m. jalali

To estimate the earthquake load in underground structures, subway designers use the relationships related to surface-mine structures such as retaining walls and bridges, which are considered somewhat conservative due to different behavior of surface-mine and underground structures against earthquakes. Therefore, in this research, 9 examples of elevator shafts were three-dimensionally modeled using ABAQUS software and analyzed by quasi-static method related to the numerical analysis of underground structures. Then, the effectiveness of conservative relationships related to above-ground structures was investigated by modeling, loading and analyzing samples in SAP2000 software. The results of this research show that the behavior of the elevator shaft of the subway station during an earthquake is like a rigid body. Moreover, the comparison of the results of modeling and analysis of the elevator shaft in SAP2000 software shows that Wood's relationship as a suitable relationship can be used with an average error of about 2% to predict the bending anchors and axial forces generated in the elevator shaft of the metro station. Therefore, it is recommended to use this relationship to estimate the amount of earthquake load in the elevator shaft of the metro station.

With the widespread accessibility of the internet, a new form of addiction has emerged as a primary concern in the information age. This study aimed to investigate the impact of spiritual well-being, grounded in ethical principles, on preventing internet addiction among social media users.

This mixed-methods study employed a purposeful sampling technique to select 6 experts in the fields of cyberpsychology, communication, and psychology until theoretical saturation was reached. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and data was analyzed using MAXQDA software. In the quantitative phase, a simple random sample of 400 Iranian Instagram users was selected. Standardized and researcher-made questionnaires were utilized, and data analysis involved Pearson correlation, simple and multiple linear regression to test the hypotheses.

The qualitative phase identified 12 themes and three dimensions. The quantitative phase revealed a significant correlation between demographic variables and online addiction. Ethical principles and spiritual well-being were found to influence the prevention of internet addiction and the manner in which individuals use social media.

Spiritual well-being and ethical principles can play a crucial role in preventing internet addiction among social media users. Individuals who adhere to ethical principles and possess a high level of spiritual well-being are less likely to engage in unproductive and addictive behaviors, instead seeking meaningful and purposeful activities. Increasing awareness of both the potential risks and benefits of social media can foster responsible and goal-oriented use of these platforms.

The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) tree tolerate high temperatures, drought and salinity more than other fruit crop, that is why date palm tree is named the tree of life in the desert. Date palm (Phoenix dactiylifera) is one of the fruit tree crops that is cultivated in arid region of Middle East and North Africa having a significant role on the economy of many countries in these regions. Fruit thinning is one of the major operation for improving the quality of dates as also for other fruit trees. Quality of dates is improved by increasing fruit weight and size and regulating date palm production by reducing the magnitude of year to year production affecting the date palm. Date palm orchard operations include all operations that are repeated annually to produce date fruit. Alternate bearing is common phenomenon in date palms. The thinning is one of the main methods that often helps to solve this problem. The main purpose of thinning is to create a suitable balance and often to increase the leaf to cluster ratio. It is creating a balance between vegetative growth and flowering and reducing the possibility of aging in the alternate bearing. Fruit thinning is one of the necessary operations that affects the growth, quality, fruit yield and regulation of the alternate bearing of the tree. The thinning process is performed manually, mechanically and chemically. Therefore, choosing a thinning method that saves time and money is necessary for date palms, especially in critical situations. The purpose of this experiment was to investigate the effects of manual and chemical thinning on the qualitative characteristics of date fruit at different stages of development for the Khadrawi cultivar.

An experiment was carried out as factorial experiment based on randomized complete block design with 3 replications at Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz in 2022 and 2023. The Experimental factors included: hand thinning (No hand thinning, removal of 33%, removal of 25% of the total number of strands) and chemical thinning (zero, 50 and 100 mg per liter of naphthalene acetic acid). Chemical and strand thinning were done in the Hubabok stage (about 4 weeks after pollination) and the Kimri stage (12 to 13 weeks after pollination), respectively. In two consecutive years, the fruits were transferred to the plant physiology laboratory of the Department of Horticultural Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz. The qualitative traits such as total soluble solids (%), pH, total acidity (%), taste index, antioxidant activity (%), total phenol (mg.g-1 FW), total soluble tannin (mg.g-1 FW), ascorbic acid (mg.g-1 FW), poly-galacturonase enzymes (U.g-1 FW), methyl pectin esterase (U.g-1 FW), cellulase (U.g-1 FW) and invertase (U.g-1 FW) and the percentage of reducing (%), non-reducing (%) and total sugars (%) were measured.

