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The migration pattern to Shiraz, a southern city of Iran, is not consistent with the general pattern observed in cities of the other developing nations. Migrants to Shiraz are largely from other cities, and they are more advanced educationally and socioeconomically and less traditional than native Shirazi. This study is based on 1,061 interview cases collected at random. The sample consists of 612 nonmigrants, 125 rural migrants and 324 urban migrants. These groups were compared on thirtyfour indices measuring various facets of the respondents' life-styles. The three groups differed statistically on most of the indices. Fatalism and possession of modern appliances were the most important factors differentiating the three groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our understanding of the psychosocial and cultural dimensions of disease and illness is limited not merely by a lack of empirical knowledge but also by an inadequate medical semantics. The empiricist theories of medical language commonly employed both by comparative ethnosemantic studies and by medical theory are unable to account for the integration of illness and the language of high medical traditions into distinctive social and symbolic contexts. A semantic network analysis conceives the meaning of illness categories to be constituted not primarily as an ostensive relationship between signs and natural disease entities but as a 'syndrome' of symbols and experiences which typically 'run together' for the members of a society. Such analysis dirests our attention to the patterns of associations which provide meaning to elements of a medical lexicon and to the constitution of that meaning through the use of medical discourse to articulate distinctive configurations of social stress and to negotiate relief for the sufferer. This paper provides a critical discussion of medical semantics and develops a semantic network analysis of 'heart distress', a folk illness in Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sublethal effects of Iranian crude oil were studied using molluscs from the brackish Baltic Sea (salinity: 6 to 7%o S). In blue mussels ( Mytilus edulis) low concentrations caused a reduction in byssal attachment. The sensitivity of the mussels appeared to increase with increasing size. The burrowing behavior of the bivalve Macoma baltica was found to be affected at oil concentrations of 70 μg 1 as measured by a spectrophotometer. Also small individuals appeared less sensitive to the oil than large ones. The effect of oil on the crawling rate of the snail Theodoxus fluviatilis was studied. Low concentrations apparently increased the rate of crawling initially (0 to 45 min) while at the end of exposure time (45 to 120 min) the activity decreased. At higher concentrations the crawling rate was very low throughout the experimental period and stress symptoms like complete immobilization occurred. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public opinion data concerning President Carter's handling of the Iranian hostage crisis are used to analyze (1) the factors that facilitate support for the President's handling of international conflict situations, and (2) the factors that influence the persistence of such support. Analysis reveals that support for the President's performance is enhanced if one holds a favorable personal image of the President, if one's own policy preferences are congruent with the President's actions, and if one belongs to the President's party. Over time, the impact of these factors grows, reflecting the fact that those who hold unfavorable images of the President, who disagree with the policies he is pursuing, and who belong to the opposition party fall out of the support coalition at an unusually high rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zia Gokalp (1876-1924) is the chief proponent of the doctrine of nationalism in Turkey, Ali Shari'ati (1933-1977), the major architect of Islamic reformist ideology in Iran Gokalp and Shari'ati were modern intellectuals par excellence. They shared the typical intellectual's sense of political mission, and they both responded to the predicament of modernity by searching, through Durkheim's sociology, for a revitalized and authentic conscience collective Gokalp turned to the literary and historical sources of the Turkish culture, Shari'ati to his country's religion, Islam Durkheimian sociologism thus entered the arena of modern politics in the Middle East. The paper traces the influence of Durkheim on Gokalp and Shari'ati, and examines some of the implications and consequences of their respective variants of sociologistic moralism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article probes the sociopolitical realities behind the overthrow of the Shah of Iran and the Iranian revolution between 1977 and 1979. Social revolutions are rapid, basic transformations of a country's state and class structures, and its dominant ideology. It is carried through, in part, by class-based upheavals from below. Under the old regime, the Shah ruled through an absolutist-monarchical military dictatorship, styling himself a cosmopolitan Persian king in the 2,500-year-old image of Cyrus the Great. The dominant class in Iran, ostentatiously pro-Western in its cultural style, consisted of state bureaucrats, foreign capitalist investors and domestic capitalists closely tied by patronage and regulation to the state machine. The Iranian revolution involved revolts against this dominant class by urban workers, unemployed people and old and new middle classes. Like the rulers of the old regimes in France, Russia and China, the Shah of Iran was an absolute monarch. The Shah was much more powerful than absolute monarch of old, for he had, at his disposal a thoroughly modernized army and a ruthless, omnipresent secret police force. A modern Iranian state, with a nationally centrally army and administration, emerged only in the 1920s, after Reza Kahn, the colonel of a tiny professional military force, seized power in a coup d'etat and expanded his army to pacify and unify the country. He crowned himself in 1925 as Shah Reza Pahlavi.

