The study aimed to examine the phonological processing profile for students with and without reading disabilities in cycle 1 schools of basic education in the Governorate of Muscat, Sultanate of Oman. The study participants included 306 students, 165 students with reading disabilities and 141 students without reading disabilities. The Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing (CTOPP) and Working Memory Test (WMT) were administered to the participants. The results of the study showed that the mean score of students without reading disabilities was higher than that of students of reading disabilities in all measures of phonological processing, and that there are statistically significant differences on the case of students in all scales of composite phonological processing , and there are statistically significant differences for the grade on students' scores in the scales of phonological awareness, phonological memory, rapid naming and alternative scale of rapid naming . There are also statistically significant differences for the interaction between the grade and the case on the students' grades in the rapid naming, there is no statistically significant effect of gender, case-gender interaction, class-gender interaction, gender-case-grade interaction on students' scores on composite phonological processing scales. The results also resulted in statistically significant differences between students with reading disabilities and student without reading disabilities attributed to the interaction between the grade and the case, while there is no statistically significant effect of the interaction between the case and the gender and the interaction between the grade and the case and the gender in the sub-acoustic phonological processing scales. The results also indicate a statistically significant correlation between the phonological awareness test and the working memory test among students with and student without reading disabilities. The phonological memory test was only significant with students with reading disabilities. As for the sub-tests, the word pronunciation test after deleting part of it, and the test of merging syllables indicated a statistically significant relationship with the working memory test with students with reading disabilities and student without reading disabilities, while the test of remembering numbers and the test of the rapid naming of things were only significant with students with reading disabilities. In light of the results, we hope that phonological processing skills will be incorporated into the school curriculum, and that comprehensive testing of phonological processing will be used as a diagnostic tool for students in basic education.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa has variety of virulence factors that contribute to its pathogenicity. Therefore, rapid detection with high accuracy and specificity is very important in the control of this pathogenic bacterium. To evaluate the accuracy and specificity of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) assay, ETA and gyrB genes were targeted to detect pathogenic strains of P. aeruginosa. Seventy swab samples were taken from patients with infected wounds and burns in two hospitals in Erbil and Koya cities in Iraq. The isolates were traditionally identified using phenotypic methods, and DNA was extracted from the positive samples, to apply PCR using the species specific primers targeting ETA, the gene encoding for exotoxin A, and gyrB gene. The res
... Show MoreInvasomes are newly developed types of nanovesicles. A vesicular drug delivery system is considered one of the approaches for transdermal delivery to enhance permeation and improve drug bioavailability. Ondansetron is a serotonin receptor antagonist used for treating vomiting associated with different clinical cases. The study aimed to prepare invasomal dispersions for improving permeation of ondansetron across the skin with a controlled release pattern. Twenty-seven formulas of ondansetron-loaded invasomes were prepared by a modified mechanical dispersion method. These formulas were optimized by studying the effect of variables on entrapment efficiency. Vesicle size, polydispersity, zeta potential, in-vitro release and ex-vivo perm
... Show MoreSIFCON is characterized as a construction material of high ductility and very high strength. It is suitable for concrete structures used for special applications. However, the density of SIFCON is much higher than that of Fiber Reinforced Concrete (FRC) due to the need for a large amount of high-density steel fibers. This work examines the split tensile behavior of modified weight slurry infiltrated fiber concrete utilizing a mixture of two types of fibers, steel fiber, and polyolefin fiber. For the investigation, 30 cylinders and 15 cubes were poured. The used volume fraction (V.F) is (6 %) and the use of five series once as each type separately and once a hybrid in proportions of 2/3 polyolefin with 1/3 steel fiber and
... Show MoreCurrently, there is an intensive development of bipedal walking robots. The most known solutions are based on the use of the principles of human gait created in nature during evolution. Modernbipedal robots are also based on the locomotion manners of birds. This review presents the current state of the art of bipedal walking robots based on natural bipedal movements (human and bird) as well as on innovative synthetic solutions. Firstly, an overview of the scientific analysis of human gait is provided as a basis for the design of bipedal robots. The full human gait cycle that consists of two main phases is analysed and the attention is paid to the problem of balance and stability, especially in the single support phase when the biped
... Show MoreBaylisascaris procyonis is a helminth parasite of raccoons Procyon lotor and represents a health concern in paratenic hosts, including humans and diverse domestic and wildlife species. In North America the helminth is expanding its geographic range. To better understand patterns of infection in the Ozark region of the USA, raccoons (n = 61) were collected in 2013-2014 from five counties in Missouri and Arkansas, USA and necropsied. We documented B. procyonis in all surveyed locations. The overall prevalence of B. procyonis was 44.3 % (95 % CI = 31.9 - 57.4) and was significantly higher in females than males. There were also significant differences in prevalence among raccoons sampled