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Background: Today, the importance of teaching media literacy in education has been highlighted, and the need for effective instructional design in this field has received more attention. This research attempts to investigate the effect of the Four-Component Instructional Design (4C/ID) model on developing media literacy. Method: This study employs a quasi-experimental pre-test-post-test design. The research subjects were recruited from tenth-grade students at secondary schools in Mashhad, Iran. A total of 30 students were selected as the sample using the convenience sampling method. Fifteen students were placed in the experimental group, and the rest were placed in the control group. Result: Statistical analysis (ANCOVA, MANCOVA & MANOVA) showed that designing instruction based on the complex-learning model (4C/ID) improved learning outcomes, critical thinking, and conscious interaction with the media. Conclusion: Acquiring media literacy competence is a complex learning process. Based on the results of this study, the four-component instructional design model (4C/ID) can promote the development of media literacy skills in students.

Producing polyglot films has turned into a global cinematic trend lately. The Iranian cinema is no exception, and the number of Iranian polyglot films has also increased recently. Therefore, there is a greater need for the systematic analysis of different aspects of multilingualism in audiovisual translation (AVT), particularly in modes like the subtitling for the deaf and hard of hearing (SDH) in which the audiences have limited or no access to the original audio content. In this study, first, the concepts of multilingualism in Iranian cinema and Persian SDH were discussed. Then, the representation of multilingualism in three Iranian polyglot films was examined. The results depicted that, in most cases, multilingualism is masked, and the subtitlers were neglectful of the importance of the conveyance of multilingual instances in the plot for the deaf and hard of hearing (DHH). Therefore, it can be claimed that the Persian SDH is yet to reach quality standards. Studies like this have immediate implications for audiovisual translators and film distributors by drawing attention to the importance of SDH, as a relatively understudied area, in promoting media accessibility (MA) for the DHH in the Persian speaking context and beyond.

Multilingualism serves an important function in the characterization of an audiovisual product; thus, its representation in translations demands scientific attention. The task of rendering multilingualism in translation becomes more complicated when no or limited access to the original audio content is possible. This being so, this study investigates the representation of multilingualism in English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing (SDH) and Persian dubbing of four polyglot films. It examines and discusses the strategies adopted by translators in eight translations, both the SDH and dubbed versions. The results indicate that translators employ a variety of solutions and strategies to tackle challenges and render the third language (L3), but still dubbing tends to neutralize L3 in most instances. In the case of SDH, L3 was made explicit, but the high frequency of homogenising strategies and the loss of L3 in the translations were noticeable. These results could be of use for both cinema and translation professionals and non-professionals, particularly for enhancing media accessibility (MA) for the deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) community, besides adding to the body of studies on the translation of multilingualism.

The role of corrective feedback in general and focused feedback in particular has been investigated widely in second language (L2) writing over the past several decades. Moreover, Dynamic Assessment (DA) with its roots in socio-cultural theory has been noticed to play a role in fostering language learner development and assessment. However, their differential effects have rarely been investigated. Thus, the present study was an attempt to explore the impact of dynamic assessment (DA) and Coded Focused Feedback (CFF) on the Iranian EFL students' writing performance. To this end, two experimental groups of high intermediate learners were selected to compare the effects of assisted writing instruction through Dynamic Assessment (DA) versus unassisted feedback (CFF) on their process writing. A mixed method analysis was used to answer the research questions. Students' performance on pre-test and post-test were analyzed via paired sample t-test and independent t-test. Transcripts of the teacher-student interactions in the DA group were also used to analyze the data further qualitatively. Results of the t-tests (p= 0.00aZ5 T=-7.415 and p= 0.5 T=-1.0) and the descriptive study of the transcripts indicated that the DA group outperformed the CFF group both in the process writing and the revisions of the assigned topics implying that assisted writing instruction through DA helped learners to improve their writing ability. A careful design of the study via the sequential mixed-methods approach enhanced the originality and strength of the present study. It concluded that scaffolded assessment through dialogue would result in improvement in students' process writing performance.

This study compares the national curriculum of Iran and the UK to find out how the educational system in developing countries such as Iran can be improved. Because of implementing thinking skills and cognitive education, the educational system in the UK benefits from a high-quality standard. The science of mind, brain, education introduces some principles to improve teaching and learning methods and provide thoughtful and lifelong learners for the societies. In this study, we specified the main parts of the national curriculum in both countries and selected some of the principles to determine whether these two countries apply them in their national curriculum. Some of these principles focus on some significant issues: teaching models, the use of Meta-discipline and Holistic Techniques, authentic learning experiences, use of products, processing and progressing Evaluations, developing explicit learning objectives, how to benefit from thinking and reflective practices, using collaborative and democratic activities, preparing students to set personal objectives, giving themselves feedbacks, technology and flipped classrooms, and beginning Year-Round Schooling. The results show that Iran needs more precise and detailed learning objectives in its curriculum, use of democratic and collaborative activities with academics and students, develop thinking and reflective practices which play vital roles in upgrading the educational system. Moreover, it is suggested that the UK and Iran should consider embedded evaluations and flipped classrooms to meet the needs of new generation of learners.

Exploring effective interventions to compensate for developmental delay in premature neonates and reduce their mothers' anxiety is of great significance. This research aimed at examining the effects of body massage on Iranian premature neonates' physical and motor development, and on their mother's anxiety and attachment. Forty premature neonates and their mothers were recruited and randomly assigned to either the control or experimental groups. Results showed that the body massage lead to greater weight, motor development, and larger bicep and thigh circumference compared to the control group. However, no significant differences were found in other parts of the neonates' bodies, nor were there differences in reflex status between the groups. Furthermore, the levels of mothers' attachment and their anxiety in the experimental group significantly increased and decreased, respectively. Therefore, massage therapy as a low-cost, non-medicinal treatment can be applied to improve neonates' physical and motor development and their mothers' psychological status.

Writing assessment literacy (WAL) has received research attention over the past few years. This study aimed at investigating writing assessment knowledge of Iranian English language teachers along with their conceptions and practices of writing assessment based on Crusan et al.'s (Assessing Writing 28:43-56, 2016) study in order to have a better understanding of their current situation and to predict and accommodate for future writing assessment requirements. The study further aimed at examining how teachers' knowledge, conception, and practice of writing assessment are influenced by contextual and experiential factors. To accomplish this goal, a test of writing assessment knowledge together with an adapted version of a questionnaire developed by Crusan et al. (Assessing Writing 28:43-56, 2016) for writing assessment conceptions and practice was distributed among 120 Iranian in-service teachers selected based on convenience sampling. The results of the study have shown inadequate levels of writing assessment knowledge for participating teachers. With regard to the conceptions of writing assessment, majority of the participants valued innovative assessment methods like portfolio and self/peer assessment methods although in practice, they rarely used these methods. The study revealed no impact of teaching experience and context on teachers' writing assessment knowledge and practice. The findings of this study contribute to our current understanding of WAL development and provide a more accurate picture of writing assessment training needs of Iranian teachers and the development of more efficient teacher education courses.

