Research news: about migraine, text comprehension, war history and supercapacitors

Research news give hints of some of the interesting studies conducted in different fields.

Social Sciences

How to teach children to understand a text?

When we try to develop children’s text comprehension and vocabulary, it is essential to recognise the role of reading interest in this process. Reading interest can be increased, for example, by means of interactive role play or word games, which activate children’s prior knowledge and bring a new meaning to reading. On the other hand, when teaching text comprehension, it is always necessary to consider the child’s age, interests and needs because otherwise their reading interest may decrease.

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Further information: Maile Käsper, author of the doctoral thesis “Supporting primary school students’ text comprehension and reading interest through teaching strategies”, maile.kasper@gmail.com

Medicine

Doctors need more support in managng migrane treatment

New therapies offer new opportunities in the management and research of clinical treatment for migraine, but also raise complex issues. A survey conducted by researchers showed that many doctors lack the confidence to deal with patients suffering from difficult-to-treat migraines. To better manage the treatment, they need clearer and more evidence-based guidelines, which would refer, among other things, to the available treatment options. 

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Further information: Mark Braschinsky, Lecturer in Neurology, mark.braschinsky@ut.ee

Arts and Humanities

Estonia’s development from the war-historical perspective

Recently, the UT Press published a voluminous collection of articles about Estonian war history, “Eesti sõjaajalugu. Valitud peatükke Vabadussõjast tänapäevani”, intended for all history-lovers. Through articles by renowned war historians, this unique book brings readers a lot of previously unknown sources and is richly illustrated with photos, maps and charts.

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Further information: Tõnu-Andrus Tannberg, Professor of Estonian History, tonu-andrus.tannberg@ut.ee

Science and Technology

Green micro-supercapacitors save the environment

In medical devices as well as in other applications, increasingly more attention is paid to electronic devices, batteries, capacitors etc. that are able to biodegrade at the end of their working life. Researchers have developed ultra-thin (thickness < 10 μm) capacitors based on natural-derived, biodegradable materials, like cellulose. To produce the capacitors, various printing technologies were combined. This production method enables, on the one hand, to make very small details, while on the other hand, the technology can be transferred to industrial mass production. The article was written in cooperation with the University of Tartu Institute of Technology and the University of Milan within the BIOACT project under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action.

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Further information: Kaija Põhako-Esko, Associate Professor of Materials Chemistry, kaija.pohako@ut.ee