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This paper is aimed to examine the effects of scaffolding on the development of higher-order thinking skills as evidenced in the academic writing of undergraduates at tertiary levels in the university education system. A lot of empirical research so far has examined the applicability of scaffolding in acquiring writing skills; however, few of them have studied the motivational aspect of scaffolding and its impact on the acquisition of writing skills of English as foreign language (EFL) learners. This study argues both motivational and demotivational factors with respect to scaffolding. During this study, the learner's Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) in accordance with Vygotsky's principles shall also be studied to determine whether the learners in the process of writing are following teacher's implicit instructions and teachers are dealing appropriately with the deployment of scaffolding techniques. References shall be drawn from the findings of Nunan (1991) who felt a positive feedback functions as an incentive to students and fairly motivates them and those of Ellis (2008; 2010; 2012; 2013) who apprehended that a negative feedback may be "potentially dangerous" to students and can damage their receptivity to learning. The findings of the study bear evidence of how the teachers, as well as the learners, follow similar patterns in understanding the scaffolding technique in the acquisition of writing skills.

This article presents a comprehensive review of the advancements in the use of Date Palm Fiber (DPF) reinforced composites, highlighting their mechanical, thermal, and morphological properties and the enhancements achieved through various modification techniques. Date palm fibers, a sustainable and biodegradable resource, have garnered significant interest due to their potential in reducing environmental impact across several key industries, including building and construction, automotive, and packaging. The review discusses the effects of hybrid approaches and physical and chemical treatments on the mechanical properties of DPF composites, demonstrating improvements in tensile strength, elasticity, and flexural strength through optimized fiber‐matrix bonding and reduced moisture absorption. Thermal behavior analyses through Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA), and thermal conductivity underscore the composites' suitability for applications requiring high thermal stability and conductivity for insulation applications. Morphological studies reveal that surface‐treated fibers integrate more effectively with various polymeric matrices, leading to enhanced composite performance. The practical applications of DPF composites are explored, emphasizing their role in promoting sustainable manufacturing practices. Challenges such as scalability, cost‐efficiency, and performance consistency are addressed, alongside future perspectives that suggest a promising direction for further research and technological development in the field of natural fiber composites. This review aims to solidify the foundation for ongoing advancements and increase the adoption of DPF composites in commercial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study assesses the impact of educational aspirations, study habits, parental involvement, and institutional environment on Saudi EFL learners’ language proficiency. It also examines if the demographic profiles of Saudi EFL learners differently shaped their worldviews and responses. As the study focuses on how certain independent variables (educational aspirations, study habits, parental involvement, and institutional environment) impacted the dependent variable (language proficiency), a descriptive quantitative approach was employed to collect data from respondents using a self-designed questionnaire with partial adoption of modified items. A simple random sample method was used to select 131 respondents (10% of the population) from the undergraduate population at the College of Science & Humanities and College of Business Administration, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia. The findings revealed that educational aspirations followed by institutional environment, study habits, and parental engagement affected the language proficiency of Saudi EFL learners. One way ANOVA analysis showed that year/level of study causes significant differences in the means of the study respondents. However, no statistically significant difference was observed in the means of the responses based on the professional profiles of their parents. The findings of the study hold significance for both language instructors and policymakers for effective teaching and policy making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents the development of multifunctional protective clothing for disabled individuals using PBAT/PLA biopolymeric-based electrospun nanofibrous membranes. The fabric consists of a superhydrophobic electrospun nanofibrous cloth reinforced with silica nanoparticles. The resulting nanofiber membranes were characterized using FE-SEM, a CA goniometer, breathability and hydrostatic pressure resistance tests, UV–vis spectroscopy, thermal infrared photography, tensile tests, and nanoindentation. The results demonstrated the integration of superhydrophobicity, breathability, and mechanical improvements in the protective clothing. The nanofibrous porous structure of the fabric allowed breathability, while the silica nanoparticles acted as an effective infrared reflector to keep the wearer cool on hot days. The fabric's multifunctional properties make it suitable for various products, such as outdoor clothing and accessories for individuals with disabilities. This study highlights the importance of selecting appropriate textiles for protective clothing and the challenges faced by disabled individuals in terms of mobility, eating, and dressing. The innovative and purposeful design of this multifunctional protective clothing aimed to enrich the lives of individuals with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen storage in solid‐state materials represents a promising avenue for advancing hydrogen storage technologies, driven by their potential for high efficiency, reduced risk, and cost‐effectiveness. Among the employed materials, magnesium borohydride (Mg(BH4)2) stands out for its exceptional characteristics, with a gravimetric capacity of 14.9 wt% and a volumetric hydrogen density capacity of 146 kg/m3. However, the practical application of Mg(BH4)2 is impeded by challenges such as high desorption temperatures (≥ 270 °C), sluggish kinetics, poor reversibility, and the formation of unexpected byproducts like diborane. To address these limitations, extensive research efforts have been