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Interprofessional learning readiness among learners of healthcare programs: A cross sectional study / Mahfuza Akter
No full textInterprofessional Learning (IPL) is crucial in healthcare education, promoting collaborative practice among various healthcare professions to improve patient outcomes. This study assesses the readiness for IPL among healthcare learners at Management and Science University (MSU). This cross-sectional study utilized a descriptive survey design, targeting undergraduate learners from programs such as Medicine, Pharmacy, Nursing, Biomedical Science, Cardiac Technology, Nutrition Technology, Optometry, and Bio-Medicine. Data were collected from 219 students using the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS), which measures perceptions of teamwork and collaboration (TWC), positive professional identity (PPI), negative professional identity (NPI) and roles and responsibilities (RR). Responses were gathered via Google Forms and analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 26.0. Descriptive and comparative statistics were employed to evaluate IPL readiness and differences across programs, year of study, age groups, gender, and academic performance. Results indicated high overall readiness for IPL, which shows positive attitudes toward IPL, and female learners have higher readiness compared to their male counterparts (P = 0.033). The total RIPLS mean score was 3.78, with high mean scores for PPI (4.36) and TWC (3.90) but moderate scores for RR (3.59) and lowest for NPI (3.31). There is a significant positive correlation between the TWC, PPI, and RR (P = 0.00). The findings highlight a generally positive readiness for IPL among MSU healthcare learners. The healthcare learners generally hold positive attitudes towards IPL, particularly regarding TWC and PPI. However, there are areas of variability, especially in NPI and RR. Continued efforts to enhance interprofessional learning, clarify roles, and address negative perceptions are essential to fully integrate collaborative practices into healthcare training
Computer vision-based vehicle recognition system using deep learning techniques / Tan Shi Hao
No full textVehicle recognition is essential for Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) in creating a comfortable commuting environment. It is the enabler for a diverse range of applications, including roadway maintenance, surveillance systems, electronic tolls, etc. With the aim of improving vehicle type and vehicle make and model recognition (VMMR) performance, the past studies are collated and a vehicle taxonomy that encompasses sensor-based and Computer Vision (CV)-based solutions is deliberated. Motivated to learn superior convolution filters, the first proposal employs Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) as filter learning techniques. The proposed network dubbed PCA-LDA-Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) also incorporates a parameter-free Channel-Based Attention Module (ChBAM) to tune the feature responses guided by the channel information saliency. The framework delivers 99.6% and 97.8% accuracies on datasets with 30 and 300 vehicle models, respectively. The robustness tests verify that PCA-LDA-CNN is steadfast against image distortions. Secondly, the past studies reveal that neglecting the degree of informativeness cripples the quality of representation learning. In this regard, a Spatial Attention Module (SAM), which is empowered by Multi-Head Self-Attention (MHSA), is proposed to scale the feature responses by exploiting spatial relevancy. The proposed ResNet50-SAM model records exceptional performance on Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT)- Vehicle, Stanford Cars and Web-Nature Comprehensive Cars (CompCarsWeb) datasets by reporting 98.2%, 84.5% and 96.0% accuracies, respectively. A qualitative inspection of the feature embeddings suggests high cohesivity within the group. Integrating SAM into other CNNs also leads to considerable improvements. Next, forgoing the low-level details and concentrating on high-level features is detrimental to VMMR. The Cross Granularity (CG) module, in contrast, integrates both information to render a balanced mix of local contextual information and global semantic details. The combination of ResNet50 and CG module attains 98.6%, 95.4%, 86.4% and 99.1% accuracies on CompCarsWeb, Stanford Cars, Car-FG3K and Surveillance-Nature Comprehensive Cars (CompCarsSV) datasets, respectively. The qualitative analysis further unveils its strong ability to locate the distinctive fine-grained vehicle details. The CG module is also highly compatible with various backbone CNNs. As the fourth proposal, the Coarse-to-Fine Context Aggregation (CFCA) module presents a parameter-efficient multi-scale feature learning paradigm. The cross-scale features are generated by first refining the scalespecific components independently and then fusing