Linguistic landscape as a powerful teaching resource in English for Specific Purposes

The study explores the integration of linguistic landscapes into English for Specific Purposes (ESP) instruction within the context of contemporary Serbia, aiming to expand language awareness, lingua-pragmatic competence, and critical thinking among learners. Against the backdrop of Anglo-globalisation, the study seeks to establish a model applicable to foreign language teaching, with a focus on language contacts and their impact on the linguistic landscape. The research employs a comprehensive sociolinguistic analysis of the linguistic landscape in Serbia, investigating the anglicisation of official names of entities such as companies, shops, and agencies. The study scrutinises the corpus of linguistic landscapes to identify patterns and socio-linguistic phenomena, developing a model for integrating these landscapes into ESP instruction. The methodology encompasses qualitative and quantitative analyses, drawing on language data and sociolinguistic observations. The key research questions concern the identification of distinctive features within the sociolinguistic landscape of contemporary Serbia, particularly in relation to English language influences, the effective utilisation of linguistic landscapes as a teaching resource in ESP courses to cultivate language awareness and lingua-pragmatic competence, and the implications that the incorporation of linguistic landscapes has on cultivating critical thinking regarding language contacts in the broader sociolinguistic context. The research has identified significant instances of anglicisation in the linguistic landscape of Serbia, having highlighted the pervasive influence of English in specialised fields and popular language culture. The model proposed for ESP instruction has demonstrated the potential of linguistic landscapes in enhancing language competencies, language awareness, and creative thinking among learners. The findings suggest that linguistic landscapes serve as a valuable resource for language educators, particularly in ESP contexts as they provide a dynamic platform for language instruction. Incorporating linguistic landscapes can contribute to preserving language standards, addressing the challenges posed by language contacts, and nurturing critical thinking skills among learners. The study’s model offers a paradigm applicable to teaching various foreign languages, promoting a better understanding of language influences in the contemporary multilingual world

Species Peculiarities of Weeds in Terms of Heavy Metal Accumulation

Control over the accumulation of heavy metals (HM) in agrophytocenoses is an urgent environmental problem. An obligatory component of all field agrophytocenoses are various agrobiological groups of weeds. The purpose of this work was to study the features of HM accumulation in the weed component of agrophytocenoses. The study was carried out in agrophytocenoses of the Yaroslavl region, represented by winter and spring crops, legumes, corn, industrial crops, and a wide variety of weeds. According to the data of the route survey of crops in the Yaroslavl region, the weediness of agricultural plants was 31–101 pieces per square meter. Weeds differed in the content of HMs: by 5.8 times for Zn; more than 14 times for Cd and Pb; and about 6 times for Cu. Dandelion medicinal and creeping wheatgrass expressed the barrier function of the roots in relation to all of the studied elements. The contribution of weeds to the general elimination of trace elements and heavy metals by plants of agrophytocenoses is insignificant. Keywords: weeds, heavy metals, trace elements, barrier function of root

The content of polyphenols in low-growing apple rootstocks depending on the type of soil in Central Russia

Field studies were carried out in 2017-2021. in horticultural farms of Central Russia. We analyzed 11 varieties of apple trees in four seasons (winter, spring, summer, autumn) for the content of polyphenols in the rootstocks of apple trees - dwarf 62-396, semi-dwarf 54-118 and dwarf PB-9, grown on 7 types of soil: floodplain granular, floodplain layered , podzolized chernozem, leached chernozem, meadow-chernozem, gray forest and sod-podzolic soil. It was found that of all the organs of cultivated varieties of apple trees, the largest amount of polyphenols is concentrated in 1-2-year-old shoots. The highest concentration of flavonols in the shoots of all studied rootstocks and catechins in the shoots of rootstock 54-118 was when growing on the most low-fertile soddy-podzolic soil. It was found that the content of flavonols in apple shoots is less affected by the weather conditions of the year than the content of catechins. The content of catechins in the annual shoots of the apple tree is an unstable variable indicator. Its value may increase or decrease by 5.4-12.0 times during the first two years. Of the three apple tree rootstocks, the largest amount of flavonols was noted in shoots 62-396, and catechins - in shoots 54-118. It was found that with an increase in the proportion of fine dust and physical sand and a decrease in the proportion of medium dust in the soil, the content of flavonols in the shoots of the dwarf apple rootstock 62-396 increases, the less medium dust in the soil, the more flavonols are contained in the shoots of the semi-dwarf apple rootstock 54-118. With an increase in the content of medium dust in the soil, the content of catechins increases in the shoots of the dwarf rootstock of the PB-9 apple tree. It was proposed that the accumulation of flavonols in the annual shoots of apple rootstocks should be considered as an adaptation to a decrease in soil fertility

