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Abstract Background The aim of this study was to examine the association between different metabolic obesity phenotypes and the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Methods This cross-sectional analysis utilized data from the baseline phase of the Ravansar non-communicable diseases (RaNCD) cohort study, which involved 8,360 adults. Participants with a Fatty Liver Index (FLI) score of ≥ 60 was classified as having NAFLD. The FLI score was calculated using liver non-invasive markers and anthropometric measurements. Participants were categorized into four phenotypes based on the presence or absence of metabolic syndrome and obesity. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the association of NAFLD and obesity phenotypes. Results According to the FLI index, the prevalence of NAFLD was 39.56%. Participants with FLI scores of ≥ 60 had higher energy intake compared to those in the FLI

Background and Objective: Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) insertion is a common therapeutic method for patients at risk of sudden cardiac death due to ventricular arrhythmias. The present research aimed to identify predictive factors for mortality in patients undergoing ICD implantation. Materials and Methods: In this mix-cohort study, 225 patients undergoing ICD placement were enrolled through a census from March 2017 to March 2021 at Farshchian Heart Center in Hamadan, Iran. The patients' demographic characteristics and blood tests were collected by accessing their electronic records and conducting telephone interviews. Participants were followed up to investigate the factors that influence the death. The Cox regression model was performed using Stata software (version 14) to identify predictive factors for premature mortality. Results: The survey results from the study of 225 individuals indicated that 183 people (80.88%) were male, 91 people (40.44%) were in the age group of 55-65 years, and 87 people (34.66%) were in the age group above 65 years. Moreover, 25 cases (11.1%) of death occurred, with 1, 2, 3, and 4-year survival rates of 96.3%, 93%, 83.2%, and 83.2%, respectively. Additionally, being older than 65 years (hazard ratio [HR] 5.84, CI: 1.20, 21.89) was associated with an increased risk of mortality, while ejection fraction greater than 15% (HR 0.22, CI: 0.06, 0.76) was associated with a decreased risk of mortality following ICD implantation. Conclusion: In this study, being older than 65 years and an ejection fraction of less than 15% were associated with an increased risk of mortality following ICD implantation. Given the negative outcomes, the follow-up of these patients should be conducted with greater precision.

Introduction: Appendage is the growth of the left atrium, which is different in terms of shape and size. This research aimed to investigate the relationship between the shape of the left atrium appendage and atrial fibrillation incidence.Methods: In a cross-sectional study, using the census method, 25 patients diagnosed with atrial fibrillation and a candidate for cardioversion were examined for the shape of the left atrial fibrillation in Farshchian Heart Hospital in Hamedan from 2021 to 2022. Three-dimensional echocardiography with an esophageal probe was used to detect LAA morphology. Data, after recording in the checklist, were analyzed with SPSS software (version 26).Results: Patients had a mean age of 56.64±12.31 years. Males accounted for 32% of the patients and females for 68%. The frequency of chicken-wing, cactus, cauliflower, and windsock in the left atrium was 52%, 40%, 4%, and 4%, respectively. The mean and standard deviation of blood flow velocity in chicken-wing, cactus, cauliflower, and windsock forms were 14.92±3.90, 40.70±9.62, 23.00, and 32.00 cm/s, respectively (P˂0.001). Shape of the left atrial appendage had no significant difference with the type of atrial fibrillation regarding age, gender, diabetes, and blood pressure (P

Abstract Background Interactions between risk factors may influence disease severity. Knowing this relationship is important for preventive interventions and disease control. The purpose of this study was to determine the interactions effects of obesity and hypertension on the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods The data of 9,283 adults 35 to 65 years were examined from the cohort study of Ravansar Non-Communicable Disease (RaNCD). Waist circumference (WC) was used to identify both general and abdominal obesity based on body mass index (BMI). To assess the interaction between hypertension and obesity (general/abdominal) and the risk of T2DM, the additive interaction was calculated. Results The adjusted odds ratios for T2DM were 2.38 (1.67, 3.41) in men and 4.02 (2.47, 6.47) in women for the combinations of hypertension and abdominal obesity. The adjusted odds ratios for T2DM were 2.53 (1.63, 3.82) in men and 2.66 (1.92, 3.70) in women for the combinations of hypertension and general obesity. The results of the additive interaction indicators were inconsistent with gender. The relative excess risk due to interaction (interaction between hypertension and central obesity) (RERI), attributable proportion due to interaction (AP) and synergy index (SI) were0.27 (-1.01, 1.54), 0.11 (-0.41, 0.63) and 1.23 (0.41, 3.68) in male and were 0.61 (-1.12, 2.33), 0.23 (0.08, 0.37) and 1.26 (0.60, 2.61) in female, respectively. Conclusion General/abdominal obesity and hypertension have a synergistic effect on the risk of T2DM. The recommendation for preventing T2DM is lifestyle modification. Large longitudinal studies are necessary to investigate causal relationships.

