Islamic Azad University of Najafabad

This investigation aims to fabricate scaffolds consisting of gelatin/polylactic acid/bredigite composites for bone tissue regeneration. In this regard, porous scaffolds were created using the freeze–drying technique. To determine the structure and assess the successful synthesis of the samples, x‐ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analyses were conducted. The morphological properties of the polymeric scaffolds and the bredigite (0, 2.5, 5, and 7.5 wt%) incorporated scaffolds were examined using field‐emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM). The evaluation of mechanical properties revealed that the addition of 5 wt% bredigite to the 1Gel3PLA scaffold increased the compressive strength from 0.30–0.35 to > 0.57 MPa. Regarding porosity, decreasing the Gel:PLA ratio from 1:3 to 1:2 while maintaining constant gelatin content increased porosity from 58.3% to 71.4%, and the addition of bredigite consistently decreased porosity across all scaffolds. The in vitro bioactivity assessment, carried out in simulated body fluid (SBF), demonstrated the formation of an apatite layer on the surface of the composite scaffold after immersion in the SBF. The results of the MTT test showed that as the amount of bredigite particles increased to 5 wt%, cell viability also increased across all periods (higher than 90% cell viability). The interaction between cells and scaffolds was examined by culturing human osteoblastic line (MG‐63) cells on the scaffolds, revealing a higher proliferation of cells and deposition of minerals on bredigite‐containing scaffolds than those without bredigite. These results collectively suggest that the Gel‐PLA‐5 wt% bredigite scaffold holds promise as an osteoconductive material for applications in regenerating bone tissue.

Photochemical machining (PCM) is a chemical etching process, in which a photoresist agent is used to cover parts of the workpiece that need to be protected from etching. In this study, the main goal is to create a groove on the flat surface of a workpiece made of 100Cr6 steel using the PCM process and to investigate different variables on the dimensional and geometrical accuracy of the groove. The experiments were designed using the response surface method with a central composite methodology, involving 20 experiments and three repetitions. In this study, the effects of different variables such as time of etching, the concentration of ferric chloride (FeCl 3 ) in the etchant solution, and the weight ratio of hydrochloric acid (HCl) to FeCl 3 in the etchant solution were investigated on dimensional accuracy such as length and width error and also geometrical accuracy such as out of parallelism, out of squareness, and out of straightness. Results indicate that as the etching duration increases, the length, width, out of straightness, out of parallelism, and out of squareness also increase. This error becomes substantial with longer durations. Also, with an increase in FeCl 3 concentration in etchant solution, errors in length and width, out of straightness, out of parallelism, and out of squareness reduce. The optimal variables resulting in the least possible errors were an etching duration of 10.72 minutes (10 minutes and 43 seconds), FeCl 3 solution concentration of 599.64 g/L, and a weight ratio of HCl to FeCl 3 in the etchant solution of 0.1. The following results on the flat surface were obtained: groove length: 3,056 µm, groove width: 625 µm, groove depth: 48 µm, and surface roughness (Ra): 1.285 µm.

Fish is one of the most perishable foods, and suitable packaging increases its shelf life. In this research, the colorimetric indicators based on stabilized anthocyanins of Hibiscus sabdariffa in gluten and carboxymethyl cellulose film were designed to monitor the chemical and microbial characteristics of salmon fish at 25 °C for 16 h and at 4 °C for 12 days. The fresh fish had a light color, but the fish color was critically increased at the end of storage (p < 0.05) with the increase in pH and spoilage. Moreover, the color of the intelligent film changed, indicating fish spoiling. The visual color changes from red to green were caused by the release of volatile nitrogen compounds during salmon spoilage, which are absorbed by gluten-CMC-anthocyanin films. The pH, volatile nitrogen compounds (TVBN), peroxide value, thiobarbituric acid (TBARS), trimethylamine (TMA), and the count of mesophilic and psychrophilic bacteria were increased during storage (p < 0.05). At the end of the storage, the mesophilic bacteria reached 8.26 and 8.65 log CFU/g at 4 and 25 °C, respectively. Therefore, at the ambient conditions, fish was acceptable for less than 12 h, and at the refrigerator, the mesophilic bacteria did not exceed the standard limit for 6 days. In conclusion, the colorimetric film based on gluten-CMC-Hibiscus sabdariffa anthocyanins can be used as a suitable indicator for continuous monitoring of salmon fish spoilage. Graphical Abstract

