Language situation and status of languages in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania

The article substantiates the socio-economic and cultural-historical introduction of the Ossetians to the Russian language, which is considered as the result of the natural development of the standard of living of the highlanders. The aim of the study is to consider the history and characteristics of national-Russian bilingualism, the role of language interaction in the formation of a bilingual personality, society, identification of deformed linguistic processes that led to both the loss of the function of language proficiency and its use in everyday life, as well as measures that contribute to the revival of native language. The article emphasizes that the Russian language has become a civilizing factor that has significantly accelerated the development of the spiritual culture of the mountaineers, that it, along with the Ossetian language, is recognized as the state language of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania as a language of interethnic communication, it is provided with free functioning throughout the republic. The work also focuses on the ethno-demographic composition of the population, emphasizes the polyethnicity of the region, which contributes to the strengthening of the role of the Russian language as a language of interethnic communication. During the 20th century, a sharp delimitation of the functions of the Russian and native languages leads to a weakening of the role of the national language, which exposes it to the threat of extinction. Loss of language entails a loss of self-awareness, culture, perception of the world, as well as the loss of self-identification. According to the authors, the republic itself needs to be concerned about the widespread use and all-round development of the native language in national government bodies, public organizations of science, culture, education, health care and the service sector. We need to work with those native speakers who do not consider it prestigious to communicate in their native language in the family, do not try to pass it on to the next generation: the lack of linguistic continuity is destructive. To preserve the language in the context of globalization, the authors propose to strengthen the role of the state and society, to consolidate the efforts of scientists, statesmen and public figures in order to influence the activities of the media to preserve the language and culture; direct their efforts towards harmonious bilingualism.

Flow and its Relationship to Happiness Among Students of Law and Fine Arts Faculties at Damascus University: التدفق النفسي وعلاقته بالسعادة لدى طلبة كليتي الحقوق والفنون الجميلة بجامعة دمشق

The aim of current research is to study the relationship between psychological flow and happiness among a sample of Damascus University students (Faculties of Law and Fine Arts), in addition to knowing the differences in happiness and psychological flow due to variables (gender, faculty). The research used the descriptive correlative approach. the researcher used Jackson and Elkland flow questionnaire, and the Oxford happiness questionnaire prepared by Argyle and Hills; which applied to a sample of (300) students of the third year. The results showed that there is, a statistically significant correlation between psychological flow and happiness (0.70) and there is a statistically significant correlation between Happiness and each loss of self-consciousness, Merging of action and awareness, and sense of control with (0.63, 0.59, 0.47) respectively. Also, the results showed there are no statistically significant differences in the psychological flow or in happiness among the members of the research sample due to the variable (sex) at level (0.05≥α). While there were statistically significant differences in the psychological flow among the members of the sample due to the variable of (faculty), in favor of the students of Fine Arts faculty. According to the results of research, psychological flow explains about 70% of the total variance in happiness. Based on the results, the researcher presented a number of recommendations to improve the psychological growth and happiness among the two colleges.

Analytical findings in a non-fatal intoxication with the synthetic cannabinoid 5F-ADB (5F-MDMB-PINACA): a case report

The case report centres on analytical findings from a spice sample (mixed with tobacco (as a cigarette) for consumption), and its corresponding plasma sample, smoked by a 31-year-old man who was attended by emergency services following collapse. The man was fully conscious and cooperative during initial medical treatment. Suddenly, he suffered a complete loss of self-control, whereupon the police was notified. The man encountered the police officers when exiting the apartment, at which point he threatened them with clenched fists and reached for a plant bucket in order to strike out in the direction of the officers. At the trial, he described himself as confused and as being completely overwhelmed, having lost self-control, suffered a panic attack and “just wanted to get out the situation”. Furthermore, he stated that he had no recollection of the incident. He feared death due to palpitations, heart pain, dizziness and repetitive anxiety states. Routine systematic as well as extended toxicological analysis of the plasma sample, taken approximately 2 h after the incident, confirmed the use of cannabis and spice. Plasma concentrations of THC, OH-THC and THC-COOH were 8.0 μg/L, 4.0 μg/L and 147 μg/L, respectively. Furthermore, analysis confirmed uptake of 5F-ADB (5F-MDMB-PINACA) via detection of both 5F-ADB and the 5F-ADB N-(5-OH-pentyl) metabolite. The spice sample additionally contained 5F-MDMB-PICA, which was not detected in the plasma sample. A differentiation between a possible co-use and a recent use of cannabis was not possible. In summary, this case once more underlines the health risks of spice use.

