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AbstractThe surface of the earth or the top of the earth at the level of cities and urban areas becomes significantly higher than the surrounding environment, which is known as the thermal component. If this phenomenon is higher than a certain limit, it will cause problems for the city residents. But one of the most important factors that can play a very important role in controlling this phenomenon is the presence of vegetation, which is mainly a significant part of this coverage in urban areas. In this study, the effect of vegetation cover on the amount of urban heat island in Isfahan City was investigated. For this purpose, the surface temperature of the city and its relationship with the surface cover were investigated using the land surface temperature (LST) products of the MODIS sensor in places with heat islands by applying the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) of Landsat satellite data during the period of 2001-2020. Examining the annual changes in temperature in Isfahan shows that during this period, the temperature is generally increasing, so 2011 with an average annual temperature of 37.21 degrees Celsius is the hottest year and 2012 is the coldest year with an average annual temperature of 33.7 degrees Celsius. The most apparent thermal islands were observed in areas with industrial use, high-traffic places with severe air pollution and population density, and places with weak vegetation, areas with dense and worn-out textures.Keywords: LST, Landsat Satellite, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). IntroductionIn today's growing world, there is unprecedented urbanization and urban development, which have become factors affecting the air temperature around urban areas. This temperature causes the creation of a heat island in these areas compared to the surroundings, and as a result, it can play a fundamental role in air quality and consequently public health. In one study conducted by Taghizadeh and Mazidi (2019), the variability of heat island risk based on changes in land use and land cover was investigated in Isfahan. The results of this research showed that the expansion of the city cannot be the main cause of the increase in the surface temperature and the expansion of the heat island, but the change in the use of other lands has also been effective in increasing or decreasing the temperature. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the effects of vegetation in adjusting the surface temperature of the ground in Isfahan City. Depriving the cities of vegetation will cause the temperature to rise, especially in the summer season in big cities like Isfahan. Isfahan region is also facing the mentioned problems due to the large size of urban areas and rapid growth in recent decades. In this regard, Landsat and MOADIS satellite data are used. Materials and MethodsTo achieve the purpose of this study, satellite data were used. To investigate the effects of the independent variable (i.e. vegetation covers) at the city level, the MODIS sensor data of the Terra satellite were used in the period from 2001 to 2020. Landsat satellite data, which have a pixel size of 30 meters in the period from 2001 to 2020, were used to investigate the amount of vegetation (NDVI index) in the city of Isfahan. In order to collect the data, first, satellite images were received by referring to the United States Earth and Science website https://earthexplorer.usgs.gov. The NDVI index was used in the period from January 2001 to December 2020 to investigate the patterns of vegetation changes and fluctuations in time and place. For this purpose, raw images were obtained from the NASA website, which included 240 monthly time series images of vegetation covers. Research FindingsThe results of the analysis showed that the average annual temperature of the surface of the earth in this city is 35.6 degrees Celsius. According to the annual surface temperature map for the city of Isfahan, the minimum temperatures are completely consistent with the peripheral heights of the city, which can be seen in the form of spots in the northern parts (northern elevations of the foothills) and southwest areas (southern elevations of Shahreza). These parts show a temperature between 19 and 25 degrees Celsius. The temperature of 25 to 30 degrees is scattered around the mentioned parts as well as around the city of Isfahan and the Gav Khouni swamp. The largest temperature zone in the annual map includes the temperature of 35 to 40 degrees, which covers most of the city. The maximum temperature that shows the hottest spots is located in the central part of the city. In order to investigate the effects of the presence of vegetation and the amount of vegetation density in reducing the surface temperature in the urban area of ​​Isfahan, Landsat satellite data were used, and the NDVI vegetation index was applied to these data. Then, a map and the amount of vegetation density were obtained. Since the map of vegetation cover and surface temperature was prepared exactly on a specific and simultaneous date, it is easy to visually observe the moderating role of vegetation covers in different parts of Isfahan. With the investigations carried out, it was precisely determined that wherever there is vegetation in Isfahan, the minimum temperature corresponds exactly to these parts. In parts of the city that are devoid of vegetation, which mainly corresponds to urban constructions or barren lands, a significant increase in the temperature of the surface of the earth can be seen. Therefore, the moderating effect of vegetation on the temperature of the city and the simultaneous reduction of the heat island in the studied area cannot be ignored. The major part of the concentration and density of vegetation in this city exactly corresponds to the passage of Zayandeh Rood. Discussion of Results and ConclusionThe development of urbanization causes the reduction of barren lands with high temperatures and the formation of a layer of relatively lower temperatures than barren lands in residential areas. Vegetation has a reducing effect on urban built surfaces such as busy streets and changes in land use such as agricultural land to residential use. Being adjacent to barren lands in the city has intensifying effects on high temperatures and hot spots. In fact, the results of this study show that, according to the investigations carried out on the Landsat satellite data in Isfahan, there is a strong correlation between the presence of vegetation and the decrease in the temperature of the city. In this regard, in the parts of the city where the density of vegetation increases, the surface temperature is greatly reduced, and the moderating role of vegetation can be seen well, but the temperature increases completely as you move away from the vegetation. Persian References- Aghili Nasab, Z., Mohammadzadeh, M., Mahini, A. S., & Zarei, H. (2012). Analysis of urban heat island calculation method using remote sensing. The Second Environmental Planning and Management Conference. (n.p).- Aghili Nasab, Z., Mohammadzadeh, M., Mahini, A. S., & Zarei, H. (2013). Analysis of urban heat islands using remote sensing and its relationship with the environmentally friendly development. Journal of Environment and Development, 4(8), 79-88.- Ahmadi, M., & Dadashi, A. (2017). The identification of urban thermal islands based on an environmental approach (Case study: Isfahan Province). Journal of Geography and Environmental Planning, 28(3), 1-20.