Developing Critical Thinking Skill Through Text Structure In Esl Reading Classes

The main purpose of this experimental study was to determine the effects of awareness of the structure of the text on enhancing critical thinking skills in Malaysian undergraduate ESL reading classes. A comparative study of two groups; namely Experimental and Control group were involved in this study. The study was conducted at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) with total participants of thirty-two students who were randomly sampled. An experimental pre-test post-test study was conducted to investigate the objectives of the study. At the initial stage of the study, the test of English reading proficiency (TOEFL) was administered to the participants. The scores were used to categorize students into three levels of proficiency in reading skills: good readers, intermediate and low readers as used in the TOEFL test. The participants were then divided in to two homogenous groups: the Experimental and control groups. Each group was having the same number of readers with different reading proficiency level. In the pre-test, all participants from both groups (experimental and control) sat for a reading comprehension test using a reading passage. Three questions were posed based on the passage: two questions tested the analyzing skills of the participants while one question tested the participants’ creative skills. This was done by asking the participants from both groups to write the topic and the main idea of the passage as well as writing the summary of the passage. The experimental group (N=16) was given instructions in how to find the main idea of the texts, using text structures for the purpose of utilizing the ‘analyzing’ and ‘summarizing’ skills while reading the expository texts. The control group (n=16), on the other hand, was given the traditional instruction while handling the texts. A Post-test was conducted for both groups after the instructions, which were conducted in 10 sessions. Independent t-test and Paired sample t-test were used to analyze the data. Data analysis showed that the students, who received instruction on how to analyze and summarize the text using text structure strategy, had better performance in applying critical thinking skills while reading (M=59.53) as compared to the control group (M=36.25). The results of the paired sample t-test showed that the differences were indeed significant; t(15)=7.64, p=0.000 (p<0.05).The results showed a significant difference in distinguishing the main idea from supporting details as well as summary writing between the experimental group’s performance and the control group’s. Experimental group showed significant improvement in the Post-test (M=2.59) over the Pre-test (M=1.74) in answering question number 3. The lower standard deviation in Post-test (SD=0.78) over Pretest (SD=0.88) indicated that the improvement was evenly distributed in the group. The main focus on the students’ summary writing was to differentiate the main idea as well as the important details in their summaries. The results of the study stipulated the fact that the ‘critical thinking’ skill was found to be strongly enhanced in English reading classes by having direct teaching of ‘analyzing’ and ‘creating’ skills

A study of chekhovian elements in Radi's drama

As one of the outstanding Iranian playwrights, Akbar Radi (1939-2007) is known to be influenced by Henrik Ibsen and Anton Chekhov. Occasionally by his critics, he was called as "The Persian Chekhov" but they never expounded comprehensively the details of the given epithet which might be derived from similarities, influences and inspirations among Radi and Chekov. By analyzing these similarity cases, this essay attempts to figure out whether this resemblance is resulted from the conscious impressionability. Or otherwise, the similar life conditions of the authors -which caused their parallel worldviews- are displayed in the world of their plays. By analyzing the social, economical and geographical conditions of the authors' lives and also studying the resemblance of the content of their works which consist of different aspects of characterization in their plays and also examining the structure and diction of their plays; this essay is going to give a comprehensive view of the epithet of "The Persian Chekhov"

Text structure awareness : another look at reading comprehension strategy in L2 Classes.

Researchers have shown that skilled readers use variety of strategies to comprehend written texts (Stanovich, 2000; Sweet & Snow, 2003). Hence many readers are not aware of reading strategies; there is a need of explicit teaching instruction to develop those strategies. In fact, in most English reading classes there is absence of teaching comprehension strategies to readers, the strategy usually employed is, finding the meaning of the unknown vocabularies or translating the texts in to students’ native language, this approach only enables students to comprehend the passage partially. Reading research has indicated that readers’ awareness of different kinds of text structure has been a useful strategy for better comprehension. All texts have certain styles of writing, which not only distinguishes them from other types of texts but they are also of great help in conveying the authors’ messages and recalling the texts. Teachers play an important role in assisting students in developing reading comprehension strategies including expository text structure awareness (Pearson & Duke, 2002)

