Teaching Spoken Production in Global Contexts 2021

Shaping and developing communication skills in non-linguistic faculties in higher education institutions remain relevant. Thus, the theoretical and methodological guidelines for training English professionally-oriented spoken production are among significant problems. Intending to overcome some related challenges, we conducted this study to investigate the efficiency of using presentational speeches based on authentic video materials. The main aim of the research was to analyze the problem from methodological and didactic perspectives and substantiate the theoretical and methodological principles of the professional training of monolingual students through the experimental verification of the effectiveness of the proposed methodology. To achieve the objectives of this study, in the first stage, we determined the efficiency of pedagogical conditions for developing the foreign language competence of students. Then we verified the efficiency of using presentational speeches in teaching Spoken Production. At the last stage, we analyzed the effectiveness of the proposed methods of forming and developing foreign language competence (Spoken Production) by using presentational speeches. The study sample included 45 students of the Sociology and Law Faculty in the National Technical University of Ukraine “Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute”. We obtained the results that confirmed the efficiency of the presentational speech approach in teaching spoken production. Our study revealed that the presentational speech approach facilitates enhancement in the level of students’ professional competence. These findings provide a good starting point for discussion and further research.

Hybrid RF-Si Xerogels: A Cost-Effective Proposal for Insulator Materials

Hybrid xerogels RF/Si were synthesized by controlling the chemical variables involved in the polymerization process (i.e., molar ratios, dilution ratio, catalysts, etc.) and evaluated as insulator materials. Higher insulating performances were recorded for these hybrids compared with their counterparts made from only one of their components (i.e., RF or Si xerogels with similar porous characteristics). The analysis of chemical and structural features correlated with heat transfer methods was useful in understanding the sum of contributions involved in the thermal conductivity of RF/Si xerogels. Variables such as roughness and tortuosity can be used to improve the performance of xerogels from a different perspective. In this way, thermal conductivities of 25 mW/mK were achieved without lengthy process steps or special drying methods. Knowledge of material design and the use of microwave heating during the synthesis allowed us to approach a simple and cost-effective process. These results suggest that the hybrid materials developed in this work are a good starting point for the future of the massive production of insulation materials.

Untranslatable wounds

A good starting point for revisiting the intersections of language, gender and sexuality is to acknowledge and understand how colonial wounds and legacies play out in our everyday lives. This essay critically addresses the multiple ways in which we are all marked in one way or another by our colonial relations and their intersections. A careful unpacking of mechanisms and linkages is critical for identifying strategies and tactics of struggle that might lead to more equitable present-days characterised by esperanza (hope). Yet a desire to decolonise language and language practices without recognising the lived experience of our own messy and colonial entanglements will never be enough to resignify the systems that hold racial, ethnic, gender, sexual and linguistic inequalities in place. This essay highlights the acts of desbordar (undoing/overflowing), trasto-car (queering) and resentir (feeling again) as alternative strategies that can be used to fracture the architectures of colonialism, starting with our own.

Biological Activity, Lipophilicity and Cytotoxicity of Novel 3-Acetyl-2,5-disubstituted-1,3,4-oxadiazolines

Antibiotic resistance is now a global problem, and the lack of effective antimicrobial agents for the treatment of diseases caused by resistant microbes is increasing. The 3-acetyl-2,5-disubstituted-1,3,4-oxadiazolines presented in this article may provide a good starting point for the development of potential new effective antimicrobial agents useful in the treatment of bacterial and fungal infections. Particular attention is drawn to the 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivative marked with the number 29 with 5-nitrofuran-2-yl substituent in its chemical structure. This substance showed a strong bactericidal effect, especially against Staphylococcus spp., and no cytotoxicity to the L929 normal cell line.

Teaching Spoken Production in Global Contexts 2021

Shaping and developing communication skills in non-linguistic faculties in higher education institutions remain relevant. Thus, the theoretical and methodological guidelines for training English professionally-oriented spoken production are among significant problems. Intending to overcome some related challenges, we conducted this study to investigate the efficiency of using presentational speeches based on authentic video materials. The main aim of the research was to analyze the problem from methodological and didactic perspectives and substantiate the theoretical and methodological principles of the professional training of monolingual students through the experimental verification of the effectiveness of the proposed methodology. To achieve the objectives of this study, in the first stage, we determined the efficiency of pedagogical conditions for developing the foreign language competence of students. Then we verified the efficiency of using presentational speeches in teaching Spoken Production. At the last stage, we analyzed the effectiveness of the proposed methods of forming and developing foreign language competence (Spoken Production) by using presentational speeches. The study sample included 45 students of the Sociology and Law Faculty in the National Technical University of Ukraine “Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute”. We obtained the results that confirmed the efficiency of the presentational speech approach in teaching spoken production. Our study revealed that the presentational speech approach facilitates enhancement in the level of students’ professional competence. These findings provide a good starting point for discussion and further research.

Who Wants to Learn English Online for free?

