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Planning for sustainability of rural tourism requires basic spatial studies. So far, more than 30 villages in the Markazi province have been targeted as key villages of rural tourism, which are not necessarily all susceptible to sustainable tourism development, nor are such capabilities limited to this number. This research, as a basic spatial study in rural tourism planning and policy-making, has focused on 130 tourism-related villages across the province. The needed data were gathered primarily by self-designing a comprehensive worksheet, including the location of villages, structural and human prerequisites of tourism, types of attractions and exploitable tangible and intangible heritage, job opportunities, products and events, and drivers and obstacles of rural tourism development. Considering the three principal components of "heritage and tourist attractions," "tourism infrastructure and facilities," and "tourism employment and entrepreneurship" as necessary prerequisites and desirable outcomes, four distinct groups were identified for strategic planning of rural tourism. Only ten villages were prone to sustainability in tourism development with a simultaneous favorable situation in all triple dimensions. On the other hand, tourism was found to be an inappropriate option for 22 villages, lacking strategic priority in 48 other villages. More importantly, 50 villages with the ability and priority to realize the development and sustainability of tourism were also identified and introduced in three distinct subgroups with different strategic requirements in policy making and planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the end of the 20th century, many socio-economic planners have introduced tourism as one of the reliable strategies with a very clear perspective for rural development, especially in developing countries. But the basic issue is that the local community has limited benefit from this tourism and has very little participation in this field. Therefore, community-based tourism can benefit rural people from tourism in addition to preserving natural and cultural resources. Thus, the aim of the present research is to find the variables affecting community-based tourism in the target villages of Markazi Province. The method of conducting this research was qualitative and was done using the content analysis method, and the data was analyzed using MAXQDA version 20 software. The results show that the source of non-establishment of community-based tourism development in the studied area is the management-structural, environmental, socio-cultural and economic factors. But the most important factor for the development of this activity is the managerial-structural components. Because by using correct and principled management, on one hand, the local community can be educated and prepared to receive tourists, and on the other hand, by providing infrastructure (such as residences, roads, restaurants, parking lots, recreational spaces, etc.) the basic conditions for entry It created tourists. Then it is possible to help the development of community-based tourism in the studied area by observing environmental principles, socio-cultural sustainability and economic growth. 1. Introduction Today, tourism has become a powerful tool that can have good economic, social and environmental effects in different countries. The structure of this system can accelerate the flow of tourism economic factors in susceptible areas, including: capital, technology, facilities and information through the spillover effect and radiation effect. Therefore, the development of tourism can contribute to the economic growth of any region. But this activity has worked in the opposite direction in developing countries and has led to the decline of the local society. In some areas, at first, it acts as a source for increasing income and improving the livelihood of the local community, but with the passage of time, this income stream has changed and the benefits of tourism go to foreigners. Therefore, in order for the local community to share the benefits of tourism in each region, it is necessary to evaluate the context and capacities of the community to set up and monitor tourism associations, which are considered in community-based tourism. Community-based tourism, along with following values, norms, social laws, preserving ethnic identity, transferring cultural heritage in all its fields to future generations (social development), has been able to help reduce poverty by creating employment and earning income. and cause economic and commercial development. In general, community-based tourism is one of the ways of rural development that has been proposed in recent years as one of the activities in line with agriculture in rural areas of the country. The study area of the research, the target villages for tourism in the central province, has created a suitable place for the residents of these cities to spend their free time. This attention of tourists has positive and negative aspects. The positive points have been the increase in tourism tours and the negative effects of the destruction of the rural environment. In this way, many cars and motorcycles have gone to the virgin nature, which on the one hand has caused the destruction of some special vegetation in these areas and on the other hand has caused soil erosion. Therefore, due to the fact that they did not involve the villagers in the planning of tourism in these areas, these areas have suffered a lot of damage. For this reason, this research seeks to identify the components that have an impact on the implementation of community-based tourism in the target villages of Central Province. 2. Literature Review Before the 1980s, the approach of tourism development programs was top-down. This approach failed due to reasons such as: not paying attention to the demands of the local community and incompatibility with their socio-cultural conditions. In this approach, despite the fact that a lot of income was injected into the local areas, only certain groups and individuals benefited from it and the local community did not benefit much. For this reason, many criticisms about the lack of access of the local community to the benefits of tourism led to public attention being focused on the environmental and social effects of mass tourism. Therefore, some researchers raised the issue that if alternative solutions for mass tourism are considered, tourism has the ability to develop local communities. The basic condition of this goal was the inclusion of the local community in all stages of tourism decision-making. Since then, community-based tourism has been gradually formed. Planning in the community-based tourism approach is in the form of "bottom-up planning" that emphasizes development within the community. Therefore, one of the basic axes is that the local community should control the planning process and adjust their goals and plans based on it. Therefore, community-based tourism seeks to empower people, increase residents' participation in the decision-making process and distribute tourism income. In particular, the financial resources of rural areas should be used to create a self-sufficient society, and accordingly, planning and management should focus on the most effective way of deploying local human capital and other resources, along with the use of indigenous knowledge of the local community and other tools. Officials should be focused in planning, with the support of regional and national authorities. 3. Methodology The current study is a qualitative research that was conducted using the content analysis method. The data was collected using semi-structured interviews with 25 experts and specialists in the field of study, including: experts of the cultural heritage department, relevant districts, Islamic councils of villages, villagers, rural tourism activists and rural informants in the central province. To determine the research samples, the purposeful and snowball sampling methods were used and the sampling was done in a period of 2 months. Sampling and data collection was based on data saturation (unification of the information provided by the interviewees). At this stage, after interviewing experts and specialists in the field of study in the field of community-based tourism, especially in the target villages of Central Province, the data is the same and has reached saturation. The data was analyzed by MAXQDA version 20 software. 4. Results A semi-structured interview was used to identify factors and indicators affecting the development of community-based tourism in the target villages of Central Province. Sampling for interviews was done through the snowball method, and after interviewing 25 local experts, data saturation was achieved. Of these 25 people, 21 people (84%) are men and 4 people (16%) are women. Out of the total number of interviewees, 6 people (24%) have diplomas and post-diplomas, 11 people (44%) have bachelors, 6 people (24%) have post-graduate degrees, and 2 people (8%) have PhDs. The approximate time of each interview was 33 minutes, and note-taking and audio recording were used to collect data. The information has been processed and coded based on line-by-line analysis technique in MAXQDAversion 20 software. Based on the analysis done in the qualitative software MAXQDA, 4 dimensions and 24 indicators were extracted from the text of these interviews. According to the output of data analysis in this software, 4 managerial-infrastructural, environmental, socio-cultural and economic dimensions were identified. In the target villages of Central Province, one of the most important and effective aspects that have caused community-based tourism to not be implemented is the lack of proper and principled management. One of the management factors is education, which is considered a useful investment and a key factor in development, and if it is planned and implemented in a principled way, it can have high efficiency in different dimensions. In the studied area, one of the factors of the decline of community-based tourism is the lack of education both in the host community and among tourists. Not having enough knowledge about the benefits of tourism has caused the rural people to not care about tourism. The next factor, which is very weak in the target villages of Central Province, is the lack or even lack of suitable infrastructure for tourism development. As mentioned in all the interviews. Therefore, the most basic action in the field of tourism is to create its infrastructure. The next effective factor is the performance of the government and the use of principled planning. But unfortunately, this has not been done in Central Province. Another very important factor in the development of community-based tourism is environmental planning. It is very important how the protection of the environment, wildlife, sewage disposal system, waste management is done. In this field, there has been some improvement in the villages. Cultivation in this field has been done both among the tourists and the local community. But again, because some tourists do not comply and leave their garbage in the nature, it causes the efforts of people who pay special attention to this matter to be ignored. Other factors that play a relatively important role in the development of community-based tourism in target villages are attractiveness of tourist attractions, capacity and potential of tourism and geographical location. These villages have good potential to attract tourism. But the important point is that some factors, such as the personal nature of some attractions and their permanent unavailability, have caused them to simply assign the name of the attraction to it, and in practice, their use and exploitation is very limited. This has reduced the attractiveness of tourist attractions. It should also be said that due to the lack of employment and income in the rural society, very few people are staying in the villages. Because they do not have enough income, they have to migrate to other areas. Tourism damage is another factor that has caused the decline of tourism, so in this field, successful villages can be modeled in the field of tourism. But unfortunately, this action has not been taken, which is the result of the villagers taking a stand against tourism and their non-participation in this activity. Because tourists do not have a suitable space to spend their free time in the villages, after spending some time there, they go to the gardens of the villagers where their crops of one year are located and tamper with their crops. These factors have caused the non-participation of villagers in the field of tourism. The final point is that tourism can cause economic changes in any rural area. But unfortunately, in the target villages of the central province, it has very little effect and in some areas it has a negligible effect. In addition to the fact that the tourism economy in these villages was weak, its distribution was not fair. Therefore, the rural community benefits from tourism very little. 5. Conclusion According to the results obtained in the managerial-institutional dimension and the number of codes assigned to this dimension, it can be said that it plays the biggest role in the lack of community-based tourism in these areas. The administrative-institutional dimension has the greatest impact. But despite the great role it has played in community-based tourism, it has not been able to function as it should. But regarding the environmental dimension, it should be said that this sector has a significant impact on community-based tourism. In such a way that 23 people (92 percent) of the interviewees have expressed its importance. Therefore, it can be concluded that environmental planning is very important for community-based tourism. But unfortunately, attention to the environment in the studied area is asymmetric. In the socio-cultural dimension, it should be said that there is a strong relationship between cultural sustainability and participation, and the local community is very vulnerable to the indiscriminate and unprincipled increase in tourism. The results of the current research showed that due to the lack of correct and principled planning in all dimensions, including the cultural dimension, the participation of the local community in tourism was very small. In the economic aspect, it should be said that economic factors are one of the facilitating components of community-based tourism. But in the study area, the incomes from tourism are very low and even insignificant.

