University students' academic vocabulary development through mobile-assisted learning: Exploring the impacts on receptive and productive knowledge.

This study explored the effectiveness of mobile-assisted vocabulary learning through digital flashcards on receptive and productive aspects of academic vocabulary knowledge among Iranian EFL university students. In a quasi-experimental design, 86 participants were divided into three groups: a digital flashcard group (DFs), a traditional paper flashcard (PFs) group, and a control group using word lists, to assess the impact of these methods on vocabulary acquisition over five weeks. The findings revealed that students utilizing DFs exhibited significant improvements in both receptive and productive vocabulary knowledge compared to those using PFs and the control method. Notably, the increase in receptive vocabulary was more substantial than in productive vocabulary, highlighting the differential effects of DFs on various aspects of vocabulary learning. This finding underscores the need for targeted strategies to enhance productive aspects of academic vocabulary specifically. The study supports the integration of DFs into English for Academic Purposes (EAP) programs to leverage their potential in boosting vocabulary acquisition effectively. However, the lesser gains in productive vocabulary suggest the necessity for complementary instructional methods, which focus on more active vocabulary learning tasks. Based on these findings, the study argues that mobile-assisted vocabulary learning should be considered a practical strategy for supporting academic vocabulary development among university students.

Healthy eating behaviors and food consumption frequencies of retail workers.

BACKGROUND: Retail workers comprise millions of people, but little is known about their eating behaviors and food consumption patterns. OBJECTIVE: To examine the healthy eating behaviors and food consumption frequencies of retail workers in shopping malls. METHODS: The sample of this descriptive study consisted of 385 retail employees working in ready-made garment stores of shopping malls in Istanbul (42% of those eligible). A descriptive information form, the nutrition subscale of the Health-promoting Lifestyle Profile (HPLP), and the Food Consumption Frequency Survey were used as data collection tools. RESULTS: It was determined that more than half of the participants skipped breakfast and other meals and consumed fast food and packaged and acidic drinks five to six days a week. The mean score of the participants on the HPLP-nutrition subscale was determined to be 11.79±3.29. CONCLUSIONS: The retail workers in shopping malls were found to have insufficient healthy eating behaviors, a low frequency of healthy food consumption, and a high level of fast-food consumption. Maintaining healthy eating habits is crucial for the health of employees. It is necessary for workplaces to take steps to help their employees become aware of and practice healthy eating. Workplaces should also be encouraged to provide healthy food options for their employees.

Designing a pedagogical framework for mobile-assisted language learning.

With the high penetration of mobile devices and wide coverage of wireless networks, mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) has been widely utilized to enhance language teaching and learning. However, the integration of MALL into language pedagogy has been hampered by a lack of a cohesive and unified framework for MALL pedagogy. Most of the existing frameworks were not specifically designed for language pedagogy and failed to balance the technological and pedagogical dimensions of MALL pedagogy. This study sought to promote the incorporation of MALL and tertiary EFL pedagogy by designing a pedagogical framework for MALL (PF4M) using design-based research (DBR) as the overarching research methodology. The DBR investigation adopted a mixed research approach, incorporating systematic review, expert survey, thematic analysis, and expert review. The resulting PF4M is anticipated to aid in the integration of MALL into language pedagogy by offering practical and theoretical guidance for effective teaching and learning. The findings may also suggest future directions for pedagogical innovations in MALL.

Chinese college students collaborative mobile-assisted language learning experience and flow as a key factor for further adoption.

Introduction: In recent years, the widespread shift toward online learning in higher education has led to a notable increase in the utilization of collaborative mobile-assisted language learning (MALL). However, the efficacy and implementation of MALL in college settings remain subjects of ongoing scholarly debate. To gain deeper insights into the experiences of Chinese college students with collaborative MALL and investigate factors that may influence their intentions for further adoption, this study proposed a comprehensive model that integrates the updated Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and flow theory. Methods: The model aimed to assess the relationship between flow and various antecedents, including perceived cost, social influences, perceived mobility, collaboration, and knowledge sharing, which shape students' intentions to adopt collaborative MALL. A survey was conducted among a sample of 831 students from 32 provinces and autonomous regions. Results: The data analysis revealed that while 73% of participants reported having experienced collaborative MALL, overall adoption levels among Chinese college students are still in its initiative stage of adoption. Furthermore, variations were observed in the experiences of students from different majors and level of education. Importantly, the assessment of the proposed Mobile Collaborative Language Learning (MCLL) Model demonstrated the significant role of flow in predicting the adoption of collaborative MALL among Chinese college students. Discussion: The study concludes with suggestions for future research opportunities based on the research findings, aiming to enhance our understanding and application of collaborative MALL in higher education contexts.

