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A productive skill, writing has also been viewed as a demanding process, especially in a second language setting mainly due to the students' difficulty in using a second language in expressing their thoughts. Since writing requirements at the college level are more complex, many college students are more anxious as they are initiated into library research for instance (Mellon, 1986) because the activity is something new to them (Daly & Hailey, 1980). The task is likewise deemed demanding (Rose, 1980), and at the same time, compulsory (Powers, Cook & Meyer, 1979). To make it worse, negative attitudes about writing appear to be self-fulfilling (Daly, 1977). This study is motivated by the need to further understand what students feel about the research process as they do a research proposal and their reflection about their own emotions toward doing research. Participants were 25 Education (major in English) students who were in their junior year in the program at the time of data gathering. Data came from four sets of reflective logs written by the students after each major research task (finding a research focus, planning the methodology, consulting with the professor, revising and presenting the proposal) in their pre-thesis writing class. Analyzing the reflective logs using thematic analysis, the researchers were able to identify emerging themes which were evaluated and subsequently confirmed by two inter coders with 95% agreement. Results show that the students reported both positive and negative emotions focused on themselves as researchers (feeling good about themselves and their skills), on the particular research task (perceived ease or difficulty and usefulness), or of other people (frustration and appreciation of their group mates and of the teacher). Their emotions at various stages of four research writing tasks were reported as well.

Much has been written about teachers' beliefs, including their beliefs about reading. Due to its established impact on how it affects classroom practices, teachers' beliefs as a psychological construct is considered by some researchers as the most important in relation to teaching and teaching education. Thus, increasingly teachers of reading have been encouraged to reflect on their teaching practices as well as beliefs about reading. However, less work has been done on investigating reading teachers' beliefs through the lens of the questions they ask about reading itself. This paper argues that questions are constitutive of people's beliefs about what they deem important in life or in professional practice, and are regulative acts and evidence of reflection. Thus, analysing inquiry questions or what teachers ask about reading will enable identification and description of certain beliefs held by the teachers themselves. In other words, framed within an understanding of teachers' questions as teachers' beliefs, through thematic analysis this paper presents six themes that reveal teachers' beliefs related to reading instruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maintaining students' engagement with reading texts that reflect their background knowledge has positive effect on their comprehension. Culturally relevant materials provide more equitable opportunities to students, in the sense that more of them can reap the benefits of being able to connect to the text (Christ & Sharma, 2018). This article aims to identify the characteristics of texts, particularly those categorized as culturally relevant, which make them appropriate for a specific group of students. Three data gathering methods were used: ratings of texts, reflective journals, and discussion points during Literature Circles. Results indicate that the students participating in the study consider that similar experiences, relatability of the story in terms of feelings and motivation conveyed, actions of the characters, and possibility of experiencing the same event are the main factors that made reading texts culturally relevant to them. These text characteristics can guide classroom teachers, materials developers, and curriculum designers in choosing materials and preparing lessons for specific groups of students, as these underscore the importance of text relatability in building and keeping the students' reading interest and motivation.

Readers of narrative texts tend to incorrectly assess the knowledge of story characters, particularly as authors sometimes provide readers privileged information that is unknown to the story characters. This error, labeled the illusory transparency of intention Keysar (Cognitive Psychology 26:165-208, 1994 (See CR27)) shows how readers assume that privileged information is also known by story characters; this error is assumed to indicate a general difficulty individuals have in taking the perspective of others. The study investigates whether bilingual readers also demonstrate the illusory transparency effect when reading in their two languages, and tests the hypothesis that the languages activate different cultural mindsets that may or may not enhance the error. In two studies, 175 Filipino-English bilinguals were presented narrative passages in English and Filipino containing positive or negative privileged information that was either spoken or written by one of the characters. Participants assessed how a character would respond to an ambiguous remark by another character. In both studies, privileged information influenced readers' ratings in both languages, demonstrating the illusory transparency effect in bilinguals. Study 1 did not show a moderating effect of language, but Study 2 (which had higher observed statistical power) revealed a significant moderating effect of language, where the illusory transparency effect was stronger in English texts. The results support the hypothesis that the English language primed the individualist mindset that was not supportive of cognitive processes that consider perspectives of others. The results are discussed in terms of how language plays an indirect role in shaping thought processes involved in perspective taking., Author(s): Ma. Joahna Mante-Estacio[sup.1] , Allan B. I. Bernardo[sup.2] Author Affiliations: (1) De La Salle University, Manila, Philippines (2) Department of Psychology, E21-3060 Humanities and Social Sciences Building, University of [...]

