Mashhad City In Iran Research Articles

Urban greenway planning: Identifying optimal locations for active travel corridors through individual mobility assessment

Greenways are planned for various goals including nature conservation and promoting mobility by foot or bike in urban areas. A challenge associated with designed greenways pertains to their underutilization for mobility. Due to their multi-functionality greenways are usually not designed with a focus on active mobility, and thus, do not necessarily correspond with daily mobility patterns. This study addresses this issue by devising a methodology for the identification of optimal locations for active urban greenways within a metropolitan expanse, strategically aligned with the day-to-day pursuits of its inhabitants. Distinguished from prior greenway research, this investigation emphasizes individual mobility and adds a novel perspective to greenway planning. The method was tested in the city of Mashhad in Iran. By employing the Analytic Hierarchy Process methodology in conjunction with a Geographic Information System (GIS) and a gravity formula, a meticulous selection process yielded 19 nodes (sites) deemed most suitable for greenway implementation, selected from a pool of 93 prospective nodes. These findings offer pragmatic insights into the expansion of greenways tailored to the daily activities of urban inhabitants, thus complementing established greenway paradigms and strengthening the mobility dimension and active travel corridors in urban greenway planning.

Semi-Additive Integer-Valued Production Technology for Analyzing Public Hospitals in Mashhad

Conventional Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) models assume real-valued input-output data and ignore the collaboration among decision-making units (DMUs) in the analysis of efficiency. This paper proposes a novel DEA production technology that is capable of dealing with the collaboration concept and resource sharing for both integer and real-valued data in the efficiency measurement and target setting. This is accomplished by way of a mixed integer linear programming (MILP) efficiency analysis model. We also deal with the computational aspect of the proposed model and invent a MILP with the computational complexity of [Formula: see text] rather than [Formula: see text]. We explain the proposed models by numerical examples and graphical illustrations. We apply our models for efficiency analysis of 15 governmental (public) hospitals in Mashhad City in Iran and demonstrate the practical relevance and advanced future of the proposed methods.

Factors Affecting the Quality of Sexual Life in Iranian Elderly Men With Andropause

Objectives Andropause is the common term for menopause in older men, which is characterized by a decrease in testosterone levels. Many elderly men with andropause have difficulty or are embarrassed to talk about sexual topics, which causes a lack of information or wrong beliefs and attitudes towards this issue, especially among families. The existing studies in Iran have not had a deep and special attention on this issue. Therefore, this study aims to qualitatively investigate the factors affecting the quality of sexual life in Iranian elderly men with andropause. Methods & Materials This is a qualitative study conducted in 2022 using the content analysis method. Using a purposeful sampling method, 14 elderly men with andropause were selected from among those who visited five health centers in different areas of Mashhad city in Iran. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview. Data analysis was done at the same time as sampling by using the conventional content analysis method. MAXQD software was used for data management. Results The mean age of the participants was 70 years. Eight men had primary education, three had middle school education, one had a high school diploma, and two were illiterate. The findings included 290 codes, 19 subcategories, 9 categories, and 3 themes. The themes were perceived sexual impotence, non-sexual feelings and experiences, and the desire to have an active sexual life. Conclusion The result of in-depth interviews with the elderly with andropause showed the components that can be addressed by officials and researchers for facilitating appropriate planning in this area. The knowledge of the existing situation and how the affecting factors can be the basis of new studioes in this field.

Investigation and Prediction of the Land Use/Land Cover (LU/LC) and Land Surface Temperature (LST) Changes for Mashhad City in Iran during 1990–2030

Studies on how cities are affected by urban heat islands (UHI) are critical nowadays for a better understanding of the connected effects and for providing helpful insights for sustainable city development planning. In this study, Landsat-5 Thematic Mapper (TM), Landsat-7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper+ (ETM+), and Landsat-8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) images were used to assess the dynamics of the spatiotemporal pattern of land use/land cover (LU/LC) and land surface temperature (LST) in the metropolitan city of Mashhad, Iran in the period between 1990 and 2019. The Markov chain model (MCM) was used to predict LU/LC and LST for 2030. In the analyzed LU/LC maps, three LU/LC classes were distinguished, including built-up land (BUL), vegetated land (VL), and bare land (BL) using the maximum likelihood (ML) classification method. The collected data showed different variations in the geographical pattern of Mashhad LST during the research period that impacted the LST in this metropolis. The study evaluated the variations in LU/LC classes and evaluated their impact on the LST. The value of the LST was positively correlated with the occurrence of the built-up land (BUL), and with the bare land areas, while it was negatively correlated with the occurrence of the VL areas. The analysis of changes observed over three decades with 10-year intervals and the prediction of the LU/LC and LST for 2030 constitute an important contribution to the delineation of the dynamics of long LU/LC and LST records. These innovative results may have an important impact on policymaking fostering environmental sustainability, such as the control and management of urban expansion of Mashhad in connection with UHI.

