Gender and behavioural differences in Kuwait primary schools

Previous studies have found significant differences between the classroom behaviour of boys and girls. Most are within a single broad cultural context and little work has been done within an Arabic/Kuwaiti one. The main aim was to investigate the differences in behaviour between boys and girls in Kuwait primary schools. Data were collected that provided comparisons across questionnaires between parent and teacher returns for over 430 students. Separate teacher observations of students (n = 671) and classroom researcher observations were also obtained. Significant differences were found across the scales, indicating higher levels of externalising misbehaviour among boys than girls. A comparison with three studies conducted in other cultural contexts using the same strengths and difficulties instrument as used in this study found similarities and differences in results between the behaviour of boys and girls.     

Cultural content of three EFL textbooks: teachers’ and learners’ cultural preferences and cultural themes of textbooks

Cultural content analysis of EFL textbooks has received considerable attention in ELT pedagogy in recent decades. The current study investigated the representation of big “C” and small “c” cultural themes in three common EFL textbooks: Top Notch, Summit and Passages. The frequency analysis indicated that in Top Notch series, small “c” cultural themes of daily life, food, customs/norms and big “C” theme of geography were the most frequent cultural themes; while, in Summit and Passages, the most frequent small “c” cultural theme was values and beliefs. This study also investigated the correspondence between EFL teachers’ and learners’ cultural preferences on the one hand, and the match between their preferences and the cultural content of the books in question. 135 EFL learners and 36 EFL teachers responded to adapted questionnaires. The findings revealed that there were areas of match (mainly in small “c” themes) and cases of mismatch (primarily in big “C” themes) between learners’ and teachers’ preferred cultural themes and the cultural content of the textbooks analysed.     

Competition among vortex firms: Marketing,R&D or pricing strategy

The mathematical model determines how firms can leverage their advantages to increase their market share. Represented as vortex, firms increase their market scope using: marketing expenses strategy, R&D expenditure strategy or price reduction strategy. For an overpriced good, the R&D strategy is required if sector marketing velocity growth is low otherwise the pricing strategy is suited. Conversely, for an underpriced good, the R&D strategy is used when sector marketing velocity growth is high, but when it is low, the pricing strategy is followed. Distance between firms, competitor marketing velocity and related services share contribute or limit these strategies.     

HealthCyberMap: a semantic visual browser of medical Internet resources based on clinical codes and the human body metaphor

OBJECTIVES: HealthCyberMap (HCM-http://healthcybermap.semanticweb.org) is a web-based service for healthcare professionals and librarians, patients and the public in general that aims at mapping parts of the health information resources in cyberspace in novel ways to improve their retrieval and navigation. METHODS AND SERVICE DESCRIPTION: HCM adopts a clinical metadata framework built upon a clinical coding ontology for the semantic indexing, classification and browsing of Internet health information resources. A resource metadata base holds information about selected resources. HCM then uses GIS (Geographic Information Systems) spatialization methods to generate interactive navigational cybermaps from the metadata base. These visual cybermaps are based on familiar medical metaphors. CONCLUSIONS: HCM cybermaps can be considered as semantically spatialized, ontology-based browsing views of the underlying resource metadata base. Using a clinical coding scheme as a metric for spatialization ('semantic distance') is unique to HCM and is very much suited for the semantic categorization and navigation of Internet health information resources. Clinical codes ensure reliable and unambiguous topical indexing of these resources. HCM also introduces a useful form of cyberspatial analysis for the detection of topical coverage gaps in the resource metadata base using choropleth (shaded) maps of human body systems.     

Changes in biochemical constituents and induction of early sprouting by triadimefon treatment in white yam （Dioscorea rotundata Poir.） tubers during storage

The ability of triadimefon(TDM),a triazolic fungicide,to alter the biochemical constituents and thereby minimizing the days required for sprouting in white yam(Dioscorea rotundata Poir.) tubers during storage under(30±2) °C in the dark,was studied.TDM at 20 mg/L was given to tubers by dipping the tubers in treatment solution containing 20 mg/L TDM on 10,25 and 40 d after storage(DAS).Starch,sugars,protein,amino acid contents as well as protease and α-amylase activities were estimated on 15,30 and 45 DAS from two physiological regions viz.,apical and basal regions of the tubers.In normal conditions(control) sprouting occurred on 70 to 80 DAS.The starch content decreased,while protein,amino acid,sugar contents and protease and α-amylase activities were increased due to TDM treatment and led to early sprouting.     

