Crataegus coriifolia sp. nov. (Rosaceae) from Iran

Crataegus coriifolia Sharifnia & Zarrinkolah is described as a new species from Iran. Its taxonomic relationships, ecology and distribution are discussed. An identification key to C. coriifolia and other two‐styled species of Crataegus occurring in Iran is provided.     

Species delimitation in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Epilobium</Emphasis> (sec. <Emphasis Type="Italic">Epilobium</Emphasis>, Onagraceae): morphological,molecular and palynological data

The genus Epilobium L. (Family Onagraceae) with about 200 species is taxonomically complicated due to wide inter-specific gene flow. There is no report on biosystematics of Epilobium species in Iran, therefore we studied 5 species of this genus using a combination of morphological, molecular (ISSR) and palynological data to delimit these species. All data revealed high degree of morphological and genetic overlap among the studied species. However, they could be separated when all studied features were used together. Morphological characters could delimit 3 species while genetic data separated them in two major groups. However, palynological data could delimit all five species studied. The species relationship was highly compatible in all three data sources used.     

百里香、欧芹和熏衣草水苏提取物对四纹豆象成虫的生物活性（英文）

【目的】植物次生代谢物对不同类害虫的影响程度如得以详细研究,则它们可能有望成为化学杀虫剂的合适替代物。本研究旨在评价溶剂极性对不同植物提取物杀虫活性的可能影响。【方法】从极性不同的化合物正己烷、乙酸乙酯和甲醇中选择提取溶剂。于28±2℃、相对湿度50%±5%、光周期16L∶8D条件下评价欧芹Petroselinum sativum种子提取物以及百里香Thymus vulgaris和熏衣草水苏Stachys lavandulifolia茎叶提取物对四纹豆象Callosobruchus maculatus成虫的致死效果,并评价其杀卵和产卵忌避效果。【结果】在对四纹豆象成虫的触杀毒性中,百里香正己烷提取物(0.05 g/m L)的LC50值最低,其次是乙酸乙酯和甲醇提取物。百里香的乙酸乙酯提取物对四纹豆象成虫的LT50值最低(10.04 h),在所有提取物中相对击倒速度指数最高(42.23%)。在对成虫的触杀毒性中,LC20和LC50浓度的所有提取物都具有100%的杀卵活性。熏衣草水苏的甲醇提取物对四纹豆象成虫具有最高的产卵忌避活性(97.54%)。【结论】本研究结果得出,百里香、欧芹和熏衣草水苏提取物对四纹豆象成虫具有明显的杀虫和杀卵毒性,并对其具有产卵忌避性。不过,非极性(正己烷)提取物的性能更佳。     

Seasonal changes in invertebrate drift: effects of declining summer flows on prey abundance for drift-feeding fishes

Hydrobiologia - To evaluate the consequences of declining summer discharge for drift abundance and energy flux to drift-feeding fish, we collected monthly drift samples from April to September in...     

Gentamicin-loaded chitosan/folic acid-based carbon quantum dots nanocomposite hydrogel films as potential antimicrobial wound dressing

The potential to directly harness photosynthesis to make actuators, biosensors and bioprocessors has been previously demonstrated in the literature. Herein, this capability has been expanded to more advanced systems — Marimo Actuated Rover Systems (MARS) — which are capable of autonomous, solar powered, movement. We demonstrate this ability is both a practical and viable alternative to conventional mobile platforms for exploration and dynamic environmental monitoring. Prototypes have been successfully tested to measure their speed of travel and ability to automatically bypass obstacles. Further, MARS is electromagnetically silent, thus avoiding the background noise generated by conventional electro/mechanical platforms which reduces instrument sensitivity. The cost of MARS is significantly lower than platforms based on conventional technology. An autonomous, low-cost, lightweight, compact size, photosynthetically powered rover is reported. The potential for further system enhancements are identified and under development.     

The Neuroprotective Effect of Curcumin Against Nicotine-Induced Neurotoxicity is Mediated by CREB–BDNF Signaling Pathway

Neurochemical Research - Nicotine abuse adversely affects brain and causes apoptotic neurodegeneration. Curcumin- a bright yellow chemical compound found in turmeric is associated with...     

Occult hepatitis C virus infection in patients with beta-thalassemia major: Is it a neglected and unexplained phenomenon?

Occult hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection (OCI) is described as the presence of viral genome in both hepatocytes and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) despite constant negative results on serum HCV RNA tests. Beta-thalassemia major (BTM) describes a group of inherited blood diseases. Patients with BTM require repeated blood transfusions, increasing the risk of exposure to infectious agents. We aimed to assess the prevalence of OCI in Iranian BTM patients and to identify the role of host factors in OCI positivity. A total of 181 BTM patients with HCV negative markers were selected. HCV RNA was tested in PBMCs using nested polymerase chain reaction assay. The positive samples were then genotyped via restriction fragment-length polymorphism (RFLP) and 5′-untranslated region sequencing. Six (3.3%) out of 181 BTM patients had viral HCV genomes in PBMC samples. Three (50.0%), two (33.3%), and one (16.7%) out of these six patients were infected with HCV-1b, HCV-1a, and HCV-3a, respectively. OCI positivity was significantly associated with the serum level of uric acid (P = 0.045) and ABO blood group (P = 0.032). Also, OCI patients had unfavorable IFNL3 rs12979860 TT, IFNL3 rs8099917 GG, IFNL3 rs12980275 GG, and IFNL4 ss469415590 ∆G/∆G genotypes. In conclusion, we indicated the low frequency of OCI in BTM patients. Nevertheless, more attention is warranted considering the importance of this infection. Also, further studies are necessary to determine the actual prevalence of OCI among BTM patients in Iran.     

An in vitro assessment for evaluating the efficiency of β-d-mannuronic acid (M2000) in myelodysplastic syndrome

β-d -Mannuronic acid (M2000), a novel non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) with immunosuppressive properties, has been previously shown to exhibit potential therapeutic effects on autoimmune diseases. Immunosuppression therapy has been a standard approach for myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) for many years. We evaluated the effect of M2000 on isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients with MDS. The PBMCs were isolated from 13 patients with MDS and 13 normal donors. The cells were then treated with low, moderate, and high doses of M2000 and diclofenac as a control group. The level of interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), IL-3, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) gene expression and the serum level of IL-6 and TNF-α production were evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay methods, respectively. Our findings indicated a significant reduction in the production of IL-6 and TNF-α as inflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, the level of G-CSF gene expression was significantly increased. In conclusion, M2000, a newly designed NSAID, has a remarkable effect on isolated PBMC in patients with MDS, which might bring a potential hope for its oral administrations in these patients.