bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CLIL and Social and Emotional Learning in Early Bilingual Education: Compatible and Mutually Beneficial
Authors: Mortimore Louisa
Published: July 2023

This article focuses on a key issue for the holistic education of the young child in the bilingual classroom: the optimal development of social and emotional competence when learning takes place in another language. Social and emotional learning (SEL) has been referred to as “the substance of education itself” by the National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development (2019, p. 6) and research shows that the beneficial effects on the wellbeing of young children are deep-reaching and long-lasting. The recent growth of bilingual education in early childhood has propelled Content and Integrated Learning (CLIL) to the forefront of teacher training, methodology, and research into the teaching and learning processes of young children in bilingual classrooms. However, there is a dearth of research investigating the development of SEL in early CLIL. In this context, this article reviews and brings together existing literature of SEL and CLIL and argues that the main tenets of both are highly compatible. Examination of research highlights the key role played by classroom climate for the effective implementation of SEL through CLIL, and the challenges faced through an absence of specific legislation and teacher training. Finally, this article proposes how pedagogical strategies might be successfully established within the lower and pre-primary CLIL classroom that are mutually beneficial to both the development of bilingual education and young children’s social and emotional wellbeing.
Conducting Undergraduate Research: EFL Students’ Perceptions and Practices
Authors: Truong Vien , Tran Nha Quan , Thi Tu Liem Truong
Published: July 2023

Undergraduate research has received increasing attention for its potential applications in different domains of EFL contexts, including English language teaching and learning. The purposes of this mixed-methods study were to explore EFL students’ perceptions of the importance of conducting research at the undergraduate level and the challenges faced by students when conducting research. The population of the study was EFL undergraduate students studying at a university of foreign languages in central Vietnam. The sample consisted of 200 third-year and fourth-year students majoring in English Language Studies and English Language Teaching. The data were collected through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The results show that EFL students were aware of the importance of doing research at the undergraduate level and held positive attitudes towards participating in research as student researchers. In terms of the EFL students’ perceived practices of conducting undergraduate research, the findings reveal that the studied EFL students, with or without research experience, were prepared in a variety of ways to conduct research at the university level. However, the findings suggest that the reality of conducting undergraduate research did pose some considerable challenges for these students. The most frequently encountered difficulties included choosing an interesting research topic, developing a theoretical framework relevant to the research objectives, and identifying research gaps after reviewing prior studies. Recommendations are then put forward for EFL students, teachers, and institutions.
More Than an Information Source: A Bibliometric Review of Evidential Studies (1992–2021)
Authors: Yang Linxiu , Han Jin
Published: July 2023

As a linguistic phenomenon with information sources as its core semantic content, evidentiality has received much academic attention. Based on data from Web of Science (WOS) from 1992 to 2021, this study performed a bibliometric analysis to track the changes and characteristics of evidential studies, focusing on the number of published papers, prolific authors, journals and institutions, and highly cited literature. Our findings indicated that (1) the last 40 years have seen a significant increase in interest in evidential studies; (2) prolific authors exhibit strong connections with high-yield institutions; (3) the United States and Spain are the top two most influential contributors in evidential studies; and (4) research has mostly centred on theoretical, typological, semantic, and pragmatic studies of evidentiality. Finally, this study traced the changes in topics over the past 30 years and proposed future directions for evidential studies. This study suggested that future studies should investigate evidentiality in various languages to establish a more inclusive typology and further enrich the semantics of evidentiality as well as focus on more diversified genres and broader social contexts.
Demotivation Factors for Learning English (Students' Perspectives)
Authors: Huwari Ibrahim Fathi , Alhammaideh Abdallah Hammad Jaber , Alqaryouti Marwan Harb , Rashid Radzuwan Ab , Alruzzi Kamal Ahmad , Sadeq Ala Eddin
Published: July 2023

Demotivation is a topic that has lately received a lot of attention in the field of language acquisition. There is a shortage of research in Jordan that investigates demotivating variables impacting learning English among Jordanian undergraduate students. As a result, the purpose of this research is to look at the elements that influence Jordanian undergraduate students' acquisition of English as a Foreign Language (EFL). The data was collected using a questionnaire adapted from Sakai and Kikuchi (2009). The survey comprised 35 questions on a five Point likert scale about six demotivation factors: class characteristics, teacher attitude, course contents and teaching materials, effects of poor grades, classroom atmosphere, and lack of self-confidence and interest. This study's sample included 110 undergraduate students from the faculty of arts at Zarqa University in Jordan. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The data showed that classroom environment is the most demotivating elements impacting Jordanian undergraduate students' EFL learning, while lack of self-confidence and interest were the least demotivating factors. As a result, further research into this topic is strongly suggested in order to acquire a better knowledge and deeper insights into this issue in order to aid ESL/EFL learners in learning English.
Adjective Phrases in Initial Burst of Small Talk Influence Purchasing Decisions?
Authors: Umiyati Mirsa , Sarumaha Julius Faozanolo
Published: July 2023

