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Poster session 3, September 23, 2022, 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM Background Candida auris is an emerging multidrug-resistant pathogenic yeast. The increasing frequency of C. auris outbreaks is prompting alarm worldwide. This yeast survives and spreads on contaminated medical supplies, resulting in hospital outbreaks. To learn more about the yeast's spreading behaviors and transmission, we studied its persistence and survival on a variety of medical-related surfaces under diverse environmental conditions. Methods A total of 104 CFU/mL solutions of four Candida species, including C. auris, C. albicans, C. parapsilosis, and C. glabrata, were inoculated onto different 2 × 2 cm sheets of cotton textile, polystyrene, paper, aluminum, glass, latex, and dried Sabouraud dextrose agar. Inoculated sheets were incubated at various temperatures and subjected to light and darkness at 1, 2, 7, 14, 30, 45, 60, and 120-day intervals. After culture of the sheets on Sabouraud dextrose agar plates, the viable CFUs of yeasts were counted. Results All four species remained alive on all surfaces for at least 1 week under ambient and refrigerator temperatures, darkness, and light exposure. However, only latex and polystyrene surfaces maintained viable C. auris and C.parapsilosis for a maximum of 30 days at ambient temperature and darkness. C. auris survived on dried Sabouraud dextrose agar sheets for ˃4 months. Conclusions Candida auris and other pathogenic yeasts can survive on a variety of medical surfaces for extended periods of time. Latex and polystyrene devices are the best medical matrices for yeast persistence. If C. auris has access to organic and nutritional components, its survival could be greatly increased. To prevent C. auris transmission, appropriate disinfection and decontamination methods should be considered.

The ability of dermatophytes to develop biofilm, as one of the virulence factors in fungal infections which contribute to antifungal resistance, is an outstanding aspect of dermatophytosis that has been noted recently. Because of the paucity of data about the biofilm formation by dermatophytes and their susceptibility to antifungal drugs, this study evaluated the biofilm formation by clinical isolates of dermatophytes and antibiofilm activity of common antifungals widely used to manage dermatophytosis.The ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions sequencing for species identification of 50 clinical dermatophyte isolates was performed. The ability of isolates to form biofilm and inhibitory activity of itraconazole, terbinafine, and griseofulvin against biofilm formation was assayed by the crystal violet staining method. Optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were applied for the visualization of the biofilm structures.Trichophyton (T.) mentagrophytes (n: 14; 28%) and T. rubrum (n: 13;26%) were included in more than half of the dermatophyte isolates. Biofilm formation was observed in 37 out of 50 (74%) isolates that were classified as follows: nonproducers (n: 13; 26%), weak producers (n: 4; 8%), moderate producers (n: 16; 32%), and strong producers (n: 17; 34%) by comparison of the absorbance of biofilms produced by clinical strains with control. The mean IC50 values for terbinafine, griseofulvin, and itraconazole were 2.42, 3.18, and 3.78 μg/ml, respectively.The results demonstrated that most of the clinical dermatophyte isolates are capable to form biofilm in vitro with variable strength. Moreover, terbinafine can be suggested as the first-line choice for the treatment of biofilm-formed dermatophytosis.

Objectives: Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are allotropes of carbon with a length-to-diameter ratio greater than 106 with the potential uses as medical diagnostic or therapeutic agents. In vitro studies have revealed that gadolinium (Gd) nanoparticle-catalyzed single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) possess superparamagnetic properties, which enable them to be used as contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Our study synthesized Gd-CNT for use as MRI contrast agents. Methods: To reduce the toxicity and solubility of CNTs, it was functionalized, and after loading with Gd was coated with polyethylene glycols (PEG). We then synthesized different concentrations of Gdn3+@CNTs-PEG and Gadovist® to be evaluated as MRI contrast agents. Results: The analysis showed that the Gd concentration in Gadovist® was 12.18% higher than synthesized Gdn3+@CNTs-PEG, but the mean signal intensity of the Gdn3+@CNTs-PEG was approximately 3.3% times higher than Gadovist®. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that synthesized Gdn3+@CNTs-PEG has the potential to be used as an MRI contrast agent in vitro, but in vivo assessment is necessary to determine the bio-distribution, kinetic, and signal enhancement characteristics.

