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The pretest-posttest control group design is one of the most widely used quantitative experimental design models for evaluating the efficacy of programs, treatments, and interventions. Despite the prevalence and utility of this research design, best practices for data analytical procedures are not clearly defined. Invalid results decrease the chance of generalization. Given that Iranian Journals are interested in publishing pretestposttest control group design studies, it is important to denote the accuracy of them. The aim of the current study is to explore the correct procedure for using ANCOVA in pretest-posttest control group designs to mitigate the potential limitations of this approach. This study explores the use of ANCOVA in pretest-posttest control group design. It has been done by analyzing data from experimental studies published in five Iranian journals indexed in PubMed or Scopus between 2011 and 2018. The results indicate that among the 280 published experimental studies in these journals, 53 papers (18.9 percent) used ANCOVA as the statistical test in pretest-posttest studies. The power of the test represents the probability of detecting differences between the groups being compared when such differences exist. Our analysis concludes that ANCOVA, which runs a multiple linear regression, is a suitable method for comparing and examining pretest-posttest study designs. Implications of this study have potential utility for researchers employing the use of pretest-posttest control group designs in various fields in and outside of Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigated the combined effects of MoS 2 QDs' catalytic properties and the colorimetric responses of organic reagents to create a sniffing device based on the sensor array concept of the mammalian olfactory system. The aim was to differentiate the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) present in cigarette smoke. The designed optical nose device was utilized for the classification of various cigarette VOCs. Unsupervised Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and supervised Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) methods were employed for data analysis. The LDA analysis showed promising results, with 100% accuracy in both training and cross-validation. To validate the sensor's performance, we assessed its ability to discriminate between five cigarette brands, achieving 100% accuracy in the training set and 82% in the cross-validation set. Additionally, we focused on studying four popular Iranian cigarette brands (Bahman Kootah, Omega, Montana Gold, and Williams), including fraudulent samples. Impressively, the developed sensor array achieved a perfect 100% accuracy in distinguishing these brands and detecting fraud. We further analyzed a total of 126 cigarette samples, including both original and fraudulent ones, using LDA with a matrix size of (126 × 27). The resulting LDA model demonstrated an accuracy of 98%. Our proposed analytical procedure is characterized by its efficiency, affordability, user-friendliness, and reliability. The selectivity exhibited by the developed sensor array positions it as a valuable tool for differentiating between original and counterfeit cigarettes, thus aiding in border control efforts worldwide.

Background and objectives: Waste paper recycling utilization has been increasing in Iran and world paper industries which offers many benefits to the environment and humans. Municipal waste is also reused after recycling processes. Cardboard recycling industry has great environmental and economic importance and helps overcone the lack of wood resources and high demand for paper products. It plays an important role in the development of paper-related industries. However, recycling can be associated with the reduction in the optical properties of the paper. The use of nanoparticles in the paper industry is also expanding gradually. Nanosilica is one of the most important nanoparticles which is used as a retention aid in the paper industry. In order to reduce the consumption of long fibers and obtain the desired optical properties, the use of nanosilica alone or in combination with other materials such as cationic starch and cationic polyacrylamide is investigated. The purpose of this research is to compare the effect of individual and combined use of nanosilica additives, cationic polyacrylamide, cationic starch and long fibers on the optical properties of white liner paper pulp. Methodology: In this study, white paper pulp with the brightness of at least 78% and the gloss of at least 45% was used to prepare handmade paper sheets. Long fiber kraft chemical pulp from coniferous wood imported from Russia with the brightness of 89% was used in the laboratory paper sheet making. Nanosilica powder (NanoSiO2) (Degussa), Germany, cationic polyacrylamide (Farinret K325 brand, Degussa, Germany), and cationic starch (LyckebyAmylex, Slovakia) were used. Independent treatments included the addition of 10% refined long fibers pulp, 6% nanosilica, 1.5% cationic starch and 0.15% cationic polyacrylamide and combined treatments included 6% nanosilica and 1.5% cationic starch and 6% nanosilica and 0.15% cationic polyacrylamide. Then 127 g.m-2 handmade papers were prepared and the optical and microscopic properties were evaluated. Results: The results showed that by adding 10% long fibers, the brightness decreased and by using 6% nanosilica, the maximum brightness was reached. Meanwhile, the whiteness of papers with 6% nanosilica was minimum and with the dosage of only 0.15% cationic polyacrylamide, the whiteness reached at the maximum value. Opacity showed its highest value with the combination of 6% nanosilica and 0.15% cationic polyacrylamide. Also, by increasing the amount of polyacrylamide and cationic starch, individually or in combination with nanosilica, the opacity increased. The light absorption coefficient was the lowest in papers with 6% nanosilica and the light scattering coefficient was the highest in papers containing 6% nanosilica and 0.15% cationic polyacrylamide. A colorimeter was used to measure the color components and the results showed that the additives had an effect on the brightness and whiteness of the papers. Also, changes in the color spectrum and the value of color change were also observed. Additives increased the darkness and changes in different colors. Conclusion: The use of nanosilica individually and in combination with starch and cationic polyacrylamide increases the brightness of papers. Also, the use of cationic polyacrylamide individually and in combination with nanosilica leads to an increase in the whiteness and opacity of papers. The brightness factor of the papers, which is representative of the L* component, decreased with the exception of the addition of 10% long fibers and 6% nanosilica. The amount of overall color change with ΔE* was the lowest in samples containing 1.5% cationic starch and the highest in samples containing 0.15% cationic polyacrylamide. The use of some treatments can lead to a decrease in the optical properties and a decrease in the printability quality of the white liner. To solve this problem, mechanical pulp that has been decolorized or coated on the surface of the paper can be used. The presence of nano-silica particles in the structure of the paper improves the surface structure and reduces the prosity, which results in the reduction of surface roughness and less light refraction, and increases the light reflection and brightness of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anopheles stephensi is a major vector of malaria in some parts of the world. A standard method for determining resistance in adult mosquito populations is the bioassay test recommended by the world health organization (WHO). The papers used in this method have an expiry date. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of outdated susceptibility test papers for use in insecticide resistance monitoring programs. Methods: Beech and Bandar Abbas strains of An. stephensi were reared in the insectary. Permethrin 0.75%, Deltamethrin 0.05%, and Bendiocarb 0.1% impregnated test papers prepared by Universiti Sains Malaysia were used. Probit analysis was used to analyze the results and prepare time-mortality regression lines of LT50 and LT90. Results: There was a difference in the mortality of both tested strains of An. stephensi was exposed to all tested insecticides. Both expired and not expired Permethrin and Deltamethrin papers induced 100% mortality at the diagnostic time (60min), but their insecticidal properties were reduced gradually in serial times. The highest efficacy of test papers was in the first trimester after the expiry date and decreased over time. Conclusion: At the diagnostic time of 60 minutes, the mortality rate of both dated and expired papers was 100% in the pyrethroid insecticides, even three years after expiry dates, if stored in the package provided by the producer, in a refrigerator. This value was reduced to less than 100% in the expired papers of Bendiocarb comparing the dated papers that induced 100% mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) can play a vital role in decreasing morbidity and mortality. Due to the increasing development of electronic systems, their use can be effective in improving the quality of services and reducing costs. This study aimed to assess the satisfaction of EMTs with electronic forms. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study was conducted on 99 EMTs in Rasht City, Iran. Data was collected via a questionnaire, including demographic characteristics (age, sex, work experience, type of employment, level of education, field of study, and retraining course) and 17 questions about the satisfaction of personnel in using electronic forms. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire were assessed by 7 emergency medicine specialists via a pilot study. The questionnaire had a Likert scale to respond with Cronbach's alpha of 0.83. Data were analyzed using SPSS software v. 22. Results: The Mean±SD age of participants was 36.08±0.73 years. Most of them had a bachelor's degree (71.7%), contractual employment (40.4%), and Bachelor of Science (BSc) in nursing (46.5%) or emergency technician (42.4%). Their average work experience was 10.45±0.69 years. The level of satisfaction of most EMTs (65.7%) in using the electronic form was moderate, which statistically had a significant relationship with their employment status (P<05). Conclusion: According to the average satisfaction of EMTs in using electronic forms, it is necessary to increase the level of use and satisfaction of electronic forms by holding appropriate retraining programs on how to use and benefits of electronic forms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Research on gender inequality is crucial as it unveils the pervasive disparities that persist across various domains, shedding light on societal imbalances and providing a foundation for informed policy-making. Aim: To investigate gender differences in scientometric indices among faculty members in dental schools across Iran. This included overall data and speciality-specific data. Methods: The publication profiles of academic staff in all dental schools were examined using the Iranian Scientometric Information Database (ISID, http://isid.research.ac.ir). Variables analyzed were working field, academic degree, the total number of papers, papers per year, total number of citations, percentage of self-citation, h-index, g-index, citations per paper, gender, university type, number of years publishing, proportion of international papers, first-author papers, and corresponding-author papers. Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis nonparametric tests were used to analyze the relationship between background characteristics and scientometric indicators. The extracted data were analyzed using R v4.0.1. Results: The database included 1850 faculty members, of which about 60% (1104 of 1850) were women. Men (n = 746) had a higher number of papers (6583 vs. 6255) and citations (60410 vs. 39559) compared with women; 234 of the 376 faculty members with no papers were women. Almost half of the women (N = 517 of 1104) were in Type 2 universities, and nearly half of the men (N = 361 of the 746) were faculty members at Type 1 universities (Type 1 universities ranking higher than Type 2 and 3 universities). The medians of scientometric indices were higher in men, except for self-citation percentage (0 (IQR = 2) vs. 0 (IQR = 3), P = 0.083), international papers percentage (0 (IQR = 7.5) vs. 0 (IQR = 16.7), P<0.001). The proportion of corresponding-author papers was more than 62% higher in women (25 (IQR = 50) vs. 15.4 (IQR = 40), P<0.001). Men had a two-fold higher median h-index (2 (IQR = 4) vs. 1 (IQR = 3), P<0.001). Restorative dentistry and pediatric dentistry had the highest men-to-women ratios (1.5 for both). Dental materials and oral and maxillofacial surgery showed the lowest men-to-women ratios (0.42 and 0.5, respectively). Conclusions: Women made up the majority of dental faculty members in Iran. Nevertheless, men showed better scientometric results in several significant indices. Having identified scientometric information reflecting differences across faculty members, further research is now needed to better understand the drivers of these differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A scrapbook compiled between 1660 and 1687 by Gesina ter Borch (1631–1690), a female artist from the small town of Zwolle in the Netherlands, contains an intriguing painting on paper of a full-length portrait of a young Iranian. Although the figure wears the attributes in vogue at the Safavid court of Isfahan, certain elements seem rather incongruous and peculiar. The general composition appears static and rigid, an impression reinforced by an unusual black painted background. Stylistic differences within the painting were also observed, hinting at alterations to the original painting. To investigate the history of the painting and to reconstruct the original composition and identify the later additions, perhaps made by Gesina herself, the painting was examined with different imaging and analytic techniques available at the Conservation and Science Department of the Rijksmuseum. This allowed the research team to discriminate between pigments used for the original composition and pigments used to conceal damaged areas of the painting and added pictorial elements. After interpreting scientific results, as well as historical findings, it was possible to shed light on the use of specific pigments, namely lead white and smalt, and on the possible misinterpretation of some details, such as the cup held by the young man. The results of macro X-ray fluorescence scanning (MA-XRF) and lead isotope analysis, viewed in the light of information about the economic and cultural exchanges between Iran and the Netherlands in the seventeenth century, fed new theories about the origin and history of this painting. The painting, originally made in Iran in the style of Riza Abbasi, the head of the Emperor Shah Abbas' library, ended up in Gesina ter Borch's workshop and may have been 'restored' by the artist to improve its condition and to match her tastes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hospitals, as the most important medical institutions, must be adequately prepared before accidents to cope with emergencies and provide rapid response to disasters. This study aimed to determine the preparedness of hospitals in Ardabil Province during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: The present study is a cross-sectional study, and the study population included all hospitals in Ardabil Province, Iran (17 hospitals in total). The data collection tool was a standard checklist of 92 questions for COVID-19 Crisis Preparedness issued by the Iran Ministry of Health and Medical Education. The obtained data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics (the Pearson correlation analysis) in SPSS software v. 22. Results: The mean relative score of preparation for the COVID-19 pandemic was 80.27% among the hospitals in the province. In the studied hospitals, the relative scores of preparedness were as follows: leadership and coordination, 92.64%, resource management, 94.36%; information management, 79.90%; communications, 77.94%; human resources, 77.69%; surge-capacity, 86.55%; rapid identification, 57.18%; diagnosis, 71.32%; isolation and patient management, 81.09%; and infection prevention and control, 84.05%. Conclusion: The level of hospital preparedness in most dimensions (9 out of 10 dimensions) was good, and only in the area of rapid identification was at a moderate level. However, further evaluation is needed at different stages of an epidemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Prehospital emergency staff usually encounter patients in situations that can affect the mental health of the medical staff and cause symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. This study aimed to determine depression, anxiety, and stress in prehospital emergency personnel during the COVID-19 epidemic in Ardabil City, Iran, 2020. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from March 2020 to April 2020 with the participation of 138 working staff in the prehospital emergency department of Ardabil City. The samples were selected by the census method. Necessary information was collected with a two-part questionnaire: a demographic questionnaire and the DASS-21 standard questionnaire. DASS-21 is a 21-item questionnaire that consists of three subscales of 7 questions: depression, anxiety, and stress. The obtained data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including mean and standard deviation, and inferential analysis, including analysis of variance, independent t test, and multiple regression using SPSS software v. 22 statistical software. Results: The results showed that 45.7% of the staff had moderate depression, 44.9% moderate anxiety, and 77.5% normal stress. There was a significant relationship between work experience and stress level (P=0.03). There were significant associations between age with depression (P=0.04), anxiety (P=0.00) and stress (P=0.01). There was also a significant relationship between gender and variables of stress (P=0.00) and anxiety (P=0.01). Multiple regression results showed that gender and education variables are predictors of anxiety and stress, and age and education variables are predictors of depression (P<0.05). Conclusion: More than half of the staff had moderate to severe depression and anxiety. Considering that prehospital emergency personnel has a vital role in improving and promoting people’s health in the community, eliminating the underlying factors that cause emotional reactions in them is considered a health priority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

B ackground: According to the World Health Organization, preventive measures are the o nly non-pharmacological method to combat the COVID-19 epidemic. This study aimed t o investigate the relationship between perceived social support and preventive behaviors mediated by the variables of life expectancy and mental wellbeing. Materials and Methods: This study is applied in terms of purpose and was conducted by survey method. The statistical population included women living in Tehran City, Iran, with a sample size of 428. The study data were collected using the preventive behavior scale, mental wellbeing scale, Snyder hope scale, and multidimensional perceived social support scale. The obtained data were analyzed using SPSS 25 and AMOS 23 software. Results: The study results showed a positive and significant relationship between perceived social support and mental wellbeing, between perceived social support and life expectancy, and between mental wellbeing and life expectancy. Also, life expectancy and mental wellbeing variables mediate between perceived social support and preventive behaviors. Conclusion: Considering the critical role of women in family management and preventive measures during the COVID-19 epidemic, strengthening social support networks, hope, and mental wellbeing should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Iran is one of the earthquake-prone countries in the world that have experienced earthquakes with a magnitude of more than seven on the Richter scale, which has caused significant financial, human, economic, and social losses in society. In earthquakes where the vital arterial system is severely damaged, the community's life is threatened and sometimes causes significant damage. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of the earthquake on vital arteries and to design a new approach to earthquake crisis management in the classification of vital arteries. Materials and Methods: This study was descriptive applied. The study population consisted of technicians and experts in management and civil engineering in Isfahan Province, Iran. Considering that the study population is 265 people, all of them were studied with the assumption of a confidence interval of 0.95 and an error of 0.05. The study data were collected by a questionnaire. Because of the normality of the data, the data were analyzed with the Pearson correlation coefficient in SPSS software. Results: The results of data analysis and Pearson correlation coefficient test show a significant relationship between the classification of vital arteries based on new structuring with crisis management and its key role in earthquake crisis control. The passive defense was the most important component and the most relevant among effective approaches to managing vital arteries crises. Conclusion: By creating this proposed model of earthquake crisis management, a new classification was made for the system of vital arteries. Also, It provides a proper performance in different situations of before, during, and after social crises. It is also necessary to form a headquarter called the Social Crisis Management Headquarter based on efficient strategies and the necessary implementation and training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: The present study was to evaluate the microbial diversity inhabiting biodeteriorated precious manuscripts of the Holy Quran placed in one of the repositories of the Library of Astan Quds Razavi (AQR), and its relation to the air microbial diversity. Materials and Methods: Three non-invasive sampling methods, culture-based techniques, and molecular identification were used to investigate the microorganisms involved in deterioration. To investigate the air microbial quality and its role in the destruction of the repository objects, air samples were taken from six different points inside the repository. Biomodeling studies were designed to verify the impact of microbial isolates. Results: 14 fungal isolates were obtained from three deteriorated ancient Quran manuscripts. The most frequently isolated fungi from the different substrates were Aspergillus spp. and Penicillium spp. In the air, the prevalence across fungal genera was rather uniform. 30 species of the identified bacteria were collected from three manuscripts. The results obtained in the present study showed that the bacterial species from different genera belonged to three phyla: Proteobacteria (n = 2), Actinobacteria (n = 4), and Firmicutes (n = 24). The paper strips were artificially colonized by Aspergillus sp., Penicillium chrysogenum, and Talaromyces diversus producing spots which were visible to the naked eye. In the scanning electron microscopy images, the colonization of the selected organism was observed. Conclusion: The characteristics of paper inoculated artificially with these microbial isolates confirmed their deteriorating effects. Based on molecular identification, the similarity of fungal and bacterial species isolated from both substrates and air samples suggest the direct relationship between microorganisms from the air and those isolated from the manuscripts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hitherto, no instrumental research has been designed to measure the addiction potential for children in Iran. Therefore, the questionnaires designed to investigate addiction were examined in this systematic review article. Methods: In the present systematic review, all Iranian and foreign research on addiction potential for children were examined until March 2022. Using separate keywords and their Latin synonyms according to Mesh terms, an extensive search was conducted in databases: PubMed, Magiran, Iranmedex, Medline, Google Scholar, SID, and Irandoc. In total, 173 Farsi and English papers were included in the initial list, and after evaluation according to the Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) checklist and acceptance criteria, 43 final papers were selected for systematic review. Findings: Through searching in Persian and English databases and using related keywords, 173 papers were found in the initial search and after removing duplicates and unrelated studies, 43 papers were selected for systematic review. In this research, papers related to the addiction potential between 1998 and 2019 were considered, and among these, 22 papers particularly dealt with addiction. In the conducted studies, the awareness, attitude, talent, and factors affecting addiction were mostly measured and in some papers, addiction potential was measured. Conclusion: Designing psychometrically appropriate tools is necessary to measure the addiction potential of children in Iran. Due to the unavailability of appropriate tools and the fact that the previous versions are not up to date and are not checked regularly, for better and more complete decision-making in the health policy-making process more investigation in this field is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iran has different environmental conditions due to its specific geographical location. Therefore, exploring essential oil and flavonoid components among medicinal plants in different areas may result in discoveries about valuable bioactive compounds. The present investigation aimed to study flavonoids profile and essential oils composition of four Lamiaceae species i.e., Stachys lavandulifolia, Teucrium polium, Thymus daenensis and Ziziphora clinopodioides from Oshtorankoh located on Zagros Mountains, Iran. A chemical study using two dimentional paper chromatography (2-DPC) and thin-layer chromatography (TLC) showed that the four studied species contained flavone C and C-/O glucosides and flavonoid sulphates. The present study revealed that T. polium had high levels of many flavonoids such as apigenin, genistein, isorhamnetin, kaempferol, quercetin, rutin, and vitexin compared to the other studied plants. The results of GC/MS analysis showed that S. lavandulifolia was rich in a-pinene (21.16 %) and 1,8-cineol (16.95 %), T. polium in a-pinene (12.21 %) and sabinene (9.55 %), T. daenensis in α-Terpinene (36.98 %) and p-Cymene (26.87 %), and Z. clinopodioides in piperitone (16.84 %) and 1,8-cineol (16.11 %) components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last two decades, all branches of science and technology have rapidly progressed, including the medical area. In Middle Eastern countries, including Iran, the increased growth of technology and science production has led to this rapid medical progress. Recent evidence has revealed that the increase in the number of scientific papers generated in Iran after the Iraqi imposed war against Iran has been eight times that in six main countries in the Middle East, including Egypt, Turkey, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Syria. Although Iran's output in sciences has been still small in comparison to developed countries, it has significantly grown in the last decade, which is hoped to continue to increase and improve. The current paper shows a portion of the science production in Iran over the past two years based on papers published in the European Journal of Translational Myology in 2020 and 2021. Although the Issue 32 (1), 2022 in a special section contains several typescripts from Iran, they were not included in our analysis since they have not been yet indexed in the Scopus database. However, our report would encourage researchers of diverse nationalities to take part in research works and author joint papers. Further, this paper can be used to rate the universities and research centers regarding their science output, as well as being beneficial to university students, lecturers, and governments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Aim: The current study aimed to investigate sequence variations in the C-terminus of latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) in Epstein- Barr virus (EBV) isolates from Iranian patients with chronic gastritis or gastric cancer (GC). Background: LMP1, an essential viral oncoprotein, is the critical element in the immortalization of B cells. It contains a small twenty-four amino acid cytoplasmic N-terminal region, six transmembrane segments, and a two hundred amino acid cytoplasmic Cterminal domain. Most LMP1-mediated signal transduction events are moderated by some functional parts of the cytoplasmic Cterminal domain. Methods: Thirty-two EBV-positive biopsy tissues were obtained from patients with gastric cancer and patients with chronic gastritis. The C-terminal nucleotide sequences of LMP1 were amplified using nested-PCR and analyzed by DNA sequencing. Results Four to eight copies of the 11 repeat elements (codon 254--302) were observed in the carboxyl-terminal site of patients, but no relationship was found between the number of repeat sequences and disease status. The 30-bp deletion corresponding to codon 345--354 of the B95-8 strain was observed in 34% of isolates, and the remaining samples were non-deleted. In the gastric cancer group, a higher number of 33-bp repeats (≥5 repeats) was observed in 30-bp-deletion (100%) than in non-deleted (42%) isolates, and the difference was statistically significant. Analysis revealed that a gastritis isolate may be the result of recombination between Alaskan and China1 strains. Conclusion: Overall, the current results showed no association between C-terminal sequence variations of LMP1 and malignant or non-malignant isolate origin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Considering the importance of internal medicine and the lack of sufficient scientometric data on the research status of the field in Iran, the study aimed at investigating the state of scientific output in the country compared to the countries in the world. Methods: This applied research used a scientometric approach. The related MeSH-driven terms in "internal medicine" were selected as search phrases and searched in the SCImago database. SPSS and Excel software packages were used for statistical analysis. Geographical mapping was done with Google Maps for depicting country geographical distribution. Results: Out of all 4,972,258 papers published by 230 countries worldwide in the field, about 60% belonged to the USA and Western European countries. These countries were at top of citation and self-citation counts as well as the h-index indicator. The citations per paper indicator were 27.1 and about 25.1% of total citations were self-citations. A significant positive correlation was found between the number of papers, citation count, and selfcitation rate, and h-index in the field (p<0.001). Conclusion: The research status of internal medicine in developed regions and countries was quantitatively and qualitatively better than that of developing countries, including Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Today, information resources play a paramount importance role in providing information and public awareness. COVID-19 is a highly contagious disease and general precautions and identifying the factors influencing the self-care behaviors play an important role in the prevention of the disease. This study aimed to assess the relationship between trust in information resources and self-care behaviors in the