Characterization of novel type I ribosome-inactivating proteins isolated from oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) inoculated with Ganoderma boninense, the causal agent of basal stem rot

Type I RIPs have not been identified in oil palm. EgRIP-1a and EgRIP-1b transcripts were partially isolated from roots and basal stems of oil palm seedlings with high similarity to type I RIPs. Expression levels were altered during plant-pathogen interaction and their proteins were 28–30 kD with an estimated pI value of 10.0. Depurination of yeast 26S rRNA by EgRIP proteins demonstrated specific ribosome-inactivating activity. EgRIP proteins showed inhibition on G. boninense mycelial growth with 44.1% at 5 DAI. It was concluded that the novel EgRIPs are type I and demonstrated to have antifungal effect against G. boninense

Frequency of HIV Infection among Sailors in South of Iran by Rapid HIV Test

Information on the prevalence and risk factors for HIV infection among sailors is scarce. The aim of this seroprevalence study was to evaluate the frequency of HIV infection among sailors in south of Iran using rapid HIV test. The study included 400 consecutive participants in Lengeh, Shahid Rajaie, and Shahid Bahonar ports in south of Iran in May 2010. We observed only one case (0.25%) of HIV infection in this sample of sailors. While prevalence appears low at present, we recommend periodic HIV serosurveillance with detailed behavioral measures for this population in the future

The Role of Uterine Artery Doppler Ultrasound in the Second Trimester in Predicting Preeclampsia

Background Preeclampsia is a specific pregnancy syndrome. Early diagnosis and proper administration of preeclampsia can lead to improved maternal and neonatal outcome. We aimed to investigate the uterine artery Doppler ultrasound in predicting the preeclampsia in women with a high-risk pregnancy. Materials and Methods This analytic study was conducted on 160 primigravida women with gestational age of 18 to 26 weeks referring to Ali-IEbne Abi Taleb hospital of Zahedan (Iran). The uterine artery Doppler was considered as abnormal if mean Pulsatility Index (PI) was higher as 95% for gestational age or bilateral notching was observed. All uterine artery sonography was performed by one expert sonographer and with one machine. Then the pregnancy outcomes (such as placenta abruption, postpartum hemorrhage, death, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit admission, low birth weight, preterm labor, etc.) were compared between the two groups. Results The mean age of pregnant women was 25.4±5.6 years old. Preeclampsia was seen in 37 (24.7%) of the women and healthy was seen in 113 (75.3%) of the women. A statistically significant difference was seen between the women with normal and abnormal Doppler sonography (P=0.001). The sensitivity of Doppler ultrasonography in predicting early onset, late onset and severe preeclampsia was 73.3 %, 62.5 %, and 100%, respectively. The specificity of Doppler ultrasonography in predicting early onset, late-onset, and severe preeclampsia was 64.4%, 66.1%, and 74.3%, respectively. Conclusion The findings of the study showed that uterine artery Doppler (Pulsatility Index) is useful in predicting the occurrence of preeclampsia in second trimester

Evaluating the Effect of Slow-Stroke Back Massage on the Anxiety of Candidates for Cataract Surgery

Background: The patients under cataract sur-gery often experience anxiety not only during the surgery, but also prior to the surgery.Purpose: We sought to determine the effects of slow-stroke back massage on anxiety in patients undergoing cataract surgery. Setting: The study was conducted in the Amiral-momenin Hospital of Zabol city, south-east of Iran.Participants: A total of 60 candidates of cataract surgery participated in the study.Research Design: The participants were ran-domly allocated to either control or intervention groups. The intervention group received slow-stroke back massages, while patients in control group received routine interventions.Intervention: The slow-stroke back massage was performed on the patients assigned to the interven-tion group. The intervention was performed in the morning of the surgery day at 30 minutes before the surgery. The researcher performed each mas-sage session in a sitting position. The duration of each massage session was 15 minutes. Main Outcome Measures: Anxiety was assessed in the both groups in the morning of the surgery, before and immediately after the intervention. In-dependent samples Student’s t test, paired samples Student’s t test, and chi-squared test were used to analyze the data.Results: Anxiety was not significantly different between the two groups before and after the mas-sage (p = .816). On the other hand, paired samples Student’s t test showed a significant difference comparing the anxiety scores before (49.7±5.43) and after (45.16±3.89) the massage in the interven-tion group (p < .001). Conclusions: Based on our results, slow-stroke back massage, which is a low-cost and safe method, reduced anxiety in patients who were candidates for cataract surgery

Dissecting the susceptibility/resistance mechanism of Vitis vinifera for the future control of downy mildew

