a. azizi

The aim of this research is to investigate the efficiency of various ion exchange resin adsorbents for selective adsorption of gold from cyanide solutions containing copper. The adsorbents used in this study are to be the strong-based Dowex 21K XLT and Purogold™ MTA1940 resins, medium-based Purogold™ MTA1930 resin, weak-based Purogold™ MTA9920 resin and NORIT GAC 1240 activated carbon. The DLLME+AAS and ICP-MS methods were used to carry out the cyanide solutions contain 36 mg/l gold and 3014 mg/l copper. The obtained results showed that NORIT GAC 1240 activated carbon had the highest gold adsorption (at about 99.2%) and also the highest copper adsorption (81.4%), which increased the impurity level in the system. Among the studied adsorbents, Purogold™ MTA9920 resin absorbs less gold than other adsorbents, but due to the absorption of the lowest amount of copper ions (7.6%) and the consumption of the lowest amount of adsorbent, it can be the best option for absorbing gold in this type of solution.

Chelation therapy is essential for beta-thalassemia major. This study aims to determine the complications clinical and laboratory symptoms of monotherapy and combined treatment of iron chelators in beta-thalassemia major patients in Yasuj.

In this cross-sectional-descriptive-analytical study, 103 patients with beta-thalassemia major in Yasuj city were evaluated during 2021-2022. After collecting the demographic, clinical and laboratory information of the patients, the results were reported as mean ± standard deviation and percentage. The degree of statistical differences between ratios was calculated using the Kruskal-Wallis test.

The average age of our patients was reported to be 24.74 ± 8.34 years. 54.4% (n = 56) of the study patients were men and 45.6% (n = 47) were women. The results of the present study showed that there was a statistically significant difference in mean ferritin among different study groups (p = 0.028). Patients treated with deferoxamine showed the highest mean serum ferritin (5925.5 ± 3397ng%) and patients who took deferoxamine together with deferiprone or deferasirox had a lower mean ferritin compared to deferoxamine alone  (3348 ± 2560, 4269 ± 3322 ng%), respectively. Also, the present study showed that after taking iron removers, 47.6% of patients (n = 49) had no clinical complications and 52.4% (n = 54) had at least one complication.

Conclusions  :

Our results showed that Deferoxamine can have a great effect in reducing iron deposition and serum ferritin levels in combination with oral drugs.

The lack of animal feed resources and the increase in animal feed costs relative to the total production costs have created challenges in supplying society with animal protein. Therefore, correctly estimating the nutritional value of feed, especially protein sources, can be an important step in meeting the needs of livestock and reducing production costs. Protein is the most important and expensive nutrient used in ruminant diets. Using non-protein nitrogen (NPN) sources such as urea or its products can be considered a cheap alternative source in animal feeding. Iran is one of the most important urea-producing countries in the world; therefore, using urea or its slow-release products as a feed additive in animal nutrition can be beneficial. In the past years, various sources of slow-release urea have been produced and used in animal feeding. Biuret (heated urea) is one of the slow-release urea compounds, and its production cost is lower than other slow-release urea sources. Compared to urea, it has less solubility in water and is converted to ammonia in the rumen at a much slower rate. It is also less toxic than urea and has a lower negative effect on feed palatability, so it can be used to a greater extent than urea in the diet of ruminants. Biuret is very safe and it can be included in the diet of animals in an amount of 20 times higher than the toxic dose of urea. Biuret usually contains 248.5% crude protein (39.8% nitrogen content), which is a little less than urea. On the other hand, increasing the daily feeding frequency is one of the management methods that may improve the productive performance of livestock, as well as the quantity and quality of the carcass. Increasing the feed frequency may improve nitrogen retention and reduce body fat. It is believed that increasing the frequency of daily feeding will keep the feed fresh, reduce the amount of feed waste, and improve livestock performance. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of NPN source, in high-protein diets, and feeding frequency on growth performance, rumen parameters, and the activity of rumen microbial enzymes of fattening lambs.
Twenty-eight male Lori-Bakhtiari fattening lambs (age: four to five months; live weight: 36.1±3 kg) were assessed for 60 days using a 2×2 factorial experiment in a completely randomized design with four treatments and seven replications. The experimental high-protein diets (16% of DM) contained urea or biuret, which were given to the lambs in the form of a total mixed ration two or three times a day. The lambs were kept in 1×1.5 m2 individual stalls. Nutrient intake, growth performance, and ruminal parameters [on day 45 of the experiment at fasting (before morning feeding), three, and six h after feeding] including pH, ammonia and volatile fatty acid concentrations, and microbial enzyme activity were measured.
Results showed that intakes of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber and ether extract, final weight, and total weight gain were not affected by NPN type or feeding frequency (P<0.05). Compared to urea, lambs consuming biuret had higher average daily gain and better feed conversion ratio (P<0.05). The ruminal pH was not affected by the NPN source, feeding frequency, and their interaction (P<0.05). Rumen ammonia nitrogen concentration at three and six hours after morning feeding was significantly higher in lambs fed the diet containing urea than in biuret (P<0.05). The effect of NPN source, feeding frequency, and their interaction was not significant at 0 and six h after feeding on the ruminal concentration of total volatile fatty acids (VFA), acetate, propionate, butyrate, valerate, iso-valerate, and acetate to propionate ratio (P<0.05). However, feeding a diet containing biuret and given three times a day increased total VFA and acetate concentration at three hours post-feeding (P<0.05). The ruminal activity of carboxymethyl cellulase at 0, three, and six hours after feeding increased in animals fed biuret-containing diet compared to urea (P<0.05). However, rumen protease activity significantly increased in lambs fed a urea-containing diet than biuret-containing diet (P<0.05). Feeding three times a day increased the activity of carboxymethyl cellulase at three hours post-feeding (P<0.05). Filter paper degrading activity at three and six hours after feeding in lambs fed biuret was significantly higher than those fed urea (P<0.05). The activity of microcrystalline cellulase and α-amylase was not affected by the NPN source, feeding frequency, and their interaction (P<0.05).
Using biuret compared to the urea, in high-protein diets, and feeding diets three times a day, compared to two times a day, improved rumen fermentation parameters and performance of fattening lambs.

