Influence of Removal Time and Plant Density Canarygrass (Phalaris minor) on Wheat Seed Yield

Canarygrass is one of the most important weeds at wheat fields in north of Iran. Considering the effect time of removal on weed- crop interference is critical for the development of accurate crop yield loss models and weed density thresholds. Therefore, field experiments conducted at Mazandaran province, Iran, in 2005 and 2006 to determine the effect of canarygrass density and time of removal on wheat yield. Canarygrass was removed in 4 weeks intervals (mean 170 degree days) from wheat emergence until 24 weeks after that (mean 1097 degree days). Canarygrass density ranged from 0 to 320 plants m. High densities of late removal canarygrass greatly reduced wheat yield (44%). The difference in wheat yield loss between early and late removal of canarygrass was significant (mean 33%). The yield loss caused by individual canarygrass plants at low densities (parameter I) ranged from 0.30 to 0.32%. The effect of canarygrass time of removal (parameter C) varied significantly between years. The results of this study emphasize both the need for  early removal of canarygrass, as well as the importance of weed emergence time in crop yield loss predictio

Robust Diversity-based Sine-Cosine Algorithm for Optimizing Hydropower Multi-reservoir Systems

Hydropower energy generation depends on the available water resources. Therefore, planning and operation of the water resource systems are paramount tasks for energy management. Since reservoirs are one of the important components of water resources systems, extracting optimal operating policies for proper management of energy generated from these systems is an imperative step. Optimizing reservoir system operation (ORSO) is a non-linear, large-scale, and non-convex problem with a large number of constraints and decision variables. To solve ORSO problem effectively, a robust diversity-based, sine-cosine algorithm (RDB-SCA) is developed in the present study by introducing several strategies to balance the global exploration and local exploitation ability and to achieve accurate and reliable solutions. An efficient linear operation rule is coupled with the RDB-SCA to maximize the energy generation. The proposed method is then applied to a real-world, multi-reservoir system to extract optimal operational policies and, consequently, maximize the energy production. It is shown that the RDB-SCA is able to generate 24, 14, and 6% more energy than the original SCA, respectively for 2-, 3-, and 4-reservoir systems. The present findings are useful to suggest guidelines for efficient operation of hydropower multi-reservoir systems. This paper is supported by https://imanahmadianfar.com/codes

The effects of a novel combination of selenium and probiotic on weight loss, glycemic control and markers of cardio-metabolic risk in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Synergistic approach of selenium and probiotic co-supplementation may improve clinical symptoms of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) by improving their metabolic profiles. This investigation was carried out to evaluate the effects of selenium and probiotic co-supplementation on weight loss, glycemic control and markers of cardio-metabolic risk in women with PCOS. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted among 60 women with PCOS. Participants were randomly divided into two groups to receive 200 µg/day selenium plus 8 � 109 CFU/day probiotic supplements (n = 30) or placebo (n = 30) for 12 weeks. Compared with the placebo, selenium and probiotic co-supplementation resulted in a significant reduction in weight (�0.7 ± 0.5 vs. +0.1 ± 1.1 kg), serum insulin levels (�2.8 ± 3.5 vs. +0.5 ± 3.9 µIU/mL) and homeostatic model of assessment for insulin resistance (�0.6 ± 0.8 vs. +0.1 ± 0.9), and a significant increase in the quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (+0.01 ± 0.02 vs. +0.001 ± 0.02). In addition, selenium and probiotic co-supplementation significantly decreased serum triglycerides (�12.1 ± 29.6 vs. +3.1 ± 12.2 mg/dL), total- (�17.9 ± 28.5 vs. +0.1 ± 28.8 mg/dL), LDL- (�14.7 ± 24.9 vs. +1.5 ± 26.6 mg/dL) and total-/HDL-cholesterol ratio (�0.3 ± 0.8 vs. +0.2 ± 0.8) compared with the placebo. Selenium and probiotic co-supplementation for 12 weeks to PCOS women had beneficial effects on weight loss and markers of cardio-metabolic risk. © 2018 Elsevier Lt

