Psycho-linguistic and educational challenges in Teaching Chinese (Mandarin) Language: voices from None-Chinese teachers of Mandarin language.

BACKGROUND: Chinese/Mandarin language instruction to undergraduate students from non-Chinese speaking countries has become a topic of increasing interest, driven by China's influential role in global political and economic dynamics. With Mandarin being the language spoken by approximately 70% of Chinese speakers, it is not only taught within China but also in institutions around the world. While teaching any second or foreign language presents unique challenges, the specific challenges faced in Mandarin language education have not received comprehensive scrutiny, prompting the need for further investigation. OBJECTIVES: The primary objective of this study was to explore the challenges associated with teaching and learning Mandarin from the perspectives of non-native Mandarin language teachers. By adopting a qualitative (phenomenological) research approach, we aimed to uncover the multifaceted challenges that confront both educators and learners in the context of Mandarin language instruction. METHODOLOGY: The research methodology employed for this study involved the use of semi-structured interviews conducted with 15 Mandarin language teachers, who were chosen through theoretical sampling. These interviews were transcribed into text files and subsequently subjected to qualitative data analysis, which was facilitated by the use of MAQDA software. This approach allowed us to identify and categorize the various challenges and problems encountered in the teaching and learning of Mandarin. FINDINGS: The research findings revealed a range of challenges and problems experienced in Mandarin language education. These challenges were grouped into two primary thematic categories: psycho-linguistic and educational challenges. The linguistic challenges are deeply rooted in the distinctive features of the Mandarin language, presenting obstacles that necessitate innovative teaching strategies and materials. Educational challenges extend beyond native speaker proficiency, emphasizing the requirement for a comprehensive pedagogical skill set among instructors. IMPLICATIONS: The implications of this research extend to various stakeholders in the field of Chinese/Mandarin language education, including policymakers, educators, curriculum designers, and learners. Understanding the linguistic, educational, and psychological challenges can inform the development of more effective teaching methods, curriculum design, and motivation-enhancing strategies, ultimately promoting a more successful and engaging Mandarin language learning experience for non-native speakers.

Discovery of potent and highly selective covalent inhibitors of Bruton's tyrosine kinase bearing triazine scaffold.

Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK), as a key regulator of the B cell receptor (BCR) signaling pathway, is an attractive therapeutic target for the treatment of various diseases such as leukemia and B-cell malignancies. Herein, a series of compounds bearing 1, 3, 5-triazine core were prepared, and their biological activities on BTK were determined. Then the molecular docking study and ADME property prediction were made and a highly potent selective BTK inhibitor B8 (IC50 = 21.0 nM) was discovered. Compound B8 exhibited excellent activity with 5.14 nM inhibition of Raji cells and 6.14 nM inhibition of Ramos cells respectively. Additionally, B8 potently inhibited BTK kinase Y223 auto-phosphorylation, arrested cell cycle in G2/M phase and induced apoptosis in Ramos cells. The high selectivity for BTK and high potency in TMD8 cells of B8 suggested a low risk of off-target related adverse effects. Further molecular docking and dynamic simulation on B8 furnished insights into its binding profile within BTK. With significant efficacy in cellular assays and good ADME and safety profiles, B8 can be identified as a promising BTK inhibitor worthy of further profiling.

The Formation of Teachers' Intrinsic Motivation in Professional Development.

Teachers' development is a coordinated and systematic process of external behavior and internal states. Motivation is a reflection of teachers' states and levels of development. Intrinsic motivation is an ideal motivation to support teachers' high-level development. This study selected and interviewed teachers who would enter the intrinsic motivation phase Change and development mechanism of motivation was analyzed. From case analysis, it is found that teachers' extrinsic motivation can be transformed into intrinsic motivation. Teachers' existing development value, development level of teaching practice, teachers' feeling in their development processes and the interaction between the three aspects would influence the generation of intrinsic motivation. At the initial stage of development, teachers' existing values and external tasks can promote teachers to optimize their own practice and influence the level of practice development. Teachers' value is self-constructed, but also can be guided and promoted by others. Yet it can affect teaching practice only when it is based on teachers' original values Over-strong external goals will restrain teachers from constructing deep teaching practice. Professional guidance deep into teachers' ecological environment helps to construct ideal teaching processes. Teaching practice on a deep level will drive teachers to alter or reconstruct their values of development and make the teaching work much more meaningful, which can facilitate teachers' positive feelings about the teaching process. This process will also be influenced by teachers' other value expectation and schools' cultural environment. Teachers' narrow goals and school's biased emphasis on the teaching results will make teachers experience low levels of efficiency and reduce the possibility of intrinsic motivation. Teachers will have a stable value judgement after they have really experienced improvement in teaching and external acknowledgement of their development value. Stable intrinsic motivation will come into being when teachers' focus and interests are all transferred to the teaching process after integrating individual development and career development into intrinsic values.

[Effects of dexmedetomidine combined with fentanyl in patients undergoing anesthesia induction by sevoflurane].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of dexmedetomidine combined with fentanyl in patients undergoing anesthesia induction by sevoflurane. METHOD: Eighty patients for elective endotracheal intubation under general anesthesia operations were randomly and double-blindly divided into Dex combined with fentanyl group (Group DF) and the fentanyl group (Group F) from April 2011 to September 2011 at the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, and there were 40 cases in each group. The investigation was approved by all the patients and by the Ethics Committee of the hospital. In group DF, each patient was pumped in the 0.5 µg/kg Dex by vein before 10 minutes of anesthesia induction and group F were given the same amount of normal saline, and tidal volume method was used to induce anesthesia of sevoflurane. All the patients were given 2 µg/kg fentanyl and 0.1 mg/kg vecuronium by tracheal intubation and the MAP and HR and adverse reactions were observed before anesthesia induction (T(0)), before endotracheal intubation (T(1)), at the moment of tracheal intubation (T(2)), after 1 minutes of tracheal intubation (T(3)), after 3 minutes of tracheal intubation (T(4)) and after 5 minutes of tracheal intubation (T(5)). RESULT: The loss of eyelash reflex time of group DF is shorter (P < 0.05), adverse reaction is less (P < 0.05) and the number of adding atropine case is higher than that of group F (P < 0.05), the MAP of the two groups after induction of other moments are lower than that of T(0) (P < 0.05); MAP of group F at T(1) is lower than that of T(0), T(2), T(3) and group DF (P < 0.05); T(1) of group DF is lower than that of T(0) (P < 0.05), the HR after induction of group DF is lower than that of T(0) and F group (P < 0.05), and that of T(2) and T(4) are higher than that of T(1) (P < 0.05); HR of group F at T(1) is lower than that of T(2) and T(3) (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Dexmedetomidine in combination with fentanyl can inhibit stress response of tracheal intubation of sevoflurane induction efficiently and stabilize hemodynamics.