Pro-Drop in Hijazi Arabic: A Minimalist Perspective

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the null subjects in Hijazi Arabic and address how they are derived and interpreted. There is a strong connection between rich verbal agreement inflection and pro-drop in HA as it is a highly inflectional language. It is shown in this paper that HA is a consistent null subject language. This study is framed within Holmberg's (2005, 2010) theory of null subjects. Holmberg proposed that null subjects (henceforth NSs) are defective subject pronouns labeled φPs. The null subjects are derived via incorporation into T after the features valuation and union take place. The head T (a probe) has unvalued ϕ-features which are valued by the defective subject pronoun (a goal) and in return, the [u case] feature on φP is valued by T. The incorporation of φP into T forms a chain which is subject to chain reduction where the lower chain copy (the defective subject pronoun in spec-VP) receives a null spell out. what is pronounced is the valued ϕ-features of T which appears as a verbal affix on the finite verb after the verb also gets incorporated in T. This reflects the deletion of the subject in spec-VP. The null subject is interpreted as a definite 3rd person null subject when the [uD(efiniteness)] feature of φP is valued by an A-Topic (antecedent) in spec-TopP. On the other hand, it is interpreted as a definite 1st or 2nd  person null subject if it is valued by speaker/addressee features in the domain of C (Complementizer).&nbsp

Collaborative and Social Interaction within Groups of Patrons in Academic and Public Libraries: Implications for Digital Libraries

This Master’s thesis investigates patrons’ information-seeking behaviour in physical libraries. Information available to meet patron’s information needs, and constraints that limit the use of this information have been examined by a number of researchers in the last few years. However, there is a dearth of literature on the information-seeking processes, including the act of selecting books from shelves, and the kind of social interaction that may occur between patrons attending the library in groups. To address this gap we identified in the literature, this thesis used a qualitative method to investigate the behaviour of patrons when visiting libraries, and the way patrons within groups treat each other from the time they enter the library until they leave. 83 groups were observed in both public and academic libraries, totalling 217 participants. The observations and analysis of the study results increase our understanding of collaborative behaviour, group characteristics and other influential factors, such as location, time, physical environment, ambience and layout of the library. Our study also compared the findings with some previous work on similar concepts. Most findings highlight possible implications of social and book interaction in digital libraries, and emphasise the need to support more group collaboration among users of Digital Libraries, without limitations of shared time or location

The State of the Art in Model Predictive Control Application for Demand Response

Demand response programs have been used to optimize the participation of the demand side. Utilizing the demand response programs maximizes social welfare and reduces energy usage. Model Predictive Control is a suitable control strategy that manages the energy network, and it shows superiority over other predictive controllers. The goal of implementing this controller on the demand side is to minimize energy consumption, carbon footprint, and energy cost and maximize thermal comfort and social welfare.  This review paper aims to highlight this control strategy\u27s excellence in handling the demand response optimization problem. The optimization methods of the controller are compared. Summarization of techniques used in recent publications to solve the Model Predictive Control optimization problem is presented, including demand response programs, renewable energy resources, and thermal comfort. This paper sheds light on the current research challenges and future research directions for applying model-based control techniques to the demand response optimization problem

Pro-Drop in Hijazi Arabic: A Minimalist Perspective

This paper focuses on investigating the null subjects in Hijazi Arabic and addresses how they are derived and interpreted. There is a strong connection between rich verbal agreement inflection and pro-drop in HA due to the language's highly inflectional nature.  It is shown in this paper that HA is a consistent null subject language. This study is framed within Holmberg's (2005, 2010) theory of null subjects. Holmberg proposed that null subjects (henceforth NSs) are defective subject pronouns labeled Ps. The null subjects are derived via incorporation into T after the features valuation and union take place. The head T (a probe) has unvalued -features which are valued by the defective subject pronoun (a goal) and in return, the [u case] feature on P is valued by T. The incorporation of P into T forms a chain which is subject to chain reduction where the lower chain copy (the defective subject pronoun in spec-VP) receives a null spell out. The pronounced elements consist of the valued φ-features of T, which manifest as a verbal affix on the finite verb subsequent to the verb's incorporation into T. This reflects the deletion of the subject in spec-VP. The null subject is interpreted as a definite 3rd person null subject when the [uD(efiniteness)] feature of P is valued by an A-Topic (antecedent) in spec-TopP. On the other hand, it is interpreted as a definite 1st or 2nd person null subject if it is valued by speaker/addressee features in the domain of C (Complementizer).&nbsp