Introduction Due to global warming and climate change, droughts and extreme precipitation events are increasing. Therefore, it is of special importance to know the characteristics of precipitation in the region in order to manage water resources effectively especially during torrential rainfall events. This can help to reduce the risk of these events and increase water reserves with proper management. These precipitation characteristics which are the objectives of the present study, include the temporal-spatial distribution of precipitation in different parts of the study area, as well as the number of days with and without precipitation and the maximum precipitation occurring in the region. Also, these precipitation characteristics should give us information about extreme precipitation events. Materials and Methods This research analyzed the characteristics of precipitation in Markazi province over a 30-year period (from the crop year 1991-1992 to 2020-2021) using statistical methods and the spatial distribution was drawn and analyzed with ArcGIS software. This province includes the 12 meteorological stations of Arak, Mahalat, Saveh, Tafresh, Ashtiyan, Komeijan, Khondab, Shazand, Khomein, Delijan, Farmahin and Gharqabad, which the precipitation data of these stations were investigated. The trend of precipitation changes in monthly, seasonal, and annual time scales were also examined using the Mann-Kendall test. Moreover, extreme precipitation was assessed using four indices: total extreme precipitation (R95p), number of days with precipitation above the station’s extreme precipitation threshold (R95d), absolute intensity of extreme precipitation (AEPI) and the fraction of total rainfall from events exceeding the extreme threshold (R95pT). The latter index represents the ratio of extreme precipitation to annual precipitation in rainy days (daily rainfall above 1 mm). Results and Discussion This study reveals that, on average, 53% of the annual precipitation is accounted for by the maximum index of R95pT, which indicates the percentage of extreme precipitation that occurred at each station relative to its the precipitation of the corresponding year. Knowing the timing of these extreme events can help to manage floods and optimize water resources. More than 20% of these precipitations occurred in March. The spatial distribution of rainfall in Markazi province shows that the south-west regions have the highest average annual and seasonal rainfall, except for the summer season, while the eastern regions have the lowest. The winter season has the highest rainfall on average, followed by spring and autumn. March is the rainiest month with a coefficient of variation of 0.8 and an average monthly rainfall of 55.6 mm during the studied period. Due to most extreme precipitation events occurring in this month, it has the highest importance for water storage and management throughout the year. The average precipitation in March ranges from 32.6 mm (Saveh station) to 91.6 mm (Shazand station) across the stations of the province. The maximum rainfall in this month varies from 124.4 to 254.6 mm among the stations of the Markazi province, which is a considerable amount compared to the provincial average crop year. The standard deviation of precipitation in this month is between 28.7 and 61.3 mm, and the coefficient of variation at the stations of the province is between 0.6 and 0.9. Moreover, in terms of average monthly rainfall 22Nov-21Dec, 20Feb-19Mar, and 23Oct-21Nov are the next priority months for water storage management after 20Mar-19Apr, with average monthly rainfall of 39.3, 38.2, and 36.3 mm, respectively. The Mann-Kendall non-parametric test results did not reveal a consistent trend, but it showed that most of the meteorology stations in Markazi province had a significant decreasing trend in the rainfall in 21Jan-19Feb at a 90% confidence level. The analysis of extreme precipitation indices indicated that Shazand station had the highest extreme precipitation threshold value (28 mm), while Saveh and Delijan stations had the lowest (15 mm). The extreme precipitation threshold average of 30 years in other meteorological stations of Markazi province are 21mm in Arak, 17mm in Tafresh, 21mm in Khomeyn, 19mm in Mahallat, 17mm in Komeijan, 16mm in Farmahin, 21mm in Khondab, 17mm Gharqabad and 18mm in Ashtiyan. Conclusion The spatial distribution of rainfall in Markazi Province shows that the southwest regions have the highest average annual and seasonal precipitation, except for summer, while the east regions have the lowest. The average monthly rainfall also indicates that March has the highest rainfall among all months of the year, and that about 20% of the annual extreme precipitation occurs in this month.

Abstract The institutionalization of participation is a topic that has been discussed in different ways over the last few decades. There are many diverse aspects of the agricultural sector and rural communities that can be identified and used to bring about a major change in agriculture. Community supported agriculture (CSA) is one of the participatory and sustainable approaches that can be used in this regard. CSA is a relatively new socioeconomic model for producing food materials, increasing food security, improving the quality of food materials and conserving agricultural land, plants and animals. This research aimed to design a CSA model that was operationalized in Markazi province, Iran, with the aim of increasing food security. It was a survey study applied through a questionnaire. The statistical population (N=110) consisted of all active farmers in Ghazel Dareh village who were selected through the census method. The necessary information was collected through a questionnaire (84 of which were completed and returned) and analyzed using SPSS v. 25 and LISREL. The results showed that economic, socio-institutional, policy-making, educational and infrastructural factors significantly influenced the development of CSA. Infrastructural and socio-institutional factors with impact factors of 0.88 and 0.54 had the largest and smallest effect on CSA, respectively. Finally, since all impact factors were positive, we can say that improving each of these factors could improve the development of CSA in the study area.

