A Corpus-based Approach to Language Learning

The use of corpus linguistics (CL) tools and methods has been shown to be of great help in fostering language learning. As argued by Aston (2000), language pedagogy has started to plan and create corpora to fit its own principles and address its own needs. Most studies focus on classroom activities based on concordances and lexical/grammatical analyses carried out on corpora (McEnery et al. 2006). To date, CL has often been combined with teaching specific topics to carry out text and discourse analyses, and data-driven learning (Friginal 2018). Therefore, it is important to further investigate the use of corpora as a valuable resource for language education. This work is testimony to the usefulness of corpus linguistics and corpus-based analyses for pedagogical purposes, while encouraging students to explore language autonomously and draw their own conclusions and considerations. Indeed, this paper outlines how CL can help learners, with different levels of language proficiency, approach English for Specific Purposes using authentic and concrete examples, and simultaneously lead them to develop new skills which may be integrated within their field of study. The case study occurred in a distance learning context with first-year students majoring in Data Science and Business Analytics at the University of Calabria. The main objective was to enhance students’ motivation while improving their English competences using statistical analyses and corpus tools to investigate data retrieved from the social network Instagram and related to the topic of climate change. In particular, hands-on activities allowed students to create their own corpora, analyze language use through the corpus analysis toolkit AntConc (3.5.8), and carry out topic framing. Students’ final projects were then discussed at the oral exam

Cooperation and development for academic language skills in the university context

Abstract This paper analyses the learning process of students of a Master's course in Cooperation and Development (C&D) who attend classes in English for Academic Writing at the University of Calabria, and their awareness of competences achieved. The language objectives are to expand students' knowledge of the main elements of spoken and written discourse in English in academic contexts with focus on specialized language in the fields of C&D. The study evaluates the ability of students to improve their competences and assess their language development using the self-assessment grid of academic language competences included in the European Language Portfolio created at the Università della Calabria, Italy. Specifically, this version of the ELP focuses on academic language and contains descriptors aimed at evaluating learners' language competences in academic contexts. A group of 25 students participated in this didactic experience, in the second semester of the academic year 2018. Students' oral production, interaction and academic writing skills were monitored. For the written examination students were required to write a Research Proposal (RP) showing competence in text cohesion and content coherence, appropriate use of terminology and accurate use of language structures. Following on from the acceptance of the RP, students delivered an oral presentation on the topic presented, showing ability in answering questions and expressing opinions on issues presented by other students. The concepts of autonomous learning are crucial in order to monitor students' improvement and commitment. A contrastive analysis of data from students' first self-assessment to the final evaluation of competences achieved by the end of the academic year was conducted

New Genetic Findings in Schizophrenia: Is there Still Room for the Dopamine Hypothesis of Schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia is a highly heritable disorder, but the identification of specific genes has proven to be a difficult endeavor. Genes involved in the dopaminergic system are considered to be major candidates since the “dopamine hypothesis” of impairment in dopaminergic neurotransmission is one of the most widely accepted hypotheses of the etiology of schizophrenia. The overall findings from candidate studies do provide some support for the “dopamine hypothesis.” However, results from the first systematic genome-wide association (GWA) studies have implicated variants within ZNF804A, NRGN, TCF4, and variants in the MHC region on chromosome 6p22.1. Although these genes may not immediately impact on dopaminergic neurotransmission, it remains possible that downstream impairments in dopaminergic function are caused. Furthermore, only a very small fraction of all truly associated genetic variants have been detected and many more associated variants will be identified in the future by GWA studies and alternative approaches. The results of these studies may allow a more comprehensive re-evaluation of the dopamine hypothesis

METHODOLOGICAL DISCUSSION AND PILOTING OF LCA-BASED ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS FOR PRODUCT STAGE ASSESSMENT OF BRAZILIAN BUILDINGS

