Showing 170 results for Farzan
Volume 0, Issue 0 (Articles accepted at the time of publication 2024)
Abstract
Teaching and learning the Arabic language is of particular importance from a religious and legal point of view in Iran. Therefore, it is necessary to always maintain the position of this language both in the domestic and international arenas. The purpose of this article is to present a model for reforming the teaching and learning system of Arabic as a second language, relying on the identification of visible and hidden factors affecting it, as well as identifying the obstacles facing this issue. The basis of data collection was based on qualitative methods and specially conducting structured interviews with 10 professors of sociology of language. The analysis of the collected data has been done using the process of qualitative content analysis. AHP model and Expert Choise software have also been used to weight the research components.
The results of this article show that the tendency to teach and learn Arabic as a second language is strongly influenced by basic factors such as social, psychological and economic factors. The value of AHP coefficient was obtained for social indicators (0.403), psychological indicators (0.364) and economic indicators (0.234). The results also show that the barriers and bottlenecks in the second language teaching and learning process in Iran were identified and classified in order of importance in six areas: legal barriers, political barriers, structural barriers, social barriers, cultural barriers and economic barriers.
Volume 0, Issue 0 (Articles accepted at the time of publication 2024)
Abstract
The positive role of reflective teaching and well-being as means of fostering teaching quality has mainly remained at the level of speculation and there is little empirical evidence to illustrate their impact on enhancing professional development. To fill this existing gap, this study examines the contribution of reflection and psychological well-being as predictors of professional development. Adopting a mixed-methods approach, 350 English language teachers were selected randomly and participated in a survey. Following that, six teachers through purposeful sampling participated in a focus group interview to investigate the relationship among the aforementioned variables. The correlational analysis confirmed the positive relationship among these three constructs and a structural equation modeling indicated that both reflection and well-being significantly predicted professional development; however, well-being was a stronger predictor compared to reflection. The qualitative analysis of data revealed four main themes contributing to professional development among teachers. The pedagogical implications are also elaborated and discussed.
Volume 0, Issue 0 (Articles accepted for Publication 2024)
Abstract
Aim and Introduction
One of the most important issues in Iran's economy is related to managing the exchange rate, inflation and budget deficit. During tightening of the sanctions, the oil revenues are limited which potentially leads to an increase in the budget deficit as well as a decrease in the currency supply which accelerates the exchange rate. On the other hand, with the increase in the budget deficit, the probability of borrowing from the banking system and also the issuance of bonds increases, which in turn rise the monetary base and liquidity. In addition, inflationary expectations also increase, which can be effective in improving assets prices. With an increase in inflation, based on the inflation-currency spiral, there is a possibility of a grow in exchange rate in order to maintain the competitiveness of domestic production. This can accelerate the price of imported commodities and cause domestic inflation again. With the increase in inflation and households spending, nominal wages will have a higher growth compared to normal conditions in order to maintain minimum purchasing power, which can again face the government with limited resources and more borrowing to meet current expenses. From the monetarists’ point of view and the classical economics, in general, the main stimulator in increasing inflation is the growth of money and liquidity. However, from the post-Keynesian economists’ point of view, inflation increases the demand of money and subsequently liquidity. On the other hand, with an increase in the exchange rate, the government's expenses usually increase more than its income, which can lead to an increase in the government's budget deficit. Also, considering the existence of a monopoly in currency supply by the central bank, the hypothesis of using currency exchange revenues (the difference between free and budget-approved currency) will be applicable and this issue can raise the impact of the budget deficit on the exchange rate. Therefore, there has always been a serious challenge among economists as well as macroeconomic decision-makers about the connectedness between macroeconomic variables. What is the main driver of the network between macro variables? Is there a different way of communication in different thresholds of their growth rate? These cases show that it is very important to examine the time-varying interrelationships between these macroeconomic variables.
Accordingly, there is a complex connection between exchange rate, inflation, budget deficit and liquidity, which can be varied in different years. Therefore, in this research, using the TVP-TVAR technique, the time-varying connectedness across exchange rate, inflation, budget deficit and liquidity is examined during March, 2006 to August, 2023.
Methodology
In the current research, the relationship between exchange rate fluctuations, inflation, government budget deficit and liquidity based on monthly data using the TVP-TVAR technique is investigated. It should be noted that all the required information is extracted from the economic indicators of the central bank, and the government's budget deficit data from 2017 onward are extracted from Iran's Program and Budget Organization.