While the rise in social media use has facilitated the instantaneous exchange of ideas and has allowed for safe interaction during a global pandemic, this reliance on digital spaces has also led to a proliferation of misinformation and disinformation. This then calls for teachers to help students become digitally literate citizens who are able to read, analyze, and communicate critically. In light of this, many language education classrooms have incorporated lessons and assessments to raise students' social awareness and critical thinking. This pilot study looks into the multimodal output of university students in a general education English class to explore the application of knowledge processes of multiliteracies -- experiencing, conceptualizing, analyzing, and applying (Kalantzis, Cope, 2013). A classroom activity that used memes was prepared by the researchers in order to teach logical fallacies in argumentation. It is argued that using memes to teach logical fallacies in argumentation encourages students to engage with multimodal resources. Upon careful analysis of gathered data, the following results are forwarded: memes generated by students are reflective of the multiliteracies employed in their conceptualization and execution, and the interaction between multiliteracies and multimodalities is instrumental in teaching and promoting critical thinking. Thus, this study reinforces that the multiliteracies framework is an aid for students to become critical thinkers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper attempts to discuss Filipino pre-service teachers' reflections on their self-efficacy beliefs when they conduct action research as a culminating requirement for their degree. The study traces and identifies patterns to see possible consistencies or inconsistencies of the level of self-competence among the participants, as revealed by their self-reflections. This qualitative research involves 10 participants who were asked to write seven reflective journals each as they went through the various stages of doing action research. Using constant comparison, the researchers arrived at three themes guided by self-efficacy theory. Results reveal that previous performance accomplishments, perceptions toward the people they collaborated with, and their positive and negative emotions toward their various action research experiences are the sources of their self-efficacy beliefs. The results are worthy of being considered in improving the pre-service teaching curriculum, particularly the thesis component to which action research writing is included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The English Language Teacher's ability to examine his/her own practices and beliefs is always an area of language-teaching research worth exploring because the findings have an impact on classroom practice. However, while research on teaching the macro-skills is a rich area in the discipline, teacher beliefs in this aspect remain underexplored especially in developing countries such as the Philippines. This paper examines beliefs of teacher effectiveness in implementing lessons in the macro-skills among ESL teachers in the Philippines. Using data from reflective logs and interviews of 16 teachers of English in the Philippines, data reveal that the main beliefs among teachers center on learner centeredness, instructional skills in teaching the macro-skills and professional development. This paper argues that among the macro-skills, writing and speaking pose challenges in lesson implementation. In addition, the findings suggest that beliefs in effective teaching of the macro-skills are related to learner centeredness, instructional effectiveness and culture contribute to a nuanced account of teacher belief research in English language teaching in the Philippine context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aside from learning values, traditions, and significant experiences from storybooks, children also learn about their roles as males and females from these learning materials. Previous studies on gender representation revealed that male characters in children's storybooks are given more active roles through the verbs assigned to them. The present study examines gender portrayal in bilingual children's literature written by Filipino authors. Using word count guided by the verb taxonomy of Johnson and Young (2002), 60 award winning and non-award winning books published between 2006 to 2017 were analyzed. Overall, the results reveal that the male characters continue to be assigned more active roles in the stories; however, they can also be assigned to roles that were traditionally given to female characters. Furthermore, both male and female names follow a two-syllabic structure which underlies the hypothesis that they are easily remembered by young readers. The implications of these findings in critical literacy are further discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although hair loss is not a horrible disease, it sometimes reduces the patients' quality of life (QOL) and increases their mental stress. Currently, there is no effective treatment for hair loss. It is known that honeybee propolis has various biological activities, including stimulating the proliferation of hair matrix keratinocytes. However, little is known with the hair promoting activity of stingless bee propolis. Hence, this study investigates the hair growth-promoting activity of Philippines stingless bee propolis extract and the underlying a molecular mechanism of promoting hair growth. For the evaluation of hair growth stimulating activity, 99.5% ethanolic extract of Philippines stingless bee propolis is examined using the simple shaving model in C57BL/6N mice. Melaninization of dorsal skin and histological analysis of hair follicles (HFs) revealed that propolis promotes hair growth by stimulating HFs development. The expression of mRNA (Wnt3a, Ctnnb1/β-catenin, Lef1, and Bmp2) and protein (WNT3A and β-catenin) of selected Wnt/β-catenin associated genes explains Philippines stingless bee propolis promoting HFs development by activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. These results suggest that the treatment of propolis strongly promotes hair growth by stimulating the development of HFs via activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. This further indicates the potential of Philippines stingless bee propolis as a novel promising agricultural product for hair growth.