An optimization framework for COVID-19 vaccine allocation and inventory management: A case study

As the novel coronavirus pandemic wreaked havoc globally, governments have implemented massive vaccination programs to tackle it. However, since the pandemic’s emergence moves beyond the second year, some issues have stymied vaccination programs, including vaccine hesitancy, vaccine distribution inequality, new strains of the virus, and a possibility that the virus enters a stage of a requirement for cyclical vaccination. These challenges highlight the need for an appropriate mass COVID-19 vaccination program. Therefore, we attempt to address this problem by developing a bi-objective integrated vaccine allocation and inventory management framework. The goal is to minimize the system costs while maximizing the vaccination service level. Several important factors, such as multiple types of vaccines, the vaccines’ perishability concept, demand uncertainty, and motivational strategy, have been addressed using dynamic planning. Besides that, the model development mechanism is carried out to be compatible and applicable to the current general vaccination program policies, forcing few strategic changes. Then, a case study concerning the vaccination program of the city of Mashhad in Iran is applied to the model. The results demonstrated significant advantages in total cost, vaccine shortage, and wastage compared to the current policy. Finally, the Lagrangian relaxation method is implemented on the model to strengthen further its capacity to handle larger-scale problems.

Optimising and investigating the effect of leaf area index, soil depth, and water content on energy conservation and pollutant reduction in green roof systems (case study: Mashhad City)

In this study, the effect of leaf area index, soil depth, and water content on the energy conservation and carbon emission was evaluated in building industry. For this purpose, firstly Design Builder software was employed to model a green roof on a 160 m2 building located in the cold and dry climate of Mashhad City in Iran. The results showed that energy conservation in the building has a direct relationship with the soil layer thickness (up to 40 cm) and an inverse relationship with the soil water content. A two-fold increase in the LAI improved energy conservation performance of the green roof by 14%. After estimating the effect of green roofs on pollutant emissions, it was found that the highest emission reduction would be related to NOx with the amount of 1,577.1 tons in warm seasons and 2,073 tons in cold seasons.

Modeling of a novel nanofluid-based concentrated photovoltaic thermal system coupled with a heat pump cycle (CPVT-HP)

• A nanofluid-based CPVT system coupled with a domestic heat pump is proposed. • An acceptable agreement between CFD and optical analysis results and experimental data. • The effects of CPVT parameters on performance of the proposed system is studied. • The optimal nanofluid mass flow rate of 0.01382 kg/s is obtained. • A significant improvement in performance of the proposed CPVT-HP system is obtained. The concentrated photovoltaic thermal (CPVT) system is one of the heat and power generation systems that have received special attention in recent decades. In this paper, a novel CPVT system with Al 2 O 3 nanofluid flow into porous channel coupled with a domestic heat pump (CPVT-HP) is evaluated from energy, exergy and economics viewpoints. In addition, mass flow rate of the nanofluid through the CPVT is thermo-economically optimized. The study is divided into three parts of Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis of the CPVT, optical analysis of parabolic trough concentrator (PTC) and thermo-economic analysis of the proposed CPVT-HP system. The continuity, Brinkman momentum and energy equations are employed as governing equations for CFD analysis considering the average solar flux using optical calculations. Then, energy-exergy-economic optimization is performed on the proposed domestic CPVT-HP system in Mashhad city of Iran during November to February. The validation results show that the numerical simulation obtained for the proposed model has an acceptable agreement with the experimental data. Results show that with increasing the nanofluid mass flow rate, the PV cell temperature and nanofluid outlet temperature decease which lead to increases in PV cell efficiency and CPVT energy efficiency while the exergy efficiency of the CPVT system decreases. It is also found that the maximum performance of the porous channel collector is obtained for the pore diameter and the porosity of 0.9 mm and 95%, respectively. Finally, based on energy-exergy-economic analysis and Pareto method, the optimal nanofluid mass flow rate of the integrated CPVT-HP system is achieved equal to 0.01382 kg/s.

