Creativity and innovation in science and technology: Bridging the gap between secondary and tertiary levels of education

Purpose: This paper stems from a study which was conducted as a means to first, find out whether there is a gap between the secondary and tertiary education levels, second identify any existing gap in Science and Technology education, and third, examine the impact of the above upon students’ creativity and innovativeness at university level. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach: As such, a group of teachers and students at both secondary and tertiary levels were selected as the sample of the study. Questionnaires were administered to trained secondary school teachers and to university students. Interviews were also conducted to triangulate data. These enabled an analysis of the current situation in terms of students’ engagement/creativity/innovativeness in Science and Technology at secondary and tertiary levels. Findings: The findings reveal a problematic situation arising with respect to beliefs and what truly prevails in the education sector at secondary and tertiary levels. This study has revealed a number of salient issues related to the gap existing between the secondary and tertiary levels of education in Mauritius, with special bearing on creativity and innovation in Science and Technology. Research limitations/implications: Only three institutions were involved, with a small sample of students, so that the findings cannot be generalised. Moreover, gender is a variable that has not been taken into consideration. Practical implications: The study has proposed a number of recommendations to enable Mauritian students (at secondary and tertiary levels) to develop creativity and hopefully become innovators. This leads us to believe that the recommendations emerging from this study will be beneficial to various stakeholders who wish to understand the gap existing between secondary and tertiary education in Science and Technology education. Originality/value: This study takes a case study approach adopting a mixture of interviews, surveys and observations to understand the research problems with regards to the younger generations need to be equipped with scientific and technological advances in acquiring knowledge, new sets of skills and values. Therefore, this study endeavours to document the perceptions of learners and faculty staff

Tingkat Kebugaran Jasmani Siswa Sekolah Sepak Bola Cikal Perintis di Desa Perintis Kecamatan Rimbo Bujang Kabupaten Tebo

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui tingkat kebugaran jasmani siswa sekolah sepak bola cikal perintis di desa perintis kecamatan Rimbo Bujang Kabupaten Tebo. Jenis penelitian ini adalah pendekatan kuantitatif yang menggunakan metode survey dengan teknik pengumpulan data tes dan pengukuran. Populasi penelitian ini adalah siswa sekolah sepak bola cikal perintis dengan sampel 15 siswa. Instrumen kebugaran jasmani yang digunakan adalah tes : Tinggi/Berat, Vertical Jump, Sprint 20M, Kelincahan Mata Panah, Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test. Data yang diperoleh merupakan data kasar yang kemudian diklasifikasi sesuai dengan norma-norma baku yang tertera kemudian dianalisis dan dimaknai, yaitu dengan mengkategorikan data. Berdasarkan  hasil penelitian dan pembahasan dapat disimpulkan bahwa Tingkat Kebugaran Jasmani Siswa Sekolah Sepak Bola Cikal Perintis di Desa  Perintis Kecamatan Rimbo Bujang Kabupaten Tebo yang berkategori Baik 0% dengan jumlah 0 orang, yang berkategori Sedang 40% dengan jumlah 6 orang, dan yang berkategori Buruk 60% dengan jumlah 9 orang.  Kata Kunci: Tingkat Kebugaran Jasmani, Sepak Bola.Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui tingkat kebugaran jasmani siswa sekolah sepak bola cikal perintis di desa perintis kecamatan rimbo bujang kabupaten tebo. Jenis penelitian ini adalah pendekatan kuantitatifyang menggunakan metode survey dengan teknik pengumpulan data tes dan pengukuran. Populasi penellitian ini adalah siswa sekolah sepak bola cikal perintis dengan sampel 15 siswa. Instrumen kebugaran jasmaniyang digunakan adalah tes : Tinggi/Berat, Vertical Jump, Sprint 20M, Kelincahan Mata Panah, Yo-Yo Interminttent Recovery Test. Data yang diperoleh merupakan data kasar yang kemudian diklasifikasi sesuai dengan norma-norma baku yang tertera kemudian dianalisis dan dimaknai, yaitu dengan mengkategorikan data. Berdasarkan  hasil penelitian dan pembahasan dapat disimpulkan bahwa Tingkat Kebugaran Jasmani Siswa Sekolah Sepak Bola Cikal Perintis di Desa  Perintis Kecamatan Rimbo Bujang Kabupaten Tebo yang berkategori Baik 0% dengan jumlah 0 orang, yang berkategori Sedang 40% dengan jumlah 6 orang, dan yang berkategori Buruk 60% dengan jumlah 9 orang

Screening for childhood hearing impairment in resource-constrained settings: Opportunities and possibilities

Given the successful implementation of universal neonatal hearing screening and the value of such services in developed countries, we in developing countries should be asking ourselves ‘how’, and not ‘whether’, such services should be delivered in our contexts

Unravelling the theories of pre-eclampsia:Are the protective pathways the new paradigm?

