A Critical Legal Essay to Advocate Iranian Children's Right to "Proper" Education

This article aims to create a critical legal essay to answer the main question of how to help Iranian governance in improving the respect of children's right to "proper education"? The concept of the "right to proper education" serves the Iranian children's right to education more consistently with the very sociocultural-Islamic context of this developing country rather than an allegedly occidental form of right to education. To create such an approach, we have combined a critical view to the Iranian legal system, as well as a sociological view to the Iranian educational system, while benefiting the philosophical results of an inquiry on virtue ethics and Islamic education. Finally, this critical legal essay suggests the Iranian governance to be open to a shift toward a modern contractual authority in the educational system to be more compatible with the psycho-emotional needs of children and at the same time to apply the virtue ethics' political advice to move toward a liberal form of educational policies that promotes the virtues of autonomy and toleration

Children’s right to “proper education” in contemporary Iran : a critical legal essay with an ethical and empirical approach towards improving Iranian governance

La recherche prend place dans le quotidien actuel de la sphère éducationnelle en Iran. Remarquons que l’Iran est État non occidental et islamique, mais ayant néanmoins adhéré au principe, plutôt occidental, de la Convention internationale sur les droits de l’enfant. Cette recherche s’insère dans une continuité de recherche au soutien des droits humains. Elle propose une voie d’empowerment aux groupes iraniens ouverts à la démocratie, mais aussi aux mouvements éducatifs soucieux des droits fondamentaux de la personne. Divisé en quatre chapitres, le questionnement hybride de la thèse conduit à un essai interdisciplinaire critique bénéficiant aux trois disciplines du droit, de la philosophie et de l'étude empirique. Face au système juridique international et iranien d'un point de vue juridique classique, le chapitre philosophique tend à répondre à la question de «que pourrait-on considérer non seulement du droit à l'éducation, mais également du droit à une « éducation appropriée » fondée sur des motifs éthiques et philosophiques dans le sens où cela conviendrait mieux à la culture iranienne et aux habitudes sociales ». Le chapitre empirique recherche donc "Dans l'action en faveur des droits des enfants iraniens, que révèlent les représentations sociales iraniennes au sujet du fossé potentiel entre un concept idéal de «proper education» et la vie quotidienne des enfants? " À partir d’une approche philosophique— plus précisément d’une éthique de la vertu—, la thèse propose le concept d’«éducation appropriée » [proper education] comme approche critique des positions internationales et internes du droit à l’éducation de l’enfant. Y est présenté comme «éducation appropriée » un droit moral et juridique pour les enfants : ce droit relève alors de la catégorie des droits au développement qui servent le droit à un avenir ouvert et ainsi que le droit de s'épanouir pleinement. Le recours à ce concept propose ainsi conception du droit à l’éducation harmonisée au contexte iranien actuel. D'un point de vue empirique, à partir d’une approche inductive typique de la Human Rights Advocacy approach et sur la base de quatre-vingts (80) entretiens auprès d’enfants et d’enseignants, sont observés et analysés les écarts entre le droit officiel et les façons dont ils sont vécus, mobilisés, pensés ou niés dans la sphère de l’éducation iranienne aujourd’hui. Enfin, l’essai juridique critique suggère que la gouvernance iranienne soit ouverte à une évolution vers une autorité contractuelle moderne dans le système éducatif pour être plus compatible avec les besoins psycho-émotionnels des enfants et en même temps pour d'appliquer des conseils politiques de l'éthique de la vertu à se déplacer vers une forme libérale de politiques éducatives qui promeuvent les vertus de l’autonomie et de la tolérance. Ils sont autant d’informations cruciales pour une gouvernance législative iranienne avisée, ancrée à une quête islamique de vertu tout autant qu’au bonheur des enfants.The research takes place in the current daily life of the educational sphere in Iran. It should be noted that Iran is a non-Western and Islamic state, but nonetheless adhered to the rather Western principles of the International Convention on the Rights of the Child. This research is part of a continuity of research in support of human rights. It offers a path of empowerment to Iranian groups open to democracy, but also to educational movements concerned with the fundamental rights of the person. Divided into four chapters, the hybrid questioning of the thesis leads to a critical interdisciplinary essay benefiting the three disciplines of law, philosophy and empirical study. Facing the international and Iranian legal system from a classical legal view, the philosophical chapter tends to respond to the question of “what could be considered not just the right to education, but the right to a “proper” education based in ethical and philosophical grounds in the sense that it would better suit Iranian culture and social habits than an allegedly “universal” [occidental] classical legal conception?". The empirical chapter, then, looks for the “Iranian social representations of the children’s rights that reveal the gap between the ideal expressed concept of “proper education” and day-to-day life of children?” with an advocative approach. From a philosophical view —more precisely from virtue ethics stand point—the thesis proposes the concept of "right to proper education" as a critical approach to the international and internal positions of the right to education for children. "Proper education" is presented as a moral and legal right for children under the category of developmental rights which serves the right to an open future and the right to maximizing self-fulfillment. It is also a conception of the right to education harmonized with the current Iranian Islamic context. From an empirical standpoint, starting from a typical inductive approach of the Human Rights Advocacy approach and based on more than eighty (80) interviews with children and teachers, the gaps between the official laws and the ways in which they are experienced, mobilized, thought of or denied in the sphere of today Iranian education, are observed and analyzed. Finally, the critical legal essay suggests the Iranian governance to be open to a shift toward a modern contractual authority in educational system to be more compatible with the psycho-emotional needs of children and at the same time to apply the virtue ethics political advice to move toward a liberal form of educational policies that promotes the virtues of autonomy and toleration. These are all crucial information for wise Iranian legislative governance rooted in an Islamic pursuit of virtues as well as the happiness of children