Pragmatic competence is considered one of the principal elements of second/foreign language learners' communicative language ability. However, in comparison to other components of communicative language competence, learners' pragmatic competence is far less researched. Of many components of this ability, ample research studies have been centered upon developing instruments in the field of interlanguage pragmatics that are mostly informed by the speech act framework. However, the assessment of conversational implicature, as other component of pragmatic ability, is under researched. In order to address this gap, the aim was to construct and validate a conversational implicature test. According to Grice's (1975) conversational maxims and Goffman's (1967) face management insights, a hypothesized model for conversational implicature was offered and examined. The procedures for validating the instrument included gathering information relating to content and construct validity of the test. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) through structural equation modeling (SEM) and differential group study were employed in support for the empirical evidence of construct validity. The developed test with 34-multiple-choice-item was distributed among 385 EFL university students who were at different proficiency levels. The results showed that the hypothesized model was fitted properly to the indexes based on CFA analysis. Furthermore, students with different English proficiency differed significantly in their comprehension of implicatures.

Much research has investigated the role of planning time in second language writing; however, the results show that there are inconsistent findings about the effects of planning time conditions on the complexity of the EFL learners' textual output. The current study attempted to consider the differential effects of planning time conditions in terms of the pre-task planning condition, the online planning condition, and the no planning condition on the complexity of writings composed by means of an argumentative task from 90 EFL learners. The results reveal that the pre-task planning condition had a marked effect on syntactic complexity and syntactic variety, but the online planning condition only benefited syntactic complexity. Rather unexpectedly, the three planning time conditions showed practically similar performance in lexical variety. The results indicate that pre-task and online planning had remarkable effects on the production of language that was more complex and syntactically varied, however, these two types of planning did not benefit lexical variety. In addition, through a consideration of Yuan and Ellis (2003) and Ellis and Yuan (2004), regarding the effects of planning on oral and written narratives, the researcher compared the results of the study to those previous and, finally, provided pedagogical implications on language practitioners and testers.

The formation of Sagha-Nefars as places where religious events were held together, with the paintings on their ceilings, date back to the Qajar era. Accordingly, the images were influenced by the developments of this period, including the prevalence of tazieh in Iran. The emergence of Sagha-Nefars as a place to hold religious ceremonies took place in the Qajar era and the illustrations of the ceilings of these structures go back to the same period. This paper focuses on visual forms of tomb photo portraits of Muslim Martyrs embedded within the embodied social practices and material cultures, with specific reference to death and memorial. To this end, the question raised here concerns the relationship between the concepts behind Sagha-Nefar's Martyrs Memorial photo portraits and the visual culture of the people. As this study is qualitative in nature, the present study adopts a descriptive approach to content analysis. We begin by considering the significance of the tomb photo portraits in the shaping of memory and then move on to analyse the relationship between death, martyrdom and reminiscence through religious material culture. The existing different meanings in the images of Muslim Martyrs photo portraits are visual texts, the understanding of which comprises the theoretical arguments for conducting this research. The illustrations are, in effect, visual texts that convey a message to the audience. The key problem under study in this research is the why and how the Photo of the Martyr, their diverse themes, and their relationship with the religious identity of Sagha-Nefars in Mazandaran. Furthermore, the event of the representation of the Martyr as a living body, for instance, memorial sculpture and portraits, is a cultural translation that seeks to render invisible the material reality. In this context, the study's findings suggest that the use of photo portraits of the deceased, along with shrines, sanctuaries and funeral material cultures in Sagha-Nafars, functioned as forms of memory that simultaneously embodied both the individuals and their material representations, including the bodies of the Muslim martyrs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was an attempt to explore international English-medium publication in humanities and social sciences in Iran. In so doing, 50 PhD students from 8 humanities and social sciences disciplines, who had already published or attempted to publish in English-medium journals, were requested to write reflection guide accounts and to take part in follow-up semi-structured interviews. The reflection guide and interview data were analyzed based on the principles of grounded theory research yielding the four major themes of "motivations, hurdles, strategies," and "call for support." The results indicated that the Iranian PhD students in the fields of humanities and social sciences are strongly motivated to publish in English-medium journals though they face considerable discursive and non-discursive challenges too. Moreover, although they pursue some strategies to rise to these challenges, they could not fight them off on their own and claim support by other more competent academics and officials. The authors also call for a firm action plan to improve the status of English-medium publication in humanities and social sciences. The action plan could count on support from more experienced doctoral students, professors and other university level officials, editors, reviewers, and high-level national policymakers.

This study investigated the effects of strategic planning and task structure (personal, narrative, and decision-making tasks) on L2 writing outcomes. One hundred and twenty intermediate English as a foreign language learners were randomly divided into strategic-planning and no-planning-time groups. The strategic-planning group performed the three tasks in a simple-complex sequence, whereas the no planning group completed the tasks in a random sequence. Their essays were analyzed using complexity, accuracy, fluency, and lexis measures. The results revealed that strategic planning with simple-complex sequencing resulted in positive effects on the four constructs of L2 written production, as compared with no planning with random sequencing. Additionally, task structure positively influenced syntactic complexity, lexical complexity, and one subconstruct of accuracy, but not fluency. The structured and less structured tasks (i.e., personal and narrative) through the provision of planning time produced greater accuracy and lexical complexity, whereas the unstructured task (i.e., decision-making) through the provision of planning time favored syntactic complexity. Finally, the results showed that the interaction between strategic planning and task structure led to substantial effects on syntactic complexity and one subconstruct of accuracy. These findings give additional support to the limited attentional capacity hypothesis and the tradeoff hypothesis. Methodological and pedagogical implications of the findings for task design and implementation condition in L2 writing are discussed.

