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The use of clays, especially bentonite clays in composites, is one of the practical and cost-effective ways for engineers to absorb heavy metals. On the other hand, automatically obtained mechanica...

Herbicide dose-responses of seedling progenies of Ranunculus acris populations varying in herbicide exposure history indicate that this weed has evolved multiple resistance to phenoxycarboxylic aci...

Utilizing fine-grained soils containing clay minerals in most of the structures due to the specific surface area, ion exchange capacity and high adsorption capacity of hazardous contaminants have a...

Herbicide-resistant weeds are serious threats to agricultural production. Since a review published in 1996, the number of different examples of weed biotypes developing resistance to one or more he...

The number of herbicide-resistant weeds is increasing globally. A successful management practice requires an understanding of how resistance traits are inherited. Weed scientists worldwide ...

Introduction: While there is a very high rate of comorbidity of autism and ADHD, there are controversies about prescribing stimulants in children with autism. This is a systematic review about the effect of stimulants on irritability in children with both autism and ADHD. Methods: A systematic review was conducted to study the possible effect of stimulants on irritability in autism and ADHD using the databases of PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, and ScienceDirect in September 2018. Eligible clinical trials of stimulants in the treatment of Autism and ADHD without restriction of language were included. The primary outcome was irritability score. The full texts of relevant articles were studied, and their references were scanned for any possible related article. Results: Out of 1,315 citations, there were 26 relevant articles. Of the relevant articles, 16 were not interventional studies and were excluded. There were 10 interventional studies. None of them considered irritability as a main outcome. Also, none of them studied the effect of stimulants on irritability in autism plus ADHD. Current uncontrolled evidence about the association of stimulants with irritability is controversial. Conclusion: The current evidence is not enough to support or discourage the effect of stimulants on irritability in children and adolescents with both autism and ADHD. Well-designed controlled clinical trials need to be conducted for this ignored research area.

Acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase (ACCase) inhibitors such as haloxyfop, pinoxaden and clethodim selectively control grass weed species in many types of crop. Here, we characterised two populations of ...

Organic soil amendments can be useful for improving degraded soil, but this increase in organic matter (OM) may influence adsorption of herbicides subsequently applied to the treated soil, even though the particle size of amendments and their nature differ from typical soil OM. In this study, a batch equilibrium method was used to measure adsorption of five herbicides following application to two organic media, wood pulp and sawdust, comparing these with two cropping soils. Herbicide adsorption, quantified by distribution coefficients (kd), was much higher in the two organic media than in the cropping soils. The increases in adsorption were strongly correlated to the percentage of organic carbon. When the kd was normalized to adsorption coefficients corrected for OM content (koc), variation in results between the media was greatly reduced, indicating that OM is an important factor influencing adsorption in these media. The results of this study suggest that herbicides will be less effective when applied to soils in which sawdust and wood pulp have been added. Using organic amendments to remediate soil will increase adsorption of pesticides, reducing their bio-availability and efficacy, but also reducing their tendency to leach into root zones of deep-rooted crops and into groundwater.

The mode of inheritance for herbicide resistance was investigated in a population of Lolium multiflorum (Italian ryegrass) with restricted glyphosate translocation mechanism of resistance. The degr...

This study set out to delve into Iranian translation students’ stress coping strategies and emotional factors and their roles in translation ability. For this purpose, 135 MA and BA translation stu...

The responses of two dicamba-resistant Chenopodium album (fathen) populations (L and M) were compared with the responses of two dicamba-susceptible populations (A and P) to the auxinic herbicides mecoprop, clopyralid, 2,4‐D and aminopyralid in a preliminary experiment. The dicamba-resistant fathen was cross-resistant to the pyridine carboxylic acid herbicides clopyralid and aminopyralid, but not the phenoxy acid herbicides, 2,4-D and mecoprop. The level of cross-resistance to aminopyralid and picloram (another pyridine carboxylic acid herbicide) was investigated in two separate dose-response experiments. The results of the first dose-response experiment showed populations L and M were 12 and 19 times more resistant to aminopyralid, respectively, than susceptible populations (A and P). The dicamba-resistant fathen populations were also shown to be resistant to picloram although the levels of resistance ranged from three- to 17-fold. These levels of cross-resistance for both herbicides were confirme...

Weed wipers have been used to apply herbicides selectively to tall weeds in pastures for several decades, but few reliable techniques exist to quantify the relative output of wiper applicators under varying operating conditions. A new technique is described in which clopyralid is applied by wiper applicators to plastic sleeves on uniform, upright, flexible posts with herbicide deposition quantified using a spectrophotometer. The technique was used to compare the relative output of three commercially available wipers: the Rotowiper, Eliminator and Weedswiper. At a constant speed of 5 km/h, large variability was found in the quantities of herbicide deposited by the three wiper applicators. When applied at a range of speeds, there was a small negative correlation for herbicide output as speed increased, although variability in output resulted in this trend being significant for the Weedswiper, but not for the other wiper applicators. The Weedswiper applied less herbicide than the other two wipers, al...

