فهرست مطالب akram hosseini

In addition to the prosperity of the country in various fields and the establishment of a national government after a long period, the Safavid period, for the first time on a large scale, Shiism became the official religion of the country. Current thoughts in this period, originating from Iranian-Shiite approaches, had unique characteristics. Due to the major role of mosques in this period in the political and social structure of the country, it is expected that the architecture of mosques is also influenced by the mentioned ideas. This research was formed with the aim of answering the question of what changes the approaches of the Safavid period have caused in the physical characteristics of the domes of Safavid mosques and what effects these changes have had on the human perception of the architectural space. The purpose of the research has been achieved by comparing the physical characteristics of the dome of mosques of the Safavid period with mosques before this period. Since domed mosques have become popular since the Seljuk period, the statistical population of the research is ten Seljuk domes, ten Ilkhani domes, twelve Timurid domes and eleven Safavid domes, which are divided into two groups of mosques based on the dimensions of the opening. They are divided into big and small. These 43 mosques include a large number of the entire documented statistical population. Due to the historical nature of this research, the interpretative-historical method was used in combination with quantitative methods and the data were analyzed in a logical inference manner. This research shows an important conceptual point of view about the architecture of mosques of the Safavid period in Iran based on the aforementioned characteristics. Examining the physical characteristics of the domes of the great mosques under study showed that the opening and correspondingly the area of the domes of the mosques of the Safavid period have grown a lot compared to their previous periods. In the Safavid period, the average external diameter variables, the overall height of the mosque and the height of the dome increased compared to the previous periods, which indicates the construction of bigger and higher mosques than the previous periods. The physical characteristics of the dome of the Safavid mosques showed the greatest similarity to the physical characteristics of the Seljuk mosques. It was shown that Iranian golden proportions were the basis of the average external proportions of the Safavid dome, but the average internal proportions have changed towards a more human-centered spatial presentation. Despite the increase of all the physical components of the dome of the great Safavid mosques independently compared to the previous periods; The average interior proportions in Safavid mosques are much lower than the overall average and even the average of each period. Therefore, it can be said that the architecture of Safavid period mosques in the design of domes are considered from two important angles: the dimensions and size of the dome in order to create a visual impact from the outside and a pleasant sensory experience for people inside the space. In the architecture of Safavid mosques, attention to creating a balance between external grandeur and internal humanity has been the criterion of action in the design. Although in the smaller mosques of the Safavid period, there was also a tendency to create large and lofty mosques like the mosques of the first group, but these mosques did not appear much different from their previous periods and are often located in the same physical area. Of course, it can be said that some of the investigated structures of Safavid mosques were closer to the Seljuk period. The only significant changes in the variables of the Safavid period compared to before are related to the internal height, the internal proportions of the dome and the external proportions of the dome in order to create more proportional spaces. In the mosques of the Safavid period, the choice of geometric form, the outer height of the dome, the alignment of the dome with other architectural elements and complex artistic patterns, all to create a dramatic experience in order to create a sense of dramatic grandeur and power and attract the attention of foreign observers and religious and social influence. (Monumentality) However, this does not mean that inside the architecture of Safavid mosques human experience and human scale have been ignored as much as the external observer. (Human Scale) In the architecture of Safavid mosques, in response to the convergence between the needs of greatness with the needs of comfort and human experience, the two concepts of dramatic grandeur and humanity have been integrated in parallel and balanced. This balance and harmonious relationship between the interior and exterior of the mosque made mosques as religious places still influential for visitors and at the same time instilling people with a sense of comfort and positive interaction with the interior environment. In this way, while the space does not cause an unpleasant sensory perception in the audience, the architecture of the mosque acts as a foundation for the promotion of human dignity, and in this way, the architecture fulfills its social-religious responsibility.

In Iran, numerous researches have been conducted in the field of semantics and semiotics of the architecture of different periods, with different points of view, among which, the architecture of the second Pahlavi period is worthy of further and deeper research due to its fundamental intellectual and structural changes. In this research, relying on the theories of semiotics, while knowing more about the evolution of the architectural form in some significant works of the second Pahlavi period, an attempt will be made to identify and analyze the meanings and signs that can be interpreted in the architectural form of this period. In terms of content, this research is quantitative-qualitative, which has been done with a descriptive-analytical perspective, taking an analytical approach, with a semiotic approach and using the opinions and scientific opinions of specialists and experts in this field. The temporal domain of the research is the public buildings of the second Pahlavi period of Iran, which are selected in three separate periods after 1320 including the second Pahlavi period. The results of the research show that identifying the factors affecting the changes and developments that have occurred in the semiotic structure of contemporary architecture in Iran and explaining and investigating these causes and factors will greatly contribute to the identity of contemporary Iranian architecture. The distinguishing feature of the present research is to pay attention the semiotic nature of the works of the second Pahlavi period in combination with the quality assessment of the studies conducted in recent years.

