---

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of telling social stories on the use of some morphological features of speech in children with autism such as adverb, adposition, possession, article, compound noun, adjective and plural form of noun. This is an Interventional, quasi-experimental single group study with a pretest-posttest design. The study subjects were selected by convenience sampling method which included 10 Persian-speaking aged 7 to15 years old with autism spectrum disorder, requiring support, from all autism population in Qazvin Autism Center in 2019. The framework was based on the model of Brown 1973 and Naigles 2014 (taken from the research of Tek et.al 2014). Social stories were designed and organized, based on the model of Gray 1993. The children of autism received the intervention program in 10 individual sessions 30 to 45 minutes. The pre-test and post-test comparison of morphological categories in visual test and spontaneous test showed that the average use of names and particles in the post test was more than the pre-test for all cases. The biggest difference is related to the adposition. The result of the Wilcoxon test analysis showed that the training had a significant effect only on the visual test and on the article (according to the average of the pre-test and post-test, the statistical value and significance level = p˂0.05). 

 

---

Urban growth boundaries are considered one of the key tools for controlling and managing the physical development of metropolitan areas. Uncontrolled and unplanned expansion in these regions has become a major challenge for urban and regional planners and managers, as this process leads to the destruction of agricultural lands and natural resources. The aim of this research is to simulate and assess future changes in growth boundaries in the Isfahan metropolitan area with the goal of preserving environmental resources and controlling physical expansion. In this regard, by adopting a positivist approach that follows an analytical and measurement-driven process, satellite imagery was utilized to assess changes in the physical expansion of the Isfahan metropolitan area. Artificial neural networks and machine learning algorithms were employed to predict the extent of future physical growth, and the projected growth boundaries were delineated. The research findings indicate that the Isfahan metropolitan area has experienced significant uncontrolled expansion, particularly in terms of physical development, over recent decades, and the reduction of agricultural and natural lands has become one of its major challenges. Based on the conducted simulations, the proposed growth boundaries can serve as an effective tool for managing and planning urban-regional development and preventing further degradation of natural resources and lands.

 

---

Ground skidding on skid trails affects the physical properties of soil. The objective of this study was to evaluate changes in soil physical properties on skid trails formed due to traffic of metal-tracked skidders with regard to soil bulk density, total porosity, water content and penetration resistance. The studies were implemented on two levels of slope – <20% (SC1) and >20% (SC2) – and three levels of traffic (one, five and nine traffic cycles). The treatment plots with three replications, consequently, were 6 m long and 4 m wide. The measurement of soil penetration resistance was carried out using a cone penetrometer. The samples were taken from 10 cm of top soil at six points in each plot. The results indicated that the skidder traffic did not significantly affect the soil physical properties measured in three levels of traffic at SC1, whereas it was significant between one and five traffic cycles in SC2. Most of the changes in the measured properties in the skid trails occurred after the first loaded skidder traffic. Within all traffic of SC2, differences in the mean values of water content and soil porosity were greater compared with the mean values at the same traffic of SC1, although these differences were not significant. The bulk density and penetration resistance at five and nine traffics of SC2 were significantly different from the same traffic of SC1.

---

Histopathological and pathomorphological effects of 15 ppb mercuric chloride on Persian sturgeon, Acipenser persicus, were investigated using histological and electron microscopy observations. Light microscopy showed that the gill epithelial hypertrophy, wrinkling and hyperplasia in lamellar epithelia and lamellae fusion occurred after 48 h of exposure. Gill epithelia also showed occasional necrosis, which had almost been completed and blood emerged from the capillaries. However, occasional necrosis in some regions of the filament, both with blood emerging and with no bleeding, was observed by using electron microscopy. These injuries were well observed in inter-lamellar regions of the filament and also wrinkling of the lamellar epithelium. Ultrastructural observations showed some cellular disorders in gill epithelium of the Persian sturgeon, A. persicus, fry. In addition, increase in apical vesicles of the chloride cells and necrosis in apical surfaces of some chloride cells, hypertrophy and necrosis of the chloride cells’ mitochondrion and endoplasmic reticulum also were some of the other cellular disorders observed through transmission electron microscopy. In conclusion, the gills of A. persicus fry were sensitive to low concentrations of inorganic mercury (HgCl2).