Introduction Short Tandem Repeats (STRs) are defined as short lengths of 2–7 base pairs spreading through human genome which due to their highly diverse individually distribution are widely applied for identity detection and other forensic medicine purposes. Burdening considerable costs by the conventional methods such as capillary electrophoresis, we aimed to compare concomitant usage of multiplex PCR and denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) as cheap, fast, highly accurate, and more accessible methods, with capillary electrophoresis (CE) to evaluate their potential for early screening of STRs. Materials and methods The present study randomly included 20 blood samples from the subjects referred to forensic medicine of Semnan, Iran. According to the size and allele frequency, we selected 8 major STR loci including CSF1PO, VWA, D18S51, TPOX, Amelogenin, FGA, SE33, and Penta D. A quad-STR multiplex PCR was performed for each locus and the PCR products were then analyzed using DHPLC machine and compared with the basic genetic properties obtained by capillary electrophoresis. Results By optimizing the PCR and DHPLC conditions, our findings suggest this strategy as an effective method for STR detection. The genotypes were determined using size of loci which led to comparable results with capillary electrophoresis confirming an insignificant variation in the detection of TOPX, Amelogenin, CSF1PO, and D18S5 (p = 0.331), but discrepant results for FGA and VWA loci (p = 0.002). Conclusion Our study proposed DHPLC method as an effective screening method to characterize TOPX, Amelogenin, CSF1PO, and D18S51 as frequently used STR loci during identity detection in forensic medicine.

The authors investigated the effect of a mathematical curriculum (CU) developed based on verbal and practical activities on the mathematical competency (MC) and learning behaviors (LB) of preschool...

AIM: The Ministry of Education has started extensive efforts to enhance innovation in schools so that staff structure and planning as well as management and scheduling of cultural and educational capacity of schools are better aligned with the aforementioned objective. The goal of the present study is to investigate the entrepreneurial characteristics of educational managers and its effects on the educational innovation. In this study, pragmatism, creativity, risk, challenge seeking, and ambiguity tolerance are considered as characteristics of entrepreneurial characteristics of school principals. METHODS: The research is of applied type, and qualitative and quantitative methods have been used to carry out the research. Our research methodology is causal-comparative and the population includes 100 Isfahan school principals during the educational year of 2014–2015. This study investigates one main hypothesis and four subhypotheses, and other characteristics such as gender, educational background of school principals, and ownership status of schools (being private or state owned) are also examined. For data collection purposes, Characteristics of Iranian Entrepreneurs Questionnaire with a reliability score of 0.94 and a questionnaire for measuring innovation are utilized. Our data analysis phase makes use of the independent samples t-test as well as Pearson's correlation coefficient. RESULT: Our findings indicate that factors such as ownership status of schools and challenge-seeking traits are significantly related to the educational innovation of school organizations. CONCLUSION: Therefore, it is recommended to take steps toward increased decentralization of the educational system and greater consideration of organizational entrepreneurship in the body of education and training organization. Also, it is suggested that having more flexible and dynamic planning allows for better capitalization on personal entrepreneurial characteristics of educational managers.

Background and objective Today, bacterial resistance is one of the greatest medical challenges and it annually serves a huge amount of public and private investments since late or false diagnosis endangers the lives of patients. Beta-lactamase genes are a major cause of this challenge. The aim of the current study was to investigate the pattern of bacterial resistance in patients with urinary tract infection (UTI) in Semnan and to determine the frequency of CTX-M gene. Materials and methods Throughout the study, 400 samples of urine were collected from healthcare centers and clinical laboratories in Semnan. Then, 151 E. coli positive samples were isolated through diagnostic and confirmatory tests. Antibiogram was performed using ampicillin, nalidixic acid, ceftriaxone, nitrofurantoin, co-trimoxazole, norfloxacin, amikacin, gentamicin and ciprofloxacin antibiotic discs. Ceftriaxone-resistant isolates were selected for the second stage of antibiogram. ESBL containing strains were identified and were investigated for CTX-M gene by PCR. Results The sensitivity to nitrofuratoeine antibiotic was 35.76%% (n = 54) and the lowest sensitivity was to ampicillin (7.28%, n = 11). The rate of ESBL containing strains was 33, of which 60.6% contained CTX-M gene. Among the ESBL containing strains, the highest resistance was seen to be for ampicillin (n = 30). Conclusion Due to the high percentage of resistance to ampicillin in this area, prescribing by physicians must be prohibited; in addition, more attention should be paid to the use of other antibiotics, especially third generation of cephalosporins because of high prevalence of ESBL producers like blaCTX-M.