Acupuncture for migraine prophylaxis

Acupuncture is a portion of traditional Chinese medicine and has been used for Health care over 3,000 years in China. A migraine is a relatively common medical condition that can severely affect the quality of life of the sufferer and his or her family. Migraine is ranked by the World Health Organization as the 19th disease world-wide to cause disability; epidemiological studies of headache in Asia reported consistent findings that the prevalence ranged from 8.4% to 12.7%. Objective: To assess the efficacy of acupuncture in migraine prophylaxis. Patients and method: This study was carried out on 40 known case of migraineurs from both genders, aged 20-50 years. Migraineurs were randomly divided into 2 groups, 20 cases in each group, first group (control group) received medical treatment i.e. propranolol 40mg tid while 2nd group (acupuncture group) received 15 sessions of real acupuncture for 12 weeks, These forty migraineurs were treated in Emam Reza Hospital in Mashhad city in Iran and in private clinic of Dr. Mojtabavi over a period from December 2011 till March 2012. Statistical analysis was done by using SPSS in which independent t-test was used to compute significance. Result: There were significant differences between the acupuncture and control groups throughout the treatment periods on numbers of attacks and intensity of pain i.e. there is significant decrease, in numbers of migraine attacks and intensity of pain, more in patients treated with acupuncture than those treated with the medical therapy (propranolol). Conclusion: acupuncture is more effective, in reducing the frequency of attacks and intensity of the pain, than medical treatment for migraine prophylaxis.

A hybrid computational intelligence approach for bioremediation of amoxicillin based on fungus activities from soil resources and aflatoxin B1 controls

Nowadays, releasing the Emerging Pollutants (EPs) in the nature is one of the main reasons for many health and environmental disasters. Amoxicillin as an antibiotic is one of the EPs and categorized as the Endocrine Disrupting Compounds (EDCs) in hazardous materials. Accumulation of amoxicillin in the soil bulk increases the cancer risk, drug resistances and other epidemiological diseases. Hence, the soil bioremediation of antibiotics can be a solution for this problem which is more environmental-friendly system. This study technically creates a bio-engine setup in soil bulk for remediation of amoxicillin based on Aspergillus Flavus (AF) activities and Removal Percentage (RP) of amoxicillin with Aflatoxin B1 Generation (AG) controls. The main novelty is to propose a hybrid computational intelligence approach to do optimization for mechanical and biological aspects and to predict the behavior of bio-engine's effective mechanical and biological features in an intelligent way. The optimization model is formulated by the Central Composite Design (CCD) which is set by the Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The prediction model is formulated by the Random Forest (RF), Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) and Random Tree (RT) algorithms. According to the experimental practices from real soil samples in different times and places, concentration of amoxicillin and Aflatoxin B1 are set equal to 25 mg/L (ppm) and 15 μg/L (ppb). Likewise, the outcomes of experiments in CCD-RSM computations are evaluated by curve fitting comparisons between linear, 2FI, quadratic and cubic polynomial equations with considering to regression coefficient and predicted regression coefficient values, ANOVA and optimization by sequential differentiation. Based on the results of CCD-RSM, the RP performance in the optimum conditions is measured around 86% and in 25 days after runtime, the RP and AG are balanced in the safe mode. The proposed hybrid model achieves the 0.99 accuracy. The applicability of the research is done using real field evaluations from drug industrial park in Mashhad city in Iran. Finally, a broad analysis is done and managerial insights are concluded. The main findings of the present research are: (I) with application of bioremediation from fungus activities, amoxicillin amounts can be control in soil resources with minimum AG, (II) ANFIS model has the best accuracy for smart monitoring of amoxicillin bioremediation in soil environments and (III) based on the statistical assessments Aeration Intensity and AF/Biological Waste ratio are most effective on the amoxicillin removal percentage.

