The magnitude and duration of ongoing global warming affects tree growth, especially in semi-arid forest landscapes, which are typically dominated by a few adapted tree species. We investigated the effect of climatic control on the tree growth of Persian oak (Quercus brantii Lindl.), which is a dominant species in the Central Zagros Mountains of western Iran. A total of 48 stem discs was analyzed from trees at three sites, differing in local site and stand conditions (1326 to 1704 m a.s.l.), as well as the level and type of human impact (high human intervention for the silvopastoral site, moderate for the agroforestry site, and low for the forest site). We used principal component analysis (PCA) to investigate the common climatic signals of precipitation, air temperature, and drought (represented by SPEI 1 to 48 months) across the site chronologies. PC1 explains 83% of the total variance, indicating a dominant common growth response to regional climatic conditions that is independent of the local environmental conditions (i.e., forest stand density and land-use type). Growth–climate response analyses revealed that the radial growth of Q. brantii is positively affected by water availability during the growing season (r = 0.39, p < 0.01). Precipitation during April and May has played an ever-important role in oak growth in recent decades. Our study provides evidence that hydroclimatic conditions control tree-ring formation in this region, dominating the effects of topography and human impact. This finding highlights the great potential for combining historical oak samples and living trees from different forest stands in order to generate multi-centennial tree-ring-based hydroclimate reconstructions.

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Background: According to threat anticipation cognitive model, anxiety is the main causal factor for Paranoia. Objectives: The study was designed to answer the question of whether anxiety-based cognitive behavioral therapy can reduce paranoid ideations. Methods: During a six-month period (April to September 2017) the female students of Mashhad Universities, Iran voluntarily participated in this study, of which 30 subjects with subclinical paranoid ideations were selected based on SCID-I, scoring 1 > in the SCL-90 questionnaire, and scoring 40 > in Paranoia scale. Fifteen subjects were determined for each group based on Cohen table and the probability of dropout. They were divided into two groups. Finally, eighteen participants completed all therapy and assessment sessions. Before and after the intervention, paranoid scale and work and social adjustment scale were used to assess paranoid ideations and performance impairments. Results: This study indicated a reduction in paranoid ideation (P = 0.000) and an improvement in general function (P = 0.001). Conclusions: This study could be promising research to design specific protocols for Paranoia in a non-clinical population.

Objectives: To determine the validity and reliability of the Persian version of the Food Thought Suppression Inventory (FTSI) in overweight university students in Iran. Methods: A sample of 233 overweight students were recruited from five universities in Tehran. Participants were asked to complete the Persian versions of FTSI, Binge Eating Scale, Thought Control Questionnaire, Rumination Response Scale, and Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire. Sociodemographic characteristics of participants were also collected. Results: Validity of the Persian version of the FTSI was verified by the fitting indices of the proposed single-factor model of the main makers (χ 2 = 112.75, df = 90, p = 0.052, χ 2 / df = 1.25, goodness-offit index = 0.93, comparative fit index = 0.96, non-normed fitness index = 0.96, root mean score of error approximation = 0.032, and standardised root mean residual = 0.052). Internal consistency of the instrument was high, with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.88. Conclusion: The Persian version of the FTSI is a valid and reliable tool for screening patients in obesity clinics and for evaluating treatment outcomes.