Golestan University

Melaleuca alternifolia (Australian tea tree) sits at a rare intersection of ethnomedicine and modern pharmacology. Rooted in Bundjalung Aboriginal practice for respiratory, dermatologic, and wound care, its essential oil (TTO) has since been validated as a multi-target agent. We synthesize advances spanning cultivation ecology, chemistry, mechanisms, and translation. Chemotyped oils (ISO 4730) are dominated by terpinen-4-ol-supported by γ-/α-terpinene, 1,8-cineole, and selected sesquiterpenes-whose coordinated actions destabilize microbial membranes, impair energy metabolism, modulate redox and inflammatory pathways (PPAR-γ, Nrf2-ARE), and, in cancer models, trigger mitochondrial apoptosis and autophagy. Across pathogens, TTO displays antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and antiparasitic activity, including effects on drug-resistant biofilms and ectoparasites (e.g., Demodex, scabies, head lice). Inflammation and oxidative stress are dampened via NF-κB/MAPK restraint and antioxidant support, aligning with clinical signals in dermatology and wound care. Crucially, nanotechnology (nanoemulsions/nanoemulgels, chitosan-alginate hydrogels, lipid nanocarriers, electrospun fibers) converts volatile, irritancy-prone oil into a controllable payload with improved stability, targeted release, and safety, while enabling co-delivery with standard drugs for dose-sparing synergy. Remaining gaps include chemotype standardization, exposure-response definition at target sites, and adequately powered, indication-specific trials with patient-centered endpoints. We outline priorities for quality control, rational combinations, and engineered delivery, and note how data-driven tools (e.g., composition-activity modeling) can accelerate optimization. Altogether, TTO exemplifies how cultural knowledge, ecological stewardship, and formulation science can converge to yield a next-generation phytotherapeutic for anti-infective, wound, dermatologic, and emerging anticancer applications.

The global COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the education system. Education shifted to virtual methods, while there was not enough time to plan and choose a proper educational platform. In this study, we present an up-to-date review of the most commonly used virtual education platforms in Iran during the COVID-19 pandemic. This narrative review systematically searched Persian and English articles (2020-2024) in Medline, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, ERIC, SID, CIVILICA, and PubMed using keywords: "COVID-19", "virtual learning", "online learning", "distance learning", "post-COVID infection", "real and virtual simulation", and "educational platforms". Virtual classes have become increasingly popular during the pandemic. Adobe Connect, Sky Room, Skype, Big Blue Button, Google Meet, Gharar, Zoom, and Navaid System were the most commonly used platforms during the COVID pandemic in Iran. The most frequently utilized systems included Shad (predominant in general education and training) and Navid (leading in medical sciences). Shad had excelled in scalability and institutional integration but faced connectivity issues in rural areas. Despite its technical strengths, Navid was criticized because of insufficient interactivity and misalignment with learner needs in medical English. During COVID-19, online medical education in Iran relied mainly on domestic platforms, which have some limitations. To ensure future equity and competency, a shift toward hybrid models incorporating offline-capable Learning Management Systems (LMS), simulation, and digital literacy training is essential.

The convergence rate of iterative solvers is a critical performance metric in nonlinear finite element analysis (FEA). While traditional h- and p-refinement techniques enhance convergence by modifying the spatial discretization, this paper introduces a novel algorithmic-level refinement strategy. We present a computationally efficient mutation algorithm founded on a secant stiffness approach within a modified Newton-Raphson framework. The proposed method leverages the structural response trend to correct assumed displacements, significantly reducing the number of iterations required for equilibrium without altering the mesh topology or element order. Numerical experiments demonstrate that the algorithm achieves a superior convergence rate compared to standard incremental methods. Its straightforward implementation and computational efficiency make it a compelling alternative for large-scale nonlinear structural analysis, offering significant advantages for both research and industrial applications.

ABSTRACT The present research traced the growth trajectories of multilingual English learners’ achievement emotions and academic engagement in generative artificial intelligence (GenAI)-enhanced classes and examined the effects of translanguaging pedagogy as an emotional scaffolding strategy in this context. Using purposive sampling, 342 multilingual English learners were selected and randomly assigned to either a control group or a treatment group. Data were collected at three time points using two validated questionnaires and analyzed via latent growth curve modelling (LGCM) and repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance (RM MANOVA). The analysis exhibited an upward trajectory in the development of learners’ positive achievement emotions and academic engagement. The results further indicated that translanguaging significantly promoted learners’ positive achievement emotions and reduced their negative achievement emotions, which, in turn, increased their academic engagement. These findings highlight the contributions of translanguaging pedagogy in GenAI-enhanced classrooms and call for more linguistically responsive instructional designs that recognise and build on learners’ multilingual repertoires.

