ali kaveh

Given China’s growing economic growth and the need to supply energy to industries, as well as access to the consumer market for domestic production, Xi Jinping in 2013 introduced the Silk Road Initiative as his country’s macro strategy. The Persian Gulf region is the “economic center of gravity” of the oil industry, with the world's largest oil fields, the lowest production and about two-thirds of the world’s proven energy reserves. With the continuation and deepening of China-West Asia relations in the field of energy supply, efforts have been made to expand and strengthen diplomatic relations with West Asian countries in the past. Given the growing debate and competition from regional and trans-regional actors for greater benefits in West Asia, China, with its growing economic growth and the need to provide energy for continued economic and trade power, through its macro-initiative strategy. The Silk Road has put the expansion of its presence and influence in West Asia on the agenda.Research Question: what goals does China pursue in West Asia through the Energy Silk Road Initiative?

China seeks to secure its energy through the implementation of the Silk Road Initiative through long-term contracts and investments with West Asian countries.Methodology (and Theoretical Framework if there are): Energy security is a multidimensional concept, and different stakeholders look at it from their own perspectives. Supply, demand, industry and the environment are considered different dimensions of energy security. Today, due to the challenges posed to the threat of energy security to the economic infrastructure of countries, many governments consider self-sufficiency in the field of energy to ensure the continuation of productive economic activities, is inevitable. China, as one of the leading countries in the field of economic growth and development, in order to maintain its economic position, which translates its position in the international system, and considering the emphasis on a multilateral approach in the international system and Replacing the existing order, energy security and non-disruption in its provision has been one of the main axes of foreign policy and inviolable principle in pursuit of national interests, so in this study, the discussion of energy security as one of the main areas of the Silk Road Initiative , Has been considered as a point of reference and a conceptual framework for explaining the goals of the Silk Road Initiative in the field of energy in West Asia.

Following the implementation of the Silk Road Initiative in 2013, China’s economic relationship with West Asia entered a more serious phase. indicating that West Asia currently has high priorities in China’s geostrategic sphere. In its cooperation with West Asian countries, China intends to focus on three areas: the first and most important area, the energy sector, the second area, facilitating investment in infrastructure and trade, and the third area, progress in nuclear energy, space satellite and New energy. China has various methods to ensure its energy security, such as huge investments in the exploration and extraction of oil and gas fields, strengthening of energy infrastructure to improve energy efficiency, participation in oil projects, it has used gas, electricity, renewable energy, nuclear energy, etc. in West Asia in the form of the Silk Road initiative. It should also be acknowledged that China’s growing influence in the West Asian region through strategies such as the Silk Road Initiative, despite its declared policy, is not just about economics, but also about pursuing political and security interests and providing the basis for expanding influence and hegemony. The periphery is at the heart of the plan.

Conflicts and political unrest in the West Asian region are causing panic and disruption in China’s energy supply channels. Its acquisition has shifted to Central Asia's energy resources. It should be noted that despite the fact that Beijing supplies most of its energy resources from West Asia, and continued investment to ensure China's energy security is one of its top foreign policy priorities in West Asia. However, the existing political and security challenges in these countries, the energy transfer route, the US influence in the region, etc. are considered as a threat to China’s energy security. Therefore, within the framework of the Silk Road initiative, Beijing has invested in oil and gas resources of Central Asian countries by concluding long-term contracts and investing in energy infrastructure, as a safety valve and alternative to West Asian energy to benefit. Exercising its economic influence in the region will pave the way for regional hegemony and challenge US unilateralism.

Culture plays a significant role in organizations. When members of an organization become accustomed to organizational culture, they perceive the organization's events in a similar way. The main purpose of this study is to present a model of organizational culture in the public sector of Iran using grounded theory.

The research method is applied in terms of purpose. The statistical population of this research (qualitative approach) consists of 15 experts and elites in the field of management (Social Security Organization, Tehran Municipality, and Welfare Organization) in Tehran. The sampling method is a semi-structured individual interview using the snowball technique. The Data were analyzed in the framework of Corbin and Strauss's grounded theory process.

Model of organizational culture in the public sector was able to bring new theoretical insights that were recognized as effective in organizational culture with the help of indicators such as sufficient causal conditions of organizational culture in government departments, contexts of organizational culture in government departments, intervening components regarding organizational culture in government departments, effective strategies on organizational culture in government departments and organizational culture consequences of Iranian governments.

