The effect of emotional intelligence group training on human and social capital in Isfahan University of technology

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of emotional intelligence group training on human and social capital in the students of Isfahan University of Technology. This research was a quasi-experimental study with pretest-posttest design and control group. The research population consists of all the students of Isfahan University of Technology who have been studying in 2012-2013. For sampling, voluntary sampling method was used that 36 subjects were selected as the sample and were randomly divided into two groups of experiment and control. The subjects of experimental group participated in 8 sessions of 90-minute classes while the control group received no intervention. The study's tool was Mousavi Employability Questionnaire (2013). Analysis of covariance was used to analyze the data. According to the results, emotional intelligence training have had impact upon human capital (P<0.004). However, emotional intelligence training had no effect on social capital

The use of an artificial nucleotide for polymerase-based recognition of carcinogenic O6-alkylguanine DNA adducts.

Enzymatic approaches for locating alkylation adducts at single-base resolution in DNA could enable new technologies for understanding carcinogenesis and supporting personalized chemotherapy. Artificial nucleotides that specifically pair with alkylated bases offer a possible strategy for recognition and amplification of adducted DNA, and adduct-templated incorporation of an artificial nucleotide has been demonstrated for a model DNA adduct O(6)-benzylguanine by a DNA polymerase. In this study, DNA adducts of biological relevance, O(6)-methylguanine (O(6)-MeG) and O(6)-carboxymethylguanine (O(6)-CMG), were characterized to be effective templates for the incorporation of benzimidazole-derived 2'-deoxynucleoside-5'-O-triphosphates ( BENZI: TP and BIM: TP) by an engineered KlenTaq DNA polymerase. The enzyme catalyzed specific incorporation of the artificial nucleotide BENZI: opposite adducts, with up to 150-fold higher catalytic efficiency for O(6)-MeG over guanine in the template. Furthermore, addition of artificial nucleotide BENZI: was required for full-length DNA synthesis during bypass of O(6)-CMG. Selective incorporation of the artificial nucleotide opposite an O(6)-alkylguanine DNA adduct was verified using a novel 2',3'-dideoxy derivative of BENZI: TP. The strategy was used to recognize adducts in the presence of excess unmodified DNA. The specific processing of BENZI: TP opposite biologically relevant O(6)-alkylguanine adducts is characterized herein as a basis for potential future DNA adduct sequencing technologies

Bond characherization between concrete substrate and repairing materials

The purpose of this investigation was to study the effect of bonding behavior of concrete substrate and repair materials. Three different cementitious or modified-cementitious repair materials and three surface roughnesses were studied. Repair materials were ordinary mortar, modified cementitious mortar by silica fume and modified cementitious mortar by styrene butadiene rubber latex. Surface preparations were smooth surface, rough surface and epoxy resin adhesive as a bonding agent. The method used for evaluation of bond strength was pull-off test. the influence of the electrical conductivity of repairing materials was analyzed by rapid chloride permeability test. Finally, the performance of the adhesives was evaluated considering both the bond strength and electrical conductivity. Results obtained from these tests indicated that the roughness of substrate surface has a main effect on the performance of bond between adhesives and concrete. There are not great differences in bonding strength between various repairing materials but considering electrical conductivity, modified cementitious mortars are better materials for using in corrosive environments to increase service life of repaired structure

(±)-Polysiphenol and other Analogues via Symmetrical Intermolecular Dimerizations: a Synthetic, Spectroscopic, Structural and Computational Study

We report an improved total synthesis of 4,5-dibromo-9,10-dihydrophenanthrene-2,3,6,7-tetraol, (±)-polysiphenol, via intermolecular McMurray dimerization of 5-bromovanillin and subsequent intramolecular oxidative coupling as the key steps. The synthetic route is applicable to 4,5-dichloro- and 4,5-difluoro-halologues (as well as a 4,5-dialkyl-analogue). Distinctive AA′BB′ multiplets in their 1H NMR spectra for the dimethylene bridges of the dibromo and dichloro compounds reveal them to be room-temperature stable atropisomers, while for the difluoro compound they present as a singlet. X-ray crystal structure determinations of their tetramethylated synthetic precursors show atropisomeric twist angles of 48°, 46°, and 32°, respectively, with the former representing the largest yet observed in any 4,5-disubstituted-9,10-dihydrophenanthrene. DFT computational studies reveal an unprecedented two-stage atropisomeric interconversion process involving time-independent asynchronous rotations of the dimethylene bridge and the biaryl axis for halologues containing chlorine or bromine, but a more synchronous rotation for the difluoro analogue

Study of intestinal protozoan parasites in rural inhabitants of Mazandaran Province, northern Iran

