Genetic mapping of the early responses to salt stress in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Salt stress decreases plant growth prior to significant ion accumulation in the shoot. However, the processes underlying this rapid reduction in growth are still unknown. To understand the changes in salt stress responses through time and at multiple physiological levels, examining different plant processes within a single set-up is required. Recent advances in phenotyping has allowed the image-based estimation of plant growth, morphology, colour and photosynthetic activity. In this study, we examined the salt stress-induced responses of 191 Arabidopsis accessions from 1 h to 7 days after treatment using high-throughput phenotyping. Multivariate analyses and machine learning algorithms identified that quantum yield measured in the light-adapted state (Fv' /Fm' ) greatly affected growth maintenance in the early phase of salt stress, whereas the maximum quantum yield (QYmax ) was crucial at a later stage. In addition, our genome-wide association study (GWAS) identified 770 loci that were specific to salt stress, in which two loci associated with QYmax and Fv' /Fm' were selected for validation using T-DNA insertion lines. We characterized an unknown protein kinase found in the QYmax locus that reduced photosynthetic efficiency and growth maintenance under salt stress. Understanding the molecular context of the candidate genes identified will provide valuable insights into the early plant responses to salt stress. Furthermore, our work incorporates high-throughput phenotyping, multivariate analyses and GWAS, uncovering details of temporal stress responses and identifying associations across different traits and time points, which are likely to constitute the genetic components of salinity tolerance.

Incidence and determinants of severity of unintentional injuries among students of private schools in Dubai: a cross-sectional study.

A cross-sectional study was performed on a student population in grades 7-12 in 10 private schools in Dubai in the academic year 2012/13. The study was in two phases. The first was used to estimate incidence rate of injuries, where the total injuries that took place in the schools in 2012 was divided by the total student population in the studied schools in the same year multiplied by 1000. The second was to study the determinants of severity through randomly selecting 1000 cases of injuries. A self-administered questionnaire was given to the participants after obtaining verbal consent. Sociodemographic characteristics showed that most (74.2%) of the students in this study were male and about half (57.3%) were aged 12-14 years. The incidence rate of injuries was 297.7/1000, and most of the injuries (88.9%) were mild. Poor school safety was blamed for most of the injuries, and falls were the most frequent type of injury.

Molecular docking analysis of some medicinal extracts for pro-apoptotic, antiinflammatory and antioxidative activities using HCC cell lines.

We investigated the biological activities of 14 medicinal plants from Saudi Arabia as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-proliferative properties using hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines. Hexane extracts exhibited the maximum inhibitory activities against albumin denaturation compared with those of other solvents. Baccharoides schimperi hexane extract showed the highest anti-inflammatory while Ocimum basilicum methanol extract showed significantly high hydroxyl radical scavenging activity (p < 0.001). B. schimperi methanol extract showed highest cytotoxicity and anti-proliferation activity (IC50; 25 µg/ml) in hepatocellular carcinoma cell line. Annexin V and caspase-9 activities were induced significantly (p < 0.001) by B. schimperi and the response increased in a dose dependent compared with untreated cells (p < 0.001). The docking scores showed a low docking energy binding of 2-Cyclohexylpiperidine of B. schimperi with COX-2, (-16.62 kcal/mol), high affinity for apoptotic and anti-inflammatory potency It can be concluded that, B. schimperi active ingredients as 2-Cyclohexylpiperidine and phytol contributed to its biological activity.

Cyberchondria and its Association with Smartphone Addiction and Electronic Health Literacy among a Saudi Population.

Background: Cyberchondria is a recent phenomenon characterized by the excessive/frequent searching of the internet for health-related information (HRI) that results in concerns/anxiety over health and wellness. Studies have shown an increase in the prevalence of cyberchondria and that it is associated with smartphone addiction and eHealth literacy, but few such studies are available from Saudi Arabia. Methods: This cross-sectional study included adult Saudis living in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and was conducted between May 1 and June 30, 2022. A four-section questionnaire was distributed using Google Forms, and included the Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS), Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS), and Electronic Health Literacy scale (eHEALS). The scales were translated into Arabic using the forward-backward technique, and then evaluated for content validity, face validity, and reliability. Results: The reliability of the translated versions was satisfactory: CSS Cronbach's alpha = 0.882; SAS = 0.887; eHEALS = 0.903. A total of 518 participants were inlcuded, of which the majority were female (64.1%). The prevalence of cyberchondria was 2.1% (95% CI: 1.1-3.8), 83.4% (79.9-86.5), and 14.5% (11.6-17.8) for low, moderate, and high grades, respectively. Two-thirds of the participants (66.6%) had smartphone addiction, while three-fourths (72.6%) had a high level of eHealth literacy. There were significant correlations between cyberchondria and smartphone addiction (r = 0.395, CI = 0.316/0.475, P = 0.0001) and high eHealth literacy (r = 0.265, CI = 0.182/0.349, P = 0.0001). Conclusion: The study revealed a high prevalence of cyberchondria in a Saudi population, and this was associated with smartphone addiction and high eHealth literacy.

Calcium-Rich Biochar Stimulates Salt Resistance in Pearl Millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.) Plants by Improving Soil Quality and Enhancing the Antioxidant Defense.

