فهرست مطالب m amiri

Zanjan Angaran lead and zinc mine access tunnel with the length of 1133 meters has been excavated for underground extraction at a level of 2700 meters with an existing cross section of 7.5 square meters. The tunnel cross-section is to be increased to 20 square meters in order to access the trucks for cut and cover extraction. In this study, while studying tunneling and underground space stability methods, the stability conditions of Anguran mine access tunnel were investigated empirically, fuzzy hierarchical analysis. In the experimental method, while classifying rock masses by Q, RMR and GSI methods using Q classification results, two types of reinforcement were introduced, due to their greater conformity with the region, with 80% tunneling of type 2 with 2cm shotcrete and rockbolts with 2.5 meters length and 2.5 meters spacing. According to the same conditions in the empirical classification parameters using fuzzy hierarchical analysis, as a multilayer information analytical criterion based on the amount of overburden, RQD index of rock, spacing, rock and water strength in defined tunnel stability and weighting to layers and overlap In Arc GIS environment, a hazard zoning map is presented in the tunnel, which according to the map of the end of the tunnel has the highest risk of instability.

Nowadays, due to the revelation of the harmful effects of chemical drugs for most users, the desire to use medicinal plants has increased significantly. Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) is one of the most important medicinal plants of great interest in various pharmaceutical industries due to its valuable and vital secondary metabolites, such as essential oil. However, salinity is considered a major constraint for its productivity. Soil and irrigation water salinity is a major constraint for crop production. In salinity-rich soils, the osmotic pressure increases, and the plant must burn more vital energy to absorb water. Increasing the salinity tolerance of plants for sustainable food production, especially in arid and semi-arid regions, can reduce the need for irrigation and, thus, production costs. Since using calcium nanoparticles increases nutrient utilization efficiency, reducing soil toxicity, minimizing the adverse effects of over-fertilization and reducing the frequency of fertilizer application, the present study investigates the effect of calcium nanoparticles on physiologic and biochemical properties of basil medicinal plant under salinity stress.  The plants were treated with calcium nanoparticles in five levels by spraying with concentrations of 0, 0.25, 0.5, 1 and 1.5 g/l and salt concentrations of 0.75 and 150 mM along with Hoagland solution in a completely randomized design in a greenhouse environment with three replications. Some growth characteristics such as height, number of leaves, leaf area, fresh and dry weight, amount of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll and carotenoid content of the plant were measured. Some biochemical characteristics such as flavonoid, soluble sugar, anthocyanin content and antioxidant enzymes such as catalase and peroxidase were also measured. The least significant difference (LST) test was used to compare the means in SAS software. The results of ANOVA showed a significant effect of calcium nanoparticles on most morphological traits. Also, different salinity levels alone significantly affected the studied traits (p<0.01). Following the reduction of the osmotic potential of the soil solution due to salinity stress, water absorption decreases and as a result of stomata closing, the photosynthesis and respiration decrease. The mean comparison of the simple effect of calcium nanoparticles on chlorophyll pigments showed that with increasing the nanoparticle level, chlorophyll content increased, and as a result, photosynthesis improved. The simple effect of different salinity levels on some traits (phenol, soluble sugar, peroxidase enzyme and anthocyanin) showed that increasing the salinity level caused an increase in these traits. So, at the concentration of 150 mM salinity, phenol content with 8.02 mg of gallic acid per g of dry weight showed the highest amount compared to the control sample of 10.5 mg. Also, the soluble sugar content was the highest at this salinity concentration, with 139.9 mg/g dry weight, compared to the control, with 110.9 mg/g dry weight. The interaction effect of calcium nanoparticles and salinity on basil's morphological characteristics and carotenoid content was insignificant. However, it was significant in the chlorophyll content, the amount of flavonoids and catalase (p<0.01). In fact, with nano fertilizers, the plant can absorb more nutrients, and while reducing the leaching of elements, the yield of the product increases. The results of this study suggest that the physiological and biochemical characteristics of Basil were affected by salinity stress, and the interaction of nano calcium with salinity stress reduced the effects of salinity stress. Therefore, spraying the nano-fertilizer in an appropriate concentration is suggested to improve the yield of basil in salinity stress conditions.

