s. a. mousavi

Almond (Prunus dulcis L.) is one of the valuable nut trees that is cultivated in many temperate regions and Mediterranean climatic conditions for domestic consumption and export. Almond belongs to the genus Prunus, from the Rosaceae family. Identifying and introducing genotypes and cultivars of late bloom is one of the most important goals of almond breeding programs. The correct choice of almond rootstock causes better management of the garden, compatibility with all types of soil and resistance to nematodes. Peach × almond hybrid has been the most widely used rootstock in both dry and irrigated conditions in the past years. Creating an orchard by selecting grafted genotypes on suitable rootstock for sustainable cultivation of almonds is particularly important. Cultivation of superior genotypes grafted on fruit trees has an effect on pomological characteristics, yield and quality of nuts. The requirement for the introduction and production of superior cultivars is an accurate selection between cultivars, which is possible through the identification of cultivars and their diversity. The purpose of this research is to investigate and evaluate the most important vegetative, phenological, quantitative, and qualitative characteristics of nuts and kernels in 36 promising cultivars and genotypes grafted onto GN15 rootstock, with the goal of identifying and introducing superior cultivars.

In this research, 36 promising almond cultivars and genotypes on GN15 rootstock were investigated in garden conditions in terms of various vegetative traits, nut and kernel characteristics in order to obtain suitable commercial cultivars. This research was conducted at the Badam research station in Saman region affiliated to the Center for Research and Education of Agriculture and Natural Resources of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province as a randomized complete block design with three replications. The cultivars and genotypes studied are presented in Table 1. Vegetative traits of tree height, canopy length, canopy width, and branch length were measured by meter in the garden, and rootstock diameter, scion diameter, and branch diameter were measured in the garden with calipers. In order to measure the nut and kernels, 100 fruits were harvested from each of the studied cultivars and genotypes at the time of fruit ripening, and their green shell was separated and dried. Measurement of traits such as length, width, diameter of nut and kernel was done by digital caliper and weight of nut and kernel was measured by digital scale with accuracy of 0.01. Coding of some traits was done based on almond descriptor (Gülcan, 1985) with some changes. The data obtained from the experiment were analyzed using SAS software (version 3.1.9). To compare the means, Duncan's multiple range test was used at the 5% probability level.

According to the results of analysis of variance (ANOVA), there was a statistically significant difference at the level of 1% between the attributes of tree height, canopy width, rootstock and scion diameter, branch length and diameter, and the ratio of tree height to canopy length. (P<0.01). The results of variance analysis show that there is a significant difference between the investigated nut and kernel traits in promising cultivars and genotypes grafted on GN (Table 5). These differences show the diversity in the investigated traits and it is possible to choose cultivars for different values of the same trait. Based on the average comparison results of the vegetative traits, the highest height in genotypes GA4, GA3, GA35, The highest canopy width was observed in genotypes GA5, GA17, GA3, and GA20, GA15, GA5, the highest diameter of rootstock and scion, and the highest length and diameter of one-year branches were observed in genotype GA18. The results of the comparison of the average nut and kernel characteristics show that there is a significant difference in the cultivars and genotypes investigated in this research. The results of the comparison of the average nut and kernel characteristics show that there is a significant difference in the cultivars and genotypes investigated in this research. Based on the obtained results, cultivars and genotypes of GA5, GA24, GA12, GA9 and GA1 showed relative superiority in terms of nut and kernel traits. The results of this research showed that the GA35 genotype grafted on the GN15 rootstock had the highest length, width and diameter of the nut, and the highest weight of nut and kernel. The kernel color light, the without shrinking the kernel and the highest percentage of kernel and the highest ratio of kernel weight to nut weight.

The results of this research showed that the examination of vegetative traits, nuts and kernels in the studied cultivars and genotypes could show the diversity between cultivars and genotypes. The results showed that the investigated cultivars and genotypes have significant differences in terms of all nut and kernel traits, which indicates the existence of diversity between the investigated cultivars and genotypes. This indicates that these cultivars and genotypes can be considered a valuable source of germplasm for breeding programs. Cultivars and genotypes with a higher kernel percentage had thinner shells, more patterns on the skin, and light to medium kernel color. Based on the results, the cultivars and genotypes GA5, GA24, GA12, GA9, and GA1 demonstrated relative superiority in terms of nut and kernel traits. The research also showed that the GA35 genotype grafted onto GN15 rootstock had the greatest nut length, width, and diameter, as well as the highest nut and kernel weight. Additionally, GA35 had light kernel color, no kernel shrinkage, the highest kernel percentage, and the highest kernel-to-nut weight ratio.

