A step toward autonomy in education: probing into the effects of practicing self-assessment, resilience, and creativity in task supported language learning.

Self-assessment (SA) can provide students with opportunities to self-evaluate, or make judgments about their learning process and products of learning. Regarding the importance of SA, this survey pursued to examine the effects of practicing SA on Saudi Arabian EFL learners' resilience, creativity, and autonomy in task supported language learning. To fulfill these objectives, 60 intermediate EFL learners were chosen and separated accidentally into two groups of control and experimental. They were then pre-tested using three related questionnaires of resilience, creativity, and autonomy. Next, the treatment was practiced on the two groups. Eight lessons of Touchstone Book 3 were taught to the experimental group using SAvia applying different tasks. On the other hand, the lessons were trained to the control group without using SA and tasks. The aforementioned questionnaires were re-administered as the post-tests following the completion of all lessons. Independent and paired samples t-test findings displayed that the control and experimental groups performed differently on the three post-tests. In essence, the results showed that the experimental group's resilience, creativity, and autonomy were all improved by the treatment. The research's implications and conclusions were then outlined. The implications of the research can allow students to evaluate their own progress and skill development critically.

Impact of mind-mapping technique on EFL learners' vocabulary recall and retention, learning motivation, and willingness to communicate.

This study sought to investigate the effects of using the mind-mapping technique on Iranian English as a foreign language (EFL) learners' vocabulary recall and retention, learning motivation, and willingness to communicate (WTC). To accomplish this, 98 EFL learners were chosen and homogenized through the Oxford Quick Placement test (OQPT) and divided into a control group (CG) (n = 30) and an experimental group (EG) (n = 30). After that, the chosen students were pretested on vocabulary, learning motivation, and WTC. Subsequently, two different instructions were given to the two groups; the mind-mapping instruction was used in the EG and a conventional instruction was used in the CG. Then, a 23-session treatment, a vocabulary post-test (both immediate and delayed) and two questionnaires measuring learning motivation and WTC were given to both groups to assess the effectiveness of the instruction on their vocabulary knowledge, learning motivation, and WTC. The results of the statistical analyses showed that the EG outperformed the CG in terms of gains in vocabulary recall and retention, learning motivation, and WTC. At the end of the study, the implications of the results were discussed.

Acquisition of L2 English spatial deixes by Arabic-speaking children.

Deictic words are considered the earliest words which children acquire at the stage of two-word-utterance. However, mastering them like adults may take more time. This paper investigates how L2 children comprehend and produce English spatial deixis 'here', 'there', 'this', and 'that' by observing and documenting their responses and reactions in hide-and-seek game. It also aims to find out the children's obstacles in acquiring these words, such as proximity bias and egocentrism. The subjects are Arabic children of ages four, five, and six who acquire English as a second language in international schools in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. They performed two types of tasks: comprehension task and production task. Both tasks contained two trials: same perspective and the different perspective. Based on the results, children did better in comprehending the spatial deixis than in producing them. Moreover, the results showed that there was no proximity bias happened with children in this study. In addition, the results of the two trials in both tasks illustrated that changing the deictic center improves with age. Although the study provides some significant results, there should be an increase in the number of the samples in order to make the results generalized.

The ASAS-OMERACT core domain set for axial spondyloarthritis.

