Spatial Distribution of Annual Precipitation Frequency trend in Northwest of Iran from 1970 to 20131- IntroductionPrecipitation is one of the most significant elements and phenomena of the climate. Besides, the dependence of water resources on Precipitation has doubled its importance for human beings. One of the behavioral characteristics of Precipitation is its long-term changes through time (its trend). However, these changes are not uniform in temporal scale or in spatial scale. Heterogeneity of precipitation changes in time and place is one of the signs of complex and nonlinear behavior of the climate system. Although, the use of linear methods in the study of changes in elements and climatic phenomena that are themselves the output of a complex system can be useful and result in understanding the global behavior of these variables; yet achieving a more accurate understanding is possible only by using nonlinear methods. Therefore, in this study, an attempt is to investigate the trend of annual precipitation frequency in northwestern Iran using linear and nonlinear methods. Northwestern Iran, due to its complex morphology and its effect on Precipitation diversity, the role of its heights in seasonal snow storage, the existence of Lake Urmia and changes in the water level of this lake, as well as the impact of various precipitation systems have an important place in Precipitation studies.2- Study AreaIn this study, long-term precipitation behavior in northwestern Iran has been investigated. This region includes the provinces of West Azerbaijan, East Azerbaijan, Ardabil and Zanjan. Northwest of Iran is located between latitude 35.5 to 40 degrees north and longitude 44 to 49.5 degrees east, which covers an area of 126039.2 square kilometers of Iran.3- Materials and MethodsThe data used in this study are the daily grid data of northwestern Iran from 1/1/1970 to 12/31/2013 (16071 days). These data are the result of interpolation of daily precipitation by using kriging method. The size of each pixel is 4 km x 4 km; therefore, the data matrix is 7818 by 16071, which shows the number of cells and days, respectively. The interpolation process was performed on the data of 219 synoptic, climatological and precipitation stations.One of the appropriate approaches to study the nonlinear trend is the use of polynomial regression. Polynomial regressions can have one, two, or more than two independent variables, and each independent variable can have different powers. 4- Results and DiscussionThe frequency of annual precipitation in northwestern Iran has a relatively large spatial diversity. In the southeast, east, northeast and northwest of the region, the frequency of precipitation is between 36 and 55 days a year. The highest frequency of annual precipitation is seen in the central and northern parts, which is between 74 and 93 days a year. Around the areas with maximum precipitation, to the east, west and south of the region, the number of rainy days is between 55 and 74 days. Therefore, in northwestern Iran, the frequency of precipitation decreases from the center to the surrounding areas. The mean of the precipitation frequency in the period 1970 to 2013 in the study area was 69 days.The findings of this study showed that based on a linear pattern, the frequency of precipitation in only 21.82% of northwestern Iran had a significant trend. While with the addition of the degree 2 and degree 3 patterns, areas with significant trends increase tremendously; So that the frequency of precipitation in 83.1% of northwestern Iran have had significant trends. If we consider the pattern with the highest degree as the basis for selecting the top pattern in each pixel; Then the long-term behavior of annual precipitation frequency in 6.4% of northwestern Iran follows a linear pattern, in 10.7% a degree 2 pattern and in 66% a degree 3 pattern; furthermore, in 16.9% of the region, none of the patterns showed a significant trend. The degree 3 patterns are mostly seen in the eastern half, north, northwest and parts of the west of the region, which also have a remarkable coherence. The degree 2 trends are more common in the south and mid-west and they also have a tendency to the west. However, in some small parts of the west and northwest, the trends follow the same pattern. The trends which have the linear pattern have also occurred more in the western and southeastern parts.5- ConclusionIn this study, an attempt was made to investigate the spatial distribution of the annual precipitation frequency trend in northwestern Iran in the statistical period from 1970 to 2013. In this regard, linear and nonlinear patterns were used. The results have shown that in revealing the annual precipitation trend in northwestern Iran, the linear patterns are very deficient. Earlier, Asakereh (2005) reported that the annual precipitation in Isfahan province has a nonlinear pattern. Therefore, it is suggested that long-term precipitation behaviors in other parts of the country be reviewed based on nonlinear models. Another important point that viewed in this research is the role of Lake Urmia and the central mountain range of the region in the spatial distribution of the trend. In such a way that, the focus of the degree 2 trends and at least a large part of the linear trends are around the lake and also in the west parts of the central mountains.