Traditional methods to generate CHO cell lines rely on random integration(s) of the gene of interest and result in unpredictable and unstable protein expression. In comparison, site-specific recombination methods increase the recombinant protein expression by inserting transgene at a locus with specific expression features. PhiC31 serine integrase, catalyze unidirectional integration that occurs at higher frequency in comparison with the reversible integration carried out by recombinases such as Cre. In this study, using different ratios of phiC31 serine integrase, we evaluated the phiC31 mediated gene integration for expression of a humanized IgG1 antibody (mAb0014) in CHO-S cells. Light chain (LC) and heavy chain (HC) genes were expressed in one operon under EF1α promoter and linked by internal ribosome entry site (IRES) element. The clonal selection was carried out by limiting dilution. Targeted integration approach increased recombinant protein yield and stability in cell pools. The productivity of targeted cell pools was about 4 mg/L and about 40 µg/L in the control cell pool. The number of integrated transgenes was about 19 fold higher than the control cells pools. Our results confirmed that the phiC31 integrase leads to mAb expression in more than 90% of colonies. The productivity of the PhiC31 integrated cell pools was stable for three months in the absence of selection as compared with conventional transfection methods. Hence, utilizing PhiC31 integrase can increase protein titer and decrease the required time for protein expression. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 32:1570-1576, 2016.

Professional development of educators, especially in preschool years has been neglected in Iran. The purpose of this study was to investigate the viewpoints of experts and teachers about the purposes and content of the professional development plan for preschool teachers. This research is a descriptive-analytic study conducted through both qualitative and quantitative methods. The statistical population included academic members of universities, PhD students, psychology instructors and teachers of preschool curriculum and education. In the qualitative part, the sample was selected via purposeful grid methods and the teachers were selected through stratified random sampling. The data were collected via semi-structured interview and researcher-made questionnaire. To estimate the validity of the interview and the questionnaire, content validity method was used, and to estimate their reliability, Cronbach's alpha was utilized. Qualitative findings were categorized using content analysis; quantitative findings were analyzed via inferential and descriptive statistics. The results of the Friedman’s test demonstrated that, according to teachers, becoming an active and responsible teacher has the highest importance in the development plan, while identifying parents’ and societies’ expectations as well as interacting with them has the lowest importance. In the content, professional development of teachers, class management and settling problem in class are the first items in terms of importance; yet familiarity with contagious diseases in childhood and controlling them have the lowest level of importance. Key words: Preschool, educators’ professional development, curriculum, purpose, content.

Background & Objective: Foreign students encounter educational problems which make studying in the host country difficult Given the importance of the educational problems of foreign students and identifying the factors which alleviate these problems this study examined the educational problems of international students of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences Iran Methods: This was a quantitativequalitative study with a descriptiveanalytical design In the qualitative section interviews were conducted with 14 foreign students and in the quantitative section 56 students were selected through random sampling proportional to sample size Semistructured interviews and a researchermade questionnaire were used to collect information Data analysis was conducted using categorization methods descriptive statistics univariate ttest ANOVA post hoc test and multiple regression in SPSS software Results: In the qualitative section the foreign students educational problems included weakness in understanding Persian different educational system the professors inappropriate teaching method and dissatisfaction with textbooks In the quantitative section the educational problems were not significant at a 005 level Moreover the students problems in terms of culture and the length of stay in Iran showed significant differences Conclusion: The results of predictor factors of educational problems revealed that cultural dissimilarity and short presence in Iran are the main predictor factors Therefore in order to motivate learning in foreign students and thereby decrease their educational problems it is necessary to familiarize them with Iranian customs and hold classes to introduce them to the Iranian educational system

Background & Objective: Constructivism is an approach that has profound effects on learning and teaching approaches and thus alters education teaching learner teachers roles and learning environment The medical sciences are not exempt from this effect On the other hand curriculum is the most important element for the realization of the goals and general mission of the educational system Therefore the present study was conducted with the aim to evaluate the application of constructivist curriculum at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences Iran Methods: This was a descriptive survey The study population consisted of postgraduate students from 4 schools of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences Through stratified random sampling method 200 participants were selected The research instrument was a questionnaire the validity and reliability of which were approved In the descriptive statistics section mean and standard deviation were used and in the inferential statistics section a independent ttest ttest and ANOVA were used Results: A significant difference was observed between the mean test curriculum elements and theoretical mean of the scale used This meant that curriculum elements based on the constructivism approach were lower than average in Shiraz University of Medical Sciences Conclusion: Numerous studies have been conducted on this approach in medical education but this topic has not gained much attention in Iran According to the findings it is suggested that teachers abandon the traditional approach to teaching and utilize newer approaches such as constructivism

