Students Cognizance in Deploying Module Information Booklet (MIB)

It is a norm in the learning process for the students to have a different understanding on how the learning outcomes will apply to them upon completion of the module. Therefore, it is crucial for lecturers and students to have a clear direction on the objectives and learning outcomes of a particular module (Norton, 2009). The fiasco to understand the relationship between the knowledge acquired by the students and to emulate with the programme of study may result in failure to inculcate the desired graduate attributes. Angelides (et al, 2005), Campbell & Norton, (2007) and Norton, (2009) have studied to measure the usefulness of MIB. The purpose of this study is to analyse and understand the students’ cognizance in deploying the MIB as a learning tool. The study was conducted in Taylor\u27s University whereby the students are required to utilize the MIB to understand their latitude of learning. The study has exhibited positive impact towards the students’ learning process and time management. Although the students encountered some challenges in understanding the learning outcomes, however, the MIB, has expedited them in coping with the peregrination to complete the syllabus

Rights received by the victims of tortious deviant behaviour

The purpose of this study is to investigate the rights received by the victims of tortious deviant behavior in the workplace. It aims to explore the existing rights received by the victims of the tortious deviant behavior under the statutory measures. In this paper, we review the existing protection under the statute in three different jurisdictions surrounding the phenomenon of tortious deviant behavior at the workplace, paying particular attention to factors causes of such conduct. We will also provide an overview of the perplexing nature of such conduct and how countries like Australia and India extend protection under the law for affected victims. In Malaysia, there is no specific law which governs the provisions for conduct of tortious deviant behaviour in the workplace. This is a conceptual research paper which will address the statutory measures that have been employed in several private and public organisations. This study aims to analyse and determine whether the victims have received adequate protection and rights due to such conduct. Finally, due to inadequacy of empirical evidence and focus on assessment and treatment for victims are recognized in this paper, and several suggestions are made for future research and treatment avenues relating to the tortfeasors

Does economic development and democracy translate to happiness? a global perspective

This paper explores the relatively intriguing area of research on the “economics of happiness”. The present study was designed to determine the effects of economic development and democratic freedom on happiness. A cross-sectional econometric analysis is employed to examine the impact of the economic variables of income and democracy on happiness across thirty eight countries in 2011. Democracy and economic development were found to contribute positively to happiness. The findings also indicate a bi-directional relationship between happiness and its dual determinants of income and democratic freedom. It was found that countries reporting higher levels of well-being tend to enjoy higher incomes and seem to choose democracy over other political overtures. Institutions of democracy were found to enhance economic development and this relationship is bi-directional. The study concludes with an examination of policy implications of the findings

Cas1 and Fen1 Display Equivalent Functions During Archaeal DNA Repair

CRISPR-Cas constitutes an adaptive prokaryotic defence system against invasive nucleic acids like viruses and plasmids. Beyond their role in immunity, CRISPR-Cas systems have been shown to closely interact with components of cellular DNA repair pathways, either by regulating their expression or via direct protein-protein contact and enzymatic activity. The integrase Cas1 is usually involved in the adaptation phase of CRISPR-Cas immunity but an additional role in cellular DNA repair pathways has been proposed previously. Here, we analysed the capacity of an archaeal Cas1 from Haloferax volcanii to act upon DNA damage induced by oxidative stress and found that a deletion of the cas1 gene led to reduced survival rates following stress induction. In addition, our results indicate that Cas1 is directly involved in DNA repair as the enzymatically active site of the protein is crucial for growth under oxidative conditions. Based on biochemical assays, we propose a mechanism by which Cas1 plays a similar function to DNA repair protein Fen1 by cleaving branched intermediate structures. The present study broadens our understanding of the functional link between CRISPR-Cas immunity and DNA repair by demonstrating that Cas1 and Fen1 display equivalent roles during archaeal DNA damage repair

Expectancy after the first treatment and response to acupuncture for menopausal hot flashes

