Accelerated orthodontic space closure with micro-osteoperforations: a randomized clinical trial / Syed Bazli Alwi Syed Bakhtiar

The understanding of the role of biological response in orthodontic tooth movement, and its modulation, is key in stimulating the increase of the rate of tooth movement. Studies have shown that application of micro-osteoperforations (MOPs) can increase the level of inflammatory markers thus achieving accelerated orthodontic tooth movement. This study aims to compare the rate of orthodontic space closure with or without the application of micro-osteoperforations (MOPs), and to assess the Oral Health Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) of patients receiving MOPs. This singlecenter, prospective randomized clinical trial was set at the Postgraduate Orthodontic Clinic, Faculty of Dentistry UiTM. Twenty-seven orthodontic patients who required fixed appliance treatment were enrolled and randomly allocated into 3 groups. The control group (Group A) did not receive the MOPs, Group B received the MOPs at the extracted premolar space once in two months while Group C received the MOPs every month. All the subjects underwent space closing mechanics with NiTi springs (9mm, 200g) on 0.019" x 0.025" stainless steel archwire. Study models were constructed at the start of the space closure phase (To), and after monthly review visits for two months (Ti and T2). From these measurements, the total amount of space closure (To - T2) and the rate of space closure were calculated. Additive scores (ADD) and simple count scores (SC) were made to assess the OHRQoL of the patients receiving MOPs using the SOHIP (M) questionnaire. Analysis with ANOVA showed no statistically significant difference (p = 0.175) in the rate of space closure between Group A (0.48mm/month, SD 0.25), Group B (0.39mm/month, SD 0.24) and Group C (0.56mm/month, SD 0.34). There is also no significant difference in the OHRQoL of patients who had and did not have MOPs, when assessed with Mann-Whitney U test. Our study showed that there is no significant difference in the rate of orthodontic space closure and in the OHRQoL of patients with or without MOPs

The ‘God Helmet’ and neuro-spirituality : the pedagogical ramifications for religious and moral education

What if we could recreate a religious experience by simply flipping a switch in the brain? What if we could produce the feeling that someone or something is watching over us on demand? According to neuroscientific research conducted with The God Helmet, this may be possible. The God Helmet is the popular name given to a laboratory apparatus called the “Koren Helmet”, after Stanley Koren of Laurentian University’s Neuroscience Department, who built it for Dr. M.A. Persinger, director of the programme. Used as a research tool to investigate the brain's role in religious and mystic experiences, the Koren Helmet has been given the name God Helmet. A few Journalists gave it this name when they learned that some people had visions of God while participating in Koren Helmet experiments. The Koren Helmet is connected to a PC computer through a 'black box' which cycles the signals through four coils on each side of the head over the temporal lobes of the brain. The temporal lobes are the area of the brain many researchers feel is the source of spiritual and religious experiences. The hypothetical question is: Can the God Helmet be used to improve the quality of moral or religious education? This paper discusses this question and suggests a possible line of research to investigate this issue further. [Keywords: God Helmet; neuro-spirituality; moral education; religious education; technology and religion.

Measuring interaction: An empirical comparison of three OLS regression models

The capacity to correctly assess the existence of interaction is a high-value modeling capability among researchers of information systems (IS), especially those focusing on behavioural paradigm studies. Interaction is a notable aspect for the major theoretical frameworks of the IS field, particularly the adoption theories. Allowing for crossover effects in the Theory of Planned Behaviour resulted in improvements in model prediction (Taylor & Todd, 1995b). This study presents the trimmed model, which does not permit crossover effect relations among variables. In complex models, as mentioned by Pedhazur (1997), one variable may affect another variable indirectly through multiple paths. According to him, it stands to reason that indirect effects, through certain paths, may be more meaningful and/or stronger than others. The findings of this quantitative study lead one to conclude that crossover effect models are more capable of showing the interaction among models’ variables, as well as explaining the highest percentage of variation for a single dependent variable, in comparison to the full and trimmed model

Guest editors' introduction: the state of the art on corporate reputation: a special section

This article provides an overview of our special issue on corporate reputation. Our aim is to present state-of-the-art research in the management and organization context that focuses on corporate reputation of organizations. We propose that researchers must adopt a more branding oriented mindset and emphasize more systematically the corporate reputation concept as part of the broader management efforts. The special issue contains five articles from renowned scholars and it is hoped that these articles will encourage further debate in this interesting research field of corporate reputation. We thank International Studies of Management and Organization for providing us with this platform

Consumer engagement with social media platforms: a study of the influence of attitudinal components on cutting edge technology adaptation behaviour

Despite pervasive use of digital devices, the influence of simultaneous and combined attitudinal components on consumers’ social media adaptation behaviours remains understudied. This research aims to address this gap in the literature by examining the influence of combined attitudinal components on consumers’ continuous interaction with social media platforms. An online survey was conducted to obtain robust quantitative data on consumers’ interaction and engagement with cutting edge technology such as social media. The findings indicate that consumers’ combined cognitive (perceived opportunity, perceived social influence and perceived control) and affective (enjoyment, self-enhancement, trust and fear) attitudinal components are the antecedents to consumers’ positive and negative adaptation behaviours of social media platforms. Consumers continuously engage with cutting edge social media platforms, either in positive adaptation behaviour (exploration to maximise or exploitation to satisfice social media led benefits) or negative adaptation behaviour (explore to revert from or avoid social media platforms) influenced by combined cognitive and affective attitudinal attributes. The study enriches and advances existing literature by identifying and analysing the influence of both cognitive and affective attitudinal attributes influencing consumers’ positive and negative adaptation behaviours of cutting edge digital technology such as social media platforms. The study helps marketers and IS managers in profiling consumers and understanding consumption patterns while interacting with cutting edge social medial platforms

Primary Care Physician The Path I Chose

The main purpose of this book is to introduce Primary Care and Primary Care Physicians to the general public; the historical background of this specialty, the different roles and functions of primary care physicians and public health specialists in the Malaysia healthcare delivery system. This book briefly touches on the Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), the health and economic impact of these chronic diseases in the heavily subsidized health sector such in Malaysia. And the new national strategy played by the Primary Care Physicians as the frontline in battling NCDs in the communities, families, and individuals

No news is good news: what you see and what you don't get to see / Syed Alwi Shahab

Spreading the truth is certainly not the first commitment of the news system. The news is supposed to tell us accurately about the world beyond our view, but what it does is to give a distorted account of the world beyond our view. Why is this the case? Why is truth least uppermost in the selection of news stories? What kind of warp is there to the news? What does the circulation of this sort of material do for the society it is supposed to serve and inform? What is the real function of the news? This paper will explore and discuss such questions

Cultural exploration of Shanxi local opera costumes and Malaysian Chinese opera costumes

This paper uses diversified qualitative research methods such as literature, case studies, and comparative research to focus on Shanxi local and Malaysian Chinese opera costumes. The article found that the development of Shanxi local opera and Malaysian Chinese opera costumes is the result of cultural identity and inheritance. The changes in opera costumes are a new visual form formed after transcendence, integration, and identification. This paper can also boost the exchange of costumes between Shanxi local and Malaysian Chinese opera and further enrich the current global cultural civilization