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Critical-thinking skills are a desired higher education outcome and a primary goal in education. This research focuses on fostering college students' critical thinking through reflective writing. During an 18-week study, a total of 60 English majors were recruited. Both quantitative and qualitative data was collected, including 1) the pre- and post-tests of the 5-point Likert scale Reflection Questionnaire, and 2) nine students' reflective essays. The results showed that students significantly improved their critical thinking and revealed four prevalent changes. More specifically, self-worth and volunteerism (two major conceptual changes), as well as patience and gratefulness (two key behavioral changes) stood out among these changes. The implications of using reflective writing to promote students' critical thinking are discussed.

Previous research has addressed the effects of digital storytelling (DST) on verbal English competence and demonstrated that students engage more and learn more effectively. However, the relationship between learner engagement and speaking competence needs a further analysis of the methods wherein a specific DST tool facilitates learner engagement in the learning process and how it influences their speaking skills. Therefore, this study employed Toontastic--an app with the principles of scaffolding embedded to assist learners in producing DST. Results indicated that learners made significant progress in speaking competence as regards fluency and language use; but no significant correlations were observed between learner engagement and fluency as well as between engagement and language use; and topic familiarity and scaffolding embedded within DST were the two major methods in which the app, Toontastic, supported learners in improving speaking competence and learning engagement. The study concluded that using DST helps learners successfully communicate. Implications are disscussed.

Intracultural learning, building knowledge of one's native culture, is fundamental in developing learners into intercultural communicators. Integrating intracultural learning into the English curriculum could be a key to preparing English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students as cross-cultural communicators to people in non-English-speaking countries. The aim of this study was to investigate how assuming the role of local cultural material developers by making promotional YouTube videos helped EFL learners prepare to become socio-cultural agents to introduce themselves and their local culture to the world. Seventy-one participants were recruited from Multimedia English. Data included the students' concept-mapping worksheets, YouTube videos and final reflective oral presentations. Thematic analysis was used for data analysis. The results revealed that making YouTube videos helped EFL students to communicate aspects of their own culture, thereby enhancing their intracultural understanding and empowering them to take ownership of their learning. Practical implications and other issues were also discussed.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide, and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play a major role in the tumor microenvironment (TME), which facilitates the progression of CRC. It is critical to understand how CAFs promote the progression of CRC for the development of novel therapeutic approaches. The purpose of this study was to understand how CAF-derived stromal-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) and its interactions with the corresponding C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) promote CRC progression. Our study focused on their roles in promoting tumor cell migration and invasion and their effects on the characteristics of cancer stem cells (CSCs), which ultimately impact patient outcomes. Here, using in vivo approaches and clinical histological samples, we analyzed the influence of secreted SDF-1 on CRC progression, especially in terms of tumor cell behavior and stemness. We demonstrated that CAF-secreted SDF-1 significantly enhanced CRC cell migration and invasion through paracrine signaling. In addition, the overexpression of SDF-1 in CRC cell lines HT29 and HCT-116 triggered these cells to generate autocrine SDF-1 signaling, which further enhanced their CSC characteristics, including those of migration, invasion, and spheroid formation. An immunohistochemical study showed a close relationship between SDF-1 and CXCR4 expression in CRC tissue, and this significantly affected patient outcomes. The administration of AMD3100, an inhibitor of CXCR4, reversed the entire phenomenon. Our results strongly suggest that targeting this signaling axis in CRC is a feasible approach to attenuating tumor progression, and it may, therefore, serve as an alternative treatment method to improve the prognosis of patients with CRC, especially those with advanced, recurrent, or metastatic CRC following standard therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although videos are now used pervasively in English as a Foreign Language settings, most existing literature centers on learners as knowledge receivers or passive video viewers (Lialikhova, 2014; Fisher & Frey, 2015; Bakar et al., 2019). Rarely do studies involving videos engaged learners as knowledge generators or active, self-directed learners. To fill this research gap, the current study examined the effects of the online-video pronunciation dictionary YouGlish, which employs a lexical approach on learners' speaking skills, including pronunciation, intonation, word usage, and strategies that learners applied while using YouGlish as well as their reactions to it. The results revealed that YouGlish can help learners make progress in their oral skills, especially in terms of word usage, by providing meaningful context that helps them comprehend how oral English is used in real life. The findings revealed the process of using YouGlish generated students to become more active and self-directed learners, rather than remained as passive receivers of knowledge.