The results of this experiment showed that in the Tamar Stage, the interaction of hand and chemical thinning improved the qualitative characteristics of the fruit and on the characteristics of soluble total tannin, polygalactronase activity, pectin-methylesterase and reducing and total sugars, and the effect of hand thinning on total and percentage phenol and Non-reducing sugar and chemical thinning had a significant effect on ascorbic acid and cellulase enzyme. The results showed that there was upward trend in amount of total soluble solids, pH, total acidity, taste index, poly-galactronase, pectin-methyl-esterase, cellulase and invertase enzymes and the reducing and total sugars from the Kimri to Tamar stage. Also, there was downward trend in amount of total phenol, total soluble tannin content, ascorbic acid, and non-reducing sugar percentage from the Kimri stage to the Tamar.

The Khadrawi date variety has short strands, which results in a significant density of fruits on the strands of a cluster, which leads to large changes between fruits in most of the biochemical properties and has a negative effect on marketability. Fruit thinning is one of the most important agronomic practices in groves, as it enhances the quality characteristics of the fruit. Although hand thinning is more expensive, time-consuming, and relatively more difficult than chemical thinning, our findings showed that the quality of date fruit from the Khadrawi cultivar improved with the removal of 25% of the total number of strands and with chemical thinning using 100 mg/liter of naphthalene acetic acid. These treatments are recommended for palm growers.

This study aimed to determine the association between the quality and quantity of dietary carbohydrate (CHO) with the risk of pre-diabetes (pre-DM) progression to type 2 diabetes (T2D) and the chance of returning to normal glycemia.

 Dietary CHO quantity (total CHO and dietary fiber) and quality (glycemic index, glycemic load, insulin index, and insulin load) were assessed using a 168-item, semi-quantitative, valid, and reliable food frequency questionnaire in 334 men and women with pre-DM at baseline. The participants were followed for a median of 9 years. Fasting and 2-hours (after oral loading of 75 g glucose) plasma glucose concentrations were measured at baseline and subsequent examinations.

 During the study follow-up, 39.8% of the pre-DM subjects progressed to T2D, and 39.8% returned to normal glycemia. Dietary total CHO, glycemic index, glycemic load, insulin index, and insulin load were not significantly associated with pre-DM regression and progression during the study follow-up. A 25% reduced risk of developing T2D was observed per 5 g/1000 kcal per day by the increased dietary intake of fiber (odds ratio: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.58-0.98; P=0.038).

Total CHO intake and its quality were not associated with the change of glycemic status in pre-DM subjects, while higher intakes of dietary fiber decreased the risk of pre-DM progression to T2D.

Diabetes and abnormal thyroid function cause disorders in the reproductive system, which are associated with complications such as decreased testosterone, diameter of seminiferous tubule, libido, sperm motility, normal sperm morphology and fertility. It has been found that high blood sugar and decreased thyroid hormones may affect the quality of sperm and reduce the chances of male fertility. It has been also shown that changes in the sperm chromatin structure during the process of spermatogenesis is correlated with reduced number and motility or abnormal sperm morphology. Therefore, this study was designed to investigate the effects of diabetes and hypothyroidism on sperm chromatin quality.

In this study, 60 Balb/C male mice were randomly divided into 5 groups: 1) control, 2) diabetic, 3) diabetes + insulin, 4) sham and 5) hypothyroid group. After 35 days, left epididymis were removed to assess sperm chromatin quality using aniline blue staining.

The results of this research showed that sperm chromatin integrity in the diabetic and hypothyroid groups significantly changed as increased the percentage of abnormal sperm chromatin and reduced chromatin quality compared to other groups (P<0.05) and insulin treatment improved this parameter compared to the diabetic group. (P<0.05).

Our findings showed that diabetes and hypothyroidism have negative effects on chromatin integrity and suffering from the such diseases will probably increase infertility.

