Good English Pronunciation Users and their Pronunciation Learning Strategies

The study investigates pronunciation learning strategies (PLS) deployed by those with good English pronunciation, as well as their beliefs concerning the variables that affect pronunciation competence. In order to collect data for analysis this study surveyed 61 participants who had learned English as a foreign language. They comprised 28 higher education teachers and scholars specialising in English phonetics and phonology, who were defined as good pronunciation users (GPU), and 33 EFL teacher training students, viewed as average pronunciation learners (APL). This cohort responded to a survey on pronunciation learning strategies and expressed their views on several aspects affecting the L2 pronunciation learning process. These aspects were: age of the first contact with L2 (age of onset), motivation, exposure to the target language, the teacher’s pronunciation model, and learning strategies. The study used both open- and close-ended question formats to collect data from both GPU and APL. The analyses of the data helped to create a tentative profile of a successful L2 pronunciation learner

Work in rehabilitation of persons with disabilities in Poland: formal and legal conditions and reality pragmatics

In the article the materials of the Act on vocational and social rehabilitation and employment of persons with disabilities are presented by the author. An attention is paid to the definition of persons with disabilities and three degrees of disability (minor, moderate or severe). The author describes the situation of persons with disabilities in Poland, the centers for the disabled that were isolated from institutional and social life. New approach to the “work” in the context of rehabilitation to the persons with disabilities is presented in the article. Work is an important form of social rehabilitation as it introduces the disabled to the environment of healthy persons, integrates and socializes them with the society. A model of the social-vocational rehabilitation is analyzed in the given article. У статті представлені матеріали Акту з професійної та соціальної реабілітації та працевлаштування осіб з обмеженими можливостями. Представлено визначення осіб з обмеженими можливостями та три степені осіб з обмеженими можливостями. Автор описує ситуацію (положення) та центри для осіб з обмеженими можливостями у Польщі, які ізольовані від інституційного та соціального життя. У статті представлено новий підхід до працевлаштування осіб з обмеженими можливостями. Праця є важливою формою реабілітації осіб з обмеженими можливостями, оскільки вона вводить неповносправних в оточення здорових людей, інтегрує й соціалізує їх з суспільством. Модель соціально-професійної реабілітації описано у статті

Accelerated post-AGB evolution, initial-final mass relations, and the star-formation history of the Galactic bulge

We study the star-formation history of the Galactic bulge, as derived from the age distribution of the central stars of planetary nebulae that belong to this stellar population. The high resolution imaging and spectroscopic observations of 31 compact planetary nebulae are used to derive their central star masses. The Bloecker tracks with the cluster IFMR result in ages, which are unexpectedly young. We find that the Bloecker post-AGB tracks need to be accelerated by a factor of three to fit the local white dwarf masses. This acceleration extends the age distribution. We adjust the IFMR as a free parameter to map the central star ages on the full age range of bulge stellar populations. This fit requires a steeper IFMR than the cluster relation. We find a star-formation rate in the Galactic bulge, which is approximately constant between 3 and 10 Gyr ago. The result indicates that planetary nebulae are mainly associated with the younger and more metal-rich bulge populations. The constant rate of star-formation between 3 and 10 Gyr agrees with suggestions that the metal-rich component of the bulge is formed during an extended process, such as a bar interaction.Comment: accepted for publication in A&

Transnational families in the light of the practice-based approach

Today, international migration is one of the main factors that determine functioning of families. Transnational families and transnational parenting are becoming increasingly more common and have been gaining considerable interest of researchers and social practitioners. One perspective that may be useful for examining transnational families is the practice-based approach. The concepts put forward by Morgan and Finch (‘doing’ and ‘displaying’ family) help to analyse families not as structures, but as everyday practices which constitute them (Morgan) and which must be associated with a system of meanings to be displayed (Finch). In the article, the analysis of transnational family practices will focus on the ‘tools’ for displaying (Finch) that are characteristic of transnational family life, and it will be based on the results of Polish and international studies. The article will discuss the tools proposed by Finch, such as physical objects or the use of narratives, as well as the use of technology in communication and taking care of children, as these practices are specific to transnational families. Those ‘tools’ for displaying show that transnational families are flexible, they are constantly happening, and by being embedded in broader systems of meanings, they become acceptable

An advanced scattered moonlight model for Cerro Paranal

The largest natural source of light at night is the Moon, and it is the major contributor to the astronomical sky background. Being able to accurately predict the sky background, including scattered moonlight is important for scheduling astronomical observations. We have developed an improved scattered moonlight model, in which the components are computed with a better physical understanding as opposed to the simple empirical fit in the frequently used photometric model of Krisciunas & Schaefer (1991). Our spectroscopic model can better trace the spectral trends of scattered moonlight for any position of the Moon and target observation. This is the first scattered moonlight model that we know of which is this physical and versatile. We have incorporated an observed solar spectrum, accurate lunar albedo fit, and elaborate scattering and absorption calculations that include scattering off of molecules and aerosols. It was designed for Cerro Paranal, but can be modified for any location with known atmospheric properties. Throughout the optical range, the uncertainty is less than 20%. This advanced scattered moonlight model can predict the amount of scattered moonlight for any given geometry of the Moon and target, and lunar phase for the entire optical spectrum.Comment: 12 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication in A&

