---

Landslides are natural disasters that annually inflict great damages to public and private properties which may associate with loss of life. In recent decades, research on developing methods for predicting the time of landslide has been one of the significant attempts made by scientists. Since in some type of material, landslides are preceded by undetectable movements that cannot be recorded and revealed by conventional instruments, recording the chemical changes of the water flowing out from the toe of the slopes susceptible to sliding can provide important and reliable indicators of landslide activities and early warning. In this study, changes in the chemical composition of water seeping out from the toe of an active landslide were investigated. This process was studied in a laboratory physical model, in which a sliding surface was simulated and the changes in the ion concentration of potassium (K), sodium (Na), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), sulfate (SO₄), chlorine (Cl), and bicarbonate as well as EC and pH in both stable state and in the conditions of slight rupture along the sliding surface were investigated. The results indicated that the appreciable chemical changes in the outflowing water, particularly changes in the concentration of some ions, could be used as suitable indicators for early warning of the landslide occurrence.

---

This experiment was conducted to determine the effects of three binding agents, including corn starch, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and urea formaldehyde (UFA) (in diets containing 42% soybean meal) on growth performance, pellet water stability and chemical composition of Litopenaeus vannamei. Shrimps with an average initial weight of 0.73 g stored in polyethylene tanks and fed experimental diets for 52 days (four treatments and three replicates). Biometric measurements of shrimp were carried out in two periods of 15 and 21 days. At the end of experiment results showed that the average final weight of shrimp fed the UFA binder is significantly lower than other treatments (p<0.05). Specific growth rate at three sampling periods (p<0.05) and at the end of experimental (p<0.01) was significantly affected by the type of binder, with the lowest SGR in UFA and highest in shrimps were fed control diet. Statistical analysis showed that chemical body composition of shrimp was not significantly affected by dietary treatments. In general, according to the results of diet stability, growth performance and feed utilization as well as shrimp body composition, corn starch is a good binder for whiteleg shrimp feed.

---

Aims: The present study investigated the effects of different levels using of mealworm (Tenebrio molitor L., TM) on the growth and feed performance, body composition and digestive enzymes of rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss.
Materials & Methods: Fish (8.58± 0.27 g) in a completely randomized design in 4 treatments and each with 3 replications. Rainbow trout with different levels of 0, 15, 30 and 60% diet (TM0, TM15, TM30 and TM60) (including 50% moisture) of live worm for 30 days. Data were analyzed by one-way (SPSS 17). When p values were significant (P<0.05), means were compared using Duncan's multiple-range test.
Findings: At the end of the experimental, there were significant difference between treatments in growth performance and feed utilization. The results revealed that fish growth parameters and efficiency of nutrient utilization tended to increase with increasing dietary TM levels from 0 to 60%. Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) was significantly reduced in fish fed the diet with the highest worm level (TM60). The treatments fed TM showed highest protein and lower lipid content compared to fish fed control diet.
The analysis of gastrointestinal enzymes showed that amylase, protease and lipase had a statistically significant difference between the control and other treatments. Protease and amylase activities were found to be significantly higher for fish fed the TM60 diet compared with fish fed TM0 diet.
Conclusion: The results showed that using 60% (TM60) of worm instead of the base diet can improve growth, carcass composition and digestive enzymes.

---

In the present study, the effect of phytohormone gibberellin on some physiological parameters of Tetraselmis suecica microalgae was investigated. Algae culture was performed under standard conditions with Gillard culture medium, temperature 25 ± 2 C°, light intensity 16: 8 (light/dark), salinity 25 ± 2 mg / l, and 24-hour aeration for ten days. Concentrations of 10, 20, 40, and 60 mg / l were added to the algae culture medium. Growth factors, pigments, photosynthetic factors, and biochemical composition were measured in the log phase. Based on results,  the highest rate of cell growth was observed in the treatment of 60 mg / l, although in other treatments there was a significant difference with the control (P <0.05). The highest amount of protein and carbohydrates was observed in the treatment of 60 mg / l (P <0.05). ). Total lipid content increased from 15.23 in control to 18.53 in 60 mg / l (P <0.05). Antioxidant potential, pigments, photosynthetic factors, and dry weight also showed a significant difference in the concentration of 60 mg / l compared to the control (P <0.05). The highest amount of chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b was observed at concentrations of 60 mg / l (P <0.05). Based on the results, gibberellin has a high potential for cell division, final density, antioxidant potential, cell size, and biochemical composition of Tetraselmis suecica. Also, Tetraselmis suecica can be a good candidate for marine aquatic larvae, drugs, antioxidants, and a rich source of compounds in biofuels.