The formation of various scales in industrial equipment has always caused many problems for industries such as oil and gas. One of the efficient methods to deal with and remove these scales is the acid pickling method. Since the acids used in acid pickling processes often cause corrosion to the metal of the substrate, it is very important to use a solution with a low corrosion rate as a substitute for these acids to remove deposits from the equipment. One of the effective scale removal solutions with high scale removal power and low corrosion rate is Mitreh Sard with code MDA0102. In this research, an attempt was made to investigate the corrosiveness of this solution compared to hydrochloric acid solution for C1010 steel and Titanium with the help of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and potentiodynamic polarization tests. The results of the tests showed that the corrosion rate of the MitrehSard solution is lower than that of the hydrochloric acid solution in all the studied concentrations.

 Clouds can be considered as one of the most complex and influential variables of the atmosphere system in forming of the climate structure of the earth. When the condensation process takes place at a higher altitude than the earth's surface, it creates clouds. Cloudiness represents the percentage of the atmosphere that is covered by clouds. Clouds, as one of the most complex variables of the climate system, besides changing the energy balance, are also effective in the spatial and temporal distribution of many climate variables. Clouds have a lot of temporal and spatial variability and can affect the climate through many complex relationships and affect the water cycle. The investigation of clouds holds great significance as they serve as the bridge between synoptic systems and the Earth's surface climatic conditions. Any alteration in cloud-related parameters can trigger a domino effect, influencing various other climatic variables. It's worth noting that Iran exhibits a lower average cloud cover of 26%, notably less than the global average of 50%. This places Iran in the category of countries with relatively minimal cloud cover.Hence, possessing insights into the atmospheric cloud cover conditions in Iran becomes imperative for early detection and management of hydroclimatic crises, particularly in the context of water scarcity and drought-related challenges.

In the current research, the cloud data of 93 synoptic meteorological stations of Iran have been used in the daily time period during the statistical period of 1991-2021. The amount of cloudiness is an estimate of the nearest octa (eighth) and values 0 and 8 are completely clear and completely cloudy, respectively. In the present study, Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Anderson-Darling and Lilliefors test were used to determine the normality of the data at the 95% confidence level for annual, monthly and seasonal scales.In the subsequent phase, we employed both parametric and nonparametric methods to discern trends within the cloudiness time series. The parametric approach involved a linear regression test based on the least squared error method, while the nonparametric method employed the Mann-Kendall test. These tests allowed us to identify data trends, accounting for both normal and non-normal distributions of cloudiness. Furthermore, we explored the interplay between cloud cover and spatial factors, namely latitude and longitude, employing Pearson's correlation coefficient. This analysis shed light on the relationships between these variables. Conclusively, we created a spatial distribution map depicting the extent of cloudiness across various stations. This mapping allowed us to dissect the temporal-spatial distribution of cloudiness, comprehend alterations in cloud cover, and investigate the contributing factors behind these changes.
 

The results of Normality Tests according to the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test showed that all the stations did not have a normal distribution however, during the other two tests, except Arak, Kashan, Sarakhs, Takab, Kahnuj, Ramhormoz and Ramsar, other stations had normal distribution. The tests to determine the trend based on the parametric linear regression test based on the least squares error method showed a decreasing trend in 44 stations and an increasing trend in 3 stations of Ardabil, Qom and Sarab. According to the non-parametric Mann-Kendall test, among the stations without normal distribution, Kahnuj, Ramhormoz and Sarakhs stations have a decreasing trend, and no special trend was observed in other stations. The relationship between the two factors of latitude and longitude with the cloudiness variable using the Pearson correlation coefficient indicates a negative relationship (-0.42) between the cloudiness variable and the longitude factor as the amount of cloudiness in Iran's atmosphere decreases with the increase of latitude. Hwoever, the relationship between cloudiness variable and latitude, a positive relationship (0.75) was obtained as the amount of cloudiness increases with the increase of latitude. The survey of the annual cloudiness map of the stations shows the highest amount of cloudiness is in the South, Southwest and East of Caspian Sea. The lowest amount of annual rainfall was in South and Southeast of Iran. The statistical analysis of annual cloudiness data in Iran showed that the amount of cloudiness in Iran is 27.5%. Examining the normal distribution of monthly and seasonal values indicates the non-normality of the data with the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, but based on the Lilliefors and Anderson-Darling tests, the winter and spring seasons and the months of December, January, February, April and May had a normal distribution and the autumn and summer seasons and the months of June, July, August, September and October did not have normal distribution. Seasonal and monthly trend with linear regression method shows a decreasing trend in winter and spring seasons and cold months of the year. According to the Mann-Kendall method, there was a decreasing trend in the fall season and no significant trend was observed in the summer season.