The Role of Low-Level Laser in Periodontal Surgeries

Treatment protocols with low-level Laser (also called ‘soft laser therapy) have been used in health care systems for more than three decades. Bearing in mind the suitable sub-cellular absorption and the cellular-vascular impacts, low-level laser may be a treatment of choice for soft tissues. Low-level lasers have played crucial and colorful roles in performing periodontal surgeries. Their anti-inflammatory and painless effects have been variously reported in in-vitro studies. In this present review article, searches have been made in Pub Med, Google Scholar, and Science Direct, focusing on the studies which included low-level lasers, flap-periodontal surgeries, gingivectomy, and periodontal graft. The present study has sought to review the cellular impacts of low-level lasers and its role on reducing pain and inflammation following soft tissue surgical treatments.  

Land use optimization using the fuzzy mathematical-spatial approach: a case study of Chelgerd watershed, Iran

In recent years, inappropriate land use, urban and industrial development along with different pollutions emanating from it gives rise to loss of natural resources and further leads to destructive floods, soil erosion, sedimentation and other various environmental, economic and social damages. Thus, management and planning are essential for the proper utilization, protection and revival of these resources. This study aimed to develop a mathematical-spatial optimum utilization model using FGP&nbsp;– MOLA in watershed including environmental and economic objectives while considering social issues. The results showed that the proposed model can lead to economic growth to 37% and decreasing the environmental damages to 2.4%. Under optimized condition, the area allocated to dry farming lands will decrease about 12% and gardens will increase about 423% and the other land uses remain unchanged too. In addition to, the results demonstrated the usefulness and efficiency of the proposed fuzzy model due to its flexibility and capability to simultaneously provide both optimum values and location of production resources

Is tele-education a proper substitute for regular method to train anesthesiology residents?

Background: Communication technology development has provided easier and quicker services in various medical fields. One of the main applications of tele-communication is tele-education, which helps in remote education of students. This study was designed to compare impact of tele-education and regular education methods on anesthesiology residents.Methods and Materials: Anesthesiology residents participated in both tele-education and regular courses during a one-year period. Various related subjects were taught in tele conference and regular sessions. In each course, residents were assessed by pretest and posttest exams. Finally, satisfaction was evaluated regarding quality of sessions using questionnaires especially prepared for the purpose.Results: Mann-Whitney U test showed no statistically significant difference in pretest (p=0.15) and posttest (p=0.07) results of both courses, although this difference was notably in favor of tele- posttest results. The highest rate of satisfaction among residents was dedicated to "saving time" to get to tele conference classes. Moreover, 92.59% of residents preferred to take part in tele conference classes.Conclusion: The study showed that tele-education and regular methods could be equally effective in the education of residents. Some advantages of tele-education for anesthesiology residents were high satisfaction of residents, time saving, and overcoming long distance. Tele-education could be regarded as an effective substitute for regular education of anesthesiology residents.s

Clarifying the Role of Cooperation Networks in New Product Development (NPD)

The significant role of small and medium enterprises in the economy of developing countries has led researchers to search for ways to create efficiency and advantages for the firms in the process of economic and industrial development. Thus, new product development has always been important for managers and business owners. Given the limited funding for research and development in small and medium businesses, maintaining a competitive advantage and new product development of the network has been offered as solutions. Therefore, in this paper, it is tried to explain cooperation networks and their advantages in new product development of small and medium firms with a descriptive method and study the research carried out

Synthesis and structural properties of Polyvinylpyrrolidone based nanocomposite hydrogels for isoniazid drug delivery

In this study, several examples of hydrogels and nanocomposite hydrogels based on PVP with different content of montmorillonite nanoclay were prepared. Then, the swelling of hydrogels and kinetics of drug delivery of hydrogel in an environment similar to the body (pH 7.4) were examined. The effect of nanoparticle different percentages on the hydrogel was clearly observed. Then kinetics of drug (Isoniazid) delivery for various samples of hydrogel with nanoparticles and without nanoparticles were obtained via Peppas and Higuchi models. The comparison of Peppas model results with experimental data showed that nanocomposite with 4% nanoclay exhibited better compliance. The morphology and microstructure of the prepared nanocomposites were studied by FT-IR, XRD and SEM