Coherence and integration make a text attractive and beautiful. The present research has evaluated Surah Qalam based on the coherence theory of "Michael Halliday and Ruqieh Hasan's complementary theory" with a descriptive-analytical method and has presented the number of coherence components. The results of the research show that there are 375 cohesion factors in Surah Qalam, such as lexical, grammatical, and conjunction. Among the factors of cohesion, "lexical cohesion" is used in 179 cases, of which 142 cases are related to repetition and 37 cases to conjunction, and there are 140 cases of "grammatical cohesion" in this surah, of which 136 cases are related to Referrals and 4 items are reserved for deletion. There are 56 connectives in this surah, 15 of which are related to additional connection, 13 to causal connection, 14 to temporal connection, and 14 to unexpected connection. Among this category of coherence, repetition and reference respectively have the highest percentage of coherence. Other cases of cohesion, in the order of the amount used in this surah, are the observance of an example, additional connection, temporal connection and comparison, causal connection, grammatical conjunction, contrast, and omission.

Today, due to the wide range of variables affecting architectural design, the computer is used as a tool in interaction with the design process to find optimal and high-performance solutions. It is necessary to investigate these methods due to their limitations and the complexity of space planning regarding the effective number of parameters. Improving the design quality and construction of architectural works is a common concern in developing countries, a step that can promote contemporary Iranian architecture. Furthermore, one of the design and construction characteristics in these developing countries is the tendency to improve the quality of architecture by using new technologies.

Space planning in architecture is one of the most practical and complex issues in architectural design and is considered one of the most challenging issues in recent research. The use of new technology-dependent methods in design, especially with an emphasis on using evolutionary algorithms as a solution, has been considered in the present research. Therefore, this study investigates the application and use of these algorithms as a solution for design optimization. The research questions of this study are:- Concerning the application of optimization algorithms in space planning design, which algorithms have been used as basic or complementary algorithms? How frequently have the Swarm Intelligence Algorithms, especially particle swarm optimization algorithms, been used in this regard? - What are the possibilities and limitations in spatial organization design in architecture using genetic algorithms compared to the particle swarm optimization algorithm as the two main evolutionary algorithms?- What is the implementation process and application of the particle swarm optimization algorithm in spatial organization design in architecture?In order to answer the research questions, 35 types of research that have used optimization algorithms in architectural spatial planning design are collected. Then, the content analysis method was used to extract all the variables used in architectural plan optimization. In the same way, the basic algorithm and the complementary algorithms, if any, were extracted.Based on the study of specific sources regarding the evolutionary optimization algorithm from the available bibliographic resources and the analysis of planning requirements and architectural space design, the genetic algorithm and swarm particle optimization algorithm were explained in designing the architectural spatial organization. The speed and quality of these two algorithms in investigating the research problem have been scrutinized based on software capacities in algorithm implementation and possibilities and limitations in using analytical methods for designing architectural plans. After explaining the objectives and numerical criteria, the particle swarm optimization algorithm using Microsoft Visual Studio programming software and .NET programming platform in C #, with WinodowsForm graphical user interface, was used to monitor the algorithm developing process and its results further.

This research introduces the features of metaheuristic algorithms and presents various optimization algorithms, including deterministic, heuristic, and metaheuristic algorithms. Also, the application of optimization algorithms in architecture is explained. The background of the evolutionary optimization algorithms and swarm particle optimization in the architectural plan design were also examined. After comparing the performance of the genetic algorithm and particle swarm optimization algorithm in optimizing the spatial organization, the swarm optimization algorithm structure was introduced. Finally, the application of this algorithm in plan design was studied and explained. Accordingly, plan design algorithms were classified into three stages: In the first stage, the goals, criteria, and constraints affecting the architectural spatial organization were determined, and they were classified into (1) The primary criteria and constraints, (2) The designers’ criteria and constraints, and (3) The contacts’ (client and users) criteria and constraints. In the numeric stage, the criteria of land boundary, list of spaces, permissible aspect ratios, permissible dimensions, total area, space interference, space adjacency, daylighting, and verification of the spaces were quantified. Then, the algorithm is determined based on the particle swarm optimization algorithm in two steps. Finally, the implementation platform of the algorithm is determined.

