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Extended Abstract Introduction and Objective: Obtaining information and identifying the changes and dynamics of forest ecosystems in different developmental stages is necessary for optimal management, restoration and improvement of forests. The aim of This research was to investigate the effect of different development stages of the stand on tree regeneration and understory species in the mixed hornbeam stand in spring and summer (due to the beginning of vegetative activities until the optimal vegetative stage of herbaceous plants) in the forestry plan of Gorgan Shasat-Kalate district two was done. Material and Methods: In order to investigate development stages, after forest surveying, three rectangular half-hectare sample plots with dimensions of 50 x 100 meter for each development stage based on the characteristics provided by Leibundgut and Korpel in the field of the structure pattern of development stages and phases in natural forests were used. In order to study and investigate the vegetation cover, five small sample plots (20x20 meters), one of them in the center and four other in the four corners. In each sample plot, the percentage of herbaceous species cover and the tree regeneration frequency were recorded. To investigate and compare diversity in different development stages, use the diversity indices of Simpson and Shannon-Wiener, and to calculate the richness, use the richness indices of Margalf and Manhinik, and for evenness, use the evenness indices of Smith-Wilson and Evenness in PAST and R software (package Adiv software and specieseve function( were used. Results: The results showed that the number of plant species in the degradation stage is more than the initial and optimal stages. Diversity indices of understory species and tree regeneration species showed that the diversity of Shannon and Simpson in the two seasons of spring and summer in the optimal stage was lower than the initial and degradation stages. Also, Smith-Wilson and Evenness indices had the highest values in both spring and summer in the optimal stage. The highest value of the Menhinic richness index of understory species was determined in the optimal stage in the spring season, while no significant difference was observed between the different stages in the summer season. The highest value of Margalef richness index of tree species regeneration in both seasons was also observed in the degradation stage. Conclusion: Based on the results of the present research, it can be stated that different development stages have an effect on the diversity of herbaceous species and forest regeneration. Therefore, there are significant implications of sustainable management on the vegetation layer, which should be considered in future of forest management strategies.

Abstract Salinity and drought are two major abiotic stresses challenging global crop production and food security. In this study, the effects of individual and combined effects of drought (at different phenological stages) and salt stresses on growth, morphology, and physiology of triticale were evaluated. For this purpose, a 3 x 4 factorial design in three blocks experiment was conducted. The stress treatments included three levels of salinity (0, 50, and 100 mM NaCl) and four levels of drought (regular irrigation as well as irrigation disruption at heading, flowering, and kernel extension stages). The stresses, individual as well as combined, caused a significant decrease in chlorophyll contents, total dry matter, leaf area index, relative water content, and grain yield of triticale. In this regard, the highest reduction was recorded under combined stresses of 100 mM NaCl and drought stress at flowering. However, an increase in soluble sugars, leaf free proline, carotenoid contents, and electrolyte leakage was noted under stress conditions compared to the control. In this regard, the highest increase in leaf free proline, soluble sugars, and carotenoid contents were noted under the combination of severe salinity and drought stress imposed at the flowering stage. Investigating the growth indices in severe salinity and water deficit stress in different phenological stages shows the predominance of ionic stress over osmotic stress under severe salinity. The highest grain yield was observed under non-saline well-watered conditions whereas the lowest grain yield was recorded under severe salinity and drought stress imposed at the flowering stage. In conclusion, the flowering stage was more sensitive than the heading and kernel extension stages in terms of water deficit. The impact of salinity and water deficit was more pronounced on soluble sugars and leaf free proline; so, these criteria can be used as physiological indicators for drought and salinity tolerance in triticale.

In this work, we are concerned with weak and pseudo solutions for some initial value problems of fractional order and their corresponding functional integral equation of fractional order. These initial value problems includes many initial value problems that arise in nonlinear analysis and its applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AimNon-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a condition characterized by the accumulation of fat in the liver without excessive alcohol consumption. Lifestyle modifications, such as adopting a healthy diet, represent the standard treatment for NAFLD. However, the impact of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet on oxidative stress biomarkers in patients with NAFLD remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the effect of the DASH diet on total antioxidant capacity (TAC), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels, and body composition in overweight and obese patients with NAFLD.MethodsA total of 70 overweight and obese patients aged 1870 years were randomly assigned to either the intervention (DASH diet, n = 35) or the control group (control diet, n = 35) for 12 weeks, with both groups following a calorie-restricted diet.ResultsThe mean age of participants was 43.1 ± 8.1 years in the DASH group and 45.1 ± 8.6 years in the control group. At the end of the study, a significant difference was observed in the mean TAC and SOD levels between the two groups (p = 0.02). After adjusting for potential confounding factors, such as age, sex, diabetes, smoking, physical activity, and baseline values, the DASH diet maintained its significant effects on TAC and SOD compared to the control diet (p = 0.03). However, there were no significant differences in CAT levels between the two groups. Moreover, a significant reduction in visceral fat (p = 0.01) and a marginally significant decrease in BMI (p = 0.06) were observed in the DASH group compared to the control group after adjusting for potential confounders.ConclusionIn conclusion, our study showed that following the DASH diet for 12 weeks in overweight and obese patients with NAFLD has beneficial effects on TAC, SOD, and visceral fat. These findings support the use of the DASH diet as a potential therapeutic intervention for the improvement of oxidative biomarkers in patients with NAFLD.Clinical trial registrationwww.irct.ir/, identifier IRCT20170117032026N3.