The use of organic fertilizers is one of the appropriate ways to produce medicinal plants due to their proper impact on the various soil properties, maintaining environmental health and better plant growth. This study was conducted to investigate the impact of various vermicompost levels on the growth and the morphological and physiological properties of the medicinal-ornamental plant of the Mullein, under drought stress conditions. The research was carried out in the form of split plots in a complete blocks design with four replicates. Experimental treatments included the use of vermicompost organic fertilizer at three levels of zero, 4, and 8 kg/m2 (equivalent to zero, 4, and 8 tons per hectare) and drought stress at two levels of normal irrigation (no stress) and irrigation at 50% of soil field capacity (FC). The results showed that the use of vermicompost and drought stress improved the morphological and physiological traits of the medicinal plant of Mullein. The highest height of the stem, the stem flower, the number of leaves, the height of the flower, the dry weight of shoot, and the root length were obtained by the use of vermicompost at 4 and 8 kg/m2 levels. The use of vermicompost at the rate of 8 kg/m2 increased chlorophyll and anthocyanin, respectively, by 53.7 and 122% compared to control. It was observed that by applying vermicompost at the levels of 4 and 8 kg/m2, significant changes in the morphological and physiological traits of the Mullein plant occurred. On the other hand, the combination of vermicompost application and mild drought stress also caused positive changes in the plant traits. Therefore, mild drought stress, and also for improving the vegetative growth and reproductive efficiency of the medicinal-ornamental plant of the Mullein, the use of vermicompost at 4 kg/m2 (equivalent to 4 tons per hectare) are recommended.

