Energy

Energy has been always the focus of attention since the establishment of the WTO.The significance of this issue was doubled when the major energy-producing countries states sought to join the WTO.To join the WTO,many energy-producing and energy-exporting states inevitably needed to modify and change their own laws.The adoption of a dual pricing policy by the applicant countries appears as one of the controversial issues in this regard.By determining lower energy prices for their domestic producers,the energy-rich countries provide them with a superior position relative to their international rivals.From the perspective of some energy-importing countries,such behaviors are seen as subsidizes.Iran as one of the largest energy-rich states,has been seeking about twenty years to join the WTO.Iran subsidizes its domestic producers to support its energy sector and infant industries.This article focused on examining the pricing policies,and in particular,the approach to determine the price of energy in Iran.In addition,we studied of the impact of the pricing method of the energy sector in Iran on the process of its accession to the WTO by a comparative evaluation of the accession process of the energy-producing countries such asRussia andSaudi Arabia to the WTO.Through studying the laws and regulations of the energy sector of Iran, one can realize that Iran has been distancing from DP in recent years and is striving to approach the price of its energy to the global price by benefiting fromthe experiences of the performance of the membercountries of the WTO aimed at accelerating the process of its accession to the WTO

Economic sanctions imposed on Heterogeneousstates have played an important role as a tool of pressure in recent decades. Considering that most non-conforming states with the US are important players on the energy market, a large part of this country’s sanctions policy has been focused on the energy sector. With the evolution of the US shale oil industry, using energy as a tool of sanctions against target countries has received increasing attention by US presidents in recent years. The US is using the geopolitical shift as an international strategy to compete with other powers in the energy sector such as Iran, Venezuela, and Russia. The US aims to use its energy embargo policy to curtail the influence of these players on the energy market and prevent their anti-American policies by fermenting economic crises within these countries. The question arises as to the extent of the effectiveness and sustainability of this US foreign policy strategy in a transitional international order. The article hypothesis is that due to inefficient unconventional resources in terms of market crisis, the rise of counter-hegemonic coalitions, and geopolitical tensions in regions such as the Middle East, one cannot be too optimistic about the sustainability of this situation. The authors of the article will endeavor to explain the above hypothesis within the framework of the hegemony theory and by using the trend-analysis technique, while addressing the driving forces.

The pipeline project, Nord Stream 2 (NS2), has been an issue of controversies. Russia and Germany consider the project an economic contract, but the United-States and Eastern European countries have concerns about its geopolitical effects. These disputes have created a divide in Europe and have posed a threat to trans-Atlantic relations. The current research suggests NS2 can influence the strategic balance between great powers in the international system, giving energy leverage to Russia against United-States, and consequently to China by strengthening projects like the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Our findings put forward that not only NS2, in case of realization, is a source of American decline, but also the debates on the issue are a sign of American struggling for protecting its precarious international position. By placing Europe in front of the United-States, NS2 could be one component of European strategic autonomy (ESA); meanwhile, it may jeopardize ESA by depending on Europe on Russia. Europe’s solution to gain ESA is to use its leverages such as normative one to manage the situation for outcomes like protecting Europe’s unity and economic interests.

We used the affective profiles model to investigate individual differences in motivation, stress and energy. The aim was to replicate past findings, but we also focused on matched comparisons within individuals with affective profiles that are similar in one affective dimension and differ in the other in order to predict changes when individuals increase/decrease their experience of positive or negative affect. Methods: <span class="fontstyle2">A total of 567 participants answered the Positive Affect and Negative Affect Schedule, which was used for affective profiling; the Situational Motivation Scale, which measures intrinsic motivation, identified regulation, external regulation, and amotivation; and the Stress-Energy questionnaire. Results: <span class="fontstyle2">Comparisons between the four different profiles, replicating the past findings, showed that individuals with high affective and self-fulfilling profile scored highest in intrinsic motivation, identified regulation, and energy, while they scored lowest in external motivation, amotivation, and the self-fulfilling profile, also lowest in stress. Additionally, the matched comparisons showed, for example, that levels of intrinsic motivation increase when negative affect levels decrease, and positive affect is kept high when positive affect decreases and negative affect is kept low. Conclusions: One important feature of the affective profiles model is the possibility to compare individuals that are similar in one affect dimension but differ in the other (Garcia, 2011, 2017). This way of discussing individual differences helps to predict what changes could be expected when individuals increase or decrease their experience of positive or negative affect. Importantly, the direction of these changes cannot be addressed from cross-sectional data

