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Efficacy And Autodissemination Of Aedestech Mosquito Home System (Amhs) On Aedes Mosquitoes In Laboratory And Small-scale Field Study
Get PDFOvitrap deployment stands as a viable strategy for Aedes mosquito control. This study evaluated the efficacy of an autodissemination ovitrap called AedesTech Mosquito Home System (AMHS), which incorporates pyriproxyfen. This study encompassed laboratory trials and a small-scale field study. The objective of the field study was to comprehensively assess the impact of AMHS on Aedes, non-target insects, and dengue infection rates in mosquitoes. Within the laboratory trials, these investigations unfolded across two species of mosquitoes: Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti. Three distinct facets were explored in the laboratory trials: the influence of an attractant on the oviposition, the effect of trap positioning on oviposition, and the selection of oviposition sites. The field study conducted in Asoka Apartment, Pulau Pinang, unfolded in three successive periods: baseline study, effectiveness study, and autodissemination study. Concurrently, the accuracy of the AedesTech Mobile App (ATA) was scrutinized. The laboratory results indicated the Mosquito Home Aqua (MHAQ) solution with attractant consistently attracted Ae. aegypti effectively (Welch's ANOVA, F(2,68.66)=5.22,p=0.01). However, its efficacy with Ae. albopictus was suboptimal compared to other treatments (Two-way ANOVA, F=0.16,df=2,p>0.05), highlighting the need for considering additional attractants. Notably, the placement of AMHS exhibited no discernible impact on its attractiveness for both mosquito species (T-test,p>0.05), underscoring the flexibility in trap deployment
The association between dietary intake, lipid and glucose profile, and cognitive function among older adults with possible sarcopenia and sarcopenia in kelantan: a cross-sectional study.
Get PDFSarcopenia is the age-related progressive loss of muscle mass and strength. Dietary intake, glucose and lipid profile are extremely related to the cognitive function among older adults with possible sarcopenia and sarcopenia. The aim of this study was to explore the association between dietary intake, lipid and glucose profile and cognitive function among older adults with possible sarcopenia and sarcopenia in Kelantan. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 92 older adults using convenience sampling technique in several districts in Kelantan including Tumpat, Pasir Mas, and Kota Bharu aged 60 years old and above. Out of 92 subjects (51 males and 41 females), it was discovered that 9 females (22.0%) and 3 males (5.9%) were having dementia while 13 females (31.7%) and 13 males (25.5%) had mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Socio-demographic background, medical history, and dietary intake pattern were included during the interview session. Diet History Questionnaire (DHQ) was used to assess the dietary intake, Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) was used to detect cognitive dysfunction and early signs of dementia while Hand Grip Strength (HGS), Skeletal Muscle Index (SMI), and Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) were used to see the muscle strength and physical performance. However, there are no significant associations between dietary intake, glucose profile and lipid profile except high density lipoprotein (HDL). The findings of this study demonstrated that cognitive status alone was significant among the participants (p=0.015). The blood glucose results show that the median is 5.60 mmol for males, while it is 5.30 mmol for females which (p=0.546). For the lipid profile, only HDL is significant with (p=0.001), where the median is 1.23 mmol for males and 1.50 mmol for females. Other lipid profile results include as triglycerides, low-density lipoproteins (LDL), and total cholesterol are not significant. In addition, all macronutrients and micronutrients are not significant at all for dietary intakes results. Nevertheless, it is recommended that further studies be conducted to provide a clearer understanding of the relationship between dietary intake, lipid, and glucose profiles with cognitive function, as these factors are directly linked to cognitive function status
Strengthening The Role Of Social Worker In Theprotection For Vulnerable Children In Chengdu, China
Get PDFThe objectives of this study are to analyse the current situation of protecting vulnerable children, measure social workers' readiness to protect vulnerable children, assess the challenges faced by social workers in this effort, and propose a social work intervention model to enhance the protection of vulnerable children. Chengdu was chosen as the research site, and a qualitative research method was employed to interview 20 social workers. NVivo Plus 12 analysis software was used to thematically analyze the research questions. Firstly, the needs of vulnerable children encompass basic survival needs, protected needs, psychological needs, and social support needs. Most of the organizations' service funding sources originated from the government. Social workers' practices for vulnerable children include protective, relief, supportive, developmental, and advocative services. Social workers collaborate with other systems, such as the community, child directors, and other institutions. Secondly, the readiness of social workers to protect vulnerable children involves various policies and government and social work professional organizations. Additionally, it comprises social work professional advantages, service roles, professional values, professional methods, and resource linkage. Thirdly, the difficulties faced by social workers involved in the protection of vulnerable children encompass social workers' mobility and lack of capacity at the Micro-level
Structural Properties Of Extremal Trees, Balanced Spiders, And Path Forests With Respect To Burning Number
Get PDFGraph burning is a discrete-time deterministic graph process that can be interpreted
as a model for spread of influence in social networks. Bonato et al. conjectured in
2016 that for any connected graph of order N2, the burning number is at most N.
