Cold atmospheric plasma enhances morphological and biochemical attributes of tomato seedlings.

Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) is a physical technology with notable effects on living organisms. In the present study, tomato seeds (Solanum lycopersicum var. Bassimo Mill.) were exposed to CAP for various time intervals, ranging from 1 to 5 min, in both continuous and intermittent periods, and were compared with a control group that received no CAP treatment. Seedlings grown from treated seeds exhibited improvements in levels of growth traits, photosynthetic pigments, and metabolite contents when compared to the control group. Seedlings from seeds treated with S04 displayed significant increases in shoot and root lengths, by 32.45% and 20.60% respectively, compared to the control group. Moreover, seedlings from seeds treated with S01 showed a 101.90% increase in total protein, whereas those treated with S02 experienced a 119.52% increase in carbohydrate content. These findings highlight the substantial improvements in growth characteristics, photosynthetic pigments, and metabolite levels in seedlings from treated seeds relative to controls. Total antioxidant capacity was boosted by CAP exposure. The activities of enzymes including superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidases were stimulated by S02 and exceeded control treatment by (177.48%, 137.41%, and 103.32%), respectively. Additionally, exposure to S04 increased the levels of non-enzymatic antioxidants like flavonoids, phenolics, saponins, and tannins over the control group (38.08%, 30.10%, 117.19%, and 94.44%), respectively. Our results indicate that CAP-seed priming is an innovative and cost-effective approach to enhance the growth, bioactive components, and yield of tomato seedlings.

Effectiveness of some plant extracts in biocontrol of induced onion basal rot disease in greenhouse conditions.

One of Egypt's most notable and historically significant vegetable crops is the Liliaceae plant, Allium cepa L. In this study, the effectiveness of methanolic extracts of Artemisia absinthium leaves, Calotropis procera latex, Moringa oleifera seeds, and Syzygium aromaticum clove was investigated in vitro and, in a greenhouse, setting against Fusarium oxysporum, the pathogen that causes onion basal rot in Assiut Governorate, Egypt. The S. aromaticum extract exhibited the inhibition peak (63.3%), whereas the A. absinthium extract had the lowest inhibition impact against F. oxysporum growth (41.1%). The gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) analysis revealed that 82 important compounds, with abundances ranging from low to high, were present in the tested S. aromaticum's methanolic extract. The primary components were acetaldehyde, hydroxy- and 2-propanone, 1,1,3,3-tetrachloro-(42.71%), 1,2-ethanediol, and methyl alcohol (34.01%). In comparison to the infected control, the disease severity was significantly reduced by 20% with the use of a plant extracts mixture and Dovex 50% and increased by 62.22% with the use of an extract from A. absinthium. When compared to the infected control, onion plant fresh weight and dry weight were considerably higher under the clove extract therapy. The plant extracts used in this study's testing contain a number of active ingredients, including amino acids, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and enzymes, which is probably why they have such positive impacts. The application of a combination of plant extracts was suggested as a feasible strategy for improving the growth and productivity of onion plants by the study's findings. More research is needed to comprehend the mechanisms by which plant extracts promote plant development and to optimize the concentration and timing of administration.

Biocontrol agent of root-knot nematode Meloidogyne javanica and root-rot fungi, Fusarium solani in okra morphological, anatomical characteristics and productivity under greenhouse conditions.