23CO.NA.VI. 2020 – 8° Convegno Nazionale di Viticoltura, Udine, Italy, July 5-7, 2021openInternationalBothThe Eurasian grapevine (Vitis vinifera), a species cultivated worldwide for high-quality wine production, is extremely susceptible to the agent of downy mildew, Plasmopara viticola. Nevertheless, germplasm from Georgia (Southern Caucasus, the first grapevine domestication centre), characterized by a high genetic variability, showed resistance traits to P. viticola. The cultivar Mgaloblishvili exhibited the most promising phenotype in terms of resistance against P. viticola. Its defence response results in: i) low disease intensity; ii) low sporulation; iii) damaged mycelium; iv) production of antimicrobial compounds such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), whose effectiveness on the pathogen was evaluated by leafdisc assays. At the transcriptomic level, its resistance mechanism is determined by the differential expression of both resistance and susceptible genes. The resistance genes are related to: i) pathogen recognition through PAMP, DAMP and effector receptors; ii) ethylene signalling pathway; iii) synthesis of antimicrobial compounds (VOCs) and fungal wall degrading enzymes; iv) development of structural barriers (cell wall reinforcement). The first putative susceptible gene was the transcription factor VviLBDIf7 gene, whose validation was carried out by dsRNA (double-stranded RNA) assay. In this work, these unique results on plant-pathogen interaction are reviewed with the aim of developing new strategies to control the disease.openRicciardi, Valentina; Marcianò, Demetrio; Sargolzaei, Maryam; Marrone Fassolo, Elena; Fracassetti, Daniela; Brilli, Matteo; Moser, Mirko; Vahid, Shariati J.; Tavakole, Elahe; Maddalena, Giuliana; Passera, Alessandro; Casati, Paola; Pindo, Massimo; Cestaro, Alessandro; Costa, Alex; Bonza, Maria Cristina; Maghradze, David; Tirelli, Antonio; Failla, Osvaldo; Bianco, Piero Attilio; Quaglino, Fabio; Toffolatti, Silvia Laura; De Lorenzis, GabriellaRicciardi, V.; Marcianò, D.; Sargolzaei, M.; Marrone Fassolo, E.; Fracassetti, D.; Brilli, M.; Moser, M.; Vahid, S.J.; Tavakole, E.; Maddalena, G.; Passera, A.; Casati, P.; Pindo, M.; Cestaro, A.; Costa, A.; Bonza, M.C.; Maghradze, D.; Tirelli, A.; Failla, O.; Bianco, P.A.; Quaglino, F.; Toffolatti, S.L.; De Lorenzis, G

Effect of a Structured Sensory Stimulation Program on the Sensory Function of Patients with Stroke-induced Disorder of Consciousness

Background: About 50% of stroke patients suffer from the disorder of consciousness with such adverse effects as sensory deprivation. The provision of a care program consisting of simple and safe stimulations can prevent sensory deprivation and improve the patient’s sensory function. Aim: This study aimed to determine the effect of structured sensory stimulation program on the sensory function of the patients with stroke-induced disorder of consciousness. Method: This randomized clinical trial was conducted on 80 patients with stroke-induced disorder of consciousness admitted to the Intensive Care Unit and Emergency Department of Ghaem Hospital, Mashhad, Iran, in 2016. The participants were randomly assigned into two groups of control and intervention. The patients in the intervention group were subjected to a sensory stimulation program consisting of auditory, visual, olfactory, gustatory, tactile, and motor stimulations for 14 consecutive days. The sensory function was measured every day before and after the intervention using the Sensory Modality Assessment and Rehabilitation Technique (SMART) instrument. On the other hand, the control group received the routine care. The data were analyzed in the SPSS version 11.5 using the Mann-Whitney test, Chi-square test, and independent t-test. Results: According to the results, the patients in the intervention and control groups had the mean ages of 66.2±8.9 and 63.8±10.8, respectively. The pre-intervention SMART scores of the two groups were homogenous (P=0.23). However, the independent t-test showed that the final SMART score was significantly higher (

Study of the effects of aqueous extract of Anacyclus pyrethrum on seminiferous tubules in rat testis: Short communication

Extract of Anacyclus Pyrethrum contains materials which the potential to affect the tissues of the testis. The aim of the present study was to identify the histological effects of aqueous extract of AP on Rat testis. In this experimental study 48 adult male Wister rats were chosen and divided into experimental (36 rats) and control (12 rats) groups. The rats in the experimental group were divided into three subgroups, one, two and three, and each subgroup received 50, 100 and 150 mg/kg doses of the extract intraperitoneally for four weeks, respectively. The rats were then placed under deep anesthesia and samples were collected from their testicles and paraffin blocks were prepared. Histological sections with 6 µm thickness were prepared and stained with H&E method and variables (internal and external and thickness of germinal epithelium) were measured in at least in 100 somniferous tubules in each rat. Statistical analysis showed that there was a significant difference between control and experimental groups and for external and internal diameters (p<0.002). Although there was no any significant difference for an epithelial thickness between control and experimental 50 mg/kg, there was a significant difference between control and other experimental groups (p<0.002). It seems that aqueous extract of Anacyclus pyrethrum could change epithelial thickness, internal and external diameters of seminiferous tubule Rat testis

Multipotent Stem Cell and Current Application

Stem cells are self-renewing and undifferentiated cell types that can be differentiate into functional cells. Stem cells can be classified into two main types based on their source of origin: Embryonic and Adult stem cells. Stem cells also classified based on the range of differentiation potentials into Totipotent, Pluripotent, Multipotent, and Unipotent. Multipotent stem cells have the ability to differentiate into all cell types within one particular lineage. There are plentiful advantages and usages for multipotent stem cells. Multipotent Stem cells act as a significant key in procedure of development, tissue repair, and protection. Multipotent Stem cells have been applying in treatment of different disorders such as spinal cord injury, bone fracture, autoimmune diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, hematopoietic defects, and fertility preservation