Abstract. This paper presents data collected by structured interviews concerning how external environmental analysis and strategic planning are related in major U.S.-based multinational corporations. The research was also undertaken to ascertain why and the extent to which firms have formally institutionalized the external environmental functions since the Iranian revolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite claims of rarity, chronic ulcerative colitis is being encountered with increasing frequency in developing countries. We report our experience with 112 patients with chronic ulcerative colitis diagnosed during a 10-year period between 1973 and 1982 in Tehran, Iran, and compare the demographic and clinical features of chronic ulcerative colitis on our patients with those reported from other countries. Significant differences included the mild course of the disease, the absence of skin manifestations, and the rarity of colorectal cancer in our patients. The importance of changing socioeconomic status and cultural factors on the development of chronic ulcerative colitis is briefly discussed. The extreme rarity of Crohn's disease in Iran is noted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses that one of the distinguishing features of Iranian political history is the active role played by the Shi'i ulama in the political events of the country. In virtually all the historically significant events--the tobacco protest movement of 1891-1892, the Constitutional Revolution of 1906-1911, the oil nationalization movement of the early 1950s, the violent protest of 1963 against the Shah, and the Iranian Revolution of 1978-1979--the ulama were actively involved. Such unusual political power, unparalleled among their intellectual counterparts in other "moslem" countries, has aroused the interest of many historians and area specialists and has led them to probe the sources of ulama power as well as the causes of their predominantly oppositional role in politics. Implicit in the works of the historians dealing with the determinants of ulama politics in Iran are two alternative explanatory models - an ideological model and a modernization model. The ideological model considers the Shi'i ideology to be the main determinant of ulama politics.

Based on Saedi's description of spirit possession beliefs and practices on the southern coasts of Iran, this paper attempts to isolate the culturally and psychologically significant categories through which the possessed define and differentiate their possessing spirits or "Winds." It examines the play of these categories in the complex of relationships between the possessing spirits, the possessed, ritual specialists, "symptoms" of possession, and their "negotiations" in rituals of possession or exorcism. It examines from a semiotic perspective the double transformations of spirit and host which in the beliefs and practices of the People of the Air constitute "therapy." It points out areas for further research and analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents an explanation of the revolutionary outcomes of Islamic upheaval of 1978-79 in Iran and the Polish revolt of 1980-81. Iran was ruled by an absolutist monarchy and Poland by a Soviet-style party-state. In terms of state structure, the one-man rule in Iran strengthened the absolutist power of the Shah, but weakened the organizational capacity of the various state agencies to deal with political crises. The state bureaucracy and military disintegrated when the leadership lost its authority. In Poland, the existence of powerful and potentially autonomous organizations within the state apparatus made the counterrevolution possible. The dialectical relation between state and society is equally important to understand the different revolutionary outcomes. The Iranian state intensified its attacks on the Shiite clergy in the 1970s. When popular discontent broke out, the Shiite clerics became the revolutionary vanguard, mobilizing the support of all urban classes and leading the final assault on the monarchy. While the clergy in Iran allied with the urban classes, the Polish church first supported the creation of solidarity and then broke this alliance; the neutrality of the church thus reduced drastically the capacity of solidarity to negotiate with the party-state.

The paper is an attempt to place the recent Islamic revolution in Iran within that country's modern, political and social history. Analyses of protest movements in contemporary Iran have emphasized the central role played either by the ulama or by the so-called "petits bourgeois" bazaaris. In works that underscore the role of the ulama and Shi'i ideas and rituals, the instrumental role of the bazaar in the protest movements is taken for granted, though it has remained largely unexplored. The bazaar and the mosque, as inseparable twins, have served, for many centuries, as the primary arena of public life in urban Iran. In pre-modern Iran, they were the two principal arenas of sociability outside of kinship relations. In combination, they formed the context in which city dwellers organized their communal life and, often as a direct consequence, their political alliances. Merchants and commercial trade are esteemed in Islamic civilization. The society of Mecca, the birthplace of Islam, was already a major center of local, regional and, at times, international trade.

