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Employees form an image of an organization's support and as results, attention to organizational goals and their realization. Their psychological empowerment allows organizations to be more flexible and responsive to changes. On the other hand, organizations need employees who are willing to step beyond the formal requirements of a job. Due to importance of these factors, this study examines the relationship between psychological empow­erment on job performance, with organizational citizenship behavior as a mediator. Statistical population is employees of Alborz Insurance Branches in Tehran that are a total of 270. The simple random sampling used and according to Cochran formula a sample of 159 were selected. To collect required data, a standard ques­tionnaire of Chiang and Hsieh (2012) was used. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling based on Lisrel was used to assess the structural mo­del. Results of testing hypotheses suggest that OCB mediate the relationship betw­een psychological empowerment and job performance and perceived organi­zational support has effect on job performance, but this effect was not accepted on OCB. Also, psychological empowerment has effect on job performance and OCB, and OCB has effect on job performance. 

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Astaxanthin is a precious material and has many favorites for human; it is extracted from some creatures such as Haematococcus lacustris. Researchers try to maximize the production of this material. In this research effects of linoleic acid (LA), TiO2 and SiO2 Nanoparticles (NPs) were investigated on astaxanthin production, and expression of two astaxanthin metabolic pathway genes (CRTO and CRTR). The microalgae was cultured in BBM medium for 19 days autographically. In 3rd day, treatments were added to the cultures and astaxanthin measured in 3 days respectively in logarithmic and stationary phases, also RNA was extracted, Real-time PCR applied and Gene expression investigated in 11th. 30 µM LA and TiO2 NPs (40 mg L-1) induced 3.4 and 1.5 times astaxanthin production compared to the control, furthermore, CRTO and CRTR under 30 µM LA and SiO2 NPs (40 mg L-1) treatments displayed the highest gene expression. It was demonstrated that special concentration of Linoleic acid and TiO2 NPs, as inducers, could be used for astaxanthin production; also, Linoleic acid has a direct relationship with astaxanthin production and CRTO´s gene expression in the microalgae.

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Abstract: In seismic areas, a majority of old RC buildings have only been designed for gravity loads or according to outdated seismic codes. Before1970s, smooth rebars were also extensively used in RC structures. As these buildings are still functioning, they need to be reassessed against seismic demands. Load bearing behaviour of concrete structures reinforced with smooth rebars is considerably affected by the slip deformation of the plain rebars. In this study, a specific finite element model has been proposed for evaluating the seismic performance of these structures. The slipping characteristics of smooth rebars have been incorporated in this model. For this purpose, a tailored stress-strain property has been assigned to the steel fibers in tension. The model has then been calibrated/verified against several sets of experimental results from others. In general, satisfactory correlations have been noticed between the experimental results and the predictions from the proposed fiber element model. The model has also been used for a full seismic assessment of an existing RC building, having smooth rebars. In addition, the structure has been retrofitted with steel bracing, viscose dampers and base isolators' schemes and their nonlinear seismic performance has been evaluated using the proposed model.

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Today, nanosilver is one of the most commercialized nanomaterials. The demand for synthesis of Nanosilver through biocompatible routs due to wide biomedical application has increased. Use of plants and plant products as sustainable and renewable resources in the synthesis of nanoparticles is more advantageous over other biological routes. In this study, biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using aqueous extract of Withania somnifera as reducing agent is reported. Effect of parameters such as AgNO3 concentration, aqueous extract, pH and formation time were investigated and optimized by UV-visible spectroscopy in the synthesis of nanoparticles. At room temperature, the solution color started to change from pale yellow to dark brown due to the reduction of silver ion. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was applied for size and morphological analysis of nanoparticles. TEM result shows a spherical structure with an average size ranging from 24-35 nm for silver nanoparticles.
 