The frequency of limestone has caused to be encountered in different projects of engineering. The Ilam Formation is one of the formations that is widely spread in the Zagros Mountains, and in the sample cutting, it contains 195 meters of cream-colored limestone. Due to the extent of this formation, many projects have been performed on this formation, and they also encounter this formation in oil drilling. Its lower and upper Boundaries are continuous with Surgah Formation and Gurpi Formations, respectively. The aim of this study is to investigate and introduce the engineering geological features of Ilam formation limestones in the type section. The Ilam Formation is a challenge in various projects like other formations with carbonate units. Especially, when the mentioned units are different in terms of lithology, physical, and mechanical. In order to identify the characteristics and engineering behavior of these rocks, 60 blocks were selected from different limestone horizons of the Ilam Formation and were transferred to the laboratory. Then, the physical and mechanical properties and lithology characteristics of limestones are determined. The samples have been used to test the physical properties, durability, point load index, uniaxial compressive strength, Brazilian tensile strength, and wave velocity. The results of the multivariate regression showed that the differences between petrological and physical properties have led to a variation in their mechanical properties. Statistical indices such as R2, , RMSE have been evaluated by Minitab 16 software, and the relationship between physical and mechanical properties was determined. Based on the results, there is a higher reliability coefficient for estimating mechanical properties than other properties in the dry condition compared to the saturated condition. The results of this research showed that lithological and physical characteristics play an important role in the mechanical properties of Ilam limestones.

This research examined how Cystoseria indica brown macroalgae of the Phaophyta family can be pre-treated with calcium to sorb Th(IV), V(V), and Fe(III) from real wastewater resulting from the thorium chemical process using a fixed bed column whose bed height was 5.25 cm and its diameter was 1.5 cm. It was found that the competition between Th(IV) and V(V) ions is significant in Th(IV) biosorption from three-component feed solutions of Th(IV) - V(V) and Th(IV) - Fe(III). The biosorption capacity of Th(IV), V(V), and Fe(III) from real wastewater was also 104.60, 24.15, and 17.39 mg/g, respectively. It shows that the affinity of Th(ІV) ions to Ca-pretreated Cystoseria indica algae is higher than that of Fe(ІІІ) and V(V) ions. The biosorption breakthrough curves were modeled using Bohart-Adams, Thomas, Yoon-Nelson, Belter, adapted dose-response, Gompertz, and modified Gompertz models. The results showed that the modified Gompertz model better agreed with the experimental data. The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis and calcium concentration determination in real wastewater indicated that functional groups such as hydroxyl, amine, amide, methylene, carboxyl, and sulfate were most likely to participate in the ion exchange mechanism with Th(*V), V (V) and Fe(III) ions.

Alzheimer's disease (AD), a progressive neurodegenerative disease, is the most common type of dementia. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is associated with metabolic and hormonal disorders, obesity, inflammation, gut microbiota dysbiosis, and an elevated risk of mood disorders and depression. Therefore, patients with this syndrome may be exposed to cognitive and memory disorders, followed by AD. The aim of this review was to focus on the cognitive function, memory, and the risk of dementia and AD in women with PCOS and to identify the factors affecting the risk of progression to these complications in women with this syndrome. Reviewing the literature on the relationship between PCOS and the occurrence of cognitive and memory disorders showed that several disorders linked with PCOS and some drugs used to treat these patients could positively or negatively affect the risk of the development of cognitive and memory disorders. While some reports have declared positive effects for androgens and oral contraceptive drugs on cognitive function and memory, others have argued that insulin resistance, obesity, inflammation, oxidative stress, gut microbiota dysbiosis, and depression may negatively affect cognitive and memory function in women with PCOS, predisposing them to AD. More studies are needed to estimate the risk of cognitive disorders, memory deficits, and AD in women with PCOS and to identify the factors involved in the development of these disorders. The early identification of PCOS patients at risk of developing these cognitive disorders can help prevent the progression of these conditions and appropriately treat them.

