reza moghaddasi

The exchange rate plays a crucial role in open economies by affecting the price of imported and exported goods and services. An increase in exchange rates, due to economic policies or other reasons, can significantly raise the prices of imports and domestic goods, impacting both wholesale and retail prices..Exchange-Rate Pass-Through (ERPT) is the percentage change in the domestic price of imported goods due to a one percent change in the currency exchange rate between exporting and importing countries   .ERPT is said to be complete if each percent change in the exchange rate results in a one percent change in the domestic price of imported goods and is called partial otherwise.

The data collection method in this research was of library studies. The relevant data in the period 1993-2023 were thus extracted from the website of the Central Bank of Iran and the Statistical Centre of Iran. In this study, first, the ERPT to the CPI was investigated, using the recursive VAR. Moreover, The study analyzed structural failures across decades using multivariate tests, investigating the sources of failure and the impact of oil prices on ERPT changes in total CPI through IRFs of disaggregated CPI and real exchange rates.To shed light on the effects of exchange rates on consumer prices in Iran in this study, the recursive VAR with degree q according to the research by Hyeongwoo et all. (2021) and the following model was used: in which, C denotes a lower-triangular (Choleski factorization) matrix, and Ut is a vector of mutually orthonormal structural shocks, that is, . St Represents the real exchange rate, Yt is the real gross domestic product (GDP), and Pt shows the CPI. All the variables were also log transformed and differed.This study focused on the IRFs of the CPI in the next period (j), relative to the structural shock that occurred at time t.The variables used here included real GDP logarithm, exchange rate logarithm (viz. free market), the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) crude oil price logarithm (ROP), total CPI logarithm, and separate CPI sub-indices such as food, apparel, transportation, medical care, energy, all items except energy, all items except food, and all items except food and energy.

To prevent false regressions in the present study, the significance of the variables was first investigated, using the Dickey-Fuller, and Phillips-Perron, and Kwiatkowski-Phillips-Schmidt-Shin (KPSS) tests. The results show that all the research variables are at the 95% confidence level as the value of the reported significant level of these variables is less than 0.05. The null hypothesis that there is a unit root is also rejected and all the variables are stable based on the first-order difference. In addition, the results indicate that the Lagrange multiplier (LM) test statistic does not reject the hypothesis significance of the variables tested by KPSS, and all are in the first-order difference.The next step was to determine the optimal number of intervals. In this study, the Bayesian, Akaik, and Hannan-Quinn information criteria were exploited to determine the optimal interval length. In the three-variable VAR, the Akaik information criterion and the final prediction error of the optimal interval length were p=3, the Schwartz information criterion considered the optimal interval length as p=3, the Hannan-Quinn information criterion also assumed the optimal interval length by p=3. In the four-variable VAR, the Akaik information criterion and the final prediction error set the optimal interval length as p=2. Based on the results, interval 3 is used for optimal interval in three-variable equations and interval 2 is optimal for four-variable ones.After determining the optimal interval, the ERPT to the CPI was investigated using VAR (1). In this process, much attention was paid to identifying the structural changes in the xt data generation over time. To demonstrate the statistical significance of the estimated IRF, the CPI responses of two sub-sample periods (namely, 1993-2009 and 2010-2023) are presented. the total CPI responses to exchange rate shocks are significant and negative only in the post-2010 sample period (i.e., 2010-2023). Nevertheless, firstly positive reactions and then negative ones can be observed in the period before 2010 (vi. 1993-2009). The qualitative difference in the reactions reveals that the exchange rate to the CPI in Iran changes over time.After confirming the statistical evidence of the structural failure of the ERPT to the CPI, the search for the source of failure began. The highest absolute value of the ERPT was thus related to the CPI of food and energy and the lowest absolute value was associated with the CPI of apparel and medical care.