Human Exposure to Non-Ionizing Radiation from Indoor Distributed Antenna System: Shopping Mall Measurement Analysis.

It is crucial to monitor the levels of Non-Ionizing Radiation (NIR) to which the general population may be exposed and compare them to the limits defined in the current standards, in view of the rapid rise of communication services and the prospects of a connected society. A high number of people visits shopping malls and since these locations usually have several indoor antennas close to the public, it is therefore a kind of place that must be evaluated. Thus, this work presents measurements of the electric field in a shopping mall located in Natal, Brazil. We proposed a set of six measurement points, following two criteria: places with great the flow of people and the presence of one or more Distributed Antenna System (DAS), co-sited or not with WiFi access points. Results are presented and discussed in terms of the distance to DAS (conditions: near and far) and flow density of people in the mall (scenarios: low and high number of people). The highest peaks of electric field measured were 1.96 and 3.26 V/m, respectively corresponding to 5% and 8% of the limits defined by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) and the Brazilian National Telecommunication Agency (ANATEL).

How Instagram as a MALL tool impacts EAP learners' technical vocabulary learning and perceptions in an electronic context.

Mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) technology and the link it creates with language education domains made researchers interested in the plausible effects of MALL tools on English for academic purposes (EAP) students' language development. Likewise, this study investigated the effect of Instagram as a MALL tool on technical vocabulary knowledge of Iranian EAP university students (physical education major) in an electronic course conducted via Adobe Connect as well as their perceptions and attitudes toward Instagram. In a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental research design, 60 EAP university students at the intermediate level were randomly assigned to a control group and an experimental group who practiced technical vocabulary in physical education via different tasks on Instagram. Both groups participated in an online pretest and posttest of technical vocabulary, yet only the experimental group completed a questionnaire about their perceptions and attitudes toward Instagram. The repeated-measures two-way ANOVA on the test scores indicated that the experimental group outperformed the control group in learning technical vocabulary. Further, analysis of the responses to the questionnaire revealed positive perceptions and attitudes toward Instagram as a supplementary MALL tool for learning technical vocabulary. The findings encourage EAP instructors to use Instagram as an accessible MALL application to share their teaching materials with learners.

What's old is new again: The anatomical studies of Franklin P. Mall and the fascial-interstitial spaces.

Franklin Mall was one of the foremost scientists of the turn of the 19th century, an exemplary mentor as well as researcher, and his revolutionary contributions are still relevant today. Mall's early training in Leipzig with Wilhelm His and Carl Ludwig provided him with an unusual perspective on the integration of anatomy and physiology, and his interest in the links between structure and function guided the work he carried out after joining the faculty of the new Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Mall carried out innovative studies on the one hand using dye injection to trace blood and lymphatic supplies to different organs and on the other hand using "putrefaction" to digest tissues and study the organization of the reticular space, demonstrating that it was the underlying source of support for all the organs. These two studies of Mall's, carried out independently, provide the basis for modern studies integrating the understanding of fascia and interstitial spaces.

Role of small RNAs harbored by sperm in embryonic development and offspring phenotype.

BACKGROUND: RNA harbored by mammalian sperm is increasingly considered to be an additional source of paternal hereditary information, beyond DNA. Recent studies have demonstrated the role of sperm small noncoding RNAs (sncRNAs) in modulating early embryonic development and offspring phenotype. The biogenesis of the sperm sRNA payload of mammalian sperm has been explored in many studies. AIMS: To summarize the possible mechanisms underpinning sperm sncRNAs regulating embryonic development and offspring phenotypes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PubMed database (papers published from 2002 to 2022) was searched for studies reporting the impact of sperm sncRNAs on early embryonic development and offspring phenotype. RESULTS: The sncRNAs categories and source (such as tRNA-derived small RNAs, ribosomal RNA-derived small RNAs, microRNAs, and PIWI-interacting RNAs), and RNA modification upon different types of environmental exposure or by paternally-acquired factors were summarized. The potential mechanisms whereby the modifications of sperm sncRNAs modulate embryonic development and offspring phenotype under normal and pathological conditions (such as obesity, altered glucose metabolism, and psychological stress) were discussed. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Sperm sncRNAs modulate embryo development and offspring phenotype, and the resulting modifications may be transgenerationally inherited.

Single-Use System Integrity IV: A Holistic Approach Based on Compiled Scientific Study Data.

