Comprehensive screening and selection of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) germplasm for salinity tolerance at the seedling stage and during plant ontogeny

The okra germplasm was screened for salinity tolerance at the seedling stage and during plant ontogeny. Substantial variation existed in okra for salinity tolerance at the seedling stage. An 80 mmol/L NaCl concentration was suitable for discriminating tolerant and non-tolerant okra genotypes. The pooled ranking of the genotypes, based on individual rankings for each trait (root and shoot length, germination percentage, and relative Na⁺ and K⁺) in individual NaCl concentrations, was effective for selecting tolerant genotypes. Genotypes selected at the seedling stage maintained their tolerance to NaCl during plant ontogeny, suggesting that screening of the germplasm entries and advanced breeding materials for salt tolerance at the seedling stage is effective. Among 39 okra genotypes, five were identified as the most tolerant genotypes and showed potential for use in breeding programs that focus on the development of salt-tolerant, high-yield okra cultivars.     

Relationship between parenting styles and academic performance of adolescents: mediating role of self-efficacy

The literature supports the importance of parenting styles that are necessary to fulfill the developmental needs of the children and eventually improve their quality of life. Baumrind’s typology of parenting styles was used. There are many studies that examined the relationship of parenting styles (authoritative, authoritarian and permissive parenting styles) and academic performance, but there is lack of measurement of the relationship with respect to Pakistan. Current study analyzed the relationship of parenting styles and academic performance along with self-efficacy as mediating variable. Sample of the study consists of 313 university students from four academic departments. Measures included the parenting styles and self-efficacy. GPA was taken as a measure of academic performance of adolescents. Self-reported questionnaire was used to take the response from students. With the help of structural equation modeling, structural model was tested. Results of the study indicate that parenting styles individually have no significant relationship with the academic performance. In addition to this, self-efficacy only mediates the relationship of authoritative parenting style and academic performance. It can be concluded that self-efficacy in individuals is an important attribute necessary for the psychological development of the adolescents. Self-efficacy enhances the individual’s confidence to progress. There is a need to conduct more research on the relationship of parenting styles and academic performance in Pakistan. Implications for parents, teachers, are discussed.     

Choices of destination for transnational higher education: “pull” factors in an Asia Pacific market

Traditional assumptions favouring native English language countries in transnational higher education (TNHE) overlook experiences of international students in new emerging Asian education hubs. Specifically, there has been limited research relating to international students’ choice for studying in Malaysia. Drawing from the “push-pull” model of factors influencing the movement of international student destination choice, this study identifies determinants of student destination decision for TNHE. While acknowledging perceived qualities and values of individual institutions as important criteria, findings from interviews with students that are currently enrolled at international branch campuses also indicated key influences driven by “pull” factors of country image – attractive features of Malaysia, i.e. comparatively low cost of living, low tuition fees, safe country for living, stable government, modern amenities, proximity in culture and religion and freedom from discrimination – as focal motives in their choice decision. These findings provide implications for policy-makers to deploy their educational resources as well as develop effective promotional and marketing strategies in promoting the local reputation and amenities in order to attract more international students.     

Undergraduate Student Participation in an Evaluation of a Police Program: A High-Impact Practice

High-impact educational practices are increasingly being recognized as powerful teaching strategies that can positively impact both student and faculty experiences in the classroom. Student persistence in college is correlated to campus integration, and one way this can be successfully facilitated is through student–faculty research partnerships. This paper documents the process of one faculty research team integrating four undergraduate students into an ongoing research project, for which students received course credit. There were many benefits of this collaboration to both student and faculty participants, but there were also many opportunities to better streamline the project and to potentially create an institutional template for replication of this process so that other faculty members can learn from this experience and more easily successfully integrate students into their own research.     

Measuring ICT orientation: Scale development & validation

This paper attempts to measure ICT orientation of higher education teachers in Indian context. The study has identified 4 factors of ICT orientation and examined their impact on Job performance. To generate the items, their purification and validation this study has adopted well accepted and renowned scale development procedures by Churchill (Journal of Marketing Research, 16(1), 64–73, 1979) and Hinkin (Organizational Research Methods, 1(1), 104–121, 1995). A one way ANOVA test is applied to test the relationship between 4 factors of ICT orientation and the demographics of respondents. The findings of this study present a 15 item 4 factor scale measuring ICT orientation of teachers among which “advantage” emerged out to be a significant factor. The study further highlighted that ICT orientation has a direct and positive relationship with job performance. This study is the foremost study, which has developed a valid and reliable scale for measuring the ICT orientation of teachers in Indian context.     

Koranic education and militant Islam in Nigeria

In this article the author outlines and discusses the influence of Koranic schools, and their students (almagiri) on the rise of fundamentalism and the spreading of militant Islam in Northern Nigeria.The author contends that while Islamic fundamentalism is the banner of both the Western-oriented Muslims and traditional Nigerian Muslims, it differs in expression in Northern Nigeria. The article shows that these differences result from the influence of the Koranic schools on the traditional teachers (ulama) and their students on the one hand, and Western universities, Wahhabi Arabs, and Western-oriented teachers and their students on the other.The origins of the Koranic school curriculum in Nigeria, the training of traditional Muslim teachers, and the lifestyle of the students are discussed. The author shows how certain socialization patterns found in the Koranic schools and almagiri system seem congruent with the political attitudes and values stressed by spokesmen of militant Islamic sects in Northern Nigeria.

---

Zusammenfassung Eine militante islamische Bewegung breitet sich in Norden Nigerias aus. In dem nachfolgenden Artikel umreißt und bespricht der Verfasser den Einfluß der Koranschulen und ihrer Schüler (almagiri) auf den wachsenden Fundamentalismus im Norden Nigerias.Der Verfasser weist nach, daß während der islamische Fundamentalismus als Sammelbecken sowohl für die westlich orientierten als auch für die traditionellen nigerianischen Moslems dient, sich der islamische Fundamentalismus im Norden anders äußert. Der unterschiedliche Einfluß von Koranschulen auf die traditionellen Gelehrten (ulama) und ihre Schüler einerseits sowie auf westliche Universitäten, Wahhabi Araber und westlich orientierteulama andererseits, steht im Mittelpunkt des Beitrags.Der Leser wird über den Ursprung des Curriculums der Koranschulen in Nigeria, über die Ausbildung traditioneller Moslem-Lehrer und über den Lebensstil deralmagiri informiert. Der Verfasser beschreibt wie bestimmte Sozialisationsmuster an Koranschulen und imalmagiri-System mit den von den Sprechern der militanten islamischen Sekten im Norden Nigerias betonten politischen Haltungen und Werten übereinzustimmen scheinen.

---

Résumé L'Islam militant est en train de se propager dans le nord du Nigeria. Dans cet article, l'auteur se propose de mettre en évidence et d'analyser l'influence des écoles coraniques et de leurs étudiants (almagiri) sur la montée du fondamentalisme dans le nord du Nigeria.L'auteur montre que si le fondamentalisme islamique est la bannière des musulmans d'orientation occidentale et des musulmans nigérians traditionnels, il diffère, en revanche, par sa forme d'expression dans cette région du Nigeria. Cet article révèle que ces différences proviennent de l'influence exercée par les écoles coraniques sur lesulama traditionnelles et leur étudiants d'une part, et sur les universités occidentales, lesWahhabi arabes et lesulama d'orientation occidentale et leurs étudiants d'autre part.Cet article apporte des informations au lecteur sur l'origine du programme d'études de l'école coranique au Nigeria, la formation des enseignants musulmans traditionnels et le style de vie desalmagiri. L'auteur montrera d'une manière générale comment certains modèles de socialisation rencontrés dans les écoles coraniques et le systèmealmagiri semblent être conformes aux attitudes et aux valeurs politiques prônées par les porte-parole des sectes islamiques militantes résident dans le nord du Nigeria.

     

The impact of game-based learning (GBL) on students’ motivation,engagement and academic performance on an Arabic language grammar course in higher education

Education and Information Technologies - The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of game-based learning (GBL) on students’ motivation, engagement and academic performance on an...     

A study of the interaction between ropranolol and NSAIDs in protein binding by gel filtration method

Drug protein binding phenomena can lead to some interesting drug—drug interactions when one drug displaces another in the binding site. Studies of protein binding are conducted by several methods including equilibrium dialysis, ultra-filtration and chromatographic methods. Gel filtration is a simple chromatographic method in protein binding studies. Propranolol binds to plasma proteins by 90%–95% in circulation system and other drugs with high protein binding may displace it. In this study protein binding of propranolol has been studied using gel filtration to Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) alone and in the presence of Acetyl salicylic acid (ASA), Indomethacin and mefenamic acid has been studied using gel filtration method. The results indicated that ASA decreased protein binding of propranolol by 20% to BSA and other drugs did not displace propranolol from the binding site. Therefore, ASA may alter pharmacological effects of propranolol.     

Polymorphonuclear leukocyte mediated oxidative inactivation of alpha-1-proteinase inhibitor: Modulation by nitric oxide

Alpha-1-proteinase inhibitor activity was studied in presence of resting and activated polymorphonuclear leucocytes. Four different agonists; phorbol myristic acetate, N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine, opsonised zymosan and arachidonic acid decreased the inhibitor activity by 23.3%, 20%, 12% and 16.6^ respectively. The inhibitor activity was protected by using various free radical scavengers. Catalase and superoxide dismutase both restored activity by about 18%, mannitol by 13% and sodium azide by 17.3%. The inhibitor activity was also protected significantly by pretreatment of polymorphs with L-Arg, a precursor of nitric oxide, before activation. L-Arg was also observed to suppress the generation of superoxide and hydroxyl radical appreciably. The nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, aminoguanidine drastically inhibited the nitrite release and reversed the protection offered by L-Arg to the inhibitor activity. Our results indicate a multifactorial nature of the inactivation process, the culprit species being superoxide, hydrogen peroxide, hydroxyl radical and hypohalides. Nitric oxide seems to scavenge the superoxide radical directly after its formation rather than inhibiting its generation by NADPH oxidase as was believed earlier.     

Jordanian Pre‐service Teachers' Perceptions of the Portfolio as a Reflective Learning Tool

This study investigates how portfolios support pre‐service teachers' learning to teach. The findings revealed that the portfolio provides pre‐service teachers with productive learning experiences which help them develop their library use, knowledge, skills, attitudes, personal traits, motivation to learn, interpersonal relationships and an information source. The respondents were found to consider the portfolio a highly effective tool in their learning to teach.