specificity usually refers to one of the properties of noun phrases. In this study, drawing upon the definition of specificity by Enc (1999) and Karimi (1999 and 2003), the Kurdish morpheme “  ægæ” is investigated as the morphological marker of specificity in noun phrases in different syntactic positions. Using a wide range of evidence and data such as the obligatory presence of “ægæ” at the end of definite and some of the indefinite noun phrases, it is argued that unlike what Edmonds (1995), MacKenzie (1961), Yarmoradi (1384) and Bahador (1390) point out, in Kermanshahi Kurdish this morpheme indicates specificity and not definiteness. Finally, based on Lyons’ classification of languages (1999), Kermanshahi Kurdish is placed among the languages, which only mark indefiniteness. Regarding the fundamental principle in Generative Grammar that the linguistic knowledge in the mind of speakers of a language is similar, the data were collected from the authors’ speech using the argumentative methodology. The theoretical framework was based on the viewpoints of Enc (1991) and Karimi (1999) on specificity.

Verticillium dahliae is an economically important pathogen causing vascular wilt on more than 160 plant species. Most strains have a wide host range. Forty-five wild isolates of V. dahlia recovered from different woody and herbaceous plants throughout Iran. Genetic diversity of the isolates was assessed through vegetative compatibility groups (VCGs) using nitrate non-utilizing (nit) mutants. Nit mutants were generated using water agar supplemented with 5-7% KClO3. Nit mutants from different isolates were used in all possible combinations. Three VC local groups were identified and designated as VCGA, VCGB and VCGC which correspond to VCG2B (88.8%) and VCG 2A (8.8%) and weakly to VCG2A (2.2%) Most of the isolates were assigned to VCG2B. The results indicated that genetic diversity of V. dahliae is very low and there were no relationship between VCGs and geographicalorig in of the isolates. Host specificity of V. dahliae using 18 isolates was determined on 11 different hosts plant species. Different plants reacted differently to the isolates and were divided into three groups: very sensitive (eggplant, pistachio, cotton and okra), semi-sensitive (sunflower, radish and rapeseed) and low sensitive (pepper, tomato, small radish and cabbage). Each plant species reacted differently to each isolate. Mint was less sensitive to the pathogen (5 isolates) than other plant species tested.

Background: hK13 is one of the enzymes that encode by hK13 gene from the kallikrein family gene. It has been reported that this enzyme is found in the seminal plasma, ascites fluid of the patients with ovarian cancer and the breast milk. In this study, we aimed to detect the enzymatic activity and the substrate specificity of the hK13, which may be used in the future for the diagnosis and management of the cancer patients.Materials and Methods: The pichia pastoris culture supernatant, with incorporated hK13 recombinant DNA, was collected by FPLC for the purification of the hK13. The fluorescence was measured by Wallace Victor fluorometer and the Km was calculated by non-linear regression analysis using the Enzyme Kinetics Module 1.1 (Sigma plot, SSPS Inc).Results: The Kcat/Km for Val-Pro-Arg-AMC and Phe-Ser-Arg-AMC was higher than that of the other substrates. hK13 was unable to cleave the peptide bonds from carboxyl side of the lysine effectively. The Kcat/Km value for Val-Pro-Arg-AMC hydrolysis by trypsin was 1.5 times more than that of the hydrolysis of the same substrate by hK13.Conclusion: Among the 6 fluorogenic substrates, the tripeptide Val-Pro-Arg-AMC was the best substrate with the highest value of Kcat/Km for hK13. So hK13 may be used as a tumor marker for identification of patients with cancer. The practical application of this suggestion needs to use advanced clinical laboratory techniques, especially substrates for hK13 and to eliminate the interference of the enzyme activity in the circulation.