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The Potential of Trigona Honey as a Supplementary Therapy for Vascular Cognitive Impairment in Patients with Acute Ischaemic Stroke
Get PDFBackground: Vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) is a common, yet often underrecognised, consequence of acute ischaemic stroke. Despite its prevalence, therapeutic strategies targeting VCI remain limited. Trigona honey, known for its antioxidant and neuroprotective properties, may offer a novel adjunctive intervention to improve cognitive outcomes after stroke.
Methods: This randomised controlled study involved 48 patients diagnosed with acute ischaemic stroke. Participants were randomly assigned to two equal groups: an intervention group receiving daily supplementation with Trigona honey (n = 24) and a control group without supplementation (n = 24). Cognitive function was evaluated using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA), and global disability was measured using the Modified Rankin Scale (MRS). Assessments were conducted at baseline and after three months of intervention.
Results: At baseline, 66.7% of participants were male, with most exhibiting mild cognitive impairment. After three months, the intervention group showed significant improvement in MOCA scores (from 20.08 ± 4.53 to 24.33 ± 3.64), while the control group showed only a modest increase (from 18.42 ± 5.12 to 19.67 ± 6.31). The between-group difference in MOCA scores was 4.25 (95% CI: 3.07, 5.43; P < 0.001). Functional status also improved significantly in the Trigona honey group, with a mean change in MRS score of –1.29 (95% CI: –1.71, –0.87; P < 0.001), indicating enhanced independence compared to the control group.
Conclusion: Trigona honey supplementation significantly improved cognitive performance and functional outcomes in patients with VCI following ischaemic stroke, supporting its role as a promising adjunct in stroke rehabilitation
Risk Factor Assessments and Lipid Management Patterns in Hospitalised Patients in Malaysia: The Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Study
Get PDFBackground: Elevated levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) result in dyslipidaemia, increasing the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). As of 2022, Malaysian population (56.7%) demonstrated high LDL-C, necessitating an analysis of cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs), comorbidities and treatment using lipid-lowering therapies (LLTs) to achieve target LDL-C < 1.4 mmol/L, as per Malaysian guidelines.
Methods: This retrospective cohort study of 431 hospitalised patients (? 18 years) with elevated LDL-C levels from the National Heart Institute, Malaysia, assessed CVRFs, comorbidities, treatment patterns, and the proportion of patients achieving LDL-C goals (< 1.8 mmol/L, < 1.4 mmol/L, and < 1.0 mmol/L) after LLT. The association pattern of CVRFs was studied in patients achieving the target goal of < 1.4 mmol/L.
Results: The mean age of the patients was 60.53 (9.86) years, with the majority being male (79.35%), non-smokers (84.78%), and Malay (61.48%). Most patients (88.40%) had acute coronary syndrome, and the most prevalent risk factors were systemic hypertension (76.33%), diabetes mellitus (DM) (51.97%), and chronic kidney disease (CKD) (28.54%). Monotherapy with high-intensity statins was the most common LLT. At 1 year, 48.26%, 24.83% and 7.66% of patients had achieved target goals of < 1.8 mmol/L, < 1.4 mmol/L, and < 1.0 mmol/L, respectively. Poor LDL-C achievement was observed among patients with DM and recurrent events (P = 0.0097), left ventricular ejection fraction < 35% (P = 0.0325), and age > 75 years (P = 0.0087).
