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Aims: Despite the vast global vaccination programs against the HBV infection, millions of people are chronic HBV carriers worldwide. The present study aimed to evaluate the distribution of different clinical forms of Hepatitis B infection among HBV infected patients to find the frequency of people at risk of developed liver diseases in Isfahan province.
Materials & Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 600 HBV infected patients admitted to Al-Zahra hospital in Isfahan from March 2017 to March 2018. Based on the virological markers, HBV infection in participants was categorized into four clinical forms including post-infection immunity, acute hepatitis, asymptomatic carrier state, and chronic active hepatitis. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were used for screening HBsAg, anti-HBs, anti-HBc, HBeAg, anti-HBe, and viral DNA in serum samples.
Findings: In this study, 308 (51.3%) females and 292 (47.7%) males with HBV infection and the mean age of 39 years were participated, of whom 189 (31.5%), 172 (28.7%), 138 (23%), and 101 (16.8%) participants were found to be in the post-infection immunity, acute hepatitis, asymptomatic carrier state (inactive carrier), and chronic active hepatitis forms of HBV infection, respectively.
Conclusion: The results of this study highlighted the high prevalence of asymptomatic carrier and chronic active hepatitis forms of HBV infection in 20-40 year old patients.  Extensive measurements are needed to determine the prevalence of these two mentioned forms of HBV infection in all provinces of Iran in order to control the economic and life burden of disease in people not covered by the infant vaccination programs in Iran.

 

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Aims: Carotenoids are a vast group of lipid-soluble pigments, which are produced by variety of microorganisms. The aim of this study was to compare the production of carotenoid pigments by prokaryotic isolates of Iranian saline ecosystems and identify superior isolate.
Materials & Methods: In this the experimental study, isolates were purified by culture-based methods and carotenoid extracts were analyzed by spectrophotometry in wavelength region of 400nm to 600nm. The total carotenoid content was estimated by spectrophotometry at λ_max (490nm). Identity of bands was detremined by purification of bands by Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) and analysis by High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR).
Findings: Fourty-three isolates were obtained. Eight isolates were halotolerant bacteria, 8 isolates were moderately halophile, and 27 isolates were extremely halophile. All of the strains were capable of producing carotenoid compounds. Isolate M24 with 2054μg/g production was selected as superior isolate. Thin layer chromatography exhibited 6 colored bands in colored extract of this strain and the most concentrated band was purified. After purification by TLC and HPLC, spectrophotometry in UV range showed two pics at 530nm and 465nm as the highest absorbances, which were similar to UV absorbance of α-bacterioruberin. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain M24 showed that this strain had 98% similarity with Haloarcula amylolytica BD-3.
Conclusion: From Iranian Saline Ecosystems, 43 isolates are obtained. Eight isolates are halotolerant bacteria, 8 isolates are moderately halophile, and 27 isolates are extremely halophile. All of the isolates are capable of producing carotenoid compounds. Strain M24 is superior isolate, having 98% similarity with Haloarcula amylolytica BD-3.

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Aims: Peroxidases are used in a wide range of biotechnological processes, most of which are carried out at high temperatures and high pH levels. Since most of the commonly used peroxidases are unstable and inactive in alkaline conditions and high temprature, it is necessary to find thermoalkalophilic peroxidases for practical purposes.
Materials and Methods: In this study, extracellular production of peroxidase in the native strain Bacillus tequilensis was studied. for this purpose, Enzyme activity was evaluated using two substrates 2,4-DCP and pyrogallol in bacterial liquid culture and the effect of culture time on enzyme production, as well as the effect of parameters such as pH and temperature on enzyme activity investigated. The relative purification of the enzyme was performed using ion exchange chromatography with sephadex DEAE A50 and the kinetic parameters of enzyme activity were evaluated. In this study, kinetic parameters such as Km and Vmax were calculated.
Results: Measurement of enzyme activity at different times of culture indicated that the highest amount of peroxidase production was obtained 72 h after bacterial culture.