Findings
The results show that exchange rate and liquidity are, respectively, the largest net transmitter of volatilities in the network. Moreover, inflation rate and government budget deficit, respectively, are the largest net receivers of shocks from network. On average, the TCI is 23%, and more than 70% of this interrelationship between variables is explained by other factors such as political ones. Moreover, if the variables underestimated grow up to 36% annually (3% monthly), the connection between them will be cut off. In the conditions of decreasing the growth rate of variables up to -3% per month, the exchange rate has played a dominant role and its volatilities are transferred more strongly to inflation rate and less strongly to the budget deficit and liquidity.
If the growth rate of the variables is up to 24% annually (threshold of +2% monthly growth rate), the exchange rate volatilities are transferred to inflation and no interconnectedness between other variables is observed.
Discussion and Conclusion
Our results show that, on average, the total connectedness index from 2012 to 2016 has been upward, which is caused by the tightening of sanctions and the increase in inflationary expectations, psychological factors and emotions. Moreover, the connectedness between them is increased in 2018 and 2019, which is related to the intensification of sanctions and the reduction of currency supply and the increase in inflation and budget deficit and subsequently the increase in the issuance of debt securities in the capital market in order to manage the budget deficit and as a result increase liquidity. The results show that exchange rate is a main net transmitter of volatilities in most years and the inflation rate is a main net receiver of volatilities in many years. From 2016 onwards, the budget deficit is the net receiver of shocks from network in most periods, except for one period in 2019. It is interesting to note that in 2019, with the increase in the budget deficit and the issuance of debt securities, the budget deficit is transmitter, liquidity is receiver and inflation is more receiver variable than liquidity in the network. Totally, the results show that exchange rate is the major net transmitter of shocks to other macro variables.
Moreover, based on the results of the sensitivity analysis and thresholds effect, if the growth rate of variables is up to 24% annually (threshold of +2% monthly growth rate), the exchange rate fluctuations will be transferred to inflation and no connection between other components is observed. This shows that the macroeconomic management of the economy is very sensitive to the growth rate of the thresholds of the macroeconomic components, and before the political economy and also the factors of expectations and emotions dominated the economy, the macroeconomic management, especially the exchange rate, is required. Otherwise, it is impossible to manage the investigated variables with monetary and fiscal policies. Therefore, the managed floating exchange rate should be taken into consideration and if the goal is to manage the network using macroeconomic theories, the variables should not be allowed to increase by more than 24% annual growth. Other factors such as the political economy, and especially inflationary expectations will get the dominant role in the economy
Volume 1, Issue 1 (3-2012)
Abstract
The entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana (Bals.) Vuill. is one of the important arthropod pathogens that can play an important role in the regulation of mite populations in agricultural ecosystems. In this study, the combined effect of a native isolate of fungus B. bassiana (EUT105) and ether-extract of plant, Ginkgo biloba was evaluated against the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch. At first, effect of three concentrations 5, 10 and 20% of G. biloba was evaluated on B. bassiana conidial germination and mycelial growth. Then, potential synergism between B. bassiana and G. biloba was investigated in order to incorporate both in the control of this pest. Only the 20% concentration of plant extract had significantly inhibitive effect on germination and mycelial growth. The mortality of adult female T. urticae increased significantly when B. bassiana was applied with 5 and 10% concentrations of G. biloba extract. Hence, there is a synergistic effect between this native B. bassiana and ether-extract of G. biloba in controlling the two-spotted spider mite.
Volume 1, Issue 1 (4-2014)
Abstract
Background:Accumulative research is in progress to clarify clinical aspects of GBV-C. The possibility of interaction between HCV and GBV-C as well as its consequence on development of liver diseases is the most important clinical aspect which encourages researchers to develop a rapid and cost effective technique for simultaneous detection of both viruses. Methods: In this study, a SYBR Green real time multiplex RT-PCR technique as a new economical and sensitive method was designed and validated for simultaneous detection of HCV/GBV-C in HCV positive plasma samples. SYBR green real time RT-PCR technique optimization was performed separately for each virus. Multiplex PCR was established next. Standard sera with known concentrations of HCV RNA and dual HCV/GBV-C positive control samples along with negative control samples were used to validate the assay. Results and Conclusions: Fifty six non cirrhotic HCV positive plasma samples [29 of genotype 3a and 27 of genotype 1a] were collected from patients before receiving treatment. 20.6% of genotype 3a and 18.7% of genotype 1a showed HCV/GBV-C co-infection. As a result, 19.6% of 56 samples had HCV/GBV-C co-infection that was compatible with other results from all over the world. SYBR Green real time multiplex RT-PCR technique can be used to detect HCV/GBV-C co-infection in plasma samples. Furthermore, with application of this method more time and cost could be saved in clinical-research settings.
