The application of Genre Theory to improve Academic English Writing Courses

The development of academic writing skills in English has recently become a global priority. However, these courses, where they exist at all, usually adopt an out-dated approach. This paper seeks to redress this by giving an example of a research program, where current linguistic theory was blended with an awareness of local conditions to good effect in terms of student outcomes. In this case what is known as genre theory was applied to the teaching of basic scientific report writing to final year science students at Pibulsongkram Rajabhat University. According to genre theory, as interpreted by the Australian School of Genre, it is argued that students will learn to write after first listening to and/or reading authentic samples of the target text type or genre. It is only then that they will see how the purpose of the text is conveyed in the overall organisation and features of the language. Thus the grammar and vocabulary are related to the meaning of the genre and not seen as isolated aspects. Finally this holistic approach helps students write their own text, something that is not usually possible with the separate sentence method most frequently used. The researcher, Dr Karmolnad Malakul, in developing this model compared two separate genrebased courses, one of which followed the genre theory more closely than the others. In both cases, however, students were advantaged by this new approach. Details and examples of how she analysed and taught the five micro-genres of the science report will be given, concluding with the optimistic view that this approach can be adapted for much wider use

Use of Chitosan and Its Derivative as Fungal (Aspergillus niger) Inhibitor on Poly (lactic) acid/ Sisal Biocomposite

บทคัดย่อปัจจุบันการใช้พลาสติกจำนวนมหาศาลประกอบกับการจัดการรีไซเคิลที่ไม่สมดุล ส่งผลให้พลาสติกกลายเป็นประเด็นปัญหาสิ่งแวดล้อมระดับโลก ไบโอคอมพอสิตหรือวัสดุเชิงประกอบฐานชีวภาพจึงเป็นวัสดุที่ได้รับการพัฒนาเพื่อมุ่งลดและแทนที่การใช้วัสดุเชิงประกอบฐานปิโตรเคมีและใยแก้ว อย่างไรก็ตาม ปัญหาในการพัฒนาไบโอคอมพอสิต คือ ความเข้ากันได้ระหว่างสารเติมแต่งที่มาจากชีวมวลกับเนื้อพื้นพอลิเมอร์ งานวิจัยครั้งนี้จึงมุ่งพัฒนาไบโอคอมพอสิตจากพอลิแล็กติกแอสิด (poly (lactic) acid, PLA) ซึ่งเป็นพลาสติกย่อยสลายได้ และเสริมแรงด้วยเส้นใยป่านศรนารายณ์ ซึ่งเป็นวัสดุชีวมวล และศึกษาการใช้ไคโตซานและอนุพันธ์ประเภทบิวไทเรตในการยับยั้งการเจริญของเชื้อรา โดยใช้เครื่องมือในการวิเคราะห์สมบัติทางความร้อน โครงสร้างและสัณฐานวิทยาของวัสดุไบโอคอมพอสิตที่เตรียมขึ้น ได้แก่ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) และ thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) ผลการศึกษาพบว่า การดัดแปรเส้นใยป่านศรนารายณ์และไคโตซานด้วยการทำปฏิกิริยาเอสเทอริฟิเคชั่น กับบิวไทริกแอนไฮไดรด์ ช่วยปรับปรุงความเข้ากันได้ระหว่างป่านศรนารายณ์ที่เติมเข้าไปกับเนื้อพื้น PLA ได้ดี เห็นได้จากภาพ SEM ทำให้อุณหภูมิการเกิดผลึก (Tc) เพิ่มขึ้น ในขณะที่ระดับความเป็นผลึก (%Xc) ลดลง หลังการทดสอบเพาะเชื้อ Aspergillus niger พบว่า ไบโอคอมพอสิตเกิดการเสื่อมสภาพเนื่องจากเอนไซม์ สังเกตได้จากการที่หมู่เอสเทอร์ของ PLA ลดลง แต่เกิดหมู่ไฮดรอกซิลขึ้นมาแทน ในขณะที่ไบโอคอมพอสิตที่เติมไคโตซานไม่มีหมู่ไฮดรอกซิลเกิดขึ้น จะเห็นได้ว่า ไคโตซานและอนุพันธ์บิวไทเรตไคโตซานมีผลในการยับยั้งการเจริญของเชื้อราบนวัสดุไบโอคอมพอสิต PLA/ ป่านศรนารายณ์คำสำคัญ: ไบโอคอมพอสิต วัสดุคอมพอสิตชีวภาพ พลาสติกย่อยสลายได้ทางชีวภาพ ไคโตซาน การยับยั้งเชื้อราABSTRACTPresently, massive plastic consumption and unbalanced recycle management lead us to an environmentally global issue. Biocomposite has been considered as beneficial material to reduce and replace typical glass fibre reinforced composite derived from petrochemicals. However, one major concern when developing biocomposite is compatibility between biomass-based reinforced filler and polymeric matrix. The objectives of this research were to develop a biocomposite composed of poly(lactic) acid (PLA), a biodegradable plastic, and biomass-based reinforced filler, sisal, and study the role of chitosan and its butyrate modified derivative as fungal inhibitors. Several techniques, such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were utilized to investigate the chemical structure, surface morphology, thermal and mechanical behaviour of PLA/sisal biocomposite. It is shown in SEM images that the modification of chitosan and sisal filler through butyric anhydride esterification, improves compatibility between sisal reinforced filler and PLA matrix, resulting in higher crystallization temperature (Tc), and lower %crystallinity (%Xc). After Aspergillus niger culture test, enzymatic degradation of biocomposite can be noticed from the reduction of ester group of PLA and the addition of hydroxyl group. However, the antifungal activities of all PLA/ sisal biocomposites with chitosan added are improved where no identical hydroxyl group is observed after the tests. As a result, chitosan and its butyrate modified derivative are effective antifungals for PLA/sisal biocomposite.Keywords: biocomposite, biodegradable plastic, chitosan, antifunga

