وحید عزیزی

In recent years, economic development and public welfare are not possible without reliable and sustainable energy sources. Therefore, providing energy security is one of the basic priorities of every society and government. On the other hand, energy security is closely related to human life and productive activities and is strongly related to the increase in the number of extreme natural events in the past decades. Natural disasters can have different effects on energy consumption depending on the type of disaster and the desired energy source. Emergency food products can be useful for disaster situations, and carbon absorption is one of the solutions that can greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The search for better energy performance of buildings and the using alternative sources of energy along with the rationalization of energy consumption can be directly related to reducing emission levels in the atmosphere and alleviating detrimental impacts on the environment. However, the transition to renewable energy sources requires careful planning and implementation to ensure energy security and prevent negative environmental effects, natural disasters also have significant implications for energy security, extreme weather events such as droughts and floods can affect the availability and reliability of energy resources, especially hydropower. Therefore, it is crucially important to consider the potential effects of climate change on energy systems and to develop adaptation strategies for ensuring energy security. Therefore, dealing with climate change and energy security are two critical challenges of any society today. Transitioning to renewable energy sources can reduce climate change, but requires careful planning and implementation to ensure energy security. In addition, it is vital to consider the potential impacts of climate change on energy systems and develop adaptation strategies to ensure energy security. Therefore, dealing with and managing severe natural disasters is necessary to ensure and manage energy security. Therefore, considering the importance of energy security on the one hand and limited research on the other to depict the impact of extreme natural events on energy security is of paramount importance. Therefore, considering the increasing frequency of natural disasters and energy security, how natural disasters affect energy security needs to be debated which has rarely been addressed yet. So, the aim of this research is to fill this theoretical gap so that the impact of severe natural hazards on energy security from a theoretical point of view to be investigated and  solutions for diminishing the impact of natural disasters on energy security proposed.

In this research, due to the fact that the degree of significance of all research variables was of the first order and with the difference of the first order of significance, to estimate the research model, it is possible to use co-accumulation methods to avoid creating false regression and misleading results. In econometric literature, various methods are introduced to check the existence of long-term relationship between variables. Therefore, this research uses Fully Modified Least Squares (FMOLS) cointegration method to estimate the research model. The fully modified least squares method by Phillips and Hansen (1990) to examine long-run relationships and estimate a co-integrated relationship that has a combination of I(1) was introduced and developed. This method uses a quasi-parametric correction to eliminate problems caused by long-term correlation between co-accumulation equations and changes in random variables. Characteristics of this estimator; They are highly consistent and asymptotically distributed normally without skew and provide better results in small samples. It also provides modified standard deviation that allows statistical inferences to be made. In fact, the fully modified least squares method applies two corrections of distortion and endogeneity to the ordinary least squares method. On the other hand, the FMOLS method is not affected by the length of the interval and is asymptotically unbiased and has a fully efficient combination of asymptotes when all variables are endogenous. In fact, by means of this method, an optimal estimate of the cointegration vector can be estimated.

In this study, for the first time, the effect of severe natural disasters on the risk of energy security in Iran during the period (1980-2018) have been examined. To estimate the model, fully modified least squares (FMOLS) method was used. According to the variable results, severe natural disasters have a negative and significant effect on energy security in Iran, which is in agreement with the results of the research by Qiu et al. (2023), Lee et al. (2021), Rakshit (2021), Wei et al. 2022). Open degree index without trade has a negative and significant effect on energy security during the studied period, which confirms the results of Qiu et al. (2023), Wei et al. (2023) and Lee and Park (2021) studies. The industrialization index has a positive and significant effect on energy security in Iran, and the results of this section agree with the results of Qiu et al. (2023) research. The growth rate of urbanization also has a positive and significant effect on energy security during the studied period, which rejects the results of Qiu et al. (2023) study. Technological innovation has a positive and significant effect on energy security. Financial development had no significant effect on energy security. The GDP variable has a negative and significant effect on energy security. The results of this section are contrary to the research results of Qiu et al. (2023) and Lee and Park (2021) and are consistent with the research results of Wei et al. (2023).