Pre-eclampsia is a vascular disorder of pregnancy where anti-angiogenic factors, systemic inflammation and oxidative stress predominate, but none can claim to cause pre-eclampsia. This review provides an alternative to the 'two-stage model' of pre-eclampsia in which abnormal spiral arteries modification leads to placental hypoxia, oxidative stress and aberrant maternal systemic inflammation. Very high maternal soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1 also known as sVEGFR) and very low placenta growth factor (PlGF) are unique to pre-eclampsia; however, abnormal spiral arteries and excessive inflammation are also prevalent in other placental disorders. Metaphorically speaking, pregnancy can be viewed as a car with an accelerator and brakes, where inflammation, oxidative stress and an imbalance in the angiogenic milieu act as the 'accelerator'. The 'braking system' includes the protective pathways of haem oxygenase 1 (also referred as Hmox1 or HO-1) and cystathionine-γ-lyase (also known as CSE or Cth), which generate carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen sulphide (H2S) respectively. The failure in these pathways (brakes) results in the pregnancy going out of control and the system crashing. Put simply, pre-eclampsia is an accelerator-brake defect disorder. CO and H2S hold great promise because of their unique ability to suppress the anti-angiogenic factors sFlt-1 and soluble endoglin as well as to promote PlGF and endothelial NOS activity. The key to finding a cure lies in the identification of cheap, safe and effective drugs that induce the braking system to keep the pregnancy vehicle on track past the finishing line

Therapeutic potential of statins and the induction of heme oxygenase-1 in preeclampsia

Heme oxygenase (Hmox) is an endogenous system that offers protection against placental cytotoxic damage associated with preeclampsia. The Hmox1/carbon monoxide (CO) pathway inhibits soluble Flt-1 (sFlt-1) and soluble Endoglin (sEng). More importantly, statins induce Hmox1 and suppress the release of sFlt-1 and sEng; thus, statins and Hmox1 activators are potential novel therapeutic agents for treating preeclampsia. The contribution of the Hmox system to the pathogenesis of preeclampsia has been further indicated by the incidence of preeclampsia being reduced by a third in smokers, who had reduced levels of circulating sFlt-1. Interestingly, preeclamptic women exhale less CO compared with women with healthy pregnancies. Hmox1 is reduced prior to the increase in sFlt-1 as Hmox1 mRNA expression in the trophoblast is decreased in the first trimester in women who go on to develop preeclampsia. Induction of Hmox1 or exposure to CO or bilirubin has been shown to inhibit the release of sFlt-1 and sEng in animal models of preeclampsia. The functional benefit of statins and Hmox1 induction in women with preeclampsia is valid not only because they inhibit sFlt-1 release, but also because statins and Hmox1 are associated with anti-apoptotic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidant properties. The StAmP trial is the first randomized control trial (RCT) evaluating the use of pravastatin to ameliorate severe preeclampsia. This proof-of-concept study will pave the way for future global RCT, the success of which will greatly contribute to achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDG4 and MDG5) and offering an affordable and easily accessible therapy for preeclampsia. © 2014 The Authors

Cochleo-vestibular clinical findings among drug resistant Tuberculosis Patients on therapy-a pilot study

ABSTRACTS:BACKGROUND: To investigate the Cochleo-vestibular clinical and audiometric findings in Multi and Extreme Drug Resistance(MDR and XDR) tuberculosis(TB) patients on treatment and make recommendations. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of adult MDR and XDR-TB patients was conducted in a general hospital in Cape-Town-South-Africa. Ethical approval was secured and all consenting patients administered with pretested and validated questionnaire under the guidance of International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health(ICF) Checklist-version-2.1a. Audiometric evaluation included: Otoscopy, Diagnostic Audiometry and Tympanometry. The data analyses were done with SPSS version 16, Chi-square and StatCalc-7. RESULTS: Fifty-three adults, ages 18-60 (mean-33 years) comprising 26 males and 27 females participated in the study. Hospital stay duration varied from 1-18 months (mean-6 months) and all were on anti-Koch's second line drugs (regimen 2). MDR TB group were 45(85%) and XDR 8(15%). Vertigo was the most common vestibular symptoms, 24(45%) whereas, tinnitus 23(42%) and hearing loss 13(25%) were most frequent auditory complaints. Bilateral sensorineural hearing losses of varying degrees were confirmed in 23(47%).There was no association between gender and age with hearing loss [chi2 (P = 0.16, alpha = 0.05) and (p = 0.13, alpha = 0.05)]. Furthermore, MDR and XTR TB groups [20/42 Vs 3/8; Z = 0.46 and P = 0.64], showed no difference in pattern of the hearing losses. CONCLUSIONS: A multi-disciplinary close surveillance of MDR and XDR TB patients on therapy is imperative. Finally, researches into therapeutic trials on antidotes and potent safer substitutes for aminoglycosides in the management are recommended

How do children at special schools and their parents perceive their HRQoL compared to children at open schools?