The aim of this research is to design a Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) management model using a hybrid method of artificial neural networks and hierarchical clustering in power distribution companies of northwestern Iran. This study is conducted in power distribution companies of northwestern Iran, which were selected as pilot companies. Determining the optimal maintenance strategy and selecting the best management model for maintenance is of great importance. The findings of this study will be provided to Tavanir and the Ministry of Energy for further implementation in other subsidiary companies. In terms of location, the quantitative data pertains to operational data of the power distribution companies in northwestern Iran. The statistical population includes experts and personnel from the maintenance, repair, and warehousing departments of these companies. The temporal data pertains to operational data from the inventory, accounting, and process systems of power distribution companies in northwestern Iran, spanning from 2017 to 2022. The results of this research indicate that initiating the Total Productive Maintenance process requires strong managerial leadership. Subsequently, processes should be improved and undergo initial feedback evaluations. By considering the strength of human resources and enhancing employee skills, the quality of work processes will be analyzed. As these factors evolve, the system will undergo precise organization and planning. Comprehensive preventive maintenance will ensure workplace safety and health are prioritized. Another aspect that management must address is the advancement of technology and the expansion of automation systems, especially in the implementation of equipment and inventory management subsystems and resource and contract management, which are key priorities of the model. Finally, management must focus on adopting preventive maintenance, self-controlled maintenance, and re-evaluating current practices. Employees should be engaged in achieving these three goals.

Synoptic systems have a major role in the earth’s climatic changes. These systems, especially cyclones and anti-cyclones, move to transport air currents, and thus, sensible and latent energy, thus alternatively causing instability and stability in one region. Cyclones are synoptic systems in which sea level pressure is low, the air current is ascending, and the wind direction in the northern hemisphere is anti-clockwise. The vertical air movements in cyclones create clouds, precipitation, and even thunderstorms. Considering the literature on the relationship between heavy precipitation and cyclones, the frequency, temporal and spatial distribution and main paths covered by them have been examined; however, it is thus noted that few studies have ever investigated the three-dimensional structure of cyclones and their structural changes during the distance covered. For this, this study aimed to examine the three-dimensional structure of Mediterranean cyclones entering Western and Northwestern Iran through an immediate set of atmospheric variables.

This study used two different databases to identify Mediterranean cyclones entering Western and Northwestern Iran in the cold spells of the year (October-May). The first database pertains to the daily precipitation data of 15 synoptic stations of Western and Northwestern Iran for 10 years (from 2004 to 2013), obtained from Iran’s Meteorological Organization. The second database also pertained to the variables of atmospheric temperature, specific humidity, geo-potential height, sea-level pressure, vorticity, wind meridional component, and wind zonal component, all of which were derived from the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Predictions website (https://www.ecmwf.int) in the form of daily observations for 10 years (from 2004 to 2013) for the cold spells of the year (October -May).After data were obtained, the following five-step algorithm was defined to investigate the three-dimensional structure of cyclones entering Western and Northwestern Iran with origin in the Mediterranean Sea.Step 1: Selecting the most pervasive precipitation days in Western and Northwestern Iran=Step 2: Detecting the time and place of formation of Mediterranean cyclones at 1000 Hpa levels Step 3: Tracking cyclones at 1000 Hpa levels during the cyclone lifespan Step 4: Identifying cyclones at various pressure levels and their bonding together Step 5: Investigating the three-dimensional changes of cyclones during their lifespan