The Iran-Contra affair is an example of the type of event that is expected to give rise to a "rally" of public opinion behind the president. However, the public's response to this event, uncharacteristically, was a sharp decrease in support for President Reagan. This case study constitutes an attempt to explore the sources of the public opinion response to foreign policy events. Statements of political elites, news coverage and commentary, and public opinion assessments are examined to test the patriotism, priming, and opinion leadership explanations of the rally phenomenon. The actions of opinion leaders appears to provide the best explanation of the differential public response to the Iran-Contra affair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on revolutionary events in Iran. For many observers of Iran, the most unexpected part of contemporary revolutionary events was not that violent political change occurred, but that it occurred with such active and widespread participation and in such a religious guise. The Iranian revolution was a massive, popular, low-level, and rapid political mobilization within an immediate context of state repression and censorship, limited political challenge, and popular acquiescence. The rapidity of the movement's evolution and success, the popular base and nature of participation, and the form of the final political outcome all demand analytic attention. Key to an understanding of these phenomena are the nature of traditional political culture in Iran, particularly the power and legitimacy of popular, informal channels of communication as opposed to the formal channels of communication of the state, as well as the nature of clerical authority and its particular mode of political rhetoric. The paper examines in detail the development of a traditionalist movement, which used contemporary tools of communication for popular mobilization.

Television has rarely shown more astonishing sights than the crowds in Tehran, Iran literally ripping the shroud from religious leader Ayatollah Khomeini. It was a scene from the Age of Belief mourners flagellating themselves and criticizing one another as they grabbed at a helicopter bearing aloft the Imam's coffin. What may also have fed the crowd's awesome grief was awareness that the Ayatollah's authority was unique, that this was the last act of a drama expiring with its dominating character. Personal charisma is the power relationship of command and obedience based on the belief of both leader and followers in the leader's extraordinary qualities and the identification of disciples and followers with that leader. There are, therefore, two necessary conditions for the charismatic relation to emerge, the claim by the leader that he is the carrier of the gift of grace and the acceptance of that claim by the community of disciples and followers.

This paper examines recent marriage trends in Iran. The available data suggest a significant up-trend in the number and rate of marriage since 1979. This trend is consistent with the social philosophy of Islam, advocated in the Islamic Republic. The factors behind this up-trend in marriage are analyzed in the context of this philosophy and in relation to social and legal changes which have been introduced in Iranian society. In addition to religious promotion of marriage and procreation, the long continued war with Iraq, younger age structure, slowdown in increasing pattern of age of marriage for women and significant decline in age of marriage for men, remarriage and polygyny seem to be contributing to this up-trend in marriage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a theory of revolutionary outcomes in the developing countries and apply it to the cases of Iran and Nicaragua. More specifically, suggesting a theoretical approach for tracing out the results of a certain type of social revolution, of which Iran and Nicaragua are principal examples. This logic builds on an earlier work on the causes of revolutions in the contemporary Third World and attempts to synthesize scattered arguments about the outcomes of revolutions that are found in the work of Theda Skocpol, Susan Eckstein, and Jack Goldstone, among others. In the earlier work, it was noted that most successful revolutions in poorer, dependent countries have been characterized by the formation of broad, multi-class coalitions either in opposition to highly repressive and narrowly based dictatorships that have been historically supported by foreign powers or, alternatively, in opposition to direct and highly authoritarian forms of colonial rule. Furthermore, the success of these broad coalitions in actually toppling such regimes has been made possible by, among other factors, a permissive international context or world-systemic opening that is characterized above all by the suspension of external support for the dictatorship or the withdrawal of the colonial power.

