Animal Unit of Sheep (Zel Breed) Grazing in Mazandaran Grasslands in Iran

Animal unit equivalents (AUEs), provide a means of summarising grazing capacity, calculating stocking rates and other stocking variables (Scarnecchia, 1990). Animal units (AU) are often defined in relation to the dominant animal type in an area In Iran there are 27 sheep breeds which are classified into three main body size classes, namely: small, medium and large. The objective of this experiment was to define animal units, animal and forage requirements for sheep grazing in Mozandaran grasslands

A new formulation for lightweight oil well cement slurry using a natural pozzolan

 Fluid loss during cementing operation in depleted reservoirs or in deep wells of reservoirs with low breakdown pressure is a major concern for maintaining well integrity. To overcome this problem, the weight of cement slurry is usually reduced. Although various slurry formulations have been proposed during the last decade, the cost and availability of required additives is still an important concern, especially when the oil price is low. The objective of this study is to make lightweight cement slurry with a density of 105 lb/ft3, using the combination of natural pozzolan and API class G cement.  In this study, a new formulation based on the optimum amount of a natural pozzolan and other additives is proposed. Based on the results of 24-hour compressive strength test and free water volume, 30% replacement of cement powder with pozzolan was selected as an optimal amount. Addition of more pozzolan into the slurry reduces its pumpability even at room temperature. Bottom-hole condition was simulated by increasing the temperature to 150°F and chemical additives were used to maintain the rheological properties of this slurry. Fluid loss control agent, dispersant and retarder were used at optimum values 0.5, 0.08 and 0.05 (%bwoc), respectively. The compressive strength of the cement rock was monitored at 3, 7 and 30 days, reaching 3528 psi after 30 days.Cited as: Larki, O., Norouzi Apourvari, S., Schaffifie, M., Farazmand, R. A new formulation for lightweight oil well cement slurry using a natural pozzolan. Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 2019, 3(3): 242-249, doi: 10.26804/ager.2019.03.0

A Comparative Study of the Evolution of Iranian e-Business Models with the Most Successful Global Business Models

Nowadays portions of the national income in developed countries are due to income of the electronic businesses and electronic commerce. Realizing these businesses and their strategical governance priorities regarding the development of those business with most profitability are among the most important necessities in this field. Accordingly, indicating the status quo of electronic business in our country can be of great value in having an effective policy-making. In this research we aim to compare the status of Iranian electronic commerce with the most successful ones in the globe. To do so, first we have considered the top hundred website according to Alexa ranking, nationally and globally, and we have extracted their main business models as well. Afterward, the frequency of these business models in addition to the average ranking of their websites have been extracted and compared accordingly. Results of this study show that those electronic business models which are highly valued globally are less attractive for Iran’s electronic commerce

Determination of Heavy Metals in the Effluent Plating Units of Isfahan Province

There are more than tens of plating plants in Isfahan province. These units are operated as small and private or as a part of major plant. To determine pollution in return flow of these units, all of these plating units in Isfahan were monitored and sampled. In this research, 52 plating units were identified and investigated. The results show that 44.23% of units are located in urban areas, 28.8% in country-side, 15.4% in industrial zones and 11.5% in industrial towns. Among identified plating units, more than half of them (55.8%) were near industrial areas. The studied units maily used Nickel and Cadmium as main materials. The effluents discharged into septic wells, surface water, descent reservoirs and municipal networks in the rate of 78.3, 10.9 , 6.5 and 4.3 percent respectively. In some units, there were few unusable septic wells due to overfilling with metal sediment. The overflow rate of discharge of plating process in studied units varied from 0.5 to 5.0m3/d depending upon type of plating process. The average discharge in these units was found 1.3 m/day. The concentration of zinc ion was in the range of 3.84 to 49.92 mg/l. The average concentration of nickel, chromium and copper were 3.85±2.2 , 24.43±7.3, 14.51±15.2 and 14.22±10 mg/l respectively. The average concentration of cyanide was 0.012 mg/l. In this study, strategies for reducing discharge of these units and its pollutants and also appropriate sewage treatment to eliminate cyanide, zinc, chromium and copper are suggested

A website evaluation model by integration of previous evaluation models using a quantitative approach

Regarding the ecommerce growth, websites play an essential role in business success. Therefore, many authors have offered website evaluation models since 1995. Although, the multiplicity and diversity of evaluation models make it difficult to integrate them into a single comprehensive model. In this paper a quantitative method has been used to integrate previous models into a comprehensive model that is compatible with them. In this approach the researcher judgment has no role in integration of models and the new model takes its validity from 93 previous models and systematic quantitative approach

Long-term survival rates of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma treated by radiochemotherapy: a retrospective cohort study

Abstract Background Nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) is showing an increasing incidence in Iran. Radiation is the main treatment of this cancer. Use of new techniques such as intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) is on the rise. Here, we aimed to evaluate the oncological outcomes of NPC patients treated with three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) for a more reliable comparison with IMRT in the future. Results We reviewed the medical records of 106 patients with NPC treated by definitive radiotherapy from 2007 to 2016. Patients were treated with 70 Gy in 2-Gy fractions. Twenty-one patients died during the follow-up period. Twenty-nine patients suffered from locoregional or distant recurrences. Of these, 6 recurred after 2 years of treatment completion. The 2-year and 5-year overall survival rates were 81% and 76%, respectively. The 2-year and 5-year progression-free survival rates were 72% and 63%, respectively. The 5-year locoregional recurrence and distant metastasis-free survival rates were 68% and 69%, respectively. Conclusion Due to high survival rates of NPC and the importance of receiving planned total dose of RT, the treatment-related toxicity and quality of life are critical considerations both for patients during active treatment and for survivors

Middle Eastern Public Management: A Cultural Approach To Developmental Administration

This study takes a comparative approach in studying public management in the Middle East. It argues that the Middle East region, despite its rich culture and long history of administration, has demonstrated a great difficulty in maintaining viable, efficient, and effective public institutions. It contends that administrative culture in most Middle Eastern bureaucracies is incompatible with the culture of the masses and does not match the peoples’ expectations. Due to this inherent incompatibility, most Middle Easterners perceive their public institutions as corrupt and oppressive entities that only serve their political masters and try to preserve themselves. The article explores the core Islamic values that have to be part of the administrative culture in the Middle East in order to bring about an overhaul of public institutions in the area. Copyright Springer Science + Business Media, Inc. 2005Comparative public administration, organizational culture, organizational change, Islamic core values, Middle Eastern culture, Islamic Management,