Effect of drought stress on yield, proline and chlorophyll contents in three chickpea cultivars

Drought stress is one of the major abiotic stresses in agriculture worldwide. This study was carried out to investigate the effect of drought stress on proline content, chlorophyll content, photosynthesis and transpiration, stomatal conductance and yield characteristics in three varieties of chickpea (drought tolerant Bivaniej and ILC482 and drought sensitive Pirouz). A field experiment with four irrigation regimes was carried out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Treatments included control (no drought),drought stress imposed during the vegetative phase, drought stress imposed during anthesis and drought stress during the vegetative phase and during anthesis. All physiological parameters were affected by drought stress. Drought stress imposed during vegetative growth or anthesis significantly decreased chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and total chlorophyll content. Proline accumulation was higher in ‘ILC482’ than in ‘Pirouz’ both under control and drought stress conditions. Photosynthesis, transpiration, stomatal conductance and yield were higher but sub-stomatal CO2 concentration was lower under drought stress conditions than under control conditions. The results showed that mesophyll resistance is the basic determinate of rate of phototosynthesis under drought stress conditions. Under drought conditions the drought tolerant variety ‘Bivaniej’ gave the highest yield whereas the drought sensitive variety ‘Pirouz’ gave the lowest yield. Drought stress at anthesis phase reduced seed yield more severe than that on vegetative stag

Effect of drought stress and subsequent recovery on protein, carbohydrate contents, catalase and peroxidase activities in three chickpea (Cicer arietinum) cultivars

Drought stress is one of the major abiotic stresses in agriculture worldwide. This study was carried out to investigate the effects of drought stress and subsequent recovery on protein, carbohydrate content, catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POX) activities in three varieties of chickpea (drought tolerant Bivaniej and ILC482 and drought sensitive Pirouz). A field experiment with four irrigation regimes was carried out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Treatments included control (well-watering), drought stress imposed during the vegetative phase, drought stress imposed during anthesis and drought stress during the vegetative phase and anthesis. Drought stress imposed during vegetative growth or anthesis significantly decreased soluble protein content and increased water soluble carbohydrate concentration. The tolerant variety accumulated more soluble carbohydrate than the sensitive one. Drought stress at flowering stage had significantly higher POX activity compared to than that at vegetative stage. Compared with the stress, there was significantly more soluble protein after exposure to recovery conditions but POX decreased in all three varieties. These results suggest that CAT and POX activities play an essential protective role against drought stress in chickpea. Antioxidants act as a major defense against radical mediated toxicity by protecting the damages caused by free radicals. An increase was observed in POX and CAT activity of three cultivars under stress conditions throughout the experiment. Results showed that POX acts as the major antioxidant enzyme in chickpea leaves under oxidative stress condition. So activity of this enzyme in stress condition can be used as an index for chickpea cultivars tolerance assessment

Polymorphism of ompH gene of Pasteurella multocida serotype A strains isolated in Iran

ΔΕΝ ΥΠΑΡΧΕΙ ΠΕΡΙΛΗΨΗOne of the most frequent causes of respiratory infection and death in sheep and goats is Pasteurella multocida. In humans, it has been associated with diseases of the respiratory tracts, arthritis, osteomyelitis and meningitis. Outer membrane protein H (OmpH) has a role in immunogenicity and pathogenicity of P. multocida. The aim of this study was to characterize the genetic diversity of ompH gene of a panel of P. multocida serotype A strains isolated in sheep. Forty P. multocida serotype A strains isolated in previous study were selected and analyzed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of a species-specific PCR assay. RFLP amplified fragment produced five different cleavage patterns. On the basis of combinations resulting from ompH gene digestion, the 40 P. multocida isolates were classified in six RFLP type. It seems that isolates with variants genetic profile represent different pathogenecity. New vaccine formulation should consider multivariants of P. multocida in order to confer a wider protection

Introducing a sustainable soil fertility system for chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

In order to introduce a sustainable soil fertility system for chickpea, field experiments were carried out in 2007 and 2008 growing seasons. Experiments were arranged in split-split plot arrangements with three replications. Main plots consisted of (G1): establishing a mixed vegetation of vetch and barley, (G2): without green manure. Also, five strategies for obtaining the base fertilizer requirement including (N1): farm manure; (N2): compost; (N3): triple super phosphate; (N4): farm manure + compost and (N5): farm manure + compost + triple super phosphate. Four levels of biofertilizers consisted of (B1): Phosphate solubilizing bacteria; (B2): Trichoderma harzianum; (B3): Phosphate solubilizing bacteria + T. harzianum; and (B4): without biofertilizers were arranged in sub-sub plots. Results showed that green manure increased pod number and number of fertile pods per plant. Integrating biofertilizers (B3) and green manure (G1) produced the highest pod number per plant and grain yield. The highest amounts of yield and yield components were obtained in G1N5 treatment. Comparison of 3-way interactions showed that G1N5B3 was the best treatment. Significant increase of N, P, K, Fe and Mg content in leaves and grains emphasized on superiority of mentioned treatment because each one of these nutrients has an approved role in chlorophyll synthesis and photosynthesis ability of the crop. The N5 treatment in addition to having the highest yield had the best grain quality due to high protein, starch and total sugar contents, low crude fiber and reduced cooking time.Key words: Biofertilizer, chickpea, compost, farm manure, soil fertility system