The main goal of this study was to understand the three-dimensional structure of cyclones entering Western and Northwestern Iran with origin in the Mediterranean Sea. For this aim, and to determine Mediterranean cyclones and locate their formation in the Mediterranean Sea, a five-step process was introduced. According to this process, 93 cyclones causing pervasive precipitation in Western and Northwestern Iran in 10 years (from 2004 to 2013) were identified and their three-dimensional structure was determined. The most important results from investigating the three-dimensional structure of the cyclones were as follow:• Most cyclones causing pervasive precipitation in Western and Northwestern Iran had initially shallow and middle depths then developed into deep cyclones during their paths. Before their central cores were established on land, most cyclones caused pervasive precipitation in Western and Northwestern Iran.Except for the beginning days of the birth of cyclones causing pervasive precipitation in Western and Northwestern Iran, vorticity values, being negative at some levels and positive at some other levels, revealed at all levels positive values during [cyclones’] course of movement eastwards in the remaining days. On days with pervasive precipitation in Western and Northwestern Iran, vorticity in cyclonic centers increased, especially at upper atmospheric levels.When shallow cyclones are formed on European land, there is always a kind of weak temporal inversion at lower levels of the atmosphere, which can be a major orographic feature of cyclones. In the course of the Mediterranean cyclones’ movement eastwards, the temperature gradient in the central core of the cyclones involves many changes. When cyclone centers are established over the seas, the temperature gradient is low, and when established on land, it is high.The daily changes of cyclones’ central cores during their course of movement eastwards are low at the seas and high on land. Wind zonal component values in the center of cyclones causing pervasive precipitation in the west and northwest of Iran were greater than those of wind meridional components.

An investigation of the most important changes of atmospheric variables (e.g., geopotential height, vorticity, temperature, humidity, and wind meridional and zonal components) in two horizontal and vertical dimensions during the life span of cyclones causing pervasive precipitation in Western and Northwestern Iran determined that thickness (vertical spreading), vorticity, temperature, humidity, and wind zonal and meridional components underwent large scale changes. The thickness of cyclones during their life span saw an increase, with some shallow cyclones changing into deep cyclones. Vorticity also saw positive values at all levels on all days, except for the beginning days when it held negative values at some levels, and positive values at some levels. Also, the temperature gradient in the central cyclonic cores saw changes. When deployed on the seas, cyclone cores had a low-temperature gradient, and when placed on land, they had a high-temperature gradient. During the cyclone’s life span, the specific humidity value by the time of pervasive precipitation in Western and Northwestern Iran increased at all levels, with the wind zonal component value being greater than the wind meridional component value at most levels.

Chronology of northwestern Iran is principally based on archeological excavations of the area located around Urmia Lake. Although plain and filled with water، and the outcomes of these excavations are extended to the whole northwestern region. However، northwestern Iran despite having geographical diversities with mountainous plains and low stretches، systematic and comprehensive studies have been lacking until today. Khanghah cemetery in the province of Ardebil has been one of the important archeological enclosures in Iran from where graves of the Middle Bronze Age، Iron Age، and the Parthian period have been unearthed. The excavated Iron Age graves in this cemetery are of pit grave with generally individual form of burial، but in some cases، double burials are also seen there. It seems that direction was not observed in the burials. The form of potteries are comparable with ceramics found from places such as Marlik، Lamehzamini، Ghalekuti، Hasanlu V، Kordlore Tepe، Yanik Tepe، Sialk V، Qeytariyeh، Geoy tepe B، Dinkha III، Shahiryeri، Sagzabad، Lasulkan، Mariyan، Chir Chir، Ghabrestan، Khurvin، Haftavan V، Agh evlar، Chilakhaneh and Uzbeki.

