Showing 260 results for Functional
Volume 0, Issue 0 (7-2025)
Abstract
This article investigates the syntactic parameters of the agreement/case system in three northwest Iranian languages, including Tati, Talshi, and Vafsi. Baker (2008) shows that the close relationship between agreement and case that Chomsky (2000) formalized it as the Operation Agree is a parametric matter and in all languages, the agreement does not depend on the structural case of the noun phrase. In this regard, he considers the existence of two parameters: parameter (1) Direction of agreement parameter (DAP) which is based on the c-commanding condition and The Case Dependency of Agreement Parameter (CDAP) or Operation Agree and he believes that the Operation Agree or parameter (2) is only one the agreement parameters in universal grammar, not a principle ones. Also, in a language, all functional heads, if they agree with a noun phrase, are homogeneously subject to the fixed agreement parameter in that language. In this regard, we evaluate how the two parameters of Direction of agreement parameter (DAP) and The Case Dependency of Agreement Parameter (CDAP) are fixed in the functional head (T) and moreover we deal with other functional heads including determiners (D), prepositions (P) and auxiliary verbs (AUX). The results show that in these three Iranian languages, the functional head (T) is subject to the CDAP parameter, not the DAP one and the c-commanding condition is not necessary for agreement. Moreover, in par with the functional head (T), other functional heads are homogenously subject to CDAP. The method of data collection was the library method and interview.
Volume 1, Issue 1 (3-2012)
Abstract
This study was conducted to evaluate the age-specific functional response of Psyllaephagus zdeneki Noyes & Fallahzadeh (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) at different nymph densities of olive psyllid, Euphyllura pakistanica Loginova (Hemiptera: Psyllidae). Due to parasitoid behaviour of feeding and parasitizing the host, both traits were separately explored on a daily functional response. Results of logistic regression revealed a type II functional response of the wasp independent of their ages. The handling time (Th) and searching efficiency (a) were estimated using the Rogers equation. The highest searching efficiency for both parasitism and feeding was observed in the first five days of the adult age. The handling time for parasitism and host feeding increased with the age of female wasp. The highest searching efficiency and shortest handling time for host attacked (Parasitism and feeding) were gained in day 5 and day 2 and maximum parasitism and host feeding in days 2 and 3 of adult female age, respectively. We conclude that P. zdeneki demonstrated a reasonable performance as a potential biocontrol agent by feeding and parasitism of E. pakistanica which gained its maximum efficiency within 2 to 5 days of its life.
Volume 1, Issue 2 (6-2016)
Abstract
Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of disability and pain intensity among two groups of governmental employees and sellers who suffering from chronic low back pain.
Material and Methods: This descriptive–analytic study was performed from Dec 2015 to Mar 2016among employed staff members of education ministry (N = 50) and 40 sellers with chronic low back pain who were selected through non-random sampling method. The research tool was Oswetry inventory to inspect the pain intensity and level of disability of the participants. Statistical descriptive/analytic method was used to analyze data through SPSS V16.
Results: Totally, 90 participants included 50 employees with an average age of 45.14 ± .85 years and 40 sellers with an average age of 45.42 ± 0.98 years took part in this study. The variables as age, weight, height were the same in the two groups (P > 0.05). There were significant difference between the two groups in terms of BMI2.01 (3.42-.59), pain: 0.55 (0.18-0.92), lifting disability: 0.77 (0.28 to 1.25), walking 1.03 (0.56 to 1.49), sleeping-0.26 (-0.51 -0.002), sexuality 2.07 (1.32 to 2.82), social life. 0.43 (-0.82 -. 03), mean total score of functional disability in performing activities 4.35 (1.93 to 6.77) which were better in the employed group rather than the other group.
Conclusion: This study showed the functional disability and related effective factors were different between employees and sellers. Therefore, categorizing individuals who suffering from back pain into homogeneous groups and investigating the effective factors of disability in each group of people are recommended.
