Effect of salt and drought stress on acid phosphatase activities in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) explants under in vitro culture

Acid phosphatase is wildly found in plants. This enzyme has intra and extra cellular activity. For instance, it dephosphorylase organic phosphate and change it to inorganic phosphate. However, acid phosphatase activity is increased by salt and osmotic stress. In this experiments, calluses were produced from invitro grown explants of Medicago sativa cv. Yazdi and cv. Hamedani under aseptic condition on MS medium containing NAA, 2,4-D. Then calluses and seedling were transferred to the same medium containing 0,0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1% NaCl and 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10% Mannitol as osmotic stress. After 2 weeks acid phosphatse activities were measured and data statistically analyzed. Clearly acid phosphatase activities was increased by salt and drought stress in both cultivars, and the difference between two genotype indicating that the acid phosphatase activity is highly genotype dependent. (African Journal of Biotechnology: 2003 2(5): 133-135

Comparison of the Perspectives of Managers, Employees and Clients Regarding the Individual Barriers of Family Planning Counseling in Healthcare Centers of Isfahan in 2012

Background: Family planning is a lifestyle that is selected voluntarily and is based on the knowledge, attitude and responsible decision making by couples in order to promote the health and welfare of the family and the advancement of the society. In this regard, family planning counseling plays an important role in making informed decisions if used properly and in a responsible way. Detection of individual barriers in family planning counseling based on the viewpoints of managers, employees and clients who are key participants in the healthcare service provision is a major step towards appropriate planning to modify or eliminate such barriers. Objectives: The present study was conducted with the goal of comparing managers', employees' and clients' viewpoints about individual barriers in family planning counseling in health care centers in Isfahan in 2012. Patients and Methods: This was a cross-sectional one-step three-group comparative descriptive study conducted on 295 subjects including 59 managers, 110 employees and 126 clients in medical health care centers in Isfahan in 2012. The managers and employees were selected by census sampling, and the clients were recruited through convenient random sampling. The data collection tool was a researcher-designed questionnaire, which was designed in two sections of fertility and personal characteristics, and viewpoint measurement. Descriptive and inferential statistical tests were used to analyze the data. Results: The obtained results showed significant differences between mean scores of viewpoints in three groups of managers, employees and clients concerning individual barriers in family planning counseling. In addition, most of the managers, employees and clients reported individual barriers as an intermediate level barrier in the process of family planning counseling. Conclusions: Results indicate that subjects in three studied groups hold different views regarding the individual barriers in family planning counseling. This difference in the perspectives may be a factor that affects the quality of the provided services. Therefore, it is necessary for the healthcare providers to consider the main concerns of their clients regarding family planning

Glucuronidase Expression in Transgenic Tobacco Roots with a Parasponia Promoter on Infection with Meloidogyne javanica

The expression of a g-us reporter gene linked to a Parasponia andersonii hemoglobin promoter has been studied in transgenic tobacco plants after infection by Meloidogyne javanica. Transgenic roots were harvested at different times after nematode inoculation, and stained histochemically for expression of the gus gene. During the early stages of infection (0-2 weeks) there was little expression in giant cells, in contrast to other cells of the root. In later stages of infection (3-6 weeks) there was strong gus expression in giant cells, with virtually no expression in other cells of the root. The Parasponia hemoglobin promoter therefore appears to direct down-regulation of linked genes on induction of giant cells, but up-regulation in mature giant cells. This reflects different metabolic activities in the giant cells depending on their stage of development. The Parasponia hemoglobin promoter may respond to oxygen tension in giant cells. This suggests that oxygen tension may be limited in the metabolically active giant cells that are associated with egg-laying females