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The current trial was conducted by using the 288 Japanese quails to evaluate the effects of a zinc-deficient diet supplemented with nano and micro zinc oxide on performance, fertility, hatchability, and egg quality characteristics. In this experiment, birds were randomly allocated to 9 dietary treatments includes diets supplemented with nano or micro particles of zinc oxide (amount of ZnO supplement for each treatment) to supply 49, 74, 99, and 124 mg zinc per kilogram of diet in a factorial arrangement (2 × 4) and a control non supplemented diet (24 mg/kg) with four replicates of eight birds (six females and two males) in each pen. Birds were fed the experimental diets from 47 to 75 days of age and had free access to water and feed during the experimental period. Results showed that Zn supplementation, regardless of particle size, improved the eggshell thickness (P

Currently, one of the solutions to improve the decline in the water table of aquifers owing to their uncontrolled extraction is artificial recharge schemes, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. The present study applies a nonuniform rational B-spline functions (NURBS) based isogeometric method to investigate the effects of an injection well on the rise of water table, unconfined aquifer hydrodynamic parameters and injection rate. Also, the best injection rate was determined by linking the isogeometric analysis (IGA) simulation model to the particle swarm optimization (PSO) model. Initially, the IGA method was implemented to simulate a water table over an unconfined aquifer with two extraction wells with discharges of 1142.85 and 1428.57 m 3 day −1 for 210 days and was compared with the Modflow model. The model was tuned and run by constructing an injection well with 8214.28 m 3 day −1 injection rate for 1500 days. The IGA simulation results with ME = −0.0096, MAE = 0.0111 and RMSE = 0.0146 indicated the accuracy of the model in water table simulation compared with the Modflow model with ME = −0.0188, MAE = 0.023 and RMSE = 0.0284. The findings revealed that the use of an injection well has a positive impact on raising the water table, with a rise of 1.24 m in the observation well. Investigating the effect of the parameters on the water table changes indicated that the injection rate directly affects changes in the water table. The water table rises by more than 43% with a 50% increase in the injection rate. Also, compared with the effect of the injection rate on the water table, the transmissivity and specific yield effects were not substantial. The results of IGA–PSO showed that the best value of injection rate is 2000 m 3 day −1 , whereby the aquifer water table rises by an average of 37.12 cm.

The current trial was conducted by using the 288 Japanese quails to evaluate the effects of a zinc-deficient diet supplemented with nano and micro zinc oxide on performance, fertility, hatchability, and egg quality characteristics. In this experiment, birds were randomly allocated to 9 dietary treatments includes diets supplemented with nano or micro particles of zinc oxide (amount of ZnO supplement for each treatment) to supply 49, 74, 99, and 124 mg zinc per kilogram of diet in a factorial arrangement (2 × 4) and a control non supplemented diet (24 mg/kg) with four replicates of eight birds (six females and two males) in each pen. Birds were fed the experimental diets from 47 to 75 days of age and had free access to water and feed during the experimental period. Results showed that Zn supplementation, regardless of particle size, improved the eggshell thickness (P 0.01). A significant (P 0.05) interaction was observed between zinc level and ZnO particle size for Shell breaking strength. Quails fed diets supplement with ZnO showed significantly higher egg weight and eggshell surface (P 0.05) as compared with birds fed a non-supplemented control diet. Results obtained here showed that supplementation of nano ZnO enhanced fertility considerably. Application of non-linear quadratic models showed that the maximum egg production percentage was achieved when 67 or 72 mg/kg of dietary zinc was supplied from nano and micro ZnO, respectively. This result indicated that nano ZnO could reduce the zinc requirement in laying Japanese quail.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the utilization of maize silage (MS) in moult induction and its effects on immune response and bone quality in laying hens. Laying hens were subjected to 1 of 6 treatments: full-fed (control; FF); total feed withdrawal (positive control for moult induction; FW); 100 MS (M100); 90 MS + 10 layer ration (LR) (M90); 80 MS + 20 LR (M80); and 70 MS + 30 LR (M70). After 9 days body weight loss occurred in all moulting treatments. The examined treatments caused cessation of egg production on day 4 (M90), 5 (FW, M100) and 7 (M70, M80). On day 6 the heterophil : lymphocyte (H:L) ratio did not differ between all MS treatments and FF; however FW caused its increasing only in comparison to FF, M80 and M70. On day 9 H:L ratio for FF did not differ only from M70 and M90. Antibody production against sheep red blood cell was unaffected by all moulting treatments. The femur dry weight for FF did not differ from M70, M80, M100; however there was observed no difference between FW and M70, M90, M100. The treatments caused decrease of femur ash content in comparison to FF group (except M70) with the lowest value in FW. In conclusion, obtained data indicate that the use of MS mixed with LR results in moult induction. Likewise, it is suggested to use 70 MS addition because of reduced moulting stress in birds and smaller losses of bone mineralization.

