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A comparative investigation was conducted to evaluate transcriptional changes in guard cells (GCs) of closely related halophytic (Chenopodium quinoa) and glycophytic (Spinacia oleracea) species. Plants were exposed to 3 weeks of 250 mM sodium chloride treatment, and GC-enriched epidermal fragments were mechanically prepared. In both species, salt-responsive genes were mainly related to categories of protein metabolism, secondary metabolites, signal transduction and transport systems. Genes related to abscisic acid (ABA) signaling and ABA biosynthesis were strongly induced in quinoa but not in spinach GCs. Also, expression of the genes encoding transporters of amino acids, proline, sugars, sucrose and potassium increased in quinoa GCs under salinity stress. Analysis of cell-wall-related genes suggests that genes involved in lignin synthesis (e.g. lignin biosynthesis LACCASE 4) were highly upregulated by salt in spinach GCs. In contrast, transcripts related to cell wall plasticity Pectin methylesterase3 (PME3) were highly induced in quinoa. Faster stomatal response to light and dark measured by observing kinetics of changes in stomatal conductance in quinoa might be associated with higher plasticity of the cell wall regulated by PME3 Furthermore, genes involved in the inhibition of stomatal development and differentiation were highly expressed by salt in quinoa, but not in spinach. These changes correlated with reduced stomatal density and index in quinoa, thus improving its water use efficiency. The fine modulation of transporters, cell wall modification and controlling stomatal development in GCs of quinoa may have resulted in high K+/Na+ ratio, lower stomatal conductance and higher stomatal speed for better adaptation to salinity stress in quinoa.

The tomato leaf miner (TLM), Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is a important pest on tomato, potato and other Solanaceous with a huge economic importance. The discovery of active compounds that are less persistent will be beneficial to both the environment and agricultural product consumers. Management of the pest can be problematic, especially when the infestation pressure is high. In the current study, contact toxicity of the hexane extract from the chinaberry tree, Melia azedarach L. (MA) fresh fruit on the developmental stage of egg, the 2nd larval instars and pupae of T. absoluta were evaluated in the laboratory condition, 27 ± 2oC, 65 ± 5% RH and 16L:8D hours photoperiods. Results indicated that with increasing the concentration of the extract, mortality of eggs, larvae and pupae also increased. Analysis of probit data showed that LC50 for MA extract in egg, 2nd instar larvae and pupae were 948.93, 346.72 and 1.75 µl/ml, respectively. The results showed that this extract has a high potential for controlling T. absoluta in open and closed environments and is recommended to protect the environment and users' health.

Soil salinity is among the major abiotic stresses that plants must cope with, mainly in arid and semiarid regions. The tolerance to high salinity is an important agronomic trait to sustain food production. Quinoa is a halophytic annual pseudo-cereal species with high nutritional value that can secrete salt out of young leaves in external non-glandular cells called epidermal bladder cells (EBC). Previous work showed high salt tolerance, but low EBC density was associated with an improved response in the early phases of salinity stress, mediated by tissue-tolerance traits mainly in roots. We compared the transcript profiling of two quinoa genotypes with contrasting salt tolerance patterning to identify the candidate genes involved in the differentially early response among genotypes. The transcriptome profiling, supported by in vitro physiological analyses, provided insights into the early-stage molecular mechanisms, both at the shoot and root level, based on the sensitive/tolerance traits. Results showed the presence of numerous differentially expressed genes among genotypes, tissues, and treatments, with genes involved in hormonal and stress response upregulated mainly in the sensitive genotype, suggesting that tolerance may be correlated to restricted changes in gene expression, at least after a short salt stress. These data, showing constitutive differences between the two genotypes, represent a solid basis for further studies to characterize the salt tolerance traits. Additionally, new information provided by this work might be useful for the development of plant breeding or genome engineering programs in quinoa.

