bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MOVE STRUCTURES AND THEIR RHETORICAL VERBS OF RESEARCH ARTICLE ABSTRACTS ACROSS ENGLISHES
Authors: Tocalo Abdul Wahid Ibrahim
Published: June 2021

Genre-based studies on the move structure of research article (RA) abstracts have established variations across cultures. However, previous studies included at most two countries for comparisons of abstracts written by native against non-native speakers. With the advent of World Englishes, it is deemed more practical to examine abstracts across Englishes to determine the writing conventions of the L1, L2 and EFL speakers of English. Consequently, the present study is a structural move analysis of RA abstracts focusing on the macro-structural moves across the Englishes and the lexical verbs employed used in each move. It examined 36 RA abstracts from linguistics and language and education fields, consisting of 12 abstracts each from the Inner, Outer and Expanding Circles of English by Kachru (1992). Each abstract was segmented into moves using the Five-Move Model of Santos (1996), which includes moves: (1) Situating the Research (STR); (2) Presenting the Research (PTR); (3) Discussing the Methodology (DTM); (4) Summarizing the Findings, (STF), and (5) Discussing the Research (DTR). The study found that the Inner Circle of English has the structure: Abstract  (STR) + PTR + DTM + (STF) + (DTR). The Outer Circle has the structure: Abstract  (STR) + PTR + (DTM) + STF + DTR. The Expanding Circle has the structure: Abstract  (STR) + PTR + DTM + (STF) + (DTR). The formulaic structures of abstract moves revealed that the only common move across Englishes is PTR. Following the approach of Musa et al. (2015), the lexical verbs realizing the purpose of each of the rhetorical moves were listed in order to come up with lists of rhetorical verbs which can be used in structuring an RA abstract. The study concludes with implications for academic writing instruction that calls for future abstract analyses that are world Englishes-inspired.
DEVELOPING STUDENTS’ INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE THROUGH CULTURAL TEXT-BASED TEACHING
Authors: Permatasari Indah , Andriyanti Erna
Published: June 2021

Teaching a foreign language needs to include its relevant culture as the context of the language use. However, studies indicate that many English lecturers in Indonesia have not integrated culture yet in their teaching materials, resulting in students’ low intercultural communicative competence (ICC). This three-cycle class action research was aimed to improve the ICC of first semester students majoring in metallurgy engineering through cultural text-based intercultural teaching. It was designed to overcome problems related to the limited opportunity for speaking practice and insufficient cultural contents in the English materials. Classroom observations and interviews with 22 students and the lecturer revealed that this cultural text-based intercultural teaching was practical to improve the students’ ICC. The integration of cultural texts in various forms: pictures, mind-maps, reading passages, and videos relevant to the subject field, enables the students to interact indirectly with the cultures of people from diverse communities. Answering questions and discussing language and cultural elements as well as the contents of the texts shapes their critical thinking. Their achievement in the role-play is the reflection of their improved ICC and shows their enhanced English skills.  Nevertheless, the students’ limited grammatical knowledge and lack of writing practice became constraints during their writing test. Further studies might investigate the solution for this problem, especially related to the effectiveness of this intercultural teaching in other subject areas.
SOCIAL SATIRE ON HIGHER EDUCATION: A COMPARATIVE STRUCTURAL SEMIOTIC STUDY OF THE MOVIES ALANGKAH LUCUNYA (NEGERI INI) AND PARASITE
Authors: Yulianeta Yulianeta , Tami Rosmah
Published: June 2021

It is commonly believed that obtaining a higher education is one way to elevate people's social class. Two movies, the Indonesian film Alangkah Lucunya (Negeri Ini) ALNI (2010) and the Korean Parasite (PR) (2019), challenge this common belief. The two movies criticize higher education by conveying the message in satire. To unveil the meaning of the two movies' social satires, this study used Roland Barthes's structural semiotic analysis on five primary codes to explore the codes that regulate the structure of the narrative of the text (film) to find similarities and differences of their focus of criticism regarding higher education. The use of satiric form to contrast and juxtapose the rich and the poor, and the educated and uneducated shows that both Alangkah Lucunya (Negeri Ini)  and Parasite uncover the influence of neoliberalism in the formal educational system that gives an impact to both lower and higher class, either in developed countries or developing countries. The satire content is intended to attract attention and to inspire people to move to change the situation.
TRANSITIONING TO ONLINE EDUCATION IN ENGLISH DEPARTMENTS IN BANGLADESH: LEARNER PERSPECTIVES
Authors: Bashir Ahmed , Uddin Md Elias , Basu Bijoy Lal , Khan Rubina
Published: June 2021