Natural disasters are an inevitable part of life that threaten different aspects of human life. Natural disasters may create some long-term social, economic and environmental trends in the society, whose effects have economic consequences for the country for decades. The position of natural disasters and its effect on other variables in a disaster-prone country like Iran should be given special attention. Natural disasters should be a gateway to a scientific, strategic and accurate look at these events and their social, political and economic consequences. Increased investment in infrastructure and mechanisms related to crisis prevention and management, and serious attention should be paid to basic indicators such as trust and political legitimacy to facilitate the functioning of the government in crisis conditions. The results of this study show that policy makers should pay enough attention to natural environment, especially natural disasters in planning agenda to improve energy security so that appropriate policy interventions can help deminish the impact of extreme natural events on energy security.

Energy plays a crucial role in the progress of societies, as a necessary component towards achieving economic development and prosperity. Energy sources can be categorized into renewable and non-renewable ones. As the world encounters crises of environmental pollution, and climate change leading to long-term negative effects on ecosystems and global economy, there is an increasing focus on renewable and clean energy sources. In response to these challenges, many countries are working to enhance the proportion of renewable energy in their environmental cycles. In this regard, Iran has been identified as one of the economies confronting high pollution in the region; therefore, it is essential to investigate the factors influencing the consumption of clean energy in this country. This research aims to study the independent effects and the interactive roles of environmental innovation, financial development, and financial risks on the consumption of renewable energy in Iran. The findings of the research can provide valuable insights for policymakers and planners, assisting them in formulating and implementing effective financial, energy, and environmental policies as the main purpose of these policies is to enhance sustainable economic growth and stability while addressing environmental challenges.

In order to conduct the research based on the objectives of the study, our experimental model is specified and tested in the form of following four equations.In equations 1 to 4, the dependent variable is REC (Renewable Energy Consumption), representing the percentage of total final energy consumption attributed to renewable sources. The main independent variables are:EI (Environmental Innovation), measured by the number of the patents recorded in the environment fieldFD (Financial Development), reflecting the level of financial developmentFR (Financial Risk), indicating the degree of financial riskThe above independent variables also include their interaction variables.Additionally, the control variables are:EG (Economic Growth), represented by the GDP per capita in 2015 constant price in US dollarsEP (Environmental Pollution), measured by the total greenhouse gas emissions in kilotons of CO2 equivalentTO (Trade Openness), representing trade as a percentage of GDPThe data for REC, EG, TO, and EP are sourced from the World Bank. The variable EI is obtained from the database of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). FR is sourced from Political Risk Services (PRS). The variable FD is extracted from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Empirical research models were analyzed using time series data to cover the years 1990 to 2022. The Dynamic Ordinary Least Square (DOLS) method was employed for the analysis, allowing for a comprehensive testing of the relationships among the variables over the specified time period.

