Exploring Linguistic Space Occupied by the Teachers and Students of an ESL Classroom in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan: Comparisons Across Gender

Classroom talk plays a key role in language learning especially in English as second language (ESL) classrooms. Therefore, in this study the linguistic space occupied by the teacher and students in an ESL classroom has been investigated. A descriptive and exploratory approach was employed and videotaping was used for data collection during five consecutive classroom lessons. Results revealed that the teacher occupied most of the linguistics space (60%) as compared to the students (40%). The average word count of boys (56%) was comparatively higher than that of girls’ word count (44%). This study reports important insights into the patterns of teachers’ speech acts, students’ speech acts, silent and dominant students, length of students’ turns during classroom talk and comparisons across gender for both policy and practice

Electronically reconfigurable and conformal triband antenna for wireless communications systems and portable devices

This paper presents the design of a triband antenna that can be electronically configured to operate at different frequencies. The proposed antenna is design to operate at sub-6GHz bands at 2.45 GHz (ISM, Wi-Fi, and WLAN), 3.3, 3.5 - 3.9 GHz (WiMAX), and 4.1 - 4.9 GHz (4G - 5G). This is achieved by connecting two open-ended stubs to a modified triangular patch radiator using PIN diodes. The antenna's performance was optimized using a 3D electromagnetic solver and its performance was verified through measurements. Moreover, the conformal analysis done on the antenna shows that the proposed technique can be used in moderately flexible wireless devices without compromising the antenna's gain, radiation efficiency and radiation patterns. These characteristics makes the proposed antenna applicable for various wireless communication systems and devices.Funding: Funder1: Universidad Carlos III de Madrid Award Number: 801538 Grant Recipient: Mohammad Alibakhshikenari Grant Recipient: Mohammad Alibakhshikenari Funder 2: HORIZON EUROPE Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions Award Number: 801538 Grant Recipient: Mohammad Alibakhshikenari Funder 3: Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación Award Number: MCIU/AEI/FEDER, UE Grant Recipient: Francisco Falcone The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

ANTECEDENTS OF CUSTOMER SERVICE ORIENTATION

Customer service orientation is about knowing customers and willingly responding their expectations. Research efforts are underway to identify antecedents of customer service orientation. This concept is essential for service sector organizations. This study has examined the impact of  Transactional leadership, Transformational leadership and perceived organizational support as antecedents of customer service orientation in the banking sector. Data from 278 respondents was gathered from bank employees in Islambad, Pakistan. Results have shown a positive and significant impact of all three antecedents on customer service orientation. This study will help banking sector organizations to design policies for enhancing customer service orientation by improving employees performance with effective leadership and supportive work environment.Â

Band enhancement of a compact flexible antenna for WLAN, Wi-Fi and C-band Applications

Proceedings of: 2021 International Symposium on Antennas and Propagation (ISAP), 19-22 October, 2021, Taipei, Taiwan.Design and analysis of a wideband compact flexible antenna is presented in this paper. The bandwidth enhancement of conventional triangular quarter wave monopole antenna is achieved by utilizing the combination of a fractal structure along with open ended stub. Moreover, the flexibility analysis was studied to show the stability of presented work for conformal analysis. Furthermore, compact size, wideband, stable performance in flexibility condition makes the proposed work potential candidate for WLAN, Wi-Fi and C-band Applications.This project has received funding from Universidad Carlos III de Madrid and the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant Agreement No 801538. Also, this work is partially supported by Antenna and Wireless Propagation Group (AWPG); https://sites.google.com/view/awpgrp

Effects of biochar amendments on rice growth and metabolic response to salinity stress in salt-affected soils

Exploring cheaper and sustainable strategies for managing salt-affected soils remains crucial in irrigated areas. Many researchers recommended using gypsum as material for reclamation salt-affected soils, which are costly and unavailable for most farmers. In this study, we used biochar derived from the common materials found in the irrigated areas that are locally available and less utilized as a substitute for gypsum for sustainable reclamation of salt-affected soils. Salt-affected soils (saline, saline-sodic and sodic) and unaffected were collected from the Watari Irrigation project, Kano State Nigeria using farmers' perceptions about the salinity situations of the irrigation scheme and existing legacy map data. The biochar used for this study were made using the Typha grass, rice straw, and rice bran samples collected from the same area. Thirty-six (36) containers (plastic pots) with a diameter of 27.5cm and height of 45cm each were filled with eight-kilogram dried soils, including non-saline, saline, and saline-sodic. We measured plant height, and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) at interval of 14 days. Number of tillers per plant were also measured during tillering stage at interval of 14 days. Stover dry weight, grain dry weight, electrolytic leakage and proline contents were measured after the end of the experiment. The results revealed a high significant effect (p<0.01) of biochar amendments in remediating different forms of salt affected soils. Saline sodic soil was effectively managed when using Typha biochar with a mean value very close to non-saline soil. Rice straw and rice bran reduces the salinity levels particularly in sodic soil. Therefore, biochar from different source could be used in addressing salt-specific problems rather than using a uniform treatment