The difficulty of working with programming languages, software skills, and the software complexity due to inadequacy to combine various scientific fields has made using programming languages uncommon for designers to control the design parameters. This study compared the performance of two genetic algorithms and particle swarm optimization as the representatives of the two main groups of evolutionary algorithms in a base problem. It was shown that the particle swarm optimization algorithm converges faster and has a higher quality to optimize the plan regarding the parameters affecting the plan design. Implementation of an operational solution to optimize the spatial organization of the plan with emphasis on the affecting parameters in the formation of architectural plans was proposed in a three-step process using this algorithm. The problem objectives were examined in three related areas. The quantification process and the final model implementation were completed based on the particle swarm optimization algorithm in the .NET programming platform, along with a graphical interface as user interfaces for architects to understand the implementation process better. In addition to achieving optimal plans, future research interests in this field were also introduced. Regarding the specific entity of architecture, the existing computer software is insufficient for implementing the algorithm, providing visual and operational efficiency, and needs to be developed and customized for broader application in various fields of design.

Home personalization is a way to remedy the monotonous, standardized design of affordable housing, and to make it more congruent with users’ taste, preferences and life style. Previous research on personalized residential space suggests that private outdoor space, especially front yard, provides an ideal setting for personalization. However, most units of an affordable housing do not possess a front yard and current studies rarely give evidence of personalization in other types of private outdoor space. Therefore, the first research question is how four main types of private outdoor space including front yard, terrace, balcony, and rooftop terrace compare with respect to the extent to which each type facilitates personalization. The second question is how the physical characteristics of an outdoor open space correlate with the higher levels of personalization. One hundred and eighty private outdoor spaces of an affordable housing complex are surveyed for amount and purposes of personalization through expert inspection of trace measures and interview with residents. The data has also gone through correlational analysis. Results show that front yard and terrace are the most personalized spaces with two purposes of territorial defense and regulation of social interaction. In contrast, balcony and rooftop terrace are far less personalized, and mostly with the purpose of improving their practicality. Furthermore, larger amounts of personalization are found to be strongly correlated with adjacency to the entrance and living room, a larger size of space, and its being on the lower levels of a building.

One of the most important buildings in traditional cultures that have had a significant relationship with the sacred throughout history is their places of worship. The fundamental issue of this research is to provide a way to analyze the spatial quality of mosques to gain a deeper understanding of the mosque and to design mosques in the present era. Also, in the design and construction of mosques, more emphasis has been placed on the physical and symbolic qualities of it. The repetition or innovation in the architecture of the mosque has been focused on creativity in its symbolic elements such as domes, minarets and altars and approaches to architecture of mosques, in a reductionist view, have considered the mosque to be only a symbolic physicality. Therefore understanding the spatial quality factors of mosques, is the main problem of this study.Research Question: In the humanities experience of space, how is the spatial quality of the studied mosques explained based on the space atmosphere theory?Objectives of the research: In the present study, the spatial quality structure of congregational mosques in East Azerbaijan is based on an approach that can explain the spatial quality of those mosques in a way that can be used to recreate its quality.

The present study, relying on interpretive philosophical foundations, with a qualitative approach based on deductive-inferential reasoning and in the theoretical framework of the atmosphere concept, intends to answer that in the anthropological experience of space, how is the spatial quality of the studied mosques explained based on the space atmosphere theory, by collecting library data and field observations and conducting interviews with users. For this purpose, first the atmosphere theory is described and then by examining the factors affecting the experience and perception of space, the role of time and sense of space is discussed. The components are then evaluated and compared in the studied mosques.

 What cannot be sensed and perceived today with the onslaught of formalist and visual-based architecture on religious buildings, is the spatial quality and its role in identification of the building. In addition to the fact that mosques have lost their true identity and are devoid of physical and environmental characteristics of religious and emotional construction in the true sense, the audience has lost its sense of time and space. This is confirmed by the newly built mosques in the city of Tabriz and other cities. Such that if the name of the mosque is removed from their entrance, one can doubt on its identity as a mosque. Significant signs, such as domes, minarets, courtyards, porches, colorful tiles, and other non-physical qualities that in the past stimulated the audience's feelings in traditional and inspiring mosques, have lost their meaning in today's mosques and have been replaced by modern aesthetics of form. Therefore, the subject of research is not only relevant in traditional religious buildings, but also the creation of quality in the present architecture to stimulate the feeling and influence on the nature of the audience, seems necessary by architects. The focus of this study was on human emotional needs in architectural settings. The lack of this factor has led to the emergence of cold and dull environments without any connection with humans in the architectural space. The results of the present study show that the mental and psychological relationship of the prayers with the building is due to the quality of the spatial experience and the memorable patterns and behavioral bases for them are the most important element of the perception of the mosque space. Their connection to the smell of space, the sound of space, color and light in space, the toughness of walls and the presentable qualities, including the ability to rely on columns, perception of time by the light of windows, presence at the courtyard in summer, build their mental image of the mosque. This is the most important factor in designing and building new mosques.

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2NPs) are widely used in many compounds. Recent evidence has displayed some cytotoxic effects of TiO2NPs on male reproduction.