Conclusion: Hypertension, diabetes and CKD are prevalent risk factors, and despite high-intensity statins, only 24.83% of patients achieved the LDL-C target goal. Thus, the use of combination therapy and innovative therapies is necessary to improve ASCVD management in Malaysia
Crossing Boundaries to Become a Critical Writer: A Reflective Study of Writing a Literature Review from a First-Year International PhD Student
Get PDFThis reflective study examines my personal experiences as a PhD student in a British university writing a literature review. It focuses on exploring the coping strategies that I have learned from my supervisor’s corrective feedback as I overcome my boundaries to becoming a critical writer. Employing auto-ethnography modes of enquiry, I provide “thick descriptions” of my supervisor’s corrective feedback – in the form of tracked changes, notetaking, and recording – in order to identify critical writing strategies that can be learnt from the feedback. This might be valuable for others who face similar struggles and complexities. This study identifies seven strategies that can be effectively applied in developing critical literature review; these are to: (a) provide general comments on the literature; (b) demonstrate research gaps; (c) highlight the limitations of previous related studies; (d) comment on the weaknesses of theories/ perspectives; (e) state the deficiencies of research methods; (f) recommend constructive feedback; and (g) highlight strengths of previous works. The findings are of interest to those who face similar struggles and are from a similar background, particularly other international students from non-English-speaking countries such as Indonesia, Thailand and China. This study offers fresh insight into practical and applicable strategies for becoming a critical writer. For the sake of clarity, strategies are presented with illustrations to help readers easily apply them in practical, appropriate ways
Building Audacity of Authorial Voice: A Lesson Learned From Published Writers
Get PDFThis study extends knowledge of L2 writers’ citation practices, especially in the development of a persuasive authorial voice, through analysis and comparison of the introduction section between 15 Indonesian Master-level students and 15 L2 published authors. The study sourced its data from a total of 30 academic paper drafts written by these two different groups. The first data set was obtained from 15 academic papers published in reputable journals ranked in the Indonesian national journal database, which discussed content related to ESL/EFL/TESOL and were written by Indonesian academics and/or collaborated with overseas academics. The second data set comprised 15 papers written by students. In the data analysis, it is found that a significant number of both master-level writers and published writers (71%) use similar patterns of stance, i.e., acknowledge, in which a writer acknowledges a proposition as belonging to another researcher/community member but passes no evaluative comment on it. In terms of textual integration, the reliance on assimilation is found in both MW and PW categories, with a striking number of 98%. This finding brings along a few implications for the teaching of academic writing at higher education levels
A Scoping Review of L2 Studies Employing Q Methodology
Get PDFThis article presents a scoping review of research on learning and teaching a second or a foreign language (L2 research) that employed Q methodology. The main aim was to assess the published Q studies on language learners’ and language educators’ opinions and beliefs concerning a variety of personally and socially important issues. This review was implemented according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A search of three academic databases was conducted, namely, Academic Search Complete, Scopus, and Web of Science. Titles and abstracts of articles in these databases were subjected to the inclusion of the terms ‘Q methodology/Q method’, ‘language learning’, and ‘language teaching’. In total, 53 relevant articles published in English language peer-reviewed academic journals between the year 2013 and 2023 were analysed. We examined the geographical distribution of L2 studies that employed Q as well as the topics and key methodological decisions made by their authors. This scoping review found evidence of growing popularity of Q methodology among L2 researchers, particularly over the past 4 years. The published articles explored a wide variety of issues, including L2 motivation, language beliefs and novel for L2 research topics, such as boredom in the L2 classroom and language teachers’ moral distress. This scoping review concludes by considering implications for future development of L2 research employing Q
Post-Editing of Neural Machine Translation of the Novel “Murder of The Bookseller” from Arabic into English
Get PDFThis paper aims to investigate the challenges that translators face while post-editing Machine Translation (MT) of idioms and expressions in literary works using Neural Machine Translation (NMT). Translating literary texts can be challenging for translators due to the cultural differences between the source text and the target text. However, the task becomes even more complex when translation technology, such as computer-assisted translation (CAT) tools, is utilised, which requires the translator to review and refine NMT-generated translations through post-editing (PE). The hypothesis of this study is that NMT technology lacks translation memory (TM) and a glossary of idioms and expressions, making it necessary for human translators to be involved to ensure precise meaning conveyance to the target reader. The data for this descriptive study were collected from the Iraqi novel "Murder of the Bookseller." The post-edited target text was evaluated using the Larson model, a comprehensive evaluation method that considers several aspects of translation quality. The findings of this study reveal that idioms and expressions present significant challenges during the post-editing process. Furthermore, the lack of appropriate TM and glossary in NMT technology makes it challenging for translators to ensure the accuracy and fluency of the translated text. Therefore, it is essential for human intervention to improve the quality of MT output, especially in the context of literary translations. Overall, this study sheds light on the importance of human intervention in post-editing MT for literary translations, highlighting the need for effective collaboration between human translators and NMT technology to produce high-quality translations