Recycling process is one of the most important processes in the trend of sustainable development, a logical reaction against the problems that results from industrial age. Building materials can play an important role in the process of a building formation or destruction, in fact, materials forms the building nature. Thus, the role of material and the impact of its recycling in sustainable development context cannot be ignored. Also, due to the rate of destruction and renewals that exist in cities and considering to the point that almost half of fuel storages are consumed in the buildings, the mass of materials that are sources of potential energy, should not be ignored. So, it is obvious that finding a fundamental solution in this area is necessary. In terms of research performance, this study is qualitative and as descriptive-comparative investigation and selection of the concepts is based on library and documentary methods, surveying some characteristics of recycling which in terms of quality and technique effect on architecture has been attempted in this research. Therefore, the role of recycling materials and the importance of their potential energy in the trend of sustainable development are investigated in this paper by descriptive-comparative method and appropriate and optimum solutions provided in order to reduce energy consumption in the field of construction and building materials.

Predicting unexpected incidents and energy consumption decline is one of the current problems in the industry. The extant study addressed parallel machine scheduling by consideration of failures and energy consumption decline. Moreover, the present paper aimed at minimizing early and late delivery penalties, and enhancing tasks. This research designed a mathematical model for this problem that considered processing times, delivery time, rotation speed and torque, failure time, and machine availability after repair and maintenance. Failure times have been predicated on using machine learning algorithms. The results indicated that the proposed model can be suitably solved for the size of 10 jobs or tasks and five machines. This research addresses the problem in two parts: the first part predicts failures, and the second part includes the sequence of parallel machine scheduling operations. After the previous data were received in the first step, machine failure was predicted by using machine learning algorithms, and a set of rules were obtained to correct the process. The obtained rules were used in the model to improve the machining process. In the second step, scheduling mode was used to determine operations sequence by consideration of these failures and machinery unavailability to achieve the optimal sequence. Moreover, it is supposed to reduce energy consumption and failures. This study used the Light GBM algorithm and achieved 85% precision in failure prediction. The rules obtained from this algorithm contributed to cost reduction.

This research applies an interdisciplinary method of discussion to read George Martin’s A Game of Thrones, an epic fantasy, under the light of Nancy Katherine Hayles’ theories concerning modern laws of physics and literature. The plot of the novel has prominent intricacy with vulnerability and flightiness of its storyline and characters which remains open to abundant literary interpretations. This article uses thermodynamics to refer to a type of physics concerned with temperature and heat, and their link to energy, entropy and the physical qualities of radiation and matter. The conduct of these quantities is ruled by thermodynamic laws that transfer a perceptible description utilizing quantifiable macroscopic physical features. This research traces them within the system of Westeros, a fictitious continent enduring countless tensions and wars, in which entropy is manifested metaphorically. Martin shows how thermodynamics and entropy function and bring chaos, and bases his fantasy on the violation of scientific laws to epitomize the ontology of physics and give meaning to his imaginary world. Regarding this, the researchers show and conclude how Martin interplays physics and literature to decipher the reality of this chaotic world and propose a realistic framework to see the mechanism of universe in fantasy and reality.

The aim of this paper is to dissociate Metaphysics and Theology. In Metaphysics, I propose a Neutral Monist foundation of the Being of Reality, which is, therefore, not material or ideal, but a cosmic field of possibilities that generates both domains. God is conceived as one possibility embedded in the Being of Reality that may or may not become actual, depending on conditions established by the evolution of the Cosmos.As far as we know, the conditions for the actualization of God are satisfied by human consciousness. The relation between the Being of Reality and its outcomes, as the realization of God in human society, is one of actualization of potentialities, as in Aristotelian philosophy. This approach leads to a Feuerbachian view of God as emergent in social conscious experience, achieving embodied expression in human social practices, from the legitimate symbolic message of prophets, in sacred texts, rituals, images, buildings, and social institutions implemented by religious organizations.