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>There has been some debate in the past as to who should determine values for different health states for economic evaluation. The aim of this study was to compare the Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) in children attending open schools (OS) and children with disabilities attending a special school (SS) and their parents in Cape Town South Africa.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The EQ-5D-Y and a proxy version were administered to the children and their parents were requested to fill in the EQ-5D-Y proxy version without consultation with their children on the same day.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A response rate of over 20% resulted in 567 sets of child/adult responses from OS children and 61 responses from SS children. Children with special needs reported more problems in the "Mobility" and "Looking after myself" domains but their scores with regard to "Doing usual activities", "Pain or discomfort" and "Worried, sad or unhappy" were similar to their typically developing counterparts. The mean Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score of SS children was (88.4, SD18.3, range 40-100) which was not different to the mean score of the OS respondents (87.9, SD16.5, range 5-100).</p> <p>The association between adult and child scores was fair to moderate in the domains. The correlations in VAS scores between Open Schools children and female care-givers' scores significant but low (r = .33, p < .001) and insignificant between Special School children and adult (r = .16, p = .24).</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>It would appear that children with disabilities do not perceive their HRQoL to be worse than their able bodied counterparts, although they do recognise their limitations in the domains of "Mobility" and "Doing usual activities".</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This finding lends weight to the argument that valuation of health states by children affected by these health states should not be included for the purpose of economic analysis as the child's resilience might result in better values for health states and possibly a correspondingly smaller resource allocation. Conversely, if HRQoL is to be used as a clinical outcome, then it is preferable to include the children's values as proxy report does not appear to be highly correlated with the child's own perceptions.</p

The Effect Of Company Growth, Earnings Per Share, And Capital Structure On Dividend Policy With Company Age As A Control Variable

This study aims to examine the effect of Company Growth, Earnings Per Share, and Capital Structure on Dividend Policy with Company Age as a control variable. This research was conducted using quantitative methods and the data used in this study were secondary data. The population of this study is trading and investment service companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange for the period 2018 –2022. The sample selection was carried out by purposive sampling method so that research samples were obtained from as many as 34 companies with a total of 167 observations. Research sample data comes from the company's annual report, especially financial statements, and is processed using the SPSS application version 25. The results of hypothesis testing in this study show that Company Growth has a significant negative effect on Dividend Policy, Earnings Per Share has a significant positive effect on Dividend Policy, and Capital Structure has no effect on Dividend Policy

The relationship between the fulfillment of lecturers basic need for sleep and teaching performance

Tidur merupakan kebutuhan dasar yang memainkan peran penting dalam menjaga kesejahteraan fisik dan mental merujuk pada teori Maslow. Dalam konteks pendidikan, peran dosen sebagai tenaga pendidik sangatlah penting, mereka bertanggung jawab dalam pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan dan membimbing mahasiswa dalam proses pembelajaran. Namun, untuk dapat melaksanakan tugas ini dengan baik, dosen perlu menjaga keseimbangan kebutuhan dasar mereka salah satunya tidur yang cukup, dampak kurang tidur akan memunculkan kelelahan fisik, mental dan reaksi emosi dan perilaku. Penelitian ini betujuan untuk mencari hubungan pemenuhan kebutuhan dasar: tidur dengan performa dosen dalam mengajar. Tempat penelitian ini dilaksanakan di salah satu Universitas Swasta di Kota Salatiga. Penelitian dilakukan pada bulan November 2023 dengan menggunakan teknik accidental sampling. Responden yang berpartisipasi dalam penelitian ini sebanyak 55 responden. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa tidak terdapat hubungan pemenuhan kebutuhan dasar: tidur dengan performa dalam mengajar pada dosen di salah satu Universitas Swasta di Kota Salatiga. Mayoritas dosen memiliki kualitas tidur yang buruk namun mereka tetap dapat menjaga performa kerja dengan baik, hal ini karena Dosen merupakan tenaga pendidik professional dimana Individu yang profesional adalah individu yang mempunyai kekuatan dan komitmen jangka panjang terhadap keahlian, pekerjaan dan profesinya.Sleep is a basic need that plays a crucial role in maintaining physical and mental well-being, referring to Maslow's theory. In the context of education, the role of lecturers as educators is very important. They are responsible for the development of knowledge and guiding students in the learning process. However, in order to fulfill this task effectively, lecturers need to maintain a balance in their basic needs, including sufficient sleep. The consequences of sleep deprivation can lead to physical and mental fatigue, as well as emotional and behavioral reactions. This study aims to investigate the relationship between the fulfillment of the basic need for sleep and the teaching performance of lecturers in one of the private universities in Salatiga City. The research was conducted at private universities in Salatiga City in November 2023, using accidental sampling technique. A total of 55 respondents participated in this study. The results of the research indicate that there is no relationship between the fulfillment of the basic need for sleep and teaching performance of lecturers in one of the private universities in Salatiga. The majority of lecturers have poor sleep quality, but they are still able to maintain good performance at work. This is because lecturers are professional educators, where professionalism is characterized by long-term commitment and dedication to their expertise, work, and professio