<i>Phalaenopsis amboinensis</i>, an epiphytic orchid, has a great potential for commercial exploitation in the cut-flower industry. It is difficult to propagate vegetatively as it naturally grows slowly. Therefore, there is a need to improve the propagation methods to avoid endangering its natural populations. The objective of this study was to identify the best medium and organic supplements for seed germination and plantlets development of <i>P. amboinensis</i>. Seeds from 4-month-old hand-pollinated orchids were sown on different strengths of MS and VW culture media: Murashige and Skoog (MS), 1/2 MS, Vacin and Went (VW), and 1/2 VW. Optimum seed germination, i.e., 90.7&#x0025;, was achieved on VW medium. VW medium was suitable for seedling formation and allowed 51.4&#x0025; of seedling development from protocorm within 10&#x2009;weeks of culture. When 15&#x0025; (v/v) coconut water was added together with banana homogenate (10&#x2009;g&#xb7;L<sup>&#x2212;1</sup>) to the VW medium, the plantlets grew to the highest length and had the highest dry weight (62.1&#x2009;mm and 15.5&#x2009;g, respectively). The roots and leaves of the plantlets grew vigorously in this medium. Plants regenerated via <i>in vitro</i> seed germination processes were successfully acclimatized in greenhouse conditions, and the survival rate was more than 85&#x0025;.

Edy Setiti Wida Utami

Sucipto Hariyanto

<i>In Vitro</i> Seed Germination and Seedling Development of a Rare Indonesian Native Orchid <i>Phalaenopsis amboinensis</i> J.J.Sm