Pulmonary adenocarcinoma (PADC) treatment limited efficacy in preventing tumor progression, often resulting in malignant pleural effusion (MPE). MPE is filled with various mediators, especially interleukin-8 (IL-8). However, the role of IL-8 and its signaling mechanism within the fluid microenvironment (FME) implicated in tumor progression warrants further investigation. Primary cultured cells from samples of patients with MPE from PADC, along with a commonly utilized lung cancer cell line, were employed to examine the role of IL-8 and its receptor, CXCR1, through comparative analysis. Our study primarily assessed migration and invasion capabilities, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and cancer stem cell (CSC) properties. Additionally, IL-8 levels in MPE fluid versus serum, along with immunohistochemical expression of IL-8/CXCR1 signaling in tumor tissue and cell blocks were analyzed. IL-8/CXCR1 overexpression enhanced EMT and CSC properties. Furthermore, the immunocytochemical examination of 17 cell blocks from patients with PADC and MPE corroborated the significant correlation between upregulated IL-8 and CXCR1 expression and the co-expression of IL-8 and CXCR1 in MPE with distant metastasis. In summary, the IL-8/ CXCR1 axis in FME is pivotal to tumor promotion via paracrine and autocrine signaling. Our study provides a therapeutic avenue for improving the prognosis of PADC patients with MPE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Buddhism in Tainan was first introduced to Baihe from Chiayi. Due to geographical barriers and a lack of transportation, Baihe had limited contact with other administrative districts in Tainan City, except for some interactions with neighboring Dongshan and Houbi. Instead, more frequent contacts took place with inland mountain areas in Chiayi County, which profoundly influenced Baihe's customs and culture. This area has been home to many Buddhist altars and masters, making it a significant center of Buddhism in Taiwan and giving rise to one form of Buddhist culture known as the Chiayi School. The introduction of Buddhism from Chiayi to Baihe could be seen as a natural phenomenon of a strong culture spreading outward. Buddhist masters and Taoist Lingbao priests built a business ecosystem for staging salvation rituals on behalf of Tainan residents. However, the Taoist Lingbao School is dominant, while Buddhism is a relatively small traditional culture scattered in border areas that is now gradually waning. Furthermore, as the elder generation fades away, there is a risk that the local history of Buddhism will barely be remembered. This article combines fieldwork, in-person visits to Buddhist altars in Tainan City, and in-depth interviews with altar owners and the Buddhist masters who cooperate with them to better understand the historical evolution, development, regional distribution, and transmission of Buddhist altar traditions in Tainan City. Its goal is to preserve local cultural heritage as well as provide insight into the significance of Tainan City's Buddhist altars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have indicated that computers and the internet play very important roles in students' acceptance and use of new information technology. In recent years, with the rapid development of mobile technology, mobile learning (m-learning) has becoming another popular topic. However, little is known about the students' attitudes and self-efficacy with the use of a mobile device in language learning. The purpose of this study was to investigate the attitudes and self-efficacy of using mobile learning devices for college students in a language class by employing task-based instruction. The sample group of the study comprised 58 second-year students at a technical university in central Taiwan who used mobile devices for m-learning in an English class to complete assigned tasks under the guidance of the instructor. Results showed that most students agreed that their motivation for English learning was enhanced and most of them had positive attitudes towards m-learning. Implications for future research and the practice of m-learning are discussed. (Contains 6 tables.)

Due to its complex nature and inherent unobservable features, teacher change within a specific context has rarely been investigated despite its importance as an issue in teacher professional development. To meet this challenge, the present study explored how teacher change was nurtured with the support of a web-based writing platform featuring such functions as "teacher action logs," "student learning logs and writing records," and "discussion forums." The data included (a) the writing teachers' written commentary on students' texts, (b) the writing teachers' discussion transcripts, and (c) focus group interview transcripts. Results showed that teacher change in pedagogical beliefs was manifested through two cycles of written commentary that included preconceptions, evaluations, and re-conceptualisations of their commentary in terms of local and global feedback. The writing teachers' perceptions of the web-based writing platform were also addressed in this study.

The emergence of pico projectors as a part of future mobile devices presents unique opportunities for collaborative settings, especially in entertainment applications, such as video playback. By aggregating pico projectors from several users, it is possible to enhance resolution, brightness, or frame rate. In this paper we present a camera-based methodology for the alignment and synchronization of multiple projectors. The approach does not require any complicated ad hoc network setup among the mobile devices. A prototype system has been set up and used to test the proposed techniques.

