Effects of Paper-Mill Sludge as a Mulch versus Topsoil Incorporation on Potassium Uptake and the Grain Yield of Rain-Fed Wheat in a High Specific Surface Loess Soil with Illite Dominance in Clay Fraction

A field experiment with rain-fed winter wheat investigated the nutritional aspects of paper-mill sludge as a mulch and incorporated into the topsoil. Treatments with chemical fertilizers were also used as controls. Paper-mill sludge used as mulch with high rate (100 MG ha−1) and also the combined N and K mineral fertilizer treatments increased yield when a low potassium otherwise caused potassium deficiency in wheat with high specific surface soil. High soil Ca : K molar ratio by incorporation lowered potassium uptake and yield, with visual symptoms of potassium deficiency. A very high Gapon selectivity coefficient (KG) for K exchange against Ca + Mg (16.58 (L/mole)0.5) produced a nonlinear normalized exchange isotherm in favor of potassium with these soils containing high illite. Ca and K which are released by sludge decomposition are diverged in soil when mobilized by rain infiltration, lowering Ca : K molar ratio. Low soil Ca : K molar ratio may be expected by surface sludge application relative to incorporation, due to greater rain infiltration through upper soil layers and their effluent pore volumes per unit depth. Ca from triple superphosphate by the P, N, and K mineral fertilizers combined also reduced potassium uptake and yield relative to N and K combined

Fermi-Bose Mixtures Near Broad Interspecies Feshbach Resonances

In this Letter we have studied dressed bound states in Fermi-Bose mixtures near broad interspecies resonance, and implications on many-body correlations. We present the evidence for a first order phase transition between a mixture of Fermi gas and condensate, and a fully paired mixture where extended fermionic molecules occupy a single pairing channel instead of forming a molecular Fermi surface. We have further investigated the effect of Fermi surface dynamics, pair fluctuations and discussed the validity of our results.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Solution of the Nonlinear Mixed Volterra-Fredholm Integral Equations by Hybrid of Block-Pulse Functions and Bernoulli Polynomials

A new numerical method for solving the nonlinear mixed Volterra-Fredholm integral equations is presented. This method is based upon hybrid functions approximation. The properties of hybrid functions consisting of block-pulse functions and Bernoulli polynomials are presented. The operational matrices of integration and product are given. These matrices are then utilized to reduce the nonlinear mixed Volterra-Fredholm integral equations to the solution of algebraic equations. Illustrative examples are included to demonstrate the validity and applicability of the technique

The usefulness of apricot gum as an organic additive in grapevine tissue culture media

The growth and morphogenesis of cultured plant tissues can be improved by small amounts of some organic elements. In addition to being a natural source of carbon, organic additives may contain natural vitamins, phenols, fiber, hormones and also proteins. Hence, the physiological effects of apricot gum on the regeneration capacity and growth rate of three different plant species i.e. carrot (as a model plant), stevia (as an herbaceous plant), and grapevine (as a woody plant) were examined. The proliferated callus cultures of carrot and in vitro-derived microcuttings of stevia and grapevine were inoculated on their respective standardized proliferation media supplemented with 2.0-6.0 g/l apricot gum. The growth parameters of treated samples were measured and compared to gum-free medium. Earlier callus initiations with greater fresh weight, volume, as well as improved pigmentation were recorded in media fortified with apricot gum. The usefulness of gum application was also obvious in both stevia and grapevine with respect to better shoot multiplication and rooting parameters. Due to positive effects of apricot gum, longer vines with a higher number of lateral shoots, internodes and leaf area were achieved. Overall, the gum at the rate of 4.0 g/L was found to be a logical concentration with respect to encouraging response in all three species. Owing to promising results evolved in the present research, the application of gum in commercial tissue culture protocols is highly recommended. However, further studies are needed to exploit plant derived gums as an alternative carbon source in plant tissue culture media

Deregulation of stemness-related genes in endometriotic mesenchymal stem cells: Further evidence for self-renewal/differentiation imbalance