During the brief coronavirus-induced hiatus in March and April 2020, educational institutions in Bangladesh including public universities began preparations for online classes. By the end of June, almost all private universities and a few public universities had started online classes with limited or no preparation which was met with appreciation as well as censure from different stakeholders. Against this backdrop, this study was conducted with a view to examining the online teaching learning scenario at Bangladeshi public universities from the perspective of one important stakeholder, the students, with a specific focus on the challenges they faced in this new mode of instruction. Suggestions were also sought from them regarding how the barriers to online instruction could be overcome. Data were collected from 26 students of English Departments of 11 public universities through semi-structured interviews. The major challenges reported in the data include issues of access and equity, inadequate logistic support and poor infrastructure. Concerns related to curriculum, pedagogy, assessment and psychological issues were also highlighted. In addition, lack of prior experience and training were identified as serious obstacles. Major suggestions from the participants include ensuring access and equity, providing training opportunities and digital devices to students and engaging in curriculum and assessment reforms.
LEARNER MOTIVATION IN THE EFL CLASSROOMS: VOICES FROM A BANGLADESHI UNIVERSITY
Authors: Chowdhury Takad Ahmed , Roy Sarbani , Abdullah Muhammad Kamarul Kabilan
Published: June 2021

English proficiency is considered a door opener almost in any field anywhere in the world, yet all the attempts to improve effectiveness of teaching and learning of English language in Bangladesh seem to fail over decades. Although poor learning motivation is counted as a key aspect why students do not hold their attention to their English classes and make use of their capabilities to understand and learn cognitively, there has been a very limited number of studies in Bangladeshi context to deal with this critical issue. This mixed method study attempted to identify the sources of motivation for attending English classes of the 1st year undergraduate students at a Bangladeshi university. Quantitative data was collected using two close-ended questionnaires from 50 randomly selected Bangladeshi tertiary level English language learners and 10 teachers. The student questionnaire was developed by adding three items with the ten items adapted from Clement et al. (1994) and the teachers questionnaire was developed and administered to follow up the findings from the student participants. For a more complete analysis, structured interviews were conducted with 10 purposively selected students. The results indicated lack of intrinsic motivation among the learners, and based on the existing literature, the study recommended the way outs to improve motivation of the non-performing learners. The recommendations included, shifting from exam-oriented assessment system, teachers’ reflection of their own teaching practices, redesigning course curricula based on learning need and learners’ expectations, ensuring easy access to the latest educational facilities, and encouraging the roles of students and their peers to develop learners’ motivation and foster their autonomous learning opportunities. Finally, the limitations are drawn and suggestions for further research are provided.
ATTITUDE REALIZATION IN NEWS REPORTS: AN INTERPRETATION THROUGH AN APPRAISAL ANALYSIS
Authors: Asad Saira , Noor Siti Noor Fazelah Binti Mohd , Indah Rohmani Nur , Jaes Lutfan Bin
Published: June 2021

For the maintenance of the authorial voice, newspapers use rhetorical markers as an external supporting voice to win their readership. The current five year studies show that news writers maintain engagement with their readers by their stances towards their point of views. This study aimed to find the attitudinal stances of two Pakistani Online newspapers i.e. 'Dawn' (alternative newspaper) and 'The News' (mainstream newspaper). The newspaper's inclination was identified through its language. To discover the newspapers' stances, Martin and White (2005) 'Appraisal Analysis' framework was employed on '2' news reports comprising of '5013' words on Prime Minister Imran Khan's Speech at 74th United Nations' session along with Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) by Norman Fairclough (1995). It was found that both newspapers indirectly invoked attitudes by laying evaluative ground which was explicitly explained in the quoted text. The prime minister of Pakistan Imran Khan was found the 'Appraiser' in both news reports and served as a main social actor in highlighting Pakistan's current issues. The issues expected to be solved urgently for peace and prosperity in the region by the involvement of world leaders and United Nations on Kashmir conflict between Pakistan and India, climate change and elimination of Islam phobia.
INVESTIGATING THE ADOPTION OF TPACK-21CL BY ENGLISH PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS IN A COVID-19 TEACHING PRACTICUM
Authors: Drajati Nur Arifah , Rakerda Hilda , Sulistyawati Hefy , Nurkamto Joko , Ilmi Ma’rifatul
Published: June 2021

Applying the Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge 21 Century Learning framework during pandemic gives both chances and challenges for English pre-service teachers. Due to the complexity of integrating the TPACK and 21CL skills, many pre-service teachers are not yet equipped with the knowledge. This case study was to investigate twenty English pre-service teachers' TPACK-21CL in Teaching Practicum. The data of this study were collected from lesson plans, reflective journals, and interviews. The findings indicate that (1) pre-service teachers demonstrated varying degrees of the knowledge and practice in designing lesson plan with TPACK-21CL framework ; (2) the adoption of the TPACK-21CL framework into lesson plans had a positive impact on English pre-service teachers in terms of solving the problems and learning values. Teacher education programs, especially in a teaching practicum, should afford chances and challenges for English pre-service teachers to develop their TPACK-21CL framework into their lesson plan to effectively integrate technology, pedagogy, and content into their teaching in the future.
THE EFFECT OF PHONOLOGICAL INSTRUCTION FOR STRUGGLING READERS IN ELEMENTARY
Authors: Novianti Ranti , Syihabuddin Syihabuddin
Published: June 2021