Out of 228 Iranian preschool Martyrs' children whose behaviour adjustment in the nursery settings was screened using the Preschool Behaviour Checklist, 12 well adjusted, zero scorers were compared with 8 poorly adjusted, high scorers. Using the parent's Behaviour Checklist, high scorers showed significantly more problems at home than zero scorers. On the Malaise Inventory, mothers of high scorers showed poorer mental health than mothers of zero scorers. Home observations showed that mother-child interaction was more aversive in high scorers than in zero scorers. More mothers of zero scorers had remarried. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Editorial. Mentions the focus of the International Review in question as Iran, and comments on Dr. Farhad's article in the issue. Reference to Saba's dynamic theory of distance education; Appreciation of the contributions of Dr. Nick Eastmond, in the light of the author's ascent to the post of editor; Need to focus on specific area reports in each issue; Soliciting of contributions from readers; List of mailing addresses in different parts of the world.

Depending on whether one looks at the current political situation in Iran from the perspective of the state or that of society, two quite different Sages emerge. From the point of view of the state, it appears as though the Islamic regime is becoming more and more economically unstable and politically repressive: it bans all political parties and other forms of independent political activity that could channel legitimate discontents and provide opportunities for participation of a politically roused population. And yet, looking beyond the mammoth state apparatus at the society itself, there are signs of normalcy, resilience, and even vitality in many spheres of national life, defying characterizations of Iran as a closed society ruled by a theocratic dictatorship. To speak of factionalism in Iranian politics is hardly new. One of the most remarkable features of the "rule of ayatollahs" in postrevolutionary Iran has been the degree to which this relatively small group of men, in spite of many similarities in their social origin and intellectual background, have disagreed among themselves on some of the most fundamental issues concerning the nature of an Islamic society and government.