Objective:The sleep/wake cycle plays a vital role in mental health and daily life. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the prevalence of circadian rhythm sleep disorders in the young population and their effect on psychological health and mental disability.Materials and Methods:The present study is part of the first phase of the Ravansar cohort (a branch of the Prospective Epidemiological Research Studies in Iran cohort) and included 2991 participants from Ravansar, Iran. Data were collected using standard questionnaires, including the Kessler Psychological Distress (PD) Scale (K10), Sheehan Disability Scale, and sleep timing.Results:The prevalence of advanced sleep phase disorder (ASPD) was 0.4% in the sample, the prevalence of delayed sleep phase disorder (DSPD) was 4.1%, and the prevalence of the desire to change sleep patterns was 61.3%. The results also showed that the level of PD in people with and without ASPD was not significant, but the level of PD was significantly higher in people with DSPD compared to those without (p

Abstract Background Appropriate estimate of size of the female sex workers as well as the other hard-to-reach-populations plays a crucial role in reaching them with effective preventive measures. This study aimed to estimate the population size of female sex workers in Kermanshah City using the network scale-up method. Method In this cross-sectional study, of the 1000 pedestrians aged between 18 and 65 years, selected from the population of Kermanshah City via a multistage sampling, were recruited in the study. Face-to-face interview using a questionnaire including the number of FSWs in the social network of the respondent was used to collect the data. Results The overall estimated number of female sex workers in the general population was 4848(UI 95%: 4597, 5074). Accordingly, the prevalence of FSWs among women 18 years and older in Kermanshah in 2018 was about 11.92 (UI 95%: 11.30, 12.47) in one thousand. More than half of the female sex workers in the respondent’s social network were unmarried and were in the age range of 18 to 29, and had a high school or university degree. Among high-risk behaviors, a history of alcohol consumption accounted for the highest percentage. Conclusion The number of female sex workers estimated in this study is considerable, which highlights the importance of planning harm reduction interventions in order to alleviate the burden of HIV infection in the population.

Abstract Background Retained placenta (RP) is a prevalent disorder in cattle with many health-related and economic costs for the farm owners. Its etiology has not been clarified yet and there is no definite therapy for this disorder. In this study we conducted RNA-seq, hematologic and histologic experiments to survey the causes of RP development. Methods Blood samples were collected from 4 RP and 3 healthy cows during periparturtion period for hematological assessments followed by placentome sampling within 30 min after parturition. Cows were grouped as RP and control in case the placenta was retained or otherwise expelled, respectively. Total RNA was extracted from placentome samples followed by RNA-sequencing. Results We showed 240 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the RP and control groups. Enrichment analyzes indicated immune system and lipid metabolism as prominent over- and under-represented pathways in RP cows, respectively. Hormonal assessments showed that estradiol-17β (E2) was lower and cortisol tended to be higher in RP cows compared to controls at the day of parturition. Furthermore, histologic experiment showed that villi-crypt junctions remain tighter in RP cows compared to controls and the crypts layer seemed thicker in the placentome of RP cows. Complete blood cell (CBC) parameters were not significantly different between the two groups. Conclusion Overall, DEGs derived from expression profiling and these genes contributed to enrichment of immune and lipid metabolism pathways. We suggested that E2 could be involved in development of RP and the concentrations of P4 and CBC counts periparturition might not be a determining factor.

Silver carp, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, is a plankton filter feeder fish and introduced to Chitgar Lake since 9 years ago. In this study, the effect of silver carp stocking was evaluated on the phytoplankton structure of Chitgar Lake at different seasons in 2018. Samples were caught with gill-net, beach seine and cast-net gears. The results obtained from 51 individuals with a total length of 111-473 (average total length of 325.8±134.6) mm showed that coefficient of vacuity, averages of relative gut length and feeding intensity were 0.00%, 5.91±1.65 and 628.4±274.7, respectively and therefore it showed over eating, herbivory and good feeding intensity in this fish. Silver carp fed on 32 phytoplankton and 11 zooplankton genera and phytoplankton and zooplankton were observed in 100% and 88% of studied specimens, respectively. Synedra, Navicula, Staurastrum and Cyclotella were the dominant phytoplankton genera (30.0, 22.2, 13.8 and 12.1%, respectively) and Bosmina and Alona were the dominant genera of zooplankton (84.0 and 7.2%, respectively). There were no seasonal changes in feeding intensity but there were seasonal changes in food items dominance. Releasing of 20000-30000 individuals of silver carp with a weight 50-100 g is suggested in order to protect water quality of Chitgar lake annually.