In the animal husbandry industry, more than 70% of the production costs are related to nutrition. Among the nutrients consumed by livestock, protein is one of the most important and expensive nutrients. Due to Iran's limitations in the production of oilseeds and consequently the production of protein meals, providing the protein needs of livestock has been associated with many problems. The use of new and especially local protein sources in ruminant feeding is one of the main solutions to cover the lack of protein sources and reduce the import of these sources, and it also reduces production costs in the livestock and poultry industry. Camelina sativa medicinal-oil plant has attracted a lot of attention, especially in recent years, and its most important advantage is extreme resistance to drought and cold conditions. The presence of high amounts of crude protein (CP), energy, and essential amino acids in camelina meal makes it a useful and potential option for use in the livestock and poultry feed industry. It was shown that the CP content of camelina meal was 41.9% of dry matter. Also, camelina meal has higher CP content and similar rumen undegradable protein compared to canola meal. In terms of lysine and methionine amino acids, which are important in muscle growth, camelina meal is considered a rich source. Camelina is a plant with a short growth period of 85-100 days and recently in Iran at the beginning of the camelina development project, the DH1025 line was produced, which is cultivated under the name of Soheil variety on a wide scale. Various studies have been conducted on the use of camelina meal for different purposes in ruminant nutrition. This is while there is little information about the nutrition of camelina meal and especially Soheil variety in the nutrition of ruminants in Iran. Therefore, this research aimed to investigate the effects of different levels of camelina meal on growth performance, rumen fermentation parameters, blood metabolites, and nutritional behavior of Lori-Bakhtiari lambs.
Thirteen Lori-Bakhtiari male lambs of four to five months of age with a mean live weight of 34.5±5 kg were used for 70 days of the experimental fattening period. Lambs were assigned to three experimental treatments (10 lambs per treatment) in a completely randomized design. Three experimental diets contained camelina meal at levels of zero (control), five, and 10% of dry matter (DM). Experimental diets were formulated according to nutritional requirement tables for small ruminants and were similar in terms of energy and protein. Also, the ratio of forage to concentrate in the diets was considered to be 30 to 70. From the first day, the animals were kept and reared in individual stalls. Two weeks before the start of the experiment (adaptation period), the lambs were vaccinated against enterotoxemia and the amount of 20 mL of anti-parasitic syrup (5% Clozantel) per 10 kg of body weight and niclosamide anti-parasitic syrup (seven to 10 mL per lamb) was fed to the lambs. Camelina meal used in this project was a genetically modified and localized variety. Experimental rations were provided in a completely mixed form (TMR) to the lambs daily at 8:00 am and 4:00 pm.
Results showed that increasing the level of camelina meal in the diet increased linearly the concentration of ruminal ammonia, propionate, and blood urea nitrogen (P<0.05), while ruminal pH and other individual volatile fatty acids, and blood parameters were not affected by the experimental diets (P>0.05). The activity of carboxymethyl cellulase enzymes decreased linearly with increasing the level of camelina meal in the diet (P<0.05). However, the activity of other rumen microbial enzymes was not affected by the experimental diets (P>0.05). In terms of behavioral traits, diets had no effect on DM and NDF intake, and also final body weight and average daily gain (P>0.05). Except for the amount of rumination and the ratio of rumination to DM intake, which increased linearly with increasing the level of camelina meal in the diet (P<0.05), other nutritional behaviors were not affected by the experimental diets (P>0.05).
In general, the results of the present study showed that the use of camelina meal, as a new source of protein, instead of soybean meal up to 10% of dietary DM of fattening lambs is recommended.

Determining and measuring efficiency is an important strategy in decision making. Due to the lack of transparency in the efficiency of production stages in Butter production units, the purpose of this study is to design a data envelopment analysis model to evaluate the efficiency of production stages of these units. The contribution of this research is to develop a model for evaluating the efficiency of a two-stage production system with both desirable and undesirable output using the network model of Khalili and Shahmir (2015). The developed two-stage model has been conducted using accurate and certain data of twenty Butter manufacturing factories in 1399, which can evaluate efficiency separately and in an integrated manner. At the end of the first stage, there are two types of desired output. There is a desired output of breakfast cream that does not enter the second stage of production and it is supplied to market for sale, and another desirable output is the pasteurized cream that is transferred to the second stage of production. At the end of the second stage, a desirable output, which is the packaged butter and an undesirable output, which is butter dough are obtained. The efficiency of all twenty units was evaluated and compared. Depending on the efficiency of the whole process, there was only one efficient unit. According to the efficiency of the first stage, there was only one efficient unit out of twenty units, and according to the second stage, there are two efficient units. The conclusion is that this industry has a high inefficiency in the factories located in provinces of Tehran and Alborz on their production process. Thus, it is necessary for the managers of this industry to increase efficiency of their production process.

This paper evaluates the effect of water scarcity and climatic conditions on farmers' irrigation decisions in the production of major crops including wheat, barley, cotton, sugar beet, and alfalfa in North-Khorasan province. Farmers’ irrigation decisions are defined with a management model composed of equations of the share of irrigated land, technology adoption, and the irrigation frequencies, which investigated the effect of water scarcity indicators and climatic factors, farm water supply method, land characteristics, and farmers’ demographic features. For this purpose, the required data were collected from the 380 questionnaires, completed by farmers in cultivation year of 2017-2018. Then, the equations of the management model were estimated using fractional logit, binomial logit, and OLS methods. The results indicated that economic and physical scarcity of water resources, climatic conditions of temperature and precipitation, severe events of frost and heat, and drought have noticeable impact on farmers’ irrigation decisions. Farmers try to reduce the damage caused by climate change and water scarcity by deciding to irrigate their farms and adopting new irrigation technologies. Also, the type of water sources, i.e. surface and groundwater, irrigation method, soil quality of cultivated land, and land size have significant effects on their decisions. In regions without available surface water resource, the cultivation areas of irrigated land are declined. Also, due to water scarcity, farmers are more willing to invest on new technologies to improve irrigation efficiency. In the farms with higher soil quality, improved cropland direction and slope, and resource availability, farmers are more willing to invest on new irrigation methods and increase irrigation frequencies. Therefore, the implementation of policies on improving land quality and cropland integration can increase the acceptance of new technologies, and reduce the water usage. In addition, farmers’ demographic characteristics such as experience, tenure, and education influence their decisions for irrigation. Creating suitable conditions for the education and training of farmers will increase farmers’ awareness of new agricultural methods and the importance of water resources. Findings of this study provide vision on – how of farmers reaction against crop production systems as well as mitigation policies to confront climate change impacts.

