Epigenetic changes and their relationship to somaclonal variation: a need to monitor the micropropagation of plantation crops.

Chromatin modulation plays important roles in gene expression regulation and genome activities. In plants, epigenetic changes, including variations in histone modification and DNA methylation, are linked to alterations in gene expression. Despite the significance and potential of in vitro cell and tissue culture systems in fundamental research and marketable applications, these systems threaten the genetic and epigenetic networks of intact plant organs and tissues. Cell and tissue culture applications can lead to DNA variations, methylation alterations, transposon activation, and finally, somaclonal variations. In this review, we discuss the status of the current understanding of epigenomic changes that occur under in vitro conditions in plantation crops, including coconut, oil palm, rubber, cotton, coffee and tea. It is hoped that comprehensive knowledge of the molecular basis of these epigenomic variations will help researchers develop strategies to enhance the totipotent and embryogenic capabilities of tissue culture systems for plantation crops.

Endophytic Enterobacter cloacae exhibits antagonistic activity against Pythium damping-off of cucumber / Enterobacter cloacae endofítica exibe atividade antagonista contra a podridão de pepino causada por Pythium

ABSTRACT: The study was performed to examine the potential presence of biological control agents against Pythium damping-off disease of cucumber.Examining eleven bacterial strains isolated from acid lime roots and rhizosphere soil showed that the bacterial strain RB1 was the most efficient in suppressing mycelial growth of P. aphanidermatum, producing an inhibition zone of 5mm. Scanning electron microscopy study of the mycelia at the interaction zone showed that the pathogen hyphae were deformed and shriveled by the bacterial strain.In pot experiments, pretreatment with the RB1 bacterial strain reduced disease incidence significantly by 63%.The bacterial strain did not exhibit any negative significant effects on cucumber growth (plant height and root dry weight) in comparison with untreated control under growth chamber conditions. Molecular identification of strain RB1 based on the 16S rRNA gene revealed that it is Enterobacter cloacae. Findings from this study suggested that E. cloacae has a potential to be used as a biocontrol agent for suppressingcucumber damping-off disease caused by P. aphanidermatum. This is the first report of the antagonistic activity of E. cloacae against P. aphanidermatum-induced damping-off of cucumber.

RESUMO: O estudo foi realizado para examinar a presença potencial de agentes no controle biológico da doença do apodrecimento do pepino causado por Pythium. Examinando onze cepas bacterianas isoladas de raízes de cal ácida e solo da rizosfera mostraram que a cepa bacteriana RB1 foi a mais eficiente na supressão do crescimento micelial de P. aphanidermatum, produzindo uma zona de inibição de 5 mm. O estudo de microscopia eletrônica de varredura dos micélios na zona de interação mostrou que as hifas do patógeno foram deformadas e enrugadas pela cepa bacteriana. Em experimentos com vasos, o pré-tratamento com a cepa bacteriana RB1 reduziu significativamente a incidência da doença em 63%. A cepa bacteriana não exibiu nenhum efeito negativo. Efeitos significativos no crescimento do pepino (altura da planta e peso seco da raiz), em comparação com o controle não tratado sob condições da câmara de crescimento. A identificação molecular da cepa RB1 com base no gene 16S rRNA revelou que é a Enterobacter cloacae. Os resultados deste estudo sugerem que E. cloacae tem potencial para ser usado como agente de biocontrole para suprimir a doença da podridão de pepino causada por P. aphanidermatum. Este é o primeiro relato da atividade antagônica de E. cloacae contra o amortecimento induzido por P. aphanidermatum de pepino.

The Frequency of Alcohol Use in Iranian Urban Population: The Results of a National Network Scale Up Survey.

BACKGROUND: In Islamic countries alcohol consumption is considered as against religious values. Therefore, estimation of frequency of alcohol consumptions using direct methods is prone to different biases. In this study, we indirectly estimated the frequency of alcohol use in Iran, in network of a representative sample using network scale up (NSU) method. METHODS: In a national survey, about 400 participants aged above 18 at each province, around 12 000 in total, were recruited. In a gender-match face to face interview, respondents were asked about the number of those who used alcohol (even one episode) in previous year in their active social network, classified by age and gender. The results were corrected for the level of visibility of alcohol consumption. RESULTS: The relative frequency of alcohol use at least once in previous year, among general population aged above 15, was estimated at 2.31% (95% CI: 2.12%, 2.53%). The relative frequency among males was about 8 times higher than females (4.13% versus 0.56%). The relative frequency among those aged 18 to 30 was 3 times higher than those aged above 30 (3.97% versus 1.36%). The relative frequency among male aged 18 to 30 was about 7%. CONCLUSION: It seems that the NSU is a feasible method to monitor the relative frequency of alcohol use in Iran, and possibly in countries with similar culture. Alcohol use was lower than non-Muslim countries, however, its relative frequency, in particular in young males, was noticeable.

