فاطمه رجبی

Groundwater, as one of the vital resources for supplying drinking water and agriculture, is significantly affected by climate change and human activities. Rising temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, and alterations in vegetation lead to changes in the chemical composition of water, which can have serious implications for the provision of drinking water and agricultural needs. The quality of groundwater, like that of surface water, is constantly changing, and in arid and semi-arid plains, identifying and analyzing the factors influencing groundwater quality is crucial for managing various quality zones. Researchers in this field have acknowledged that soil characteristics and land surface can directly impact groundwater quality, and proper soil management can contribute to improving water quality. Therefore, this study examines the impact of climatic variables and land surface characteristics on groundwater quality in the Kahorestan plain of Hormozgan Province, aiming to identify quality changes in water during irrigation and non-irrigation seasons. It is noteworthy that previous research primarily estimated the Water Quality Index (WQI) using interpolation algorithms within Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and delineated different groundwater quality levels. In the present study, in addition to investigating the significant relationships between climatic variables and land surface characteristics with groundwater quality, the spatial distribution of these variables within the study area is analyzed, and modeling is conducted using Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) and Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) methods based on the influential independent variables.

The study area in the present research is the Kahorestan plain, covering an area of 273.09 square kilometers, which is one of the rare plains in the western part of Hormozgan Province. This study was conducted based on chemical data from 15 semi-deep wells in the Kahorestan plain during irrigation and non-irrigation periods in the years 2009 and 2018. The independent variables of the study included the Normalized Difference Salinity Index (NDSI), cumulative precipitation (Pr), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), soil water deficit (DEF), potential evapotranspiration (PET), land surface temperature (LST), Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI), and actual evapotranspiration (AET), which were extracted as monthly raster satellite images from the Google Earth Engine (GEE). The dependent variable of the study was the Groundwater Quality Index (WQI), which was modeled within a Geographic Information System (GIS). To assess the significance of the relationships between these variables at different time periods, the Chi-square test was employed. Subsequently, Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) and Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) techniques were utilized to model the spatial variations in groundwater quality. To compare the validity or efficiency of the multiple regression models, criteria such as the coefficient of determination, root mean square error, and Akaike Information Criterion were used. Additionally, it is noted that the Local Moran's I statistic was employed to investigate the spatial distribution of groundwater quality zones during these time periods.

The chi-square test indicated a significant relationship between climatic variables and land surface characteristics with groundwater quality. Spatial autocorrelation analysis revealed that the spatial distribution of groundwater quality in the Khorasan plain is random. Among the two methods, GWR (Geographically Weighted Regression) and OLS (Ordinary Least Squares), the GWR technique provided better results with a root mean square error of 0.14, a residual sum of squares of 11.3, a coefficient of determination (R²) of 0.82, and an Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) of -570.19, compared to the OLS method. Additionally, NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) and NDSI (Normalized Difference Snow Index) showed a coefficient of determination (R²) of 0.47 in the first time period (4/2009), with the NDSI variable showing an R² of 0.63 in the second time period (11/2009). In the third time period (5/2018), both NDVI and NDSI had an R² of 0.65, and in the fourth time period (12/2018), the two variables NDVI and NDSI again showed the highest impact among climatic variables and land surface characteristics on groundwater quality, with an R² of 0.55. The groundwater quality classes of the Kahorestan plain only included two categories: very poor and unsuitable for agricultural use. In the first-time frame, the "very poor" quality class of groundwater in the Khorasan plain covered an area of 2.44 Km2. In the second time frame, the only groundwater quality class in the Khorasan plain during that irrigation season was "unsuitable for agricultural use," with an area of 275.2 Km2. In the third time frame, May 2018, the "very poor" quality class of surface groundwater accounted for 14.91 Km2 of the plain's area. In the fourth time frame, December 2018, the area classified as "very poor" quality was estimated to be 8.51 Km2.

