Genetic diversity and population structure of diverse Iranian Nepeta L. taxa

Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution - In the present study, we utilized ISSR molecular markers to investigate infraspecific and infrageneric genetic variations in 34 populations from 25 Nepeta L....     

Mechanical properties and in vitro degradation of PLGA suture manufactured via electrospinning

The current research discusses the efforts to achieve a Poly(lactide-co-glycolide)(PLGA) nanofiber yarn using two differently charged nozzles with potential application as surgery suture. First, electrospinning parameters such as solution concentration, applied voltage, feed rate were optimized to produce yarn with smooth nanofibers. In order to improve the properties of produced suture, heat setting setup was developed. Two heat setting techniques, including hot water and dry heat were applied, and the influence of the heat setting process on the mechanical properties of yarn was studied. The results showed that heat setting with boiling water was the best method. At first strength, E-modulus and extension of prepared suture were 36.6 MPa, 0.9 GPa and 68.8 % respectively. After improvement with heat setting, strength and E-modulus increased to 63.7 MPa, 2.7 GPa respectively and extension decreased to 29.7 %. Finally, in order to analyze knot performance, two types of surgical knot (square and surgeon) were used, and mechanical properties were investigated. The presence of knot lessens mechanical properties for each two type. Square knot showed better mechanical properties than surgeon’s knot. With square knot strength, E-modulus and extension were 62.1 MPa, 2.1 GPa, 28.6 %, respectively. In vitro study of nanofiber yarn degradation behavior showed that the mechanical properties were decreased. This could be due to greater surface area of nanofibers exposed to surrounding environment.     

Beta-lactoglobulin structure and retinol binding changes in presence of anionic and neutral detergents

Bovine beta-lactoglobulin (beta-LG) in vivo (in milks) has been found in complexes with lipids such as butyric and oleic acids. To elucidate the still unknown structure-function relationship in this protein, the structural changes of beta-lactoglobulin variant A (beta-LG A) in the presence of anionic surfactant such as sodium n-dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and in the presence of nonionic surfactant such as Triton X-100 have been investigated. Subsequently, the retinol binding by beta-LG has been investigated in the presence of various amounts of these surfactants as its binding indicator. The results of UV-vis and fluorescence studies show a higher denaturating effect of SDS at acid pH that can be due to greater positive charges of beta-LG at this pH indicating also the nonspecific hydrophobic interactions of Triton X-100 with beta-LG at all studied pHs. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) measurements indicate the endothermic nature of beta-LG/SDS interactions and the exothermic nature of Triton X-100/beta-LG interactions. The analysis of the binding data demonstrates the absence of considerable changes in retinol binding properties of beta-LG in the presence of various amounts of these surfactants. This implies that surfactant binding does not change the conformation of beta-LG in the regions defining the retinol-binding site.     

An evaluation of harvesting costs in present and planned operations: case study—Waston District of Mazandaran Wood and Paper Industries

Amongst all forest utilization phases, harvesting plays a key role as the beginning phase of the utilization cycle and has a significant effect on the following phases.In this research, in order to examine the reduction of costs with respect to present and planned operations, the starting time of the harvesting or cutting phase and work flow were recorded. The starting time of each phase of the entire operation was recorded as well. Before harvesting the marked tree, the appropriate felling direction was determined and the azimuth of the correct direction was taken.The results indicate that there was not a meaningful relationship between the differences in direction of a leaning tree compared with the felling direction. However, there was a significant relationship between the difference of the defined and felling direction and the difference in tree leaning and defined direction. The same trend was observed between tree leaning and felling directions and tree leaning and defined directions. On the other hand,there was no significant relationship between tree leaning and felling directions and the defined and tree felling directions. In addition, this research shows that with an increase in tree volume, the time for tree cutting rose.Furthermore, when the difference of tree leaning and felling direction decreased, the time to cut the tree declined.The regression equation is Y = 168.9–0.14(the difference between tree leaning and felling direction) + 0.7(volume).     

