The Factors that Influence Knowledge Sharing in Educational Institutions

The objective of the study is to identify the elements which have an impact on sharing of knowledge at Cihan University in Erbil. Although previous studies have identified a range of elements affecting knowledge sharing, further research is needed to understand the factors driving knowledge sharing, particularly among higher educational institutions in Iraq. Since there are few studies about the sharing of knowledge among Iraqi higher education institutions' staff and there is no current model that has all of the elements required to examine the sharing of knowledge, the researchers investigated the effects of organizational, individual, and technological variables on academics' knowledge sharing behavior. Cihan University staff in Iraq's Kurdistan Region completed a total of 78 validated questionnaires. The data were evaluated with the use of a structural equation model (PLS-SEM). According to the findings of the study, organizational and technological factors are important indicators of knowledge sharing in educational institutions

Unsupervised home use of an overnight closed-loop system over 3-4 weeks: a pooled analysis of randomized controlled studies in adults and adolescents with type 1 diabetes.

AIMS: To compare overnight closed-loop and sensor-augmented pump therapy in patients with type 1 diabetes by combining data collected during free-living unsupervised randomized crossover home studies. METHODS: A total of 40 participants with type 1 diabetes, of whom 24 were adults [mean ± standard deviation (s.d.) age 43 ± 12 years and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) 8.0 ± 0.9%] and 16 were adolescents (mean ± s.d. age 15.6 ± 3.6 years and HbA1c 8.1 ± 0.8%), underwent two periods of sensor-augmented pump therapy in the home setting, in combination with or without an overnight closed-loop insulin delivery system that uses a model predictive control algorithm to direct insulin delivery. The order of the two interventions was random; each period lasted 4 weeks in adults and 3 weeks in adolescents. The primary outcome was time during which sensor glucose readings were in the target range of 3.9-8.0 mmol/l. RESULTS: The proportion of time when sensor glucose was in the target range (3.9-8.0 mmol/l) overnight (between 24:00 and 08:00 hours) was 18.5% greater during closed-loop insulin delivery than during sensor-augmented therapy (p < 0.001). Closed-loop therapy significantly reduced mean overnight glucose levels by 0.9 mmol/l (p < 0.001), with no difference in glycaemic variability, as measured by the standard deviation of sensor glucose. Time spent above the target range was reduced (p = 0.001), as was time spent in hypoglycaemia (<3.9 mmol/l; p = 0.014) during closed-loop therapy. Lower mean overnight glucose levels during closed-loop therapy were brought about by increased overnight insulin delivery (p < 0.001) without changes to the total daily delivery (p = 0.84). CONCLUSION: Overnight closed-loop insulin therapy at home in adults and adolescents with type 1 diabetes is feasible, showing improvements in glucose control and reducing the risk of nocturnal hypoglycaemia.Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (#22-2009-802) and Diabetes UK (BDA07/0003549) with additional support for the Artificial Pancreas work by National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (1R01DK085621), and National Institute for Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre. Abbott Diabetes Care supplied continuous glucose delivery devices and sensors and modified devices to facilitate real-time connectivity.This if the final version of the article. It was originally published by Wiley in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/dom.12427/abstrac

Examining the impact of artificial intelligence and social and computer anxiety in e-learning settings: students’ perceptions at the university level

The learning environment usually raises various types of anxiety based on the student’s abilities to use technology and their abilities to overcome the negative feelings of an individual being watched all the time and criticized. Hence, learners still feel anxious while using computers and socializing in an e-learning environment. Learners who are faced with computer and AI tools are confused and frustrated. The uneasiness stems from anxiety or uneasiness, which is highly evident in daily interaction with computers and artificial intelligence tools or devices in e-learning contexts. The uneasiness stems from anxiety or uneasiness, which is highly evident in the daily interaction with computers and artificial intelligence tools or devices in e-learning contexts. To investigate this phenomenon empirically, a questionnaire was distributed among a group of undergraduate students who are studying different majors. This study aims to investigate the role of social anxiety and computer anxiety in an e-learning environment at the university level. Universities in the Gulf area are among those implementing e-learning systems. In spite of this, recent studies have shown that most students at Gulf universities are still resistant to using online systems; hence, it is necessary to determine the type of anxiety that creates such resistance and their relationship with other external variables such as motivation, satisfaction and self-efficacy. Students would be more likely to use e-learning tools and participate more effectively in their courses using the accessible electronic channels when the degree of anxiety is low. In this study, we have proposed a theoretical framework to investigate the role of social anxiety and computer anxiety in e-learning environments in the Gulf region. We examined how different variables such as satisfaction, motivation and self-efficacy can negatively or positively affect these two types of anxiety

