CHINESE HIGH-PERFORMING UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ SELF-EFFICACY AND SELF-PRIDE IN LEARNING ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

Background and Purpose: Both self-efficacy and self-pride play an important role in second/foreign language learning. Yet, they have seldom been researched simultaneously in the same context in relation to language learning. The current study aimed to examine Chinese high-performing university students’ English learning self-efficacy and self-pride and their predictive effects on the students’ English performance.   Methodology: 520 Chinese high-performing university students completed the 5-item Self-Pride Scale, the 3-item English Learning Self-Efficacy Scale and a background questionnaire, 14 of whom were interviewed.   Findings: Major findings were: a) the participants generally had a high level of English learning self-efficacy and self-pride, b) female students had significantly greater English learning self-efficacy and self-pride, c) English learning self-efficacy was significantly positively correlated with self-pride, d) both English learning self-efficacy and self-pride were significantly positively correlated with and predicted the students’ English performance, and e) the participants identified several causes for their English learning self-efficacy and self-pride.   Contributions: This study was one of the few that explored the relationship between English learning self-efficacy and self-pride and their predictive effects on students’ English performance. The findings thus provide insights for developing self-efficacy and self-pride in students to improve their learning of a second/foreign language.   Key words: Self-efficacy, self-pride, English performance.   Cite as: Liu, M., & Liu, J. (2024). Chinese high-performing university students’ self-efficacy and self-pride in learning English as a foreign language. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 9(2), 420-440. http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol9iss2pp420-44

The positive almost periodic solution for Nicholson-type delay systems with linear harvesting terms

AbstractIn this paper, we study the existence and exponential convergence of positive almost periodic solutions for a class of Nicholson-type delay system with linear harvesting terms. Under appropriate conditions, we establish some criteria to ensure that the solutions of this system converge locally exponentially to a positive almost periodic solution. Moreover, we give an example to illustrate our main results

The beneficial pharmacological effects of Uncaria rhynchophylla in neurodegenerative diseases: focus on alkaloids

With the intensification of aging population, the prevention or treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease, has drawn more and more attention. As a long used traditional Chinese medicine, Uncaria rhynchophylla (Miq.) Jacks., named Gouteng in Chinese, has been reported to have an effective neuroprotective role in neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, the beneficial pharmacological effects and signaling pathways of herbal formulas containing U. rhynchophylla, especially major compounds identified from U. rhynchophylla, such as corynoxine B, corynoxine, rhynchophylline, and isorhynchophylline, in neurodegenerative diseases, were summarized, which not only provide an overview of U. rhynchophylla for the prevention or treatment of neurodegenerative diseases but also give some perspective to the development of new drugs from traditional Chinese medicine

AKR1C1 overexpression attenuates the inhibitory effect of glycyrrhizic acid on gastric cancer cell proliferation and migration

Purpose: To investigate the involvement of aldo-keto reductase family 1 member C1 (AKR1C1) in glycyrrhizic acid-mediated gastric cancer.Methods: Immunohistochemistry, quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and western blot were used to assess AKR1C1 expression in gastric cancer. Cell proliferation was assessed using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) and colony formation assay. Apoptosis was evaluated by flow cytometry. Transwell and wound healing assays were performed to investigate cell invasion and migration, respectively.Results: AKR1C1 was significantly upregulated in gastric cancer tissues and cells (p < 0.01). AKR1C1 knockdown suppressed cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of gastric cancer, but promoted cell apoptosis. Glycyrrhizic acid treatment reduced AKR1C1 expression in gastric cancer cells (p < 0.05). AKR1C1 overexpression attenuated the glycyrrhizic acid-induced increase in gastric cancer cell apoptosis as well as the decrease in cell proliferation, migration, and invasion.Conclusion: AKR1C1 contributes to gastric cancer cell proliferation and metastasis and counteracts the suppressive effects of glycyrrhizic acid on gastric cancer cell proliferation and metastasis

Does home and community-based services use reduce hospital utilization and hospital expenditure among disabled elders? Evidence from China

