h. jafari

Acquired right is a fundamental moral principle and a privilege that people obtain by contract and law and will not be lost if the laws are not changed. The concept of acquired right is a tool to achieve justice in law. Acquired rights have an international impact; These effects are in the field of property and communication of personal status, business, trade and intellectual property. The current thesis was formed with the aim of examining the moral principle of respect for acquired rights and its international validity in Iranian law.

Acquired rights cannot be taken back from citizens. These rights are enforceable only in the territory of the issuing country's sovereignty, and whenever a right is created and, in a country, other than the place where it was created, the effect and recognition of that right is demanded, an issue called moving conflict is raised. In fact, dynamic conflicts are the international recognition of acquired rights or the international impact of rights. Therefore, the implementation of acquired rights requires countries to cooperate as closely as possible in legal and judicial fields. Iran's policy in this field is based on reciprocity, and judgments issued by countries that reciprocate the judgments issued by Iranian courts are enforceable in Iran.

In semiconductor production, doping is the intentional introduction of impurities into an intrinsic semiconductor to modulating its electrical, optical, and structural properties. Among various areas of research reactor utilization, neutron transmutation doping of silicon is a well-established technology desired by industry. The design and construction of an irradiation channel require calculations and benchmark studies to validate the calculations performed. This work is based on the measurement of thermal neutron flux inside an 8-inch aluminum phantom using gold foils positioned radially inside it. The irradiation positions were simulated using the MCNPX computational code to investigate the conformity of the code data with the experimental data. The results showed noticeable discrepancies between the measured data inside the TRR thermal column and the obtained simulation data obtained. These differences may be due to some physical properties of the thermal column nose that need to be properly considered for precise simulation of the irradiation conditions. While benchmark study for the other selected irradiation position near the TRR core showed an average 25% relative discrepancy between the simulation and experimental data. The simulations carried out inside an optimized irradiation channel designed for 6-inch silicon ingots showed that have a thermal neutron flux of at least in order of 1012 would be achievable. This makes it possible to complete the doping process in 2 to 3 days of operation of the TRR reactor at its full 5 MW power.

Concrete is commonly used to shield gamma rays and neutrons. The effectiveness of concrete shielding for neutrons depends on the moisture content in the concrete. Moreover, the strength and durability of concrete structures are influenced by the moisture content in the concrete specimen. Therefore, determination of the moisture content in concrete is very important. The gamma ray attenuation technique is a potentially attractive non-destructive method for determining the concrete moisture content due to its high accuracy and speed. In this study, gamma attenuation in concrete shields of different thicknesses and moisture levels was simulated using the Monte Carlo method. Two separate artificial neural networks (ANN) were trained with simulation data to accurately estimate results and decrease calculation time. The thickness of concrete is predicted in the first ANN. Then, the count in full energy peak and thickness is applied to the second ANN to determine the concrete moisture. The trained neural network can estimate the thickness of concrete with a main relative error (MRE) of 0.42%. The findings indicate that the suggested approach can accurately determine the concrete moisture with an MRE error of 4.6% for test data.

In this paper, nurse scheduling problem (NSP) is studied by minimizing the total number of the required nurses as well as by maximizing the nurses’ preferences for working shifts. In this setting, hospital’s managers set the total number of the required nurses while nurse-chiefs select the required part-timers and then assign shifts to all nurses including the full-timers and the selected part-timers. Obviously, competition between the managers and nurse-chiefs to make decisions leads to a conflict between their objectives. In this point of view, a two-player game-theoretic framework can be established between them to set decisions. To our knowledge, this study is the first one that develops the game-theoretic approach to solve the NSP. In this setting, four game-theoretic models, including Managers-Stackelberg, Nurses-Stackelberg, Nash, and Centralized, are proposed based on the various competitive and cooperative interactions between the players. Moreover, a mathematical programming model is developed to obtain the equilibrium strategies. It is found that the managers and nurse-chiefs gain their best responses under the Managers-Stackelberg and Nurses-Stackelberg games, respectively. In the Nash game, they make decisions in order to meet their objectives, mostly. Moreover, the equilibrium strategies given by the Managers-Stackelberg and Centralized games are the same.

