Introduction: Information on nature and magnitude of present variability in a population is an important pre-requisite for starting any breeding program. Moreover, the knowledge about CORRELATIONs among various characters and further partitioning them into direct and indirect effects is a rational approach to understanding such a relationship which is helpful for multiple trait selections. The present study was undertaken to determine the GENETIC variability and heritability of important economic characters, interrelationships among them and their direct and indirect effect on yield in Iranian onion landraces. Materials and Methods: Seeds of twenty landraces were planted using a randomized complete block design with three replications in East Azarbayjan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center for two years. Thirty plants were selected at random in each plot to record the observations on yield/plant, leaf length, number of leaves/plant, bulb length, bulb diameter, number of centers, number of edible layers, bulb dry matter and shape index. Broad-sense heritability, expected GENETIC advance, GENETIC variability, CORRELATION coefficient, and path coefficient analysis calculated. Results and Discussion: Analysis of variance showed significant effects for all studied traits. Therefore, sufficient GENETIC variability exists among the onion landraces. The bulb yield per plant had the utmost phenotypic and genotypic coefficients of variation (PCV and GCV) (27. 81% and 24. 27%, respectively). This shows the prevalence of greater GENETIC variability among the genotypes which offers good opportunities for crop improvement through selection. Medium PCV and GCV were displayed in bulb diameter, number of leaves/plant, leaf length, number of center and shape index. But number of edible layers and bulb dry matter showed low GCV and PCV indicating less scope of selection as they are under the influence of environment. The estimates of phenotypic coefficients of variation were higher than their corresponding genotypic coefficients of variation for all the traits. That might be due to interaction of genotype with environment to the same degree or other denoting environmental factors influencing the expression of these traits. A high degree of disparity between PCV and GCV for most of the traits showed their susceptibility to environmental fluctuations. In present study, the estimates of broad-sense heritability ranged from 16% for number of edible layers to 88% for shape index. Heritability estimates were very high for bulb diameter, leaf length, and number of centers and shape index, indicating the possibility of success in selection. Heritability estimates were relatively high for yield/plant, bulb length and number of leaves/plant. In addition, moderate heritability estimate was observed for bulb dry matter. On the other hand, low heritability estimates was also observed for number of edible layers indicating the limited scope for improvement of this trait through selection. The expected GENETIC advance expressed as a percentage of the mean by selecting the top 5% of the accessions, varied between 1. 6% for number of edible layers to 43. 55% for yield/plant. GENETIC advance as percentage of mean was maximum for yield/plant followed by number of centers, shape index, leaf length, bulb diameter, number of leaves/plant and bulb length. GENETIC coefficient of variation, heritability, and GENETIC advance were high in yield/plant. Therefore, yield/plant could be useful basis for selection. In most traits, the genotypic CORRELATION coefficients were higher than the phenotypic CORRELATION coefficients which indicated the inherent association among various characters independent of environmental influence. Bulb-yield/plant showed significant positive CORRELATION with leaf length, leaf number, bulb diameter and bulb length at phenotypic and genotypic levels. So, improvement of leaf length, leaf number, and bulb diameter and bulb length traits could improve the capacity of the plants to synthesize and translocate photosynthates to the bulb. The path analysis showed that bulb diameter has the largest positive direct effect on bulb-yield/plant. The indirect effect of length of leaves on onion yield through bulb diameter was considerable. Accordingly, selection of plants with larger leaf length and bulb diameter could be suitable for breeding onion for higher yield. The presence of negligible residual effect (0. 06) indicated that most of the important traits contributing to yield were included in the path analysis. Conclusions: Results showed that potential of onion landraces with high GENETIC diversity in selection for development of cultivars with favorable agronomic and market traits is high. The high GENETIC coefficient of variation, heritability, and GENETIC advance were found in yield/plant. Therefore, yield/plant could be useful basis of selection. In addition, the path analysis showed that selection of plants with larger leaf length and bulb diameter could be suitable for breeding onion for higher yield.