Effect of Salinity (NaCl) stress on germination and early seedling growth of three medicinal plant species

Background: Salinity stress negatively affects the growth and yield of plants. Due to the increasing demand for products derived from medicinal plants and with regard to the growing problems caused by salinity of arable lands, the use of salt-tolerant species can be a strategic approach to cope with this problem. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of salinity stress on germination and seedling growth of three medicinal plant species.Methods: Seeds of three species of medicinal herbs including isabgol (Plantago ovata L.), zucchini (Cucurbita pepo L.) and clove (Caryophyllus aromaticus L.) were exposed to different concentrations (0, 10, 20, 30 and 40 dS·m-1) of sodium chloride (NaCl).Results: It was observed that, except for zucchini, germination was inhibited at higher salinity regimes. NaCl treatment caused a serious decrease in the early seedling growth by means of reduced root and shoot length at higher salinity levels. Regression analysis of studied indices over salinity levels revealed that the highest and lowest slopes of regression lines belonged to isabgol and zucchini, respectively indicating high tolerance of zucchini and also, high sensitivity of isabgol to the imposed salinity levels.Conclusions: Based on the findings, zucchini was able to germinate more than 90% at 40 dS·m-1 of NaCl. Therefore, zucchini is suggested to be cultivated in farmlands which are relatively faced with the problem of soil salinity while, it is recommend that isabgol and clove not to be planted in such soils

Externalizing the Latent Structure of Computer Games: Effect on game play, reasoning and implication for design

Computer games have initially and primarily been used for entertainment purposes. Recently, however, computer games have gained popularity in the educational and training arena. Epistemic computer games require players to think hard while entertaining them at the same time. Designing good epistemic computer games is complex and difficult. This thesis aims to further our understanding of how to design good epistemic computer games. Super Maze is a puzzle game that requires players to navigate through a maze picking up things on the way. At each junction, players can move either up, down, left or right. Four different versions of Super Maze were created. These versions differ from each other with respect to the representation of the maze and the way players interact with the maze to move through and finish it. The alternative representation to the traditional maze representation externalizes the internal structure of the maze as a tree diagram. An exploratory usability study was conducted to investigate how externalizing the internal structure of the game affects thinking and reasoning and if and how externalizing the internal structure of the game affects the gaming experienc