Previous studies have evaluated reading comprehension as the general understanding of reading texts. However, this broad and generic assessment of reading comprehension overlooks the specific aspects and processes that students need to develop. This study adopted Kintsch's Construction-Integration model to tap into reading comprehension at different levels and investigated how English as a foreign language (EFL) students benefit from online annotations to scaffold reading comprehension. Fifty EFL students participated in this study and the data collected included (1) the pre- and post-test assessments in reading comprehension levels, (2) the students' online annotations on reading texts, and (3) the discussion transcripts from an online discussion forum. The results from the first two data sources (1 and 2) were the data-sets used to investigate the influence of the annotation types on reading comprehension levels. The third data source was the data-set used to probe into the process of how students benefited from annotation types to reach different levels of reading comprehension. Four types of online annotations were frequently used by the students while reading online, including (1) marking vocabulary, (2) adding Chinese explanatory notes to unknown vocabulary, (3) marking text information, and (4) adding summary notes to each paragraph. Different frequencies of using the four types of online annotations resulted in three different comprehension levels: surface-based, text-based, and situation-based levels. Marking vocabulary and adding Chinese explanatory notes helped scaffold the students' learning to achieve surface comprehension levels to facilitate recognition and meaning of unknown vocabulary. Marking text information and in particular, the adding of summary notes to each paragraph were the core annotations that helped students comprehend the online text in text-based and situation-based levels. EFL teachers can guide students to use online annotations to different extents in order to deepen their reading comprehension.

In recent years, researchers have conducted various studies on applying wireless networking technology and mobile devices in education settings. However, research on behavioral patterns in learners' online asynchronous discussions with mobile devices is limited. The purposes of this study are to develop a mobile learning system, mobile interactive teaching feedback system (MITFS), linked to both mobile devices and the internet, to support learners with online asynchronous discussion, and combine content analysis and sequential analysis to compare and contrast the social knowledge construction behavioral patterns of problem-based asynchronous discussion in e-learning and m-learning environments. This study investigated four weeks of online discussions in an "Introduction to Computer Science" course involving forty first year university students. The control group (online asynchronous discussion without mobile devices) and the experimental group (online asynchronous discussion with mobile devices) in the group discussions were explored. By using content analysis and sequential analysis for the problem-based online asynchronous discussion of the behavioral patterns and differences between students in control and experimental group, the results showed that using mobile devices in online asynchronous discussion influenced students' learning performance. Some interesting results were found. Firstly, when the students used mobile devices in discussion situations, they could more engage in reflecting thinking, sharing more information, and further facilitating social knowledge construction among group members. Secondly, the experimental group performed better than the control group in terms of participation and diversity in knowledge construction behavioral patterns. Finally, based upon the findings, some implications are proposed for further research. (Contains 9 figures and 10 tables.)

Using the theories of critical reflection and community of practice, the aim of this paper was to explore the use of blogs as a reflective platform in the training processes of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) student teachers, who were learning to teach English for future employment in Taiwan. They made use of blogs as a platform to critically reflect on their learning processes as well as to gauge the impact of blogs on their own professional growth. Forty-three student teachers in two teacher-education programs at two science and technology institutions in central Taiwan participated in this study. Two instructors created a blog for use as a discussion forum so that the student teachers could engage in and examine their own reflection process. The data collected was qualitative in nature, consisting of student teachers' posting messages and comments on the blog, surveys on the student teachers' reflective experiences using blogs as reflection tools, and group reflective dialogues recorded by instructors in class meetings over the implementation of blogs during the course. The results showed that the student teachers actively discussed teaching theories and their implications through blogs. All of the 43 teachers who took part in this study were reflective, and some critically reflected on their thoughts and made significant comments; and the participants considered technology a useful platform for reflecting and communicating with each other. The positive implications for the use of blogs as a medium to provide and promote critical reflection for EFL teachers are discussed. (Contains 2 tables.)

China's economic performance over the past few decades has put China in a position where it now accounts for one-third of global economic growth, twice as much as America. The large-scale growth of China's economy has attracted attention from businesses and investors worldwide [Morrison (2006). "China's economic conditions." Congressional Research Service: The Library of Congress]. With the continuing growth of China's economy, more and more people from all over the world are learning Chinese in order to conduct business and access China's huge markets. Correspondingly, an increase in the demand for Chinese speakers is being matched by an increase in available Chinese language teaching jobs globally. This has led many Chinese native speakers to consider teaching Chinese as a second language either in China or overseas. This study is a narrative inquiry into the transformation of thinking about language education, based on the author's experience of teaching Chinese while pursuing a doctorate program at a major university in the United States. The data used in this study are qualitative in nature, consisting of self-observations and journal writing. Narrative inquiry serves as a conceptual framework to this study and was adopted as a tool for data analysis. The analysis focused on how the author, as a teaching assistant from Taiwan, dealt with issues of teaching Chinese as a second language and how he drew on pedagogical theories and methodologies. The author's experience with students in the East Asian Language and Culture Department with their different assumptions and motivations highlighted the importance of teaching strategies and pedagogies in class. Elements like cultural diversity and learning styles are also discussed in this paper.

Probes the developmental process a nonnative English-speaking child experienced in the United states and how his parents and other factors influenced his bilingual language proficiency. (Author/VWL)