prevention of COVID-19 on faculty members, staff, or students of Gonabad University of Medical Sciences. Methods: This was an analytical cross-sectional study, conducted on 192 faculty members, staff, or students of Gonabad University of Medical Sciences between May and April 2020. The sampling method was census. We used a valid and reliable questionnaire to assess our goals. Data on demographic variables, information resources trust and self-care behaviors to them were collected using online self-administered questionnaires. Data were analyzed using SPSS software v. 22 and Chi-square test and Pearson correlation coefficient. Results: In this study, 60.2% of the subjects were male. The Mean±SD age was 24.18±7.97 years (ranged: 18-59). The highest levels of trust in the information resources about COVID-19 were related to articles (37.8%) and faculty information (22.2%), and the lowest ones were related to national media (27.3%) and satellite channels (25.5%). The quality of self-care behavior in females was significantly higher than males (P=0.018). There was no significant relationship between the level of trust in any of the information resources and the quality of selfcare behaviors in the prevention of COVID-19 (P>0.05). Conclusion: According to the results of this study, there was no significant relationship between the level of trust in information resources and the quality of self-care behaviors to prevent COVID-19 and further investigations are needed to find possible associated factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: One of the most challenging aspects of today’s technology is mobile social networking, which has affected the health and social life of individuals. The goal of this study was to investigate the relationship between the use of mobile-based social networks and general health. Methods: This analytical and cross-sectional correlation study was done on 295 staff of Bushehr University of Medical Sciences in 2018 -2019. The data were collected using the general health and social networking addiction questionnaires. A random sampling method was used to select the participants. Descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson correlation coefficient were used for data analysis via the SPSS software, v. 24. Results: Of two hundred ninety-five participants, 153 (51.7%) were male and 142 (48.3%) were female. The Mean±SD age of the participants was 36.32±6.61 years. There was a statistically significant relationship between the mean score of social network addiction and demographic characteristics of sex and marital status. There was also a significant relationship between the level of general health and marital status and the amount of daily use of social networking. There was a direct and significant relationship between the amount of use of social networks and general health (P<0.05). Conclusion: It seems social networks use is often more in men and single individuals due to their tendency to receive information and news and to have much more leisure time. Given the positive impact of marriage on mental health in most studies, there is a need for more detailed research on the relationship between general health and marital status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Health policy and systems research (HPSR) can strengthen health systems and improve population health outcomes. In the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR), there is limited recognition of the importance of HPSR and funding remains the main challenge. This study seeks to: (1) assess the reporting of funding in HPSR papers published between 2010 and 2022 in the EMR, (2) examine the source of funding in the published HPSR papers in the EMR and (3) explore variables influencing funding sources, including any difference in funding sources for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related articles. Methods: We conducted a rapid scoping review of HPSR papers published between 2010 and 2022 (inclusively) in the EMR, addressing the following areas: reporting of funding in HPSR papers, source of funding in the published HPSR papers, authors' affiliations and country of focus. We followed the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidelines for conducting scoping reviews. We also conducted univariate and bivariate analyses for all variables at 0.05 significance level. Results: Of 10,797 articles screened, 3408 were included (of which 9.3% were COVID-19-related). More than half of the included articles originated from three EMR countries: Iran (n = 1018, 29.9%), the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (n = 595, 17.5%) and Pakistan (n = 360, 10.6%). Approximately 30% of the included articles did not report any details on study funding. Among articles that reported funding (n = 1346, 39.5%), analysis of funding sources across all country income groups revealed that the most prominent source was national (55.4%), followed by international (41.7%) and lastly regional sources (3%). Among the national funding sources, universities accounted for 76.8%, while governments accounted for 14.9%. Further analysis of funding sources by country income group showed that, in low-income and lower-middle-income countries, all or the majority of funding came from international sources, while in high-income and upper-middle-income countries, national funding sources, mainly universities, were the primary sources of funding. The majority of funded articles' first authors were affiliated with academia/university, while a minority were affiliated with government, healthcare organizations or intergovernmental organizations. We identified the following characteristics to be significantly associated with the funding source: country income level, the focus of HPSR articles (within the EMR only, or extending beyond the EMR as part of international research consortia), and the first author's affiliation. Similar funding patterns were observed for COVID-19-related HPSR articles, with national funding sources (78.95%), mainly universities, comprising the main source of funding. In contrast, international funding sources decreased to 15.8%. Conclusion: This is the first study to address the reporting of funding and funding sources in published HPSR articles in the EMR. Approximately 30% of HPSR articles did not report on the funding source. Study findings revealed heavy reliance on universities and international funding sources with minimal role of national governments and regional entities in funding HPSR articles in the EMR. We provide implications for policy and practice to enhance the profile of HPSR in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overpressure is always considered as a severe problem in the oil industry. Besides creating life risks through serious accidents while drilling, failure to correctly identify high-pressure intervals causes a significant increase in costs and prolongs the drilling process. Kazhdumi Formation in the Abadan Plain is considered as a high-pressure formation in several wells. Various reasons can cause overpressure problem. Hydrocarbon generation is one cause of abnormal pressure in source rocks. Understanding hydrocarbon generation potential can be a helpful approach since the Kazhdumi Formation is considered as a probable source rock in this area. In this paper, in order to better understand the problem of abnormal pressure in Kazhdumi Formation, geochemical concepts and tools have been applied. To that way, 1D petroleum system modeling of five wells was done, and the thermal maturity level of Kazhdumi Formation was determined and then, compared with drilling records. The results indicate that in wells where this formation has sufficient organic matter and has reached an early mature level, there is an abnormal pressure problem. Otherwise, this formation does not show abnormal pressure. Also, geochemical data are not available in all drilled wells, which makes impossible the assessing of hydrocarbon generation role. Therefore, petrophysical well logs (sonic (DT), neutron (NPHI), density (RHOB), spectral gamma ray (SGR), and resistivity (RES)) as well as 137 sets of geochemical data belonging to 13 wells from 7 oilfields in the Abadan Plain were used to predict geochemical indicators. Using artificial neural networks, geochemical data of a well in Abadan Plain were predicted. This selected well has a high-pressure problem in Kazhdumi Formation, but no geochemical data are available in this well. The results of predicted geochemical data show that the high-pressure phenomenon in this well may also be due to hydrocarbon generation. The precise understanding of the abnormal pressure, resulting from hydrocarbons generation, requires comprehensive studies and a full investigation of the studied area. However, the results of this paper help to predict approximately the behavior of the source rocks before drilling. Acquiring this overview will aid in reducing drilling hazards and costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the deepening of the research on emotional factors, foreign language anxiety (FLA) has become the focus of researchers in the field of foreign language learning (FLL) and teaching. This paper aims to provide an overview of the historical trajectory of FLA research that has been published in System between 2004 and 2023. While examining the retrieved 49 studies, focus has been laid on the methodologies including research instruments, methods, participants, major themes and key findings of FLA research. Although almost all of the studies employed quantitative and mix-methods methodologies, questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were the most preferred research methods. FL learners from 21 countries/regions were represented, but a significant number of the studies came from China, Japan and Iran. And an overwhelming majority of the studies focused on FLA among the learners learning English as a foreign language (EFL). The review concluded with some research lacunae and possible directions for future research on FLA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing the price of fossil fuels, unreliability of fossil fuels for a secure supply of demand in future and their relevant environmental concerns provide an attitude toward substituting renewable energies with fossil fuels for reaching sustainable development in societies. Biofuels as a type of renewable energies can be easily transferred between supply chain's centers and do not have limitation for transportation after their production. Among various types of biofuels, biodiesel, which can be mainly produced from the non-edible feedstocks, such as Jatropha Curcas L. (JCL), is preferred to other biofuels because biodiesel