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With the rapid advancement of technology, integration of computer-mediated communication (CMC) has been widely used in recent English as a foreign language teaching and learning. Despite the prevalence of online CMC discussions, previous studies have not drawn conclusive results, and empirical evidence on how online discussions affect student reading comprehension is limited. Thus, the purpose of this study was to conduct a quasi-experimental research to investigate how asynchronous and synchronous discussions influenced the reading comprehension of 50 university students in a Taiwanese collaborative learning context. A quasi-experimental design was conducted with multiple observations before and after the intervention. Research instruments included reading comprehension tests, a questionnaire survey, and a semi-structured interview. Major findings suggested that most of the participants used the synchronous discussion mode more frequently than the asynchronous mode when performing online reading tasks. Nevertheless, with increased asynchronous discussions, students' reading comprehension scores and satisfaction increased as well. Although the learners generally accepted both online discussion modes, the interview results revealed several drawbacks as well as advantages of the online discussion environments. Limitations of the study and implications for instructional pedagogy and future research were presented and discussed.

Previous studies have been done to research the effects of different electronic feedback (e-feedback) modes of helping English as a foreign language (EFL) students improve their writing. The purpose of this study was to employ online peer feedback (OPF) and automated corrective feedback (ACF) to assess EFL learners' writing performance in the areas of sentence complexity, grammatical accuracy, and lexical density. Our major findings suggest that OPF is potentially more useful than ACF in improving sentence writing, making fewer grammatical errors, and producing more types of lexical items. Nevertheless, we also found that the majority of students favored the use of ACF for the purpose of producing a richer vocabulary. Less skilled writers tended to make greater improvements than higher-skilled writers in producing more sentences and lexical items after OPF use; however, the difference was not statistically significant. Based on our research results, we discuss and present the implications of these findings for pedagogical instruction and future research.

Blended learning is an instructional approach that combines traditional face-to-face learning and online learning. There have been debates on the effectiveness and practicality of blended learning use in higher education, yet studies that specifically examine blended discussions to support EFL learning and teaching are still scarce. Thus, this study aimed to explore how variables such as face-to-face, asynchronous, and synchronous discussions in the blended learning environment influenced students' learning motivation and reading achievement. Fifty-one students at a private university in southern Taiwan participated in this study. The research results showed that students' reading scores significantly improved after participating in the blended discussion activity. The highest-scoring group outperformed the other two proficiency groups after applying face-to-face and asynchronous discussion modes. However, no significant difference was found among different proficiency-level learners in synchronous discussion mode. Moreover, students' asynchronous discussion had a significantly moderate influence on their reading performance. Based on the research results, pedagogical implications, limitations, and future research are discussed and presented.

Therapy to halt or slow down the progression of neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease (PD) is urgently demand. Disease modification therapy can modify the natural history of the disease and show neuroprotective effect in PD. Currently, many potential neuroprotective therapies are emerging. The review aims to summarize the new advances for disease modification therapies in PD including targeting drugs α-synuclein, LRRK2 gene, GBA gene, mitochondrial function, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), neuroinflammation, calcium antagonist and iron chelating agent.

