Transplanting P75-Suppressed Bone Marrow Stromal Cells Promotes Functional Behavior in a Rat Model of Spinal Cord Injury

Background: Bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC) have been successfully employed for movement deficit recovery in spinal cord injury (SCI) rat models. One of the unsettled problems in cell transplantation is the relative high proportion of cell death, specifically after neural differentiation. According to our previous studies, p75 receptor, known as the death receptor, is only expressed in BMSC in a time window of 6-12 hours following neural induction. Moreover, we have recently reported a decreased level of apoptosis in p75-suppressed BMSC in vitro. Therefore, our objective in this research was to explore the functional effects of transplanting p75:siRNA expressing BMSC in SCI rats. Methods: Laminectomy was performed at L1 vertebra level to expose spinal cord for contusion using weight-drop method. PBS-treated SCI rats (group one) were used as negative controls, in which cavitations were observed 10 weeks after SCI. pRNA-U6.1/Hygro- (group two, as a mock) and pRNA-U6.1/Hygro-p75 shRNA- (group three) transfected BMSC were labeled with a fluorescent dye, CM-DiI, and grafted into the lesion site 7 days after surgery. The Basso-Beattie-Bresnehan locomotor rating scale was performed weekly for 10 weeks. Results: There was a significant difference (P≤0.05) between all groups of treated rats regarding functional recovery. Specifically, the discrepancy among p75 siRNA and mock-transfected BMSC was statistically significant. P75 siRNA BMSC also revealed a higher level of in vivo survival compared to the mock BMSC. Conclusion: Our data suggest that genetically modified BMSC that express p75:siRNA could be a more suitable source of cells for treatment of SCI. Key Words: Spinal cord injury (SCI), Apoptosis, Bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC)     

Effects of urea nitrogen and residual composted municipal waste and sheep manure on the growth and chemical composition of two triticale genotypes

In 2012, a greenhouse experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of field soil (C0), residual composted municipal waste (CMW), and residual composted sheep manure (SM) on the growth of triticale in pots previously growing oilseed rape in 2011. To each soil group, one of three levels of urea nitrogen (N) fertilizer was added. Results demonstrated that triticale grown in pots previously containing oilseed rape plants containing SM or CMW with 150 kg urea N ha^?1 had the highest N content. Plants grown in SM with 150 kg N ha^?1 had the greatest seed yield, but yield was not significantly different from plants grown in CMW receiving 150 kg N ha^?1. Triticale plants enriched by either SM or CMW had a higher amount of N, copper, zinc, and manganese compared to the field soil control.     

Short-term responses of soil nutrients and corn yield to tillage and organic amendment

Field experiments were conducted in 2010 and 2011 at the Agricultural College of Shiraz University to evaluate the effects of cattle manure and nitrogen (N) fertilizers on soil properties such as soil organic carbon (SOC), soil organic nitrogen (SON), soil electrical conductivity, soil pH and corn yield under two tillage systems. Treatments included tillage systems in two levels as conventional tillage and reduced tillage as subplots, cattle manure (0, 25 and 50 tons ha^?1) and N fertilizer (0, 125 and 250 kg N ha^?1) as sub-subplots. Results showed that SOC and SON were significantly affected by tillage system in both years of the experiment. SOC and SON were higher in reduced tillage compared to conventional tillage. Tillage system had no significant effect on grain yield, plant height and 1000 seed weight. Increased cattle manure rates at 25 and 50 tons ha^?1 increased grain yield by 27% and 38%, respectively, in 2010 and 25% and 25% in 2011. The results showed that application of cattle manure combined with N fertilizer might be an efficient management to increase soil productivity in southern Iran, in soils with poor organic content. Additionally, reduced tillage showed to be an efficient method to increase soil organic matter.     

Evaluation of different empirical models to estimate safflower yield loss from redroot pigweed (Amaranthus retruflexus L.) under water stress conditions

To evaluate yield loss models in safflower–redroot pigweed systems, two field experiments were conducted during the 2007 and 2008 growing seasons. The relative yield loss of the crop was recorded in plots laid out in a split-plot design with three irrigation treatments as main plots [100, 75 and 50% FC (field capacity)] and five weed densities (0, 3, 6, 9 and 12 m^?2) as subplots in three replicates. Among Cousens, Spitters, and Kropff & Lotz models, Spitters was the best predictor of yield loss and showed the lowest RMSE (0.001–0.002), high Adj-R ² (0.824–0.929), highest precision (0.962–0.981) and accuracy (constant and systematic biases of 0.000–0.103 and 0.863–1.040, respectively), and random residuals plot. The Cousens, and Kropff & Lotz models showed relatively good fit, although they had higher RMSE values, larger constant and systematic biases, and nonrandom residual plots. The reliability of all models was influenced by irrigation treatment, with generally larger constant and systematic biases at 50% irrigation, causing yield loss under/overprediction under 100 and 50% irrigation, respectively. The parameters of the Spitters model correctly explained the biological function of water shortage on yield response; however, the parameters of other models failed to represent a biologically acceptable yield response function, particularly at 50% irrigation.     

