Functional Theory Research Articles

Countering Gender Stereotypes: The Power of the Main Female Character in Thor: Ragnarok Movie (2017)

Gender stereotypes constructed by society are detrimental for women. Women were seen as weak and underestimated by society (the PEW Research Center’s survey in 2017). This study aims to discover how a film entitled Thor: Ragnarok (2017) countered gender stereotypes through the portrayal of the main female character, Hela, and to reveal the reason behind such portrayal of Hela. This study is a qualitative study because the data are qualitative data. The data of this study are clauses collected from the movie subtitles, containing Hela’s power to counter gender stereotypes. This study applied Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis (three-dimensional framework), supported by Halliday’s Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL), which focused on the transitivity system for the first-dimension analysis. After doing the three-dimensional analysis, it is found that Hela’s character in the movie is portrayed as opposing gender stereotypes. Hela is represented as strong, brave, and feared. These traits are against the stereotype of women described as weak, fearful, and underestimated. The reason behind the portrayal of Hela as a strong woman is to promote the feminism spirit to the people in that women should be empowered, in line with the goal of the United Nations (UN) Women and the UN Foundation that protect women's rights and supports women in achieving gender equality.

Stance-taking through APPRAISAL in L1 and L2 English argumentative essays: insights from Vietnamese L2 English

Abstract Stance-taking in academic writing is now a well-established topic of interest in English language research, with explorations across a range of theoretical frameworks including metadiscourse and systemic functional linguistics (SFL). This includes studies investigating second language (L2) stance-taking, particularly those comparing stance features deployed by L1 and L2 English writers. However, studies investigating stance-taking using the APPRAISAL framework for evaluative discursive language across L1 and L2 production are relatively rare. Incorporating the APPRAISAL framework into research on stance-taking enhances our comprehension of evaluative language in academic writing, especially when it comes to cross-linguistic contexts. It also provides useful advantages for language assessment and instruction. In this learner corpus-assisted discourse study, APPRAISAL was used to determine how L1 English speakers and L2 English learners from L1 Vietnamese backgrounds expressed attitudes through their written texts. We also investigate the relationship between use of APPRAISAL resources and expert raters’ perceptions of written stance via a stance rubric. Findings show L2 English students are more explicit in argumentative writing than L1 English writers, despite fewer APPRAISAL choices in L2 texts. Besides, while high-rated texts were associated with more judgemental evaluation and invocation, more personal feelings were expressed in low-rated texts. These findings have implications for the instruction of L2 writers in conveying attitudinal meanings in text, as well as for raters tasked with assessing L2 academic essays for stance.

RESEARCH OF COMMUNICATIVE AND PRAGMATIC ASPECTS OF THE VERBALIZERS OF THE CONCEPT "MOUTH" IN ENGLISH AND UZBEK

Linguistic pragmatics is one of the most promising and new areas of modern linguistics, which is an integral part of the theory of language and is studied in the course of general linguistics. Lingvopragmatics refers to the study of how language is used in specific contexts and social settings. It combines the fields of pragmatics, which studies how meaning is constructed through language use, and linguistics, which studies the scientific structure and function of language. This field examines how pragmatic factors such as social context, speaker intentions, implication, presupposition, and the cooperative principle interact with linguistic elements to influence communication.

The Impact of Using Standardized Autism Screening on Referral to Specialist Evaluation for Young Children on the Autism Spectrum-A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial.

We tested whether the implementation of standardized, high-fidelity screening for autism during routine well-child check-ups results in the following: increasing the number of children with suspected autism referred to diagnostic evaluation; lowering the age at which they are referred; and facilitating autism diagnosis for children across a more diverse range of demographic backgrounds and clinical presentations, including those with subtle manifestations. As part of a multi-site cluster randomized trial, pediatric practices were randomly assigned to an experimental condition involving training and supervision in the universal, standardized, high-fidelity implementation of the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised with Follow-Up (M-CHAT-R/F), or a usual care condition. Children in both conditions identified as having a high likelihood of autism during well-child visits were referred to a diagnostic evaluation conducted by clinicians naive to referral source. Children referred to the diagnostic evaluation from the practices in the experimental condition were more numerous (n= 186) and younger (mean age= 20.65 months) than those referred from the practices in the usual care condition (n= 39; mean age= 23.58 months). Children referred by experimental practices who received an autism diagnosis had milder clinical presentations across measures of cognitive, language, adaptive, and social-communication functioning, compared to those referred from usual care practices. Demographic characteristics were similar across groups. Standardized, high-fidelity implementation of autism screening during pediatric well-child visits facilitates the identification of children with high autism likelihood at a younger age, including those presenting with more subtle clinical manifestations. Promoting Positive Outcomes for Individuals With ASD: Linking Early Detection, Treatment, and Long-term Outcomes; https://clinicaltrials.gov/; NCT03333629.

