tourism and hospitality sector using a Likert Scale questionnaire to assess the impact of the HRIS on business performance. The study used SPSS 22.0 to analyze the impact of the Human Resource Information System (HRIS) on the dependent variable. The findings indicate that managerial personnel and human resource specialists in organisations find a user-friendly and satisfying HRIS motivating and beneficial for enhancing their performance. Organisations implement the HRIS to achieve their goals, identify system shortcomings, and develop strategies to improve business performance in the Maldives’ tourism and hospitality sector.
The tunable conduction of coumarin-based composites has attracted considerable attention in a wide range of applications due to their unique chemical structures and fascinating properties. The incorporation of graphene oxide (GO) further enhances coumarin properties, including strong fluorescence, reversible photodimerization, and good thermal stability, expanding their potential use in advanced technological applications. This review describes the developmental evolution from GO, GO-polymer, and coumarin-based polymer to the coumarin-GO composite, concerning their synthesis, characterization, unique properties, and wide applications. We especially highlight the outstanding progress in the synthesis and structural characteristics along with their physical and chemical properties. Therefore, understanding their structure-property relations is very important to acquire scientific and technological information for developing the advanced materials with interesting performance in optoelectronic and energy applications as well as in the biomedical field. Given the expertise of influenced factors (e.g., dispersion quality, functionalization, and loading level) on the overall extent of enhancement, future research directions include optimizing coumarin-GO composites by varying the nanofiller types and coumarin compositions, which could significantly promote the development of next-generation polymer composites for specific applications.
In this review are developed insights from the current research work to develop the concept of functional materials. This is understood as real modified substrates for varied applications. So, functional and modified substrates focused on nanoarchitectures, microcapsules, and devices for new nanotechnologies highlighting life sciences applications were revised. In this context, different types of concepts to proofs of concepts of new materials are shown to develop desired functions. Thus, it was shown that varied chemicals, emitters, pharmacophores, and controlled nano-chemistry were used for the design of nanoplatforms to further increase the sizes of materials. In this regard, the prototyping of materials was discussed, affording how to afford the challenge in the design and fabrication of new materials. Thus, the concept of optical active materials and the generation of a targeted signal through the substrate were developed. Moreover, advanced concepts were introduced, such as the multimodal energy approach by tuning optical coupling from molecules to the nanoscale within complex matter composites. These approaches were based on the confinement of specific optical matter, considering molecular spectroscopics and nano-optics, from where the new concept nominated as metamaterials was generated. In this manner, fundamental and applied research by the design of hierarchical bottom-up materials, controlling molecules towards nanoplatforms and modified substrates, was proposed. Therefore, varied accurate length scales and dimensions were controlled. Finally, it showed proofs of concepts and applications of implantable, portable, and wearable devices from cutting-edge knowledge to the next generation of devices and miniaturized instrumentation.
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