Volume 1, Issue 1 (2-2016)
Abstract
Background: Low back pain is the most common cause of disability and absence from work among young and middle-aged people. As there is limited knowledge regarding this problem among Iranian students, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of low back pain and its ‘related socio demographic factors among students of Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. Material and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study in which 200 students of Islamic Azad University were selected purposively. Demographic questionnaire and Ronald-Morris Disability Scale were used to collect data regarding characteristics and disability caused by back pain. Data were entered SPSS16 and analyzed through descriptive and analytic statistics. Results: In total, 190 students including 78 (41%) men and 112 (59%) women were assessed. Of all studied students 113 individuals 65.9% were suffering from low back pain and 91 students
(47.8%) were suffering from pain related disability. Body mass index (BMI) was normal in most participants. There was significant negative relationship between low back pain and physical activity (P = 0.006). Conclusion: To sum up, the results of this study verified a significant relationship among low back pain and disability. Moreover, the students who were more active and were living in good socio-economic status were less probably to suffer from low back pain and disability.
Volume 1, Issue 2 ((Articles in Persian) 2010)
Abstract
Volume 1, Issue 4 (12-2012)
Abstract
A survey on the hover flies (Diptera: Syrphidae) fauna of northern Iran, between 2010 and 2011, led to the discovery of the species Pipiza accola Violovitsh, 1985. Both the genus and species are newly recorded from Iran. All the specimens were collected from Gilan and Mazandaran provinces, using Malaise traps. The diagnostic characters of P. accola and its geographical distribution is presented.
Volume 1, Issue 4 (12-2012)
Abstract
Essential oil extracted from the leaves of Lemon verbena, Lippia citriodora Kunth (Verbenaceae) was tested for fumigant toxicity in the laboratory against two stored-product insects Tribolium confusum Jacquelin du Val and Callosobruchus maculatus (F.). The chemical composition of the isolated oil was examined by GC-MS. The major compounds were citral (11.3%), limonene (10.6%), neral (7.9%), 4-phenyl undecan-4-ol (7.7%), α-curcumene (6.5%), α-cedrol (4.5%) and caryophyllene oxide (4.5%). Furthermore, lesser amounts of the other components include carveol (3.7%), linalool (3.5%), α-pinene (3.2%), caryophyllene (2.8%) and geranyl acetat (1.8%) were existed in the essential oil. In the fumigant toxicity set at 27 ± 1 °C and 65 ± 5% R. H., darkness condition and 24 h exposure time, considerable differences in mortality of insect to essential oil vapor were observed. C. maculatus (LC50 = 10.2 µl/l air) was significantly more susceptible than T. confusum (LC50 = 497.8 µl/l air). These results suggested that essential oil of L. citriodora could be used as a potential control agent against stored-product insects.
Volume 2, Issue 1 (3-2014)
Abstract
Aim: There is conclusive scientific evidence of the adverse effect of excessive salt consumption on health, particularly on blood pressure, leading to cardiovascular disease (CVD), gastric cancer, osteoporosis, cataracts, kidney stones, diabetes and obesity. We investigated the determinants of salt consumption among the rural women in Chabahar (Iran) by applying the theory of planned behavior. Methods: Rural native Chabahari women (n =230), aged 12-75 years old, were selected by multistage sampling via native assistants. Data were gathered through a questionnaire with acceptable validity and reliability consisting of TBP constructs (intention, attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control), as well as demographic characteristics. Bivariate correlations and stepwise regression analyses of TBP model were performed with the SPSS software. Findings: The results showed a significant direct asociation between attitude, subjective norms, percieved behavioral control and intention, and salt consuming behavior, also between attitude (sig.<0.001), subjective norms (sig.<0.01), perceived behavioral control (sig.<0.01), the intention to reduce salt consumption. Subjective norms, attitude and intention together predicted 10.9% of salt consuming behavior. Attitude and perceived behavioral control together predicted approximately 9% of the intention to reduce salt consumption. Conclusion: This study indicated that the theory of planned behavior can be used to predict the salt consuming behavior and the intention of Chabahari rural women. Focus on the family- and community-based educational programs to change attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control is necessary to make women reduce salt consumption.