The effects of TiO2NP administration on sperm parameters and chromatin and seminiferous histopathology of male mice were investigated.

In this experimental study, 32 NMRI male mice (35 ± 3 gr, 8-12-week-old) were divided into four groups (n = 8/each): treated groups were fed orally with 2.5 (group I), 5 (group II) and 10 (group III) mg/kg/day TiO2NPs for 40 days and the control group received phosphate buffered saline. Sperm parameters, DNA integrity and chromatin quality were assessed using chromomycin A3, aniline blue, toluidine blue staining and TUNEL. Hematoxylin eosin staining was performed to measure spermatogenic cells and the total diameter of seminiferous tubules. Also, sex hormone and malondyaldehyde levels were measured.

Abnormal sperm tails rose in group III (28.87 ± 4.91) in comparison with the control group (12.75 ± 3.95). However, chromomycin A3 staining and TUNEL showed higher levels in group III in comparison with the control group, whereas aniline blue and toluidine blue staining showed no differences. A significantly lower spermatogenesis index and lumen parameters were observed in group III. Leydig cell numbers, cellular diameters and the area of the seminiferous tubules were lower in the treated groups. The testosterone level was also lower in these groups and the percentage of malondyaldehyde in the seminal fluid was higher.

Exact mechanisms of TiO2NPs are not clear; however, cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of TiO2NPs may relate to oxidative stress. Given their widespread use, TiO2NPs should be a public health focus of attention.

Statement of the problem:

 In recent years, the increasing closeness between architecture and cinema disciplines the characteristics and mutual effects of which have been fully understood, has become a serious academic subject. As a popular media and influential expressive tool, cinema plays a significant role in creating meaning, establishing an emotional relationship with the audience, narrating, and characterizing by the representation of the architectural space. However, what has been neglected in the Iranian cinema is the accurate theorization of the interdisciplinary interaction between these two areas and the solutions to apply the effect of the capacities of architecture in order to the manifestation of the meaning in the movie space.

The current study aims to analyze the dramatic function of architectural spaces’ elements and physique in Asghar Farhadi’s cinema, especially “The Salesman”, and discover the latent and manifest concepts of the screenplay signs.

This research is a descriptive-analytical research based on the qualitative content analysis and Saussure’s semiotics framework.

The results obtained from the studies indicate that in Farhadi’s cinema, the architectural structure of space, not only as of the background of the story but also as a factor involved in the process of films, is consistent with the behavior of the characters and the theme of the works. Also, it indicates the feelings and even perception of specific meanings of each film. Also, each element and factor of architectural space is represented based on semantic purposes and particular semiotics. The results also show that in “The Salesman”, a great volume of signs is applied intangibility and purposive in various spatial and physical elements of architecture, such as a house, color, light, texture, opening, and objects, for the dramatic narration of the story, conveyance of its latent meanings, the definition of function and moods of characters, and stimulation of the audience’s feelings.

Although before Islam each of the educational and worship activities required to have their own physical space, in the early centuries after Islam, places of worship tended to education as a secondary function. From the Seljuk period, the need for educational spaces has been specifically observed and has been followed in later periods and has reached its peak in the Safavid era. Many of these schools tended to be adjacent to mosques. Certainly, the extent of the time and place of establishment of these buildings has caused a great variety in their physical characteristics. This research has been formed to explain the structure, ratio and extent of the connection between educational space and worship space in mosque-schools in the two Qajar and Safavid periods with the aim of answering the question that the configuration of two bodies of mosque and school in relation to How it was formed and what physical variables this issue followed in each of the two periods. The research was conducted using a combination of descriptive-analytical methods and comparative comparison. For this purpose, 43 mosques-schools related to the Safavid and Qajar periods were selected and the variables were the type of access to the two spaces, the relationship between the two spaces and common intermediate spaces such as courtyard and porch, as well as the location of the two spaces on the level and the ratio of mosque area and the school is reviewed in each. Most of the studied samples in both Safavid and Qajar periods have been formed based on the maximum and simplest extent of proximity and interconnection. In these examples, access to two spaces was made from a common entrance, both spaces were built on the same level and located around a common courtyard, and this was not affected by the ratio of mosque and school space in the overall structure of the space. In the Safavid period, the two spaces were closely connected and were simply formed near the courtyard with a common entrance and access. During the Qajar period, the variety of configurations increased and the two spaces progressed towards greater independence, however, the connection between the two spaces was never severed. Keywords: configuration, mosque-school, mosque, school, Safavid period, Qajar period.