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Pectin is a heteropolysaccharide which is widely used as a gelling and stabilizing agent in the food industry. The study aimed to optimize and evaluate the quantity and quality of pectin extraction from apple pomace by acid hydrolysis at high temperatures as a traditional method of the main wastes of the apple juice industries. Extraction efficiency was optimized in the pH from 1.5 to 2, 60 to 90 minutes and 75 to 90 °C by response-surface method (RSM) with using the central composite design. In addition, the esterification degree, amount of galacturonic acid, equivalent weight, methoxyl content, emulsion activity, stability of emulsifier and water/oil holding capacity of pectin were determined under optimal conditions. The results showed that the maximum extraction efficiency (8.83%) was achived at pH 1.5, 90 °C and 90 minutes. The extracted pectin with a degree of esterification of 54% and galacturonic acid 68 mg/g was obtained at optimal conditions. Equivalent weight, methoxyl content, emulsifying activity and water holding capacity of extracted apple pectin were 916, 8.9%, 55.8% and 4, respectively. In overall, it can be possible to obtain different pectin with varying physicochemoical properties with chaning the extraction conditions. Furthermore, the extracted pectin had proper emulsion activity and stability which can be ultilized  in different emulsion based products.

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In this research design and manufacture of home baking machine with baking process control is followed. Therefore, the machine is designed and manufactured with the ability to produce an Iranian flatbread at each baking stage. By choosing the heat flux pattern and different thicknesses of the bed and the height of the baking chamber, the temperature and mass distribution in the three areas of the baking bed, bread and baking chamber is obtained. Image processing, texture analysis and sensory tests are used for evaluating of baked bread under different conditions. Geometrical conditions, boundary conditions and patterns of heat flux are the main factors that influence the baking process and quality of bread. The results showed that bed thickness performs better than higher thicknesses. By increasing the height of the chamber at three heights of 2, 4 and 6 cm, the mean temperature of the chamber decreases. Therefore, the height of the 2 cm chamber is the best one. In the study of bread baking with simple apparatus, it was found that the cooking time of 6 minutes and the beginning baking temperature of 160 °C are the most suitable cooking conditions. The porosity of the bread baked is much lower than that of the bakery one. The texture analysis tests showed that the hardness, gumminess, and chewiness of the heat flux pattern profile 22 had the closest values to the control bread

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In this paper, finite element analysis with combined (nonlinear isotropic/AF kinematic hardening model) and chaboche hardening models are employed to investigate ratcheting behavior in stainless steel branch pipes under dynamic moments and internal pressure. Obtained results show that the maximum value of ratcheting strain takes place in the junction of branch pipes in the hoop stress direction. In this case, the rate of progressive strains increases with the increase of the bending moment levels in constant internal pressure. Furthermore, this study reveals that the geometry and dimensions of branch pipes have a significant impact on the rate of progressive strains. The bending moment levels to initiate strain accumulation phenomena will be increased with the increase of the dimensions of branch pipes. In the BSS1 sample, comparison between results obtained using progressive strains with combined and chaboche hardening models are much better than those of Armstrong-Fredrick hardening model and are near to the experimental data. Of course, in BSS2 sample, the behavior of ratcheting with combined hardening model is near the experimental results. For the BSS3 sample, the prediction of ratcheting with the chaboche hardening model is better than using the other strain hardening models and are near to the experimental data. Like the carbon steel samples studied in the recent paper, compared to the Armstrong-Frederick hardening model, the chaboche and combined hardening models exhibit an appropriate prediction and similar to experimental results in stainless steel samples.
 

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Pectin is used as a coagulant in the food industry due to its thickening properties. Also, the polysaccharide is widely used in the food industry, which is due to its unique technological properties (its gelling properties in the production of jams and like jams such as fruit, etc.).  The aim of this study was to optimize and evaluate the quantitative and qualitative evaluation of pectin extraction from apple pomace by microwave and acid extraction method. Microwave extraction efficiency in the pH range of 1.22 to 1.78, time 10.6 to 17.4 minutes and power 320 to 580 W and by acid extraction method in the pH range of 1.5 to 2, time 60 to 90 minutes and temperature of 75 to 90 °C was optimized by the response surface method (RSM). The results showed that in microwave extraction at pH 1.22, time 17.4 minutes and power 580 W and in acid extraction method at pH 1.5, temperature 90 °C and time 90 minutes maximum extraction efficiency (9.17 and 8.83% respectively) were observed. Also, under optimal microwave extraction conditions, pectin with better quality characteristics (higher degree of esterification, galacturonic acid, equivalent weight, methoxyl content, emulsifying activity and water holding capacity) was obtained than the traditional method.

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Autonomy plays a crucial role in the enhancement of important learning qualities in the learners. In that line of thinking, this study was launched to discover how English language learners exposed to an autonomously managed versus teacher controlled conditions would respond to the learning determinants. Two classes of English language learners at Isfahan University of Technology, Iran were thus treated under the two learning conditions. On the closing days of the semester, they were administered a questionnaire constructed based on three action phases of learning, namely, forethought, performance/volitional control, and self reflection. The questionnaire statements were rated on the Likert scale. The data analysis revealed that autonomy to a large extent determines the learners' views of learning. The class where autonomy was practiced showed a great deal of motivational boost or what is reinterpreted as forethought. The other two categories of learning, namely, their performance and self reflection, were also distinctly better perceived by the autonomous learners. The results point out the significance of preparing learners through autonomy for the prospective independent and critical learning.

