فهرست مطالب مهدی حسن پور

The tomato leaf miner, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick), is one of the important pests of tomato in Iran. In the present study, the lethal and sublethal effects of the insecticide alpha-cypermethrin + teflubenzuron by leaf dipping method were investigated against the second-instar larvae of the tomato leafminer on Early Urbana Y and Super strain B tomato cultivars. The results showed that the toxicity of alpha-cypermethrin + teflubenzuron to tomato leafminer larvae in the Early Urbana Y variety (LC50 = 4509 ppm) is more than its toxicity in the Super strain B (LC50 = 5595 ppm). Treatment with alpha-cypermethrin + teflubenzuron increased the larval and pupal periods and developmental time of the tomato leafminer in the Early Urbana Y compared to the Super Strain B and control group. The lowest longevity and fecundity of the tomato leafminer were observed in the Early Urbana Y. The life-table parameters of the pest, including intrinsic rate of increase (r) and finite rate of increase (λ), on the Early Urbana Y treated by alpha-cypermethrin + teflubenzuron (0.0479 and 1.0491 day-1, respectively) were significantly lower than corresponding amounts on the treated Super Strain B (0.0684 and 1.0708 day-1, respectively). Treatment with alpha-cypermethrin + teflubenzuron increased the mean duration of a generation (T) of pest compared to the control. The results of the present study indicated that the use of alpha-cypermethrin + teflubenzuron on the Early Urbana Y variety in the management of T. absoluta could be more effective than the Super strain B variety.

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is considered one of the most important food sources of the people of the world, so that about 18 percent of the calories and 19 percent of the protein needed by humans are supplied from this grain. The greenbug, Schizaphis graminum is one of the most important pests of wheat in many parts of the world, including Iran, which causes a significant damage to this crop annually. Pest pre-infestation and measuring demographic parameters is one of the most common methods to find out induced resistance in host plants. Due to the environmental and health consequences of excessive spraying of pesticides in wheat fields, use of "induced resistance" as a biorational method, has received a lot of attention in wheat integrated pest management in recent years. The main objectives of this study were to investigate the induced responses of three wheat varieties to S. graminum and also to find the most suitable pre-infestation period to activate this reaction in host varieties.

The seeds of three wheat varieties (Kohdasht, Morvarid and Aseman) were planted in growth chamber conditions (temperature of 25±2 Cº, relative humidity of 60±5% and a photoperiod of 14:10 L: D). After the plants reached the two-leaf stage, 5 one-day old female apterus aphids were placed on them and they were allowed to feed for 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 days (the pre-infestation duration was considered as experimental treatment). After the desired pre-infestation duration, aphids were removed from the wheat plants and the plants were kept free of aphids for 48 hours. Then, the age-specific two-sex life table of aphid was made separately on the wheat plants corresponding to each variety and pre-infestation duration. 30 one-day-old first instar nymphs were used as a cohort and biological and demographic parameters of aphid were measured and compared using the paired bootstrap test.

Aseman variety had higher resistance to S. graminum compared to Morvarid and Kohdasht varieties, based on the values of demographic parameters. Due to aphid’s longer nymphal developmental time and mean generation time (T), shorter longevity and lower fecundity on Aseman variety, the intrinsic rate of increase (rm) on this variety (0.245 1/day) was significantly lower than Morvarid and Kohdasht varieties (0.348 and 0.358 1/day, respectively). In all varieties, pre-infestation to aphid reduced the values of biological and demographic parameters, but the effective pre-infestation duration was different according to the variety and studied parameter. With increasing pre-infestation duration from 0 to 8 days, the nymphal developmental time increased, while fecundity and the intrinsic rate of increase (rm) decreased significantly. In Aseman, Morvarid and Kohdasht varieties, the rm decreased from 0.245 to 0.187, from 0.348 to 0.275 and from 0.385 to 0.335 1/day, respectively, while pre-infestation duration increased from 0 to 8 days. In Aseman variety, which was relatively more resistant to S. graminum, the nymphal developmental time and the intrinsic rate increase (rm) changed significantly after a 2-days pre-infestation period, while aphid’s fecundity changed significantly after a 6-days pre-infestation duration. In Morvarid variety, nymphal developmental time, female fecundity and intrinsic rate of increase changed significantly after 6, 4 and 2-days pre-infestation durations, respectively. In all three varieties, intrinsic rate of increase (rm), as the most important demographic parameter, was changed significantly after a 2-days pre-infestation time.

The demographic response of S. graminum on the studied varieties was different and Aseman variety had higher relative resistance to wheat green aphid. In all three varieties, the pre-infestation of wheat plants with aphids led to induced resistance in them and reduced the biological and demographic potential of green aphid. Because of showing the appropriate induction reaction to S. graminum, planting Kohdasht (is recommended as a resistant variety to pathogenic fungi and suitable for cultivation in dry and semi-arid drylands) and Morvarid (a variety resistant to pathogenic fungi for planting in humid and plain areas) varieties can help to reduce the population of this aphid and increase wheat production in these areas. The results of this research can be useful in identifying resistance sources and mechanisms and implementation of integrated management of aphid in wheat fields of Iran.

