مطالب

Molten gold ownership transfer holds both historical and economic significance, serving as a crucial aspect of financial and wealth management practices. Traditional systems for transferring ownership of molten gold are often inefficient, susceptible to fraud, and lack transparency. In contrast, blockchain technology, with its decentralized, immutable, and transparent characteristics, presents a promising solution to these challenges. This paper explores the transformative potential of blockchain technology in revolutionizing the transfer of molten gold ownership. Utilizing blockchain for this purpose provides a secure and transparent method to track and verify ownership of gold assets. The proposed model facilitates the creation of digital tokens that represent physical gold, which can then be exchanged on a blockchain platform. By highlighting the transformative potential of blockchain in molten gold ownership transfer, this paper contributes to the ongoing discourse at the intersection of blockchain technology and asset management, paving the way for a more efficient, secure, transparent, and decentralized gold market.

Critical thinking (CT) abilities have failed to receive the necessary consideration in applied linguistics. Thus, this study was intended to explore English as a Foreign Language (EFL) academics and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) candidates’ perceptions of embedding CT into the EFL curricula in Iran. Moreover, it aimed to identify the primary obstacles teachers may have while employing CT skills, and suggest some necessary strategies to strengthen students' CT abilities. To do so, a total of 50 male and female EFL academics as well as 50 male and female PhD candidates specializing in Applied Linguistics, Linguistics and Literature, as well as Translation at different universities in Iran participated in this study. The present investigation employed a mixed-methods design. To this end, an adapted version of Stapleton's (2011) CT questionnaire was used. Moreover, semi-structured interviews were undertaken with a cohort of 5 EFL academics and 5 PhD candidates. The outcomes underscore the need for educational policymakers and curriculum developers to recognize the significance of CT in language learning and to infuse more systematic and explicit approaches to teaching CT in Iranian EFL context. The pedagogical implications of the study were accordingly discussed. 

Purpose: Flexible working hours can impact employee productivity. Therefore, the current research aimed to present a model for flexible working hours in public organizations, emphasizing increasing the productivity level of knowledge workers. Methodology: The present study was applied in objective and mixed-method (qualitative and quantitative) in execution. The qualitative study population included all academic and organizational experts familiar with the research domain, with a sample size of 25 determined based on theoretical saturation principle and selected through purposive sampling. The quantitative study population comprised all staff members of the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare, with a sample size of 205 determined by Cochran's formula and selected through simple random sampling. Data for qualitative and quantitative sections were collected respectively using interviews and researcher-made questionnaires and analyzed with thematic analysis and exploratory factor analysis methods in Maxqda and Smart-PLS software, respectively. Findings: Qualitative findings revealed that flexible working hours encompassed 15 sub-themes in 3 main themes: floating work hours, floating work location, and collaborative work; and employee productivity comprised 20 sub-themes in 3 main themes: self-management, self-control, and self-organization. Quantitative findings indicated that all themes of flexible working hours and employee productivity had a factor loading and extracted variance mean higher than 0.50 and Cronbach's alpha and composite reliability higher than 0.80. Other findings showed that the themes of floating work hours, floating work location, and collaborative work had a direct and significant effect on flexible working hours, and the themes of self-management, self-control, and self-organization had a direct and significant effect on employee productivity, and flexible working hours had a direct and significant effect on employee productivity (P<0.05). Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that flexible working hours play an effective role in enhancing the level of employee productivity. Therefore, to improve employee productivity, the themes of floating work hours, floating work location, and collaborative work can be utilized.

Adolescence is characterized by physical, cognitive, emotional, social, and behavioral changes capable of resulting in the development of a healthy and autonomous individual, as well as contributing to self-injurious behavior. This review aimed to analyze the 11 available papers on risk factors for self-mutilation in adolescents. Integrative review performed in MEDLINE and LILACS databases using primary studies published between 2018 and 2023, in Portuguese, English, and Spanish with the descriptors “Self-destructive Behavior”; "Adolescent"; and “Risk Factors” combined with the Boolean operator AND. After analyzing the data, two main themes emerged. The first theme, referred to as "intrapersonal risk factors," encompassed a range of categories including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, substance/alcohol abuse, disruptive, impulse and conduct control disorders, cyclothymic-hypersensitive temperament, impulsivity, avoidance/coping-focused on affect, and emotional dysregulation. The second theme, labeled as "interpersonal risk factors," consisted of categories such as bullying, parental neglect, parental psychopathology, social exclusion, peers with people with self-destructive behavior, hetero-aggressiveness, and sexual and gender minority populations. The findings of this review highlight the importance of increased awareness, early detection, and targeted interventions for self-mutilation. This study lays the ground for future research and interventions in mental health. Future studies could further explore psychological factors, societal influences, effective treatments, and prevention methods for self-mutilation. By expanding upon current knowledge, clinicians and researchers can better support individuals struggling with self-harm, leading to improved outcomes and reduced harm.