mohsen asadi

This study aims to create and develop an approach for the design and gradual delivery of the product in the shortest time and through the balance of the elements of technological readiness, the need statement document, and the characteristics of the product in large and complex air systems.

Design/methodology/approach:

 In this study, the balancing process has been carried out using three stages of the Quality Function Deployment (QFD). In the first stage, product specifications have been prioritized using customer needs. In the second stage, product specifications have been prioritized based on the specifications of the first stage. In the third stage, the required technologies have been prioritized using the specifications of the product in the second stage. To conduct the research, industry experts who were in the unit related to the desired product provided the necessary data. Out of the 10 experts in that unit, seven have collaborated in the design and implementation of the model and three have approved the model. Finally, the discussion model was approved by the company's high committee.

After extracting the priorities of technologies, the final meeting of the QFD group was held with the presence of expert designers and the operator's representative. In this meeting, the process of using QFD and the obtained results were discussed. Then, using the scores obtained for the technologies (priority value) level of technological readiness for each of the product technologies and the approaches of designing, producing and delivering the primary, intermediate and final products were determined. The results of product prioritization based on technology development were also approved by the high committee.

Research limitations/implications:

 In this research, the balance of technological readiness, a document of requirement statement, and product characteristics in the design management of macro systems of defence air base products were analyzed by QFD. There was a need to check if there were other tools for balancing. Also, the scope of this study was limited to product design, and it is necessary to extend the balance to the entire life cycle of the product. In this research, the researchers faced with challenges due to the lack of familiarity with the elites or complete and sufficient research and training of the elites and managers of the country's research and defence industries. Also, the lack of managerial approaches to system and standard design and the integration of the approaches communicated by the regulatory and standardization centres of the country on the system design of large and complex products were the other limitations of this research.

Practical implications: 

The model proposed in this research made it possible to produce large and complex products in the aviation industry due to the existence of restrictions. On the other hand, the gradual design, production, and delivery of big products made the products suitable for the user's scene to be designed and produced first. While maintaining the quality of the product, the time to obtain the products should also be reduced.Social implications: Acquiring large and complex products in the country will accelerate the country's development.

Originality/value:

 The design and production of large and complex products based on technology development with a gradual product delivery approach using QFD is one of the innovations of this research. The application of the proposed approach will resolve some of the problems related to the design of large products in different areas.

Mixing the tire shred and tire chips, derived from scrape tires, to sand is an option to use scrape tires. Based on the ASTM (2017) there is no environmental risk for embankments made from tire derived aggregates. In the past three decades several experimental investigation have been reported on the sand-rubber chips mixture behavior (Edil et al., 1990; Zornberg et al., 2004; Neaz Sheikh et al., 2012). Since the ration of area to thickness of chips is large, they tend to become horizontal when being mixed with the sand and subsequently would not be parallel to the probable failure surface of a foundation or a trench. This point has been investigated limitedly in the literature (Foose et al., 1996; Gotteland et al., 2005). In the present paper, an innovative mold is used to compact the sand-rubber chips mixture where the chips are inclined. The experimental program was carried out to investigate the effect of rubber chips orientation in the sand-rubber chips mixture.

Cost, quality and design time of macro integrated products are important and necessary factors in design management. The aim of the current research is to provide an integration model for technological readiness, requirements statement document and also description of product features in the management of macro system design in domestic air base products. In particular, the research intends to reduce the time required for the final delivery of the product by identifying and prioritizing the real and prospective needs of customers/users, while applying gradual changes and evolutionary measures. The research method is survey-descriptive in terms of execution. In fact, the approach of data survey and analysis is carried out quantitatively using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. The results obtained from the significant factor loading coefficient and path coefficients as well as the test results of the research variables show the following. The significant coefficient of six paths - among the visible and hidden variables in addition to the components determined in the research conceptual model - is higher than 1.96 at the 95% reliability level. These numerical results confirm the research hypothesis and validity of the model fit.