Topological Black Holes of (n+1)-dimensional Einstein-Yang-Mills Gravity

We present the topological solutions of Einstein gravity in the presence of a non-Abelian Yang-Mills field. In ($n+1$) dimensions, we consider the $So(n(n-1)/2-1,1)$ semisimple group as the Yang-Mills gauge group, and introduce the black hole solutions with hyperbolic horizon. We argue that the 4-dimensional solution is exactly the same as the 4-dimensional solution of Einstein-Maxwell gravity, while the higher-dimensional solutions are new. We investigate the properties of the higher-dimensional solutions and find that these solutions in 5 dimensions have the same properties as the topological 5-dimensional solution of Einstein-Maxwell (EM) theory although the metric function in 5 dimensions is different. But in 6 and higher dimensions, the topological solutions of EYM and EM gravities with non-negative mass have different properties. First, the singularity of EYM solution does not present a naked singularity and is spacelike, while the singularity of topological Reissner-Nordstrom solution is timelike. Second, there are no extreme 6 or higher-dimensional black holes in EYM gravity with non-negative mass, while these kinds of solutions exist in EM gravity. Furthermore, EYM theory has no static asymptotically de Sitter solution with non-negative mass, while EM gravity has.Comment: 14 pages, 2 figures, accepted by Mod. Phys. Lett.

The association between pregnancy-specific anxiety and preterm birth: a cohort study

Background: Antenatal anxiety may have long-term negative effects on pregnancy outcome. Antenatal anxiety can also be detrimental to maternal health during pregnancy. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the association between pregnancy-specific anxiety and preterm birth in pregnant women.Methods: This prospective cohort study was conducted on 208 pregnant women who were referred to the prenatal clinic of Al-Zahra hospital in Rasht. Sampling was conducted through convenient (simple) method. Data gathering tools were a demographic characteristics questionnaire and pregnancy-specific anxiety scale. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 19. General Linear Model (GLM)-Repeated Measures test were used to study variations in anxiety along pregnancy period and tested levels of significance among inter-trimester anxiety scores.Results: Results of the study showed that change in pregnancy-specific anxiety is significantly associated with preterm birth among participants in this study. Second trimester pregnancy-specific anxiety was not associated with preterm birth, but third trimester pregnancy-specific anxiety was associated with preterm birth.Conclusion: According to the results of this study, third trimester pregnancy-specific anxiety was associated with preterm birth. Therefore, the health care providers should pay special attention to pregnancy-specific anxiety.Keywords: Pregnancy-specific anxiety, preterm birth, pregnancy outcome

Spacetimes with Longitudinal and Angular Magnetic Fields in Third Order Lovelock Gravity

We obtain two new classes of magnetic brane solutions in third order Lovelock gravity. The first class of solutions yields an $(n+1)$-dimensional spacetime with a longitudinal magnetic field generated by a static source. We generalize this class of solutions to the case of spinning magnetic branes with one or more rotation parameters. These solutions have no curvature singularity and no horizons, but have a conic geometry. For the spinning brane, when one or more rotation parameters are nonzero, the brane has a net electric charge which is proportional to the magnitude of the rotation parameters, while the static brane has no net electric charge. The second class of solutions yields a pacetime with an angular magnetic field. These solutions have no curvature singularity, no horizon, and no conical singularity. Although the second class of solutions may be made electrically charged by a boost transformation, the transformed solutions do not present new spacetimes. Finally, we use the counterterm method in third order Lovelock gravity and compute the conserved quantities of these spacetimes.Comment: 15 pages, no figur

Sexual self-efficacy and its related factors among married women of reproductive age

Sexual self-efficacy (SSE) has also been cited as an important factor for healthy and satisfying sex. The purpose of this study was to determine SSE and its related factors among married women of reproductive age.The present study is a cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical study. The research samples were 588 married women of reproductive age. A cluster sampling method is used to select participants. Data collection instruments were the socio-demographic form and the Sexual Self-Efficacy Scale-Female Functioning (SSES-F). Data analysis, Friedman, Multiple LinearRegression was performed through SPSS software version 16. The highest and lowest score was related to body acceptance (77.78) and communication (69.66), respectively. The results showed that age (B= 0.471, P<0.001), marital satisfaction (B= 0.11.3, P<0.001), life satisfaction (B= 3.5, P<0.03) and the economic-social welfare satisfaction were related to SSE. We’ve found that Women with a higher Education, Employment, higher income, and Younger husbands had the highest SSE score.The components of age, marital satisfaction, life satisfaction, and economic status affect the SSE of married women of reproductive age. The results of this study can be useful in the design and implementation of sexual health promotion interventions. Keywords: Efficacy; sexual behavior; women