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is the most common anxiety disorder and has serious negative effects on multiple areas of life. The possibility of comorbidity with other disorders and malfunction in different domains of life exists in both full-blown and subclinical social anxiety. This study aimed to compare the schema modes and self-beliefs related to social anxiety in individuals with subclinical social anxiety disorder and without social anxiety disorder. Multistage cluster random and purposive sampling methods were used to select 100 students, 50 with and 50 without symptoms of social anxiety disorder. Participants were evaluated in regard to schema modes, self-beliefs related to social anxiety, social anxiety, depression, and generalized anxiety disorder. They were then evaluated clinically through Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5). Data analysis was performed by Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) which showed that there was a significant difference between the groups of individuals with and without symptoms of social anxiety in schema modes and self-beliefs related to social anxiety (p < 0.001). The obtained results can contribute to a deeper understanding of the dimensions of vulnerability underlying subclinical social anxiety disorder in the relationship between symptoms of subclinical social anxiety disorder and schema modes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The cognitive function of older adults is an important indicator of healthy aging. Living arrangements have been identified as a potentially important factor affecting cognitive function among older adults. This study investigated the relationship between living arrangements and cognitive function among older adults aged 65 years and older in Kermanshah City, Iran. Methods: The cross-sectional study design was used in this study. Participants aged 65 years and older in Kermanshah City, Iran were recruited for the study. The Neuropsychiatric Unit Cognitive Assessment (NUCOG) was used to assess cognitive function, and demographic information was collected to assess living arrangements. Results: The study found that cognitive function was generally within the normal range among older adults, and that age, education level, and living arrangements were significantly associated with cognitive performance. Discussion: These results highlight the importance of considering demographic factors when developing interventions aimed at promoting cognitive health among older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Translation of cultural conceptualizations in the war literature seems to be an overlooked area of research both in Translation Studies and cultural studies dealing with war. In this study, we employed the framework of Cultural Linguistics at the heart of which lies the notion of cultural cognition to analyse translation of cultural schemas and categories in four books selected from the genre of Iran–Iraq war literature. The analysis indicated that typical translation techniques might lead to a change of cultural identity and may not be able to adequately transfer cultural conceptualizations. Therefore, 'thick translation' is suggested as a better way of translating them. This study can have implications for the theory and practice of translation and for those studying war from a cultural vantage point. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between coping styles and social identity among adolescents residing in marginal and non-marginal areas. Method: A cross-sectional study design with a descriptive-analytic approach was utilized. The study population consisted of adolescents aged 12 to 19 from Kermanshah city, with 222 participants evenly distributed between marginal and non-marginal areas. Adolescents were enrolled in the study using a multi-stage sampling method (stratified cluster, simple randomized method). Data were collected using the Standard Social Identity questionnaire and Lazarus and Folkman's Coping Styles questionnaire. The data were analyzed statistically in the SPSS software environment (version 25) using appropriate statistical tests. Results: The results of the study showed that there is a significant relationship between the components of social identity and coping styles in adolescents (P < 0.05). Emotion-focused and problem-focused coping styles had the ability to explain social identity in the adolescents of Kermanshah city. Also, in comparing the coping styles and social identity between adolescents from marginalized and non-marginalized areas in the city of Kermanshah, there was no significant difference (P < 0.05). Conclusion: This study underscores the importance of understanding how coping strategies influence social identity among adolescents across different socio-environmental contexts. The findings highlight the need for further research to explore the mechanisms underlying these relationships and consider the role of contextual factors in shaping adolescent development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social networking applications such as WhatsApp have been extensively used for language research; however, they have rarely been applied for language assessment purposes. To explore the efficiency of WhatsApp for assessment purposes, 30 Iranian English learners doing self- and peer-assessments on WhatsApp are studied. The changes and the reasons for the changes in their attitudes towards the two assessment types are also investigated. In a multi-phase study, the participants were trained on the new concepts of mobile-assisted self- and peer-assessments. They were also involved in the concurrent tasks of self- and peer-assessments as well as think-aloud protocols and filled out four attitude questionnaires before and after their involvement in the two assessment types. Finally, they were interviewed for the reasons of change(s) in their attitudes. The "t"-test and think-aloud results show that though the participants assigned different grades to themselves and their peers, this is not a procedural difference. The questionnaire results show that the participants generally adopted negative attitudes towards mobile-assisted assessments after being involved in them. They also gave various reasons for the change(s) in their attitudes. The results can substantially contribute to the ongoing debates on the use of alternative assessments through mobile device applications.

With the rapid changes in all types of learning and teaching environments, there is a need to implement electronic learning (e-learning) to train students with new technologies. However the trend of using e-learning as learning and/or teaching tool is now rapidly expanding into education. Although e-learning environments are popular, there is minimal research on agricultural instructors' attitudes toward these kinds of learning environments. The purpose of this study is to explore agricultural instructors' attitudes toward e-learning usage. A descriptive-correlation survey approach was used in this study. Accordingly, 175 instructors in 64 agricultural education centers are asked to answer questionnaires for investigating their attitudes. Data were collected by mailing the questionnaire. After statistical analysis, the results demonstrate that instructors have positive attitude toward using e-learning as a teaching assisted tool. Intrinsic incentives and motivators for acceptance of e-learning are important than extrinsic incentives and motivators. Based on the findings, this research proposes guidelines for developing e-learning environments in agricultural education. (Contains 4 tables.)

Teacher's function as a researcher has been the subject of heated debates during the last two decades.The advocates argue that education can not be conceived as a scientific domain within the positivistic paradigm. They put emphasis on the intricacies and uncertainties associated with teaching circumstances and invite teachers to participate in the knowledge production process through action research. Known otherwise as reflection in action, such teachers are referred to as reflective practitioners (after Schon) and are deemed to be more effective in carrying out their professional responsibilities. This article explores the theoretical grounds of both views, ie: technical and reflective, and offers some insight into the experiences gained through the adoption of teacher as researcher program in the education system of Iran.