Birth weight is the most important factor affecting lamb survival, but even when birth weight is appropriate, some lambs are lost to weaning. Infectious diseases are the most important factors affecting the mortality of lambs before weaning. Therefore, any factor that reduces the prevalence of these infections has a positive effect on the survival of lambs and improves the reproductive performance of the flock. The structure of the placenta in ruminant animals prevents the transfer of immunoglobulins from maternal circulation to the fetus. Therefore, newborn ruminants are completely dependent on the absorption of immunoglobulins from the mother's colostrum after birth. Consuming a sufficient amount of high-quality colostrum at the right time is the most important management factor affecting the survival and health of newborn ruminants. Colostrum also affects the survival of lambs by providing nutrients necessary for metabolism and heat production. Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D3, and E) are among the important components of colostrum and their concentrations are higher in colostrum compared to milk. These vitamins play an important role in improving the immune system of ruminant animals. Many genetic and non-genetic factors such as animal breed, mother's age, nutrition of dam in late pregnancy, herd vaccination program, colostrum volume, and colostrum collection time after parturition affect the quantity and quality of colostrum in ruminant animals. Nutrition status in late pregnancy is the most important factor affecting the quantity and quality of colostrum produced in these animals. Therefore, an insufficient supply of vitamins in pregnant ewes is one of the reasons for reducing the survival and mortality of newborn lambs. Much research has been conducted regarding the effect of dietary or injectable vitamin A, D3, and E supplements in late pregnancy on the maternal immune system and the survival of newborn ruminants, although, they have mainly focused on vitamin E and selenium supplements. To our knowledge, there is no information on how the timing of the use of these vitamins in late pregnancy affects the metabolic responses of ruminants. Therefore, this experiment aimed to investigate the effect of time and amount of vitamin AD3E injection in late pregnancy on colostrum quality and plasma metabolites of Afshari ewes and their lambs. Forty Afshari mature ewes with an average of 45 kg and 2-3 years of age were used. One month before the expected lambing, animals were divided into four groups and randomly assigned to experimental treatments. Experimental treatments were: 1. No injection of vitamin AD3E (Control; C), 2. Injection of 10 mL of vitamin AD3E four weeks before the expected lambing, 3. Injection of 10 mL of vitamin AD3E two weeks before the expected lambing, and 4. Injection of five mL of vitamin AD3E four weeks and five mL two weeks before the expected lambing. Blood samples of ewes and lambs were collected four and one week before the expected lambing and three days after colostrum consumption, respectively. Plasma was separated and stored at -20 ◦C for metabolites’ measurement. Samples of colostrum from all animals were collected and stored at 3-5 ◦C for determining chemical composition and BRIX index. Results showed that the greatest plasma concentrations of glucose and malondialdehyde (MDA) on day 7 before lambing were observed in ewes of the C groups (P<0.05). Experimental treatments did not affect plasma total cholesterol (TCh), triglyceride (TG), and magnesium (Mg) concentrations of ewes on day 7 before lambing (P>0.05). Plasma concentration of total protein (TP), calcium (Ca), and BRIX index on day 7 before lambing were higher in ewes who received vitamin AD3E compared to the C group (P<0.05). Ewes received 10 mL of vitamin AD3E two weeks before the expected lambing had the highest plasma glutathione peroxidase (GPX), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and total antioxidant activities on day 7 before lambing (P<0.05). Colostrum fat and lactose percentage were not influenced by experimental treatments (P>0.05). Whereas, colostrum protein percentage tended to be lower for ewes in the C group (P=0.08). The lowest colostrum BRIX index was observed in the ewes of the C group (P<0.05). The lowest plasma glucose concentration was observed in lambs born from ewes of the C group (P<0.05). Experimental treatments did not affect plasma TCh, TG, Ca, and Mg concentrations of lambs (P>0.05). Lambs born from ewes received 10 mL of vitamin AD3E two weeks before lambing had the highest plasma GPX, SOD, and total antioxidant activities compared to other groups (P<0.05). Vitamin AD3E injection increased the plasma BRIX index of lambs compared to the group without injection (P<0.05). The results showed that injection of vitamin AD3E two weeks before lambing increased plasma TP concentration and antioxidant activity of ewes, as well as colostrum TP content, and consequently increased plasma TP concentration and antioxidant activity of lambs. Therefore, this can be an effective strategy to improve lamb survival and performance.

The ability of remote sensing (RS) in irrigation scheduling has been accepted in the world due to the collection of data on a large scale and the determination of water stress indicators with greater speed and less cost. Crop Water Stress Index (CWSI) and Water Deficit Index (WDI) are components of the most recognized water stress indices. Despite the accuracy and precision of the CWSI index that has been proven in plant irrigation scheduling, the lack of complete density of vegetation, especially in the early stages of growth, is one of the most important defects of using this method in crop irrigation scheduling. While estimating the water deficit index using remote sensing technology does not have these limitations. An experiment was performed in the crop year 98-99 in the city of Karaj to check the accuracy of this index. The amount of WDI and CWSI in a wheat field with optimized irrigation management was determined and compared and evaluated using statistical parameters. The results showed that the coefficient of explanation between these two indicators in the months of April, May, and June is 0.77, 0.85, and 0.71, respectively.

This paper demonstrates an enhancement of power quality in grid integrated systems with the help of the proposed control strategy for voltage source converter based active power filters. The Shunt Active Power filters (SAPF) are extensively utilized in modern grid integrated systems to diminish the power quality concerns associated with it. The SAPF is one of the various power filters, which has better dynamic performance. The SAPF requires an accurate control strategy that provides robust performance under source and loads unbalance conditions. The proposed control scheme is responsible for generating the gate signals to activate the operation of Voltage Source Converter (VSC) based Active Power Filter. Thus, the performance of mitigation of harmonics of source current principally depends on the adopted algorithm. The present paper represents a performance study of a control scheme to mitigate power quality issues in the grid integrated system. The proposed system is modelled and simulated in MATLAB-Simulink in Simpower system block set.

In this article, the corrosion behavior of stainless steel (SS304) and carbon steel (St37) has been studied using immersion and potentiodynamic polarization methods in the presence of Shewanella RCRI7 bacteria. The results show that the corrosion behavior of SS304 and St37 is affected by passivation and biofilm formation. Based on the results of the immersion test, the corrosion behavior of SS304 has been much affected by passivation and the alloying elements (Cr, Ni, Mn, and Mo) so that the corrosion rate of SS304 decreased by 30% in presence of Shewanella RCRI7 bacteria at the first and fourth day of immersion. The corrosion rate in St37 has been decreased by 38% and 79% on the first and fourth day of immersion respectively, which indicates the impact of the biofilm on corrosion behavior. Potentiodynamic polarization tests show that cathodic reactions are affected by Shewanella RCRI7 bacteria and consequently the corrosion potential (Ecorr) is shifted to more negative potentials (from-360mV to -560mV for SS304 and from -610mV to -690mV for St37).