Background and Objective: It is important to determine the quality of the compost to use compost properly. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of mixing ratio of bulking agent on stability and maturity indices in poultry waste compost. Materials and Methods: Two piles of sawdust mixture with poultry wastes and volume ratios of 1:1 (W1) and 2:1 (W2) were prepared by Windrow method and a pile containing poultry manure was used as control (W0). In order to determine the stability and maturity indices in compost, the most important physicochemical and biological parameters were studied. Results: The thermophilic phase lasted about 7 weeks for W1 and about 4 weeks for W2. The initial C/N ratios in the W0, W1 and W2 were 27.10, 31.40 and 56.24, respectively, which eventually reached less than 20. The reduction of organic matter in the three piles was 8.30%, 62.59% and 85.53%, respectively. The thermophilic phase caused a sharp decrease in the population of indicator and pathogenic microorganisms in all piles. The highest dehydrogenase activity in W1 pile was 2.95 mgTPF/gDW.h and by decreasing temperature until the last day, its value decreased to 0.29 mgTPF/gDW.h. Conclusion: The best ratio for mixing sawdust with poultry manure was 1:1 (v:v). Microbial and enzymatic activities are useful parameters for monitoring poultry composting process and determining the rate of compost stability, and the use of this compost in agriculture will improve soil quality.

Introduction: Socioeconomic inequality in dental caries among Iranian middle-aged adults remains largely unstudied. This study aimed to measure socioeconomic inequality in dental caries experience and to identify determinants of this inequality. Materials and methods: Data were obtained from the Ravansar Non-Communicable Diseases (RaNCD) Cohort Study. This cross-sectional analysis included 10,002 adults aged 35–65 years. Caries experience was dichotomised based on the decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT) of one-third of the population with the highest caries scores (i.e. significant caries index). Socioeconomic status (SES) was calculated using the principal component analysis. The concentration index (CI) was used to quantify the extent of socioeconomic inequality in dental caries experience. Decomposition analysis was conducted to quantify the contribution of each determinant to the observed inequality. Results: The mean DMFT for all individuals was 16.1 (SD 9.1). The CI of having significant dental caries was –0.236 (95% CI: –0.0259, –0.213), indicating that having significant dental caries was more concentrated among low-SES individuals. SES (65.6%), age group (24.7%) and female gender (3.7%) were found to have the largest percentage of contributions to the observed inequality in dental caries. Conclusion: This study indicates pro-rich inequalities in dental caries experience among middle-aged adults in Iran. The findings highlight the importance of early prevention of dental caries experience before it happens. To mitigate inequalities in dental caries experience, policy interventions should focus on females, older age groups, and low-SES individuals.

Measurement(s) chest X-ray image • radiologist’s dictation audio data • radiologist’s eye gaze coordinates data Technology Type(s) eye tracking device • machine learning • Radiologist • Chest Radiography Sample Characteristic - Organism Homo sapiens Machine-accessible metadata file describing the reported data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.14035613

This study is an attempt to explore and analyze Mire-Nowrouzi play as a form of resistance based on Mikhail Bakhtin’s concept of Carnival. For this purpose, in addition to explaining Bakhtin's ideas about the construction of the concept of carnival and referring to such concepts as polyphony, laughter, the grotesque body, and action philosophy the formation and representation of these concepts in Mire-Nowrouzi were investigated. The results of the study showed that these concepts have a significant role in giving identity to this social and political play and it can be considered as a form of carnival with both social and political functions. Each actor-audience in the play can influence or be influenced by other characters simultaneously. It means that everyone can hear the voices of others, and each character, inevitably, forms other characters. In the play of Mire-Nowrouzi, participants are seen as a whole with the ability to resist and change their and other’s status. This influence is interpreted based on Bakhtin’s concepts.

Abstract Background The current study aimed to measure and decompose socioeconomic-related inequalities in DMFT (decayed, missing, and filled teeth) index among adults in Iran. Methods The study data were extracted from the adult component of Prospective Epidemiological Research Studies in IrAN (PERSIAN) from 17 centers in 14 different provinces of Iran. DMFT score was used as a measure of dental caries among adults in Iran. The concentration curve and relative concentration index (RC) was used to quantify and decompose socioeconomic-related inequalities in DMFT. Results A total of 128,813 adults aged 35 and older were included in the study. The mean (Standard Deviation [SD]) score of D, M, F and DMFT of the adults was 3.3 (4.6), 12.6 (10.5), 2.1 (3.4) and 18.0 (9.5), respectively. The findings suggested that DMFT was mainly concentrated among the socioeconomically disadvantaged adults (RC = − 0.064; 95% confidence interval [CI), − 0.066 to − 0.063). Socioeconomic status, being male, older age and being a widow or divorced were identified as the main factors contributing to the concentration of DMFT among the worse-off adults. Conclusions It is recommended to focus on the dental caries status of socioeconomically disadvantaged groups in order to reduce socioeconomic-related inequality in oral health among Iranian adults. Reducing socioeconomic-related inequalities in dental caries should be accompanied by appropriate health promotion policies that focus actions on the fundamental socioeconomic causes of dental disease.