This study investigated the effect of virtual vs. traditional classroominstruction oncreative thinking among Iranian High school EFL Learners. One-hundred and forty three female of high and low level of proficiency, who were selected randomly, were assigned to two VLI (N = 60) and TCI group (N = 60) based on their scores in OPT. Then, each group were divided into two sub groups (high and low level) randomly in order to evaluate the effect of proficiency of each group on creative thinking. At first, a pre-test of creative thinking was administered for both groups to identify the amount of creative thinking. Then participants of both groups received 14-sessions same language learning English book1 but virtual group taking advantage of weblog while the participants of traditional group learned language in traditional environment. At last, all learners of the study were given a creative thinking test as post-test. Also, this test was administered on sub groups separately. Researcher used a pretest-posttest of Gilford (1976) for measuringlevel of creative thinking of learners. In addition, attitudesquestionnaire on different learning situation (Till, 2004) was used to evaluate attitudes of both VLI and TCI groups. T-test was used to analyze the data, which revealed that total gain in creative thinking domain by VLI and also high VLI subgroups was significantly superior to the total gain in creative thinking domain by other groups. Also, the attitudes of the VLI group participants were also higher than the TCI group participants. The findings of the study can be used as guidelines for designing classroom environments that can improve the creativity of learners.

Many studies have been done in the developed countries due to the importance of job satisfaction; however, only a limited number of studies have been conducted on teachers’ job satisfaction in Iran. This study is an attempt to investigate the relationship between teachers’ job satisfaction and their attitudes towards students’ beliefs and motivation.To this end, both qualitative and quantitative research methods including interview protocols and questionnaire were utilized. To collect data, in the quantitative part of the study, a validated questionnaire was administered to sample of 340 among the English teachers, teaching in Iranian language institutes in Isfahan. After gathering the questionnaires, those teachers willing to be interviewed were selected for in-depth interview. Both quantitative and qualitative data were categorized, coded and analyzed based upon the main themes and the respective research questions. The results revealed that there are empirically positive significant relationships (t > 2.56, P < 0.001) between teachers’ job satisfaction and their attitudes toward students’ motivation and beliefs. Moreover, the interviews showed that teachers’ level ofjob satisfaction was high, although they are not satisfied with financial matters. The finding can shed more light on the area of teachers’ job satisfaction and related factors to have better understanding of the relationship between job satisfaction and job performance. Furthermore, educational institutions through considering the results of the study can improve teachers’ perceptions of their job and improve job environment to manage language learning institutes or schools better than before.

Needs analysis is fundamental to determine what students need to achieve through the medium of English accurately analysis. In this regard, the present study seeks to evaluate the ESP course book entitled “The ESP Course of Qur’anic Sciences and Tradition” taught at some universities in Iran. More specifically, the study aims to identify the students’ perceptions of their needs and their attitudes towards the course book. To this end, a researcher-made questionnaire was used and accordingly an interview was run. Sample of this study consisted of 80 junior students majoring in Qur’anic Sciences and Tradition and 6 teachers teaching them. Results of the study revealed that the course book is appropriate for the students of the Qur’anic Sciences and Tradition course in general sense. However, the book did not get high evaluation in some issues. The findings of this study would enable the ESP instructors to pay more attention to the students’ needs in designing the Qur’anic Sciences and Tradition textbook. The paper concludes with suggestions that may help improve the current English language course based on the students’ attitudes and needs.