The increasing popularity of the optimization approach in different sciences has led architects to use them tomachieve various objectives in designing and cons tructing buildings. However, the functions, advantages, and limitations for each of these optimization s trategies are scarcely known, due to their newness in architecture and cons truction fields Optimization algorithms are classified into three categories: determinis tic, heuris tic, and meta-heuris tic algorithms. Meta-heuris tic algorithms, are more efficient and categorized into three main groups: evolutionary computing, swarm intelligence, and physics-related algorithms. Mos t of the s tudies conducted on optimization algorithms, in this field, are on the application of one of the optimization algorithms in the design of a particular project. Limited research has been done in coordination with the subject of this s tudy, inves tigating the application of these algorithms in a specific field. After reviewing the his tory and literature of the subject, to discuss how optimization methods are used in architecture, 77 related articles and theses that used optimization methods have been reviewed through scholar works published since 1996 (the firs t publications in this field) up to now. Selected research was analyzed using the textual content analysis method to determine "the efficiency ofevolutionary optimization methods in achieving architectural and cons truction objectives" as the main research question; there were also several sub-ques tions on the way to answer the main ques tion: Which architectural objectives are mos t achievable by using optimization algorithms? Which types of optimization algorithms are appropriate for architectural objectives? Which building functions have the mos t potential for using optimization methods? Which researchers conduct and support the research of evolutionary algorithms in building issues? Optimization algorithms have been undertaken to solve design problems for six different mass design and urban access, cons truction and cos t management, building’s s tructural design, energy issues, building form generation and space planning. Various design variables have been defined to search for optimal response to each of the objectives. Among these objectives, the highes t application of optimization algorithms is related to spatial planning optimization in residential buildings and energy optimization in official ones. The analysis of the publications demons trates that various methods of meta-heuris tic optimization have been used over time to solve architectural problems. Genetic Algorithm is the mos t widely used one in architectural optimization, and particle swarm optimization is the mos t common method in swarm intelligence based research. The review of s tudies indicates the predominantly theoretical attention of architectural scholars to this issue. Given the dis tance between the research and the implementation phase, architects should work more closely with researchers in other fields, especially those in computer science, to approach the implementation s tage. However, the development of each of these areas requires the improvement of previous methods and research into how other algorithms, such as swarm intelligence based ones, can be used to solve design problems in architecture. The development of user-friendly software with a graphical user interface for a better grasp of the design process and results can affect architects' usage of evolutionary algorithms as a design method.

Due to the thousands of years of Persian garden history, it has taken an indigenous color and aroma and its components have formed according to the needs that have existed over time; whereas the park suddenly entered Iran to induce modernism in the Qajar period. For this reason, its features don't fit the circumstances of Iran and instead fit with its territorial characteristics. A solely historical attitude to the Persian garden has led to the exclusion of this space from the process of regeneration and adaptation to recent needs. On the other hand, in the 50 years since the park’s emergence in Iran, some of its features have harmonized with the context. Accordingly, the research question is: following the characteristics of urban public spaces, which patterns of green space -Persian garden or park- might be more adaptable to the Iranian context. Several experts' opinions were used to respond to the research question. The criteria for reviewing were selected from the project for public spaces and the results of the questionnaires were analyzed in the form of the hierarchical analysis process method and were adapted to the theoretical background. Although regarding some of the use and activity criteria, the park has more adaptability as a public urban space in Iran, in terms of access and linkage, comfort and image as well as overall measurements, the garden is more adaptable than the park

Mucinous cystadenocarcinoma is a relatively uncommon histological subtype of breast cancer that is a cystic form of papillary mucinous carcinoma.  It is regularly negative for estrogen and progesterone receptors and it is most often diagnosed in older than 55-60 years old. The incidence of breast mucinous cystadenocarcinoma is about 1-6% of primary breast cancers. Here, we present a case of breast mucinous cystadenocarcinoma of left breast in a 69-year-old female which is positive for estrogen and progesterone receptors.

In this article, we describe a case of a-69-year-old female with a painful mass in her left breast. Based on intraoperative pathology consult, neoplastic tissue mostly floating in mucinous lakes with invasion to surrounding stroma was seen. Immunohistochemistry profile showed positive estrogen and progesterone receptors and negative for HER2.

Mucinous cystadenocarcinoma of breast is typically triple negative for hormone receptors. But ER and PR positive variant of this tumor is rare, giving the chance of a better prognosis for the patient with hormonal therapy.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of entrepreneurial skills of managers on customer attraction in Tehran private sports clubs. This study was descriptive-survey and mixed (qualitative - quantitative) and applied in terms of aims. In the qualitative section, the entrepreneurship skills components were achieved by content analysis and semi-structured interviews with entrepreneurship and physical education professors and club managers (15 subjects) using snowball method and then managers questionnaire was designed with 51 items. The population consisted of the sport clubs and 300 clubs were selected by stratified random sampling method. In each club, the manager responded to the managers questionnaire and the clients of the same club (average 25-35 subjects) responded to the American Customer Satisfaction Standard Questionnaire (ACSI) (N=6338). Structural equation modeling was used to examine validity, reliability and fitness of latent variables and to test research hypotheses with Amos software. The results of confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the validity, reliability and fitness of latent variables. The results showed that entrepreneurial skills (personal skills and business management skills) had a significant effect on customer attraction. Also, the pioneer variable had the highest effect and the variables of marketing, independence, planning, communication, decision making, center of internal control, commercialization, risk taking and innovation respectively occupied other places. The variables of creativity and success had no significant effects on customer attraction.

