In-Game Social Interactions to Facilitate ESL Students\u27 Morphological Awareness, Language and Literacy Skills

Video games that require players to utilize a target or second language to complete tasks have emerged as alternative pedagogical tools for Second Language Acquisition (SLA). With the exception of vocabulary acquisition, much of the prior research in game-based SLA fails to gauge students\u27 literacy skills, specifically their morphological awareness or understanding of the smallest meaningful linguistic units (e.g., prefixes, suffixes, and roots). Given this shortcoming, we utilize a two-player online game to facilitate social interactions between Native English Speakers (NES) and English as a Second Language (ESL) students as a mechanism to generate ESL students\u27 written output in the targeted language and draw attention to their morphological awareness. Analysis of chat logs demonstrates the game\u27s potential to enhance ESL students\u27 morphological awareness and other important L2 literacy skills such as word reading accuracy. Both NES and ESL students\u27 reflections of their gameplay experiences suggest game design modifications that promote ESL students\u27 willingness to communicate with NES while developing their morphological awareness and practicing their L2 communication and literacy skills

‘NOT A RELIGIOUS STATE’ A study of three Indonesian religious leaders on the relation of state and religion

This article explores the concept of a ‘secular state’ offered by three Indonesian religious leaders: a Catholic priest, Nicolaus Driyarkara (1913–1967), and two Muslim intellectuals who were also state officials, Mukti Ali (1923–2004) and Munawir Sjadzali (1925–2004). All three, who represented the immediate generation after the revolution for Indonesian independence from the Dutch (1945), defended the legitimacy of a secular state for Indonesia based on the state ideology Pancasila (Five Principles of Indonesia). In doing so, they argued that a religious state, for example an Islamic state, is incompatible with a plural nation that has diverse cultures, faiths, and ethnicities. The three also argued that the state should remain neutral about its citizens’ faith and should not be dominated by a single religion, i.e. Islam. Instead, the state is obliged to protect all religions embraced by Indonesians. This argument becomes a vital foundation in the establishment of Indonesia’s trajectory of unique ‘secularisation’. Whilst these three intellectuals opposed the idea of establishing a religious or Islamic state in Indonesia, it was not because they envisioned the decline of the role of religion in politics and the public domain but rather that they regarded religiosity in Indonesia as vital in nation building within a multi-religious society. In particular, the two Muslim leaders used religious legitimacy to sustain the New Order’s political stability, and harnessed state authority to modernise the Indonesian Islamic community

Direct determination of trace elements in powdered samples by in-cell isotope dilution femtosecond laser ablation ICPMS

A method has been developed for the direct and simultaneous multielement determination of Cu, Zn, Sn, and Pb in soil and sediment samples using femtosecond laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (fs-LA-ICPMS) in combination with isotope dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS). The in-cell isotope dilution fs-LA-ICPMS method proposed in this work was based on the quasi-simultaneous ablation of the natural abundance sample and the isotopically enriched solid spike, which was performed using a high repetition rate laser and a fast scanning beam device in a combined manner. Both the sample preparation procedure and the total analysis time have been drastically reduced, in comparison with previous approaches, since a unique multielement isotopically enriched solid spike was employed to analyze different powdered samples. Numerous experimental parameters were carefully selected (e.g., carrier gas flow rate, inlet diameter of the ablation cell, sample translation speed, scanner speed, etc.) in order to ensure the complete mixing between the sample and the solid spike aerosols. The proposed in-cell fs-LA-ICP-IDMS method was tested for the analysis of two soil (CRM 142R, GBW-07405) and two sediment (PACS-2, IAEA-405) reference materials, and the analysis of Cu, Zn, Sn, and Pb yielded good agreement of usually not more than 10% deviation from the certified values and precisions of less than 15% relative standard deviation. Furthermore, the concentrations were in agreement not only with the certified values but also with those obtained by ICP-IDMS after the microwave-assisted digestion of the solid samples, demonstrating therefore that in-cell fs-LA-ICP-IDMS opens the possibility for accurate and precise determinations of trace elements in powdered samples reducing the total sample preparation time to less than 5 min. Additionally, scanning electron microscope measurements showed that the aerosol generated by in-cell fs-LA-ICP-IDMS predominantly consisted of linear agglomerates of small particles (in the order of few tens of nanometers) and a few large spherical particles with diameters below 225 nm

Asabiyya: Re-Interpreting Value Change in Globalized Societies

This article reflects the renewed interest of economics and the social science discipline in value systems and religion. The World Values Survey provided a data framework of global value change, whose quantitative results led Barro (2004) to analyze the connections between some dimensions of recent sociological religious value research with economic growth. The present essay starts from this methodological position, and links value systems with economic performance in a much wider and macrosociological framework. We further develop the well-known Inglehart and Welzel (2003) map of global values, and develop the idea of Asabiyya (social cohesion), as a counter-model to both Barro and Inglehart and Welzel approaches. A frequently asked question is whether modernization without spiritual values in a globalized world economy and world society possible in the long run? Starting from principal component analysis, it is shown that rather two factors are decisive in understanding global value change: a continuum of traditional versus secular, and a continuum cheating versus active society. Asabiyya in the 21st Century, as a way out from the modernization trap of societies, characterized by large-scale social anomaly, is a high secularism combined with a high active society score, thus avoiding the modernization trap. We show that economic growth in the current world crisis is far more connected with these dimensions. We conclude that not a society based on fear is needed in the first place, but an active society of volunteer social work

