The relationships among student characteristics, use of team learning principles in a workshop setting, and the likelihood of intent to apply team learning principles as a future manager among undergraduate students in Taiwan

Work teams have been adopted in many organizations. Given that cooperation among team members is fundamental for all work teams, team learning further enhances the capabilities of teams. Team learning occurs when team members begin to share and reflect upon information openly with each other during the course of performing work. As a result, team learning has become a highly desirable aspect of employing work teams. Most research on team learning has focused on confirming the existence of the construct of team learning itself—that is, confirming the existence of the phenomenon. However, few, if any, studies have been conducted that seek to use team learning as an instructional strategy, with the proposition that individuals who learn to use these principles might be more likely to later integrate those same principles in their management practice. This study made use of three team learning principles from the literature—boundary spanning, reflection, and experimentation—as the basis for designing an instructional strategy for a workshop to be delivered to undergraduate business students. Further, the study sought to identify the likelihood that the students would use team learning principles in their future job roles as managers, based on their workshop experience. Thus, the purpose of the study is to investigate the relationships among student characteristics, team learning principles, and team outcomes, with a particular focus on the likelihood that undergraduate business students in Taiwan might use team learning principles as future managers subsequent to having participated in a cross-cultural communication workshop that uses the team learning strategy. The following are research questions for this research: 1. What is the relationship between student characteristics and team outcomes? 2. What is the relationship between team learning principles and team outcomes? 3. What are the relationships among student characteristics, team learning principles, and team outcomes? 4. Were students aware that the workshop setting used the team learning strategy? 5. What is the likelihood of intent to apply team learning principles in the future? The research setting for this study consisted of business-related courses offered at three universities in Taiwan. Four-hour workshops on cross-cultural communication skills were conducted in the three identified courses. Quantitative data were used to clarify the correlational relationships among student characteristics, team learning principles, and team outcomes. Initial surveys on student characteristics were distributed to students at the beginning of the workshops, and the same number of surveys on team outcomes was administered after the workshops. Meanwhile, semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect additional information to support or extend results from quantitative data. Thirteen student participants were interviewed and provided information with respect to their perceptions and observations regarding their teams and the workshops. The results show that there was a relationship among student characteristics, team learning principles, and team outcomes. Compared to student characteristics, team learning principles showed a stronger relationship with team outcome variables. Moreover, reflection and motivation to learn were the main predictors of intent to apply team learning principles and team processes. The results of the interviews show that most interviewees were not aware that the workshop setting used the team learning strategy, and only one student recalled the use of boundary spanning in the workshop. Although most students were not aware of the use of the team learning strategy, some of them perceived different questions, the role of the instructor, more interaction, or opportunities to express thoughts, all of which might be related to the use of the team learning strategy in the workshops. Additional information was obtained from survey responses, which suggests that during the workshops most students had observed that their teams exhibited boundary spanning, reflection, and experimentation. Most interviewees replied that in the future they would try to apply reflection together with boundary spanning, or all three of the team learning principles. A team that lacks positive interaction, finds no consensus, or proves less willing to cooperate would act to prevent students from applying the three principles. A more dominate supervisor would also restrain the application of the team learning principles. On the other hand, a more cooperative team, with more serious team members or more proactive individuals, would help students apply the team learning principles. A supportive supervisor who would give subordinates more latitude also would help achieve this particular goal. Based on the findings, the implications of the study are provided

Nursing Students’ Clinical Confidence In Caring Tuberculosis: Indonesian Version Of The U.S Tuberculosis Curriculum Consortium Survey Using Rasch Analysis

Background: Nursing students who are prepared in clinical practicums to comprehend the knowledge, reflect their beliefs about tuberculosis instruction, and perceive their abilities in caring for tuberculosis patients are also at risk. Nursing students’ clinical confidence in caring for tuberculosis patients is essential to be assessed. Knowledge, beliefs, and clinical confidence, as unidimensional constructs based on Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy, had been used in the US National Tuberculosis Curriculum Consortium (NTCC) survey for nursing students. This study's objective was to investigate the Indonesian version of the NTCC survey among nursing students' experiences caring for tuberculosis patients.   Methods: A quantitative study with cross-sectional using an online survey among 250 students 1st to 3rd-yearrd year students in one faculty of nursing in Banten, Indonesia. Prior to data collection, NTCC surveys were translated backward and forward, reviewed by experts, and tested in a pilot project.   Results: Internal consistency using Rasch analysis on each subscale showed good results and gave strong evidence that three subscales are unidimensional. There was an item separation index and reliability score, in that order: knowledge about tuberculosis (8.68 and 0.99), beliefs regarding tuberculosis instructions (6.50 and 0.98), and clinical confidence in caring for tuberculosis patients (6.29 and 0.98).   Conclusion: The Indonesian version of the NTCC survey has excellent internal consistency. This instrument might be improved since the original instrument is 13 years old and there is a cultural gap between the US and Indonesia. Moreover, this instrument might be needed for improving tuberculosis teaching in the nursing curriculum in Indonesia