The effects of a novel combination of selenium and probiotic on weight loss, glycemic control and markers of cardio-metabolic risk in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Synergistic approach of selenium and probiotic co-supplementation may improve clinical symptoms of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) by improving their metabolic profiles. This investigation was carried out to evaluate the effects of selenium and probiotic co-supplementation on weight loss, glycemic control and markers of cardio-metabolic risk in women with PCOS. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted among 60 women with PCOS. Participants were randomly divided into two groups to receive 200 µg/day selenium plus 8 � 109 CFU/day probiotic supplements (n = 30) or placebo (n = 30) for 12 weeks. Compared with the placebo, selenium and probiotic co-supplementation resulted in a significant reduction in weight (�0.7 ± 0.5 vs. +0.1 ± 1.1 kg), serum insulin levels (�2.8 ± 3.5 vs. +0.5 ± 3.9 µIU/mL) and homeostatic model of assessment for insulin resistance (�0.6 ± 0.8 vs. +0.1 ± 0.9), and a significant increase in the quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (+0.01 ± 0.02 vs. +0.001 ± 0.02). In addition, selenium and probiotic co-supplementation significantly decreased serum triglycerides (�12.1 ± 29.6 vs. +3.1 ± 12.2 mg/dL), total- (�17.9 ± 28.5 vs. +0.1 ± 28.8 mg/dL), LDL- (�14.7 ± 24.9 vs. +1.5 ± 26.6 mg/dL) and total-/HDL-cholesterol ratio (�0.3 ± 0.8 vs. +0.2 ± 0.8) compared with the placebo. Selenium and probiotic co-supplementation for 12 weeks to PCOS women had beneficial effects on weight loss and markers of cardio-metabolic risk. © 2018 Elsevier Lt

The effects of a novel combination of selenium and probiotic on weight loss, glycemic control and markers of cardio-metabolic risk in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Synergistic approach of selenium and probiotic co-supplementation may improve clinical symptoms of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) by improving their metabolic profiles. This investigation was carried out to evaluate the effects of selenium and probiotic co-supplementation on weight loss, glycemic control and markers of cardio-metabolic risk in women with PCOS. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted among 60 women with PCOS. Participants were randomly divided into two groups to receive 200 µg/day selenium plus 8 � 109 CFU/day probiotic supplements (n = 30) or placebo (n = 30) for 12 weeks. Compared with the placebo, selenium and probiotic co-supplementation resulted in a significant reduction in weight (�0.7 ± 0.5 vs. +0.1 ± 1.1 kg), serum insulin levels (�2.8 ± 3.5 vs. +0.5 ± 3.9 µIU/mL) and homeostatic model of assessment for insulin resistance (�0.6 ± 0.8 vs. +0.1 ± 0.9), and a significant increase in the quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (+0.01 ± 0.02 vs. +0.001 ± 0.02). In addition, selenium and probiotic co-supplementation significantly decreased serum triglycerides (�12.1 ± 29.6 vs. +3.1 ± 12.2 mg/dL), total- (�17.9 ± 28.5 vs. +0.1 ± 28.8 mg/dL), LDL- (�14.7 ± 24.9 vs. +1.5 ± 26.6 mg/dL) and total-/HDL-cholesterol ratio (�0.3 ± 0.8 vs. +0.2 ± 0.8) compared with the placebo. Selenium and probiotic co-supplementation for 12 weeks to PCOS women had beneficial effects on weight loss and markers of cardio-metabolic risk. © 2018 Elsevier Lt

Microglia/macrophage polarization regulates spontaneous remyelination in intermittent cuprizone model of demyelination

Central nervous system (CNS) lesions can repeatedly be de-and remyelinated during demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). Here, we designed an intermittent demyelination model by 0.3 % Cuprizone feeding in C57/BL6 mice followed by two weeks recovery. Histochemical staining of luxol fast blue (LFB) was used for study of remyelination, detection of glial and endothelial cells was performed by immunohistochemistry staining for the following antibodies: anti Olig2 for oligodendrocyte progenitor cells, anti APC for mature oligodendrocytes, anti GFAP for astrocytes, and anti Iba-1 for microglia/macrophages, anti iNOS for M1 microglia/macrophage phenotype, anti TREM-2 for M2 microglia/macrophage phenotype and anti CD31 for endothelial cells. Also, real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed for assessment of the expression of the targeted genes. LFB staining results showed enhanced remyelination in the intermittent cuprizone (INTRCPZ) group, which was accompanied by improved motor function, increased mature oligodendrocyte cells, and reduction of astrogliosis and microgliosis. Moreover, switching from M1 to M2 polarity increased in the INTRCPZ group that was in association with downregulation of pro-inflammatory and upregulation of anti-inflammatory genes. Finally, evaluation of microvascular changes revealed a remarkable decrease in the endothelial cells in the cuprizone (CPZ) group which recovered in the INTERCPZ group. The outcomes demonstrate enhanced myelin content during recovery in the intermittent demyelination model which is in association with reshaping macrophage polarity and modification of glial and endothelial cells