This investigation was conducted to evaluate the effect of seed pretreatment using silicic acid and sodium nitroprusside on the germination parameters of tomato (Lycopersicom esculentum cv. Isabella) under salinity stress based on a factorial arrangement in a completely randomized design with 5 replications. The first factor, salinity levels, included 0, 25, 50, 100 and 150 mM sodium chloride (0.067, 2.45, 5.44, 9.52 and 14.10 dS m–1, respectively); the second one was the chemical pretreatment of the seed with/without 2.5 mM silicic acid solution (SiA), and the third one was the chemical pretreatment of the seeds with/without 100 mM sodium nitroprusside (SNP). Results showed that, due germination percentage, germination rate, seed vigor index and stress tolerance index were all decreased, but application of SiA and SNP improved some factors in Isabella tomato seed germination. Under saline conditions, the use of SiA and SNP had a significant effect on reducing the effects of salinity in the above-mentioned indices. In general, the negative effects of salinity on the seed germination characteristics could be reduced by pretreating tomato seeds with 100 μM SNP or 2.5 mM SiA solution, alone or in combination, under salinity levels up to 100 mM NaCl (i.e., 9.52 dS m–1).

This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of self-esteem in the relationship between family functioning and eating disorder. The research design was descriptive-correlational. From the female adolescents’ population of Nourabad in the academic year of 1398-1399, a total of 260 high school students were selected via multistage cluster sampling method and were tested by Family Assessment Device (Epstein, Baldwin & Bishop, 1983), Eating Attitudes Test (Garner, Olmsted, Bohr & Garfinkel, 1982) and Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale (1961). To analyze the data structural equation modeling was conducted. The results showed that the direct effect of family functioning on self-esteem, the direct effect of self-esteem on eating disorder were significantly negative and the direct effect of family functioning on eating disorder was significantly positive. Also, results showed that the mediating role of self-esteem in the relationship between family functioning and eating disorder was significant. Based on the findings, it can be concluded that family functioning and self-esteem are two important factors affecting adolescents’ eating disorder.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of executive-function training and neuro-feedback on improving normal students’ academic performance. Through a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design with a control group, thirty six male students from the fourth grade of primary school were randomly selected and put into three groups of twelve including 1) executive-function training and neuro-feedback group, 2) executive-function training group, and 3) control group. The two groups of executive function training plus neuro-feedback and mere executive-function training participated in 16 sessions of class trainings of executive functions and the group of executive function training plus neuro-feedback attended in 8 sessions of neuro-feedback training in addition to the previous sessions; the control group remained in the waiting list. The results indicated a significant improvement in academic performance of the students attending the training sessions of executive function relative to those of the control group manifested as with an effect size 0f 0.89 an improvement in total score of educational performance and comparison of the groups indicated the higher significance of academic performance in “executive-function training plus neuro-feedback” group relative to the group utilizing the class training alone. The results of this study suggest that through training the executive functions, it is possible to improve students’ academic performance and these trainings would be more influential and effective in association with neuro-feedback.