The stationary of variables, assessed by the Augmented Dickey-Fuller test (ADF), indicates that REC, TO, EG, FD, and FR variables are stationary in order one I(1), while EP and EI variables are stationary I(0). This suggests that cointegration relationship of the data is of orders I(0) and I(1). The optimal lag was determined using the Bayesian Information Criterion (SBC); it is lag one. The Johansen-Juselius Cointegration Test was employed to examine the existence of long-term relationships among the research variables. The results confirm at least one long-term relationship among the research variables in various model specifications. In the first model, the FD variable is positive and statistically significant (P = .01). A one-unit increase in FD corresponds to a 2.92 unit increase in the REC variable. In the second model, the FR index is positive and statistically significant (P = 0.1). A one-unit decrease in FR leads to a 0.5-unit increase in the REC variable. For model 3, the interactive variable of EI and FD is statistically significant (P = .01). A one unit increase in this interactive variable results in a 0.82-unit increase in REC. In model 4, the interactive variable of EI and FR is significant (P = .01) with a positive sign, indicating that a one-unit increase in this interactive variable leads to a 0.07-unit increase in REC. The results also show that the parameter of EG is significant at the 5% probability level. A one percent increase in EG corresponds to REC increases of 1.62, 2.24, 3.42, and 2.38 units for models 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively. The EP variable has a negative effect on REC (P = .01). A one percent increase in EP results in REC increases of 2.44, 3.58, 3.16, and 3.08 units for models 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively. The TO variable, with a positive sign, is significant at the 1% probability level. A one-unit increase in TO corresponds to REC increases of 0.03, 0.03, 0.02 and 0.02 units for models 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively. The DOLS method was employed to estimate the research models.Conclusions and Policy Implications: The results indicate that the EI (Environmental Innovation) variable has a positive impact on REC (Renewable Energy Consumption). The application and development of technology plays a crucial role, empowering investors to enhance energy efficiency and environmental quality through the implementation of new innovations in production and the expansion of clean energy development infrastructure. Furthermore, the findings demonstrate that FD (Financial Development) has a positive effect, while financial risk (FR) has a negative effect on REC. In addition, the simultaneous combined impact of FD, FR, and EI on REC is significant and positive effects. The results suggest that, in countries like Iran, where the share of renewable energy consumption is smaller, improvements in financial indicators and encouragement of environmental innovations have a more noticeable effect on strengthening the development of the renewable energy industry. The study also highlights that FD amplifies the effect, while FR lessens the effect of EI on the REC variable. This implies that, in countries with a smaller share of renewable energy consumption, the influence of enhancing financial development combined with environmental innovations on the development of the renewable energy sector is more considerable. The results suggest that technological innovation is a potential solution to boost the consumption and development of renewable energy, particularly in the field of improved financial development. A developed financial system, as indicated by the study, provides various financing methods and risk management tools for companies and households, facilitating access to funds with reduced financial risks. Moreover, innovative technology can enhance the production and distribution of renewable energies and raise the standard level of manufacturing industries. In conclusion, creating conditions to improve the productivity of innovative technologies in production with minimal pollution and expansion the combination of renewable energy and technological innovation are the approaches suggested in this study. This dual strategy can mitigate environmental damage while promoting sustainable energy consumption and development.

Economic growth and development, as the primary goals of any country, play a crucial role in improving living standards and promoting sustainable development. Efforts to achieve these goals, and consequently increase per capita income, can ensure the enhancement of economic and social well-being of a nation. However, natural and political crises can pose significant obstacles to achieving such objectives. Natural disasters and economic sanctions, in particular, can have devastating effects on economic growth and development, leading to a decline in per capita income. Using the Dynamic Ordinary Least Squares, the present study aimed to examine the effect of economic sanctions and natural disasters on non-oil per capita income in Iran from 1980 to 2022. The findings showed that, in the long-term, increases in natural disasters and economic sanctions had contributed to a decline in per capita income in Iran. Additionally, environmental innovation and the interaction between innovation and natural disasters positively influenced per capita income. The results also indicated that factors such as the labor force, physical capital, and trade openness had contributed to improvements in per capita income. In light of the findings, it is recommended that Iran implement effective plans and policies to mitigate the effects of sanctions and natural disasters, promote environmental innovations, and strengthen the development of fixed capital and the labor force, aimed at ensuring the continued growth of per capita income.

