The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of using portulaca oleracea as a source of plant antioxidants for feeding fattening male lambs, on carcass traits, meat quality, and oxidative stability. Twenty-one male lambs with an average weight of 24±1.5 kg and 150±15 days old were fed with one of the experimental rations included a diet without portulaca oleracea as control, a diet containing 7.5%, and a diet containing 15% portulaca oleracea, for 84 days. The muscle (Longissimus dorsi) samplewas used to determine pH, CHEMICAL composition, colorimetric properties, and oxidative stability of meat. Meat lipid oxidation was determined after 1, 7, and 30 days of refrigerated storage using thiobarbituric acid (TBARS). The use of portulaca oleracea in diets improved meat color CHARACTERISTICS such as L, chroma, and Hue. The highest ash concentration and the lowest meat moisture were observed in the treatment of 15% portulaca oleracea (P<0.05). Meat pH was the lowest in the first hour after slaughter but did not differ at 24 h. Compared to the control, in both treatment groups feeding the lambs with portulaca significantly reduced the concentration of Malondialdehyde in the meat of the lambs and increased the meat oxidative stability (P<0.05). The results of this experiment showed that feeding portulaca oleracea by improving properties such as color and increasing the meat oxidative stability improves meat quality, which may have lead to an increase in its nutritional value in terms of human health.

Improving participation in voluntary activities in Iran is important because increasing productivity among young people, given the country's young population, contributes to community sustainability. Therefore, a better understanding of volunteer motivation in Iranian youth is needed. The Volunteer Functions Inventory (VFI) for assessing volunteer motivations has good psychometric properties and is adapted to several languages, but no validated Iranian translation yet exists. The purpose of this study was to investigate the psychometric CHARACTERISTICS of voluntary functions inventory in members of Iranian Red Crescent Society. Sample size was 595 members of Youth Organization of Iranian Red Crescent Society from 31 provinces and 175 cities of Iran that were selected by multi-stage cluster sampling method and responded to voluntary functions inventory. Data were collected using a demographic sample and voluntary functions inventory (VFI). Confirmatory factor analysis using principal components method was used for data analysis. The results of the present study showed that the voluntary functions inventory had validity and reliability. Also, the factor structure showed that 29 items and 6 factors well assess people's attitudes to volunteering, and the structure of this inventory was well-fitted and confirmed all goodness of fit models. The present study provides the use of the Iranian translation of the Voluntary Functions Inventory (6 scales and 29 items) to assess volunteer motivation among young Iranian volunteers.

This article reports the effects of gamma irradiation (dose ranges 0.1–10 kGy from 60Co source) on the CHARACTERISTICS of solid gelatin and the physico-mechanical, microstructural and bioactive properties of the scaffold prepared from irradiated gelatin solution. FTIR, intrinsic viscosity, bloom strength, thermal properties, SEM, tensile properties, water uptake ability and antimicrobial activities of non-irradiated and irradiated solid gelatin and its scaffolds were investigated. The detailed experimental results for the solid gelatin demonstrated that 1 kGy g-irradiated samples showed higher intrinsic viscosity, enhanced thermal stability and bloom strength than other irradiated samples. Furthermore, the scaffold thus prepared from irradiated and non-irradiated gelatin also revealed that 1 kGy samples showed the highest tensile strength and modulus with good water resistivity than other irradiated and non-irradiated samples. In addition to the physicomechanical properties, 1 kGy scaffolds have also exhibited the highest resistivity towards microbial growth that can have potentiality as scaffold in biomedical sector. The enhanced functional and bioactive properties at low irradiation doses (1 kGy) may occurred due to an initial breaking of hydrogen bonds of polypeptide chains in gelatin molecules that indicated by the shift of amide A, I and II peaks to higher wave numbers in FTIR. This enhancement resulted probably due to the domination of crosslinking over degradation at 1 kGy. It was also observed that 1 kGy g-radiation-induced crosslinking has lowered the hydrophilicity by decreasing water uptake and mean pore diameter of the interconnected porous structures of gelatin.