Digital entrepreneurship in the field of sports medicine equipment means the use of digital technologies and the Internet for the development of sports medicine business. Digital entrepreneurship is a fundamental driver in the innovation system. It changes the structure, objectives and networking mechanisms of the entire business system and finally affects the different levels and dimensions of the innovation system. The purpose of this article is to present a model of digital entrepreneurship in the field of sports medical equipment using the Grounded Theory method.

This research was conducted in 2024, which was a qualitative research in terms of its purpose, application and in terms of the method of collecting information.The statistical community includes sports experts and the sample size was estimated with the theoretical saturation of 16 people using snowball sampling. The data collection tool was a semi-structured interview. The validity and reliability of the work were used by Goba and Lincoln's criteria. Max Kyoda 20 software was used for coding. To analyze the data, the systematic method of Strauss and Corbin was done with open, axial and selective coding.

In this research, digital entrepreneurship was identified as a central category and its most important effective drivers include smart analysis, smart content, smart business, digital literacy, digital motivation, digital actors, digital entrepreneurship development, digital activity, technological capabilities, digital governance, Advanced data analysis.

The present research led to the presentation of a paradigm model called the model of digital entrepreneurship in the field of sports medical equipment.

The present research was conducted to evaluate the response of different almond cultivars to drought stress. The experiment was carried out as split plot arrangement is in randomized complete block design with three replications in the Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Center of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, ShahreKord, Iran, in 2020 and 2021. Different irrigation periods based on the available soil moisture; 70%, 50%, 30% and 10% of field capacity were assigned to the main plots and 13 commercial almond cultivars; Mamaei, Rabie, Saba, Araz, Eskandar, Aidin, Shahrood 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13, 21 and GN clonal rootstock, were randomized in the subplots. All commercial almond cultivars were grafted on GN clonal rootstock. The plants were under water stress for four months and antioxidant enzymes activity was measured at the middle (two months after application of stress) and the end (four months after application of stress) of drought stress period. The results showed that drought stress significantly decreased fresh and dry weight of the above-ground parts of all cultivars. The lowest effect of drought stress was recorded in cv. Shahrood 8 and GN clonal rootstock. Malondialdehyde content and electrolyte leakage in all almond cultivars significantly increased with increasing drought intensity. In both the middle and end of drought stress period, cv. Shahrood 8, cv. Shahrood 12 and GN clonal rootstock showed the highest chlorophyll index and the lowest malondialdehyde content and electrolyte leakage under severe drought stress (10% FC). Under severe drought stress, the highest antioxidant capacity of enzymes was recorded in cv. Shahrood 12, cv. Shahrood 8 and GN clonal rootstock. Considering the results of this research, under different levels of drought stress, cv. Shahrood 8, cv. Shahrood 12 and GN clonal rootstock had the highest above-ground fresh and dry weight, chlorophyll index and antioxidant enzymes activity, and the lowest peroxidation level that showed the high level of tolerance to water deficit stress.

 Water shortage is very frequent in many countries, and, together with the rising demand for industry, growth of human population, climate change and specifically the trend towards irrigated agriculture, has led to widespread problems of water scarcity, especially in Middle East countries. This situation imposes the need to optimize water use in all human activities. Among the different productive uses of water, agriculture is by far the main water user in most water scarce regions and, consequently, any potential improvement in the use of the available water resources may play a significant role toward achieving a more sustainable use of water. Plant responses to water deprivation are usually monitored through selected morphological and physiological parameters which have been proven to be good indicators of drought in different studies. Some of the most important standards for evaluating plant genotypes under drought stress are measurements of morphological parameters such as height, leaf characters and root growth.

 To compare the growth response of different almond cultivars to different levels of water stress, an experiment was conducted as a split plot in the base of randomized complete block design with three replications in the Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Center of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province in two growing season 2019-2020 and 2020-2021. Different irrigation periods based on the percentage of usable soil moisture between filed capacity to wilting point, including 70% filed capacity (control or no stress), 50% filed capacity (mild stress), 30% filed capacity (medium stress) and 10% of field capacity (severe stress) were considered as the main factor of the experiment. The sub-factor included 14 commercial cultivars of almonds (Mamaei, Rabi, Saba, Araz, Eskandar, Aidin, Shahrood 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13 and 21 and GN vegetative rootstock), all of which were grafted on GN rootstock. In this study, uniformly grafted seedlings in terms of age, stem diameter and height were selected and planted. In the second year after planting the seedlings, in order to apply drought stress, tubes for hygrometer (TDR) were installed in each experimental plot and based on soil moisture content, irrigation cycle was determined for different treatments.

