The Effect of Auriculotherapy on Anxiety and Physiological Parameters of Male Coronary Angiography Patients: A Single-blind Randomized Clinical Trial.

PURPOSE: To determine the effect of auriculotherapy on anxiety and physiological parameters of male patients undergoing coronary angiography. DESIGN: A single-blind randomized clinical trial was performed in 2019 with 94 subjects selected by convenience sampling. METHODS: The subjects were divided into 2 groups via random allocation. Two hours before angiography, all patients completed the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 items (DASS-21) and their physiological parameters (blood pressure, pulse rate, and respiratory rate) were measured 60 minutes before angiography. Auriculotherapy was performed on ear acupoints of patients in the experimental group for 4 minutes. In the control group, patients were given auricular acupressure in sham points. The anxiety and physiological parameters were re-measured 10 minutes after the intervention. FINDINGS: Patients' anxiety was clinically lower in the experimental group (2.55 ± 0.27) compared to the control group (3.02 ± 0.33) (effect size = -1.42) after the intervention. There was no significant difference between 2 groups regarding physiological parameters after the intervention. However, the respiratory rates of patients were lower in the experimental group than in the control group (P < .001). After the intervention, physiological parameters significantly decreased in the experimental group compared to before the intervention (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Auriculotherapy reduces patient anxiety; therefore, it can be used as a complementary method before angiography.

Evaluation of the Potential of a Lectin Extracted from Polygonumpersicaria L. as a Biorational Agent against Sitophilusoryzae L.

Rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae L. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is one of the most destructive stored-product pests that is resistant to a wide range of chemical insecticides. In the present study, we investigated whether a lectin extracted from Polygonum persicaria L. (PPA) can be used as a biorational agent to control such insect pests. Along with the lethal digestive assay, the sub-lethal insecticidal activities of PPA, including the effects on digestive, detoxifying, and antioxidant enzyme activities, were evaluated against S. oryzae adults. The effect of feeding a diet containing PPA and carob extract as a food attractant on the mortality of S. oryzae adults was also investigated. Feeding on the diet containing PPA resulted in a significant mortality of S. oryzae adults with a LC50 (Lethal Concentration to kill 50% of insects) of 3.68% (w/w). The activity of digestive enzymes, including α-amylase, α-glucosidase, TAG-lipase, trypsin, chymotrypsin, elastase, and carboxy- and aminopeptidase, were decreased by the sub-lethal concentration of PPA. Detoxifying and antioxidant enzymes, including esterase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione-S-transferase, ascorbate peroxidase, glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase, and malondialdehyde, were activated in adults affected by PPA. These findings indicated that PPA, in addition to causing digestive disorders, leads to oxidative stress in S. oryzae. The presence of carob extract had no effect on the PPA-induced mortality of the insect. According to the results of the present study, PPA has promising insecticidal efficiency against S. oryzae. In addition, the usage of PPA with a food attractant carob extract in bait traps can be recommended as a new biorational formulation in S. oryzae management.

Changes in immune responses of Helicoverpa armigera Hübner followed by feeding on Knotgrass, Polygonum persicaria agglutinin.

There is no study implying the effect of plant lectins on insect immune elements in both challenged and non-challenged conditions with entomopathogenic agents. Lectins may bind to immune receptors on the surface of insect hemocytes, thus inducing or even disabling common immune functions including hemocyte counts, nodulation/encapsulation, phenoloxidase activity, and synthesis of antimicrobial peptides. In the present study, effect of Polygonum persicaria L. agglutinin (PPA) on immune responses of Helicoverpa armigera Hübner was investigated by feeding artificial diet treated to the larvae. Subsequently hemocyte count and expression of some immune-related genes were considered for analyses. The two groups of larvae including control and PPA-treated (1%) were divided into four subgroups of intact, Tween-80 injected, latex-bead injected and Beauveria bassiana-injected. Except for intact larvae, the highest numbers of total and differential hemocyte counts were recorded 12 hr postinjection, however, the PPA-fed larvae showed a significantly lower hemocyte counts compared to control. The number of nodules in PPA-fed larvae was significantly lower than control, but the injected larvae of both control and PPA showed the highest nodulation 24 hr postinjection. Although the highest activity of phenoloxidase was observed 12 and 24 hr postinjection but its activity significantly decreased in PPA-fed larvae compared to control. Gene expression of antimicrobial peptides including attacin, cecropin, and peptidoglycan receptor proteins were significantly decreased in artificial diet-fed larvae containing PPA and then injected by B. bassiana spores and latex bead compared to control. These results clearly indicate adverse effects of PPA on immune responses in H. armigera.

Effects of Potato Cultivars on Some Physiological Processes of Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae).

Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say), is an important pest of potato throughout the world. Here, the effects of six potato cultivars including 'Arinda,' 'Sprit,' 'Markiez,' 'Lotta,' 'Santae,' and 'Agria' were studied on nutritional indices, digestive enzymes, and some components involved in intermediary metabolism of L. decemlineata. Nutritional indices of the larvae and the adults were significantly different followed by feeding on various potato cultivars. The individuals fed on Agria showed the highest activity of digestive proteases although cathepsin B demonstrated same Activity on Santae and Lotta. The highest activity of α-amylase was found in the larvae fed on Arinda, but the adults demonstrated the highest amylolytic activities on Santae and Agria. Both larvae and adults of L. decemlineata fed on Santae revealed the highest α- and ß-glucosidase activities. No significant differences were found in lipase activity of larvae, but the highest lipase activity was found in the adults fed on Santae. The highest activities of transaminases were found in the larvae and adults fed on the Agria except for γ-glutamyl transferase. In case of aldolase, the highest activities were observed in the larvae and adults fed on Santae and Sprit. The highest activities of lactate dehydrogenase were obtained in the larvae and adults fed on Santae. The highest amount of low-density lipophorin was measured in both individuals fed on Santae. There were no significant differences in high-density lipophorin amount of adults, but the highest value was found in the larvae fed on Agria. The lowest amounts of protein and triglyceride were observed in both individuals fed on Santae and Agria, respectively. These results revealed Santae is the most suitable cultivar for L. decemlineata based on digestion and intermediary metabolism findings, but Lotta is an unsuitable cultivar and could be considered for integrated pest management.

Screening of variables affecting the selective leaching of valuable metals from waste motherboards' PCBs.

The presence of valuable and hazardous metals in waste printed circuit boards, especially, motherboards, makes their recovery necessary as implies great economic and environmental advantages and develops urban mining processes. Hence, this research is focused on the selective leaching of Cu, Pb, and Sn as base metals using nitric acid and hydrochloric acid and Au, Ag, and Pd as precious metals using thiourea and sodium thiosulfate from waste motherboards' PCBs in a sequential eco-friendly two-stage process. Previously, thiourea and sodium thiosulfate were used as leaching agents to investigate their applicability for the leaching of metals from PCBs in a single-stage process. Screening experimental design was applied to screen the variables affecting the leaching process in order to evaluate their impact on the recovery of metals and select the significant factors. The results demonstrated that base and precious metals can be leached appropriately in two consecutive stages compared to a single-stage process. Nitric acid was found to be a much more efficient agent to leach Cu and Pb in comparison with hydrochloric acid which was more suitable for the leaching of Sn. In the case of precious metals, higher amounts of Au were leached using thiourea, whereas sodium thiosulfate was able to leach more Pd. Roughly similar results were obtained for the leaching of Ag using these leaching agents. Nitric acid concentration, average particle size, temperature, and leaching time were found to be significant to maximize the leaching of Cu and Pb and minimize that for Au, Ag, and Pd in the first stage. Initial pH was the only variable influencing the second stage, in particular, Au leaching by thiourea.

Effect of Polygonum persicaria (Polygonales: Polygonaceae) Extracted Agglutinin on Life Table and Antioxidant Responses in Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Larvae.

Plant lectins could reduce insect populations by imposing imbalances in biology and physiology. Here, an agglutinin was extracted from Polygonum persicaria L. (PPA; Polygonales: Polygonaceae) and its effects were investigated on life table parameters and antioxidant system of Helicoverpa armigera Hübner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). PPA significantly changed demographic parameters showing adverse effects on age-stage survival rate (Sxj), age-specific survival rate (lx), age-specific fecundity rate (mx), age stage specific fecundity (fxj), and life expectancy (exj). Also, life table parameters including net reproduction rate (R0) (Offspring/female), intrinsic rate of population increase (rm) (days-1), finite rate of increase (λ) (days-1), gross reproduction rate (GRR) (Offspring/female) significantly decreased in the PPA-treated H. armigera compared to control except for mean generation time (T) (days). Activities of antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CA), peroxidase (POX), glutathione S-transferase (GST) and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH) increased statistically in the PPA-treated larvae compared to control while no significant difference was observed in the activity of ascorbate peroxidase (APOX) activity. Moreover, ratio of RSSR/RSH and concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA) were found to be statistically higher in PPA-treated larvae than control. The current results clearly showed that PPA not only had a negative impact on demography of H. armigera but also induced antioxidant raise by releasing free radicals. These released radicals, together with impaired digestion and absorption observed in our previous report, could be considered as a reason for reducing biological fitness of H. armigera.