Nowadays cities benefit from two geographical (natural, social, and economical environments) and artificial (man-made environment, and architecture) symbols. Mankind has always been trying to change these two symbols for the sake of his daily activities or earning his life and establishing a dwelling both as an interest and as a shelter. During this process green areas, jungles, and gardens have been changed into skyscrapers and buildings. Bricks, cement, and metallic plates have replaced for attractive views of nature. Today’s citizens have a sad feeling while they see that they have fallen far from the beauties and quietness of nature.To solve this problem, industrialists have developed the green roof technology. Urban planners and architects use it as a ‘back to nature’ process. Green roof is a method to convert the rough, dry, and cold parts of the city into green spots. Besides green roofs can create micro-climatic zones which reduce pollution and improve the living conditions of the citizens.This process is highly advantageous for cities like Tehran which is located in a 730 sq. km. of land delimited by mountains and deserts.67.9 percent of the city is occupied by buildings and about thirteen million people live in this city. Green roofs are good means for reducing these problems of Tehran.

A B S T R A C T Green city is one of the approaches to sustainable development. “green city” is an environmentally friendly city compatible with the concept of sustainable development and can be used for the welfare and security of its inhabitants. Based on the concept of a “green city,” urban managers try to have the least destructive effect on the ecosystems upon which cities rely. Green city is one of the sustainable development approaches that reduce the environmental footprint of cities. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the situation of Mashhad metropolis in terms of the objective characteristics of the green city. In this study, 14 indicators of electricity consumption per capita, green space per capita, population density, water availability, sewage availability, superior public transportation network, urban mass transportation, traffic reduction, annual production waste per capita, carbon monoxide, concentration nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide concentration, particulate matter concentration, and air quality were exerted. To determine the importance of research indicators, the Shannon entropy method, and the status of Mashhad city areas in terms of green city indicators, the VIKOR multi-criteria decision-making method has been applied. The results showed that most areas of Mashhad are average and below average in terms of green city characteristics, and only District 9 is in very good condition (0.636). Also, based on the results of this part of the research, District 5, with the value of VIKOR index of 0.969, is in the last rank in terms of objective characteristics of the green city Extended Abstract Introduction Green city is one of the approaches to sustainable development. A “Green city” is an environmentally friendly city compatible with the concept of sustainable development and can be used for the welfare and security of its inhabitants. Based on the concept of a “green city,” urban managers try to have the least destructive effect on the ecosystems upon which cities rely. Green cities constantly try to manage their environmental effects by reducing waste, increasing recycling, reducing air pollution, increasing population density, developing open urban spaces, and encouraging the development of sustainable local businesses. Green cities were first used to evaluate 30 European cities by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) in 2009 with the financial support of Siemens and the aim of reducing the environmental effects of human activities in cities. In that study, eight indices of carbon dioxide, energy, construction, transportation, water, recycling and land use, air quality, and environmental governance were used. Later, the Economist Intelligence Unit, with the financial support of Siemens, evaluated the status of the green city index in 17 Latin American cities, 15 African cities, 22 major Asian cities, and 27 cities in United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. In recent years, even some Western Islamic scholars have, in various publications, shown that Islam is