Background and aims: Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is an important preventable cause of mental disability in infants. Early diagnosis through timely screening can prevent its adverse outcomes. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of CH and associated factors in Gorgan. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 292 hypothyroid newborns born in Gorgan in 2021, based on a 5-year census. Data on first-screening and second-screening results, venous samples, and demographic characteristics were extracted from health records. Then, statistical analyses were performed by SPSS 16 using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and independent t-tests. Results: The prevalence of CH was 1:589 live births (1:558 in females and 1:621 in males). Girls accounted for 51.4% of cases, and 15% of newborns had a family history of hypothyroidism in first-degree relatives. Moreover, normal thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels were observed in 15.8% and 18.3% at the first and second screenings, respectively, and 4.2% of venous samples. Consistency between screening and venous sample results was 44% and 53% for the first and second screenings, respectively. Ultimately, infant TSH levels were influenced by birth weight and statistically correlated with thyroxine levels. Conclusion: Overall, the prevalence of CH in Gorgan was lower than in other provinces but higher than global averages. These findings highlight the importance of ongoing screening programs, and further research is required to identify the causes and preventive factors.

ABSTRACT The role of psychoaffective factors in second or foreign language (L2) listening has sparsely been reported in the literature. Moreover, the influence and interplay of learner emotions and motivation on L2 learners' listening self‐efficacy remains underexplored. To bridge this gap, the present research explored how adolescent English as a foreign language (EFL) learners' L2 listening motivation, along with the mediating impact of negative and positive emotions, predicts self‐efficacy in L2 listening. To achieve this, 302 adolescent learners (33 male and 269 female) studying English were voluntarily recruited and a battery of questionnaires was administered. The results of the structural equation modelling showed that L2 listening motivation has a significant and direct effect on L2 listening self‐efficacy. Moreover, all the mediators (i.e., enjoyment, boredom and anxiety) showed significant contributions to L2 listening self‐efficacy. L2 listening motivation, in turn, had a significant effect on all the positive and negative emotions. The analyses also revealed that L2 listening enjoyment, boredom and anxiety are strong mediators in the model. While enjoyment demonstrated a positive impact on the relationship between L2 listening motivation and self‐efficacy, boredom and anxiety contributed negatively. The findings are discussed in alignment with the relevant educational theories, and pedagogical implications are provided for L2 teachers and trainers regarding the emotional dynamics of L2 listening instruction.

Melatonin, the pineal gland hormone, is produced in several extra-pineal tissues. The arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (AANAT) enzyme activity determines the overall rate of tissue melatonin synthesis. A decline in AANAT enzyme activity during acute amyloid-β (Aβ) neurotoxicity and reduced melatonin levels in Alzheimer's patients have been reported. These findings raise the question of whether brain melatonin synthesis is altered during cognitive decline. We investigated whether cognitive impairment induced by Aβ administration could affect the activation status of AANAT, a key hippocampal enzyme of melatonin synthesis. Male Wistar rats received intra-cerebroventricular Aβ injection. Two weeks after Aβ administration, the neuroinflammation was assessed by interleukin-1 (IL-1β) immunohistochemical staining. Hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) was evaluated using the technique of local field recording. The cognitive function was assessed using the Morris water maze behavioral test.The hippocampal AANAT activation status was assessed by Western blotting, and HPLC was used for melatonin level analysis. Aβ-induced spatial memory and LTP impairments were confirmed by increased escape latencies and alterations in the fEPSP slope. The Aβ provided a neuroinflammatory context, demonstrated by increased in the IL-1𝛽 staining. These alterations were accompanied by a reduction in the activation status of AANAT, as indicated by the p-AANAT/total AANAT ratio, in both the electrophysiology and behavioral experimental groups.These data suggest that the local activation status of AANAT may be contributed in the cognitive function of the hippocampus in a rodent model of cognitive decline induced by Aβ administration.