Feature space curvature map: A method to homogenize cluster densities

The majority of density-based clustering algorithms can not perform properly when data expose very different density through the feature space. These algorithms implicitly presume that all clusters almost have the same density, therefore, they normally use global parameters. Consequently, they are often biased towards finding dense clusters in front of sparse ones. In this paper, we propose a parametric multilinear transformation method to homogenize cluster densities while preserving the topological structure of the dataset. The transformed clusters have approximately the same density while all inter-cluster regions become globally low-density. In our method, the feature space is locally bent by dense data point concentrations the same way as stars bend the space-time dimensions in Theory of Relativity. We present a new Gravitational Self-organization Map to model the feature space curvature by plugging the concepts of gravity and fabric of space into the Self-organization Map algorithm to mathematically describe the density structure of the data. To homogenize the cluster density, we introduce a novel mapping mechanism to project the data from a non-Euclidean curved space to a new Euclidean flat space. Specifically, this mechanism transfers the basis vectors instead of the feature vectors to guarantee the continuity of the mapping function and optimize the computation cost of the algorithm. As a result, our method can efficiently and explicitly homogenize the density of any dataset globally to then apply existing clustering algorithms without modification. Our experimental results over both real-world and synthetic datasets show that our approach outperforms the current statistical-based methods.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

An Analysis of the Cultural Landscape and Settlement Pattern of the Kashafrud Basin (Mashhad Plain) in the Iron Age

The Khorasan region, especially the Kashafrud basin, has culturally retained a strategic position by virtue of its location between three major cultural spheres of southwestern Central Asia, the Central Plateau of Iran, and northeastern Iran. The Iron Age still remains a mainly unknown period in this region. In northeast Iran, particularly in the Greater Khorasan, the period is characterized by cultural attributes utterly different from those of the other parts of the Iranian Plateau. Coeval archaeological evidence from Khorasan shows affinities with the Yaz and Dahistan cultures of Central Asia. The major topics considered in this study are: the distribution pattern and major influential factors in the formation of the Iron Age settlements in the Kashafrud basin (Mashhad Plain), the nature of Iron Age cultural material in the region, and the characteristics shared between the contemporary settlements in Mashhad and the adjacent regions. Further major research objectives include proposing a comparative chronology, analyzing the regional cultural landscape, and specifying the Iron Age settlement patterns in the region. Thus, attempts have been made to answer the research questions through ArcGIS maps, analysis of surface ceramics, and the landscape archaeology approach. The results indicate the impressive role of environmental factors, especially the Kashafrud River as the leading regional resource, in the advent of Iron Age settlements. Moreover, the regional material culture exhibits strong affinities with the Iron Age culture of “Yaz” in Central Asia, and indicates relations and population movements between the different regions that were under the influence of this culture

Largest ancient fortress of South-West Asia and the western world?:Recent fieldwork at Sasanian Qaleh Iraj at Pishva, Iran

The article presents recent works at Qale Iraj, near Varamin, Iran. My short contribution is on the Middle Persian ostraka found at the site

From Classic Realism to Iranian Realism a Frame Work for Explaining Iranian Foreign Relations with Great Powers (1501-1979)

Theorizing History of Iranian foreign relations can help researchers to understand the weaknesses of Iranian foreign policy toward great powers during the last five centuries. This Article is an attempt to explain the attitudes and common patterns of Iranian foreign relations from Safavieh to Pahlavi's fall in a new theoretical framework which is called Iranian Realism. In fact, this theory is constructed according to the Iranian foreign relations during the last five centuries and it offers pathological perspective to study Iranian foreign relations. Although Iranian Realism borrows some elements from Realism and Neo-Realism, it significantly differs from them. Deterministic influence of an anarchical international system, individualistic approach, non-institutional decision making process, structural authoritarianism, positive and negative balance making trend, permanent security threats and no convergence of interests between Iran and great powers are some of the key elements of Iranian Realism. In fact, Iranian Realism as its name implies, is an Iranian context-based theory and applicable to Iranian foreign relations toward great powers during the last five centuries

