19672 research outputs found
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A comparison of sexual desire in opiate-dependent men receiving methadone and buprenorphine maintenance treatment
No full textBackground: Methadone is an effective therapy for opiate dependence. However, one of the commonest side effects is sexual dysfunction among male patients. Buprenorphine is an alternative to methadone. This study aimed to compare sexual desire among opiate-dependent male patients on buprenorphine (BMT) and methadone maintenance therapy (MMT). Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 126 male opiate-dependent patient who were tested for total testosterone (TT) and prolactin levels, and were interviewed and completed the Sexual Desire Inventory-2 (SDI-2), Malay language of International Index of Erectile Function (Mal-IIEF-15) and the Malay version of the self-rated Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS-BM) questionnaires. Results: There were 95 (75.4%) patients on MMT and 31 (24.6%) on BMT. Patients on MMT scored significantly lower in the sexual desire domain (Mal-IIEF-15 scores) (p < 0.01), dyadic sexual desire (p = 0.04) and TT plasma level (p < 0.01) when compared to BMT group after controlling all the confounders. Conclusions: Patients on MMT are associated with lower sexual desire when compared with patients on BMT. Smoking may further lower testosterone and, hence, sexual desire in those already on methadone. © 2019 The Author(s)
Can West African countries catch up with Nigeria? Evidence from smooth nonlinearity method in fractional unit root framework
No full textWest African countries have long promoted economic integration and income convergence. In recent trends, Nigeria has recorded the highest GDP per capita, and its neighbouring countries are yet to catch up with this economic growth. The paper examines the convergence of West African countries to catch up with Nigeria in terms of real per capita income. For the estimation, the paper employs fractional unit root approach to model simultaneously smooth breaks by means of flexible Fourier function in time. This approach is novel and has not been widely applied in the study of economic convergence across countries. The findings show that, while there is evidence of economic convergence and catching up in West Africa, only Ghana is likely to catch up with Nigeria in the region. As a policy recommendation, the West African countries should strengthen their human resource capacities through acquisition of relevant skills and technology transfers. This would promote income convergence and equitable economic growth. © 2019 CEPII (Centre d'Etudes Prospectives et d'Informations Internationales), a center for research and expertise on the world econom
Enhancing science achievement utilising an integrated stem approach
No full textPurpose - The integrated science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education has been reported to improve students' science achievement. Nevertheless, few studies have focused on how this approach affected different ability groups. Lack of equity or the presence of achievement gap can be detrimental because they can reduce medium and low-ability students' interest in science, which in turn can affect national development. Thus, the purpose of this study is to determine the main and the interaction effects of integrated science, technology, engineering and mathematics (ISTEMA) on students' science achievement and how this approach affects students with different academic abilities. Methodology - The research adopted a 2×3 factorial design. The sample size consisted of 100 Nigerian science students from Year 11. A total of 51 students with different academic abilities (low, medium and high) were assigned randomly to an experimental group. The experimental group was taught genetics using a five-phased iterative ISTEMA process. Pre-test and post-test data were collected using 40 multiple-choice questions adopted from a national high-stakes examination. Analysis of covariance, paired sample t-test and one-way analysis of variance were utilised in the data analysis. Findings - Findings for research question one revealed a main significant difference in science achievement between year 11 students who learned using ISTEMA and those using traditional methods. No significant interaction effect was observed between the instructional approach and students' academic abilities, that is, students' academic abilities and the instructional approach did not interact to enhance students' achievement. The findings for research question two indicated that high, medium and low academic-ability students benefitted; however, students with low academic abilities had the highest mean gain. Significance - Findings in this study have revealed empirically that the ISTEMA, as an instructional approach, has the potential to close the academic achievement gap. The findings may also serve as a guide for policymakers to promote STEM education in schools. © 2013, Universiti Utara Malaysia Press
Nutritional Status of Post-Acute Stroke Patients during Rehabilitation Phase in Hospital