In Tanzania’s Arusha District, anaemia is a significant public health problem. Recently, home fortification with multiple micronutrient powder was recommended, and daily use of one sachet has shown to be effective. However, it is a challenge for deprived families with low income to afford the daily sachet. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of different administration frequencies of micronutrient powder in reducing anaemia in children aged 6–59 months. This research used a community-based, randomized longitudinal trial design with the intent to treat anaemia. Children aged 6 to 59 months (<span class="nowrap"><svg xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" style="vertical-align:-0.2063904pt" id="M1" height="8.55521pt" version="1.1" viewBox="-0.0498162 -8.34882 40.3636 8.55521" width="40.3636pt"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path id="g113-111" d="M495 86L479 114C446 82 419 66 409 66C401 66 401 72 406 97C420 166 436 231 453 297C489 435 454 448 428 448C406 448 384 439 354 422C305 394 222 327 161 247H159L183 345C200 415 194 448 173 448C143 448 82 410 23 351L38 325C64 349 95 371 105 371C111 371 116 365 109 336L25 -4L31 -12C50 -4 77 3 107 9C119 69 132 122 145 168C197 254 321 381 370 381C387 381 393 374 378 305L329 95C309 17 320 -12 345 -12C372 -12 430 19 495 86Z"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,10.158,0)"><path id="g117-34" d="M535 323V373H52V323H535ZM535 138V188H52V138H535Z"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,21.421,0)"><path id="g113-52" d="M285 378C315 398 338 416 353 432C373 451 384 474 384 503C384 579 325 635 236 635H235C182 635 136 610 108 579L65 516L85 496C110 533 150 575 205 575C258 575 300 543 300 481C300 407 232 369 141 339L147 310C163 315 188 321 211 321C268 321 338 284 338 192C338 94 288 40 217 40C160 40 119 68 93 91C85 98 77 97 69 91C60 84 47 71 46 58C44 46 48 35 62 22C75 10 116 -12 162 -12C234 -12 424 62 424 224C424 297 373 359 285 376V378Z"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,27.661,0)"><path id="g113-55" d="M137 343C167 482 260 545 321 574C357 591 397 603 429 609L423 641C382 634 335 622 295 608C189 570 37 457 37 238C37 84 125 -12 242 -12C362 -12 447 89 447 209C447 311 374 393 267 393C247 393 226 386 204 376L137 343ZM227 337C318 337 361 256 361 173C361 105 336 22 258 22C176 22 126 120 126 240C126 266 127 291 132 310C155 323 189 337 227 337Z"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,33.902,0)"><path id="g113-58" d="M244 635C114 635 38 519 38 422C38 317 111 240 217 240C236 240 255 244 277 256L345 292C311 140 203 39 59 15L64 -15C89 -15 150 -5 204 17C339 72 440 202 440 386C440 521 368 635 244 635ZM228 602C326 602 352 479 352 390C352 370 351 347 348 324C327 308 293 296 258 296C174 296 124 369 124 458C124 517 152 602 228 602Z"/></g></svg>)</span> were randomly assigned to one of four intervention groups which received, on a weekly basis, either five sachets (<span class="nowrap"><svg xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" style="vertical-align:-0.2063904pt" id="M2" height="8.55521pt" version="1.1" viewBox="-0.0498162 -8.34882 34.1002 8.55521" width="34.1002pt"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><use xlink:href="#g113-111"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,10.158,0)"><use xlink:href="#g117-34"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,21.421,0)"><use xlink:href="#g113-55"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,27.661,0)"><path id="g113-49" d="M241 635C89 635 35 457 35 312C35 153 89 -12 240 -12C390 -12 443 166 443 312C443 466 390 635 241 635ZM238 602C329 602 354 454 354 312C354 172 330 22 240 22C152 22 124 173 124 313S148 602 238 602Z"/></g></svg>),</span> three sachets (<span class="nowrap"><svg xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" style="vertical-align:-0.2063904pt" id="M3" height="8.55521pt" version="1.1" viewBox="-0.0498162 -8.34882 34.1002 8.55521" width="34.1002pt"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><use xlink:href="#g113-111"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,10.158,0)"><use xlink:href="#g117-34"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,21.421,0)"><path id="g113-57" d="M249 635C141 635 70 555 70 471C70 401 114 353 179 316C143 294 106 267 90 252C68 231 45 202 45 157C45 50 130 -12 237 -12C322 -12 435 52 435 169C435 256 372 304 303 343C349 374 375 398 383 407C401 429 411 458 411 487C411 569 344 635 249 635ZM238 603C285 603 337 567 337 482C337 422 310 385 276 358C205 393 145 426 145 500C145 552 179 603 238 603ZM248 20C183 20 125 70 125 163C125 218 158 268 206 300C284 261 355 217 355 143C355 66 308 20 248 20Z"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,27.661,0)"><use xlink:href="#g113-49"/></g></svg>),</span> two sachets (<span class="nowrap"><svg xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" style="vertical-align:-0.2063904pt" id="M4" height="8.55521pt" version="1.1" viewBox="-0.0498162 -8.34882 40.3636 8.55521" width="40.3636pt"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><use xlink:href="#g113-111"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,10.158,0)"><use xlink:href="#g117-34"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,21.421,0)"><path id="g113-50" d="M384 0V27C293 34 287 42 287 114V635C232 613 172 594 109 583V559L157 557C201 555 205 550 205 499V114C205 42 199 34 109 27V0H384Z"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,27.661,0)"><use xlink:href="#g113-49"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,33.901,0)"><path id="g113-54" d="M153 550H386L412 615L406 623H120L82 318C104 327 142 338 184 338C294 338 347 275 347 187C347 112 305 39 221 39C160 39 119 71 97 89C88 97 80 96 71 90C59 80 50 67 49 57C48 45 52 36 66 23C80 9 123 -12 169 -12C221 -11 288 15 342 59C403 109 431 165 431 225C431 308 366 395 238 395C212 395 165 379 127 364L153 550Z"/></g></svg>),</span> or one sachet (<span class="nowrap"><svg xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" style="vertical-align:-0.2063904pt" id="M5" height="8.55521pt" version="1.1" viewBox="-0.0498162 -8.34882 40.3636 8.55521" width="40.3636pt"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><use xlink:href="#g113-111"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,10.158,0)"><use xlink:href="#g117-34"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,21.421,0)"><use xlink:href="#g113-50"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,27.661,0)"><path id="g113-51" d="M412 140C382 77 369 73 315 73H129L270 222C362 320 402 379 402 466C402 571 322 635 234 635C177 635 130 609 99 576L42 495L64 475C90 514 133 568 201 568C274 568 318 519 318 435C318 349 255 267 193 193C144 135 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Using the HemoCue technique, a finger-prick blood was taken at baseline, middle, and end points of the intervention to determine haemoglobin levels. The effect of treatment on haemoglobin was assessed with analysis of covariates with Bonferroni post hoc to test group difference (<span class="nowrap"><svg xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" style="vertical-align:-3.42938pt" id="M6" height="11.7782pt" version="1.1" viewBox="-0.0498162 -8.34882 44.5261 11.7782" width="44.5261pt"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path id="g113-113" d="M570 304C570 398 525 448 414 448C385 448 343 445 312 434L329 511L321 518C297 504 262 482 244 460L233 411C195 397 159 381 128 358L135 332C160 347 189 360 224 373L111 -147C97 -210 84 -218 17 -231L13 -257L254 -247L259 -218L233 -216C183 -212 177 -202 189 -142L218 -1C238 -10 266 -12 283 -12C351 3 429 48 483 105C543 168 570 242 570 304ZM482 289C482 161 380 33 304 33C278 33 248 51 233 69L303 396C326 400 352 403 369 403C428 403 482 380 482 289Z"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,11.342,0)"><path id="g117-92" d="M512 230V281L75 514V456L453 256V254L75 55V-3L512 230Z"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,22.605,0)"><use xlink:href="#g113-49"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,28.845,0)"><path id="g113-47" d="M113 -12C146 -12 170 11 170 46C170 78 146 103 114 103S58 78 58 46C58 11 82 -12 113 -12Z"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,31.809,0)"><use xlink:href="#g113-49"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,38.049,0)"><use xlink:href="#g113-54"/></g></svg>)</span> from each other. At the end, haemoglobin levels were significantly higher in participants who received three or five sachets of micronutrient powder per week compared to those who received one or two micronutrient powder sachets per week (<span class="nowrap"><svg xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" style="vertical-align:-3.42938pt" id="M7" height="11.7782pt" version="1.1" viewBox="-0.0498162 -8.34882 44.5261 11.7782" width="44.5261pt"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><use xlink:href="#g113-113"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,11.342,0)"><path id="g117-91" d="M512 -3V55L134 254V256L512 456V514L75 281V230L512 -3Z"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,22.605,0)"><use xlink:href="#g113-49"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,28.845,0)"><use xlink:href="#g113-47"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,31.809,0)"><use xlink:href="#g113-49"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,38.049,0)"><use xlink:href="#g113-54"/></g></svg>).</span> The prevalence of illnesses was reduced from 65% to 30.5% in all groups. This finding indicates that economically challenged families may opt for three times per week sachet administration rather than a more costly daily administration. This trial is registered with <a target="_blank" href="https://pactr.samrc.ac.za/TrialDisplay.aspx?TrialID=1693">PACTR201607001693286</a>.

