bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effects of nutrition education on nutritional knowledge and dietary behaviours in primary school students in Zhongshan city
Authors: Yu Xinxue , Huang Xiaoxia , Liang Xiaoping , Ou Qian , Sun Liuqiao , Ren Jieru , Wu Qiongmei , Chen Hangjun , Huang Qiaoli , Zhao Hanqing , Wei Jun , Wu Feng , Huang Sizhe , Wang Lijun
Published: June 2024

Background

Adequate nutritional knowledge and healthy dietary behaviours are essential for promoting rational nutrition for children. However, lack of nutritional knowledge and unhealthy dietary behaviours are common among Chinese children. Therefore, we developed a school‐based nutrition education (NE) program to assess its impacts on nutritional knowledge and dietary behaviours in pupils.

Methods

In this trial, one school was assigned as an intervention group (n = 199) and the other two schools were designated as a control group (n = 140). Children in the intervention group received the NE program in addition to their regular health curriculum, whereas the control group continued with their usual health curriculum without any NE program materials.

Results

Concerning nutritional knowledge, the mean difference (follow‐up minus baseline) of average knowledge scores in the intervention group was significantly higher than that in the control group (1.99 ± 3.22 vs. 0.66 ± 3.60, p = 0.001). However, subgroup analysis revealed that this difference disappeared among boys and students with malnutrition status. Regarding dietary behaviours, the NE program significantly increased the proportion of children exhibiting high frequencies of meat and nuts consumption in the intervention group, along with diverse food choice at breakfast. Additionally, it markedly reduced the proportion of children exhibiting high frequencies of sugar‐sweetened beverages and fast food consumption. Structural equation modelling analyses indicated a significant direct effect of NE intervention on nutritional knowledge and an indirect effect on dietary behaviours.

Conclusions

The NE program effectively enhanced nutritional knowledge scores and further improved dietary behaviours among Chinese primary school students. Future NE programs should pay more attention to boys and children with malnutrition.
Transient Changes in Cerebral Tissue Oxygen, Glucose, and Temperature by Microstrokes: A Computational Study
Authors: Bagheri Marzieh , Habibzadeh Sajjad , Moeini Mohammad
Published: June 2024

Objective

This study focuses on evaluating the disruptions in key physiological parameters during microstroke events to assess their severity.

Methods

A mathematical model was developed to simulate the changes in cerebral tissue pO2, glucose concentration, and temperature due to blood flow interruptions. The model considers variations in baseline cerebral blood flow (CBF), capillary density, and blood oxygen/glucose levels, as well as ambient temperature changes.

Results

Simulations indicate that complete blood flow obstruction still allows for limited glucose availability, supporting nonoxidative metabolism and potentially exacerbating lactate buildup and acidosis. Partial obstructions decrease tissue pO2, with minimal impact on glucose level, which can remain almost unchanged or even slightly increase. Reduced CBF, capillary density, or blood oxygen due to aging or disease enhances hypoxia risk at lower obstruction levels, with capillary density having a significant effect on stroke severity by influencing both pO2 and glucose levels. Conditions could lead to co‐occurrence of hypoxia/hypoglycemia or hypoxia/hyperglycemia, each worsening outcomes. Temperature effects were minimal in deep brain regions but varied near the skull by 0.2–0.8°C depending on ambient temperature.

Conclusions

The model provides insights into the conditions driving severe stroke outcomes based on estimated levels of hypoxia, hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, and temperature changes.
The effect of social inhibition on preschoolers' behavior problems: The moderating role of maternal parenting styles
Authors: Guo Xin , Li Mingxin , Liu Wen , Zhang Jiaqi , Wang Weiwei
Published: June 2024

The present study aimed to examine the longitudinal relationship between social inhibition and behavior problems in preschoolers, as well as the potential moderating role of maternal parenting styles (authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive) in this relationship. A total of 196 preschoolers aged 3–4 years (MT1 = 3.460, SD = .594) and their mothers participated in the study, which involved two‐time points. Specifically, teachers assessed preschoolers' social inhibition at the first time point (November 2018). After 1 year (November 2019), mothers reported parenting styles and preschoolers' behavior problems. The results revealed that higher levels of social inhibition were positively associated with increased behavior problems in preschoolers. Furthermore, it was found that a high maternal authoritative parenting style buffered the positive association between social inhibition and preschoolers' behavior problems. However, maternal authoritarian and permissive parenting styles did not act as moderators. These findings emphasized the importance of maternal authoritative parenting style for behavior problems in preschoolers with social inhibition.
Evaluation of platelet concentrates prepared using different methods after overnight holding (18–24 h) of whole blood at room temperature
Authors: Mohanty Deviprasanna , Chaurasia Rahul , Kumar Anand , Patidar Gopal Kumar , Pandey Hem Chandra , Subramanian Arulselvi
Published: June 2024

Background and Objectives

Regulatory requirement of fixed holding time (6 h) of whole blood (WB) at room temperature, that is, 22–24°C (RT) results in sub‐optimal component separation. The aim was to evaluate the platelet concentrates (PC) prepared by both platelet rich plasma (PRP) and buffy coat (BC) methods after overnight hold (18–24 h) at RT.

