Incidence and distribution of seed-borne fungi associated with wheat in Markazi Province, Iran

53 seed samples collected from harvested seed loads of irrigated wheat fields in Markazi province in the central of Iran was used for this study. Isolation and identification of seed-borne fungi were conducted according to standard tests described by the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA). A total of 15 fungal species including Tilletia laevis, Tilletia tritici, Ustilago tritici, Fusarium graminearum, Fusarium culmorum, Microdochium nivale, Bipolaris sorokiniana, Alternaria alternata, Curvularia sp., Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus candidus, Aspergillus flavus, Penicillium sp., Mucor sp. and Rhizopus sp. were identified in three wheat cultivars of Backcross Roshan, Alvand and C-78-14. The average of infection level in tested samples to both T. laevis and T. tritici was estimated as much as 7.1% in the province and the minimum and maximum infection levels were found in Lilian (Khomein) and Jirya regions (Arak), respectively. The average of infection rate by U. tritici in seed samples was 1.3% while it was as much as 17.4% for both F. culmorum and B. sorokiniana in the province. The frequency of A. niger and Penicillium sp. was predominant with an infection range of 37.8 and 29.1%, respectively. For the first time, the incidence and infection level of seed-borne fungi in wheat seeds have been determined in the central part of Iran.Key words: Infection rate, seed-borne fungi, seed quality, wheat

Tunneling-induced ground movement and building damage prediction using hybrid artificial neural networks

The construction of tunnels in urban areas may cause ground displacement which distort and damage overlying buildings and services. Hence, it is a major concern to estimate tunneling-induced ground movements as well as to assess the building damage. Artificial neural networks (ANN), as flexible non-linear function approximations, have been widely used to analyze tunneling-induced ground movements. However, these methods are still subjected to some limitations that could decrease the accuracy and their applicability. The aim of this research is to develop hybrid particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm-based ANN to predict tunneling-induced ground movements and building damage. For that reason, an extensive database consisting of measured settlements from 123 settlement markers, geotechnical parameters, tunneling parameters and properties of 42 damaged buildings were collected from Karaj Urban Railway project in Iran. Based on observed data, the relationship between influential parameters on ground movements and maximum surface settlements were determined. A MATLAB code was prepared to implement hybrid PSO-based ANN models. Finally, an optimized hybrid PSO-based ANN model consisting of eight inputs, one hidden layer with 13 nodes and three outputs was developed to predict three-dimensional ground movements induced by tunneling. In order to assess the ability and accuracy of the proposed model, the predicted ground movements using proposed model were compared with the measured settlements. For a particular point, ground movements were obtained using finite element model by means of ABAQUS and the results were compared with proposed model. In addition, an optimized model consisting of seven inputs, one hidden layer with 21 nodes and one output was developed to predict building damage induced by ground movements due to tunneling. Finally, data from damaged buildings were used to assess the ability of the proposed model to predict the damage. As a conclusion, it can be suggested that the newly proposed PSO-based ANN models are able to predict three-dimensional tunneling-induced ground movements as well as building damage in tunneling projects with high degree of accuracy. These models eliminate the limitations of the current ground movement and building damage predicting methods

A study on the barriers of the implementation of social security act in the area of medical services in Alborz province

In this study, an analytical review was done on the historical process and contexts of welfare system and social security in order to analyze and evaluate the main features of this act especially in the area of medical services. It was also attempted to study the executive barriers of the appropriate implementation of social security act in the area of medical services and present appropriate solutions for the current problems and barriers. According to the status of the obtained data, X 2 test was used to test the research hypotheses and finally all 6 research hypotheses were confirmed. The obtained results showed that different factors of infrastructural, equipment, human, credit, tariff, and governmental involvement are the barriers of the appropriate implementation of social security act and affect their  implementation. Also, the result  of Friedman test showed that governmental  involvement with the mean score of 4/92 is in the first place of the barriers of the implementation of social security act in the area of medical services. Then, credit barriers with the mean score of 4/11 are in the second place and tariff barriers with the mean score of 4/01 are in the third place. Also, equipment barriers with the mean score of 2/86 are in the fourth place. According to the respondents, the barrier of infrastructural factors with the mean score of 2/66 is in the fifth place and finally human barriers with the mean score of 2/45 are in the last place of importance.Keywords: social security, comprehensive system, social security act, barriers of security ac