Volume 2, Issue 2 (4-2016)
Abstract
Background: The role of the hospital environment as a source of dissemination of pathogens is critical. Environmental surfaces in the Intensive Care Units (ICUs) are suitable for the growth of Gram-negative bacteria that normally circulate between the environment and patients and can cause outbreaks of nosocomial infections. In this study, the prevalence of Gram-negative bacilli in the environment of the ICUs and neonatal ICU (NICU) of hospitals in the city of Qom was evaluated. Materials and Methods: During a 6 month period from November 2012 to April 2013, samples were collected from environmental surfaces of ICUs of four hospitals and NICU of one hospital located in the city of Qom. Sampling was done from equipment, fluids, and surfaces and identification was carried out based on culture and biochemical tests for Gram-negative bacilli. Results: A total of 230 swab samples was collected and 50 colonies of Gram-negative bacilli were isolated from environmental surfaces. Overall, 64% of the isolates belonged to non-fermentative bacteria and 36% of the isolates belonged to Enterobacteriaceae family. Strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii complex accounted for the highest rates of environmental isolates. In addition, Klebsiella pneumoniae was isolated from NICU. Conclusion: The high frequency of genus Acinetobacter among Gram negative bacteria isolated from environmental surfaces has a public health impact and Acinetobacter spp. should be considered in the infection control programs in hospitals. Isolation of K. pneumoniae should be regarded as a risk factor for fatal neonatal infections.
Volume 2, Issue 4 (, (Articles in Persian) 2011)
Abstract
The present study is the analysis of the drama “Death of a Salesman” and its interlingual and intersemiotic translations into Persian. The drama has been interlingually translated into Persian and it became the basis for an intersemiotic translation, a tele-theatre. For this reason, the researcher compared the Persian translation with the English text and the tele-theatre to the Persian text to define and analyze the translation of significant ideological concepts in both translations. Then, using critical semiotics theory and extending it to translation criticism, the researcher criticized the tele-theatre from a critical semiotics viewpoint to identify which types of signs have been changed in the tele-theatre and how. Therefore, changes of ideologically significant concepts were analyzed and criticized. The results showed that there were no changes in ideologically significant concepts of the Persian text. But, in the tele-theatre, almost all of these concepts were omitted or completely transformed. In fact, the tele-theatre contains so many censorships in a way that, in some parts, it has lost its cohesion and sometimes even its meanings. In fact, the translator/director has tried to do his best to change the text according to the viewpoints of dominant culture of receiving society. Moreover, maintaining and adding their accepted ideological concepts and omitting or transforming their unaccepted ones, he has tried to represent their values and ideological positions to the receivers. As a result, he has created a text, which lacks cohesion in comparison to the original text and infers meanings, which are sometimes completely opposite to those of the original text.
Volume 2, Issue 6 (Summer 2009)
Abstract
The present paper intends to apply the Tense theory of Harald Weinrich to the study of tense in two Persian novels, Boofe Koor and Soveshoon. The findings show that categorization of texts into discussion and narration by Weinrich, could be applied in Persian fiction. Ayande (Future), Haal (Present) and Naqli (Perfect) construct those parts of a text that more tend to have qualities of discussion and discourse. On the other hand, past tenses like Gozashte Sadde (Simple Past), Gozashte Estemrari (Past Progressive) and Gozashte Dour / Ba'eed (Past Perfect) more tend to construct narrative parts of the texts. In addition, each group has its own past, present and future. In discussion system, Naqli plays the role of stating past, Haal is the zero point and states the present and Ayande states the future. On the other hand, in narration system, Gozashte Dour stating past and both Gozashte Sadde and Gozashte Estemrari are zero points and state the present. Moreover, we can say there is not a specific tense in Persian to state the future in this system. Finally, two tenses of Gozshte Sadde and Gozshte Estemarai play a role of foregrounding in narration system. The parts stated by Gozashte Estemrari usually are located on the background of the scene, while the main points of the narration which is stated by Gozashte Sadde are located on the foreground of the scene.
Volume 3, Issue 1 ((Articles in Persian) 2012)
Abstract
Digemination is a phonological process, which is found in some languages like Persian. Since historical surveys implied languages’ tendency to this phenomenon and, it has not been to date studied systematically in Persian, so the purpose of the present research is to introduce this phenomenon and provide some information about its characteristics. In this paper, the relation between digemination and gemination with other rules like assimilation, lenition, fortition, compensatory lengthening was investigated. The research is based on corpus consisting of 12000 data from 33 Iranian dialects gathered from dialectology books and papers. In addition to qualitative analysis, the quantitative calculation of the features frequency has been used as well. In sum, the results illustrated that: 1- digemination behaves versus gemination; 2- compensatory lengthening and insertion are the most frequent rules related to digemination; 3- digemination causes other phonological processes and 4- different classes of consonants show different behavior toward gemination as liquid> stop> nasal> glide, and this direction is versus in digemination.