an ecological religion. In Iran, the issue of protecting the environment has not received much attention regardless of its rich cultural and religious background and its confirmation in Article 50 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Mashhad is the second metropolis of Iran, located in North-East of Iran, and is one of the counties of Khorasan Razavi Province. According to the 2016 Iranian Population and Housing Census, its population was 3057679 people (The Vice-Presidency of Planning and Development of Mashhad Municipality). In Mashhad, due to several reasons including the presence of Imam Reza Shrine (PBUH) and arrival of millions of pilgrims per year, population growth, increased garbage production (production of 896534 tons of garbage in 2016 (The Vice-Presidency of Planning and Development of Mashhad Municipality), air pollution (increased number of unhealthy days from 46 days per year in 2015 to 88 days in 2016 for sensitive groups and 4 days of unhealthy air for all groups in 2016 (Center for Monitoring Environmental Pollutants of Mashhad Municipality) the 2025 vision of the city has paid attention to the environment in the form of five general objectives; however, just like the national level, no specific pattern for environmentally-compatible urban development, such as green city, is determined. Analysis of the green city index in Mashhad metropolis can considerably contribute to urban managers and planners in addition to providing a pattern for evaluating the present situation in other cities of Iran and improving the quality of life regardless of the current status of the urban environment in Iranian cities; we can preserve these environments as parts of the natural environment for future generations.   Methodology In terms of its goal, the present study is an applied one; in the study, drawing upon other studies and library sources and considering the conditions of Iran and the metropolis of Mashhad in terms of green city, 14 quantitative indices were exerted. To this end, the required data for the quantitative indices was gathered by library research from the relevant institutions. Next, the weights of quantitative indices were determined using Shannon's entropy. Then, using the VIKOR method of multi-criteria decision-making, the status of various districts of the metropolis of Mashhad in terms of quantitative indices of green city was determined. Finally, the map of the spatial distribution of quantitative indices was drawn using the ARC GIS software package.   Results and discussion In this study, to analyze the status of the metropolis of Mashhad in terms of green city features, 14 quantitative indices were used. Considering the value of the VIKOR index ranges from 0 to 1, various districts of Mashhad can be classified into five categories; very satisfactory, satisfactory, average, unsatisfactory, and very unsatisfactory in terms of quantitative indices of green city. The results of the current situation of Mashhad showed that in terms of objective indicators of the green city, District 9 of Mashhad metropolis with a value of VIKOR index of 0.056 is in first place, and the seventh region with a value of VIKOR index of 0.433 is in second place. Also, based on the results of this part of the research, District 5, with the value of VIKOR index of 0.969, is in the last rank in terms of objective characteristics of the green city.   Conclusion Similarly, the results of studies by Afshar (2011) and Shabani et al. (2017) on Tehran metropolis are indicative of the unsatisfactory situation of Tehran (the biggest metropolis of Iran) in terms of green city features. Comparing the results of the studies by Afshar (2011) and Shabani et al. (2017) with the present study on Mashhad (the second biggest metropolis of Iran) reveals the necessity for a comprehensive plan toward achieving green cities. It should be mentioned that, due to the specific conditions of Mashhad metropolis and availability or unavailability of the required data, the indices used in the present study are somewhat different from the ones used by Afshar (2011) and Shabani et al. (2017).   Funding There is no funding support.   Authors’ Contribution All of the authors approved the content of the manuscript and agreed on all aspects of the work.     Conflict of Interest Authors declared no conflict of interest.   Acknowledgments We are grateful to all the scientific

