THE IMPACT OF THE WIKI-ENHANCED TBLT APPROACH ON HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ WRITING SKILL IN A BOYS’ PUBLIC SCHOOL IN AL AIN, UAE

This study investigated the impact of the wiki-enhanced task-based language teaching (TBLT) approach on students’ writing skill in the context of English as a foreign language (EFL) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In addition, it explored the students’ and teacher’s views and perceptions toward the implementation of the wiki-enhanced TBLT approach. The study data were collected quantitatively and qualitatively from two classrooms in a public high school in the UAE, which consisted of 30 students. The quantitative data were collected via a pretest–posttest design from the two assigned groups of students: the control and experimental groups. The qualitative data were collected via a survey of the students and a semi-structured interview with the teacher. The study was conducted during a whole academic semester. The findings of the study show that implementing the wiki-enhanced TBLT technique considerably improves EFL learners’ writing skills in relation to the four language components examined in this study: syntactic complexity, grammatical accuracy, fluency, and lexical complexity. In addition, the students enjoyed working together on writing tasks using the wiki-enhanced TBLT approach. Their responses showed that the TBLT approach encourages better performance in collaborative writing tasks and classroom engagement. Moreover, the classroom teachers indicated that the implementation of this approach played a significant role in promoting students’ performance, communication, collaboration, and engagement in the target language (English) in the experimental group. Furthermore, the findings showed that students can construct new knowledge with the aid of their peers, thereby improving their capacity to devise and discuss original ideas. As students can practice collaborative writing while at home, the wiki-enhanced TBLT approach is beneficial for online learning. Adopting this approach increased students’ participation in class because they were more comfortable working together while using technology, improving the quality of their writing and assignments. Several theoretical and pedagogical implications regarding the implementation of this approach have been drawn. The first theoretical implication of this study is that the wiki approach supports previous efforts to move the socio constructivist perspective of learning from the spoken discourse to the written discourse. The second theoretical implication is that it provides support to Chapelle\u27s framework (2003) where learning should be focused on tasks that require the use of the target language. Learning should take place in meaningful and real-life contexts, and instruction should be tailored to the individual needs of the learner. The third theoretical implication is that his study is the first to be conducted in the Gulf region, especially in the UAE. Regarding the pedagogical implications of the TBLT approach, the first pedagogical implication is that teachers need to consider the wiki-enhanced TBLT approach a standard and favored classroom strategy. The second pedagogical implication is that the wiki approach can be used by teachers as a teaching strategy to promote students’ participation and engagement and create a friendly social environment in the L2 classroom. The third pedagogical implication is that technology has proved to be integral in the classroom in teaching and learning the target language. The fourth pedagogical implication is for course designers who need to consider the wiki-enhanced TBLT approach as part of the curriculum. Based on these findings, future research can consider examining the effect of the wiki-enhanced TBLT approach on EFL learners’ writing skill at different levels, such as primary, college, or university students. Future research might also investigate the effect of Google Docs–based TBLT approach on developing students’ writing skill and explore students’ perceptions toward using this approach

Experimental investigations of natural circulation in a separate-and-mixed effects test facility mimicking prismatic modular reactor (PMR) core

After the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident in 2011, significant attention was directed to investigate natural circulation thermal-hydraulics in Prismatic Modular Reactors (PMRs). Natural circulation is employed as a passive safety feature that passively removes the decay heat released after the loss of flow accidents (LOFA). Several computational studies have addressed such phenomena, however, validation of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is needed by providing high-quality data obtained from separate test facilities designed with reference to the corresponding reference PMRs. To address this need, a separate effects Plenum-to-Plenum Facility (P2PF) was designed and developed with dual channels and plena for experimental investigations of naturally driven gas thermal and velocity fields under different circulation intensities. Thermal and velocity measurements have been characterized by implementation of advanced sophisticated measurement techniques such as: (1) the hot wire anemometry (HWA), (2) flush-mounted micro-foil sensors, and (3) thermocouples that are capable of providing local measurements at different axial and radials positions along both channels. These measurement techniques have been integrated in a novel way so that the thermocouple readings are not disturbed by the HWA sensor, and vice versa. This proposed work has a significant impact on advancing the knowledge and understanding of the plenum-to-plenum (P2P) natural circulation thermal-hydraulic phenomenon and provides high-quality benchmark data that are much needed for verification and validation (V&V) of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models and codes. Therefore, computational simulations can be reliably used in designing PMRs passive safety systems and in safety analysis and assessment --Abstract, page iv

