This review involved 60 articles chosen from 336 empirical studies identified in five leading journals on the learning and teaching of Chinese as a second or foreign language in mainland China during ...the period 2014-2018. The selected studies document Chinese researchers' efforts to improve the teaching and learning of the Chinese language in terms of language pedagogy, language learning and teacher development. We contend that these studies on the teaching and learning of Chinese as a second or foreign language (CSL/CFL) can contribute to the advancement of second/foreign language education theories even though they were largely conducted to address local needs and interests in the Chinese context. Unfortunately, the impact of these studies on international language education research and pedagogical development remains limited and peripheral. For this reason, this review concludes with recommendations for Chinese researchers and journal editors in the field of Chinese language teaching and learning research on how to promote quality empirical research and enhance their contributions to second/foreign language education research. Author abstract
Tumor associated macrophages (TAMs) are considered with the capacity to have both negative and positive effects on tumor growth. The prognostic value of TAM for survival in patients with solid tumor ...remains controversial.
We conducted a meta-analysis of 55 studies (n = 8,692 patients) that evaluated the correlation between TAM (detected by immunohistochemistry) and clinical staging, overall survival (OS) and disease free survival (DFS). The impact of M1 and M2 type TAM (n = 5) on survival was also examined.
High density of TAM was significantly associated with late clinical staging in patients with breast cancer risk ratio (RR) = 1.20 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.14-1.28) and bladder cancer RR = 3.30 (95%CI, 1.56-6.96) and with early clinical staging in patients with ovarian cancer RR = 0.52 (95%CI, 0.35-0.77). Negative effects of TAM on OS was shown in patients with gastric cancer RR = 1.64 (95%CI, 1.24-2.16), breast cancer RR = 8.62 (95%CI, 3.10-23.95), bladder cancer RR = 5.00 (95%CI, 1.98-12.63), ovarian cancer RR = 2.55 (95%CI, 1.60-4.06), oral cancer RR = 2.03 (95%CI, 1.47-2.80) and thyroid cancer RR = 2.72 (95%CI, 1.26-5.86),and positive effects was displayed in patients with colorectal cancer RR = 0.64 (95%CI, 0.43-0.96). No significant effect was showed between TAM and DFS. There was also no significant effect of two phenotypes of TAM on survival.
Although some modest bias cannot be excluded, high density of TAM seems to be associated with worse OS in patients with gastric cancer, urogenital cancer and head and neck cancer, with better OS in patients with colorectal cancer.
The practical use of luminescent mononuclear gold(I) complexes as optoelectronic materials has been limited by their inferior stability. Herein we demonstrate a strategy to improve the stability of ...gold(I) complexes which display thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF). A highly rigid and groove‐like σ‐donating aryl ligand has been used to form dual Au⋅⋅⋅H−C hydrogen bonds. The secondary metal‐ligand interactions have been authenticated by single‐crystal structure, NMR spectroscopy and theoretical simulations. The TADF AuI complex exhibits appealing emission properties (photoluminescence quantum yield=76 %; delayed fluorescence lifetime=1.2 μs) and much improved thermal and photo‐stability. Vacuum‐deposited organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs) show promising electroluminescence with a maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) over 23 % and negligible efficiency roll‐off even at 10 000 cd m−2. An estimated LT50 longer than 77 000 h with initial luminance of 100 cd m−2 reveals good operational stability. This work suggests a way for design of stable luminescent gold(I) complexes.
Robust mononuclear AuI emitters are prepared by harnessing intramolecular Au⋅⋅⋅H−C interactions. The new emitter displays appealing thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) as well as thermal and photo‐stability, leading to high‐performance organic light‐emitting diodes with negligible efficiency roll‐off and good operational stability. This work shows the potential of secondary interactions for developing optoelectronic materials.