Materials and Methods

A prospective experimental study was performed. A total of 48 WB units collected were divided into four groups (12 each) control‐1 (C1) and test‐1 (T1) for PRP and control‐2 (C2) and test‐2 (T2) for the BC method. Control groups were processed within 6 h, and in test groups, components were prepared after overnight hold, followed by evaluation of quality parameters.

Results

Irrespective of the method used, all PCs had similar volume, platelet yield, swirling, no bacterial contamination, RBC contamination, PaO2 and PaCO2 levels. PCs in the T1 group had significant differences in glucose and MPV values on d1, which were resolved by d5 of storage. PCs in T2 has significant differences in pH, glucose, and MPV levels throughout storage. PRBC in test and control groups had similar quality parameters till d42 of storage. FFPs in all tests were noninferior to the concurrent control groups till 3 months of storage.

Conclusion

Overnight holding of WB had no lasting deleterious changes. Though a few biochemical parameters in the test groups were significantly different, they can be accepted to improve the logistics of component separation. Overall PRP method seemed to have a better result than the BC method after an overnight hold.
Sexually dimorphic acetyl‐CoA biosynthesis and utilization in response to drought and exogenous acetic acid
Authors: Xia Linchao , Li Menghan , Chen Yao , Dai Yujie , Li Huanhuan , Zhang Sheng
Published: June 2024

Female willows exhibit greater drought tolerance and benefit more from exogenous acetic acid (AA)‐improved drought tolerance than males. However, the potential mechanisms driving these sex‐specific responses remain unclear. To comprehensively investigate the sexually dimorphic responsive mechanisms of willows to drought and exogenous AA, here, we performed physiological, proteomic, Lys‐acetylproteomic, and transgenic analyses in female and male Salix myrtillacea exposed to drought and AA‐applicated drought treatments, focusing on protein abundance and lysine acetylation (LysAc) changes. Drought‐tolerant females suffered less drought‐induced photosynthetic and oxidative damage, did not activate AA and acetyl‐CoA biosynthesis, TCA cycle, fatty acid metabolism, and jasmonic acid signaling as strongly as drought‐sensitive males. Exogenous AA caused overaccumulation of endogenous AA and inhibition of acetyl‐CoA biosynthesis and utilization in males. However, exogenous AA greatly enhanced acetyl‐CoA biosynthesis and utilization and further enhanced drought performance of females, possibly determining that AA improved drought tolerance more in females than in males. Interestingly, overexpression of acetyl‐CoA synthetase (ACS) could reprogram fatty acids, increase LysAc levels, and improve drought tolerance, highlighting the involvement of ACS‐derived acetyl‐CoA in drought responses. In addition, drought and exogenous AA induced sexually dimorphic LysAc associated with histones, transcription factors, and metabolic enzymes in willows. Especially, exogenous AA may greatly improve the photosynthetic capacity of S. myrtillacea males by decreasing LysAc levels and increasing the abundances of photosynthetic proteins. While hyperacetylation in glycolysis, TCA cycle, and fatty acid biosynthesis potentially possibly serve as negative feedback to acclimate acetyl‐CoA biosynthesis and utilization in drought‐stressed males and AA‐applicated females. Thus, acetyl‐CoA biosynthesis and utilization determine the sexually dimorphic responses of S. myrtillacea to drought and exogenous AA.
Assessment of Construction Practitioners’ Knowledge Sharing Attitude in Construction Projects in Nigeria
Authors: Bashir Amina Sani , Kolo Baba Adama , Ibrahim Mukhtar Kofarbai
Published: June 2024

Individuals such as construction practitioners (CPs) are the focal point of knowledge sharing (KS). KS plays a cardinal role in knowledge management (KM). It is recognised as one of the most crucial aspect of KM which leads to better performance of organisations and construction projects. Literature has shown that KS success is largely driven by individual level variables such as attitude. Studies on KS largely neglect the individual level variables, e.g. perception, motivation and attitude. Hence, there is a lack of knowledge on the influence of the determinants of attitude on construction practitioners’ (CPs’) KS attitude. Therefore, this study aimed at assessing the influence of the determinants of attitude on CPs' KS attitude in construction projects with a view to improving knowledge sharing among CPs. The determinants of KS attitude and their components were identified from literature and were used to conduct a survey to assess the CPs' KS attitude. Quantitative method was adopted for this research and the data were collected using structured questionnaire administered to 174 Construction practitioners using Stratified Random Sampling. Data were analysed using Structural Equation Modelling. The study identified six determinants of KS attitude with four independent (perceiver, target, intensity and persistence) and two dependents (cognitive and affective). It was found out that the CPs perceiver, target, intensity and persistence as determinants of KS has influence on KS attitude. The study also found a high significant influence between measures of CPs’ motivation (intensity & persistence) KS attitude compared to measures of their perception (perceiver & target) and the strongest influence is between CPs intensity and their cognitive. The study concludes that CP’s as the perceivers and KS as what is been perceived (target) do not affect CPs  knowledge sharing attitude, instead intensity and persistence (motivation) does. This study recommends that CPs should be educated about their perception of KS. The study  recommends that construction practitioners level of motivation should be increased because motivation is what derives them to share knowledge rather than perception.
Relationship Between Tenant Characteristics and Lease Performance Indicators in Nigeria: A Case Study in Ibadan
Authors: Adebisi Oluwasola
Published: June 2024