Background Evidence on the impact of expectancy on acupuncture treatment response is conflicting. Objectives This secondary analysis of a randomized sham-controlled trial on acupuncture for menopausal hot flashes investigated whether treatment expectancy score was associated with hot flash score at end-of-treatment. Secondary analyses investigated whether there were associations between other pre-specified factors and hot flash score. Study design Women experiencing moderately-severe hot flashes were randomized to receive 10 sessions of real or sham acupuncture over eight weeks. Hot flash score was collected using a seven-day hot flash diary, and expectancy using the modified Credibility and Expectancy Questionnaire immediately after the first treatment. Linear mixed-effects models with random intercepts were used to identify associations between expectancy score and hot flash score at end-of-treatment. Regression was also used to identify associations between pre-specified factors of interest and hot flash score. Because there was no difference between real and sham acupuncture for the primary outcome of hot flash score, both arms were combined in the analysis. Results 285 women returned the Credibility and Expectancy Questionnaire, and 283 women completed both expectancy measures. We found no evidence for an association between expectancy and hot flash score at end-of-treatment for individual cases in either acupuncture or sham group. Hot flash scores at end-of-treatment were 8.1 (95%CI, 3.0 to 13.2; P = 0.002) points lower in regular smokers compared to those who had never smoked, equivalent to four fewer moderate hot flashes a day. Conclusion In our study of acupuncture for menopausal hot flashes, higher expectancy after the first treatment did not predict better treatment outcomes. Future research may focus on other determinants of outcomes in acupuncture such as therapist attention. The relationship between smoking and hot flashes is poorly understood and needs further exploration

Expectancy after the first treatment and response to acupuncture for menopausal hot flashes

Background: Evidence on the impact of expectancy on acupuncture treatment response is conflicting. Objectives: This secondary analysis of a randomized sham-controlled trial on acupuncture for menopausal hot flashes investigated whether treatment expectancy score was associated with hot flash score at end-of-treatment. Secondary analyses investigated whether there were associations between other pre-specified factors and hot flash score. Study design: Women experiencing moderately-severe hot flashes were randomized to receive 10 sessions of real or sham acupuncture over eight weeks. Hot flash score was collected using a seven-day hot flash diary, and expectancy using the modified Credibility and Expectancy Questionnaire immediately after the first treatment. Linear mixed-effects models with random intercepts were used to identify associations between expectancy score and hot flash score at end-of-treatment. Regression was also used to identify associations between prespecified factors of interest and hot flash score. Because there was no difference between real and sham acupuncture for the primary outcome of hot flash score, both arms were combined in the analysis. Results: 285 women returned the Credibility and Expectancy Questionnaire, and 283 women completed both expectancy measures. We found no evidence for an association between expectancy and hot flash score at end-of-treatment for individual cases in either acupuncture or sham group. Hot flash scores at end-of-treatment were 8.1 (95%CI, 3.0 to 13.2; P = 0.002) points lower in regular smokers compared to those who had never smoked, equivalent to four fewer moderate hot flashes a day. Conclusion: In our study of acupuncture for menopausal hot flashes, higher expectancy after the first treatment did not predict better treatment outcomes. Future research may focus on other determinants of outcomes in acupuncture such as therapist attention. The relationship between smoking and hot flashes is poorly understood and needs further exploration.Carolyn C. Ee, Sharmala Thuraisingam, Marie V. Pirotta, Simon D. French, Charlie C. Xue, Helena J. Teed

Multimorbidity, mortality, and HbA1c in type 2 diabetes: a cohort study with UK and Taiwanese cohorts