Association of fluoride exposure with disease burden and neurodevelopment outcomes in children in South Korea.

Community water fluoridation is an effective public health strategy for preventing dental caries, yet. Concerns exist about potential health problems. This study explores associations between tap water fluoride levels and pediatric disease burden, as well as neurodevelopmental outcomes at 6years of age. This nationwide population-based cohort study included children born in Korean cities with and without tap water fluoridation projects, between 2006 and 2012, aiming for a fluoride concentration of 0.8 ± 0.2mg/L in treated tap water. Data from the National Health Insurance Service were used, spanning from birth to 2018. The relationship between exposure to fluoridated tap water and incidence of 16 childhood diseases that were previously identified as potentially linked to fluoride exposure were examined. Additionally, we evaluated the neurodevelopmental outcomes across various domains, including gross motor, fine motor, cognition, language, social skills, and self-help functions. These assessments were performed using data from a comprehensive national health screening program for children aged six years. A fluoride-unexposed group included 22,881 children, whereas a fluoride-exposed group comprised 29,991 children (52% males). Children in the fluoride-exposed group had a decreased risk of dental caries and bone fractures [hazard ratio (95% confidence interval, CI), 0.76 (0.63-0.93) and 0.89 (0.82-0.93), respectively] and increased risk of hepatic failures [1.85, (1.14-2.98)] compared to those in the unexposed group. Additionally, the risk ratio of abnormal neurodevelopmental screening outcomes increased by 9%, but this was statistically uncertain (95% CI, 0.95-1.26). Fluoridated tap water was associated with an increased risk of hepatic failure but a decreased risk of bone fractures in children. The association between fluoridated tap water and neurodevelopmental screening outcomes at 6years remains unclear, highlighting the need for further studies to clarify this association.

BALANCE OF ECONOMY AND REDUNDANCY IN INFORMATION TRANSMISSION

The article examines the role of the principle of economy in the research of the systemic functioning of language, the history of the formation of a scientific theoretical description of this principle, theoretical ideas about the role of the principle of economy in the evolution of language, attempts to simplify the content in order to facilitate language activity and, accordingly, contradictory theories of the formation of the law of economy of speech. It is proved that the categorical ordering of reality does not arise as a result of some random or free choice, but under the influence of certain types of psychological principles.

Lexical retrieval difficulties in post-COVID-19 syndrome: Insights from verbal fluency and naming tasks.

Although considerable research has been conducted on post-COVID-19 syndrome (PCS), cognitive symptoms, particularly those related to language, are still not well understood. To provide a detailed quantitative and qualitative analysis of language performance in PCS patients using a comprehensive set of semantic and verbal production tasks. The study involved 195 PCS patients aged 26-64 years and 50 healthy controls aged 25-61 years. Participants were assessed using two semantic tasks, three naming tasks and four types of verbal fluency tasks, designed to evaluate different aspects of language processing. PCS patients demonstrated significantly poorer performance compared with controls across all verbal fluency tasks. This was evident in both the total number of words generated and their types, with patients tending to choose more easily accessible words. In naming tasks, the pattern of errors was similar in both groups, although patients showed a higher number of non-responses and made more errors, reflecting difficulties in word retrieval. The analysis highlighted the impact of factors such as stimulus availability, educational level and cognitive reserve on performance. Notably, younger patients performed worse than older, a paradoxical trend also observed in previous research. These findings reveal significant word retrieval difficulties in PCS patients, suggesting that cognitive impairment related to language may be more pronounced than previously understood. The results underscore the need for a thorough evaluation of language functions in PCS patients and the development of more targeted and individualized language rehabilitation strategies to address these specific challenges. What is already known on the subject Studies on the cognitive characteristics of CPS have focused mainly on broad-spectrum neuropsychological assessments covering all cognitive functions. However, there are very few studies analysing oral production with specific lexical and semantic system tasks. Furthermore, no work has specifically included tasks assessing semantic processing or conducted qualitative analyses of the psycholinguistic variables affecting performance. Such analyses could undoubtedly help clarify the nature of the language impairments in patients with PCS. What this paper adds to the existing knowledge This study explores in depth the evaluation and analysis of the oral production of patients with PCS using several lexical and semantic tasks. In addition, psycholinguistic variables are analysed that could undoubtedly help clarify the nature of the language impairments in patients with PCS. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? The study allows the identification of specific lexical-semantic deficits in the spoken language in patients with this PCS. A more detailed assessment of the oral language of these patients, keeping in mind the psycholinguistic variables that may affect the performance, will facilitate the design of more efficient and individualized rehabilitation programmes.

