Técnica Mnemotécnica Visual: Una estrategia efectiva de aprendizaje

This study was designed to investigate the impact of visual mnemonic technique on young and adult Iranian  English learnersʹ vocabulary learning. The current study followed quasi- experimental design. 48 female students were selected based on their performance on Quick Placement Test. The purpose of the QPT was to homogenize the participants based on their proficiency level. The participants were divided into four groups, two experimental and two control groups. Each group consisted of 12 participants. Prior to the treatment, the participants of both groups were given a pretest to determine the knowledge of vocabulary in the experimental and control groups. Then the experimental groups received the visual mnemonic technique for 8 sessions. The control groups went through a traditional method of teaching vocabulary. After 8 sessions, a posttest was administered to all groups. Two-way between-groups ANOVA was run to the results of the vocabulary tests to look at the individual and joint effect of the independent variables on dependent variable. It was concluded that mnemonic technique significantly affected Iranian pre- intermediate EFL learners’ vocabulary leaning.  The study exhibited that the experimental group who received instruction on mnemonic technique outperformed their counterparts in posttest of vocabulary.  However, the differences between the effects of mnemonic technique for young and adult learners who received the specific treatment were not statistically significant (P≥ .05).Este estudio se diseñó para investigar el impacto de la técnica mnemotécnica visual en el aprendizaje de vocabulario de los estudiantes de inglés iraníes jóvenes y adultos. El presente estudio siguió un diseño cuasi experimental. 48 estudiantes femeninas se seleccionaron basado en su desempeño en la Prueba Rápida de Nivel. Las participantes se dividieron en cuatro grupos, dos experimentales y dos de control. Previo al tratamiento, a las participantes de ambos grupos se les dio una prueba previa para determinar su conocimiento de vocabulario. Luego, los grupos experimentales recibieron la técnica mnemotécnica visual por 8 sesiones. Los grupos de control pasaron por un método tradicional de enseñanza de vocabulario. Después de 8 sesiones, se administró una posprueba.  Se realizó un ANOVA bidireccional entre grupos con los resultados de las pruebas de vocabulario. Los resultados mostraron que los grupos experimentales que recibieron instrucción sobre la técnica mnemotécnica superaron a sus contrapartes en la prueba posterior de vocabulario. No obstante, las diferencias entre los efectos de la técnica mnemotécnica para aprendices jóvenes y adultos que recibieron el tratamiento específico no fueron estadísticamente significativas (P≥.05

Epigenetic effects of Bisphenol A on granulosa cells of mouse follicles during in vitro culture: An experimental study

Background: Bisphenol A (BPA), a synthetic endocrine-disrupting chemical, is a reproductive toxicant. Granulosa cells have significant roles in follicle development, and KIT ligand (KITL) and Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) are essential biomolecules produced by them during folliculogenesis. Objective: Due to the widespread use of BPA and its potential epigenetic effects, this study examined the impact of BPA on promoter methylation of amh and kitl genes in mouse granulosa cells. Materials and Methods: Preantral follicles were isolated from ovaries of immature mice and cultured for eight days. Then, follicles were treated with 50 and 100 μM of BPA, and 0.01% (v/v) ethanol for 24 and 72 hr. Growth and degeneration of follicles and antrum formation were analyzed. The granulosa cells were isolated mechanically, and their extracted DNA was treated with sodium bisulfite. The promoter regions of the amh and kitl were analyzed with PCR and sequencing. Results: BPA did not change follicle survival and antrum formation significantly (p = 0.41). However, the culture in the presence of 100 μM BPA had an inhibitory effect on growth. Before BPA treatment, the CpG of the kitl and amh promoters were unmethylated and partially methylated, respectively. While the percent of 5mC in the amh promoter reduced at 100 μM of BPA, it did not alter the kitl promoter methylation. Conclusion: BPA at higher concentrations has an inhibitory effect on follicle growth. Moreover, it seems that the epigenetic impact of BPA restricts to the demethylation of CpG sites. Key words: Bisphenol A, DNA methylation, Granulosa cells

Toward the Use of Conceptual Metaphors of “Teacher” Perceived by High-school Students

This study is an attempt to find out the use of conceptual metaphors of teachers by the high-school students based upon Oxford et al. taxonomy (1988). In so doing, seventy participants were randomly selected among the high-school students of both genders aged 15 to 18 in Rezvanshahr – A city in Guilan province. The questionnaires were distributed required them to jot down their own conceptual metaphor about their teachers. The gathered information was analyzed through SPSS software after codifying. The results showed that most frequent class of metaphors used by them were “Learner-Centered Growth”. It is meant that Iranian students like their teachers to be the facilitators who pave the way for them. On the other hand, there exists no significant relationship between gender and the type of metaphors that students use about their teachers

Molecular analysis of the mitochondrial markers COI, 12S rDNA and 16S rDNA for six species of Iranian scorpions

