Background: Our knowledge of diseases and maladies has been increased during the recent decades. These diseases are related to the presence of people in the Buildings which may cause due to varieties of physical, biologic, and chemical (organic or inorgicic) factors. We decided to investigate one of these problems, namely sick Building syndrome (SBS) in one of high administrative Buildings in Tehran in summer 2002. Materials and methods: It was a descriptive study. All employees working in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development were included. Personal complaints of mental and irritative symptoms were assessed using a combined questionnaire (Questionnaires of CCOHS-2001 and London Center Hazards-1990). The prevalence of SBS of determined and the association between human, environmental and Building factors with the occurrence of this phenomenon was clarified. Results: Of 312 employees, 171 were randomly selected. There were 96 males (56.1%) and 75 females (43.9%). The prevalence of SBS was 58.7%. The most prevalent symptoms were fatigue (57.3%) during the past 3 months. The most prevalent irritative symptoms were burning sensation in the eyes and tearing (25.7%). The prevalence of SBS was 46.3% in males and 72% in females (p<0.001). Feeling of low air movement (68.4%), and feeling of airless environment (59.1%, always) were the most common complaints. There was no significant association between SBS and smoking, age, different stages, and duration of employment. Conclusion: The prevalence of SBS is quite high. Disorders of ventilation system are the probable cause.

One of the most distinguished activities in the field of energy conservation, is the provision of regulations and standards for energy conservation in the Building sector.In this paper, the nature of different types of approaches in controlling Building design for energy efficiency purposes are discussed to make an evaluation of the existing regulation. Then, considering the recent international research results related to standards and regulations, suggestions are made for improving the next version of Code 19 of the Iranian Building Regulations.

A B S T R A C T Green city is one of the approaches to sustainable development. “green city” is an environmentally friendly city compatible with the concept of sustainable development and can be used for the welfare and security of its inhabitants. Based on the concept of a “green city,” urban managers try to have the least destructive effect on the ecosystems upon which cities rely. Green city is one of the sustainable development approaches that reduce the environmental footprint of cities. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the situation of Mashhad metropolis in terms of the objective characteristics of the green city. In this study, 14 indicators of electricity consumption per capita, green space per capita, population density, water availability, sewage availability, superior public transportation network, urban mass transportation, traffic reduction, annual production waste per capita, carbon monoxide, concentration nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide concentration, particulate matter concentration, and air quality were exerted. To determine the importance of research indicators, the Shannon entropy method, and the status of Mashhad city areas in terms of green city indicators, the VIKOR multi-criteria decision-making method has been applied. The results showed that most areas of Mashhad are average and below average in terms of green city characteristics, and only District 9 is in very good condition (0.636). Also, based on the results of this part of the research, District 5, with the value of VIKOR index of 0.969, is in the last rank in terms of objective characteristics of the green city Extended Abstract Introduction Green city is one of the approaches to sustainable development. A “Green city” is an environmentally friendly city compatible with the concept of sustainable development and can be used for the welfare and security of its inhabitants. Based on the concept of a “green city,” urban managers try to have the least destructive effect on the ecosystems upon which cities rely. Green cities constantly try to manage their environmental effects by reducing waste, increasing recycling, reducing air pollution, increasing population density, developing open urban spaces, and encouraging the development of sustainable local businesses. Green cities were first used to evaluate 30 European cities by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) in 2009 with the financial support of Siemens and the aim of reducing the environmental effects of human activities in cities. In that study, eight indices of carbon dioxide, energy, construction, transportation, water, recycling and land use, air quality, and environmental governance were used. Later, the Economist Intelligence Unit, with the financial support of Siemens, evaluated the status of the green city index in 17 Latin American cities, 15 African cities, 22 major Asian cities, and 27 cities in United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. In recent years, even some Western Islamic scholars have, in various publications, shown that Islam is an ecological religion. In Iran, the issue of protecting the environment has not received much attention regardless of its rich cultural and religious background and its confirmation in Article 50 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Mashhad is the second metropolis of Iran, located in North-East of Iran, and is one of the counties of Khorasan Razavi Province. According to the 2016 Iranian Population and Housing Census, its population was 3057679 people (The Vice-Presidency of Planning and Development of Mashhad Municipality). In Mashhad, due to several reasons including the presence of Imam Reza Shrine (PBUH) and arrival of millions of pilgrims per year, population growth, increased garbage production (production of 896534 tons of garbage in 2016 (The Vice-Presidency of Planning and Development of Mashhad Municipality), air pollution (increased number of unhealthy days from 46 days per year in 2015 to 88 days in 2016 for sensitive groups and 4 days of unhealthy air for all groups in 2016 (Center for Monitoring Environmental Pollutants of Mashhad Municipality) the 2025 vision of the city has paid attention to the environment in the form of five general objectives; however, just like the national level, no specific pattern for environmentally-compatible urban development, such as green city, is determined. Analysis of the green city index in Mashhad metropolis can considerably contribute to urban managers and planners in addition to providing a pattern for evaluating the present situation in other cities of Iran and improving the quality of life regardless of the current status of the urban environment in Iranian cities; we can preserve these environments as parts of the natural environment for future generations.   Methodology In terms of its goal, the present study is an applied one; in the study, drawing upon other studies and library sources and considering the conditions of Iran and the metropolis of Mashhad in terms of green city, 14 quantitative indices were exerted. To this end, the required data for the quantitative indices was gathered by library research from the relevant institutions. Next, the weights of quantitative indices were determined using Shannon's entropy. Then, using the VIKOR method of multi-criteria decision-making, the status of various districts of the metropolis of Mashhad in terms of quantitative indices of green city was determined. Finally, the map of the spatial distribution of quantitative indices was drawn using the ARC GIS software package.   Results and discussion In this study, to analyze the status of the metropolis of Mashhad in terms of green city features, 14 quantitative indices were used. Considering the value of the VIKOR index ranges from 0 to 1, various districts of Mashhad can be classified into five categories; very satisfactory, satisfactory, average, unsatisfactory, and very unsatisfactory in terms of quantitative indices of green city. The results of the current situation of Mashhad showed that in terms of objective indicators of the green city, District 9 of Mashhad metropolis with a value of VIKOR index of 0.056 is in first place, and the seventh region with a value of VIKOR index of 0.433 is in second place. Also, based on the results of this part of the research, District 5, with the value of VIKOR index of 0.969, is in the last rank in terms of objective characteristics of the green city.   Conclusion Similarly, the results of studies by Afshar (2011) and Shabani et al. (2017) on Tehran metropolis are indicative of the unsatisfactory situation of Tehran (the biggest metropolis of Iran) in terms of green city features. Comparing the results of the studies by Afshar (2011) and Shabani et al. (2017) with the present study on Mashhad (the second biggest metropolis of Iran) reveals the necessity for a comprehensive plan toward achieving green cities. It should be mentioned that, due to the specific conditions of Mashhad metropolis and availability or unavailability of the required data, the indices used in the present study are somewhat different from the ones used by Afshar (2011) and Shabani et al. (2017).   Funding There is no funding support.   Authors’ Contribution All of the authors approved the content of the manuscript and agreed on all aspects of the work.     Conflict of Interest Authors declared no conflict of interest.   Acknowledgments We are grateful to all the scientific