This study aims to determine the impact of phonological instruction interventions on dyslexic students in elementary schools. We tested the effect of phonological instruction on phonological awareness, reading and spelling skills in 4 subjects who had almost similar reading difficulties at different grade levels.   This study used an experimental design method single subject research (SSR). The SSR design used is the A-B-A design which consists of three stages of conditions, namely: A-1 (baseline 1), B (intervention), A-2 (baseline 2). Tests given to measure baseline and intervention results of phonology awareness tests, reading tests and spelling tests. Measurement of ability at the baseline was given as many as 4 sessions while the intervention for 12 sessions. The results showed that phonological instruction had an effect on increasing phonological awareness, reading and spelling skills. The significant effect of phonological instruction interventions suggests that understanding phonological principles is beneficial for students with dyslexia.
INVESTIGATING STUDENTS’ WRITING QUALITY WITH DIFFERENT PROFICIENCY LEVELS IN INTERACTION-BASED PAIR WORKS
Authors: Styati Erlik Widiyani , Rodliyah Rojab Siti
Published: June 2021

Pair work, an activity involving learners working together in pairs, has been widely used in language learning, especially in writing classes. Many studies have reported the effectiveness of this technique in improving students’ writing. However, there is scarce research on how the factors like students’ proficiency and the level of interaction may affect the effectiveness of pair work. This study, therefore, aims at investigating whether or not there is a significant difference in students’ writing (1) between the high proficient students working in the dominant-dominant pairs (H-DDP) and those working in the dominant-passive pairs (H-DPP), and (2) between the low proficient students working in the dominant-dominant pairs (L-DDP) and those working in the dominant-passive pairs (L-DPP). The experimental research design was taken on. There were forty-eight students involved in this study. The students were the English Department of private University in Madiun, East Java, Indonesia. Independent t-test by using SPSS 18.0 version was chosen to answer the research questions. The results show that the high proficient students working in the dominant-dominant pairs (H-DDP) perform better writing on argumentative essay than the high proficient students in the dominant-passive pairs (H-DPP). The students can manage their writing on argumentative essay effectively. The students give feedback to help each other by giving assistance in argumentative essay writing. Then, there is no significant difference of the low proficient students working in the dominant-dominant pairs (L-DDP) and those working in the dominant-passive pairs (L-DPP). Moreover, high proficiency influences the students working in pair work to write argumentative essay. This implies that teachers should consider students’ proficiency and level of social interaction before assigning students into pairs in writing classes.
ANALOGICAL REASONING IN NARATIVE TEXT: AN INNOVATION TO IMPROVE STUDENTS’ CRITICAL THINKING
Authors: Suharno Suharno , Setyarini Sri
Published: June 2021

The current rate of advancement in information and technology presents new challenges for EFL teachers at all levels of education. Students are confronted with perplexing data, leaving them feeling disoriented in the digital world and ignoring their awareness of social issues. This problem prompts the teachers to encourage students’ critical thinking skills through various strategies that require them to participate in learning.  This study describes the implementation of analogical reasoning in a narrative text to promote EFL junior secondary students’ critical thinking skills and investigate the levels of students’ thinking skills promoted by the teachers through the learning strategy. A classroom action research covering two cycles was employed as a research design. There were three instruments to collect the data: classroom observation, interview with the teachers and students, and document analysis. The collected data were then analyzed and interpreted by referring to the theory of analogical reasoning, narrative text, and promoting critical thinking skills. This study revealed that the teachers applied analogical reasoning in three stages, such as retrieval, mapping, and reflecting integrated with students’ schemata. In terms of the students’ levels of thinking, this learning strategy had successfully promoted students’ thinking skills from applying to creating levels as indicated from the inferences made by the students.
THE GENERIC STRUCTURE OF THE THAI PRIME MINISTER'S WEEKLY ADDRESS
Authors: Phanthaphoommee Narongdej
Published: June 2021

This study examines how the weekly Thai prime ministerial address constitutes as a genre and explains its implications against the Thai socio-political backdrop. Drawing on data derived from Thaksin Shinawatra’s, Abhisit Vejjajiva’s, Yingluck Shinawatra’s and Prayut Chan-o-cha’s weekly addresses, the study applies an integrated model of genre analysis based on Systemic Functional Linguistic perspective. The findings reveal that although the format of the Thai weekly address is emulated that of the US president’s, this unidirectional, weekly televised communication differs from other world leader’s addresses. Following an interpretation of the findings, the paper argues that the weekly address has become ritualised in Thai politics since almost all post-Thaksin prime ministers have employed this political marketing strategy to justify their rule and promote their administration’s performance in such a way as to embody the ‘senior-cum-leader’ trait that has become a major Thai  tenet. The generic structure of the show is loosely organised around a long-running time slot and imbued with a strong sense of positivity and glorification of the century-long concept of Thai nationalism.
THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE IMAGE OF JAVANESE AS AN OLD LANGUAGE THROUGH AN ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF JAVANESE CULTURAL TERMS IN INDONESIAN NOVEL ‘GADIS KRETEK’
Authors: Hardiyanti Diana , Nugraheni Yunita , Nababan Mangatur , Santosa Riyadi
Published: June 2021

