Physiological and Biochemical Changes of Some Grapevine Cultivars under Different Irrigation Regimes

In this research, the responses of six grapevine cultivars to irrigation regimes were investigated using some physiological and biochemical traits in order to determine the water deficit tolerant cultivars and to select them as a rootstock. The potted plants were subjected to different irrigation treatments: well-watered (100% FC or Full Irrigation, FI), mild (75 % FI), moderate (50% FI) and severe water deficit (25% FI) for a period of 60 days. A factorial experiment (6 cultivars × 4 irrigation levels) was conducted in a completely randomized design (RCD) under greenhouse conditions. The results showed that ‘Rotabi’ cultivar had the highest quantum efficiency of photosystem II (Fv/Fm) and relative water content (RWC %) under severe water stress deficit and cultivar ‘Thompson Seedless’ had the lowest amount of these two above mentioned traits. The lowest total chlorophyll (TCh) occurred in ‘Yaghouti’ and ‘Flame Seedless’ and the highest one in ‘Rotabi’ and ‘Thompson Seedless’. The highest amount of starch, proline and protein was observed in ‘Rotabi’ in response to different irrigation levels. ‘Perlette’ had the highest activity of POD, SOD and protein content as well as total chlorophyll content under 25% FI. ‘Siah Samarghandi’ and ‘Thompson Seedless’ cultivars indicated the same activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in different irrigation levels. In conclusion, it seems that ‘Rotabi’ and ‘Perlette’ are the most tolerant grapevine cultivars in response to progressive water deficit

Foliar Application of Humic Acid on Quantitative and Qualitative Characteristics of Aromas Strawberry in Soilless Culture

ABSTRACT Consequently, the application of 1.5-3 mgL -1 humic acid is recommended in hydroponic culturing of strawberry

Assessment of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) Preparing Hygienic Condition in the Blood Donation Centers during the Outbreak of COVID-19

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has led to an alteration in hygienic conditions. In this situation, improving standard operating procedures (SOPs) in blood donation centers is critical. The purpose of this study was the assessment of SOPs in the blood donation centers during the outbreak of COVID-19 by regular blood donors as external audits. Materials and Methods: Regular donors were selected as external inspectors in 31 provinces of Iran. The questionnaire containing 10 closed questions was provided to assess the hygienic SOPs of blood transfusion centers in the prevention of COVID-19 transmission. Comparison and evaluation of questionnaires were conducted by assigning an importance coefficient (IC)  score to each question. Results: Assessment of SOPs in blood donation departments by regular donors in 31 provinces of Iran showed that 18 centers (58.1%) received IC scores >10(Strong performance), 7 centers (22.6%) received the range of IC scores between7-10(acceptable performance), and 6 centers (19.4%) received IC scores <7(poor performance). The difference in IC scores between provinces was not statistically significant. Conclusion: This study confirms that the assessment of blood donation centers through regular blood donor inspection is a reliable method to identify the strengths and weaknesses of blood transfusion center services and ultimately leads to corrective intervention and improvement of hygienic SOPs to prevent COVID-19 transmission

Ion and mineral concentrations in roots and leaves of two grapevine cultivars as affected by nitric oxide foliar application under NaCl stress

Aim: The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of SNP (sodium nitroprusside, as nitric oxide donor) on mineral concentration in two grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) cultivars, Qarah Shani and Thompson Seedless, under different levels of NaCl stress. Methods and results: The plants were exposed to NaCl at the rate of 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 mM in nutrient solution and foliar spray of SNP at 0, 0.5, 1 and 1.5 mM under an open hydroponic system. Results indicated that with increasing salinity levels, the Cl- and Na+ concentrations increased and the K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, NO3-N, Zn2+, Fe2+ concentrations and K+/Na+ ratio decreased in both cultivars. However, application of SNP mitigated the Cl- and Na+ concentrations and improved the K+, Ca2+, Mg2+ and NO3-N concentrations in leaves and roots of both cultivars. The application of SNP did not significantly affect Zn2+ and Fe2+ concentrations under 100 mM NaCl. Conclusion: The adverse effects of NaCl stress in nutrient element uptake were ameliorated by the exogenous application of SNP in grapevine. Significance and impact of the study: Salinity of soil and water sources is one of the most serious environmental threats in Iran. Iran ranks tenth among grape-producing countries in the world. Therefore, the application of SNP can serve as an important component to reduce the adverse effects of salinity stress in nutrient element uptake in grapevine

Inducing salt tolerance in sweet corn by magnetic priming

This study evaluates seed germination and growth of sweet corn under NaCl stress (0, 50, and 100 mM), after exposing the seeds to weak (15 mT) or strong (150 mT) magnetic fields (MF) for different durations (0, 6, 12, and 24 hours). Salinity reduced seed germination and plant growth. MF treatments enhanced rate and percentage of germination and improved plant growth, regardless of salinity. Higher germination rate was obtained by the stronger MF, however, the seedling were more vigorous after priming with 15 mT MF. Proline accumulation was observed in parallel with the loss of plant water content under 100 mM NaCl stress. MF prevented proline accumulation by improving water absorption. Positive correlation between H2O2 accumulation and membrane thermostability (MTI) was found after MF treatments, which revealed that MF primed the plant for salinity by H2O2 signaling. However, over-accumulation of H2O2 after prolonged MF exposure adversely affected MTI under severe salt stress. In conclusion, magnetic priming for 6 hours was suggested for enhancing germination and growth of sweet corn under salt stress.</p