In this study, total numbers of 4817, 1913, 1515, 6249, 1871, 1532, 1208 records of birth weight, weight of 3 and 12 month age, cashmere weight, total number of lambs born, total number of lambs weaned and lambing interval in Raienian Cashmere goat were used. These records were collected in Baft station from 1989 to 2006. The animal model was used for GENETIC evaluation and estimation of GENETIC and phenotypic CORRELATIONs for these traits. Heritability above was estimated 0.24, 0.07, 0.20, 0.17, 0.06, 0.08 and 0.03, respectively on the basis of the best model for each trait. GENETIC CORRELATION between birth weight and12 month weight, birth weight and cashmere weight, 3month weight and total number of lambs weaned, 3month weight and total number of lambs born, 12 month weight and cashmere weight, 12month weight and total number of lambs born, 12 month weight and total number of lams weaned, 12month weight and lambing interval, lambing interval and total number of lambs born, lambing interval and total number of lambs weaned, was estimated 0.27, 0.072, 0.02, -0.16, 0.28, 0.10, -0.27, -0.12, 0.30 and 0.42, respectively and phenotypic CORRELATION was estimated 0.23, 0.056, 0.066, 0.07, 0.20, 0.01, -0.54 , -0.43, 0.02 and 0.04 respectively, using Bivariate analysis.

Verticillium dahliae is an economically important pathogen causing vascular wilt on more than 160 plant species. Most strains have a wide host range. Forty-five wild isolates of V. dahlia recovered from different woody and herbaceous plants throughout Iran. GENETIC diversity of the isolates was assessed through vegetative compatibility groups (VCGs) using nitrate non-utilizing (nit) mutants. Nit mutants were generated using water agar supplemented with 5-7% KClO3. Nit mutants from different isolates were used in all possible combinations. Three VC local groups were identified and designated as VCGA, VCGB and VCGC which correspond to VCG2B (88.8%) and VCG 2A (8.8%) and weakly to VCG2A (2.2%) Most of the isolates were assigned to VCG2B. The results indicated that GENETIC diversity of V. dahliae is very low and there were no relationship between VCGs and geographicalorig in of the isolates. Host specificity of V. dahliae using 18 isolates was determined on 11 different hosts plant species. Different plants reacted differently to the isolates and were divided into three groups: very sensitive (eggplant, pistachio, cotton and okra), semi-sensitive (sunflower, radish and rapeseed) and low sensitive (pepper, tomato, small radish and cabbage). Each plant species reacted differently to each isolate. Mint was less sensitive to the pathogen (5 isolates) than other plant species tested.

Background: Familial hemiplegic migraine (FHM), a rare type of migraine with aura, is GENETICally heterogeneous. Involvement of CACNA1A gene is demonstrated in FHM. In the present study, we searched for 6 common mutations in CACNA1A gene in patients with common migraine.Methods: The study population consisted of 74 patients who divided on two groups: positive and negative familial history. We collected data about frequency and duration of their attacks, severity according to Headache impact test (HIT6) and quality of life according to version 2.1 of Migrainespecific quality of life questionnaire (MSQ2). After collection of genomic DNA samples, mutation analysis was performed by direct sequencing of 5, 16, 32 and 36 exons in CACNA1A gene.Findings: Out of 50 cases with positive familial history, the mean±SD of frequency (in month), duration (hours in month), and severity of attacks, and also, quality of life were 9.66±8.11, 18.08±11.49, 62.84±7.03, and 44.8±13.5, respectively. The corresponded results were 9.95±9.39, 18.83±12.11, 61.04±6.55, and 38.38±10.9, respectively in 24 cases with negative familial history.Only a significant difference in quality of life was observed between the groups (P=0.047). Mutation analysis of the CACNA1A gene in 30 probands of migraine with positive familial history revealed polymorphism (nt 2369 G A) in exon 16 in 9 patients, but no mutations were identified in gene. There was no significant relationship between polymorphism and frequency, duration, and severity of attacks and also, quality of life and type of migraine.Conclusion: Our data suggest that in Iranian patients with migraine, no mutations in CACNA1A gene were identified and we have no evidence for involvement of this gene in these patients.