A Study on Sexual Function in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Patients With and Without Depressive Symptoms.

PURPOSE: The aim of study was to evaluate sexual function in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients with and without depressive symptoms. DESIGN AND METHOD: Fifty-six married OCD patients referred to the outpatient clinic of Roozbeh Hospital from 2011 to 2013 filled out the demographic questionnaire, obsessive compulsive inventory-revised OCI-R, Maudsley obsessional-compulsive inventory (MOCI), Beck depression inventory-II (BDI-II), international index of erectile function (IIEF), and female sexual function index (FSFI). FINDINGS: In total, 80.6% of women and 25% of men had sexual dysfunction and 82% of them had depressive symptoms. Comparing sexual dysfunction in OCD patients with and without depressive symptoms demonstrated that the mean index of IIEF in subscales of erection and satisfaction without depressive symptoms (BDI-II index ≤ 15) is higher than in those with depressive symptoms and the mean index of FSFI showed a marginal significance in the pain subscale of the FSFI. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Regarding the possible role of the symptoms of depression on sexual function, sexual assessment in OCD patients should be considered.

Population structure of Stemphylium lycopersici associated with leaf spot of tomato in a single field.

Stemphylium lycopersici is an important pathogen causing leaf spot of tomatoes worldwide. Although much information is available about the pathogen, little is known about dynamics of S. lycopersici in tomato fields. Seventy-nine symptomatic leaf samples were collected from two tomato cultivars grown in a farm (Miral and Inbred line). Fungal species associated with the disease were isolated on potato dextrose agar. Seventy-nine isolates were obtained and identified as S. lycopersici based on sequence analysis of combined dataset of the internal transcribed spacer and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase regions. The 79 isolates were subjected to amplified fragment length polymorphism analysis using three primer combinations. The Stemphylium lycopersici population from the two cultivars was found to have a very low level of genetic diversity (H = 0.0948). Cluster analysis showed intermixing of isolates from the two cultivars. In addition, analysis of molecular variance showed the presence of a very low level of genetic differentiation between populations obtained from the two cultivars (Fst = 0.0206). These findings indicate the presence of a high rate of gene flow between the two populations and may suggest that the two populations originated from the same inoculum source. The implications of these findings on the management of Stemphylium-induced leaf spot of tomatoes are discussed.

National population size estimation of illicit drug users through the network scale-up method in 2013 in Iran.

BACKGROUND: For a better understanding of the current situation of drug use in Iran, we utilized the network scale-up approach to estimate the prevalence of illicit drug use in the entire country. METHODS: We implemented a self-administered, street-based questionnaire to 7535 passersby from the general public over 18 years of age by street based random walk quota sampling (based on gender, age and socio-economic status) from 31 provinces in Iran. The sample size in each province was approximately 400, ranging from 200 to 1000. In each province 75% of sample was recruited from the capital and the remaining 25% was recruited from one of the large cities of that province through stratified sampling. The questionnaire comprised questions on demographic information as well as questions to measure the total network size of participants as well as the network size in each of seven drug use groups including Opium, Shire (combination of Opium residue and pure opium), Crystal Methamphetamine, heroin/crack (which in Iranian context is a cocaine-free drug that mostly contains heroin, codeine, morphine and caffeine with or without other drugs), Hashish, Methamphetamine/LSD/ecstasy, and injecting drugs. The estimated size for each group was adjusted for transmission and barrier ratios. RESULTS: The most common type of illicit drug used was opium with the prevalence of 1500 per 100,000 population followed by shire (660), crystal methamphetamine (590), hashish (470), heroin/crack (350), methamphetamine, LSD and ecstasy (300) and injecting drugs (280). All types of substances were more common among men than women. The use of opium, shire and injecting drugs was more common in individuals over 30 whereas the use of stimulants and hashish was largest among individuals between 18 and 30 years of age. CONCLUSION: It seems that younger individuals and women are more desired to use new synthetic drugs such as crystal methamphetamine. Extending the preventive programs especially in youth as like as scaling up harm reduction services would be the main priorities in prevention and control of substance use in Iran. Because of poor service coverage and high stigma in women, more targeted programs in this affected population are needed.

Molecular Breeding Strategy and Challenges Towards Improvement of Blast Disease Resistance in Rice Crop.

