Associations of diagnostic findings with disease activity in primary Sjӧgren's syndrome: a cluster analysis

OBJECTIVE

The diagnosis of primary Sjӧgren's syndrome still relies upon a constellation of clinical, laboratory, imaging, and pathological findings. We aimed to evaluate the relation of the disease activity with the results of diagnostic tests for primary Sjӧgren's syndrome.

METHODS

A principal component with cluster analysis was performed to classify 69 patients with primary Sjӧgren's syndrome based on the results of diagnostic evaluations.

RESULTS

Anti-SSA autoantibody was the most represented feature on the principal components. The anti-SSA and ultrasound score were positively correlated (p=0.001). We identified two distinct clusters of low or high disease activity (p<0.001). Except for disease duration and serum beta2-microglobulin, the clusters were significantly different in salivary flow (p= 0.004), ultrasound findings (p<0.001), IgG (p= 0.001), and salivary beta2-microglobulin (p= 0.048). Also, positive findings were significantly different between the clusters in rheumatoid factor, antinuclear antibody, anti-SSA, and anti-SSB (all p≤0.013).

CONCLUSION

Patients with higher syndrome activity were best recognized with serological and ultrasound assessments. However, patients with lower syndrome activity had a longer disease duration, higher stimulated salivary flow rate, and a positive biopsy of minor salivary glands (56%).

Associations between Physical Activity and Mental Health in Iranian Adolescents during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Accelerometer-Based Study

Using self-reported questionnaires, several studies found that social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly changed the level of physical activity (PA) in children and adolescents. Since the objectivity of self-reported PA is limited in several ways, we used modern accelerometers in this study to assess the PA levels of male and female adolescents during the pandemic-related lockdown. Moreover, the association of PA with mental health of the adolescents were analyzed. A total of 136 students (76 girls, mean age of 16.28 ± 0.97 years) from various schools in Iran wore the accelerometer (ActiGraph GT3X-BT) for seven consecutive days. Mental health was measured through the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale-21 of Lovibond and Lovibond (1995). Descriptive statistics and independent t-tests were used to analyze the PA levels of male and female students, and linear regressions were computed to examine whether PA predicts mental health status. On average, the daily time spent in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) was 18.47 min, which is clearly below the WHO guideline of at least 60 min of MVPA per day. Only 4% of adolescents showed MVPA for more than 30 min per day. Male students were significantly more active than their female peers (p = 0.015). As expected, MVPA was negatively associated with mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and stress. However, the majority of adolescents reported symptoms of mild-to-moderate mental health disorders. These results emphasize the need for targeted strategies and offerings geared to young people's needs and preferences to promote an adequate level of PA and good mental health during and after the ongoing pandemic.

MoVi: A large multi-purpose human motion and video dataset

Large high-quality datasets of human body shape and kinematics lay the foundation for modelling and simulation approaches in computer vision, computer graphics, and biomechanics. Creating datasets that combine naturalistic recordings with high-accuracy data about ground truth body shape and pose is challenging because different motion recording systems are either optimized for one or the other. We address this issue in our dataset by using different hardware systems to record partially overlapping information and synchronized data that lend themselves to transfer learning. This multimodal dataset contains 9 hours of optical motion capture data, 17 hours of video data from 4 different points of view recorded by stationary and hand-held cameras, and 6.6 hours of inertial measurement units data recorded from 60 female and 30 male actors performing a collection of 21 everyday actions and sports movements. The processed motion capture data is also available as realistic 3D human meshes. We anticipate use of this dataset for research on human pose estimation, action recognition, motion modelling, gait analysis, and body shape reconstruction.

Motivational Effects of Enhanced Expectancies for Motor Learning in Individuals With High and Low Self-Efficacy

Previous research has shown that enhanced expectancies can foster a person’s motivational state and facilitate motor learning. However, the effects of enhanced expectancies on motivational state and subsequent motor learning in individuals with varied motivational states (e.g., self-efficacy; SE) are not well understood. This study examined the effects of enhanced expectancies on motivational state and motor learning in individuals with high and low SE by manipulating the type of knowledge of results (KR). We selected 60 participants from 251 male undergraduate students, based on their SE level, and assigned them to four groups: (a) Good Performance KR and High SE, (b) Poor Performance KR and High SE, (c) Good Performance KR and Low SE, and (d) Poor Performance KR and Low SE. We asked participants to throw beanbags at a target with their nondominant hand during an acquisition phase (10 blocks of six trials each) and during subsequent retention and transfer tests. During acquisition, the Good KR groups received KR from their three most accurate trials in each training block, whereas the Poor KR groups received KR from their three poorest attempts in each block. We measured accuracy scores and changes in SE as dependent variables. Results showed that KR from good trials, relative to KR from poor trials, led to better accuracy scores during acquisition and retention and transfer tests, independent of participants’ initial SE levels. Moreover, KR on good trials enhanced SE in the Good KR and Low SE group and kept SE at a high level in the Good KR and High SE group during acquisition and on the retention and transfer tests. These results provide support for the OPTIMAL (optimizing performance through intrinsic motivation and attention for learning) theory of motor learning, and we discuss results in terms of the potential effects of positive feedback on motor performance in professional athletes.

