SELF-DIRECTED ASSESSMENT : ENSURING LEARNING TAKES PLACE IN BLENDED LEARNING

Blended Learning (BL) emerged from the traditional electronic Learning. As normality is easing back after the COVID-19 pandemic, BL is once again widespread in Teaching and Leaning (TL) in Higher Institution of Learning. The objective of this endeavour is to empower learners with meaningful BL experience. In order to achieve this, a meticulously planned Online Instructional Design (OID) was used on Moodle version 3.14, among learners of MDU1023 at Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, University Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS). The OID consists of Micro Learning, Personalised Learning and Accessible Assessment. For the component of Accessible Assessment, Self-Directed Assessment (SDA) were made available for learners of MDU1023. Self-directed Assessment (SDA) is an online module where learners complete an interactive work to demonstrate their proficiency in a given subject matter. SDA is a compilation of questions in a database with careful annotation and curation relevant to the learning outcome of the learning units of MDU1023. The access to SDA is via Moodle platform known as electronic Learning Enrichment & Advancement Platform (eLEAP) at UNIMAS. Learners perception of the OID used in MDU1023 and in particular the SDA, were gauged via a google form questionnaire. A healthy response rate was obtained from a potential 107 learners. The learners of MDU1023 reported unanimous that the SDA in BL via eLEAP created a path for them to experience an impactful learning experience. Therefore, this is an evident that a carefully curated SDA in BL can ensure the instructor that the leaners are experiencing impactful and meaningful learning

Blended Learning to Remote Learning-The Role of Self-Directed Assessment

Online learning (OL) has become second nature in our current education arena. The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic has expedited the evolution of OL. At the turn of the century Blended Learning (BL) emerged from the traditional electronic Learning. Today BL has evolved to Remote Learning (RL). Instructional Design is crucial for dissemination of knowledge not only in Face to Face Teaching and Learning mode but also in RL. The objective of this endeavour is to empower learners with meaningful RL experience. In order to achieve this a meticulously planned Online Instructional Design (OID) was used among learners of MDU1023 at Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, University Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS). Pertinent components of the learning process were highlighted and given preference in this OID for MDU1023. This OID consists of Micro Learning, Personalised Learning and Accessible Assessment. For the component of Accessible Assessment, Self-Directed Assessment (SDA) were made available for learners of MDU1023. SDA is a compilation of questions in a database with careful annotation and curation relevant to the learning outcome of the learning units of MDU1023. The access to SDA was via a Moodle platform known as electronic Learning Enrichment & Advancement Platform (eLEAP) at UNIMAS. Learners perception of the OID used in MDU1023 and in particular the SDA, were gauged via a google form questionnaire. Ninety-six percent response rate were obtained from a potential 77 learners. The learners reported that the educational techniques and eLEAP technologies used during the implementation of MDU1023 created a path for them to experience an impactful learning experience. Unanimous positive feedbacks were received on the implementation of this OID. Therefore, this is an evident that a well-planned Online Instructional Design facilitates and creates meaningful Remote Learning experience which is crucial for the current online education delivery system

The knowledge and awareness of the importance of respirator fit testing

Background: The emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 has caught the world off guard. In the nick of time, respirators and other personal protective equipment turned into highly priced commodities. Many healthcare workers donned respirators for the first time, some donned surgical masks and interchanged them with respirators, depending on their availability. Respirators work by achieving a tight seal with the operators’ face in which respirator fit can be determined via respirator fit testing. Infectious aerosol can be inhaled via the leak, endangering the health of the users. Therefore, the objective of this study is to determine the knowledge and awareness of respirator fit testing among the healthcare workers at the time of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Sarawak, Malaysia. Methods: We conducted an online workshop called “Proper use of facemask & respirator at the time of COVID-19 pandemic” with the objective of providing an authoritative guidance on the selection and use of various face coverings and respirators. The workshop was hosted live via Facebook and YouTube. At the end of it, we provided self-administered questionnaires to gauge the knowledge and awareness of the participants. Results: The workshop was attended by 280 participants, of which 188 responded to the questionnaire. Slightly more than half (52.7%, n=99/188) of the respondents have never heard about respirator fit testing. Most of the participants were healthcare workers (76.6%, n=144/188) and 70.8% (n=102/144) of them mentioned the requirement of respirator use at work. However, only 48% (n=49/102) have been respirator fit-tested. Of the healthcare workers who needed to use respirator for work but were yet to be fit-tested, 22.6% (n=12/53) were still willing to don non-fit tested respirators for work due to the current pandemic circumstances. Conclusions: The awareness of fit testing is inadequate, and each healthcare institution should kindle a robust and active respirator fit testing program to prepare for the next pandemic

