A Psycholinguistic Investigation of the Lexicality of Semantic Features in Tashlhit: Priming Experiment

Tashlhit remains an unexplored language in the psycholinguistic field. This paper aims to examine the lexical structures in the language using priming experiment. Our main goal is to study the lexicality of semantic features in the Tashlhit lexicon with an in-depth consideration of frequency factors and semantic relatedness. In this research, we used a supraliminal speech priming test and lexical decision task to examine the lexical status of the semantic features in the Tashlhit lexicon. The results showed that semantic features have a facilitatoy priming effect implying its significant role in language processing.

Factors Affecting Online Services Shopping Behavior: A Study of Egyptian Consumers

Online services are a relatively new type of shopping in Egypt. Online Service (e-service) is defined as an experience or act delivered by one person to another, being requested online, and delivered online or offline, without this second person owning any tangible product. This type of shopping is overwhelming in the whole world including Egypt. In Egypt, nowadays, the online shopping trend is booming rapidly. A lot of people shop online for nearly all kinds of products and services, yet there are still some products such as buying gold that are not as well bought online as other products and services. There are a lot of factors affecting the behavior of consumers, but most of these factors have not been investigated. Several articles and researches have been conducted on the factors behind online shopping worldwide, but they are very few articles which focus on Egypt and discuss consumers’ online shopping triggers in Egypt. Since Egypt is relatively a collectivist country; it is important to study and to highlight the triggers behind Egyptian consumers online shopping behavior. Thus, this research aims to understand the Egyptian online services shoppers’ behavior behind online shopping for services. Research Design In this research, a descriptive research methodology is used to examine certain traits of a specific group of people (online services shoppers), and to forecast what motivates their online services shopping behavior. To answer this, an obvious research question and set of hypotheses are used. Moreover, since a descriptive research method is used in this research; some quantitative results would be collected through a questionnaire that is distributed over 404 respondents are integrated in the research as the targeted sample and they will be asked some questions and required to answer on a 5-point Likert scale ranging their responses from 1 strongly disagree to 5 strongly agree. Moreover, some demographic questions will be asked at the end of the survey. Key Findings Once all the questionnaires had been filled, then data analysis process started. In data analysis process, the SPSS spread sheet is used to generate all respondents’ responses frequencies and percentages on each question of the survey. Finding shows that 70% of the sample or 283 out of 404 respondents were mainly youth between the age of 18 to 29 years old. Moreover, gender is equally shared in the sample between females who were 50.2% and males who were 49.8% of the sample. Furthermore, 70.3% of the sample respondents were B¬¬achelor degree holders. Reliability is tested to be high since all the independent variables’ Cronbach Alpha including attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, behavioral intention, desired consequence (convenience, time, price, and trust) ¬¬¬¬¬are above 0.70, so they are all affecting the dependent variable which is online buying intention. Moreover, Findings shows that all independent variables have positive correlation with the dependent variable “Behavior Intention”, yet one independent variable “Attitude” has the highest Pearson Correlation at .691 with the dependent variable “Behavioral Intention”. Furthermore, for the inferential analysis, multiple regression is used for interval hypothesis ANOVA is used to analyze ordinal hypothesis which tackles with demographics, and t-test is used for hypothesis that deals with gender. As a result of the previous, it is concluded that hypotheses 1, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8 are accepted with “Attitude” being higher predictor for “Behavioral Intention” toward online services shopping followed by “Perceived Behavioral Control”, “Desired Outcome – Trust”, “Desired Outcome – Convenience”, and “Desired Outcome – Price”, beside women having lower “Behavior Intention” to acquire services online than men. Unlike hypotheses 2, 5, 9, and 10 are rejected as the p-value for subjective norm, time, education level, and age group are all above 0.05. Conclusion and Recommendations Results of this research showed that the factors that mainly affect Egyptian online buying intention for online services are attitude, perceived behavioral control, desired outcome including trust, convenience, price. Besides, findings show that women having lower behavior intention to acquire services online than men. On the other hand, findings indicate that respondents also agree that factors such as subjective norm, time, education level, and age group are not determinants of consumers’ buying intention. Based on the research findings, these outcomes will be useful in giving new insights to marketers marketing strategies when examining factors that affect consumers online buying intention in business-to-consumer fields. Hence, marketers would be able to ¬¬¬¬¬¬¬increase their business value and compete in the market. Moreover, results of this research would be helpful for sellers and shoppers as sellers will be able to boost their selling process by moving to the Internet channels for better and various online services which satisfy their customer for having numerous online services

Comparative study for material removal rate, surface finish and electrode wear rate on die sinking edm

