Effect of Glucose, Fructose, and Sucrose on Vase Life, Antioxidants Enzymes, and Some Physiologic Parameters of Carnation cv. ‘Yellow Candy’ Cut Flower

Introduction  Carnation (Dianthus caryphyllus L.), from Caryophyllaceae family, is one of the most important cut flowers in the world that its short vase life reduces the economic value. Postharvest longevity of cut flowers can be prolonged using carbohydrates (sugars) in a vase jar. Cut flowers undergo some physiological and biochemical changes that often lead to an early senescence. To delay the aging process in cut flowers, it is necessary to evaluate many aspects of preparation for storage conditions, especially preservative solutions that affect the quality and longevity of these flowers. Many flowers are harvested before they are fully developed, to ensure a long postharvest life and to minimize mechanical damages that might occur during handling. The growth and development of flower buds on cut flowers require food (especially carbohydrates), which is stored in the leaves and stems. These stored carbohydrates can be mobilized for the flower bud to use but maybe they are insufficient when the buds are harvested at a tight-bud stage. To maintain metabolic activities, including respiration, even for cut flowers that have reached full development, it is necessary to provide adequate reserves to achieve acceptable postharvest life. When stored materials are low, leaves and flowers age faster and the petals fade. Under these conditions, supplements can be provided to the flowers by adding sugars such as glucose, fructose and sucrose to the vase solutions. However, it is important to note that a sugar solution is also suitable for the growth of microorganisms, so that an antimicrobial agent should be added to the vase solution as well. Many researches were carried out on prolonging the vase life of cut carnation flowers with different preservative solutions together with an antimicrobial agent. Studies on postharvest longevity of cut carnation flowers using sugars as preservative solutions is low. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of sugars (glucose, fructose and sucrose) and application time on vase life and some physiological parameters of carnation cv. ‘Yellow Candy’ cut flowers. Materials and Methods  A factorial experiment based on completely randomized design in three replicates was performed in order to investigate the effect of different levels (0, 50 and 100 g/L) of three types of sugars (glucose, fructose, and sucrose) and two sugar application times (the first and second 24 h, on 2019) on vase life of carnation cv. ‘Yellow Candy’ cut flowers. Some other traits such as water uptake, dry mater, relative fresh weight, protein and carotenoid of petal, leaf chlorophyll, POD and SOD enzymes activity and MDA were also measured. The statistical analysis of data was performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) v 16.0. Least significant difference (LSD) test at P < 0.05 was used to find out the significance of differences among the mean values.     Results and Discussion Results showed that the effect of different levels of sugars on all evaluated traits was significant. Each three levels of sugars at each two applied times caused to increase vase life and relative traits. Maximum vase life (18 days) was obtained in 50 g/L glucose at the first 24 h with no statistically significant differences with the 100 g/L sucrose and fructose at the first 24 h. The highest water uptakes and dry matter, the lowest POD and SOD activity and minimum MDA were obtained in treatment of 50 g/L glucose at the first 24 h. The study found that the highest levels of petal protein content, chlorophyll a, b, and total chlorophyll were achieved in carnation "Yellow Candy" cut flowers treated with 50 g/L glucose after 24 hours of harvesting. The application of sugars at the first 24 hours after harvesting had a greater impact on improving the vase life of the flowers compared to the second 24 hours. Therefore, the use of glucose as an external holding solution, preferably within the early hours of harvesting, is recommended to prolong the postharvest life of carnation "Yellow Candy" cut flowers. The study also revealed that the use of external holding solutions, particularly sugars combined with antimicrobial agents, can have a positive effect on prolonging the vase life of cut flowers. The concentration of sugar required in the holding solution varies depending on the type of flower being treated, with most flowers requiring a concentration of 2% sugar. However, some flowers may require higher concentrations, up to 4-6%, while others may be damaged if treated with concentrations higher than 1%. The application of sucrose has been shown to increase glucose and fructose levels in petals, further supporting the use of external holding solutions containing sugars for extending the vase life of cut flowers. Therefore, it is important to examine each flower before treating it to determine the optimal concentration of sugars. Sugars are a source of energy and carbon for cut flowers and play an important role in decreasing the protein degradation and ethylene production, maintenance of osmotic balance, increasing water uptake, and finally delaying in senescence proces

