Thirty-five core samples were taken from 35 stems of oak (Quercus castaneafolia C.A. (Mey.)) in Noor Forest Park. Associations between tree-ring chronologies with 85 climatic variables, including precipitation, temperature, evapotranspiration and water balance were examined on an annual, monthly, three-seasonal and growth season basis. Simple linear and multiple regression models were run to evaluate and to estimate impacts of climatic variables in current, and first, second and third preceding years on the growth of oak. Filtration method was used to find the best. Statistical factors, such as coefficients of variations and determination, and residual sum of squares in different subsequence process were attained. The best model for evaluation of the growth of oak could explain total variance by 88 percent. The response of this species was different in different years. The filtration method helped identifying and using the best models in each step. Based on this method, it was understood that the oak's growth responds chiefly to the current climatic variables rather than those of previous years, though there was a correlation between growth and the variables in the last three years, but to a lower extent. The result of this study showed that Caspian oak favors warm weather in the growth season, and growth will be different depending whether climatic variables are favorable or not in the current year and the last three years. Based on the research, climatic conditions of the current year have a greater effect on the tree's growth as compared to the conditions of previous years.

A graph $G$ is called irregular if the degrees of all its vertices are not the same. A graph is said to be \textit{Stepwise Irregular} (SI) if the difference of the degrees of any two adjacent vertices is always 1 (one). This paper deals with \textit{2-Stepwise Irregular} (2-SI) graphs in which the degrees of every pair of adjacent vertices differ by 2. Here we discuss some properties of 2-SI graphs and generalize them for $k$-SI graphs for which the imbalance of every edge is $k$. Besides, we also compute bounds of irregularity for the Albertson index in any 2-SI graph.

Adding gas turbine units to steam power plants for enhancing steam cycle’s properties and regenerating heat from adjunct cycle (s) have been known as repowering. Repowering methods are divided into two main categories, partial and full repowering. One of the latest methods of partial repowering is parallel feed water heating repowering. In this paper the mentioned method has been applied to Shahid Rajaee power plant. Cost functions of generated-electricity and exergy efficiency are defined as objective functions in one and two objective optimizations. Finally, the most suitable scenario has been chosen to apply this method on, considering desirable technical and economic parameters for partial and nominal load. The results of the chosen design are: 3.4% and % 27 increases in exergy efficiency and steam power plant capacity, respectively.

AbstractCaspase-3 inhibitory activities of some 1, 2-benzisothiazol-3-one derivatives were modeled by quantitative structure– activity relationship (QSAR) using stepwise-multiple linear regression (SW-MLR) method. The built model was robust and predictive with correlation coefficient (R2) of 0. 91 and 0. 59 for training and test groups, respectively. The quality of the model was evaluated by leave-one out (LOO) cross validation (LOO correlation coefficient, ( Q2) of 0. 80). The results indicate that the descriptors related to the electronegativity, the atomic masses, the atomic van der Waals volumes and R--CX--R Atom-centered fragments play a more significant role in caspase-3 inhibitory activity.

Rock structures are subjected to cyclic tension-compression loading due to a blasting, earthquake, traffic, and injection-production in an underground storage case. Therefore, studying the fatigue behavior of rock samples under this type of loading is required. In this study, the accumulated fatigue damage for a Green Onyx rock sample consisting only one mineral composition with two-step high-low sequences of loading levels was investigated under a completely reversed loading condition. New apparatus based on the R. R. Moore fatigue test machine was designed to assess this type of loading. A comparison was conducted between the predicted behavior of the Linear Damage Rule and the experimental data and a new damage model was proposed based on the experimental observation. The results showed a good agreement between the proposed damage model and the experimental data.

In recent decades, necessity to protect environment has been a serious concern for all people and international communities. In appropriate development of human economic activities, subsistence dependence of the growing world population on nature decreases the natural diversity of ecosystems and habitats day by day and provides additional constraints for life and survival of wildlife. As a result, implementation of programs to protect species and ecosystems is of great importance. The current study was carried out to implement a comprehensive strategic environmental management plan in the Mond protected area in southern Iran. Accordingly, the protected area was zoned using multi criteria decision method. According to the numerical models, fifteen data layer were obtained on a scale of 1: 50,000. The results revealed that 28.35% out of the entire study area belongs to nature conservation zone. In the following step, in order to offer the strategic planning using strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats method, a total number of 154 questionnaires were prepared and filled by the relevant experts. For this purpose, after identifying the internal and external factors, they were weighted in the form of matrices as; internal factor evaluation and external factor evaluation. Analytical hierarchy process and expert choice software were applied to weight the factors. At the end, by considering the socioeconomic and environmental issues, the strategy of using protective strategies in line with international standards as well as a strong support of governmental national execution with a score of 6.05 was chosen as the final approach.

Marl units with high contents of soluble salts are highly susceptible to erosion. These units produce and enter high amounts of sediment to Sorkhe artificial recharging system every year. Thus, identification of effective agents on susceptibility to erosion of marls is an essential subject. Statistical methods to determine effective factors is based on mean comparison and correlation matrix between data. The correlation matrix tables are very large and complex because so many variables are involved. Therefore, determining main variable and amount of their effect and also relationship between erosion groups is not possible with high accuracy. The aim of this study, is to determine main chemical variables on erosion by Discriminate Analysis and separating increaser and decreaser factors in erosion using SPSS software. The results showed that low rate of erosion in low to moderate surface erosion group (1) and severe surface erosion group (3) is due to TNV, HCO3 and OC correlation between two mentioned groups. On the other hand, high level of erosion in rill erosion group (2) is due to no relation with variables of groups 1 and 3 and high values of CaSO4 and SO4. As well as, atterberg limits have positive correlation with reduction erosion factors. Then by using method we can determine the effective factors fast and accurately.

Background: Citrus is among the cold temperature (freezing) susceptible plants. The performance of storage and breeding of horticultural crops is mainly dependent on the correlation among the traits. Objectives: The present study was conducted to identify the physiological and biochemical traits of some citrus cultivars with the greatest influence on stress tolerance and determine the direct and indirect effects of these traits on the median Lethal Time (LT50) using integrated pathway analysis (i. e., stepwise regression and causality coefficient). Methods: Pathway analysis (i. e., stepwise regression and causality coefficient) based on additive models, which is among the robust statistical methods to describe the relationship among the traits, was used to investigate the physiological and biochemical charac, teristics of four citrus cultivars (i. e., Japanese mandarin, Thomson orange, Ruby Star grapefruit, and Lisbon lemon) at temperature levels (-8,-4, and +4°, C) in a completely randomized design with three replications in 2021. Results: The results showed that Japanese mandarin and Thomson orange cultivars had the highest stress tolerance (LT50). The results of the correlation coefficient demonstrated that the highest positive and significant correlations belonged to the LT50 with total flavonoid (0. 443**), chlorophyll a with chlorophyll b (0. 613**), carotenoid with chlorophyll a (0. 929**), chlorophyll b (0. 573**), and total chlorophyll (0. 849**), relative moisture content with malondialdehyde (0. 559**), glycine-betaine with catalase (0. 919**), hydrogen peroxide with total flavonoid (0. 405**), and catalase (0. 611**). Conclusions: The results of stepwise regression for all traits indicated the importance and critical role of total flavonoid, proline, and LT50 characteristics.