The temporal and spatial precipitation regime of Iran was analysed using multivariate analyses of monthly mean precipitation records for 71 stations. A Principal Component Analysis was applied to the correlation matrix in order to describe the intra-annual variations of precipitation. The Principal Component scores were mapped to visualize the spatial structure of the three derived precipitation regimes. By applying an agglomerative clustering (WARD) of the three Principal Component scores, five homogeneous spatial clusters, representing five precipitation regions, were developed. The intra-annual types of precipitation distribution, shown by the five clusters, are described and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: The prevalence of obesity and thinness is unknown among Iranian high-school age girls. We determined the prevalence of overweight and underweight among Iranian high-school girls from Kerman (south-east province of Iran). DESIGN: A cross-sectional study of indicative cluster sample. MEASUREMENTS: Weight, height, body mass index (BMI), chest, waist, abdomen, hip and thigh circumference of 1000 Iranian high-school girls aged 14–21 y (mean (standard deviation, s.d.) 16.2 (1.3)) were measured. The criteria for very underweight, underweight, desirable weight, grade 1, 2 and 3 overweight used in the present study were: BMI in kg/m2 <15, 15–19.9, 20–24.9, 25–29.9, 30–39.9 and ≥40, respectively. RESULTS: 4.6% (95% confidence interval (CI): 3.4%–6.1%) were grade 1 overweight (BMI=25.0–29.9), 0.7% (95% CI: 0.3%–1.4%) were grade 2 overweight (BMI=30–39.9), and none were grade 3 overweight (BMI ≥40), while 54.6% (95% CI: 51.5%–57.7%) were underweight (BMI=15–19.9) and 1.6% (95% CI: 0.9%–2.6%) were very underweight (BMI=<15). The mean (s.d.) BMI was 19.8 (2.9) (95% CI: 19.6–20.0). The mean (s.d.) waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), abdomen-to-hip ratio and chest-to-hip ratio values were 0.8 (0.06) (95% CI: 0.8–0.81), 0.8 (0.07) (95% CI: 0.8–0.81) and 0.9 (0.07) (95% CI: 0.9–0.91), respectively, in this sample. CONCLUSION: The results suggest a low prevalence of overweight among Iranian young women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To present standardized percentile curves of body mass index (BMI) for Iranian children, and compare these to the US population reference. SUBJECTS: 1599 boys and 1702 girls aged 2-18y living in urban Tehran as a part of a random cluster sample survey of I in 1000 families throughout Iran. MEASUREMENTS: Heights (cm) and weights (kg) were collected by trained health staff. RESULTS: Standardized BMI reference curves for Iranian boys and girls were constructed. The curves are shown to fit the data well. The development pattern of BMI for boys and girls are compared. CONCLUSIONS: The major differences observed between Iranian and the US BMI charts underline the need for population-specific reference data. For children over six years the 5th and 95th percentiles of our data may be used provisionally as cut-off points for defining thinness and obesity for Iranian children and adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface water reservoirs can be classified as either within-year or over-year based on the duration of their critical period (C). In general, within-year systems are those which will refill and spill several times in a year, whereas over-year systems have much longer critical periods, usually of the order of years. If the duration of the critical period, and hence the precise mode of behaviour, of a reservoir were to be known a priori, then advantage could be taken of this to select the level of detail required for reservoir analysis. For example, if the reservoir system is purely over-year, i.e. the C is much longer than 12 months, then only annual streamflow data are required for analysis. On the contrary, systems which exhibit dual within-year and over-year behaviours will require time series data of a finer resolution to capture both the seasonal and annual discrepancies between the demand and inflow. Such a consideration often results in a phenomenal increase in the analysis time over that required for annual data. Finally, if the system is purely within-year, then the analysis effort can be significantly reduced by concentrating on the critical or driest year of the record. In this paper, we examine the properties of the test in current use for distinguishing between within-year and over-year behaviours. In particular we investigate how the parameter of the test is related to the C, and we argue that knowing the C is amore complete test. We then develop predictive equations for the C and we offer suggestions for extending the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to test the reliability and validity of the Iranian version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Breast Cancer-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ-BR23). The English-language version of the questionnaire was translated into Persian (Iranian language) and its final form was approved by the EORTC Study Group on Quality of Life and then it was used in this study. The questionnaire was administered at two points in time to a consecutive sample of 168 newly diagnosed breast cancer patients and almost all of them (99%) found the questions easy to understand and acceptable. Cronbach's α coefficient for multi-item scales (to test reliability) ranged from 0.63 to 0.95 at baseline and from 0.75 to 0.92 at follow-up administration of the questionnaire. Validity analysis was performed using known-groups' comparison analysis. The results showed that all functional and symptom scales discriminated between sub-groups of patients differing in clinical status as defined by their performance status and disease stage. In addition, all functional and symptoms scales detected change over time, as a function of changes in patients' performance status. In general, the findings of this study indicated that the Iranian version of the EORTC QLQ-BR23 is a reliable and valid supplementary measure of the quality of life in breast cancer patients and can be used in clinical trials and studies of outcome research in oncology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A dominant allele at the Q locus on chromosome 5A is believed to be the principal factor responsible for free-threshing, square-head spikes with a non-fragile rachis in bread wheat, Triticum aestivum ssp. aestivum. The spelt syndrome, resulting in pyramidal spikes with a brittle rachis and hulled grain in T. aestivum, is believed to be principally caused by the q allele. Chromosome 5A of European and Iranian spelt was substituted for 5A of bread wheat and the lines were characterized with molecular markers. The substitution of bread wheat chromosome 5A by 5A of European spelt resulted in weakly hulled, pyramidal spikes with a non-brittle rachis, whereas and the substitution of 5A by 5A of Iranian spelt did not alter spike morphology at all. It is concluded that the expression of the spelt syndrome depends, to a large extent, on the interactions of q with genes controlling glume tenacity and rachis fragility on other chromosomes. The genetic basis for the spelt syndrome and the apparent presence of the Q allele in Iranian spelt are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Explores the water delivery performance in the Doroodzan Irrigation Scheme in Iran. Use of delivery performance ratio in assessing the water delivery performance; Indicators of the performance; Efficiency of the system; Values of the delivery performance indicators at tertiary outlets.

Examines the anostracan species in Iran. Identification of Chirocephalus skorikowi, Branchinecta orientalis and Branchinella spinosa; Analysis of the distribution of the species; Risk associated with the elimination of the species.

This paper reviews medical psychology in Iran and describes the two major professional associations representing the profession. The unique role of religion in Iran is stressed, and limitations of the current health care system are described. The paper also addresses human resource issues and the educational requirements for the practice of psychology in Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper contains ethnographic reflections on my research among Iranian leftists in exile. I discuss challenges of fieldwork and in-depth interviewing about sensitive topics. I particularly emphasize the dynamics of gaining interviewees' trust in a community concerned about political ramifications of revealing personal and organizational secrets. In this respect, I underline the complications of researching and representing a defeated movement. I also write about the gender implications of my research—a male feminist researching the gender dynamics of revolution and the changing sexual politics of revolutionary collectivities in Iran and abroad. Finally, I raise issues concerning doing sociology in translation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports on a nationwide survey of some small-scale mining enterprises (SME) in ten provinces in Iran. Foreign investments in the mineral sector of developing countries; Methodology of the survey; Responses to questions asked to SME regarding their operations.