Among the inflammatory factors, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) is one of the strongest predictors of cardiovascular disease. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship of serum hs-CRP level with shift work among reproductive age women. This cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2017 to May 2018 in three cities in Mazandaran Province, North of Iran. Through purposive sampling, 350 women (172 shift workers and 178 day workers) were recruited. The guideline recommended by the American Heart Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was used to interpret the result of hs-CRP measurement as the following: less than 1 µg/ml: low CVD risk; 1–3 µg/ml: moderate CVD risk; and more than 3 µg/ml: high CVD risk. The data were analyzed using the independent-sample t and the chi-square tests as well as the logistic regression analysis. 11.1% of participants had a serum hs-CRP level of more than 3 µg/ml. This rate among shift workers was significantly greater than day workers (15.6% vs. 7.0%; p=0.012). After adjusting the effects of potential confounders shift work significantly increased the odds of serum hs-CRP level of more than 3 µg/ml by 2.45 times (OR=2.45, 95% CI: 1.01–5.93, p=0.047). Shift work is a significant predictor of high serum hs-CRP level probably due to its association with sleep problems and occupational stress. Improving the knowledge of female shift workers about the importance of quality sleep can reduce their CVD risk and improve their health.

Learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in an enjoyable and challenging environment can make an appropriate context for promoting language achievement. It seems textbooks play a pivotal role in this regard. This study aimed at examining the impact of the supplementary materials on learners' emotional stance and their perceptions of classroom activities (interest, challenge, joy, and choice). To do so, a three-phase study was designed:  in phase 1, to evaluate Prospect series (textbook taught in Iranian junior high schools) based on emotional factors, a questionnaire measuring the emotional side of the series was utilized. In the second phase, taking into account the obtained results of the first phase and according to Mortiboy’s (2005) guidelines for teaching with emotional intelligence, supplementary materials were designed. In the third phase, the designed tasks and activities were implemented in a class (experimental group).  The results of t-test and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) indicated that the designed tasks had a positive and significant effect on learners' emotional facet, perceptions of class activity, and language achievement.

Although several attempts have been made to decrease lipid profile through consumption of probiotic-containing products among pregnant women, limited data are available assessing the effects of synbiotic foods. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of daily consumption of a synbiotic Gaz on blood lipid profile and biomarkers of oxidative stress including plasma total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and total glutathione (GSH) in pregnant women.

This randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial was performed on 52 primigravida pregnant women, aged 18-35 year old at their third trimester. After a 2 week run-in period, subjects were randomly assigned to consume either a synbiotic (n=26) or control food (n=26) for 9 weeks. The synbiotic Gaz consisted of a probiotic viable and heat-resistant Lactobacillus sporogenes (1×107 CFU) and 0.04 g inulin /g as the prebiotic. Patients were asked to consume the synbiotic and control Gaz twice a day. Biochemical measurements including blood lipid profile, plasma total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and total glutathione (GSH) were conducted before and after 9 weeks of intervention.

Consumption of synbiotic Gaz for 9 weeks resulted in a significant reduction in serum TAG (P=0.04), VLDL (P=0.04) and a significant rise in plasma GSH levels (P=0.004) compared to the control Gaz. No significant effect of the synbiotic Gaz consumption on serum TC, LDL, HDL or plasma TAC levels were observed.

Consumption of synbiotic Gaz for 9 weeks resulted in decreased serum triglycerides, VLDL-cholesterol and increased plasma total GSH levels compared with the control Gaz among pregnant women.

