Search

In this article, we first consider the $L$-fuzzy powerset monad on a completely distributive lattice $L$. Then for $L=[n]$, we investigate the fuzzy powerset monad on $[n]$ and we introduce simple, subsimple and quasisimple $L$-fuzzy sets. Finally, we provide necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of an equalizer of a given pair of morphisms in the Kleisli category associated to this monad. Several illustrative examples are also provided.

The analysis of the factors affecting Qatar's gas productive behavior is of particular importance due to its joint membership with Iran in the Gas Exporting Countries Forum and the gas field of South Pars-North Dome. In this research, initially, the Qatar's gas productive behavior against Iran's gas production from the gas field of South Pars and other variables affecting the supply and demand of global gas (the gas production of other members of this Forum, global gas demand, natural gas price, the global price of crude oil and shale gas production) was investigated using seasonal data from 2001 to 2021 and auto-regressive method with distributed lags (in the long term). Then, using the Game Theory and Nush Equilibrium, the optimal production strategy was extracted from the gas field of South Pars - North Dome (in the period under review) in order to compare with the Qatar's gas productive behavior against Iran's production from the South Pars gas field. The results showed that when there is a change (increase/decrease) in the mentioned variables, the Qatar's gas productive behavior does not always change in line with these variables; also, in the long term, with a one percent increase in Iran's gas production from the South Pars, Qatar's gas production has increased by more than one percent. Finally, the results showed that the optimal production strategy for Qatar from the gas field of South Pars-North Dome in the period under review has been an increase in production, which is in line with the behavior of this country against Iran's gas production from the gas field of South Pars in the long term.

Proficiency in speaking is essential for effective communication; however, anxiety serves as a significant barrier that negatively impacts oral performance, particularly in EFL contexts. This study addresses this issue by investigating speaking anxiety among English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students in Afghanistan, where limited research exists on the topic. A mixed-method design was employed, involving 120 students. Quantitative data were collected using the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS), while qualitative insights were obtained through structured interviews. The results revealed a moderate level of speaking anxiety, with no significant differences based on gender, language proficiency, or academic year. Qualitative findings indicated that participants experienced anxiety, particularly during their initial year of study, exhibiting symptoms such as shaking, sweating, forgetfulness, negative thoughts, difficulties in recalling words, maintaining eye contact, and concentrating. Contributing factors included low self-confidence, fear of negative evaluation and feedback, limited exposure to authentic English, language proficiency challenges, inadequate linguistic knowledge, difficulty of adapting to a new environment, and cultural influences. To cope with anxiety, students adopted strategies such as engaging with authentic English, utilizing social media, seeking constructive feedback, practicing regularly, speaking aloud, and employing relaxation techniques. The implications of the study provide valuable insights for educators, policy makers, and curriculum designers. The findings could serve as a reference for other countries or institutions that offer EFL programs.

Traffic congestion in urban areas poses significant challenges to city dwellers and consultants advising government. This study explores innovative methods to monitor and control traffic congestion, focusing on Al Ain city in the United Arab Emirates. Using the R Programming language and harnessing crowdsourced traffic information from HERE and Google Maps, the research delves into spatial data analysis. The methodology employed in this study builds on the previously applied congestion modeling methods for cities like Windsor, Toronto, and New York. The study focuses on Al Ain, addressing the scarcity of crowdsourced information-based congestion modeling research in the Middle East. The study details how to obtain and deploy crowdsourced traffic data, speed and jam factors, for a comprehensive visualization of the urban traffic congestion. For example, in the case of Al Ain, analysis showed an average traffic speed of 43 km per hour in Al Ain, where infrastructure could otherwise allow an average traffic speed of up to 51 km per hour under free flow conditions. The study findings highlight how traffic conditions, rather than speed limits, cause traffic flow disruptions in the city, which can inform traffic regulations. The study’s high-confidence real-time data emphasizes the reliability of crowdsourced traffic flow data. This research demonstrates the applicability of open-source traffic information for congestion modeling in the UAE, and establishes a replicable methodology for other urban areas worldwide, contributing significantly to the modeling methods.

