---

A seldom collected parasitoid of the pine aphids, Praon bicolor Mackauer, 1959, was captured in Malaise traps, mounted near the pine forests of Alborz Province (north central of Iran). It is the first record of this species from Iran and from the central Asian area. A brief diagnosis according to the morphological characters is presented and the host range within the conifers aphid parasitoids is also discussed.

---

The fauna of the superfamily Bombylioidea was studied in Alborz province, Iran during 2012. Two families (Bombyliidae and Mythicomyiidae), eight genera and ten species were identified, of which two species, Exoprospora dispar Loew, 1869; Parageron lutescens (Bezzi, 1925), are new records for the Iranian fauna. An identification key for the species of the family Mythicomyiidae known from Iran is given.

---

Employees form an image of an organization's support and as results, attention to organizational goals and their realization. Their psychological empowerment allows organizations to be more flexible and responsive to changes. On the other hand, organizations need employees who are willing to step beyond the formal requirements of a job. Due to importance of these factors, this study examines the relationship between psychological empow­erment on job performance, with organizational citizenship behavior as a mediator. Statistical population is employees of Alborz Insurance Branches in Tehran that are a total of 270. The simple random sampling used and according to Cochran formula a sample of 159 were selected. To collect required data, a standard ques­tionnaire of Chiang and Hsieh (2012) was used. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling based on Lisrel was used to assess the structural mo­del. Results of testing hypotheses suggest that OCB mediate the relationship betw­een psychological empowerment and job performance and perceived organi­zational support has effect on job performance, but this effect was not accepted on OCB. Also, psychological empowerment has effect on job performance and OCB, and OCB has effect on job performance. 

---

View on Scopus

To expand study of Iranian Collembola fauna, the present study was conducted to investigate springtails fauna of different ecosystems such as forests, grasslands and gardens in the vicinity of Behshahr in the east of Mazandaran province, during 2020−2021. Several samples of soil and leaf litter were collected and specimens were extracted by Berlese funnel. Collected materials were identified by relevant taxonomic keys. The results indicated 29 species from 21 genera belonging to 10 families. Two species including Sminthurides inaequalis Börner, 1903 (Sminthurididae) and Hypogastrura neglecta Börner, 1901 (Hypogastruridae) were recorded for the first time from Iran. Despite numerous studies to identify Collembola fauna in Iran, many species are still unknown.

---

The aim of study it was carried out survey investigation of consumer attitudes toward organic agriculture. The study was a kind of applied and descriptive –correlational method. The research population was consumers of agricultural products in Alborz Province. Sample size was determine by Cochran's formula (n= 250). Proportional stratified random sampling method was used. Data was collected through an instrument that developed by researcher. Validity estimated by a panel of experts in University and Agriculture experts’ of jihad-e- keshavarzi department of Karaj city. Reliability was conducted by a Pilot test and Cronbach’s alpha coefficient assumed (0/75) which show its suit for research conduct. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software package. Research findings show that there is a significant difference between responces in diploma and graduate & post graduted level at the 0.05 level. Also there is positive relation between consume obstacle and factors affecting to use of organice agriculture with responcendents attitude.  

---

Food security and access to healthy food and its’ quality is the primary and most basic of human needs. Food Security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needsand food preference for an active and healthy life. The main purpose of the study was survey of the food insecurity situation and access to food in urban households of the Alborz Province. The research method was descriptive and Cross-correlation that was conducted by a survey. The population consists of all urban households in Alborz Province (N=652,466) and 185 households were chosen by the stratified random sampling method. The main instrument was a questionnaire where its’ validity confirmed by panel of experts in agricultural extension and education department at Tarbiat Modares and Tehran universities. Consistency and reliability of Research tools were assiumed by Cronbach’s alpha coefficient ( 0/74). The food security situation results show that 64/4 percent of households were in food safety category and 17/2 percent was in low levels of food insecurity, 10/3 percent were in medium food insecurity level and 8 percent were severely in food insecurity level. Also the results showed that there is significant differences at the 0/01  level in  food access Between urban households in Alborz Province, This mean that,  Nazarabad city households were in  highly level than the other households.  

---

---

Although the Iranian plateau has witnessed Paleolithic researches since the early twenty century, still little is known about the Paleolithic of Iran. There are several reasons for this situation and lack of scholarly enthusiasm on the part of Iranian archaeologists seems to be the most imperative one. Concerning the history of Paleolithic surveys and excavations conducted in Iran, three distinct phases are recognizable. First, from the beginning of the twenty century to the 1980 when numerous field missions were executed in this region all by western institutes, second phase observes a twenty years gap in the Paleolithic studies hence; only few surveys could be performed in this period, and the third phase starts with the reopening of the Iranian fields to the non-Iranian researchers, which led to the survey and excavation of handful of new Paleolithic sites. This article reviews Paleolithic researches conducted in Iran since the beginning of twenty century to the present time.