production from JCL which can be cultivated in marginal lands, improves three pillars of sustainability. Since biofuel supply chain's costs can mainly be affected by its feedstock location optimization, this paper used a common weight data envelopment analysis (CWDEA) method for location optimization of feedstock cultivation for a biodiesel supply chain by considering a comprehensive set of sustainability criteria for investigating locations. A case study of Iran is provided for assessing the model's application, and its results in ranking potential locations for JCL cultivation are validated by a numerical taxonomy (NT) approach. In fact, this paper not only specifies the optimum locations for the feedstock cultivation of a biofuel supply chain regarding to sustainability criteria, but also discuss the balanced socioeconomic development and environmental benefits which can be attained by JCL cultivation in marginal and mostly underdeveloped lands. Provided results imply that vast area of Iran's marginal lands has suitable climate for JCL cultivation and policy makers can address all aspect of sustainability simultaneously by investment on those specified lands as well as supplying countries' demand for biodiesel which will be produced from this feedstock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peer review is one of the most efficient ways to ensure the quality of papers for possible publication in scholarly journals. However, the process of peer review is not free of bias and disorders. Many reviewers are unaware of how their attitudes towards the evaluation of scholarly papers may violate Peer Review Ethics (PRE). This paper attempts to analyze the different ethical issues influencing the job of reviewing. The research sample for this study included 7 Iranian library and information journals, 124 Iranian peer reviewers, and 34 authors. Peer reviewers and authors were asked to evaluate the most important ethical elements of peer review in Iranian LIS journals through two different questionnaires based on Rajabali Beglou et al. (2019) research. Findings showed that there was no difference among authors and reviewers in terms of gender in most PRE elements. Also, the level of experience of the authors was not significant in terms of understanding and acceptance of the PRE among reviewers and authors. However, review experiences regarding some PRE elements were significant in respondents’ viewpoints. The experiences reviewers had already gained were influential on their views about PRE. In addition, results showed that there were significant differences among reviewers and authors about the PRE elements in LIS journals. Authorship experiences had not effect on the PRE elements and the dual role of peer reviewing and authorship had no impact on their views. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the fifth of February 2022, a man gruesomely murdered his seventeen-year-old wife, Mona Heydari, in a city in a southern province of Iran. The man then shocked bystanders by strolling in public spaces while carrying his wife's severed head. This paper focuses on the case of Mona's killing and investigates the state, media, and online user-created reactions to the incident. The paper aims to (i) offer an in-depth exploration of himpathy with the perpetrator and (ii) investigate the role of the law and the state in the normalization and perpetuation of violence committed by men against women in the name of 'honor.' This paper extends the usage of the concept of himpathy (by Manne, 2017) as a cluster of biases that direct sympathy towards men who commit violence against women to the institutional and legal realms. It also draws on the traditional notion of gheirat, referring to protecting one's 'honor,' and explores its role in Iranian law to show that the Iranian legal system hinges upon it, therefore legitimating misogyny and femicide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study was conducted to evaluate a smartphone-based online electronic logbook used to assess the clinical skills of nurse anesthesia students in Iran. Methods: This randomized controlled study was conducted after tool development at Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences in Ahvaz, Iran from January 2022 to December 2022. The online electronic logbook involved in this study was an Android-compatible application used to evaluate the clinical skills of nurse anesthesia students. In the implementation phase, the online electronic logbook was piloted for 3 months in anesthesia training in comparison with a paper logbook. For this purpose, 49 second- and third-year anesthesia nursing students selected using the census method were assigned to intervention (online electronic logbook) and control (paper logbook) groups. The online electronic logbook and paper logbook were compared in terms of student satisfaction and learning outcomes. Results: A total of 39 students participated in the study. The mean satisfaction score of the intervention group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P=0.027). The mean score of learning outcomes was also significantly higher for the intervention than the control group (P=0.028). Conclusion: Smartphone technology can provide a platform for improving the evaluation of the clinical skills of nursing anesthesia students, leading to increased satisfaction and improved learning outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Antiplatelet drugs, such as Aspirin and Clopidogrel (Plavix) are effective in the primary prevention of thromboembolic events. They are commonly used to reduce the risk of recurrence of thromboembolism. The body's hemostatic system responds differently to these drugs in different people. Resistance testing for aspirin and Clopidogrel is now recommended before starting antiplatelet therapy. Methods: A systematic literature search was performed on May 12, 2021, using the medical search engines PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, and the local databases SID and Magiran. After data extraction, a meta-analysis was performed using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA2) software. The I2 statistic was used to measure heterogeneity between estimates. Results: Among the 949 papers, Clopidogrel resistance was assessed in 136 patients and Aspirin resistance in 400 patients. The prevalence of Aspirin resistance was found to be 52.1% and the prevalence of Clopidogrel resistance was found to be 20.5%. Conclusion: It seems that in Iran, the issue of Aspirin and Clopidogrel resistance is suboptimally addressed. This pattern could also occur in other developing countries in the Middle East region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dam construction has some qualitative and quantitative effects on groundwater resources. This effect may be in the form of an increasing groundwater table or a changing groundwater system. In this paper, the effect of the Rodbal dam construction on the Darab aquifer was investigated. For this paper water table levels from observation wells and precipitation data was used. The study aims to analyse the behaviour of the water table during precipitation by employing a combination of the standardisation process, Fuzzy Inference System (FIS), and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) calculations. Fuzzy logic involves the fuzzification of input data, transforming precise values into fuzzy sets. The effectiveness of the FIS is highlighted, particularly in determining the number of membership functions for inputs. The performance of the results is assessed using indicators such as RMSE and Coefficient of Determination (R2). The FIS showed a high level of effectiveness in performance assessment, exhibiting a 70% similarity between the fuzzy and Mann–Kendall methods. Nonetheless, the Fuzzy Purpose Method corresponded more closely with the observed data, indicating a more accurate reflection of reality. The findings indicate that for P3, P7, and P8, the results from the Mann–Kendall method do not show a discernible trend. Conversely, the proposed Fuzzy method accounts for changes in the behaviour of these piezometers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Noise pollution is one of the consequences of urbanization that can cause environmental disturbances in urban areas. Urban ecosystems provide noise reduction services through Urban Green infrastructures (UGIs). Many studies have been conducted to evaluate and model traffic noise, but none have addressed the flow, supply, and demand of noise reduction ecosystem services. The main purpose of this paper is to present a new methodology for estimating flow, supply, and demand for noise reduction in Hamadan city that has not been mentioned in any paper so far. UGIs were classified into six main categories: agricultural lands, gardens, parks, abandoned lands, single trees, and street trees. A total of 57 sampling stations for sound measurement were made in August 2018. The current map of noise pollution (flow) was created using the Kriging method. The amount of supply was measured up to a distance of 50 meters from the main roads based on two approaches (the distance effect and the sound barrier effect). To quantify the demand, the current sound intensity level in the noise-sensitive land uses was compared with standards. Zonal statistics was used for spatial analysis of supply-demand in the urban neighborhood as a working unit. Results showed that at distances of 5m, 10m, 15m, and 20m, the average noise reduction was found to be 1.61, 2.83, 3.92, and 5.33 dB, respectively. Sound barriers at distances of 5m and 10m resulted in an average sound reduction of 1.61 and 2.83 dB, respectively. Individual trees, strip trees, abandoned lands, parks, and gardens led to a decrease in traffic noise by 0.3, 1, 0.1, 3.5, and 4.5 dB, respectively. The clustering analysis revealed a significant spatial clustering of noise pollution in Hamedan. The results and new methodology of this research can be used in similar areas to estimate the supply and demand of noise reduction and also for decision-makers to take management actions to increase supply and meet the demand for noise reduction service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study employs scientometric analysis to investigate the current trajectory of research on tunnel boring machine (TBM) performance and collaborative efforts. Utilizing software tools like Pajek 5.16 and VOSviewer 1.6.18, it scrutinizes literature from 2000 to 2021 sourced from the Web of Science (WOS). The findings illuminate TBM research as an interdisciplinary and intersectoral field attracting increasing national and institutional attention. Notable contributions from China, Iran, the United