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Introduction Due to global warming and climate change, droughts and extreme precipitation events are increasing. Therefore, it is of special importance to know the characteristics of precipitation in the region in order to manage water resources effectively especially during torrential rainfall events. This can help to reduce the risk of these events and increase water reserves with proper management. These precipitation characteristics which are the objectives of the present study, include the temporal-spatial distribution of precipitation in different parts of the study area, as well as the number of days with and without precipitation and the maximum precipitation occurring in the region. Also, these precipitation characteristics should give us information about extreme precipitation events. Materials and Methods This research analyzed the characteristics of precipitation in Markazi province over a 30-year period (from the crop year 1991-1992 to 2020-2021) using statistical methods and the spatial distribution was drawn and analyzed with ArcGIS software. This province includes the 12 meteorological stations of Arak, Mahalat, Saveh, Tafresh, Ashtiyan, Komeijan, Khondab, Shazand, Khomein, Delijan, Farmahin and Gharqabad, which the precipitation data of these stations were investigated. The trend of precipitation changes in monthly, seasonal, and annual time scales were also examined using the Mann-Kendall test. Moreover, extreme precipitation was assessed using four indices: total extreme precipitation (R95p), number of days with precipitation above the station's extreme precipitation threshold (R95d), absolute intensity of extreme precipitation (AEPI) and the fraction of total rainfall from events exceeding the extreme threshold (R95pT). The latter index represents the ratio of extreme precipitation to annual precipitation in rainy days (daily rainfall above 1 mm). Results and Discussion This study reveals that, on average, 53% of the annual precipitation is accounted for by the maximum index of R95pT, which indicates the percentage of extreme precipitation that occurred at each station relative to its the precipitation of the corresponding year. Knowing the timing of these extreme events can help to manage floods and optimize water resources. More than 20% of these precipitations occurred in March. The spatial distribution of rainfall in Markazi province shows that the south-west regions have the highest average annual and seasonal rainfall, except for the summer season, while the eastern regions have the lowest. The winter season has the highest rainfall on average, followed by spring and autumn. March is the rainiest month with a coefficient of variation of 0.8 and an average monthly rainfall of 55.6 mm during the studied period. Due to most extreme precipitation events occurring in this month, it has the highest importance for water storage and management throughout the year. The average precipitation in March ranges from 32.6 mm (Saveh station) to 91.6 mm (Shazand station) across the stations of the province. The maximum rainfall in this month varies from 124.4 to 254.6 mm among the stations of the Markazi province, which is a considerable amount compared to the provincial average crop year. The standard deviation of precipitation in this month is between 28.7 and 61.3 mm, and the coefficient of variation at the stations of the province is between 0.6 and 0.9. Moreover, in terms of average monthly rainfall 22Nov-21Dec, 20Feb-19Mar, and 23Oct-21Nov are the next priority months for water storage management after 20Mar-19Apr, with average monthly rainfall of 39.3, 38.2, and 36.3 mm, respectively. The Mann-Kendall non-parametric test results did not reveal a consistent trend, but it showed that most of the meteorology stations in Markazi province had a significant decreasing trend in the rainfall in 21Jan-19Feb at a 90% confidence level. The analysis of extreme precipitation indices indicated that Shazand station had the highest extreme precipitation threshold value (28 mm), while Saveh and Delijan stations had the lowest (15 mm). The extreme precipitation threshold average of 30 years in other meteorological stations of Markazi province are 21mm in Arak, 17mm in Tafresh, 21mm in Khomeyn, 19mm in Mahallat, 17mm in Komeijan, 16mm in Farmahin, 21mm in Khondab, 17mm Gharqabad and 18mm in Ashtiyan. Conclusion The spatial distribution of rainfall in Markazi Province shows that the southwest regions have the highest average annual and seasonal precipitation, except for summer, while the east regions have the lowest. The average monthly rainfall also indicates that March has the highest rainfall among all months of the year, and that about 20% of the annual extreme precipitation occurs in this month. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite being less known, the Markazi province is one of the regions with ancient wooden works. A large number of wooden works from different Islamic centuries have been identified in this province, which mainly includes wooden chests from the Safavid period. Today, these chests are sometimes kept inside some Imamzadehs of the province, Due to various reasons, direct access to some of them is not possible or they have been destroyed to a large extent. Therefore, it was necessary to investigate and study them in independent research before further destruction of these works or their disappearance. In this connection, it should be mentioned that no independent research has been done on these funds so far. The main goal of the current research is to investigate and study the wooden Zarihs of the Safavid period in Markazi province. The nature of the current research is fundamental and it is done in a descriptive-analytical way based on field and library studies. By conducting this research, 20 wooden chests belonging to the Safavid period were identified, which mainly belonged to the reign of Shah Tahmasab. In these boxes, various decorative methods were identified, which sometimes have a local style. These works were made in some settlement centers of the province such as Kasowa and mainly Jafari Shia religious rites were written on them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

View on Scopus The fauna of the family Tachinidae (Diptera) was studied in the Haftad-Qolleh Protected Area, Markazi province, Iran. A total of 86 species belonging to 67 genera have been collected of which 46 species within 19 genera are newly recorded from Iran. The species Magripa persica Gilasian & Ziegler sp. nov. is described as new to science. Diagnostic characters for the newly recorded taxa are provided. Illustrations of the male terminalia and head of the new species as well as habitus images of the new records are presented.

Purpose- The purpose of this article is the provision a context for the continuity and conveyance of hidden values in human habitations in a form of patterns for future plans. Design/Methodology/Approach- Hezaveh village, located in Markazi Province, is one of the habitats that has always been noted due to its location and physical traits. Hence, three residential samples were studied and analyzed. The research has been formed with an inductive approach based on field observations and documentary studies. The selection method of samples was based on diversity indicators in structural and functional patterns. They were extracted among the observed samples based on statistical data according to the number of families, type of livelihood, etc. Findings- The findings of the research demonstrate the way physical traits of habitats are considered in accordance with the natural environment, humans, and housing formation. Thus, housing can be understood as a fundamental type and pure form of a physical environment that represent those patterns. Because of the cold climate of the village, most houses have inner yards and are introverted. The ratio of the outer skin to the whole volume of buildings is low. Yards are relatively small and walls are thick. Moreover, the investigations revealed that there are somehow similar spaces in them. Practical implications- In its simplest use, the findings of the research might be deemed as a pattern or criterion for the design of rural housing which reflects the architectural properties of that region. Originality/Value- The analysis and inference methodology of a pattern for rural housing could be regarded as an innovation in this research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prioritization and selection of sample areas from the whole nature is necessary to protect biodiversity. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the development of a network of conservation areas in Markazi province using landscape metrics. For this purpose, we used MaxEnt, Marxan, Fragstat softwares and eight conservation criteria. Results were compared by using simulated sorting, greedy, best and max rarity algorithms and different landscape metrics. Maximum entropy method was used to model the wildlife habitats. The results of different protection scenarios showed that a 30% conservation target with a Boundary Length Modifier (BLM)of 30 is the most appropriate option. The simulated sorting algorithm provided more acceptable results in all cases. Overlaping the selected protection areas with the map of protected areas in Markazi province showed that only two protection criteria, out of the 8 selected criteria, are successful in providing the 30% protection target, which is not efficient in terms of achieving protection goals. In most scenarios, the overlap of the selected protection networks with the existing protected areas are less than 31.45%.Results of landscape metrics showed that the distance between conservation areas varies. The diversity and abundance of the conservation areas are low. . Therefore, the conservation areas in Markazi province are among the vulnerable ecosystems with high fragility.

Atriplex canescens James is one of the successful non-native species in improving and rehabilitating the desert rangelands of Markazi province, which has been cultivated in a large area of saline habitats along the Meyghan playa (about 12,000 ha) since 1981. This species after a few years of growth becomes woody, and the density of green aerial organs, survival, and forage production decrease. Increasing forage production, vitality, and viability of this plant are the requirements for managing these habitats, and pruning is one of the necessities to achieve this. In this study, pruning and census operations have been carried out in three study sites with an average area of one hectare, located in the Meyghan playa, for four years to determine the appropriate level or height of pruning. At each site, four pruning levels, including pruning from the ground and pruning from 20, 40, and 60 cm, and control (without pruning) have been applied. Each treatment was performed on 16 A.canescens stands with an average diameter of canopy and height of 160 and 115 cm, an average production of 530 g per stand, and an average of 34 years of age. Pruning was done in March of the first year of study, and vitality, forage yield, height, canopy diameter, and survival rate factors were monitored three years later. Data was collected and analyzed using two-way ANOVA (Sits and treatments) based on a completely randomized design. Based on the results, in two sites located in the northern and western regions of Meyghan playa with an approximate number of 400 stands per hectare and an age of 38 years of rangeland planting, pruning treatments from heights of 60, 40, 20 cm, and pruning from the ground from A.canescens had more favorable effects in terms of increasing vitality and production. In the site located in the southern area of the Meyghan desert with an approximate number of 350 stands per hectare and a history of 30 years of rangeland planting, the treatments of pruning from the ground and pruning from heights of 20, 40, and 60 cm were useful in terms of freshness and forage production. In total, after three years of pruning from the ground surface and pruning treatments from heights of 20, 40, and 60 cm, the average yield of A.canescens were 690, 679, 658, and 818 g per plant rootstock, respectively. To improve the characteristics of A.canescens in terms of positive plant factors such as vitality, survival, and forage yield, in Atriplex cultivation areas of the northern and western margins of Meyghan playa with an age of 38 years of rangeland planting, pruning operations from a height of 60 cm and for southern areas of Meyghan playa with 30 years of rangeland planting, pruning from the ground is determined and proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) is a deadly disease that affects the human immune system. This study evaluated the Quality of Life (QoL) of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) patients in Markazi Province . Methods & Materials: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2020-2021 in Markazi Province . The World Health Organization (WHO) questionnaire was used to determine the QoL in HIV patients. This questionnaire includes the physical, psychological, level of independence, social relationship, environment, and spirit. Statistical analysis was performed in STATA software. Ethical Considerations: This study was approved by the ethics committee of Arak University of Medical Sciences (Code: IR.ARAKMU.REC.1398.008). Results: A total of 126 people with HIV were included in the study. The mean age of the subjects was 40.4±10.2 years. The mean score of each of the physical domains was 14.4±3.3, psychological 11.7±3.2, independence 13.3±3.8, social relationships 11.2±3.1, environment 0.8±0.3 10, spiritual was 13.2±3.3, and total QoL score was 12.1±2.6. In multivariate linear regression analysis, socioeconomic status and history of imprisonment significantly predicted higher scores of overall qualities of life. Conclusion: The total score of QoL in people with HIV in Markazi Province is average. Among the factors affecting it are gender, socioeconomic status, and history of imprisonment. It is suggested that QoL assessment of these patients be added to their care protocols to take effective measures to improve it.