No full textMalnutrition is highly prevalent among stroke patients during post-acute rehabilitation phase and may give a negative effect on rehabilitation and impair recovery. However, to date, there is no reported study in Malaysia investigating the nutritional status of stroke patients during rehabilitation phase. Thus, this paper aims to report the preliminary results of nutritional assessment for a randomized controlled trial at baseline. All participating patients were assessed for anthropometric measurements, nutritional status using validated Mini Nutrition Assessment (MNA), 24 h diet recall, and handgrip strength. Demographic data, biochemical profiles and functional outcomes (Modified Barthel Index Score, Motor Assessment Scale) were obtained from patients’ medical record. From a total of 45 post-acute stroke patients at baseline, 24.4% of them were malnourished during admission to rehabilitation ward and 66.7% of the patients were at risk of malnutrition. Mean dietary intake and protein intake of the patients were 1489 ± 297 kcal/day and 66.1 ± 17.2 g/ day, respectively. Mean handgrip strength for the patients was 17.9 ± 8.1 kg. Weight, body mass index, serum albumin, handgrip strength, Modified Barthel Index and Motor Assessment Scale score were positively correlated with MNA score (p<0.05), but no correlation was found for the dietary intake (r=0.163, p=0.285) and protein intake (r=0.288, p=0.055). This preliminary result showed that stroke patients are particularly at risk of malnutrition or malnourished during the rehabilitation period. Therefore, early identification of malnutrition for stroke patients is important for a successful rehabilitation program. © 2019 Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. All Rights Reserved
Total quality index of commercial oyster mushroom Pleurotus sapidus in modified atmosphere packaging
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify the strain of oyster mushroom (OM) Pleurotus sapidus cultivated in a local (commercial) farm, and to generate a total quality index (TQI) on the strain using different modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) gas mixtures. Design/methodology/approach: A phylogenetic tree was constructed using the MEGA software to identify the specific strain of P. sapidus grown in a local farm. The effects of MAP on fresh fruiting bodies of the identified strain were determined under three conditions: high carbon dioxide packaging (HCP: 20 per cent CO2, 15 per cent O2), low carbon dioxide packaging (LCP: 2 per cent CO2, 30 per cent O2) and high nitrogen packaging (HNP: 85 per cent N2, 15 per cent O2). All samples were stored at 4 oC for up to ten days, and subjected to total phenolic content (TPC), colour retention (CR) and sensory analysis. Quality parameters such as chewiness and odour were used to obtain the TQI. Findings: From the phylogenetic analysis, a new strain (P. sapidus strain QDR) with 99 per cent similarity to P. sapidus was identified. Among the three MAP treatments, HCP recorded the highest TPC (2.85 mg GAE/g) and CR (60.36) after ten days, although only its CR was significantly different (p<0.05) from the control. Feedback from 30 sensory panellists indicated that both HCP and LCP were generally more effective in retaining the colour–odour of OM. The optimum TQI for HCP was obtained based on the observed parameters, which is useful for the large-scale packaging of OM. Originality/value: Scientific evidence has revealed that packaging trend for commercially grown OM affects consumer’s acceptance. © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited
Non-locality Correlation in Two Driven Qubits Inside an Open Coherent Cavity: Trace Norm Distance and Maximum Bell Function
No full textWe analytically investigate two separated qubits inside an open cavity field. The cavity is initially prepared in a superposition coherent state. The non-locality correlations [including trace norm measurement induced non-locality, maximal Bell-correlation, and concurrence entanglement] of the two qubits are explored. It is shown that, the generated non-locality correlations crucially depend on the decay and the initial coherence intensity of the cavity field. The enhancement of the initial coherence intensity and its superposition leads to increasing the generated non-locality correlations. The phenomena of sudden birth and death entanglement are found. © 2019, The Author(s)
International school leadership in malaysia: Exploring teachers’ perspectives on leading in a culturally diverse environment
No full textInternational schools present a promising setting in the exploration of leadership in culturally diverse organisations. Due to heightened global interconnectivity, the increasing number of international schools in the Asia Pacific region leads to the ever-growing formation of multicultural learning environments. Aside from being one of the countries with the largest number of international school students in Southeast Asia, Malaysia offers a socio-culturally distinct venue for understanding the organisational dynamics of international schools in a heterogeneous society. Hence, this study primarily aims to present the perspectives of international school teachers on the practices and programmes employed by school leaders with respect to cultural diversity. Taking the viewpoints of school teachers, this case study focuses on how school leaders perform in the midst of the culturally diverse environment of an international school in Malaysia. Thirteen teachers from a prominent international school in Kuala Lumpur were purposefully selected to participate in semi-structured interview sessions. To substantiate the responses from the interviews, five teachers from the same school participated in a focus group discussion. The data from the individual interviews and focus group discussion were triangulated with observation field notes and document analysis. The collated data were thematically analysed using Atlas.ti. The emerging themes revolve around the following: leadership practices with respect to cultural diversity; programmes and policies promoting cultural awareness; and, leadership effects on the school community. Having students and teachers coming from different socio-cultural backgrounds, international schools pose both opportunities and challenges for leadership. Guided by the findings of this study, international school leaders and teachers may design their curriculum and initiate new co-curricular or organisational programmes promoting cultural diversity to benefit students and teachers. More than identifying leadership practices and institutionalised programmes in managing cultural differences, this study calls for further introspection and action to harness the potentials of leadership in promoting harmony in diversity for societal development. © 2019, University of Malaya. All rights reserved