Taqwi̅m Tadri̅ba̅t Kita̅b Ta’li̅m al-Lughah al-‘Arabiyyah li as-Ṣhaf ar-Ra̅bi’ min al-Marḥalah al-Ibtida̅iyyah ‘ala Ḍau̅I Ma’a̅yi̅r ‘Abdu ar-Raḥman Ibnu Ibra̅hi̅m al-Fau̅za̅n

This study aims to find out how to teach Arabic grammar to non-Arabic speakers according to the basis of presenting the material and its relationship to reading skill. The research methodology used by the researchers is the qualitative approach, and the type of research is library research. The sources of data for this research are the book Education by Mahmoud Yunus and books, articles or University journals related to research and analysis. The researchers used the method of analyzing the content of the texts, and the background that drives the researchers to complete this research is what the researchers found that the students saw Arabic grammar as one of the most difficult Arabic subjects and the fact that teachers are not good at managing education, as they do not teach Arabic grammar on the basis of recitation. Good education, and the basis for delivering the subject: 1) From the tangible to the intelligible, 2) From the known to the unknown, 3) From examples to rules or definitions, 4) From simple to complex progression. The application of this basis in teaching Arabic grammar is: 1) Defining the noun and knowledge by mentioning the sign, not defining them terminologically, using visual teaching aids when teaching the hidden pronoun, 2) Restricting the study of annulants to the nominal sentence in teaching grammar and restricting the teaching of the direct and the direct to the verbal and nominal sentences, 3) Using the inductive method and modified texts in teaching grammar, morphology, and rhetoric, 4) mentioning the singular before the compound, and using the functional theory and teaching grammar before rhetoric, that reading skill is due to recognition and understanding, which are related to the student’s proficiency in Arabic grammar.

A 3D approach to understanding heterogeneity in early developing autisms.

Phenotypic heterogeneity in early language, intellectual, motor, and adaptive functioning (LIMA) features are amongst the most striking features that distinguish different types of autistic individuals. Yet the current diagnostic criteria uses a single label of autism and implicitly emphasizes what individuals have in common as core social-communicative and restricted repetitive behavior difficulties. Subtype labels based on the non-core LIMA features may help to more meaningfully distinguish types of autisms with differing developmental paths and differential underlying biology. Unsupervised data-driven subtypes were identified using stability-based relative clustering validation on publicly available Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL) and Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS) data (n = 615; age = 24-68months) from the National Institute of Mental Health Data Archive (NDA). Differential developmental trajectories between subtypes were tested on longitudinal data from NDA and from an independent in-house dataset from UCSD. A subset of the UCSD dataset was also tested for subtype differences in functional and structural neuroimaging phenotypes and relationships with blood gene expression. The current subtyping model was also compared to early language outcome subtypes derived from past work. Two autism subtypes can be identified based on early phenotypic LIMA features. These data-driven subtypes are robust in the population and can be identified in independent data with 98% accuracy. The subtypes can be described as Type I versus Type II autisms differentiated by relatively high versus low scores on LIMA features. These two types of autisms are also distinguished by different developmental trajectories over the first decade of life. Finally, these two types of autisms reveal striking differences in functional and structural neuroimaging phenotypes and their relationships with gene expression and may highlight unique biological mechanisms. Sample sizes for the neuroimaging and gene expression dataset are relatively small and require further independent replication. The current work is also limited to subtyping based on MSEL and VABS phenotypic measures. This work emphasizes the potential importance of stratifying autism by a Type I versus Type II distinction focused on LIMA features and which may be of high prognostic and biological significance.

