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Background: Accumulation of triglycerides in the liver i.e. steatosis, is a well-known side-effect of tamoxifen administration to patients suffering from breast cancer. Cichoriumintybus (chicory) is a plant used as traditional medicine for curing liver disorders. In this study, the effects of extract prepared from chicory roots on tamoxifen-induced liver steatosis and related biochemical factors in animal model using rats has been investigated. Methods: Female rats of Wistar strain were divided into four groups and treated as follows; 1-Control: received vehicle; 2- Chicory root-extract treated: rats were given by gavage the aqueous chicory root extract (1 g/kg body weight/day for 14 days).3- Tamoxifen-treated: rats received tamoxifen (1 mg/kg body weight/day, for 7 days). 4- Tamoxifen+chicory-group: animals received tamoxifen (1 mg/kg body weight/day for 7 days) followed by chicory extract given by gavage (1 g/kg body weight/day for 14 days). After treatment, blood was collected by cardiac puncher, plasma was separated and plasma levels of glucose, total protein, triglyceride, cholesterol,LDL-C, HDL-C and activities of ALT, AST and ALP were measured. Liver tissues were homogenized used for measuring tissue triglyceride and histological examinations. Results: The data show that tamoxifen treatment caused a significant decrease in the level of serum cholesterol, HDL-C and total protein. However, serum ALT level was increased in tamoxifen-treated rats compared to controls. Increased serum ALT in tamoxifen-treated rats was recovered in rats treated with plant extract (tamoxifen+chicory-group). HDL-C and total protein levels were unaffected in rats fed chicory extracts. Tamaxifen-treated animals showed signs of liver steatosis as shown by histological examination and accumulation liver triglyceride. The steatosis markers such as accumulated triglyceride in liver was significantly reduced due to the plant extract treatments when compared to tamoxifen-group. Conclusions: Dietary extract prepared from chicory roots is effective in modulation of  tamoxifen-induced liver damage and steatosis.

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Background: Erythropoietin (EPO) is a glycoprotein hormone function to regulate the production of red blood cells. Deficiency of EPO is known to cause anemia in chronically infected renal patients and they require regular blood transfusion. Availability of recombinant EPO has eliminated the need for blood transfusion and now it is extensively used for the treatment of anemia. Glycosylation of erythropoietin is essential for its secretion, stability, protein conformation and biological activity. However, maintenance of human like glycosylation pattern during manufacturing of EPO is a major challenge in biotechnology. Currently, Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell line is used for the commercial production of erythropoietin but this cell line does not maintain glycosylation resembling human system. With the trend to eliminate non-human constituent from biopharmaceutical products, as a preliminary approach, we have investigated the potential of human emberyo kidney cell line (HEK293) to produce recombinant EPO. Methods: Initially, the secretory signal and Kozak sequences was added before the EPO mature protein sequence using overlap extension PCR technique. PCR-amplified cDNA fragments of EPO was inserted into mammalian expression vector under the control of the cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter and transiently expressed in CHO and HEK293 cell lines. After RT-PCR analysis, ELISA and Western blotting was performed to verify the immunochemical properties of secreted EPO. Results: Addition of secretory signal and Kozak sequence facilitated the extra-cellular secretion and enhanced the expression of EPO protein. Significant expression (P < 0.05) of EPO was observed in the medium from HEK293 cell line. Conclusions: HEK293 cell line has a great potential to produce glycosylated EPO, suggesting the use of this cell line to produce glycoproteins of the therapeutic importance resembling to the natural human system.