Water and wastewater companies play a vital role in society as providers of drinking water services. Therefore, measuring the efficiency of these companies is an action that can help in the optimal allocation of water distribution among customers. Therefore, the present study was conducted to evaluate the efficiency of water and sewage companies in Markazi province. For this purpose, the interval fuzzy data envelopment analysis method was used. The basic premise of this method, unlike the traditional method of data envelopment analysis, is uncertainty about inputs and outputs. Given that uncertainties in the real world are inevitable, the need to use models that have the ability to control this uncertainty is strongly felt. Hence, a successful method is to use fuzzy data envelopment analysis method. The results of evaluation related to seventeen water and wastewater companies in Markazi province showed that Arak, Khomein, Delijan, Saveh, Komeijan, Mamooniyeh, Mahallat and Naragh by obtaining the efficiency range (0.83, 1), have the highest level of technical efficiency. In addition, among the units under study, Ghargabad Water and Wastewater Company has the lowest level of technical efficiency with an efficiency range of (0.56, 0.46). There is also an excess of consumption over the research findings in the use of all inputs. Therefore, it was suggested that with the correct and optimal use of production inputs and less use of resources, the amount of efficiency can be improved to reach the efficiency frontier.

Continuous degradation of vegetation and rangeland soil is mainly due to natural or human factors such as overgrazing; thus, it is necessary to know the extent of changes in rangeland ecosystems and their causes for rangeland management. Based on this, the trend of vegetation changes and soil indices in two exclosure and grazing sites in the Meyghan desert rangelands of Arak were studied from 2017 to 2021. At each location, to measure plant parameters such as cover percent, density, and yield, the random-systematic sampling method was used along six transects at distances of 100 m from each other, and soil sampling was also done during vegetation survey transects. The results showed that the percent of canopy cover of vegetation in the grazed site during the census period ranged from 23.43 to 28.67% and in the exclosure site from 32.8 to 40% in different years. The average total forage yield during the census period ranged in the exclosure site from 174.6 to 203.5 kg/ha and in the grazed one from 117.2 to 139.1 kg/ha in different years. The highest values of canopy cover and annual forage yield were observed in the rainiest of the year 2019, with 490 mm of rainfall, and the lowest values of the mentioned parameters in the least rainy year, 2021, with 223 mm of annual rainfall. Rangeland's condition by the four factors method has varied from weak to good in the exclosure site and from poor to moderate in the grazing one in different years. Rangeland trend in different years in the exclosure site has been positive or fixed, and in the grazing one has been negative. Examination of soil indices showed that during the evaluation period in the exclosure and the grazed site, changes in organic carbon, potassium, and nitrogen indices were significant (p<0.05), and changes in other indices were not significant. The regression test results showed that the amount of annual rainfall and rainfall of the growing season had the highest positive correlation with changes in canopy cover and forage yield of plants. After that, organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium factors showed a high correlation with fluctuations in canopy and plant yield. In general, livestock grazing and climatic fluctuations, especially changes in annual rainfall had the highest impact on changes in vegetation characteristics of the studied rangelands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fauna of the family Tachinidae (Diptera) was studied in the Haftad-Qolleh Protected Area, Markazi province, Iran. A total of 86 species belonging to 67 genera have been collected of which 46 species within 19 genera are newly recorded from Iran. The species Magripa persica Gilasian & Ziegler sp. nov. is described as new to science. Diagnostic characters for the newly recorded taxa are provided. Illustrations of the male terminalia and head of the new species as well as habitus images of the new records are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prioritization and selection of sample areas from the whole nature is necessary to protect biodiversity. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the development of a network of conservation areas in Markazi province using landscape metrics. For this purpose, we used MaxEnt, Marxan, Fragstat softwares and eight conservation criteria. Results were compared by using simulated sorting, greedy, best and max rarity algorithms and different landscape metrics. Maximum entropy method was used to model the wildlife habitats. The results of different protection scenarios showed that a 30% conservation target with a Boundary Length Modifier (BLM)of 30 is the most appropriate option. The simulated sorting algorithm provided more acceptable results in all cases. Overlaping the selected protection areas with the map of protected areas in Markazi province showed that only two protection criteria, out of the 8 selected criteria, are successful in providing the 30% protection target, which is not efficient in terms of achieving protection goals. In most scenarios, the overlap of the selected protection networks with the existing protected areas are less than 31.45%.Results of landscape metrics showed that the distance between conservation areas varies. The diversity and abundance of the conservation areas are low. Therefore, the conservation areas in Markazi province are among the vulnerable ecosystems with high fragility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Today, spatial analysis techniques in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are used in many researches in the social, economic, environmental and physical sciences. The ability to integrated levels analysis and the possibility of combining different layers of information is the advantages of using these techniques. The purpose of this research is to spatial analysis of the physical development planning pattern in cities of Markazi province using spatial analysis techniques. Methods: The present paper is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive - analytical in terms of method. In this study, all enactments of Markazi Province infrastructure and urban planning committee between 2011 and 2017 were gathered. In order to analyze the spatial distribution of these enactments in the cities of Markazi province, the geographic information system spatial analysis has been used. In this research, three methods of Average Nearest Neighbor (ANN), High/Low Clustering (HLC) and Spatial Autocorrelation (SA) in statistical spatial analysis and Kernel Density (KD) estimation method were used to spatial show of the phenomena in continuous levels. Results:The results of this study indicate that the distribution of enactments at the provincial level has been clustered, which has led to the polarization pattern of the populous cities. Consequently, there has been a spatial focus and an increase in regional imbalances. Conclusion: Ignoring regional capacity and the role of environmental factors in the planning is one of the most prominent results of spatial analysis of the enactments of Markazi Province infrastructure and urban planning committee in the current decade. Therefore, by creating a geospatial database at the provincial level and updating and monitoring it continuously and analyzing the development policies in the cities level appropriate to regional and ecological capability, one can step towards sustainable regional development.

Purpose: The present research aims to explore the role of librarians' social intelligence in increasing the social responsibility of public libraries of Markazi province. Methodology: This is an applied and survey-descriptive research. The statistical population includes all the librarians of public libraries of Markazi (numbered 184) from whom 89 individuals were selected by using the random sampling method. The instruments used in the research were the Kerri Anne Crowne's questionnaire on social intelligence with 21 items, and Denison's questionnaire on social responsibility with 19 items. The Cronbach's alpha value for the social intelligence questionnaire was 0.83 and for the social responsibility questionnaire was 0.925. The validity of the questionnaires was assessed by the relevant experts in the field. Findings: The results showed that the social intelligence of librarians has positive effect on social responsibility. The level of dimensions and components of social intelligence in the librarians was found above average. In addition, with respect to the effect of the components of librarians' social intelligence on the libraries' social responsibility, it was determined that all three components of social intelligence of the librarians had a significant impact on the social responsibility of libraries. Originality/value: The present research which attempts to examine the role of librarians' social intelligence in the increase of the social responsibility of Markazi province's public libraries will expand the knowledge of this area and raises the awareness among the researchers and managers of Markazi province's public libraries. Furthermore, and its findings can inform the relevant managers and experts of the status of the librarians' social intelligence of this province and assist them in planning to improve their social intelligence.

Gully erosion is a serious threat to the society and environment of the study, primarily caused by surface runoff and dramatically accelerated due to rugged topography, soil properties and human induced factors. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate hydrologic processes affecting gully formation by topographic indexes in arid regions of the Markazi Province. Then threshold of the slope -area in the gully regions of Robattork and Pik-e Zarandie were determined. A logarithmic equation was developed using the morphometric characteristics of the gullies, the slope-area relationship at Robat-Tork was highly correlated and the b coefficient was negative. The investigations revealed surface flow with dissolution action was involved in this area. In the Pik-e Zarandie region, this correlation wasn't strong, but it was significant at the level 95%. In this region, the effect of surface flow and dissolution phenomenon on the gully formation was also evident. In addition to the importance of the climate, gully categorizing based on land use can be achieved with better models. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the indices of topographic thresholds that best reflect the conditions of the local physical environment and land cover/use.