As the results indicated, groundwater quality during irrigation seasons (months 11 and 12 of the years 2009 and 2018) decreases compared to non-irrigation seasons (months 4 and 5 of the years 2009 and 2018), with the quality levels of groundwater also diminishing during irrigation periods. The findings revealed that increased vegetation cover and reduced soil salinity are key factors in improving groundwater quality in this region. A decrease in vegetation cover and an increase in soil salinity during irrigation seasons lead to a reduction in the extent and quality of good and moderate quality zones. Given the superiority of the GWR model over OLS, this model can serve as a useful tool in managing the quality zones of groundwater resources and analyzing changes in water quality. Ultimately, this research emphasizes that attention to climatic variables and land surface characteristics is essential for the optimal management of groundwater resources. This study not only utilized various interpolation methods for the WQI based on the chemical data from observation wells within a Geographic Information System (GIS), but also highlighted the prediction of different groundwater quality zones using Geographically Weighted Regression and Ordinary Least Squares techniques, considering the impact of various climatic variables and land surface characteristics. Additionally, obtaining independent variables at a monthly scale across different time periods of irrigation and non-irrigation seasons from the online Google Earth Engine (GEE) was another focus of the current study regarding the examination of groundwater quality changes.

The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) on emotion regulation and body image of women with breast cancer. The research method was quasi-experimental with a pretest,  posttest,  control group design,  and  2 and 4-month follow-up. The statistical population consisted of women with mastectomy surgery in Tehran hospitals in 1400-1401.  Among them, 30 patients were selected by convenient sampling and randomly divided into two experimental groups (15 people) and a control group (15 people). 8 sessions of ACT were performed once a week for the experimental group.  Research tools included the Body Image Scale (BIS, Hopwood, et al., 2001) and the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ, Gross and John, 2003). The data were analyzed using mixed analysis of variance with repeated measures.  The results showed the difference between the pre-test and post-test stage of body image and the pre-test and 2-month follow-up and pre-test and 4-month follow-up (p<0.05)  is significant. The difference between the pre-test and post-test stage of the reappraisal component of emotion regulation and the pre-test and 2-month follow-up and pre-test and 4-month follow-up (p<0.05) is significant. The difference between the pre-test and post-test stage of the reappraisal component of emotion regulation and the pre-test and 2-month follow-up and pre-test and 4-month follow-up (p<0.05)  is significant.  Based on the results ACT is an effective intervention to improve body image perception and emotion regulation in patients with mastectomy surgery.

Although mines provide primary raw materials for production and they are considered a valuable resources, they often come with pollution and environmental damage. Sustainable development policies aim to compensate for the environmental damages caused by mining activities, by directing the related  enterprises towards environmentally friendly investments. It is expected that with an increase in mining activities, capital spending on environmental protection will also increase to compensate for the destruction caused. This study estimates the relationship between the level of mining exploitation and the value of mining environmental investment in different provinces of Iran, using the dynamic panel data model GMM with an Arellano-Bond approach. Regional governance quality can significantly impact  commitment to environmental investments. For this purpose, the provincial environmental governance index was extracted and included in the model. Since the level of development in provinces has an effective relationship with institutional quality, provincial added value was taken into account in the model as a control variable for the level of provincial development. Estimates were obtained using provincial data from 2014 to 2021. The results of this study suggest that increased mining activity does not lead to higher capital spending on the environment. On the other hand, higher governance quality in provinces is positively associated with mining environmental investments. Additionally, mines located in more developed provinces incur higher environmental spending. Finally, the government can force mining operators to compensate for environmental damages using the capacity of corporate social responsibility by improving regulations in the area of mining environmental protection.

The physical space in the neighborhood is the bed of social activities in the social relations of the neighborhood. On the one hand, this space is formed during social relations, therefore, the architecture of the physical space and social relations are in a two-way relationship. On the other hand, social relations are the primary core of forming and strengthening social capital. Therefore, the architecture of the physical space is effective in the formation and strengthening of social capital, and not paying attention to it leads to many social problems, including reducing social participation, lack of security, increasing criminality, and finally, the loss of satisfaction and a sense of being pointed out. Today, despite the efforts of specialists to create sociable physical spaces, social relations have not expanded significantly, and following this reduction of relations, social capital has been in a downward trend. There has been no formation and strengthening of social relations in the neighborhood, and the decrease in presence in the neighborhood has led to a decrease in the possibility of social relations and ultimately an unprecedented decrease in local social capital. The review of the literature on the subject shows a lack of agreement between the most desirable physical space to promote social capital, so the purpose of this research is to explain a model of the architectural qualities of physical space at the neighborhood scale that will promote local social capital and reduce social problems, more precisely, the main question of the research is about the physical aspects of the neighborhood space, through which the social capital of the neighborhood is formed and increased. In this regard, to formulate the theoretical framework of the research, the theoretical texts related to social capital and the architecture of the body of space are examined. According to the findings of this section, the key component of promoting social capital is social relations in the form of social groups with purposeful joint activities. Then, the necessary samples for examination are identified and selected in four steps from among the neighborhoods of Tehran. In the continuation of the research method section, evaluation, and measurement of the level of social capital in selected samples were done. Evaluation of social capital was done by examining the composition of group social relations in the selected sample stations by counting group relations. It should be noted that the selected stations are selected by stratified random sampling. Finally, the analysis of the qualities of the physical space is carried out by the method of field perception and the evaluation of how these variables are related by the method of logical inductive reasoning which creates the final model of the research, and based on this model, the creation of public spaces with a small scale in the neighborhood space can be achieved. Both pedestrian axes and stopping places (independent variable), these spaces, while emphasizing the presence of residents (mediator variable) instead of temporary transit, lead to the promotion of local social capital (dependent variable); meanwhile, the qualities of these public areas are discussed in the final model.

