Effet de la conception sur les demandes d’eseignement de l’anglais des étudiantes iraniens

The Research into interlanguage pragmatics has prominent significance nowadays. Due to severe negative consequences of failure in performing and interpreting speech acts such as request, the present study investigated the effect of concept mapping on learning English requests by Iranian high school students. To this aim, 72 intermediate male English students (ranging in age from 15 to 18) that were in two intact groups from a city in northeastern Iran, voluntarily took part in the study. Data for this study were collected using English Test- Beginner (proficiency test) and Multiple Discourse Completion Task Test (MDCT). The results indicated there was a statistically significant difference between the request speech act knowledge of those learners who were taught requests through concept mapping and those who were taught traditionally. The results of the current study have important implications for syllabus designers and material developers particularly in EFL contexts.La investigación en la pragmática entre lenguas tiene un significado prominente en la actualidad. Debido a las graves consecuencias negativas del fracaso en la realización e interpretación de actos de habla como la solicitud, el presente estudio investigó el efecto del mapeo de conceptos en el aprendizaje de solicitudes de inglés por parte de estudiantes iraníes de secundaria. Para este objetivo, 72 estudiantes de inglés varones intermedios (de 15 a 18 años de edad) que formaban parte de dos grupos intactos de una ciudad en el noreste de Irán, participaron voluntariamente en el estudio. Los datos para este estudio se recopilaron utilizando la Prueba de inglés para principiantes (prueba de competencia) y la Prueba de tarea de finalización de múltiples discursos (TCMD). Los resultados indicaron que hubo una diferencia estadísticamente significativa entre el conocimiento del acto de habla de la solicitud de los alumnos a quienes se les enseñó las solicitudes a través del mapeo de conceptos y los que se les enseñó tradicionalmente. Los resultados del estudio actual tienen implicaciones importantes para los diseñadores de programas de estudio y los desarrolladores de materiales, particularmente en contextos de EFL.La recherche sur la pragmatique interlangue a une importance prééminente de nos jours. En raison des graves conséquences négatives de l’échec lors de l’exécution et de l’interprétation d’actes de langage tels que ceux demandés, la présente étude a examiné les effets de la cartographie conceptuelle sur l’apprentissage des demandes en anglais des lycéens iraniens. À cette fin, 72 étudiants anglais masculins d’âge intermédiaire (âgés de 15 à 18 ans) appartenant à deux groupes intacts d'une ville du nord-est de l'Iran ont participé volontairement à l'étude. Les données de cette étude ont été recueillies à l'aide de l'anglais Test Débutant (test de compétence) et du test de fin de discours multiple (MDCT). Les résultats ont indiqué qu'il existait une différence statistiquement significative entre la connaissance des actes de parole des apprenants à qui les demandes étaient traitées via le mappage de concepts et celle des apprenants de manière traditionnelle. Les résultats de la présente étude ont des implications importantes pour les concepteurs de programmes et les concepteurs de matériaux, en particulier dans les contextes EFL

The Effect of Concept Mapping on Learning English Requests by Iranian High School Students

The Research into interlanguage pragmatics has prominent significance nowadays. Due to severe negative consequences of failure in performing and interpreting speech acts such as request, the present study investigated the effect of concept mapping on learning English requests by Iranian high school students. To this aim, 72 intermediate male English students (ranging in age from 15 to 18) that were in two intact groups from a city in northeastern Iran, voluntarily took part in the study. Data for this study were collected using English Test- Beginner (proficiency test) and Multiple Discourse Completion Task Test (MDCT). The results indicated there was a statistically significant difference between the request speech act knowledge of those learners who were taught requests through concept mapping and those who were taught traditionally. The results of the current study have important implications for syllabus designers and material developers particularly in EFL contexts

Stabilization of DC–DC buck converter with unknown constant power load via passivity-based control plus proportion-integration