Dyness Kejo

Pammla Petrucka

Haikael Martin

Theobald C. E. Mosha

Martin E. Kimanya

Efficacy of Different Doses of Multiple Micronutrient Powder on Haemoglobin Concentration in Children Aged 6&#x2013;59 Months in Arusha District

<i>Background</i>. Severe skin rash is listed among important side effects of EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Polydatin (PD), a glycosylated polyphenol, is endowed with anti-inflammatory activity in human epidermal keratinocytes. <i>Objective</i>. This study evaluated the effect of topical application of a moisturizer containing PD to prevent skin rash in patients with mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with afatinib. <i>Materials and Methods</i>. Eligible NSCLC patients with metastatic disease were treated with first-line afatinib 40&#x2009;mg/die. One day before starting systemic therapy, all patients received topical administration of a 1.5&#x0025; PD-based cream b.i.d. every day until the end of afatinib treatment. <i>Results</i>. Out of 34 treated patients, the incidence of skin rash (all grades) was 41.2&#x0025; and grade 2 rash was 20.6&#x0025;, and grade 3 rash was not observed in any of the patients. None of the patients discontinued therapy for toxicity. The mean duration of treatment was 6.4&#x2009;months, calculated from the time treatment was started to the date treatment was stopped. <i>Conclusion</i>. The results showed that a PD-based cream can reduce the incidence of grade &#x2265;2 skin toxicities in patients treated with afatinib. Clinical study registration number: Prot. No. 130/CE Lazio 1 Italy.

Maria Pia Fuggetta

Maria Rita Migliorino

Serena Ricciardi

Giorgia Osman

Daniela Iacono

Alvaro Leone

Alessandra Lombardi

Giampietro Ravagnan

Stefania Greco

Daniele Remotti

Maria Concetta Pucci Romano

Prophylactic Dermatologic Treatment of Afatinib-Induced Skin Toxicities in Patients with Metastatic Lung Cancer: A Pilot Study

Antibiotics are a new type of contaminants found in the environment. They are increasingly used in farm animal production systems and may accumulate in crops, limiting the plant growth rate and nutritive value. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of tetracycline (TC) on physiological and biochemical properties of pea seedlings. The presence of TC in the soil during 24 hours did not result in any distinct changes of the seedlings. However, after five days (120&#x2009;h) of soil TC action, the seedling appearance and metabolic activities were significantly affected. Leaves lost their green coloration as a result of a 38&#x0025; degradation of their chlorophyll. Total protein was isolated from shoots of pea grown for 120&#x2009;h in TC-supplemented perlite (250&#x2009;mg &#xd7; L<sup>&#x2212;1</sup>) or perlite with no TC (control plants). The 2D electrophoretic maps of proteins from non-TC shoots contained 326 spots, whereas maps of shoot proteins from TC-treated seedlings contained only 316 spots. The identity of 26 proteins was determined. The intensity of most proteins (62&#x0025;) increased. This was particularly visible with diphosphate kinase, superoxide dismutase [Cu-Zn], peroxiredoxin, and glutathione S-transferase. A distinctly increased quantity of a protein involved in photosynthesis (photosystem II stability/assembly factor HCF136) was also noted. One protein was detected only in shoots of TC-treated plants (as opposed to controls); however, it could not be identified. Moreover, at the highest concentration of TC (250&#x2009;mg &#xd7; L<sup>&#x2212;1</sup> of perlite), a sharp increase in free-radical content was observed along with the amount of callose deposited in vascular bundles of leaves and roots and the occurrence of masses of dead cells in roots. It was found, therefore, that tetracycline which has been known for inhibiting predominantly the attachment of aminoacyl-tRNA to the ribosomal acceptor in bacteria can disturb diverse metabolic pathways in plants.

Ma&#x142;gorzata Margas

Agnieszka I. Piotrowicz-Cie&#x15b;lak

Dariusz J. Michalczyk

Katarzyna G&#x142;owacka

A Strong Impact of Soil Tetracycline on Physiology and Biochemistry of Pea Seedlings

