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Treatment with non-thermal plasma is a reliable technology to oxidize chemical impurities that exist in polluted water, wastewater, and leachate, those degradation-resistant and cannot be removed by conventional treatment methods. In this study, the effective factors affecting in the formation ofreactive oxygen species in non-thermal plasma treatment process, as a new advanced oxidation process method explianed. In this manner, all associated manuscripts existed in the main databases including Google Scholar, Science Direct, PubMed, and Open Access Journal Directory from 1990 until 2022 were explored. The utilized keywords were involved non-thermal plasma, Cold plasma, Measurement, •OH, O3and UV. Overall, 8,813 articles were gathered and based on the relevance titles and abstracts, 18 paper were selected for further reviewing. In several studies, plasma techniques have been used to treat water, wastewater and leachate, but few studies have evaluated the factors influencing the production of ROS species by non-thermal plasma. The non-thermal plasma destroys pollutants by reactive free radicals spices (hydroxyl, hydrogen atoms, etc.) a combination effect of strong electric fields, energetically charged particles, and ultrasound. Some factors such as water vapor, hydraulic retention time, inter-electrode spacing, discharge power density, and aeration of the effluent as well as use of catalyst have direct effect on the reactive oxygen species formation. If these factors controlled within the best ranges, it will promote the oxidizing radical production and system performance. Also, high-energy electrons and oxidizing species produced in the cold plasma system can well degrade most of pollution in water and wastewater.

A plethora of scientific evidence has pinpointed that teaching English as a foreign or second language (EFL) is difficult, challenging, and emotionally burdensome. Nevertheless, most English language teachers remain committed to the teaching profession and actively engage in the instructional environment. This has inspired several scholars worldwide to explore what personal, emotional, and psychological factors motivate English language teachers to engage enthusiastically in their workplace. While a large body of studies have to date examined the personal, emotional, and psychological predictors of English language teachers’ work engagement, to our knowledge, no inquiry has investigated the role of academic buoyancy and self-efficacy in predicting EFL teachers’ work engagement. Furthermore, the potential impact of demographic variables on the interplay between EFL teachers’ academic buoyancy, self-efficacy, and work engagement has been disregarded. To bridge this gap, we examined the interplay of these three constructs among Chinese EFL teachers. To do so, we administered three pre-designed questionnaires to 242 EFL teachers working in Chinese schools and universities. The collected data were then analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The outcomes of SEM divulged positive and strong relationships between Chinese EFL teachers’ academic buoyancy, self-efficacy, and work engagement. The SEM results also indicated that academic buoyancy and self-efficacy could strongly and favorably predict Chinese EFL teachers’ work engagement. Additionally, the study outcomes disclosed that demographic variables, including gender, educational degree, and teaching experience, directly impacted the interplay between Chinese EFL teachers’ academic buoyancy, self-efficacy, and work engagement. These results may have significant implications for English teachers, teacher trainers, and educational principals.

Considering the key role of organizational commitment in teachers’ professional performance, many researchers have studied the predictors of this variable in different educational institutions. However, a short glance at the pertinent literature displays that most of the previous studies on this variable have been conducted in general education contexts. Furthermore, to date, limited attention has been paid to the role of emotional attributes in teachers’ organizational commitment. In response to these omissions, the present research explored the role of two emotional attributes, namely emotion regulation (expressive suppression and cognitive reappraisal) and workplace buoyancy, in English teachers’ organizational commitment (affective, normative, and continuance commitment). To this end, three self-report questionnaires were administered to 270 Chinese English teachers. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and linear regression analysis (LRA) were performed using the latest version of Amos software to analyze participants’ answers to the self-report measures. Results obtained from the CFA indicated strong, direct associations between Chinese English teachers’ workplace buoyancy, emotion regulation, and organizational commitment. Moreover, the outcomes of LRA uncovered that emotion regulation and workplace buoyancy, as two emotional attributes, could bring significant, favorable differences in Chinese English teachers’ organizational commitment. These outcomes could be instructive for educational authorities and teacher educators.

