B-glucosidase from trichoderma harzianum T12 as green fungicide against Macrophomina phaseolina in soybean (Glycine Max L.)

Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goid remains the prevailing causal agent of charcoal rot disease that can significantly suppress yields of a variety of crops. Its wide host range and survivability under arid conditions as well as the ineffectiveness of fungicides have spurred scientific endeavors in search of alternative avenues to control this phytopathogen. The present study is aimed to provide empirical evidence on the efficacy of β-glucosidase from Trichoderma harzianum T12 as a biological control agent against M. phaseolina. In-vitro pathogenicity tests on 60 isolates of M. phaseolina and 30 isolates of T. harzianum, collected from different areas of the Mazandaran province in Iran revealed the isolates, M2 of M. phaseolina and the T12 of T. harzianum were the most virulent and effective in inhibiting growth of M. phaseolina, respectively. The present study showed that biochemical and phylogenetic analyses and BIOLOG results confirmed the fungal antagonists and phytopathogen were T. harzianum (Rifai) and M. phaseolina (Tassi) Goid, respectively. Purified extracellular β-glucosidase of T. harzianum inhibited the growth of M. phaseolina as seen from the large halo zones, indicating its possible application as a green fungicide against M. phaseolina. The β-glucosidase had an optimum pH (7) and temperature 45˚C, respectively, remarkably stable up to 240 min with a half-live of t1/2 = 210 min at 40 ˚C to 60 ˚C. Zn2+, Mn2+, and Tween 80 enhanced its activity while was substantially inhibited by Fe3+. Enzyme activity was the highest when wheat bran and (NH4)2SO4 were used as carbon and nitrogen sources respectively. The kinetic parameters for β-glucosidase T12, Km, Vmax and kcat were estimated as 0.79 mM, 8.45 mM min-1 mg-1 protein and 10.69 s-1, respectively, to give a turnover number of 10.69 s-1. Optimization by the Box-Behnken Design (BBD) based on: temperature, carbon sources, inoculum size and pH (7), exhibited the highest β-glucosidase activity (1260 U/mL) at 45˚C, pH 7, using a carbon source 10 % (w/v) and inoculum size of 5 % (w/v). The BBD optimization for the application of the β-glucosidase formulation from T. harzianum to control infestation of M. phaseolina M2 was carried out on soybean plants grown under a greenhouse condition. Under an optimized condition, the lowest plant disease index (PDI) of 4.32% (R2 = 0.9676) was attained using 10 mM Zn2+, Tween 80 at 2 % (w/v) an enzyme concentration at 15 mg/L and an irrigation frequency of 2 times/week. A comparative study showed the developed formulation gave the lowest PDI (4.14 %) (p < 0.05) followed by the antagonist T. harzianum Rifai (26.13 %) and the commercial fungicide, Carbendazim (32.45 %). The assessments cost revealed that the enzyme formulation only costs at USD34/acre as compared to Carbendazim at USD240/acre. Hence, the findings affirmed that the novel use of crude β-glucosidase from the growth supernatant of T. harzianum was efficient in combating charcoal rot disease. Since the enzyme formulation was substantially cheaper and its application combines the practicality of an in-situ spraying for rapid control of M. phaseolina infestation, the technique proposed here was prospectively feasible to control such disease in crops

The efficacy of recombinant versus urinary HCG in ART outcome

Background: Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) has been used as a replacement for the mid-cycle luteinizing hormone (LH) surge for several years. The recent arrival of recombinant DNA technology has made recombinant HCG (rHCG) accessible. Objective: To assess efficacy of rHCG compared to urinary HCG (uHCG) for triggering of ovulation and induction of final oocyte maturation in assisted reproductive cycles. Materials and Methods: 200 patients who were candidate for ICSI were randomly divided in two groups. In group I (rHCG), patients received 250μg of rHCG for final oocyte maturation, and in group II (uHCG) the patients received 10000 IU of uHCG. Measured outcomes were number of retrieved oocyte and mature oocyte, maturation rate of oocyte, fertilization rate and clinical pregnancy rate. Results: The rates of oocyte maturity were similar in both groups. Fertilization rate was similar in two groups (58.58% in rHCG group versus 60.58% in uHCG group p=0.666). The clinical pregnancy rate per cycle was similar in both group 34.0% in rHCG group versus 39% in uHCG group (p=0.310). Conclusion: We demonstrated that rHCG is as effective as uHCG, when it is used for final oocyte maturation in ICSI cycles. The numbers of retrieved oocyte and maturation rates were similar in both groups; also fertilization and clinical pregnancy rates were similar

Experimental study to evaluate the pathogenicity of Streptococcus iniae in Guppy (Poecilia reticulata)