The paradoxical impact of periodic limb movements on isolated REM sleep behavior disorder patients.

Recently, the α-synuclein origin and connectome model described two types of Parkinson's disease: "brain-first" and "body-first" subtypes. We aimed to investigate the role of periodic limb movements during sleep (PLMS) in identifying these subtypes starting from a prodromal stage of α-synucleinopathies. 191 patients with isolated REM sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) underwent video-polysomnography (vPSG), questionnaires, clinical interview, and neuropsychological battery. Patients who presented PLMS index (PLMSi) > 15 were compared with patients presenting PLMSi ≤ 15 on clinical questionnaires, vPSG, and neuropsychological domains with age as a covariate. Correlations were performed between PLMSi and vPSG and neuropsychological domains in both groups of iRBD. 48.2% of patients presented PLMSi > 15. iRBD subgroup with PLMSi > 15 performed better than the iRBD subgroup with PLMSi ≤ 15 in the executive function domain. In patients with PLMSi > 15 negative correlations were observed between PLMSi and some neuropsychological domains (memory, language, and executive function). Moreover, this subgroup was older and their PLMSi was positively correlated with wake-after-sleep onset and inversely correlated with total sleep time and sleep efficiency, suggesting a detrimental effect of PLM on sleep also in this cohort. Patients with PLMSi > 15 are characterized by a more preserved cognitive status, despite a more disrupted sleep. PLMSi could be explored in longitudinal studies concerning the "brain-first" and "body-first" model.

The Function of Language as an Adaptation Strategy for Javanese Transmigrants in Simpang Nangka Village, Selupu Rejang District, Bengkulu Province

This research is entitled "The Function of Language as an Adaptation Strategy forTransmigrants Java in Simpang Nangka Village, Selupu Rejang District, BengkuluProvince". This research aims to describe the adaptation process of Javanesetransmigrants in Indonesia Simpang Nangka Village and the function of language as anadaptation strategy for transmigrants Java. The theory used in this research is Bronislaw'sfunctionalism theory Malinowski The method used is a qualitative method, withtechniques collecting observation data, interviews and documentation.The results of this research explain that language functions as a strategyadaptation of Javanese transmigrants in Simpang Nangka Village. First of all bring it tohistory of transmigration to Simpang Nangka in 1964 through spontaneoustransmigration. From transmigration activities, the population in Simpang Nangka isdominated by two ethnicities namely the Javanese and the Rejang. While living inSimpang Nangka as a migrant The transmigrant population goes through severalprocesses to adapt there. As for Some of these processes are: Learning the Rejanglanguage, adaptation through agriculture,adaptation to social organizations, adaptationthrough kinship systems and so on.This research also explains the function of languageon related biological psychology human behavior and needs, then the function oflanguage in the economy, namely make it easier in the negotiation process and then thefunction of language in related politics voice through campaigns.

Multidimensional Assessment Performance Analysis: A Framework to Advance Multilingual Learners’ Scientific Equity in K-12 Contexts

Evaluating science learning through written assessments for Multilingual Learners (MLs) can offer a critical source of information for educators aiming to adopt culturally and linguistically sustaining practices. However, without careful planning and design, written assessments for MLs can yield unreliable data. This conceptual article addresses this challenge by first examining the complexities of the written language of science and its impact on student learning. It then explores current literature and presents the Multidimensional Assessment Performance Analysis (MAPA) framework, a multimodal model for analyzing writing answers in multilingual educational contexts. MAPA integrates Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) to evaluate language use and Topic Models to allocate students based on their cognitive reasoning and thinking patterns. The article concludes with recommendations for classroom teachers and researchers to enhance assessment practices in science education for MLs.

