Effects of Paper-Mill Sludge as a Mulch versus Topsoil Incorporation on Potassium Uptake and the Grain Yield of Rain-Fed Wheat in a High Specific Surface Loess Soil with Illite Dominance in Clay Fraction

A field experiment with rain-fed winter wheat investigated the nutritional aspects of paper-mill sludge as a mulch and incorporated into the topsoil. Treatments with chemical fertilizers were also used as controls. Paper-mill sludge used as mulch with high rate (100 MG ha−1) and also the combined N and K mineral fertilizer treatments increased yield when a low potassium otherwise caused potassium deficiency in wheat with high specific surface soil. High soil Ca : K molar ratio by incorporation lowered potassium uptake and yield, with visual symptoms of potassium deficiency. A very high Gapon selectivity coefficient (KG) for K exchange against Ca + Mg (16.58 (L/mole)0.5) produced a nonlinear normalized exchange isotherm in favor of potassium with these soils containing high illite. Ca and K which are released by sludge decomposition are diverged in soil when mobilized by rain infiltration, lowering Ca : K molar ratio. Low soil Ca : K molar ratio may be expected by surface sludge application relative to incorporation, due to greater rain infiltration through upper soil layers and their effluent pore volumes per unit depth. Ca from triple superphosphate by the P, N, and K mineral fertilizers combined also reduced potassium uptake and yield relative to N and K combined

Bipolar Sealing Device Use in Pancreas Graft Preparation: A Novel Tieless Backtable Surgery Technique

We describe here for the first time the utilization of a bipolar electrosurgical device (BED) during the pancreas graft backtable procedure

Entrepreneurial Personality Traits of Agricultural Students

The purpose of study was to identify entrepreneurial personality traits of agricultural students who were studying at Bu-Ali Sina University in 2013 academic year. The study has used a surveying methodology. The study's samples were 150 agricultural students both senior undergraduates and graduates which were selected by a randomized sampling method. Data collection tool was a structured questionnaire which its validity was verified by a group of extension and education professors and experts. The reliability of the questions were tested during a pre-test process using a Cronbach's alpha test and it was 0.85 (α=0.85). According to the results the trait "internal control" was the most important entrepreneurial characteristic of the agricultural students. The results showed a significant difference between entrepreneurial personality traits of both senior agricultural students in third and fourth year of their education. However, the results showed no significant difference between the agricultural students in the graduated and undergraduates levels in terms of their entrepreneurial personality traits. The results also showed a strong difference between the agricultural students at different agricultural fields of education according to their entrepreneurial personality traits

An Investigation of Iranian Virtual Universities Teachers’ Skills in Teaching These Courses

The main purpose of this research is, an investigation to Iranian virtual university  teachers having rate teaching skills in these courses. Virtual learning teachers need for a variety of teaching skills which are different from the attendance learning environment. Salmons e-moderator (2004) model is the basic model of this research that for researcher made questioner these were applied. For selecting research sampling, multi stage sampling method was used and 378 students from three virtual universities such as; Mehr e Alborz, Esfahan and Sahand were selected. Data analyzes with using descriptive statistical indexes and one sample T test showed, Iranian virtual university teachers have not most of virtual teaching skills such as; designing and mentoring instructional process, mastering in technological tools and student technical supporting, promoting students to deep thinking, evaluating learning process, presenting instructional objectives, designing learning activities and presenting feedback to students and respecting to individual differences. Also korscal valise test showed, these three universities were different in these skills

Staphylococcus aureus infections in children in an Iranian referral pediatric Hospital

Introduction. Staphylococcus aureus is associated with various infections ranging from skin and soft tissues such as surgical site infections and abscesses to lower respiratory tracts and blood- stream. The aim of this study was to evaluate underlying condi- tion of patients with S. aureus infections in an Iranian referral pediatric Hospital. Material and methods. Information was extracted retrospec- tively from the medical records of patients who were diagnosed with S. aureus infections. Data obtained about the study subjects included basic demographics, reason for admission, culture site, length of hospital stay, and methicillin susceptibility. Results. The underlyning condition of of patients with S.aureus infection during November 2011 and March 2013 were included in the study. The most frequent diagnosis in patients with S. aureus infection was jaundice (12%), abscess (10%), cellulitis (10%), wound infection (8%), septic arthritis (7%) and sezeire (5%). Wound was the most common infection sites among all subjects 34/98 (35%) following by blood (20/98, 20%) as well as skin and soft tissue (19/98, 19%). The proportion of MRSA infections among all S. aureus isolates was 79% (77/98) during the study period. In addition, 58/74 (78%) met the definition of Hospital-Associated Methicillin-Resistant S. aureus (HA- MRSA) infections and the rest; 20/24 patients (83%), were classified as Community-Associated Methicillin-Resistant S. aureus (CA- MRSA). Conclusion. In our study, the high frequency of MRSA was found not only in HA S. aureus but also in CA S. aureus isolates; there- fore, the strategic goals to optimize antimicrobial use includin

Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection among cystic fibrosis and ICU patients in the referral Children Medical Hospital in Tehran, Iran