Overexpression of the phytochrome B gene from Arabidopsis thaliana increases plant growth and yield of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum)

The phytochrome B (PHYB) gene of Arabidopsis thaliana was introduced into cotton through Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Integration and expression of PHYB gene in cotton plants were confirmed by molecular evidence. Messenger RNA (mRNA) expression in one of the transgenic lines, QCC11, was much higher than those of control and other transgenic lines. Transgenic cotton plants showed more than a two-fold increase in photosynthetic rate and more than a four-fold increase in transpiration rate and stomatal conductance. The increase in photosynthetic rate led to a 46% increase in relative growth rate and an 18% increase in net assimilation rate. Data recorded up to two generations, both in the greenhouse and in the field, revealed that overexpression of Arabidopsis thaliana PHYB gene in transgenic cotton plants resulted in an increase in the production of cotton by improving the cotton plant growth, with 35% more yield. Moreover, the presence of the Arabidopsis thaliana PHYB gene caused pleiotropic effects like semi-dwarfism, decrease in apical dominance, and increase in boll size.     

Iranian university students’ experiences of and attitudes towards alternatives in assessment

This study investigated the effect of assessment type (self vs. peer vs. teacher) on university students’ academic achievement and students’ attitudes toward them. In the main study, 82 undergraduate English-as-a-Foreign-Language students in four classes at three universities in Iran were randomly assigned into one of self-, peer- and teacher-assessment or control groups. A pre-test was designed to measure students’ initial knowledge in the subject Teaching Methods. Then experimental groups were subjected to one of the assessment types; however, the control group received no intervention. Thirty-eight students from experimental groups completed an attitude questionnaire. A similarly designed follow-up study was conducted with two classes of BA Chemistry students taking a General English course at Urmia University. The application of one-way analysis of covariance on the main study post-test data indicated differences in performances of all groups, with peer-assessment group performing the best. Quantitative and qualitative analyses indicated that both self- and peer-assessment, as well as the teacher-assessment group, had positive attitudes toward their assessment experiences. The application of one-way analysis of variance on replication study data showed that the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group on the post-test and that students in the former group had positive attitudes toward self-assessment.     

Effect of dietary fish on the lipid profile of cholesterolstressed rats during copper overload

The effect of dietary supplementation with Oil sardine (Sardinella longiceps) fish at 2/3 fat replacement, on serum lipids in the cholesterol-stressed copper loaded rats was studied. Hypercholesterolemic state observed during copper toxicity was not alleviated by sardines. Copper loading significantly decreased the triglyceride levels and the activity of β-hydroxy β-methyl glutaryl (HMG) CoA reductase. Fish supplementation was further effective in reducing the triglyceride levels in copper loaded rats. Significant increase in the serum phospholipid was observed in the fish supplemented rats during copper overload. The finding suggests that hypolipidemic potential of fish is certainly altered to some extent in copper toxicity since, it is well known that copper enhances the formation of free radicals. Thus it may be concluded that sardine fish is not effective in reducing the cholesterol levels during copper toxicity.     

Interpreting Cues of Goodness: Thin Sliced Judgment of Malaysians and Chinese towards Political Leaders

Thin slice studies have demonstrated that quick personality inferences of unknown others can be made fairly accurately. Utilizing focus group interviews, the current study examines thin sliced judgments and perceptions of six leaders in the context of goodness. Findings revealed that perceivers were able to form relatively accurate impressions of some leaders based on brief glimpses of nonverbal footage. Across all groups (Malaysian and Chinese) paralinguistic cues, dynamic cues and static cues were instrumental in the formation of positive perceptions of leaders in the context of goodness. These findings have implications for the areas of nonverbal behaviour, political communication, and personality judgement.     

Nephroprotective effects of Zingiber zerumbet Smith ethyl acetate extract against paracetamol-induced nephrotoxicity and oxidative stress in rats

Paracetamol (PCM) overdose can cause nephrotoxicity with oxidative stress as one of the possible mechanisms mediating the event. In this study, the effects of ethyl acetate extract of Zingiber zerumbet rhizome [200 mg per kg of body weight (mg/kg) and 400 mg/kg] on PCM-induced nephrotoxicity were examined. Rats were divided into five groups containing 10 rats each. The control group received distilled water while other groups were treated with extract alone (400 mg/kg), PCM alone (750 mg/kg), 750 mg/kg PCM+200 mg/kg extract (PCM+ 200-extract), and 750 mg/kg PCM+400 mg/kg extract (PCM+400-extract), respectively, for seven consecutive days. The Z. zerumbet extract was given intraperitoneally concurrent with oral administration of PCM. Treatment with Z. zerumbet extract at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg prevented the PCM-induced nephrotoxicity and oxidative impairments of the kidney, as evidenced by a significantly reduced (P<0.05) level of plasma creatinine, plasma and renal malondialdehyde (MDA), plasma protein carbonyl, and renal advanced oxidation protein product (AOPP). Furthermore, both doses were also able to induce a significant increment (P<0.05) of plasma and renal levels of glutathione (GSH) and plasma superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. The nephroprotective effects of Z. zerumbet extract were confirmed by a reduced intensity of renal cellular damage, as evidenced by histological findings. Moreover, Z. zerumbet extract administered at 400 mg/kg was found to show greater protective effects than that at 200 mg/kg. In conclusion, ethyl acetate extract of Z. zerumbet rhizome has a protective role against PCM-induced nephrotoxicity and the process is probably mediated through its antioxidant properties.