Ranking decision making units (DMUs) is an important topic in data en-velopment analysis (DEA). When efficient DMUs or inefficient DMUs have the same efficiency score, the traditional DEA model usually fails to rank all DMUs. For the sake of comparing and improving the discrimination power of DMUs, some proposed approaches use cooperative game theory for rank-ing DMUs. In this paper, communication game theory, which includes a transferable utility cooperative game and an undirected graph describing limited cooperation between players, can be used to rank DMUs. The idea is that the ranking of DMUs can be done by measuring the effect of remov-ing a subset of DMUs on the total share of the remaining DMUs obtained by the reference frontier share model. In the proposed approach, the play-ers are the DMUs, and the characteristic function measures the increase and decrease in the total share of each DMU. The current paper considers the total share for efficient and inefficient DMUs to rank all DMUs. The proposed approach has been tested on several datasets and compared with the results of the previous ranking methods, which sometimes coincide. In the empirical study, a complete ranking of DMUs is useful and reasonable.

The present study sought to investigate the effectiveness of a behavior management training package based on choice theory in improving the quality of parent-child relationship. This study had a single-case design which was undertaken with concurrent multiple baseline and a two-month follow-up. The statistical population of the study was comprised of all male ninth graders studying at junior high schools in Javanrud city in 2020-21 school year from among whom 3 students were selected via purposeful sampling method using inclusion criteria and the Parent-Child Relationship Quality Scale (PCRS). Each group, including students and their parents, received 12 separate training sessions which were previously designed and validated by the researchers. Data were analyzed by Visual drawing, Reliable change index (RCI), recovery percentage formula and Cohen’s d effect size. Findings showed that the implementation of behavior management training package based on choice theory had a clinically and statistically significant effect on improving the quality of parent-child relationship (both parent-child scales) (P <0.05). Therefore, it is recommended that the trainings of this behavior management package, which are based on the educational-therapeutic foundations of choice theory, be used individually and in groups by family care institutions and counseling centers of various organizations, including education and welfare.

Concept map is one of the effective methods in the evolution of medical education, which leads to the development of problem-solving learning, group skills and creativity, and is one of the important components of creativity in people with divergent thinking. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to determine and investigate the effect of drawing and implementing a map. It was a concept of group method with computer on divergent thinking of nursing students.

The present study was experimental in the form of pre-intervention and post-intervention with a control group conducted in 2017. One hundred and two participants from third to sixth semester nursing students participated in the present study. Using the random allocation method, 51 participants were assigned to the intervention group and 51 people to the comparison group. The intervention plan of drawing and presenting a concept map for adult/elderly nursing lessons 1, 2 and 3 based on the announced content of the approved title of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education was carried out in a group method using Mind Mapper software during 7 sessions of 90 minutes. Peter Hani's questionnaire was used to measure students' divergent thinking.

The mean and standard deviation of divergent thinking scores of students in the intervention group were before (5.68±1.22), after (8.23±1.35) and one month (8.70±1.18) after the intervention. The mean and standard deviation of students' divergent thinking scores in the control group were before (3.41±0.66), after (3.41±0.66) and one month (3.33±0.62) after the intervention. There was a significance between the intervention and control groups in terms of divergent thinking (p<0.001).

The average of divergent thinking score of the students in the intervention group was significantly higher than the control group, which shows the positive effect of drawing and implementing a concept map in a group method with the computer, so it is suggested to use this student-centered method in the teaching and learning process in higher education program.
Key words: concept map, computer, convergent thinking, nursing

