In My Own Little Box

University of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/133989/1/FINALTHESISPAPER.pd

EFL TEACHERS’ STRATEGIES AND CHALLENGES IN PROMOTING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ AUTONOMY IN VOCABULARY LEARNING

Learner autonomy is now regarded as a desirable objective in language teaching. The objective of the study was to identify ELT teachers’ strategies in promoting EFL high school students’ autonomy in vocabulary learning. Besides, this research attempts to find out the challenges that ELT high school teachers employ in promoting EFL students’ autonomy in vocabulary learning. A questionnaire and an interview were used in this study to find out the strategies adopted by the teachers in the current research as well as the challenges they face. The findings of this study revealed that English language teachers frequently promoted autonomous learners in their classrooms. They usually implemented different teaching strategies, which can be categorized into three groups involving students in a student-centered atmosphere; playing various roles in the classroom; and equipping students with the strategies to learn vocabulary. Additionally, the results demonstrated that teachers faced challenges such as learners' lack of independent learning abilities, rules and regulations implemented in schools, and teachers' lack of fundamental ways to promote autonomous learning. Finally, it is hoped that the proposed pedagogical implications will contribute to the innovation of promoting learner autonomy in vocabulary learning in the context of high school in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam.  Article visualizations

Immobilizing Alcalase® Enzyme onto Magnetic Nanoparticles

In recent years, magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have been applied to numerous biological systems. The nanoparticles are particularly useful in separating biological molecules due to its low price, scalable ability and very little interference. Here, MNPs, which can efficiently separate biocatalysts from reaction media by external magnet, was used to immobilize an alkaline protease (Alcalase®). Covalent attachment of the enzyme to MNPs began with the functionalization of the MNPs' surface with amines (APTES). Then, glutaraldehyde was introduced to link the MNP surface amines with enzyme surface amine residues, typically lysine. Successful covalent bonds were checked by FT-IR. Our results showed the attached enzyme did not affect superparamagnetic property of MNPs, therefore the MNPs-attached enzyme was easily recovered after the reaction. The immobilized enzyme maintained its activities after 10 times of recycle uses

Synthesis and redetermination of the crystal structure of salicyl-aldehyde <i>N</i>(4)-morpholino-thio-semi-carbazone.

The structure of the title compound (systematic name: N-{[(2-hy-droxy-phen-yl)methyl-idene]amino}-morpholine-4-carbo-thio-amide), C12H15N3O2S, was prev-iously determined (Koo et al., 1977 ▸) using multiple-film equi-inclination Weissenberg data, but has been redetermined with higher precision to explore its conformation and the hydrogen-bonding patterns and supra-molecular inter-actions. The mol-ecular structure shows intra-molecular O-H⋯N and C-H⋯S inter-actions. The configuration of the C=N bond is E. The mol-ecule is slightly twisted about the central N-N bond. The best planes through the phenyl ring and the morpholino ring make an angle of 43.44 (17)°. In the crystal, the mol-ecules are connected into chains by N-H⋯O and C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds, which combine to generate sheets lying parallel to (002). The most prominent contribution to the surface contacts are H⋯H contacts (51.6%), as concluded from a Hirshfeld surface analysis

Robust Genetic Transformation System to Obtain Non-chimeric Transgenic Chickpea

Chickpea transformation is an important component for the genetic improvement of this crop, achieved through modern biotechnological approaches. However, recalcitrant tissue cultures and occasional chimerism, encountered during transformation, hinder the efficient generation of transgenic chickpeas. Two key parameters, namely micro-injury and light emitting diode (LED)-based lighting were used to increase transformation efficiency. Early PCR confirmation of positive in vitro transgenic shoots, together with efficient grafting and an extended acclimatization procedure contributed to the rapid generation of transgenic plants. High intensity LED light facilitate chickpea plants to complete their life cycle within 9 weeks thus enabling up to two generations of stable transgenic chickpea lines within 8 months. The method was validated with several genes from different sources, either as single or multi-gene cassettes. Stable transgenic chickpea lines containing GUS (uidA), stress tolerance (AtBAG4 and TlBAG), as well as Fe-biofortification (OsNAS2 and CaNAS2) genes have successfully been produced

Iridoid glycosides from Morinda tomentosa and their endoplasmic reticulum stress modulation activity

Three iridoids 1 - 3, asperulosidic acid, daphylloside, and asperuloside, were isolated from the methanol extract of the leaves of Morinda tomentosa. Their chemical structures were elucidated by 1D- and 2D-NMR spectra and in comparison with those reported in the literature. The effects of these compounds on the endoplasmic reticulum stress in XBP1-eGFP-transfected the 293 T cells were measured. Compound 3 significantly reduced the ER-stress both in DMSO-treated and thapsigargin-treated cells. Unlike this compound, compound 3 selectively reduced thapsigargin-induced ER-stress without any effect on the level of XBP1 splicing in DMSO-treated cells. These results suggested that compounds 2 and 3 can be suggested as new ER stress regulators

Awareness and preparedness of healthcare workers against the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional survey across 57 countries.