The surrounding soil of pile foundations may settle as a result of fill placing or even consolidation, especially in soft grounds. If the soil settlement is higher than the pile’s, Negative Skin Friction (NSF) happens. NSF can have a hanging effect on piles which causes pile settlement (downdrag) and applies extra force (dragload) on pile. This study numerically investigated the effects of various tapering angles (α) of single piles and pile groups on NSF as well as Neutral Plane Depth (NPD) in fine-grained cohesive soil. Analyses were performed in three-dimensional (3D) form using ABAQUS, a Finite Element Method (FEM) software. The results showed that although tapered piles either in single and group can be economically beneficial, they may experience an increase in NSF by up to 46.7% in single piles and 28.1% in group piles. Similarly, it was observed that NPD values rise with tapering angle. Consequently, the bearing capacity of single tapered piles and tapered pile groups decrease as a result of dragload caused by increased NSF compared to the tapered piles placed in coarse-grained soils discussed in previous studies. Notably, in pile groups, center piles experienced smaller NSF and NPD in comparison with side and corner piles since the soil between the piles experience smaller settlements as a result of group effect.

This study examined the relationship among foreign language enjoyment (FLE), second language L2 grit, online learning self-efficacy (OLSE), and online learning engagement among Iranian English as a foreign language (EFL) learners. The study involved 578 Iranian EFL learners who completed self-report measures of the four constructs. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were employed to confirm the validity of the scales and test the hypothesized model. The findings indicate that FLE positively affects online learning engagement and OLSE positively influences online learning engagement. Additionally, the study found that online self-efficacy mediates the relationship between L2 grit and online learning engagement. These results highlight the importance of FLE and OLSE in promoting online learning engagement, and the mediating role of online self-efficacy in the interplay between L2 grit and online learning engagement. This research sheds more light on the understanding of the factors that influence online learning engagement among EFL learners and has important implications for both theory and practice.

Despite recognizing the importance of critical incidents (CIs) in teachers’ professionalism, there is a need for more research on novice teachers’ CIs, especially emotional CIs. This study describes the emotional CIs of a novice language teacher during her first year of teaching by relying on Schutz et al.’s (in: Schutz, Hong, Francis (eds) Research on teacher identity: Mapping challenges and innovations, Springer, 2018) conceptual framework and Zembylas’ (Journal of Research in Science Teaching 39:79–103, 2002) three-dimensional framework of intrapersonal, interpersonal, and intergroup levels of teacher emotions. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews, observational field notes, stimulated recall interviews, and online narratives. The teacher’s intrapersonal emotional CIs dominantly influenced her current functioning to eschew creating similar negative experiences for her students. The interpersonal emotional CIs created tensions that largely influenced her claimed identity as a professional teacher. The intergroup emotional CIs made her develop negative perceptions about certain ethnic groups and educational stakeholders. Moreover, the findings indicate that while the teacher could function agentively at the classroom level, her limited agency at the institutional level created tensions in her identity as a professional teacher. The study portrays how novices negotiate and construct their professional identity based on emotional CIs, shows how such CIs accelerate novice teacher attrition, and provides implications for reducing the emotional gap between policymakers and novice teachers.

Since boredom significantly contributes to diminished motivation among learners of English as a Foreign Language (EFL), there is a need to identify factors that influence boredom. Amidst various elements that can precipitate students’ boredom, educational-related concepts have garnered particular attention, with the learning environment emerging as a chief focal point due to its consequential importance to learners. Specifically, the role of teachers’ clarity and immediacy in manipulating learners’ performance, enthusiasm, and involvement has been widely recognized. Consequently, in this study, we scrutinized the impact of EFL teachers’ immediacy and clarity in mitigating learners’ boredom. To this end, we collected data from 383 Chinese students through the administration of three scales measuring their perceptions of teacher clarity, teacher immediacy, and learners’ boredom. We identified significant associations between teachers’ clarity and immediacy and learners’ boredom. In Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis, both teacher immediacy and clarity were robust predictors of students’ boredom, with about 48% of the variance in students’ boredom accounted for by teachers’ immediacy, and 53% of this variance attributed to teachers’ clarity. We elaborate upon the implications of these findings in our discussion.

