Islamic Azad University, Jahrom Branch

Abstract Tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum L.) is a widely consumed vegetable known for its taste and nutritional value, but it faces significant postharvest losses. This study evaluated the effects of various coating methods using carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) at levels of 0.5%, 0.75%, and 1%, and chitosan (CS) at 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5%, alongside untreated and water-washed controls, on the physicochemical properties of postharvest tomatoes during storage. Significant differences were observed in fruit weight loss, firmness, lycopene content, total phenols, flavonoids, antioxidant activity, hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) levels, vitamin C content, and pH across the treatments over 40 days. Notably, the 1.5% CS treatment was the most effective, resulting in a 35% reduction in weight loss, 20% higher firmness, and significantly increased lycopene and vitamin C levels compared to controls. CMC treatments also reduced weight loss but were less effective in maintaining firmness and antioxidant levels. Overall, CS coatings demonstrated superior benefits in preserving fruit quality, indicating their potential as effective postharvest treatments.

Cell lines following treatment with the extract at their respective IC₅₀ concentrations (35µg/ml for HT-29 and 20µg/ml for KB). Gene expression analysis showed upregulation of pro- Background: Natural products are a rich source of anticancer agents. Tetraselmis suecica, a green microalga, has demonstrated potential anticancer effects in limited studies, though its impact on colorectal and oral cancers remains unexplored. This study aims to investigate the anticancer and pro-apoptotic effects of Tetraselmis suecica extract on human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells (HT-29) and oral epidermal carcinoma cells (KB), and to evaluate its safety on normal human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). The MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay was used to assess cell viability in HT-29, KB, and HUVEC cells. Apoptosis was evaluated using Annexin V/propidium iodide (PI) staining and flow cytometry. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to analyze the expression of apoptosis-related genes including Caspase-3, Caspase-8, Caspase-9, Bax, Bcl-2, PTEN, and AKT. Tetraselmis suecica extract reduced cell viability in HT-29 and KB cells in a dose-dependent manner, with IC₅₀ values of approximately 35µg/ml for HT-29 and 20µg/ml for KB cells, as calculated from dose-response curves. The extract showed minimal cytotoxicity on HUVEC cells, maintaining over 95% viability even at the highest tested concentration. Apoptosis was significantly increased in both cancer apoptotic genes (Caspases, Bax, PTEN) and downregulation of anti-apoptotic genes (Bcl-2, AKT). This study is the first to report the pro-apoptotic and anticancer effects of Tetraselmis suecica extract on oral and colorectal cancer cells. The findings suggest its potential as a natural therapeutic agent, with minimal cytotoxicity on normal endothelial cells.

Lifestyle, nutrition, and metabolic status are central to maintaining women’s reproductive health. With the rising prevalence of infertility, the need for effective strategies to preserve and enhance women’s reproductive well-being has become increasingly urgent. Quercetin, a plant-derived polyphenol, has attracted growing interest for its potential to support reproductive health, regulate the hormonal balance, and improve fertility. This narrative review examines Quercetin’s role in women’s reproductive health and delineates its possible mechanisms of action in female reproductive system disorders, including polycystic ovary syndrome, recurrent miscarriage, and cervical, ovarian, and endometrial cancer (EC). By highlighting the biological pathways through which quercetin may exert its effects, this article underscores the need for further research and clinical trials to validate its therapeutic potential and its applications as a bioactive compound in foods aimed at enhancing women’s reproductive health.

This study investigates the toxicity and sub-lethal effects of four insecticides, flubendiamide, emamectin benzoate+lufenuron, thiocyclam, and spinosad, on third instar larvae, eggs and pupae of Tuta absoluta, a major pest in tomato cultivation. The findings of this study can help inform the development of effective and sustainable pest management strategies for Tuta absoluta in tomato cultivation. The LC50 values of these insecticides was assessed through bioassays, and the results showed varying levels of toxicity depending on the insecticide and the stage of the pest. Spinosad exhibiting the highest toxicity at 7.05 mg a.i/L against third instar larvae, followed by emamectin benzoate+lufenuron (14.24 mg a.i/L), flubendiamide (37.29 mg a.i/L), and thiocyclam (65.17 mg a.i/L). Additionally, the study evaluated the sub-lethal effects of these insecticides, including their impact on demographic parameters such as net reproductive rate (R0), intrinsic rate of increase (rm), finite rate of increase (λ), mean generation time (T), and doubling time (DT). The results indicated that all tested insecticides demonstrated high efficacy in controlling the larval stage of T. absoluta, while also exhibiting good efficacy against other growth stages, such as eggs and pupae. The larval stage was found to be the most susceptible to insecticides, while the pupal stage exhibited the lowest susceptibility to spinosad and emamectin benzoate+lufenuron. Pest eggs showed the lowest susceptibility to flubendiamide and thiocyclam. Therefore, the study suggests that spinosad and emamectin benzoate+lufenuron are highly toxic against T. absoluta and may be valuable in integrated pest management programs for controlling this pest..

Microgrid deployment is an effective measure to enhance grid resilience and flexibility. This research presents a two-stage robust model for microgrid planning, considering mixed decision-dependent and decision-independent uncertainties. We design a modern time-of-use (ToU) pricing scheme to optimize the identification of peak/off-peak time periods, as well as the pricing for individual load buses. The operational constraints of the recourse problem are characterized using a second-order conic AC power flow model. To exactly solve this intricate microgrid design problem, we devise a parametric CCG procedure that can handle robust optimization programs with hybrid endogenous and exogenous uncertainties. The proposed methodology is illustrated using three test systems, and the experimental results are discussed with a set of novel insights.

The evolution of resistance to imatinib and disease progression are multifactorial events in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients. In addition to the BCR-ABL1 dependent pathway, a number of other genetic and epigenetic aberrations, including DNA methylation, are also involved in the creation of these events. We aimed to investigate the role of HOXA4 gene methylation concerning response to imatinib, CML progression, and the impact of sokal score risk, BCR-ABL1 transcript type and smoking on methylation level. 80 CML patients (including 30 good responses and 50 non-mutated imatinib-resistant patients) and 15 health controls were recruited. Methylation level of HOXA4 gene promoter was evaluated by Methylation Sensitive High-Resolution Melt (MS-HRM) analysis. There was a significant difference in the mean of HOXA4 methylation level between two response groups (mean = 65.6; SD = 18.22 vs. mean = 48.2; SD = 12.1, P < 0.0001). HOXA4 promoter hypermethylation (75–100% methylation level) indicated a higher risk for progression to advance phase (OR = 4.06; 95% CI: 1.19–13.84; P = 0.02) and imatinib resistance (OR = 3.26; 95% CI: 1.26–8.43; P = 0.01). Importantly, HOXA4 hypermethylation was associated with b2a2 transcript type, smoke and high sokal risk score (OR = 2.78; 95% CI, 1.11–6.94; P = 0.02, OR = 3.47; 95% CI, 1.37–8.78; P = 0.008, OR = 4.14; 95% CI, 1.57–10.95; P = 0.004 respectively). Our study suggests that HOXA4 gene hypermethylation could be supposed as an epigenetic biomarker for prognosis of imatinib resistance and CML progression. Moreover, risk of HOXA4 hypermethylation is associated with the BCR-ABL1 transcript type, high risk score and smoking.