The use of scaffolding-based software in developing pronunciation

This research looked at the use of a scaffolding-based software in helping learners to develop pronunciation and fluency modelled on standard American English. The study used Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development (ZPD) theory and Scaffolding Learning. Principles as a basis for observing how learners of English progressed through the learning process. Firstly, the research examined an accent-reduction software to find out how the software design supports scaffolding principles. To determine the effectiveness of the software on learners’ general pronunciation, pre-test and post-test were used. The data obtained from the pre-test and the post-test showed a significant improvement in learners’ general pronunciation after using the pronunciation learning software.Secondly, case studies were conducted to investigate Persian ESL learners’ progress in pronouncing English consonants that are absent from the phonemic inventory of Persian. The selected cases were recorded during class time, while they were working with the software. The obtained recordings were then analysed using PRAAT, a speech analysis programme. Later, two raters helped the researcher to determine the quality of the sounds produced by the learners. The results from the case study showed that with the appropriate scaffolds provided by the software, in the form of explicit instruction, native models and multimodal feedback, the learners were found to have the microgenesis improvements towards the native model and progressed within the ZPD to pronounce the consonants that were absent from the inventory system of their first language. Finally, learners’ perceptions of the software were asked in an interview session after the instructional programme. Based on their responses to the interview questions, it was found that the learners positively perceived the use of the scaffolding-based accent reduction software to improve their general pronunciation

Cytogenetic studies among Iranian infertile men: The first 20-year long-term report

Chromosomal aberrations have been postulated to be one of the principal genetic factors in male infertility and occur in about 2 to 3% of unselected patients with proven sub-fertility. This rate is estimated to be 5 to 7% in patients with oligospermia, increasing to 10 to 15% in patients with azoospermia. The aim of this study was to report the frequency of all chromosomal aberrations among Iranian infertile men. In this 20-year retrospective study, we investigated 829 men which were referred to our department due to infertility. Karyotyping was performed on peripheral blood lymphocytes according to standard methods. Out of 829 patients, 557 patients (67.19%) had normal karyotype and 272 patients (32.81%) showed abnormal chromosomes. Klineferlter syndrome, found in 195 patients (23.52%), was the most frequent aberration in our study. The remaining 77 cases (9.29%) showed a variety of abnormal karyotypes.Keywords: Karyotyping, chromosome abnormality, male infertilit

Influence of Fertilizer Treatment on the Response of Sugar Beet Yield to Moisture

Many factors that influence the growth and quality of sugar beets behave in one way under one set of conditions and in quite another under other conditions. Consequently, these factors should be considered together under a dynamic situation to find their interrelations and their influence on sugar beet yield. This study is a statistical analysis of the interaction of fertilizer and soil moisture potential with the yield of sugar beets grown in a crop rotation under different regimes of irrigation conducted over a period of seven years. The data are available for the years 1949 through 1956, from an intensive field experiment conducted under Western Regional Research Project W-29, entitled Soil-Water-Plant Relations under Irrigation. There is need of a complete statistical analysis of third order interaction for the whole cultural rotation. This third order interaction has been examined for the sugar beet crop grown in the seven years of the general cultural rotation, which includes peas, first year alfalfa, second year alfalfa, potatoes, and sugar beets

Telephone-linked care for physical activity: A qualitative evaluation of the use patterns of an information technology program for patients

AbstractAutomated health behavior interventions that involve discretionary use by patients or consumers over extended periods of time are becoming more common and it is generally assumed that adherence to the recommended schedule is related to the impact of the system on users. Yet reasons for use or non-use of such systems have not been carefully explored. An understanding of factors that influence people to use, not use, or underutilize these automated behavioral change and self-care management systems can help in designing systems that are more effective and acceptable to users. Using qualitative research methods, this study explored the experiences of 45 users of a multiple-contact health promotion application with the goal of understanding the major factors that affect patterns of use (frequency of and duration of contact). The in-depth exploration of users’ perceptions and views made possible by the qualitative research methods revealed a number of important themes. Reported reasons for underutilization or non-use were found to be both user-related and system-related. User-related reasons encompassed personal and individual events that prevented or impeded system utilization. System-related reasons included those that related to the medium itself as well as the content of the application. The qualitative methods employed in this study created a forum through which users’ feedback could be fully explored and then synthesized to assist in the improvement of this and other automated health behavior interventions

The Iranian dowreh network and its functions.