Background: Anal fissure (AF) is a common disease associated with severe pain and reduced quality of life. Factors related to lifestyle, including diet and bowel habits, play a pivotal role in its pathogenesis. Most of the chronic fissures are not responsive to drugs and more likely to recur. Given the significance of diet in Persian medicine (PM), investigation on physiopathology and appropriate foods can be useful for decreases in AF symptoms and consequences. Objective: This study was intended to evaluate the role of diet in the formation and progression of AF from the perspective of PM. Methods: In this study, the most important resources of PM dating back to thousands of years were reviewed. All these textbooks contained a section on AF, its causes, and treatment. Further analysis was performed on these resources in comparison with databank and resources of modern medicine to develop a food-based strategy for AF management. Results: From the view of PM, the warmth and dryness of anus temperament accounted for AF. Both Persian and modern medicine identified constipation as another cause for AF. Therefore, avoidance from some foods and commercial baked goods was recommended. Both Persian and modern medicine forbad the following foods: potato, cabbage, cauliflower, pasta, beef, fish, and so forth. High fiber and oligo-antigen diets with some limitations have garnered more attention. Conclusion: An integrative approach is recommended employing both Persian and modern medicine for AF. There have been some evidence in this regard, however standardized clinical trials are required for future research.

The present study investigates variability among raters from different linguistic backgrounds, who evaluated the pragmatic performance of English language learners with varying native languages (L1s) by using both self- and peer-assessments. To this end, written discourse completion task (WDCT) samples of requesting speech acts from 10 participants were collected. Thereafter, the participants were asked to assess their peers’ WDCTs before assessing their own samples using the same rating scale. The raters were further asked to provide an explanation for their rating decisions. Findings indicate that there may indeed be a link between a rater’s language background and their scoring patterns, although the results regarding peer- and self-assessment are mixed. There are both similarities and differences in the participants’ use of pragmatic norms and social rules in evaluating appropriateness.

Theoretical and pedagogical attention in pragmatic competence and instruction for second- and foreign language learners has culminated in the growing body of literature on teaching pragmatics. Based on cognitively oriented second-language acquisition (SLA) theories, most studies on pragmatic intervention have primarily focused on dichotomous teaching approaches including explicit vs. implicit as well as inductive vs. deductive interventions. However, very few studies have capitalized on more dynamic teaching approaches taking advantage of authentic video-driven vignettes. Therefore, the present study sought to find out the impact of video-enhanced input on the comprehension of three speech acts of apology, request, and refusal on 69 (27 males and 42 females) Iranian intermediate EFL learners who were randomly divided into four homogenous groups (i.e., metapragmatic, form-search, interactive translation, and control) based on the results of the Oxford Quick Placement Test (OQPT). The four groups were accordingly exposed to 60 video vignettes (20 for each speech act) extracted from different episodes of Friendsand Seinfeldsitcoms as well as Annie Hallmovie for eight 60-min sessions of instruction twice a week. Results of the multiple-choice discourse completion test (MDCT) (Birjandi and Derakhshan Applied Research on English Language, 3(1), 67-85, 2014) revealed that metapragmatic consciousness-raising, form-search, and interactive translation groups led to the development of pragmatic comprehension from pretest to posttest. Furthermore, the results of the post hoc test of Tukey (HSD) demonstrated that while the form-search group had a better performance than interactive translation and control groups, the metapragmatic group outperformed the other treatment groups. In the light of the gained results, the findings might provide pedagogical implications for pragmatic practitioners and theoreticians as well as materials developers, teachers, and learners. Finally, it concludes with some avenues for further research. 對英語為第二語言及外語的學習者, 在語用能力和教授中, 理論和教學注意力已在語用學教學研究文獻中達到巔峰。根基於認知導向的第二語言習得(SLA)理論, 大部分採用語用學為主之研究著重在二分法的教學方法; 例如:顯性對隱性及歸納法對演繹法之導入。然而, 顯少之研究是利用大量真實視頻片段作為教學研究。本研究旨在經由視頻增強輸入道歉、請求及拒絕言語行為理解之影響。研究對象為69伊朗以英語為外語的中級學習者; 其中27是男性及42是女性。依據牛津快速分級測驗 (Oxford Quick Placement Test, OQPT) 結果, 他們隨機被分配到四個同質性的組: 後設語用組、形式搜尋組、互動式翻譯組以及控制組。這四組需觀看60部視頻片段, 一個言語行為有20部視頻片段, 每一個視頻片段取自於兩部情境喜劇六人行 (Friends) 和歡樂單身派對 (Seinfeld) 以及一部電影安妮霍爾 (Annie Hall) 。研究對象必須參加每週兩次的教學課程, 每次課程為八堂課, 每堂60分鐘。研究發現, 根據Birjandi & Derakhshan (2014) 制訂選擇型言談填充問卷 (multiple choice discourse completion test, MDCT) 分析結果, 在後測中, 發現後設語用意識提升、形式搜尋及互動式翻譯會導致語用理解的發展; 另外, 依據杜凱氏誠實顯著性差異 (Tukey HSD) 事後檢定結果, 發現雖然形式搜尋組比互動式翻譯組和控制組有較好的表現, 但是後設語用組的表現卻優於其它實驗組。針對上述研究結果並提供給語用實踐家和理論家、教材開發商、老師以及學生相關教學建議。最後, 總結一些方向做為未來研究之參考。