Kawsar Alami, Zahra Nazari, Raheel Bayat, Aqdas Bayat, Somaya Qasemi, Fereshta Karimi, Maliha Sultani, Sayed Yousof Mousavi Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Neuroscience Research Center, Kavosh Nonprofit Educational Research Institute, Kabul, AfghanistanCorrespondence: Sayed Yousof Mousavi, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Neuroscience Research Center, Kavosh Nonprofit Educational Research Institute, First Street of Karte 4, Kabul, 1004, Afghanistan, Tel +93705343480 ; Fax +93796850084, Email Mousavi@Kavosh.org.afAim and Background: Learning and memory are fundamental processes essential to human cognition. Memory disorders can greatly impact cognitive abilities and overall quality of life. Synthetic drugs are not always completely effective in the treatment of memory disorders and can have diverse side effects. As a result, the use of plants for treating various diseases, including those related to memory disorders, is common. Almond is a highly nutritious nut and has been used as a traditional remedy for a long time. They contain active compounds that have numerous biological effects on the entire body, particularly the nervous system. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to review animal studies that have investigated the effects of almond intake on memory and its related disorders.Methods: In this study, a comprehensive search in several databases including PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Science Direct, and Cochrane Library was performed. The study included published articles featuring preclinical studies conducted on healthy animals or models with memory impairments. These studies employed specific controlled groups and evaluated memory-related parameters through behavioral tests or molecular investigations. Eleven original papers that met the criteria were selected from a total of 1190 identified articles and included in the study.Results: Almond consumption has been shown to have beneficial effects on learning and memory in healthy animals. Additionally, evidence suggests that consuming almonds can positively impact scopolamine-, cadmium-, chronic stress-, and high-fat diet-induced memory impairment in animal models.Conclusion: Based on available evidence, consuming dietary supplementation of almonds may have a significant role in brain processes, specifically the neuromodulatory systems. Consequently, incorporating almonds into one’s diet could potentially enhance memory function, making them a readily available and useful natural resource with both nutritional and therapeutic benefits. Keywords: Almond, Prunus amygdalus, Prunus dulcis, learning, memory, neuromodulatory systems

There is a well-established link between abnormal sperm chromatin states and poor motility, however, how these two processes are interdependent is unknown. Here, we identified a possible mechanistic insight by showing that Protamine 2, a nuclear DNA packaging protein in sperm, directly interacts with cytoskeletal protein Septin 12, which is associated with sperm motility. Septin 12 has several isoforms, and we show, that in the Prm2−/− sperm, the short one (Mw 36 kDa) is mis-localized, while two long isoforms (Mw 40 and 41 kDa) are unexpectedly lost in Prm2−/− sperm chromatin-bound protein fractions. Septin 12 co-immunoprecipitated with Protamine 2 in the testicular cell lysate of WT mice and with Lamin B1/2/3 in co-transfected HEK cells despite we did not observe changes in Lamin B2/B3 proteins or SUN4 expression in Prm2−/− testes. Furthermore, the Prm2−/− sperm have on average a smaller sperm nucleus and aberrant acrosome biogenesis. In humans, patients with low sperm motility (asthenozoospermia) have imbalanced histone–protamine 1/2 ratio, modified levels of cytoskeletal proteins and we detected retained Septin 12 isoforms (Mw 40 and 41 kDa) in the sperm membrane, chromatin-bound and tubulin/mitochondria protein fractions. In conclusion, our findings present potential interaction between Septin 12 and Protamine 2 or Lamin B2/3 and describe a new connection between their expression and localization, contributing likely to low sperm motility and morphological abnormalities.