In many discussions, work force is mentioned as the most important factor of production. Principally, work force is a factor which can compensate for the physical and material limitations and shortcomings of other factors to a large extent which can help increase the production level. On the other hand, employment is considered as an effective factor in social issues. The goal of the present research is the allocation of water resources so as to maximize the number of jobs created in the industry and agriculture sectors. An objective that has attracted the attention of policy makers involved in water supply and distribution is the maximization of the interests of beneficiaries and consumers in case of certain policies adopted. The present model applies the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm in order to determine the optimum amount of water allocated to each water-demanding sector, area under cultivation, agricultural production, employment in the agriculture sector, industrial production and employment in the industry sector. Based on the results obtained from this research, by optimally allocating water resources in the central desert region of Iran, 1096 jobs can be created in the industry and agriculture sectors, which constitutes an improvement of about 13% relative to the previous situation (non-optimal water utilization). It is also worth mentioning that by optimizing the employment factor as a social parameter, the other areas such as the economic sector are influenced as well. For example, in this investigation, the resulting economic benefits (incomes) have improved from 73 billion Rials at baseline employment figures to 112 billion Rials in the case of optimized employment condition. Therefore, it is necessary to change the inter-sector and intra-sector water allocation models in this region, because this change not only leads to more jobs in this area, but also causes an improvement in the region’s economic conditions.

The escalating world population has led to a drastic increase in water demand in the municipal and drinking water, agriculture and industry sectors. This situation necessitates application of effective measures for the optimal and efficient management of water resources. With this respect, a two-objective socioeconomic model (aimed at job creation) has been presented in this study for the optimum allocation of water resources to industry, agriculture and municipal water sectors. In the agriculture sector, the production function of each product has been determined and then, based on the production functions, areas under cultivation, product yield and the income obtained from each product, the combined objective function has been specified. In the industry sector, since water demand is a function of the amount of produced products, price of supplied water and the price of other supplies, the demand function of this sector was determined regionally. Also, considering the existing necessity in meeting the municipal water requirement, the total amount of water needed by this sector was fully allocated. Then by using two meta-heuristic algorithms, i.e. genetic algorithm (GA) and particle swarm optimization (PSO), the objective functions were maximized and the water resources were optimally allocated between agriculture and industry sectors and the results were compared. Ultimately, comparing the results gained by PSO and GA algorithms, PSO with an economic and profit growth of 54 % and a 13 % rise in employment relative to the base condition, turned out to be more efficient in this application.

General LPG sweetening method used in Iran's South Pars Gas Complex is Sulfrex liquid-liquid extraction and caustic regeneration processes which uses caustic as alkaline solution to extract mercaptans from propane and butane cuts and also uses LCPS 30 as catalyst to regenerate of exhaust caustic. The authors focused on the extraction section process. Also effect of the main operating variables on mercaptans extraction, including extraction temperature, concentration, flow rate, and amount of caustic as alkaline solution were studied and at the end, according to laboratory results, operational process parameters were optimized and tuned.

Studies using thick targets irradiated with heavy ions having total energies Etotal above 10 GeV reveal some new features when solid-state-nuclear-track detectors (SSNTDs), nuclear chemistry, neutron counting techniques and emulsion investigations are used. Some of these results constitute unresolved problems which the authors are unable to interpret using available codes.

We report results of our observations on the detection of tracks in the volume of CN-85 cellulose nitrate track detectors that have not been irradiated intentionally with an external radiation source. It is known that CN-85 can register proton tracks and it was reached to the conclusion that the observed volume tracks are produced by background neutrons in our laboratory environment as well as by exposure to secondary cosmic-ray neutrons in the course of the air transport of the detectors from the country of the origin (France) to Australia. It is concluded that a proton sensitive cellulose nitrate track detector may be a suitable detection medium for secondary cosmic-ray neutrons.

