Aggregation dynamics of bulk nanoparticle haloing systems and the influence of non-ambient temperatures.

One of the methods of assembling colloids into 3D crystal structures is through the use of nanoparticle haloing. Nanoparticle haloing is a stabilization mechanism in binary particle suspensions possessing both a size and charge asymmetry, with which the nanoparticles aid in the bulk suspension’s stability. By altering the volume fractions of nanoparticles, it is possible to control the effective repulsion between the microparticles. Understanding the colloidal interactions and aggregate crystallinity as a function of nanoparticle concentration, temperature, and time are key challenges in developing future materials and designing crystalized 3D colloidal systems. In this study, we investigated the effect of temperature and nanoparticle volume fraction on the aggregation size using experimental techniques and molecular dynamics simulations. Gravity settling results showed a rapid aggregation in the absence of the nanoparticles due to the van der Waals interactions. However, by adding the nanoparticles to the system, the rate of gravity settling and aggregation significantly decreased due to the effective potential barrier that arises from the nanoparticle halo formation. The effect of temperature on the aggregation of the nanoparticle haloing systems was investigated using a confocal microscopy. By applying a temperature shock to the binary suspensions, the average colloid aggregates\u27 size increased while the systems\u27 coarseness decreased. The average aggregate size growth was more significant at the higher temperatures and the lower nanoparticle volume fractions. Overall, applying the temperature shock resulted in a more idealized structure with higher crystallinity. Molecular dynamics simulations were employed to determine the repulsive barrier between colloidal particles induced by the nanoparticles as a function of nanoparticle volume fraction. Results showed that the induced repulsive barrier between the microparticles increases with increasing the volume fractions of nanoparticles, and it reaches 6.5 kBT at the highest nanoparticle volume fraction of 10-3. This potential barrier was strong enough to prevent aggregation gelation and increase the stability of the suspension, which was in agreement with the experimental results

A Study of Non-Native (Foreign) Name of Characters in Russian and Persian Literature (Based on the Works of A. Chekhov, N. Gumilyov, B. Alavi)