This work aims to analyze the influence of adjective phrases in small talk on the purchasing decision in the Badung traditional market. Data were analyzed using measures adapted from Creswell (2007). In analyzing the data is based on the small talk classification of apologies, condole, congratulate, greet, thanks, bid, accept, and reject speech functions. As a result, most of the sellers in the Badung traditional market did not use adjective phrases in small talk to influence purchasing decisions. They have various strategies to greet and influence the buyer in small talk. In small talk, sellers and buyers can make negotiations and change purchasing decisions. During the data analysis, the researcher concluded that in doing small talk, the speaker must ensure that the interlocutor understands every utterance conveyed. Thus, there is a clear understanding. The conclusion is small talk does not only function as a greeting but also as a tool to create an ongoing communication relationship.
Uncovering Teachers’ Needs in the Quest for Quality Bilingual Education
Authors: Gutiérrez Francisco José Melara , López Ignacio González
Published: July 2023

This article identifies the training needs of primary school teachers within the area of bilingual education related to their daily work, viewed through the lens of effective professional practice. Using a mixed methods research design, a self-assessment questionnaire was constructed based on comparative document analysis, a discussion group, and expert opinion. The purpose of this questionnaire was to determine the existing discrepancy between what is perceived as the reality of classroom performance and how it should be in order to ensure the delivery of quality bilingual education, supported by the parameters of school effectiveness. The questionnaire was completed by teachers from the Spanish region of Andalusia. The priority training demands detected pertain to the creation and maintenance of a local and external network of contacts for the purposes of collaboration, the promotion of intercultural communication, and the evaluation, selection, adaptation, and use of existing CLIL materials. On the basis of such demands, several considerations are proposed in the development of ongoing training that will enable bilingual education teachers to carry out their work effectively.
Attention to Diversity in Bilingual Education: Stakeholder Perceptions in a Bilingual Region
Authors: Ramos Pablo Ramón
Published: July 2023

This study aims at showcasing educational stakeholders’ perspectives on catering for diversity in Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) settings in Spain, specifically in the Valencian Region. This research, which is part of the ADiBE Project (Attention to Diversity in Bilingual Education), begins by depicting the main principles of CLIL and its deployment in Spain and the Valencian Community. Then, after framing the different studies conducted under the acronym ADiBE, the article presents the objectives, research design, sample, variables, instruments, procedure and statistical methodology of this study. Finally, the results are outlined in three steps: descriptive, within-cohort and across-cohort results in the five sections which have been canvassed: linguistic aspects, methodology and groupings, materials and resources, evaluation and teacher training and coordination. Consequently, this paper carves out a clear picture of how CLIL is being implemented in the Valencian Community, a traditionally bilingual region which is increasingly becoming multilingual.
Empowering Learners With Autonomous Learning Strategies in EFL Classroom Through Extensive Reading Strategy Training
Authors: Alemu Yenenesh Y. , Defa Tamiru O. , Bedada Mekuria Z.
Published: July 2023

This study aimed to investigate the effects of extensive reading strategy training (ERST) on autonomous learning strategies (ALSs) that English language learners use in an EFL context. Sixty-one undergraduate first-year social science university students participated in the study. These samples were assigned to two modalities: a control group, which involved 31 students, and an experimental group, which involved 30 students. During the experiment, the participants in the control group took only the institute's regular communicative English language course, and the participants in the experimental group received ERST intervention in addition to the existing procedures of the communicative English language course. The intervention focused on extensive reading strategies training integrated with learner autonomy framework to induce them to work with ALSs. To conduct the study, the current researcher employed the concurrent triangulation design and collected the data within ten week-period via questionnaire and interview designed for comparable groups. By controlling for any pre-existing differences and analyzing the quantitative data, the current researcher employed one-way ANCOVA and analyzed the interview data thematically. Finally, the study reveals the potential of ERST for increasing ALSs used by EFL learners and affords practical guidelines to language teachers on how to incorporate ERST into EFL classrooms.
The Use of Drama in Developing the Skill of Speaking in Standard Arabic Among Third Grade Arabic Speaking Students
Authors: Antar Dina
Published: July 2023

This research aims to develop the skill of speaking Standard Arabic among third-grade Arabic-speaking students through using drama. The research sample consisted of 60 third-grade Arabic native students. Their ages ranged between 8-9 years, with a mean of 8.55, and a standard deviation of 0.50. They were divided into two equal groups; experimental and control groups. Each group consists of 30 students. Moreover, the research tools consisted of a test of speaking skill in Standard Arabic, and a drama program (prepared by the researcher).The results related to the post-measurement revealed the effectiveness of drama in developing speaking Standard Arabic language in the experimental group, compared to the control group. Moreover, there were no statistically significant differences between the post and follow-up measurements.
Strategies for Reducing Oral Communication Apprehension in English: A Qualitative Study of Jordanian Undergraduates
Authors: Alkhaldi Ali Ata , Alhasan Rashad Faleh , Huwari Ibrahim Fathi , Abushaaban Hussein
Published: July 2023