Populus is a genus of globally significant plantation trees used widely in industrial and agricultural production. Poplars are easily damaged by Micromelalopha troglodyta and Hyphantria cunea , resulting in decreasing quality. Because of their strong insect resistance, Bt toxin-encoded Cry genes have been widely adopted in poplar breeding. Therefore, the potential adverse effects of Cry1Ah1- modified (CM) poplars on the ecological environment have been concerned. The Illumina novaseq platform was used to perform high-throughput sequencing . Alpha diversity analyses were performed using the Chao1 index to determine community richness, and the Shannon index analyses were used to determine community richness and evenness. Our analysis of rhizosphere soil chemistry patterns revealed that rhizosphere soil available phosphorus, rhizosphere microbial biomass nitrogen, and rhizosphere phosphorus levels were declined. In contrast, rhizosphere microbial biomass carbon level increased in CM poplar rhizosphere samples. We applied metagenomic sequencing of non-transgenic (NT) and CM poplar rhizosphere samples collected from a natural field; the predominant taxa included Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Actinobacteria. Together, these results showed that the Cry1Ah1 expression has no significant influences on the community composition of rhizosphere microbiomes . Also, the Cry1Ah1 expression in poplars has no notable effects on the relative abundances of most rhizosphere bacteria . In addition, there are no significant adverse effects of CM varieties on most rhizosphere fungal abundances. However, only a few rhizosphere fungal abundances differ in NT and CM varieties.

To identify gait and balance measures that are responsive to change during the timeline of a clinical trial in Friedreich ataxia (FRDA), we administered a battery of potential measures three times over a 12-month period. Sixty-one ambulant individuals with FRDA underwent assessment of gait and balance at baseline, 6 months and 12 months. Outcomes included GAITRite® spatiotemporal gait parameters; Biodex Balance System Postural Stability Test (PST) and Limits of Stability; Berg Balance Scale (BBS); Timed 25-Foot Walk Test; Dynamic Gait Index (DGI); SenseWear MF Armband step and energy activity; and the Friedreich Ataxia Rating Scale Upright Stability Subscale (FARS USS). The standardised response mean (SRM) or correlation coefficients were reported as effect size indices for comparison of internal responsiveness. Internal responsiveness was also analysed in subgroups. SenseWear Armband daily step count had the largest effect size of all the variables over 6 months (SRM = -0.615), while the PST medial-lateral index had the largest effect size (SRM = 0.829) over 12 months. The FARS USS (SRM = 0.824) and BBS (SRM = -0.720) were the only outcomes able to detect change over 12 months in all subgroups. The DGI was the most responsive outcome in children, detecting a mean change of -2.59 (95% CI -3.52 to -1.66, p < 0.001, SRM = -1.429). In conclusion, the FARS USS and BBS are highly responsive and can detect change in a wide range of ambulant individuals with FRDA. However, therapeutic effects in children may be best measured by the DGI.

ObjectiveTo identify gait and balance measures that are responsive to change during the timeline of a clinical trial in Friedreich ataxia (FRDA) we administered a battery of potential measures three times over a 12-month period.MethodsSixty-one ambulant individuals with FRDA underwent assessment of gait and balance at baseline, six months and 12 months. Outcomes included: GAITRite® spatiotemporal gait parameters; Biodex Balance System Postural Stability Test (PST) and Limits of Stability; Berg Balance Scale (BBS); Timed 25 Foot Walk Test; Dynamic Gait Index (DGI); SenseWear MF Armband step and energy activity; and the Friedreich Ataxia Rating Scale Upright Stability Subscale (FARS USS). The standardised response mean (SRM) or correlation coefficients were reported as effect size indices for comparison of internal responsiveness. Internal responsiveness was also analysed in subgroups.ResultsSenseWear Armband daily step count had the largest effect size of all the variables over six months (SRM=-0.615), while the PST medial-lateral index had the largest effect size (SRM=0.829) over 12 months. The FARS USS (SRM=0.824) and BBS (SRM=-0.720) were the only outcomes able to detect change over 12 months in all subgroups. The DGI was the most responsive outcome in children, detecting a mean change of −2.59 (95% CI −3.52 to −1.66, pConclusionsThe FARS USS and BBS are highly responsive and can detect change in a wide range of ambulant individuals with FRDA. However, therapeutic effects in children may be best measured by the DGI.

