The effect of a strategy-based instruction programme on developing EFL listening comprehension skills

The main purpose of this study was to probe empirically the effects of three different approaches: strategy training, metacognitive instruction and pure exposure, on listening performance, attitudes, self-efficacy and on strategy knowledge, use and perceived value among student teachers of English in Egypt. Moreover, the interaction between these three treatments and students’ proficiency levels (high/low) was an item of interest. The results of the study consistently demonstrated that strategy training is better in promoting all the variables addressed in this study and compares favourably with metacognitive instruction and pure exposure. More importantly, these results showed that the strategy training approach holds great potential for developing students’ independence and that it moved them that much close towards autonomy. These positive results stand in a stark contrast to the inconclusive results of the earlier studies. Furthermore, the findings indicated that the metacognitive instruction group performed significantly better than the control group only in listening and attitudes. Finally, contrary to the widely held belief that prolonged exposure to aural input enhances listening, the results of the quantitative analysis indicated that students in the control group did not make improvement in any of the dependent variables. Perhaps more importantly, the qualitative analysis indicated that pure exposure to the aural input alone without instruction had a demoralising effect when students found that their understanding did not increase with practice. The findings suggest some potential benefits in the informed teaching of listening strategies as a means of helping learners improve their listening comprehension skills and promoting a sense of learner autonomy. Furthermore, the findings suggest that the time devoted to strategy training is well invested and consequently refute the argument that the risk of devoting time to strategy training is not worth taking. Implications of these findings for pedagogy, research and research methodology conclude the study

Flexible resources allocation techniques: characteristics and modelling

At the interface between engineering, economics, social sciences and humanities, industrial engineering aims to provide answers to various sectors of business problems. One of these problems is the adjustment between the workload needed by the work to be realised and the availability of the company resources. The objective of this work is to help to find a methodology for the allocation of flexible human resources in industrial activities planning and scheduling. This model takes into account two levers of flexibility, one related to the working time modulation, and the other to the varieties of tasks that can be performed by a given resource (multi–skilled actor). On the one hand, multi–skilled actors will help to guide the various choices of the allocation to appreciate the impact of these choices on the tasks durations. On the other hand, the working time modulation that allows actors to have a work planning varying according to the workload which the company has to face

A greedy heuristic approach for the project scheduling with labour allocation problem

Responding to the growing need of generating a robust project scheduling, in this article we present a greedy algorithm to generate the project baseline schedule. The robustness achieved by integrating two dimensions of the human resources flexibilities. The first is the operators’ polyvalence, i.e. each operator has one or more secondary skill(s) beside his principal one, his mastering level being characterized by a factor we call “efficiency”. The second refers to the working time modulation, i.e. the workers have a flexible time-table that may vary on a daily or weekly basis respecting annualized working strategy. Moreover, the activity processing time is a non-increasing function of the number of workforce allocated to create it, also of their heterogynous working efficiencies. This modelling approach has led to a nonlinear optimization model with mixed variables. We present: the problem under study, the greedy algorithm used to solve it, and then results in comparison with those of the genetic algorithms

Decision-based genetic algorithms for solving multi-period project scheduling with dynamically experienced workforce

The importance of the flexibility of resources increased rapidly with the turbulent changes in the industrial context, to meet the customers’ requirements. Among all resources, the most important and considered as the hardest to manage are human resources, in reasons of availability and/or conventions. In this article, we present an approach to solve project scheduling with multi-period human resources allocation taking into account two flexibility levers. The first is the annual hours and working time regulation, and the second is the actors’ multi-skills. The productivity of each operator was considered as dynamic, developing or degrading depending on the prior allocation decisions. The solving approach mainly uses decision-based genetic algorithms, in which, chromosomes don’t represent directly the problem solution; they simply present three decisions: tasks’ priorities for execution, actors’ priorities for carrying out these tasks, and finally the priority of working time strategy that can be considered during the specified working period. Also the principle of critical skill was taken into account. Based on these decisions and during a serial scheduling generating scheme, one can in a sequential manner introduce the project scheduling and the corresponding workforce allocations