Despite numerous reports on hard germination and growth of Bunium persicum, there is no published study on B. cylindricum. Although the amount of essential oils and phenolics is high in B. persicum, they are significant in B. cylindricum too. Plant development from seed cultivation to seed production took 3-4 years including the formation of cotyledon leaves, a uni- or bi-pinnate leaf, one tri-pinnate leaf, and two or more tri-pinnate leaves (rosette) with long petiole in the fourth year. During development, corm size increases, and in flowering years, along with rosette leaf formation, flowering stems are also formed and their number depends on corm size. Flowers were protandrous, without calyx with thin petals containing secretory epidermis. Tapetum is the secretory type and pollen is tricolporate, prolate (P/E 1.7), small size (24µm), ovate with striate-regulated sculpture. The Ovary is two-carpellate, inferior with apical placentation which its two cylindric-linear mericarps are separated acropetally from the carpophore at maturity. IntroductionBunium (Apiaceae) has about 14-17 species in Iran. Secondary metabolites of some species of Bunium, especially B. persicum, have been studied. The antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, and other therapeutic properties of their essential oils have been reported. The presence of numerous essential oils in B. cylindricum indicates its medicinal importance. In some cases, the same names are used for different species, or different names are used for different populations of one species. In addition, some people mix fruits (seeds) of different species of Bunium and sell them as B. persicum in the markets. Therefore, the correct identification of species and their cultivation is important, particularly for species that are marketed. There are several reports about hard germination and cultivation and growth problems of B. persicum. However, there is no published study on the cultivation, life cycle, and vegetative and reproductive structures of B. cylindricum, except general descriptions in plant Flora's books. Kazemivash et al. (2020) reported that in B. persicum, the tapetum layer is secretory type; pollen grains are ovate and bi-porate; gynoecium is two-carpellate with lower ovary and schizocarpic fruits. Apiaceae pollen has been divided into five types: sub-rhomboidal (P/E=1–1.5), sub-circular (1–1.5), oval (1.5–2), sub-rectangular (2), and equatorially constricted (≥ 2). Fruit is a dry schizocarp composed of 2 mericarps that split apart at maturity acropetally. Mericarps have secretory ducts that cause good aroma and flavor in many plants of this family law. In the present study, species cultivation and seed formation were done for the first time. Further, the structure and development of vegetative and reproductive structures were studied and investigated. Materials and MethodsThe ripe seeds (mericarps) of B. cylindricum were collected from Sarduiyeh, Kerman province, Iran. They are cultivated in petri dishes, pots, and in plant habitat in a garden. Seed germination, the life cycle of the species, and different organ formation were studied until flower and seed/fruit formation. Fresh structures (corms, leaves, inflorescences, flowers, and fruits) in different developmental stages were studied and photographed using stereo and light microscopes or the naked eye. The pollen structure, P/E ratio, and pollen sculpture were studied using light and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Fruit size and the number of fruits in the umbellate were surveyed too. For anatomical studies, fresh flowers were fixed in FAA (formaldehyde: acetic acid: 70% ethanol, 5:5:90, v/v/v) for 24 h, washed with distilled water 4 times (each time for 5 min), dehydrated in 30%, 50%, 70%, 80%, and 100% ethanol series and embedded in paraffin. Then, 5 μm sections were cut by a rotary microtome (Micro-Tec, Germany), put on glass slides, stained by hematoxylin and eosin, observed by a light microscope, and photographed. The mean of seed germination, the polar and equatorial axis of pollen, and their ratio (P/E), as well as the average length of umbel rays and fruit, were measured. Results and DiscussionBunium is one of the medicinal plants with high economic and export value. There are no published studies on the cultivation, seed germination, and development of B. cylindricum. The study of the life cycle of B. cylindricum showed that the species produces flowers and fruits (seeds) 3-4 years after cultivation. In the first year, cotyledon leaves and a small underground part (corm) are formed, and its size increases during the following years producing compound rosette leaves and shoots. After cotyledon leaves, a uni- or bi-pinnate compound leaf with long petiole, then in the next year one tri-pinnate leaf and finally with increasing tuber size, tri-pinnate leaves (≥2) and flowering shoots are formed. There are several studies indicating hard plantation and germination of Bunium using different treatments for breaking dormancy without studying the next developmental stages till flowering. The present study optimized cultivation, seed germination, and flower and seed production in B. persicum for the first time. The abundance of flowers in broad umbellate inflorescences and secretory structures of pistils and petals help to attract pollinators confirming Linder (1998) who reported the effective role of inflorescences in pollination. Flowers were pentamerous, protandrous, without calyx with thin petals containing secretory epidermis. Tapetum was secretory type and pollen grains were tricolporate, prolate (P/E 1.7), small size (24µm), ovate with striate-regulated sculpture according to Punt et al. (2007), Cerceau-Larrival and Roland-Heydacker (2013), Başer et al. (2021), and Kadluczka et al. (2022). Studies in B. persicum indicated secretory tapetum and bi-porate. The gynoecium is bicarpelate producing a schizocarp fruit in which its two mericarps are separated at maturity. Its distinctive flavors are due to fruit secretory cavities.  ConclusionThere are several studies reporting hard plantation and seed germination of Bunium genus, especially B. persicum. In this study, cultivation, seed germination, and seed production of B. cylindricum were optimized. Seed germination was ≥ 90% and germinated seedlings produced fruits (seed) in the fourth year. Flowers were pentamerous, protandrous, without calyx with thin petals containing secretory epidermis. Pollen grains were tricolporate, prolate, small-sized, and ovate with striate-regulated sculpture. The fruit is a schizocarp consisting of two fused carpels that separate at maturity into two mericarps, each containing a single seed. Secretory ducts are distributed in the fruit pericarp.