Psychometric development and validation of victim gaslighting questionnaire (VGQ): across female sample from Pakistan

Purpose Gaslighting a form of abusive manipulation both emotional and psychological is a growing phenomenon in recent times. However, as of yet, there is a scarcity of a valid and reliable instrument which can measure the severity of gaslighting in victims of interpersonal relationships abuse. The purpose of this study is the development of an instrument which can effectively measure gaslighting in victims and is psychometrically reliable and valid. Design/methodology/approach Since the aim of the study was the development of a scale first a sample of eight women who were victims of domestic abuse was taken for the focus group. Afterwards using purposive sampling a sample of 20 women for the pilot study and a sample of 150 women for the main study was taken with age range 18–40 (M = 23.38, S.D = 4.03). For the development of scale theoretical basis along with a focus group was conducted to establish an item pool. Afterwards, subject matter experts helped in establishing contend validity followed by Velicer’s minimum average partial (MAP) method and maximum likelihood factor analysis (FA) was performed for the establishment of the factorial structure of the instrument. Findings Velicer’s MAP method and Maximum Likelihood FA suggested two factor structures including peer disagreement and loss of self-trust. Instrument displayed high alpha reliability of α = 0.934, with α = 0.927 and α = 0.854, for the subscale, respectively. Research limitations/implications Though all necessary steps were taken to minimize the limitations of the present study, however, some limitations do exist which needs to be addressed. The foremost limitation of the present scale is that it is being developed with only a female sample, however, the inclusion of a male sample in future studies can help in identifying whether men also are victims of gaslighting from peers and other family members or not. The second limitation is of validity though necessary validities have been established future studies should study on establishing further validities to further refine the instrument. Additionally, the scale has only been validated and tested on female samples future studies should be conducted on other specific groups or samples to develop norms. Moreover, testing the scale on other cultures could also help in establishing cross cultural validation of the instrument. Finally, though the scale assumes a higher level of scores suggests a higher level of victimization, a proper cutoff score can help in further identifying proper victims from the normal level of gaslighting. Practical implications The present instrument has its applicability in several domains the most important being in the criminal justice system as gaslighting comes under gaslighting and even in the UK is considered as a criminal offense. This instrument can help in determining the severity of gaslighting in victims. Likewise, it can be used in clinical settings for psychologists to identify possible cases of gaslighting victims which can enable them to provide specific help and treatment for them. Moreover, researchers can also benefit from the instrument as it can enable them to explore gaslighting with other possible variables which can help them explore the concept of gaslighting even further. Originality/value This paper is a novel study and has been completed with the purpose of evaluating the effects of gaslighting in victims of interpersonal relationships abuse as the earlier measures are either not psychometrically valid or cannot be generalized to a wider population. The present established scale is an effort to construct an instrument that can be used worldwide.

Unspoiled Identities of People Living Alone With Dementia: Resisting Stigma by Helping Others

Goffman (1963) described stigma as the shift from being viewed as a whole and usual person to one with a spoiled identity. People living with dementia (PLWD) often report feeling stigmatized. Many dementia stereotypes highlight losses (e.g., loss of self) and negatively position the person as a passive, dependent care recipient. Here, we present findings from a qualitative study of people living alone with dementia (N=10) in the community that challenge these stereotypes. Analysis of in-depth interviews revealed that many participants resisted the spoiled identity label through active engagement in the community such as participating in paid employment, providing care for neighbors and family members, and volunteering. Overall, findings underscore the need to rethink and challenge common perceptions of PLWD that are focused solely on care, to recognize their active and valuable role in the lives of others. How PLWD negotiate these identities should inform policies of dementia in community.

Astrocytes in depression and Alzheimer’s disease

Astrocytes are an abundant subgroup of cells in the central nervous system (CNS) that play a critical role in controlling neuronal circuits involved in emotion, learning, and memory. In clinical cases, multiple chronic brain diseases may cause psychosocial and cognitive impairment, such as depression and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). For years, complex pathological conditions driven by depression and AD have been widely perceived to contribute to a high risk of disability, resulting in gradual loss of self-care ability, lower life qualities, and vast burden on human society. Interestingly, correlational research on depression and AD has shown that depression might be a prodrome of progressive degenerative neurological disease. As a kind of multifunctional glial cell in the CNS, astrocytes maintain physiological function via supporting neuronal cells, modulating pathologic niche, and regulating energy metabolism. Mounting evidence has shown that astrocytic dysfunction is involved in the progression of depression and AD. We herein review the current findings on the roles and mechanisms of astrocytes in the development of depression and AD, with an implication of potential therapeutic avenue for these diseases by targeting astrocytes.