them in a nonlinear manner through convolution. The multi-scale feature maps produce 98.0%, 95.1%, 86.2%, 99.0%, and 96.9% accuracies on CompCarsWeb, Stanford Cars, Car-FG3K, CompCarsSV and Mohsin-VMMR datasets, respectively. Moreover, the neurons exhibit high feature responses on the discriminative vehicle parts, corresponding to the superior feature extraction ability of the CFCA module. The fifth proposal presents an Augmented- Granularity (AG) module that executes grouped focus convolution (GFConv) to compose multi-granularity features. With the spatial-to-channel transformation, the GFConv doubles the receptive field whilst mitigating information loss. When pairing the AG module with TResNet-L, the network claims 87.8%, 95.5%, 98.6% and 92.5% on Car- FG3K, Stanford Cars, CompCarsWeb and VMMRdb datasets, respectively. The dissection of the feature embeddings affirms the ability of the AG module to reduce the intraclass variance. The AG module also brings 2.7% accuracy improvements in average for 4 backbone CNNs
Teaching behaviour’s mediating role in transformational leadership and science interest in Klang Valley private schools / Conie Toh
No full textThis research aims to enrich the existing body of knowledge on educational leadership, science education, and the intricate interactions between teachers and students within private school environments. The study's primary objective is to explore how teachers' transformational leadership practices influence students' interest in science in private schools in the Klang Valley. This influence is examined both directly and indirectly through the mediation of teachers' teaching behaviours. Employing a non-experimental quantitative approach, data were gathered via surveys distributed through Google Forms. The participants were students from selected private schools in Klang Valley, who received the surveys through email and WhatsApp application. A total of 250 completed Google Form questionnaires responses were collected and analysed. The results indicated that students perceived their teachers as exhibiting high levels of transformational leadership and effective teaching behaviours. Despite this, students rated their interest in science as moderate. Analysis using the Pearson product-moment correlation showed significant positive correlations between teachers' transformational leadership, students' interest in science, and teachers' teaching behaviours. Multiple regression analysis identified the intellectual stimulation dimension as the most significant predictor of students' interest in science. Additionally, the dimensions of clarity and rapport were found to be significant predictors of students' interest in science, with clarity having a moderate impact and rapport a larger effect. Further analysis revealed that the dimensions of individualized consideration, inspirational motivation, and intellectual stimulation significantly predicted teachers' teaching behaviours. Both inspirational motivation and intellectual stimulation had moderate effects, whereas individualized consideration had a more substantial impact on teachers’ teaching behaviours. A mediation analysis using the PROCESS Macro for SPSS demonstrated that the relationship between teachers' transformational leadership practices and students' interest in science is partially mediated by teachers' teaching behaviours. This finding highlights the crucial role of effective teaching behaviours in enhancing students' interest in science. Structural equation modelling (SEM) using AMOS (Analysis of Moment Structures) was then applied to evaluate the model's fit with the collected data. The adjusted structural model aligned well with the data from private schools in Klang Valley, Malaysia. Overall, this study offers valuable insights into the impact of teachers' transformational leadership and teaching behaviours on fostering students' interest in science within private schools in Klang Valley, Malaysia. These findings have significant implications for educational policymakers, school administrators, and teachers, emphasizing the importance of integrating transformational leadership practices and effective teaching behaviours to enhance science education. By adopting these practices, educators can create a supportive learning environment that nurtures students' interest in science and subsequently promotes their academic achievement
Cephalometric parameters and airway changes in relation to orthognathic cleft surgery- A pilot study / Asiyah @ Khairul Bariyyah Ayob