Introduction: The accurate prediction of COVID-19 mortality risk, considering influencing factors, is crucial in guiding effective public policies to alleviate the strain on the healthcare system. As such, this study aimed to assess the efficacy of decision tree algorithms (CART, C5.0, and CHAID) in predicting COVID-19 mortality risk and compare their performance with that of the logistic model. Methods: This retrospective cohort study examined 5080 cases of COVID-19 in Babol, a city in northern Iran, who tested positive for the virus via PCR from March 2020 to March 2022. In order to check the validity of the findings, the data was randomly divided into an 80% training set and a 20% testing set. The prediction models, such as Logistic regression models and decision tree algorithms, were trained on the 80% training data and tested on the 20% testing data. The accuracy of these methods for the test samples was assessed using measures like ROC curve, sensitivity, specificity, and AUC. Results: The findings revealed that the mortality rate for COVID-19 patients who were admitted to hospitals was 7.7%. Through cross validation, it was determined that the CHAID algorithm outperformed other decision tree and logistic regression algorithms in specificity, and precision but not sensitivity in predicting the risk of COVID-19 mortality. The CHAID algorithm demonstrated a specificity, precision, accuracy, and F-score of 0.98, 0.70, 0.95, and 0.52 respectively. All models indicated that factors such as ICU hospitalization, intubation, age, kidney disease, BUN, CRP, WBC, NLR, O2 sat, and hemoglobin were among the factors that influenced the mortality rate of COVID-19 patients. Conclusions: The CART and C5.0 models had outperformed in sensitivity but CHAID demonstrates a better performance compared to other decision tree algorithms in specificity, precision, accuracy and shows a slight improvement over the logistic regression method in predicting the risk of COVID-19 mortality in the population under study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Neonatal myiasis is a rare condition, with few reports available on the subject. Surgical management is recommended in some cases. In this study, we present the case of a 7-day-old male neonate with larvae in his scrotum who underwent surgery. Case presentation: A full-term 7-day-old male infant (Aryan race) was referred to a children's hospital. On the sixth day after birth, three 3–4 mm long larvae crawled out from his scrotum, with the number increasing over time. He was given intravenous antibiotics and topical mupirocin to combat secondary infections. The surgical treatment involved two steps: first, the larvae were extracted, and then the infection site was washed with betadine and hydrogen peroxide to help remove any possible remaining larvae. Conclusion: Scrotal myiasis is a rare disease that occurs in infants and requires immediate treatment. Surgical treatment is effective in removing dead or decaying larvae from a deep-seated location and washing the infection site to prevent secondary infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Childhood maltreatment, alexithymia and impulsivity are related to bipolar disorder (BD), but the role of potential underlying mechanisms of this link, such as extreme sensory processing, in BD are unclear. This study compared sensory processing patterns between individuals with BD‐I or BD‐II and between those with and without alexithymia and childhood maltreatment. Additionally, the study aimed to examine the role of extreme sensory processing in the relationship between childhood trauma, alexithymia and impulsivity with both depression and mania in a sample of hospitalized individuals with BD (n = 300). Participants completed self‐report and clinician‐rated scales. Patients with BD‐II exceeded those with BD‐I in low registration, sensory sensitivity and sensation avoidance, whereas patients with BD‐I exhibited a more heightened sensation‐seeking pattern. Patients with BD who had alexithymia and a history of childhood maltreatment exhibited more heightened sensory processing patterns, apart from sensory seeking, compared to those without alexithymia and childhood maltreatment. Additionally, the same pattern was more pronounced in individuals with BD who had both alexithymia and childhood maltreatment compared to those with either condition or neither of these conditions. The pathways from childhood maltreatment and alexithymia to depressive symptoms were mediated by low registration and sensation avoidance. Sensory seeking indirectly affected the link between alexithymia and manic symptoms. Childhood maltreatment and challenges in effectively processing emotional information, along with their related hypo‐ and hypersensitivity, may characterize BD individuals and its manifestation of depressive and manic symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objective: Autosomal recessive genetic disorders pose significant health challenges in regions where consanguineous marriages are prevalent. The utilization of exome sequencing as a frequently employed methodology has enabled a clear delineation of diagnostic efficacy and mode of inheritance within multiplex consanguineous families. However, these aspects remain less elucidated within simplex families. Methods: In this study involving 12 unrelated simplex Iranian families presenting syndromic autism, we conducted singleton exome sequencing. The identified genetic variants were validated using Sanger sequencing, and for the missense variants in FOXG1 and DMD, 3D protein structure modeling was carried out to substantiate their pathogenicity. To examine the expression patterns of the candidate genes in the fetal brain, adult brain, and muscle, RT-qPCR was employed. Results: In four families, we detected an autosomal dominant gene (FOXG1), an autosomal recessive gene (CHKB), and two X-linked autism genes (IQSEC2 and DMD), indicating diverse inheritance patterns. In the remaining eight families, we were unable to identify any disease-associated genes. As a result, our variant detection rate stood at 33.3% (4/12), surpassing rates reported in similar studies of smaller cohorts. Among the four newly identified coding variants, three are de novo (heterozygous variant p.Trp546Ter in IQSEC2, heterozygous variant p.Ala188Glu in FOXG1, and hemizygous variant p.Leu211Met in DMD), while the homozygous variant p.Glu128Ter in CHKB was inherited from both healthy heterozygous parents. 3D protein structure modeling was carried out for the missense variants in FOXG1 and DMD, which predicted steric hindrance and spatial inhibition, respectively, supporting the pathogenicity of these human mutants. Additionally, the nonsense variant in CHKB is anticipated to influence its dimerization – crucial for choline kinase function – and the nonsense variant in IQSEC2 is predicted to eliminate three functional domains. Consequently, these distinct variants found in four unrelated individuals with autism are likely indicative of loss-of-function mutations. Conclusions: In our two syndromic autism families, we discovered variants in two muscular dystrophy genes, DMD and CHKB. Given that DMD and CHKB are recognized for their participation in the non-cognitive manifestations of muscular dystrophy, it indicates that some genes transcend the boundary of apparently unrelated clinical categories, thereby establishing a novel connection between ASD and muscular dystrophy. Our findings also shed light on the complex inheritance patterns observed in Iranian consanguineous simplex families and emphasize the connection between autism spectrum disorder and muscular dystrophy. This underscores a likely genetic convergence between neurodevelopmental and neuromuscular disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In this study, we will compare the diagnostic values of head CT decision rules in predicting the findings of CT scans in a prospective multicenter study in university emergency departments in Iran. Methods: The primary outcome was any traumatic lesion findings in brain CT scans, and the secondary outcomes were death, the need for mechanical ventilation, and neurosurgical intervention. Decision rules including the Canadian CT Head Rule (CCHR), New Orleans Criteria (NOC), National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), National Emergency X-Radiography Utilization Study (NEXUS), and Neurotraumatology Committee of the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (NCWFNS) were compared for the main outcomes. Results: In total, 434 mild TBI patients were enrolled in the study. The NCWFNS had the highest sensitivity (91.14%) and the lowest specificity (39.42%) for predicting abnormal finding in CT scan compared to other models. While the NICE obtained the lowest sensitivity (79.75%), it was associated with the highest specificity (66.67%). All model performances were improved when administered to predict neurosurgical intervention among patients with GCS 13–15. NEXUS (AUC 0.862, 95% CI 0.799–0.924) and NCWFNS (AUC 0.813, 95% CI 0.723–0.903) had the best performance among all evaluated models. Conclusion: The NCWFNS and the NEXUS decision rules performed better than the CCHR and NICE guidelines for predicting any lesion in the CT imaging and neurosurgical intervention among patients with mTBI with GCS 13–15. For a subset of mTBI patients with GCS 15, the NOC criteria have higher sensitivity for abnormal CT imaging, but lower specificity and more requested CTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Emergency medical services preparedness in mass casualty incidents is one of the most important concerns in emergency systems. A mass casualty incident is a sudden event with several injured individuals that overwhelms the local health care system. This study aimed to identify and validate the components of emergency medical services readiness in mass casualty incidents which ultimately led to designing a conceptual model. Methods: This research was an explanatory mixed-method study conducted in five consecutive stages in Iran between November 2021 and September 2023. First, a systematic review was carried out to extract the components of emergency medical services preparedness in mass casualty incidents based on the PRISMA guideline. Second, a qualitative study was designed to explore the preparedness components through in-depth semi-structured interviews and analyzed using the content analysis approach. Third, the integration of the components extracted from the two stages of the systematic review and qualitative study was done by an expert panel. Fourth, the obtained components were validated using the Delphi technique. Two rounds