اصلاح نهایی مقاله رئالیسم ایرانی

Theorizing History of Iranian foreign relations can help researchers to understand the weaknesses of Iranian foreign policy during last five centuries. This Article is an attempt to explain the attitudes and common patterns of Iranian foreign relations from Safavieh up to Pahlavi's fall in a new theoretical framework which is called Iranian Realism. In fact, this theory is constructed according to the Iranian foreign relations during last five centuries and it offers pathological perspective to study Iranian foreign relations. Although Iranian Realism borrows some elements from Realism and Neo-Realism, it significantly differs from them. Deterministic influence of an anarchical international system, individualistic, non-institutional decision making process, structural authoritarianism, positive and negative balance making trend, permanent security threats and no convergence of interests between Iran and great powers are some of the key elements of Iranian Realism. In fact, Iranian Realism as its name implies, is an Iranian context-based theory and applicable to Iranian foreign relations during the last five centuries

Rethinking in Eclectic Method; Case Study: Iranian Trend of Decision Making in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)

The decision making trend in foreign policy answers how and why a decision is made. Drawing this trend requires the use of an appropriate research method to explain available information and interpret the roles. Despite the limited access to some information on the achievement (Comprehensive Joint Plan of action between Iran with Six World Power), how can we draw the trend of Iran's foreign policy decision-making in this historical event? (Research question and question) This paper aims to introduce the method for the initial drawing of Iran's foreign policy decision making trend by introducing the position of quantitative and qualitative combination of methodology and showing its function and its research merits (research method). The structure of eclectic method in the first phase explains the factors affecting admittance and, in the second stage, provides an understanding of the perception of senior foreign policy decision makers. (The research hypothesis) The author believes that the process of identifying the factors influencing decision making and the way in which those factors are interpreted in the cognitive system of foreign policy decision makers, is the most appropriate method for initiating research on Iran's foreign policy decision making trend. (Results

Critical Approach to Extent Present Patterns in Future Studies, As Future Studies Case Example: US Sanctions against Iran until 2022

The main issue in this article is the introduction, critique and pathology of the extent present model in future research. Future studies are generally limited to studying trends and events identified in the past and present, as well as the development of today's imagination for the future, but it is considered as an unfinished project. Future studies do not entail familiar future, unthoughtful future and genus forecasting in the future cycle. At the same time, competition, complexity, contradiction, turmoil, increasing developments, the growing role of science, and uncertainty are among the main drivers of the future, and limiting future research to the study of current trends, events, and perceptions poses a serious risk. Nonetheless, futures studies provide for the states to make desirable future, and therefore is more advanced than explanatory studies. Our main question is: What is the common pattern in the future study of states behavior in foreign policy and what are the restrictions on it? In response to this hypothesis, the pattern in the future studies of states behavior in foreign policy is extent present, and in this model, the role of familiar future, genius forecasting and unthoughtful future in scenarios making are not clear. The pattern of the extent present will be shown in the future with an example of US sanctions against Iran until 2020. The research method is scenario writing based on the extent present pattern

Decentralized Fuzzy P-hub Centre Problem: Extended Model and Genetic Algorithms

This paper studies the uncapacitated P-hub center problem in a network under decentralized management assuming time as a fuzzy variable. In this network, transport companies act independently, each company makes its route choices according to its own criteria. In this model, time is presented by triangular fuzzy number and used to calculate the fraction of users that probably choose hub routes instead of direct routes. To solve the problem, two genetic algorithms are proposed. The computational results compared with LINGO indicate that the proposed algorithm solves large-scale instances within promising computational time and outperforms LINGO in terms of solution quality