Abstract It is known that constant power load (CPL) may cause a negative impedance, which seriously affects the stability of power system. In this paper, a new control algorithm for DC–DC buck converter feeding unknown CPL is proposed. First, under the assumption of known extracted power load, the standard passivity–based control (PBC) is presented to reshape the system energy and compensate for the negative impedance and a proportion‐integration (PI) action around passive output is added to improve disturbance rejection performance, which forms the PBC plus PI (PBC+PI). Then, a parameter estimation algorithm is developed, based on immersion and invariance (I&I) technique, in order to online estimate the extracted power load. In the next step, the online estimation scheme is adopted to construct an adaptive strategy. Finally, the stability analysis of the cascaded system containing a closed‐loop control system and observer error dynamics is conducted. Simulation and experimental results are demonstrated to validate the performance of the proposed controller

Prevalence and Correlates of Psychiatric Disorders in a National Survey of Iranian Children and Adolescents

Objective: Considering the impact of rapid sociocultural, political, and economical changes on societies and families, population-based surveys of mental disorders in different communities are needed to describe the magnitude of mental health problems and their disabling effects at the individual, familial, and societal levels. Method: A population-based cross sectional survey (IRCAP project) of 30 532 children and adolescents between 6 and 18 years was conducted in all provinces of Iran using a multistage cluster sampling method. Data were collected by 250 clinical psychologists trained to use the validated Persian version of the semi-structured diagnostic interview Kiddie-Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-PL (K-SADS-PL). Results: In this national epidemiological survey, 6209 out of 30 532 (22.31%) were diagnosed with at least one psychiatric disorder. The anxiety disorders (14.13%) and behavioral disorders (8.3%) had the highest prevalence, while eating disorders (0.13%) and psychotic symptoms (0.26%) had the lowest. The prevalence of psychiatric disorders was significantly lower in girls (OR = 0.85; 95% CI: 0.80-0.90), in those living in the rural area (OR = 0.80; 95% CI: 0.73-0.87), in those aged 15-18 years (OR = 0.92; 95% CI: 0.86-0.99), as well as that was significantly higher in those who had a parent suffering from mental disorders (OR = 1.96; 95% CI: 1.63-2.36 for mother and OR = 1.33; 95% CI: 1.07-1.66 for father) or physical illness (OR = 1.26; 95% CI: 1.17-1.35 for mother and OR = 1.19; 95% CI: 1.10-1.28 for father). Conclusion: About one fifth of Iranian children and adolescents suffer from at least one psychiatric disorder. Therefore, we should give a greater priority to promoting mental health and public health, provide more accessible services and trainings, and reduce barriers to accessing existing services

A Critical Discourse Analysis of the Images of Iranians in Western Movies: The Case of Iranium

The significant role of the media, in general, and the movies, in particular, in disseminating information and creating images of the real life by use of the language as a powerful social tool is totally irrefutable. Although critical analysis of the movie discourse is a fashionable trend among the critical discourse analysts, there is a paucity of research on movie discourse in Iran. Besides, the increasing number of the anti-Iranian movies produced in the last decade and the growing tendency among the English students to watch American movies, have established the need for conducting a research to investigate the images of Iranians represented in the Western movies. Thus, in this article an anti-Iranian movie called Iranium, allegedly labeled as documentary, has been critically analyzed using Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). For this purpose, Van Dijk’s framework (2004) has been utilized to uncover the ideological manipulations and misrepresentations of this movie. The analysis revealed that the dichotomy of in-group favoritism vs. out-group derogation is a very effective discursive strategy at the disposal of the movie makers who have used language as a weapon to attack Iran by representing a distorted and unrealistic image of the Iranians’ history, culture and ideologies. The findings of the present study imply that adopting a critical discourse analysis perspective in the EFL classes is a necessity which needs the development of the required materials, by the curriculum developers, that raise the students’ critical awareness as well as their language skills and proficiency.