This study examined the relationship between tenants’ characteristics and lease performance indicators in Ibadan, Nigeria. The Data for this study were obtained from the Estate Surveying and Valuation firms, and information on tenant characteristics was obtained from the tenant’s acquaintance forms in their portfolio. Out of the one hundred and five (105) Estate Surveying and Valuation firms surveyed, only 85 (80.9%) provided access to the required data for this study. The totality of cases identified (through the records of the Estate Surveying and Valuation firms) suitable for the analysis was one hundred and seventy (170) tenants, which accounted for tenants who were expected to have spent at least two years in their rented accommodation, representing 80.9% complete responses on information on the tenants. The data from the retrieved copies of the questionnaire were analysed using frequency distribution tables, factor analysis, weighted mean score and correlation analysis. Findings from the factor analysis revealed that affordability was the most significant criterion considered by property managers for tenant selection. Findings from the weighted mean score further revealed that affordability was seen as the most significant factor that measures lease performance in the study area, corroborating the findings of the factor analysis. The correlation analysis revealed that there was a strong positive correlation between tenants' characteristics and lease performance. In ensuring the success of rental properties, this study emphasised the crucial role of a meticulous tenant selection process by highlighting tenant characteristics such as tenants' financial capabilities, vetted personal information, solid references and guarantors, and demographic characteristics amongst others that are essential in the tenant selection process. The study recommended that property managers should keenly take into consideration the abovementioned tenant characteristics to ensure lease performance and, in turn, residential property investment performance to ensure the investors meet their investment objectives.
The Concepts of Shariah-Compliance for Hotel Reservation in Malaysia: A Review
Authors: Noorsidi Aizuddin Mat Noor , Tarmidi Zakri , Ismail Kassim Farin Ain , Deris Farhana Diana
Published: June 2024

Hotels have started implementing Shariah Compliant Hotel (SCH) practices due to increasing demand for Shariah Compliant services and facilities from Muslim travellers. Basic principles and attributes of SCH concepts were designed and developed, however, current room reservations especially in online booking platforms that support SCH concepts were not widely practised. This study aims to review previous studies on SCH practices and propose the concept of SCH reservations toward online booking platforms. This study has identified several issues and challenges, including issues on SCH concepts and characteristics and/or attributes, issues on the perceptions and behaviours toward SCH implementation, and issues on how SCH is being implemented. Besides that, this study also finds that the key aspects of SCH research are divided into 4 main aspects; design and development of the SCH concept, characteristics and attribution, the SCH implementation, assessment of SCH implementation, and customer/tourist perceptions and behaviour toward SCH implementations. This study also suggests the concept of integrating SCH concepts into the current online booking platform, via having 4 processes; improving the current online booking platform database design, improving the process of applying SCH practices, validating hotel’s applications, and integrating and viewing SCH in online booking platform.
A Review of Adequate Residential Housing Provision for Enhanced Occupants’ Work Performance
Authors: Mbazor David , Aigbavboa Clinton , Thwala Wellington
Published: June 2024

Adequate housing provision for the workforce ensures their maximum contribution to the fulfilment of the organisational goals and objectives; it ensures the comfort and security of the workers, thereby enhancing their work ethics, which results in increased efficiency and enhanced overall productivity. Housing is an essential contributor to a man's quality of life, as people spend a significant portion of their lives in their residential homes. Hence, the adequacy of residential housing has a significant influence on the occupants’ quality of life and work output. Therefore, it is important to improve the quality of residential housing to the satisfaction of the occupant. Thus, this study aims to present a literature review on the provision of adequate housing to increase workers' performance. Several literature sources are used to identify related studies that shed light on the relationship between adequate housing and occupant workers' productivity. The study revealed the conceptual dimensions of residential housing adequacy and occupants’ work performance, which include the physical conditions of the house, the suitability of facilities in the house for its occupants, and the affordability of the house in terms of occupation. The study further revealed that good quality and appropriate facilities in a house are essential for the occupant's physical and mental well-being, whereas unhealthy homes can negatively affect the occupant's work performance and overall productivity. Therefore, to improve home dwellers' work performance, stakeholders like owners, architects, estate managers, urban planners, builders, and construction engineers should prioritise the occupants' general well-being and implement housing systems that promote high performance.
Potential of Metaverse as New Technology to Improve the Property Agency Practice
Authors: Yu Leng Zhen , Hamid Muhammad Yusaimi Abdul
Published: June 2024