The contemporary political and economic relations between Iran and India, two major Asian powers are affected by various domestic, regional and international elements, especially after the Islamic revolution in Iran in 1979. The gradual increase of economic and political power of India in the regional and global interactions and the dominance of Look East Doctrine in the attitude of some of the Iranian decision-makers have caused both countries plan and pursue a new level of relations in terms of a strategic relationship framework. The relations between Iran and India have gone through many changes in the recent years such as energy security, nuclear program, relations between India and America and developments in Afghanistan. These developments have, on the one hand, created many limitations and on other hand many opportunities for the extension of bilateral relations between both countries. The question that arises now is whether Iran and India could enter the field of strategic alliance with each other? Iran and India share historical and cultural relations with strong roots and both countries are after a balanced and multi-polar power system against the America's unipolar system. It is to be noted that the way is paved for their political, economic and transportation cooperation among others. The hypothesis is that common interests and mutual vulnerabilities have strengthened the capacities for bilateral cooperation in the fields of economy and security. However,  the formation of  a strategic relationship between the two countries seems difficult due to the strategic relations between India and America, India and Israel and a lack of common vision on the power structure in international system.

In the wake of US withdrawal of Iran nuclear deal, or JCPOA, and re-imposition of sanctions, Iranian policymakers came down gradually in favor of cooperation with the East, chief among them China, culminating in the signing of 25-year Iran-China and the adoption of Iran’s Look East Strategy in 2021. Considering the changing flux in Iran’s diplomacy toward the regional cooperation and ever-increasing Sino-Iranian rapprochement, the main question of this contribution is about the effect of Sino-Iranian rapprochement on India, one of Iran’s biggest Asian trading partners. The main hypothesis states that Sino-Iranian rapprochement has led India to expand the scope of its connectivity projects through Iran, throwing spoke in the wheel of China’s Belt and Road Initiative in South and Central Asia. Constructivist Institutionalism (CI) developed by Hay was adopted as the theoretical framework. The methodology used for this research is based upon qualitative methodology and discourse analysis to focus on Iran and India relations in the context of Iran’s Look East strategy. Our findings indicate that Indian policy makers are following the Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam principle in their engagement with Iran, seeking to increase Iran-India ties in the face of Chinese competition with long-term strategic and security deal. As part of India’s civilizational role in the Central Asia and a response to growing Chinese footprints in the region, India has undertaken certain concrete measures such as institutionalization of India-Central Asia summit on a multi-lateral framework and inclusion of Iran’s Chabahar port in the International North-South Corridor. The research findings reveal that the corporate remains the weak link in the chain of the state-temple-corporate complex of the Hindu nationalist BJP in relation to Iran. India is also set to lock in cooperation with Iran through long-term strategic deal, institutionalizing security cooperation, and strengthening the private sector participation in Chabahar project.

Southeast Asian countries have always been the focus of oil producers due to the increase in population and the trend of economic growth. In the last two decades, Indonesia has been prioritized as one of the new markets for Iran due to its high population and forecast to become the fifth largest economy in the world and the upward trend of energy demand. The purpose of this research is to investigate the capacities of Indonesia using the documentary library research method. Indonesia is a developing country and has an increasing economic and population growth trend, which is facing an increasing demand for energy. For this reason, this market is always the focus of major oil producers.The results of this research show that the refinery capacity of Indonesia's need for petroleum products in the form of joint venture or take-off method to create a sales chain in this country can increase its dependence on Iran. And as a result, more market share can be obtained and also the joint investment cooperation in the upstream development sector with Indonesian oil companies in the direction of developing its fields is also significant. The first question in this research is “what are the capacities of joint cooperation with Indonesia in the field of oil industry”, and the second question is “what are the capacities of joint cooperation between Iran and Indonesia in the field of oil industry?”