Shrimp waste is rich in organic compounds and essential plant nutrients, e.g., calcium (Ca), and converting these wastes to organic fertilizer is important for environmental preservation and to achieve sustainable agricultural management. In the current study, Ca-rich biochar was prepared from shrimp wastes (SWB) by pyrolysis at 300 °C. We hypothesized that the Ca-rich biochar will help in solving the problem of plant growth in saline soil by reducing sodium (Na) uptake and mitigating oxidative stress. The current study aimed to investigate the effect of SWB on the quality of saline sandy soil and the mechanism of salt resistance in pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.). Pearl millet plants were planted in saline sandy soil (10 dS m-1) in wooden boxes (1.3 × 0.8 m size and 0.4 m height), and 5 doses (0, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5% (w/w)) of SWB were added. SWB application increased the soil quality and nutrient uptake by pearl millet plants. The highest rate of SWB increased the soil microbial biomass carbon and the activity of dehydrogenase enzyme by 43 and 47% compared to the control soil. SWB application reduced the uptake of sodium (Na+) and chloride (Cl-) and increased the K/Na ratio in the leaf tissues. SWB addition significantly increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes, e.g., ascorbate peroxidase (APX), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), and pyrogallol peroxidases (PPX). The application of 2.5% SWB to the saline soil increased the soluble carbohydrates and proline in plant leaves by 75 and 60%, respectively, and reduced the malondialdehyde (MDA) by 32% compared to the control. SWB enhanced the antioxidant defense and mitigated oxidative stress by improving the synthesis of osmoprotectants, e.g., soluble carbohydrates and proline. Sandy saline soils in arid and semiarid areas suffer greatly from low organic matter contents, which reduces the soil quality and increases the risk of salt during plant growth. The high organic matter and calcium content (30%) in the shrimp waste-derived biochar improved the quality of the saline sandy soil, reduced the uptake of toxic salts, and increased the quality of the forage material. The addition of recycled shrimp waste to saline low-fertility soils improves soil productivity and is safe for soil health.

NAC transcription factors ATAF1 and ANAC055 affect the heat stress response in Arabidopsis.

Pre-exposing (priming) plants to mild, non-lethal elevated temperature improves their tolerance to a later higher-temperature stress (triggering stimulus), which is of great ecological importance. 'Thermomemory' is maintaining this tolerance for an extended period of time. NAM/ATAF1/2/CUC2 (NAC) proteins are plant-specific transcription factors (TFs) that modulate responses to abiotic stresses, including heat stress (HS). Here, we investigated the potential role of NACs for thermomemory. We determined the expression of 104 Arabidopsis NAC genes after priming and triggering heat stimuli, and found ATAF1 expression is strongly induced right after priming and declines below control levels thereafter during thermorecovery. Knockout mutants of ATAF1 show better thermomemory than wild type, revealing a negative regulatory role. Differential expression analyses of RNA-seq data from ATAF1 overexpressor, ataf1 mutant and wild-type plants after heat priming revealed five genes that might be priming-associated direct targets of ATAF1: AT2G31260 (ATG9), AT2G41640 (GT61), AT3G44990 (XTH31), AT4G27720 and AT3G23540. Based on co-expression analyses applied to the aforementioned RNA-seq profiles, we identified ANAC055 to be transcriptionally co-regulated with ATAF1. Like ataf1, anac055 mutants show improved thermomemory, revealing a potential co-control of both NAC TFs over thermomemory. Our data reveals a core importance of two NAC transcription factors, ATAF1 and ANAC055, for thermomemory.

Leishmaniasis prevalence, awareness and control in Saudi Arabia.

Background: Leishmaniasis is a widespread skin protozoan infectious disease. It is an intracellular parasitic microorganism that develops in the body of infected female phlebotomine sandflies vector, prior to its transmission to human or animal host by the vector bite. The objective of this review is to highlight the current prevalence of Leishmaniasis in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the direction in research for its control. Materials: The update literature covered The infection of the host with this trypanosome starts with a skin bite from the infected sand fly, followed by penetration of the parasite into cellular structures of the skin, or its infiltration to the circulatory system, targeting the internal organs. Different research groups are experimenting on construction of recombinant Leishmania antigens, compiled from this protozoa and from antigens recovered from the saliva of sand flies, in an attempt to immunize the host for protection against this disease. Conclusion: The benefits behind such a review is to support the personnel involved in developing evidence-based policy guidelines, strategies and standards for disease prevention and management of their implementation; in addition, it provided a technical support to member states to collaborate on establishment of an effective systems to handle the Leishmaniasis.

Overexpression of the NAC transcription factor JUNGBRUNNEN1 (JUB1) increases salinity tolerance in tomato.

Soil salinity is a major abiotic stress affecting plant growth and yield, due to both osmotic and ionic stresses. JUBGBRUNNEN1 (JUB1) is a NAC family transcription factor that has been shown to be involved in responses to abiotic stresses, such as water deficit, osmotic, salinity, heat and oxidative stress. In Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis), JUB1 has been shown to improve plant stress tolerance by regulating H2O2 levels. In the horticultural crop, Solanum lycopersicum cv. Moneymaker (tomato), overexpression of AtJUB1 has been shown to partially alleviate water deficit stress at the vegetative stage. In this study, we investigated the effect of Arabidopsis JUB1 overexpression in salinity tolerance in tomato. In hydroponically grown tomato seedlings, AtJUB1 overexpression results in higher prolines levels and improves the maintenance of water content in the plant under salinity stress. The transgenic tomato plants are more tolerant to salinity stress compared to control lines based on plant biomass. However, at the reproductive stage, we found that overexpression of AtJUB1 only provided marginal improvements in yield-related parameters, in the conditions used for the current work. The combination of improved water deficit and salinity stress tolerance conferred by AtJUB1 overexpression may be beneficial when tomato plants are grown in the field under marginal environments.