Volume 3, Issue 1 (3-2014)
Abstract
A survey was conducted on the fauna of the hover flies in Northern Iran in 2011. Among the collected and identified material, the genus Temnostoma Le Peletier & Serville, 1828represented by a single species, T. vespiforme (Linnaeus, 1758) is newly detected in Iran. Diagnostic characters and geographical distribution of the newly recorded species is briefly discussed.
Volume 3, Issue 2 (9-2013)
Abstract
Error management culture is emerging concept which facilitates transferring and sharing the knowledge which obtained from organizational errors among employees and organizational units. This culture leads to improve learning processes among organizational units which denotes the concept of absorptive capacity. Knowledge gained from errors leads to improve organizational innovation which upgrade long-term organizational performance. This study examined the relationship between error management culture and organizational performance with consideration of the absorptive capacity role and innovative performance. All managers of pharmaceutical companies listed in Tehran Stock Exchange were selected as statistical society for this survey. Hypotheses were tested based on 153 collected questionnaires by structural equation modeling and regression analysis. Findings prove a positive relationship between variables. Absorptive capacity and innovative performance play the roles of mediators between error management culture and organizational performance.
Volume 3, Issue 2 (6-2017)
Abstract
A faunistic study of the family Sciomyzidae has been conducted in northern Iran. Material was collected using Malaise traps during 2010-2011 from different habitats in Guilan and Mazandaran provinces. Nine species were identified, of them Elgiva cucularia Linnaeus, 1767 and Tetanocera ferruginea Fallén 1820 are new records for the fauna of Iran. A key to the 28 currently known Iranian species of the family Sciomyzidae is given along with figures of informative characters.
Volume 3, Issue 3 ((Articles in Persian) 2012)
Abstract
Dictionaries are regarded as the basic criteria in language teaching and research; therefore, they are expected to be free from analytic fallacies. However, it seems that there are some inconsistencies in the definition of the morphological units in Persian dictionaries. In this article, echo reduplications (or Etbâ’) are studied in the text of LoghatNâme by Dehkhodâ. To this end, after defining the process of echo reduplications, all the entries which have been labeled to belong to this category, were extracted and analyzed according to the linguistic definitions available for echo reduplication. The analysis revealed that many of the entries with an echo reduplication label have not been treated correctly, and this error takes its roots from either referring to the echo contractions in other languages, or sticking to the traditional definitions of this issue.
Volume 3, Issue 4 (12-2014)
Abstract
The present paper deals with the fauna of the subfamily Conopinae in northwestern Iran. Specimens were collected, using insect net, from Arasbaran forest during 2010-2013. In total, six species belonging to two genera were identified, of which the two species, Conops longiventris Kröber, 1916 and Physocephala laticincta (Brulle, 1833), are new records from Iran. The diagnostic characters and supplementary photographs of the species are provided.
Volume 3, Issue 6 (Fall & Winter 2017)
Abstract
The eye is the most important body member which is applied for receiving different extern data, saving them in the three layers of mind, that is, (imagination, hallucination, conception) as well as the semantic formatting. The verb “Raʾā” (beholding) as the main work of the eye, has this conception to expand the width of its meaning, it means, plus to the external visiting it can reason the internal too. Holding to this matter in converting the Persian texts and interpreting verses one has to monitorize the semantic coherence as well as the language coordinate. In Holy Koran according to the eyesight ability of the human being achieving the recognition of the complex and abstract concepts of mind is taken into account greatly, hence, the already lecture is trying to analyze, the semantic frames of the verb “Raʾā” (beholding) according to the Fillmore's semantic meanings theory. Using the cognitive linguistic, in the verses (Makarem shirazi, Aerfah, Pourjavadi, Khoram del, Elahi Gomshei and Safarzadeh). In the symbols of the under research Koran the verb “Raʾā” (beholding) has an abstract also concrete frame which is the external the very eye of the head. The outcome of the research shows that the translators in converting the Persian semantic meaning didn’t handle it correctly, considering, language coordinate. It can be said that they didn’t care about well, taking account the gap between Persian equivalences such as, beholding and observing and sometimes they have been used instead of each other.
