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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.

Background and objectives: Activation of adenosine A2a receptor has been shown to induce the growth and metastasis of cancer cells. The role of this receptor in esophageal cancer has not yet been determined. The present study aimed to investigate effects of an adenosine A2a receptor antagonist (3, 7-dimethyl-1-propargylxanthine) on growth of esophageal cancer cells. Methods: Real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed to evaluate mRNA expression of the A2a adenosine receptor in KYSE-30 and YM-1 esophageal cancer cell lines. Effects of the antagonist on viability of the cells were evaluated by MTT assay. Results: At low concentrations, the antagonist had no effect on cell viability. However, at concentrations ≥200 μM, the antagonist significantly reduced viability of both cell lines (p

Purpose: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a highly aggressive cancer. The maincause of death in ESCC is related to relapse, metastasis, and resistance to cancer therapy. Recentstudies have shown that a minor subset of cancer cells, known as cancer stem cells (CSCs), areresponsible for tumor formation initiation and cancer progression. Understanding the genesassociated with CSCs and metastasis can help in targeted cancer therapy. The aim of this studywas to assess the expression of LAMB3 and TOP2A metastasis-associated genes in CSCs andadherent cells in the xenograft mouse model.Methods: Esophageal CSCs were enriched by the sphere formation method. The expressionlevel of LAMB3 and TOP2A genes were evaluated in spheres and adherent cells in vitro byqRT-PCR. A xenograft mouse model was established to investigate the tumorigenesis andmetastasis potential by subcutaneous and tail vein injection of CSCs and adherent YM-1 cells.Consequently, LAMB3 and TOP2A expression at the mRNA level was assessed in tumors.Immunohistochemistry was also used to evaluate the LAMB3 expression at the protein levelin tumors.Results: CSCs-derived tumor was developed more quickly than the adherent cells-derivedtumor. LAMB3 at mRNA and protein level was significantly down-regulated in sphere-derivedtumor compared with adherent cells-derived tumor (P value

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine disorders. This abnormality is identified with hyperandrogenism, polycystic ovary and ovulation disorder. Environmental factors are one of the etiologies of this disease. In this systematic review, a search was performed with the keywords of polycystic ovary syndrome, PCOS, pesticides, organochlorine, heavy metals, PCBs, PAHs, bisphenol A, BPA, phthalates, mycotoxin, Tributyltin, TBT, environmental contaminants, regardless of publication time. 567 studies were obtained and after assessing 26 articles were finally selected. 61 % of the studies were attributed to bisphenol A. The positive correlation was seen between bisphenol A, tributyltin, air pollutants and organic contaminates with this disease. The association between this syndrome and bisphenol A in adolescents was also confirmed. Zinc has led to a reduction in the incidence of disease in almost all research literature. This issue can be considered in the prevention of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proliferation of smart devices increases the demand for energy-efficient, battery-free technologies essential for sustaining IoT devices in Industry 4.0 and 5G networks, which require zero maintenance and sustainable operation. Integrating radio frequency (RF) energy harvesting with IoT and 5G technologies enables real-time data acquisition, reduces maintenance costs, and enhances productivity, supporting a carbon-free future. This survey reviews the challenges and advancements in RF energy harvesting, focusing on far-field wireless power transfer and powering low-energy devices. It examines miniaturization, circular polarization, fabrication challenges, and efficiency using the metamaterial-inspired antenna, concentrating on improving diode nonlinearity design. This study analyzes key components such as rectifiers, impedance matching networks, and antennas, and evaluates their applications in biomedical and IoT devices. The review concludes with future directions to increase bandwidth, improve power conversion efficiency, and optimize RF energy harvesting system designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The Qom Formation in the Zanjan area belonged to the Proto-Mediterranean Sea in the Middle Miocene. • The rising Zagros Mountains split the Tethyan Seaway into a NE Iranian and SW Mesopotamian Gateway. • In the Langhian no marine connection existed between the Mediterr./Indian O. and the E Paratethys. The Tethyan Seaway was the connection between the Eastern and Western Tethys which became restricted and finally closed during the Early and Middle Miocene. The growing Zagros Mountains split the seaway into two entities, the Iranian Gateway in the northeast and the Mesopotamian Gateway in the southwest. The reconstruction of the seaway is based on sedimentological and paleontological data of the Qom, Asmari and Gachsaran formations predominantly on biostratigraphy. This paper presents an evaluation and new data on the occurrence of the Qom Formation in the Zanjan area (Sheikh Jaber section) of Iran. The Qom Formation there is dominated by marls and sandstones and subordinated limestones. Unusual for the Qom Formation is the high share of volcanic rocks (basalts, tuffs, tuffitic marls, lapilli, coarse volcanoclastic components in all types of lithologies) which indicate that the Qom Formation in the Zanjan area belongs either to the Sanandaj-Sirjan Basin or the Urumieh-Dokhtar Basin. Planktonic foraminifers and mollusks, in particular, pteropods, indicate a late Burdigalian to Langhian age for the studied section. The mollusk fauna exhibits a pure Mediterranean character and no overlap with the Indo-Pacific fauna occurs. Both the fauna and the overlying continental deposits of the Upper Red Formation preclude a marine connection along the Iranian Gateway in the Langhian between the Proto-Mediterranean and Indian Ocean, the mollusk fauna also obviates a connection between the Proto-Mediterranean/Indian Ocean and the Eastern Paratethys. The sediments in the Mesopotamian Gateway are represented by the Asmari Formation, which is similar in facies and stratigraphy to the Qom Formation, and the Gachsaran Formation dominated by evaporites and shallow marine sediments. This gateway may have not been completely blocked in the Langhian, but the very shallow water connection was paleoceanographically ineffective and not passable for biota such as mollusks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the current research is to investigate the position of NGOs in improving the economic, political and social conditions of citizens in Tehran Municipality between 2010 and 2018. The statistical population of this research is the managers and senior experts of the 22 districts of Tehran and their related 121 districts, of which 220 people including the mayors of each district and its districts and senior managers will be selected as a statistical sample in the order of position priority. The required information was also collected through a researcher-made questionnaire whose validity and reliability were confirmed, and the results were obtained based on Friedman’s test, quadratic factor analysis method, and using SPSS and Lisrel software. The obtained results indicate a significant difference in the components of urban management and confirm NGOs’ role in improving urban management (urban social sciences, urban economics and urban politics) in Tehran Municipality from 2018 to 2019. Based on the Friedman test, the significant difference in the components has been investigated. The result of the ranking shows that the urban economy component has the highest rank and is the component in which NGOs play a more effective role. Finally, after performing the exploratory factor analysis, the fitting of the model and second-degree confirmatory analysis were done, the findings of which show that NGOs played an influential role in the component of social sciences, urban economy and urban policy improvement in Tehran Municipality between 2010 and 2018. has it. The main role of NGOs is related to the urban economy component. Considering that providing citizens’ needs, and providing welfare services, are basically infrastructures that are established by municipalities. All of them ultimately lead to the dynamism of the city’s economy and the improvement of the citizens’ well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]