The purpose of this research was to investigate the temporal and spatial changes of cloudiness in Iran. The results showed a decreasing trend in 47 stations and an increasing trend in only 3 stations and no significant trend was observed in other stations. Also, in monthly and seasonal scales results indicated a decreasing trend in all stations in the cold months of the year and winter, spring and autumn seasons. Examining the relationship between the spatial factors of longitude and latitude with the cloudiness variable using Pearson's correlation coefficient also indicates a negative correlation with longitude and a positive correlation with latitude, and this indicates a large spatial difference in the amount of cloudiness in the country. In general, it can be said that spatial factors (longitude and latitude) were internal factors in the spatial changes of clouds and climatic systems such as Siberian high pressure, sub-tropical high pressure, westerlies system and moisture from the seas of Oman, India and the Persian Gulf and sometimes the Red Sea as external factors were in the temporal changes of clouds. So, cloudiness was a variable that was directly related to other climate variables. Thus, cloud cover was a variable that was directly related to other climatic variables, and its decrease or increase causes the values of elements such as temperature, precipitation, and humidity to change. Therefore, studying this important climate variable and investigating its changes is very important and especially in the discussions of droughts and water crises, it has a special place.

In the poultry industry, reducing energy consumption is essential for reducing costs. Energy requirements in the poultry industry include heating, cooling, lighting, and power line energy. Identifying factors that increase energy usage is crucial, and providing appropriate solutions to reduce costs and energy consumption is inevitable. One of the major and expensive factors in the poultry industry is the use of fossil fuels, which also causes pollution. Energy costs directly impact the cost of production and increase the per capita cost of production in the meat and egg sectors. In Iran, poultry farms are among the most widely used energy consumers, especially for heating breeding halls, making them a significant subset of the agricultural sector.

The problem under study is the thermal simulation of a meat poultry farm located in Ardestan city, Isfahan province. Ardestan city is situated in a desert region in the north of Isfahan province, at a latitude of 33 degrees and 23 minutes north, and a longitude of 52 degrees and 22 minutes east. The dimensions of the poultry hall floor are 5 meters by 8 meters, and it has a capacity of 300 poultry pieces. There are two inlet air vents (windows), each with dimensions of 1.90 by 1.6 meters. The roof has an average height of 2.5 meters and is sloping, made from a combination of plastic carton, fiberglass, and sheet metal.To reduce energy consumption in this poultry farm, a solar heating system is designed and studied in this research. The farm is one of the functions of Isfahan province, with dimensions of 8 meters in length and 5 meters in width. The simulation is performed using TRNSYS software.

The results demonstrate that a collector surface area of 26 m2 is necessary to reach the technically optimal point, where the sun's maximum production is achieved with no energy dissipation. Furthermore, the findings indicate that a balance of 16 m2 is required to align the solar system with the auxiliary system.

By installing 2 square meters of solar collectors, 5.2% of the total energy demand can be met with solar energy. To fully meet the energy demand using solar energy, a collector area of 30 square meters is required. As the solar fraction increases, the system's ability to extract solar energy also increases. The maximum production of solar energy without any wastage is achievable with a collector area of 26 square meters. Moreover, to maintain a balance between the use of solar energy and the auxiliary system, a collector area of 16 square meters is needed.

In tunnel drilling operations using tunnel boring machine (TBM), a relatively large concentrated load is applied by the device jacks to the prefabricated parts or segments of the tunnel cover. This load leads to significant tensile stresses in the segments. One of the most important parameters affecting the tensile stresses in the segments is the geometry of the loading plates of the trust jacks. In this study, with the aim of reduction of the values of tensile stresses in the segments, the innovative changes in the geometry of the loading plates of the propulsion jacks have been evaluated experimentally and numerically.

