Does peer-review feedback promote interpersonal relationships among Ph.D. students and supervisors? : A self-determination theory perspective

Postgraduate research students (Ph.D.) are more likely to feel isolated studying their own topic. Consequently, chronic isolation, i.e., lack of social interaction, brings negative impacts, e.g., dropping out from the research program. Nudge is a concept that proposes that subtle changes in the way choices are stated can intuitively guide citizens towards desired behaviors, i.e., focus on driving behaviors and decisions. Nudge deck, i.e., sending a personal normative message such as peer-review feedback and emails to students, increases motivation and effort, and this may also be effective for relationship building. It can be envisaged that zero-cost online peer-reviewing tools such as google excel/word (peer-review feedback and email reminders as personal normative messages) guide students to improve their relationships among i) work colleagues and ii) supervisors. SDT needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness are needed for the students to be intrinsically motivated. To address these SDT need satisfaction in interpersonal relationships, we conducted a BPNSS 9-item scale questionnaire survey among n=35 students from nine countries (relationships with colleagues, n=17; relationship with supervisors, n=18). The result of the study has shown that they may have felt a sense of connectedness with the supervisors (more competency and relatedness level). In contrast, their autonomy level is higher when interacting with colleagues.Non peer reviewe

Folate catabolites in spot urine as non-invasive biomarkers of folate status during habitual intake and folic acid supplementation.

Folate status, as reflected by red blood cell (RCF) and plasma folates (PF), is related to health and disease risk. Folate degradation products para-aminobenzoylglutamate (pABG) and para-acetamidobenzoylglutamate (apABG) in 24 hour urine have recently been shown to correlate with blood folate. Since blood sampling and collection of 24 hour urine are cumbersome, we investigated whether the determination of urinary folate catabolites in fasted spot urine is a suitable non-invasive biomarker for folate status in subjects before and during folic acid supplementation. Immediate effects of oral folic acid bolus intake on urinary folate catabolites were assessed in a short-term pre-study. In the main study we included 53 healthy men. Of these, 29 were selected for a 12 week folic acid supplementation (400 µg). Blood, 24 hour and spot urine were collected at baseline and after 6 and 12 weeks and PF, RCF, urinary apABG and pABG were determined. Intake of a 400 µg folic acid bolus resulted in immediate increase of urinary catabolites. In the main study pABG and apABG concentrations in spot urine correlated well with their excretion in 24 hour urine. In healthy men consuming habitual diet, pABG showed closer correlation with PF (rs = 0.676) and RCF (rs = 0.649) than apABG (rs = 0.264, ns and 0.543). Supplementation led to significantly increased folate in plasma and red cells as well as elevated urinary folate catabolites, while only pABG correlated significantly with PF (rs = 0.574) after 12 weeks. Quantification of folate catabolites in fasted spot urine seems suitable as a non-invasive alternative to blood or 24 hour urine analysis for evaluation of folate status in populations consuming habitual diet. In non-steady-state conditions (folic acid supplementation) correlations between folate marker (RCF, PF, urinary catabolites) decrease due to differing kinetics

Effects of daily routine on students’ SDT needs satisfaction:a pilot study towards developing a digital gamified system

Abstract It is unknown about utilizing Self-Determination Theory (SDT) needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness in postgraduate research students’ motivation and the level of SDT needs are often lower among students. They are frequently confused on how they are progressing on research, causing feels of nonbeing a progression in achieving their research goal. They are more likely to feel less connected with colleagues and supervisors. To increase students’ SDT needs, we developed a gamified system using User-Centered Design (UCD) three iterations and a one-week pilot study of the system informed that game-design element neither increased the effort among them to complete a weekly goal nor did it increase social interaction. This outcome guided us to conduct a one-week pilot study of the students’ daily routine before re-developing the gamified system. This pilot study aimed to find out the views and comments regarding the usual daily activities on students’ SDT needs satisfaction when performing their daily task and social interaction with others. The result of the study has informed us that the level of autonomy is relatively low among students, but the level of competence and relatedness are comparatively high. Future research will run over four weeks using a within-subjects technique with a quantitative and qualitative method. Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI) measurement will be used to generate users’ data output. This will demonstrate the effect of a gamified system on SDT needs compared with the daily routine of the students