محمد عبدلی

The aim of this study was to investigate the structure and genetic distances, inbreeding, and linkage disequilibrium (LD) in Iranian native horse breeds. Samples on 167 horses including Arabian Asil (24), Caspian (22), Dareshouri (15), Kurdish (66), and Turkmen (40) breeds were used. The samples were genotyped using Illumina 70k SNP equine bead chip. Data quality control was applied and loci with MAF < 2%, Mind < 5%, HWE (<10-6), and genotype call rate < 1% were removed. Finally, 159 horses with 45,270 SNP loci were reminded for the genetic structure analyse. Clustering analyse showed that in K=5 Caspian and Kurdish breeds were placed in a common cluster, and Turkmen, Dareshouri, and Arabian Asil breeds were also located in distinct clusters. The LD decay among all breeds showed a significant decrease below 400 bp. Caspian and Dareshouri breeds experienced the lowest and highest LD and the highest and lowest effective population size, respectively. The inbreeding value based on the runs of homozygosity (ROH) were highest and lowest for Arabian Asil and Caspian breeds, respectively. The results showed that the Iranian native horse breeds were well identified by SNP markers, which can be used for stud base foundations of breeds with more accuracy.

Accurate estimation of genetic and phenotypic variance enhances the selection of superior horses and serves as a valuable tool for the long-term improvement of the sport horse population. Therefore, this study was conducted to estimate the variance components for performance traits of sport horses using the Bayesian method.

A database was created using 49,026 records from 1499 horses collected between 2017 and 2020 from the Iranian Equestrian Federation. The sport performance traits examined were race completion time (RCT), number of errors in competition (NEC), and rank at the end of the competition (REC). Analysis of variance and Duncan's multiple comparison tests were used to determine the significance of environmental effects, and genetic parameters were estimated using a Gibbs sampling method. R software was utilized to evaluate environmental effects, fit the model, and estimate reliability, variance components, heritability, and genetic correlations, with the GIBBS1F90 and THRGIBBS1F90 software used for estimation. The statistical model included fixed effects for birth year, sex, age, breed, height of obstacles, and level of difficulty of the event, as well as random effects for rider, date, city of competition, and additive genetic effect.

Heritability (h2) was estimated using single-trait and multi-trait models for the traits RCT, NEC, and REC, respectively, as 0.02 and 0.08, 0.13 and 0.23, 0.16 and 0.29. The estimated genetic correlations between the traits RCT and NEC, RCT and REC, and NEC and REC were 0.38, 0.36, and 0.65, respectively. The mean estimated reliability (r2) using single-trait and multi-trait models for the traits RCT, NEC, and REC were 0.60 and 0.69, 0.62 and 0.73, 0.58 and 0.66, respectively. The heritability values of different traits can vary, and a specific trait may exhibit different levels of heritability across various populations. The estimated heritability of RCT, NEC, and REC fell within the range of values reported in various horse populations and it was <0.01–0.41, 0.07–0.38, and 0.02–0.23, respectively. These estimates demonstrate genetic variation in the traits within the study population, and their alignment with other studies increases confidence in the estimated values.

The results of the present study indicated that the heritability of the traits studied was low. Among the performance traits, REC showed the highest heritability. Due to its positive genetic correlation with RCT and NEC, selecting for REC could potentially improve the other traits as well. These findings emphasize the importance of using multi-trait models in breeding programs, as they can provide more accurate heritability estimates and enhance the precision and reliability of breeding value predictions.

Shear banding is one of the most significant behavioral characteristics of granular soils, which is actually the result of localization of deformations under loads applied to the soil sample. Many studies have been conducted on the phenomenon of shear band formation. However, the comparison of the behavior of soil inside and outside the shear band has received less attention. The purpose of this study is to compare the behavior of soil inside and outside the shear band in the direct shear test at macro and micro scales using the two-dimensional discrete element method. To achieve this, the micro-material parameters were first calibrated through the comparison of simulation and experimental results. Then a parametric study was conducted by performing 9 direct shear tests with different vertical stresses on three soil samples with different relative densities. During the tests, quantities such as shear stress, porosity, particle rotation, coordination number, and interparticle plastic energy were measured both inside and outside the shear band. The results of the present study showed that the particle rotations at the end of the test inside the shear band were 5 to 17 times higher than those outside the shear band. Furthermore, the results showed that the dissipated energies at the end of the test inside the shear band were 12 to 96 times larger than those outside the shear band. Moreover, it was found that the coordination numbers at the end of the test inside the shear band were on average 3-19% lesser than those outside it.