were done in the Delphi phase. Finally, the conceptual model of emergency medical services preparedness in mass casualty incidents was designed by a panel of experts. Results: 10 articles were included in the systematic review stage and sixteen main components were extracted and classified into four categories. In the second stage, thirteen components were extracted from the qualitative study and classified into five categories. Then, the components of the previous two phases were integrated into the panel of experts and 23 components were identified. After validation with the Delphi technique, 22 components were extracted. Lastly, the final components were examined by the panel of experts, and the conceptual schematic of the model was drawn. Conclusions: It is necessary to have an integrated framework and model of emergency medical service readiness in the planning and management of mass casualty incidents. The components and the final model of this research were obtained after the systematic scientific steps, which can be used as a scheme to improve emergency medical service preparedness in response to mass casualty incidents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The utilization of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is experiencing a global surge, accompanied by the adoption of national CAM policies in numerous countries. Traditional Persian medicine (TPM) is highly used as CAM in Iran, and the ongoing scientific evaluation of its interventions and the implementation of evidence-based medicine (EBM) encounters various barriers. Therefore, comprehending the characteristics and interactions of stakeholders is pivotal in advancing EBM within TPM policies. In this study, we utilized both classical stakeholder analysis and social network analysis to identify key stakeholders and potential communication patterns, thereby promoting EBM in TPM policy-making. Methods: A cross-sectional nationwide stakeholder analysis was conducted in 2023 using snowball sampling. The interviews were carried out using a customized version of the six building blocks of health. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Stakeholders were assessed based on five factors (power, interest, influence, position, and competency). The connections and structure of the network were analyzed using degree, betweenness, closeness centrality, and modularity index to detect clusters of smaller networks. Results: Among twenty-three identified stakeholders, the Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MOHME) and the Public were the most powerful and influential. The Iranian Academy of Medical Sciences was the most competent stakeholder. Social network analysis revealed a low density of connections among stakeholders. Pharmaceutical companies were identified as key connectors in the network, while the Public, supreme governmental bodies, and guilds acted as gatekeepers or brokers. The MOHME and Maraji were found to be high-ranking stakeholders based on four different centrality measures. Conclusion: This study identifies powerful stakeholders in the network and emphasizes the need to engage uninterested yet significant stakeholders. Recommendations include improving competence through education, strengthening international relations, and fostering stronger relationships. Engaging key connectors and gatekeepers is essential for bridging gaps in the network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The rising prevalence of mental and psychological issues among immigrants has garnered increased attention due to the significant growth in immigrant populations in recent years. In this context, exploring the connection between psychological health, cognitive flexibility, brain-behavioral systems, and sensory processing in Iranian immigrants in Canada is becoming an essential research goal. Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore the relationships between psychological health, cognitive flexibility, brain-behavioral systems, and sensory processing among Iranian immigrants in Canada. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used, gathering data from 400 Iranian students (198 males and 202 females) enrolled at universities in Canada and Iran. We collected participants' demographic details and assessed their psychological health, cognitive flexibility, brain-behavioral systems, and sensory processing through standardized instruments. Psychological health was evaluated using the Beck Anxiety Inventory, cognitive flexibility was measured with the Dennis and Vander Wall Cognitive Flexibility Questionnaire, and sensory processing was appraised via the adolescent/adult sensory profile. The Carver and White behavioral inhibition system (BIS)/behavioral activation system (BAS) scales were utilized to measure brain-behavioral systems. Statistical analyses, including correlation analysis and multivariate regression, were conducted to investigate the relationships among these variables. Results: The correlation analysis revealed significant positive associations between anxiety and low registration (r = 0.283, P < 0.001), sensory sensitivity (r = 0.442, P < 0.001), and sensory avoiding (r = 0.307, P < 0.001) in immigrant students. Anxiety also showed nonsignificant negative correlations with the behavioral activation system-drive (r = -0.042, P = 0.551) and behavioral activation system-reward responsiveness (r = -0.090, P = 0.203). The multivariate regression analysis found that low registration (B = 0.177, P = 0.036), sensory sensitivity (B = 0.336, P < 0.001), and cognitive flexibility (B = 0.119, P = 0.025) significantly predicted anxiety levels in immigrant students. An adjusted R-squared value of 0.191 indicated that these variables together explained 19.1% of the variance in anxiety levels. Conclusions: This study underscores the significant links between sensory processing patterns, cognitive flexibility, brain-behavioral systems, and anxiety among Iranian immigrant students. These findings highlight the need for interventions focusing on teaching cognitive skills strategies and increasing awareness of sensory needs to help reduce anxiety levels in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Education and providing self‐care skills are essential for patients with chronic respiratory disease. Today, the use of information and communication technologies has provided many opportunities for facilitating self‐care in chronic patients. In this regard, the attention of researchers has been shifted toward the design and use of mobile phone‐based technologies for self‐care purposes in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In this study, a protocol is proposed for the design, implementation, and evaluation of a mobile‐based self‐care application for patients with COPD. Methods: The design science approach will be used in the design, implementation, and evaluation of the self‐care application. This solution‐oriented paradigm goes beyond the level of description and explanation and takes steps toward problem‐solving. One of the most common models of design science is the waterfall model of information technology development. The seven consecutive stages of the waterfall model include preliminary analysis, system analysis, design, programming, testing, implementation, and maintenance/modification. Conclusion: The present protocol is the first to design, implement, and evaluate a mobile‐based self‐care application for patients with COPD in Iran. The integration of new technologies for the self‐care education of COPD patients is considered an innovative strategy. This application is designed based on the self‐care needs of COPD patients, which will ultimately promote the self‐care activities of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: COVID-19 has led to a wide range of clinical symptoms, which are increasing in low- and middleincome countries. Parasitic infections are the reasons for the concomitant effect of this disease in these regions, which can reduce or increase the severity of the disease. The present study aimed to determine the clinical features, laboratory findings, and frequency of the intestinal parasites in the COVID-19 patients. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, the clinical features, laboratory findings, and frequency of the intestinal parasites in the stool specimens of 150 COVID-19patients, confirmed by PCR and hospitalized in Bandar Abbas hospitals during 2020-2021, were evaluated using direct wet methods with Lugol and physiological saline, formalin ethylacetate concentration technique (FECT), modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining, and trichrome staining. Results& Conclusion: Eighteen (12%) out of 150 patients with COVID-19 were infected with intestinal parasites, among whom the highest frequencies belonged to the intestinal Blastocystis spp. (10 %), and then Giardia lamblia (1.3%), and Trichomonas hominis(0.7%), and some cases with no intestinal helminths were observed. According to the findings, patients with COVID-19 and simultaneous parasite infections had substantially greater rates of decreased appetite (P=0.015), stomach ache (P=0.002), and flatulence (P=0.002) than those without parasitic infections. Based on the laboratory findings, no significant relationship was observed between the two groups of parasites and no parasites. More epidemiological and clinical studies are needed to better understand the status of intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) in the hospitalized COVID19 patients in Bandar Abbas city, Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the effectiveness of an integrated training programme (ITP) in reducing female students' test anxiety with a view to the mothers' perfectionism as a moderating factor. A total of 60 primary school students (30 mothers with perfectionism trait and 30 mothers without perfectionism) were randomly selected using multi-stage cluster sampling and screening methods. Spielberger's Test Anxiety Scale and Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (MPS) were administered to the students and mothers, respectively. The participants were placed into four groups (two experimental and two control groups). The experimental groups received intervention in 14 sessions. The results suggested significant differences between experimental and control groups, but there was no significant difference between the two experimental groups (group 1: students with test anxiety and perfectionist mothers and group 2: students with test anxiety and non-perfectionist mothers). The moderating effect of mothers' perfectionism was not statistically confirmed. Implications of the study are discussed.