In loose reservoirs, where the pressure and stresses around the wellbore are greater than the formation strength, the sand production problem is exacerbated. Sand production leads to a number of potential and costly problems. Chemical sand consolidation as a less costly method is performs to strengthen the oil well formation based on various polymer resins.

PABF/chitosan nanocomposites were synthesized and characterizedCarboxylate ferroxanes nanocomposites were used as sorbents for lead removalBox–Behnken method was used to design the experiments and optimization the processThe equilibrium data fitted well to the Langmuir isothermThe monolayer adsorption process was dominated

Functionalized nanostructures such as, boehmite, salicylate alumoxane (Sal-A) and p-hydroxybenzoate alumoxane (PHB-A), were studied in varying amounts with respect to curing behavior, thermal stability, hardness and fracture surface morphology of their corresponding epoxy-based nanocomposites, emphasizing on the dispersabilities of the nanostructures in the epoxy matrix and the potential mechanisms of the interactions between various species. TG–DTA, Vickers hardness test and SEM were used to characterize the composite specimens. Addition of nanostructures into the epoxy matrix accelerated the curing process. The experimental tests proved that Sal-A acted most effectively as a co-curing agent through the autocatalytic curing process of the epoxy resin and also produced the highest values of Vickers hardness in its corresponding nanocomposites. The presence of the nanostructures also lowered the heat of reaction in curing process with an exception of PHB-A containing nanocomposites. Thermal stability of the nanocomposites was improved due to existence of the functionalized nanostructures. Mechanisms are proposed for the possible interactions between various species, constructing the three types of nanocomposites, divided into positive and negative types. The functional groups on the surfaces of the nanostructures not only facilitated chemical interactions with the polymer matrix but also improved their dispersion in the epoxy matrix. Dispersability tendency of the nanostructures in the epoxy matrix was of the order: boehmite < PHB-A < Sal-A. Extent of agglomeration of the nanostructures in the epoxy matrix depended on the types of the functional groups on their surfaces and consequently, their interactions with the epoxy matrix and hardener.

This study was undertaken to develop machine vision-based raisin detection technology. Supervised color image segmentation using a Permutation-coded Genetic Algorithm (GA) identifying regions in Hue-Saturation-Intensity (HSI) color space (GAHSI) for desired and undesired raisin detection was successfully implemented. Images were captured to explore the possibility of using GAHSI to locate desired raisin and undesired raisin regions in color space simultaneously. In this research, images were processed separately using three segmentation method, K-Means clustering in L*a*b* color space and GAHSI for single image, GA for single image in Red-Green-Blue (RGB) color space (GARGB). The GAHSI results provided evidence for the existence and separability of such regions. When compared with cluster analysis-based segmentation results, the GAHSI method showed no significant difference.