The results show that the high status of human resources, creativity, and individual innovation as well as strengthening the sense of responsibility instead of a sense of duty are among the benefits of organizational culture reform on organizational human resources and increase organizational learning, organizational competitiveness, organizational integration as well as organizational adaptability are other consequences that this cultural change will have on all government organizations.

In order to achieve the desired goals and activities, in addition to obtaining material capital, organizations need qualified human resources to help advance the goals of the organization.      

The main purpose of this study was to identify the dimensions of organizational culture model on employee performance in the Development and Cooperation Bank of Mazandaran Province.      

The method of the present study in this study is descriptive-survey in terms of fundamental purpose. The statistical population of the present study consists of employees and managers of Mazandaran Development and Cooperation Bank. Sampling method In the qualitative part of the study, purposive sampling. In the qualitative part, for data collection, in-depth and semi-structured interviews have been used, and in the quantitative part, a researcher-made questionnaire has been used. Cronbach and finally structural equations were used using Smart PLS software.        

The research findings indicate that the components of organizational culture (contextual factors, causal conditions, central phenomena, strategies, consequences, intervention conditions) had a positive and significant effect on the performance of Development Bank and Cooperative staff.      

The results of this study also showed that the impact of organizational and individual outcomes on the organizational culture model was greater than the rest

China is one of the main players in Central Asia, which pursues its economic and security goals and interests in that region. China’s energy demand has grown by 500 percent since 1980, with rapid economic growth; As China is now the largest consumer of energy and the largest importer of oil in the world, therefore, Central Asia is one of the priorities of China’s foreign policy, considering its energy resources and the possibility of meeting the needs of China’s growing industries. Given the growing competition between regional and trans-regional actors for greater benefits in Central Asia, China is making a concerted effort to expand, given its industrial energy needs and Xinjiang security concerns. Influencing Central Asia is on the agenda; therefore, the Silk Road initiative, with its large volume of investment and its vision, is an important step towards achieving China’s strategic goals in the international arena. Given the importance and scope of the Silk Road initiative for China and its political, economic, and security implications for Central Asia, this study seeks to answer the question that: How does the Silk Road Initiative help shape China’s hegemony in Central Asia? The hypothesis is that the Silk Road initiative, as China’s most important strategy in the new big game with the United States and Russia, contributes to China’s hegemony in the Central Asian region through economic domination and the expansion of political and security influence. The present article is explanatory in nature and method. The results of the studies are as follows:To meet the needs of growing industries, China has adopted a development-oriented foreign policy approach to reach global consumer markets. China needs the energy to continue economic development and attract foreign investment and therefore energy security and ensuring the continuation of energy flows and reducing vulnerability in this area is one of its foreign policy priorities. On the other hand, ensuring the stability and security of Xinjiang is one of the main security concerns of Chinese leaders which can lead to unrest and create danger for other parts of China. Therefore, to advance its macro foreign policy goals and ambitious regional and international intentions, China introduced the Silk Road Initiative in 2013 as the main axis of its foreign and domestic policy. In this regard, Central Asia has been considered as a strategic hub and one of the regions with rich hydrocarbon resources and territorial proximity to pursue national interests in the Silk Road economic belt strategy.As one of the most important measures to reduce their strategic vulnerability, the Chinese leaders have established closer ties with energy-rich countries, including Central Asian countries, through the Silk Road Initiative. On the other hand, due to the proximity of Xinjiang Autonomous Province to Central Asia and China’s security problems and challenges in this province, Central Asia has played a significant role in China’s security strategy. Therefore, given these considerations, China’s growing presence and influence in the Central Asian geo-economy will gradually translate into geopolitical influence. In Central Asia, China seeks to increase its regional influence by increasing its lasting influence and by launching the Silk Road Initiative, with an emphasis on economic exchanges as the fulcrum of the project, with a view to peaceful development and non-alignment. The stimulation of the powers present in the region has put the achievement of regional hegemony on the agenda.Given the undeniable impact of economic growth and development as a bedrock of national stability and security, strengthening the economic strength and stability of Central Asia is closely linked to addressing China’s security problems and this issue is one of the main axes of the Silk Road initiative. The purpose of this plan is to help develop the countries of Central Asia and the western regions of China to ensure security and political stability in China. Therefore, China’s approach in Central Asia is economic and trade dominance as an important prerequisite for ensuring stability and security in western China. However, China’s emergence as a major power in Central Asia has become an undeniable fact due to its economic dominance, energy interests, and political influence. However, it should be emphasized that increasing China’s influence by using strategies such as the Silk Road Initiative, despite its declared policy, is not merely economic, but pursuing political and security interests and providing necessary grounds for expanding China’s influence and hegemony in the periphery. At the heart of the plan, of course, is China’s denial of this approach in the international arena, given the considerations of peaceful development.To further its interests in the region, China has put on the agenda a comprehensive effort to expand its hegemony in Central Asia; the Silk Road Initiative, with its large investment volume. Its vision is taking important steps toward achieving its strategic goals internationally. Based on the results of the study, China, relies on economic growth and development, to counter the US unilateralism in the international system, to establish regional influence and hegemony by using the capacities of the Silk Road initiative. In this regard, in order not to arouse the sensitivity of the United States and preventing it from taking precautionary measures and interventionist steps in this field, it has pursued a cautious foreign policy and has focused its activities on economic relations with the countries of Central Asia.

