Extracting Sustainable Urban Water Policies with Dynamic System Approach (Case Study: Qom City)

Qom city (located in the central desert of Iran) has always faced the problem of water shortage. In recent years, due to various reasons such as urbanization, increased immigration and tourism prosperity, this problem has become a more serious trending water crisis. In spite of the steps taken to maintain the sustainability of potable water, predictions indicated that if the existing situation persists, in 2022 the city will be in a state of unstable water. To overcome this dilemma, this paper aims to identify and present sustainable urban Potable water policies on a thirty-year horizon through system dynamics and the use of Vensim software. These policies are generally presented in two parts: Supply and Demand. The supply policies include separation of potable water from non potable water, using fresh water or wastewater, and managing the water supply losses. In demand management, the policies are to control the population, control the pattern of domestic demand, and control the Exempt Demand. The new policy investigated and proposed by this research which is proportional to the problem was the separation of potable water from non potable water and control the exempt demands over time and their impact on the sustainability of urban potable water

Nitric oxide sensing in plants is mediated by proteolytic control of group VII ERF transcription factors

Nitric oxide (NO) is an important signaling compound in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. In plants, NO regulates critical developmental transitions and stress responses. Here, we identify a mechanism for NO sensing that coordinates responses throughout development based on targeted degradation of plant-specific transcriptional regulators, the group VII ethylene response factors (ERFs). We show that the N-end rule pathway of targeted proteolysis targets these proteins for destruction in the presence of NO, and we establish them as critical regulators of diverse NO-regulated processes, including seed germination, stomatal closure, and hypocotyl elongation. Furthermore, we define the molecular mechanism for NO control of germination and crosstalk with abscisic acid (ABA) signaling through ERF-regulated expression of ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE5 (ABI5). Our work demonstrates how NO sensing is integrated across multiple physiological processes by direct modulation of transcription factor stability and identifies group VII ERFs as central hubs for the perception of gaseous signals in plants

The Cys-Arg/N-end rule pathway is a general sensor of abiotic stress in flowering plants

Abiotic stresses impact negatively on plant growth, profoundly affecting yield and quality of crops. Although much is known about plant responses, very little is understood at the molecular level about the initial sensing of environmental stress. In plants, hypoxia (low oxygen, which occurs during flooding) is directly sensed by the Cys-Arg/N-end rule pathway of ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis, through oxygen-dependent degradation of group VII Ethylene Response Factor transcription factors (ERFVIIs) via amino-terminal (Nt-) cysteine [1, 2]. Using Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and barley (Hordeum vulgare), we show that the pathway regulates plant responses to multiple abiotic stresses. In Arabidopsis, genetic analyses revealed that response to these stresses is controlled by N-end rule regulation of ERFVII function. Oxygen sensing via the Cys-Arg/N-end rule in higher eukaryotes is linked through a single mechanism to nitric oxide (NO) sensing [3, 4]. In plants, the major mechanism of NO synthesis is via NITRATE REDUCTASE (NR), an enzyme of nitrogen assimilation [5]. Here, we identify a negative relationship between NR activity and NO levels and stabilization of an artificial Nt-Cys substrate and ERFVII function in response to environmental changes. Furthermore, we show that ERFVIIs enhance abiotic stress responses via physical and genetic interactions with the chromatin-remodeling ATPase BRAHMA. We propose that plants sense multiple abiotic stresses through the Cys-Arg/N-end rule pathway either directly (via oxygen sensing) or indirectly (via NO sensing downstream of NR activity). This single mechanism can therefore integrate environment and response to enhance plant survival

Evaluation and comparison of sensitivity and specificity of ultrasonography in placenta accreta diagnosis in the second and third trimesters

Background: Ultrasound is the selected technique for the detection of placenta accreta spectrum (PAS). This method can detect PAS in 80%-50% of cases. This study aimed to assess and compare the sensitivity and specificity of ultrasonography in the diagnosis of PAS after the first trimester. Materials and Methods: In this prospective study that was performed in 2020-2021 on 79 patients at high risk of PAS, all cases underwent ultrasonography in both 18-22 weeks of gestational age (GA) and 32-34 weeks of GA for evaluation of accreta. As per the risk factors, the delivery plan for all mothers was cesarean section. During the cesarean section, the placenta was examined for accreta, and if it was attached to the uterus, a diagnosis of placenta accreta was ascertained and a total abdominal hysterectomy was performed if the patient's bleeding was not controlled during the operation. The final diagnosis of PAS was made based on the pathology report. Results: Ultrasound evaluation for PAS in 18-22 weeks of GA had 79.17% specificity, 51.61% sensitivity, 61.54% positive predictive value, and 71.70% negative predictive value. Ultrasound imaging for PAS in 32-34 weeks of GA had 60.8% specificity, 90% sensitivity, 62.52% positive predictive value, and 90.33% negative predictive value. Conclusion: It should be concluded that PAS is a critical condition and if the patient is diagnosed in the second or third trimester, special strategies should be applied