This study was conducted to evaluate the ability of some fungal culture filtrate, as biocontrol agents against okra wilt caused by Fusarium solani. and Meloidogyne javanica. In the present study, fungal culture filtrates (FCFs) of Aspergillus terreus (1), Aspergillus terreus (2), Penicillium chrysogenum, and Trichoderma spp. were tested against M. javanica in vitro. The effects of P. chrysogenum and Trichoderma spp. (FCFs) in controlling root-rot fungi and root-knot nematode disease complex on okra plants were studied under greenhouse conditions (In vivo). In vitro experiment, the results revealed cumulative rate of J2s mortality of M. javanica reached to 97.67 and 95% by P. chrysogenum and Trichoderma spp., respectively, after 72 h. incubation. Additionally, Trichoderma spp exhibited the most effective inhibitory activity against the pathogen's radial growth, with a percentage of 68%. P. chrysogenum ranked second with 53.88%, while A. terreus (2) demonstrated the weakest inhibitory effect of 24.11%. T6 [Nematode infection (M. javanica) + Fungus infection (F. solani) + Overflowed with fungal culture filtrate (P. chrysogenum)] and T8 [Nematode infection (M. javanica) + Fungus infection (F. solani) + spray with fungal culture filtrate (P. chrysogenum)] had the greatest effects on nematode galling indices on okra roots and substantially reduced the reproductive factors in the greenhouse (In vivo experiment). T6 was the best treatment to decrease disease severity, as reached (28%) relatively. On the other hand, T12 [(Fungus infection (F. solani) + (Dovex 50% fungicide with irrigation water)] recorded the lowest disease severity reaching (8%) relatively. The results showed that nematode infection or fungus infection or both decreased all studied anatomical characteristics of okra root, stem, and leaves. We concluded from this study that root-knot nematode and root-rot fungi were reduced by using fungal culture filtrates and could improve plant growth.

Acute coronary syndrome and khat herbal amphetamine use: an observational report.

BACKGROUND: The khat plant is a stimulant similar to amphetamine and is thought to induce coronary artery spasm. Khat is widely chewed by individuals originating from the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical characteristics and outcome of khat chewers presenting with acute coronary syndrome. METHODS AND RESULTS: From October 1, 2008, through June, 30, 2009, 7399 consecutive patients with acute coronary syndrome were enrolled in the Second Gulf Registry of Acute Coronary Events (Gulf RACE-2). Nineteen percent of patients were khat chewers; 81% were not. Khat chewers were older, more often male, and less likely to have cardiovascular risk factors. Khat chewers were less likely to have a history of coronary artery disease and more likely to present late and to have higher heart rate and advanced Killip class on admission. Khat chewers were more likely to present with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction. Overall, khat chewers had higher risk of death, recurrent myocardial ischemia, cardiogenic shock, ventricular arrhythmia, and stroke compared with non-khat chewers. After adjustment for baseline variability, khat chewing was found to be an independent risk factor of death and for recurrent ischemia, heart failure, and stroke. CONCLUSIONS: Our data confirm earlier observations of worse in-hospital outcome among acute coronary syndrome patients who chew khat. This worse outcome persists up to 1 year from the index event. This observational report underscores the importance of improving education concerning the cardiovascular risks of khat chewing.

Tobacco modalities used and outcome in patients with acute coronary syndrome: an observational report.

AIM: The authors evaluated the prevalence and effect of the various tobacco use modalities among patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and compared them with non-tobacco and ex-tobacco users. METHODS: An analysis of the 2nd Gulf Registry of Acute Coronary Events conducted between October 2008 and June 2009 and which included 7930 consecutive patients hospitalised with ACS was made. Patients initially were divided into non-tobacco users, ex-tobacco users and current tobacco users. Subanalysis according to the tobacco modality used was subsequently made: cigarette, waterpipe or smokeless tobacco users. RESULTS: Overall, 2834 (36%) patients were current tobacco users, 306 (3.9%) patients were waterpipe smokers and 240 patients (3%) were oral tobacco users. When compared with non-tobacco and ex-tobacco users, overall current tobacco users were younger, more likely to be male subjects and less likely to have diabetes mellitus, hypertension and dyslipidaemia. Mortality rate (p=0.001) and overall cardiovascular events (p=0.001) were lower among current tobacco users when compared with the other two groups. After adjustment for baseline variables, tobacco use was not an independent predictor of adverse events. Subset analysis demonstrates oral tobacco users and waterpipe smokers were older and more likely to be women when compared with cigarette smokers. Among the various tobacco groups, inhospital mortality rates were significantly higher among the waterpipe smokers when compared with the other two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical characteristics and outcomes of ACS patients depend on the tobacco modality used. Further studies are required to evaluate the impact of emerging tobacco use modalities on patients with coronary artery disease.

Increasing the performance of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) seedlings by LED illumination.