The electrical discharge machining (EDM) is one of non conventional machining process where the erosion of the work piece take place based on the the1mal energy between the electrode and the work piece. Two different work piece materials were machined using die sinking EDM to study the characteristics of each material using copper electrode. Two different work piece materials were used, aluminum and copper and the dimension for each is 100 mm length, 50mm width and 6mm thick. The Sodick CNC EDM die sink will be used as the main equipment in this project. To get the best result, the selections of parameters play a main role in producing good surface finish quality, high removal rate (MRR) and less electrode wear ratio (EWR). High electtode wear ratio (EWR) and the lower material removal rate is some of the problems in EDM machine that will decrease machining productivity. There are four different pulse cunent that will be tested (8 , 12, 16 and 20 ampere) with four pulse on time in micro second (50, 100, 150, and 200) and the reference voltage and pulse on time are kept constant 22 Volt. There are sixteen engrave will be formed in each sample. Dielectric fluid is used is kerosene and the polarity or machining type is positive. At the end of this study the optimal performance parameters will be defined and determining which mate1ial gives highest mate1ial removal rate, less surface finish as well as the conditions that give less tool wear rate (TWR). The result obtained indicating that the material removal rate MRR and TWR are increased with the increase of cun-ent. This is because the higher cun-ent means higher and stronger spark that generates or melt more material from the work piece. The result shows that pulse duration has a little effect on the MRR. But regarding the tool wear ration TWR the results show a decrease of the TWR along with the increase of pulse duration this is because of the presence of carbon layer that precipitated on the surface of the electrode and the thickness of this layer increased with the increase of pulse duration and in tum decrease the TWR. Regarding the comparative study, the result showed that aluminum has higher MRR compared with copper, this is due to the fact that aluminum has lower melting point compared with copper. And regarding the TWR, the results showed that the copper has little amount of tool wear when machined using copper electrode, this is because the copper has higher thennal conductivity compared to aluminum who has higher TWR when machined using same copper electrode. The higher the1mal conductivity means more the1mal energy this work piece can can-y and also means more facilitating the the1mal energy will be diffused which maintain the tool wear

Street Furniture Influence in Revitalizing the Bahraini Identity

Bab Al-Bahrain Avenue is one of the liveliest streets and its location is in the intermediate of the historical part that gave the avenue a strong historical dimension in the urban context of Manama city, Kingdom of Bahrain. Moreover, the avenue has economic and cultural significance activities. The socio-economic value of Bab-AL Bahrain and the gold market make them the busiest streets in Manama. The existing users of the avenue are variable between residences, local visitors and tourist. Unfortunately, with the rapid urban developing for the Manama City in general and Bab Al Bahrain area, and the changing for the economic base for most of the original families they moved to other suitable places to them while new non-Bahraini replaced them. As a result, the sense of identity and belonging is not considerable. Consequently, the identity for these areas is in its way to disappear. This research analyzed the street furniture condition and focused on the act of street furniture role in revitalizing Bahraini identity in such an area. Moreover, the research draws the point of revitalizing the sense of belonging for the residences, which will influence positively upon the open spaces’ conditions and the visual quality

Investigating communication satisfaction for a better understanding of organizational behavior

Our research is consistent with the work of researchers who have attempted to understand the relationships between communication satisfaction and other aspects of organizational behavior such as job satisfaction, productivity, employee involvement, organizational commitment, and part-time employment (Downs & Hazen, 1977, Clampitt & Downs,1993; Varona, 1996; Iyer & Israel, 2012; Gray & Laidlaw 2002). Our research aims to understand if and how communication satisfaction contributes to the development of organizational commitment. For this purpose, we chose a hypothetical-deductive approach, which guided us to use the quantitative method. Data was collected by means of questionnaires intended for 180 officials from various public administrations in the Rabat Salé Kenitra region. The empirical results of the research were processed using two software programs: SPSS 24 and SmartPLS 3. The results of this research show that communication satisfaction is able to positively affect the official’s attitude towards the organization. Therefore, there is a significant impact of communication satisfaction on normative commitment (the duty to stay) and affective commitment (the desire to stay). However, continuance commitment (the obligation to stay) barely changes when communication satisfaction is more or less important. The results of this study can be used to support HR and communication departments. It is a means of guiding decision-makers in particular, and researchers in general, to better apply and replicate this research model based on academic data and taking into consideration the perspective of officials. The originality of this approach is that, to our knowledge, these two concepts (satisfaction communication and organizational commitment) have not yet been the subject of scientific research in the public sector in Morocco. However, as it is a context that has certain specificities, future research could attempt to test this model on the private sector in a comparative study for example, while assessing other dimensions of internal communication, because in fact, there is a need to continue valuing communication and attempting newer approaches to assessment. (Ruck, 2012).     JEL Classification: D23, D83 Paper type: Empirical researc

Development of a System for Crude Oil Classification

Crude oil is the most sought petroleum product and can be found in different places of the world. It is composed of hydrocarbon, organic compounds and small amounts of metal, this mixture can be refined to produce thousands of products that are generally called petrochemicals including gasoline, diesel oil and plastics. Crude oil can be classified according to the physical and chemical properties of the oil, such as API Gravity of the oil, viscosity, colour and specific gravity. It can also be classified as either "sweet" or "sour" crude oil based on its sulphur content. However, the API gravity classification technique is perhaps the most important because it gives good indication of the commercial value or the price of the given oil. In terms of API gravity, the crude oil is classified as light, medium, heavy and extra heavy crude oils. The classification is done in the laboratory and it’s considered as a time-consuming process. The scope of this project is to design a system that can minimize the time to classify the crude oil into two types by measuring the optical properties of the oil, applications for this system are mostly used in oil and gas field