Introduction Regarding the importance of bean production in supplying of plant based protein for human being societies and its area under cultivation in Iran, identification and management of pests and diseases associated to this crop are important. Plant parasitic nematodes are one of the biotic agents that adversely affect the production of bean crops. In order to manage these pathogens, their identification and distribution is necessary. Plant parasitic nematodes damaging bean are widely reported through the world. In Florida, Belonolaimus longicaudatus ,Paratrichodorus christei, Dolichodorus heterocephalus and Hoplolaimus spp. are reported from bean cultivated field while causing severe damage (Rhoades, 1964, 1974). In Michigan Pratylenchus penetrans was the most common root lesion nematode. In fact Pratylenchus spp. have wide host ranges and are pathogenic to many important crops viz Phaseolus vulgaris. There are a few reports across Iran regarding the plant parasitic nematodes of bean. In a study of plant parasitic nematodes of pulse crops in southern Balochistan, Pratylenchus neglectus and Meloidogyne javanica were reported from bean fields. Five species Aphelenchoides cyrtus, Ditylenchus medicaginis, Merlinius brevidens, D. parvus and Paratylenchus coronatus with 37.6, 30.8, 24.6, 20.5 and 19.1 percent frequency, respectively, were the most common nematode species in the legume fields of Lorestan province. Although Markazi province is one of the poles of bean-growing in Iran but there is a few information about plant parasitic nematodes on bean. The aim of this study was to identify the plant parasitic nematodes associated with bean, determination their population density and geographical distribution. Materials & Methods In order to determine the plant parasitic nematodes 174 root and soil samples were collected from bean fields in Khomein, Shazand and Arak cities during 2012-2013. The samples were analyzed and the population density of the extracted nematodes was counted at genus level using counting slide. Then the obtained nematodes were fixed and transferred to hydrated glycerol, the nematodes were mounted on microscopic slides and identified at species level, based on morphometrical and morphological characters. Cyst nematodes were isolated using Fenwick can technique. After analyzing the samples, infested areas were identified and frequency based on the number of species compared to the total sample were determined. Results & Discussion In this study, 22 species belonging to 18 genera of suborder Tylenchina, infraorder Tylenchomorpha were identified. Ditylenchus destructor, Ditylenchus sp., Aphelenchoides sp. and family of Pratylenchidae including P. neglectus, Zygotylenchus guevarai and Pratylenchoides ritteri from family Merliniidae with 100, 58 and 95 percent frequency respectively, were the most common nematode species in the bean fields of Markazi province. Subfamily of Merliniinae the genera of Merlinius, Scutylenchus, Tylenchorynchus and Amplimerlinius with 56 percent frequency, were found in Khomein and Shazand bean fields. The family of Hoplolaimidae was detected in Khomein and Shazand bean fields with 39 percent frequency. Among the cyst forming nematodes in addition to Heterodera filipjevi which was found in bean fields rotated by wheat, H. goettingianawas found in a bean field in Ghasemabad, Arak, this species in known as pea cyst nematode. H. goettingiana had already been reported from two areas in Dorud region (Lorestan province). This species was found in some wheat fields that bean was one of the crops in rotation. According to the occurrence of this species in bean field in Markazi province which borders Lorestan Province, it seems that it is distributed in pea and bean fields in two provinces. Some nematodes identified in this study are important as plant parasiting and damaging for bean. P. neglectus with 93, 42 and 22 percent frequency respectively detected in the bean fields of Khomein, Arak and Shazand. Root lesion nematodes were reported as the most common nematodes on bean and other legumes in Italy, North africa and Middle East. Elliott & Bird (1985) reported damage of root lesion nematodes in bean fields among 10 to 80 percent.Therefore, it is necessary to research on the importance and evaluation the damage caused by this species. Moreover due to the abundance of Ditylenchus in bean fields of Markazi province, it needs intensive research as far as crop loss aspects are concerned. Conclusion In the present study, among identified nematodes, family of Pratylenchidae was the most important plant parasitic nematode with 58 percent frequency. Also genus of Ditylenchus spp. detected in all of bean fields of Markazi province.

The main objective of this study was identifying the effects of educational, extension and research factors on the development of medicinal plants in Markazi Province of Iran. The statistical population included all managers, extension agents and experts involved in medicinal plants in Markazi Province in 2014 (N = 50), who were selected by the census sampling method (n=50). The research instrument was a questionnaire whose face and content validity were confirmed by a panel of experts and specialists of medicinal plants and also its reliability was estimated by Cronbach's alpha to be 0.78. Results showed that some factors such as informing and training the people about medicinal plants via television and training the physicians about medicinal plants benefits prove more effective in the development of this industry. On the other hand, from among five main factors which explained the variance of medicinal plants development factors, the following three factors have priority: training and extension of medicinal plants (Var. =16.54), educational standards of medicinal plants (Var. =13.18), and technical and vocational education (Var. =11.48). Also, the variables of education level, job experience in agriculture section, current attitude towards development of prescribing medicinal plants by physicians, current amount of using medicinal plants capacity in the province, and assessment of current attitudes toward medicinal plants production, have caused more significant difference in the view of statistical sample about the effect of some educational, extension and research factors on the medicinal plants industry development.

The formation of rural areas as the initial cores of civilization and activity can be attributed to environmental factors, but the continuity of the economic and social life of villages has faced major challenges over time as a result of the widespread and accelerated transformation of the effects of modernity and unbalanced development planning. Demographic disorders and rural work-force structure, followed by a decline in economic functions, especially in relation to agriculture, are the main identity challenges for the communities and rural areas. The present study investigates the evolution of rural identity in Markazi province with emphasis on demographic structures through using statistical evaluations and modeling. The statistical population consists of all villages with more than twenty households in the two censuses of 1996 and 2011. By extracting all of the same population variables in two time intervals, several demographic indicators for each of these intervals were defined and calculated. After statistical descriptions and evaluation of distribution indices, the modeling of the demographic identity of rural areas of the province in two intervals was done using structural equation based on self-propelled approach. The household dimension, youth level (Wertheim Index), aging rate, kinship ratio, literacy and occupation rate constitute the common indices in both final and valid structural models of both intervals. The comparison of the statistical description and indices pattern coefficient in the structures and variables indicate that the household dimension, youth level of population and literacy rate are important determinants of the demographic characteristics of rural areas in Markazi province in both intervals. In contrast, the aged population at both intervals and much greater in 2011 threatened the structure and the demographic identity. The kinship rate in 1996, with a moderate and rational status had a positive contribution in the population structure of the villages of the province, but in 2011, it has an opposite role and influence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identification of active geological structures can make a lot of help to identify seismic zones. There are several ways to study and identify structures. Accordingly, the horizontal and vertical movements can be detected in the area. In order to identify the intensity of vertical movement on the part of the Markazi province, morphometry indices in Qara-chai watershed have been studied. Qara-Chai basin, following of Zagros and Central Iran Tectonics. In this study, topographic data, geological maps and geological information were scrutinized qualitative and quantitative. These data along with the streams data in the basin of choice, utilizes various specialized software’s are analyzed. There are many faults, some of which quaternary, and are young, it is a sign of high seismic potential range. Young Quaternary sediments, fractures and faults compliance and various geomorphometry indices surveys to indicate Indes and Koshk-e-Nosrat fault zone in west, south Saleh abad and Yal abad faults, Tafresh fault in north, North West and west of Tafresh city and Talkhab fault in North West of Arak from the perspective of uplift, are active and relatively high seismic potential. According to the relative tectonic activity indices of East and North Markazi province around Ashtian, Tafresh, Farahan and Saveh cities have high tectonic activity. These cities require special planning in the Markazi province. Undoubtedly, geomorphometry is not everything in mobility of Qara-Chai basin. Some fault zone has a strike-slip motion, which requires the use of methods other than geomorphometry indices.

Caspian Sea, Persian Gulf and the natural aquatic environment, made Iran’s geo-strategic and socio-economic situation of the fisheries and aquaculture sector unique. This sector in the three areas of “ecotourism”, “food production” and “social behavior” play a crucial role in achieving Iran's Vision Policy of 1404 goals. However, Iran's valuable position in ornamental fish farming industry has been less attention and several issues challenged its development trend. Markazi is one of the leading provinces in this industry. So the main purposes of research were to identify current situation and providing development strategies. This study was descriptive and data were collected by survey method. The Statistical population was ornamental fish’s Producers and experts in Markazi province which due to limit number, census sampling was applied. The main tool for gathering information was questionnaire which its face validity confirmed through educational specialist and expert’s viewpoint. Also, the reliability of research tool was evaluated by Coronbach Alfa Test. The results showed that "Employment and income" and "Interest in breeding ornamental fish" were two main reasons to attract practitioners to this industry. The respondents considered the current situation ornamental fish industry, undesirable (Score 1.17 out of 5). Factor analysis showed that five factors named; "Corporate management and food resources", "management of extension and informing about authentic breeding principles", "Care Management and Insurance", "imported fish quality management" and "technical and financial support" have explained about 80% of the variance of the current situation and barriers to the development of ornamental fish industry in Markazi Province. The most important strategies to reduce facing problem in mentioned industry were development priority belonged ornamental fish industry trade system and development of specialized human resources training.