Speaking is a basic element in acquiring any language. The ability to communicate orally in the English language is the most significant skill, but many second language learners face particular constraints in mastering it. The purpose of this qualitative study was to learn about and comprehend Jordanian students' coping mechanisms and strategies for overcoming and reducing their own English language Oral Communication Apprehension (OCA), both inside and outside the classroom, as well as their suggested strategies. A sample of undergraduate students was selected from various programmes at the Hashemite University (HU) in Jordan where English is the medium of instruction. A qualitative research method was used to elicit the students' viewpoints and coping mechanisms with regard to their fear of speaking in English, either with their instructors in class or outside the classroom. The results of this study revealed that undergraduates at HU employed five key coping strategies to manage and reduce oral communication anxiety when speaking in English in or outside of the classroom. These strategies are interpersonal interaction, building self-confidence, practice and preparation, external motivation, and faking it. The results revealed that students confronted with unavoidable communication scenarios adopt self-calming techniques to mitigate the effects of OCA.
The Effect of E-Learning on the Future of Language Learning
Authors: Sharaf Hazha Salah
Published: July 2023

It’s obvious that E-Learning will be a major factor in how educational materials are delivered in the future. E-Learning has changed education, enabling both students and workers to study at their own pace in a setting that works for them. Nowadays, the major changes affecting communities and the huge use of e- learning have a number of effects on the comprehension of English language learning (ELL) and teaching methods. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the impact of E-Learning on English Language Learners at Sulaimnai Polytechnic University (SPU) in Northern Iraq. It also aims to assess previous research in this area. The university's Technical College of Informatics drew a sample of its student body from the first-year students to conduct the research. The participants were 50 first-year students and 7 ELT teachers from the International English Language Center (IELC) at The University’s Technical College of Informatics. The participants were asked to answer a questionnaire. The study’s results show that E-Learning has effects on the students’ understanding and methods of teaching, and this makes the language learning process easier and the teaching methods harder. Thus, it is suggested that there is a need to change the strategies and the methods of teaching.
Toward a Theoretical and Analytical Framework for the Study of Sexual Humour in Chaucerian Fabliaux
Authors: Shoqairat Wasfi , Kraishan Majed
Published: July 2023

The present study offers an examination of laughter in comic texts from a range of fabliau in The Canterbury Tales, framing them within discussions of medieval views of eroticism that draw from religion, medicine, philosophy, and literature. These texts feature males and females who laugh and make jokes in sexual themes and plots which involve deception and sexual misbehaviour. First, the article explores medieval attitudes toward laughter in religious, medical treatises and literature. It then discusses a number of predominant themes in the Reeve’s Tale, the Miller’s Tale, the Merchant’s Tale and the Shipman’s Tale in the context of Chaucer’s the Canterbury Tales to try to tease out how these particular themes may have worked to bring erotic pleasure to the reader of the comic texts. The comic themes discussed in this article are briefly cuckoldry, culinary humour, exposure of the genitals and farting. These subjects and how they are represented are very different from modern erotic representations. They are based both on a different understanding of the body and on a different social and cultural landscape, and their complexity resists simple interpretations about misogyny or functionality that are suggested by feminist perspectives on sexual humour. All quotations from the Canterbury Tales are taken from The Riverside Chaucer, edited by Larry D. Benson (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988).
Alienation and Depression: The Duality of Psychic Neurosis in Toni Morrison’s God Help the Child
Authors: Noor Rohimmi B. , Almaliki Malak KH.
Published: July 2023

This research studies alienation and neurosis in Toni Morrison’s God Help the Child. The concepts of alienation and neurosis are going to be applied within the scope of psychoanalysis. These concepts help interpret the characters, namely the female protagonist Lula Ann Bridewell and her parents, and their resistance against people who taunt them for being black. This injustice causes the protagonist and her parents to be alienated from the society; and later they become psychically neurotic. Therefore, the research attempts to demonstrate how the characters’ depression and neurosis are caused by this experience. For this reason, three objectives are going to be achieved: 1) To examine alienation as an unconscious psychic phase which results in social fragmentation in the novel, 2) To investigate depression as an abnormal behavioural phase which causes neurosis when the alienation experience is triggered back, and 3) To analyse neurosis as a psychic disorder and the last conscious culmination of the characters’ psychic plights and marginalization. The research fills the gap concerning the characters’ psychic disorders as impetuses of their alienation and neurosis. The research’s methodology, consequently, relies on the application of Sigmund Freud’s concepts of alienation and neurosis. Thus, the research’s findings lie in the exploration of psychic alienation as a result of the characters’ depression.
A Nano Syntactic Analysis of the Mandarin Spatial Preposition Zai
Authors: Yang Xiujing
Published: July 2023