Carboxymethyl cellulose granules (CMC-G) and kappa-carrageenan/polyethylene oxide/polyethylene glycol dressing (KPP-D) hemostatic agents, developed through radiation-induced crosslinking and sterilization, were tested in Sprague-Dawley rats using three bleeding models: (a) deep wound with the puncture of femoral artery; (b) aortic puncture; and (c) partial nephrectomy. Dressing and granules were applied in the animals without sustained compression and monitored for a period of 7 or 14 days. Comparisons were made against the commercial chitosan-based agent, Celox (CLX). Primary outcomes observed were bleeding time, the incidence of re-bleeding, animal survival, as well as gross and microscopic changes. The KPP-D group showed the shortest bleeding time for all bleeding models (a. 2.75 ± 0.64, b. 1.63 ± 0.54, c. 2.05 ± 0.62), significantly faster than all the other treatment groups. KPP-D also registered the highest survival rate of 100% with no display of gross abnormalities. CMC-G showed comparable bleeding time with CLX products but had a better survival rate at 98% compared to 96%. The incidence of re-bleeding was greater in CLX treated groups as well as more occurrence of granular adhesions that impacted mortality outcomes. Findings indicate the efficacy of KPP-D in the treatment of severe hemorrhage due to traumatic injury and intraoperative cases, while CMC-G was more suited for external trauma. Complications arising from inflammation, granules deposition, and adhesions emphasize stringent handling and removal of granular hemostat as a critical consideration in hemostat development and testing.

The protective property of propolis across a wide spectrum of diseases has long been realized, yet the anti-tumor efficacy of this bioactive substance from Philippine stingless bees has remained poorly understood. Here, we showed the tumor-suppressing potential of crude ethanolic extract of Philippine stingless bee propolis (EEP) in in vitro models of gastric cancer highlighting the first indication of remarkable subtype specificity towards differentiated-type human gastric cancer cell lines but not the diffuse-type. Mechanistically, this involved the profound modulation of several cell cycle related gene transcripts, which correlated with the prominent cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase. To reinforce our data, a unique differentiated-type gastric cancer model, A4gnt KO mice, together with age-matched 60 week-old C57BL/6 J mice were randomly assigned to treatment groups receiving distilled water or EEP for 30 consecutive days. EEP treatment induced significant regression of gross and histological lesions of gastric pyloric tumors that consistently corresponded with specific transcriptional regulation of cell cycle components. Also, the considerable p21 protein expression coupled with a marked reduction in rapidly dividing BrdU-labeled S-phase cells unequivocally supported our observation. Altogether, these findings support the role of Philippine stingless bee propolis as a promising adjunct treatment option in differentiated-type gastric cancer.

