Critical Discourse Analysis and Its Implication in English Language Teaching: A Case Study of Political Text

This study was planned prudently to probe the impact of critical discourse analysis on male and female students. In so doing, the study utilized an experimental design with 62 participants including 32 males & 32 females majoring in English language. To this end, Obama's political speech as a text was delivered to students to analyze it. Before teaching CDA techniques, students were asked to analyze this political text in accord with their interests. After teaching these principles, they analyzed the same text for the second time critically. Then they responded to a questionnaire that divulged the consequences of CDA on males and females. The findings suggest that females were more influenced than males, but in every way the difference was not to a great degree impressive. Another purpose of this article pays heed to students' critical thinking. After inspection of students' analyses and evaluation of their answers given to the questionnaire, it was specified that critical discourse analysis facilitate nurturing critical thinking ability in students. Furthermore, students' motivation enhanced after learning these principles as well as their ability to decode the textual meaning of the text increased

Diagnosis of diseases using data mining

Introduction: In the information age, data are the most important asset for health organizations. In the case of using data in useful and optimal manner, they can become financial resources for organization. Data mining is an appropriate method to transform this potential value into strategic information. Data mining means extraction of hidden information, recognition of hidden relationships and patterns, and in general, discovery of useful knowledge at high volume. The objective of this review paper was to evaluate using data mining in diagnoses of diseases. Methods: This research is a review paper conducted based on a structured review of the papers published in Science Direct, Pubmed, Google Scholar, SID, Magiran (between years 2005 and 2015) and books related to using data mining in medical science and using it in diagnose of diseases with related keywords. Results: Nowadays, data mining is used in many medical science studies, including diagnosis of diseases, discovering the hidden patterns in data, and so on. New ideas such as discovery of Knowledge from Discovery and Data Mining Database, which includes data mining techniques, have found more popularity and they has becomedesired research tool for researchers. Researchers can use them to identify patterns and relationshipsamong great number of variables. Using them, researchers have been able to predict theresults obtained from one disease by using information stores available in databases. Several studies have indicated that data mining is used widely in diagnosis of diseases based on types of information (medical images, characteristics of patients, and so on), such as tuberculosis, types of cancers, infectious diseases, and diagnosis of anomalies rarely diagnosed by human (spots and particular points within aye, which is the symptom of onset of blindness resulting from diabetes), determining type of behavior with patients, and predicting the success rate of surgical surgeries, determining the success rate of therapeutic methods in coping with incurable diseases, and so on. Conclusion: One of the most important challenging topics in healthcare is transformation of raw clinical data into meaningful information following continuous generation of great number of data. In current competitive environment, health organizations using technologies such as data mining to improve healthcare quality will achieve success faster. Many of research centers in Iran are faced with large volume of information, which is not analyzed at all or will be time-consuming due to using traditional methods, even in the case of using analysis and converting them to knowledge. In light of using data mining and its implementation, health organizations can transform the data into a powerful and competitive tool and take new steps in preventing, diagnosing, treating, and providing high-quality services for clients.&nbsp

Determination of knowledge and health literacy among women with type 2 diabetes in teaching hospitals of TUMS

Background: Health literacy is the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understanding basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions. The aim of this study was to assess relationship between health literacy and knowledge of women with type 2 diabetes. Materials & Methods: In this cross sectional survey, 160 women with type 2 diabetes were selected by convenience sampling method. Data collected by using a STOHFLA standard questionnaire and knowledge was measured by self-administrated questionnaire. Obtained data analyzed by SPSS16 software in two categories of descriptive and inferential statistics (Chi-square and Pearson coefficient). Results: The mean age of studied population was 52.73±8.56 years old. The means of health literacy and knowledge was 40.57±15.87 and 21.52±2.94, respectively. There was a relation between occupation, education and family history with knowledge and health literacy score, and also between incomes with knowledge. There was reverse significant relation between age and disease duration with knowledge and health literacy. Conclusion: Results indicated that patients did not have the appropriate knowledge in type 2 diabetes, as well as health literacy which was also moderate. These results confirmed the need to develop of education for improving and increasing the appropriate knowledge and health literacy among studied women

Assessing the effect of educational program based on small group on promoting knowledge and health literacy among women with type2 diabetes referring to selected hospitals affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences

Background: Health Literacy is the capacity in which individuals have to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions. Limited health literacy can reduce adults’ ability to comprehend and adhere treatment plans. This study was designed and implemented to assess effect of health education on promoting knowledge and health literacy in women with type 2 diabetes. Methods: This randomize clinical trial study, was conducted among 160 women with type 2 diabetes, in two experimental and control groups. Tools of current study were a brief form of standard questionnaire (Short Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults, TOFHLA) and knowledge was measured by self-administrated questionnaire. Intervention in a form of small groups, was performed in 6 educational sessions (45-60minuts) in experimental group. In order to analyzing data, SPSS16 software was used and independent t- test, Kruskal-Wallis, Whitney U Wilcoxon, Co-Variation, Chi- ، square were conducted. Results: Demographic variables of studied population in two groups was similar before intervention (p>0.05). Differences between the scores of Knowledge and Health Literacy in two groups, after and before intervention, was totally different (after, p0/05). Conclusion: Study findings indicated that education with small group's strategy in experimental group, in comparison with current education is effective

