Two novel variants of hop stunt viroid associated with yellow corky vein disease of sweet orange and split bark disorder of sweet lime

Yellow corky vein was reported as a graft-transmissible disease of lime in India. It was attributed to infection by hop stunt viroid (HSVd) and citrus exocortis viroid (CEVd). Recently similar symptoms have been observed in Washington navel orange in Jahrom and Darab in the Fars province of Iran. It is characterized by yellowing and suberization of veins followed by tree decline. Sweet lime split bark is another disorder of increasing importance in the Fars province. It is characterized by cracks in the bark of the main stem which may spread to branches of the tree. Since these symptoms resembled those of certain viroids, a study was undertaken to determine possible association of viroids with the disorders. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) followed by cloning and sequencing of PCR products and dot-blot hybridization were used to identify the viroids associated with the diseases. Comparison of molecular properties (nucleotide composition, primary and secondary structures, molecular weights, phylogenetic relationships and percent nucleotide similarity and difference) of viroid variants were carried out. It was found that a novel variant of hop stunt viroid (HSVd-sycv) was associated with yellow corky vein disease of Washington navel and another new variant (HSVd-sb) with split bark disorder of sweet lime. No other viroids were constantly detected. HSVd-sycv was closely related to noncachexia variant of hop stunt viroid (HSVd-cit) but only with 93.7% homology with HSVd-lycv. It differed in a single nucleotide from HSVd-cit, in the variable domain in the so-called “cachexia expression motif”. HSVd-sb had only 94.8% homology with a noncachexia variant of hop stunt viroid (CVd-IIa-117) which causes mild bark-cracking symptoms on Pomeroy trifoliate orange rootstocks. According to the performed molecular comparisons, HSVd-sb differed from CVd-IIa-117 in “cachexia expression motif” and probably severe cracks induced by HSVd-sb occurred because of variation in this motif. Keyword: HSVd, Sweet lime split bark, Sweet orange yellow corky vein, Citrus viroids, Viroid phylogen

Genetic relationships of Iranian coastline ship sturgeon (Acipenser nudiventris) samples and Ural population based on microsatellite DNA

Genetic relationships among 96 specimens of ship sturgeon, Acipenser nudiventris, collected from six locations along the Iranian coastline as well as 8 specimens from northern population (Ural River) were analysed by the restricted maximum likelihood method, as well as two distance analysis method (Nei's and Cavalli-Sforza's distance) of gene frequencies. We have used four SSR markers that produced three polymorphic and two monomorphic loci. Overall results showed that Iranian coastline samples form a monophyletic group (clade) which was different from the northern (Ural) samples. Iranian coastline samples are divided into two groups (clades): Anzali-Kiashahr clade and Sefidrud-Babolsar-Noushahr-Gorgan clade. Bootstrapping test showed monophyleticity of Sefidrud, Babolsar, Noushahr, Gorgan with high (Bootstrap support=93) and Anzali-Kiashahr with middle (Bootstrap support=65) confirmation. Topology of reconstructed trees was in correspondence with geographical distributions of samples

The Effect of Eight Weeks Sahrmann's Present and Virtual Corrective Exercise Program on ‎the Upper Cross Syndrome of Female Teachers During the COVID-19 Pandemic‎