In this study, the ERPT to the CPI and the effect of oil price fluctuations on it were evaluated using three- and four-variable VAR analysis, IRFs, and multivariate structural failure tests. The occurrence of structural failure was investigated over different decades and the results showed that the ERPT to the CPI could change viz. rise or fall over time. In addition, the highest absolute value of ERPT was related to the food and energy CPI. Examining the four-variable VAR, the study results revealed that oil price fluctuations were the main factors affecting the changes in the ERPT to total CPI in Iran.Based on the empirical findings, economic policymakers are recommended to avoid severe currency shocks in their plans to stabilize prices by adopting appropriate policies. In addition, considering the impact of oil revenue instability on the ERPT, Iran's government is suggested to properly manage economic instability, whose main source is oil revenue instability, based on the objectives of the National Development Fund.
 

Financial development facilitates farmers' access to credit resources, enabling the adoption of innovative technologies for energy management. On the other hand, long-term planning for agricultural businesses is expected to reduce various types of risks, including financial risk, thus promoting production. The aim of this study is to empirically investigate the relationship between development and financial risk with energy consumption in the agricultural sector in Iran and selected developing countries.

For this purpose, financial development indicators such as the ratio of deposits and bank facilities to agricultural value-added, as well as economic, financial, and political risk indicators, have been used for two groups of oil-exporting and non-oil-exporting developing countries during the years 2010 to 2020. In order to analyze the data, the Smooth Transition Regression model was used, which allows for examining non-linear relationships between variables.

The findings suggest significant differences in the average per capita agricultural energy consumption between the studied oil-exporting and non-oil-exporting countries. Other research results indicate the superiority of non-linear specification relationships between variables and their threshold behavior.

Financial development has an inverse effect on per capita energy consumption, and an increase in various types of risk (financial, economic, and political) is associated with an increase in per capita energy consumption in the agricultural sector. The magnitude of the impact of variables in non-oil-exporting countries is generally estimated to be higher than in oil-exporting countries.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of exports on unemployment in the agricultural sector of Iran using Abrams theory. The statistical population includes the agricultural sector of Iran and the data in question are data from 1360-1396. Eviews11 software and NARDL model were used to test the research hypotheses. The variables examined include unemployment rate (U), agricultural exports (EXP), government size (Gov), real wage (RW), inflation rate (P), agricultural value added (Y), mechanization coefficient (M), and the ratio of agricultural sector wages to other economic sectors (W). The findings showed that Abrams theory does not hold in the agricultural sector of Iran. Also, separately, the hypothesis of the effect of exports on the unemployment rate, the hypothesis of the effect of government size, real wage, inflation rate, mechanization coefficient, and wage ratio on the unemployment rate in the agricultural sector were confirmed, but the hypothesis of the effect of agricultural value added on the unemployment rate was rejected. Finally, some suggestions are presented to improve the economic situation, promote agriculture, and strengthen exports in the country.

Energy is one of the primary factors in production and simultaneously one of the principal commodities. In recent years, the significance of strategic planning in optimizing energy consumption has increased. By examining energy indicators and the impact of various economic policies on them, it is possible to attain a comprehension of past conditions and a picture of the future in different energy sectors. The data spanning from 1947 to 2019 were used through a Non-Linear Autoregressive Distributed Lag (NARDL) for analyzing non-linear effects of policy instability on energy indicators in the agricultural sector of Iran. The results indicated an association among the variables, wherein positive fluctuations in agricultural value-added, with a coefficient of 0.13, and conversely negative fluctuations with a coefficient of -0.09, significantly affected long-term energy consumption. It is notable that the second coefficient lacked statistical significance. Additionally, the asymmetrical effects of other variables on energy consumption and productivity in agricultural practices was confirmed.

