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This study investigated the relationships between self-esteem, empowerment attitudes, and perceptions of classroom justice among EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learners. Relative stratified sampling was used to choose the 329 participants that make up the research sample. Cronbach’s alpha was used to assess the reliability of the questionnaire. This study used path analysis within the framework of structural equations, using a descriptive-correlational methodology, to analyze data and test research hypotheses. Software such as AMOS22 and SPSS22 were used to analyze the collected data. The results showed a significant correlation between students' perceptions of classroom justice dimensions and their feelings of empowerment and self-worth. The implications extend beyond the confines of the classroom, pointing towards a holistic approach to education that considers both the interpersonal dynamics within the learning environment and the individual empowerment of students.
 

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This study was conducted to evaluate the age-specific functional response of Psyllaephagus zdeneki Noyes & Fallahzadeh (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) at different nymph densities of olive psyllid, Euphyllura pakistanica Loginova (Hemiptera: Psyllidae). Due to parasitoid behaviour of feeding and parasitizing the host, both traits were separately explored on a daily functional response. Results of logistic regression revealed a type II functional response of the wasp independent of their ages. The handling time (T_h) and searching efficiency (a) were estimated using the Rogers equation. The highest searching efficiency for both parasitism and feeding was observed in the first five days of the adult age. The handling time for parasitism and host feeding increased with the age of female wasp. The highest searching efficiency and shortest handling time for host attacked (Parasitism and feeding) were gained in day 5 and day 2 and maximum parasitism and host feeding in days 2 and 3 of adult female age, respectively. We conclude that P. zdeneki demonstrated a reasonable performance as a potential biocontrol agent by feeding and parasitism of E. pakistanica which gained its maximum efficiency within 2 to 5 days of its life.

 

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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.

 

 

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Rainfall is recognized as one of the main triggering factors of landslides. Researchers have long attempted to determine the amount of precipitation required to trigger slope failures. One of the landslide zones in Iran is Chaharmahal & Bakhtiari province where many landslides cause high casualties in recent decades. It is significant that most of these landslides occur after a rainy period. Thus, determination of rainfall thresholds in this province seems to be necessary as the first step to present an effective landslide warning system. In this research, we tried to introduce some antecedent rainfall thresholds for deep-seated landslides. The antecedent periods considered for the events examined in this study were 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 28 and 30 days. Since most of landslides occurred by cumulative rainfall for more than 10 days, the results of 5 days and shorter time periods appear not logically connected. We have also established rainfall thresholds for the 15-day antecedent period and 2, 3 and 5 days rainfall events. Results indicate that for 10 to 30 days antecedent periods, mean total rainfall needed to induce landslides varies between about 140 and 280 mm. Finally, we recommend more research on relation between rainfall characteristics and destabilization of different soil classes in the study area (especially clayey-marly deposits).

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Remarkable progresses of science and extensive development of modern technologies have led academic ability to become one of the tools of power. Accordingly, governments are trying to promote their higher education system in such a way that their position would improve on the basis of its performance. One of the most effective ways is to develop a comprehensive and integrated model for evaluation and ranking of universities and higher education institutions. Reaching such a model needs identifying factors and criteria that are related to evaluating the universities performance, choosing compatible factors with Iran’s higher education system, classification of the criteria and finally, representing them in a model. In this research, according to the literature review and expert’s point of view, eight factors were presented as the basic parts of the model as follows: educational, research, cultural, student, management and human resource, information technology, quality assurance and educational and research space factors. By using factor analysis, the extracted criteria were classified according to these eight factors and the final model was presented. The use of this model will cause integrating the system of performance evaluation of universities and higher education institutions. It will further help them to pursue their competition in such a way that consequently help the country to reach the desired scientific capability.

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A seldom collected parasitoid of the pine aphids, Praon bicolor Mackauer, 1959, was captured in Malaise traps, mounted near the pine forests of Alborz Province (north central of Iran). It is the first record of this species from Iran and from the central Asian area. A brief diagnosis according to the morphological characters is presented and the host range within the conifers aphid parasitoids is also discussed.