Combining low-technology augmentative and alternative communication with regular aphasia treatment: interim findings of a hospital-based RCT in post-stroke patients

ABSTRACT Background Previous research indicates that low-technology (low-tech) augmentative and alternative communication interventions (AACT) can enhance communication skills in individuals with post-stroke aphasia in China. However, there is limited evidence for low-tech AACT in inpatient settings. Aim This study aims to evaluate the impact of low-tech AACT combined with speech-language therapy (SLT) on communication skills related to basic needs, quality of life, and spoken language function among individuals with post-stroke aphasia in an inpatient setting. Methods & Procedures Twelve participants with aphasia having difficulty in daily communication were randomly assigned to an experimental group, receiving 30 minutes of SLT and 30 minutes of low-tech AACT per session (AACT + SLT), or a control group, receiving 60 minutes of SLT per session (SLT), over ten sessions in two weeks. Primary outcomes were measured using the basic needs (CBN) domain of the functional assessment of communication skills for adults (FACS). Secondary outcomes included scores from the Chinese version of the stroke-specific quality of life scale (SS-QOL) and subtests of spoken language production and comprehension from the aphasia battery of Chinese (ABC). The study was registered in the Chinese clinical trial registry (ChiCTR2000028870). Results The results indicated a significant improvement in the CBN domain of FACS in the AACT + SLT group, with larger clinically significant changes compared to the SLT group. The AACT+ SLT group also showed significantly higher overall scores on the SS-QOL and more significant improvements in the content of spontaneous speech than the SLT group after intervention. Comparable improvements were observed in other subtests of the ABC between the two groups. Conclusions Incorporating low-tech AACT into regular SLT in inpatient settings can improve communication for basic needs in an in-patient setting, facilitate language recovery, and potentially support the overall quality of life, compared to SLT alone, for people with post-stroke aphasia. This combined approach demonstrates preliminary feasibility in hospital settings, suggesting the value of low-tech AACT in aphasia rehabilitation.

The effect of cerebellar lesıons on language in Turkısh speakıng indıvıduals

ABSTRACT Background The cerebellum is approximately 10% of the brain volume and is responsible for attention, language, emotion and cognitive functions. Linguistic processing difficulties and cognitive impairments may be observed in individuals with cerebellar lesions depending on the location and severity of the damage. There is no study evaluating language in Turkish-speaking individuals with cerebellar lesions. Objective To determine the differences in linguistic and visuospatial skills of Turkish speaking individuals with cerebellar lesions compared to control groups, including a right hemisphere lesion group and a healthy control group. Method Fifteen patients with cerebellar lesion (without hemispatial neglect and dysarthria), 15 patients with right hemisphere lesion due to right arter cerebri media (without hemispatial neglect) and 15 healthy control were included. To clarify the language impairment specific to cerebellar lesions, we also included individuals with right hemisphere lesions, which are typically assumed not to present with aphasia. The Language Assessment Test for Aphasia (ADD), Benton Judgment of Line Orientation Test, Benton Facial Recognition Test, Single Letter Deletion Test were used. The “Accident Scene” picture was used for collecting narrative speech samples. After a three group comparison a post-hoc pairwise analysis was performed. Results Among the microstructural parameters in the narrative language analysis, the effort ratio was significantly higher in the cerebellar lesion group compared to the healthy control group. Among the non-verbal cognitive tests, the Benton Facial Recognition Test score was significantly lower in the cerebellar and right hemisphere lesion group compared to the healthy control group. Total score, naming and grammar scores in the ADD test were significantly lower in the cerebellar lesion group compared with the healthy control group. There was no difference between cerebellar and right hemisphere lesions in terms of ADD score, ADD subtests and narrative parameters. Conclusion In Turkish-speaking individuals with cerebellar lesions, verbal productivity may be interrupted by effort behaviours, and standard aphasia assessment tests may reveal impaired grammar and naming performance without a diagnosis of aphasia. In addition to reduced efficiency in verbal production, facial recognition may be impaired. We found no difference between individuals with lesions in the cerebellum and right hemisphere. This suggests that ischemic damage may affect different components of language independently of the diagnosis of aphasia.

