Application of Composite Right/Left-Handed Metamaterials in Leaky-Wave Antennas

This chapter reviews the most significant advancements in the context of metamaterial (MTM) leaky wave antennas (LWAs). A brief review of the mechanism of leaky wave radiation along with an important class of MTMs known as composite right/left-handed (CRLH) structures is presented. Then, recent outstanding works in the area of CRLH LWAs are reported in detail. These works include the application of electronic control, substrate integrated waveguides, dual band and wideband performance, ferrite loaded waveguides, and split-ring-resonator (SRR)-based MTMs in LWAs. Also, the benefits of LWAs to design high gain active structures, reflecto-directive systems, wideband dual-layer substrate integrated waveguide antennas and conformal antennas are discussed

Characterization of Fungal Communities Associated to Willow SRIC Plantations in the Canadian Prairies Ecozone Using PCR-Based Molecular Methods

Willow (Salix spp.), a major source of biomass and renewable fiber production, is one of the best choices for short-rotation intensive culture (SRIC) in Canada. Since fungal communities play important roles in the plant’s health status, it is vital to understand their interactions with willows and their roles in the sustainability of SRIC. In this study, fungal diversity of the above-ground organs (stem/leaf) of healthy and diseased willow plants in western Canadian Prairies were assessed using cultural and PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) techniques. Comparison of the mycoprofiles within established plantations vs. newly introduced cuttings revealed differences in the fungal communities. Ascomycota were mainly isolated, followed by Basidiomicota and Zygomycota. Willow genotypes seem have an influence on the abundance of fungal pathogens and disease severity; among them Charlie (Salix alba x gladfelteri) and SV1 (S. eriocephala) cultivars demonstrated superior performances. Photosynthesis measurements and biomass compositions confirmed these findings. Potentially pathogenic fungi (Dothioraceae, Diaporthaceae, Glomeraceae, and Pleosporaceae) dominated in diseased or symptomatic willows, whereas potentially beneficial fungi (Coniochaetaceae, Hypoceraceae, Nectriaceae, Trichocomaceae, and Agaricaceae) prevailed in healthy plants. In-vivo and greenhouse assays showed that inoculation with potentially pathogenic fungi induced leaf necrosis, anthracnose and open cankers. However, suppression of the latter was still possible using fungal antagonists. Hence, assessment of stem/bark and leaf fungal communities with respect to willow genotypes, cuttings origin, and SRIC location, is useful for the design of an effective management strategy to increase the productivity of the SRIC-biomass systems

Evaluation of 5.8S rRNA to identify Penaeus semisulcatus and its subspecies, Penaeus semisulcatus persicus (Penaeidae) and some Decapoda species

The green tiger prawn, Penaeus semisulcatus is one of the most important members of the family Penaeidae in the Persian Gulf. Based on the morphological characteristics, two groups, including P. semisulcatus and its subspecies viz. P. s. persicus are recognized. This study was conducted to investigate the genetic distance between P. semisulcatus and P. s. persicus by analyzing partial sequence of 5.8S rRNA. Another objective of this study is to evaluate the ability of 5.8S rRNA to identify the species of Decapoda. The results indicated that the 5.8S rRNA gene of both P. semisulcatus and P. s. persicus were exactly identical, and sequence variation was not observed. The results also indicated that 5.8S rRNA sequences between species of the same genus of analysed species of Decapoda are conserved, and no genetic distance was observed in species level. The low evolutionary rate and efficient conservation of the 5.8S rRNA can be attributed to its role in the translation process.

Effects of Smoking Cessation Counseling Based on the Stages of Change Model in a Dental School Setting: A Semi-Experimental Study

Objectives The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of smoking cessation counseling by a dentist on the smokers’ preparation for change to quit smoking. Methods This study was performed on 150 smokers, admitted to the Dental School of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. The patients were randomly divided into two groups of 75 participants. The intervention group received smoking cessation counseling by a single senior dental student for 30 min session. The patient’s status in the stages of change was determined at baseline and after the intervention. For statistical analysis, paired t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, and multivariate linear regression analysis were performed at a significance level of P<0.05. Results At baseline, there were no significant differences between the intervention and control groups in terms of the stage of change for smoking cessation. Also, there was no significant difference in the stages of change in the control group between the baseline and one-month follow-up. However, this difference was significant in the intervention group (P=0.006). In other words, the number of patients in the pre-contemplation stage decreased by 43%, the number of patients in the contemplation stage increased by 20%, and the number of patients in the action stage increased by 16%. Conclusion It can be concluded that smoking cessation counseling enhances a person’s forward movement and transition through the stages of change for smoking cessatio

Multi-field Cuscuton Cosmology

In this paper, we first introduce a multi-field setup of Cuscuton gravity in a curved field space manifold. Then, we show that this model allows for a regular bouncing cosmology and it does not lead to ghosts or other instabilities at the level of perturbations. More precisely, by decomposing the scalar fields perturbations into the tangential and normal components with respect to the background field space trajectory, the entropy mode perpendicular to the background trajectory is healthy which directly depends on the signature of the field-space metric, whereas the adiabatic perturbation tangential to the background trajectory is frozen. In analogy with the standard Cuscuton theory equipped with an extra dynamical scalar field, the adiabatic field does not have its own dynamics, but it modifies the dynamics of other dynamical fields like entropy mode in our scenario. Finally, we perform a Hamiltonian analysis of our model in order to count the degrees of freedom propagated by dynamical fields.Comment: 9 page