This study was conducted with the aim of measuring the total factor productivity index in agronomy sub-sector of Iranian provinces. Moreover, its main determinants are identified. For this purpose, in the first step, the total factor productivity index of agronomy sub-sector in each of the studied provinces was measured and analyzed using the non-parametric approach of Malmquist productivity index hidden in data envelopment analysis (DEA-MQI) over the period 2009-2018. In the second step, using the system of seemingly unrelated regression equations (SURE), the factors affecting the total factor productivity index were estimated. Based on the research findings, the total factor productivity indices for Qazvin and Ilam provinces have the highest and lowest average levels, respectively (1.09 and 0.703). This index has annual ups and downs in all provinces, however, its average in Qazvin, Bushehr, Golestan, Khorasan Razavi, Hamedan, Kurdistan, Fars, Isfahan, Zanjan, Mazandaran, West Azerbaijan, North Khorasan and Khuzestan provinces is greater than one. It indicates the growth of productivity of all factors in the crop sub-sector of the mentioned provinces. In addition, the agronomy sub-sectors of Kermanshah, South Khorasan, Lorestan, East Azerbaijan and Ilam provinces have experienced a decline in total factor productivity so that the average values are less than one (0.981, 0.963, 0.953, 0.943, 0.925, 0.923 and 0.703). Also based on the results of estimating the system of seemingly unrelated regression equations, in most of the studied provinces, research and development, development of agricultural products processing industries, extension training of farmers, crop insurance and intensity of mechanization have a positive and increasing effect on total factor productivity of crop sub-sectors. However, in some provinces, the mechanization and supportive policy of agricultural insurance have not had a positive and increasing effect on the total factor productivity index in crop sub-sector or have had a fundamentally contrary effect on expectations.

The estimation results with VAR model showed that if the consumer price index increases by one standard deviation, it has no effect on the economic activity in Iran until the second period.From the third period to the seventh period, the trend is upward and finally downward and damped. If the financial stress index increases by one standard deviation, it has a positive effect on the economic activity index in the first two periods. From the third period to the tenth period, this effect is negative and finally attenuated. Also, if there is a shock to the economic activity index, this shock will initially increase economic activity and then decrease it.

Due to the negative effects of agricultural production activities on the environment, especially water and soil pollution, one of the most important decisions in the agricultural sector is the optimal allocation of resources. In this study, an attempt was made to propose an optimal cultivation pattern for crops in Shiraz County with a multi-objective approach based on the water-food and environment nexus. The goals of this research include maximizing economic benefit, minimizing water consumption, minimizing fertilizer and chemical pesticide consumption, and maximizing food security. To solve the multi-objective programming model, the weight Lp metric method was used. The information required in this study included information on the production pattern, consumption of inputs, price, and performance of significant crops in Shiraz city in the crop year of 2019-2020, which was collected through library documents and completed a questionnaire by random sampling method. The results of the study showed that the area under cultivation of most of the crops of this County is reduced in the optimal pattern with the combination of goals. Onion crop was not prioritized and the area under cultivation of cucumber, lentils, barley, and beans is increasing. In total, this model will be able to reduce water consumption in the agricultural sector by 10.75%. The 10.26 percent reduction in the cultivated area of Shiraz County is associated with a 10.60 percent reduction in chemical fertilizers and a 10.37 percent reduction in chemical toxins. However, the cost of managing the consumption of production resources in this model will be a 9.71% reduction in the profit of the farmers of this city. Therefore, if the policymaker tends to lean toward environmental goals, he should consider that the main incentive for farmers to produce is economic incentives for production. Therefore, policymakers should find suitable solutions to make the farmers follow the proposed model.

Ecosystems are the source of production and supply of a wide range of goods and services for human societies around the world and are considered one of the important elements for providing economic and livelihood welfare. Following the determination of the role of environment and natural resources in human well-being, many efforts have been made to value environmental goods and services. In this regard, this study paid attention to the value of marketable and non-marketable goods and services in the Hyrkani forest ecosystem. Based on this, the market value of standing wood (cubic meters per hectare) by the market price method and the non-market value of oxygen production and carbon dioxide absorption, carbon sequestration, water production and supply, soil maintenance, runoff control in the three forestry areas of Gilan, Mazandaran, and Golestan by the method Replacement cost was estimated. The results showed that the total value of the goods and services of the Hyrkan forests was estimated to be equal to 68092 thousand billion rials, among which the market value of wood is 23561 thousand billion rials, carbon sequestration is 27755 thousand billion rials, soil maintenance is 15497 thousand billion rials, water production is 671 thousand billion rials, runoff control 327 thousand billion rials, oxygen production and carbon dioxide absorption 279 thousand billion rials. Meanwhile, the value of carbon sequestration and the value of wood respectively have the highest value among the studied ecosystem services.