To investigate the milk yield and composition and some blood parameters of pregnant ewes receiving a slow-release bolus of copper, 120 Lori-Bakhtiari pregnant ewes (in their third and fourth parities with a body condition score of 3 to 3.5) were divided into three groups of 40 heads each in a completely randomized design. Treatments included: 1) control ewes (5.79 mg copper per kg of dry matter); 2) ewes receiving two milligrams of copper per day (one bolus), and 3) ewes receiving four milligrams of copper per day (tow boluses). On the first day, days 10 and 60 postpartum, blood samples were taken from the ewes. Serum copper concentration, serum ceruloplasmin concentration, and white blood cell count were significantly higher in ewes receiving one or two copper bolus than in the control group (P<0.05). Milk production, protein content, and percentage of non-fat milk solids were significantly higher in ewes receiving two copper bolus than in other treatments (P<0.05). Also, ewes receiving one copper bolus had significantly higher milk production, protein content, and percentage of non-fat milk solids than the control treatment (P<0.05). The percentage of milk fat in the control group was higher than ewes receiving two slow-release copper bolus (P<0.05). Milk copper concentration in ewes receiving one or two copper boluses was higher than in the control treatment (P<0.05). In general, both levels of copper improved milk production and some blood parameters, but the use of two boluses is recommended for higher milk production.

Ascomycota contains the most numerous groups of fungi and playing important roles in most of ecosystems. Diverse aspects of their activities, ascomycetes are known as fascinating subjects of biological studies, including exploration of new strategies for alteration of fungal lifespan. The gene los1, directly involving in nucleus-cytoplasm tRNA trafficking, plays a critical role in fungal growth rate, as well as its drug resistance. Here, we investigated an upstream region of the gene los1; among 10 species belong to Ascomycota. Furthermore, its homologue was knocked out from Aspergillus fumigatus, and its subsequent influences on any changes in expression of some related genes and drug resistance were evaluated. Our results suggest that in Ascomycota, the upstream region of los1 contains recognition sites for transcription factors SFP1 and FKH1. There is also a low probability that the transcription factor YAP6 binds to the upstream region of this gene. Besides, its deletion may lead to increase of fungal lifespan, as well as its resistance to bleomycin, while it presents more sensitivity to cycloheximide. The results of this study can be used in more targeted and intelligent selection of fungal antibiotics. In addition, information about the role of los1 gene in the growth and lifespan of ascomycetes, as well as their drug resistance and sensitivity, can be used in the design and manufacture of industrial strains.

The present work reveals a problem formulation to minimize material consumption and improve efficiency of diagrids to resist equivalent wind loading. The integrated formulation includes not only sizing of structural members but also variation in geometry and topology of such a system. Particular encoding technique is offered to handle practical variation of diagrid modules. A variant of Pseudo-random Directional Search is utilized to solve this problem treating a number of three dimensional structural models. Several issues are investigated including the effect of variation in the building height, its aspect ratio and fixing or releasing diagrid angles. Consequently, especial trend of variation in diagrid angle is observed with superior structural responses with respect to sizing designs of the fixed-angle modules.

Food industry has an important value all over the would. Tomatoes and it’s other products are one of the important agricultural products in food industry. Transgenic plants and seeds are one of the important achievements of modern biotechnology in field of agriculture that have captured a part of food marketing in recent years. Therefore, identify and examine whether transgenic agricultural products are transgenic or not, it is necessary because there are still many opinions for and against the use of these products in the world.

In this study, 10 types of tomatoes along with sepals were collected by simple sampling method from Tajrish bazaar, Shahrvand-e farmaniyeh, vegetable market East and West of Tehran and were examined. At first, P35S F/R, NOS-1/NOS-3, RBCLF/R and NPTǁ F/R primers were used. Nucleotide fragments were amplified respectively at 195bp and 180bp.