Volume 1, Issue 2 (4-2021)
Abstract
The notion of the characteristics of an ignoble human being in Gabriel Marcel's thought revolves around components such as establishing an "I - s/he" relationship with others, unpreparedness and unopenness in relations with others, and presence in the realm of "having." To that end, it will become clear that by establishing an "I-you" relationship, being present to other human beings in the realm of "being" becomes noble, but by examining Marcel's ideas it became clear that the dominance of science and technology over human beings paved the way for the formation of a mass society and further, it intensifies the functional view of human, and as a result all these factors, increases the intensity and speed of ignobility of contemporary mankind. In this study, which aimed to explain the factors of nobelity and ignobility from Gabriel Marcel's point of view, it became clear that he believes to emerge from unoriginality. a human being should be able to freely choose, to accept responsibility, to communicate with the secret and to have characteristics such as love, loyalty, faith and hope.
Volume 1, Issue 4 (10-2016)
Abstract
Background: Today, chronic low back pain is one of the growing worldwide problems, which caused in the reduction of individuals’ physical, mental, and social functions. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of training programs on functional disability in female patients with low back pain after 6month follow-up of the training intervention strategies.
Methods and Materials: This quasi-experimental study was carried out in rheumatology research center of Tehran University of Medical Science. A total of 27 female patients suffering from low back pain participated in this study. All the participants were divided into groups of 6 to 8 members and provided with a 4-hour training session of physiotherapy and psychology, followed by telephone counseling after one and two months. In order to collect required data and evaluate females’ functional disability, two questionnaires were employed: Roland-Morris Disability Assessment Questionnaire (RDQ) and Quebec Back Pain Disability Questionnaire (QDS). The questionnaires were completed at the beginning of the study-as the pretest, and 6-month follow up as the posttest. Data were analyzed through paired samples t-test using SPSS software version 16. A significant level of P< .05 was considered to compare the information.
Results: The results of the current study show that during the 6 months intervention program, the physical disability was significantly improved in terms of two aforementioned scales.
Conclusion: It seems that training intervention program along with the follow-up and phone counseling have significant effects on improving physical function of patients with chronic low back pain.
Volume 2, Issue 2 (11-2022)
Abstract
In this article, first, the philosophical implications of the metaphor of mind as the computer, were inferred from three perspectives: ontological, epistemological, and anthropological; Then, the elements of the curriculum were deduced from the mentioned philosophical implications, and finally, the implications of the mentioned metaphor in education were criticized. Since we think based on metaphors, according to the above-mentioned metaphor the mind is passive and has a mechanistic view to the student. The student does not have individuality and freewill. Evaluation based on this approach is also based on measuring low levels of educational goals and measuring memory instead of deep learning. The criticisms that have been made show that such an attitude towards human being is not acceptable from a philosophical and especially from an educational point of view. The above-mentioned metaphor can only be useful in explaining the function of the mind or brain on the basis of a weak version of functionalism, and has no further implications.
Volume 2, Issue 3 (9-2017)
Abstract
Background: Low Back Pain (LBP) is one of the most common Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs). Teachers are among those who are at risk for the MSDs due to their occupation. Education. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of two education methods in reducing pain and functional disability in two groups of teachers.
Methods and Materials: In this experimental study two questionnaires of VAS, to measure the pain severity, and the Oswestry Disability (ODI) questionnaire for measuring functional disability were distributed among the 175 teachers with LBP as pre-test. Participants were randomly divided into three groups: one control group with 35 participants and two experimental groups with 70 participants. One of the experimental groups received education by face-to-face lecturing and the other one with a tutorial CD. Eventually, 6 weeks after the intervention, post-test was conducted.
Results: The mean value for of pain and functional disability was not significantly reduced in the control group. But in both intervention groups, there was a significant decrease in pain and functional disability. The pain intensity in face-to-face education group decreased from 5.13 ± 1.54 to 3.79 ± 1.76 and in CD education group from 5.11 ± 1.57 to 2.63 ± 1.56, indicating that the most pain reduction was in the CD e education group. The mean of functional disability was reduced in face-to-face education groups (from 29.60 ± 10.97 to 20.74 ± 10.16 and in CD education group from 33.06 ± 13.04 to 19.43 ± 12.47.
