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The effect of salinity on primary photochemical reactions (using JIP-test) in six sweet sorghum genotypes was tested. An increase in salt concentrations induced significantly the accumulation of proline and caused a decline in leaf osmotic potential. Except for 100 mM NaCl concentration, salinity significantly decreased chlorophyll content and photosynthetic efficiency of plants. Increasing salinity led to a higher accumulation of QB-nonreducing PSII reaction centers. K-step in OJIP fluorescence transient was observed for the most sensitive genotypes under the high NaCl concentration. The studied sorghum genotypes responded differently to salinity stress. Thus, the study helps understand the plant tolerance mechanisms of different sweet sorghum genotypes to increasing salinity stress. The study also confirmed that the use of JIP-test is suitable for the identification of sorghum genotypes according to their growth under salinity stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study is planned to examine the antioxidant activity (AA) and the protective effect of the essential oil of Citrus limon (EOC) against aspirin-induced histopathological changes in the brain, lung, and intestine of female rats. For this purpose, 28 albino rats were classified to control group (group C), aspirin group (group A), EOC group (group EOC), and pretreatment with EOC and treated with aspirin group (group EOC + A). The antioxidant activities of EOC were evaluated by three different assays including reducing power, β-carotene, and scavenging of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Our results found that EOC represents, respectively (0.064 ± 0.013 and 0.027 ± 00 mg Quer E/100 µL), of flavonoid and flavonol. Then, it exhibited a potential activity of reducing power (at 300 mg/mL, which was found to be 0.82 ± 0.07), β-carotene-linoleic acid (AA% = 69.28 ± 3.5%), and scavenging of H2O2 (IC50 = 0.23 ± 0.008 mg/mL). In vivo, aspirin given to rats at the dose of 600 mg/kg body weight induced histomorphological damage in brain, lung, and intestine. However, our data found that the pretreatment with EOC offered a significant protection against the injury induced by aspirin. It can be concluded that the protective effect of EOC can be due to its antioxidant activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article we present our approach developed concerning the generation of usable User Interfaces (UI), then we show its results, starting as a basis with UML models. Indeed, we based the approach on the Model Driven Engineering and the development of specific meta models for UI from the perspective of a UML model-based design on one hand and a set of transformations on the other hand. Indeed, we defined a new meta model that is neither a use case nor an activity diagram, but our way to describe the UI in terms of the user's interactions. Thus we used the good practices of Designs Patterns when developing the meta models. The approach includes first creating a platform independent model (PIM) and transforming this PIM into platform specific model (PSM) thought transformation rules. The PIM is created first based on the UML use case and activities diagrams to extract the main functionalities offered by the system to be developed. Then we established the PSM meta model, being the target model of our transformation engine, taking into account the design patterns composite and MVC. With this methodology, the UI can easily be analyzed, designed, and generated to increase system development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the beneficial effects of magnesium (Mg) supplementation upon carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) toxicity. Our study was carried out on 24 Wistar male rats divided into 4 batches. During a 6 week period, one group served as a control, two groups received Mg (after 4 weeks one of these groups was then treated with CCl4), and a final group was treated with CCl4 only. Under our experimental conditions, CCl4 poisoning resulted in oxidative stress indicated by a significant increase in lipid peroxidation level in renal tissues. The blood levels of creatinine and urea increased while the blood level of uric acid and proteins decreased. CCl4 also induced an increase in superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activity in kidneys, in the number of red blood cells (RBC), and in hemoglobin content (Hb) and mean cell hemoglobin concentration (MCHC). However, white blood cell count (WBC), platelet count (Pl) and catalase activity (CAT) all decreased significantly. Treatment with Mg was found to alleviate most of CCl4-induced damage by decreasing lipid peroxidation and by correcting changed hematological parameters, and catalase, glutathione peroxidase and superoxide-dismutase activities. The results provide strong evidence that Mg supplementation is beneficial in protecting the kidneys from CCl4 toxicity.

