A proposed model of ICT facilities in the central zone vocational colleges, Malaysia

The tide of globalization is moving so fast nowadays. Changes and its development are quite difficult to curb from spreading in our lives. These developments continue to have a positive impact on the community and no less giving various challenges to all of us especially to the world of education. The competency factor of the lecturer should increase in line with the changing environment. The opposite situation occurs in some educational institutions in Malaysia, such as vocational colleges (KV). Thus, the implementation of this study aimed to analyze the internal environment of vocational colleges involving information and communication technology (ICT) facilities as well as the effectiveness of ICT vocational colleges. Inferential analysis was used to identify contribution of exogenous variable to endogenous variable through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM-AMOS). To achieve the objectives of the study, a survey - type quantitative study design was implemented. Questionnaire instruments were distributed to 388 vocational college lecturers in the central zone of Malaysia using stratified random sampling. Furthermore, the questionnaire data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) version 25. The findings showed that there is a significant relationship between technological facilities (such as computers) with ICT effectiveness when p<0.05. In terms of moderators, the demographics of lecturers, namely gender, age and computer usage practices of KV lecturers affect the effectiveness of ICT KV when the mean score exceed 8.50. Furthermore, the developed model also meets the model fit indices requirements with RMSEA value at 0.060, CFI=0.973, TLI=0.968, Chisq/df=2.380 and GFI=0. 901.The implications of the study indicate that the role of lecturers as educators is important in developing appropriate reforms in supporting the innovations that take place in educational organizations

Resting state networks analysis using simultaneous EEG-fMRI for epilepsy patient

peer reviewedThe resting state EEG-fMRI has opened a new avenue in not only neuro cognitive studies but it has also found practical utility in clinical applications. We studied the Resting State Networks on Epilepsy Patient to understand the neuronal substrates involved in epilepsy. Five epilepsy patients were undertaken for simultaneous EEG-fMRI study. EEG microstates was computed and was considered as explanatory variables in the GLM design for the analysis of fMRI data in an event related design. z-stats and independent component was examined for simultaneous EEG-fMRI. We hypothesized that it's possible to analyze the affected brain areas for epileptiform discharges in epileptic patients at resting state. Microstates convolved functional image and its independent components using hybrid technique including both the neuronal and hemodynamic information was demonstrated on patients structural image. From this result we conclude that using EEG microstate and Independent Component Analysis (ICA) of resting fMRI we may examine the brain areas involved in resting state brain discharge. Also it will be useful for the analysis of EEG-fMRI data in which electrical epileptic discharge are not apparent on scalp EEG at the time of data acquisition. © 2013 Springer

Understanding the pathophysiology of reflex epilepsy using simultaneous EEG-fMRI

peer reviewedMeasuring neuro-haemodynamic correlates in the brain of epilepsy patients using EEG-fMRI has opened new avenues in clinical neuroscience, as these are two complementary methods for understanding brain function. In this study, we investigated three patients with drug-resistant reflex epilepsy using EEG-fMRI. Different types of reflex epilepsy such as eating, startle myoclonus, and hot water epilepsy were included in the study. The analysis of EEG-fMRI data was based on the visual identification of interictal epileptiform discharges on scalp EEG. The convolution of onset time and duration of these epilepsy spikes was estimated, and using these condition-specific effects in a general linear model approach, we evaluated activation of fMRI. Patients with startle myoclonus epilepsy experienced epilepsy in response to sudden sound or touch, in association with increased delta and theta activity with a spike-and-slow-wave pattern of interictal epileptiform discharges on EEG and fronto-parietal network activation pattern on SPECT and EEG-fMRI. Eating epilepsy was triggered by sight or smell of food and fronto-temporal discharges were noted on video-EEG (VEEG). Similarly, fronto-temporo-parietal involvement was noted on SPECT and EEG-fMRI. Hot water epilepsy was triggered by contact with hot water either in the bath or by hand immersion, and VEEG showed fronto-parietal involvement. SPECT and EEG fMRI revealed a similar fronto-parietal-occipital involvement. From these results, we conclude that continuous EEG recording can improve the modelling of BOLD changes related to interictal epileptic activity and this can thus be used to understand the neuro-haemodynamic substrates involved in reflex epilepsy

Understanding the pathophysiology of reflex epilepsy using simultaneous EEG-fMRI.

peer reviewedMeasuring neuro-haemodynamic correlates in the brain of epilepsy patients using EEG-fMRI has opened new avenues in clinical neuroscience, as these are two complementary methods for understanding brain function. In this study, we investigated three patients with drug-resistant reflex epilepsy using EEG-fMRI. Different types of reflex epilepsy such as eating, startle myoclonus, and hot water epilepsy were included in the study. The analysis of EEG-fMRI data was based on the visual identification of interictal epileptiform discharges on scalp EEG. The convolution of onset time and duration of these epilepsy spikes was estimated, and using these condition-specific effects in a general linear model approach, we evaluated activation of fMRI. Patients with startle myoclonus epilepsy experienced epilepsy in response to sudden sound or touch, in association with increased delta and theta activity with a spike-and-slow-wave pattern of interictal epileptiform discharges on EEG and fronto-parietal network activation pattern on SPECT and EEG-fMRI. Eating epilepsy was triggered by sight or smell of food and fronto-temporal discharges were noted on video-EEG (VEEG). Similarly, fronto-temporo-parietal involvement was noted on SPECT and EEG-fMRI. Hot water epilepsy was triggered by contact with hot water either in the bath or by hand immersion, and VEEG showed fronto-parietal involvement. SPECT and EEG fMRI revealed a similar fronto-parietal-occipital involvement. From these results, we conclude that continuous EEG recording can improve the modelling of BOLD changes related to interictal epileptic activity and this can thus be used to understand the neuro-haemodynamic substrates involved in reflex epilepsy

Neural Correlates of Emotion: Acquisition versus Innate View Point.

peer reviewed[en] BACKGROUND: Emotion entails cognitive processes that may either be conscious or unconscious. Emotions influence all aspects of cognition. AIM: The aim of the following study was to study the effect of education on neural correlates of emotions in healthy normal volunteers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sample consisted total of 61 healthy young educated adults in the age range of 18-40 years. The volunteers were asked to view neutral, pleasant and unpleasant pictures from international affective picture system in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. STATISTICS ANALYSIS: Rest-active block design paradigm, functional MRI results analyzed in statistical parametric mapping 8. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Activations associated with emotions were present in cerebral and cerebellar regions. Education influences emotion

Neural Correlates of Emotion: Acquisition versus Innate View Point

BACKGROUND: Emotion entails cognitive processes that may either be conscious or unconscious. Emotions influence all aspects of cognition. AIM: The aim of the following study was to study the effect of education on neural correlates of emotions in healthy normal volunteers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sample consisted total of 61 healthy young educated adults in the age range of 18-40 years. The volunteers were asked to view neutral, pleasant and unpleasant pictures from international affective picture system in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. STATISTICS ANALYSIS: Rest-active block design paradigm, functional MRI results analyzed in statistical parametric mapping 8. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Activations associated with emotions were present in cerebral and cerebellar regions. Education influences emotion