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Given the changing nature of the meaning of literacy, this study seeks to adopt a pluralistic view of literacies and provide a holistic picture of how coursebooks help learners improve their technological-related literacies to participate fully in the present and future world of multiple and multimodal literacies. Accordingly, the elements of digital literacies in sixteen widely used ELT coursebooks were explored through content analysis. The findings revealed the implementation of the four foci of literacies (communication, collaboration, information, and re-design) in the digital literacies framework throughout the coursebooks. All coursebook series primarily emphasized the aspects of communication and collaboration, allocating comparatively less attention to the elements of information and re-design. The findings have call for practitioners in the field to rethink the curriculum, take the digital literacy components into account, and augment the digital aspects that are less discussed in coursebooks.

This study employed qualitative analysis to investigate the technology anxiety experienced by Iranian EFL teachers conducting online classes, taking into account their digital literacy levels. A digital literacy questionnaire was administered to a group of EFL teachers teaching English online at two branches of a language institute in Iran using the virtual classroom software BigBlueButton. Based on the questionnaire responses, 12 teachers were categorized as high (N = 6) and low (N = 6) digital literates. Through semi-structured interviews and reflective journals, the study delved into teachers' anxiety regarding online teaching, identifying three primary types of anxiety: pedagogical anxiety, technological anxiety, and social anxiety. The findings revealed that pedagogical anxiety stemmed from disruptions in teaching and learning processes, technological anxiety arose from challenges such as internet disconnections, and social anxiety related to judgments based on technological proficiency. While effective language instruction was a shared concern among high and low digital literate teachers, their approaches to managing anxiety varied significantly. High digital literate teachers demonstrated greater resilience in addressing online teaching challenges, whereas low digital literate teachers experienced reduced confidence and struggled with virtual classroom management. The study emphasizes the importance of addressing technology-related anxiety among language teachers in online education to enhance teaching efficacy and student outcomes. It suggests integrating digital literacy courses and providing expert support to alleviate teaching and technology-related anxiety and stress among EFL teachers, leading to more effective teaching practices.

Background: Measuring students' self-regulation skills is essential to understand how they approach their learning tasks in order to identify areas where they might need additional support. Traditionally, self-report questionnaires and think aloud protocols have been used to measure self-regulated learning skills (SRL). However, these methods are based on students' interpretation, so they are prone to potential inaccuracy. Recently, there has been a growing interest in utilizing learning analytics (LA) to capture students' self-regulated learning (SRL) by extracting indicators from their online trace data. Objectives: This paper aims to identify the indicators and metrics employed by previous studies to measure SRL in higher education. Additionally, the study examined how these measurements were validated. Methods: Following the protocol of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), this study conducted an analysis of 25 articles, published between 2015 and 2022, and sourced from major databases. Results and Conclusions: The results showed that previous research used a variety of indicators to capture learners' SRL. Most of these indicators are related to time management skills, such as indicators of engagement, regularity, and anti-procrastination. Furthermore, the study found that the majority of the reviewed studies did not validate the proposed measurements based on any theoretical models. This highlights the importance of fostering closer collaboration between learning analytics and learning science to ensure the extracted indicators accurately represent students' learning processes. Moreover, this collaboration can enhance the validity and reliability of data-driven approaches, ultimately leading to more meaningful and impactful educational interventions.

Background: Math anxiety (MA) is a worldwide appearing academic anxiety that can affect student mental health and deter students from math and science-related career choices. Method: Using the Arabic version of the Modified-Abbreviated Math Anxiety Scale (m-AMAS), the prevalence of MA was investigated in a very large sample of students (N = 10093) from grades 7 to 12 in Qatar. Results: The results showed a better fit to the original two-factor model of the m-AMAS (learning MA and Evaluation MA) than to a single-factor solution. This two-factor model was also confirmed in each grade. Notably, the distribution of MA scores was right-skewed, especially for learning MA. Using the inter-quartiles ranges, norms for MA were provided: A score of [less than or equal to]16 indicates low MA whereas a score of [greater than or equal to]30 identifies high MA. Previous studies conducted in Western countries defined high math-anxious students as those who score above the 90th percentile corresponding to a score of 30 on the m-AMAS. Using this cut-off criterion, the current study found that one-fifth of students in Qatar were highly math-anxious, with a higher proportion of females than males. We also calculated the percentage of participants selecting each response category for each questionnaire item. Results showed that attending a long math class was the context that elicited the highest levels of learning MA. In contrast, having an unexpected math test was the situation that triggered the highest levels of evaluation MA. Conclusion: The prevalence of MA might vary across different cultures.