This paper argues for a nano syntactic approach to the structure of Mandarin spatial preposition zai. It is assumed in this paper that the morpheme zai possesses a fine-grained internal structure with different semantic features on the terminal nodes. This complex syntactic structure provides insight into the omission of zai in Chinese which is in essence due to the feature movement.
Reflected Selves: The Heterotopia of Mirror in Carson McCullers’s The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter
Authors: Li Xuanyuan
Published: July 2023

The mirror constitutes a significant image that recurs multiple times in The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, and it is mainly associated with Mick Kelly and Biff Brannon, who are reckoned in the novel grotesques in terms of sexuality. This article does not consider the mirror as something merely reflecting the subject in front of it, but as a media that occasions self-examination and self-reconstitution of the subject. It superimposes Michel Foucault’s concept of heterotopias onto McCullers’s depiction of the two characters’ construction and reconstruction of subjectivity as well as their search for identification. Nonetheless, the so-called identification with the mirror image, paralleled by what Lacan observes in the mirror stage, is but a misidentification, for the mirror is in essence a heterotopia of illusion.
A Descriptive Content Analysis of the Articles Published in Turkey on Numbers and the Operations Learning Area
Authors: KANDAL Rüveyda , BAŞ Fatih
Published: July 2023

Numbers have found a wide place in many studies and curricula from the past to the present. Within the scope of the research, which was designed with the descriptive content analysis method, a total of 5021 volumes of the 124 journals in our country were reviewed, 301 articles were determined and the data obtained were analysed with the content.The results are as follows: It was determined that the number of articles, which were first published in Turkey in 1986 on numbers and operations learning area, began to increase from 2013. The reviewed articles were designed mostly with the case study method and the secondary school level was mostly used as the sample in the articles. Besides, addition and subtraction with natural numbers were mainly studied at the primary school level, and at the secondary school level, respectively fractions, operations with natural numbers and fractions were studied in sub-learning areas.
Effectiveness of application of dynamic state estimation method for mode parameters of power system
Authors:   National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University, Batseva N.L. , Foos J.A. ,   National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University
Published: July 2023

The results of the estimation of power system mode parameters are used to solve important technological tasks by real-time hardware-software packages (HSPs), for instance, the calculation of maximum allowed power flows (MAPFs) via sections by a Control System of Stability Margin (HSP CSSM). Now, in the HSP CSSM the state estimation is realized by the static method. Remote measurements (RMs) obtained from an operative informational complex are used as initial data. With the introduction of Wide-Area Measurement Systems and the possibility to obtain synchronized phasor measurements (SPMs) with a high update rate, it becomes possible to apply and improve state estimation dynamic methods. Even though, many researchers pay attention to the state estimation dynamic method, but practical application of this method and obtained results are presented in papers insufficiently. The goal of the study is to improve the state estimation dynamic method based on the extended Kalman filter and analyze the effectiveness in determining the mode parameters of electric power system. The studies are performed by the developed algorithm of the state estimation dynamic method based on extended Kalman filter. С# is the language for software code. Practical evaluation of the state estimation algorithm has been carried out on the basis of a power system model containing 55 nodes and 76 branches. An improved dynamic method to estimate the state of mode parameters is proposed. The test results show that in steady-state modes, when RMs are not updated on time, the developed dynamic method demonstrates high accuracy for the estimation of mode parameters and MAPFs. The estimation error of a voltage and an active power is low, therefore MAPFs are more specifically than MAPFs obtained by CSSM. Also, this method operates with high accuracy in the post emergency states, but only for that part of the power system, where the topology and mode have not been changed. For the part, where the topology and mode affected, the best result shows the static state estimation method by RMs and SPMs. In post emergency states the static state estimation method offers to form the transfer matrix for the dynamic method, therefore, static and dynamic state estimation methods must be used simultaneously in real-time HSPs. It is an undoubted fact that the use of synchronized phasor measurements as input data increases the accuracy of estimation. These results are expected to implement in the software of HSPs, involving the state estimation component.
Effect of Reactive Power Consumption Mode on Technical Condition of T3FP-110-2MU3 Turbogenerator
Authors:   National Research University “MPEI”, Bitney V.D. , Smotrov N.N. ,   National Research University “MPEI”, Timofeev A.A. ,   National Research University “MPEI”, Okhlopkov A.V. ,   National Research University “MPEI”
Published: July 2023

