pinecone/core-2020-05-10-deduplication huggingface dataset:
Alkaline treatments to render starch-based biodegradable polymers self-mineralizable

The present research aims to develop a new route for surface functionalization of biodegradable polymers. The method is based on a wet chemistry modification, resulting in etching and/or hydrolysis in order to increase the amount of polar groups, such as hydroxyl (--OH) and carboxylic (--COOH) groups on the surface of the polymer. The polymer used as substrate was a corn starch-ethylene vinyl alcohol biodegradable blend (SEVA-C). For that purpose it was used in two different types of activation: (a) calcium hydroxide solution [Ca(OH)(2)] and (b) sodium hydroxide solution (NaOH). These treatments lead to the formation carboxylic acid-rich SEVA-C surfaces. Then, the samples were soaked in simulated body fluid (SBF) for different time periods of time until 7 days. After 1 day in SBF, the surface of SEVA-C was fully covered with spherulite particles. As the soaking time increased, the particles increased and coalesced, leading to the formation of a dense and uniform layer. Furthermore, thin-film X-ray diffraction confirms that the layer formed on the surface of the polymer was an apatite-like layer. These results suggest that this rather simple treatment is a good method for surface functionalization and subsequent mineral nucleation and growth on biodegradable polymeric surfaces to be used for bone-related applications
Bone morphogenetic proteins in tissue engineering : the road from laboratory to the clinic : part I  (basic concepts)

Discovered in 1965, bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are a group of cytokines from the
transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) superfamily with significant roles in bone and cartilage
formation. BMPs are used as powerful osteoinductive components of diverse tissue-engineering
products for the healing of bone. Several BMPs with different physiological roles have been
identified in humans. The purpose of this review is to cover the biological function of the main
members of BMP family, the latest research on BMPs signalling pathways and advances in the
production of recombinant BMPs for tissue engineering purposes
Bone morphogenetic proteins in tissue engineering: the road from laboratory to clinic, part II (BMP delivery)

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are cytokines with a strong effect on bone and cartilage growth and with important roles during embryonic patterning and early skeletal formation.
BMPs have promising potential for clinical bone and cartilage repair, working as powerful boneinducing components in diverse tissue-engineering products. Synthetic polymers, natural origin
polymers, inorganic materials and composites may be used as carriers for the delivery of BMPs.
Carriers range from nanoparticles to complex three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds, membranes for tissue-guided regeneration, biomimetic surfaces and smart thermosensitive hydrogels. Current clinical uses include spinal fusion, healing of long bone defects and craniofacial and periodontal applications, amongst others. BMP-2 and BMP-7 have recently received approval by the US Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) for specific clinical cases, delivered in absorbable collagen sponges.
Considering the expanding number of publications in the field of BMPs, there are prospects of a brilliant future in the field of regenerative medicine of bone and cartilage with the use of BMPs
Starch-poly(epsilon-caprolactone) and starch-poly(lactic acid) fibre-mesh scaffolds for bone tissue engineering applications : structure, mechanical properties and degradation behaviour

In scaffold-based tissue engineering strategies, the successful regeneration of tissues from matrixproducing
connective tissue cells or anchorage-dependent cells (e.g. osteoblasts) relies on the use
of a suitable scaffold. This study describes the development and characterization of SPCL (starch
with !-polycaprolactone, 30 : 70%) and SPLA [starch with poly(lactic acid), 30 : 70%] fibre-meshes,
aimed at application in bone tissue-engineering strategies. Scaffolds based on SPCL and SPLA
were prepared from fibres obtained by melt-spinning by a fibre-bonding process. The porosity of
the scaffolds was characterized by microcomputerized tomography (μCT) and scanning electron
microscopy (SEM). Scaffold degradation behaviour was assessed in solutions containing hydrolytic
enzymes ("-amylase and lipase) in physiological concentrations, in order to simulate in vivo
conditions. Mechanical properties were also evaluated in compression tests. The results show
that these scaffolds exhibit adequate porosity and mechanical properties to support cell adhesion
and proliferation and also tissue ingrowth upon implantation of the construct. The results of
the degradation studies showed that these starch-based scaffolds are susceptible to enzymatic
degradation, as detected by increased weight loss (within 2 weeks, weight loss in the SPCL samples
reached 20%). With increasing degradation time, the diameter of the SPCL and SPLA fibres
decreases significantly, increasing the porosity and consequently the available space for cells and
tissue ingrowth during implantation time. These results, in combination with previous cell culture
studies showing the ability of these scaffolds to induce cell adhesion and proliferation, clearly
demonstrate the potential of these scaffolds to be used in tissue engineering strategies to regenerate
bone tissue defects
Making the implicit explicit: raising pragmatic awareness in trainee interpreters, using semi-authentic spontaneous discourse samples

