Impacts of recent climate change on crop yield can depend on local conditions in climatically diverse regions of Norway.

Globally, climate change greatly impacts the production of major crops, and there have been many attempts to model future yields under warming scenarios in recent years. However, projections of future yields may not be generalisable to all crop growing regions, particularly those with diverse topography and bioclimates. In this study, we demonstrate this by evaluating the links between changes in temperature and precipitation and changes in wheat, barley, and potato yields at the county-level during 1980-2019 in Norway, a Nordic country with a range of climates across a relatively small spatial scale. The results show that the impacts of climate variables on yield vary widely by county, and that for some crops, the strength and direction of the link depends on underlying local bioclimate. In addition, our analysis demonstrates the need for some counties to focus on weather changes during specific crucial months corresponding with certain crop growth stages. Furthermore, due to the local climatic conditions and varying projected climate changes, different production opportunities are likely to occur in each county.

A Europe-wide inventory of citizen-led energy action with data from 29 countries and over 10000 initiatives.

Numerous case studies show that citizens engage in various ways in renewable and low carbon energy projects, thereby contributing to the sustainable energy transition. To date, however, a systematic and cross-country database on citizen-led initiatives and projects is lacking. By performing a major compilation and reviewing copious data sources from websites to official registries, we provide a Europe-wide inventory with over 10,000 initiatives and 16,000 production units in 29 countries, focusing on the past 20 years. Our data allow cross-country statistical analysis, supporting the elicitation of empirical insights capable of extending beyond the perspective of single case studies. Our data also align with ongoing efforts to implement two EU Directives that aim at strengthening the active role of citizens in the energy transition. While the focus of our data collection is on Europe, the data and methodology can contribute to the global analysis of citizen-led energy action.

The effects of cupping therapy as a new approach in the physiotherapeutic management of carpal tunnel syndrome.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Cupping therapy has been used widely as a safe and common method to tackle soft tissue lesions in most Asian countries, Central Europe, and parts of the United States. In this study, cupping therapy has been used for the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), which is the most common entrapment neuropathy. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of cupping therapy on the clinical findings of patients with CTS. METHODS: This is a randomized clinical trial. For this research, a total of 56 hands with CTS were studied, aged 18-60 years, and of both genders. The participants were divided into two groups: test and control, regardless of the severity of their CTS. In the control group, 28 were treated with routine physiotherapy (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and ultrasound), and in the test group, the other 28 were treated with routine physiotherapy with cupping therapy. The variables used to determine the effect of cupping were symptom severity scale, functional status scale, distal sensory latency, and distal motor latency. The severity of symptoms and functional status of patients was evaluated with the help of the Boston questionnaire, and the distal latency was evaluated through electromyography. RESULTS: The results of study demonstrated a significant improvement in symptom severity (p = 0.006) and also a significant decrease in distal sensory latency (p = 0.007) of the test group (routine physiotherapy with cupping) as compared with the control group (routine physiotherapy). CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that incorporation of cupping therapy in a routine physical therapy programme can reduce the severity of symptoms and improve the distal sensory disturbance of the median nerve. Therefore, it is suggested that cupping, as a convenient and low-cost method, can be used as a complementary therapy in the treatment of CTS.

Iran supports a great share of biodiversity and floristic endemism for Fritillaria spp. (Liliaceae): A review.

Iran supports a great share of exotic and/or endemic plant genera and species. The genus Fritillaria (Liliaceae) is a precious part of this botanical richness with 19 species, of which 10 are endemic to the country. However, signs are mounting that the country is truly at a crossroads when it comes to preservation of this national wealth. In this regard, an effective conservation strategy should thoroughly consider the classification of Fritillaria, as conservation practices are compromised by knowledge gaps in systematics and taxonomy. As published studies on Fritillaria in Iran have been sporadic and limited in scope, the aim of this review is to provide information necessary to help bridge these information gaps. Our objective is to facilitate increased understanding of the geographic, taxonomic, cytogenetic and phylogenetic status of Iranian Fritillaria, which is vital to meeting the goal of sustainable conservation of the genus in Iran and neighboring areas.

Intake of Dietary Supplements and Malnutrition in Patients in Intensive Care Unit.

BACKGROUND: Malnutrition is prevalent among patients hospitalized in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) and causes various complications. Dietary supplementation to provide appropriate nutritional support may reduce the malnutrition and complications through improvement in nutritional status. This study was carried out to assess the association between dietary supplementation and malnutrition among patients in ICUs. METHODS: A case-control study was conducted on 180 male patients aged 20-60 years in the ICUs of the hospitals in Ahvaz, Iran in 2013. Data of two groups including 83 patients (cases) who had consumed regular hospital meals and dietary supplements and 97 patients (controls) who had received regular hospital meals were compared. Anthropometric measurements, laboratory values, and dietary intakes were extracted from medical records, and Maastricht index (MI) was calculated. Data were analyzed using the IBM SPSS Statistics 21. T-test and paired-sample t-test were used to determine the difference between groups. RESULTS: Taking supplements increased daily energy intake, carbohydrate, and protein in case group (n = 83) significantly (P < 0.05). MI changed to 3.1 ± 3.8 and 4.3 ± 4.2 in case (n = 83) and control (n = 97) groups, respectively. Although the MI fell in both groups, it showed a greater reduction in case group (from 6.3 ± 5.3 to 3.1 ± 3.8). CONCLUSIONS: Since consuming dietary supplements besides the regular hospital meals increased intake of energy and macronutrients and reduced the MI significantly, it was concluded that it helped supply nutritional requirements more effectively and improved the malnutrition in ICU.