Considering the determinant role of energy efficiency opportunities in the Building sector, proposing guidelines and technical solutions in order to improve the thermal performance of glazing systems is in priority in Iran and other countries. In glazing systems, a substantial amount of radiative heat transfer results from absorption and emission. Applying low-E (low emissivity) coatings on the glazing system is a solution for reducing the radiative heat transfer by radiation in glazing systems, without a noticeable decrease of visible light transmittance. By selecting the proper glazing type, in a hot climate, the amount of solar heat gain can be reduced significantly. Vice versa, in cold climate, the heat loss by long wave radiation of inner surfaces can be reduced. In this paper, first, the thermal and optical characteristics of local clear and Low-E glasses have been measured in BHRC (Road, Housing & Urban Development (National) Research Center) laboratory, by the spectrophotometer and then the thermal performance of single and double glazing units, with and without low-E coating, in different orientations (North, South, East and West) are computed, compared and analyzed for cold (Ardebil) and hot (Bandar-Abbas) climates in Iran. The selection of these two cities is based on maximum heating and cooling degree day values obtained respectively for Ardebil and Bandar-Abbas. The simulation results indicate that using double clear glazing unit with low-E coating reduces the energy consumption significantly in very hot climates, using mostly electrical energy for cooling. In cold climates like Ardebil, double glazing with low-E coating has a minor impact on annual heating load, because of the great amount of thermal radiation, even in the cold season, the high cost of low-e coating and the considerable payback time, compared to the Building life cycle.