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Aim: Regarding the high prevalence of breast cancer among the Iranian women and lack of attention to mammography screening, planning the behavior promotion interventions would be practicable through determining the barriers of conducting mammography screening behavior. The purpose of this study was determining the barriers of conducting breast cancer mammography screening among the women over 40 years. Methods: The participants of this crass-sectional study consisted of 294 over 40-years old women in Arak-Iran who completed the questionnaire of mammography barriers. The questionnaire used was based on Champion's revised Health Belief Model Scale (CHBMS). Sampling was based on the population. All hygiene officers of the Health and Cure Centers of Arak were asked to randomly select some samples among the women over 40 years. In this way, all the city's areas were covered. Inclusion criteria were women over 40 years, not already suffering from breast cancer, or having a family member (mother or sister) affected by the disease. Findings: The findings revealed that the high cost is the main barrier (20.1%) of mammography screening among the population. Among the other reasons, one may point to fear of discovering a cancer mass (9.5%), painful procedures of mammography (7.1%), not knowing the mammography centers (6.5%), and shame of undressing for mammography (5.1%). Comparing the mean scores of the barriers based on the individual characteristics showed that the barriers of mammography screening according to education level (p=0.0001), insurance status (p=0.02), and economic status (p=0.0001) have significant difference. Conclusions: Regarding the barriers of mammography screening among the Iranian women, it is necessary that authorities apply solutions to reduce costs, and promote women's knowledge about the importance of early diagnosis of breast diseases through screening plans, especially mammography screening.

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This article discusses the democratization of access to higher education opportunities in Iran. Access to educational opportunities was studied through exploring the scores the national university entrance exams. The main research question was: "How the inequality in access to higher education opportunities is explained?" To solve this problem, we constructed a theoretical model on the basis of capital theory: Access to higher educational opportunities is the function of modernization of parents’ economic and cultural capital. The results showed that cultural capital weight in access to educational opportunities, is more than that of economic capital.

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Certainly the fair rewarding between personnel based on their productivity and performance which could motivate the employee and increase productivity of organization is one of the most important matters for managers. Obviously, allocating rewards and bonuses that result from productivity or other which has been defined from management should be justly and based on people effectiveness and efficiency. The purpose of this research is designing a productivity model for allocating bonuses through determining the productivity and performance indexes and then measuring and also analyzing, as well as allocating rewards and bonuses among employees based on their own productivity and performance. This is an applied research, uses descriptive statistics and the data are collected from random stratified sampling in Niro Mohareke Company.  Finally, the model which is confirmed and validated by experts and managers of Niro Mohareke Company, is used as a practical example in the Strategic dep.

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In this study, Trichoderma harzianum BI was evaluated for its capability to reduce the incidence and severity of the root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne javanica, and Fusarium wilt, F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici, as causal agents of a complex disease of tomato in the laboratory and greenhouse conditions. Initial in vitro studies revealed that the parasitism of M. javanica eggs by T. harzianum BI was up to 49.6%. In dual culture tests, maximum growth inhibition of F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersiciby T. harzianum BI (55%) was observed on the fifth day in laboratory. In greenhouse studies, the efficiency of treatments was appraised by using nematode-related factors such as diameter of galls, number of galls per plant, number of egg masses per plant and also incidence of Fusarium wilt. The antagonistic fungus was further tested for its ability to induce production of defense related enzymes in tomato. The activity of phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) was increasedsignificantly in the seedlings treated with the antagonistic fungus in comparison with control and its maximum amount was reached on the fourth day after inoculation with T. harzianum BI. Thus, the present study shows that in addition to direct antagonism, induction of defense-related enzymes, by T. harzianum BI that are involved in PAL pathway contributed to enhanced resistance against invasion of

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Iraq's geographical location is such that many seasonal and permanent rivers of the surrounding countries flow into it. Iraq itself lacks sufficient sustainable water resources to meet its development and infrastructure needs. Hence, the future of Iraq's security and development depends on the hydropolitical approach of the surrounding countries. Over the past decade and a half, Iran has controlled the outflow of water from the western borders of the country as part of a plan to organize and develop water and soil resources in the west of the country, which has reflected on the volume of water entering Iraq have been. The present article is of a practical nature, the methodology of descriptive- analytical text and data- based theory method is used and the required input is used by the library method and the use of data-based theory is based on the hypothesis that hydropolitics is policy-oriented. Iraqi foreigners will be more reflected in their interaction with the Islamic Republic of Iran. The results showed that with regard to the increasing limitation of water resources, increasing water consumption and reducing the inflow of Iranian border rivers to Iraq, which is associated with a threat to part of the country's water and food security, hydropolitics in the form of tension in the direction of Iraq's foreign policy in dealing with the Islamic Republic of Iran will be more reflected.