Cooperative teaching is the result of efforts made by two educators for teaching a heterogeneous group of students, especially one including those with specific needs, due to reading disorders for instance. The present study serves as an experimental investigation focusing on the effect of cooperative teaching on the development of reading skills among students with a reading disorder. To achieve this, three female students were selected from a regular primary school in the 2nd education district of Tabriz, Iran. The research design was a multiple baseline single subject design with different children, in which we used the reading and dyslexia test (RDT) and the revised Wechsler Intelligence Scale to diagnose reading disorders, and a researcher-made hundred-word test to measure the development of reading skills. The children received five cooperative teaching sessions during only the (experimental) intervention, i.e. in the baseline and the follow-up stages, they were not exposed to any cooperative teaching. The comparisons of the students' performance in experimental phases showed that cooperative teaching is an effective technique for developing reading skills and that the effectiveness of this technique was also maintained over time. This work is the first empirical demonstration of the effectiveness of co-teaching in dealing with dyslexic reading disabilities. It additionally serves as the first instance of applying co-teaching to any form of reading disability in Iran.

Objective: Activating mutation in Ubiquitin-specific peptidase (USP8) is identified to enhance cell proliferation and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) secretion from corticotroph pituitary adenoma. We investigated the USP8 variant status in a population of Iranian people with functional corticotroph pituitary adenoma (FCPA). Moreover, a systematic review was conducted to thoroughly explore the role of USP8 variants and the related pathways in corticotroph adenomas, genotype-phenotype correlation in USP8-mutated individuals with FCPA, and the potential role of USP8 and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) as targeted therapies in PFCAs. Methods: Genetic analysis of 20 tissue samples from 19 patients with PFCAs was performed using Sanger sequencing. Moreover, a systematic literature review was performed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. PubMed, Scopus, web of Sciences, and Cochrane databases were searched. The last search was performed on 20 September 2023 for all databases. Results: In our series, we found two somatic mutations including a 7-bp deletion variant: c.2151_2157delCTCCTCC, p. Ser718GlnfsTer3, and a missense variant: c.2159 C > G, p. Pro720Arg (rs672601311) in exon 14. The Systematic review indicated USP8 variant in 35% of corticotroph adenomas, with the highest frequency (25%) in 720 code regions, p. Pro720Arg. Data regarding the impact of USP8 mutational status on clinical characteristics and outcomes in FCPAs are inconsistent. Moreover, Pasireotide as well as inhibitors of EGFR such as Gefitinib and Lapatinib, as well as USP8 inhibitors including -ehtyloxyimino9H-indeno (1, 2-b) pyrazine-2, 3-dicarbonitrile, DUBs-IN-2, and RA-9 indicated promising results in treatment of corticotroph adenomas. Conclusion: Although the USP8-EGFR system has been identified as the main trigger and target of corticotroph tumorigenesis, more precise multicenter studies are required to yield more consistent information regarding the phenotype-genotype correlation and to develop effective targeted therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate spatiotemporal monitoring and modeling of soil moisture (SM) is of paramount importance for various applications ranging from food production to climate change adaptation. This study deals with modeling SM with the random forest (RF) algorithm using datasets comprising multispectral data from Sentinel-2, Landsat-8/9, and hyperspectral data from the CoSpectroCam sensor (CSC, licensed to AgriWatch BV, Enschede, The Netherlands) mounted on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in Iran. The model included nine bands from Landsat-8/9, 11 bands from Sentinel-2, and 1252 bands from the CSC (covering the wavelength range between 420 and 850 nm). The relative feature importance and band sensitivity to SM variations were analyzed. In addition, four indices, including the perpendicular index (PI), ratio index (RI), difference index (DI), and normalized difference index (NDI) were calculated from the different bands of the datasets, and their sensitivity to SM was evaluated. The results showed that the PI exhibited the highest sensitivity to SM changes in all datasets among the four indices considered. Comparisons of the performance of the datasets in SM estimation emphasized the superior performance of the UAV hyperspectral data (R2 = 0.87), while the Sentinel-2 and Landsat-8/9 data showed lower accuracy (R2 = 0.49 and 0.66, respectively). The robust performance of the CSC data is likely due to its superior spatial and spectral resolution as well as the application of preprocessing techniques such as noise reduction and smoothing filters. The lower accuracy of the multispectral data from Sentinel-2 and Landsat-8/9 can also be attributed to their relatively coarse spatial resolution compared to the CSC, which leads to pixel non-uniformities and impurities. Therefore, employing the CSC on a UAV proves to be a valuable technology, providing an effective link between satellite observations and ground measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since tourist behavior plays the primary role in protecting the environment, this study has been conducted to extend the psychological perspectives of visitors' environmentally responsible behavior (ERB) in one of the most important natural heritage sites in Iran (Damavand Mountain) in the COVID-19 pandemic timeline and provide awareness for destination environmentalists as well as managers on how to control visitors' behavior. Likewise, Robbins (2002) Organizational Behavior model has been tested on ERB in ecotourism. Generally, 260 reliable questionnaires have been analyzed by using PLS-SEM2.0. The findings showed that (1) Visitors' attitude and ability toward nature would positively affect their ERB; (2) Motivation and learning mediate the impact of visitors' attitude and ability on their ERB; (3) Ability plays a significant role in the formation of visitors' ERB. Thus, the best way to change visitors' behavior is to educate them to make ERB more like a habit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iranian mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) include 72 species across eight genera. The fauna of mosquitoes in Guilan Province comprises 34 species representing seven genera. In a study conducted between 2022 and 2023, we collected there 134 adult females, previously not found in Iran. Morphological analysis classified them as Aedes (Aedes) cinereus. Confirmation of their identification came from the barcode sequence of the COI gene. This species, along with its subgenus, marks a new addition to the Iranian mosquito fauna. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tikhonov Regularization is the most widely used method for geophysical inversion problems. The result of previous and current research has shown that how to estimate the regularization parameter has a dramatic effect on inversion results. In the present research, conventional methods, including L-curve, Discrepancy principle, GCV, and ACB are compared with an innovative technique called Unbiased Predictive Risk Estimator (UPRE) in the inversion of 2D magnetotelluric data. For this purpose, MT2DInvMatlab is applied as the main program. It uses the Levenberg–Marquardt method as the inversion core and the ACB method to estimate the regularization parameter. Then, this program was developed in a way that it could estimate the regularization parameter using all of the above-mentioned methods. Next, a relatively complex model consisting of two layers and three blocks was used as a synthetic model. Comparing the results of all methods in TM, TE, and joint modes showed that the UPRE method, which previously provided desirable results in the inversion of potential field data in terms of convergence rate, time, and accuracy of results, here along with the ACB method, presented more acceptable results in the same indicators. Therefore, these two methods were used in a geothermal case in the North-West of Iran as a real test. In this case, the UPRE presented results at the same level as the ACB method and better than it in terms of some indicators. So, the UPRE method, especially in large-scale problems, could be a suitable alternative to the ACB method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID-19 virus has had wide-ranging effects on all healthcare systems and a direct impact on all areas of human life in all countries around the world. Therefore, it is necessary to take preventive actions to reduce the prevalence and severity of the complications associated with this disease. The purpose of this study was to explain the dimensions of adopting general self-care behaviors (mask-wearing, social distancing, hand hygiene, and home quarantine) for preventing COVID-19 based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) in cardiovascular patients. Methods: This was a descriptive-analytical study conducted with the participation of 420 patients referring to health and treatment centers of Ahvaz, southwest of Iran, in 2022. Sampling was done using a non-random (convenience) method. The data collection tool was a questionnaire containing items addressing demographic characteristics, questions related to the TPB, and questions dealing with the adoption of everyday self-care behaviors against contracting COVID-19. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods (prevalence, mean, standard deviation, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and linear regression) in SPSS version 25. Results: The results of this study showed that the rate of adoption of self-care behaviors against COVID-19 among cardiovascular patients was moderate. The results also showed that among the constructs of the TPB, Perceived behavioral control, Subjective norms, and Perceived behavioral intention were the most important predictors of adopting self-care behaviors among cardiovascular patients with a change variance of 46%. Conclusions: The results of the present study have implications for health and treatment policy makers as well as planners of educational and behavioral interventions aimed at promoting the adoption of self-care behaviors against COVID-19. In this respect, managing and institutionalizing desirable behaviors among cardiovascular patients could be beneficial from economic, social, and health-related aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Osteoporotic fractures can result in significant health complications and an increased risk of death. Registry studies could provide better treatment options and improve patient outcomes by providing useful information about the disease. The present study describes the protocol for an osteoporosis registry in Iran. Materials and methods: This registry is a prospective multicenter cohort study recruiting patients with osteoporosis from Iran. The inclusion criteria of the study are individuals diagnosed with primary or secondary osteoporosis according to the diagnostic criteria of the study; patients will be identified and recruited from outpatient clinics in this registry. All patients diagnosed with primary or secondary osteoporosis are the target population of the study. Our expected sample size is 1000 participants and the study will continue for at least 2 years. The measurements of the Iranian Osteoporosis Registry include four parts: (i) variables measured by the specific questionnaires package, (ii) bone mineral density (BMD, (iii) clinical examination, and (iv) lab data. The final questionnaire package includes "demographics information", "socioeconomic status", "lifestyle", "reproductive health", "medical history and medication", "Osteoporosis diagnosis gap", "Osteoporosis adherence and treatment gap", "fracture history and fall risk assessment", "FRAX ® tool ", "hospitalization and death outcomes", "low back pain", "hospitalization history", "attitude toward osteoporosis", "osteoporosis awareness", "osteoporosis related-performance", "quality of life (Iranian version of SF12 questionnaire)", and "food frequency questionnaire (FFQ)". Clinical examination of this registry includes anthropometric measurements (including height, weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, hip circumference, and right wrist circumference), and blood pressure. The baseline questionnaires will be filled out right after patients are diagnosed with osteoporosis and then osteoporotic patients will be followed up regularly on a yearly basis. In the follow-up visit, variables that may have changed over time are updated. The main outcomes include registration of fall, fracture, hospitalization, medication adherence, and death. An online web-based user-friendly software is also developed for data collection. Data analysis will be conducted with the collaboration of data-mining experts and epidemiologists at the end of each follow-up. Conclusion: The Iran Osteoporosis Registry will be a valuable source of information regarding osteoporosis outcomes (i.e. fractures, hospitalizations, adherence, and death at the national level), and its results will be very beneficial and practical for policy makers in the field of musculoskeletal diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suspended sediment load is an indicator of erosion in watersheds. Therefore, accurately estimating the daily suspended sediment load (DSSL) is an important issue in river engineering. In this research, Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), Genetic Expression Programming (GEP) intelligent models, and the traditional Sediment rating curve (SRC) model were used to estimate DSSL in the Kasilian and Rood Zard watersheds in Iran. The input data to the models included instantaneous flow discharge (Q), average daily flow discharge (Qi), average daily flow discharge with a delay of three days (Qi-1,Qi-2,Qi-3), average daily precipitation (Pi), and average daily precipitation with a delay of three days (Pi-1,Pi-2,Pi-3); the output data was DSSL. In this research, the selforganizing map (SOM) artificial neural network was used for data clustering, and gamma test (GT) methods were used to obtain the best combination of input variables to intelligent models. The results showed that the best models for estimating DSSL in the Kasilian and Rood Zard watersheds were respectively the ANN model with an activation function of tangent sigmoid with the best combination of input variables (Qi-1,Qi-2,Qi-3,Pi,Pi-1,Pi-2,Pi-3) and the GEP model with the input variables Qi,Qi-1,Qi-2,Pi,Pi-1,Pi-2,Pi-3. The statistical values of the ANN-tangent sigmoid model for the Kasilian watershed were MAE=231.4 (ton day-1), RMSE=578.6 (ton day-1), NSE =0.98, and R²=0.98; these values for the GEP model in the Rood Zard watershed were MAE=475.7 (ton day-1), RMSE=1671.9 (ton day-1), NSE=0.99, and R²=0.99. The SRC model in the Kasilian watershed with R²=0.34 and NSE=0.08 and the Rood Zard watershed with R²=0.59 and NSE=-0.11 showed the low accuracy of this model in estimating DSSL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused a recent pandemic that killed thousands of people by causing mild and severe systemic organ involvement. Researchers are still trying to find a suitable diagnostic tool for the disease. We investigated the effect of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) enzyme levels on long-term outcomes. Methods: The data in this retrospective cohort study were collected from the records of patients with COVID-19 referred to Rouhani hospital in Mazandaran, northern Iran. Patients were followed up to determine the cut-off points for predicting mortality. Results: The data of the 320 eligible patients showed that AST levels, unlike ALT and ALP levels, were significantly associated with mortality (P<0.001) and disease severity (P=0.016). Unlike the levels of other tests, AST levels on admission had a significant association with mortality (P<0.001, 95% CI=2.433 to 20.463, MD=7.056) and the intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay (P=0.012, 95% CI=1.291 to 7.907, MD=3.195). None of the tests (AST, ALT, or ALP) could predict long-term mortality in patients. Conclusion: Unlike ALP and ALT levels, AST levels showed an excellent ability to predict mortality and disease severity at admission. However, AST, ALT, and ALP could not predict long-term adverse outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recurrent oral ulcers are the most common complaint of patients with Behçet’s disease (BD) and recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS). Enhanced innate immune response and neutrophilic activity might be a possible etiopathogenesis of BD. This study aimed to determine the significance of salivary human neutrophil peptide (HNP 1-3) in BD and RAS patients and detect their correlation with different clinical presentations, disease activity, and characteristics of oral ulcers. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 25 BD patients and 25 RAS patients as well as 25 healthy participants. Five cubic centimeters of unstimulated saliva was collected and levels of HNP 1-3 were measured by ELISA. Other data were obtained through interviews, examinations, and reviews of medical records. Finally, data analysis was performed using SPSS 25.0 software. Results: Salivary HNP 1-3 levels were not significantly different between the study groups (P=0.282). Duration of oral ulcers did not correlate with HNP 1-3 levels in RAS and BD patients (P>0.05). Also, BD patients with involvements other than oral ulcers were not found to have different levels of HNP 1-3 compared to those who did not manifest these conditions. Conclusion: The validity of HNP 1-3 to be used as a probable biological marker for evaluation, diagnosis, and estimation of disease activity in patients with BD and RAS is still questionable according to our results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Producing polyglot films has turned into a global cinematic trend lately. The Iranian cinema is no exception, and the number of Iranian polyglot films has also increased recently. Therefore, there is a greater need for the systematic analysis of different aspects of multilingualism in audiovisual translation (AVT), particularly in modes like the subtitling for the deaf and hard of hearing (SDH) in which the audiences have limited or no access to the original audio content. In this study, first, the concepts of multilingualism in Iranian cinema and Persian SDH were discussed. Then, the representation of multilingualism in three Iranian polyglot films was examined. The results depicted that, in most cases, multilingualism is masked, and the subtitlers were neglectful of the importance of the conveyance of multilingual instances in the plot for the deaf and hard of hearing (DHH). Therefore, it can be claimed that the Persian SDH is yet to reach quality standards. Studies like this have immediate implications for audiovisual translators and film distributors by drawing attention to the importance of SDH, as a relatively understudied area, in promoting media accessibility (MA) for the DHH in the Persian speaking context and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To compare health-related quality of life (HRQOL), cost-effectiveness, and survival among different types of urinary diversion (UD) utilized after radical cystectomy (RC) for bladder cancer with consideration of the unique economic and cultural context in Iran. Patients and methods: In this retrospective study, we examined all patients who underwent RC from May 2017 to December 2021 at two specialized centers by the same surgical team. Patients were grouped