Students’ responses to learner autonomy in Taiwan: An investigation into leaners’ beliefs

Abstract This article reports students' responses to learner autonomy in Taiwan as an investigation int

Crossing Perceived Cultural Barriers in a Taiwanese College EFL Classroom

Abstract The relationship between second-language learning and culture has been studied and debated by educators and students alike. In an EFL context, students &apos

The Rome III Criteria for the Diagnosis of Functional Dyspepsia in Secondary Care Are Not Superior to Previous Definitions

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Although the Rome III criteria for functional dyspepsia were defined 7 years ago, they have yet to be validated in a rigorous study. We addressed this issue in a secondary-care population. METHODS: We analyzed complete symptom, upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy, and histology data from 1452 consecutive adult patients with GI symptoms at 2 hospitals in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Assessors were blinded to symptom status. Individuals with normal upper GI endoscopy and histopathology findings from analyses of biopsy specimens were classified as having no organic GI disease. The reference standard used to define the presence of true functional dyspepsia was epigastric pain, early satiety or postprandial fullness, and no organic GI disease. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative likelihood ratios (LRs), with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), were calculated. RESULTS: Of the 1452 patients, 722 (49.7%) met the Rome III criteria for functional dyspepsia. Endoscopy showed organic GI disease in 170 patients (23.5%) who met the Rome III criteria. The Rome III criteria identified patients with functional dyspepsia with 60.7% sensitivity, 68.7% specificity, a positive LR of 1.94 (95% CI, 1.69-2.22), and a negative LR of 0.57 (95% CI, 0.52-0.63). In contrast, the Rome II criteria identified patients with functional dyspepsia with 71.4% sensitivity, 55.6% specificity, a positive LR of 1.61 (95% CI, 1.45-1.78), and a negative LR of 0.51 (95% CI, 0.45-0.58). The area under a receiver operating characteristics curves did not differ significantly for any of the diagnostic criteria for functional dyspepsia. CONCLUSIONS: In a validation study of 1452 patients with GI symptoms, the Rome III criteria performed only modestly in identifying those with functional dyspepsia, and were not significantly superior to previous definitions

Thrombosis Is Reduced by Inhibition of COX-1, but Unaffected by Inhibition of COX-2, in an Acute Model of Platelet Activation in the Mouse

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Diagnostic Accuracy of Age and Alarm Symptoms for Upper GI Malignancy in Patients with Dyspepsia in a GI Clinic: A 7-Year Cross-Sectional Study

<div><h3>Objectives</h3><p>We investigated whether using demographic characteristics and alarm symptoms can accurately predict cancer in patients with dyspepsia in Iran, where upper GI cancers and <em>H. pylori</em> infection are common.</p> <h3>Methods</h3><p>All consecutive patients referred to a tertiary gastroenterology clinic in Tehran, Iran, from 2002 to 2009 were invited to participate in this study. Each patient completed a standard questionnaire and underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Alarm symptoms included in the questionnaire were weight loss, dysphagia, GI bleeding, and persistent vomiting. We used logistic regression models to estimate the diagnostic value of each variable in combination with other ones, and to develop a risk-prediction model.</p> <h3>Results</h3><p>A total of 2,847 patients with dyspepsia participated in this study, of whom 87 (3.1%) had upper GI malignancy. Patients reporting at least one of the alarm symptoms constituted 66.7% of cancer patients compared to 38.9% in patients without cancer (p<0.001). Esophageal or gastric cancers in patients with dyspepsia was associated with older age, being male, and symptoms of weight loss and vomiting. Each single predictor had low sensitivity and specificity. Using a combination of age, alarm symptoms, and smoking, we built a risk-prediction model that distinguished between high-risk and low-risk individuals with an area under the ROC curve of 0.85 and acceptable calibration.</p> <h3>Conclusions</h3><p>None of the predictors demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy. While our risk-prediction model had reasonable accuracy, some cancer cases would have remained undiagnosed. Therefore, where available, low cost endoscopy may be preferable for dyspeptic older patient or those with history of weight loss.</p> </div

Validation of the Rome III criteria for the diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome in secondary care