This conjecture remains open, although remarkable progress has been achieved lately.
By noting that the burning number of any connected graph is the minimum burning
number of its spanning trees, our work focuses on identifying extremal trees in the
sense that each tree attains the largest possible order among homeomorphic trees with
a given burning number. The study initiates with finding the tight bounds on the orders
of path forests, balanced path forests, spiders, and balanced spiders when the burning
number is fixed. The tight bounds for a given class of graphs render the possible
range of burning numbers for any given graph in the class. Upon generalizing, we
obtain some general properties on the associated neighbourhoods corresponding to
any optimal burning sequence of any extremal tree. Based on that, we propose a new
framework consisting of admissible sequences over any homeomorphically irreducible
tree such that any extremal tree with a given burning number can be induced by some
admissible sequence in some sense. Utilising the properties of admissible sequences
corresponding to extremal trees, we obtain the extremal trees with any given burning
number for the case of four branch vertices
Synthesis Of Choline Chloride-acetic Acid Based Deep Eutectic Solvent (Des) For The Extraction Of Bioactive Polysaccharide From Garcinia Atroviridis Fruit
Get PDFThe fruit of Garcinia atroviridis was identified as a potential source of
bioactive polysaccharides. This study explored the ability of these polysaccharides
(referred to as GAP) to inhibit pancreatic lipase and angiotensin-converting enzyme
(ACE), both of which are important in managing obesity and hypertension. The
extraction of GAP was optimized using a microwave-assisted process involving deep
eutectic solvents (DES). The study was promoted to prepare deep eutectic solvents
(DES) from choline chloride and acetic acid in 1:2, 1:3, 1:4. The physicochemical
properties of the resulting DES were fully characterized. The interaction of the DES
components by hydrogen bonds was confirmed using Fourier-transform infrared
spectroscopy (FTIR) and changes in wavenumbers of their functional groups.
