Search

This study investigated the effectiveness of self-, peer-, and teacher assessments in assessing EFL students' oral presentations. It also examined consistencies and differences among these three methods of assessment. Students' attitudes towards self-assessment and peer assessment were also investigated. This study is a mixed-methods sequential explanatory research in which both quantitative and qualitative data were collected. Using an adapted rating scale, 60 Iranian students in four advanced English courses were requested to assess their oral presentations and the oral presentations of their peers. Four teachers used the same rating scale to assess all students' oral presentations. To obtain students' attitudes towards self- and peer assessments, a questionnaire was administered before and after the employment of the rating scale. Students who revealed changes in their attitudes were also interviewed. Although the results showed no significant differences in the three assessment methods, the analysis of the mean scores revealed that teachers employed the strictest scoring criteria while peer assessors used the most lax ones. While the results of peer- and teacher assessments appeared to be consistent, no consistencies were discovered in self- and peer- assessments and in self- and teacher assessments. This study highlights that EFL students' involvement in assessing their own and peers' oral presentations can enhance their motivation to learn.

The aim of this research is to study humorous tales in "Masnavi" according to Lipman's views on "Philosophical thinking components". To achieve this goal, first, Lipman's components of philosophical thinking were identified and divided into three dimensions of critical, creative and caring thinking components. In the second part, using deductive analysis method and based on the theoretical framework provided in the first part, the triple components were identified and analyzed in three humorous tales of "Masnavi". Research findings showed that critical thinking components, in terms of frequency, have given more richness to stories. In the next stage, caring thinking components were more present in stories and components of creative thinking were also in the final stage. It is suggested that teachers in their lessons use stories that have more philosophical potential due to more components. In addition, it is recommended that children's literature authors interested in creating stories with intellectual and philosophical themes, be inspired by the components of this research to write their stories. Children's literature authors are also recommended to rewrite the stories of this research for two age-groups of children and adolescents. Rewriting stories should not neglect any component of the source texts.

Viewing the c Abbasid Revolution and the Iranian Revolution from a comparative perspective is the focus of this study. The c Abbasid Revolution was the first Islamic revolution, and the Iranian Revolution is the most recent Islamic revolution, both of which occurred in Muslim societies and practically began in the same geographical area. Although more than twelve centuries separate the two revolutions, similarities exist between them. Both produced profound results, and similar lessons may be culled from them. The first revolution toppled the house of the Umayyads and established a new dynasty. The second overbalanced the House of the Pahlavis and evolved Iran from a monarchy into an Islamic republic. The political role of merchants and their cooperation with religious leaders based on mutual self-interests in both revolutions was a significant factor. Conclusions may be drawn as to when or whether there were changes to Islamic values. These changes may have led to a change in Muslims’ experiences, which can be developed, into the form of a revolution or any type of violence. Taking a comparative methodological approach, this study attempts to make a link between the Iranian Revolution and its c Abbasid past. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crown wasp Foenatopus hesperophagus Aguiar is recorded for the first time from Western parts of Iran, which is associated with xylophagous larvae, mostly Anthaxia sp (Col.: Buprestidae), collected on Pistacia vera (Anacardiaceae). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bladder cancer is the ninth most commonly diagnosed malignancy worldwide. The trend of bladder cancer incidence and mortality is rising in Iran. This study was aimed to evaluate the survival rate of patients with bladder cancer in Yazd province, Iran. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, data were collected from 340 patients suffering from bladder cancer referred to Shahid Rahnemon and Shohada-Kargar Hospitals in Yazd province, Iran between April, 2001 and March, 2012. Variables included age, gen- der, stage of cancer, place of residence and type of treatment. The Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses were used to evaluate the relationship between each variable and survival time. A P value less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results: The mean age of total patients was 65.8 13.6 years, and their mean survival time was 68.55 - 6.05 months. Cumulative survival rates at the end of 1, 3, and 5 years in bladder cancer patients were 91%, 58%, and 51.4%, respectively. A statistically significant association was found between age (P = 0.005), stage of disease (P = 0.0003), type of treatment (P = 0.0003) and survival time of patients. Data showed no significant correlation between age, gender, place of residence and patients' survival. Conclusions: The survival of patients suffering from bladder cancer in this study was less than other reports. Patients' age and cancer stage were the effective factors in survival time. Continuous screening of older people for cancer diagnosis in early stages is seemed to improve survival in patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study focuses on determining suitable areas for establishment of outdoor recreation using Geographic Information System (GIS) and ecological capability evaluation. Actually, ecological land capability evaluation is a way to determine the natural potentials of a land and to avoid adverse effects resulting from land use changes. It is also an attempt towards sustainable development. In this research, in order to identify the outdoor recreation potential of Shahrood County, GIS as the best suitable software for land evaluation and site selection studies was used along with Index Overlaying (IO). In this way, after specifying the ecological resources of the study area, the required map layers were prepared on the scale of 1:250,000 and overlaid through Arc GIS 9.2 Software. This research was done in six stages. After preparing the slope, aspect and elevation layers, they were overlaid in ArcGIS to produce the landform layer. Afterwards, the map of the final environmental units was prepared by overlaying the layers including landform, land use, soil, land cover and wildlife. Subsequently, the outdoor and extensive and intensive out door recreation models of Iran was applied for final comparison and analysis. According to the results, the study area has a high potential for tourism development particularly, the outdoor recreation. The obtained results indicated that 68.8 % out of whole study area is placed in the first class regarding indoor recreation potential while the second class allocates itself 19.1 % of total. Besides, 93.2 and 5.3 % of entire area are, respectively, belonged to the first and second classes of outdoor potential. Totally, 13.6 % of the study area is allocated to the third class (protection zone) due to high ecological sensitivity and lack of appropriate conditions for tourism development. Finally, the recreational activities suited to each zone were recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Studies have reported that obesity has an adverse effect on iron metabolism. Obesity is characterized by chronic, low-grade, systemic inflammation and anemia of chronic disease with elevated serum ferritin and decreased level of serum iron, transferrin saturation, and hemoglobin. Therefore, we examined the association of body mass index with hemoglobin concentration and iron parameters in this study. Methods. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Yazd to assess the relation of body mass index with hemoglobin and iron parameters among 406 adult patients 18-65 years old. Diabetes and conditions that could influence body iron stores were excluded. Results. There is no difference in hemoglobin concentrations, MCV, serum iron, TIBC, transferrin saturation index, and ferritin between normal weight, overweight, and obese persons. Conclusion. Nutritional status of persons and intake of high iron foods by obese persons should be considered. Also, other inflammatory markers should be evaluated in the future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Makran subduction zone has produced M 8+ earthquakes and subsequent tsunamis in historic times, hence indicating high risk for the coastal regions of southern Iran, Pakistan, and neighboring countries. Besides this, the Makran subduction zone is an end-member subduction zone featuring extreme properties, with one of the largest sediment inputs and the widest accretionary wedge on Earth. While surface geology and shallow structure of the offshore wedge have been relatively well studied, primary information on the deeper structure of the onshore part is largely absent. We present three crustal-scale, trench-perpendicular, deep