Loss of self-tolerance leads to altered gene expression and IMD pathway activation in Drosophila melanogaster

Immune self-tolerance is the ability of a host's immune system to recognize and avoid triggering immune responses against self-tissue. This allows the host to avoid self-directed immune damage while still responding appropriately to pathogen infection. A breakdown of self-tolerance can lead to an autoimmune state in which immune cells target healthy self-tissue, leading to inflammation and tissue damage. In order to better understand the basic biology of autoimmunity and the role of the innate immune system in maintaining self-tolerance, we have recently characterized the Drosophila melanogaster tuSz autoimmune mutant. This mutant strain can serve as a model of innate immune mediated self-tolerance, and here we identify transcripts that are deregulated in flies experiencing a loss of self-tolerance. We found that these changes include the ectopic activation of pro-inflammatory signaling through the Relish/NFκB transcription factor, alterations in transcripts encoding proteins predicted to mediate organismal metabolism, and a downregulation of transcripts linked to developmental processes. This study can provide insight into the transcriptional and physiological changes underlying self-tolerance and autoimmunity.

Predicting students’ flow experience through behavior data in gamified educational systems

The flow experience (i.e., challenge-skill balance, action-awareness merging, clear goals, unambiguous feedback, concentration, sense of control, loss of self-consciousness, transformation of time, and autotelic experience) is an experience highly related to the learning experience. One of the current challenges is to identify whether students are managing to achieve this experience in educational systems. The methods currently used to identify students’ flow experience are based on self-reports or equipment (e.g., eye trackers or electroencephalograms). The main problem with these methods is the high cost of the equipment and the impossibility of applying them massively. To address this challenge, we used behavior data logs produced by students during the use of a gamified educational system to predict the students’ flow experience. Through a data-driven study (N = 23) using structural equation modeling, we identified possibilities to predict the students’ flow experience through the speed of students’ actions. With this initial study, we advance the literature, especially contributing to the field of student experience analysis, by bringing insights showing how to step towards automatic students’ flow experience identification in gamified educational systems.

How to create flow experience during travel: The role of destination attributes

Despite numerous studies investigating flow experience in the adventure tourism context, there is a lack of research concentrating on tourists’ flow experience during travel. This study aims to explore the relationships amongst destination attribute perceptions, flow experience (consisting of focus attention, time distortion, and loss of self-consciousness components), and satisfaction variables. By adapting a quantitative research method, 938 data were collected from British, German, and Russian tourists visiting Antalya, Turkey. The study results reveal that destination attribute perceptions significantly affect flow experience components, which influence tourist satisfaction. Theoretical and practical implications of the study findings are discussed, and some recommendations concerning future research are provided.

Prevention of Learning Disabilities in Pre-school Children

The article is devoted to revealing the possibilities of preventing learning disabilities in pre-school children. Early intervention is crucial to manage school failure and loss of self-confidence in children. Research is topical, as the number of children with mixed developmental disabilities and later, at school age – learning disabilities – is increasing. Some pre-school children may have various developmental disabilities, including mixed developmental disabilities, which present a whole spectrum of different problems that cannot solve themselves. If they do not receive help, these children will be diagnosed with lasting learning disabilities by reaching school age, and that can lead to a number of hardships for the pupils. Lessening or resolving these hardships will require a lot more effort to not inflict damage on the child’s self-confidence and future life quality. The aim of the study is to determine the knowledge of teachers about children with mixed developmental disabilities, their difficulties, and possibilities of recognizing early signs of problems. Methodology: the research was carried out using literature review and questionnaire for pre-school teachers. Results were not surprising – many teachers are not aware of mixed developmental disabilities; these disabilities are diagnosed alongside speech and language problems, and the number of these is increasing. The results are significant, and it is a possibility for speech therapists and special education teachers to create a curriculum for teachers to deal with these children to lessen problems.