Amplified nucleotide fragments confirmed 100% similarity of the nucleotide sequence to the samples in the gene bank that the studied products were genetically engineered. Also, in order to identify transgenic tomatoes, aspecific PG F/R primer pair was used to amplify the antigens of polygalacturonase gene. All specimens that had P35S promoter band or NOS terminator, or both, amplified the 384bp band associated with part of the PG gene antisense, and found a 100% similarity in the gene sequence registered in the gene bank.

The results of this investigation showed that transgenic tomatoes exist in Iran’s market without consumer awareness.

Spiritual journey can be considered as the most important pillar of Sufism and mysticism and as the feature distinguishing it from other religious systems. So, a great part of Sofieh teachings has been centered on defining and explicating this spiritual journey. Existence of different steps in the evolutional journey not only superficialy indicates the existence of rituals, attitudes and educational systems, but also is in depth an influence of Sufis’ ontological view (as the one who plans the journey for his followers). Therefore, the place of God and Man in the hierarchy of the being and the relationship between these two plays a crucial role in howabouts of the journey.

This research was conducted in a descriptive-analytical manner using library resources.

Shams Tabrizi is one of the influential Sufis of the middle Ages. He is also regarded as an innovative and creative mystic in areas of anthropology, theology and ontology. In many regards, for example in terms of spiritual journey he has new and innovative ideas that deserve more attention. He believes that man has fallen apart from his true place, which is Khaliftulah. Therefore, he can regain his position through doing some actions and avoiding some other actions.

Shams’ teachings regarding spiritual journey can be divided into two categories: 1) What the seeker should pay attention to on the outside and in the material life (human journey in society) & 2) what should happen in the heart and mind of the seeker (inner journey). In the first case, what is most important is the feeling of an inner need and a relationship based on love and knowledge of hijab, and te external requirement which must be observed by the seeker is choosing a guru.

Methylene blue and curcumin are effective photosensitizers for inactivation of bacteria. This study assessed the penetration depth of methylene blue and curcumin in presence/absence of smear layer into dentinal tubules.

Thirty-two human central and lateral incisors were included in this experimental study. The initially prepared specimens were randomly allocated to 4 experimental groups: Group 1: methylene blue with smear layer, group 2: methylene blue without smear layer, group 3: curcumin with smear layer, group 4: curcumin without smear layer. Root specimens were sectioned by a diamond disc at 4 and 8 mm from the apex to obtain apical, middle, and coronal sections. The mean penetration depth was measured at the buccal, mesial, distal and palatal areas on cross sections. ANOVA was used to assess the effect of photosensitizer type, smear layer, and root level on penetration depth. Pairwise comparisons were performed by the Student’s t-test.

The maximum penetration depth was in the apical third in group 2 (0.98±0.25 mm) and the minimum penetration depth was in the coronal third in group 1 (0.21±0.15 mm); this difference was significant (P=0.001). Smear layer removal from the apical and middle thirds was correlated with higher photosensitizer penetration depth (P=0.000) but this difference was not significant in the coronal third (P=0.6). Curcumin had significantly greater penetration depth in presence of smear layer in all three parts compared with methylene blue (P<0.05).

Curcumin can penetrate more into dentinal tubules than methylene blue in presence of smear layer.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of different levels of yeast and monensin in high concentrate diets on the ruminal fermentation parameters by in vitro gas production method and protein degradability by in situ nylon bag technique. Experimental treatments included control diet (75% concentrate and 25% alfalfa) and supplemented control with three levels of yeast (2.5, 5, and 7.5 g per kg dry matter of diet) and three levels of monensin (15, 30, and 45 mg per kg dry matter of diet). The results showed that the addition of yeast in contrast to monensin resulted in a significant increase in cumulative gas production and the potential of gas production (b) (P<0.05). Ammonia nitrogen content was significantly decreased by adding different levels of monensin compared with the control treatment (P<0.05). Also, the average of short-chain fatty acids was significantly increased by adding yeast compared with the control treatment and different levels of monensin (P<0.05). The rumen degradable protein and its fractional degradation rate were significantly reduced by monensin supplementation (P<0.05). Based on the results of this study it can be suggested that the addition of 5 g yeast and 30 mg monensin (per kg DM) in high concentrate diets can improve ruminal fermentability and organic matter digestibility of feed and increase the accessibility of animal to diet energy.

