The Relationship between Quality of Work Life and Performance of the Managers of SMEs of Shiraz Industrial Town: Case study in Iran

Nowadays, according to the importance of human resources in advancing the goals of the organization, improving the quality of work life has become one of the main goals of the organizations. Main purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between the quality of work life (fair and sufficient payment, secure  and sanitary working environment,  supplying  growth opportunity  and continuous  security, law observance in organization, social attachment of working life, general atmosphere of work life, social union and integrity  in  work  and  development  of  human  capabilities) and  performance  of  managers of Shiraz industrial town. Method of this study is descriptive and of correlation type. Statistical society consists of all managers of Shiraz industrial town in year 2013 who are 590 people, out of this number, 233people were selected through hierarchical random sampling in proportion with society volume and questionnaires were distributed amongst them. The research results show a positive and significant relationship between components of quality of work life and managers performance. Keywords: Quality of work life, Performance,SMEs of Shiraz industrial tow

Re-designing Urban Space to Enhance Vitality: A Case Study of the Palestine Square in Zahedan

Urban spaces are an important element in urban form. Urban squares, for example, have been a space for social and group activities for a long time, in order to create vitality in space. The presence of people in the city squares increases the vitality of that area. The Palestine Square of Zahedan is one of the oldest squares of this city. Unfortunately, over time this square has lost its vitality. The study was conducted based on descriptive-analytical method. Library and field survey was conducted for data collection. The population sample includes the residents and the passerby near the Palestine Square of Zahedan. The study evaluates the criteria of vitality as an indicator to redesign the square with proposed design alternatives. Questionnaire, field observation and interviews via EXCEL software and SWOT technique was implemented for decision making. Analytical Hierarchical Process technique was used for designing and evaluating the alternatives

Explaining the Concept of Flexibility in Urban Spaces

Nowadays, comprehending urban spaces and the appropriate design of space is a way toward meeting the diversified needs of each citizen. Among this, attention to the flexibility principle as a dynamic of qualified urban space creation can facilitate spaces to provide multiple opportunities for the general public. Accordingly, this study attempts to address the concept of flexibility and realization of it in urban spacing. In order to achieve flexibility in urban space, a new pattern is presented. It is notable that achieving the space at first needs prerequisites including permeability, adaptability, legibility followed by body requisites such as positive outdoor spaces, spaces with multimodal behavioural patterns, multiuse buildings, active frontages and fine amenities. These include constructive elements like activity, place and people. Through preparing such elements, flexibility can emerge in urban spaces into three classes; versatility, convertibility and expansibility at micro and macro scales

Physical Design of Safe Urban Environment against Environmental Damages in case of Allameh Majlesi Street in Isfahan

Today, one of the main priorities of designers and urban planners is attention to the concept of citizens’ security and methods for its enhancement. This is the most important issue to improve the street access network and traffic congestion. As a result, the physical design of Allameh Majlesi Street in Isfahan and its environmental security enhancement are considered crucial in urban space for the welfare of the citizens. This paper has implemented a descriptive-analytic research methodology. The statistical population in this study is all the citizens in the Allameh Majlesi Street of Isfahan. According to Morgan table, 196 people were selected as the study sample. The data collection was through a questionnaire, observations and on-site interviews; decision making was done using the SWOT technique. Three alternative designs were proposed which were evaluated through the AHP technique to select the best alternative. The physical design of safe urban environment against damages was based on criteria to improve the sense of security, utilizing natural elements, environmental quality, and redefining the physical elements. As a result, after evaluating the options, the third alternative was selected based on the index

Regeneration of Distressed Areas of the Central District of Ahvaz City via the Sustainable Development Approach

