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Given the changing nature of the meaning of literacy, this study seeks to adopt a pluralistic view of literacies and provide a holistic picture of how coursebooks help learners improve their technological-related literacies to participate fully in the present and future world of multiple and multimodal literacies. Accordingly, the elements of digital literacies in sixteen widely used ELT coursebooks were explored through content analysis. The findings revealed the implementation of the four foci of literacies (communication, collaboration, information, and re-design) in the digital literacies framework throughout the coursebooks. All coursebook series primarily emphasized the aspects of communication and collaboration, allocating comparatively less attention to the elements of information and re-design. The findings have call for practitioners in the field to rethink the curriculum, take the digital literacy components into account, and augment the digital aspects that are less discussed in coursebooks.

This study employed qualitative analysis to investigate the technology anxiety experienced by Iranian EFL teachers conducting online classes, taking into account their digital literacy levels. A digital literacy questionnaire was administered to a group of EFL teachers teaching English online at two branches of a language institute in Iran using the virtual classroom software BigBlueButton. Based on the questionnaire responses, 12 teachers were categorized as high (N = 6) and low (N = 6) digital literates. Through semi-structured interviews and reflective journals, the study delved into teachers' anxiety regarding online teaching, identifying three primary types of anxiety: pedagogical anxiety, technological anxiety, and social anxiety. The findings revealed that pedagogical anxiety stemmed from disruptions in teaching and learning processes, technological anxiety arose from challenges such as internet disconnections, and social anxiety related to judgments based on technological proficiency. While effective language instruction was a shared concern among high and low digital literate teachers, their approaches to managing anxiety varied significantly. High digital literate teachers demonstrated greater resilience in addressing online teaching challenges, whereas low digital literate teachers experienced reduced confidence and struggled with virtual classroom management. The study emphasizes the importance of addressing technology-related anxiety among language teachers in online education to enhance teaching efficacy and student outcomes. It suggests integrating digital literacy courses and providing expert support to alleviate teaching and technology-related anxiety and stress among EFL teachers, leading to more effective teaching practices.

Background: Measuring students' self-regulation skills is essential to understand how they approach their learning tasks in order to identify areas where they might need additional support. Traditionally, self-report questionnaires and think aloud protocols have been used to measure self-regulated learning skills (SRL). However, these methods are based on students' interpretation, so they are prone to potential inaccuracy. Recently, there has been a growing interest in utilizing learning analytics (LA) to capture students' self-regulated learning (SRL) by extracting indicators from their online trace data. Objectives: This paper aims to identify the indicators and metrics employed by previous studies to measure SRL in higher education. Additionally, the study examined how these measurements were validated. Methods: Following the protocol of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), this study conducted an analysis of 25 articles, published between 2015 and 2022, and sourced from major databases. Results and Conclusions: The results showed that previous research used a variety of indicators to capture learners' SRL. Most of these indicators are related to time management skills, such as indicators of engagement, regularity, and anti-procrastination. Furthermore, the study found that the majority of the reviewed studies did not validate the proposed measurements based on any theoretical models. This highlights the importance of fostering closer collaboration between learning analytics and learning science to ensure the extracted indicators accurately represent students' learning processes. Moreover, this collaboration can enhance the validity and reliability of data-driven approaches, ultimately leading to more meaningful and impactful educational interventions.

Background: Math anxiety (MA) is a worldwide appearing academic anxiety that can affect student mental health and deter students from math and science-related career choices. Method: Using the Arabic version of the Modified-Abbreviated Math Anxiety Scale (m-AMAS), the prevalence of MA was investigated in a very large sample of students (N = 10093) from grades 7 to 12 in Qatar. Results: The results showed a better fit to the original two-factor model of the m-AMAS (learning MA and Evaluation MA) than to a single-factor solution. This two-factor model was also confirmed in each grade. Notably, the distribution of MA scores was right-skewed, especially for learning MA. Using the inter-quartiles ranges, norms for MA were provided: A score of [less than or equal to]16 indicates low MA whereas a score of [greater than or equal to]30 identifies high MA. Previous studies conducted in Western countries defined high math-anxious students as those who score above the 90th percentile corresponding to a score of 30 on the m-AMAS. Using this cut-off criterion, the current study found that one-fifth of students in Qatar were highly math-anxious, with a higher proportion of females than males. We also calculated the percentage of participants selecting each response category for each questionnaire item. Results showed that attending a long math class was the context that elicited the highest levels of learning MA. In contrast, having an unexpected math test was the situation that triggered the highest levels of evaluation MA. Conclusion: The prevalence of MA might vary across different cultures.