IntroductionThe name is a part of the human identity chosen for the baby under the influence of various factors. Generally, others take a name at birth or before that. But in literary works, the author selects a name for the hero based on the subject and his discretion. Based on different reasons, authors choose a non-native name for their heroes. The names of literary characters are very diverse and numerous; depending on the type of incident, moral characteristics, and the role of the hero in the works made up by the author, they can borrow from different nations, get some religious roots, or follow a certain literary current, Etc. By naming heroes, the author gives identity and human life to them. Exploring the naming issue will make you more familiar with the idea of literary work.  MethodologyThis study has done by descriptive analysis method and using library research. The present study is very immodest to comprehend and understand the characters of heroes in literary works through understanding their names. The purpose of this study is to answer the questions like: "What is the reason for choosing Eastern names by Russian writers in their works?", "What is the reason for choosing Russian names in Persian literary works?" and "What is the basis of choosing the names of heroes in Persian and Russian works, including the works of Anton Chekhov, Nikolay Gumilyov, and Bozorg Alavi?". Works used in this study include The role of specific names in the literary works by Mikhailov V.N., The poetics of names in the works of Bunin. I.A by Bazhenova. Y.V, Memoirs of Bozorg Alavi by Ahmadi. H. and Review of Chekhov's early stories: "Death of a Government Clerk", "Fat and Thin" and "The Chameleon" by Yahyapour. M. and Karimi Motahhar. J.  DiscussionThe present study will explain why the heroes are named in some Russian and Persian literary works and will help to comprehend the works of Russian and Iranian poets and authors by expressing new opinions. The names of literary characters are very diverse and numerous. Reasons for choosing a non-native name can vary. For instance, after the evolution of 1941 in Iran, the intellectual community, besides following political and social currents, was heavily influenced by Western and Russian translations. Authors, especially those who have lived for some time in a foreign country, based on their interest, picked a non-native name for their heroes in stories; we can mention the non-native names of the heroes (Babushka, Marfinka, Margerita) in the works of Bozorg Alavi. The transition period and currents after September 1941 had a superior impact on the hero name chosen in Persian literature, especially in the works of Bozorg Alavi. Due to his political tendencies, thoughts and ideas, association with Russians, and interest in Russian literature, Bozorg Alavi was able to create works that make you feel the atmosphere of Russian and Western society, so naturally, taking Russian names for heroes helped him in this matter. The presence of heroes with a Russian name, Russian originality or growth by Soviet Union rules, also references to the works of two famous Russian writers (Pushkin and Dostoevsky) indicate Alavi's great interest and enthusiasm toward Russian literature. There is a connection between the name and heroes’ characteristics, and also the purpose and reason for choosing such a name by the author, by identifying the reasons for using a non-native name in his works. Living abroad and reading foreign authors' literary works in the original language, particularly Russian, helped him create a new style of fiction writing. This issue also happens in Russian literature. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Russian writers and poets, like Europeans, paid attention to the culture and literature of the Eastern countries, especially Iran, which is why Eastern names often were found in their works. For example, Twentieth-century writer and poet Nikolai Gumilyov also created works wherein he gave his heroes non-native names (Hafez, Darvish, Peri) due to his travels to Eastern countries and his acquaintance with Iranian poets. Gomilyov's interest in Eastern and Persian literature is due to his frequent traveling to some Eastern countries and his association with the poets and writers of the Bashnya (Dome) in Saint Petersburg; these interests led him to create Eastern-based work and use Eastern names and mythological characters. Choosing the Eastern name in his works indicates his interest in Eastern mysticism.   ConclusionAs previously mentioned, the transition period and currents after September 1941 had a superior impact on the heroes’ name choices in Persian literature, especially in the works of Bozorg Alavi. Bozorg Alavi was able to create works that made you feel the atmosphere of Russian and Western society due to his political tendencies, thoughts and ideas, association with Russians, and interest in Russian literature. Therefore, it was natural for him to choose Russian names for his heroes. By identifying the reasons for using non-native names in his works, we realize that there is a connection between the name and the character of the hero, as well as the purpose and reason for choosing such a name as the author. Living abroad, and reading foreign authors' literary works in the original language, helped him create a new style of fiction writing. Gumilyov also chose non-native names for his heroes due to his interest in Hafez, Eastern mysticism, and his presence in Eastern and Muslim countries. Choosing the Eastern name in his works indicates his interest in Eastern mysticism. Thus, the most influential factors in taking the non-native name for the heroes are political and social currents, as well as the tendency and interest of authors in the literature and culture of the "Foreign"

Health system responsiveness for outpatient care in people with diabetes Mellitus in Tehran

Acknowledgements We would like to thank the people who have collaborated in this study: Mr. K. Ahmadi, Iran's permanent representative at the UN Office in Geneva, Naidoo Nirmala Devi at the WHO, Dr Seyyed Mohammad Sajjad, Dr Sarah Shakerian the Department of Social Medicine.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Salinity Stress: Toward Sustainable Plant Strategies and Using Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria Encapsulation for Reducing It

Salinity is one of the most important abiotic stresses that influences plant growth and productivity worldwide. Salinity affects plant growth by ionic toxicity, osmotic stress, hormonal imbalance, nutrient mobilization reduction, and reactive oxygen species (ROS). To survive in saline soils, plants have developed various physiological and biochemical strategies such as ion exchange, activation of antioxidant enzymes, and hormonal stimulation. In addition to plant adaption mechanisms, plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) can enhance salt tolerance in plants via ion homeostasis, production of antioxidants, ACC deaminase, phytohormones, extracellular polymeric substance (EPS), volatile organic compounds, accumulation of osmolytes, activation of plant antioxidative enzymes, and improvement of nutrients uptake. One of the important issues in microbial biotechnology is establishing a link between the beneficial strains screened in the laboratory with industry and the consumer. Therefore, in the development of biocontrol agents, it is necessary to study the optimization of conditions for mass reproduction and the selection of a suitable carrier for their final formulation. Toward sustainable agriculture, the use of appropriate formulations of bacterial agents as high-performance biofertilizers, including microbial biocapsules, is necessary to improve salt tolerance and crop productivity