Conclusion: CD education method was more effective than face to face education in reducing back pain. Education. Therefore, considering the low cost but high effectiveness of CD education methods, it is recommended that this method be used more for teachers' education.
Volume 3, Issue 2 (10-2013)
Abstract
One of the most important issues that have affected the basis of education during the last decades has been the realization of comprehensive objects of learning. In this way, emphasis has been mostly on instruction and not teaching, encouraging students to be independent and creative, regarding learning as a process, paying attention to how students learn, encouraging students to communicate with their teacher and others, and on the ground in which learning takes place. One way to reach such objects is to develop social schools in the framework of educational plans and a spatial background and frame proportional to those educational plans. In this study, we have tried to introduce functional indices proportional to community schools by a brief description of social schools and identification of spatial areas in learning environments. For this purpose, case and background research has been used and data have been gathered by referring to library and using case study. The result of this study is indicating the indices of exterior spaces and the manner in which each of these indices influences the process of fostering the skills and intellects relating to exterior environments. In addition to having multiple intelligences, each person possesses different talent or learning styles. While all human beings possess all of these intelligences in varying amounts, each person has a different intellectual composition. These learning styles can work independently or together. The learning environments that emerged in the twentieth century generally valued passive learning activities. Children who show talent in the active intelligences are not receiving the same positive reinforcement to encourage them to develop their learning styles. The theory of multiple intelligences can therefore help transform the way schools operate. The challenge is to create educational programs that give children the opportunity to learn in the ways that harmonize with their unique minds. In creating a learning environment that encourages the development of these multiple intelligences, teachers do not need to present their lessons and students do not need to learn the subject in nine different ways. Rather, this theory encourages teachers to develop their curriculum and present lessons in a variety of ways so that students will acquire knowledge and master skills in way that are appropriate for them.
Volume 3, Issue 3 (9-2014)
Abstract
Searching efficiency and handling time are two major components of functional response and are usually used to evaluate effectiveness of natural enemies. The effect of different foraging periods on the functional response of larval Aphidoletes aphidimyza (Rondani) (Dip.: Cecidomyiidae) feeding on third instar nymphs of Aphis craccivora was studied. The experiment was conducted in terms of time-specific (1, 2, 4, 6,12, 24 h.) functional response to varying densities (5, 10, 20, 40, 60 and 80) of third instar nymphs of A.craccivora at 23 ± 1 °C, 70 ± 5% of R.H., and a photoperiod of 16:8 h (L: D). Parameter estimates for logistic regressions showed a type II functional response for 4 day-old larvae of the predator at different foraging periods to varying densities of A. craccivora. The estimated searching efficiency (a') and handling times (Th), varied with foraging periods. The searching efficiency showed a decreasing trend as the foraging periods increased. The estimated maximum rates of predation (T/Th) for the 4-day old larvae were directly related to the foraging periods increase but handling times (Th), showed a decelerating trend. In conclusion it was found that searching efficiency was a variable parameter in different foraging periods of A. aphidimyza and was lowest at the foraging periods of 24 h. It was also suggested that A. aphidimyza with type II functional response in all foraging periods, could be considered as a highly effective biological agent in suppressing A. craccivora population.