Objective: The main objective of this paper is to identify the factors affecting the business cycle in Iran through analyzing financial market indicators including, money supply, loans and deposits of banks (from the money market), and the stock price index (from the capital market). Methods: First, using Hodrick Prescott filter, we extract the business cycles. Then, Markov Switching model estimates the optimal interrupt, and then revealed facts regarding the business cycle, including the momentum indicators, their relative variability, and their stability throughout the cycles between the variables of the financial market are compared. We used the Johansson coincidence test to recognize co integration. Finally, the model estimation is performed using Vector Error Correction Model (VECM). Results: The evaluated indices, regarding various facts about business cycles, show that money supply and loans are the two variables that can result in the mentioned cycles. The Johansen test and the Wald test respectively confirm the relation between the variables in both the long-term and short-term. Meanwhile, the variance analysis table shows that money supply and loans, each respectively cause, 13% and 9% of business cycles' fluctuations. Conclusion: The results show that the stock market does not affect business cycles and its fluctuations. Meanwhile, the estimated error correction term in the model for the money market and business cycle variables is -0.55. This shows that every year 55% of imbalances present in the aforementioned relations are corrected in the following year. Hence, the equilibrium quickly moves towards a long-term equilibrium.

Background and Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of eight weeks of aerobic exercise and the consumption of kefir dough on anthropometric indices, plasma lipid profile and blood pressure in overweight non-athletic women. Methods & Materials: This quasi-experimental study was performed on 32 non-athletic women with overweight in Arak, Iran (mean age= 33.94±8.58 years, mean height= 1.59±0.05 cm, mean weight= 70.15±6.88 kg, and body mass index= 27.35±1.50 kg/m2) who were voluntarily selected and randomly divided into four groups of 8 (control, exercise, exercise + supplement, and supplement). The control group had a normal diet without exercise; the supplement group received 100 ml kefir dough three meals a day for 8 weeks; the exercise group performed aerobic exercise for 8 weeks, 3 sessions per week, each for 50 minutes. The exercise + supplement group received both aerobic exercise and kefir dough. Blood and anthropometric variables were measured at the beginning and at the end of the intervention. Paired t-test was used to examine the within-group variations and one-way ANOVA to examine the between-group variations. All statistical tests were performed at the significant level of P

Abstract Background Socioeconomic-related inequality in oral hygiene behaviors in Iran is poorly understood. This study aims to measure and decompose socioeconomic-related inequalities in oral hygiene behaviors among middle-aged and elderly adults in Iran. Methods A cross-sectional analysis was performed using data from the Prospective Epidemiological Research Studies in IrAN (PERSIAN), a large national cohort study. A total of 130,016 individuals aged 35 years and above from 17 cohort centers in Iran were included in the study. The normalized concentration index (C n ) was used to measure the magnitude of inequality in oral hygiene behaviors, i.e. brushing at least twice and flossing once daily, among middle-aged and elderly Iranian adults included in the cohort centers. Decomposition analysis was performed to quantify the contribution of each determinant to the observed inequality in oral hygiene behaviors. Results Totally, 65.5% of middle-aged and elderly adults brushed their teeth twice a day or more, 7.6% flossed at least once a day and 3.48% had both habits. The estimated C n of the two habits combined, i.e. tooth brushing and dental flossing, for all provinces taken part in the PERSIAN cohort study was 0.399 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.383 to 0.417), indicating that the prevalence of the two habits combined is more concentrated among individuals with higher socioeconomic status. Inequality in oral hygiene behaviors was pro-rich in all cohort centers. The decomposition results suggested socioeconomic status as the main factor contributing to the overall inequality, followed by the level of education, and the province of residence. Conclusion A low prevalence of oral hygiene behaviors among middle-aged and elderly Iranian adults was observed. There was also a pro-rich inequality in oral hygiene behaviors among middle-aged and elderly adults in all cohort centers. These results suggest an urgent need for targeted policy interventions to increase the prevalence of preventive oral hygiene behaviors among the poor and less-educated middle-aged and elderly adults in Iran.