- Anjomshoa, F., Morovati, M., Tazeh, M., & Bahadori Amjaz, F. (2022). Investigating the relationship between thermal islands and green space areas and detecting its changes (Case study: Kerman City). Journal of Geography and Environmental Sustainability, 11(4), 83-106.- Babaee Fini, O. S. (2015). A Study of the relationship between the land surface temperature and normalized indicator of vegetation in the urban environment (Case study: Esfahan Province). Quarterly Journal of Physical Geography, 8(29), 75-90.- Farhadi, H., & Najafzadeh, M. (2022). Presenting a new method to improve seasonal monitoring of Karun River water surface temperature using Landsat-8 Satellite images. Amirkabir Journal of Civil Engineering, 53(11), 4639-4656.- Golestani, Z., Mohammadi, H., Borna, R., & Asadian, F. (2022). Analysis of the relationship between earth surface temperature and vegetation in the formation of heat island and its hazards (Case study: Isfahan Metropolis). Journal of Environmental Hazards Management, 9(4), 341-354.- Hashemi, S. M., Alavipanah, S. K., & Dinarvandi, M. (2013). LST assessment using thermal remote sensing in urban environment. Journal of Environmental Studies, 39(1), 81-92.- Matkan, A. A., Nohegar, A., Mirbagheri, B., & Torkchin, N. (2015). Assessment relations of land use in heat islands using time series ASTER sensor data (Case study: Bandar Abbas City). Journal of RS and GIS for Natural Resources, 5(4), 1-14.- Mazidi, A., & Hosseini, F. S. (2015). Effects of changing land use and land cover on the heat island in the urban area of Yazd using remote sensing data. Journal of Geography and Development, 13(38), 1-12.- Rezaei, M., Goli, F., Soltaninia, Sh., & Mozoun, M. (2016). Sahm Bana's solutions to reduce the phenomenon of heat islands in cities in hot and dry climates. International Conference on Sustainable Development and Urban Development. (n.p).- Sasanpour, F., Ziaeian, P., & Bahadori, M. (2013). Investigating the relationship between land-use and land cover and thermal islands in Tehran. Journal of Geography, 11(32), 256-270.- Taghizadeh, Z., & Mazidi, A. (2019). The investigation of the variability of heat island hazard according to land use and land cover changes in Esfahan. Journal of Spatial Analysis Environmental Hazards, 6(3), 103-110.- Taleshi, A., Sotoudeh, A., Sabouhi, M., & Niazi, Y. (2014). Evaluating the land cover impact assessment on land surface temperature using thermal remote sensing data (Case study: Tehran Province). Journal of Environmental Researches, 5(10). English References- Essaadia, A., Abdellah, A., Ahmed, A., Abdelouahed, F., & Kamal, E. (2022). The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) of the Zat valley, Marrakech: Comparison and dynamics. Heliyon Journal, 8(12), e12204.- Faramarzi, M., Heidarizadi, Z., Mohamadi, A., & Haidari, M. (2018). Detection of vegetation changes in relation to normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) in semi-arid rangeland in western Iran. Journal of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, 20, 51-60.- Ganie, M. A., & Nusrath, A. (2016). Determining the vegetation indices (NDVI) from Landsat 8 satellite data. International Journal of Advanced Research, 4(8), 1459-1463. DOI:10.21474/IJAR01/1348.- Ghebrezgabher, M. G., Yang, T., Yang, X., & Sereke, T. E. (2020). Assessment of NDVI variations in responses to climate change in the Horn of Africa. The Egyptian Journal of Remote Sensing and Space Science, 23(3), 249-261, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrs.2020.08.003.- Hidalgo-García, D., & Arco-Díaz, J. (2022) Modeling the surface urban heat island (SUHI) to study of its relationship with variations in the thermal field and with the indices of land use in the metropolitan area of Granada (Spain). Journal of Sustainable Cities and Society, 87, 104166. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2022.104166.- Hua, L., Zhang, X., Nie, Q., Sun, F., & Tang, L. (2020). The impacts of the expansion of urban impervious surfaces on urban heat islands in a coastal city in China. Sustainability, 12(2), 475.- Li, L., Zha, Y., & Zhang, J. (2020). Spatial and dynamic perspectives on surface urban heat island and their relationships with vegetation activity in Beijing, China, based on moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer data. International Journal of Remote Sensing, 41(3), 882-896.- Mallick, J., Kant, Y., & Bharath, B. (2008). Estimation of land surface temperature over Delhi using Landsat-7 ETM+. The Journal of Indian Geophysical Union, 12(3)‚ 131-140.- Ma, X., & Peng, S. (2021). Assessing the quantitative relationships between the impervious surface area and surface heat island effect during urban expansion. PeerJ, 9, e11854. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.11854.- Morabito, M., Crisci, A., Messeri, A., Orlandini, S., Raschi, A., Maracchi, G., & Munafò, M. (2016). The impact of built-up surfaces on land surface temperatures in Italian urban areas. Science of the Total Environment, 551, 317–326.- Senanayake, I. P., Welivitiya, W. D. D. P., & Nadeeka, P. M. (2013). Remote sensing based analysis of urban heat islands with vegetation cover in Colombo city, Sri Lanka using Landsat-7 ETM+ data. Journal of Urban Climate, 5, 19-35.- Solano, R., Didan, K., Jacobson, A., & Huete, A. (2010). MODIS vegetation index user’s guide (MOD13 series). Vegetation Index and Phenology Lab, the University of Arizona, 1-38.- Tan, J., Zheng, Y., Tang, X., Guo, C., Li, L., Song, G., ... & Chen, H. (2010). The urban heat island and its impact on heat waves and human health in Shanghai. International Journal of Biometeorology, 54(1), 75–84.- Tepanosyan, G., Muradyan, V., Hovsepyan, A., Pinigin, G., Medvedev, A., & Asmaryan, S. (2021). Studying spatial-temporal changes and relationship of land cover and surface Urban Heat Island derived through remote sensing in Yerevan, Armenia. Building and Environment, 187, 107390. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2020.107390.- Ullah, W., Ahmad, K., Ullah, S., Tahir, A. A., Javed, M. F., Nazir, A., … & Mohamed, A. (2023). Analysis of the relationship among land surface temperature (LST), land use land cover (LULC), and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) with topographic elements in the lower Himalayan region. Heliyon, 9(2). doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13322.- Umar, U. M., & Kumar, J. S. (2014). Spatial and temporal changes of urban heat island in Kano metropolis, Nigeria. International Journal of Research in Engineering Science and Technology, 1(2), 1-9.- Yang, L., Li, X., & Shang, B. (2022). Impacts of urban expansion on the urban thermal environment: A case study of Changchun, China. Chinese Geographical Science, 32(1), 79–92 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11769-021-1251-3.- Yang, X., Yang, T., Ji, Q., He, Y., & Ghebrezgabher, M. G. (2014). Regional-scale grassland classification using moderate-resolution imaging spectrometer datasets based on multistep unsupervised classification and indices suitability analysis. Journal of Applied Remote Sensing, 8(1), 083548. https://doi.org/10.1117/1.JRS.8.083548.- Zhang, X., Friedl, M. A., Schaaf, C. B., & Strahler, A. H. (2004). Climate controls on vegetation phenological patterns in northern mid‐and high latitudes inferred from MODIS data. Journal of Global Change Biology, 10(7), 1133-1145.- Zipper, S. C., Schatz, J., Singh, A., Kucharik, C. J., Townsend, P. A., & Loheide, S. P. (2016). Urban heat island impacts on plant phenology: Intra-urban variability and response to land cover. Journal of Environmental Research Letters, 11(5), 054023.