Moldavian balm (Dracocephalum moldavica L.) is an annual herbaceous and aromatic plant from the Lamiaceae family. The present study aimed to investigate the individual and combined effects of different concentrations of iron nanoparticles (0, 250, 500 and 1000 ppm) and copper (0, 25, 50 and 100 ppm) on 3-month-old D. moldavica plants and choosing the best treatment to increase the amount of rosmarinic acid and antioxidant activity. The experiment was conducted based on a completely randomized design with 16 treatments and three replications in greenhouse conditions using the leaf spray method. TEM images were used for confirmation of nanoparticle penetration into the leaf tissue of D. moldavica plant. Rosmarinic acid content was measured using an HPLC device. The results showed that the effect of the treatments on the amount of photosynthetic pigments, anthocyanins, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), proline, and antioxidants in D. moldavica was highly significant (P˂0.01) and the best results were obtained by the combined effect of the Fe (1000 ppm) + Cu (100 ppm) treatment. In the best treatment, the amounts of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and carotenoid were 90.9, 125 and 91.6%, respectively; anthocyanin was 73.9%; phenolic compounds and flavonoids were 74.1 and 57.1%; MDA, H2O2 and proline 114, 80.9 and 43.5% and rosmarinic acid increased by 465% compared to the control. Also, in the mentioned combined treatment, the amount of antioxidant activity decreased by 56.9% compared to the control. There was a positive and significant correlation (P˂0.01) between the mount of rosmarinic acid production and other traits, except antioxidant activity (r = -0.958**).

Genetic evaluation of sport horses using various methods is commonly carried out in many countries, except for Iran. Accurate estimation of genetic parameters for functional traits in horses has always been a subject of interest among livestock breeders. The aim of this study was to investigate the genetic parameters of athletic performance traits in Iranian jumping horses. Traits include race completion time (RCT), rank at the end of the competition (REC), and number of errors in the competition (NEC). The study were conducted based on Equestrian Federation of Iran (FEI) athletic performance records of 1498 horses (10–23 years old). The genetic parameters were estimated by using Restricted Maximum Likelihood (REML) procedures and airemf90 software. The statistical model included fixed effects of birth year, sex, age, breed, height of obstacles, date/city, level of difficulty of the event and random effects of rider, permanent environment and an additive genetic effect. Heritability of RCT, REC and NEC traits were estimated 0.03, 0.11 and 0.09 and their repeatability were 0.16, 0.25 and 0.13, respectively. Genetic and phenotypic trends of RCT, REC and NEC traits were estimated -0.002, 0.0091, 0.0003 and -0.7057, 0.2575, -0.0807, respectively. According to this result, the performance traits are highly affected by environmental factors, especially the effect of the rider, but among the studied traits, selection based on rank traits can lead to more genetic progress. It can be concluded that we can apply these parameters to improve the genetic potential of show jumping performance records and design the appropriate breeding strategies for horse jumping population in Iran.

Stem cells, possessing the capacity for self-renewal and multicellular differentiation, promise new therapeutic strategies for overcoming impediments to Regenerative Potential. The ease of isolation of Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) from discarded or removed teeth offer a promising source of autologous. This review briefly highlights the Specification of DPSCs and then focuses on DPSCs applications across the scope of regenerative medicine.

The present study was a review study. By using keywords Consumer Organizations Consumerism, dental pulp, regenerative medicine, mesenchymal stem cells, tissue regeneration, Articles were extracted without time limit from Web of Science, PubMed, Google Scholar, SID, Magiran databases. The inclusion criteria included studies that were in line with the research objective.

DPSCs derive from a cranial neural crest lineage, retain a remarkable potential for neuronal differentiation, and additionally express multiple factors suitable for regeneration. DPSCs can also express immunomodulatory factors that stimulate formation of blood vessels and enhance regeneration and repair of injured tissue. These unique properties, together with their ready accessibility, have made DPSCs an attractive and practical cell source for use in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

The properties mentioned above could suggest that DPSCs are an ideal stem cell resource for therapeutic approaches to tissue repair and regeneration in diseases. However, the need for more clinical studies seems necessary.