Environmental sustainability as an approach to development; It makes it possible to meet the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations. This approach helps to preserve natural resources, biodiversity, reduce negative effects on the environment, improve the quality of human life and develop a sustainable economy. Simply put, environmental sustainability means a balance between economic development, social sustainability and environmental preservation. Achieving environmental sustainability requires identifying and determining the factors affecting it. Therefore, the main objective of the present study is to examine the effect of political freedom and human development on environmental sustainability according to three indicators of Ecological footprint (EFP), carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) and Environmental Performance Index (EPI) in Iran over the period of time (1990 - 2022) using the Dynamic Ordinary Least Square (DOLS). Also, in this research, the human development index (HDI), which includes the economic and social dimensions of development, has been used to investigate the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC). The research results show that human development index (HDI) has a negative effect and political freedom (FPI) has a positive and significant effect on environmental sustainability. On the other hand, the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis test also showed that the square of the human development index has a positive and significant effect on environmental sustainability; As a result, based on this hypothesis, the inverted U relationship between human development index (HDI) and environmental sustainability is confirmed in this study. Other results of this research show that energy consumption (EC) has a negative effect, urbanization rate (URB) and commercial openness (OPE) have a positive and significant effect on environmental sustainability in the long term.

This study investigates the impact of natural disasters on income inequality in Iran from 1980 to 2021. It also explores the moderating effects of financial development and globalization on this relationship. The Non-linear Autoregressive Distributed Lag (NARDL) method is employed for the analysis.The findings reveal that several factors influence income inequality (measured by the Gini coefficient) in both the short and long term. Positive and significant effects were observed for GDP, inflation, severe natural disasters, and the globalization index. Conversely, education level, the square of GDP (indicating an inverted U-shaped relationship), and the financial development index exhibited negative and significant effects.These results support Kuznets' hypothesis, suggesting that income inequality initially rises with economic growth (GDP) before ultimately declining. Furthermore, the study confirms an asymmetric effect of financial development and globalization on income inequality. The analysis suggests that an increase in severe natural disasters, globalization, and a decrease in financial development all contribute to rising income inequality in Iran.

The use of plant-derived compounds is common in medicine and preventive health care, while the scope of use of some substances is steadily increasing. The mint family, with more than 200 genera and 3000 species, is very important economically and medicinally. The mint genus contains 25 to 30 species that grow in different temperate regions of Asia, Europe, Australia and South Africa. There is a great diversity in terms of chemical composition among the species of the mint genus. Peppermint essential oil (Mentha spicata L.) is rich in carvone, which produces the special aroma of mint. The yield of essential oil of Sentha spicata is lower than that of Mentha piperita. Carvone is the main component of Mentha spicata and Mentha longlifolia, while Carvone is absent in Mentha piperita, Mentha aquatic, Mentha arvensis and Mentha pulegium. Peppermint essential oil and extract are used in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industries all over the world. Mentha spicata essential oil and leaves have therapeutic uses and its general properties are analgesic, tonic, stomach tonic, antitussive, anticonvulsant, astringent, analgesic and sedative. Peppermint oil has been used since ancient times for medicinal purposes, mostly to treat headaches, colds and neuralgia. It can also relieve skin irritations and digestive problems and has antispasmodic effects. Although, there is mixed information about the chemical composition of Mentha spicata essential oil, many studies have confirmed carone and limonene as its main components. Carvone is responsible for the smell of peppermint essential oil. The high price of carvone in the market has pushed breeders to improve mint varieties with high carvone. Different chemotypes are characterized by specific odors and biological activities, which indicate different applications in the aromatic and pharmaceutical industries. For example, Europeans enjoy the scent of Carvone. The use of medicinal plants in the food and pharmaceutical industries depends on the amount of biologically active substances and their chemical composition. Changes in the concentration of volatile compounds of mint during drying also depend on several factors, including drying conditions (temperature, air speed), humidity, variety and age of the plant, climate, soil and harvesting method. The drying process and storage conditions of the dried plant can have an adverse effect on the medicinal properties of the essential oil. Drying is one of the efficient methods to preserve agricultural products and maintain food quality. Drying, as an important food preservation technique, is used in the food industry. Drying is required to reduce the water activity of the product to suppress the growth of microorganisms and inhibit chemical reactions to increase the shelf life of the product at room temperature. In addition, drying lightens shipping weight and reduces storage space. Conventional drying methods include hot air drying (HAD), vacuum drying (VD), vacuum freeze drying (VFD), and microwave-hot air alternating drying (MW-HAD). HAD is the most common method that dries food in an oven with a constant flow of hot air. As an optimal approach for drying raw vegetable food, this method has easy operation and low cost, but it requires a long drying time and has low energy consumption.