In this study, the biological and population growth parameters of the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae Sulzer and the functional response of the green lacewing Chrysoperla carnea Stephens were investigated on two pepper cultivars (Jalapeno and Elegant) in two soil and hydroponic cultivation systems at 25±2 ˚C, 65±5 % RH and 16:8 (L:D) h. The highest values of intrinsic rate of increase (r) and net reproductive rate (R0) of the aphid were estimated on Jalapeno in soil cultivation (0.281d-1 and 62.89 per generation, resp.) and the lowest values were on Elegantin in hydroponic cultivation (0.174 d-1 and 34.14 per generation, resp.). The third instar larvae of C. carnea exhibited functional response type II on all treatments. The attack rate (a) of predator varied from 0.0422 to 0.0674 h-1 and handling time (Th) ranged from 0.1915 to 0.2191 h on different treatments. The results revealed that cultivar Jalapeno in soil cultivation system, with the highest r value, is a relatively desirable cultivar for the growth and feeding of M. persicae. In contrast, cultivar Elegant in hydroponic cultivation system with the lowest value of r is less desirable for M. persicae. Also, according to the results of functional response, Elegant and Jalapeno in hydroponic cultivation, compared to the soil cultivation system, have more suitable quality for biological control of this pest.

The cowpea weevil, Callosobruchus maculatus (F.) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), a destructive insect pest of cowpea, Vigna unguiculata (L.), in the field and storage, causes significant losses in seed weight, germination ability, and the market value. The effect of cowpea (Mashhad cultivar) fertilization with chemical fertilizers (triple superphosphate (TSP) and urea) and some biofertilizers (Bradyrhizobium japonicum, Pseudomonas putida, mycorrhizal fungi) was studied on biology and life table parameters of C. maculatus at 28 ± 1°C, relative humidity of 65 ± 5%, and complete darkness. The highest immature survival (%) was on the grains treated with P. putida and control (97.75 and 95.69%, respectively), and the lowest survival was on the grains fertilized with TSP and B. japonicum (65.06 and 75%, respectively). Although the developmental time of C. maculatus reared on TSP- and B. japonicum-treated grains was longer than the control, the intrinsic rate of increase (0.124 day-1) and net reproductive rate (34.34 offspring) on the grains treated with TSP were lower than the control (0.143 day-1 and 51.07 offspring, respectively). Results of this research showed that the nutritional value of the grains obtained from TSP and B. japonicum treatments were lower than those obtained from other fertilizer treatments.

Evidence suggests that microRNAs (miRNAs) are essential for immune cell differentiation and function. In addition, miRNAs play an essential role in regulating the expression of pro-inflammatory genes in neurons. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between miRNA expression and inflammatory markers in the CSF of patients with multiple sclerosis.

RT-PCR analysis was performed on CSF samples from patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and a control group to measure the expression level of miRNA-21, miRNA-155, miRNA-182, and miRNA-437. In addition, the levels of the inflammatory cytokines including IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in CSF were measured using ELISA. A quantitative turbidimetric method was also used to measure high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP).

A significant difference was found in the expression level of miRNAs and inflammatory factors in the CSF of patients with MS compared with the control group (p<0.05). The results of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis showed the area under the curve for miRNA-21 (AUC=0.97, p<0.0001), miRNA-182 (AUC=0.97, p<0.0001), and miRNA-155 (AUC=0.96, p<0.0001). The miRNA-155 level in CSF played a very important role in the accurate diagnosis of MS. Significant correlations were found between inflammatory cytokines and miRNA-21, miRNA-155, and miRNA-182, as well as an indirect and moderate correlation between miRNA-437 and hs-CRP.

In MS patients, CSF levels of IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α, hs-CRP, and selected miRNAs can be used as biomarkers of CNS inflammation and neurodegenerative processes.

The green lacewing, Chrysoperla carnea, plays an important role in biological control of various aphid species. In this study, the functional responses of the second and third instar larvae of C. carnea were studied on the citrus aphid, Aphis spiraecola and melon aphid, A. gossypii. The experiments were carried out on orange (cv. Thompson Navel) leaves in a growth chamber at 27 ± 2°C, 65 ± 5% RH and a photoperiod of 16 L: 8 D h. Different densities of the preys were offered to the predators, and the number of consumed preys was calculated after 24 h. Based on the logistic regression analysis, both second and third larval instars of the predator exhibited a Type II functional response to both aphid species. With increasing of the larval instar, the attack rate (a) of the predator on A. spiraecola was significantly increased and the handling time (Th) decreased. Attack rate of second larval instar of the predator on A. gossypii was significantly higher than that on A. spiraecola. Furthermore, the third instar larvae fed on A. gossypii showed significantly lower handling time and higher attack rate compared to A. spiraecola. The results of this study revealed that the larvae of C. carnea, especially the third instar, had a good predation potential in controlling A. spiraecola and A. gossypii. However, further field-based studies are needed for a comprehensive estimation of biocontrol abilities of C. carnea toward these two aphids on the citrus.

