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"Something Wicked This Way Comes, Chuckles” Humor and the Uncanny in Shirley Jackson's Charles
Get PDFThis research looks at how Shirley Jackson's short story "Charles" blends the uncanny and humor to delve into more complex psychological and sociological concerns. The study aims to analyze the roles that humor and the uncanny play in the story, as well as how they impact tone and mood and how they depict parental perspective and childhood behavior. This study employs qualitative theme analysis to examine how Jackson combines the uncanny and humor to address larger psychological and societal issues. Data analysis entails finding themes and patterns connected to these elements, whereas data collection is closely reading the text and concentrating on any instances of humor and the uncanny. The key findings emphasize the deft application of humor and the uncanny to investigate the intricacies of childhood and parenthood and to question societal standards. The analysis highlights the significance of Jackson's work in analyzing common human experiences and social interactions while also advancing our comprehension of her narrative techniques and thematic themes
Assessing the Responsiveness of Moulay Ismail University to Teachers' Continuous Professional Development Needs: A Mixed-Methods Analysis
Get PDFThis study investigates the responsiveness of Moulay Ismail University (UMI) to the continuous professional development (CPD) needs of its teaching staff. The study integrates both quantitative and qualitative methods to gain a comprehensive understanding of teachers' perspectives. The quantitative phase involved administering a structured questionnaire to 214 teachers, focusing on their perceptions of the university's CPD offerings, including availability, relevance, accessibility, and institutional support. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze this data, revealing a predominantly negative attitude among teachers towards their university's ability to meet their CPD needs. The qualitative phase involved semi-structured interviews with 21 teachers. These interviews provided deeper insights into teachers' barriers, such as the lack of relevant CPD activities, the irrelevance between CPD content and pedagogical needs, and the overwhelming workload that limits their capacity for professional growth. Thematic analysis of the interview transcripts identified key themes that aligned with the quantitative findings, offering a more nuanced perspective on the challenges associated with CPD at the UMI. The study concludes that the teachers at the UMI perceive the institution as largely unresponsive to their CPD needs. This sentiment echoes broader concerns within the literature about the neglect of university teachers' professional development in Morocco. The findings underscore the need for more relevant and accessible CPD programs tailored to the specific needs of faculty and institutional reforms that alleviate the workload pressures that hinder professional growth
Genre Awareness in Teaching Writing: A Case Study of Public High School Teachers in Nepal
No full textRecent research trends on Teaching English as a Foreign or Second Language (EFL/ESL) have shown that conscious knowledge of the genre-based approach significantly enhances genre awareness in teaching writing in EFL/ESL contexts. This research examines how English language teachers in Nepal strengthen their understanding of genre awareness by integrating genre-based writing activities such as story writing, job application writing, journal writing, email writing, and essay writing within a high school teaching context. Based on the data generated from semi-structured interviews with four teachers and analysis of students’ written artifacts, the study indicates that teachers’ awareness of genre plays a prominent role in enhancing their self-reflection and academic writing skills. This awareness is shown to positively impact their understanding of pedagogical content knowledge and genre-specific writing conventions. However, the findings also demonstrate that the teacher participants possess unconscious familiarity with the genre, especially in terms of writing instruction and analyzing the genre-specific content in classroom teaching, since they appeared to lack awareness of the complex nature of the interactions between their belief systems, real-world classroom practices, and current educational and sociocultural needs. The study suggests that teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge of genres, reflective practices based on the learning achievements of learners, and ongoing genre-based teacher training, including workshops and seminars, should be organized to enhance their conscious awareness and understanding of the intricate nature of genre-based writing instruction
The Role of Elements of Text Analysis in Consecutive Interpreting Performance: A Mixed-Methods Study
Get PDFDespite the theoretical importance of text analysis in translation process, there is a paucity of experimental research into the role that the elements of the text can play in enhancing interpreting performance. The present study, adopting a mixed-methods design, aimed to investigate whether knowledge of text elements enhances consecutive interpreting performance. In so doing, a sample of 36 homogeneous undergraduate translation students participated in this study based on convenience sampling, and a pool of six students participated in the qualitative phase of the study based on purposive sampling, following the data saturation method. Following Nord’s guidelines for text analysis, the experimental group was exposed to the elements of text during the intervention. A validated assessment rubric was utilized to measure students’ interpreting performance, taking the inter-rater reliability of the scores also into consideration. The results of one-way ANOVA confirmed that there was a statistically significant difference between the control group and the experimental group; the experimental group outperformed the control group. Having calculated the inter-coder reliability of the responses emerged from the interviews, the number of common factors included six themes, namely unique, new information, message analysis, motivating, general lexis, and semiotics. In the end, some practical implications are offered for interpreting students and teachers.