After the drying process, the essential oil was extracted from the dried product, and for this purpose, a Clonger machine was used using the water distillation method. Distillation with water is a method of extracting essential oils. This method is cheap because it mostly uses water as a solvent. Qualitative GC-MS analysis of the extracted essential oils was performed using an HP 6890 gas chromatograph coupled to an HP 5973 mass-selective detector (Agilent Technologies, Foster City, CA, USA) operating at 70 eV mode. The electronic nose consists of three parts: (1) a sample transport system (2) a detection system consisting of a set of gas sensors with partial characteristics and (3) an odor data processing system. The e-nose instrument can detect the presence of VOCs in various molecular structures with high accuracy and reliability regardless of more or less odor. Samples were analyzed using a portable e-nose, which consists of a multiple gas sensor array, a signal acquisition unit, and pattern recognition software. Essential oil samples (1 mL) were placed in a 10 mL sealed glass vial and equilibrated at 40 °C for 30 min under stirring. Clean ambient air was used as the carrier gas to transport the volatiles in the headspace of the sealed glass vials to the temperature and humidity controlled sensing chamber. The conductivity change in the sensor array is expressed by the normalized response of the sensor. Each measurement cycle lasted 100 seconds, which allows the sensor to reach a steady state, and the data collection interval using a computer was 1 second. Between measurement cycles, the sensor was purged for 200 s with purge gas filtered through activated charcoal to return the sensor signal to baseline. 15 measurements were made for each sample of peppermint essential oil. Data obtained from GC-MS analysis were first processed by in-house MSD Chemstation and structural identification was performed through NIST 2014 library research along withretention index (RI) validation. The dataset consists of pre-processed signals from 9 MOS gas sensors obtained in the e-nose during 120 measurements corresponding to 8 independent samples evaluated with 15 repetitions. The performance of e-nose for evaluating peppermint essential oil samples was evaluated using three supervised statistical methods, namely QDA, MDA and ANN.

Drying is the most suitable method used to preserve the natural products of plants. Choosing a special drying method is one of the important costs in the production and commercialization of medicinal plants. This study determined the effect of different drying methods on the quantity and quality of peppermint essential oil. The results showed that the highest yield of essential oil was in the HAD1A drying method and the lowest yield was related to the sun drying method. Also, the obtained compounds of the essential oil were determined by the GC-MS method, and in the HAD drying method, 18 compounds were determined, and the content of some of them decreased significantly with the increase of the drying temperature. In the dried samples, the main components were Carvone (64.30-7.45%), Limonene (24.21- 6.59%) and Carveol (18.34-1.92%). Also, the aroma characteristics of mint essential oil were evaluated with the help of an E-nose. Three classification algorithms QDA, MDA and ANN were used, and the highest percentage of classification related to QDA and MDA methods was 100%, and the accuracy of the ANN method was also 0.967%. The findings of this study provide a theoretical basis for the development of hot air thin layer drying process for medicinal plants and improving their sensory quality and related products. The future perspective is to continuously improve the in situ drying technique for medicinal plants and develop a suitable monitor system to control the sensory quality of the final products based on the findings of the current study.

This study examines the effects of non-renewable energy consumption and information and communication technology on the quality of life in Iran to analyze the mediating role of information and communication technology on the relationship between non-renewable energy consumption and the human development index. This study uses data from 1990 to 2022 and the Dynamic Least Squares (DOLS) approach to achieve the objectives of the study. In order to conduct the research, two models were examined. The results of the long-term relationship of research variables showed that non-renewable energy, inflation rate, income inequality and urbanization have a negative effect on the quality of life in Iran. In addition, government spending and the information and communication technology index have a positive effect on the quality of life. According to the purpose of research based on the results of the second model, non-renewable energy when combined with information and communication technology has a positive effect on the quality of life. Therefore, information and communication technology index can reduce the negative effect of non-renewable energy consumption on the quality of life in Iran as a mediator.

