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Purpose: This qualitative study sought to explore how Iranian English language professors used social media network Telegram in their classes and what possibilities and constraints they experienced with regard to classroom interactions and university education, and how they rethought the use of social media network Telegram. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected through written reflective exercises and semi-structured interviews. Furthermore, data were analyzed based on three moments of critical hermeneutics: a moment of social-historical analysis, a moment of formal analysis and a moment of interpretation-reinterpretation. Findings: The analysis of the data led to four themes: a dialogic classroom, the critical awareness of power-relations, the critical reflection on the experiences of the classroom and digital inequality. In fact, the participants pointed out that using social media network Telegram could lead to the persuasive discourse and multiplicity of voices as opportunities for sharing knowledge and distributing powers. Originality/value: Indeed, the present study addressed the learning processes resulted from using social media network Telegram rather than the product and outcome that were mainly addressed by the previous studies by considering three levels of descriptions, which included micro-level of the learner and teacher interaction, meso-level of the processes of educational institutions and macro-level of wider cultural and societal contexts.

Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) is one of the world's neglected diseases which is caused by Leishmania spp. The aim of this study was to assess molecular profile and antimony resistance of Leishmania isolated from human and rodent hosts. Samples were collected from suspected CL patients referred to health centres and wild rodent's traps in Gonbad-e-Qabus region, north-eastern Iran. Smears were subjected to PCR-RFLP to identify Leishmania species. In addition, ITS1-PCR products were sequenced for phylogenetic analysis. Clinical isolates and rodent samples were subjected to MTT assay to determine IC50 values and in vitro susceptibilities. Expression levels of antimony resistance-related genes were determined in CL isolates. Out of 1,949 suspected patients with CL and 148 rodents, 1,704 (87.4%) and 6 (4.05%) were positive with direct smear, respectively. Digestion patterns of BusRI (HaeIII) endonuclease enzyme were similar to what expected for Leishmania major. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the highest interspecies similarity was found between current L. major sequences with L. major obtained from Russia and Uzbekistan. Out of 20 L. major samples tested, 13 (65%) were resistant to meglumine antimoniate (MA) treatment, with an activity index (AI) exceeding 4. The remaining 7 samples (35%) responded to MA treatment and were classified as sensitive isolates, with a confirmed sensitive phenotype based on their AI values. The comparison expression analysis of three major antimony resistance-associated genes in unresponsive clinical isolates demonstrated significant fold changes for TDR1 (4.78-fold), AQP1 (1.3-fold), and γ-GCS (1.17-fold) genes (P < 0.05). Herein, we demonstrate genetic diversity and antimony resistance of L. major isolated from human and reservoir hosts in north-eastern Iran, which could be the basis for planning future control strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High‐impact, low‐probability events that cause significant annual damages seriously threaten the health of distribution networks. The effects of these events have made the expansion planning for distribution systems something beyond the traditional reliability criteria, so there is an ever‐increasing need for modifications in current planning approaches and focusing on the resilience in the expansion planning of distribution networks. The new attitude dealing with resilience and distributed generation sources in distribution networks necessitates a fundamental reconsidering of traditional distribution network planning methods. Here, by modelling common natural disasters such as floods and storms, an appropriate index is introduced to evaluate the distribution network resilience in the presence of distributed generation (DG) sources, including conventional gas‐fired and photovoltaic sources. Then, by presenting an appropriate model for load and photovoltaic production, the problem of comprehensive distribution network planning, including substations, feeders, and DG sources, is mathematically formulated as a multi‐objective optimization problem to improve resilience and optimize costs. Furthermore, a non‐dominated sorting genetic algorithm is used to solve the problem of comprehensively planning a resilient distribution network. Implementation of the proposed model on the IEEE 54‐bus sample network shows that network resilience can be improved with minimum cost by optimal network planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different species of free-living amoeba (FLA) have been abundantly isolated in harsh environmental conditions such as hot springs and brackish water. The present study aimed to isolate, genotype, and evaluate the pathogenicity of FLAs in Qom Roud, a large river, in the centre of Iran. About 500 mL of water samples (n ¼ 30) were collected from each sampling site and were investigated for the presence of FLAs using morphological and molecular characters. Genotype identification was performed using DNA sequencing and a phylogenetic tree was constructed with the MEGA X software. The pathogenic potential of all positive isolates was evaluated using the tolerance ability test. Morphological and molecular analysis indicated that 14 (46.66%) and two (6.66%) water samples were positive for Acanthamoeba species and Vahlkampfiidae, respectively. According to sequence analysis, Acanthamoeba isolates related to the T4 genotype and Vahlkampfiidae sequences were similar to Naegleria philippinensis. In the next step, thermo- and osmotolerance tests indicated four Acanthamoeba strains are extremely pathogenic. Our data showed the presence of potentially pathogenic Acanthamoeba T4 genotype and N. philippinensis in the super harsh Qom Roud. Contamination of water with virulent T4 genotype of Acanthamoeba may pose risk factors for contact lens users, children, and immunocompromised people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, poly(ε-caprolactone) electrospun nanofibers-copper hexacyanoferrate composite ion exchanger (PCL nanofibers–CuHCF) was prepared and used for the cesium ion removal from aqueous solution. The properties and morphology of the synthesized ion exchanger were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area analysis, X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The cesium ion removal experiments showed that the obtained PCL nanofibers–CuHCF composite exhibited excellent performance for the removal of cesium ions. The influences of several variables such as temperature, pH, and contact time were evaluated in batch experiments. The thermodynamic study indicated a spontaneous and endothermic ion-exchange process. The adsorption isotherm and kinetics of the PCL nanofibers–CuHCF composite were evaluated using the non-linear regression method, indicating monolayer chemisorption of the Langmuir type. The maximum sorption capacities by applying the Langmuir equation were 178.7 mg/g, which is much higher than those of previous reports of some metal-hexacyanoferrates-based composites. PCL nanofibers–CuHCF composite ion exchanger showed excellent selectivity for Cs+ in the presence of competing cations, mainly because of the excellent features of CuHCF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]