Introduction The lenticular Shahneshin barite deposit (N: 35°39'36'' and E: 46°36'11'') is located 80 km northeast of Marivan, Kurdistan Province; north Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone (Stöcklin, 1968). The deposit consists of stratiform ore and stringer zone. The stringer zone has occurred with alteration sericite- quartz in the footwall dacitic unit (Kv) and evident in a series of vein-veinlets under stratiform ore. The stratiform ore has been located concurrently on the dacite unit and below the Sanandaj Shale unit (Hasankhanloo, 2015). The study area mainly consists of Mesozoic succession dominated by the dacite tuff, andesitic-basaltic lava and pillow lava (Kv: the host rock), black slate and phyllite (Kss: Sanandaj Shale), dolomitic limestone with intercalation of sandstone (Kl), and black shale and slate (Ks: Sanandaj Shale). In this study, samples of the Shahneshin barite deposit have been analyzed for their 87Sr/86Sr and δ34S isotopes and trace elements (plus REE) geochemistry to assess the source of the deposit. Materials and methods Forty samples were collected from the Shahneshin barite deposit and country rocks. Polished blocks (6 samples) and thin sections (34 samples) were prepared for SEM images and petrographic examination at the University of Kurdistan. Trace elements (plus REE) were determined by ICP-MS in the Geological Survey center of Iran (Karaj). The detection limits for elements are between 0.08-0.6 ppm. Three whole-rock samples for Sr and S isotopes were analyzed at the Department of Earth and Space Sciences of the University of Science and Technology of China. Sulfur isotope analyses were measured by the use of a Delta V Plus Gas Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer. The analysis accuracy was determined to be ±0.2‰ (2σ) by using Canyon Diablo Troilite (CDT) as a standard (34S/32S=0.0450045). The strontium isotopic composition was completed on a Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry instrument by Phoenix. The measured strontium isotope normalized to 86Sr/88Sr=0.1194 and its NBS-987 standard was 0.7102477±0.000014 (2σ). Results Strontium isotopes, sulfur isotopes, trace-element (plus REE) composition, fluid inclusion, and petrography of barites help to identify sources of mineral-forming components and environments of precipitation (Baioumy, 2015). The Shahneshin barite deposit includes sulfate barium without valuable Pb and Zn elements. Barite crystals are mainly coarse (>20µ m) with euhedral, tabular, and bladed morphologies. Fluid inclusion microthermometry indicates that the barite formed from low salinity (2.0-8.5 wt.% NaCl eq.) fluids at low temperatures, between 115 to 215oC (Hasankhanloo, 2015). Chondrite-normalized REE patterns for the barite samples reflect enrichment of the LREE/HREE ratios, as is shown by the high (Nd/Er)CN> 11 ratios. They also show Eu/Eu*CN (0.5-7.0), Ce/Ce*SN (0.1-1.16), La/Lu*CN >1, and ratios of the Ce/La (mostly>1), and Eu/Sm (0.1-2.83). The geochemistry of the barite samples represents variation in the abundance of trace elements and REECN patterns. The 87Sr/86Sr and S-isotopic values of Shahneshin barite samples are 0.70649-0.70651 and δ34S=19.05-21.53‰, respectively. Discussion Barite has very little Rb in its structure, and the isotopic composition of the original Sr is preserved in it (Martin et al., 1995). The 87Sr/86Sr values of the barite samples are consistent with 87Sr/86Sr=0.70649-0.70651, which itself is higher than those for host volcanic rocks (0.704-0.705) but lower than that of the Cretaceous seawater (0.7075), the time of barites formation. We may conclude that strontium in the barites is a mixture of predominantly juvenile hydrothermal fluid of low Sr isotope and seawater that contains more radiogenic strontium. δ34S (=19.05-21.53‰) of the samples indicate that much of the sulfur in barite was derived from seawater (δ34S=20-22‰). Fluid inclusion salinities (Hasankhanloo, 2015), crystal sizes and morphology, abundance of sulfate mineral, lack of valuable Pb and Zn, distribution patterns of trace elements (plus REE) of barite reveal that mixture of magmatic fluid and seawater, with different ratios, were the source of the barite-forming fluid. That is supported by the δ34S values, the location of samples on the Th-U diagram (seawater sources), variations in trace element (plus REEs), and Au anomaly (magmatic sources) in the samples. REEs, La enrichment, variations in abundance of trace elements, as well as δ34S and 87Sr/86Sr isotope values of the samples are consistent with the Kuroko massive sulfide-type (Marumo, 1989) and submarine hydrothermal volcanic model. In this model, barium has leached from the bedrocks by circulation of reduced hydrothermal fluid and transported along the syn-sedimentary normal faults to the sea-floor. Then, fluid is mixed with SO42- of seawater and it causes the barite to precipitate. These barites have been formed in an open system, on or immediately below the sea-floor. The Shahneshin barite deposit was, most probably, formed within caldera structures on top of the volcanic complexes in the late-stage of submarine volcanic activity with andesite-dacite in composition. It has occurred at continental margin tectonic setting between subduction zone and passive continental margin due to oblique collision along the Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone in the Late Cretaceous.

Salinization is increasing on a global scale, and tolerance to salinity during germination is critical for the establishment of plants and growing in saline soil. A laboratory experiment was carried out to assess the germination and early seedling growth response to salinity stress of four species, which are common medicinal species in Iran. Seeds of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.), dragonhead (Dracocephalum moldavica L.), savory (Satureja hortensis L.), dill (Anethum graveolens L.) were treated with various concentrations of NaCl (0, 40, 80, 120 and 160 mM L−1). In all species, an increasing NaCl concentration led to a decrease in germination and seedling growth, and maximum reduction was found at the highest salt level (160 mM L–1). All medicinal species were moderately tolerant to salinity up to 40 mM NaCl, but varied in degree of salt tolerance as salinity increased. Among four plant species, dragonhead has the most potential for successful germination and establishment in the saline environments. Keywords: Germination velocity, Regression analysis, Medicinal plant species, Salinity tolerance

