محمدی

The purpose of this study is The effect of Control Factor from Schoenfeld’s Viewpoint on Students’ Errors Based on Hodes Nolting Model in the Topic of Function for 11th grade mathematics Field in Karaj County’s. This study is a semi-experimental one. The population of this study consists of all male students in 11th grade of Karaj, distrct 1 within the educational year of 1399-1400. Two 25-student classes were selected based on convenience sampling out of all above-mentioned population. To collect the data, two researcher-made tests were used for the two stages of pre-test and post-test, to evaluate the effect of applying Schoenfield control according to the students' Hodes Nolting error model.The term “control” is defined as major decisions with respect to selection and use of resources and approaches. Hodes Nolting errors consist of careless errors, conceptual errors, application errors, and procedural errors. For the reliability of the test, the Cronbach's alpha value for the pre-test was about 0.702 and the post-test was about 0.824, and for checking the validity of the test, the CVR coefficient was used and the value was 0.8, which is acceptable. The results showed that applying Schoenfeld’s control could significantly reduce students' errors in the subject of function according to Hods-Nolting model.

we aimed at presenting a simple and efficient method for isolating and characterizing the neural crest cells.

The hen’s fertilized eggs were incubated for about 35h at 38°c and 55-60% humidity until the embryos reached to stages 10-12 according to Hamburger-Hamilton developmental stage table. Then the embryos were removed from the egg’s yolk and the neural tube was isolated and cultured for 24 h in a tissue culture dish to release neural crest cell. Then after, the neural tube was removed and allowed to NCC to expand for further 5 days. Finally, the cells were collected and subjected to PCR to study their gene expression profile.

The neural tube released NCC and these cells proliferated in culture condition. They also expressed markers including Slug, Sox9 ,and Sox10 by the RT-PCR method.

The neural tube can release NCC in culture condition and these cells can proliferate in the presence of an appropriate medium.

RPL (Routing Protocol for Low Power and Lossy Networks) has been designed for low power networks with high packet loss. Generally, devices with low processing power and limited memory are used in this type of network. IoT (Internet of Things) is a typical example of low power lossy networks. In this technology, objects are interconnected through a network consisted of low-power circuits. Example IoT applications are smart energy grid, smart home, connected car, intelligent transport systems, and smart cities. IoT is different from many similar technologies due to the existence of low power electronic circuits and limited connectivity. Information security is one of the main IoT concerns. The emergence of new types of security vulnerabilities in IoT devices and the escalation of their damages through numerous IoT applications is considered a major deployment drawback for RPL. In this paper, major cyberattacks against RPL, as well as related security solutions are addressed. Then, these solutions are classified and their weaknesses and strengths are investigated. Finally, it discusses the state-of-the-art status of information security in RPL.

This article seeks to provide a systematic understanding of tension in US-Turkish relations by creating a link between structural changes in the international system and changes in a declining hegemon relationship with an emerging regional power in the Middle East. The hypothesis of the paper is that the instability in US-Turkish relations is the output of the transition from the post-Cold American order to the post-American disorder in the geopolitics of the Middle East. Indeed, the shift in the balance of international power has changed US leaders' perceptions of America's Middle East role and reduced its strategic commitment to shaping the region's geopolitical order. This has changed Ankara's perception of Turkey's Middle East role and pursuing independent strategies to redefine its status as an order-maker regional power. Therefore, the collision of Middle Eastern roles of the two traditional allies in the context of transition in international system can explain the logic of tension and instability in US-Turkish relations. Role theory is the theoretical framework of this paper upon which changing the role of exterior actor in a region results in a different social structure in the geopolitical order of that region and consequently change in the role of regional powers.