Students’ perception towards behavioral intention of audio and video teaching styles : an acceptance study

Recently audio and video material has been used significantly in various online platforms. The audio-video materials enhance the teaching and learning process by facilitating the transformation of the data and providing a richer interactive environment, hence gaining wide intention within the educational realm. However, empirical studies have not examined the acceptance of the audio and video material depending on a conceptual model where acceptance is the key factor. The present study attempts to overcome this gap in the literature review by investigating the effects of media richness, speed and vividness, perceived concentration, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness on the acceptance of audio-video material. What distinguishes the current study is the fact that content richness is considered as a mediator that affects all other factors in the conceptual model. The data is collected by distributing the online survey to college students. The results provide mostly insight and support for students’ intention to use audio-visual resources in a conceptual model. The technology characteristics of speed and vividness as well as TAM constructs were significant predictors of technology acceptance. However, it is concluded that the external factor of the perceived concentration has no impact on the students’ perception and intention to use audio-visual resources. In the recommendation, some theoretical and practical implications are stated along with the focus on technology designers, change managers, and users

Subjects With Early-Onset Type 2 Diabetes Show Defective Activation of the Skeletal Muscle PGC-1α/Mitofusin-2 Regulatory Pathway in Response to Physical Activity

Objective: Type 2 diabetes is associated with insulin resistance and skeletal muscle mitochondrial dysfunction. We have found that subjects with early-onset type 2 diabetes show incapacity to increase Vo2max in response to chronic exercise. This suggests a defect in muscle mitochondrial response to exercise. Here, we have explored the nature of the mechanisms involved. Research design and methods: Muscle biopsies were collected from young type 2 diabetic subjects and obese control subjects before and after acute or chronic exercise protocols, and the expression of genes and/or proteins relevant to mitochondrial function was measured. In particular, the regulatory pathway peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator (PGC)-1alpha/mitofusin-2 (Mfn2) was analyzed. Results: At baseline, subjects with diabetes showed reduced expression (by 26%) of the mitochondrial fusion protein Mfn2 and a 39% reduction of the alpha-subunit of ATP synthase. Porin expression was unchanged, consistent with normal mitochondrial mass. Chronic exercise led to a 2.8-fold increase in Mfn2, as well as increases in porin, and the alpha-subunit of ATP synthase in muscle from control subjects. However, Mfn2 was unchanged after chronic exercise in individuals with diabetes, whereas porin and alpha-subunit of ATP synthase were increased. Acute exercise caused a fourfold increase in PGC-1alpha expression in muscle from control subjects but not in subjects with diabetes. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate alterations in the regulatory pathway that controls PGC-1alpha expression and induction of Mfn2 in muscle from patients with early-onset type 2 diabetes. Patients with early-onset type 2 diabetes display abnormalities in the exercise-dependent pathway that regulates the expression of PGC-1alpha and Mfn2.</p

The effectiveness of online platforms after the pandemic : will face-to-face classes affect students’ perception of their Behavioural Intention (BIU) to use online platforms?

The purpose of this study is to investigate students’ intention to continue using online learning platforms during face-to-face traditional classes in a way that is parallel to their usage during online virtual classes (during the pandemic). This investigation of students’ intention is based on a conceptual model that uses newly used external factors in addition to the technology acceptance model (TAM) contrasts; hence, it takes into consideration users’ satisfaction, the external factor of information richness (IR) and the quality of the educational system and information disseminated. The participants were 768 university students who have experienced the teaching environments of both traditional face-to-face classes and online classes during the pandemic. A structural equation modelling (SEM) test was conducted to analyse the independent variables, including the users’ situation awareness (SA), perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, satisfaction, IR, education system quality and information quality. An online questionnaire was used to explore students’ perceptions of their intention to use online platforms accessibly in a face-to-face learning environment. The results showed that (a) students prefer online platforms that have a higher level of content richness, to be able to implement the three dimensions of users’ situation awareness (perception, comprehension and projection); (b) there were significant effects of TAM constructs on students’ satisfaction and acceptance; (c) students are in favour of using a learning platform that is characterised by a high level of educational system quality and information quality and (d) students with a higher level of satisfaction have a more positive attitude in their willingness to use the online learning system