---

Bacteria are used directly by zooplankton as a food source. The purpose of this study is to use straw as a substrate for the proliferation of bacteria in geomembrane pools and its effects on the production and biochemical compositions of Artemia. One week before Artemia culture, the pools inoculated with Dunaliella sp. and straw (particles less than 200 microns) as follows: treatment 1= geomembrane pool containing Dunaliella sp. (one week of algae cultivation), treatment 2 = geomembrane pool containing Dunaliella sp. and 0.5 grams per liter of straw (one-week algae cultivation and adding straw from the second week), treatment 3 = geomembrane pool containing Dunaliella sp. and 0.5 g/l of straw (algae cultivation and adding straw from the first week) and treatment 4= geomembrane pool containing 0.5 g/l of straw (adding straw from the first week). Artemia was cultured for 18 days and fed based on a turbidity depth of 15 cm. The highest growth rate was observed at the end of day 18 in treatment 3 (P<0.05). The highest amount of protein was obtained in treatment 1 (P<0.05). The highest amount of biomass was observed in the control and T3 groups (P<0.05). The presence of straw in Artemia pools decreased EPA fatty acid by 5-7 times less than the control (P<0.05). Artemia can grow while feeding on environmental bacteria. Applying straw in Artemia cultivation can lead to an increase in PUFA fatty acids with 18 carbon chains.

---

In this paper a neural network with a feed forward topology and a back propagation algorithm was used to investigate the effect of chemical composition on hardness and impact energy in API X65 microalloyed steel. Experimental data was obtained by cutting 100 specimens from pipes manufactured in industrial scale (with 1219 mm diameter, 14.3 mm wall thickness, with similar heats and manufacturing processes). The chemical analysis, Vickers hardness and Charpy impact tests were conducted then according to requirements specified by API 5L standard. The weight percent of C, Si, Mn, P, S, Ni, Cr, Mo, Al, Cu, V, Ti, Nb and Ca were considered as input parameters of the network; while Vickers hardness and Charpy impact energy were considered as output. Scatter diagrams and two statistical criteria: correlation coefficient and mean squared relative error were used to evaluate the prediction performance of developed ANN model. With regard to the exact performance of the developed neural network, it was used then to investigate the effect of chrome and vanadium on Vickers hardness and Charpy impact energy of tested steel.

---

Samples of grass pea seed (Lathyrus sativus) were prepared and analyzed for some chemical composition and as well for their anti-nutritional factors. The rumen degradability coefficients and post ruminal digestibility of dry matter and crude protein of unheated vs. oven heated samples were determined, employing in situ and in vitro techniques. Results indicated that grass pea seed contained a considerable level of crude protein (36%). The process of heating reduced (P< 0.05) tannins and Oxalyl DiAminoPropanoic acid (ODAP) content in grass pea seeds. Heat processing, especially 3 hours of heating, increased (P< 0.05) the slowly degradable fractions of the seed. Ruminal disappearance of DM and CP occurred at a lower rate (P< 0.05) for the heated grass pea seed than for the unheated seed. Heat processing did not affect the production of some such nutritional parameters (estimated through gas production method) as DOM, ME, NE_L, SCFA and MP production (P> 0.05). It was concluded that grass pea seed was of a substantial potential as a protein source in ruminant nutrition with its heat processing resulting in positive effects on its DM and CP digestibility.