The growth of the use of technological tools in society has provided new criminal domains for cybercriminals to have access to any kind of criminal target in a single environment, thus becoming the victims of these criminals. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between cyber skills and the rate of cyber victimization and finally identify strategies for developing these skills.

In the present study, a sequential mixed method has been used. In the first stage, the quantitative survey method and a questionnaire were used and the data obtained from this stage were analyzed by structural equation modeling. The statistical population of the first stage was cyberspace users in Qom province and non-random sampling method was used to evaluate the validity of content and structure validity and to evaluate the reliability of Cronbach's alpha was used. In the second stage, the qualitative method and interview tools and the content analysis method are used to analyze the data in order to identify solutions. The statistical population of the second stage was experts in the field of research and sampling method was a judgment method that in order to evaluate the reliability of the interviews, the agreement method of two coders was used.

The results indicate the negative impact of cyber skills on the rate of cyber victimization. Basic skills, problem solving skills, and safety / legality skills have a significant negative impact on cyber victimization, but communication, information, and exchange skills do not have a significant impact on victimization rates. In the second stage, strategies for developing cyber skills appropriate to the three environments of family, school and government / community have been identified.

As cyber skills increase, Cyber Victimization decreases and family, school, and community / government play key roles in developing cyber skills. The results of the research bring theoretical innovation and help decision makers understand how to develop a safer cyberspace.

The present study aims to identify passive defense considerations in the sustainability of fuel supply in critical situations caused by threats. The research question is: What are the main considerations of the passive defense of fuel sustainability in critical situations? It was also hypothesized that; Basic considerations of passive defense in fuel supply sustainability include retrofitting, parallelization, decentralization and crisis management. This is an applied research in which a descriptive method was used. Methods and tools for collecting information in this research are questionnaires, interviews and observations. The sample population of the study consisted of 77 experts, managers and elites specializing in the field of passive defense, oil industry, refining and distribution of petroleum products, which were selected based on the Cochran formula. In this study, a questionnaire was developed for the purpose of asset valuation, threat assessment and assessment of vulnerability, impact assessment and the provision of passive defense measures in fuel supply sustainability, and its reliability was confirmed to be 0.91, based on Cronbach’s alpha formula. Moreover, validity of the questionnaire was approved based on expert validity, using the ideas and opinions of a group of experts consisting of 15 oil industry experts. The findings of the study showed that the main considerations of passive defenses in the sustainability of fuel supply in the most important assets of this area (refineries, transfer centers and oil depots) and based on its most important threats (terrorist threat / sabotage, cyber and military attacks) and the most vulnerable (Balance of production versus consumption, inappropriate dispersion, large scale, dependence on technology and external equipment) are: Hardware and software upgrades and hardening , decentralization based on land consolidation and preparation, parallelization and reduction of units, and creating a comprehensive crisis management in the production, transmission and distribution of fuel.