In the present study, AZ31 magnesium alloy was bonded to 7075 aluminum alloy at different temperatures (393, 402, 412, and 421 °C) and diffrent holding times (25, 60, and 120 min) through diffusion bonding. Moreover, axial loads of 12, 29, 38, and 80 MPa accompanied by vacuum condition were employed during the bonding. The experimental and numerical results of the successful joints confirmed the existence of different reactive layers in diffusion zones and formation of the predicted intermetallic compounds. Findings showed that by applying a pressure of 29 MPa at different temperatures of 402, 412, and 421 °C, Interfacial Transition Zone (ITZ) with thicknesses of 21.26, 21.96, and 22.60 μm, respectively, was formed. Further, the maximum amount of the bond strength (30 MPa), resulting from the proper coalescence of metal surfaces, was obtained at 402 °C. Although the hardness of ITZ was found to be greater than that of the base metals, it could increase even more mainly as a result of an increase in the bonding temperature. Moreover, the results of simulation, using DEFORM-3D software, indicated that the ITZ had different mechanical properties from base metals and that by analyzing the effective stress, the Mg alloy specimen was more deformed than Al alloy during the joining process.

In this study, the effect of forage:concentrate ratio on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and rumen parameters in male Lori Bakhtiari Lambs was investigated. A total of 27 male lambs (70 ±15 days of age, mean live weight of 26.3 ± 3.3 kg) were fattened for three months with three different levels of concentrate (55, 70, and 85%) and three different fattening period duration (first, second and third months). The apparent digestibilities of rations were measured monthly using acid-insoluble ash as an internal marker. Ruminal fluid samples were taken to determine the ruminal fermentation parameters at the end of each month. The results showed that increasing the level of concentrate improved daily weight gain and decreased feed conversion ratio (P<0.05). Increasing the diet concentrate level resulted in a decreased ratio of acetate to propionate and isobutyric acid concentrations (P<0.05). The ratio of acetate to propionate and daily weight gain decreased with increasing fattening period duration (P<0.05). In contrast, feed conversion ratio, ammonia concentration, and protozoa count increased. Interactions between diet concentrate level and fattening period duration had significant effects on final body weight, feed intake, nutrient digestibility coefficients, propionic acid concentration, and acetate:propionate ratio (P<0.05). In conclusion, the positive effects of concentrate level on performance, nutrient digestibility, and volatile fatty acid production were affected by the duration of the fattening period. Therefore, it is better to shorten the duration of the fattening period when using a high concentrate diet, and the maximum dietary concentrate level should be equal to 70% if the duration of the fattening period is increased.

Acute appendicitis is the most common emergency surgery; thus, its diagnosis requires high accuracy. This study aimed to determine the agreement between clinical and paraclinical diagnoses in patients with acute appendicitis.

This descriptive study was performed on patients referred to Shahid Beheshti Hospital in Yasouj with suspicion of acute appendicitis in 2018. After considering the inclusion criteria, the files of 200 patients were included in the study by purposive sampling. Age, sex, main problem, symptoms, clinical signs, white blood cell count, and ultrasonography and pathology report were extracted from the patients' files, and the Modified Alvarado Score was calculated based on their information.

The mean age of the patients was 24.3±13.2 years, and the most common symptoms were anorexia and abdominal tenderness. The Modified Alvarado Score was  4-6 in 126 (63%) and 7 or higher (37%) in 74 patients. In addition, 182 patients (91%) had a positive pathology for appendicitis. There was a statistically significant relationship (p=0.03) between Modified Alvarado Score and pathology; however, there was no statistically significant relationship (p=0.43) between Modified Alvarado Score and ultrasonography. There was a significant relationship (p=0.0001) between pathology and ultrasonography. The ultrasonography sensitivity was 37.1%, specificity was 87.2%, positive predictive value was 96.8%, and negative predictive value was 11.7%.

There is an agreement between the Modified Alvarado Score and ultrasonography in diagnosing acute appendicitis with the pathology as the gold standard in the diagnosis of appendicitis; however, there is no agreement between the Modified Alvarado Score and ultrasonography.

Today, training and improvement of human resources is one of the main strategies to achieve human capital and positive adaptation to changing conditions as two competitive advantages of organizations. In recent years, there have been significant and extensive changes in the field of education, which is called the change in the teaching-learning paradigm. One of the emphases of this paradigm shift is the use of different and combined methods in training and improving human resources. Therefore, this study was conducted to explain the paradigm shift in human resource training and improvement: focusing on the Individual Development Planning (IDP).