Epidermal fragments enriched in guard cells (GCs) were isolated from the halophyte quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Wild.) species, and the response at the proteome level was studied after salinity treatment of 300 mM NaCl for 3 weeks. In total, 2147 proteins were identified, of which 36% were differentially expressed in response to salinity stress in GCs. Up and downregulated proteins included signaling molecules, enzyme modulators, transcription factors and oxidoreductases. The most abundant proteins induced by salt treatment were desiccation-responsive protein 29B (50-fold), osmotin-like protein OSML13 (13-fold), polycystin-1, lipoxygenase, alpha-toxin, and triacylglycerol lipase (PLAT) domain-containing protein 3-like (eight-fold), and dehydrin early responsive to dehydration (ERD14) (eight-fold). Ten proteins related to the gene ontology term &ldquo, response to ABA&rdquo, were upregulated in quinoa GC, this included aspartic protease, phospholipase D and plastid-lipid-associated protein. Additionally, seven proteins in the sucrose&ndash, starch pathway were upregulated in the GC in response to salinity stress, and accumulation of tryptophan synthase and L-methionine synthase (enzymes involved in the amino acid biosynthesis) was observed. Exogenous application of sucrose and tryptophan, L-methionine resulted in reduction in stomatal aperture and conductance, which could be advantageous for plants under salt stress. Eight aspartic proteinase proteins were highly upregulated in GCs of quinoa, and exogenous application of pepstatin A (an inhibitor of aspartic proteinase) was accompanied by higher oxidative stress and extremely low stomatal aperture and conductance, suggesting a possible role of aspartic proteinase in mitigating oxidative stress induced by saline conditions.

Green gram [Vigna radiata (L.)] is an important pulse crop in tropical and sub-tropical regions around the globe. We evaluated green gram germplasm comprising a large collection of 533 accessions for qualitative and quantitative traits. On the basis of average linkage, germplasm was grouped in five main clusters, where cluster I and cluster V grouped the accessions with contrasting traits, similar to clusters II and IV which also differ strikingly.Majority of the positive qualitative traits, particularly of breeder’s interest, were concentrated in clusters I-III, including tolerance against yellow mosaic virus and leaf curl virus. In principal component analysis (PCA), quantitative traits contributed positively to first two PCs. The results of PCA, phenotypic and genotypic coefficients of variations and genetic advance suggested that selection for higher pods/plant, branches/plant, seeds/pod and 100 seed weight can significantly improve yield potential and hence, can be used as effective selection indicators. Overall negative association between days to maturity (DM), days to flowering (DF) and major yield traits suggested that selection for short duration plant will compromise yield potential. Appropriate harvest index (HI) range was determined on the basis of selection score (SC). The highest HI range was from 25.1–30.0% (12.07 SC) followed by 30.1–35.0% (10.34 SC), provided strong basis for future mungbean selection. Mungbean germplasm used in the current study displayed significant diversity for DF, DM and major yield traits and hence, can help to break negative linkage drag between DM and major yield contribution traits to develop high yielding short duration green gram varieties for hybridization-based breeding programs.

Stomata, which are microscopic valves on the leaf surface formed by two guard cells (GC), play a critical role in the regulation of leaf water and gas exchange and, hence, determine plant adaptive potential. However, little data is available on GC biochemistry, protein abundance and gene expression, mainly due to technical difficulties and challenges in isolating sufficient amounts of high-quality pure GC. In the present study we applied some modifications to the mechanical isolation of guard-cell to generalise this method for diverse growth conditions as well as plant species. Epidermal peel fragments enriched in guard cells were mechanically isolated from quinoa, spinach and sugar beet leaves grown at two conditions (normal and salt stress). Multiple analysis was performed to confirm the suitability and superiority of the modified technique to the original method. At the first step, the viability and purity of GC-enriched epidermal fragments were assessed under the microscope. Then, the RNA integrity, gene expression, and 1D SDS-PAGE tests were performed to validate the suitability of this technique for omics studies. The data revealed a wide range of proteins as well as a high integrity of RNA extracted from guard cell samples. The expression level of several GC-specific genes and mesophyll-dominant genes were investigated using a comparative analysis of transcriptome datasets of GC and whole-leaf samples. We found that Rubisco and photosynthesis-related proteins such as chlorophyll a/b binding protein were substantially higher in the whole leaf compared with the GCs. More importantly, GC-specific genes such as OST1, SLAC1, MYB60, FAMA and HT1 were highly expressed in the GCs, confirming that our guard cell preparation was highly enriched in GC gene transcripts. Real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR further confirmed the efficacy of the GC isolation technique for exploring responses of GC to diverse types of stress at the molecular level.