Quality of life (QoL) is now considered as a key indicator in health studies. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate QoL in the general population of Tehran (capital of Iran) using SF-12v2 questionnaire and determine some factors associated with it. This was part of a large population-based cross sectional study conducted in Tehran, Iran, in 2011. Participants were selected from all districts of Tehran using multistage cluster random sampling method. Data were collected using the Iranian version of the SF-12v2 questionnaire. Linear regression model was used to assess the independent effect of surveyed variables of the study population on their QoL. P< 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Overall, 30 809 individuals over the age of 20 from 22 urban districts were included in this study and evaluated by SF-12v2 questionnaire. The mean age of the study population was 44.5±15.9, and most of them were female (19 967 (64.8%)). The total mean score of SF-12v2 was 60.4 and the lowest and highest mean scores were observed in GH (46.9±26.5) and MH subscales (64.1±24.7), respectively. It was also observed that District 3 of Tehran had the highest mean score (65.2±18.7) in the total QoL and District 12 had the lowest mean score (56.6±18.7), respectively. The results of multiple linear regression model showed that sex, age, education, household size, presence of chronic disease in family, having insurance, smoking, and marital status were significantly related to most subscales and two summary components of QoL. The results of this study showed that the surveyed population of Tehran had a relatively moderate QoL, but it changed from district to district. It was also observed that age and education of the study population were important variables in relation to QoL.

With the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office of World Health Organization co-ordination, a regional meeting was held with the subject of “development road to universal health coverage”, with the presence of senior representatives of member countries (health minister, undersecretary of health minister, and the successor of health minister), on September 2nd to 5th in Salaleh, Oman.
In this meeting, the place of Iran had been considered special and in all of the topics, Iran had been an example stated by the lecturers.
The most important efforts were as followed: (1) The experience of four decades of providing primary health care and the input of health network, (2) financial risk protection, (3) developing the integrated health coverage interventions, and (4) correcting Health Insurance Scheme program. However, it seems that with a careful and accurate manner, deficiencies and limitation in the UHC should be identified and addressed. Some of the most important are as follows: Sustainability of financial resources for health system, improve the allocative and technical efficiency, considering the effective coverage of interventions, proper governance of health services provision, establishment and enhancement of routine health system information, and considering the health workforce distributions.

Social capital has been defined as norms, networks, and social links that facilitate collective actions. Social capital is related to a number of main social and public health variables. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the factors associated with social capital among the residents of Tehran, Iran.
In this large cross-sectional population-based study, 31531 residents aged 20 years and above were selected through multi-stage sampling method from 22 districts of Tehran in 2011. The social capital questionnaire, 28-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), and Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12) were used. Hypothetical causal models were designed to identify the pathways through which different variables influenced the components of social capital. Then, path analysis was conducted for identifying the determinants of social capital.
The most influential variables in ‘individual trust’ were job status (β=0.37, p=0.02), marital status (β=0.32, p=0.01), Physical Component Summary (PCS) (β=0.37, p=0.02), and age (β=0.34, p=0.03). On the other hand, education level (β=0.34, p=0.01), age (β=0.33, p=0.02), marital status (β=0.33, p=0.01), and job status (β=0.32, p=0.01) were effective in ‘cohesion and social support’. Additionally, age (β=0.18, p=0.02), PCS (β=0.36, p=0.01), house ownership (β=0.23, p=0.03), and mental health (β=0.26, p=0.01) were influential in ‘social trust/collective relations’.
Social capital can be improved in communities by planning to improve education and occupation status, paying more attention to strengthening family bonds, and provision of local facilities and neighborhood bonds to reduce migration within the city.

We explored survival of skin cancer and its determinants in Kurdistan province of Iran. In a retrospective cohort design, we identified all registered skin cancer patients in Kurdistan Cancer Registry from year 2000 to 2009. Information on time and cause of death were obtained from Registrar’s office and information on type, stage and anatomic locations were extracted from patients’ hospital records. Additional demographic information was collected via a telephone interview. We calculated the 3 and 5 years survival. Survival experiences in different groups were compared using log rank test. Cox proportional hazard model was built and hazard ratios and their 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Of a total of 1353, contact information for 667 patients were available, all of which were followed up. 472 telephone interviews were conducted. Mean follow-up time was 34 months. We identified 78 deaths in this group of patients and 44 of them were because of skin cancer. After controlling for confounding, tumour type, anatomical location, and diseases stage remained significantly associated with survival. Hazard ratios for death because of squamous cell carcinoma was 74.5(95%CI:4.8-1146) and for melanoma was 24.4(95%CI:1.3-485) compared with basal cell carcinomas. Hazard ratio for tumours in stage 4 was 16.7 (95%CI:1.8-156.6) and for stage 3 was 16.8(95%CI:1.07-260) compared with stage 1 and 2. Tumour stage is independently associated with survival. Relatively low survival rates suggest delayed diagnosis. Increasing public awareness through media about the warning signs of skin cancers could increase the chance of survival in these patients.