Objective To explore the associated factors for quality of life in patients with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). Methods A total of 218 PSP patients were included from January 2012 to December 2019. Demographic and clinical data were collected. The quality of life was evaluated by the 39⁃Item Parkinson's disease Questionnaire (PDQ⁃39). The Progressive Supranuclear Palsy Rating Scale (PSPRS) was used to assess the severity of PSP related motor and non⁃motor symptoms, while the Non⁃Motor Symptoms Scale (NMSS) was used to elevate the non⁃motor symptoms, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale⁃24 (HAMD⁃24), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA), Lille Apathy Rating Scale (LARS), Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB), and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) were used. The Pearson and partial correlation followed by the multiple linear regression were used to explore the correlates of the PDQ⁃39 score. Results Correlation analysis indicated that the PDQ⁃39 score was positively correlated with disease duration (r=0.301, P=0.000), Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI; r=0.147, P=0.031), levodopa equivalent daily dose (LEDD; r=0.225, P=0.001), and scores for the PSPRS (r=0.551, P=0.000), NMSS (r=0.484, P=0.000), HAMD⁃24 (r=0.515, P=0.000), HAMA (r=0.439, P=0.000) and LARS (r=0.476, P=0.000), but was negatively correlated with scores of FAB (r=⁃0.325, P=0.000) and MoCA (r=⁃0.355, P=0.000). Multiple linear stepwise regression model indicated that the PDQ⁃39 score was significantly associated with female (P=0.021), longer disease duration (P=0.026), higher LEDD (P=0.008), higher PSPRS score (P=0.000), higher NMSS score (P=0.002), higher HAMD⁃24 score (P=0.004), and higher LARS score (P=0.000). Conclusions Female, longer disease duration, higher LEDD, and more severe motor and non⁃motor symptoms contribute to the reduced quality of life in patients with PSP. Our study is beneficial to the clinical management of patients with PSP.

Plagiarism is often considered as cheating, dishonesty, copying, or moral failing in writing because it is the act of stealing others' language and ideas without proper citation or paraphrasing. However, this idea is not universally shared because people from different cultural backgrounds are likely to conceptualize plagiarism differently. To fill the gap in teachers' perceptions and investigate students' actual plagiaristic behavior, this study aims to detect the extent of plagiarism in students' English summary writing by adopting plagiarism-detection software, Turnitin. The present study draws on both quantitative and qualitative data to investigate whether discrepancy exists between students' perceptions of plagiarism and their actual plagiaristic behavior, and whether student behavior changes after their awareness training on plagiarism. The results of this study show that student plagiaristic behavior has changed and the awareness of adoption of plagiarism-detection software significantly has reduced the instances of textual plagiarism. It is thus noted that students who were aware that a plagiarism detection system was in use had lower percentages of plagiarism. However, no obvious relationship is observed between plagiarism awareness and the students' actual plagiaristic behavior. The implications of these findings on pedagogical practice and future research are discussed and presented.

The ability to read English efficiently and effectively is important for medical students because they have to read a lot of medical texts published in English. This is challenging especially for non-native speakers. This study measures Taiwanese medical students' self-perceived use of metacognitive strategies while reading printed texts and hypertexts, and also the potential impact of hypertext on English reading comprehension. The results of the study showed that the strategies used the most by the printed text and hypertext groups were problem-solving strategies, followed by global strategies; whereas support strategies were least used. Learners in the printed text group reported more strategy use of reading slowly and using background information than the learners in the hypertext environment. A significant reading improvement and positive correlations were found between the strategies of guessing content, checking guesses, and guessing unknown words on hypertext comprehension enhancement. Such results suggested that the majority of students frequently used the three specific strategies and the degree of such strategy uses was reliably predicted by their comprehension scores. Based on the investigation results, limitations and future research are discussed and presented.

With the rapid growth of technology, many language acquisition approaches have been added to computer-assisted language learning applications. Thus, this study investigated the impact of online autonomous learning on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students' reading ability. Sixty-five students from two reading classes at One University in Southern Taiwan were divided into an experimental group (integration of online reading and teacher-guided intervention) and a control group (teacher-guided intervention). The results demonstrated that there was a significant difference in the reading scores between the experimental and control groups. A significant difference was also found between the pre- and post-test scores in the experimental group; however, this pre- and post-test difference was not observed in the control group. Students in the experimental group also noted an obvious enhancement to their reading due to the requisite planning, monitoring, and evaluating activities practiced during online learning. Based on the research results, suggestions for future study are discussed.