Histone deacetylases in virus-associated cancers

Oncogenic viruses are one of the most important causes of cancer worldwide. The pathogens contribute to the establishment of human malignancies by affecting various cellular events. Epigenetic mechanisms, such as histone modification methylation/demethylation, are one of the most critical events manipulated by oncogenic viruses to drive tumorigenesis. Histone modifications are mediated by histone acetylation and deacetylation, regulated by histone acetyltransferases (HATs) and histone deacetylases (HDACs), respectively. Dysregulation of HDACs activity affects viral tumorigenesis in several ways, such as manipulating tumor suppressor and viral gene expression. The present review aims to describe the vital interactions between both cancer-caused/associated viruses and the HDAC machinery, particularly by focusing on those viruses involved in gastrointestinal tumors, as some of the most common viral-mediated cancers.

Percepción de competencia física en escolares de España e Irán: un estudio cultural

El objetivo fue analizar la percepción de competencia física en una muestra de escolares españoles e iraníes. Participaron en el estudio 910 escolares (edad 10-12 años) pertenecientes a Castilla la Mancha (España) y Golestan (Irán). La prueba U-Mann Whitney ha puesto de manifiesto que los varones y las mujeres de España obtienen unos valores superiores en los factores de experiencia personal (p< 0.05) y compañeros (p< 0.05). A nivel global, solo los varones españoles presentan una mayor percepción de competencia física que sus homólogos iraníes (p< 0.05). Estos resultados muestran diferencias interculturales en la PCF a favor de los escolares españoles. Conocer la percepción de competencia física permite adecuar el desarrollo de las clases de Educación Física con el fin de influir en la intención de ser físicamente activo y un mayor ajuste psicológico del escolar.

Association between human papillomavirus infection and prostate cancer: A global systematic review and meta-analysis

Although an increasing number of studies have been conducted to evaluate the association between human papillomavirus (HPV) infections and distribution of HPV types worldwide with the risk of prostate cancer (PC), the results remain inadequate. Hence, we investigated the association between HPV infection and PC risk using a meta-analysis. Relevant studies from January 1990 to December 2016 were searched in PubMed, Web of sciences, and Scopus databases. Pooled odds ratio (OR) and their corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated to find the association between the prevalence of HPV and prostate cancer risk. To do so, data from 24 studies with 5546 prostate cancer cases were pooled in order to evaluate the heterogeneity of chief parameters including study region, specimen type, HPV DNA source, detection technique, publication calendar period, and Gleason score. All statistical analyses were performed using STATA 11 and MedCalc 13. A significant positive association was found between HPV infection and PC risk (OR = 1.281; P = 0.026). The genotype 16 was more frequently found in patients with PC which significantly increased the cancer risk (OR = 1.60; P < 0.001). Age 65 and older could significantly escalate PC risk (OR = 3.564; P < 0.001). Our results clearly favor the potential pathogenetic link between HPV infection and increased risk of PC affirming that HPV infections could play a part in the risk of PC.

Motivational effects of enhancing expectancies and autonomy for motor learning: An examination of the OPTIMAL theory

The OPTIMAL theory proposes that enhancing expectancies and autonomy facilitate motor performance and learning (Wulf & Lewthwaite). Present study with two experiments aimed to examine this proposition by using a modified dart throwing as motor task. In both experiments, motor learning (i.e., retention test) was enhanced by practice conditions, which enhance expectancies for future performance and support learners' autonomy. Moreover, they led to significantly superior self-efficacy scores during all acquisition phase, retention, and transfer tests. Findings of the present study provided support for propositions of the OPTIMAL theory. Results are discussed in terms of motivational aspects of enhancing expectancies and autonomy and their role on facilitating motor learning.