In recent years, a new type of fiber-reinforced concrete, consisting of several different types of fibers, known as hybrid fibers reinforced concrete, has attracted the attention of researchers. The aim of this paper for experimental evaluation of the effect of replacement ratio of recycled aggregates with natural aggregates on the mechanical properties of reinforced concrete with hybrid fibers (steel and polypropylene fibers). To this end, reinforced concrete with hybrid fibers with volume fractions of "0.0%" , "0.5%" , and "1%" of steel fibers and "0.0%" and "0.4%" of polypropylene fibers and replacement ratios of "0.0%" , "25%" , and "50%" recycled coarse aggregate of natural coarse aggregates were tested for compressive strength, Brazilian tensile strength, and flexural strength by four-point bending tests. The results show that increasing the replacement ratio of recycled aggregate leads to a decrease in compressive, tensile, and flexural strength. If polypropylene and steel fibers are added to concrete containing recycled aggregates, the compressive, tensile, and flexural strengths of concrete increase, whose steel fibers are more efficient in improving the tensile and flexural strength of concrete than polypropylene fibers. The combination of polypropylene fibers with steel fibers increases energy absorption and increases the flexural toughness of concrete containing recycled aggregates. Moreover, reinforced concrete with hybrid fibers does not disintegrate after breaking, and hybrid fibers play an important role in maintaining the cohesion of concrete.

Understanding the spatial distribution of soil organic carbon (SOC) is one of the practical tools in determining sustainable land management strategies. Over the past two decades, the use of data mining approaches in spatial modeling of soil organic carbon using machine learning techniques to investigate the amount of carbon to soil using remote sensing data has been widely considered. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of estimating soil organic matter using satellite imagery and to assess the ability of spectral and terrestrial data to model the amount of soil organic matter.

The study area is located in Lorestan province, and Sarab Changai area. This area has hot and dry summers and cold and wet winters and the wet season starts in November and ends in May. A total of 156 samples of surface soil (0-30 cm) were collected using random sampling pattern. Data were categorized into two categories: 80% (117 points) for training and 20% (29 points) for validation. Three machine learning algorithms including Random Forest (RF), Cubist, and Partial least squares regression (PLSR) were used to prepare the organic soil carbon map. In the present study, auxiliary variables for predicting SOC included bands related to Lands 8 OLI measurement images, and in order to reduce the volume of data, the principle component analysis method (PCA) was used to select the features that have the greatest impact on quality.

The results of descriptive statistics showed that soil organic carbon from 0.02 to 2.34% with an average of 0.56 and a coefficient of variation of 69.64% according to the Wilding standard was located in a high variability class (0.35). According to the average amount of soil organic carbon, it can be said that the amount of soil organic carbon in the region is low. At the same time, the high value of organic carbon change coefficient confirms its high spatial variability in the study area. These drastic changes can be attributed to land use change, land management, and other environmental elements in the study area. In other words, the low level of soil organic carbon can be attributed to the collection of plant debris and their non-return to the soil. Another factor in reducing the amount of organic carbon is land use change, which mainly has a negative impact on soil quality and yield. In general, land use, tillage operations, intensity and frequency of cultivation, plowing, fertilizing, type of crop, are effective in reducing and increasing the amount of soil organic carbon. Based on the analysis of effective auxiliary variables in predicting soil organic carbon, based on the principle component analysis for remote sensing data, it led to the selection of 4 auxiliary variables TSAVI, RVI, Band10, and Band11 as the most effective environmental factors. Comparison of different estimation approaches showed that the random forest model with the values of coefficient of determination (R2), root mean square error (RMSE) and mean square error (MSE) of 0.74, 0.17, and 0.02, respectively, was the best performance ratio another study used to estimate the organic carbon content of surface soil in the study area.