Background: Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer among women, with various complications and morbidities due to treatment modalities. Most patients suffer from psychological problems, including depression, anxiety, poor quality of life, and sleep. Bioenergy Economy (BEE)-based program is an integrative mind-body care model that targets the development of individuals' well-being. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the BEE program on the four factors of depression, anxiety, quality of life, and sleep quality in patients with breast cancer. Methods: This study was a clinical trial on 20 patients with the stage I-III of breast cancer who were referred to an oncologist in Isfahan, Iran. The candidates were selected by the convenience sampling method and the BEE protocol was done for all of the patients in 8 sessions. Depression, anxiety, quality of life, and sleep quality of the patients were assessed by Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaires, respectively. The trial had no control group. All assessments were done in 3-time courses consisting of before the intervention, immediately after, and one year after the intervention. Results: This study evaluated 20 patients with breast cancer. The mean score of depression and anxiety significantly decreased immediately after the intervention and then significantly increased in a 1-year follow-up (P = 0.003 and P = 0.014, respectively, for depression and P = 0.006 and P = 0.003, respectively, for anxiety). Evaluating the quality of life in different 8 subscales showed significant changes in subscales of physical functioning and social role functioning immediately after the intervention and in the 1-year follow-up in comparison with the pre-test (P = 0.007 and P = 0.005, respectively). The mean score of sleep quality was increased immediately after the intervention and also during the 1-year follow-up. Conclusion: The BEE program can be considered a psycho-oncology intervention in patients with breast cancer, alongside their conventional treatments. The findings suggest that for the sustained mental health of patients with cancer, a continuous BEE practice might be demanded.

