Search

IntroductionAgricultural production involves a series of tasks including tillage, planting, and harvesting, which must be done at the right time for each region and type of product. Failing to complete these tasks on time can lead to a decrease in yield. Farmers may wrongly attribute this to factors such as infertile land, pests, diseases, and uneven rainfall distribution. However, this decrease in yield may not always be evident or tangible. To avoid such losses and unforeseen expenses, it is crucial to plan agricultural mechanization projects using the principles of project control. Agricultural projects, like industrial projects, must be carried out in the correct order and at the right time to achieve optimal results. Given the limited availability of resources for mechanization projects, it is imperative to meticulously plan activities to ensure that they are carried out on time and with maximum utilization of resources. To address these challenges, researchers have used meta-heuristic methods in project control, such as the colonial competition algorithm, which has been proven effective in solving the issue of scheduling projects with limited resources. The algorithm has been tested across various industrial activities and projects, and its performance in scheduling the Resource-Constrained Project Scheduling Problem (RCPSP) has been validated by researchers globally.Materials and MethodsThere is a scheduling issue regarding limited resources in agriculture, and this study presents a novel approach using the imperialist competitive algorithm (ICA). The algorithm not only explores a wider solution space but also strives to minimize deviation from the optimal solution, thereby improving the success rate of the proposed method. This research focuses on two dominant products, wheat and rapeseed, produced in Moghan Agriculture and Industry located in Northwest Iran. To evaluate the effectiveness of ICA, we compared it with other well-known meta-heuristic algorithms. We successfully resolved the problem of project scheduling problem with limited resources by implementing the imperialist competitive algorithm. Our findings have shown that this approach not only significantly increased efficiency but also outperformed other algorithms.Results and DiscussionIn this study, we assessed the efficiency of meta-heuristic methods in solving the RCPSP, which can be useful in optimizing the timeliness of project execution, especially for large-scale projects. Some meta-heuristic methods are only useful for smaller problems, while others can provide near-optimal solutions for larger problems, making them suitable for RCPSP. The algorithm explores a wide range of solutions and avoids premature convergence and getting stuck in local optima, unlike other algorithms such as the genetic algorithm. Optimization reduced the required budget and shortened the duration by 42 days for wheat and 25 days for rapeseed.ConclusionWe utilized the colonial competition algorithm to address the RCPSP problem in agricultural mechanization projects for two agricultural products in Moghan. Our results show that the proposed algorithm converged and reached the optimal solution. The proposed algorithm was compared with other algorithms and it outperformed them.

In C-RAN architecture, all computational processing is performed in the central baseband unit (BBU) pool, while radio operations are carried out in the remote radio heads (RRHs). The central BBU pool is connected to the RRHs by fronthaul links. Therefore, by separating the processing unit and the radio units, the clustering structure of RRHs can be designed to adapt to network changes. This paper deals with the problem of radio and computation resource allocation to maximize the weighted sum rate. To reduce complexity, we use user-centric clustering and appropriate training resource allocation. Additionally, to lessen channel training overhead, an incomplete model of channel state information is considered, in which only intra-cluster channel state information is estimated. By replacing a sticky lower bound of user data rate in the main problem, the beamforming vectors under the constraints of computational and radio resources are designed in three steps. In the first step, the weighted sum rate maximization problem is solved under maximum radio transmitted power constraints by the weighted minimum mean square error method. Then, in the second step, we propose a greedy algorithm to allocate computational resources to users. In the third step, fronthaul capacity constraints are applied by another greedy algorithm [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Agricultural production involves a series of tasks including tillage, planting, and harvesting, which must be done at the right time for each region and type of product. Failing to complete these tasks on time can lead to a decrease in yield. Farmers may wrongly attribute this to factors such as infertile land, pests, diseases, and uneven rainfall distribution. However, this decrease in yield may not always be evident or tangible. To avoid such losses and unforeseen expenses, it is crucial to plan agricultural mechanization projects using the principles of project control. Agricultural projects, like industrial projects, must be carried out in the correct order and at the right time to achieve optimal results. Given the limited availability of resources for mechanization projects, it is imperative to meticulously plan activities to ensure that they are carried out on time and with maximum utilization of resources. To address these challenges, researchers have used meta-heuristic methods in project control, such as the colonial competition algorithm, which has been proven effective in solving the issue of scheduling projects with limited resources. The algorithm has been tested across various industrial activities and projects, and its performance in scheduling the Resource-Constrained Project Scheduling Problem (RCPSP) has been validated by researchers globally. Materials and Methods There is a scheduling issue regarding limited resources in agriculture, and this study presents a novel approach using the imperialist competitive algorithm (ICA). The algorithm not only explores a wider solution space but also strives to minimize deviation from the optimal solution, thereby improving the success rate of the proposed method. This research focuses on two dominant products, wheat and rapeseed, produced in Moghan Agriculture and Industry located in Northwest Iran. To evaluate the effectiveness of ICA, we compared it with other well-known meta-heuristic algorithms. We successfully resolved the problem of project scheduling problem with limited resources by implementing the imperialist competitive algorithm. Our findings have shown that this approach not only significantly increased efficiency but also outperformed other algorithms. Results and Discussion In this study, we assessed the efficiency of meta-heuristic methods in solving the RCPSP, which can be useful in optimizing the timeliness of project execution, especially for large-scale projects. Some meta-heuristic methods are only useful for smaller problems, while others can provide near-optimal solutions for larger problems, making them suitable for RCPSP. The algorithm explores a wide range of solutions and avoids premature convergence and getting stuck in local optima, unlike other algorithms such as the genetic algorithm. Optimization reduced the required budget and shortened the duration by 42 days for wheat and 25 days for rapeseed. Conclusion We utilized the colonial competition algorithm to address the RCPSP problem in agricultural mechanization projects for two agricultural products in Moghan. Our results show that the proposed algorithm converged and reached the optimal solution. The proposed algorithm was compared with other algorithms and it outperformed them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective(s): Health equity is “the availability of health services and people's access to them, using health services based on need, paying for health services based on financial ability and having an acceptable level of health”. Equitable distribution of hospital beds plays a significant role in achieving universal health coverage and improving people's health. This study aimed to measure the equity in the geographical distribution of hospital beds in Tehran province, Iran. Methods: Data for this descriptive and cross-sectional study was collected from the Ministry of Health and the Iranian Statistics Center. All hospitals in Tehran province were included in this study in 2016. Lorenz curve and Gini coefficient were used to calculate the equity of hospital beds distribution using the Excel software. Results: Tehran province population was 13,267,637 at the study commence. There were 158 hospitals with 25,866 beds in Tehran province in 2016 (1.2 hospital per 100,000 people and 1.9 hospital beds per 1000 people). Tehran, Varamin and Firoozkooh cities had the highest hospital beds per population. Tehran, the capital, had 90% of the total Tehran province hospitals and 95% of the hospital beds. The Gini coefficient for hospital bed distribution among Tehran cities was 0.299. Conclusion: The distribution of hospital beds in Tehran Province was relatively fair. Equitable allocation of hospital beds particularly in less developed cities is necessary for achieving health equity in access to health resources.

