Inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers as reproducible and specific tools for genetic diversity analysis of rose species

Rose is one of the most important cultivated ornamental plants in the world. A molecular approach using inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers was applied to seven species of Rosa. To obtain clear and reproducible bands on 2% agarose gels, 9 ISSR primers and 5 parameters (annealing temperature, DNA concentrations, primer concentrations, Taq DNA polymerase and MgCl2 concentrations) were screened. The resolution of six ISSR markers was performed, with optimal annealing temperature (Ta) varying from 45 to 50°C. A total of 66 DNA fragments were amplified, of which 50 were polymorphic. The optimal conditions for ISSR system were determined as follows: MgCl2 concentration was 2 mM, the quantity of Taq DNA polymerase 1 U, template DNA 30 ng and the concentration of primer was 1 μM and the reaction program was: initial denaturation for 5 min at 94°C, 35 cycles of denaturation for 30 s at 94°C, annealing for 45 s at specific annealing temperature for each primer, extension for 2 min at 72°C and a final 10 min extension at 72°C.Key words: Inter-simple sequence repeat marker, rose species, genetic diversity, optimization

Comparison of knowledge, attitude and practice of Urban and rural households toward iron deficiency anemia in three provinces of Iran

Background: Lack of nutritional knowledge is one of the most important reasons of nutritional problems and consequently improper practice, which can lead to several complications. This study has been designed in order to compare knowledge, attitude and practices of the urban and rural households regarding iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in Boushehr, Golestan and Sistan & Balouchestan provinces in 2004. Methods: The sampling method at household's level in each province was the single-stage cluster sampling with equal size clusters. The necessary data were gathered with a structured questionnaire and via the interviews between the questioners and the eligible people in each household. Comparison of frequency of variables between urban and rural areas were tested by chi square test. Results: A total of 2306 households were selected as overall sample size. In urban areas, people recognized iron food sources better than rural areas. Knowledge level of respondents about vulnerable group for IDA and the favorite attitude of households toward IDA were better in urban areas of Sistan & Blouchestan and Golestan provinces. In Sistan & Balouchestan and Golestan, rural households who drank tea immediately before or after meal was more than urban ones. The majority of pregnant and lactating mothers (except for rural areas of Bushehr) did not take iron supplement regularly. Less than 60 percent of children used iron drop regularly. Conclusion: Knowledge, attitude, and practice levels of households toward IDA were not acceptable. One of the best ways of improving nutritional practice is nutritional education with focus on applying available food resources

Factor affecting in vitro propagation of some genotypes of Himalayan cedar [Cedrus deodara (Roxb. ex Lamb) G. Don.]

Four genotypes of Himalayan cedar were grown in vitro for assessing shoot proliferation. This experiment consist three parts. Initially, the explants (leafy and defoliated shoot-tips) of mature plants were disinfected and cultured on different basal media (LP, MS and WPM) that supplemented with benzyladenine (BA) at different concentrations for 6 weeks. Leafless explants produced the highest number of shoots and the longest shoots for four genotypes. There was no significant difference between the culture mediums and benzyladenine concentrations. In second phase, the influence of benzyladenine (2.5, 5, 10, 20 µM) and thidiazuron (TDZ) (0.4, 0.8, 1.6 µM) with combination of different auxin (NAA) concentrations (0, 1, 2, 3 µM) was determined on axillary shoot proliferation of the leafless explants of four genotypes grown on WPM. For all thidiazuron concentrations, significant differences between genotypes were detected. In general, with all genotypes, the use of 0.8 μM thidiazuron in the absence or presence of auxin (2 μM) led to the highest length and number of axillary shoots per explant, respectively. Finally, in another experiment, the following cytokinin treatments were investigated for axillary shoot multiplication of the CD1 genotype: thidiazuron (0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.8 μM) and N6-[2-Isopentenyl] adenine (2iP) (0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5 μM) in combination with benzyladenine (2.5 µM). The best results were obtained in thidiazuron (0.8 µM) with combination of benzyladenine (2.5 µM). This protocol is considered as the first successful report on culture establishment of some genotypes of mature C. deodara trees

Relationship between personal characteristics of specialist physicians and choice of practice location in Iran