One of the methods of foreign policy analysis of the Islamic Republic of Iran is to explain the central strategies on the basis of which many actions and reactions of foreign policy can be understood and examined. The strategy of detente in the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran from 1989 to 2005 and also from 2013 until now, is one of these strategies with different titles such as "interactive developmentalist" policy and "interaction-oriented moderation" as important. The most foreign policy strategy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in those periods is considered. Therefore, the way of recognizing and theoretically explaining this strategy can help us to understand Iran's foreign policy more than before. In this article, we seek to explain the concern that de-escalation in the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran can be analyzed on the basis of what theoretical approach? Our findings suggest that the critical hermeneutic approach based on communicative action can be used as a useful theoretical framework for the study of detente in the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran. In this article, with descriptive-analytical method, de-tensioning in Iranian foreign policy based on critical hermeneutics focusing on topics such as communicative rationality and Habermas theory of communicative action, Hashemi Rafsanjani pragmatic discourse, Khatami discourse based on communicative rationality and ethics, discourse diplomacy , And the spiritual discourse of moderation and constructive interaction with the world, etc. are discussed in this article.

Each organization and institution is formed in the context of the necessity and need in the substrate of the social changes of its duration, and grows with the continuity of interaction with the same community that emerged from it. The higher education system will also be upgraded with a proper understanding of its position and mission, while paying attention to national needs along with developments in the global system. In the Twenty-year Program Document, Iran was aimed to be ranked first in science and technology as well as economic in Southwest Asia. Major efforts of the government and decision-makers of the country were to achieve this goal. This important will not be achieved except by materially and spiritual investment and the development of scientific infrastructures with a fundamental transformation in the country's higher education system. IR Iran Academy of Sciences, together with other institutions that have influenced the development of the macro policies of higher education, and the commitment to their long-standing role in the advancement of science and knowledge, need to pay attention to the importance of empowering the country's higher education system.

A new swarm intelligence optimization technique is proposed, called Artificial Coronary Circulation System (ACCS). This optimization method simulates the coronary arteries (veins) growth on human heart. In this algorithm, each capillary is considered as a candidate solution. This algorithm starts with a random initial population of candidate solutions, and by using Coronary Growth Factor (CGF) evaluates the solutions. In each run the best candidate solution is selected as the main coronary vessel (artery or vein) and the other capillaries are considered as searchers of the search space. Then the heart decides other candidates to move toward/away from the main coronary vessels and searches for the optimal solution by using the heart memory. Finally, application of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated using some benchmark functions and some mechanical problems, confirming the potential and capability of the new algorithm.

In this paper, an efficient reliability method is proposed. The Asymptotic Sampling (AS) and Weighted Simulation (WS) are two main basic tools of the presented method. In AS, the standard deviation of the distributions are amplified at several levels to find an adequate number of failed samples, then by using a simple regression technique, the reliability index is determined. The WS is another method which uses the uniform distribution for sampling, where the information about the distributions of the variables is taken into account through the weight indexes. The WS provides interesting flexibility where a sample generated for a specific standard deviation can be used as a sample for another standard deviation without having to reevaluate the limit state function. In AS the deviations of variables are scaled in each step, where one can use the flexibility of the WS to decrease the required calls of limit state function. Using this technique results in a new efficient method so-called Asymptotic Weighted Simulation (AWS). In addition, using the strengths of both AS and WS can be considered another superiority of the hybrid version. Performance of the presented method is investigated by solving several mathematical and engineering examples.

