In the response phase the most important step is to assess disaster after occurrence. By disaster assessment, we can obtain all the needed information for controlling, decision-making and also disaster planning. Lack of disaster assessment causes you to make unsuitable decisions based on limited or inadequate data which leads to imperfect disaster response. According to IFRC, disaster response operation will have an unsuitable function without disaster assessment. This paper presents the principles and concepts of disaster assessment.

Background: In spite of many advantages in Lenke classification of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, the latest study of Richards et al showed that the King classification is better than had been reported recently and the Lenke classification system of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is less reliable than previously reported.Methods: In this study, we performed a multi-surgeon comparison of these two classification systems. After teaching and discussing all available data of these classification systems with four spine surgeons, a pilot classification was performed. Then, they independently evaluated preoperative radiographs (standing posteroanterior, lateral, and two supine side-bending views) of 99 patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. The results were determined by calculating the average percentage of intraobserver and interobserver agreement. reliability was quantified using kappa statistics.Findings: The King classification demonstrated good intraobserver and interobserver reliability, with an intraobserver agreement of 85.8% (kappa coefficient, 0.80). Interobserver percentage of agreement averaged 80.8% (kappa coefficient, 0.74). The complete Lenke classification, combining curve type, lumbar modifier, and sagittal thoracic modifier, demonstrated good reliability for both intraobserver and interobserver measurements. The intraobserver percentage of agreement averaged 85.8% (kappa coefficient, 0.82). The interobserver percentage of agreement averaged 80.8% (kappa coefficient, 0.77).Conclusion: In this study, with each investigator performing the radiographic measurements, the King and Lenke classifications were almost similar (the Lenke classification had slightly better results). Such better results might be due to more training of this complex classification system. So, because of greater coverage of idiopathic scoliosis curve and usefulness of Lenke classification system, we prefer using this classification system in our center.

Ottawa Mental State assessment Tool (OMSAT) was originally published to be a measure of mental fitness for English speaking athletes. However, its Farsi translation in gaining popularity in Iran. Because of the the growing interest in using Farsi translation of OMSAT, this study aimed to measure the reliability of this niventory. Subjects were 337 male athletes who filled in OMSAT questionnair. The normative data were submitted to calculating Cronbach coefficient alpha. Internal consistency was found among questions measuring 12 claimed components. Alpha obtained for two components (goal setting and refocusing) was low. Alpha obtaind for other components was ranged from. 6892 to . 8084 . The results suggest that using Farsi translation of OMSAT should be accompanied with caution. Questions 3,5,9,37,44,56,57, and 63 need corrections and reconsiderations.

Dynamic soil properties are very important topic in geotechnical earthquake engineering due to associated with dynamic loading. Probabilistic analysis of dynamic soil properties is as effective tools to evaluate uncertainty of soil parameters. In this paper, Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) is used for reliability assessment of dynamic soil properties. For this purpose, a famous model is selected for predicting normalized shear modulus reduction and damping ratio curves. The selected stochastic parameters are internal friction angle, dry and saturated unit weight of soil which is modeled using normal probability distribution functions. To assess the reliability of dynamic soil parameters a computer model is developed for generating input parameter uncertainties. The results show that the shear modulus and damping ratio have more uncertainty for middle range of shear strain. The sensitivity analysis’ s results show that saturated unit weight is the most effective parameter in shear modulus and damping ratio.

Performance of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Urmia, Khoy, Miandoab, Salmas, and Bookan were evaluated during the years 2008 to 2011 based on the reliability approach. The approach predicts the overall performance of WWTPs and their processes and, thereby, makes the screening of treatment technologies possible. The required BOD5, COD, and TSS data were collected using the records available at West Azerbayejan Water and Wastewater Company, local surveys, and interviews with operators. Statistical analysis was performed by SPSS. The valid Niku modeling was employed to calculate the Rmeasured, Revaluated, COR, and expected percentages of compliance with discharge standards and a significant relationship was found among these parameters. The results also showed the log normal distribution of effluent characteristics. Furthermore, SBR and biolac processes exhibited higher values of Rmeasured (90-100%), Revaluated (93-100%), and expected percentages of compliance with the discharge standards (95-99.97%) in all the WWTPs studied but lower values of COR (0.41-0.64) than those in aerated lagoons. The coefficients obtained in this study can, therefore, be used for the development and construction designs of similar systems.

The Big Five Inventory (BFI) is one of the most widely used personality questionnaires, but very few studies have been conducted on its psychometric properties in Iranian population. This study was carried out with the aim of studying the psychometric properties of the BFI questionnaire. For this purpose, 390 university students in Tehran (210 girls and 180 boys) with an age range of 18 to 56 years (M = 27.52; SD = 8.79) were selected using the convenience sampling method and completed BFI and NEO-FFI questionnaires. Cronbach's alpha, multitrait-multimethod matrix, and confirmatory factor analysis were used to estimate the psychometric properties of the questionnaire. The result of the confirmatory factor analysis showed that 15 of the 44 items did not have a strong factor loading (higher than 0.40) on the corresponding factors and were therefore removed from the questionnaire. The fit indices showed that the Persian version of 29 questions (BFI-29) with 5 factors has a good fit with the data. The reliability analysis also showed that the range of Cronbach's alpha coefficients of the factors is from 0.70 to 0.79. The lowest Cronbach's alpha coefficient was related to agreeableness factor and the highest was related to conscientiousness. The findings from the multitrait-multimethod matrix showed that the BFI-29 questionnaire has good convergent and divergent validity with the NEO-FFI questionnaire. In general, based on the results of the present study, it can be said that the BFI-29 questionnaire has desirable psychometric properties and whenever a short tool for personality measurement is needed, this questionnaire can be used.

This study investigated psychometric properties of the Self-assessment Manikin (SAM) for measuring emotion in Iran. Data came from the undergraduate students of Tabriz University. This study was designed and carried out in two stages. Via cluster sampling, 128 students participated in the study to provide a measure of reliability of the 9 items researcher-made test in order to evaluate pleasure and arousal. In the second study, 92 students were chosen to determine the validity and reliability of SAM. Validity qualities were obtained through Pearson correlation and repeated measurements ANOVA. reliability was evaluated by using testretest (done at two weeks apart) and Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Cronbach's alpha for the researcher-made test was 0.89 and 0.83 for the pleasure and arousal dimensions, respectively. Test retest reliability coefficient for SAM and researcher made test was in the range of 0.55-0.78. Concurrent validity ranged from 0.56 to 0.87 and the criterion validity was acceptabl. The results of the present study demonstrated that Self-assessment Manikin (SAM) has promising validity and reliability and could be applicable to clinical practice and future researches in Iran.

High ability of Mont Carlo simulation techniques has been led to ever increasing application of such methods in a wide variety of different fields including structural reliability.This specific approach has been based on event simulation using random sample process and evaluation of their results. Accurate precision requires considerable amount of simulation operations. Using various strategies, one can obtain the acceptable precision with less samples.The Importance Sampling Method(ISM) and Conditional Expectation Method (CEM)are among the examples of such methods and have shown satisfactory performance in structural reliability during the past experiences. In this article a hybrid method has been used and combined with ISM and CEM approaches using a high efficient algorithm to calculate structural reliability. In this approach with the help of high ability of ISM and using the optimum sampling function configuration, the sampling operation could be done in CEM and the failure probability will be evaluated Typical samples in the article reveal the high efficiency of this approach in solving the reliability problems. In this paper the acceptable ability of the algorithm in solving the time variant reliability of structures according to a real case has been shown.