Background: Any irregularities in self-renewal/differentiation balance� in endometriotic MSCs can change their fate and function, resulting in endometriosis development. This study aimed to evaluate the expression of OCT4 transcripts (OCT4A, OCT4B, and OCT4B1), SOX2, and NANOG in endometriotic MSCs to show their aberrant expression and to support self-renewal/differentiation imbalance in these cells. Methods: MSCs were isolated from three endometriotic and three normal endometrium samples and characterized and analyzed for the expressions of OCT4A, OCT4B, OCT4B1, SOX2, and NANOG using the qRT-PCR. Results: The expressions of OCT4 transcripts and NANOG increased significantly in endometriotic MSCs, whereas SOX2 expression did not show any significant difference. Conclusion: Our findings provide further evidence for confirming the self-renewal/ differentiation imbalance in endometriotic MSCs, as the main underlying cause of endometriosis development. This study also paves the way for further research on endometriosis treatment by focusing on endometriotic stem cells. © 2020, Pasteur Institute of Iran. All rights reserved

Correlation between Prostate Needle Biopsy and Radical Prostatectomy Gleason Gradings of 111 Cases with Prostatic Adenocarcinoma

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; tab-stops: 98.25pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span class="MsoPageNumber"><strong><span style="mso-bidi-language: FA;">Purpose:</span></strong></span><span class="MsoPageNumber"><span style="mso-bidi-language: FA;"> There are conflicting reports in the literature about correlation of biopsy and prostatectomy Gleason scores in prostate carcinoma. The goal of this study was to determine the correlation of grading in these two types of pathologic materials.</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; tab-stops: 98.25pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span class="MsoPageNumber"><strong><span style="mso-bidi-language: FA;">Materials and methods:</span></strong></span><span class="MsoPageNumber"><span style="mso-bidi-language: FA;"> The coupled Hematoxylin and Eosin slides of 111 patients with prostate carcinoma were collected. Gleason scores were determined. Patients who had undergone any therapy except surgery were excluded from the study. Correlation between grades was calculated by determination of correlation coefficient. Accuracy of biopsy grading in prediction of final grade was also determined by measuring the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values.</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; tab-stops: 98.25pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span class="MsoPageNumber"><strong><span style="mso-bidi-language: FA;">Results:</span></strong></span><span class="MsoPageNumber"><span style="mso-bidi-language: FA;"> In 50 cases (45%), grade was underestimated in the biopsy. After dividing the cases into Gleason scores of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2 to 4, 5 to 6, 7,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>8 to 10, the most of undergraded cases (84.2%)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>were in the first group (Gleason score 2 to 4) and this rate reached 5% in the fourth group (Gleason score 8 to 10). The correlation coefficient measured was 0.535 in grade to grade comparing and 0.514 in group to group comparison of the specimens. In low-grade tumors, grading in biopsy, in spite of high sensitivity (90.9%), had low positive predictive value (26.3%).</span></span></span></span></p><span class="MsoPageNumber"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: FA;">Conclusion:</span></strong><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: FA;"> There is a moderate direct linear relationship between scores in biopsy and prostatectomy specimens. But there is a high probability of underestimation of real Gleason score of the radical prostatectomy specimen in low-grade tumors. Pathologists and urologists must consider the phenomenon of undergrading in reporting prostate specimens and managing patients.</span></span></span&gt

Induced sterility by gamma radiation in Callosobruchus maculatus (Col.: Bruchidae) and sterile insect release ratio to a normal population

Effects of gamma radiation doses on Callosobruchus maculatus (F.) were studied. In this study different doses including 0, 20, 35, 50, 60 and 70 Gy were used in the pupal stage and emerged adults were separated before mating and crossed in treatments including: normal male ï´ normal female, normal male ï´ irradiated female, irradiated male ï´ normal female and irradiated male ï´ irradiated female. Comparing means (Duncan,s test, 0.05) showed that in 20 Gy, all treatments had significant difference, except normal male ï´ normal female and normal male ï´ irradiated female. In 35 Gy, all treatments had significant difference. The most sterility was observed in irradiated male ï´ irradiated female and it was not significantly different with irradiated male ï´ normal female. In 50 Gy, treatments which contained irradiated males or irradiated females had significant difference with treatments containing normal males and females. In 60 and 70 Gy, hatchability percentage in the next generation, both for sterile males and sterile females, reduced population significantly. Therefore, 60 to 70 Gy induce sterility in this insect. Sterile insect release to a normal population was studied in three cases including: sterile male, sterile female and sterile male and female releases. Results indicated that sterile female release had no effect on reducing population in the next generation. Sterile male release and sterile male and female release had identical effects. As a regard to the fact that separating males and females is difficult and time consuming, therefore, it seems that sterile male and female release in the ratio of 10:10:1:1 (irradiated male ï´ irradiated female ï´ normal male ï´ normal female) cause the best result in population reduction in the next generation