In the Islamic period, different types of pottery techniques are used and developed in workshops in different regions. One of the techniques that has played a very important role in Islamic pottery technology is the "carved in rose" technique. This technique begins at the same time as the third and the fourth centuries AH and reaches its peak during the stages of its development in the sixth and the seventh centuries AH. This technique was introduced on unglazed pottery in the early Islamic period and then in the late third century AH with the beginning of the glazed technique with geometric and Islamic designs and from the fourth century onwards it was decorated with human and animal motifs. The discovery of a significant group of this type of pottery in northwestern Iran, suggests that northwestern Iran can be studied as one of the centers of production of this type of technique. Accordingly, in this article, an attempt has been made to study the technique of making and decorating this type of pottery in northwestern Iran using library studies and a descriptive-analytical method. In this research, an attempt has been made to answer these two basic questions: 1. In which centers have sgraffito pottery been produced in northwestern Iran? 2. In the northwest of Iran, what techniques and motifs have been used to decorate this type of pottery? Based on this study, it was found that graphic pottery was produced in northwestern Iran, in different regions such as Tabriz, Aghkand, Urmia, Garous, Zanjan and Soltanieh. It was also found that among the motifs, geometric, plant, and animal motifs were used more while inscriptional and human motifs were used less often.Pottery has always represented the culture, beliefs and art of each region throughout history. Studies on the motifs of sgraffito utensils in northwestern Iran show that in addition to the decorative aspect, these motifs also had a symbolic aspect. Each of these symbols reflects the understanding and belief of the people of the area at the time of the formation of these potteries. The method of working in sgraffito pottery is such that first the body of the dishes is designed with predetermined designs and then they start carving and decorating. As a result, sgraffito dishes are dishes on which different designs are created by scratching the rose on them. Sgraffito pottery is one of the most common glazed pottery of the Islamic era, and also with the discovery of a significant group of this pottery in northwestern Iran, including the cities of Aghkand, Urmia, Garous, Zanjan and Soltanieh, this assumption comes to mind that northwest of Iran is the center of production of this type of technique. The purpose of this study is to study the technique of engraving in rose water in different regions of the northwest to know the technique of making and decorating it. One of the main problems in this research is the lack of sufficient information about this pottery. The reason for this is the lack of archaeological excavations in Islamic sites in northwestern Iran. In the meantime, the areas where archeological excavations have been carried out are not accessible due to the non-publication of excavation results. Therefore, in this study, the areas whose information was available have been paid more attention to. One of the most important ancient data in all historical traditions is pottery. The study of pottery can provide us with important information about the origin of their beginnings and the development of communication as well as cultural exchanges during the period of pottery. Pottery is one of the most important man-made objects during the historical period that reaches its peak in the Islamic period. Common pottery in the Islamic era is engraved or sgraffito pottery. Although scholars believe that the technique of this pottery originated in Egypt in the first century AH, for the first time this pottery was obtained from Samarra. Examples of sgraffito pottery found in Bibin Mesopotamia have also been influenced by the art of pottery in the Tong Chinese period. In Iran, samples of sgraffito pottery from the late third and the early fourth century AH in the areas of Siraf, Neishabour, Susa, Takht-e Soleiman, Amal, Zanjan, Soghand, Garous, Aghkand and Alamut have been obtained. Sgraffito pottery is divided into several areas according to construction and decoration techniques and colors; first, the geographical area of ​​northern Iran, including the areas of Amal, Alamut, and Jorjan. Northwest and West: Aghkand, Soltanieh, Sheikh Tappeh of Urmia, Hamedan, Kangavar, Bostan Arch and Takht-e Soleiman. Northeast: Neishabour, Toos, Samarkand. East and southeast: Sirjan, Lashkari Bazaar and Jiroft.

Zab basin is in the south part of Urmia Lake. The little Zab River in northwestern Iran rises at the Piranshehr mountains and flows from the northwest to the southeast to join Iraq through Alan passage. The river basin contains many ancient settlements. Based on pot sherds it can be inferred that this basin has been a residential zone since the prehistoric period. A noteworthy feature of this basin is the presence of Uruk pottery, including the beveled-rim bowl, at 5 sites in Zab basin. This pottery has not been seen either in the northwest of Iran or in the higher regions of Hamadan. For the first time this material is identified in the Little Zab basin. This pottery belongs to the late Uruk period, i.e. late fourth millennium BC. Geographical position and settlement patterns could be signs of commercial and cultural relations between societies of Northwestern Iran and northern Mesopotamia in late Chalcolithic.

Years after the development of antituberculosis (TB) drugs, many people continue to suffer from this disease. To control the spread of TB, strains of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex need to be determined, and sources of infection must be identified. Such steps should help to prevent transmission of the infection.
The aim of this study was to perform molecular genotyping of isolates of the M. tuberculosis complex obtained from patients in northwestern Iran.
One hundred ninety-four culture-positive M. tuberculosis isolates obtained from patients in northwestern Iran were analyzed using the mycobacterial interspersed repetitive unit-exact tandem repeats (MIRU-ETR) method.
The MIRU-ETR method distinguished 162 different patterns in the 194 isolates, comprising 23 clusters and 139 unique patterns. Its discriminatory power according to the Hunter-Gaston discriminatory index (HGDI) was 0.9978. The largest cluster contained six isolates.
This research indicated that various strains of M. tuberculosis were responsible for TB and that the majority of cases were due to reactivation.