In this study, considering the importance of soil organic carbon, the efficiency of three different digital mapping models to prepare soil organic carbon map in Khorramabad plain soils was evaluated. The results showed that auxiliary variables such as TSAVI, RVI, Band 10, and Band11 are the most important variables in estimating soil organic carbon in this area. The wide range of soil organic carbon changes can be affected by land use and farmers' managerial behaviors. Also, the results indicated that different models had different accuracy in estimating soil organic carbon and the random forest model was superior to the other models. On the other hand, it can be said that the use of remote sensing and satellite imagery can overcome the limitations of traditional methods and be used as a suitable alternative to study carbon to soil changes with the possibility of displaying results at different time and space scales. Due to the determination of soil organic carbon content and their spatial distribution throughout the region, the present results can be a scientific basis as well as a suitable database and data for the implementation of any field operations, management of agricultural inputs, and any study in sustainable agriculture with soil properties in this area. In general, the results of this study indicated the ability of remote sensing techniques and random forest learning model in simultaneous estimation of soil organic carbon location. Therefore, this method can be used as an alternative to conventional laboratory methods in determining some soil characteristics, including organic carbon.

In this paper, the flexural performance of Fibre Reinforced Concrete (FRC) with an optimised spirally deformed steel fibre developed by the authors is evaluated experimentally. For comparison purposes, concrete specimens with commercially available steel fibres (hooked-end and crimped) are tested and included in the study. The experiment parameters include two different matrices with 28-day compressive strengths of 35 MPa and 45 MPa and four fibre volume contents (0.2%, 0.35%, 0.5%, and 0.65%). Besides, specimens with plain concrete are also tested as reference. Findings of the research indicate that the spirally deformed steel fibre considerably enhances flexural characteristics of concrete compared with existing fibres on the market (hooked-end and crimped) where the deflection-hardening response (even at the presence of wide cracks) can also be achieved even with low fibre dosages common in practice. Therefore, such a composite, i.e. concrete reinforced with spirally deformed steel fibre, can be deemed as a structural material.

Knowledge about the spatial distribution of soil organic carbon (SOC) is one of the practical tools in determining sustainable land management strategies. During the last two decades, the utilization of data mining approaches in spatial modeling of SOC using machine learning algorithms have been widely taken into consideration. The essential step in applying these methods is to determine the environmental predictors of SOC optimally. This research was carried out for modeling and digital mapping of surface SOC aided by soil properties ie., silt, clay, sand, calcium carbonate equivalent percentage, mean weight diameter (MWD) of aggregate, and pH by machine learning methods. In order to evaluate the accuracy of random forest (RF), cubist, partial least squares regression, multivariate linear regression, and ordinary kriging models for predicting surface SOC in 141 selected samples from 0-30 cm in 680 hectares of agricultural land in Khorramabad plain. The sensitivity analysis showed that silt (%), calcium carbonate equivalent, and MWD are the most important driving factors on spatial variability of SOC, respectively. Also, the comparison of different SOC prediction models, demonstrated that the RF model with a coefficient of determination (R2) and root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.75 and 0.25%, respectively, had the best performance rather than other models in the study area. Generally, nonlinear models rather than linear ones showed higher accuracy in modeling the spatial variability of SOC.

Intercropping system is the growth of two or more crops at the same time, which can lead to decreases in the risk of total crop reduction and increases in yield with control of weeds. Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa willd.) is a pseudo cereal with high nutritional value which is approximately a new crop in Iran. So, this research was conducted to assess the effects of additive intercropping of quinoa andpotato (Solanum tubersum L.), and the methods of weeds control on yield and yield components of quinoa var. Titicaca in Jiroft and Kahnooj regions.

This study was carried out as split plot based on a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replications at Jiroft and Kahnooj regions. Therefore, weeds control treatments including control (no-hoeing), manual weeding (twice within 30 days after planting) and paraquat herbicide (3 days after planting of quinoa) were arranged in the main plots, while additive intercropping patterns at five levels (Q:P in the levels of 5:5, 10:5, 15:5, 20:5 and 30:5 plants per m-2), quinoa sole cropping (30 plants per m-2) and potato sole cropping (5 plants per m-2) were located in sub-plots. The effects of quinoa and potato intercropping on plant height, leaves number per plant, leaf area, flowering time, spike maturity and quinoa harvest time, average of grain weight per plant, grain yield and density of weeds as well as potato tuber yield were measured at both regions. Data were analyzed as combined analysis of variance (ANOVA) using SAS ver. 9.2. Means were compared using the least significant difference (LSD) at the 5% level (P = 0.05).