The rising popularity of the Chinese language as a subject for study has motivated research on international students' cultural adaptation and language learning during periods of study abroad in ...China. This inquiry examined the challenges that a group of New Zealand students encountered and the strategic responses they adopted in relation to cultural adaptation in China. In the inquiry, we encouraged 15 participants to write reflective journals and conducted group interviews to explore their experiences. The analysis revealed the variety of challenges that the participants faced, including language-based, lifestyle, and academic challenges as well as sociocultural and psychological ones. In response to these challenges, the participants adopted diverse strategic efforts to achieve cognitive, affective, and skill development in facilitating their communication practices with local Chinese people. These findings suggest that language educators need to revise traditional pedagogical approaches so that new pedagogical activities can be developed to promote study abroad students' communication competence, and counselling services should be provided to support their cultural adaptation and language learning.
Optofluidic laser (OFL) is an emerging technology that integrates microfluidics, optical microcavity, and the liquid gain medium. Thanks to the strong light-matter interaction in the laser cavity, ...OFL could perform bio-chemical sensing with high performance. Here, we review the recent advances in optofluidic lasers and highlight their applications in biochemical analysis with unique properties. We introduce the physical mechanisms as well as the structure and material employed in the optofluidic laser to achieve high sensitivity, disposability, fast response and high throughput. In addition, we discuss the cross properties between these performance indicators to show how to achieve overall high performance. The effects of new materials including both gain materials and enhancer materials in laser-based sensors are briefly discussed. Furthermore, the comparison with other optical biochemical sensors and the prospects of OFLs are also given.
Metastasis and chemoresistance are two major causes of breast cancer death. We show here that the chemokine receptor CXCR2 was overexpressed in breast cancer cell lines and tissues. CXCR2 promoted ...anti-apoptosis, anti-senescence, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of breast cancer cells, leading to the enhanced metastasis and chemoresistance. Further study suggested that AKT1 and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2; PTGS2) might mediate the CXCR2 signaling to inversely control the breast cancer metastasis and chemoresistance through the regulation of EMT, apoptosis, and senescence. Analyses of clinical data indicate that the high expression of CXCR2 was correlated with the high expression of COX2 and the low expression of AKT1, P85α, E-cadherin, and β-catenin in cancer tissues. Poor outcomes were associated with the high expression of CXCR2 or COX2 while favorable survivals were associated with the high expression of P85α, AKT1, or E-cadherin in all cancer patients. Cox multivariate analysis demonstrated that CXCR2, COX2, and AKT1 could be independent predictors for disease free survivals. All these data suggest that CXCR2 promotes breast cancer metastasis and chemoresistance via suppressing AKT1 and activating COX2. Thus, antagonists of the CXCR2 signaling molecules may be used to treat breast cancer patients particularly with high metastasis and chemoresistance.
•CXCR2 promotes breast cancer metastasis and chemoresistance in vitro and in vivo.•The mechanism relies on suppression of AKT1 and induction of COX2.•Cox multivariate analysis shows that CXCR2, COX2, and AKT1 could be independent prognostic factors.
Endometrial stem/progenitor cells have been proved to exist in periodically regenerated female endometrium and can be divided into three categories: endometrial epithelial stem/progenitor cells, ...CD140b.sup.+CD146.sup.+ or SUSD2.sup.+ endometrial mesenchymal stem cells (eMSCs), and side population cells (SPs). Endometrial stem/progenitor cells in the menstruation blood are defined as menstrual stem cells (MenSCs). Due to their abundant sources, excellent proliferation, and autotransplantation capabilities, MenSCs are ideal candidates for cell-based therapy in regenerative medicine, inflammation, and immune-related diseases. Endometrial stem/progenitor cells also participate in the occurrence and development of endometriosis by entering the pelvic cavity from retrograde menstruation and becoming overreactive under certain conditions to form new glands and stroma through clonal expansion. Additionally, the limited bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMDSCs) in blood circulation can be recruited and infiltrated into the lesion sites, leading to the establishment of deep invasive endometriosis. On the other hand, cell derived from endometriosis may also enter the blood circulation to form circulating endometrial cells (CECs) with stem cell-like properties, and to migrate and implant into distant tissues. In this manuscript, by reviewing the available literature, we outlined the characteristics of endometrial stem/progenitor cells and summarized their roles in immunoregulation, regenerative medicine, and endometriosis, through which to provide some novel therapeutic strategies for reproductive and cancerous diseases. Keywords: Stem cells, Endometriosis, Human endometrium, Immunology
Preservice teachers' (PSTs) epistemic agency during their practicum experiences is not yet fully understood. In this study, we collected data in the form of in-depth interviews, reflective journals, ...and lesson plans from two Chinese language PSTs, and examined their epistemic agency during their practicums in Macau from a cultural-historical activity theory perspective. First, this study offers an analytical model that revealed the dynamics of epistemic agency development during PSTs' practicums. Second, the analysis showed how PSTs' social situations and prior learning experience recursively shaped their epistemic agency. The study raises important implications for teacher education, highlighting the importance of supporting PSTs' epistemic agency by providing epistemic resources.