States, Turkey, and Australia underscore the global significance of TBM research. The recent upsurge in annual publications, primarily driven by Chinese research initiatives, reflects a renewed vigor in TBM exploration. Additionally, the paper presents a succinct evaluation of TBM advantages and drawbacks compared to conventional drill and blast methods, discussing key considerations in excavation methodology selection. Moreover, the study comprehensively reviews TBM performance prediction models, categorizing them into theoretical, empirical, and artificial intelligence-driven approaches. Finally, rooted in metaverse theory, the discourse delves into the immersive learning model and the architecture of a TBM metaverse. In the future, the immersive training and learning model diagram can be employed in scenarios such as employee training and the promotion of safety knowledge. Additionally, the TBM metaverse architecture can simulate, monitor, diagnose, predict, and control the organization, management, and service processes and behaviors of TBMs. This will enhance efficient collaboration across various aspects of the project production cycle. This forward-looking perspective anticipates future trends in TBM technology, emphasizing societal impact and enhancement of economic benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The main purpose of this research is investigation of effect of the users' religiosity on their relevance judgment. Method: This research is practical in terms of purpose and was conducted using the descriptive survey design. The statistical population of the research consisted of all fourth-level doctoral students at Al-Zahra University, whose number was 69. Mean and Standard deviation were used to describe the statistical data, and Pearson's correlation coefficient and simultaneous regression analysis were used to analyze the data. In order to collect information about the level of users' adherence to religiosity dimensions, Glock and Stark's religiosity questionnaire (1968) was used which includes 26 items arranged in 4 dimensions of beliefs, emotional, consequential, and ritual. Then, in order to determine the degree of relevance judgment, 6 simulated work tasks were defined and the most important criteria of relevance judgment were evaluated during the execution of work tasks. First, the users searched on the topic of work tasks in Persian paper databases, including Magiran, SID and Ensani Portal (Iran's Humanities Portal), and they selected 10 papers for each task. After reading each scenario and the demand related to it, users evaluated the papers related to each scenario in a related, somewhat related, unrelated format. Therefore, each user evaluated 30 papers related to 6 work tasks. Findings: The findings indicates that among the religiosity dimensions, the interactive behavior of users showed a higher average than the interactive performance and relevance judgment. Moreover, the average of practices dimension was the highest, followed by belief dimension, and emotion dimension. Finally, the works dimension showed the lowest average. The results of multiple regression test showed that users' ritual and behavioral dimension (such as worship, prayer, participation in special religious rites, fasting, etc.) and belief dimension and religious beliefs are effective in increasing relevance judgment, but the two affective and emotional dimensions have nothing to do with the judgment of users. In other words, despite the change in the emotional dimension of the users, i.e., the change in the degree of emotions, imaginations and feelings related to having a relationship with a divine entity such as God or an ultimate reality or a supreme authority, their relevance judgment would not change. Furthermore, despite the change in the 'consequences dimension' of religiosity, i.e., the change in the effects of religious beliefs, actions, experiences and knowledge on the daily life of users, the level of their relevance judgment did not show a change. Originality/value: The present research is the first research that has explored the effect of users' religiosity scales on relevance judgment. According to the findings, it is suggested that system designers and experts, in addition to considering technical issues and hardware and software equipment, should also manage the interactions of users with the system and consider the different conditions and situations of users. Librarians, while knowing the society in which the users are located and considering the religious context of the society as well as knowing the religious approaches of the users, can provide the necessary guidance to them when retrieving information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aim: As a result of population growth, paper and wood products consumption has increased, and restrictions on using forest wood raw materials initiated the utilization poplar trees as fast-growing spices. The aim of this study was to focus on identification and comparison of the phenolic chemical components in poplar woods (populous nigra and populous deltoides). Materials and methods: In this study, three trees from each poplar tree were randomly felled in plantation near Nowshar, Iran. Then three discs were cut from each log. At first, wood was grounded and then wood flour extractive were measured using TAPPI standard procedure. Wood flour was extracted by acetone and extractives residue was added to BSTFA reactor and samples were kept in constant temperature bath at 70oC for an hour. The extractive samples were then analyzed by GC/MS. The compounds were identified using GC diagram which shows abundance and retention time of each compound, and calculation of quartz index and Adams table. Results: The result of GC-MS showed that there exist 68 and 105 compounds in wood of Populus nigra and Populus detoides, respectively. di-Limonene (30.26%), bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (10.07%), Gamma-Sitosterol (1.06%), Hexadecanoic acid (2.0%), gamma-Terpinene (4.02%) and 4-Hydroxy-Benzoic acid (3.62%) were the most important compounds in wood of Populus detoides. There were the Limonene (25.62%), Anymol (5.29%), gamma-Terpinene (3.38%), 1, 2-Benzandicarboxylic acid (2.00%) and bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (0.68%) as the most important compounds in wood of Populus nigra. Conclusion: The gas chromatographs showed that Limonene, Benzene methanol, alpha-Terpineol, beta-Bisabolene, Hexadecanoic acid and bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate were the 7 common compounds in the wood of Populus nigra and Populus deltoides. These compounds can play an important role in the durability and consumption of these woods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Humans have generally evolved some adaptations to protect against UV and different levels of background ionizing radiation. Similarly, elephants and whales have evolved adaptations to protect against cancer, such as multiple copies of the tumor suppressor gene p53, due to their large size and long lifespan. The difference in cancer protection strategies between humans and elephants/whales depends on genetics, lifestyle, environmental exposures, and evolutionary pressures. In this paper, we discuss how the differences in evolutionary adaptations between humans and elephants could explain why elephants have evolved a protective mechanism against cancer, whereas humans have not. Humans living in regions with high levels of background radiation, e.g. in Ramsar, Iran where exposure rates exceed those on the surface of Mars, seem to have developed some kind of protection against the ionizing radiation. However, humans in general have not developed cancer-fighting adaptations, so they instead rely on medical technologies and interventions. The difference in cancer protection strategies between humans and elephants/whales depends on genetics, lifestyle, environmental exposures, and evolutionary pressures. In this paper, we discuss how the differences in evolutionary adaptations between humans and elephants could explain why elephants have evolved a protective mechanism against cancer, whereas humans have not. Studying elephant adaptations may provide insights into new cancer prevention and treatment strategies for humans, but further research is required to fully understand the evolutionary disparities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. As a scientific field, bioinformatics has drawn remarkable attention from various fields, such as information technology, mathematics, and modern biological sciences, in recent years. The topic models originating from the field of natural language processing have become the focus of attention with the rapid accumulation of biological datasets. Thus, this research is aimed at modeling the topic content of the bioinformatics literature presented by Iranian researchers in the Scopus Citation Database. Methodology. This research was a descriptive-exploratory study, and the studied population included 3899 papers indexed in the Scopus database, which had been indexed in this database until March 9, 2022. The topic modeling was then performed on the abstracts and titles of the papers. A combination of LDA and TF-IDF was utilized for topic modeling. Findings. The data analysis with topic modeling resulted in identifying seven main topics "Molecular Modeling," "Gene Expression," "Biomarker," "Coronavirus," "Immunoinformatics," "Cancer Bioinformatics," and "Systems Biology." Moreover, "Systems Biology" and "Coronavirus" had the largest and smallest clusters, respectively. Conclusion. The present investigation demonstrated an acceptable performance for the LDA algorithm in classifying the topics included in this field. The extracted topic clusters indicated excellent consistency and topic connection with each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Self-management of diabetes is essential for proper control of blood sugars and prevention of complications. Persons with disabilities face challenges in adopting self-management behaviours. Objectives: To assess diabetes self-management behaviours among persons with disabilities. Materials and Methods: We searched PubMed with a comprehensive search strategy to retrieve epidemiological studies that reported the diabetes self-management behaviours among persons with disabilities in English language journals between 1990 - 2022. We did a step-wise screening of the retrieved articles and synthesized the findings of the selected papers. Results: Of the 992 papers that were obtained, 981 did not meet our inclusion criteria and were excluded at the stage of title and abstract screening. Eleven papers were retrieved and read in detail, and 