THE EXPRESSION OF EVALUATION IN “THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO MUST-TRY INDONESIAN FOOD”: AN APPRAISAL ANALYSIS

Appraisal, under Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) especially interpersonal meaning, concerns with evaluation of language that is negotiated through the text (Martin and White, 2005; Martin and Rose, 2007). Briefly, appraisal is used to assess things, situation, or people. This study investigates the Journalist’s evaluation towards ten of most popular Indonesian savory foods across Indonesia from the perspective of appraisal system. Indonesia is a home for 300 ethnic groups, and it offers a wide range of culinary. In this study, the researcher limits the study on one type of attitudes subsystem namely appreciation. Appreciation is our evaluation about ‘things’, particularly thing we make and actions we give, and it also includes natural phenomenon (Martin and White, 2005; Martin and Rose, 2007, Santosa, et.al, 2023). This study employs qualitative research using a criterion-based sampling technique known as purposive sample and content analysis for the technique of data analysis (Santosa, 2017). The source of data in this study was a document that consists of 10 must-try savory Indonesian foods which was retrieved from an Indonesia travel website https://www.indonesia.travel/sg/en/home. Thus, the data were segmented into types of appreciation such as reaction: impact and quality, composition: balance and complexity, and valuation. Furthermore, in analyzing the data, the researcher applies appraisal theoretical framework developed by Martin and White (2005). The results of this study show that the most dominant type of appreciation exploited by the journalist is positive valuation. It is used to show the journalist’s appreciation and critics to the foods he reviewed. The following clause is the example of the finding ‘Rendang, an authentic Indonesian dish from Padang’. The bold lexis is used by the journalist to show his appreciation towards the typical food from Pandang, West Sumatra, Indonesia called Rendang. It indicates that the journalist expresses his positive valuation to some foods he reviewed to evoke people’s appetites and to invite them to try some authentic Indonesian foods. Moreover, the result of this study is in line with the research conducted by Daniarsa & Ningsih (2023) about tendency in Indonesian newspaper editorials. The result of the study indicates that the tendency of using positive appreciation is to give implicit and explicit praise and assessment to Jokowi and his vice’s leadership. Meanwhile, the finding also supports research carried out by Wu & Pan (2021) who also stated that the use of positive appreciation is to express the journalist’s wishes or appreciation towards the ‘things’ he wrote about.

TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF SENATOR HAWLEY AND PROFESSOR BRIDGE’S GENDER IDENTITY DEBATE

Using Halliday’s transitivity concept, this paper analyzes the debate between Senator Hawley and Professor Bridges conducted on July 12, 2022. The debate focuses on the topic of people with a capacity for pregnancy, which led to views of gender identity. The way individuals identify their gender has become a social phenomenon, as the idea of gender has broadened to the point that it is seen as a spectrum. The creation of new words outside the two polarizations (i.e., man and woman) could create acknowledgment for the minority group of people with lesser-known gender identities. Using Halliday’s (1994) Transitivity Concept in Systemic Functional Linguistics, this study analyzes the clause structures of both Senator Hawley and Professor Bridges to examine the distribution of the six transitivity processes and their relation to the clauses chosen to represent each participant's ideology regarding their views on gender. The different approaches in their arguments regarding gender identity also show the different ideological beliefs of their parties, which are the Republicans and the Democrats. Senator Hawley dominantly uses mental processes consisting of the desideration process, cognition process, and emotion process. In comparison, Professor Bridges shows a high use of relational processes consisting of the attribution process and identification process. Professor Bridges' relational processes point out Senator Hawley's rigid idea of gender by identifying and valuing the variety of genders. The many clauses stated by Professor Bridges also affirm her liberal belief that views gender as more than just two polarizations while also supporting equality in the idea of abortion rights as something that is needed for women and other groups of genders. Senator Hawley counters Professor Bridges' allegations using mental processes by seeking clarification to align their awareness of gender, which reveals his gender polarization. The use of clauses mentioned by Senator Hawley is done to showcase his implied Republican ideology, which does not find significance in the topic of people with the capacity for pregnancy leading to transphobia.

