Teaching conversational language skills to foreign students: Blended learning and interactive approaches

The timeliness of the present study is a consequence of the changing status of the Russian language in the global communication landscape. The growing international significance of Russian requires the development of new language teaching methods. This article aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of employing a blended learning approach to teaching “Russian as a foreign language” with the use of authentic speaking situations, and to show the relevance of interactive education to the teaching of conversational language skills. The primary research method for this problem is a practical method of interactive learning that allows students to hold a constructive dialogue. The author proposes a new pedagogical genre, “convergent lecture,” which takes a different approach to the instruction of foreign students. The article explains how students’ experience of acting out potential social roles in the Russian as a foreign language classroom develops their ability to speak pragmatically in everyday, professional, and educational contexts. The findings of this article may be helpful for scholars who develop educational programs for foreign students, as well as instructors interested in helping their students develop more practical communication skills in a foreign environment. © 2016 Evtyugina, Simonova and Fedorenko

SCORE performance in Central and Eastern Europe and former Soviet Union: MONICA and HAPIEE results

Aims: The Systematic COronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE) scale assesses 10 year risk of fatal atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD), based on conventional risk factors. The high-risk SCORE version is recommended for Central and Eastern Europe and former Soviet Union (CEE/FSU), but its performance has never been systematically assessed in the region. We evaluated SCORE performance in two sets of population-based CEE/FSU cohorts. Methods and results: The cohorts based on the World Health Organization MONitoring of trends and determinants in CArdiovascular disease (MONICA) surveys in the Czech Republic, Poland (Warsaw and Tarnobrzeg), Lithuania (Kaunas), and Russia (Novosibirsk) were followed from the mid-1980s. The Health, Alcohol, and Psychosocial factors in Eastern Europe (HAPIEE) study follows Czech, Polish (Krakow), and Russian (Novosibirsk) cohorts from 2002–05. In Cox regression analyses, the high-risk SCORE ≥5% at baseline significantly predicted CVD mortality in both MONICA [n = 15 027; hazard ratios (HR), 1.7–6.3] and HAPIEE (n = 20 517; HR, 2.6–10.5) samples. While SCORE calibration was good in most MONICA samples (predicted and observed mortality were close), the risk was underestimated in Russia. In HAPIEE, the high-risk SCORE overpredicted the estimated 10 year mortality for Czech and Polish samples and adequately predicted it for Russia. SCORE discrimination was satisfactory in both MONICA and HAPIEE. Conclusion: The high-risk SCORE underestimated the fatal CVD risk in Russian MONICA but performed well in most MONICA samples and Russian HAPIEE. This SCORE version might overestimate the risk in contemporary Czech and Polish populations

Аффективная сила вандализма: молодежные вандальные практики в контексте концепции аффективного труда

Цель работы — адаптация концепции аффективного труда как методологической установки для анализа вандализма в молодежной среде. В статье проанализирован молодежный вандализм как форма аффективного труда и выделены два вида эффектов, связанных, во-первых, с переживаниями самих вандалов, в результате которых формируются новая субъективность и коллективности; во-вторых, при реализации вандальных практик имеет место эффект для пользователей изменяемых вандалами пространств: они начинают чувствовать себя иначе, поскольку повреждения способны серьезно изменять статус, значение, пользовательские качества городской среды и ощущения горожан от нее. Молодежный вандализм анализируется как стратегия, способная не только визуально (физически) преобразовывать городское пространство, но и осознанно конструировать аффекты, трансформирующие субъективность молодых людей, социальные позиции и формы общности как самих вандалов, так и пользователей города. Такой подход, отражающий стратегический характер вандальной активности молодежи, показал, что вандальная практика должна быть понята как практика обживания пространства, его присвоения, его де- и реконструкции, потребовал опоры на положения социальной топологии и общих идей акторно-сетевой теории. Предложенная социально-философская установка проиллюстрирована результатами, полученными в ходе исследования, проведенного летом и осeнью 2017 г. в г. Екатеринбурге, где были взяты интервью у 17 представителей семи молодежных сообществ, а также произведено фотографирование поврежденных городских пространств по районам с нанесением данных на карту, полученная база фотографий промаркирована согласно территориальной принадлежности и типам поврежденной застройки. В результате удалось сформулировать ряд выводов о феномене молодежного вандализма. В статье обозначены перспективы использования предложенной методологии при анализе вандальных повреждений и в практике работы по предупреждению вандализма в городах. Благодарность. Исследование выполнено за счет гранта Российского научного фонда (проект № 17-18-01278