directed towards enhancing the hydrogen storage properties of Mg(BH4)2. Various strategies have been explored, including incorporating catalysts or additives, nanoconfinement of Mg(BH4)2 within porous supports, and modifications involving metal alloys and compositional adjustments. These approaches are actively under investigation for improving the performance of Mg(BH4)2‐based hydrogen storage systems. This review provides a comprehensive survey of recent advancements in Mg(BH4)2 research, focusing on experimental findings related to nanoconfined Mg(BH4)2 and modified thermodynamic processes aimed at enabling hydrogen release at lower temperatures by mitigating sluggish kinetics. Precisely, nanostructuring techniques, catalyst‐mediated nanoconfinement methodologies, and alloy/compositional modifications will be elucidated, highlighting their potential to enhance hydrogen storage properties and overcome existing limitations. Furthermore, this review also discusses the challenges encountered in utilizing Mg(BH4)2 for hydrogen storage applications and offers insights into the prospects of this material. By synthesizing the latest research findings and identifying areas for further exploration, this review aims to contribute to the ongoing efforts toward realizing the full potential of Mg(BH4)2 as a viable solution for hydrogen storage in diverse applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Awareness of electronic waste (e-waste) improves safety practices among workers, thereby reducing health risks associated with pollutants. Investigating the awareness and safe practices among these workers could help identify areas for improvement, a task not yet undertaken in Bangladesh. Consequently, this study aimed to examine the awareness, safety measures, and associated factors among e-waste workers in the country. In this cross-sectional study, 236 workers from an e-waste recycling facility located near Dhaka were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire from August to September 2022. Eight questions captured information on socio-demographics and work factors, 24 questions on e-waste awareness, and 11 questions on safety practices. Total awareness and safety scores were calculated and categorized as "good" and "poor" based on a cut-off point of 80% of the total score. Bivariate and regression analyses were done to determine associated factors. Only 25% of workers had good e-waste awareness; major knowledge gaps were regarding minimization, health hazards, and environmental impact. Good awareness was significantly associated with female gender, higher education, income, smoking, experience ⩾5 years, and training. About 58% followed good safety practices, but the use of boots and helmets was inadequate. Good safety practices were significantly associated with higher education, income, smoking, experience, training, and overtime work. On multivariable analysis, those with higher education had 12 times (95% CI 4.83-32.81) and 6 times (95% CI 2.94-12.81) higher odds of good awareness and practices, respectively. Trained workers had 3.6 times (95% CI 1.67-7.52) higher odds of good practices. There was a significant correlation between awareness and practices (r =.70, P <.001). The study found poor awareness and inadequate safety practices related to e-waste among the workers. Urgent interventions like training, the use of protective gear, and stringent policies are warranted to increase awareness and safety behaviors. Plain language summary: This study looked at how aware e-waste recycling workers in Bangladesh are about the hazards of e-waste and whether they take proper safety measures during their work. E-waste, which refers to discarded electronic devices and components, contains hazardous materials like heavy metals and toxic chemicals. If not handled properly, these can cause health problems for the workers as well as environmental pollution. The researchers interviewed 236 e-waste workers in Dhaka in 2022. They asked questions to assess the workers' knowledge about e-waste and its risks, as well as what safety gear and practices they used at work. The study found that only 25% of the workers had good awareness about e-waste hazards. Major gaps were around minimizing e-waste, the health risks, and environmental impact. Around 58% reported following good safety practices like using masks and gloves. However, many did not use critical protective gear like safety boots and helmets consistently. Higher education levels and professional training were linked to better awareness and safer practices. Trained workers were more likely to follow good safety practices. The study findings suggest that urgent interventions like health education and training programs are needed. This can help increase awareness and ensure workers take adequate precautions to reduce health risks from mishandling e-waste in Bangladesh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to enhance the post-training evaluation of the annual performance agreement (APA) training organized by the Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre (BPATC), the apex training institute for civil servants. Utilizing fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) and artificial neural network (ANN) techniques within Kirkpatrick's four-stage model framework, data were collected from a self-administered questionnaire survey of 71 in-service civil servants who participated in the APA training program. This study employs an asymmetric, non-linear model analyzed through a configurational approach and ANN to explore interrelationships among the four Kirkpatrick levels namely, reaction, learning, behavior, and results. Findings indicate that trainees were satisfied across all levels, identifying a non-linear relationship among these levels in post-training evaluation process. The research highlights that "learning skills" are most significant in the APA post-training evaluation, followed by behavior, results, and reaction. Theoretically, this research advances Kirkpatrick's model and adds to the literature on public service post-training evaluation. Practically, it recommends prioritizing strategies that address cognitive barriers to enhance training effectiveness. This study's innovative approach lies in its concurrent use of fsQCA and ANN methods to analyze the success or failure of APA-related trainees, offering alternative pathways to desired outcomes and contrasting traditional quantitative methods that provide a single solution. The findings have practical implications for public service training institutions and bureaucratic policymakers involved in capacity development, guiding the creation of more effective in-service training courses for public officials. The methodology and analysis can be applied in other contexts, allowing