Abstract Background and Objective: Group B streptococcus is one of the agents leading to infantile blood infection and meningitis as well as aggressive infections in pregnant women. The vast use of antibiotics in order to prevent from the diseases caused by this bacterium has led to some concerns about the emergence of drug resistance in Group B streptococcus. Thus, we aimed to investigate Group B streptococcus drug resistance patterns to aid appropriate drug prescriptions. Material and Methods: The study was conducted on 268 pregnant women. Having been transferred to Todd Hewitt broth, the samples were cultured on blood agar and the identity of Group B streptococcus was confirmed through biochemical tests (gram stain tests, the catalase test, CAMP, and sodium hippurate hydrolysis). Results: Of 268 samples, 14 (5.2 percent) showed positive Group B streptococcus culture. All cases (100 percent) were resistant to penicillin, eight (57.15 percent) to erythromycin, 13 (92.2 percent) to clindamycin, three (7.1 percent) to Cefazolin, seven (50 percent) Ceftizoxime and four (28.57 percent) were resistant to Cefotaxime. Three (21.4 percent) were semi-sensitive toward Cefazolin. No resistance was observed toward ampicillin or Vancomycin. Conclusion: The rate of B streptococcus drug resistance to various antibiotics has increased in Iran. Keywords: Streptococcus Group B, Drug Resistant, Pregnant Women, Markazi Province

The main objective of this research was determination and analysis of the fish consumption in the urban and rural areas, Markazi Province. The survey method was used to achieve the research objectives and the main instrument of the research was a researcher made questionnaire. The questionnaires were completed by visiting each of the research samples (Urban and rural households). 2525 number of them was assigned to the sample based on random sampling method. Cities were selected in the first stage by full enumeration (12 Cities: Ashtian, Arak, Tafrish, Khomein, Mohalat, Saveh, Shazand, Delijan, Kemijan, Farahan, Khandab, Zarandieh). Frequency of the sample in each city is determined in proportion of the size of urban households. In this study 1455 people were studied in the urban areas and 1070people in the rural areas. A standard formula was used to estimate the amount of fish consumption. The results showed that the average of per capita consumption in total province is 5.81 kg, in urban area 6.70 kg and in rural area 4.62 kg/y. On the other hand, inflation and lack of local shopping mall near the workplace and residence are considered as the main problems and obstacles of the consumption level. Also, the satisfaction level of the price and diversity of the available aquatic, was lower than average in the market (2.2 and 2.62from 5). Regression analysis results also showed that five variables including education level, number of household members, price, income level and knowing how to cooking fish, explained more than 57 percent of the change in the consumption of aquatics (R2=0.57). In the end it is proposed that planning for increasing the levels of information and public culture, diversifying the methods and programs of the extension service and promoting of the fish consumption, expansion of fish distribution and production centers and assistance to cooperative activities and unions in the field of aquaculture marketing and adopting supportive policies for fishing community in order to promoting their welfare and ultimately reducing the price aquatic be considered by aquatic consumption and public health planners.

Introduction and Aims: Cancer is the third leading cause of death after Coronary Artery Disease and accidents in Iran. This Research has been carried out to Study the epidemiology of gastrointestinal cancers (Stomach, esophageal, colorectal) in Markazi province during 2005-2010.Methods: This is an analytical cross-sectional study that was carried out on cancer registry data collected from Markazi province between 2005-2010 years. Cancer incidence adjusted based on the age structure and agespecific incidence rates were calculated.Results: Most statistics on the Morbidity of gastric cancers in the study was 642 patients (51.2) that associated with gastric cancer and after which the CRC 444(35.4%) patients and esophageal numbers of 169 (13.5%) patients. in this study 61.8 % (801 patients) of cases in the age group 80-70 years, male, 387 cases (30.8%) and the highest 77.1% living in urban areas has been observed in terms of location. mean age at estimated time of diagnosis was 69 years. Rates age standardized incidence of digestive cancers in males and female was 141.04 and 73.39 respectively.Conclusion: Identification of risk factors and prevention of gastrointestinal cancers in Markazi province is required. Training programs related to the prevention of cancer in people at high risk should be presented.*Corresponding author: Assistant Professor, Department of Public Health, School of Public Health, University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran.Email: Mohsen_shamsi1360@yahoo.com

Abstract Background and Objective: Acanthamoeba species are free-living protozoa that can be isolated from all environments. They can bring about different diseases in healthy individuals and immune suppressed patients, for example, Granulomatous Amoebic Encephalitis (GAE), Acanthamoeba Keratitis (AK), Cutaneous and Nasopharyngeal infections. The aim of this study was to evaluate the Acanthamoeba prevalence in rural water sources of Markazi province. Material and Methods: In this cross sectional study, 54 water samples were collected from 36 villages of Markus province. First, the Samples were filtered by filter paper (watchman 42). Next, the filtered paper were placed in page saline solution and centrifuged. Then, the obtained sediment was cultured on non-nutrient agar (NNA) plates overlaid with heat-killed Escherichia coli. After that, the provided smear (after 4 - 7 days) stained with Geimsa. Results: The samples were positive (33 61.11%) and negative (21 38.89%) for Acanthamoeba cyst. The best result for isolation of Acanthamoeba cysts was obtained after shaking of filter paper. Conclusion: A high percentage of rural water sources have been contaminated with Acanthamoeba, which can be the major factor in causing human infections. Therefore, some effective methods are required to prevent from water sources contamination. Keywords: Acanthamoeba Acanthamoeba Keratitis Markazi Province Rural Water Sources

Introduction: This research aims to determine the mental health status of population aged 15 and over in the province of Markazi in 2015. Methods: The statistical population of this cross-sectional field survey consisted of residents of urban and rural areas of Markazi in Iran. An estimated sample size of 1200 people was chosen using systematic random cluster sampling. The access was provided by the contribution of Geographical Post Office of Arak, Delijan, and Saveh cities. The General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) was used as a screening tool for mental disorders. Data analysis in the current study was carried out using the SPSS-18 computer software. Results: This study showed that using the traditional scoring method, 25.1% of the subjects (31% of females and 18.9% of males) were suspected of having mental disorders. The prevalence of suspected psychiatric disorders in urban areas (25.2%) was higher than the prevalence of these disorders in rural areas (24.8%). The prevalence of suspected anxiety and the somatization of symptoms was higher than the prevalence of social dysfunction and depression, and the prevalence of these components was higher in women than men. The findings of this study also showed that the prevalence of suspected mental disorders increased significantly with age. The prevalence of suspected cases of these disorders among women, the age group of 65 and older, people living in urban areas, divorced and widowed, illiterate, and housewives people was higher than other groups. Conclusion: The results of this study show that more than one fourth of the sample were suspected of mental disorders, and the prevalence of these disorders has increased from 18.6% in 1999 to 25.1% in 2015. Therefore, it is mandatory for the provincial public health authorities to take the needed steps to ensure that necessary requirements encompassing prevention and promotion of mental health are implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Goodurban system and hencethe good distribution of urbansize is a factor for any kind of development in theregion andthe country. This distribution has been measured using mathematical and statistical models. Urban system is spatial visualization of political economy and land management. Thestudyof urbansystems determinesthe distribution andbalance ofpopulation in thecities.According to the importance of urban system, this paper examines the urban system in part of the Iranian territory. Accordingly, Markazi province is selected as one of the ancient civilization in Iran. The temporal scope of the study includes a 30-year period (1976-2006). This paper use descriptive - analytical research method and libraries and documentation have been used for the data collection. Techniques such as Herfindahl indices, Henderson, and entropy are used to analyze the urban system in the Markazi province. The paper results showspatialimbalancesare evidentinMarkaziprovince.Urbangrowth anddevelopment ismorespecific toArak and Saveh _the major citiesandindustrialcentersof theprovince_ from among27 urban pointsintheprovince. Despitethe increasing number ofsmallcities, the population proportion of the small cities has declined compared to big cities, inrecent years. This is the situation that the declined population in small cities causes imbalances in urban system. Also prime city has declined during this period. The reduction of small cities don't cause balance in urban system. As part of reasons for the absence of the effect, we can mantion the attraction of small cities emigrants to surrounding urban areas of Arak _ Senejan and Karahroud. The rank and statusof thesecitieshas grown rapidly, for this reason. In fact, Primacy indices decline in demographics Statistics but population pressure and density has been increased in the surroundings of the prime city.