Effects of biofertilizers on grain yield and protein content of two soybean (Glycine max L.) cultivars

Nutrient management is one of the most important factors in successful cultivation of plants. Biofertilizers can affect the quality and quantity of crop. In order to study the effects of biofertilizers on grain yield and protein content of two soybean (Glycine max L.) cultivars, an experiment was conducted using a factorial arrangement based on randomized complete block design with four replications, at the Mahidasht Research Station of Kermanshah in 2010. The factors were soybean cultivar (Williams and Line no. 17) and fertilizer application (b1= N + P, b2= Bradyrhizobium japonicum + P, b3= N + Bacillus and Pseudomonas + 50% of P, b4= B. japonicum + Bacillus and Pseudomonas + 50% of P, b5= B. japonicum + 50% of N + Bacillus and Pseudomonas + 50% of P). Results show that Line no. 17 with 2911.2 kg/ha had higher seed yield than Williams with 2711 kg/ha. Also, fertilizer levels of b3 with 3058.2 and b2 with 2643.8 kg/ha produced the highest and the lowest seed yield, respectively. Plants treated with fertilizer levels of b1, b2 and b5 in comparison with other fertilizer levels significantly produced lower thousand seed weight. In Line no. 17 fertilizer level of b3 with 2.88 produced the highest seed per pod. Results show that fertilizer levels had a significant effect on the number of pod per plant and treatments containing biological fertilizers in terms of the number of pods per plant were equal or superior to chemical fertilizer. It was also observed that fertilizer levels of b1, b3 and b5, produced the highest protein percentage. It therefore seems that biofertilizers can be considered as a replacement for part of chemical fertilizers in soybean production.Key words: Bacillus, Bradyrhizobium japonicum, phosphate solubilizing, protein, Pseudomonas

Crop phenotyping for wheat yield and yield components against drought stress

Water deficit is a most limiting factor for wheat in rain-fed agricultural systems worldwide. The effects of drought stress on some root features and yield and yield components in wheat (Trticum aestivum L.) were carried out in a factorial experiment based on completely randomized design, under greenhouse condition. The four experimental irrigation regimes, irrigation after 75% of the water was depleted (control), irrigation after 65% of the water was depleted (mild stress), irrigation after 55% of the water was depleted (moderate stress) and irrigation after 45% of the water was depleted (severe stress) were randomized for the main plots. The subplot treatments included eight wheat genotypes. Results showed that Interaction Drought stress with Variety had significantly affected on Total Root Volume and Dry Matter, Number of Tiller and also Shoot Dry Matter. Value of Total Root Volume and Dry Matter, Shoot Dry Matter and Number of Tiller in irrigated varieties were more than rainfed in whole of Drought stresses. N-87-20 variety had most amounts of Total Root Dry Matter, Total Root Volume (exception of control) in all of stresses and control. Root properties influence on yield and other morphological traits of wheat. Stress intensification increase root growth than plant organ so that wheat root can uptake water from soil to compensate damage caused by stress

Auditory electrophysiological assessments of Alzheimer\u27s disease and preclinical stages: Protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ. Introduction Investigating auditory functions in populations at risk of developing Alzheimer\u27s disease (AD) using auditory neurophysiological measurements can potentially identify a crucial and sensitive diagnostic window of opportunity in preclinical AD. Auditory electrophysiological assessments have gained interest as possible tools for early diagnosis of AD. This paper outlines the protocol that will be used to systematically review the published literature currently available on auditory electrophysiological assessments that have been used to assess the auditory functions of adults over the age of 60 years diagnosed with AD or its preclinical stages. Methods and analysis All full-length peer-reviewed publications of original data that use auditory electrophysiological assessments in AD and its preclinical stages (subjective cognitive decline (SCD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI)) will be considered in this review. The search will be performed on major electronic databases (Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus and CINAHL Plus) using keywords alone or in combination with Medical Subject Headings divided into two domains; (i) auditory tests and (ii) AD. The database search will be conducted on the 7 th of May 2019. Data analysis will be completed and reported in the full review. A random effects meta-analysis will also be conducted using the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software, V.3. This review will describe which auditory electrophysiological tests have been found to be useful in assessing the auditory function in cognitively impaired adults (MCI and AD) or adults with serious complaints about their cognition (SCD). This review will also identify and describe which auditory electrophysiological test demonstrates the most sensitivity in differentiating people at different stages of cognitive decline. Ethics and dissemination This systematic review focusses on analysing already available literature. Therefore, there will be no requirement for ethical approval. The systematic review findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publication as well as relevant media platforms, for example, conferences. Systematic review registration PROSPERO CRD42019133553