---

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of steam treatment on nutritive value of date (Phoenix dactylifera) leaves. Date leaves were chopped and mixed with water or sulfuric acid solution to contain 50% moisture with or without 1% sulfuric acid. Steam treatment of the date leaves was carried out using three levels of steam pressure (14, 17 and 20 bar), three reaction times (120, 180, and 240 seconds) and two levels of acid (0 and 1 percent). The treated samples were analyzed for chemical composition including: cell wall components, ash, total extractable phenolics, water soluble sugars, and reducing sugars. Dry matter loss (DML), enzymic hydrolysis, and in vitro gas production of the samples were also measured. Results showed that steam treatment significantly affected (P< 0.05) cell wall components. An increasing trend was observed in DML by increasing harshness of treatment conditions. The lowest DML (12.7 g kg^-1) was observed in the auto-hydrolyzed (steam treatment without addition of exogenous acid) sample treated at 14 bar pressure and 120 seconds reaction time and the highest DML (78.8 g kg^-1) was observed in the acid-hydrolyzed (addition of 10 g kg^-1acid prior to treatment) samples treated at 20 bar pressure and 180 and 240 seconds reaction times. Steam treatment significantly (P< 0.05) decreased neutral detergent fiber (NDF) content but increased acid detergent lignin (ADL). Maximum changes in hemicellulose and water soluble sugars were observed in acid-hydrolyzed samples, in which hemicellulose decreased from 264.6 g kg^-1 in control to 72.2 g kg^-1 in the sample treated at 20 bar and 240 seconds and water soluble sugars increased from 14.0 g kg^-1 in the control to 101.8 g kg^-1 in the sample treated at 17 bar and 240 seconds. Enzymic hydrolysis of date leaves was improved after steam treatment and higher improvement was observed in acid-hydrolyzed samples. Gas production was significantly increased (P< 0.05) in all incubation times after steam treatment. The maximum increase in metabolizable energy (ME) estimated by gas production was from acid-hydrolyzed sample treated at 20 bar and 240 seconds. In auto-hydrolyzed samples, the biggest increase in ME was observed in the sample treated at 20 bar and 180 seconds. The results suggest that steam treatment could be used for upgrading the nutritive value of date leaves in the regions where date is grown and animals are encountered with severe feed shortage.

---

Hyssopus officinalis and frankincense (Boswellia carteri), as valuable medicinal herbs, are widely used in traditional medicine. Due to the increased resistance of pathogenic microorganisms to antibiotics and increasing of treatment costs, attentions has been focused to compounds of natural origin. In this study, Hyssop and Frankincense oils were extracted separately by water distillation. The essential oils components were identified by GC/MS. Determination of inhibition zone diameter and minimum inhibitory concentration were performed by disk agar diffusion and macro dilution methods, respectively. Wells with no discoloration were used to detect the minimum bactericidal (fungicidal) concentration. In this research, 24 and 22 compounds were identified in Hyssop and Frankincense, respectively. The main component of Hyssop oil was cis-3-pinanone (%28.2), and the main component of Frankincense oil was α- pinene (%22). Both Hyssop and Frankincense oils had the highest effect on Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus, and the lowest growth zone diameter was related on Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Also, it was found that the Candida albicans was more sensitive than Aspergillus niger against both essential oils (p<0.05). The results showed that plants are rich in secondary products such as terpenoids, alkaloids and flavonoids, most of which have antimicrobial activity.

---

Occurrence and growth of fungi may cause spoilage and reduce dramatically quality and safety of white cheeses. A considerable interest both in the industry and scientific research has developed on the preservation of foods by the use of essential oils (EO) to effectively retard fungi growth and mycotoxin production. Therefore, the aim of this work was to investigate the chemical compositions and antifungal properties of several Iranian EOs against fungi contaminating Iranian white cheese. In this study, the EOs including Trachyspermum ammi, Satureja hortensis and Mentha piperita were used. The chemical compositions of EOs were characterized using GC-MS. Antifungal properties of EOs against isolated fungi was determined by disk diffusion agar, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC). According to the results from disk diffusion tests, the most sensitive fungi against all EOs was Trichoderma harizanum. In this regard, Paecilomyces variotii, Aspergillus niger, and Aspergillus oryza were highly resistance against all EOs. Also, The results of MIC and MFC indicate that the most sensitive fungi to all three EOs of T. ammi, S. hortensis and M. piperita was T. harizanum with MIC values of 0.281, 0.250 and 0.562 µL/mL, respectively, and its MFC values was 0.562, 0.562 and 1.125 µL/mL, respectively. Also, among the studied EOs, T. ammi and S. hortensis showed the highest antifungal activity, while M. piperita showed lower antifungal properties in compared to the other two EOs. Based on the results, it can be said that S. hortensis and T. ammi EOs have good antifungal activities and can be used in food industries, medical pharmacology, health affairs, and antifungal elements.