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The current paper deals with the cyclic softening/hardening and strain ratcheting behavior of circular steel tubes under repeated inelastic pure bending. A relatively simple closed-form solution is proposed to tackle the problem. Key physical features involved are the elastic after-effect, accumulated cyclic (creep type) ovalisation of the cross-section, cyclic plasticity including the Bauschinger effect, cyclic softening/hardening of the material and ratcheting effect. The moment-curvature formulation of the tube is derived in an ovalised configuration. Tvergaard stress-strain relation is used to describe the elasto-plastic stress–strain relationship of the material. This continuous nonlinear constitutive model considerably abridges the solution. A combined nonlinear kinematic/nonlinear isotropic hardening rule is used to describe the cyclic uniaxial stress-strain. The analysis of the low cycle pure inelastic bending of the tube is performed under a curvature-control regime. The cycle by cycle growth (creep type) in the ovalization of the cross-section is modeled using a modified version of the Bailey–Norton creep law. The model predictions are examined against a number of available test data on the inelastic monotonic and cyclic bending of tubes and reasonable agreements are observed.

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Differentiation among populations of the Iranian Teucrium polium L.was analyzed on the basis of morphological and phytochemical variability, to evaluate the level and distribution of diversity among four distant populations from arid, semi-arid, and sub-humid regions of Fars Province. Morphological analysis included 11 characters related to the plant, leaf, and stem morphology. Analyses of variances and clustering were done to establish the variability and significance of morphological differentiation. The morphological analysis of plants from the studied populations confirmed that the species belonged to malacophyllous xeromorphic species and were distinguished by stable conservative xeromorphic characteristics. Morphological variation was correlated with ecological conditions at the site of origin and there was a small difference between the plants belonging to arid and semi-arid populations and the sub-humid ones. Chemical analysis was performed using combination of capillary GC, GC-MS after fractionation on column chromatography. The chemical composition of their oil differed qualitatively and quantitatively between the populations. β-Caryophyllene was the major oil compound in the sub-humid and semi-arid populations, while the main compound of arid populations were farnesene-cis-b and linalool. In addition, oil samples from semi-arid and sub-humid populations contained β-bisabolene (1.6-2.2%), myrcene (0.9-1.1%), bornyl acetate (0.7-0.8%), and 3-octanol (0.6-0.8%), which were not detected in oil samples from arid populations. All oil samples, however, were dominated by hydrocarbon compounds. The relatively low morpho-chemical diversity in the populations indicates that the maintenance of their evolutionary potential is at risk if population sizes are not maintained and if there is no protection of the habitats.

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In this study, we try to evaluate the effect of ionic strength, pH and temperature of washing solutions on nitrate percentage in many leafy and root vegetable. For this purpose three edible solutions including NaCl as high ionic strength solution, baking soda (NaHCO₃) as basic solution and vinegar as acidic solution selected as nitrate losing agents for leafy vegetables (mint, basil, savory, tarragon, parsley, coriander, cress, radish and chives) and the effect of temperature evaluated using warm water (70 -100 ˚C) on nitrate percentage in root vegetables (potato and onion). Nitrate percentage in vegetables changed with different patterns. High ionic strength increased leafy vegetable nitrate percentage in wide rang (20.25 - 85 %(w/w)), pH increasing by baking soda solution increased nitrate percentage of group 1(Mint & Basil) leafy vegetables (33 %(w/w)) and decreased it in other groups partially (0.22 - 6.2 %(w/w)). However, pH decreasing by vinegar solution decreased nitrate percentage in all cases (14.6 - 41 %(w/w)). Optimum concentration of vinegar solution and treatment time in this solution, for maximum nitrate losing were 20 % (w/w) and 10 minutes, respectively. In the second part of this study, effect of solution temperature on nitrate percentage of root vegetables (potato and onion) was evaluated. Results show by this pretreatment nitrate percentage decreased 68.6 %(w/w) about potato and 26.6% (w/w) about onion. The important advantage of this study is vegetables nitrate percentage decrease, while the freshness and safety of these products preserved.  

