Changes in peroxidase activities and soluble proteins in strawberry varieties under salt-stress

Effects of salt stress on the activity of peroxidase (PRX) isozyme and leaf proteins were studied in the three strawberry varieties, Camarosa, Tioga and Chandler. Plants were watered with modified 1/3 Hoagland nutrient solution containing 0 (control), 8.5, 17.0 and 34.0 mM NaCl for 30 days fallowing 20 days acclimation. PRX activity was assayed in leaf extracts and PRX profiles of control and salt treated plants were performed by native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). During the salt stress Tioga and Camarosa tolerated the cellular damage with less electrolyte leakage while Chandler exhibited a severe cellular damage with the highest (87.5 % in 34.0 mM NaCl treatment) electrolyte leakage. Total soluble protein content was decreased by salinity in Tioga (from 11.35 to 5.86 mg g⁻¹ DW) and Chandler (from 9.35 to 3.90 mg g⁻¹ DW) while it was almost unchanged in Camarosa. Salt stress increased total and specific PRX activity as compared with the control in all the varieties. In native PAGE, one basic isoperoxidase band (Rf=0.27) was observed commonly with different band intensity in all the treatments. Therefore, it might be associated with lignification and recovery of cell membrane damage in strawberry plants under salt stress.     

Age-related Patterns of Upper Arm Muscle and Fat Area in Turkish Children and Assessment of Nutritional Status

Anthropometric estimation of midarm muscularity and fatness was employed as a general index of nutritional status in developing countries. The present study attempts to evaluate the sex- and age-related pattern of regional muscle and fat area characteristics in Turkish children. A cross-sectional study was carried out on 1,068 10- to 14-year-old children (583 boys and 485 girls) from junior high schools in Ankara, the capital city of Turkey. According to general anthropometric protocols, weight, height, triceps skinfold thickness, and midarm circumference measurements were taken and socioeconomic data were collected. Arm muscle area (AMA) and arm fat area (AFA) were calculated and centile curves were evaluated using least median squares method. Results showed significant sexual dimorphism in muscle and fat patterning. AFA was found to be higher among girls and AMA among boys. The present findings suggest that the different levels of socioeconomic status (SES) appeared to be more prevalent on muscularity among boys (p < 0.05) and adiposity among girls (p < 0.001).     

Mucoadhesive, thermosensitive, prolonged-release vaginal gel for clotrimazole: β-cyclodextrin complex

The purpose of this study was to achieve a better therapeutic efficacy and patient compliance in the treatment for vaginitis. Clotrimazole (1%) has been formulated in a vaginal gel using the thermosensitive polymer Pluronic F127 (20%) together with mucoadhesive polymers such as Carbopol 934 and hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (0.2% for both). To increase its aqueous solubility., clotrimazole was incorporated as its inclusion complex with 1∶1 molar ratio with β-cyclodextrin. The inclusion complex was thoroughly characterized using various techniques, including ¹H NMR spectroscopy, FT IR spectrophotometry, differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electron microscopy, phase solubility studies, and determination of stability constant (k_1∶1). The gelation temperature and rheological behavior of different formulations at varying temperatures were measured. In vitro release profiles of the gels were determined in pH 5.5 citrate buffer. It was observed that complexation with cyclodextrin slowed down the release of clotrimazole considerably. Carbopol 934, on the other hand, was found to interact with β-cyclodextrin, inducing precipitation. As far as rheological properties are concerned, thermosensitive in situ gelling was obtained with formulations containing drug: cyclodextrin complex rather than with free drug. Thus, the optimum formulation for a controlled-release thermosensitive and mucoadhesive vaginal gel was determined to be clotrimazole: β-cyclodextrin 1% with 0.2% hydroxypropylmethylcellulose in Pluronic F127 gel (20%) providing continuous and prolonged release of active material above MIC values.     

RNA kink-turns as molecular elbows: hydration, cation binding, and large-scale dynamics

The presence of Kink-turns (Kt) at key functional sites in the ribosome (e.g., A-site finger and L7/L12 stalk) suggests that some Kink-turns can confer flexibility on RNA protuberances that regulate the traversal of tRNAs during translocation. Explicit solvent molecular dynamics demonstrates that Kink-turns can act as flexible molecular elbows. Kink-turns are associated with a unique network of long-residency static and dynamical hydration sites that is intimately involved in modulating their conformational dynamics. An implicit solvent conformational search confirms the flexibility of Kink-turns around their X-ray geometries and identifies a second low-energy region with open structures that could correspond to Kink-turn geometries seen in solution experiments. An extended simulation of Kt-42 with the factor binding site (helices 43 and 44) shows that the local Kt-42 elbow-like motion fully propagates beyond the Kink-turn, and that there is no other comparably flexible site in this rRNA region. Kink-turns could mediate large-scale adjustments of distant RNA segments.     

