Foliar Application of ZnO-NPs Influences Chlorophyll Fluorescence and Antioxidants Pool in Capsicum annum L. under Salinity

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) have been proven to helpfully improve plant tolerance to several abiotic stresses. However, no information has been reported concerning the role of ZnO-NPs on pepper plants under salinity stress. Hence, this research aimed to evaluate the growth and physiological responses of pepper (Capsicum annum L.) plants to ZnO-NP foliar application under salinity. Plants were subjected to 0 (control), 25 (S1), 50 (S2), and 75 mM (S3) NaCl salinity with a foliar spray of 0, 1000, and 2000 ppm ZnO-NPs. Significant reductions were recorded in the chlorophyll index (SPAD) and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, and in the activity and/or ratios of reduced ascorbate (AsA), reduced ascorbate/dehydroascorbic acid (AsA/DHA), reduced glutathione (GSH), reduced glutathione/oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSSG), and K+ content. There was a significant increase in proline content, electrolyte leakage (EL), H2O2 content, guaiacol peroxidase (GPX), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione reductase (GR), dehydroascorbic acid (DHA), and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) activities, and in Na+ content and Na+/K+ ratio. Foliar treatments improved the salinity tolerance of the pepper plants by fortifying the antioxidant defense system, leaf fluorescence parameters, K+, and proline content, and in contrast, by decreasing the EL, Na+, and H2O2 levels. ZnO-NP foliar treatment efficiently improved the pepper plants' physiological responses under salinity. Considering the overall results, 1000 ppm of ZnO-NPs would be advisable for the amelioration of salinity depression and to promote growth potential. However, at higher levels, the nanoparticle showed toxicity symptoms that limited its reliable applications.O

Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Training on the Reduction of Craving ‎in Drug Abusers

Background: Emotion regulation appears to provide individuals with a doubled ability to avoid drug relapse and assists with the control of temptation to reuse, which is a type of tendency-avoidance conflict. The present study aims to investigate the effect of Gross model-based emotion regulation training on the reduction of craving beliefs in drug-addicted people.Methods: The present study was a quasi-experimental design. This was a pre- and post-test design that consisted of control and experimental groups. The study population comprised all addicted individuals who visited addiction treatment clinics in Marivan, Iran. About 30 drug-addicted individuals by the random selection method were chosen. Participants were randomly assigned to either the experimental or control groups. Results were analyzed by univariate covariance analysis.Findings: Gross model-based emotion regulation training reduced signs and beliefs associated with temptation in drug-addicted people (P < 0.001).Conclusion: Considering the present study’s findings, we recommend that addiction treatment centers teach strategies of emotion regulation to drug-addicted people by establishing workshops with the intent to reduce temptation signs

Growth and antioxidant responses of lettuce (lactuca sativa l.) to arbuscular mycorrhiza inoculation and seaweed extract foliar application

Biofertilizers, such as arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF) and seaweed extract (SWE), have been effective in environmental and agricultural ecosystems. In this study, the effects of AMF, SWE, and their co-application were assayed on the growth and antioxidant potential of lettuce plants. The experiment was conducted as a factorial based on a completely randomized design with two factors and four replications under greenhouse conditions. The first factor was AMF (Glomus mosseae) at two levels consisting of AMF application (20 g pot(-1)), and without using AMF; and the second factor was SWE foliar spraying (Ascophyllum nodosum) at 0.5, 1.5 and 3 g L-1 concentration. The results revealed that the highest root colonization (85%) belonged to AMF and SWE (3 g L-1) x AMF; the lowest colonization rate (65%) was observed for AMF x SWE (0.5 g L-1) treatment. The highest growth parameters (leaf number, shoot and root fresh weight, head diameter), biochemical traits (total soluble proteins, carbohydrates content) and TAA, total antioxidant activity by FRAP method and ascorbic acid, total phenolics, and flavonoids content were obtained with the co-applications. Therefore, the best results of the evaluated traits were achieved with AMF x SWE (3 g L-1). The TAA value was increased three-fold compared to the control. Total phenolics and flavonoids content were 2.24 and 6.59 times higher than the control, respectively. On the other hand, leaf dry weight was decreased with the further growth of the plants. Overall, the co-application of AMF with SWE can be recommended to producers as an alternative and environment-friendly strategy to improve the qualitative and quantitative traits of the lettuce crop.University of Maragheh; Univerzita Tomáše Bati ve Zlíně: IGA/FT/2022/00

