Virtual high-throughput screening of natural compounds in-search of potential inhibitors for protection of telomeres 1 (POT1)

Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma     

Association between serum cell adhesion molecules with hs-CRP,uric acid and VEGF genetic polymorphisms in subjects with metabolic syndrome

Molecular Biology Reports - Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is associated with a pro-inflammatory state and endothelial dysfunction that places subjects with MetS at a higher risk of atherosclerosis....     

Anti-inflammatory,anti-apoptotic,and antioxidant actions of Middle Eastern Phoenix dactylifera extract on mercury-induced hepatotoxicity in vivo

Molecular Biology Reports - Mercuric chloride (MC) is a complex substance which is capable to produce free radicals. Middle Eastern Phoenix dactylifera (MEPD) is a flowering plant of palm family...     

Circulating and tissue microRNAs as a potential diagnostic biomarker in patients with thrombotic events

Venous and arterial thrombosis are conditions that have a considerable burden if left untreated. The hypoxia-induced by the occluded vessel can disrupt the circulation of any organ, the cornerstone of treating thrombosis is rapid diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Diagnosis of thrombosis may be made by using laboratory tests or imaging techniques in individuals who have clinical manifestations of a thrombotic event. The use of serum micro ribonucleic acids (RNAs) has recently been applied to the diagnosis of thrombosis. These small RNA molecules are emerging as new diagnostic markers but have had very limited applications in vascular disease. Most of the articles provided various microRNAs with different levels of accuracy. However, there remains a lack of an appropriate panel of the most specific microRNA in the literature. The purpose of the present review was to summarize the existing data on the use of microRNAs as a diagnostic biomarker for venous thrombosis.     

Correction to: Ecological modeling and distribution analysis of digger scorpions: Odontobuthus doriae,Odontobuthus bidentatus (Scorpiones: Buthidae) and Scorpio maurus (Scorpiones: Scorpionidae) in Iran using the maximum entropy method

Applied Entomology and Zoology - The word “Odonthubutus” should be replaced with “Odontobuthus” throughout the article.     

Nanoparticles and cancer therapy: Perspectives for application of nanoparticles in the treatment of cancers

Rapid growth in nanotechnology toward the development of nanomedicine agents holds massive promise to improve therapeutic approaches against cancer. Nanomedicine products represent an opportunity to achieve sophisticated targeting strategies and multifunctionality. Nowadays, nanoparticles (NPs) have multiple applications in different branches of science. In recent years, NPs have repetitively been reported to play a significant role in modern medicine. They have been analyzed for different clinical applications, such as drug carriers, gene delivery to tumors, and contrast agents in imaging. A wide range of nanomaterials based on organic, inorganic, lipid, or glycan compounds, as well as on synthetic polymers has been utilized for the development and improvement of new cancer therapeutics. In this study, we discuss the role of NPs in treating cancer among different drug delivery methods for cancer therapy.     

Co-limitation of potato growth by Potato Cyst Nematode (Globodera rostochiensis) and Rhizoctonia solani

Globodera rostochiensis and Rhizoctonia solani are the most important growth limiting factors influencing potato production in Iran. The effects of inoculation with Potato Cyst Nematodes (PCN) (0, 50, 75 and 100 cysts/3.5?kg soil) and R. solani (with or without inoculation) on potato growth and development were investigated in cultivars Santé and Marfona. Inoculation with R. solani induced severe damage, especially when inoculation was accompanied with high density of PCN. The damage caused by R. solani tended to increase with an increase in PCN density, especially in Marfona. In Santé, number of stems or branches per plant significantly increased by inoculation with R. solani, while in Marfona it was significantly affected either by R. solani inoculation or PCN density. In Santé, number of stolons per plant was significantly increased by PCN, but not by R. solani. In Marfona, however, the number of stolons per plant was significantly affected either by R. solani inoculation or by presence of PCN, but not affected by PCN density. The general effect of R. solani or PCN inoculation treatments on shoot, below-ground and total dry weight of potato was significant, but strongly affected by cultivar. In general, our study supports the synergistic interaction between R. solani and PCN and its moderation by the use of a resistant cultivar such as Santé.     