In the present epoch, extensive, diverse and increasing studies of behavioral genetics, biology, neurophysiology and even neurophilosophy as well as comprehensive applications of empirical tools for describing the foundations of spirituality and faith in religions of human beings have posed serious questions and ambiguities about the origin and nature of religion and even faith. Dean Hamer (1951-) aimed to identify meaningful correlations between behavioral genetics, molecular genetics as well as psychological studies and profound experiences (spirituality and faith). According to Hamer, vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) - aka God gene- plays a quintessential role in spiritual and faith experiences. The present paper seeks to measure and evaluate the theory of God gene. In doing so, it first argues that the information contained in genes and gene polymorphisms cannot possibly provide a complete explanation of the processes of spirituality and faithism and do not unveil human faith and logical revelation of human belief. Thus, answering this question more accurately warrants more extensive research. Second, such physicalism is confined to the physical aspects of human beings, and the metaphysical and spiritual aspects of human existence fall largely outside of this realm. Third, there are competing theories set forth against Hamer's theory, proving that basic beliefs and faiths are not genetically rooted nor inherited whatsoever. However, the role of matter (genes and their products) in the functioning of the mind in the occurrence of semantic and faith actions can not be denied and gave it a zero degree role.

This study investigates the mediating role of family emotional atmosphere in the relationship between emotional malaise and emotion regulation problems in first grade high school boys in Bojnourd. Research is in terms of purpose and category of basic research, Also, in terms of method, it falls into the category of descriptive correlational research. The statistical population of the study was all male high school students in Bojnourd, Their number is reported to be 8400 people. According to the size of the population and using Krejcie and Morgan table, 367 people should be selected. The sampling method is multi-stage cluster. Data collection tools are the Family Emotional Atmosphere Questionnaire (Hillburn, B. 1964), Toronto Emotional Dysfunction (Baggie, Parker, & Taylor, 1994) and Gratz (2004) Emotional Regulation Problems (DERS). The reliability of the questionnaires was assessed using Cronbach's alpha. Considering that the Cronbach's alpha value of emotional variability variables (0.956), emotion regulation problems (0.993) and family emotional atmosphere (0.881) was obtained and is higher than 0.7, The tool had good reliability. Data obtained from these questionnaires with SPSS-V23 and PLS software, structural equation analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were used. The results of the hypotheses showed that the path coefficient between the variable of emotional malaise and emotion regulation problems (0.778) indicates that emotional malaise by 77.8% of the variables directly explains the problems of emotion regulation And indirectly and through the mediating variable of the emotional atmosphere of the family by 80.4% affects the variable of emotion regulation problems.

The authority of reason and the effect of the gradual evolution of the brain on faith have been the focus of modern evolutionist philosophy. Having mental faculties and being rational are the highest characteristics of human beings. In terms of practical reason, empirical evidence has clarified the relationship between the soul and the mind, and consequently spiritual experiences and the brain. Faith must undoubtedly be supported by rational arguments if it contains epistemic beliefs. Even though cognitive faculties can provide basic empirical evidence that is acceptable to evidentialists, illumination and intuition seem to be more substantial in subjective studies of the faith. Faith and reason complement each other, and both are necessary for excellence as two synergic truths; where reason has left the matters of the ultimate concern unresolved, faith has played its part in the conduct of life. Conventional activities of reason are limited by the limitations of the reason itself and its autonomy. In spite of the fact that faith lies beyond reason, the role that reason plays in improving the condition of modern man, who is in dire need of faith and spirituality for the continuation of his individual and social life, cannot be discounted. As a result, the items that lead to the strengthening of both reason and faith need to be included in formal education.

