Kepimpinan distributif pemimpin sekolah, pengurusan konflik dan persekitaran sekolah berkesan dan sekolah kurang berkesan

Malaysia Education Blueprint (MEB) 2013-2025 emphasizes distributive leadership practices among school leaders by the year 2016. These efforts be conducted towards improving social capital and economic capital through effective school improvement, quality improvement of human capital, and the growth of state assets to achieve a developed nation by 2020. However, issues of education transformation and the complexity of leadership has led to increasing complexity of continuous conflict and affects the school's quality and performance. This study was conducted, to reviewing the distributive leadership among school leaders, conflict management, and the school environment in two different categories of schools namely effective school and less effective school. Specifically, this study examines the effect and relationship of distributive leadership practices for the conflict management and the school environment in addition to review the role of conflict management that acts as a mediator in the association relations. Cross-sectional survey method was applied in the process of collecting data through Leadership Performance Inventory (LPI) formed by Kouzes and Posner in 2003, Rahim Organizational Conflict Inventory – II (ROCI-II) that was formed in 1983, and Teacher School Environment Questionnaire (TSEQ) formed by Lemerle in 2005. 460 school leaders were choosen as respondents. The findings show distributive leadership proved affects on conflict management in effective schools and less effective schools. In addition, the distributive leadership also has a relationship with the school environment and influence on the school environment in effective schools and less effective schools. In conclusion, the findings prove conflict management as mediator variables between distributive leadership with the school environment relationship which acts as a partial mediator in conflict management. This study successfully links three main theories which high practices of conflict management lead to increased distributive leadership skills and thus improve the quality of school environment. This study also can be used by school leaders as a guide in assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the leadership aspects in addition to the basic reference to improve the range of knowledge, skills, and leadership management as sharing the vision, values, duties and responsibilities of the organization in particular, as well as research in aspects of conflict management and schools environment generally

Effect of urea-N on growth and indoleacetic acid production of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (Sb16) isolated from rice growing soils in Malaysia

Growth and activity of N2-fixing bacteria can be affected by N fertilizer application. A study was conducted at Universiti Putra Malaysia, Malaysia, to determine the effect of urea-N on the growth and indoleacetic acid (IAA) production of diazotrophic Stenotrophomonas maltophilia strain Sb16 (accession number, JQ820255), previously isolated from rice (Oryza sativa L.) growing soils of Malaysia. Five rates of N from urea fertilizer were applied (0, 50, 100, 150, and 200 kg ha-1) to the flooded rice soil and incubated in the control environment for 6 wk. Results showed that the population growth increased with increased N rates and highest population (8.2 log10 cfu mL-1) recorded in soil-standing water at the second week of incubation. The population decreased with the reduction of total N. Soil and soil water pH increased from 7.1 to 8.4 at the first week of incubation. Production of indoleacetic acid was significantly reduced with N fertilizer application. The highest indoleacetic acid (2.6 mg mL-1) was produced in the control treatment. Application of high rates of N fertilizer increased the population of diazotrophic strain Sb16 but significantly reduced indoleacetic acid production

Pengaruh kepimpinan distributif terhadap pengurusan konflik dalam kalangan pemimpin sekolah

Amalan kepimpinan distributif dalam kalangan pemimpin sekolah adalah elemen penting dalam menjayakan pelaksanaan Pelan Pembangunan Pendidikan Malaysia 2013-2025 ke arah meningkatkan amalan kepimpinan berkesan. Kajian ini dijalankan bagi mengenal pasti perkaitan antara kepimpinan distributif dengan pengurusan konflik dalam kalangan pemimpin-pemimpin sekolah. Kajian ini mengguna pakai pendekatan kuantitatif dalam kajian keratan rentas untuk mengumpul data berkenaan kepimpinan distributif dan pengurusan konflik. Populasi kajian melibatkan pemimpin-pemimpin di sekolah menengah kebangsaan zon utara, Semenanjung Malaysia dan persampelan rawak berstrata digunakan untuk memilih responden kajian. Instrumen yang digunakan ialah soal selidik Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) yang dibina oleh Kouzes dan Posner pada tahun 1995 dan soal selidik Rahim Organizational Conflict Inventory – II (ROCI-II), yang dibina oleh Rahim pada tahun 1983. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan terdapat hubungan yang signifikan dan positif antara kepimpinan distributif dan pengurusan konflik yang mana kepimpinan distributif juga didapati memberi pengaruh kepada pengurusan konflik di sekolah. Justeru, elemen di dalam amalan kepimpinan distributif perlu diterapkan kepada pemimpin-pemimpin sekolah dalam mempastikan keberkesanan kepimpinan sekolah dapat dicapai seperti mana yang telah dirangka dalam Pelan Pembangunan Pendidikan Malaysia 2013-2025