Objectives Annually, 1.2 million humans are stung by scorpions and severely affected by their venom. Some of the scorpion species of medical importance have a similar morphology to species with low toxicity. To establish diagnostic tools for surveying scorpions, the current study was conducted to generate three mitochondrial markers, Cytochrome Oxidase I (COI gene), 12S rDNA and 16S rDNA for six species of medically important Iranian scorpions: Androctonus crassicauda, Hottentotta saulcyi, Mesobuthus caucasicus, M. eupeus, Odontobuthus doriae, and Scorpio maurus. Results Phylogenetic analyses of the obtained sequences corroborated the morphological identification. For the first time, 12S rDNA sequences are reported from Androctonus crassicauda, Hottentotta saulcyi, Mesobuthus caucasicus and M. eupeus and also the 16S rDNA sequence from Hottentotta saulcyi. We conclude that the mitochondrial markers are useful for species determination among these medically important species of scorpions

Social-Personalized versus Computer-Personalized Methods to Teaching English Learners' Reading Comprehension Ability

The present study was out to compare new approaches computer assisted language learning, personalized learning program versus traditional approach to teaching second language reading comprehension ability among Iranian English learners. The participants in this study were 90 students who studied at a university of Applied Sciences and Technology in Rasht, Iran. All the participants were randomly assigned into three groups, one control group and two experimental groups. The control group went through a traditional method of teaching reading skill in the classroom. The first experimental group received a personalized learning instruction. The second experimental group went through a personalized learning program supported by a computer assisted language learning system (CALL). At the end of the treatment, a posttest was administrated to three groups to find out the effects of the new instruction. The results of this study revealed that the second experimental group who received treatment through CALL- based personalized learning approach

Dynamic assessment of writing ability in transcendence tasks based on Vygotskian perspective

Abstract This study aimed to investigate the dynamic assessment of writing proficiency in Iranian English learnersˊ writing ability in transcendence tasks based on Vygotskian perspective. The questions which this research intended to answer were: 1) Does dynamic assessment affect Iranian English learners’ writing ability? 2) Do the results of dynamic Assessment differ from the results of a non – dynamic assessment? 3) If learners progress, are they able to maintain their improved performance in the transcendence tasks when the assessment context changes? To answer the questions, 60 learners were selected following an Oxford Placement Test, and then randomly divided into two groups, experimental and control. The experimental group received dynamic assessment based instruction while control group received a non-dynamic writing instruction. After eight sessions, both groups were post tested and underwent a static and a dynamic assessment. The results indicated the outperformance of the experimental group over the control one. After two weeks, the experimental group undertook two transcendence tasks in order to trace their growing proficiency in more difficult and to increase innovative tasks. Moreover, upon analyzing the protocols, an inventory of meditational moves was detected as a posterior. As the result, the study suggests the use of dynamic assessment as a development-oriented procedure to diagnose and develop the learnersˊ emerging abilities

Social-Personalized versus Computer-Personalized Methods to Teaching English Learners' Reading Comprehension Ability

The present study was out to compare new approaches computer assisted language learning, personalized learning program versus traditional approach to teaching second language reading comprehension ability among Iranian English learners. The participants in this study were 90 students who studied at a university of Applied Sciences and Technology in Rasht, Iran. All the participants were randomly assigned into three groups, one control group and two experimental groups. The control group went through a traditional method of teaching reading skill in the classroom. The first experimental group received a personalized learning instruction. The second experimental group went through a personalized learning program supported by a computer assisted language learning system (CALL). At the end of the treatment, a posttest was administrated to three groups to find out the effects of the new instruction. The results of this study revealed that the second experimental group who received treatment through CALL- based personalized learning approach

The Impact of Raising Awareness of the Speech Act On Speaking Ability across Gender and Proficiency Level

The present study intended to investigate the possible effects of speech acts strategies on Iranian beginner and intermediate EFL learners’ speaking ability. The first step in conducting this research was the administration of QPT as the homogenizing tool. It was administered to 180 beginners and intermediate EFL learners. After analyzing the results, 80 males and females as starters and 80 males and females as intermediate subjects were chosen. Then, the beginner and intermediate EFL learners were randomly divided into control and experimental groups (including 40 beginner male and 40 female EFL learners in each class). Next, a pretest of speaking was administered to all the participants and the experimental groups received speech act role play as treatment. However, the researcher did not use any treatment of speech acts in control groups. After ten sessions, the posttest was administered to all participants. The findings suggested that awareness raising on speech acts resulted in a better speaking ability as compared to the simply traditional teaching of speaking for Iranian intermediate and beginner EFL learners. Additionally, intermediate EFL learners’ achievement in speaking was not in line with the beginner EFL learners’ achievement in the corresponding group. Finally, it was found that gender does not interact with awareness raising on speech acts in such a way as to produce a statistically significant effect on the beginner and intermediate EFL learners’ speaking ability