Investigation about the activity pattern of the Hotson Jerboa with motorcycle and search light indicated that there is significant relationship between moon light intensity and encountering with the Hotson Jerboa’ or it’s trapping success. The results showed that the more moon light intensity the less the activity of this Jerboa. In the other word we can infer that the encounter rate with the individuals reaches its highest amount in the first and the last days of the lunar month and closing to the middle weeks of the month, they hardly can be detected. Although in completely cloudy nights even in the middle of the month the encounter rate increased as well. This is a predator-prey coevolutional mechanism that lowers the predation risk. Additionally, the activity shifted somewhat from the open to vegetation cover when the moon was high, however the least encounter rate was recorded in full moon status.

With increasing demand for large scale and complex structural models, optimum design has become a challenging and important issue in structural engineering and meta-heuristic algorithms have become powerful tools for optimal design of structures. Charged System Search (CSS) is one of the meta-heuristics, inspired by the governing laws of electrical physics and the Newtonian mechanics, Kaveh and Talatahari (2010). CSS based optimum design of structures needs adjustments for variable based and problem based constraints. The first adjustment guarantees to select from predefined cross sections and as a result, all specifications of sections will be ready to run the analysis and the second one helps to find the optimum design in fewer steps.

This paper proposes an efficient method for allocating a number of blood centers to a set of hospitals to minimize the total distance between the hospitals and the blood centers, based on the concept of graph partitioning (p-median methodology) and metaheuristic optimization algorithms. For this purpose, a weighted graph is first constructed for the network denoted by G0. A coarsening process is then performed to match the edges in n stages. Then, the enhanced colliding bodies (ECBO) algorithm is applied to the coarsened model to decompose it into p subdomains by using a p-median methodology. In the present problem, p is the number of blood centers to be allocated for the hospitals. The results indicate that the proposed algorithm performs quite satisfactory from both computational time and optimality points of view.

In this paper, using the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of symmetric block diagonal matrices with infinite dimension and numerical method of finite difference, a closed-form solution for exact solution of Laplace equation is presented. The method of this paper has applications in different states of boundary conditions like Neumann, Dirichlet, and other mixed boundary conditions. Using the method of this paper, a mathematical model for the exact solution of the Poisson equation is derived. Since these equations have many applications in engineering problems, in each part of this paper, examples, like water seepage problem through the soil and torsion of prismatic bars, are presented. Finally, a method is provided for torsion problem of prismatic bars with non-circular and non-rectangular cross-sections utilizing conformal mapping.

Resource allocation project scheduling problem (RCPSP) has been one of the challenging subjects amongst researchers in the past decades. Most of the researchers in this area have used deterministic variables; however, in a real project, activities are exposed to risks and uncertainties that cause delay in project’s duration. There are some researchers that have considered the risks for scheduling; however, new metahuristics are available to solve this problem for finding better solution with less computational time. In this paper, two new metahuristic algorithms are applied for solving fuzzy resource allocation project scheduling problem (FRCPSP), known as charged system search (CSS) and colliding body optimization (CBO). The results show that both of these algorithms find reasonable solutions; however, CBO finds the results in a less computational time, with a better quality. A case study is conducted to evaluate the performance and applicability of the proposed algorithms.

In this paper, a new enhanced version of the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) is presented. An important modification is made by adding probabilistic functions into PSO, and it is named Probabilistic Particle Swarm Optimization (PPSO). Since the variation of the velocity of particles in PSO constitutes its search engine, it should provide two phases of optimization process which are: exploration and exploitation. However, this aim is unachievable due to the lack of balanced particles’ velocity formula in the PSO. The main feature presented in the study is the introduction of a probabilistic scheme for updating the velocity of each particle. The Probabilistic Particle Swarm Optimization (PPSO) formulation thus developed allows us to find the best sequence of the exploration and exploitation phases entailed by the optimization search process. The validity of the present approach is demonstrated by solving three classical sizing optimization problems of spatial truss structures.

In this research, the Charged System Search (CSS) and Enhanced Charged System Search (ECSS) algorithm are used to obtain the optimum design of irregular grillage systems with different spacing and various boundary conditions. The cross-sectional properties of the beams are selected as the design variables and the weight of structure is used as the objective function. The displacement limitations and permissible stress constraints are employed from LRFD-AISC and are considered in the formulation of the design problem. Furthermore, in obtaining the response of the grillage systems, the effect of warping is also taken into account. The comparison of the results shows that warping changes the beam spacing, and different boundary conditions have substantial effects on the optimum design of irregular grillage systems

Barrel vaults are attractive space structures that cover large area without intermediate supports. In this paper, the charged search system (CSS) optimization algorithm is employed for optimal design of barrel vaults. This method utilizes the governing laws of Coulomb and Gauss from electrostatics and the Newtonian law of mechanics. The results demonstrate the efficiency of the discrete CSS algorithm compared to other heuristic algorithms.