Volume 3, Issue 4 (12-2014)
Abstract
The toxicity of thiamethoxam and pirimicarb on Diaeretiella rapae (Mc'Intosh) as a parasitoid of Lipaphis erysimi (Kaltenbach), exposed to residues on glass vials, was investigated under laboratory conditions at 23 ± 2 °C, 70 ± 5% RH and 16:8 h (L: D). Moreover, in order to find the negative impacts of both insecticides on the efficiency of D. rapae, the functional response of the exposed parasitoids were assessed. The newly emerged parasitoids were exposed to LC25 of the insecticides and distilled water as control. Host densities of 2, 4, 6, 8, 16, 32 and 64 were placed on canola seedlings in a transparent cylindrical container and were offered to the treated parasitoids. Type of functional response was determined by means of logistic regression method and the parameters, attack rate (a) and handling time (Th) were calculated by nonlinear regression model using SAS software. The parasitoid exhibited type II functional response in all experiments. Attack rates in control, pirimicarb and thiamethoxam were 0.057 ± 0.01,0.059 ± 0.013 and 0.040 ± 0.01 h-1, and handling times were 1.097 ± 0.1, 1.86 ± 0.02, 2.81 ± 0.296 h, respectively. Maximum rates of parasitism (T/Th) were estimated 21.87, 12.9, 8.53 aphids, respectively. These observations suggest that pirimicarb with less harmful effects is the preferred candidate for controlling the mustard aphid.
Volume 3, Issue 5 (12-2014)
Abstract
Anthocoris nemoralis (F.) (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) is one of the most prominent predators of the pear psylla, Cacopsylla pyricola (Forster) (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) and is considered as a biological control agent against this pest. In order to investigate the effects of plant varieties on predation of C. pyricola by A. nemoralis, the functional response of both the sexes of A. nemoralis to pear psylla nymphs was studied on three pear varieties including ‘Shahmiveh’, as a susceptible host plant and ‘Sebri’ and ‘Coscia’, as partially-resistant host plants. Different densities of C. pyricola nymphs were offered to single A. nemoralis and predation proceeded for 24 h. The experiments were carried out under constant environmental conditions (27 ± 1 °C, 70 ± 5% RH and L: D 16: 8 h). Logistic regression and nonlinear least-squares regression were used to determine the type of functional response and to estimate attack rate (a) and handling time (Th), respectively. The results showed a type II functional response on all varieties. The asymptotic 95% confidence intervals, estimated by the model with indicator variable revealed that there was no significant difference between either the attack rates or between handling times of same sex of the predator on the tested varieties. However, when sexes were compared, the females of A. nemoralis had a shorter handling time and higher searching efficiency than the males on all varieties. The maximum predicted daily prey consumption by a female predator (T/Th) was the highest on the susceptible variety. Based on the type of functional response and its parameter values, the effectiveness of A. nemoralis was not affected by plant resistance; these findings may be promising for the integration of the partially-resistant varieties and A. nemoralis in sustainable pest management programs against the pear psylla. The implications of the results for biological control of pear psylla are discussed in a tritrophic context.
Volume 4, Issue 1 (3-2013)
Abstract
The purpose of the present article is to make a comparative study of theme markedness in Persian and English medical texts. It aims to determine the similarities and differences of Persian and English with regard to markedness. The study has been done based on Halliday’s Systemic Functional Grammar (SFG) and is concerned with the textual metafunction of this approach. To accomplish the purpose of the study, several books and articles were selected in the field of medical sciences. The corpus contained 1000 randomly chosen clauses of written texts, the data were gathered in both Persian and English and the research method was descriptive-analytic. The restults indicated that in Persian medical texts, circumstantial adjuncts in the subject position have a high frequency, representing that such an occurrence sounds unmarked to Persian native speakers and Persian has a different word order rather than English in medical texts. It does not completely conform to the concept of Halliday’s theory with regard to markedness. This research also illustrates that the properties of being pro-drop and having non-fixed word order distinguish Persian from English regarding the notion of markedness. In addition to language differences, theme markedness is closely related to some factors such as authors’/writers’ style differences, writing form types, text-clause relationship, emphasis, contrast, and specific genre. Since, the above mentioned factors in Persian and English effect theme markedness, they are regarded as their similarities, while language structure refers to their differences.