In recent years, the high cost of raising livestock and, consequently, the sharp increase in the price of red meat in Iran have reduced its demand, and people consume chicken meat as a substitute for it. This has reduced the production incentives and, with the bankruptcy of some beef cattle farms, the welfare of producers and consumers of this product face serious danger. To overcome this problem, understanding cost structure and reducing consumer price by reducing production costs seems necessary. Therefore, the aim of this research was to evaluate cost structure and economies of scale of beef cattle farms in Mashhad. For this purpose, the short-run Translog cost function along with input cost share equations were estimated using the iterated seemingly unrelated regression method. The data were collected in 2017 from beef cattle producers by interview using structured questionnaires. The result showed that there were increasing returns to scale for all farms. In addition, the demands for all inputs were perfectly inelastic. On the other hand, there was weak complementary and substitute relationship between inputs. According to the results of this research, the most important factor of beef production in the selected farms was feed, whose demand was inelastic and the possibility of substituting it with other inputs was very weak. Therefore, the adoption of policies by the government, including subsidies for feeding cattle and increasing the import of this input, can reduce the production cost and prevent beef prices from rising.

In order to assess the effect of water-deficit stress on the activity of antioxidant enzymes and agro-physiological attributes of maize, a split-plot field experiment was conducted with three replications based on the randomized complete block design. Three levels of irrigation (well-watered, intermediate and severe water-deficit stress) and four maize families including 10 genotypes were considered as the main and sub factors, respectively. Post treatment, the electrophoretic analysis of three enzymes in maize leaves including SuperOxide Dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT) and Peroxidase (POX) was carried out on 8% horizontal acrylamide gel. Moreover, agro-physiological attributes such as MalonDiAldehyde (MDA), H2</sub>O2</sub>, chlorophyll index (SPAD), Relative Water Content (RWC), and grain yield were measured. Concomitantly with increasing intensity of water-deficit stress, the activity of most isozymes and the contents of MDA and H2</sub>O2 </sub>increased while POX2 activity, chlorophyll index, RWC, and grain yield decreased. Under intermediate stress, POX1 isozyme in Lia0688 line (233%) and, under severe stress, POX2 isozyme in AR68 hybrid (201%) showed higher increase compared with the well-watered treatment. Overall, POX1, SOD2, CAT isozymes and MDA, chlorophyll index, and RWC were identified as suitable traits. Based on enzyme activity and agro-physiological attributes, SC706 and TWC647 hybrids were superior to the other genotypes and expressed higher tolerance to water deficit stress. Moreover, among parental lines, MO17, B73 and Lia0688 were promising, although Lia0688 and MO17 were more tolerant lines and showed better performance compared with the line B73 and other lines under well-watered and stress conditions.

Concerning the importance and the high frequency of renal involvement in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and the ability to measure the value of hematuria on predicting the incidence of lupus nephritis, this study aimed to determine the frequency of lupus nephritis in SLE patients with hematuria. This cross-sectional study investigated 500 patients with SLE in Isfahan City, Iran, between the years 2001 and 2015. Medical history, as well as demographic and clinical data of patients including the levels of C3, C4, and anti-dsDNA antibody, presence of lupus nephritis, proteinuria, cellular cast, pyuria, urinary tract infection, urinary tract stones, congenital renal defects, and history of any kidney disease were obtained from the patients' files at the end of the study period, and analyzed using SPSS software. The frequency of hematuria in patients with lupus nephritis was 36.1%, and there was no significant relationship between the presence of hematuria and the existence of lupus nephritis in patients with SLE [odds ratio (OR) = 0.727, confidence interval of 95% = 0.376-1.648, P = 0.520]. The individuals with lupus nephritis had a lower age distribution compared to the cases without it (P = 0.005). Most of the cases in the lupus nephritis group had low C3 and C4, but most patients in non-lupus nephritis group had normal levels of C3 and C4 (P < 0.05).  The relative frequency of lupus nephritis in SLE patients with hematuria was approximately 36%. Therefore, the presence of hematuria in patients with SLE may account for incidence of lupus nephritis one-third of the cases.

Gardening products, like apple, are exposed to a variety of risks caused by unfavorable weather conditions. This kind of risk is unavoidable, but manageable. Agricultural insurance is an effective scheme in weather risk management. Nevertheless, current insurance schemes have challenges, such as high transaction costs, and problems caused by asymmetric information, i.e. adverse selection and moral hazard. Therefore, this study aimed to present an appropriate insurance scheme for apple production in Damavand, the so-called “weather-based index insurance”. In this regard, the information on apple yield and weather variables was collected between 1987-2016, from Iranian Agriculture Jihad Organization and the local meteorological station. The dependency structure between apple yield and weather variables was investigated by C-Vine Copula as a joint distribution to compute the expected loss. Then, according to the expected loss, weather-based index insurance premium was measured. The premium amount was equal to Thousand Rials 32,546.11 in the crop year 2016-17, which is different from the current insurance premium. This difference is because of the distinct nature of the two insurance schemes and the imperative and official mode of current insurance scheme.