Background: The influence of expressed emotion (EE) on the course of the schizophrenia has been studied in different countries. Cultural influence on the level of EE has shown the importance of examination of EE in different cultures. The present study examined the distribution of components of EE and influence of EE on the course of schizophrenia in Iran.Methods: Two psychiatric centers from two dissimilar cities, Tehran and Hamedan, were chosen. Seventy-eight patients who suffered from schizophrenia based on the diagnostic criteria of DSM-III-R were selected. Interviews with 97 key family members were conducted using the Camberwell Family Interview. Psychiatrists who were blind to the EE status of the family household evaluated patients' symptoms based on a cohort study design during the 9-months follow-up.Results: Sixty percent of the patients were living in a high EE household. The relapse rate in the high EE group was higher, but did not reach statistical significance. However, male patients as well as chronic patients were significantly more likely to relapse in the high EE group (P = 0.05).Conclusions: The results suggested that high EE is a risk factor on the course of schizophrenia in Iran. The distribution of the components of EE showed differences compared to other cross-cultural studies. The results of this study can be used in planning appropriate psychoeducational programs for families of patients in Iran and culturally similar populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proposes a method for the quantification of the undependable delivery of water with respect to the overall irrigation efficiency in irrigation schemes in Iran. Ability of operation performance to match required water delivery; Identification of the weighing factors for deficit and excess in each irrigation scheme; Flexibility of the method to use available data for crop water requirement and supply.

Develops a procedure for assessing the performance of spatial and temporal variability of water delivery in irrigation systems in Iran. Generation of a set of indicators to be used at various evaluation levels composed of spatial and temporal elements; Analysis of the performance of Doroodzan Irrigation System; Analysis of the parameters adequacy, reliability and equity.