Interaction of paclobutrazol, boron and zinc on vegetative growth, yield and fruit quality of strawberry (Fragaria × Ananassa Duch. Cv. Selva)

Proper nutrient at the right time increases fruit quality, and yield of strawberry plants. An experiment was conducted with the aim of reducing vegetative growth and increasing yield and fruit quality of Selva strawberry cultivar using paclobutrazol (0, 100 mg lˉ¹), boric acid (0, 150, 300 mg lˉ¹) and zinc sulfate (0, 100, 200 mg lˉ¹). Rooted runners of strawberry grown in the greenhouse under hydroponic condition were used. The criteria measured were leaf number, leaf area, length and diameter of petiole, fresh and dry shoot root ratio, yield, total soluble solid, acidity and vitamin C. Results indicated that vegetative growth was reduced with PP333. Zinc (ZnSO4) had positive effect on criteria measured. However, combined PP333×B decreased total soluble solid in fruits. Highest vitamin C was obtained at concentration of (0-300 mg lˉ¹ PP333- B). Foliar application of ZnSO4 prior to flowering was recommend to increase fruit quality and yield of strawberry

Response Of Strawberry ‘Selva’ Plants On Foliar Application Of Sodium Nitroprusside (Nitric Oxide Donor) Under Saline Conditions

This study was conducted to evaluate enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant response of ‘Selva’ strawberry plants on exogenous nitric oxide under saline conditions with respect to time of application. Sodium nitroprusside (SNP), as nitric oxide (NO) source, was applied on the leaves by spray before, simultaneously, or after the initiation of saline stress. Results indicated that salinity and/or SNP at concentrations of 50 and 75 μM caused increase in activity of antioxidant enzymes, such as catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione reductase, ascorbate peroxidase and peroxidases as well as leaf content of proline, glycine betaine and total phenolics in comparison to control. Time of NO application was important because the highest levels of catalase and ascorbic peroxidase were in plants pre-treated with SNP one week before the initiation of salinity stress. Plants from these combinations had the highest fruit yield among all saline stressed plants. So, it seems that earlier application of SNP is more effective for an optimised protection against deleterious influence of salinity stress, because pre-treated plants had a sufficient time to develop an appropriate antioxidant response. The application of SNP simultaneously or after exposure of plants to stress conditions, was also helpful in increasing plant tolerance but to a lesser extent

Evaluating Emission Reduction Due to a Proposed Light Rail Service: A Micro-Level Analysis

Carbon dioxide (CO2) alongside other gas emissions in the atmosphere cause a greenhouse effect, resulting in an increase of the average temperature of the planet. Transportation vehicles are among the main contributors of CO2 emission. Stationary vehicles with initiated motors produce more emissions than mobile ones. Intersections with traffic lights that force the vehicles to become stationary for a period of time produce more CO2 pollution than other parts of the road. This paper focuses on analyzing the CO2 produced by the traffic flow at Anzac Parade Road - Barker Street intersection in Sydney, Australia, before and after the implementation of Light rail transport (LRT). The data are gathered during the construction phase of the LRT by collecting the number of vehicles on each path of the intersection for 15 minutes during the evening rush hour of 1 week (6-7 pm, July 04-31, 2018) and then multiplied by 4 to calculate the flow of vehicles in 1 hour. For analyzing the data, the microscopic simulation software “VISSIM” has been used. Through the analysis, the traffic flow was processed in three stages: before and after implementation of light rail train, and one during the construction phase. Finally, the traffic results were input into another software called “EnViVer”, to calculate the amount of CO2 during 1 h. The results showed that after the implementation of the light rail, CO2 will drop by a minimum of 13%. This finding provides an evidence that light rail is a sustainable mode of transport

A survey of machine learning in kidney disease diagnosis

Applications of Machine learning (ML) in health informatics have gained increasing attention. The timely diagnosis of kidney disease and the subsequent immediate response to it are of the cases that shed light on the substantial role of ML diagnostic algorithms. ML in Kidney Disease Diagnosis (MLKDD) is an active research topic that aims at assisting physicians with computer-aided systems. Various investigations have tried to test the feasibility, applicability, and superiority of different ML methods over each other. However, lacking a holistic survey for this literature has always been a noticeable shortcoming. Hence, this paper provides a comprehensive literature review of ML utilizations in kidney disease diagnosis by introducing two different frameworks, one for MLs, classifying various aspects of kidney disease diagnosis, and the other is the framework of medical sub-fields related to MLKDD. In addition, research gaps are discovered, and future study directions are discussed

Vegetative and Reproductive Parameters of &apos;Selva&apos; Strawberry as Influenced by Algaren, Drin and Green Hum Foliar Application

ABSTRACT In order to evaluate the effects of foliar application of seaweed extracts including Algaren, Drin and Humic acid on vegetative and reproductive growth of strawberry cv. &apos;Selva&apos; the present study was carried out in a completely randomized block design. Well-rooted daughter strawberry plants wer