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Abstract: In this paper a detailed engineering geological assessment of rock masses and support design studies at Garmi Chay dam site, has been carried out. This project is located in the northwest of Iran and will be used for flow control and water storage. The diversion tunnel of the dam has a diameter of 5.5m and a length of 420m and will be driven in slightly to highly weathered micaschist and trachy andesite rock units. The geological studies include field and laboratory investigations that based on the results; for more exact investigation, tunnel alignment was divided into three geotechnical zones. These zones consist mainly of highly weathered gray micaschists, dark red trachy andesites and slightly weathered gray micaschists, respectively. Then, for every zone, support capacity of rock masses was evaluated by means of empirical and numerical methods. The rock mass classification systems (RMR, Q, GSI, RSR, SRC and RMi), the convergence–confinement method and a 2D finite element computer software, Phase2 were used for empirical and numerical method, respectively. According to the results acquired from these methods some stability problems were expected in the tunnel especially in highly weathered micaschist zone, so that in practice two big collapses occurred. Because of high weathering, low constants of rock masses and their soil-like behavior, the stability analysis by analytical method does not give illogical results in lightly weathered micaschist zone. The support system, suggested by empirical method, was applied and its performance was evaluated by means of numerical modeling. After installation the support suggested by Phase2 program, the thickness of plastic zone and deformations around the tunnel decreased significantly. Consequently the agreement of these methods with each other was resulted and using combination of them was recommended for more reliable support design. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: To improve the energy efficiency of buildings via compliance to regulation in Iran, Code No. 19 was devised in 1991. The code lacks high level aims and objectives, addressing the characteristics of Iranian buildings. As a consequence, the code has been revised and is not completely implemented in practice, and still remains inefficient. As with any energy coding system, this code has to identify the right balance between the different energy variables for the Iranian climate and way of life. In order to assist improvements to high level objectives of Code 19, this code is compared with ISO 9164, EN 832, German regulation, TS 825 of Turkey and China’s GB 50189 to understand how these have adapted international standards to national features. In order to test the appropriateness of Code 19, five case study buildings in Iran are assessed against Code 19 as well as Turkish standard TS 825 and the results are compared. The results demonstrate that Code 19 is efficient in calculations of building envelope, but it needs improvements in the areas of ventilation, gains from internal and solar sources. The paper concludes by offering suggestions for improving the code. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Rock fragmentation, which is the fragment size distribution of blasted rock, is one of the most important indices for estimating the effectiveness of blast work. In this paper a new form of the Kuz—Ram model is proposed in which a prefactor of 0.073 is included in the formula for prediction of X 50. This new equation has a correlation coefficient that is greater than 0.98. In addition, a new approach is proposed to calculate the Uniformity Index, n. A Blastability Index (BI) is used to correct the calculation of the Uniformity Index of Cunningham, where BI reflects the uniformity of the distribution. Interestingly, this correction also can be observed in the Kuznetsov—Cunningham—Ouchterlony (KCO) model, which uses In situ block size as a parameter for calculating the curve-undulation in the Swebrec function. However, it is in contrast to prediction of X 50 as the central parameter in Swebrec and Rosin–Rammler distribution functions. The new model is a two parameter fragmentation size distribution that can be easily determined in the field. However, it does not consider the timing effect, or upper limit for sizes, as does the original Kuz—Ram model. The model is used at the Sungun Mine, and it does a good job of predicting the fines produced during blasting. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A screening survey on the occurrence of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) was accomplished on 210 cheese samples composed of white cheese (116 samples) and cream cheese (94 samples) purchased from popular markets in central part of Iran (Esfahan and Yazd provinces). The quantitative analysis of AFM1 levels in the samples was performed by using the competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique. Aflatoxin M1 at measurable level (50ng/kg) was detected in 161 (76.6%) samples, consisting of 93 (80.1%) white and 68 (72.3%) cream cheese samples. The concentration of AFM1 in the samples ranged from 52.1 to 785.4ng/kg. Comparing to legal regulation (250ng/kg) accepted by some of the countries, 24.2% of the samples exceeded the accepted limit. Among these, the AFM1 levels in 28.4% of white and 19.1% of cream cheese samples were not in accordance with the safety limit. The results indicated that contamination of the samples with AFM1 in such a level appear to be a potential hazard for public health. This paper represents the data of the first survey on the occurrence of AFM1 in cheeses consumed in central part of Iran. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The surfaces of salt diapirs in the Zagros Mountains are mostly covered by surficial deposits, which significantly affect erosion rates, salt karst evolution, land use and the density of the vegetation cover. Eleven salt diapirs were selected for the study of surficial deposits in order to cover variability in the geology, morphology and climate in a majority of the diapirs in the Zagros Mountains and Persian Gulf Platform. The chemical and mineralogical compositions of 80 selected samples were studied mainly by X-ray powder diffraction and X-ray fluorescence. Changes in salinity along selected vertical profiles were studied together with the halite and gypsum distribution. The subaerial residuum formed from minerals and rock detritus released from the dissolved rock salt is by far the most abundant material on the diapirs. Fluvial sediments derived from this type of residuum are the second most common deposits found, while submarine residuum and marine sediments have only local importance. The mineralogical/chemical composition of surficial deposits varies amongst the three end members: evaporite minerals (gypsum/anhydrite and minor halite), carbonates (dolomite and calcite) and silicates-oxides (mainly quartz, phyllosilicates, and hematite). Based on infiltration tests on different types of surficial deposits, most of the rainwater will infiltrate, while overland flow predominates on rock salt exposures. Recharge concentration and thick accumulations of fine sediment support relatively rich vegetation cover in some places and even enable local agricultural activity. The source material, diapir relief, climatic conditions and vegetation cover were found to be the main factors affecting the development and erosion of surficial deposits. A difference was found in residuum type and landscape morphology between the relatively humid NW part of the studied area and the arid Persian Gulf coast: In the NW, the medium and thick residuum seems to be stable under current climatic conditions. Large sinkholes and blind valleys with sinking streams are common. On other diapirs, the original thick residuum is undergoing erosion and the new morphology is currently represented by salt exposures and badland-like landscapes or by fields of small sinkholes developed in the thin residuum. Models for evolution of the subaerial residuum and the diapir landscape/morphology are described in this paper. While the thick residuum with vegetation has very low erosion rates, the salt exposures and thin residuum are eroded rapidly. During wet periods (e.g. early Holocene), the diapirs rose and salt glaciers expanded as the influx of salt mass was much faster compared to erosion. After the onset of an arid climate, c. 6 ka BP, the rising of the some diapir surfaces decreased or even reversed due to acceleration of erosion thanks to vegetation degradation and changes in the residuum type and thickness. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Drillstring failure analysis in an Iranian oilfield is investigated in this paper. A database containing over 750 failures developed and some conclusions were made. Based on the gathered database, the effects of the depth and casing pipe installation points were examined. The failures were investigated by metallurgical examinations and computational approach using finite element method. The results show that the fatigue cracks produced by different type of drillstring vibrations were responsible for majority of failures. Moreover, dynamic post failure analyses were done to predict the critical rotary speeds and the response of drillstring components. The results have been found to agree well with the field experiences. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper attempts to present a theoretically justified methodological concept of occupational prestige as one of the common indexes of social stratification. In order to do that, we first critically review Davis and Moor's theory of social stratification and argue that social stratification, defined as “systematically unequal distribution of symbolic and material rewards among social positions”, is conceptually distinct from Marx's conception of social class. Davis and Moor's concept of social stratification has a functional necessity in any complex society, in the sense that no position is expected to remain vacant, and that qualified people are conditioned into positions. The determinants for ranking positions in such a context are the degree of specialty required to perform duties related to positions, or the level of the authority related to each position. Secondly, we claim that the prestige structure of the social positions, which is the stable symbolic dimension of stratification and is correlated closely with its material dimension, is indeed the representative of the whole social stratification and that the structure of occupational prestige is the index of the former. In conclusion, we verify our claims by providing empirical evidence that has resulted from our own research in Iran or that comes from similar research carried out by other scholars across the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: In recent years, the theory that on-line clinical decision support systems can improve patients’ safety among hospitalised individuals has gained greater acceptance. However, the feasibility of implementing such a system in a middle or low-income country has rarely been studied. Understanding the current prescription process and a proper needs assessment of prescribers can act as the key to successful implementation. Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore physicians’ opinions on the current prescription process, and the expected benefits and perceived obstacles to employ Computerised Physician Order Entry in an Iranian teaching hospital. Methods: Initially, the interview guideline was developed through focus group discussions with eight experts. Then semi-structured interviews were held with 19 prescribers. After verbatim transcription, inductive thematic analysis was performed on empirical data. Forty hours of on-looker observations were performed in different wards to explore the current prescription process. Results: The current prescription process was identified as a physician-centred, top-down, model, where prescribers were found to mostly rely on their memories as well as being overconfident. Some errors may occur during different paper-based registrations, transcriptions and transfers. Physician opinions on Computerised Physician Order Entry were categorised into expected benefits and perceived obstacles. Confidentiality issues, reduction of medication errors and educational benefits were identified as three themes in the expected benefits category. High cost, social and cultural barriers, data entry time and problems with technical support emerged as four themes in the perceived obstacles category. Conclusions: The current prescription process has a high possibility of medication errors. Although there are different barriers confronting the implementation and continuation of Computerised Physician Order Entry in Iranian hospitals, physicians have a willingness to use them if these systems provide significant benefits. A pilot study in a limited setting and a comprehensive analysis of health outcomes and economic indicators should be performed, to assess the merits of introducing Computerised Physician Order Entry with decision support capabilities in Iran. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The well-known fuzzy rule-based Takagi–Sugeno–Kang (TSK) model is combined with a set of fuzzy regressions (FR) to investigate the impact of the climate change on the electricity consumption duration. The electricity demand forecasts in the short-terms have a vital application in electricity markets. Knowing that the energy is a product of the relation between the climate change and the average consumption duration of the peak load. The paper introduces a type III TSK fuzzy inference machine combined with a set of linear and nonlinear fuzzy regressors in the consequent part to model effects of the climate change on the electricity demand. However, a simplified version of the model is applied to daily data of the average temperature in Tehran, 2004. First, based on an initially fitted nonlinear curve, an optimization model is employed to cluster data into three groups of cold, temperate and hot. The fuzzy data have been expanded to reduce the temperature volatile property. Then the relation is estimated by the fuzzy regressions in company with the TSK model. Numerical results show high efficiency of the proposed combined fuzzy model, as well as a minor decrease in the average absolute error. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper, we provide economy-wide estimates of the costs of drought in the cropping sector of the Iranian economy, using a linear programming model to estimate the direct costs on agriculture, and a macroeconometric model to trace the indirect impacts on the rest of the economy. The results indicate that a severe drought such as the one that occurred in the crop year 1999–2000 imposes a direct cost of 1605 million USD, equivalent to 30.3% of the total value added of the cropping sector in Iran. This, in turn, leads to a 12.7% reduction in the value added of other agricultural sub-sectors (livestock, fisheries and forestry). In the rest of the economy, the manufacturing and service sectors experience value added declines of 7.8 and 3.7%, respectively. In addition, there is a substantial decrease in investment in the agricultural, manufacturing and service sectors. Thus, such a drought reduces overall GDP by about 4.4%, and it would also result in decreased non-oil exports, increased food imports, and a rise in inflation. The results of some drought mitigation simulations are reported in brief. Such estimates strengthen the case for increased attention to drought strategies and management in agriculture in Iran and elsewhere. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Water plays a quintessential role in the lives of individuals and communities. In recent decades, population growth, migration from rural to urban areas, industrialization, and climate change have increasingly jeopardized the sustainability of cities, especially in developing countries, including Iran. The purpose of this study is to assess recent and future perspectives for urban water security in Iran. To do so, the paper extends previous water security studies within the region by collecting data on urban water security from a cohort of cities rather than a single location. To assess the state of water security in the recent past, from 2013 to 2019, we introduce a dedicated framework comprised of five dimensions and twelve indicators. In estimating future water resources for Iran in the period up to 2100, ensemble-based hydro-climatic regional climate model projections for RCPs 4.5 and 8.5 were analyzed in time and space. The results show that four of the five dimensions of present-day urban water security, including accessibility, availability, water health and sanitation, and the economic value of water, all demonstrate general improvements in water-related urban infrastructure, whereas the environmental indicator depicts a decreasing trend. Future projected trends for Iran's hydro-climate show a general decline in its net availability from already scarce conditions and also increased variability due to climate change. In general, the study indicates both advances in Iran's urban water security recently and severe implications for future water availability in certain regions and periods in the decades to come. The study also advises policymakers to seek to mitigate the water crisis in so far, as also enforced by climate change, by increasing the appropriate infrastructure and using new technologies in the water and wastewater industry. [Display omitted] • A new and recent data set on urban water security indicators in Iran was analyzed. • Twelve indicators formed the novel and combined urban water security index. • Four out of five water security dimensions showed progress during 2013–2019. • The urban water environment dimension showed a declining trend. • Projected future water recourses in Iran is under increasing pressure towards 2100. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High specific energy consumption (SEC) and its high cost of manufacturing are among the main problems in the hydrogen liquefaction industry. In this paper, an integrated structure for liquid hydrogen production using liquid air energy recycling, fuel cells, carbon dioxide power generation cycle, and photovoltaic (PV) panels is developed and exergetically assessed. To liquefy the hydrogen gas are utilized six compression refrigeration cycles with hydrogen and helium refrigerants. The compressed liquid air is used for the precooling of the hydrogen liquefaction process. After the cold energy recovery from liquid air, it is heated by the waste heat load of the refrigeration cycle and solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) and then enters the gas turbine and fuel cell, respectively. The fuel cell output hot stream is used to supply heat to the power generation cycle and preheat the fuel cell inlet stream. This integrated structure generates 1,028 kg/h liquid hydrogen by receiving 60.79 kg/h natural gas and 5.559 MW power from solar panels under the climatic conditions of Yazd, Iran. The specific energy consumption of the hydrogen liquefaction process, SOFC efficiency, and carbon dioxide power generation cycle efficiency are obtained as 5.955 kWh/kgLH 2 , 62.96%, and 44.06%, respectively. Integrating the refrigeration structure with the process core is performed in the form of hot and cold composite diagrams. The exergy assessment indicates that the highest exergy destruction occurs in solar panels (81.37%), heat exchangers (7.60%), and turbines (4.73%), respectively. The sensitivity analysis demonstrates that the integrated structure exergy and SOFC efficiencies decrease to 52.9% and 62.3%, respectively when the inlet liquid air mass flow rate increases from 7,400 kg/h to 10,200 kg/h. The power supplied by solar panels and SEC of hydrogen liquefaction process increase up to 5,599 kW and 6.1 kWh/kg LH 2 , respectively with a decrease of pumped liquid air pressure from 80 bar to 40 bar. [Display omitted] • A novel integrated structure for the generation of liquid hydrogen was developed. • Integrated liquid hydrogen, liquid air cold energy recovery, fuel cells & CO 2 power cycles. • Solar panels under the climatic conditions of Yazd city in Iran were used. • System produced 1028 kg/h LH 2 by receiving 60.79 kg/h natural gas & 5.559 MW power. • SEC and exergy efficiency of the system were 5.955 kWh/kgLH 2 & 0.5322, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unplanned pumping of groundwater in the past two decades has caused many regional problems and tensions, leading to seawater intrusion into coastal aquifers. The main objective of this paper is the use of a Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) approach combining with numerical simulation for reducing seawater intrusion in the Tajan coastal aquifer located on the southern seashores of the Caspian Sea, Iran, taking into account economic, social, and environmental issues. The MODFLOW code was used to simulate the groundwater flow. MT3DMS and SEAWAT codes were used to simulate the solute transport and seawater intrusion. A 10-year period from 2010 to 2020 was simulated for evaluating the current conditions and forecasting the future conditions of the aquifer. The results indicated an increase in the extent of seawater intrusion. To assess the proposed eleven curative solutions, the economic, social, and environmental criteria such as efficiency of applying of curative solutions in improvement of the aquifer's water level and efficiency of applying of curative solutions on reduction in the extent of the seawater intrusion were weighted using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method. The results of the AHP method showed that the criterion of efficiency of applying of curative solutions in improvement of the aquifer's water level with the weight of 0.311 was the most important one. Three multi-criteria decision making methods namely, Simple Additive Weighting (SAW), Technique for Order Performance by Similarity (TOPSIS), and VIse Kriterijumska Optimizacija kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR) were utilized to select the best curative solution. The solution of 10% reduction of pumping rate and the construction of Gelvard dam in the SAW and TOPSIS methods and the solution of 3% reduction of pumping rate and the construction of Gelvard dam in the VIKOR method ranked