AbstractThe aim of the current research was to identify the effective factors in the future state of housing planning in Ahvaz metropolis. The research method was applied based on the purpose and descriptive-analytical based on the nature. In this regard, by applying the mutual effects analysis method in Mikmak software, the key factors affecting the housing supply system of Ahvaz City were identified. Finally, the effective factors of the housing supply system in the mentioned city were selected by using the scenario writing method in the software and the scenario wizard was executed. The findings showed that the 7 factors of migration, marginalization, weakening of the value of national currency, low ability to pay loans, increase in land prices, insignificant credit facilities, and lack of an integrated and coordinated management system in the housing sector had the most impacts and key roles in the system. They provided housing in Ahvaz City.Keywords: future research, housing, housing supply, Ahvaz metropolis IntroductionIn recent decades, the cities of Iran have experienced an increasing concentration of population; yet, the weakness of economic management, lack of comprehensive housing planning, and inadequacy of the government's economic infrastructure have caused the problem of housing shortage and inadequate housing supply. The various policies and programs of the government have not led to good results either. The issue of the land market has caused a large part of lands in the capital to be attracted and ultimately, a large number of citizens to be deprived of shelter. Ahvaz metropolis in Khuzestan Province has undergone extensive demographic and spatial changes during the last decade for 3 main reasons: 1) having provincial centrality, 2) becoming a major industrial hub in line with adopting the policy of creating a growth hub, and 3) disrupting the order of the urban network as a result of the 8-year war and destruction of the major partner cities (Abadan and Khorramshahr) in favor of the all-round development of this city. As a result of these factors, the population of this city has had an increase of 120,098 to 1184,788 people during the years of 1956-2016). In the first general census of the country in 2015, Ahvaz had a population of 120,098 people. Therefore, this rapid population growth has caused problems, such as low quality of housing in the city, lack of ownership by a group of citizens, small areas of ​​residential units, etc. Based on this, this research sought to research the future of the housing supply system in Ahvaz metropolis to respond to the current and future needs and solve the existing problems in this city. In this regard, the main goal of the current research was to identify the most important factors influencing the future state of housing planning in Ahvaz metropolis. MethodologyThe main purpose of this research was to identify the most important factors influencing the future state of housing planning in Ahvaz metropolis. Therefore, a descriptive-analytical and survey method was chosen in this research. In the first step, a list of the primary factors that played a role in the housing supply system of Ahvaz City were identified as the research variables by using documentary sources and previous researches, as well as the Delphi questionnaire. The research variables were analyzed based on an expert questionnaire. In the research process, by using the mutual effects analysis method and Micmac software, the influences of the primary factors on each other were evaluated in the form of the expert questionnaire. Finally, by using another questionnaire, the key factors of housing supply in Ahvaz City were selected via the scenario writing method in the Scenario Wizard software. The statistical population of the research included the specialists and experts of the urban area. The size of the studied sample was determined through the theoretical saturation of 30 experts through the snowball sampling method. The validity of the research tool was evaluated by university professors and it was confirmed after fixing the problems and deficiencies. To measure the reliability of the first expert’s questionnaire (analysis of mutual effects) and the second expert’s questionnaire (scenario writing), the questionnaire was completed by 10% of the experts and then, the results obtained from the supervisor could be cited and confirmed. DiscussionThe results showed that 7 key factors played a role in the housing supply system of Ahvaz City. As shown in Figure 3, these factors include migration, marginalization, weakening of the value of national currency, low ability to pay loans, increase in land prices, insignificant credit facilities, and lack of an integrated and coordinated management system in the housing sector. Also, the results revealed that the 3rd scenario was the most optimistic and promising scenario for the housing supply system of Ahvaz City with 5 favorable conditions and a suitable percentage of 42.87%. The 1st and 2nd scenarios were intermediate. The 2nd and 4th scenarios were respectively the most critical scenarios with unfavorable situations for the housing supply system of Ahvaz City. ConclusionHousing is one of the most essential human needs after food and clothing and it is very important for the preservation and survival of the individuals and society. It is related to one of the most basic and sensitive sectors in economic and social development planning. The rapid growth of population in Ahvaz City has caused problems, such as low quality of housing in the city, lack of ownership by a group of citizens, small areas of ​​residential units, inappropriate interference of activities by residing adjacent to the functional zones of the city, especially heavy industries and administrative-service zones, placement of extensive military, industrial, and wasteland uses in the middle of the residential context (one of the main factors of disintegration of the urban structure of this city), existence of the residential formal or informal settlements, like villages outside the legal boundaries and adjacent to the city, which have their own service and infrastructure needs, illegal constructions in the river boundary and encroachment on its bed, etc. In addition, financial and economic inabilities of low-income groups on the one hand and lack of modern planning and appropriate support mechanisms on the other hand have prevented the vulnerable groups from having access to suitable housing. This lack of access has shown itself in various forms of marginalization and ugly urban landscapes and has caused all kinds of social and economic problems. All these clearly reveal the necessity of fundamental change in the planning process from the traditional method based on forecasting trends towards modern planning with a forward-looking approach. Cities need to be planned with a new approach to recognizing the future challenges so as not to be caught off guard in the face of the upcoming challenges and can take control and manage a favorable future condition. References:- Alavi, A., Benari, S., & Samadi, M. (2017). Analysis of quantitative and qualitative indicators of housing in the city of Ahvaz and forecasting the required housing until 2021. Geography and Human Relations, Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 867-850.- Arvin, M (2014). Survey of urban sprawl with an emphasis on endogenous development (Case study of Ahvaz City). Master's thesis in the field of geography and urban planning, University of Tehran, supervisor: Dr. Ahmad Pourahmad.- Iran Statistics Center (2015-2016).- Sherizadeh, A., Roostayi, Sh., & Hakimi, H. (2018). Identifying the key factors affecting the future status of low-income housing planning in Tabriz metropolis with a future research approach. Urban Research and Planning Quarterly, 10th year, No. 38, pp. 39-49.- Yazdani, M. H., Hasanpour, S., & Hashemi Masoumabad, R. (2018). Spatial analysis of social and physical dimensions of housing in the areas of Ahvaz City: Physical Development Planning. Scientific Research Journal, Year 4, No. 2, Serial 14, pp. 51-66.- Adeoye, D. O. (2016). Challenges of Urban Housing Quality: Insights and Experiences of Akure, Nigeria. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 216, pp. 260-268.- Bharath, H. A. et al. (2018). Modeling urban dynamics in rapidly urbanizing Indian cities. The Egyptian Journal of Remote Sensing and Space Science, 21 (3), pp. 201-210. https: //doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrs.2017.08.002- Cobbinah, P. B. and Niminga-Beka, R. (2017). Urbanization in Ghana: Residential land use under siege in Kumasi central cities. 60, Part A, pp. 388-401. https: //doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2016.10.011- Garbawaziri. A. and Roosli, R. (2013). Housing Policies and Programs in Nigeria: A Review of the Concept and Implementation. Business Management Dynamics.- Lamé, G., Jouini, O., & Cardinal, J. (2019). Methods and contexts: Challenges of planning with scenarios in a hospital’s division. Futures, Vol. 105, pp. 78-90.- Malpass, P. and Victory, C. (2010). The Modernization of Social Housing in England. International Journal of Housing Policy, 10 (1), pp. 3-18. DOI: 10.1080/14616710903565647- McClure, K. (2019). What should be the future of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program? Housing Policy Debate, 29 (1), pp. 65-81.‏- Miller, J. D. and Hutchins, M. (2017). The impacts of urbanization and climate change on urban flooding and urban water quality: A review of the evidence concerning the United Kingdom. Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies, 12, pp. 345-362. https: //doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrh.2017.06.006- Moulaert, F. (Editor) et al. (2014). The International Handbook on Social Innovation: Collective Action, Social Learning, and Transdisciplinary Research. Cheltenham: UK Edward Elgar.- OCED (2015). How’s Life? Measuring Well-Being. DOI: http: //dx.doi.org/10.1787/how_life-2015-en- Pawson, H., Milligan, V., & Yates, J. (2020). Financing and Governing Affordable Rental Housing. In Housing Policy in Australia, Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore, pp. 259-298.‏- Pons, A. and Rullan, O. (2014). The expansion of urbanization in the Balearic Islands (1956-2006). Journal of Marine and Island Cultures, 3 (2), pp. 78-88. https: //doi.org/10.1016/j.imic.2014.11.004- Rowland, N. and Spaniol, M. (2017). Social foundation of scenario planning. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Vol. 124, pp. 6-15.- Schwarts, A. F. (2014). Housing Policy in the United States.- Short, J. R. (2014). Urban theory: A critical assessment. Palgrave Macmillan.- UNDESA/PD (2012). World urbanization prospects: The 2011 revision. New York: United Nations.- Zedlewski, S. R. and Waller, M. (2002). The Importance of Housing Benefits to Welfare Success. Center on Urban & Metropolitan Policy and the Urban Institute.- Zhang, M. and Rasiah, R. (2016). Localization of state policy: Shandong's experience in financing Cheap Rental Housing in urban China. Habitat International, 56, pp. 1-10. https: //doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2016.04.003 Figures and Tables- Table 1: Housing provision policies in Iran at different times- Table 1: Population of Ahvaz City during the years of 1956-2016- Fig. 1: Location of the study area (Vice President of Planning and Development of Human Capital of Ahvaz Municipality, 2022)- Table 3: Factors and components affecting the housing supply system of Ahvaz City- Table 4: Descriptive statistics of the respondents' status- Table 5: The direct and indirect effects of the factors on each other- Fig. 2: The distribution diagram of the variables in the impact-affectability axis based on the direct effects- Fig. 3: Factors affecting the housing supply system of Ahvaz City- Table 6: Key factors, situation, and possible assumptions facing the system- Table 7: Status of each of the key factors according to the compatible scenarios- Table 8: Coefficients, number, and percentage of each of the scenarios based on the 3 spectra