Brittleness which is of great significance in rock engineering properties is one of the most important properties of rock. The evaluation of brittleness indexes is a helpful method for the estimation of rock brittleness. However, there is still much uncertainty about the relation between rock brittleness and rock failures (i.e. Hydraulic fracture, Rock blasting in coal mines and tunnels). This fact can be attributed to the lack of a concept of universally accepted brittleness and brittleness index. In this paper, the relationship between rock brittleness is investigated by using the ratio of point index to porosity (PMP) in the sandstones of the Qom Formation. In addition, the available estimation methods for the rock brittleness index are summarized and their application is briefly discussed. In order to estimate of brittleness index and the ratio of point load index, 15 blocks from Latgah sandstones in northern Hamedan have been selected. Lithological characteristics, physical and mechanical properties of these sandstones have been determined. The samples have been tested under point load strength index uniaxial compressive strength (UCS), and Brazilian tensile strength experimentals. Then, the ratio of point load index to porosity (PMP) has been calculated. To achieve the desired target, the most appropriate and meaningful relationships between brittleness rock and the ratio of point load index to porosity (PMP) have been presented by the regression method. The relationships between point load index, porosity, and brittleness indexes (B1, B2, B3, B4, and BI) have been evaluated by simple regression (SR) techniques using Minitab 16 software. The statistical analyses revealed the existence of powerful correlations between the ratio point load index to porosity (PMP) with brittleness indexes (B3, B4)in the dry state and also, the powerful correlations between the ratio point load index to porosity (PMP) with brittleness indexes (B1, B2) in the saturated state.

Argillite rocks are among the weak rocks that cause problems in engineering projects due to their swelling, high cracking, low strength. The southern Makran structural zone is located in the southeastern part of Iran, between the two faults of Makran Trust and Qasr Ghand, and includes two sub-zones of coastal Makran and outer Makran. Most of the sediments are Quartz fragments (silt size) with carbonate cement containing sub-minerals of calcite and fossil fragments, indicating a shallow and low-energy marine environment of the Neogene age. The distribution of grains is mainly silty and angular in a Carbonate cement field with a calcium carbonate content of less than 15% and in coastal Makran due to the formation of sprite calcite between 70 and 80%. In order to determine the physical and mechanical properties of southern Makran argillaceous rocks along the Chabahar-Nikshahr railway axis in this research, porosity tests, plate load test (PLT), X-ray fluorescence test (XRF) and diffraction results X-ray (XRD) are conducted. The results of XRF samples show that the major constituent oxides are SiO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3 and CaO, and the results of XRD indicate mainly silty mineralogy including: Quartz, calcite, albite, Muscovite, Clinochlore and Dolomit. The Field study in each of the sub-zones was used for rock mass classification and sampling for laboratory tests to determine geotechnical properties. According to the rock mass classifications, most sediments are in poor and very poor classifications due to tectonic conditions and high weathering. Petrological studies and determination of physical properties show that sediments located in coastal Makran have more porosity and less cement due to the young sedimentation basin and are in the category of weak rocks based on point load strength (Is50<2MPa) according to Bieniawski classification. Indirect results of the uniaxial compaction test show that the sediments have a strength of less than 20 MPa, which has a high correlation with the amount of porosity (R2 = 0.95). Also, the relationships between uniaxial compressive strength and density and Calcium carbonate are (R2 = 0.81) and (R2 = 0.89), respectively.

So far, numerous studies have been developed to evaluate the performance of decision-making units through DEA technique in different places, but most of these studies have measured the performance of decision-making units by efficiency criteria. The productivity is considered as a key factor in the success and development of decision-making units and its evaluation is more comprehensive than efficiency evaluation. Recently, the productivity has been considered in DEA technique. The productivity in these studies is often evaluated through the productivity indexes. These indexes require at least two time periods and also the two important elements of efficiency and effectiveness in these studies are not significantly evident. There are few studies that measure productivity through efficiency and effectiveness. This few researches also measure the efficiency and effectiveness in two stages separately. So, the purpose of this study is to develop a new approach in the DEA technique in order to measure productivity of decision-making units through efficiency and effectiveness simultaneously, in one stage and interdependently. One case study demonstrates application of the proposed approach in the branches of a Bank. Using proposed approach revealed that efficient branches are not necessarily productive, but productive branches are also efficient.