Iran's economy has been managed by development programs for more than half a century. Among the various economic sectors, the agricultural sector, owing to its place in the Iranian economy, has been of considerable importance in development programs after the Islamic Revolution. In each program, according to its time, important policies and tasks are defined for it. Despite policymakers' continued emphasis on the importance of the agricultural sector, this sector has not had a great impact on the growth and development of the country yet. The many challenges it faces indicate a failure to achieve the goals mentioned in the development plans. Therefore, it is necessary to study the pathology of the development programs and examines the reasons as why the goals of the development programs have not been achieved. Therefore, this study aims to determine and prioritize the obstacles and challenges facing the first to the fifth programs of social, economic and cultural development of the Islamic republic of Iran in the sectors of agriculture and natural resources.

The present study is applied in terms of purpose and analytical-descriptive in terms of nature. The data were collected through library work and survey. The data collection tool in this research was a questionnaire. The questionnaire was designed using a review of sources related to the rules of development programs and conducting qualitative interviews. The validity and reliability were assessed for the research tool. The validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by a five-member panel of experts. To evaluate the reliability of the questionnaire, Cronbach's alpha test was used with the estimate of 0.85. After the modification and the validity and reliability test, the final questionnaire was developed for a hierarchical analysis. The final questionnaire consisting of three sections was designed according to the purpose of the research. In the first part, the individual characteristics of the studied sample were examined. In the second part, the questions were raised for pair comparison and determination of the degree of importance of the main criteria, including the six main factors of failure to achieve the goals of development programs. The third section discusses the pairwise comparison and determining the degree of importance of the sub-criteria including 58 sub-components of failure to achieve the goals of development programs in the agricultural sector. The statistical population of this study included the agricultural experts in organizations and universities as well as producers. The non-probability and snowball sampling methods were used to collect information. Using this method, 50 people were identified and studied. Finally, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) decision-making method was used to conduct the research.

The research findings were reviewed in two sections. In the first part, the demographic characteristics of the studied sample were examined. They included age, gender, work and educational characteristics. In the second part, in order to prioritize the obstacles and challenges of not achieving the goals of development programs in agriculture and natural resources, the AHP method was used. The first step in the AHP method was to create a hierarchical structure from the items under study, namely the objectives, criteria and sub-criteria as shown in Figure 1. In the next step, the incompatibility coefficient (IR) was used to examine the consistency in the judgments.  According to the results of the pairwise comparison, the adjustment rate of the main criteria was 0.00352 Given that it was less than 0.1, the results of the main criteria were optimal. The compatibility rate of the six sub-criteria was less than 0.1 too, and the results were confirmed and lay in the desired range. After the compatibility rate of the composite matrices was confirmed, the ranking of the criteria and the sub-criteria was analyzed. Based on the results of prioritization of the main criteria in the order of importance, structural-managerial barriers with a relative weight of 0.228, economic barriers with a relative weight of 0.200, political barriers with a relative weight of 0.156, scientific barriers with a relative weight of 0.153, executive barriers with a relative weight of 0.137, and socio-cultural barriers with a relative weight of 0.127 were ranked from one to six.

This study aims to determine and prioritize the obstacles and challenges to the achievement of the goals of the first to the fifth programs of social, economic and cultural development of Iran in the agriculture sector. According to the objectives of the research, 58 sub-criteria were identified and analyzed under six main criteria. In order to conduct the research, the decision-making method of AHP was used, and the opinions of 50 relevant specialists were considered. The results of the pairwise comparison and prioritization of the main criteria of the research showed that structural-managerial barriers are of the first importance, and economic barriers are of the second importance. Also, political barriers, scientific barriers, executive barriers and socio-cultural barriers were in the third to the sixth priority respectively. In general, there are major reasons for the failure to achieve the goals of the development programs in the agriculture sector in economic, executive and structural domains. The most important financial and economic problems are the lack of capital resources, the reduction of government budgets and the lack of various financing models. As executive and managerial problems, one can mention government management, the existence of cumbersome laws, the worn-out executive system and the lack of meritocracy. In the field of structural and infrastructural problems, there is the lack of a purposeful support system in relation to infrastructure development, education and research, insurance system and product support.