Morphological and physiological responses of in vitro-grown cucurbita sp. landraces seedlings under osmotic stress by mannitol and PEG

Screening and identification of tolerant genotypes using osmotic materials under in vitro culture could be rapid, easy, and even accurate. In this research, three Iranian landraces of Cucurbita sp. included Tanbal Ajili (Cucurbita maxima Duch.), Ajili Razan (Cucurbita pepo L.), and Balghabakhi (Cucurbita moschata Duch.) seeds were cultured in 1/4 MS medium. After germination, plantlets were transferred to MS media containing mannitol and PEG 6000. Mannitol and PEG at three concentrations of 0.1, 0.2, and 0.4 M and 0.009, 0.012, and 0.015 M, respectively, were added into the MS medium, while the MS medium without any adding was used as control. Our findings revealed that osmotic treatments significantly increased shoot and root dry weight (DW), malondialdehyde (MDA), and proline content, but significantly reduced coleoptile length, shoot and root fresh weight, and photosynthesis pigments content. Protein content, phenols, and flavonoids content, enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant including ascorbate peroxidase (APX), guaiacol peroxidase (GPX), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase (GR) activity, reduced ascorbate (AsA), reduced ascorbate/dehydroascorbic acid (AsA/DHA), reduced glutathione (GSH), dehydroascorbic acid (DHA) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG), and reduced glutathione/oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSSG) were significantly increased at moderate osmotic stress induced by mannitol and PEG. In contrast, the previous physiological parameters were significantly reduced at higher water deficit conditions. With respect to most attributes and concentrations, mannitol simulated osmotic stress better than PEG. Our results revealed that applying PEG and mannitol under in vitro conditions could be an efficient way to evaluate and screen cucurbit genotypes for future breeding programs.IGA/FT/2022/004; University of MaraghehUniversity of Maragheh, Iran; [IGA/FT/2022/004

Polyethylene glycol and sorbitol-mediated in vitro screening for drought stress as an efficient and rapid tool to reach the tolerant cucumis melo l. genotypes

An efficient method to instantly assess drought-tolerant plants after germination is using osmoregulation in tissue culture media. In this study, the responses of three Iranian melon genotypes to sorbitol (0.1, 0.2, and 0.4 M) or polyethylene glycol (PEG) (0.009, 0.012, and 0.015 M) were evaluated as drought stress simulators in MS medium. 'Girke' (GIR), 'Ghobadloo' (GHO), and 'Toghermezi' (TOG) were the genotypes. GIR is reputed as a drought-tolerant genotype in Iran. The PEG or sorbitol decreased the coleoptile length, fresh weight, and photosynthetic pigments content while enhancing proline and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents. Protein content and antioxidant enzyme activity were utterly dependent on genotype, osmotic regulators, and their concentration. Coleoptile length, root and shoot fresh weight, root dry weight, proline and MDA content, and guaiacol peroxidase (GPX) activity can be used as indicators for in vitro screening of Cucumis melo L. genotypes. The results showed that sorbitol mimics drought stress better than PEG. Overall, our findings suggest that in vitro screening could be an accurate, rapid, and reliable methodology for evaluating and identifying drought-tolerant genotypes.IGA/FT/2023/003; University of MaraghehUniversity of Maragheh, Iran; TBU in Zlin [IGA/FT/2023/003

The Risk Factors of Prolonged Mechanical Ventilation after Isolated Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery

Background: Failure to wean a patient from mechanical ventilation after cardiac surgery is associatedwith poor outcome.Aim: The present study was performed aimed to investigate the risk factors of prolonged mechanicalventilation (PMV) following isolated coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery.Method: This retrospective cohort study was performed on 2155 consecutive adult patientsundergoing isolated coronary artery bypass graft surgery (May 2012 to November 2016 at Imam Rezahospital, Mashhad, Iran). The subjects were assessed for duration of weaning from mechanicalventilation, predictive risk factors for prolonged mechanical ventilation and associated outcomesincluding intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital length of stay (LOS), and mortality. Data wereanalyzed by SPSS (version 22). P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results: The median (25 -75 percentile) duration of mechanical ventilation was 360 (225-540)minutes. Also, 51.20%, 45.80% and 2.30% patients were weaned from mechanical ventilation in lessthan 6 hours, 7 to 24 hours, and more than 24 hours, respectively. Cerebral vascular accident was themost common cause of PMV (34.04%). After adjustment for confounder variables, on-pump CABG(P<0.05), duration of surgery (P<0.01), preoperative renal failure (P<0.05) and New York HeartAssociation (NYHA) class 4 were associated with PMV (P <0.05). PMV was associated withincreased length of ICU and hospital stay (P<0.01). There was a higher mortality rates in patients withPMV (P<0.001).Implications for Practice: Most patients are weaned from mechanical ventilation within 24 hoursuneventfully after isolated CABG. Furthermore, on-pump CABG, prolonged surgery, preoperativerenal insufficiency, and NYHA class 4 were independent predictors of prolonged mechanicalventilation. Identifying the risk factors causing PMV can prevent its adverse consequences

Salicylic acid affects the expression of VvCBF4 gene in grapes subjected to low temperature

The present study investigates the effects of exogenous salicylic acid (SA) on the expression of Vitis vinifera C-repeat binding factor 4 (VvCBF4) gene under low-temperature conditions in an Iranian Vitis viniferea L. ‘Sultanina’. The experiment was conducted as a factorial experiment based on a completely randomized design with four replications. 100 μmol/L SA (0, 1, 6 and 12 h before applying cold stress) in temperatures of 1 ± 0.5 °C (for 1, 3, 6 and 12 h) and 22 °C (as control) were applied. The highest expression was observed in plants treated 6 h before sampling. By increasing the duration of low temperature, the expression of VvCBF4 increased. Increasing the duration of cold stress to 6 h in 1 °C increased the expression of VvCBF4 to 24.3 fold. Exogenous application of SA and cold stress treatments increased the expression of VvCBF4. In conclusion, exogenous application of SA in cold stress, increased the expression of VvCBF4 depending on treating time before cold stress. The highest VvCBF4 expression was observed in plants treated 6 h before sampling and increasing the time decreased the expression. By increasing the expression of VvCBF4 the tolerance of plant to cold stress increased

Protective effects of chitosan based salicylic acid nanocomposite (CS-SA NCs) in grape (Vitis vinifera cv. ‘Sultana’) under salinity stress

Abstract Salinity is one of the most important abiotic stresses that reduce plant growth and performance by changing physiological and biochemical processes. In addition to improving the crop, using nanomaterials in agriculture can reduce the harmful effects of environmental stresses, particularly salinity. A factorial experiment was conducted in the form of a completely randomized design with two factors including salt stress at three levels (0, 50, and 100 mM NaCl) and chitosan-salicylic acid nanocomposite at three levels (0, 0.1, and 0.5 mM). The results showed reductions in chlorophylls (a, b, and total), carotenoids, and nutrient elements (excluding sodium) while proline, hydrogen peroxide, malondialdehyde, total soluble protein, soluble carbohydrate, total antioxidant, and antioxidant enzymes activity increased with treatment chitosan-salicylic acid nanocomposite (CS-SA NCs) under different level NaCl. Salinity stress reduced Fm', Fm, and Fv/Fm by damage to photosynthetic systems, but treatment with CS-SA NCs improved these indices during salinity stress. In stress-free conditions, applying the CS-SA NCs improved the grapes' physiological, biochemical, and nutrient elemental balance traits. CS-SA NCs at 0.5 mM had a better effect on the studied traits of grapes under salinity stress. The CS-SA nanoparticle is a biostimulant that can be effectively used to improve the grape plant yield under salinity stress