The Comparative Impact of Recast and Prompt on EFL Learners’ Autonomy and Motivation

AbstractThis study was a quasi-experimental research conducted in Mojtame-Fani in Tehran. The 60 participants were homogenized through a PET test, moreover, they were homogenized through their level of motivation Dornyei's (1990) Questionnaire and autonomy through Zhang and Li ‘s (2004) Questionnaire. Then they were assigned to two experimental groups. One group received prompt and the other received recast. Finally, the autonomy and motivation tests were administered; and the result revealed that there was no significant difference between the effect of recast and prompt on the learners’ motivation. Furthermore, it was found that recast and prompt increased the EFL learners’ autonomy; however, there was no significant difference between the impact of recast and prompt on autonomy

Negative effects of cyanide on health and its removal options from industrial wastewater

Water resource scarcity, population growth, pollution of surface and groundwater by discharging toxic wastewater and subsequent diseases may raise the necessity of reusing and treatment of wastewater. Cyanide is one of the toxic materials which can be found in some industrial wastewaters. Strict laws set by international bodies have forced industries to work on developing efficient cyanide removal processes. In addition, at short-term exposure, cyanide could result in rapid breathing, tremors and other neurological effects, but long term exposure it may cause weight loss, thyroid effects, nerve damage and death. Skin contact with liquids containing cyanide may also produce irritation and sores. The application of old methods like alkaline chlorination process has become limited due to toxic nature of intermediate and by-products, and unique methods, such as biological, the iron cyanide precipitation, SO2/Air, acidification/volatilization and reneutralization, ion exchange and hydrogen peroxide processes are mainly developed and used by their respective companies. In this paper, the negative effects of cyanide on health and its industrial manufacturers as well as cyanide removal processes are briefly discussed

The Veracity of Troponin Test Requests for Patients Presenting to the Emergency Department with Chest Pain; A Clinical Audit

Introduction: Troponin test is one of the methods for diagnosing acute coronary syndrome, but the overuse and misuse of this test has increased the costs imposed on the health system and the patients. Objective: The present study was conducted to investigate the veracity of troponin test requests for patients presenting to an emergency department with chest pain and examine the effectiveness of training emergency medicine assistants in reducing unnecessary and inappropriate requests in emergency departments. Methods: This clinical audit was conducted in the emergency department of Imam Hossein Hospital, Tehran, Iran, in 2014. Sampling was carried out using the census method and all the cases presenting to the emergency department for whom a troponin test was requested by the emergency medical assistants were included in the research. First, the veracity of the current troponin test requests was assessed; then, training was given to the personnel, and the veracity of the troponin test requests was once again verified after the training was completed. The rate of veracious troponin requests for the patients was measured based on two factors, including the interval between the patients’ admission and the troponin test request, and the interval between the onset of pain and the troponin test request. The veracity of the troponin test request was compared before and after training using the Phi test and Cramer’s V test in IBM SPSS-21. Results: This study examined a total of 500 patients (250 before training and 250 after), who had a mean age of 57.65±18.15 years, including 51.6% men. Significant differences were observed between the mean time of the patients’ admission and the overall and post-training troponin test results (P=0.000), and also between the mean time of the onset of pain and the overall and post-training troponin test results (P=0.000). The number of positive troponin test results did not differ significantly between the patients in either of the two stages (P=0.39). Conclusion: Unnecessary troponin test requests reduced significantly after this clinical audit in the examined emergency department

Study of distribution of elderly population in Chahar Mahal and Bakhtiari Province from 1966 to 2011

Background and aims: Nowadays, the age structure of Iran is transitioning from youth to elderly. Although, the elderly population are still accounted for a small portion of the population; however, the population growth rate of this age group is growing compared to the growth of the total population. Therefore, understanding of the changes of this population is necessary. This study aimed to identify the distribution of population aged 60 years and more, in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province from 1966 to 2011. Methods: The data obtained from the national censuses from 1966 to 2011 as well as the national Statistical Center and Governor’s Office of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province. Due to incomplete data of 1956, these data were excluded. Results: In 1966, 6.34 of the national total population was over 60 years compared to 6.27 in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province. In 2011, 7.68 of population in this province was over 60 years in comparison with 8.21 reported for the total population of Iran. Conclusion: Due to rapid growth of the elderly population in the country as well as Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, considering the needs of this age group is an important necessity

Estimation of conservation value of myrtle (Myrtus communis) using a contingent valuation method: a case study in a Dooreh forest area, Lorestan Province, Iran