Background: Intestinal parasites of humans are important health problems of most communities, especially those situated in tropical and subtropical areas. This study was carried out in rural population of Mazandaran Province, northern Iran, during 2004-2005, with the purpose of achieving a better understanding of the distribution of intestinal protozoan parasites in this province. Methods: A total of 855 stool specimens were collected randomly from rural inhabitants (384 males and 471 females) and examined by the formalin-ethyl-acetate concentration technique. In addition, a modified version of the Ziehl-Neelsen technique was used for the staining of Cryptosporidium and other intestinal coccidian parasites. Results: The general prevalence of intestinal protozoans was found as 25. The prevalence of every intestinal protozoan parasite was as follows: Giardia lamblia (10.2), Entamoeba histolyticaldispar (1.29/6), Dientamoeba fragilis (1.1), Blastocystis hominis (9.8), Entamoeba coli (5), Endolimax nana (0.7), Iodamoeba butschlii (1.3), and Entamoeba hartmani (0.4). Conclusion: The present study revealed that the prevalence of intestinal protozoan parasites among rural inhabitants of Mazandaran Province are still so high that implies performing special control measures

The thinnest, steepest, and maximum elevation Corneal locations in noncontact and contact lens wearers in keratoconus

PURPOSE:: To assess the relationship between the thinnest corneal location and the steepest and maximum elevation corneal locations in subjects with keratoconus and the effect of gas permeable contact lens wear on the location of these points. METHODS:: Sixty-one consecutive subjects (98 eyes) with keratoconus. Thirty-one (49 eyes) and 30 (49 eyes) subjects were gas permeable contact lens (CL-W) and non-contact lens wearers (N-CL), respectively. Thinnest, steepest, and maximum elevation corneal locations were evaluated from topographies collected with Pentacam Eye Scanner. RESULTS:: In the entire sample and in N-CL and CL-W, the thinnest location does not overlap with the steepest or maximum elevation corneal locations (all P > 0.05). The thinnest and maximum tangential curvature locations were found to be located further away from the geometric center of the cornea in CL-W versus N-CL (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION:: The thinnest corneal location does not overlap with maximum axial and tangential curvatures or with the front and back elevation locations in keratoconus subjects. Contact lens wear does not affect this lack of overlapping.Clinical & Experimental Optometry Research LabMenicon Co., Ltd.Center of Physics, University of Minho, Braga, Portuga

A case of fatal strongyloidiasis in a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and molecular characterization of the isolate

Strongyloides stercoralis is a human intestinal parasite which may lead to complicated strongyloidiasis in immunocompromised. Here, a case of complicated strongyloidiasis in a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia is reported. Presence of numerous S. stercoralis larvae in feces and sputum confirmed the diagnosis of hyperinfection syndrome in this patient. Following recovery of filariform larvae from agar plate culture of the stool, the isolate was characterized for the ITS1 region of ribosomal DNA gene by nested-PCR and sequencing. Albendazole therapy did not have cure effects; and just at the beginning of taking ivermectin, the patient died. The most important clue to prevent such fatal consequences is early diagnosis and proper treatment

Electronic structure of the α-(BEDT-TTF)2I3 surface by photoelectron spectroscopy

We report anomalies observed in photoelectron spectroscopy measurements performed on α-(BEDT-TTF)2I3 crystals. In particular, above its metal-insulator transition temperature (T ' 135 K), we observe the lack of a sharp Fermi edge in contradiction with the metallic transport properties exhib- ited by this quasi-bidimensional organic material. We interpret these unusual results as a signature of a one-dimensional electronic behavior confirmed by DFT band structure calculations. Using photoelectron spectroscopy we probe a Luttinger liquid with a large correlation parameter (α ą 1) that we interpret to be caused by the chain-like electronic structure of α-(BEDT-TTF)2I3 surface doped by iodine defects. These new surface effects are inaccessible by bulk sensitive measurements of electronic transport techniques

Moving Dirac nodes by chemical substitution

Dirac fermions play a central role in the study of topological phases, for they can generate a variety of exotic states, such as Weyl semimetals and topological insulators. The control and manipulation of Dirac fermions constitute a fundamental step toward the realization of novel concepts of electronic devices and quantum computation. By means of Angle-Resolved PhotoEmission Spectroscopy (ARPES) experiments and ab initio simulations, here, we show that Dirac states can be effectively tuned by doping a transition metal sulfide, BaNiS2, through Co/Ni substitution. The symmetry and chemical characteristics of this material, combined with the modification of the charge-transfer gap of BaCo1-xNixS2 across its phase diagram, lead to the formation of Dirac lines, whose position in k-space can be displaced along the Gamma - M symmetry direction and their form reshaped. Not only does the doping x tailor the location and shape of the Dirac bands, but it also controls the metal-insulator transition in the same compound, making BaCo1-xNixS2 a model system to functionalize Dirac materials by varying the strength of electron correlations