Herein, we applied a simple electrosynthesis process to deposit nickel-iron layered double hydroxides (NiFe LDH) on the surface of copper hydroxide (Cu(OH)

Soil salinity is a major environmental constraint affecting crop growth and threatening global food security. Plants adapt to salinity by optimizing the performance of stomata. Stomata are formed by two guard cells (GCs) that are morphologically and functionally distinct from the other leaf cells. These microscopic sphincters inserted into the wax-covered epidermis of the shoot balance CO2 intake for photosynthetic carbon gain and concomitant water loss. In order to better understand the molecular mechanisms underlying stomatal function under saline conditions, we used proteomics approach to study isolated GCs from the salt-tolerant sugar beet species. Of the 2088 proteins identified in sugar beet GCs, 82 were differentially regulated by salt treatment. According to bioinformatics analysis (GO enrichment analysis and protein classification), these proteins were involved in lipid metabolism, cell wall modification, ATP biosynthesis, and signaling. Among the significant differentially abundant proteins, several proteins classified as “stress proteins” were upregulated, including non-specific lipid transfer protein, chaperone proteins, heat shock proteins, inorganic pyrophosphatase 2, responsible for energized vacuole membrane for ion transportation. Moreover, several antioxidant enzymes (peroxide, superoxidase dismutase) were highly upregulated. Furthermore, cell wall proteins detected in GCs provided some evidence that GC walls were more flexible in response to salt stress. Proteins such as L-ascorbate oxidase that were constitutively high under both control and high salinity conditions may contribute to the ability of sugar beet GCs to adapt to salinity by mitigating salinity-induced oxidative stress.

Soil salinity is a major environmental constraint affecting crop growth and threatening global food security. Plants adapt to salinity by optimizing the performance of stomata. Stomata are formed by two guard cells (GCs) that are morphologically and functionally distinct from the other leaf cells. These microscopic sphincters inserted into the wax-covered epidermis of the shoot balance CO2 intake for photosynthetic carbon gain and concomitant water loss. In order to better understand the molecular mechanisms underlying stomatal function under saline conditions, we used proteomics approach to study isolated GCs from the salt-tolerant sugar beet species. Of the 2088 proteins identified in sugar beet GCs, 82 were differentially regulated by salt treatment. According to bioinformatics analysis (GO enrichment analysis and protein classification), these proteins were involved in lipid metabolism, cell wall modification, ATP biosynthesis, and signaling. Among the significant differentially abundant proteins, several proteins classified as &ldquo, stress proteins&rdquo, were upregulated, including non-specific lipid transfer protein, chaperone proteins, heat shock proteins, inorganic pyrophosphatase 2, responsible for energized vacuole membrane for ion transportation. Moreover, several antioxidant enzymes (peroxide, superoxidase dismutase) were highly upregulated. Furthermore, cell wall proteins detected in GCs provided some evidence that GC walls were more flexible in response to salt stress. Proteins such as L-ascorbate oxidase that were constitutively high under both control and high salinity conditions may contribute to the ability of sugar beet GCs to adapt to salinity by mitigating salinity-induced oxidative stress.

International audience; Grain development of Triticum aestivum is being studied extensively using individual OMICS tools. However, integrated transcriptome and proteome studies are limited mainly due to complexity of genome. Current study focused to unravel the transcriptome-proteome coordination of key mechanisms underlying carbohydrate metabolism during whole wheat grain development. Wheat grains were manually dissected to obtain grain tissues for proteomics and transcriptomics analyses. Differentially expressed proteins and transcripts at the 11 stages of grain development were compared. Computational workflow for integration of two datasets related to carbohydrate metabolism was designed. For CM proteins, output peptide sequences of proteomic analyses (via LC-MS/MS) were used as source to search corresponding transcripts. The transcript that turned out with higher number of peptides was selected as bona fide ribonucleotide sequence for respective protein synthesis. More than 90% of hits resulted in successful identification of respective transcripts. Comparative analysis of protein and transcript expression profiles resulted in overall 32% concordance between these two series of data. However, during grain development correlation of two datasets gradually increased up to~tenfold from 152 to 655°Cd and then dropped down. Proteins involved in carbohydrate metabolism were divided in five categories in accordance with their functions. Enzymes involved in starch and sucrose biosynthesis showed the highest correlations between proteome-transcriptome profiles. High percentage of identification and validation of protein-transcript hits highlighted the power of omics data integration approach over existing gene functional annotation tools. We found that correlation of two datasets is highly influenced by stage of grain development. Further, gene regulatory networks would be helpful in unraveling the mechanisms underlying the complex and significant traits such as grain weight and yield.

