Developing, validating and evaluating the effectiveness of a blended learning for teaching clinical surgical nursing skills among nursing students at Xiangnan University in Chenzhou, China

Online teaching is a new teaching method, and there is not much research on teaching clinical nursing skills and even less on the online teaching of this aspect of nursing apprenticeships. This study aimed to develop, validate, and evaluate a surgical nursing apprenticeship online and offline blended teaching module using the Learning Pass mobile app. This quantitative study design was carried out in two phases. Phase I involved the development and validation of a surgical nursing apprenticeship online and offline blended teaching module using the Learning Pass mobile app. The researchers and teaching team developed a blended teaching module based on the syllabus and literature review. After that, the blended teaching module was validated by ten experts using the Delphi method. In Phase II, a randomized control trial was conducted among 166 nursing students at Xiangnan University in Chenzhou, China, to evaluate the effectiveness of the blended teaching module towards skill performance, self-directed learning ability, online academic emotions, and learning attitude. The intervention group utilized online and offline blended teaching methods using the Learning Pass mobile app, while the control group used traditional face-to-face teaching methods. SPSS 26.0 statistical software was used for data analysis. One-sample t-tests, independent t-tests, and chi-square tests were performed. As a result of Phase I, the online and offline blended teaching module for the surgical nursing apprenticeship was agreed upon with 100% experts through two rounds of the Delphi technique. Phase II results showed that after the intervention, there was a significant increase in self-directed learning ability in the intervention group compared to the control group (p = 0.019), with the mean score for the intervention group 78.89 (SD = 13.32) and the control group 74.48 (SD = 11.55). The skill scores also showed a significant increase in the intervention group compared to the control group (p < 0.001), with the mean score for the intervention group 91.81 (SD = 3.54) and the control group 89.65 (SD = 4.11). The intervention group's mean value of online academic emotions (Mean = 3.33) was higher than the theoretical mean (Mean = 3), and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001). Besides that, there were no significant differences in the students' learning attitudes. In conclusion, online and offline blended teaching method using the Learning Pass mobile app effectively improves nursing skills, self-directed learning ability, and online academic emotions among nursing students. In the future, multicenter studies are needed to validate the effectiveness of this mobile app for online teaching, as well as longitudinal studies to assess long-term outcomes

Cytotoxicity mechanism of gallic acid and methyl gallate combined with cisplatin on cervical cancer (HeLa) cells

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cause of cancer-related death affecting women worldwide. Cisplatin is one of the chemotherapy drugs used in the treatment of cervical cancer. However, cisplatin was reported to cause toxicity to normal cells and develop cell resistance with other side effects. Combining chemotherapy agents is one of the strategies to increase the effectiveness of anticancer drugs through synergistic effects. Gallic acid and methyl gallate are the most abundant phenolic compounds that have been reported to have good antioxidant and anticancer activities. Hence, in this study, gallic acid and methyl gallate were selected as combination substances with cisplatin. This study was conducted to elucidate the cytotoxicity mechanism of gallic acid and methyl gallate combined with cisplatin on cervical cancer (HeLa) cells through apoptosis mode of cell death. Furthermore, the antioxidant capacity of the cells treated with single and combination treatment was also evaluated. Cytotoxicity activity of gallic acid, methyl gallate and cisplatin on HeLa and NIH/ 3T3 cells was determined using MTT assay. The effects of gallic acid and methyl gallate combined with cisplatin were then determined using CompuSyn software. The morphology and percentage of apoptotic cells were evaluated using Hoechst staining and annexin V/PI assay. The expression of apoptotic and anti-apoptotic proteins (Bax, Bcl-2, caspase-3, caspase-9 and p53) was further determined by western blot analysis. The migration inhibitory effect of the combinations was also evaluated using scratch wound healing assay. The antioxidant activity of gallic acid and methyl gallate was measured using DPPH assay. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidant enzyme activity were measured spectrophotometrically while the expression of antioxidant genes (SOD1 and hCAT) in HeLa-treated cells was then evaluated using RT-PCR. Gallic acid and methyl gallate showed strong cytotoxicity effects on HeLa cells. The IC50 values of gallic acid, methyl gallate and cisplatin on HeLa cells were 13.44 μg/mL, 16.55 μg/mL and 8.04 μg/mL whereas in NIH/3T3 cells were 32.90 μg/mL, 35.70 μg/mL and 6.57 μg/mL respectively. Gallic acid and methyl gallate in combination with cisplatin inhibited greater HeLa cell proliferation than cisplatin alone with synergistic effects seen in combination with cisplatin at concentrations of 0.51-4.02 μg/mL. Morphological observation of Hoechst staining then revealed the appearance of several apoptotic features in all treated cells. Consistently, flowcytometry analysis showed that the percentages of early apoptotic cells in the combination of cisplatin-gallic acid (28.72 ± 1.14) and cisplatin-methyl gallate (23.37 ± 9.72) groups were significantly higher than the control group (6.00 ± 0.95). The combination treatments significantly upregulated Bax, caspase-3, caspase-9 and p53 expressions and downregulated bcl-2 expressions as compared to the untreated group. Moreover, the treatments were shown to have migration-inhibitory effects after 24 hours. Gallic acid and methyl gallate exhibited strong antioxidant activity with EC50 values of 18.23 μM and 19.39 μM respectively. The combination treatments significantly increased intracellular ROS levels and reduced the level of SOD and catalase in an enzymatic assay. This result was consistent with RT-PCR result that showed the downregulation of SOD1 and hCAT genes in all treated samples. In conclusion, these findings suggest that the combination of gallic acid and methyl gallate with cisplatin synergistically inhibited proliferation by inducing apoptosis and ROS in cervical cancer cell