One of the crucial factors in the evolution of herbicide resistance in weeds is the mode of inheritance. Experiments were conducted to determine the inheritance of glyphosate resistance in a population of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) caused by restricted glyphosate translocation. First, the degree of dominance of the glyphosate resistance trait was evaluated by generating first filial generation families through pair-crossing resistant with susceptible plants. Dose-response experiments showed that these first generation families had an intermediate level of glyphosate resistance compared with that of the parent plants. The phenotypic segregation of the resistance trait was then investigated by backcrossing the first generation offspring with individuals from the original susceptible population. Results obtained from spraying the resulting backcrossed families with two rates of glyphosate gave segregation values that best fitted the one-gene model. Hence, glyphosate resistance in perennial r...

Causal attributions constitute one of the most universal forms of analyzing reality, since they fulfill basic functions in motivation for action. As a theory of causal explanations for success and failure, attribution research has found a natural context in the academic domain. Despite this, it appears that teacher attribution, in particular language teacher attribution, is an unchartered territory that awaits further research. Having attributed this gap to the scarcity of a standardized instrument for assessing teacher attributions, the researchers of the present article set out to design and validate a scale for measuring English language teacher attributions with the prospect of initiating further research on teacher attributions. Based on Weiner’s attribution model, a five-factor scale with 50 items was proposed. Confirmatory factor analysis resulted in a more refined version of the scale comprising four attributions and 40 items. The resultant model had acceptable fit indices and satisfactory reliabi...

In New Zealand vineyards, evolution of glyphosate resistance in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) has been reported recently, and restricted translocation of glyphosate has been found in these resistant plants. Past research with other plant species has found that restricted glyphosate translocation is temperature dependent. Glasshouse dose-response experiments were conducted with resistant perennial ryegrass at different temperatures to investigate if this population becomes susceptible to glyphosate under cooler conditions. Glyphosate-susceptible plants (population SP) grown in either warm (average of 20 °C) or cool (average of 9 °C) temperatures following treatment with several rates of glyphosate responded similarly to the herbicide regardless of temperature. In contrast, plants of population J (glyphosate resistant) were significantly more resistant than population SP to glyphosate when treated under warm conditions, but at the cooler temperature, population J was as susceptible as population SP. T...

Taguchi experimental design with the alternating and direct current (AC and DC) electrocoagulation (EC) using initial fluoride concentration of contaminant, retention time, pH, electrode type, and voltage was used on fluoride removal. DC current is significantly more efficient than AC, and Al has a higher performance than Fe electrode (p

This study investigated the dynamism of English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers’ professional identity with respect to their commitment and job satisfaction. A mixed-methods design integrating quantitative and qualitative approaches was used. To conduct the quantitative part of the study, 198 EFL teachers were selected from different private language institutes in Mashhad, a city in northeastern Iran. They were requested to complete a battery of three questionnaires. For the qualitative part of the study, four EFL teachers were chosen to be interviewed. Teacher professional identity measured six factors: Self-expectation (SE), Teachers’ duties (TD), External influential factors (EF), Pedagogy (PE), Instructional skill and knowledge (SK), Teachers’ citizenship behavior (CB). The results of structural equation modeling (SEM) demonstrated that job satisfaction played a positive and significant role in SE and TD. Job satisfaction was in turn influenced by EF. Job satisfaction predicted teacher commitment both directly and indirectly via its effect on TD and CB. Teacher commitment, on the other hand, impacted on PE, CB, and SK. The results of the qualitative part demonstrated the overlap between the three constructs and were in line with the results of the quantitative part of the study.

In order to deal with power quality problems under distortional and unbalanced load conditions, this paper presents a new control method for a four-wire three-phase unified power quality conditioner (UPQC) which is based on instantaneous power p-q theory. The proposed control approach is based on instantaneous power and is optimized by using a self-tuning filter (STF), without using any low-pass filters (LPFs) or phase locked loop (PLL), and without measuring load or filter currents. In this approach, the load and source voltages are used to generate the reference voltages of a series active power filter (APF) and source currents are used to generate the reference currents of a shunt APF. Therefore, the number of times that current is measured is reduced and system performance is improved. The performance of the proposed control approach is evaluated in terms of power factor correction, source neutral current mitigation, load balancing and mitigation of the current and voltage harmonics of distortional and unbalanced loads in a three-phase four-wire system. The results obtained by MATLAB/SIMULINK software show the effectiveness of the proposed control technique in comparison to the conventional p-q method.