“Information and Communication Technology (ICT) governance” was introduced in developed countries in the late 1990s and replaced ICT management. In addition to the separation of the ICT responsibilities between different units/levels, ICT governance allowed universities to develop mechanisms for monitoring ICT decisions in line with the University's vision, mission, and strategic goals through the distribution of the decision-making rights to various stakeholders. This study aimed to investigate the ICT management challenges in the university under study and explore the need for ICT governance.

This is a qualitative-descriptive case study conducted in the three stages of preparation, identification, and analysis and prescription in one of the universities of medical sciences in Tehran (from November to December 2021).  Semi-structured interviews based on judgmental purposeful sampling and FGDs were used for data collection, and qualitative content analysis in ATLAS-ti software was used for data analysis.

Structurally, the only macro-policymaking body in the ICT field is the ICT council, which is inefficient in providing general direction and standards. In terms of processes, it lacks a mission and a long-term plan, and it has failed to integrate the university and ICT decisions, as well as steering decisions toward the university's goals. In terms of relational mechanisms, it hasn't been able to create a unified procedure in the implementation of ICT policies by creating a common language between ICT and the owners of the main processes in the university.

To get out of the current situation, the university needs serious changes in the ICT structure and the university users’ approach to ICT. These changes require the adoption of an indigenous ICT governance model tailored to the current and future problems and needs of the university toward full integration.

Nowadays dyeing of textiles with natural dyes has been considered according to environmental effects based on lower using of the synthetic dyes and chemical auxiliaries. In present research, the dyeing parameters including; type of mordant, concentration of mordant and concentration of clove have been investigated. The color strength (K/S) value and the color coordinates (L*, a*, b*, C*) of samples were obtained using calorimeter in CIELab color space. The results showed the dyed samples in presence of Cu and Al as mordant have higher lightness (L*) compare with dyed samples dyed with Fe. The ultraviolet protection results showed higher blocking effect of sample in presence of clove against photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) under sunlight irradiation. The antibacterial assessment of the dyed samples showed reduction of bacteria rate against S. aureus (95%). Also washing fastness assessment of the dyed samples showed the great durability of clove on wool in presence of mordant.

One of the challenges raised by the mining sector at the regional level, is the lack of benefits for the local communities from the advantage of the externalities generated by the presence of mining producers. The purpose of this study is to empirically investigate this challenge. This is achieved by estimating the relationship between the provinces' living standards and the share of the province's mineral production, using the Arellano-Bover/Blundel- Bond two-step Dynamic GMM Panel Data approach. Also, the share of the added value of each province is included in the model as a control variable of the level of development of the provinces. The estimation was obtained using provincial data for the period of 2014-2020. The empirical results of this study show that the increase in exploration activities does not increase the living standards of the local communities. Finally, mechanisms such as corporate social responsibility, implementation of investment funds, and shareholding of mines by local community can help to solve this challenge.

This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of the unified trans-diagnostic treatment on emotion regulation, anxiety sensitivity, and sleep quality in people with post-traumatic stress disorder. The research method was semi-experimental with pre-test, post-test, and control group with 2-month and 4-month follow-up periods. The statistical population included all patients referred to psychological counseling centers in Kermanshah in the years 1399-1400 with post-traumatic stress disorder, from which 40 people were selected in an accessible and purposeful manner and randomly assigned to experimental (n=20) and control (n=20) groups. In order to collect data from the  Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) by Gross and john (2003), Anxiety Sensitivity Inventory-3 (ASI-3) by Taylor & cox (1998), and Pitesbourg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) buysee et al (1989) were used. Data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance. The results of the analysis showed that unified trans-diagnostic treatment led to a significant improvement in anxiety sensitivity, sleep quality, and emotion regulation in people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (P<0/01). The examination of the follow-up periods showed that there was no significant difference between the follow-up and post-test periods (P>0/01). Therefore, this shows the persistence of the treatment effect over time. From the above findings, it can be concluded that unified transdiagnostic treatment can be used as an effective approach to modify and improve the psychological problems of people with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Having specific physical and mental characteristics, elders require a variety of needs and care. Depression is one the most common psychological issues in elders and neglecting the quality of elders’ medical environment can impact their mental health.