---

Flood spreading stations were constructed in Iran with different objectives such as groundwater recharge and vegetation recovery. Accumulation of sediment can be a major problem in flood spreading stations. According to generally accepted theories, floods and salt pollution can reduce gradually the infiltration rate. In order to investigate this issue, 13 flood spreading stations were selected across the country and infiltration rate changes were monitored over five years in the flood spreading areas. Non-parametric tests were used to analyze the abnormally distributed data. Based on the soil properties of the spreading stations, stations were first classified into three groups separately by cluster analysis; next, studies were conducted in three separate groups. Results in stations group 1 showed that, in the first year, the infiltration rate among spreading lines was not significantly different, but data for the second year showed a significant difference at α = 0.05. For stations group 2, in the third year, the difference in the infiltration rate was significant at α = 0.05. In addition, changes in the infiltration rate were significant at α = 0.05 in stations groups 1 and 2 in the second spreading line. For stations group 3, significant changes among lines have been detected. Results also showed that changes in the infiltration rate in different years were somewhat different among the three groups of stations. Although infiltration rate changes were low, there was a general decreasing trend.

---

A numerical model for two-phase debris flows is developed in this paper, on the basis of understanding of the physical characteristics of debris flows from field investigations and experiments. Employing a moving coordinate, the kinetic energy equation of gravel particles in unit volume in debris flow is developed by considering the potential energy of the particles, energy from the liquid phase, energy consumption due to inner friction-collision between the particles, energy dispersion through collisions between particles, energy for inertia force, energy consumption due to the friction with the rough bed and energy consumption at the debris front. The model is compared with measured results of two-phase debris flow experiments and the calculated velocity profiles agree well with the measured profiles. The gravel’s velocity at the debris flow head is much smaller than that of particles in the following part and the velocity profile at the front of the debris flow wave is almost linear, but the profile in the main flow shows an inverse ‘s’ shape. This is because the gravel particles in the main flow accelerate as they receive energy from the gravitational energy and flowing liquid and decelerate as they transmit the energy to the debris flow head and consume energy due to collision with the channel bed.

---

Species diversity is an index for sustainability of rangeland ecosystems. We studied the effect of environmental factors (soil properties and aspects) on plant species diversity in Zagros mountainous rangelands (vegetation type: Festuca ovina-Astragalus parrowianus) in the west of Hamadan in March–July 2009. For this purpose, four aspects were defined in the study area. Vegetation types were studied by physiognomic-floristic method in the field. The factors of vegetation were measured by transects using a systematic-randomized method. Five transects (100 m) and five plots along each transect were used. One soil sample (composition, 0–40 cm) in each plot was collected by a randomized method and assessed the following factors: pH, OM, N, EC, P, K and texture in the laboratory. The multiple regression method was used to investigate the relationship between species diversity (dependent variables) and soil and topographical factors (independent variables). Results showed that soil characteristics and aspects had significant effects on diversity in which north, east and west aspects as well OM, N, EC and clay were the most prominent factors influencing diversity.

---

Farmers in the Indus basin, Pakistan have generally switched to groundwater for additional water supplies due to the irregular supply of irrigation water; currently over 50% of the agricultural land in the basin is at least partially irrigated by tube-wells. These wells pump fresh groundwater, which essentially is the result of massive leakage from irrigation canals into the originally saltwater aquifer since the inception of modern irrigation around 1870. Resalinization of the aquifer now threatens long-term prospects of this new groundwater resource. Since building new dams has become ever more complicated, water resources planning now focuses on sustainable conjunctive use of surface and ground waters. The paper evaluates the raising of the Mangla dam, its effects on long-term groundwater balance and water-logging using an irrigation-economic model. It suggests guidelines to optimize the surface and sub-surface reservoirs by considering the farmers' action in response to government policies. Recently the Government of Pakistan decided to raise the height of the Mangla dam to substantially increase the storage capacity of the basin. This decision was based on basin-wide modelling of conjunctive use by using the General Algebraic Modelling System (GAMS)-based Indus Basin Model Revised (IBMR), which was updated for this purpose in 2000 and supplied with new data in 2002. The results of the analysis reinforced the decision to raise the dam height by 9 m instead of 12 m, which would increase water availability by 68% in the basin. One of the objectives of raising the dam height was to increase the sustainability of beneficial groundwater use in the basin by saving about 2 km3/a of groundwater abstractions.

---

Several models have been developed to estimate land degradation rate and evaluate desertification severity. This study attempts to apply the MEDALUS (Mediterranean Desertification and Land Use) model by considering existing conditions in the Hamoun wetland, located in south-eastern Iran. At first identification of the main factors affecting the desertification phenomenon was attempted, based on field survey. These factors include climate, soil, vegetation and management practices. Results showed that land management and extreme climate are the most important factors affecting the desertification process. In addition, in some land uses, lack of vegetation accelerates the prevalent wind intensity in the study area (known as “the 120Rozeh” (means 120 days and refers to the wind, with high speeds that blow from the North to the South during summer time) – the most famous Iranian winds) which continues its path without any barrier, and erodes the land surface. Results also indicated that the study area is mostly located in the critical desertification class. Based on the results, it is known that 14% of whole region (12,273 ha) is in the low-critical class, 48.2% (42,251 ha) in the medium-critical class, and 37.8% (33,134 ha) in the high-critical class.