Flash glucose monitoring with the FreeStyle Libre 2 compared with self-monitoring of blood glucose in suboptimally controlled type 1 diabetes: the FLASH-UK randomised controlled trial protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Optimising glycaemic control in type 1 diabetes (T1D) remains challenging. Flash glucose monitoring with FreeStyle Libre 2 (FSL2) is a novel alternative to the current standard of care self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG). No randomised controlled trials to date have explored the potential benefits of FSL2 in T1D. We aim to assess the impact of FSL2 in people with suboptimal glycaemic control T1D in comparison with SMBG. METHODS: This open-label, multicentre, randomised (via stochastic minimisation), parallel design study conducted at eight UK secondary and primary care centres will aim to recruit 180 people age ≥16 years with T1D for >1 year and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) 7.5%-11%. Eligible participants will be randomised to 24 weeks of FSL2 (intervention) or SMBG (control) periods, after 2-week of blinded sensor wear. Participants will be assessed virtually or in-person owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. HbA1c will be measured at baseline, 12 and 24 weeks (primary outcome). Participants will be contacted at 4 and 12 weeks for glucose optimisation. Control participants will wear a blinded sensor during the last 2 weeks. Psychosocial outcomes will be measured at baseline and 24 weeks. Secondary outcomes include sensor-based metrics, insulin doses, adverse events and self-report psychosocial measures. Utility, acceptability, expectations and experience of using FSL2 will be explored. Data on health service resource utilisation will be collected. ANALYSIS: Efficacy analyses will follow intention-to-treat principle. Outcomes will be analysed using analysis of covariance, adjusted for the baseline value of the corresponding outcome, minimisation factors and other known prognostic factors. Both within-trial and life-time economic evaluations, informed by modelling from the perspective of the National Health Service setting, will be performed. ETHICS: The study was approved by Greater Manchester West Research Ethics Committee (reference 19/NW/0081). Informed consent will be sought from all participants. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03815006. PROTOCOL VERSION: 4.0 dated 29 June 2020.Diabetes U

Home use of closed loop insulin delivery improves overnight glucose control in adults with type 1 diabetes: A four-week multicentre randomised crossover study

This is the author accepted manuscript and will be embargoed until 16/12/14. The final published version can be found here: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/landia/article/PIIS2213-8587(14)70114-7/fulltext#article_upsell.Background: We assessed whether overnight home use of automated closed loop insulin delivery (artificial pancreas) improves glucose control. Methods: We studied 24 adults with type 1 diabetes in a multicentre crossover study design comparing four weeks of overnight closed loop using a model predictive control algorithm to direct insulin delivery, with four weeks of insulin pump therapy in which participants used real-time display of continuous glucose monitoring independent of their pumps as control. Primary outcome was time when glucose was in the target range of 3•9 and 8•0mmol/l between midnight to 07:00. Analyses were by intention to treat. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01440140. Findings: Closed loop was utilised over median 8•3 (interquartile range 6•0, 9•6)hours on 555nights (86%). Proportion of time when overnight glucose was in target range was significantly higher during closed loop compared to control by 13•5% (95% CI, 7•3-19•7; p<0•001). Mean overnight glucose (8•2±0•9 vs. 9•0±1•3mmol/l; p=0•005) and time spent above target (44•3%±11•9 vs. 57•1%±15•6; p=0•001) were significantly lower during closed loop. Time spent below target was low and comparable [1•8%( 0•6, 3•6) vs. 2•1%(0•7, 3•9);p=0•28]. Lower mean overnight glucose was brought about by increased overnight insulin delivery [6•4 (4•5, 8•1) vs. 4•9 (3•7, 6•3)units;p<0•001) without changing the total daily insulin amount [34•5 (29•3, 48•4) vs. 35•4 (29•7, 45•2)units;p=0•32]. No severe hypoglycaemia episodes occurred during control period and two during closed loop not related to algorithm instructions. Interpretation: Unsupervised overnight closed loop at home is feasible and may improve glucose control in adults with type 1 diabetes