Chemoresistance has been the biggest obstacle in ovarian cancer treatment, and STAT3 may play an important role in chemoresistance of multiple cancers, but the underlying mechanism of STAT3 in ...ovarian cancer chemoresistance has long been truly illusive, particularly in association with p53 and RAS signaling. In this study, by using wild type, constitutive active, and dominant negative STAT3 constructs, wild-type p53, and RAS-mutant V12, we performed a series of in vitro and in vivo experiments by gene overexpression, drug treatment, and animal assays. We found that phosphorylation of STAT3 Y705 but not S727 promoted cancer cell EMT and metastasis through the Slug-mediated regulation of E-cadherin and Vimentin. The phosphorylation of STAT3 at Y705 also activated the MAPK and PI3K/AKT signaling to inhibit the ERS-mediated autophagy through down-regulation of pPERK, pelf2α, ATF6α, and IRE1α, which led to increased cisplatin resistance. Induction of wild type p53 in STAT3-DN-transfected cells further diminished the chemoresistance and tumor growth through the upregulation of the MAPK- and PI3K/AKT-mediated ERS and autophagy. Introduction of STAT3-DN deprived the RAS
-induced ERS, autophagy, oncogenicity, and cisplatin resistance, whereas introduction of p53 in STAT3-DN/RAS
expressing cells induced additional tumor retardation and cisplatin sensitivity. Thus, our data provide strong evidence that the crosstalk between STAT3 and p53/RAS signaling controls ovarian cancer cell metastasis and cisplatin resistance via the Slug/MAPK/PI3K/AKT-mediated regulation of EMT and autophagy.
Materials exhibiting excitation wavelength‐dependent photoluminescence (Ex‐De PL) in the visible region have potential applications in bioimaging, optoelectronics and anti‐counterfeiting. Two ...multifunctional, chiral Au(NHC)2Au(CN)2 (NHC=(4R,5R)/(4S,5S)‐1,3‐dimethyl‐4,5‐diphenyl‐4,5‐dihydro‐imidazolin‐2‐ylidene) complex double salts display Ex‐De circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) in doped polymer films and in ground powder. Emission maxima can be dynamically tuned from 440 to 530 nm by changing the excitation wavelength. The continuously tunable photoluminescence is proposed to originate from multiple emissive excited states as a result of the existence of varied AuI⋅⋅⋅AuI distances in ground state. The steric properties of the NHC ligand are crucial to the tuning of AuI⋅⋅⋅AuI distances. An anti‐counterfeiting application using these two salts is demonstrated.
Ex‐De CPL: By modulating the strength of AuI⋅⋅⋅AuI and Coulombic interactions by adjusting steric hindrance of the ligand, together with the materials processing, the two chiral enantiomers of Au(NHC)2Au(CN)2 double salts in PMMA film or as ground powder exhibit mirror‐image excitation wavelength‐dependent photoluminescence (Ex‐De CPL).
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