In vitro pollen germination, pollen tube growth and longevity in some genotypes of loquat (Eriobotria japonica Lindl.)

Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.) is one of the most perspective trees with tasty fruits suitable for commercial production in Iran. However, self-incompatibility of most loquat cultivars makes it necessary to select good pollinizers in breeding and orchard establishment programs. Therefore, studies on pollen viability traits of cultivars and genotypes have been one of the main issues for loquat growers and breeders which are investigated in this study. The experiment was conducted in in vitro conditions for the identification of the pollen germination and longevity in some loquat genotypes for recognition of the best pollinizers. Pollens of twenty (20) genotypes were gathered and after three weeks storage in 0°C, their pollen germination, pollen tube growth rate and pollen longevity were tested in the in vitro medium. The experiment was carried out based on completely randomized design (CRD) and data were analyzed with SAS software. Significant differences were observed among the genotypes in pollen germination, pollen tube growth rate and pollen longevity. Finally, the best genotypes were selected for using in loquat orchard establishment and breeding programs in Iran.Key words: Loquat, in vitro, pollen germination, pollen tube growth, pollen longevity, breeding programs

Synergistic Accumulative Effect of Salicylic Acid and Dibutyl Phthalate on Paclitaxel Production in Corylus avellana Cell Culture

Suspension cell cultures of Corylus avellana were challenged with salicylic acid and its combined use with dibutyl phthalate solvent. Salicylic acid with concentrations of 12.5, 25 and 50 mg L–1 and 10% (v/v) dibutyl phthalate were used and added on day 8 and 10 of subculture, respectively. The results showed that growth, viability and protein content of cells were decreased by the treatments, compared to control. In all treatments, hydrogen peroxide content and lipid peroxidation rate of cells increased, compared to those of the control cells. Activity of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase increased by salicylic acid and, dibutyl phthalate exaggerated effect of salicylic acid. While flavonoids content decreased by the treatments, paclitaxel content increased significantly. The extracellular paclitaxel was more affected, compared to cell-associated paclitaxel and all treatments increased paclitaxel release and specific yield compared to that of the control. The most production of paclitaxel and specific yield of it were observed under effect of combined use of salicylic acid (50 mg L–1) and dibutyl phthalate, suggesting a synergistic accumulative effect

Pollen-pistil compatibility relationships in some Iranian almond (Prunus dulcis, Batch) genotypes as revealed by PCR analysis

The identification of pollen-pistil compatibility relationships among almond cultivars and genotypes is very important for breeders and growers. In the present study, PCR based technique was used to identify S-alleles in 10 late blooming almond genotypes. In total, 19 alleles were amplified by five primer pairs in the studied genotypes. The size of bands ranged between 480 - 2000 bp. Seven S-alleles were amplified using AS1II/AMYC5R primer pair, whereas each of the Alsc11/AMYC5R, Pru-C2/Pru-C4R, Pru-C2/Pru-C5R and Pru-C2/Pru-C6R primer pairs amplified nine different S-alleles. Based on S-allele patterns, all of the studied genotypes were identified as self-incompatible. However, some of the genotypes had only one similar S-allele, all of the genotypes could be used in establishment of commercial orchards based on their blooming times

Evaluation of Yield and Quality of Peach Fruit (Prunus persica var Red Top) Cultivated under Split Roots System, Inoculated with Fungi and Irrigated with different Levels