Metaverse technology is regarded as the new revolution of the internet. It is a digital world that allows users to create their own avatars to interact and socialise with others. The continued development of the metaverse will change the way houses are viewed and transacted in the future, improving real estate agents' marketing practices. This research aims to understand the awareness and perspectives of real estate agents about metaverse technology. Therefore, the first research objective is to investigate the level of awareness of metaverse technology among real estate agents in Malaysia. The second research objective is to examine the perceived benefits of adopting metaverse technology by real estate agents in Malaysia in the future. Questionnaires were distributed to real estate agents who work in Malaysia and are registered under the Board of Valuers, Appraisers, Estate Agents, and Property Managers. The collected data were analysed using frequency analysis, crosstabulation analysis, and mean score analysis. Overall, the findings show the level of awareness of metaverse technology among real estate agents in Malaysia and their perspectives on its adoption as part of their practices. Thus, this research can contribute to real estate agents, practitioners, firms, and researchers.
The Influence of Land Scarcity on Funeral Method Preferences in the Chinese Community
Authors: Yee Chan Jian , Mohsin Aminah , Willis Claudin Meera
Published: June 2024

Chinese public cemeteries in Malaysia, also known as "Yishan," are dedicated burial sites specifically used by the Chinese community for the interment of their deceased loved ones. These cemeteries adhere to Chinese cultural and religious practices related to ancestor veneration and the afterlife. The cemetery land is mostly provided by the local government, and the local association is responsible for managing the cemetery. Since the Yishan located in the city are already nearing saturation, the government cannot afford to allocate land for new Yishan to the relevant guild members, making many Yishan difficult to find. Additionally, Chinese graves occupy more land than those of other races due to the burial practices. Consequently, the Chinese community faces a shortage of burial land, often having to resort to more expensive private cemeteries. This paper is based on a proposal by the Selangor senior exco member, Datuk Teng Chang Khim, to address the issue of land scarcity for Chinese burials. Teng expressed the Malaysia Funeral Association's intention to promote flower burial in Malaysia, a method that uses less land, to alleviate this problem. Therefore, this research aims to identify the funeral methods preferred by the Chinese community and determine their preferences for these methods. In this study, quantitative analysis was adopted to collect data. Central Malacca was chosen as the research location because it is one of the states in Malaysia with a large Chinese population and may face cemetery land scarcity. A total of 384 respondents were needed for this analysis. The results indicate a high preference for flower burial among the respondents. Other methods, such as sea burial and ice burial, also showed satisfactory preference levels. Thus, this research provides insight to the Malaysia Funeral Association that the Chinese community in Malacca is interested in and prefers alternative funeral methods, such as flower burial, which could help address the issue of land scarcity for cemeteries in the future.
Facilitating Hotdesking in a Hybrid Office Environment: Lessons from the Hotdesking Experiences of Workers in a Malaysian GLC
Authors: Jamaludin Ain Farhana , Mohd Aini Ainoriza , Muriddan Farah Hanissa
Published: June 2024

In recent years, the dynamic evolution of work arrangements has prompted organisations to adopt hybrid office environments, where remote work and on-site presence harmonise. Within this context, hotdesking has emerged as a flexible solution for optimising workspace utilisation and fostering collaboration. This research explores the experiences of workers within a prominent Malaysian Government-Linked Company (GLC). The qualitative research presented herein aligns with three pivotal research objectives, collectively contributing to a comprehensive understanding of the hotdesking landscape within the Malaysian GLC context. This research captures the essence of how workers navigate different types of non-territorial activities that are associated with hotdesking. Through illuminating direct and participant observation as well as semi-structured walking interviews that were conducted between July and August of 2023, the study unveiled three types of work activities and six types of non-territorial work settings within the organisation. The aims revolves around an exploration of the underlying themes that define the hotdesking experiences of workers at the study site. This thematic analysis provides insides into how different underlying themes are shaping up based on the evolving spatial and social dynamics of the hybrid office. The findings demonstrate the crucial role of the physical workspace, the adaptive strategies employed by workers, and the multifarious factors contributing to their satisfaction levels. These insights provide valuable guidance to organisations seeking to cultivate effective and satisfying hybrid office environments. This research provides a holistic view of the intricate world of hotdesking, anchored in the experiences of workers within a Malaysian GLC. By addressing the research aims, it extends the understanding of hotdesking dynamics, contributing empirically derived insights that enrich the discourse on modern workspace strategies.
The Use of Retrocession by Retakaful operators: An Analysis from Shariah Perspective
Authors: Mansor Puteri Nurfarha , Noordin Kamaruzaman
Published: June 2024