This paper discusses three post-revolutionary dissident political theologies in Iran. They all question the absolutist theology of the ruling clerics and utilize indigenous sources of scholarship to oppose the clerical hegemony. They have complementary emphases: whereas Soroush highlights the variable nature of religious knowledge, Shabestari and Kadivar underline its limited and multiple nature. They represent the maturing of the dialogue of the Iranian-Islamic thought with Western social and political philosophy, and as the coming of age of the indigenous Islamic political theology reclaiming its pluralistic and democratic elements. Together, they attack the totalitarian Islam, and call for a guarded and objective secularism, while preserving Islam's spiritual and cultural identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Religious intellectuals play a pivotal role in the transformation of the Islamic Republic of Iran from an uneasy mélange of theocracy and democracy to a liberal democratic state with a religious tinge. This article examines the provenance of reform religious intelligentsia (in contradistinction to the leading intellectuals of the reform) and its varieties. Religious inteffigentsia are the carriers of the triple strands of reform thought (radical, muckraking, and political) among the engage intelligentsia in Iran. This paper is a timely contribution and functions as a snapshot of the re- ligious reform at the brink of the second landslide victory of President Khatami. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ideas of the new generation of religious intellectuals in Iran have been the main engine for the call for reform. These intellectuals have attempted to locate their views about the way women are and should be treated in Islamic societies in their much broader-and to them more significant-attempt to offer a modernist religious understanding and a more democratic reading of the role of religion in modem polity. Iranian feminists, on the other hand, have begun to insist that the particular situation of women in Iran is in need of more attention. Religious intellectuals have responded by engaging in reluctant analysis of the way the "woman question" poses itself in the Iranian context. So far, their analyses fail to take into account the gender implications of the struggle against absolutism and traditional authority. However, the dynamic interaction of the reform project with demands and aspirations of various sectors of Iranian public life will not allow the issue to rest here. Religious intellectuals, in their attempt to recreate essential religious truth in the form of new intellectual concepts and systems, will increasingly have to deal with systemic gender inequalities in a more systematic manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Islamic scholarship, in Iran and elsewhere, has a long tradition of debate and critique. This tradition has come to pose a challenge to the constitutional order of the Islamic Republic of Iran, as a number of seminary-trained scholars have applied their critical methods to basic issues of state legitimacy, in particular the state's right to insist on interpretive closure. The regime has responded with force, convening special clergy courts to silence and imprison scholars, in violation of seminary norms of scholarly debate. These conspicuous acts of discipline seem to have backfired, as each escalating punishment has generated new critics within. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) is a relatively common disorder in infants and children. It maybe associated with severe complications. The coexistence of GER and a wide range of respiratory symptoms has been reported. The purpose of our study was to investigate the relationship between chronic respiratory symptoms and GERD as an underlying cause. To our knowledge, there is not a method known study for identifying this relationship and prevalence in our area.Methods: The study group consists of fifty-two (4 months-10 years) children who were referred to pediatric surgery ward for evaluation of GERD as a cause of chronic respiratory symptoms by 24 hours PH monitoring. Additionally, 10 patients with only one episode of pneumonia were evaluated as the control group. Chronic respiratory presentations include the following: chronic cough, recurrent pneumonia, asthma, and respiratory distress.Results: 24 hour esophageal PH monitoring revealed GER in 22 (42.2%) patients as a cause of their chronic respiratory symptoms, while (30 (57.7%) children did not show any evidence of GER. GER was detected in 11 of 24 (45.7%) patients with chronic cough. Thirty-three patients presented with recurrent pneumonia, 13 (39.9%) of whom had GER. In 8 patients with asthma, GER was found in 4 cases. None of the 6 patients with respiratory distress had GERD.Conclusion: The possibility of GERD was significantly higher in study group (children with chronic respiratory symptoms) compared to control group (p-value<0.01). All patients with chronic cough, recurrent pneumonia and asthma should be aggressively investigated for the possibility of GER. Documenting abnormal gastroesophageal reflux helps direct appropriate therapy before occurrence of major complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to estimate the current prevalence and distribution of hypertension in an adult Tehranian population. Data were collected for 3343 men and 5148 women aged 20-69 years in the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study (TLGS), which is a cross-sectional phase of a large epidemiologic study, first established in 1999. The study used the mean of two separate blood pressure (BP) measurements in each individual. Twenty-two percent (23% of women vs 20% of men, P = 0.01) had hypertension according to 'JNC-VI' and 'WHO-ISH' criteria. The average systolic BP (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP) and pulse pressure of hypertensive participants were 31, 16, and 15 mm Hg higher than the corresponding value for normotensives, respectively. Thirty-six percent of participants with JNCVI-based hypertension were using antihypertensive medication (23% of men and 43% of women). Of these, 40% (45% of men and 39% of women) had normal BP. Hypertension awareness was 50% in these participants (57% in men vs 37% in women, P < 0.001). Data for 3179 men and 4646 women aged 20-69 years with no antihypertensive treatment were used for analysis of BP measures. Of these, 15% (16% of men and 14% of women, P = 0.006) had high and 85% (84% of men and 86% of women) normal or high-normal BP levels according to JNC-VI. Prevalence of optimal BP was 49% (47% of men and 51% of women). Mean SBP was 117.8 ± 16.6 and 116.4 ± 16.4 mm Hg in men and women, respectively (P < 0.001). The equivalent values were 77.4 ± 10.7 and 77.3 ± 9.9 mm Hg for DBP (P = 0.5) and 40.4 ± 12 and 39.1 ± 11.7 mm Hg for pulse pressure (P < 0.001). A relatively high prevalence of JNC-VI/WHO-ISH defined hypertension was found in the TLGS adult population with 50% undiagnosed and 60% uncontrolled hypertension. These findings emphasise further considerations for detection and better management of hypertension in the urban population of Tehran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper the situation of Iranian reform agents from their style of work behavior point of view (such as problem solving and decision making) is analyzed. The assessment is based on a modified version of Kirton's theory of adaptors and innovators (modified KAI). The purpose of this study is to see whether the reform agents were seen as innovative enough to bring about fundamental changes in Iranian bureaucracy. The study of work behavior makes a difference in how people approach, solve and communicate problems, and therefore, may influence the success of reform program. Although the results indicate that the reform program was not perceived as having been as successful as expected, however, about 75 percent of Iranian reform agents could be categorized as "innovative-inclined". The level of education and age account for little of the variance in the responses. Differences in the (modified) KAI mean scores of the agents of reform working in different organizations may explain some communication problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The struggle over women's rights has been one of the main battlegrounds between the forces of modernity and tradition in Iranian politics and society. With the emergence of a Reformist movement in 1997 this struggle entered a new phase in the Islamic Republic. It became part of the part of a broader conflict over two differing notions of Islam. One is an absolutist and legalistic Islam, premised on the notion of "duty," tolerating no dissent and making little concession to popular will and contemporary realities. The other is a pluralistic and tolerant Islam that promotes democratic values and human rights—including women's rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Managerial value systems along with individualism-collectivism concepts were examined among 768 managers in Iran. The sample was randomly selected from state, private, and mixed organizations. The participants ranked conformist and sociocentric values high. In addition, the participants displayed a high tendency toward collectivism and a weak commitment to individualism. Furthermore, existential value was highly correlated with individualism-collectivism measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information on Acipenser nudiventris Lovetsky. Its common name is ship sturgeon, spiny sturgeon, fringebarbel sturgeon. It has dorsal scutes 11–17, lateral scutes 49–74 and ventral scutes 11–17. Body is elongated with greatest depth occurring at first dorsal scute which is unusually large in relation to other scutes. Ship sturgeon inhabit the Azov, Black, and Caspian seas but is believed to be extinct in the Aral Sea basin. The ship sturgeon occurs in the Danube, primarily in resident form, and was known historically to ascend as far upstream as Bratislava.