Streptococcus iniae has emerged as an important fish pathogen over the last decade in farmed rainbow trout in Iran. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the pathogenicity of S. iniae in Poecilia reticulata. Atotal of 60 apparently healthy P. reticulata were obtained from ornamental fish pet store and injected intraperitoneally with 1.5×106 cfu of bacteria. For 14 days after challenge, the rate of mortality and clinical signs were recorded. The first clinical signs was observed in challenged fish 48 hrs after injection of S. iniae and first mortality was observed 72 hrs after injection. No significant differences in mortality and clinical signs between both sexes were observed. Streptococcus iniae was collected from internal organs of fishes challenged, and was confirmed using the conventional biochemical tests and PCR. It is concluded that, P. reticulata is susceptible to streptococcosis and can play an important role in transmission of the disease to other ornamental fish species and also cultured fish

Localised application of vibration improves passive knee extension in women with apparent reduced hamstring extensibility: a randomised trial

QuestionDoes the localised application of vibration over the hamstrings improve hamstring extensibility?DesignRandomised controlled trial with concealed allocation, intention-to-treat analysis, and assessor blinding.Participants30 non-athletic females (aged 18–22 yrs) with limited hamstring extensibility bilaterally.InterventionThe experimental group received 3 sessions of localised application of vibration per week for 8 weeks. At each session, 3 sets of vibration were applied over the left and right hamstring muscles. The control group continued their usual daily activities. Both groups were asked to perform no specific exercises during the 8-week intervention period.Outcome measuresHamstring muscle extensibility was measured bilaterally at baseline and at the end of the 8-week intervention period by measuring passive knee extension in supine with 90 deg of hip flexion.ResultsAt baseline, the mean lack of knee extension was 27 deg (SD 9) in the experimental group and 24 deg (SD 8) in the control group. At 8 weeks, this had changed to 13 deg (SD 5) in the experimental group and 23 deg (SD 9) in the control group. This was a significant treatment effect: mean between-group difference of 13 deg (95% CI 11 to 16).ConclusionAn 8-week regimen of localised application of vibration over the hamstring muscles significantly reduces knee extension lack in women with reduced range on the passive knee extension test.Trial registrationIRCT201011031254N6

Forecasting the Effect of Renewable Energy Consumption on Economic Welfare: Using Artificial Neural Networks

Energy as a production process input has an effective role on economic indicators such as gross domestic production (GDP). Limitations in fossil fuel and nuclear energy sources urge utilizing renewable energies. In this paper, the impact of renewable energy consumption on economic welfare indicators (i.e. GDP, GDP per capita, annual income of urban households, and annual income of rural households) is investigated. For this purpose, 41 annual data sets are collected, from 1971 to 2011, mostly from Iran’s Statistical Yearbook and Iran’s Balance Sheet. Artificial neural networks (ANNs) are used for forecasting the effect of renewable energy consumption on economic welfare indicators. Advantages in using the proposed ANN-based method are demonstrated by comparing its results with the multi-layer regression (MLR) model. The comparison between the artificial neural network and the multi-layer regression model demonstrates that the artificial neural network has more accurate results than the multi-layer regression model. Both ANN and MLR models show significant effect of using renewable energies on the economic welfare. Results demonstrate the importance of using the proposed model for policy makers in implementing new policies for renewable energies. The ANN prediction results show that GDP, GDP per capita, annual income of urban households, and annual income of rural households will grow by 35.63%, 62.59%, 167.61% and 143.19%, respectively, from 2007 to 2016

Antipseudomonal activity of Artemisia quettensis Podlech essential oil and its synergy with imipenem

Context: The problems associated with hospital infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and the emergence of new and the re-emergence of old infectious diseases have become increasingly evident. Therefore, medicinal plants take precedence over the development of new antibacterial agents. The combination effects of antibiotics and plant compounds might be an appropriate solution for microbial resistance and useful method for assessment of synergistic interactions for inhibition of bacterial growth. This study is an experimental design for the discovery and finding of natural and harmless compounds for the treatment of infectious diseases. Aim: To determine the antibacterial potency of Artemisia quettensis essential oil, and in combination with imipenem, to inhibit the growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Methods: The essential oil was obtained through hydrodistillation from aerial parts of the plant and analysis using GC and GC-MS. To demonstrate the in vitro antibacterial activity of the essential oil against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853) disc diffusion assay was used, either alone or in combination with a standard antibiotic. Results: The most dominant components were homoadamantane (9.38%), Camphor (7.91%) and Eugenol (10.46%). The oil and antibiotic showed high antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa with minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) 0.5 µL/mL and 16 µg/mL and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) 4 µL/mL and 32 µL/mL, respectively. The synergistic effect of the oil and antibiotic showed MIC 0.2 µL/mL and 4 µg/mL and MBC 2 µL/mL and 8 µL/mL, respectively. This study showed that Artemisia quettensis oil has significant antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections. Conclusions: The essential oil exhibited synergism with imipenem displaying the ability to enhance the activity of this compound and it may be useful in the fight against emerging microbial drug resistance

Ototoxic and Vestibulotoxic Effects of Chloroquine/Hydroxychloroquine and Remdesivir in the Treatment of COVID-19: Update Review