Fasting-induced LH suppression is augmented by estrogen in female rats. We investigated the temporal changes in the number of estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha)-immunoreactive (ir) cells in various brain regions in ovariectomized rats fasted for 6, 24, 30, and 48 h, commencing at 1300 h. We also determined the anatomical relationship of ERalpha immunoreactivity and dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DBH) neurons in the A2 region of the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) and the paraventricular nucleus (PVN). The number of ERalpha-ir cells significantly increased after 30 h from the onset of fasting in the PVN and NTS compared with the unfasted controls and was sustained until 48 h. In the A2 region of 48-h fasted rats, 46.75% DBH-ir cells expressed ERalpha, and this was significantly higher than in unfasted controls (8.16% DBH-ir cells expressed ERalpha). In the PVN, most ERalpha-ir neurons were juxtaposed with DBH-ir varicosities. These results suggest that ERalpha is expressed in specific brain regions at a defined time from the onset of fasting. In addition, the anatomical relationship of noradrenergic and ERalpha-ir neurons in the A2 region and PVN may suggest a role for estrogen in increasing the activity of noradrenergic neurons in the A2 region and enhancing sensitivity of the PVN to noradrenergic input arising from the lower brainstem and thereby augmenting the suppression of LH secretion during fasting.

In the present study, we determined the involvement of brainstem catecholaminergic inputs to the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) on estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) expression in this nucleus during conditions of 48-h fasting, 2-deoxy-d-glucose (2DG)-induced acute glucoprivation and 1-h immobilization, in ovariectomized rats. Our approach was to examine the effect of lesioning catecholaminergic inputs to the PVN using DSAP [saporin-conjugated anti-DBH (dopamine-beta-hydroxylase)]. Bilateral injection of DSAP into the PVN, 2 wk before stress, prevented fasting-, glucoprivation-, and immobilization-induced increase in ERalpha-immunopositive cells in the PVN. The DBH-immunoreactive (ir) terminals in the PVN were severely depleted by DSAP injection in all experimental groups. Among the brainstem noradreneregic cell groups examined, DBH-ir cell bodies were significantly reduced in the A2 region of all experimental groups treated with DSAP compared with the saporin- and vehicle-injected controls. PVN DSAP injection caused a small, but not significant, decrease in A1 DBH-ir cell bodies in fasted and immobilized rats, and a significant, but slight, reduction in A1 DBH-ir cell bodies of iv 2DG- injected rats compared with PVN vehicle-injected or PVN saporin-injected controls. The A6 DBH-ir cell bodies in all experimental groups treated with DSAP, saporin, or vehicle did not show any significant difference. These results suggest that the brainstem catecholaminergic inputs to the PVN, especially from the A2 cell group, may play a major role in mediating the induction of ERalpha expression in the PVN by metabolic stressors such as fasting, acute glucoprivation, and less specific stressors, such as immobilization, in female rats.

Estrogen-dependent enhancement of glucoprivic-induced luteinizing hormone (LH) suppression is hypothesized to be due to increased estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha)-immunoreactive (ir) cells in specific brain nuclei in a manner similar to fasting. ERalpha expression in various brain areas was determined in ovariectomized rats after systemic 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2DG)-induced glucoprivation. Expression of ERalpha in catecholaminergic neurons in the lower brainstem was also examined. ERalpha-ir cells increased in hypothalamic paraventricular and periventricular nuclei, and A1 and A2 regions of the brainstem 1 h after 2DG injection. The percentage of ERalpha in the tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)- and dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DBH)-ir neurons was higher in A1 and A2 regions of 2DG-treated rats, but the number of TH- and DBH-ir cells did not change. Thus, 2DG induces ERalpha expression in specific brain nuclei and expression of ERalpha in catecholaminergic neurons of the brainstem indicates a role for estrogen in activating those neurons projecting to the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus to suppress LH secretion during glucoprivation.

1. The fasting-induced suppression of LH secretion is totally dependent on steroidal milieu because the suppression is observed only in intact or ovariectomized estrogen-primed rats but not in ovariectomized animals. The following neural pathway mediating fasting-induced suppression of LH secretion has been suggested by a series of experiment: A neural signal emanating from the stomach during fasting reaches the medulla oblongata via afferent vagal nerve so as to activate the noradrenergic system projecting to the PVN: this results in an increased CRH release, and in turn the suppression of the LHRH release and then LH release. Estrogen seems to activate the neural pathway by acting on somewhere in the pathway. 2. We found that the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) and A2 region of the medulla oblongata is the estrogen feedback sites associated the dependence of the fasting-induced suppression of LH secretion on estrogen. The estrogen feedback action on the PVN does not involve an increase in norepinephrine release in the PVN. In addition, we also found that estrogen receptors are increased in the PVN and A2 region by acute fasting. Therefore, the following hypothesis is proposed: fasting first induces an transient increase in the activity of noradrenergic system at the beginning of the first dark phase after the food deprivation; this activation results in an increase in estrogen receptors in the PVN and A2 region; the increase in estrogen receptors leads to an increase in the sensitivity of noradrenergic systems to the neural inputs associated with fasting to these nuclei. 3. The response of the reproductive activity to various external stimuli including stress is modulated by ovarian steroids. The estrogen feedback action on the PVN and A2 is totally different from the so-called "negative feedback action" of estrogen that is for monitoring the ovarian condition. The novel estrogen feedback action may alter the response of neurons regulating gonadal axis to the signal associated with environmental cues such as stress.