Background Cancer is one of the main causes of death in the world. In recent years, many studies have been conducted on the usage of nanomaterials in cancer treatment. In previous studies, the anti-tumor effects of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) on cancer cells have been shown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of MSN loaded with Hematoporphyrin (HpD) on the cell proliferation and invasion of MCF7 (Michigan Cancer Foundation-7) breast cancer cell line. The antioxidant effects of MSN loaded with HpD were also investigated. Methods In this study, using MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] assay, the proliferation and viability of cancer cells were studied after exposure to MSN loaded with HpD. The wound healing assay technique (migration test) was used for the assessment of cancer cells’ invasion. The antioxidant effects of MSN loaded with HpD were studied by DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) assay and FRAP (ferric reducing/antioxidant power) assay techniques. Results Our results showed that the viability and proliferation of breast cancer cell line MCF7 in the presence of silica nanoparticles loaded with hematoporphyrin (HpD) significantly declined (P = 0.02). After exposure to mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) loaded with hematoporphyrin (HpD), the cancer cell invasion decreased (P = 0.025). Silica nanoparticles alone and loaded with hematoporphyrin (HpD) showed considerable cytotoxic activities against cancer cell lines (IC50 = 20 - 30 μg.mL-1). The most promising result was achieved for MSN loaded with hematoporphyrin (HpD) with the minimum IC50 value. It was found that the proliferation rate of MCF7 cells decreased after treatment with this compound in a dose-dependent manner. The assessments with DPPH assay and FRAP assay techniques showed that MSN and MSN loaded with HpD have antioxidant activities. Conclusions MSN loaded with HpD have an inhibitory effect on the growth of the MCF7 cell line. MSN alone and in combination with HpD have an inhibitory effect on cell invasion in the MCF7 cell line. MSN alone and loaded with HpD have antioxidant effects. These results indicate that MSN has the potential to be used in cancer treatment as a carrier for anticancer drugs.

Objectives:Nanoparticles induce oxidative stress in cells and damage them through the cell membrane and DNA damage, eventually resulting in cell death. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles on apoptosis induction and invasion of gastric cancer cell line, MKN-45. Methods:We used the MTT assay to assess proliferation of MKN-45 gastric cancer cells after exposure to different forms of TiO2 nanoparticles including amorph, brookite, anatase, and rutile coated with polyethylene glycol (PEG) and bovine serum albumin (BSA). Ethidium bromide and acridine orange staining were used to visualize cancer cell apoptosis, and the wound healing assay technique (migration test) was used to assay cancer cell invasion. Results:Viability and proliferation of cancer cells in the presence of various forms of TiO2 nanoparticles were reduced (p ≤ 0.050). This reduction in cell proliferation and viability was directly related to concentration and duration of exposure to nanoparticles. Induction of cell death was seen in all groups (p ≤ 0.050). Increased cell invasion was seen in PEG-amorph TiO2 group compared to the control group. Cell invasion was decreased only in the brookite BSA group (p ≤ 0.050). Conclusions:Various forms of TiO2 nanoparticles reduced cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in cancer cells. Some forms of TiO2 nanoparticles such as brookite BSA also inhibited cell invasion. PEG-amorph TiO2 nanoparticles increased cell invasion. These differences seem to be due to the effects of different configurations of TiO2 nanoparticles. TiO2 may provide a new strategy for cancer treatment and more studies are needed. KEYWORDS: Apoptosis; Gastric Cancer; Nanoparticles; Titanium

Background: Identifying the strengths and weakness points is one of the effective methods to analyze current status, and prioritizing actions based on the gap between current and optimal status is necessary for short-term and long-term planning in departments and colleges. The aim of this study was to determine the gap between current and optimal status of curriculum leadership in the postgraduate courses in two Iranian universities. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a sample of 212 faculty members from the two Iranian universities (one medical and one nonmedical) was randomly selected through stratified random sampling method. Data were collected by using a researcher-made questionnaire, with 55 items categorized in four areas of main dimensions in curriculum leadership. The validity of the questionnaire was determined by curriculum studies scholars, and the reliability was confirmed as the Cronbach's alpha calculated 0.969. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics according to the variables. Results: There was a gap in all dimensions and roles. The maximum gap (−1.70) with the highest frequency (98%) were related to “improving the educational atmosphere” dimension. As for items, the maximum gap (−2.41) was related to “society needs and expectations and the labor market” in “curriculum development and revision” dimension. Conclusion: The negative gap between all dimensions of curriculum leadership implies faculty members’ dissatisfaction. Curriculum leadership at universities, colleges and departments of the study in all aspects need to be improved. Hence, it is necessary for managers to make use of the viewpoints of the faculty members to decrease the gap.