Dependencia de la viscosidad de cizalladura en la concentración depseudo plasticidad (oxido de polietileno - xantano) colisión de polímero

Introduction: Its necessary to bear in mind that we life in theword increase industrialization, therefore we make many modifications to material to getting on best characterizations. The aim ofthis research is to Prepare new Pseudo Plasticity Polymer Collide.Materials and Methods: In the present paper effects of xanthancellulose gum (X) on rheological properties of polyethylene oxidepolymer (PEO, 3000 Daltons) included different type of viscosityhas been investigated by using the following parameters: (Spindle:no.1, Speed: 60 rpm and Temperature: RT), different sort of viscosity is computed for a PEO that dissolved in distilled cold waterwith completely different various concentrations (0.1, 0.2 to 0.8)%g/mL once and before adding (0.25 and 0.5) g X for every concentration. Results and Discussion: The results show that all properties of density, shear viscosity, relative viscosity, specific viscosity,reduced viscosity, intrinsic viscosity, viscosity average mass and theeffective molecular radius have been enhanced after the addition ofxanthan. Conclusions: Addition of xanthan are often applied asthicker mixture in coating, oil drilling and pumping of fluids attributable related pseudo physical propert

Mechanical properties of selected granitoids along the Karora hydropower project, Besham, Northern Pakistan: Insights from petrography and joint analysis

The stability of tunnel site depends upon the deformation behaviors of the surrounding rocks, including joint density, mineral composition, micro cracks, and grain boundaries. The aim of this study was to analyze the mechanical properties of the Besham Complex in Northern Pakistan in terms of petrography and joint analysis. The Besham complex is prone to deformation as it is bounded by the Main Mantle Thrust (MMT) in the north, the Thakot fault (Tf) in the east, and the Swat block in the west. In the study area, the deformation was observed at the mesoscopic scale, while alteration in grains and fractures were determined at a microscopic scale. Detailed petrographic study of the representative samples from each station revealed that the area is dominantly composed of granite, quartz syenite, quartz monzonite, granodiorite, quartz-rich granitoid, monzogranite, alkali feldspar granite, and quartz monzodiorite. Extensive field work was performed to determine the joint volume (JV), in which the number of joints per cubic meter was recorded for each joint set. The rock quality designation (RQD) was calculated through JV analysis. An RQD value <25% suggested that most rocks are very poor quality, while samples with RQD values between 25% and 50% are poor quality. The petrographic analysis revealed that the dominant contents of the rock samples are feldspar (55.6%), quartz (27%), and mica (17.4%). Petrographic control over surface joint volume was established, suggesting that abundant feldspar, coarse grain, anhedral to subhedral grain shape, microcracks, and alteration of minerals provide planes of weakness for joints and thus reduce the RQD value. Therefore, some serious precautions and supporting measurements, such as shotcrete, rock bolts, metal mesh, and steel arch supports, are essential to avoid severe geo-hazards during further excavation.publishedVersio

Design of an integrated sub-6 GHz and mmWave MIMO antenna for 5G handheld devices

The authors appreciate financial support from Universidad Carlos III de Madrid and the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant Agreement No 801538. As well as, this work was partially supported by the Antenna and Wireless Propagation Group (https://sites.google.com/view/awpgrp/home accessed on 16 June 2021) and from the Researchers Supporting Project number (RSP-2021/58), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

ANTECEDENTS OF CUSTOMER SERVICE ORIENTATION

Customer service orientation is about knowing customers and willingly responding their expectations. Research efforts are underway to identify antecedents of customer service orientation. This concept is essential for service sector organizations. This study has examined the impact of  Transactional leadership, Transformational leadership and perceived organizational support as antecedents of customer service orientation in the banking sector. Data from 278 respondents was gathered from bank employees in Islambad, Pakistan. Results have shown a positive and significant impact of all three antecedents on customer service orientation. This study will help banking sector organizations to design policies for enhancing customer service orientation by improving employees performance with effective leadership and supportive work environment.