BACKGROUND: Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, there have been concerns related to the preparedness of healthcare workers (HCWs). This study aimed to describe the level of awareness and preparedness of hospital HCWs at the time of the first wave. METHODS: This multinational, multicenter, cross-sectional survey was conducted among hospital HCWs from February to May 2020. We used a hierarchical logistic regression multivariate analysis to adjust the influence of variables based on awareness and preparedness. We then used association rule mining to identify relationships between HCW confidence in handling suspected COVID-19 patients and prior COVID-19 case-management training. RESULTS: We surveyed 24,653 HCWs from 371 hospitals across 57 countries and received 17,302 responses from 70.2% HCWs overall. The median COVID-19 preparedness score was 11.0 (interquartile range [IQR] = 6.0-14.0) and the median awareness score was 29.6 (IQR = 26.6-32.6). HCWs at COVID-19 designated facilities with previous outbreak experience, or HCWs who were trained for dealing with the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, had significantly higher levels of preparedness and awareness (p<0.001). Association rule mining suggests that nurses and doctors who had a 'great-extent-of-confidence' in handling suspected COVID-19 patients had participated in COVID-19 training courses. Male participants (mean difference = 0.34; 95% CI = 0.22, 0.46; p<0.001) and nurses (mean difference = 0.67; 95% CI = 0.53, 0.81; p<0.001) had higher preparedness scores compared to women participants and doctors. INTERPRETATION: There was an unsurprising high level of awareness and preparedness among HCWs who participated in COVID-19 training courses. However, disparity existed along the lines of gender and type of HCW. It is unknown whether the difference in COVID-19 preparedness that we detected early in the pandemic may have translated into disproportionate SARS-CoV-2 burden of disease by gender or HCW type

Effectiveness of perindopril/amlodipine fixed-dose combination in the treatment of hypertension: a systematic review

Background: Uncontrolled blood pressure is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Fixed-dose combination (FDC) therapy offers a promising approach to addressing this challenge by providing a convenient single-tablet solution that enhances the effectiveness of blood pressure control. In our systematic review, we assess the effectiveness of perindopril/amlodipine FDC in managing blood pressure.Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search across four primary electronic databases, namely, PubMed, Virtual Health Library (VHL), Global Health Library (GHL), and Google Scholar, as of 8 February 2022. Additionally, we performed a manual search to find relevant articles. The quality of the selected articles was evaluated using the Study Quality Assessment Tools (SQAT) checklist from the National Institute of Health and the ROB2 tool from Cochrane.Results: Our systematic review included 17 eligible articles. The findings show that the use of perindopril/amlodipine FDC significantly lowers blood pressure and enhances the quality of blood pressure control. Compared to the comparison group, the perindopril/amlodipine combination tablet resulted in a higher rate of blood pressure response and normalization. Importantly, perindopril/amlodipine FDC contributes to improved patient adherence with minimal side effects. However, studies conducted to date have not provided assessments of the cost-effectiveness of perindopril/amlodipine FDC.Conclusion: In summary, our analysis confirms the effectiveness of perindopril/amlodipine FDC in lowering blood pressure, with combination therapy outperforming monotherapy and placebo. Although mild adverse reactions were observed in a small subset of participants, cost-effectiveness assessments for this treatment remain lacking in the literature

Safety and efficacy of fluoxetine on functional outcome after acute stroke (AFFINITY): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Background Trials of fluoxetine for recovery after stroke report conflicting results. The Assessment oF FluoxetINe In sTroke recoverY (AFFINITY) trial aimed to show if daily oral fluoxetine for 6 months after stroke improves functional outcome in an ethnically diverse population. Methods AFFINITY was a randomised, parallel-group, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial done in 43 hospital stroke units in Australia (n=29), New Zealand (four), and Vietnam (ten). Eligible patients were adults (aged ≥18 years) with a clinical diagnosis of acute stroke in the previous 2–15 days, brain imaging consistent with ischaemic or haemorrhagic stroke, and a persisting neurological deficit that produced a modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 1 or more. Patients were randomly assigned 1:1 via a web-based system using a minimisation algorithm to once daily, oral fluoxetine 20 mg capsules or matching placebo for 6 months. Patients, carers, investigators, and outcome assessors were masked to the treatment allocation. The primary outcome was functional status, measured by the mRS, at 6 months. The primary analysis was an ordinal logistic regression of the mRS at 6 months, adjusted for minimisation variables. Primary and safety analyses were done according to the patient's treatment allocation. The trial is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12611000774921. Findings Between Jan 11, 2013, and June 30, 2019, 1280 patients were recruited in Australia (n=532), New Zealand (n=42), and Vietnam (n=706), of whom 642 were randomly assigned to fluoxetine and 638 were randomly assigned to placebo. Mean duration of trial treatment was 167 days (SD 48·1). At 6 months, mRS data were available in 624 (97%) patients in the fluoxetine group and 632 (99%) in the placebo group. The distribution of mRS categories was similar in the fluoxetine and placebo groups (adjusted common odds ratio 0·94, 95% CI 0·76–1·15; p=0·53). Compared with patients in the placebo group, patients in the fluoxetine group had more falls (20 [3%] vs seven [1%]; p=0·018), bone fractures (19 [3%] vs six [1%]; p=0·014), and epileptic seizures (ten [2%] vs two [<1%]; p=0·038) at 6 months. Interpretation Oral fluoxetine 20 mg daily for 6 months after acute stroke did not improve functional outcome and increased the risk of falls, bone fractures, and epileptic seizures. These results do not support the use of fluoxetine to improve functional outcome after stroke