The drop in the level of underground water and the subsequent subsidence of more than 20 cm of land in the plains of Alborz province of Iran has now become one of the biggest environmental concerns of the province. On the other hand, excessive extraction of underground water sources in this province will lead to a big disaster in the near future, and in order to prevent this, volumetric meters have been installed in the province. Therefore, the approach of setting up a water market in this situation is one of the best measures that can be taken into consideration. In this study, Hashtgerd Plain in Alborz province, as the most important agricultural region of the province, which consumes 87.23 percent of surface water resources and 90 percent of underground water resources in the agricultural sector, was studied in order to investigate the effects of water market simulation. In this study, the demand function was estimated using a Positive Mathematical Programming (PMP) model (aiming at estimating the equilibrium price) as it is more compatible with real conditions. The PMP and production functions of Statewide Agricultural Production (SWAP) are among the techniques used to simulate a water market and study the effects of its formation, the role of a water market in economic value changes, etc.Step 1: Zonation of the study area and collection of required dataStep 2: Solving the linear programming model and determining dual values ​​or shadow prices ​​of constraintsStep 3: Estimation of the secondary Constant Elasticity of Substitution (CES) production functionStep 4: Estimation of the original CES production functionStep 5: Estimation of the exponential cost functionStep 6: Estimation of demand functions of agricultural products based on endogenous pricesStep 7: Building the final planning model and explaining the calibrated PMP modelFor this purpose, using the information collected in the form of a questionnaire and referring to relevant organizations for the years 2015-2016, the Positive Mathematical Programming (PMP) model was estimated with the approach of regional production functions of agricultural products and the demand function was extracted. Accordingly, the equilibrium price of water in the Hashtgerd Plain was estimated 3394 IRI rials per cubic meter, which would save more than 28 percent in water consumption. With the implementation of this policy, the welfare of water buyers would decrease and the welfare of water sellers would increase. Therefore, if policies such as increasing the efficiency of irrigation systems are implemented at the same time as the water market is launched, there will be a smaller decrease in the level of welfare. It can be concluded that the required water resources were 234.5 million m3 before the formation of the proposed water market in the Hashtgerd Plain of Alborz province. After the water market formation and the application of market prices (3,394 IRI rials/m3), the use of water input will reduce to 167.32 million m3, i.e., a 28.6 percent saving in water resources. The minimum and maximum water prices are 3282 and 7282 IRI rials/m3, respectively, in the simulated market. After the water market formation, the cropping pattern will undergo changes in the region, which are different for the groups of water input buyers and sellers. The sellers tend to reduce the area under cultivation of all crops, except for wheat, due to the low water requirement of this crop, compared to the other crops. This means that the revenue from the sale of water to applicants is more than that of cultivating the crops in these conditions. The buyers will also reduce crops with high water requirements and increase the cultivation of the other crops. Increasing the efficiency of irrigation systems is one of the policies that, if accomplished in parallel with the water market formation, will lead to an increase in the welfare of water buyers to compensate for their lost welfare after the water market formation. According to the results of the calculations, the following recommendations are presented regarding water resource management using the formation of a water market:To prevent the reduction of farmers' welfare, policymakers are recommended to simultaneously implement supportive policies, such as supporting the increase of the irrigation system efficiency (and other inputs). Considering that increasing the price to the equilibrium limit will cause a sudden shock to the sector, it is suggested to first determine the minimum obtained price (3,282 IRI rials/m3) as the market price. This price is closer to the economic value and, with a saving of approximately 15 percent also covers step-wise policies of water use reduction (approved by the IRI Sixth Development Plan). Since it is possible to save water resources after a water market formation, IRI Department of Environment (DOE), as the responsible organization, is recommended to adopt a measure to prevent water extraction from the land by the water sellers and, in return, provide them with the benefits of selling water. In other words, a water market will be formed between farmers and the DOE by redeeming a portion of the shares of water rights owned by the farmers. Another recommendation of this study is efforts to change the cropping pattern in the region with the approach of cultivating crops that have higher yields and more income with less use of water. Further studies on medicinal plants are also recommended in this regard.