Abstract Introduction To examine the association between dietary inflammatory index (DII) and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Methods A prospective birth cohort study was conducted in Iran. During the first trimester of pregnancy, food intake was measured using a food frequency questionnaire. Each participant’s DII score was calculated, and then, the Cox proportional hazard model was used to calculate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% CI of GDM across the quartiles of DII. We systematically searched the literature to conduct a meta-analysis of observational studies (PROSPERO: CRD42022331703). To estimate the summary relative risk for the highest versus lowest category of DII, a random-effects meta-analysis was performed. The certainty of evidence was assessed using the GRADE approach. Results In the prospective cohort study (n = 635 pregnant mothers), the multivariable HRs of GDM for the third and fourth quartiles of DII were 2.98 (95%CI: 1.98, 6.46) and 2.72 (95%CI: 1.11, 6.63), respectively. Based on a meta-analysis of six prospective cohorts and a case-control study (1014 cases of GDM in 7027 pregnant mothers), being in the highest category of the DII was associated with a 27% higher risk of GDM (relative risk: 1.27, 95%CI: 1.01, 1.59; I2 = 50%; low certainty of evidence). A dose-response meta-analysis suggested a positive monotonic association between DII and GDM risk. Conclusions Our prospective cohort demonstrated a positive correlation between GDM risk and the inflammatory potential of diet in the first trimester of pregnancy. The results need to be confirmed by larger cohort studies. Clinical trial number Not applicable.

Abstract Background Socioeconomic inequality in nutritional status as one of the main social determinants of health can lead to inequality in health outcomes. In the present study, the socioeconomic inequality in the burden of nutritional deficiencies among the countries of the world using Global Burden of Disease (GBD) data was investigated. Methods Burden data of nutritional deficiencies and its subsets including protein-energy malnutrition, iodine deficiency, vitamin A deficiency, and dietary iron deficiency form GBD study and Human Development Index (HDI), a proxy for the socio-economic status of countries, from united nations database were collected. After descriptive statistics, the concentration index (CI) curve was used to measure socioeconomic inequality. CI for nutritional deficiencies was estimated based on Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALY), Years Lived with Disability (YLD), Years of Life Lost (YLL), prevalence, incidence and death indices. Moreover, CI of DALY and prevalence was estimated and reported for four nutritional deficiencies subgroups. Results CIs for DALY, YLD, YLL, prevalence, incidence and death rate show negative values and their, which indicates the concentration of nutritional deficiencies burden among lower HDI countries. The highest value of CI (lowest inequality) for DALY was related to iodine deficiency (-0.3401) and the lowest (highest inequality) was related to vitamin A deficiency (-0.5884). Also, the highest value of CI for prevalence was related to protein-energy malnutrition (-0.1403) and the lowest was related to vitamin A deficiency (-0.4308). Results also show the inequality in DALY was greater than the disparity in prevalence for all subgroups of nutritional deficiencies. Conclusions Inequality in burden of nutritional deficiencies and protein-energy malnutrition, iodine deficiency, vitamin A deficiency and dietary iron deficiency are concentrated in countries with low HDI, so there is pro- poor inequality. Findings indicate that although malnutrition occurs more in low-income countries, due to the weakness of health care systems in these countries, the inequality in the final consequences of malnutrition such as DALY becomes much deeper. More attention should be paid to the development of prevention and primary treatment measures in low HDI countries, such as improving nutrition-related health education, nutritional support and early aggressive treatment, and also eliminating hunger.