The Impact of Teaching Experience on Iranian EFL Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy and their Perception of English Teacher Distinctive Characteristics

AbstractThis study investigated the effect of Iranian EFL teachers’ years of teaching experience on their sense of efficacy and beliefs about teachers’ distinctive characteristics. To this end, 135 Iranian EFL teachers completed a validated questionnaire developed by (Borg, 2006) and Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale developed by (Tschannen and Hoy, 2001). The results of MANOVA revealed significant effect of experience on teachers’ sense of efficacy; however, it indicated no significant impact on their beliefs about characteristics that differentiated them from teachers of other subjects. Three sets of characteristics were discovered through interview; “Similarities” (also reported in Borg's study); “Differences” mentioned differently by participants of both studies, and “unique characteristics” only specified by Iranian teachers

Fabrication and Characterization of Methylprednisolone-Loaded Polylactic Acid/Hyaluronic Acid Nanofibrous Scaffold for Soft Tissue Engineering

Previous in vitro and in vivo studies have indicated that tissue engineering scaffolds, including Schwann cells, may improve axonal regeneration, particularly in combination with Methylprednisolone as an influential neuroprotective factor. The primary aim of this study was to design composite electrospun scaffolds based on polylactic acid (PLA)/ hyaluronic acid (HA) containing various percentages (0.05–2% (w/v)) of Methylprednisolone (MP) with suitable mechanical and chemical properties for soft tissue especially to promote nerve growth. For the first time, MP was implicated in a PLA/HA nanofibrous and its effect on fiber’s properties was scrutinized as a candidate for nerve tissue

The Effect of Herbal Medicines on Postpartum Depression, and Maternal-Infant Attachment in Postpartum Mother: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Postpartum depression has negative effects on mother, child and family. Regarding the side effects of antidepressants and because of contradictory results on the effects of herbal medicines, the present meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of herbal medicines in treatment of postpartum depression and maternal-infant attachment. Materials and Methods: An extensive search was done in databases of Medline, EMBASE, Scopus, Cochrane, and Web of Science in English databases as well as IranDoc, Magiran, Medlib and SID, in Persian databases with no time limitations until November 2018. Two independent researchers screened articles, in the next step, full texts of probably relevant articles were summarized and categorized based on the evaluated outcomes and overall effect size was presented. Results: The meta-analysis of five trials showed score of depression was lower in herbal medicines group compared to placebo (Standardized Mean Difference [SMD= -0.648], 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.849 to -0.446). Heterogeneity was non-significant (I-2=0%, p=.476). Meta-analysis of compounds containing lavender decreased score of depression significantly compared to control group. Heterogeneity was non-significant (SMD=-0.629, 95%CI: -0.847 to -0.411, I-2=9.8%, p=.34). The lavender meta-analysis of three studies showed a significant effect in comparison to control group (SVM=-0.570, 95%CI: -0.799 to -0.341; I-2=9.8%, p=.34). The aromatherapy meta-analysis showed that aromatherapy with or without massage could lead to a significant decrease in score of depression compared to control group (SMD= -0.637, 95%CI: -0.924 to -0.333; I-2=66%, p=0.084). Some herbal medicines showed a significant effect on maternal-infant attachment and feelings toward baby scale. Conclusion: Herbal medicines can be considered as an alternative option in treatment of postpartum depression. Also, maternal-infant attachment and feelings toward baby scale were affected by herbal medicines

Coagulase gene polymorphism of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from clinical and sub-clinical bovine mastitis in Isfahan and Chaharmahal va Bakhtiari provinces of Iran

Mastitis is a common disease in dairy cattle and is an inflammatory response of the breast tissue to bacterial attack to this tissue. Mastitis causes considerable loss to the dairy industry, among the several bacterial pathogens that can cause mastitis; Staphylococcus aureus is probably the most lethal agent because it causes chronic and deep infection in the mammary glands that is extremely difficult to cure. Several virulence factors including coagulase gene are produced by S. aureus and may contribute to its pathogenicity. This study was conducted to investigate the coagulase gene polymorphism of S. aureus isolated from clinical and sub-clinical bovine mastitis milk samples in Isfahan and Chaharmahal va Bakhtiari provinces of Iran. Amplification of the coagulase gene from 86 S. aureus strains isolates by specific primers showed 31 specimens contained 970 bp fragment, and 11 strains contained 730 bp fragment relevant to coa gene (coagulase) in PCR. After enzymatic digestion with AluI, 31 specimens contained three bands: 320, 490, and 160 bp (genotype I) and 11 specimens contained two bands: 490 and 240 bp (genotype VIII) in the RFLP