Habitat needs and requirement of important species in terms of distribution is necessary for natural resources management. Amygdalus scoparia is one of the important forest species in Markazi province for food, industries and environmental protection in different climatic conditions. The effect of physiographic factors such as land form, aspect, altitude, slope and some physical and chemical soil properties on qualitative and quantitative characteristics as height, crown diameter, canopy cover, tree density, regeneration and vitality percent was studied and then the data were analyzed using SPSS and PC-ORD (PCA method). The results of this study showed: 1- maximum height and crown diameter was observed in northern and eastern aspects. 2- The maximum canopy cover and regeneration was seen in northern aspect, valleys and in altitudes 1000-1500 meters. 3- The maximum tree number was observed in southern aspect, amplitude and valley land forms, in altitudes of 1000-1500 and 1500-2000 meters and in slops of 0-20 and 20-35%. 4- The maximum vitality percent was observed in northern and southern aspects, slope and valley land forms, in altitudes of 1000-1500 meter and in slops of 0-20%. The factors of height, crown diameter, canopy cover, tree number, regeneration and vitality were scattered in the positive direction of first axis by Principal Component Analysis (PCA) that had the highest correlation with sand.

Background: Flavonoids are as one set of the polyphenolic compounds among secondary metabolites in different organs of plants that are used in plant chemotaxonomy and pharmacognosy. They have basic role in pollination and life cycle of anthmophyllus plants and also their spreading abroad and survival. Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the leaf flavonoids profiles of Chrozophora Neck populations in Markazi Province, Iran. Methods: Phytochemical studies on 25 collected Chrozophora populations of 2 species ( C. hierosolymitana and C. tinctoria : Euphorbiaceae family) from different parts of Markazi Province area were done using 2-dimentional paper chromatography (2-DPC) and thin layer chromatography (TLC). Voucher specimens of each population were prepared for reference as herbarium vouchers. Results: Results showed all of populations contain flavonoid sulphates, flavone C and C-/O-glycosides and aglycon. Also all of studied populations have apigenin and quercetin while rutin was just found in 4 populations of C. tinctoria species that is recorded first time for Markazi Province. Conclusion: All of studied populations have flavonoid compounds that have variation in their flavonoid type and number.

The current research is a feasibility study on implementation, development and improvement of rural ecotourism through cooperative entities in Markazi Province in 1388 (2009). Being applied in kind, it assumes a correlational analysis through a combination of documentary and field study methods. Questionnaire has been used as the data collection tool whose validity and reliability were tested by a panel of experts and a chronbach Alpha of (0.8) respectively. The results suggest relatively poor grounds existing for feasibility, implementation, development and improvement of rural ecotourism along economic, socio-cultural, management and ecological dimensions. Thereof, the socio-cultural variables however, seem to enjoy better status than the other ones. On the other hand, the measures relating to capital (economic), public participation (management) and member awareness of socioeconomic nature of cooperatives hold the highest weight from rural ecotourism point of view. The results also indicate that there is a significant relation between the quadruple dimensions. Moreover, the cooperative improvement solutions to rural ecotourism could be categorized into three groups i.e. supportive-training; communicational-welfare; and information-planning which explain about %88 of the variance.

Background & Objectives: The summer of 2005 witnessed an outbreak of cholera in Iran due to V. cholera, Inaba serotype. During the outbreak, there were 16 registered cases in Markazi Province. The aim of this study was to determine the risk factors for cholera outbreak in this part of the country. Methods: This was a case-control study in which cases were matched to controls on age and sex. All of the reported cases were compared with controls from the same neighborhood, with 2 controls selected for each case. We used paired odds ratios and conditional logistic regression to show the effect of each putative risk factor, and p values of < 0.05 were considered as statistically significant. Results: Multivariate results from 16 cases and 32 controls showed significant associations between the cholera outbreak and the following set of factors: eating raw vegetable (OR=9, 95%CI: 2.25-35.98), proper warming of refrigerated food (OR=0.12, 95%CI: 0.015-1.022), inadequate washing of fruits and vegetables (OR=4.29, 95% CI: 0.88-21.06) , and eating non-pasteurized ice creams (OR=4.96, 95%CI: 0.99-24.83). Conclusions: Although the number of reported cases was small in Markazi Province, the results show that education in personal hygiene is important in the prevention of a cholera outbreak.

In this study, we establish the presence of 24 aquatic beetle (Coleoptera: Polyphaga) species belonging to 13 genera and five families in Markazi Province of Central Iran. Specimens were collected between 2001 and 2005. Eleven species and four genera are recorded from Iran for the first time. The ecological significance of the new records is briefly discussed. .

The aim of this research was to select the suitable poplar clones among 52 clones at seedling stage, after four years period. The clones characteristics during different age stage were studied, including seedling height and diameter growth, survival percentage of one year old seedlings at the end of growth period and seedling growth at different years. The cutting method was used to propagate the poplar seedling at 30 and 120 cm columns and rows planting distance, respectively. One years old seedlings (1/1) were produced for the investigation at the first growth period. Number of clones of the species P. nigra, P. alba, P . euramericana and P. deltoids was 27, 14,7and 4, respectively. The year old seedling (1/1) characteristics at three growth period were used for further seedling production and poplar plantation with the aim of wood production and reduction of wood import. The SPSS software was applied for data statistical analysis, particularly Duncan test. The result showed that survival percentage of P. alba was the least in comparison with the other species whereas the diameter growth of P. deltoides and P.euramericana and height growth of P. deltoides and P. nigra were the greatest in comparison to the other species. There was significant difference of height growth between the species at different years.