The influences of user generated ‘Big data’ on urban development

Cities are the nucleus for creativity and ideas, as it has all the potentials for people to work, explore and live. People always come to cities because they want to be part of something, this magnet in the cities created the problem of population (Ericsson: Thinking Cities in the Networked Society, 2012). Approximately 50% of world’s population lives in urban areas, a number which is expected to increase to nearly 60% by 2030. (Mutizwa-Mangiza ND, Arimah B C, Jensen I, Yemeru EA, Kinyanjui MK, 2011). According to the rapid change in cities’ population there exists a need to utilize intelligent prediction tools to deliver a better way of living. Smart cities provide an opportunity to connect people and places using innovative technologies that help in better city planning and management ( Khan, Anjum, Soomro, & Tahir, 2015). Data is never a new thing, but data sources are always in change. The internet made everything easier and more reachable. This wide range of technologies such as IOT (internet of things) and M2M (machine to machine) (Gartner, 2015), is believed to offer a new potential to deliver an analytical framework for urban optimization. The real value of such data is gained by new knowledge acquired by performing data analytics using various data mining, machine learning or statistical methods. According to this technologically mutated, data comes from weather channels, street security cameras, Facebook, Twitter, sensor networks, in-car devices, location-based smartphone apps, RFID tags, smart meters, among other sources (Hinssen, 2012). This massive amount of information that comes from real-time based tools, made the world in front of a new era of data called ‘Big Data’. However, turning an ocean of messy data into knowledge and wisdom is an extremely challenging task. The proposed paper will discuss the IOT developed frameworks which are used to improve cities infrastructure and their vital systems. Analyzing these frameworks will help developing a conceptual proposal of data visualizing software; with the aim of helping urban planners get a better and easier way to comprehend the usage of multi-data sources for city planning and management. The full control of data is an open challenge, however proposing the fundamental bases of framework with the ability to extend and having an application layer above would be very helpful for urban process shifting. The Egyptian case is our main scope to have a smarter city that provides an opportunity to connect people and places using innovative technologies

The ultras in Egypt: political role before and after January 25th, 2011

Since the formal inception of the “Ultras” groups in Egypt in 2007, there has been a rise in the conflict between the Egyptian security apparatus and the soccer fans. And despite their anti-political stance in the early days, the Ultras began to participate in dissent and engage in a confrontational relationship with the state authorities ever since their inception. This was culminated in the critical role they played during the eighteen days in January and February 2011 and in more events to follow since. However, despite this important role and the support they have among Egyptian youth, the Egyptian Ultras have been the subject of fairly little academic research. This research seeks to study and compare the political role played by the Ultras before and after January 25th, 2011 through analyzing repertoires of contention, mobilizing structures, and political opportunities and threats through an examination of primary sources. These will include Ultras founder/member Mohamed Gamal Bashir’s (also known as Gemyhood) The Ultras Book: When the Fans Go Beyond the Normal, interviews with Ultras members and leaders, and analysis of key messages in Ultras’ produced materials such as chants, graffiti and banners that attempt to document the Ultras political engagement between 2007-2013; as well as project on the future role of the soccer fan groups in Egyptian politics and social change. Using the political processes model of social movements as a theoretical framework, this proposed research argues that the international ideological framework of the Ultras groups naturally drove them into dissent since their inception and placed them as a confrontational opponent to Egyptian security authorities, who always attempted to impose limits on the groups’ collective claim-making ability. However, it was changes that happened in several dimensions of the political opportunity and mobilizing structures with January 25th 2011 that rendered the political system as more vulnerable to challenge by the Ultras groups, and led to shaping their revolutionary and political role, change their repertoire of contention vis-à-vis state institutions, and allowed them to collectively act outside the stadia as a meaningful opposition to the repressive Egyptian regime and security apparatus in the years to follow

Analysis of Neurovirulence in the Mouse Model System Using Deletion Variants of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 (HSV-2)