Myocardial Infarction (MI) is a main cause of death and disability worldwide, which involves a number of genetic, physiopathologic and socio-economic determinants. The aim of this study was to assess the patterns of association between education, wealth and some other risk factors with non-fatal MI in Tehran population. Data derived from a second round of large cross-sectional study, Urban HEART-2, conducted in Tehran in 2011. Out of 118542 participants, all 249 self-reported incident cases of non-fatal MI were selected as the case group. A number of 996, matched on age and sex, were selected as controls. Principle component analysis (PCA) was used to calculate wealth index and logistic regression model to assess relations between the study variables. Mean (SD) age of participants was 60.25 (12.26) years. A total of 870 (69.9%) of the study subjects were men. Education, wealth status, family violence, hypertension and diabetes were observed as independent predictors of non-fatal MI. Overall, as the level of education increased, the odds of non-fatal MI decreased (p<0.001). We observed an almost J-shaped association between wealth status and non-fatal MI. No significant associations were found between marital status, BMI and current smoking with non-fatal MI (p<0.05). We found different patterns of association between education and wealth with nonfatal MI among Tehran adults. Lower risk of non-fatal MI is linked to high educated groups whereas economically moderate group has the lowest risk of non-fatal MI occurrence.

To estimate and compare prevalence of overweight and obesity among adult people across the 22 districts of Tehran in 2011. Method s: This was a cross-sectional study using data on 47,406 women and 47,525 men aged≥ 15 years from a large population-based survey (Urban HEART-2). Age-standardized prevalence (ASP) of overweight (25≤BMI<30) and obesity (BMI≥30) were estimated for the Tehran’s districts. Pearson Chi2 tests and logistic regression were used to examine any significant differences in prevalence of these disorders across sociodemographic groups. ASPs of overweight were 36.5% and 32.0 % among men and women, respectively (p<0.001). These figures for obesity were 10.7% and 15.3% among men and women, respectively (p<0.001). Crude prevalence of overweight and obesity rose with age up to the age of 54 years and decreased thereafter. Across education groups, the lowest prevalence of overweight/obesity was seen among most educated people. The results showed that being young, single and student were associated with lower odds of overweight/obesity. This study showed a high prevalence of overweight and obesity among adult in Tehran. There were significant associations between sociodemographic characteristics and prevalence of overweight/obesity among adults in Tehran. The results of this study might be used in identifying high risk groups of overweight and obesity in Tehran.

This paper aims at investigating the torsional buckling behavior of the embedded multi-walled nanotubes (double- to five- walled) under combined loading based on the nonlocal continuum mechanics. The governing partial differential equations are derived according to Donnel shell model assumptions and Eringen elasticity theory. The effects of the number of layers of carbon nanotube, the existence of axial force, temperature change and the existence of the elastic medium on critical shear stress are studied. Results clearly reveal that at a fixed length, the carbon nanotube which has more layers can tolerate higher critical shear stress, although the existence of compressive axial force and/or temperature change at a high temperature environment decreases the load-bearing capacity of carbon nanotube. While the existence of elastic medium and/or tensile axial force increase the critical shear stress. It is also seen that with a rise in the number of half-wave, the effects of small-scale parameter on shear stress increase. The difference in predicting critical shear stress of multi-walled nanotubes between nonlocal and local continuum mechanics is investigated as well.

Quality-of-life (QOL) among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected people has been the center of focus worldwide. The World Health Organization QOL Group (WHOQOL Group) has developed a 31-item QOL questionnaire, which has been translated and used in many countries. This paper aimed at examining the reliability and validity of Persian version of HIV specific WHOQOL scaleBREF questionnaire (WHOQOL-HIV BREF) in Iranian patients suffering from HIV/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).Methods & Materials: For the purpose of this cross-sectional study, a standard “forward- backward” translation and cognitive debriefing were initially applied. Subsequently, 150 people living with HIV/AIDS visitingTertiary Referral Consultation Center for clients with risky behaviors in Tehran completed the Persian version of the questionnaire. Validity was assessed using “Known Group Comparison” through ANOVA test. Internal reliability was measured by Cronbach’s alpha and Split-Half coefficients. WHOQOL-HIV BREF was capable to discriminate between two groups who were different in their QOL (P< 0.05). Internal consistency analysis was satisfactory for domains (Cronbach’s alpha =0.64–0.85), and whole the instrument (Cronbach’s alpha=0.93). The Persian version of WHOQOL-HIV BREF is a reliable and valid instrument to assess the QOL among Iranian HIV-infected population.