Greenhouse whitefly, Trialeurodes vaporariorum is one of the most important pests of greenhouse crops throughout the world. In this research, biology and life table parameters of this pest were studied on eggplant, cucumber and tomato plants at 25±2 oC, 65±10% RH and a photoperiod of 16:8 h(L:D) based on age-stage, two-sex life table procedure. The means were estimated using Bootstrap method with 100000 replicates. Based on the obtained results, there was a significant difference between the average of all biological parameters of the pest and the average of all the pest population growth parameters on the three host plants. Results showed that, pre-adult developmental time of the pest were 21.87±0.17, 23.34±0.19 and 2 5.37±0.15 days; female longevity were 32.96±1.24, 28.76±1.4 and 25.21±0.92 days; and female fecundity were estimated to be 233.93±8.2, 156.73±5.01 and 129.39±4.66 egg/female on eggplant, cucumber and tomato plants, respectively. Intrinsic rate of increase(r) and net reproduction rate (R0) of the pest on three mentioned plants were 0.144±0.005, 0.128±0.005 and 0.118±0.005 (d-1), and 108.90±15.76, 68.96±9.22 and 57.35±8.53 (female/female/generation), respectively. Overall, in this study eggplant in compared with two other plants, was more appropriate host plant for developing and increase of the greenhouse whitefly population.

The melon aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover is a polyphagous pest that causes serious damage to various crops including vegetables. This insect is one of the most important pests of cucumber plant in greenhouses throughout the world. Biological control is one of the alternative or complementary methods for chemical control that can be used in IPM programs. The use of natural enemies can be very effective in reducing the population of invasive pests. Among biological control agents, Chrysoperla carnea (Stepehns) has attracted the most attention as an effective pest control agent. Also, using resistant cultivars is one of the important methods for pest control management. Therefore, the use of resistant cultivars with effective biological control agents plays an important role in pest control. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of some cucumber cultivars on biological and population growth parameters of A. gossypii and the functional response of C. carnea.

Four cucumber cultivars including Arshia, Caspian, Danito and Tarom were used in this study. Life table experiments were performed using 50 first instar nymphs (< 24 h old) for each cucumber cultivar. The nymphs were separately reared on the leaves of each cultivar. After emergence of adults, their fecundity and survival were recorded daily until all of them were dead. The parameters were estimated using TWOSEX-MS Chart, life table procedure. In the functional response experiment, different densities (2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64 and 128) of 3- and 4-d- old aphid nymphs were separately offered to the third instar larvae of C. carnea, which were starved for 16 h before the test. The number of consumed preys was recorded after 24 h. The experiment was repeated 10 times for each aphid density and cucumber cultivar. Logistic regression analysis and nonlinear least square regression procedure were used to determine the type of functional response and estimate the parameters, respectively. The experiments were carried out in a greenhouse at 25±2 °C, 65±5% RH and a photoperiod of 16:8 (L: D) h.

Based on the results, the highest values of intrinsic rate of increase (rm) and net reproductive rate (R0) of the aphid were estimated on Tarom (0.443 ± 0.009 and 30.14 ± 2.05, resp.) and the lowest values were on Caspian (0.297 ± 0.009 and 16.78 ± 1.55, resp.) and Danito (0.305 ± 0.011 d-1 and 16.62 ± 1.60 per generation, respectively). The finite rate of increase (λ) ranged from 1.346 ± 0.013 on Caspian to 1.557 ± 0.015 d-1 on Tarom. The lowest values for mean generation time (T) and doubling time (DT) of the aphid were estimated on Arshia and Tarom cultivars. In the second experiment, the predator exhibited functional response type III on all cucumber cultivars. The attack constant (b) for the third instar C. carnea varied from 0.00121 to 0.00168 and its handling time (Th) ranged from 0.3145 to 0.4596 h on different cucumber cultivars.

Comparison of the biological parameters showed that Tarom cultivar with the highest values of rm and λ is a relatively desirable cultivar for the growth and feeding of A. gossypii. In contrast, Caspian cultivar is less desirable for A. gossypii. Also, according to the parameters of attack constant (b) and handling time (Th), it seems that Caspian and Danito are more suitable cultivars for biological control of A. gossypii than other two cultivars. However, additional studies under greenhouse conditions are needed to provide further details of different cucumber cultivars, A. gossypii and C. carnea.