The results showed that the effects of quinoa and potato intercropping had significant effects on some characteristics of quinoa including leaves number per plant, leaf area, average of grain weight per plant, grain yield of quinoa, tuber yield of potato and density of weeds. However, intercropping had no effect on some characteristics of quinoa such as plant height, flowering time, spike maturity and quinoa harvest time. Based on the results the highest (19 g per plant) and lowest (13.9 g per plant) average of grain weight per plant were obtained in 20:5 and 5:5 plants per m-2 treatments, respectively. Whereas, the highest grain yield (4957 and 4863 kg.ha-1) were obtained in sole quinoa and 30:5 plants per m-2 treatments, respectively. The studied growth characteristics and grain rate per plant in Kahnooj were greater than those in Jiroft. Total land equivalent ratio (LER) index increased with increasing quinoa density in intercropping. The highest total LER was obtained in 30:5 plants per m-2 treatment in Kahnooj region. Moreover, the effect of manual weeding of weeds on the studied properties were more than that of the application of paraquat herbicide. The results also showed that the intercropping of quinoa and potato led to decreases in density of weeds at both flowering and before harvesting times. So that, the lowest density of weeds was related to the intercropping of quinoa and potato with densities of 20:5 and 30:5 plants per m-2 treatments. Whereas the highest rate of density of weeds were related to the sole cropping of quinoa and potato treatments, respectively. Moreover, the results showed that intercropping resulted in greater tuber yield of potato, so that the highest potato tuber yield was obtained in 30:5 treatments.

Based on the results, although the highest average grains per plantwas obtained in the intercropping of 20:5 treatment, the yield of quinoa decreased with the intercropping of quinoa and potato compared with the quinoa sole cropping. Also, the additive intercropping led to decrease in the density of weeds. Although, it seems that for quinoa cropping the climate of Kahnooj is more suitable than Jiroft, the intercropping of potato and quinoa is suitable for Kahnooj and Jiroft regions.

In the present era, universities are considered as organizations with a lot of complexities. In this regard, academic independence plays a significant role in creating this complexity. Given the importance of this issue, the present study aims to evaluate the desirable criteria for academic independence and its implications for higher education.

In the present qualitative study, a purposeful sampling method was used for data collection. In this regard, theoretical saturation of the data was obtained through semi-structured interviews with 13 experts and policymakers in the field of higher education. Then, a qualitative content analysis was used for coding and categorizing.

The results indicated that the desirable criteria related to academic independence include structural independence, content independence, financial independence, accountability, and decision-making aspects. Further, the agility of universities, advances in science and technology, focusing on the university as the basis, more accountable external stakeholders, and the negative effects of not being prepared for independency have been considered as the effects of academic independence in the area of higher education.

High nitrate (NO3−) in vegetables, especially in leafy vegetables poses threaten to human health. Selenium (Se) is an important element for maintaining human health, and exogenous Se application during vegetable and crop production is an effective way to prevent Se deficiency in human bodies. Exogenous Se shows a positive function on plant growth and nutrition uptake under abiotic and biotic stresses. However, the influence of exogenous Se on NO3− accumulation in hydroponic leafy vegetables is still not clear.

The present study was conducted in a completely randomized design with four replications at Research Greenhouse of Lorestan University. In this study, hydroponic lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. var. Grin leek) and spinach (Spinacia oleracea L. var. Sirius) plants were subjected to six different concentrations (0, 0.1, 0.5, 5, 10 and 50 μmol L–1) of Se as Na2SeO3. Zero concentration was considered as control. The modified Hoagland nutrient solution were prepared and 8 liters was added to each pot. The nutrient solutions were replaced with fresh solution every five days throughout this experiment. After the emergence of new roots in the nutrient solution, treatment was applied and selenium was added to the pots at a specific concentration. After Se treatment for 40 days, three plants were randomly harvested from each treatment. The effects of Se on plant growth, NO3− content, activities of nitrogen metabolism enzymes, photosynthetic capacity and glutathione peroxidase enzyme activity of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) and spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) were investigated. The second youngest, fully expanded leaf was used to monitor photosynthetic capacity using chlorophyll meter and portable photosynthetic apparatus, respectively. Nitrate concentration in dried samples was determined based on nitrate to nitrite reductions in the vicinity of zinc powder and hydrogen ion. Data preparation was done in the Excel program and data analysis was done using SPSS 16 software. The means comparison of the treatments was done by LSD test and finally, the figures were drawn using MS Excel.

