THE ROLE OF ANXIETY IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE WRITING SKILL AT SECONDARY LEVEL STUDENTS

This study has investigated the role of English language anxiety, its types and impacts on writing skill at secondary school level. Quantitative approach was used in this study. One hundred seventeen students and twenty teachers of English Language were selected randomly in this study. Questionnaire was used as data collection tool. It was adapted from Cheng (2004) in a modified form of English language writing anxiety (i.e. second language writing anxiety inventory) to analyze the causes and effects of English language writing anxiety. Another questionnaire was used to collect data from teachers, which were related with English language writing anxiety in their students. Consequently, the findings confirmed that most of the students feel anxiety, which had a debilitating impact on English language writing. Similarly, evaluation of data discovered that somatic anxiety, cognitive anxiety, insufficient writing practice, avoidance behavior, loss of vocabulary expertise in the performance of writing represent the primary sources of anxiety in English language writing by students. Moreover, this research showed that very few teachers seem to assist their students’ triumph over writing anxiety because of massive elegance and the limited time allocated for English classrooms. On the basis of the findings, a few suggestions made so as to help to lessen anxiety in English language writing classrooms. The suggestions for classrooms exercise centered on ways of handling English language writing anxiety and guidelines to make the writing magnificence and to create a good environment for stressful students

A W-Shaped Convolutional Network for Robust Crop and Weed Classification in Agriculture

Agricultural image and vision computing are significantly different from other object classification-based methods because two base classes in agriculture, crops and weeds, have many common traits. Efficient crop, weeds, and soil classification are required to perform autonomous (spraying, harvesting, etc.) activities in agricultural fields. In a three-class (crop-weed-background) agricultural classification scenario, it is usually easier to accurately classify the background class than the crop and weed classes because the background class appears significantly different feature-wise than the crop and weed classes. However, robustly distinguishing between the crop and weed classes is challenging because their appearance features generally look very similar. To address this problem, we propose a framework based on a convolutional W-shaped network with two encoder-decoder structures of different sizes. The first encoder-decoder structure differentiates between background and vegetation (crop and weed), and the second encoder-decoder structure learns discriminating features to classify crop and weed classes efficiently. The proposed W network is generalizable for different crop types. The effectiveness of the proposed network is demonstrated on two crop datasets – a tobacco dataset and a sesame dataset, both collected in this study and made available publicly online for use by the community – by evaluating and comparing the performance with existing related methods. The proposed method consistently outperforms existing related methods on both datasets

Determination and Extraction of Acetamiprid Residues in Fruits and Vegetables

  Vegetables (chilies, tomato, cauliflower and cucumber) and fruits (mango and apple) samples were spiked with known quantity (0.50 mg kg-1) of acetamiprid reference standard for testing the retrieval percentage of acetamiprid residue in those vegetables and fruits. The efficiency of different extracting (ethyl acetate and dichloromethane + acetone 8:2) and eluting (ethyl acetate and dichloromethane + acetone 8:2) solvents and adsorbents (activated charcoal and florisil) for clean up purpose was calculated using HPLC. Amongst the extracting solvents ethyl-acetate was observed an effective extracting solvent alone which produced maximum 90-96%  recovery for acetamiprid residues while among the eluting solvents a combination of dichloromethane and acetone ( ratio 8:2) produced superior recoveries i.e. 87-95%. Similarly, between the adsorbents used for clean up purpose activated charcoal and florisil in tandem (first from charcoal and then through florisil) yielded recoveries 82-90 % whereas adsorbents used alone in form of activated florisil and charcoal recovered only 70 to 78 % and 71 to 73% acetamiprid residues, respectively in all vegetables and fruits

Determination and Extraction of Acetamiprid Residues in Fruits and Vegetables

<p align="center"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">  <span style="font-size: medium;">Vegetables (chilies, tomato, cauliflower and cucumber) and fruits (mango and apple) samples were spiked with known quantity (0.50 mg kg-1) of acetamiprid reference standard for testing the retrieval percentage of acetamiprid residue in those vegetables and fruits. The efficiency of different extracting (ethyl acetate and dichloromethane + acetone 8:2) and eluting (ethyl acetate and dichloromethane + acetone 8:2) solvents and adsorbents (activated charcoal and florisil) for clean up purpose was calculated using HPLC. Amongst the extracting solvents ethyl-acetate was observed an effective extracting solvent alone which produced maximum 90-96%  </span><span style="font-size: medium;">recovery for acetamiprid residues while among the eluting solvents a combination of dichloromethane and acetone ( ratio 8:2) produced superior recoveries i.e. 87-95%. Similarly, between the adsorbents used for clean up purpose activated charcoal and florisil in tandem (first from charcoal and then through florisil) yielded recoveries 82-90 % whereas adsorbents used alone in form of activated florisil and charcoal recovered only 70 to 78 % and 71 to 73% acetamiprid residues, respectively in all vegetables and fruits.</span></span></p