A ANÁLISE DO DISCURSO CRÍTICO DA REPRESENTAÇÃO DE GÊNERO NOS LIVROS DE INGLÊS DE HIGH SCHOOLS IRANIANO: : O MODELO FAIRCLOUGH EM FOCO

The present study adopted an exploratory critical discourse analysis (CDA) approach to examine gender representation in Iranian government mandatory high school ELT textbooks using Fairclough model. Considering the model, female and male characters’ visibility, semantic, domestic, and social roles, activities, and pictorial representations in the textbooks were scrutinized. These factors were described, interpreted, and explained both qualitatively and quantitatively. Additionally, a semi-structured interview was conducted with 30 experienced high school educators and their responses were coded, scrutinized, and interpreted. The findings revealed the permanence of male dominance in the textbooks and that the gender bias in educational materials would have strong socio-cultural effects on students’ mind sets, future careers, and fields of study. The findings highlight the must to address gender inequalities as one of the most crucial socio-cultural concerns of Iran EFL educational textbooks.O presente estudo adotou uma abordagem exploratória de análise crítica do discurso (CDA) para examinar a representação de gênero nos livros didáticos de ELT do ensino médio obrigatório do governo iraniano usando o modelo Fairclough. Considerando o modelo, a visibilidade dos personagens femininos e masculinos, papéis semânticos, domésticos e sociais, atividades e representações pictóricas nos livros didáticos foram escrutinados. Esses fatores foram descritos, interpretados e explicados qualitativa e quantitativamente. Além disso, uma entrevista semiestruturada foi realizada com 30 educadores experientes do ensino médio e suas respostas foram codificadas, examinadas e interpretadas. As descobertas revelaram a permanência do domínio masculino nos livros didáticos e que o viés de gênero nos materiais educacionais teria fortes efeitos socioculturais nas mentalidades dos alunos, futuras carreiras e campos de estudo. As descobertas destacam a necessidade de abordar as desigualdades de gênero como uma das preocupações sócio-culturais mais cruciais dos livros didáticos educacionais de EFL do Irã

Evaluation and Prediction of the Impact of Parasite Waves and Cell Phone Use by Pregnant Mothers on the Volume of Amniotic Fluid based on Data Mining Algorithms

Introduction: Nowadays, the effects of radiation and constant use of cell phones have led to some problems. These radiations cause disorders in different systems of human body and even in a growing fetus. The aim of this study was to find the effect of using cell phone and internet by pregnant women on the amount of amniotic fluid. Method: First, a questionnaire was designed and evaluated by obstetricians and telecommunication specialists. The questionnaire includes questions regarding the amount of using cell phone, internet and Wi-Fi during a day. After data collection and preprocessing with predictive Apriori algorithm, the effective factors on the amount of amniotic fluid were investigated and proper associative rules were extracted. The next phase is dedicated to predicting the risks of decreased amniotic fluid by classification algorithms. Results: Early awareness of doctors as well as the patient can cause avoiding this problem through some related life style changes by mothers. SVM algorithm was successful in arriving at the best results with 80% accuracy. Conclusion: The most important rule showed that more than 6 hours cell phone conversation, more than 4 hours internet use and more than 8 hours Wi-Fi use by pregnant women can definitely decrease the amount of amniotic fluid. Also, the proposed method, using different classification algorithms, can predict the risk of decreasing the amount of amniotic fluid in pregnant mothers

The effective factors on empowerment of faculty members to launch start-ups

Background: This study aimed to investigate the factors affecting the empowerment of faculty members to launch start-ups in the branches of the Islamic Azad University of Tehran. Methods: This research was descriptive-analytical. Its statistical population included 27,000 faculty members working in the Islamic Azad University, Tehran branch. The sampling method was cluster random sampling. The sample size was 50 people in the qualitative part and 384 people in the quantitative part. The research tools were researcher-made questionnaires, with a Likert scale and semi-structured interviews. For statistical analysis, confirmatory factor analysis tests, t-tests, and multivariate regression were used by SPSS software version 23. Results: The results showed that there is a significant difference in the components affecting empowerment, including marketing and commercialization of knowledge (β=0.354), attracting elites and from business (β=0.306), and knowledge sharing (β=0.265). financial risk analysis (β=0.143), formation of business support association (β=0.111), value design and use of new technologies (β=0.075), financial and legal support of the government (β=0.066), creating environmental changes (β=0.056), increasing value-creating activities (β=0.044), providing infrastructure (β=0.037), and discussing startups (β=0.024) in the order of priority. The partial regression showed the impact of discussion about startups and environmental changes on the empowerment of faculty members. Conclusion: It is essential to consider human resources, knowledge commercialization, elite recruitment, knowledge sharing, financial risk analysis, financial and business support, use of new technologies, environmental change, value creation activities, providing infrastructure, about start-ups based on the transformational attitude of management