Biološka trajnost i tehnička svojstva toplinski modificirane topolovine

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of brown rot fungus Coniophora puteana activity on physical and mechanical properties as well as biological resistance of heat-treated poplar wood. Two poplar wood species (Populus deltoids and Populus nigra) were heat-treated by thermo-wood (Thermo-D) method. Control and heat-treated specimens were exposed to brown rot fungus C. puteana for 16 weeks. Physical and mechanical characteristics of specimens including density, compression strength parallel to the grain and impact strength were evaluated before and after exposure to fungus. Mass loss of specimens caused by fungal activity (MLF) was also calculated. In addition, the effect of thermal modification on laccase production by C. puteana was assayed. The highest mass loss due to fungal deterioration was observed in control specimens, coinciding with the highest substrate-enzyme interactions and constant decrease in detectable laccase levels. According to the results, thermal modification can be used effectively to protect poplar wood against brown rot fungus attack.Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je procijeniti utjecaj gljive smeđe truleži Coniophora puteana na fizička i mehanička svojstva te na biološku otpornost toplinski modificirane topolovine. Dvije vrste topolovine (Populus deltoids i Populus nigra) toplinski su modificirane postupkom thermo wood (Thermo D). Kontrolni i toplinski modificirani uzorci bili su izloženi 16 tjedana gljivi smeđe truleži C. puteana. Prije i nakon izlaganja gljivama određena su fizička i mehanička svojstva uzoraka uključujući gustoću, čvrstoću na tlak paralelno s vlakancima i čvrstoću na udarac. Također je izračunan gubitak mase uzoraka kao posljedica aktivnosti gljiva (MLF). Osim toga, ispitan je utjecaj toplinske modifikacije na stvaranje lakaze zbog djelovanja gljive C. puteana. Najveći gubitak mase, tj. najveća razgradnja nastala djelovanjem gljive zabilježena je na kontrolnim uzorcima, a to se podudara s najjačim međusobnim djelovanjem supstrata i enzima te s konstantnim smanjenjem detektirane razine lakaze. Prema dobivenim rezultatima, toplinska se modifikacija može učinkovito iskoristiti za zaštitu topolovine od napada gljiva smeđe truleži

Cone-Beam Computed Tomographic Evaluation of Artifact Effects of Three Different Sealers

Introduction: Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is one of the most important diagnostic tools in maxillofacial imaging. Nowadays different sealers are used in root canal therapy and some of them can create artifact in CBCT images. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different sealers including AH-26, Diadent, and Anyseal in creation of artifact bands in the CBCT images based on voxel size. Methods and Materials: A total of 44 single rooted extracted teeth were selected. The canals were prepared by crown-down technique. All teeth were manually filed up to master apical file (MAF) size 45 and 1 mm shorter than the apical foramen. The teeth were divided into 4 equal groups. The canals were filled with gutta-percha and either of sealers AH-26, Diadent or Anyseal by lateral condensation technique. The control group were filled just with gutta-percha without any sealer. The CBCT images were taken in voxel sizes of 0.3 and 0.15. The Fisher exact and McNemar tests were used for statistical analysis. Results: Although, the control group had the lowest ratio of presence to absence of artifact, the ratio of presence to absence of artifact in voxel size of 0.3 and 0.15 mm were significantly lower in Anyseal than AH-26 (P=0.031, P=0.020) and Diadent (P=0.001, P=0.002). No significant difference was detected between two voxel sizes (P>0.05). Conclusion: In this in vitro study, all evaluated sealers induced artifacts in the CBCT images. Anyseal sealer had the lowest artifact in both evaluated voxel sizes.Keywords: Artifacts; Canal Sealer; Cone-Beam Computed Tomography; Root Canal Filling Material; Root Fractur

The study of the rate of convergence in the stock exchange market of the persian gulf countries

Stock exchange is one of the main pillars and principles of the country’s economy and paying attention to this organization not only flourishes and promotes it, but also causes the growth and development of the national economy. For this reason, the factors that affect this organization should be analyzed to develop it through the obtained results. Sudden shocks of the market, global financial crises and the  increase of vitality of stock returns at an international level during the past years have created some concerns to managers and investors. The study of the presenceand absence of the effectiveness of global financial markets from each other can  significantly help the prediction of global crises and timely performance to these crises. This study used the stock price index of the Persian Gulf countries available on formal informational databases for 5 years (2005-2010) as daily in order to study the long-term convergence between the price index of the stock exchange in the Persian Gulf countries. In this study, the relationship between the indices was examined by correlation analysis method and the stationary of series related to  each country by the Augmented Dicky Fuller test and the long term convergence by Johansson cointegration method. The study results show the most of these countries have a high correlation and the relationship between these countries is significant. The results of Johansson cointegration test in the both tested methods of max-Eigenvalue proved 3 long term convergence equations and Static Traceproved 6 long term convergence equations at 0/05 significance level.Keywords: correlation, long term convergence, cointegration, price inde

Interaction of segmental tunnel linings and dip-slip faults—tabriz subway tunnels

In some subsurface urban development projects, bedrock faults intersecting with the tunnel path are inevitable. Due to the high costs of urban tunnel projects, it is necessary to study the behavior of such concrete structures under fault movement risks. Using an advanced 3D numerical finite difference code and a plastic hardening constitutive model for the soil, this paper examined the performance of the straight and oblique segmented structures of Tabriz Subway Line 2 under large deformations. The Tabriz Line 2 tunnel passes through a reverse fault called the Baghmisheh Fault. The fault–tunnel simulations were validated by centrifuge tests on the segmental tunnel for normal faulting. In the centrifuge tests and validation models, there was a maximum difference of 15%. According to the results of the Tabriz Line 2 tunnel under reverse faulting, segmental structures outperform no-joint linings when it comes to fault movement. During reverse fault movement, line 2 segments did not collapse but showed slight deformations. However, continuous structures collapsed under faulting, i.e., the structural forces created exceeded the section strength capacity. Among the segmental structures, the lining with oblique joints showed better behavior against faulting than the lining with straight joints. For better tunnel performance under fault movement, oblique joints should be used in segmental structures in faulting areas.(undefined