Background & Objective: Leadership talent is the rarest resource in todays world that will have continuous conductivity the organizations to be successful in tomorrows world Considering the importance of curriculum leadership in educational department this study was designed to answer the question how do faculty members see curriculum leadership in the post graduate? Methods: In a qualitative study with purposive sampling of desirable cases type faculty members with management experience and expert in the post graduate were selected and interviewed using semistructured method Data were analyzed using thematic content analysis including: data collection data reduction deduction and analysis in the MAXQDA software version 2007 Results: After interviewing 18 faculty members with sufficient experience and management experience in the postgraduate courses we achieved a richness of information saturation and data replicate 500 codes were extracted from research data under five main categories and were classified These categories included: educational atmosphere improvement curriculum development curriculum implementation curriculum evaluation and supervision innovation and facilitate change and adaptation Conclusion: Participants in this study suggested five main categories and 18 subcategories that represented curriculum leadership roles These roles are in the applicable and comparable area with curriculum cycle including: the planning implementation supervision evaluation and change In addition these roles were also emphasized on educational atmosphere improvement that is platform background supplier infrastructure and prerequisites for the curriculum cycle

The general objective of this study is to investigate and rank the motivations and the impediments of the youth's athletic participation and physical activities in Isfahan. The statistical population was the male and female members of Isfahan libraries with the age range of 14 to 30 years from whom 392 individuals were selected as the statistical sample according to Morgan table. In case of participation in athletics at leisure times, the youth completed the questionnaire of athletic motivation and they filled out the questionnaire of athletic participation impediments in case of the lack of physical activity and sports. The obtained information was described through statistical indices and it was analyzed by Friedman, Kruskal wallis and Mann-whitney U tests via SPSS software. The findings of the study showed that the major motivation of the youth in Isfahan in order to participate in physical exercises sequentially are obtaining enjoyment and happiness, keeping health, being in shape and beauty and physical fitness. In females, the motivations of being in shape and watching weight and in males the motivations of physical fitness, being competitive and with friends had higher priority. In youth with higher educational level, the motivations of obtaining enjoyment and happiness had greater importance and in youth with lower educational level the motivation of being with friends had higher priority. On the other hand, the most important impediments of the youth's athletics, on the basis of priority, were lack of the time and the plans overlap, weakness and laziness, economic status and the facilities condition. The statistical results specified that the facilities condition has greater importance in higher age group. Moreover two impediments of mental status and physical inability in individuals with lower education have higher priority. Generally it can be concluded that the basic factor of the youth participation in physical activities and sports, is attending to internal motivations and removing individual impediments.

Introduction Dried fruits such as sour cherry, plum, and apple are produced in the Semnan region. Since these products are processed and produced exposed to the air in the traditional way, the risk of their emergence is very high for microbial agents, especially those in the air. Therefore, this study was carried out to determine the contamination and its level. Materials and methods The specimens were fruit leather of sour cherry, plums, and apple. They were randomly collected from Semnan, Shahmirzad and Mahdishahr markets and transferred to the laboratory. In order to study macroscopic and microscopic morphological studies, the specimens were cultured on Sabouraud dextrose agar medium under sterile conditions. Four fungi that were important for their toxin productions, such as Penicillium, Sporothrix, Alternaria, and Rhizopus, were tested for molecular characterization. The primers used were based on the ribosomal region of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS1, ITS2, and ITS4). DNA extraction was performed using the phenol-chloroform method. Finally, the samples were sequenced. Results After obtaining single colonies and studying them by microscopic methods and slide cultures, nine species of fungi were identified. The results showed that a total of 48 isolates, the genera Alternaria, Penicillium, and Rhizopus were the most frequent. The sequences were a BLAST. Species of Rhizopus stolonifer, Alternaria alternata, Penicillium chrysogenum, and Sporothrix cyanescens were identified. Conclusion Considering the toxicity of known species, the food to be studied before being consumed by the buyer should be investigated for the presence of fungal contaminations, especially toxicogenic fungi, and their mycotoxins.

