Enhancing Language Skills and Fostering Perspective Transformation in Adult ESL Education: A Transformative Learning Approach

The objectives of this action research are to examine how a transformative learning approach in a university-level ESL setting improved the English language skills of two classes of 32 learners, and how this approach influenced their perspectives on a number of issues. Findings indicate that many learners experience significant gains in their English language abilities, increased self-confidence in English, and perspective shifts regarding the language learning process, other cultures, and a number of social issues

Gravitational Lensing Effects of Fermion-Fermion Stars: I. Strong Field Case

We investigate a two-component model for gravitational lenses, i.e., the fermion-fermion star as a dark matter self-gravitating system made from two kinds of fermions with different masses. We calculate the deflection angles varying from arcseconds to even degrees. There is one Einstein ring. In particular, we find three radial critical curves for radial magnifications and four or five images of a point source. These are different from the case of the one-component model such as the fermion stars and boson stars. This is due to the fermion-fermion star being a two-component concentric sphere. Our results suggest that any possible observations of the number of images more than 3 could imply a polytropic distribution of the mass inside the lens in the universe.Comment: 7 pages, LaTex and PostScript; 4 figures, PostScrip

Treatment with lamivudine versus lamivudine and thymosin alpha-1 for e antigen-positive chronic hepatitis B patients: a meta-analysis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Currently, there is no evidence on the combination of lamivudine and thymosin alpha-1 on chronic hepatitis B patients. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of lamivudine monotherapy with that of lamivudine and thymosin alpha-1 combination therapy for the treatment of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive hepatitis B patients.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We searched PUBMED (from 1966 onwards), EMBASE (from 1966), CBMdisk (Chinese Biomedical Database, from 1978), CNKI (National Knowledge Infrastructure, from 1980), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Eight trials (583 patients in total) were identified. The lamivudine and thymosin alpha-1 combination treatment was significantly superior to lamivudine treatment in terms of ALT normalization rate (80.2% vs. 68.8%, P = 0.01), virological response rate (84.7% vs. 74.9%, P = 0.002), and HBeAg seroconversion rate (45.1% vs. 15.2%, P < 0.00001).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Among HBeAg-positive patients, thymosin alpha-1 and lamivudine combination therapy may be more effective than lamivudine monotherapy, providing superior rates of biochemical response, virological response, and HBeAg seroconversion.</p