An assessment the effect of Fructo-oligosaccharide on growth performance, survival and hematological factors in sturgeon juvenile (Acipenser sttellatus)

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of Fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS) on growth and survival performances of sturgeon juvenile fish (Acipenser stellatus). 90 sturgeon fry fishes (average weight 30.16±0/14 gram) has been brought from Sturgeon International, Research Institute and stored in fiberglass tanks using randomize design with 3 treatments each with 3 replicates in relative constant physico-chemical water parameters(P>0.05) then fed with basal adaptive food for two weeks. Fry fed 11 weeks with diets containing 0% (Basal food), 1% and 2% oligofructose (Raftilose p95, Sigma Co.) added to the basal food. The results revealed that 1% pribiotic compare to other treatments caused increasing weight gain, specific growth rate, feed conversion, feed efficiency, protein efficiency ratio and liver indices significantly (p 0.05). At the end of experiment, after bleeding from sample fries, the hematological characters showed that there are no any differences between hemoglobin, WBC and RBC numbers, hematocrit, MCV, MCH and MCHC between treatments(P>0.05) although the number of WBC in 1% and numbers of neutrophils in 1 and 2% prebiotic had differences with zero% significantly (P< 0.05). Based on these results good influence on the improving growth and feeding performances by oligofroctose as prebiotic was proved in Acipenser stellatus fries and 1% level was the best

Whole-organism phenotypic screening methods used in early-phase anthelmintic drug discovery

Diseases caused by parasitic helminths (worms) represent a major global health burden in both humans and animals. As vaccines against helminths have yet to achieve a prominent role in worm control, anthelmintics are the primary tool to limit production losses and disease due to helminth infections in both human and veterinary medicine. However, the excessive and often uncontrolled use of these drugs has led to widespread anthelmintic resistance in these worms - particularly of animals - to almost all commercially available anthelmintics, severely compromising control. Thus, there is a major demand for the discovery and development of new classes of anthelmintics. A key component of the discovery process is screening libraries of compounds for anthelmintic activity. Given the need for, and major interest by the pharmaceutical industry in, novel anthelmintics, we considered it both timely and appropriate to re-examine screening methods used for anthelmintic discovery. Thus, we reviewed current literature (1977-2021) on whole-worm phenotypic screening assays developed and used in academic laboratories, with a particular focus on those employed to discover nematocides. This review reveals that at least 50 distinct phenotypic assays with low-, medium- or high-throughput capacity were developed over this period, with more recently developed methods being quantitative, semi-automated and higher throughput. The main features assessed or measured in these assays include worm motility, growth/development, morphological changes, viability/lethality, pharyngeal pumping, egg hatching, larval migration, CO2- or ATP-production and/or enzyme activity. Recent progress in assay development has led to the routine application of practical, cost-effective, medium- to high-throughput whole-worm screening assays in academic or public-private partnership (PPP) contexts, and major potential for novel high-content, high-throughput platforms in the near future. Complementing this progress are major advances in the molecular data sciences, computational biology and informatics, which are likely to further enable and accelerate anthelmintic drug discovery and development

Rectal wall sparing effect of a rectal retractor in prostate intensity-modulated radiotherapy