Among movies that considered «dream», "Inception" got a notable fortune. The film, written and directed by Christopher Nolan, has been the source of many academic discussions around the world as well as having won many credible film awards. On the other side, Ibn Arabi, who has referred to him as the designer and theorist of theoretical mysticism, systematically has explained this subject based on challenging ideas. Is there any significant link between the film and the Ibn Arabi’s thought? This study tries to identify the mutual points in the movie and Ibn Arabi’s ideas. Superficial similarities have been less considered in this paper and we try to focus only on deeper correspondences. Accordingly, based on descriptive -comparative method, three main axes have been considered, and the film has been interpreted based on them. Ibn Arabi and Nolan, ignore the conventional difference between dream and reality in their works, and present a new definition for these two concepts. In their view, merely knowing the science of interpretation is not enough to properly understand a dream, but recognizing the real state of dream and reality is determiner. They also show that the dream has a degree of creativity that can lead to creation in the world. What is ultimately found in this article is the triple relationship that leads us to the result that Ibn Arabi’s thoughts and «Inception» have serious points of correspondence on the subject of dream. And this is more considerable due to the time and cultural difference between Ibn Arabi and the film’s author.

Nanberenji, an Iranian traditional cookie, is a well-reputed one containing high saccharose and calorievalue. Its consumption has beenrestricted to people suffering from obesity. In this study, the effect of sucrose replacement by sucralose-maltodextrin mixture on physiochemical properties of Nanberenji evaluated in 4 replacing levels including 25, 50, 75 and 100% has been studied. Results of texture evaluation revealed that the hardness increases due to adding sucralose-maltodextrin (p < 0.05). Color analysis exhibits the reduction of the browning index and increases in color changes by adding more replacer mixture. Panelists declared that treatment containing 25% sucralose-maltodextrin was found to be the most similar sample to control, therefore its physiochemical properties (peroxide, acidity, chemical comp ounds and hardness) measured, besides calorie amount decreased 7.14%. While there was no significant difference in acidity of the aforesaid sample, peroxide results exhibited significant differences. Analysis of Farinograph plot revealed more water binding in comparison to control sample and a 21.46% reduction of sugar in this level of replacement.

One of the baking processes that carried out by dipping the food in hot oil or fat is deep frying, and the heat transfer phenomenon is an inseparable part of it. In this study, in order to investigate the temperature changes in different parts of hamburger and oil, a heat transfer model was developed inCOMSOL software. To validatethe model, the hamburger was fried in a laboratory fryer for 300 seconds at 170°C and its center and surface temperatures were determined by placing the thermocouple (K type) in these areas and recorded by the data logger. The high correlation between predicted and measured temperature profiles showed that the developed model could well predict the temperature changes at each point of the hamburger. Also, after determining the heat conduction and heat transfer coefficients, the Arrhenius modelcould well describe the effect of temperature on these characteristics. The temperature profile of different parts of the hamburger showed that due to the reduce convection effect in the upper parts, the temperature of this part was lower than other points, which results in a lack of uniformity in baking, and it can be remedied by creatingforced convection or quicker return of the burger.

The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between the use of virtual social networks with self-esteem and mental health of faculty members and students of Payame Noor University in Kerman. The research method of the survey is descriptive correlational. The study population is the faculty members and students of Payame Noor University of Kerman. The sample is comprised of 28 members of the faculty members of Kerman University and 150 students. The students were selected randomly. Due to the limited number of faculty members, all of the subjects in the statistical population (28 people) were selected as the research sample and based on Morgan's table of the total .The research tool was a questionnaire for identifying and analyzing the opportunities and vulnerabilities of social networking in cyberspace, GHQ general health questionnaire and Eysenck self-confidence questionnaire. The results of the present article indicate a relation between Self-confidence, physical symptoms, anxiety, sleep deprivation and social function and depression. Opinions about the use of networks Virtual societies are the same in terms of gender and field of study. There is a significant relationship between the use of virtual social networks and general health, self-esteem, physical symptoms, anxiety, insomnia and depression, but there is no significant relationship between the use of social networks and Social functions. It is concluded in awareness and encouragement of students to the participation in social activities and design and launch a native and local social network. It is recommended to increase the awareness of students and faculty members.

