Factors Associated With Sleeping Quality and Behaviors Among University Students in Malaysia

Background and Objective Sleep is an important physiological process for humans. Students of tertiary institutions, especially those at the university, are often reported to have poor sleep quality due to changing social opportunities and increasing academic demands. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of poor sleeping quality and its relationship with academic performance and psychological distress among university students in Malaysia. Methods An online questionnaire-based, cross-sectional study was conducted among students of tertiary institutions in Malaysia. The questionnaire consisted of respondents’ demographics, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Horne-Ostberg Morningness-Eveningness Scale (MES) and Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scales (DASS-21). Simple and multiple linear regression were used to identify the relationship between the independent and dependent variables (PSQI score and MES score). Results Of the 403 respondents, about three-fourths were poor-quality sleepers. The cumulative grade point average (CGPA) was the only factor with a significant linear and positive relationship with the PSQI score. Only the depression and anxiety scores showed a significant linear and positive relationship between the PSQI score and the MES score. Conclusions Poor sleep quality was prevalent among university students. Poor sleep was associated with better academic performance. Students with depression or anxiety were significantly associated with poor sleep quality and being a morning bird

The effect of hearing augmentation on cognitive assessment scores: a pilot crossover randomized controlled trial

This randomized cross-over pilot study aimed to evaluate the effect of hearing augmentation on cognitive assessment scores and duration to complete cognitive assessment among the elderly in-patients in a teaching hospital. A hearing amplifier was used for hearing augmentation and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test was used to assess cognition. Seventy one patients were allocated into Group A (n=33) or Group B (n=38) using block randomization. There was no significant difference in total MoCA scores with and without hearing augmentation (p = 0.622). There was a significant improvement in the total scores on the second test that suggests a learning effect (p < 0.05). There was also no significant difference in time taken to complete cognitive assessment with and without hearing augmentation (p = 0.879). Similar statistical tests performed on a subgroup of patients with hearing impairment did not reveal significant results. The results of this study will now inform a larger randomized controlled study evaluating the use of hearing amplifiers as cost-effective solutions to hearing impairment in our older population

The Core and Accessory Genomes of Burkholderia pseudomallei: Implications for Human Melioidosis

Natural isolates of Burkholderia pseudomallei (Bp), the causative agent of melioidosis, can exhibit significant ecological flexibility that is likely reflective of a dynamic genome. Using whole-genome Bp microarrays, we examined patterns of gene presence and absence across 94 South East Asian strains isolated from a variety of clinical, environmental, or animal sources. 86% of the Bp K96243 reference genome was common to all the strains representing the Bp “core genome”, comprising genes largely involved in essential functions (eg amino acid metabolism, protein translation). In contrast, 14% of the K96243 genome was variably present across the isolates. This Bp accessory genome encompassed multiple genomic islands (GIs), paralogous genes, and insertions/deletions, including three distinct lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-related gene clusters. Strikingly, strains recovered from cases of human melioidosis clustered on a tree based on accessory gene content, and were significantly more likely to harbor certain GIs compared to animal and environmental isolates. Consistent with the inference that the GIs may contribute to pathogenesis, experimental mutation of BPSS2053, a GI gene, reduced microbial adherence to human epithelial cells. Our results suggest that the Bp accessory genome is likely to play an important role in microbial adaptation and virulence

IMPACT OF NORTH-EAST MRT ON THE ATTRACTIVENESS OF RETAILING AT CHINATOWN

Bachelor'sBACHELOR OF REAL ESTATE (VALUATION

An exploratory study on compensation and benefits websites.

Investigated the strategic role of Compensation and Benefits consultants’ websites, and determined how best it could be aligned with evolving business strategies

Women in management : a Singapore perspective

In Singapore, women in managerial positions are a common sight as compared to thirty years back. One obvious reason is because of the changing role of women from that of a homemaker to that of a career woman. In the early years of this transition, women experienced many barriers when carving a niche for themselves in the corporate world. These obstacles arose mainly due to the slow acceptance of women by men as co-workers. However, most male colleagues and subordinates in the corporate world now are of a different breed. They have grown accustomed to the idea of women committing themselves to a career, having mothers or wives as career women. Therefore women should be experiencing less obstacles now as they climb the corporate ladder compared to their older counterparts. This study is undertaken to look at the obstacles faced by women managers as they climb the corporate ladder and after they have attained their managerial positions, in the context of Singapore. This study examines the topic using different approaches. It will look at whether the obstacles remain the same through the different generations of women managers and how the obstacles have been overcome. The study also invites respondents to state which new hurdles they think Will be met by women managers in the future. A profile of successful women managers is also been constructed. The respondents to the study were found through sending questionnaires to women managers in the five major industries that make up Singapore's economy. Their responses to the questionnaires form the findings of the study upon which analysis and conclusions are based. The study hopes to present findings that will be of relevance to future similar studies or extended studies of the topic: "Women In Management".ACCOUNTANC

Numerical Solution of Nonlinear Reaction–Advection–Diffusion Equation

In the present article, the advection-diffusion equation (ADE) having a nonlinear type source/sink term with initial and boundary conditions is solved using finite difference method (FDM). The solution of solute concentration is calculated numerically and also presented graphically for conservative and nonconservative cases. The emphasis is given for the stability analysis, which is an important aspect of the proposed mathematical model. The accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method are validated by comparing the results obtained with existing analytical solutions for a conservative system. The novelty of the article is to show the damping nature of the solution profile due to the presence of the nonlinear reaction term for different particular cases in less computational time by using the reliable and efficient finite difference method. © 2019 by ASME

Online privacy concerns in Singapore.

There has been an increasing interest in the area of Internet privacy. The objective of the research is to gain an understanding of online privacy concerns in Singapore and address them by matching them with technological tools available