Background: There is emerging interest in multimorbidity in type 2 diabetes (T2D), which can be either concordant (T2D related) or discordant (unrelated), as a way of understanding the burden of disease in T2D. Current diabetes guidelines acknowledge the complex nature of multimorbidity, the management of which should be based on the patient’s individual clinical needs and comorbidities. However, although associations between multimorbidity, glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), and mortality in people with T2D have been studied to some extent, significant gaps remain, particularly regarding different patterns of multimorbidity, including concordant and discordant conditions. This study explores associations between multimorbidity (total condition counts/concordant/discordant/different combinations of conditions), baseline HbA1c, and all-cause mortality in T2D. Methods and findings: We studied two longitudinal cohorts of people with T2D using the UK Biobank (n = 20,569) and the Taiwan National Diabetes Care Management Program (NDCMP) (n = 59,657). The number of conditions in addition to T2D was used to quantify total multimorbidity, concordant, and discordant counts, and the effects of different combinations of conditions were also studied. Outcomes of interest were baseline HbA1c and all-cause mortality. For the UK Biobank and Taiwan NDCMP, mean (SD) ages were 60.2 (6.8) years and 60.8 (11.3) years; 7,579 (36.8%) and 31,339 (52.5%) were female; body mass index (BMI) medians (IQR) were 30.8 (27.7, 34.8) kg/m2 and 25.6 (23.5, 28.7) kg/m2; and 2,197 (10.8%) and 9,423 (15.8) were current smokers, respectively. Increasing total and discordant multimorbidity counts were associated with lower HbA1c and increased mortality in both datasets. In Taiwan NDCMP, for those with four or more additional conditions compared with T2D only, the mean difference (95% CI) in HbA1c was −0.82% (−0.88, −0.76) p < 0.001. In UK Biobank, hazard ratios (HRs) (95% CI) for all-cause mortality in people with T2D and one, two, three, and four or more additional conditions compared with those without comorbidity were 1.20 (0.91–1.56) p < 0.001, 1.75 (1.35–2.27) p < 0.001, 2.17 (1.67–2.81) p < 0.001, and 3.14 (2.43–4.03) p < 0.001, respectively. Both concordant/discordant conditions were significantly associated with mortality; however, HRs were largest for concordant conditions. Those with four or more concordant conditions had >5 times the mortality (5.83 [4.28–7.93] p <0.001). HRs for NDCMP were similar to those from UK Biobank for all multimorbidity counts. For those with two conditions in addition to T2D, cardiovascular diseases featured in 18 of the top 20 combinations most highly associated with mortality in UK Biobank and 12 of the top combinations in the Taiwan NDCMP. In UK Biobank, a combination of coronary heart disease and heart failure in addition to T2D had the largest effect size on mortality, with a HR (95% CI) of 4.37 (3.59–5.32) p < 0.001, whereas in the Taiwan NDCMP, a combination of painful conditions and alcohol problems had the largest effect size on mortality, with an HR (95% CI) of 4.02 (3.08–5.23) p < 0.001. One limitation to note is that we were unable to model for changes in multimorbidity during our study period. Conclusions: Multimorbidity patterns associated with the highest mortality differed between UK Biobank (a population predominantly comprising people of European descent) and the Taiwan NDCMP, a predominantly ethnic Chinese population. Future research should explore the mechanisms underpinning the observed relationship between increasing multimorbidity count and reduced HbA1c alongside increased mortality in people with T2D and further examine the implications of different patterns of multimorbidity across different ethnic groups. Better understanding of these issues, especially effects of condition type, will enable more effective personalisation of care

Conscious monitoring and control (reinvestment) in surgical performance under pressure.

Research on intraoperative stressors has focused on external factors without considering individual differences in the ability to cope with stress. One individual difference that is implicated in adverse effects of stress on performance is "reinvestment," the propensity for conscious monitoring and control of movements. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of reinvestment on laparoscopic performance under time pressure

Multimorbidity, glycaemic variability and time in target range in people with type 2 diabetes: a baseline analysis of the GP-OSMOTIC trial

Aims: To explore associations between multimorbidity condition counts (total; concordant (diabetes-related); discordant (unrelated to diabetes)) and glycaemia (HbA1c; glycaemic variability (GV); time in range (TIR)) using data from a randomised controlled trial examining effectiveness of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Methods: Cross-sectional study: 279 people with T2D using baseline data from the General Practice Optimising Structured MOnitoring To Improve Clinical outcomes (GP-OSMOTIC) trial from 25 general practices in Australia. Number of long-term conditions (LTCs) in addition to T2D used to quantify total/concordant/discordant multimorbidity counts. GV (measured by coefficient of variation (CV)) and TIR derived from CGM data. Multivariable linear regression models used to examine associations between multimorbidity counts, HbA1c (%), GV and TIR. Results: Mean (SD) age of participants 60.4 (9.9) years; 40.9% female. Multimorbidity was present in 89.2% of participants. Most prevalent comorbid LTCs: hypertension (57.4%), painful conditions (29.8%), coronary heart disease (22.6%) and depression (19.0%). No evidence of associations between multimorbidity counts, HbA1c, GV and TIR. Conclusions: While multimorbidity was common in this T2D cohort, it was not associated with HbA1c, CV or TIR. Future studies should explore factors other than glycaemia that contribute to the increased mortality observed in those with multimorbidity and T2D