IntroductionConventional cropping systems, dependent on heavy application of chemical fertilizers, are not ecologically and environmentally sustainable; they are a threat for soil and water quality and, in consequence, for plant and human health. Nitrogen fertilizers are heavily applied in conventional leaf vegetable production systems to obtain maximum growth and yield. However, the excess nitrogen tends to accumulate in leaf vegetables in the form of nitrate, which pose serious human health hazards. Therefore, to supply nitrogen from non-chemical sources, such as organic amendments, is a sustainable practice for production of leaf vegetables. Spent mushroom substrate (SMS), which is the remaining material after the harvest of mushroom, is produced in large quantities (5 kg SMS for 1 kg of mushroom) and is enriched with organic carbon, N, P, K, and micronutrients. Therefore its reuse as a soil amendment not only provides essential elements for plants but also improves soil quality. Similarly, incorporation of green manures, especially legume green manures, into cropping systems is a sustainable practice for soil fertility and soil quality management. In this study, we aimed to investigate the short-term effects of two soil organic amendments (spent mushroom substrate and alfalfa residues) and their combination, in comparison to inorganic N fertilizer (urea), on soil fertility, and selected essential nutrients, and nitrate accumulation in a leaf vegetable, test plant (spinach).    Materials and MethodA one-season pot experiment was led in a randomized complete block design with three replications in experimental greenhouse of Bu-Ali Sina University. Treatments were comprised of two levels of spent mushroom substrate (SMS-1: 2% SMS, and SMS-2: 5% SMS), two levels of alfalfa green manure (AGM-1: 1% AGM, and AGM-2: 3% AGM); two levels of the mixture of SMS and AGM (SMS+AGM-1: 1% SMS plus 0.5% AGM; and SMS+AGM-2: 2.5% SMS plus 1.5% AGM);  two levels of urea fertilizer (U-1; 120 kg/ha, and U-2: 360 kg/ ha); and control. Selected properties of the initial soil and both organic amendments were determined. Spinach (Spinacea oleracea L.) was seeded as leaf vegetable, test plant in early autumn 2017. After ten weeks, spinach were harvested and the aboveground and root dry weights were determined. Moreover, the content of NO3-, P, Fe, Cu, Zn, and Mn in edible parts were measured. Soil samples were analyzed for EC, pH, total organic carbon, available P and K, and alkaline phosphatase activity.Results and DiscussionAll soil quality indicators were significantly affected by the treatments. TOC was significantly increased in all of the organic treatments compared to the chemical and control treatments. The maximum increase in TOC was observed in SMS-2, SMS+AGM-2, and AGM-2 treatments, compared to the control (134, 130 and 107%, respectively). A decreasing trend in TOC was detected in the high level of urea treatment (U-2) compared to the control which can be explained by the faster decomposition of soil organic matter in the presence of higher inorganic N inputs. Both organic amendments (in both levels) and the higher level of urea (U-2) decreased soil pH compared to the control. The initial low pH of SMS (5.6) and AGM (6.2), in the first case, and oxidation of urea to nitrate, in the latter, may justify this observation. In contrast, soil EC increased under the both organic amendments relative to the control and U-1 treatments. Moreover, the adverse effect of SMS on soil salinity was greater than AGM due to the initial differences in their corresponding source materials (5.8 vs. 3.0 ds/m). Available K was significantly increased in the second level of all organic treatments compared to the chemical and control treatments. As for available P, all organic treatments, except AGM-1, led to the significantly higher P than the chemical and control treatments. It is reported that organic materials compete with mineral particles for P adsorption and increase its availability. Moreover, all organic treatments, except SMS-1, significantly increased phosphatase activity compared to the chemical and control treatments. This could contribute to the mineralization of organic materials and increase available P.   Spinach yield was affected by the experimental treatments. The highest increase in shoot dry weight occurred in SMS+AGM-2 and AGM-2 treatments by 235 and 230%, respectively, compared to the control. Moreover, the second level of all organic treatments as well as the first level of SMS plus AGM treatment significantly increased yield compared to the chemical treatments. Spinach P content was significantly higher in all organic treatments, except SMS-1 and AGM-1, compared to the chemical and control treatments. Organic amendments, by decreasing the surface adsorption of P and increasing soil microbial biomass, promote the availability of P for plants. Spinach nitrate content ranged from 265 (in control) to 7807 mg/kg (in U-2). According to the critical limit of nitrate in spinach (4000 mg/kg) presented by European Union, only U-2 treatment led to over-accumulation of NO3-. The two levels of AGM treatments and SMS+AGM-2 resulted in the comparable amounts of nitrate as the recommended amount of urea (U-1). A narrow variation in spinach Cu content (from 6.1 in SMS+AGM-2 to 9.8 mg/kg in AGM-2), all within the standard range reported for plants (5-20 mg/kg), was observed among the treatments. Spinach Fe content was increased under all organic treatments relative to the control, although some disparities were not significant. The lowest Fe was detected in U-2. It is reported that excessive N may diminish root growth and, in turn, reduce nutrient uptake. Spinach Zn content varied from 44.8 (in control) to 71.5 mg/kg (in SMS-2), which was close to the higher limit of standard range (20-50 mg/kg) reported for vegetables, but lower than toxic concentration range (200-400 mg/kg). Spinach Mn content varied from 17.4 (in control) to 32.1 mg/kg (in SMS-2), which was close to the lower limit of the standard range (40-400 mg/kg) reported for plants.ConclusionThe most appropriate treatments in view of improving yield and soil quality (i.e., optimum TOC, P, and K; and lower EC) as well as tolerable nitrate accumulation were SMA+AGM-1 and SMS-1 in decreasing order. These treatments are preferred over the chemical treatments (U-1 and U-2).