Following the recent interest in the teaching of pragmatics and the recognition of its importance for both cross-cultural communication and new speakers of an additional language, the authors carried out an action research project to evaluate the effectiveness of a new approach to the teaching of pragmatics. This involved the use of semiauthentic discourse samples of New Zealand English to raise the pragmatic awareness of trainee interpreters in an undergraduate course taught by the first author. The researchers analysed qualitative data from learner blogs, written during instruction as part of the course requirements, for evidence that the learners noticed paralinguistic features used for pragmatic effect in conversations they overheard or took part in outside the classroom. The class teacher also kept a reflective journal recording her observations on learner progress and the usefulness of the materials. The researchers found there was a growth in the number of learners noticing pragmatic features during tuition, suggesting that the semiauthentic samples were effective as learning tools. Use of these samples also facilitated the noticing and discussion of cross-cultural differences and enabled more learner-centered methodology to be used
Building a Career in English: Users of English as an Additional Language in Academia in the Arabian Gulf

Cataloged from PDF version of article.This study investigates how a group of 30 multilingual academics, all users of English as an additional language (EAL) working at a private university in Oman, acquired discourse community membership in their disciplines through publishing in English, and the strategies they use to sustain the level of literacy needed to disseminate their research in refereed journals while working on the periphery. The participants, from the natural sciences, information technology, and economics, originate from countries in the surrounding region and, although many did not study in one of the traditional Anglophone countries, their academic literacy skills in English have been the cornerstones of their peripatetic academic careers. Participants describe their experience publishing from the periphery and perceptions of reviewer bias, and identify strategies used to overcome material shortcomings and linguistic challenges. The practice of language reuse to support the drafting of particular sections of an article is a recurring theme in many interviews. The article discusses the importance of conventional language in the sciences and the differing understandings of plagiarism among academics from the humanities and sciences. An implication from this study is the need for greater institutional support for the writing process in environments where most faculty members are EAL users
Understanding the quality of out-of-class English learning

Out-of-class learning constitutes an important context for human development, and active engagement in out-of-class activities is associated with successful language development. However, not all out-of-class experiences are equally beneficial to learning, and it is of paramount importance to understand what quality out-of-class English language learning entails. This study surveyed 82 middle school EFL students on their out-of-class English language learning in order to identify the characteristics of the experiences that are associated with good learning outcomes. The study found that out-of-class learning composed of diversified constituents that met the varied needs in language learning and complemented in-class learning by striking a balance between focus on meaning and focus on form were positively associated with good English grades, English language learning efficacy, and enjoyment. It also found that parents and teachers were significant sources of influence on the quality of students' out-of-class learning.postprin
Conflict, militarization and their after-effects: Key challenges for TESOL

Skyrocketing military spending, ongoing military conflicts, and human displacement worldwide have significant consequences for the teaching and learning of English. TESOL increasingly requires a robust research base that can provide informed, critical guidance in preparing English language teachers for work in and near conflict zones, for teaching refugees and asylum seekers, and, more broadly, for teaching English in highly militarized times. This investigation, which takes the form of a transdisciplinary, translocal literature review, consolidates and extends TESOL's peace-conflict studies through a close examination of two areas that are connected but rarely considered in tandem: TESOL's multiple involvements and entanglements in armed and militarized conflicts and their aftermath, and the challenges of teaching English in a conflict zone or for students who have escaped or been exiled from one. Implications for pedagogy and further research are suggested. The argument is, in short, that the dialectical relationship between TESOL and conflict is in urgent need of collegial scrutiny, that teachers need to be equipped to facilitate critical and creative engagement with English not apart from broader sociopolitical realities but in relation to these, and that the implications of conflict for language learning are relevant across the wider TESOL community, given world developments
Learning English in the Shadows: Understanding Chinese Learners' Experiences of Private Tutoring

Given that private tutoring has received increasing attention in research as a global educational phenomenon with significant implications for educational practices, it has become necessary for TESOL researchers and practitioners to become aware of its impact on language learning and pedagogy. This study investigated the learning experience and reflections of 14 Chinese learners who had received English private tutoring (EPT) during their secondary education in Hong Kong. Each participant completed a background questionnaire and participated in a one-to-one semistructured interview. The analysis revealed participants' ambivalent and paradoxical attitudes toward EPT. Although they considered EPT indispensable for secondary education, they did not regard it as an effective way to increase their English proficiency because of its excessive focus on examination skills instead of the use of English as a language of global communication. The findings were interpreted with reference to contextual conditions where learning for assessment and competitions prevail. This study sheds light on the world of shadow education that exists beyond the boundaries of mainstream classroom settings. Further research on shadow TESOL practices is needed to help researchers and practitioners in TESOL appreciate the unintended consequences of educational changes and their profound impact on learning as mediated by sociocultural conditions.postprin
Second language comprehensibility revisited: investigating the effects of learner background