The necessity of turbogenerators operation in the reactive power consumption mode is determined by the shortage of compensating devices in the network. Recently, accidents associated with generators long-term operation at low levels of excitation have become more frequent, which is a prerequisite for the consumption of reactive power by the generator. The purpose of this research is to assess the effect of the reactive power consumption mode on the technical condition of the T3FP-110-2MU3 turbogenerator. The source of information about the technical condition of the turbogenerator is the data obtained from the operating and repair documentation, electrical and thermal tests protocols, technical reports with the results of comprehensive diagnostic examinations of the turbogenerator. The cores of T3F series generators have been examined. No gaps between the pressure fingers and the surface of the edge packages have ever been detected during examinations, which indicates the absence of significant curvature of the extreme core packages. During the study of temperature by T3FP-110-2MU3 thermal resistance converters, it is found out that with an increase of reactive power consumption, the temperature of the windings and the active steel of the stator core of the turbo generator decreases and it does not exceed the upper warning settings in the mode of reactive power output, the opposite dependence is visible. It is established that the influence of the reactive power consumption mode on the technical condition of the T3FP-110-2MU3 when operating in steady-state modes within the factory PQ-diagram is minimal. In the stator core of the turbogenerator under consideration, high resistance of the teeth of the extreme packages to operational loads has been achieved, due to significant improvements in the design and manufacturing technology of the end zones. From the point of view of practical significance, T3F series turbogenerators are allowed to be used for reactive power consumption. As a further direction of research, it is planned to consider the operation of turbogenerator in maneuverable modes with the transition from the issuance of reactive power to its consumption and vice versa.
Autonomous power supply station based on asynchronous generator with phase rotor and low-power frequency converter
Authors:   Electrical Drive Research and Technical Center “Vector”, Vinogradov A.B. , Gorelkin R.O. ,   Ivanovo State Power Engineering University
Published: July 2023

Currently, asynchronous and synchronous generators with two-link full power frequency converters are the main options to design highly efficient sources of 3-phase voltage with an internal combustion engine (ICE) as a prime mover and a variable speed as a function of the load. It is required to develop and study the effectiveness of the use of an autonomous power supply station with a variable speed based on a low-power frequency converter to reduce its cost with the possibility of saving ICE fuel by controlling the frequency as a function of the load. The description of the power plant and its control system is made at the structural and functional level. The study of its characteristics is carried out by means of computer simulation in the Delphi software package. To assess the potential fuel efficiency of the power plant, a multi-parameter characteristic of the YaMZ-238 internal combustion engine is used. The functional diagram of the power plant, the structural diagram of its control system without the use of a speed sensor are presented. The time diagrams for modeling work on an asymmetric load and its energy characteristics are given. It is shown that the developed power plant allows to provide an effective ICE speed control range of at least 2 with the limitation of the rated power of the converter at the level of 20 % of the rated power of the load. Thus, it creates the preconditions for significant fuel savings. The use of the power supply station in the proposed design makes it possible to reduce its cost by reducing the power of the converter and increase its energy efficiency by controlling the speed of ICE with a satisfactory accuracy of the output voltage under conditions of a significantly asymmetric load. The reliability of the results obtained in the study is confirmed by computer simulation.
Mathematical model of room heating as object of dynamic temperature control
Authors:   Kostroma State University, Staroverov B.A. , Ulybyshev S.K. ,   Kostroma State University
Published: July 2023

Energy saving issue in the process of administrative buildings heating is an important one. Dynamic control of room temperature depending on the schedule of its usage gives great opportunities. Dynamic control should meet the criteria of energy efficiency and ensure air temperature in the rooms at time intervals of their usage at the required level in terms of external impact on the building. Obviously, such control can only be implemented by an automatic system. To synthesize such a system, we need mathematical models of room heating as control objects. Consequently, the problem under consideration is relevant. Experimental data and numerical simulation methods are used to obtain mathematical models. Mathematical models are obtained in the state space and in the form of transfer functions for controlling and disturbing influences based on the equations of the dynamic heat balance of the room. Two types of mathematical model of the room are defined. They make it possible to synthesize the laws of qualitative and quantitative control of the heat supply of the building with a given accuracy and to determine schedules of temperature changes depending on the schedule of its use, optimal in terms of minimum energy consumption.
Logical model of stepwise contextual help for CAD user
Authors:   Ivanovo State Power Engineering University, Panteleev E.R. , Mukuchyan A.A. ,   Ivanovo State Power Engineering University
Published: July 2023