مؤلفه‌های اخلاق اجتماعی در یک آرمان‌شهر از منظر غزلیات حافظ

Background and Aim: Social life in any age requires the familiarity with social norms. Ethical living also requires the familiarity with the right action and correct and constructive interaction with the world. Therefore, recognizing the axes of social ethics and observing its limits will create a civilized society based on ethics. The main purpose of this research is to search in Hafez's lyric poems to find the criteria of social ethics to build a utopia. Methods: The approach of the present study is descriptive-analytical and is performed qualitatively. In order to conduct this research, Hafez Divan collection has been studied and its verses based on ethics of living and social ethics, which are a kind of Hafez’s statement in this regard, have been extracted and analyzed. Ethical Considerations: In conducting the present study, in accordance with the ethical norms of conducting all research, all aspects of honesty and trustworthiness have been observed. Results: Hafez's poem is a poem of morality and reliance on the principles of social ethics and ethics of living, but according to the reverse hypocrisy and the language of ridicule that flows throughout Hafez's poems, this centrality of morality manifests itself in the opposite form and in a ridicule way. According to Hafez, a perfect human being is a person who possesses sublime qualities such as coexistence and respect for other beliefs, avoidance of hypocrisy, patience in the face of calamities, freedom, avoidance of authoritarianism, compassion and so on. Conclusion: Studying and recognizing Hafez's lyric poems, his views and thoughts, clarifies a part of the individual and living ethics in ancient Persian texts. Moreover, it acquaints man with the Hafez’s essential definition of morality. This acquaintance not only will lead to the purification and training of the human soul in the face of society, but also will provide a basis for the creation of a utopia based on social ethics if its boundaries are observed. In Hafez's poetry, moral teachings are generally expressed indirectly and covertly in the veil of irony and humor. Please cite this article as: Mousavinia SM, Razzaghi M. Social Ethics Components of an Utopia in Terms of Hafez's Lyric Poems. Akhlaq-i zisti, i.e., Bioethics Journal. 2022; 12(37): e16.زمینه و هدف: زندگی اجتماعی در هر عصری، مستلزم آشنایی با هنجارهای اجتماعی است. اخلاقی‌زیستن نیز نیازمند آشنایی با کنش صحیح و تعامل درست و سازنده با جهان است، لذا شناخت محورهای اخلاق اجتماعی و رعایت حدود آن، موجب ایجاد یک جامعه متمدن، متکی بر اخلاق خواهد شد. هدف اصلی این پژوهش جستجو در غزلیات حافظ، جهت یافتن معیارهای اخلاق اجتماعی برای ساختن یک آرمان‌شهر است. روش: رویکرد پژوهش حاضر توصیفی ـ تحلیلی است و با شیوه کیفی انجام پذیرفته است. جهت انجام این پژوهش مجموعه دیوان حافظ بررسی شده و ابیات متکی بر اخلاق زیستی و اخلاق اجتماعی که به نوعی بیانیه حافظ در این‌باره هستند، استخراج و تحلیل شده است. ملاحظات اخلاقی: در انجام پژوهش حاضر تمام وجوه صداقت و امانتداری مطابق هنجارهای اخلاقی انجام پژوهش، رعایت شده است. یافته‌ها: شعر حافظ شعر اخلاق‌مداری و اتکا به بن‌مایه‌های اخلاق اجتماعی و اخلاق زیستی است، اما با توجه به ریای معکوس و زبان تهکمی (استهزایی) که در سراسر غزل حافظ جریان دارد؛ این اخلاق‌محوری خود را به شکل معکوس و نوعی تهکم و استهزا نشان می‌دهد. انسان کامل از نظر حافظ، فردی است که مجهز به خصایل متعالی همچون، هم‌زیستی و احترام به دیگر عقاید، پرهیز از ریاکاری، صبر در برابر شدائد، آزادگی، دوری از خودکامگی، مهرورزی و... باشد. نتیجه‌گیری: مطالعه و شناخت غزلیات حافظ، آرا و اندیشه‌های او، ضمن روشن‌کردن بخشی از عقبه اخلاق فردی و زیستی در متون کهن فارسی، انسان را با تعریف ماهوی اخلاق از نظر حافظ آشنا می‌کند. این آشنایی علاوه بر اینکه موجت تهذیب و تربیت نفس انسان در مواجهه با جامعه خواهد بود، در صورت رعایت حدود آن، زمینه ایجاد یک آرمان‌شهر متکی بر اخلاق اجتماعی را فراهم خواهد آورد. در شعر حافظ تعالیم اخلاقی عموماً به صورت غیر مستقیم و پوشیده در حجاب کنایه و طنز بیان شده است

Classical Approach to Peace and Criticism of Modern Peace Theory: Strategy for Iranian Administrations

War and peace is one of the most important challenges of states and nations. Peace compare to war, has an unclear and inexpressive concept requiring to be clarified. Modern state theory explaining the peace in context of politics and international relations alleges: peace is a product of sovereignty of one or more states backed by military power and its resulting terror. This simple and widespread theory has become a dominant paradigm in peace discussions in politics and international relations of 20th century. This article, however, alleges that modern theory of peace not only lacks historical backgrounds but also is the contrary to them. Based on that, the question is that: is peace an order and stability established by states in region or has some reality of more developing and deeper? We will argue that peace, in fact, is the ability of the society to make compatible the regions surrounding it through developing cultural unconsciousness. It is the classical approach to peace that contrast to modern theory of peace. What the approach leads to is that peace is a functional characteristic of states but of societies, peace is not unilateralism but bilateral interaction, peace shall not obtain through exercising the power but it arises from freedom and self-inducement. Iran is among these historical societies that had a peaceful relationship based on a classical approach with its communities throughout history and hence it is recommended for foreign policy to base upon classical approach to peace