This concluding article of the publication series provides an overarching summary of all study results presented in the three previous articles (1-3). Their interdependency in achieving a holistic approach to the integrity assurance of single-use systems (SUSs) employed in (bio)pharmaceutical manufacturing is finally illustrated. Two of those three studies were conducted to understand microbial ingress and liquid leak mechanisms in polymeric film material as determinants of the maximum allowable leakage limit (MALL) for SUSs using artificially created defects. The third study characterized gas flow through these defects-an essential variable for robust validation of physical integrity test methodologies based on gas flow. In all studies, the test samples used were 50 mm round patches of two ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) multilayer films (300 µm and 360 µm thick) and a polyethylene (PE) multilayer film (400 µm thick). More than 1400 test samples with artificially created leaks were used in sizes ranging from 1 µm to 130 µm. The leaks were laser-drilled into the center of each patch. Microbial ingress and liquid leak testing under various process conditions resulted in a MALL of 2 µm for microbial integrity and the prevention of liquid leakages under most severe use-case conditions. The studies also demonstrated a close relationship between the occurrence of liquid leakage and microbial contamination. Different model solutions were used to evaluate the impact of liquid characteristics, mainly surface tension. The data were applied to build mathematical models for predicting the MALL under any intended use-case condition. By characterizing gas flow behavior over a broad pressure range using various defect sizes, it was possible to create formulas for three different flow regimes. These were suitable for calculating leak size in a defective product directly from the corresponding flow rate or vice versa. Finally, compilation of these different aspects enabled the authors to design and validate non-destructive physical integrity test methods having detection limits correlated to the MALL for SUSs.

Evaluating the influence of service quality, hedonic, and utilitarian value on shopper's behavioral intentions in urban shopping malls during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Shopping malls are subjected to a lot of changes during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in the Philippines. The objective of the study was to evaluate the influence of service quality, hedonic, and utilitarian value of malls on shopping mall goers' behavioral intentions during the COVID-19 pandemic. SERVQUAL five dimensions were utilized to represent the service quality aspect, while utilitarian and hedonic values are used to embody the shopping mall values among Filipino citizens. Additionally, we included convenience and social experience as part of our model, to which relationships were assessed toward the utilitarian and hedonic shopping mall values, respectively. An online survey was distributed and collected 519 valid responses among Filipino shopping mall goers. Using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), results showed that for service quality aspect, tangibles, empathy, and assurance had significant effects on shopper's shopping mall satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic. On the other hand, both shopping mall values present positive effects on shopper's satisfaction on which utilitarian value gave the strongest influence in the overall model, followed by the hedonic value. Convenience and social experience also showed positive effects on utilitarian and hedonic values, respectively. The utilized extended framework from SERVQUAL dimensions and hedonic and utilitarian values to measure satisfaction and behavioral intentions was seen to be applicable to measure human behavior and lifestyle studies. Overall, the satisfaction from both service quality and shopping mall values aspect strongly influences shoppers' behavioral intention in going to the mall.

Mobile assisted language learning in learning English through social networking tools: An account of Instagram feed-based tasks on learning grammar and attitude among English as a foreign language learners.

Advancement of social media in the modern era provides a good incentive for researchers to unleash the potential of social networking (SN) tools in order to improve education. Despite the significant role of social media in affecting second/foreign language (L2) learning processes, few empirical studies have tried to find out how Instagram feed-based tasks affect learning grammar structure. To fill this lacuna of research, the current study set forth to delve into the influence of Instagram feed-based tasks on learning grammar among English as a foreign language (EFL) learners. In so doing, a sample of 84 intermediate EFL learners were randomly divided into experimental and control groups. The learners in the control group received regular online instruction via webinar platforms. In contrast, the learners in the experimental group were exposed to Instagram feed-based tasks. Data inspection applying one-way ANCOVA indicated that the learners in the experimental group outperformed their counterparts in the control group. The results highlighted the significant contributions of Instagram feed-based tasks in fostering learning grammar. Furthermore, EFL learners' positive attitudes toward using Instagram Feed-based Tasks in Learning Grammar was concluded. The implications of this study may redound to the benefits of language learners, teachers, curriculum designers, as well as policy makers in providing opportunities for further practice of Instagram feed-based tasks in language learning and teaching.

Fostering EFL learners' motivation, anxiety, and self-efficacy through computer-assisted language learning- and mobile-assisted language learning-based instructions.

