Search

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune chronic multisystemic inflammatory disease of unknown etiology. It has variable course and prognosis. Its clinical manifestations may be constitutional or specific to organ/system involved. Immunological aberrations are the cause for inflammation in various tissues. Nervous system involvement in SLE is common and has diverse clinical and morphological manifestations. Diagnosis of neuropsychiatric involvement remains difficult in SLE. Intracranial vasculitis is rare and results in cerebrovascular accidents (CVA). Young patients are at risk of CVA. Neuropathological features on biopsy include infarcts characterized by fibrinoid necrosis of small intracranial arterioles and capillaries. Fibrinoid necrosis, a common histological finding in SLE, may be responsible for aneurysmal formation. The increased risk and associated mechanisms of SAH in SLE is less well understood. The prevalence of SAH due to rupture of intracranial aneurysms is higher in SLE patients than in the general population, a phenomenon that is thought to be due to focal transmural lupus angitis causing rupture. SAH secondary to aneurysmal bleed is very rare and requires prompt immunosuppression for better outcome.

Background: Olfaction has recently found clinical value in prediction, discrimination and prognosis of some neurodegenerative disorders. However, data originating from standard tests on olfactory dysfunction in Huntington's disease are limited to odour identification, which is only one domain of olfactory perceptual space. Method: Twenty-five patients and 25 age- and gender-matched controls were evaluated by the Sniffin' Sticks test in three domains of odour threshold, odour discrimination, odour identification and the sum score of them. Patients' motor function was assessed based on the Unified Huntington's Disease Rating Scale. Results: Compared with controls, patients' scores of all olfactory domains and their sum were significantly lower. Besides, our patients' odour threshold and odour discrimination impairments were more frequently impaired than odour identification impairment (86 per cent and 81 per cent vs 34 per cent, respectively). Conclusion: Olfactory impairment is a common finding in patients with Huntington's disease; it is not limited to odour identification but is more pronounced in odour discrimination and odour threshold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction In today's world, challenges related to agriculture, food security, water and energy resources, productivity, and greenhouse gas emissions have emerged as significant issues for global societies. Through their international impacts, these challenges have led to economic, social, and environmental changes on a global scale. One of the most crucial issues that should be highlighted is the shortage of water resources. Water, as a vital factor in agriculture and food production, holds special importance. Therefore, in order to achieve sustainable agriculture, it is necessary to pay attention to the energy indicators, the efficiency of water consumption in the production of agricultural products and the amount of greenhouse gas emissions. In general, a combination of energy indicators, water efficiency and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture can help to develop sustainable agriculture and preserve the environment and help to provide safe and accessible food for the society. The aim of the present study was to investigate the indicators of physical water, energy efficiency, and greenhouse gas emissions on alfalfa and barley crops in two different climates: a warm and arid climate (Shahr-e-Qom Plain, Qom) and a temperate and humid climate (Sari Plain, Mazandaran). This was done to assess the impact of climate on the outcomes of these indicators. Materials and Methods To investigate the physical water efficiency and evaluate energy indicators in this study, major agricultural products in Sari and Sharifabad Plains, including barley and alfalfa, were analyzed using cross-sectional data from the agricultural year 2021-2022. Initially, the sample size was determined based on the Cochran formula and the Bartlett method (2001). Subsequently, sampling was carried out using a questionnaire designed by the researchers themselves. The questionnaires totaled 250 (Sari Plain: 150, Sharifabad Plain: 100), and the collected information included the amount of input consumption and production quantity. The questionnaire, designed by the researcher, was validated for validity and reliability by experts and specialists. The inputs used in the study of water efficiency and energy indicators for the mentioned products in Sari and Sharifabad Plains included person-days of human labor, machine working hours, fuel consumption of machines, the quantity of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium fertilizers per hectare, the quantity of various chemical pesticides (herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides) per liter per hectare, the amount of water consumption in cubic meters per hectare, and the amount of seed consumption in kilograms per hectare. Results and Discussion The results of the descriptive statistics of input consumption in Sari and Sharifabad Plains in barley and alfalfa crops showed that the highest input consumption of manpower in the cultivation of alfalfa crops in Sharifabad Plains with an average of 225 hours per hectare, the highest amount of fertilizer consumption related to the alfalfa crop in Sharifabad Plain is related to nitrogen fertilizer with an average of 130 kg per hectare, the highest amount of fuel consumption of machinery related to alfalfa crop in Sari Plain with an average of 405 liters per hectare, the highest amount of water consumption related to alfalfa crop in Sharifabad Plains with an average of 17500 cubic meters per hectare and the highest yield of alfalfa was obtained in Sharifabad Plains with an average of 11550 kg per hectare. The obtained results indicated that the highest input energy level in Sharifabad Plain for alfalfa was 5,674.50 MJ per hectare. The results of energy efficiency indicated that alfalfa production in Shahrifabad Plain had the highest value with 0.19 kilograms per MJ, while this index for alfalfa in Sari Plain was 0.13 kilograms per MJ. Additionally, the energy efficiency for barley in Shahrifabad Plain was 0.13 kilograms per MJ, and for Sari Plain, it was 0.12 kilograms per MJ, showing a somewhat similar level. The physical water use efficiency results revealed that the highest and lowest efficiency levels were observed for barley in Sari Plain, amounting to 0.96 kilograms per cubic meter, and for alfalfa in