bureaucratic policymakers to replicate these findings in their learning institutes to identify unique configurations that lead to successful or unsuccessful training outcomes, adopt effective strategies, and avoid detrimental ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The industrial and academic sectors have been closely observing the advantages of conventional polymers, primarily due to their easy preparation and low manufacturing costs. Recently, there has been a growing interest in conducting polymers (CPs) due to their unique characteristics. These polymers offer improved environmental durability, impressive mechanical and optical potential, ease of manufacturability, and a range of electrical properties compared to conventional inorganic materials. This review focuses on the chemical structures, properties, and synthesis of the most prevalent types of CPs. Furthermore, an analysis of conducting composites is conducted to evaluate their performance in energy storage devices. The review specifically focuses on the growth of their operations in energy storage technologies such as Lithium ion batteries, fuel cells, and supercapacitors (SCs). It also explores the current challenges faced by CPs potential applications for advancing energy storage systems. This review aims to advance understanding of the role of CPs for energy storage applications. In summary, conductive polymers offer a wide range of applications due to their unique features and suitable production techniques for energy storage system (ESS) application. However, there is still significant work to be carried out to enhance the performance of conduction polymers for ESSs. This overview has provided an introduction to traditional conductive polymers as functional materials, including information on their polymerization processes, advantages, disadvantages and the most promising ESS applications to date, such as various batteries and supercapacitors. It is worth noting that conductive polymers hold the potential to become crucial components in future ESSs. Achieving this potential will require further advancements in synthesis techniques, integration with other materials, as well as maximization and optimization of their capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to numerous potential applications in multiple fields, the study of nanosized magnetic spinel ferrites has been gaining significance. Synthesis and characterization of high‐quality magnetic nanocrystals with narrow size distribution, enhanced magnetic saturation, and outstanding properties for bioenvironmental applications are presented in the current study. Nanoparticles of oleic acid‐ligated Co0.5‐mixed Mg0.5Fe2O4 were prepared by a simple thermal decomposition method. The effect of cobalt (Co2+) content on the structural, optical, magnetic, and thermal properties of magnesium ferrite was assessed by powder X‐ray diffraction (PXRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). High‐resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR‐TEM) and energy dispersive X‐ray (EDX) spectroscopy were used to determine morphology and composition, respectively. Nanoparticles produced are highly crystalline and homogeneous, having an average size of 10 nm, with large saturation magnetization (61 emu/g) and high magnetic moment. Photocatalytic properties of prepared nanocrystals were studied by degradation of anionic Orange II and cationic methylene blue (MB) dyes under UV and visible light radiations for different time intervals. The anionic Orange II dye exhibited higher degradation, up to 97.2% and 92.2%, within a 90‐minute time period of ultraviolet and visible light irradiation, respectively. The cationic MB dye also displayed significant degradation, up to 91.9% and 93.8%, within 300 min under UV and visible light sources, respectively. The synthesized OA‐ligated nanoparticles degrade cationic and anionic dyes more effectively than previously reported in the literature and, thus, can be prime candidates for effective photo catalytic dye degradation and waste water cleaning applications, through the harvesting of ambient solar energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semiconductors with direct band gaps are outstanding for their use in most optoelectronic devices specifically for solar cells. Here we studied the optoelectronic, thermodynamic, and thermoelectric features of novel MgACu3Se4 (A = Sc, Y) semiconductors. Cutting-edge computations that employs density functional theory is used. The predicted density of state plots validated the electronic band structure results. A direct type of energy gap with a semiconducting behavior was noticed from the electronic band profiles of both materials. The significant optical response for the incident photon energy range of 0–14 eV is also revealed and discussed in detail. By using the quasi-harmonic Debye model, we additionally examined the thermodynamic characteristics of these quaternary systems and analyzed how their cell volume, Debye temperature, heat capacity, thermal expansion coefficient, and Grüneisen constant change over the pressure and temperature range from 0 up to 20 GPa and 0 up to 1200 K, respectively. Furthermore, the important thermoelectric transport parameters were evaluated and discussed for their thermoelectric application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar energy is a crucial and sustainable resource, necessitating material optimization for efficient use in solar-driven applications, particularly photocatalysis. Mixed-metallic nanocomposites, notably those derived from metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), have emerged as promising functional materials for environmental remediation and electrochemical energy storage. MOFs provide unique platforms for synthesizing diverse nanostructures, incorporating metals, oxides, sulfides, and nitrides within a porous carbon matrix. These resulting nanocomposites exhibit high crystallinity, retained morphologies, and tunable textural features. This study focuses on synthesizing a MOF-derived Ni/Zn nanocomposite (i.e., MD-Ni/Zn) from a bimetallic MOF to exploit its potential in photocatalytic pollutant degradation and electrochemical energy storage. Under UV irradiation, the MD-Ni/Zn nanocomposite efficiently degrades 98% of mixed (RhB + CV) dye within 60 minutes. This remarkable photocatalytic performance is attributed to the occurrence of mixed phases in the MD-Ni/Zn nanocomposite, minimizing the recombination efficiency of photoinduced e-/h+ through the p-n heterojunction mechanism. Electrochemical analysis reveals outstanding capacitance in the MD-Ni/Zn nanocomposite, reaching 1002 F/g at 5 A/g, emphasizing its suitability for enhanced electrochemical energy storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]