Light is one of the most important limiting factors for photosynthesis and the production of plants, especially in the regions where natural environmental conditions do not provide sufficient sunlight, and there is a great dependence on artificial lighting to grow plants and produce food. The influence of light intensity, quality, and photoperiod on photosynthetic pigments content and some biochemical and growth traits of cucumber seedlings grown under controlled conditions was investigated. An orthogonal design based on a combination of different light irradiances, ratio of LEDs and photoperiods was used. Treaments consisted of three light irradiance regimes (80, 100, and 150 µmol m-2 s-1) provided by light-emitting diodes (LEDs) of different ratios of red and blue (R:B) (30:70, 50:50, and 70:30) and three different photoperiods (10/14, 12/12, and 14/10 h). The white light was used as a control/reference. Plant height, hypocotyl length, stem diameter, leaf area, and soluble sugar content were highest when exposed to LM9 (150 µmol m-2 s-1; R70:B30; 12/12 h) light mode, while the lowest values for the above parameters were obtained under LM1 (80 µmol m-2 s-1; R30:B70; 10/14 h). Higher pigments contents (chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and carotenoid) were obtained when light regime LM9 (150 µmol m-2 s-1; R70:B30; 12/12 h) was applied. In general, cucumber seedlings grown under the LM9 regime showed a significant increase in growth as well as photosynthetic capacity. It seems that the content of photosynthetic pigments is the key factor responsible for the performance of cucumber seedlings grown under different lighting modes, compared to other traits studied. We recommend monitoring the content of chlorophyll a, b, and their ratio value when studying the light requirement of cucumber plants.

Enhancement of photosynthesis efficiency and yield of strawberry (Fragaria ananassa Duch.) plants via LED systems.

Due to advances in the industrial development of light-emitting diodes (LEDs), much research has been conducted in recent years to get a better understanding of how plants respond to these light sources. This study investigated the effects of different LED-based light regimes on strawberry plant development and performance. The photosynthetic pigment content, biochemical constituents, and growth characteristics of strawberry plants were investigated using a combination of different light intensities (150, 200, and 250 µmol m-2 s-1), qualities (red, green, and blue LEDs), and photoperiods (14/10 h, 16/8 h, and 12/12 h light/dark cycles) compared to the same treatment with white fluorescent light. Plant height, root length, shoot fresh and dry weight, chlorophyll a, total chlorophyll/carotenoid content, and most plant yield parameters were highest when illuminated with LM7 [intensity (250 µmol m-2 s-1) + quality (70% red/30% blue LED light combination) + photoperiod (16/8 h light/dark cycles)]. The best results for the effective quantum yield of PSII photochemistry Y(II), photochemical quenching coefficient (qP), and electron transport ratio (ETR) were obtained with LM8 illumination [intensity (250 µmol m-2 s-1) + quality (50% red/20% green/30% blue LED light combination) + photoperiod (12 h/12 h light/dark cycles)]. We conclude that strawberry plants require prolonged and high light intensities with a high red-light component for maximum performance and biomass production.

The prevalence and outcome of hypertension in patients with acute coronary syndrome in six Middle-Eastern countries.

AIMS: The aim was to report the prevalence and significance of hypertension (HTN) in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). METHODS AND MAJOR FINDINGS: Over a 6-month period in 2007, 8171 consecutive patients (49.4% hypertensive and 50.6% non-hypertensive) presenting with ACS were enrolled in a prospective, multicenter study from six Middle Eastern adjacent countries. Patients with HTN were older (59.2 vs 53.1 years, p<0.001), and more likely to be female (34% vs 14.4%, p<0.001) when compared with patients without HTN. Patients with HTN were also more likely to have diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, cerebrovascular disease, prior history of coronary artery disease, peripheral artery disease but less likely to be cigarette smokers. At admission, HTN patients had higher Killip class, heart rate and GRACE risk scoring. In-hospital mortality was higher in hypertensive patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) but not in patients with non-STEMI or unstable angina. The incidence of heart failure complications was significantly higher among patients with HTN in overall ACS type (OR = 1.2, 95% CI 1.001-1.338, p= 0.04). MAIN CONCLUSION: In this large cohort of patients with ACS, HTN was an independent predictor of heart failure and was associated with an increased rate of in-hospital mortality in STEMI only.

Effects of light spectrum on morpho-physiological traits of grafted tomato seedlings.