The effects of plant growth-promoting activities involving biological, chemical, and organic fertilizers are partly well studied for pest insects. Still, studies concentrating on the impacts of such treatments on predators are uncommon. Plant growth promoting treatments- biological, -organic and -chemical fertilizers alter the biochemical composition of plants, which can impact the multitrophic interactions. Beneficial soil microorganisms such as plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) can affect nutritional quality, secondary metabolites, enzymes, phytohormones, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of plants, which may influence host plant-insect herbivore- natural enemies interactions. The predatory ladybird, Adalia bipunctata, is polyphagous species that mainly feed on aphids, especially the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae. It is a polyphagous insect that can cause damage to a lot of crops in fields and greenhouses. There is no published research concerning the effects of various plant growth-promoting on physiological performance of A. bipunctata. Thus, we investigated the impacts of various plant growth promoting treatments, viz. no fertilizer (untreated control), one type of PGPRs, vermicompost 30% (v/v), and zinc sulfate on physiological performance of A. bipunctata through M. persicae reared on treated Capsicum annum L. (Solanaceae).

Bell pepper seeds of the California Wonder cultivar were developed in 3L plastic pots and were used in bioassays when they reached 4-6 leaf stage under greenhouse conditions. Then, aphids were obtained from tomato farms from Meshkin-Shahr (Ardabil, Iran) and transmitted to bell pepper grown in the greenhouse. To keep an appropriate sub-sucking colony, every week the individuals were transferred from infested bell peppers to fresh plants. Adults of A. bipunctata were obtained from alfalfa farms of Ardabil, Iran, and transmitted to the laboratory, in a growth chamber. Mating pairs were selected and kept together in separate plastic jars (6 by 12 cm2) and were reared on pepper plants infested with sub-sucking insects as prey. In the study, the effect of spraying zinc sulfate on bell pepper plants and addition of the organic fertilizer of vermicompost 30% and the biologic fertilizers of Bacillus subtilis to the growing medium of bell pepper on the activities of critical physiological processes of A. bipunctata fed on M. persicae using a completely randomized design under greenhouse conditions. Then 5 adult predators were randomly selected from each treatment and homogenized with a hand pounder in 1 mL pure ice-cold water. After that, the specimens were centrifuged at 13,000 g pending 15 min at 4 ◦C. The top layer was collected and kept at 20 ◦C during biochemical analyses. All physiological enzymes assay based on the defined method were conduted in three biological replications. Then, data were analyzed using a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by the Tukey test with the MINITAB software.

The results demonstrated a significant difference among the digestive enzymes activities, intermediates, and storage compounds of the predatory ladybug reared on aphids fed on bell peppers treated with different fertilizers. The lowest total protease activity of ladybird was observed in the control compared to other treatments. The elastase activity of ladybug increased on B. subtilis compared to other treatments. The highest and lowest amounts of cathepsin B activity in ladybugs were recorded on B. subtilis and vermicompost 30%, respectively. The highest and lowest low density lipophore (LDL) values were observed in A. bipunctata on control and B. subtilis treatment, respectively. Predatory ladybug had the highest protein, triglyceride, and glycogen on B. subtilis compared to other treatments. The lowest triglyceride and glycogen was also observed on vermicompost 30%.

Plant-herbivore interactions under the influence of bio-fertilizer have led to increased digestive enzymes activity and storage compounds in ladybug, which could be used in combination with the use of biological control agents in integrated management programs of the green peach aphid in greenhouses.

Optimal performance of individuals depends on meeting their psychological needs. Failure to meet the primary needs of couples causes primary disturbance and primary distress in turn provides the basis for secondary distress, hence the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between Primary Distress and Social Support with secondary distress in nurses who work in Educational-Health centers Isfahan city.

The present study is descriptive–correlational study that 171 married nurses from educational and medical centers in Isfahan were selected by simple random sampling. Psychological needs and Self-actualization questionnaires were used to collect data related to primary Distress, marital adjustment questionnaire was used for data related to secondary Distress, and social support questionnaire was used for data related to social support. Mean and standard deviation were used to describe the data and Pearson correlation and stepwise multiple regression were used for inferential analysis.

The results showed that a meaningful relationship between primary distress, social support, and secondary distress (P < 0.001). In the next step, stepwise multiple regression showed that the primary distress predicted 45.5% of the variance of the secondary distress (P < 0.001), and finally, with the social support of all variables, 46% the variance predicts secondary distress (P < 0.001).

The results indicate the importance of attention to the variables of primary distress and social support with secondary distress in married life, so paying attention to these variables as an obstacle to the tendency to divorce and increasing marital satisfaction is important.