Discordance across Phenotypic and Molecular Methods for Drug Susceptibility Testing of Drug-Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis Isolates in a Low TB Incidence Country.

With increasing incidence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), accurate drug susceptibility testing (DST) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to first-line drugs has become crucial for proper patient management. We evaluated concordance of DST results for 70 M. tuberculosis isolates across two phenotypic and two molecular methods: BACTEC 460TB, MGIT 960 system, GenoType MTBDRplus and DNA sequencing of gene segments most commonly implicated in conferring resistance to anti-TB drugs. Most (84%) M. tuberculosis isolates were multidrug-resistant. Twenty-four isolates yielded discrepant DST results. For rifampicin, isoniazid and streptomycin, 96%, 97% and 93% of isolates, respectively, were susceptible or resistant by all four methods, whereas for ethambutol, this agreement was observed for only 76% of isolates (P<0.05 for rifampicin or isoniazid or streptomycin versus ethambutol). Occurrence of rare mutations in three isolates that confer low-level resistance caused lower agreement for rifampicin among the four methods (kappa coefficient (κ) range, 0.84 to 0.95). For isoniazid, there was perfect agreement among phenotypic methods and molecular methods (κ, 1.00) but lower agreement between phenotypic and molecular methods. Three isolates were detected as polydrug-resistant by MGIT 960 system but as multidrug-resistant by DNA sequence-based method. The agreement was higher for streptomycin among the two phenotypic methods (κ, 0.97) while targeted sequencing yielded lower agreement (κ range, 0.86 to 0.89). The discrepancy for ethambutol resulted largely due to lower concordance of MGIT 960 results (κ range, 0.53 to 0.64). The MGIT 960 system is an accurate method for DST of M. tuberculosis against isoniazid and streptomycin while the results of rifampicin susceptibility should be complemented with DNA sequencing-based method when the suspicion for resistance is high. The possibility of false susceptibility to ethambutol with MGIT 960 system suggests that molecular or other phenotypic methods may be more useful when accurate ethambutol susceptibility results are warranted.

The Association of Dairy Intake With Metabolic Syndrome and Its Components in Adolescents: Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological studies have shown that consumption of dairy product plays an important role in prevention and treatment of Metabolic Syndrome (MetS). OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to examine the association of dairy intake with MetS and its components in Tehranian adolescents. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 785 adolescent aged 10 to 19 years, participated from the fourth phase of the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study. Usual dietary intake was assessed using a valid semi quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Total dairy, low fat and high fat dairy, milk, yoghurt and cheese were evaluated. Assessment of anthropometric, biochemical and blood pressure was performed and MetS was defined according to the de Ferranti criteria. RESULTS: The mean age of subjects was 14.8 ± 2.9 years. The prevalence of MetS was 22.2% (girls: 19.5% and boys: 25.2%). The most prevalent risk factor for MetS in boys was high waist circumference (53.4%) and among girls was low HDL-C (53.1%). Energy density and intake of protein, total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, calcium and phosphor were higher in the highest quartile of dairy consumption than the lowest quartile. After adjustments for confounders, odds ratios with 95% confidence interval for MetS in the highest quartile of total dairy, low fat dairy, high fat dairy, milk, yoghurt and cheese compared with lowest quartile were respectively 0.97 (0.57 - 1.66), 1.44 (0.83 - 2.49), 0.97 (0.56 - 1.67), 0.70 (0.42 - 1.18), 1.62 (0.99 - 2.64) and 0.72 (0.44 - 1.18). CONCLUSIONS: Results of this study did not support the hypothesis that dairy products consumption protects against MetS and its components.

NMDA preconditioning and neuroprotection in vivo: delayed onset of kainic acid-induced neurodegeneration and c-Fos attenuation in CA3a neurons.

Intraventricular (i.c.v.) kainic acid (KA) causes an acute excitotoxic lesion to the CA3 region of rodent hippocampus. Recent evidence implicated c-fos gene in regulating neuron survival and death following an excitotoxic insult. In this study we attempted to prevent KA-induced damage in CA3 neurons with NMDA preconditioning, which produced a marked expression of c-fos in the hippocampus. NMDA (0.6-6 microg, i.c.v.) was injected to anesthetized rats alone or 1 h before KA (0.15 microg, i.c.v.). Following KA injection, vibratome sections were processed for immunohistochemistry/electron microscopy. c-Fos and Nissl staining were used to estimate the extent of neuronal excitation and damage, respectively. Quantitative evaluation of c-Fos-labeled cells showed significantly less c-Fos in CA3a than in neighboring CA3b and CA2 from 1 to 4 h after KA alone. Attenuation of expressed c-Fos in CA3a was accompanied by damage of neurons with more apoptotic than necrotic signs. NMDA preconditioning elevated CA3a c-Fos expression and at 1 and 2 h exceeded markedly that after KA alone. However, at 4 h after KA, NMDA-preconditioned c-Fos induction in CA3a diminished to the same level as that seen after KA alone. The onset of neuronal degeneration was delayed in similar way. While NMDA-induced c-Fos expression in CA3a could be blocked by MK-801 completely, MK-801 and CNQX were both without significant effect on KA-induced c-Fos expression and neuronal damage. In conclusion, inhibition of c-Fos expression and onset of neuronal damage in CA3a following icv KA injection might be transiently delayed by i.c.v. NMDA preconditioning.