Mentors' and Postgraduate Students' Perception about Characteristics of Effective Education, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Iran

Background & Objective: Little attention has been paid to generating systematic evidence-based qualitative approaches to effective education. This study aimed to explore postgraduate students' and mentors' view points, experiences and perceptions about effective education and its related factors in Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Methods: In this qualitative study, using content analysis method and purposive sampling, 32 postgraduate students and 7 mentors were recruited. An interview guide was used to collect data through focus groups via in-depth interviews. After obtaining verbal informed consent, data were recorded, transcribed and analyzed using content analysis method. To ensure validity of the data, the acceptability and confirmability criteria were utilized. Results: Two main themes were extracted from the viewpoint of postgraduate students and the mentors, the direct and indirect factors related to effective education. Direct factors included the factors related to student, mentor, educational environment and motivation. Indirect factors were national educational system, evaluation system for students and economic factors. Conclusion: Both postgraduate students and mentors believe that effective education is a complex issue and macro-factors such as educational system and micro-ones such as mentors, and students, characteristics are important. In addition, there is inconsistency in students' and the mentors' perception about the roles of the other one; mentors believe that this is the responsibility of the students to learn and be self-motivated, while the students mentione that this is mainly the mentor' responsibility. This is an important topic which should be considered for planning effective education. Key Words: Effective education, Perception, Postgraduate student

Designing and Standardizing of Bodily – Kinesthetic Intelligence Assessment Questionnaire in Iranian Society

Introduction: This research aimed to design and standardize the bodily-kinesthetic intelligence assessment questionnaire in Iranian society.Methods: The current research method was a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods with an exploratory design – an instrument development model. In the qualitative stage, after conducting 12 semi-structured interviews, related categories were collected and after checking the face and content validity, a 36-item questionnaire was designed. In the quantitative stage, the validity and reliability of the researcher-made questionnaire were examined. The statistical sample consisted of 808 teenagers from five provinces of the country who were selected by the multi-stage cluster sampling method and all the subjects completed the questionnaire. To determine the concurrent validity, the KTK3+ motor competence standard test was used, and to check the temporal reliability and consistency, test-retest and Cronbach's alpha coefficient were used.Results: Through exploratory factor analysis, five factors of physical fitness factors related to health and skill, perceptual ability, non-verbal communication, enjoyment and participation in various physical activities, and learning and experience of motor skills were identified and these five factors explained 51% of the total variance. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis showed that the goodness of fit index and the comparative fit index was higher than 0.90. In concurrent validity, the correlation between the scores of the two tests was 0.51 and Cronbach's alpha coefficients (0.89) and intra-class correlation (0.87) were also obtained.Conclusion: In general, it can be concluded that the bodily-kinesthetic intelligence questionnaire has a suitable and acceptable validity and reliability, and by using this questionnaire, the assessment of the bodily-kinesthetic intelligence of teenagers is possible

Investigating the Effects of Land Use Changes on Dust Storms in the Sistan Region Using Markov Chain Forecasting

