Challenges and policies for promoting internationalization—The case of Iranian public universities

The global knowledge economy has turned higher education into a key player in societal development. Internationalization benefits higher education institutions in several aspects, such as improvement and visibility in international rankings, revenue generation via tuition fees and external funding, improvement of research and teaching quality, integration with academic communities and familiarization with scholarly attitudes. In this study, we provide insights into the challenges of internationalization faced by higher education institutions in Iran as a developing country. Several policies and practices have been adopted in Iran to improve internationalization efforts; however, these activities have had little impact on the quality of research and educational programs at Iran's universities. Understanding the challenges they face in a systematic way can help identify different factors and develop a set of suggestions to increase the quality and quantity of international cooperation. We formulate our suggestions based on the opportunities provided by the digitalization solutions in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and the increasing importance of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals in both global and national environments. We interviewed 15 faculty members in Iranian higher education institutions and 14 managers in charge of international affairs at universities in Iran. In addition, data extracted from three forums on Iranian higher education internationalization are analysed. Using a grounded theory approach, we group the challenges into macro-, institutional and individual levels and then suggest a number of practices and policies to increase the quantity and quality of internationalization efforts.     

Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles Coated with Aspartic Acid and Their Conjugation with FVIII Protein and FVIII Antibody

Carboxylate-modified gold nanoparticles (GNPs) were synthesized in a simple one-step process based on the reduction of tetrachloroauric acid by aspartic acid in water. GNPs were identified by UV–Vis spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy. Conjugation of protein molecules with functionalized nanoparticles was performed through electrostatic interaction. The GNP–protein conjugates were characterized by gel electrophoresis. The interaction between functionalized GNPs and protein molecules lead to conformational transition of protein structure after conjugation of protein with GNPs. This process was investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy and circular dichroism spectroscopy.     

Immunoisolated Transplantation of Purified Langerhans Islet Cells in Testis Cortex of Male Rats for Treatment of Streptozotocin Induced Diabetes Mellitus

The objective of this study is to induce experimental diabetes mellitus by streptozotocin in normal adult Wistar rats via comparison of changes in body weight, consumption of food, volume of water, urine and levels of glucose, insulin and C-peptide in serum, between normal and diabetic rats. Intra-venous injection of 60 mg/kg dose of streptozotocin in 250–300 g (75–90 days) adult Wistar rats makes pancreas swell and causes degeneration in Langerhans islet β-cells and induces experimental diabetes mellitus in 2–4 days. For a microscopic study of degeneration of Langerhans islet β-cells of diabetic rats, biopsy from pancreas tissue of diabetic and normal rats, staining and comparison between them, were done. In this process, after collagenase digestion of pancreas, islets were isolated, dissociated and identified by dithizone method and then with enzymatic procedure by DNase and trypsin, the islet cells changed into single cells and β-cells were identified by immune fluorescence method and then assayed by flow-cytometer. Donor tissue in each step of work was prepared from 38 adult male Wistar rats weighted 250–300 g (75–90 days). Transplantation was performed in rats after 2–4 weeks of diabetes induction. In this study, the levels of insulin, C-peptide and glucose in diabetic rats reached to normal range as compared to un-diabetic rats in 20 days after transplantation of islet cells. Transplantation was performed under the cortex of testis as immunoisolated place for islet cells transplantation.     

Livelihoods and informal trade at the Bangladesh border

Abstract

Cross‐border informal trade is one of the most important issues between India and Bangladesh. It takes place between people who live a short distance apart, but who find themselves separated by an international boundary. The people of international border areas believe that cross‐border informal trade is a process to maintain a sustainable livelihood because it provides a livelihood to the unemployed. This research has analysed the nature and impact of informal border trade between India and Bangladesh. It has highlighted the sources of security and insecurity through the process of informal border trade. It also analyses the different socio‐economic conditions of informal border trade in border trade prone areas. This research argues that although informal border trade is considered illegal, it is necessary for the maintenance of the livelihood for the poor in the bordering areas. The state failures in fulfilling the needs of the poor force them to involve themselves in informal border trade.     