The present research aims to investigate the design of a healing garden at elderly care centers with an approach to improving the mental health of elders suffering from depression.

The present research has been conducted quantitatively and through the Grounded Theoury method. The research statistical population included elders suffering from depression residing at Najafabad Ayatollah Modarres Psychiatric hospital in 2020 that from among these individuals, 15 depressed elders between the age of 65-70 years old (8 males and 7 females) were selected through the purposive sampling method. Data collection was conducted through semi-structured interviews and was analyzed through the Strauss and Corbin method in three stages of open, axial, and selective coding in the MAXQDA software.

The results are identified in form of healing garden components for improving the mental health of depressed elders including 300 initial (open) and selective codes and 3 main categories: relation with nature, five senses’ stimulation, and space quality for the healing garden’s patients, which had a positive impact on maintaining wellbeing and promoting mental health in depressed elders.

This research showed that healing garden components at elderly care centers are effective for developing peace, reducing stress, and promoting improvement in patients’ health. Therefore, it is recommended that care centers are designed considering the healing gardens’ components to provide the opportunity for developing the feeling of rejuvenation and release from all tensions for achieving good health and treatment.

During the coronavirus outbreak, Iranian government imposed social distancing and lockdown measures to reduce the number of infections. These policies caused economic activities disruption and the services are the most impacted, due to their need for human interactions. In this study, the economic growth modeling is used to investigate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on total output, considering the effect of the sanctions. Also, the impact of coronavirus on the service sector is compared with other sectors. The study period is spring 2005 to winter 2021. The empirical results from the ARDL estimates shows the negative impact of coronavirus pandemic on gross domestic product. Furthermore, the estimation results revealed significant negative effect of COVID-19 outbreak on service sector, but the impacts on agriculture and industry sectors are not statistically meaningful.

The aim of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is to ensure receiving essential health services without financial hardship. Good governance in the health system guarantees success in UHC. Meaningful public participation in the health policy-making cycle is one of the vital and challenging aspects of good health governance. Considering the role and importance of legislation in formation and sustainability of participatory decision-making and good governance approach in the health sector, this study endeavors to survey the alignment of the 1st-6th development plans with the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) Constitution regarding public participation approach in the health sector since 1989.

This study is designed and implemented as a qualitative Study. Data was extracted from legal documents including the development plan laws from 1989-2016, and IRI Constitution Law approved in 1989 and its subsequent amendments. Content analysis was carried out in a summative method.

During the years under review, governments have always received the necessary legal mandate in their program to attract public financial participation in the construction sector or to pay part of health care costs, which is in accordance with the 29th Article of the Constitution based on health rights for the Iranian population. According to various constitutional principles such as; Paragraph eight of the third principle, paragraph three of the forty-third principle and the one-hundredth principle, the engagement of the population in identifying issues and making appropriate decisions in the administration of the country, including the health sector, is recognize, but there is no legislation in the government development plans to implement these laws.

Despite the emphasis on upstream legislation and the existence of two structures, the High Council for Health and Food Security, the High Council for Health Insurance at the national level and the Islamic town and village councils at the local level, governments have focused on participatory budgeting in health rather than participatory policymaking, during the years under review in this study. Given the importance of social participation in health sector decisions in eliminating or reducing inequalities in use of health services, suggestions for the government and Ministry of Health and Medical Education are represented

The distribution of causes of death indicates the distribution of risk factors for death, and is a basis of planning and intervention to reduce risk factors. The quality of the registered information has problems due to the weakness of the processes of completing and issuing the death certificate or the coding method. The purpose of this study was to explain the challenges of death registration and to provide a solution in this regard.

This qualitative study was conducted in the second half of 2019 in Guilan University of Medical Sciences. The target population was the directors and experts of the death registration program. Sampling was done purposefully by counting. Data was collected through in-depth interviews using a questionnaire and simultaneous contractual content analysis to identify key themes. To ensure the validity and acceptability of the data, the participants and two research colleagues reviewed the data frequently.