This research sought to investigate the relationship between students' perceptions of various environmental and psychological factors and their STEM learning. The study incorporated quantitative exploratory design, including data from 1,625 students (preparatory & high school) in Qatar. It examined the relationships among five key variables, i.e.,: (a) the quality of teaching, (b) satisfaction with school, (c) the positive perception of the importance of mathematics/science for students' future, (d) the fear of asking math/science questions, and (e) their STEM learning. The results of the regression analysis and structural equation modelling analysis demonstrated a significant relationship between the explored variables. A positive correlation has been computed between "quality of teaching," "satisfaction with school," "recognition of the importance of mathematics/science for the future," and "students' STEM learning". In contrast, the variable "fear of asking mathematics/science questions" was found to be negatively associated with "students' STEM learning." This study research offers important recommendations for policymaking and suggests avenues for further investigation and research in this area.

Abstract Background Studies have shown that plant-based foods have a protective effect against gestational diabetes (GDM). We examined the association between plant-based dietary patterns and the risk of GDM in a sample of Iranian adults. Methods We enrolled 635 pregnant women for the present study. Dietary intakes were evaluated by using a 90-item food frequency questionnaire during the first trimester of pregnancy. Three plant-based including plant-based (PDI), unhealthy (uPDI) and healthy (hPDI) were calculated. Cox proportional hazard model were fitted to estimate hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of GDM across categories of the plan-based dietary indices, while controlling for age, educational level, physical activity, family income, prepregnancy body mass index, gestational weight gain, and total energy intake. Results A total of 635 mothers were included, of whom 79 participants were diagnosed with GDM. Those in the third tertile of the PDI (HR: 0.55, 95% CI: 0.30, 0.98) and hPDI (HR: 0.43, 95% CI: 0.24, 0.78) had a lower risk of developing GDM during their current pregnancy as compared to the first tertile. There was no association between uPDI and risk of GDM. Conclusions We found that higher adherence to a plant-based diet during early pregnancy may be associated with a lower GDM risk among Iranian women. Confirmation of this finding is necessary in larger cohort studies, taking into account other pregnancy outcomes such as birth weight.

Abstract Background The two classic manifestations of primary aldosteronism are hypertension and hypokalemia. However, acute respiratory failure due to hypokalemia in primary hyperaldosteronism is rare. Case presentation The patient was a 27-year-old female who presented with drowsiness and weakness in all extremities. She had been diagnosed with hypertension three years prior, with irregular follow-up, and had a history of preeclampsia one year later. She exhibited high blood pressure and severe hypokalemia (2 mEq/L), leading to respiratory depression and impending respiratory arrest. Consequently, the patient was intubated and transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU). She also developed rhabdomyolysis. Blood pressure tests, including hormonal tests (aldosterone: 13.2 ng/dL, plasma renin activity: 0.32 ng/mL/h), were conducted. Due to the high aldosterone-renin ratio, an abdominopelvic computed tomography (CT) scan was performed. The CT scan revealed a 14 × 12 mm round mass with a washout value above 60%, consistent with an adrenal adenoma, leading to a diagnosis of primary aldosteronism. The patient was discharged after stabilization, and one and a half months after ICU admission, a laparoscopic left adrenalectomy was successfully performed without post-operative complications. Histopathology showed encapsulated hypertrophy of the adrenal cortex with a predominance of large clear cells, confirming the diagnosis of adrenal adenoma. At the most recent follow-up, the patient had normal potassium levels, was normotensive without any medications, and exhibited no alarming signs or symptoms. Conclusion Respiratory depression to the extent of impending respiratory failure and rhabdomyolysis as a result of hypokalemia in primary aldosteronism are extremely rare. In this patient, who developed respiratory depression due to resistant hypokalemia, timely investigation of secondary causes and diagnosis of adrenal adenoma were crucial. The surgery provided definitive treatment for the patient’s blood pressure and prevented the recurrence of life-threatening complications.