Introduction Water scarcity is one of the most important limiting factors threatening the production of horticultural crops. Approximately, 45% of the world's arable land is subject to permanent or intermittent water shortages, and approximately 50% of the world's annual yield is lost due to drought. Due to climate changes, especially the increase temperature and decrease rainfall in recent years in Iran, most of the gardens are facing limited water resources. In order to reduce water stress, increasing water use efficiency by naval technics seems to be crucial. Peach fruit growth mainly depends on adequate water supply. Therefore, water stress reduces the growth of the fleshy part and the quality of the peach fruits. Split root means placing a part of the root in different conditions compared to the remains of the root. Studies on split root culture were done in the laboratory for the first time. Increasing water holding capacity by split root system may improve soil- plant water availability. Furthermore, many studies indicated that Mycorrhiza and Trichoderma fungi improve the absorption of water and nutrients by plant. Increasing the absorption of water and nutrients leads to increasing growth and yield. The aim of this research was to improve the water efficiency and the use of low-yielding lands by placing a bag containing pumice and inoculating the roots with fungi. Materials and Methods This experiment was performed as a factorial experiment based on randomized complete blocks design with three replications for two years. Treatments included placing the bag close to the trunk of peach trees in three levels (without bag, one bag and two bags), different levels of irrigation (50, 75 and 100% of field capacity) and root inoculation treatments with mycorrhiza, Trichoderma fungi and control without fungus. Redtop peaches grafted on GF677 rootstock were planted in May 2018. The bags were placed at a depth of 60 cm and at a distance of 40 and 60 cm from the tree trunk. The bags size was 40 liters filled with pumice. At 20 cm from the top of the bag, three holes were made to remove excess water from that part and as a signal to cause the root to move towards the bag. For plants treated with mycorrhiza, 250 g of Mycorrhiza glomus was mixed and for plants treated with Trichoderma, 4.5 g of Trichoderma harizanium was mixed with pumice in the bag. In treatments with no bag placement, the plant roots were inoculated with fungi. Characteristics such as relative water content (RWC), yield, total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), TSS/TA, total phenol and fruit anthocyanin were measured at the end of growing season. Fruit skin color characteristics including L*, a*, b*, Chroma and Hue were measured with a colorimeter. Statistical analysis was performed by SAS software version 9.1. Mean data were compared using Duncan's multiple range test. drawing diagrams done by Excel software.   Results and Discussion The results showed that bag placement increased RWC. The highest RWC of leaf was measured in the treatment of placing two bags, 75% irrigation and root inoculation with Trichoderma fungus. In the main effect of bag placement, irrigation levels and root inoculation, the highest RWC of leaf was observed in placing a bag, 100% irrigation and root inoculation with Trichoderma fungus, respectively. The treatment one bag, 100% irrigation and root inoculation with mycorrhiza improved vegetative growth and produced the largest trunk diameter.  Yield in terms of fresh weight of fruit in two-bag placement, 100% irrigation and root inoculation with mycorrhiza was increased by 1.8 compared to the control. The highest TA was measured in the treatment of placing a bag, 50% irrigation and root inoculation with mycorrhizal fungus. Treatment without bag placement, 75% irrigation and without fungus inoculation had the highest total soluble solids and TSS/TA of fruit. The index ratio of TSS/TA is used to determine the taste of the fruit. The highest total phenol and anthocyanin of fruit was observed in treatments without bag under 50% irrigation levels. One bag placement, 75% irrigation without fungal inoculation treatment and no bag placement treatment, 50% irrigation, mycorrhiza inoculation caused the a* and L* of the fruit skin increased. The interaction effect of the three factors of bag placement, irrigation levels and root inoculation with fungus had no significant effect on Hue and b*. Conclusion The results of this experiment showed that water consumption can be reduced by placing a bag. The finding of the experiment led to the conclusion that a bag placement treatment, 75% irrigation and inoculation with mycorrhizal fungus improve fruit yield and quality of peach trees

Response surface methodology (RSM) and its application for optimization of ammonium ions removal from aqueous solutions by pumice as a natural and low cost adsorbent

This research was conducted to study the adsorption of ammonium ions onto pumice as a natural and low-cost adsorbent. The physico-chemical properties of the pumice granular were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Modeling and optimization of a NH4 + sorption process was accomplished by varying four independent parameters (pumice dosage, initial ammonium ion concentration, mixing rate and contact time) using a central composite design (CCD) under response surface methodology (RSM). The optimum conditions for maximum removal of NH4 + (70.3) were found to be 100 g, 20 mg/l, 300 rpm and 180 min, for pumice dosage, initial NH4 + ion concentration, mixing rate and contact time. It was found that the NH4 + adsorption on the pumice granular was dependent on adsorbent dosage and initial ammonium ion concentration. NH4 + was increased due to decrease the initial concentration of NH4 and increase the contact time, mixing rate and amount of adsorbent. © 2016 Archives of Environmental Protection

Systematic review and meta-analysis of global prevalence of HBsAG and HIV and HCV antibodies among people who inject drugs and female sex workers

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) and their co-infections among people who inject drugs (PWID) and female sex workers (FSWs). Data sources were searched from January 2008 to October 2018 in different databases. Data were analyzed in Stata 16 software using the Metaprop command. The results showed that the prevalence of HIV, HCV and HBV among PWID was 15, 60 and 6, respectively. The prevalence of HIV, HCV and HBV among FSWs was 5, 1 and 3, respectively. The prevalence of HIV/HCV, HIV/HBV, HCV/HBV and HIV/HCV/HBV co-infections among PWID was 13, 2, 3 and 2, respectively. The prevalence of HIV/HCV and HIV/HBV co-infections among FSWs was 3 and 1, respectively. The results show that the prevalence of HCV and HIV infections in PWID and the prevalence of HIV in FSWs is higher than their prevalence in the general population. Interventions for the prevention of HIV and HCV in PWID appear to be poor, and may not be sufficient to effectively prevent HIV and HCV transmission. © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

The impact of induction and/or concurrent chemoradiotherapy on acute and late patient-reported symptoms in oropharyngeal cancer:Application of a mixed-model analysis of a prospective observational cohort registry