This paper presents a systematic overview of the resilience framework for power electronics converter-based cyber-physical systems (CPSs), emphasizing end-to-end responses to the emerging challenges posed by cyber-physical attacks. While recent advancements in control and communication have enhanced the functionalities of power electronic converters in applications such as electric vehicles and smart grids, such advancements have also introduced new vulnerabilities, particularly to cyber-physical attacks. The existing literature tends to focus on isolated research areas, and a comprehensive review that encompasses strategies applicable before, during, and after an attack remains lacking. To address this gap, this paper categorizes state-of-the-art research into four key stages of an attack: anticipate and prepare, resist and absorb, detect and evaluate, and recover. Topics reviewed in this paper include converter and cyber-physical attack modeling, converter-based CPS testbeds, system hardening at the cyber and physical layers, attack detection, post-attack evaluation, and recovery strategies. Real-world case studies and practical regulations are also analyzed. Additionally, challenges and opportunities of the resilience framework are discussed. Despite notable advancements in modeling and identifying cyber-physical attacks, considerable efforts are still required to improve attack mitigation strategies and recovery mechanisms.

This research sought to investigate the relationship between students' perceptions of various environmental and psychological factors and their STEM learning. The study incorporated quantitative exploratory design, including data from 1,625 students (preparatory & high school) in Qatar. It examined the relationships among five key variables, i.e.,: (a) the quality of teaching, (b) satisfaction with school, (c) the positive perception of the importance of mathematics/science for students' future, (d) the fear of asking math/science questions, and (e) their STEM learning. The results of the regression analysis and structural equation modelling analysis demonstrated a significant relationship between the explored variables. A positive correlation has been computed between "quality of teaching," "satisfaction with school," "recognition of the importance of mathematics/science for the future," and "students' STEM learning". In contrast, the variable "fear of asking mathematics/science questions" was found to be negatively associated with "students' STEM learning." This study research offers important recommendations for policymaking and suggests avenues for further investigation and research in this area.

Abstract Reflecting intelligent surface (RIS) is one of the key enabling technologies for beyond fifth generation wireless networks to further improve coverage, spectral‐ and energy‐efficiency of wireless networks. Recently, a novel simultaneous transmission and reflection RIS (STAR‐RIS) technology is introduced which enables more degrees‐of‐freedom in simultaneously serving users in reflection and transmission regions of RIS. This paper investigates a STAR‐RIS assisted two‐user full‐duplex communication system, wherein multi‐antenna base station (BS) and single‐antenna users are subject to maximum power constraints. Firstly, weighted sum rates are computed for three well‐known STAR‐RIS protocols, e.g. energy splitting, mode selection, and time splitting. Then, for each of the cases, weighted sum rate optimization problem is investigated to find optimal resource allocations, i.e. base station's precoding and combining matrices, coefficients of STAR‐RIS, and power allocations. The optimization problem is transferred into multiple convex sub‐problems using equivalent weighted minimum mean‐square‐error forms. Also, by use of the successive convex approximation method, tunable parameters of the STAR‐RIS are optimized. Although the original problem is a non‐convex one, proposed iterative alternating technique achieves an acceptable sub‐optimal performance. Finally, performance of the system is analysed and compared to some baselines to highlight superiority of the STAR‐RIS compared to the conventional RIS schemes.