Abstract In order to identify the effect of genotype × trait, 20 maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids were cultivated and investigated in a randomized complete block design in three replications in the Karaj region. The results of the analysis of variance showed that the effect of genotype in terms of all traits except for the traits of days until the tassel dries, peduncle outside the flag leaf, tassel length, the number of fill seeds, and the depth of the seeds are significantly different. Based on the mean comparison done by Duncan's method, G3, G6, G7, and G4 genotypes were identified as favorable hybrids. Based on the graphic analysis, the genotypes G5, G4, G6, G3, G9, and G14 can be identified as desirable hybrids. The correlation diagram indicated that the grain yield trait has a positive correlation with tassel length, leaf length, leaf width, and leaf surface traits. Based on the principal component analysis, the first 10 components explained more than 74% of the data variance. The traits were classified into 10 components: components of ear characteristics, time characteristics in terms of maturity, leaf characteristics, characteristics of maize plant 1 (cob corn diameter, peduncle length, and grain yield traits), characteristics of maize plant 2 (number of tassel branches, leaf surface, and grain yield traits), physiological characteristics and germination, the crown part of the ear characteristics, grain characteristics, grain yield, and characteristics of the ear head. The experiment results indicated that G8, G15, G1, and G6 hybrids were more favorable in terms of grain yield trait.

One of the important issues in political jurisprudence, is the condition of the consent of majority for the adoption of the position of public guardianship (Velayat Ameh) by a qualified jurisprudent. This research is an attempt to study this issue based on Imam Khomeini’s works and statements, as the theoretician and founder of a religious government in Iran. The main question of this research is as follows: What is the role of the majority’s consent in legitimation and continuity of a qualified jurisprudent. According to some notions, if a just jurisprudent, with the support and cooperation of some groups of people, who are in minority, is able to form a government, he is dutybound to take practical action in this regard. But the analysis of the collected data for this research shows that in Imam Khomeini’s viewpoint, although the majority’s consent does not have an effective role in proving the public guardianship, it is a rational and canonical condition for assuming the position of guardianship. "Relying on public votes", "right to self-determination of the people", "paying attention to the majority vote" and "negation of coercive rule" are four important pillars in the statements of Imam Khomeini about the role of the people which obviously bind the ruling of the jurist to the consent of the majority The necessary data for this research were collected from library sources, including Imam’s Sahifa and were analyzed through continent analysis method.

Abstract The use of electrical stimulation devices to manage bladder incontinence relies on the application of continuous inhibitory stimulation. However, continuous stimulation can result in tissue fatigue and increased delivered charge. Here, we employ a real-time algorithm to provide a short-time prediction of urine leakage using the high-resolution power spectrum of the bladder pressure during the presence of non-voiding contractions (NVC) in normal and overactive bladder (OAB) cats. The proposed method is threshold-free and does not require pre-training. The analysis revealed that there is a significant difference between voiding contraction (VC) and NVC pressures as well as band powers (0.5–5 Hz) during both normal and OAB conditions. Also, most of the first leakage points occurred after the maximum VC pressure, while all of them were observed subsequent to the maximum VC spectral power. Kalman-Fuzzy method predicted urine leakage on average 2.2 s and 1.6 s before its occurrence and an average of 2.0 s and 1.1 s after the contraction started with success rates of 94.2% and 100% in normal and OAB cats, respectively. This work presents a promising approach for developing a neuroprosthesis device, with on-demand stimulation to control bladder incontinence.

Vegetables are vital parts of the human diet, however, they also may contain substances such as nitrate which can affect human health. This cross-sectional research was conducted with the objective to assess the health risk of citizens in Gonabad from nitrate exposure through the consumption of some vegetables. Common vegetables namely, cucumber, carrot, tomato, potato, lettuce, cauliflower, onion and mushroom were analyzed for nitrate contents. The values of the estimated daily intakes (EDIs), target hazard quotients (HQs) were computed to estimate the non-carcinogenic health risk. Nitrate concentrations in the selected vegetables ranged from 25 to 2100 mg/kg (fresh weight). The highest concentration of nitrate was found in lettuce (2100 mg/kg). The EDI values in some vegetables exceeded the acceptable daily intake of nitrate. The calculated HQ values of carrot, potato, lettuce, onion and mushroom were HQ ≥ 1 for children, signifying non-carcinogenic health risk to the age group. For teenagers group, the HQ values for lettuce and onion was ≥ 1. Furthermore, potato, lettuce and onion were unsafe considering HQ values related to nitrate concentration in adults. Therefore, the control of possible contamination sources and minimization of vegetable nitrate concentration are recommended.