Automatic stepwise contextual help for CAD systems users reduces time to solve the application task since it saves time to search the prompt message in system documentation. Petri nets (PN) can be used to bind available actions of the user considering the state of application data (context). Application of the Petri net inversion method, which uses limited enumeration to construct chains of recommended actions is preferable than using the standard reachability analysis procedure based on exhaustive enumeration. However, the absence in the known implementations of an explicit separation of the axioms of inversion (knowledge) from the mechanism of their processing (inference) deprives the stepwise contextual help system of the necessary flexibility when changing the axioms to consider the assumptions associated with a particular model. Thus, the aim of this research is to provide the necessary flexibility of the contextual help system by separating the knowledge representation model from the inference engine. A colored PN is used as a model of user action scenarios. The inversion axioms are implemented in the PROLOG language. The standard inference engine of the PROLOG language is used as a tool to construct chains of recommended actions. The authors have proposed an axiomatic model of PN inversion and a method to construct a stepwise contextual help by the standard inference engine of the PROLOG language. The method differs by explicit separation of knowledge (inversion axioms) from the inference engine (stepwise recommendations). It reduces the computational costs of adapting the contextual help system when changing the inversion axioms. The proposed method allows to reduce the time spent on adapting the contextual help system, since the field of the changes is limited by the declarations of the inversion axioms. The reliability of the results is confirmed since the proposed method of contextual help is used for the CAD “Model and Archive” user of CSoft company. The results obtained allow creating contextual help services for existing applications with minimal changes to their code base.
Investigation of Thermal Quenching Effect for Lithium Fluoride (LiF) Type Dosimeters
Authors: Aşlar Engin
Published: July 2023

Thermal quenching is described as a decrease in luminescence efficiency with increasing measurement temperature. Luminescence intensity decreases with increasing heating rates in the presence of thermal quenching. In such a case, the heating rate to be used in the measurements becomes important. Lithium fluoride (LiF) type dosimeters have been widely used in radiation dosimetry for many years. In this study, thermal quenching effect was investigated for LiF:Mg,Ti (TLD-100) and LiF:Mg,Cu,P (TLD-100H), 6LiF:Mg,Ti(TLD-600) and 7LiF:Mg,Ti (TLD-700) at two different doses (10, 1000mGy) using 90Sr/90Y beta source. TLD-100, TLD-600 and TLD-700 showed different thermal quenching behaviors according to dose values, while TLD-100H had the same characteristics at both doses. On the other hand, other dosimeters showed thermal quenching based on the total area at 10mGy, while they did not show thermal quenching when ROI was used. Again, thermal quenching was not observed at 1000mGy for all dosimeters. In conclusion, it is recommended to use ROI or low heating rate during measurements at a low dose (in the order of mGy) for TLD-100, TLD-600 and TLD-700, while desired heating rate can be used at a high dose (Gy) for all dosimeters.
Balloon Aortic Valvuloplasty in the Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation Era
Authors: Samaja Gustavo Arturo ,   Interventional Cardiology Department, Policlinico Bancario Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Published: July 2023

As the population continues to grow, and life expectancy has increased, aortic stenosis (AS) has become the most common valvular disease requiring surgical treatment. The evolution of valve replacement therapies has progressed significantly since 1960. In the last 20 years, transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has been a game changer, and has potential to become the standard of care. Despite uncertain prognosis benefits, balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV) can be useful in a broad range of patients with AS, as well as being a bridging therapy to valve replacement, or as a destination therapy, besides its role in TAVI procedures. This review describes the contemporary role of BAV in AS treatment, and focuses on technical improvements that reframe BAV as an effective tool in a variety of clinical scenarios. One of these improvements is transradial BAV, either with the conventional approach of BAV or applying the bilateral technique with two balloons.
Patisiran for the Treatment of Transthyretin-mediated Amyloidosis with Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Ioannou Adam ,   National Amyloidosis Centre, University College London, Royal Free Campus, London, UK, Fontana Marianna ,   National Amyloidosis Centre, University College London, Royal Free Campus, London, UK, Gillmore Julian D ,   National Amyloidosis Centre, University College London, Royal Free Campus, London, UK
Published: July 2023

Transthyretin (TTR) is a tetrameric protein, synthesized primarily by the liver, that acts as a physiological transport protein for retinol and thyroxine. TTR can misfold into pathogenic amyloid fibrils that deposit in the heart and nerves, causing a life-threatening transthyretin amyloidosis cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM), and a progressive and debilitating polyneuropathy (ATTR-PN). Recent therapeutic advances have resulted in the development of drugs that reduce TTR production. Patisiran is a small interfering RNA that disrupts the complimentary mRNA and inhibits TTR synthesis, and is the first gene-silencing medication licensed for the treatment of ATTR amyloidosis. After encouraging results following the use of patisiran for the treatment of patients with ATTR-PN, there has been increasing interest in the use of patisiran for the treatment of ATTR-CM. Various studies have demonstrated improvements across a wide range of cardiac biomarkers following treatment with patisiran, and have changed the perception of ATTR-CM from being thought of as a terminal disease process, to now being regarded as a treatable disease. These successes represent a huge milestone and have the potential to revolutionize the landscape of treatment for ATTR-CM. However, the long-term safety of patisiran and how best to monitor cardiac response to treatment remain to be determined.
Peri- and Post-procedural Anticoagulation with Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion Devices
Authors: Pradyumna Agasthi ,   Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA, Pujari Sai Harika ,   Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic Arizona, Phoenix, AZ, USA
Published: July 2023