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This paper deals with the role of the Theatre of the Absurd in the evolution of the history of Iranian dramatic literature. In the modern art everyone in a way is involved in the question of modern technology. Mechanization has made its way into everyday life and has affected all its aspects.This effect is so immense that everyone is in way occupied with the same subject. One of the concepts evident in the works of European authors and playwrights is absurdity and inefficiency of the modern time and the people. This article investigates how the concept of the absurd is reflected in the plays of Gholam HosseinSaedi. It has been tried to present an analysis of how Theater of the Absurd and its pioneershave influenced Saedi’s plays.

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The general aim of this research is to determine the relationship between transactional-transformational leadership style of principals and organizational silence of teachers at Junior High Schools in Rey City in academic year of 2012-2013. In this study descriptive and correlation methods were applied. Statistical universe consisted of all teachers (1374people) of guidance schools in Rey City including 468 men and 906 women. 312 teachers including198women and114men, were selected by Stratified Random Sampling. Data gathered using two questionnaires including multifactor questionnaire of leadership by Bass and Avilio (2000) and the researcher-made questionnaire for organizational silence. Both questionnaire were reliable considering Cronbach's Alpha. The research data was studied and analyzed using enter and stepwise regression and T-test (2variables and 1variable). The results showed that transformational and transactional leadership styles of managers is able to predict 0/10 of teachers’ organizational silence. Among transformational leadership style dimensions, intellectul stimulation dimension has a negative and significant relation with organizational silence. Among transactional leadership style dimensions, management-by-exception passive dimension is a positively and significantly related to organizational silence.

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Aim: A theory-based research program can increase the participation of elderly people in terms of good nutritional behaviors. This study aimed at assessing the prediction of the nutritional improvement of elderly based on protection motivation theory (PMT).
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 200 elderly people over 60 years of age in the City of Hamadan in early April in 2016. The PMT-based questionnaire data were analyzed using measures of central tendency, dispersion, and independent t-tests.
Findings: The results showed that the knowledge item of the questionnaire had significant effect on all constructs of the model.
Conclusion: This study revealed that the PMT-based program had an effect on the improvement of nutritional performance of the elderly people; however, further investigations in other age and gender groups as well as using other educational methods are also recommended.

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Growth indices (WG and SGR), food (FCR) and protein efficiency (PER and PCE) of fingerling Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus,were evaluated in 3 synchronous examinations with 12 treatments in triplicates. Groups of control, canola meal (at rates of 25, 50, 75 and 100%), cottonseed meal (at rates of 15, 25, 35 and 45%), as the replacements of expensive protein sources (fish meal and soybean meal), and azolla (at rates of 13, 21 and 29% of diet) were studied. Growth indices, total food intake and protein intake of the control were the highest of all. They decreased with increase in plant protein in every group (p<0.05). FCR and protein efficiency indices didn’t show significant differences (p>0.05) between control and canola meal (at rates of 25 and 50%), cottonseed meal (at rates of 15, 25 and 35%) and azolla (at rates of 13 and 21%). Total food intake, protein consumption and growth indices decreased, because all plant protein ingredients were unpalatable. If the problem of palatability is solved, it seems that the expensive protein sources replace with canola meal and cottonseed meal at the rates of 50 and 35% respectively, and azolla can be used at the rate of 21% in diets. 

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Nasrin Mosaffa Assosiant Professor, Faculty of Law and Political, Science University of Tehran, P.O. Box 14155-6448 Since the adoption of U.N. charter in 1945 and later Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, U.N. organization continuously compiled a set of international human Rights instruments. With Universal acceptance, discussion around the human Rights norms in 1945 changed to legal obligations of states in international community. Although it is believed that the first and most important way for implement action of international Human Rights instruments is national support of them, in all over the world it is emphasized on the necessity of strengthening U.N. Human Rights mechanism for better and effective support of rights. U.N. mechanism are two parts: charter based and treaty based organs which their effectiveness relates to different factors. Structure, U.N. overall capacity and political interest are among them. Main purpose of this paper is to consider the two set of mechanism with special attention to U.N. Human Rights Commission and 6 treaty bodies, and also to evaluate their effectiveness and challenge.