Although Visual impairment (VI) and its prevention is a public health issue, sub-optimal information about its magnitude in national level and its distribution is one of the impediments for visual health advocacy. In this article, we are detailing the approaches which will be taken to estimate the magnitude (prevalence, incidence, and burden), distribution, and trend (1990 to 2013) of low vision and blindness in Iran. Besides that, an attempt will be made to describe inequalities and their determinants. After finalizing the list of diseases, a systematic search will be started using confirmed search terms and all published and unpublished data will be extracted. Other data sources, including data from hospital records, schoolchildren amblyopia and refractive error screening data, registries such as Iran Eye Bank keratoplasty will be added to the data extraction sheet. Using distinct statistical models including spatio-temporal model and multilevel autoregressive model, we will estimate rate of burden measures of eye disease and their uncertainty interval by sex, age, year, and province as well as social determinants of visual impairment inequality. The results of the current study will address gaps in different regions and have implication for evidence-based policy making in Iran.

Growing in health care costs lead to increasing concern about the economic impact of health costs on the family facing the disease. The aim of this study was to investigate factors affecting the probability of catastrophic expenditures exposure among households in Tehran. The main goal of research was understanding the factors affecting the probability of catastrophic expenditures exposure among households in Tehran using Econometrics Logit model. The study considered all the areas of the Tehran city. The data were gathered with Urban Health Equity Assessment and Response Tool (Urban HEART) has been used in the research. In the year 2011 about 11 percent of people in Tehran have been faced to catastrophic health costs. The results of Econometrics models show that households with the number of members under 5 years or over 65 years, unemployed or less educated head, or households with a chronic patient and without insurance supports are more likely to face with catastrophic health care costs. This study showed that catastrophic health care costs of the various groups and households had significant difference, of course, clearly, with the performance of the health system transformation project, changes have taken place in this important indicator and factors affecting it, that requires a separate study and research

Population health and disease profiles are diverse across Iran’s neighboring countries. Borrowing the results of the country-level Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors 2010 Study (GBD 2010), we aim to compare Iran with 19 countries in terms of an important set of population health and disease metrics. These countries include those neighboring Iran and a few other countries from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. We show the pattern of health transition across the comparator countries from 1990 through 2010. We use classic GBD metrics measured for the year 2010 to indicate the rank of Iran among these nations. The metrics include disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), years of life lost as a result of premature death (YLLs), years of life lost due to disability (YLDs), health-adjusted life expectancy (HALE), and age-standardized death rate (ASD). Considerable and uniform transition from communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional (CMMN) conditions to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) was seen between 1990 and 2010. On average, ischemic heart disease, lower respiratory infections, and road injuries were the three principal causes of YLLs, while low back pain and major depressive disorders were the top causes of YLDs in these countries. Iran ranked 13th in HALE and 12th in ASD. The function of Iran’s health care, measured by DALYs, was somewhat in the middle of the HALE spectrum for the comparator countries. This intermediate position becomes rather highlighted when Afghanistan, as outlier, is taken out of the comparison. Effective policies to reduce NCDs need to be formulated and implemented through an integrated health care system. Our comparison shows that Iran can learn from the experience of a number of these countries to devise and execute the required strategies.