Understanding the relationship between age-related hearing loss and Alzheimer\u27s disease: A narrative review

Evidence suggests that hearing loss (HL), even at mild levels, increases the long-term risk of cognitive decline and incident dementia. Hearing loss is one of the modifiable risk factors for dementia, with approximately 4 million of the 50 million cases of dementia worldwide possibly attributed to untreated HL. This paper describes four possible mechanisms that have been suggested for the relationship between age-related hearing loss (ARHL) and Alzheimer\u27s disease (AD), which is the most common form of dementia. The first mechanism suggests mitochondrial dysfunction and altered signal pathways due to aging as a possible link between ARHL and AD. The second mechanism proposes that sensory degradation in hearing impaired people could explain the relationship between ARHL and AD. The occupation of cognitive resource (third) mechanism indicates that the association between ARHL and AD is a result of increased cognitive processing that is required to compensate for the degraded sensory input. The fourth mechanism is an expansion of the third mechanism, i.e., the function and structure interaction involves both cognitive resource occupation (neural activity) and AD pathology as the link between ARHL and AD. Exploring the specific mechanisms that provide the link between ARHL and AD has the potential to lead to innovative ideas for the diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of AD. This paper also provides insight into the current evidence for the use of hearing treatments as a possible treatment/prevention for AD, and if auditory assessments could provide an avenue for early detection of cognitive impairment associated with AD

Comparison of auditory steady-state responses with conventional audiometry in older adults

Behavioral measures, such as pure-tone audiometry (PTA), are commonly used to determine hearing thresholds, however, PTA does not always provide reliable hearing information in difficult to test individuals. Therefore, objective measures of hearing sensitivity that require little-to-no active participation from an individual are needed to facilitate the detection and treatment of hearing loss in difficult to test people. Investigation of the reliability of the auditory steady-state response (ASSR) for measuring hearing thresholds in older adults is limited. This study aimed to investigate if ASSR can be a reliable, objective measure of frequency specific hearing thresholds in older adults. Hearing thresholds were tested at 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz, and 4000 Hz in 50 participants aged between 60 and 85 years old, using automated PTA and ASSR. Hearing thresholds obtained from PTA and ASSR were found to be significantly correlated (p \u3c .001) in a cohort consisting of participants with normal hearing or mild hearing loss. ASSR thresholds were significantly higher as compared to PTA thresholds, but for the majority of cases the difference remained within the clinically acceptable range (15 dB). This study provides some evidence to suggest that ASSR can be a valuable tool for estimating objective frequency-specific hearing thresholds in older adults and indicate that ASSR could be useful in creating hearing treatment plans for older adults who are unable to complete behavioral PTA. Further research on older adults is required to improve the methodological features of ASSR to increase consistency and reliability, as well as minimize some of the limitations associated with this technique

The effect of LINC01296 expression in patients with cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Recently has been suggested that LINC01296 has an important role in tumor-promoting in different malignancies. We performed first meta-analysis to assess the association between the LINC01296 expression and clinicopathological criteria and the survival of patients with cancers. Methods: Relevant articles Identified by PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Scopus searching between December 2000 and 28 December 2018. Binomial data were evaluated by the odds ratio (OR) as the rapid statistic. The association between overall survival (OS) and the LINC01296 expression was evaluated using pooling the hazard ratio (HR) with its corresponding 95 confidence interval (CI). Results: Finally, 9 studies with 720 patients with cancer were included. The expression of LINC01296 showed a significant positive association with TNM stage (OR = 2.67, 95 CI = 1.83-3.88), tumor stage (OR= 2.22, 95 CI= 1.34-3.66) and lymph node metastasis (OR = 3.07, 95 CI = 2.23-4.21). A shorter OS was significantly associated with the expression of LINC01296 (HR = 3.95, 95 CI = 2.65-5.25) and lymph node metastasis (HR = 2.39, 95 CI =1.16-3.63). The OS did not show significant association with gender (HR = 0.83, 95 CI =-0.63-2.30) and tumor stage (HR= 2.66, 95 CI=-0.22-5.54). Conclusion: In conclusion, the results of this meta-analysis suggest that the expression of LINC01296 might be considered as a potential biomarker in patients with cancer. © 2020 Asian Pacific Organization for Cancer Prevention