The effectiveness of brain metastases radiotherapy in patients with melanoma

Introduction. Melanoma gives rise to 7–13% brain metastases (MBM — melanoma brain metastases) and is ranked third leading cause of brain metastases. The prognosis of patients with MBM is poor, with a median survival time of 3–6 months. Assessment of the value and limitations of three prognostic scores used in patients with melanoma brain metastases (MBM) was presented in this paper. Material and methods. In 110 patients with MBM, we executed an analysis of prognostic factors. All patients were treated with radiotherapy: whole brain radiotherapy performed as a treatment method in combination with chemotherapy (14 patients — 12.7%), neurosurgery (12 patients — 10.9% or stereotactic radiosurgery (8 patients — 7.3%). Results. The median overall survival (OS) from diagnosis MBM was 4.8 months (95% CI 4.1–5.2 months). The analyses showed that the Karnofsky Performance Status and number of the MBM are independent significant prognostic factors. The analyses of OS, as a function of prognostic scores, showed that in the class with the best prognosis median OS was similar (7.2–10.7 months); and in the class with the worse prognosis median OS was also similar (range, 2.6–4.3 months). Conclusions. Our observations and data from literature showed that the presented scores can: distinguish classes of patients by prognosis before treatment, guide the choice of treatment methods and help design strategies for patient selection in clinical trials but they did not fully discriminate between unfavourable groups

Thylakoid Phosphorylation And Cell Morphology In The Antarctic Psychrophile, Chlamydomonas sp. UWO241

The unicellular green microalga, Chlamydomonas sp. UWO 241, was isolated from Lake Bonney, Antarctica. A unique characteristic of this algal strain is its inability to undergo state transitions combined with an altered thylakoid protein phosphorylation profile, which suggests the absence of LHCII phosphorylation, and preferential phosphorylation of a set of novel proteins. Examination of the unique phosphoproteins revealed that they are associated with a large pigment-protein supercomplex, which contains components of both photosystem I and the cytochrome b6/f complex and likely functions in cyclic electron flow (CEF). The absence of phosphorylation of LHCII proteins, associated with state transitions, was also investigated in UWO241. Although it was demonstrated that the Stt7 kinase involved in state transitions is present in the Antarctic psychrophile, minimal phosphorylation of minor LHCII polypeptides occurred due to the absence of 5/7 phosphorylation sites of Lhcb4 and Lhcb5, believed to play key roles during the transition from state I to state II. Therefore, it appears that UWO241 favours phosphorylation of a PSI-Cyt b6/f supercomplex to regulatePSI CEF rather than regulation of state transitions through the phosphorylation of LHCII proteins. UWO241 exists either as flagellated, single cells, or as non-motile, multicellular “palmelloids”. Interestingly, UWO241 cultures grown at 11°C exhibited nearly homogenous populations of single cells, while growth at 16°C induced a high ratio of palmelloids to single cells. A cell filtration technique was established to separate these morphological structures, and demonstrated that single cells and palmelloids of UWO241 exhibit structural and functional differences in photosynthetic activity

Researching pronunciation learning strategies: An overview and a critical look

Disparate goals that learners might have in learning second or foreign language pronunciation and the scant classroom time that can be dedicated to teaching this target language subsystem dictate that learner autonomy is of vital importance in this case and adept use of pronunciation learning strategies (PLS) can be viewed as key to the development of this attribute. Surprisingly, research on these strategies is scarce, mainly focusing on the identification and classification of PLS, diverse instruments are used for data collection and the findings are inconclusive. The paper provides an overview of the available research on PLS with respect to their identification, learners’ preferences concerning their use, factors mediating the application of PLS, and the effects of strategies-based instruction in this area. An attempt is also made to assess research of this kind and to suggest how it could be taken forward to provide insights that would be of value to practitioners

Creator’s freedom. Schulz’s late projects

The article discusses the idea of creation coined by authors descended from the same, Austro-Hungarian cultural field, by: Bruno Schulz, Joseph Roth and Gustav Meyrink. Austro-Hungarian Monarchy created its own mithology based on nostalgia for the World, which was consigning to the dark recesses of history. The authors, conscious of inefficiency of contemporary culture, used the idea of Demiurge to show one of possible creating ideas

Einsatzmöglichkeiten der Balanced Scorecard in mittelständischen (Fertigungs-)Unternehmen

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