Introduction: Antiviral drugs have been extensively used as a potential treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on previous studies, there were concerns about some of these drugs’ ototoxic and vestibulotoxic effects. Still, these concerns were exacerbated by the widespread use of these drugs at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, this article was done to comprehensively review the effects of ototoxicity and vestibulotoxicity of chloroquine (CQ)/hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and remdesivir with different administration models and compare with the COVID-19 treatment guidelines in the world and Iran. Materials and Methods: This study collected the related published studies in PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science with the main keywords “chloroquine”, “hydroxychloroquine”, “remdesivir”, “ototoxicity”, “vestibulotoxicity”, and “COVID-19”. Results: The dose or duration of used HCQ/CQ drugs that caused ototoxic or vestibulotoxic effects in some diseases was reported mainly more than in COVID-19 guidelines, especially in Iran. These findings align with a recent study on slight HCQ-induced ototoxicity in patients with COVID-19 at low doses and short lengths of use. No evidence of possible cochlear damage after taking remdesivir is reported. Conclusion: It seems that the concern about the ototoxic effects of some drugs used in the COVID-19 pandemic should be according to some factors that affect the pharmacological effects of drugs, such as dose, length of use, and co-administration of drugs. Therefore, lower dosage and length of use in some administration models in COVID-19 treatment, such as Iran, are associated with limited and reversible ototoxicity effects. However, further studies are needed

The cientificWorldJOURNAL Research Article Beta-Thalassemia in Iran: New Insight into the Role of Genetic Admixture and Migration

Iran with an area of 1.648 million km 2 is located between the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf. The Iranian population consists of multiethnic groups that have been influenced by various invasions and migration throughout history. Studies have revealed the presence of more than 47 different β-globin gene mutations responsible for β-Thalassemia in Iran. This paper is an attempt to study the origin of β-Thalassemia mutations in different parts of Iran. Distribution of β-Thalassemia mutations in Iran shows different patterns in different areas. β-Thalassemia mutations have been a reflection of people and area in correlation with migration and origin of ancestors. We compared the frequencies of β-globin mutations in different regions of Iran with those derived from neighboring countries. The analysis provided evidence of complementary information about the genetic admixture and migration of some mutations, as well as the remarkable genetic classification of the Iranian people and ethnic groups

Inhibitory effects of ethanolic extract of two Iranian pomegranates peel cultivars on Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella typhimurium

In last decades, the antibiotic resistance is considered one of the essential problems. Therefore, uses of waste agricultural products such as pomegranate peel have drawn attention to be used as an effective preservative in food industry. Ethanolic extract of pomegranate peels (Naderi and Mallas) were prepared. Then, the antibacterial effects on two foodborne pathogens (Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella typhimurium) in meat broth and TSB media at two temperatures levels (4 degrees C and 15 degrees C) during storage were investigated. The Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) values of Naderi and Mallas cultivar for Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella typhimurium were measured 15.62 and 62.5 mg/ml, and 19.5 and 64.5 mg/ml respectively. The Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) of Naderi and Mallas cultivar were evaluated 125 and 130 mg/ml for both bacteria. All concentration of Mallas and Naderi Pomegranate Peel Extract (PPE) in meat broth at 4 degrees C and 15 degrees C inhibited Staphylococcus aureus growth. It was reported that PPE was less effective in decreasing the S. typhimurium growth compared to the S. aureus. Naderi cultivar showed better effects on bacterial inhibition in compared to Mallas cultivar. According to achieved results, it could be suggested to use the ethanolic extract of pomegranate peel as a useful preservative against foodborne bacteria in the food processing industry

Construction of an engineered alpha 1-antitrypsin with inhibitory activity based on theoretical studies

Background: The elastase inhibitor \u3b1-1-antitrypsin (AAT), is a member of the serpin superfamily of protease inhibitors. AAT has a characteristic secondary structure of three-\u3b2-sheets, nine-\u3b1-helices and a reactive central loop (RCL). This protein inhibits target proteases by forming a stable complex in which the cleaved RCL is inserted into \u3b2-sheet-A of the serpin, leading to a conformational change in the AAT protein. Spontaneous polymerization and instability of AAT are challenges with regard to producing drugs against AAT-deficient diseases. Therefore, the purpose of many investigations currently is to produce drugs with lower degrees of polymerization and higher stabilities. In order to investigate the effect of the N-terminal segment (residues 1-43) on AAT structure, molecular dynamic (MD) simulation was used to study structural properties including Root-mean-square deviation (RMSD), internal motions, intramolecular non-bonded interactions and the total accessible surface area (ASA) of native and reduced AAT. These properties were compared in native and truncated AAT. Results: Theoretical studies showed no noticeable differences in the dynamic and structural properties of the two structures. These findings provided the basis for the experimental phase of the study in which sequences from the two AAT constructs were inserted into the expression vector pGAPZ and transformed into Pichia pastoris. Results showed no differences in the activities and polymerization of the two AAT constructs. Conclusions: As small-scale medicines are preferred by lung drug delivery systems, in this study AAT was designed and constructed by decreasing the number of amino acids at the N-terminal region