Objective(s): Health equity is "the availability of health services and people's access to them, using health services based on need, paying for health services based on financial ability and having an acceptable level of health". Equitable distribution of hospital beds plays a significant role in achieving universal health coverage and improving people's health. This study aimed to measure the equity in the geographical distribution of hospital beds in Tehran province, Iran. Methods: Data for this descriptive and cross-sectional study was collected from the Ministry of Health and the Iranian Statistics Center. All hospitals in Tehran province were included in this study in 2016. Lorenz curve and Gini coefficient were used to calculate the equity of hospital beds distribution using the Excel software. Results: Tehran province population was 13,267,637 in 2016. There were 158 hospitals with 25,866 beds in Tehran province in 2016 (1.2 hospital per 100,000 people and 1.9 hospital beds per 1000 people). Tehran, Varamin and Firoozkooh cities had the highest hospital beds per population. Tehran, the capital, had 90% of the total Tehran province hospitals and 95% of the hospital beds. The Gini coefficient for hospital bed distribution among Tehran cities was 0.299. Conclusion: The distribution of hospital beds in Tehran Province was relatively fair. Equitable allocation of hospital beds particularly in less developed cities is necessary for achieving health equity in access to health resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Millimeter wave (mW) communication is one of the key enabling technologies for meeting the vast data demand growth and bandwith scarcity. The mmWave band offers higher bandwidth compare with those presently used in commercial wireless systems, which resuls in higher achievable capacity. To improve the user experience in the 5G communication, it is proposed to utilize the composition of microwave (μW) and millimeter wave networks. On the other hand, an ultra-dense network (UDN) has been envisioned as a promising network paradigm for spectrum efficiency enhancement. In this paper, the cellular network using TDD duplexing, consists of both mW and μW base stations. BSs and users are distributed in both indoor and outdoor environments with Poisson point distribution. Our aim is to calculate the spectral efficiency for both mW and μW sysyems, based on the base stations and users distribution. Moreover, the effect of BS density on spectral efficiency is evaluated. Finally, the problem of maximizing the downlink rate is formulated and solved as a linear optimization problem so that the minimum uplink rate is guaranted. The simulation results show that by servicing both mW and μW simultaneously on uplink and downlink, high spectral efficiency can be achieved and with the help of optimal resources allocation, the network’s perfomance is improved about 3dB.

In this paper, we study relay-assisted underlay D2D communication operating at millimeter-wave (mmWave) band in which half-duplex/full-duplex relays may assist D2D users to improve transmission quality. Our aim is to jointly select D2D transmission mode, assign cellular resource blocks to D2D users and control the powers of users in order to maximize the aggregate data rate of the D2D users and cellular network. We focus on the main features of mmWave communication including larger bandwidth, directive antenna arrays at BS and users, and more severe path loss and shadowing. As the optimization problem is mixed-integer-non-linear programming, two heuristic algorithms are proposed, assuming full Channel Side Information (CSI) and limited CSI at Base Station, respectively. Simulation results show the superiority of utilizing FD relays over HD relays and direct transmission, especially for non-line-of-sight links, which is the dominant propagation mechanism in mmWave band. The limited CSI algorithm has considerably lower complexity. Moreover, when the number of resource blocks far exceeds the number of D2D users, the gap between full CSI and limited CSI algorithms vanishes.

Introduction: This research was done with the aim of determination of Resource Allocation in Different Organs of Artemisia species distributed on Southeastern Facing Slopes of Sabalan. Iran's rangelands, with an area of 84.8 million hectares, are considered one of the largest vital areas in the country, more than 70% of which are located in arid and semi-arid areas. These areas with Artemisia and Astragalus vegetation comprise about 46% of the country's area. They are essential in preserving the environment, especially preventing soil erosion and providing fodder for livestock and wildlife. In the face of grazing pressure, Artemisia spp., by allocating resources to other organs, can recover themselves, maintain, and survive in rangelands; for this reason, these species have a particular priority in rangelands. Four species, Artemisia fragrans, Artemisia Aucheri, Artemisia austriaca, and Ar. Melanolepis were selected for this study because of their importance in rangelands, medicinal and fodder value, and different species on the southeastern slopes of Sablan. Determining the effect of altitude above sea level, range condition, and soil parameters on resource allocation rates in different organs of the study species and comparing resource allocation in these species are the main goals of this research. Materials and methods: This research investigated the resource allocation rates in the shoots and roots of Artemisia fragrans, Ar. Aucheri, Ar. austriaca, and Ar. Melanolepis in Sablan's southeast rangelands. The studied area is located on Sablan's southeast slope, with geographical coordinates of 47'52 to 47'55 east longitude and 38'00 to 12'38 north latitude. It is between 1800 and 3200 meters above sea level. According to DeMarton's classification, the average annual rainfall is 414.5 mm, and the average annual temperature is 7.8 degrees Celsius. This region has 160 freezing days, and its climate is cold semi-arid. Plant samples were collected from three sites under light, medium, and heavy grazing through field visits and the four-factor method. Vegetation sampling was done in two stages between July and September 2013, systematically and randomly (regarding species presence) according to the access road and rangelands area of the study sites. Soil sampling was also done using a random-systematic method. Three intact soil samples (12 samples) were prepared at 0-30 cm depth along transect in each site. Results: According to the obtained data, Ar. fragrans grows at an altitude of 1800 to 1900 meters, Ar. Aucheri at 2000 to 2300 meters, Ar. austriaca at 2900 to 3000 meters, and Ar. melanolepis grows at an altitude of 3000 to 3200 meters above sea level. No significant difference was observed for the interaction effect of grazing intensity and the studied altitude range on the shoot and root biomass of the species. Soil samples from the habitats of the studied species were compared, and pH, K, OC, silt, and sand showed significant differences. pH, K, silt, and sand were significant at 1% and OC at 5%. The grazing intensity also affected potassium, organic carbon, and soil silt content. The values of pH, EC, P, sand and clay parameters did not show significant differences under different intensities. The type of plant species also influenced EC, potassium, organic carbon, silt, sand and clay. The Pearson correlation test showed a correlation between potassium and shoot biomass. Soil acidity, silt, and sand also affected the amount of root biomass. Artemisia fragrans production was estimated at 952.10, 554.70, and 407.80 kg per hectare under light, medium, and heavy grazing conditions, respectively. Artemisia Aucheri's production was estimated at 874.90, 429.60, and 238.55 kg per hectare under light, medium, and heavy grazing, respectively. In the case of Artemisia melanolepis, 915.30, 421.1, and 275.50 kg per hectare were estimated production values under light, medium, and heavy grazing conditions, respectively. Artemisia austriaca production was estimated at 877.5, 459.3, and 345.3 kg ha-1, respectively. Generally, the highest root weight and length and the highest shoot weight and length were observed under light grazing. For all four studied species, the lowest values were observed under heavy grazing. Also, there was a significant correlation between root weight and root length and between shoot weight and shoot length in all four studied species. Moreover, a significant correlation was found between root length and shoot length and between shoot biomass and root weight in all four studied species. Discussion and Conclusion: Based on the results of this study and considering the altitudinal range defined for each species, altitude does not significantly affect species resource allocation. The highest value for the biomass of different plant organs was in low-intensity grazing, and the lowest was in high-intensity grazing. Therefore, the less degraded the rangeland, the more resources will be allocated by the existing plant species to their organs. Heavy grazing can lead to the loss of key forage species and a decrease in their aboveground plant biomass, while light grazing can improve conditions for their growth. Plant species also play a role in resource allocation patterns. Resource allocation among different organs of a species varies, and ultimately, soil characteristics determine the presence of specific species in a region. Each plant species grows and establishes itself in soils that are compatible with it. Additionally, property K significantly impacted the allocation of aboveground resources, while soil properties pH, silt, and sand significantly impacted the allocation of belowground resources. Environmental variables, pivotal in plant establishment and distribution, can either enhance or deteriorate rangelands. However, by implementing sound rangeland management practices like controlling grazing intensity and duration, we can effectively curb the adverse effects of these factors on plant communities and rangelands in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: As economic enterprises that seek to earn a profit, banks collect and accept financial resources from depositors in the form of financial intermediaries. They allocate the resources to economic activities (investors) by providing various facilities. Therefore, banks play a very sensitive and important role in the economic system of a country and have a significant effect in regulating the economic relationships in society. Banks need to pay attention to the accurate allocation of facilities and resources. Accordingly, in today's financial landscape, effective asset and debt management has become a crucial component for the success of banks and other financial institutions. It is now essential to optimize the provision and allocation of financial resources in the banking system to reduce the costs of collecting financial resources and increase income via the distribution of financial resources in the form of various facilities. Introducing a multi-objective mathematical model and considering the limitations of the problem, this study seeks to present a mathematical model for equipping and optimal allocation of financial resources. Methods: After reviewing the literature and previous studies conducted in the field of the research topic, using the opinions of banking experts, the researchers defined the objectives of the study as maximizing the income from the allocation of resources and minimizing the costs from the collection of resources. The first objective was defined to maximize the income from the payment of facilities (allocation of financial resources) and the second objective was defined to minimize the costs of the collection of financial resources (equipment of financial resources). The objectives were determined according to the rules and regulations of the Iran Central Bank as well as the financial regulations governing the business of the Iranian banking system. After defining and coding the model, the problem was solved using meta-heuristic algorithms. Finally, the effectiveness of the algorithms in providing the desired answer was assessed. Due to the NP-HARD nature of the problem, three meta-heuristic algorithms NSGAII, MOPSO, and CUCKOO were chosen to solve the problem. Due to the high efficiency of the MATLAB program, this software was used to perform the coding and calculations. Results: The results of the research indicated that the credit and operational risks of the bank will be reduced in case the banking system's resources are equipped and allocated scientifically. The achieved results from the evaluation of the algorithms confirmed the superiority of the mass particle swarm algorithm (MOPSO) over the other two algorithms. Long calculation time was found to be one of the disadvantages of genetic algorithms. Also, in the evaluation of various indices, the cuckoo algorithm did not demonstrate any significant advantage over the other two algorithms under scrutiny. Conclusion: The results showed that thanks to its optimal allocation of financial resources, the model presented by this study can significantly increase the profitability of banks.