In vitro propagation of Rosa hybrida L. cv. Al-Taif Rose plant

In this study, a protocol for in vitro propagation of Rosa hybrida L. cv. Al-Taif Rose was established using nodal segments harboring axillary buds as explants. In vitro stages of shoot initiation, multiplication and elongation were performed. Explants were cultured on solid Murashige and Skoog medium (MS) supplemented with different concentrations of benzyl aminopurine (BAP, 1, 2 and 3 mg/l) in combination with 1 mg/l kinetin (Kn). Effect of different concentrations and combinations of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) on root formation of shoots were studied. The highest percentage of shoot initiation (85%) was observed on MS medium containing 2 mg/l BAP + 1 mg/l Kn, whereas maximum average number of multiplied shoots (2.7) was produced on MS medium with 3 mg/l BAP + 1 mg/l Kn. Highest average number of elongated shoots (26.7) was noticed on MS medium containing 1 mg/l BAP and 1 mg/l Kn. For rooting, highest percentage (66.7%) of rooted shoots was obtained on MS medium supplemented with 2 mg/l IBA. Plantlets with 4 to 5 roots of 3 to 5 cm length were successfully transferred to pots containing sterile peat moss for acclimatization.Keywords: Rosa hybrid L. cv. Al-Taif Rose, axillary bud explants, in vitro propagation, multiplication, acclimatizatio

Numerical Study of the Combustion of CH4-C3H8/ Air: Application to a Combustion Chamber with Two Coaxial Jets

In this study, we studied numerically the non-premixed combustion provided by two coaxial methane-propane/air jets in a 3D cylindrical combustion chamber. To study this kind of phenomenon we used a special treatment of the mathematical model and we chose two models of computation PDF and LES. In order to find the aero-thermo-chemical characteristics in the burner, namely: axial velocity, temperature and mass fraction of carbon monoxide CO. Using commercial calculation software CFD Fluent The objective of this work is to research the fuel that reduces the emission of carbon monoxide CO, which is considered a gas toxic to the environment, by comparing the two fuels CH4 and C3H8. The results give methane fuel reduces carbon monoxide as a pollutant chemical species in combustion products compared to propane fuel.

Could grape seed extract modulate nephritic damage induced by methomex in male rats?

Methomex (Metho) is classified as a carbamate insecticide. The present study was designed to examine the influence of grape seed oil (GSO) on the histopathological changes in methomex-induced kidney damage in male rats. Rats were divided into 6 groups, the first of which was considered as the control. The 2nd group was treated with 4 ml/kg GSO. Rats from 3rd and 4th groups were treated with Metho at dose level of 2.4 and 4.8 mg/kg, respectively. Rats from 5th and 6th groups pre-administered with GSO were treated with 2.4 and 4.8 mg/kg Metho, respectively. Metho administration caused destruction of the normal pattern of the renal tissue. These damages were encountered by the presence of some glomeruli appeared atrophy with distension of Bowman’s space and degeneration of their parietal epithelial cells. The lumina of distal and proximal convoluted tubules contain hyaline casts of dead cells. The renal medulla showed dilated collecting tubules stuffed with red blood cells (RBCs). Preadministration of GSO to Metho-induced rats revealed apparent normal renal parenchyma. The proximal convoluted tubules and collecting tubules appeared near to normal with their narrow lumen. Preadministration with GSO exhibited that it had a protective effect against methomex-induced toxic effects in the kidney. The present study advocated using GSO in the daily diets.Key words: Grape seed oil, methomex, kidney, histopathology

Emerging regional arrangements: Deeper integration between Egypt and the European Union (EU)

From introduction: "Economic and trade relations between the EU and the neighboring Southern Mediterranean (MED) countries are organized by the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (also referred to as the Barcelona Process), which was launched in November 1995. The partner countries are Egypt, Algeria, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, the Palestinian Authority, and Turkey. The EU-Egypt Association (Partnership) Agreement forms the legal basis organizing relations between Egypt and the EU. It is modeled on the network of Euro-Mediterranean Partnership Agreements between the Union and its partners on the southern flank of the Mediterranean Sea."(...

Towards a learning curve for electric motors production under organizational learning via shop floor data

Due to the fierce market competition, organizations should respond quickly to customers’ needs by reducing lead times, or/and lowering operating costs. These objectives can be reached by effectively assessing the workforce capacities. Manufacturing progress function or organizational learning is considered as one of the most important factors that affect workforce capacity. The current paper introduces an examination research that uses factory data to introduce the most appropriate organizational learning model for the manufacture of electric motors. The data used was collected for a period of 42 months for 110 manufacturing processes and 10 different styles of electric motors. By using regression analysis the significant parameters were obtained for 10 learning models. And in order to select the most reliable one, the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) was used after defining the selection criteria. Among most of monovariable learning models listed in literature the model of Wright (1936) is found to be the best one to fit the data, and then comes the model of Knecht (1974). The failure of the other models in fitting the data was also shown