The present study examined the effect of 48-h fasting and 1-h immobilization on estrogen receptor immunoreactivity in selected hypothalamic areas and the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) in ovariectomized rats. Fasting induced an increase in ER-immunoreactive cells in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN), periventricular nucleus (PeVN) and NTS compared with the unfasted control group. Similarly, immobilization caused an increase in ER-positive cells in the same areas, PVN, PeVN and NTS, versus the non-immobilized group. There was no significant increase in the number of ER-immunoreactive cells in the preoptic area (POA), arcuate nucleus (ARC) or ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus (VMH) following fasting and immobilization. Our previous work in ovariectomized rats with estrogen microimplants in the brain revealed that the PVN and A2 region of the NTS are the feedback sites of estrogen in activating the neural pathway to suppress pulsatile LH secretion during 48-h fasting. The result in the food-deprived rats suggests that estrogen modulation of the suppression of LH secretion during fasting is partly due to the increase in estrogen receptors in the PVN and A2 region. The physiological significance of the increase in neural ER following immobilization remains to be elucidated.

The effect of total subdiaphragmatic vagotomy on estrogen-receptor immunoreactivity (ERIR) in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) was examined in fasted ovariectomized rats to clarify the peripheral inputs mediating fasting-induced increase in ERIR in these two nuclei. Vagotomy abolished the effect of 48-h fasting on the expression of ER in these two areas. The result indicates that the neural signal(s) that increase the expression of ER in the PVN and A2 region of the NTS following 48-h fasting is transmitted through the vagus. The involvement of the vagus in the fasting-induced increase in ER in the PVN and A2 region may also be the same neural pathway involved in the suppression of pulsatile luteinizing hormone secretion in fasted female rats.

Glucose availability controls reproductive activity through modulation of LH secretion. The aim of the present study was to determine whether the glucoprivic suppression is potentiated by gonadal steroids and if glucoprivic suppression of pulsatile LH release is sexually differentiated. Pulsatile LH secretion was examined in rats after peripheral (jugular) administration of the competitive inhibitor of glycolysis, 2-deoxyglucose (2DG). Fourteen days after gonadectomy, blood samples were collected every 6 min for 3 h. One hour after the onset of sampling, 2DG was administered peripherally (200, 400, or 800 mg/kg BW, iv), and food intake was determined after 2DG injection in gonadectomized males and females in the presence or absence of sex steroids (testosterone or estradiol). To test the ability of the pituitary to produce LH under glucoprivic conditions, LHRH was injected every 30 min for 2.5 h in ovariectomized (OVX) rats 30 min after treatment with 400 mg/kg 2DG. At all peripheral doses of 2DG in females and at the middle and high doses of 2DG in males, mean plasma LH and LH pulse frequency decreased (P < 0.05) in the presence of steroids. However, in the absence of sex steroids, the lowest dose in females and the middle dose in males were not effective. Pituitary function appeared normal, because increases in mean plasma LH in response to the exogenous LHRH occurred in OVX rats treated with the middle dose of 2DG. Food intake significantly (P < 0.05) increased after 2DG injection in all groups except estrogen-treated OVX females at the low and high doses of 2DG. These findings suggest that glucoprivic suppression of LH pulses is potentiated by gonadal steroids in both sexes. Moreover, the hypothalamo-hypophyseal axis of the female rat seems to be more sensitive to the decreased glucose availability induced by 2DG than that of the male.