Phytotoxic potential and phenolic profile of extracts from Scrophularia striata

A large number of plants produce secondary metabolites known as allelochemicals that are capable of inhibiting the germination of competitive species. This process is known as allelopathy and is mediated by several classes of chemicals, among which phenolic compounds are the most frequent. Thus, plant allelochemicals can be used to control weeds in agricultural systems. In the present work, we analyzed the phenolic profile and phytotoxic potential of different extracts (pure water or water: ethanol 50:50) from Scrophularia striata plants that were collected from two ecological regions in Iran (Pahleh and Lizan). The total polyphenolic content (TPC), as evaluated by the Folin-Ciocolteau method, ranged from 28.3 mg/g in the aqueous extract obtained from the Lizan ecotype to 39.6 mg/g in the hydroalcoholic extract obtained from the Pahleh ecotype. Moreover, HPLC analysis was aimed at determining the content of eight phenolic compounds, namely eugenol, rosmarinic acid, hesperetin, hesperedin, trans-ferulic acid, vanillin, and caffeic acid. According to the results, rosmarinic acid appeared to be the most abundant component. The phytotoxic activities of S. striata extracts were examined on the seed germination of a crop species, Lepidium sativum, and two weeds, Chenopodium album and Malva sylvestris. All extracts showed inhibitory effects on these species. The efficiency of these inhibitory effects depended on the type of plant species, origin, and concentration of extract. The highest phytotoxic activity was caused by approximately 1% concentration of extract. The most susceptible weed was M. sylvestris. The extracts that were obtained from the Pahleh ecotype, notably the hydroalcoholic ones, showed higher phytotoxicity against L. sativum, C. album and M. sylvestris. These results encourage further studies to support the use of S. striata as a source of bioherbicides

Optimizing of the quality of rose grown with varying ratios and periods of Red: Blue light-emitting diodes in commercial greenhouse

Purpose: This research investigated the effect of different regimes of supplementary LED light on physiological and morphological traits of two cultivars of cut Roses. Research method: In this study, treatments included cultivars (Allstar and Dolcevita) and nine light regimes including (Control, LED night from 5 pm to 7 am, LED day from 7 am to 5 pm, LED night day (24 hours light) and LED dark (24 hours, without sunlight) which were all applied in two intensities of 2000 and 4000 lux. Findings: The results showed that the LED light regime had a positive effect on morphological traits such as the number of buds and mean harvest, length, diameter and fresh weight of flowers. LED day 4000 lux improved bud diameter and mean harvest by 18% and 112% respectively compared with control in Dolcevita cultivar. The light regime also caused a significant improvement in physiological characteristics so that in Allstar cultivar LED day 4000 lux, chlorophyll a, b, total, and carotenoid were increased by 66%, 60%, 63%, and 64% respectively compared with control. The vase life in Allstar cultivar by LED night day 4000 lux intensity and Dolcevita cultivar by LED day 4000 lux were 44.5% and 133.2% higher than the control treatment, respectively. Research limitations: There was no limitation. Originality/Value: The results showed that LED night day with 4000 lux intensity had the best results in vase life in Allstar cultivar and LED day supplementary light with 4000 lux intensity increased the quantity and quality characteristics of roses

Virulence-Associated Gene Profiles of Avian Pathogenic Escherichia coli Isolated From Broilers With Colibacillosis: A Pilot Study in Iran

Background: Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) causes economic losses in the chicken industry worldwide.Objective: In this study, virulence-associated gene profiles of APEC isolates were investigated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR).Materials and Methods: A total of 60 Escherichia coli isolates were collected from 60 colibacillosis cases from 30 broiler poultry farms in Alborz, Tehran, and Golestan provinces, Iran. After identification by biochemical tests, DNA was extracted by boiling method and 5 virulence-associated genes including: iutA, hlyF, iroN, ompT, and iss were detected by 2 multiplex PCR protocols.Results: Of the 60 APEC isolates, 26 (43.3%) isolates had at least three virulence genes from which 12 (20%) isolates were positive for all 5 virulence genes, whereas 34 (56.6%) carried no investigated virulence genes. Presence of iutA, hlyF, iroN, ompT, and iss genes in the APEC isolates were 17 (28.3%), 17 (28.3%), 24 (40%), 26 (43.3%), and 23 (38.3%), respectively.Conclusion: According to the results, four different virulence-associated gene profiles were seen in isolates, from which profile 1 with 12 (20%) isolates was predominant. These findings were in agreement with the previous reports

Sengers syndrome: six novel AGK mutations in seven new families and review of the phenotypic and mutational spectrum of 29 patients