Investigating the Impact of French Grammar Knowledge on English Grammar Acquisition in Moroccan EFL University Students: A Correlational Analysis
Get PDFThis study investigates the relationship between French and English grammar proficiency among university students in Meknes, Morocco. A statistically significant positive correlation (r = 0.797, p < 0.01) was found between French and English grammar test scores. This suggests that students with stronger French grammar skills also tend to perform better on the English grammar test. Aligning with research on positive grammar transfer, this finding highlights the potential benefits of a strong foundation in French grammar for Moroccan students learning English. However, the study acknowledges the limitations of a correlational design. Further research is needed to explore the underlying mechanisms that contribute to the observed relationship and the impact of instructional methods. The findings hold valuable implications for various stakeholders in education: educators (utilizing comparative grammar exercises and promoting cross-linguistic awareness), researchers (investigating mechanisms and effective instructional methods), and policymakers (optimizing bilingual education by emphasizing transferable grammar skills in French instruction and curriculum design). By acknowledging the transferability of grammar skills, stakeholders can collaborate to improve overall language proficiency among Moroccan students
The Transfer of Culture-Specific Items in Subtitling: Case of TED Talks Translation from English into Arabic
Get PDFSubtitling culture-specific items is considered challenging to translators since they are grounded in a specific source culture and audience. In this connection, Technology Entertainment and Design (TED) is a well-known organization that presents influential speeches or talks about different topics such as science, health, culture, and others. These talks are subtitled in different languages including Arabic. Therefore, the equivalence of culture-specific items in TED talks requires a deep understanding of the source and target languages and cultures. In light of this, the present study sheds light on the intersection between culture and subtitling manifested through the equivalence of culture-specific items in the subtitled TED talks from English into Arabic along with the position of the subtitler in this transfer. To this end, quantitative qualitative methods are adopted to measure and analyse the selected culture-specific items cultural aspects are selected by applying Diaz Cintas and Remael’s [9] cultural classifications and Pedersen’s [33] and Baker’s [4] translation strategies. The findings of the study show that direct translation and retention are the most deployed translation strategies whereas cultural substitution, paraphrase, and official equivalent are the least deployed strategies in the selected TED talks. The findings further contribute to understanding the relationship between the implemented translation strategies and the subtitling guidelines of the TED organization
Physicochemical and Sensory Properties of Gluten-free Cupcakes Produced with Pearl Millet Flour and Cactus Mucilage Powder as a New Natural Hydrocolloid
Get PDFThis study aimed to produce functional gluten-free cupcakes from pearl millet flour (PMF), rice flour (RF) and cactus mucilage powder (CMP) as a natural hydrocolloid. Rice flour was mixed with pearl millet flour at percentage of 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% (as control). Physicochemical, sensory evaluation and texture profile (TPA) characteristics of gluten-free cupcakes were performed. Results revealed that free-gluten cupcakes produced with pearl millet flour had a higher content of protein, ash, fat, and fiber than control (100% RF). Additionally, the sensory characteristics of cupcakes containing 50 % RF+ 50% PMF + 2% CMP were the most acceptable formulae among the investigated treatments. TPA results showed that the substitution with PMF decreased firmness, cohesiveness, gumminess, chewiness, springiness, and resilience of all resultant cupcake samples than control. Therefore, we recommend using pearl millet flour and cactus mucilage as a functional ingredient in the manufacturing of gluten-free bakery products
Integrative Approaches for Advancing Organoid Engineering: From Mechanobiology to Personalized Therapeutics
Get PDFThis research manuscript aims to explore the integration of cutting-edge technologies in the field of organoid engineering for applications in personalized precision medicine. The research investigative exploration will delve into the multifaceted aspects of organoid research, incorporating mechanobiological modulation, ultrasound stimulation, and acoustofluidics to enhance the engineering of organoids. The focus will extend to the development of organoids-on-a-chip platforms with integrated biosensors, providing real-time monitoring capabilities for improved disease modeling and drug testing. Additionally, the manuscript will address the challenges and opportunities associated with large-scale manufacturing of organoids, emphasizing the scalability of regenerative medicine approaches. The proposed research will contribute to the advancement of 3D tissue models, micro physiological systems, and multi-organoid systems, offering a very comprehensive perspective on the potential of these systematic technologies in reshaping the landscape of personalized medicine
Artificial intelligence for enhancing resilience
Get PDFIn an increasingly complex and unpredictable world, resilience-the ability to withstand and recover from adverse conditions is essential across various sectors. This research paper investigates the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in enhancing resilience across multiple domains. We explore how AI technology can be utilized to develop resilient infrastructure, providing advanced predictive maintenance and real-time monitoring capabilities that ensure robustness and longevity. The study examines the role of AI in improving disaster response, offering rapid data analysis and decision-making support to enhance emergency management outcomes. In climate change, AI-driven strategies are assessed for their effectiveness in fostering climate resilience, including predictive modeling of extreme weather events and optimizing resource allocation. The paper also discusses AI applications in healthcare resilience, such as enhancing diagnostics, patient care, and operational efficiency during crises. Business continuity and crisis management are examined, highlighting AI's capability to anticipate disruptions and maintain operational stability. The paper emphasizes the importance of strengthening cybersecurity resilience using AI to detect and mitigate threats proactively. AI's role in enhancing community and social resilience is analysed, particularly in supporting vulnerable populations and fostering social cohesion. Additionally, we explored AI-powered solutions for urban resilience, focusing on smart cities and sustainable development. The study also covers AI's contributions to environmental and ecological resilience, resilient supply chain management, and resilience in the hospitality and tourism industry. Finally, we investigated AI's potential in fostering psychological resilience, providing personalized mental health support and stress management tools. Through these diverse applications, the paper underscores AI's critical role in building a resilient future
On Gohar Fractional Calculus
Get PDFRecently, Gohar et al. introduced a novel, local, and well-behaved fractional calculus. It possesses all the classical properties, and Its locality imposes simplicity and accuracy in modeling fractional order systems. In this article, we further develop the definitions and extend the classical properties of Gohar fractional calculus to address some of the open problems in Calculus. The fractional Gronwall's integral inequality, Taylor power series expansion, and Laplace transform are defined and applied to overcome some of the limitations in the classical integer-order calculus. The fractional Laplace transform is applied to solve Bernoulli-type logistic and Bertalanffy nonlinear fractional differential equations, and the criteria under which it can be applied to solve linear differential equations are investigated