Central city districts and their old roots in history have high potentials in terms of their geographical centrality, easy accessibility, as well as historical and cultural characteristics. Despite their positive characteristics, those districts suffer from physical problems (e.g., urban distressed fabrics), environmental issues, poor infrastructures, etc. Ahvaz is one of those cities with these characteristics whose urban fabric is distressed and needs strategic plans and executions. The aim is to direct the central district of Ahvaz towards sustainability with strategies and plans based on the sustainable development approach and using systematic vision models. Thus, the issue of regeneration of distressed areas is very significant in this regard.The research used the random sampling method to select the participants. The research analysis was conducted using Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threat, Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix, Oregon Model and Quality Function Deployment (QFD) model approaches. The study is an applied, descriptive-correlational research. The data were collected via the library research and field study techniques. After analyzing and investigating the data comprehensively, the research offered executive strategies for the success of sustainable development of the study area. The most important strategies obtained from the analysis are constructing green spaces such as green belts in the riverbank of the Karun River, improving the state of paths leading to historical monuments to the tourists’ access, and beautifying walls of buildings near the riverbank

Enhancing the Quality of Life in Historical Contexts with an Emphasis on Urban Regeneration Approach (Case Study: Imam Ali Square in Isfahan and its Surrounding Texture)

Abstract In recent decades, inconsistent growth in urban environment has had an impact on the quality of urban life, and historical and valuable textures, resulting in urban problems and forcing urban officials to adopt new approaches. Accordingly, refinement and improvement approaches have evolved over time with urban renaissance as the new approach. The current research assesses the quality of urban life in the historical context of Imam Ali Square in Isfahan, based on social, economical and physical criteria with urban renaissance. The research has used SWOT technique and Analytic Network Process (ANP) for the analysis. The research results showed a significant relationship between criteria and sub-criteria with an improved quality of urban life and the alternative of renaissance. The economic criterion was the most important element for improving the quality of life. The satisfaction level of the neighborhood criteria was for social quality, and the housing and land market criteria were considered for economy. Flexible development plan was considered as one of the important factors for monitoring new constructions and in urban renewal alternatives. The impact on the quality of life was also recognized in the study area. Finally, strategies such as balancing the functions of the texture by injecting business, tourism, etc., formulating urban planning rules, taking into account land economics, and monitoring the human system in new constructions were studied in order to avoid the depreciation of valuable buildings

Incorporation of pomegranate rind powder extract and pomegranate juice into frozen burgers: oxidative stability, sensorial and microbiological characteristics

This study was aimed to evaluate the antibacterial and antioxidant characteristics of incorporated pomegranate juice (PJ) and pomegranate rind powder extract (PRPE) into meat burgers. The peroxide value, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, and metmyoglobin content for different burgers during 90 days storage at - 18 degrees C were evaluated. Total anthocyanin content, total phenolic content (TPC) and free radical scavenging activity (RSA or IC50) for PJ and PRPE were measured as 18.90 (mg/mL), 4380 ppm, 0.136 (mg/mL) and 0.40 (mg/mL), 5598 ppm, 0.084 (mg/mL), respectively. Incorporation of PRPE with a high concentration of TPC resulted in less oxidation of lipid in comparison with other formulations. The highest and lowest scores in the sensory analysis and total acceptance at the 90th day corresponded to burgers containing PJ and control, respectively. Butylated hydroxytoluene may be substituted in whole or part with PJ and PRPE due to their desired effects on burgers' properties56311741183CNPQ - Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico3240274290Research Affairs Office at Shiraz University [93GCU1M1981]; CNPq-TWAS Postgraduate Fellowship [3240274290

Evaluation of Petroleum Hydrocarbons in Groundwater Plains City of Bandar Abbas Environmental Management -MA -National Oil Products Distribution Company HSE expert