In this paper a discrete Big Bang-Big Crunch algorithm is applied to optimal design of reinforced concrete planar frames under the gravity and lateral loads. Optimization is based on ACI 318-08 code. Columns are assumed to resist axial loads and bending moments, while beams resist only bending moments. Second-order effects are also considered for the compression members, and columns are checked for their slenderness and their end moments are magnified when necessary. The main aim of the BB-BC process is to minimize the cost of material and construction of the reinforced concrete frames under the applied loads such that the strength requirements of the ACI 318 code are fulfilled. In the process of optimization, the cost per unit length of the sections is used for the formation of the subsequent generation. Three bending frames are optimized using BB-BC and the results are compared to those of the genetic algorithm.

In this paper the conditional location problem is discussed. Conditional location problems have a wide range of applications in location science. A new meta-heuristic algorithm for solving conditional p-median problems is proposed and results are compared to those of the previous studies. This algorithm produces much better results than the previous formulations.

In this paper, the region in which the structural system is situated is divided into four subregions, namely upper, lower, left and right subregions. The stiffness matrix of the entire system is then formed and using the existing direct symmetry and reverse symmetry, the relationships between the entries of the matrix are established. Examples are included to illustrate the steps of the method.

This article presents the application of two algorithms: heuristic big bang-big crunch (HBB-BC) and a heuristic particle swarm ant colony optimization (HPSACO) to discrete optimization of reinforced concrete planar frames subject to combinations of gravity and lateral loads based on ACI 318-08 code. The objective function is the total cost of the frame which includes the cost of concrete, formwork and reinforcing steel for all members of the frame. The heuristic big bang-big crunch (HBB-BC) is based on BB-BC and a harmony search (HS) scheme to deal with the variable constraints. The HPSACO algorithm is a combination of particle swarm with passive congregation (PSOPC), ant colony optimization (ACO), and harmony search scheme (HS) algorithms. In this paper, by using the capacity of BB-BC in ACO stage of HPSACO, its performance is improved. Some design examples are tested using these methods and the results are compared.

Optimal design of large-scale structures is a rather difficult task and the computational efficiency of the currently available methods needs to be improved. In view of this, the paper presents a modified Charged System Search (CSS) algorithm. The new methodology is based on the combination of CSS and Particle Swarm Optimizer. In addition, in order to improve optimization search, the sequence of tasks entailed by the optimization process is changed so that the updating of the design variables can directly be performed after each movement. In this way, the new method acts as a single-agent algorithm while preserving the positive characteristics of its original multi-agent formulation.

In this paper a hybrid algorithm based on exploration power of the Genetic algorithms and exploitation capability of Nelder Mead simplex is presented for global optimization of multi-variable functions. Some modifications are imposed on genetic algorithm to improve its capability and efficiency while being hybridized with Simplex method. Benchmark test examples of structural optimization with a large number of variables and constraints are chosen to show the robustness of the algorithm.

Cost optimization of the reinforced concrete cantilever soil retaining wall of a given height satisfying some structural and geotechnical design constraints is performed utilizing harmony search and improved harmony search algorithms. The objective function considered is the cost of the structure, and design is based on ACI 318-05. This function is minimized subjected to design constraints. A numerical example of the cost optimization of a reinforced concrete cantilever retaining wall is presented to illustrate the performance of the presented algorithms and the necessary sensitivity analysis is performed.

In this paper, the problem of layout optimization for X-bracing of steel frames is studied using the ant colony optimization (ACO). A new design method is employed to share the gravity and the lateral loads between the main frame and the bracings according to the requirements of the IBC2006 code. An algorithm is developed which is called optimum steel designer (OSD). An optimization method based on an approximate analysis is also developed for layout optimization of braced frames. This method is called the approximate optimum steel designer (AOSD) and uses a simple deterministic optimization algorithm leading to the optimum patterns and it is much faster than the OSD. Several numerical examples are treated by the proposed methods. Efficiency and accuracy of the methods are then discussed.

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