Multi-Input and Output Radar System (MIMO) is a new type of radar system that has been the subject of much research in recent years due to its many advantages. Meanwhile, the issue of target tracking in MIMO radar systems is of great importance, and providing an efficient solution for it remains an unresolved issue. In this paper, target tracking in MIMO radar systems using optimizing Kalman interactive filter is investigated. The proposed method in this research is the MIMO radar system for the simultaneous tracking of multiple targets. In the assumed system model, the interactive multiple model (IMM) based on Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) is used to understand the effective tracking of the target. Also, the optimization of the multi-objective tracking model in MIMO radar systems has been done by the proposed method using the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. This optimization algorithm estimates the fit of each studied response based on the number of energy resources and time consumed. The efficiency of the proposed method in a simulated environment has been evaluated and its performance in tracking multiple targets has been investigated in terms of different criteria. Based on the results of these experiments, the proposed method, in addition to reducing the amount of tracking error, can be effective in reducing energy consumption and reducing the sampling period. Thus, the proposed method will reduce resource consumption in the multi-objective tracking system.

Because the risk of falling stock prices has a significant impact on investment decisions and the optimal allocation of resources, it is essential to understand the factors affecting this phenomenon and its underlying factors. Based on the rational stock pricing structure in the Iranian capital market, this study measures the risk of falling stock prices and its alignment with price bubbles. To analyze and test the research hypothesis, data related to 30 companies admitted to the Tehran Stock Exchange for the period 1390-1401 were extracted. For this study, the stock price fall measurement model was estimated for the sample companies, and then its efficiency was measured and evaluated with the Kupiec test, and it was confirmed at a 95% confidence level. After estimating the capital assets pricing models, this study used Bartlett, Lunn, and Brown-Forside tests to assess the alignment between falling stock prices and bubbles. The results showed that there is no alignment between the variance of the risk of falling stock prices and bubbles based on the rational stock pricing structure in our country's context. Therefore, in our country, falling stock prices in line with price bubbles are not based on rational stock pricing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-Input and Output Radar System (MIMO) is a new type of radar system that has been the subject of much research in recent years due to its many advantages. Meanwhile, the issue of target tracking in MIMO radar systems is of great importance, and providing an efficient solution for it remains an unresolved issue. In this paper, target tracking in MIMO radar systems using optimizing Kalman interactive filter is investigated. The proposed method in this research is the MIMO radar system for the simultaneous tracking of multiple targets. In the assumed system model, the interactive multiple model (IMM) based on Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) is used to understand the effective tracking of the target. Also, the optimization of the multi-objective tracking model in MIMO radar systems has been done by the proposed method using the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. This optimization algorithm estimates the fit of each studied response based on the number of energy resources and time consumed. The efficiency of the proposed method in a simulated environment has been evaluated and its performance in tracking multiple targets has been investigated in terms of different criteria. Based on the results of these experiments, the proposed method, in addition to reducing the amount of tracking error, can be effective in reducing energy consumption and reducing the sampling period. Thus, the proposed method will reduce resource consumption in the multi-objective tracking system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is important to Support and develop start-ups and SMEs in Iran, because the development of entrepreneurship can play an important role in the economic development of the country. According to the first paragraph of the general policies of resistance economy, there is a need for providing conditions and activating financial resources in order to develop entrepreneurship and maximize the participation of individuals in economic activities by facilitating crowdsourcing and among the ways to achieve this, is crowdfunding. This study tries to design an operational model for crowdsourcing small and medium-sized businesses with an emphasis on Meidoun website. The website uses various media capacities, such as TV competitions, to finance small and medium-sized businesses. This research is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-survey in terms of the nature of data collection. In this research, firstly, Successful domestic and foreign crowdfunding models and their business models were examined. Then, to select the best crowdfunding model, a questionnaire based on the criteria of entrepreneurs and investors was designed. In the next step, using TOPSIS model, the crowdfunding models were ranked based on the opinion of experts. Then, with the formation of the focus group, the results of the mentioned rankings were reviewed and the final model of the platform was determined, and based on that, the business model canvas of the platform was designed.

Background: Access to services is one of the main intermediate outcomes of health system which directly affects people's health. Increasing demand for services, on the one hand, and insufficiency of existing beds according to the relevant standards in many hospitals in the country, on the other hand, necessitate the optimal use of existing beds. The present study aims to investigate the challenges of bed management in the referral educational hospitals of Mashhad. Methods: This was a qualitative study using content analysis method. The study population consisted of managers working in Imam Reza and Ghaem hospitals, as referral hospitals in Mashhad, and staff managers. Authors continued data collection until saturation was reached. Researchers used in-depth and semi-structured interviews to collect data. For data analysis, the authors transcribed and coded interviews, and at the same time, collected data using MaxQDA 11 software. Results: Data were continuously compared in terms of similarities and differences to similar codes. They can be integrated together, leading to the creation of 7 main concepts. They included challenges regarding admission, bed allocation, sustainability, discharge, process, structure, and human resources. Conclusion: Attention to the challenges of bed management in this study can greatly assist the correct emergency organization and patient flow in the hospital. Authorities need to recognize the problems arising from bed management and movie towards solving them. By doing so, the health system will enjoy higher productivity, and the patients ' access to health care will be enhanced without the need to increase the cost.