Organic amendments and urea nitrogen effects the growth and nutrient content of fenugreek (Trigonella foenumgraecum) and goat pea (Securigera securidaca)

Abstract

In Iran, the recent spike in herbal medicines has led to a corresponding price increase. Therefore, these montane species are now widely field cultivated. Medicinal plant consumers strongly prefer organically grown plants, and farmers are responding to this market. However, the effects of organic amendments on medicinal plant nutrient content and yield have been poorly studied. Therefore, this study measured the effects of different organic treatments on the growth of fenugreek and goat pea. Plants were grown to compare the effects of composted municipal waste (CMW), vermicompost (VC), and urea nitrogen (N) to untreated field soil (C0). Germination percentage was significantly higher in urea N (76.5%), CMW (75.5%), and VC (51.6%) compared to C0 (36.3%). Fenugreek performed better in organic amendment treatments than goat pea. Urea N also increased fenugreek plant dry matter significantly compared to C0, but this increment was not as high as CMW or VC. Plants grown in VC had higher whole plant N content (3.2%) than those grown in CMW (2.8%) and plants grown in urea N (2.6%). Plants treated with CMW (8613?mg kg^?1) and VC (8503?mg kg^?1) had a significantly higher P content than those treated with N (7430?mg kg^?1) or C0 control grown (7236?mg kg^?1). Application of VC significantly increased plant K content (2483?mg kg^?1) compared to CMW (1850?mg kg^?1), N (1750?mg kg^?1), and C0 control (1716?mg kg^?1). Even without fertilization, both plant species contained a considerable amount of micronutrient elements.     

A new quantitative method for evaluation of adhesive penetration pattern in particulate wood-based composites: elemental counting method

The importance of adhesion in production of wood-based composites is well-known. Adhesive penetration and interphase morphology play an important role in bond strength and product performance. Many studies offered different methods for interphase characterization and analysis. Both qualitative and quantitative methods have been used to analyze the bondline. Most of the quantitative methods were developed for bonded assemblies of veneer or wood blocks. Adhesive penetration measurement in particulate wood-based composites is the main scope of this study. For this purpose, uniform oriented strand board with veneer strands was produced by the use of phenol formaldehyde resin with 2, 6, and 10 % strand moisture content (MC). The strands were formed into well-organized mats to achieve a uniform structure for the composite. Cross-section specimens were prepared from each board and observed by epifluorescence microscopy. Six positions for growth-ring angle in adhesive joints were denoted to evaluate penetration in different directions of the wood. Four parameters were also determined to quantify resin penetration patterns by counting the quantity of the main anatomical elements of wood, which were filled with resin. Finally, it was determined that this method could recognize the differences between adhesive penetration in boards produced with different level of strand MC. Resin penetration in strands with 6 and 10 % MC was the greatest. Growth-ring angle of the strands influenced penetration as it was increased when both strands meet each other in an oblique position, although this effect was significant only in maximum penetration depth in fibers.     

Molecular cloning of cDNA of mammalian and chicken II gonadotropin-releasing hormones (mGnRHs and cGnRH-II) in the beluga (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Huso huso</Emphasis>) and the disruptive effect of methylmercury on gene expression

Two gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) isoforms were identified in the beluga (Huso huso) brain by cDNA sequencing: prepro-mammalian GnRH (mGnRH) and prepro-chicken GnRH-II (cGnRH-II). The nucleotide sequences of the beluga mGnRH and cGnRH-II precursors are 273 and 258 base pairs (bp) long, encoding peptides of 91 and 86 amino acids, respectively. To investigate the effect of methylmercury (MeHg) on GnRH gene expression, animals were fed with four diets containing increasing levels of MeHg (0 mg kg⁻¹ [control]; 0.76 mg kg⁻¹ [low]; 7.8 mg kg⁻¹ [medium]; 16.22 mg kg⁻¹ [high]) for 32 days. The effects of MeHg on brain GnRH mRNA levels were evaluated by real-time PCR. A significant decrease in brain mGnRH and cGnRH-II mRNA levels were detected in fish receiving high dietary MeHg dose compared to controls on day 11 (P < 0.05). On day 18 and 32, all treatment groups had significantly lower brain mGnRH and cGnRH-II mRNA levels compared to the control group (P < 0.05). These findings demonstrate a disruptive role of MeHg on the level of brain mGnRH and cGnRH-II mRNAs in immature beluga.     

Corn nitrogen management using NDVI and SPAD sensor-based data under conventional vs. reduced tillage systems

Present analyses to calculate nitrogen fertilizer recommendations are time consuming and costly. Therefore, a field study determining the efficiency of SPAD and NDVI meters to calculate soil N deficiency and guide fertilizer application timing and rate was completed. Reduced vs. conventional tillage at various N application rates was studied. Regardless of tillage system, both NDVI and SPAD were able to detect N deficiency at early growth stages, however, SPAD measurements better reflected plant N status regarding N application rates. A modified Michaelis-Menten model was used to illustrate the relationship between N rates and grain yield, as well as grain N content and leaf N content, and both showed acceptable goodness of fit. Grain yield under reduced tillage was significantly higher than that of conventional tillage. The combination of leaf nitrogen, SPAD, and NDVI data may become a tool to manage corn field nitrogen status and predict grain yield.     

Organic and urea nitrogen fertilizer effects on rapeseed and wild mustard competition

The competitive effects of wild mustard on rapeseed with organic amendments and urea alone or combined were studied for 2 years. Treatments consisted of three Sinapis arvensis densities and fertilizer treatments of composted cattle manure, composted municipal waste, urea nitrogen, a combination CCM+urea, a combination of CMW+urea, and a control. Weed growth was stronger in urea fertilizer and with combined organic amendments than in organic amendments alone. However, application of organic amendments could increase weed competitive ability. In the first year, urea fertilizer alone and combined with organic amendments led to the greatest rapeseed yield, but in the following year, organic amendments alone were able to increase rapeseed yield approximately equal to urea fertilizer and combined with organic amendments. Application of organic amendments alone or combined with N fertilizer could be an efficient method to increase soil productivity.