Moreover, these DES were shown to be hydrophilic and could dissolve in water with
high polarity while having compatibility with many of semi-polar solvents. the DES
demonstrates excellent potential for extraction applications due to its low pH and polar
nature. Therefore, DES is a promising medium for extracting GAP. The yield of GAP
was then extracted and the result concluded that the experimental yield of GAP
(24.33%) closely matched the predicted yield (24.88%), confirming the accuracy of
the extraction model. GAP was found to have a high molecular weight (28.15 ± 3.17
kDa) and viscosity (3.171 ± 1.23 Pa·s), along with a significant branching size (6.39 ± 0.030). These characteristics suggest that GAP can form complex structures that
effectively inhibit enzyme activity by physically blocking the enzymes from accessing
their substrates, thereby slowing down their function. In laboratory tests, GAP
demonstrated significant inhibitory effects, reducing pancreatic lipase activity by
79.41% and ACE activity by 81.23%. These results indicate that GAP has strong
potential for use in developing anti-obesity and antihypertensive treatments. Further
optimization of GAP's bioactivity led to even better results, with optimized GAP
inhibiting pancreatic lipase (GAP-L) by 87.93% and GAP that inhibits ACE (GAP-A)
by 95.91%. The experimental values closely aligned with the predicted values (86.57%
for pancreatic lipase inhibition and 95.64% for ACE inhibition), further validating the
model. Therefore, GAP shows great promise as a potential source for developing
effective agents to manage obesity and hypertension. The suitability of the DES
produced as well shown to have a polar nature, making it capable of interacting with
and dissolving a wide range of polar compounds, including polysaccharides and other
bioactive molecules
Intranasal Delivery Of Andrographolide Nanoparticles For Improvement Of Cognitive Function: In Vitro And In Vivo Evaluation
Get PDFThis study explores the neuroprotective potential of andrographolide (ADG), a bioactive compound derived from Andrographis paniculata, and its formulations in various in vitro and in vivo models of neurodegenerative diseases. The present study focuses on the development of a reverse-phase (RP) HPLC method for the quantification of andrographolide (ADG) and neoandrographolide (NEO) in A. paniculata (AP) extract. Through meticulous experimentation, a mobile phase comprising acetonitrile and water (30:70 v/v) was identified as optimal, resulting in sharp peaks and excellent separation of ADG and NEO. The method exhibited good specificity, linearity (r² = 0.999), accuracy (% R.E ≤ 2%), and precision (% RSD ≤ 2%) over a concentration range of 1.0 – 200 μg/ml, complying with US FDA guidelines. Upon development of quantification method, ADG were formulated using single emulsion solvent evaporation method (ADGPNPs and APENPs) and spray drying techniques (NSD NPs, NSD NCs and MSD MNCs). Both the formulation strategies comprising of total 5 formulations were further characterised using SEM, TEM, FTIR, DSC, TGA and XRD. ADGPNPs, APENPs and NSD NPs which were also known to be highly amorphous, have shown a spherical shape with uniform nanoparticles size distribution. Meanwhile, NSD NCs and MSD MNCs which revealed a crystalline nature has a non-uniform size and shape of squares, semi-squares, and rectangle crystals
Translation and validation of adult carer quality of life (ac-qol) questionnaire and mediation analysis of depression, anxiety and stress on quality of life of informal caregivers of stroke survivors in Kelantan
Get PDFIntroduction: As the global population ages and the prevalence of chronic illnesses rises, the demand for caregivers has grown substantially, prompting increased interest in understanding caregivers' quality of life (QoL). Caring for stroke survivors presents unique challenges and rewards, impacting caregivers' QoL.
Objectives: To determine the characteristics of publications on caregivers' QoL through bibliometric analysis, to translate and validate the Malay version of the Adult Carer Quality of Life Questionnaire (AC-QoL), to model relationships between informal caregivers’ and stroke survivors’ factors with informal caregivers’ QoL and to estimate the mediation effects of depression, anxiety, and stress.