seismic sounding profiles crossing the subaerial part of the accretionary wedge of the western Makran subduction zone in Iran. P-wave travel-time tomography based on a Monte Carlo Markov chain algorithm as well as the migration of automatic line drawings of wide-angle reflections reveal the crustal structure of the wedge and geometry of the subducting oceanic plate at high resolution. The images shed light on the accretionary processes, in particular the generation of continental crust by basal accretion, and provide vital basic information for hazard assessment and tsunami modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is considered as the most common chronic liver disease, which can contribute to some clinical conditions varying from simple steatosis to hepatic cirrhosis. Consequently, the early diagnosis of NAFLD is vital. The present study aimed at investigating the ability of FLI (fatty liver index) in predicting NAFLD. Methods: A total of 212 individuals over the age of 18 years (103 males and 109 females) were recruited from those admitted to a gastrointestinal clinic in Mashhad, northeastern Iran. Anthropometric parameters were measured and blood samples were collected. Hepatic steatosis and fibrosis were identified by FibroScan. FLI from body mass index, waist circumference (WC), triglyceride, and gamma glutamyltransferase data were calculated. Logistic regression was applied to establish a relationship among FLI, hepatic steatosis, and fibrosis. The sensitivity and specificity of FLI and its optimal cut-off point were detected by receiver operating characteristic analysis. Results: The mean age of the participants was 39.26 ± 14.18 years. FLI was significantly associated with NAFLD (OR = 1.062, 95%CI: 1.042 - 1.082, P < 0.001) and hepatic fibrosis (OR = 1.022, 95%CI: 1.011 - 1.032, P < 0.001). The AUC of FLI was 0.85 (95%CI = 0.79 - 0.9) in the diagnosis of NAFLD, and its optimal cut-off point was 26.2 (sensitivity = 0.83, specificity = 0.7). Also, the optimal cut- off point of FLI was 30.4 in males (sensitivity = 0.82, specificity = 0.71) and 20.7 in females (sensitivity = 0.89, specificity = 0.66). Conclusions: Fatty liver index (FLI) is a suitable and simple predictor for liver steatosis. However, performance of FLI in predicting NAFLD is not more effective than WC. Although FLI is a predictor for liver steatosis, it has a positive association with liver fibrosis and can perhaps predict liver fibrosis too. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between mental health, perceived social support, and death anxiety, and the predictive roles of mental health and perceived social support in the explanation of death anxiety in a sample of adults with chronic kidney disease. Methods: A demographic questionnaire, the Symptom Check List-25, the Social Support Survey Scale, and the Death Anxiety Scale (DAS) were used in the present study. The sample consisted of 58 adult patients with chronic kidney failure. Results: Findings showed that mental health had significantly positive relationships to the total score of the death anxiety and the fear of death, the fear of pain and disease, and the death thoughts subscales of the DAS. Social support had a significant negative relationship to the total score of the death anxiety and the fear of pain and disease, the death thoughts, and the transient time and the short life subscales of the DAS. Mental health and combined mental health and social support explained 14% and 21% of death anxiety variation in patients with chronic kidney failure, respectively. Conclusion: Mental health and social support constructs can relatively predict the variations of death anxiety in patients with chronic kidney failure., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Environmental matrices are polluted with the plethora of contaminants, and among these, the concerns related to heavy metals (HMs) are also included. Due to the low cost in a long-term application and environmental friendliness, the use of biological remediation has gained significant attention in recent decades. The use of ornamental plants (OPs) in the field of phytoremediation is scarcely reported, and the impacts of HMs on OPs have also not been investigated in great depth. The OPs mediated HMs remediation can simultaneously remove contaminants and bring improvement in aesthetics of the site. The biomass of OPs produced after such activities can be used and sold as pot plants, cut flowers, essential oils, perfumes, air fresheners production, metal phytomining, and feedstock in silk production. The OPs also present a lower risk of HMs bioaccumulation compared to crop plants. This review focuses on the current knowledge of HMs toxicity to OPs, their applicability advantages, methods to improve the tolerance of OPs with incremented HMs uptake, challenges in the field, and future application perspectives. The case studies realted to practical application of OPs, from China, Iran, India, Oman, Pakistan, and Turkey, were also discussed. This work fetches the inter-disciplinary features and understanding for the sustainable treatment of HMs in a new novel way, to which no previous review has focused., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The abnormal anthropometric indices are one of the main risk factors of the non-communicable diseases. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between sitting time and anthropometric indices., Methods: This cross sectional analytic study was conducted on 10000 adult 20-69 years old residents of Yazd in 2013-2014. The anthropometric indices were measured according to the World Health Organization (WHO) standards and using the calibrated instruments. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 22. Statistical analysis were percentage, mean, standard deviation (SD), Chi-square test and Binary Logistic Legression (BLR). with significance level of 0.05., Results: The findings showed that 49.9% of the participants were male. After the confounders adjustment, the Odds Ratio (OR) of abnormal waist to hip ratio (WHR) and sitting time was 0.7 (95% CI = 0.5-0.9) in people with daily sitting of 4-6 h at work (p = 0.03). The OR of abnormal waist to height ratio (WHtR) was 0.7 (95% CI = 0.5-0.9) in individuals with sitting of 1-3 h per day at work (p = 0.02). Furthermore, the OR of abnormal waist circumference (WC) and sitting time was 1.7 (95% CI = 1.0-2.8) in participants who were sitting 10 h or more per day at work (p = 0.04)., Conclusions: Decreased sitting time per day at work can prevent from abnormal WHR, WHtR and WC., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication has always been a concern. In our previous study, 14-day hybrid regimen showed ideal results. Based on these findings, we decided to compare the efficacy of 10- and 14-day hybrid regimens for H. pylori eradication., Methods: Two hundred and seventy patients with peptic ulcer disease and H. pylori infection were enrolled in the study. One hundred and thirty-four patients received 10-day hybrid regimen (PACT-10): pantoprazole, 40 mg, and amoxicillin, 1 g, both twice daily for 10 days; plus clarithromycin, 500 mg, and tinidazole, 500 mg, both twice daily just during the last 5 days. One hundred and thirty-six patients received 14-day hybrid regimen (PACT-14): pantoprazole, 40 mg, and amoxicillin, 1 g, both twice a day for 14 days; plus clarithromycin, 500 mg, and tinidazole, 500 mg, both twice daily just for the last 7 days. Eight weeks after treatment, (14) C-urea breath test was performed to evaluate H. pylori eradication., Results: Two hundred and fifty patients (124 patients in PACT-10 and 126 patients in PACT-14 regimens) completed the study. The intention-to-treat eradication rates were 77.6% (95% confidence interval (CI): 70.6-84.6%) and 86% (95% CI: 80-92%) for the two regimens, respectively (p = .17). Per-protocol eradication rates were 83.8% (95% CI: 80-86%) and 92.8% (95% CI: 88-96%), respectively (p < .01). There were no significant intergroup differences in compliance to treatment or discontinuation of therapy due to severe side effects., Conclusion: Ten-day hybrid regimen could not achieve acceptable eradication rate. However, 14-day hybrid regimen seems to be an acceptable option for H. pylori eradication in Iran., (© 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Concerns have been raised about the adverse impact of dusty air pollution (DAP) on human health. The aim of this study was to find the association between dusty air pollution based on air quality index (AQI) and the risk of allergic diseases in southwestern provinces of Iran, with assessing cytokine profiles and lymphocyte immunophenotypes.In this case control study 148 individuals participated. The sampling was done in hazardous condition (AQI>300) as the case and clean air (AQI<50) as the control. We measured cytokine production by using ELISA method and phenotypes of T-lymphocytes (CD4+ and CD8+), CD19+ B-lymphocytes, CD25+, CD4+ CD25+ cells by FACSort flow cytometer.The mean serum level of IL-4 (33.4 ± 2.9 vs 0.85 ± 0.65 pg/dl) and IL-13 (15.1 ± 4.4 vs. 0.12 ± 0.7 pg/dl) in the subjects exposed to ambient DAP was increased significantly compared to the individuals in the clean air condition. Also, CD19+ B-lymphocytes (12.6 ± 4.9 vs 8.9 ± 3.2%) and CD4+ CD25+ cell count (13.6 ± 4.6 vs 7.7 ± 3.8%) in peripheral blood were increased significantly in subjects exposed to ambient DAP compared with the controls.The result of our study suggested that ambient DAP affected immune system in a way that might lead to allergic diseases in the population.