The aim of present study was to investigate life cycle assessment of Iranian rice cultivars production affected by NPK chemical fertilizers using management. The experiment was conducted in farms located in Mazandaran province, Sari, during 2017 and 2018. The experiment was performed as split plot in a randomized complete block design with four replications. The different doses of fertilizer treatments at five levels including F1: 250 kg N ha-1 + 150 kg P ha-1 + 150 kg K ha-1 (N250P150K150), F2: 200 kg N ha-1 + 100 kg P ha-1 + 100 kg K ha-1 (N200P100K100), F3: 150 kg N ha-1 + 75 kg P ha-1 + 75 kg K ha-1 (N150P75K75), F4: 100 kg N ha-1 + 50 kg P ha-1 + 50 kg K ha-1 (N100P50K50), and F5: Control or no application of fertilizer treatments (N0P0K0) as main plot and local rice cultivars at two levels of Sang Tarom and Tarom Hashemi were considered as sub-plots. The results showed that an average amount of cumulative energy demand and cumulative exergy demand was 11549.78 and 13443.08 MJ, respectively that with increase of nitrogen consumption, both indices showed a decreasing trend. The average ecological footprint was 1190.80 m2a which CO2 emissions had shown the highest effect on the ecological footprint. The average of the impact categories of abiotic depletion was equals 12.44 kg Sb eq, acidification (3.15 kg SO2 eq), eutrophiction (2.33 kg PO4 eq), malodorous air (7295733 m3 air), freshwater sediment ecotoxicity (75.79 kg 1,4 DB eq), marine sediment ecotoxicity (116.11 kg 1,4 DB eq) that all of which decreased with increasing nitrogen consumption. The average global warming potential (GWP) 20a and GWP 500a were 399.20 and 382.97 kg CO2 eq, respectively. Two indicators of human toxicity and terrestrial ecotoxicity in the three periods of 20, 100 and 500 years shows increasing amounts equal 0.42% and 140.70% during 20a to 500a, respectively. All pollutants released into the air and the water demonstrated a decreasing trend with increasing nitrogen amounts. The emission of nitrate into soil, metals into the soil, and chemical oxygen demand showed a decreasing trend with increasing nitrogen levels. By group comparing between different levels of nitrogen at splitting levels, it can be stated that the main cause of variations in the amount of pollutants was the higher output (yield) compared to inputs. Indeed, nitrogen uptake in four developmental stages has resulted in maximum plant use, resulting in increased yield and emission reduction per unit area. Therefore, reducing the emission of pollutants by increasing nitrogen consumption can be due to increase of yield. According to the findings of this study, the application of N150P75K75 treatment is a better option to improving the yield of rice cultivars along with a decrease in chemical fertilizers and subsequent reduced fertilizers costs and environmental damages.

The genus of Hottentotta sp. scorpion is one of the few medically important scorpions in Iran. This study assessed the genetic relationship analysis of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COXI) and 12sRNA genes and morphometric parameters among the population of Hottentotta sp in Khuzestan. Morphological analysis using the ANOVA T-test with a significance level of P-value less than 0.05 showed differences between the Hottetotta saulcyi and Hottetotta zagrosensis. However, this method was not able to distinguish between members of the same species. The amplification of gene fragments was done on 12srRNA (374 bp), and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COXI) (624 bp) from Hottentotta sp. collected from Khuzestan by PCR. Based on sequence 12srRNA, all H. saulcyi specimens (HS4, HS6 and HS7) except HS5 were included in cluster B. While two specimens of H. Zagrosensis (HZ6 and HZ1) with 99% bootstrap value were placed in cluster A. By using 12srRNA sequences, the highest genetic distance between the Khuzestan specimens was related to HS5 and HS7, which was calculated to be 16.7%. However, the amount of amino acid difference between HS5 and HS7 using the COXI sequence was 9.2%. The genetic distances of HS7 and HS5 with the only scorpion reference sequence, H. saulcyi, were 11.8% and 9.2%, respectively. Morphological data showed the separation of the two species, consistent with molecular phylogenetic trees. On the other hand, the genetic distance of specimens HS7 and HS5 with other members of the group as well as the scorpion reference sequence using the COXI gene, confirmed the possibility of an intraspecies difference that could not be proved by the morphological data alone.

