Improvement of physiological indices and biological yield by intercropping of Kochia (Kochia scoparia), Sesbania (Sesbania aculeata) and Guar (Cyamopsis tetragonoliba) under the salinity stress of irrigation water.

Due to the low quality of water resources in arid and semi-arid regions of the world, selection and management of forage plants suitable for saline condition is of great importance. Intercropping systems with halophyte plants not only improve production efficiency but also reduce soil salinity. In this study, the effects of different levels of irrigation water salinity and intercropping system on physiological indices and biological yield of Kochia, Guar and Sesbania were investigated during the growing seasons of 2016 and 2017. A split plot experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The main factor was salinity of irrigation water (4, 9 and 14 dS m-1) and the sub-factor was different cropping systems that consisted of mono cropping of Guar, Sesbania or Kochia, intercropping of two species and intercropping of three species. Results showed that salt stress increased sodium in the leaves of Kochia, Guar and Sesbania. Compared to mono cropping of Guar, in intercropping of three species and in intercropping with Kochia, Guar leaf potassium content was increased by 33.3% and 19.9% respectively. Salinity levels of 9 and 14 dS m-1 compared to salinity level of 4 dS m-1 increased the soluble sugar content of Kochia plant by 65.7% and 52.7%, respectively. However, in similar salinity levels, the trend for soluble sugar changes in Guar was vice versa. Salinity treatment of 14 dS m-1 decreased the relative water content of Sasbania and Guar leaves, but had a reverse effect on Kochia. Intercropping of two and three species also increased the relative water content of Sasbania and Guar leaves. Enhancement in salinity stress increased ionic leakage and malondialdehyde content of Guar leaf. On the other hand, at salinity level of 14 dS m-1, intercropping of three species increased the carotenoid content and decreased the amount of Guar leaf malondialdehyde compared to the Guar mono cropping system. The results of this study showed that salinity stress had negative effect on Guar yield but intercropping with Kochia could partly improve the yield of both Guar and Sesbania. In addition Kochia showed relatively good yield potential under salinity stress. Therefore, to improve the production of Sesbian and Guar, and also physiological performance of Kochia, intercropping system of these plants is recommended under salinity stress conditions.

Cryopreservation of rooster semen: Evidence for the epigenetic modifications of thawed sperm.

Although semen cryopreservation is an important, widely used technique for long-term sperm storage, it not only induces partially irreversible damages to sperm but might also deteriorate anatomical, biochemical, and structural organelles. These cellular and epigenetic modifications are the main reasons underlying the decline in sperm motility and fertility during the freeze-thaw process. Using the two Lake and Beltsville semen extenders, the present study aims to evaluate the epigenetic patterns (DNA methylation and histone modification), cellular parameters (e.g., membrane integrity, viability, DNA stability, mitochondria activity, and apoptosis status), and fertility potential of rooster semen collected from six mature roosters before and after cryopreservation according to a standard protocol. The results show that cryopreservation leads to significantly (P < 0.05) reduced values of the parameters examined when compared with those of fresh sperms. While the extenders used exhibit no difference with respect to DNA methylation (DNMT), the Lake extender leads to significant reductions (P < 0.05) in H3K9 acetylation (17.4 ±â€¯1.8) and H3K4 methylation (42 ±â€¯2.3) compared to the Beltsville (9.2 ±â€¯1.8 and 23 ±â€¯2.3, respectively). Compared to the Beltsville extender, the Lake one is also observed to yield a significantly (P < 0.05) superior sperm quality in terms of total motility (TM; 77.2 ±â€¯1.6 vs. 68.3 ±â€¯1.6), average path velocity (VAP; 71 ±â€¯1.4 vs. 53 ±â€¯1.4), and straight-line velocity (VSL; 52 ±â€¯1.5 vs. 34 ±â€¯1.5) as well as significantly (P < 0.05) higher viability (60 ±â€¯1.69 vs. 51 ±â€¯1.69) and membrane functionality (55 ±â€¯3.2 vs. 46 ±â€¯3.2). The Lake extender is also found to outperform the Beltsville one due to its significantly (P < 0.05) higher fertility rate (59.5% vs. 47.2%). The two extenders, however, exhibit no differences in DNA fragmentation, mitochondrial activity, or hatchability rate. The Beltsville extender showed to be superior to the Lake one due to its significantly greater reactive oxygen species percentage (ROS; 45.9 ±.3.2 vs. 28.5 ±â€¯3.2) and apoptosis (29 ±â€¯2.3 vs. 27 ±â€¯2.3). It may be concluded that the Lake extender is capable of improving the cellular and epigenetic parameters of rooster sperms during cryopreservation due to the crucial roles it plays in the protection of sperms against cryo-damages.

Farsi version of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory: validity and reliability study among Iranian elderly with dementia.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to validate the Farsi version of Neuropsychiatric Inventory (F-NPI), with the aim of promoting clinical assessment and local research on evaluation of neuropsychiatric symptom profiles of individuals with dementia in Iran. METHODS: In this cross-sectional, psychometric study, 100 patients with dementia in the age range of 60­90 years participated. Two trained psychiatrists interviewed the study subjects. Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale (PANSS) and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) were used to determine the concurrent validity. Testretest,inter-rater reliability and internal consistency were calculated. Discrimination validity was determined,using a matched control group consisting of 49 participants without dementia. Cronbach's α and Pearson' scorrelation coefficients were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: The internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.9) was excellent. The inter-rater reliability varied between 0.6 and 0.98 for frequency, severity and total scale of the F-NPI, and test-retest reliability was between 0.4 and 0.96. Concurrent validity varied between 0.3 and 0.9 (P < 0.05). The most prevalent symptom was "apathy" and the least prevalent was "euphoria". CONCLUSION: The Farsi version of NPI has satisfactory psychometric indexes and is applicable for clinical and study works in Iranian community.