Natural Dyeing of Wool by Madder (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Rubia tinctorum L</Emphasis>.) Root Extract Using Tannin-based Biomordants: Colorimetric,Fastness and Tensile Assay

In this work, the natural dyeing behavior of woollen yarn with madder (Rubia tinctorum L.) root extract was studied. The effects of different tannin-rich plants (Rhus coriaria, Eucalyptus, Terminalia chebula, Quercus castaneifolia, Pomegranate) extract as biomordants and alum (as a chemical mordant) with two mordanting procedures (pre- and metamordanting) on color characteristics of the dyed samples were also investigated. The CIEDE2000 values, color strength (K/S), washing fastness and tensile property of the mordanted and dyed samples were assessed. Visually, a range of hues from orange to brownish-red were obtained. In general, pre-biomordanted samples with Rhus coriaria (10 %owf), Eucalyptus (10 %owf), Terminalia chebula (5 %owf), Quercus castaneifolia (5 %owf) and Pomegranate (5 %owf) showed almost the same color difference (ΔE₀₀) and wash fastness values compared to those treated with 3 %owf alum. Finally, it was concluded from the comparative studies that the biomordants have good potential to be considered as alternatives to the common chemical mordants.     

Investigation on the Biodegradability and Antibacterial Properties of Nanohybrid Suture Based on Silver Incorporated PGA-PLGA Nanofibers

Polyglycolic acid-poly lactic glycolic acid (PGA-PLGA) electrospun nanofibers containing silver nanoparticles have been produced and twisted into the nanofibrous yarn. The morphology of nanofibers and produced yarns, as well as the mechanical properties of the yarns, were investigated. Furthermore, in vitro antibacterial properties and in vitro degradation behavior of yarns containing various silver nanoparticles were studied. SEM images confirmed that the addition of the silver nanoparticles into the polymer solution increases the fiber diameters. The result of the mechanical test of the yarns alone and used in two different forms of the knots was measured and results showed that the strength of the yarns without the knot was significantly more than that of others. The biodegradability test showed that the mechanical properties and the weight of the yarns were quickly reduced after subjecting to in vitro condition. The result of the antibacterial test indicated that the nanofiber yarns containing %3 silver nanoparticles were the most appropriate sample with a considerably antibacterial activity against both gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus and gram-negative bacterium Escherichia Coli with inhibition zones of 8.1 and 9.5 mm, respectively; which demonstrated that silver nanoparticles retained their effectiveness after the electrospinning process. Therefore the nanofibrous yarns containing silver nanoparticles could be successfully produced by the electrospinning process with the proper antibacterial property as a candidate for the surgical sutures.     

Comparative effectiveness of different infiltration models in estimation of watershed flood hydrograph

The present study aims to evaluate performance of different infiltration models, namely initial and constant rate, soil conservation service (SCS) curve number and Green–Ampt in simulation of flood hydrographs for the small-sized Amameh Watershed, Iran. To achieve the study purpose, the infiltration rates were measured using rainfall simulator in work units acquired through overlaying topography, land use, drainage network and soil hydrologic group maps. All parameters of the study infiltration models were determined with the help of the Infilt. software package. The performances of the models in simulation of the observed output hydrographs from the entire watershed were ultimately evaluated for 28 rainfall–runoff events in the HEC-HMS environment. The different components of the observed and estimated hydrographs including time to peak, runoff volume, peak discharge, discharge values and peak time deviation were compared using relative error (RE), coefficient of determination (R²), peak-weighted root mean square error (PWRMSE) and Nash–Sutcliffe (NS) criteria. The general performance of estimations was also qualitatively assessed using scatter plot and distribution of study variables around standard lines of 1:1 slope. The results revealed that the SCS infiltration model with PWRMSE = 0.61 m³ s^?1 and NS = 0.53 performed better than initial and constant rate model with PWRMSE = 1.1 m³ s^?1 and NS = 0.54, and Green Ampt model with PWRMSE = 1.35 m³ s^?1 and NS = 0.29 in estimation of flood hydrograph for the Amameh Watershed.     