ABSTRACT The issue of contamination of underground waters by chemicals such as oil hydrocarbons which is originated from contaminating sources and origins is inevitable. From among oil contaminants can one refer to oil wells, underground and ground reservoirs of oil products and or oil transfer pipes. Although leakage rarely happens in the reservoirs, this can have a great impact on the quality of the underground water. In this research carried out from March to October 2007, sampling operations were randomly done on 31 water wells of the villages on the plain of Bandar Abbas (Sarkhoon, Shamil Ghaleh Quazi, Isin, Kahoorestan, Rezvan, Sarzeh, Fin and Gohreh). To measure TPH sampling from agricultural water wells was made on the basis of ASTM D3921 by Spectrofluorophotometry. The result showed that the most amount of TPH in Gohreh plain was 0.0032 ppm and the least amount: 0.0012 ppm in Rezvan plain. A comparison on the average results on oil substances in four political divisions (Shamil, Ghaleh Ghazi, Central, Fin) showed that the most amount of TPH exist in Fin for 0.0020 ppm and the least amount belongs to central division for 0.0013 ppm. The map 1/1000000 of the city of Bandar Abbas was divided into 4 regions: region 2 with the most amount of TPH for 0.0020ppm and region 4 with the least amount for 0.0014ppm. The main cause of TPH density in Gohreh plain which is situated at Fin division and region 2 can be the vicinity of the static level of underground waters to the ground level and the vicinity of sampling area to the pumping station of oil substances in Ghotb Abad area. According to the research it became obvious that amount of oil substances in the under ground waters of the city of Bandar Abbas stands lower than standard level but due to the population growth and the increase in contaminating origins the issue of the underground contamination due to oil products is of highly concern and significant so this requires the concerned organizations and companies to do constant measurement in this regard

Development of casein‐based nanoencapsulation systems for delivery of epigallocatechin gallate and folic acid

In this work, binding characteristics of two hydrophilic nutraceutical models, namely epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and folic acid (FA), to sodium caseinate were studied by fluorimetry technique. EGCG‐loaded casein molecules were then converted to either re‐combined casein micelles (r‐CMs) or casein nanoparticles (CNPs). Binding stoichiometry of EGCG and FA was 0.81 and 1.02, respectively. As determined by DLS technique, the average particle size of r‐CMs prepared at 0.5% concentration was 66.2 nm. Thermal treatment (74°C, 20 s) had significant (p < 0.05) influence on the particle size of nanocarriers, but not nutraceutical loading. The average size of CNPs was larger than that of r‐CMs. The encapsulation efficiency (EE) of EGCG was 85%, and its ejection from the nanocarrier was less than 3% over 21 days. Alkaline conditions resulted in higher release of EGCG than acidic conditions. r‐CMs were more effective than CNPs during the protection of EGCG against heat‐induced degradation. TEM micrographs confirmed the formation of r‐CMs

Efficiency of Ohmic assisted hydrodistillation for the extraction of essential oil from oregano (Origanum vulgare subsp. viride) spices

International audienceThe aim of this work was to investigate the effects of Ohmic heating-assisted hydrodistillation (OAHD), applied at different voltages (100, 150, and 200) V, on the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of extracted essential oil from oregano herb (Origanum vulgare subsp. viride), compared to a conventional hydrodistillation (HD) procedure. The compositions of the extracted essential oils (using OAHD and HD) were assessed using gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (GC–MS). A 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical (DPPH) method was applied in order to evaluate antioxidant activity. The antimicrobial activity as well as the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of the samples against Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella Typhimurium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus were determined. Among 50 identified compounds; thymol and 4-terpineol were the most abundant components independently of the technique used (OAHD or HD). No significant differences were observed between HD and OAHD (all voltages) methods in terms of extraction yields, and between HD and OAHD (at 100 V) in terms of antioxidant activity (the half inhibition concentration values (IC50) were 33.4 μg/mL and 31.2 μg/mL, respectively). However, the extraction time was significantly reduced when OAHD extraction was used compared to HD. For the antimicrobial activity, the MIC values indicated higher inhibitory activities against S. aureus and B. cereus (with similar MIC values of 6.25 μg/mL) than P. aeruginosa (25 μg/mL). However, no significant influence was observed between the different applied voltages and the two extraction methods. OAHD could thus be used as “green” extraction method compared to HD