DOR: 98.1000/2383-1251.1397.5. 139.10.2.1606.1610 Extended abstract Introduction: Using of plant growth regulators is one of the methods can improve plant growth against environmental stresses such as salinity. Salicylic acid plays an important role in physiological processes regulation, including germination. Today, using of growth promoting bacteria has been increased and it causes to raise the seed vigor, uniformity, germination percentage and better seedling establishment. Growth promoting bacteria can be effect on increasing plant resistance to adverse environmental conditions by interposition in plant hormones production such as auxin, GA, cytokinins, and as well as the stabilization of nitrogen or phosphorus availability and other nutrients Materials and Methods: This experiment was conducted as factorial in a completely randomized design with three replications. Salicylic acid factor (SA) was selected at two levels (0 and 1 mM). The bacterial treatments included Azotobacter (AZ), Azospirilum (AZP), complex of Azotobacter and Azospirillum (AZ + AZP), and without inoculation (C) and salinity treatment (S) was at five levels (0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 mM). Results: Results showed that all treatments had no significant effect on germination percentage. Radicle and plumule length, seed vigor index and seedling fresh weight was significantly increased at 50 mM NaCl. Generally speaking, the elongation of plant organs when treated with low concentrations of salts may induce osmotic adjustment activity in the plants which may improve growth. Germination rate, Radicle and plumule length and seed vigor index were significantly increased by salicylic acid treatment. AZ and AZ+AZP increased germination parameters significantly than control. Generally germination factors were better improved by combination salicylic acid with AZ than AZP and AZ+AZP. These results could indicate the synergistic relationship between growth promoting bacteria and salicylic acid. Conclusion: According to the results pre-treatment of melon seeds by 1 mM salicylic acid and Azotobacter can be proposed to improve seed germination and seedling establishment under salinity stress. Highlights: Effect of salinity on seed germination characteristics of melon. Effect of biofertilizer and salicylic acid on germination and seedling growth of melon under salt stress.

Purpose: Lumbar Puncture (LP) is widely used for spinal and epidural anesthesia or Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sampling procedures. As this procedure is highly complicated and needs high experience to be performed correctly, it is necessary to teach this skill to the physicians. Considering the limitation of number of usage of rubber models and advantages of Virtual Reality (VR) environment for digital training of skills, we tried to investigate the capability of VR environment to train the LP procedures. Materials and Methods: Geometrical model of the lumbar area of L2 to L5 are extracted from fusion of MR and CT imaging modalities. Also physical model of resistance of each layers against needle insertion at lumbar area are investigated through specially designed sensorized handle for LP needle and recorded from a 41-year-old female patient. Then geometrical and physical models of lumbar area are fused together and the VR model of it, with insertion force rendering capability is extracted. Then the model is integrated with a haptic device and the complete VR environment is investigated. Results: In this work we introduced a robotic Lumbar Puncture Simulator (LP Sim) with force feedback which may be used for training the LP procedures. Using the LP Sim, when a trainee inserts the needle inside the lumbar area at the provided virtual reality environment, he/she may feel the insertion forces against his/her movement inside the virtual lumbar area. Conclusion: The LP Sim is a virtual reality-enabled environment, with force feedback, that provides an appropriate framework for training this skill.

Objectives Obesity is a considerable and growing public health concern worldwide. The present study aimed to quantify socioeconomic inequalities in adult obesity in western Iran. Methods A total of 10 086 participants, aged 35-65 years, from the Ravansar Non-communicable Disease Cohort Study (2014-2016) were included in the study to examine socioeconomic inequalities in obesity. We defined obesity as a body mass index ≥30 kg/m2. The concentration index and concentration curve were used to illustrate and measure wealth-related inequality in obesity. Additionally, we decomposed the concentration index to identify factors that explained wealth-related inequality in obesity. Results Overall, the prevalence of obesity in the total sample was 26.7%. The concentration index of obesity was 0.04; indicating that obesity was more concentrated among the rich (p

Climate change will lead to an intensification of the global hydrological cycle and can have major impacts on regional water resources, affecting both ground and surface water supplies. A better understanding of hydrological changes associated with climate change can be achieved by analyzing the temporal trends in river discharge time series. We used the parametric test (regression analysis) and non-parametric Spearman's rho, Mann- Kendal and TFPW Mann- Kendal approaches to evaluate annual and seasonal trends in river flow data from 22 sub basins (based on the classification of the Ministry of Power) located in the southern regions of Iran over a 31-year period spanning the hydrological years 1981–1982 to 2001–2013. The data used include pan evaporation, discharge, minimum and maximum air temperatures, depth, intensity and duration of rainfall at each sub basin. Results showed that in more than 50% of the hydrometric stations, runoff had a decreasing trend. This trend was apparent in the central watershed consisting of Bandar-Sedij and Kol-Mehran sub basins. Conversely, more than 90% of the stations, duration and intensity rainfall had decreasing and increasing trends, respectively. Furthermore, minimum and maximum air temperature trend had an increasing while evaporation had a decreasing trend. In conclusion, factors influencing the declining discharge trend can be changed by changing the rainfall pattern, decreasing the rainfall duration and increasing its intensity.