According to the definition of the World Bank, considering the concept of poverty based on the standard of living and minimum subsistence facilities, in addition to the social aspect, it specifies major variables regarding household expenses. Studying the consumers’ behavior households needs a time series of special samples and in case of cross-section data can only rely on the correlation between the share of consumption expenditure on different goods and social factors affecting poverty and household vulnerability. In this research, the relationship between several types of major household expenses and poverty has been studied in the rural society of Iran during the 1370-1400. According to the results of IRFs and coefficients of ECM indicated the more increase in household’s hygienic and educational expenditures is effective in decreasing in poverty while the effect of hygiene expenditures has been more evident. Major suggestions include increasing treatment and educational facilities in improving nutrition and well-being and changing the attitude, vision and culture of the rural community in order to develop their public welfare.

This study is aimed at evaluating the efficiency of 23 greenhouses of red-leaf lettuce using the vertical hydroponic method based on the data envelopment Analysis (DEA) method in Alborz province of Iran. The assessment results indicated high profitability of red-leaf lettuce farming so that the production cost of each bush would be less than 15000 IRI rials while the sale price of each bush would be nearly 100000 IRI rials. In this study, four main inputs including workforce, secondary capital for conversion of the ordinary greenhouse into vertical hydroponic structure, fertilizer, and other costs were assumed as the model inputs and the net profit was considered as the output of the model that should be increased. Considering the technical efficiency and scale efficiency, the return-to-scale ratio of the efficient greenhouses was constant while most of the inefficient greenhouses had an increasing return-to-scale ratio. The efficiency analysis showed that the inefficient greenhouses were small greenhouses with an area smaller than 1000 square meters, which should increase their area and save on the consumption of the mentioned inputs in order to achieve higher efficiency and change into efficient units. Accordingly, with an average reduction of 25 percent in the inputs, these units can maintain their previous levels of output.

Agriculture is recognized as the driving force of economic growth, especially in developing economies. Attention to agriculture is extremely important, especially during economic sanctions owing to its critical roles such as income for rural people, food security, job creation, and foreign exchange earnings. On the other hand, foreign trade is vital to technology transfer to the country. The present study investigates the linear (nonlinear) relationship between agricultural import shocks and agricultural growth in Iran using annual data for the period 1978-2020 by application of the nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag model (NARDL). The results confirmed asymmetry in the impact of imports on growth. In other words, the superiority of the nonlinear model was in explaining the relationships between variables. To be specific, a positive and negative shock to agricultural imports affected sector growth by 0.18 and -0.05 percent, respectively in the long run. However, the latter was found statistically insignificant. Moreover, we found evidence of the asymmetry in the effect of other variables (except labor) on growth.

What is aimed in this research is to determine that are forecasts in years relatively high-price trend and low-price trend affected and smoothed according to the monthly potato and tomato prices The analysis and forecasting of prices in harvesting seasons of two products are implemented by “t” test and linear regression during 1996-2021. The results have showed significant forecasts for years with normal and high price levels meanwhile the research assumption of forecasting of the price trend has been approved more for potato in a high price level. The results of this research and similar cases can be used to forecast prices for production management of such crops, market regulation and consumers’ welfare of country in different seasons of the year. In case of extra supply with decreasing price level or lack of production with increasing price level one of approaches is to present template and compulsory cultivation in accordance with competitive advantages in provinces and different regions