Objective: As economic enterprises that seek to earn a profit, banks collect and accept financial resources from depositors in the form of financial intermediaries. They allocate the resources to economic activities (investors) by providing various facilities. Therefore, banks play a very sensitive and important role in the economic system of a country and have a significant effect in regulating the economic relationships in society. Banks need to pay attention to the accurate allocation of facilities and resources. Accordingly, in today's financial landscape, effective asset and debt management has become a crucial component for the success of banks and other financial institutions. It is now essential to optimize the provision and allocation of financial resources in the banking system to reduce the costs of collecting financial resources and increase income via the distribution of financial resources in the form of various facilities. Introducing a multi-objective mathematical model and considering the limitations of the problem, this study seeks to present a mathematical model for equipping and optimal allocation of financial resources. Methods: After reviewing the literature and previous studies conducted in the field of the research topic, using the opinions of banking experts, the researchers defined the objectives of the study as maximizing the income from the allocation of resources and minimizing the costs from the collection of resources. The first objective was defined to maximize the income from the payment of facilities (allocation of financial resources) and the second objective was defined to minimize the costs of the collection of financial resources (equipment of financial resources). The objectives were determined according to the rules and regulations of the Iran Central Bank as well as the financial regulations governing the business of the Iranian banking system. After defining and coding the model, the problem was solved using meta-heuristic algorithms. Finally, the effectiveness of the algorithms in providing the desired answer was assessed. Due to the NP-HARD nature of the problem, three meta-heuristic algorithms NSGAII, MOPSO, and CUCKOO were chosen to solve the problem. Due to the high efficiency of the MATLAB program, this software was used to perform the coding and calculations. Results: The results of the research indicated that the credit and operational risks of the bank will be reduced in case the banking system's resources are equipped and allocated scientifically. The achieved results from the evaluation of the algorithms confirmed the superiority of the mass particle swarm algorithm (MOPSO) over the other two algorithms. Long calculation time was found to be one of the disadvantages of genetic algorithms. Also, in the evaluation of various indices, the cuckoo algorithm did not demonstrate any significant advantage over the other two algorithms under scrutiny. Conclusion: The results showed that thanks to its optimal allocation of financial resources, the model presented by this study can significantly increase the profitability of banks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and purpose: The main mission of hospitals is to provide quality services for patients. Evaluating the quality of hospital services can lead to the targeted allocation of financial resources to areas that are in worse situation. The aim of the present study was to investigate the quality of services of university hospitals in Yazd province. Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study was conducted in 2020-2021 in 12 university hospitals of Yazd province. In order to conduct the study, the standard questionnaire of SERVQUAL was used. This questionnaire is made up of two parts, administration and expectations, and each of them contains 28 questions and 6 dimensions. The sampling method was stratified randomly. Data analysis was done in SPSS version 24 software. Results: 225 patients participated in the study. The majority of patients were over 50 years old (46.7%). The average score of patients' expectations (128.99±8.12) at the high level, the average score of patients' perceptions (107.98±8.62) at the middle level, and the average score of the total quality of hospital services (236.97±12.24) at the high level reported. In both areas of perceptions and expectations, the dimensions of reliability, responsiveness and assurance had a higher mean score and the physical or tangible dimensions, empathy and access had a lower mean score. Conclusion: The service quality of university hospitals in Yazd province was in a good condition, but the average score of perceptions was lower than the score of expectations. Although there was no deep gap, it is necessary for hospital managers to pay more attention to improving the quality of services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leasing companies in the world use various methods to equip and allocate resources, but in Iran these methods are less considered. In order for these methods to be applicable in domestic leasing companies, they must first be analyzed jurisprudentially and if approved, their economic dimensions are also to be examined so that they could be used by leasing companies if, of course, they fit in the economic environment of the country. In this research, after enumerating the methods of equipping and allocating resources in leasing companies in the world, the jurisprudential details of each method are studied and then following the opinions of economic jurisprudence experts and the multi-stage ijtihad method, the application of these methods have been approved. Furthermore, by using the industry experts’ opinions, the efficiency conditions of these tools in the economic environment of the country have been evaluated. Afterwards, the criteria for using the above methods in the structure of equipping and allocating these companies' resources have been extracted by interviewing industry experts, and finally, with the use of ANFIS method a model for Iranian leasing companies has been presented. The research findings indicate the enumeration of methods of equipping and allocating resources of leasing companies, jurisprudential validation of these methods, their financial validation, extraction of the necessary criteria for designing a model and finally presentation of a model to leasing companies.

In recent years, sustainable development has been considered by international communities as an important issue in changing management, promoting infrastructure and increasing capabilities of each country. Sustainable development has two components of “development and essentials of sustainability”, and sustainability is comprised of three major economic, social and environmental dimensions. Nowadays, due to increasing population, the world faces complex economic, social and environmental crises. Legal authorities are also pushing industries to pay attention to sustainability. Therefore, organizations and countries strive to improve their sustainability performance. Due to the importance of this subject, this paper developed SORM integrated data envelopment analysis model and SORM integrated inverse data envelopment analysis model to evaluate the sustainability of countries and to provide improvement values for more sustainability. In integrated SORM model, sustainability of 24 countries is calculated with simultaneous consideration regarding inputs and outputs. In the integrated inverse SORM model, optimal changes of inputs and outputs are presented, while efficiency or sustainability are kept unchanged. The optimal changes presented to countries have been in line with the goals of sustainable development and the goals pertaining to achieving long-term global development. Eventually, performance improvements in two countries, Germany and Iran, are compared. The results indicate the decrease or stability of undesirable inputs and outputs and the increase or stability of desirable inputs and outputs.