Objective: To determine the risk of postthyroidectomy hypocalcaemia by measuring parathyroid hormone (PTH) level after thyroidectomy., Study Design: Cross-sectional study., Place and Duration of Study: Baqiyatallah Hospital, Tehran, Iran, from March 2008 to July 2010., Methodology: All included patients were referred for total or near bilateral thyroidectomy. Serum Calcium (Ca) and PTH levels were measured before and 24 hours after surgery. In low Ca cases or development of hypocalcaemia symptoms, daily monitoring of Ca levels were continued. Data were analyzed using SPSS 20 software (SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA). A p-value less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. To assess the standard value of useful predictive factors, we used receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves., Results: Of total 99 patients who underwent bilateral thyroidectomy, 47 patients (47.5%) developed hypocalcaemia, out of them, 12 (25.5%) became symptomatic while 2 patients developed permanent hypoparathyroidism. After surgery, mean rank of PTH level within the normocalcaemic and hypocalcaemic patients was 55.34 and 44.1 respectively, p=0.052. Twenty four hours after surgery, 62% drop in PTH was associated with 83.3% of symptomatic hypocalcaemic. For diagnosis of symptomatic hypocalcaemia, 62% PTH drop had sensitivity and specificity were 83.3% and 90.80%. The area under the ROC curve for the PTH postoperative and PTH drop for diagnostic symptomatic hypocalcaemia were 0.835 and 0.873 respectively., Conclusion: Measuring PTH levels after 24 hours postthyroidectomy is not reliable factor for predicting hypocalcaemia itself. For predicting the risk of hypocalcaemia after thyroidectomy it is more reliable to measure the serum PTH level before and after operation and compare the reduction level of percentage of PTH drop for predicting the risk of hypocalcaemia.

Flood spreading is a suitable strategy for controlling and benefiting from floods. Selecting suitable areas for flood spreading and directing the floodwater into permeable formations are amongst the most effective strategies in flood spreading projects. Having combined geographic information systems (GIS) and multi-criteria decision analysis approaches, the present study sought to locate the most suitable areas for flood spreading operation in the Garabaygan Basin of Iran. To this end, the data layers relating to the eight effective factors were prepared in GIS environment. This stage was followed by elimination of the exclusionary areas for flood spreading while determining the potentially suitable ones. Having closely examined the potentially suitable areas using the Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluations (PROMETHEE) II and analytic hierarchy process (AHP) methods, the land suitability map for flood spreading was produced. The PROMETHEE II and AHP were used for ranking all the alternatives and weighting the criteria involved, respectively. The results of the study showed that most suitable areas for the artificial groundwater recharge are located in Quaternary Q(g) and Q(gsc) geologic units and in geomorphological units of pediment and Alluvial fans with slopes not exceeding 3%. Furthermore, significant correspondence between the produced map and the control areas, where the flood spreading projects were successfully performed, provided further evidence for the acceptable efficiency of the integrated PROMETHEE II-AHP method in locating suitable flood spreading areas.

Objective: To compare the results and outcomes of the laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) with the small incision cholecystectomy (SIC)., Study Design: Observational study., Place and Duration of Study: Baqiyatallah Hospital, Tehran, Iran, from February 2008 to March 2009., Methodology: Patients with symptomatic gallstones that were referred and enrolled in the study for LC or SIC. Operation, anaesthesia, analgesics and postoperative care were standardized. The patients were assessed for operation time, postoperative pain, nausea, vomiting, hospital stay, return to work time and complications in the postoperative period on day 1, 1 week, 1 month and 6 months, postoperatively., Results: Of 144 patients, 81 underwent LC and 63 underwent SIC. Both groups were matched for age, gender, BMI, clinical findings and ASA grading. The mean duration of operation was 74 and 62 minutes in the LC and SIC groups, respectively (p = 0.0059). Duration of hospital stay and return to regular activities were shorter after LC compared to SIC. Pain scores, nausea and vomiting were the same in both groups, although the frequency of intra-operative complications were greater in LC compared to SIC., Conclusion: Outcome and complications of SIC were comparable with those of LC.