Banks are considered as one of the most important sources of financing in various economic and social fields in many developing countries such as Iran. In this regard, financing the production units of the agricultural sector is one of the most important issues in managing the banking and economic system of a country. Since access to credits provided by banks to finance the needs of people and manufacturing enterprises in various sectors such as agriculture sector provides more investment and improves the agricultural industry and leads to economic growth and development. Hence, the main purpose of this study is to investigate the factors affecting the supply of banking credits in the Agricultural Bank of Iran. To this, the data from 2007 to 2021 and the panel data approach have been used. The results show that non-current receivables have a negative effect and interest rates on bank credits, provincial inflation, GDP growth and bank size have a positive effect on the supply of credits of the Agricultural Bank in Iran. The study of Iran's economic situation shows that despite the important role of bank credits in the process of economic growth and development, the country's economy has not been able to make optimal use of the benefits of bank credits to elimination deficiencies and financing needs of the agricultural sector. Accordingly, it is suggested that monetary and banking policymakers pay special attention to this issue.

Export diversification is one of the economic growth main components. Also, accepting the agricultural sector importance in the current economy, attention to export diversification in this sector is necessary. This study examines the factors affecting export incomes fluctuation in the agricultural sector. The main purpose is this question whether there is a direct relationship between the agricultural exports diversification and the export incomes stability in this sector. The instability of agricultural export incomes was calculated using the Love Index and the exports diversification was calculated using the Herfindahl Index. The panel vector error correction model and fully modified least squares method has been used to estimate the relationship between variables in 20 developed countries over the period 2004-2018.The findings of this study show the concentration of exports, the instability of GDP, the instability of the real exchange rate, the instability of the inflation rate are positively related to the export incomes fluctuation in of this sector. These findings suggest that countries need to diversify their agricultural exports and develop economic cooperation with other countries.

The theory of economic complexity has recently been developed by two groups of scientists at Harvard University and MIT. According to this theory, the productive capabilities accumulated in each country determine its structural changes and economic growth. The Economic Complexity Index is calculated annually for more than 120 countries to measure the volume of accumulated capabilities. In this research, for the first time, an index of economic complexity for the provinces of the country during the period 2000-2018 has been calculated. The results show that (a) the degree of economic complexity of all provinces of the country during the period under review has been negative. (B) Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad provinces, Khuzestan, Ilam and Bushehr in most years had the lowest degree of complexity and in contrast to Qom, Tehran, Isfahan, Qazvin, Central and East Azerbaijan provinces in most years had the highest degree of economic complexity among the provinces. (C) Implementation of provincial and national industrial and commercial policies in order to develop the field of activities for manufacturing other non-metallic mineral products, manufacturing products from rubber and plastic, manufacturing metal fabric products other than machinery and equipment, manufacturing medical instruments, optical instruments, Precision instruments and watches, manufacture of machinery and equipment not elsewhere classified, manufacture of machinery and electrical appliances not elsewhere classified, manufacture of basic metals and manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers maybe Help effectively increase the degree of economic complexity of a wide range of provinces.

The increasing development of various industries and globalization in the past decades have caused concerns about environmental pollution. Thus, in recent years, the effects of economic activities and globalization on the environment have attracted the attention of many researchers due to efforts to achieve sustainable development, and extensive theoretical and empirical research has been conducted in this area. In this regard, this paper investigates the effect of agricultural value-added and globalization on CO2 pollution in the agricultural sector in selected developing countries, including Iran, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Nigeria, South Africa, Colombia, and Iraq. For this purpose, panel data over 1995-2019 was used along with the fixed effects method. Research findings show that globalization has an inverse and significant relationship with CO2 emissions in the agricultural sector in developing countries. Therefore, it is recommended to lead firms toward renewing their structure to increase their productivity. In addition, it is suggested to move foreign investments, which are a part of globalization criteria, toward revision of infrastructures and optimal utilization of resources.

The main purpose of this study is to examine the transfer price of agricultural inputs to the prices of some agricultural commodities (tomatoes, potatoes, and onions) using Markov-switching model and quarterly data in the years 1991-2018. The results of BDS test showed the Markov-switching model is more suitable than the linear model. Also, it showed the price index of agricultural commodities are classified into two regimes called low price growth rate regime and high price growth rates regime. The main results showed that there is a significant difference between the coefficients of variables of each regime, which is important sign that the mechanism of transfer price of input to the selected agricultural commodities price is asymmetric. The prices of seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides have impacted agricultural commodities price. Also, for all three product the Probability of stability in the second regime is higher. Therefore, based on the asymmetry of price transfer in this market, an important policy recommendation of this study is that economic policymakers to stabilize prices should take appropriate plan to monitor the supply and storage of agricultural inputs. In addition, they should consider asymmetry transfer price in their policies and plans in the agricultural market.