Introduction: urban sewage sludge contains significant amounts of essential elements for plant growth, which can be optimally used in the agricultural process. However, the presence of heavy elements is one of the main limitations of the direct use of this substance in agricultural lands. Therefore, the general purpose of this study is to investigate the role of using organic modifiers (rice straw and branches from citrus pruning) in urban sewage sludge and converting them into compost and biochar in reducing the amount of heavy elements, and also the partial purpose of this study is to compare the effect of compost and biochar on reducing the amount of heavy elements. Material and Methods: This study was conducted in two separate designs in the form of a randomized complete block with 9 treatments and 3 replications. The first plan included the production of compost using the combination of urban sewage sludge with rice straw and citrus branches with different ratios (1:1, 3:1, 5:1, and 7:1) and the second plan included the production of biochar using compost obtained from the first design with rice straw and citrus branches with different ratios (1:1, 3:1, 5:1, and 7:1). Then, the amount of total lead, nickel and cadmium (digestion with nitric acid and perchloric acid) and available (extraction with DTPA) were measured in biochar and sewage sludge compost samples. Results and Discussion: Based on the results, the treatment of compost obtained from the combination of sewage sludge + rice straw in the ratio (1:1) reduced the amount of lead and total cadmium by 37.12 and 69.29%, respectively, compared to the control (sewage sludge). This reduction in the amount of lead and cadmium in the mentioned treatment is due to the high amount of rice straw compared to other treatments of rice straw and the greater degradability of rice straw compared to the citrus branch. The amount of available nickel in the treatments of compost + rice straw (1:1), compost + citrus branch (1:1), and (1:3) decreased by 46.12, 48.71, and 25.03%, respectively, compared to the control (sewage sludge). Also, the amount of available cadmium in compost treatments with rice straw (1:1), citrus branch (1:1), and (1:3) decreased by 43.97%, 33.18%, and 47.44%, respectively, compared to the control. Biochar had a significant effect on the amount of total lead and cadmium, so that the lowest amount of total lead and cadmium was observed in biochar + rice straw with a ratio of 1:1 and the amount of total lead and cadmium in this treatment decreased by 46.99 and 25.26%, respectively, compared to the control. Production of biochar from sewage sludge compost increased the amount of total lead and cadmium. However, the conversion of sewage sludge compost into biochar caused a significant decrease in the amount of available lead, nickel, and cadmium. Rice straw and citrus branches in biochar had no significant effect on available nickel. Conclusion: The production of compost and biochar from sewage sludge had a significant effect on the total and available heavy elements in the sludge. Therefore, in order to reduce the availability of lead, nickel, and cadmium, using the biochar method is preferable to compost and is prioritized. If the production of biochar is not cost-effective, the plant compounds of rice straw and citrus branches can be used in the production of sewage sludge compost, which has a significant effect on the immobilization of available heavy elements. Sewage sludge compost with rice straw by a ratio of 1:1, which has the lowest amount of pollution and the lowest cost for production, was recommended as the optimal treatment.

Stability study of biological products plays an important role for determination of product changes in maintenance period and ensuring of safety and efficacy of vaccines. In this research, accelerated and long-term stability study performed for six batches of full and reduced-dose cattle Iriba strain brucellosis vaccine that manufactured by Razi vaccine and serum research institute as a new vaccine. After sampling, the vaccines were tested for accelerated stability, after four days storage at 22 0C and tested intervals in three months until 24 months for long-term stability after storage at 2-8 0C. The result indicated all batches of vaccines in accelerated stability met the specification recommended by OIE 2012 and the mean loss of activity for full-dose was 16.68, 18.87 and 17.79 % and for reduced-dose was 38.85, 36.06 and 34.98 %. In long term stability, the quality control tests including colony forming unit, purity, dissociation and physicochemical tests in all samples until 24 months, met the specification recommended by OIE 2012. The full-dose vaccines showed a mean loss of activity of 30.73, 25.53 and 32.45 % and the reduced-dose vaccines showed 63.51, 58.60 and 60.83 %. The mean increasing of moisture content was, 187.85, 214.13 and 160.77 % for full-dose and 142.35, 110.23 and 164.47 % for reduced-dose. So, the results of this research indicated in spite of moisture content increasing in second year, the brucellosis vaccines with this strain are stable at least 24months if the cold chain considered properly but the best expiry date for the vaccine is one year.

Abstract Background and objectives: Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) is an enzyme in the pentose phosphate pathway. G6PD deficiency (an X-linked recessive hereditary disease) is an inherited condition affecting approximately 3% of the people globally. This deficiency can cause hemolytic anemia and jaundice in neonates. The goal of this study is to detect the prevalence of G6PD deficiency in neonates referred to Semnan province screening lab Material and Methods: This cross sectional study, from 2007 to 2010, was conducted on the basis of country planned program and in line with neonatal screening tests. Blood samples were taken from the heels of 3-5 day neonates. Assessment of G6PD was done by rapid fluorescent spot test. The Prevalence of G6PD deficiency in boys and girls was compared by chi square (p