In patients with atrial fibrillation and high stroke risk, anticoagulation with direct oral anticoagulants or vitamin K antagonists is the standard of care for stroke prevention. The benefit of anticoagulation is driven by attenuating the risk of thrombus formation in the left atrial appendage. Percutaneous left atrial appendage occlusion offers an alternative therapeutic strategy for stroke prevention in patients with high bleeding risk or contraindications for long-term anticoagulation. This review of the current literature delineates the standard protocols of peri- and post-procedural anticoagulation/antithrombotic therapy after left atrial appendage occlusion, the complications of the procedure, and the risk of device-related thrombosis and of incomplete occlusion of the appendage. Finally,the limitations and gaps in the literature are identified.
Bradycardia, Renal Failure, Atrioventricular Nodal Blockade, Shock and Hyperkalaemia Syndrome Involving Digoxin Toxicity: A Case Report
Authors: Shah Meet ,   Department of Internal Medicine, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA, Palani Arthi ,   Department of Internal Medicine, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA, Hashemi Ashkan ,   Department of Internal Medicine, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA, Shin Jaewook ,   Department of Internal Medicine, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA
Published: July 2023

Bradycardia, renal failure, atrioventricular nodal blockade, shock and hyperkalemia (BRASH) syndrome is named after the pentad of symptoms experienced by patients with this clinical entity, and is propagated via a synergistic mechanism. Herein, we describe a case of an 81-year-old male who presented with bradycardia, dyspnoea on exertion, and confusion. He was also initially found to be in cardiogenic shock. In a setting of elevated digoxin levels, acute renal failure and hyperkalemia, he was diagnosed with BRASH syndrome. Prompt interventions of continuous renal replacement therapy and digoxin antibody administration were performed to treat this patient. His renal function improved and his hyperkalemia and bradycardia resolved over the course of 4 days, and the patient was discharged to a subacute rehabilitation facility after stabilization. BRASH syndrome is a clinical entity requiring prompt diagnosis for life-saving treatment, including renal replacement therapy, vasoactive medications, transvenous pacing, and reversing agents, when appropriate.
PHYSICO-CHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF SOME SOURCES OF GRAPE MARC FROM PIETROASA VINEYARD
Authors: FRINCU Mihai , DUMITRACHE Corina , PETRE Andrei Catalin , MOT Andrei , TEODORESCU Razvan Ionut , BARBULESCU Diana Iuliana , TUDOR Valerica , MATEI Florentina
Published: July 2023

'Grape marc' or 'Grape pomace' is a by-product resulting from wine production processes, consisting in seeds, skins and stalks. It can be a valuable source of bioactive substances such as polyphenols, antioxidants, proteins, carbohydrates. The physico-chemical properties of grape pomace can vary depending on factors such as grape cultivar, winemaking process, and storage conditions. The purpose of this study is to determine the physico-chemical properties of different sources of grape pomace (Busuioacă de Bohotin, Merlot, Burgund Mare, Fetească Neagră, Tămâioasă Românească and Riesling Italian cultivar). Results obtained in present paper showed that the samples of grape pomace have shown high values for compounds of interest, such as protein (from 11.01% for the Busuioacă de Bohotin grape cultivar to 14.80% for Fetească Neagră), carbohydrates (from 4.32 g% Merlot to 21.56 g% for the Pinot Noir), the amount of polyphenols (from 15.81 mg GAE/g DM on Busuioacă de Bohotin to 27.41 mg GAE/g DM on Fetească Neagră), and antioxidant activity (from 24.90 mg Trolox equivalent/g DM on Italian Riesling to 33.42 mg Trolox equivalent/g DM on Fetească Neagră).
EFFECT OF GAMMA IRRADIATION ON Salvia officinalis L. AND Melissa officinalis L. IN VITRO PLANTS
Authors: RADOMIR Ana Maria , STAN Ramona , GUTA Ionela Catalina , PANDELEA Mariana Letitia , VIZITIU Diana Elena , NEGUT Constantin Daniel
Published: July 2023

Salvia officinalis L. (sage) and Melissa officinalis L. (lemon balm) are two valuable medicinal plants from Lamiaceae family. Considering the therapeutic potential of sage and lemon balm extracts, there is currently great interest to increase the production of biological material and the synthesis of bioactive compounds by different methods. Both micropropagation and gamma irradiation represent efficient methods of stimulating the synthesis of bioactive compounds in plants. In order to produce biological material, it is important to establish the doses of gamma radiation that do not have a phytotoxic effect on plants. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of different doses of gamma irradiation (100, 300, and 500 Gy) on sage and lemon balm by quantifying of some biochemical compounds (assimilatory pigments, soluble carbohydrates, and total polyphenols) in in vitro plants. The results obtained revealed that high doses of gamma radiation have phytotoxic effect on in vitro raised plants. However, micropropagation is an efficient method to produce high quality biological material, source for obtaining extracts with therapeutic potential.
AGROBIODIVERSITY: CONSERVATION, THREATS, CHALLENGES, AND STRATEGIES FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
Authors: RUIZ-GONZALEZ Mario X.. , VICENTE Oscar
Published: July 2023