first. Combined techniques namely, the Rank Average Method, Borda's Method, and Copeland's Method were used to develop a consensus on prioritizing curative solutions for the Tajan Aquifer. The results of these techniques showed that the solution of 10% reduction in pumping rate along with the construction of the Gelvard dam was the best. The results of simulating this solution demonstrated a 1.91 m improvement in the groundwater level of the aquifer in the MODFLOW code and a 361.5-m recede in seawater intrusion length along the coast in the SEAWAT code. • Saltwater intrusion from the sea or saline lakes into freshwater aquifers degrades the potable quality of these resources. • Appling MODFLOW, MT3DMS, and SEAWAT to simulate groundwater flow, solute transport, and seawater intrusion. • Proposing 11 curative solutions to control seawater intrusion in Tajan aquifer located in Iran. • Using MCDM methods to select the best curative solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: There are few countries in the world where they have special characteristics including weather conditions, wind direction, and topography. In other words, some countries have multi-climate regions, and needed to be investigated more precisely. Based on these conditions, several cooling systems can be used for each region. In this study, the potential of the direct evaporative cooling (DEC) systems, indirect evaporative cooling (IEC) systems, desiccant wheel (DW) with DEC systems, and combination of theses methods for cooling in the cities of Iran are investigated. In the remaining regions, mechanical cooling systems and absorption systems can be used. According to weather condition and natural resources for water in Iran, DEC can be considered as a serious alternative for cooling. In this paper, based on numerical simulation and long-term meteorological measurements, general set of criteria is obtained. Results show that according to population dispersal DEC systems can provide comfort conditions for 53% of people of Iran. IEC, DW, combination of these systems, and mechanical cooling systems can supply comfort condition in remaining major cities of Iran consequently. Moreover, for showing the uniqueness of weather condition which leads to these varieties of climates, other important cities in the neighboring countries are compared with this numerical simulation code. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Water scarcity is increasing worldwide due to population growth and climate variability/change. As a supplementary water resource, Rainwater harvesting (RWH) is a possible solution for dealing with water scarcity, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions with considerable water demand and high variability in precipitation and unexpected extreme events (floods and droughts). The success of RWH systems significantly depends on the location of RWH structures and usually selecting suitable sites is challenging for decision-makers and managers. This paper presents an approach for mapping suitable sites for RWH structures using socio-environmental variables and artificial intelligence algorithms (AIAs). Based on FAO recommendations, the most important conditioning variables for RWH systems are elevation, slope, aspect, precipitation, temperature, distance from the river, curve number (CN), land use, geology, soil type, population density, distance from road, and distance from lakes. An ensemble model was developed based on AIAs, socio-environmental variables, and existing RWH projects, and used for RWH suitability mapping in the large Maharloo-Bakhtegan basin, Iran. Model performance was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and Kappa index. Using the best-performing model, threshold values for conditioning variables were determined from probability curves (PC). The results showed that land use, precipitation, soil type, CN and slope were the most important variables for RHW sites, with the lowest correlation and autocorrelation. The suitability map indicated that 9.7% (3070 km2) of Maharloo-Bakhtegan basin had very high suitability for RWH systems. Thus, in RWH suitability mapping for large area, climate, hydrological, geological, agricultural, topographical, human and socio-economic parameters should be considered to enable efficient RWH planning. Probability curves revealed that the optimum parameter range (α) in Maharloo-Bakhtegan basin was precipitation 357–428 mm, temperature 12.80–15.16 °C, slope 3–6%, elevation 1612–1975 m asl, distance from lake 32–45 km, distance from river 11.4–15.9 km, distance from road 2.59–4.80 km. The RWH suitability map presented can assist decision-makers, hydrologists, and natural resources planners in finding suitable locations for constructing RWH systems. [Display omitted] • Large-scale rainwater harvesting (RWH) was planned using socio-environmental data. • An ensemble model was developed based on AIAs in RWH planning. • Land use and precipitation were major factors in RWH planning. • New probability curves and optimum variable ranges are presented for RWH systems. • RWH suitability mapping confirmed data reliability without expensive field surveys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industry 4.0 Predictive Maintenance (PdM 4.0) architecture in the broadcasting chain is one of the taxonomy challenges for deploying Industry 4.0 frameworks. This paper proposes a novel PdM framework based on advanced Reference Architecture Model Industry 4.0 (RAMI 4.0) to reduce operation and maintenance costs. This framework includes real-time production monitoring, business processes, and integration based on Design Science Research (DSR) to generate an innovative Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) meta -model. The addressed model visualizes sub-processes based on experts' and stakeholders' knowledge to reduce the cost of maintenance of audiovisual services including satellite TV, cable TV, and live audio and video broadcast services. Based on the recommendation and the concept of Industry 4.0, the proposed framework tolerates the predictable failures and further concerns in similar related industries. Some empirical experiments have been conducted by using the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting's (IRIB) high-power station (located near the capital city of Iran, Tehran) to evaluate the functionality and efficiency of the proposed predictive maintenance framework. Practical outcomes demonstrate that interval times between data collection should be increased in audio and video broadcasting predictive maintenance because of the limitation of the internal processing performance of equipment. The framework also indicates the role of the Frequency Modulation (FM) transmitters' data clearance to reduce the instability and untrustworthy data during data mining. The proposed DSR method endorses using a customized RAMI 4.0 meta -model framework to adapt distributed broadcasting and communication with PdM 4.0, which increases the stability as well as decreasing maintenance costs of the broadcasting chain in comparison to state-of-the-art methodologies. Furthermore, it is shown that the proposed framework outperforms the best-evaluated methods in terms of acceptance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Finding an optimal design for hydraulic structures and devices, which work together in irrigation networks, can be formulated as a multi-objective optimization problem. In this paper, a novel framework is proposed for simultaneous optimization of an open channel section and a labyrinth weir geometry. A recently proposed optimizer called Multi-Objective Multi-Verse Optimization (MOMVO) algorithm is employed and its results are compared with Pareto Envelope-based Selection Algorithm II (PESA-II) and Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II) using five metrics, including spacing (SP), Maximum Spread (MS), Non-uniformity of Pareto Front (NPF), Mean Ideal Distance (MID), and Coverage Measure (CM). The first objective function is defined to minimize the construction costs per unit length of the open channel, and the second one is to minimize total concrete volume of the labyrinth weir. The results showed significant differences between MOMVO Pareto optimal solutions and the other two algorithms. The least values of SP, NPF, and MID metrics were provided by MOMVO, which meant its solutions had better conditions regarding uniformity and the closeness to the ideal point. To optimize irrigation network as a system, penalty functions were applied to satisfy hydraulic conditions (flow velocity, Froude number, and nappe interference). Results showed that if the proposed model had been employed in Isfahan Irrigation Networks (IINs) design, it would have reduced the construction costs of open channel and labyrinth weir approximately 11% and 74%, respectively. It can be reported that the most cost-effective design has the least channel wetted perimeter, channel cross-section top width, cross-sectional area, and labyrinth apex length; and the highest channel depth, and weir sidewall angles. • Proposing a novel hybrid framework to optimal design of irrigation networks. • Reducing construction cost of two hydraulic structures using artificial intelligence. • Comparing the performance of three AI algorithms to find the best tradeoff. • Considering a real design problem (Isfahan Irrigation Networks in Iran). • Approximating trade-offs between open channel and labyrinth weir design solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: In Iran, nonprescription (ie, over-the-counter [OTC]) and prescription- only drugs are available at pharmacies. Self-medication and self-prescription practices are widespread. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess self-medication and self-prescription practices in Iran, with an emphasis on determining the extent to which prescription-only drugs are obtained without a prescription and dzaracterizing those who engage in this practice. Methods: This observational, cross-sectional study was conducted at pharmacies in Isfahan, Iran, between August 2001 and March 2002. The pharmacies were randomly selected from clusters categorized by the number of prescriptions handled or claims submitted to a major insurance company. Drug requesters were categorized accordingly: those who requested drugs with a prescription and those who requested drugs without a prescription. Prescription-only and nonprescription drug items requested at pharmacies were identified and included in the analysis. Cluster sampling was used to determine sample size and also to ensure that the results were reflective of the population studied. In addition, questionnaires were completed by persons who were seeking drugs without a prescription. Observations were also carried out in each pharmacy. To ensure measurement reliability, we conducted a pilot study before the commencement of this study. We determined sample size based on a >90% power to detect change. Results: Fifty pharmacies were selected for inclusion in the study. A total of 33,282 drug items were identified on prescriptions presented at the pharmacies. This number served as sample size for this study. Of this number, 10,101 items were requested without a prescription, of which 9653 items (95.6%) were available and dispensed. Of the items dispensed, 5504 (57.0%) were prescription items. The percentage of prescription-only drugs sold without prescription to total pharmacy sales was 21.9%, 22.8%, 19.5%, and 10.7% in pharmacies with the fewest to the largest (<500, 500–999, 1000–1499, ≥1500) number of prescriptions, respectively. Individuals requesting OTC and prescription-only drugs without presenting a prescription used 1 of 3 behaviors: (1) verbal request (85.0%); (2) presenting the empty box, blister pack, or a sample of the drug (12.1%); or (3) showing a piece of paper (which was not a prescription) bearing the name of the drug (2.9%). The percentage of those with medical insurance who sought a drug without a prescription was significantly greater than the percentage of those who did not have medical insurance (61.6% [663] vs 38.4% [413], respectively; P < 0.001). Conclusions: The common practice of requesting and obtaining prescription-only drugs without a prescription in Iran, especially among persons with medical insurance, warrants research to identify the motives for this behavior and to improve the enforcement of existing laws regarding the dispensing of prescription-only drugs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper reports the results of a study on mixing by an impeller and a jet in the 19,000m3 crude oil storage tank of the Kermanshah Refinery of Iran. A three-dimensional modeling was carried out using an in-house computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code. The jet was placed theoretically next to the impeller and its effect on reducing the mixing time was investigated. Various jet outflow rates including: 33, 66, 132 and 264m3 h−1 were examined and the effect of the angle between the jet and the impeller on the mixing time for four setups was investigated. The results show when the angle between the jet and the impeller are 15°and 60°, the homogenization time is lower than that of other layouts. In addition, the homogenization progress by the selected jet-impeller layout was compared with the multiple-impellers setups. The results showed that a simple jet-impeller system operates in a more efficient way than even five-impeller setup. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The stochastic nature of the cyclic swelling behavior of mudrock and its dependence on a large number of interdependent parameters was modeled using Time Delay Neural Networks (TDNNs). This method has facilitated predicting cyclic swelling pressure with an acceptable level of accuracy where developing a general mathematical model is almost impossible. A number of total pressure cells between shotcrete and concrete walls of the powerhouse cavern at Masjed–Soleiman Hydroelectric Powerhouse Project, South of Iran, where mudrock outcrops, confirmed a cyclic swelling pressure on the lining since 1999. In several locations, small cracks are generated which has raised doubts about long term stability of the powerhouse structure. This necessitated a study for predicting future swelling pressure. Considering the complexity of the interdependent parameters in this problem, TDNNs proved to be a powerful tool. The results of this modeling are presented in this paper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The 2002 Avaj, Iran earthquake (Mw=6.5) triggered many landslides over an area of about 3600 km2. In this paper, we describe a ground-based field study conducted during several days immediately after the earthquake, and pre and post-earthquake landslide inventory maps that were prepared. The landslides due to earthquake include 47 fall and topple zones, 9 slides, and 3 lateral spreads. The largest slide is a rockslide (150×100 m), which occurred southeast of the village of Changureh. The main results of this study are: [•] The density of earthquake triggered landslides decreases away from the fault zone in a manner that is asymmetric with respect to direction; [•] Although several slides and lateral spreads were seen, the most common types of triggered landslides are falls and topples; [•] The area throughout which landslides occurred, and maximum epicentral and fault zone distances of landslides, are comparable to similar data from other historical earthquakes; [•] Landslides mostly occurred in the most susceptible geologic units, in which there were many landslides before the earthquake; [•] New disrupted slides and falls generally occurred in ancient fall zones, but no information about reactivation of coherent slides is available. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The purpose of this paper is to underscore the necessity for implementing a cleaner production strategy in order to achieve sustainable development for Iran''s industries. While reviewing the reasons for the need to adopt the strategy of cleaner production for the industries of developing countries, the special features of Iranian society which makes the use of cleaner production necessary were also studied.It is important to develop a model or method for developing a priority for industrialists to work with in initiating cleaner production activities. This was done in Iran using the “multiple criteria decision making method” (MCDM). This included, among other things, interviewing the relevant experts and directors, for each industrial group. A relative ranking score was developed and based upon it, the priority of each group was determined. Within this process, the industrial groups of “textiles, apparel and leather industries” were given the highest priority and the industrial group of “manufacture of wood and wood products, including furniture” were given the lowest priority. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper, the December 26, 2003, earthquake in the historical city of Bam is studied. The seismological aspects are considered and the earthquake source is introduced. The strong ground motion is studied and its spectra are compared to the design spectra of UBC-97 and the Iranian seismic code, as well as previous earthquakes in Iran. Finally, the structural behavior of buildings and lifeline systems in this region is studied and damages are outlined. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Ramsar, a northern coastal city of Iran, overlooking the Caspian Sea, has some high level natural radiation areas (HLNRAs) as well as over 50 hot springs with low and high radium contents used as spas by the public and vacationers. The average whole body dose received by population in these areas is about 5 times higher than the normal background radiation level. Studies on the long-term effects of high level natural radioactivity on some immunological and cytogenetical parameters, in the Ramsar inhabitants are summarized in this paper. Our results showed a significant increase of CD69 expression on TCD4+ stimulated cells (P < 0.004) and a significant increase of total serum IgE (P < 0.05), and also higher incidence of stable and unstable chromosomal aberrations in the HLNRA group compared to the control group with normal background radiation (P < 0.05).Other humoral immune parameters, did not show significant differences between the two groups. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper the influence of effective duration of strong motion, soil condition, magnitude and shape of accelerogram time history on the elastic response spectra has been investigated. A total of 106 of Iran''s horizontal acceleration components of strong motion records are selected. These accelerograms are categorized based on their earthquake parameters and soil condition of recording station and the influence of different soil conditions are plotted in graphs. The influence of damping ratio on the response spectra is also investigated. Analytical results show that the influence of soil condition is significant for the shape of response spectra. The influence of effective duration of strong motion has been studied by definition based on the energy of the accelerogram. It can be seen that an increase in effective duration causes a reduction in the slope of response spectra in the long period part and increases the spectral values. The effect of damping on response spectra is represented by a special coefficient which depends on the period and damping of the structure and soil condition. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Designing a BSCN by considering two high potential energy crops: ES and AI. • Generating bioelectricity using wastewater discharged from industrial facilities. • Decreasing the C O 2 emissions and increasing the efficiency by applying a DEA. • Applying an MRPP approach to deal with epistemic uncertainty. • Using a real case to assess the practicality of the BSCN. Environmental concerns such as water pollution and global warming resulted in considerable attention being paid to sustainable bioenergy. Due to the eco-friendly nature of sustainable bioenergy, we investigated an integrated bioenergy supply chain network design. In the proposed network, different energy crops, Azadirachta indica and Eruca sativa are taken into account, which leads to different sources for bioenergy production. Furthermore, to prevent further environmental pollution, the wastewater produced at biorefinery is used to generate bioelectricity. This paper addresses a sustainable-efficient bioenergy supply chain network design under uncertainty. A multi-period, multi-product mathematical model is proposed to minimize inefficiency, environmental impacts, and supply chain costs. Furthermore, to cope with uncertainty, a mixed robust-possibilistic programming approach is applied to the model. Finally, computational results based on Iran's real-world case demonstrate the improved performance of the designed bioenergy network by considering three measures of cost, efficiency, and environmental impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Classifying the flexibility of electric vehicles using a data-driven approach. • Leveraging the responsive electric vehicles to supply the commercial sector. • Introducing frameworks of parking lot microgrids for peak-shaving and valley-filing. The penetration of plug-in electric vehicles is increasing in power systems all over the world. Due to imperfect data about the availability of electric vehicles, the uncertainty of the demand-side increases considerably. To overcome the problem, the power storage capacity of electric vehicles is addressed to provide demand flexibility for the supply-side. This paper proposes a novel structure for parking lot microgrids to provide day-ahead peak-shaving and valley-filling for power systems with distinct peak hours in the daily operation. The microgrid is comprised of electrical demands, e.g. heat ventilation and air conditioning, lighting, escalators, as well as self-generation facilities, including roof-top photovoltaic sites and gas-fired engines. Besides, the parking lot has smart charging stations to charge/discharge the electric vehicles based on the flexibility requirements of power systems and/or owners' preferences. The microgrid is supplied by the wholesale electricity market and bilateral contracts. To leverage the flexibility potentials of electric vehicles, a data-driven approach is suggested that classifies the electric