To investigate the effect of sodium selenate (Na2SeO4) and sodium selenite (Na2SeO3) on some morphological characteristics and nutrients concentration in peppermint, an experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with four replications. Different levels of sodium selenate and sodium selenite (0, 4, 8, and 12 mg l-1) were applied in soilless cultivation in the research greenhouse of the Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. Then morphological traits and the concentrations of nutrients in the leaf were measured in the flowering stage. The results showed that the application of two forms of selenium at a concentration of 4 mg l-1 increased the growth traits in peppermint. The highest concentration of both salts decreased the plant growth. The results also showed that with increasing the concentration of selenite and sodium selenate, the selenium concentration increased, but the use of sodium selenate caused higher concentration of this element in the leaf. At a concentration of 4 mg l-1 selenium, the concentrations of macronutrients including nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and magnesium in the leaf increased by 43.7, 11.1, 3.2, 11.6, and 9.2%, respectively, compared to the control but were not significant. The highest nitrogen concentration was observed at the concentration of 4 mg l-1 sodium selenite 43.7% greater than the control. With increasing the concentration of selenium, except for molybdenum and manganese, the concentration of zinc, iron, boron, and copper increased. The highest concentrations of iron and boron were obtained at 12 mg l-1 sodium selenate, 60.2 and 25.7% greater compared to the control, respectively. The highest concentrations of zinc and copper measured at 12 mg l-1 sodium selenite were 63.3 and 40.6% greater than the control, respectively. In general, it is concluded that 4 mg l-1 of sodium selenate can be applied to improve the growth and nutritional condition of the peppermint.

The irrigation schedule of crops is the most effective way to increase agricultural water use efficiency. In irrigation planning, determining the irrigation time is more important and difficult than determining the depth of irrigation water. Among all methods of determining the irrigation time of crops, the methods which used plants are more accurate than other methods. In this study, the wheat water stress index has been used which is based on the air vapor pressure deficit and the difference between vegetation and air temperature (Tc-Ta). First of all, the diagram and the relationship between the top and bottom baselines were extracted, then the water stress index of wheat was drawn in the Karaj region. Secondly, to determine the optimal water stress index of wheat, four treatments including I1: 30% of maximum allowable depletion of moisture, I2: 45% of maximum allowable depletion of moisture, I3: 60% of maximum allowable depletion of moisture, I4: 75% of maximum allowable depletion of moisture were performed in four replications. The amount of water stress index of each treatment was calculated during the season separately, and the CWSI of the treatment with the highest water use efficiency was used to determine the irrigation time of wheat. The results showed that the relationship between the upper and lower baseline for wheat in the Karaj region is Tc-Ta = 3.6 0c and  Tc-Ta = -0.27VPD - 2.64, respectively. The treatment of 45% of maximum allowable depletion of moisture had the highest water use efficiency and the optimal water stress index for wheat was obtained at 0.36 in the Karaj region.

In this work, the leakage current variation of a silicon diode, as the basic element of many electronic components, has been investigated in the exposure by neutron spectrum of a typical thermal rector. To determine the PKA spectrum, the MCNPX Monte Carlo code has been used to calculate the non-ionizing energy loss in the device. Molecular Dynamic Calculations are used to determine the number of reactor neutron induced defects in a silicon diode. The simulation of electrical parameters for irradiation of reactor neutron was also done by SILVACO software. The results show that the leakage current increases by about 6.82 times the amount of it before irradiation, up to about 3.54 nA/μm by the exposure of neutrons.

Buthidae family includes scorpions with highly potent venom such as Compsobuthus matthiesseni is important due to the prevalence of scorpion stings in Khuzestan Province, Iran. Morphometric comparison of males and females (n=5 each) showed that the body and carapas of the females were longer and wider (32.57±0.23 mm and 3.75±0.22 mm, respectively) than those of males (28.89±0.25 mm and 3.55±0.12 mm, respectively). From the seven specimens of C. matthiesseni scorpion, 410-bp gene fragments of ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 2 were amplified by polymerase chain reaction. The specimens of CM1 and CM2 (isolated from Baghmalek, Khuzestan) were in the same group with bootstrap values of 87%. Nevertheless, CM4 and CM3 (isolated from Shushtar and Bidroobe, Khuzestan) with bootstrap values of 73% and 62% were separated from the two specimens of Baghmalek, respectively. The two specimens CF3 and CM5 (isolated from Masjed Soleiman, Khuzestan) with bootstrap values of 88% were placed next to each other in a separate group. CF2 was separated from the rest of the specimens with a bootstrap value of 54%. Out of the seven scorpions that were examined, six specimens (CM1, CM2, CM3, CM4, CM5, and CF3) showed the greatest similarity between 1.1% and 4%. However, the genetic distance between CF2 and the rest of the specimens was at the range of 10.8-14.2%. It can be concluded that all C. matthiesseni scorpions from Khuzestan Province belonged to one species; nonetheless, differences were observed within the species, especially in the case of CF2, which might be intraspecies.

In hydrological studies, time series are observed as continuous or discrete. Groundwater level and rainfall can be considered as discrete time series. The most common way to measure the dependence between two variables in a discrete time series is to calculate the Pearson correlation coefficient (r). Pearson correlation test is a parametric test that quantitatively measures the linear relationship between variables. This coefficient is essentially a dimensionless index that describes the relationship between two variables numerically. The groundwater level is more or less influenced by rainfall, and this influence may be delayed for a variety of reasons. The process of comparing two time series in different time steps is called cross-correlation. In the cross-correlation analysis, the time-dependent relationship between the dependent and the independent variables is analyzed by computing the coefficients of cross-correlation for various time lags. Results are plotted on a graph called a cross-correlogram.Mashhad-Chenaran aquifer with an area of about 2527 km2 is the most important aquifer in Khorasan Razavi province. Unfortunately, so far in the Mashhad-Chenaran aquifer, the recharge lag time has not been calculated due to the very complex geological and hydrogeological conditions of the aquifer. In this study, an attempt has been made to calculate the groundwater recharge lag time.

