Adapting Teaching Strategies to Arab Student Needs in an EFL Classroom

Despite vast research on differentiated instruction, little has been done on tailoring the instructional strategies for Arab student needs in an EFL classroom. However, language teachers endeavor to implement differentiated instruction by adapting materials and modifying teacher-talk for mixed-ability classrooms, this practice is not always treated as an indispensable strategy for implementing a relevant and effective Foreign Language (FL) teaching strategy. A classroom with distinct levels of language competencies requires instructors to address the learning needs of his/her students through means that would benefit all. The current article assesses the needs of Arab students that are different from other students and presents a model for assisting language teachers in modifying instructions in order to accommodate the needs of Arab students in English as FL classrooms. The article first presents the characteristics that language learners possess followed by a discussion on the significance of differentiated instruction in mixed-ability classrooms, a discussion on the significance of a teacher in learning and teaching, and the academic characteristics of Arab ELLs. The last part of this paper provides implications for instructors

Arthroscopic repair of meniscal tears with inside-out technique

Objective: To review the clinical results of arthroscopic meniscal repair and to identify factors that may affect the outcome. Methods: A total of 15 arthroscopic meniscal repairs with inside-out in 14 patients over a 7-year period were evaluated retrospectively. The mean age was 41.2 +/- 11.5 years with a range of 26-64 years. Eleven patients underwent repair for medial meniscal tear, two patients for lateral meniscus and one patient for both in the same knee. All patients were functionally evaluated by Lysholm functional knee scores over an average follow-up of 1 year and 5 months (range: 0.5-7 years). Results: The mean Lysholm score was 84 out of a maximum of 100. Functional outcome was excellent in 6 patients, good in 5, fair in 2 and poor in one patient. The patient with poor outcome was young with a chronic tear; she had concomitant ipsi-lateral radiculopathy and also had signs of reflex sympathetic dystrophy. One 64 year old patient with fair outcome developed a post-operative flexion contracture of 15 degrees. She also had moderate osteoarthritis of the medial compartment. One patient developed saphenous nerve neuralgia which was relieved spontaneously after a few months. Conclusion: All patients with excellent results were relatively younger with an acute tear. Elderly patients with concomitant osteoarthritis of the knee joint did not have a satisfactory outcome even if the tear was acute

Short term results of ligament reconstruction and tendon interposition resection arthroplasty for basal joint arthritis

Carpometacarpal (CMC) joint of the thumb is the second most common site afflicted by osteoarthritis. Non surgical measures forms the first line of treatment with aim of preventing progression of disease, however, surgery becomes an option when symptoms are refractory to nonsurgical methods. Different procedures have been described in literature. Ligament reconstruction with tendon interposition (LRTI) is the most commonly performed procedure in North America for this problem. The Aim of study was to evaluate early results of ligament reconstruction and tendon interposition for CMC joint arthritis. This is a case series of ten patients operated in a tertiary care hospital from December 2006 to December 2008. All cases were operated by a single surgeon. All of the patients were followed up using Quick DASH questionnaire filled preoperatively and 3 and 6 months postoperatively. All of our patients were female. Mean duration of follow up was 34 weeks. Pain and residual laxity recorded at each clinical follow up visit after removal of thumb spica and Kirschner wire. Mean value for Quick DASH score is 31 in a 0-100 scale with 0 being no disability. Ligament reconstruction and tendon interposition resection arthroplasy is an effective method of controlling symptoms with preservation of motion at CMC joint axis

Language Practices of Multilingual Immigrants and Their Impact on Immigrant Integration: A Case Study of South Asians in Northeast Calgary