Predicting pharmacokinetics, based on the theory of dynamic systems, for an administered drug (whether intravenously, orally, intramuscularly, etc.), is an industrial and clinical challenge. Often, mathematical modeling of pharmacokinetics is preformed using only a measured concentration time profile of a drug administered in plasma and/or in blood. Yet, in dynamic systems, mathematical modeling (linear) uses both a mathematically described drug administration and a mathematically described body response to the administered drug. In the present work, we compare several mathematical models well known in the literature for simulating controlled drug release kinetics using available experimental data sets obtained in real systems with different drugs and nanosized carriers. We employed the <i>χ</i><sup>2</sup> minimization method and concluded that the Korsmeyer–Peppas model (or power-law model) provides the best ﬁt, in all cases (the minimum value of <i>χ</i><sup>2</sup> per degree of freedom; <svg xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" style="vertical-align:-3.834pt" id="M1" height="15.4254pt" version="1.1" viewBox="-0.0498162 -11.5914 22.8223 15.4254" width="22.8223pt"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path id="g113-244" d="M565 434L556 448L482 423L322 189L287 373C280 410 261 448 236 448C207 448 161 415 110 338L131 317C160 355 181 374 193 374C204 374 208 366 217 330C230 279 247 185 259 116L50 -175C18 -223 29 -260 41 -278H51C97 -198 207 -33 270 57L313 -165C328 -235 349 -261 376 -261S445 -244 510 -150L487 -127C444 -178 423 -186 411 -186C402 -186 398 -177 387 -130C371 -62 349 39 332 135C390 217 524 392 565 434Z"/></g><g transform="matrix(.0091,0,0,-0.0091,7.568,-5.741)"><path id="g50-51" d="M414 144C384 79 371 75 317 75H135L276 221C367 316 408 376 408 465C408 570 327 635 237 635C179 635 131 609 100 575L42 494L67 471C94 510 138 565 205 565C277 565 321 517 321 435C321 348 258 270 195 195C146 137 88 81 33 26V0H411C423 44 433 88 446 135L414 144Z"/></g><g transform="matrix(.0091,0,0,-0.0091,6.981,3.784)"><path id="g58-107" d="M810 0V30C751 35 744 40 744 106V296C744 396 694 451 614 451C583 451 558 438 537 425C512 409 485 391 454 368C434 420 390 451 342 451C309 451 285 439 260 424C228 405 206 387 185 372V453C141 434 90 421 43 413V386C102 378 105 373 105 309V106C105 41 96 35 29 30V0H243V30C194 35 185 41 185 106V335C216 360 256 389 297 389C357 389 384 348 384 275V106C384 41 374 35 312 30V0H530V30C475 35 465 41 465 104V294C465 313 464 324 463 336C502 367 539 389 576 389C637 389 663 346 663 274V109C663 41 653 35 593 30V0H810Z"/></g><g transform="matrix(.0091,0,0,-0.0091,14.57,3.784)"><path id="g58-103" d="M138 535C169 535 191 560 191 589C191 620 168 644 139 644S85 620 85 589C85 560 110 535 138 535ZM257 0V30C192 35 185 43 185 109V453C142 435 94 422 40 414V386C101 378 104 372 104 311V109C104 41 97 35 33 30V0H257Z"/></g><g transform="matrix(.0091,0,0,-0.0091,17.073,3.784)"><path id="g58-108" d="M532 0V30C473 38 467 38 467 107V298C467 395 416 451 336 451C307 451 279 439 251 420C226 404 205 389 185 374V453C142 434 94 422 43 413V386C98 378 104 373 104 309V107C104 41 100 38 31 30V0H251V30C191 35 185 40 185 107V337C216 364 255 389 295 389C360 389 386 347 386 276V110C386 44 380 35 321 30V0H532Z"/></g></svg>/d.o.f. = 1.4183, with 2 free parameters or <i>m</i> = 2). Hence, (i) better understanding of the exact mass transport mechanisms involved in drugs release and (ii) quantitative prediction of drugs release can be computed and simulated. We anticipate that this work will help devise optimal pharmacokinetic and dynamic release systems, with measured variable properties, at nanoscale, characterized to target specific diseases and conditions.

Grigorios P. Panotopoulos

Ziyad S. Haidar

Mathematical Modeling for Pharmaco-Kinetic and -Dynamic Predictions from Controlled Drug Release NanoSystems: A Comparative Parametric Study

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<p><em>Scientifica</em> publishes research articles and&nbsp;review articles covering a wide range of subjects in the life sciences, environmental sciences, health sciences, and medicine.&nbsp;</p>


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Scientifica publishes research articles and review articles covering a wide range of subjects in the life sciences, environmental sciences, health sciences, and medicine. 

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