Improving crop plants using biotechnological implications is a promising and modern approach compared to traditional methods. High-temperature exposure to the reproductive stage induces flower abortion and declines grain filling performance, leading to smaller grain production and low yield in lentil and other legumes. Thus, cloning effective candidate genes and their implication in temperature stress tolerance in lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) using biotechnological tools is highly demandable. The 12-oxophytodienoic acid reductases (OPRs) are flavin mononucleotide-dependent oxidoreductases with vital roles in plants. They are members of the old yellow enzyme (OYE) family. These enzymes are involved in the octadecanoid pathway, which contributes to jasmonic acid biosynthesis and is essential in plant stress responses. Lentil is one of the vital legume crops affected by the temperature fluctuations caused by global warming. Therefore, in this study, the LcOPR1 gene was successfully cloned and isolated from lentils using RT-PCR to evaluate its functional responses in lentil under heat stress. The bioinformatics analysis revealed that the full-length cDNA of LcOPR1 was 1303 bp, containing an 1134 bp open reading frames (ORFs), encoding 377 amino acids with a predicted molecular weight of 41.63 and a theoretical isoelectric point of 5.61. Bioinformatics analyses revealed that the deduced LcOPR1 possesses considerable homology with other plant 12-oxophytodienoic acid reductases (OPRs). Phylogenetic tree analysis showed that LcOPR1 has an evolutionary relationship with other OPRs in different plant species of subgroup I, containing enzymes that are not required for jasmonic acid biosynthesis. The expression analysis of LcOPR1 indicated that this gene is upregulated in response to the heat-stress condition and during recovery in lentil. This study finding might be helpful to plant breeders and biotechnologists in LcOPR1 engineering and/or plant breeding programs in revealing the biological functions of LcOPR1 in lentils and the possibility of enhancing heat stress tolerance by overexpressing LcOPR1 in lentil and other legume plants under high temperature.

Background: National epidemiological studies on diabetes mellitus are rare, ancient and often carried out schools or clinics settings., Objectives: To determine the prevalence of diabetes mellitus and identify its risk factors in the adult population of the city of Hammam Sousse (Tunisia) during the year 2009., Methods: This study is a part of analysis of the HSHS database (Hammam Sousse Sahloul Heart Study), a «community-based» cross-sectional study on cardiovascular risk factors including diabetes mellitus, with a two-stage proportional probability cluster random sample. All subjects aged 20 years and more underwent a lifestyle interview, clinical examination with anthropometric measurements, and blood sampling. The diagnosis of diabetes mellitus was defined by a fasting blood glucose level ≥7 mmol/l. Overweight was defined by a Body Mass Index (BMI) ≥ 25 kg/m². A multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine independent risk factors associated with diabetes mellitus., Results: The population was composed of 481 males (M) and 960 females (F), a sex ratio of 0.5 with mean ages respectively of 49.6±16.35 years and 46.6±16.18 years. The prevalence of diabetes mellitus adjusted by age and sex was 12.1% (95%CI[11.7-12.5]); M: 12.7% (95%CI[12.1-13.3]), F: 11.5% (95%CI[10.9-12.1]). The prevalence rate of patients newly detected with diabetes mellitus was 1.9% (95%CI[1.7-2.1]): M: 1.8% (95%CI[1.6-2.0]), F: 2.1% (95%CI[1.8-2.4]). The multivariate study revealed five independent factors significantly associated with diabetes mellitus. In addition to non-modifiable factors (male gender, age ≥40 years old, low schooling level and family history of diabetes), diabetes mellitus was 2 (95%CI[1.3-3.2]) times more prevalent in overweight cases., Conclusion: In deep trouble of this epidemiological situation of diabetes mellitus, it is urgent to launch a universal intervention strategy based on the promotion of a healthy lifestyle motivating regular physical activity and a low-calorie diet.