In this paper, the reconfiguration of swarms of unmanned aerial vehicles after simultaneous failures of multiple nodes is considered. The objectives of the post-failure reconfiguration are to provide collision avoidance and smooth energy-efficient movement. To incorporate such a mechanism, three different failure recovery algorithms are proposed namely thin plate spline, distance- and time-optimal algorithms. These methods are tested on six swarms, with two variations on failing nodes for each swarm. Simulation results of reconfiguration show that the execution of such algorithms maintains the desired formations with respect to avoiding collisions at run-time. Also, the results show the effectiveness concerning the distance travelled, kinetic energy, and energy efficiency. As expected, the distance-optimal algorithm gives the shortest movements, and the time-optimal algorithm gives the most energy-efficient movements. The thin plate spline is also found to be energy-efficient and has less computational cost than the other two proposed methods. Despite the suggested heuristics, these are combinatorial in nature and might be hard to use in practice. Furthermore, the use of the regularization parameter $\lambda $ in thin plate spline is also investigated, and it is found that too large values on $\lambda $ can lead to incorrect locations, including multiple nodes on the same location. In fact, it is found that using $\lambda = 0$ worked well in all cases.

Background and Aim. It has been reported that lithium (Li) has neuroprotective effects in neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, we investigated the association between serum Li level and Parkinson’s disease induced by 6-hydroxypapamine (6-OHDA) in rats. Material and Methods. 6-OHDA was injected into the medial forebrain bundle by stereotoxic surgery. Apomorphine- induced rotational and cylinder tests were carried out before the toxin injection and in the second and sixth weeks thereafter. Blood samples were collected from the heart of the animals in the seventh week. The survival of dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) was determined using immunohistochemistry. Li was measured by ion selective electrode method (ISE). Results. There was no significant difference in the serum Li levels between control and 6-OHDA-treated rats. Based on the severity of the rotational behavior, the 6- OHDA- treated rats were divided into two subgroups: symptomatic (with severe behavioral symptoms) and asymptomatic (with no or mild behavioral symptoms). In the symptomatic and asymptomatic subgroups, SNc DA neuronal loss was 83 ± 16% and 45± 10%, respectively. Serum li level in the asymptomatic subgroup was significantly higher than that in the symptomatic subgroup and control group. Conclusion. Serum Li level increased in the mild to moderate damage to SNc DA neurons but returned to normal value in severe neuronal damage. Therefore, an increase in serum Li level can predict subclinical SNc DA neuronal death and helps in making early diagnosis of PD.

The fractional integration of a function f (t) by a function ϕ and some of its properties is presented in [23], [30] and [21]. As an application for this fractional integration we present some existence results for at least one continuous solution for a nonlinear quadratic functional integral equation of fractional (arbitrary) order. Also, some examples and remarks are illustrated. Finally, we prove the existence of maximal and minimal solutions for that equations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The lateral hypothalamus (LH), which produces orexin, is vital for body solution homeostasis. Lateral hypothalamus (LH) lesion causes adipsia and its stimulation increases water intake. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effect of an intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of orexin-A (OXA) on water-drinking behavior in water-deprived rats. Metods: A total of 32 male Wistar rats (220–250 g) were used and divided into 4 groups, control (no injection), vehicle (Normal saline, 5 µL), OXA (30 µg/rat), SB-334867 (OXA receptor selective antagonist, 30 µg/rat). After the microinjection of drugs or vehicles in the right lateral ventricle, each rat was placed individually into the metabolic cage and the amount of water intake, the delay time for the first water intake, and the referral number for water intake were recorded for 4 h. Findings: This study showed that ICV administration of OXA increased both water intake and the referral number for water intake in water-deprived animals (P