Abstract Background Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine illnesses. There is evidence that exercise training positively affects on improvement of the pathogenic factors in women with PCOS. On the other hand, some studies reported similar effects of aerobic and resistance exercises or no effect of exercises on the improvement of the pathogenic factors. The aim of the current study was to perform a network meta-analysis of RCTs to evaluate the efficacy of exercises on body mass index (BMI), hormone concentrations, and regular menstruation in women with PCOS. Methods The search was performed from databases of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science with the keywords of exercise, resistance exercise, aerobic exercise, endurance exercise, yoga, polycystic ovary syndrome, randomized controlled trial based on the CONSORT, BMI, sex hormone and regular menstruation from inception until April 15, 2022. Bayesian random-effects network meta-analyses were performed to calculate mean difference and 95% credible intervals. Results Out of 1140 studies, 19 were eligible for inclusion. The results showed that moderate-intensity aerobic exercise effectively reduces BMI compared to no intervention and Yoga. No other forms of exercise led to weight loss. Additionally, exercise had no impact on sex hormones and regular menstruation. It was concluded that moderate-intensity aerobic exercise is the most effective for reducing BMI in women with PCOS. Conclusions Due to the limitations regarding the small sample size and lack of subgroup and sensitivity analysis, the results of this study demonstrated that moderate-intensity, aerobic exercise is the most effective exercise for reducing BMI, while the other exercises were ineffective. Moderate-intensity aerobic exercise is suggested to decrease the BMI in women with PCOS. Systematic review registration This systematic review and network meta-analysis study was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022324839).

Stability study of biological products plays an important role for determination of product changes in maintenance period and ensuring of safety and efficacy of vaccines. In this research, accelerated and long-term stability study performed for six batches of full and reduced-dose cattle Iriba strain brucellosis vaccine that manufactured by Razi vaccine and serum research institute as a new vaccine. After sampling, the vaccines were tested for accelerated stability, after four days storage at 22 0C and tested intervals in three months until 24 months for long-term stability after storage at 2-8 0C. The result indicated all batches of vaccines in accelerated stability met the specification recommended by OIE 2012 and the mean loss of activity for full-dose was 16.68, 18.87 and 17.79 % and for reduced-dose was 38.85, 36.06 and 34.98 %. In long term stability, the quality control tests including colony forming unit, purity, dissociation and physicochemical tests in all samples until 24 months, met the specification recommended by OIE 2012. The full-dose vaccines showed a mean loss of activity of 30.73, 25.53 and 32.45 % and the reduced-dose vaccines showed 63.51, 58.60 and 60.83 %. The mean increasing of moisture content was, 187.85, 214.13 and 160.77 % for full-dose and 142.35, 110.23 and 164.47 % for reduced-dose. So, the results of this research indicated in spite of moisture content increasing in second year, the brucellosis vaccines with this strain are stable at least 24months if the cold chain considered properly but the best expiry date for the vaccine is one year.

Nobel laureate Prof. Abdulrazak Gourna was invited by Qatar University Press and warmly welcomed by the audience of the Doha International Book Fair. The long interview focused on the relationship between the author and publisher and responsibilities of the author to represent the concerns of his local culture on a world stage. Here, the significance of translation was apparent as well as direct communication between author and audiences worldwide. His African, Arabic, and Islamic roots contributed to the rich heritage of Prof. Gurnah, whose novels unravel this complexity of identities. The dialogue was enriched by a discussion on how the author as a novelist and academic dealt with postcolonialism and the evil of colonialism. More importantly, how in his original home Zanzibar, different societies, the coastal cultures, the Arab traders, the Indian traders, the Swahili traders, and the people in the interior, negotiated their coexistence peacefully, which ended with the arrival of European colonialism. This led to fragmentation of African societies and in many ways was responsible for the oppression and dictatorship that ravaged the contents., INTRODUCTORY SPEECH BY PROF. TALAL ABDULLA AL-EMADI, QATAR UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF LAW DEAN AND PRESS FOUNDING DIRECTOR Dear guests, this evening, I welcome you all on behalf of Qatar University [...]

Abstract It is well-established that general anxiety associates with the lower use of adaptive emotion regulation and the higher use of maladaptive emotion regulation. However, no study has previously investigated the impact of cognitive emotion regulation on academic anxieties. Using a sample of secondary school students (N = 391), this study examined the impact of cognitive emotion regulation on math and science anxieties. Math anxiety showed stronger correlations with adaptive than maladaptive emotion regulation, whereas general anxiety showed stronger correlations with maladaptive than adaptive emotion regulation. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that math anxiety was associated with the high uses of acceptance, rumination and other-blame and the low uses of positive reappraisal and putting into perspective. However, with controlling science and general anxieties, math anxiety was associated with the high use of rumination and the low use of positive reappraisal. In contrast, science anxiety was associated with the high uses of acceptance and other-blame and the low use of positive reappraisal. Importantly, however, with controlling math and general anxieties, those science anxiety associations did not remain. Accordingly, these results might provide important insights for the specificity, etiology, and intervention of math anxiety.