In the literature of political macroeconomics stresses on the role of political competition in the economic performance of countries; Political, competition can influence economic growth by affecting resources allocation and quality of economic policies. This paper examines the effect of political competiton on economic performance in Iran in the framewok of a dynamic growth model by heteroscedasticity and autocorrelation consistent estimators (HAQ method over the period 1985 to 2018. In this regard, we use the degree of alignment of government and parliament, power balance, power distribution, political and economic freedom and a composite index as the determinants of political competition. The results of estimates confirm the hypothesis of non-linear effect of political competition on economic growth in the Iranian economy as U-shape relationship such as at first the higher levels of political competition tend to be associated to smaller real GDP per capita, but after the optimal value (minimum political competition), production will increase. In this step, the actors of political system, by accepting the rules of politcal competition and avoiding factional policies focuses policies, focus policies that promote economic growth. This situation, whiclr is known as the learning of political competition, enjoys society the benefits of competition political parties. The findings of this researclr supports the importance of political competiton as one of the sources of economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to provide, recognize, and metasynthesize the components of university organizational culture. To this end, a metasynthesis of the Iranian and international articles published from 2010 to 2020 was carried out. The findings of the study were categorized into three parts, namely assumptions, values, and artifacts. The prioritization of the 88 components derived from 74 articles revealed that in the assumptions construct, the value principles of the organization and physicalspiritual wellbeing in the epistemology component and organizational identity and organizational experiences in the identity-seeking component are of importance. In the value construct, components such as academicians’ competences, participation and teamwork, scientific independence and freedom, organizational learning, and learning methods (as norms) and negative clichés (as anomalies) were identified. Finally, within the artifacts construct, components such as communication platform, interaction among individuals (structure), academic management and the role of leadership (human resources), resource allocation and bargaining over resources, and organizational change and evolution atmosphere (process) were recognized. Finally, the artifacts construct was deemed as the principal priority of the meritocratic academic community, the main part of which is the structure component. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the important role of the exchange industry in the optimal allocation of resources and economic growth, as well as promoting a culture of attention to sustainability issues, the purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive framework of material sustainability criteria in the exchange industry for integration into strategies, performance measurement, evaluation and reporting. In order to identify material sustainability criteria in the Iranian exchange industry, the findings of Ahmadi et al research (1401) which include 33 criteria and 352 sub-criteria have been used as a basis. In order to formulate a local framework, the participation of 21 industry experts was used to modify the criteria identified in the Ahmadi et al, according to the culture of Iran. Finally, after finalizing sustainability framework of the Iranian exchange industry, in order to evaluate materiality and prioritize the main criteria, the Fuzzy AHP method has been used. Considering the extensive effects of exchanges from the perspective of financing economic enterprises and the government (through transaction fee tax and issuing bonds), the findings of this study indicate the priority of economic dimension over other sustainability dimensions. Macroeconomics, government and other regulators and trust and confidence have the greatest relative importance among all other criteria. On the other hand, due to the low emissions of exchanges, the relative importance of environment dimension criteria is less than other dimensions in the industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The health sector is one of the most important service sectors and one of the indicators of development and social welfare. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficiency of Iranchr('39')s health system compared to developed countries. Methods: This study used data envelopment analysis to evaluate efficiency. All members of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), along with Iran, were considered as the decision units in the analysis. Outputs are life expectancy at birth and infant mortality rate; and inputs are health expenditure, number of physicians, and number of hospital beds. DEA Solver software was used for the analysis. Results: The most efficient countries in terms of the health system are Canada, Chile, Estonia, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Latvia, Luxembourg, Mexico, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, and Iran. Their inefficiency was calculated using the axial output model. The most inefficient countries were Portugal, Germany, the United States, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. Conclusion: Iranchr('39')s health system was found efficient, which showed that in terms of life expectancy and infant mortality rate (2 important markers of the health system), Iran performed efficiently comparing to its inputs, health expenditures, physicians, and the hospital bed. However, the Iranian health system was more efficient in this method due to the fewer inputs (physician and hospital bed) with similar outputs to other countries (life expectancy and infant mortality rate). On the other hand, the outbreak of the coronavirus showed that the health systems of the countries should be prepared for such pandemics and be able to increase the number of hospital beds, physicians, and other health system inputs.

Objective (s): Health equity as a health system objective means having fair access to needed healthcare services, paying healthcare costs according to payment capacity and enjoying the highest achievable standard of health. Equitable distribution of hospital beds increases people access to health services and as a result improves their health status. This study aimed to examine the equity in distribution of hospital beds in Zanjan Province, Iran. Methods: Data for this descriptive and cross sectional study was collected from the Ministry of Health and Iranian Statistics Center. All hospitals in Zanjan province were included in this study in 2016. The Gini coefficient was used to measure the equity of hospital beds distribution. Excel software was used for data analysis. Results: The population of Zanjan province was 1,057,461 and there were 12 hospitals with 1,538 beds there in 2016. There were approximately1.13 hospitals per 100,000 population and 1.45 hospital beds per 1000 population. Zanjan, Abhar and Khorramdareh counties have had the highest hospital beds per 1000 people. About 42% of hospitals and 72% of hospital beds were located in Zanjan city, the capital. The Gini coefficient for hospital beds distribution among Zanjan counties was 0.26. Conclusion: The distribution of hospital beds in Zanjan Province was relatively fair. Equitable allocation of hospital beds particularly in less developed cities is necessary for achieving population health fairness.

Objective: In many countries, limiting the financial and budgetary resources is a challenge in the health system. One of the most costly parts of the health system is undoubtedly the radiology department of hospitals. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the benefits and challenges of the policies proposed for rationing hospital radiology services. Information sources and selected methods for study: In this narrative or literature review study, Persian (SID, Magiran, Barkat Knowledge network system, Irandoc), and Latin (Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, ISI web of sciences) databases were searched. The applied keywords were radiology, rationing, distribution, priority setting, resource allocation, and policy brief. In the initial search, 145 articles were studied. Subsequently, after reviewing the titles and abstracts, 65 studies were selected and investigated. Finally, 44 related studies were thoroughly investigated. The inclusion criteria covered the studies in Persian or English. The exclusion criteria included the studies that did not have full texts. Our search included the studies conducted from 1/1/2000 to 1/1/ 2017. Results: The present study examined the benefits and challenges of radiology services rationing. Policy options were presented at 3 levels of provider, organizational, and system. The provider level consisted of training clinical and non-clinical personnel to use and maintain the medical equipment and requiring the physicians to use clinical guidelines. The organization level included reviewing imaging tariffs, entering insurance in controlling supply and demand for radiology services, and assessing equipment by the Institute for Health Technology Assessment. The system level contained assignment of radiological services to the private sector. Conclusion: As health care costs are rising and resources are increasingly constrained by ever-increasing demands, policy makers and officials can use the proposed solutions with regard to contextual conditions to design a rationing model. Services at the macro level of the health system and operationalization of the rationing process reduce the gap between supply and demand of the health services.

Background and Aim: Equitable distribution of health system resources and hospital beds is crucial for an acceptable level of health for all the people of the country. The aim of this study was to examine the equity in distribution of hospital beds in Iran. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive and cross sectional study data were collected from Ministry of Health and Medical Education and Iranian statistics Center. The study population consisted of all Iranian hospitals in 2016. The equity in the distribution of hospitals’ beds was evaluated using the Lorenz curve and Gini coefficient. Excel software was used for data analysis. Results: Iranian population was 79,926,270 and there were 930 hospitals with 118,894 beds in 2016. (1.2 hospitals per 100,000 population and 1.5 hospital beds per 1000 population). Yazd, Semnan and Tehran provinces had the highest hospital beds per 1000 population. About 17% of the total hospitals and 22% of the hospital beds were located in Tehran. The Gini coefficient for hospital bed distribution among Iranian provinces was 0.107. Distribution of the hospital beds was equitable in Alborz and Yazd provinces and inequitable in North Khorasan, Sistan & Baluchestan and Charmahal & Bakhtiary provinces. Conclusion: The distribution of hospital beds among Iranian provinces has been fair. However, hospital beds were not distributed equitably among the cities in the provinces and were concentrated in the capital cities of the provinces of the country. Healthcare policymakers should take appropriate measures to reduce inequality in the distribution of hospital beds.

Background and Aim: Equitable distribution of health system resourcesand hospital bedsis crucial for an acceptable level of health for all the people of the country.The aim of this study was to examine the equity in distribution of hospital beds in Iran.Materials and Methods: In this descriptive and cross sectional study data were collected from Ministry of Health and Medical Education and Iranian statistics Center. The study population consisted of all Iranian hospitals in 2016. The equity in the distribution of hospitals’ beds was evaluated using the Lorenz curve and Gini coefficient.Excel software was used for data analysis.Results: Iranian population was 79,926,270 and there were 930 hospitals with 118,894 beds in 2016. (1.2 hospitals per 100,000 population and 1.5 hospital beds per 1000 population). Yazd, Semnan and Tehran provinces had the highest hospital beds per 1000 population. About 17% of the total hospitals and 22% of the hospital beds were located in Tehran. The Gini coefficient for hospital bed distribution among Iranian provinces was 0.107. Distribution of the hospital beds was equitable in Alborz and Yazd provinces and inequitable in North Khorasan, Sistan & Baluchestan and Charmahal & Bakhtiary provinces.Conclusion:The distribution of hospital beds among Iranian provinces has been fair. However, hospital beds were not distributed equitably among the cities in the provinces and were concentrated in the capital cities of the provinces of the country. Healthcare policymakers should take appropriate measures to reduce inequality in the distribution of hospital beds.