Heavy metals (HMs) toxicity represents a global problem depending on the soil environment's geochemical forms. Biochar addition safely reduces HMs mobile forms, thus, reducing their toxicity to plants. While several studies have shown that biochar could significantly stabilize HMs in contaminated soils, the study of the relationship of soil properties to potential mechanisms still needs further clarification; hence the importance of assessing a naturally contaminated soil amended, in this case with Paulownia biochar (PB) and Bamboo biochar (BB) to fractionate Pb, Cd, Zn, and Cu using short sequential fractionation plans. The relationship of soil pH and organic matter and its effect on the redistribution of these metals were estimated. The results indicated that the acid-soluble metals decreased while the fraction bound to organic matter increased compared to untreated pots. The increase in the organic matter metal-bound was mostly at the expense of the decrease in the acid extractable and Fe/Mn bound ones. The highest application of PB increased the organically bound fraction of Pb, Cd, Zn, and Cu (62, 61, 34, and 61%, respectively), while the BB increased them (61, 49, 42, and 22%, respectively) over the control. Meanwhile, Fe/Mn oxides bound represents the large portion associated with zinc and copper. Concerning soil organic matter (SOM) and soil pH, as potential tools to reduce the risk of the target metals, a significant positive correlation was observed with acid-soluble extractable metal, while a negative correlation was obtained with organic matter-bound metal. The principal component analysis (PCA) shows that the total variance represents 89.7% for the TCPL-extractable and HMs forms and their relation to pH and SOM, which confirms the positive effect of the pH and SOM under PB and BB treatments on reducing the risk of the studied metals. The mobility and bioavailability of these metals and their geochemical forms widely varied according to pH, soil organic matter, biochar types, and application rates. As an environmentally friendly and economical material, biochar emphasizes its importance as a tool that makes the soil more suitable for safe cultivation in the short term and its long-term sustainability. This study proves that it reduces the mobility of HMs, their environmental risks and contributes to food safety. It also confirms that performing more controlled experiments, such as a pot, is a disciplined and effective way to assess the suitability of different types of biochar as soil modifications to restore HMs contaminated soil via controlling the mobilization of these minerals.

Not much information is available to substantiate the possible role of γ -aminobutyric acid (GABA) signaling in mitigating water-deficit stress in snap bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.) plants under semiarid conditions. Present work aims to investigate the role of exogenous GABA (foliar application; 0.5, 1 and 2 mM) in amelioration of drought stress and improvement of field performance on snap bean plants raised under two drip irrigation regimes (100% and 70% of water requirements). Water stress led to significant reduction in plant growth, leaf relative water content (RWC), cell membrane stability index (CMSI), nutrient uptake (N, P, K, Ca, Fe and Zn), pod yield and its content from protein and total soluble solids (TSS). Meanwhile, lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde content- MDA), osmolyte content (free amino acids- FAA, proline, soluble sugars) antioxidative defense (activity of superoxide dismutase- SOD, catalase- CAT, peroxidase- POX and ascorbate peroxidase- APX) and the pod fiber content exhibited significantly increase due to water stress. Exogenous GABA application (especially at 2 mM) revealed partial normalization of the effects of drought stress in snap bean plants. GABA-induced mitigation of drought stress was manifested by improvement in growth, water status, membrane integrity, osmotic adjustment, antioxidant defense and nutrient acquisition. Furthermore, GABA application during water stress in snap bean plants resulted in improvement of field performance being manifested by increased pod yield and its quality attributes. To sum up, exogenous GABA appears to function as an effective priming molecule to alleviate drought stress in snap bean plants under semiarid conditions.

Salt stress is one of the most serious environmental stressors that affect productivity of salt-sensitive crops. Medicago ciliaris is an annual legume whose adaptation to agroclimatic conditions has not been well described. This study focused on the salinity tolerance of M. ciliaris genotypes compared to M. intertexta and M. scutellata in terms of plant growth, physiology, and biochemistry. Salt tolerance was determined at both germination and early seedling growth. Germination and hydroponic assays were used with exposing seeds to 0, 50, 100, 150, and 200 mM NaCl. Among seven genotypes of M. ciliaris studied, Pop1 , 355 , and 667 , were most salt tolerant. Populations like 355 and 667 showed marked tolerance to salinity at both germination and seedling stages (TI ≤1, SI ( FGP ) > 0 increased FGP ≥ 20% and SI ( DW ) < 0 (DW decline ≤ 20%); at 100 mM); while Pop1 was the most salt tolerant one at seedling stages with (TI =1.79, SI ( FGP ) < 0 decline of FGP ≤ 40% and with increased DW to 79%); at 150 mM NaCl). The genotypes, 306 , 773 , and M. scutellata , were moderately tolerant to salt stress depending on salt concentration. Our study may be used as an efficient strategy to reveal genetic variation in response to salt stress. This approach allows selection for desirable traits, enabling more efficient applications in breeding methods to achieve stress-tolerant M. ciliaris populations., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