In the literature, a mass of studies have inspected the effects of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) and mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) on Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners' achievement. However, the effects of CALL and MALL on psychological factors, such as motivation, anxiety, and self-efficacy, have largely remained unexplored. Thus, this study explored the effects of CALL and MALL, and face-to-face (FTF) learning environments on Iranian EFL learners' motivation, anxiety, and self-efficacy. To this aim, using a random sampling method, a total of 137 male EFL intermediate learners were selected and homogenized using the Oxford Quick Placement Test (OQPT). Based on the test scores, a total of 90 EFL learners were selected and randomly assigned to three groups, namely, CALL (n = 30), MALL (n = 30), and FTF (n = 30). Then, the participants' motivation, anxiety, and self-efficacy were gauged prior to the instructions. Afterward, they received CALL-based, MALL-based, and conventional instructions which lasted 25 1-h sessions held twice a week. At the end of the instructions, the participants' motivation, anxiety, and self-efficacy were measured again. The collected data were analyzed through a one-way MANOVA. Findings evidenced that the experimental groups' motivation, anxiety, and self-efficacy were positively affected by the CALL-based and MALL-based instructions. However, there was not a statistically significant difference between the CALL group and MALL group concerning the gains of motivation, anxiety, and self-efficacy. In light of the findings, a range of implications is suggested for relevant stakeholders.

Toward Technology-Based Education and English as a Foreign Language Motivation: A Review of Literature.

This review examined the studies on the role of technology-based English as a foreign language (EFL) academic motivation. A significant positive correlation between academic motivation and educational technology use has been approved in related studies. However, there is a dire need for studying the effect of Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL) and Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) on learners' motivation. The literature showed that purposeful attractiveness, effectiveness, and usefulness of digital instruments can positively affect learner motivation. There are also some reasons for increasing learner motivation in educational technology contexts, such as learners' integration with the community, familiarising with different societies and cultures, input flooding opportunities, engagement in academic contexts, and interaction with native speakers. In the end, the paedagogical implications are expounded to promote the learners' grit and diminish anxiety for better performance. This review also provides suggestions for further research to clarify our perspective on emotional variables like motivation.

A High-Precision Method for Segmentation and Recognition of Shopping Mall Plans.

Most studies on map segmentation and recognition are focused on architectural floor plans, while there are very few analyses of shopping mall plans. The objective of the work is to accurately segment and recognize the shopping mall plan, obtaining location and semantic information for each room via segmentation and recognition. This work can be used in other applications such as indoor robot navigation, building area and location analysis, and three-dimensional reconstruction. First, we identify and match the catalog of a mall floor plan to obtain matching text, and then we use the two-stage region growth method we proposed to segment the preprocessed floor plan. The room number is then obtained by sending each segmented room section to an OCR (optical character recognition) system for identification. Finally, the system retrieves the matching text to match the room number in order to obtain the room name, and outputs the needed room location and semantic information. It is considered a successful detection when a room region can be successfully segmented and identified. The proposed method is evaluated on a dataset including 1340 rooms. Experimental results show that the accuracy of room segmentation is 92.54%, and the accuracy of room recognition is 90.56%. The total detection accuracy is 83.81%.

Mesenteric lipoma with small bowel volvulus: A rare cause of upper gastrointestinal obstruction (a case report and literature review).

INTRODUCTION: Small bowel volvulus due to mesenteric lipoma is a rare clinical entity. It poses both a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. Small bowel mesenteric lipoma is a rare cause of small bowel obstruction. We present the case of a patient admitted to our emergency department for a small bowel volvulus due to a mesenteric lipoma with small intestine obstruction. PATIENT AND METHOD: A 61 years old man, with diabetes since 25 years with antidiabetics oral medication, vaccinated against Covid 19 (two doses) who presented with peri-umbilical pain for two months, constipation and melaena, complicated 3 days before his admission by obstructive symptoms and vomiting with apyrexia and overall health state alteration. The physical examination noticed abdomen distension and the abdominal CT scan revealed a large fatty mass of the hypochondrium and left flank, roughly oval with regular borders, well limited measuring 124 × 86 mm of height of 126 mm thought to be a liposarcoma. The patient underwent enbloc resection of 20 cm of small bowel with the mass and end to end anastomosis of the ileo-ileum. The postoperative course was uneventful and he was been discharged from hospital on day 5. DISCUSSION: Mesenteric lipomas are diagnosed incidentally after laparoscopy or laparatomy. Ultrasound shows a well defined homogenous echogenic mass, and so can distinguish it from a mesenteric cyst. Computed Tomography (CT) is the standard imaging of diagnosis and shows homogenous tumor of adipose tissue. The treatment is surgery and the prognosis is better. CONCLUSION: The mesenteric is an uncommon location of lipoma. When there is small bowel obstruction with intra-abdominal mass, the mesenteric lipoma could be recalled.

Single-Use System Integrity III: Gas Flow Rate through Laser-Drilled Microchannels in Polymeric Film Material.