According to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), gene doping refers to the non-therapeutic use of genes, gene components, and cellular elements that enhance the athletic performance capacity of animals. Doping used to be done with various drugs such as Anabolic Androgenic Steroids (AAS), Caffeine, Cocaine, Amphetamine, Apomorphine, Fentanyl, Barbiturates, Butazone, etc. but with the progress in the field of gene therapy, the necessary tools for gene doping were created. The objectives of this review were to introduce the types of drug doping, gene doping, the detection methods and important candidate genes used in gene doping in horses. Gene Doping Methods and Detection TechniquesGene doping methods can generally be classified into three categories: gene transfer, gene silencing, and gene editing. Various methods have been proposed for detecting gene doping, which can be broadly categorized as indirect and direct detection methods. Indirect methods measure the body's responses to doping, while direct method, which clearly identifies the doping agent, the goal is to identify the genetic materials of doping, a protein produced from the gene doping gene, or a vector. All gene doping detection methods have their advantages and disadvantages, and it is evident that detecting gene doping will be challenging. Candidate Genes in Gene Doping Candidate genes commonly used in gene doping include EPO, IGF1, GH, HIF1, PPARD, MSTN, ACTN2, ACTN3, VEGFA, POMC, PENK, ACE, and PCK1.

Given the sensitivity and significance of equestrian sports and horse racing, the likelihood of owners, trainers, and riders resorting to doping to achieve victory is increasing. As gene doping is more effective and harder to detect than traditional drug doping, it receives more attention from offenders. As a result, equestrian and horse racing competitions are facing a new challenge known as gene doping. Although there is currently no evidence of gene doping being used, the necessary technology exists to implement various forms of gene doping. The most effective measure for controlling doping is the introduction of precise doping detection tests. While a wide range of diagnostic tests has been proposed, there is currently no official and widespread method for detecting gene doping. A successful anti-doping program should not only include diagnostic tests but also focus on education, supervision, and implementation methods.

In today’s world, roads are considered the main arteries of the global community. One of the most typical methods to build these routes is stabilizing the excavations on two sides of the roads. Using multiple helical anchors in excavation stabilization is one of the means recently used by many road and geotechnical engineers. The increasing use of multiple helical anchors has led to several laboratories, numerical, and field studies. Therefore, this study employed the FLAC 3D software also a three-dimensional numerical investigation of bearing capacity under different inclination angles in sandy soil. In the present study, the effect of soil installation, which is caused by installing helical anchors in the soil, has been studied on the load-bearing capacity of these helical anchors. For this purpose, first, a verification test is done to validate the modeling approach. Then, by performing a parametric analysis, the effect of different inclination angles, as well as the installation effect on the bearing capacity of the multiple helical anchors, are studied. The present study results show that the maximum bearing capacity of the helical anchors is achieved by the angle of 5 and 10 degrees. In addition, by investigating the installation effect, the bearing capacity of the helical anchors has been significantly reduced with respect to the number of helical plates and the density of soil.

Today there are numeral methods for supporting an excavation. Using of helical multiple anchors as excavation support has speared recently. Because of wide range of applications of helical anchors, a massive number of experimental, numerical, and field studies have been carried out. This study works on the pullout capacity of helical multiple anchors by using FLAC 3D software. First, a verification test is carried out in order to confirm the method of simulation. Then, with the help of an extensive parametric study, the effect of different parameters on pullout capacity is observed. This study indicates that sharp growth in loading capacity is observed due to an increase in density of soil and diameter of helical plates. In addition, the results show that changes in the cohesion of soil have a few effects on the loading capacity of helical anchors. Moreover, the share of loading on the plates keeps remain if the space between plates is five times of helical plate diameter and more. In this situation, the failure mechanism is individual plate. Nevertheless, if the space between plates is less than five times of helical plate diameter, the share of loading on the first helical plate (near to excavation) goes up, but the share of loading on the rest helical plates drops dramatically. In this situation, cylindrical shear is the main failure mechanism. Therefore, the current study results demonstrate that the critical space between helical plates is five times of helical plates diameter.

The present study aimed to develop a protocol for root induction and evaluate the effects of salicylic acid (SA) (0, 80 and 160 mg/l) and yeast extract (YE) (0, 0.75 and 1.5 g/l) on chlorogenic acid, caftaric acid, cichoric acid, cynarin and echinacoside production in Echinacea purpurea adventitious roots. Also, the effect of NH4NO3 (0, 0.25, 0.75, 1.0 X) concentration in MS medium supplemented with indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) (1 and 3 mg/l) on root induction was investigated. The results showed that adventitious root induction in coneflower was significantly influenced by NH4NO3 and IAA concentrations (p≤0.01). The highest percentage of root induction (100%) and average number of roots formed on each explant (14.3 roots) was observed in 1 mg/l IAA×1/4NH4NO3 MS culture medium treatment. The main effect of SA and YE and their interaction effects with exposure time on the measured traits (except for echinacoside) was significant (p≤0.01). The result showed that application of 1.5 g/l YE and 160 mg/l SA when harvested 96 hour post-elicitation are the most effective treatments to elicit caffeic acid derivatives (CADs) content. The highest chlorogenic acid, cichoric acid, caftaric acid, and cynarin production was obtained in 160 mg/l SA at 96 hours post-elicitation that was 2.13, 1.83, 2.39 and 2.97-fold higher compared to control respectively. The heatmap diagram showed that the CADs content in SA and YE treatments was clearly separated from each other and control treatment.

In road projects, a suitable base for project execution is essential. Many of the soil types, such as wind sand, are not suitable for road building, and there is a need to carry out operations to prepare these soils for the base. In many cases, there is a need to switch to bed soil, but it is costly and will prolong the execution time of the project. Since it is challenging to reach ideal soil for road construction projects, soil improvement is being carried out. This is done in different ways, one of which is adding different materials to the soil. In this study, this method is used to stabilize the wind sand of Yazd. Two different types of glass fibers (type E and AR) have been used in this study. In order to perform the compressive test, the soil with both types of glass fibers was mixed in different percentages of 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1 percent. The results showed that the percentage of optimum moisture increased by increasing the percentage of glass fibers. It should be noted that glass fibers did not affect the maximum dry soil weight. The direct shear test was done with the same percentages used in the compressive experiment. In this experiment, adding 0.75 and 0.5 percent of the type of AR and E to soil was selected as optimal for internal friction angle and cohesion, respectively. Also, using glass fibers of type AR in the studied soil had better results.

The present study investigated the effect of 14 treatments consisting yeast extract (YE) (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2 g/l), salicylic acid (SA) (0, 40, 80, 160, 320 mg/l) and YE (1 and 1.5 g/l) in combination with SA (80 and 160 mg/l) foliar application on essential oil content and constituents of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.). The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with three replications under greenhouse conditions. Essential oils analyzed by GC/MS and a total of 39 compounds were identified that the major constituents were citronellol, trans-carveol, γ-3-carene, linalool, citral and carvacrol acetate, respectively (42.8 to 48.0% in total). Citronellol was the main constituent of essential oils with 11.05%. SA and YE significantly altered the amount of 23 constituents of lemon balm essential oil (P˂0.01). The highest citronellol, linalool and citral (14.50, 7.9 and 8%, respectively) production was obtained at 1.5 g/l YE+160 mg/l SA treated plants that was 103, 88 and 203% higher than control plants, respectively. The highest essential oil content (0.336% v/w) that was 49% higher than control was achieved by 1.0 and 1.5g/l YE+160 mg/l SA treatments. The principal component analysis (PCA) and heatmap indicated that the content of compounds varied with different treatment and also revealed a clear separation between control and treatment groups. The results suggested that SA, YE and SA in combination with YE has considerable ability to stimulate the production of major constituent such as citronellol, citral, and linalool in the lemon balm.

Anaplasmosis, babesiosis and theileriosis is parasitic diseases that can cause significant damage to the livestock industry. Despite the importance of the pathogenicity of theileriosis, babesiosis and anaplasmosis in large animal populations, in Iran, studies have been performed mainly on small ruminants. So, the aim of this study was to the diagnosis of the frequency of Theileria, Babesia and Annapalsma infections from cattle in Alborz province using microscopic examination and PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction). For this purpose, out of 130 dairy cattle were taken blood samples and stained with Giemsa dye. Positive smear samples were incorporated for molecular detection. DNA was extracted from blood samples with phenol-chloroform and performed PCR using 18S rRNA, 16S rRNA and TamS primers to identify of the genus and species. The results of this study showed that frequency of piroplasmic form was observed in 9.23% of cases. The 18S rRNA PCR findings revealed 5.38%, were confirmed infection with Theileria and Babesia. Also, Tams1 PCR results were indicated Theileria anulata infection in all cases. 16S rRNA PCR was detected in 3.85% for Anaplasma. No case of Babesia was observed. Considering the cases of infection with T. anulata and Babesia and the importance of some species of Babesia, the importance of further studies to evaluate these diseases in order to improve the livestock industry seems necessary.