The Effect of Pictorial Concept-mapping on EFL Learners’ Collocation Retention
Get PDFThe purpose of this research is to examine the effects of using pictorial concept mapping on the retention of collocations in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. 59 intermediate-level students were randomly assigned to one of the three groups: collaborative pictorial concept mapping (22 students), individual pictorial concept mapping (17 students), and translation (20 students). All groups received the same material and instruction time. Two concept-mapping groups used pictorial concept-mapping techniques, while the translation group memorized collocations with their Farsi equivalents. After ten weeks, an immediate post-test was administered to test the first hypothesis. The results shows that the collaborative concept mapping group performed the best. A delayed post-test was given after three weeks to test the second hypothesis, and the findings indicate that the collaborative pictorial concept-mapping group performed better than the other two groups. This research suggests that using pictorial concept mapping in a cooperative learning environment has a positive impact on the retention of collocations for both short-term and long-term periods
Vocabulary Learning Strategies (VLS) in Second Language Acquisition (SLA): A Review of Literature
Get PDFVocabulary is a crucial aspect of language acquisition and plays a vital role in dictating learners’ proficiency level at different ages. A key aspect of second language acquisition (SLA) is the development of a broad vocabulary. This review looks at how learners approach vocabulary learning, different categories of vocabulary, and the main objectives of vocabulary acquisition. The paper additionally explores Vocabulary Learning Strategies and how they affect vocabulary development in SLA. Cognitive tactics, including memorising techniques or metacognitive strategies, which entail learners reflecting on their learning process and tracking their progress, may be used to approach vocabulary acquisition. Working with peers or teachers to acquire vocabulary is another efficient approach to using social learning tactics. Learners must have word knowledge, which encompasses academic, domain-specific, colloquial, technical, and idiomatic vocabulary, in addition to expressive and productive vocabulary, to improve their vocabulary acquisition. Additionally, grammatical complexity greatly influences word acquisition, and modern learning tools like social media apps, subtitles, and short tales provide new approaches to enhancing vocabulary learning. In summary, effective Vocabulary Learning Strategies (VLS) are crucial in SLA, and learners should use various strategies to pick up a wide variety of vocabulary. When creating language teaching programmes, language teachers should also consider each learner’s requirements and motivations. Utilising fresh learning resources and media may provide learners with more options for enhancing their vocabulary learning and enhancing their overall language skills
Ketepatan Sejarah dalam Sastera: Analisis Pensejarahan dalam Novel Sandera oleh Arenawati
Get PDFKajian ini menganalisis novel Sandera, sebuah karya sastera berunsur sejarah, menggunakan metodologi Analisis Konteks Sejarah untuk memahami cara latar belakang sejarah, sosial, politik, ekonomi, dan budaya mempengaruhi naratifnya. Analisis mendalam ini merangkumi pendekatan historis, ideologi, dan pascakolonial, yang memberikan perspektif kritikal terhadap peristiwa sejarah dan hubungannya dengan naratif fiksyen. Penulis novel ini berjaya menggabungkan unsur-unsur sejarah untuk bukan sahaja menceritakan peristiwa penting, tetapi juga untuk mencerminkan realiti sosial dan politik zaman tersebut. Dengan watak-watak berlapis dan penuh konflik, penulis mengangkat tema seperti perjuangan ideologi serta dinamika hubungan politik pasca-Perang Dunia Kedua. Novel ini juga menekankan dilema dan ketegangan politik antara nasionalisme kiri dan kanan, sambil mencabar naratif sejarah dominan yang sering kali berat sebelah dan meminggirkan golongan kiri dan agama. Melalui naratif yang kritis dan inklusif, Sandera mengungkapkan realiti sejarah secara mendalam, mengkritik manipulasi kebenaran oleh pihak tertentu, dan menyeru pembaca untuk mempertimbangkan semula pandangan mereka terhadap sejarah. Kajian ini mendapati bahawa karya ini bukan sahaja menghidupkan peristiwa sejarah tetapi juga memperkayakan pemahaman tentang persoalan perjuangan kemerdekaan dan kebebasan yang juga dilihat dalam konteks yang lebih luas, termasuk pembebasan sosial dan pemikiran.
Kata kunci: Sastera-sejarah, kajian novel, Arenawati, Sander
Sabah’s Heritage: The Role of the Sabah Museum in Artifact Collection and Conservation
Get PDFThis research examines the Sabah Museum’s pivotal role in preserving and promoting the cultural and historical heritage of Sabah through its artifact collection, archaeological research, and community collaboration. The museum\u27s collection also reflects the rich diversity of local cultures, with numerous artifacts donated by the local community, including indigenous groups such as the Murut and KadazanDusun. The research highlights the museum’s crucial role in both preserving tangible artifacts and safeguarding intangible cultural knowledge. Through its efforts in excavation, conservation, and public education, the Sabah Museum serves as a leading institution in the region’s heritage preservation, fostering a deeper understanding of Sabah’s history and cultural significance. The museum’s ongoing initiatives ensure that Sabah’s diverse heritage continues to be valued and shared with future generations.
Keywords: Archaeological excavation, artifact conservation, cultural heritage management, indigenous knowledge, Sabah Museu