Presenting a new method to improve the detection of micro-seismic events

Seismic events such as earthquakes are one of the most important issues in the field of geology. Meanwhile, less attention has been paid to micro-seismic events, despite the high number of earthquakes. Earthquakes, regardless of their size, affect human life; therefore, their detection and management is considered an important issue. For this purpose, experts developed seismic arrays as a system of linked seismometers. These systems equipped with sensors and seismographs are able to receive a range of waves from the earth, which are then sent to the central seismic station for analysis. So far, many tools and methods have been devised to analyze seismic data. However, the dominant method in most seismic mechanisms is trigger function, based on STA/LTA (short-time-average through long-time-average trigger). These mechanisms have considerable threshold in terms of earthquake range, so many micro-events are ignored as noise. Generally, in this field of geology, computer science techniques have been used to detect and classify these events. Statistical methods such as kurtosis, variance, and skewness can be applied to understand the changes in the signal curves of geophones in a seismic event, thereby helping in the initial detection of fuzzy features. According to the last 3 years' reports of global data mining agencies such as Rexer, KDnugget, and Gartner, Rapid Miner is one of the most popular tools for data mining in recent years. Furthermore, these institutions considered artificial neural networks, especially multilayer perceptron (MLP) and base radial function (RBF), to be among the most successful algorithms for detection and classification of stream data. In this research, the recorded data from several seismic experiments has been classified by a hybrid model. Hence, the present study was aimed to enhance the authenticity of data based on the application of effective variables. This was undertaken through use of a fuzzy method and an integrated neural network algorithm, involving MLP perceptron and radial network of RBF in the form of a collective learning system, in order to identify seismic events on a small scale. Based on the results, in comparison to basic methods, the proposed method significantly improved using the actual error and root-mean-square error (RMSE) criteria.

Safety and efficacy of endoscopic spray cryotherapy for esophageal cancer

Although surgery is traditionally the standard of care for esophageal cancer, esophagectomy carries significant morbidity. Alternative endoscopic therapies are needed for patients who are not candidates for conventional treatment. The objective of this study is to assess the safety, efficacy, and tolerability of spray cryotherapy of esophageal adenocarcinoma. This study includes patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma who had failed or were not candidates for conventional therapy enrolled retrospectively and prospectively in an open-label registry and patients in a retrospective cohort from 11 academic and community practices. Endoscopic spray cryotherapy was performed until biopsy proven local tumor eradication or until treatment was halted due to progression of disease, patient withdrawal or comorbidities. Eighty-eight patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma (median age 76, 80.7% male, mean length 5.1 cm) underwent 359 treatments (mean 4.4 per patient). Tumor stages included 39 with T1a, 25 with T1b, 9 with unspecified T1, and 15 with T2. Eighty-six patients completed treatment with complete response of intraluminal disease in 55.8%, including complete response in 76.3% for T1a, 45.8% for T1b, 66.2% for all T1, and 6.7% for T2. Mean follow-up was 18.4 months. There were no deaths or perforations related to spray cryotherapy. Strictures developed in 12 of 88 patients (13.6%) but were present before spray cryotherapy in 3 of 12. This study suggests that endoscopic spray cryotherapy is a safe, well-tolerated, and effective treatment option for early esophageal adenocarcinoma.

Throwing Skills

Traditionally, motor learning scientists have evaluated the process of learning a new motor skill by considering the skill as a whole. Yet, motor skills comprise various phases, and in the motor learning literature, it is not clear whether new learners show similar or different learning across various phases. We provide exploratory data on learning movement phases by novices, using baseball pitching as the learning task. Eight participants (four male, four female, M age = 23.7 years, SD = 2.4) performed five trials each in the pretest followed by three blocks of 10 trials each in the acquisition phase. Finally, two retention tests of five trials were conducted by each participant 10 minutes and seven days after the last acquisition block, respectively. Intra- and interlimb coordination of upper and lower body segments were measured as dependent variables. We found significant differences between the stride phase and the other phases at pretest, during the acquisition phase, and on both retention tests across all kinematic variables. Participants experienced more trouble coordinating the stride phase than the other phases of pitching, perhaps because the stride phase is the only phase in which the participants had to move their upper and lower body parts simultaneously. We discuss implications for motor learning generally.

Significant performance improvement of a terahertz photoconductive antenna using a hybrid structure

Design of a photoconductive terahertz antenna based on a distributed Bragg reflector, recessed nanoplasmonic grating and recessed electrodes.