The current study investigated first language (L1) effects on listener judgment of comprehensibility and accentedness in second language (L2) speech. The participants were 45 university-level adult speakers of English from three L1 backgrounds (Chinese, Hindi, Farsi), performing a picture narrative task. Ten native English listeners used continuous sliding scales to evaluate the speakers’ audio recordings for comprehensibility, accentedness, as well as 10 linguistic variables drawn from the domains of pronunciation, fluency, lexis, grammar, and discourse. While comprehensibility was associated with several linguistic variables (segmentals, prosody, fluency, lexis, grammar), accentedness was primarily linked to pronunciation (segmentals, word stress, intonation). The relative strength of these associations also varied as a function of the speakers’ L1, especially for comprehensibility, with Chinese speakers influenced chiefly by pronunciation variables (segmental errors), Hindi speakers by lexicogrammar variables, and Farsi speakers showing no strong association with any linguistic variable. Results overall suggest that speakers’ L1 plays an important role in listener judgments of L2 comprehensibility and that instructors aiming to promote L2 speakers’ communicative success may need to expand their teaching targets beyond segmentals to include prosody-, fluency-, and lexicogrammar-based targets
Do native speakers of North American and Singapore English differentially perceive comprehensibility in second language speech?

The current study examined the extent to which native speakers of North American and Singapore English differentially perceive the comprehensibility (ease of understanding) of second language (L2) speech. Spontaneous speech samples elicited from 50 Japanese learners of English with various proficiency levels were first rated by 10 Canadian and 10 Singaporean raters for overall comprehensibility and then submitted to pronunciation, fluency, vocabulary, and grammar analyses. Whereas the raters’ comprehensibility judgements were generally influenced by phonological and temporal qualities as primary cues, and, to a lesser degree, lexical and grammatical qualities of L2 speech as secondary cues, their linguistic backgrounds did make some impact on their L2 speech assessment patterns. The Singaporean raters, who not only used various models of English but also spoke a few L2s on a daily basis in a multilingual environment, tended to assign more lenient comprehensibility scores due to their relatively high sensitivity to, in particular, lexicogrammatical information. On the other hand, the comprehensibility judgements of the Canadian raters, who used only North American English in a monolingual environment, were mainly determined by the phonological accuracy and fluency of the L2 speech
Effects of video-based interaction on the development of second language listening comprehension ability: a longitudinal study

In our precursor research (Saito & Akiyama, 2017 in Language Learning), we reported that one academic semester of video-based L2 interaction activity was facilitative of various dimensions of the Japanese learners’ spontaneous production ability development (e.g., comprehensibility, fluency and vocabulary). In this paper, we aimed to revisit the dataset to examine the effects of long-term interaction on the development of L2 comprehension ability. Following the interactionist account of L2 comprehension ability development (e.g., Ellis et al., 1994), we predicted that longitudinal interaction would enhance Japanese learners’ comprehension (measured via a general listening proficiency test), as it could provide opportunities for comprehensible input and output during meaning-oriented discourse.\ud
Metho
Desire in Translation: White Masculinity and TESOL

This article reports on a study of Western male English language teachers and considers the ways in which their identities were shaped in relation to discourses of masculinity and heterosexuality. The article first argues that masculinity and heterosexuality have remained unmarked categories in research on TESOL teacher identities. It then draws on interview data with 11 White Australian men and considers the discourses of gender and sexuality in their accounts of English language teaching in Japanese commercial eikaiwa gakkô (English language conversation schools). The analysis suggests that although some enjoy the privileges that attach to being a White, Western male, they also struggle to negotiate the eikaiwa gakkô as a contact zone where the professional and personal, the educational and commercial, the pedagogical and the sexual coexist. In this ambiguous space, discourses of White male embodiment, and of sexualised desire between teacher and student, are perceived to be in conflict with discourses of an acceptable masculine professional identity, and may limit the professional and pedagogical aspirations of the male teachers. The article concludes that it is timely for conversations about gender and sexuality as aspects of professional identity to include accounts of masculinity and heterosexuality as integral to professional practice in TESOL
The Importance of Developing a Foundation for Naive Category Theory