Thesis. 1979. M.S.--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Political Science.MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND DEWEY.Bibliography: leaves 117-120.M.S

Ethnic groups and the state : Azaris, Kurds and Baluch of Iran

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Political Science, 1992.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 476-503).by Ramesh Farzanfar.Ph.D

From cognitive maps to spatial schemas

A schema refers to a structured body of prior knowledge that captures common patterns across related experiences. Schemas have been studied separately in the realms of episodic memory and spatial navigation across different species and have been grounded in theories of memory consolidation, but there has been little attempt to integrate our understanding across domains, particularly in humans. We propose that experiences during navigation with many similarly structured environments give rise to the formation of spatial schemas (for example, the expected layout of modern cities) that share properties with but are distinct from cognitive maps (for example, the memory of a modern city) and event schemas (such as expected events in a modern city) at both cognitive and neural levels. We describe earlier theoretical frameworks and empirical findings relevant to spatial schemas, along with more targeted investigations of spatial schemas in human and non-human animals. Consideration of architecture and urban analytics, including the influence of scale and regionalization, on different properties of spatial schemas may provide a powerful approach to advance our understanding of spatial schemas

How to write health dialog for a talking computer

AbstractAutomated dialogue systems delivered over the telephone offer a promising approach to delivering health-related interventions to populations of individuals at low-cost. Over the past two decades, an automated telephone system called Telephone-Linked Care or TLC has been successfully designed and evaluated by the authors and their colleagues. This work has resulted in over twenty systems for various health-related conditions and lifestyle behaviors. This paper describes our approach to developing and writing dialogue for these automated telephone systems, including determining the program objectives, defining the target population, and selecting a theory of behavior change to guide the intervention. Both macro and micro issues are considered in constructing dialogue systems that are engaging for the target population, easy to use, and effective at promoting positive health behaviors and outcomes

The relationship between information content of depreciation and abnormal return and future benefits in manufacturing companies in Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE)

In present study by virtue of the importance of  the fiscal statement contents and illiquid items ignored by the merchant the depreciation contents relation with abnormal return of the shares and future benefits are examined in order to influence the items under consideration of the investors to take related decisions; 94 companies were selected from the accessible universe in five years (2006-2010) to have the data necessary for the study in order to achieve the goal & with the base of keeping attention to the manufacturing & nonmanufacturing companies in the whole industries of stock market except banks & insurance companies. The simple and multivariable regression statistical techniques Chow and Hausman Test were used to test the hypotheses. The significant test was conducted for the paradigms by using the ‘F’ and ‘T’ statistics. The study findings show local high inflation have affection on the both variable results & makes no relation for first variable,for future benefits shows parallel  movements

Computer-assisted versus oral-and-written dietary history taking for diabetes mellitus

Background: Diabetes is a chronic illness characterised by insulin resistance or deficiency, resulting in elevated glycosylated haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels. Diet and adherence to dietary advice is associated with lower HbA1c levels and control of disease. Dietary history may be an effective clinical tool for diabetes management and has traditionally been taken by oral-and-written methods, although it can also be collected using computer-assisted history taking systems (CAHTS). Although CAHTS were first described in the 1960s, there remains uncertainty about the impact of these methods on dietary history collection, clinical care and patient outcomes such as quality of life. Objectives: To assess the effects of computer-assisted versus oral-and-written dietary history taking on patient outcomes for diabetes mellitus. Search methods: We searched The Cochrane Library (issue 6, 2011), MEDLINE (January 1985 to June 2011), EMBASE (January 1980 to June 2011) and CINAHL (January 1981 to June 2011). Reference lists of obtained articles were also pursued further and no limits were imposed on languages and publication status. Selection criteria: Randomised controlled trials of computer-assisted versus oral-and-written history taking in patients with diabetes mellitus. Data collection and analysis: Two authors independently scanned the title and abstract of retrieved articles. Potentially relevant articles were investigated as full text. Studies that met the inclusion criteria were abstracted for relevant population and intervention characteristics with any disagreements resolved by discussion, or by a third party. Risk of bias was similarly assessed independently. Main results: Of the 2991 studies retrieved, only one study with 38 study participants compared the two methods of history taking over a total of eight weeks. The authors found that as patients became increasingly familiar with using CAHTS, the correlation between patients' food records and computer assessments improved. Reported fat intake decreased in the control group and increased when queried by the computer. The effect of the intervention on the management of diabetes mellitus and blood glucose levels was not reported. Risk of bias was considered moderate for this study. Authors' conclusions: Based on one small study judged to be of moderate risk of bias, we tentatively conclude that CAHTS may be well received by study participants and potentially offer time saving in practice. However, more robust studies with larger sample sizes are needed to confirm these. We cannot draw on any conclusions in relation to any other clinical outcomes at this stage