 In both years, three months after applied water stress growth traits and nutrient concentrations in the leaves of treated seedlings were measured. Based on the results of analysis of variance, the morphological traits of almond seedlings were significantly affected by cultivar type and drought stress level. In all almond cultivars, the highest height was belonged to seedlings that were grown in non-stress conditions and with increasing the drought stress intensity, the height of almond seedlings was decreased. Under severe drought stress, GN and Mamaei cultivars had the highest (183.93 cm) and the lowest (94.60 cm) height, respectively. Seedling height in GN, Shahrood 12, Saba and Shahrood 10 cultivars showed the lowest decrement under severe drought stress. In all cultivars, drought stress caused a significant reduction in the length and width of the seedlings crown, and the greatest decreasing was recorded in severe drought stress (10% FC). Under severe drought stress, cultivar GN had the largest crown and cultivars Rabi, Shahrood 7 and Eskandar had the smallest crown. Increasing the drought stress intensity significantly reduced the branches growth of seeding in terms of number and length of sub-branches. As the intensity of drought stress increased, the length of sub-branches decreased however the number of intermediates in sub-branches increased. In non-stressed condition, the cultivar GN had the longest branch (55.95 cm), which was significantly higher than the other studied almond cultivars. The shortest branches were also observed in Saba (29.94 cm) and Eskandar (29.47 cm) cultivars. Increasing drought stress caused a significant reduction of leaf area in all studied cultivars and the highest decreasing was observed under severe drought stress. The GN (37.76 cm²) and Shahrood 10 (31.81 cm²) had the highest leaf area in non-stress and drought stress conditions. Under severe drought stress (10% FC) cultivar Shahrood 6 showed the lowest leaf area. The results of this study showed that increasing the intensity of dehydration significantly reduced the amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, manganese and zinc in the leaves of the studied cultivars of almonds, however, the amount of potassium and iron in stressed plants increased under drought stress. Based on the results of the present study, under severe drought stress the GN, Shahrood 8 and Shahrood 12 cultivars in terms of growth indices including seedling height, stem diameter, canopy growth, branch growth and concentration of macro and micro elements was superior compared with the other studied cultivars.

 Based on the results of this study, drought stress significantly reduced growth indices and nutrient concentrations, although the reaction of almond cultivars to different levels of drought stress was different. In this study, among the studied almond cultivars GN, Shahrood 8 and Shahrood 12 cultivars in terms of growth characters including seedling height, stem diameter, canopy growth, branch growth and concentration of macro and micro elements showed higher tolerance to different level of drought stress. These cultivars less affected by the high intensities of dehydration. Therefore, GN, Shahrood 8 and Shahrood 12 cultivars can be used in future studies to evaluate the possibility of cultivating these cultivars in areas with water deficit.

To probe advantages in Fe-N-SiO2/TiO2 nanocomposite system, the visible photocatalytic degradation of the nonbiodegradable antibiotic oxytetracycline (OTC) by unsupported TiO2 and its modified composites by incorporating each of the Fe, N, and SiO2 dopants under a series of conditions were investigated. The structural and optical properties as well as the morphology of the prepared nanocomposites were also characterized applying Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction, photoluminescence spectroscopy, UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectra and field emission scanning electron microscopy/Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (FESEM/EDX). In order to develop two models portraying appropriate functional relationships between two main responses (OTC removal efficiency and its specific removal rate (SRR)) and four numerical variables (OTC concentration, catalysis loading, initial pH and reaction time), two separate multivariate analysis pathways under response surface methodology (RSM) were taken. The results obtained all came down to the maximum SRR (220 OTC mg OTC removed/g cat. h) found at the maximum catalyst dosage of 1.5 g/l, and acidic pH of 3 after 0.5 h. Furthermore, the Fe-N-SiO2/TiO2 proved a stable photocatalytic activity during three subsequent reusability experiments, shedding light on its reliable potential for future application.

In this study, the effect of adding nanoclay and carbon black to SBR on curing behavior, oil absorption and mechanical properties such as tensile strength and strain at break, hardness and abrasion resistance were investigated. At the end, we investigated the effect of carbon black (CB) and replacement a portion of CB with modified clay on tensile strength, elongation at break, hardness and abrasion resistance of SBR. Tensile strength and elongation at break were significantly improved upon addition of nanoclay and the optimum amount of nanoclay was 10 phr. The rheometric test indicated that as the nanoparticles loading increases, the scorch time and optimum cure time decrease and the cure rate increases. Adding nanoparticles to the polymer matrix improved the abrasion resistance and the abrasive volume of the samples decreased significantly with addition of nanoclay content. Adding 10 phr nanoclay to SBR containing 20 phr carbon black elongation at break and tensile strength exhibited a siginificant increase of 300% and 3 MPa respectively indicationg synergisty of carbon black and nanoclay in improving mechanical properties of SBR. Upon replacement of 10 phr CB with clay tensile strength, elongation at break and hardness improved 30%, 24% and 5% respectively and oil absorption and abrasive volume decreases 23% and 11% respectively.

