Investigating Secondary School Students’ Views Regarding the Use of Strategies and Difficulties They Face When Writing in English as the Second Language

Learning writing is an important element in language acquisition. Writing is one of the tools of communication and exchanges between cultures. Many students have a negative attitude toward writing and consider writing as the most difficult skill of all. Writing in English is an issue from which many non-native students suffer. This study aims to investigate students\u27 views toward the use of strategies and the challenges they face with writing in English. This study was conducted in one of the large female high schools in Al Ain. A 45 items structured Likert-scale questionnaire was developed. It was administered to 360 students to measure their views regarding writing difficulties and strategies. The questionnaire discovered that the vocabulary and language mechanics, especially punctuation, are the most serious problems students face when writing in English. However, the students also have spelling and grammar difficulties. Moreover, the study revealed that group work, brainstorming and planning are the best techniques that improve students\u27 writing. Some students use reading as one important strategy to improve their writing. In addition, students view writing in English as a very difficult skill and they become easily distracted when writing in English. The study showed that students prefer to write in an informal language rather than an academic language. Students consider that providing feedback is valuable, but they prefer receiving feedback from their friends more than from their teachers because teachers\u27 feedback is usually associated with marks. One important suggestion based on the study\u27s findings is to focus on punctuation, vocabulary and sentence structure from the early stage of learning writing skills. Another suggestion based on the results of the study is about giving feedback for all writing\u27s mistakes. Finally, this study suggested that strategies such as planning and brainstorming are crucial parts of writing successfully, and it should be taken as one of the most important components

Iterative Seed Word Generation for Interactive Topic Modelling: a Mixed Text Processing and Qualitative Content Analysis Approach

Topic models have great potential for helping researchers and practitioners understand the electronic word of mouth (eWoM). This potential is thwarted by their purely unsupervised nature, which often leads to topics that are not entirely explainable. We develop a novel method to iteratively generate seed words to guide the interactive topic models. We assess the validity and applicability of the proposed method by investigating the critical phenomenon of Contact Tracing Mobile Applications (CTMAs) post-adoption during a time of the COVID-19 pandemic. The results show that constructs developed through our interactive topic modeling can capture primary research variables related to the phenomenon. Compared to existing topic modeling methods, our approach shows superior performance in explaining users’ satisfaction with CTMAs

Demystifying ANN with Mathematical and Graphical Insights: An Algorithmic Review for Beginners

Developments in deep learning with ANNs (Artificial Neural Networks) are paving the way for revolutionizing all application areas, especially related to non-linear regression and classification problems of predictive modelling and forecasting. Although their explainability is more complicated and challenging, deep neural networks are preferred over conventional machine learning methods for high accuracy in non-linear and complex problems. However, machine learning and data science practitioners often use ANN like a black-box. The present article concisely overviews the mathematics and computations involved in simple feed-forward neural networks (FNNs) or multilayer perceptrons (MLPs). The purpose is to spot light on what deep neural networks’ learning (or training) is and how it works. The article includes simplified derivations of the expressions for the main workhorse of neural networks (the backpropagation) and an example to explain how it works with graphical insights. An algorithm for a basic ANN application is presented in both component-form and matrix-form, together with a detailed note on the relevant data structures, to elaborate the scheme comprehensively. Python implementation of the basic algorithm is presented, and its performance results are compared with those produced using the TensorFlow library functions that implement the neural networks. The article discusses various techniques to improve the generalization capability of neural networks and how to address various training challenges. Finally, some well-established optimization approaches based on the Gradient Descent method are also discussed. The article may serve as a comprehensive premiere for a sound understanding of deep learning for undergraduate and graduate students before indulging in the relevant industry practices so that they can step into sustainable progress in the field

On Justification: Legislating a Digital First Artifact

The \u27digital first\u27 paradigm and its ontological reversal proposition bring new risks and implications for governing and regulating digital technologies. This article reports the findings from a qualitative study of the justifications used in legislating a \u27digital first\u27 artifact: Australia’s COVIDSafe contact tracing app. We build on justification theory (‘orders of worth’ framework) and use deductive qualitative analysis for examining 74 parliamentary records of proceedings (Hansards) in 2020 and 2021. The findings are structured in 38 empirical themes and 15 conceptual categories, which pertain to five orders of worth used in justifying the actors’ positions. This research unpacks the complexities of the justifications invoked in the legislative debates and sheds light on the novel and important yet understudied practices of governing ‘digital first’ artifacts

A Systemic functional exploration of translation: an appraisal corpus-linguistic approach

Firstly, by building on the missing, limited, misleading, ambiguous, and sometimes erroneous translations of some power-related appraisal adjectives found in English-Arabic dictionaries, the present study aims to contribute to the field of lexicography, and to serve as a guiding image to help translators and language tutors in understanding or choosing appraisal adjectives in English and Arabic. From even a quick glance through dictionaries, one can see that most common words have dozens of meanings and that it is impossible to try all of these meanings each time we read a word. This study offers some helping clues in uncovering patterns of usage and variation that cannot be obtained from consulting reference resources such as dictionaries and grammars. Secondly, this thesis is the first corpus-based study of its kind that adds a different scope to what might be called ‘appraisal theory’ applied to the Arabic language. It is surprising that linguistic researchers have not attempted to analyse ‘appraisal’ in the Arabic language given that there are a rich variety of Arabic lexical words available for describing evaluation. Though Arabic and English are two distinct languages, the study reveals remarkable similarities with respect to degree adverbs. Thirdly, the study also explores some crucial issues regarding ‘possibility’ and ‘necessity’ as two basic elements in the study of ‘modality’ – a major carrier of appraisal/evaluation. It is argued that translating the meaning of ‘modality’ has not been as comprehensively documented as most researchers have assumed. This thesis presents different choices for translating ‘possibility’ and ‘necessity’. In other words, this study provides different realizations at the level of modal meanings in Arabic, e.g. verbs, adverbs, adjectives and articles