BACKGROUND & AIMS: There are few validation studies of existing diagnostic criteria for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). We conducted a validation study of the Rome and Manning criteria in secondary care. METHODS: We collected complete symptom, colonoscopy, and histology data from 1848 consecutive adult patients with gastrointestinal symptoms at 2 hospitals in Hamilton, Ontario; the subjects then underwent colonoscopy. Assessors were blinded to symptom status. Individuals with normal colonoscopy and histopathology results, and no evidence of celiac disease, were classified as having no organic gastrointestinal disease. The reference standard used to define the presence of true IBS was lower abdominal pain or discomfort in association with a change in bowel habit and no organic gastrointestinal disease. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative likelihood ratios, with 95% confidence intervals, were calculated for each diagnostic criteria. RESULTS: In identifying patients with IBS, sensitivities of the criteria ranged from 61.9% (Manning) to 95.8% (Rome I), and specificities from 70.6% (Rome I) to 81.8% (Manning). Positive likelihood ratios ranged from 3.19 (Rome II) to 3.39 (Manning), and negative likelihood ratios from 0.06 (Rome I) to 0.47 (Manning). The level of agreement between diagnostic criteria was greatest for Rome I and Rome II (κ = 0.95), and lowest for Manning and Rome III (κ = 0.59). CONCLUSIONS: Existing diagnostic criteria perform modestly in distinguishing IBS from organic disease. There appears to be little difference in terms of accuracy. More accurate ways of diagnosing IBS, avoiding the need for investigation, are required

The state of the Martian climate

60°N was +2.0°C, relative to the 1981–2010 average value (Fig. 5.1). This marks a new high for the record. The average annual surface air temperature (SAT) anomaly for 2016 for land stations north of starting in 1900, and is a significant increase over the previous highest value of +1.2°C, which was observed in 2007, 2011, and 2015. Average global annual temperatures also showed record values in 2015 and 2016. Currently, the Arctic is warming at more than twice the rate of lower latitudes

AChBP-targeted α-conotoxin correlates distinct binding orientations with nAChR subtype selectivity

Neuronal nAChRs are a diverse family of pentameric ion channels with wide distribution throughout cells of the nervous and immune systems. However, the role of specific subtypes in normal and pathological states remains poorly understood due to the lack of selective probes. Here, we used a binding assay based on acetylcholine-binding protein (AChBP), a homolog of the nicotinic acetylcholine ligand-binding domain, to discover a novel α-conotoxin (α-TxIA) in the venom of Conus textile. α-TxIA bound with high affinity to AChBPs from different species and selectively targeted the α3β2 nAChR subtype. A co-crystal structure of Ac-AChBP with the enhanced potency analog TxIA(A10L), revealed a 20° backbone tilt compared to other AChBP–conotoxin complexes. This reorientation was coordinated by a key salt bridge formed between Arg5 (TxIA) and Asp195 (Ac-AChBP). Mutagenesis studies, biochemical assays and electrophysiological recordings directly correlated the interactions observed in the co-crystal structure to binding affinity at AChBP and different nAChR subtypes. Together, these results establish a new pharmacophore for the design of novel subtype-selective ligands with therapeutic potential in nAChR-related diseases

Lactate Produced by Glycogenolysis in Astrocytes Regulates Memory Processing

When administered either systemically or centrally, glucose is a potent enhancer of memory processes. Measures of glucose levels in extracellular fluid in the rat hippocampus during memory tests reveal that these levels are dynamic, decreasing in response to memory tasks and loads; exogenous glucose blocks these decreases and enhances memory. The present experiments test the hypothesis that glucose enhancement of memory is mediated by glycogen storage and then metabolism to lactate in astrocytes, which provide lactate to neurons as an energy substrate. Sensitive bioprobes were used to measure brain glucose and lactate levels in 1-sec samples. Extracellular glucose decreased and lactate increased while rats performed a spatial working memory task. Intrahippocampal infusions of lactate enhanced memory in this task. In addition, pharmacological inhibition of astrocytic glycogenolysis impaired memory and this impairment was reversed by administration of lactate or glucose, both of which can provide lactate to neurons in the absence of glycogenolysis. Pharmacological block of the monocarboxylate transporter responsible for lactate uptake into neurons also impaired memory and this impairment was not reversed by either glucose or lactate. These findings support the view that astrocytes regulate memory formation by controlling the provision of lactate to support neuronal functions

The Influence of Gender Differences in Proscribed Language Use in Taiwan

Abstract This study examines the influence of gender differences in the use of proscribed/taboo language in Taiwan. Considerable debate exists over the folk-linguistic perceptions that claim women&apos;s language differs markedly in act, frequency, reason and content from that of men&apos;s (e.g. de Klerk, 1992men&apos;s (e.g. de Klerk, , 199