The International Energy Agency (IEA)’s Annex 57 was established to advance on evaluation of embodied energy and GHG emissions for building construction. Its activities include recommendation of common calculation methods and disclosure of regional benchmarks. Process-based, input-output or hybrid life cycle assessment (LCA) can support such calculations. Identification of the major products that describe key building typologies plays a strategic role in the tasks of streamlining indicators’ monitoring scope and LCI data gathering in contexts with little LCA practice consolidation. Given these motivations and backdrops, our main goals are (i) to calculate a selected set of LCA-based indicators to synthetically describe environmental performance of construction products for three functionally equivalent case studies; (ii) to detect the major contributors to embodied energy (EE) and emissions (EGWP); and (iii) to examine the implications of considering embodied CO2 versus total GHG emissions. The selected metrics include – besides EE and EGWP targeted by Annex 57 – the blue water footprint (bWF), non-renewable primary material consumption (NRc) and volatile organic compounds (VOC) emissions. Production cycle modeling used previously collected national data, as well as secondary data extracted from national and international literature or adapted from international databases whenever considered as reasonably similar to Brazilian processes. EE and EGWP results were calculated using the Cumulative Energy Demand (CED) method and the CML 2001 baseline v. 2.05 method, respectively, and are presented for the top contributing products. NRc, bWF and VOC calculations were directly derived from the inventories and discussed in more detail for cement and concrete. Around 80% of the total embodied energy was related to seven construction products, while four of them also responded for around 80% of embodied GWP. Enlarging the database to encompass ten core products would increase coverage to over 93%. For cement and concrete, partial replacement of clinker by ground granulated blast furnace slag brought substantial reductions in the calculated values for all indicators but bWF, which unveils the effect of the water-intensive granulation process. Further research is expected to advance in LCI development and validation to enable the use of life cycle-based metrics to support decision-making within the national building sector

O TRABALHO ANÁLOGO AO DE ESCRAVO COMO VIOLAÇÃO À FUNÇÃO SOCIAL DO CONTRATO DE TRABALHO

O objetivo deste estudo é, a partir da compreensão da natureza contratual da relação de trabalho, aplicar a ela o arcabouço normativo pertinente, tanto constitucional quanto civilista, em particular a noção de função social, para classificar o trabalho em condições análogas à de escravo como uma violação desta. Trata-se de pesquisa qualitativa, eminentemente bibliográfica, tendo sido utilizado o método hipotético dedutivo para testar a hipótese inicial, de que o trabalho escravo é uma violação à função social do contrato de trabalho, confirmando-a

O TRABALHO ANÁLOGO AO DE ESCRAVO COMO VIOLAÇÃO À FUNÇÃO SOCIAL DO CONTRATO DE TRABALHO

O objetivo deste estudo é, a partir da compreensão da natureza contratual da relação de trabalho, aplicar a ela o arcabouço normativo pertinente, tanto constitucional quanto civilista, em particular a noção de função social, para classificar o trabalho em condições análogas à de escravo como uma violação desta. Trata-se de pesquisa qualitativa, eminentemente bibliográfica, tendo sido utilizado o método hipotético dedutivo para testar a hipótese inicial, de que o trabalho escravo é uma violação à função social do contrato de trabalho, confirmando-a

Aspectos da migração ao regime de previdência complementar no âmbito do RPPS

Divulgação dos SUMÁRIOS das obras recentemente incorporadas ao acervo da Biblioteca Ministro Oscar Saraiva do STJ. Em respeito à Lei de Direitos Autorais, não disponibilizamos a obra na íntegra.Localização na estante: 351.84(81) A839

Patterns and Variation in English Language Discourse

The publication is reviewed post-conference proceedings from the international 9th Brno Conference on Linguistics Studies in English, held on 16–17 September 2021 and organised by the Faculty of Education, Masaryk University in Brno. The papers revolve around the themes of patterns and variation in specialised discourses (namely the media, academic, business, tourism, educational and learner discourses), effective interaction between the addressor and addressees and the current trends and development in specialised discourses. The principal methodological perspectives are the comparative approach involving discourses in English and another language, critical and corpus analysis, as well as identification of pragmatic strategies and appropriate rhetorical means. The authors of papers are researchers from the Czech Republic, Italy, Luxembourg, Serbia and Georgia

Biliary Peritonitis in a Dog after Perforation of the Gallbladder during Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

