مطالب

A considerable share of dysfunctions in the social, economic, physical–functional, and decision-making systems of deteriorated urban fabrics in many countries, including Iran, originates from the absence, weakness, or inadequacy of laws and regulations. These instruments, designed to guide legislators and urban decision-makers in controlling development, promoting social justice, and ensuring a safe and livable environment, often fail to achieve their intended goals due to shortcomings, contradictions, or conflicting objectives. Qazvin, chosen as the case study for this research, is one of Iran’s historic cities and a pioneer in urban planning. Nevertheless, its deteriorated urban fabric is of particular importance given its scale, proximity to heritage assets and valuable urban spaces, and the severity of its physical and social challenges. This study examines the existing laws and regulations, their impacts on physical–functional, socio-cultural, economic, decision-making, and environmental–natural systems, and evaluates their influence on the regeneration of Qazvin’s deteriorated urban fabric. The research pursues two main objectives: (1) to address or mitigate problems arising from the enactment or implementation of relevant laws and regulations, and (2) to identify potential solutions to enhance their effectiveness. To achieve this, impact analysis techniques were employed alongside the Delphi method to propose strategies for improvement. Findings highlight the crucial role of laws and regulations in urban regeneration. Drafting such frameworks requires a comprehensive, multidimensional approach grounded in the needs of residents. Success depends on active community participation, the application of appropriate analytical tools, and collective decision-making to address the intertwined physical, social, economic, and environmental dysfunctions of deteriorated areas.

Le Corbusier's Domino system, introduced in the early 20th century, marked a turning point in modern architecture by proposing a modular framework based on slender columns and reinforced concrete slabs. This structural innovation facilitated standardization, industrialization, and rapid construction, influencing landmark projects such as Villa Savoye and the Pessac housing complex, as well as later mass housing developments. Despite these advantages, limited research has critically examined the relevance of the Domino system in light of contemporary architectural and environmental standards. This study aims to evaluate the strengths and limitations of the Domino system within its historical context while exploring its potential adaptability to present-day needs. The research employs a descriptive approach to explain the system's conceptual features, an analytical approach to assess selected case studies, and a comparative approach to measure its performance against current architectural criteria. Data sources include scholarly literature, visual and graphical documentation, and environmental records, enabling both historical and technical analysis. Findings reveal that the Domino system significantly contributed to the rationalization of building processes and provided a foundation for prefabrication and modular construction. However, its emphasis on structural regularity often resulted in spatial monotony and insufficient responsiveness to cultural, climatic, and ecological factors. The study highlights the importance of integrating adaptive strategies, sustainable materials, and advanced technologies. Contemporary tools such as Building Information Modeling (BIM), parametric design, and modular prefabrication can reinterpret the Domino framework, ensuring flexibility, contextual sensitivity, and ecological performance. By bridging historical innovation with modern requirements, the Domino system demonstrates enduring relevance when reimagined through contemporary architectural practices.

This study was intended to explore the Iranian EFL learners’ stance towards Technology-Enhanced Personalized Language Learning (TEPLL) and how it influences language development. Specifically, this study investigated the relationships among learners’ stances towards TEPLL, relating to effectiveness, integration into daily life, autonomy, engagement, and satisfaction, with L2 speaking and writing motivation. It also examined how learners’ stances to the instruction of TEPLL were related to their progress in developing productive skills both in speaking and writing. In addition, instructional facets promoting and inhibiting learners’ progress were highlighted. With 120 EFL Iranian learners from five language institutes in Isfahan, Iran, the present project assigned participants to experimental and control groups with 60 persons each, according to the proficiency levels: pre-intermediate, intermediate, and advanced. Data were collected via a Learning Experience Questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. The experimental group received instruction in TEPLL through Speechling for speaking practice and through Moodle for writing practice. The results generally indicated a positive stance towards TEPLL; the learners reported high scores regarding perceived effectiveness, ease of integration, autonomy, engagement, and satisfaction. They also demonstrated more motivation concerning the development of L2 speaking and writing. On the other hand, it established the challenges of technical problems, inadequate content, and poor preparation. Interviews with students showed that TEPLL is an excellent tool for practicing speaking and pronunciation but also brought to the surface the demand for better audio-visual quality, more content volume, and individual support. The findings suggest that while potentially very effective in bettering the language learning of Iranian EFL learners, TEPLL has to be administered with caution, and its administration kept under constant review to reduce the potential challenges. Keywords: Self-determination Theory (SDT), Stance, Technology-Enhanced Personalized Language Learning (TEPLL)

This paper explores how the application of desirable difficulties—spacing, interleaving, retrieval, and generative learning—affects long‑term retention and productive performance among Iranian learners of German as a Foreign Language (GFL). Building on a cognitive framework that distinguishes the durability of stored knowledge from its momentary accessibility, the study adopted a mixed‑methods design with A1‑level learners from Tehran. A total of twenty participants (N = 20) were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 10) receiving instruction based on desirable difficulties and a control group (n = 10) following massed‑practice routines. Quantitative analysis showed that the experimental group had significantly higher retention and production skills scores in the delayed post-tests, and the results were statistically significant (p < 0.01). Qualitative data derived from semi‑structured interviews with six volunteer learners from the experimental group indicated that participants associated increased cognitive challenge with deeper understanding and enhanced motivation. The results show that including challenging but beneficial activities helps make language knowledge more lasting and easier to use in different situations. This offers support for the idea of using spaced retrieval and interleaved practice in teaching foreign languages in a structured way to help learners develop strong and long-term language skills.

This research explores translation dynamics through the innovative lens of chaos theory, focusing on how the butterfly effect manifests in linguistic transfer. By challenging traditional linear translation models, the study demonstrates how seemingly minor initial conditions can generate profound, cascading interpretive consequences across textual landscapes. Adopting a complexity science perspective, among others, the research examines translations of Rumi’s Masnavi and Camus’s L’Étranger to highlight translation’s inherently nonlinear and adaptive nature. The theoretical framework integrates insights from complexity science, poststructuralist theory, and translation studies, offering a sophisticated analytical approach that moves beyond reductive binary conceptualizations. Using purposive theoretical sampling, the study traces how subtle translation choices recursively shape semantic and cultural interpretations. By emphasizing translation’s sensitivity to initial conditions, the research contributes to emerging scholarship that views translation as a complex, dynamic system characterized by intricate interactive processes. Methodologically, the study employs qualitative case analyses to reveal the profound complexity of translation.