Materials and Methods: Bibliographic data were extracted from the Scopus database using terms like “caregivers” and “quality of life”. The analysis included original articles or reviews in English up to August 2023, utilizing the 'bibliometrix' package in RStudio. The second study was a cross-sectional study that translated the AC-QoL into Malay through a ten-step process. Content and face validation were conducted with six experts and ten subjects, respectively. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed on data from 222 informal caregivers. 60 informal caregivers were subjected for retesting for stability. The third study, another cross-sectional study, analysed data from 250 informal caregivers. Linear regression modelled relationships between stroke survivors’ and informal caregivers’ factors with informal caregivers’ QoL. Hayes's PROCESS macro model 4 for bootstrapping indirect effects was used to estimate the mediation effects of depression, anxiety, and stress Results: Since 1989, 1859 original research articles and reviews were published, with a 15.52% annual growth rate. The USA led with the most publications (327), citations (9993), and collaboration activity. Key keywords included “depression”, “anxiety”, “stroke”, “dementia”, “cancer”, and “burden”. Clusters for “depression”, “anxiety”, “cancer”, and “family caregivers” dominated current research, while “dementia” and “Alzheimer's disease” are emerging topics. In the second study, content validity indicated rephrasing for two items. Face validity was high for all items. CFA suggested removing four items due to low factor loading, resulting in a model with satisfactory indices: CFI (0.889), TLI (0.877), RMSEA (0.066), and SRMR (0.064). Composite reliability ranged from 0.77 to 0.91. Significant differences were observed in QoL scores among informal caregivers with varying levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. The questionnaire showed good stability (ICC = 0.86). In the third study, stroke survivors’ dependency (b = 0.14), informal caregivers’ depression (b = -0.81), and anxiety (b = -0.73) were significantly associated with informal caregivers’ QoL. Depression (effect = 0.02) and anxiety (effect = 0.01) partially mediated the relationship between stroke survivors’ dependency and informal caregivers’ QoL.
Conclusion: Informal caregivers' QoL is profoundly influenced by the demands of caregiving, particularly for stroke survivors. The bibliometric analysis highlights the evolving research landscape, while the validation of the AC-QoL provides a reliable tool for assessing informal caregivers' QoL in Malaysia. The mediation analysis underscores the significant role of psychological distress, specifically depression and anxiety, in modulating the impact of stroke survivors’ dependency on informal caregivers' QoL. These insights emphasize the necessity for targeted screening and interventions to alleviate informal caregivers' psychological burdens, ultimately enhancing their quality of life
Reflective writing skills in medical students in Universiti Sains Malaysia and its associations
Get PDFReflective writing skills among medical students across many countries still showed limited competency in this area. However, cultivating these skills during medical training is crucial for developing good reflective practices among physicians. Previous studies have shown that reflective writing skills impact medical students' academic and clinical performance. This study aims to determine the level of reflective writing skills among medical students at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and its associations with demographic factors, and academic and clinical performance.
A total of 420 reflective writing documents were analysed using SPSS version 27.0, with 350 (83.3%) of the documents being randomly chosen for the study. The selected documents were sourced from first-year medical students in the batches of 2020/21, 2021/22, and 2022/23. These documents were graded by raters using the REFLECT rubric tool, designed to address the challenge of assessing these written reflections. The REFLECT rubric provides a systematic framework for the assessment of reflective writing skills, facilitating a comprehensive evaluation of this competency among medical students in USM.
The demographic data collected included age, sex, pre-university education, Mini Multiple Interview (MMI) scores, and Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of the second and sixth semesters as well as Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) scores. The main outcome measured was the reflective writing score, which underwent descriptive statistical analysis to ascertain the correlation between each variable and reflective writing skills. Age was analysed using Spearman's correlation, sex was analysed using an independent t-test, and pre-university education was analysed using one-way ANOVA. MMI scores, second and sixth-semester CGPAs, and OSCE were analysed using Pearson's correlation.
The average total reflective writing score for first-year medical students was 15.21 (SD = 2.18). Female students reported significantly higher total reflective writing scores (M = 15.42, SD = 2.19) and "attending to emotion" scores (M = 3.22, SD = 0.59) compared to male students (M = 14.71, SD = 2.09, and M = 2.81, SD = 0.68, respectively). The results revealed significant correlations between the first-year CGPA and several domains of reflection, including writing spectrum, description of conflict, and attending to emotion, analysis, and meaning-making, as well as overall reflective writing score
The study found that reflective writing skills among medical students at Universiti Sains Malaysia were normally distributed. While age, pre-university education, and MMI scores were not significantly associated with reflective writing abilities, sex, and first-year CGPA emerged as significant factors. Female students demonstrated significantly higher reflective writing scores, particularly in the "attending to emotion" domain, compared to their male peers. Furthermore, the results revealed positive correlations between reflective writing scores and academic performance, as measured by first-year CGPA, with higher CGPAs linked to better reflective writing skills.