Life-Cycle GHG Emissions of Cassava-Based Bioethanol Production

AbstractThis study aims to assess the life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of cassava ethanol production system focusing on utilization of biomass and biogas as energy sources in the steam production process. Scope of life cycle assessment is “cradle to gate” and the functional unit of this study is 1 liter of anhydrous ethanol produced. The use of biogas from wastewater treatment system for steam production greatly affects the GHG reduction. The GHG emissions of bioethanol plant that uses biogas from wastewater for steam production is 0.548 kg-CO2-eq/L-ethanol, while the bioethanol plant without biogas utilization is 1.031 kg-CO2-eq/L-ethanol. From the result, the utilization of biogas in steam production insignificantly reduce the GHG emission, if primary fuel in steam production is biomass. In contrast, using biomass such as wood chip and rice husk substitutes for fossil fuel as primary fuel in steam production greatly affects to GHG emission reduction (approximately 96% reduction compared to literature)

Relationship Between Knowledge on English Grammar and Vocabulary and the Ability to Translate Texts

The purpose of this research was to investigate 1) the relationship between the knowledge of grammatical structures and translation ability, 2) the relationship between the knowledge of vocabulary and translation ability, and 3) the relationship between the knowledge of grammatical structures and vocabulary, and the translation ability of Master of Arts students in the Program of Translation for Education and Business at King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok. The samples, selected using purposive sampling, were ten students in the aforementioned program in the Faculty of Applied Arts, in academic year 2015. The research instruments were multiple-choice grammar, multiple-choice vocabulary, and written translation tests. The statistical analyses employed were frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and simple and multiple regression analyses. The results showed that 1) the students’ knowledge of grammar had a positive relationship with their translation ability and could be used for the prediction of translation ability at 30.80 percent; 2) their knowledge of vocabulary had a positive relationship with translation ability and could be used for predicting their ability to translate at 24.70 percent; and 3) together, the students’ knowledge of grammar and vocabulary had a positive relationship with their translation ability and could be used to predict their ability to translate English texts at 29.10 percent. It was found that the score for the students’ knowledge of grammar was a more effective predictive score for their translation ability than their vocabulary score. However, there was only a slight difference between the ability to predict translation ability when using the students’ knowledge of grammar score alone and when using the scores for both grammatical and vocabulary knowledge together