Relationships Between Virtual Reality Experiences, Experiential Relationship Quality and Experiential Advocacy: The Case of Virtual Reality Park

Advances in virtual reality technology have had an increasing impact on tourism, changing the way tourists experience a destination or attraction, allowing them to have a more interactive and diverse experience. This study aims to examine the relationships between the virtual reality experiences dimensions, the experiential relationship quality dimensions and experiential advocacy. A convenience sample of 344 tourists who visited at one virtual reality park in Mashhad City of Iran was surveyed. The results indicate that among virtual reality experiences of immersion, interaction and illusion have a positive effect on experiential satisfaction and experiential satisfaction has a direct and indirect effect on experiential advocacy through experiential loyalty. Ultimately, experiential trust does not directly, but through experiential loyalty, lead to the formation of experiential advocacy. The results will assist virtual reality park management in developing and implementing market-orientated service strategies to increase perceptions of the dimensions of virtual reality experiences, the experiential relationship quality dimensions and create experiential advocacy.

A New Integrated Approach for Municipal Landfill Siting Based on Urban Physical Growth Prediction: A Case Study Mashhad Metropolis in Iran

Due to irregular and uncontrolled expansion of cities in developing countries, currently operational landfill sites cannot be used in the long-term, as people will be living in proximity to these sites and be exposed to unhygienic circumstances. Hence, this study aims at proposing an integrated approach for determining suitable locations for landfills while considering their physical expansion. The proposed approach utilizes the fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP) to weigh the sets of identified landfill location criteria. Furthermore, the weighted linear combination (WLC) approach was applied for the elicitation of the proper primary locations. Finally, the support vector machine (SVM) and cellular automation-based Markov chain method were used to predict urban growth. To demonstrate the applicability of the developed approach, it was applied to a case study, namely the city of Mashhad in Iran, where suitable sites for landfills were identified considering the urban growth in different geographical directions for this city by 2048. The proposed approach could be of use for policymakers, urban planners, and other decision-makers to minimize uncertainty arising from long-term resource allocation.

Indexing the engineering properties of residual soils in the southern slopes of Mashhad, NE Iran

Residual soils are weathering products of rocks that are commonly found under unsaturated conditions. The properties of residual soils are a function of the degree of weathering. A series of index properties, engineering properties and geophysics survey examinations were performed on residual soils from two major geological formations in Iran. In the present research, the index properties of residual soils in the south of Mashhad city in Iran are investigated. Natural and artificial trenches were analyzed for evaluating the weathering profiles and collecting soil samples. Disturbed and undisturbed samples were obtained from each of the soil profile horizons resulting from weathering of different parent rocks. Subsequently, physical properties and mechanical properties of the soil samples were determined in accordance with ASTM standards. Also, the mineralogical composition, chemistry, and texture of the soil were evaluated in 51 profiles. The field observations showed the difference in the weathering profile of residual soils deposited on various rocks (igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic). These profiles mainly consisted of two horizons including residual soil on top and saprolite at the bottom. The results of laboratory tests and geotechnical data showed that the properties of residual soil samples change by depth. Moreover, depending on the type of origin rock, the properties are different in various types of residual soils. In most of the samples, the moisture content of soil horizons was also increased by depth. Based on the unified soil classification (USCS), the soils of the upper horizons appeared to be classified as ML (Lean silt) and CL (Lean clay) while the soils of the lower horizons (saprolite zone) fall in SC (clayey sand), SM (silty sand), and SW (well-graded sand) classes. Moreover, the results demonstrated that the particle size of the soil was increased by depth. Comparison of results of the geotechnical tests showed that properties of residual soils are changed by variations of depth, weathering level, and type of parent rock. Considering the concentration of the number of lines and the concentration of the points of intersection, the length and dimension fractal of lineaments in the southeastern part of the study area, it is evident that this zone possesses weathering severity and soil thickness. Fieldwork data from this zone have also verified the severity of weathering conditions. The analysis of lineaments trends in different parts of the study area indicated that the lineaments with the NW-SE trend have a strong effect on weathering development. The weathering depth depends on the orientation of bedding joints with respect to the slope in the study area. Slope inclination and soil thickness are controlled by weathering and erosion processes.

Performance analysis of light shelves in providing visual and thermal comfort and energy savings in residential buildings

Using light shelves (LSs) is one of the passive-enhancement methods for energy saving and providing better thermal comfort conditions of the building users. The goal of this research is to create a consistent daylight environment that improves the visual and thermal comfort of users in buildings. Comfort effects on the four fronts of a building (in the Pars residential complex of Mashhad city in Iran as a case study) are investigated. Five types of LSs are suggested for improving the building’s thermal and visual conditions. Then, the illuminance analysis is performed for the building with and without the LSs. Horizontal and vertical LSs are considered in building to enhance visual quality and uniformity of daylight in the building space. According to the highest and lowest light intensity in the investigated spaces, the LS that provides optimal visual conditions for space is selected. Then, the role of optimum LS in thermal comfort and energy indicators (heating, cooling, and electricity) has been investigated and compared with the base situation. Analyzing the results reveals that using the optimal LS causes an annual average improvement of 18%, 11%, and 7% in the demand for heating, cooling, and electricity, respectively, of the building throughout the year.