Simulation of the vehicle test based on the design of elements of artificial intelligence

The paper examines the structure of the expert system for analysis and optimization design of the vehicle. The structure of the expert system consist a user interface, mathematical model, the inference module and a knowledge base. The user interface is designed for both input conditions and output characteristics and to evaluate the performance of the system, which allows further optimize the system. Inference module is built on the principle of multi-agent systems (MAS). It includes, the coordinator agent and agents specializing in vehicle systems. The source of algorithms for agents inference module is rule base, the base use case, the database and the neural networks that are part of the knowledge base. A mathematical model, which is part of the expert system is used for self-performance system. © IDOSI Publications, 2013

Tailoring the gradient ultrafine-grained structure in low-carbon steel during drawing with shear

Conventional drawing and drawing with shear were conducted on the rods of low-carbon steel. Deformation by simple drawing forms basically a homogenous structure and leads to a uniform change in microhardness along the billet volume. A comparative analysis of the models of these processes showed that shear drawing of steel at room temperature reduces energy characteristics in half, normal forces on the die – by 1,8, and enhances the strain intensity from 0,5 to 1,6. During drawing with shear, strain-induced cementite dissolution occurs and a gradient structure is formed, which increases the microhardness of the surface layer up to values close to 7 000 MPa

A ROLE OF ARTISTIC ADVANCE-GUARD IS IN A WORLD CULTURE. PROBLEMS OF TEACHING IN THE COURSE OF CULTURAL STUDIES

The theoretical and practical questions of teaching of culture are examined in the article. Interrelation of elite and mass culture, place of art of advance-guard, is in world civilization. The article describes the peculiarity of the interaction of multilevel layers of artistic culture in a certain segment of the modern history of the first decades of the twentieth century

Metaphysics of Labor in Russian Culture: Part One

The article tries to describe a complex phenomenon in Russian culture and philosophy - the metaphysics of labor.  Much attention is paid to Russian philosophical thought of the beginning of the 20th century, and the views of L.N. Tolstoy to this problem.  The question is raised about the formation of economic and labor ethics in Russia, as well as the religious motivation of work. The axiological value of labor for the Russian person is determined, the metaphysical essence of labor in the national image of the world is revealed.  This was still discussed by religious thinkers.  S.N. Bulgakov wrote about the "sophisticated" nature of labor activity.  The study also examines the phenomenon of laziness, the category of "leisure", "free time" in the context of spiritual Russian culture.  The connection of labor activity with moral categories is traced.  The work involves analytical, historical, descriptive and systematic methods of analysis

Analyzing the thermal regime of power supply units in portable betatrons by using infrared thermography

Potentials of infrared thermography in analyzing a thermal regime of the 7.5 MeV betatron power supply are discussed. Both the heating rate and thermal inertia of particular electronic components have been evaluated by processing pixel-based temperature histories. The data treatment has been performed by using the original ThermoFit Pro software to illustrate that some advanced processing algorithms, such as the Fourier transform and principle component analysis, are valuable in identifying thermal dynamics of particular power supply parts

Влияние функциональной взаимосвязи понятия, образа и действия на процесс решения междисциплинарных технологически ориентированных задач

This article studies the influence of the methods used by students to solve tasks on the effectiveness of the learning process based on their analysis. The study has revealed that mastering the combined method based on the functional relationship between concept, image and action in the process of solving interdisciplinary technological tasks is one of the mechanisms of effective preparation of students for professional activity in the labour market of related professions.En este artículo, basado en un análisis de los métodos utilizados por los estudiantes para resolver problemas, se investiga su influencia en la efectividad del proceso de aprendizaje. En el curso del estudio, se reveló que el dominio del método combinado, basado en la relación funcional del concepto, la imagen y la acción, en el proceso de resolución de problemas tecnológicos interdisciplinarios es uno de los mecanismos para la preparación efectiva de los estudiantes para actividades profesionales en el contexto de la aparición de profesiones relacionadas en el mercado laboral.В данной статье на основе анализа используемых обучающимися способов решения задач исследуется их влияние на результативность процесса обучения. В процессе исследования выявлено, что владение комбинированным способом, основанном на функциональной взаимосвязи понятия, образа и действия, в процессе решения междисциплинарных технологических задач выступает одним из механизмов эффективной подготовки обучающихся к профессиональной деятельности в условиях появления на рынке труда смежных профессий