Background: Sengers syndrome is an autosomal recessive condition characterized by congenital cataract, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, skeletal myopathy and lactic acidosis. Mutations in the acylglycerol kinase (AGK) gene have been recently described as the cause of Sengers syndrome in nine families. Methods: We investigated the clinical and molecular features of Sengers syndrome in seven new families; five families with the severe and two with the milder form. Results: Sequence analysis of AGK revealed compound heterozygous or homozygous predicted loss-of-function mutations in all affected individuals. A total of eight different disease alleles were identified, of which six were novel, homozygous c.523_524delAT (p.Ile175Tyrfs*2), c.424-1G > A (splice site), c.409C > T (p.Arg137*) and c.877 + 3G > T (splice site), and compound heterozygous c.871C > T (p.Gln291*) and c.1035dup (p.Ile346Tyrfs*39). All patients displayed perinatal or early-onset cardiomyopathy and cataract, clinical features pathognomonic for Sengers syndrome. Other common findings included blood lactic acidosis and tachydyspnoea while nystagmus, eosinophilia and cervical meningocele were documented in only either one or two cases. Deficiency of the adenine nucleotide translocator was found in heart and skeletal muscle biopsies from two patients associated with respiratory chain complex I deficiency. In contrast to previous findings, mitochondrial DNA content was normal in both tissues. Conclusion: We compare our findings to those in 21 previously reported AGK mutation-positive Sengers patients, confirming that Sengers syndrome is a clinically recognisable disorder of mitochondrial energy metabolism

Which method is best for the induction of labour?: A systematic review, network meta-analysis and cost-effectiveness analysis

Background: More than 150,000 pregnant women in England and Wales have their labour induced each year. Multiple pharmacological, mechanical and complementary methods are available to induce labour. Objective: To assess the relative effectiveness, safety and cost-effectiveness of labour induction methods and, data permitting, effects in different clinical subgroups. Methods: We carried out a systematic review using Cochrane methods. The Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group’s Trials Register was searched (March 2014). This contains over 22,000 reports of controlled trials (published from 1923 onwards) retrieved from weekly searches of OVID MEDLINE (1966 to current); Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (The Cochrane Library); EMBASE (1982 to current); Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (1984 to current); ClinicalTrials.gov; the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Portal; and hand-searching of relevant conference proceedings and journals. We included randomised controlled trials examining interventions to induce labour compared with placebo, no treatment or other interventions in women eligible for third-trimester induction. We included outcomes relating to efficacy, safety and acceptability to women. In addition, for the economic analysis we searched the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects, and Economic Evaluations Databases, NHS Economic Evaluation Database and the Health Technology Assessment database. We carried out a network meta-analysis (NMA) using all of the available evidence, both direct and indirect, to produce estimates of the relative effects of each treatment compared with others in a network. We developed a de novo decision tree model to estimate the cost-effectiveness of various methods. The costs included were the intervention and other hospital costs incurred (price year 2012–13). We reviewed the literature to identify preference-based utilities for the health-related outcomes in the model. We calculated incremental cost-effectiveness ratios, expected costs, utilities and net benefit. We represent uncertainty in the optimal intervention using cost-effectiveness acceptability curves. Results: We identified 1190 studies; 611 were eligible for inclusion. The interventions most likely to achieve vaginal delivery (VD) within 24 hours were intravenous oxytocin with amniotomy [posterior rank 2; 95% credible intervals (CrIs) 1 to 9] and higher-dose (≥ 50 μg) vaginal misoprostol (rank 3; 95% CrI 1 to 6). Compared with placebo, several treatments reduced the odds of caesarean section, but we observed considerable uncertainty in treatment rankings. For uterine hyperstimulation, double-balloon catheter had the highest probability of being among the best three treatments, whereas vaginal misoprostol (≥ 50 μg) was most likely to increase the odds of excessive uterine activity. For other safety outcomes there were insufficient data or there was too much uncertainty to identify which treatments performed ‘best’. Few studies collected information on women’s views. Owing to incomplete reporting of the VD within 24 hours outcome, the cost-effectiveness analysis could compare only 20 interventions. The analysis suggested that most interventions have similar utility and differ mainly in cost. With a caveat of considerable uncertainty, titrated (low-dose) misoprostol solution and buccal/sublingual misoprostol had the highest likelihood of being cost-effective. Limitations: There was considerable uncertainty in findings and there were insufficient data for some planned subgroup analyses. Conclusions: Overall, misoprostol and oxytocin with amniotomy (for women with favourable cervix) is more successful than other agents in achieving VD within 24 hours. The ranking according to safety of different methods was less clear. The cost-effectiveness analysis suggested that titrated (low-dose) oral misoprostol solution resulted in the highest utility, whereas buccal/sublingual misoprostol had the lowest cost. There was a high degree of uncertainty as to the most cost-effective intervention

