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The practice of English as a medium for learning academic subjects in academic settings is becoming more popular all over the world. However, its application in music in countries where English is not the first language is controversial. Indeed, English Medium Instruction (EMI) is growing promptly in various territories such as the Middle East and North Africa as a part of internationalization. The application of EMI plays a crucial role in improving learners’ English skills and subject matter which can also affect learners’ achievement. The most important predictor of learners’ performance and success is self-efficacy which is also a relevant concept in the area of music performance. Although self-efficacy is significant, its contribution to music learning and academic accomplishment in EMI courses seems critical. Indeed, it should be taken into consideration as it is in direct relation to learners’ academic achievement. As a result, the main objective of this review is to inspect the contribution of self-efficacy to music students’ academic achievement in a context where English is used as the medium of instruction. In a nutshell, the current paper ends up with some suggestions and recommendations to be used by teaching participants in scholastic situations.
 

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The use of chlorophyll fluorescence (ChlF) technique was evaluated on nondestructive measurement of sugar content during fruit development. Multivariate models, principal component analysis (PCA), and partial least-squares regression (PLSR), were developed for the classification and prediction of fructose, glucose, and sucrose in fig fruits. The results of this study showed a significant correlation between fluorescence parameters and sugar content during fruit development. The PCA-ChlF can be used as a fast screening method for discriminating the degree of maturity based on sugar content. In addition, the root mean squared error (RMSE) and coefficient of determination (R²) of PLSR-ChlF for predicting sugar content were 2.01 g 100 g^-1 DW and 0.96 for fructose, 1.03 g 100 g^-1 DW and 0.99 for glucose, and 0.17 g 100 g^-1 DW and 1.00 for sucrose, respectively. Therefore, ChlF combined with chemometrics may be a potential tool to nondestructively evaluate sugar accumulation in not only fig fruits, but also any other chlorophyll-containing fruit during development.

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Students’ engagement in classroom activities has been at the center of attention these days that affect learners’ success, mental health and alternatively, their disengagement impacts their achievement and may also affect their future professional well-being. Motivation is another important contributor to success in education, which is also in line with engagement. Likewise, demotivation has been a concentration point of instructional research; yet, it has not obtained much concentration in the realm of language acquisition. Indeed, English as Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ demotivation has an essential role in hindering their learning in the English language learning classroom. The level of these two concepts, namely disengagement and demotivation is influenced by different factors in students and as far as EFL teaching is concerned, one of these factors is school climate which is deemed as a predictor of academic success. Indeed, the learning climate has been attracting the attention of researchers for decades given that this construct improves or prevents student achievement and poor mental health. Nevertheless, its contribution to mitigating learners’ demotivation and disengagement has not been scrutinized yet. Accordingly, this review presents the power of the learning climate where EFL students are learning a language and its role in students’ demotivation and disengagement. Subsequently, this is followed by giving some implications for EFL teachers, school authorities, and researchers.

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Zinc has previously been reported to alleviate salinity stress in plants. In this study, we monitored various biomass and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters to determine the optimum zinc sulfate concentration that can be used as foliar spray to alleviate salinity stress in Glycine soja. The plants subjected to a series of salinity levels (NaCl concentration of 0, 100, 200, and 300 mmol L^-1), applied via the nutrient solution, were sprayed with different concentrations of zinc sulfate (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 µmol L^-1). The results showed that the biomass and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters of seedlings were significantly affected by salt stress (P < 0.05). However, zinc sulfate sprays helped the plants to cope with the stress condition. The zinc sulfate concentrations that helped G. soja to cope with the salinity stress of 100, 200, and 300 mmol L^-1 were 15 to 20, 15 to 20, and 10 to 20 µmol L^-1, respectively. Lower zinc concentration was ineffective in alleviating stress and higher zinc concentration inhibited plant growth because of toxicological damage to plants. The zinc sulfate spray of 15 µmol L^-1 was found to be the most appropriate at all salinity stress levels. The growth measurements such as true leaves part and dry weight of total seedlings were in agreement with the chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, indicating a visible enhancement of leaf photosynthetic activity at 10-20 µmol L^-1 zinc concentrations.

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Taxus chinensis var. mairei is a rare and endangered medicinal plant species distributed in China. In order to promote fast propagation and preserve the natural resources, conditions for in vitro germination and seedling development of embryos of T. chinensis var. mairei from Anhui or Zhejiang were investigated. Results showed that in vitro germination rate of excised embryos cultured under 14 hours photoperiod was higher than that in darkness. But, nearly all embryos germinated under 14 hours photoperiod failed to develop into seedlings. Comparatively, 23.3 and 36.3% of embryos from Anhui and Zhejiang, respectively, which germinated in darkness, developed into full seedlings. Addition of plant growth regulators [gibberellic acid(GA₃), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), 6-benzylaminopurine (BA)] and organic additives (casein hydrolysate and yeast extract) in mediums promoted germination and seedling development. (Woody plant medium) WPM  medium supplemented with 0.5 mg L^-1 GA₃, 0.5 mg L^-1 IAA, 0.5 mg L^-1 BA and 1 g L^-1 activated charcoal was optimal for the culture of embryos from Anhui, while WPM medium supplemented with 0.5 mg L^-1 GA₃, 500 mg L^-1 casein hydrolysate and 1 g L^-1 activated charcoal was optimum for embryos from Zhejiang. Moreover, the germination and seedling survival rate of embryos of T. chinensis var. mairei decreased with increasing maturity of the seeds. In conclusion, darkness during germination is necessary for subsequent seedling development and immature seeds are optimal for embryo culture of this species.

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 The fruit set rate and yield of pear are commonly low due to insufficient pollination, as the species is unattractive to honeybees. To improve honeybee foraging behavior for the pollination of Dangshan pear (Pyrus bretschneideri cv. dangshansuli), nine methods were used to attract bees. A control treatment of colonies was fed with normal sugar syrup, while six other treatments were fed using sugar syrup mixed with Pear syrup, Gallic acid, Arginine (Arg), Lysine (Lys), Methionine (Met), or 8-Br-cGMP; plates containing Juvenile Hormone analog ZR-512, Brood Pheromone (BP), and Queen Mandibular Gland Pheromone (QMP) were placed inside the hives of another three treatments. Pollination efficacy was compared using the pollen load weight and quantity of foraging bees. The peak time of pear pollen gathering was 10:00–11:00 regardless of treatment. The pear pollen load weight per day was increased by all nine treatments. Pear pollen load weight per day was 49.11 g in the control. The QMP treatment yielded the heaviest pear pollen load weight per day (77.56 g), followed by the 8-Br-cGMP (64.45 g) and BP treatments (64.20 g). The percentages of pear pollen weight and quantity in the total pollen per day were both highest in the BP treatment (80.23%, 87.27%), followed by those in the QMP (79.32%, 86.74%) and Lys treatments (76.25%, 85.81%). In conclusion, BP was the most effective treatment for improving honeybee pollination behavior in the pear orchard, while other treatments, including Arg, Lys, 8-Br-cGMP, ZR-512, and QMP, could also be useful.