Introduction: Occupational injuries are one of the most important challenges in health care systems, which can lead to the transmission of infectious diseases. Medical students are at risk due to internships in a clinical setting. Therefore, it is necessary to perform educational measures in this field for them at the beginning of entering the clinical setting. Therefore, the present study aims to implement and design an internship unit in the field of medical sciences with an approach of occupational safety and health in the clinical setting. Methods: In this educational course, after coordination and obtaining approvals, the target group of the study was determined and occupational health and safety educational course was designed and implemented on students who had internships in health centers. The satisfaction with the educational course was assessed. Qualitative assessment and students’ work reports in the field of occupational safety and health were also evaluated. Results: At first, students did not have sufficient and coherent information on safety and health issues. The results of this study show that from the perspective of the students, education was good and higher (71.6%) in terms of the applicability of the content. Moreover, 70.1% of the students reported that the adequacy of the education with job responsibilities was good and excellent. More than 80% reported that the workshop was attractive and recommended to continue, 37.3% stated that the educational resources provided with the workshop content were good, and the opinion of 29.8% was very good and excellent. The overall evaluation of the workshop from the students' point of view and quality assessment of the workshop showed that more than 77% of them evaluated the workshop as good and excellent. Conclusion: The educational courses, modification of accident registration forms in students in the clinical setting, and also the existence of clinical accident self-reporting programs, especially for students seem necessary. It is suggested that the concepts of occupational safety and health be added to the content of medical students' courses in the clinical setting as an educational concept. The results of this study can be implemented in the curriculum review to improve the safety of clinical setting.

Throughout the history of pottery and among all the methods of pottery decoration, lusterwares, because of their shine and their gold-like reflection, have always been the subject of attention and admiration for everybody. Lustre is a metal glass nanocomposite thin layer made of metal in a silica-based glassy matrix. The lustre technique was first applied to glass objects in early Islamic Egypt and later to glazed ceramics in other Islamic lands, especially in Iraq and Iran. Lusterwares are one of the most beautiful types of ceramics in the history of Islamic pottery that the peak period of its popularity in Iran is related to the Seljuk era until the end of the Mongol period. The Luster masterpieces that are from the Seljuk, Mongol and Ilkhanid eras and even the Timurid era, represent the peak of using of decorative techniques to build the potteries. For some reason, this technique has become obsolete in the Timurid period and has been revived with the advent of the Safavid dynasty and has been produced with new features.Unlike the examples of the Islamic Middle Ages in Iran, there is little information about Safavid lusterwares, especially in the fields of shapes and forms, decorative patterns and the main centers for making luster, which raises the need for scientific research in this field. The aim of this study is to identify, classify and analyze the most important formal features and decorative motifs of these luster ceramics in accordance with the opinions of Islamic pottery researchers and to suggest areas as their manufacturing centers according to these characteristics. Accordingly, the research questions are: What are the features of forms and decorative patterns in lusterware ceramics in the Safavid era? And which areas were the main centers for the construction of these works? The research method is descriptive-analytical with a comparative approach and based on qualitative analysis. In this article, first, the information and images of a number of luster potteries of the Safavid era have been collected by using some electronic sources and library resources and then, 21 excellent luster ceramics of the Safavid era have been selected among the artworks in museums and collections for further study, taking into account the three factors: originality, quality and accessibility. After describing the formal characteristics and decorative patterns of the samples, the linear design of decorative patterns has been done to see more details. One of the limitations of the present study is the lack of access to many specimens and their specifications, which due to their location in the repository of domestic museums or outside the political and geographical borders of Iran, access to them or full photography and obtaining all dimensional details of them were not possible. Although many researches have been done about luster glaze ceramics in the Middle Ages, especially in the field of technique of making or laboratory examinations of glaze of this type of pottery or its decorative patterns, but about lusterwares in the Safavid era, limited research has been done and little information is available; most of which are repeated in different sources. According to the research findings, in terms of form, Tofdan and especially different types of Sorahi with small-sized designs are the most significant and special products of the Safavid era lusterwares. In terms of color quality, pottery is divided into three general categories: gold patterns on white background, gold patterns on azure background, and a combination of gold patterns on separate white and azure glazes, and in terms of the content of the designs, despite the influence of Chinese landscape making on the type and details of the designs and the style of execution, it shows independent methods. Also, the influence of Ottoman and Indian-Mughal art styles in the field of some decorative designs shows the artistic relations between the Safavid era Iran and these neighboring lands. The cities of Tabriz, Qazvin and Mashhad in the 16th century and the cities of Isfahan, Yazd and Kerman in the 17th century, are the most important areas in Iran that can be named as the centers of production of lusterwares ceramics in the Safavid era. In the end, it is reminded that the current research has been done according to the available samples and cannot claim to study all the dimensions of the Safavid era luster glaze, so, further research in this field seems necessary.

