Archives-February 2015

The purpose of this study was to see whether any significant relationship exists among EFL learners’ self-esteem, autonomy, and reading comprehension; and whether there is any significant difference between EFL learners’ self-esteem and autonomy in predicting their reading comprehension skill. For this purpose, 121 EFL participants who were studying English Language Literature and Translation at Islamic Azad University Central Tehran Branch, were randomly selected. The researcher tested different ranges of students with different levels of proficiency. The Coopersmith self-esteem inventory, autonomy questionnaire and reading comprehension section of Preliminary English Test (PET) were administered. Correlation and regression analysis demonstrated that there is a significant relationship among EFL learners’ self-esteem, autonomy, and reading comprehension. There is also a significant difference between EFL learners’ self-esteem and autonomy in predicting their reading comprehension.

This study was conducted to determine the potentials of Sodom apple (Calotropis procera) extract as a sole coagulant of soymilk during soy cheese production. Four alum concentrations were prepared and used as control treatments: A5 (0.5 % conc.), A10 (1.0 % conc.), A15 (1.5 % conc.) and A20 (2.0 % conc.). Four strengths of Calotropis procera extracts (CPE) (C15, C20, C25 and C30) were obtained from 15 g, 20 g, 25 g and 30 g respectively of the fresh plant. Each of the concentrations of alum and CPE was used as a sole coagulating agent of soy milk and the effects on clotting time, product yield, whey volume and organoleptic properties of the curd were assessed. The average milk clotting time, curd yield, and whey volume were significantly (P < 0.05) influenced by the type and concentration of coagulant used to achieve curdling. The average clotting time, curd yield, and whey volume were in the ranges of (6.0 - 31 minutes), (120.2 – 207.8 g/l), and (495.0 – 785.0 ml/l) respectively. Treatments A20 and C30 recorded the shortest clotting times of 6.0 and 9.0 minutes respectively whereas treatment A5 had the longest clotting time (31.0 min). The curd yields were high in treatments A10 (207.8 g/l), C30 (191.2 g/l) and C25 (183.9 g/l) whereas A20 recorded the least curd yield (120.2 g/l). In the alum treatments, positive correlation (r = 0.585) was observed between soy milk clotting time and soy curd yield. On the contrary, there was strong negative correlation (r = - 0.803) between clotting time and curd yield when CPE were used as coagulants. The different concentrations of alum and C. procera added to soy milk had significant (P < 0.05) effects on the organoleptic properties (taste, colour, texture and overall acceptability) of the soy cheese produced. The soy cheese flavour did not vary significantly (P > 0.05) among the treatments. Generally, it was observed that the 25g CPE can be used to substitute for alum in soy curd formulation.

10 parental lines of cowpea were crossed and evaluated to determine the genetic behaviour of days to flowering and maturity traits through a full diallel analysis. In all, there were 45 crosses, 45 reciprocals and 10 parents to make a total of 100 entries which were evaluated in two locations, Teaching and Research Farm, Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, and College of Education Demonstration Secondary School Farm in the early season of 2011 using a Randomized Complete Block Design with two replications. Data were collected on plant height, days to first flowering, days to 50% flowering, and days to 50% podding. Results showed that there were significant differences among the entries (p<0.05) for all traits studied. The mean for days to 50% flowering ranged between 50.07 and 51.73 days, days to pod maturity varied from 58.77 to 64.24 days. The hybrid lines exhibited the earliest flowering and pod maturity traits among the entries. General Combining Ability (GCA) for most of the traits were significant. Only days to pod maturity were not significant for Specific Combining Ability (SCA) among the traits. P1, P4, P5 and P6 are identified to be the best general combiners for most of the characters while P1 x P4, P1 x P6, P4 x P2 and P9 x P5 are excellent specific combiners for earliness traits. Mid-parents heterosis (%) was high (280.47%) among the crosses and reciprocals. The ratio of GCA to SCA ranged from less than 1 for flowering intervals to 48 for days to 50% flowering which underscores the importance of additive effect and suggesting that reasonable progress can be made using selection procedure.

With the influential and remarkable progress through promoting local currency (for de-dollarization), regional foreign direct investment, and regional trade, BRICS economies have emerged, and took a new space in the 21st century. In this paper, the main objective/purpose was to focus on the influence of trade and investment on their economic growth and prosperous development; based on comparative analysis. Moreover, the identification of three steps of upward evolution shows that BRICS role is growing both in trade, investment and service, but replacing also the G-7. For empirical investigation, this study used panel data approach, where the empirical results reveal that the impacts of investment and trade on economic growth in BRICS are positive and statistically significant.

The hallux valgus is defined as a lateral deviation of the big toe over the first metatarsal. It is the static deformation of the most common forefoot. Our study included a retrospective study of 27 cases of hallux valgus collected at the service of academic orthopedic trauma CHU Ibn Sina Rabat between 2010 -2013 with a mean of 4 years. The average age was 44.8% years. The predominantly female was 85% More than half of the forefeet were Egyptians: 85 2%. The predominant morphology of the feet was hollow: 40 7%. The surgical technique the most used was the MAC BRIDE and its variants: 40.8%, followed by technical SCARF: 18.6%. We found 74, 1% of good result. In light of these results, the surgical techniques the most appropriate are those permanently relieving the patient with first the techniques used on the soft-parts.

Poor soil fertility is among the major production problems responsible for poor growth and low yield of sesame in Nigeria. A field experiment was conducted at the Teaching and Research Farm of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Nigeria to determine the effect of application of organic and mineral fertilizers on growth and yield of sesame plants and rates of Nitrogen fertilizer application on the performance of sesame var E8. There were 12 factorial treatment combinations of three types of fertilizers namely; tithonia compost, maize compost, and urea and four rates of Nitrogen; 0, 60, 80, and 100 kg N/ha. Progressive increment in growth and seed yield parameters was observed as fertilizer rates increased up to 80 kg N/ha and decreased at 100 kg N/ha. Application of 80 kg N/ha produced the highest growth and yield of sesame. Application of 60, 80, and 100kg N/ha fertilizer resulted in 140, 350 and 170 % over the control. Tithonia compost produced the highest yield of sesame compared with maize compost and urea fertilizer. Generally, inorganic fertilizer (urea) resulted in lower yields compared to organic fertilizer (tithonia compost) in the production of sesame. Soil nutrient status was also enhanced as residual N increased slightly in all the treatment. However, phosphorus accumulation was highest with the application of tithonia compost at 80kg /ha. From the results of these experiments, it is indicative that application of tithonia compost at the rate of 80 kg N/ha is most suitable for the production of sesame and have the potential of improving the soils in the southern Guinea Savanna of Ogbomoso, Nigeria.

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of antioxidant additives (hypotaurine and cysteine) in different concentrations to the cryopreserving media on the semen cytological parameters pre freezing and post thawing (motility, membrane integrity, morphology, acrosome integrity and viability).The experiment was done on 30 ejaculates collected by artificial vagina method from 5 boer goat bucks during April to May 2011. After collection, ejaculates qualifying standard criteria were pooled. Pooled ejaculates were washed for seminal plasma removal and then diluted in medium based on Tris in which antioxidants were added in various concentrations (hypotaurine 5, 10 and 20mM; cysteine 5, 10 and 20mM) or without antioxidants (control). The diluted semen was cooled at 4ºC, filled in 0.25ml French straws and then stored in liquid nitrogen. The results showed that semen quality did not differ (P < 0.05) in terms of morphology and acrosome integrity with antioxidants supplementation after cooling. Hypotaurine and cysteine significantly improved the characteristics of boer goat semen motility, membrane integrity, morphology, acrosome integrity and viability after cryopreservation. Addition of hypotaurine at 10mM and cysteine at 5mM concentration leads maximum improvement in liquid and frozen boer goat sperm cytological characteristics.

Free Fatty Acid (FFA) was removed from waste oil and favorably employed for the production of high quality biodiesel. FFA extraction minimizes the drawbacks encountered with alkaline catalysts in biodiesel production. Three combinations of reagents (methanol-benzene, methanol-toluene and methanol-xylene) were used for extraction purpose and a rapid extraction of FFA has been obtained. The composition of non-polar solvent (benzene, toluene and xylene) in each of the above mentioned reagents was varied from 1% to 10% by weight. An optimal ratio of (0.8:1) reagent and oil by weight was found to reduce the FFA concentration by 43.3% in single step. Equilibrium study for the extraction of FFA was also carried out. The experimental data obtained were presented on the basis of amount of FFA extracted, with respect to time required for extraction (25 to 300 min) and stirrer speed (50 to 300 rpm). The optimum value for the time required for extraction was obtained at 150 min. the optimum value for the stirrer speed required for the extraction of FFA was obtained at 150 rpm.

Learning how individuals open conversations or how people address one another in a certain language is an important issue in studying communication and hence establishing social relationships between individuals. The speaker and the addressee's relationship, cognitive, historical and ideological reality, determine the choice of names and other address variants. Forms of address has an interesting correlation with language and culture. It should be noted that culture is the most important factor involved in the use of address forms. The current study intends to investigate Iranian students' Persian and English electronic requests to faculty to find out if they were different intera- and inter- lingually in regard the use of forms of address. To that end, both quantitative and qualitative approaches were employed to investigate 120 English and Persian e-mails composed by the participants to faculty members. Findings from the study have revealed a wide stylistic range in the form of address used. The results of the study also revealed that students tried to be more polite in their Persian e-mails by exaggerating in the use of the honorifics. This study prove that the application of address forms is governed by social norms and cultural rules.

In this paper we have investigated the steady plane poiseuille flow of viscous incompressible fluid between two porous parallel plates through porous medium. We have investigated the velocity, average velocity, shearing stress, skin frictions, the volumetric flow, drag coefficients and stream lines.