In this study, 15 years (Sep. 2001 to Sep. 2016) data of monthly depth to water-table and rainfall have been used . There is 74 active observation well in Mashhad-Chenaran aquifer. Out of 74 wells, 31 well were selected based on geological and hydrogeological conditions. To calculate the rainfall at the observation wells, the daily rainfall data from rain gauge and evaporation stations (25 rain gauge stations and 9 evaporator stations) have been used. First, the cumulative daily rainfall at each station for one month (from 15 months to 15 months later) was calculated. Then, a monthly rainfall raster was prepared using ArcGIS.Finally, the rainfall at the observation well was extracted from the raster file.

The correlation coefficient between the groundwater level and rainfall was calculated for the 31 wells at two confidence levels (α = 0.05 and α = 0.1). The lag time was calculated based on the highest correlation coefficient for the two confidence levels. Results showed that the cross-correlation coefficient varied from at least 0.129 in the Tanglshour-Morgh Pardak observation well (very weak) to 0.495 in the Kalateh Sheikhha observation well (moderate). The coefficients of cross-correlation for various time lags were plotted on the cross-correlogram. In cross-correlogram, the month zero was equivalent to October and the month 11 was equivalent to September of the next year. It was observed that the trend of correlation coefficient followed the two specific patterns. In the first group, the water table usually reacts to rainfall after the second month. Then, the correlation coefficient gradually increased. The correlation coefficient reached its maximum in the fourth and fifth months and then decreased with a gentle slope. From the seventh month to the eleventh month the correlation coefficient has become negative. Although there was a significant relationship during these months, there was no cause-and-effect relationship between changes in the water table and rainfall. In the second group, the relationship between the groundwater level and rainfall was not significant at the 95% confidence level. This group includes Doghai observation wells, Qarachah, Shurcheh, Mochenan, Yekehlengeh, Chamgard, Ghahghahe, Tangleshour - Morgh Pardak, and Shorcheh. Changes in the correlation coefficient of these wells were very irregular and the relationship between rainfall and water table changes was probably influenced by other factors. The map of lag time showed that the spatial variations of the lag time completely followed the pattern of the Iso-depth map. In general, the lag time was a function of the depth to the water-table in the Mashhad-Chenaran aquifer. With increasing water depth, the lag time also increased. A closer look at the map showed that in the northern and southern margins of the first hydrogeological unit, the lag time was more than its center. In the northern and southern hydrogeological units, the lag time showed the greatest compliance with the groundwater depth. The amount of lag time from the northern margin of the aquifer to the south gradually increased and finally reached its maximum value in the Akhlamad, Torqabeh-Shandiz.

As discussed previously, the groundwater level was influenced by rainfall, and this influence may be delayed for a variety of reasons. In this study, the groundwater response to rainfall has been estimated from 31 observation wells by cross-correlation method in a period of 15 years (Sep. 2001 to Sep. 2016). The correlation test results showed that after about 2 to 3 months, the effect of rainfall was gradually observed on the groundwater level and the correlation coefficient at the confidence level α = 0.05 and α = 0.1 for 77 % and 97% of wells became meaningful, respectively. The minimum lag time was 2 months and the maximum was 7 months. In general, the estimated lag time was well matched to the groundwater depth and fully followed the Iso-depth map pattern. The amount of groundwater recharge throughout the Mashhad-Chenaran aquifer was mainly controlled by the unsaturated area properties such as thickness, material, etc. Changes in groundwater depth were the major factor affecting the lag time. It seems that with the start of rainfall in late October, groundwater recharge in most wells begin in mid-autumn and continues until late spring. Most of the groundwater recharge takes place in late winter. In summer, rainfall has a very small role in groundwater recharge. In this period, the uncontrolled extraction of water from the aquifer and consequently a sharp and continuous drop in groundwater level plays a major role in water table fluctuations.

Zataria multiflora Boiss. (Avishan-e Shirazi), as an Iranian endemic plant, belongs to the Lamiaceae family and may be used as a food preservative. This study aimed to detect potential genotoxic effects of Z. multiflora extract. 

Hydro-alcoholic extract of Z. multiflora was prepared. Human B lymphocytes were treated with 1% extract within 3 and 24 h. Sterile Phosphate Buffered Saline (PBS) and cisplatin were used as negative and positive controls, respectively. DNA damage profiles were examined using comet assay (Single Cell Gel Electrophoresis). Data were statistically analyzed by SPSS software v. 21.

No statistically significant (p=0.071) DNA damage was observed in B lymphocytes treated with either Z. multiflora extract or PBS after 3 and 24 h. However, there was a statistically significant difference (p=0.0001) between DNA damage in B lymphocytes that treated with cisplatin and Z. multiflora after 3 and 24 h.

The comet assay used in the current study showed that Z. multiflora had no genotoxic effect.