Evaluating the relation between patients-related factors and dissected lymph node ratio in gastric cancer

BACKGROUND

Gastric cancer is a forth common malignancy world-wide and the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths. According to the current International Union Against Cancer staging system, nodal status is categorized based on the number of metastatic lymph nodes (LNs). Some groups have recently proposed the metastatic lymph node ratio (MLR) (the ratio between metastatic LNs and total dissected LNs; MLR) as an alternative prognostic factor. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the relationship between MLR and different clinico pathologic factors including patients' age, tumor grade, stage, sites of involvement and disease prognosis.

METHODS

Atotal of 70 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma who underwent gastrectomy with negative margin and LN resection during 2004-2009 and were referred to Radiotherapy-Oncology Department of Name of Hospital, Name of City, were included in the study. MLR status was divided to five groups. Collected data were analyzed with SPSS 16 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).

RESULTS

The difference between MLR groups in age was significant; older patients had lower MLR (P = 0.01). The ratio of male to female was 5.3, which indicated higher prevalence of gastric cancer in males. The difference between MLR groups for tumor location, tumor stage, disease free periods and tumor T stages were not significant. A significant relation existed between different stages of LN involvement and MLR; and also between cancer stages and MLR.

CONCLUSION

We found a significant relation between MLR and cancer stage and metastatic LN. Due to small sample size and short period of follow-up, we could not find significant relation between MLR and other factors such as depth of tumor invasion, disease free period and tumor grading. In conclusion with regards to our results and other similar studies' results, we acknowledge the importance of MLR in determining patients' prognosis in gastric cancer.

The Effect of Observational Practice by a Point-Light Model on Learning a Novel Motor Skill

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of observing point-light and video models and physical practice on learning a crouch start.

METHOD

Thirty-two female students were randomly assigned into point-light, video, physical practice, and control groups. They performed 10 trials in pretest, 160 trials in acquisition phase, and 10 trials in 24-hour retention test. Kinematic features and reaction time were measured as dependent variables.

RESULTS

Results showed that physical practice group performed better than other groups in reaction time and range of motion of trunk and observational groups performed better than control groups in reaction time and range of motion of knee.

CONCLUSION

The results confirm the positive effects of observational practice on motor learning.

Safety and efficacy of endoscopic spray cryotherapy for Barrett's dysplasia: results of the National Cryospray Registry

Retrospective series have shown the efficacy of endoscopic spray cryotherapy in eradicating high-grade dysplasia (HGD) in Barrett's esophagus (BE); however, prospective data are lacking, and efficacy for low-grade dysplasia (LGD) is unclear. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of spray cryotherapy in patients with LGD or HGD. A multicenter, prospective open-label registry enrolled patients with dysplastic BE. Spray cryotherapy was performed every 2-3 months until there was no endoscopic evidence of BE and no histological evidence of dysplasia, followed by surveillance endoscopies up to 2 years. Primary outcome measures were complete eradication of dysplasia (CE-D) and complete eradication of all intestinal metaplasia (CE-IM). Ninety-six subjects with Barrett's dysplasia (67% HGD; 65% long-segment BE; mean length 4.5 cm) underwent 321 treatments (mean 3.3 per subject). Mean age was 67 years, 83% were male. Eighty patients (83%) completed treatment with follow-up endoscopy (mean duration 21 months). In patients with LGD, rate of CE-D was 91% (21/23) and rate of CE-IM was 61% (14/23). In HGD, CE-D rate was 81% (46/57) and CE-IM was 65% (37/57). In patients with short-segment BE (SSBE) with any dysplasia, CE-D was achieved in 97% (30/31) and CE-IM in 77% (24/31). There were no esophageal perforations or related deaths. One subject developed a stricture, which did not require dilation. One patient was hospitalized for bleeding in the setting of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use. In the largest prospective cohort to date, data suggest endoscopic spray cryotherapy is a safe and effective modality for eradication of BE with LGD or HGD, particularly with SSBE.

The effect of different recovery methods on blood lactate removal in wrestlers

AIM

The first aim of this study was to compare the VO₂at lactate threshold (LT) and maximum rate of fat oxidation (Fat(max)) intensity in wrestlers. A secondary aim was to compare the different recovery trials in wrestlers for finding effective methods of lactate removal post-match.

METHODS

Eight wrestlers (mean ± SD; age, 23.2 ± 1 year; VO(2max), 55.2 ± 3.4 mL.min⁻¹.kg⁻¹) completed four recovery trials in a counter-balanced order. Maximal oxygen uptake (VO(2max)), Fat(max), individual anaerobic threshold (IAT), individual ventilatory threshold (IVT), and LT were determined during a graded exercise test. Different recovery methods were performed at a similar time of the day after three 2 min wrestling match. Lactate concentration was obtained at rest, and at 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 min of post-match.