Although CALL is still an emerging area of study in many countries, several studies have shown the significant contribution of these countries to the development of CALL worldwide, among which Iran is no exception. Contrary to the vast number of review studies on how this interdisciplinary area of study has been developed at the international level, there are very few studies presenting the development of CALL at the national level, especially in the highly contributing countries. Accordingly, the present study is an attempt to systematically review the trend of CALL in Iran focusing on research purpose, outcome, and methodology. The two major databases of WoS and Scopus were searched from 2007 to 2020. Following the exclusion and inclusion criteria, 229 studies were selected for the present systematic review. The research purpose and outcome of the studies were analyzed according to four classifications of linguistic, affective, cognitive/ metacognitive, and technology domains. The findings indicated a large number of studies in linguistic and affective domains with a positive effect of technology. Furthermore, a few studies have been conducted with a focus on the cognitive/ metacognitive and technology aspects. The analysis of the research methodology of the publications revealed a lack of sufficient data about participants, research setting, and duration of the treatment/tasks. More importantly, the absence of longitudinal qualitative studies in natural settings was found as a major shortcoming. It is worth mentioning that measurement instruments/data collection methods, data analysis methods, and the implemented devices were clearly explained in nearly all the studies.

Nobel laureate Prof. Abdulrazak Gourna was invited by Qatar University Press and warmly welcomed by the audience of the Doha International Book Fair. The long interview focused on the relationship between the author and publisher and responsibilities of the author to represent the concerns of his local culture on a world stage. Here, the significance of translation was apparent as well as direct communication between author and audiences worldwide. His African, Arabic, and Islamic roots contributed to the rich heritage of Prof. Gurnah, whose novels unravel this complexity of identities. The dialogue was enriched by a discussion on how the author as a novelist and academic dealt with postcolonialism and the evil of colonialism. More importantly, how in his original home Zanzibar, different societies, the coastal cultures, the Arab traders, the Indian traders, the Swahili traders, and the people in the interior, negotiated their coexistence peacefully, which ended with the arrival of European colonialism. This led to fragmentation of African societies and in many ways was responsible for the oppression and dictatorship that ravaged the contents., INTRODUCTORY SPEECH BY PROF. TALAL ABDULLA AL-EMADI, QATAR UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF LAW DEAN AND PRESS FOUNDING DIRECTOR Dear guests, this evening, I welcome you all on behalf of Qatar University [...]

Background: Current data indicate that serum vitamin D and susceptible C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels, both indicative of the inflammatory state, have the potential to predict the onset and severity of chronic pain. Therefore, the objective was to assess the intensity of pain experienced after breast cancer treatment and its relationship with these two parameters. Method: In this cross-sectional study between 2019 and 2021, 201 patients were enrolled. The McGill Pain Questionnaire was employed to evaluate localized pain intensity at the site six months after the conclusion of cancer treatments. Patients were stratified based on the type of breast surgery, with or without a tissue expander, axillary region surgery, chemotherapy treatment, radiotherapy treatment, serum vitamin D levels, serum hs-CRP levels, and pain intensity. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 21 software with a significance level set at 0.05. Results: Among the patients, 67.6% (136 individuals) reported mild pain, 31.3% (63 individuals) reported moderate pain, and 1% (2 individuals) reported severe pain. The results of this study demonstrated a positive correlation between high serum hs-CRP levels and increased pain intensity, with serum marker levels being higher in patients experiencing more severe pain compared with those with milder pain. However, no statistically significant association was observed between various serum concentrations of vitamin D and pain intensity (P = 0.12). Conclusion: Elevated levels of inflammatory factors, such as hs-CRP, are linked to a higher likelihood of developing chronic post-surgical pain.

The newest virus from the SARS family of viruses called acute syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes COVID-19 disease, was identified in China at the end of 2019. In March 2020, after it spread to 29 additional countries, it was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). SARS-CoV-2 infection mainly starts through the respiratory tract and causes a wide spectrum of symptoms from asymptomatic infections to acute respiratory distress syndrome with multi-organ failure and vasoplegic shock. Among the many immunomodulatory and antiviral drugs that have been studied for the treatment of COVID-19, methylene blue (MB) may play an influential role. This article reviews the history of MB applications, the antiviral effects of MB against SARS-CoV-2, and the results of in vivo and in vitro studies of the use of MB in COVID-19. Based on studies, MB can simultaneously affect most of the host’s harmful responses caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection due to its multiple properties, including anti-hypoxemia, anti-oxidant, immune system modulator, and antiviral. The use of MB is associated with a reduction in the possibility of getting infection, and mortality, and can be used as a safe, effective, cheap, and available treatment option with minimal side effects for the clinical management of COVID-19.