Background: In December 2003, the residents of Bam, Iran experienced an earthquake that measured 6.6 on the Richter scale and destroyed >90% of the city. After the assessment and initial treatment of injuries at national and international field hospitals, a considerable number of victims (approximately 12,000) were transferred to tertiary referral hospitals around the country., Objective: This report evaluated the injuries of 854 victims transferred to 12 referral hospitals in Tehran., Methods: The demographic data, injury patterns, injury severity score (ISS), diagnosis, treatment, and outcome data of 854 Bam earthquake victims were assessed., Results: There were 467 (54.7%) males and 387 (45.3%) females. The mean age of the patients was 29.0 years. Transportation by aircraft was the most common method used for evacuation, which was used to evacuate 555 patients (65%). Fifty-four percent of the victims required initial medical aid at field hospitals before transportation to Tehran. There were 1,322 patients with injuries, of which, fractures of the lower extremities were the most common (331; 25%). Limb fixation was the most commonly performed primary procedure in emergency wards (389 cases, 39.9%). The mean value +/- SD for ISS was 6.7 +/- 5.2. Orthopedic operations were the most frequent surgical procedures performed (195/260 operations, 75%) and the overall mortality rate was 1.6% (n = 14)., Conclusions: Along with the crucial importance of aid provided by national and international field hospitals in disasters, suitable triage of casualties and preparedness of tertiary referral centers in unaffected regions also play an important role in providing medical care to disaster victims. During these situations, the number of victims cannot be predicted accurately, and sufficient medical care, particularly for orthopedic problems, can be provided by referral centers.

Introduction: In December 2003, the residents of Bam, Iran experienced an earthquake that measured 6.6 on the Richter scale and destroyed more than 90% of the city., Problem: The purpose of this study was to assess the status of the rescue, evacuation, and transportation of the casualties during the early stages following the earthquake., Methods: A cross-sectional study of 185 casualties who were transferred to and hospitalized in the university hospital during the first week period following the earthquake was conducted. Information regarding different places of settlement after being removed from the rubble, initial medical care, and the means of transportation was obtained by reviewing medical records and interviewing the victims., Results: The mean value of the duration of times taken for the first rescuers to reach the scene and remove the casualties from the rubble was 1.7 +/- 2.7 and 0.9 +/- 1.1 hours, respectively. Sixty-nine (37.7%) of the patients stayed within the area immediately surrounding their home for average times of 8 +/- 10 hours. The majority of casualties (57.6%) were transferred manually to a first place of settlement; 45.8% were taken to a second place of settlement using blankets. Of the patients studied, 159 (85.9%) did not receive any basic medical care at the first place and intravenous fluid therapy was the most common treatment provided for 24 (13%) patients at the second place of settlement. Patients received medical care at the first place of settlement for a mean time of 16.8 +/- 13.5 hours after escaping the rubble., Conclusions: These findings indicate that the emergency medical service system in Bam was destroyed and not able to respond adequately. In order to reduce the negative effects of such disasters in the future, there is an essential need for a comprehensive disaster management plan and improvement of hospital structures, healthcare facilities, and communication between the different governmental departments for better coordination and planning.

Background: The evaluation of acute appendicitis (AA), the most common cause of acute abdomen, in conscripts is important, specifically when it seems that the probability of malingering for secondary gains (such as exemption) is high, and surgeons may lose some cases of AA through this assumption., Methods: In this analytic cross-sectional study, 455 male conscripts with suspected AA were compared with 142 male individuals between 14 and 26 years of age who had already been selected for appendectomy., Results: The mean age (+/-SE) was 20.4+/-0.08 years. There were no statistically significant differences between the case and control groups in terms of age, rates of different symptoms and signs, quality and duration of pain, vital signs, and laboratory findings., Conclusions: There was no significant difference between conscripts and others in terms of the presentation of AA and its accurate diagnosis. Therefore, it is recommended that military physicians approach conscripts with suspected AA like other patients.