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In today's rapidly evolving global economy, it is essential to equip young learners with the necessary skills and knowledge to thrive in the workforce and contribute to economic development. Education is a vital driver of human capital and development in countries, and the effectiveness of any educational system depends heavily on its curriculum. This article studies the pivotal role of the curriculum in shaping education and its contribution to economic development. We examined four components (objectives, content, teaching-learning methods, and evaluation) of secondary school curricula in G7 countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK, USA) and Iran to present a set of proposed concepts for the Iranian curriculum with a focus on economic features. A comparative strategy with four qualitative stages (description, interpretation, juxtaposition, comparison) was used. The proposed concepts are arranged in three layers: the first includes improvement of scientific skills; technical skills; and process skills. The second includes study of world history and geography, and other countries' languages and cultures. The third includes altruism for others, and health and environment. Our study serves as an introduction to the skills and abilities needed by Iranian students to compete in the real world. It also provides a concise outline of some of the essential competencies for tomorrow's society and workplaces.

The DLR-HIT II hand is a highly flexible and dexterous robot capable of performing complex grasping and manipulation tasks. This study presents a comprehensive simulation of the artificial hand using both MATLAB’s Simscape Multibody toolbox and CoppeliaSim (formerly known as V-REP). The simulation model accurately captures the robotic hand’s mechanical structure and control aspects, allowing for an in-depth analysis of its behaviour. The model incorporates the technical characteristics of the hand’s joints, links, and constraints into a multibody dynamic’s framework. The robotic hand is simulated on two platforms: MATLAB, to verify the control system’s performance, and CoppeliaSim, which offers a realistic 3D simulation environment with real-time interaction with other robots or objects. The simulation results enable further optimization and enhancement of the robotic hand’s design and control strategies for practical robotics and automation applications. This research provides valuable insights into the hand’s capabilities and limitations, serving as a foundation for future studies.

Education is the main factor of economic growth in a country, and the curriculum is the heart of any education system. This study focuses on the key roles of education and its relation to economic development as well as the curriculum as a core part of the entire educational drive of nations. In particular, the present study compares the objectives and content of high school curricula in Iran and G7 countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, and the United States) to achieve some implications for curriculum development in Iran, with a focus on the significant gap between finding a job after secondary graduation in Iran compared with G7 countries. John Stuart Mill's method of agreement and difference was used with the MAXQDA software for data analysis. The results of similarities and differences between objectives and content of curricula indicated that while both educational systems address social and cultural content and objectives, albeit in different ways, Iran lacks economic-oriented content and objectives that connect to occupation, markets, needs of the community and thus economic development ideals.

Teacher agency is a pivotal element of professionalism and second/foreign language (L2) education. However, its role in L2 assessment has remained under-researched. Part of this negligence is due to the absence of a validated questionnaire to measure the construct and its underlying components. To address this gap, drawing on the ecological perspective, the present study developed a scale on teacher ecological assessment agency (TEAA) by gleaning data from 539 Iranian EFL teachers. The results of exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis (EFA, CFA) culminated in 5 components and 32 items in the scale. The components were labelled "Iterational", "Projective", "Teachers' Practical-Evaluative View", "Schools' Practical-Evaluative Effect", and "Professional/Democratic Community's Practical-Evaluative Effect". Furthermore, the convergent validity and reliability of the scale were statistically approved (p > .05). The study presents some implications for EFL teachers, teacher trainers, and assessment policy-makers in that they can understand and highlight the pivotal role of teacher agency in L2 assessment practices.

Introduction: Bladder neoplasm ranks as the second most prevalent reproductive system malignancy worldwide. On the other hand, the vitamin D as an anti-cancer agent has been a subject of long-standing speculation. Hence, the objective of this study is to explore the correlation between vitamin D and bladder neoplasm risk. Materials and Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis were designed following the PRISMA checklist. Eligible studies were identified through searches on ProQuest, PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Cochrane, with no time restrictions until November 18, 2023. Data analysis was conducted utilizing the STATA 14 software. Results: Serum vitamin D levels less than 50 nmol/L increased the risk of bladder neoplasm (OR: 1.33; 95% CI: 1.08, 1.64), muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) (OR: 2.73; 95% CI: 1.80, 4.14) and non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) (OR: 1.87 (95% CI: 1.39, 2.52)). However, the risk of bladder neoplasm in people whose serum vitamin D level was less than 50 nmol/L did not increase with age. Vitamin D serum levels greater than or equal to 50 nmol/L in people aged 40 to 49 (OR: 0.51; 95% CI: 0.27, 0.99) prevented bladder neoplasm, but no significant association was seen in people over 50 years old. In addition, there was no significant association between daily vitamin D intake and the risk of bladder neoplasm (OR: 1.13; 95% CI: 0.63, 2.06). Conclusion: The serum vitamin D less than 50 nmol/L was correlated with bladder cancer risk increasing, including MIBC and NMIBC. Registration: This study has been compiled based on the PRISMA checklist, and its protocol was registered on the PROSPERO (CRD42023487519) and Research Registry (UIN: reviewregistry1754) Websites.

In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in integration of technology for pedagogical purposes. The present study aimed at finding out how presentation in the frame of virtual courses can control embarrassment and shyness of Iranian EFL learners. The practical part concentrated on using Skype for the purpose of presentation in seminar courses. The data collection was based on Revised Cheek and Briggs Shyness Scale (PRSS 14 item) and the target group was selected from three seminar classes during 2016. The final scores of the face to face presentation were compared with presentations via the Skype in such courses. The data were analyzed using a paired sample t-test. The results revealed a significant difference between observed results and expected results. The data were also gathered from semi-structured interviews based on the students' attitudes towards using the Skype to increase the validity of the method. The findings showed that the students had highly positive attitudes towards integration of the technology. This study could impact those students who have enough competence but their personality type prevents them from transferring their knowledge. It could also be fruitful for curriculum developers who want to organize pedagogical area efficiently by overcoming time and place constraints.

The role of branding the sports performance of Iranian professional football League players was investigated by adopting a survey-based research strategy. Players with a history of competing in the Iranian Football League made up the statistical population for the study. 200 players were selected from this population as the study sample. The questionnaire data obtained were analyzed using IBM® SPSS® Amos TM 23 software. The validity and reliability of the questionnaires were acceptable and a good fit. The results showed that the structural equation model used is a strong theoretical model for studying the branding of Iranian League players, and that such branding has a significant positive effect on sports performance. Therefore, sports clubs need to understand the power of branding players to increase their athletic performance in sports expertise, competitive style and fair play. On the other hand, the most important aspect of branding is branding the whole club, rather than each product or player, since each individual product can benefit from the income belonging to the brand family of the club or organization. It is suggested that professional and strategic methods can help players and motivate them to acquire the necessary skills to grow branding.