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Refluxing of 1,3‐oxazolone (1a) with malononitrile in dry benzene and in the presence of ammonium acetate afforded imidazolone derivative (2). However, carrying out the same reaction in absolute ethanol and in the presence of piperidine as a base gave the benzamide derivative (4). Fusion of (1a) with p‐anisidine gave the open adduct benzamide (6), which cyclized in acidic medium to give imidazolone derivative (7). Heating of imidazolone (7) with malononitrile above its melting point afforded 1,3‐diazepine derivative (8). Reaction of the carbohydrazide (9) with isatin in ethanol gives the corresponding Schiff base (11), which then reacted with acetyl acetone, ethyl acetoacetate, ethyl cyanoacetate, and malononitrile in n‐butanol and piperidine to afford benzamide derivative (13, 14, 15) and (16), respectively. The structures of the newly synthesized compounds were established on the basis of IR, 1H‐NMR, mass spectra, and elemental analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existence of fixed points for sum or product of two operators has been studied by several authors, for example Burton [14], Barroso [12], Bin [38], Cichón[19] and Dhage [21]. Here, a review on fixed points for sum or product of two operators in weak topology will be given and some of their application will be presented in this survey paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Disposal of non-sanitary wastewater in the rural area leads to the pollution of surface water, groundwater, and soil. It also creates unpleasant landscapes and a suitable environment for the growth and propagation of various types of insects and rodents. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of education based on the Health Belief Model (HBM) on the promotion of sanitary wastewater disposal behaviors of rural residents. Methods. This interventional study was conducted on 72 heads of rural households in Aq-Qala, Iran. Two similar villages in the area were selected and assigned to experimental and control group through simple random allocation. Then, 36 heads of the households were selected from each village. Data were collected before and after the intervention through a reliable and valid HBM questionnaire. Paired samples t-test, Wilcoxon, independent samples t-test and Mann-Whitney test were employed to analyze the data by SPSS version 17. Results. Before the intervention, there wasn’t significant difference between two groups in terms of knowledge, HBM constructs, behavior and demographic characteristics (P>0.05). After the intervention, the mean score of knowledge, perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, and self-efficacy increased significantly and the mean score of perceived barriers decreased significantly in the experimental group. However, no significant difference was found in the mean score of behavior (P>0.05). Conclusion. The educational intervention was effective in promoting knowledge and HBM constructs, but it was not effective in the domain of behavior. As far as digging absorptive well is costly, so in addition to increasing the number of training sessions, inter-sectoral cooperation between village councils is recommended. Background Disposal of non-sanitary wastewater in the rural area leads to the pollution of surface water, groundwater, and soil. It also creates unpleasant landscapes and a suitable environment for the growth and propagation of various types of insects and rodents. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of education based on the Health Belief Model (HBM) on the promotion of sanitary wastewater disposal behaviors of rural residents in Aq-Qala. Methods This interventional study was conducted on 72 heads of rural households in Aq-Qala, Iran. Two villages were selected and assigned to experimental and control group through simple random allocation. Then, 36 heads of households were selected from each village. For the experimental group, the intervention consisted of holding three training sessions about sanitary wastewater disposal. The classes were held in the rural health house. Each training session lasted at least one hour. The trainings were conducted in the form of lectures followed by questioning and answering. No training classes were held for the control group. Data were collected before and after the intervention through a researcher structured questionnaire which was built based on HBM. The questionnaire consisted of 4 sections: demographic characteristics (6 question); knowledge (5 question); HBM constructs (35 questions) including: perceived susceptibility (5 questions), perceived severity (8 questions), perceived benefits (8 questions), perceived barriers (8 questions), self-efficacy (4 questions), and cues to action (2 questions); and behavior (3 questions). The questionnaires were completed through interviews by the trained people who knew the language of the participants. The data were analyzed through conducting paired t- test, Wilcoxon, independent t-test and Mann-Whitney test by the use of SPSS. 17. Results Mean age of the participants in the experimental group and control group was 40.4± 15.5 and 42.8± 14.1 years, respectively. In both groups 80.6% of participants were male. Rural health worker's opinion was important for 86% and 100% of people in the interventional and control group respectively. 75% of the participants in the experimental group and 100% of the participants in the control group had received information about the sanitary disposal of sewage from rural health workers. Before the intervention, no significant difference in the mean score of knowledge, HBM constructs, behavior and demographic characteristics was found between the two groups (P>0.05). After the intervention, the mean score of knowledge, perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, and self-efficacy significantly increased and the mean score of perceived barriers significantly decreased in the experimental group. However, there was no significant difference in the mean score of behavior (P>0.05). Conclusion The results of the present study showed that designed education was successful in having a positive and significant effect on the knowledge and HBM constructs, but the intervention did not affect the domain of behavior in the experimental group. As far as digging absorptive well is costly, so in addition to increasing the number of training sessions, inter-sectoral cooperation between village councils is recommended. Practical Implications of Research Health education specialists as well as the health education unit of health care networks should pay attention to the fact that since digging absorptive well is costly, besides holding training sessions by health houses and health centers, inter-sectoral cooperation between village councils is an important factor in the issue of sanitary wastewater disposal in the villages. Ethical Considerations Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the Ethics Committee of the Golestan University of Medical Sciences with the ethics code 14791793061940. Conflict of Interest The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Acknowledgement This study was funded and supported by Golestan University of Medical Sciences (GOUMS); Grant No. 930618124. We thank all our dear colleagues in the Health Management and Social Development Research Center and Deputy of Research and Technology in Golestan University of Medical Sciences for their cooperation in the approval of this research project. We would like to sincerely thank the staff of Aq-Qala health houses (Rural health worker/ Behvarz) and all those who helped us in conducting this study.