Shahrifabad Plain, amounting to 0.57 kilograms per cubic meter, respectively. Furthermore, this index for alfalfa in Sari Plain was 0.67 kilograms per cubic meter, and for barley in Shahrifabad Plain, was 0.8 kilograms per cubic meter. The results for greenhouse gas emissions demonstrated that the level of emissions in Sari Plain was higher than Sharifabad Plain, attributed to excessive fertilizer and pesticide use in Sari Plain. The highest greenhouse gas emissions in Sari Plain for alfalfa were 2681.65 kilograms of CO2 per hectare, while in Sharifabad Plain, was 2351.85 kilograms of CO2 per hectare. Conclusion The overall results indicated that crop performance in humid regions was not higher than in dry and semi-arid regions, and this index depends on various parameters, including water consumption and managerial considerations. However, water consumption in temperate and humid regions is significantly lower than in dry and semi-arid areas due to higher precipitation. This result is increased efficiency in temperate and humid regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Narcissus (Narcissus tazetta) is one of the perennial herbaceous and ornamental bulbous crops that is used as a cut flower garden plant and potted plant. Fungal diseases are one of the harmful factors of this ornamental plant in different parts of the world. In 2018, symptoms of Narcissus leaf spot (NLS) were observed in some planting areas of this plant in South Khorasan province. This study was carried out to identify the casual and associated fungi with NLS in Southern Khorasan province. Materials and Methods Samples with leaf spot symptoms were collected from two regions, Khoosf and Tabas, from 2018 to 2019. Plant tissues were transferred to the laboratory of the Department of Plant Protection in separate paper bags. The tissues were cultured on a Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) medium and purification was performed on a 2% wateragar medium using the Hyphal tip method. Fungal agents were isolated and identified based on morphological and molecular characteristics. The DNA of representative fungal isolates was extracted according to the CTAB method. To molecularly confirm the species, part of the rDNA gene was amplified using ITS5 (5'- GGAAGTAAAAGTCGTAACAAGG-3') and ITS4 (5'-TCCTCCGCTTATTGATATGC-3') primers. Sequencing of PCR products was done by Pishgam Biotechnology Company and deposited in the GenBank with Accession number: MN829259. Sequences were edited with Chromas software and the edited sequences were saved in FASTA format. The ITS-based phylogenetic tree was constructed using the Maximum Likelihood Method with MEGA ver6.0 software. For the pathogenicity test, the Narcissus plant was inoculated with mycelia plugs. In order to maintain moisture and establish the fungus, the inoculation area was covered with parafilm. The plants were covered with polythene bags for 24 hours. The bags were removed after 24 hours. In the control plants, the potato-dextrose-agar culture medium without fungal mycelium was used. All plants were examined after 3 to 14 days and the pathogen was re-isolated from the inoculated plant that showed leaf spot. Results and Discussion Symptoms of narcissus leaf spot (NLS) disease in the sampled areas included elongated, elliptical, and red to brown circles on the leaf. A total of 50 samples of different leaf spot symptoms were collected. In this study, 20 fungal strains were isolated and identified based on morphological and molecular characteristics. The growth rate of this isolate on the PDA medium was relatively fast and the average growth rate after 7 days was 6.6 cm. Pycnidia were formed abundantly on the PDA medium after 7 days. The pycnidiospores were transparent, mostly single-celled (3-4 x 5-7), sometimes two-celled (11.5-15 x 5.8), round to oval and curved. Chlamydospores (8-15) were dark brown, unicellular and multicellular, intercellular and rarely terminal. Based on morphological characteristics, the strains were finally identified as Phoma narcissi. The NCBI blast search revealed that the ITS region Phoma narcissi in our study had similarities to Didymella curtisii, Phoma narcissi, and Phoma sp. 100%, 100%, and 99% respectively. Phylogenetic analysis confirms that the examined strain belongs in a clade with strains of Ph. narcissi. In Pathogenicity tests, symptoms of the disease were observed on all plants 7 days after inoculation. No symptoms developed on non-inoculated plants. The original pathogen was re-isolated from the leaf spots of inoculated plants. Phoma s.l. is one of the most ubiquitous fungal genera, characterized by its great ecological diversity and difficult identification. According to our knowledge, the main cause of NLS disease in the east of the country is the Ph. Narcissi, Fusarium sp. and Cladosporium sp. were associated agents with this disease. Since the identification of the disease agent is effective in choosing effective and efficient strategies for disease control, the results can help to adopt effective methods in disease management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The purpose of this work is to probe the analytical formulation of the mechanical response $$R$$ , which is the consequence of determining the connection between charge and depth values. It is possible to acquire the $$R$$ expression by doing an indentation experiment while the loading process is unfolding. In this particular piece of research, the formulation of $$R$$ takes into consideration the pile-up mode for an indenter with a spherical structure. The remarkable concordance that exists involving the newly propositioned appearance and the outcome of the experiments has been presented in this academic work. An experimental investigation is being conducted on ductile materials, namely copper and the alloys of copper.

In this article, the characteristic curves of microindentation measured on Cu99 were analyzed on the basis of the analytical expression proposed by Habibi et al. (J. Mater. Res, 2021, 36 (15): 3074-3085). The ratio of applied load to square displacement, P/(h+h0)2, was discovered to be nonconstant during the loading segment of the microindentation test. An empirical expression for the determination of Martens hardness as a function of indentation load, contact stiffness, and reduced modulus of elasticity by analyzing indentation load curves has been proposed for pile-up mode strain with the corrections imposed by the tip defect, the compliance of the instrument, and the axial axisymmetry coefficient of the Vickers indenter. The results from microindentation tests on this examined ductile material show excellent agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]