In the present study, the lethal and sublethal effects of essential oils of marjoram, basil, and mint were evaluated on P. operculella. Also, the parasitism percentage of T. brassicae was assessed on the eggs of P. operculella treated with sublethal concentration (LC30) of these essential oils under laboratory conditions. The gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy analysis indicated that carvacrol (26.02%), estragole (62.27%), and carvotanacetone (57.47%) were the major constituents of the studied essential oils, respectively. Based on the LC50 values of marjoram, basil, and mint essential oils (3.59, 2.53, and 2.37 µl/liter air, respectively), the mint essential oil had the highest fumigant toxicity on the eggs of P. operculella compared to other essential oils. The LC30 values of essential oils (2.61, 1.20, and 1.81 µl/liter air, respectively) were used to evaluate the sublethal effects. The sublethal concentrations of essential oils significantly affected the parameters of P. operculella. The shortest and longest total pre-oviposition period (TPOP) were observed on control (19.60 days) and O. basilicum essential oil (22.19 days). The values estimated for intrinsic rate of increase (r) in the control and marjoram, basil, and mint essential oils were 0.19, 0.11, 0.12, 0.10 day, respectively. Also, the parasitism rate of T. brassicae was recorded on control (81.11%) followed by basil essential oil (64.44%). These results suggested simultaneous usage of essential oils and parasitic wasps as a reliable option for sustainable managementofpotato tuber worm in the storage facilities.

 The functional response is one of the important components of predator-prey interactions. It can be affected by different factors such as host plant quality. In this research, the functional response of the predatory gall midge Aphidoletes aphidimyza larvae to the nymphs of the melon aphid, Aphis gossypii reared on cucumber plants amended with different levels of nitrogen fertilizer (0, 100, 150 and 200 kg/ha) was investigated. The experiments were carried out at 25±1 °C, 60±5 % RH and a photoperiod of 16: 8(L: D). Different densities (2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16 and 24) of mixed 2- and 3-d old nymphs of the aphid were separately offered to 4-d-old predator larvae. The numbers of killed preys were recorded after 18 h. Logistic and nonlinear regression analyses were used to determine the type of functional response and estimate of attack rate (a) and handling time (Th) parameters, respectively. At all treatments, the predator exhibited a type II functional response to change in A. gossypii density. The attack rate and handling time of the predator were ranged from 0.0623 to 0.1512 h-1 and 1.4646 to 1.8716 h, respectively. The highest value of attack rate and the lowest value of the handling time of A. aphidimyza were obtained at treatment of 200 kg/ha nitrogen. This study revealed that adding nitrogen to the soil in cucumber cultivation can improve the predatory ability of A. aphidimyza on A. gossypii. However, for understanding further details of the effects of different levels of nitrogen fertilizer on cucumber- A. gossypii- A. aphidimyza interactions, further studies need to be carried out.

Although heavy metals naturally occur in the aquatic environment, but their level elevating by human activities. These contaminants concentrate in the aquatic organisms and their concentrations increase throughout the food chain. The presence of heavy metals in fish is important to humans because of food consumption. Therefore, in this study, 30 Atherina boyeri were collected from Anzali International Wetland in the summer of 2013 and the concentrations of zinc (Zn) and cadmium (Cd) in their muscle tissues were determined using atomic absorption spectrometry. The results showed there was a significant difference between the mean concentrations (µg/g) of Cd (0.08± 0.035) and Zn (9.27±1.24) in the muscle tissue of A. boyeri (p < 0.05). Target hazard quotient levels for each metal as well as TTHQ were lower than one, indicating that consumers would not experience health risks. In general, comparing the concentrations of Zn and Cd with international standards indicated that the levels of these metals were lower than the standards. Daily and weekly intake of Zn and Cd by the consumption of A. boyeri were lower than the acceptable intake recommended by the JECFA. In stand of Zn and Cd, adults can consume 2.27 and 0.8 kg/day and children 0.47 and 0.16 kg/day, respectively, without causing any non-carcinogenic health effects. In general, there appears to be little risk of exposure to metals associated with the consumption of A. boyeri for consumers.

The citrus mealy bug,  Planococcus citri (Risso) is one of the major pests of citrus and many other orchards crops, as well as ornamental plants in subtropical and tropical regions of the world, including Iran. Due to the harmful effects of chemical pesticides on biological control agents and non-target organisms, along with developing resistance to various pesticides by the pests, there has been an increasing interest in integrating biological control methods in the pest management programs. The predatory ladybird, Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Mulsant is one of the most widely used biological control agents. It is an important natural enemy of many species of mealybugs such as P. citri. Functional response of a predator that refers to the number of prey consumed per predator as a function of a prey density is the important characteristic of predator–prey interactions. Temperature can affects the consumption behaviour of the predators. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the effects of temperature on the functional response of C. montrouzieri to different densities of P. citri. Improving our understanding about predator-prey interactions between C. montrouzieri and P. citri may be helpful to optimize biological control of the mealy bug.