In recent decades, new constructions in the historical fabric of Rasht City have generally been erected without regards for the historical patterns of Building placement in the related plots, resulting in severe damage to this context. Currently, for the first time, the "specific design guidelines for the historic fabric of Rasht city" are being prepared, which will be included in the plan of this city, pending approval. In this regulation, in specifically addresses various issues, including issues, the issues of "Building coverage ratio (BCR)" and "Building placement" have been specifically addressed. The present study is an attempt to criticize and modify this regulation based on a typo-morphological study and aims to protect and continue the relevant historical patterns in new constructions. In this research, by referring to the aerial photos of Rasht from 1956, 1976, and 2022 and related maps and documents, an attempt is made to investigate the historical patterns used in determining the footprint of residential Buildings. The condition of Qajar houses in 1956 is compared with new houses until 2022, and a total of 305 houses are examined. The investigated variables include the common patterns of Building placement, the typical dimensions (length and width), the ratio of width to length of Building masses, the depth of courtyards, and the BCRs. The current research indicates that the new regulation, rather than continuing the historical patterns of the fabric, tries to stabilize its new patterns. In the following, based on the findings of the research, some recommendations are presented to be included in the new regulation. It is expected that these suggestions will help to harmonize the new and old constructions in terms of the shape and geometry of the Building footprint

When considering energy efficiency optimization in construction project management, one of the best evaluation criteria is the Building life cycle energy analysis,that, includes the embodied energy in the Building and the operating energy during the life of the Building. The present study consists of two steps,1-Library, statistical and descriptive study (selection of suitable options for life cycle energy optimization of Buildings) and 2-Case study (analysis of embodied energy of construction and operation of the Building through modeling in energy simulator software design Builder). The results of the life cycle energy analysis of a real educational Building in Tehran with a lifespan of 50 years, taking into account ground heating, in the three states of this Building,basic available, optimal and optimal with a green roof showed,That, the amount of life cycle energy of the studied Buildings is 51. 86, 44. 82 and 43. 89 GJ / m2, respectively. Also, the annual energy consumption during the operation period of the basic educational Building in Tehran was estimated to be equal to 0. 80 GJ / m2, although this amount was in the range of values provided in global research, but the amount of energy consumption during the operation period of this Building Compared to global cultivars, it is a large and significant amount. The overall results indicated,that, The energy consumption during the life of the studied Building in the optimal and optimal with a green roof state was less about 24, 220 GJ (equivalent to 3958 barrels of crude oil) and 27, 420 GJ (equivalent to 4480 barrels of crude oil), respectively, compared to the existing base state.

This paper examines the work of Immanuel Kant in the light of a new theory on the nature of truth, knowledge and falsehood (the Inversion Theory of Truth). Kant’s idea that knowledge could be absolutely certain, and that its truth must correspond with reality, is discredited by a dissection of the Correspondence Theory of Truth. This examination of the nature of truth, as well as knowledge and falsehood, is conducted with reference to Sir Karl Popper’s writings on regulative ideas, the criterion of demarcation and the principle of falsifiability. It is argued that if truth is to be regarded as certain, it should be used to describe objects and events in the objective (noumenal) state, and that subjective knowledge must contain (and is improved by) falsehood. Perceptions and knowledge are obtained by the biological and evolutionary process of Active Subjectivism. Ideas we have knowledge of can be metaphysical or scientific, according to Popper’s Criterion of Demarcation. Kant’s “Copernican revolution” claim that our intellect imposes absolutely true laws on nature could not allow for the possibility that ideas might be constructed from fallible perceptions, and hence that all knowledge is uncertain. Instead, he developed a Critique of Practical Reason in which religion, though not provable through logical reasoning, could be proved by our innate moral sense, giving us a Categorical Imperative that could lead to perverse results. By rejecting the absolute certainty of a priori knowledge, and admitting a degree of essential falsehood, we arrive at a more reasonable grounding for moral behavior.

In recent years, in system dynamics society has increased attention to qualitative approaches. One method of extracting models of qualitative system dynamics has been many used is a Group Model Building. In this method, clients are involved in the modeling process. But it has not been systematically studied to assess the effectiveness of Group modeling. Systematically assess is important because the following reasons: 1) understand the impact of this approach on the customer and target organizations; 2) Enhance the effectiveness of a modeling process. In this paper we have evaluated a Group modeling that was used in the design of aviation Technology Park by a questionnaire was filled out by participants after modeling sessions. The results of this survey indicate that participants acknowledged the importance, usefulness and the efficiency of these sessions. Also in the regard of meetings, open discussion, external facilitator and meetings as a group, using cause and effect diagrams, images and graphics to visualize the process, meetings outside the office environment, using workbook and the clear instructions in the meetings are important. Participants Expressed the Informal meetings have been useful.