vehicles based on distinct characteristics, e.g. dwell time and preferred state of charge. The robust optimization approach is adopted to determine the optimum procurement strategies for the microgrid in the worst-case realization of the wholesale market price uncertainty. Finally, the robust-mixed integer linear programming is examined in Iran Power Grid not only to provide flexibility for the power network but also to make a profit for the microgrid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper couples a Forward Feature Selection algorithm with Random Forest (FFS-RF) to create a transition index map, which then guides the spatial allocation for the extrapolation of urban growth using a Cellular Automata model. We used Landsat imagery to generate land cover maps at the years 1998, 2008, and 2018 for the Tehran-Karaj Region (TKR) in Iran. The FFS-RF considered the independent variables of slope, altitude, and distances from urban, crop, greenery, barren, and roads. The FFS-RF revealed temporal non-stationary of drivers from 1998–2008 to 2008–2018. The FFS-RF detected that altitude and distance from greenery were the most important drivers of urban growth during 1998–2008, then distances from crop and barren were the most important drivers during 2008–2018. We used the Total Operating Characteristic to evaluate the transition index maps. Validation during 2008–2018 showed that FFS-RF produced a transition index map that had predictive power no better than an allocation of urban growth near existing urban. Simulation to 2060 extrapolated that Tehran, Karaj, and their adjacent cities will interconnect spatially to form a gigantic city-region. [Display omitted] • A Forward Feature Selection - Random Forest (FFS-RF) model describes urban growth. • FFS-RF found temporal non-stationarity of drivers in Iran's Tehran-Karaj region. • The Total Operating Characteristic evaluated the transition index map (TIM). • FFS-RF produced a TIM that has predictive power no better than a baseline TIM. • FFS-RF and Cellular Automata extrapolated urban growth to the year 2060. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon dioxide utilization (CDU) is one of the most critical approaches in climate change control. CDU's future depends on the future demand for carbon-derived products; among them, formic acid is an excellent candidate due to its distinctive characteristics as a hydrogen carrier in liquid form. It is non-toxic that can be used in hydrogen fuel cells, and its significant potential in the heavy oil and biofuel refining process as a hydrogen-carrier substance. This research aims to use Energy, Exergy, Exergoeconomic, and exergoenvironmental (4E) analysis to evaluate the impact of anolyte material on the efficiency of the electrochemical reduction process to synthesis formic acid (in the term of six new anolyte materials). Results show that the second scenario (IrO 2 single circulation mode) is the best option for the power plant. Implementing this CDU system reduces the carbon capture of about 75.20 kg/s or about 89% of the power plant's overall carbon emission. This process's energy penalty can be adequately provided by the PV, which causes greater exergy efficiency and decreases the power plant's energy performance rate. Moreover, the use of IrO 2 anolyte is decreased the exergy rate cost and the flow rate cost to the 0.21 $/kWh and 2.280×10-2 $/s. The CDU's investment cost using the DSA/O 2 anolyte is 28% decreased compared to the KOH anolyte and reached 7.2 million USD for the CO 2 utilization plant. [Display omitted] • Iran is the 8th Carbon dioxide producer in the world with great potential for carbon capture. • CDU is an option to be combined with the carbon capture process to reuse the Carbon emission. • In this paper, six anolyte for the ER process are compared, and the IrO 2 is selected as the best option. • Implementing the IrO 2 on the ER process results in 89% of emission reduction and also producing 79.7 kg/s formic acid. • Considering the capability of the FA as a hydrogen carrier and Heavy oil refining material, this product can be used in the petrochemical refineries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable development programs rely on implementing energy policies in different sectors of a society. As far as agriculture sector is concerned, this paper intends to evaluate the current energy consumption and the potential for renewable energy programs' deployment in regional scale. The candidate region is Iran's Caspian Sea coastline. The assessment is modeled by recent multi-criteria decision analysis approaches, i.e. Level Based Weight Assessment (LBWA) with Weighted Aggregated Sum Product Assessment (WASPAS). The proposed index was designed so as to cover conventional and non-conventional energy resources subjects simultaneously, for instance: (1) biomass production, and (2) natural gas and diesel fuel at state level. From methodology point of view, the traditional WASPAS method is enhanced by the integration of the Weighted Power Heronian (WPHA) and Weight Geometric Power Heronian (WGPHA) functions. Application of these functions enables the elimination of the influence of extreme and unreasonable arguments in initial decision-making matrix. In addition, the interrelations between attributes is considered in the proposed model, that is particualrely appropriate for decision making in dynamic systems. The model capability in decision making has been investigated by comprehensive sensitivity analysis that implies in Iran's Caspian Sea coastline, Mazandaran state ranks first, followed by Guilan and Golestan. The result is suitable for policy makers and regional managers to define proper plans and actions in sustainable development of Caspian Sea coastline based on both agriculture-based energy efficiency as well as bio-based energy potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct reduction of iron process in steel industry has special production conditions. Low quality cooling water, low cold and high hot cooling water temperature, space limitation for new equipment installation, high value-added of product and severe effect of cooling water temperature on production rate are of these conditions. Considering technical and economic constraints and limitations, this situation makes this process an attractive case study for converting the existing wet cooling tower to hybrid cooling system. In this paper, based on integration of process, dry and wet cooling system and ambient conditions profiles, a new method for designing hybrid cooling system has been proposed. The calculation program has been developed as a MATLAB code and resulted: 1) Calculation of annual water saving and energy consumption with reasonable accuracy, 2) Control system of dry and wet cooling blocks to maximize water saving under various ambient conditions, 3) Closed loop simulation of cooling system considering thermal feedback of process to cooling system and 4) Obtaining optimum values for 16 design parameters of dry block cooling (consisting air cooled heat exchanger and plate heat exchanger). The optimization has been done via genetic algorithm, considering annual response of each design under various ambient temperature and relative humidity. Considering design standards for new equipment and operational and technical constraints, made the optimization model reliable as well as checking the design parameters with process equipment constructors. In optimum point, converting existing wet cooling tower to hybrid cooling system in direct reduction of iron plant of Mobarakeh Steel Complex located in Isfahan province in Iran, will decrease the annual water consumption by 70.15% and production loss by 98% with payback period of 1 years and 10 months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The methods to collect and transport various types of medical waste are vital to the management of healthcare waste. The lack of a safe plan for the timely collection and transportation of such wastes may have an undesirable impact on the environment and public health. The present research addresses a real-life healthcare waste collection vehicle routing problem (HWCVRP) for small medical centers in Iran that produce minor amounts of waste and lack on-site facilities to treat wastes of various kinds. This problem involves social, environmental, and economic objective functions, aiming to achieve sustainable development. The social objective function is optimized based on a novel definition of risk in medical waste collection and designed to reduce public health risk by minimizing the time of waste collection from centers that produce a larger volume of more hazardous waste. Furthermore, the present paper provides a comprehensive estimate of fuel consumption in vehicles to be accurately minimized to diminish the environmental hazards involved in sustainable transportation. Also, the economic objective function is set to minimize the variable and fixed costs of transportation. A self-adaptive multi-objective evolutionary algorithm is generated with numerous effective operators to solve the model. Specific metrics are employed to compare the performance of the proposed meta-heuristic algorithm with those of multiple other evolutionary algorithms. The results reveal the effectiveness of the proposed method in reaching high-quality non-dominated solutions. Ultimately, a real-life case study is used to implement the proposed approach and to evaluate its performance. Image 1 • A real perspective to the triple bottom line of health-care waste collection. • A new social aspect of sustainability based on the risk of different medical waste. • A new multi-objective self-adaptive evolutionary algorithm (MOSAEA). • The results show that MOSAEA dominates recently competitive approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Developing novel multi-level benchmarks. • Identifying benchmarks for electricity and thermal energy for office buildings. • Presentation a base for short/long-term energy efficiency plans. • Analyzing energy efficiency and consumption in details. • Creating a dataset, including building and energy information. Energy benchmarking is an accurate tool to measure, monitor, and reduce end-use energy consumption in the building sector using comparison scenarios. Various studies have applied Bottom-Up energy consumption assessment to compare the energy performance of a group of buildings with a benchmark. The Bottom-Up method mostly relies on simulating an ideal building to develop a benchmark. However, this study has developed a Top-Down energy benchmarking methodology based on the actual energy consumption within a cluster of governmental office buildings. The method presents multi-level benchmarks to provide a detailed policy for improving the energy efficiency of buildings in the short or long-term. In an exploratory study, 26 office buildings in a cold climate region were investigated to identify the multi-level benchmarks. Four general benchmark levels were developed, including the 'Best Practice, 'Good Practice', 'Benchmark', and 'Poor Practice'. In addition, 15 energy efficiency classes were also introduced and applied as a base for developing the 'Energy Performance Certificate' method. The results indicate that the benchmark