Structural Evolutions of Nanostructured CoAl Intermetallic Compound during Mechanical Alloying and Subsequent Heat Treatment

Nanostructured B2-CoAl has been successfully synthesized directly by MA of nominal composition of Co50Al50. The CoAl phase was found to be formed in an ordered structure via a gradual reaction which completed in less than 10 h. However, further milling up to 45 h led to disordering of the CoAl with a relatively constant long-range order parameter of 0.82. Lattice parameter measurements showed that disordering of CoAl was caused by triple defect mechanism. The results of isothermal annealing showed that the grains grew after isothermal annealing up to 0.7 Tm but still remained below 100 nm. The grain growth behavior was well described by the parabolic kinetics equation. The grain growth exponent remained constant above 873 K offering that grain growth mechanism does not change at high temperatures. The grain growth exponents and activation energies offered the mechanism of diffusing Co and Al atoms in the two separate sublattices at high temperatures. The equation 4 4 13 D D0 6 10 exp 175 RT t was suggested to describe the grain-growth kinetics of nano-crystalline CoAl during isothermal annealing at temperatures above 0.5Tm (873 K). When you are citing the document, use the following link http://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/3511

Designing the customer (insurers) satisfaction model of the Iranian insurance industry emphasizing Iranian-Islamic characteristics

The present study aim was to designing a model to create satisfaction for insurers in the insurance industry of Iran (according to Iranian-Islamic characteristics). It should be noted that according to the methodology presented for this research, the approach of this research has been qualitative. The qualitative modeling process of this research, which was carried out in the grounded theory method, formed the conceptual model of research. The statistical population consisted of a group of experts. Also, in this research, a deep and unstructured interviewing tool was used to data collection. Finally, the results of the research led to the presentation of a model of satisfaction process for insurers in the insurance industry of Iran (according to Iranian- Islamic characteristics). In terms of purpose, this research is applied, in terms of method is qualitative and in terms of approach is survey-exploration.Keywords: Customer Satisfaction, Insurance Industry, Grounded Theory (GT

Effects of Indigenous Spore-Forming Probiotic as Feed Supplement on Performance and Safety in Broilers

ΔΕΝ ΔΙΑΤΙΘΕΤΑΙ ΠΕΡΙΛΗΨΗProbiotics colonize the intestine of animals and birds and provide useful effects on their performance and immune status. This study describes a high throughput screening and characterization of spore-forming bacteria from Iranian poultry farms with the aim to identify potential probiotic native Bacillus spp. and determine its effects on growth performance, hemato-biochemical parameters, immunity, intestinal microflora, morphology and MUC2 gene expression of broiler chickens. A total of 300 one-day-old female Ross 308 broilers (42.6 ± 0.6 g) were used in a 6-wk study. Broilers were randomly allotted to 1 of 3 dietary treatments consisting of 4 replicate cages with 25 broilers each: 1- Control (Corn-soy-based diet: C), 2- C + 200 g/ton of the GalliPro® (Bacillus subtilis DSM 17299, 4×109 CFU/g, as positive control group: PC), 3- C + 200 g/ton of the native probiotic (B. tequilensis K03, 4×109 CFU/g: NP) identified in this study. During the experiment parameters were measured weekly. The results revealed that birds of the NP and PC groups exhibited improved feed conversion ratio (FCR) and increased body weight (BW), carcass and breast meat yield compared with the birds of the C group (P<0.05). Also, lymphocytes level, antibody titers against Newcastle diseases virus (NDV) and infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) of vaccinated birds were increased, while serum triglycerides, total cholesterol levels and abdominal fat of birds fed NP and PC were decreased compared to birds of the C group (P<0.05). The villus height, the relative expression of MUC2 gene and Bacillus spp. populations were increased, while E. coli was significantly decreased in the ileum content of treated groups (P<0.05). These results indicate that the identified native B.tequilensis K03 strain can improve immunity and broiler performance by modifying intestinal microflora and morphology. Studied native probiotic Bacillus tequilensis K03 has useful effects on health status and it can be used as poultry feed supplement

Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) extract prevents and improves D-galactose and NaNO2 induced memory impairment in mice

This study was conducted to examine the effects of saffron extract on preventing D-galactose and NaNO2 induced memory impairment and improving learning and memory deficits in amnestic mice. In this study, the learning and memory functions in ovariectomized mice were examined by the one way passive and active avoidance tests. In active avoidance test, training in amnestic treated (AT) and amnestic prophylaxis (AP) groups, was improved so that there was a significant difference between them and the amnestic control (AC) group. In passive avoidance test, animal’s step through latency, as an index for learning, in all test groups was significantly greater than control group. Total time spent in dark room (DS), which opposes the memory retention ability, in AC was significantly greater than AT group at 1 and 2 hours after full training, while there was not any significant difference between this index in AP and AT as compared with normal control (NC) group. Our findings indicate that saffron hydroalcoholic extract prevents and improves amnesia induced by D-galactose and NaNO2 in mice