8 of them were excluded at this stage. Finally, three papers two from China and one from Iran were included in the review. The studies revealed poor diabetes self-management behaviours among persons with disabilities, especially in the domains of diet and physical activity. Conclusion: There is a dearth of studies exploring diabetes self-management behaviours among persons with disabilities. Even the few reported studies show low levels of self-management behaviours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mucormycosis is an invasive fungal infection that has shown a surge during the COVID-19 pandemic. A comprehensive assessment of COVID-19 associated mucormycosis (CAM) research is lacking. Methods: We searched Elsevier's Scopus database for publications on CAM using a pre-defined search strategy. Data on publications numbers, citation metrics, contributing countries, institutions, authors, journals, and the most cited articles were analyzed using select bibliometric tools. Results: Published CAM research included 253 publications. These were cited 1560 times, averaging 6.1 citations per paper. Only 33 (13%) were funded. Original articles (55.7%) and reviews (17.7%) constituted the major share of global output. The studied age groups included adults (22.5%), middle-aged (19.3%), elderly (10.6%), and adolescents (0.8%). Studies on treatment accounted for the largest share (58.5%), followed by clinical studies (28.0%), complications (17.3%), risk factors (11.7%), epidemiology (7.9%), and pathophysiology (3.1%). The participating countries were 64; India, the USA, and Egypt led in productivity, whereas France, the USA, and Iran were more impactful. Of the 84 organizations, the leading organizations were PGIMER-Chandigarh, AIIMS-New Delhi and Cairo University, Egypt. A. Chakrabarti, V. Muthu, and S.M. Rudramurthy were the most productive of 160 participating authors. Indian Journal of Ophthalmology, Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, and Journal of Fungi were the most active journals that published CAM research. Conclusion: Research on CAM has primarily been conducted in middleincome countries and is low on quality. High-income countries need to collaborate with lowand middle-income countries for a sustainable and universal CAM research impact. There is also a need to focus on research gaps such as pathophysiology and epidemiology in future CAM research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review paper investigates unprecedented recent investment and capital spending in cross-provincial water management and transfer infrastructure in Iran. Although numerous cross-provincial water transfer plans have been implemented in the country, the scale, approach, and stakeholders involved in this recent national plan are unprecedented. This notable national plan includes long water transfer pipelines that pass through seven provinces, aiming at transferring desalinated water from the Persian Gulf to the interior. Regarding the scale, there have been a few cases of transferring water at the cross-provincial level, but mostly across two provinces. The approach has also changed in this plan. Long-term efforts to construct dams for electricity or farming with limited geographical impact have been shifted to desalinating water, long-distance pipe-laying, large-scale electric-powered water pumping, and long-distance underground tunnels. Stakeholders have become more diverse, from the council members of a small village to high-level decision makers at the national level. This paper elaborates on these extraordinary alterations by exemplifying a few other contemporary case studies of water transfer plans in Iran. It also examines the fundamental logic, bottlenecks, and future scenarios of this large-scale plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: An increase in the number of free-roaming dogs and the related consequences (e.g., dog biting) has been observed across Iranian cities. So far, no clear scientific reasons for this increase were demonstrated, and a few existing domestic studies have only investigated the behaviours and frequencies of these animals in the cities. Based on online news articles, the on-the-ground reasons, challenges and dog-controlling activities mentioned by key urban and health authorities are examined in this paper. A scientific link is established between increased urbanisation, its features and its implications for dogs and humans. History has witnessed a long-term relationship between humans and animals. Historical documents and modern findings prove that humans' needs to use animals for companions or services are commonplace in many parts of the world, leading to the domestication of certain animals. Yet, modern societies have degraded many natural habitats for wildlife, confining them to small patches of landscapes or urban areas. Whether a domesticated/free-roaming animal or a wild species, their close contact with humans can create cumbersome situations for both species. This paper explores a link between online media content and on-the-ground efforts to manage free-roaming dogs as a rare case study. As indicated by news articles, the municipal costs of managing free-roaming dogs in Iranian cities have increased, and this can potentially derail the control of such dogs in the long run. This paper lays out pivotal factors for recent increasing human–animal encounters, which have led to many challenges (e.g., rabies) across cities in Iran. We show that some urban features (e.g., topography) can influence the presence and behaviours of free-roaming animals in the cities. The findings of this paper can be related to other developing countries where the plague of rabies is rising. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the wake of the death of Jina (Mahsa) Amini, a powerful image emerged: women in Iran defiantly casting aside their hijabs and rallying under the slogan of "Woman, Life, Freedom." This paper explores and reflects upon what I call, following Verónica Gago, a feminist strike in Iran that organizes disorderly and cross-sectoral withdrawals of women from structures that exploit and assault them and restores their bargaining power and agency. Through the analytical perspective of intersectionality, this paper inquires into how the political underpinnings of the gendered apparatus in the Islamic regime of Iran have propelled the imagination of a common body among the diverse array of women. Further, it scrutinizes how the #WomanLifeFreedom uprising unveils a feminist strike and what it entails. This paper aims to show how the feminist strike in Iran expands the notion of strike as a tool against the conditions of work and showcases its all-encompassing basis against living conditions and restrictions on freedom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban spaces, often emerging outside formal, recognized boundaries, underscore the pivotal role women play in shaping these environments. Despite the enduring influence of patriarchal and hierarchical structures that render these spaces overtly gendered, it is within these contexts that women's actions become particularly transformative. Drawing from feminist urban theories of the global south, this paper investigates informal placemaking, feminist urban activism, revolutionary placemaking, online protest movements, and the networks that support women's solidarity groups. Employing a mixed-methods approach that includes case studies, interviews with activists, and social media analysis, this research focuses on Iran, with a specific emphasis on the recent 'Women, Life, Freedom' movement. This study not only highlights how women navigate, contest, and reshape urban spaces through feminist urban activism and informal revolutionary placemaking but also anticipates the broader implications of these actions for urban planning and policy. By analyzing and comparing these case studies, we aim to uncover the commonalities, differences, challenges, and opportunities between informal/formal, state-led/bottom-up, and revolutionary feminist placemaking practices in Iran. The findings of this paper are expected to contribute valuable insights into the dynamics of feminist urbanism and suggest avenues for future research in enhancing the inclusivity and responsiveness of urban spaces to gendered needs and activism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 has placed pandemic modeling at the forefront of the whole world's public policymaking. Nonetheless, forecasting and modeling the COVID-19 medical waste with a detoxification center of the COVID-19 medical wastes remains a challenge. This work presents a Fuzzy Inference System to forecast the COVID-19 medical wastes. Then, people are divided into five categories are divided according to the symptoms of the disease into healthy people, suspicious, suspected of mild COVID-19, and suspicious of intense COVID-19. In this regard, a new fuzzy sustainable model for COVID-19 medical waste supply chain network for location and allocation decisions considering waste management is developed for the first time. The main purpose of this paper is to minimize supply chain costs, the environmental impact of medical waste, and to establish detoxification centers and control the social responsibility centers in the COVID-19 outbreak. To show the performance of the suggested model, sensitivity analysis is performed on important parameters. A real case study in Iran/Tehran is suggested to validate the proposed model. Classifying people into different groups, considering sustainability in COVID 19 medical waste supply chain network and examining new artificial intelligence methods based on TS and GOA algorithms are among the contributions of this paper. Results show that the decision-makers should use an FIS to forecast COVID-19 medical waste and employ a detoxification center of the COVID-19 medical wastes to reduce outbreaks of this pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay is a critical reading of a preface by an Iranian translator, Mahmud Nava’i, to his translation of a Freudian text. Drawing on the idea of “wild” analysis defined by Freud in 1910 as inappropriate psychoanalysis, the paper attempts to compare Freud’s idea to the translator’s commentary on Freudian psychoanalysis. It demonstrates how an inquisitive, if not erroneous, interpretation of psychoanalysis could result in an embodiment of wild analysis in Iran. Although psychoanalysis was not embraced in Iran as a psychotherapeutic method in the 1960s, such understandings of the method could play into the hands of the detractors of Freud, both in religious and Leftist quarters, who took Freudianism as a threat to Muslim morals and Marxist outlooks, respectively. Also, translating