we aimed to recap and highlight the major results of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2010 by mortality and morbidity to clarify the current health priorities and challenges in Iran. We estimated Iran’s mortality and burden of 289 diseases with 67 risk factors and 1160 sequelae, which were used to clinically present each disease and its disability or cause of death. We produced several measures to report health loss and status: all-cause mortality, cause-specific mortality, years of life lost due to death (YLL), healthy years of life lost due to disability (YLD), disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), life expectancy, and healthy life expectancy, for three time periods: 1990, 2005, and 2010. We found out that life expectancy at birth was 71.6 years in men and 77.8 years in women. Almost 350 thousand deaths occurred in both sexes and all age groups in 2010. In both males and females and all age groups, ischemic heart disease was the main cause of death, claiming about 90 thousand lives. The main contributors to DALYs were: ischemic heart disease (9.1%), low back pain (9.0%), road injuries (7.3%), and unipolar depressive disorders (6.3%). The main causes of death under 5 years of age included: congenital anomalies (22.4%), preterm birth complications (18.3%), and other neonatal disorders (13.5%). The main causes of death among 15 – 49 year olds in both sexes included: injuries (23.6%) and ischemic heart disease (12.7%) The highest rates of YLDs were observed among 70+ year olds for both sexes (27,365 per 100,000), mainly due to low back pain, osteoarthritis, diabetes, falls, and major depressive disorder. The main risk factors to which deaths were attributable among children under 5 years included: suboptimal breast feeding, ambient PM pollution, tobacco smoking, and underweight. The most important risk factors among 15 to 49 year olds were: dietary risks, high blood pressure, high body mass index, physical inactivity, smoking, and ambient PM pollution. The pattern was similar among 50+ year olds. Although non-communicable diseases had the greatest burden in 2010, the challenge of communicable and maternal diseases for health system is not over yet. Diet and physiological risk factors appear to be the most important targets for public health policy in Iran. Moreover, Iranians would greatly benefit from effective strategies to prevent injury and musculoskeletal disorders and expand mental care. Persistent improvement is possible by strengthening the health information system to monitor the population health and evaluate current programs.

Drawing on the results of the country-level Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors 2010 Study, we attempted to investigate the drivers of change in the healthcare system in terms of mortality and morbidity due to diseases, injuries, and risk factors for the two decades from 1990 to 2010. We decomposed trends in mortality, cause of death, years of life lost due to disability, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), life expectancy, health-adjusted life expectancy, and risk factors into the contribution of total increase in population size, aging of the population, and changes in age-specific and sex-specific rates. We observed a decrease in age-specific mortality rate for both sexes, with a higher rate for women. The ranking of causes of death and their corresponding number of years of life lost remained unchanged between 1990 and 2010. However, the percentages of change indicate patterns of reduction for most causes, such as ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, hypertensive heart disease, stomach cancer, lower respiratory infections, and congenital anomalies. The number of years lost due to disability caused by diabetes and drug use disorders has significantly increased in the last two decades. Major causes of DALYs, such as injuries, interpersonal violence, and suicide, showed increasing trends, while rates of communicable diseases, neonatal disorders, and nutritional deficiencies have declined significantly. Life expectancy and health-adjusted life expectancy increased for both sexes by approximately 7 years, with the highest rate of increase pertaining to females over the age 30. Time trend information presented in this paper can be used to evaluate problems and policies specific to medical conditions or risk factors. Despite recent improvements, implementing policies to reduce the number of deaths and years of life lost due to road traffic injury remains the highest priority for Iranian policymakers. Immediate action by Iranian researchers is required to match Iran’s decreasing mortality rate due to liver and stomach cancers to a rate comparable to the global level. Prevention and treatment plans for mental disorders, such as major depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, and particularly drug use disorders, should be considered in reforms of the health, education, and judiciary systems in Iran.

Seasonal variation in admissions and mortality due to acute myocardial infarction has been observed in different countries. Since there are scarce reports about this variation in Iran, this study was carried out to determine the existence of seasonal rhythms in hospital admissions for acute myocardial infarction, and in mortality due to AMI in elderly patients in Isfahan city. This prospective hospital-based study included a total of 3990 consecutive patients with acute myocardial infarction admitted to 13 hospitals from January 2002 to December 2007. Seasonal variations were analyzed with the Kaplan-Meier table, log rank test, and Cox regression model. There was a statistically significant relationship between the occurrence of heart disease based on season and type of acute myocardial infarction anatomical (P < 0.001). The relationship between the occurrence of death and season and type of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) according to International Classification of Diseases code 10 (ICD) was also observed and it was statistically significant (P = 0.026). Hazard ratio for death from acute myocardial infarction were 0.96 [Confidence interval of 95% (95% CI) = 0.78-1.18], 0.9 (95%CI = 0.73-1.11), and 1.04 (95%CI = 0.85-1.26) during spring, summer, and winter, respectively. There is seasonal variation in hospital admission and mortality due to AMI; however, after adjusting in the model only gender and age were significant predictor factors.