---

Nowadays, development is one of issues that have been important among geographers recently. Whereas public services stablish economic, social, cultural, physical and spatial form and nature of regions, thus inequity in their distribution and dispersion manner creates irreparable effect for regions structure and form, and appearance cause of types of development levels, and creates advantages for some regions. This reaearch aims analyzing development level of Alborz provinces counties. Thus, research method is comparative- analytical method, research type is practical, and data gathering is library way. Therefore Alborz counties have been categorized in having services aspect after nominating indicators (43 indicators) in 4 dimensions using TOPSIS, SAW, WASPAS, and Combinatorial (scores median) models, then plans priorities have been characterized according to public services dispersion for every county. Research findings show that Karaj, Sawojbolagh and Nazar Abad counties have the least development level, and Eshtehard and Taleghan have the highest development level (by scores 1 and 2) in  public services distribution aspect. Result of pearson correlation analysis shows that there is a logical relationship between population (as the most important factor in developing sercices) and sercices dispersion. Therefore, system of services distribution in Alborz province needs to create rational and harmonic relationship between population and services distribution.
 
 
 

---

The current research aimed to explore application of social network theory toward sustainable aquaculture system through Institutional Scientific Collaboration Network study conducted by interviews with key informants and follow-up organizational surveys at Alborz Watershed scale. The study was descriptive and explanatory, using social network analysis as a most analytical tool to systematically describe certain aspects of the social diversity and complexity of institutional scientific collaboration network. The needed data for social network analysis related to scientific collaborations in the form of research and scientific consulting, technical support, and implementation of joint project networks and was collected through a questionnaire. Research results revealed that the number of central actors in research and scientific consulting network was less than the other two networks. In this study, some powerful organizations such as the Institute of Ecology of the Caspian Sea and Shahid Rajai and Shahid Bahonar Reproduction Center had satisfactory research and scientific consultancy cooperation, as well as technical support for joint projects with other organizations, such as the Provincial Department of Fisheries, and Research Center for Agriculture and Natural Resources, which reflected dynamics of the organizations in the network. These three organizations can play a key role in the distribution of information, knowledge, and inter-sectoral cooperation among different institutions and can take responsibility of this process. If so, these organizations can develop a sustainable aquaculture in the basin of the Alborz Dam, based on scientific principles and in an interactive and dynamic path and, consequently, activate the implementation of projects and conducting scientific and executive studies by these organizations within the network. Although the approach is developed and tested using empirical social network data in the basin of Alborz watershed, the results can generally be useful for other regions and scales as well. Also, research finding could help in improving sustainable management through strengthening of intuitional scientific collaboration network and providing better understanding of the scientific needs and real interactions of diverse actors.
 

---

In the present research, the health belief model was used as a framework for understanding the factors affecting farmers’ intentions to engage in the on-farm food safety practices in Iran. The suggested model was empirically tested using the data collected from a survey of 230 lettuce producers of Alborz Province in northern Iran. The structural equation modeling technique was utilized to test the hypothesized relationships in the research model and confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine the validity and reliability of the measurement model. The results revealed that the perceived barrier was the most reliable predictor of the farmers’ intentions to engage in the on-farm food safety practices. Further, the variables including perceived benefit, self-efficacy, and cues to action were among the main predictors of the intention. Most notably, the threat perception variables, i.e. perceived susceptibility and severity, had no significant effects on the farmers’ intentions to engage in the on-farm food safety practices. Overall, the main components of the health belief model explained about 45.6% of the variance of intention. The findings gave preliminary support for the health belief model as a powerful framework for scrutinizing the intention to engage in food safety behaviors, offering a reasonable explanation for the farmers’ engagement intention in on-farm food safety practices, and providing practical information that can be incorporated into the development of more effective on-farm food safety interventions in Iran.
 

---

Careful and focused decision-making in the food sector reduces the challenges threatening food systems' stability. Besides, it can optimally control any changes that result in food shortages. The present study aimed to identify identifiable factors' effects on food insecurity using a dynamic system with an emphasis on consumption behaviors. A dynamic model was developed to understand the long-term interaction between individual characteristics, average cost, average income, and hygiene status, and a dynamic model was then validated and operationalized among 1,000 Alborz Province’s households randomly using a questionnaire. The base scenario for predicting food insecurity changes revealed that food insecurity had increased over ten years, resulting in changes in social and economic status and vulnerability of urban society. Four additional scenarios indicated that the average cost and income could directly affect the food insecurity status in Iran by indirectly influencing policies to increase food security, health, and hygiene. Individual characteristics and food security also influence food insecurity and reinforce the relationship between these variables. The study revealed that dynamic systems modeling could be a valuable tool for assessing food insecurity policies and their factors in developing countries.
 

---