OBJECTIVE:: To clarify the hypothesis that parent's dietary intakes are associated with their offspring's body mass index. DESIGN:: Observational analytical cross-sectional survey among inhabitants of district 13 in the east of Tehran. SUBJECTS:: A total of 117 healthy families comprising 474 subjects including 240 offspring (3–25 y old). MEASUREMENTS:: Weight and height were measured by a standard protocol and body mass index (kg/m2) was calculated. Dietary intakes were assessed by means of a 2 day dietary recall questionnaire. RESULTS:: The prevalence of overweight was 11.8% in offspring of normal-weight parents, 19.0% in offspring of overweight fathers and normal-weight mothers, 25.4% in offspring of overweight mothers and normal-weight fathers and 40.8% in offspring with both parents overweight. The Offspring's overweight was significantly and independently associated with high-energy intake of both parents (odds ratio; 95% CI 2.7; 1.6–4.5). Adjusted for the sex of parents, the chances of offspring being overweight were higher in overweight (3.8; 1.5–9.2) and high-energy-intake mothers (2.6; 1.2–5.6) and high-energy-intake fathers (2.0; 1.1–3.9) as compared with children of normal-weight parents. High fat intake of husbands was an independent risk factor increasing the chances of their wives being overweight (2.1; 1.5–3.6) and vice versa (1.8; 1.2–2.8). CONCLUSION:: The observed familial obesity pattern was shown to be associated with the familial dietary intakes. Hence, familial intervention seems essential to stop the accelerated rise in the prevalence of overweight and obesity in our community.International Journal of Obesity (2002) 26, 1617–1622. doi:10.1038/si.ijo.0802120 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By the summer of 2001, most of Iran had been suffering a three-year drought, the worst in recent history. Water rationing was in place in Tehran and other cities, and large proportions of the country's crops and livestock were perishing. Yet many academics and other experts in Iran insist that the water crisis is only partly drought-related, and claim that mismanagement of water resources is the more significant cause. Underlying this discussion is a complex of overlapping yet often conflicting ethical systems – Iranian, Islamic, and modernist/industrialist – which are available to inform water policy in Iran. A review of the various arguments about the nature of the crisis and the range of solutions that have been proposed, including precedents from traditional Iranian water management and the ethics of water use in Islamic law, suggests that Iran's own cultural heritage provides alternatives to wholesale adoption of Western models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on a study to determine congenital hypothyroidism (CH) incidence in Tehran and Damavand regions in Iran using cord blood spot samples. Observance of increased prevalence of CH in the regions; Significance of a national screening program; Findings of the program for screening of CH in the regions.