Extending Bilingual WordNet via Hierarchical Word Translation Classification

PACLIC 23 / City University of Hong Kong / 3-5 December 200

Evaluation of Antioxidant and Free Radical Scavenging Capacities of Polyphenolics from Pods of Caesalpinia pulcherrima

Thirteen polyphenolics were isolated from fresh pods of Caesalpinia pulcherrima using various methods of column chromatography. The structures of these polyphenolics were elucidated as gallic acid (1), methyl gallate (2), 6-O-galloyl-d-glucoside (3), methyl 6-O-galloyl-β-d-glucoside (4), methyl 3,6-di-O-galloyl-α-d-glucopyranoside (5), gentisic acid 5-O-α-d-(6′-O-galloyl)glucopyranoside (6), guaiacylglycerol 4-O-β-d-(6′-O-galloyl)glucopyranoside (7), 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenol 1-O-β-d-(6′-O-galloyl) glucopyranoside (8), (+)-gallocatechin (9), (+)-catechin (10), (+)-gallocatechin 3-O-gallate (11), myricetin 3-rhamnoside (12), and ampelopsin (13). All isolated compounds were tested for their antioxidant activities in the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), hydroxyl, and peroxynitrite radicals scavenging assays. Among those compounds, 11, 12, and 2 exhibited the best DPPH-, hydroxyl-, and peroxynitrite radical-scavenging activities, respectively. Compound 7 is a new compound, and possesses better scavenging activities towards DPPH but has equivalent hydroxyl radical scavenging activity when compared to BHT. The paper is the first report on free radical scavenging properties of components of the fresh pods of Caesalpinia pulcherrima. The results obtained from the current study indicate that the free radical scavenging property of fresh pods of Caesalpinia pulcherrima may be one of the mechanisms by which this herbal medicine is effective in several free radical mediated diseases

An integrated analysis tool for analyzing hybridization intensities and genotypes using new-generation population-optimized human arrays

The cross-sample plot of the multipoint LOH/LCSH analyses of the three samples used in Fig. 5. The plot comprises four panels: (a) The top-left panel is a cross-sample and cross-chromosome plot. The vertical axis is the index of study samples, and the horizontal axis is the physical position (Mb) on each of the 23 chromosomes. The blue and red bars represent SNPs without and with LOH/LSCH, respectively. (b) The top-right panel is a histogram of cross-chromosome aberration frequency. The vertical axis is the index of study samples, and the horizontal axis is the cross-chromosome aberration frequency of the corresponding samples. The pink (skyblue) background represents that the genetic gender of a sample is female (male). The histogram represents the aberration frequency of LOH/LCSH SNPs across the chromosomes of the corresponding samples. (c) The bottom-left panel is a histogram of the cross-sample aberration frequency. The vertical axis is the cross-sample aberration frequency of a SNP, and the horizontal axis is the physical position (Mb) on each of the 23 chromosomes. The purple line represents the aberration proportion of samples carrying the SNPs with LOH/LCSH. (d) The bottom-right panel is the legend of the genetic gender that is used in panel (b), where the pink (skyblue) background represents that the genetic gender of a sample is female (male). (TIFF 1656 kb

POINeT: protein interactome with sub-network analysis and hub prioritization

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) are critical to every aspect of biological processes. Expansion of all PPIs from a set of given queries often results in a complex PPI network lacking spatiotemporal consideration. Moreover, the reliability of available PPI resources, which consist of low- and high-throughput data, for network construction remains a significant challenge. Even though a number of software tools are available to facilitate PPI network analysis, an integrated tool is crucial to alleviate the burden on querying across multiple web servers and software tools.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We have constructed an integrated web service, POINeT, to simplify the process of PPI searching, analysis, and visualization. POINeT merges PPI and tissue-specific expression data from multiple resources. The tissue-specific PPIs and the numbers of research papers supporting the PPIs can be filtered with user-adjustable threshold values and are dynamically updated in the viewer. The network constructed in POINeT can be readily analyzed with, for example, the built-in centrality calculation module and an integrated network viewer. Nodes in global networks can also be ranked and filtered using various network analysis formulas, i.e., centralities. To prioritize the sub-network, we developed a ranking filtered method (S3) to uncover potential novel mediators in the midbody network. Several examples are provided to illustrate the functionality of POINeT. The network constructed from four schizophrenia risk markers suggests that EXOC4 might be a novel marker for this disease. Finally, a liver-specific PPI network has been filtered with adult and fetal liver expression profiles.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The functionalities provided by POINeT are highly improved compared to previous version of POINT. POINeT enables the identification and ranking of potential novel genes involved in a sub-network. Combining with tissue-specific gene expression profiles, PPIs specific to selected tissues can be revealed. The straightforward interface of POINeT makes PPI search and analysis just a few clicks away. The modular design permits further functional enhancement without hampering the simplicity. POINeT is available at <url>http://poinet.bioinformatics.tw/</url>.</p

Sentinel surveillance for enterovirus 71, Taiwan, 1998.