The conservation of agrobiodiversity begins by its characterisation to know it. On this knowledge, we must study the interactions of the different species with their abiotic and biotic context. However, as a consequence of the effects of climate change, the abiotic context is variable and extreme. Therefore, abiotic stress induced by climate change jeopardises both the biodiversity and plant genetic resources, therefore, food security. The latter is more drastic in developing communities. Thus, given the predictions of the effects of climate change at different geographical levels, it is urgent to develop strategies that might improve the management of biodiversity and promote resilience against said effects. On the one hand, preserving and describing the agrobiodiversity allows us to identify the genetic material most appropriate under different abiotic contexts. On the other hand, plants, including crops, are not isolated species and develop in a very heterogeneous biotic context that can enhance plant tolerance to abiotic stress. In this work, we review key concepts, threats, challenges, and strategies to improve agrobiodiversity management.
THERAPEUTIC POTENTIAL OF FUNCTIONAL PRODUCT BASED ON WILD EDIBLE MUSHROOMS
Authors: VAMANU Emanuel , POP Mihai Ioan , POP Iulia Octavia , MISHRA Shailendra Kumar , SINGH Sandeep Kumar
Published: July 2023

Food supplements have proven their effectiveness through the support offered to administer certain drugs and their ability to determine the prevention of degenerative diseases. The correlation of assay methods with individual-level observations is essential in understanding the effect of biopharmaceuticals as a useful tool for long-term homeostasis preservation. This paper aimed to present essential aspects related to using wild edible mushrooms as functional supplements in type 2 diabetes and associated cardiovascular diseases. The product RoBioMush was presented as a result of the scientific data applied within the university, and the effects recorded after the administration of the product to the target groups were highlighted. Thus, the administration of RoBioMush had as its main effect the regulation of intestinal transit, a fact demonstrated by the researched modulation process previously in an in vitro study.
THE EFFECT OF APPLYING SOME MATERIALS FROM THE METALLURGICAL INDUSTRY ON AGRICULTURAL CROPS
Authors: VASILE Valentina Mihaela , MIHALACHE Mircea , ILIE Leonard
Published: July 2023

The research was carried out during the period of 2020-2022 in the south-eastern part of Romania on a reddish preluvosoil. Two types of slag from the metallurgical industry were applied, namely furnace slag and converter slag in doses of 1 t/ha, 3 t/ha and 5 t/ha. Taking into consideration the chemical composition of these materials and the fact that they contain elements such as Ca, P, Zn, Ni, Fe, Mg, they can be used to neutralize the acidic reaction of soils and for a better utilization of nutrients by crop plants. The research analyzed the effect of these materials on the chemical properties of the soil, on the soil’s reaction, the soil’s humus content and content in elements, as well as their influence on the production of maize, wheat and peas, while also taking into account the content in macroelements and heavy metals found in the soil and crop plants. The obtained results demonstrated that the application of these materials in the established doses of 1, 3 and 5 tons/ha led to significant increases in the production of maize, wheat and peas without the risk of accumulation of heavy metals in the soil and in the crop plants.
DYNAMICS OF ECOLOGICAL AND AGRO-ECOLOGICAL INDICES (UNDER CONDITIONS OF PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL DEGRADATION) OF SOILS RESEARCHED ON THE GENETIC HORIZONS
Authors: COJOCARU Olesea , ABRAMOV Alina
Published: July 2023

The basic concept of land degradation, as outlined in different definitions, refers to the loss of real or potential productivity and utility of land and the decrease in its quality. Due to various farming methods that decarbonize soil and make it less robust and poor in nutrients, soil is being lost at a rate 10 to 40 times higher than it can be naturally replenished. From the above, many questions arise regarding the sustainability of today's agriculture on the territory of the Republic of Moldova and this is due to several reasons: loss of biodiversity, loss of land quality through the process of soil erosion, pollution from chemical fertilizers and pesticides administered inadequately, non-compliance with the employment contracts, etc. The main purpose consists in the comparative assessment of the indices modified by the agropedogenetic process of the soils evolved under natural and arable conditions, as well as their qualitative state in Tîrnova commune, Dondușeni district. Physical soil disturbance caused by anthropogenic activities, sometimes inappropriate, is a crucial factor in the conservation of soil quality, moisture availability and crop diversity in agroecosystems. However, the development of agroecological technologies and systems that emphasize the conservation-regeneration of biodiversity, soil, water and other resources is an urgent necessity for both urban and rural areas to cope with an increasing range of socioeconomic and environmental challenges.