Introduction: One of the most important tasks of managers is optimal allocation of financial resources, and maximum productivity of available facilities. The purpose of this study was to determine the factors affecting optimal allocation of financial resources from the donors’ participation in the health system from the experts' point of view. Methods: The present study was a qualitative research that was done using a semi-structured interview with 41 managers, policymakers, the experts employed in social deputies of Iranian Ministry of Health and medical universities, active donors in the field of health in Iran, and faculty members of economics department. All interviews were coded after transcription, and reviewed several times. They were categorized by using data analysis framework in the form of main and subthemes. Results: There were 3 groups extracted from the interviews, financial sustainability framework, corporate finance framework, and funding allocation. Moreover, 6 main themes including recruitment, maintenance, and active participation of donors, organization and program planning, executive factors, mode of investment, identification of real needs, and need-based decision making criteria, and 36 subthemes were extracted. Conclusion: Benefits would not have a good return, if are not within the framework of laws and regulations and in line with the real needs of society. Health system policymakers and managers should prioritize the real needs of the health system, and direct the funds generated from donors within these priorities.

Introduction: The prevalence of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) reached about 13.4% in 2016. Among available treatment methods, hemodialysis is the most common way used for the treatment of patients with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), the last stage of CKD. On average, these patients refer to hemodialysis centers three times a week. The high patients referral rate indicates the importance of proper management and planning as well as the optimal and efficient allocation of hemodialysis resources. Method: This overview study was conducted to investigate the applications of spatial analyses in the management and allocation of hemodialysis resources. By designing a search strategy, related articles indexed in the MEDLINE database, were reviewed. Results: Studies related to spatial analysis in the field of hemodialysis can be categorized into three groups including: 1) measurement of access to hemodialysis centers, 2) relationship between access to these centers and mortality as well as patients' quality of life, and 3) allocation of hemodialysis resources in a geographical area. Conclusion: Spatial analysis as a geographical information system-based methodology, can be used for analyzing data associated with hemodialysis centers to optimize resources management and help policymakers to make better informed decisions in this area. Most of the studies investigated the access to hemodialysis centers and the relationship between access to these centers and mortality as well as the patient's quality of life. However, few studies have been conducted on the optimal allocation of hemodialysis resources in a geographical area.

Wastewater Treatment Plants that constructed in the coastal regions need more attention since the flood occurrence may cause excessive loads on the infrastructures. These excessive loads may result in the system’s failure and innumerable damages on the infrastructure. In this study, in order to reduce WWTPs’ vulnerability in time of flood, an index called Resiliency was developed to quantify system’s characteristics. Later, two main approaches were considered to enhance the infrastructure performance; the “Resource allocation” and the “Cooperative behavior” method. The former method was applied employing those factors which were improvable with the investment of funds and financial allocations. They were utilized to make the system more robust. In addition, for this part, implementing some new agents with potential impacts on funding were described in order to have a more realistic vision. As for the latter method, the cooperative behavior approach, the cooperation was utilized to demonstrate joint operation among WWTPs and the way they interact. For this purpose, WWTPs’ placement was analyzed to check if they could operate jointly. Thereafter, effectiveness of these two approaches was compared in order to make the best decision regarding different cases. The results showed that in three collaborations among; Bowery Bay, Tallman Island, Newtown Creek, and Red Hook WWTPs, cooperation has had a significant effect on the resiliency index.

Background: Health equity is “having fair access to healthcare, utilizing it according to actual needs, paying for it based on financial capacity and finally, having an acceptable level of health”. Health equity is an underlying principle of the universal declaration of human rights. Equitable distribution of hospital beds increases people’s access to healthcare services and as a result, improves their health status. This study aimed to examine the equity in the geographic distribution of hospital beds in Tehran city, Iran. Methods: The data for this descriptive and cross-sectional study were obtained from the Ministry of Health and the Iranian statistics center in April 2019. All hospitals in Tehran city were included in this study. Lorenz curve and the Gini coefficient were used to measure the equity in the geographic distribution of hospital beds. Excel software was used for data analysis. Results: Tehran city had a population of 8,693,706, and 142 hospitals with 24,535 beds in 2016. There was 1.6 hospitals per 100,000 people and 2.8 hospital beds per 1000 people in this city. Nearly half of the hospitals were private (49%) and the remaining were public or semi-public. About 77% and 23% of hospitals were general and specialized respectively. Almost half of the hospitals are more than 40 years old. The average number of beds in hospitals was 173. The Gini coefficient was 0.619 for hospital bed distribution among Tehran districts. Districts 6, 12 and 3 have had the highest hospital beds per 1000 people. Districts 6 had 23% of the total hospitals and 24% of the hospital beds. Conclusion: The geographic distribution of hospital beds in Tehran city is not equitable. Hospital services should be accessible based on actual need rather than on the ability to pay. Achieving health equity is a prerequisite of universal health coverage. Hence, healthcare policymakers should reduce or eliminate the existing disparities and inequalities in access to hospital beds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim and Background: How to allocate resources during development and its underlying motives provide developmental psychologists with understanding about fairness development. By age 4, children's social understanding of self and others is increased. This allows children to decide how to allocating resources towards others. As child develops considering fairness or self-interest concerns matters during allocating resources. This study aimed to examine resource allocation development in 4-6-year-old children in advantageous inequality and disadvantageous inequality conditions. Methods and Materials: This was a correlational study with the population of all 4-6-year-olds from kindergartens in 4 region of Tehran in years 1395-1396. One hundred and two participants aged 4 (n=34, 17 girls), 5 (n=36, 18 girls) and 6 (n=32, 16 girls) were selected through a clustered sampling. Participants were asked to distribute resources in with cost-advantageous/disadvantageous and without cost-advantageous conditions. Findings: Results showed that children more allocated resources in with cost disadvantageous condition as compared to other conditions (p

Introduction: Hospitals as the most important consumer of resources in healthcare section are highly sensitive to maximum consumption of minimum existing resources. In the recent two decades, computer data processing to extract knowledge and improve utilization of resources has attracted the attention of organizations. In this study, allocation of CCU beds in Shahid Faghihi Hospital of Shiraz is investigated through optimizing and combining Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Imperialist Competitive Algorithm (ICA). Methods: In this analytic cross-sectional study, patients were monitored through optimization and combination of genetic algorithm and imperialist competitive and allocated to CCU beds in the spring of 2016. To this end, number of patients, number of beds, number of doctors and vital signs of patients were used as input and configuration of patients and allocation optimization were considered as output. MATLAB 2012 was used to analyze data. Results: Results of this study show that ICA is more efficient compared to GA in optimization of allocating CCU beds to patients. Moreover, the hybrid algorithm obtained from combination of ICA and GA is more efficient than ICA. Conclusion: In the process of this study, priorities of patients' hospitalization and also manner of hospitalization were determined and suggestions for allocation of beds to patients were presented.

Background: Priority setting and resource allocation are assumed to be the most important issues of health-sector and fairness thereof requires considering various criteria. This study was performed to identify the criteria used for priority setting and resource allocation in the world health systems through comprehensive review. Materials and Methods: Cochrane, PubMed and SCOPUS database were searched systematically from Jan.1,2005 to Oct.10,2016. The English articles with codified and specified qualitative and quantitative criteria in the resource allocation context in health sector were included in the study. The obtained data were synthetized thematically. Results: Overall, 9162 papers were extracted. At the beginning of review of the included articles, 9089 papers were removed due to duplication and also based on the title. The abstracts of the remained papers were reviewed and 17 papers were removed. Full text of 59 remained papers were reviewed and based on matching with the inclusion criteria, 34 other papers were removed, too, and ultimately 25 papers were included in the final phase of the study. Extracted criteria were categorized into four dimentions based on economic, management, structural and contextual, out of which the most frequent ones were related to cost, health system goals, local capacity and disease status, respectively. Conclusion: In this study, the most important criteria used by policy makers and decision makers of health system in the world were extracted for priority setting and resource allocation. The results indicated that in the world, priority setting and resource allocation in the health system is made mainly based on criteria such as cost-effectiveness, disease status, equity/equality and the need.