A novel Master–Slave optimization algorithm for generating an optimal release policy in case of reservoir operation
No full textDams and reservoirs provide decision-makers and managers with appropriate control on the available water resources, allowing the implementation of various strategies for the most efficient usage of the available water resources. In areas where water supply exhibits significant temporal variation when compared with the demand, the challenge is to bridge the gap and achieve an optimal match between the water supply and demand patterns. Therefore, the release of water from reservoirs should be controlled to ensure that the operation rule for the available water storage in the reservoir is optimized to satisfy the future water demands. This level of optimal control can only be achieved using an efficient optimization algorithm to optimally derive the operation rule for such a complex water system. Herein, two main methods have been considered to tackle this water resource management problem. First, three different optimization algorithms, namely particle swarm optimization, differential evolution, and whale optimization algorithm, have been applied. In addition, two different optimization algorithms, namely crow search algorithm and master–slave algorithm, have been introduced to generate an optimal rule for water release policy. Further, the proposed optimization algorithms have been applied to one of the most critical dam and reservoir water systems, namely the Aswan High Dam (AHD), which controls almost 95% of Egypt's water resources. The current operation of AHD using the existing optimization rules resulted in a mismatch between the water supply and water demand. In other words, the water availability could be higher than the water demand during a certain period, whereas it could be less than the water demand during another period. The results denoted that the master–slave algorithm outperforms the remaining algorithms and generates an optimization rule that minimizes the mismatch between the water supply and water demand. © 2019 Elsevier B.V
Effect of different irradiance levels on bioelectricity generation from algal biophotovoltaic (BPV) devices
No full textRapid population and economic growth in the world have accelerated the search for new sustainable and environment-friendly energy sources. Power-producing systems generally add to the carbon load in the environment, contributing to global climate change. In photosynthesis, energy from light splits water molecules into oxygen, protons, and electrons. Algal biophotovoltaic (BPV) platforms were developed to harvest these electrons to generate bioelectricity through algal photosynthesis. Irradiance is one of the most important parameters that determine power output efficiency from algal BPV devices. In this study, the effective range of irradiance levels for power generation from algal BPV devices comprising of suspension and alginate-immobilized Chlorella cultures on ITO anodes was determined. Immobilized cultures were prepared by entrapping the algal cells in 2% sodium alginate solution. The algal BPV devices were illuminated by four different irradiance levels (30, 90, 150, and 210 µmol photons m−2 s−1). The maximum power density of 0.456 mW m−2 was generated from the prototype algal fuel cell at the irradiance level of 150 µmol photons m−2 s−1. At 210 µmol photons m−2 s−1, low power density was produced due to photoinhibition as indicated by Fv/Fm values generated through PAM fluorometry. In terms of carbon fixation rate, the highest value was recorded in immobilized culture at 217.11 mg CO2 L−1 d−1. The algal biophotovoltaic device is multifunctional and can provide sustainable energy with simultaneous carbon dioxide removal. © 2019 University of Malaya. Energy Science & Engineering published by Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons Ltd
Investigation on particulate emissions and combustion characteristics of a common-rail diesel engine fueled with Moringa oleifera biodiesel-diesel blends
No full textIn this study, a study of the effects of Moringa Oil Biodiesel (MOB) biodiesel-diesel blends on the engine's performance, exhaust particulate matter, gaseous emissions and combustion characteristics was carried out in a multi-cylinder high-pressure common-rail diesel engine. The experiment involved the use of baseline diesel and several MOB blends (MOB10, MOB20, MOB30 and MOB50) as the fuel for the diesel engine. The results concluded that the engine torques and brake power produced by all of the MOB blends is smaller to the baseline diesel. However, both the MOB blends and baseline diesel produced similar brake thermal efficiency (BTE). It is noticed that the brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) of all MOB are indicating deterioration, but showing an improvement in the brake specific energy consumption (BSEC). Besides, the peak cylinder pressure and peak HRR indicated a trend of declination with the increasing biodiesel blend ratio. Furthermore, all MOB has shown a great improvement in the emission of carbon monoxide (CO), smoke and particulate matter (PM), except nitrogen oxides (NOx). In short, Moringa oil is suitable to use as a source of biodiesel fuel in the diesel engines without any engine modification needs to be done. © 2019 Elsevier Lt