With the quick emergence of computers and related technology, Electronic-learning (E-learning) and Information Communication and Technology (ICT) have been extensively utilized in the education and training field. Miscellaneous methods of integrating computer technology and the context in which computers are used have affected student learning in many different ways. Integration of technology can help to create courses that are easier and more effective for learners, especially if ICT and E-learning are integrated into the educational process. ICT, when used in a sufficient and suitable manner, can help learners to understand IT better. Moreover, it can help learners to use the absolutely necessary skills which can guarantee success in empowering the learners with IT awareness and skills which are essential for success in today’s knowledge economy. This study aims to conduct a survey on the role of E-learning and ICT courses in educational environment. By having ICT courses available online via E-learning, every learner will adapt and be comfortable with the continuous upcoming technologies and innovations.

Despite the existence of many studies showing positive effects of using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the teaching and learning process in general, the use of ICT in teaching writing skills in English as a Second Language (ESL) classrooms is still not very encouraging. This study attempts to seek findings on the use of ICT in the teaching of ESL writing skills in Malaysian secondary schools. This paper just reports one part of the findings obtained from a big project which was conducted in Malaysian secondary schools in five areas of Malaysia. This study focuses solely on the data collected from four English teachers in a secondary school in Kuala Lumpur who were interviewed by the researcher. This study revealed that the use of ICT in the teaching of ESL writing was very low. Advantages of using ICT were reported to be attracting students’ attention, facilitating students’ learning process, helping to improve students’ vocabulary and promoting meaningful learning. Disadvantages found included the difficult class control, distraction and the students’ tendency to use short forms in their writing. It was also revealed that teachers are generally weak in managing problems and planning activities involving the use of ICT in the teaching of ESL writing. The results of this study are hoped to provide insights to the Ministry of Education in Malaysia to improve the low use of ICT in teaching ESL writing skills.

Magnesium (Mg) and its alloys are revolutionizing the field of interventional surgeries in the medical industry. Their high biocompatibility, biodegradability, and a similar elastic modulus to natural bone make porous Mg-based structures potential candidates for orthopedic implants and tissue engineering scaffolding. However, fabricating and machining porous Mg-based structures is challenging due to their complexity and difficulties in achieving uniform or gradient porosity. This review aims to thoroughly explore various fabrication procedures used to create metallic scaffolds, with a specific focus on those made from Mg-based alloys. Both traditional manufacturing techniques, including the directional solidification of metal-gas eutectic technique, pattern casting, methods using space holders, and modern fabrication methods, which are based on additive manufacturing, are covered in this review article. Furthermore, the paper highlights the most important findings of recent studies on Mg-based scaffolds in terms of their microstructure specifications, mechanical properties, degradation and corrosion behavior, antibacterial activity, and biocompatibility (both in vivo and in vitro). While extensive research has been conducted to optimize manufacturing parameters and qualities of Mg-based scaffolds for use in biomedical applications, specifically for bone tissue engineering applications, further investigation is needed to fabricate these scaffolds with specific properties, such as high resistance to corrosion, good antibacterial properties, osteoconductivity, osteoinductivity, and the ability to elicit a favorable response from osteoblast-like cell lines. The review concludes with recommendations for future research in the field of medical applications.

This paper explored perceptions of Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) among a group of Iranian female learners. A sample of 88 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners participated in the study. A task-based questionnaire was developed to examine the perceptions of the participants. The results suggested a high level of understanding of TBLT concepts among the majority of respondents. They also revealed a few negative views on TBLT implementation. This implies that EFL teachers can be positive in successfully applying TBLT in their classes because the learners are willing to adapt themselves to this new approach of language teaching.

With the rapid expansion of the Internet of Things (IoT), sensors, smartphones, and wearables have become integral to daily life, powering smart applications in home automation, healthcare, and intelligent transportation. However, these advancements face significant challenges due to latency and bandwidth constraints imposed by traditional cloud-based machine learning (ML) frameworks. The need for innovative solutions is evident as cloud computing struggles with increased latency and network congestion. Previous attempts to offload parts of the ML pipeline to edge and cloud layers have yet to fully resolve these issues, often worsening system response times and network congestion due to the computational limitations of edge devices. In response to these challenges, this study introduces the InTec (Integrated Things-Edge Computing) framework, a groundbreaking innovation in IoT architecture. Unlike existing methods, InTec fully leverages the potential of a three-tier architecture by strategically distributing ML tasks across the Things, Edge, and Cloud layers. This comprehensive approach enables real-time data processing at the point of data generation, significantly reducing latency, optimizing network traffic, and enhancing system reliability. InTec’s effectiveness is validated through empirical evaluation using the MHEALTH dataset for human motion detection in smart homes, demonstrating notable improvements in key metrics: an 81.56% reduction in response time, a 10.92% decrease in network traffic, a 9.82% improvement in throughput, a 21.86% reduction in edge energy consumption, and a 25.83% reduction in cloud energy consumption. These advancements establish InTec as a new benchmark for scalable, responsive, and energy-efficient IoT applications, demonstrating its potential to revolutionize how the ML pipeline is integrated into Edge-AI (EI) systems.