In this research, the Asmari Formation in the Mansourabad Oilfield in the southern part of the Dezful Embayment has been studied in order to determine the age, study and identify microfacies and depositional environment. The biostratigraphy study was based on benthic foraminifera and recognition of microfacies and depositional environment carried on the thin sections prepared from core and cutting samples of two wells from the studied oilfield. The lower boundaries of this formation are conformable and gradually with the Pabdeh Formation, but sharp with the Gachsaran Formation, respectively. According to the study, four assemblage zones were identified in the Asmari Formation. Lepidocyclina-Operculina-Ditrupa zone indicates the age of Rupelian/Chattian, Archaias asmaricus-Archaias hensoni-Miogypsinoides complanatus zone indicates the age of Chattian, Indeterminat zone indicates the age of Aquitanian, and Borelis melo curdica-Borelis melo melo zone indicates the age of Burdigalian. Based on petrographic analysis nine microfacies related to tidal flat, lagoon and open marine sub-environment were identified that were deposited on a carbonate ramp environment extended from inner to outer ramp. This study led to better understanding of the stratigraphy and depositional environment of this reservoir formation.

The Tekieh intrusive complex is located in S-Qorveh in northern parts of the Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone. In this collection, the granite inclusions located in the granite host compound have a diorite composition and the inclusions located in the monzonite host compound have a gabbroic composition. The enclaves are scattered in rounded and elliptical shapes in the host rocks. Generally, they have a sudden contact with the host rock and are composed of igneous minerals. Amphiboles are calcic-type, and their composition is magnesio-hornblende and actinolite. The plagioclases have a range of composition from oligoclase to andesine and oligoclase to bytownite for host rock and enclaves samples, respectively. Based on geothermobarometry studies on amphiboles and also amphibole-plagioclase pairs, the temperatures of 660-5540C and 742-5920C with pressure ranges of 0.3 to 3.62 and 0.21 to 1.8 Kbar were estimated for host rock and diorite enclaves samples, respectively. Oxygen fugacity was high in magma that is consistent with calc-alkaline nature and the formation of rocks in its subduction setting.

During the study on boxwood blight from 2016 to 2017, some isolates of Pseudonectria were isolated from boxwood leaves and branches. Fungi were isolated and purified using conventional methods. According to the morphological characteristics and ITS rDNA sequences, two species of Pseudonectria viz. P. buxi and P. foliicola were identified. Moreover, the pathogenicity of these two species under laboratory and greenhouse conditions was examined. None of the species were able to produce disease on the healthy plant leaves, and leaf wounds were necessary to establish the infection. According to our knowledge, this is the first report of Pseudonectria species on boxwood from Iran.

One of the ways to reduce the improper utilization on natural ecosystems is the economic valuation of ecosystem services and payment to the service providers in exchange, to reduce the causes of degradation. This approach is known as“Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES). In this research, the strategic factor analysis approach was employed to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) in rangelands of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province. Using a questionnaire and Delphi method, through a survey of 75 experts, the factors were identified. Weighted factors and priority of each factor were determined through multi-criteria entropy decision making method. Results showed that the most important strength is “reduction of grazing intensity by the implementation of PES” with a score of 0.149, the most important weakness is “the lack of monitoring and inspection of grazing capacity with a score of 0.165, the most important opportunity is “improving non-market services of rangeland ecosystem” with a score of 0.145 and the most important threat is “giving preference to the market functions over non-market functions by policymakers” with the score of 0.174. The payment scheme can be a complementary option to reduce grazing intensity if rangers voluntarily reduce their livestock.

Conversion of methane to syngas via plasma technology is a cost-effective approach to obtaining syngas. Methane conversion by means of ceramic electrodes was significantly increased. In plasma reformer, while electrical discharge is available in gas, very active species such as electrons, radicals, ions, atoms, and excited molecules are produced and they function as catalysts. Methane and carbon dioxide gases at atmospheric temperature and pressure in the non-thermal with TiO2-coated electrode plasma reactor with an inner diameter of 9 mm are converted to hydrogen and carbon monoxide (syngas) through one chemical step. The main objective of this research was to investigate the effects of changes in feed flow rate and feed ratio on methane conversion and product selectivity, as well as product distribution. Furthermore, the results were obtained when three synthesized catalysts were inserted in a section             (3 mm) of plasma length (100 mm). The obtained results demonstrated that the voltage of 15 kV was required for methane conversion and hydrogen production. Reducing voltage and/or increasing the partial pressure ratio of methane to carbon monoxide in the reactor inlet resulted in the reduction of methane conversion rate. Moreover, according to the findings, increasing the ratio of carbon dioxide to methane would increase methane conversion and consequently, decrease the conversion of carbon dioxide. The conversion of methane and carbon dioxide was higher for co-precipitated Ce-Mn oxide support than those using the two other methods.

