Investigating Iranian English language teachers' wellbeing across their career stages.

This study aims to investigate the wellbeing of Iranian English as Foreign Language (EFL) teachers across their career stages in terms of teaching experience. In this regard, the study categorized teachers into three groups based on their experience: novice, experienced, and highly experienced. Using a quantitative and cross-sectional survey design, this study employed a validated scale to measure psychological wellbeing, positive perception about self and life, goal setting and time management, and positive relationships among teachers. Using a convenience sampling procedure, 182 teachers participated in the study, representing varying age ranges, teaching experience, and employment status. The data was collected through an online survey within a month and underwent descriptive and inferential statistical analyses using SPSS software. The results revealed significant differences in the wellbeing of language teachers across experience groups. More specifically, novice teachers scored lower in various wellbeing dimensions than experienced and highly experienced teachers. These findings emphasize the importance of considering career stages when investigating teachers' professional wellbeing. The findings also contribute to a deeper understanding of the relationship between teaching experience and wellbeing, with implications for supporting the EFL teachers' wellbeing and informing educational policies and practices. The study results are discussed, and the related implications are provided for running professional development courses to enhance teachers' wellbeing.

Ultrasound assisted synthesis of Pd NPs decorated chitosan-starch functionalized Fe3O4 nanocomposite catalyst towards Suzuki-Miyaura coupling and reduction of 4-nitrophenol.

In recent days the nanomagnetic biocomposites have been evolved as sustainable green catalysts. In that context, we are prompted to design and synthesize a novel Pd NP adorned chitosan-starch dual biopolymer encapsulated core-shell type magnetic nanocomposite (Fe3O4@CS-Starch/Pd) in an eco-friendly pathway applying ultrasound irradiations. The morphological and physicochemical features of the material were determined using several advanced techniques like FT-IR, FESEM, HRTEM, EDX, atomic mapping, VSM, XRD and ICP-OES. Catalytic efficiency of the material was investigated in the ultrasound assisted classical Suzuki-Miyaura coupling towards the synthesis of diverse range of biaryl derivatives and in the catalytic reduction of 4-Nitrophenol.In both the protocols the catalyst exhibited excellent performances. Sonication had a significant role in enhancing the catalytic performances in both the reactions as compared to conventional heating. Due to super-paramagnetism, the catalyst was easily magnetically isolable and reused in 11 cycles without considerable leaching and change in reactivity.

A competent green methodology for the synthesis of aryl thioethers and 1H-tetrazole over magnetically retrievable novel CoFe2O4@l-asparagine anchored Cu, Ni nanocatalyst.

The current work describes the successful synthesis of a magnetic CoFe2O4 centered asparagine functionalized noble metal (M = Cu, Ni) anchored nanocomposite. The novel materials, synthesized by post-functionalization approach, have been characterized by XRD, SEM, EDX, X-ray elemental mapping, FT-IR and VSM studies. The materials are proved to be efficient heterogeneous catalyst in the synthesis of diarylthioethers by C-S cross coupling reaction and 5-substituted 1H-tetrazoles by azide-alkyne cycloaddition reaction under green conditions. The current methodology is advantageous in terms of simplicity of procedure, facile synthesis, high yield in short reaction time, easy magnetic isolation and reusability of catalysts in consecutive runs with insignificant change in catalytic activity.

Metadiscourse markers in biological research articles and journal impact factor: Non-native writers vs. native writers.

Metadiscourse markers (MDMs) are lexical resources that writers employ to organize their discourse and state their stance towards the content or the reader. This study investigated the frequency with which interactive and interactional MDMs were employed in biological research articles (RAs). It also explored the possible relationship between the frequency of these markers and Impact Factor (IF) of journals as an index of quality. Moreover, it aimed at finding out the difference(s) between two groups of authors (Iranian and American) in their use of these markers. Forty biological RAs published in years 2008-2011 written by Iranian non-native authors and published in four ISI journals with different IFs and 40 articles with the same characteristics published by American native authors were selected and examined for the use of the markers. The results showed that there was a strong positive correlation between the frequency of MDMs and IF of the journals. Regarding the frequency of MDMs, it was observed that Iranian authors employed interactive and interactional markers slightly more than their American counterparts. These results may provisionally confirm the considerable role of MDMs in enhancing the coherence and organization of articles for possible publication in high-impact journals. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 44(4):349-360, 2016.

N-butylamine functionalized graphene oxide for detection of iron(III) by photoluminescence quenching.

An N-butylamine functionalized graphene oxide nanolayer was synthesized and characterized by ultraviolet (UV)-visible spectrometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Detection of iron(III) based on photoluminescence spectroscopy was investigated. The N-butylamine functionalized graphene oxide was shown to specifically interact with iron (III), compared with other cationic trace elements including potassium (I), sodium (I), calcium (II), chromium (III), zinc (II), cobalt (II), copper (II), magnesium (II), manganese (II), and molybdenum (VI). The quenching effect of iron (III) on the luminescence emission of N-butylamine functionalized graphene oxide layer was used to detect iron (III). The limit of detection (2.8 × 10(-6) M) and limit of quantitation (2.9 × 10(-5) M) were obtained under optimal conditions.

A Diagnostic Analysis of Erroneous Language in Iranian Medical Specialists' Research Papers.

BACKGROUND: As English has increasingly become the lingua franca in science and international journals require native-like academic writing standards from nonnative researchers, there is more pressure on nonnative scholars to write their research articles more accurately and appropriately in English. This study was conducted to determine the most-occurring language-related errors which Iranian medical authors/researchers commit while trying to have their research published in international English journals. Also, this article seeks to provide useful guidelines to reduce such linguistic mistakes. METHODS: The present study investigated the most common language-related errors in Iranian medical specialists' research articles. To this end, the first drafts of 60 published research articles in medical sciences were cross-checked against their peer-reviewed published versions in order to identify the most frequent non-target language forms which received discoursal, lexical, grammatical, and mechanical revisions by peer editors. RESULTS: The findings revealed that the editors had surprisingly dealt with discoursal errors more than any other linguistic aspects of these research articles. This was followed by lexical replacements. In third place were grammatical improvements, where erroneous structures mostly related to tenses, usage of articles and prepositions, and agreement between verbs and nouns were treated. The least common revisions were on the mechanics of academic writing, consisting of hyphenating, spelling, case lettering, spacing, and spacing with commas. CONCLUSION: Although most of the Iranian medical authors/researchers enjoyed a good level of proficiency in English, their manuscripts required discoursal, lexical, grammatical, and mechanical revisions before publication in credited international journals.