The effect of silver nanoparticle on Fenugreek seed germination under salinity levels

A study was conducted to evaluate the effect s of silver nanoparticles for ameliorating negative effects of salinity on germination and growth of Fenugreek seeds. In order to investigate salinity stress on Fenugreek germination indices, an experiment was carried out in Iran from October 2014 to November 2014 at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, in the biotechnology Laboratory, to create salinity stress, sodium chloride (NaCl) at the levels of 0 (as control), 5, 10, 15 and 20 dS/m and Five levels of silver nanoparticles (0, 10, 20, 30 and 40 μg mL^–1) on Fenugreek seed (Trigonella foenum-graecum); were tested Germination characteristics such as total germination (GT), Germination Speed Index (GSI), Shoot and Root of seedling long, Fresh Mass and Dry Mass were measured. Results showed the great effects of silver nanoparticles to improve salinity stress on Fenugreek seed germination. Results showed a significant reduction in germination percent and seedling growth due to the salinity stress while significantly increased with silicon nano-particles application. In without silver nanoparticle low level of salinity (0 dS/m) increased seed germination percentage, while the high levels (5, 10, 15 and 20 dS/m) inhibited the seed germination significantly. The results showed that the effect of AgNPs was significant on germination percentage in P ≤ 0.05. Overall, application of AgNPs was beneficial in improving salinity tolerance in the Fenugreek seedling and its application may stimulate the differences defense mechanisms of plants against salt toxicity.     

Resistance assessment and biochemical responses of sugar beet lines against <Emphasis Type="Italic"> Pythium aphanidermatum,</Emphasis> causing root rot

Wood-staining fungi, moulds and decay fungi colonize freshly cut wood. Of these, only ophiostomatoid fungi are considered major agents of sapstain on logs and freshly sawn lumber because they can cause permanent staining and discoloration. Sapstain in pine pallets significantly reduces their market value and use in the food industry. The aim of this study was to identify the sapstaining fungi that colonize Scots pine wood used in pallet production. In addition, we evaluated the growth and stain intensity of six isolates of ophiostomatoid fungi on freshly cut Scots pine billets. Fungi were isolated from samples of Scots pine and identified based on morphology and DNA sequence comparisons for three gene regions (ITS, β-tubulin, TEF-1α). A total of 1259 isolates representing 31 fungal species were obtained from the pine samples in Poland during July and September. The isolates represented different ecological and taxonomical groups and belonged to the categories of staining fungi, decay fungi and surface moulds. The most frequently isolated fungi were ophiostomatoid fungi (14 species including an unknown Leptographium sp. and Ophiostoma sp.) and moulds (mainly Trichoderma and Mucor spp.). Of the ophiostomatoid species, Ophiostoma floccosum, O. piceae, O. piliferum and Endoconidiophora pinicola were the predominant species. The results of pine billet inoculation showed that among the six fungal species tested, E. pinicola exhibited the fastest growth in all three directions on the billets. Ophiostoma minus and O. piliferum displayed moderate growth rates in pine billets, while O. floccosum, O. piceae, and Leptographium lundbergii grew very slowly, especially in the tangential and radial directions. The information provided in this paper will help develop more effective control strategies for sapstain prevention in Scots pine.     

Effects of municipal wastewater on soil chemical properties in cultivating turfgrass using subsurface drip irrigation

Knowing the concentrations of the nutrient elements in soils is important due to their toxic effect on humans and the environment. The aims of this study were to assess the effects of water quality, depths, and distances of lateral installation on soil chemical properties during turfgrass cultivation. A field experiment was conducted using a Split-Split-Plot design based on the randomized complete block (RCB) design with two treatments (well water and wastewater) and eight sub-treatments (45 and 60 cm distance of the laterals and 15, 20, 25, and 30 cm depths of laterals) in three replicates on a sandy loam soil, in Shahrekord, Iran. Soil samples were collected from 0 to 30 and 30 to 60 cm depth for measuring nitrate (NO₃^?), electrical conductivity (EC), and pH at the end of the experiment. During the experiment, fecal coliform was also measured at the soil surface. Results indicated that by increasing lateral distance, NO₃^? level increased in both layers. With installing laterals in deeper levels, NO₃^? concentration decreased at the beginning, then increased in the first layer, whereas in the second layer, NO₃^? concentration decreased. In addition, installing laterals in deeper depth caused an increase in soil EC in the top layer, but a decrease in the lower layer. However, the results showed that there was no significant effect of the treatments (well water and wastewater) and the sub-treatments (distance and depths of laterals) on soil pH. The results also show that with increasing laterals depth, fecal coliform level decreased at the soil surface.