Abstract Due to the central role in insulin secretion, the potassium inwardly-rectifying channel subfamily J member 11 (KCNJ11) gene is one of the essential genes for type 2 diabetes (T2D) predisposition. However, the relevance of this gene to T2D development is not consistent among diverse populations. In the current study, we aim to capture the possible association of common KCNJ11 variants across Iranian adults, followed by a meta-analysis. We found that the tested variants of KCNJ11 have not contributed to T2D incidence in Iranian adults, consistent with similar insulin secretion levels among individuals with different genotypes. The integration of our results with 72 eligible published case–control studies (41,372 cases and 47,570 controls) as a meta-analysis demonstrated rs5219 and rs5215 are significantly associated with the increased T2D susceptibility under different genetic models. Nevertheless, the stratified analysis according to ethnicity showed rs5219 is involved in the T2D risk among disparate populations, including American, East Asian, European, and Greater Middle Eastern, but not South Asian. Additionally, the meta-regression analysis demonstrated that the sample size of both case and control groups was significantly associated with the magnitude of pooled genetic effect size. The present study can expand our knowledge about the KCNJ11 common variant's contributions to T2D incidence, which is valuable for designing SNP-based panels for potential clinical applications in precision medicine. It also highlights the importance of similar sample sizes for avoiding high heterogeneity and conducting a more precise meta-analysis.