Rice is a staple and most important security food crop consumed by almost half of the world's population. More rice production is needed due to the rapid population growth in the world. Rice blast caused by the fungus, Magnaporthe oryzae is one of the most destructive diseases of this crop in different part of the world. Breakdown of blast resistance is the major cause of yield instability in several rice growing areas. There is a need to develop strategies providing long-lasting disease resistance against a broad spectrum of pathogens, giving protection for a long time over a broad geographic area, promising for sustainable rice production in the future. So far, molecular breeding approaches involving DNA markers, such as QTL mapping, marker-aided selection, gene pyramiding, allele mining and genetic transformation have been used to develop new resistant rice cultivars. Such techniques now are used as a low-cost, high-throughput alternative to conventional methods allowing rapid introgression of disease resistance genes into susceptible varieties as well as the incorporation of multiple genes into individual lines for more durable blast resistance. The paper briefly reviewed the progress of studies on this aspect to provide the interest information for rice disease resistance breeding. This review includes examples of how advanced molecular method have been used in breeding programs for improving blast resistance. New information and knowledge gained from previous research on the recent strategy and challenges towards improvement of blast disease such as pyramiding disease resistance gene for creating new rice varieties with high resistance against multiple diseases will undoubtedly provide new insights into the rice disease control.

Multiplex SSR-PCR approaches for semi-automated genotyping and characterization of loci linked to blast disease resistance genes in rice.

In the present study, 63 polymorphic microsatellite markers related to rice blast resistance genes were fluorescently labelled at the 5'-end with either 6-FAM or HEX using the G5 dye set and incorporated into a multiplex SSR-PCR for the detection of fragments using an automated system. For rice F3 families obtained from crosses between Pongsu Seribu 2 (Malaysian blast resistant cultivar) and Mahsuri (a susceptible rice cultivar), the genotypes for 13 designated multiplex SSR panels were determined. The genotyping assays were performed using a capillary-based ABIPRISM 3100 genetic analyser. The sizes of the SSRs alleles observed in the range from 79 to 324 bp. The observed marker segregation data were analysed using the Chi(2) test. A genetic linkage map covering ten chromosomes and comprising 63 polymorphic SSR markers was constructed, and the distorted loci were localised to linkage groups. The results indicated that distorted loci are presented on eight chromosomes.

Methanol mass poisoning in Iran: role of case finding in outbreak management.

BACKGROUND: There are no guidelines addressing the public health aspects of methanol poisoning during larger outbreaks. The current study was done to discuss the role of active case finding and a national guideline that organizes all available resources according to a triage strategy in the successful management of a methanol mass poisoning in Rafsanjan, Iran, in May 2013. METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional study was performed reviewing the outbreak Emergency Operation Center files. The objectives were to describe the characteristics, management and outcome of a methanol outbreak using Active Case Finding to trace the victims. RESULTS: A total of 694 patients presented to emergency departments in Rafsanjan after public announcement of the outbreak between 29th May and 3rd June 2013. The announcement was mainly performed via short message service (SMS) and local radio broadcasting. A total of 361 cases were observed and managed in Rafsanjan and 333 were transferred to other cities. Seventy-five and 100 patients underwent hemodialysis (HD), retrospectively. The main indication for HD was refractory metabolic acidosis. Eight patients expired due to the intoxication. Except for the deceased cases, no serum methanol level was available. CONCLUSION: In developing countries, where diagnostic resources are limited, use of active case finding and developing national guidelines can help in the management of large outbreaks of methanol poisonings.

Development of a scale for measuring social health of Iranians living in three big cities.

BACKGROUND: Social health is considered as a significant dimension of health and, hence, its assessment is vital in health planning. Within this context, this study aimed to develop a valid and reliable scale for measuring individual's social health in Iran. To do so, an exploratory sequential mixed method was used. METHODS: To establish the item pool and primary scale, 30 interviews with experts and other stakeholders, and a primary review of relevant literature and similar questionnaires were conducted. Then, a survey with 800 respondents from three cities in Iran was undertaken to assess the validity and reliability of the scale. RESULTS: In the qualitative stage of this study, after careful consideration, forty questions were remained for the next step. Considering the correlation of the score of each question with the total score of the questionnaire, seven questions were omitted. For this questionnaire with 33 remaining questions, Cronbach's alpha for internal consistency was estimated to be 0.86. The reliability coefficient for 100 samples (taken after 7 to 10 days from the first round of sampling) was 0.91. Considering the factor analysis, three factors were recognized. These factors were named as "family", "community" and "friends and relatives". Cronbach's Alpha for internal consistency of community, friends and relatives, and family factors were estimated to be 0.91, 0.77 and 0.78 respectively. The corresponding value of the reliability indicator, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), for community, friends and relatives, and family were calculated 0.69, 0.80 and 0.67 respectively. CONCLUSION: We developed a measurable scale for social health at an individual level in the Iranian community with an acceptable level of validity and reliability. The new developed scale is able to provide an opportunity to measure Iranians' social health at an individual level. Such an indicator of individual health can be used in evaluating the performance of social health policies and providing a platform for evidence-based policy-making in the social health context.

