Heavy metals in water represent a risk to health and ecosystems, their removal through new materials is a challenge for the industry. Research aimed to evaluate the removal of Pb and As by activated clay (AC). Clay was activated with sodium chloride, and phosphoric acid and then sonicated. A Pb and As synthetic solution was prepared at different pHs for removal with AC and natural clay (NC). AC reported 7.10 of PPC and NC 8.02, ? potential between - 41.15 and - 45.43 mV in pH range 4 to 12, FTIR allowed identify groups with chelating capacity, XRD test allowed to establish 97.24% crystallinity degree with 2.85 nm crystal size. Removal was observed in batches of 75.51% for As and 98.35% for Pb, with an adsorption capacity of 103.73 mg As/g and 107.21 mg Pb/g, showing a significant effect with pH medium. Clay activated by sonication improves metal ion removal in an aqueous medium.

The objective of this study was to know the effect of replacement of SMP with WPC70 on different physico-chemical, sensory and microbial quality whey protein enriched concentrated yoghurt. Preliminary trials carried out in our laboratory revealed that direct concentrated yoghurt can be prepared with 30% total solids (TS) containing 6.4% fat and 23.6% Solids not fat (SNF) which was comparable with control prepared with 14.0% TS having 3.0% fat and 11.0% SNF. To enrich concentrated yoghurt with whey protein, skim milk powder (SMP) was replaced with Whey protein concentrate (WPC70) at three different levels viz., 30, 40 and 50%. Sensory analysis revealed that yoghurt prepared by replacing 40 % SMP with WPC70 was comparable with control. As the level of replacement of SMP with WPC70 increased from 0 to 40%, physico-chemical properties like buffering capacity, syneresis, penetration value and time of setting also increased. Textural properties like consistency and firmness decreased from 829.62 to 281.50 g-sec and 363.09 to 260.75 g respectively. But adhesiveness and adhesive force increased from 11.94 to 16.97g-sec and 76.02 g to 91.14g respectively. There was no significant (P ≤ 0.05) change in the log counts of S. thermophilus and L. bulgaricus with increased level of replacement of SMP from 0 to 40%.

Different methods have been proposed for solution of the static transmission network expansion planning (STNEP) problem up till now. But in all of them, the transmission lines loading rate has not been optimized by binary particle swarm optimization (BPSO) algorithm. BPSO is a new population-based intelligence algorithm and exhibits good performance on solution of the large-scale, discrete and nonlinear optimization problems like STNEP. However, during the running of the algorithm, the particles become more and more similar, and cluster into the best particle in the swarm, which make the swarm premature convergence around the local solution. To resolve this problem and considering lines adequacy rate, in this study, expansion planning has been implemented by merging lines loading parameter in the STNEP and inserting investment cost into the fitness function constraints using an improved BPSO algorithm. The proposed algorithm has been tested on the Garver\'s network and compared with the decimal codification genetic algorithm (DCGA) and BPSO. The results show that the proposed improved BPSO based method by preventing the premature convergence is caused that the network adequacy is increased considerably in comparison with DCGA and BPSO.

The fishes of genus Alburnus (Rafinesque, 1820) have no commercial value, which is probably why its biology and, particularly, taxonomic status has not attracted much interest. Seven valid species of genus Alburnus are known in Iran, namely A. chalcoides, A. filippii, A. atropatenae, A. caeruleus, A. zagrosensis, A. mossulensis and A. hohenackeri. Because of wide distribution of the genus in Iran, its taxonomic status needs urgentmore detailed studies. The present study was intended to have some contributions to the knowledge of poorly known morphology of this genus, in Iran. In order to compare morphometric and meristic characteristics of the genus, all the seven species were caught during the year 2010-2012 by electrofishing. Twenty-eight morphometric measurements, together with ten meristic traits, were used in the analyses including: Univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) and multivariate sense, principal component analysis (PCA), discriminant function analysis (DFA), Canonical discrimination analysis (CVA) and cluster analysis (CA). The ANOVA revealed significant differences in 28 morphometric and 5 meristic factors (P<0.05). Principal component analysis (PCA) results from morphometric and meristic data also indicated that all specimens had 74.289% changes in 8 factors of the first morphometric characters and 85.953% changes in 3 factors of the first meristic characters. Plotting the first and second principal components of meristic characters showed that A. atropatenae and A. filippii had high degree of overlap with together, while another species had thorough separation from each other. In discriminant function analysis (DFA), the proportion of individuals correctly classified into their original groups was 97.4% and 94.1% for morphometric and meristic characteristics, respectively. The results of the present study suggest that all sampling sites represent independent specieson their own. The present study provides basic information about the differentiation of Alburnus species from different localities in Iran.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the motivational beliefs of preparatory class students to learn a foreign language. The research was carried out utilizing a mixed method where quantitative and qualitative data were used together. The sample chosen purposively consists of 211 students attending the School of Foreign Languages at Yıldız Technical University. As a quantitative data collection tool, the motivational beliefs dimension of “Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSQL)” was used. Qualitative data were collected via two open-ended questions which were asked to determine motivational beliefs of the students. Quantative data were analyzed via t-test and ANOVA statistics while qualitative data were analyzed through descriptive analysis. For quantitative results, the findings initially indicated that there was a significant difference in motivational beliefs between male and female students in favour of female students. Secondly, there was a significant difference in motivational beliefs associated with self-efficacy and test anxiety depending on English proficiency level of the students. Thirdly, the resource of motivation did not constitute a significant difference in motivational beliefs. Finally, qualitative findings revealed that an enjoyable learning atmosphere motivated the students to learn English.