The water is the major key in sustainable development, so it is necessary to be managed and conserved. The quality of surface water resources is mainly controlled by natural or geogenic factors including chemistry of recharge water, soil and geology processes, as well as the man-made contaminant. Qualitative indicators are used as effective managing tools in decision making programs. Water quality indices (WQI) are the simple and suitable tools to determine the quality statue of the water. In order to calculate the water quality index, many parameters are integrated in mathematical formula to represent the quality condition of the water with a number which classifies the quality in the scales of the weak to excellent. Many water quality indices were introduced by researchers and organizations around the world. Aji-Chay, one of the most important flowing rivers in East-Azerbaijan province, northwest of Iran, is passing through Tabriz plain in its way and finally ends to the Uremia lake. Regarding the focused industrial zones, agricultural field and urban areas in this plain, the river is highly vulnerable to pollution and quality degradation. So, this study was aimed to assess the Aji-chay River based on quality indicators, in order to helps its better management. In this research for assessing pollution of the Aji-Chay river using water quality indices, 16 sampling stations were located along the river and water samples were collected during wet (May 2016) and dry (September 2016) seasons. Electrical conductivity (EC), temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO) and pH were measured in the field and total dissolved solids (TDS), turbidity, major ions (Ca, Mg, Na, K, HCO3, Cl, SO4), nitrate (NO3), phosphate (PO4), biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biological contaminants (fecal coliform) were determined in the laboratory. Quality indicators including the US national sanitary foundation water quality indices in the two forms of multiplicative (NSFWQIm) and additive (NSFWQIa) and Iranian surface water quality index (IRWQIsc) were used to assess the quality of the Aji-Chay river. Turbidity and Electrical conductivity (EC) is high at the upstream which is related to movement of the River in upper red formation (Miocene series) which enhances the chloride, sodium, calcium and sulfate. Arsenic concentrations are exceeding the drinking standards (0.01 ppm) across all samples mainly from a geogenic sources as well as discharge of wastewater in some areas. The elements Cd, Mn, Ni, Pb, Mo, Co, Zn, Fe and Al are mainly geogenic, whereas Cu, Ba and Cr are mostly originated from anthropogenic activities. Based on the results, river quality at the wet season is highly controlled by the main branch and Gomnab-Chay, but Mehran-rood plays the major role in downstream water quality at the dry season due to its higher discharge rate. The process was confirmed by Piper and Schoeller diagrams. Most of the parameters are increased in middle parts at the river where the concentrated sources of contaminates and discharge of wastewater increased the organic and biological constituents and nutrients especially in dry season. Assessing the river quality for agricultural uses based on modified Wilcox diagram shows except for Mehran-rood, the other samples are unsuitable for agriculture and the dry season quality is better than the wet season. Based on the results, increase in most parameters and so, pollution and quality degradation of the river are observed to the downstream. Assessing quality of the Aji-Chay river using US national sanitary foundation water quality indices in the two forms of multiplicative (NSFWQIm) and additive (NSFWQIa) and Iranian surface water quality index (IRWQIsc) confirmed the bad to very bad qualitative statue of the river in most stations especially in the middle parts of the Tabriz plain. The results revealed that quality degradation of Aji-Chay river is probably due to discharge of contaminants from municipal and industrial wastewaters (effluents), highlighting the need for managing actions to improve quality of this important river. Comparing the quality indices showed the priority of NSFWQIm (multiplicative form of US national sanitary foundation water quality indices) in quality classification and pollution assessment of the Aji-Chay river. Quality degradation of Aji-Chay river is probably due to discharge of contaminants from municipal and industrial wastewater effluents, indicating the need for managing actions to improve quality of this river. In this study priority of NSFWQIm (multiplicative form of US national sanitary foundation water quality indices) in quality classification and pollution assessment of the Aji-Chay river was confirmed.

Scorpion sting is one of the serious problems for public health especially in Khuzestan province. The genus Hemiscorpius scorpions are a major factor to scorpion sting and its related death particularly in children. Eleven specimens of Hemiscorpius lepturus scorpion were collected from 6 regions of Khuzestan province and after identification, genomic DNA extraction was performed by manual method of phenol / chloroform. The Internal transcribed spacers (ITS2) genes with about 350 nucleotides was amplified by PCR and then sequenced using forward and reverse primers. The nucleotide sequence was compared using the nBLAST program available at NCBI Web site GenBank database. The results of the phylogenetic showed that the samples can be identified in two clusters A and B, with 85% correlation. Cluster A is subdivided into three subclusters A1 (including: H8, H9, H11M, H5, H44, H2 and H10), A2 (H22 and H4), and A3 (H10M). The specimens in these subclusters, showed a correlation between 54-85%. The studied sequences showed similarity (81.7-98.6%) with the only Hemiscorpius lepturus scorpion sequence (KU341981) recorded at the GenBank database beside a number of scorpions of the Hemiscorpionidae family. The only H9M scorpion specimen in cluster B with a relatively high genetic distance (11.7–19.1%) was discriminated from the rest of the specimens, indicating that this specimen probably belongs to a subspecies different from the Hemiscorpius lepturus scorpion of Khuzestan province.