The diet regulation is one of the primary principles for maintenance of physical and mental health. Flax is an annual plant from the genus Linum with the scientific name “Linaceae” which it grows as a shrub. Flaxseed is in the category of the oilseeds. In Iran, the Flaxseed meal wasted even though it is a good source of protein. Flaxseed components that have the health maintenance and nutritional properties are including fiber, lignans and linolenic acid. Furthermore, Flaxseed is a good source of excellent quality protein and soluble fiber and phenolic compounds.
Flaxseed meal from KashanBarij Essence Pharmaceutical Company, converted to flour and half of it was extracted using solvents. 10, 15, 20 percentages of the wheat flour replaced with both types of the prepared flours (NF and PDF). The flaxseed meal flours were detoxified using a microwave. In the cakes preparation, the sugar and oil were mixed. The eggs and the remained materials and water were added and mixed for uniformness of the cake batter. Then, it filled the cake mold and placed into the oven at 200°C for 15 minutes. The volume measurement of the prepared cake was carried out according to the seed displacement method using millet seeds. Three methods consist of texture profile analysis, cut and punch method were used in the four days, first, tenth, twentieth and thirtieth day for textural properties assessment. To evaluate the color parameters (L*a*b*), the photos which were taken from the surface of the cake in the special box were evaluated with image analyzer software. Then the hue angle (H), saturation index (SI) and color changes (ΔE) calculated from following equation. For evaluating the porosity the cake was cut into the slices and put into the special box and photos were taken. The photos were evaluated with image analyzer software and the number of pores was determined. Statistical analysis with the completely randomized design with three replications and means comparison in 95% confidence level were employed using the SPSS-20 software.
By increasing flour substitution, the volume of the cakes reduced. It could be due to increasing flour replacement with cellulose, which makes the gluten network weak that is responsible for keeping gas into the bakery product. These samples contain flaxseed meal flour were softer than the control. It is due to the presence of some gum and fiber in the chemical composition of flaxseed which absorbs moisture and prevents its transfer to the starch. So, the starch crystallization delayed. During storage, the samples contain 20% flaxseed meal flour were harder than the control sample. The cohesiveness decreased during storage until the twentieth day and then increased. It is due to changes in moisture during storage. The cohesiveness of samples increased by increasing the flaxseed meal flour which it can be associated with more gum and fiber as well as protein in the samples. The cohesiveness of the samples containing 20% flaxseed meal flour was less than others on the first day of storage which is due to the high water bonded by larger amounts of gum and fiber. But, on the thirtieth day, even with reducing bonding strength due to retrogradation, the cohesiveness in the samples containing 20% flaxseed meal flour is more than other samples because of larger amounts of moisture in higher percentages. The springiness reduced in all treatments during storage until the twentieth day and then increased which these changes are not significant for the samples containing 20% flaxseed meal flour and the control sample. The springiness was changed according to changes in moisture during storage. The difference in the springiness among the control samples and treatments on the first day, tenth, and thirtieth of storage was not significant. The springiness reduced with increasing the flaxseed meal flour percentage which is due to the weakening of the gluten network. Between all treatments, the only significant difference in the result of the crust cutting test was among the samples containing 20% PDF and control sample and there was no significant difference between other treatments and control sample in all measurement days. The increase of the force needed to cut samples over the time could be attributed to the transfer of moisture from the center to the round of the cake. The addition of flaxseed meal flour and the storage time had a significant effect on the required force to punch the cake. The force required to punch the cakes increased until the thirtieth day which is consistent with the analysis of moisture during storage. The reason for an increase in the required force for punching the cakes due to increasing the flaxseed meal flour percentage was the cake batter viscosity increases which lead to hardening of the cake texture, subsequently. It can be seen that the number and diameter of the pores reduced by increasing the flour substitution percentage. It could be related to the viscosity of the batter. Due to increasing the batter viscosity, the carbon dioxide, and water vapor bubbles in the batter cannot grow well. The L* index decreased by increasing the flour substitution percentage, which reflects the darkening of the surface and the center of the product. By increasing the flour replacement, the redness (a*) and blueness (b*) index, increased and decreased, respectively. The saturation index (SI) of the surface and center for all treatments was less than it for the control samples. Also, the saturation index among the treatments decreased with increasing the flour substitution percentage significantly which it indicated an increase in the color turbidity of the samples. The color changes (ΔE) of the surface and center of the samples increased with increasing the flour substitution percentage which it showed the significant color difference between all treatments and the control sample. The BI of the surface and center of all samples was less than it for the control samples.