With the rapid population increase, the importance of using recycled water has increased the serious crisis of water resources and drought. One of the common methods for removal of pollutant is the process of adsorption by the adsorbent. In this study mesoporous carbon CMK-3, was synthesized, characterized and applied in the process of azo dye Janus Green B. Mesoporous carbon CMK-3 was prepared by using SBA-15 silica material molecular sieve as hard template. Finally this adsorbent was characterized and confirmed by using X-Ray diffraction (XRD), N2 adsorption-desorption, scanning electron microscope images (SEM), and chemical analysis (EDX).The effect of contact time, pH, initial dye concentration, electrolyte concentration, and temperature on the removal process of absorbing dye solution was studied. The dye adsorption equilibrium was rapidly attained after 60 min of contact time. Removal of dye in basic solutions was better than in acidic solutions. The adsorption of dye increased with increasing initial dye concentration and salt concentration, but color removal decreased with increasing temperature.

Spermatogonial Stem Cells (SSCs) are the only stem cells in adults that can transfer genetic information to future generations. Considering that a single SSC gives rise to a vast number of spermatozoa, genetic manipulation of these cells is a potential novel technology with feasible application to various animal species. The aim of this study was to evaluate Enhanced Green Fluorescent Protein (EGFP) gene transfection into bovine spermatogonial colonies via Turbofect carrier and assess the best incubation day in uptake exogenous gene by spermatogonial colonies. Transfection efficiency EGFP gene through Turbufect was determined different three days (day 4, 6 and 8) after the beginning of the culture by fluorescent microscope. Immunofluorescent staining against OCT4 and Vimentin led to the confirmation of the nature of both SSCs and sertoli cells. Results showed that the transfected colonies through Turbufect increased significantly (p<0.05) in each three days of transfection in comparison with those of the control groups. The transfection colonies were higher (significant) in comparision with those of the free exogenous gene carrier groups. The rate of infected colonies was higher when transfection proceed day 4. It was concluded that Turbofect can be used safely for direct loading exogenous DNA to spermatogonila colony particulary during the fourth day of culture.

Alfalfa witches’ broom (AWB) is the most important alfalfa disease in Yazd province. To evaluate the status of AWB, the alfalfa growing regions of Yazd province were surveyed in 2001-2004 and geographical distribution, infection rate and severity of AWB disease were assessed. Furthermore, the death rate of infected plants were evaluated during the summer and winter seasons. For sampling, five 1 to 3 years fields were selected randomly and sampling conducted in fifth harvesting. In each field sampling was carried out randomly at five points within a 0.5-m quadrate on a diagonal transect across each of the five fields. Infection of samples was based on characteristic disease symptoms and ELISA test using polyclonal antiserum. The results indicated that AWB is widespread all over the Yazd province except in Taft and Mehriz cities. The highest incidence was found in Chahgeer (up to 100%), Rezwanshahr (up to 100%), Milleshbar (up to 54%), Hassanqaraie (up to 39%), Rezaieae (up to 16%), Eshghabad (up to %10), Amirabad (up to 9%) and Yazd vicinity (up to 3%). About 6% of infected plants in 4th year stands were died during the winter in Esfandabad (Abarkouh, Yazd province). Furthermore, up to 9% death rate of infected plants were found in 3rd year stand in the summer in Rezwanshahr (Sadugh, Yazd province). Based on the results of this study among the cities in the Yazd province AWB is most widespread and severe in Abarkouh and Sadugh regions.

One of the surface irrigation methods is furrow irrigation which is used in different ways. One of the methods in furrow irrigation is alternate (every-other) furrow irrigation in which the furrows are irrigated alternatively. In this irrigation method water infiltrates more horizontally than vertically. Appropriate infiltration equation should be used in designing a surface irrigation method. Thus, the differences in infiltration equations for ordinary and alternate furrow irrigations should be investigated. Some of the infiltration equations are empirical and are obtained from field measurements. Some others are physically based equations and their performances should be tested in field. In this research four different methods were used to solve the Green-Ampt equation for alternate and ordinary furrow irrigations to simulate the advance phase, recession phase and outflow hydrograph. The results of simulation were compared with field data and the best method for solving the Green-Ampt equation was proposed. Among the four methods (slug, modified slug, exponential and dimensionless), for solving the Green-Ampt infiltration equation to simulate the advance, recession and outflow hydrograph in furrow irrigation, the exponential model were preferred for both ordinary and alternate furrow irrigation. The furrow spacing in ordinary and alternate furrow irrigations were different (60 and 120 cm, respectively) and was one of the input data to the model. Finally, appropriate results were obtained by the exponential model for both ordinary and alternate furrow irrigations with different furrow spacings.

Four-handed fifty lactating Holstein cows with mean body weight of, 597±40 and 50±20 and days in milk body Condi from sure of 3.1±0.4 were blocked by parity and randomly assigned to 3 treatments. Each treatment had 3 pens and each pen had 50 cows. The experiment lasted for 60 days (10 days adaptation and 50 days collection period). Concentrate to forage ratio was 60 to 40 and alfalfa hay replaced with alfalfa silage. Dry mater intake, milk yield and composition did not changed significantly due to complete replacement of alfalfa hay with alfalfa silage. Milk urea nitrogen increased significantly (15.85 vs 14.69 mg/dl) when alfalfa silage was replaced with alfalfa hay. Rumen pH were similar in all treatments and higher than 6.0 of alfalfa silage diet. The result of this experiment indicated that in TMR based ration alfalfa hay can replaced completely with the alfalfa silage.