During pregnancy, women have expectations of their future baby, and preterm delivery may negatively affect such expectations. On the other hand, postpartum maternal stress is a well-established issue, which intensifies with the birth of a premature infant. Preterm birth is an unexpected experience and a multifaceted incident that leads to two main consequences, which are the medical and neurophysiological complications of the infant (especially in very-low-birth-weight infants weighing less than 1,500 grams and aged less than 32 weeks) and the adverse effects on the mother-infant relationship due to the prolonged admission of the infant to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). If the infant is not discharged, the mother will be unable to fully assume their maternal role. Therefore, proper intervention protocols help reduce maternal stress and empower mothers to cope with the complex and technological environment of the NICU. The present study aimed to evaluate the impact of evidence-based early supportive interventions on the maternal stress caused by preterm birth.

This quasi-experimental study was performed at the NICUs of Mahdieh Hospital and Shahid Akbarabadi Hospital in Tehran, Iran. Sampling started on February 14, 2016 and continued until May 14, 2016. Both centers were teaching, referral hospitals with three levels of NICUs. NICU level one is designed for generally ill and low-birth-weight infants who do not require intensive care (minimal care and basic care following delivery), NICU level two is considered for the infants who need other intensive care than ventilator support and surgical care, and NICU level three is designed for the critically ill infants who require life-sustaining therapies, particularly auxiliary ventilation and optimally tailored neonatal intensive care. In this study, the hospitals were considered as random allocation units, with Mahdieh Hospital assigned to the intervention site and Shahid Akbarabadi Hospital assigned to the control site. The sample population included mothers with premature infants. Preterm infants and their mothers were selected within three months based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria of the study. The inclusion criteria were having an infant with the gestational age of less than 37 weeks, birth weight less than 2,500 grams, and high probability of survival, maternal consent for enrollment, Iranian nationality, and the ability to communicate verbally. The exclusion criteria were infants with abnormalities or severe debilitative conditions (e.g., grade III or IV intraventricular hemorrhage). During the study period, 75 mothers and infants were classified as the intervention group, and 68 mothers and infants were assigned to the control group. The intervention was designed based on the model of the support system of mothers with premature infants. In this model, parents and infants are at the center of the support model and should be supported during critical transitional periods, including pre-fertilization, before delivery, NICU admission, discharge, and at home. Based on the model, various interventions were provided to the mothers at the NICUs, which gradually started upon the admission of the premature infant to the NICU, continued throughout the admission, followed-up the subjects until three months since the birth of the infant. In the intervention group, the mothers were provided with continuous informational support (emphasis on the continuous provision of information to the mothers about the infantschr('39') illness, treatment, growth and care, infantschr('39') emotional and behavioral needs and responses, and maternal rights and responsibilities during admission). Furthermore, we provided spiritual support (in an illness crisis, spirituality may be essential to coping and have a positive impact on the response of individuals since reliance upon a higher power could become a source of hope for a positive outcome. Fostering spiritual values protects individualschr('39') integrity and gains spiritual perseverance to encounter hardships), appraisal support (strengthening and supporting the maternal role and encouraging mothers to strengthen their relationship with their infants and actively partake in their care since doing their best in the care of the infant makes them feel better. In fact, encouraging mothers to participate in care of preterm infants allows them to conceive their maternal role), and emotional support (addressing the feelings and concerns of the mothers and showing concern for their health and the health of the newborn so that they could adopt to the infantchr('39')s illness and the other affected aspects of their lives). The control group received routine care. Upon discharge, maternal stress was measured using the parental stressor scale: neonatal intensive care unit (PSS-NICU). The main sources of maternal stress included the NICU environment, infantchr('39')s appearance, special behaviors of treatment of the infant, mother-infant relationship, and maternal role. Data analysis was performed in the STATA software version 13 using t-test, Chi-square, and inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW).

After adjusting the pre-treatment variables by the IPTW, the mean difference in the adjusted stress score regarding the NICU environment was estimated at 0.55 (range: 0.89-0.2) (P<0.001), while it was 0.37 (range: 0.68-0.06) regarding the changes in the maternal role (P=0.02), and 0.29 (-0.43-0.37) regarding the infantchr('39')s appearance and behavior and treatment of the infant (P=0.89). In addition, the total stress score was estimated at 0.25 (range: 0.58-0.07) regarding the NICU environment (P=0.13), and the stress score of the intervention group was significantly lower compared to the control group regarding the changes in the maternal role.