According to the content analysis of 24 interviews, the main challenges of death registration included manpower, organizing the death registration system in the country, and death registration software system and its implementation. These themes were abstracted from 45 subcategories and 13 main categories.

Considering the challenges described by death registration managers and experts, the main proposed interventions to improve the death registration system include recruiting appropriate staff, empowering and motivating various human resources departments, developing internal and external cooperation, increasing public participation, monitoring and continuous assessment to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the death registration system and adressing them, attention to the development of death registration software and its required infrastructure such as Internet access and equipment, attention to the multiplicity of systems, and efforts to integrate them.

Nowadays, the presence of neighborhood residents in physical spaces has become scarce as a result of the negligence of spatial territories and this issue has led to a decline in social communications specifically in the neighborhood sphere. Extensive studies have used qualitative methods to investigate the mutual relationship between physical space and social communications or to examine how the sociability of people in a physical space is influenced by the physical capabilities of public territories. Less research exists on the synergy of semi-private territory and social communications. Moreover, reviewing available studies shows that they have contributed to the advancement of quantitative methods that introduce strategies to improve physical conditions. These studies have offered strategies that have not been informed by the qualitative methods.
Research

The purpose of this study is to compare the outcomes of the quantitative and qualitative phases on evaluating the correlation of the features in spatial territories specifically semi-private territory with residents’ sociability in physical spaces of a neighborhood to maintain a context for a more exact prediction of the probable behavior of the residents in the physical realm.

This research employed a case study method and was conducted in two phases; in the first phase, the qualitative variable of social communications was evaluated by using cognitive maps and, in the second phase, the same variable was evaluated through computational modeling of space syntax in a quantitative approach. Also, Ekbatan Town was selected as a context for this case study not only for its age but also for the existing variety in its spatial territories and its significant surfaces of public territory.

Apart from the integration and connectivity variables related to the public domain, the qualitative method helps to gather information on other variables such as geometry and vegetation that cannot be obtained by using a quantitative method. Moreover, the syntax of semi-public territory in blocks is considered a significant variable outside of the public territory in people’s tendency to appear in spaces. Therefore, the quantitative and qualitative methods are complementary to each other in the analysis and study of the sociability of physical spaces.

The results of studies have shown that insecure attachment is related to risky behaviors. But the underlying mechanism of this relationship has not been investigated. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate the mediating role of reflective functioning in the relationship between insecure attachment styles and risky behaviors.

This study was a descriptive-correlation research. The studied sample included the students of Tehran. The studied sample included the students of Tehran. Among them, 329 were selected through available sampling. Subjects completed reflective functioning scale, insecure attachment styles, and high-risk behavior questionnaires. Data were analyzed using Spss-24 and AMOS software. The path analysis method was used to analyze the data.

The results showed the direct effect of reflective functioning on risky behaviors. Also, the mediating role of reflective functioning between attachment styles and risky behaviors was significant.

Based on the findings, it can be concluded that insecure attachment along with reflective functioning play an important role in the formation of risky behaviors of students. For this reason, psychotherapeutic interventions are of special importance to prevent the formation of these risky behaviors.

The aim of this study is to investigate the impacts of the coronavirus outbreak on Iran’s labor market. To do so, we analyzed changes in key indicators of the labor market in the first four months of the outbreak. In addition, the dynamic effects of COVID-19 are estimated using a vector autoregression model (VAR). Results show that spread of the pandemic has led to an increase innumber of discouraged workers. The participation rate has fallen by 3.7 percentage points, compared to the same period last year. Considering seasonal variations in the labor market, nearly 1.5 million people have lost their jobs due to the coronavirus contagion. Also, around 750 thousand people applied for unemployment benefits which are 60 percent of the claims filed by former service sector employees. The results indicate that during the study period, the increase in confirmed cases of infections increased the number of jobless claims and the number of unemployed persons. Our findings confirm rapid and substantial changes in the Iranian labor market caused by the coronavirus and highlight the necessity of improving the social welfare system for supporting vulnerable groups in the current crisis and future crises. Supporting businesses, especially credit, insurance, etc., can also reduce the problems of businesses and reduce the number of unemployed.