Empirical research in progressive education

While the development of empirical psychology was helpful for research in several fields of schooling, progressive education gained much from the diverse branches of child studies in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. There are several outstanding examples like G. Stanley Hall, Jean Piaget and the Geneva Institute, and the German movement of “experimental pedagogy.” Progressive education was not constituted out of empirical research, but was in need of empirical research to secure and stabilize public interest in “new education”. Research activities were launched to secure older theories of child orientation, most of them referring to Rousseau and the “naturalistic approach” to education. Without this tradition progressive education could not have been developed.     

A composite pseudospectral method for solving multi-delay optimal control problems involving piecewise constant delay functions

An adaptive numerical method for solving multi-delay optimal control problems with piecewise constant delay functions is introduced. The proposed method is based on composite pseudospectral method using the well-known Legendre–Gauss–Lobatto points. In this approach, the main problem converts to a mathematical optimization problem whose solution is much more easier than the original one. The necessary conditions of optimality associated to nonlinear piecewise constant delay systems are derived. The method is easy to implement and provides very accurate results.     

Isolation and purification of rat islet cells by flow cytometry

Flow cytometry has been employed as a method to study homogeneity of isolated islet subpopulations. After collagenase digestion of rat pancreas and elutriation of tissue fragments, islets were isolated and dissociated, and cells were analyzed and sorted according to their low forward angle light scattering properties by using automated flow cytometry. A standardized procedure was developed for the preparation of rat islet cell grafts for purification of islet cells. In this process, after collagenase digestion of pancreas, islets were isolated, dissociated, identification by dithizone method and then with enzymatic procedure by DNase and trypsin, the islet cells changed into single cells and beta cells were identified by immunofluorescence method and then assayed by flow cytometry. Methods have been developed for the preparation of suspension of viable rat pancreatic islet cells and their analysis and sorting in the fluorescence activated cell sorter (FACC IV, Becton Dickinson, Sunnyvale, Ca). Flow cytometry of these cells indicated that there were 91% of beta cells in cell suspension. Most of the exocrine particles were lost during digestion. Purified endocrine islet cell grafts were prepared by pure beta-cells, without endocrine non-beta cells. The purified aggregates were devoid of endocrine non-beta cells and damaged cells.     

Probabilistic fuzzy logic controller for uncertain nonlinear systems

This paper proposes a probabilistic fuzzy proportional - integral (PFPI) controller for controlling uncertain nonlinear systems. Firstly, the probabilistic fuzzy logic system (PFLS) improves the capability of the ordinary fuzzy logic system (FLS) to overcome various uncertainties in the controlled dynamical systems by integrating the probability method into the fuzzy logic system. Moreover, the input/output relationship for the proposed PFPI controller is derived. The resulting structure is equivalent to nonlinear PI controller and the equivalent gains for the proposed PFPI controller are a nonlinear function of input variables. These gains are changed as the input variables changed. The sufficient conditions for the proposed PFPI controller, which achieve the bounded-input bounded-output (BIBO) stability are obtained based on the small gain theorem. Finally, the obtained results indicate that the PFPI controller is able to reduce the effect of the system uncertainties compared with the fuzzy PI (FPI) controller.     

Exploring the utility of action research to investigate second‐language classrooms as complex systems

Action research is geared to changes for the better and has the potential to assist teachers to extend their teaching skills and develop a deeper understanding of themselves, their classroom and their learners. However, in the area of applied linguistics, the viability of action research has been seriously questioned. In this article, we argue that adopting a complexity‐theory perspective, which requires teachers to be dynamic and complex in their approach, helps in identifying action research as a suitable research tradition for investigating second‐language classrooms and in turn using it widely to invigorate the field of applied linguistics. Our argumentation is supported by the fundamental links between action research and complexity theory as an emerging paradigm in education. Although the case made in this article concerns second‐language classrooms, the conclusions reached may well apply to any classroom that shares some commonalities with second‐language classrooms.