For the successful implementation of interventions designed based on scientific evidence and facilities, it is suggested that policy-makers implement these evidence-based interventions to improve the quality of care of premature infants and reduce maternal stress in the form of family-centered support models in NICUs. Furthermore, it is recommended that similar investigations be performed on fathers. Although the results of this study confirmed the effects of the intervention on reducing maternal stress regarding the technological NICU environment and changes in the maternal role, it may not lead to the significant reduction of total stress and stress about infantschr('39') appearance, behavior, and treatment in mothers. As such, detailed studies should be conceived based on effective interventions in this regard.

This study aimed to determine the relationship between information and communication technology on organizational productivity with the mediating role of empowerment and job stress (Case study: staffs of Shahid Beheshti University). The research method was descriptive and correlational. The statistical population was Shahid Beheshti University staffs(N=1187) that 272 people were selected by simple random sampling. Hersey and Goldsmith’s Productivity Scale (1980), Job Stress (Health and Safety Executive, 1990), and Spritzer Empowerment (1995) were used to collect data. Data analysis was performed using Structural equation modeling. The results showed that ICT alone and also ICT with the mediation of empowerment leads to organizational productivity. ICT, considering the mediating factor of job stress, also reduces organizational productivity. It is suggested to create and use decision support systems and executive information systems to increase productivity in the organization.

Hospital wastes can be categorized as hazardous wastes due to their risks to the environment and human. Considering the fact that the hospital staff are in direct contact with biomedical wastes, their knowledge and safe operation are important in waste management. The aim of this study was to determine the status of knowledge, attitude and practice of healthcare staff of Imam Hossain Hospital of Kermanshah regarding biomedical waste management.

This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. The study population included healthcare and office staff of hospital with sample size of 149. The data collection tool was a questionnaire including four parts: demographic information as well as knowledge, performance and attitude questions.

The results of this study showed that there was a significant (p<0.05) relationship between the level of knowledge and practice of health staff for management of hospital wastes with gender, professional and educational courses. The level of knowledge and practice in women was higher than men, and in the third-grade staff (paraclinical) was more than other job grops. Based on the result, more paraclinical personnel (70.58%) had been engaged and completed their waste management training courses.

As the results, training can lead to increased knowledge and practice of health staff in waste management and have more important role than work experience and job group. Therefore, managers of hospitals should have a special and continuous planning in order to develop all aspects of waste management programs.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the physical and mechanical properties of styrene-butadiene rubber/acrylonitrile butadiene rubber blends, SBR / NBR, with and without compatibilizer and clay nanoparticles. One of the ways to enhance and improve the properties of rubbers is blending, which is used to produce new products with improved properties, as opposed to each of the components. NBR and SBR are both commonly used rubbers, NBR’s mechanical properties is weaker than SBR, however SBR have higher abrasion resistance. SBR is a non-polar and non-saturated rubber which cannot be masticated easily, however NBR is polar and has good strength against solvents than SBR. The blend of these two elastomers can have many applications in industry, but because of the incompatibility of these two elastomers, the mechanical properties of the resultant blend is poor. It has been observed that the addition of a compatibilizer improves mechanical properties, including tensile strength, elongation at break which is due to the increased adhesion between the phases by decreasing the interfacial energy. In this paper, the effect of adding different compatibilizers on the properties of the SBR/NBR blends has been investigated. In the end, the effect of nano-clay as a stabilizer and reinforcing filler on the mechanical properties of the blend has been studied.

Land utilization has tremendously been increased as a result of growing the population. Therefor it’s necessary to utilized the lands in accordance with their potential to increase their productivity and sustainability. As assessing the land suitability is a multifactorial issue, it’s needed a special technique to assess all the factors simultaneously. In this way, multi-criteria decision making methods (such as the Analytical hierarchical process) are widely used. The purpose of the present study is the land suitability assessment of rainfed barley in a part of kuhin area with 500 ha land using Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) and GIS. According to the study of 23 soil profiles, region aerial photos interpretation (1/40000), soil morphological characteristics in 16 different units (land units) the land evaluation was carried out. For this, 9 criteria including CaCo3%, OC%, Surface gravel%, depth, texture, apparent CEC, pH, slope% and climate condition were selected as the effective factors on barley growth. The weight for each factor was calculated using 30 questionnaires which were completed by the experts and software of Expert Choice, then the overall weight for each criterion on was obtained by multiplying the normalized attributes and relative weights. The results showed that among 16 land units the maximum and minimum calculated indices were 64.25 (unit 11) and 37.12 (unit 4), respectively. Also in all units the maximum and minimum weight related to slope and climate, respectively.

