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The present article aims to analyze six contemporary short stories based on Halliday and Matthiesen's systemic functional grammar framework (2014). In functional grammar, the message and textual meaning of clauses will not be revealed to the reader without identifying the topical themes and the discourse factors influencing to highlight them. Thus a perfect interpretation of the message will not be obtained. The study answers the question how the thematic structure in clauses helps highlight and convey the author's messages. The study hypothesis is: the thematic structure conveys the author's message by highlighting the topical themes by means of syntactic tools. the study corpus contains six contemporary short stories, comprising 3736 clauses. The descriptive- analytic method were used to analyze all the 3736 clauses based on thematic structure in textual metafunction.  The data analysis showed that in unmarked clauses the topical themes were used in their natural place as subjects, mostly being participants to preserve and maintain the topic. However, when there were good discourse reasons such as new events, topic change and certain meaning, mostly preposed adjuncts were used as topical themes in marked declarative clauses. while the process was used as topical theme in imperatives to show the participants social status. Therefore, the readers by using the thematic structure and identifying the topical themes can understand the author's intended textual meaning and his message in unmarked and marked clauses.
 

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در نشانه – معناشناختی ، نشانه ، گونه­ای منعطف ، سیال ، پویا ، تغییر پذیر ، متکثر و چند بعدی است . همه­ی اینها معنا را تعاملی ، فرایندی ، تحول­پذیر ، پویا و چند وجهی می­سازند . از این دیدگاه ، نشانه – معناشناختی نویدی است برای شناخت چگونگی کارکرد ، تولید و دریافت معنا در نظامهای گفتمانی ، زیرا فرایند معناسازی خود تحت نظارت و کنترل نظامی گفتمانی قراردارد . و دارای سطوح مختلفی است تا بتوان با توجه به وسعت حضور نشانه – معناها ، کارکردهای متفاوت معنایی آنها را ارائه داد . کارکرد­های مختلفی با توجه به  حضور نشانه - معناها  در  گفتمان  وجود دارد که مهمترین آنها عبارت است از : کارکرد  مقاومتی ، ممارستی و  مماشاتی که مبنای شکل گیری بسیاری از گفتمانها به شمار می­روند . از این دیدگاه ،  نظام اسطوره­ای ، نظام نشانه - معنایی است که چارچوبی کیهان شناسانه و ادراکی برای تبیین پدیده­های پیرامون انسان ارائه می­دهد که دقیقا در کارکرد ادراک معنایابی و تفسیر آن نوعی نگاه به جهان مطرح است که منجر به ایجاد نوعی التفات به جهان می­انجامد که متاثر از زیست جهان انُسانها  شکل گرفته است . در این پژوهش مساله مهم این است که نظامی جهت تبین جهان بینی و ایدئولوژی اسطورها­ی خود از چه شگردها و راهکار­هایی  بهره برده است ؟ همچنین کارکرد­های ویژه اسطوره در گفتمان هفت پیکر چیست ؟  این پژوهش نشان

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The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of cognitive functions on verbal fluency. For this purpose, some cognitive functions and verbal fluency in adult patients with right hemisphere damage were evaluated. The methodological nature of this study is descriptive-analytical. The statistical population of the study consists of 18 adult patients with right hemisphere damage and 18 healthy adults. Selective attention test, memory test, clock drawing test (visual neglect) and verbal fluency test were used to evaluate cognitive functions and linguistic skill of the subjects. Research data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings showed that there is a significant difference between performance of adult patients with right hemisphere damage and healthy adults in the cognitive tests (P< 0.05). Likewise, in the verbal fluency test, there is a significant difference between performance of adult patients with right hemisphere damage and healthy adults (P< 0.05). In addition, the research findings showed that there is a correlation between cognitive functions and verbal fluency. Also, the results showed that damage to the right hemisphere of brain can lead to disorders in cognitive functions of patients with right hemisphere damage. Furthermore, it seems that impairment in cognitive functions can cause problems in language skills.
 

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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.

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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 (T_h) 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.

 

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We present a method to predict the flexible and rigid regions based on sequence. We use the free energy of two consequent amino acids to define a factor for distinguishing flexible regions from the rigid ones. Using statistical analysis of this free energy, we assign a normalized number between zero to one hundred which we call it flexibility number. Taking the effects of up to four neighbors of an amino acid, into account, resulted in an efficient prediction of flexible and rigid regions of a protein.

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This paper is focused on fuzzy theory of democracy. Here, it has been argued that the theory of democracy provides a two-valued description of political order (democratic or non democratic).However, this account of democracy is not consistent with the scientific truth. Democracy is characterized by fuzzy truth. Thus, following a critical discussion on the epistemology of critical rationality, a fuzzy epistemic apparatus has been formulated. Considering the fuzzy epistemology, it has been claimed that on this epistemic horizon, every thing is relatively calibrated and truth is something between zero and one. Also, in the mentioned apparatus, the black and white truth transforms into a gray truth and all follow the principle of uncertainty. Consequently, in the fuzzy epistemology, the membership function of zero and one will be generalized to a fuzzy membership based on a range of zero and one. To support the above mentioned epistemic apparatus, the writer of the paper has provided an empirical argument. The evidences the writer provides indicate that democracy as a truth represents values in the range of zero to one. The value of zero represents a completely non democratic country and the value of one represents a full democratic one. Any other value between zero to one is an indicator of a mixed category consisting of both democratic and non democratic aspects. Finally, based on the empirical evidences, it has been concluded that the U.S.A, England, Japan, Turkey, India, France, and Iran (1998-2003) are of democratic countries, albeit the kind and degree of democracies vary

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The identity of a society is a tool for distinguishing different nations from each other based on a common concept or predetermined concepts. The strong sense of identity can be considered as a social capital. In addition, social capital and social identity are the result of tangible social relationships, which are understandable by the society. They Also have strong affects on each other. With respect to this relationship, this paper verifies the relationship between identity and social capital. The data were gathered from the world values data of 70 countries according to the definitions of the variables. The results by logistic regression showed that there is a positive and significant relationship between social identity and social capital.