Recently Feferman (Rev. Symb. Logic 6: 6-15, 2013) has outlined a program for
the development of a foundation for naive category theory. While Ernst (ibid.
8: 306-327, 2015) has shown that the resulting axiomatic system is still
inconsistent, the purpose of this note is to show that nevertheless some
foundation has to be developed before naive category theory can replace
axiomatic set theory as a foundational theory for mathematics. It is argued
that in naive category theory currently a 'cookbook recipe' is used for
constructing categories, and it is explicitly shown with a formalized argument
that this 'foundationless' naive category theory therefore contains a paradox
similar to the Russell paradox of naive set theory.Comment: Proof that Category Theory in its current state of development is
  inconsistent; 4 pages; to appear in Though
A Normative Argument Against Explosion

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Mark Pinder, 'A Normative Argument Against Explosion', Thought, Vol. 6 (1): 61-70, March 2017, which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/tht3.234. Under embargo. Embargo end date: 3 February 2019. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving. ?? 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., and the Northern Institute of Philosophy.One strategy for defending paraconsistent logics involves raising ???normative arguments??? against the inference rule explosion. Florian Steinberger systematically criticises a wide variety of formulations of such arguments. I argue that, for one such formulation, Steinberger's criticisms fail. I then sketch an argument, available to those who deny dialetheism, in defence of the formulation in question
Parts as counterparts

Date of Acceptance: 22/10/2013Mereological nihilists are faced with a difficult challenge: explaining ordinary talk about material objects. Popular paraphrase strategies involve plurals, arrangements of particles, or fictions. In this paper, a new paraphrase strategy is put forward that has distinct advantages over its rivals: it is compatible with gunk and emergent properties of macro-objects. The only assumption is a commitment to a liberal view of the nature of simples; the nihilist must be willing to accept the possibility of heterogeneous extended simples. The author suggests reinterpreting the parthood and composition relations as modal. According to this paraphrase, composition is a kind of counterpart relation. The author shows that one can accept that mereological nihilism is metaphysically necessary, while endorsing all the claims of classical mereology. As a result, the nihilists are in exactly the same position as the classical mereologist when it comes to explaining talk about ordinary objects, but without the additional ontology.PostprintPeer reviewe
The Guaranty Trust Bank of Nigeria: From niche positioning to mass-market
branding

This case describes a strategic marketing dilemma facing Tayo Aderinokun, the
cofounder and managing director (CEO) of the highly successful Guaranty Trust
Bank (GTBank) of Nigeria. In its initial 15 years, GTBank has grown dramatically
to become the most respected corporate bank in Nigeria, renowned for both its
professionalism and high ethical standards. However, the environment is changing
dramatically, and the bank needs to grow quickly in order to survive: perhaps
doubling or tripling its size in the next five years. Aderinokun has ruled out
merger or acquisition in the immediate future, so organic growth is the only way
forward. There is insufficient room for growth in its current commercial niche,
so GTBank has decided that the emerging Nigerian retail banking sector is its
growth pathway. However, there are big challenges: GTBank's brand, marketing
mix, people, and operating methods are finely tuned for corporate banking, and
it is not immediately obvious how it will leverage its assets to compete in the
emerging retail banking market. In addition, competitors are attacking GTBank in
its core corporate segment. The case explores a classic strategic marketing
dilemma: when is a highly successful niche brand forced to abandon its unique
selling point and go for growth in the mainstream market? How does it leverage
that which makes it special so that it offers some compelling advantage for its
new customers? Can the niche brand execute well on a large scale? How does it
embed its values and behaviors in a new context? Does it have the money, people,
culture, and ambition to take share from established competitors in the new
market segments? Will its expansion plans make its core business more vulnerable
to competitors? The case explores the strategic context using the established
marketing planning tools of political/legal, economic, sociocultural,
technological, and environmental (PESTE) and strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analyses, and features advertising themes the
bank has developed for mass-market communication purposes to illustrate the far-
reaching implications of the expansion of its retail business
Impact of a local host on the success of an international assignment

Contains fulltext :
                  99409.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)This longitudinal study examined whether contact with a local host in the Netherlands positively impacts on the adjustment and performance of “Western” expatriates with English or French as their first language. Thirty-one expatriates were put in contact with a Dutch host with whom they would have regular contact over nine months; another 30 similar expatriates would have no contact with a host. After a five-month period of contact with a host, there was a positive impact on interaction adjustment. The results also indicated that expatriates who valued the contact highly derived more benefit from it. Contact with a host seems to be especially worthwhile for expatriates who have to deal with host nationals on a daily basis.12 p