The aim of the work described in this thesis was to identify gene (s) involved in determining the neurovirulence of HSV-2 strain HG52 in the mouse model system using deletion variants. The availability of variants with deletions in specific regions of the genome afforded the unique opportunity to determine the possible role of specific sequences in virulence. The phenotype of the parental wild type virus has also been determined by examining the neurovirulence of individual plaque stocks to identify the baseline from which to evaluate the deletion variants. Twenty well separated plaques were picked from the elite stock of HG52 and passaged twice at 37C. Restriction endonuclease analysis of the DNA from each of the twenty plaque stocks showed no differences in the size of fragments and distribution of the sites. To determine their neurovirulence, ten of the individual plaque stocks were selected randomly for mice inoculation. Following intracranial inoculation of 3 week old BALB/c mice, the plaque stocks segregated into three classes of neurovirulence on the basis of their LD50 values; high (10 3 pfu/mouse), intermediate (10e3-10e4 pfu/mouse) and low virulence (>10 5pfu/mouse). The particle : pfu ratios of the plaque stocks were within the acceptable range for HSV-2. Restriction endonuclease analysis of viruses reisolated from the brains of infected mice showed no apparent difference in their DNA profiles compared to the initial infecting viruses. Two plaque stocks of high, one of intermediate and one of low virulence were selected on the basis of their LD50 values and particle : pfu ratios. These stocks retained their original values compared to the non-plaque purified elite stock of HG52 (10 2pfu/mouse) when retested in mice. Following intraperitoneal inoculation, the selected plaque stocks showed differences in their LD50 values comparable to the differences seen following intracranial inoculation. The selected plaque stocks grew as well as the parental HG52 in one step growth experiments in BHK-21 C13 cells. However, they showed differences in the growth kinetics in vivo in mouse brain where the high virulence stocks showed comparable growth to HG52, while the intermediate and low virulence stocks grew less well. The selected plaque stocks were passaged five times in BHK-21 C13 cells and ten plaques from each were picked and stocks grown. Restriction endonuclease analysis of their DNA showed no differences compared to the wild type HG52. Following intracranial inoculation of the virus stock derived from the fifth passage, those derived from intermediate or low virulence virus remained stably of intermediate or low virulence, while those derived from high virulence virus showed in some cases a shift to intermediate levels of virulence. These results clearly demonstrate virulence heterogeneity within the elite stock of HSV-2 strain HG52. The LD50 value of high virulence virus was chosen as a baseline from which to evaluate the virulence of deletion variants A number of deletion variants of HSV-2 strain HG52 with deletions ranging in size from 1.5 to 9 kb have been tested for virulence following intracranial inoculation of 3 week old BALB/c mice. The variants were segregated into three categories of virulence on the basis of their LD50 values; avirulent (>10e7 pfu/mouse), reduced (10 -10 pfu/mouse) and attenuated (10 pfu/mouse) compared to 10 pfu/mouse for the elite stock of HG52. Analysis of the variants with deletions in U S /TR S indicated that the US4, US10, US11 and US12 genes have a role in neurovirulence. Deletion of one copy of oris and one copy of the IE3 gene has a minor effect on neurovirulence. Analysis of the variants with deletions in IR L/TR L regions of the genome implies that deletion of one copy of the IEl gene and part of LAT transcripts in IR L has a minor effect on neurovirulence. The analysis demonstrated that none of the deleted genes appear to be a unique determinant of neurovirulence with the exception of the DNA sequences between 0-0.02 and 0.81-0 83 m. u. The variant JH2604 whose genome is deleted by 1.5 kb in both copies of the BamHI v fragment between 0-0.02 and 0.81-0.83 m. u. in TR L and IR L respectively was avirulent for mice following intracranial and footpad inoculation with LD 50 values of >10e7 and >10e8 pfu/mouse respectively compared to 10 pfu/mouse for the elite stock of HG52. Therefore, the variant JH2604 is at least 6 logs less neurovirulent than the wild type virus. The variant JH2604 grew as well as the wild type virus in vitro in BHK-21 C13 and 3T6 cells, but it failed to grow in mouse brain in vivo demonstrating that the lack of neurovirulence was due to inefficient replication in mouse brain

Effect of Multimodal Integrative Interventions on Pain-Related Outcomes among Critically Ill Patients

Context: Pain, a persistent problem in critically ill patients, adversely affects outcomes. Despite recommendations, no evidence-based non-pharmacological approaches for pain treatment in critically ill patients have been found. Aim: To evaluate the effect of multimodal integrative interventions on pain-related outcomes among critically ill patients. Methods: A quasi-experimental design (pre / post-test) was utilized to fulfill the aim of this study. A convenience sample of sixty adult critically ill patients was recruited from the intensive care unit at Benha University Hospital affiliated to Benha University at Qualyubia Governorate, Egypt. Three tools were used to conduct this study as follows: Critically ill patients' assessment record; The Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool (CCPOT); The Groningen Sleep Quality Scale. Results: The results show decreased frequency of pain occurrence in the post intervention periods (75%) immediately post to 50% after 48 hours of intervention compared with pre-intervention (100%). The results show a highly statistically significant differences at p ≤0.001 between pre and post of intervention periods regarding the intensity of the pain mean score among studied patients. It also shows statistically significant differences with p-value ≤0.05 regarding all items of sleep quality immediately after and after 48 hours of intervention compared to pre-intervention, except related to having a deep sleep last night, and feel like a slept poorly last night with a p-value ≥0.05. There was a highly positive statistically significant correlation at p-value ≤ 0.001 between pain intensity and other secondary outcomes, including quality of sleep, blood pressure, heart rate and respiratory rate. Conclusion: Multimodal integrative interventions effectively decrease pain and improve pain-related outcomes among critically ill patients. Appropriate pain assessment must be partnered with an adequate, multimodal, evidence-based management strategy that incorporates both pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic modalities of pain control

Effect of Pair Housing Versus Individual and Group Housing on Behavioural Patterns of Buffalo Calves

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of pair housing versus individual and group housing on behavioural patterns of female buffalo calves (n = 18; 15.0±3.0 days of age) were assigned randomly to 1 of 3 treatments of group housing with (C1=one calf/pen, C2=two calves/pen, or C3= three calves/pen) supplying a total pen space allowance of 1.82 m2 /calf, regardless of pen size. Behaviour was recorded by direct observation throughout the day from 10:00 to 14:00 clock, during a single day each week for 12 weeks using scan sampling every 15 min within 4 hours’ observation sessions. Calves housed in C2 group showed more (P ≤ 0.05) eating and drinking, chewing/ruminating, object manipulation and self grooming, lying activities, and less (P < 0.05) inactivity and standing when compared to calves housed in C1 and C3 groups. In conclusion, raising buffalo calves in paired housing system provided calves more opportunity to express their comfort, grooming, and feeding activities compared to individual and group housing system, however further investigation is still required to study the effect of paired housing system on the performance and physiological indicators in buffalo calves

Metoprolol versus low-dose sotalol for prevention of high-risk post coronary artery bypass grafting atrial fibrillation

Background: The optimal therapeutic strategy for high-risk postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) remains less well defined. Our objectives were to investigate the efficacy of prophylactic metoprolol versus low-dose sotalol regimens to prevent high-risk atrial fibrillation (AF) following coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG). Methods: We assigned 113 consecutive patients referred for CABG to either metoprolol or low-dose sotalol regimen. The primary end-point was the frequency of POAF during the 6-week follow-up. Results: Out of 113 patients enrolled, 52.2% % received metoprolol (n= 59) while 44.8% received sotalol (n= 54). The frequency of POAF at follow-up was significantly higher among the metoprolol group (59.3 % versus 50 %; P=0.017). The predictors of POAF were: age > 60 years (OR: 1.86 (1.01-4.41); P= 0.03), EF (OR: 2 (1.05-3.83); P= 0.02), and sotalol was protective against POAF (OR= 0.49%; (95% CI=0.25 -0.97); P=0.02). The length of hospital stay was significantly higher in the metoprolol group (7.5±1.3 % versus 6.1±1.2 days; P<0.001). Conclusion: Prophylactic low-dose sotalol could be superior to metoprolol for the prophylaxis of POAF in high-risk patients. However, Larger prospective multicenter randomized trials are needed to confirm our findings