Today, water supply in order to achieve sustainable development goals is one of the most important concerns and challenges in most countries. For this reason, accurate identification of areas with groundwater potential is one of the important tools in the protection, management and exploitation of water resources. Accordingly, the present study was conducted with the aim of modeling and predicting groundwater potential in Markazi province, Iran using Multivariate adaptive regression spline (MARS) and Support vector machine (SVM) machine learning models and using two random search (RS) and Bayesian optimization hyperparameter algorithms to optimize the parameters of the SVM model. For this purpose, 18 variables affecting the groundwater potential and 3482 spring locations were used to model the groundwater potential. Data for modeling were divided into two categories of training (70%) and validation (30%). The receiver operating characteristics (ROC) were used to evaluate the performance of the models. The results of evaluation models showed that using hyperparameters random search and Bayesian optimization were improved SVM accuracy in training and validation stages. Bayesian optimization methods are very efficient because they are consciously choosing the parameters of the model that this strategy improves the performance of the model. Evaluating accuracy in the validation stage showed that the AUC value is for MARS, SVM, RS-SVM and B-SVM models 87.40%, 88.25%, 90.73% and 91.73%, respectively. The results of assessment variables importance showed elevation, precipitation in the coldest month, soil and slope variables have the most importance in modeling groundwater potential, while aspect, profile curvature and TWI variables, have the least importance in predicting groundwater potential in Markazi province. • Hybrid model based on Support Vector machine & Bayesian Optimization Algorithm. • The model predicted well GWR by optimizing hyper-parameters using BOA. • BOA performed optimization on SVM efficient than Random Search method. • The proposed model provides superior results than other individual models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objective: Health education tries to provide an opportunity for people to find necessary information and skills to make high quality decisions. One of the important steps for educational planning is selection of interventions that have most returns. The aim of this study was to prioritize health education methods through Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Goal Programming (GP) techniques. Materials and methods: This was a quantitative-qualitative and applied study. The sample consisted of all 12 city health centers in Markazi Province, Iran. Through Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), the main criteria of health education techniques were identified and prioritized through AHP technique. Then, using WinQSB software and GP program, the best combination of health education methods was determined. Results: Cost, access, acceptability, feasibility and effectiveness were identified as the main criteria for selection of health education methods. Prioritized training methods include, in order, were: group education (44.4%), face-to-face education (23%), distribution of pamphlets and brochures (10%), health education films (9%), sending educational SMS (7%), seminars (4%), TV education (1%), educational exhibitions (1%), role playing (0.5%) and educational rallies(0.10%). Conclusion: Methods of group education, face-to-face education, distribution of pamphlets and brochures and showing health educational films have a significant returns than other methods in terms of cost saving, meeting educational needs, target group access to educational methods, popularity and feasibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, unequal regional development is concerned of many developing countries, such as Iran. Centralization, inequality in the distribution of population, activity and natural and human resources and inequality between the regions are including factors and obstacles to regional development in the country. Study the undeveloped cities and areas to set priorities for planning and eliminate the regional development gap is the first step in the process of decision-making for deprivation deprived areas. The regional comprehensive develop approach need economic, social and environmental factors base on human and environment conditions according to each region. The aim of this study is to identify undeveloped county and analysis to investigate the causes of inequalities (gap) in the Makazi counties, according to 14 indicators of economic, social, health and cultural. The research is based on objective, practical research and method of paper is descriptive-analytical. Collecting method for data (1390) is a library (documentary method). In this study for analysis and ranking of counties is used multi-criteria decision method. Based on the results of the models HURWITZ, Maxi max, Maxi min, ELECTRE and show it on a map in GIS; Arak and Saveh are developed, Sazand, Delijan and Khomain are developing and Tafresh, Mhalat, Zarandiyeh, Ashtian and Komijan are developed counties. In general, in the Markazi province formed two separate regions. One is in the southern part of the province (Markazi) and the other in the northern part of the province of Arak (Saveh). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Alishar Cu-Au index is located in the Markazi province within the Uromieh-Dokhtar magmatic belt. The mineralized zone is hosted by andesitic to andesite basalt lava units, andesitic-andesite basalt tuff and rhyolitic to dacitic tuff (Eocene-Oligocene). The area is affected later by young granodiorite and monzodiorite plutonic units (Oligo-Momiocene). As a result of hydrothermal alterations, phyllic and propylitic alterations as well as kaolinitization and silicification developed in the area. In addition, Cu -Au mineralization has been introduced into the area, mainly associated with silicic veins. Based on geochemical data the Cu and Au contents of the samples are about 0.5% and 0.3 ppm respectively. Also, the Bi content of the studied samples is about 0.5 ppm. The index comprises oxidation, hypogene and supergene zones and contains chalcopyrite, pyrite, chalcocite, magnetite, hematite, goethite and malachite. Fluid inclusion studies of the samples taken from silicic veins show that the homogenization temperature and salinity vary between 200 to 300 °C and 21.6% wt NaCl respectively. On the base of obtained data, it can be concluded that the dominant mechanism for mineralization is the mixing of hydrothermal solutions with meteoritc waters. Geological, mineralogical and fluid inclusion investigations have demonstrated that mineralization in this area is correlated with other IOCG deposits in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: Acanthamoeba species are free-living protozoa that can be isolated from all environments. They can bring about different diseases in healthy individuals and immune suppressed patients, for example, Granulomatous Amoebic Encephalitis (GAE), Acanthamoeba Keratitis (AK), Cutaneous and Nasopharyngeal infections. The aim of this study was to evaluate the Acanthamoeba prevalence in rural water sources of Markazi province. Material and Methods: In this cross sectional study, 54 water samples were collected from 36 villages of Markus province. First, the Samples were filtered by filter paper (watchman 42). Next, the filtered paper were placed in page saline solution and centrifuged. Then, the obtained sediment was cultured on non-nutrient agar (NNA) plates overlaid with heat-killed Escherichia coli. After that, the provided smear (after 4 - 7 days) stained with Geimsa. Results: The samples were positive (33; 61.11%) and negative (21; 38.89%) for Acanthamoeba cyst. The best result for isolation of Acanthamoeba cysts was obtained after shaking of filter paper. Conclusion: A high percentage of rural water sources have been contaminated with Acanthamoeba, which can be the major factor in causing human infections. Therefore, some effective methods are required to prevent from water sources contamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: Group B streptococcus is one of the agents leading to infantile blood infection and meningitis as well as aggressive infections in pregnant women. The vast use of antibiotics in order to prevent from the diseases caused by this bacterium has led to some concerns about the emergence of drug resistance in Group B streptococcus. Thus, we aimed to investigate Group B streptococcus drug resistance patterns to aid appropriate drug prescriptions. Material and Methods: The study was conducted on 268 pregnant women. Having been transferred to Todd Hewitt broth, the samples were cultured on blood agar and the identity of Group B streptococcus was confirmed through biochemical tests (gram stain tests, the catalase test, CAMP, and sodium hippurate hydrolysis). Results: Of 268 samples, 14 (5.2 percent) showed positive Group B streptococcus culture. All cases (100 percent) were resistant to penicillin, eight (57.15 percent) to erythromycin, 13 (92.2 percent) to clindamycin, three (7.1 percent) to Cefazolin, seven (50 percent) Ceftizoxime and four (28.57 percent) were resistant to Cefotaxime. Three (21.4 percent) were semi-sensitive toward Cefazolin. No resistance was observed toward ampicillin or Vancomycin. Conclusion: The rate of B streptococcus drug resistance to various antibiotics has increased in Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mahalat region of Markazi province in Iran is a popular tourist spot due to the occurrence of hot springs and having the greatest geothermal fields in Iran. We chose a 6 km profile with 12 sites across the hot springs for carrying out a magnetotelluric (MT) survey on July 2011. A 2D inversion was applied on the determination MT data to resolve the subsurface conductive structures using a 2D inversion routine of Occam approach. The 2D model significantly illustrates the geothermal structures at depth, including cap rock (from 100 to 600 m), reservoir (from 500 to 2000 m) and the heat source (starting from 1000 m), and it shows a good correlation with the geological features. One of the interesting results is distinguishing the main faults, which are acting as the preferential paths to circulate the hydrothermal fluids. The resistivity model fits on the geological section along the MT profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mycobacterium tuberculosis usually infects the lungs; however, organs other than the lungs may also be involved. This study is an analysis of the situation of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis in the Markazi province, Iran. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the information in the registration software of tuberculosis in health centers was collected and SPSS software 16 was applied to data analysis. Results: In the survey, a total of 1787 TB patients were identified, of whom 24.2% were diagnosed with extra-pulmonary tuberculosis and 1.9 % of the patients with extra-pulmonary TB were associated with HIV infection. Female to male sex ratio was equal to 1.3. Overall, 82.5% of the patients were Iranian and mean age of patients were 43.3 years. Tuberculosis of the lymph nodes and skeletal and pleural tuberculosis had the highest prevalence. Moreover, extra-pulmonary tuberculosis in females, aged 15-55 years, was more and the diagnosis delay was more common in extra-pulmonary tuberculosis while relapse occurred more frequently in pulmonary tuberculosis. Conclusion: Noticing the greater diagnosis delay in extra-pulmonary tuberculosis, it is necessary to train physicians and other healthcare workers in extra-pulmonary TB diagnosis and more planning needed for instructing it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Funnel plot is a graphical tool for investigating publication bias in meta-analysis studies. The aim of this study is to introduce another application of funnel plot that is monitoring one of the Iranian family performance indices and determining the position of each health center of Markazi province in terms of patient referral rates by general practitioners to specialists and to compare it with bar and caterpillar plots. Materials and Methods: In order to draw the funnel plot, the average monthly percent of referrals for each district of Markazi province in 2011 was computed. In this study, Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education standard figure of 10% was considered as the limit of referral to the second level of Iranian health services. The 99% confidence interval of the control limit for each district was computed according to 3 standard deviations of the percent of referrals relative to the total patient visits. Results: Based on funnel plot results, five out of ten districts were in the expected range of referral (Ashtian, Saveh, Tafresh, Khomein, and Komijan). However, in other five districts, the referral rate was greater than the expected rate (Arak, Shazand, Zarandiyeh, Delijan, and Mahallat). Mahallat district had the highest rate of referral. Conclusion: The funnel plot was more informative than the other two plots Thus, it can be viewed as a useful tool in monitoring health programs throughout the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current research is the first step on integral investigations for selection and production of appropriate seedlings and clones for development of poplar plantations. Diameter, height, survival and homogeneity of 70 clones of native and exotic poplar species were studied in an experimental nursery in central Iran, Markazi province in frame of randomized complete blocks design with 3 replications. Results indicated that P.x. interamericana from hybrid groups, P. trichocarpa 044/62 from section Tachamahaca, P.a. 44/9 from section leuce, P.e. I-154, P.n. 63/135, P.e. 476, P.n. 62/140, P.n. 62/197 and P.e. triplo from section Aigerios showed the maximum values of the studied parameters. P. ciliata from section leucoides and P. euphratica from section Turanga showed the weakest values.

World increasing demand for wood production, caused the increasing impact to natural forest. Short term exploitation and improvement of wood production have been reduced these impacts. Considering the special characteristics of poplars, plantation of these fast growing species could be a proper solution to solve the problems. This research was carried out with the aims of increasing wood production by collection of better and more adaptable poplar clones to climatic and edaphic condition in Markazi province. In this research, 21 poplar clones were compared using the complete experimental block design in 3 replications. ِDiameter at breast height and height of trees were recorded and total volume and volume increment were calculated. Based on results, we concluded the following results: higher diameter, height and volume increment were found in Populus nigra 56.72 with 20.7 cm, 17.57m and 36.55 m3/ha/years, respectively. Other promising clones are P.nigra 72.19, P.nigra 72.5 and P.nigra betulifolia. The poorest results were observed on different clones of populus alba.