This study aims to investigate the reasons of not achieving the goals of first to fifth programs of social, economic and cultural development of the Islamic republic of Iran in Sector of Agriculture. The statistical population of this study consists of professionals who have sufficient information and deep understanding of the case study through Nonprobability Sampling and snowball sampling method, 100 people were identified and studied. Questionnaires were used to collect data. Validity and reliability were confirmed through a panel of specialists and Cronbach's alpha calculation (0.70 to 0.85). Factor analysis method was used to analyze the results. Based on the results, the most important reasons for not achieving the goals of development programs in the agricultural sector respectively are Economic-political barriers, Executive-structural barriers, scientific barriers and Socio-cultural barriers.

Dopamine inhibits hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. Kisspeptin/ GPR54 signaling pathway increases GnRH/LH release and testosterone secretion. In the present study the effects of interaction between dopamine and kisspeptin on mean serum LH concentrations in rats were investigated.

Forty-five male Wistar rats weighing 230-250g in nine groups (n = 5 in each group) received saline, kisspeptin (0.1 or 1 nmol), P234 (1nmol), dopamine (2 or 5 µg/Kg), simultaneous injection of kisspeptin and P234, dopamine and kisspeptin, or dopamine and P234, via third cerebral ventricle. Blood samples were collected 1 hour after injections. Mean serum LH concentrations were determined by radio-immuno assay (RIA).

Kisspeptin significantly increased serum LH concentration while dopamine decreased LH concentration. Peptide 234 blocked the stimulatory effects of kisspeptin on LH concentration. Compared to kisspeptin, LH concentration significant decreased by kisspeptin and dopamine. However, kisspeptin and dopamine significantly increased LH concentration compared to dopamine alone. Simultaneous injections of dopamine and P234 significantly decreased LH concentration compared to kisspeptin or simultaneous injections of dopamine and kisspeptin.

Dopamine exerts inhibitory effects on kisspeptin signaling pathway at hypothalamic levels and thereby it decreases the stimulatory effects of kisspeptin on reproductive axis.

This study analyzes the effect of Aggregate Measurement of supportive policies on Urban Households’ Food Security Index in Iran by applying Auto Regressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) for the period 1982 – 2012. In order to achieve this goal, Aggregate Households’ Food Security Index (AHFSI), Aggregate Measurement of Support (AMS), Inflation Rate and virtual variables for the targeted subsidy law period have been used. The results show that the Aggregate Measurement of Support has meaningful and positive effect on food security in both short-term and long-term. Also, the virtual variable for the targeted subsidy law period and inflation rate have a meaningful and negative effect on food security. Due to the fact that the targeted subsidy law has not have any positive impact on food production and consumption through the early years of its enactment, the agriculture sector in Iran, primarily requires a targeted support and accordingly calls for appropriate conditions for enactment of targeted subsidy law in order to mitigate its negative effects. Therefore, a constructive appraisal of supportive policies, with a view to developing agriculture sector, can increase the productive capacity and improve the marketing channels for agricultural products by providing security and encouraging investment in this sector; hence the improvement of food security in Iran.

The effects of trade liberalization on the agricultural sector's trade balance of Iran using ARDL model has been surveyed in this study during the period 1982-2012. Based on the results, variables of value-added agriculture, import price index, and currency have a significant and positive relationship with the agricultural sector's trade balance in short and long-term. Variables of earnings of oil sector and export price index are significant in the short term, but in the long run its coefficient is not significant. Also, agricultural trade liberalization index has a negative and significant effect on agricultural sector's trade balance of Iran in short and long run. Coefficient of the error correction model show that 60% of the imbalance disappear in each period. According to the results, trade liberalization led to worsening the agricultural sector's trade balance. So, it is essential that trade liberalization policy is implementing cautiously and policies with respect to global conditions and advantages of the agriculture sector is making and the maximum capacity of the agricultural sector was used in order to optimize the use of production resources.