Effects of melatonin foliar application on hot pepper growth and stress tolerance

Purpose: Drought and waterlogging are one of the most severe abiotic stresses towards plant growth and development. The experiment was implemented in the Isfahan University of Technology's research greenhouse to examine the effect of melatonin foliar spraying in hot pepper plants under waterlogging and drought stresses. Methods: This factorial experiment was performed as a complete randomized design (CRD) in triplicate. The treatments included controls, waterlogging, drought stress, and melatonin foliar spraying at 0 and 500 µM concentrations. Results: The results demonstrated that the foliar melatonin spraying was more advantageous under drought and waterlogging stress conditions via increasing ammonium content, NR (nitrate reductase activity), chlorophyll content, proline, protein, transpiration, shoot length, root water content, amino acid alterations, and PIP gene expression. Conclusions: Melatonin influenced the hot pepper's growth by affecting enzyme activity NR hormonal changes (ABA), amino acid changes, and PIP gene expression

Protective effects of vitamin E on cyclosporineA-induced toxicity in rat testis

Introduction: Cyclosporine A (CsA) as an immunosuppressive drug which widely used in organ transplantation and autoimmune diseases. This drug is caused many injuries and cell cytotoxic of the body organs such as reproductive organs. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible protective effects of vitamin E (Vit E) against CsA-induced damages in rat testis. Material and Methods: 40 adult male wistar rats were divided into 5 groups: control (without any intervention), placebo (received only pure olive oil), test 1 (CsA+olive oil, 30 mg/kg), test 2 (Vit E, 100 mg/kg) and test 3 (CsA+Vit E, with the same dose). All animal received drugs for three weeks daily by oral gavages. Following, the testis were fixed and sections stained with Haematoxylin & Eosin and Trichrome Masson. Then with using a microscope equipped with a scaled ocular micrometer and image analysis software were histomorphometry. Results: This study showed that CsA caused severe degenerative changes in testicular tissue include decreased seminiferous tubules diameter, seminiferous epithelium thickness. Also, the number of spermatogonia, primary spermatocyte, spermatozoa, and sertoli and leydig cells significantly decreased throughout the experiment. These changes are lead to turbulence and atrophy seminiferous epithelium and delay in spermatogenesis. Treatment with vitamin E minimized the adverse effects of CsA on testis structure and spermatogenesis. Conclusion: These results suggest that vitamin E has a protective effect against CsA-induced testicular toxicity in male rat

Antibacterial activity of Avicennia marina leaves extract on Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Background: Antibiotic resistance is one of the most common problems in medicine. Therefore discovering of new antibacterial components with least side effect is necessary. Based on the presence of biologically active constituents in Avicennia marina and its uses in alternative medicine, it is supposed that this plant has antibacterial effect. Methods: This study was designed as an "in vitro" study. In extraction procedure, 20% glycerin solution was utilized as solvent. In the screening step, S. aureus (ATCC 25923), E. coli (ATCC 25922) and P. aeruginosa (ATCC 27853) were exposed to extract with 90 mg/ml in concentration, separately. Thereafter, these three strains were examined with different concentrations of the extract to determine minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC). Also the effect of MBC was tested at time zero and after incubation time ranging from 2 to 24 hours. Results: The MBCs on S. aureus, E. coli and P. aeruginosa were 7.9, 33.8 and 15.8 mg/ml, respectively. The minimum times necessary for effectiveness of extract were as follows: 24h for S. aureus, 8h for E. coli and 12h for P. aeruginosa. Conclusion: Avicennia marina leaves extract has a significant antibacterial effect on E. coli and P. aeruginosa as gram negative bacteria, and S. aureus as a gram positive bacterium

Evaluation of health information systems with ISO 9241-10 standard: A systematic review and meta-analysis

This study aimed to summarize available data about health information system evaluation using the ISO 9241–110 (previously 9241–10) standard. A systematic review of literature from January 2000 to November 2020 was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and Google Scholar as well as two Iranian national databases, Scientific Information Database and Magiran. Pooled estimates were calculated using random-effects meta-analysis. Data analyses were conducted using Stata version 14. From total of 179 studies subjected to initial screening, fifteen studies were eligible to enter the meta-analysis. The pooled mean estimates of the health information systems' overall scores (3.11; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.82–3.41), suitability for individualization (3.82; 95% CI, 2.59–3.04), and controllability (3.82; 95% CI, 2.91–3.47) commonly had better performance compared with other dimensions. High heterogeneity was seen among the seven dimensions (I2 ≥ 98.6%, p  .1). Most of the studies used the ISO 9241-110 standard as a summative assessment for evaluation of the usability of the HIS and results indicated the relative success of the evaluated systems based on this standard