In Malaysia, the insurance and takaful sector is under the purview of the Central Bank of Malaysia, and the same goes for reinsurance and retakaful operations. However, due to the country's dual financial system i.e. the conventional and Islamic financial system, conventional reinsurance and retakaful, fall under different laws. The conventional reinsurance is regulated under the Financial Services Act (2013) while the takaful and retakaful by the Islamic Financial Services Act (2013). Undoubtedly, the takaful industry is expanding in the Malaysian market today by leaps and bounds. Retakaful acts in the same way as takaful, providing (re)takaful arrangement for their policyholders. The survival of the takaful operator is heavily influenced by the retakaful operators. The takaful operator will distribute some portion of their risks that they cannot bear to a retakaful operators. However, the retakaful operators are currently unable to cover the entire risk that were ceded by the takaful operators due to lack of retakaful operators in the market, as well as very limited capital, inadequate accumulated funds, and regulatory solvency issues. At the same time, retakaful operators also face challenges in meeting their commercial goals. They, in turn, use tools such as retrocession to overcome their impending challenges. This paper aims to analyse the importance of retrocession to the retakaful company from a Shariah perspective. The research is timely as not much research has been carried out on Retakaful operations in Malaysia. There is also limited discussion related to the business models of retakaful, as well as no specific guidelines focusing on retakaful itself. Therefore, a qualitative approach is suitable for the purpose of exploring such new areas. Besides, Retakaful industry is considered relatively new compared to reinsurance.
Aplikasi Maqasid Shariah Dalam Pengiklanan Amal/ The Application Of Maqasid Shariah In Charity Advertising
Authors: Abdul Halim Anis Husna , Mohamed Yusof Mohd Faiz , Ariff Irshad Zahrah Fatimah
Published: June 2024

Charitable donations are made by individuals or organizations to help people in needs and in distress. For this purpose, the charity seeks to convince people to donate time or money to obtain resources. Charity campaigns attract people’s attention through various methods namely order forms, visualizations, photos, and stories to reach people’s sympathy and empathy to raise donations and funds. However, problems occure in charity advertisements where there are dishonest activities such as the use of false advertisements, controversial content, social exploitation, and non-compliance with the guidelines that have been compiled by the authorized body. Therefore, this study aims to explore the application of Maqasid Shariah in charity advertisements. It uses content analysis method through Qualitative method specialized in library research. The results of this study found that there are five principles of Maqasid Syariah that apply to the application of charity advertisements such as religious protection, life protection, hereditary protection, intellectual protection and property protection. These five principles are categorized based on the relevant Shariah parameters in charity advertising to ensure that the code of practice complies with Shariah law. This is extremely necessary to combine contemporary practice with Shariah principles to open up better strategies in spreading the good of charity for the good of all.
Techniques for Memorizing the Quran: A Comparative Study of the Memory System Tendencies of Maahad Integrasi Tahfiz Selangor (MITS) Students
Authors: Muslim Fakhrur Ridza , Tumiran Mohd Amzari , Zainal Abidin Mohd Zahirwan Halim
Published: June 2024

Memorizing the Quran typically employs memorizers’ common techniques, which also result in manners appreciation, and the development of motivation and self-inspiration in them as well. The approach is frequently utilized as a spontaneous practice when memorizing the Quran. However, the memorizing strategies used frequently change depending on the memory system’s propensity: (a) semantics; (b) episodic; and (c) visual. This study aimed to identify and compare techniques for memorizing the Quran among the students of Maahad Integrasi Tahfiz Selangor (MITS) Klang, Selangor. MITS secondary school students from form one to form four were involved as a sample (n=192). The methodology used in this study is quantitative. A questionnaire and IBM SPSS Statistics (version 27) computer software were utilized in the instrumentation. The Friedman test and descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. Techniques for memorizing the Quran using a semantic memory system indicated the most frequent practice (63, 32.8%) compared to the visual memory system (44, 23%) and episodic memory system (18, 9.4%). Additionally, the Friedman test found that the techniques in memorizing the Quran that use the semantic memory system (mean rank: 2.17) are the most frequently used with a significant difference χ2(2)=36.892, ρ=.000 compared to the visual memory system (mean rank: 2.02) and episodic memory system (mean rank: 1.82). This study suggests that secondary school students of MITS Klang have a tendency towards the semantic memory system in memorizing the Quran compared to the visual and episodic memory systems. Further studies related to semantic methods in hafazan can be explored, perhaps through qualitative methods as well as a wider range of studies.
Empowering Mosque Cooperatives for Development of The Ummah
Authors: Ismail Abdul Ghafar , Mohd Daud Ainnur Husna , Mohamad Nasir Nurul Syafiqah , Omar Najiha , Azzan Nurul Atika , Abdul Rahman Nurdiyana Sabrina , Azmin Ummu Sulaim
Published: June 2024