No full textCephalometric parameters can be a good predictive criterion for orthognathic surgery needs in cleft patients. However, caution must be exercised when implementing maxillo-mandibular movements due to potential modifications in the posterior airway space. OBJECTIVE: This pilot study aims to identify quantitative skeletal, dental, and soft tissue cephalometric parameters associated with the orthognathic surgical approach for cleft patients and relate post-surgery airway changes to the surgical approaches undertaken. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The study was a retrospective cross-sectional by design which analysed pre- and post-surgical lateral cephalometrics of non-syndromic cleft lip and palate patients who underwent orthognathic surgery at the University of Malaya Medical Centre between the year 2013 and 2023. Three bilateral cleft lip and palate patients (BCLP) and ten unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) aged 12- 35 years old (mean 21.38) were included for analysis, with no gender or race stratification given the small number recruited plus no comparison made to the normal range. The study analysed mean values for ten cephalometric parameters for maxillary advancement surgery, bimaxillary surgery, and distraction osteogenesis. Also, it focused on different levels of posterior airway change for the respective surgery. Kruskal-Wallis's test was utilized to determine the association between posterior airway changes and the type of orthognathic surgical approaches. RESULT: Thirteen samples were analysed out of the identified seventy cleft lip and palate (CLP) patients. The data was presented using the mean and standard deviation, as it was normally distributed. The calibration of both inter- and intra-examiners was conducted to ensure measurement accuracy and consistency, with an ICC value of 0.9, respectively. For maxillary advancement surgery mean values observed were SNA 76.70°; SNB 78.50°; ANB -1.85°; MMPA 36.70°; LFH 58.15%; the upper incisor inclination (U1-MxPl) 111.30°; lower incisor inclination (L1- MnPl) 87.45°, upper lip to E line (Ulip-E) -9.7mm; lower lip to E line (Llip-E) 1.30mm, nasolabial angle (NLA) 89.80°. Post-surgery, the mean nasopharyngeal airway change was 2.6mm. Oropharyngeal, hypopharyngeal and deep pharyngeal airway changes were 1.9mm, 0.15mm and 3.05mm, respectively. For bimaxillary surgery (Le Fort I maxillary advancement with bilateral split sagittal osteotomy mandibular setback), mean values observed for the parameters were: SNA 76.23°; SNB 82.17°; ANB -5.97°; MMPA 27.34°; LFH 56.17%; U1-MxPl 123.11°; L1-Mn-Pl 88.31°, Ulip-E -5.41mm; Llip-E 4.84mm, NLA 64.37°. The mean airway changes with regard to this surgery at the nasopharynx, oropharynx, hypopharynx and deep pharynx were 3.09mm, -3.79mm, -2.29mm and 0.07mm, respectively. For distraction osteogenesis, the mean values of parameters were SNA 73.43°, SNB 83.85°, ANB -10.43°, MMPA 26.63°, LFH 55.65%, U1-MxPl 115.38°, L1- MnPl 90.10°, Ulip-E -8.05mm, Llip-E 4.60mm and the NLA 61.75°. The posterior airway changes by the surgical mean were 1.40mm, 1.18mm,2.53mm, and 4.33mm, respectively, to the nasopharynx, oropharynx, hypopharynx and deep pharynx. CONCLUSION: The pilot study reveals certain cephalometric parameters with substantial variation in cleft patients, potentially indicating the need for specific orthognathic surgery. It was found that Le Fort I maxillary advancement and distraction osteogenesis increase posterior airway dimensions, while bimaxillary surgery reduces them, however no significant association was found
Oral health needs and barriers to care in children with congenital heart disease / Hafizah Mohammad
No full textAs an introduction, the number of children with congenital heart disease (CHD) in Malaysia has been reported to be increased. Children with CHD are reported to have more dental issues and poorer oral health. as compared to healthy children according to studies done overseas. Due to their underlying CHD, the poorer oral health condition can have systemic implications such as infective endocarditis (IE). This study aims to validate an adapted questionnaire to be used on children with CHD and to determine their oral health needs, oral health status in (DMFT and gingival index score), and barriers to dental care among children with CHD as compared to the control group. The study was conducted at the Faculty of Dentistry and Universiti Malaya Medical Centre on children aged 3 to 12 with and without an underlying CHD. The parents or guardians answered the questionnaire while their children underwent oral health assessment using WHO dmft/DMFT and gingival health using Lobene Modified Gingival Index (MGI). Descriptive data analysis was done for sociodemographic background and Chi-square and Fisher’s Exact test were used to determine the association between variables and compare CHD and the control group. There is a significant association between children with CHD and never visited dentist and the perceived dental need for dental check-ups is also significantly higher in children with CHD. Children with CHD also have significantly higher gingivitis. This is supported by significant association in children with CHD with barriers to dental care which is significantly associated with children with CHD such as children’s behaviour and parent’s time constraint. The questionnaire is valid and reliable to be used as a tool to determine the oral health needs and barriers to care in children with CHD. A higher number of children with CHD never visited the dentist and need for dental check-ups. Their gingival health is also poorer than the control group. This is indicated by the significant association with a few barriers in children with CHD in getting dental care. (329 words