Background: The present study aimed at evaluating the association between the -429T/C and -374T/A polymorphisms of RAGE (Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products) gene promoter and diabetic nephropathy as well as examining its possible application as candidate markers of diabetic nephropathy among the population of Qazvin, Iran.Methods: In this study, the diabetic patients were divided into the two groups of with or without nephropathy. The frequency of genotype and allele were determined using TETRA-Primer ARMS-PCR. Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium test and correlation of polymorphisms, odds ratio (OR), and FAMHAP software were used for haplotype analysis.Results: Based on our data, the CC genotype of -429T/C polymorphism may play a protective role against the development of nephropathy (OR=0.586, 95%; CI: 0.158-2.167) while, the AA genotype may be associated with increased risk of the disease (OR=1.889, 95%; CI: 0.454-7.854). Allele’s analysis revealed that the C allele of -429T/C polymorphism maybe protective against the appearance of nephropathy (OR=0.794, 95%; CI: 0.48-1.314) whereas, the A allele may be related to increased risk for nephropathy (OR=1.452, 95%; CI: 0.783-2.695). Haplotype analysis demonstrated that there was no significant correlation between the two -429T/C and -374T/A SNPs (χ2=5.125, p value=0.135). However, it was found that the CA haplotype may have a protective effect against the development of nephropathy (OR=0.48, 95%; CI: 0.14-1.64) while, the TA haplotype may increase the risk of the disease (OR=2.06, 95%; CI:1.01-4.23).Conclusion: Overall, no correlation between the -374T/A and -429T/C polymorphisms and the haplotypes in RAGE gene and the occurrence of diabetic nephropathy, was established.

In this paper, an adaptable fuzzy control mechanism for an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) to manipulate its mechanical actuators is provided. The mission (landing) for the UAV is defined to track (land on) an object that is detected by a deep learning object detection algorithm. The inputs of the controller are the location and speed of the UAV that have been calculated based on the location of the detected object. Two separate fuzzy controllers are proposed to control the UAV’s motor throttle and its roll and pitch over the mission and landing time. Fuzzy logic controller (FLC) is an intelligent controller that can be used to compensate for the non-linearity behaviour of the UAV by designing a specific fuzzy rule base. These rules will be utilized to adjust the control parameters during the mission and landing period in runtime. To add the effect of the ground for tuning the FLC membership function over the landing operation, a computational flow dynamic (CFD) modeling has been investigated. The proposed techniques is evaluated on MATLAB/Simulink simulation platform and real environment. Statistical analysis of the UAV location reported during stabilization and landing process, on both simulation and real platform, show that the proposed technique outperforms the similar state-of-art control techniques for both mission and landing control.