The diet regulation is one of the primary principles for maintenance of physical and mental health. Flax is an annual plant from the genus Linum with the scientific name “Linaceae” which it grows as a shrub. Flaxseed is in the category of the oilseeds. In Iran, the Flaxseed meal wasted even though it is a good source of protein. Flaxseed components that have the health maintenance and nutritional properties are including fiber, lignans and linolenic acid. Furthermore, Flaxseed is a good source of excellent quality protein and soluble fiber and phenolic compounds.
Flaxseed meal from KashanBarij Essence Pharmaceutical Company, converted to flour and half of it was extracted using solvents. 10, 15, 20 percentages of the wheat flour replaced with both types of the prepared flours (NF and PDF). The flaxseed meal flours were detoxified using a microwave. In the cakes preparation, the sugar and oil were mixed. The eggs and the remained materials and water were added and mixed for uniformness of the cake batter. Then, it filled the cake mold and placed into the oven at 200°C for 15 minutes. The volume measurement of the prepared cake was carried out according to the seed displacement method using millet seeds. Three methods consist of texture profile analysis, cut and punch method were used in the four days, first, tenth, twentieth and thirtieth day for textural properties assessment. To evaluate the color parameters (L*a*b*), the photos which were taken from the surface of the cake in the special box were evaluated with image analyzer software. Then the hue angle (H), saturation index (SI) and color changes (ΔE) calculated from following equation. For evaluating the porosity the cake was cut into the slices and put into the special box and photos were taken. The photos were evaluated with image analyzer software and the number of pores was determined. Statistical analysis with the completely randomized design with three replications and means comparison in 95% confidence level were employed using the SPSS-20 software.
By increasing flour substitution, the volume of the cakes reduced. It could be due to increasing flour replacement with cellulose, which makes the gluten network weak that is responsible for keeping gas into the bakery product. These samples contain flaxseed meal flour were softer than the control. It is due to the presence of some gum and fiber in the chemical composition of flaxseed which absorbs moisture and prevents its transfer to the starch. So, the starch crystallization delayed. During storage, the samples contain 20% flaxseed meal flour were harder than the control sample. The cohesiveness decreased during storage until the twentieth day and then increased. It is due to changes in moisture during storage. The cohesiveness of samples increased by increasing the flaxseed meal flour which it can be associated with more gum and fiber as well as protein in the samples. The cohesiveness of the samples containing 20% flaxseed meal flour was less than others on the first day of storage which is due to the high water bonded by larger amounts of gum and fiber. But, on the thirtieth day, even with reducing bonding strength due to retrogradation, the cohesiveness in the samples containing 20% flaxseed meal flour is more than other samples because of larger amounts of moisture in higher percentages. The springiness reduced in all treatments during storage until the twentieth day and then increased which these changes are not significant for the samples containing 20% flaxseed meal flour and the control sample. The springiness was changed according to changes in moisture during storage. The difference in the springiness among the control samples and treatments on the first day, tenth, and thirtieth of storage was not significant. The springiness reduced with increasing the flaxseed meal flour percentage which is due to the weakening of the gluten network. Between all treatments, the only significant difference in the result of the crust cutting test was among the samples containing 20% PDF and control sample and there was no significant difference between other treatments and control sample in all measurement days. The increase of the force needed to cut samples over the time could be attributed to the transfer of moisture from the center to the round of the cake. The addition of flaxseed meal flour and the storage time had a significant effect on the required force to punch the cake. The force required to punch the cakes increased until the thirtieth day which is consistent with the analysis of moisture during storage. The reason for an increase in the required force for punching the cakes due to increasing the flaxseed meal flour percentage was the cake batter viscosity increases which lead to hardening of the cake texture, subsequently. It can be seen that the number and diameter of the pores reduced by increasing the flour substitution percentage. It could be related to the viscosity of the batter. Due to increasing the batter viscosity, the carbon dioxide, and water vapor bubbles in the batter cannot grow well. The L* index decreased by increasing the flour substitution percentage, which reflects the darkening of the surface and the center of the product. By increasing the flour replacement, the redness (a*) and blueness (b*) index, increased and decreased, respectively. The saturation index (SI) of the surface and center for all treatments was less than it for the control samples. Also, the saturation index among the treatments decreased with increasing the flour substitution percentage significantly which it indicated an increase in the color turbidity of the samples. The color changes (ΔE) of the surface and center of the samples increased with increasing the flour substitution percentage which it showed the significant color difference between all treatments and the control sample. The BI of the surface and center of all samples was less than it for the control samples.