Saffron for treatment of fluoxetine-induced sexual dysfunction in women: randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study.

OBJECTIVE: Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) has shown beneficial aphrodisiac effects in some animal and human studies. The aim of the present study was to assess the safety and efficacy of saffron on selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor-induced sexual dysfunction in women. METHODS: This was a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study. Thirty-eight women with major depression who were stabilized on fluoxetine 40 mg/day for a minimum of 6 weeks and had experienced subjective feeling of sexual dysfunction entered the study. The patients were randomly assigned to saffron (30 mg/daily) or placebo for 4 weeks. Measurement was performed at baseline, week 2, and week 4 using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). Side effects were systematically recorded. RESULTS: Thirty-four women had at least one post-baseline measurement and completed the study. Two-factor repeated measure analysis of variance showed significant effect of time × treatment interaction [Greenhouse-Geisser's corrected: F(1.580, 50.567) = 5.366, p = 0.012] and treatment for FSFI total score [F(1, 32) = 4.243, p = 0.048]. At the end of the fourth week, patients in the saffron group had experienced significantly more improvement in total FSFI (p < 0.001), arousal (p = 0.028), lubrication (p = 0.035), and pain (p = 0.016) domains of FSFI but not in desire (p = 0.196), satisfaction (p = 0.206), and orgasm (p = 0.354) domains. Frequency of side effects was similar between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: It seems saffron may safely and effectively improve some of the fluoxetine-induced sexual problems including arousal, lubrication, and pain.

Effect of saffron on fluoxetine-induced sexual impairment in men: randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial.

RATIONALE: Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) has shown aphrodisiac effects in some animal and human studies. OBJECTIVES: To assess the efficacy and tolerability of saffron in fluoxetine-related sexual dysfunction. METHODS: This was a 4-week randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study. Thirty-six married male patients with major depressive disorder whose depressive symptoms had been stabilized on fluoxetine and had subjective complaints of sexual impairment entered the study. The patients were randomly assigned to saffron (15 mg twice per day) or placebo for 4 weeks. International Index of Erectile Function scale was used to assess sexual function at baseline and weeks 2 and 4. RESULTS: Thirty patients finished the study. Baseline characteristics as well as baseline and final depressive symptoms scores were similar between the two groups. Effect of time × treatment interaction on the total score was significant [Greenhouse-Geisser-corrected, F (1.444, 40.434) = 6.154, P = 0.009]. By week 4, saffron resulted in significantly greater improvement in erectile function (P < 0.001) and intercourse satisfaction domains (P = 0.001), and total scores (P < 0.001) than the placebo group. Effect of saffron did not differ significantly from that of placebo in orgasmic function (P = 0.095), overall satisfaction (P = 0.334), and sexual desire (P = 0.517) domains scores. Nine patients (60%) in the saffron group and one patient (7%) in the placebo group achieved normal erectile function (score > 25 on erectile function domain) at the end of the study (P value of Fisher's exact test = 0.005). Frequency of side effects were similar between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Saffron is a tolerable and efficacious treatment for fluoxetine-related erectile dysfunction.

Clinical trial of adjunctive celecoxib treatment in patients with major depression: a double blind and placebo controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The pathophysiology of depression is associated with the hyperactivity of immune inflammatory responses. Cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors such as celecoxib reduce the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. The purpose of the present investigation was to assess the efficacy of celecoxib as an adjuvant agent in the treatment of major depression in a six-week double blind and placebo controlled trial. METHODS: Forty adult outpatients who met the DSM-IV-TR criteria for major depression participated in the trial. Patients have a baseline Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression score of at least 18. Patients were allocated in a random fashion: 20 to fluoxetine 40 mg/day plus celecoxib 400 mg/day (200 mg bid) (morning and evening) and 20 to fluoxetine 40 mg/day plus placebo. Patients were assessed by a psychiatrist at baseline and after 1, 2, 4, and 6 weeks after the medication started. RESULTS: Although both protocols significantly decreased the score of Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression over the trial period, the combination of fluoxetine and celecoxib showed a significant superiority over fluoxetine alone in the treatment of symptoms of major depression. There were no significant differences in the two groups in terms of observed side effects. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that celecoxib may be an effective adjuvant agent in the management of patients with major depression and anti-inflammatory therapies should be further investigated.