IOE at 120: Seeking the best way to educate the ‘whole child’, 1922-1932

This blog is the third in a series of 12 exploring each decade in IOE’s history in the context of the education and society of the times. Find out more about our 120th anniversary celebrations on our website, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn to keep up with everything that’s happening

Diffusion tensor imaging of the rotator cuff muscles : optimisation of b value and number of diffusion direction for imaging at 3 Tesla MRI

Background: Diffusion tensor imaging is a standard method for evaluation of musculoskeletal pathology. The objective of this study is to determine the optimal b-value and number of diffusion direction for diffusion tensor imaging of rotator cuff muscles in healthy subjects on 3.0 Tesla MRI. Methodology: 38 healthy volunteers were included in this prospective study. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) of the rotator cuff muscles (subscapularis, supraspinatus and infraspinatus muscles) was performed with single-shot spin-echo echo-planar imaging sequences in 16 and 32 diffusion directions. Three different b-values were selected for each diffusion direction: b-value 400 s/mm2, 600s/mm2 and 800s/mm2. Signal to noise ratio (SNR) was measured in each muscle at different b-values and number of diffusion direction, and average SNR were calculated. Statistical analysis was performed with one-way ANOVA and paired t-test. Mean and standard deviation were obtained for each DTI parameters, and level of significance was determined (p < 0.05). Results: The signal to noise ratio was highest for all three muscles at b-value 400s/mm2 (subscapularis, 40.255; supraspinatus, 38.203; and infraspinatus, 48.232) followed by b-value 600s/mm2 and 800s/mm2. The use of 32 number of diffusion directions had shown to improve SNR value compared to 16 diffusion directions (P<0.05). Conclusions: The optimal combination of b value and number of diffusion directions in DTI of rotator cuff muscles on 3.0 Tesla MRI is 400s/mm2 and 32 directions respectively

The relationship between perception of quality and length of service on integrity among Penang civil servant

Malaysia in its effort to become a fully developed nation by 2020 has undertaken a monumental task in instilling noble values into its society including its civil sector. The integrity of the civil servants needs to be greatly improved in order to turn this vision into a reality. This project attempted to examine the level of awareness, knowledge and understanding on noble values particularly integrity among selected civil servants in selected State Government agencies in Pulau Pinang, Malaysia. The respondents were selected based on a purposive sampling technique. The research used a quantitative approach where self-administered structured questions were distributed. Descriptive and inference analysis were carried out to meet the research objectives outlined. The research findings showed that there were civil servants groups who were unclear and uncertain about the meaning of integrity in public sector. Those with shorter length of services were found to be less knowledgeable on the rule and procedure which led to them being unsure about integrity. Length of service was found to be inversely related to the perception on the knowledge of integrity, corruption and quality of service delivery

THE EFFECT OF “GREEN” ANTIOXIDANTS ON LIPID OXIDATION IN DRIED SALMON (Salmo salar) DURING STORAGE CONDITIONS

Nowadays food industries were concentrating on substituting the use of synthetic natural “green” antioxidants. Therefore, the present study focused on lipid oxidations in dried salmon (Salmo salar) with and without natural antioxidants (garlic powder, cinnamon) during different storage conditions, and a comparison was made with a synthetic antioxidant Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). Minced salmon fillet mass was divided into four equal parts and each part was treated with natural antioxidant under study except the control. Each of these four parts was dried in two different ways, half portion oven-dried and the other half portion freeze-dried. After 24 weeks, these samples were tested for peroxide value (PV), Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), total carbonyl content/water-soluble protein. According to the peroxide value (PV) results, it was noticed that the BHT was found to be the most effective antioxidant, followed by garlic and cinnamon for oven-dried salmon. Cinnamon was found to be more efficient than garlic in minimizing PV formation in freeze-dried salmon. In general, the initial study showed that freeze-drying was more efficient than oven drying. On the other hand, total carbonyl content for oven-dried salmon treated with cinnamon, garlic, and BHT, was found to be similar to the untreated salmon. Freeze-dried antioxidant treated salmon was generally found to possess more carbonyl content over time compared to the oven dried treated salmon

Modelling and monitoring of stand volume, above ground biomass and carbon stocks of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) plantations using landsat thematic mapper in Malaysia / Nazlin Asari

Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) plantations play important roles in the economics and sources of income to Malaysia. Accurate and reliable information on forecasts of resource availability and contribution of oil palm plantations on global carbon cycle are needed for its management efforts and planning. The need for effective inventories and monitoring methods has prompted this research into supplementing the ground field survey with the information from satellite remote sensing for developing methods for oil palm plantation inventory. For monitoring purposes, the effective procedures were developed using three dates of Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) imagery. Field-measured above ground biomass (AGB), stand volume and carbon stocks values from 230.8 ha of oil palm plantations were compared with individual Landsat TM bands and nine vegetation indices. The potential models selected were obtained using stepwise and backward elimination method where R2, adjusted R2, Standard Error of Estimate (SEE), Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) and Cp were examined in model development and validatio

Rights of an arrested person by virtue of section 28A of the criminal procedure code: an analysis / Nazlin Mohd Riduan…[et al.]

The amendment of section 28A of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) which came into force since September 2007, amplifies the rights of an arrested person which are the right to be informed on the grounds of arrest, the right to inform a relative or friend on the arrest and the right to consult with legal practitioner. However, there are certain criticisms brought forth on the enforcement of this amendment. Therefore, this study is carried out to provide a better understanding and to determine whether section 28A provides an even balance between the rights of persons arrested and the police's power and duty tin doing their job and to avoid unlawful arrest. Based on case laws and interviews that had been conducted, the result is as follows. The criticisms against section 28A and cases regarding infringement of arrested persons are more of an administrative and management issue rather than legal issues. Therefore, to conclude, it can be seen that section 28A itself is adequate to protect the rights of arrested persons. However, the powers conferred to the authorities should be monitored and the police officers themselves should be educated on how to execute their powers fairly and in accordance with the provision. It is hoped that the propose ideas stated will help in achieving the primary objective of section 28A of the CPC, which is to protect the rights of person arrested

Biomass and Carbon Stocks Estimation of Lowland Dipterocarp, Riparian and Hill Dipterocarp Forests in Pahang National Park, Malaysia

Forest biomass estimation at local or global scale is very crucial and served as an important indicator for monitoring and estimating the forest carbon ecosystem especially in the context of climate change. Pahang National Park (PNP) is considered as a primary forest, and therefore, it is expected that more carbon can be absorbed and stored by forest biomass. Despite the multifunctional roles of forest biomass, lack of research had been done with regard to the extent of above-ground biomass (AGB) and below-ground biomass (BGB) in lowland dipterocarp (LDF), riparian (RF) and hill dipterocarp forests (HDF). Therefore, this study was conducted to provide an estimation of the AGB, BGB and carbon stocks with respect to different localities in PNP. A total of 60 plots were randomly set up and each forest type contains 20 plots measuring 20 × 20 m. The diameter at breast height (DBH) and height (H) were used to calculate the AGB and BGB, and the carbon conversion coefficient of 0.50 was used to calculate the carbon stocks. Based on the results, the estimation of biomass within LDF, RF and HDF not greatly varies between different species with the mean total tree biomass (TTB) values of 415.11, 323.33 and 579.05 t/ha, respectively. The estimation of carbon storage demonstrated that HDF attained the highest carbon stocks in TTB with the value of 289.52 t/ha. The information from this study is expected to provide baseline information and an understanding on the role of trees in the natural forest in sequestrating carbon