In the present study, the relationship between the distribution of Astragalus verus, climate, soil and topography in Isfahan province was investigated using the CART (Classification and Regression Trees) non-parametric regression. According to the vegetation types dominated by Astragalus verus, 287 sites were selected using stratified-random sampling and 106 presence points were recorded. Non-normally distributed soil variables were normalized according to the skewness type by data transformation. For variables that were not normalized by the data transformation, the inverse distance weighted and for normally distributed variables, kriging methods were used for mapping. To investigate the spatial continuity of these variables, the best variogram was selected. Using the principle component analysis (PCA) and correlation matrix, the most effective factors on distribution were clay percentage, mean temperature of the coldest (Bio11), and driest (Bio9) quarter, minimum temperature of the coldest month (Bio6), annual mean temperature (Bio1), saturated moisture and organic carbon, respectively. Model evaluation using replacement method and using independent data indicated high accuracy of the model. According to the optimum threshold of 0.41 and fuzzy-based habitat suitability map, the suitable habitat for the species was 34.5 % of the area. The results are used in sustainable rangeland management, conservation and their restoration.

Multi-Speed resolvers are desirable position sensors for high performance closed-loop control of inverter driven machines due to their high accuracy. However, developing a winding with high number of poles with limited number of slots is a main challenge in achieving multi-speed function. Therefore, in this paper different winding configuration are proposed to achieve 5-X performance of a disk type wound-rotor resolver. Then, the best winding is chosen for experimental verification. In addition to the accuracy of the sensor, the optimal winding selection index is defined considering copper usage, number of winding layers (overlapping or non-overlapping configurations), the number of turns for each coil of the winding (variable or constant turn configurations), and the amplitude of the fundamental harmonic. An objective function is defined involving all the mentioned indices with different weights determined based on the importance of each index. Finally, a prototype of the sensor with the best winding is built and tested. The experimental measurements verify the results of the simulations that are obtained using 3-D time setting finite element analysis.

Fermented foods include a long history in human nutrition. Kashk-e-Zard is a fermented product based on cereals and yogurt. The aim of this study was to assess effects of replacing unprocessed and hydrothermal wheat bran on the improvement of nutritional and sensory characteristics of Kashk-e-Zard.

In this study, effects of wheat bran types (unprocessed and hydrothermal) and replacement levels (0, 10, 20, 30 and 40%) on pH, acidity, protein, digestible protein, phytic acid, zinc, zinc bioavailability, total phenol, antioxidant properties (DPPH) and overall acceptance of Kashk-e-Zard samples were assessed.

All the highlighted parameters were affected by the types and levels of bran replacement (p < 0.05). Addition of wheat bran increased the total fiber and improved the absorption capacity of zinc at all replacement levels, compared to the control sample (p < 0.05). Increasing unprocessed bran replacement increased hydrothermal decreased the protein contents (p < 0.05). Furthermore, addition of hydrothermal bran improved protein digestibility (p <0.05).

Based on the indicators of protein content, protein digestibility, zinc bioavailability, fiber content and overall acceptance of the samples, substitution of hydrothermal wheat bran at the level of 10% is recommended to improve the nutritional Characteristics of Kashk-e-Zard.

Students are the main part and backbone of any educational systems and universities. Due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 in 2019, it is necessary for teachers and students to use electronic tools and the Internet more than before. This has both advantages and disadvantages. As an advantage of these tools, the students can access more resources and literature from the Internet. In addition, they can listen to a lecture more and more and they do not need to go to their colleges or schools. Also, they can save time and money. On the other hand, one disadvantage can be unnecessary usage of the Internet under the pressure of studying and participating in e-learning classes, which makes it more difficult for parents to control their children. The phenomenon of excessive and unnecessary use of the Internet and cyberspace can lead to mental and educational dysfunctions of students, which is known as Internet addiction. Internet addiction was firstly studied by Young in 1988. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between improper use of the Internet and the study program of students of Mazandaran Technical and Vocational University during the Covid-19 pandemic.