BACKGROUND: The current core outcome set for ankylosing spondylitis (AS) has had only minor adaptations since its development 20 years ago. Considering the significant advances in this field during the preceding decades, an update of this core set is necessary. OBJECTIVE: To update the ASAS-OMERACT core outcome set for AS into the ASAS-OMERACT core outcome set for axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). METHODS: Following OMERACT and COMET guidelines, an international working group representing key stakeholders (patients, rheumatologists, health professionals, pharmaceutical industry and drug regulatory agency representatives) defined the core domain set for axSpA. The development process consisted of: i) Identifying candidate domains using a systematic literature review and qualitative studies; ii) Selection of the most relevant domains for different stakeholders through a 3-round Delphi survey involving axSpA patients and axSpA experts; iii) Consensus and voting by ASAS; iv) Endorsement by OMERACT. Two scenarios are considered based on the type of therapy investigated in the trial: symptom modifying therapies and disease modifying therapies. RESULTS: The updated core outcome set for axSpA includes 7 mandatory domains for all trials (disease activity, pain, morning stiffness, fatigue, physical function, overall functioning and health, and adverse events including death). There are 3 additional domains (extra-musculoskeletal manifestations, peripheral manifestations and structural damage) that are mandatory for disease modifying therapies and important but optional for symptom modifying therapies. Finally, 3 other domains (spinal mobility, sleep, and work and employment) are defined as important but optional domains for all trials. CONCLUSION: The ASAS-OMERACT core domain set for AS has been updated into the ASAS-OMERACT core domain set for axSpA. The next step is the selection of instruments for each domain.

Zinc finger protein-440 promotes cartilage degenerative mechanisms in human facet and knee osteoarthritis chondrocytes.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the role of zinc finger protein 440 (ZNF440) in the pathophysiology of cartilage degeneration during facet joint (FJ) and knee osteoarthritis (OA). METHODS: Expression of ZNF440 in FJ and knee cartilage was determined by immunohistochemistry, quantitative (q)PCR, and Western blotting (WB). Human chondrocytes isolated from FJ and knee OA cartilage were cultured and transduced with ZNF440 or control plasmid, or transfected with ZNF440 or control small interfering RNA (siRNA), with/without interleukin (IL)-1ß. Gene and protein levels of catabolic, anabolic and apoptosis markers were determined by qPCR or WB, respectively. In silico analyses were performed to determine compounds with potential to inhibit expression of ZNF440. RESULTS: ZNF440 expression was increased in both FJ and knee OA cartilage compared to control cartilage. In vitro, overexpression of ZNF440 significantly increased expression of MMP13 and PARP p85, and decreased expression of COL2A1. Knockdown of ZNF440 with siRNA partially reversed the catabolic and cell death phenotype of human knee and FJ OA chondrocytes stimulated with IL-1ß. In silico analysis followed by validation assays identified scriptaid as a compound with potential to downregulate the expression of ZNF440. Validation experiments showed that scriptaid reduced the expression of ZNF440 in OA chondrocytes and concomitantly reduced the expression of MMP13 and PARP p85 in human knee OA chondrocytes overexpressing ZNF440. CONCLUSIONS: The expression of ZNF440 is significantly increased in human FJ and knee OA cartilage and may regulate cartilage degenerative mechanisms. Furthermore, scriptaid reduces the expression of ZNF440 and inhibits its destructive effects in OA chondrocytes.

From gene expression to serum proteins: biomarker discovery in ankylosing spondylitis.

OBJECTIVES: Studying post-infliximab gene expression changes could provide insights into the pathogenesis of ankylosing spondylitis (AS). METHODS: Gene expression changes were screened by microarray on peripheral blood RNA of 16 AS patients at baseline and 2 weeks post-infliximab, and selected results were confirmed by quantitative real-time (qRT)-PCR. Corresponding serum-soluble LIGHT (sLIGHT) was estimated by ELISA and the fold change in sLIGHT was correlated to the fold change in erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP) and the Bath AS disease activity index. RESULTS: Post-infliximab, 69% of the patients (11/16) achieved an ASAS20 response. Six candidate genes were differentially expressed by microarray; four of which were validated by qRT-PCR. sLIGHT showed the most significant difference. There was good correlation of baseline sLIGHT with CRP (R = 0.60; p = 0.01) and ESR (R = 0.51; p = 0.04). The fold change in sLIGHT correlated with change in both CRP (R = 0.71, p = 0.002) and ESR (R = 0.77, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: LIGHT is significantly downregulated by infliximab. sLIGHT correlated well with changes in inflammatory markers.