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The objectives of the present study was to evaluate biological nitrogen fixation, P and K uptake ability of 31 soybean mutant lines (induced by Gamma irradiation) and their parent cultivar at greenhouse level. Initially, 10 Rhizobial isolates and strains were tested for infectiveness and symbiotic effectiveness using Leonard jars, and the strain Bradyrhizobium japonicum strain RS 152 was selected as the most efficient strain. The experiment was conducted under proper greenhouse condition with a randomized complete block design on a soil with no indigenous rhizobia and low nitrogen and phosphorus content. Thirty-one soybean mutant lines and two inoculated and un-inoculated wild cultivar blanks were replicated three times. Each pot contained 3.5 kg air-dried homogenized soil, and at the time of planting each seedling was inoculated with l mL of inoculum RS 152 containing approximately 9 × 10⁸ cells per mL. During about 4 months of growth, the plants were irrigated to maintain the soil moisture approximately 0.8 field capacity. The plants were harvested at the plant developmental stage of pod filling (R6), and several parameters, such as dry matter of shoot, nodule and roots, number of nodules, and proportion and amount of Nitrogen derived from air (Ndfa% and N-fixed) were measured. According to the results, in most parameters, the mutant lines were significantly different with each other and also with the L17 parent soybean cultivar. The mutant line 5 showed the maximum value of %Ndfa (73.068) compared to the cultivar L17 (48.762), indicating significant increase of biological nitrogen fixation, by about fifty percent, through physical mutagenesis. In addition, the mutant lines 21 and 31 had higher phosphorus and potassium uptake than the others, however, significant differences were observed for phosphorus uptake capacity compared to the cultivar L17. Although more detailed studies are needed to evaluate effects of these mutations on nitrogen fixation, macro- and microelements absorption capacity, and also on yield and quality parameters, these findings show that gamma irradiation could be helpful to induce new nutritional properties in soybean and release new mutant cultivars.
 

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Assessing the impact of a monetary policy through the banking system on the economy is important because the highest share of Iran’s finance market belongs to the banking sector. For this purpose, this research aims to investigate the impact of changing the bank deposit profit rate through the banking system. This paper focuses on the role of deposits as one of the main financing sources of banks in a macro-structural econometric model over the period of 1973-2017.
In this respect, focusing on Iran’s banking system; a model was first formulated according to the structure of the Iranian economy. Then, three scenarios, including increasing the profit rate, decreasing the profit rate, and pegging policy, were incorporated into the model to observe the impact of profit rate changes.
The results of the simulation reveals a negative relationship between the deposit profit rate and gross domestic product. An increase in the bank deposit profit rate along with increasing the deposits through free credit resources raises credit provision by the banking system, causing a direct impact on investment. On the other hand, implementing this scenario increases the cost of capital and creates an inverse effect on investment. However, the impact of the cost of capital is stronger and leads to a reduction in investment and, consequently, reduces the output by 0.66%.
In the scenario of decreasing the profit rate, opposite results are observed, and the output increases by 0.71%. In the third scenario (Pegging deposit profit rate to 17%), however, the output increases by 0.46%. Therefore, the results implies that an increase in the bank profit rate is not confirmed by the theory of McKinnon and Shaw and decreases the GDP.

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This study is aimed to determine individual, psychological and organizational factors contribution in predicting Karaj municipality staff competence. Research methodology is descriptive and correlational where population included all staff in municipality in the 2014-2015. For research sample 300 employees were selected using stratified sampling. Designed standard questionnaire included: a) creativeness, b) Haplin & Kraft organizational climate competency assessment cite, d) Spritzer & Mishra psychological empowerment, e) Salovi & Mayer emotional intelligence & f) job motivation. Cronbach alpha coefficient for reliability testing was suitable. Regression results showed that personal characteristics couldn't predict competency significantly, and just psychological empowerment & emotional intelligence could predict employee competency significantly & organizational characteristics could predict competency significantly.
One of the scientific offers obtained from this research is that the managers of Karaj municipality can increase the level of efficiency of their organization by increasing the level of employee’s competency based on the contribution and influencing each individual, psychological and organizational factors. Results of this research can use for improving employees competency.

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