The estimation of cultivation area and categorizing the agricultural product types is one of the prerequisites for achieving sustainable development in the agricultural studies. In this study, an ...unsupervised zoning the cultivation areas with the same cultivation pattern in Golestan province is on the agenda. Therefore, due to wide spatial range, high temporal resolution and easy access of 16-day products of the vegetation of the MODIS sensor which acquired in a year (From November 2017 to October 2018), these images are used in this research. In the proposed method, after the generating of NDVI vegetation time series as a hyper-cube and separating farmlands’ boundaries in Golestan province using the land-use map; the Sequential Maximum Angle Convex Cone (SMACC) endmember extraction algorithm and the maximum number of product variation using the statistical information of the region (Obtained from the statistics centre of Iran) are used to extract endmembers of the hyper-cube. In the following, the timing responses of the NDVI, identified as endmembers, will be refined in the second phase. In this process, identifying and eliminating noise signals (unrelated to cultivating patterns) and integrating the same cultivating patterns will be on the agenda. At the last stage of the proposed method and after refinement of the endmembers, the hyper-cube is clustered by Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM) algorithm and the mapping of regions with the same cultivation pattern is produced. In the proposed method, the zoning of agricultural land is based solely on the statistical knowledge of the variety of cultivation and the results have led to the production of interconnected spatial parts. This is consistent with the reality of the spatial occurrence of similar cultivating patterns in a geographic area. On the other hand, the visual comparison of results with large scale satellite images illustrates that there is a significant relationship between clustering results and ground truth in terms of cultivating pattern. Obviously, such products can be used as initial layers of information to produce the results of a supervised classification with the aim of applying the cultivation area of a variety of agricultural products.
Introduction Shift work and rotational shift schedule interrupt interaction of the parents with their children. Nurses, midwives, enrolled nurses, nurse’s aid are obliged to have shift work. We ...assessed the effect of shift working of the shift workers on strengths and behavioral problems of their children, aged 7–12 years in nursing school of Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Methods 489 shift workers drawn from private and university hospitals in Tehran city were selected along with their children’s teachers. Data were collected by using Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), specific to parents and teachers including scales of emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity/inattention, peer relationship problems and prosocial behaviors. Results No significant relationships were found between parents’ shift with strengths and difficulties problems of their children based on their self-reported questionnaire. But it was revealed that some of demographic factors have significant correlations with the scales such as number of children and their gender with conduct problems, parents educational level, gender, their shift work schedule, history of physical/psychiatric diseases of children with emotional symptoms and parents’ educational degree with hyperactivity/inattention, parents’ gender. Conclusion The study didn’t demonstrate impact of shift work on behavioral problems of shift workers’ children. However, behavioral and emotional problems of the children were correlated with some of their parents’ demographic and job related factors.
Background & Aim: Obesity is increasing dramatically world-wide not only in adults, but also in children and adolescents. Nutritional and physical activity behaviors are related to the prevalence ...of obesity. Determining adolescents' behavioral patterns is important in preventing and adjusting this healthy problem. This study was carried out to assess lifestyle behaviors among girl adolescents and to determine the association between these behaviors and perceived parental lifestyle behaviors.Methods & Materials: In this cross-sectional study, 270 students were selected using multistage random sampling from girls' schools in the areas covered by Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Data were collected using a questionnaire. Descriptive and analytical tests were used to analyze the data.Results: Results showed that the mean age was 13.3 (10.7-16) years. Most of the adolescents' had normal limits of BMI. Only 9.2% of adolescents had optimal dietary behavior and 4.3% were physically active. There was not significant relationship between their nutritional behavior and their perceptions about parents' lifestyle. BMI and parents economic status was related to nutritional behaviors significantly. Physical activity was statistically related to BMI and mothers' education. Conclusion: This study showed that the adolescents' nutritional and physical activity behaviors were not healthy. Some factors are related to the adolescents' healthy behavior. Teaching healthy behaviors and defining healthy behavioral patterns for adolescent are necessary.
Background & Aim: Obesity is increasing dramatically world-wide not only in adults, but also in children and adolescents. Nutritional and physical activity behaviors are related to the prevalence of ...obesity. Determining adolescents;apos behavioral patterns is important in preventing and adjusting this healthy problem. This study was carried out to assess lifestyle behaviors among girl adolescents and to determine the association between these behaviors and perceived parental lifestyle behaviors.Methods & Materials: In this cross-sectional study, 270 students were selected using multistage random sampling from girls;apos schools in the areas covered by Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Data were collected using a questionnaire. Descriptive and analytical tests were used to analyze the data.Results: Results showed that the mean age was 13.3 (10.7-16) years. Most of the adolescents;apos had normal limits of BMI. Only 9.2% of adolescents had optimal dietary behavior and 4.3% were physically active. There was not significant relationship between their nutritional behavior and their perceptions about parents;apos lifestyle. BMI and parents economic status was related to nutritional behaviors significantly. Physical activity was statistically related to BMI and mothers;apos education. Conclusion: This study showed that the adolescents;apos nutritional and physical activity behaviors were not healthy. Some factors are related to the adolescents;apos healthy behavior. Teaching healthy behaviors and defining healthy behavioral patterns for adolescent are necessary.