Nature and rate of technological change is defined inside technological innovation system, a concept developed out of Innovation System Approach. The main purpose of this study was to institutionally map nanotechnological innovation system of Iranian agriculture by investigating current state of hard and soft institutions regarding functions of the system. This study consisted of qualitative and quantitative phases. In the qualitative part, a thematic content analysis was used to compare the current and desired states of high level laws and documents. The quantitative phase was a descriptive survey. In the quantitative phase, the statistical population consisted of active researchers in the field of nanotechnology from agricultural national research institutes and centers, agricultural colleges, and knowledge-based companies. Using Krejcie and Morgan’s table and stratified random sampling, 405 participants were selected. After ranking functions of the system based on their importance, current and desired functional state of hard institutions were compared through paired t-test. In the qualitative phase, current state of NanoTechnological Innovation in Agricultural (NTIA) system was investigated in terms of functions of soft institutions, i.e. 23 high level documents and laws related to nanotechnology, using ATLAS.ti software. Results showed that the functional gap between soft and hard institutions of the innovation system was very deep. This trend indicated that the capacities of various operators of NTIA system were not fully used to advance nanotechnology applications in agriculture.

In recent years, rural marketing has gained significant importance as a driver of economic growth. However, one of the main problems in the production cycle in rural areas is inefficient marketing. Today, the quantitative and qualitative improvement in rural marketing requires accurate and up to date information. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) provide this information. So, survey applications of ICTs are very important in rural marketing mix. A questionnaire survey was conducted on members of rural cooperatives in Garmsar, Iran. Descriptive statistics and structural equation modelling were used to analyze the data using SPSS20 and AMOS20 software, respectively. The descriptive results showed that the rural marketing mix is undesirable. In addition, ICT capabilities have much role in boosting the rural marketing mix. The order of the effects of ICT capabilities on components of this mix are as follows: diffusion capabilities on the promotion (68%), and on the price (31%), location capabilities on the place (54%), and efficiency capabilities on the product (0.33%) and on the price (28%). Moreover, on the basis of the findings from the structural equation modelling, among the four ICT capabilities i.e. diffusion, location, efficiency, and financial, the impact of the financial capabilities of ICT on the price were more than that of the other capabilities (%0.77).

Heavy metals are important elements in the oil quality and determine the freshness, shelf life, storage ability and also affect the human health nutritionally. Therefore determination of heavy metals due to their effect concerned with the rate of oxidation is quite essential.
In this study, concentrations of heavy metals including Lead, Cadmium, Mercury and Arsenic during different stages of soya bean oil refining were studied using atomic absorption spectrometry.
The results indicated that the most common stage in Arsenic reduction is the neutralization stage that eliminates 60% of the total Arsenic content. The main stage in Cadmium reduction is the deodorization that reduces 40% of the initial Cadmium. Major part of Mercury reduction is concerned with metal scavenger addition that is referred to chelating activity of citric acid that might be added during bleaching and deodorization stages. Neutralization has separation role and causes the reduction of lead as soap.
The results showed that neutralization and the addition of scavengers are the main parts in heavy metals reduction.