---

This study was conducted in 2014-2015 to determine the effects of nitrogen (N) fertilization on yield, quality traits, and storage ability of two tomato cultivars, namely, ‘Calista’, for processing, and ‘Volna’, for fresh market. N was applied in doses of 0, 50, 100, and 200 kg N·ha^-1. Significant interactions were found between the studied years, N fertilization, and cultivars. Both tested cultivars produced high and similar yields in the year with good growing conditions during vegetation period. In the year with unfavorable weather conditions (lower average temperature, more total rainfall, and a smaller sum of GDD), cv. ‘Volna’ produced a significantly lower yield compared to the cv. ‘Calista’. N fertilization had a significant impact on yield, however, the reaction of cultivars varied in each years. In 2014, quadratic positive regression was found between N rates and yield of cv. ‘Calista’ (R²=0.90) and linear relation for cv. ‘Volna’ (R²=0.77). In 2015, however a linear positive regression was found for cv. Volna (R²=0.71) and cv. Calista (R²= 0.44). The chemical and physical parameters of tomato quality varied depending on the year of cultivation. On average for the studied years and cultivar, increasing N fertilization affected the lycopene and soluble polyphenols content, as well as total flavonoids and ascorbic acid content and antiradical activity. N rate did not affect dry matter and soluble solids content, fruit firmness, fruit redness, and acidity. Cultivar ‘Calista’ had significantly higher lycopene content and better fruit firmness than cv. ‘Volna’ for fresh market. Furthermore, the storage ability of tomatoes cv. ‘Calista’ was significantly better than cv. ‘Volna’.
 

---

The present study investigates the potential medicinal and health benefits of the Middle Eastern and North African herb Pistacia atlantica. Research shows that its compounds, such as flavonoids, phenolic compounds, and oils, could be beneficial. It can help with heart disease, sugar sickness, and brain illness because of its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory attributes. Also, P. atlantica can kill bacteria and help heal cuts. It might help fight cancer too. But we need to study more to know all its uses, enhance extraction techniques, and make sure it's safe and works well in tests with people. The review will focus on the pharmacological properties, constituents, and mechanisms of action of P. atlantica, discussing its traditional use in medicine, effects on inflammatory diseases, antibacterial properties, promise in cancer treatment, and potential for treating diabetes and other metabolic issues. The review aims to comprehensively understand P. atlantica's potential as a therapeutic agent and identify areas for further research.

---

Nowadays food industry, investigating bioactivity of different plant extracts and essential oils as natural additives and quality enhancers plays a great role for responding to food related health issues and the need of safe products with improved overall quality according to consumer’s diverse taste. In present study, chemical composition along with the antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of the coriander essential oil were investigated. According to the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) outputs, Linalool identified as the major component (52.40%) in the essential oil. Total phenol and flavonoid estimated about 75.60 mg GAE/g and 715.33 mg QE/g essential oil while antioxidant capacity of the substance evaluated and showed that unlike ABTS assay, essential oil in DPPH assay reached a higher level of radical scavenging slightly more than %50 (%51.95) at same concentration of 1000 ppm. The smallest and largest diameters of inhibition zones at disk diffusion agar method belonged to Shigella dysenteriae (14.10 mm) and Bacillus cereus (24 mm). Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) against Escherichia coli, Shigella dysenteriae, Salmonella typhi, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes and Bacillus cereus estimated 4, 8, 4, 2, 2 and 2 mg/mL while minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC) 256, 512, 256, 256, 128, 128 mg/mL respectively. Based on the overall results, coriander seed essential oil at certain concentrations could have a high potential as a safe food additive and a strong preservative for application in the industry.