based on their UD. Post-surgical HRQOL (obtained from EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQBLM-30), financial burden, surgical complications, and survival were compared. Kruskal-Wallis H test, One-way ANOVA, and Kaplan-Meier analyses were utilized; accordingly. Results and limitations: In total 187 patients were identified—orthotopic neobladder (ONB) (N = 75), ileal conduit (IC) (N = 57), and cutaneous ureterostomy (CU) (N = 55)—and were followed for a median 17.5 (Interquartile range: 7.0, 47.0) months. ONB was associated with better HRQOL, especially in the domains addressing physical, role and social functioning (p = 0.003, 0.011, 0.045) as well as better body image (p < 0.001), lower short- and long-term financial burden (p = 0.034 and <0.001, respectively), marginally lower complication rate (p = 0.049), and better 5-year overall survival (p < 0.001), in comparison with other UDs. Patients who underwent CU had the lowest HRQOL and worst survival. Limitations were retrospective design and possibility of selection bias. Conclusions: In this first study that assesses a Middle Eastern collective; ONB seems to be the UD of choice with regard to HRQOL and economic burden when there is no contraindication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of research was to identify and determine interactive and conflict strategies of bilingual teachers and students in Iran's monolingual educational system through the analysis of their lived experiences. This was a qualitative study using phenomenological approach and research population included all the teachers and pupils of the primary schools in five selected cities of Kermanshah province selected through purposeful sampling method. The sample size of the research for teachers was fifteen (9 male and 6 female teachers of Grades 1-6) and for pupils including five classes (three boys' classes and two girls' classes of Grade 6) with an average of 31 students in each class (in total 155 students). To collect data, researchers used semi-structured interviews with teachers and group interviews with students, and for data analysis, Braun, & Clarke thematic method was used. The first finding of the research indicates that the reaction of teachers and students about formal language can be divided into two groups of interactive and conflict strategies. In terms of nature, both types of strategies are based on the three principles of acceptance, submission and resistance. The second finding revealed that teachers simultaneously benefit from strategies based on positive and negative reinforcement to promote the Persian language in the classroom and school. The third finding shows that some teachers and pupils have defensive reactions against the "linguistic assimilation" policy of the formal education system. According to the findings, it is suggested to Iranian educational planners to increase the role of mother tongue in the learning process of bilingual students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Objective: This research aimed to study the role of the meaning of life in death anxiety and suicidal thoughts in women with cancer. Materials & Methods: The method of this research is correlation. The statistical population of the study included all women with cancer referred to Tawheed Hospital in Sanandaj City in 1400-1401. The sample size consists of one hundred people selected by purposive sampling. To collect data, Steger's Meaning in Life (MLQ), Templer's Death (DAS), and Beck's Suicidal Thoughts (BSSI) questionnaires were used. SPSS software was used in this research. Results: The information was analyzed using correlation tests and regression analysis. The regression conclusions showed that the meaning of life has an inverse relationship with suicidal thoughts, and death anxiety has a direct relationship with suicidal thoughts. The Pearson correlation results showed that the meaning of life predicts death anxiety and suicidal thoughts. Conclusion: In general, it can be concluded that the meaning of life plays an instrumental role in the death anxiety and suicidal thoughts of women with cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Objective: As the prevalence of type 2 diabetes is growing worldwide, the need to use insulin and the resulting costs are progressively increasing. Exercise can be an effective way to reduce the insulin dose and its cost. This study investigates the effects of 12 weeks combined exercises on cost, dosage of insulin, and glycemic indices in type 2 diabetic patients. Materials & Methods: Sixty-eight patients, aged 40 to 60 years, with type 2 diabetes and acceptable conditions to perform targeted exercises, were recruited in a randomized clinical trial. All of them had been on treatment with a combination of short-acting and long-acting insulins. Participants were randomly divided into control and case groups with matched gender and age (17 women and 17 men). In addition to the standard exercise recommendations given to both groups, the case group also received the supervised aerobic and resistance exercises three sessions a week for 12 weeks reaching the defined maximum heart rate percentage. The dose of short- and long-acting insulins used during the study was recorded and the resulting cost change along with FBS, 2hpp and HbA1clevel alterations were calculated. Results: The cost and dosage of long-acting and short-acting insulins in the trained group were significantly reduced by 50% and 39.67%, respectively, compared to the control group (p=0.00). The values of HbA1c (21.5%), 2hpp-BS (24.68%), and FBS (13.89%) also decreased in the trained group (p=0.00), while all the mentioned values increased in the control group. Conclusion: The effect of 12 weeks combined exercises was remarkable on reducing the dose of injectable insulins, better glycemic control of patients, and reducing the cost of treatment. Providing the necessary arrangements for supervised exercise in diabetic patients can be economical and beneficial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elevated levels of metal(loid)s in soil may pose potential threats to the ecosystem and can be harmful for human health. The concentrations of As, Cd, Pb, Cr and Ni were determined in agricultural soil collected from 45 pistachio orchards around Feizabad city, Khorasan Razavi province, Iran using ICP-OES. Also, soil pollution indices including contamination factor (CF), pollution load index (PLI) and geo-accumulation index (Igeo) were evaluated. In addition, non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk indices were estimated. The mean concentrations of metal(loid)s were in the order of Ni = 466.256 > Cr = 120.848 > Pb = 12.009 > As = 5.486 > Cd = 0.394 mg/kg. Concentrations of As, Cd and Pb in the soil samples were within their respective permissible limits set by World Health Organization (WHO). But concentrations of Cr and Ni in 84.4 and 100% of the samples, respectively exceeded the WHO allowable limits. The CF, PLI and Igeo showed that soil of some of the pistachio orchards was contaminated with some metals. The possible sources of the metals in the soil are application of pesticides, chemical fertilizers, manures as well as irrigation water. Hazard quotient (HQ) ad Hazard index (HI) values from soil of all the orchards were found to be well below the respective threshold limit (1), suggesting that there is no immediate non-cancer threat arising from the contamination at all the orchards with metal(loid)s for children and adults. The highest cancer risk values (1.13E-02 for children and 1.25E-03 for adults) were estimated for Ni in the soil. Collectively, this study provides valuable information to improve the soil in the pistachio orchards to reduce metal(loid)s contamination and minimize the associated health risks to the population in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herbal components are highly useful assets for the advancement of novel antibacterial drugs. Nanotechnology holds great promise as an approach to enhance the effectiveness and develop the composition of these substances. The study developed nanogels incorporating camphor, thymol, and a combination derived from the initial nanoemulsions with particle sizes of 103, 85, and 135 nm, respectively. The viscosity of nanogels and the successful loading of compounds in them were examined by viscometery and ATR-FTIR studies. The bactericidal properties of the nanogels were examined against four bacterial strains. The nanogel containing camphor and thymol at 1250 µg/mL concentration exhibited complete growth suppression against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. The thymol nanogel at 1250 µg/mL and the camphor nanogel at 2500 µg/mL exhibited complete inhibition of growth on Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli, respectively. Both nanogels showed favorable effectiveness as antibacterial agents and could potentially examine a wide range of pathogens and in vivo studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to diagnose the effectiveness of Islamic spiritual dignity therapy (ISDT) in promoting self-compassion and self-esteem in single-parent young girl. This was an applied, quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design and a control group. The sample population included single-parent young girl aged 15–18 years who lived in Mashhad, Iran in 2022. In total, 16 volunteers were selected and randomly assigned to test and control groups. The test group participated in eight sessions of group ISDT, while the control group received no intervention. Data collection tools were the Self-Compassion Scale and the Self-Esteem Contingency Questionnaire for Adolescents. We initially examined the ANCOVA assumptions, and the research hypothesis was tested based on the results of MANCOVA. A significant difference was observed between the study groups (p <.01), indicating that ISDT plays a pivotal role in improving self-compassion and decreasing contingent self-esteem in the samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]