Nowadays, the health systems consume a significant share of the budget in each country. Hospitals are considered as the largest organizations to provide the healthcare services. Nurses as one of the major portion of hospitals' human resources consume a considerable part of the hospitals' annual budget. From this point of view, the hospitals' managers must arrange the available nurses efficiently. This problem is worsened by the shortage of the available nurses in many countries. In this setting, the Nurse Scheduling Problem (NSP) has received significant attention in recent years. In this problem, the aim is to assign the shifts to the nurses by satisfying the requirements during the planning horizon. Several factors such as hospital managers' policies, labor laws, governmental regulation, and the status of the nurses at the end of the previous planning horizon should be considered for assigning the shifts to the nurses. Several mathematical models and heuristic and meta-heuristic algorithms have been proposed to solve the NSP by considering various assumptions and constraints. In the real-world problems, the good quality solutions can be obtained by considering the uncertainty concepts in the research problem. In this point of view, in the current study, the uncertainty concepts are considered in the nurse scheduling problem. It can be stated that the nurses' preferences for the working shifts cannot be deterministically specified. For this reason, first, a mathematical programming model is developed to maximize the nurses' preferences to work in their favorable shifts. Then, a fuzzy mathematical modeling approach based on the averaging fuzzy operator is proposed to investigate the uncertainty concepts on the nurses' preferences for the working shifts. Then, some random test problems are generated and solved to evaluate the performance of the developed fuzzy model. Regarding the obtained results, it can be stated that high quality schedules are generated by the proposed fuzzy model.

The Androctonus crassicuda is the most diverse scorpion species in the family of Buthidae, which is endemic to Khuzestan province, Iran. Investigation of the relationship of species by means of a molecular study of specimens is one of the new approaches due to the limitations of the morphological approaches. In the current study, the analysis was based on 32 morphological characteristics of A. crassicuda native to southwest Iran. Moreover, the DNA sequencing of two mitochondrial markers, namely cytochrome oxidase subunit I and 12sRNA loci was performed, and the phylogenetic tree was constructed using maximum likelihood method with 1000 replications using MEGA software (version 7). Based on the results of the phylogenetic tree, A. crassicuda was classified into a monophyletic group. However, the genetic diversity of this species populations was not significant (0.001). The highest and lowest genetic distance of A. crassicuda was compared with the reports obtained in Urmia and west Azerbaijan, Iran. There was a clear divergence between the A. crassicuda isolated from northern and southern areas of Iran. This study showed the importance of geographical and climate features of the region and genetic distance among the populations. The phylogenetic analysis of Androctonus species from other regions showed the highest and lowest genetic distance with A. gonneti (Morocco) and A. amoreuxi (Portugal), respectively. The comparison of the morphological characteristics and morphometric results revealed that metasoma characteristics are important in the identification of A. crassicuda. The results of the analysis of the morphometric values of A. crassicuda were mainly compatible with the phylogenetic trees and supported the traditional morphological classification, thereby presenting a clearly definition of the genera of Androctonus species.

The Quadratic Assignment Problem (QAP) is one of the problems of combinatorial optimization belonging to the NP-hard problems’ class and has a wide application in the placement of facilities. Thus far, many efforts have been made to solve this problem and countless algorithms have been developed to achieve the optimal solutions; one of which is the Simulated Annealing (SA) algorithm. This paper aims at finding a suitable layout for the facilities of an industrial workshop by using a Developed Simulated Annealing (DSA) method.

‎In some fields‎, ‎there is an interest in distinguishing different geometrical objects from each other‎. ‎A field of research that studies the objects from a statistical point of view‎, ‎provided they are‎ ‎invariant under translation‎, ‎rotation and scaling effects‎, ‎is known as the statistical shape analysis‎. ‎Having some objects that are registered using key points on the outline of the objects‎, ‎the main purpose‎ ‎of this paper is to compare two popular clustering procedures to cluster objects‎. ‎We also use some indexes‎ ‎to evaluate our clustering application‎. ‎The proposed methods are applied to the real life data.

In this research, graphene oxide (GO) nanoparticles were modified by second and fourth generations of poly(amidoamine) dendrimers in order to improve the particle dispersion quality in the epoxy matrix and therefore its barrier anti-corrosion performance. Confirmation on the GO surface modification by Polyamidoamine generation 2 (PAMAM2) and polyamidoamin generation 4 (PAMAM4) was carried out by Fourier transforms infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The corrosion protection properties of the epoxy composites against corrosive electrolyte (3.5 wt.% NaCl solution) was investigated by salt spray and electrochemical methods. The dispersion of unmodified and modified GO sheets in the epoxy matrix was studied by FE-SEM analysis. The FT-IR test results evidenced that the GO sheets were successfully modified with PAMAM 2 and 4 via the covalent binding mechanism.  Salt spray and EIS test results revealed that the epoxy composites loaded with GO-PAMAM4 and PAMAM4 showed the highest improvement in the corrosion resistance. FE-SEM images from the fracture surface of the coatings revealed that the dispersion of GO sheets within the epoxy coating was improved after modification by PAMAM4.

Stocking density is an important issue in the poultry industry, because it is highly related to the outcome of poultry productivity as well as animal welfare issues. Stocking density for broiler chickens is defined as the number of birds or the total live weight of birds in a fixed space (Estevez 2007). Therefore, high stocking density increases profitability due to a higher production of chicken meat per space (Puron et al. 1995). However, high stocking density was reported to decrease the absorptive capacity of broiler chickens by impairing villus structures of small intestine (Shakeri et al. 2014; Li et al. 2017). Regardless, physiological alterations in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of broiler chickens due to high stocking density in relation to productive performance have not been examined. Meanwhile, it is indicated that with increasing in stocking density, the productivity decreases because of increasing in  health problems and decreasing in the performance of broiler chickens (Estevez, 2007). Birds cannot synthesize threonine (Thr); therefore, it is one of essential amino acids. Threonine participates in protein synthesis and its catabolism produces many products important in metabolism. Threonine is considered as the third limiting amino acid after methionine and lysine for broiler chicks (Kidd et al. 1999; Ayasan and Okan 2006; Baylan et al. 2006; Ayasan et al. 2009). Kidd (2000) reported that threonine deficiency resulted in decreasing utilization of methionine + cyctein and lysine. In addition, threonine incorporated in a high concentration in γ-globulin, it affects the immune function (Smith and Greene 1947; Crumpton and Wilkinson 1963; Tenenhouse and Deutsch 1966; Azzam et al. 2011a, b). Recently, Houshmand et al. (2012) observed significant interactions between protein level and stocking density for body weight gain and final body weight. Therefore, the aim of our study was to investigate the effects of dietary threonine levels on performance and meat quality of broilers chickens under different stocking density condition.