D-chiroinositol (pinitol) is structurally related to the phosphatidylinositol phosphates which participate in the insulin signalling pathways to stimulate glucose transport. Pinitol was reported to have insulin like properties. QSAR descriptors of pinitol were calculated using Chem Draw Ultra 8.0 and Chem3D Ultra 8.0. Electronic, steric, and thermodynamic properties of pinitol molecule were calculated by using various computation servers. Steric properties of pinitol molecule were calculated using Topology Indices Server Computations. Electronic parameters of pinitol molecule were calculated using MOPAC Server. Thermodynamic properties of pinitol molecule were calculated using CLogP Server, MM2 Server and CLogP Server Computations. These QSAR parameters of pinitol molecule may be useful in designing further more potent antihyperglycemic leads and in molecular docking studies using protein data bases.

Density, viscosity and sound speed of DL-alanine in aqueous galactose solution at varying concentrations from 0•1035-1•0345 m at 298, 308 and 318 K have been determined. They have been measured by using precalibrated bicapillary pycnometer, Ostwald’s viscometer and single frequency ultrasonic interferometer at 2 MHz frequency respectively. The derived acoustic parameters like acoustic impedance (Z), intermolecular free length (Lf) and relative association (RA), internal pressure (πi), free volume (Vf), adiabatic compressibility (β), hydration number (nH) and Gibbs free energy (ΔG) have been calculated. All the measurements have been carried out in a thermostatic controlled refrigerated water bath with circulating medium with an uncertainty of ±0•1ºC. Positive B-coefficient value indicates structure making effect.

The study examined the export performance of Rubber from Nigeria within 1961 – 2010. It specifically assessed the export performance of rubber; examined its export growth rate and estimated the level of competitiveness of the crop on a Spanish market. Published national aggregates on specific trade and macroeconomic variables from reputable secondary sources were used. In the course of data analysis, descriptive statistics, Log quadratic trend equation, Export Performance Ratio (EPR) and Error Correction Model (ECM) were employed. Prior to estimation, Unit root and Cointegration tests were conducted. The results revealed that Nigeria has comparative advantage in the export of rubber but the degree of the advantage is on the decline. Rubber export had a compound growth rate of 0.7%. Demand for rubber by Spain was affected by export price of the substitute crop and income of the importing country in the long run. Income of the importing country and lagged quantity demanded influenced demand negatively in the short run. Marginal cost of rubber, on the other hand, was influenced by lagged export quantity, variable cost of production and export costs in the long run. Market power coefficients for cocoa were -0.626 and -0.005 in the long and short run respectively. Rubber had a market power coefficient of -0.360 and -0.214 in the short and long run respectively. It was found that rubber gave an index of 0.878 and 0.522 On the basis of the result, allocation of more resources to the export crops through deliberate budgetary allocation, presidential initiatives and monetary policies are necessary

In order to study the effects of irrigation-off at some growth stages and zinc sulfate spraying on the concentration of different elements in corn hybrid K.S.C 704, an experiment was done in summer 2011-2012 in the form of split plot based on randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The main factor included irrigation with three levels (complete irrigation (control), irrigation-off at tasseling stage, and irrigation-off at milking stage). The second factor included zinc sulfate spraying with four levels of (without spraying, spraying at the stage of eight leaves, spraying at the stage of twelve leaves and simultaneous spraying at the stages of eight and twelve leaves). The results indicated that the highest concentration of Zn, K, Fe, P, Na and the percent of grain nitrogen is related to the irrigation-off at the tasseling stage and the least concentration was at the complete irrigation stage. Considering spraying, the highest concentration of Zn, Na and P was at the spraying treatment at the eight leaves stage and the least was at the without spraying treatment. The correlation of irrigation and zinc sulfate was not significant on the concentration of any of the elements except for the concentration of Mn. In general, irrigation treatment had no significant effect on the concentration of measured elements, while zinc sulfate spraying significantly increased the concentration of Zn, P, Mn and the percent of the grain nitrogen. It seems that with the consumption of Zn, the plant ability to regulate the amounts of Zn, N, and P increases so that they will be absorbed at the right amount by the roots and will be sent to above ground parts but because of the negative interaction of Zn and Mn, with the increase in Zn in grain, the Mn concentration decreases.