It has been demonstrated that an enhancement in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids of the eggs can suppress the saturated fatty acids, and therefore it causes to production of eggs with better lipid profile as well as nutritional contents (Hayat et al., 2010); however, the eggs containing higher levels of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids make them more susceptible to lipid peroxidation (Baucells et al., 2000). Nowadays, the scientists utilize the medicinal plants or theirs byproductsas beneficial natural antioxidants (Jirovetz et al., 2006). Therefore, the current study was carried out to assess the effect of different levels of herbal by-product mixture on some blood parameters, immunological responses and egg quality of laying hens received different omega-6 to omega-3 ratios.
Material and A total of 120 laying hens, 40 weeks of age, were assigned to 6 experimental diets with 4 replicates and 5 birds in each replication. Dietary treatments consisted of three levels of medicinal plants’ by-product (0, 2.5 and 5%) and two omega-6 to omega-3 ratios (15.12 and 1.65) in a 2×3 factorial arrangement based on completely randomized design. The experiment lasted for a total of 80-d including 10 d for adaptation and 70 d as main recording period.Birds were housed in a windowless hall containing battery cages (45 × 50 cm2) with the light program of 16L: 8D. Hens had free access to water and to the experimental diets. Body weights were recorded at the beginning and at the end of the experimental period. Three eggs were collected from each replicate on days 35 and 70, and egg quality indices including shape index, yolk index, Haugh unit, yolk color, eggshell weight, eggshell thickness, and eggshell breaking strength were measured. Yolk cholesterol of three eggs per replicate was extracted by the Folch method, with consideration of the modifications done by Washburn and Nix (1974) at the end of study and estimated by the colorimetric Libermann-Burchard method. Blood samples of two hens per replicate were collected at the final trial day and centrifuged (3000×g for 15 min). Sera samples were harvested and stored (−20°C) until further analysis for concentrations of serum cholesterol, triglycerides and HDL, and also the enzymatic activity of serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase, serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase, and alkaline phosphatase by using turbidometric method as described by Hosseini-Vashan et al. (2012). The concentration of malondialdehyde(MDA) was assessed by the method of Badraoui et al. (2009) with minor modifications. On d 70 of trial, 500 µl of serum was mixed by 3.75 ml of 0.44 mol/l phosphoric acid, 1.25 ml 0.67% thiobarbiotic acid, and 2.5 ml distilled water. The mixture was incubated at 100 °C for 1 h. After cooling, it was centrifuged at 4,000×g for 10 min and the absorbance was measured at 532 nm using an automated spectrophotometer. On d 41 of the trial, Newcastle vaccine was sprayed and three hens of each cage were randomly selected after one week and bled from wing vein. Sera were separated by centrifugation (5000 × g for 10 min) and antibody titers against Newcastle disease virus were measured by Hemagglutination halter test using commercially available V-form ELISA plates according to the manufacturer’s instructions.Two randomly selected birds 70 days of age from each pen were bled and differential counts of leukocytes were performed by screening a Gimsa-stained slide. The different subpopulations of leukocytes were enumerated and the heterophil:lymphocyte ratio was calculated as described by Stedman et al. (2001).
Feeding low dietary ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 led to a significant increase in serum malondialdehyde concentration (P Our results indicated that though feeding low dietary ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 decreased serum triglyceride and cholesterol concentrations, yolk cholesterol content and liver enzymes activities, it increased the probability of lipid peroxidation. Furthermore, supplementation of the highest level of herbal by-product blend could improve the liver health indexes, cellular immunity responses and eggshell hardness.

Adolescents are vulnerable age group due to lack of knowledge and skills to avoid high risk behaviors and lack of access to acceptable and appropriate reproductive health information and services. This study was done to explore the views and experiences of adolescent girls and key adults in conjunction with the Iranian adolescent girl's challenges in accessing SRH information and services.

This is a qualitative study. Data were gathered through semi structured interviews and focus groups with 247 adolescent girls and 71 key adults including health policymakers, governmental, nongovernmental and international health programs managers, health providers, mothers, teachers, sociologists and clergy in four Iranian cities. Data were coded and categorized using content analysis by MAXQDA10.

The main challenges identified were classified in four categories: (1) political challenges such as lack of an adopted strategy by the government; (2) social and cultural challenges such as taboos; (3) structural and administrative challenges such as inappropriate structure of the health system; and (4) non-use of religious potential.

In Iran, the concept of adolescent reproductive health has not been well understood and is very controversial. Government leaders and policymakers should try to provide reproductive health services that are consistent with the community’s cultural and religious values for adolescent girls to overcome the challenges of access.