Abstract Background Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is diagnosed based on chronic anovulation, androgen excess (clinical and/or biochemical), and polycystic ovaries in ultrasound. The aim of the present study was to evaluate which parameters in the transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) of ovaries could be better associated with concurrent hormonal imbalance in the women with PCOS. Methods Using a cross-sectional design, this study focused on 61 subjects (18–40 years) with PCOS. Patients were recruited at three academic hospitals during the 2017–2019 period. PCOS was defined according to the Rotterdam criteria. The association of ovarian morphology with hormonal and metabolic feature was investigated using linear regression models, adjusted for a set of possible confounding variables including age, mensuration status and body mass index (BMI). Results The mean volume of both ovaries was positively associated with the total testosterone level (β = 0.025, P value

Abstract Background Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive paralysis due to motor neuron degeneration. It has been proposed that epigenetic modification and transcriptional dysregulation may contribute to motor neuron death. In this study, we investigate the basis for therapeutic approaches to target lysine-specific histone demethylase 1 (LSD1) and elucidate the mechanistic role of LSD1-histone H3K4 signaling pathway in ALS pathogenesis. Methods In order to examine the role of spermidine (SD), we administered SD to an animal model of ALS (G93A) and performed neuropathological analysis, body weight, and survival evaluation. Results Herein, we found that LSD1 activity is increased while levels of H3K4me2, a substrate of LSD1, is decreased in cellular and animal models of ALS. SD administration modulated the LSD1 activity and restored H3K4me2 levels in ChAT-positive motor neurons in the lumbar spinal cord of ALS mice. SD prevented cellular damage by improving the number and size of motor neurons in ALS mice. SD administration also reduced GFAP-positive astrogliogenesis in the white and gray matter of the lumbar spinal cord, improving the neuropathology of ALS mice. Moreover, SD administration improved the rotarod performance and gait analysis of ALS mice. Finally, SD administration delayed disease onset and prolonged the lifespan of ALS (G93A) transgenic mice. Conclusion Together, modulating epigenetic targets such as LSD1 by small compounds may be a useful therapeutic strategy for treating ALS.

Le thème de la co-création de valeur constitue l’aboutissement des différentes évolutions et transformations survenues dans le champ du marketing. Il connait un engouement autant sur le plan de la recherche que des pratiques marketing et vient accompagner un consommateur désireux d’endosser un rôle actif dans la création de sa valeur faisant ainsi profiter les entreprises de ressources importantes. En effet, la collaboration entre consommateurs et entreprises donne lieu à un ensemble d’échanges et d’interactions permettant à chacune des parties prenantes de proposer des ressources, d’en intégrer et de produire de la valeur. Les entreprises y voient une opportunité pour mieux connaitre les besoins et les attentes des consommateurs, mettre à profit leurs ressources et atteindre leurs buts.Le premier objectif de cet article est de présenter une revue de littérature à propos de la co-création de valeur et l’engagement. Nous adoptons la définition de Leclercq et al. (2016) qui considèrent la co-création comme un processus durant lequel des parties prenantes tentent d’échanger des ressources utiles permettant à chacune de créer de la valeur. Or, il ne peut y avoir de co-création sans engagement des consommateurs. Notre deuxième objectif est d’identifier dans la littérature les types de motivations pouvant jouer le rôle de catalyseur de l’engagement dans un processus co-créatif en nous appuyons sur la théorie de l’auto-détermination.Notre recherche a pour ambition d’expliquer l’engagement du consommateur dans la co-création de valeur à travers ses motivations mais aussi d’explorer l’impact des motivations extrinsèques à régulation externe ou internalisées sur la motivation intrinsèque sur la base des relations supposées, comme suggéré dans la théorie de l’évaluation cognitive.Notre travail aboutit sur une proposition de modèle de recherche. Les liens entre les variables explicatives et la variable à expliquer sont à tester et les effets supposés des variables explicatives les unes sur les autres sont à vérifier. L’étape suivant ce travail est de valider empiriquement le modèle de recherche afin de vérifier les effets supposés et proposer des conclusions sur le plan théorique et managérial.

In this paper, a finite cylindrical plasma waveguide is investigated as a plasma valve in the path of a non-dissipative cylindrical waveguide with metal walls. Theoretical simulation to investigate the effect of the main parameters of this plasma valve on the transmission coefficients and reflection coefficients of the symmetric modes is the main part of this paper. The transmittance coefficients of electromagnetic waves in each symmetric mode are introduced in terms of Henkel functions and ordinary Bessel functions, and the role of these functions in the purification of some modes is investigated. Taking into account the boundary conditions, the transmission coefficient of the output wave modes from the plasma valve are obtained. The diagrams of the mentioned coefficient versus the incident wave frequency, geometry dimensions and the type of the used plasma in the valve are studied.