Family welfare through humane communication as well as interactive opportunities among family members and relatives has always been integral to pertinent housing design. Due to different needs of family members at different age or social status, the residential spaces should be designed according to these real needs or it would result in an increasing individualism and unfavorable impacts to family structure. In the process of human psychological development, privacy and community are two essential needs, which have a special place in the hierarchy of human motivational needs. Every pattern of human behavior requires a desirable level and good balance of both types of communications. However, current housing policies in Iran mitigate the chance of providing spaces that increase residences interactions. This study introduces a special instruction and principles to design residential spatial territories and pursues spatial approaches in housing design that promotes family relationship and improves family interactions. This study's main question is the role of housing's spatial organization and its territories in the family member's mutual interaction. The aim of this research thus is to identify the role of spatial organization of housing and its territories in creating interaction and communication between family members and providing grounds for a suitable pattern and model for housing design. In fact, the design of spatial organization of housing as one of the most valuable physical and cultural pieces of each community plays an important role in flourishing and improving the society. In this regard, the design of individual as well as collective territories, communicative spaces, spatial linkages, and the position of territories to each other is taken for analysis. A qualitative research strategy based on questioners is used for the purpose of this study. In this regard, three different prototypes were proposed in the questionnaires. Subjects responses were summarized and coded represented in tables and matrixes. The resulting analytic information derived from these tables and matrixes, exhibit significant differences between residents of each prototype. After categorizing the responses and finding out satisfaction codes in the responses, these codes were counted to define which prototype was more satisfying. After this, the results were compared to the literature review and the final guidelines were developed. These guidelines will help to provide a space syntax, which is a modifying factor in design of individual as well as collective territories, communicative spaces and their spatial configuration. Designing residential spaces based on these guidelines helps to increase residences’ satisfaction and improve their interactions with their family members.

Ancient Iran has been a vast region which its political boundaries have altered over time with the emergence of various governmental periods and as a result of the withdrawal of these borders, part of its legacy has been left in distant lands. The desert city of Hatra, which the peak of its significance returns to the Parthian period, is one of these Iranian heritages which nowadays is located outside of modern Iranian borders, in Iraq, and is the richest archaeological area known in the Persian Empire with great potential better understanding this unknown empire. Hatra is a city with almost three centuries of dynamic urban life which grew and expanded rapidly because of its appropriate natural-environmental, communicational-commercial and strategic position and especially the religious beliefs of its inhabitants. In ancient era, this city as the capital of Arabic territories was located 50 km northwest of the ancient Assyrian capital. Its natural borders were from the East Tigris River, Euphrates at the West, Sinjar Mountains in north-with the area of influence of Khabur and Nusabin-and Mada’in in the south.The primary core of the city which was probably Assyrian, formed due to appropriate geographical conditions of the site, and later, with the construction of the temples became a center for social gatherings. The city flourished in the Seleucid period by the expansion of trade routes and unfolding its military importance against the Roman Empire during the Parthian, was converted into a major city of the West of Parthian territory. Construction of ditch and city walls were began in this period, thereby; the city was preserved from incidents of the era for a long time and reached its peak of glory. During this period, Hatra was relatively independent from Parthians though allied with Parthians at the time of the Roman military attacks, but soon with emergence of Sassanian in the mid third century AD, the golden era of Hatra ended and its civilization subsided. After the recognition of ancient area of Hatra, lots of studies were done. These studies mainly were the result of excavation by European-Iraqi joint researchers led to the introduction of a variety of assumptions about the nature of this historical city; Assumptions which know Hatra as a Seleucid city and influenced by the Hellenistic-Roman culture, such as “ Dura-europos “ or affected by Parthian cities. In this research, with a comparative study on Hatra’s urbanism and other historical patterns, its evolution will be analyzed as part of the history of Iranian urbanism; while some researchers using archaeological excavation data believe that the settlement and civilization in this area have been started from Assyrian era, there is no documented research on the history of Hatra’s urbanism. Present research with the implementation and analysis of existing data, will analyze the physical spatial structure of Hatra as a limited example of the Parthian urbanism.There were several effective factors on t forming the physical-spatial structure of the City from genesis to collapse which Natural-environmental, religious-ritual, communicational-commercial, military and governmental were the most important ones. In addition to these factors, the culture had an important role in shaping the City. In this paper, with an interpretive- historic method and utilizing a logical argument, the following questions will be answered: How has the spatial- physical structure of Hatra, followed the various elements such as: religious, commercial, cultural factors, etc.? And what changes have the urban elements of Hatra had over the time? In order to understand the evolution of Hatra, as the first step, each of the above factors, will be investigated separately in different periods and the influence of these factors on the structure of the city will be studied; as the next step with a more holistic approach, obtained findings will be discussed.