---

The relationship between topography, soil factors, and distribution of ecological vegetation groups in the Nodoushan arid rangelands of Yazd province (Iran) was investigated. The present species were recorded in each vegetation group using a randomized-systematic sampling method. Plant cover and density were estimated quantitatively using the transect and quadrate methods, and the two-way indicator species analysis (TWINSPAN), after which vegetation was classified into different groups. Soil samples were taken from 0–30 cm in each quadrat. In each vegetation group, 20 environmental variables including altitude, slope, aspect, percentage of bare rock, grazing intensity, percentage of gravel, soluble ions (Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+), total nitrogen, organic matter, lime, gypsum, EC, pH, and percentage of sand, silt and clay were measured. Multivariate techniques including detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) were used to analyze the collected data. The results showed that the vegetation distribution was related to elevation, slope, and soil characteristics such as texture, organic matter, gypsum, acidity, lime, and gravity percentage.

---

A bench scale aerobic sequencing batch reactor (SBR) was evaluated in terms of its potential to treat synthetic dairy wastewater. The 2-l plexiglass bioreactor was supplied with oxygen via a fine bubble air diffuser, fed with synthetic dairy wastewater under various operational conditions. To analyze the process, three significant independent variables — influent chemical oxygen demand (COD), mixed liquor volatile suspended solids (MLVSS), and aeration time — were assessed. Three dependent process and quality parameters (as process responses) were also evaluated: total COD removal efficiency, sludge volume index (SVI) and final pH. The experiments were based on a central composite design (CCD) and analyzed using response surface methodology (RSM). The treatment was limited to the following concentration regimes: COD (1000, 3000 and 5000 mg/l), MLVSS (3000, 5000 and 7000 mg/l) and aeration time (2, 10 and 18 h). Maximum COD removal efficiency (of 96.5%) was obtained for an influent with the following characteristics: CODin: 3000 mg/l, MLVSS 5000 mg/l, and aeration time of 18 h. The study demonstrated the capability of aerobic SBRs for high COD removal from dairy industrial wastewater. Easy operation, low cost, and minimal sludge bulking condition were some of advantages of the SBR system as an option for biological treatment of medium-strength industrial wastewater. The present study provides valuable information about relationships between quality and process parameters for different values of operating variables.

---

This study evaluates changes in species composition, catch, and CPUE of three species of kilkas in the Caspian Sea from 1961 to 2009. The effects of fluctuations in sea level rise and fall on the catch of kilka as well as the impacts of a recent invasion by Mnemiopsis leidyi (Ctenophora) were assessed in terms of species composition and CPUE of kilkas in the Iranian coastal region of the Caspian Sea. We found a negative correlation between long-term sea level changes and total catch (R2 = –0.56; P<0.001, which significantly declined in 1995 when the sea level increased to its highest level. Comparing catch per unit effort (CPUE) values during the pre-invasion (1996–1999) and post-invasion (2000–2009) periods indicated significant declines in anchovy and bigeye kilka, while common kilka increased significantly after the ctenophore invasion. During 2000–2009 overfishing, together with various environmental impacts following the introduction of Mnemiopsis, were major factors that contributed to changes in species composition and the collapse of kilka stocks in the Caspian Sea.

---

Urmia Lake and its surroundng wetlands have been severely affected by recent droughts (1998–2003) and a considerable decrease in inflow has affected lake ecosystem components. Integrated ecosystem-based management is a useful managing tool for the wise use and biodiversity conservation of wetlands. In the process of developing an integrated ecosystem-based management model for Urmia Lake, the identification of key stakeholders is of primary importance. In this research, stakeholder analysis is used as an effective tool for establishing collaborative management in the Urmia Lake catchment in terms of the following parameters and objectives: almost all stakeholders receive multiple benefits from Urmia Lake, either directly or indirectly; almost all stakeholders also cause impacts on the lake ecosystem, many of which result from activities that take place in areas located within in the Urmia catchment but far from the lake. In general, the stakeholders who receive the most benefits seem to cause the lowest impact (for example, Environmental groups), while those who receive fewer benefits may have larger impacts (for example, water resource managers). Recognizing that all stakeholders affect the lake in one way or another is an important concept that promotes the ethic that future management of the Lake should regarded as a shared responsibility between all stakeholders.

