Teaching and Learning Arabic Variation Through Vocabulary

The field of Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language (TAFL) has seen in recent decades a growing interest in portraying and teaching one of the most salient and intrinsic features of Arabic: language variation. This thesis takes a position in contrast to approaches that portray the two varieties as being distinct and well-defined dichotomic units, in favour of an approach that interprets them as two heterogeneous language varieties within one singular linguistic system. The two language varieties are embodied by Standard and Colloquial Arabic and it is argued here for the teaching of both varieties to students of Arabic as a foreign language. In this light, this thesis sets out to investigate the development of two language skills, vocabulary knowledge and language awareness, in a diglossic learning environment. Moreover, it explores the attitudes and perceptions of the students towards Arabic variation. Two experimental methods based on focus-on-form instruction are used in this research to teach Colloquial Arabic to students of Arabic as a foreign language at higher-education level, and the empirical research is conducted within a semi-embedded research design in which qualitative and quantitative data are collected. Students from three universities participate in this research: the Universities of Exeter, Genoa and Milan. This allows for the comparison of results from students of different mother tongues. The main research question that this thesis sets out to answer is: does focus-on-form instruction lead to vocabulary development in two diglossic varieties, namely Standard and Colloquial Arabic, more effectively when it focuses on the two varieties separately or when it links their forms? Two sub-questions investigate which of the two methods of focus-on-form instruction lead more efficiently to the development of language awareness, and the impact they have on students’ attitudes towards Arabic variation. The last sub-question asks to what extent the development of the diglossic language skills and attitudes is a consequence of the method of instruction received. The results of this study suggest that the answer lies in focusing predominantly on one variety at a time with additional consolidation exercises that compare the forms of the two varieties. The main contributions of this thesis are both theoretical, to the literature of TAFL, and empirical, regarding the development of the language skills and attitudes measured

Chemical characterization of inks for inkjet decoration of ceramic tiles

The inkjet decoration of ceramic tiles has become the most widespread decoration technology in this field. It is also a technology in constant evolution, in order to obtain: better color performances, inks with improved stability and rheological properties, lower production costs, etc. Inks formulation is one of the most critical point because polluting emissions during firing, rheological parameters, jettability and stability of inks depend on inks formulation itself. This study focuses on the characterization of inks now in commerce, to understand their thermal behavior, chemical composition, polluting emissions during firing and rheological properties. We performed TG-DTA analysis, FTIR spectrometry, X-Ray fluorescence, and we are testing GC-MS and HPLC methodologies, on both inks and dispersing agents. First data from TG-DTA seem to underline different thermal behaviors between different dispersing agents. By cross-checking these data with FTIR results, we divided our samples in 5 groups, depending on dispersing agents class: paraffin oil, esters, paraffin oil added with esters, tripropylene glycol n-butyl ether (TpnB), water added with paraffin oil. From X-ray fluorescence on liquid inks and by comparison with literature [3,4], we recognized the chemical composition of coloring phases of inks. Our study is now focusing on testing GC-MS and HPLC methodologies to characterize polluting emissions, collected by firing a selected quantity of samples in a tubular kiln that simulates industrial processes. The following step will be the cross-check of data coming from TG-DTA, rheological characterization, that will be carried out by ISTEC-CNR in Faenza (Bologna), and chromatographies. The final phase of this project will focus on a possible re-formulation of inks, to reach even better properties and decrease potential polluting emissions during firing processes

VOCs monitoring of new materials for ceramic tiles decoration: GC–MS analysis of emissions from common vehicles and inkjet inks during firing in laboratory

Abstract The decoration of ceramic tiles "ink-jet revolution" has brought significant advantages to tiles manufacturing, but the explosive diffusion, until 4–5 years ago, of this technique has not been accomplished by an adequate scientific research. Among all the features that have to be studied yet, one of the most important is the influence of the new generation inks on the total emission at ceramic chimneys. In this paper, we present a first characterization of emissions from a set of commercial inks and vehicles: they were collected by propter firing of samples in an electric kiln and analyzed by GC–MS. This study is part of a larger research project, which includes the chemical characterization and the evaluation of thermal behavior of inks and vehicles by TG-DTA and other techniques. The obtained results permit to divide common vehicles into 3 classes, depending on their thermal behavior and emissions pattern. Inks, most of which present an ester based formulation, sometimes mixed with glycols or paraffins, follow the behavior of their single components. The most common formulation leads to the presence in the emission pattern of evaporation products (2-ethylhexyl esters of lauric, myristic, decanoic and octanoic acids) and decomposition products (mainly aldehydes and 2-ethyl-1-hexanol)

Study of Black Core, ceramic tile’s defect, by a multi technique approach

The traditional ceramic industrial production, for most of its applications, i.e. Ceramic Tiles, Heavy Clay Products, Tableware and Sanitaryware, is often affected by the formation, during the firing process, of a dark color core, normally named “Black Core”, that can represent an aesthetical and technological problem. The true nature of this defect was never clearly stated, but it is known to be due to the presence of chromophores, like Iron, and organic or reducing materials, combined with a lack of permeability of the unfired body. A novel, mullti-approach study was made by XRD, XRF, SEM-EDS, FTIR and Mossbauer Spectroscopy, and by micro Raman spectroscopy and mapping, with the aim to clarify the morphology, the composition and the Iron oxidation state of this inner layer. Possible solutions were suggested, by the addition to the recipe of proper additives

A staged screening of registered drugs highlights remyelinating drug candidates for clinical trials

There is no treatment for the myelin loss in multiple sclerosis, ultimately resulting in the axonal degeneration that leads to the progressive phase of the disease. We established a multi-tiered platform for the sequential screening of drugs that could be repurposed as remyelinating agents. We screened a library of 2,000 compounds (mainly Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved compounds and natural products) for cellular metabolic activity on mouse oligodendrocyte precursors (OPC), identifying 42 molecules with significant stimulating effects. We then characterized the effects of these compounds on OPC proliferation and differentiation in mouse glial cultures, and on myelination and remyelination in organotypic cultures. Three molecules, edaravone, 5-methyl-7-methoxyisoflavone and lovastatin, gave positive results in all screening tiers. We validated the results by retesting independent stocks of the compounds, analyzing their purity, and performing dose-response curves. To identify the chemical features that may be modified to enhance the compounds' activity, we tested chemical analogs and identified, for edaravone, the functional groups that may be essential for its activity. Among the selected remyelinating candidates, edaravone appears to be of strong interest, also considering that this drug has been approved as a neuroprotective agent for acute ischemic stroke and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in Japan

Differentiation-dependent lysine 4 acetylation enhances MEF2C binding to DNA in skeletal muscle cells

Myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2) proteins play a key role in promoting the expression of muscle-specific genes in differentiated muscle cells. MEF2 activity is regulated by the association with several transcriptional co-factors and by post-translational modifications. In the present report, we provide evidence for a novel regulatory mechanism of MEF2C activity, which occurs at the onset of skeletal muscle differentiation and is based on Lys4 acetylation. This covalent modification results in the enhancement of MEF2C binding to DNA and chromatin. In particular, we report that the kinetic parameters of MEF2/DNA association change substantially upon induction of differentiation to give a more stable complex and that this effect is mediated by Lys4 acetylation. We also show that Lys4 acetylation plays a prominent role in the p300-dependent activation of MEF2C