AN EXPLORATORY STUDY TO IDENTIFY TEACHING STYLES IN SAUDI ARABIA BASED ON THREE LEARNING THEORIES

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate Saudi teachers’ philosophy in teaching based on three major learning theories (behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism).  Also, it showed the different between gender (male, female), and teachers’ experiences in teaching (1-5, 6-10, 11-15, 16-20, more than 20 years), and level of teaching (Elementary, Middle, and High) school in the preferred teaching philosophy. The result showed that Saudis’ teacher proffered using cognitivism philosophy more than constructivism philosophy and behaviorism philosophy. Although the male teacher had preferred behaviorism school more than female teachers, the female teachers had preferred cognitivism and constructivism schools more than male teachers. Also, the teachers who had more experience preferred cognitivism and constructivism schools more than behaviorism school

Facile Synthesis and Electrochemical Analysis of Cobalt Sulfide Nanostructures for Supercapacitor Applications

The main objective of the thesis is to understand the effect of morphologies and electrolytes on the electrochemical properties of cobalt sulfides. The nanostructured cobalt sulfides were synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method. For this, cobalt nitrate Co(NO3)2.H2O, cetyl trimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), thioacetamide (TTA), poly (vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) and ethylene glycol were used. The effect of growth parameters such as solvent and presence of surfactants on the size and morphology of the cobalt sulfides were investigated. It was observed that these variations could provide cobalt sulfides with a range of sizes, shapes and morphologies. The nanostructured cobalt sulfides were structurally and electrochemically characterized using various techniques. The structural characterizations were performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique. The XRD analysis showed mixed phases of cobalt sulfides such as CoS and CoS2. The morphology and size of the cobalt sulfides were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It was observed that the morphology and the size of the cobalt sulfides depend on the growth conditions. The crystallite size of the cobalt sulfide was estimated using XRD data. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS) was used to further confirm the cobalt sulfide formation

Self-Efficacy In Online Learning Environments: A Literature Review

The purpose of this paper was to examine the relationship between self-efficacy and online learning environments. Self-efficacy refers to “beliefs in one’s capabilities to organize and execute the courses of action required to produce given attainments” (Bandura, 1997, p. 3). This paper reviews studies on self-efficacy in online learning environments from 1997 to 2015. Three main categories were discussed: computer self-efficacy, Internet and information-seeking self-efficacy and LMS (Learning Management Systems) self-efficacy. Possible areas of research on self-efficacy in online learning environments were suggested.

An investigation of antecedents and consequences of organisational commitment among government administrative employees in Saudi Arabia

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.Organisational commitment, viewed as a measurable psychological state, is a core variable of interest in Organisational Behaviour research. It has been studied for more than four decades, largely focusing on the identification of its antecedents and consequences. One widely used conceptualisation is Meyer and Allen‘s (1991) three-component model of commitment, which considers commitment as having three forms: affective, continuance and normative (emotional attachment to an organisation, the perceived cost associated with leaving it and the perceived obligation to remain in it). This research contributes in three ways to improving our understanding of public-sector work behaviour, with particular reference to organisational commitment. Firstly, it examines the multi-dimensionality of organisational commitment. Secondly, it explores the relationships between Meyer and Allen‘s three components, modifying the concept of continuance commitment to include two sub-components, high personal sacrifice and low perceived alternatives, thus proposing a four-factor model, Antecedents and Consequences of Organisational Commitment Components (ACOCC). Thirdly, it considers antecedent variables, including Hofstede‘s (1980) four cultural dimensions (individualism/collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, power distance and masculinity/femininity), as well as selected consequences: in role behaviour, organisational citizen behaviour and employee intention to leave. These selected variables are deemed to be suitable for Saudi Arabian culture and have never been tested before in that context. The study investigates how the commitment components are associated with and mediate relationships with the set of possible work behaviours. Using a sample of 700 employees from different organisation levels (drawn from 16 Saudi ministries in two cities, Riyadh and Jeddah) the hypotheses were tested through structural equation modelling, which confirmed the fit of the proposed recursive ACOCC model. The regression paths were significant between the antecedents (opportunities for learning, impersonal bureaucratic arrangements and Hofstede‘s four cultural dimensions) and affective and normative commitment, as well as for continuance commitment for reasons of high personal sacrifice. Intention to leave and organisational citizen behaviour were fully mediated by the commitment components. Thus the findings reveal the level and form of organisational commitment among public-sector employees and of relationships between the antecedents and consequences of that commitment in a non-Western culture, specifically Saudi Arabia. In particular, they highlight the significant mediation role of organisational commitment. The findings also permit exploration of a number of issues pertaining to cultural dimensions impacting on organisational commitment. Noteworthy here, for example, is the high degree of uncertainty avoidance found among Saudi public-sector top-level managers. These different results have important implications for the nature and management of commitment among government employees in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries as a whole