Background: Around 2000 plant species occur naturally in Lorestan Province of which 250 species are medicinal and myrtle is one of them. Myrtle is a shrub whose leaves and fruits have medicinal value and thus, if managed and harvested properly, could produce sustained economic benefits. In recent years, however, over half of the myrtle site areas was destroyed, due to inappropriate management and excessive harvesting practices. Thus, coming up with a practical harvesting approach along with identifying those factors damaging the sites, seems to be very crucial. Methods: In our investigation, we calculated the conservation value per hectare of myrtle in the Dooreh forest area in Lorestan Province. Using the Contingent Valuation (CV) and Double Bounded Dichotomous Choice (DBDC) methods, we determined the willingness to pay (WTP) for myrtle conservation. The WTP was estimated with a logit model for which indices were obtained based on a maximum precision criterion. Results: The results showed that 86.67 per cent of people were willing to pay for the conservation of these myrtle sites. Average monthly WTP per family was calculated as $0.79. The annual conservation value in terms of WTP for the preservation of the myrtle sites in Dooreh was estimated as$102,525. Among the variables of the model presented, education had a positive impact, while the amount proposed for payment and family size had a negative impact on the WTP. Conclusions: Our estimate of the value of myrtle conservation should provide justification for policy makers and decision making bodies of natural resources to implement policies in order to conserve the natural sites of this species more effectively. Keywords: Conservation value, Myrtle, Contingent valuation method, Double Bounded Dichotomous method, Logit mode

Developing a Framework for Evaluating the Digital Platform Economy

The current digital revolution has given rise to a new organizational form, the Platform company. Today, the most valuable companies in the world and the first ones with a market value of more than a trillion dollars are platform companies. The Platform Economy is developing at an exponential rate and has become a top priority for governments across the world.The present study aims to provide a framework for evaluating the Digital Platform Economy at the international level. Utilizing a systematic review and meta-synthesis approach, the Platform Economy dimensions are identified as Digital Users, Digital Entrepreneurs, Digital Platforms, Digital Infrastructure, Innovation Capacity, and Institutional Environment and by extracting relevant indicators from international reports, the Platform Economy Composite Index is developed.Using the Partial Least Squares-Path Modelling (PLS-PM) method and specifically the Higher-Order Construct model, the measurement model is validated, and by employing a non-compensatory aggregation method, the Platform Economy Composite Index ranks 128 countries. The study is concluded by scrutinizing Iran’s current status regarding the enabling factors of the platform economy and identifying its strengths and weaknesses and providing recommendations for improvement. The results indicate that although Iran’s current status in terms of demand-side enablers is relatively good, it faces serious issues in terms of supply-side enablers

Histopathological evaluation of dental pulp of cat after using of sodium sulfonate in composite restorative treatment

Introduction: Previous researches showed that neutral soaps significantly increased bond strength and decreased microleakage of dentin bonding agents. The aim of this study was histopathological evaluation of the effect of sodium sulfonate application as neutral soap on the cat's dental pulp after an ideal composite restorative treatment. Methods: Ten adult cats with 40 caries-free canine teeth were selected for the study. Class V cavities were prepared in the buccal surfaces of all the teeth. The teeth of the right quadrants were treated with composite, whereas the teeth of the left quadrants were primarily etched, after using of sodium sulfonate solution, they treated with composite. The first five cats were killed after one week and the other five cats after one month. The teeth were fixed, decalcified and after being sliced, paraffined blocks were made and microscopic slides were prepared and histologically evaluated. Results: The results of the histological evaluation showed that there were no statistically significant differences between the intensity of inflammation in the pulp of the teeth in the right and left quadrants after one week (p=1.000) and one month (p=0.773). However, there was significant difference after one week regarding predentin formation (p=0.017) and in the teeth of the left quadrants, the formation of predentin was more that the right quadrants, but no meaningful difference was observed after one month (p=0.203). Conclusions: It seems that the sodium sulfonate in composite restorative treatments without fear of damage to the pulp can be used

Strength and weakness of the National Nutrition Improvement Program in Rural and Nomadic Women: findings from a policy triangle framework

IntroductionNutrition-sensitive agriculture (NSA) is a comprehensive, inter-sectoral approach to improve food security and nutrition. In Iran, “National Nutrition Improvement Program in Rural and Nomadic Women” has been developed and implemented as a NSA program. The main purpose of this study was analysis of this program using the Policy Triangle Framework.MethodsThis was a qualitative policy analysis study, which was conducted retrospectively. The study population included policymakers and executors at macro (Tehran Province) and micro levels (County and village) from the two involved ministries, as well as rural women in Tehran province. The collected data included the program document (N = 210), in-depth semi-structured interviews (N = 40), as well as focus group discussions (N = 8). Data was analyzed using MAXQDA 2010 software with a deductive approach.ResultsThe findings of this study indicated that the underlying factors including social, economic and cultural status, health, structural-environmental and political are associated to the development of the program. The current program is a multi-faceted, in accordance with the existing needs, which provides opportunities to improve nutrition and community health, empower women, strengthen socio-economic status at the micro and macro levels and pave the way for other projects, by connecting the nutrition sector to agriculture. The analysis has also shown that the content of this program requires more consideration in budget and motivational measures. Although developing an NSA program based on inter-sectoral collaboration is a valuable step, it needs to be improved in the areas of sustainability, inter-sectoral collaboration, resources and facilities, monitoring and evaluation, as well as needs assessment.ConclusionThe findings of the present study can be used as evidence by policymakers and planners in redesigning and implementing the program, or developing other NSA programs