In conclusion, the findings suggest that reflective writing skills among medical students at USM are influenced by sex, and these skills have a significant role in academic performance. Since reflective writing is a crucial skill for future doctors, measures should be taken to address potential sex-based differences in the development and execution of reflective writing courses. Moreover, fostering reflective writing skills should be prioritized as it contributes positively to students' academic success and has the potential to enhance their growth as reflective practitioners in the medical field
Exploring The Use Of Augmented Reality Module As An Assistive Learning Tool For Dyslexic Students In Physical Education Subject
Get PDFDyslexia students are those primarily facing difficulty in reading, distinguishing letters and others. In practice, students with dyslexia still use or depend on textbooks in Physical Education (PE) classes, which raises critical questions about this condition. Based on this gap, this research aims to explore the use of augmented modules as assistive tools for dyslexic children in PE classes and give them visual demonstrations of the pictures in textbooks so that they would not be too burdened to read much text and process it. Currently, the information they receive comes from a variety of different sources. This research is a qualitative case study involving two classes at one of the special education schools in Penang, Malaysia. The total of participants included two physical education teachers and 20 dyslexia students. The sampling method used is purposive sampling, as it follows the stated purpose, which is for dyslexic students. The instruments used in this study involved interviews, reflective journals, observations and movement ability rubrics for students, while the interview was also used for teachers. After data collection, thematic analysis was used to analyze the data, along with data triangulation to strengthen the existing findings. This research developed an augmented module, a module integrated with AR maker-based technology, which allows students to scan the images in the module and produce 3D animations that will help them demonstrate the movements in the images. In designing the module, Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) and Mayer's principles of multimedia learning were also implemented to produce effective learning activities and tools for students. Apart from that, the ADDIE model was employed as a guideline for the stages of designing the module. Findings revealed that the use of augmented modules as assisting tools in PE classes really helped dyslexic students visualize images in the module. Students were greatly helped by the 3D animation feature, which allowed them to gain live demonstrations easily and quickly. The students were very interested in using this assisting tool, and it also really attracted their attention. In addition, the teachers also felt that it was very helpful since this tool facilitated students to carry out independent learning so that teachers do not need to repeatedly explain to students about the movements being taught. The implementation of CLT and principles of multimedia learning is also very helpful in creating learning activities with modules that are very easy to use and understand by students. Furthermore, it has been proven to help prevent students from becoming overwhelmed when learning to use new technology and tools. Suggestions for further research are to carry out longer interventions to see whether students' interest in learning and motivation will be as stable as the first time they use new technology or learning tools. The second is to develop the application to be even better so that there is no lag when used by students. Developers are also advised to build similar applications that can be applied to other subjects at school
Adaptation Experience Of Overseas Chinese Studyingin Guangxi Province Through ‘Chineseness’ Perspective In Higher Education Institutions
Get PDFGlobal student mobility in higher education has witnessed an emerging reverse trend as students flow back to their ancestral homeland country. Yet, the influences of this similar ancestral background on their reverse education experience remain to be addressed. Likewise, an increasing number of overseas chinese students are choosing to study in china rather than in traditional western destinations. At the same time, it is still underdetermined whether their shared chineseness roots and origins can provide them with a smooth adaptation experience in china. Given that the adaptation of international students studying in china’s higher education institutions from similar backgrounds and origins is under-explored, what influence of cultural similarity on adaptation in china is still to be resolved. Thus, this study sets out to investigate the adaptation experience of overseas chinese studying in china’s universities with a focus on their chineseness background. Specifically, it is designed to examine how their ethnic chinese background, namely chineseness, interplayed with their adaptation experience in china. This study has employed a qualitative research approach and case study method through semi-structured interviews with 20 southeast asian (sea) overseas chinese studying in china