The Causes of Morphological and Sedimentary Changes of Jajrood River Upstream of Latyan Dam

Studying the morphology of rivers leads to a better prediction of the rivers' behavior.&nbsp;Two categories of natural and human factors affect the behavior of rivers. Natural factors such as floods, soil erosion, landslides and human factors such as construction and installation of facilities, change of land use along the river and sand removal from the riverbed have an impact on the intensification of river morphological changes. In this research, it has been investigated the morphological changes of Jajrood river and its causes upstream of the dam with an approximate length of 140 km. For ease of work, the river is divided into four zones: A) mountainous and high area, B) split zone under the influence of Mosha -Fasham fault, C) transition zone between the riffle and the mountain, D) the river riffle and Latyan dam. In general, Jajrood river is morphologically steep (average slope of 4%), mountainous, braided and gravel. The torsion factor of the river is 1.06. Jajrood River is a straight river upstream, and braided and gravel downstream that particle size and sorting changes from upstream to downstream does not follow a specific trend. Tectonic activity in the Mosha Fasham fault causes the large particles to enter the river environment as the debris streams. Some erosion-sensitive geological formations, such as the shale units of the Shemshak Formation and the shale parts of the Karaj Formation in the Mosha-Fasham fault zone, under the influence of landslide processes, introduce a large sedimentary load into the river channel during heavy rainfall. In general, common forms of river canals in the region include canal bed sediments, inter Channel Islands, foothills and old alluvial terraces in the downstream areas (Lavasan). Examination of the longitudinal profile of the main part the river from the junction of Sarbandan and Shemshak tributaries downstream to the dam site showed that the middle part of this section of the river is affected by a sudden change of slope due to the Mosha Fasham fault. The changes in the bed level and the increase of the mentioned slope in the river route are due to the function of fault displacements in the region and the entry of large volumes of gravel flows from the river valley walls into the river channel flow path. In the riffle of Jajrood River, Lavasan Municipality has implemented dams to beautify and build a park for tourism that have upset the balance of the waterway. This raises the bed level upstream. Besides, river water quality has also been affected due to time delays in water flow.O estudo da morfologia dos rios permite uma melhor previsão do comportamento dos rios. Duas categorias de fatores naturais e humanos afetam o comportamento dos rios. Fatores naturais como inundações, erosão do solo, deslizamentos de terra e fatores humanos como construção e instalação de instalações, alteração do uso do solo ao longo do rio e remoção de areia do leito do rio têm impacto na intensificação das mudanças morfológicas do rio. Nesta pesquisa, foram investigadas as mudanças morfológicas do rio Jajrood e suas causas a montante da barragem com extensão aproximada de 140 km. Para facilitar o trabalho, o rio está dividido em quatro zonas: A) zona montanhosa e alta, B) zona dividida sob a influência de Mosha -Falha de Fasham, C) zona de transição entre o riffle e a montanha, D) o riffle e Barragem da Letônia. Em geral, o rio Jajrood é morfologicamente íngreme (declive médio de 4%), montanhoso, trançado e de cascalho. O fator de torção do rio é 1,06. O Rio Jajrood é um rio direto a montante, e trançado e cascalho a jusante que o tamanho das partículas e as mudanças de classificação de montante para jusante não seguem uma tendência específica. A atividade tectônica na falha de Mosha Fasham faz com que as grandes partículas entrem no ambiente do rio como o fluxo de detritos. Algumas formações geológicas sensíveis à erosão, como as unidades de xisto da Formação Shemshak e as partes de xisto da Formação Karaj na zona de falha de Mosha-Fasham, sob a influência de processos de deslizamento de terra, introduzem uma grande carga sedimentar no canal do rio durante chuva. Em geral, as formas comuns de canais de rios na região incluem sedimentos do leito do canal, ilhas do canal inter, contrafortes e antigos terraços aluviais nas áreas a jusante (Lavasan). O exame do perfil longitudinal da parte principal do rio da junção dos afluentes Sarbandan e Shemshak a jusante até o local da barragem mostrou que a parte média desta seção do rio é afetada por uma mudança repentina de declive devido à falha de Mosha Fasham. As alterações no nível do leito e o aumento da referida declividade no percurso do rio devem-se à função de deslocamentos de falhas na região e à entrada de grandes volumes de fluxos de cascalho das paredes do vale do rio para o curso de escoamento do canal do rio. No riffle do rio Jajrood, o município de Lavasan implantou represas para embelezar e construir um parque turístico que alterou o equilíbrio do curso de água. Isso aumenta o nível do leito rio acima. Além disso, a qualidade da água do rio também foi afetada devido a atrasos no fluxo de água