Today, banking system plays a very important role in growth and development of countries. From the very beginning of banks establishment, they have two main and traditional tasks, namely, the equipping and allocation of resources. These two important tasks are implemented so that they collect the people's deposits on one hand and put it in various forms of allocation, on the other hand. In performing these tasks, banks face different internal and external barriers that affect their responsibilities. One of the external factors affecting the banking system is the volatile environment of economy and macroeconomic uncertainty. The macroeconomic instability and uncertainty ultimately reflect into two main variables of each economy, namely, production and inflation. This research seeks to investigate the effect of uncertainty and instability of macroeconomic variables (production and inflation) on the resources and expenditures of Iran banking system using GARCH techniques and Error Correction Model (ECM). The results of the research show that the effect of instability and uncertainty of production growth on the growth of resources of the banking system (resource mobilization) is negative and significant and on the allocation of resources (growth of credits) is positive and significant, resulting in increasing the banks' credit risk. Moreover, in this study, the significance of the negative effect of instability of inflation on resource absorption and its positive effect on allocation of resources are not accepted.

The Iranian economy suffers from low economic growth despite having access to enormous reserves of natural resources. The role of investment rate as the driving force of economic growth has been the focus of much debate among macroeconomists. This raises an important question: Why does growth in Iran remain low despite of high investment? One way to answer this question is to look at the relationship between economic structures and performances. Contributing to the literature in the field, we incorporate intermediate goods in our calculation of inter sectoral resource allocation for the purposes of production analysis over the period of 1973-2011. Five national input-output tables for the years of 1973, 1986, 1991, 2001 and 2011 consisting of 19 sectors in current prices have been used in this study. The results showed that the average production multiplier is 1.8. The overall findings revealed that the structural transformation has shifted from agriculture to some industries and service sectors which differs from the experiences of developing and developed countries.

The evaluation of climate change impact on hydrological cycle includes uncertainty. This study aimed to evaluate the uncertainty of climate change impact on the Zayandeh-Rud Reservoir inflow during the future period of 2020-2049. The outputs of 22 GCM models were used under the three emission scenarios including RCP2.6, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5. The Bayesian Model Averaging (BMA) was used as the uncertainty analysis for weighting the 22 GCM models based on their ability to simulate the baseline 1990-2005 period. Results showed that different GCM models had different abilities in estimating climatic and hydrological variables and the application of uncertainty analysis in climate change studies could be necessary. The monthly temperature in the upstream of Zayandeh-Rud reservoir could be raised by 0.85 to 1 ◦C; also, the precipitation might be increased by 2 to 3 percent. The high flow during winter season will increase under climate change, while the spring and autumn seasons' low flows are expected to reduce. Additionally, the annual reservoir inflow may decrease by 1 to 8 percent, showing the necessity for change in Zayandeh-Rud reservoir's rule curve and allocation of water resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, to enhance the capacity of Islamic banking in the country with an emphasis on religious learnings and using nearly half a century of banking experience and financial institutions in the world to examine the experience of Islamic banks in five selected Islamic countries including Iran, Malaysia, Pakistan, Jordan and Bahrain, the question of whether the mobilization, allocation and collection of receivables frameworks are different in these countries is arose out and discussed. In this regard, the business models of banking systems in the selected countries as well as the way of funding, resource allocation and bad loan collection are discussed. The obtained results show that among the differences between interest-free Islamic banking law enacted in 1983 in Iran with that of other countries, the existence of dual banking system (Islamic banking law along with usual banking rules), resource funding on the basis of Mudaraba Contract, the use of restricted and unrestricted investment deposits, the establishment of an independent legal council to allocate some of delay penalties to the charities, and asymmetry in damage can also be addressed.

The main objective of this study is investigating the effect of economic and social infrastructure on economic growth gap within the framework of panel data method among Iran's provinces during the period (2006-2012). In this context, conditional and non-conditional convergency hypothesis related to province's economic growth has tested. The results show endorsement of both types of convergency of economic growth in the provinces of Iran. Economic infrastructure including communications and energy has a significant positive influence on economic growth. By entering the economic infrastructure variables in the equation of convergency the economic growth gap in the regions is reduced. Combined index of social infrastructure has the significant negative impact on economic growth in provinces. So that there are significant positive effect of health expenditure and the significant negative impact of education expenditure on economic growth in provinces.Therefore in order to reduce the gap in economic growth in the country's provinces, paying more attention to economic infrastructure and health sector and to review the allocation of resources in the educational sector is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Priority setting and resource allocation are assumed to be the most important issues of health-sector and fairness thereof requires considering various criteria. This study was performed to identify the criteria used for priority setting and resource allocation in the world health systems through comprehensive review. Materials and Methods: Cochrane, PubMed and SCOPUS database were searched systematically from Jan.1,2005 to Oct.10,2016. The English articles with codified and specified qualitative and quantitative criteria in the resource allocation context in health sector were included in the study. The obtained data were synthetized thematically. Results: Overall, 9162 papers were extracted. At the beginning of review of the included articles, 9089 papers were removed due to duplication and also based on the title. The abstracts of the remained papers were reviewed and 17 papers were removed. Full text of 59 remained papers were reviewed and based on matching with the inclusion criteria, 34 other papers were removed, too, and ultimately 25 papers were included in the final phase of the study. Extracted criteria were categorized into four dimentions based on economic, management, structural and contextual, out of which the most frequent ones were related to cost, health system goals, local capacity and disease status, respectively. Conclusion: In this study, the most important criteria used by policy makers and decision makers of health system in the world were extracted for priority setting and resource allocation. The results indicated that in the world, priority setting and resource allocation in the health system is made mainly based on criteria such as cost-effectiveness, disease status, equity/equality and the need. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: According to resource constraints and unlimited needs, health care has important role in the public health. The allocation of limited resources to unlimited needs in critical areas of health is important. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the process of priority setting based on accountability framework for the rationality in Kerman university of Medical Science. Methods: This research is a qualitative study. 18 people from health experts about resource allocation in Kerman University of Medical Science interviewed. In this study Daniels and Sabin framework was used. Data analysis techniques were based on the analysis framework. Tools of data gathering were Semi-structured interviews. Heterogeneous sample of the people involved in the division of the department's budget is used to transfer capability. In order to credibility and confirm ability text transcribed and analysis of the resulting professors participating in this study were presented and corrective recommendations their comments were applied. Results: The study includes four main codes: transparency, rationality, control and monitoring, overview and 9 sub-codes contains: Predictability, ambiguity, rationality, no sensible distributor, bilateral, unilateral, Proportionality between the mechanism and resources, revision, no mechanism, Conclusions: The status indicates the process of priority settings in Kerman University of Medical Science according to the Daniels and Sabin has little logic. No specific decision procedures, measuring the costs and benefits of different interventions so, making decisions based on the results of these studies won’t lead to optimal use of scarce resources.