The decrease in groundwater levels and the subsequent land subsidence of over 20 cm have now become one of the major environmental concerns in the plains of Alborz Province. On the other hand, over-extraction of groundwater resources in this province will cause a great catastrophe in the near future. To prevent this consequence, the installation of volumetric meters is one of the solutions in the province. Therefore, launching a water market is one of the best strategies that can be considered in this situation. This study was carried out in the Hashtgerd plain as the most important agricultural area of ​​ Alborz Province, which consumes 87% and 90% of surface water and groundwater resources in agriculture, to investigate the effects of water market simulation. So, a positive mathematical planning (PMP) model was estimated with the regional functions of Statewide Agricultural Production (SWAP) approach. A demand function was extracted using the information collected in the form of a questionnaire and through the relevant organizations. Accordingly, the equilibrium price of water is 3,394 Rials m-3 in the Hashtgerd plain, which will save over 26% in water consumption. The implementation of this policy, is dis-advantageous for water buyers while advantageous (beneficial) for water sellers. Therefore, there will be less reduction in the resulting benefit by implementing this policy, such as increasing the efficiency of irrigation systems, at the same time as launching a water market.

Foreign trade is a critical component of economic development, particularly for developing countries. Over recent years, product relatedness has turned into an emergent factor in international trade. According to empirical findings from various studies, this factor can alter the business models of different countries. In this regard, this study aimed at investigating the effect of product relatedness on Iran's agricultural exports and selected countries. For this purpose, the comparative advantage index and the proximity index were used to investigate the countries' specialization and similarities between products, respectively. The gravity model and the Poisson Pseudo Maximum Likelihood (PPML) method were also used to determine the effect of variables between 2001 and 2018. The gravity model results indicated the significant effect of the product relatedness variable on increasing the trade of Iranian agricultural products. It was also found that the per capita income and population of trading partners had a significantly positive effect on Iran's agricultural exports, while the effect of geographical distance was significantly negative. According to the findings, exporters are suggested to concentrate on close target markets with a high per capita income and a high level of product relatedness.

In this study, the combined effects of low frequency stimulation (LFS) and carbamazepine (CBZ) were investigated on the motor behavior and balance indices of adult male rats during dorsal hippocampal epilepsy by electrical kindling method.

In this experimental study, 56 adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 8 groups. Kindling stimulations were performed rapidly in the dorsal hippocampus. In other groups, carbamazepine was injected before kindling. LFS stimulation was also performed immediately after kindling in the target groups. The animals' motor behavior and balance indices were measured using open field and rotating bar tests. Behavioral data analysis was performed using analysis of variance and Kruskal-Wallis tests.

The results showed that the ability to maintain balance in the rotating rod test in the CBZ20+K+LFS and CBZ40+K+LFS groups had a significant increase compared to the Kindle and K+LFS groups. Analysis of the motor behavior of Kindley mice showed that the search behavior of the drug and LFS groups has significantly increased compared to the K+LFS and K groups. Also, in the study of bipedal standing index, the combined groups showed a significant decrease compared to K+LFS and drug-receiving groups.

The duration of balance on the rotating bar in the drug and LFS groups showed a significant increase compared to the Kindle and K+LFS groups (P <0.05). Comparison of the mean number of bipedal standing indices indicated significant decrease in the drug and LFS groups compared to the Kindle and K+LFS groups (P <0.05).