Interest in computer-assisted interpreting tools has increased as a result of the desire to prevent cognitive saturation during interpreting. The present study examined the quality of interpreting numbers by Microsoft Translator and professional simultaneous interpreters. For this purpose, a collection of political speeches delivered at the United Nations was gathered. The results showed that there was no significant difference between Microsoft Translator and professional interpreters in terms of interpreting numbers. There was a significant difference in the error categories across the types of numbers, indicating that interpreting errors varied depending on the type of number. The findings of this research suggest that Microsoft Translator could be a useful tool for assisting human interpreters during simultaneous interpreting. In other words, Microsoft Translator could provide a quick and accurate interpreting of numbers, alleviating the cognitive burden on human interpreters and enabling them to focus their attention on other aspects of the conversation.

Albert Camus acknowledges absurdity and the only way to rebel against the fundamental emptiness of existence is to reach freedom and self-awareness. This transition would include two types: passive nihilist and active nihilist. The purpose of this paper is to examine the concept of the rebel in Camus’ philosophy and its representation in Samuel Beckett’s plays. To do so, two of Beckett’s plays, Waiting for Godot and Endgame are examined. The findings reveal a new reading of the ‘Camusian Rebel’. Contrary to Camus’ philosophy, the characters in these works have the courage to commit suicide and do not even try to create meaning out of their lives. They are castrated in speech and communication with the other, contradicting the Camusian definition of absurdity. They parody all Camus’ philosophical assumptions about the meaning of life and nihilism.

Abstract A growing body of literature suggests that involving end-users in intervention research, including design, implementation, and evaluation, is associated with numerous positive outcomes. These outcomes include improved intervention efficacy, sustainability, and psychological growth among collaborators. The value of this approach and the recommendation for researchers to embrace co-creation in implementation and policies have also been recognised within the EU Framework of Research Innovation. Furthermore, it has been suggested that this approach may be particularly relevant for working with individuals from marginalised groups, whose voices are often absent from research and policy discussions. However, there has been limited attention given to how co-creation unfolds in practice. In this article, we provide a review of the methodological framework implemented by the H2020 REFUGE-ED (2021–2023), which was conducted in collaboration with migrant, refugee, and asylum-seeking communities. The project implemented the 'REFUGE-ED Dialogic Co-Creation Process (RDCP)' in 46 educational settings across six European countries. Considering the need for evidence-based approaches in education and mental health and psychosocial support practices, we suggest that the RDCP has the potential for sustainability and replicability in diverse contexts.

Abstract Aedes aegypti and Anopheles stephensi have challenged human health by transmitting several infectious disease agents, such as malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever. Larvicides, especially in endemic regions, is an effective approach to the control of mosquito-borne diseases. In this study, the composition of three essential oil from the Artemisia L. family was analyzed by Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry. Afterward, nanoliposomes containing essential oils of A. annua, A. dracunculus, and A. sieberi with particle sizes of 137 ± 5, 151 ± 6, and 92 ± 5 nm were prepared. Besides, their zeta potential values were obtained at 32 ± 0.5, 32 ± 0.6, and 43 ± 1.7 mV. ATR-FTIR analysis (Attenuated Total Reflection-Fourier Transform InfraRed) confirmed the successful loading of the essential oils. Moreover, The LC50 values of nanoliposomes against Ae. aegypti larvae were 34, 151, and 197 µg/mL. These values for An.stephensi were obtained as 23 and 90, and 140 µg/mL, respectively. The results revealed that nanoliposomes containing A. dracunculus exerted the highest potential larvicidal effect against Ae. aegypti and An. stephensi, which can be considered against other mosquitoes.