TRIZ-Based Remodeling of Body Enclosure for Corpse

This project started as an effort to gauge the epidemiological study for Road-Traffic-Accident (RTA). The data collected enabled us to make a Personalised product for management of the deceased. The deceased-on-site need to be handled with respect, compassion and safety in mind. For this purpose, a body bag is required. The nature of the death requires this body bag to work efficiently in various situations for example during accidents, arson, infectious disease death and other criminal acts. Currently the available body bag is a one-size-fits-all and at the same time the body bag poses a health hazard of exposure to harmful microorganisms for the forensic workers. This obvious contradiction suggests an inventive problem. The technical and physical contradiction in this particular problem allowed us to use TRIZ to better understand and discover a solution for the existing problem. Using TRIZ we were able to come up with Body Enclosure for Corpse (BEC). This product stands out as a solution for forensic workers and psychologically supports the family members of the deceased

Evaluation of ADAMTS-9 Expression in Post-Mortem Brain Tissue

Background: Extracellular Matrix (ECM) modifications have been reported in the Central Nervous System (CNS) of multiple sclerosis (MS) within post mortem brain tissue due to both the increased synthesis of ECM proteoglycans, and release activation of matrix metalloproteinase (MMPs). Multiple sclerosis (MS) is chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease written off as inflammation and demyelination disease, mainly located in central nervous system (CNS) white matter (WM). This study aims to clarify the potential pathophysiologic role of adisintegrin And metalloproteinase with thromboSpondin motif-9 (ADAMTS-9) in MS. Materials and methods: Immunohistochemistry was performed to study the expression of ADAMTS-9 in both normal and MS white matter by confocal microscopic using specific antibodies. Fifty frozen blocks of brain tissue were obtained from the UK MS Society Tissue. All tissues blocks were marked by immunohistological material including antibodies to Human leukocyte antigen (HLA-DR) to assess the macrophage activation, Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) for astrocyte, neurofilaments (NF) for neurons and Von Willbrand factor (VWF) for endothelial. Results: In MS lesions, ADMTS-9 expression was increased in comparison to control samples. The expression of ADAMTS-9 was increased in active lesions as well as was associated with different cells from neuron, endothelial covering blood vessels astrocyte and microglia. Conclusion: The expression of ADAMTS-9 at the protein level was increased in active inflammatory lesions with evidence of myelin breakdown, suggesting that up-regulation of ADAMTS-9 may be a general phenomenon induced by CNS injurie

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on physical and mental health of Asians- A study of seven middle-income countries in Asia

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted the economy, livelihood, and physical and mental well-being of people worldwide. This study aimed to compare the mental health status during the pandemic in the general population of seven middle income countries (MICs) in Asia (China, Iran, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam). All the countries used the Impact of Event Scale–Revised (IES-R) and Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) to measure mental health. There were 4479 Asians completed the questionnaire with demographic characteristics, physical symptoms and health service utilization, contact history, knowledge and concern, precautionary measure, and rated their mental health with the IES-R and DASS-21. Descriptive statistics, One-Way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and linear regression were used to identify protective and risk factors associated with mental health parameters. There were significant differences in IES-R and DASS-21 scores between 7 MICs (p<0.05). Thailand had all the highest scores of IES-R, DASS-21 stress, anxiety, and depression scores whereas Vietnam had all the lowest scores. The risk factors for adverse mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic include age <30 years, high education background, single and separated status,discrimination by other countries and contact with people with COVID-19 (p<0.05). The protective factors for mental health include male gender, staying with children or more than 6 people in the same household, employment, confidence in doctors, high perceived likelihood of survival, and spending less time on health information (p<0.05). This comparative study among 7 MICs enhanced the understanding of metal health in the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic

Validation Of Endogenous Reference Genes For Relative Quantitation Studies Of Gene Expression In Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Reverse transcription real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) is a useful molecular contraption in translational biomedical research and clinical settings. RT-qPCR requires normalization. Housekeeping gene (HKG) as reference gene (RG) is commonly used for the relative quantification of the target gene (TG) in gene profiling assays. Normalization requires stably expressed endogenous RG. Recently, RGs were found to be regulated in a various experimental milieu in different tissues. Therefore, it is pertinent to identify HKGs that are stably expressed and are independent of factors influencing the cell. To validate 4 endogenous RGs for the relative quantification of TGs in gene expression analysis performed via RTqPCR in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. The qbase+ software utilizing geNorm analysis identified GAPDH, TBP and YARS as stably expressed HKGs. ACTB was the least stable RG in this study. The most suitable set of RG for NPC gene expression studies include GAPDH, TBP and YARS. No single gene was identified as the best RG for expression study. The RG that can be utilized during RT-qPCR on normal and malignant nasopharyngeal tissue samples is a collection of 3 genes (GAPDH, TBP and YARS) used as an average

Giant Outer Transiting Exoplanet Mass (GOT 'EM) Survey. IV. Long-term Doppler Spectroscopy for 11 Stars Thought to Host Cool Giant Exoplanets

Discovering and characterizing exoplanets at the outer edge of the transit method's sensitivity has proven challenging owing to geometric biases and the practical difficulties associated with acquiring long observational baselines. Nonetheless, a sample of giant exoplanets on orbits longer than 100 days has been identified by transit hunting missions. We present long-term Doppler spectroscopy for 11 such systems with observation baselines spanning a few years to a decade. We model these radial velocity observations jointly with transit photometry to provide initial characterizations of these objects and the systems in which they exist. Specifically, we make new precise mass measurements for four long-period giant exoplanets (Kepler-111 c, Kepler-553 c, Kepler-849 b, and PH-2 b), we place new upper limits on mass for four others (Kepler-421 b, KOI-1431.01, Kepler-1513 b, and Kepler-952 b), and we show that several "confirmed" planets are in fact not planetary at all. We present these findings to complement similar efforts focused on closer-in short-period giant planets, and with the hope of inspiring future dedicated studies of cool giant exoplanets.Comment: 35 pages, 24 figures, 11 tables. Accepted for publication in ApJ Supplemen

The TESS-Keck Survey. III. A Stellar Obliquity Measurement of TOI-1726 c

We report the measurement of a spectroscopic transit of TOI-1726c, one of two planets transiting a G-type star with V = 6.9 in the Ursa Major Moving Group (~400 Myr). With a precise age constraint from cluster membership, TOI-1726 provides a great opportunity to test various obliquity excitation scenarios that operate on different timescales. By modeling the Rossiter–McLaughlin (RM) effect, we derived a sky-projected obliquity of −1^(+35)_(−32)∘. This result rules out a polar/retrograde orbit and is consistent with an aligned orbit for planet c. Considering the previously reported, similarly prograde RM measurement of planet b and the transiting nature of both planets, TOI-1726 tentatively conforms to the overall picture that compact multitransiting planetary systems tend to have coplanar, likely aligned orbits. TOI-1726 is also a great atmospheric target for understanding differential atmospheric loss of sub-Neptune planets (planet b 2.2 R⊕ and c 2.7 R⊕ both likely underwent photoevaporation). The coplanar geometry points to a dynamically cold history of the system that simplifies any future modeling of atmospheric escape

Monoclonal antibodies for prophylactic and therapeutic use against viral infections

Neutralizing antibodies play an essential part in antiviral immunity and are instrumental in preventing or modulating viral diseases. Polyclonal antibody preparations are increasingly being replaced by highly potent monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Cocktails of mAbs and bispecific constructs can be used to simultaneously target multiple viral epitopes and to overcome issues of neutralization escape. Advances in antibody engineering have led to a large array of novel mAb formats, while deeper insight into the biology of several viruses and increasing knowledge of their neutralizing epitopes has extended the list of potential targets. In addition, progress in developing inexpensive production platforms will make antiviral mAbs more widely available and affordable