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The genus Ametastegia Costa 1882 (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae: Allantinae) was studied in northern Iran. The specimens were collected using sweeping net and Malaise traps during March to November 2010 and 2011. Four species were collected and identified of which Ametastegia persica Khayrandish, Talebi & Blank sp. n. is described as new to science. An illustrated key for identification of Ametastegia species in Iran is provided.

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Recently, flexible and environmental-friendly aerogel blankets have attracted considerable attention. In this work, the novel silica aerogel/basalt blanket was prepared using basalt fibers via a two-step sol-gel process followed by an ambient drying method and immersing the basalt fiber layer into silica sol. The silica aerogel particles were characterized by FTIR, FE-SEM and nitrogen adsorption analysis. The morphology, hydrophobic properties and surface roughness of neat basalt fiber and its aerogel blanket were also investigated. The density if 0.34 g/cm³, the porosity of 85%, mean pore size of 7±1.5 nm and the surface area of 750 m²/g for the nanostructured silica aerogel particles are obtained. The formation of nanostructured silica aerogel particles on the surface of basalt fibers in the sol-gel process were efficiently occurred leading to a strong hydrophobicity the blanket samples (contact angle of 114°) compared to the hydrophilic neat basalt fibers. The surface roughness of basalt fiber in the blanket samples was increased due to the fiber surface coating with silica aerogel particles. Increasing the sol volume in the synthesis process increased the basalt surface roughness from 3.6μ to 11μ. 

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The life table parameters of Schizaphis graminum (Rondani) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) on four commercial cultivars of wheat (Kohdasht, Pastor, Tajan and Zagros) were determined in laboratory conditions. Fertility life table were constructed using age-specific survivorship (lx) and age-specific fecundity (mx) and subsequently analyzed using jackknife method and ANOVA. There were significant differences among pre-imaginal period and adult longevity of the aphid on the four wheat cultivars. The highest mortality occurred at first nymphal instar on all of wheat cultivars tested. The life expectancy (ex) of one-day-old adults was estimated to be 23.5, 24.6, 30.36 and 26.83 days on Kohdasht, Pastor, Tajan and Zagros, respectively. The gross reproductive rate was significantly higher on Tajan (102.39 ± 1.42 females/female/generation) compared with other three cultivars. The net reproductive rate (R­0) significantly differed on different wheat cultivars examined. The R0-value was highest on Tajan (82.21 ± 1.21) and lowest on Zagros (38.23 ± 0.63 females/female/generation). The highest and lowest values of the intrinsic rate of increase (rm) were 0.276 ± 0.002 (on Pastor) and 0.222 ± 0.001 day^-1 (on Zagros), respectively. The finite rate of increase (l) differed significantly among four wheat cultivars, ranging from 1.25 ± 0.00 (on Zagros) to 1.32 ± 0.00 days^-1 (on Pastor). Doubling time ranged from 2.51 ± 0.02 (on Pastor) to 3.12 ± 0.02 days (on Zagros). The longest mean generation time (T) of the aphid was obtained on Tajan cultivar. The results showed that the Zagros cultivar had the highest antibiotic effect on population growth of S. graminum.  

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The subfamily Cremastinae Förster, 1869 (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) was studied in Fars and Hormozgan provinces (southern Iran). The specimens were collected using Malaise traps and sweeping nets. Nine species were identified of which two species including Temelucha afghana Šedivý, 1968 and Temelucha confluens (Gravenhorst, 1829) are new records for the fauna of Iran. With result of this study, the number of Cremastinae species known from Iran has increased to 24 species in six genera. An identification key to Iranian Cremastinae is provided, as well as a morphological diagnosis for the newly recorded species.

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This study was carried out to determine the species of the subfamily Hormiinae in Hormozgan province (Southern Iran), during February 2011–July 2013. Malaise traps, sweep nets and light traps were used to obtain adult specimens from various habitats in Hormozgan province. Five species were collected and identified of which Pseudohormius turkmenus Tobias & Alexeev, 1973 is newly recorded from Iran. The subfamily Hormiinae is reviewed and a key is provided for identification of Iranian species.

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The genus Syntretus Foerster of the subfamily Euphorinae (Hym.: Braconidae) is recorded from Iran for the first time. The specimens were collected using malaise traps from different habitats of Northern provinces during 2010 and 2011. Two species, S. ocularis van Achterberg & Haeselbarth and S. xanthocephalus (Marshall) were collected and identified. A brief discussion about diagnostic characters, as well as comments on general distribution of both species are presented.