Formation of acetonitrile (CH3CN) under cold interstellar, tropospheric and combustion mediums

The knowledge of the formation of gas-phase carcinogenic acetonitrile (CH3CN) is limited in interstellar, troposphere, and combustion mediums; thus, its formation and fate are of great importance for all these gas-phase environments when accessing its toxicity and its wide range of applications. In this work, we propose a mechanism for the formation of CH3CN from the reaction of OH/O2 on ethanimine (CH3CH=NH) using ab initio/Density Functional Theory (DFT) potential energy surface in combination with microcanonical variational transition state theory (µVTST) and Ramsperger–Kassel–Marcus (RRKM)/master equation (ME) simulation to predict the rate constants and branching fraction in the temperature range of 100 K to 1000 K and pressure range of 0.0001 bar to 100 bar. The reaction starts with cis (Z) and trans (E) CH3CH=NH isomer with OH radical followed by spontaneous formation via pre-reactive complex, forming the carbon and nitrogen-centered radicals. The O2 radical then attacks the carbon and nitrogen-centered radicals to form acetonitrile (CH3CN) and HO2 radicals. The results show that N–H and C–H dominate the H-atoms abstraction by OH radicals is similar to its isoelectronic analogous reaction system, i.e., CH3CHO + OH/O2 and CH3CHCH2 + OH/O2 and similar to methanimine (CH2NH) systems. The calculated rate constants for OH-initiated oxidation of CH3CH=NH are in the range of ~ 10–11 cm3 molecule−1 s−1 (at 300 K) and are in very good agreement with previous experimental values of its isoelectronic reaction system. The atmospheric lifetime due to the loss of CH3CHNH by OH radical (10 to 11 h) is in very good agreement with the similar pollutants in the troposphere temperature range between 200 and 320 K. The results indicate that its contribution to global warming is negligible. However, the formation of products such as CH3CN may interact with other atmospheric species, which could lead to the production of potentially hazardous compounds such as cyanogen (N2C2) and hydrogen cyanide (HCN).

Systemic Functional Linguistics: Mood Analysis on Risk and Vulnerability to COVID-19

Purpose: This study examines Risk and Vulnerability to COVID-19 using Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) mood analysis to understand health messages and their functional meaning. Methodology: Hallidyan (1994) SFL Mood analysis framework, Tabular orientation. The sample was selected health messages. Analysis of 50 clauses Findings: 29 clauses were imperative (58%), 21 clauses were declarative (42%), No interrogative or exclamatory clauses found. Health messages primarily contained instructions or directions related to COVID-19 risk and vulnerability Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study provides a foundation for understanding interpersonal metafunction of language in health communication. It serves as a starting point for learners and beginners in SFL mood analysis. Tabulated data presentation facilitates easy understanding and analysis.

Clinical efficacy and therapeutic mechanism of active ‘five-tone’ speech therapy compared with conventional speech-language therapy for treatment of post-stroke aphasia: protocol for a randomised controlled trial

IntroductionAphasia is a common dysfunction among patients with stroke that can severely affect daily life. Listening to the ‘five-tone’ melodies of traditional Chinese medicine can improve some of the language...

Online peer feedback via Moodle forum: Implications for longitudinal feedback design and feedback quality

This study experimented with four design elements and examined their impact on feedback quality—anonymizing feedback writers, providing teacher-made rubrics and a feedback template, and making feedback traceable. The study adopted a quasi-experimental design and involved 75 undergraduates who produced 362 feedback entries on peers' presentations over eight weeks. The feedback comments were scored against detailed rubrics of feedback quality, focusing on nine features grouped under ideational, interpersonal, and textual dimensions according to the functional linguistics perspective. The scores were analyzed using a two-way repeated measures ANOVA to compare the experimental and the control groups' overall performance and week-by-week changes. The results were complex and mixed. Anonymity encouraged feedback writers to be more critical but negatively affected the interpersonal dimension of their writing. Providing templates and rubrics assisted them in the ideational dimension and enabled them to write from multiple aspects. Making feedback traceable helped them learn accumulatively from past efforts. Overall, the design elements substantially improved feedback quality in the first two weeks; however, their advantages diminished over time. In the eighth week, the two groups’ feedback became similar in quality. The study provides new insights for research and practice, highlighting the need to reassess and modify feedback design for longitudinal and routinized feedback activities.