Further phytochemical and cytotoxicity studies of the indole alkaloids of Kopsia arborea STEM-BARK / Wong Soon Kit
No full textTwo Malaysian plants of Kopsia arborea Blume (family: Apocynaceae) of different geographical locations, one of which was collected in Petaling Jaya, Selangor (Sample A), and the other in Penang Island (Sample B), were investigated for their alkaloidal composition. A total of 60 alkaloids (1−60) were isolated and characterized from the stem-bark extracts of these sources, of which eight are new alkaloids. Of these, arbophyllidine (1) and arboduridine (2) are distinguished by incorporation of novel molecular skeletons, and arbophyllinines A (6) and B (7) are two corynanthean alkaloids incorporating a substituted tetrahydrofuranone ring. The aspidofractinine-aspidofractinine bisindole alkaloid, arbolodinine A (58), is notable for being a rare instance of a bisindole alkaloid branched from an iminium ion, while arbolodinines B (59) and C (60) represent the first examples of strychnan-aspidofractinine and strychnan-kopsine bisindole alkaloids, respectively. Among the new alkaloids, arbophyllidine (1) showed pronounced in vitro growth inhibitory activity against HT-29 human cancer cell line (IC50: 6.2 M), and arbolodinine B (59) displayed strong cytotoxicity against KB, vincristine-resistant KB, PC-3, HCT 116, HT-29, MDA-MB-231, MCF7, and A549 cells (IC50: 1.3−9.6 M). The alkaloid compositions of the two plants are summarized in Table 2.1
Diels-alder reaction of cinnamoyl dienophiles and terpene dienes and its application towards the synthesis of natural products / Thy Chun Keng
No full textThe Lewis acid, AlBr3, was found to effectively catalyse the Diels-Alder reaction between cinnamoyl dienophile, trans-chalcone and terpene diene, (E)-ocimene to give the cycloadduct product of [(1RS,2SR,6RS)-3-methyl-2-(3-methylbut-2-en-1-yl)-6-phenylcyclohex-3-en-1-yl](phenyl)methanone in high yield (72%) and with excellent regio- (100:0) and diastereoselectivity (95:5). The effectiveness of the AlBr3 towards Diels-Alder reactions between various dienophiles and dienes was also evaluated. The acyclic dienes such as isoprene, 2,3-dimethylbutadiene and myrcene underwent Diels-Alder reaction with trans-chalcone, affording the corresponding adducts in relatively good yields (73-82%) and with excellent regioselectivity (90:10). A chiral titanium complex with 2 equivalents of FMOC-L-Phe-OH exhibited a significant enantioselectivity (61% ee) in the study of asymmetric Diels-Alder reaction of trans-chalcone and isoprene but unfortunately producing low yield (21%). A series of (±)-panduratin A derivatives were prepared by using AlBr3 as catalyst. Eighteen (±)-panduratin A derivatives were successfully synthesised with yields between 9 to 71%. The natural products, fislatifolione, isofislatifolione, fislatifolic acid, panduratins H and I were synthesised via thermal, catalyst and chiral complex-induced Diels-Alder reactions. The thermal-induced Diels-Alder reaction afforded the natural products in moderate yields (28-39%) and with moderate regioselectivities (67:33 to 77:23), but only fislatifolione and isofislatifolione were successfully synthesised through catalyst and chiral complex-induced Diels-Alder reactions
Carbon capture performance and properties of cementitious material with local waste biochar / Priscilla Gunn Fong Ern
No full textConsiderable attention has been devoted to investigating the viability of utilizing sustainable alternatives derived from agricultural waste to partially replace cement in the construction industry. The shift to alternatives is primarily driven by the significant pollution generated by the industries over the years. Malaysia is known for its extensive plantations of various crops, which is a significant contribution to the economy of the country. The crop plantation in Malaysia produced a large amount of waste, posing challenges in waste utilization and disposal. The waste may be valorized by converting into biochar and incorporating into cement concrete products. Biochar is known for its potential in carbon sequestration, making it a prominent subject of study for environmental benefits. Four types of biochar were obtained and studied for its characterization, properties and carbon sequestration potential. These four types of biochar include rice husk biochar (RHB), palm kernel shell biochar (PKS), coconut husk biochar (CHB), and bamboo biochar (BB) Upon characterization of the biochar, RHB and PKS which had the best carbon sequestration ability were selected for more comprehensive investigation in cement mortar.