The ability of sperm to perform fertilization depends on various characteristics such as movement, viability, and sufficient volume. The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of Thymus vulgaris essential oil on the motility characteristics of ram sperm using phase-contrast microscope and CASA (Computer Assisted Sperm Analyzer) software. For this purpose, semen was collected twice a week from four rams. Initial evaluations included volume, wave motility, progressive motility, non-progressive motility and survival percentage of sperms. Then sperm samples were mixed with standard index Tris-based diluent, 20% egg yolk, 7% glycerol, plus 0, 100, 200 and 400 µg of Thymus vulgaris essential oil per ml. After bringing the temperature of the sperm samples to 5 degrees Celsius in the refrigerator, they were placed at 4 cm above liquid nitrogen for 10 minutes and finally immersed in it. The samples were thawed on days 0 and 30 of the experiment. Traits which were investigated during freezing and thawing days included total and progressive motility, non-progressive motility, viability percentage, MDA (Malondialdehyde) and CASA characteristics. The results showed that the percentage of viability and mobility decreased significantly during the experiment (p

The issues of “predestination and free will” have long been among the contentious topics in the history of Iranian-Islamic thought. The conducted studies have chiefly showcased the dominance of fatalistic ideology in the political and mystical history of Iran. Ayn al-Qudat Al-Hamadani is one of the prominent thinkers of mysticism in medieval period of Islam as well as one of the dauntless critics of Seljuq government who paid particular attention to predestination and free will topic. One of the most important epistemological foundations that can be deployed for scrutinizing the political thought of thinkers is their conceptualization of predestination and will—as an important anthropological aspect. In this article, adopting an implication-based approach, the researchers examined and analyzed anthropology of Ayn al-Qudat Hamadani with the aim of discovering and understanding the political implications of his conceptualization of predestination and free will. The main question of the article is what the political consequences of Ayn al-Qudat Hamadani’s conceptualization of predestination and free will are. The findings of the study reveal that Ayn al-Qudat Hamadani, upon determining a predestined nature for the world of divinity and detaching the nature of the human world from it, has criticized and condemned the dominant and exclusively deterministic ideology of his time by laying emphasis on the inherent nature of free will in human beings. The finding of the study can be a counterexample to the narratives that have assessed the whole history of Iranian political thought and culture as believing in fatalism.

Background: Dependence on the Internet leads to disruption or distress in various aspects of life. One of the important underlying factors of Internet addiction is the lack of social skills, and considering the importance of social skills as the core of social competence, the researchers decided to investigate the prevalence of Internet addiction and its relationship with social competence in this study in nursing students of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran. Methods: During a descriptive-analytical and cross-sectional study, 260 undergraduate nursing students were examined in the second half of the academic year 2018-2019 by stratified sampling method with proportional allocation. In order to collect data, a three-part questionnaire of demographic information and information related to the use of the Internet, Young's standard questionnaire, and Felner's social adequacy questionnaire were used. In the end, after being entered in the SSPS software, the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and appropriate statistical analysis. Findings: The overall mean score of Internet addiction was mild. Most of the students (77.6%) had mild addiction and a small percentage (1.3%) had severe addiction to the Internet. The findings indicated that the overall average score of students' social competence was good. Besides, the majority of students (67.1%) had good, 28.1% had very good, and 4.8% had average social competence. A significant and negative correlation was found between Internet addiction and social competence, and students who had a higher average score of Internet addiction obtained a lower average score of social competence. Conclusion: Considering the inverse relationship between Internet dependence and social adequacy, it is recommended that universities and educational centers try to develop a culture and promote healthy behaviors in nursing students with various educational, counseling, and behavioral programs.

Abstract Valorization of waste materials and byproducts as adsorbents is a sustainable approach for water treatment systems. Pottery Granules (PG) without any chemical and thermal modification were used as a low-cost, abundant, and environmentally benign adsorbent against Pb(II), the toxic metal in drinking water. The porous structure and complex mineral composition of PG made it an efficient adsorbent material for Pb(II). The effect of key physicochemical factors was investigated to determine the significance of contact time, PG dose, pH, solution temperature, and coexisting ions, on the process. Pb(II) removal increased by PG dose in the range of 5–15 g/L, and agitation time from 5 to 60 min. Increasing Pb(II) concentration led to a drop in Pb(II) removal, however, adsorption capacity increased significantly as concentration elevated. Pb(II) removal also increased significantly from ~ 45% to ~ 97% by pH from 2 to 12. A ~ 20% improvement in Pb(II) adsorption after rising the solution temperature by 30˚C, indicated the endothermic nature of the process. The sorption was described to be a favorable process in which Pb(II) was adsorbed in a multilayer onto the heterogeneous PG surface. The qmax of 9.47 mg/g obtained by the Langmuir model was superior among many reported low-cost adsorbents. The Pb(II) adsorption was described well by the Pseudo- first-order kinetic model. Na+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Cd2+, and Zn2+ showed a negligible effect on Pb(II) adsorption. However, the presence of Mn2+ and Fe2+ significantly hindered the process efficacy. In conclusion, the use of waste material such as PG against Pb(II) is a viable option from the economic and effectiveness points of view.

