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Higher education is one of the sections playing an important role in the community development. Considering globalization era, changes in universities missions and moving towards modern qualification methods which are mostly goal-directed may no more present an accurate evaluation of the universities performance; hence, applying new methods of performance evaluation that takes the effect of environmental factors into consideration can lead to community development and universities effectiveness. To do so, present study has examined and defined the contingency effect of environmental factors on universities performance evaluation to present an appropriate paradigm for universities performance evaluation. This is why present study presented a sample of 322 members including the scientific board, directors and specialists of Fars and Esfahan Universities. Research data for the main variables were collected by a 63-question questionnaire including five main dimensions and 63 indexes and environmental contingency factor coefficient was acquired through specialists polling. Research findings indicate that the human, research, administrative-logistic and instructive factors have a positive and significant relation with performance evaluation. However, this relation increases and decreases by the interference of environmental factor. Getting to cultural factor, results showed that as a culture dimension its observance has relation with performance evaluation, however the relation is negative. Therefore considering the culture observance would play no role in effectiveness of the performance evaluation. However, this relation may increase or decrease under influence of the environment. This article tries to present a comprehensive paradigm for evaluating universities performance and has a special interest in contingency factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Arasbaran Protected Area is an important but little studied nature reserve in NW Iran. In the past habitat heterogeneity and biodiversity have been threatened by over-exploitation; in the future depopulation may lead to partial abandonment. The soil seed bank was examined to see whether there are sufficient species represented as persistent seeds to reconstitute the vegetation in the event of habitat deterioration. There were differences between seed banks from different soils and vegetation types but essentially all soil seed banks contained few species and low densities of seed. Moreover, the species in the seed bank were unrepresentative of the vegetation. During future periods of changing land use it will be important to maintain the existing vegetation. There are however indications of successful recent conservation management. Annuals are abundant in the woodland seed bank but absent from the vegetation. The forest is recovering from the disturbance of collecting fire-wood. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most common cause of congenital infection, with increased morbidity and mortality at birth. The risk of intrauterine infection largely depends on the time of maternal infection during pregnancy. Currently, no national screening test for CMV infection is available during pregnancy in Iran. The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of CMV infection in pregnant women in the east region of Iran., Methods: In this descriptive study, conducted from February to April 2011, 240 serum samples were collected from pregnant women in the third trimester to measure CMV-specific immunoglobulin G (CMV-IgG) and CMV-specific immunoglobulin M (CMV-IgM) markers using ELISA test. IgG avidity test was used for all patients whom were positive CMV-IgM and positive CMV-IgG to distinguish primary and recurrent CMV infection. All positive CMV-IgM of pregnant women were monitored until birth., Results: The majority of women (72.1%) were positive CMV-IgG in pregnancy. The rate of positive CMV-IgM, primary and recurrent infection was 2.5%, 0.83%, and 1.67% respectively. There was significant relation between history of abortion (P = 0.013) and residential place (P = 0.017) with IgG seropositive rate. Two subjects with positive CMV-IgM were faced with preterm labor and low birth weight., Conclusion: The findings of our study indicated high prevalence rate of CMV seropositivity in this part of eastern region of Iran. A national screening of CMV-IgM serological is suggested for pregnant women who are at risk of CMV infection.