y. alizadeh

To investigate the postoperative surgical outcome of all patients undergoing strabismus surgery and its effect on palpebral fissure alteration.

In this cross-sectional study, 58 patients, who underwent strabismus surgery at Amir-al-Momenin Hospital, Rasht, Iran from March 2018 to 2019, were investigated for the changes in eye deviation and palpebral fissure height (PFH) 1 and 3 month(s) after surgery compared to the pre-surgical status. Also, their corneal light reflexes of the upper (margin to reflex distance [MRD1]) and lower eyelid (MRD2) were clinically evaluated.

Evaluation of 97 eyes of 58 patients (47 left and 50 right eyes; 73.8% women; mean age of 19.8±13.8 years) undergoing strabismus surgery showed significant changes in deviation, PFH, and MRD2 1 and 3 month(s) after surgery compared to the pre-surgical status with significant differences based on the type of surgery. Correction of deviation had a significant effect on PFH change (3 months after surgery compared to baseline) in medial and lateral rectus recession techniques (P<0.001).

The results of this study showed a significant effect of medial and lateral rectus recession on PFH, MRD1, and MRD2, which emphasizes the need to inform patients about the possibility of these changes after surgery and search for intraoperative strategies to reduce these changes.

In order to study the effects of priming on germination of sorghum varieties under salt stress conditions, a factorial experiment was conducted in a randomized complete blocks design with four replications at Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ilam in 2017. Treatments consisted of four levels of salinity (control, 70, 140 and 210 mM NaCl), four priming using Gibberellic acid hormone (no prime, 2.5, 5 and 7.5 mg/L) and four sorghum varieties (Superdan, Pegah, KFS2 and KFS1). The result showed that with increasing salinity levels, length and dry weight of root, coleoptile and shoot, germination rate, germination percentage and seed vigor decreased. The highest percentage and rate of germination was observed in KSF2 variety in 0 and 70 mM NaCl and in KFS1 variety in 140 and 210 mM. Priming showed significant effect on the studied traits except for fresh weight and germination percentage. The highest germination rate was observed in 0 and 2.5 mg/L gibberellic acid in KFS1 variety and in 5 and 7.5 mg/L in KFS2 variety. In general, priming improved germination indices under salinity stress.

Pentacam indices affecting elevation difference of cornea in patients with mild and moderate keratoconus.

A total of 115 eyes were enrolled in different clinical stages. Elevation difference of anterior and posterior of cornea from Belin Ambrosio enhance system achieved. K max, K mean, corneal astigmatism, thinnest corneal thickness, horizontal and vertical distances of thinnest point to apex and asphericity (all measured by pentacam) were correlated with anterior and posterior elevation differences of cornea (measured with Belin/Ambrosio Enhanced Ectesia Display of Pentacam). All measured parameters were classified according to Amsler krumeich classification.

Anterior elevation difference of the cornea had a direct and positive correlation with keratometric maximum (K max) (r = 0.88), mean keratometry (r = 0.83), corneal astigmatism (r = 0.361), and vertical point of thinnest point corneal apex (r= 0.83) and an inverse and positive correlation with with the Thinnest point (r = -0.673) and Asphericity (r= -0.594) (P <0.001) (For all indicators). Correlation between elevation difference posterior with K max (r = 0.849), K mean (r= 0.827), astigmatism (r= 0.26), and vertical point of Thinnest point to corneal apex (r = 0.413) was direct, significant, and positive (P <0.001 for all indices) and correlation between Thinnest point and elevation difference posterior was negative and inverse (r= -0.598; P<0.001). After performing linear step wise regression test, K max (P<0.001), astigmatism (P= 0.005), and K mean (P= 0.007) were the most important Pentacam indices associated with Elevation Anterior, and among the measured Pentacam indices, K mean (P= 0.003), K max (P <0.0001), and astigmatism (P <0.0001) were the strongest indices measured values related to elevation difference posterior, respectively. The best diagnostic points for K max at grade I, grade II, and grade III were 48.4, 51.65, and 74.2, respectively.

K max, K mean, and corneal astigmatism are pentacam indices mostly correlated with anterior and posterior elevation differences of cornea.

  Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is the prominent cereal food grain and major staple food in Iran. However, weed infestation is a major bottleneck to higher wheat productivity, and accounts for more than 48% loss of potential wheat yield. Weeds are omnipresent pests that compete with crops for water, nutrients, space, and light; host pests and diseases; and release allelochemicals into the rhizosphere. The magnitude of weed-related losses, however, depends on the type and density of a particular weed species, its time of emergence, and the duration of interference. Yield losses are most severe when resources are limited and weeds and crops emerge simultaneously. Crop yields decrease with increasing weed competition. A strong relationship exists between the duration of competition and the competition pressure exerted on the crop, which reduces yield. Stale seedbeds are a long-established practice that can be used with supplemental herbicides in conventional systems or without them in organic systems. The aim of the study was assessing the effect of various seedbed and wheat density on weed control, and growth and yield of wheat. The experiment was conducted in a split plot arrangement based on randomized complete block design with three replications. The seedbed (false, stale and conventional seedbed) were assigned to main plots and wheat density (150, 200 and 250 kg seed ha-1) were randomized in subplot. The spacing between the planting rows was 20 cm. The required fertilizers were applied based on the results of soil analysis and by phosphate di-ammonium (150 kg ha-1) and urea (250 kg ha-1). Also, other planting operations such as irrigation were applied uniformly to all treatments. Weed control was not carried out in growth stages. The results showed that dry weight and density of weed, plant height, number of tiller, 1000-seed weight, grain yield and seed protein contents were affected by interaction of seedbed and plant density. Simple effect of seedbed and plant density had a significant effect on number of spike and lodging percentage of wheat. Using false and stale seedbeds led to reducing weed density and dry weight, and increasing number of tiller, number of spike, biological and grain yield and protein contents rather than conventional planting conditions, significantly. Increasing plant density had a positive effect on weed control. It seems that increasing wheat density increased the competitiveness of plant species by decreasing access to enough light and nutrients, and led to eliminating the weeds. The highest grain yield (6.95 t ha-1) was assigned to stale seedbed and density of 150 kg seed ha-1. Grain yield in densities of 150 and 250 kg seed ha-1 was higher than density of 250 kg seed ha-1. In general, application of false and stale seedbeds with planting 150-200 kg seed ha-1 is recommended.

One of the most important risk factors for endophthalmitis after cataract surgery is the presence of nasolacrimal duct obstruction (NLDO), which can be diagnosed pre-operatively. Considering the high prevalence of cataract reported in our province, Guilan, we decided to study the incidence of NLDO in a sample of patients, who were candidate for cataract surgery according to irrigation and dye disappearance test (DDT).

This non-randomized longitudinal descriptive study prospectively investigated all patients, who had undergone cataract surgery only in one service in Amiralmomenin Hospital during 2016. All participants underwent complete eye examination, irrigation test, and DDT. Complete history was taken from all patients, particularly the history of tearing of the eyes. The main outcome measure of this study was the frequency of NLDO in a patients undergoing cataract surgery and the secondary outcome was sensitivity and specificity of DDT in a diagnosis of NLDO. The data were analyzed, using statistical software SPSS 16.

Of the 103 patients participating in the study, 52 patients were men and 51 were women. The mean age of participants was 9.79±70.53 years. Irrigation test diagnosed NLDO in 20 (19.4%) patients, which was significantly higher in women (P=0.013). Forty-six (4757%) patients suffered from epiphora, recorded in 12.62% (N= 13) of patients with NLDO and 34.95% (N= 36) of patients without NLDO (P= 0.068). Among patients with NLDO (N= 20), increased DDT was observed in 70% (N= 14), and among patient without NLDO (N= 83), DDT was increased in 22 patients, resulting in a sensitivity and specificity of 70% and 73.4%, respectively. There was a significant difference between patients with and without NLDO according to DDT (P=0.001).

Considering the high prevalence of NLDO, it is important to evaluate all patients undergoing cataract surgery. The easily accessible irrigation test can be used as a reliable diagnostic tool to reduce the risk of postoperative endophthalmitis.

In order to study radiation use efficiency and radiation interception in intercropping of herb sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) and common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), an experiment was conducted at the Agricultural Research Station, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran during growing season of 2008. Treatments were 1) sole crop of bean, 2) sole crop of sweet basil, 3) strip intercropping of bean and sweet basil (four rows bean and two rows sweet basil), 4) strip intercropping of bean and sweet basil (two rows sweet basil and four rows bean), 5) row intercropping of bean and sweet basil. Sweet basil was harvested at two times during the course of experiment. For this purpose a complete randomized block design with three replications was used. Results showed that in intercrop the fraction of intercepted radiation (F) was higher than the sole crop F. radiation use efficiency (RUE) of sweet basil in intercrop treatments was increased compared to sole crop and highest RUE of sweet basil obtained in secondary harvest of row intercropping (3.4 g.MJ-1), and the highest RUE of bean obtained in row intercrop too (2.4 g.MJ-1). Light extinction coefficient of bean was obtained as 0.55 and sweet basil 0.47, respectively. The highest Leaf area index (LAI) in bean was obtained in sole crop (4.3) and the highest LAI in sweet basil in first harvest was in strip intercropping with 4 rows sweet basil (3.2) and secondary harvest was in sole crop sweet basil (2.5).