The efficiency of cell sorting and harvesting methods for in vitro expansion of human umbilical cord blood derived CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells

Introduction: During the last three decades hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) has become a well-established treatment for many hematologic malignancies. The most important limitation for HSC transplantation is the low number of hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) that can lead to delayed engraftment or graft failures. Numerous attempts have been made to improve in vitro HSC expansion via optimization of various methods such as isolation techniques, supplementing with growth factors, utilizing stromal cells as feeder layer and other culture conditions. Objective: This project is aimed to decipher the efficiency of an isolation technique and retrieval of culture expanded HSC from feeder layer using two different harvesting methods. Materials and Methods: Hematopoietic stem cells from human umbilical cord blood were isolated via MACS mediated CD34+ double sorting. Then, the cells were cultured onto MSC feeder layer for 3 and 5 days. Culture expanded cells were harvested using two different harvesting method namely cell aspiration and trypsinization methods. Hematopoietic stem cell expansion index were calculated based on harvesting methods for each time point. Results: The numbers of HSC isolated from human umbilical cord blood were 1.64 x 106 and 1.20 x106 cells at single and double sortings respectively. Although the number of sorted cells diminished at the second sorting yet the yield of CD34+ purity has increased from 43.73% at single sorting to 81.40% at double sorting. Employing the trypsinization method, the HSC harvested from feeder layer showed a significant increase in expansion index (EI) as compared to the cell aspiration harvesting method (p≤ 0.05). However, the purity of CD34+ HSC was found higher when the cells were harvested using aspiration method (82.43%) as compared to the trypsinization method (74.13%). Conclusion: A pure population of CD34+ HSC can be retrieved when the cells were double sorted using MACS and expanded in culture after being harvested using cell aspiration method

Generation and characterisation of human umbilical cord derived mesenchymal stem cells by explant method

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from human umbilical cord (UC) have been considered as an important tool for treating various malignancies, tissue repair and organ regeneration. Umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) are better alternative to MSCs that derived from bone marrow (BM-MSCs) as they are regarded as medical waste with little ethical concern for research and easily culture-expanded. In this present study, the foetal distal end of human UC was utilised to generate MSC by explant method. Upon in vitro culture, adherent cells with fibroblastic morphology were generated with rapid growth kinetics. Under the respective inductive conditions, these cells were capable of differentiating into adipocytes and osteocytes; express an array of standard MSC’s surface markers CD29, CD73, CD90, CD106 and MHC-class I. Further assessment of immunosuppression activity revealed that MSCs generated from UC had profoundly inhibited the proliferation of mitogen-activated T lymphocytes in a dosedependent manner. The current laboratory findings have reinforced the application of explant method to generate UCMSCs thus, exploring an ideal platform to fulfil the increasing demand of MSCs for research and potential clinical use

FLIPPED: A Case Study in Fundamental of Accounting in Malaysian Polytechnic

The new pedagogical flipped classroom was designed, developed and implemented using Flexible environments, Learning culture, Intentional content, Professional educators, Progressive activities, Engaging experiences, and Diversified platforms, also known as the FLIPPED model. The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of student interaction and engagement in a flipped classroom on student’s achievement, knowledge, skill and attitude (KSAs) towards the subject, and course satisfaction. This study used mixed method design; a 5 likert scale questionnaire with open ended questions had been distributed, and a pre-test and post-test design was carried out. The results were analysed using paired sample t-test and linear regression analysis. The findings of the study indicated no significant difference between the effect of student interaction and engagement on student satisfaction and KSAs except for student achievement. However, students had positive comments on the implementation, instruction and interaction outside the classroom. This study concludes that flipped classroom design and development could be implemented with improvements

Comparative study of the biological properties of foetal and placental distal ends of human umbilical cord wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem cells