Introduction The growth of science and technology tend to convert society to a learning society and enjoy its profits and also cope with its challenges (Edwards, 2002; Jarvis, 2008; Unesco, 2005). In response to questions such as "what is a learning society?" And "what are features of a learning society?" researchers have noted that understanding the concept of learning society requires attention to lifelong learning objectives or outcomes (Tuomi, 2005). These goals can be obtained by individual, social and economic developments. Today, despite the differences of opinion between the professionals about the purpose of lifelong learning, all believe that in a learning society, individuals are encouraged to undertake learning in different locations to realize the above three developments. They have proposed different models about learning society. Edwards (1997) have divided these models based on their philosophical foundations into three: learning society as an educated society, as a learning market, and as learning networks. Reviewing the learning society model, many scholars have noted that there is not a single ideal model for learning society, which could be suitable for all countries. Therefore each country should supply a specific strategic model of learning society that fits the cultural and national heritage of its nation (Tuijnman, 2002, p 26). According to the notification, the present paper seeks to examine the concept and model of learning society for Iran. Materials & Methods This research is a developmental study to design a model based on the philosophical foundations of Islam and Iranian culture. Also, it is a descriptive qualitative survey study. The Statistical population consists of two groups. The first group includes managers, assistants and faculty members working in the public universities in the cities of Isfahan, Shiraz and Tehran in the academic year 2010-2011. The criteria for their selection were a history of teaching, management and research on issues related to the research topic. The second group includes professionals working in higher education and research institutions affiliated to the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology in Iran. Potential sample size included 98 individuals who were identified as informants based on purposive sampling strategies and chain approach. They were all invited to participate in the interview. Finally, 24 individuals (9 male and 15 female administrators and faculty experts) announced their agreement. They were all interviewed. We analyzed interviews using thematic categorization and the results were analyzed by direct and indirect quotations in the research report. Discussion of Results & Conclusions With the turn of the third millennium, the Iranian society has chosen a knowledge-based development as its path towards development. In this country, the community members should keep their skills up to date, not only because of the natural need but also for being able to be actively involved in generation, transmission, distribution and use of knowledge. In other words, they must become a learning society. This society must be based on the philosophical foundations of Islam. The main message of this religion is (Aqra’) which asks people to read and learn from the cradle to the grave. According to Islam, The ultimate goal of people in a learning society is to be the servants of God. Therefore, learning is considered as a duty for every Muslim at any time and at any age. And the community should provide the opportunity to perform this task. However, Iranian society is a learning society that has a balanced look to the three goals of learning throughout life (Individual development, economic development and social development). Iranian-learning society is a community with the features listed below: This society: • considers the right to receive education • and develops equal learning opportunities to establish social justice • supports the collective rationality and is both critic and receptive of critic • encourages active citizenship in a global and national level to achieve the ultimate goal of being servant of God. • provides learning opportunities to help people feel they have reached to the learning and teaching right • enhances learning motivations by different methods. • fosters the ability of self-directed learning and learning how to learn. Educational Features in this society include: • interconnectivity among different sectors of formal education • Informal education is developed to suit the needs of all people. • appropriate learning strategies to take non-formal learning into account. • qualitative and quantitative developments of learning opportunities at the same time • The potential of ICT for development of national and global learning networks is used. Cultural features of this society include: • citizens extracts their procedures and instructions from principles and teachings of Islam. Economical features of this society include: • learning opportunities are provided to help people keep up to date with their knowledge and skills and to supply their personal life and skilled manpower for economic development The comparison between this model and other models shows that Iranian Learning Society is a Humanist Society which is based on Islamic philosophical foundations; hence this is different from Western models. It is necessary to note that the current cultural, social and educational conditions are not desirable to provide the basis for development of a learning society in Iran. Lack of belief in science and knowledge among all people, reduced learning motivation, inattention to orders of Islam, problems in the educational system are, among others, a few obstacles to realize this model.