The newest virus from the SARS family of viruses called acute syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes COVID-19 disease, was identified in China at the end of 2019. In March 2020, after it spread to 29 additional countries, it was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). SARS-CoV-2 infection mainly starts through the respiratory tract and causes a wide spectrum of symptoms from asymptomatic infections to acute respiratory distress syndrome with multi-organ failure and vasoplegic shock. Among the many immunomodulatory and antiviral drugs that have been studied for the treatment of COVID-19, methylene blue (MB) may play an influential role. This article reviews the history of MB applications, the antiviral effects of MB against SARS-CoV-2, and the results of in vivo and in vitro studies of the use of MB in COVID-19. Based on studies, MB can simultaneously affect most of the host’s harmful responses caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection due to its multiple properties, including anti-hypoxemia, anti-oxidant, immune system modulator, and antiviral. The use of MB is associated with a reduction in the possibility of getting infection, and mortality, and can be used as a safe, effective, cheap, and available treatment option with minimal side effects for the clinical management of COVID-19.

Background: Current data indicate that serum vitamin D and susceptible C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels, both indicative of the inflammatory state, have the potential to predict the onset and severity of chronic pain. Therefore, the objective was to assess the intensity of pain experienced after breast cancer treatment and its relationship with these two parameters. Method: In this cross-sectional study between 2019 and 2021, 201 patients were enrolled. The McGill Pain Questionnaire was employed to evaluate localized pain intensity at the site six months after the conclusion of cancer treatments. Patients were stratified based on the type of breast surgery, with or without a tissue expander, axillary region surgery, chemotherapy treatment, radiotherapy treatment, serum vitamin D levels, serum hs-CRP levels, and pain intensity. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 21 software with a significance level set at 0.05. Results: Among the patients, 67.6% (136 individuals) reported mild pain, 31.3% (63 individuals) reported moderate pain, and 1% (2 individuals) reported severe pain. The results of this study demonstrated a positive correlation between high serum hs-CRP levels and increased pain intensity, with serum marker levels being higher in patients experiencing more severe pain compared with those with milder pain. However, no statistically significant association was observed between various serum concentrations of vitamin D and pain intensity (P = 0.12). Conclusion: Elevated levels of inflammatory factors, such as hs-CRP, are linked to a higher likelihood of developing chronic post-surgical pain.

Abstract Background Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive disease without meaningful therapeutic options beyond the first salvage therapy. Targeting PDAC metabolism through amino acid restriction has emerged as a promising new strategy, with asparaginases, enzymes that deplete plasma glutamine and asparagine, reaching clinical trials. In this study, we investigated the anti-PDAC activity of the asparaginase formulation Pegcrisantaspase (PegC) alone and in combination with standard-of-care chemotherapeutics. Methods Using mouse and human PDAC cell lines, we assessed the impact of PegC on cell proliferation, cell death, and cell cycle progression. We further characterized the in vitro effect of PegC on protein synthesis as well as the generation of reactive oxygen species and levels of glutathione, a major cellular antioxidant. Additional cell line studies examined the effect of the combination of PegC with standard-of-care chemotherapeutics. In vivo, the tolerability and efficacy of PegC, as well as the impact on plasma amino acid levels, was assessed using the C57BL/6-derived KPC syngeneic mouse model. Results Here we report that PegC demonstrated potent anti-proliferative activity in a panel of human and murine PDAC cell lines. This decrease in proliferation was accompanied by inhibited protein synthesis and decreased levels of glutathione. In vivo, PegC was tolerable and effectively reduced plasma levels of glutamine and asparagine, leading to a statistically significant inhibition of tumor growth in a syngeneic mouse model of PDAC. There was no observable in vitro or in vivo benefit to combining PegC with standard-of-care chemotherapeutics, including oxaliplatin, irinotecan, 5-fluorouracil, paclitaxel, and gemcitabine. Notably, PegC treatment increased tumor expression of asparagine and serine biosynthetic enzymes. Conclusions Taken together, our results demonstrate the potential therapeutic use of PegC in PDAC and highlight the importance of identifying candidates for combination regimens that could improve cytotoxicity and/or reduce the induction of resistance pathways.