Acute health effects of the Tasman Spirit oil spill on residents of Karachi, Pakistan

BACKGROUND: On July 27 2003, a ship carrying crude oil run aground near Karachi and after two weeks released 37,000 tons of its cargo into the sea. Oil on the coastal areas and fumes in air raised health concerns among people. We assessed the immediate health impact of oil spill from the tanker Tasman Spirit on residents of the affected coastline in Karachi, Pakistan. METHODS: We conducted a study consisting of an exposed group including adults living in houses on the affected shoreline and two control groups (A and B) who lived at the distance of 2 km and 20 km away from the sea, respectively. We selected households through systematic sampling and interviewed an adult male and female in each household about symptoms relating to eyes, respiratory tract, skin and nervous system, smoking, allergies, beliefs about the effect on their health and anxiety about the health effects. We used logistic regression procedures to model each symptom as an outcome and the exposure status as an independent variable while adjusting for confounders. We also used linear regression procedure to assess the relationship exposure status with symptoms score; calculated by summation of all symptoms. RESULTS: Overall 400 subjects were interviewed (exposed, n = 216; group A, n = 83; and group B, n = 101). The exposed group reported a higher occurrence of one or more symptoms compared to either of the control groups (exposed, 96% vs. group A, 70%, group B 85%; P < 0.001). Mean summary symptom scores were higher among the exposed group (14.5) than control group A (4.5) and control group B (3.8, P < 0.001). Logistic regression models indicated that there were statistically significant, moderate-to-strong associations (Prevalence ORs (POR) ranging from 2.3 to 37.0) between the exposed group and the symptoms. There was a trend of decreasing symptom-specific PORs with increase in distance from the spill site. Multiple linear regression model revealed strong relationship of exposure status with the symptoms score (β = 8.24, 95% CI: 6.37 – 10.12). CONCLUSION: Results suggest that the occurrence of increased symptoms among the exposed group is more likely to be due to exposure to the crude oil spill

Challenges That Make/Break the Athlete’s Quest to Become an Entrepreneur: A Qualitative Study About Fans’ Perceptions

Athletes are a new type of celebrity in the world. Following other celebrities, there are several examples of athletes who have used their persona of fame to go a step further with their so-called personal brands and actually launch products carrying their names. As athletes are considered brands in themselves, these sorts of activities (i.e., introducing a product brand) are considered as an extension of the athlete’s brand. Given the nature of the research, this study employed a qualitative design. A purposeful convenience sampling technique was employed to select study participants according to a set of predetermined criteria. The final sample comprised nine fans. The fans identified five major factors that could be important in the context of an athlete’s decision to start his/her own brand. The five identified factors that could decide the fate of an athlete’s brand extensions were the athlete’s origin, extension fit, gender, performance, and impression. According to fans, these factors play an important role in the athlete’s venture as an entrepreneur. The study suggests that although fans understand that athletes are brands in themselves, Pakistani fans are not fond of the idea of athletes becoming entrepreneurs due to the fans’ emotional attachment to the athletes. As this is the first study expressing fans’ perspectives in the context of athlete brand extension, this study is an addition to the academic literature and theories of athlete branding and athletes as entrepreneurs

Soil phosphorus fractionation as a tool for monitoring dust phosphorus signature underneath a Blue Pine (Pinus wallichiana) canopy in a Temperate Forest

Aims of the study: This study aims (i) to monitor the amount of dust deposition during dry season in the moist temperate forest; (ii) to study nature of P fractions in the dust samples falling on the trees in the region; (iii) to study soil P fractions as influenced by the processes of throughfall and stemflow of a Blue Pine (Pinus wallichiana) canopy and to finger print the contribution of dust towards P input in the temperate forest ecosystem.Area of study: The site used for the collection of soil samples was situated at an elevation of 6900 feet above sea levels (temperate forest in Himalaya region) in the Thandani area national forest located in the north west of Pakistan.Material and methods:  For soil sampling and processing, three forest sites with three old tree plants per site were selected at approximately leveled plain for surface soil sampling. Two dust samples were collected and analyzed for different physicochemical properties along with different P fractions. First dust sample was collected from a site situated at an elevation of 4000 feet and second one was collected from an elevation of 6500 feet above sea levels. Modified Hedley procedure for the fractionation of P in the dust and soil samples were used.Main results: The input of dust was 43 and 20 kg ha-1 during drier months of the year (September-June) at lower and higher elevation sites respectively, and the dust from lower elevation site had relative more all P fractions than the other dust sample. However, HCl-Pi fraction was dominant in both samples. Both labile (water plus NaHCO3) and non-labile (NaOH plus HCl) inorganic P (Pi) fractions were significantly increased in the surface soil by both stemflow and throughfall compared to the open field soil. The buildup of NaOH and HCl-Pi pools in soils underneath the canopy might prove useful in fingerprinting the contribution of atmospheric dust towards P cycling in this temperate forest.Research highlights: The role of dust in the cycling of P in temperate forest in Himalaya region.Keywords: soil phosphorus fractions; atmospheric dust; stemflow, throughfall; temperate forest

