Experiencing Maze (Taste) and Namaze (Untaste)

This article used a descriptive-analytical method to investigate the introvertive and extrovertive mystical experiences of Baha Walad and Laozi, based on the views of Walter Stace. Both types of gnostic experience are found in Baha Walad’s experiences, referred to metaphorically as “taste”. In extrovertive gnostic experience, God is hidden in the instinct and the reality of hidden senses and forms the essence of the universe. Behind all the sensual, spiritual, material, and physical phenomena of the universe, Baha experiences a God who is the agent and the possessor. The mystical introvertive and extrovertive experiences of Baha are realized by denying the senses, faces, and sensual appearances and attaining the unity which is the universe without question, without condition, and placeless. The truth of Allah is existentially based on nothingness, simplicity, and nebulousness. In Laozi's mystical experience, both types of mystical experience are found, which, unlike Baha's experience, has been metaphorically named “untaste”. In the extrovertive experience of Laozi, not only are both existence and nature Dao's manifestations, but He has a permanent presence in the world and is followed by existence and nature. In the introvertive mystical experience of Lozi, Dao is an entirely unknown and non-existent matter that eluding from any cognitive experience and only Shen Jen's soul can be aware of

Prioritizing operational strategies of saman bank

The extant study aimed to prioritize the identified operational strategies of Saman Bank based on a scientific method considering the effective factors identified inside and outside this Bank. Operational strategies are common banking strategies worldwide that first-class banks implement. The scientific segmentation steps, techniques, and criteria in Saman Bank were described and the identified strategies were tested using a scientific assumptions-based method. The obtained results were analyzed in the next step. The statistical population of the study comprised managers of Tehran branches and staff managers of Saman bank. The data were collected through a questionnaire. Eighty-four questionnaires were gathered from staff and line managers. Regression, Friedman test, and ANOVA were used to test hypotheses considering the questionnaire data. According to findings obtained from hypothesis testing, corporate banking was introduced as the best operational strategy in Saman Bank considering the competitive advantages of this bank and factors affecting the internal and external environment of the bank. Moreover, private banking, investment banking, retail banking, and international banking were at the next ranks of strategies

Water-related limits to growth for agriculture in Iran

Globally, agriculture is the primary water consumption sector. This study used water footprint (WF) as a bottom-up tool and satellite imagery as a top-down tool to estimate the internal water use (WU) in the agricultural sector in an innovative way to show the effects of water-intensive use in agriculture in an arid country. The WF of Iran has been quantified for 19 main crops and for related agricultural products exported from Iran to partner countries. Using a bottom-up approach, Iran's total yearly agriculture net water consumption is estimated to be 42.43 billion cubic meters (BCM) per year. Out of 42.43 BCM total net internal water use, only 1.61 BCM is virtual-water export related to these 19 products, and the remaining 40.82 BCM is for internal use. Our results using satellite imagery show that in case of using all possible lands for agriculture, it would require 77.4 BCM. However, not all these lands are within human reach, and the maximum available water is way lower than this amount. Using satellite imagery, the total evaporation from agricultural lands shows 55.27 BCM for 2020, which agrees with national reports during 2005–2014. This study shows that agricultural water consumption tends to use internal water resources at a maximum level for export and national use, significantly impacting renewable and non-renewable water resource availability, especially in groundwater

A mathematical meta-model for assessing the self-sufficient water resources carrying capacity across different spatial scales in Iran

Hydrological modeling, water accounting assessments, and land evaluations are well-known techniques to carry out water resources carrying capacity (WRCC) assessments at multiple spatial levels. Using the results of an existing process-based model for assessing WRCC from very fine to national spatial scales, we propose a mathematical meta-model, i.e., a set of easily applicable simplified equations to assess WRCC as a function of high-quality agricultural lands for optimistic to realistic scenarios. These equations are based on multi-scale spatial results. Scales include national scale (L0), watersheds (L1), sub-watersheds (L2), and water management hydrological units (L3). Applying the meta-model for different scales could support spatial planning and water management. This method can quantify the effects of individual and collective behavior on self-sufficient WRCC and the level of dependency on external food resources in each area. Carrying capacity can be seen as the inverse of the ecological footprint. Hence, using publicly available data on the ecological footprint in Iran, the results of the proposed method are validated and give an estimation of lower and upper bounds for all biocapacity of the lands. Moreover, the results confirm the law of diminishing returns in the economy for the carrying capacity assessment across spatial scales. The proposed meta-model could be considered a complex manifest of land, water, plants, and human interaction for food production, and it could be used as a powerful tool in spatial planning studies

Tetracycline Removal from Wastewater and Electricity Generation in Microbial Electro-Fenton System in Different Electrical Circuit Conditions

Background and purpose: Microbial electro-Fenton system as a novel technology can be employed in removal of resistant organic pollutants along with generation of renewable electrical energy through the activity of anaerobic microorganisms. This study aimed at investigating the performance of this process in treatment of synthetic wastewater containing tetracycline and generation of electricity in different electrical circuit conditions. Materials and methods: In this experimental study, a two-chambered microbial electro-Fenton reactor equipped with anodic and cathodic carbon felt electrodes and Nafion membrane, along with 2000 mg/L substrate and anaerobic sludge as inoculum in anodic chamber and 10 mg/L tetracycline in cathodic chamber was used in open, closed, and short circuit conditions. The effect of electrical circuit type on the removal efficiency of tetracycline and generation of electrical energy was investigated during the operation of the reactor. Results: Microbial electro-Fenton system was found to be more efficient in removal of tetracycline in short circuit condition due to improved generation of current density. In this study, 260 mV and 93.13 mW/m2 in current density of 695 mA/m2 were obtained in short circuit conditions. Conclusion: The study showed that the microbial electro-Fenton system can be utilized as a suitable method in removal of various pharmaceutical contaminants from wastewater while producing renewable and clean energy in open, closed, and short electrical circuits