Understanding TQM implementation barriers involving construction companies in a difficult environment

At society level, the findings of this study indicate societal problems such as corruption and business environment which require wide level approaches to deal with these barriers. In addition, if TQM applied in road construction projects, the quality of the roads will be improved, this in turn will have direct impact on quality of life in the society, better roads means easier access to hospitals, schools and public places, better transport and movements of goods and services, etc. It can also save money for the country in long run and economic benefits to the society

DEMYSTIFYING STUDENT-UNIVERSITY IDENTIFICATION AMONG VIRTUAL TEFL CANDIDATES: THE CASE OF IRAN

Student-University Identification (SUI) of virtual students in higher education is one area of identity that receives less attention. This study aimed to explore the SUI of a purposive sample of five virtual students studying Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) at the Ph.D. level in Iran. Investigating SUI in higher education among virtual TEFL Ph.D. candidates potentially contributes to demystifying a complex relationship of factors, such as cultural experiences, linguistic backgrounds, and online environment challenges. Using phenomenology, the study investigated the identities of the participants by thematically analyzing semi-structured interview data. The findings revealed the participants’ various ways of identifying with a university, the subsequent consequences of identification, and the obstacles preventing them to develop SUI. The findings indicated that several factors at play are unique to doctoral candidates. The faculty prestige, research-based concerns, and nature of online media were identified to be crucial aspects of SUI for the TEFL Ph.D. students. Universities are thus advised to provide appropriate direction for virtual candidates. The study also found that some students perceived a lack of competence in TEFL, which, in turn, acted as a barrier to their SUI. To alleviate this problem, further research needs to identify what is lacking in teacher education university programs and what initiatives are required to improve TEFL students’ professional development and help them become confident English teachers

An Investigation of Cultural Components in Arabic Translation of “Kharidare Eshgh” According Newmark’s Theory

Cultural elements as major parts of texts play an important role in conveying the main concepts to the readers. Understanding these concepts is the main concern of translators of different scripts. Therefore, a translator can convey not only the meaning of the text but also the sentiments of the author to the readers using cultural synonyms. To this end, in this paper, we analyze the “Kharidar Eshgh” novel by Mohammad Ali Behzad Rad using the cultural pattern of Mark Newman. Moreover, we investigate how a translator deals with cultural elements and how he/she approaches finding the equivalent of cultural expression in Arabic and Persian language. We use a descriptive-analytical method in our research and we show that the translator of this novel has concentrated more on interpreting the meaning of text rather than conveying the author’s sentiments and feelings. Hence, word-by-word translation in some cases led to the ambiguity of translation. Furthermore, the actual meaning of expressions and metaphors have not been apprehended properly and inappropriate synonyms for words have been chosen. Among cultural components in this novel, cultural contents, proverbs, and ecology have the highest frequency, respectively

The effect of descriptive evaluation of elementary school third grade subjects on academic achievement of students

The goal of this research was the effect of descriptive evaluation of elementary school third grade subjects on academic achievement of students and its comparison with traditional evaluation. The statistical population of the research included all female third grade students of elementary schools in ZarrinShahr in academic year of 2012-2013 who were a total number of 742 students as well as the elementary school third grade teachers who were a number of 34 teachers. Among them a number of 147 students and 28 teachers were selected via cluster sampling. Research methodology in this study was of survey-descriptive type. The research tools were checklists and a questionnaire of opinion toll, made by the researcher. To assess the validity of the tools used, the face validity and content validity were used and the validity of the questionnaire was estimated as a=0.93. Chi square test was used to analyze the research questions. The results of the research showed that using different methods of descriptive evaluation has been effective in improving the students’ performances in such subjects as the Holy Quran, social sciences, arts, science & Persian, while it has not been effective in improving their performances in such subjects as heavenly gifts (the Holy Quran for elementary students) and mathematics. Finally, the results of opinion toll showed that the teachers found descriptive evaluation more suitable than traditional evaluation in evaluating all the third grade subjects of elementary school. Keywords: Evaluation, Descriptive evaluation, Traditional evaluation, Students’ performances

Determinants of safe sexual behavior of female sex workers in Tehran:the woman, her network, and the sexual partner

BACKGROUND: Despite the steady growth of sexual transmission of HIV, there is little evidence about safe sexual behavior of FSWs, and social network effects on this behavior, in Iran. Our aim in this study was to determine the effect of social network characteristics on condom use among FSWs, considering individual characteristics of the FSWs and of their sexual partners, characteristics of their relationship, and the FSW’s personal network. METHODS: A cross-sectional ego-centric network survey of 170 FSWs was carried out in Tehran between January and June 2017. A multilevel ordered logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the effects of individual and relational characteristics simultaneously. RESULTS: Condom use in sexual relationships of the FSWs on average was rather low. Important determinants of safe sexual behavior were found both at the level of the individual FSW and at the level of the sexual partner. The main determinants at the level of the individual FSW were FSWs’ age and HIV knowledge. At the level of the sexual partner, age and education of sexual partners, as well as intimacy, duration of tie, frequency of contacts with a given partner, frequency of contact, perceived social support, and perceived safe sex norms were significantly associated with condom use. CONCLUSIONS: The findings highlighted that considering only the individual characteristics of female sex workers is not sufficient for effectively promoting condom use. Factors at the network and dyadic level should also be considered, especially the role of sexual partners. Network-based interventions may be useful which modify social relationships to create a social environment that can facilitate changes in sexual behavior