Parámetros sedimentarios y texturales de continuidad y características mineralógicas del río Jajrood, Irán

In this research, we try to study the sedimentary characteristics and the trend of textural changes in the sediments of the Jajrood River from upstream to downstream at the point of junction to Latiyan dam. Based on the textural changes of sediments along the path from the upstream in the Garmabdar area to the downstream to the Latiyan Dam, the Jajrood River is divided into four A, B, C and D basins. Twenty sediment samples were collected and all sieved by dry and wet method also the specimens were morphoscopically studied. Data from field and laboratory phases were combined and interpreted using reliable scientific sources and finally a detailed summary was obtained regarding sedimentology of the study area. Mineralogically, the sediment type of the river is a clastic carbonate sedimentary type with fragments ranging from 30 to 58 percent and rock fragments between 25 to 50 percent abundance. Other minerals, such as feldspar minerals, account for about 1 to 4 percent, quartz 5 to 10 percent, and opauqe minerals from 1 to 5 percent. Examination of the average particle size in the A to D basins shows that decreasing trend of sediment size from the A to C basin occurs and reverses in the D basin. In the first three basins, the sorting grade of the river sediments is very bad and in the last basin it has become extremely bad. The amount of kurtosis of the particle distribution curve from upstream to downstream of the river is generally increasing trend. Textural changes along the river do not follow natural conditions due to the influence of various natural factors such as the entry of distributary into the main River, and phenomena such as landslide and rock collapses and debris flows, especially during floods along the riverbank.En esta investigación, tratamos de estudiar las características sedimentarias y la tendencia de los cambios de textura en los sedimentos del río Jajrood desde aguas arriba hacia aguas abajo en el punto de unión con la presa de Latiyan. Basado en los cambios de textura de los sedimentos a lo largo del camino desde el río arriba en el área de Garmabdar hasta la presa de Latiyan, el río Jajrood se divide en cuatro cuencas A, B, C y D. Se recogieron veinte muestras de sedimentos y todas se tamizaron por método seco y húmedo, y las muestras se estudiaron morfoscópicamente. Los datos de las fases de campo y laboratorio se combinaron e interpretaron utilizando fuentes científicas confiables y finalmente se obtuvo un resumen detallado sobre la sedimentología del área de estudio. Desde el punto de vista mineralógico, el tipo de sedimento del río es un tipo sedimentario de carbonato clástico con fragmentos que van del 30 al 58 por ciento y fragmentos de roca entre el 25 y el 50 por ciento de abundancia. Otros minerales, como los minerales de feldespato, representan alrededor del 1 al 4 por ciento, los cuarzos del 5 al 10 por ciento y los minerales opacos del 1 al 5 por ciento. El examen del tamaño promedio de partícula en las cuencas A a D muestra que se produce una tendencia decreciente del tamaño del sedimento de la cuenca A a C y se invierte en la cuenca D. En las primeras tres cuencas, el grado de clasificación de los sedimentos del río es muy malo y en la última cuenca se ha vuelto extremadamente malo. La cantidad de curtosis de la curva de distribución de partículas de río arriba a río abajo es generalmente una tendencia creciente. Los cambios de textura a lo largo del río no siguen las condiciones naturales debido a la influencia de varios factores naturales, como la entrada de distribución en el río principal, y fenómenos como derrumbes y derrumbes de rocas y flujos de escombros, especialmente durante las inundaciones a lo largo de la orilla del río