RESULTS

In wrestler, Fat(max) was significantly correlated with LT (r=0.47, P<0.05) and lactate concentration (mean ± SD) significantly increased during the match from (1.7 ± 0.2 mmol.L⁻¹) to (15.1 ± 1.3 mmol.L⁻¹). At 5 minute, IVT method provides greater reduce in blood lactate (79% ∆La) and in other time point (10, 15 and 20 min) Fat(max) intensity provides more reduce.

CONCLUSION

Fat(max) intensity is the most effective method for removal lactate concentration in wrestlers. There may be a relationship between improve in endurance capacity and training at the Fat(max) intensity.

Effect of Different pH Values on the Compressive Strength of Calcium-Enriched Mixture Cement

INTRODUCTION

The aim of this study was to evaluate the compressive strength of calcium-enriched mixture (CEM) cement in contact with acidic, neutral and alkaline pH values.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

The cement was mixed according to the manufacturer's instructions, it was then condensed into fourteen split molds with five 4×6 mm holes. The specimens were randomly divided into 7 groups (n=10) and were then exposed to environments with pH values of 4.4, 5.4, 6.4, 7.4, 8.4, 9.4 and 10.4 in an incubator at 37(°) C for 4 days. After removing the samples from the molds, cement pellets were compressed in a universal testing machine. The exact forces required for breaking of the samples were recorded. The data were analyzed with the Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn tests for individual and pairwise comparisons, respectively. The level of significance was set at 0.05.

RESULTS

The greatest (48.59±10.36) and the lowest (9.67±3.16) mean compressive strength values were observed after exposure to pH value of 9.4 and 7.4, respectively. Alkaline environment significantly increased the compressive strength of CEM cement compared to the control group. There was no significant difference between the pH values of 9.4 and 10.4 but significant differences were found between pH values of 9.4, 8.4 and 7.4. The acidic environment showed better results than the neutral environment, although the difference was not significant for the pH value of 6.4. Alkaline pH also showed significantly better results than acidic and neutral pH.

CONCLUSION

The compressive strength of CEM cement improved in the presence of acidic and alkaline environments but alkaline environment showed the best results.

Anti-proliferative and apoptotic activities of constituents of chloroform extract of Juglans regia leaves

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate anti-proliferative as well as apoptotic activities of compounds identified in chloroform extract of Juglans regia leaves, on human breast and oral cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and BHY).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Column chromatography, MTT assay, flowcytometry and western blotting have all been used in the study.

RESULTS

Bioassay-guided fractionation of chloroform extract of J. regia afforded isolation of 5-hydroxy-3,7,4'-trimethoxyflavone [1], lupeol [2], daucosterol [3], 4-hydroxy-α-tetralone [4], β-sitosterol [5], 5,7- dihydroxy-3,4'-dimethoxyflavone [6] and regiolone [7]. Structures of the compounds were established on the basis of spectroscopic analyses [Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass]. All compounds inhibited proliferation of MCF-7 (human breast adenocarcinoma) and BHY (human oral squamous carcinoma) cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Compounds 6 and 7 had potent cytotoxic effects on both MCF-7 and BHY cells (IC50 21-51 μm), yet were not toxic to normal cells. MCF-7 growth inhibition was attributed to apoptosis; population of apoptotic cells increased from 1.12% in controls to 5.64 and 8.1% after 48-h treatment with compounds 6 and 7, indicating their potential at inducing early and late apoptosis. The caspase cascade was not activated, as indicated by only insignificant cleavage of caspase-3.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that compounds 6 and 7 can induce apoptosis in MCF-7 cells through the caspase-3 independent pathway.

Processing of Thermally Stable Polymer Nanocomposites Reinforced Silicate Nanoparticles Based on N-trimellitylimido-L-phenyl alanine

In this article two polymer/nanocomposite films with 5 and 10% silicate particles based on Poly(amide-imide) (PAI) from N-trimellitylimido-L-phenyl alanine were prepared via solution intercalation method through blending of organoclay with the PAI solution. Poly(amide-imide) was synthesized by the direct polycondensation reaction of N-trimellitylimido-L-phenyl alanine with 4,4′-diamino diphenyl ether in the presence of triphenyl phosphite (TPP), CaCl2 and pyridine (Py). Morphology and structure of the resulting PAI-nanocomposite films were characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The effect of clay dispersion and the interaction between clay and polymeric chains on the properties of nanocomposites films were investigated by using Uv-vis spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and water uptake measurements.