This study investigated the gas flow mechanism through microchannels in a flexible single-use packaging system composed of multilayer plastic film. The relationship was studied between the gas flow rate and several parameters, which included the differential pressure as an external parameter and channel geometries as internal parameters. Based on the results of this study, empirical formulas were derived that show the different dependency of the parameters for each gas flow regime. It was found that these formulas are suitable for calculating the size of a leak in a defective product directly from the corresponding flow rate. The test samples used were 50 mm patches of an ethylene vinyl acetate multilayer film (300 µm and 360 µm thick) and a polyethylene multilayer film (400 µm thick). Artificial leaks in a range of sizes from 2 µm to 100 µm were laser drilled into the center of each patch. The patches were assembled in a filter holder to form a leak-tight seal and were mounted on the test setup. The test setup included the flow measurement device and the pressure controller that used compressed air to produce a certain differential pressure. Various differential pressures were applied to each test unit to cover the whole range of desired use-case conditions. To understand and interpret the effect of the physics and geometry of the microchannels on flow rate measurement, the microscopic investigations performed in our previous study were used. All measurements were carried out under laboratory temperature conditions of 20°C.

Radiofrequency Exposure Levels from Mobile Phone Base Stations in Outdoor Environments and an Underground Shopping Mall in Japan.

Recent progress in wireless technologies has made human exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) increasingly complex. The situation can increase public concerns related to possible health effects due to EMF exposure. Monitoring EMF exposure levels and characterizing them are indispensable for risk communications of human exposure to EMFs. From this background, a project on the acquisition, accumulation, and applications of EMF exposure monitoring data in Japan was started in 2019. One of the objectives of this project is to obtain a comprehensive picture of EMF exposure in actual daily lives. In 2019 and 2020, we measured the electric field (E-field) strength from mainly mobile phone base stations in the same areas as those in measurements conducted in 2006 and 2007 by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), Japan, and compared the data to investigate the time-course of the EMF environment. The number of measured points was 100 (10 × 10 grids) in an area of 1 km × 1 km in two urban and two suburban areas, and that in an underground shopping mall was 158. This large-scale study is the first in Japan. As a result, we found that the measured E-field strengths tended to be higher in 2019 and 2020 than those in 2006 and 2007, especially in the mall. However, the median ratios to the Japanese radio wave protection guideline values for urban areas and malls are lower than -40 dB.

Ira Remsen, Osler, the Flexner Report, and the full-time plan.

A famous letter from Sir William Osler to Ira Remsen, dated September 1, 1911, concerns Osler's objections to the full-time plan, whereby clinical professors should focus on research and abstain from private practice. Previous accounts of this well-known episode make little or no mention of the recipient other than his being president of the Johns Hopkins University. Remsen, in retrospect, was uniquely positioned to champion ideas advanced by Abraham Flexner, the General Education Board of the Rockefeller Foundation, and some of Osler's former colleagues at Johns Hopkins, notably William H. Welch. Remsen had previously expressed the need for Hopkins to advance science-based medicine; he had introduced Abraham Flexner to the Carnegie Foundation (which led to the Flexner Report); and he appears to have been the first US-born person to possess both a medical degree and a doctorate in basic science. Caught in the middle of a faculty controversy, Remsen chose not to pursue the matter further for reasons that included a passive administrative style, concerns about his health, and friendship with Osler.

Enhancing shopping experiences in smart retailing.

The retailing market has undergone a paradigm-shift in the last decades, departing from its traditional form of shopping in brick-and-mortar stores towards online shopping and the establishment of shopping malls. As a result, "small" independent retailers operating in urban environments have suffered a substantial reduction of their turnover. This situation could be presumably reversed if retailers were to establish business "alliances" targeting economies of scale and engage themselves in providing innovative digital services. The SMARTBUY ecosystem realizes the concept of a "distributed shopping mall", which allows retailers to join forces and unite in a large commercial coalition that generates added value for both retailers and customers. Along this line, the SMARTBUY ecosystem offers several novel features: (i) inventory management of centralized products and services, (ii) geo-located marketing of products and services, (iii) location-based search for products offered by neighboring retailers, and (iv) personalized recommendations for purchasing products derived by an innovative recommendation system. SMARTBUY materializes a blended retailing paradigm which combines the benefits of online shopping with the attractiveness of traditional shopping in brick-and-mortar stores. This article provides an overview of the main architectural components and functional aspects of the SMARTBUY ecosystem. Then, it reports the main findings derived from a 12 months-long pilot execution of SMARTBUY across four European cities and discusses the key technology acceptance factors when deploying alike business alliances.