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Exploring the Involvement of PINK1 in Parkinson’s Disease: A Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy Study of Electron Transfer in Synthetic DNA Samples
Get PDFBackground: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with a complex aetiology involving several genetic and environmental factors. Although no clear evidence of a direct link between the electronic features of DNA and PD has been found, elucidating the role of DNA in cellular function and dysfunction could provide valuable insights into the mechanisms of the disease (e.g. mutations occurring in the phosphatase and tensin homolog [PTEN]-induced kinase 1 [PINK1] DNA of PD). This study aimed to analyse topographic images and measure the electronic conductivity of synthetic normal and mutant PINK1 DNA molecules.
Methods: Two 15-mer synthetic oligonucleotides of Oligo1 normal PINK1 (5’-CAG CTG CTG GAA GGC-3’) and Oligo2 mutant PINK1 (5’-CAG CTG CCG GAA GGC-3’) were measured using scanning tunnelling microscopy and spectroscopy.
Results: The study’s findings revealed that the mean values of the voltage gap (Vg) between Oligo1 normal and Oligo2 mutant PINK1 DNA molecules at the mutation region A2–C2 are 1.204 ± 0.198 V and 0.676 ± 0.495 V, respectively, indicating differences in the electronic properties between the Oligo1 normal and Oligo2 mutant PINK1 DNA molecules. However, the mean Vg values of Oligo1 normal and Oligo2 mutant PINK1 DNA molecules were found to not significantly differ from each other (P = 0.162 > ? = 0.05).
Conclusion: The study found that the voltage gap between normal and mutant PINK1 DNA molecules is not significantly different, suggesting that DNA sequence differences may not directly alter electrical properties. However, PINK1 mutations play a role in early-onset PD due to mitochondrial dysfunction, and future therapies should focus on restoring PINK1-Parkin signalling and mitochondrial health
Climate Cognition Crisis: Urgent Call to Address Air Pollution and Extreme Heat Impacts in Learning Environments of Children in South and Southeast Asia
Get PDFThe climate crisis combined with air pollution is increasingly disrupting the foundational conditions for healthy cognitive development and learning, particularly among children in vulnerable regions. In South and Southeast Asia, escalating levels of air pollution and extreme heat are synergistically threatening the neurocognitive health, educational attainment, and long-term potential of millions of children. Many schools in the region lack adequate ventilation, cooling infrastructure, and environmental monitoring, leaving children vulnerable to both acute and chronic health impacts. The review explores the effects of air pollution and extreme heat on cognitive function, behaviour, and academic performance in children. It highlights the urgent need to prioritise children’s brain health in climate adaptation, education, and public health agendas. Beyond outlining the problem, the article identifies critical gaps and opportunities for action. It stresses the need for real-time, child-centred data as a missing link for informed decision-making. The lack of public awareness and a compelling narrative around the climate cognition link is also examined as a driver of inaction. Finally, the article offers a science-driven blueprint for change, outlining a path forward that integrates neuroscience, environmental monitoring, education reform, and equity-focused policy. Understanding and responding to this “climate cognition crisis” is not only a public health and developmental imperative, but also central to building resilient, future-ready societies in South and Southeast Asia
Factors Related to Febrile Seizures Among Children at Abdul Moeloek Regional Hospital in Lampung Province
Get PDFBackground: Febrile seizures are a significant neurological condition that affects children between the ages of 6 and 60 months and can lead to long-term neurological outcomes, such as neurological, cognitive, and memory impairments. Despite their high global incidence, contributing factors and regional variations are not fully understood, particularly in Indonesia.
Methods: A case?control study was conducted at Abdul Moeloek Regional Hospital in Lampung Province, Indonesia, to identify factors associated with febrile seizures among children under five years of age. A total of 72 children with fevers were selected through consecutive sampling in December 2020. Data on body temperature during seizures, fever duration, gender, age, family history of seizures, and birth weight were collected through structured interviews and medical records.
Results: Statistical analyses included Chi-square tests and multivariate logistic regression. The results indicated significant associations between febrile seizures and body temperatures exceeding 39°C (P = 0.047; OR = 4.00), fever duration ?24 hours (P = 0.030; OR = 3.35), male gender (P = 0.010; OR = 4.96), positive family history of seizures (P = 0.001; OR = 7.75), and low birth weight < 2,500 grams (P = 0.017; OR = 3.64). Multivariate analysis confirmed family history of seizures ( ? = 2.285, P = 0.001), male gender (? = 1.954, P = 0.005), and elevated body temperature (? = 1.525, P = 0.045) as independent risk factors.