Introduction: Providing resources to meet all health and medical needs in the health sector, even in wealthy countries, does not occur completely. Hence, the issue of resource allocation and prioritization has always been one of the management challenges in health systems. Patient introduction: The patient was a 63-year-old man taken to the hospital because of a reduced level of consciousness. In the ambulance, the patient had a heart attack and received electric shock due to ventricular fibrillation (VF). Immediately after being admitted to the hospital, he was hospitalized in the intensive care unit (ICU). After two days, the patient's consciousness was still low and his pupils showed a slight reaction to light. A few hours later, the patient suffered a seizure and the CT scan results indicated hypoxic brain damage. Despite medical and special care efforts, he has remained in the same situation in the ICU and no improvement has been found. It is 22 days that he has been in the hospital. Recently, an 18-year-old patient has been taken to the hospital due to a stroke in a car accident. However, there is no blank capacity of ICU in other wards of the hospital and we face a shortage of ICU beds. Conclusion: Through the establishment of the hospital ethics committee, review of indications, and involvement of the 62-year-old patient’s fellows in decision-making, one bed can be added to one of the wards and the necessary ICU services can be provided to the patient with a higher emergency status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Priorities setting is an important process in conducting the national health research and targeting the respective performance becomes so important when there are limited human and financial resources Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the research priorities in the health domain in guilan province in 2014. Materials and Methods: This study is a descriptive study of the needs assessment, conducted by using essential national health research (ENHR) strategy in collaboration with 21 organizations dealing with health in guilan province Results: Totally, 665 research priorities as health research priorities and 17 research areas were determined as follows social determinants of health, health care system, accidents, non-communicable diseases, contagious diseases, environmental health, reproductive health, maternal and child health, nutrition and food security, health and geriatrics, dental care, traditional medicine, occupational health, pharmaceutical technology and medical equipment, Pharmaceutical Systems, Professional Ethics and Medical Education. Conclusion: The plan was structured research priorities in guilan university of medical sciences so that we can organize university research projects in line with the determined research priorities and allocate proper university financial resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective(s): To analyze the process of priority setting at different levels of Iran’s health system. Methods: In this qualitative study, 19 Experts of different levels of health system were interviewed. The semi- structured interview guide was designed based on literature review and four initial in depth interviews. Framework analysis method was used for the analysis of qualitative data. Results: Eight themes and 22 sub-themes regarding health priority setting were identified: Health priority at macro-level; Priority setting between and within medical universities; Priority setting criteria; Measuring costs and outcomes; Resource shift; Public participation; and Resource allocation decision rule. Health sector share of public budget was unrealistic and was based on historical patterns. Political factors and lobbying influenced resource allocation between and within medical universities. Resource allocation was mainly structure based and health factors were least influential. Although resource shifting was possible within programs but it was impossible within them, Public participation in priority setting was not sufficient and systematic, decision making on resource allocation was mainly based on needs and judgment. Conclusion: Some priority setting activities are in progress, but they do not tend to be either comprehensive or systematic. In order to improve priority setting, developing an approach which enables stakeholderschr('39') involvement is suggested.

In the process of effective and optimized planning and control, in order to manage the project, it is necessary to consider all the project aspects. Common techniques of project scheduling and control such as CPM and PERT assume unlimited resource availability in project network analysis Developed networks due to theory derived of this techniques are networks that deal with time optimization of the activities. Consequently in this schedule and control methods, it is possible that during the project performance in some time periods, requirement to one or more resources is higher than the availability level or include more resource fluctuations. It can finally convert the project into an uneconomical project by a negative time and cost trade off or cause considerable deliveries in project performance time. This paper presents a technical method for controlling and optimizing resource allocation to project activities This technique as an extension to the basic CPM and PERT approach presents a simple method for controlling the project schedule of resource allocation by considering their constraints and causes the optimized and efficient distribution of tasks to project levels Finally by avoiding the simultaneous unnecessary use of several activates of a critical resource and by generating efficient levels of resource availability, it optimizes the project approaches.

Abstract Background and purpose: Nowdays in almost all organizations, resources are allocated based on traditional methods, personal experiences and mental reasoning power. This causes some dissatisfaction among people and have no generalization ability and mathematical basis.The objective of this research was to propose a fuzzy goal programming model in resource allocation at the university-education affairs of ministry of health and use of mathematical theory method to make the quantity and quality of human reasoning closer to mathematical reasoning.Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional objective-based research for resource allocation taking into consideration the goal limitations. The objective goal function was on the basis of minimum square goals deviation. Decision making matrix questionnaire was used for data collection and the data were analyzed using expert-choice software Matlab.Results: After running the model, the optimal results from each goal were obtained with some modifications compared with that in 1384. In the model (F(x) = ).Each general variable of the number of students and the number of academic staff in comparison with goal (117000 in comparison with 116690 and 10850 person in comparison with 9855 person respectively) is obtained using quadratic programming method. Use the fuzzy goal programming lead to making optimal resource allocation. The goals of program with respect to resource allocated contains contradictions in comparison with optimal condition.Conclusion: According to this study, it seems that goal programming has a significant effect on optimizing and increasing the level of satisfaction and conformity with conditions and positions.

This paper is intended to see whether the model of genetic algorithm can be used in developing a support system for the proper allocation of resources to help library heads of university. The research population consisted of students, personnel, and faculty members of Tarbyat Modares University in 2011 with 2437, 1105, and 555 people respectively, and the sample consisting of 92 graduate students, 83 post-graduate students, 82 faculty members and 88 personnel. The main tool of the research is a researcher-made questionnaire. The data of the central library of a university as the main core of DSS includes costs and time of accessing information services, and the time spent for preparing them systemically and physically, gathered through the questionnaire. The findings on the questionnaire indicated the present status of library services, and the findings received from the software indicated the optimum status in providing the services. Comparing these two while discovering the strengths and weaknesses can help the managers in optimum allocation of research services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Education is a key element for society development. Introducing new methods of education, information and communication technology have influenced learning and teaching procedures. The aim of this study is to evaluate the infrastructures and faculty members' preparedness of Qazvin University of Medical Sciences for implementing e-learning. Methods: In this descriptive study, a 5-point Likert scale was categorized in 5 domains including cultural, technological, knowledge, student acceptance, and availability. Then it was distributed to 70 medical faculty members. A checklist was used to assess preparedness of technology infrastructure, strategic plan, organizational chart, content preparation equipment, and resources. Results: Mean scores of readiness for launching e-learning program were respectively 3.36±0.37 for cultural domain, 2.7±0.49 for technological domain, 3.69±0.38 for knowledge, 3.30±0.66 for student adoption, and 1.96±0.77 for availability. E-learning acceptance was significantly higher among females. Eighty percent indicated infrastructures of availability and 90% noted human resource as the most critical problems among infrastructures. Conclusion: In general the level of admitting e-learning in university is desirable, however weakness in some infrastructures including human resource, availability, and fair allocation of financial resources are identified as barriers to launch e-learning. According to the positive attitude of faculty members to this method of learning, it seems that e-learning could be successfully applied by focusing on above-mentioned shortcomings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In order to achieve the goals of health system, trying to evaluate and improve of health system performance via policy and decision makers is necessary. Materials & Methods: This is a descriptive and practical study .Information gathered through sheets through World Health Organization statistical reports. data analyzed by using DEAP software(version of 2) and Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). Results: Based on study technical efficiency in various scenarios were different. The results showed that health systems are high sensitive to human resources, and health sector's usually share the national expenditure difference scenarios during the period of study which show the managing efficiency and scale improvement s in Iranian health system. Conclusion: This study showed the countries with the highest and lowest performance and efficient states (reference) for the inefficient countries among a few countries which increased their health resources to improve performance. However, with high efficient resource allocations in the most countries to achieve into these results are very significant to economic savings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]