 The research was a survey. Among about 13,500 undergraduate students of Mazandaran Technical and Vocational University in the academic year 2020-2021, 550 students were selected based on random selection. Yang’ (1998) standard questionnaire was used for eliciting the participants’ information with regard to the Internet use and a researcher-made questionnaire was used to collect the required data for the students’ study programs. The formal validity and reliability of the Internet use and students’ study program were 0.88 and 0.91, respectively. In this study, in order to investigate the relationship between independent and dependent variables, in addition to conventional statistical methods, the information sharing measurement method (Mutual Information) was used. This method not only examined the degree of linear dependence between two random variables but also measured the nonlinear dependence. This method has many applications in information theory.

The results showed that the total variable of the Internet use had an inverse and significant relationship with the students' study program (Pearson coefficient = -0.35). All five components of the Internet use (the effect of the Internet on work latency, preference for the Internet over work, the degree of Internet dependence, others protesting against the extreme use of the Internet and taking refuge in the Internet due to circumstances) had an inverse and significant relationship with students who enjoyed a study program. These four components could explain 17% of the variance of the students' study program. In measuring the dependence between the variables of the Internet use and study program, students were close to each other with two methods of measuring information sharing and other methods, despite minor differences.

It seems that the dependence on and improper use of the Internet are related to the result of students' conscious or unconscious work. The result shows that among the components of the Internet use, the effect of the Internet on work latency has the strongest relationship with the students' study program. The component of others' protest against the extreme use of the Internet due to the influence of the protest of family and others on the students' study program shows a direct and positive relationship. However, with the indirect impact of other dimensions of the Internet use, the direct and positive effect on the variable of students' study program diminishes.

In the construction of urban underground infrastructures, the passage of tunnels below the surface structures is inevitable. Prediction and control of deformations resulting from excavating, especially the ground's surface subsidence, should always be considered before drilling. For this purpose, the present study deals with the numerical analysis of the interaction between the tunnel and its adjacent buildings. In this paper, the Isfahan Metro Tunnel in the range of Azadi Square to Sheikh Koleini Station is considered and FLAC2D software is used for modeling. The characteristics of the buildings in the limited area have been considered and the effect of the width and height of the structures around the tunnel on the rate of ground subsidence caused by the tunnel excavation has been investigated. In order to validate the results, data of the subsidence instrumentation were utilized. Finally, based on the performed analysis, it was concluded that the permissible range of constructing structures around the tunnel area depends on the geometry of the structure and as the size of the structure increases, reliable limits for the construction of structures around the tunnel drilling area are reduced. As a practical result, a diagram was provided to determine the permissible range of construction around the twin tunnel based on different values of the width and height of the structure.

During the last few months in which the COVID-19 has afflicted the people throughout the world and has turned out as a pandemic leaving nearly 200 thousand deaths, a broad body of information has overwhelmed the people’s mind and investigated the emergence, signs, preventive measures, and precautions to be taken against it. In this paper, the authors intend to define the community’s social resilience, its different types and the ways to survive it.

In this study, different sources of information such as the news, articles, mass media, and so on were investigated regarding the social resilience through library work.

Through this study, social resilience was described as a human community’s the ability not only to cope with but also to adapt to social, political, environmental, or economic stresses, which in our case refers to COVID-19 and its pandemic. The social resilience includes capabilities such as coping, adaptive, and transformative ones. The coping capacities refer to the ability of social actors (people) to cope with and overcome all kinds of adversities; the adaptive capacities show the people’s ability to learn from past experiences and adjust themselves to future challenges in their lives; and the transformative capacities are defined as the community’s ability to craft sets of institutions increasing individual welfare and sustainable societal robustness towards future crises.

We should search for the ways to build and maintain social resilience in the community to cope with the current and different types of stresses they suffer from.