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Modern agriculture is searching for new biotechnologies that would allow for a reduction in the use of chemical inputs without negatively affecting crop yield or farmers' income. Seaweed extract and humic acid are used as nutrient supplements, biostimulants, or biofertilizers in agriculture and horticulture to increase plant growth and yield. To investigate the effects of SeaWeed Extract (SWE), humic acid, and chemical fertilizers on the growth, physiological and biochemical characteristics of Trigonella foenum-graecum L., a greenhouse experiment was conducted in 2016. Results showed that foliar applications of seaweed extract enhanced growth parameters. Among the different treatments, the plants that received SWE showed maximum shoot lengths, fresh and dry weights, number of pods per plant, chlorophyll “a”, chlorophyll “b”, total chlorophyll, and carotenoids. Also, application of SWE increased the amount of total phenolic and flavonoid contents in fenugreek. All fertilizer treatments increased significantly 2,2-DiPhenyl-1-PicrylHhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity of the plants in comparison to the control. Plants treated with SWE showed stronger activity against α-glucosidase with IC₅₀ value of 171.37 μg mL^-1 in comparison with acarbose (IC₅₀= 19.7 μg mL^-1) as the reference α-glucosidase inhibitor. The data generated by this study revealed that SWE could be used as foliar spray to maximize the quality and quantity of fenugreek.
 

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In order to assess the effect of water-deficit stress on the activity of antioxidant enzymes and agro-physiological attributes of maize, a split-plot field experiment was conducted with three replications based on the randomized complete block design. Three levels of irrigation (well-watered, intermediate and severe water-deficit stress) and four maize families including 10 genotypes were considered as the main and sub factors, respectively. Post treatment, the electrophoretic analysis of three enzymes in maize leaves including SuperOxide Dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT) and Peroxidase (POX) was carried out on 8% horizontal acrylamide gel. Moreover, agro-physiological attributes such as MalonDiAldehyde (MDA), H₂O₂, chlorophyll index (SPAD), Relative Water Content (RWC), and grain yield were measured. Concomitantly with increasing intensity of water-deficit stress, the activity of most isozymes and the contents of MDA and H₂O₂ increased while POX2 activity, chlorophyll index, RWC, and grain yield decreased. Under intermediate stress, POX1 isozyme in Lia0688 line (233%) and, under severe stress, POX2 isozyme in AR68 hybrid (201%) showed higher increase compared with the well-watered treatment. Overall, POX1, SOD2, CAT isozymes and MDA, chlorophyll index, and RWC were identified as suitable traits. Based on enzyme activity and agro-physiological attributes, SC706 and TWC647 hybrids were superior to the other genotypes and expressed higher tolerance to water deficit stress. Moreover, among parental lines, MO17, B73 and Lia0688 were promising, although Lia0688 and MO17 were more tolerant lines and showed better performance compared with the line B73 and other lines under well-watered and stress conditions.
 

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Biofertilizer has been recognized as an alternative to chemical fertilizer to improve soil fertility and crop production in sustainable agriculture. The objective of this field study was to evaluate the effects of bio and chemical fertilizer on qualitative and quantitative characteristics of Thymus kotschyanus Bioss. & Hohen. The experiment was conducted during 2019 at Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran, and treatments included control (no fertilizer), chemical fertilizer (NPK), and four types of microorganisms including Funneliformis mosseae (AMF), Azotobacter chroococcum strain 5, Pseudomonas stutzeri strain P-16, and Pseudomonas putida strain 41. The results showed that AMF and NPK positively affected plant height, number of branches per plant, and photosynthesis pigments contents compared to other treatments. However, maximum plants’ fresh and dry weight, proline, total phenolic and flavonoid contents, DPPH inhibition, essential oil percentage, and carvacrol quantity were obtained from plants that were inoculated with AMF. Also, the activities of Catalase (CAT) and Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) were increased by the application of AMF. According to the obtained results, there were no significant differences in P concentration between plants treated with P. stutzeri, Pseudomonas putida, AMF, and NPK. Maximum N amount in T. kotschyanus leaf was obtained in plants treated with AMF, NPK and Azotobacter chroccucum. Plants inoculated with AMF had higher Ca uptake compared to the other treatments, and the maximum total K accumulation in T. kotschyanus were obtained in plants inoculated with AMF and NPK. Hence, the use of organic and biological inputs instead of chemical fertilizer for improving crop efficiency and quality with the aim of alleviating pollution and accomplishing sustainable agriculture is highly encouraging.

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