Introduction. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the important causes of hospital-acquired infections in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and considered as a major determinant of morbidity and mortality in patients affected by cystic fibrosis (CF). The aim of this study was to investigate clonal diversity among randomly picked P. aeruginosa isolates of CF and the other hospitalized patients in ICU. Methods. Cultivation, identification, and antimicrobial suscep- tibility testing of P. aeruginosa isolates were performed using standard techniques. The genetic similarity of the strains was investigated by amplification of the Enterobacterial Repetitive Intergenic Consensus-polymerase chain reaction (ERIC-PCR) sequence. Results and discussion. Among 49 isolates, sixteen were isolated from 11 patients affected by CF and 33 came from an epidemiologi- cal investigation of 25 P. aeruginosa infected patients of ICU. Five clusters were generated for all isolates analyzed through ERIC-PCR genotyping. Two major clusters (B and C) were discovered in P. aer- uginosa isolates of ICU and CF patients during the whole period of this study. Fifteen unique antibiogram patterns obtained from all iso- lates and multi-resistant P. aeruginosa (MRPA) were identified in 23 isolates (47%). MRPA isolates were detected in all clusters (except A) while pan-resistant isolates were recovered only in cluster C. The high prevalence of related or identical isolates in CF and non-CF patients can be due to transmission of particular domi- nant clones in ICU ward. Therefore, enhanced infection-control may become necessary to prevent further spread of clonal strains

Checking the e-learning acceptability of Iranian agricultural higher education centers from the viewpoints of faculty staff and graduate students

Background and Objectives:E-learning is the newest form of distance learning and is called an approach to curriculum planning in which, in addition to using inclusive methods, computer tools and the Internet are used. The first generation of e-learning, or web-based learning programs, focused on providing physical classes based on educational content and the Internet. Today, many universities and educational institutions around the world have stepped in to design and offer e-learning programs and courses to meet the growing demand for education. One of the desirable features that can play an important role in increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of this type of training is the personalization of the learning environment according to the characteristics of learners. This adaptation is in order for the user to be able to benefit from the learning content and other services of the system according to their goals, knowledge and preferences, and the system, instead of treating everyone equally, treats everyone according to its own characteristics. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effective factors of e-learning adoption in agricultural higher education universities of Iran and to determine the most effective structures on the acceptance of this technology by the faculty members and graduate students. This research was performed to measure the acceptance using survey and the multivariate statistical technique of path analyses. Method and Materials: Statistical population of this research consisted of faculty members and postgraduate students in Iran’s higher agricultural education centers. Total Cronbach Alpha of the questionnaire, for the reliability of the 68 items of the questionnaire, was 88.5 % that is an acceptable figure which demonstrates the high reliability of the questionnaire. In total, 646 questionnaires were collected from 4 universities (Tehran University, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hormozgan University and Torbat Heydariyeh University). After multivariate statistical analysis ‘Path analysis’ and through calculating Beta Coefficients for different routes, the importance of each path was determined. Findings: The results showed that if members of the faculty and postgraduate students of higher education of agriculture in Iran get this reflection that the use of e-learning to carry out their educational activities is useful and reliable at higher agricultural education centers, even those people are not consistent with their subjective norms and have risks, they will continue to use e-learning. From the perspective of the respondents, e-learning is a safe and appropriate education. Therefore, possible risks in such training in virtual environments does not affect their attitude towards this type of training. Conclusion: Therefore, it can be said that if faculty members and graduate students of agricultural higher education in Iran come to the mentality that using e-learning to carry out their educational activities in agricultural higher education centers is "beneficial" as well as "reliable”, even if it is not compatible with their "mental norm" and has a "perceived risk", they will still use e-learning

The correlation of RNase A enzymatic activity with the changes in the distance between Nepsilon2-His12 and N delta1-His119 upon addition of stabilizing and destabilizing salts.

The effect of stabilizing and destabilizing salts on the catalytic behavior of ribonuclease A (RNase A) was investigated at pH 7.5 and 25 degrees C, using spectrophotometric, viscometric and molecular dynamic methods. The changes in the distance between N(epsilon2) of His(12) and N(delta1) of His(119) at the catalytic center of RNase A upon the addition of sodium sulfate, sodium hydrogen sulfate and sodium thiocyanate were evaluated by molecular dynamic methods. The compactness and expansion in terms of Stokes radius of RNase A upon the addition of sulfate ions as kosmotropic salts, and thiocyanate ion as a chaotropic salt, were estimated by viscometric measurements. Enzyme activity was measured using cytidine 2', 3'-cyclic monophosphate as a substrate. The results from the measurements of distances between N(epsilon2) of His(12) and N(delta1) of His(119) and Stokes radius suggest (i) that the presence of sulfate ions decreases the distance between the catalytic His residues and increases the globular compactness, and (ii) that there is an expansion of the enzyme surface as well as elongation of the catalytic center in the presence of thiocyanate ion. These findings are in agreement with activity measurements

Feasibility Study of Smart Schools Program (SSP) in Agricultural Technical High Schools (ATHS) of Kermanshah and Lorestan provinces

The aim of this research is a feasibility study of smart schools program (SSP) in Agricultural Technical High Schools (ATHS) of Kermanshah and Lorestan provinces. For this purpose the current possibilities and conditions of the ATHS have been examined in terms of infrastructural level, users' awareness and the teaching-learning environment. The research typology is a quantitative method through a surveying study. The statistical population was three groups include 1) administrators, 2) the students, and 3) the trainers with a number of 7, 563 and 85, respectively. Of those a number of 7 administrators, 228 students, and 71 trainers were selected as the samples. The data were gathered by research-made questionnaires and the assessment checklists. The questionnaire's questions were confirmed in terms of reliability and validity. The results showed that the level of infrastructure (hardware, software, and financial) as well as the knowledge level of trainers and students to SSP requirements were too low. The results revealed that the teaching-learning conditions to start the SSP at the ATHS were not in a proper status while the attitude of both trainers and students was positive towards the SSP