Freud’s theories into the Persian language cannot constitute an essential element in psychotherapy because this type of therapy cannot be learned from books, per Freud’s account of the ‘wild’ psychoanalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an online scheme of a wide-area-damping-controller (WADC) for controlling the inter-area oscillatory modes in interconnected power systems using wide-area power system stabilizers and measuring signals. The proposed adaptive controller includes two individual approaches WSSS for evaluating the signal participation factor selection and GPSS as a global power system stabilizer for damping inter-area oscillations. For this purpose, considering the concept of center of inertia over inter-area signals, generators with the highest interactions are determined as oscillating areas while based on evaluating signal damping ratio, proper participation factors are estimated in which GPSS with positive damping performance is developed. In real-time working mode, based on oscillatory signals gathered from WAMS data, different combinations of PSSs are evaluated in which the combinations with the best controllability on damping the oscillations are selected. The effectiveness of the proposed widearea damping controller scheme is evaluated on the IEEE test system and practical Iran national power grid with the potential of unstable inter-area oscillations. Results show the effectiveness of the proposed WADC approach for fast and secure damping of inter-area oscillation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The significant rainfall in October 2018 in northern Iran caused devastating flooding that caused considerable economic losses and claimed at least nine lives. Following the flooding, several bridges have suffered different levels of damage. Immediately after the event, the authors conducted a field investigation to study the performance of RC bridges during the flood. This paper presents the failure modes of flood-affected bridges and provides reasons for every failure case. The results revealed that scour around foundations, pier tilting, flexural failure of piers, and superstructure unseating were the most significant failure modes observed. Pile-supported bridges performed notably better than those with shallow foundations. In addition, observations have revealed that structural integrity plays a crucial role in the general stability of bridges during flooding. Pier ductility is another significant parameter that affects the performance of bridges during flood events. Finally, fragility curves were developed based on the empirical data set provided from the post-flood status of the bridges in the affected region. The river flow velocity (Vs), maximum flow discharge (Qp), and Qp normalized to the 10-year average river discharge (Qm) were considered intensity measures of the fragility analysis. The correlation analyses revealed that despite Vs and Qp/Qm , the flow discharge was not an appropriate intensity measure for generating fragility curves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Given Iran's recent shift towards pronatalist population policies, concerns have arisen regarding the potential increase in abortion rates. This review study examines the trends of (medical), intentional (illegal), and spontaneous abortions in Iran over the past two decades, as well as the factors that have contributed to these trends. Methods: This paper reviewed research articles published between 2005 and 2022 on abortion in Iran. The study employed the PRISMA checklist for systematic reviews. Articles were searched from international (Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, and Web of Science) and national databases (Magiran, Medlib, SID). Once the eligibility criteria were applied, 42 records were included from the initial 349 records. Results: Abortion is influenced by a variety of socioeconomic and cultural factors and the availability of family planning services. Factors that contribute to unintended pregnancy include attitudes toward abortion, knowledge about reproductive health, access to reproductive health services, and fertility desires, among others. In addition to health and medical factors, consanguineous marriage plays an important role in spontaneous and therapeutic abortion. A higher number of illegal abortions were reported by women from more privileged socioeconomic classes. In comparison, a higher number of medical and spontaneous abortions were reported by women from less privileged socioeconomic classes. Conclusion: Iranian policymakers are concerned about the declining fertility rate and have turned to pronatalist policies. From a demographic standpoint, this seems to be a reasonable approach. However, the new population policies, particularly, the Family Protection and Young Population Law, along with creating limitations in access to reproductive health services and prenatal screening tests as well as stricter abortion law could potentially lead to an increase in various types of abortions and their associated consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aims to identify policy content challenges related to high-risk sexual behaviors, stimulant drugs, and alcohol consumption in Iranian adolescents. Methods: This qualitative study analyzed high-level and national documents pertaining to adolescent health, high-risk sexual behaviors, stimulant, and alcohol consumption in adolescents. The documents, which were published by public organizations between January 1979 and February 2023 and publicly available, were complemented by interviews with policymakers and executives. The study involved reviewing 51 papers and conducting interviews with 49 policymakers and executives at the national, provincial, and local levels who were involved in addressing adolescent behaviors related to high-risk sexual behaviors, stimulant, and alcohol consumption. The data collected was analyzed using conventional content analysis. Results: The study's results involved examining policy content and identifying challenges related to policy content. The analysis revealed that from the beginning of the Iranian revolution in 1979 until the late 1990s, the dominant approach in Iran was to deny the existence of high-risk behaviors among adolescents. However, in the early 2000s, the country began to adopt a new approach that acknowledged the social harms and ineffectiveness of previous strategies. As a result, a new policy framework was introduced to address high-risk behaviors among adolescents. The study's interviews with policymakers and executives identified 12 challenges related to policy content, including parallel programs, lack of institutional mapping, lack of evidence-based policymaking, lack of integrated approach regarding training, late parent training, lack of consideration of all occurrence reasons in adolescents' high-risk behaviors policymaking, and the existence of many abstinence policies regarding high-risk behaviors. Conclusions: The study's findings suggest that high-risk behaviors among adolescents in Iran are primarily a health issue, rather than a social or ideological one. Unfortunately, ideological approaches, stigma, and policymaking based on anecdotes rather than evidence have had a significant impact on this area. To improve policymaking in this domain, it is crucial to address these challenges by tackling stigma, adopting an integrated and holistic approach, and implementing evidence-based policies that consider all relevant aspects, including adolescents' subcultures and policy audiences. Such an approach can also be useful for other countries facing similar conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subfamily Alysiinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is one of the most peculiar and diverse groups of endoparasitoids of Diptera. The present paper provides additional information on the subfamily Alysiinae in Iran. The specimens were collected using Malaise traps during May - September 2010. The genus Grammospila Foerster, 1863, and four species of Alysiini were discovered for the first time from Iran: Grammospila fuscula Griffiths, 1968, G. rufiventris Nees, 1812, Dacnusa maculipes Thomson, 1895 and D. plantaginis Griffiths, 1966. Including our findings, the number of species of the genera Dacnusa and Grammospila are raised to 22 and 2 species in Iran, respectively. Diagnostic characters and distribution of the newly recorded species and an updated list of Dacnusa and Grammospila are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to mitigate/prevent the risks of landslides, one of the essential tools that can be used to manage and plan the development of human settlements is landslide susceptibility. The two metaheuristic algorithms explored in this paper are the SCE and VSA algorithms used to optimize the artificial neural network (ANN) model. By integrating the two algorithms with the artificial neural network model, we try to determine its optimum computational parameters in order to generate the landslide susceptibility mapping for the Kurdistan province in Iran. Sixteen causative factors of landslides are included in the spatial database. The landslide susceptibility maps were generated in a GIS medium, and in order to evaluate the employed predictive models, the criterion of the area under the curve (AUC) was employed. This investigation includes 1072 landslide events, which are divided as follows: one-third as testing data and two-thirds as training data (i.e., a 75:25 ratio). The results indicate that after using the abovementioned algorithms, the AUC increased noticeably from 0.708 to 0.788 for SCE-MLP and from 0.744 to 0.818 for VSA-MLP in the training phase. The criterion of the area under the curve was utilized in order to evaluate the accuracy of the employed probabilistic models. Incidentally, the comparable AUCs calculated for the VSA-MLP testing databases and the obtained AUCs were 0.818, 0.801, 0.791, 0.786, 0.784, 0.778, 0.777, 0.776, 0.754 and 0.744, respectively for population size in training databases equal to 50, 350, 500, 150, 450, 200, 400, 300, 100 to and 250. Also, in case of SCE-MLP, the training and testing AUC were found (0.878, 0.865, 0.851, 0.850, 0.819, 0.816, 0.815, 0.781, 0.760, and 0.756) and (0.788, 0.782, 0.759, 0.744, 0.727, 0.720, 0.718, 0.713 and 0.708). The best fit for swarm size conditions of the SCE-MLP and VSA-MLP model showed 150 and 350, respectively. The acquired results indicate that the VSA-ANN model has a better predictive capability in optimization of the structure of the artificial neural network model and computational parameters in comparison with the SCE-ANN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]