Bacterial infections of the uterus are known to be an important cause of infertility in the mare. The objective of this study was to determine the species of bacteria isolated from the uterus of infertile Arabic mares, and investigate how identified bacteria are related to parity. A total of 18 Arabic mares with a history of long-term infertility were evaluated. The age range of mares was 4-23 years. For statistical analysis, logistic regression and Chi-square test were used by Proc Logistic of SAS. In this study, low-volume uterine flush and culture techniques were used. P. aeruginosa was the most prevalent bacterium isolated from 26.32% of mares as pure or in conjunction with E. coli, K. pneumoniae, or Citrobacter spp. Furthermore, 23.68% of bacterial infertility cases were related to E. coli. Pure growth of E. coli was observed only in one case. However, mixed growth with P. aeruginosa, S.zooepidemicus, and S. aureus was very prevalent. The present study revealed that the most prevalent bacteria isolated from chronic endometritis in Arabic mares were gram-negative bacteria (p < 0.05), while in some cases may be accompanied by gram-positive bacteria. C. albicans was isolated in only 8% of mares with chronic endometritis. Moreover, older age and higher parity number of the mares were not related to the presence of intrauterine fluid or the species of bacteria (p > 0.05). It can be concluded that the most prevalent bacteria isolated from infertile Arabic mares with chronic endometritis are gram-negative bacteria.

Sunni and Shia exegetes are not aligned in their views regarding the meaning of verse 53 of the al-Fussilat Chapter, commonly known as the verse of Āfāq and Anfus (lit. horizons and souls, referring to the external world and the internal one of one’s soul). Therefore, the meanings of external signs, internal signs, the object of the words ḥaq (truth, reality) and shahīd (witness and, in other usages, martyr) in this verse are not clear. Considering the importance of divine intent regarding this verse, the present article claims that the way of these scattered views is to precisely explain the object of the word “ḥaq” and the consistency of the beginning of the verse with what follows. Thus, in this article, utilizing a critical-analytical method, and after presenting a jurisprudential classification of the different types of this relationship in the works of the exegetes, a new approach known as the criteria approach has been suggested. The results of the study show that the attribution of the Quran and its bringer to the “Lord of the Worlds” is a truth that can be traced through the polytheists of Hijaz through two independent albeit unequally ranked ways; one is through the presentation of external and internal signs and the other sufficient divine testimony on this subject. In this approach, the presentation of external and internal signs will be separate from the terminological and prevalent meaning arising from the Sufi-mystic movement.

Citizens' financial security is the principle that generates the systematization and stability of the legal order and guarantees civil and social rights. It is of high significance as the inspirational principle of the entire legal system. From this perspective, the present article, after expanding the conceptual space of the subject, examined the issues of financial security. According to the thematic documents presented in this research, a descriptive-analytical method has been used to analyze the data collected from the library sources. The research questions asked how official documents provided financial security and how this issue has been raised in jurisprudence and law. In regard to the questions raised, the research hypotheses were formulated as follows: it seems that the official documents can eliminate the sense of legal and financial insecurity in society and promote a sense of financial and legal security both in Imami jurisprudence and in subject law. The findings showed that, although the official document is emphasized in the subject and jurisprudential laws of Iran, in practice, the ownership of many real estates is based on ordinary documents and lacks the registration records. Hence, if the document is revoked, it causes insecurity of the citizens' financial rights. Therefore, it is proposed that with a new look based on Islamic jurisprudence, which emphasizes writing and documenting, the official document can be used to guarantee the financial rights of the citizens.