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of Critical thinkingtraining on the adjustment and Resiliency of sixth grade male students.

The research method was quasi-experimental with unequal control group design.The statistical population of this study was 102 sixth grade male students in one of the primary schools in Boroujerd in the academic year of 2020, of which 38 were selected using random sampling method.To measure the variables in pre-test and post-test, a compromise questionnaire (Dokhanchi et al., 2008) and resilience scale questionnaire (2003Connor& Davidson) and life skillsquestionnaire "Component of Critical Thinking" (Saatchi et al. 2010) were used. Cronbach 's alpha test was used to evaluate their reliability and their coefficients were 0.84, 0.79 and 0.80, respectively. The validity of the questionnaires was reviewed and approved by the professors of educational sciences.According to the plan, for the experimental group, after the pre-test, five training sessions were used using the life skills training package (Vernon and Firoozbakht, 2016).Data were analyzed using analysis of regression.

The results of this study showed that Critical thinkingtraining is effective in increasing adaptation and resilience of sixth grade male students.

According to the findings of the study, it is concluded that teaching Critical thinkingcan increase the level of adaptation and resilience of sixth grade male students.

Peppermint (Mentha x piperita L.) is one of the most important medicinal plants which used in food, pharmaceutical, perfumery, and flavoring industry.

This study was planned to investigate the effects of foliar application of salicylic acid and yeast extract on production of valuable essential oil components in peppermint.

A completely randomized design experiment with nine treatments consisting salicylic acid (40, 80, 160 and 320 mg/l), yeast extract (0.25, 0.75, 1 and 1.5 g/l) and distilled water (control) with three replications was carried out under greenhouse conditions.

In total, forty compounds were identified in the essential oils of the plant aerial parts. Menthone, menthol, piperitone, isopulegol and

γ-terpinene were the major compounds of the oils studied. Menthone and menthol were 16.69 % and 14.39 % of the essential oils, respectively. Salicylic acid and yeast extract were increased menthone, neomenthol, piperitone, γ-terpinene and isomenthol acetate production 42, 60, 39, 59 and 34 % higher than control plants, respectively. Foliar application with 320 mg/l salicylic acid gave the best result in the enhancement of the major essential oil components of treated plants. The results of correlation between essential oil constituents showed that the neomenthol content had a significant positive correlation with menthone (r = 0.865**), γ-terpinene (r = 0.848**) and negative correlation with isopulegol (r = -0.886**).

The quality of essential oil of M. piperita were influenced by the foliar application of salicylic acid and yeast extract at the appropriate concentrations. Elicitation by 320 mg/l salicylic acid was the optimum treatment for menthone, neomenthol, γ-terpinene and piperitone production.

The aim of this study was to investigate the genetic structure of Iranian native horse breeds to compare genetic diversity and understanding the relationships between the populations using 11 ISAG microsatellite markers. For this reason, 565 samples of the Iranian Equestrian database from different ages including the Iranian Arab Asil, Caspian, Darehshouri, Kurdish and Turkmen and 113 samples were used for each breed. The number of observed alleles for each locus was 7 to 19 alleles with an average of 10.81 alleles, and it was 19 for ASB17 and 7 for HTG4 locus with the highest and lowest observed alleles ranking respectively. The average observed heterozygosity from the largest to the lowest rank was, Turkmen (0.68±0.11), Caspian (0.67±0.07), Kurdish (0.66±0.06) Darehshouri (0.65±0.07), and Arab Asil (0.62±0.08). Population structure analysis with UPGMA method showed that Caspian and Kurdish populations were grouped as a unit cluster while the other populations grouped as a separate cluster. These results confirmed this hypothesis that the Caspian and Kurdish populations are close to the Nisa horses. In general, the results of this study indicate that the Iranian native horses have got a high genetic diversity, despite of populations have genetic similarity and the other hand genetic clustering of the populations is consistent with their geographic distances. The result of this study shows that the ISAG microsatellite markers are polymorphic and have more efficiency for assignment genetic diversity and genetic structure analysis of Iranian native horse breeds.

Purple coneflower, Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench, has long been used in herbal remedies to prevent and treat a wide range of diseases like common cold, simple cough, pulmonary infections, dermatologic disorder and chronic diseases due to immunodeficiency.

The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of salicylic acid and yeast extract foliar application on caffeic acid derivatives production in coneflower.

Two factorial experiments were performed individually under greenhouse conditions during the years 2017-2018. In the first experiment, the effect of salicylic acid (0, 80, 160 and 320 mg/L) and each at four exposure times (24, 48, 72 and 96 hours) was studied. Also, in the second experiment, the effect of yeast extract (0, 0.75, 1 and 1.5 g/L) and each at four exposure times was investigated.

The results indicated that main effects and interactions of different concentrations of salicylic acid and yeast extract at different exposure times on caffeic acid derivatives content were significant (P ˂ 0.01). The highest cichoric acid, caftaric acid and echinacoside production was obtained after 96 hours of treatment at 160 mg/L salicylic acid treated plants. The highest cichoric acid production 7.150 mg/g DW was obtained after 96 hours of treatment at 1.5 g/L yeast extract treated plants, this was 3.58-fold higher compared to respective control. The lowest level of caffeic acid derivatives production was observed in control plants.

In conclusion, salicylic acid and yeast extract foliar application have a positive effect on caffeic acid derivatives production in Echinacea purpurea aerial parts.

The "Al-Kefāyah fi al-Fiqh" is a Persian text on Shāfi'i fiqh (jurisprudence), written by Hoseyn b. Mas'ud Farra’ Baghawi (d. 516 AH), a prominent jurist and commentator of the sixth century AH. In organizing the book into chapters and arranging its various topics, Baghavi has been inspired by similar Arabic texts. Apart from its interesting scholarly aspects, this work is also noteworthy for its inclusion of thousands of rare Persian simple as well as compound words. The author's inclination to use rare and old words and making use of beautiful Persian equivalents for jurisprudential terms, the use of charming and pleasant collocations, lucidity of expression, clarity of words and phrases, the authenticity and solidity of contents, are among the notable features of this book. Thanks to Baghavi's high academic standing and his jurisprudential precision, and due to the old prose style of the book, it has a special place among Persian speakers, especially Shāfi'is. This article is intended to study the stylistic features of the Al-Kifāyah from three viewpoints: linguistic, literary, and content wise.

Melissa officinalis is a medicinal plant belonging to the Lamiaceae family. The essential oil of this plant is used in many fields. Although more than 100 types of chemical substances have been identified in this plant, the most important compositions of its essential oil include citral, citronella, geraniol and linalool. Heavy metals are one of the main causes of non-biotic stress for living organisms due to increased use in the field of industrial and agricultural development and its high accumulation and toxicity. Cadmium is an unnecessary heavy metal, which, due to its high mobility and low concentration, easily enters the food chain from the soil. Cadmium induces oxidative stress by stimulating the synthesis of free oxygen radicals in the plant. In this study, the effect of cadmium chloride on oxidative stress induction in lemon balm was investigated. This experiment was carried out in 2016-2017 at Shahrekord University.

This research was conducted in a completely randomized design with three replications in vitro condition. We investigated the effects of different concentrations of cadmium chloride (0, 10, 20 and 40μm) on the biochemical parameters of the lemon balm. In this study, sterile stems of lemon balm propagated on the medium (1/2 MS) were used. After 60 days, seedlings were removed from solid MS medium and the roots were cut and cultured in liquid medium of 1/2 MS with different concentrations of cadmium. The cultivation was carried out in Erlenmeyer flask (250 cc) and was kept in an incubator shaker device. Sampling for the experiment was conducted one week after the growth of the stems in the medium.

Based on the results obtained in this study, fresh weight of shoots grown in 10 and 20μM of cadmium chloride increased compared to the control. This heavy metal significantly reduced the amount of chlorophyll a, b and carotenoids, while the total chlorophyll content decreased only at 40μm concentration relative to control. Cadmium significantly increased hydrogen peroxide levels in all treatments. Also, it increased the activity of catalase and superoxide dismutase enzymes. Malondialdehyde increased in all treatment concentrations, but this increase was not significant at 40μm of cadmium chloride. Chloride cadmium reduced the absorption of molybdenum and iron, yet increased the adsorption of manganese and zinc.