Sandstone outcrops of the Qom formation extend to a large part of northern Hamedan. This rocks are used as construction materials in Hamedan city. In this research, in order to identify the characteristics and engineering behavior of the sandstones, 15 rock blocks from Latgah (northern Hamedan) were selected. Lithological characteristics, physical and mechanical properties of these sandstones are determined. The samples were tested under the Schmidt hammer hardness test, durability, point load strength index, uniaxial compressive strength, Brazilian tensile strength and longitudinal wave velocity. The results of this study showed that the differences in the lithological and physical properties of sandstones have led to change in their mechanical properties. The relationship between physical and mechanical properties of sandstone has determined by regression analysis. Based on the obtained results, the mentioned rocks are suitable for use as Malone stone and building stone. The highest correlation between the uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) test with longitudinal wave velocity in dry and saturated state, were obtained that the determination coefficient (R2) are 0.93 and 0.91, respectively.

In this article, we simulate and manufacture a dipole plasma antenna whose frequency is variable in the VHF band. The conductive medium of antenna is the plasma created by the DC discharge in a glass tube. To excite the antenna, we use a cylindrical aluminum coupler installed at the middle of the antenna. By varying values of gas pressure, input impedance of circuit and the voltage deference between two ends of the plasma medium, one can change the working area of antenna at a few hundred gigahertz frequency interval. Simulation and numerical calculations are carried out for an antenna with 78cm length and 2cm radius at 0.8 bar pressure exerted under 15KV voltage difference. At constant pressure, by using some parallel resistors in the antenna circuit, the impedance of discharge circuit is changed and consequently the plasma density is varied. For plasma frequencies   and ,  using semi-experimental formulae, analysis shows resonances at frequencies 250MHz and 311MHz, respectively, which are in good agreement with the experimental results which take place at frequencies 217MHz and 272MHz. Additionally, simulation is accomplished for a  metal antenna with corresponding geometry whose working frequency detected at 184MHz.

To audit image quality (IQ) of computed radiography (CR), indirect digital radiography (IDR) and direct digital radiography (DDR) systems used in nine centers affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.

Sixteen imaging units (four CR, five IDR and seven DDR) employing 26 image receptors were assessed. After ensuring the accuracy of X-ray generator performance, IQ was evaluated using a contrast-detail phantom. Spatial resolution, low contrast detectability (LCD) and dynamic range (as subjective indicators) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) (as objective quantities) were evaluated. Further, the IQ evaluators of different image receptor types were compared. 

One CR unit failed the X-ray generator performance tests and was excluded from the rest of the study. All 25 remaining image receptors passed the LCD, CNR and SNR criteria. Contrast dynamic range failed in 19 receptors, 17 of them being within a ‘borderline’ failure range. Spatial resolution failed in 18 detectors; 12 of them were borderline failures. The IDR units performed better than the CR and DDR detectors in terms of LCD (p=0.012) and SNR (p=0.007). 

All of the evaluated receptors passed the majority the IQ tests (both physical indicators and one out of the three subjective ones), while contrast dynamic range and spatial resolution of the majority of the failed detectors were borderline failures. Significant differences were observed in IQ among the three image receptors types. The results suggest the need for an improved maintenance, quality assurance and audit program.

The increase in population and natural factors such as drought, have led to critical conditions of groundwater in most parts of Iran. Considering that Semnan province is in an arid region like other dry parts of the country, it is more vulnerable to a water scarcity crisis, So, Semnan plain was selected to study the quality of groundwater. In order to study water quality, 19 observation wells were investigated. After entering the data into GIS software, using point maps and Kriging method, the zonation maps of groundwater quality were prepared. The study of quality parameters maps showed that groundwater quality was declined in this area as the wells in the study area are affected by the increase of TDS, SAR, EC and also the decrease in pH.

Self-efficacy is onechr('39')s belief in successful behavior. According to studies, mothers who have lower self-efficacy find delivery unattainable. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of acceptance- and commitment-based counseling on self-efficacy in primiparous women.