Many governments face a trade-off between health and economy during the coronavirus pandemic. Social distancing and lockdown caused decline in gross domestic product of coronavirus affected countries. In this study, by using the input-output table of 2011, the hypothetical extraction method is used to extract 10 selected economic activities hypothetically from economic system and examine the direct and indirect effect of this extraction on Iran’s gross output. Results show that extraction of passenger transport, aviculture and clothing sectors result in the greatest reductions in gross domestic product. Furthermore, extraction of accommodation services, travel agency and tour operator activities and foodservice industry as representative of the tourism sector is able to reduce total output by almost one percent. Considering these ten selected sectors, 6.5 percent of Iran’s total economic output would be impacted by coronavirus outbreak.

Today's urban physical spaces are not a suitable environment for the formation and strengthening of mutual social relations and participation in the form of social groups. Social relations are influenced by different characteristics of organizing the environment and its effect on the behavior and formation of human social capital is obvious. These features include cohesiveness, permeability, readability, and scale. In fact, the quality of human presence and social activity is not independent of the space and they have a bilateral relationship with each other. Recently, several efforts have been made to promote social interactions, but the level of social capital has not changed significantly. A review of the research background in the field of physical environment has shown that spatial domains have been neglected. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to assess the relationship between spatial domains (private, semi-private and public) with social capital at the neighborhood level. The present study is a case study that analyzed survey data obtained from a sample of 382 people in Ekbatan, Tehran. The selection of the statistical population is based on the results of socio-cultural clustering of Tehran neighborhoods (2015), social science studies of Al-Zahra University and the author's field observations. The results of statistical analysis of the refined questionnaires showed that satisfaction with the private domain, appropriate environmental qualities in the public domain and self-esteem (as one of the individual characteristics) are correlated with social capital. Also, the existence of important activities and common behavior in public service spaces is effective in promoting social capital. Findings showed that paying attention to residents' housing and improving the physical quality of semi-private and public areas should be a priority in local planning.

With the increase of corruption in society, in addition to the negative socio-cultural consequences, the economy is also distorted. Corruption leads to limited productive activities and reduced economic growth by distorting production resources into non-productive activities. Also, corruption limits economic growth by increasing knowledge about corrupt activities and reducing the accumulation of human capital. On the other hand, corruption reduces entrepreneurial incentives by distorting economic resources and increasing the cost of productive activities, and in this way, economic growth is affected by the negative consequences of corruption. A look at indicators such as corruption perception index, natural resources rent share of total GDP, Corruption Control index, Regulatory Quality index, Government Effectiveness index, and Corruption Control rank in Iran's economy indicates the existence of corruption in the economy. In this study, using panel data, the effect of corruption on economic growth in selected countries has been investigated. The results confirm the negative relationship between economic growth and corruption. In other words, countries with higher levels of corruption have lower economic growth.

Attention to human resource management leads to more qualitative educational, research and medical services. The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors affecting the retention of faculty members for whom the universities have invested am enormous sum of money for recruiting, employment and training.

Five medical science universities were purposefully chosen. Using data triangulation and semi-structured in-depth interviews, 25 faculty members were interviewed. Coding was done using ATLAS.ti software. Adhering to all standards and protocols, open, axial and selective coding were used. Following 5 stages of refining codes and designing the initial model, the reliability and validity of the model were measured.

1197 open codes were extracted. Using open and axial and selective coding, 60 components in 12 categories and 3 dimensions were recognized. Based on the findings of the content analysis, personal motivations was the most important reason for retention of faculty members.

The findings of this study showed strategic planning with special attention to intra and extra-organizational motivating factors can enhance the retention of faculty members.

The Classical and the Presence of Truth in Gadamer’s Hermeneutics.This paper is concentrated on the brief investigation in Gadamer’s book Truth and Method about the meaning of the attribute “classical” which is applied to works of literature and art. Explicating this investigation as an example which shows obviously the manner of presence and existence of what is called “the historical” in the middle of its temporality and its claim for a supratemporal truth, we try to illuminate the meaning of a concept which Gadamer calles - with reference to Heidegger - “historicity” and “historical Being” and applies it to the classical works of art. In this paper we attempt to explain how Gadamer’s investigation on the attribute “classical” can show concretely that his understanding of the historicity of truth, of the claim of works of art for truth and the truth in the historical tradition is not on the one hand involved in assumption of a metaphysical sphere and a naive and abstract rationality which is not related to the reality of the historical tradition and its specific authority, on the other hand is not entangled by historicism and historical relativism, but rather can claim the consistent presence of truth through the history.