Introduction: Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) is one of the glycoprotein hormones of pituitary gland that consists of two subunits, alpha and beta. Beta subunit has 111 amino acids and a signal peptide, which is consisted of 18 amino acids and it is responsible for biological activity of the hormone. The aim of this study was to construct a pcDNA3.1FSHβ expression vector in order to transfer FSHβ gene into a mammalian cell line.Materials and Methods: To sub-cloning of beta chain from T.vector, a pair of primer was designed that they had a site for EcoRI and HindIII in addition of the start and stop site of the beta chain gene. Amplified beta chain was cloned in pcDNA3.1 at the site of the mentioned enzymes anvd the recombinant plasmid was transformed into E.coli cell. The resulting colonies were checked by PCR re-amplification. The plasmid was purified from some positive colonies. The accuracy of purified plasmids were confirmed by both enzyme digestion and sequencing.Results: Enzyme analysis and sequencing demonstrated that pcDNA3.1-F390β had both correct construction and gene sequence which had an exact correlation with reported FSHβ gene in GenBank.Conclusion: This recombinant plasmid structurally is correct and is proper for transmitting into mammalian cell culture.

The present research mainly aims to identity and prioritize the skills required for teaching in Farhangian University. The research is of applied type, and the method is descriptive-analytical and survey. Qualitative and quantitative methods have been used in order to carry out the research. The statistical population was the qualitative part of all authorities in education throughout the country out of whom 19 were purposefully selected as samples. The statistical population in the quantitative part consisted of 181 academic members and instructors of Farhangian University in 6 provinces in the 4th pole of the country out of whom 150 people were randomly selected. The research data were collected from semi-structured interviews and realized questionnaires. It is worth mentioning that the findings reveal that the results obtained in the quantitative part are in agreement with those obtained in the qualitative part. According to these results, in both parts, the most important pedagogical needs of academic members in teaching skills consist of: 1)Ability to transfer the knowledge and concepts to student teachers, 2) Acquaintance with practical experiences of professors with high quality of teaching, 3) Ability to select teaching methods appropriate to the course subjects and type of class, and 4) Acquaintance with the psychological fundamentals of teaching. Moreover, the findings in this research in the quantitative part showed that the academic members’ need for learning “teaching skills” is more than medium. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2016.v7n3s3p221

This study compares the efficacy, side effects and patient convenience of vaginal and rectal routes of administration of progesterone suppositories (Cyclogest) when used for luteal phase support during in vitro fertilization cycles, through the use of antagonist protocols. 147 patients who underwent intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection cycle were randomized on the day of the embryo transfer (ET) by a computer-generated randomization program to receive 400 mg of Cyclogest either vaginally or rectally twice daily for up to 8 weeks. A pregnancy test was conducted 2 weeks after embryo transfer. If the pregnancy test was negative, the application was discontinued. On day 14th after embryo transfer, patient’s acceptability and side effects were assessed using a questionnaire which was given to the patients on the day of ET prior to performing the pregnancy test. The clinical pregnancy rate at the 8th week of gestation and the level of luteal progesterone were evaluated. There were no substantial differences in the demographics or other characteristics between the two groups. There were no significant differences in serum P concentration 6 days after ET, the clinical pregnancy and abortion rates. The difficulty of administration route, the discomforts experienced following administration, and the proportion leaking out on the 14th day were similar between the two groups. Significantly more patients administering the medication per vagina had perineal irritation (21.3 vs. 2.2 %). The prevalence of tenesmus (35.1 vs. 21.1 %) and rectal itching (26.7 vs. 2.8 %) were significantly more in rectal route. This study demonstrates that the efficacy of Cyclogest is similar when administered via both the vaginal and rectal routes. Although their side effects differ, the ease of administration for patients and their preference are similar.

Objective The current study aims to evaluate the correlation between serum cyclosporine level, CD4/CD8 ratio, echocardiography and endomyocardial biopsy results after ortrhotopic heart transplantation.

In Iranian educational system, there are special schools offering specialized curriculum for gifted students. In the curriculum of their first degree high school course, complementary contents have been provided in order to improve the process of learning. The objective of the present study has been to evaluate the content of such books which has played a pivotal role in educational process of Iranian gifted schools. We employed the triangulation method. The project was implemented between September 2014 to September 2015 by interviews and researcher-based questionnaires provided by principals, assistant principals, consultants and teachers of middle schools from gifted schools of the Isfahan province of Iran. The reliability coefficient of the questionnaire was 0.88 based on Cronbach's alpha. In order to analyze the qualitative and quantitative data, categorical analysis and descriptive statistics have been applied, respectively.Our questionnaire results showed that the four evaluated complimentary books were in quite desirable status. Based on the findings from the interviews and evidences from the gifted education literature we suggest principles by which selection and revision of complementary contents can be possible. Such principles are as follows: (i) content deepening, (ii) integrative and interdisciplinary organization, (iii) to be problem-oriented, (iv) understanding daily life use of the knowledge and (v) classification of exercises based on their complexity level.