In this study, the influences of drying conditions on the mass transfer characteristics of kiwi slices are investigated using the analytical model proposed by Dincer and Dost. The experiments were conducted at temperature range of 50–80°C with 0.5 m s-1 air velocity for convective drying and in the microwave power range of 200–500W for microwave drying as single layers with sliced thickness of 3, 6, and 9 mm. The results show that the mass transfer characteristics strongly depend on the drying conditions. Through the convective drying method, parameters including moisture diffusivity, mass transfer coefficient, Biot number, and drying time were varying from 0.16-1.45×10-8 m2 s-1, 1.93-4.95×10−7 m s-1, 0.103-0.225, and 90-604 minutes, respectively. In comparison, for microwave drying, they were within the ranges of 0.66-25.60×10-8 m2 s-1, 0.62-5.64×10−5 m s-1, 0.960-1.742, and 4-23.5 minutes, respectively. Results reveal that the activation energy for moisture diffusion is higher than that needed for the convective mass transfer process.

Root-knot nematodes are the most economically important plant pathogens in pistachio. The ability of Pseudomonas fluorescens strains VUPF5, VUPF52, Bacillus cereus strain PRC95 and Bacillus subtilis strain PRC96 were tested as biocontrol agents for Meloidogyne incognita on the pistachio cultivars Sarakhs and Badami. The effect of these bacterial strains on defenserelated enzymes activity in pistachio was also investigated. Pistachio seedlings of both cultivars were treated with bacterial strains and then were inoculated with 2000 second-stage juveniles of nematode after two days. Evaluations were made for changes of Peroxidase (POX), PolyPhenolOxidase (PPO), Phenylalanine Ammonia lyase (PAL) and Total Phenolic Content (TPC) determined at 2, 4, 7, and 10 Days After nematode Inoculation (DAI). Results showed improved activity of POX, PAL and PPO in both cultivars. The most significant result for POX activity in the treated seedlings belonged to Pseudomonas strain VUPF5 at 7 DAI for Sarakhs and 10 DAI for Badami. However, this strain displayed an increase in PAL activity at 2 and 4 DAI in Badami and Sarakhs, respectively. Seedlings treated by the Pseudomonas strain VUPF52 at 10 DAI had the highest PPO activity among cultivars. TPC concentration was slightly higher, by 8.4% at 4 DAI, in Sarakhs seedlings treated with VUPF5, but no significant increase could be seen in the Badami cultivar compared with the control. In another experiment, 4 months after nematode inoculation in seedlings of both cultivars treated by bacterial strains, numbers of galls, egg masses, and second juveniles decreased compared with the non-treated seedlings.

This study aimed first to investigate the relationship between Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and vegetation attributes (vegetation cover, bare soil, litter frequency, and the amount of biomass) and, then, evaluating the vegetation changes using NDVI in semi-arid rangeland in western Iran. Ground data were collected to assess the accuracy of NDVI index. For this purpose, 14 sampling units were randomly selected for collection of vegetation attributes including biomass, vegetation cover, litter, and bare soil. Then, the correlation between digital pixel values and the sampling units were analyzed. The results showed that NDVI was highly correlated with all vegetation attributes. The maximum correlation was related to vegetation cover (0.84). So, to evaluate the vegetation changes, the NDVI maps were created in 1986, 2001, and 2013. The results showed that the amount of class 1 (very poor vegetation cover) increased from 0.27 km2 in 1986 to 12.89 km2 in 2013, and also class 4 and 5 (good and very good vegetation cover, respectively) decreased about 27.8 and 37.7%, respectively. The relationship between precipitation and temperature with NDVI was investigated to assess the sensitivity of NDVI to these parameters. The results showed that the amount of precipitation decreased during the studied time periods. This parameter seems to be one of the most important factors affecting the vegetation in our study area.