Ecological and geochemical assessment of woody vegetation along the highways of Moscow

The accumulation of heavy metals (HM) in the leaves of woody plants has been studied on busy municipal highways in North-Eastern (NEAD) and South-Western (SWAD) administrative districts of Moscow. Background contents and their exceeding values for Fe, Sr, Ba, Cr, Cu, Mn, Zn, Bi, Ni, Pb were determined. The study showed that among the dominant deciduous tree species, hanging birch, Norway maple, and small-leaved linden have a high ability to accumulate heavy metals, which are characterized by the accumulation of such elements as Zn, Mn, Sr. According to content of HM in the leaves for the studied territories, an acceptable category of pollution and a greater contribution of the technogenic component is observed in SWAD in comparison with NEAD

Analysis of Interactions Occurring during the Pyrolysis of Lignocellulosic Biomass

This paper presents a review of the recent advances in research on the interactions between the components of lignocellulosic biomass. The literature reports on the effects of interaction between lignocellulosic biomass components, such as cellulose–lignin, lignin–hemicellulose, and hemicellulose–cellulose, were discussed. The results obtained by other researchers were analyzed from the viewpoint of the interactions between the pyrolysis products formed along with the impact effects of the organic and inorganic components present or added to the biomass with regard to the yield and composition of the pyrolysis products. Disagreements about some statements were noted along with the lack of an unequivocal opinion about the directivity of interactions occurring during biomass pyrolysis. Based on the data in the scientific literature, it was suggested that the course of the pyrolysis process of biomass blends can be appropriately directed by changes in the ratio of basic biomass components or by additions of inorganic or organic substances

The Influence of Coal Tar Pitches on Thermal Behaviour of a High-Volatile Bituminous Polish Coal

The influence of three coal tar pitches (CTPs), having softening points at 86, 94, and 103 °C, on the thermal behaviour of a defrosted high-volatile coal during co-carbonization and co-pyrolysis was studied. The following research techniques were used: X-raying of the coked charge, TG/FT-IR, ATR and UV spectroscopies, extraction, SEM, STEM, and XRD. It was determined that CTP additives change the structure of the coal plastic layer, the thickness of its zones, and the ordering degree of the structure of semi-cokes to a different extent and independently from their softening points. The softening points of CTPs do not influence the composition and yield of volatile products emitted from blends with pitch as well as the composition, structural-chemical parameters, and topological structure of material extracted from coal blends. It is suggested that such a lack of existence of any correlation between the softening points of CTPs and the degree of their influence on the thermal behaviour of coal was caused by the presence of the atoms of metals (Fe and Zn) in the CTPs. These atoms change the course of the carbonization of the CTPs themselves and their influence on organic substance of coal in blends with CTPs

The Influence of Freezing on the Course of Carbonization and Pyrolysis of a Bituminous High-Volatile Coal

The course of thermal behavior of a fresh bituminous high-volatile coal during carbonization and pyrolysis was compared to that of this coal thawed after storage. The research was carried out using the following techniques: X-raying, thermogravimetry/Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (TG/FT-IR), extraction, Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform Spectroscopes (DRIFT), Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR), and SEM. The increase in range of the viscous-liquid state and a decrease in temperature of its appearance were stated along with the formation of a more compact residue at the re-solidification stagtablee for the thawed coal during its carbonization. There is a fourfold reduction in the charge volume. The leakage of bitumen that contains 87 At % of C atoms from swollen grains and a fourfold increase in the yield of the material extracted from these grains are the proof of a greater plasticization of thawed coal. During the pyrolysis of thawed coal, the yield in volatile products of pyrolysis increases, and the composition of these products changes. The contribution ratio of saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons, CO2, alcohols, and phenols decreases in the composition of volatile products of thawed coal. It is suggested that the use of freezing during the storage of a freshly mined coal that has a poorer caking ability can improve its plasticization during carbonization

