A genre analysis of reprint request emails written by EFL and physics professionals

The present study aimed to analyze reprint request e-mail messages written by postgraduates (MA students) of two fields of study, namely Physics and EFL, to realize the differences and similarities between the two email types. The results showed that the two corpora were much alike at the level of move schemata while there were some differences concerning strategies and microstructural features. The results showed that the two corpora were much alike at the level of move schemata while there were some differences concerning strategies and microstructural features. The email writers within each discipline were affected by their previously learned texts and the physics group was affected by the conventions of Persian letter writing. The email writers within each discipline were affected by their previously learned texts and the physics group was affected by the conventions of Persian letter writing<br /

Valley-dependent tunneling through electrostatically created quantum dots in heterostructures of graphene with hexagonal boron nitride

Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) has been employed to probe charge carriers in a graphene/hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) heterostructure [Nano Lett, 21, 5013 (2021)]. We propose an approach for operating valley filtering based on the KPFM-induced potential $U_0$ instead of using external or induced pseudo-magnetic fields in strained graphene. Employing a tight-binding model, we investigate the parameters and rules leading to valley filtering in the presence of a graphene quantum dot (GQD) created by the KPFM tip. This model leads to a resolution of different transport channels in reciprocal space, where the electron transmission probability at each Dirac cone ($K_1$= -K and $K_2$ = +K) is evaluated separately. The results show that U0 and the Fermi energy $E_F$ control (or invert) the valley polarization, if electrons are allowed to flow through a given valley. The resulting valley filtering is allowed only if the signs of $E_F$ and $U_0$ are the same. If they are different, the valley filtering is destroyed and might occur only at some resonant states affected by $U_0$. Additionally, there are independent valley modes characterizing the conductance oscillations near the vicinity of the resonances, whose strength increases with $U_0$ and are similar to those occurring in resonant tunneling in quantum antidots and to the Fabry-Perot oscillations. Using KPFM, to probe the charge carriers, and graphene-based structures to control valley transport, provides an efficient way for attaining valley filtering without involving external or pseudo-magnetic fields as in previous proposals

Evaluation of Dispersion for Soil Properties from Faw City- Southern Iraq

في هذه الدراسة تم حفر اربعة حفر وبعمق 0.5 متر و عمق 1.5 متر في اماكن مختلفة في مدينة الفاو باستخدام الة لثقب وجمع العينات. تم تحديد تربة منطقة الدراسة باختبارات التصنيف لتكون&nbsp; التربة طينية غرينية من نوع (CL) في نظام التصنيف الموحد للتربة.ايضا اجريت اختبارات تشتت التربة مثل اختبار تشتت خصائص التربة والتحليل الكيميائي واختبار الاشعة السينية الحائدة . واظهرت نتائج هذه الاختبارات ان تربة منطقة الدراسة منخفضة التشتت من الدرجة الثانية باستثناء الموقع الرابع كان تربة غير مشتتة. تم تحديد قيم الاملاح الكلية الذائبة في المياه المسامية للتربة بتقدير التراكيز الكلية للكاتيونات الذائبة ( Ca, Mg, Na, k) و استخدام تقنية معايرة (ETDA ) للكالسيوم والمغنيسيوم وتقنية اللهب. اظهرت ان ترب منطقة الدراسة في المواقع الاربعة في النطاق (C) تمثل منطقة تشتت متوسطة حسب مخطط تشتت الترب. و اظهرت نتائج نسبة امتصاص الصوديوم (SAR) ان قيمها تمثل ان التربة في المنطقة المشتتة. كما بينت نتائج الاشعة السينية الحائدة ان معادن الكوارتز والكالسايت والدولومايت والطين تشكل غالبية عينات التربة. وتشمل معادن الاطيان الرئيسية السمكتايت (مونتموريلونايت) والباليكورسكايت والكاؤولينايت. كما بينت نتائج اختبارات الاملاح الكلية الذائبة تنوع في اختبارات تشتت الترب واختلاف المحتوى المعدني والكيميائي للترب. ومن الضروري اجراء المزيد من البحث والتفصيل للمعادن الموجودة وتقييم اهمية المعادن الطينية. وتعد عمليات التشتت وتحديد التربة وتصنيفها من اهداف البحث الرئيسة.Four boreholes were drilled in four different places of the AL- Faw city using a hand auger, disturbed samples were collected at depths of 0.5 and 1.5 meters. The soil of the study area was determined by classification tests to be silty clay, CL-type soil in the Unifined Classification System of Soils. Soil dispersion tests such as the Crumb test, chemical analysis and XRD tests were conducted, and the results of crumb test&nbsp; showed that the soil of the study area was low dispersive from grade 2 except for the fourth site was a non-dispersive soil. The values of Total Salts Dissolved (TDS) in the pore water of the soil, was determined by estimating the total concentration of dissolved cations (Na, K, Ca and Mg) .The ETDA titration technique&nbsp; (for Ca and Mg) and the flame photometer were used to test this pore water (for Na and K), and it showed that the soil of the study area in the four sites within the C zone represented the Intermediate dispersive soil classification chart, and the results from Sodium Absorption Ratio (SAR) values showed that the soil in the area was dispersive. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The XRD data showed that the minerals quartz, calcite, dolomite, and clay made up the majority of the soil samples. The principal clay minerals included Smectite (Montmorillonite),&nbsp; Palygorskite and&nbsp; Kaolinite. The results of the Total dissolved salts test showed a variety of the Crumb test for a difference in the soil content of mineral and chemical components. It is necessary to conduct further research on the XRD analysis with detailed interpretation of the minerals present, the importance of clay mineral types like Smectite should be assessed. The study of dispersion processes, the identification and classification of soils from specific tests and the identification of soils are the main objectives of this research