Molecular typing, biofilm production, and detection of carbapenemase genes in multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolated from different infection sites using ERIC-PCR in Hamadan, west of Iran

Abstract Background Acinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic pathogen that can cause several kinds of nosocomial infections. Increasing antibiotic resistance as well as identifying genetic diversity and factors associated with pathogenicity and prevalence of this bacterium is important. The aim of this study was the investigation of molecular typing, biofilm production, and detection of carbapenemase genes in multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolated from different infection sites using ERIC-PCR in Iran. Methods Forty isolates of A. baumannii were obtained from various wards of the central hospital, in the west of Iran. Phenotypic identification and genetic diversity, biofilm production assay, and detection of Carbapenemase genes carried out. Results Tracheal samples 26 (61.9 %) are the most frequent isolates, and 95 % of isolates were identified as MDR. 32.5 % of all A. baumannii strains were capable to form a strong biofilm. It was founded that antimicrobial resistance patterns had a significant relationship with strong biofilm formation (P = 0.001). Most frequencies of the studied genes were in the order of VIM (81 %), SPM (45.2 %), and IMP (35.7 %) genes. The VIM gene was the most frequent in all isolates which were significant (P = 0.006). 14 different ERIC-types were observed including 7 common types and 7 unique or single types. F type is the largest common type consisting of nine isolates and B, D, and E types contain two isolates separately. Conclusions ERIC-PCR technique was used to genetically classify A. baumannii isolates as one of the most common microorganisms in nosocomial infections

Identifying differentially expressed proteins in sorghum cell cultures exposed to osmotic stress

Drought stress triggers remarkable physiological changes and growth impediments, which significantly diminish plant biomass and crop yield. However, certain plant species show notable resilience, maintaining nearly normal yields under severe water deficits. For example, sorghum is a naturally drought-tolerant crop, which is ideal for studying plant adaptive responses to drought. Here we used sorbitol treatments to simulate drought-induced osmotic stress in sorghum cell suspension cultures and analysed fractions enriched for extracellular matrix proteins using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification technology. Sorbitol induced an overall increase in protein secretion, with putative redox proteins, proteases, and glycosyl hydrolases featuring prominently among the responsive proteins. Gene expression analysis of selected candidates revealed regulation at the transcriptional level. There was a notable differential gene expression between drought-tolerant and drought-sensitive sorghum varieties for some of the candidates. This study shows that protein secretion is a major component of the sorghum response to osmotic stress. Additionally, our data provide candidate genes, which may have putative functions in sorghum drought tolerance, and offer a pool of genes that could be developed as potential biomarkers for rapid identification of drought tolerant lines in plant breeding programs

The psychological symptoms and behavioral problems of children with mothers working as medical staff in the crisis of Covid-19 outbreak in Hamadan, Iran

Background and objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the psychological symptoms and behavioral problems of children with mothers working as medical staff in the crisis of Covid-19 disease in Hamadan. Methods: This descriptive causal-comparative study was conducted on all mothers with children aged 6 to 12 years in Hamadan from September 2 to November 29, 2020. In this study, eligible individuals were selected using random sampling and were assigned to two groups of mothers working as the medical staff and the control group. The research instruments included the Child Behavior Checklist (Achenbach) and the Child Symptom Inventory-4 (CSI-4). Results: The results showed that the mean scores of psychological and behavioral symptoms of children in terms of group membership (group of mothers working in the medical staff and control group) had a significant difference. There was a significant difference between the mean scores of depression and aggression in children of the staff group and the control group meaning that for depression and aggression scores of children of the staff group are higher than children of the control group (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference between the mean anxiety scores and there was almost a significant difference between the attention scores of the staff group and the control group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Children whose mothers worked as medical staff during Covid-19 show more depression, attention, and aggression problems than children whose mothers do not work as medical staf