Background and Aim: Job enrichment is a method that has been used to increase employee satisfaction and work motivation. The Hackman and Oldham job CHARACTERISTICS model (1976) has served as the foundation for many job enrichment efforts. In particular, a considerable amount of research has been devoted to the study of the job CHARACTERISTICS-job satisfaction relations. Te purpose of this study was to statistically determine the relation between job CHARACTERISTICS and job satisfaction among employees of hospitals affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS) in 2007. Materials and Methods: This study was a cross-sectional one, including 6 TUMS-affiliated hospitals-Emam, Shariati, Baharlo, Ziaeian, Madaen and Azadi. The sample size was 400, consisting of 200 administrative employees (50%), 151 nurses (38%) and 49 physicians (12%). The random sampling and stratified proportional sampling methods were used to select the hospitals and interviewees, respectively. Two questionnaires were developed and used to identify job CHARACTERISTICS and job satisfaction: 1) job diagnostics surveys (JDS) and 2) Hertzberg's job satisfaction questionnaire. The reliability of the questionnaires was ascertained by test-retest using the Pearson correlation coefficient (r = 0.88). Linear-by-linear association and ordinal logistics regression analysis were used for analyzing the data gathered.Results:The relations between the Motivational Potential Score (MPS) and job CHARACTERISTICS (except for feedback) with job satisfaction were statistically significant (p<0.05). Task identity was the most effective determinant of job satisfaction. Conclusion: It appears that all the job CHARACTERISTICS (except feedback) are important determinants of job satisfaction of the hospital employees. Although the work environment is in need of restructuring, it is important to note, from a positive perspective, that the job CHARACTERISTICS discussed in this study are readily amenable to change job satisfaction at the organizational level.

This work investigated effect of height and cultivar on morphological properties of bast and core fiber of tobacco stalk (Nicotiana tabacum). Also, in this research cultivar effect on CHEMICAL properties of tobacco stalk were investigated. Selected cultivars include Barley and Virginia, and investigative height positions were chosen 5, 50 and 75% of stalk height. Results indicated that bast fiber length, diameter and wall thickness are more effective than those of core fiber. CHEMICAL analysis of stalk’s parts indicated that cellulose and ash contents of bast were higher than those of core, but lignin content of bast was significantly less than that of core.Also, extractive material of bast was less. Statistic results showed that length and wall thickness of Barley’s bast fiber were higher compare to Virginia, but there was no significant difference in terms of morphological properties of core fibers between these cultivars. Cellulose percentage of Barley cultivar was higher, where as lignin, extractives and ash contents of Barley were lower than that of Virginia cultivar. Also, cultivar type didn’t have significant effect on contents of tobacco stalk parts (bast, core and pith). Results indicated that, fiber length, diameter and wall thickness of bast decreased as height increases, but in core fiber, just fiber length decreased and other properties of core fiber had different behavior. Moreover, bast and pith percentages increased by height increasing while, core percentage decreased. In general, results of this research showed that, tobacco stalk are a suitable row material for pulp and paper production, re fiber dimensions and CHEMICAL components.

In order to evaluate some morphological and CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS of quinoa, a split plot experiment has been conducted in a randomized complete block design with three replications during 2019-2020 cropping season, at the Agricultural Research Station of University of Zabol, Iran. Vermicompost at three levels (0, 5 and 10 ton/ha) has been considered the main factor and CHEMICAL fertilizer at four levels (25, 50, 75 and 100%), the sub-factor. The main effect of vermicompost is significant on morphological traits such as plant height, 1000-seed weight, biological yield, grain yield, and harvest index. Interaction of vermicompost and CHEMICAL fertilizer is significant on CHEMICAL properties, including proteins and photosynthetic pigments. Application of 10 tons of vermicompost per hectare leads to the maximum level of plant height, 1000-seed weight, biological yield, grain yield, and harvest index. Also, the highest amount of photosynthetic proteins and pigments are achieved from combined application of 10 tons/ha of vermicompost and 50% CHEMICAL fertilizer (25 kg/ha Urea+ 50 kg/ha triple superphosphate + 50 kg/ha potassium sulfate). Totally, results show the positive effects of vermicompost on the morphological and CHEMICAL properties of quinoa. It can be concluded that the combined use of CHEMICAL fertilizers and vermicompost can increase the yield of quinoa, while reducing the use of CHEMICAL fertilizers and thus reduce the environmental impacts caused by them..