Penerapan model quantum teaching untuk meningkatkan motivasi belajar pada pembelajaran IPS tentang perjuangan mempersiapkan kemerdekaan Indonesia di kelas v SDN tanjungsari tahun ajaran 2016/2017

Abstrak. Penerapan Model Quantum Teaching untuk Meningkatkan Motivasi Belajar pada Pembelajaran IPS tentang Perjuangan Mempersiapkan Kemerdekaan Indonesia di Kelas V SDN Tanjungsari Tahun Ajaran 2016/2017. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk meningkatkan motivasi belajar IPS melalui penerapan model quantum teaching tentang perjuangan mempersiapkan kemerdekaan Indonesia. Penelitian tindakan kelas ini merupakan penelitian kolaboratif yang dilaksanakan dalam tiga siklus dengan tahap perencanaan, pelaksanaan, pengamatan, dan refleksi dengan subjek penelitian guru dan siswa kelas V yang berjumlah 24 orang. Teknik pengumpulan data dalam penelitian ini adalah teknik observasi, wawancara, tes dan angket. Teknik validitas yang dilakukan adalah teknik triangulasi teknik dan triangulasi sumber data. Analisis data melalui tiga tahapan yaitu reduksi data, penyajian data, dan penarikan kesimpulan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan penerapan model quantum teaching dapat meningkatkan motivasi belajar IPS. Kata kunci: quantum teaching, motivasi belajar, IP

Docetaxel Enhances the Expression of STING Protein in PC3 Cells, and cGAMP Attenuates this Effect

Background: The stimulator of interferon genes (STING) agonist (cGAMP) kills the cancer cells through the activation of the innate immune system. PC3 cells are high in BTK and low in STING. In this study, the effect of adding STING agonist, cGAMP, to docetaxel investigated. Materials and Methods: PC3 cells were treated with docetaxel, cGAMP, and a combination of the docetaxel and cGAMP. Cell toxicity was evaluated by MTT assay, and changes of STING, IRF3, BTK, and DDX41 genes’ expression were quantified by the real-time PCR. STING protein was also detected by Western blotting. Results: The IC50 of docetaxel was 31.1 nM, and cGAMP did not change it significantly but decreased docetaxel toxicity about 30%. Docetaxel increased IRF3, BTK, and DDX41 gene expression significantly, and STING protein about 5 folds. By adding cGAMP to docetaxel STING, IRF3, and BTK, expression decreased several folds. Conclusion: In this in vitro study, cGAMP potentiated docetaxel’s effects and alleviated it

Efficacy of DVIU and intralesional injection of mitomycin C in the treatment of bulbar urethral stricture

Background and aim: To find if intra-operative local injection of Mitomycin-C after internal Urethrotomy in patients with urethral stricture can improve the outcome of surgery.Materials and Methods: Seventy patients were allocated in two groups randomly and data were analyzed. The case group (n=35) was treated by internal Urethrotomy with intra-operative local injection of Mitomycin-C. The control group (n=35) was underwent standard internal Urethrotomy. The patients were followed after removing catheter and for 6 months after surgery by USS PROM questionnaire and uroflowmetry.Results: A significant difference was observed in terms of urodynamic indices like Q-max (p-value=0.006) and urine flow pattern (p-value=0.025) after internal Urethrotomy in the local injection of Mitomycin-C group and control group, six months after surgery. In the case group, in the six months after operation, only 2.9% of patients had Q-max less than 15 and no one had obstructive pattern, while in the control group, 25.7% of patients had Q- max less than 15 and 17.1% had obstructive pattern. However, the patient's satisfaction history did not show any significant difference in post-internal Urethrotomy voiding status in the local injection of Mitomycin-C group and control group, either immediately after removal of the urethral catheter (p-value=1) and six months after surgery (p-value=0.198). Also, no significant difference was observed in terms of urodynamic indices like Q-max (p-value=0.771) and urine flow pattern (p-value=1) after internal Urethrotomy in the local injection of Mitomycin-C group and control group, immediately after removal of the urethral catheter.Conclusions: Intra-operative local injection of Mitomycin-C after internal Urethrotomy can be regarded as a safe and efficient technique which has several advantages including lower cost. Lower recurrence rate of urethral stricture is the main effect of local Mitomycin-C application that is more prominent after six months follow up

The effect of cognitive-behavioral stress inoculation training on coping skills in female adolescents

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