The present study aims at investigating the efficiency of the children suffering from hyperactivity disorder in the continuous function test of auditory and visual stimuli (IVA) in order to improve and promote the mental health of these kinds of people. This is of descriptive-comparative type of study. The 30 participants of the present study are the students of Tehran schools which have been chosen through cluster sampling among two groups of hyperactive and normal boys and girls who aged from 12 to 18. The Connors questionnaires and IVA+AE test were used to achieve the goal. The data were analyzed using SPSS-20 and multivariable statistical analyses method. The findings showed that there is a significant correlation among the focused attention, attention distraction, divided attention and selective attention of auditory aspect of normal and hyperactive students and the scores of the focused attention, attention distraction, divided attention and selective attention of the auditory aspect of normal students are higher than the hyperactive students (P<0.05). Furthermore, the same correlation exists in the visual aspect of the normal and hyperactive students and the scores of the focused attention, attention distraction, divided attention and selective attention of the visual aspect of normal students are higher than the hyperactive students (P<0.05).

This paper proposes a fixed-time multilayer neural network-based formation control problem for the autonomous surface vessels based on the relative distance and orientation angle constraints. The proposed approach only expends the measurements of comparative distance and orientation angle sensors with a limited field-of-view (FOV). The proposed strategy is able to obtain the perfect trajectory tracking performance when the motion ability of all the vessels is restricted into a predefined region owing to the limited FOV limitations. An asymmetric time-varying barrier Lyapunov function is efficiently utilized to cope with the limited FOV constraints. A multilayer neural network is efficiently applied to estimate the model uncertainties and unmodeled dynamics through the online updating of weight matrices. The suggested controller preserves both the comparative distance and orientation angles between consecutive vessels inside the predefined constraints, and the state errors converge to small residual sets around the zero in a fixed time. This feature accelerates the convergence speed and modifies the transient performance of the trajectory tracking control for all the vessels in the formation construction.

Several methods have been proposed for solving multi-criteria decision making problems (MCDM). A majorcriticism of MCDM is that different techniques may yield different results when applied to the same problem. Adecision maker looks for a solution that is closest to the ideal, in which alternatives are evaluated according to allestablished criteria. The multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) methods including TOPSIS, ELECTRE andVIKOR are based on an aggregating function representing ‘‘closeness to the ideal’’, which are originated in thecompromise programming method. This study provides a comparison analysis of the above-three methods: eightparallel production lines from a factory will be analyzed using these three methods and also aggregate methodswill be exploited in order to compare these methods.

Urban planning and management in economic, social, cultural, health and hygienic, and safety and security fields is one of the main concerns of officials and citizens in each country. Nowadays, the necessity of green lands in cities has become very important. Green lands refine the air and reduce air pollutants, strike ecological balance, and absorb piercing sickening sounds. Today, people are exposed to various psychological turmoil and ailments due to modern industrial life. Since one of the criteria for sustainable urban development is paying attention to the equal population distribution, green lands should be managed in such a way that spatial balance is prevailed. Since the city of Shiraz in Iran is located in a semi-arid climatic area, its population has been growing in recent years and efficient management of urban green lands seems vital to address and solve these problems. This study aims to examine the role of urban management in spatial distribution of green lands in a district in the city of Shiraz, Iran. To achieve the aim of the study, a reliable and valid questionnaire was distributed in district 8 in the city of Shiraz. This study is an applied research based on its purpose and analytical- descriptive case study according to its nature. The results of the study show a physical expansion and population increase in this district in recent decades which cause the imbalance between population and green lands and lack of optimal management of green lands in this district. More attention should be paid to sustainable urban development and new plans should be presented for the development and management of green lands.

