Astragalus trifoliastrum (Fabaceae), a revived species for the flora of Turkey

As the result of surveying the relevant type specimens, together with macro‐ and micro‐morphological studies, chromosome counting and ITS sequencing, Astragalus trifoliastrum was found to be a species independent of A. laguriformis (with which it has peviously been synonymized). In contrast, A. wanensis, assumed to be a synonym of A. trifoliastrum, indeed appears to be identical with A. trifoliastrum. The diploid chromosome number of 2n = 16 is reported for the first time for A. trifoliastrum.     

Application of water super absorbents in waste air biofiltration

Water super absorbents are low cross-linked hydrophilic polymers that absorb water in amounts up to several hundred times their dry weight. In this study, the effect of adding these materials to the bed of a biofilter was investigated. Two equal size biofilters were used for this purpose. One of the biofilters was packed with a mixture of perlite and a commercial polyacrylamide based super absorbent (2.3% dry weight), and the other was packed with perlite to perform as a control. The biofilters were inoculated with a bacterial culture that was able to grow on n-hexane as the sole source of carbon and energy. Both biofilters removed up to 90% of the entering pollutants when using an inlet n-hexane concentration of 1 g/m³, and an air flow rate of 0.3 L/min (mass loading of 18.34 g/m³/h, and empty bed residence time of 3.27 min). The super absorbent had a positive effect on the performance of the biofilter. While the difference in the performance of the biofilters was marginal when frequent moistening was applied, the difference was considerable when moistening was less frequent.     

Evaluation and optimization of ethanol production from carob pod extract by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Zymomonas mobilis</Emphasis> using response surface methodology

In this research, ethanol production from carob pod extract (extract) using Zymomonas mobilis with medium optimized by Plackett–Burman (P–B) and response surface methodologies (RSM) was studied. Z. mobilis was recognized as useful for ethanol production from carob pod extract. The effects of initial concentrations of sugar, peptone, and yeast extract as well as agitation rate (rpm), pH, and culture time in nonhydrolyzed carob pod extract were investigated. Significantly affecting variables (P = 0.05) in the model obtained from RSM studies were: weights of bacterial inoculum, initial sugar, peptone, and yeast extract. Acid hydrolysis was useful to complete conversion of sugars to glucose and fructose. Nonhydrolyzed extract showed higher ethanol yield and residual sugar compared with hydrolyzed extract. Ethanol produced (g g⁻¹ initial sugar, as the response) was not significantly different (P = 0.05) when Z. mobilis performance was compared in hydrolyzed and nonhydrolyzed extract. The maximum ethanol of 0.34 ± 0.02 g g⁻¹ initial sugar was obtained at 30°C, initial pH 5.2, and 80 rpm, using concentrations (g per 50 mL culture media) of: inoculum bacterial dry weight, 0.017; initial sugar, 5.78; peptone, 0.43; yeast extract, 0.43; and culture time of 36 h.     

Ultrasonographic contrast-agent imaging of sub-millimeter vessel structures with spatial compounding: in vitro analyses.

In clinical diagnostics, ultrasonographic contrast-agent imaging gives access to medical parameters such as perfusion and vascularization. In addition to the artifacts that are typical for ultrasonic imaging, e.g., speckle noise and depth-dependent sensitivity and resolution, contrast-agent imaging shows more pronounced depth dependence and may suffer from shadowing artifacts that arise from high attenuation of the ultrasound waves by the contrast agent at high concentrations. By imaging an object from different viewing angles in one 2D image plane and summing the images obtained (spatial compounding), image quality can be increased and artifacts can be suppressed. In the present study, we combined both techniques to overcome the limitations of contrast-agent imaging. We used a commercially available ultrasound scanner and a custom-made high-precision mechanical system to rotate the ultrasound transducer fully around the object under investigation. Using this set-up, ultrasound data were acquired in reflection mode to generate a 360 degrees compound scan of a flow-mimicking phantom supplied with contrast agent.     

Origin and domestication of the fungal wheat pathogen Mycosphaerella graminicola via sympatric speciation

The Fertile Crescent represents the center of origin and earliest known place of domestication for many cereal crops. During the transition from wild grasses to domesticated cereals, many host-specialized pathogen species are thought to have emerged. A sister population of the wheat-adapted pathogen Mycosphaerella graminicola was identified on wild grasses collected in northwest Iran. Isolates of this wild grass pathogen from 5 locations in Iran were compared with 123 M. graminicola isolates from the Middle East, Europe, and North America. DNA sequencing revealed a close phylogenetic relationship between the pathogen populations. To reconstruct the evolutionary history of M. graminicola, we sequenced 6 nuclear loci encompassing 464 polymorphic sites. Coalescence analyses indicated a relatively recent origin of M. graminicola, coinciding with the known domestication of wheat in the Fertile Crescent around 8,000-9,000 BC. The sympatric divergence of populations was accompanied by strong genetic differentiation. At the present time, no genetic exchange occurs between pathogen populations on wheat and wild grasses although we found evidence that gene flow may have occurred since genetic differentiation of the populations.     

Phenotypic characteristics and population genetics of Enterococcus faecalis cultured from patients in Tehran during 2000-2001

Conventional bacteriology techniques were used to identify enterococci isolates cultured from patients at different hospitals in Tehran during 2000-2001. The identification was confirmed using species-specific PCR targeting the D-alanyl-D-alanine ligase gene. A total of 59 isolates of Enterococcus faecalis were identified. The rates of resistance to different antibiotics were in the following order: penicillin 84%, ciprofloxacin 42%, high-level gentamicin 30%, nitrofurantoin 14%, imipenem 4%, and chloramphenicol 2%. Resistance to ampicillin was found to be rare among the Iranian isolates of E. faecalis. Multi-locus enzyme electrophoresis was then used to analyze the strains. Forty-five electrophoretic types were obtained when 10 enzyme loci were screened. Although the collection of bacterial isolates was limited in time and location, considerable heterogeneity was found. Analysis of strains for linkage disequilibrium demonstrated that the studied population is not clonal, since the index of association was not significantly different from zero (Ia = 0.0296). Enterococcus faecalis isolates recovered from patients in Tehran were genetically diverse and seemed to possess a high potential for genetic recombinations, though none were resistant to vancomycin.     

Iridoid and bisiridoid glycosides from Globularia cordifolia

From the methanolic extract of the underground parts of Globularia cordifolia, a new iridoid glycoside, 5-hydroxydavisioside (1) and a new bisiridoid glycoside, globuloside C (2) were isolated along with six known iridoid glycosides, aucubin, melampyroside, monomelittoside, globularifolin, alpinoside and asperuloside. The structures of the isolates were established by 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy in combination with IR, UV and MS analyses.     

Synergistic effect of PEG-400 and cyclodextrin to enhance solubility of progesterone

Conclusion  PEG-400, polysorbate 80, and 2 CDs (Trappsol HPB and Captisol) were used in an attempt to improve the aqueous solubility of a model hydrophobic drug, progesterone. The aqueous solubility of progesterone improved significantly from 0.007 mg/mL by the addition of PEG-400, CDs, and polysorbate 80. In systems containing various amounts of PEG-400 and 3% Trappsol HPB in water (% wt/wt), the theoretical solubility was calculated by adding the solubilities in the individual systems. The observed solubility values were up to 96% higher than the theoretical values. The effect of synergism was significant in 5% to 50% PEG-400/water systems containing Trappsol HPB. Systems containing Captisol did not show such synergistic effects. In general, the addition of polysorbate 80 to the PEG-400/water systems containing CDs affected synergism negatively.