Outbreaks of enterovirus 71 have been reported around the world since 1969. The most recent outbreak occurred in Taiwan during April-July 1998. This hand, foot, and mouth disease epidemic was detected by a sentinel surveillance system in April at the beginning of the outbreak, and the public was alerted

Non-invasive and transdermal measurement of blood uric acid level in human by electroporation and reverse iontophoresis

The aim of this study was to find out the optimum combination of electroporation (EP) and reverse iontophoresis (RI) on noninvasive and transdermal determination of blood uric acid level in humans. EP is the use of high-voltage electric pulse to create nano-channels on the stratum corneum, temporarily and reversibly. RI is the use of small current to facilitate both charged and uncharged molecule transportation across the skin. It is believed that the combination of these two techniques has additional benefits on the molecules’ extraction across the human skin. In vitro studies using porcine skin and diffusion cell have indicated that the optimum mode for transdermal uric acid extraction is the combination of RI with symmetrical biphasic direct current (current density = 0.3 mA/cm2; phase duration = 180 s) and EP with 10 pulses per second (voltage = 100 V/cm2; pulse width = 1 ms). This optimum mode was applied to six human subjects. Uric acid was successfully extracted through the subjects’ skin into the collection solution. A good correlation (r2 = 0.88) between the subject’s blood uric acid level and uric acid concentrations in collection solutions was observed. The results suggest that it may be possible to noninvasively and transdermally determine blood uric acid levels

Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 mediates denbinobin-induced apoptosis in human lung adenocarcinoma cells

In the present study, we explore the role of apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) in denbinobin-induced apoptosis in human lung adenocarcinoma (A549) cells. Denbinobin-induced cell apoptosis was attenuated by an ASK1 dominant-negative mutant (ASK1DN), two antioxidants (N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) and glutathione (GSH)), a c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) inhibitor (SP600125), and an activator protein-1 (AP-1) inhibitor (curcumin). Treatment of A549 cells with denbinobin caused increases in ASK1 activity and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and these effects were inhibited by NAC and GSH. Stimulation of A549 cells with denbinobin caused JNK activation; this effect was markedly inhibited by NAC, GSH, and ASK1DN. Denbinobin induced c-Jun phosphorylation, the formation of an AP-1-specific DNA-protein complex, and Bim expression. Bim knockdown using a bim short interfering RNA strategy also reduced denbinobin-induced A549 cell apoptosis. The denbinobin-mediated increases in c-Jun phosphorylation and Bim expression were inhibited by NAC, GSH, SP600125, ASK1DN, JNK1DN, and JNK2DN. These results suggest that denbinobin might activate ASK1 through ROS production to cause JNK/AP-1 activation, which in turn induces Bim expression, and ultimately results in A549 cell apoptosis

Pendekatan Lean Manufacturing Untuk Meningkatkan Efisiensi Dalam Proses Produksi Dengan Menggunakan Value Stream Mapping Pada CV. Indospice

CV. INDOSPICE merupakan Perusahaan yang bergerak pada produksi pala, untuk terus mengoptimalkan kinerja produktifitasnya dan meningkatkatkan laba Perusahaan dengan berusaha menurunkan biaya, meningkatkan kualitas dan tepat waktu dalam pengiriman ke pelanggan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui berbagai bentuk pemborosan (waste) apa saja yang sering terjadi sehingga dapat meningkatkan efisiensi produksi, karena itu diperlukan suatu pendekatan lean manufacturing. Lean Manufacturing merupakan sebuah pendekatan untuk meminimisasi pemborosan yang terjadi dalam proses produksi melalui value stream mapping untuk meningkatkan efisiensi. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah deskriptif yang dilakukan dengan meneliti analisa pekerjaan dan aktifitas pada suatu obyek. Hasil penelitian menunjukan bahwa dalam proses produksi yang terjadi masih terdapat bentuk pemborosan berupa proses yang berlebih dan penggunaan mesin yang belum optimal. Untuk itu perlu upaya untuk meningkatkan efisisen berupa penambahan mesin penggiling pala dan pengadaan teknologi modern agar pengerjaan menjadi lebih cepat