Objective: To determine the effects of chicken embryo brain extract (BE) on transects sciatic nerve in male rats. Methods: Thirty adult male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 200 to 250 g, were randomized into three groups treated with (1) sham surgery, (2) normal saline (NS), and (3) brain extract (BE). The BE was taken from incubating chick embryos at day 8. The sciatic nerve was exposed and sharply transected at the mid thigh level. Immediate epineurial repair was then performed. The BE treated animals were given 400 µl/kg of the chick embryo BE intraperitoneal, once daily, for 2 weeks. All animals were evaluated by sciatic functional index (SFI), electrophysiology, histology, and immunohistochemistry at days 28, 90 after surgery. Results: The mean SFI difference between BE and NS groups at days 28, 60 and 90 after surgery was statistically significant ( p =0.086). The mean number of myelinated fibers in the BE group was significantly greater than that of the NS group on days 28 and 90 after surgery ( p =0.034). At days 28 and 90 after surgery, the mean nerve conduction velocity (NCV) in the BE group was significantly faster than that of the NS group ( p =0.041). Conclusion: These results indicate for the first time that chick embryo brain extract can enhance peripheral nerve regeneration in rat.

Summary Herbal drinks have been considered among the known groups of functional drinks. The aim of this study was to encapsulate green tea and orange peel extracts using double emulsion followed by complex coacervation to be used in the preparation of a functional drink. All of the microcapsule formulations were spherically prepared without cracks in the walls and their sizes increased by decreasing the ratio of the core to the wall. Microcapsules under the best conditions of this study were used to coat the paper of a bag containing black tea. The results showed that theaflavin and its ratio to thearubigin as the quality indices for black tea have increased in comparison with the sample without encapsulation. This study resulted in the production of encapsulated mixed extracts of green tea and orange peel that can be used later for the preparation of a functional drink.

To compensate for the lack of capacity for external salt storage in the epidermal bladder cells, quinoa plants employ tissue-tolerance traits, to confer salinity stress tolerance. Our previous studies indicated that sequestration of toxic Na+ and Cl− ions into epidermal bladder cells (EBCs) is an efficient mechanism conferring salinity tolerance in quinoa. However, some halophytes do not develop EBCs but still possess superior salinity tolerance. To elucidate the possible compensation mechanism(s) underlying superior salinity tolerance in the absence of the external salt storage capacity, we have selected four quinoa accessions with contrasting patterns of EBC development. Whole-plant physiological and electrophysiological characteristics were assessed after 2 days and 3 weeks of 400 mM NaCl stress. Both accessions with low EBC volume utilised Na+ exclusion at the root level and could maintain low Na+ concentration in leaves to compensate for the inability to sequester Na+ load in EBC. These conclusions were further confirmed by electrophysiological experiments showing higher Na+ efflux from roots of these varieties (measured by a non-invasive microelectrode MIFE technique) as compared to accessions with high EBC volume. Furthermore, accessions with low EBC volume had significantly higher K+ concentration in their leaves upon long-term salinity exposures compared to plants with high EBC sequestration ability, suggesting that the ability to maintain high K+ content in the leaf mesophyll was as another important compensation mechanism.

Wild barley Hordeum spontaneum (WB) is the progenitor of a cultivated barley Hordeum vulgare (CB). Understanding efficient mechanisms evolved by WB to cope with abiotic stresses may open prospects of transferring these promising traits to the high yielding CB genotypes. This study aimed to investigate the strategies that WB plants utilise in regard to the control of stomatal operation and ionic homeostasis to deal with salinity stress, one of the major threats to the global food security. Twenty-six genotypes of WB and CB were grown under glasshouse conditions and exposed to 300 mM NaCl salinity treatment for 5 weeks followed by their comprehensive physiological assessment. WB had higher relative biomass than CB when exposed to salinity stress. Under saline conditions, WB plants were able to keep constant stomatal density (SD) while SD significantly decreased in CB. The higher SD in WB also resulted in a higher stomatal conductance (gs) under saline conditions, with gs reduction being 51% and 72% in WB and CB, respectively. Furthermore, WB showed faster stomatal response to light, indicating their better ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions. Experiments with isolated epidermal strips indicated that CB genotypes have the higher stomatal aperture when incubated in 80 mM KCl solution, and its aperture declined when KCl was substituted by NaCl. On the contrary, WB genotype had the highest stomatal aperture being exposed to 80 mM NaCl suggesting that WB plants may use Na+ instead of K+ for stomata movements. Overall, our data suggest that CB employ a stress-escaping strategy by reducing stomata density, to conserve water, when grown under salinity conditions. WB, on a contrary, is capable of maintaining relatively constant stomata density, faster stomatal movement and higher gs under saline conditions.