The poverty rate in Malaysia is still worrisome despite being at low rate. Various solutions have been made, including the movement of mosque cooperatives as the multi-function business centre to help and empower the community within via several solutions, such as provide financing, investment centre and halal food centre for Muslims. However, there is a number of community members that are being left out from enjoying the benefits and aids provided, and their lives are getting worse financially, especially during the pandemic of Covid-19. This article aims to examine the role of mosque cooperatives in economic empowerment of the ummah. The roles will be examined from the perspectives of business networking, and the information and governance systems of the mosque cooperatives. The study adopted the FGD with the key players related to mosque cooperatives, including authorities. The data collected was analysed using NVIVO. The results of the discussion were categorised into four main themes; acceptance, initiatives, action plans and key players. The participants agreed with the role of mosque cooperatives in empowering the ummah via various initiatives that have been taken place. Despite that, the problems arising within the mosque cooperatives have been identified and a few action plans have been discussed to rectify the arising matters together with the involvement of key players for the success of mosque cooperatives. The integration of cooperatives through mosques is a powerful tool in empowering the economic resilience of the community. The involvement of regulators, religious leaders and the community around the mosque towards the empowerment of the community within, especially the poor can help in organizing their lives better. The economic empowerment via mosque cooperatives is an initiative based on the local community around the mosque, thus mosque is not only a worship centre, but also a center for community’s economic empowerment.
Muslim-Christian Dialogue from the Nigerian and Pakistani Perspective: A Theological Discussion
Authors: Gokaru Shuaibu Umar , Mohd Nor Mohd Roslan , Abdul hamid Ahmad Faisal , Bensaleh Youcef
Published: June 2024

Muslim-Christian dialogue is one of the most common dialogues around the globe. Even though the interreligious dialogue is accepted in Muslim countries, the discussions in Nigeria and Pakistan are facing challenges. This paper, therefore, intends to examine the Nigerian and Pakistani perspectives on Muslim-Christian dialogue to analyse its legality or otherwise from the main sources of the two religions. This is qualitative research comprising the historical and contextual approach of the Qur’ān, Hadith, and the Bible as well as views of Islamic scholars and Christian clergies. The findings reveal that Islam and Christianity not only acknowledge dialogue between Muslims and Christians but encourage it among other religions for the establishment of peaceful coexistence and sustainable development of a community. This paper, therefore, recommends that Nigerian and Pakistani Muslim scholars should give extra energy to enlighten Muslims to understand that interreligious dialogue does not in any way mean to unify Islam with Christianity.
Kajian Tentang Kewujudan Isrā’īliyyāt di Alam Melayu Sebelum Kemunculan Tafsir al-Quran/ Study on Isrā’īliyyāt in the Malay World Before the Emergence of Quranic Exegesis
Authors: Mohd Zabidi Ahmad Zahiruddin , Wan Abdullah Wan Nasyrudin
Published: June 2024

The narrations of Isrā’īliyyāt are narrations that come from sources based on the pre-Islamic samawi religions, especially Jews and Christians which were later exaggerated by their priests. Usually, the history of Isrā’īliyyāt is in the form of stories such as stories from the supernatural, the stories of previous prophets and messengers, the stories of previous peoples and the stories of the end times. Islam teaches that, only Allah ﷻ is all-knowing of all the unseen, while the prophets and messengers were told by Allah ﷻ a small part of it. The scholars divide the narration of Isrā’īliyyāt into three divisions according to Shariah: 1. Maqbūl (accepted), 2. Mardūd (rejected), and 3. Maskut ʿanhu (silenced). This paper takes the form of a qualitative study with a descriptive design. Based on the three referenced studies, it can be formulated that the influence of Isrā’īliyyāt in traditional Malay hikayat already existed prior to the emergence of Malay-language tafsir works.
Gender, sports, and belonging. The role of sports participation in residential preferences among girls and boys living in Norway's rural peripheries
Authors: Gulløy Elisabeth
Published: June 2024

The gender gap in residential preferences among rural youth has been documented in several studies – and for the most attributed to educational aspirations, employment, and income opportunities. The hereby study adds to this block of research by addressing the role of sports. Sports has been connected to place belonging. As a traditional masculine arena, sports can also be assumed to contribute to the gender gap in belonging. On this background, the study explores the role of sports participation in rural girls’ and boys’ residential preferences. As theoretical framework, feminist theories of gendered space contrasts feminist theories of sports participation, supplemented by elements from poststructuralist theories. Data consisted of school surveys from pupils aged 13–16 years living in Norway’s most peripheral municipalities (N=11,971). The analyses confirmed a gender gap in residential preferences. Boys more often considered living in their native municipality compared to girls. The role of sports was on the contrary more surprising. Rural girls who participated in sports had higher predicted probabilities for preferring to live in the native municipality compared to non-participants, but this was not the case for boys. Findings indicate that for girls living in rural Norway, organized sports represent arenas for positive place relations. This diverges from prevailing assumptions of gendered rural space. Furthermore, the study questions common representations of sports arenas as local hearths for masculine versions of Northern rural identity. New developments in leisure’s spatial and social organization within the rural periphery are discussed as potential reasons for these results. By combining and contrasting different strands of feminist thinking, the study gains new insights into gender, sports, and place belonging in the digital age.
To relocate, or not? The future of small and remote communities in the Nordic Countries facing natural hazards
Authors: Baron Nina
Published: June 2024