values for electricity and natural gas are 40 and 252 kWh/m2/yr, respectively, while the total energy benchmark is 292 kWh/m2/yr. According to the benchmarking results, 69% of the case studies were inefficient, 23% were labeled 'C', and no cases were labeled 'A' or 'B'. The multi-level benchmarking system can provide quick and clear guidance for building designers, operators, and government regulation/enforcement agencies; thus, it can apply at local, regional, and international levels. These benchmark levels establish reference points for measuring and rewarding good performance, on the other hand, it recognizes poor-performance buildings and prioritizes them for energy efficiency improvement. The method can be replicated in various climates and urban scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial Symbiosis (IS) is a means for sustainable cluster development. The first consideration for implementing IS in a cluster is to identify technical opportunities for exchanging waste material and or energy. However, the definition and methods for assessing the technical potential of IS are not elaborated in the literature. This research proposes a method to evaluate IS potential that considers different system boundaries. The method allows for explicitly reflecting current and expected developments at plant and cluster level. The suggested method was applied to the Persian Gulf Mining and Metals Special Economic Zone (PGSEZ) in Iran. The case study shows that expanding the system boundaries to include the waste flows inside steelmaking and direct reduction plants could result in an 8% increase in available waste heat. Heat recovery possibilities outside the cluster boundaries offered 118 MW cooling plus 368 MW heating potential compared to 158 MW demand for electricity in the cluster. Furthermore, less than 20% of generated by-products could currently be reused in the cluster, while theoretically all by-products could be utilized today in other industries such as cement and ceramic. These findings support the use of IS as a way to open new perspectives for EIC development policies. • This paper proposes a method to assess the technical potential for IS. • This study adds value to the IS field by addressing the overlap between IS and process integration. • Examining the waste flows before processing for disposal could reveal higher energy exchange sources. • IS approach could open further potentialities for cluster development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the significant effects of CO 2 emissions on climate change and global warming, as well as its serious hazards to human health, the prediction of CO 2 emission is a vital issue. The main aim of this paper is to evaluate the power of the Inclusive Multiple Model (IMM) as a novel approach to predict CO 2 emission in the agriculture sector of Iran. For the same, we implemented the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) specification and data from 2003 to 2017 for 28 provinces of Iran. In the first level, various specifications were implemented for each of the Multiple Regression (MLR), Gaussian Process Regression (GPR), and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) models. In the second level, an IMM model was implemented for treating the outputs of the best specification out of the MLR, GPR, and ANN models as inputs to an ANN model. The performance of the models was compared with the Taylor diagram and innovation and unique graphs. Findings indicated that the IMM model with C C = 0.81 , RMSE = 0.69, the highest residuals between −5 and 5 (37.84%), and the lowest distance from observation points (1.857) estimated CO 2 emission values more precisely. These improvements indicate that there are possible directions for future research activities. Due to the most accuracy of the IMM, it is recommended to use this method to predict CO 2 emission to adopt appropriate policies for reducing air pollution. Image 1 • We developed Inclusive Multiple Model (IMM) as a novel approach to predict CO 2 emission in the agriculture sector of Iran. • We utilized Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis literature to predict CO 2 emission. • We used the Taylor diagram with distance and new graphs to determine the most accurate model. • A measure of income inequality could improve results in investigating EKC. • The IMM was the most accurate model according to all of performance metrics and diagnostic graphs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a solar site selection problem motivated by a real-world case study to determine sustainable locations for establishing solar sites in the east of Iran is addressed. For this purpose, a hybrid multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach is proposed that adopts best-worst method (BWM) to weight criteria and sub-criteria extracted from literature and applies grey relational analysis (GRA) and VIKOR to rank potential locations. Moreover, an innovative Monte Carlo simulation-based (MCSB) approach is applied to analyze sensitivity of GRA and VIKOR. In this approach, two functional measures of robustness are introduced in order to compare performance of the methods. Based on the obtained results, some criteria, including construction cost (0.125), initial investment (0.166), ecosystem destruction (0.103), solar radiation intensity (0.085), and distance to catchment basins (0.084) have considerable importance because their weight is more than the average amount of global weights (0.0625). Furthermore, Birjand, Sarbisheh, and Khezri are the best locations for establishment of solar sites. Based on the proposed MCSB approach, VIKOR has higher robustness than GRA in the both functional measures. From the perspective of renewable energy development in Iran, the proposed approach can be recommended to be applied in other provinces of Iran for finding the best locations for solar sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• None of the studied existing and parametric domes fails due to the earthquake. • The induced tensile stress to the tensile strength ratio increases by increasing the span. • The geometrical shape of the dome has a great effect on structural behaviour. • In general, a single-shell dome is stiffer than a double-shell dome and experiences smaller stresses. Despite the fact that Iran is an earthquake prone country and most of its historical buildings are made of brick masonry that is weak in tension, a large number of domical buildings have been constructed all over the country since many centuries ago. Most of magnificent domes in Iran have survived severe earthquakes. The discontinuous double-shell dome has been widely used for important buildings such as mosques and churches. This type of dome provides the possibility of constructing high and large spaces in order to show magnificence and also accommodate a large number of people inside. In this paper, the structural performance of Persian brick masonry discontinuous double-shell domes against earthquakes has been studied. Different shapes of upper and lower shells have been studied. The domes have had spans of 12 m, 15 m and 18 m and a decreasing thickness from the base to the apex with an optimum apex to base thickness ratio. Domes have been analysed under earthquake load by the non-linear finite element method. The Willam-Warnke failure criterion has been used for brick masonry materials. In addition to parametric study, two existing discontinuous double-shell domes of the Imam mosque and Bedkhem church, and two existing single-shell domes of the Saint Mary church and Saint Stepanos monastery in Isfahan have been studied. The values of maximum stresses have been obtained for these domes. Obtained results indicate that selected earthquakes do not cause the failure of the studied domes. The induced stresses increase by increasing the span. The performance of domes is dependent on the geometrical shape of the upper and lower shells. The dome with a drop four-centred upper shell and a drop elliptical lower shell has the best structural behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper optimal and cost-effective design of a photovoltaic/wind turbine/fuel cell (PV/WT/FC), the renewable energy system is proposed with the objective of lifespan cost of hybrid system (LSCS) minimisation and considering reliability constraint as a maximum of load interruption probability (LIP) as LIPmax to supply the demand of residential-commercial centres (RCC) located in Iran based on real data of irradiance and wind speed of this region. A new hybrid meta-heuristic algorithm named hybrid grey wolf optimiser-sine cosine algorithm (HGWOSCA) based on the exponential decreasing function (EDF) with high accuracy and speed of optimisation in achieving to the global solution is applied to determine the optimal size of system components. The superiority of the proposed HGWOSCA is compared with SCA, GWO and particle swarm optimisation (PSO) methods in designing of different combinations of the hybrid system and under varying reliability constraint. The results showed that the PV/WT/FC combination is the best combination in view of LSCS and LIPmax for supplying the RCC as a cost-effective and reliable combination. The superiority of the HGWOSCA in designing different combinations of the hybrid system is proved with fewer LSCS and LIP than the other methods with more convergence speed and accuracy. The results clearly showed that the use of hydrogen storage as a reserve power has well compensated the fluctuations in renewable sources production for meeting the RCC load to achieve optimal reliability. The results cleared that the cost of per kW of RCC supply for LIPmax = 1% and LIPmax = 5% is 0.853 and 0.764 $. The results indicated that increasing the failure rate of the components increases the system cost and weakens the reliability. In addition, the results showed that increased FC efficiency has reduced the level of reserve hydrogen, reduced the LSCS, and improved reliability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic, social, and demographic development has globally led to an increased demand for water, consequently forcing some countries to face the shortage of water resources. In Iran, the problem of water scarcity is such a serious challenge that the sustainable allocation of water resources is sought after so as to help deal with this crisis. To this aim, the present paper proposes a new Robust Fuzzy Stochastic Programming model for the allocation of water resources. For the first time in the literature of stochastic water allocation problem, we applied the sustainability index to the optimization model and considered different levels of groundwater in an allocation system. Another feature of this model is its capability in considering a hybrid uncertainty in the parameters of the model, i.e. fuzzy stochastic scenarios, in a robust fuzzy stochastic programming model. Our proposed model considers three objective functions, namely maximizing the profits of different consumption sectors, minimizing the loss of different sectors caused by water shortage in different scenarios, and minimizing the allocation of salt water from ground water. The model has been applied in Mashhad city, northeastern Iran, which has long had