As on old language, Javanese has its uniqueness. The uniqueness of Javanese language is reflected through the use of speech level and the distinctive specification in addressing things and activities. Consequently, Javanese language is rich with vocabularies and it has many specific cultural terms in many aspects and activities. In Indonesian novel ‘Gadis Kretek’, many Javanese cultural terms are incorporated to depict and construct Javanese social life, characterization, and issues. Such cultural terms become a challenge for the English translator since they symbolize the oldness of Javanese language. This research unfolds the translation techniques used by translator in translating Javanese cultural terms in novel ‘Gadis Kretek’ as well as the translation quality of the English translation. The data of this study were taken based on the certain criteria of cultural terms in Javanese found in the original novel ‘Gadis Kretek’ and its English translation ‘Cigarette Girl’. The data source was in the form of documents and informants. The documents included the original novel ‘Gadis Kretek’ and its English translation ‘Cigarette Girl’. The informants were the raters who assessed the quality of translation. This study concludes based on the translation techniques used and the finding of the translation quality, the translator is not very successful in the attempt of reconstructing the image of Javanese as an old language because the translator fails as shown in many analyzed data to deliver the specifics of Javanese cultural terms, at least their concept in the translation.
THE PORTRAYAL OF DEFAMATION CASE DEFENDANT IN COURT VERDICT
Authors: Zifana Mahardhika , Lukmana Iwa , Sudana Dadang
Published: June 2021

In Indonesia, the law that regulates defamation case is not only the Criminal Code but also the Law of the Republic Indonesia Number 11 of 2008 on Information Electronic Transactions (the ITE Law). From 2009 to 2014, the ITE Law has brought 71 defendants in courts as the suspects of defamation case. This overlapping law seems to be caused by many dimensions that can be used to see whether a person’s name can be ‘defamed’ due to someone else’s language productions. The complexity of defamation in Indonesia leads this study to look into its legal dimensions from a linguistic perspective. Conducted in the context of law in Indonesia, this research attempted to discover the portrayal of defamation case defendants in court verdicts. The data of the research were collected from the copies of court verdicts of two defendants of defamation case in Indonesia, settling in 2014 and 2015. The data were in the form of texts explaining the position of the defendants in their relation to the grounds for judge’s final decision. This research employed van Leeuwen’s  (2004) Critical Discourse Analysis as a framework to reveal social semiotic features depicting  and explaining  the construction and position of inclusion and exclusion of social actors in related discourses. Data interpretation and final conclusions unveil the existence of certain features that might violate the principle of presumption of innocence against defendants. This research also reveals marginalization of defendants in an effort to balance justice retributively and restoratively. The study indicates that the defendants turned to be the target of victimization in the production of court verdicts, while in fact, the law should place all subjects in equal positions before the delivery of such consequential decisions.
Energy Efficient Routing Protocall By One Way Multi-Hope Sensor Nodes
Authors: Et. al. Heba Hussain Hadi,
Published: June 2021

Multi-hope is widely used for data aggregation and transmission in various applications. The resource availability determines the life time of a WSN. Sensor nodes are powered by a tiny battery that supplies the required energy for the sensor and transmitter. The residual energy available at any moment decides the fitness of the sensor node. The sensor node senses the environment and transmits the data to the sink. Efficient data transmission and aggregation with less energy consumption can prolong the lifetime of the sensor network. The sensor node that is inside the coverage area of the sink can directly transmit the data to sink in a single-hop transmission. The sensor node that is not inside the coverage area should transmit the data to the neighbor node which is in the coverage area of the sink. The data is then turn transmitted by the node close to it fall in multi-hop transmission involving a number of intermediate nodes to forward the data to the sink and consumes extra energy for the forwarding process. The formation clusters and data transmission of data by Cluster Heads (CH) can eliminate many nodes involved in the transmission of same data. Clusters are a group of self-organized nodes in a geographic location that can communicate among them. A node in a cluster with higher residual energy will be acting as CH and all other nodes in the cluster transmit the data to the CH. The CH transmits the aggregated data to the sink. The CH transmits the data to the sink either in single-hop transmission or multi-hop transmission. The cluster head consumes more energy than other nodes in the cluster as it is involved in aggregation and transmission process.
Identification of risk factors of regional metastasis of differentiated thyroid cancer
Authors: Kozlovska A. , Topuzov E.  E. , Rachinsky S.  V.
Published: June 2021