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Indo-european worldview has been reflected considerably in the formation of the Persian poem and prose, because of its literary and contextual grandeur. It has affected many works in various aspects, so that its mythology has been used in the prominent works such as Firdausi's Shahnameh and the Kyrgyz epic of Manas. However, the way of possessing such a worldview by Shahnameh and Manas is the subject of current research. In this regard, we have described and considered the behavior of heroes in the two works based on the George Dumezil's Three Functions Theory. Our study reveals that the tree functions of the theory have been applied all over the stories of these two epics. This theory is based on the two vises: coordination and contrast; meanwhile Shahnameh and Manas are based on goodness and evil, which are symbolized in heroes such as Siavash/Bakai as well as Rostam/Manas. The first section consists of the wisdom, intellect and calmness symbols, and the second section is related to the symbols of violence, stringency warmness, militancy, and self discipline; while ordering the Quadruplet elements system, provides the people with peace and self-coordination by its force. Moreover, there are invulnerable Demons and Personages in both epics such as Esfandiar (in Shahnameh) and Malgun and Mady Khan (in Manas). However, their only vulnerable spots are their eyes through which they must be killed and their dominance must be ended. This is the motif of “Killing the Demon by blinding him”, which forms one of the worldview's elements mentioned in Indo-european mythology.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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The formation of the border and the establishment of a border line between the two countries have political, economic and cultural-social consequences and impacts, especially at local and border settlements level. In this research, the consequences of the border establishment, border policies, and the plan to strengthen border guard (Forces) at several points of settlements such as Yazdan, Kaboodeh, and Nazarkhan have been discussed. This descriptive-analytical research, based on library and field pieces of information/findings seek to investigate the formation process of eastern borders within South Khorasan province and also the developments that during about six decades have taken place in these areas. The results of researchers showed that the determination and establishment of this border caused that some border villages such as Kaboodeh and Yazdan placed on this side of the border, and Nazarkhan was placed on the Afghan side. The consequences of these border policies have led to evacuation and destruction of border villages such as Kaboodeh and Yazdan, along the Nomands resettlement plan and security, and also their inhabitants were resettled in the Barenjgan city; in the other hand, Nazarkhan farm across the border has now changed into a linear village with a population of over 5 thousand people. The evacuation of these border villages along with the border privacy delimitation project, and also the forced migration of its residents to a new location has resulted in tensions between old residents and new immigrants in addition to causing discontent between borderers.
 

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Editor-in-Chief Lecture (4)

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In this paper, some applications of the Method of Least Squares (MLS) for the solution of various problems in electromagnetics engineering is briefly reviewed. Here, MLS is employed for the solution of various problems such as solution of equations, curve fitting to measured data, generalized Fourier coefficients, linear operator equations, inegro-differential equations, electrostatics and magnetostatics problems, boundary value problems (by the Least Square Boundary Residual Method LSBRM), design of impedance transformers and matching by step and tapered lines, optimum design of multihole directional couplers, coupled-line couplers, branch line couplers, ring couplers, analysis of wire antennas, antenna pattern synthesis, array synthesis and scattering. In this study, it becomes clear that MLS can be applied to devise effective numerical algorithms for the analysis and design of problems in the subject areas of radiation, scattering, antennas, microwaves, engineering mathematic, etc. Some papers and books published in the area of MLS applications for the analysis and design of problems in electromagnetics engineering are grouped and presented in references.

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The objective of this study was to classify the Shoosh Aquifer to several zones with different water quality in Khuzestan Province, Iran. In this regard, the performance of classification methods (Discriminant function and Cluster analysis) for the classification of groundwater based on the level of pollution with an emphasis on the problem of over-fitting in training data were considered. An over-fitted model will generally have poor predictiveperformance, as it can exaggerate minor fluctuations in the data. Cluster Analysis(CA) was adopted to spatially explain the similarity of sampling stations with respect to measured parameters. Three methods for variable selection were used including regularized discriminant analysis, principal component analysis and Wilks's lambda method. The best algorithm for variable selection was Wilks'lambda which resulted in reducing the generalization error of the test sample to 0.1 for leave-one-out and 4-fold cross-validation. The second best performed algorithm was regularized discriminant function with 0.167 and 0.133 misclassification error for the two above-mentioned methods, respectively. Principal component analysis did not proved to be a promising algorithm for variable selection in the classification methods.

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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.

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Julien Greimas, a French man with Lithuanian descent, has a great knowledge on semantics and narratives. Greimas, who is one of the highlighted European thinkers on the grounds of “Componential analysis” of semantics, has tried to present a coherent and systematic pattern for the study of narration and story. This article is based on the semiotics analysis of “Mahi seyah kochoolo” (Little black fish) story and it tries to review the semiotics phase of this discourse according to Greimas model of study. In this article, we examine the semiotics process of “Mahi seyah kochoolo” story in order to find a right answer to this question: “What are the main elements, which make meaning in the aforesaid story?” In other words, “What are the elements of meaning production in this story?” The aim of this article is to review the narrative features of this story in order to make clear that how a story will pass from itself to break the narrative restriction and cause narrative diversit.