Brucellosis is a common disease between humans and livestock that has caused a great deal of damage to the livestock industry in recent years. One way to prevent this disease is to get a vaccine to immunize disease-prone herds. To produce a successful recombinant vaccine, factors such as: selecting the right adjuvant, selecting the right antigen and the right delivery system are very important. To this end, epitopes have recently been widely used in clinical research, biomedicine, and the production of recombinant vaccines. Surface proteins of this bacterium, including BLS and Omp25 proteins, have antigenic properties and play an important role in causing this disease. Due to the lack of effective vaccines, today the need to produce new and effective vaccines is felt more than ever. The aim of this study was to bioinformatically predict the epitopes of BLS and Omp25 genes of Brucella bacterium in order to introduce a suitable candidate for vaccine production. Materials and methods For this purpose, SYFFPEITHI, PROPRED and IEDB servers were used to predict epitopes. Since the three-dimensional structure of the protein is required to investigate the interaction of antigens with cell surface receptors, in the next step, the predicted epitopes were modeled using the Pepfold 3 server. In addition, in order to evaluate the stability of the predicted structures and to ensure the accuracy of the third structure of the peptides, molecular dynamics simulations were performed using GROMACS software version 2019 and in a duration of 10 nanoseconds. Then, the three-dimensional structure was obtained by modeling homology method and the docking study of the interaction between epitopes with sheep MHCII and MHCI cells was performed using Autodock vina software. Results Then, in order to evaluate the stability of the complexes based on the results obtained from molecular docking, complexes with negative values of free binding energy were selected to perform molecular dynamics simulations. Finally, 8 peptides with better numbers were considered as suggested epitopes. The results obtained from molecular dynamics showed that the rmsd values for interleukin and interleukin bound to the polypeptide did not differ much in the two cases, so these results indicate that the activity of interleukin bound to the polypeptope did not change. The rmsf values also indicate the same stability in both proteins.Finally, the obtained results were evaluated in dynamic conditions in GROMACS software. The results of this study showed that in dynamic conditions, 4 predicted epitopes have high binding power to MHC class 1 and 2 receptors. Conclusions In addition, docking and molecular dynamics results showed that the polypeptide predicted in this study could be used as a candidate polypeptide in the design of a recombinant vaccine against brucellosis. However, to confirm these results, additional and laboratory studies are needed.

The present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of soil contamination with heavy metals on physico-biochemical properties of tomato fruit. The deleterious effect of soil contamination on the quality and quantity of tomato plant yield was determined. Harvested tomato fruit characteristics including fruit length, diameter, volume and fresh and dry weights, total soluble solids, titratable acidity, lycopene and carbohydrates contents were measured in tomato fruits cultivated in soil contaminated with industrial effluents. In addition, some secondary metabolites (total phenols and flavonoids), micro- and macronutrients were also detected. Residual heavy metals (Cd, Co, Ni and Pb) were examined in the harvested fruits. The obtained results were compared with those of tomato fruits cultivated in non-contaminated soil. Results demonstrate that soil contamination with heavy metals have a negative effect on tomato fruits characteristics, titratable acidity, total soluble solids, lycopene, ascorbic acid, micro-elements and carbohydrates content. Moreover, fruits originated from plants grown in contaminated soil possess high phenols and flavonoids contents and higher heavy metals content compared to control fruits. It is recommended that fruits cultivated in that area not to be eaten by large quantities, to avoid excessive accumulation of heavy metals in the human body. Abbreviations:(AsA): Ascorbic acid; (DTPA): diethylenetriamine penta acetic acid; (TA): Titratable acidity; (TSS): Total soluble solids [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Allogeneic HCT is curative for SCN; however, a standard conditioning regimen or intensity has not been established. We describe a patient with SCN associated with c.1A>G (M1V) mutation in ELANE gene resulting in refractoriness to G‐CSF, who received reduced‐intensity HCT and developed secondary graft failure requiring a second myeloablative HCT. This case suggests that M1V mutation confers a poor G‐CSF response and HCT using the best available donor is beneficial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Parkinson’s Disease (PD) associates with changes in sex hormones; however, it remains unknown whether this is either a cause for or a result of the disease. To further evaluate it, we investigated if the development of 6-Hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced Parkinsonism changes the serum levels of testosterone and prolactin or not. Methods: 6-OHDA was injected into the medial forebrain bundle using stereotaxic surgery. The development of Parkinsonism was evaluated by apomorphine-induced rotational test and the immunofluorescence labeling of Dopaminergic (DA) neurons in substantia nigra. The necessary blood samples were collected before the toxin and in the third and sixth weeks afterward. The hormones levels were determined using Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) kits. Results: The severity of rotations was different among 6-OHDA-treated rats; accordingly, they were divided into two subgroups of severe and mild parkinsonian rats. The degeneration of DA neurons was observed in both subgroups; however, it was significantly less in the mild group. In the sixth week after the toxin, testosterone level increased but only in the severe subgroup. Prolactin increased in both subgroups in the third week after the toxin but returned to normal in the sixth week. There was no association between the pre-toxin levels of these hormones and the intensity of Parkinsonism. Conclusion: Our findings indicated that the development of 6-OHDA-induced Parkinsonism increases the serum levels of testosterone and prolactin. Increased prolactin occurred earlier and was observed in rats with less DA neuronal loss. Therefore, prolactin levels can predict the death of DA neurons before the clinical signs of PD were revealed.