Three quick tests were evaluated for detecting glyphosate-resistant biotypes of Italian ryegrass and perennial ryegrass. Biotypes of these two species were used that were 13.4 and 7.3 times more resistant to glyphosate, respectively, than susceptible biotypes when assessed using a sprayed pot study. One assay exposed germinating seeds of resistant and susceptible populations for 8 days to different concentrations of glyphosate. Measurements of reduction in seedling root growth gave an estimate of resistance magnitude of 10.8 and 8.9 for Italian ryegrass and perennial ryegrass, respectively, similar to that from the sprayed pot study. Two other assays were tested and were able to differentiate resistant and susceptible biotypes. One measured the relative levels of shikimic acid in leaves following exposure to glyphosate; four to seven times more shikimic acid accumulated in glyphosate-susceptible populations of Italian and perennial ryegrass than in resistant populations. The other assay involved growing t...

Although hysteria is associated largely with the nineteenth century, we find the subject treated in a tenth-century Persian medical text, the Hidayat al-Muta`allemin Fi al-Tibb [A Guide to Medical Learners] by al-Akhawayni Bukhari (d. 983 AD), a prominent physician in the Persian history of medicine. In this article, we discuss al-Akhawayni's views on seizure and hysteria and his differentiation between the two conditions, and we place it in a historical context.

The present study investigated English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers’ attributions of success and failure. It also set out to investigate whether these attributions vary by teachers’ age, teaching experience, gender and educational level. To do so, 200 EFL teachers were selected according to convenience sampling among EFL teachers teaching English in Language Institutes in Mashhad and Tehran, two cities in Iran. The participants completed the language teacher attribution scale measuring four attributions: teaching competency (TC), teacher effort (TE), student effort (SE) and institution supervision (IS). The present study yielded mixed results regarding English language teachers’ attributions of success and failure events. It was also found that these attributions vary by their age, teaching experience and educational level, but not by gender. The discussion and implications of the research are further presented with reference to the earlier findings.

Background: There is an increasing concern about youth drug use in Iran.Aim: This survey investigated the association between variables in social control theory and social learning theory (having a drug‐using friend) with students' self‐reported drug use.Design: Self‐reporting of the use of cigarettes, cannabis, alcohol and opioids (opiate, heroin). Students responded to the question: “If you have ever used the drug, when was the last time?” The dependent (drug‐using) and independent variables were examined in an association model.Participants: One hundred and seventy‐three Shiraz Paramedical University Students were selected randomly and asked to complete a questionnaire.Finding: Although the model of drug use for each of the drugs was different, their similarities were more than their differences.Conclusion: There was a significant correlation between social learning theory variables and drug use. Some of social control theory variables had significant correlation with drug use, such as religious attach...

Aim Despite efforts made to prevent use of illegal drugs in Iran, such use continues. The aim of the current study is to investigate how a sample of Iranian students communicates resistance to offers of illegal drugs.Design Describing a personal, specific time when they were offered an illegal drug (alcohol, opium, heroin, hashish) including who offered it (offerer), what drug was offered, where the offer was made, how the offer was made (type of offer) and the dialogue between offerer and respondent.Participants Two hundred and forty‐eight Shiraz University students were asked to complete a questionnaire.Finding Most offers were categorized as ‘simple offer’ (without persuasion) and most responses were ‘no problem’, without further pressure from the offerers. The most common resistance strategy was simply saying ‘No’. Resistance was related to internal motivation for turning down or accepting the offer. Type of drug offered was related to the person who offered it.Conclusions There are some differences b...

Pyrolysis of fresh sheep bone led to the formation of bone charcoal (BC). The structural characteristics of BC and surface area were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). N2 gas adsorption-desorption was analysed by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller isotherm model. The prepared BC was used as an effective sorbent for the removal of phosphate from aqueous solutions. The effect of major parameters, including initial phosphorous concentration, sorbent dosage, pH and temperature, was investigated in this study. Furthermore, adsorption isotherms and kinetics were evaluated. BC was an effective sorbent in phosphate removal from aqueous solution especially in phosphate concentration between 2 and 100 mg/L. The maximum amount of sorption capacity was 30.21 mg/g, which was obtained with 100 mg/L as the initial phosphate concentration and 0.2 g as the sorbent dosage. Best reported pH in this study is 4; in higher pH, adsorption rate decreased dramatically. By increasing the temperature from 20 to 40 degrees C sorption capacity increased; this phenomenon described that adsorption is endothermic. Equilibrium data were analysed by Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin isotherms. Pseudo first- and second-order and Elovich models were used to determine the kinetics of adsorption in this study. Collected data highly fitted with Freundlich isotherms and pseudo second-order kinetics. Achieved results have shown well the potentiality for the BC to be utilized as a natural sorbent to remove phosphorous from water and wastewater.