Conclusion: Febrile seizures are significantly associated with a positive family history of seizures, male sex, and elevated body temperature. Awareness of these risk factors may improve early recognition and management, ultimately improving paediatric neurological healt
Student Perceptions of the Environment of Universiti Sains Malaysia
Get PDFTujuan kajian ini ialah untuk mengkaji suasana Universiti Sains Malaysia melalui lapor anlaporan penuntut yaog berdasarkan the College and University Environmental Scale (CUES), Sampel yang digunakan adalah satu sarnpal terstratum yang terdiri dari 100 penuntut Universiti Sains Malaysia yang telah berada di Universiti Sains Malaysia lebih dari setahun. Hasil kajian ini menunjukkan bahawa sifat utama suasana Universiti Sains Malaysia merupakan ketegasannya tentang Propriety. Ketegasan yang sederhana didapati tentang Scholarship dan Practicality. Universiti Sains Malaysia narnpaknva memberi kurang perhatian kepada dimensi·dimensi Community dan Awareness
The Effectiveness of Task-Based E-Learning Materials for Business English Course
Get PDFIn today’s globalised and digitally driven world, Business English competence is becoming increasingly vital for students preparing for their professional careers. As a result, it is vital to create effective and engaging strategies for learning customised to their individual needs. This study is part of a research and development study that aims to develop task-based e-learning materials for Business English and evaluate their effectiveness. This study employed a pre-experimental one-group pre-test post-test design. The samples consisted of 35 university students, selected through cluster sampling into intact groups. Research instruments included task based e-learning Business English materials, pre- and post-tests, and questionnaires. The pre-test and post-tests were performance tests and assessed using rubrics. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics (paired sample t-tests) to test the hypothesis. The study’s findings revealed a considerable improvement in students’ Business English achievement following the adoption of task-based e-learning Business English materials, as compared to their previous performance. It may be concluded that task-based e-learning Business English materials are successful in improving students’ achievement in Business English, with a significant effect size (Hedges’ g = 3.45). The findings of this study provide valuable insights for Business English instructors and material designers, particularly in optimising e-learning and task-based approaches to improve student achievement and satisfaction
Formative Assessment and English as A Foreign Language (EFL)Teachers’ Corrective Feedback on Teaching Writing in HigherEducation Level: Practice and Challenges
Get PDFAssessment and corrective feedback are vital in enhancing the learning process by guiding students toward improvement. These elements help identify areas of strength and weakness, allowing learners to refine their skills and understanding in writing. To better understand the practice and challenges, this study explores the practices of four English language instructors in administering formative assessments and providing feedback on 19 students’ writing within the English Education Department at IAIN Sultan Amai Gorontalo. It also examines the challenges instructors face in delivering formative assessments and feedback in the context of writing instruction. Additionally, it investigates students’ attitudes toward lecturers’ feedback on their writing performance. This study uses narrative inquiry to have a deeper understanding of the topics. This study used an observation sheet, interview guidelines, and a questionnaire to collect the data. The study reveals that English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers employ diverse strategies for formative assessment in writing classes, including Short Writing Prompts, Error Correction Tests, Paragraph Writing, Guided Writing, and Summary Writing. These strategies target key writing aspects such as grammar, coherence, idea organisation, and critical thinking, fostering holistic writing development through regular feedback and practice. However, instructors face challenges such as managing workloads and time constraints, ensuring students understand and apply feedback effectively, balancing constructive criticism with motivation, and addressing emerging issues like plagiarism, citation errors, and AI-generated content. Students value detailed feedback, particularly on grammar and writing structure, and appreciate positive reinforcement alongside constructive criticism. Despite recognising its importance, many students struggle to implement feedback in their revisions effectively. The findings underscore the need for balanced, actionable feedback and greater technology integration to enhance writing instruction and support students’ confidence and skill development
Factors Affecting Behavioural Intention to Continuously Adopt E-Learning: The Case of Myanmar and Vietnamese University Students
Get PDFThis study aims to formulate a new theoretical concept based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Trust Transfer Theory (TTT) in the e-learning context by using 498 datasets collected from randomly selected Myanmar and Vietnamese university students via an online survey. In this study, a deductive reasoning quantitative research approach was applied, utilising exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and structural equation modelling (SEM). According to the analysis results, perceived usefulness, trust in the university, and trust in e-learning significantly affect behavioural intention, but the effect of perceived ease of use is statistically insignificant. Perceived ease of use has a significant effect on perceived usefulness. Furthermore, major factors of TAM, perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use, have a significant effect on trust in the university and trust in e-learning, respectively. The findings of this study reveal that university trust can transform into e-learning trust. In addition, academic level significantly moderates the direct effects of perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, trust in the university, and trust in e-learning on behavioural intention. The emergence of this new theoretical concept extends not only the e-learning literature but also provides insights for educational institutions.