Managing Turnover Intentions among Faculty of Higher Education Using Human Resource Management and Career Growth Practices

Academic institutions cannot survive and perform well without competent and committed academic staff. Therefore, it is important to address the issue of faculty members’ turnover. Focus of this study is to investigate the impact of human resource practices (salary, performance appraisal, training and development) and career growth (career goal progress, professional ability development, promotion speed, and remuneration growth) on faculty members’ turnover intention. The study has used a cross sectional survey data from a sample of 270 full time faculty members of universities in Pakistan.&nbsp; The Partial Least Square (PLS) two step path modeling was used to test the direct and indirect hypotheses. The results indicate that salary and performance appraisals are significantly and negatively related to turnover intention. Besides, it was found that out of four dimensions of career growth, only promotion speed and remuneration growth have significant direct relationship with turnover intention. With regards to mediated relationships, it was found that organizational commitment mediates the relationships between career growth (career goal progress, promotion speed, remuneration growth) and turnover intention. These findings suggest that in order to reduce turnover intention among faculty members, the higher education institutions must institutionalize human resource policies and practices that enhance career growth and employees’ development

Smart Distribution Mechanisms—Part I: From the Perspectives of Planning

To enhance the reliability and resilience of power systems and achieve reliable delivery of power to end users, smart distribution networks (SDNs) play a vital role. The conventional distribution network is transforming into an active one by incorporating a higher degree of automation. Replacing the traditional absence of manual actions, energy delivery is becoming increasingly dependent on intelligent active system management. As an emerging grid modernization concept, the smart grid addresses a wide range of economic and environmental concerns, especially by integrating a wide range of active technologies at distribution level. At the same time, these active technologies are causing a slew of technological problems in terms of power quality and stability. The development of such strategies and approaches that can improve SDN infrastructure in terms of planning, operation, and control has always been essential. As a result, a substantial number of studies have been conducted in these areas over the last 10–15 years. The current literature lacks a combined systematic analysis of the planning, operation, and control of SDN technologies. This paper conducts a systematic survey of the state-of-the-art advancements in SDN planning, operation, and control over the last 10 years. The reviewed literature is structured so that each SDN technology is discussed sequentially from the viewpoints of planning, operation, and then control. A comprehensive analysis of practical SND concepts across the globe is also presented in later sections. The key constraints and future research opportunities in the existing literature are discussed in the final part. This review specifically assists readers in comprehending current trends in SDN planning, operation, and control, as well as identifying the need for further research to contribute to the field

The Impact of Energy Cooperation and the Role of the One Belt and Road Initiative in Revolutionizing the Geopolitics of Energy among Regional Economic Powers: An Analysis of Infrastructure Development and Project Management

This paper examines how the latest mega plan and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) will impact the geopolitics of energy and infrastructural development. With a massive change in the supply and demand of global energy and its infrastructure, the transition of international energy order is in the making. While the US is going towards a more isolationist path from its traditional superpower role, there are rising economies such as China, India, Japan, and Russia which are undoubtedly playing a vital role in the geopolitical stage and the other development endeavors. Several regions such as Central Asia, the Arctic, Eastern Mediterranean, and the South China Sea are offering substantial natural gas and oil reserves and drawing global attention to develop energy cooperation. This situation is profoundly influencing the transition of energy order. In this transition, BRI is supposed to play an important role. As a mega development strategy with a robust geostrategic dimension, it purposes to advocate interconnectivity collaboration in framework, exchange, and advancement among the partaking nations. This super arrangement offers a lot of ventures, foundation developments, and modern reconciliation in the energy sector. The country is trying to establish a multilateral platform for endorsing and shielding energy cooperation under BRI. This paper, therefore, attempts to observe how this mega plan will contribute to reshaping the existing energy order as well as the geopolitics of energy with motivation on multifaceted energy collaboration