Authentication in Welded Clad Plate with Similar Material and Thickness

This paper continues the research previously done by authors on numerical modelling of the dissimilar welded joints with varying clad thicknesses using a commercial finite element software. The current study simulates the welding conditions of a similar clad plate with a thin thickness. The computer simulated outcome then verified with the measured data of from other researchers. A close match between the numerical models and the experimental data was found.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Analysis of Sustainable Water Resources Management (SWRM) in Agriculture

The purpose of this research was analysis Sustainable Water Resources Management (SWRM) in agriculture of Khouzestan Province of Iran. The research method was quantitative research. Total population of experts in the study included all agricultural extension experts (N=96) of Agricultural-Jihad Organization of Khuzestan Province, Iran. Based on frequency of respondents about importance rate of supportive policies regarding SWRM in agriculture, 70.8% of respondents stated that encouraging farmers for using sustainable methods had very high importance. In reference to the frequency of respondents about extension system roles on realization of SWRM dimensions in agriculture, 52.8% of respondents stated conservation of water resources had very high importance for supporting SWRM in agriculture

Reconstruction of a long head biceps using Bashti method; comparison between two different insertion techniques

The Long Head Biceps (LHB) is one of the most vulnerable tendons in the human body, and its damage can cause problems for the patient, such as limitation of arms ability to motion, severe pain and reducing the strength of arm. The complete tear of the LHB may need a surgical treatment. Although, the existing surgical method can reattach the tear tendon but there are demands to improve the conventional LHB reconstruction methods. Bashti Bone Plug Technique (BBPT) is an implant-less surgical technique. The method can improve the quality of LHB surgical treatment. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of insertion techniques on biomechanical properties of the Bashti fixation method. The study uses bovine tendons and artificial Sawbones blocks with the density of 15 pcf correlated to the density of a young human radius bone. These specimens allocated into two groups with an equal number of samples. In the first group, the insertion process was performed using a manual hammer where the impacts' frequency was uncontrolled. In the second group, the samples were inserted using an automatic hammer with a constant and controlled frequency of 3600 beats per minute (BPM). All other conditions, including geometry of the samples, were the same for all specimens in both groups. After the sample preparation, samples were tested under a poll-out test. All samples were subjected to a cyclical test followed by a single cycle load to failure test. The cyclical test performed using preconditioning to adjust the setup and a periodic load between 10 N and 70 N, for 100 cycles. The rate of loading was 500 mm per minutes. Immediately after completing the cyclical test, the samples loaded under a simple tensile loading with the same loading speed until a fixation failure. Considering the experimental outcome, for the first group, the average maximum tensile strength was 235±39.4 N and the average stiffness was 9.25±2.12 N/mm, while for the second group the average maximum tensile strength was 163±54.5 N and the average stiffness was 8.46±4.9 N/mm. The study firstly proven that Bashti reconstruction method is a suitable method to fix LHB. In addition, it was concluded that the insertion technique has a significant effect on the maximum tensile strength of the Bashti fixation method. Further study on effect of insertion frequency is ongoing. Please note this paper originally written in Farsi language. The full paper is attached.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

Exploring the Role of Culture in Online Searching Behavior from a Cognitive Perspective

This research investigates differences in Web search behavior from a “cultural cognition” perspective, which was introduced by Nisbett and Norenzayan (2002). To explore the impact of culture and thinking styles on searching behavior is the objective. The overarching hypothesis is that there are cultural differences in cognitive styles and that these differences may lead into different searching behaviors. The findings help search engine designers provide an adaptive navigation support to users from different cultural backgrounds and cognitive styles. The fundamental research question underpinning this research becomes what are the relationships between users’ cognitive styles and cultural background, and their Web search behavior? The results of this doctoral study help with understanding how cognitive processes are modulated by cultures so as to give rise to cultural specific thinking and Web navigation styles. The assumption here is that differences in cognitive style will drive variations in Web search behavior based on national cultural orientation. To examine the research hypotheses, hundred and eleven research subjects are selected from three cultural groups: Americans, Iranians, and Chinese. The two independent factors that are studied in this experimental research are: cultural background and cognitive style. After answering a demographic questionnaire, the participants are given two types of task scenarios to perform on Google while two tracking applications (TechSmith Morae and MyGaze) record their mouse and eye movements. The users’ search behavior is studied through several measures of eye gaze, click behavior, and viewing pattern. By employing the Repeated Measures Analysis of Variance (RM ANOVA) test, the relationships between the independent variables and the search measurements are studied and analyzed using SAS statistical analysis application. This research was conducted in a controlled usability lab, and the participants were provided with a $10 incentive upon finishing the experiment. Even though the results from the statistical analysis did not show significant evidence to support variation in cognitive styles between the participating cultural groups, country of origin appeared to be a strong predictor of differences in the measurements of search behavior. Considering the research hypotheses and the results, we found that the Americans’ search behaviors tended to be more analytical and less explorative, whereas the Iranians and Chinese tended to engage in more exploratory behaviors

Exploring the role of culture in online searching behavior from cultural cognitive perspective: case study of American, Chinese and Iranian graduate students

The purpose of this study is to identify if cultural differences affect information-searching behavior of users on Google with the use of eye tracking and mouse tracking technologies. According to the theory of cultural cognition, culture has a significant impact on how we organize our thoughts and our relationships, how we perceive the world, and how we decide to behave and act. In this study, I aim to investigate if the theory of cultural cognition is applicable to the users’ online information searching behavior. While the latest quantitative results of this pilot study on American, Chinese and Iranian graduate students showed differences in the search techniques employed by the cultural groups, the Mixed Effect analysis of fixation durations did not reveal significant differences in attention during the course of scanning the search result page on Google. Further analysis will be done and the latest findings will be presented at the conference

Entrepreneurship Education in Iranian Higher Education: The Current State and Challenges

Entrepreneurship has long been considered a significant factor for socioeconomic growth and development because it provides millions of job opportunities, offers a variety of consumer goods and services, and generally increases national prosperity and competitiveness. Due to this positive impact of entrepreneurship, recent decades have seen a tremendous rise in entrepreneurship education at various universities and colleges around the globe, including in Iran. In the middle of this expansion remains the challenges and problems of development and changes for entrepreneurship.This paper investigates the state, trends, challenges and solutions in entrepreneurship education in Iran which emerged from an extensive review of literature. The literature reviewed indicates that entrepreneurship education in Iranian higher education faces with economic, political, social, and cultural challenges. Also this article offers some approaches and recommendations for resolving the challenges as well as encouraging and fostering entrepreneurship in higher education. The findings of this study provide valuable insights for policy makers, educators, students and graduate entrepreneurs. Stakeholders could use this study to make better choices in relation to the improvement of entrepreneurship education in Iranian higher education system