Evaluating the environmental performance of the growing media in a green wall system in a dry climate region

Application of green walls still has not attracted interest among the contractors and people, and this can be due to poor growing performance of the plants on these systems. This study investigated the effect of four growing media types (30% cocopeat + 65% perlite + 5% vermicompost, 30% soil + 65% perlite + 5% vermicompost, 30% mushroom compost + 65% perlite + 5% vermicompost and regular soil as the control) on the performance of three plant species (Frankenia thymfolia, Vinca minor, and Potentilla sp.) on green walls under arid climate of Mashhad city in Iran. In the control growing medium with no organic matter, Frankenia maintained the highest moisture and the lowest temperature compared to the other growing media types. The growing media did not affect the root and shoot fresh and dry weight and leaf relative water content of the Frankenia. Vinca minor in the cocopeat and mushroom compost produced the highest root fresh and dry weight; however, changing to the growing media types enriched with organic matter content did not affect the shoots fresh and dry weight of this plant type. The growing media containing organic matters compared to the control growing medium, improved relative water content of the Potentilla leaves. The growing media containing organic matters, especially mushroom compost, had positive effects on improving the growth performance of the green walls, through maintaining the moisture content of the media, and thus the relative water content of the leaves, which enhanced vitality of the plants.

Measurement Model of Women's Preferences in Obstetrician and Gynecologist Selection in the Private Sector: Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis.

ABSTRACTBackground: The purpose of this study is to construct and validate a measurement model of women’s preferences in Obstetrician and Gynecologist (OB/GYN) selection in the private sector of non-clinical parameters.Methods: This methodological study included 462 respondents in OB/GYN’s offices to a researcher-made questionnaire. The patients visited 57 offices of OB/GYNs in the city of Mashhad in Iran and completed women’s preferences in OB/GYN selection questionnaire over a 2-month period from January to February 2018. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was conducted to verify the instrument’s construct validity. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was used to test whether the data fit our hypothesized model obtained from EFA model.Results: The first draft of the questionnaire was prepared with 118 items based on literature review. The outcome of content validity assessment was a 51-item questionnaire. Scale-Content Validity Index (S-CVI) turned out to be 0.80. The results of EFA yielded an instrument with 33 items in six domains, which explained 52.657% of the total variance of the questionnaire. With performing CFA, the 6-factor model with 29 items demonstrated a good fit with the data (CFI=0.952, CMIN/DF=1.613, RMSEA=0.036). Availability and Accessibility, Communicational Skills, Office Environment, Recommendation by Others, Special Services, and Cost and Insurance were found to define the women’s preferences in OB/GYN selection in private sector, Iran.Conclusion: The developed measurement model considers the patient’s preferences that influence decision-making process on OB/GYN selection. It can provide useful knowledge for OB/GYNs and policymakers to design appropriate and efficient marketing strategies according to the consumer preferences priority.

A survey of factors affecting the citizen’s behaviors in Mashhad, Iran

This paper attempts to understand affecting attributes associated with behavioral patterns in Mashhad city of Iran. In this regard, video camera tracking, in situ observation, and interactional checklist survey were employed to record citizen’s activities and behaviors. Therefore, the research attempts to recognize the effects of dynamic elements of street furniture, the main land-uses, and the mean concentration of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) on the behavioral issues. Then, a research procedure was made to expose the relationships between citizen’s behavioral issues and their affecting factors using a correlation test. Results revealed that most citizen’s activities in all street locations belong to meeting and talking (33%), walking to enjoy (29%), and seeing and visiting (18%), respectively. Thus, social and optional behaviors were observed as dominant citizen’s manners in the study area with mean values of 43% and 35%, respectively. Statistically, the correlations revealed the significant positive correlations between social behaviors and crowded type of visit (R = 0.58) around the holy shrine of Imam Reza. The social behaviors, affecting by religious motivation, disclose the environmental adaptation and physiological coping against overcrowding, air noises, and pollutant stresses. Hence, the religious motivation in the city center regularly drives the citizen’s social behaviors more than physical elements of space or natural environment. An important recommendation to modify this spatial and social interaction is using a land-use planning approach by separating the inherent missions of the urban system from the pilgrimage function. In this regard, the central district of Mashhad should be considered as pilgrimage activities and their following social behaviors, while all main land-uses should be dispersed through the other districts to regulate the optional and essential behaviors of citizens.