The study aimed to compare the book of Islamic Education sixth grade basic in both Jordan and the UAE in the light of the ethical concepts that should be included in the book. To achieve this goal, a list of these ethical concepts was prepared, and according to it, the content of both books has been analyzed. The results showed differences in the availability of these concepts in the books as well as the imbalance in the distribution of these concepts in the books. The results also showed similarities and differences in the content of ethical concepts in both books.

We describe a case of prolonged intrauterine fetal bone retention following a neglected pregnancy. A 43-year-old rural woman had one year history of malodorous vaginal discharge. She underwent medical treatment with broad spectrum antibiotics. Four days following the onset of antibiotic therapy, cystoscopy and hysteroscopy were done. Incredibly, some bony-like pieces were extracted by instrument from endocervical canal. Intrauterine retention of fetal bones, although rare, should be considered as a possibility in cases with unexplained abdominal pain, dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, and long period infertility. Hysteroscopy is the best modality for diagnosis and may be enough for management of the condition in many cases. However, in complicated cases, hysterectomy would be inevitable.

Background: The diabetic foot is a chronic complication of diabetes. There is a strong relationship between glucose levels, the severity of diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs), and the need for amputation. This study aimed to evaluate the blood sugar (BS) trends before and after surgery in patients with DFU who had been amputated. Methods: The adult patients who had undergone DFU-related amputation surgery between 2017 and 2020 in Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex, Tehran, Iran, were evaluated. The cases whose BS levels were charted at least three days before and after amputation were recruited. The main data, including hypoglycemia (defined as a blood glucose level < 70 mg/dl) and mean BS and fasting BS (FBS) levels, were recorded. The data were then analyzed and compared before and after amputation. Results: Of 267 patients reviewed for inclusion criteria, 55 patients were included in the study. Twenty-eight patients (50.9%) were men, and the mean age was 60 years. The mean FBS before and after amputation was 229.5 and 181.3 mg/dl, respectively, and the mean BS before and after amputation was 227.3 and 197.8 mg/dl, respectively. The differences were significant (P < 0.001). Twelve patients (21.8%) before and 21 patients (36.4%) after amputation suffered from hypoglycemia (P = 0.057). Conclusion: DFU-related amputation is associated with a significant decrease in blood glucose levels and inflammatory indexes. However, it can increase the risk of hypoglycemia during the first three days after the surgery.

BackgroundInsomnia is a major health issue, and zolpidem is an effective treatment for insomnia. However, high doses of zolpidem can cause dependence, abuse, and withdrawal symptoms, questioning its advantages.Case presentationA 39-year-old woman who has been divorced and unemployed for 2 years was referred to an addiction treatment center with a chief complaint of “seizure-like withdrawal symptoms after consuming high doses of zolpidem (up to 6,000 mg per day) for a decade.” These symptoms were in the form of body tremors, nystagmus, stress, anxiety, hot flashes, and sweaty palms. She has been undergoing detoxification by clonazepam for almost 2 months. Except for the first few days, she did not have any withdrawal symptoms, and her insomnia caused by zolpidem has improved.ConclusionChronic abuse of zolpidem can cause dependence, withdrawal symptoms, and abuse. High doses can lead to extreme cravings and dependence. Physicians must manage the withdrawal process.

Background: Agaricus bisporus has the highest production in the world due to its unique flavor and valuable nutritional properties. Due to lack of cuticle, high respiration rate, high humidity, and intense enzymatic activity, they rapidly decay and their discoloration begins immediately after harvest. Methods: The present study was conducted in a completely randomized design with 5 treatments including control, chitosan 2%, chitosan + cinnamon essential oil (2%), chitosan + Persian hogweed essential oil (200 ppm), and chitosan + cinnamon essential oil + Persian hogweed essential oil with 3 replications, and qualitative and biochemical characteristics of Agaricus bisporus on days 0, 7, 14, and 21 were evaluated. Findings: The highest amount of flavonoids was obtained 7 days after storage under the treatment of chitosan + Persian hogweed essential oil. The highest antioxidant capacity was observed in the control treatment 21 days after storage. 7 days after storage, the moisture content under the treatment of chitosan + Persian hogweed essential oil and chitosan + cinnamon essential oil and also 14 days after storage in the treatment of chitosan + Persian hogweed essential oil showed a significant increase compared to the control treatment. The highest browning index was obtained 14 days after storage in chitosan and chitosan + Persian hogweed + cinnamon treatments. The highest tissue firmness was observed on day 0 after storage in the control treatment and the lowest amount of firmness was observed on day 21 after storage in control, chitosan, and chitosan + Persian hogweed + cinnamon treatments. Conclusion: The investigated treatments showed different results on biochemical properties and postharvest shelf life of Agaricus bisporus. In general, cinnamon and Persian hogweed essential oils combined with chitosan have been individually effective on qualitative properties of Agaricus bisporus over shelf life.