Noise pollution is one of the most important kinds of environmental pollution in urban areas and a large number of people in developing countries are exposed to it. One of the most important concepts and fundamentals of sustainable development in Architecture and urban planning is to utilize plants and vegetation in Building architecture. In a different scale in urban architecture, in recent years, sustainable cities have found that greenery is a key element in reducing noise pollution. The use of vegetation has become an essential aspect in urban planning nowadays. In densely built-up city centers, building envelope greening is often the only possibility to meet this demand.
Material and The ability and potential of plants in reducing noise level is noticeable, significant and effective. It is important that which kinds of plants to be used. Two questions are selected and picked to answer as the objectives of this research, one is measuring the ability in sound level reduction of 10 different shrubs that can be used in the balconies of buildings, and second is to compare these shrubs in this potential in different sound levels. The results are presented in relevant diagrams for each shrub and different sound levels.
The results show the Pyracantha had the best performance in 80db, 85db and 100db by 42db, 44db and 37db sound level reduction, also in 90db sound level, Pyracantha, Elaeagnus angustifolia, LigustrumVulgare and Yucca elephantipes had the best performance by approximately 40db reduction in sound level. In 95 db, Elaeagnus angustifolia and Althaea officinalis had a sound level reduction near to 40db and in 105db Yucca elephantipes had the best performance by 40db sound level reduction in comparison with other plant species. æÔ ˜ÑÏäÎæÇäÏä ÈÇ ÞæÇÚÏ ÂæÇیی

Flexibility” is generally defined as the ability to change in materials. In architecture and environmental designing, particularly in designing residential places that forms the main subject in this study, the term refers to spatial flexibility in man-made spaces and their changes to achieve new conditions, needs and activities. Although flexibility in architecture can be formed in response to climatic and structural changes, but in this study the main point referred to from the term, is the ability to react and respond to factual changes in life conditions. The origin of these changes is based on the changes of internal human needs rather than the changes in external forces such as environmental forces, energy and statics concepts. Flexibility points to the idea of conformity among different objects in the course of time. Therefore a flexible house is the one that is capable to adapt with the needs of people and attract their partnership. People’s adaptation with their needs increases with their partnership in the procedure that results in an increase in general satisfying feels from residential places. In the recent years, the shortage of housing and their low quality has been always considered as a socio-economic problem. Flexibility, if adopted with the structural changes in space and its various usages, forms one of the major concepts that lead to enhancement of the residential places. The way the designers look at this concept, results in different kinds and degrees of flexibility in designing residential places. As the definitions show, if flexibility is observed in architectural designs, many favorite enhancements would be seen in visual scenes. Although flexibility form the key concept of social and spatial elements in the traditional residential architecture, nowadays it is ignored in all the globe especially in Iran so that it is stopped in researches and canceled from designing plans either in managing or execution levels. Besides many concepts for the term “flexibility”, this paper is seeking to answer some questions like “which factors cause any enthusiastic trend to flexibility in contemporary Iranian architecture?”, “in what range these factors change?” and “how these factors tend to change to influence on the designs? Descending or ascending?” Thus, in this study we attempted to identify the causes of ignoring flexibility principals in contemporary Iranian architecture. To gain this objective, various economic, social, political and structural factors that are regarded as the obstacles of forming flexible housing, directly or indirectly, were identified and analyzed by the use of dynamic analytical systems, feedback management systems, economic systems, demographic researches, social systems and all types of the systems currently prevalent in the market. The results can be used by designers to put away the limitations, damages and the obstacles in the way to achieve flexible residential places.

in this paper, embedding a watermark image is performed in discrete Contourlet transform (CT) domain. It is known that the CT is able to capture the directional edges and contours superior to discrete wavelet transform. The proposed scheme is based on embedding watermark bits into the singular value of the selected blocks within low-pass sub-band of the original gray image CT. Two algorithms, the first uses adaptive quantization and the second uses quantization step, are implemented. Our experimental results show that the method with quantization step has better fidelity in terms of peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR) and is more robust against geometrical and non-geometrical attacks in terms of normalized cross correlation (NC) in comparison with the first method, though, the method with adaptive quantization is blind in the sense only quantization strategies but not the original image is required.

This study aims to evaluate the protective effects of American ginseng administered by gastric intubation on sperm vital quality in adult male rats treated with cyclophosphamide (CP). In this experimental study, 28 Adult male Wistar rats were assigned to four groups, seven rats in each. The animals allocated to control, CP treated, Ginseng treated and CP-Ginseng treated groups. Rats were treated with CP (6.1 mg/kg/day, i.p) for 6 weeks. American ginseng was used at a dose of 500 mg/kg/day during treatment. Sperm analysis (motion, count, morphology and viability) were evaluated at the end of the experiments. Sperm motion was assessed by Computer-Assisted Sperm Analysis (CASA). The data were analyzed using GB stat software. Probability values of p<0.05 and p<0.01 were considered significant. The epididymal sperm counts in the groups that received CP showed significant decreases compared to the control group. Also dead and abnormal sperms significantly increased following CP treatment compared with control. The motility of caudal sperm was reduced significantly with CP treatment. Therefore, according to the results of this study, co-administration of CP and American ginseng can improve these parameters. American ginseng can prevent the cytotoxic effects of CP on sperm quality factors.