Background: Iatrogenic gallbladder perforation during laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is a common complication and occurs in at least one third of human patients undergoing LC. This is attributed to the fragility of the gallbladder wall associated with mucocele and cholecystitis, in addition to the need for repetitive gripping and traction of the gallbladder during its manipulation with laparoscopic instruments. As complications from this event are rare in human patients, conversion to laparotomy is not routinely indicated and the adverse consequences of bile spillage are minimized by abundant irrigation of the peritoneal cavity and adequate antimicrobial therapy. On the other hand, there is little information regarding the outcome of laparoscopic management of this complication in laparoscopic cholecystectomies in dogs, particularly since most surgeons indicate conversion in these cases. Thus, we describe a case of biliary peritonitis that developed in a dog after laparoscopic management of iatrogenic perforation of the gallbladder during a laparoscopic cholecystectomy, in a case of gallbladder mucocele. To the best of our knowledge, there are no reports of biliary peritonitis following laparoscopic management of iatrogenic gallbladder perforation during LC in dogs. Case: A 14-year-old Poodle was referred for clinical evaluation with selective appetite, recurrent episodes of hyporexia, and abdominal discomfort. Ultrasound findings characterized chronic liver disease and gallbladder mucocele. The patient was referred for laparoscopic cholecystectomy, during which the gallbladder was iatrogenically perforated, with extravasation of a large volume of bile content. This complication was managed by copious abdominal irrigation via laparoscopic access and antimicrobial therapy. On the second postoperative day, the patient started to present apathy, hyporexia, emesis, and jaundice. The patient remained hospitalized in the intensive care unit for stabilization and monitoring through hematological examinations and serial abdominal ultrasound. Due to progressive worsening of the clinical picture, an exploratory laparotomy was performed ten days after the initial surgical procedure. This examination showed multiple adhesions and the presence of bile residues adhered to numerous points on the peritoneal surface. Despite the intensive treatment instituted, death occurred 10 h after the second surgical procedure. Discussion: The high risk of gallbladder perforation during laparoscopic cholecystectomies correlates with the dissection step or repetitive grasping and traction of the gallbladder with laparoscopic instruments. Conversion is not routinely indicated and laparoscopic management is considered effective in humans. However, in this case, the presence of a large volume of extravasated semisolid bile content and its adherence to the mesothelial surface made it impossible to remove it in its entirety despite the abundant irrigation of the abdominal cavity, resulting in a picture of biliary peritonitis in the postoperative period. In view of the reported negative outcome, the authors encourage the adoption of measures that minimize the risk of gallbladder perforation when performing LC in dogs. These include the use of atraumatic instruments or aspiration of bile content before surgical manipulation. Cases in which such a complication is recorded should be carefully monitored to enable early diagnosis and treatment of biliary peritonitis. Furthermore, conversion should be considered when there is extravasation of large volumes of bile, particularly in the presence of gallbladder mucocele, until future studies establish the safety and effectiveness of laparoscopic management of this complication. Keywords: gallbladder mucocele, minimally invasive surgery, laparoscopic cholecystectomy, dogs

Impact distribution methods’ use in multifunctional Life Cycle Assessments: a systematic literature review

Partitioning loads related to multifunctional processes, which generate more than one product or service (i.e. function), is a controversial issue within life cycle assessment (LCA). ISO 14044:2006 suggests a hierarchic stepwise procedure. The first step is to avoid allocation whenever possible, through (i) subdividing the multifunctional process into unitary sub-processes with one specific function; or (ii) expanding the system boundaries to include the additional functions related to by-product(s). The second step determines that the system’s inputs and outputs must be allocated based on a fundamental physical relationship between products. When one is unable to identify such physical relationship, flows must be partitioned as to reflect other relations between products, such as their economic value. This paper aims to delineate a scientific overview of the impact distribution methods’ use within LCA practice from 2006 to 2016. Authors performed a systematic literature review and documented methods’ choice frequency within studies published in the considered time frame. Results revealed a lack of consensus among LCA practitioners. Most papers adopt the avoided burden approach (equivalent to system expansion), while the first step proposed in ISO 14044’s hierarchy (subdivision) was actually the least used method. Our examination confirmed that the impact division problem is typically solved by substantially diverging from ISO’s theoretical framework, which suggests both an opportunity for reflection and a reformulation need