Microscopic Evaluation of Cleaning Efficiency of Three Different Nickel-Titanium Rotary Instruments

INTRODUCTION: This study compared the cleaning efficiency of Mtwo, Race and Medin Nickel-Titanium (NiTi) rotary instruments. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty mandibular molar mesial roots were selected with angle curvatures between 25-35 degrees and divided into three groups; each containing 20 teeth. Canals were prepared with the rotary files and irrigated with 2.5% NaOCl solution after each instrument. Total of 5mL of normal saline was used as the final rinse; subsequently the canals were dried with paper points. The amount of debris and smear layer in three parts of the root canal walls was evaluated using SEM and the data were analyzed by using the Kruskal-Wallis test and the Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS: The results for remnant debris in the coronal part of root canals were similar, whereas in the middle third, Mtwo instruments achieved significantly better results compared to Race and Medin instruments. In the apical third of the root canals more debris was created by Race instruments. CONCLUSION: Overall, Mtwo instruments had greater success in producing clean canals

Association between Body Mass Index and Bone Mineral Density in Patients Referred for Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry Scan in Ajman, UAE

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a good indicator for measurements of Bone Mineral Density (BMD) which measures the density of minerals present in the bones using a special scan. This study was conducted to assess the association between BMI and status of BMD among 101 individuals who underwent Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) scan. 39 subjects had normal and 62 had low bone mineral density. BMD was low in 82.4% of people with normal BMI, 78.1% among overweight, and 44.2% among obese. There was a statistically significant association between these two variables (P < .001). Low BMD was recorded in 59.1% of females and 76.9% of males. Association between advancing age and lower BMI is an important risk factor in the occurrence of low BMD

Overview on Juvenile Primary Fibromyalgia Syndrome

JPFS (juvenile primary fibromyalgia syndrome) is a musculoskeletal pain illness that affects children and adolescents. The intricacy of the clinical picture in JPFS has not been adequately characterized in the literature. JFMS symptoms are sometimes difficult to compare to adult fibromyalgia syndrome since many of them are "medically unexplained" and frequently overlap with other medical disorders.&nbsp; The etiology of the illness is multifaceted, with impaired central pain processing being a significant contributor. Musculoskeletal pain that is severe and pervasive is the defining symptom. Other signs and symptoms include headaches, stiffness, subjective joint swelling, sleep and mood disorders, and headaches. Multiple sensitive spots might be found during a physical examination. The diagnosis has certain criteria and is clinical. Early detection and treatment are crucial. The gold standard of care combines a variety of modalities, but most significantly, exercise and cognitive behavioral therapy. The outlook varies, and symptoms might last well into adulthood. Discussing the epidemiology, etiology, pathophysiology, clinical symptoms, diagnosis, and management of JPFS is the goal of the review

Efficacy and safety of empagliflozin in type 2 diabetes mellitus Saudi patients as add-on to antidiabetic therapy: a prospective, open-label, observational study

The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) approved sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors in 2018. The efficacy and safety of empagliflozin (EMPA) have been confirmed in the U.S., Europe, and Japan for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM); however, analogous evidence is lacking for Saudi T2DM patients. Therefore, the current study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of EMPA in Saudi patients (n = 256) with T2DM. This is a 12-week prospective, open-label, observational study. Adult Saudi patients with T2DM who had not been treated with EMPA before enrolment were eligible. The exclusion criteria included T2DM patients less than 18 years of age, adults with type one diabetes, pregnant women, paediatric population. The results related to efficacy included a significant decrease in haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) (adjusted mean difference −0.93% [95% confidence interval (CI) −0.32, −1.54]), significant improvements in fasting plasma glucose (FPG) (−2.28 mmol/L [95% CI −2.81, −1.75]), and a reduction in body weight (−0.874 kg [95% CI −4.36, −6.10]) following the administration of 25 mg of EMPA once daily as an add-on to ongoing antidiabetic therapy after 12 weeks. The primary safety endpoints were the change in the mean blood pressure (BP) values, which indicated significantly reduced systolic and diastolic BP (−3.85 mmHg [95% CI −6.81, −0.88] and −0.06 mmHg [95% CI −0.81, −0.88], respectively) and pulse rate (−1.18 [95% CI −0.79, −3.15]). In addition, kidney function was improved, with a significant reduction in the urine albumin/creatinine ratio (UACR) (−1.76 mg/g [95% CI −1.07, −34.25]) and a significant increase in the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (3.54 mL/min/1.73 m2 [95% CI 2.78, 9.87]). Furthermore, EMPA reduced aminotransferases (ALT) in a pattern (reduction in ALT &gt; AST). The adjusted mean difference in the change in ALT was −2.36 U/L [95% CI −1.031, −3.69], while it was −1.26 U/L [95% CI −0.3811, −2.357] for AST and −1.98 U/L [95% CI −0.44, −3.49] for GGT. Moreover, in the EMPA group, serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) significantly increased (0.29 mmol/L [95% CI 0.74, 0.15]), whereas a nonsignificant increase was seen in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) (0.01 mmol/L [95% CI 0.19, 0.18]) along with a significant reduction in plasma triglyceride (TG) levels (−0.43 mmol/L [95% CI −0.31, −1.17]). Empagliflozin once daily is an efficacious and tolerable strategy for treating Saudi patients with insufficiently controlled T2DM as an add-on to ongoing antidiabetic therapy

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London