Effect of surface-tailored biocompatible organoclay on the bioavailability and mineralization of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in long-term contaminated soil

A surface-tailored organoclay (palmitic acid-tailored Arquad®-modified bentonite, ABP) was prepared for the selective adsorption of cadmium in the presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contaminants in a long-term contaminated soil. The efficiency of the organoclay (ABP) and the effect of its parent clays were assessed concerning the microbial viability, metal immobilization and PAHs bioavailability and biodegradation in a long-term (70 days) soil incubation study. The surface-tailored organoclay (ABP) increased the bacterial growth by 5–7 fold than the control and parent clay-amended soil. With an increased effect of aging, the ABP immobilized more Cd from the soil solution (2-folds higher than the control soil), and simultaneously increased the bioavailability (1.6–1.8 fold) of low molecular weight PAHs related to the control soil and the parent clay-amended soils. The surface-tailored organoclay (ABP) could also increase the mineralization of 14C-labeled phenanthrene by ca. 1.3-fold relative to the control experiment under a 25-days of incubation

Treatment of mixed wastes using microbial and clay adsorbents.

Mixed wastes containing both heavy metals and hazardous organics generally defy efficient and economic treatment. While significant information has been established on specific ways to treat a particular waste species, less is known about systematic treatment of mixed waste streams. Microbiologically mediated processes can be attractive because they hold the possibility of reducing toxic organics to innocuous end products such as carbon dioxide and water. However, the application of microbial degradation process in mixed wastes described above may be constrained by the toxicity of heavy metals and bioavailability of target organic compound. Understanding these interactions of microbial degradation and metal adsorption processes would result in determining the best possible treatment scheme for mixed wastes. In this research, a model system comprising microbial degradation of polyaromatic compounds (naphthalene) in the presence of heavy metals such as cadmium has been developed to evaluate metal toxicity to the biodegradation and its reduction by the use of modified-clay complexes in comparison with unmodified clay and commercial chelating resin (Chelex 100). The toxicity of cadmium to naphthalene degradation by Pseudomonas putida ppo200 (NAH) was shown to be reduced significantly using modified-clay complex and Chelex resin. The degree of metal toxicity reduction was found to be related to the metal adsorption characteristics of the metal-chelating adsorbents such as adsorption capacity and selectivity. The bioavailability studies revealed that while adsorption of naphthalene onto the matrices of Chelex resin has led to limited availability of sorbed naphthalene to the degrading microorganism, there is less problems in the bioavailability of sorbed naphthalene on the modified-clay adsorbent. The thermodynamic analysis through the use of partial solubility parameters was developed to evaluate the sorbate-sorbent interactions and their influence on the bioavailability of sorbed organic compounds. Concurrently, the analysis on metal adsorption was performed in order to assess the metal toxicity reduction capability of the adsorbent using the design parameter derived from its metal adsorption characteristics. Based on the results obtained from these analyses, the design criteria of the adsorbent for mixed wastes treatment were developed.Ph.D.Applied SciencesChemical engineeringEnvironmental engineeringUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/132193/2/9959813.pd

Exploring the use of a genre-based approach to teach scientific report writing to Thai EFL undergraduates

Although science undergraduates in Thailand need to acquire English report writing skills, many in their final year are unable to describe even their own experiments in a clear, acceptable style. This study, therefore, set out to discover how the theory and practice associated with the Australian School of Genre could be used to create a report writing course, which would be viable with the Thai context. After careful examination of both the theoretical and actual conditions relating to the teaching of written English to undergraduates, a compromise position was adopted, wherein two genre-based courses were designed, taught and compared. In both the Australian School\u27s approach was modified to suit the context with the more innovative experimental group, Mode X, following a course which was closer to the theoretical positions than the more traditional control group, Mode Y