A prospective case-control study on nutritional status and lifestyle risk factors towards quality of life among colorectal cancer and polyp patients in Malaysia

In Southeast Asian countries, there is a growing incidence and prevalence rate of disease-related malnutrition colorectal cancer (CRC) and its precursor, colorectal polyp, however there are only few reports of this condition. Treatments and the disease itself may affect and impair the overall quality of life (QOL) of CRC survivors. The study aimed to determine the nutritional status and lifestyle risk factors among CRC and polyp patients and their impact on QOL through a prospective case-control study in Malaysia. This study was conducted in two university hospitals in Peninsular Malaysia from June 2020 until December 2022. Patients were recruited through purposive sampling method and a total of 313 patients consisting of 99 and 74 pathologically confirmed CRC and colorectal polyp cases respectively, and 140 controls were included in the analysis. The following information was gathered pre- treatment: Socio-demographic, family and personal medical history, dietary intake, sedentary behaviour, nutritional risk, smoking, clinicopathological, biochemical parameters, and anthropometric profiles. Six months post-treatment, sedentary behaviour, nutritional risk, biochemical parameters, and anthropometric profiles were gathered again, together with treatment and QOL. Multiple logistic regression model revealed that the Kuala Lumpur state (OR=8.89, 95% CI=3.19-24.83; p<0.001), type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) (OR=4.91, 95% CI=1.81-13.29, p=0.002), vitamin/mineral supplements (OR=5.15, CI=2.33-11.39, p<0.001), and saturated fatty acids (SFA) (OR=1.19, 95% CI=1.08-1.31, p<0.001) intake were associated with greater risks of CRC while non-Malay (OR=0.36, 95% CI=0.15-0.87, p=0.024), overweight (OR=0.14, 95% CI=0.04-0.48, p=0.002), increased intake of vitamin D (OR=0.71, 95% CI=0.55-0.92, p=0.008) and dietary fibre (OR=0.81, 95% CI=0.74-0.89, p<0.001) were associated with reduced risk of CRC after the data were adjusted for age and gender. For colorectal polyp, the Kuala Lumpur state (OR=4.36, 95% CI=2.02-9.41, p<0.001) and high cholesterol (OR=1.003, 95% CI=1.001-1.005, p=0.006) intake were associated with increased risk while high thiamin (OR=0.02, 95% CI= 0.00-0.11, p<0.001) and fruits (OR=0.997, 95% CI=0.995-1.000, p=0.035) intake were found associated with decreased of risk. Multiple linear regression model showed that malnourish (β=-18.40, p<0.001) and abdominal obesity (β=-10.07, p=0.020) were negatively associated with QOL after six months of post-treatment. This study advances current understanding of the nutritional and metabolic pathways underlying colorectal cancer and polyp development, providing a foundation for future mechanistic and intervention studie

The effect of virtual reality imagery on sports imagery, motivation, emotional intelligence and expectancy-belief and values on football kicking skill performance among youth football players in Sarawak

Imagery, a psychological skills training method, enhances athletic performance, particularly in football. This study examines the impact of virtual reality imagery on sports imagery, motivation, emotional intelligence, and belief-values regarding football kicking skills among youth players in Sarawak. Phase 1 involved validating the Malay versions of the Sports Imagery Ability Questionnaire (SIAQ-M), Sports Motivation Scale-6 (SMS-6- M), Emotional Intelligence Scale (EIS-M), and Expectancy-Value Questionnaire in Physical Education (FEVQ-PE-M). A total of 321 male trainee teachers participated, with a mean age of 20.13 years. Confirmatory factor analysis and composite reliability (CR) were used for reliability and validity assessment. The SIAQ-M displayed an acceptable fit (RMSEA = 0.071, CFI = 0.969, TLI = 0.960, SRMR = 0.08), with a Composite Reliability (CR) values range from 0.796 to 0.885 and test-retest reliability of ICC = 0.996-1.000. The SMS-6-M showed a fit with RMSEA = 0.065, CFI = 0.924, TLI = 0.912, SRMR = 0.052, and a Cronbach’s alpha of α = 0.929, with test-retest reliability of ICC = 0.987- 1.000. The EIS-M demonstrated fit indices of RMSEA = 0.083, CFI = 0.904, TLI = 0.893, SRMR = 0.08, with a Cronbach’s alpha of α = 0.955, and ICC = 0.989-0.999. The FEVQPE- M showed RMSEA = 0.854, CFI = 0.966, TLI = 0.958, SRMR = 0.081, with α = 0.923, and ICC = 0.993-1.000. Phase 1 also utilised Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to analyse relationships, revealing significant positive association among the study variables. Phase 2 investigated the effect of virtual reality imagery on these variables and football kicking performance among youth players. Results indicated significant changes over time and between groups for Sports Imagery, F(1, 57) = 56.54, p < .001, ηp2 = .498, Motivation, F(1, 57) = 64.40, p < .001, ηp2 = .530, Emotional Intelligence, F(1, 57) = 10.21, p < .001, ηp2 = .264), and Expectancy-Belief and Values, F(1, 57) = 9.92, p < .001, ηp2 = .163. Group comparisons indicated significant differences between Virtual Reality Imagery (VRI) and Imagery Script (IS), VRI and Control Group (CG), but not between IS and CG, except for the SMS-6-M (p = .112). The study concludes that the SIAQ-M, SMS-6-M, EIS-M, and FEVQ-PE-M are reliable and valid for youth football players in Sarawak. SEM revealed that virtual reality imagery positively influenced sports imagery, motivation, emotional intelligence, and expectancy-belief and values. A 12-week virtual reality imagery intervention program is recommended for educational and football institutions to enhance football skills among youth players in Sarawak, contributing to long-term performance improvements