Introduction: Metabolic syndrome is considered as a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and diabetes and its prevalence increases at an alarming rate. Therefore, the study aimed to evaluate the effect of six weeks of Pilates training along with Vitamin E supplementation on some markers of metabolic syndrome in female overweight adolescents. Methods: This clinical trial was conducted on 30 female adolescents aged 15-18 years in Mahallat, Iran. The subjects were randomly divided into three groups of six weeks Pilates, six weeks of Pilates + vitamin E and control. Exercises with minimum duration of 30 minutes were performed three days a week. Physiological and anthropometric indices, as well as lipid profiles and glucose level of the participants were measured in the pre-test and post-test stages through blood sampling. Data analysis was performed in SPSS version 22 using paired t-test, ANCOVA, and Bonferroni post hoc test. In addition, P-value below 0.05 was considered significant. Result: In this research, while no significant changes were observed in levels of LDL, HDL and TG of the subjects in the Pilates and vitamin E group (P≥0.05), the levels of TG (P=0.022) and glucose (P=0.001) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) significantly decreased after the intervention. Moreover, levels of LDL (P=0.001), TG (P=0.002), cholesterol (P=0.013), glucose (P=0.001) and WHR (P=0.004) significantly decreased in the Pilates group, whereas no significant changes were observed in the level of HDL (P≥0.05). In the control group, no significant changes were observed in the levels of LDL, HDL, TG, cholesterol and WHR of the subjects (P≤0.05). Comparison of the groups revealed a significant difference between the Pilates and control groups in terms of the levels of LDL (P=0.18) and cholesterol (P=0.024). Conclusion: According to the results of the research, Pilates training can lead to the control of lipid profile, WHR, and glucose level in overweight female adolescents. Furthermore, Pilates training along with vitamin E supplementation had similar impacts and no significant difference was observed in this regard.

Abstract Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the acute effect of supplementation Jadvar on aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) enzymes after exhaustive incremental exercise in men's handball. Materials and Methods: In this semi-experimental double blinded study 12 handball players with at least 2 years record in league (with average age=21.42, height=186cm, weight=83.25, and body mass index=24.09kg/m2) divided into 2 groups (n=6) accidentally. Both groups performed maximum Bruce protocol until exhausting level. Before (fasting) and after performing protocol ,blood samples were taken from middle forearm vein and transferred to lab then supplementation group consumed three 500 mg jadvar capsules and control group consumed three 500 mg maltodextrin for 7 days daily. 24 hours after eating last capsule ,they performed maximum Bruce protocol up to exhausting level and the samples were collected like primary protocol blood samples before (fasting)and after performing protocol and were transferred to the laboratory. Results: The results of dependent and independent t-test showed that consuming jadvar supplements for 7days did not have significant effect on aspartate aminotransferase(AST) and alanine aminotransferase(ALT)(p≥0.05).But alanine aminotransferase in supplementation group (16.83 mg.dl-1) decreased in comparison to placebo group (20.5 mg.dl-1). Also, aspartate aminotransferase was increased from 28 mg.dl-1 to 35.17 mg.dl-1 , but neither decrease nor increase was not meaningful (p≥0.05). Conclusion: It seems that acute consuming of jadvar supplement and one session incremental exercise does not have meaningful effect on AST and ALT in man handball players.

This paper, examines the difference between empirical and expected frequency distribution of a sample consisting 3394 observations of earnings, and investigates whether earnings are managed to avoid earning decreases and losses. Also, it examines the pooled cross-sectional empirical distributions of scaled earnings of the companies listed in Tehran Stock Exchange and finds a significant discontinuities in the form of unusually low frequencies in the interval immediately left of zero earnings and unusually high frequencies in the interval immediately right of zero earnings. It shows that managers manipulate earnings upwards to shift it to the right of zero earnings threshold to avoid losses. The study also reveals that managers of firms with a small pre-managed loss manipulate two components of earnings, operating cash flow and working capital to manage their income. There was no evidence of manipulating earnings to avoid earnings decreases.

Introduction: Air pollution is one of the most important economic and health concerns for humen, and due to its growing trend, it has been formed the main concerns of economists and policymakers of all countries. While many researches have been conducted on the effects of air pollution on humens' health, few researches have been done on the effect of air pollution on the Tehran Stock Exchange indices. In this regard, the aim of this research is to investigate the relationship between air pollution and the Tehran Stock Exchange indices. Method: The type of this research is Ex-Post Facto and it is an applied research. In the present research, the Tehran Stock Exchange indices and Tehran's Air Quality Index during 2004-2014 have been used along with five composing elements: Carbon Monoxide, Ozone of the ground surface, Nitrogen Dioxide, Sulphur Dioxide, and the Particulates below 10 Micrometer. Testing the hypotheses of the research has been performed using Time Series Regression and Vector Autoregression models. Results: The results of the research state that there is no significant relationship between air pollution and Tehran Stock Exchange indices. Moreover, there is no meaningful relationship between the components of air pollution and the Stocks Exchange indices. Besides, the calendar effect of the first day of the week does not adjust the relationship between air pollution and the Stock Exchange indices. Conclusion: Given that air pollution has linked with the daily lives of people in big cities in some ways, this issue has been considered a natural phenomenon. Hence, it is worthy for the administrators of Environmental Protection Organization of the country to apply more effective methods in order to inform the society futherly of the effects of air pollution on the economic activities.