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Purpose: In this study the inhibitory effect of Eucalyptus extracts as a natural and herbal antibacterial substance was evaluated against Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains (8821M and ATCC27853). Material and Methods: The MIC (Minimal Inhibitory Concentration) of alcoholic and aquatic extracts of Eucalyptus was determined using the tube and agar dilution methods. The growth rate of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in sub-MIC concentration of extracts was compared with the controls. Phenol coefficients of extracts were determined by the Ridal- Walker method. Result and Discussion: The MIC was 1:8(3.2 mg/ml) fold of the alcoholic extracts and 1:4(17.5 mg/ml) fold of the aquatic extracts. In the sub-MIC concentration of extracts, by increasing the Eucalyptus extract concentration, the growth rate was decreased. Phenol coefficients of the alcoholic and aquatic extracts were evaluated to be 0.0381 and 0.019, respectively. Conclusion: Results of this study indicated that crude aquatic and alcoholic extracts of Eucalyptus have inhibitory effects on the growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and in the sub- MIC concentration of extracts this value decreases. Overall, the plants indicated a wide range of antimicrobial activities which can lead to the detection of new antibiotics against resistant bacteria.

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In the present study, which is based on the material collected from Southern part of Caspian Sea, Iran during 2013- 2016, one parasitoid species of the genus Coccobius Ratzeburg was identified as Coccobius pistacicolus (Yasnosh, 1968) (Hym: Aphelinidae). This species, which is reported for the first time from Iran, was collected in Rasht, Guilan province, and reared from Lepidosaphes pallida (Maskell) (Hem.: Diaspididae) on Ficus carica (Moraceae). Diagnostic characters of C. pistacicolus are provided. 

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Backgrounds: Green synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) is a simple, fast, and eco-friendly method which could be performed by various microorganisms or plant extracts. Silver NPs are well-known as antimicrobial and anti-fungal materials. They play an essential role in the control of tumors via their cytotoxic effects. Therefore, they have attracted significant attention for developing an effective treatment solution for cancer cells. This study aimed to investigate the potential of Penicillium chrysogenum for the synthesis of silver NPs and to evaluate their toxicity on liver cancer cell line (HepG2).
Materials & Methods: After synthesis of NPs usingP. chrysogenum, characterization of the synthesized NPs was performed by UV–Vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was carried out to detect biomolecules that may be responsible for the synthesis and stabilization of NPs. The cytotoxic activity of the synthesized AgclNPs on HepG2 cell line was evaluated using MTT assay.
Findings: UV–Vis spectroscopy and XRD analysis confirmed the synthesis of AgclNPs using P. chrysogenum. TEM analysis revealed the spherical shape of AgclNPs with an average crystalline size of 15 to 45 nm. FTIR spectroscopy indicated the possible functional groups that could be responsible for the reduction of metal ions and the capping process. These nanoparticles showed a dose-dependent anticancer activity against HepG2 cells.
Conclusion: The results suggest that biosynthesized silver chloride nanoparticles could offer potential applications in cancer therapy.
 

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Deep understanding of biological and behavioral characteristics of trichogrammatid wasps, helps us for better and more efficient rearing of these parasitoids. In the current study, Trichogramma brassicae Bezdenko (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) was reared on Angoumois grain moth, Sitotroga cerealella (Olivier) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) for several generations and the effect of long-term rearing of the parasitoid on some of its attributes like parasitism capability, emergence rate, sex ratio, and wingless rate of adults was determined in both laboratory and insectarium conditions. The laboratory investigation showed that long-term rearing decreased fitness of the parasitoid, so that, parasitism rate and adult emergence rate decreased. By contrast, sex ratio and number of wingless individuals increased with increasing generations. Our results in insectarium were a little different. However, adult emergence rate had significant difference and trichocards quality decreased with increasing generations. The sex ratio in different periods had no significant difference. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in wingless rate in different rearing time periods. Accordingly, the parasitoid’s fitness was affected by number of generations in both conditions. Although, mass rearing under laboratory condition provided wasps with more desired traits than those reared in insectary, both decreased fitness of T. brassicae when number of generations increased.
 

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