Diagnostic difficulties of regional metastases, especially lesion of the central neck, is the main problem with choosing the type of surgical intervention for patients with differentiated thyroid cancer diagnosis. The frequency of differentiated thyroid cancer regional metastasis to the neck lymph nodes is about 60 %. This article includes the search and identification of risk factors of differentiated thyroid cancer regional metastases, as well as a review of the literature on this problem. We have analyzed the results of surgical treatment of patients with papillary thyroid cancer of Stage I–III (T1–4aN0–1bM0) who underwent surgical treatment at the St. Petersburg State Healthcare Institution «City Clinical Oncology Center» in 2018–2019. As a result of the study, the data revealed a relationship between regional metastases and intrathyroid vascular invasion of the primary tumor (p < 0.05), while multifocality, extrathyroid extension and the incidence of BRAF mutation have not demonstrated this correlation (p > 0.05). After the surgical treatment we should focus on the presence of vascular invasion and, if it is detected, perform final thyroidectomy and central lymph node dissection with subsequent radioiodine therapy.
Comparative analysis of long-term results of external beam and combined radiotherapy in high-risk prostate cancer patients
Authors: Potapova A.  V. , Gladilina I.  A. , Petrovsky A.  V. , Rotobelskaya L.  E. , Shabanov M.  A. , Chernyaev V.  A. , Sholokhov V.  N. , Tkachev S.  I.
Published: June 2021

Prostate cancer (PCa) of high risk is one of the crucial problems in urological oncology. Radiation therapy (RT), along with radical prostatectomy, is an important component of the complex treatment of patients with high‑risk PCa. To improve the long‑term oncological results of RT dose escalation is advocated. Currently, dose escalation can be reached via external beam irradiation and interstitial RT techniques. The study included 109 patients with high‑risk PCa who underwent either external beam RT up to 76 Gy, or combined RT (external beam + interstitial RT) using 125I sources with long‑term androgen deprivation therapy. Comparative analysis of long‑term results of patients with high‑risk PCa treatment showed an improvement in 5‑year disease‑free survival rates after combined RT compared with external beam RT. Acute rectal toxicity was decreased in combined RT group compared to patients after external beam RT: 13.2 % and 46.4 %, respectively (p < 0.01).
An interdisciplinary integrative approach to pregnancy management in benign and borderline ovarian tumors: a case report and а literature review
Authors: Kozyrko E. V. , Alieva G. R. , Akhmedova A. I. , Khokhlova S. V. , Shmakov R. G.
Published: June 2021

The management and treatment of patients with various malignancies during pregnancy appears to be a pressing issue to date. Ovarian tumors take the 4th place among all neoplasms diagnosed during pregnancy. The study aimed to investigate an interdisciplinary integrative approach to pregnancy management in case of benign and borderline ovarian tumors.The article presents the analysis of the pregnancy course in women with borderline and malignant ovarian tumors. When detecting a tumor during pregnancy, obstetric and surgical tactics is determined in a multidisciplinary team together with an oncologist.It is possible not only to prolong pregnancy without additional chemotherapy but also to preserve fertility in the future in patients with borderline tumors and stage I malignant tumors.
Estado sin ciudadanos: seguridad social en América Latina
Authors: Fleury Sonia
Published: June 2021

Sonia Fleury aborda en este libro una elaborada articulación de teoría social e historia. Articulación que podría pensarse como meta difícil de alcanzar para algunos historiadores y salvaguarda contra la excesiva abstracción para buena parte de los cientistas sociales. La introducción de la historicidad en los campos de la teoría social y la teoría política ayuda a prevenir el riesgo de analizar nuestros objetos de trabajo a la luz de teorías de valor supuestamente generalizable y cientificidad que no requeriría verificación. Nos obliga a reconstruir procesos y a considerarlos no como aplicaciones histórico-concretas de leyes de cumplimiento universal sino como construcciones sociales, generadas a partir de la praxis de determinados actores, que elaboran sus estrategias en el interior de una trama de reglas y recursos, límites y posibilidades a la vez para la realización de sus proyectos de futuro. Esta reconstrucción toma como objeto de reflexión las condiciones del Estado de bienestar en los países latinoamericanos, la específica forma de implantación en la periferia de lo que Dieter Helm ha caracterizado como “consenso de posguerra”, y otros estudiosos identifican como combinación peculiar de crecimiento económico y bienestar social, dispositivo viabilizador de la convivencia entre capitalismo y democracia. Los pilares del Estado creado a partir de ese consenso fueron precisamente las políticas de bienestar, un mix particular de propiedad privada y pública y el rol directivo del Estado a nivel macroeconómico. Sobre esos pilares se construyó la utopía universalista, solidaria, que pone en manos del Estado la institucionalización de los derechos sociales. Susana Belmartino (Fragmento del Prólogo)
Detection of Aneuploidies in Products of Conception and Neonatal Deaths in Iranian Patients Using the Multiplex Ligation-Dependent Probe Amplification (MLPA)
Authors: Khorami Sarvestani Sara , Rafati Maryam , Soltanghoraee Haleh , Hoseini Azadeh , Soltani Azadeh , Jalilian Koosha , Ghaffari Saeed Reza
Published: June 2021

Background: Around 70% of all pregnancies (Including 15% of clinically-recognized ones) are lost due to various fetal or maternal disorders. Chromosomal aneuploidies are among the most common causes of pregnancy loss. Standard chromosome analysis using G-banding technique (Karyotype) is the technique of choice in studying such abnormalities; however, this technique is time-consuming and  sensitive, and limited by vulnerabilities such as cell culture failure. The use of molecular cytogenetic techniques, including array-based techniques and Multiplex Ligation-Dependent Probe Amplification (MLPA), has been proposed to overcome the limitations of this method to study the products of conception. This study has been designed to investigate the feasibility of using MLPA technique as a standalone genetic testing, with histopathologic examinations and genetic counseling to detect aneuploidies in products of conception and neonatal deaths.
 