Influence of Densification on the Pyrolytic Behavior of Agricultural Biomass Waste and the Characteristics of Pyrolysis Products

TG/FT-IR techniques, UV-spectroscopy, microwave extraction, XRD and SEM were used to study how densification of the three types of agricultural biomass wastes (wheat straw, soft wood, and sunflower husk) changes the composition and structure of their pyrolysis products. It was determined that densification changes the composition of volatile products of pyrolysis at the temperature of 420 °C: sunflower husk emits 4.9 times less saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons and 1.9 times less compounds with carbonyl group; soft wood emits 1.8 times more saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons and compounds with carbonyl groups and 1.3 times more alcohols and phenols; and wheat straw emits 2 times more compounds with carbonyl groups. These changes are probably caused by the differences in interaction of formed volatiles with the surface of chars. These differences can be caused by distinct places of cumulation of inorganic components in the densified samples. In the densified char, the inorganics cumulate on the surface of sunflower husk whereas for wheat straw they cumulate inside the sample. In the case of soft wood, the inorganics cumulate both inside and on the surface. The decreased contribution of hydrocarbons in volatiles can be connected with the morphology of nano-particles formed in inorganics

Analysis of the Pyrolytic Behaviour of Birch, Maple, and Rowan Leaves

A research study was conducted on the thermal behaviour of leaves of urban greenery (birch, maple, and rowan) and the products of their pyrolysis and extraction as assisted by microwaves. The obtained products of pyrolysis and extraction were investigated with the use of FT-IR and UV spectroscopies and XRD techniques. A contractive analysis of samples of chars, condensates, after-extraction residue, and extracts showed that the changes in structural-chemical parameters of leaves of different types of trees during pyrolysis and extraction take place in distinct ways. About 22% of material was removed from birch leaves during extraction, and more than 17% of material was extracted from maple and rowan leaves. It was determined that, during pyrolysis of after-extraction residue of leaves, many fewer PAH compounds with carbonyl groups along with alcohols and phenols are emitted than during pyrolysis of non-extracted leaves. Taking into account that pyrolysis is the first stage of combustion, a decrease in the amount of dangerous compounds in the volatile products of pyrolysis leads to a lower contribution of such compounds in combustion products. This indicates that leaves of urban greenery can be subjected to combustion after extraction, and the obtained extracts can be used as a source of phytochemicals and chemical reagents

The content of polyphenols in low-growing apple rootstocks depending on the type of soil in Central Russia

Field studies were carried out in 2017-2021. in horticultural farms of Central Russia. We analyzed 11 varieties of apple trees in four seasons (winter, spring, summer, autumn) for the content of polyphenols in the rootstocks of apple trees - dwarf 62-396, semi-dwarf 54-118 and dwarf PB-9, grown on 7 types of soil: floodplain granular, floodplain layered , podzolized chernozem, leached chernozem, meadow-chernozem, gray forest and sod-podzolic soil. It was found that of all the organs of cultivated varieties of apple trees, the largest amount of polyphenols is concentrated in 1-2-year-old shoots. The highest concentration of flavonols in the shoots of all studied rootstocks and catechins in the shoots of rootstock 54-118 was when growing on the most low-fertile soddy-podzolic soil. It was found that the content of flavonols in apple shoots is less affected by the weather conditions of the year than the content of catechins. The content of catechins in the annual shoots of the apple tree is an unstable variable indicator. Its value may increase or decrease by 5.4-12.0 times during the first two years. Of the three apple tree rootstocks, the largest amount of flavonols was noted in shoots 62-396, and catechins - in shoots 54-118. It was found that with an increase in the proportion of fine dust and physical sand and a decrease in the proportion of medium dust in the soil, the content of flavonols in the shoots of the dwarf apple rootstock 62-396 increases, the less medium dust in the soil, the more flavonols are contained in the shoots of the semi-dwarf apple rootstock 54-118. With an increase in the content of medium dust in the soil, the content of catechins increases in the shoots of the dwarf rootstock of the PB-9 apple tree. It was proposed that the accumulation of flavonols in the annual shoots of apple rootstocks should be considered as an adaptation to a decrease in soil fertility