Abstract Resistance-nodulation-cell devision (RND) efflux pump variants have attracted a great deal of attention for efflux of many antibiotic classes, which leads to multidrug-resistant bacteria. The present study aimed to discover the interaction between the RND efflux pumps and antibiotics, find the conserved and hot spot residues, and use this information to target the most frequent RND efflux pumps. Protein sequence and 3D conformational alignments, pharmacophore modeling, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulation were used in the first level for discovering the function of the residues in interaction with antibiotics. In the second level, pharmacophore-based screening, structural-based screening, multistep docking, GRID MIF, pharmacokinetic modeling, fragment molecular orbital, and MD simulation were utilized alongside the former level information to find the most proper inhibitors. Five conserved residues, containing Ala209, Tyr404, Leu415, Asp416, and Ala417, as well as their counterparts in other OMPs were evaluated as the crucial conserved residues. MD simulation confirmed that a number of these residues had a key role in the performance of the efflux antibiotics; therefore, some of them were hot spot residues. Fourteen ligands were selected, four of which interacted with all the crucial conserved residues. NPC100251 was the fittest OMP inhibitor after pharmacokinetic computations. The second-level MD simulation and FMO supported the efficacy of the NPC100251. It was exhibited that perhaps OMPs worked as the intelligent and programable protein. NPC100251 was the strongest OMPs inhibitor, and may be a potential therapeutic candidate for MDR infections.

This experiment was conducted to investigate and compare the effects of dietary probiotic and prebiotic with sesame meal processed by bio-fermentation technique (SMP) on production performance, blood metabolites, and gut microbiota population in laying hens. A total of 200 Hy-Line W-36 laying hens, 43-wk-old, were randomly allocated to four experimental treatments with five replicates and ten hens per replicate. Experimental treatments were as follows: 1) corn-soybean meal diet (as control diet; [CON]), 2) control diet + 0.1% probiotic (PRO), 3) control diet + 0.1% prebiotic (PRE), and 4) a diet without additives, in which SMP replaced part of the soybean meal in the control diet (SMP). The bio-fermentation process decreased the pH, phytic acid, and crude fiber and increased the crude protein content and the number of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in sesame meal (P < 0.05). The feeding trial results showed that hens fed diets containing SMP and PRO had better egg production, egg mass, and feed conversion ratio compared to other treatments (P < 0.05). Lactic acid bacteria population and pH in the crop of birds that received PRO and SMP were higher and lower than in other birds, respectively (P < 0.05). Hens fed diets containing SMP, PRO, and PRE had greater LAB populations and lower coliform count in the ileum and cecal than those fed the CON diet (P < 0.05). Feeding diets containing tested feed additives and SMP decreased serum concentrations of cholesterol and triglycerides (P < 0.05). In summary, the results indicated that using SMP in laying hens' diet improved laying production, gut microbiota balance, and serum lipid profile. Therefore, it can be concluded that bio-fermentation, in addition to providing the possibility of replacing dietary sesame meal for soybean meal in laying hen diets, can be applied as a strategic tool for promoting gastrointestinal hygiene and health in birds.

Nowadays, the use of nanoparticles has made many developments to enhance the effectiveness of radiotherapy. Many parameters such as size, concentration, type, and intracellular position of nanoparticles, as well as type and energy of the radiation source, affect the sensitivity. In this study, the effect of the presence of gadolinium in the cell has been investigated, and the role of these physical parameters has been evaluated in the dose-enhancement factor (DEF). Using Geant4 software, different distributions of gadolinium nanoparticles (GdNP) and gadolinium atoms were simulated inside a cell. The sources of low energy (25 keV- 80 keV) and high energy from linear electron accelerator (Eave =2 MeV) were irradiated to a single cell, and the dose was obtained in its membrane cytoplasm, and the nucleus was calculated. Then, the effect of its size and X-ray source energy on the DEF value was investigated by simulating a nanoparticle. At the cellular scale, a rapid increase in DEF occurred after the Gd K-edge. The lowest DEF is in the core. The maximum DEF belongs to the distribution of Gd atoms in the cytoplasm and the distribution of Gd nanoparticles in the membrane with the values of 1.20 and 1.17 at 52 keV, respectively. At 2 MeV, the DEF in all distributions is close to 1. At the nanoscale, it was also found that the highest DEF was related to nanoparticles with a radius of 50 nm. Also, the DEF value increases sharply after the Gd K-edge, but at 2 MeV, the DEF value approaches 1.

Since a long time, self-knowledge has been recommended by divine prophets, thinkers and thinkers of different schools; Because without self-knowledge, planning for growth, evolution and self-improvement is not possible. In order to find the Qur'anic components of self-knowledge and its application in formulating the path of growth and evolution, the upcoming research has explored and re-read the mystical interpretation of Banu Amin's Al-Irfan Repository with a descriptive-analytical method. The findings of this research indicate that, based on the attitude of Mrs. Amin, the seven components of Quranic self-knowledge are "perception and attention to: 1. The comprehensiveness of man in relation to all worlds; 2. Existential poverty compared to the origin; 3. The blowing of the divine spirit; 4. Learning all names; 5. Feeling of dignity; 6. The power of choice and the power of free will and 7. The talent of human perfections" opens the way to God's epistemology for man, and as a result, it is applied in seven teachings: 1. Dwelling in the position of remembrance and thanksgiving; 2. Looking at one's perfections; 3. Connection to Hazrat Haqq and the position of nearness; 4. Maintaining the position of caliphate; 5. Feeling of dignity and activation of wisdom; 6. Choosing the best and 7. Fully obeying and following the divine religion, self-improvement, growth and evolution of man becomes possible.