The effect of drought stress on nitrogen and SPAD reading of wheat (cv Falat) was studied in a complete randomized block design with 3 replications; in the green house. Five levels of drought stress (-0.3, -1, -3, -5 and -7 b) were used as treatments. Soil water curves were plotted using presser plate at a wide range of soil water potential. Water requirement for each treatment determined with weighing by day of each treatment. SPAD reading, nitrogen content, stomatal resistance and specific leaf weight (SLW) of flag leaf and two leaves under flag leaf were measured at anthesis stage. Results showed that with increasing drought stress SPAD reading, nitrogen content, stomatal resistance and SLW increased and there was a high relationship between drought stress and SPAD reading. It was concluded that SPAD reading is a good Index of nonstomatal resistance for preduction water stress severity.

In order to use chlorophyll meter (SPAD) to recognize nitrogen deficiency in sugar beet plants and used to predict the appropriate timing for fertilizer top-dressing in sugar beet a research was conducted using various levels of nitrogen fertilizer during different growth stages of sugar beet plants in the research farm of Sugar Beet Seed Institute located in Karaj during 2007, using a split plot design in time based on Randomized Complete Blocks in four replications. Five level of pre-sowing nitrogen from the source of urea was applied in amounts of 0(as control), 120, 160, 200 and 240 kg/h considered as main plots and plant growth stages as sub plots. Chlorophyll concentration in 5th leaf blade was measured by chlorophyll meter (SPAD) at five growth stages based on the number of leaves on sugar beet plants including (GS1:3-6, GS2: 6-12, GS3:12-15, GS4:15-18, GS5:18-20) leaves of each plot. In the same leaves, concentrations of nitrogen (by Kjeldahl method) and chlorophyll a, b and a+b (by Spectrophotometer) were measured. Results from regression analysis on the leaf number 5 showed that there was higest significant correlation between chlorophyll reading and nitrogen on a leaf area basis and on a dry-weight basis, and total nitrogen and concentration of chlorophyll (a, ab) in 12-15 leave stage. Also results of this experiment showed that the chlorophyll meter reading were influenced by the growth stage and sampling time and the level of used nitrogen fertilizer. Nitrogen fertilizer and different growth stage had significant effect on the chlorophyll meter reading. The least number read from SPAD was 34 in 3-6 leaf stage, which associated with no-applied nitrogen treatment. Threshhold of chlorophyll meter was estimated 39/1 in this study in 12-15 leave stage, this threshold can be used as a criteria to compare. According to the obtained results, chlorophyll meter can be used as a simple, rapid and non-destructive instrument to determin chlorophyll concentrations in a leaf during 12-15 leaf stage and to recognize nitrogen deficiency in sugar beet plants and can be used to predict the appropriate timing for fertilizer top-dressing after of calibiration for region in sugar beet.

In order to investigate the effects of organic and biological fertilizers on growth characteristics and nutrient content of spinach (Spinacea oleracea L. ), two experiments carried out under organic farming conditions at Mohaghegh Ardabili University, Iran during 2013. In the first experiment, to determine the optimal levels of organic fertilizers, vermicompost, compost, washed and unwashed spent mushroom compost with the ratios of 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 percent by volume and control media based on a complete randomized design with four replicates were used. The results showed that the highest vegetative growth parameters were obtained in plants grown in medium containing 30 % vermicompost, 10 % consumed mushroom compost and 10 % unwashed consumed mushroom compost. The second experiment was carried out in a factorial arrangement in a completely randomized design with four replications. At first, spinach seeds of P1, P10 and P19 strains of Pseudomonas putida and strains R69, R150 and R159 from Pseudomonas fluorescens (first factor levels) were inoculated. Subsequently, inoculated and uninoculated seeds were planted in optimum substrates consisted of volume ratio of 30 % vermicompost, and the washed and unwashed consumed mushroom compost each with a 10 % volume ratio (second factor levels). The results revealed that the effect of organic and biological fertilizers on growth indices and nutrient content of spinach was significantly different in compare to the control. The highest plant height, chlorophyll content, leaf area, leaf fresh weight, leaf dry weight, total dry weight and the highest amount of nitrogen, calcium and potassium were observed in plants inoculated with R150 strain of P. fluorescens and 30 % vermicompost in the planting bed. Application of non-leached mushroom compost residue, vermicompost and leached mushroom compost residue and plant growth promoting bacteria had significant effects on growth indices and nutrient content of spinach. Among different plant growth promoting bacteria, P. fluorescens R150 strain had more effect on the studied traits.

Since the plant reflects the total N-supply from all sources, plant N status can be a good indicator of N availability to crops at any given time. The chlorophyll meter (SPAD) and leaf colour chart (LCC) are simple, portable diagnostic tools that can measure the crop N status in situ in rice fields to determine the timing of N top dressing. To study optimal N-management an experiment was carried out in Rice Research Institute in mazandaran, in 2009. A test material has been evaluated in a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. Shirudi variety was grown under eight treatments, including zero-N control, two splits, chlorophyll meter 35, 37, 40, LCC 4 and 5. Both LCC and SPAD can be used to improve N management for rice. The optimal SPAD threshold used to determine the timing of N-application was 37 LCC treatment indicated that N-management based on LCC shade 5 helped to avoid over application of N. It is suggested that when N-management technology such as real time N-management (SPAD and LCC) were used, it would be possible to avoid the over application of N fertilizer by rice farmers.

Background and objectives: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is the most common mononeuropathy encountered in clinical practice. Conventional electro diagnosis studies have been useful in the diagnosis of this condition. The Terminal Latency Index (TLI) is a derived neurophysiological value that adjusts the Distal motor Latency (DL) for the terminal distance and motor nerve Conduction Velocity (CV).Several studies have suggested utility of the median TLI for diagnosis of CTS.The goal of this study is to evaluate prospectively the sensitivity of the median TLI in the diagnosis of CTS and compare it with other electrodiagnosis techniques.Material and Methods: This study was done on 111 patients as CTS group & 62 healthy subject as control group. In all groups five selected tests of electrodiagnosis were done and all of them were compared with TLI sensitivity.Results: The mean TLI was 0.3±0.05 in the CTS group and 0.42±0.03 in the control group. The sensitivity of TLI was 73% The TLI wasn't statistically better than the other tests, but in three cases from the CTS group, the TLI was the only abnormal test.The 7 and 14 cm method had meaningful sensitivity in contrary to other tests.Conclusion: The sensitivity of TLI has no meaningful difference with other routine electro diagnostic tests in diagnosis of CTS.The median TLI is a useful but not more sensitive electrodiagnostic test for CTS.

Introduction: Three methods of OCRA Index, Strain Index (SI), and ACGIH HAL have been proposed for the assessment of risk factors of upper limb musculoskeletal disorders. Investigating the correlation and consistency of these three methods are of prominence importance in the workplaces. Thus, this study aimed to determine the correlations of the results of the above mentioned methods. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 150 tasks were studied in four industries. For each task, a video taping of a full working cycle was prepared and evaluated according to the instructions of each method. The level of risk exposure to musculoskeletal disorders was analyzed with correlation and Kappa agreement coefficient tests using SPSS (version 16) and R software packages.Results: The correlation between the results of risk assessments of OCRA and SI methods for right and left hands were acceptable and equal to 0.751 and 0.726, respectively (p<0.001). Meanwhile, the coefficients of agreement between OCRA and HAL methods for left and right hands were 0.526 and 0.595, respectively.Conclusion: These findings partly confirmed the agreement between the methods of risk assessment. The origin of this partial agreement can be the number and type of variables and their impacts on the final score of the methods.