Inequalities in urban environment are a significant concern. Socioeconomic level plays an important role in these inequalities. Inequality in environmental hazards recognized as potential determinants of health disparities. This current study, for the first attempt, investigates inequality from individual and cumulative air pollution in Tehran, Iran. In this study, we used individual and cumulative environmental hazard inequality indices to compare the inequality among 379 neighborhoods in the city. Inequality indices were calculated based on unequal shares of environmental hazards for socioeconomic status (SES). The hazards include ambient concentrations of PM10 and NO2 in 2011. Inequalities from cumulative hazards (additive and multiplicative) and individual PM10 in different education rates were significant (P<0.001). However, there was no significant relation between inequalities in distribution of the pollutants and the variable of unemployment rate (P>0.05). Findings of this research can be useful for policymakers and managers to investigate environmental justice especially in mega cities.

Current evidence consistently confirm inequalities in health status among socioeconomic groups, gender,ethnicity, geographical area and other social determinants of health (SDH), which adversely influence health of the population. SDH refer to a wide range of factors not limited to social component, but also involve economic, cultural,educational, political or environmental problems. Measuring inequalities, improving daily living conditions, andtackling inequitable distribution of resources are highly recommended by international SDH commissioners in recentyears to ‘close the gaps within a generation’. To measure inequalities in socio-economic determinants and core healthindicators in Tehran, the second round of Urban Health Equity Assessment and Response Tool (Urban HEART-2)was conducted in November 2011, within the main framework of WHO Centre for Health Development (Kobe Centre). For ‘assessment’ part of the project, 65 indicators in six policy domains namely ‘physical and infrastructure’,‘human and social’, ‘economic’, ‘governance’, ‘health and nutrition’, and also ‘cultural’ domain were targetedeither through a population based survey or using routine system. Survey was conducted in a multistage random sampling,disaggregated to 22 districts and 368 neighborhoods of Tehran, where data of almost 35000 households (118000 individuals) were collected. For ‘response’ part of the project, widespread community based development (CBD) projects were organized in all 368 neighborhoods, which are being undertaken throughout 2013. Following the first round of Urban HEART project in 2008, the second round was conducted to trackchanges over time, to institutionalize inequality assessment within the local government, to build up community participationin ‘assessment’ and ‘response’ parts of the project, and to implement appropriate and evidence-based actionsto reduce health inequalities within all neighborhoods of Tehran.

Objective (s): To assess mental health and its relationship with social capital in older people. This was a cross-sectional study of older people aged over 60 living in Tehran، district 9. The sample was selected by multistage random sampling. To assess mental health and social capital the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) and the Urban HEART Questionnaire were used، respectively. In all 320 older adults were studied. There was relationship between mental health and individual trust، social cohesion، and social support while mental health and social trust and collective relations did not show significant association. The findings suggest that there is a mutual relationship between mental health and social capital.

Ethics is defined by the Muslim scholars as some sustainable traits and characteristics in one's self that cause things to be done in accordance with those traits by one's without any thinking and spontaneously. The Islamic Ethics determines if these characteristics are true or false according to the framework of Islamic concepts, while the concepts of Islamic work ethics determine the function of the framework of Islamic concepts within human work activities in various organizations. Studies show that there is a meaningful relationship between Islamic work ethics and different individual, professional and organizational factors. This study aims to investigate the relationship between Islamic work ethics and organizational commitment with its aspects including continuous commitment, emotional commitment, and normative commitment and also the relationship between Islamic work ethics and organizational culture with its aspectsincluding integration, organizational leadership, dominant characteristics, management ofemployees, strategic emphases, and success criterion. The population of this study includes 600 employees of the research and higher education centers in Qom. Using Krejcie and Morgan's table for determining sample size, 234 people were selected as the sample. The study variables are measured through three questionnaires: organizational commitment of Labtmediene et al., organizational culture of Cameron and Quinn and Islamic work ethics of Darwish. The results of correlation test and regression show that there is a meaningful and positive relationship between Islamic work ethics and organizational commitment with its aspects and also a meaningful and positive relationship between Islamic work ethics and organizational culture with its aspects.