An integrative Raman microscopy-based workflow for rapid in situ analysis of microalgal lipid bodies

Additional file 1. Schematic diagram of Raman imaging technique

Exploring teachers\u27 beliefs regarding the concepts of culture and intercultural communicative competence in EFL Palestinian university context: A case study

This study explores Palestinian university teachers\u27 beliefs regarding the concepts of culture and intercultural communicative competence (ICC) and the impact of their perception on classroom teaching practices. The study argues that in the age of globalization, spread of English as a lingua franca, and growing opportunities of intercultural communication, the focus on linguistic competence or literary competence may not be adequate to enable Palestinian university students to use English communicatively and interculturally. Further, the current objectives of teaching English as a foreign language (EFL), which seem to exclude the cultural/intercultural dimension, can be expanded through integrating ICC into English language classes. Using a case study of one of the leading Palestinian Universities, the study explores the aforementioned assumptions and investigates teachers\u27 beliefs regarding the concepts of culture and ICC in the Palestinian university context. Analyzing data from interviews, observations, and documents, the study reveals that EFL Palestinian participants perceived culture as a way of life that comprises a shared system of values, beliefs, ways of thinking, and behaviors. To them, language and culture are interwoven components, and without culture, language acquisition might be difficult to achieve. Additionally, ICC was perceived as the ability to communicate with people from other cultures through gaining cultural knowledge about English /American culture and promoting personality traits. Data analyses disclose that the linguistic competence had the upper hand in classroom teaching practices, and that the target culture(s) was used as a background to assist language learning. However, ICC was absent in EFL Palestinian university classes, and it was perceived, to some extent, as an equivalent to communicative competence. The study concludes with sets of recommendations to local Palestinian English departments, teachers, international textbooks designers, and future research

Exploring Teachers’ Beliefs Regarding The Concepts Of Culture And Intercultural Communicative Competence In EFL Palestinian University Context: A Case Study

This study explores Palestinian university teachers\u27 beliefs regarding the concepts of culture and intercultural communicative competence (ICC) and the impact of their perception on classroom teaching practices. The study argues that in the age of globalization, spread of English as a lingua franca , and growing opportunities of intercultural communication, the focus on linguistic competence or literary competence may not be adequate to enable Palestinian university students to use English communicatively and interculturally. Further, the current objectives of teaching English as a foreign language (EFL), which seem to exclude the cultural/intercultural dimension, can be expanded through integrating ICC into English language classes. Using a case study of one of the leading Palestinian Universities, the study explores the aforementioned assumptions and investigates teachers\u27 beliefs regarding the concepts of culture and ICC in the Palestinian university context. Analyzing data from interviews, observations, and documents, the study reveals that EFL Palestinian participants perceived culture as a way of life that comprises a shared system of values, beliefs, ways of thinking, and behaviors. To them, language and culture are interwoven components, and without culture, language acquisition might be difficult to achieve. Additionally, ICC was perceived as the ability to communicate with people from other cultures through gaining cultural knowledge about English /American culture and promoting personality traits. Data analyses disclose that the linguistic competence had the upper hand in classroom teaching practices, and that the target culture(s) was used as a background to assist language learning. However, ICC was absent in EFL Palestinian university classes, and it was perceived, to some extent, as an equivalent to communicative competence. The study concludes with sets of recommendations to local Palestinian English departments, teachers, international textbooks designers, and future research

كشف البعد الثقافي في سياق تدريس اللغة الإنجليزية لغة أجنبية في الجامعات الفلسطينية

This paper explored teachers' beliefs regarding the concept of culture in the Palestinian university English as a foreign language (EFL) context. Using a qualitative case study of a leading university in Palestine, the research investigates how teachers' perceptions of culture impact their cultural goals and classroom practices. Analyzing data from multiple sources (e.g., interviews, observations, and instruction materials), the study revealed that Palestinian EFL teachers perceived culture as a way of life that comprises a shared system of values, beliefs, ways of thinking, and behaviours. Language and culture were regarded as interwoven, and without culture language acquisition might be difficult to achieve. EFL teachers identified various goals for teaching target culture(s), including developing students' cognitive competence, effective communication skills, and personal growth. Teaching culture in EFL classes was also seen as promoting openness, tolerance, and respect for other cultures. The study also revealed that linguistic competence had the upper hand in classroom teaching practices, and that the target culture(s) were used as a background to assist language learning.الملخص : : يهدف هذا البحث الى كشف تصورات مدرسي اللغة الانجليزية في الجامعات الفلسطينية عن مفهوم الثقافة وأهدافها و أثرها في الممارسات الصفية. فبعد تحليل بيانات من مصادر مختلفة (المقابلات ، الملاحظات، تحليل المواد التعليمية)، تبين ان تصور الثقافة لدى المعلمين هي طريقة حياة تشتمل على نظام مشترك من القيم و المعتقدات وطرق التفكير والسلوكيات، كذلك نظروا الى أن تطوير الكفاءة المعرفية ومهارات الاتصال الفعال ونمو الشخصية و تعزيز الانفتاح و التسامح واحترام الآخر هي أهم الأهداف الثقافية المرجوة، وهذا من شأنه رفع الكفاءة اللغوية التي حظيت بالنصيب الأوفر من عملية التدريس