Crutches are one of the most common ambulatory assistive devices. Using crutches encourages more physical activity than many other assistive devices, which has long-term health benefits. Recent advances have led to improvements in performance, but using crutches remains slower than normal walking, are energetically inefficient, cause additional strain on upper extremities, and often result in abrasions on the skin. Further improvements to address these deficiencies are needed but require an understanding of the crutch users' disabilities, different crutch gait patterns, associated biomechanics, and how the crutch design interacts with the user. It is important that research studies and designs take into account parameters from multiple ways of measuring performance in order for impaired users to achieve effective crutch walking. Many existing studies of crutches only analyze a subset of quantitative variables, so the overall impact of a design or modification is not fully assessed or comparable to other designs. Another important aspect is the user; each crutch type has specific characteristics that need to match the user's ability, physical fitness, and gait pattern. Pain and injuries on upper extremities should also be considered as an important factor in long-term users. A search was done to find research papers and related patents focusing on crutch design and usage. Papers that studied one or more of the following topics were included: effects of crutches on the gait parameter, types of crutch walking patterns, improving walking efficiency through crutch design, and identifying the important components when studying a gait. This review paper summarizes the effects of existing crutch types and gives guidelines for how future studies should comprehensively evaluate design changes. This paper includes an overview of crutch gait walking patterns, users, the components and measurements of crutch studies, and advancements of crutch designs.

To understand the adaptive strategies employed by plants to deal with saline conditions, two halophytic species [Chenopodium quinoa (quinoa) and Beta maritima (sea beet)] and their glycophytic relatives [Chenopodium album and Beta vulgaris (sugar beet)] were grown under 0−500 mM salt concentrations followed by the comprehensive assessment of their agronomical, ionic, gas exchange characteristics. Salinity levels up to 300 mM NaCl had no adverse effect on quinoa biomass and 200 mM NaCl stimulated sea beet growth. Stomatal conductance decreased in a dose-dependent manner in all species with increasing NaCl concentrations. However, CO2 assimilation rates remained constant or displayed higher values at the medium level of salinity (100−200 mM NaCl) in quinoa, sugar beet and sea beet. High maximum carboxylation rate of Rubisco (Vcmax) and higher rate of electron transport through photosystem II (J) were responsible for the high photosynthetic rates and biomass productions under these conditions. Both characteristics were much higher in halophytic species for the given external NaCl level. Stomatal densities were intrinsically lower in halophytic species (14–34%); these increased with increasing salinity levels in the sugar beet and sea beet while C. album and quinoa stomata remained less dense under saline conditions. Stomata responses to environmental stimuli were much faster in halophytes (16.6–49.7%), and substitution of K+ by Na+ resulted in promotion of stomatal opening under 50 mM NaCl and 50 mM KCl in quinoa. It is concluded that superior salinity tolerance in halophytes is achieved by significantly faster stomatal opening and closure, their ability to discriminate K+ over Na+, and uncoupling of CO2 assimilation from changes in stomatal aperture.

Objective: To investigate the effects of l -Carnitine on neuron specific enolase (NSE) as a marker of inflammation in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Methods: Forty patients with severe TBI were randomized into 2 groups. The (LCA-) group received standard treatment with placebo while the (LCA+) group received l -Carnitine 2 g/day for one week. NSE was measured on days 1, 3 and 7 after the initiation of the study. Neurocognitive and neurobehavioral disorders were recorded on the first and third months. Results: Neurocognitive function and NSE significantly improved within one week in both groups. Patient mortality was similar in LCA+ and LCA- groups (P value: 0.76). Brain edema was present in 7 patients in LCA+ group and 13 patients in LCA-group (P value: 0.044). While there was no difference in NSE levels between the two groups. Neurological function was preserved in the LCA+ group with an exception of attention deficit, which was frequent in the LCA+ group. Conclusion: We concluded that despite improvements in neurobehavioral function and the degree of cerebral edema, 7-days of treatment with l -Carnitine failed to reduce serum NSE levels or improve mortality rate at 90 days in patients with TBI.