This study presents experimental investigations on high dosage of locally produced RHB and PKS as cement replacement, specifically at 10, 20, 30 and 40% by volume. The incorporation of biochar as a partial replacement in cementitious material presents a means to mitigate the adverse effect of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions resulting from cement production. Comprehensive assessments were done to study the porosity, strength, microstructure, and thermal characterization of the PKS and RHB-added mortar composites as an initial phase to develop eco-friendly concretes. All these efforts were undertaken with the aim of maximizing waste valorization and carbon uptake of the produced mortars. The incorporation of biochar caused a change in porosity of the matrix, which is favorable for carbon sequestration. The porosity of the mortar increased by 52.9% after the integration of biochar.
The experiment also focuses on enhancing the carbon sequestration ability of biochar-added cement composite through carbonation curing. Qualitative and quantitative carbonation tests were carried out to determine the carbonation rate of the RHB and PKS-added mortar. The addition of biochar has been shown to facilitate the carbonation process, as evidenced by the increase in carbonation depth and degree of carbonation. PKS-added mortars had a higher CO2 uptake compared to RHB-added mortars. Saturated PKS-added mortar demonstrated the highest CO2 uptake of 24.8% (i.e. 248 gCO2/kg PKS-added mortar), greater than unsaturated PKS-added mortar. Besides, the carbonated mortars exhibited higher strength than the water-cured mortars, resolving the strength issue with higher biochar addition. The improvement in strength due to carbonation curing ranges from 26.7 – 87.0%. Overall, the optimum replacement of PKS at 30% by volume contributes to higher carbon uptake and an improved strength in cement mortar through carbonation curing. The findings evaluated the potential of biochar to be effectively used as an additive in cement mortar. Biochar not only reduces environmental impact, but also has the capability to sequester a significant amount of carbon in civil infrastructure
Optimal inventory models for imperfect and deteriorating items with carbon emissions considerations / Lok Yi Wen
No full textIn the pursuit of unprecedented profitability, companies recognise the irrefutable linchpin
of effective inventory management. As a symphony of financial capability and operational
excellence, this discipline holds the key to bolstering optimal profits while streamlining
costs. The Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) model often emerges as an illustrious
contributor to the realm of inventory modelling, that is, determining optimal inventory
levels and offering invaluable guidance to decision-makers. However, the complexity
of inventory management is compounded by the presence of imperfect items, such as
defective goods produced during the manufacturing process or damage incurred during
transportation or handling. This study addresses this challenge by developing two EOQ
models, each grounded in a distinct policy: the first involves rectifying imperfect items
through repair, while the second revolves around replacing the imperfect items by procuring
new ones from an alternate supplier. The developed models judiciously account for a
fixed proportion of imperfect items within order quantity determination. With keen
insight, companies are equipped to select the most astute policy that suits their unique
circumstances. In addition, the investigation delves into the complexities of managing
non-instantaneous deteriorating items, which necessitate timely sales to avert their eventual
deterioration. An overabundance in ordering quantity can lead to financial losses should
unsold items deteriorate, while an under-stocking runs the risk of unfulfilled market
demand. In light of this, this study explores the concept of preservation technology,
which prolongs the shelf life of non-instantaneous deteriorating products. Diverging
from conventional EOQ models that assume a fixed time interval before deterioration disregards environmental considerations, the proposed model captures the variability of