In the world of curriculum development, quality of education, actual move toward decentralization, and maximum participation of instructors in curriculum planning are the major concerns of specialists. After 1980s, curriculum mapping was introduced as one of the most important strategies for improving quality of education, culture of participation and collaboration in educational institutions. This strategy can help students’ performance, improve the quality of education. In addition, researches showed that institutionalization of curriculum mapping in educational institutes has a positive effect on organizational culture and space. In this article, curriculum mapping is explained as a strategy for gaining these desired outcomes.

In step with introduction of ICT in Educational system and equipping schools with computers and training teachers to use it, there is a question of why ICT application in schools is just inching ahead? It seems that the role of high school principles, their attitude as well as regulations pertinent to ICT implementation could be very effective in using computers at schools. The present investigation intends to study this. A Survey was carried using a 37 member sample randomly drawn from principles of high schools situated in the city of Isfahan that had an ICT lab. Findings indicate that principles use computer more as an office tool than a learning facilitator. Moreover, due to paucity of clear and explicit regulations governing ICT use, computer usage in schools has stumbled. This is especially so in schools where in the absence of a full time computer administrator, the existing facilities are under used. Meanwhile, principles’ attitude towards ICT was gauged as being positive

Laser surface alloying of an electroless plating Ni–P coatings on an Al-356 aluminium alloy was carried out using a 1-kW pulsed Nd:YAG laser. The microstructure, chemical composition and phase identification of the alloyed layer were determined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and X-ray diffractometry (XRD), respectively. It was shown that laser surface treatment produced a relatively smooth, crack-free and hard surface layer. The hardness of the surface significantly increased due to the formation of the uniformly distributed fine Ni–Al intermetallic phases. The corrosion behaviour of the surface alloyed specimens in 3.5% NaCl solution at 23 °C was also determined by electrochemical techniques. The laser-alloyed surface showed an improved corrosion and pitting potential compared to the substrate as well as the plated Ni–P coating.

Background: Systemic candidiasis is a major public health concern. In particular, in immunocompromised people, such as patients with neutropenia, patients with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and cancer who are undergoing antiballistic chemotherapy or bone marrow transplants, and people with diabetes. Since the clinical signs and symptoms are nonspecific, early diagnosis is often difficult. The 65-kDa mannoprotein (MP65) gene of Candida albicans is appropriate for detection and identification of systemic candidiasis. This gene encodes a putative b-glucanase mannoprotein of 65 kDa, which plays a major role in the host-fungus relationship, morphogenesis and pathogenicity. Objectives: The current study aimed to identify different species of Candida (C. albicans, C. glabrata and C. parapsilosis) using the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technique and also to evaluate C. albicans MP65 gene expression in BALB/C mice. Materials and Methods: All yeast isolates were identified on cornmeal agar supplemented with tween-80, germ tube formation in serum, and assimilation of carbon sources in the API 20 C AUX yeast identification system. Polymerase Chain Reaction was performed on all samples using species-specific primers for the MP65 65 kDa gene. After RNA extraction, cDNA synthesis was performed by the Maxime RT Pre Mix kit. Candida albicans MP65 gene expression was evaluated by quantitative Real-Time (q Real-Time) and Real-Time (RT) PCR techniques. The 2-ΔΔCT method was used to analyze relative changes in gene expression of MP65. For statistical analysis, nonparametric Wilcoxon test was applied using the SPSS version 16 software. Results: Using biochemical methods, one hundred, six and one isolates of clinical samples were determined as C. albicans, C. glabrata and C. parapsilosis, respectively. Species-specific primers for PCR experiments were applied to clinical specimens, and in all cases a single expected band for C. albicans, C. glabrata and C. parapsilosis was obtained (475, 361 and 124 base pairs, respectively). All species isolated by culture methods (100% positivity) were evaluated with PCR using species-specific primers to identify Candida species. Relative expression of Mp65 genes increased significantly after C. albicans injection into the mice (P < 0.05). Conclusions: The results of the current study showed that the PCR method is reproducible for rapid identification of Candida species with specific primers. Mp65 gene expression of C. albicans after injection into the mice was 2.3 folds higher than before injection, with this difference being significant. These results indicated that increase of Mp65 gene expression might be an early stage of infection; however definitive conclusions require further studies.