Correlation between biofilm formation and antibiotic resistance in pseudomonas aeruginosa: A meta-analysis

Biofilm formation is one of the important resistance mechanisms in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This study aimed to consider the correlation between biofilm formation and antibiotic resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa through a systematic review and meta-analysis. This study was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) strategies. Scientific databases were searched by MeSH terms and keywords such as �Pseudomonas aeruginosa�, �biofilm formation�, �antibiotic resistance�, �prevalence� AND �Iran�, to obtain articles published from 1st January 2016 to 30th November 2019. Studies recording biofilm formation and antibiotic resistance in P. aeruginosa recovered from clinical samples of Iranian patients were included. Data analysis was performed using CMA software. The combined biofilm formation rate was reported as 87.6 (95 CI: 80-92.5). The heterogeneity index among the selected articles was Q2=96.5, I2=85.5, and t=0.26 (p=0.16). The pooled occurrences of strong, moderate and weak biofilms were 47.7 (95 CI: 28.7-67.3), 30.2 (95 CI: 19.4-43.8), and 27.4 (95 CI: 8.8-59.8), respectively. The pooled prevalence of MDR P. aeruginosa strains was as follows: 62.5 (95 CI: 40-77.2). The highest combined rates of antibiotic resistance were against ceftriaxone and tobramycin with the rates of 79.2.9 (95 CI: 54.2-96.2) and 64.4 (95 CI: 36.3-92), respectively. Also, the lowermost antibiotic resistance rates were against colistin and polymyxin B, with the prevalence of 2.1 (95 CI: 0.2-18.1), and 3 (95 CI: 0.5-17.3), respectively. More than half of the studies included in the present review showed a significant correlation between biofilm formation and antibiotic resistance pattern. © 2020, EDIMES Edizioni Medico Scientifiche. All rights reserved

The Effect of Social Responsibility and Corporate image on Enhancing the Brand Equity

Customers are one of the pillars of success in organizations and have been studied from different aspects. The aim of this study is scrutinizing the factors influencing brand equity in the tobacco industry in Tehran. Therefore, by referring to previous studies, dimensions and components of associated with variables have been identified and a standard questionnaire based on these variables has been used. The validity of the questionnaire has been approved by the elites of management and the reliability of them has been calculated through the software. The statistical population of research consisted of all customers of the tobacco industry in Tehran. In order to determining the sample size the Cochran formula, to the extent of 384 individuals, has been used. In order to test the research hypotheses Structural equation modeling through Lisrel software has been used. The results showed that different variables have significant impact on brand equity and customer loyalty is an important mediating factor in influencing on brand equity

Detection of qacEΔ1, qacG, qacE, qacF resistance genes in Escherichia coli producing broad-spectrum beta-lactamases to benzalkonium chloride

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The resistance genes of quaternary ammonium compounds(qac) play an important role in the resistance of gram-negative bacteria producing broad-spectrum beta-lactamases to disinfectants. The aim of this study was detection of qacEΔ1, qacG, qacE, qacF resistance genes in Escherichia coli producing broad-spectrum beta-lactamases to benzalkonium chloride. METHODS: This study cross sectional-descriptive was conducted on 150 clinical samples of selected hospitals in Arak. ESBL strains were identified by using phenotypic methods of disc diffusion and combinatory disc method and evaluating the SHV, TEM, CTXM1 genes by genotyping method. The PCR was performed to determine the resistance genes qacEΔ1, qacG, qacE and qacF.The electrophoresis of PCR products and the MIC of benzalkonium chloride were relative to E. coli producing ESBL. Antibiotic pattern of Escherichia coli (ESBL), quadruple ammonium resistance genes and benzalkonium chloride MIC were also investigated. FINDINGS: This study showed that 60% of Escherichia coli were ESBL producer. The qacEΔ1 genes were observed in all of them and qacE, qacF, qacG genes were not found in any of the strains. The strains had MIC range from 32 to 64 mg/l for benzalkonium chloride. Resistance to carbapenems (33.33%) was observed. CONCLUSION: This study showed that qacEΔ1 resistance gene and resistance to disinfectant benzalkonium chloride increased. Also increased resistance to the antibiotics studied were observed in E. coli ESBL strains