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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.  

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The genus Conophorus Meigen, 1803 (Diptera: Bombyliidae: Conophorini) was studied in the north and northwestern parts of Iran. Three species of the genus Conophorus were identified; two of them are recorded for the first time from Iran, namely: C. pseudaduncus Paramonov, 1929 and C. rjabovi Paramonov, 1929, in addition to C. glaucescens (Loew, 1863), which was previously recorded in Iran. Morphological characters, geographical distributions, and an identification key for the three collected species are provided.

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A field survey of the bee fauna was conducted in the north of Iran during 2009 to 2015. Special concern was given to the tribe Ceratinini (Hymenoptera; Apidae). Ten species of the genus Ceratina were collected and identified in the present study. Three species are recorded for the first time from Iran, including Ceratina (Euceratina) chrysomalla Gerstaecker 1869, Ceratina (Euceratina) cyanea (Kirby, 1802) and Ceratina (Euceratina) gravidula Gerstaecker, 1869. An updated checklist of Iranian Ceratinini with short description and figures of newly recorded species are provided. The host plants and distribution of each species are also given.

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An annotated list for all species recorded from the territory of Iran during more than a hundred years (1901–2016) of research is given. A checklist of 780 species in 141 genera belonging to 26 subfamilies of Braconidae known from Iran is listed, among them 34 species are exclusive for the Iranian insect fauna. Host and distributional data in Iran are also provided.

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The fauna of the subfamily Diplazontinae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) in the north central parts of Iran was studied during 2010-2011. A total of 933 specimens were collected in 30 localities at different altitudes using Malaise traps. Sixteen species belonging to 7 genera were identified of which twelve species indicated by asterisk, are new records for Iran: Diplazon annulatus (Gravenhorst)*, Diplazon laetatorius (Fabricius),D. pectoratorius (Gravenhorst)*, D. tibiatorius (Thunberg)*, Enizemum ornatum (Gravenhorst), Homotropus nigritarsus (Gravenhorst)*, Homotropus pictus (Gravenhorst)*, Promethes sulcator (Gravenhorst), Sussaba flavipes (Lucas)*, Sussaba pulchella (Holmgren)*, Syrphoctonus tarsatorius (Panzer)*, Syrphophilus bizonarius (Gravenhorst)*, Tymmophorus obscuripes (Holmgren)*, Woldstedtius biguttatus (Gravenhorst), Woldstedtius citropectoralis (Schmiedeknecht)* and Xestopelta gracilima (Schmiedeknekht)*. Detailed morphological characters and a key to the genera and species are provided. Flight periods and distribution in relation to altitude on two slopes of the Alborz mountains are discussed.

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A survey on the megachilid bees (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) fauna of northern Iran, between 2010 and 2011, led to the identification of eleven species of the genus Coelioxys Latreille belonging to subgenera Allocoelioxys (6 species), Boreocoelioxys (2 species), Coelioxys (2 species) and Liothyrapis (1 species). Of these, six species and one subgenus (Liothyrapis) are new to the fauna of Iran. Detailed illustrations of morphological characters, a key to the species of the genus Coelioxys and an updated checklist of Iranian species of Coelioxys are provided.

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Background: Health care workers (HCWs) are at the risk of the acquisition of occupational transmissible diseases. Controversial results have been reported about hepatitis C virus (HCV). The main objective of the recent study was to evaluate the seroprevalence of HCV and its relationship to the occupational history and exposure of HCWs in two teaching hospitals in Tehran-Iran.

Materials and Methods: A seroprevalence survey of HCV was conducted using serum samples obtained from 1400 HCWs in two teaching hospitals during 2012. The samples were screened by ELISA for the presence of anti-HCV antibodies.

Results: In none of the participants the HCV antibody was detected. Needle stick injury was significantly higher among nurses. Younger HCWs with a shorter professional life had more frequent needle stick injury (p<0.001).

Conclusion: The seroprevalence of HCV in HCWs was considerably lower than that reported in the general population, and needs to be evaluated on a larger scale.