It is already known that there are many factors responsible for the successful grafting process in plants, including light intensity. However, the influence of the spectrum of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) on this process has almost never been tested. During the pre-grafting process tomato seedlings grew for 30 days under 100 µmol m-2 s-1 of mixed LEDs (red 70%+ blue 30%). During the post-grafting period, seedlings grew for 20 days under the same light intensity but the lightening source was either red LED, mixed LEDs (red 70% + blue 30%), blue LED or white fluorescent lamps. This was done to determine which light source(s) could better improve seedling quality and increase grafting success. Our results showed that application of red and blue light mixture (R7:B3) caused significant increase in total leaf area, dry weight (total, shoot and root), total chlorophyll/carotenoid ratio, soluble protein and sugar content. Moreover, this light treatment maintained better photosynthetic performance i.e. more effective quantum yield of PSII photochemistry Y(II), better photochemical quenching (qP), and higher electron transport rate (ETR). This can be partially explained by the observed upregulation of gene expression levels of PsaA and PsbA and the parallel protein expression levels. This in turn could lead to better functioning of the photosynthetic apparatus of tomato seedlings and then to faster production of photoassimilate ready to be translocated to various tissues and organs, including those most in need, i.e., involved in the formation of the graft union.

Cardiovascular complications of Khat.

This article reviews current knowledge in khat (cathinone) research and its health impacts and toxicity in the cardiac system of khat chewers based on current evidence. The authors describe the process by which khat is postulated to induce multiple cardiac abnormalities by illustrating multiple case reports as described from around the world. The role of free radicals in inducing cardiac disease is also discussed. Future research areas are proposed to enhance our understanding of the mode of action of this toxicological drug.

Effect of high-flux versus low-flux dialysis membranes on parathyroid hormone.

INTRODUCTION. Hyperparathyroidism is a common finding in patients with renal insufficiency and parathyroid hormone (PTH) is considered a uremic toxin responsible for many of the abnormalities of the uremic state and bone disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of permeability of low-flux versus high-flux dialysis membranes on intact PTH during hemodialysis in children. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Forty-four children aged between 4 and 13 years old on regular hemodialysis were enrolled in a prospective study. Low-flux polysulfone membranes were used for at least 6 months and then the patients were switched to use high-flux polysulfone membranes for 3 months. Serum electrolytes and intact PTH before and after dialysis were compared before and after changes in dialysis membrane. RESULTS. At the end of the 3-month use of high-flux filters, predialysis intact PTH level (49.40 ± 19.64 ng/dL) showed a highly significant decline (P < .001) compared to the predialysis intact PTH (21.67 ± 4.85 ng/dL) with low-flux membranes at the start of the study. Intact PTH level correlated negatively with serum ionized calcium and positively with serum phosphorus levels only in the predialysis samples with the use of low-flux but not high-flux filters. CONCLUSIONS. In children, high-flux dialysis membranes are more efficient in removal of intact PTH, one of the middle-sized uremic toxins, than low-flux membranes.

Association of khat chewing with increased risk of stroke and death in patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence and significance of khat chewing in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). PATIENTS AND METHODS: From January 29, 2007, through July 29, 2007, 8176 consecutive patients presenting with ACS were enrolled in a prospective, multicenter study from 6 adjacent Middle Eastern countries. RESULTS: Of the 8176 study patients, 7242 (88.6%) were non-khat chewers, and 934 (11.4%) were khat chewers, mainly of Yemeni origin. Khat chewers were older (57 vs 56 years; P=.01) and more likely to be men (85.7% vs 74.5%) compared with non-khat chewers. Non-khat chewers were more likely to have diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia, obesity, and prior history of coronary artery disease and revascularization. Cigarette smoking was more prevalent in khat chewers, and they were more likely to present greater than 12 hours after onset of symptoms compared with non-khat chewers. At admission, khat chewers had higher heart rate, Killip class, and Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events risk scores. Khat chewers had a significantly higher risk of cardiogenic shock, stroke, and mortality. After adjustment of baseline variables, khat chewing was an independent risk factor for in-hospital mortality (odds ratio, 1.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-2.7; P<.001) and stroke (odds ratio, 2.7; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-5.9; P=.01). CONCLUSION: In this large cohort of patients with ACS, khat chewing was prevalent and was associated with increased risk of stroke and death. In the context of increasing global migration, a greater awareness of potential widespread practices is essential.