Impaired Heart Rate Recovery in Patients with Endemic Fluorosis

The objective of the present study was to determine the heart rate recovery index (HRRI), a marker of autonomic nervous system function in patients with endemic fluorosis. Forty patients with endemic fluorosis (16 men/24 women) and 40 age-, sex-, and body mass index-matched healthy controls (16 men/24 women) with normal fluoride intake were enrolled in this study. HRRI was calculated by subtracting the heart rate values at the first, second, and third minutes of the recovery phase from the peak heart rate (HRRI 1, HRRI 2, HRRI 3). Urine fluoride levels of fluorosis patients were significantly (P?<?0.001) higher than control subjects as expected. HRRI 2 was significantly lower in fluorosis patients than in the controls. The incidence of abnormal HRRI 1 was significantly higher in fluorosis patients than in the controls (P?<?0.05). We observed that HRRI, a marker of autonomic nervous system function, is impaired in patients with chronic fluorosis.     

Anatomical and nutlet differentiation between <Emphasis Type="Italic">Teucrium montanum</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">T. polium</Emphasis> from Turkey

Teucrium montanum L. and T. polium L. are the two closest Teucrium L. species from sect. Polium (Mill.) Schreb in Turkey. In addition, they are sympatric for some part of their range in Turkey. In this study, comparative anatomical and micromorphological studies of the two species are carried out. They have been investigated by their leaf and stem anatomical features, as well as nutlet micromorphological characteristics. The results of anatomical studies show that the anatomical characters of both taxa are observed to be similar to the general features of the family Lamiaceae anatomy, except for lacking rich collenchyma at the corners. Both taxa are similar in stem anatomy and their leaves exhibit xeromorphy. However, trichome morphology on the stems and the leaves appear to have a taxonomic value in segregation of the two taxa. Light and scanning electron microscope studies on the nutlets also show that nutlet shapes, measures and surface micromorphologies are different in the two species. Whereas nutlet surfaces are bireticulate in both species, the nutlets are larger and primary sculpturing is more distinct in T. polium than in T. montanum. Moreover, the nutlets are oblong to oblong-ovoid and larger in T. polium, but ovoid and smaller in T. montanum.     

Amido functional phthalocyanines as metal ion sensor; synthesis, characterization, spectroscopy, electrochemistry, in-situ spectroelectrochemistry

Tetrasubstituted metal ion sensor amido functional phthalocyanines, PyMA-MPc, {PyMA: [N¹,N³-bis(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)malonamide], M = Pd(II), Cu(II) and Co(II)} bearing amido functionality on the periphery were synthesized from the corresponding tetrasubstituted diethylmalonate substituted phthalocyanines, DEM-MPc (DEM: diethylmalonate; M = Pd(II), Cu(II) and Co(II)), and 2-aminopyridine in N,N-dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE) solvent. The new complexes have been characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR, ¹H NMR and mass spectra. Peripheral malonamide groups of the phthalocyanine complexes serve as exocyclic binding sites for metal ion, such as Pd^II and also increase the solubility in protic solvents, i.e MeOH. Protonation of the pyridyl groups with HCl formed quaternized salts of the MPc, N¹,N³-bis(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)malonamide substituted metallophthalocyanines (PyMA-PdPc×8HCl) which are freely soluble in aqueous media. Methylation of M[Pc(CH(COOC₂H₅)₂)₄] with CH₃I gave the octacationic 2(3),9(10),16(17),23(24)-tetrakis-[N¹,N³-bis(N-methylpyridin-2-ylmethyl)malonamide]-phthlocyaninato Cu(II) salts which are freely soluble in water. Voltammetric and spectroelectrochemical studies show that while PyMA-Pd(II)Pc and PyMA-Cu(II)Pc give ring-based reversible/quasi-reversible redox processes, PyMA-Co(II)Pc give both metal and ring-based, reversible/quasi-reversible electron transfer processes.     

Biofortification of wheat with iron through soil and foliar application of nitrogen and iron fertilizers

Increasing iron (Fe) concentration in food crops is an important global challenge due to high incidence of Fe deficiency in human populations. Evidence is available showing that nitrogen (N) fertilization increases Fe concentration in wheat grain. This positive impact of N on grain Fe was, however, not studied under varied soil and foliar applications of Fe. Greenhouse experiments were conducted to investigate a role of soil- and foliar-applied Fe fertilizers in improving shoot and grain Fe concentration in durum wheat (Triticum durum) grown under increasing N supply as Ca-nitrate. Additionally, an effect of foliar Fe fertilizers on grain Fe was tested with and without urea in the spray solution. Application of various soil or foliar Fe fertilizers had either a little positive effect or remained ineffective on shoot or grain Fe. By contrast, at a given Fe treatment, raising N supply substantially enhanced shoot and grain concentrations of Fe and Zn. Improving N status of plants from low to sufficient resulted in a 3-fold increase in shoot Fe content (e.g., total Fe accumulated), whereas this increase was only 42% for total shoot dry weight. Inclusion of urea in foliar Fe fertilizers had a positive impact on grain Fe concentration. Nitrogen fertilization represents an important agronomic practice in increasing grain Fe. Therefore, the plant N status deserves special attention in biofortification of food crops with Fe.