water scarcity as an issue. We studied the allocation of water from surface, ground, and recycled wastewater resources to the three sectors of agricultural, municipal, and industrial; the results indicated that water allocation patterns and water shortages were affected by different scenarios. In fact, the municipal and agricultural sectors did not face water shortage in all scenarios, whereas the industrial sector encountered water scarcity in a drought year. Moreover, the assessment of optimality and feasibility robustness of the model indicated that the proposed model is robust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cross-docking practice plays an important role in improving the efficiency of distribution networks, especially, for optimizing supply chain operations. Moreover, transportation route planning, controlling the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and customer satisfaction constitute the major parts of the supply chain that need to be taken into account integratedly within a common framework. For this purpose, this paper tries to introduce the reliable Pollution-Routing Problem with Cross-dock Selection (PRP-CDS) where the products are processed and transported through at least one cross-dock. To formulate the problem, a Bi-Objective Mixed-Integer Linear Programming (BOMILP) model is developed, where the first objective is to minimize total cost including pollution and routing costs and the second is to maximize supply reliability. Accordingly, sustainable development of the supply chain is addressed. Due to the high complexity of the problem, two well-known meta-heuristic algorithms including Multi-Objective Simulated-annealing Algorithm (MOSA) and Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II) are designed to provide efficient Pareto solutions. Furthermore, the ε-constraint method is applied to the model to test its applicability in small-sized problems. The efficiency of the suggested solution techniques is evaluated using different measures and a statistical test. To validate the performance of the proposed methodology, a real case study problem is conducted using the sensitivity analysis of demand parameter. Based on the main findings of the study, it is concluded that the solution techniques can yield high-quality solutions and NSGA-II is considered as the most efficient solution tool, the optimal route planning of the case study problem in delivery and pick-up phases is attained using the best-found Pareto solution and the highest change in the objective function occurs for the total cost value by applying a 20% increase in the demand parameter. • Developing a novel bi-objective MILP model to integrate reliable PRP and CDS. • Studying the effects of traffic conditions in transportation and pollution emission. • Designing high-quality algorithms including NSGA-II and MOSA to solve the problem. • Applying the Taguchi design method to enhance the performance of the algorithms. • Evaluating the applicability of the proposed methodology using a case study in Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Livestock production systems, such as dairy farming, are one of the most important contributors to resource use and if not managed well, it can be environmentally detrimental. Iranian livestock sector faces a variety of the challenges such as high costs of energy and environmental legislations as well as an increasing demand for dairy products to respond the growing population. This paper aims to contribute to the discussion on technical efficiency as a key indicator of energy use within dairy farming systems. A Window Data Envelopment Analysis (W-DEA) with energy use as inputs and milk production as output was modelled with data from 25 provinces during the last 22 years (1994–2016) in Iran. In addition, the Slack-Based Model (SBM) was used to compare the radial DEA model with non-radial SBM, both in a dynamic environment (window analysis). The average efficiency score of Iranian dairy farming production system was estimated at approximately 0.85. Through the years, three provinces including Zanjan, Ardabil and Hormozgan had the highest technical efficiencies. Window analysis represented that provinces are distinctive in terms of their technical efficiencies and energy consumption over the years. Applying the SBM model improved the accuracy of the estimated efficiency scores compared to the radial (DEA) model. Further analysis represented a significant difference between the technical efficiency of different milk production levels. Provinces that produced higher volumes of milk had lower technical efficiencies. Based on the results it can be concluded that there is a substantial space for upgrading the technical efficiency of dairy farming in Iran by improving resource use efficiency which leads to an optimized energy consumption. It is recommended to reform Iranian livestock farming policies by applying mechanized systems, optimal strategies for water, electricity and fossil fuel consumption, use of renewable energy and better feed management while enhancing milk productivity and technical efficiency. In this respect, it is suggested that policy makers consider different indicators such as energy use efficiency and environmental impacts when allocating subsidies and resources to different provinces and farms. • Iranian dairy farming was assessed for the technical efficiency over 22 years. • Efficiency of 25 provinces were identified using window data envelopment analysis. • The average efficiency score of dairy farming was approximately 0.85. • We propose improvement of resource management in order to minimize energy use. • Milk production was found as an effective factor on efficiency of provinces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We propose a novel multi-criteria data envelopment analysis model. • The proposed two-stage DEA is first considered in the presence of ratio data. • Three states are considered (black-box, free-link, and fix-link). • A multi-criteria structure is used to demonstrate the validity of the models proposed. • An illustrative example on the efficiency of 60 sets of bank branches in Iran is provided. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) is a well-known technique for assessing efficiency levels of decision-making units (DMUs). Very often, available data may be expressed as ratios and, in such cases, traditional DEA models cannot be applied as long as biased efficiency results are produced, yielding the issues of efficiency underestimation and pseudo-inefficiency. In this paper, a novel two-stage MCDEA-R model to handle ratio data is developed observing three distinct assumptions – black-box, free-link, and fixed-link – offering a multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) perspective to the efficiency assessment problem in productive networks. While the proposed models are tested by evaluating the efficiency levels of a set of 30 bank branches in Iran, their distinctive features are highlighted in terms of previous literature to model ratio data under network structures. Precisely, there were not only gains in terms of mitigating pseudo-inefficiency and lack of discrimination power of weights issues, but there were also actual gains in terms of efficiency reliability as measured by information entropy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper brings together the benefits of a membrane-thermal desalination plant with an integrated system containing parabolic trough collectors and wind turbines in collaboration with the electrical network to produce power and freshwater. This proposed cogeneration system was employed for providing power and freshwater in Chabahar in Iran by three types of desalination system consist of the Reverse Osmosis (RO), Multi-effect distillation (MED), and Thermal Vapor Compression (TVC). Through this novel system, the heat generated in the parabolic trough collector is transferred into the organic Rankine cycle (ORC) to produce power. So, the generated power of the organic Rankine cycle and an auxiliary wind turbine can employ by the Reverse Osmosis unit, and the surplus amount of the electricity can sell to the electrical network. This configuration is enabled to increase the stability of the system, and it ultimately reduces the cost of water production by 23%. Besides, the integration of Multi-effect distillation (MED) and Thermal Vapor Compression (TVC) systems enjoys the rejected waste heat from the condenser to increase the produced freshwater. The obtained results from exergy analysis demonstrated that the exergy destruction of the solar collectors and wind turbines contributed by 39.5% and 22.2%, respectively. The results of multi-objective particle swarm optimization reveal that the exergy efficiency and the cost of freshwater production reach to 26.2% and 3.08 US$/m3, each. The environmental assessments of this system demonstrate that this hybrid system prevents the amount of 52164 tons of CO 2 emission per year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the epidemiological surveys, ambient air pollution has directly related to mortality and different diseases such as cardiovascular and respiratory defects. Among the atmospheric contaminants, criteria air ones (NO 2 , O 3 , PM 2.5/10 , SO 2) demonstrated that have particular importance in the community disease. The overall goal of this paper was to study the impact of criteria air contaminants on the health of the inhabitants of Shiraz city, Iran. To accomplish this, the AirQ 2.2.3 software was applied. The results of the study revealed that the annual average NO 2 , SO 2 , PM 2.5 , PM 10, and O 3 concentrations are 39.98, 27.6, 14.35, 46.16, and 120.03 μg/m3 in 2016 and 30.27, 23.97, 16.45, 51.65, and 52.58 μg/m3 in 2017. The total International Classification of Diseases (ICD), cardiovascular, and respiratory mortalities caused by air contaminants in Shiraz was predicted as 911, 628, and 182 cases in 2016, and 346, 370, and 82 cases in 2017, respectively. Sulfur dioxide (SO 2) had the greatest rate of total mortality with the attributable equivalent of 4.3% in 2016, but this value has been decreased to 0.42% in 2017. The findings of this research revealed that air contamination has caused problems in Shiraz city according to the predicted results. The findings of this work provide useful data for regional and national health policymakers, who should take decisions to develop strategies for control air contaminants and estimate the cost-effectiveness of interventions. • Air pollutants impact on the people of Shiraz was assessed by AirQ model. • Attributable equivalent was computed for respiratory mortality and cardiovascular. • The attributable health effects of NO 2 were low. • Total mortality factor for SO 2 was higher than other pollutants. • Cardiovascular cases due to air pollutants were predicted 628 (2016) and 370 (2017). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Uncertainty of water quality index (WQI) weights were assessed using Monte-Carlo framework. • Weights of four standards including BIS, WHO, IRISI, and ICMR were evaluated. • The ISIRI standard could not lead to accurate estimation of WQI in Iran. • Weights uncertainties in WQI parameters significantly affects the final water quality classes. • The summer uncertainties were greater than those in winter. Water Quality Index (WQI) have been recently used for evaluating water resources quality. This index is developed to assist the water resources management and their allocation for different purposes. The confidence in WQI evaluation is required for decision making. Developing WQI involves various steps that some of them have associated with the uncertainties. Uncertainties sources such as water quality sampling, measuring variability, operator biases are previously studied, whereas uncertainty associated to allocated weights of quality parameters for calculating WQI are rarely studied and seldomly evaluated. For the first time in WQI evaluations, a framework based on Monte-Carlo method is proposed to assess uncertainties associated with establishment of probabilistic weight values for WQI. Monte-Carlo simulation was used for randomly generating weights based on the posterior probability density functions (PDFs) and investigating the uncertainty throughout the computation of the WQI. Four scenarios of water quality guidelines and the weights that recommended as the functions of proposed standards in these guidelines were evaluated during dry and wet seasons. This paper studies the weight allocation uncertainty of WQI, based on application of WQI in 1189 groundwater samples of Kerman aquifer, Iran. The results showed how can provide valuable information about the confidence of WQI values. Also, the results revealed that the most variation between classes based on the applied scenarios was achieved for "excellent" and "unsuitable" classes for WQI. Therefore, application of this index in practical projects and decision making requires considerable effort for appropriate weighting of quality parameters to have reliable assessment of water resources quality. The findings of the proposed framework can support judgments on water quality conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to global warming and energy conservation, the importance of forests should be seriously considered. Forest could not only produce bioenergy by harvest to substitute fossil fuels, but also sequestrate carbon dioxide from the air without harvest. How to measure the trade-off between forests as bioenergy production and carbon sinks is the aim of this paper. The forest management for the trade-offs is modelled theoretically based on two perspectives of carbon reductions and benefits. The magnitude of trade-offs is calculated considering carbon reduction, ecological benefit, and economic benefit by empirical analysis based on the forestry database of 180 countries. The empirical results reveal that the magnitude of trade-offs is lowest in Iran both between carbon sinks and carbon flow from the perspective of carbon reductions and that between economic benefit and ecological benefit based on forest income. It implied the coordinated development of wood fuel and carbon sinks in Iran's forest management. Meanwhile, the magnitude of trade-offs is highest in Ecuador between carbon sinks and carbon flow, and it is highest in Tongo between economic benefit and ecological benefit. It showed that forest management should be improved. Furthermore, energy and environment policy implications could be proposed based on forest management. Effective forest management should be considered to help fully realize energy conservation and environment protection. Image 1 • The trade-off is explored which forest is as bioenergy production or carbon sink. • Trade-offs are modelled theoretically based on carbon reductions and benefits. • The magnitudes of trade-offs in 180 countries are compared. • Energy and environment policy implications could be proposed by forest management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change, increasing energy demand, and fossil fuel constraints have led to many plights regarding sustainable food and agricultural production. The purpose of this paper is to assess of exergoenvironmental aspects across different paddy production systems, including conventional (CS), low external input (LEI), and organic systems (OS) in Iran. Also, life cycle cost (LCC) and the emissions costs have been considered as a novelty for these scenarios. Data were collected through interviews from 213 paddy producers. Environmental life cycle damages were assessed by IMPACT 2002+ based on 1 ton of paddy yield as the functional unit. The findings revealed that diesel fuel followed by nitrogen had the most substantial role in the resource damage category of CS and LEI, while most values of OS belonged to diesel fuel followed by electricity. Furthermore, On-Farm emissions claimed almost the largest share among the other impacts categories in the surveyed systems. The cumulative exergy demand (CExD) analysis indicated that Non-renewable, fossil fuel was the main energy consumer. In this regard, diesel fuel was the most substantial part of energy forms for all three systems reducing the total CExD. The economic analysis showed that the lowest LCC was associated with OS; accordingly, the highest net profit belonged to OS, followed by CS. Overall, it can be concluded that the advantage of the OS scenario is evident for long-term management and planning in different environmental-exergy-economic indices of production systems. Image 1 • CS, LEI, and OS of paddy scenarios surveyed from LCA, CExD, and LCC viewpoint. • Emissions cost is considered in LCC analysis for mentioned scenarios as a novelty. • Hotspots environmental impacts were attributed to On-Farm emission and diesel fuel. • The lowest LCC and highest net profit belonged to OS. • OS was the exergoenvironmental-economical friendly amongst paddy systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the destructive impacts of unbridled use of fossil fuels threaten the quality of life, moving towards renewable energy like solar power has precipitated. While such movements are commendable, environmental impacts of its infrastructure development should not be overlooked. In this sense, this paper addresses a multi-objective robust mathematical model to study an environmentally conscious solar photovoltaic supply chain under correlated uncertainty. The proposed model aims at minimizing the environmental impacts of included activities in the concerned supply chain in addition to minimizing the conventional cost objective. To quantify and assess the relevant environmental impacts, a life cycle assessment-based model is accomplished employing the ReCiPe 2008‏ approach embedded in the SimaPro software tool. The augmented ϵ -constraint procedure is deployed to optimize the proposed multi-objective model, which is able to attain compromise solutions from the Pareto-optimal set. Correlated uncertainty whose importance is underlined in the real-life situations of the photovoltaic industry is also tackled exploiting a robust optimization method. Ultimately, the validity of the presented model is vindicated through discussing a case study. The acquired results endorse the effectiveness and usefulness of the model and offer prominent practical and managerial insights. • An optimization model to study an environmentally conscious solar photovoltaic supply chain is presented. • To quantify the environmental impacts, a life cycle assessment-based model is performed. • The augmented ϵ -constraint procedure is deployed to optimize the proposed model. • The model is able to consider the correlated uncertainty of data. • The validity of the model is vindicated througha case study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of energy from the sea wave to produce electricity via wave converters is one of the most interesting methods to meet the electrical demand in coastal cities. Hybridization of wave energy with other renewable resources, such as solar, wind, or storage systems, is a reliable way to generate and provide electricity for remote cities. Considering high solar and wind potential and accessibility to three marine areas, including the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, and the Caspian Sea, Iran is an appropriate place to exploit hybrid energy systems. In this paper, for the first time, a techno-economic and environmental analysis for a hybrid renewable energy system consisting of Wave Energy Converter/PV/Wind Turbine/Battery is performed aiming to provide electricity for 3000 households in three different locations of Iran (Jask, Genaveh, and Anzali cities). The results indicate that the PV/Wind Turbine/Battery system (with the energy cost of 0.219, 0.233 and 0.242 dollars per kWh for Jask, Genaveh, and Anzali, respectively) is the best option for supplying electricity for 3000 households. Furthermore, according to the sensitivity analysis, Anzali demonstrates a higher potential to employ Pelamis in the optimum system, owing to the higher potential of waves in the Caspian Sea. The cost of energy in the hybrid system with a Pelamis converter is obtained 0.233 $/kWh to 0.348 $/kWh. This indicates greater economic profit and higher power capabilities for off-grid systems, compared to the global cost of wave energy converter systems. Image 1 • Study of the hybrid system of Pelamis, PV, Wind turbine and battery in Iranian seas. • By reaching to 0.67 of current price, Pelamis can be an attractive solution in Iran. • Pelamis is a cost-effective unit for stand-alone hybrid power systems in the world. • The cost of energy for the Pelamis hybrid system is 0.233 $/kWh to 0.348 $/kWh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High costs of the conventional energy systems' operation are one of the main challenges for isolated energy systems. Problems and costs of the fuel transferring to the islands for using in the diesel generator systems is another challenge for the operators. In this paper, a solar-based hybrid energy system (SHES) is proposed to satisfy the demands of an isolated industrial complex in Kish Island, an island in the south of Iran, in an optimal way. The proposed SHES contains various energy systems such as diesel generator, energy storage and rooftop solar power generation systems to provide demands of the isolated industrial complex's different users. This work tries to solve the optimization problem in a more optimal way by both energy saving arrangements and optimal sizing and operation of energy components. The load's consumption of the proposed isolated energy system is reduced optimally by using the construction operations related to the buildings' walls and windows insulation. After that, the optimal sizing and operation of the energy components are applied to the isolated energy system to satisfy the reduced demands. In other words, insulating walls and windows, with a low investment cost, will reduce the amount of the proposed isolated energy system's load and the load reduction makes a more cost reduction in the investment cost of energy generation systems. An Information gap decision theory-based (IGDT-based) optimization method is applied to the proposed model to find a robust solution against load uncertainty for the proposed problem. Finally, the proposed method is implemented to a comprehensive test case to demonstrate the practicability and applicability of the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]