Purpose:Considering the high prevalence of upper cross syndrome among teachers, it is necessary to always provide selected corrective exercises to increase productivity. One of the methods of providing corrective exercises in special conditions is virtual education. The purpose of the current research was to compare the effect of a course Sahrmann's corrective exercises at Present and virtual on the upper cross syndrome of femalee Teachers.Methods:The present study was a randomized clinical trial with a pre-test and post-test design. The number of 60 volunteer teachers who had the conditions to participate in the study according to the entry criteria were randomly divided into three groups of 20 people for present (with an average age of 45.90±3.07), virtual corrective exercises (with an average age of 43.30±4.84) and control group (with an average age of 42.70±5.11). Neck pain and disability were measured by scale questionnaire (NPDS), shoulder pain and disability by index questionnaire (SPADI), forward head angle, forward shoulder angle and uneven shoulder angle by photography method and AutoCAD software and kyphosis angle by Kyphometer. In the statistical analysis, after confirming the normality of the data, the parametric ANOVA test and in case of significance Bonferroni's post hoc test were used. \The nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis test and  U-Man-Whitney test with Bonferroni correction were used if the condition of normality has not been met.Results:The results of the research showed a significant difference between the control and two present and virtual training groups in all evaluation variables: angles of forward head, shoulder forward on the right side and left side, uneven shoulder on the right side and left side, neck pain and disability, kyphosis angle and shoulder pain and disability (p=0.001). There was a significant difference in the kyphosis angle and shoulder pain and disability variables in the comparison between the two present and virtual training groups (p=0.001). However, no significant difference was observed in other variables.Conclusion:Virtual corrective exercises using the various solutions presented achieved a result close to the present exercises. Considering the importance of teachers' health and the priority of rehabilitation goals in them, it is possible to recommend the use of virtual training in emergency cases that prevent present training

The Effects of Folic Acid Supplementation on Recurrence and Metabolic Status in Endometrial Hyperplasia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial

Abstract: Background: Data on the effects of folic acid supplementation on clinical symptoms and metabolic profiles of patients with endometrial hyperplasia (EH) are limited. This investigation was performed to evaluate the effects of folic acid supplementation on clinical symptoms and metabolic status of patients with EH. Methods: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted among 60 women diagnosed with EH. Diagnosis of EH was made based on biopsy results. Participants were randomly allocated to 2 groups to take 5 mg/d folic acid supplements (n = 30) or placebo (n = 30) for 12 weeks. Results: After the 12-week intervention, folic acid supplementation significantly decreased fasting plasma glucose (β -3.99 mg/ dL; 95% CI, -7.39, -0.59; P = 0.02), serum insulin levels (β -2.82 µIU/mL; 95% CI, -4.86, -0.77; P = 0.008), homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (β -0.68; 95% CI, -1.20, -0.17; P = 0.009), triglycerides (β -16.47 mg/dL; 95% CI, -28.72, -4.22; P = 0.009) and very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol (β -3.29 mg/dL; 95% CI, -5.74, -0.84; P = 0.009), and significantly increased the quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (β 0.01; 95% CI, 0.004, 0.03; P = 0.01) compared with the placebo. Additionally, folic acid intake resulted in a significant reduction in serum high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) (β -0.36 mg/L; 95% CI, -0.52, -0.21; P < 0.001) compared with the placebo. Folic acid supplementation did not affect other metabolic parameters. Conclusion: In conclusion, we found that folic acid administration for 12 weeks to subjects with EH improved glycemic control, triglycerides, VLDL-cholesterol and hs-CRP levels, but did not influence recurrence and other metabolic profiles

Analyzing utilization of biomass in combined heat and power and combined cooling, heating, and power systems

Nowadays, ever-increasing energy demands and the depletion of fossil fuels require efficient and environmentally friendly technologies for energy generation. In this context, energy systems integration makes for a very strong proposition since it results in energy saving, fuel diversification, and the supply of cleaner energy. To this end, it is of the utmost importance to realize the current developments in this field and portray the state of the art of renewable generation in integrated energy systems. This review evaluates the utilization of bioenergy in cogeneration and trigeneration systems. The statistical reports of bioenergy and combined heat and power deployments in 28 countries of the European Union are discussed. Then, the most common research objectives of biomass-fueled combined heat and power systems are classified into three primary performance analyses, namely, energy and exergy analysis, thermo-economic optimization, and environment assessment. The influencing parameters of biomass utilization on each type of assessment are discussed, and the basic principles for carrying out such analyses in energy systems are explained. It is illustrated that the properties of feedstock, selection of appropriate conversion technology, associated costs with the biomass-to-bioenergy process, and sustainability of biomass are the primary influencing factors that could significantly affect the results of each assessment

Molecular genetic diagnosis of Glanzmann syndrome in Iranian population; Reporting novel and recurrent mutations