Introduction: To determine bowel abnormalities of MR Enterography (MRE) in patients with Celiac disease (CD) and investigate their associations with endoscopic, histopathologic, serologic and GENETIC features.Methods: Forty consecutive new or poorly controlled adult patients with CD, aged 17-76 years, underwent MRE. Two radiologists evaluated qualitative and quantitative findings. Endoscopic manifestations were categorized into normal/mild (erythema, erosions) and severe (scalloping, villous atrophy).Histopathological results were divided into mild (Marsh 1, 2 and 3A) and severe (Marsh 3B, 3C).Genotyping of HLA-DQ2 and DQ8 was performed.Serum levels of tissue-trasnglutaminase, endomysial and gliadin antibodies were also determined.Results: Eleven (27.5%) cases showed unremarkable MRE. Fold reversal pattern was significantly associated with severe endoscopic (OR=8.38, 95%CI 1.7-40.5) and pathologic (OR=7.36, 95%CI 1.3-40.5) features. In multivariate regression analysis, increased numbers of ileal folds/inch were significantly associated with severe MARSH score (OR=2.83, 95%CI 1.4-5.5) and HLA-DQ8 (OR=1.11, 95%CI 1.06-3.2). Mean numbers of duodenal and jejunal folds/inch did not exhibit significant associations with endoscopic, pathologic, serologic and GENETIC features. Among quantitative measures, ileal fold number demonstrated to have the highest areas under the curve for prediction of severe endoscopic and pathologic findings and antitransglutaminase level.Conclusion: Fold reversal pattern in MRE is highly associated with severe endoscopic and pathologic features of CD. Increased ileal folds showed higher CORRELATION with endoscopic-pathologic features, HLA-DQ8 and anti-transglutaminase level. MRE might be more sensitive for detection of increased ileal folds in CD rather than reduction of duodenal and jejunal folds due to better distension of ileal loops.

In order to investigate the path analysis of effective traits on durum wheat yield, an experiment was conducted based on randomized complete block design with 18 genotypes and four replications in Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Center of Lorestan province during 2014– 2015. In Factor analysis, the first factor was named as influencing factor on flag leaf characteristics, the second factor was named as influencing factor on height, and the third factor was named as influencing factors on yield performance. According to results of GENETIC CORRELATIONs, biomass yield, straw yield, kernel per spike and spike length had very strong positive CORRELATION with grain yield. According to results of stepwise regression and path analysis, straw yield, kernel per spike and peduncle length entered to the regression model, and so the straw yield had highest and largest direct effect on grain yield. As kernel per spike and straw yield were more important, these traits could be advisable in breeding programs of durum wheat. In present research, bi-plot analysis was used to simultaneous study of traits and discrimination of genotypes related to these traits, and hence, genotypes of Dehdasht, Seimareh, Pod-20 and Alas were introduced as hopefull genotypes for future breeding programs.

The heart is one of the most important organs in the body, which is responsible for pumping blood into the valvular systems. Beside, heart valve disorders are one of the leading causes of death in the world. These disorders are complications in the heart valves that cause the valves to deform or damage, and as a result, the sounds caused by their opening and closing compared to a healthy heart. Obviously, due to the complexities of cardiac audio signals and their recording, designing an accurate diagnosis system free of noise and fast enough is difficult to achieve. One of the most important issues in designing an intelligent heart disease diagnosis system is the use of appropriate primary data. This means that these data must not only be recorded according to the patientchr('39')s equipment and clinical condition, but also must be labeled according to the correct diagnosis of the physician. However, in this study, an attempt has been made to provide an intelligent system for diagnosing valvular heart failure using phonocardiographic sound signals to have maximum diagnostic power. For this purpose, the signals are labeled and used under the supervision of a specialist doctor. The main goal is to select the effective feature vectors using the GENETIC optimization method and also based on the evaluation function by Pearson CORRELATION coefficients. Before extraction feature step, preprocessing from data recording, normalization, segmentation, and filtering were used to increase system performance accuracy. For better result, Signal temporal, wavelet and signal energy components are extracted from the prepared signal as feature extraction step. Whereas extracted problem space were not correlated enough, in next step principal component analysis, linear separator analysis, and uncorrelated linear separator analysis methods were used to make feature vectors in a final correlated space. In selecting step, an efficient and simple method is used inorder to estimate the number of optimal features. In general, CORRELATION is a criterion for determining the relationship between variables. The difference between the CORRELATIONs of all feature subsets is calculated (for both in-class and out-of-class subsets) and then categorized in descending order according to the evaluation function. As a result, in the feature selection step the evaluation function is based on the Pearson statistical method, which is evaluated by a GENETIC algorithm with the aim of identifying more effective and correlated features in the final vectors. Eventually In this paper, two widely used neural networks with dynamic and static structure including perceptron and Elman neural networks have been used to evaluate the accuracy of the proposed vectors. The results of modeling the process of selecting effective features and diagnosing the disease show the efficiency of the proposed method.