Islamic Azad University North Tehran Branch

About: Islamic Azad University North Tehran Branch is a education organization based out in Tehran, Iran. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Adsorption & Catalysis. The organization has 868 authors who have published 968 publications receiving 9987 citations.

Developing and Validating a Questionnaire to Assess Strategic Competence in EFL Listening Performance: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

Abstract: This study aimed to describe the development and validation process of a listening questionnaire designed to assess strategic competence in listening comprehension. The 34-item Cognitive and Metacognitive Listening Strategies Questionnaire (CMLSQ) was administered to a relatively large sample (N=397) of L2 learners. The results of the 370 completed questionnaires were subjected to exploratory factor analysis to identify the underlying structure of the questionnaire, and to a confirmatory factor analysis to examine the validity of the model as a good fit for the data. Based on the results of exploratory factor analysis, a three-factor model underlying metacognitive strategies and a five-factor model underlying cognitive strategies were hypothesized. These models were then evaluated through confirmatory factor analysis using AMOS 18. The results indicated that the current models and their parameters well fit the data gathered from the questionnaires.

Conceptual Optimization of Water and Wastewater Network of a Gas Refinery with Considering Pressure Drop and Pumping Cost

Abstract: This paper aims to introduce a constructive method for optimizing the supply of freshwater and wastewater in the process industry. Different conceptual methods such as Composite Table Algorithm (CTA), Extended Composite Table Algorithm (ECTA), Composite Matrix Algorithm (CMA) have been investigated to optimize water and wastewater network. Also, Mixed Integer Non-Linear Programming (MINLP) as a mathematical and Cuckoo Search (CS) as artificial inelegance approaches have been applied and compared with conceptual methods. In this study, pressure drop calculations and pump cost have been considered as well. In this regard, a computer program has been developed to compute the CTA, ECTA, CMA, and CS approach for a water and wastewater network. The MINLP method has been performed in the APSEN WATER software. A water and wastewater network of a gas refinery has been considered as a case study. Results show that between targeting approaches, the CMA method is a more powerful tool for optimum cost rather than CTA and ECTA. Finally, CMA, CS, and MINLP yield almost similar results. However, CS and MINLP are more time-consuming in comparison with targeting approaches.

Presenting a Model for Economic Empowerment of Vulnerable Women based on Grounded Theory (Case of Study: Vulnerable Women Supported by Tehran Municipality)

Abstract: “Economic empowerment” is the ability of vulnerable women to make a decent living for themselves and their family. This ability not only helps them to meet their essential needs continuously, but also decreases the stress level and mental strains caused by deficiencies in the process of satisfying these needs. A range of fundamental and prevalent social issues affecting various societies usually have a different nature and dissimilar manifestations regarding women as compared to men. For instance, while poverty is considered one of the most prevailing and challenging social issues in different societies, analyzing its trends and its causing and intensifying factors regardless of gender could certainly lead to false results. This study has been conducted on the basis of analytical and descriptive research methodology aiming to plan and present a model for empowering vulnerable women based on grounded theory. The results of this study indicate that factors such as employment, balancing income and expenses, saving, and entrepreneurship have a decisive and significant role in perpetuating and stabilizing the economic empowerment of individuals.