People are considered as the main clients and receivers of the services rendered by the police force. This requires the authority to study more about people who play the main role in this regard. One essential study is to evaluate the quality of the services which has long faced problems in public sectors. The so-called gap analysis model, or SERVQUAL, which was proposed by Parasuraman, and Zeithaml, is one of the prevalent models used in evaluating the quality of services rendered by service companies. Many attempts have been made to improve the extent and quality of the model. However, it has not been used a lot to qualify services in public sectors.The main purposes of this study were to identify factors, to prioritize as well as to evaluate the quality of the services rendered by the police in Boushehr province from points of view of the people. The study also aimed to find solutions to improve the quality with the help of the gap analysis model. Moreover, along with the aims mentioned, some other purposes were in mind as well, including finding out the clients’ expectations toward the police appearance, trustfulness, responsiveness, guarantee of the services rendered, mutual understanding, taking timely actions, and also acceptability, to mention but a few.

JAK2 is a tyrosine kinase that plays an important role in the signaling pathways of many hematopoietic growth factor receptors. A single acquired point mutation – V617F – in JAK2 occurs in the great majority of patients with polycythemia vera (PV) and approximately half of the patients with idiopathic myelofibrosis (IMF) or essential thrombocythemia (ET). In contrast, the JAK2-V617F mutation is only rarely found in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) but, recently, some authors have reported the coexistence of JAK2V617F and BCR/ABL+ in CML patients expressing the p210 BCR–ABL oncoprotein. Here, we report a CML patient with the expression of p210/b2a2 type BCR–ABL transcript and JAK2V617F mutation.

Thyroid nodules are common clinical problems, their importance being due to the possibility of malignancy. Fine needle aspiration cytology-FNAC is widely accepted as a simple, safe and accurate test in the assessment of nodular thyroid disease. Several studies based on different methodologies have reported different sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values and diagnostic accuracy for thyroid FNAC. In this retrospective study, 1397 FNAC cases (1242 female, 155 male, F/M=8) with an age range of 7-85 years, were reviewed for an 8-year duration in the pathology department of the Bandar-Abbas Medical School. The cytologic results were categorized in 5 groups: inadequate, suboptimal, benign, malignant and suspicious. In 101 cases (88 female, 13 male, F/M=7) with age range of 17-70 years, slides of thyroidectomy specimens were prepared. Evaluation of FNAC specimens, revealed 11.3% nondiagnostic cases(including inadequate 5.4% and suboptimal specimens 5.9%). Other cytologic groups were: benign- 75.2%, malignant- 3.8% and suspicious nodules- 9.7%. Final histopathologic diagnoses were benign in 65.3% and malignant in 34.7% of nodule specimens. The most common benign lesions were adenomatous and colloid goiter and the most common malignancy was papillary carcinoma. For evaluation of diagnostic value of thyroid FNAC, malignant and suspicious cases were considered as positive cytologic results and final malignant diagnoses (excluding occult papillary thyroid carcinoma) as positive histopathologic results. The sensitivity of thyroid FNAC was 91%, specificity 67%, positive and negative predictive values 58% and 94% respectively and the diagnostic accuracy 75%. FNAC has an acceptable diagnostic accuracy in the assessment of thyroid nodules and screening of patients for thyroidectomy but in areas with high prevalence of follicular lesions, because of the limitation of FNAC to differentiate follicular lesions, specificity and positive predictive value are decreased. FNAC however is useful only as an adjunct to clinical judgment and not as a replacement.

The assessment of cerebral vasoreactivity can provide information regarding the reserve capacity of cerebral circulation. Reduction of this property has been found in association with situations predisposing one toward cerebrovascular disease. In this study, we defined the vasoreactivity of brain vesseles according to age and sex of the patients. In this descriptive study, 289 healthy subjects (without hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obesity, smoking, CHF, CHD,) were admitted from January 2004 to June 2004. The population was divided to four groups, according to age and sex (women and men more and less than 30). After determination of each patient’s flow velocity of middle cerebral artery (MCA) by mean of a transcranial doppler instrument (TCD), before and after 30s apnea, breath holding index (BHI) was calculated. Data was analyzed, using SPSS software. BHI was significantly higher in women than men (0.918±0.40 versus 0.637±0.22; P 30) women (0.812±0.31) than in younger (≤ 30 years) women (0.995±0.44; P 30) men (0.62±0.23) and younger (≤ 30 years) men (0.65±0.20; P > 0.05). The average of BHI was lower in men than in women in total and in all age subgroups. BHI was relatively constant in all age subgroups in men but there was significant decline in BHI by increasing age in women. So despite of many physiologic changes related to aging, vasomotor reactivity remains relatively constant in men but decreases in women. Findings of our study suggest that changes of cerebrovascular vasomotor reactivity in healthy subjects may be related to aging, but they are probably mainly influenced by sex.