Growth, survival and stress resistance of tiger barb (Puntius tetrazona) larvae fed on linseed oil-enriched Artemia franciscana nauplii

Effect of feeding on linseed oil (LO)-enriched Artemia was investigated on growth, survival and stress resistance of tiger barb (Puntius tetrazona) larvae. Larvae were fed by LO-enriched (2.5, 5 and 7.5%) as well as non-enriched Artemia nauplii for 14 d, followed by 14 d feeding on non-enriched Artemia. Fish fed on enriched nauplii showed significant increase in growth performance at both 14th and 28th d. Also, fish fed on enriched Artemia, especially those fed on 7.5% LO, showed greater resistance in response to osmotic and hypoxia stress at 28th d. The results suggest that LO enriched Artemia nauplii are capable to promote growth and stress response in tiger barb larvae

Evaluation of effects of physico-chemical factors on chlorophyll-a in Shadegan International Wetland - Khouzestan Province - Iran

Measurement of chlorophyll-a can be considered important to investigate the primary production of an ecosystem. This study aimed to investigate chlorophyll-a concentration, primary production and the factors affecting them in Shadegan Wetland located in Khouzestan Province - Iran. Sampling for measuring (NO3, PO4, BOD5, DO, pH, EC, salinity, temperature) was performed seasonally at five sampling stations of the wetland (Canal, Ragbeh, Khoroosi, Mahshahr and Atish), from March 2013 – through February 2014. Results showed that chlorophyll-a concentrations in Canal station were significantly higher than that in the other stations; however, there were no significant differences among the other sampling stations (p>0.05). The maximum and minimum primary production (and chlorophyll-a) (62, 1.14 mg/m^3) were observed at Canal and Ragbeh stations, respectively. Annual average chlorophyll-a concentration was 10.28 mg/m^3, and there was no significant seasonal difference (p>0.05). The maximum value of chlorophyll-a was observed in the fall (29.63 mg/m^3), whereas, the minimum value was related to the spring (4.07 mg/m^3). Among the water physicochemical parameters, nitrate had a significant effect on chlorophyll-a concentrations. According to trophic state index (TSI), Shadegan Wetland is mesotrophic in the spring and winter, whereas it is eutrophic in the summer and fall. Overall, the lake is suitable for warm water species

Age structure and growth rate of (Squalius cephalus Linnaeus, 1758) in Tuji tributary from Talar River, Mazandaran Province

A structure and growth pattern of Squalius cephalus (Linnaeus, 1758) in Tuji tributary of Talar River, Mazandaran Province, was studied during the period from August 2008 till August 2009. In total, 298 fish were caught by electrofishing and fixed in 10% formalin. The weight and length of fish were measured and the age was determinated by scallometric method. The age data showed that fishes were between 0+ to 4+ age groups. Pauli`s applied growth pattern showed a positive alometric for male and female and total fish and a negative isometric for unmature fishes. The average instantaneous growth rate of European Chub showed that the age groups 2+ and 3+ with 1.1 had the fastest growth compare to 3+ and 4+ age groups with 0.89. Condition factor of specimens showed that the highest one with 1.58 (r2 = 0.983) belong to females and the lowest with 1.17 (r2 = 0.901) belong to unmature fishes. The total sex ratio (123 males to 115 females) showed no significant differences between them

Developing project portfolio management model for innovation projects using grounded theory: a case of Iran’s power industry

The aim of the article. Survival in a dynamic competitive environment often requires consistent produce of successful new product and services; therefore, implementing an effective Project Portfolio Management (PPM) in the organization can improve innovation decisions and outcomes of new products, thereby lead to higher competitive advantage. This Paper aims at discovering the causal relationship of Innovation Project Portfolio Management (IPPM) performance. The results of the analysis. Qualitative research design was chosen for this study and through using semi-structured and in-depth interviews with 24 experts in five Iranian organizations producing equipment of the power industry, we use a grounded theory approach to develop a general model of what drives IPPM in detail and how these causes are related to effects on both project performance and business performance. According to the findings from these qualitative data, effective IPPM is the result of three areas of capabilities: IPPM Process, IPPM structure, IPPM people. These causal relationships are moderated by project context. Also the findings show that performance of IPPM consist of an integrated elements of Strategic alignment, portfolio balance, resource fit and value maximization. In the other hand, IPPM performance has influences on project performance and business performance. Finally, a set of propositions regarding the key performance drivers of IPPM were developed. Conclusions and directions of further researches. In conclusion, this study contributes new insights to the emerging research on IPPM. While most IPPM literature is still a theoretical, this paper develops IPPM in the context of the Iran's power industry. The qualitative research design used in this paper was appropriate for gaining an in-depth understanding how the IPPM capabilities and project context, and certain performance constructs are linked to each other. Our interviews revealed the importance of integrating model consist of the IPPM capabilities and project context. This study reveals potential relationships between identified independent and dependent constructs aiming to sophistically extend the current knowledge of IPPM. Consequently, this paper provides a framework for future empirical research in other industries in developing countries, which will potentially have significant implications for academia and managerial practice