The legal status of Palestinian refugees and their access to selected key rights: Egypt as a case study

reservedThe thesis examines the legal status of Palestinians in three countries; Egypt. It highlights different challenges and varying treatments. The thesis then tries to explore the impact of the legal status on accessing or impeding access to certain Key rights for Palestinians.The thesis examines the legal status of Palestinians in three countries; Egypt. It highlights different challenges and varying treatments. The thesis then tries to explore the impact of the legal status on accessing or impeding access to certain Key rights for Palestinians

Evaluation of chemopreventive potential of Strobilanthes crispus against colon cancer formation in vitro and in vivo

Background: With cancer being one of the major causes of death around the world, studies are ongoing to find new chemotherapeutic leads. There are common mechanisms for colorectal cancer (CRC) formation. Several are connected with oxidative stress-induced cell apoptosis and others are related to imbalanced homeostasis or intake of drugs/toxins. Plants that have been used for decades in folk and traditional medicine have been accepted as one of the commonest sources of discovered natural agents of cancer chemotherapy and chemoprevention. The aim was to study the antioxidant and chemopreventive effects of Strobilanthes crispus on colorectal cancer formation. Methods: Five groups of rats were injected subcutaneously with AOM, 15 mg/kg body weight, each once weekly for 2 weeks. The cancer group was continued on 10 % Tween-20 feeding for 8 weeks. The standard drug group was continued on 35 mg/kg 5-fluorouracil intraperitoneal injection twice a week for 8 weeks, and the experimental groups were continued on 250 and 500 mg/kg S. crispus extract oral feeding for 8 weeks, respectively. The normal group was injected subcutaneously with normal saline once a week for 2 weeks, followed by oral administration of 10 % Tween-20 for 8 weeks. All the rats were sacrificed after 10 weeks. The colons were evaluated grossly and histopathologically for aberrant crypt foci (ACF). Gene expression was performed for Bax, Bcl2, Defa24, Slc24a3, and APC genes by real-time PCR. S. crispus and its fractions were evaluated for their chemopreventive effects against human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line HT29 and cytotoxicity for normal human colon epithelial cell line CCD 841, and the active fraction was assessed for its components. Results: We observed significant decrease in total colonic ACF formation, malonaldehyde (MDA) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), increase in superoxide dismutase (SOD), up-regulation of APC, Bax and Slc24a3, and down-regulation of Defa24 and Bcl-2 in rats treated with Strobilanthes crispus. Conclusion: Our results support the in vivo protection of S. crispus against CRC formation (azoxymethane-induced aberrant crypt foci) and suggest that the mechanism is highly specific to protect from oxidative insults and the following apoptotic cascade

Data from: Whole genome resequencing reveals extensive natural variation in the model green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

We performed whole-genome resequencing of 12 field isolates and eight commonly studied laboratory strains of the model organism Chlamydomonas reinhardtii to characterize genomic diversity and provide a resource for studies of natural variation. Our data support previous observations that Chlamydomonas is among the most diverse eukaryotic species. Nucleotide diversity is ∼3% and is geographically structured in North America with some evidence of admixture among sampling locales. Examination of predicted loss-of-function mutations in field isolates indicates conservation of genes associated with core cellular functions, while genes in large gene families and poorly characterized genes show a greater incidence of major effect mutations. De novo assembly of unmapped reads recovered genes in the field isolates that are absent from the CC-503 assembly. The laboratory reference strains show a genomic pattern of polymorphism consistent with their origin as the recombinant progeny of a diploid zygospore. Large duplications or amplifications are a prominent feature of laboratory strains and appear to have originated under laboratory culture. Extensive natural variation offers a new source of genetic diversity for studies of Chlamydomonas, including naturally occurring alleles that may prove useful in studies of gene function and the dissection of quantitative genetic traits