Cross interaction of Pseudomonas putida and Glomus intraradices and its effect on wheat root colonization

To study the cross interaction of microorganisms in plant growth promotion and the effect of auxin in this interaction, Pseudomonas putida and Glomus intraradices were co-inoculated on wheat. For this purpose, a mutant that produced less amount of auxin was derived from the bacterial strain by chemical mutagenesis with ethyl methane sulfonate. Next both the wild-type strain and the mutant strain were labeled with gusA for a better detection on the roots. Finally, the bacteria were inoculated on wheat as single inoculants or combined with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Controls included non-bacteria/non-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi alone. Plants co-inoculated with the wild-type bacterial strain and Glomus intraradices had the highest stem and their fresh and dry shoot weight was more than other treatments. Also, it was observed that the wild-type strain significantly improved the mycorrhizal colonization which implies the beneficial effect of auxin on mycorrhizal colonization. Furthermore, Glomus intraradices increased the population density of the wild-type strain in the endorhizosphere. In the microscopic studies of plant roots, bacterial colonies were observed as blues lines on the surface and inside the roots as well as on the seed surfaces.

Analysis of morphological trait and yield components of mutant wheat under different levels of nitrogen

In order to evaluate the reaction of yield and yield components of wheat's mutant lines to different levels of nitrogen in the crop year of 2006-2007, an experiment was conducted as factorial based on completely randomized block design in 4 replicates in the Research Farm of Agricultural, Medical and Industrial Research School in Zaferaniyeh-Karaj-Iran the first factor included 5 genotypes of wheat (Tabasi-the maternal entity, T-65-7-1, T-65-5-1, T-6-67-60, T-65-58-8) and the second factor consisted of 4 levels of nitrogen (100, 140, 180 and 220 kg ha(-1) urea 46%). The result showed that grain's yield harvest index, number of grain/spike in mutant lines and their parent had significant difference (p < 0.01) in mutant genotypes, meanwhile, the biological yield and the number of spike m2 were not significant difference (p < 0.05). The harvest index, number of grains per spike, grain's yield, biologic yield and number of spikes m(-2), weight of 1000 grains didn't affected by applying different levels of nitrogen fertilizer.

Detection and some properties of cowpea mild mottle virus isolated from soybean in Iran

During 2006-2007 growing seasons, survey were carried to identify a virus disease causing mosaic of soybean in the field in Southern region (Khozestan Province) of Iran. To detect the viral infection, diseased leaf samples showing mild mosaic and leaf malformation were collected from soybean fields in Dezful, located in Khozestan Province. Infected samples were carried to the lab in a proper condition on ice packages. TPIA and DAS-ELISA serological tests were applied to identify the viral agent. To investigate the host-range, several indicator plants were mechanically inoculated under green-house condition. Seed transmission of CPMMV was examined using the seeds obtained from infected plants. The virus isolate was not found to be seed-borne in Clark variety of soybean. Different steps of ultracentrifugation including sucrose density gradient (10-40%) were carried out in order to obtain partial purified virus. On the basis of biological, serological and EM results, CPMMV-Carla virus was identified in the infected soybean samples. This is the first report of CPMMV infection of soybean in Iran.

Religious coping and problem-solving by couples faced with prostate cancer

Religion can be an important resource for people struggling with chronic illness. Problem-solving skills have also been shown to be helpful. This study examined whether turning to religion as a coping resource would be associated with better problem-solving in couples trying to manage challenges associated with prostate cancer. The sample was 101 patients with prostate cancer and their wives. Wives completed the Social Problem-Solving Inventory--Revised at baseline (T1) and 10 weeks later (T2). Patients and their wives also completed a measure that included items on religious coping. These items were used to classify couples into four groups based on whether one or both members engaged in religious coping: (1) husband only, (2) wife only, (3) both husband and wife, and (4) neither husband nor wife. From T1 to T2, wives who used religious coping along with their husbands (group 3) showed a significantly greater reduction in dysfunctional problem-solving (specifically, on impulsive/careless problem-solving) in comparison with wives who used religious coping while their husbands did not (group 2). Findings suggest that when couples share in turning to religion as a source of coping, this may be associated with improved problem-solving, but sole engagement in religious coping by wives may be associated with worse problem-solving.