This study of demographics is aimed to help LMOOC designers develop courses that are more appealing to prospective learners, and thus fight low completion rate which remains one of the main drawbacks of MOOCs. In addition, as the world battles against the COVID-19 pandemic looking for alternative learning approaches is unavoidable. The data presented in this paper were collected between 2016 and 2020 by means of a questionnaire that over 29,000 participants completed upon registration. The questionnaire, which included three multiple-choice questions aimed at obtaining responses regarding age, level of education and gender, revealed that most learners were middle-aged adults who held a university degree. In addition, our findings seemed to indicate that female learners are more likely to take the courses than their male counterparts. The aforementioned findings, which provide an insight into the demographics of EFL MOOCs in Spanish-speaking contexts, is a good starting point for further research which could ultimately help educational authorities know the impact of EFL MOOCs and enable the latter to reach a wider audience.

Citrus Peels as a Source of Bioactive Compounds with Industrial and Therapeutic Applications

Agriculture wastes are considered a good starting point to discover for new drugs all over the world. In this context, Agriculture wastes contain millions of compounds to be screened to find bioactive compounds responsible for the activity to be used in drugs. Citrus agriculture is one of the most important commercial and industrial agricultural activities in the world. The peel waste of Citrus species is a rich source of bioactive compounds such as essential oils, flavones, polyphenols, and pigment. Citrus peel has been widely used in the medicine industry. The waste peel of citrus consider a rich source of pharmacologically active metabolites with antioxidant activities.

Pragmatička uloga različitih tipova šutnje u romanu Kafamda bir tuhaflik autora Orhana Pamuka

In certain conversational settings, silence does not only represent the absence of speech, but it is used as a means of communication conveying different meanings. The objective of this paper is to analyze the pragmatic role of silence in Orhan Pamuk's novel Kafamda Bir Tuhaflık. Examples of silence are registered in the original text of the novel Kafamda Bir Tuhaflık and contrastive analysis was used to compare them with the types of silence presented in the translations to Bosnian language. This was used to try to establish whether certain types of silence have an identical pragmatic value in Turkish and Bosnian language. The analysis compares syntactic structures expressing different types of silence in the original text of the novel and its translations to Bosnian language. Turkish language is the initial language of the analysis. Therefore, syntactic structures expressing different examples of silence in the original text of the novel are compared to the translational equivalents in Bosnian language. The analysis of specific contextual examples shows that the success of interpersonal communication depends to a great extent on accurate knowledge and understanding of different types of silence. The results obtained from the analysis contribute to better knowledge and understanding of different types of silence in different conversational settings and they can serve as a good basis and a good starting point for further research regarding different types of silence.

Analysis of Proteins by Immunoblotting

In immunoblotting (western blotting), proteins are first separated by SDS-PAGE and then transferred electrophoretically from the gel onto a support membrane that binds proteins tightly. After the unreacted binding sites of the membrane are blocked to suppress nonspecific adsorption of antibodies, the immobilized proteins are reacted with a specific polyclonal or monoclonal antibody. Antigen–antibody complexes are visualized using chromogenic, fluorescent, or chemiluminescent reactions. Immunoblotting protocols are reagent specific and, owing to the wide assortment of equipment, reagents, and antibodies available, highly diverse. Presented here is an example of a workable protocol for developing a blot using horseradish peroxidase (HRP)–conjugated secondary antibody and enhanced chemiluminescence (ECL). ECL is based on the emission of light during the HRP-catalyzed oxidation of luminal or other substrates. Emitted light is captured on film or by a CCD camera, for qualitative or semiquantitative analysis. Because ECL is so sensitive, it has become a popular detection method. This protocol can be modified for different membranes, antibodies, and detection systems. Optimal dilutions of the primary and secondary antibodies need to be determined empirically, but recommendations provided by the manufacturer are usually a good starting point.

Light-Excited Ag-Doped TiO2−CoFe2O4 Heterojunction Applied to Toluene Gas Detection

(1) Background: Toluene gas is widely used in indoor decoration and industrial production, and it not only pollutes the environment but also poses serious health risks. (2) Methods: In this work, TiO2−CoFe2O4−Ag quaternary composite gas-sensing material was prepared using a hydrothermal method to detect toluene. (3) Results: The recombination of electron–hole pairs was suppressed, and the light absorption range was expanded after constructing a heterojunction and doping with Ag, according to ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) diffuse reflectance spectra and photoluminescence spectroscopy. Moreover, in the detection range of toluene gas (3 ppm–50 ppm), the response value of TiO2−CoFe2O4−Ag increased from 2 to 15, which was much higher than that of TiO2−Ag (1.7) and CoFe2O4−Ag (1.7). In addition, the working temperature was reduced from 360 °C to 263 °C. Furthermore, its response/recovery time was 40 s/51 s, its limit of detection was as low as 10 ppb, and its response value to toluene gas was 3–7 times greater than that of other interfering gases under the same test conditions. In addition, the response value to 5 ppm toluene was increased from 3 to 5.5 with the UV wavelength of 395 nm–405 nm. (4) Conclusions: This is primarily due to charge flow caused by heterojunction construction, as well as metal sensitization and chemical sensitization of novel metal doping. This work is a good starting point for improving gas-sensing capabilities for the detection of toluene gas.