The Contribution of CSR to the Global Performance of Companies: Caseof Moroccan companies with a CSR label

In order to ensure a sustainable development of their structures, the leaders of Moroccan companies are now aware of the need to take into account in their strategic policies new concepts that can meet the expectations of different stakeholders (consumers, employees, government, NGOs,) Based on the assumption that sustainable development and sustainability of companies are closely linked to CSR. The benefits of CSR are not limited to the financial and economic component,but they also involve a renewal of thinking on the objectives and operation of the company Morocco has been undergoing profound economic, social and environmental changes for several years now. Moreover, CSR has gradually become an important theme of globalization, which explains why, despite its voluntary and non-compulsory nature, companies are obliged to adhere to it, but the power to engage in CSR actions depends on the top management and governance bodies of the company. This is why, we have witnessed in recent years a strengthening of governance mechanisms, particularly at the legislative level and the rules of "good governance" enacted or proposed by various regulatory or professional bodies suchas the OECD. A question arising from the commitment of companies in terms of CSR has taken on a crucial importance: the impact of CSR on the performance of companies and we seek to answer the relationship between CSR and corporate governance and the relationship between governance and performance

Fine structure of the dorsal lingual epithelium in Tarentola annularis and Crocodylus niloticus

The present study examined the morphological features, histological and histochemical aspect of the tongue of two reptilian species, Tarentola annularis (family: Gekkonidae) and Crocodylus niloticus (family: Crocodylidea), with different habitats, feeding patterns and behaviours, by light and scanning electron microscope. It was observed, that the bifurcation of the tongue was more visible in Tarentola annularis. Conical and filamentous papillae were observed on the lingual body of Tarentola annularis, while in Crocodylus niloticus both mechanical filiform and gustatory papillae appeared. The lingual mucosa in Tarentola annularis is covered by stratified squamous epithelium and keratinised but in Crocodylus niloticus it is highly folded and more heavily keratinised in the folded region and have a localised thickenings structure resembling taste buds. Mucous glands appeared in Tarentola annularis and compound tubular glands in Crocodylus niloticus. At scanning electron microscopy, abundant microridges and microvilli in both species were exhibited on papillae surface facilitated feeding habits. Histochemically, the tongue of two species is strongly positive for carbohydrate stain but with variable degree with others stains. In conclusion, there is a marked correlation between the structure of the tongue of the present reptilian species, habitats and feeding mechanism of the two species.

A Constrained Multi-Objective Learning Algorithm for Feed-Forward Neural Network Classifiers

This paper proposes a new approach to address the optimal design of a Feed-forward Neural Network (FNN) based classifier. The originality of the proposed methodology, called CMOA, lie in the use of a new constraint handling technique based on a self-adaptive penalty procedure in order to direct the entire search effort towards finding only Pareto optimal solutions that are acceptable. Neurons and connections of the FNN Classifier are dynamically built during the learning process. The approach includes differential evolution to create new individuals and then keeps only the non-dominated ones as the basis for the next generation. The designed FNN Classifier is applied to six binary classification benchmark problems, obtained from the UCI repository, and results indicated the advantages of the proposed approach over other existing multi-objective evolutionary neural networks classifiers reported recently in the literature

GENOTOXIC AND MUTAGENIC STUDIES OF THE ANTIEPILEPTIC DRUG LEVETIRACETAM IN PREGNANT RATS AND THEIR FETUSES

Objective: Levetiracetam (LEV) is an anti-epileptic drug, initially approved as an adjunct therapy in adult patients with partial-onset seizures, and used as monotherapy treatment during pregnancy. However, very few, if none, investigations have been focused on LEV neurotoxicity or hepatotoxicity at the molecular level. This study aimed to evaluate the genotoxic and mutagenic potential of LEV, in liver and brain tissues of treated pregnant rats and their fetuses during pregnancy.Methods: LEV was administered to pregnant female albino rats at doses 300 or 600 mg/kg b. w, from gestation days 5-18. Comet assay, DNA fragmentation were performed for detection of DNA damage. Single-stranded conformation polymorphism (SSCP) followed by DNA sequencing were accomplished for detecting possible mutagenicity.Results: Administration of the two tested doses of LEV resulted in a significant increase of DNA damage as detected by alkaline Comet assay, and an appearance of both apoptotic laddered and smeared DNA in the tissues tested. Moreover, a significant incidence of mutations in exon 2 and 3 of Harvey rat sarcoma viral oncogene (HRAS) gene, were detected in fetal liver and brain tissues respectively, using single-stranded conformation polymorphism (SSCP) and were conï¬rmed by DNA sequencing.Conclusion: Maternal and fetal DNA damage induced by LEV was evidenced in our study, even at the commonly used therapeutic dose (300 mg/kg), and thus these side effects should be considered when using LEV for long-term during pregnancy.Â