---

Sediment-related environmental problems pose a serious threat to sustainable land management in many developing countries, including Iran. Information regarding sediment sources represents a key requirement from the management perspective since identification of sediment sources is a precursor to the design of effective sediment management and control strategies. The fingerprinting approach has increasingly been adopted as an alternative to assembling such information. A wide range of fingerprint properties has been used as a means of discriminating potential sediment sources. However, determining the ability of these properties is very important in the design of cost-effective catchment management strategies before each study. This contribution addresses the ability of two acid extractable metals (Co and Cr) that were used extensively in previous studies to be used to differentiate sediment sources. The results of the statistical analysis demonstrate that no single property is capable of classifying the source material samples into the correct source categories at the Amrovan drainage basins. In the case of the Atary drainage basin, Cr and Co were found in only 47.5 and 43.8% of the source material samples respectively. According to the result obtained, it is recommended that acid extractable metals for sediment sources differentiation in conjunction with the composite of other properties to improve sediment source discrimination.

---

We measured the impacts of coastal modification on beach erosion and beach retreat conditions, selecting the Miankaleh Region as an example of a complex high-pressure free zone with high levels of engineering and tourism activity. Nine sampling transects, stretching from the shoreline to a 10 meter depth, were defined and 36 sediment samples were collected from the sea bed at depths of 1, 3, 5, and 10 m. After conducting laboratory tests, data were analyzed in terms of sediment dynamic parameters such as grain size, sediment size distribution, mean, median, skewness, kurtosis, standard deviation, and mineral composition. Beach structure and morphodynamic conditions were assessed in the Miankaleh region, by means of satellite image interpretation and field surveys. Results show that from 1978 until the present the average rate of beach retreat rapidly increased due to sea level rise and coastal constructions that have resulted in a progressive increase in sea level height in this region. Erosion vulnerability hazards have also increased in the eastern part of the study area and deposition processes have developed in the western Amirabad region.

---

The term degradation is used to specify the status of the environment. It is often associated with ‘improper use’. ‘Use’ also implies environmental aspects other than physical ones and implies that the more intensive the use, the more susceptible the environment is to degradation, particularly if proper care for the environment is lacking. The question is, and has always been, how to map something which, apart from the physical aspects of landscape, is also influenced by socio-cultural and economic issues? The common approach in mapping degradation is based on indicators and the intention of this paper is to present three case studies: the Tabernas-Sorbas area in Spain; Iran (at the country level) and the Pico de Tancitaro area in Mexico. The geopedological map is combined with the land use-based map to produce the basis for the extraction of a considerable number of indicators.

---

Abstract The core concept of this article is the comparative study of the reflection of a common theme in the works of artists from different cultural backgrounds. The theme of temptation is common in the works of two artists studied here. "The temptations of Saint Anthony" by Hieronymus Bosch, the Flemish painter in the early sixteenth century and a miniature from Saadi's Bustan, "the Prophet Yusuf rejects Zuleykha" by Kamaledin Bihzad, the Persian master painter in the late 9th and early 10th century Hijra (early 16th century). The article studies the approach of each painter to the concept of "Temptation" and their perception of this phenomenon, how each one has tried to express their perception and the visual narrative they offer their audience. Through these comparisons and analysis, the authors try to examine the cultural differences as well as common cultural grounds between the Islamic and Christian cultures in one hand and on the other hand the artistic differences and similarities between the Flemish and Iranian painters' views.

---

Abstract one of the most important purposes of studying Persian painting is to discover the mysteries of these traces and proving their relation with other Iranian and traditional art literature and with a special point of view showing their connection with the layout and grammar design in the past time. The growing of this art isn’t separated from the life of the adherents. And it’s to be effective on producing all traces of Persian painting, and always have related to the rich contents of Iranian literature; and to make available space for growing and raising the culture of this country. Traveilling through this way has created a wonderful force on personality of the painters, so that connected their mind with the principle source, away from the world powers. For studying and analyzing the structure of the two masterpieces of Persian painting of manuscript books (Shahnameh - Baysonquri and Haft Orang - Jami), the article is trying to point out and explain about the grammar design of these paintings and the way that these scientific method can be used in the new graphic arts

---

---

Abstract: Calligraphy, as one of the significant indicators of art of the Islamic Era, has had a high position such that it has also come on cloth. The present paper aims to analyze the significance of calligraphy on textiles from the 4th to the 12th of Hejri century both visually and graphically. Taking into account the historic, social, cultural, and artistic analysis of the given era and the conducted researches on calligraphy and cloth in the Islamic Iran as well as the examination of the acquired pictures of that era, it was concluded that calligraphy together with pictures on the pieces of cloth, apart from the conceptual and aesthetic functions, have been of a great value.