The present study investigated the effect of salt stress on the development of adaptive responses and growth parameters of different coloured wheat genotypes. The different coloured wheat genotypes have revealed variation in the anthocyanin content, which may affect the development of adaptive responses under increasing salinity stress. In the early stage of treatment with salt at a lower NaCl concentration (100 mM), anthocyanins and proline accumulate, which shows rapid development of the stress reaction. A dose-dependent increase in flavonol content was observed for wheat genotypes with more intense purple-blue pigmentation after treatment with 150 mM and 200 mM NaCl. The content of Na⁺ and K⁺ obtained at different levels of salinity based on dry weight (DW) was more than 3 times greater than the control, with a significant increase of both ions under salt stress. Overall, our results demonstrated that coloured wheat genotypes with high anthocyanin content are able to maintain significantly higher dry matter production after salt stress treatment.

An increasing need of nanotechnology in various industries may cause a huge environment dispersion of nanoparticles in coming years. A concern about nanoparticles interaction with flora and fauna is raised due to a growing load of it in the environment. In recent years, several investigators have shown impact of nanoparticles on plant growth and their accumulation in food source. This review examines the research performed in the last decade to show how metal and metal oxide nanoparticles are influencing the plant metabolism. We addressed here, the impact of nanoparticle on plant in relation to its size, concentration, and exposure methodology. Based on the available reports, we proposed oxidative burst as a general mechanism through which the toxic effects of nanoparticles are spread in plants. This review summarizes the current understanding and the future possibilities of plant-nanoparticle research.

Liver and kidney diseases are a global concern, therefore considerable efforts to obtain fine herbs useful as drugs from medicinal plants are currently in progress. The aim of this work was to study the antioxidant effects of previous supplementation with fenugreek seeds (FS) against carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 ) toxicity in the liver and kidney. CCl 4 toxicity was induced by one dose (i.g. 5ml CCl 4 /kg of body weight, 50% CCl 4 in olive oil) after 7 weeks of normal diet or diet rich in 10% of grinded fenugreek seeds (20g of pellet rat food/rat/day). 24h after the treatment with CCl 4 , all animals were scarified and biological analyses were performed. A phytochemical study of fenugreek seed extract (FSE) was also carried out. The phytochemical analysis of FS and FSE revealed the presence of polyphenols (5.92±0.02mg EGA/g DM), flavonoids (0.44±0.19mg ER/g DM), polysaccharides and trace elements. DPPH radical-scavenging activity of FSE showed an EC50 of 285.59±2.01μg/ml. In vivo, CCl 4 administration significantly (p<0.05) induced an increase liver and kidney biomarkers. A significant (p<0.05) alteration of the antioxidant enzyme activities was also observed. In animals pretreated with FS, the studied parameters were much less shifted. These results indicate that the supplementation with fenugreek seeds is significantly effective in protecting the liver and kidneys from CCl 4 toxicity., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Aromatic and medicinal plants are sources of natural antioxidants thanks to their secondary metabolites. Administration of Pinus halepensis L. (Pinaceae family) in previous studies was found to alleviate deleterious effects of aspirin-induced damage on liver and kidney. The present study, carried out on female rats, evaluates the effects of P. halepensis L. essential oil (EOP) on aspirin (A)-induced damage to liver and kidney. The animals used in this study were rats (n=28) divided into 4 groups of 7 each: (1) a control group (C); (2) a group given NaCl for 56 days then treated with (A) (600 mg/kg) for 4 days (A); (3) a group fed with (EOP) for 56 days then (A) for 4 days; and a group fed with only (EOP) for 56 days and given NaCl for 4 days. Estimations of biochemical parameters in blood were determined using kit methods (Spinreact). Lipid peroxidation levels (TBARS), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities were determined. Histopathological study was done by immersing pieces of both organs in a fixative solution followed by paraffin embeddeding and hematoxylin-eosin staining. Under our experimental conditions, Aspirin at dose 600 mg/kg body weight induced an increase of serum biochemical parameters as well as an oxidative stress in both organs. An increase occurred in TBARS by 108% and 55%, a decrease in SOD by 78% and 53%, CAT by 53% and 78%, and GPx by 78% and 51% in liver and kidney, respectively, compared to control. Administration of EOP given to rats enabled correction in these parameters. It could be concluded that the treatment with P. halepensis L. essential oil inhibited aspirin-induced liver and kidney damage.