Remote communities are often particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change in the form of increased risk of hazards such as avalanches, storms, flooding, or landslides. This is due to, for example, nature-dependent livelihoods, large distances from emergency services as well as limited resources and expertise for climate adaptation work. Still, most remote communities are dependent on support from wider society if they are to successfully address the increased challenges that a changing climate entails. 
This commentary aims to spark a discussion on the controversial issue of relocation of remote communities living in high-risk areas. In the Nordic context, relocation is often avoided (and not discussed) due to many valid reasons, such as the right of each citizen to get state services regardless of where they live, the value of having dispersed settlements, and strong place attachment of remote communities. Nonetheless, we argue that researchers, policymakers and broader society should discuss if living in high-risk areas is still reasonable in the light of climate change? While raising this question often leads to a simplified debate about forced relocation, we aim to contribute to a more nuanced debate. Maybe relocation might indeed be a more resilient and sustainable long-term solution for (some) remote communities.
Influencing attitudes of medical students towards substance misusers
Authors: Gilkes Lucy , Hulse Gary
Published: June 2024

Introduction: Substance use disorder is a stigmatised medical condition that is commonly associated with negative attitudes from clinicians, which results in a barrier to best practice treatment. Medical schools need to help develop professional behaviours in students, including compassion, empathy and respect.
Methods: We designed and implemented a brief experiential teaching activity that allowed students to hear multiple patient narratives of their addiction. The effects of this activity on the students’ attitudes were investigated using an attitudinal questionnaire before and after the session. Differences in agreement with the attitudinal statements before and after the seminar are described.
Results: 118 second-year MD students participated in this study, with 102 completing both the pre- and post-seminar questionnaire. In most domains covered by the questionnaire, the proportion of student agreement with statements demonstrated a significant positive change in their attitude towards working with substance misusers.
Conclusion: Student knowledge, sense of responsibility and role legitimacy were high before the seminar, suggesting students accepted that they would have a duty to understand and treat addiction. By contrast, their initial responses to the “I don’t like” and “I feel uncomfortable” questions suggested that they did not feel comfortable or confident with that role or anticipate that it would be rewarding or that the people would be likeable. Student responses to these questions all showed a significant positive change after the seminar. This suggests that listening to narratives of people in recovery from substance use disorders can positively influence attitudes of medical students.
Zombies, space stations and a mysterious virus! An online game for teaching outbreak management to medical students
Authors: Scovell Nikolas , Appuhamy Ranil , Heathcote Kathy , Veerman Lennert
Published: June 2024

We created an online educational game to teach outbreak management principles to first-year medical students. A post-game survey was administered to evaluate the learning experience and identify areas for improvement. Our results show the game was well received, indicating its acceptability and effectiveness as an educational tool. This supports a growing body of literature demonstrating the positive results of gamification in not only medical teaching but also health education more broadly.
Developing your philosophical stance as a PhD student: A case study
Authors: Castanelli Damian
Published: June 2024

Developing your philosophical stance can be daunting for new PhD candidates in health professional education. Contemplating the diversity of worldviews in the social sciences may be confronting for those of us from a biomedical background who are unfamiliar with the concepts and unused to metaphysical reflection. However, we need to explore the literature and reflect on our own underlying beliefs to maintain the cohesion of our research. Philosophical stance is generally taken to mean ontology and epistemology, or “what is real” and “how we know what we know”, so developing your philosophical stance involves clarifying your beliefs about the nature of reality and knowledge. Our philosophical stance will influence our research design, practice and reporting. If we are unaware or uncertain of our philosophical stance, we risk misalignment, which will detract from our research claims and undermine their impact. Our philosophical stance is, thus, crucial for ourselves and our audience. This article presents a case study of how my philosophical stance developed over my candidature. I share it to provide insights for others contemplating the same journey. In particular, this paper acknowledges and normalises how understanding and articulating that stance evolved over time.
Distinct host preconditioning regimens differentially impact the antitumor potency of adoptively transferred Th17 cells
Authors: Wittling Megen C , Knochelmann Hannah M , Wyatt Megan M , Rangel Rivera Guillermo O , Cole Anna C , Lesinski Gregory B , Paulos Chrystal M
Published: June 2024

Background

How distinct methods of host preconditioning impact the efficacy of adoptively transferred antitumor T helper cells is unknown.

Methods

CD4+T cells with a transgenic T-cell receptor that recognize tyrosinase-related peptide (TRP)-1 melanoma antigen were polarized to the T helper 17 (Th17) phenotype and then transferred into melanoma-bearing mice preconditioned with either total body irradiation or chemotherapy.

Results

We found that preconditioning mice with a non-myeloablative dose of total body irradiation (TBI of 5 Gy) was more effective than using an equivalently dosed non-myeloablative chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide (CTX) of 200 mg/kg) at augmenting therapeutic activity of antitumor TRP-1 Th17 cells. Antitumor Th17 cells engrafted better following preconditioning with TBI and regressed large established melanoma in all animals. Conversely, only half of mice survived long-term when preconditioned with CTX and infused with anti-melanoma Th17 cells. Interleukin (IL)-17 and interferon-γ, produced by the infused Th17 cells, were detected in animals given either TBI or CTX preconditioning. Interestingly, inflammatory cytokines (granulocyte colony stimulating factor, IL-6, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, IL-5, and keratinocyte chemoattractant) were significantly elevated in the serum of mice preconditioned with TBI versus CTX after Th17 therapy. The addition of fludarabine (FLU, 200 mg/kg) to CTX (200 mg/kg) improved the antitumor response to the same degree mediated by TBI, whereas FLU alone with Th17 therapy was ineffective.