Background & objectives: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients suffer from anxiety and depression. Sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS) can remit the depressive-like and anxiety-like behaviors induced by diabetes mellitus. We aimed to investigate the effects of chronic administration of hydrogen sulfide on depressive and anxiety-like behaviors in the Streptozotocin (STZ) rat model of AD. Methods: Animals were divided into: Control, NaHS, and Alzheimer’s rats group include (STZ, STZ + Saline and STZ + NaHS groups) which were the Alzheimer’s rats and received Saline and NaHS (5.6 mg/kg per d) for 21 days. For induction of AD, STZ (3 mg/kg, 10 μl/injection site) was administered into the lateral ventricles. The behavioral consequences were assessed using plus maze, forced swim and sucrose preference tests. Results: Our results showed that intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of STZ decreased the percentage of open arm time and entries, indicating anxiety-like effects. It also increased the duration of immobility time and decreased the percentage of sucrose preference indicating depression-like effects. Sodium hydrosulfide administration in STZ-treated rats increased the percentage of open arm time and entries, indicating anxiolytic-like effects. It also decreased the duration of immobility time and increased the percentage of sucrose preference, indicating antidepressant-like effects. Conclusion: STZ administration can induce depression- and anxiety-like symptoms in rats, and Sodium hydrosulfide treatment, decreased the depression- and anxiety-like symptoms in STZ rat Model of AD, suggests that Sodium hydrosulfide can be useful in the treatment of affective disorders in AD patients.

IntroductionBalangu (Lallemantia royleana Benth.) is one of the medicinal plants of Lamiaceae family that contains essential oils as well as mucilage. The most important feature of this plant is the mucilage of the seeds which widely used in industrial sectors. On the other hand the seeds are a good source of fiber, oil, and protein and have medicinal and nutritional properties. Medicinal plants are rich in secondary metabolites and are potentially useful to produce natural materials. The biosynthesis of the secondary metabolites, although controlled genetically is affected strongly by environmental and agronomic factors. This plant can be grown under a wide range of agro-climatic conditions, but it is mostly confined to the arid areas due its low water requirement and high water use efficiency. It has been used as medicine since ancient times, but it has been cultivated as a medicinal plant only in recent years. The application of soil organic fertilizers is important for sustainable agriculture, healthy agricultural production of medicinal plants especially in arid and semi-arid regions and resorting soil quality. In this study the effects of irrigation regimes and soil fertilizers on qualitative and quality characteristics of balangu as a medicinal plant were evaluated.Materials and MethodsThe experiment was done as split plot based on a randomized complete block design with three replications at the Agricultural Research Station, University of Torbat-E-jam, Khorasan-e Razavi, Iran during 2019 growing season. Main factor was four irrigation levels (including 35 (as control), 53, 71, and 89 mm evaporation) and sub factor was four fertilizer types (such as cow manure, municipal solid waste compost and mushroom compost and control). Organic fertilizers were applied equal to 10 t.ha-1.The fertilizers were applied before sowing time. Studied traits were quantitative traits (such as plant height, root length, biological yield, seed numbers per plant, 1000-seed weight, seed yield and harvest index), and quality criteria (including mucilage percentage, swelling factor and mucilage yield). General linear model ANOVA was used for soil fertilizers and irrigation regimes on quality and quantity criteria of balangu. Duncan’s test at p≤0.05 tested the significance of differences among means.Results and DiscussionThe results revealed that the irrigation regimes and different fertilizers had significant effects on the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of balangu as a medicinal plant. Compared with irrigation regimes, the highest and lowest values for seed yield were observed in 35 and 89 mm evaporation, respectively. The maximum and minimum values of seed yield were recorded for cow manure and control, respectively. Higher seed yield in cow manure+35 mm evaporation is due to number of seeds and 1000-seed weight. Also, the maximum mucilage content as an important factor was related to cow manure+35mm evaporation and the minimum was for 89mm evaporation+ control.ConclusionResults of this study indicated that cow manure as organic fertilizer could improve plant height, biological yield, seed yield, 1000-seed weight, seed No. per plant, harvest index, and quality criteria such as mucilage content, swelling factor and mucilage yield of balangu. The importance of cow manure is being realized and its long term adverse effects on soil chemical properties. Besides supplying micronutrients and micronutrients, organic fertilizers also improve the physical and chemical properties of soil. They are also useful in improving the efficiency of fertilizer recovery thereby resulting in higher plant yield. So, to prevent the environmental impact from extensive application of chemical fertilizers, the biological fertilizers could be recommended to insure the society health and a sustainable agriculture. Therefore, 35 mm evaporation and cow manure application is recommended for balangu cultivation under Torbat-e-Jam climatic conditions. Future studies should be conducted to evaluate the influences of different organic fertilizers and irrigation regimes for various climatic conditions.