Regarding the climate changes, global warming, recent drought, forecasting the maximum temperature and hot weather waves has been considered as one of the most important climatic parameters which affects the ecosystems and provides a proper opportunity for the planners to prepare necessary arrangements. Studying and analyzing the maximum temperature is of great importance in managing the water and natural resources, agricultural products, spreading pests and diseases, melting the snow and flood, Evaporation and transpiration, drought and etc. In the present paper, the daily maximum temperature of ten weather stations in northern and southern hillside of Alborz which are geographically corresponded have been collected during 1980 to 2010 in order to determine the hot weather waves in these two hillside and also compare them with each other in April to September, furthermore, a heat index was specified for each month according to the above mentioned data, and the maximum temperatures which were more than the defined index were determined as the heat wave and these waves were categorized into two classes of short term and long term and then the related diagram were drawn and finally using the Markov Chain Model, the transition probability matrix and the reliability probability has been computed with multiple power. The duration period and the return of 1 to ten days for each month and in each weather forecast station was analyzed and studied and then the corresponding stations were compared and the process of temperature changes was discussed. The maximum short term term heat wave in the northern hillside belong terms to Gorgan, the long term heat wave belong terms to Qaem shahr and in the southern hillside, it belong terms to Semnan. The probability of the days, without the heat waves, after which a heat wave occurs, varies between 2% in Ramsar to 4% in Gorgan in the station located in the northern hillside; while in the stations located in the southern hillside, this amount varies between 4 to 5% (except Semnan, 80%). The results show that the frequency of 1 to 3 days is more than others in all the stations and also in all the seasons and the frequency of 1 to 5 days in the station of southern hillside are more obvious. In the ten days of return, Semnan shows a significant difference compared with other stations.

Water is one of the essential needs of humans. Although it has taken two thirds of the Earth’s surface, water management and planning seems inevitable due to its time and place limitations on one hand and the little volume of sweet and accessible water on the other hand. Basically, change and movement are elements of natural systems. However, the subject of change in climate is nowadays one of the widespread scientific and even political and social issues. Climate as undeniable fact of our life environment has fairly regular periods of variations and change on time-place scale and fairly irregular changes due to human interference in the cycle of the Earth’s ecosystem. Since one of the important aspects of climate is the climatic changes’ effect on water systems of Marghab River, the process of climatic changes were studied in a 25-year-old statistical period from 1996 to 2011 regarding time and place parameters of climatic elements of temperature, and effective precipitation in the area. The present research was done using the ambit or range of the watershed method and the data was gathered by library-field research methods using geographical information system. In the present research, the results of linear relationship of climatic changes’ process show that the double increase of temperature and the decrease of precipitation in the area and their relationship with the decrease of water of Marghab River are significant. In addition, the above factors are effective in the break of Tondaran Lake and have caused Marghab River to become seasonal.

The aim of this article is to propose a comprehensive integrated model of the EFQM, i.e. European Quality Award, and USS i.e. the Ultimate Six Sigma in order to take more advantage from both of the models simultaneously towards improving organizational performance and excellence. For this purpose, the literature has been reviewed and the structure and criteria of the models have been compared. Then, an integrated model has been developed, in which the USS has been modified and restructured compatible with the EFQM model. The results imply that the proposed integrated model includes simultaneously the criteria of both EFQM and USS models and can be used as an appropriate reference model for assessing organizations in their ways towards excellence. The proposed model involves nine major criteria similar to the EFQM model and 56 sub-criteria similar to the USS model. The criteria have been classified into two categories of enablers and results. Out of 1000 scores of the new model, 795 and 205 scores have been allocated to the enablers and results, respectively, which is different from the EFQM model in which the sum of scores of enablers and results are divided equal (i.e. 500).