In the English as a foreign language (EFL) writing context, most of the research studies on the feedback process are conducted in a face-to-face context and few research studies have been conducted to investigate what actually happens in online feedback conditions. Thus, this study aimed to compare 44 EFL university students' experience of employing asynchronous peer feedback (APF) and synchronous corrective feedback (SCF) and whether the utilization of these two modes affected EFL students' writing on the aspect of syntactic complexity. The major findings suggested that most participants accepted this e-learning revision approach and received satisfactory results via using APF and SCF modes. The feedback that occurred in APF was potentially more usable than that in SCF in writing more sentences. It is assumed that as students added more words, they increased their writing scores after using APF. Although learners generally accepted both online feedback modes, the interview results revealed some of the reasons for learners' preference for the APF over the SCF mode. Finally, the implications of these findings for future research are discussed and presented.

The effective use of reading strategies has been recognized as an important way to increase reading comprehension in hypermedia environments. The purpose of the study was to explore whether metacognitive strategy use and access to hypermedia annotations facilitated reading comprehension based on English as a foreign language students' proficiency levels. The primary investigation finding revealed that the strategies used the most were problem-solving strategies, followed by global strategies, whereas support strategies were used the least. The specific strategy of guessing content was used much more frequently which was reliably predicted by their comprehension scores; on the contrary, reading slowly might hinder hypermedia reading comprehension. Regarding the frequency of access to annotations, background information was viewed the most frequently, while word glossary was identified as least frequently; no significant relationship, however, was observed among proficiency levels, frequency of annotation use, and reading strategies. Based on further think-aloud investigation results, limitations and future research are discussed and presented.

This study examined the effect of online metacognitive strategies, hypermedia annotations, and motivation on reading comprehension in a Taiwanese hypertext environment. A path analysis model was proposed based on the assumption that if English as a foreign language learners frequently use online metacognitive strategies and hypermedia annotations, then they would increase their learning motivation, which, in turn, would enhance their hypertext comprehension performance. Participants consisted of 37 English majors enrolled at a private university in southern Taiwan. The results revealed that online metacognitive strategies most significantly predicted learning motivation and motivation directly affected hypertext comprehension. However, metacognitive strategies and hypermedia annotations did not directly affect hypertext comprehension. Consistent with expectations, motivation was found to mediate the relation between online metacognitive strategies and hypertext comprehension. On the other hand, the relation between hypermedia annotations and hypertext comprehension mediated by motivation was not obvious. Finally, the implications of these findings for future research are discussed and presented.

With the rapid growth of computer technology, some printed texts are designed as hypertexts to help EFL (English as a foreign language) learners search for and process multiple resources in a timely manner for autonomous learning. The purpose of this study was to design a hypertext system and examine if a 14-week teacher-guided print-based and hypertext reading intervention might benefit non-traditional EFL students' reading comprehension. Non-traditional EFL students are older students with greater work experience. The primary investigation finding revealed no significant difference in comprehension between the teacher-guided print-based and hypertext intervention conditions, though a significant mean improvement was found after hypertext learning. EFL learners' attitudes also supported that both teacher-guided print-based and hypertext interventions merit reading comprehension performance. In addition, there appears to be a significantly strong and positive relationship between the perceived usefulness of hypertext reading and attempt of future hypertext use, suggesting that the majority of non-traditional EFL learners made a positive willingness and prediction to use the hypertext system in their future reading, but that the degree of usefulness of hypertext reading was not reliably predicted by their hypertext comprehension scores. Based on the investigation results, limitations and future research are discussed and presented.

Numerous studies have been conducted to improve students’ writing performance through flipped instruction. However, some researchers question its effectiveness due to a lack of systematic design. This study aimed to create a flipped writing environment and investigate the effects of EFL students’ writing motivation, metacognitive awareness, and self-efficacy on their flipped writing performance. The results showed that flipped instruction was more effective than non-flipped instruction in improving students’ writing. Students in the flipped classroom were more motivated to write, had better self-regulation, and improved their writing performance. Metacognitive awareness had the most significant and positive impact on self-efficacy; writing motivation significantly affected flipped writing outcomes. No significant impacts on metacognitive awareness or self-efficacy were observed on flipped writing performance. Based on the investigation results, pedagogical implications, limitations, and future research directions were discussed and presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]