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of different levels aqueous extract of Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) on production performance and immune response of Laying hens. A total number of 240 white Lohman LSL-Lite laying hens at 65 weeks of age were used in this experiment. Four levels of Fenugreek extract including zero (T1), 5ml (T2), 10ml (T3) and 15ml (T4) per liter of drinking water with 6 replicates (n=10) were used during 6-week trial period. The hens performance including hen-day egg production % , feed intake, egg mass (g/hen/day) and feed conversion ratio (FCR, g feed: g egg) was measured. Antibody production against sheep red blood cells (SRBC) also was measured. The general linear model procedure of SAS software was used for data analysis and differences among treatment means determined using the Duncan’s multiple-range test. The results showed that the inclusion of Fenugreek extract had a significant effect on production performance of laying hens (P<0.05). In addition, Fenugreek extract to the drinking water improved immune response of laying hens and a more positive effect was observed when 15 ml/l added to the water. From the results of the present experiment it could be concluded that utilisation of Fenugreek extract to the drinking water were effective for improving the production performance and immune system of laying hens.

The aim of this study was to investigate the health risks associated with the man power working in the cement factories at Kashmir, India. In order to study the health hazards of cement factory on workers, three cement factories were considered for the studies which includes; JK Cements Ltd. Khrew, Saifco Cements Ltd. Khonmoh and Khyber cements Ltd. Khonmoh Kashmir, India. Total of 10% of employees in three cement factories were considered for the studies. The workers were administered with the standard format questionnaire which was followed by personal interviews. The results indicate a visible impact on health of workers and during summers the health related problems increases.

The aim of this study was to determine effects of liquid supplement of vitamin E and Selenium (Certiselen E®) on performance and immune response of laying hens during high environmental temperature. A total number of 144 white Lohman LSL-Lite laying hens at 63 weeks of age divided into 24 cages. Four levels of Certiselen-E supplement including zero (T1 or control), 0.5 (T2), 0.75 (T3) and 1.0 (T4) ml per liter of drinking water with 6 replicates (n=6) were used during 4-week trial period. The hens performance including hen-day egg production % , feed intake, egg mass (g/hen/day) and feed conversion ratio (FCR, g feed: g egg) was measured. Antibody production against sheep red blood cells (SRBC) also was measured. The general linear model procedure of SAS software was used for data analysis and differences among treatment means determined using the Duncan’s multiple-range test. The results showed that the inclusion of Certiselen-E had a significant effect on production performance of laying hens (P<0.05). In addition Certiselen-E supplements improved immune response of laying hens and a more positive effect was observed when 1 ml/L added to the drinking water. From the results of the present experiment it could be concluded that utilisation of Certiselen-E in drinking water were effective for improving the performance and immune system of laying hens.

Aluminum toxicity is one of the major limiting factors for crop production in acid soils. Exposure to this metal can cause changes in gene expression and lead to various signs of toxicity in plants. Gene expression of two cultivars of colza plant was analyzed using differential display - PCR technique under aluminum stress. Through the analysis and screening of experimental conditions and primers combination, a number of different bands of Opera cultivar were obtained. By submitting to GeneBank and BLAST comparison, identified chloroplast-related gene fragment.

Employing Remote sensing and Geographical Information System (GIS), morphometric analysis was carried out for Shakkar River catchment (area = 2220 km2) using satellite imageries and topographic maps on a scale map of 1:50,000 to determine its drainage characteristics. Exhibiting a dendritic drainage pattern, the drainage density of the study area varies from 2.84 to 3.67 km/km2 which observed that area is highly permeable and structurally controlled. The bifurcation ratio varies from 3.49 to 5.52 and the elongation ratio vary from 0.47 to 1.00, whereas value nearing 1 are typical of region of low relief. The area is delineated in 8 sub watershed. The morphometric analysis reveals that sub-watershed 3 show lower value of Drainage density and Stream Frequency, Sub-watershed 6 shows low value Compactness Constant and sub-watershed 7 show lower value of Circulatory Ratio and Form factor. The relief aspect lower in the subwatershed 2. And the values of Average slope vary from 9.27 to 88.50%. This study of morphometric analysis characterizes the watershed and helps to understand the hydrological behaviour of the Shakker river watersheds.