Misinformation effect in men and women crime scenario eye-witness recall

Eyewitness testimony is a crucial component of the criminal justice system, yet human memory is malleable and prone to distortion due to post-event misinformation. This phenomenon is known as the misinformation effect. This study explored the misinformation effect in eyewitness memory focusing on gender differences in memory responses among adult Malaysians. A total of 12 people participated in this study (male = 6, female = 6) and the participants were randomly divided into two groups, namely the control group and the experimental group. Utilizing a cross-sectional quasi-experimental design, male and female participants were shown a video depicting a crime and underwent an interview asking them to recall the incident. The participants in the experimental group were fed misleading information as opposed to the participants in the control group who were asked neutral questions. The findings revealed some patterns of memory responses which gave way to the themes: memory distortion, confidence in recall, resistance to misinformation, misinformation effect, subjective interpretation in recall and initial account of the incident. Gender differences in amongst these themes are also explored. Some implications of the study include highlighting the vulnerability of memory in the exposure to external information – which could be introduced intentionally for the purpose of misleading – especially in the criminal justice system. These reported memory distortions along with patterns from gender differences can be utilized in the development and application of a witness interview guideline that minimizes misleading information as well as a gender-based approach

Quantification of methamphetamine in seized tablets by gas chromatography- flame ionisation detector

Methamphetamine, is a drug function as a stimulant that affect the central nervous system. It has become a significant global concern due to its widespread abuse and dangerous health effects. This study focused on the quantification of methamphetamine in seized tablet samples from Kelantan, Malaysia, using gas chromatography coupled with flame ionisation detector (GC-FID). Methamphetamine quantification is critical for judicial processes, as the drug’s quantity directly affects the severity of legal charges. In this study, chromatographic separation was performed on a HP-5 MS column (30 m x 320 μm x 0.25 μm) with a temperature programme of 70 °C for 2 min, followed by a ramp up at 20 °C/min to 280 °C for 2 min with purified nitrogen as the carrier gas at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The method was found to be satisfactory and successfully applied for quantification of methamphetamine samples with analysis time of 14.5 min. The GC-FID method was validated by assessing its linearity, limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ), precision, and accuracy. Calibration curves ranged 1.95 - 1000 μg/mL, established a correlation coefficient of 0.9976. Limit of detection and limit of quantification were 0.293 μg/mL and 0.975 μg/mL respectively. The precision test showed %RSD value below 2%. The accuracy test showed percentage recovery between 85 - 106 %. Quantification analysis of 155 methamphetamine samples indicated purity with range of 0.5 - 30.6%. This simple method was suitable for forensic routine analysis, especially in quantifying the methamphetamine from seized samples

Analytical investigation of corrosive agents in relation to cotton textile damage assessment

Acid attacks cases occur commonly with the ill intention to hurt the victim by utilising corrosive substances that are easily obtained and cheap. Clothing fabrics are one of the surfaces that are in contact with the corrosive agents used making identification of the corrosive substances vital to provide clue in connecting the perpetrator to the crime. Therefore, this study investigates the chemical characterization of corrosive agents and the relation to textile damage. Relationships of corrosive substance samples with cotton textile were studied over time interval of every 5 minutes in spend of 15 minutes. The tear area and absorption area occurred to the cotton textile were taken into account as the effect. Lab graded acids and commercial products were included in the analytical investigation, whereby pH measurements and chemical characterization of the corrosive substance samples by using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy was performed. Resulting in observation of the acidity trends of the samples through the pH measurement. In addition, the chemical characteristics of the samples was achieved through principal component analysis, clustering the samples according to selected features of each sample unique chemical characteristics. These findings provide implications for acid attack cases in identifying corrosive substances evidence. Furthermore, identifying the corrosive substance by utilising analytical instrument and observation the relationship between corrosive substances with cotton textile in contac