Noticing in a Dictogloss Task: Learning Outcomes and Constraining Factors

. Noticing in a dictogloss task: Learning outcomes and constraining factors. English Teaching, 66(2), 23-45. The present study was motivated by the claim that attention and noticing are important for SLA and investigated the extent to which learners may notice the target form and its subsequent learning through noticing. To address the methodological concern about how to collect and analyze noticing data, the dictogloss procedure was employed following Swain's (1998) suggestion. The transcripts of LREs of each pair of the learners were examined to capture the moments when their attention was drawn to form for their L2 output when performing a dictogloss. In general, the basic premise that the more attention to the form, the better its chance of learning was attested. There was also a positive relationship between the extent of noticing and subsequent learning and the learner's readiness for the target form. This result led to the second research question which explores what factors constrain noticing and learning of the target form. Internal learner capacities (i.e. readiness, attentional capacity, bias, type of processing, and familiarity) appear to be the crucial constraining factors on noticing and subsequent learning. There was a disparity between the extent of noticing and learning outcomes in the case of some learners. This disparity seems partly due to the problem with the coding of noticing data. Therefore, the present study suggests that concerns still exist about how to best operationalize and measure the noticing of L2 forms. Finally, the limitations of this study are discussed and suggestions for future research are provided

Analysis of the Impact of Building Shape on Safety Management Cost

Even if a building has the same building area or number of floors, the effect on construction safety varies depending on the building shape, and thus, safety management cost (SMC) should be calculated differently. If the effect of the building shape on the SMC is clearly analyzed and reflected, a reasonable SMC could be calculated. This study analyzes building shape’s impact on SMC, including apartment buildings’ impact. Following the data collection from 21 projects for this study, an analysis was conducted using the independent variables of the building perimeter (BP), building floor area (BA), and the building shape factor (BSF), and the dependent variable of SMC. As a result of analyzing the correlation between the three main factors and SMC, it was found that the BP, BSF, and BA have a very strong positive Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.876, 0.801, and 0.792, respectively. In the future, the results of this study can be used as supporting data for improving the safety management cost-related system and will develop into a more reliable model through continuous data accumulation and utility verification

The Effect of Testosterone Replacement Therapy on Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Older Hypogonadal Men.

ContextMale hypogonadism is associated with visceral obesity and the metabolic syndrome: factors important for the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The Testosterone Trials (The T Trials) showed testosterone (T) treatment compared to placebo in older hypogonadal men was associated with decreases in cholesterol and insulin levels suggesting that T treatment may improve NAFLD.ObjectiveCompare effects of T versus placebo treatment on NAFLD scores and liver scans in elderly hypogonadal men.MethodsSecondary data analyses from 479 older hypogonadal men with total T <275 ng/dL from The T Trials were performed. Three clinical liver fat scores: lipid accumulation product (LAP) index, hepatic steatosis index (his), nonalcoholic fatty liver disease-metabolic syndrome (NAFLD-MS) score, and liver computed tomography (CT) Hounsfield unit (HU) and liver to spleen ratio (LSR) were evaluated at baseline and 12 months after treatment.ResultsThere were no statistically significant differences of change in LAP index (p=0.98), HSI (p=0.67), and NAFLD-MS (p=0.52) in 246 men treated with T compared to 233 treated with placebo for 12 months. Liver CT showed no statistically significant difference of change in HU (p=0.24; n=71 for T, n=69 for placebo) and LSR (p=0.74; n=55 for T, n=62 for placebo) between the two groups.ConclusionsOur study did not show improvement of NAFLD in older hypogonadal men after 12 months of T versus placebo treatment, as assessed by three clinical scores and liver CT for hepatic steatosis. Future studies with longer treatment duration and additional NAFLD diagnostic modalities as primary outcome are warranted

Lysine-fortified rice germ yogurt fermented with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum JSA 22 and its beneficial health effects

This study aimed to produce rice germ yogurt by fermenting rice germ with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum JSA 22 and investigate its health-beneficial effects. JSA 22 was a suitable starter with its rapid growth rate and ability to synthesize lysine and GABA in a rice germ medium. Genomic analysis of JSA 22 confirmed the presence of genes responsible for probiotic activity and lysine production. Fermented rice germ yogurt exhibited significant antioxidative activity. In addition, the yogurt displayed prebiotic effects by promoting the growth of beneficial microbiota and stimulating the production of SCFAs. In an in vivo mouse test, consumption of rice germ yogurt resulted in a reduction in B cell population and increased concentrations of IFN-γ and IL-2 compared to the control group. This study demonstrates JSA 22 is a proper probiotic starter for rice germ yogurt that can confer health benefits to the host’s intestinal microbiome and immune system

Draft genome sequence of lytic bacteriophage SA7 infecting Staphylococcus aureus isolates

Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive and a round-shaped bacterium of Firmicutes phylum, and is a common cause of skin infections, respiratory infections, and food poisoning. Bacteriophages infecting S. aureus can be an effective treatment for S. aureus infections. Here, the draft genomic sequence is announced for a lytic bacteriophage SA7 infecting S. aureus isolates. The bacteriophage SA7 was isolated from a sewage water sample near a livestock farm in Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea. SA7 has a genome of 34,730 bp and 34.1% G + C content. The genome has 53 protein-coding genes, 23 of which have predicted functions from BLASTp analysis, leaving the others conserved proteins with unknown function