Detecting change-points and trends are common tasks in the analysis of remote sensing data. Over the years, many different methods have been proposed for those purposes, including (modified) Mann−Kendall and Cox−Stuart tests for detecting trends; and Pettitt, Buishand range, Buishand U, standard normal homogeneity (Snh), Meanvar, structure change (Strucchange), breaks for additive season and trend (BFAST), and hierarchical divisive (E.divisive) for detecting change-points. In this paper, we describe a simulation study based on including different artificial, abrupt changes at different time-periods of image time series to assess the performances of such methods. The power of the test, type I error probability, and mean absolute error (MAE) were used as performance criteria, although MAE was only calculated for change-point detection methods. The study reveals that if the magnitude of change (or trend slope) is high, and/or the change does not occur in the first or last time-periods, the methods generally have a high power and a low MAE. However, in the presence of temporal autocorrelation, MAE raises, and the probability of introducing false positives increases noticeably. The modified versions of the Mann−Kendall method for autocorrelated data reduce/moderate its type I error probability, but this reduction comes with an important power diminution. In conclusion, taking a trade-off between the power of the test and type I error probability, we conclude that the original Mann−Kendall test is generally the preferable choice. Although Mann−Kendall is not able to identify the time-period of abrupt changes, it is more reliable than other methods when detecting the existence of such changes. Finally, we look for trend/change-points in land surface temperature (LST), day and night, via monthly MODIS images in Navarre, Spain, from January 2001 to December 2018.

Putting human commonsense knowledge into computers has always been a long standing dream of artificial intelligence (AI). The cost of several tens of millions of dollars and times have been covered so that the computers could know about “objects falling, not rising.”,” running is faster than walking. The large database was built, automated and semi-automated methods were introduced and volunteers’ efforts were utilized to achieve this, but an automated, high-throughput and low-noise method for commonsense collection still remains as the holy grail of AI. The aim of this study was to build commonsense knowledge ontology using three approaches namely Hearst method, machine translation and using structured resources. Using three Persian corpuse and Applying aforementioned methods, we could extract 7 different relations. 70000 assertions have been extracted. Finally, average accuracy of Hearst, MT and structured resource were 75%, 75% and 100% respectively.

Background: Ventilator Associated Pneumonia (VAP), developing in mechanically ventilated patients after 48 hours of mechanical ventilation, is the second most common nosocomial infection. Therefore, there is a vital need to study the etiology and risk factors associated with VAP in neonates.Methods: Neonates admitted to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), over a period of one year and who required mechanical ventilation for more than 48 hours were enrolled consecutively into the study. Semi-quantitative assay of endotracheal aspirate was used for microbiological diagnoses of VAP. 105CFU/ml was taken as the cut off between evidence of pathological infection and colonization. The primary outcome measure was the development of VAP. Secondary outcome measures were length of mechanical ventilation, NICU length of stay, hospital cost, and death.Results: Thirty eight patients were enrolled (58% were boys and 42% were girls). 42% of neonates developed VAP. The most common VAP organisms identified were Acinetobacter baumanni (43%). On multiple regression analysis, duration of mechanical ventilation was associated with VAP (P=0.00). Patients with VAP had greater need for mechanical ventilation (18.7 vs 6 median days), longer NICU length of stay (39 vs 21.5 median days) and higher total median hospital costs (79.5 vs 52 million rials) than those without VAP. The mortality rate was not different between two groups.Conclusion: In mechanically ventilated neonates, those with VAP had a prolonged need for mechanical ventilation, a longer NICU stay, and a higher hospital costs. Longer mechanical ventilation was associated with an increased risk of developing VAP in these patients. Developing of VAP didn’t increase mortality in patients.

Purpose: Virtual reality based minimally invasive surgical trainers have been proved to be highly effective for training of surgical residents before clinical practice. In this article we introduce the SinaSim, a low-cost laparoscopic surgery simulator based on virtual reality environment. Methods: The most important part in developing a virtual reality system is to making the virtual reality software of a surgical practice and modeling the physical properties and reaction of soft tissues in real time. At SinaSim we used a newly developed graphical engine to minimize the cost and maximize the widespread usage of this system. Results: Screenshots of the final graphical view of each training task as well as graphical user interface which provides the trainees with necessary information about their learning progress, are included in this report. Conclusion: The preliminary results of this study shows that the performance of both hardware and software of the SinaSim laparoscopic surgery simulator are comparable with a commercial virtual reality based trainer in spite of its lower final price.

One of the assumptions of efficient market is that investors react to new information. The evidence show that investors overreact to new information. They tend to be either over-optimistic or over-pessimistic. Therefore equity prices are not equitably determined by the "true" forces of market supply/demand and are not in equilibrium most of the time. Although stock prices would go abnormally high (low) due to investors' Overreaction in the initial period, they have a tendency to adjust themselves back to the equilibrium level in the subsequent period. This research investigates the Investors' overreaction in the Tehran Stock Exchange. The results indicate that stocks in the best (worst) performing experience, a reversal of fortune in the following years.