Introduction: Uneven geographic distribution of physicians is a major healthcare issue in Iran. This study aimed to explore the relationship between personal characteristics of the recently graduated specialist physicians in Iran and their choice of practice location. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to extract information with regard to 3825 recently graduated specialist physicians from all medical schools across Iran between 2009 and 2012. The relationship between physicians' personal attributes and their desire to practise in underdeveloped areas was analyzed using �2 test and logistic regression analysis. Results: Birthplace, sex, exposure to rural practice before residency program, place of residence, and year of graduation were associated with physicians' desire to practise in an underdeveloped area. The logistic regression showed that female physicians were less likely to choose underdeveloped areas to practise as compared with their male counterparts (OR=0.659, 95CI, 0.557-0.781, p�0.001). Physicians who lived in underdeveloped areas were nine times more likely to choose underdeveloped areas to practise as compared with those living in other areas (OR=8.966, 95CI, 4.717-17.041, p�0.001). Physicians who did not have previous exposure to rural practice were 28 less likely to choose to serve in the underdeveloped areas as compared to those who had such exposure (OR=0.780, 95CI, 0.661-0.922, p=0.004). Neither physicians' marital status nor their success in the board certification exam was associated with their choice of practice location. Conclusions: It seems that increasing the enrollment of physicians with a rural background in residency programs may solve the problem of uneven distribution of specialist physicians in Iran. Because female physicians are less willing to work in the underdeveloped areas than male physicians, increasing the number of male student admissions to residency programs, particularly in certain specialties that are more in demand in the underdeveloped areas, could alleviate the problem of uneven distribution of physicians in the short run. Further, programs that support raising the admissions of female students with a rural background into local medical universities along with providing incentives to encourage them to live and work in rural areas should be put on the policy agenda. © James Cook University 2016

Anti Human Fibronectin–Gold Nanoparticle Complex, a Potential Nanobiosensor Tool for Detection of Fibronectin in ECM of Cultured Cells

Specific protein detection by means of antibody-nanoparticle conjugates is a new field in medical nanobiotechnology. Among many nanoparticles used, gold nanoparticles show strong light-absorption properties which have been exploited in designing nanobiosensors. Fibronectin (FN) plays an important role in extracellular matrix (ECM) structure and function of normal cells; however, in conditions like lung carcinoma, its expression increases, especially in non small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). In this study, we conjugated gold nanoparticles to human fibronectin antibody (anti-hFN) to design a colorimetric nanobiosensor for detection of FN present in ECM of cultured cells. Three different cell lines, namely A549 (target cells), AGO-1522 (control cells), and Nalm-6 (negative control cells), were used to compare changes in color resulting from aggregation of gold nanoparticles due to higher amount of FN. Our construct was able to detect increased level of FN which was distinguishable visually by change in color and could be confirmed by spectrophotometer as well. © 2014, Springer Science+Business Media New York

Effect of gallic acid on chronic restraint stress-induced anxiety and memory loss in male BALB/c mice

Objective(s): Long-term exposure to stress leads to memory deficits and certain mood disorders such as depression and anxiety. We aimed to study the effect of gallic acid (GA) on chronic restraint stress (CRS) induced anxiety and memory deficits in male BALB/c mice. Materials and Methods: Ninety male BALB/c mice were assigned to nine groups including caged control (CC): food-water deprived (FWD), under chronic restraint stress (CRS), CRS+ gallic acid (5, 10, and 20 mg/ kg), and gallic acid (5, 10, and 20 mg/kg). Behavioral assays were performed after 21 days of daily treatment with CRS and GA. Serum and brain levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and total antioxidant capacity (TCA) and serum corticosterone level were also measured. Results: Treatment of CRS mice with GA significantly improved passive avoidance memory in the shuttle box and ameliorated anxiety-like behaviors in the elevated plus maze (EPM) and open filed test (OFT). GA treatment significantly reduced elevated levels of serum and brain MDA and increased brain TCA. CRS and GA did not affect serum corticosterone levels. Treatment of healthy mice with GA had some adverse effects and induced some anxiety and oxidative stress. Conclusion: GA exerted protective effects against stress-induced mood and memory deficit disorders

Spin-coated La0.8Sr0.2Ga0.8Mg0.2O3-δ Electrolyte on Infiltrated Anodes for Direct Methane Fuel Cells