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are defined as a non-haematopoietic multipotent stem cells with the ability to self-renew; capable of differentiating into various mature cells and exert potent immunomodulatory activities on immune cells. These unique characteristics and properties of MSC had enabled them to be recognised as an attractive tool in stem cell based immunotherapy, gene therapy and regenerative medicine especially for fatal or incurable diseases. To date, many studies have demonstrated that MSC can be generated from various organs and tissues, such as birth-associated tissues including placenta, amnion and umbilical cord. Umbilical cord derived MSC (UC-MSC) has long been considered as an alternative to MSC that derived from bone marrow (BM-MSC) as they are regarded as medical waste with little ethical concern for research and easily culture expanded. The human umbilical cord (UC) comprises of various compartments such as two arteries, one vein, amnion, and Wharton’s jelly (WJ). Cells isolated from these compartments were found to be plastic adherent and able to differentiate into many cell types such as osteoblasts, adipocytes,chondrocytes, hepatocytes, neural and cardiac cells. Since MSC are migrating from foetal liver to the bone marrow at last trimester of pregnancy, thus the chances of MSC to be deposited at various compartments of umbilical cord will principally different too. Thus, the present study is aimed to determine a better anatomical part of umbilical cord which potentially yield a greater number and quality of MSC. In this present study, two distinguished anatomical parts of human umbilical cord Wharton’s jelly were consumed to generate MSC. These are foetal distal end (FE) that connected to the newborn baby and the placental distal end (PE) which is adjacent to the placenta. Mesenchymal stem cells were generated from the explants method where Wharton’s jelly of umbilical cord were minced up to paste-like state and cultured in the same condition. The generated WJ-MSC were characterised using a standard panel of surface markers and their ability to differentiate into osteoblasts and adipocytes followed by quantification of PCR gene expression. The immunomodulatory effect of MSC that generated from both ends were tested with mitogen activated T cells along with Jurkat cells through tritiated thymidine assay, cell cycle assay and apoptosis assay. The possibility of generating WJ-MSC from both distal ends of umbilical cord was about 37-50%. The adherent cells generated from FE and PE distal ends have exhibited similar morphological characteristics, presented as spindle-shaped fibroblast-like cells. As for immunophenotyping, comparable data were observed where MSC from both ends are positive for common MSC markers (CD29, CD73, CD90, CD106 and MHCclass I), negative expression for haematopoietic and immune markers (CD14, CD34,CD45, CD80, CD86 and MHC-class II). However, colony-forming unit assay of FEWJMSC showed more number of colonies and bigger in size as compared to the PEWJMSC. Moreover, FE-WJMSC showed rapid growth kinetics and shorter doubling time with an average of 34 hr. The predominant measurements in osteogenic and adipogenic induction assays via deposition of calcium and accumulation of lipid granules respectively demonstrated both MSC possessed an equivalent differentiation potency. Real time qPCR analysis on adipocytes and osteoblast differentiated from both ends showed up-regulation and down-regulation of specific set of genes, thus further confirmed the lineage specific differentiations. In term of immunomodulatory activity, MSC generated from both ends were able to suppress the proliferation of activated T cells in dose dependant manner and preserved cell viability simultaneously. Moreover, detention of T cells in G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle and arresting cells from entering into S phase were evident when FE-WJMSC were co-cultured with T cells. Furthermore, co-culture of FE-WJMSC with Jurkat cells has significantly increased the number of viable cells and rescued the cells from undergoing apoptosis. The current study displays the efficiency of generating MSC from different anatomical parts of human umbilical cord where FE-WJMSC can be regarded as a better source of MSC as compared to PE as they showed superior proliferation capacity, greater antiproliferative effect on immune cells and cell preservation ability from apoptosis. The higher expansion potential and enhanced functionality of FE-WJMSC at in vitro promise a quick and uninterrupted supply of MSC to encounter the clinical demand and research purposes

Psikologi pengurusan sekolah

Buku ini mendasari konsep psikologi pengurusan pendidikan.Pendekatan serta aplikasi psikologi dalam pengurusan dan kepimpinan sekolah di Malaysia menjadi topik utama buku ini.Kefahaman tentang wujudnya kepelbagaian karakter kepimpinan dan tingkah laku guru serta murid di sekolah merupakan faktor utama yang mampu menjadi pendorong kepada pembentukan budaya dan persekitaran sekolah yang berkesan.Buku ini menggarap panduan dan pendekatan psikologi pengurusan sekolah yang efektif, kaedah pengurusan sumber, struktur organisasi dan pengagihan tugas, serta pengurusan diri guru-guru.Hasil penyelidikan berkaitan pengalaman pengetua dan guru besar, tentang kaedah dan pendekatan psikologi pengurusan yang diaplikasikan diharap dapat menjadi panduan kepada pemimpin dan bakal pemimpin sekolah. Perkara ini penting bagi mendepani kepelbagaian karenah dan masalah.Penyelesaian masalah melalui gaya pengurusan psikologi mampu menghasilkan natijah yang positif tanpa menjejaskan prestasi guru dan pelajar sekolah.Apa yang diharapkan, buku ini dapat membantu dan menjadi panduan praktis kepada pemimpin sekolah, guru-guru, pelajar dan ibu bapa yang berminat mendalami ilmu pengurusan psikologi ke arah memartabatkan pendidikan dan pengurusan sekolah di Malaysia