The colony of P. citri was collected from bitter orange in Mehmansara region, Ghaemshahr, Mazandaran province, and was reared on pumpkin, Cucurbita maxima. The laboratory colony of C. montrouzieri was obtained from Baharan Dasht Sahel insectarium in Sari, Mazandaran province, and was reared on P. citri. The functional response experiments were performed with fourth instar larvae and adult females of C. montrouzieri to the adult female of P. citri. The experiments were conducted at the temperatures of 18, 23, 27, 32 and 37±1 °C, 60±10% RH and L16:D8 h. Prey in densities of 3, 5, 7, 10, 15 and 30 was offered to the predators. The predators used for the experiments were < 48 h old and were starved for 24 h before starting the tests. A single bitter orange leaf disc (3 cm2) was centred upside down in each ventilated Petri dish (10 cm diameter). Ten replicates were conducted for each prey density. After 24 h, the predators were removed from the experimental arena and the number of consumed prey was recorded and they were not replaced during the functional response tests. The type of the functional response was determined by logistic regression analysis (SAS/STAT, CATMOD-procedure) of the proportion of prey killed in relation to prey offered. To determine the type of functional response, the sign of the linear coefficient was estimated by the logistic regression. The negative sign is evident to a functional response type II, whereas a positive sign reveals a type III functional response. Parameters of attack rate and handling time were estimated using the PROC NLIN procedure of SAS and compared through the indicator variable method. 

The logistic regression for fourth instar larvae and adult females of C. montrouzieri to P. citri at all temperatures showed a negative linear parameter and the proportion of prey eaten by the predators declined with increasing prey density. This suggested that fourth instar larvae and females of C. montrouzieri exhibited a type II functional response to change in P. citri density at all tested temperatures. The highest attack rate and lowest handling time of fourth instar larvae were estimated at 37 and 27 °C, respectively. Whereas the highest attack rate and lowest handling time of adult females were estimated at 37 and 32 °C, respectively. At the same temperature, the attack rate estimated for the adult female was higher than that of the larval instar of the predator, showing higher predation potential of adult female in compared to the fourth larval instar of the predator. Theoretical maximum attack rates (T/Th) for fourth larval instar of the predator at above-mentioned temperatures were respectively estimated 8.20, 28.81, 43.80, 19.82 and 14.44 and for adult female predator were 9.70, 9.17, 9.10, 18.47 and 17.92, respectively.          

Temperature affected significantly functional response parameters of fourth instar larvae and adult females of C. montrouzieri to P. citri densities. Although the last instar larvae and adult females of C. montrouzieri showed high predation potential at all temperatures, adult females of the predator was more voracious compared to the last instar larvae of the predator especially at higher temperatures.

Due to high mortality rate and cost of smoking, WHO has emphasized on the role of dentists in smoking cessation among patients. The aim of the present study was to investigate the dental students, knowledge toward health consequences of smoking, their attitude towards smoking cessation activities, and their education programs in this field.

In this cross-sectional study, the target group was senior dental students at Tehran and Shahid Beheshti Universities of Medical Sciences, and Azad and Shahed Universities. A questionnaire was used to collect data in addition to background information, on the knowledge, attitudes, and education towards tobacco cessation counseling in dental practice was administered to the students. The sampling method was census. Data were analyzed using oneway Anova followed by Turkey HSD post-hoc test for pairwise comparison.

Overall 138 students participated in this program (The response rate was 100%). Of the maximum achievable knowledge score (28), the average knowledge score in Tehran University was 22.8, in Shahid Beheshti University 20.31, in Azad University 22.31, and in Shahed University 22.16 (P=0.027) with significant statistical differences. However, But the average of attitude and education score of the students did not vary significantly (P>0.05).

Most of the students had sufficient knowledge about the risks of tobacco use and positive attitude toward tobacco cessation counseling. It was concluded that the students would only pay attention to the principals of smoking cessation counselling when they actually believe in them. Therefore, in order to improve the performance of students, training should be given on tobacco cessation techniques at the dental schools, thus, that students could play an effective role in tobacco cessation counseling for patients.

Habrobracon hebetor Say is one of the most important ectoparasitoids of the larval stage of many lepidopterous pests. In this study, the effect of different cold storage duration (at 4±1°C) including 0 (Control), 10, 20 and 30 day were evaluated on fecundity, percentage of egg hatch as well as age-specific functional response of H. hebetor to last instar of Anagasta kuehniella (Zeller) for 10 day. Different densities of 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64 and 128 of the host were offered separately to the parasitoidsat 27±1 °C, 65±5% RH and a photoperiod of 16: 8 (L: D) h. The numbers of paralyzed larvae, produced and hatched eggs in each host density and treatment were recorded daily. The results revealed a type II functional response for all treatments. The highest and lowest values of attack rates were estimated in 10th day of control treatment (0.0816±0.0129 h-1) and 6th day of 30 day storage treatment (0.0474±0.0083 h-1), respectively. The highest and lowest handling time was observed in eighth day of 30 day storage treatment (1.5849±0.1217 h) and in first day of control treatment (0.3155±0.0176 h), respectively. The lowest values of fecundity and egg hatch of the parasitoid as well as percentage of paralyzed host larvae were obtained in 30 day storage treatment.