Immigrant integration can be complicated by multiple factors like language, ethnicity, culture, and population size. While macro-level language-in-immigration policies continue to conceptualize these variables and immigrant integration as monolithic, micro-level integration practices of immigrants are often multidirectional, multidimensional, and multiplex. These practices are further complicated by the emergence of ethnic networks that continue to grow stronger, denser and agile, and often impact the ways immigrants settle and integrate in a host society. Although South Asians have emerged as the biggest ethnic minority in Alberta and have shown tendency towards co-ethnic integration, there is scarcity of research on how they use official and ethnic languages for settlement and integration in Alberta and the type of integration taking place within their ethnic networks. Filling this gap, this study reports findings from a critical analysis of Canada’ federal language-in-immigration policy about skilled immigrants and perceptions about language usage for integration of a sub-group of South Asians from Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan. In addition to reporting a disconnect between integration conception in policy (i.e., monolingual) and integration achievement in practice (complex, broader, and selective), the study calls for enacting meso-level policies that reflect macro-level policy goals and micro-level practices of diverse immigrant communities. The study has implications for immigrant settlement and integration policies, programs, services, and research

An Empirical Evidence of Human Capital Constraint towards Economic Growth

Human capital plays a crucial role in enhancing sustainable economic growth. The aim of this study is to investigate the long run linkage between economic growth and human capital and explore the problems facing by education and health sectors in Pakistan, how to remove these problems in order to increase Human Capital, eminence of Human Capital and Economic Growth also. For this purpose, this study has been taken annual time series data from 1977 to 2014 and employed co-integration technique to find out the results. This study has been used the data from WDI, SBP, and Economic Survey of Pakistan (various issues). The results of this study revealed strong positive and significant long run association between human capital and economic growth in Pakistan. It is also found by the study that current status of health and education sectors in Pakistan is very poor. This study may be useful for health and educational policy making and human capital formation to boost up economic growth in Pakistan. Keywords: Human capital, Economic Growth, Johansen Co-integration, Skilled Worker

Experimental Study of Physio-Mechanical and Engineering Properties of Clayey Soil Incorporating Hydraulic Lime and Nano-Silica

Soil is one of the most abundant and frequently used materials in geotechnical engineering and construction. Soil is heterogenous material with different minerals some of which are classified as problematic minerals. The soil is classified as unacceptable for construction purpose if some of these minerals are present in the soil. Soil improvement utilizing nano materials is a novel technique to upgrade engineering and shear strength parameters of problematic soils. The effects of varying amounts of nano-silica and lime in clayey soil are investigated in this study. For this purpose, soil samples were moulded by incorporating 0, 3, 6, 9% nano silica and 0, 5, and 10% lime. The samples were tested for Atterberg limits, Plasticity index, optimum moisture content OMC, maximum dry density MDD, swelling, and unconfined compressive strength (UCS) at 7 and 28 days. The results revealed that addition of nano-silica in lime treated high plastic clay improved the plasticity index as well as UCS and swelling behaviour by a significant margin. Results highlighted that incorporation of nano silica reduced the plasticity index. UCS values of the soil increased by adding nano silica 28 days UCS increased by 10 times as compared to 7 days strength. The swelling in soil samples with 10% lime and 9% nano silica is reduced by almost 32% as compared to controlled samples. OMC is also increased by 17% meanwhile MDD is reduced by 9% when nano silica was added. The findings of this study can be used in any project that requires improved engineering and geotechnical properties of high plastic clayey soil for shallow foundation

Preoperative cardiac evaluation in proximal femur fractures and its effects on the surgical outcome

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the current study was to evaluate the impact of cardiac risk stratification and preoperative cardiac evaluation on final outcomes in patients with acute proximal femur fractures. METHODS: This retrospective review included one hundred and three patients who underwent a preoperative cardiac evaluation prior to proximal femur fracture operation between 2004 and 2007 at a tertiary care hospital. Patients were divided into two groups. Group A included 76 patients who were tested with ECG only and Group B included 27 patients with additional clearance. All of these files were reviewed according to a set pro forma. Statistical analysis was done using the SPSS 17 software. The Student\u27s t-test and Mann-Whitney U test were applied to compare two means. RESULTS: Fifty-three patients had intertrochanteric fractures and 50 had femoral neck fractures. Only 7 patients had a metabolic equivalent task of less than 4. Group B patients had significant delay in time from triage to surgery (p CONCLUSION: Preoperative cardiac evaluation is associated with delay in surgery and subsequent ambulation. Delay in surgery is not associated with increased perioperative mortality at our institute. However, the set of guidelines proposed by ACC/AHA should be followed, as the selection of patients for additional investigation was not justifiable in most cases