Background: Glanzmann thrombasthenia (GT) is a rare autosomal recessive abnormality of platelet aggregation with quantitative and/or qualitative abnormality of αIIbβ3 integrin. The αIIbβ3 is a platelet fibrinogen receptor, which is required for platelet aggregation, firm adhesion, and also spreading. The disease is more prevalent in the populations with a higher rate of consanguineous marriages as in some Middle Eastern populations including Iraq, Jordan, and Iran. Different types of mutations in ITGA2B and ITGB3 genes have been previously reported to cause the disease. Result: In this study, 16 patients with the clinical diagnosis of GT were studied. Direct sequencing of the exons and exon-intron boundaries of the above genes revealed mutations in 14 patients (detection rate: 87.5). Briefly, out of fifteen types of identified mutations, 14 were novel. Seven mutations in the ITGB3 gene included 4 missense c.2T > C, c.155 G > T, c. 538 G > A, c.1990 G > T, one nonsense mutation c.1303 G > T, a small deletion c.1656-1658delCTC and a deletion of one nucleotide c.401delA. Mutations in the ITGA2B were 8 different mutations consisting 2 missense c.286 T > A, c.842 C > T, 2 deletions c.1899 del T, c.189-319-236del, an insertion c.1071-1072insG and one splice site mutations c.409-3 C > G, one synonymous mutation that might alter the normal splicing process c.1392 A > G and a nonsense mutation c.1555 C > T. The causative mutation in 2 patients remained unknown. Using long-range PCR and sequencing, we found a rather large deletion. The break point of this deletion covers 319 nt from the last part of the first intron and 48 nt from the beginning of the second exon of ITGA2B gene. The deletion was also detected in two unrelated patients with the same ethnicity. In addition, in silico analyses of novel mutations were performed. Conclusion: There was no recurrent mutation in the studied population. This may be due to either small sample size or the heterogeneity of the studied population. © 2019 The Author(s)

Masked comparison of two silicone hydrogel bandage contact lenses after photorefractive keratectomy

Purpose: To compare the efficiency and safety of two bandage contact lenses after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). Methods: In this double-blind study, 45 patients (90 eyes) received PRK in both eyes and wore bandage contact lenses (BCLs), PureVision (Bausch & Lomb, Rochester, NY, USA) in one eye and PureVision2 (Bausch & Lomb, Rochester, NY, USA) in the other eye, randomly assigned. The medication regimen after surgery was the same for both eyes. The epithelial defect's size, conjunctival hyperemia and lens centration were graded objectively using slit-lamp biomicroscopy on days 1, 3 and 5 after surgery. Also ocular symptoms of discomfort including tearing, photophobia, foreign body sensation and visual fluctuations were assessed subjectively at each visit. Results: The mean epithelial defect size on the first day after operation was similar in eyes fitted with PureVision (30.08 ± 5.30 mm²) and PureVision2 (30.25 ± 5.72 mm2) lenses. (p = 0.79) Contact lens deposits and bulbar hyperaemia on days 1 and 3 after PRK were similar between the two eyes, but were significantly greater on day 5 for PureVision2 lenses. (p = 0.02; p = 0.04 respectively) There was no difference in contact lens decentration, and discomfort symptoms including pain, tearing, foreign body sensation, photophobia and visual fluctuations between the eyes fitted with PureVision and PureVision2. (p > 0.05) Conclusions: PureVision and PureVision2 contact lenses are equivalent as bandage lenses in important aspects such as corneal re-epithelialization and subjective comfort., although PureVision2 led to a higher incidence of contact lens deposits and conjunctival hyperemia early post-PRK

A deep convolutional neural network for segmentation of whole-slide pathology images identifies novel tumour cell-perivascular niche interactions that are associated with poor survival in glioblastoma