The European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis Hübner, is one of the most important pests of corn. In this study, the influences of corn monoculture (C), sainfoin monoculture (S) and strip-intercropping of corn with sainfoin in the four row ratios: 2C:2S, 2C:4S, 2C:6S and 2C:8S were evaluated on the population density of the European corn borer, diversity and abundance of its natural enemies and yield of both crops in an experimental field during 2016 and 2017. Our results indicated that the densities of eggs and larvae of this pest decreased significantly in the intercrops especially in 2C: 6S and 2C: 8S compared with corn monoculture. The Shannon diversity index (H´) for predators in the intercrops was significantly greater than that in the corn monoculture. Moreover, the percentage of parasitized eggs and larvae were higher in the intercrops, especially in 2C:6S and 2C:8S, compared with the corn monoculture. Furthermore, the percentage of infested plants was also lower in 2C:6S and 2C:8S compared with the other treatments. On the other hand, high values of land equivalent ratio were found in 2C:6S (1.16 in 2016 and 1.15 in 2017) and 2C:8S (1.17 in 2016 and 1.16 in 2017). Therefore, it could be concluded that 2C:6S and 2C:8S intercrops are useful in integrated management of the European corn borer in the field.

The green lacewing Chrysoperla carnea is one of the natural enemies, which attacks various pests on crops and orchards. Feeding preference of natural enemies is one of the most important criteria used in evaluation of their efficiency. In this research, feeding preferences and switching of the second and third instar larvae of C. carnea were studied on the citrus aphid, Aphis spiraecola and the melon aphid, Aphis gossypii. The experiments were carried out on orange leaves in a growth chamber at 27±2°C, 65±5% RH and a photoperiod of 16L: 8D h. The results showed that when A. spiraecola or A. gossypii were separately offered to the second and third instar larvae of predator, the predation rate was higher on A. gossypii compared to A. spiraecola. Providing different combinations of A. gossypii: A. spiraecola significantly affected the consumption of C. carnea larvae in switching experiment. In different combinations, the consumption of the second and third instar larvae of the predator varied from 7.90 to 21.10 and from 15.70 to 31.00 on A. spiraecola, and from 14.60 to 29.60 and from 24.50 to 38.20 on A. gossypii, respectively. The values of Manly’s preference index in equal ratios of A. gossypii: A. spiraecola were calculated 0.632:0.368 and 0.647:0.353 for second and third larval instars, respectively, showing the preference of the larvae to A. gossypii. The results of the present study showed that the types

One of the important criteria for assessing the efficiency of natural enemies is to study their behavioral characteristics. In the current study host stage preference, switching, and mutual interference of the predatory gall midge larvae Aphidoletes aphidimyza Rondani were studied on different nymphal instars of melon aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover. The experiments were carried out in Petri dishes with cucumber leaf discs in a growth chamber. Based on the results, no significant differences were found for the preference of A. aphidimyza larvae for each nymphal instars of the melon aphid. But, its highest eaten biomass was recorded on forth instars. In switching trial, at 20: 40 and 30: 30 (third instar: first instar) ratios, the predator had more preference for third instars of the melon aphid. In mutual interference, the per capita searching efficiency of the predator varied from 0.0623 to 0.1805 h-1, which the negative value of the regression slope indicated the mutual interference of A. aphidimyza larvae. The results showed that the behavioral characteristics of A. aphidimyza may be affected by the density of the pest as well as the predator larvae

The influence of three host plants, cucumber, tomato and eggplant on functional response of Encarsia formosa was investigated at different densities of early fourth nymphal instar of Trialeurodes vaporariorum under laboratory conditions at 25 ± 1°C, 65 ± 5% RH and a photoperiod of 16:8 (L: D) h. Whitefly nymphs were offered to the parasitoids in densities of 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 48 on leaf disks (8-10 cm2) in 12 replicates. After 24 hours, the parasitoids were removed and the number of parasitized as well as the killed nymphs by host feeding activity was recorded. Logistic regression results showed a type II functional response for both types of "parasitism" and "parasitism + host feeding" activities in all three host plants. There were no significant differences between attack rates (a) across three host plants, but the handling time (Th) estimated on tomato was significantly shorter than those estimated on cucumber. The attack rate of E. formosa in "parasitism" activity on cucumber, tomato and eggplant was 0.2580±0.0963, 0.3895±0.1331 and 0.3283±0.1368 h-1 and handling time was 0.6870±0.0810, 0.3364±0.0399 and 0.5584±0.0692 h, respectively. Based on the results, it seems that tomato is the most suitable plant for the parasitism and host feeding activities of E. formosa to control of the greenhouse whitefly T. vaporariorum in greenhouse conditions.