Screening of oilseed rape cultivars relation to diamondback moth,Plutella xylostella (Lep.: Plutellidae) in fields of Tehran

The diamondback moth (DBM), Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lep., Plutellidae), is one of the most important pests of oilseed rape, Brassica napus L., in the world. In this study, resistance of oilseed rape cultivars to DBM was evaluated in fields of Tehran based on injury rate of the cultivars. To evaluate cultivar resistance, 19 cultivars of oilseed rape were planted in randomised complete-block design with three replications. Total experiments were conducted in experimental field of Shahed University. Results showed that DBM had activity on the plants during season and peak of the injury occurred on 27 May. Results indicated that the total of oilseed rape cultivar was spotty. Statistical analysis showed that there was significant difference among determined characteristics in all cultivars. The highest and lowest numbers of holes in the leaf were observed in Midas, Karaj3, Zarfam and Hyola420, Hyola308 cultivars, respectively, in sampling of the end growth. Opera and Midas cultivars have the highest percentage of leaf infestation and the lowest percentage of leaf infestation was observed in Hyola420 and Hyola308. Also, Karaj3 and Zarfam cultivars have the highest percentage of meristem infestation and the lowest percentage of meristem infestation was observed in Licard and Hyola420 cultivars. Based on peak of the injury rate and importance of meristem injury, Hyola420 and Hyola308 cultivars were relatively resistant to DBM, and Karaj3 and Zarfam were relatively sensitive to DBM.     

Cytokine single nucleotide polymorphisms in patients’ with gallstone: dose TGF-β gene variants affect gallstone formation?

Gallstone is a common biliary disorder with several risk factors. Immune responses and inflammatory cytokines are important in this disease; as a result, some cytokines can be detected in bile fluid. In this research, cytokine gene polymorphisms were studied, and their effects on gallstone formation were evaluated. On 158 gallstone patients and 254 normal subjects, by PCR- RFLP method, IL-4-C590T polymorphism and by ARMS-PCR method, IFN-γ T+874A, TNF-α-A308G, IL-6 G-174C and TGF-β T+869C variants were studied. Pathologic evaluations were done on surgical specimens. There were no significant differences in distribution of evaluated polymorphisms between patient group and normal control group (P > 0.05), except TGF-β +869T allele (P = 0.04, OR = 1.23, 95 % CI = 1–1.79) which was higher in patients with gallstone. Although the pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α and IL-6 may promote gallstone formation, in this study no significant correlation between TNF-α and IL-6 polymorphisms and gallstone formation was seen. It is taught that TGF-β may affect gallbladder cells to promote gallstone formation and higher producer TGF-β +869T allele can be a risk factor of gallstone disease, so further studies would be more elucidative.     

Small fluctuations in the recovery of fusaria across consecutive sampling intervals with unmanned aircraft 100 m above ground level

The aerobiology of fungi in the genus Fusarium is poorly understood. Recent work has highlighted the role of Lagrangian coherent structures (LCSs) in the movement of fusaria in the lower atmosphere. Here, we extend this work by examining the relationship between the length of atmospheric sampling intervals with autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and the recovery of fusaria. UAVs were equipped with an array of eight microbe-sampling devices with four “inner” sampling arms and four “outer” sampling arms. Each set of arms was used to collect consecutive aerobiological samples during 10 min sampling periods at 100 m above ground level at the Kentland Farm in Blacksburg, Virginia. Fifty-one flights (102 consecutive sampling intervals) were conducted in 2010 and 2011. A correlation analysis showed that the counts of fusaria did not vary between the inner and outer sampling arms from consecutive sampling period of 10 min (r = 0.93, P < 0.001), and the frequency of colony counts had similar distributions for samples from the inner and outer sampling arms. An analysis of the temporal variation in the collections of Fusarium showed that the similarity between collections decreased over time. This work supports the idea that atmospheric populations of fusaria are well mixed, and large changes in the recovery of fusaria in the lower atmosphere may be attributed to large-scale phenomena (e.g., LCSs) operating across varying temporal and spatial scales. This work may contribute to effective control measures for diseases causes by fusaria in the future.