Background: Glioblastoma is the most aggressive type of brain cancer with high-levels of intra- and inter-tumour heterogeneity that contribute to its rapid growth and invasion within the brain. However, a spatial characterisation of gene signatures and the cell types expressing these in different tumour locations is still lacking. Methods: We have used a deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) as a semantic segmentation model to segment seven different tumour regions including leading edge (LE), infiltrating tumour (IT), cellular tumour (CT), cellular tumour microvascular proliferation (CTmvp), cellular tumour pseudopalisading region around necrosis (CTpan), cellular tumour perinecrotic zones (CTpnz) and cellular tumour necrosis (CTne) in digitised glioblastoma histopathological slides from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Correlation analysis between segmentation results from tumour images together with matched RNA expression data was performed to identify genetic signatures that are specific to different tumour regions. Results: We found that spatially resolved gene signatures were strongly correlated with survival in patients with defined genetic mutations. Further in silico cell ontology analysis along with single-cell RNA sequencing data from resected glioblastoma tissue samples showed that these tumour regions had different gene signatures, whose expression was driven by different cell types in the regional tumour microenvironment. Our results further pointed to a key role for interactions between microglia/pericytes/monocytes and tumour cells that occur in the IT and CTmvp regions, which may contribute to poor patient survival. Conclusions: This work identified key histopathological features that correlate with patient survival and detected spatially associated genetic signatures that contribute to tumour-stroma interactions and which should be investigated as new targets in glioblastoma. The source codes and datasets used are available in GitHub: https://github.com/amin20/GBM_WSSM.Amin Zadeh Shirazi, Mark D. McDonnell, Eric Fornaciari, Narjes Sadat Bagherian, Kaitlin G. Scheer, Michael S. Samuel, Mahdi Yaghoobi, Rebecca J. Ormsby, Santosh Poonnoose, Damon J. Tumes, and Guillermo A. Gome

Root canal morphology of primary maxillary second molars:a micro-computed tomography analysis

Aim Successful endodontic treatment of primary teeth requires comprehensive knowledge and understanding of root canal morphology. The purpose of this study was to investigate the root canal configurations of primary maxillary second molars using micro-computed tomography. Methods Extracted human primary maxillary second molars (n = 57) were scanned using micro-computed tomography and reconstructed to produce three-dimensional models. Each root canal system was analysed qualitatively according to Vertucci's classification. Results 22.8% (n = 13) of the sample presented with the fusion of the disto-buccal and palatal roots; of these, Type V was the most prevalent classification. For teeth with three separate roots (n = 44), the most common root canal type was Type 1 for the palatal canal (100%) and disto-buccal canal (77.3%) and Type V for the mesio-buccal canal (36.4%). Overall, 7% (n = 4) of mesio-buccal canals were 'unclassifiable'. Conclusion The root canal systems of primary maxillary second molars were not only complex but had a range of configurations that may contribute to unfavourable clinical outcomes after endodontic treatment

Malnutrition Has No Effect on the Timing of Human Tooth Formation

The effect of nutrition on the timing of human tooth formation is poorly understood. Delays and advancements in dental maturation have all been reported as well as no effect. We investigated the effect of severe malnutrition on the timing of human tooth formation in a large representative sample of North Sudanese children. The sample (1102 males, 1013 females) consisted of stratified randomly selected healthy individuals in Khartoum, Sudan, aged 2-22 years using a cross-sectional design following the STROBE statement. Nutritional status was defined using WHO criteria of height and weight. Body mass index Z-scores and height for age Z-scores of ≤-2 (cut-off) were used to identify the malnourished group (N = 474) while the normal was defined by Z-scores of ≥0 (N = 799). Clinical and radiographic examination of individuals, with known ages of birth was performed including height and weight measurements. Mandibular left permanent teeth were assessed using eight crown and seven root established tooth formation stages. Mean age at entry and mean age within tooth stages were calculated for each available tooth stage in each group and compared using a t-test. Results show the mean age at entry and mean age within tooth stages were not significantly different between groups affected by severe malnutrition and normal children (p>0.05). This remarkable finding was evident across the span of dental development. We demonstrate that there is little measurable effect of sustained malnutrition on the average timing of tooth formation. This noteworthy finding supports the notion that teeth have substantial biological stability and are insulated from extreme nutritional conditions compared to other maturing body systems