This is a  review-analytical research method with a review of theoretical literature in books written in the field of training and improvement of human resources and the use of published articles in the field of education and curriculum of personalized development, human resources and improvement was done in domestic and foreign magazines in the years 2010-2019, after explaining the importance and necessity of improving human resources to change the paradigm of training to learning in improving human resources, and emphasizing this paradigm to use combined methods and characteristics of new paradigms in human resource training and improvement and theoretical foundations were discussed; Among the most important models of human resource development, the Individualized Development Planning model (IDP) is extensively studied, including the definition, goals and characteristics of the individual development plan, the six-stage process of individual development planning, and finally summarizing and concluding.

The Individual Development Planning (IDP) is a model for human resource training and improvement that focuses on identifying the necessary experiences for the growth and improvement of each individual in order to achieve the common goals of professional development in organizational improvement and promotion.

One of the manifestations of employee empowerment is training. The Individual Development Planning (IDP) is a model for human resource improvement planning; The present results of the study showed that this model of planning can be considered in the form of a continuous and dynamic process for employee excellence and achieving organizational goals.

Shade guide discoloration after disinfection can interfere with the appropriate color selection for dental restorations. Since one of the most important issues for patients is the color of the final restoration, the discoloration of shade guides due to disinfectants will be important. Infection control is a definite and important matter in dentistry. Due to the contradictory results of studies on the effect of disinfectants on shade guide discoloration, this study aimed to examine the discoloration of the Vita classical shade guide by glutaraldehyde disinfectant. 

In this experimental study, samples of A4, B4, C4, and D4 colors were selected from the Vitapan classical shade guide, 10 pieces each (40 samples in total). Three samples of each color were immersed in distilled water as a control while the other seven were immersed in a 2% glutaraldehyde disinfectant solution. The shade pilot spectrophotometer was used for colorimetry, which was performed at baseline and 24, 48, and 72 hours after the immersion. The color of the samples was evaluated based on the CIE Lab system. The data were analyzed with two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukeychr('39')s test.

The rate of color change (ΔE) of the samples was higher in the glutaraldehyde group than in distilled water (P<0.05). In addition, color change in both groups showed a significant difference at different times (P<0.05).

The Vitapan classical color samples discolor by immersion in 2% glutaraldehyde disinfectant after 24, 48, and 72 hours, but this color change is not clinically detectable (ΔE<1).

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a comparatively novel therapeutic method involving a safe light source and a light-sensitive substance, termed as photosensitizers (PSs), such as methylene blue (MB), toluidine blue (TBO), sulfonated aluminum phthalocyanine, chlorine derivatives, nontoxic indocyanine green (ICG), and curcumin (CUR). (1) The combination of a nontoxic PS with low-intensity visible light in the presence of oxygen develops reactive oxygen species (ROS) that are toxic and can cause oxidative damage to microorganisms and tumor cells. (2-4) PSs do not induce cytotoxicity but are activated by laser irradiation at a proper wavelength and develop ROS. (5,6)

Correct-level surgery is one of the most important concerns in the treatment of patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). Variations in vertebral number can potentially result in wrong-level surgery. It is possible that the incidence and type of these variations be affected by different factors such as ethnicity. In the current retrospective study, the prevalence of these variations in Iranian AIS patients was investigated.  

Between 2012 to 2017, spinal fusion was performed for the treatment of AIS in 125 patients. The thoracic and lumbar vertebrae were enumerated on posteroanterior radiographs. The first thoracic vertebra was the one attached to the first pair of ribs. Enumeration was continued in a caudal direction. The lumbar level initiated just below the last vertebra with a pair of associated ribs.

Abnormal vertebral enumeration was found in 18 patients (14.4%). The prevalence of abnormal lumbar enumeration was higher than thoracic vertebrae (10.4% versus 4%). Eleven thoracic vertebrae were found in 5 patients (4%). Four lumbar vertebrae were found in eleven patients (8.8%). There were two patients with six lumbar vertebrae (1.6%). There was no patient with abnormal enumeration of both thoracic and lumbar vertebrae.

The current study showed a relatively high rate of atypical number of thoracic and lumbar vertebrae in Iranian AIS patients. It is necessary to enumerate the vertebrae on the basis of an organized protocol preoperatively to prevent wrong-level surgery in AIS patients.