Meta-Analysis of Biofilm Formation, Antibiotic Resistance Pattern, and Biofilm-Related Genes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolated from Clinical Samples

Resistant microorganisms such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa grow by developing biofilms in hospitals. We aimed to investigate the biofilm formation and the frequencies of biofilm-related genes and their associations with antibiotic resistance pattern in P. aeruginosa isolated from Iranians' clinical samples. This review was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. We conducted a systematic literature search in scientific databases using medical subject heading terms, including "Pseudomonas aeruginosa,""biofilm formation,""biofilm-related genes,""antibiotic resistance,"and "prevalence,"to obtain related articles published from 1st January, 2000, to 30th March, 2019. The studies reporting the prevalence of biofilm formation, the frequencies of biofilm-related genes, and the antibiotic resistance pattern in P. aeruginosa retrieved from Iranian patients were included. Meta-analysis was performed using the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software. The pooled rate of biofilm formation was calculated as 86.5 (95 confidence interval CI: 79-91.6). The combined frequencies of strong, moderate, and weak biofilms were 51% (95% CI: 37.4-64.4), 29.2% (95% CI: 20.9-39.1), and 25.4% (95% CI: 11.5-47.2), respectively. The pooled prevalence of laslR, algD, algU, ppyR, and pelF genes were 93.6% (95% CI: 88.1-96.6), 91.4% (95% CI: 80.8-96.4), 89.3% (95% CI: 85.2-92.3), 98.7% (95% CI: 96.5-99.6), and 93% (95% CI: 82.7-97.3), respectively. The highest combined antibiotic resistance rates of P. aeruginosa isolates were against piperacillin/tazobactam (90%). This study showed that biofilm formation was higher in multidrug-resistant (MDR) P. aeruginosa than non-MDRs. A significant correlation was observed between biofilm formation and antibiotic resistance in 50% of studies included in this review. © Copyright 2020, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers 2020

Mechanistic insights into bacterial metabolic reprogramming from omics-integrated genome-scale models.

Understanding the adaptive responses of individual bacterial strains is crucial for microbiome engineering approaches that introduce new functionalities into complex microbiomes, such as xenobiotic compound metabolism for soil bioremediation. Adaptation requires metabolic reprogramming of the cell, which can be captured by multi-omics, but this data remains formidably challenging to interpret and predict. Here we present a new approach that combines genome-scale metabolic modeling with transcriptomics and exometabolomics, both of which are common tools for studying dynamic population behavior. As a realistic demonstration, we developed a genome-scale model of Pseudomonas veronii 1YdBTEX2, a candidate bioaugmentation agent for accelerated metabolism of mono-aromatic compounds in soil microbiomes, while simultaneously collecting experimental data of P. veronii metabolism during growth phase transitions. Predictions of the P. veronii growth rates and specific metabolic processes from the integrated model closely matched experimental observations. We conclude that integrative and network-based analysis can help build predictive models that accurately capture bacterial adaptation responses. Further development and testing of such models may considerably improve the successful establishment of bacterial inoculants in more complex systems

Acute Effects of Moderate versus High-Intensity Strength Exercise on Attention and Mood States in Female Physical Education Students

The presumed benefits of exercise/physical activity on the brain are an important public health issue. However, the experimental approach to understanding the effects of physical activity on the brain, and more particularly on cognitive functions, has only been studied recently. In particular, females remain underrepresented in the research, despite having a specific training/exercise adaptation/response. The aim of the present study was to examine the acute effects of high- and moderate-intensity strength exercise (3 sets of 8–10 repetitions and 3 sets of 6 repetitions, respectively, with each session lasting approximately 30 min) on attention and mood states in female physical education students. Forty-six female physical education students (Mage = 20.02 ± 1.05 years, MBody Mass Index = 21.07) volunteered to participate in this study. They were divided into three groups: a moderate-intensity strength exercise group (MISEG: n = 15), a high-intensity strength exercise group (HISEG: n = 16), and a control group (CG: n = 15). Attention and psychological states were assessed using the d2 test, Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) and the Brunel Mood Scale (BRUMS) questionnaire, respectively, before and after each session. The data showed that in the MISEG attention increased, in terms of concentration (p = 0.05). RPE values, fatigue and confusion were higher for the HISEG than the CG (p < 0.05) and the MISEG (p < 0.05). Vigour was higher for the MISEG than other groups (p < 0.05). In conclusion, moderate-intensity resistance exercise is an appropriate method to improve attention in female participants. The elevated cognitive performance may be due to the changes in RPE and mood states (fatigue, vigour and confusion subscales)