Dense micrometric La0.8Sr0.2Ga0.8Mg0.2O3-δ (LSGM) films were deposited by spin-coating on porous LSGM scaffolds characterized by homogeneous pore structure. Porous anodes were infiltrated with aqueous nickel and nickel/copper nitrate solutions, dried and fired at 700°C. Homogeneous metal coating with proper interconnection was observed by SEM, chemical stability was confirmed by XRD, and electrical characterization of anodic substrates was performed. Catalytic activity of different anodes was evaluated ex-situ in a quartz micro-reactor fed with CH4:CO2 mixtureat range 650 and 700°C. To investigate the redox properties of the metallic phases, the anodic substrates were subjected to redox ageing cycles and characterized by H2-TPR

Influence of uniaxial tensile stress on the mechanical and piezoelectric properties of short-period ferroelectric superlattice

Tetragonal ferroelectric/ferroelectric BaTiO3/PbTiO3 superlattice under uniaxial tensile stress along the c axis is investigated from first principles. We show that the calculated ideal tensile strength is 6.85 GPa and that the superlattice under the loading of uniaxial tensile stress becomes soft along the nonpolar axes. We also find that the appropriately applied uniaxial tensile stress can significantly enhance the piezoelectricity for the superlattice, with piezoelectric coefficient d33 increasing from the ground state value by a factor of about 8, reaching 678.42 pC/N. The underlying mechanism for the enhancement of piezoelectricity is discussed

Variable localization of Toll-like receptors in human fallopian tube epithelial cells

Objective: To determine the localization, expression, and function of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) in fallopian tube epithelial cells. Methods: The localization of TLRs in fallopian tube epithelial cells was investigated by immunostaining. Surprisingly, the intensity of staining was not equal in the secretory and ciliated cells. After primary cell culture of fallopian tube epithelial cells, ring cloning was used to isolate colonies of ciliated epithelial cells, distinct from non-ciliated epithelial cells. The expression of TLRs 1-10 was examined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, and protein localization was confirmed by immunostaining. The function of the TLRs was determined by interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 production in response to TLR2, TLR3, TLR5, TLR7, and TLR9 ligands. Results: Fallopian tube epithelial cells expressed TLRs 1-10 in a cell-type-specific manner. Exposing fallopian tube epithelial cells to TLR2, TLR3, TLR5, TLR7, and TLR9 agonists induced the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 and IL-8. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that TLR expression in the fallopian tubes is cell-type-specific. According to our results, ciliated cells may play more effective role than non-ciliated cells in the innate immune defense of the fallopian tubes, and in interactions with gametes and embryos

Efficacy of flour fortification with folic acid in women of childbearing age in Iran

Background: Flour fortification with folic acid is one of the main strategies for improving folate status in women of childbearing age. No interventional trial on the efficacy of folic acid fortification has been conducted so far in Iran. Objectives: To study the effects of flour fortification with folic acid on any reduction in neural tube defects (NTDs) and folate status of women of childbearing age. Methods: In a longitudinal hospital-based study, 13,361 postpartum women were studied after admission for childbirth before and after fortification. In addition, two cross-sectional surveys were conducted before (2006) and after flour fortification (2008). The cluster sampling method was used and 580 women, 15-49 years old, were studied as a representative sample of Golestan province in the north of Iran. Fasting blood samples were collected to measure serum vitamin B 12, folate and plasma homocysteine. Sociodemographic data, health characteristics and dietary intake were determined. Results: The mean daily intakes of folate from natural food before and after flour fortification were 198.3 and 200.8 μg/day, respectively. The total folate intake increased significantly from 198.3 to 413.7 μg/day after fortification (p < 0.001). Folate intake increased by an average of 226 μg/day from fortified bread. The mean serum folate level increased from 13.6 to 18.1 nmol/l; folate deficiency decreased from 14.3 to 2.3% (p < 0.001). The incidence rate of NTDs declined by 31% (p < 0.01) in the post-fortification period (2.19 per 1,000 births; December 2007 to December 2008) compared to the pre-fortification period (3.16 per 1,000 births; September 2006 to July 2007). Conclusions: Implementation of mandatory flour fortification with folic acid can lead to a significant increase in serum folate and a significant decrease in NTDs. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel