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Investigating the written performance of the Sudanese EFL University Learners of English
No full textInvestigating the written performance of the Sudanese EFL University Learners of EnglishThe study investigates the written performance of the Sudanese EFL students. The
study aims to assess the written texts produced by the students to find out how
successful they are in their use of writing as a mechanism through which meanin
g
is communicated.
The subject
of the study consist
s
of 65 Sudanese EFL teachers
drawn from some Sudanese universities and
240 fourth level students who are
taking English as their major in five Sudanes
e universities. Three tools
are used for
data collecti
on
:
writing test, two questionnaires (one for the teachers and the
other for the students) and an interview with the students.
By using the statist
ical
program SPSS, the study
reveal
s that Sudanese EFL students do
not possess the
ability to cope with the d
ifferent modes of writing. This makes them unable to
develop an understanding of how to employ the linguistic, cultural and social
knowledge to develop an idea into a meaningful and comprehen
sive wri
tten text.
The study also shows that students a
re not abl
e to depend on the strate
gies of
writing so that they could
produce texts which stimulate readers and keep their
atten
tion. Furthermore, the study
re
veals
that the students
a
re not prepared to
benefit from their teachers and peers while they are writing; t
hey never ask for
ad
v
ice or any clarification but do
their writing individually. Moreover, the study
has reached the conclusion that the students’ inability to know what the re
aders
know and what they want represents
one of the factors that lead students t
o
produce less informat
ive written texts. The study
concludes
that the poor
communicative competence the students possess stems from different factors: (1)
the instruction the students receive in
writing does
not revolve around the issues
that enable them
to develop their abilitie
s
as writers, (2) the students a
re not
motivated enough to exert efforts and seek opportunities to engage into deliberate
writing and intensive reading so that they can promote their writing abilities, (3)
the environ
m
ent in which
writing is done does
not enhance and foster students'
ability to create writing which is sophisticated and communicative
in nature, (4)
teachers
also do
not encourage these students to view writing as a mechanism
through which meaning is negotiated, and (5
) the sorts of
feedback these students
receive
on their writing do
es
not contribute to the development of students'
writing proficiency. To help the students develop their writing skills, teachers
should help the students be knowledgeable about the differe
nt modes of writing
and be knowledgeable about the lexical and grammatical structures required by
2
each mode. Teachers also need to help the students develop the linguistic skills
they need in the process of writing so that they can produce effective and
co
mprehensive written texts
THE INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ON CONSTRUCTION ON WEAK ROCKS
No full textTHE INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ON
CONSTRUCTION ON WEAK ROCK
Nuba Mountains People Languages and Culture
No full textNuba Mountains People Languages and CultureNuba Mountains People Languages and Cultur
Assessment of Genetic Diversity and Adaptability of Inbred Lines and their F1-hybrids of Grain Maize (Zea mays L.), Using Molecular Markers (RAPD) and AMMI Analysis
No full textThis paper had been presented for promotion at the University of Khartoum. To get the full text please contact the other at Mutasim
M. KhalafallaThis study was carried out to assess the genetic diversity and adaptability
of seven inbred lines of grain maize (Zea mays L.) and their F1-hybrids,
using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA markers (RAPD) and
Additive Main Effects and Multiplicative Interaction (AMMI),
respectively. A field experiment was carried out during the winter and
summer of 2009 and 2010 at two locations, Shambat and Elrawakeeb. A
split-plot design with three replications was used to layout the
experiment. The inbred lines and their F1-hybrids were field-evaluated for
grain yield/ha under normal irrigation and water-stress conditions. RAPD
analysis showed high level of polymorphism (89.33%) among the
genotypes, which were distinguished into four main groups (sub-clusters).
The genetic distance between inbred lines ranged from 0.05 to 0.33. The
inbred line 66y was the most distant line compared with other inbred
lines; it represented a single group in the cluster. The inbred lines 66y and
160 had the greatest genetic distance of 0.31. AMMI analysis
differentiated the genotypes (inbred lines and F1-hybrids), based on their
interaction with different environments, into diversified adaptation
pattern. The hybrid 160x66y showed the highest (4.1 tons/ha) grain yield
(highest heterosis) and a moderate positive interaction (PCA score = 19.0)
indicating its adaptability to favorable environments. Moreover, the
hybrid 66y×3 gave considerable yield (2.4 tons/ha) and adaptation to
water stress environments. These results revealed that crossing of the
most genetically-distant inbred lines (e.g., hybrid 160x66y) gave the
highest heterosis, which could be used for improvement of grain yield of
maize. Also, it is concluded that DNA markers are efficient in the
assessment of genetic diversity to identify the most appropriate inbred
lines of maize for development of hybrid varieties, and thus avoiding
crosses between genetically-related inbred lines. Also, AMMI analysis is
successful in quantifying the interaction and adaptability of the tested
genotypes to a wide range of environments
Economic Efficiency in Rainfed Farming Sector in Sinnar State, Sudan
No full textThis paper had been presented for promotion at the University of Khartoum. To get the full text please contact the other at Adam Adoma Abdalla1, Babiker Idris Babiker
and Salah Mohammed El AwadThe main objective of this study was to estimate the efficiency of resource
use and to determine the optimum crop mix that would maximize the
farmer returns in the rainfed sector in Sinnar State, Sudan. The study
depended mainly on primary data that was collected by field survey. A
multi-stage stratified random sample technique was used for classifying
the farmers and assist in determining the sample size. A total of 173
households was chosen (104 households representing the traditional
farmers and 69 households representing the semi-mechanized farmers).
