Water Table Effects on the Behaviors of the Reinforced Marine Soil-footing System

This study evaluates the effects of a water table on the behaviors of a geogrid reinforced soil-footing system on marine soft soil layers in Qeshm Island, Iran. The main aim of this research is to recommend the optimum specification of the reinforced soil-footing system. A series of geotechnical tests were adopted to measure the properties of the soil profile. The impacts of the water table and the geogrid layer specifications were evaluated by the finite element analysis to investigate the system’s behaviors. Finally, the optimal reinforced soil-footing is suggested. Doi: 10.28991/HEF-2021-02-03-09 Full Text: PDF

Female Genital Mutilation of African-Descent Iranians in Qeshm Island

Background: This article investigates the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) as a long-held custom in Qeshm Island, which makes many African-descended women face different physical and psychological health problems.Objective: To investigate the prevalence of female genital mutilation in Qeshm Island and the traditional mode of thinking of Afro-Iranian people of the Island about this practice.Methods: This study is based on the descriptive analysis method. The questions of the study are (a) Why female genital mutilation is still practiced in Qeshm Island; (b) What are the mental and physical effects of female genital mutilation on women; and (c) How government or NGOs are fighting against this tradition. The results: This article has found out that female genital mutilation resulted in many lifelong diseases and sexual degradation in African-descended women of Qeshm Island. This article also illustrates that the best way to combat this wrong tradition is to inform people by gradual training without any insult to their beliefs.Conclusion: This study reveals the prevalence of a false tradition and the necessity of behavioral change. In doing so, the government and NGOs' strong actions and attracting the support of the community elders are also needed.

Pattern Recognition on Seismic Data for EarthquakePrediction Purpose

Earthquakes has been known as a destructive natural disaster. Due to high human casualties and economical losses, earthquake prediction appears critical. The b-value of Gutenberg Richter law has been considered as precursor to earthquake prediction. Temporal variation of b-value before earthquakes equal or greater than Mw = 6.0 has been examined in the south of Iran, the Qeshm island and around of this from 1995 to 2012. Clustering method by the k-means algorithm has been performed to find pattern of variation of b-value. Three clusters are obtained as optimum number of clusters by the Silhouette Index. Before all mentioned earthquakes greater than Mw = 6.0, cluster 1, which is known as a decrease in b-value has been seen. so decreasing b-value before main shocks as distinctive pattern has been considered. Also an approximate time of decrease has been determined.

A new species of Adamystis Cunliffe (Acari: Trombidiformes: Adamystidae) from mangrove in the Persian Gulf, Iran, with a key to world species of the genus

Adamystis persiangulfensis sp. nov. is described based on female, male, tritonymph, deutonymph and larva stages collected in the littoral zone of mangrove forests in Qeshm Island, in the eastern part of the Persian Gulf, southern Iran. This new species is distinguished by having two pairs of adoral setae; chelicera with one seta; palpal tarsus with 14 setae; idiosoma with one poorly defined (weakly sclerotized) shield; dorsum laterally at least with 19 pairs of lens-like structures and five pairs of aggenital setae (ag1–5). Additionally, an identification key to known species of Adamystis is updated.