Purpose: The objective of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a rectal retractor (RR) designed to protect rectal tissue in intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) by pushing rectal wall (RW) away from the prostate. Materials and Methods: Twelve patients with localized prostate cancer were enrolled into this study. Patients underwent two computed tomography (CT) scans without and with RR. A prescription of 80 Gy in 40 fractions was planned on CT scans with and without RR. This study evaluates the ability of the RR in RW dose reduction, in particular reduction of the RW V70Gy= 25 in comparison with the plan without RR dose-volume histograms were generated with and without RR. The patient's tolerance was assessed by patient-reported outcomes. Results: The planning target volume coverage was equal for both without and with RR (P = 0.155). The mean dose to the RW was statistically significantly lower for the plan with RR than that for the plan without RR, a mean reduction of 5.8 Gy (P = 0.003). Significant relative reductions in rectal dose-volume parameters whether in absolute volume (cc) or as a percentage of contoured RW were detected. A relative reduction more than 25 in RW V70Gy() in 100 of patients was achieved. The rectal retraction resulted in a significant increase in the prostate to the rectum space at the prostate midgland level, an absolute increase of 2.7 mm. The retraction of the rectum induced a mean (±standard deviation) pain score of 2.7 (±1.3) according to the visual analog score. Conclusion: The application of a RR showed a remarkable rectal sparing effect during prostate IMRT. This may lead to reduced acute and late rectal toxicities in prostate IMRT. © 2021 Journal of Cancer Research and Therapeutics | Published by Wolters Kluwer-Medknow

Anti-SARS-CoV2 antibody responses in serum and cerebrospinal fluid of COVID-19 patients with neurological symptoms

Antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 in serum and CSF from 16 COVID-19 patients with neurological symptoms were assessed using two independent methods. IgG specific for the virus spike protein was found in 81% of cases in serum and in 56% in CSF. SARS-CoV-2 IgG in CSF was observed in two cases with negative serology. Levels of IgG in both serum and CSF were associated with disease severity (p<0.05). All patients with elevated markers of CNS damage in CSF also had CSF antibodies (p=0.002), and CSF antibodies had the highest predictive value for neuronal damage markers of all tested clinical variables

Study on ecological capacity of the release sites of the fingerlings of sturgeon and bony fishes in order to regulate the restocking program at the Gorganrud River

This review is started from April 2002 in Gorgan River and continued for one year. Three sampling stations along the river to the mouth of the estuary were 4000 meters away from the bridge to the village Charqly all samples were collected in this area. Four million sturgeon larvae with average weight of 3/2 grams were obtained from martyr Marjani and Vushmgir Dam farms. Over 40 days released at release stations, and 316 million bony fish fingerlings are being release that 282 million were whitefish, 25 million carp and 9 million bream from Vushmgir Dam and Syjval Bream Center within two months at the release stations in Gorgan River. At sampling stations, especially estuaries to determine the shelf life of fry in the river and to determining migration into the river as well as physical - chemical and assess the frequency and biomass of feeding materials (phytoplankton, zooplankton, and benthos) at the sampling stations in Gorgan River were studied. The entire estuary to the sea makes itself. Maximum migration happened at sunset. Average Debbi for 20-year was at the rate of 14.95 cubic meters per second. In 2002, the annual average was 20.8 cubic meters per second, respectively. Evaluation of abundance and biomass of feeding materials (phytoplankton, zooplankton, and benthos) indicates the status of the average biomass of phytoplankton in the river at the release station was 23/75 mg per liter that was highest in September and was lowest in December. Mean primary production based on a 145 mg chlorophyll cubic meters. 6 orders of benthic invertebrates were observed. Benthic including 9 families and 11 genera have been identified including groups of insects, worms, low-tar and Polychaetes, crustaceans, bivalve and gastropod. But at the release station (S2) the highest levels of benthic biomass (18/18 grams per square meter) degree of diversity of benthic organisms (12) species have largely been seen as a maximum in April and minimum in December. Also zooplankton condition, zooplankton total of 27 genera belonging to five categories, Rotatoria, Kladvsra, Coupe Pvda, Balanvs, and protozoa were identified. In general, in September zooplankton has the greatest diversity and abundance and in September and March, the lowest number is observed