Campylobacter is one of the main bacterial causes of ewe abortion throughout the world. Campylobacter infections are now considered as zoonoses. The objective of this study was an investigation of Campylobacter fetus prevalence among aborted ovine fetuses in the Sistan region (north of Sistan and Baluchestan province). In the present study, spleen and abomasum content samples were obtained from 78 aborted lambs of Baluchi sheep. The samples were examined for campylobacter contamination using PCR method. The overall prevalence of campylobacter infection was 7.7%. The prevalence of infection in fetuses aged three months and under were significantly higher than that in fetuses older than three months. The result of this study showed that C. fetus should be considered as one of the infectious causes of abortion among sheep flocks in Sistan region.

The aim of this study was to determine the concentration of metals Cd and Cr in liver, kidney and muscle tissues of teal Anas crecca (N=16) from Fereydoonkenar wetland. The study was conducted between November and December 2015. The elements Cd and Cr were assayed using a graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometer and the results were given as mg/kg wet weight. The concentration of metals was compared between the liver, kidney and muscle tissue and using one-way ANOVA, followed by Tukey’s test. The highest mean concentrations of Cd and Cr were observed in the kidney at 1.45 and 0.56 mg/kg wet weight, respectively. The lowest mean concentration of Cd and Cr were measured in muscle tissue at 0.05 and 0.08 mg/kg wet weight, respectively. The distribution patterns of Cd and Cr in tissues of teal follow the order: kidney>liver>muscle. All the results were statistically significant at P

The pistachio fruit hull borer moth, Arimania komaroffi Ragonot (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) has become a major pest of pistachio in recent years. The purpose of this study was to determine the lower threshold temperature and thermal constant of this pest under laboratory condition which can be used in predicting the time of pest control. Immature stages of this pest were reared at four constant temperatures 25, 27.5, 30, 32.5 and 35°C (±1), 65±5% RH, and 16:8 L:D photoperiod on fruit of Ohadi pistachio cultivar in growth chamber. Lower threshold temperature (T0) and thermal constant (K) of various stages of this pest were calculated with ordinary linear regression method and Ikemoto & Takai method. Moreover, thermal requirements for different generations of pest were determined under the field conditions during two years, 2013-2014. According to the results the lower threshold temperature for total immature stage (from egg to adult emergence) of this pest with ordinary linear regression and Ikemoto & Takai were 10.29 and 10.42°C, respectively. Thermal constant for completing immature period (egg to adult emergence) was calculated as 826.05 and 820.11 degree-days with ordinary linear regression and Ikemoto & Takai equations, respectively. Thermal requirements were measured as 763.7, 750.9 and 811.7 DD for first, second and third generations under field conditions which is consistent with laboratory results. Results of this study could be used in forecasting and pest management of this pest.

The aphidophagous ladybird, Hippodamia variegata (Goeze), is an effective predator in most agricultural ecosystems. The host plant species of aphids could be an effective factor on life history characteristics and efficiency of their predators. Therefore, the effect of six host plant species of cabbage aphid, Brevicoryne brassicae (Linnaeus) including cabbage, cauliflower, radish, turnip, canola and ornamental kale on development, reproduction, fecundity and life table parameters of H. variegata were studied in this research. The results showed that the suitability of aphids from various six host plants species differed for the development and reproduction of H. variegata. The total developmental time (from egg to adult emergence) was shortest (14.69 days) when reared on aphids on canola. Total fecundity rates significantly differed among tested host plants and the highest rate was observed on canola (646.44 eggs). The net reproductive rates (R0) of ladybird varied from 252.78 female offspring / female / generation on ornamental kale to 116.74 female offspring / female / generation on cabbage. Intrinsic rate of increase (rm) as an important index of suitability of prey host plant species on the population increase of ladybird beetle, varied from 0.155 day-1 on cabbage to 0.188 day-1 on canola. Based on the intrinsic rate of increase, the suitability of tested host plants in decreasing order was: canola, cauliflower, ornamental kale, radish, turnip and cabbage. Our finding may provide basic information for better understanding of the tritrophic interactions of the plant-aphid-predator relationships and also mass production of H. variegata.

Changing of host plant quality via agricultural practices such as application of fertilizer may influence the behavioral traits of natural enemies. In this study, the effect of improving cucumber plants with different vermicompost: soil ratios (0:100 (control), 10:90, 20:80 and 30:70 % by volume) were studied on the functional response of the parasitoid wasp Aphidius colemani Viereck to the melon aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover. The logistic regression analyses revealed that the functional response of the parasitoid wasp to the melon aphid was type II in all treatments. The different vermicompost: soil ratios were differently affected the parameters of the functional response of the wasp. The results suggest that A. colemani can be efficiently used in integrated management programs against the melon aphid using vermicompost.