Volume 5, Issue 1 (6-2016)
Abstract
Extracted polysaccharides from green seaweeds are heterogeneous in structural and molecular properties. Basically, sulfated polysaccharides from green seaweeds contain various amounts of rhamnose (16.5-45.0%), xylose (2.1-12.0%), glucose (0.5-6.4%) and sulfate (16.0-23.2%), and their building blocks are chiefly comprised of β-D-GlcpA-(1 → 4)α-L-Rhap3s. Molecular weight of sulfated polysaccharides varies from 93.4 × 103 to 1690 × 103 g/mol. The biological effects of seaweed sulfated polysaccharides are immunomodulation, cancer cell growth suppression, antioxidation, antihyperlipidemic, antiviral and anticoagulation. As the chemical structure and molecular properties of sulfated polysaccharides differ from one seaweed species to another, the biological properties varies subsequently. Overall, given the fact that highly variable marine environment can significantly incorporate into the existing discrepancies of sulfated polysaccharide structures due to seaweed phylogenetic differences, executing more comprehensive studies on various species is necessary to have a better understanding of their function and future applications
Volume 5, Issue 4 (12-2014)
Abstract
In the present study, which has been done from critical discourse analysis perspective, the authors focus on the media news, since it is the media that puts as a topic of discourse analysis more than other texts. The general purpose of the present paper is based on an analytical framework in order to study the order of the contemporary media discourse. The authors intend to analyze the nonverbal factor influences on the choice of words used in the media news. In general, the data, which have been used in this research, are Persian news of four radios including Iran, USA, Farda, and Israel. The authors are going to analyze them in the framework of the strategies such as lexical generalization, address forms, and over lexicalization. The methodology of the research is comparative in which the shared news of the studied radios are compared to each other.
Volume 6, Issue 2 (9-2017)
Abstract
Optimization of protein hydrolysate from head and arms of cuttlefish (Sepia pharaonis) was examined. For this purpose, response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to investigate the effects of different operating conditions on hydrolysis process of cuttlefish protein by the application of alcalase enzyme. A Box-Behnken design with three factors at three levels was used for hydrolysis optimization and to check any individual or interaction effects between the experimental factors. In this method, the effects of three independent variables, including temperature, pH and enzyme to substrate ratio, were investigated on hydrolysis rate as a surface response. The mathematical model showed a good fitness with experimental data. Optimum conditions for temperature, pH and enzyme quantity were determined as 54.33 ˚C, 8.49 and 1.97 %, respectively, which caused nearly 14.5 % hydrolysis degree. Based on the lack of fitness factor which was not significant, it was deduced that the resulted model was capable of prediction at different studied levels of variables. In this study, in order to confirm the conditions that proposed by mathematical equation, the hydrolyzed protein was produced accordingly at which resulted in a 16.8% hydrolysis degree. This finding was according to the aim of present trial by producing a protein hydrolysate with maximum hydrolysis degree. Then the functional properties of protein hydrolysate powder from optimized conditions were measured. Functional properties of this protein powders indicated a good solubility, but weak levels of emulsifying and foaming capacities.
Volume 6, Issue 3 (8-2015)
Abstract
Historically, scholars of language teaching have got the advantage of linguistic theories and used their findings to get a better teaching outcome. However as many experts believe, English teaching in Iran has not been successful mostly because of the lack in scientific basis. Many studies have been conducted based on Halliday's systemic functional grammar since it emerged to apply its benefit in language teaching. This research has tried to have a textual analysis on Iranian high school English text books based on the mentioned theory to specify the kind and the frequency of themes in the text reading of these four books. After the analysis of 1303 clauses, the results showed that there is not a definite pattern in organizing the texts based on the kind or the frequency of the clauses and in opposition to our expectations, the frequency of marked themes, which can result in a higher difficulty level of a text, has not increased from lower levels to higher ones. Marked themes are even more frequent in grade one.