An Adenosine Triphosphate Bioluminescence Method for Evaluating the Microbial Contamination of the Salad-Preparing Tables and Salad-Serving Dishes in Restaurants of Mashhad City, Iran

Introduction: Consumption of vegetable products is increasing commonly in the world because they are recognized as an important source of nutrients, vitamins, and fiber for humans. Salads are among the most widely used foods that are also known as the most contaminated foods in restaurants. This study was conducted to determine the microbial contamination of salad-preparing tables and salad-serving dishes. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted at 39 restaurants in Mashhad City in Iran during 2017. In this regard, 78 samples were determined from the salad preparing tables and serving dishes. Samples were tested for cleanliness status using Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP)-bioluminescence method as a rapid test. Results: According to the ATP bioluminescence device, 43.6% of the assessed dishes were clean, 38.5 % were dirty, and 17.9 % were not adequately clean. According to the results of ATP bioluminescence device for tables, 23.1 % of the tested tables passed the test, 15.4 % were classified in the caution status, and 61.5% failed. Conclusion: The ATP method has been widely used, especially in the food industry, as a rapid method for measuring general levels of cleanliness. However, this method is not a reliable replacement for measuring the microbial contamination. The ATP bioluminescence should not be used as a substitute for quantitation of microbial load.

A new conceptual model for CO<SUB align="right">2 reduction in hot and dry urban areas: a case study of Mashhad in Iran

This research aims to introduce a conceptual model for reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) in an urban for developing intervention strategies. For this purpose, the system dynamics methodology is used for modelling the causal feedback loops. City of Mashhad in Iran is nominated for this research. The model facilitates policymaking and scenario planning for urban development simultaneously with CO2 emission reduction. The study shows how different urban subsystems can interactionally increase or decrease CO2 emissions and also the importance of paying attention to the interactions when policy making for CO2 reduction, even more than considering each subsystem separately. It presents a novel system dynamics (SD) model for demonstrating long-term interactions of urban subsystems regarding CO2 emissions which has not been studied in Iran. It also encompasses some new variables which have not been studied in previous similar studies.

A new conceptual model for CO<SUB align="right">2 reduction in hot and dry urban areas: a case study of Mashhad in Iran

This research aims to introduce a conceptual model for reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) in an urban for developing intervention strategies. For this purpose, the system dynamics methodology is used for modelling the causal feedback loops. City of Mashhad in Iran is nominated for this research. The model facilitates policymaking and scenario planning for urban development simultaneously with CO2 emission reduction. The study shows how different urban subsystems can interactionally increase or decrease CO2 emissions and also the importance of paying attention to the interactions when policy making for CO2 reduction, even more than considering each subsystem separately. It presents a novel system dynamics (SD) model for demonstrating long-term interactions of urban subsystems regarding CO2 emissions which has not been studied in Iran. It also encompasses some new variables which have not been studied in previous similar studies.

An age-integrated approach to improve measurement of potential spatial accessibility to emergency medical services for urban areas.

This study aimed to develop an age-included approach to measure the potential accessibility to Emergency medical services (EMS) across urban and suburban areas of Mashhad city in Iran. We used an improved version of two-step floating catchment area (2SFCA) and enhanced 2SFCA (E2SFCA) methods to measure the potential accessibility to EMS services with inclusion of age factor. This enabled us to better model accessibility of the older population to the EMS. We used 22 800 records of EMS enquiries from July to September 2018 to evaluate and assess the potential improvement in access to the EMS with incorporating age in the model. Suburb areas had less potential accessibility compared with central urban due to the high density of EMS stations in the city center areas. Our model showed slight improvement in potential accessibility measurement as a result of the proposed age-integrated method. An age-integrated index of accessibility method takes into account the age distribution of the population in service area is highly associated with actual measures of accessibility to EMS services. Identifying areas with poor access to EMS will help policymakers to design better policy planning to allocate resources and improve provision of EMS services.