Targeted protein degradation for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease: Advances and future perspective

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive disorder that belongs to a class of neurodegenerative disorders (NDs) called Synucleinopathies. It has characterized by the misfolding and aggregation of a-synuclein. Our understanding of PD continues to evolve, and so does our approach to treatment. including therapies aimed at delaying pathology, quitting neuronal loss, and shortening the course of the disease by selectively targeting essential proteins suspected to play a role in PD pathogenesis. One emerging approach that is generating significant interest is Targeted Protein Degradation (TPD). TPD is an innovative method that allows us to specifically break down certain proteins using specially designed molecules or peptides, like PROteolysis-TArgeting-Chimera (PROTACs). This approach holds great promise, particularly in the context of NDs. In this review, we will briefly explain PD and its pathogenesis, followed by discussing protein degradation systems and TPD strategy in PD by reviewing synthesized small molecules and peptides. Finally, future perspectives and challenges in the field are discussed

Lung cancer registry and monitoring: Feasibility study and application (fars lung cancer registry project)

Background: Lung cancer (LC) is the second most common and deadliest cancer in the world. Despite the control of the progressive course of LC in developed countries, studies indicate an increase in the incidence of the disease in developing countries. We designed a stepwise approach-based surveillance system for registering LC in our region (fars lung cancer registry “FaLCaRe” Project). Materials and Methods: A questionnaire was designed and agreed upon by the steering committee using the Delphi method. Variables in nine fields were divided into three groups based on their importance: core, expanded core, and optional. The web-based data bank software was designed. The informative site about LC and team services was designed and launched for professional and community (www.falcare.org) educational purposes. Results: 545 variables in nine fields were designed (20 core variables). Primary data of 39 LC patients (24 men and 15 women) with a mean age of 62 years were analyzed. Twenty-six patients had a history of smoking. Moreover, 39% and 26% of patients had a history of hookah smoking and opium use, respectively. Adenocarcinoma was the most prevalent pathologic findings in cases. More than 80% of patients were diagnosed in stages 3 and 4 of cancer. Conclusion: FaLCaRe Project with the capabilities seen in it can be used as a model for national LC registration. With continuous valid data registry about LC, it is possible to make decisions at the national level for control and management its consequences while drawing the natural history of the LC

Redox Instability of Copper(II) Complexes of a Triazine-Based PNP Pincer

The new Cu(I) complex [Cu(PNPNTPh-Ph)Cl] (1) containing the tridentate PNP pincer ligand N,N '-bis(diphenylphosphino)-2,6-diamino-4-phenyl-1,3,5-triazine was obtained from the reaction of [Cu(SMe2)Cl](n) with the ligand as ether solvate 1(.)0.5Et(2)O. 1 was independently obtained from a reaction mixture containing the ligand and the Cu(II) precursor CuCl(2)(.)2H(2)O in 50 % yield alongside with the Cu(II) coordination polymer [Cu(O2PPh2)(2)](n) (2). From the reaction of Cu(NO3)(2) . 3H(2)O with PNPNTPh-Ph in the presence of pyridine the complexes [Cu(O2PPh2)(2)(Py)(2)(H2O)] (3), [Cu(O2PPh2)(Py)(2)(NO3)](2) (4), and [Cu(Py)(4)(NO3)(2)]Py-. (5), were obtained, 2, 3, and 4 contain diphenyl-phosphinate ligands. The underlying redox reaction of the ligand and Cu(II) yielding the oxidised ligands observed in the by-products and the Cu(I) product complex was further studied using electrochemistry and UV-vis spectroelectrochemistry. Attempts to synthesise the Cu(II) complex [Cu(PNPNTPh-Ph)(NO3)(2)] (6) in a mechanochemical experiment gave evidence for this unprecedented species from ESI-MS(+) and EPR spectroscopy but also revealed its very high sensitivity to air and moisture. The catalytic activity of 1 was investigated in the azide-alkyne cycloaddition yielding various 1-benzyl-4-phenyl-1H-1,2,3-triazoles. The environmentally benign (green) and cheap EtOH/H2O solvent mixture turned out to be very suitable. Melting points, FT-IR, and NMR spectra of the triazole products were analysed