For this reason, 495 male Ross-308 broiler chickens from 1 to 42 days of age were used based on a completely randomized design with 4 treatments and 5 replicates. Two different stocking densities were achieved by raising a different number of broiler chickens per pen with identical floor size (1.2 m ×1.5 m). Two different stocking densities included 10 birds/m2 (18 birds/pen) or 15 birds/m2 (27 birds/pen). The dietary treatments consisted of: 1) basal diet based on corn-soybean meal as control group that containing 0.79, 0.69 and 0.6 percent standardized ileal digestible Thr in starter, grower and finisher periods, respectively; 2) high stocking density group fed basal diet; 3) high stocking density group fed basal diet supplemented with 10 percent L-Thr higher than control group (diets containing 0.88, 0.76, and 0.66 percent standardized ileal digestible Thr in starter, grower and finisher periods, respectively); and 4) high stocking density group fed basal diet supplemented with 20 percent L-Thr higher than control group (diets containing 0.96, 0.83, and 0.72 percent standardized ileal digestible Thr in starter, grower and finisher periods, respectively). The bell feeder (56 cm diameter and 172.6 cm circompherence) were used and feeder space for control and stocking density groups were 9.5 and 6.4 cm per bird, respectively. The diets were formulized to meet the requirements of broilers as established by the Ross 308 broiler nutrition specification in starter (1-10d), grower (11-24d) and finisher (25-42d). The birds were reared under controlled conditions for temperature, ventilation, and lighting based on Ross-308 management guide booklet recommendations. The broiler chickens' diets were formulated based on standardized ileal digestible amino acids recommendations (Hoehler et al. 2005) and other requirements were obtained from Ross-308 nutrition specification. Broiler chicken performance (feed intake, body weight gain, feed conversion efficiency, and European production efficiency factor), distribution and shape of distribution parameters, carcass parameters, and meat fat and protein percentage, and jejunum morphology were measured. Data were evaluated for variance homogeneity by Minitab 18 version (Minitab 2019 LLC) software and analyzed using GLM procedure (SAS 2004) based on a completely randomized design with 4 treatments and 5 replicates in each treatment. The mortality data were subjected to arc sine transformation prior to analysis, and then analyzed using GLM procedure (SAS 2004).

The results showed that high stocking density significantly decreased feed intake, body weight, feed conversion ratio, and carcass yield of broilers, while Thr supplementation could not ameliorate the negative effects of high stocking density which were in agreement with Azzam et al. 2011a, b. European production efficiency factor (EPEF), breast, thigh and abdominal fat percentage, intestinal morphology, and breast fat and thigh meat protein percentage were not affected by treatments. Maximum weight of the birds was decreased by increasing in stocking density, but the minimum weight was not affected by treatments. The skewness was negative for high stocking density groups, which means that body weight of the most of the broiler chickens in these groups were lower than mean of the group.

In conclusion, high stocking density lowered broiler chickens' performance. Although final body weight per m2 in high stocking density treatments were higher than control group, but high stocking density led to decrease in the maximum weight of the birds and had a negative skewness in the distribution of the birds. On the other hand, threonine supplementation could not compensate the negative effects of stocking density, though 10 percent Thr supplementation only increased breast meat protein as compared with control group. It is suggested that Thr supplementation is not a good treatment for improving the bird’s performance under high stocking density.

Today, attention to the clinical competence of nurses is increasingly important as clinical competence seems to be influenced by several factors, such as the ability of critical thinking. The present study aimed to evaluate the association of competence and critical thinking in the nurses in Imam Khomeini Hospital, affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran.

This cross-sectional, descriptive-correlational study was conducted on 170 nurses employed in Imam Khomeini Hospital affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences in 2019. The participants were selected via proportionate stratified sampling. Data were collected using the competency inventory for registered nurses (CIRN) and Ricketts' critical thinking deposition questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), independent t-test, Pearson's and Spearman's correlation-coefficients, Mann-Whitney U test, and Kruskal-Wallis test.

The mean total score of competence in the nurses was 169.74±16.04 (out of 220), which indicated  high clinical competence based on the scoring instrument. The mean total score of the critical thinking of the nurses was 124.75±12.27 (out of 165), which indicated the high critical thinking ability of the participants. A significant, positive correlation was observed between the total mean score of competence and critical thinking (r=0.64; P<0.0001). However, no significant associations were observed between the demographic variables with nursing competence, while the critical thinking ability of the nurses in critical care wards was significantly higher compared to those employed in general wards (P=0.008).

According to the results, nurses with better critical thinking abilities have higher clinical competence and could provide independent, effective nursing care. Therefore, the improvement of critical thinking in nurses could promote their clinical competence.