Methods: Forty-two verified fetal and neonatal samples were studies and genetic counseling was scheduled for all parents. Histopathologic examinations were carried out on the products of conception, and appropriate fetal tissues were separated for genetic studies. Following DNA extraction and purification, MLPA was carried out to investigate chromosomal aneuploidies.
 
Results: Nine samples (21.42%) were diagnosed to be affected with aneuploidy. Detected aneuploidies were trisomy 22 (n=3), trisomy 21(n=1), trisomy 18 (n=2), trisomy 16 (n=1), trisomy 13 (n=1), and monosomy of chromosome X (n=1). The MLPA analysis results were conclusive for all of the fetal samples (Success rate: 100%).
 
Conclusion: These results suggest that MLPA, as a standalone genetic testing, is an accurate, rapid, and reliable method in overcoming the limitations of standard cytogenetic techniques in genetic investigation of products of conception.
Expression and Characterization of Two DNA Constructs Derived from HIV-1-vif in Escherichia coli and Mammalian Cells
Authors: Zamani Fatemeh , Bolhassani Azam , Shahbazi Sepideh , Faghih Ahmad , Sadat Seyed Mehdi
Published: June 2021

Background: Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is still a major global concern and no effective therapeutic vaccine has been produced to prevent the problem. Among HIV-1 proteins, vif as a basic cytoplasmic protein of HIV-1 is involved in late stages of viral generation and plays important role in HIV-1 virion replication. It also increases the stability of virion cores, which probably inhibits early degradation of viral entry. Therefore, it seems rational to apply this protein as a vaccine based on its impact on HIV-1 life cycle. This study aimed at cloning, expression and production of vif protein as an HIV-1 vaccine candidate.
 
Methods: In this study, vif sequence was amplified from pLN4-3 plasmid including HIV-1 vif gene and then cloned in pET23a to generate the recombinant plasmids of pET23a/vif with hexahistidine tags. BL21 competent cells were transformed to obtain the protein of interest. Ni-NTA column was used to purify the protein of interest and western blotting confirmed vif protein using anti-His tag antibody. In order to express the gene of interest in eukaryotic cells, vif was sub-cloned into pEGFP plasmids and HEK 293-T cells were transfected. Flow cytometry was then applied to evaluate GFP expression.
 
Results: vif protein was expressed in BL21)DE3) strain and identified as a23 kDa band in SDS-PAGE and confirmed by anti-His antibody in western blotting. The purified protein concentration was 173.3 μg/ml using Bradford assay. HEK-293T cells were successfully transfected by recombinant pEGFP plasmids and flow cytometry confirmed the cell transfection.
 
Conclusion: vif protein can be expressed in mammalian cells and may be a proper protein subunit vaccine candidate against HIV-1.
The Novel Drug Discovery to Combat COVID-19 by Repressing Important Virus Proteins Involved in Pathogenesis Using Medicinal Herbal Compounds
Authors: Mahmoudi Samira , Balmeh Negar , Mohammadi Niloofar , Sadeghian-Rizi Tahereh
Published: June 2021

Background: The cause of COVID-19 global pandemic is SARS-CoV-2. Given the outbreak of this disease, it is so important to find a treatment. One strategy to cope with COVID-19 is to use the active ingredients of medicinal plants. In this study, the effect of active substances was surveyed in inhibiting four important druggable targets, including S protein, 3CLpro, RdRp, and N protein. RdRp controls the replication of SARS-CoV-2 and is crucial for its life cycle. 3CLpro is the main protease of the virus and could be another therapeutic target. Moreover, N protein and S protein are responsible for SARS-CoV-2 assembly and attaching, respectively.
 
Methods: The 3D structures of herbal active ingredients were prepared and docked with the mentioned SARS-CoV-2 proteins to obtain their affinity. Then, available antiviral drugs introduced in other investigations were docked using similar tools and compared with the results of this study. Finally, other properties of natural compounds were uncovered for drug designing.
 
Results: The outcomes of the study revealed that Linarin, Amentoflavone, (-)-Catechin Gallate and Hypericin from Chrysanthemum morifolium, Hypericum perforatum, Humulus lupulus, and Hibiscus sabdariffa had the highest affinity for these basic proteins and in some cases, their affinity was much higher than antiviral medicines.
 
Conclusion: In addition to having high affinity, these herb active ingredients have antioxidant, vasoprotective, anticarcinogenic, and antiviral properties. Therefore, they can be used as extremely safe therapeutic compounds in drug design studies to control COVID-19.
The Impact of Nrf2 Silencing on Nrf2-PD-L1 Axis to Overcome Oxaliplatin Resistance and Migration in Colon Cancer Cells
Authors: Payandeh Zahra , Pirpour Tazehkand Abbas , Mansoori Behzad , Khaze Vahid , Asadi Milad , Baradaran Behzad , Samadi Nasser
Published: June 2021

Background: Nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) plays a key role in promoting chemoresistance in various cancers. PD-L1 is one of the downstream targets of the Nrf2 signaling pathway. This molecule has some beneficial impacts on tumors growth by inhibition of the immune system. This study aimed to investigate the potential role of the Nrf2-PD-L1 axis in the promotion of oxaliplatin resistance in colon cancer cells.
 
Methods: We examined Nrf2, PD- L1, and CD80 expression in the tumor and margin tissue samples from CRC patients. After that role of the Nrf2-PD-L1 axis in promotion of Oxaliplatin resistance was investigated.
Results: Our data revealed that Nrf2 and PD-L1 mRNA expressions were markedly higher in tumor tissues compared to margin tissues. The PD-L1 mRNA expression level was also increased in the resistant cells. However, Nrf2 expression was decreased in SW480/Res cells and increased in LS174T/Res cells. The inhibition of Nrf2 through siRNA treatment in SW480/Res and LS174T/Res cells has decreased the IC50 values of oxaliplatin. Inhibition of the Nrf2 has significantly increased the oxaliplatin-induced apoptosis, and reduced the migration in SW480/Res cells.
 
Conclusion: It is suggested that effective inhibition of Nrf2-PD-L1 signaling pathways can be considered as a novel approach to improve oxaliplatin efficacy in colon cancer patients.
Medical Biotechnology in the Service of Coronavirus Vaccine Discovery and Production
Authors: Akhondzadeh Shahin , Shamabadi Ahmad
Published: June 2021

The article abstract is not available.
Letter to editor: The basis for calculating costs in health technologies assessment studies
Authors: Hamouzadeh Pejman , Sadrollahi Ali , Yousefvand Mani
Published: June 2021

The article's abstract is not available.
The efficacy and safety of interferons for the treatment of patients with COVID-19: protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled trials
Authors: Noormandi Afsaneh , Fathalipour Mohammad , Daryabeygi-Khotbehsara Reza , Hassanipour Soheil
Published: June 2021

Background and objective: COVID-19 has since been declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO), infecting millions worldwide. The use of Interferon (INF) subtypes previously examined in the treatment of SARS and MERS is also being initiated in some clinical trials. Although different clinical trials were evaluated IFNs in the treatment of COVID-19, their efficacy and safety remain unknown. Therefore, this study aims to systematically assess IFNs efficacy and safety in treating patients with COVID-19.
Methods: The protocol has been registered in the PROSPERO International Prospective Register (CRD42020200643) on 24 July 2020. This protocol has been arranged according to the PRISMA-P (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols) 2015 checklist.
Discussion: Due to lack of approved medication for the covid-19 treatment and also various mutations of this virus, evaluated the efficacy and safety of medications by various studies could help for finding treatments with high effectiveness. IFNs are one of the medications that have been administered in covid-19 infection.  Moreover, the best time of administration and dose of this medication was unknown. Although meta-analysis is a potent source for assessing the accuracy of subjects, heterogeneity of articles is a potent limitation of our work.
Developing a framework for assessing the safety of service recipients in primary health care
Authors: Dorosti Ali , Farahbakhsh Mostafa , Nouri Mahdi , Karamoz Majid , Gharaee Hojat , Khosroshi Hossien , Azami-Aghdash Saber
Published: June 2021

Introduction: Safety has been neglected in primary health care (PHC). A review of the literature shows that a comprehensive and specific framework to assess the safety of the service recipients (SRs) in PHC has not yet been developed. Therefore, this study aimed to design and validate a framework for assessing the safety of SRs in PHC.
Methods: This study is a qualitative study with a grounded theory approach that was designed and conducted in 2020 in the Vice-Chancellor for Health of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. The present study was conducted in three stages: conducting a comprehensive literature review, consulting 15 experts and officials of the country and the province, and conducting two stages of the Delphi technique with the participation of 23 experts. Content analysis was used to analyze the data.
Results: In the literature review phase, 114 criteria were identified from 16 references. Finally, 71 criteria, in 6 main areas and 20 sub-areas, were identified for assessing the safety of SRs in PHC. The main areas include management and leadership (26 criteria), process management (8 criteria), SRs' safety audit (15 criteria), human resources (5 criteria), SRs and community participation (5 criteria), and occupational safety (12 criteria).
Conclusion: In this study, a comprehensive and systematic framework and criteria for measuring the safety of SRs in PHC were designed and validated, which can be used by policymakers and officials of PHC.
Quality of the Curriculum of Health Technology Assessment Master Program in Iran
Authors: Heydari fard Zahra , Zolfaghari Mitra , Yazdizadeh Bahareh
Published: June 2021

Objective: It is essential to improve the educational curriculum over time. This study aims to evaluate the quality of the health technology assessment (HTA) curriculum in Iran.
Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted in three groups of professors, students, and graduates of HTA by the census. The data needed for this purpose were collected using a specific questionnaire. Finally, descriptive and analytical statistics were used for data analysis.
Results: Of 127 individuals, 114 ones responded to the study (response rate = 89%). The quality of the curriculum in terms of design elements in the core courses and the elements of the executive courses in the curriculum are in the range of medium to medium-to-optimal (1.66< mean> 2.32 to mean> 2.32, respectively). Also, the majority of the elements of the core courses and design elements are from compensatory courses in an unfavorable to moderate (1.66> mean to 1.66< mean> 2.32, respectively).
Conclusion: The results of this study showed that there was no significant problem in most design elements of the curriculum sections. However, there are some challenges in some elements of the operation. Therefore, it is suggested madding some changes to correct inappropriate elements. To achieve this objective, it is necessary to investigate the interests of other stakeholders involved in this field and thus enhance the quality of the curriculum. Implementing the proposed proposals and reviewing the curriculum studied can be considered as an important step to improve the HTA curriculum in Iran.
Alpha lipoic acid: A treatment option for diabetic patients with Covid 19
Authors: Bahrami Moghadam Hossein , Maniati Mahmood
Published: June 2021

The new coronavirus pneumonia, which first occurred in China in December 2019, has a wide spectrum of symptoms from asymptomatic to very severe involvement and even death. The main reason for the increase in the severity of this disease is the body's inflammatory response to the virus, and due to the lack of effective antiviral treatment for this disease, it is necessary to take therapeutic interventions to reduce the body's inflammatory response. It is noteworthy that diabetic patients are more severely exposed to this disease and this calls for appropriate treatment to control diabetes in patients with COVID19. In addition to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, alpha lipoic acid also has therapeutic effects in controlling diabetes and blood sugar. Therefore, it is suggested that clinical trials be performed to evaluate the effects of alpha-lipoic acid on diabetic patients with COVID19.
Prioritization of Dimensions and Components of Professional Development of Medical Education Managers in Third Generation Universities Based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process Model
Authors: Seddighi M , Charabin M , Maqhool A , Zendedel A
Published: June 2021

Introduction: The present study was conducted using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) model to prioritize the dimensions and components of professional development of medical education managers in third-generation universities.
Methods: This study was conducted in terms of practical purpose, quantitative data type in 2020-2021.Participants in the study were 12 directors of medical education of medical universities (experts in the field of medical education) who were selected purposefully and as a complementary method of snowball. AHP hierarchical analysis method was used to prioritize the components. The data collection tool is Hierarchical Analysis Questionnaire (AHP) whose validity and reliability are determined based on the incompatibility rate. Expert Choice 11 software was used to analyze the data.
Result: Based on the findings, the dimensions and components of professional development of medical education managers in order of priority in six dimensions, including leadership skills development (0.238), management skills development (0.203), individual skills development (0.174), development Basic skills (0.165), research skills development (0.112) and educational skills development (0.108) were classified.
Conclusion: Given that the first priority in the professional development model of medical education managers in the third generation university is the development of leadership skills, special attention is paid to it in the strategic planning of professional development of third generation universities.
The Effect of a Virtual Grand Round on Satisfaction and the Level of Learning of Physiotherapy and Speech Therapy Students During the Coronavirus Pandemic
Authors: Saadat M , Moradi N , Shaterrzadeh Yazdi M.J , Orakifar N , Hosseini Beydokhti M , Behdarvandan A , Tahanzadeh B , Soltani M , Pirayeh N , Karimi M , Zamani P , Moghtader M , Khoramshahi H
Published: June 2021

Introduction: With the Coronavirus pandemic, disability and the students’ absence in clinical settings, the educational system of the Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences of Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences decided to hold a virtual grand round, teaching the clinical courses to address the shortcomings of clinical education. This study aimed to investigate the level of satisfaction and learning of students from holding the Grand Round.
Methods: The present study was quasi-experimental study. The study population consisted of 36 undergraduate students in physiotherapy and speech therapy; The Grand Round in specific cases of the disease was presented to students, in the clinical training. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire to assess the level of satisfaction with the virtual grand round and an electronic test to assess learning from the topics.
Results: The majority of students were moderate to highly satisfied (more than 70%) with the virtual grand round in speech therapy and physiotherapy groups. There was a significant difference between test scores before and after the grand round of the speech therapy group (P= 0.002), whereas, in the physiotherapy group there was no significant difference between the scores before and after the test (P= 0.3).
Discussion: Regarding the level of students' satisfaction retaining the Grand Round and increasing their level of knowledge, it is suggested that virtual group discussions be held in clinical education courses in other faculties of rehabilitation sciences and related fields, especially during pandemic conditions of coronavirus and the impossibility of face-to-face training.