Factors such as suitable substrate and packaging may increase the shelf life of greenhouse bell pepper. In this study, the greenhouse bell pepper plants grown in the substrates containing 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% compost tea in hydroponic culture were packaged in two types of film using the modified atmosphere method. Firmness of fruit texture, total soluble solids, pH, titratable acidity, vitamin C, and respiration were measured immediately after harvesting and during storage time with three replications. Then, the data obtained from the above tests were analyzed in a completely randomized design with factorial arrangement (three factors: substrates containing different amounts of compost tea, type of packing material, and storage time). Although the results showed that characteristics of the bell peppers grown on the substrates containing different amounts of compost tea were significantly different (p<0.05) from the substrate without compost, no significant result was obtained as to which percentage of compost tea had the most impact. With regard to storage time, most of the tested characteristics had a decreasing trend, but still laid within the standard ranges. In terms of the type of film, with a slight difference, nanofilm was superior to polyethylene film. As a conclusion, the bell peppers grown on the substrates containing compost tea and packaged in the nanofilms with the modified atmosphere method had acceptable shelf lifes more than one month.

Diode laser is a great choice for soft tissue surgery. The diode laser is partially absorbed by hard dental tissues, making it safe for soft tissue surgery. This study aimed to compare the tissue thermal changes induced by three types of diode lasers at 810, 940, and 980nm wavelengths.

In this in-vitro experimental study, using a diode laser device (continuous mode with a 400μm fiber tip) at each of the 810, 940, and 980nm wavelengths and powers of 1, 2, and 3W in contact mode, incisions with the length of 2cm were made on pieces of meat over a period of 10 seconds. The primary and secondary temperatures were measured using a thermocouple. Data were analyzed using two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA).

Tissue temperature changes induced by diode laser at 810nm/3W were significantly greater than that of 2W power. These changes were higher with 2W of power compared to 1W (P<0.05). Temperature changes induced by diode laser at 940nm/2 and 3W were significantly greater than that of 1W power (P<0.05). Temperature changes induced by diode laser at 980nm/3W were significantly greater than that of 2W power. Tissue temperature changes were higher with 2W of power compared to 1W (P<0.05).

Diode laser (continuous mode with a 400µm fiber tip) at 3W of power and 980nm wavelength caused the highest rate of thermal changes. The 810nm diode laser with the power of 1W caused the slightest heat changes in the soft tissue.

Present paper investigates the dissolution behavior of copper from chalcopyrite concentrate sample using cupric chloride solution in detail. Response surface modeling (RSM) in combination with d-optimal design (DOD) was utilized for modeling and optimizing the cupric chloride leaching process. At first, a quadratic polynomial model was developed for the relationship between the recovery of copper and influential factors. The predictions indicated an excellent agreement with the experimental data (with R2 of 0.9399). Then, the effects of main factors including pH (1-4), liquid/solid ratio (2-7 mL/g), temperature (70-90 °C), CuCl2 concentration (6-35 g/L), and leaching time (0.5-16) were determined. The findings demonstrated that the temperature and CuCl2 concentration were the most effective factors on the dissolution rate of copper from chalcopyrite sample, while liquid/solid ratio had the lowest impact. The recovery of copper increased linearly with an increment in the liquid/solid ratio and the decrease in the pulp pH. Additionally, the recovery enhanced by increasing the temperature and CuCl2 concentration owing the generation of Cu–Cl complexes species and reached a plateau point and then almost remained unchanged. Meanwhile, it was found out that the recovery of copper was independent of the interaction between factors. Moreover, the optimization of leaching process was carried out by Design Expert (version 7) software and desirability function method and the highest recovery of copper was found to be about 86.1% at a pH of ~1.4, temperature of 89 °C, liquid/solid ratio of 6.8 mL/g, CuCl2 concentration of 21.79 g/L and leaching time of ~8 h.

In the conventional mass balance methods, sampling are carried out to determine the metal content, solid percentage and particle size distribution in the paths (branches) and ultimately the corresponding errors are dispersed. In these methods, there is no information about the amount of feed and the grade (or the metal content) at any moment of time for each mineral processing unit (plant equipment). Thus, in this paper, the quantitative and qualitative values of input feed to each of the operating units in the processing paths were probabilistically investigated using stochastic process theory, and consequently the load distribution in these units was estimated. For this purpose, the processing plant was firstly modeled as a directional and balanced graph. In this graph, each node represents an operating unit and each edge displays a path between two units. The weight of each edge also indicates the passing material weight from the node to another node, which is assigned as a random variable at a specified interval. After modeling the process, the obtained graphical model containing random parameters was analyzed using Markov chain theory. Applying the philosophy outlined in this paper, not only the load distribution, but also the presence probability of each particle or mineral in each of the operational units of the processing plant can be predicted. It is also possible to estimate the tonnage in each unit when the plant is shut down and even the necessary steps are provided to discharge them. In this research, Chadormalu iron ore processing line was modeled using method presented and the results were analyzed and thereafter were reported using probabilistic parameters.