No Abstract

We present existence theorems for coupled system of quadratic integral equations of generalized Chandrasekhar type which has numerous application (cf. , , and ). Also, the asymptotic stability of solutions will be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The negligence of health regulations in the preparation of the foods, services, and sanitary and welfare facilities provided in religious borders could increase the risk of waterborne infectious intestinal diseases. Therefore, the continuous monitoring and control of health indicators is essential in mourning borders. This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted on the Mawkebs of Shalamcheh border (n=267). In total, 186 samples were evaluated in terms of the microbial quality of water, and 66 samples were evaluated in terms of the microbial quality of food. The studied parameters in drinking water included the residual free chlorine, pH, turbidity, total coliform, and fecal coliform, and the studied parameters in foodstuffs included the total count and fecal coliform (Escherichia coli). According to the findings, these indicators were appropriate in terms of accommodation hygiene and preparation and distribution of crew hygiene by 99.9%. On the other hand, there were zero cases where the food sampling results were undesirable for the measurement of the total count and fecal coliform. The number of the contaminated water samples was 46 (24.7%) out of 186 water samples. Therefore, the proper implementation and continuous control of health instructions seem critical for these borders, and it is suggested that special regulations and indicators be enacted for the crew in charge, so that they would attend training courses, obtain medical examination cards, and practice personal hygiene.

Abstract Background Identification of molecular characterization of genes underlying livestock productive traits may allow applying advanced biotechnology techniques to improve animal productivity. Growth hormone (GH) controls body growth rate, milk production, reproduction as well as carbohydrate, lipid, and protein metabolism. Therefore, the present study aims to investigate the genetic variations of growth hormone cDNA sequences between Assaf sheep (As_GH) and Boer goat (Bo_GH) that mainly used for genetic improvement in Egypt using bioinformatics analysis. Growth hormone cDNA was isolated from the pituitary gland tissue of Assaf sheep Boer goat and subcloned into pTZ57R/T cloning vector for sequencing. Results Molecular weight of As_GH cDNA was 665 bp and was 774 bp for Bo_GH cDNA. The complete coding sequences (CDS) of As_GH and Bo_GH were registered in the GenBank database under accession number (AC: MH128986 and AC: MG744290, respectively). High homology percentage was observed (99.5%) between AS_GH and Bo_GH protein sequences with one different amino acid in the As_GH protein sequence (Arg194). The protein sequence of As_GH has only one motif signature; Somatotropin_1 from 79 to 112 aa compared to Bo_GH protein sequences and GenBank database that had two motifs signature. The growth hormone cDNA sequence of Assaf sheep has a unique three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (A637A638G639) that encodes for arginine (Arg194); this insertion mutation (AAG) was not found in the growth hormone cDNA sequences of Boer goat in the present study and GenBank database breeds. This mutation can be used to develop SNPs markers for Assaf sheep. Conclusions GH sequence of Assaf and Boer goat is highly conserved and the homogeny in the codon region (99.5%). The Assaf sheep GH sequence has a unique three SNPs that may be used to develop SNPs markers for such breed. Further studies are needed to investigate the genetic variations of growth hormone gene in different sheep and goat breeds in Egypt and document the relationship between these variations and the productive performance of animals.

Modified LDHs particles, including LDH-amino benzoate (M-LDHs) nanoparticles with the intercalated amino benzoate in the interlayer galleries are well exfoliated and show excellent compatibility in the polyimide (PI) matrix. Using FT-IR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), FE-SEM, and electron microscopy (TEM), we confirmed that M-LDHs/PI nanocomposites were successfully synthesized. PI hybrid films with different contents of M-LDHs nanoparticles (0, 3, 5 and 7 wt%) were compared in terms of their morphologies, thermal properties, and gas permeation and selectivity properties. We used TEM to evaluate the degree of intercalation and the amount of aggregation of the M-LDHs nanoparticles. The M-LDHs nanoparticles, for the most part, were well dispersed in the polymer matrix. Moreover, the addition of only a small amount of LDHs particles was enough to improve the thermal stabilities and mechanical properties of PI hybrid films. The thermo-optical properties were measured by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and ultraviolet-visible (UV–Vis) spectrometry. As anticipated, though the gas permeability of pure gases, such as He, N2, CH4 and CO2 exhibited a decrease, it was not monotonous. A marked decrease in permeability of gases such as CO2 and CH4, in comparison to relatively lower decrease in permeability of He, was observed, especially at higher LDH loading. An increase in selectivity: α(He/CO2) and α(He/CH4), especially at higher LDH loading indicated the capability of nanocomposites to tune the selectivity favorably.