The results of this study revealed that the cadmium chloride in lemon balm shoots may have the potential to accumulate compounds such as hydrogen peroxide which, as a messenger molecule, produces antioxidants and can help the plant tolerate stressed conditions. It seems that two concentrations of 10 and 20 μm of cadmium chloride have no toxic effects for the stems and the plant has managed to withstand this tension with defense mechanisms.

In the writings of classical historiographers, such as Quintus Curtis Rufus, Pliny the Elder, and Diodorus Siculus, there are some useful information about the events of Alexander's Period in Iran. However, the best sources on the historical and geographical conditions of southern Iran at that timeare, undoubtedly, the books of Indicaand Anabasisby Lucius Flavius Arrianus or the same Arrian of Nicomedia (86-160 AD). Generally speaking, Anabasisdeals with different aspects of the voyage of Nearchus (a navarch in the army of Alexander the Great) from the Indus River to the Persian Gulf. This paper examines the voyage of Nearchus from its origin to its destination, Indus River to Shush, with an emphasis on Arrian’s books and the writings of other classical historiographers in detail. In spite of the several changes which have taken place in different historical periods since Alexander's time, the writer has tried to match the itinerary of Nearchus’ voyage with present geographical locations. This study was conducted following the descriptive-comparative method and through benefitting from library resources.

Echinacea is one of the most important medicinal plants and an important source of cichoric acid. In this research, callus induction, indirect shoot regeneration, and shoot rooting of Echinacea angustifolia DC. were investigated. The effects of explant (leaf, petiole and root) and NAA concentrations (0.5, 1 and 1.5 mg l-1) on callus induction as well as the effects of explant (leaf, petiole and root) and BAP concentrations (3, 4 and 5 mg l-1) on the indirect shoot regeneration of callus were evaluated in two separated experiments. The study was conducted as factorial in a completely randomized design (CRD). The effects of IBA concentrations (0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2 mg l-1) on shoot rooting were also investigated in a completely randomized design. The effects of the factors studied on the callogenesis were not significant while these factors had significant effects on the shoot regeneration and rooting at 1% probability level. In general, the results indicated that the highest indirect shoot regeneration (72%) was obtained from the leaf explant and by the use of 4 mgl-1 BAP. In addition, the highest shoot rooting (38% and 40%) was obtained using 1 and 1.5 mgl-1 IBA. The good potential of this species for indirect shoot regeneration was shown in this research. These results can be used in micropropagation programs, gene transfer, and transgenic plants production.

Hairy roots culture is a potential system for secondary metabolite production in medicinal plants. In this research, hairy root induction in Echinacea angustifolia was established using Agrobacterium rhizogenes. The effects of different A. rhizogenes strains (AR15834, A4, K599 and MSU440) in two solid growth regulator- free culture media, half strength MS salts with B5 vitamins and WPM, were evaluated on hairy root induction in 60-day-old explants. The highest percentage of root induction was obtained by AR15834 strain in the WPM medium (46.6%). Also, the effects of age (20, 40 and 60 day-old) and type (leaf, leaf lamina and petiole) of explant on hairyroot induction were investigated by AR15834 strain in the WPM medium. The high frequency of hairy root induction was obtained in leaf explants (52.4%) and 40 day-old leaf explants (62.3%).Transgenic hairy roots were confirmed by PCR analysis with specific primers of rolB gene.

The Sea Silk Road was the vastest commercial network of the world for 1700 years (100 BC-1600 AD). Given the several difficulties happening in the land route of this road, the sea route was an important reason for merchants’ attention to trade through the Silk Sea Road. Although this route was long and unknown, and there was the possibility of occurrence of several dangers, in many cases it was greatly superior to the land route. The most important people who had a role in expanding and popularizing this route were Iranian and Chinese merchants and statesmen. A study of historical sources reveals that Iranian ships were commuting between India and China, and some important ports such as Canton and Changzhou in China, and Siraf, Ablah, Basra (2nd and 3rd centuries AH), Hormoz, and Kish (8th century AH) in Iran, which were among the most important ports of that time, are the remnants of the Sea Silk Road. This sea route was popular almost until the end of the Safavid Era. With the changes in the political and economic situations of different countries in the world, this route was gradually forgotten and lost its initial appeal. The present research mainly focuses on the sea connections from the Persian Gulf to the China Sea until the beginning of the Mongol Period. The required data for this historical research has been collected from historical sources following the analytic-descriptive method of research.