The aim of this study was to identify the Trichomonas vaginalis strains/haplotypes based on identifying their probable variations in asymptomatic patients referred to Tabriz health centers, northwestern Iran.
Sampling was taken from 50-suspected women to T. vaginalis in northwestern Iran. The obtained samples were smeared and cultured. Fifty DNA samples were extracted, amplified and identified by nested polymerase chain reaction and PCR-RFLP of actin gene using two endonuclease enzymes: MseI and RsaI. To reconfirm, the amplicons of actin gene were directly sequenced in order to identify the strains/haplotypes.
PCR-RFLP patterns, sequencing and phylogenetic analyses revealed definitely the presence of the G (n=22; 73.4%) and E (n=8; 26.6%) strains. Multiple alignments findings of genotype G showed five haplotypes and two amino acid substitutions in codons 192 and 211 although, no remarkable unique haplotype was found in genotype E.
The accurate identification of T. vaginalis strains based on discrimination of their unknown haplotypes particularly those which are impacted on protein translation should be considered in parasite status, drug resistance, mixed infection with HIV and monitoring of asymptomatic trichomoniasis in the region.

Excavations at Gird-i Ashoan, an archaeological mound in Piranshahr County in the Lower Zab Basin, have provided remarkable insights into the cultural traditions of the region during the Late Chalcolithic. Whilst reflecting some indigenous peculiarities, its material culture exhibits broad affinities with Northwestern Iran, the Caucasus, and Anatolia. This evinces the spread of the Late Chalcolithic (LC) cultures, especially LC2‒3, over vast territories, which could imply either population movements or the spread of a certain pastoralist subsistence system. The central stimulus was favorable climatic conditions, presumably a significant reduction in cold that fostered a climate almost similar to present conditions. Building on the finds from Gird-i Ashoan, the present paper addresses the reasons for the chaff-faced pottery’s extension over a wide geographic area from the Caucasus to Mesopotamia, northern Syria and northwestern Iran. Excavations at the site brought to light a Late Chalcolithic settlement of an unprecedentedly substantial range, consisting of about 8 m of continuous deposits. The pottery assemblages from the site include chaff-faced ware and Painted Pisdeli ware, suggesting that the site’s strongest interactions were with the Caucasus, Anatolia, and Mesopotamia..

Abstract With the expansion of the Kura-Aras culture in the late fourth millennium, and especially the third millennium BCE, a large portion of Northwestern Iran and Eastern Anatolia came under the domination of this culture. The exact nature of cultural communication and interaction between these two regions, especially in the third millennium BCE, has not been thoroughly investigated. With new archaeological excavations in recent years in both these regions, valuable data have become available for archaeologists to compare cultural materials from both these regions. Still, data on Kura-Aras culture in Northwestern Iran are mostly compared with sites in South Caucasus, which is known as this culture's homeland. This comparative study attempts to compare cultural materials obtained from Kura-Aras cultural sites in the northwest of Iran, especially pottery and architecture that are the main features of Kura-Aras culture, with data from Eastern Anatolia Because of its proximity to the Caucasian lands, Eastern Anatolia, especially its northern part, constitute some of the first areas subjected to the expansion of Kura-Aras culture. Accordingly, the main research question in this study is what are the similarities and differences between materials belonging to a similar culture (Kura-Aras) from two different geographic regions. The results indicate that although the similarities between the cultural materials from Eastern Anatolia and Northwestern Iran prior to the formation of the Kura-Aras culture is based on the spatial distribution of lesser-known pottery, known as " Chaff Faced Ware ", these similarities reach the highest point in the Early Bronze Age, coinciding with the expansion of Kura-Aras culture in both Northwest Iran and East Anatolia. On the other hand, despite the remarkable similarities between the cultural materials related to the Kura-Aras culture in all areas under the influence of this culture, there are still regional differences, for the instance in architecture, that call for close attention. Key Words: Northwest Iran, Eastern Anatolia, Kura-Araxes Culture, Interaction