Bu-Ali Sina University

About: Bu-Ali Sina University is a education organization based out in Hamadan, Hamadān, Iran. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Catalysis & Adsorption. The organization has 4078 authors who have published 7969 publications receiving 122828 citations.

Genetically Closely Related but Phenotypically Divergent Trichoderma Species Cause Green Mold Disease in Oyster Mushroom Farms Worldwide

Abstract: The worldwide commercial production of the oyster mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus is currently threatened by massive attacks of green mold disease. Using an integrated approach to species recognition comprising analyses of morphological and physiological characters and application of the genealogical concordance of multiple phylogenetic markers (internal transcribed spacer 1 [ITS1] and ITS2 sequences; partial sequences of tef1 and chi18-5), we determined that the causal agents of this disease were two genetically closely related, but phenotypically strongly different, species of Trichoderma, which have been recently described as Trichoderma pleurotum and Trichoderma pleuroticola. They belong to the Harzianum clade of Hypocrea/Trichoderma which also includes Trichoderma aggressivum, the causative agent of green mold disease of Agaricus. Both species have been found on cultivated Pleurotus and its substratum in Europe, Iran, and South Korea, but T. pleuroticola has also been isolated from soil and wood in Canada, the United States, Europe, Iran, and New Zealand. T. pleuroticola displays pachybasium-like morphological characteristics typical of its neighbors in the Harzianum clade, whereas T. pleurotum is characterized by a gliocladium-like conidiophore morphology which is uncharacteristic of the Harzianum clade. Phenotype MicroArrays revealed the generally impaired growth of T. pleurotum on numerous carbon sources readily assimilated by T. pleuroticola and T. aggressivum. In contrast, the Phenotype MicroArray profile of T. pleuroticola is very similar to that of T. aggressivum, which is suggestive of a close genetic relationship. In vitro confrontation reactions with Agaricus bisporus revealed that the antagonistic potential of the two new species against this mushroom is perhaps equal to T. aggressivum. The P. ostreatus confrontation assays showed that T. pleuroticola has the highest affinity to overgrow mushroom mycelium among the green mold species. We conclude that the evolutionary pathway of T. pleuroticola could be in parallel to other saprotrophic and mycoparasitic species from the Harzianum clade and that this species poses the highest infection risk for mushroom farms, whereas T. pleurotum could be specialized for an ecological niche connected to components of Pleurotus substrata in cultivation. A DNA BarCode for identification of these species based on ITS1 and ITS2 sequences has been provided and integrated in the main database for Hypocrea/Trichoderma (www.ISTH.info).

Facile simultaneous electrochemical determination of codeine and acetaminophen in pharmaceutical samples and biological fluids by graphene–CoFe2O4 nancomposite modified carbon paste electrode

Abstract: A nanocomposite of graphene (Gr) and CoFe2O4 nanoparticles was synthesized with a facile preparation method in order to fabricate a modified carbon paste electrode. The morphology and structure of Gr/CoFe2O4 nanocomposite were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Also, electrochemical characterization of the nanocomposite was demonstrated with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Based on the synergistic effect of Gr and CoFe2O4 nanoparticles, an ultrasensitive electrochemical sensor for acetaminophen (Ac) and codeine (Cod) was successfully fabricated. The linearity ranged from 0.03 to 12.0 μM for both Ac and Cod. Low detection limits of 0.025 μM for Ac and 0.011 μM for Cod were achieved based on three times of the standard deviation of the blank over sensitivity (3 s/m). The proposed method was free from interference effects of glucose, ascorbic acid, caffeine, naproxen, alanine, phenylalanine, glycine, and others. No electrode surface fouling was observed during successive scans. High stability, high sensitivity, and low detection limit made the proposed electrode applicable for the analysis of various real samples. Moreover, its practical applicability was reliable and desirable in biological fluids and pharmaceutical samples analysis.

Recent trends of mean maximum and minimum air temperatures in the western half of Iran

Abstract: In this study, the trends of the annual, seasonal and monthly maximum (T max) and minimum (T min) air temperatures time series were investigated for 20 stations in the western half of Iran during 1966–2005. Three statistical tests including Mann–Kendall, Sen’s slope estimator and linear regression were used for the analysis. The annual T max and T min series showed a positive trend in 85% of the stations and a negative trend in 15% of the stations in the study region. The highest increase of T max and T min values were obtained over Kermanshah and Ahwaz at the rates of (+)0.597°C/decade and (+)0.911°C/decade, respectively. On the seasonal scale, the strongest increasing trends were identified in T max and T min data in summer. The highest numbers of stations with positive significant trends occurred in the monthly T max and T min series in August. In contrast, the lowest numbers of stations with significant positive trends were observed between November and March. Overall, the results showed similar increasing trends for the study variables, although T min generally increased at a higher rate than T max in the study period.