Graded readers: The Importance of Using Stylistic Devices to Maximise Language Learners\u27 Aesthetic Reading
Get PDFIt is important to produce graded readers (GRs) that appeal to language learners in order to encourage Extensive Reading (ER). Day and Bamford (1998) postulate that a good piece of text must be able to communicate with its readers. This is in line with Rosenblatt’s (1978) premise that the evocation in the reader, that is the experience of the reader with the text, is what marks successful communication, and is what positions the reader on the aesthetic stance during the reading encounter. This means successful learner material must be able to communicate with the second language (L2) reader with affect for the reader to enjoy the reading journey. Publishers often focus on the element of a good story to create an aesthetic reading experience. Whilst a good story or content is usually the main element in bringing about a text-reader transaction, “form” or the way content is expressed cannot be evicted from its role in evoking pleasure. Miall and Kuiken (2002), in their foregrounding theory, state that readers will be able to derive pleasure from their engagement with stylistic devices. Studies have shown that readers are able to respond to foregrounding regardless of their characteristics. Since GRs have the primary aim of bringing enjoyment to the language learner (Bassett, 2015), it is important to create texts that are capable of maximising the learners’ aesthetic response, and this includes taking into consideration the role of form. This paper, therefore, aims to highlight the importance of using stylistic devices in GRs
Lontaran Vokal dalam Deklamasi Puisi
Get PDFKertas penelitian ini membincangkan keberkesanan lontaran vokal dalam deklamasi puisi. Lontaran vokal yang baik penting untuk memastikan makna dan mesej yang terkandung dalam puisi sampai kepada penonton. Kajian ini menggunakan kaedah kualitatif. Penyelidikan Jerry ariasi vokal saling berkaitan dengan konteks iaitu maksud pada setiap perkataan dalam setiap ayat yang merujuk dialog dalam sesebuah pesembahan. Antara komponen variasi vokal mengikut Jerry et.al adalah (1) nada (pitch) dan lingkungan (range), (2) infleksi, (3) kekuatan, (4) kadar atau tempo, (5) tekanan suara, (6) berhenti sekejap (pause) dan (7) iramaKemampuan membezakan suara dalam barisan tone yang indah akan menciptakan kepelbagaian variasi vokal agar vokal tidak monoton atau statik. Perbincangan ini meneliti tiga (3) bacaan puisi terbaik iaitu pemenang dalam Sayembara Deklamasi Puisi Kemerdekaan ke-35 peringkat Kebangsaan tahun 2021, anjuran Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP). Hasil penelitian ini memperlihatkan bahawa peranan variasi vokal amat penting dan memberikan manfaat kepada pemantapan mutu dalam penyampaian deklamasi puisi
The Informative Function of Modality in the Translation between Arabic and English: A Case Study of Business and Economic E-Texts
Get PDFThe language used in business and economics is characterized by being informative; it can consist of technical and literal language related to metaphorical expressions. The main objective of this study is to examine how translators deal with the translation of modality expressions in business and economics corpus. The sampling used in this research is purposive sampling. Samples are selected from two websites, following Toolan\u27s (2014) classification of modal markers. The findings indicate that both direct and oblique translation procedures were employed by the translators from both websites. However, there were instances of meaning loss observed in the translation of probability markers as well as obligatory markers. Moreover, the due to Arabic language norms, willingness markers are found to occur abstractly in Arabic. The research reveals that the cases of meaning loss, meaning gain, and translation procedures are due to the source language peculiarities and target language peculiarities and not the translators’ latitude. This paper characterizes the modality choices in the translation of business and economic language, which is missing in the literature and gives insights into the role of neutrality in the translation of modal verbs