SummaryExperimental studies on the transmutation of some long-lived radioactive waste nuclei, such as129I,237Np, and239Pu, as well as on natural uranium and lanthanum were carried out at the Synchrophastron of the Laboratory for High Energies at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) in Dubna, Russia. The radioactive targets (I, Np and Pu) were contained in weld-sealed aluminium holders produced by the Institute of Physics and Power Engineering, Obninsk, Russia. Spallation neutrons were produced by relativistic protons with energies in the range of 0.5 GeV≤Ep≤1.5 GeV interacting with 20 cm long uranium or lead target stacks. The metallic targets were surrounded by 6 cm thick paraffin moderators. The uranium and lanthanum samples were positioned on the outside of the moderator surface and typically contained approximately 0.5 to 1.0 gram of uranium or lanthanum. The highest fluence of spallation neutrons was observed in the region of 5 to 10 cm downstream the entrance of the primary beam into the metallic target, rather independent of the target material or the proton energy. The results obtained by nuclear chemistry methods were supplemented by SSNTD (Solid State Nuclear Track Detector) studies. Consistent and systematic results ofB-values and spectral distributions for neutrons have been found. From the experimentally observed transmutation rates one can extrapolate that in a subcritical nuclear power assembly (or "energy amplifier") using a 10 mA proton beam of 1 GeV onto a Pb-target as used here, one can transmute within one month in one gram of sample about 3 mg129I, 21 mg237Np, 3.3 mg238U, and 200 mg239Pu. Rather similar results have been found by another group for129I and239Pu. Observations show that the transmutation rates increase almost linearly with the proton energy in the energy interval 0.5 GeV up to 7.4 GeV. These findings are largely confirmed by model calculations using the LAHET- and DCM/CEM-codes.

The fluence and spatial distribution of slow neutrons on the surface of a cylindrical paraffin moderator, surrounding a Pu/Be neutron source was measured using LR-115 2B detectors via 10B(n,α)7Li reaction and 139La radiochemical sensors. The obtained results were compared with Monte Carlo simulation using MCNP-4B2 code.

The neutron yield in the interaction of protons with lead and uranium targets has been studied using the LAHET code system. The dependence of the neutron multiplicity on target dimensions and proton energy has been calculated and the dependence of the energy amplification on the proton energy has been investigated in an accelerator-driven system of a given effective multiplication coefficient. Some of the results are compared with experimental findings and with similar calculations by the DCM/CEM code of Dubna and the FLUKA code system used in CERN.

A cylindrical lead target of diameter 8 cm and length 20 cm was irradiated with 7.4 GeV protons along the axis of the cylinder. The lead target was surrounded with a paraffin layer of thickness 6 cm to moderate the neutrons produced in p + Pb reactions. The spatial distribution of the slow and fast neutrons on different surfaces of the moderator were determined using LR 115 2B detectors (through 10 B(n,α) 7 Li reactions) and CR39 detectors (through proton recoils) respectively. Such results can be valuable in the studies and design of Accelerator Driven Subcritical Nuclear Reactors and Nuclear Waste Incinerators.

Stressors may influence chicken susceptibility to pathogens such as Salmonella enterica. Feed withdrawal stress can cause changes in normal intestinal epithelial structure and may lead to increased attachment and colonization of Salmonella. This study aimed to investigate modulatory effects of epigenetic modification by feed restriction on S. enterica serovar Enteritidis colonization in broiler chickens subjected to feed withdrawal stress. Chicks were divided into four groups: ad libitum feeding; ad libitum feeding with 24-h feed withdrawal on day 42; 60% feed restriction on days 4, 5, and 6; and 60% feed restriction on days 4, 5, and 6 with 24-h feed withdrawal on day 42. Attachment of S. Enteritidis to ileal tissue was determined using an ex vivo ileal loop assay, and heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) expression was evaluated using sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and western blotting. Feed withdrawal stress increased S. Enteritidis attachment to ileal tissue. However, following feed withdrawal the epigenetically modified chickens had significantly lower attachment of S. Enteritidis than their control counterparts. A similar trend with a very positive correlation was observed for Hsp70 expression. It appears that epigenetic modification can enhance resistance to S. Enteritidis colonization later in life in chickens under stress conditions. The underlying mechanism could be associated with the lower Hsp70 expression in the epigenetically modified chickens.