BACKGROUND The goal of this study was to comprehensively investigate the association of chemotherapy with trajectories of acute symptom development and late symptom recovery in patients with oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) by comparing symptom burden between induction chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy (ICRT), concurrent chemo-radiotherapy (CRT), or radiotherapy (RT) alone.METHODS Among a registry of 717 patients with OPC, the 28-item patient-reported MD Anderson Symptom Inventory-Head and Neck Module (MDASI-HN) symptoms were collected prospectively at baseline, weekly during RT, and 1.5, 3 to 6, 12, and 18 to 24 months after RT. The effect of the treatment regimen (ICRT, CRT, and RT alone) was examined with mixed-model analyses for the acute and late period. In the CRT cohort, the chemotherapy agent relationship with symptoms was investigated.RESULTS Chemoradiation (ICRT/CRT) compared with RT alone resulted in significantly higher acute symptom scores in the majority of MDASI-HN symptoms (ie, 21 out of 28). No late symptom differences between treatment with or without chemotherapy were observed that were not attributable to ICRT. Nausea was lower for CRT with carboplatin than for CRT with cisplatin; cetuximab was associated with particularly higher scores for acute and late skin, mucositis, and 6 other symptoms. The addition of ICRT compared with CRT or RT alone was associated with a significant increase in numbness and shortness of breath.CONCLUSION The addition of chemotherapy to definitive RT for OPC patients was associated with significantly worse acute symptom outcomes compared with RT alone, which seems to attenuate in the late posttreatment period. Moreover, induction chemotherapy was specifically associated with worse numbness and shortness of breath during and after treatment.LAY SUMMARYChemotherapy is frequently used in addition to radiotherapy cancer treatment, yet the (added) effect on treatment-induced over time is not comprehensively investigatedThis study shows that chemotherapy adds to the symptom severity reported by patients, especially during treatment</p

Additive manufacturing of Ti-alloy: Thermal analysis and assessment of properties

In this study, 3D printing of Ti6Al4V alloy is realized and the characteristics of the printed layer are examined. The morphological structures and metallurgical changes in the printed layer are assessed. Temperature and stress fields are simulated in line with the experimental conditions. Since the air gaps are present in between the loose alloy powders prior to the printing, the effective properties incorporating the air fraction are determined and the effective properties are used in the simulations. Thermal conductivity of the loose alloy powders with the presence of air gaps is determined by incorporating the virtual experimental technique. It is found that the printed layer is free from micro-cracks and large scale asperities; however, some small pores sites are observed because of the release of air around the loose powders during the printing. Microhardness of the printed surface is higher in the top surface of the printed layer than that of as-received solid alloy. In addition, the friction coefficient of the printed surface remains lower than that of the conventionally produced solid surface. The columnar structures are formed in the mid-section of the printed layer and slanted grains are developed in the region of the top and the bottom surface of the printed layer.The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: The authors acknowledge the financial support of King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) in Saudi Arabia, Gazi University and TAI (SAYP Project DDKIG1) in Turkey and King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (K.A.CARE) to accomplish this work

Intensity standardization methods in magnetic resonance imaging of head and neck cancer

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) poses challenges in quantitative analysis because voxel intensity values lack physical meaning. While intensity standardization methods exist, their effects on head and neck MRI have not been investigated. We developed a workflow based on healthy tissue region of interest (ROI) analysis to determine intensity consistency within a patient cohort. Through this workflow, we systematically evaluated intensity standardization methods for MRI of head and neck cancer (HNC) patients.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two HNC cohorts (30 patients total) were retrospectively analyzed. One cohort was imaged with heterogenous acquisition parameters (HET cohort), whereas the other was imaged with homogenous acquisition parameters (HOM cohort). The standard deviation of cohort-level normalized mean intensity (SD NMI c), a metric of intensity consistency, was calculated across ROIs to determine the effect of five intensity standardization methods on T2-weighted images. For each cohort, a Friedman test followed by a post-hoc Bonferroni-corrected Wilcoxon signed-rank test was conducted to compare SD NMI c among methods. RESULTS: Consistency (SD NMI c across ROIs) between unstandardized images was substantially more impaired in the HET cohort (0.29 ± 0.08) than in the HOM cohort (0.15 ± 0.03). Consequently, corrected p-values for intensity standardization methods with lower SD NMI c compared to unstandardized images were significant in the HET cohort (p &lt; 0.05) but not significant in the HOM cohort (p &gt; 0.05). In both cohorts, differences between methods were often minimal and nonsignificant. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings stress the importance of intensity standardization, either through the utilization of uniform acquisition parameters or specific intensity standardization methods, and the need for testing intensity consistency before performing quantitative analysis of HNC MRI.</p