Data were collected through personal interviewing the selected farmers
about all their farming aspects related to farming season 2011/12 using a
structured questionnaire. Linear programming technique was used for
analyzing the parameters of the study. The entire sample was firstly
classified into two categories: Traditional farmers and semi-mechanized
farmers, and secondly the semi-mechanized farmers were further
classified into three categories based on farm size; namely, small farmers
with farm size of less than 500 hectares, medium farms with farm size of
500 to 1000 hectares and large farms with farm size greater than 1000
hectares. The technical efficiency of resource use indicated that the
resource in both sectors for the production of all cultivated crops was not
used efficiently. The results revealed that operating capital in the
traditional sector was underutilized and labor and seeds were overutilized.
In the semi-mechanized sector, operating capital and herbicides
were underutilized, while labor and seeds were over utilized. The farmers
basic plans showed that the traditional farmers cultivated a combination
of sorghum, sesame, pearl millet, cowpea and groundnut, while the semimechanized
farmers cultivated a combination of sorghum, sesame, pearl
millet and sunflower. The allocative efficiency analysis revealed that the
optimum cropping pattern for the traditional farmers is by cultivating
sorghum and cowpea. The optimum cropping pattern for the semimechanized
farms is by cultivating only pearl millet for the small farms,
sesame and sunflower for the medium farms and sorghum and sunflower
for the large farms. This optimum cropping pattern increased the income
of farmers by 43%, 31.3%, 24.7% and 24.2% for the traditional farmers,
semi-mechanized farmers, semi-mechanized large farmers and semimechanized
small farmer, respectively. The study suggested that the
government is to facilitate timely provision of necessary financial
resources to farmers for improving the efficiency of resource use. The
Agricultural Extension Department is to educate the farmers about the
optimum use of input
In vitro Activity of the Aqueous Extract of the Plant Kigelia africana Against Theileria lestoquardi
No full textThis paper had been presented for promotion at the university of Khartoum. To get the full text please contact the other at [email protected] objective of this study was to test the activity of the aqueous extract
of the plant Kigelia africana against Theileria lestoquardi, the causative
agent of malignant ovine theileriosis. Aqueous extract of K. africana
fruits was screened for its in vitro activity against T. lestoquardi at
different concentrations of 250, 500, 5000 and 10000 ppm. Lymphocytes
infected with T. lestoquardi were isolated from heparinized blood with
Ficoll-paque, grown in minimum essential medium and continuously sub
cultured until passage 8 which was used for the test. The parasite was
identified, using indirect fluorescent antibody test. The results revealed in
vitro activities of 20%, 58% and 80% at concentrations of 500, 5000 and
10000 ppm, respectively. Lethal dose 50% and 99% (LC50 and LC99) were 2660.28 and 29980.34 ppm, respectively. The extract activity caused
significantly (P≤0.05) high death of macroschizonts, decrease in the
number of macroschizonts per cell, and increase in the number of extra
cellular macroschizonts at concentrations of 5000 and 10000 ppm. The
number of dividing cells significantly (P≤0.05) decreased at
concentrations of 500, 5000 and 10000 ppm. The number of viable cells,
also, significantly (P≤0.05) decreased at concentrations of 5000 and
10000 ppm compared with the control which did not significantly
(P>0.05) increase. Besides, the activity of the highest concentration
(10000 ppm) revealed some lymphoblast cells with degenerated nuclei.
The study showed that K. africana has antitheilerial effect on
T. lestoquardi and could be an effective candidate for the treatment of
malignant ovine theileriosis after in vivo confirmation. Further studies are
recommended for phytochemical analysis and mode of actio
Rift Valley Fever and Crimean–Congo Hemorrhagic Fever: Arthropod-borne Zoonotic Diseases of Concern for Sudan
No full textThis paper had been presented for promotion at the University of Khartoum. To get the full text please contact the other at Stuart L. NicholRift Valley fever (RVF) is a mosquito-borne virus of the family
Bunyaviridae that periodically causes large severe disease outbreaks in
livestock and humans in various areas of Africa, including Sudan. RVF
in livestock is often characterized by sweeping abortion storms and high
mortality disease, particularly in young animals. People get infected
through exposure to the highly viremic infected livestock or by mosquito
bite. RVF in humans can manifest as encephalitis, hepatitis and other
severe complications with high case fatality among hospitalized patients.
RVF outbreaks are often linked to unusually high rainfall or flooding, due
to the floodwater Aedes sp. a mosquitoes serving as the primary virus
vector. Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus is a tick-borne
member of the family Bunyaviridae which is associated with severe HF in
humans. Bite by infected ticks or exposure to viremic infected livestock
are the main ways people acquire the infection. Unlike RVF virus, CCHF
virus is not known to cause disease in infected livestock. The ecology,
epidemiology and prevention of these viral diseases will be discussed
Effect of Gymnarchus niloticus (Weer) Fish Body Weight on Total Body Length, Body Components and Fillet Meat Quality
No full textThis paper had been presented for promotion at the university of Khartoum. To get the full text please contact the other at Ikhlas Ahmed Nour and Omer Atta Almanan AbdelganiThe objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effect of
Gymnarchus niloticus (Weer) body weight (1, 2 and 3 kg), on body
length, body components and flesh quality. Twenty four fishes were used.
Fish body measurements, weights of body components, proximate
chemical composition, water holding capacity (WHC), cooking loss,
shrinkage, oxidative rancidity, total bacterial count and sensory evaluation
were determined. Increasing G. niloticus body weight resulted in a
significant (P≤0.05) increase of the fish total length and weights of body
components but, the internal organs and fins percentage were significantly
(P≤0.05) decreased and the skin and fillet percentage increased but not
significantly (P>0.05). The light weight (1kg) gave a higher moisture
percentage and slightly lower, protein, fat and ash percentages while the
heavy groups (2 kg and 3 kg) gave the highest lightness (L*), redness (a*)
and yellowness (b*) colour values and protein, fat, ash percentages but
lower moisture percentage and improved WHC. Cooking loss and
shrinkage percentages were significantly decreased while oxidative
rancidity, total bacteria count were significantly (P≤0.05) increased and
the sensory evaluation was not significantly different The medium body
weight (2 kg) gave the highest panel scores compared with the low and
high weights. Gymnarchus niloticus has a good processing characteristics
and quality
Smart Light Control System with Occupancy Indicator
No full textThis project main task it to design a smart light control system with room occupancy
indicator. Various methods can be used to implement an effective and efficient lighting control
system. The objectives of this project are:
- To automatically turn on the lights when a person has entered the room and automatically
turn off the lights when the room is empty.
- To control the room’s brightness (control the intensity of brightness, window blind).
- To count the number of people in the room.
-To enable the system operates in certain modes.Lighting is essential in houses, offices and closed areas. Uncontrollable usage of
lighting may end up with wastage of power and natural light. The system main
ideas is to maximize the use of natural light available in a closed areas or room
and reduce the consumption of energy by controlling the intensity of brightness.
If both natural and artificial lighting are efficiently used during daylight time,
energy consumption can be reduced. Conventional lighting system only used
basic on and off switches. Thus, it does not utilize both sources of light. The
Light Dependent Resistor (LDR) was used as light sensors that will transmit the
values of the intensity of light to the microcontroller. By using a
microcontroller, PWM signal was generated through C programming and fed to
LEDs to control its brightness. The LDR will control the PWM duty cycle and
vary the LEDs brightness. In addition, the system use door sensor to initiate the
smart lighting system and to detect the number of occupant in the room.
Moreover, the system has four modes can be selected by user. There are four
push buttons, each one is pressed to select certain mode. This project can
enhance our lighting systems by using it more efficiently and maximize the use
of natural daylight
SPEECH ANALYSIS AND SYNTHESIS
No full textThis project focuses on studying several techniques of speech analysis and synthesis and
further implementing some of them in Matlab.
Analyze the speech using PLC by representing the electronic version of the speech signal
into model parameters.
The objective in speech synthesis is to convert a string of parameters, or a sequence of
words, into natural-sounding speech. Speech synthesis has also been used to aid scientists
in learning about the mechanisms of human speech production, and thereby in the
treatment of speech-related disorders.Although most people see the cell phone as an extension of conventional wired
phone, the truth is that cell phone technology is extremely complex. If we take a closer look at
the module that converts the electronic version of the speech signal into a sequence of bits, we
see that for every 20 ms of input speech, a set of speech model parameters is computed and
transmitted to the receiver. The receiver converts these parameters back into speech. The
mechanism lies at the very heart of mobile phone transmission of speech is the linear predictive
(LP) technique analysis–synthesis.
In this project, linear prediction code LPC is used for speech analysis and
synthesis by use a fully parametric model to efficiently encode the important information in
human speech (speech analysis) and can produce intelligible speech at low data rates by
recovering more characteristics of natural human speech(speech synthesis).
We successfully developed and implemented a speech compression technique
Linear Prediction Coding (LPC) using DSP System Toolbox™ functionality available at the
MATLAB command line. The LPC analyzed speech by representing the electronic version of the
speech signal into model parameters, And the synthesized the speech by converting these
parameters back into speech.
The analysis and synthesis results show that the LPC technique achieves smooth
trajectories of the vocal-tract resonances together with a high time resolution, The resulting
speech from this tool is sound as if the original, which is interesting for a variety of application