In this research, production and reproduction performance data of 526 buffalo herds of Khuzestan, collected by the deputy of improving livestock production of Agriculture Organization of Khuzestan from 1992 to 2009, were studied. The GLM method of SAS software was used to study the effect of none genetic factors on considered traits. Variance components and hertabilities were also estimated by restricted maximum likelihood using DFREML software package. The average and standard error were estimated as 1939.76±6.5 kg for milk yield, 120.27±0.48 kg for fat yield, 6.1±0.01 % for fat percentage, 83.94±0.40 kg for protein yield, 3.9±0.004 % for protein percentage, 200.34±0.44 days for lactation length, 4.68±0.02 kg for milk yield per day of calving interval and 9.58±0.04 kg for milk yield per day of lactation length, respectively. The average and standard error of reproductive traits were estimated as 240.27±1.89 days for dry period, 156±2.05 days for the number of open days, 465.21±2.05 days for calving interval and 3.68±0.02 years for age at first calving, respectively. The effect of herd, calving year and parity were significant for all traits. However, calving season had not significant effect on protein percentage, calving interval and the number of open days. The estimated heritability coefficient was zero for all studied traits, except age at first calving with heritability of 0.21. Some factors such as inappropriate feeding and breeding management in these buffalo herds and particularly errors in milk recording, pedigree registering and relationships were some of main reasons for this estimating.

The Stanford encyclopedia of philosophy is an online repository, maintained by Stanford University, which has been publishing entries and essays on philosophical topics for the last quarter century. Darwin’, s theory of evolution, one of the pillars of modern biology, has been the starting point of many philosophical debates. Consequently, a considerable number of entries in the Stanford encyclopedia of philosophy deal with this theory issues related to it. One of such entries, presented below, tackles the complicated topic of heritability. To understand how traits, change from across generations and the effect of selection on the frequency of traits in a population, one has to understand heritability. Misunderstanding this concept can lead to erroneous assumptions about the nature of genetic differences between human populations. The authors of this entry manage to explain the conceptual foundations of heritability and its importance to the theory of organic evolution with clarity. In addition, they demonstrate the difficulties in measuring heritability in natural populations.

The city's regeneration is one of the strategies that lead to urban deterioration and inefficient textures towards revitalization. Using systems thinking on the subject of reinvention can lead to the identification of complex systems that are considered effective in producing and reproducing worn-out textures. In this regard, this study was to benefit from a systemic approach in identifying the the roots of the production and reproduction of historical/worn-out textures in Semnan city. The leading research is among the applied research, and in terms of information and data analysis, it uses the descriptive-analytical method. The tool for collecting information is also in documents and surveys. The statistical population of the research was 18 university professors, experts, and officials familiar with the urban fabric of Semnan, who were selected by the snowball method. In the end, using experts' opinions, 24 variables were selected as effective drivers of Semnan's production-reproduction system of worn tissue. MicMac software was used for structural-interpretive analysis of variables. The results show that the rules and regulations governing the regeneration of the studied area are the most important and effective factors. Also, the special ownership conditions governing barren, ruined, and ruined lands have caused the private sector to have no incentive to invest in this area and reproduce the existing conditions. With the continuation of the current process, the existing situation is reproduced. Breaking this round of the reproduction process requires a constructive look at the target neighborhoods from the city administration and government agencies, which can provide the basis for the presence of private sector investors in these neighborhoods

Recognition and understanding the genetic control of traits, combining ability and genetic structure are directly related to the success of breeding programs. For this purpose, a 7 × 7 one-way diallel design was conducted in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The measured traits were included plant height, height to the first capsule, number of days to 50% and 90% of flowering, number of capsules per plant, number of seeds per capsule, number of days to physiological ripening, number of branches, leaves number and length, 1000-seeds weight, capsule weight, length and width, chlorophyll a, b and total chlorophyll, biological andeconomic yields, harvest index, oil and protein percentage. Analysis of variance showed that there was a significant difference between genotypes and diallel analysis showed that the additive variance of all traits and dominant variance of all traits except height to the first fruit-bearing capsule were significant. The oltan cultivar was the best and Ardestan genotype was the worst genotype in terms of general combining ability. Sabzevar×TS-3 and Sirjan×Fars were the best hybrids in most traits. The general heritability was between 0.90 to 0.96 for biologic yield and number of branches, respectively and narrow heritability was between 0.36 to 0.91 for the number of branches and harvest index, respectively. The analysis of variance by Hayman method confirmed the results of Griffing analysis.

Persian sturgeon (Acipenser persicus) is one of the most valuable species of fish native in the Caspian Sea and Iran's waters. In order to evaluate the heritability of reproductive traits in wild Persian sturgeon (A. persicus) three males and three females’ fish were caught in the southern area of Caspian Sea and then were crossed by using a 3×3 factorial with the aim of selecting the best parent to produce good larvae. Prior to the crossing, sperm density, motility, pH and osmolality, spermatocrit percentages, and the number of micropyles on the eggs` surface were determined. One hundred grams of eggs from each females were fertilized by 1mL of sperm from each males for a total of and 9 treatments combinations, (F1M1, F1M2, F1M3, F2M1, F2M2, F2M3, F3M1, F3M2 and F3M3) with 3 replicates each. Hatching percent was calculated at 5 h after fertilization and 405 eggs were measured for weighting and determining their diameter. Sperm concentration and number of micropyles had no significant effects on fertilization rate (p>0. 05). Sperm density also had negative correlations with fertilization (r=-0. 603, p<0. 01) and hatching rates (r =-0. 175, p<0. 01). However, fertilization was positively correlated with osmolality (r=0. 511) and number of micropyles (r = 0. 574). The correlation between osmolality and hatching rate was 0. 288 and between eggs weight and its diameter was 0. 698. Heritability estimates for weight and diameter of eggs were 0. 043± 0. 035 and 0. 207± 0. 103, respectively. The results show treatment 9 (F3M3) had higher genetic values compared to the rest of the treatments. Also due to the large number of micropyle on sturgeon ova, in order to increase the percentage of fertilization rate, sperm density should be low but motility duration should be high.

Abortion is an important trait with noticeable impacts on economic profit of dairy herds. This study was conducted to estimate variance components and genetic, environmental and phenotypic trends for abortions in Iranian Holstein Friesian cows. The data used were 247230 calving and abortion records of 84421 Hol-stein cows, collected during years 1991-2016, from 51 herds in Iran. Variance components and genetic pa-rameters were estimated using a logit link function, fitting an animal mixed model by ASReml software. In this model, parity and milk yield were fixed, while direct additive genetic, herd-year-season and permanent environment effects were considered as random factors. Genetic, phenotypic and environmental trends were estimated as weighted regression coefficients of breeding values, phenotypic values and environmental deviations averages on birth year, respectively and the number of observations was considered as the weighting factor. Generally, abortion risk in the first parity was lower than the later parities and in autumn was lower than the other seasons. Abortion risk also increased by increase in milk yield level. Heritability and repeatability estimates for abortion were both 0. 165 ± 0. 010. A significant positive genetic trend (0. 038 rate/year) and a significant negative environmental trend (-0. 033 rate/year) were estimated for abortion, which indicated significant increase of genetic predisposition to abortions and improvement of environ-mental conditions to prevent abortion incidence. A significant positive phenotypic trend (0. 002 rate/year) was also estimated, which showed overall increase of abortion rate during the studied years. Overall, it could be concluded that genetic predisposition to abortion is increasing in Iranian Holstein cows, but inclusion of abortion risk in bull proofs and selection indices may help to reduce abortion incidence and increase economic profit of dairy cattle industry.