Although CALL is still an emerging area of study in many countries, several studies have shown the significant contribution of these countries to the development of CALL worldwide, among which Iran is no exception. Contrary to the vast number of review studies on how this interdisciplinary area of study has been developed at the international level, there are very few studies presenting the development of CALL at the national level, especially in the highly contributing countries. Accordingly, the present study is an attempt to systematically review the trend of CALL in Iran focusing on research purpose, outcome, and methodology. The two major databases of WoS and Scopus were searched from 2007 to 2020. Following the exclusion and inclusion criteria, 229 studies were selected for the present systematic review. The research purpose and outcome of the studies were analyzed according to four classifications of linguistic, affective, cognitive/ metacognitive, and technology domains. The findings indicated a large number of studies in linguistic and affective domains with a positive effect of technology. Furthermore, a few studies have been conducted with a focus on the cognitive/ metacognitive and technology aspects. The analysis of the research methodology of the publications revealed a lack of sufficient data about participants, research setting, and duration of the treatment/tasks. More importantly, the absence of longitudinal qualitative studies in natural settings was found as a major shortcoming. It is worth mentioning that measurement instruments/data collection methods, data analysis methods, and the implemented devices were clearly explained in nearly all the studies.

Objectives: The new corona virus infection, has a wide range of clinical manifestations. Fever and cough are the most common symptoms. The olfactory function may be also affected with COVID-19. In this randomized clinical trial, we wanted to evaluate the therapeutic effect of olfactory training with and without oral vitamin A for COVID-19-related olfactory dysfunction. Methods: Patients answered to the standard Persian version of anosmia reporting tool and performed the quick smell test before and after 12 weeks and at the end of the 12 months follow up. The patients were randomly allocated to three groups; Group A treatment with olfactory training, Group B treatment with oral vitamin A and olfactory training, and Group C as control group which only underwent nasal irrigation twice a day. Patients were treated for 3 months and followed up for 12 months. Results: Totally 90 patients were included in three groups. After interventions, 76.9% of patients in Group A, 86.7% of patients in Group B, and 26.7% of patients in Group C completely improved. The average intervention time was statistically significant in relationship with the final olfactory status of the patients in the 12 months follow-up. The olfactory training has significantly improved the smell alteration at the end of 3- and 12- months follow-up in A and B groups. Conclusion: A three-months olfactory training is effective for improvement of COVID-19-related olfactory dysfunction. Adding daily oral vitamin A to olfactory training did not lead to better results in improving olfactory dysfunction. Level of evidence: Step 2 (Level 2*): Randomized trial.

OBJECTIVE: To describe obstetric outcomes based on COVID-19 vaccination status, in women with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs) who developed COVID-19 during pregnancy. METHODS: Data regarding pregnant women entered into the COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance registry from 24 March 2020-25 February 2022 were analysed. Obstetric outcomes were stratified by number of COVID-19 vaccine doses received prior to COVID-19 infection in pregnancy. Descriptive differences between groups were tested using the chi-squared or Fishers exact test. RESULTS: There were 73 pregnancies in 73 women with RMD and COVID-19. Overall, 24.7% (18) of pregnancies were ongoing, while of the 55 completed pregnancies, 90.9% (50) of pregnancies resulted in livebirths. At the time of COVID-19 diagnosis, 60.3% (n = 44) of women were unvaccinated, 4.1% (n = 3) had received one vaccine dose while 35.6% (n = 26) had two or more doses. Although 83.6% (n = 61) of women required no treatment for COVID-19, 20.5% (n = 15) required hospital admission. COVID-19 resulted in delivery in 6.8% (n = 3) of unvaccinated women and 3.8% (n = 1) of fully vaccinated women. There was a greater number of preterm births (PTB) in unvaccinated women compared with fully vaccinated 29.5% (n = 13) vs 18.2% (n = 2). CONCLUSIONS: In this descriptive study, unvaccinated pregnant women with RMD and COVID-19 had a greater number of PTB compared with those fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Additionally, the need for COVID-19 pharmacological treatment was uncommon in pregnant women with RMD regardless of vaccination status. These results support active promotion of COVID-19 vaccination in women with RMD who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy.