z. talebi

This study aimed to revitalize the historical districts of Shiraz using a foresight methodology, with a focus on the year 2051.

Conducted in 2023 (1402 in the Islamic calendar), the research employed a foresight approach to analyze Shiraz's historical areas. A researcher-developed questionnaire was utilized for data collection, beginning with a review of existing literature to identify key indicators affecting the revitalization process. These indicators were used to design the research questionnaire, which was validated using the Delphi method. The study's sample consisted of 30 experts in urban planning, selected through purposive sampling. To assess the key driving forces, foresight tools such as MicMac and Scenario Wizard were applied.

Fourteen significant factors impacting the revitalization of Shiraz's historical fabric were identified, including the degradation of historically significant buildings, limited financial resources for restoration, declining public appreciation of historical buildings, and the underutilization of tourist attractions in these areas. Among the six potential scenarios, the fourth scenario, which exhibited 13 favorable conditions, was deemed the most optimal, followed by the sixth scenario with 12 favorable conditions. The remaining scenarios (first, second, third, and fifth) were classified as critical due to their negative status. The fourth scenario, with a desirability score of 21.10, was the most advantageous, while the fifth scenario, with a critical rate of 33.33%, represented the worst-case scenario.

Six possible scenarios, each representing different combinations of favorable, static, and critical conditions, may arise in the revitalization of Shiraz's historical districts. The favorable condition is the most likely to occur, followed by the static state, with the critical condition being the least probable.

Yersinia enterocolitica is the cause of yersiniosis in humans and its symptoms range from mild diarrhea to mesenteric lymphadenitis that may lead to appendicitis. In this study, the frequency and antibiotic resistance of Yersinia enterocolitica isolated from fish caught in Anzali wetland were investigated. Sampling was carried out for one year in four seasons from the autumn 2018 to the summer 2019 from four geographical directions: east, west, north and south, from different wetland levels. A total number of 91 fish were sampled from the body of these fish. Microbiological tests including biochemical tests, specific culture, and PCR were performed. In the specific culture method, 20 samples (21.97%) were contaminated with Yersinia enterocolitica. For the final confirmation of PCR, 20 samples were isolated from 14 samples (15.4%) containing specific culture method (6 Carp, 3 Anchovy, 0 Bream, 4 Pike Perch and 1 Pike) were infected with Yersinia enterocolitica. The chi-square test showed that there was no statistically significant difference between the various seasons (p >0.05), while there was a significant difference between fish species (p <0.05). Isolates from Yersinia enterocolitica using an antibiogram test of 10 antibiotics, the most susceptible isolates, Imipenem (92.8%), Kanamycin and Gentamicin (85.7%), Ceftazidime (78.57%). Cotrimoxazole and Nalidixic acid (71.4%) were the most resistant isolates to Ampicillin (64.28%), respectively. The results showed high levels of contamination of Yersinia enterocolitica, and indicative of potential dangers of Yersinia enterocolitica pathogenicity, especially in immunocompromised and susceptible individuals. Further studies on the pathogenicity of Yersinia enterocolitica in fish within the Anzali wetland and preventing sewage from entering the wetland are suggested.

Background and Objectives:

 Today, technology has an important role to play in regulating society's lifestyle. People's lives are dominated by an information environment because of rapid technological progress in computers, the Internet, and smartphones. Information and communication technology (ICT) is a special branch of IT facilitating access to information. ICT can help to improve teachers' teaching experiences and prepare them for the demands of the 21st century. To be effective in the use of ICT, teachers are required to have adequate self-efficacy teaching skills. ICT self-efficacy is the concept of an individual's belief that he or she can use information and communication technologies for specific tasks. The skills of information literacy and digital literacy are required for teachers to develop their own ability to use ICT. With this consideration, the relationship between information literacy and digital literacy of preservice teachers and their ability to use ICT for learning purposes is investigated in this study.

In this study, a survey research design was employed as the methodology. Data were collected using online questionnaires, and the collected data were analyzed using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). To gather data for this study, an online survey comprising two questionnaires was administered to students enrolled in teacher training programs at Farhangian University in Zanjan, Iran in 2023. One of the frameworks used as a questionnaire was rigorously developed and validated by Pinto and Markauskaite et al., while the other one was taken from the Global Framework of Reference on Digital Literacy Skills. Participants were chosen from study groups which were selected through stratified cluster sampling. Out of 1700 preservice teachers in two branches of Farhangian University (Alzahra and Shahid Beheshti), 313 preservice teachers were selected as the representatives (which was calculated based on the Morgan Table). To investigate the correlation between latent variables, survey data have been analyzed using CFA. For the evaluation of the proposed framework, structural equation modeling (SEM) was also used.

The outcomes of the CFA and SEM analysis revealed that how pre-service teachers perceive their information literacy directly and positively affects their perception of digital literacy. Additionally, the results showed that pre-service teachers' perceived information literacy has a direct and positive influence on their self-confidence in using ICT for teaching, also known as ICT self-efficacy. Furthermore, the research findings indicated that the way pre-service teachers perceive their digital literacy directly and positively impacts their self-confidence in utilizing ICT for teaching. However, when compared to perceived digital literacy, the perceived information literacy of preservice teachers has a more pronounced effect on their ICT self-efficacy in the context of teaching.

The research findings emphasize the importance of giving priority to the development of information literacy and digital literacy skills for pre-service teachers in the field of education. This is because these skills are strongly correlated with higher levels of ICT self-efficacy. The study also underscores the necessity for teacher training and professional development programs that specifically target the enhancement of information literacy and digital literacy. By focusing on these literacies, such programs have the potential to improve preservice teachers' ICT self-efficacy in teaching and enhance the effective utilization of ICT in educational settings.

Resampling is a critical step in Particle Filter (PF) because of particle degeneracy and impoverishment problems. Independent Metropolis Hasting (IMH) resampling algorithm is a robust and high-speed method that can be used as the resampling step in PF. In this paper, a new algorithm based on IMH resampling is first proposed. The proposed algorithm classifies the particles before entering to the resampling module. The classification causes those essential particles are only routed to the IMH resampler. Then we propose a distributed architecture to reduce the execution time and high-speed processing for resampling. Simulation results for tracking a signal indicate that the PF with the proposed resampling architecture has acceptable tracking performance in comparison to other resampling methods. The PF architecture with the novel Improved IMH (IIMH) resampling algorithm has 33% more speed than the best-reported method in PF. Also, the proposed distributed PF architecture achieve 79% more speed compared with the best-reported method in PF. FPGA-based implementation results indicate that the utilization of the proposed IIMH resampling algorithm in PF and also distributed architecture lead to hardware resource and area usage reduction.

Natural childbirth is a painful experience that can be treated with non-pharmacological methods to reduce the pain and stress. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of massage, hot compress and normal perineal care methods on perceived stress and the severity of labor pain in first-born mothers.

The present study was a quasi-experimental study. The research population consisted of first-born pregnant women in Gonbad-e Kavous. A total of 150 samples were included in the study, which were randomly assigned to one of three groups of massage therapy, hot perineal compression, and routine perineal care. Perceived stress and McGill pain questionnaires were used to collect data. Data analysis was performed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods including independent t-test, chi-square and repeated meassure, using SPSS software version 16.

The mean stress scores were 23.78±3.4 in massage therapy group, 23.66±1.7 in hot compress group and 25.3±2.04 in normal care group. Statistically, there was a significant difference between the perceived stress scores of massage therapy (p=0.009) and hot compression groups (p=0.001) at different times, but in normal care group (p=0.162) this difference was not significant. In terms of pain intensity, the mean scores after 20 minutes intervention was 5.29 in massage group, 5.45 in hot compression group and 7.15 in normal care group (from a totall score of 10). Statistically, the mean scores of pain intensity before and after the intervention in the massage therapy (p=0.001) and warm compression (p=0.013) groups were significantly different.

Based on the results, hot compress method was more effective in reducing stress and massage therapy was more effective in relieving pain than other two methods. Therefore, these methods can be used as safe and secure ways to control the pain and stress of first-born mothers.