Depth of the 660-km discontinuity near the Mariana slab from an array of ocean bottom seismographs,

[1] High frequency records of deep Mariana earthquakes from a dense array of ocean bottom seismographs deployed in the Mariana arc and back-arc regions are stacked and searched for the phases P660p and S660p to constrain the depth of the 660-km discontinuity near the Mariana slab. Results of the high-resolution study suggest that around 18°N the 660-km discontinuity lies at about 710-730 km (±14 km) depth within or in the vicinity of the slab core. In the region seismicity ceases at $620 km depth. This implies that, although tomographic images show the Mariana slab penetrating into the lower mantle, deep seismicity in the region terminates$100 km above the base of the transition zone. These findings and similar observations in Tonga argue that factors other than the phase transition at the base of the upper mantle may control the maximum down-dip extent of the deep seismogenic region in the slab

The Epidemiology and Clinical Burdens of Human Parainfluenza Virus Infections Amongst Hospitalized Children Under 5 Years of Age in Jordan: A National Multi-Center Cross-Sectional Study.

Human parainfluenza virus (HPIV) is a major cause of respiratory illnesses in children under five years, with clinical manifestations ranging from mild upper respiratory tract infections to severe lower respiratory tract diseases. This multi-center, cross-sectional study investigated the burden, clinical features, and predictors of respiratory viral infections in hospitalized children across four sites in Jordan. Nasopharyngeal specimens from 1000 eligible children were analyzed. In this article, we focused on HPIV infections. The overall HPIV positivity rate was 22.6%, with HPIV-3 accounting for 90.3% of cases. Significant geographic variability was observed, with higher positivity rates in the southern region. HPIV-positive cases frequently presented with symptoms like nasal congestion, tachypnea, and poor feeding. Co-infections with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) or influenza were associated with worse outcomes, including an increased need for invasive ventilation. The logistic regression identified male gender, asthma, and respiratory acidosis as predictors of complications. Geographic differences in HPIV prevalence and severity were notable, emphasizing the influence of environmental and socioeconomic factors. These findings underscore the urgent need for enhanced HPIV surveillance, targeted public health interventions, and vaccine development to mitigate the disease burden. This study provides critical insights that guide healthcare strategies and improve outcomes in young children at risk of severe HPIV infections

Cardiac Surgical Bleeding, Transfusion, and Quality Metrics: Joint Consensus Statement by the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Cardiac Society and Society for the Advancement of Patient Blood Management

Background: Excessive perioperative bleeding is associated with major complications in cardiac surgery, resulting in increased morbidity, mortality, and cost. Methods: An international expert panel was convened to develop consensus statements on the control of bleeding and management of transfusion and to suggest key quality metrics for cardiac surgical bleeding. The panel reviewed relevant literature from the previous 10 years and used a modified RAND Delphi methodology to achieve consensus. Results: The panel developed 30 consensus statements in 8 categories, including prioritizing control of bleeding, prechest closure checklists, and the need for additional quality indicators beyond reexploration rate, such as time to reexploration. Consensus was also reached on the need for a universal definition of excessive bleeding, the use of antifibrinolytics, optimal cessation of antithrombotic agents, and preoperative risk scoring based on patient and procedural factors to identify those at greatest risk of excessive bleeding. Furthermore, an objective bleeding scale is needed based on the volume and rapidity of blood loss accompanied by viscoelastic management algorithms and standardized, patient-centered blood management strategies reflecting an interdisciplinary approach to quality improvement. Conclusions: Prioritizing the timely control and management of bleeding is essential to improving patient outcomes in cardiac surgery. To this end, a cardiac surgical bleeding quality metric that is more comprehensive than reexploration rate alone is needed. Similarly, interdisciplinary quality initiatives that seek to implement enhanced quality indicators will likely lead to improved patient care and outcomes

Adaptation of the Basic Empathy Scale among a Portuguese sample of incarcerated juvenile offenders

The main aim of the present study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Basic Empathy Scale (BES) and of its adapted short version among a forensic sample of incarcerated male juvenile offenders (N = 221). The Portuguese validations of the BES and its adapted short version demonstrated good psychometric properties, namely in terms of the two-factor structure, internal consistency, convergent validity, discriminant validity, and concurrent validity that generally justifies its use among this population. Statistically significant associations were found with callous– unemotional traits and social anxiety. Findings are discussed in terms of the use of the BES and its adapted short version with juvenile offenders.This research was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) with co-financing of the European Social Fund – POPH/FSE [grant number SFRH/BPD/86666/2012]

Asperity along the North Anatolian Fault imaged by magnetotellurics at Düzce, Turkey

The magnetotelluric (MT) method has been applied to show resistivity variations in the vicinity of the epicenter of the 1999 Duzce earthquake (M(w) = 7.2) where a large rupture velocity difference was seen between the western and eastern parts of the epicenter. MT data for frequencies ranging between 320 and 0.0005 Hz were acquired along two parallel profiles to the west and the east of Duzce earthquake's epicenter. Both profiles crossed the Duzce basin and the Duzce fault in the north and the North Anatolian Fault (NAF) in the south. MT data analysis shows almost two-dimensionality in the region, at the depth starting from 2-3 km beneath the surface. According to two-dimensional MT modeling, a higher resistive layer extends beneath the eastern side of Duzce earthquake epicenter, compared with the western side. This resistivity structure correlates well with the aftershock distribution of the Duzce earthquake