sj-docx-1-ltr-10.1177_13621688231169815 – Supplemental material for Comparing different L3s and factors that affect motivation to learn LOTEs

Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-ltr-10.1177_13621688231169815 for Comparing different L3s and factors that affect motivation to learn LOTEs by Hsuan-Yau (Tony) Lai in Language Teaching Research</p

Technology University Students’ Attitudes towards the English Graduation Benchmark (EGB): A Comparison between English-major and non-English Major Students

The English Graduation Benchmark (EGB) is a common criterion adopted by many universities in Taiwan, including both comprehensive and technology universities to monitor their graduates&rsquo; English ability. However, this common criterion has caused some debates in recent years about its appropriateness and fairness to students from less advantageous backgrounds. Some universities have decided to stop this policy in practice. This study aims to investigate technology university students&rsquo; perspectives and attitudes towards the EGB, as well as to compare and contrast the opinions of students from English and non-English departments. A quantitative method was adopted for this study. The questionnaire included: (1) Participants&rsquo; background information, (2) their experience of taking the proficiency tests, and (3) their thoughts on the EGB policy. In total, 360 students participated in this study. The results showed that most technology university students agreed with the establishment of the EGB. Students from English and non-English departments had positive attitudes because the benchmark motivated them to learn English in some way. Last but not least, technology university students considered the EGB to be useful for their future career development. This paper considers the possible implications of these findings for universities and the government, and suggests how they might re-conceptualize their policies to make them more sustainable

Bilateral Persistent Sciatic Arteries Complicated with Acute Left Lower Limb Ischemia

Persistent sciatic artery (PSA) is a rare congenital malformation. In the early embryonic stage, the sciatic artery is the major blood supply for the lower limb bulb and is later replaced by the iliofemoral artery as the limb develops. Its failure to regress, sometimes associated with femoral arterial hypoplasia, and therefore becoming the dominant inflow to the lower extremity is called PSA. This anomaly is often associated with a higher rate of aneurysm formation or thromboembolic complications causing lower extremity ischemia. Here, we describe a 79-year-old male patient who presented with acute left lower extremity ischemia. He was treated initially with conventional embolectomy through inguinal and popliteal incisions. The bilateral PSA with thrombosed aneurysms was not identified at first on computed tomographic angiography. It was later diagnosed intraoperatively due to the discontinuity of the superficial femoral artery and popliteal artery found with embolectomy catheter, and was managed successfully with ePTFE graft bypass. Careful interpretation of the imaging study may be helpful in preoperative diagnosis

The ATP-P2X7 Signaling Axis Is an Essential Sentinel for Intracellular Clostridium difficile Pathogen-Induced Inflammasome Activation

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is the leading cause of nosocomial infection in hospitalized patients receiving long-term antibiotic treatment. An excessive host inflammatory response is believed to be the major mechanism underlying the pathogenesis of C. difficile infection, and various proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β are detected in patients with C. difficile infection. IL-1β is known to be processed by caspase-1, a cysteine protease that is regulated by a protein complex called the inflammasome, which leads to a specialized form of cell death called pyroptosis. The function of inflammasome activation-induced pyroptosis is to clear or limit the spread of invading pathogens via infiltrated neutrophils. Here, we focused on inflammasome activation induced by intact C. difficile to re-evaluate the nature of inflammasome activation in CDI pathogenesis, which could provide information that leads to an alternative therapeutic strategy for the treatment of this condition in humans. First, we found that caspase-1-dependent IL-1β production was induced by C. difficile pathogens in macrophages and increased in a time-dependent manner. Moreover, intracellular toxigenic C. difficile was essential for ATP-P2X7 pathway of inflammasome activation and subsequent caspase-1-dependent pyroptotic cell death, leading to the loss of membrane integrity and release of intracellular contents such as LDH. Notably, we also observed that bacterial components such as surface layer proteins (SLPs) were released from pyroptotic cells. In addition, pro-IL-1β production was completely MyD88 and partially TLR2 dependent. Finally, to investigate the role of the caspase-1-dependent inflammasome in host defense, we found that colonic inflammasome activation was also induced by CDI and that caspase-1 inhibition by Ac-YVAD-CMK led to increased disease progression and C. difficile load. Taken together, the present results suggest that MyD88 and TLR2 are critical component in pro-IL-1β production and intracellular C. difficile following the ATP-P2X7 pathway of inflammasome activation and pyroptosis, which play important roles in host defense through the utilization of inflammation-mediated bacterial clearance mechanisms during C. difficile infection