Volume 6, Issue 5 (12-2015)
Abstract
This research is concerned with the syntactic changes that occur during the process of translation of Quran verses from Arabic to Persian. Since it helps to evaluate syntactic structures and changes, the X- bar Theory is adopted to classify the type of these changes. For the purpose of this research, the type of syntactic groups is determined and the changes of them are comprised in both of Arabic and Persian texts. In this research the scientific study of syntactic groups contains of the study of lexical categorizes (NP,VP) and functional categorizes (IP,CP,DP) in Quran text and its Persian translations. Therefore the syntactic structures are comprised in two languages and different structures are determined in them. The purpose of this research is to study the data of Quran which includes recognizing the lexical and functional categories and determining of the type of their changes in Persian translations. It shows how the semantic and grammatical changes are represented during the translation of Arabic Quran to Persian.
Volume 6, Issue 6 (12-2015)
Abstract
Sa’di’s Gulistan has always been considered as one of the most important sublime masterpieces of Persian literature. Regarding to stylistic researches on Gulistan, one of the peculiarities of Sa’di’s artistic techniques is to select the verbs in such a way to reflect the influence of didactic qualities. In Halliday’s systemic functional grammar, the verb category is also considered as a process of transitivity system (grammatical ability for representation of experience in language), ideational and experiential meta-functions. The study of the types and frequencies of the processes leads to the achievement of the author’s mental status and style. In the stylistic study of texts, transitivity system makes it possible to select the processes systematically and to represent the author’s intentions. The goal of this article is to study the main components of masterpieces like Gulistan and to describe its features. To attain this goal, having explained the processes and its types, seven parts of Gulistan (the first seven Babs) and their frequencies are studied at the first step. The study reveals that Sa’di has paid attention to the selection of the processes and the capability of the simultaneous artistic repetitions besides meaning and rhythm. Since most Sadi’s examples are of behavioral nature, it is concluded that the main concentration of Gulistan is on humans, social relationship and the didactic principles.
Volume 7, Issue 1 (3-2016)
Abstract
In this article Systemic Functional framework of Halliday has been used to investigate stylistically some of Golestan proses in order to answer these questions: What linguistic elements have been foregrounded in each story(chosen at random) and which experiential metafunction has been used in each one? What is the reason of its application and does the the metafunctions foreground the content of the story? The hypothesis is that the contents of the stories are in a close relation to the linguistic forms used in each story. In other words, the content has been forgrounded in the form. After analyzing the data results showed that the writer's intended content is in accordance with the communicative experiential metafunction in terms of frequency of occurance, but significant differences are recognizable only when the total number of verbs is bigger meaning that the story is longer.
Volume 7, Issue 1 (3-2018)
Abstract
Aims: The functional properties of proteins extracted by Isoelectric Solubilization/Precipitation (ISP) method are influenced by various factors such as the use of acid or base while protein extraction. The aim of this study was to investigate the functional properties of protein extracted from Crucian carp (Carassius carassius), using acidic and basic ISP method.
Materials & Methods: This experimental study was carried out on 56 Crucian carps in Bandar Torkaman City, Iran. The minced meat of fish was randomly divided to 2 homogeneous groups for implementing acidic and basic ISP method. The protein was isolated from meat and its functional properties were evaluated. The data were analyzed by SPSS 21 software, using two-sample t-test.
Findings: The protein extracted from Crucian carp meat had a significant difference in acidic and basic treatments (p<0.05). There was no difference in water holding between two treatments (p>0.05). The emulsion capacity of the extracted protein was significantly higher in basic treatment than the acidic treatment (p<0.05). The emulsion stability index was also significantly higher in basic treatment than acidic treatment. All samples had a flow behavior index (n) less than 1, indicating that these samples had a pseudoplastic behavior.
Conclusion: The protein extracted from Crucian carp meat is higher in the acidic treatment, but the basic treatment has better functional properties. The basic treatment has a higher emulsion capacity than the acidic treatment, and the stability index is high in the basic treatment. Protein solutions as well as acidic and basic emulsions have a pseudoplastic property. The amount of food viscosity is higher in acidic treatments compared to the basic treatment.