Economic complexity refers to the accumulation of productive capabilities in an economy. Accelerating the accumulation of these capabilities increases the capacity to invent and absorb new technologies. Over the initial stages of economic development, most countries absorb energy-intensive technologies, which will lead to an increase in fossil energy consumption. By increasing the economic complexity of a country and the accumulation of complex capabilities, it becomes possible to absorb and invent new energy-efficient and clean technologies, which will be a factor in reducing the intensity of fossil energy consumption. In this paper, we investigate the effect of the economic complexity of Iran's provinces on the consumption of fossil energy over the period 2005-2018. For this purpose, the system GMM estimator in dynamic panel data has been applied. The results of the paper indicate that the increase in the economic complexity of the provinces is the driver of fossil energy consumption, so that the hypothesis of the "Energy-Environmental Kuznets Curve" across the provinces of the country is rejected. Accordingly, making the current production structure more complex in Iran's economy will not help to reduce fossil energy consumption. Other results show that (a) the per capita consumption of fossil energy is inelastic with respect to the relative price of fuel, and (b) the rate of urbanization is the driver of energy consumption. According to the findings of the research, it is recommended that instead of implementing pricing policies to reduce energy consumption, the government should emphasize changing the production structure by using clean technologies.

Epilepsy is a chronic noncommunicable disease of the brain that affects around 70 million people worldwide. It is characterized by recurrent seizures, which are brief episodes of involuntary movement that may involve a part of the body (partial) or the entire body (generalized) and are sometimes accompanied by loss of consciousness and control of bowel or bladder function. Nearly 80% of people with epilepsy live in low- and middle-income countries. It is estimated that up to 70% of people living with epilepsy could live seizure- free if properly diagnosed and treated. The risk of premature death in people with epilepsy is up to three times higher than for the general population. Three quarters of people with epilepsy living in low-income countries do not get the treatment they need. In many parts of the world, people with epilepsy and their families suffer from stigma and discrimination. Due to the increasing number of epilepsy in Iran and the cultural and social problems of people with epilepsy, the need for information and culture about the reality of this disease is felt. In this article, first, while defining epilepsy and seizures, the history and importance of the disease are examined. Then, the causes of epilepsy, types of epilepsy and its social complications are introduced. Finally, epilepsy treatment methods and its epidemiology are briefly reviewed.

This study explored the application of Narver & Slater's Market-Driven orientation scales on development of the extension, training and educational programs for rural women in the Kurdistan Province. This study used the Narver & Slater market orientated scale as a theoretical framework of the research and the casual-correlation research method was used as a research method. The statistical population of this study was agricultural agent who worked in both government and non-government organizations in the Kurdistan Province (N=504). Based on Cochran formula, a sample of 216 was selected for the study. The instrument used was a researcher-made questionnaire. Considering the 15% probability of non-response, the researcher distributed 248 questionnaires in the statistical population by stratified proportional sampling. The validity of the questionnaire was reviewed and confirmed by a group of experts and theta reliability coefficient (81/0-0/88) was used to determine the reliability of different parts of questionnaire. Structural equation modeling was used to determine scales influencing the development of market based educational extension program by AMOS24. The results showed that three market-oriented variables and innovation had direct and positive effects on development of market based educational extension program.. Therefore, it can be said that in order to achieve market-driven research goals, attention to innovation and market-oriented components of Extension training and education programs should be given serious attention.

Cereals include wheat, barley, rice and grain crops and are important in human and animal nutrition. These products are considered as strategic products and have always been considered by policy makers. The purpose of this study is to analyze the productivity fluctuations of Iranian grain production factors based on various indicators in the period 1988-2017 and the required data have been extracted from the sample census of the Ministry of Jihad Agriculture. In this study, Malmquist, Fare - perimont and Hicks-Moorsteen indices have been used. The results showed that the average changes in total productivity of wheat, barley, rice, corn and cereals of Malmquist index (17, 21, 20, 21, 20) and Fare-permont index (25, 8, 10, 11, 13) and Hicks-Moorsteen index increased by (7, 1, 2, 3, 3), Percentage respectively. The average change of all three indicators is due to the increase of technological changes. Therefore, in order to improve the productivity of grain production products, the application of new technologies and the optimal consumption of inputs should be given more attention