This clinical trial study was performed on 70 first pregnant women with gestational age of 28-32 weeks referring to health centers in Mashhad. Subjects were randomly divided into two groups of 35 intervention and control groups. In the intervention group, counseling based on acceptance and commitment approach was held for 4 sessions, one session per week, and in the control group, routine pregnancy care was performed. Data collection tool was demographic-midwifery questionnaire and self-efficacy questionnaire. Self-efficacy was measured in the two groups before intervention in week 28-32. Data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 20) and chi-square and t-test. P value less than 0.05 was considered significant.

Self-efficacy scores after intervention were 126.25±13.67 in the intervention group and 96.27±34.91 in the control group. There was a significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.001).

Counseling with an acceptance- and commitment-based approach during pregnancy increases self-efficacy of natural childbirth in primiparous women.

The budget or financial plan, as one of the most important tools of the policy-making system and a vital lifeline of the government, has greater impact on directing the future course of a country. It can stimulate the knowledge-based economy and cause the growth and development of the biotechnology sector as one of the top innovations of the present century. The present study is an attempt to investigate and find the coordinates and features of an appropriate budget policy for developing biotechnology in the country.  With a combined approach framework, this article uses an analytical method and determines the proposed features through interviews with policy-making, budgeting, and biotechnological experts.  Utmost, the components of an appropriate budget policy were extracted in 16 main categories: national division of labor, institutional structural reform, strengthening the biotechnology development center, reforming laws and regulations, reforming the law to protect knowledge-based companies, establishing stability and consistency in laws, reforming the country's budget structure, strengthening the pyramidal role of budget, reforming budgeting methods, operational budgeting,  reforming the country's research budget, reforming financial safeguard models, reforming commanding phases, information technology infrastructure, adherence to budget principles, and monitoring of credits spending.

Report writing is a necessary framework for presentation of audio logical test results. One of the methods of teaching report writing is workshops. The overall purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of report writing on the quality of audiology reporting in Ahvaz University of Medical Sciences.

This study is a quasi-experimental (before and after). 57 audiologists participated in the report writing workshop and completed pre- and post-test questions. A checklist was used to collect the data. Data were analyzed using SPSS 21 software. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the data and Wilcoxon statistical test was used to compare the results before and after the intervention.

The findings of this study showed following  report writing training, the mean scores before and after the training showed a significant difference (P<0.001). And in all items improves the quality of reporting in audiology tests.

Based on this findings, report writing training improves the quality of reporting in audiologists, and given that there isnchr('39')t formal training in this field, it is recommended to provide a workshop for all students in audiology.

Performance evaluation is one of the most significant issues in management taken into consideration by a number of academics and researchers who have developed various parametric and non-parametric methods used for performance measurement and evaluation. Among these models, Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) is regarded as one of the most widely used models for performance evaluation. DEA is a powerful mathematical tool and a non-parametric technique to measure the relative efficiency of a group of homogeneous Decision-Making Units (DMUs). This approach carried out an evaluation by assigning weights to the inputs and outputs of each decision-making unit. The difference in the input and output weights in this technique is one of the objections to this method that threatens the assessment of the underlying basis. In this study, a model was presented to find a solution to this problem. The proposed model is a one-phase linear model and has less computational complexity than other models. To validate this model, the numerical exam of Kao & Hung (2005) was implemented and the results of the presented model were compared with those of other models; in addition, the Spearman correlation coefficient was calculated. The results showed that the proposed model had a more significant correlation coefficient than other models, had a more resolution than other models, and eliminated the shortcomings of Classic base models. After the validation of the model, the pharmaceutical companies in Tehran Stock Exchange were evaluated by means of the proposed model and CCR model. The indices of the study were obtained from previous studies and the opinions of experts were taken into account to confirm these indices. The data used in the present study and the actual values of these indices were obtained from ``codal.ir website'' according to each company's financial status. Moreover, sensitivity analysis was performed on the outputs of these companies. The results showed that Alborz Pharmaceutical and Shafa Pharmaceutical Investment companies were the most effective units in both models, and Farabi Pharmaceutical Company was the most inefficient one. Besides, the results indicated that the units under study showed more sensitivity than the first output.