Conclusions

Our results indicate, for the first time, that the antitumor response, persistence, and cytokine profiles resulting from Th17 therapy are impacted by the specific regimen of host preconditioning. This work is important for understanding mechanisms that promote long-lived responses by adoptive cellular therapy, particularly as CD4+based T-cell therapies are now emerging in the clinic.
Autoantibody-positivity before and seroconversion during treatment with anti-PD-1 is associated with immune-related adverse events in patients with melanoma
Authors: Borgers Jessica S W , van Wesemael Tineke J , Gelderman Kyra A , Rispens Theo , Verdegaal Els M E , Moes Dirk J A R , Korse Catharina M , Kapiteijn Ellen , Welters Marij J P , van der Burg Sjoerd H , van Houdt Winan J , van Thienen Johannes V , Haanen John B A G , van der Woude Diane
Published: June 2024

Introduction

Treatment with the immune checkpoint inhibitor anti-programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) often causes immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Since irAEs resemble autoimmune diseases, autoantibodies might play a role and could potentially be used to identify patients at risk. Therefore, we investigated the association between autoantibody-positivity and toxicity as well as clinical response in patients with melanoma treated with anti-PD-1.

Materials and methods

This two-center, retrospective study included 143 patients with melanoma treated with anti-PD-1. Toxicities grade ≥2 and recurrences/responses were captured until 6 months after treatment initiation. Autoantibody measurements were performed at baseline and 3 months after treatment initiation, including IgM-rheumatoid factor (RF), antinuclear antibodies (ANA), extractable nuclear antigen, anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (anti-CCP2) and anti-thyroid antibodies.

Results

169 irAEs were experienced by 86/143 patients (137 grades 1–2, 32 grades 3–4), the most common being thyroiditis (n=25), dermatitis (n=24), and sicca problems (n=19). Patients with autoantibodies at baseline experienced more irAEs (p=0.001), predominantly associated with anti-thyroid antibodies and thyroid dysfunction. No association was observed between any irAE and anti-CCP2, RF or ANA. In women, baseline and on-treatment anti-thyroid antibody-positivity as well as seroconversion during treatment was associated with thyroid dysfunction. In men, this association was only observed on-treatment. The presence of autoantibodies was not associated with melanoma recurrence (p=0.776) or response (p=0.597).

Conclusion

The presence of autoantibodies prior to anti-PD-1 therapy is associated with irAEs in patients with melanoma. Both baseline positivity and seroconversion of anti-thyroid antibodies were strongly associated with thyroid dysfunction. This association was stronger in women, with all women who were baseline positive developing thyroid dysfunction.
Evaluation of Outdoor Sports Safety Risk Management Based on Embedded Systems
Authors: Du Weiti , Sun Ke
Published: June 2024

With the increasing popularity of outdoor sports, sports safety issues have gradually become prominent. In order to effectively manage safety risks in outdoor sports, this paper proposes an embedded system-based outdoor sports safety risk management and evaluation method. Intended to provide safety assurance for outdoor sports participants through real-time data collection, intelligent analysis, and early warning. This method identifies safety risk patterns in different sports scenarios through training and learning historical data. This paper also studied the construction method of an outdoor tourism security system and proposed an embedded system for encrypting the outdoor sports security database. An embedded system for encrypting outdoor sports security databases has been proposed. The simulation results show that the recall rate of the model is 92.8%, and the accuracy rate is 95.7%. The model can predict potential security risks based on real-time collected data and generate corresponding warning messages.
Dynamics and Implementation of FPGA for Memristor-Coupled Fractional-Order Hopfield Neural Networks
Authors: Yang Ningning , Liang Jiahao , wu Chaojun , Guo Zhenshuo
Published: June 2024

The coupling between neurons can lead to diverse neural network architectures, with the Hopfield neural network (HNN) being particularly noteworthy for its resemblance to human brain function and its potential in modeling chaotic systems. This paper introduces a novel approach: a fractional-order HNN coupled with a hyperbolic tangent-type memristor. Initially, we propose a new model for the hyperbolic tangent-type memristor and fingerprints. Subsequently, we construct a memristor-coupled fractional-order Hopfield neural network (mFOHNN) and explore its dynamic behavior using various analytical tools, including phase diagrams, bifurcation diagrams, Lyapunov exponent diagrams, Poincaré maps, and attractor basins. Our findings reveal rich coexisting bifurcation behavior in the neural network model, influenced by different initial values of coexisting attractors. Finally, we validate the model through analysis and implementation using Multisim circuit simulation software and FPGA hardware, respectively.