The present study aims at clarifying the differences in photosynthesis parameters, oxidative status and antioxidant enzyme activity among ten triticale genotypes in response to salinity stress; and utilizing the traits as biomarkers for identification of salt-tolerant triticale genotypes. The plants were cultivated in a hydroponic system with or without 220 mM salt concentration. The plants were analyzed for salt tolerance (in term of relative biomass) as well as for the traits at the vegetative (VG) and reproductive (RP) stages. Salinity resulted in significant decline in biomass (55–83%), net photosynthesis rate (12–65%), stomatal conductance (38–83%), transpiration rate (20–56%) and intercellular CO 2 concentrations (7–37%) among genotypes. In contrast, H 2 O 2 and lipid peroxidation (LP) increased markedly in leaves of salt-stressed plants. Activities of total superoxide dismutase (TSOD), catalase (CAT), guaiacol peroxidase and ascorbate peroxidase due to salinity were 0.97–1.84, 0.88–1.96, 0.78–2.23 and 0.61–1.81 times over the control plant, respectively. The photosynthesis attributes, LP and TSOD at the VG stage and LP and CAT at the RP stage showed correlations with scores of salt tolerance (ST) indicating contribution of these traits to ST at least at some part of the plant growth stages, while no connection was found between ST with POD and CAT. Collectively, membrane integrity was a suitable indicator for discrimination of genotypes for ST, while photosynthetic capacity and enzymatic defense system cannot be utilized as general selection criteria for ST during screening of relatively large populations of triticale.

A Kinetic Shape has a physical and continuous curve with a changing radius that is exactly defined by its kinetic behavior. A Kinetic Shape curve is defined by specifying the force applied to the Kinetic Shape and the force with which the Kinetic Shape subsequently reacts at ground contact. This concept allows for predictable, position-dependent, and purely mechanical force redirection which make it broadly applicable. Kinetic Shapes have been previously used in several applications to predict the redirection of forces applied to the shape into ground reaction forces. Here, we analyze various ways 2D Kinetic Shapes interact and show how different mechanical force-based computational operations can be performed using these interconnected Kinetic Shapes, which we call Kinetic Shape Systems.

This paper investigates how crutch tip designs affect the user’s gait. Five Kinetic Crutch Tips (KCT), each with different durometers (i.e., stiffnesses) along with one carbon fiber reinforced nylon 3D printed KCT and one Standard Rubber Tip were tested. The first experiment examined eight healthy subjects to determine the assistive horizontal force generated and crutch angle range. The second experiment eliminates the human factor and uses a weighted crutch in free fall to investigate transitional angles between forward and backward motions. It was found that the KCT had a larger transitional angle than the Standard Rubber Tip. This increases the assistive forward forces of the crutch due to the surface kinetic shape of KCTs; however, the total angle of different crutch tips remains the same when used by the subjects. The assistive forces were present for the longest amount of time for the highest durometer KCT.

A new electrochemical sensor was fabricated via TiO2 nanoparticles onto a carbon paste electrode. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) studied the response of the modified electrode toward codeine. The effects of pH, modifier amount, pulse amplitude, and scan rate of potential have been examined. Using DPV, we could measure simultaneously codeine and acetaminophen in one mixture. The detection limits of 0.018 and 0.050 µmol L−1 were achieved for codeine and acetaminophen, respectively. The electrooxidation pathway, transfer coefficient, and standard rate constant, are estimated. The proposed voltammetric sensor was successfully applied to determination of codeine and acetaminophen in human plasma serum samples.

Irrigation by highly sodic water has been practiced only in recent years in Iran but has led to impaired productivity of thousands of hectares of agricultural lands. So, the present study was set out to evaluate the effectiveness of different rates and sizes of gypsum as an amendment which improves the physical and chemical properties of soil and crop productivity. A field experiment was conducted in a sodic soil at a farmer's field in Ramjerd, Fars. The treatments consisted of two gypsum granule sizes (1–10 mm and

Modern accounting emphasizes on nonfinancial measures as a device to compensate the financial measures’ weakness and the financial measures are recommended to be used with nonfinancial ones. This study is to examine the factors influencing the nonfinancial information disclosure quality in the firms listed in Tehran stock exchange. So the necessary information were gathered from 102 firms listed in Tehran stock exchange in 2008–2012. The regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses. A model including 50 indexes based on Iran accounting standards and other regulations concerning disclosure were used to measure nonfinancial information disclosure quality. The findings indicate firm life and profitability have positive and significant effect on nonfinancial information disclosure quality and financial leverage has negative and significant effect on it.