Abstract: Food insecurity (FI) influences may result in poor physical and mental health outcomes. Minor ethnic group may experience higher level of FI, and this situation may be related with higher depression prevalence. The aim of this study was to determine the association of depression with food security status in major (Azeri) and minor (Kurdish) ethnicity living in Urmia, West Azerbaijan, north of Iran. In this cross-sectional study, 723 participants (427 women and 296 men) aged 20–64 years old, from two ethnic groups (445 Azeri and 278 Kurdish), were selected through a multi stage cluster systematic sampling. Depression rate was assessed by “Beck” short form questionnaire (validated in Iranians) through interviews. Household FI status (HFIS) was measured using adapted HFI access scale through face-to-face interviews at homes. Multinomial logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) of depression across HFIS. Higher percent of Kurds had moderate and severe depression in comparison with Azeri group (73 [17.3%] vs. 86 [27.9%]). There were not any significant differences between the two ethnicities in mild depression. Also, of all the subjects, moderate-to-sever FI was more prevalent in Kurds (28.5%), compared to Azeri group (17.3%) [P < 0.01]. Kurdish ethnic group living in food security or mild FI households had lower chance to have symptom of severe depression in comparison to those with sever FI (OR=0.097; 95% CI: 0.02-0.47). However, there was no significant association between depression and HFI in Azeri group. Findings revealed that the severity of HFI was related with severity depression in minor studied ethnic groups. However, in Azeri ethnicity as a major group, other confounders may have influence on the relation with depression and FI, that were not studied in the present study.
Abstract: Urmia Salt Lake (USL) is a hypersaline lake in the northwest of Iran. It contains halite as main dissolved and precipitated mineral and the major mineral mixed with lake bed sediments. Other detrital minerals such as calcite, aragonite, dolomite, quartz, feldspars, augite are forming lake sediments. This study examined the impact of weathering of this sediments collected from 1.5 meters depth and augite placers. The study indicated that weathering of tephritic and adakite rocks of the Islamic Island at the immediate boundary of the lake play a main control of lake bed sediments and has produced a large volume of augite placer along the lake bank. Weathering increases from south to toward north with increasing distance from Islamic Island. Geochemistry of lake sediments demonstrated the enrichment of MgO, CaO, Sr with an elevated anomaly of Eu, possibly due to surface absorbance of Mn and Fe associated Sr elevation originating from adakite volcanic rocks in the vicinity of the lake basin. The study shows the local geology is the major factor in origin of lake sediments than chemical and biochemical produced mineral during diagenetic processes.
Abstract: Any variation in environmental characteristics of
geomorphosites would lead to destabilisation of their geotouristic
values all around the planet. The Urmia lake, with an area of
approximately 5,500 km2 and a catchment area of 51,876 km2, and to
which various reasons over time, especially in the last fifty years
have seen a sharp decline and have decreased by about 93 % in two
recent decades. These variations are not only driving significant
changes in the morphology and ecology of the present lake
landscape, but at the same time are shaping newly formed
morphologies, which vanished some valuable geomorphosites or
develop into smaller geomorphosites with significant value from a
scientific and cultural point of view. This paper analyses and
discusses features and evolution in several representative coastal and
island geomorphosites. For this purpose, a total of 23 geomorphosites
were studied in two data series (1963 and 2015) and the respective
data were compared and analysed. The results showed, the total loss
in geomorphosites area in a half century amounted to a loss of more
than 90% of the valuable geomorphosites. Moreover, the comparison
between the mean yearly value of coastal area lost over the entire
period and the yearly average calculated for the shorter period (1998-
2014) clearly indicates a pattern of acceleration. This acceleration in
the rate of reduction in lake area was seen in most of the southern
half of the lake. In the region as well, the general water-level falling
is not only causing the loss of a significant water resource, which is
followed by major impact on regional ecosystems, but is also driving
the most marked recent (last century) changes in the geotouristic
landscapes. In fact, the disappearance of geomorphosites means the
loss of tourism phenomenon. In this context attention must be paid to
the question of conservation. The action needed to safeguard
geomorphosites includes: 1) Preventive action, 2) Corrective action,
and 3) Sharing knowledge.
Abstract: Stairway Ushtobin Village is one of the five villages with original and sustainable architecture in Northwest of Iran along the border of Armenia, which has been able to maintain its environment and sustainable ecosystem. Studying circulation, function and scale (grand, medium and minor) of space, ratio of full and empty spaces, number and height of stairs, ratio of compound volume to luxury spaces, openings, type of local masonry (stone, mud, wood) and form of covering elements have been carried out in four houses of this village comparatively as some samples in this article, and furthermore, this article analyzes that the architectural shapes and organic texture of the village meet the needs of cold and dry climate. Finally, some efficient plans are offered suiting the present needs of the village to have a sustainable architecture.
Abstract: The Mahin area is a part of Tarom- Hashtjin zone that
located in west of Qazvin province in northwest of Iran. Many copper
and base metals ore deposits are hosted by this zone. High potential
localities identification in this area is very necessary. The objective of
this research, is finding hydrothermal alteration zones by remote
sensing methods and best processing technique of Advanced
Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER)
data. Different methods such as band ratio, Principal Component
Analysis (PCA), Minimum Noise Fraction (MNF) and Least Square
Fit (LS-Fit) were used for mapping hydrothermal alteration zones.