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Higher education institutions in the United States resorted to remote instruction after the disruption caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The disjointed nature of this transition of managing the academic crisis needs to be critically engaged. By examining the experiences of global communication faculty at a midsize Midwestern university, this study attempts to reflect on the circumstances, challenges, and some unexpected outcomes of the phenomenon. Based on testimonies generated from the authors' experiences and interviews conducted with instructors, the study outlines lessons learned from the adoption of media technology and offers insights on reimagining global communication pedagogy in the post-pandemic period.

This study tested whether communication neglect (CN) mediated the relationship between caregivers' reports of care receivers' cognitive status and/or problem behavior and thoughts about potential harmful behaviors (PHB) toward their care receiver. It also examined if caregivers' expressed anger and a positive pre-morbid relational history moderated the prediction of CN on PHB. Family caregivers (N = 339) in the U.S. completed the survey via Qualtrics. Results suggested that CN is a meaningful mediator explaining how PHB might occur. Caregiver expressed anger moderated the prediction of CN on PHB/physical abuse. Lastly, caregivers' perceptions of a positive pre-morbid relational history were a potential protective factor against PHB. When caregiver expressed anger was moderate or high, the prediction of CN on PHB/physical abuse was positive, but its strength was reduced as pre-morbid relational history became stronger. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This quasi-experimental study investigated whether a strategy-oriented media-based reading program could improve English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students' reading comprehension. Eighty-five students who were registered for English Reading at a university were recruited through convenience sampling to take part in the study. In this study, a web-based Strategy-oriented Multimedia-Assisted Reading Training (SMART) program was designed and implemented. On the basis of a literature review, four instructional strategies were selected and implemented in this program. The SMART program was used by students in the experimental group but not by students in the control group. Students in both groups were taught by the same instructor with the same instructional materials. The experiment lasted for 10 weeks, and the effects of the SMART program on students' reading comprehension were investigated. A questionnaire on students' attitudes toward the use of the strategies was given only to the experimental group. The results show that mean score of the reading test was significantly higher for the experimental group than for the control group. Students' feedback about using the SMART program was positive and encouraging.

In this study, a Ti3C2 MXene@g-C3N4 composite powder (TM-CN) was prepared by the ultrasonic self-assembly method and then loaded onto a carbon nanofiber membrane by the self-assembly properties of MXene for the treatment of organic pollutants in wastewater. The characterization of the TM-CN and the C-TM-CN was conducted via X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR) to ascertain the successful modification. The organic dye degradation experiments demonstrated that introducing an appropriate amount of Ti3C2 MXene resulted in the complete degradation of RhB within 60 min, three times the photocatalytic efficiency of a pure g-C3N4. The C-TM-CN exhibited the stable and outstanding photocatalytic degradation of the RhB solution over a wide range of pH values, indicating the characteristics of the photodegradation of organic pollutants in a wide range of aqueous environments. Furthermore, the results of the cyclic degradation experiments demonstrated that the C-TM-CN composite film maintained a degradation efficiency of over 85% after five cycles, thereby confirming a notable improvement in its cyclic stability. Consequently, the C-TM-CN composite film exhibits excellent photocatalytic performance and is readily recyclable, making it an auspicious eco-friendly material in water environment remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigate the impact of academic directors on a firm's performance and decisions in the Taiwan equity market. We find that firms with more independent directors and board size are more likely to appoint academic directors, and academic directors can improve firm performance. The presence of academic directors positively affects firm performance through channels like more capital expenditure and larger R&D expenses. Academic directors with finance and technology backgrounds positively correlate with both Tobin's Q and ROA. Moreover, the appropriate match of expertise between firms and their academic directors contributes to a better performance. However, corporations with academic directors have a higher compensation gap between top managers and employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]