The effects of Zn2+ stress on seed germination, seedling growth and chlorophyll content were studied in order to better understand the effect of heavy metal Zn on the growth and development of green plants. The concentration gradient of Zn2+ was 20, 50,100,150,200,300,500,700mg / L, and deionized water was used as control. The results showed that under the Zn2+ stress condition, the germination index of the rhubarb seeds increased with the increase of Zn2+ concentration. Germination potential, germination rate and germination index were the highest when Zn2+concentration was 100mg / L, the conductivity was the lowest at zinc concentration of 100mg / L, the root length, stem length and chlorophyll content of Zn2+ gradually reduced. The results showed that the amount of Zn2+ could promote seed germination, but the root length, bud length and chlorophyll content of seedlings could be affected by different degrees. The zinc fertilizer should be used in the production.

Water scarcity, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions, is a critical issue affecting forest management. This study investigates the effects of drought stress on the water requirement and morphological characteristics of two important tree species Turkish pine and Chinaberry. Using a factorial design, the study examines the impact of three age stages (one-year-old, three-year-old, and five-year-old plants) and three levels of drought stress on these species. Microlysimeters of varying sizes were employed to simulate different drought conditions. Soil moisture was monitored to show the effect of the various irrigation schedules. The study also calculated reference crop evapotranspiration (ET₀) using the PMF-56 method and developed plant coefficients (Kc) for the species. Results showed that evapotranspiration increased with soil moisture, peaking during summer and decreasing in winter. Turkish pine exhibited higher plant ET than Chinaberry, particularly among one-year-old seedlings. Drought stress significantly reduced evapotranspiration and water uses for both species, highlighting the importance of efficient water management in afforestation projects. The findings underscore the necessity of selecting drought-resistant species and optimizing irrigation practices to enhance the sustainability of green spaces in arid regions. These insights are crucial for improving urban forestry management and mitigating the impacts of water scarcity in Iran and similar climates globally.

In higher eukaryotes, the genes’ architecture has become an essential determinant of the variation in the number of transcripts (expression level) and the specificity of gene expression in plant tissue under stress conditions. The modern rise in genome-wide analysis accounts for summarizing the essential factors through the translocation of gene networks in a regulatory manner. Stress tolerance genes are in two groups: structural genes, which code for proteins and enzymes that directly protect cells from stress (such as genes for transporters, osmo-protectants, detoxifying enzymes, etc.), and the genes expressed in regulation and signal transduction (such as transcriptional factors (TFs) and protein kinases). The genetic regulation and protein activity arising from plants’ interaction with minerals and abiotic and biotic stresses utilize high-efficiency molecular profiling. Collecting gene expression data concerning gene regulation in plants towards focus predicts an acceptable model for efficient genomic tools. Thus, this review brings insights into modifying the expression study, providing a valuable source for assisting the involvement of genes in plant growth and metabolism-generating gene databases. The manuscript significantly contributes to understanding gene expression and regulation in plants, particularly under stress conditions. Its insights into stress tolerance mechanisms have substantial implications for crop improvement, making it highly relevant and valuable to the field.

Soil salinity is a major abiotic stress that drastically hinders plant growth and development, resulting in lower crop yields and productivity. As one of the most consumed vegetables worldwide, tomato (Solanum lycropersicum L.) plays a key role in the human diet. The current study aimed to explore the differential tolerance level of two tomato varieties (Rio Grande and Agata) to salt stress. To this end, various growth, physiological and biochemical attributes were assessed after two weeks of 100 mM NaCl treatment. Obtained findings indicated that, although the effects of salt stress included noticeable reductions in shoots’ and roots’ dry weights and relative growth rate as well as total leaf area, for the both cultivars, Rio Grande performed better compared to Agata variety. Furthermore, despite the exposure to salt stress, Rio Grande was able to maintain an adequate tissue hydration and a high leaf mass per area (LMA) through the accumulation of proline. However, relative water content, LMA and proline content were noticeably decreased for Agata cultivar. Likewise, total leaf chlorophyll, soluble proteins and total carbohydrates were significantly decreased; whereas, malondialdehyde was significantly accumulated in response to salt stress for the both cultivars. Moreover, such negative effects were remarkably more pronounced for Agata relative to Rio Grande cultivar. Overall, the current study provided evidence that, at the early growth stage, Rio Grande is more tolerant to salt stress than Agata variety. Therefore, Rio Grande variety may constitute a good candidate for inclusion in tomato breeding programs for salt-tolerance and is highly recommended for tomato growers, particularly in salt-affected fields.

Companies are impacted by toxic leadership phenomena, resulting in many dissatisfied employees, low morale, and reduced progress. The fundamental mismatch between good leadership and harmful actions of toxic leaders is the primary cause of the problem. Toxic leadership can also be developed from narcissistic behavior of considering personal interests or using humiliation to maintain power. In this context, employees are negatively affected, resulting in higher stress levels, poorer job satisfaction, and a significant decrease in trust. Therefore, this research aims to explore the impact of toxic leadership and other factors on companies. The sample consists of 187 senior employees in the accounting department who worked in manufacturing companies. The results showed that toxic leadership influences role stress, while role stress affects emotional exhaustion and reactive work behavior. Moreover, future research should be conducted using other samples such as hospital employees or pay attention to other aspects related to role stress.

To investigate the possible role of arbuscular mycrrhizal fungi (AMF) in alleviating the negative effects of salinity on Stevia rebaudiana (Bert.), the regenerated plantlets in tissue culture was transferred to pots in greenhouse and inoculated with Glomus intraradices. Salinity caused a significant decrease in chlorophyll content, photosynthesis efficiency and enhanced the electrolyte leakage. The use of AMF in salt –affected plants resulted in improved all above mentioned characteristics. Hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents increased in salt stressed plants while a reduction was observed due to AMF inoculation. CAT activity showed a significant increase up to 2 g/l and then followed by decline at 5 g/l NaCl in both AMF and non-AMF treated stevia, however, AMF inoculated plants maintained lower CAT activity at all salinity levels (2 and 5 g/l). Enhanced POX activities in salt- treated stevia plants were decreased by inoculation of plants with AMF. The addition of NaCl to stevia plants also resulted in an enhanced activity of SOD whilst, AMF plants maintained higher SOD activity at all salinity levels than those of non-AMF inoculated plants. AMF inoculation was capable of alleviating the damage caused by salinity on stevia plants by reducing oxidative stress and improving photosynthesis efficiency.