pre-deterioration periods contingent upon preservation levels, which is more realistic to
real-world dynamics. Of particular significance is the dependence of deterioration rate
on preservation level, and this pivotal relationship enhances the accuracy of the proposed
EOQ model in ascertaining optimal order quantities, thereby effectively curbing waste and
safeguarding against stockouts. The inclusion of carbon emissions in the developed model
reflects our growing concerns about environmental issues and governmental policies that
aim to mitigate carbon emissions. Moreover, this study encompasses numerical analyses to
support the practical applicability of the models as well as sensitivity analyses to examine
the effects of diverse parameter combinations within the models, thus providing incisive
management implications to navigate companies towards optimal operational efficiency
and contribution to an environmentally sustainable future
Purification of biodiesel using deep eutectic solvents in liquid membrane separator with activated carbon and graphene / Khalid Mohsin Abed`
No full textThe biodiesel industry is an essential aspect of renewable energy, but it has limitations due to contaminants, in particular the soap content. The present study focuses on the development of a water-free downstream process to remove the soap from crude biodiesel. Emulsion liquid membrane (ELM) technique has been employed, and it has been used for purifying different contaminants. Green solvents such as deep eutectic solvents (DESs) is used as a stripping phase, and carbon materials (activated carbon and graphene) are integrated to enhance the DES for soap removal. Activated carbon (AC) was synthesized from palm raceme-derived biomass due to its plentiful supply and environmental sustainability. Lipase activity was utilized as an indicator to assess the optimal AC under different parameters as well as to investigate the biocompatibility of AC and DES. The results showed that the optimum conditions of AC’s synthesis were 0.5 impregnation ratio, 150 minutes, and 400 °C. DES prepared from alanine/sodium hydroxide exhibited good biocompatibility with AC. AC was integrated with two different techniques which are DES-based liquid-liquid extraction and novel DES-based ELM for soap removal from biodiesel. Additionally, computational screening of different DESs via COSMO-RS was used in the ELM system for soap removal. This particular study highlights the potential of COSMO-RS in predicting the best DES candidate as a stripping phase in the ELM system based on solvent capacity. The DESs were prepared from two salts, namely tetramethylammonium chloride (TMAC) and choline chloride (ChCl), with different hydrogen bond donors (HBD) such as lactic acid (LA), glycerol (Gly), ethylene glycol (EG), diethylene glycol (DEG) and triethylene glycol (TEG). ELM results illustrated a superior soap removal efficiency of 1.87 ppm in comparison to liquid-liquid extraction results which was 23.23 ppm. The highest removal efficiency of 99.75% was achieved for TMAC:LA under the following conditions: 2 wt.% of the surfactant, 0.5 wt.% of AC, 1:4 DES molar ratio, 1:1 DES: BD ratio, 400 rpm mixing speed, and 6 min extraction time. LA-based DES as natural DES also showed high removal efficiency (99.6%) under the following conditions: 2 wt.% of the surfactant, 0.3 g of graphene, 1:4 DES molar ratio, 1:1 DES: BD ratio, 400 rpm mixing speed, and 6 min extraction time. Novel DESs were successfully prepared from TEG as hydrogen bond donors with TMAC and ChCl as ammonium salts. These two DESs were combined with AC for soap removal and the efficiency were 99.1% and 97.5% for TMAC:TEG and ChCl:TEG, respectively, with a salt:HBD molar ratio of 1:4, DES:biodiesel ratio of 1:1, 2 wt% surfactant, 10 min, 400 rpm, 0.5 treatment ratio and 0.5 wt% AC dosage. The kinetics of sodium ion transport during ELM system adheres to the first-order kinetic model. The overall mass transfer coefficient, mass transfer coefficient of the external phase in an agitated reactor, and the interfacial reaction rate constant of 5.188×10−9,1.373×10−7 , and 5.392×10−9 m/s, respectively. Overall, the integration of DES and carbon materials in the ELM system provides a new cleaner, more effective, and simpler route for biodiesel downstream processing