Two treatments were employed to influence the amount of amino nitrogen (N) transport in phloem. In walnut trees (Jugions regia L.), developing fruit significantly reduced the efflux of foliar-applied ...¹⁵N-enriched urea from treated spurs over a 33-day period in comparison with similarly-treated defruited spurs. Those data suggest that local aboveground demand for N influences vascular transport of amino N. In another experiment, a 1% urea solution was applied foliarly to 5-year old 'Mission' almond trees Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D. A. Webb to increase the concentration of amino N in the phloem. The effect of foliar N treatments on a) the transport and distribution of labelled urea N within the trees over the experimental period and b) the uptake of soil-applied labelled N were determined by replicated whole tree excavation, fractionation into various tree components and mass spectrometric analyses of the ¹⁴N/¹⁵N ratios. Concentrations and composition of amino acids in the phloem and xylem saps of control trees and trees receiving foliar-applied urea were also determined. In foliar urea-treated trees, the amino acid concentrations increased significantly in leaf and bark phloem exúdate, within 24 and 96 h, respectively. Foliar-applied urea N was translocated to the roots of almond trees over the experimental period and decreased soil N uptake. The results of these experiments are consistent with the hypothesis that aboveground N demand affects the amount of amino N cycling between shoots and roots, and may be involved in the regulation of soil N uptake.
Four N application rates generated a range of tree N status as indicated by leaf N concentrations in six year old trees of `Mission' almond (Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D. A. Webb). Leaf N concentrations ...were related positively with concentrations of amino acids - especially asparagine and glutamine - in phloem and xylem saps. A pulse of 1.25 kg N per tree was applied to trees previously receiving 0, 78, 157 or 313 g N per tree, annually. Apparent uptake of soil N into above-ground tree parts was determined over a 39 d period. N uptake was determined as the difference in the products of tree biomass and tissue N concentrations before and after the N pulse. Tissue N concentrations increased signi®cantly in trees previously receiving the two lowest N application rates, whereas trees previously receiving the high N treatments were unresponsive. Tree N contents (0 g N per year, and also 78 g N per year treatments) increased slightly in response to the N pulse, although statistical differences were not observed due possibly to high variability in biomass among trees. At the same time, the amino acid concentrations in phloem exudate and xylem sap were highest in trees grown under the highest N fertilization regime. We suggest that the high amino acid concentrations in the phloem and xylem saps are indicative of a larger pool of amino N cycling throughout the vasculature of high N-status trees. Our data indicate an inverse relationship between tree N status, amino acid concentrations in xylem and phloem saps and capacity for soil N uptake in ®eld-grown trees. These results represent the ®rst ®eld data to correlate the concentration of amino acids circulating in the plant vasculature with soil N uptake. A functional relationship between the amino acid concentrations cycling within the tree and the regulation of soil N uptake has, however, not yet been established.
Background Different aortic atherosclerotic plaque morphologic features may have varying embolic potentials. Spontaneous echocardiographic contrast (SEC) in the aorta, as in the left atrium, has been ...associated with an increased risk of embolic events and often occurs with complex aortic atherosclerosis. Thus an evaluation of their isolated and combined association with embolic events was undertaken.
Methods We retrospectively studied all patients who underwent biplane or multiplane transesophageal echocardiography meeting the following inclusion and exclusion criteria: age ≥55 years and no other cardiac pathologic condition known to be associated with embolic events other than aortic atherosclerosis or aortic SEC. The 105 patients meeting the criteria were divided into those with aortic atherosclerosis and/or aortic SEC (the study group) and those without these aortic pathologic conditions (the comparison group). Complex aortic atherosclerosis was defined as mobile, ulcerated, or protuberant (> 4 mm). SEC was defined as a pulsatile, swirling echo pattern within the aortic lumen. Embolic events included strokes, transient ischemic attacks, or peripheral emboli.
Results The 61 study patients and 44 comparison patients did not significantly differ with respect to the reason for referral, age, or sex. Embolic events occurred in 35 patients. Those with ulcerated or mobile plaques had a greater prevalence of embolic events (odds ratio 4.50; 95% confidence interval, 1.30-15.5;
P < .05). The highest embolic event rate was seen in patients with any complex atherosclerosis and concomitant SEC (odds ratio 9.00; 95% confidence interval, 2.06-39.3;
P < .01). Patients with SEC alone or protuberant plaques alone did not have a higher event rate (odds ratio 1.71 and 0.60; 95% confidence interval, 0.57-5.17 and 0.15-2.47, respectively).
Conclusions Embolic events were associated with the presence of ulcerated or mobile aortic plaques. In addition, the combination of aortic SEC and any complex atherosclerosis had the highest embolic association. (Am Heart J 1999;137:1088-93.)
It has been proposed that a pool of amino N, whose size is determined by aboveground N demand, cycles in the plant and regulates soil N uptake by exerting an inhibitory effect at the root level. ...Several experiments were carried out to study this hypothesis in almond trees Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D.A. Webb. Based on the evidence found, there is an association, at the whole tree level, between sap N content and soil N uptake. The data are consistent with the possibility that increased phloem sap amino acids result in decreased uptake of soil N.
PDF
