Search

Introduction: These days, researchers are trying to develop an efficient production technology based on the innovative techniques to increase seedling vigour and plant establishment through physical seed treatments. Seed germination is an important phenomenon in modern agriculture because it is a thread of life of plants that guarantees its survival. Nanotechnology has emerged as an innovative technology for the elaboration and use of new nanomaterials in the industry and many fields of research. It opens up a wide array of opportunities in various fields like medicine, pharmaceuticals, electronics and agriculture. Nanotechnology has the potential to protect plants, monitor plant growth, detect plant and animal diseases, increase global food production, enhance food quality, and reduce waste for “sustainable intensification”(Chandra Rath et al, 2017). Zinc (Zn) is an essential nutrient required by all living organisms. It has been considered as an essential micronutrient for metabolic activities in plants and animals. Zinc has important functions in the synthesis of auxin or indole acetic acid (IAA) from tryptophan as well as in biochemical reactions required for formation of chlorophyll and carbohydrates. It also regulates the functions of stomata by retaining potassium content of protective cells. The crop yield and quality of produce can be affected by deficiency of Zn (Pandey et al., 2006). Zinc oxide (nano-ZnO) is commonly used metal oxide engineered nanoparticle. It is used in a range of applications such as sunscreens and other personal care products, electrodes and biosensors, photocatalysis and solar cells. Seed is an important stage of plant life history. Most invasive plants primarily rely on seedling recruitment for population establishment and persistence. Rapid spread of many invasive plants is frequently correlated with special seed traits. Seed trait variations exist not only among species but also within species. Seed traits variations within a species are essential for seedling establishment at different habitats (Grundy et al., 1996). Germination of various plants has a different response to nanoparticles. Application of nanoparticles that have a positive effect on germination and growth of crop and a negative effect on weed can be useful in weed control. Materials and Methods: In order to study the effect of different concentrations of ZnO on germination characteristics of wild oat and two genotypes of wheat, an experiment was conducted with a factorial arrangement based on completely randomized design with four replications in research laboratory of Ilam University. The experimental treatments were plant genotypes (wild oat and Behrang and Sivand genotypes of wheat) and different concentrations of ZnO (0, 10, 100 and 500 ppm). Germination of seeds was determined by placing 30 seed in a 9-cm-diam Petri dish containing two layers of Whatman No. 1 filter paper, moistened with 5 ml of distilled water or a treatment solution. The treatments of ZnO were applied in Agar complex. After treatment, the dishes were sealed with paraffin tape, and placed in the dark in an incubator at 25 °C. The number of seeds germinated was counted every day. Seedling and radicle length, seedling and radicle dry weight and germination rate were measured. Data were subjected to two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the difference between treatment means was separated using Duncan test. A significance level of 95% was applied by SAS 9.2. Results and Discussion: The results showed that the simple and interaction effects of genotype and ZnO had a significant effect (P ≤ 0.01) on all studied traits. The plumule length of both wheat genotypes was increased to 100 ppm ZnO concentration and then was decreased. The plumule length of oat wild was increased by increasing ZnO concentration. Increase in ZnO concentration to 10 ppm caused a significant increment in the radical length of sivand genotype and wild oat, and the trait was reduced after mentioned concentration. The radical length of behrang genotype was declined as ZnO concentration increased. The applied ZnO treatments caused a significant reduction and increase in plumule dry weight of behrang genotype and wild oat, respectively, whereas they had an insignificant effect on plumule dry weight of sivand genotype. Increased ZnO concentration negatively influenced the plumule dry weight of wild oat and behrang genotype and positively affected the plumule dry weight for sivand genotype. Germination rate and percentage of the both wheat genotypes were not affected by nanoparticle, but, increased ZnO concentration caused a significant increment in these traits in wild oat. Conclusion: Overall, the results illustrated that application of ZnO nanoparticle in wheat agroecosystems can lead to a higher germination rate and growth of wild oat compared to wheat, and is not recommended.

The aim of this research is to examine the impact of conditional and unconditional conservatism on the trade credit of companies listed at the Tehran Stock Exchange. In this respect, using a systematic deletion sampling, 74 companies were chosen and studied during the period 2009 to 2013. The method of testing the research hypotheses was a multivariate regression using estimated generalized least square. The results of the research indicated that conditional and unconditional conservatism are positively and significantly related to the trade credit of the companies; in other words, if a higher level of conservatism is used and types of conservatism grow, more trade credit will accrue to companies.

Key Clinical Message In Hurler syndrome, corneal opacification is a common finding but rarely manifests as hypertrophic scars. A 6‐year‐old boy with Hurler syndrome had a hypertrophic scar on his left eye, which was successfully treated with superficial keratectomy.

For downloading the full-text of this article please click here. Background and Objective: The use of mobile phones has recently become an indispensable part of life. Although mobile phones have several advantages, their excessive use can make individuals prone to dependence. The aim of this study was to investigate the moderating role of Islamic lifestyle in the relationship between cognitive emotion regulation and mobile dependency in adolescent girls. Method: The present study is a descriptive cross-sectional study of correlation type. The statistical population of the study consisted of all secondary school girl students in Kermanshah. Four hundred individuals were selected through multistage cluster random sampling. To collect data, subjects responded to Islamic lifestyle standards (LLST), cognitive/emotional regulation questionnaire (CERQ) and mobile phone harm survey (COS). In order to analyze the data, structural equation modeling was used. All ethical issues were observed in this study and the researchers declared no conflict of interests. Results: The results showed that cognitive/emotional adjustment and Islamic lifestyle are considered good predictors of mobile dependency. Also, based on the findings of structural equation modeling, there are significant and positive causal relationships between cognitive/emotional adjustment, Islamic lifestyle and mobile dependency. Moreover, the mediating role of Islamic lifestyle in the relationship between cognitive/emotional adjustment and mobile dependency was confirmed. Conclusion: The findings suggest that the use of Islamic lifestyle as a coping strategy in people with negative cognitive/emotional adjustment will prevent cell phone addiction. For downloading the full-text of this article please click here.

For downloading the full-text of this article please click here. Background and Objective: HIV not only disrupts the routine life of those affected, but also negatively influences their mental health. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of spiritual-religious psychotherapy on depression, fulfillment of basic psychological needs and satisfaction with life among people with HIV. For downloading the full-text of this article please click here.

Hydatid cyst (HC) is a serious health problem in endemic areas. Liver and lung are the most common involved organs while the involvement of muscles, heart, kidney, brain, and spleen is rare. The involvement of these rare locations for HC is mostly in association with infestation of common sites. We report a case of 43-year-old man with a history of surgery of HC in brain and heart who complained from chest pain. In imaging modalities, three cystic lesions were seen in heart and kidney which were confirmed to be recurrence of HC by serologic tests. However, no evidence of involvement of liver and lungs as the most common infected organs of HC was seen in recent and previous imaging mo®dalities. The patient refused another surgery and just accepted anthelmintic drugs. The practical point of this case report is that when we see any cystic lesion in imaging modalities in uncommon sites for HC, while common sites are spare, we should still consider the possibility of HC and not rule out it just because of lack of simultaneous infestation of its common involved organs.