IntroductionPopulation growth and the excessive use of natural resources have caused significant changes in natural ecosystems, including a decrease in rainfall and an increase in temperature. The potential exists for them to decrease vegetation and increase barren areas. Serious economic, social, and environmental damage can occur in natural ecosystems due to the destruction of land cover and other damages, such as dust storms. Therefore, ecosystem changes are taking place worldwide, both at the temporal and spatial scale, due to human activities and natural factors. So, investigating the amount of land use/cover changes, their effect on dust storms, and predicting these changes for the coming years can be an important step in reducing and controlling unprincipled changes, planning, and optimizing resource. Climate change and human activities, such as drought, human activities, and non-compliance with water rights, have a significant impact on the Hamon wetland area, so that the dry bed of the wetland has become the main sources of dust. This research is focused on investigating the impact of land use changes on dust storms and forecasting land use changes in the Sistan region for the next 20 years. Material and MethodsThe impact of land use changes on dust storms in the Sistan region was examined using Markov chain forecasting methods. For this purpose, first of all, the land use maps of 2002, 2011 and 2022 were prepared using satellite images. An anomalous method was used to investigate climatic parameters, including temperature, rainfall, and the number of days with dust, in the next step. To evaluate climatic changes, it is necessary to use a method that shows long-term changes. The anomaly method was employed for this purpose. The values of this index can be either positiveor negative. In order to predict land use changes for the next 20 years, the combination of the maps of 2002 and 2022 for severe drought conditions were used by using Markov chain and Cell models. The Markov model was predicted to generate multiple images. The transfer probability matrix allows for the expression of the probability that any type of land cover will be found in any location in the future. Despite the accuracy of transmission probabilities for each user is unknown, due to the lack of information on the spatial distribution of users, the Markov model does not have any spatial dependence information.  In contrast, to the automatic network, it is an agent that has the ability to change its state based on the application of the law that shows the new state in accordance with the previous state and the state of its neighbors. Results and DiscussionThis study examined the impact of land use change on dust in the Sistan region. At first, climatic changes of temperature, rainfall and number of dusty days were investigated and the results showed that the temperature has increased and rainfall has decreased in the Sistan region during the last two decades. The land use maps also showed that in the years when the Hamon wetland has been drained, pastures and dense vegetation have increased and barren lands and salt marshes have decreased. But due to the recent droughts like the year 2022, when a drought has occurred in the region, the use of vegetation and pasture has decreased and barren and salt marshes have increased. These conditions cause an increase in the level of dust in the region. The land use map for severe drought conditions in the next 20 years was predicted using the Markov model.  It showed that in the future, pastures and dense vegetation will decrease, but barren lands and salt marsh areas will increase dramatically. As desertification and wind erosion increase, dust storms will also increase as a result of these conditions. The economic, social, environmental, and health conditions of residents in the region are adversely affected by dust storms. Therefore, proper planning and management can reduce the damages caused by dust storms in the Sistan region

Lived experiences of participants of factors affecting the Drug stability(Narcotics Anonymous)

Introduction: Drug use has many psychological and behavioral consequences. The elimination of psychological dependence on drugs is much more difficult than that of physical dependence and it requires the passage of time and different stages, and internal care. The purpose of this study was the identification of factors affecting drug withdrawal stability among Narcotics Anonymous (NA) members. Method: This research was conducted using qualitative methods and focus groups interviews. The statistical population included all members of NA who lived in Isfahan, Iran, in 2011 and at least two years had passed since their drug withdrawal stability. For this purpose, data were collected from 18 NA members using purposive sampling. Data were collected and analyzed using content analysis method in 3 stages of conceptualization, interview, and data analysis. Results: The 2 major themes of "social relations and support received from them" and “individual character and identity" were extracted. The former theme consisted of 2 subcategories of “the quantity and type of relationship” and “social support network”. The later theme included the subcategories of “cognition”, “emotion”, and “dignity”. Instance and themes of each subcategory was explained in detail. Conclusion: The findings indicate that the most effective factor in drug withdrawal stability is receiving cognitive support from sympathizers (other members of the association). This support results in the changing of attitudes and self-awareness. Other factors that have impact on drug withdrawal stability included reforming family relationships, receiving emotional support and support regarding dignity from family members, increasing of confidence, and recovery of social status.. Keywords: Drug withdrawal stability, Social support, Narcotics Anonymous (NA