The results showed that the lowest and highest biomass in both plants were observed in 50 and 5 μmol L–1 Se treatments, respectively. Different levels of selenium had no significant effect on root fresh weight in spinach. However, in the lettuce, at 50 μmol L–1, the root fresh weight significantly decreased compared to the 5 μmol L–1. Moreover, exogenous Se positively decreased NO3− content and this effect was concentration-dependent. The lowest NO3− content was obtained under 5 μmol L–1 Se treatment.NO3− content in lettuce was lower than that of spinach in all treatments. The application of Se enhanced photosynthetic capacity by increasing the stomatal conductance, photosynthesis rate and chlorophyll content of plants. No significant difference (p ≤0.05) was observed in spinach in chlorophyll, stomatal conductance and photosynthetic rate between 10 and 5 μmol L–1, however, in lettuce this difference was significant. Chlorophyll content in lettuce was higher than spinach in all treatments. The best concentration for photosynthetic capacity in both plants was five μmol L–1, which could explain similar changes in root and shoot dry weight in the different treatments. The results showed that low selenium concentrations (≤5 μmol L–1) stimulated NO3− assimilation by enhancing nitrate reductase (NR), nitrite reductase (NiR) and glutamine synthetase (GS) activities. The lowest nitrate reductase activity in lettuce and spinach was 50 μmol L–1 and control, respectively. In all treatments, nitrate reductase activity in lettuce was higher than in spinach. The reaction of nitrate reductase to selenium application was similar to nitrate reductase activity. Glutamine synthetase activity in both plants increased with increasing selenium concentration. However, as the concentration increased (≥ 5 μmol L–1), the activity of this enzyme began to decrease. In addition, the activity of this enzyme was higher than control in all treatments. Selenium also increased glutathione peroxidase concentration. A significant increase in glutathione peroxidase activity at five μmol L–1 was observed compared to the other treatments in lettuce. However, there was no significant difference in the activity of this enzyme in spinach at concentrations of 5 and 0.5 μmol L–1.

These results provided direct evidence that exogenous Se showed positive function on decreasing NO3− accumulation via enhancing activities of nitrogen metabolism enzyme in both plants. This study suggested that five μmol L–1 Se could be used to reduce NO3− content and increased hydroponic lettuce and spinach yield.

In this paper, the dynamic response of a concrete gravity dam along with reservoir domain is investigated by frequency analysis and Latin hypercube sampling (LHS) statistical methods using finite element model. In this analysis, the frequency value is assigned to the model as an input variable. Then, the effects of frequency parameter are studied on maximum horizontal displacement of the dam crest, maximum tensile stress in the heel, maximum compressive stress in the toe and hydrodynamic pressure on the heel of the dam. The ANSYS software, according to finite element method (FEM), is applied for modeling and analysis. In order to represent the effect of the dynamic loading frequency, which is an important parameter in the analysis of the structures, the maximum response values are presented as sensitivity and probability curves. According to the sensitivity diagram of the hydrodynamic pressure response vs. the input frequency, it can be concluded that in the frequency of loading near the natural frequency of reservoir, the most critical condition occurs for seismic display, which should be highly considered in designing concrete dams.

Health literacy is one of the crucial factors that has a considerable influence on health. However, the previous studies indicated that leukemia decrease the level of health. Therefore, the aim of current study is to investigate the relationship between health literacy and general health among patients with leukemia before bone marrow transplant.

This research is a descriptive and correlational research. The sample of current research included 100 patients with leukemia hospitalized into Shariati Hospital in Tehran that were selected through convenience simple in 2015. They responded to two research instruments such as; Health Literacy for Iranian Adults (HELIA) and Goldberg’s General Health Questionnaire. Data was analyzed by utilizing the Pearson correlation and regression step by step.

The findings of Pierson test indicated that there was a significant positive relationship between health literacy and general health (sig= 0.01). In addition, based the results of regression, health literacy could be predicted the general health in patients with leukemia (sig=0.001).

The results emphasize on the relationship between health literacy and general health among patients with leukemia. Thus, it is suggested that this result can be considered in prevention programs (primary and secondary) in order to increase the patient health.