IntroductionIn the background of aging in place, home and community-based services (HCBS) have been playing an increasingly important role in long-term care (LTC) security systems. However, it is still uncertain whether and how HCBS use affects hospital utilization and the corresponding expenditures.MethodsUsing data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey (CHARLS) and the China City Statistical Yearbook, the instrumental variable (IV) approach is applied to identify the causal effects of HCBS use on hospital utilization and hospital expenditure among disabled elders.ResultsWe find that HCBS use significantly reduces the probability of being hospitalized, the times of hospitalization, and the length of inpatient stay, as well as the total, out-of-pocket and reimbursement inpatient expenditures, demonstrating not only the substitution impact of HCBS for hospital care but also the effectiveness of medical expenditure control in LTC security systems. Heterogeneity analysis shows that the impacts of HCBS use on hospital utilization and hospital expenditure concentrate on disabled elders who are younger, male, living in urban areas, or from higher-income households; both healthcare and spiritual consolation services have significant negative effects, while the anticipated effects of daily care service use are not supported. The possible mechanisms are the substitution of HCBS for hospital care and the improvements in both the physical and psychological health of disabled elders. However, the mechanism of adverse events decrease is not verified, which needs to be investigated further with more proxy variables.ConclusionThis study provides empirical evidence that HCBS use can not only reduce hospital utilization and hospital expenditure among disabled elders but also improve their physical and psychological health. Policy designs should emphasize the orientation of HCBS, ensure the fundamental and central position of HCBS in the formal care service system, pay more attention to the accessibility and affordability of HCBS for fragile groups, and diversify and optimize the development of the health service and the spiritual consolation service

THE CORRELATIONS BETWEEN DYNAMIC WALKING STABILITY AND PERCEPTION-MOTOR ABILITIES OF HUMANS

External perturbations can challenge a person’s walking stability, and people will autonomously make a series of responses to regain the balance of walking, which includes two periods: perturbation-perception (reaction time, RT) and posture-adjustment (motion time, MT). The purpose of this paper was to investigate the correlations between the dynamic walking stability and perception-motor abilities. During the 30 level walking trials preformed by sixteen healthy participants, perturbations were applied at random. The fall probability (FP) during the walking with perturbations was calculated to evaluate the dynamic walking stability of each participant. Furthermore, the ground reaction force (GRF) of each participant during walking with perturbations was recorded and analyzed. The experimental results show that the RT had a significant positive-correlation with FP, while MT had no correlation with FP

Investigation of Microstructure Evolution and Phase Selection of Peritectic Cuce Alloy During High-Temperature Gradient Directional Solidification

In this work, a CuCe alloy was prepared using a directional solidification method at a series of withdrawal rates of 100, 25, 10, 8, and 5 μm/s. We found that the primary phase microstructure transforms from cellular crystals to cellular peritectic coupled growth and eventually, changes into dendrites as the withdrawal rate increases. The phase constituents in the directionally solidified samples were confirmed to be Cu2Ce, CuCe, and CuCe + Ce eutectics. The primary dendrite spacing was significantly refined with an increasing withdrawal rate, resulting in higher compressive strength and strain. Moreover, the cellular peritectic coupled growth at 10 μm/s further strengthened the alloy, with its compressive property reaching the maximum value of 266 MPa. Directional solidification was proven to be an impactful method to enhance the mechanical properties and produce well-aligned in situ composites in peritectic systems

Study on construction quality Evaluation Index of prefabricated Buildings and Identification of Workers’ occupational literacy Evaluation Index

This study through reading to sort out quality management and quality inspection standards and specifications, identify five the prefabricated building quality specifications and workers professional quality of 16 factors, and then using the theory of quality management theory, labor productivity, literature research, identify quality evaluation specifications and general factors of professional workers, using the method of case analysis and expert interview to collect quality evaluation specification and workers professional quality characteristic factors, identify common workers professional quality influencing factors of 4 first-level indicators, 16 secondary indexes, prefabricated building quality five evaluation indexes, and further to a total of 21 indexes both generality and individual character classification, found 11, 10 personality. The extraction and analysis of the key factors affecting workers’ occupational literacy on the quality of assembly construction provide a research basis