Fatemeh Jafari

Optimization of wool mothproofing with nano TiO2 using statistical analysis

Wool, with excellent characteristics, has the problem of being fed on by the moth. Until now several chemicals have been introduced for mothproofing with some limitations. In this research, an optimized mothproofing of wool has been proposed with nano TiO2 and citric acid by using Design-Expert software. Mothproofing was statistically investigated by measuring wool weight loss during feeding by the larvae of carpet beetle, Anthrenus verbasci. The analysis of variance was applied to obtain the optimum conditions for mothproofing. The damage intensity of wool fabrics was also observed with a digital camera. Further, the dyeing properties of the treated wool fabrics were examined through evaluating exhaustion of CI Acid Blue 113. Finally, the wool fabrics treated with optimized concentration of CA and 1.2% TiO2 nanoparticles indicated the best protection against moths.

Structural, electrical, and decorative properties of sputtered zirconium thin films during post-annealing process

Zirconium thin films were deposited on a glass substrate using direct current magnetron sputtering technique and then post-annealed at different temperatures (100°C to 500°C in steps of 100°C) in an oxygen constant flow. The dependence of crystallographic structure, surface morphology, chemical composition, and electrical and decorative properties of the films on the annealing temperature was investigated. X-ray diffraction showed different phases of zirconium oxide at different annealing temperatures. It is observed that crystallite size and nanostrain increase with annealing temperature. Atomic force microscopy results showed granular structure in all samples, while both grain size and film surface roughness increased with the annealing temperature. Energy dispersive X-ray analysis data showed that the ratio of O/Zr was approximately 1.6, 1.7, 1.9, 2.1, and 2.2 at annealing temperatures of 100°C, 200°C, 300°C, 400°C, and 500°C, respectively. The annealed films at higher temperatures (400°C and 500°C) were transparent, while annealed films at lower temperatures (100°C to 300°C) were grey and brown, respectively. The variation of electrical resistance of samples with applied voltage was approximately constant, while it increased with annealing temperature.

Critical ESP Textbook Evaluation: The Case of Visual Arts Textbook

Summary Since textbooks are one of the integral components of the learning process, their evaluation is important to improve their correspondence to the learners’ needs and goals. Particularly, in societies in which English is used as a foreign language, ESP textbooks play a crucial role in developing students’ skills of English in job-related situations. The present paper discusses the quality of ESP textbooks by performing a case study of an English for Specific Purposes (ESP) textbook “English for the students of Visual Arts (Painting, Graphics, & Sculpture)” developed and published by SAMT as the pioneer in developing ESP textbooks in Iranian academic setting. The study tries to investigate the overall suitability and pedagogical value of the ESP textbook and the features which make it distinguishable among its global counterparts. The study was carried out by drawing on a model proposed by McDonough and Shaw (2003), with an intention to evaluate the present quality of the Visual Arts ESP textbook critically. Both visual and content-based aspects of the book were thoroughly evaluated to identify their general pedagogical value by using the method of qualitative descriptive analysis. In that way, the Visual Arts textbook was analysed on the basis of the framework and guidelines suggested in the available checklist. In addition, semi structured interviews with graduate students, English instructors, subjectspecific instructors, and experts in Visual Arts Courses such as Painting were performed to clarify their opinions about the need for ESP and to analyze their perceptions of English language in general and English for special purposes in particular. The findings of the present study have revealed that there is a fundamental necessity for revision and development of future ESP textbooks in Iranian context. Moreover, the findings imply that traditional materials and frameworks are not responsive to students’ needs and genre knowledge in majors of the Visual Arts.