Background and objectives: Paraffin-embedded tissues and clinical samples are a valuable resource for molecular genetic studies, but the extraction of high-quality genomic DNA from this tissues is still a problematic issue. In the Present study, the efficiency of two DNA extraction protocols, a commercial kit and a traditional method based on heating and K Proteinase was compared. Material and Methods: Fifty paraffin-embedded blocks of colon cancer tissues (more than 5 years old) were used to compare two methods of DNA extraction. DNA was extracted by traditional method using heat and commercial DNA extraction (Qiagen kit) method. Then the purity and concentration of extracted DNA were measured by Spectrophotometer. Two sequences of TLR4 “The most important receptors in innate immunity” were amplified by polymerase chain reaction. SH-1 ‘188bp’ and SH-2 ‘124bp’ were amplified and then the products were separated on a 2% agarose gel. Results: The results show that the yield of DNA by traditional method (297 mg/ml) is significantly (p

This paper discusses the stability of equilibrium points in coupled fractional oscillators. Coupled fractional oscillators are often used to model biological phenomena such as the flow of ions in two linked neurons via electrical coupling. In conjunction, the paper shows the equilibrium points and their asymptotic stability conditions. Simulations demonstrate the main differences between the integer model and the fractional order model based on stability. We conclude that the stability of coupled fractional oscillators is as stable as its integer of order one.

The authors investigated the prevalence of low bone mass in patients from Tehran, Iran, with beta-thalassemia major (n = 203), aged 10-20 years, and the potential risk factors for osteoporosis in this patient population. Prevalence of osteoporosis was 50.7% in lumbar spine, 10.8% in femur, and 7.9% in both regions with no significant difference between the two genders. The following factors were associated with low BMD: height for age and weight for age below 3rd percentile, delayed puberty or hypogonadism, age when Desferal (for iron chelation) was started, duration of Desferal therapy, and serum zinc. Low serum copper and 25(OH)D were not associated with low BMD.

The prevalence of allergic disorders has increased markedly throughout the world over the past three decades. It seems probable that the increased prevalence is real because longitudinal studies have shown a rapid exponential increase in allergic disorders. In order to determine the prevalence of type 1 allergy in patients with allergic disorders in Sistan-Blouchestan province, in the Southeast of Iran, patients referred to Immunology and Allergy Medical Center of Khatam Hospital during a 7-year period were studied. One thousand two hundred and eighty-six patients (554 males and 732 females), aged 2-79 years, had allergic disorders. The most frequent allergic disease was rhinitis, seen in 959 patients ( 74.57%). Also, 939 patients had a history of sinusitis (73.02%). Among the skin prick test(SPT)-positive patients, a positive prick test reaction to the house dust mites (89.74%), feathers (70.29%), and Aspergillus (65.08%) was most common, followed by Alternaria (57.39%), Cladosporium (47.12%), grasses (43.39%), trees (41.29%), Penicillium (39.19%), fruits (38.41%), and weeds (32.50%). Also, 30.33% of the subjects were sensitized to Hen's egg in the prick test, walnut (29.16%), cow's milk (21.46%), beef meat (19.21%), and hazel-nut (15.32%) accounting for other positive reactions. The prevalence of SPT-positive to common allergens is high among Iranian patients with allergic disorders. So, it should be recognized in the diagnosis of allergic diseases as well as in allergen-reduction programs.

Long-lived isotopes can be transmuted into stable or short-lived elements either by neutron captures or neutron induced fission. The need of a large excess of neutrons has led to the use of accelerator driven sources (ADS). A series of experiments were carried out at the Synchrophasotron/Nuclotron of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) Dubna, using protons of 1.0 GeV. Solid Lead and Uranium targets surrounded by paraffin moderator were irradiated. On the outer surface of the moderator a number of Solid State Track Detectors were placed to monitor neutron spatial distribution. The results showed that the maximum neutron production was reached within the range of one to two proton mean free paths in the target. Then decreasing neutron production follows the proton beam attenuation along the target. Moreover, the results showed both targets neutron production evolution along the target, to be the same. However, neutron flux per incident proton is depended on the target mass, which was found to be higher for the heavier target.

Experiments using 1.5 GeV, 3.7 GeV and 7.4 GeV protons from the Synchrophasotron, LHE, JINR, Dubna, Russia, on extended Pb- and U-targets were carried out using SSNTD and radiochemical sensors for the study of secondary neutron fluences. We also carried out first transmulation studies on the long-lived radwaste nuclei 129I and 237Np. In addition, we carried out computer code simulation studies on these systems using LAHET and DCM/CEM codes. We have difficulties to understand rather large transmutation rates observed experimentally when they are compared with computer simulations. There seems to be a rather fundamental problem understanding the large transmutation rates as observed experimentally in Dubna and CERN, as compared to those theoretical computer simulations mentioned above.