bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
FINANCIAL EDUCATION AS A TOOL FOR FINANCIAL DEVELOPMENT
Authors: NICOLĂESCU Vlad Gabriel , TODERAȘCU Carmen
Published: May 2023

Financial education has become increasingly important as a tool for promoting financial development around the world. This article explores the relationship between financial education and financial development, highlighting the benefits of financial education for individuals, households, and entire economies. The article examines the role of financial education in improving financial decision-making, promoting financial inclusion, and enhancing economic growth. It also discusses various approaches to financial education, including formal education programs, workplace training, and community-based initiatives. Finally, the article emphasizes the need for continued investment in financial education as a key component of financial development strategies, particularly in the context of ongoing technological advancements and changing economic conditions. We will demonstrate the role of financial education in economic development, as well as in diversifying the range of financial products and services. In this article, we will also refer to financial education as a tool for consumer protection, supporting and strengthening innovation, as well as increasing access to financial products and services. Moreover, financial education is not an easy process to implement, as there are multiple challenges involved. There are no standardized approaches, but good practices observed in certain countries can serve as a starting point for the development and implementation of financial education programs.
CIRCULAR ECONOMY IN THE FOOD AND DRINKS SECTOR - A ROMANIAN OVERVIEW
Authors: PETREA Mădălina-Ioana
Published: May 2023

In recent years, the concept of circular economy has gained increasing traction around the world to create sustainable economic growth and reduce waste and environmental impact. Romania, like many other countries, has been working to adopt circular economy principles and practices in its own economy, with varying degrees of success. My research consists of a document analysis of the most recent Government Decision, no. 1172/2022 regarding the National Strategy for circular economy. I focused my research on the food and drinks sector, the main research objectives being to identify the problems and the solutions to the problems from the circular economy perspective in the sector mentioned. The main problems consist of low recycling rates, high food waste rates and the main solutions are found in education for a sustainable development to reduce the food waste and reducing the use of plastic in packaging and promoting the use of recycled materials.
ETHICS MANAGEMENT IN HEALTHCARE INSTITUTIONS - SOME RESEARCH DIRECTIONS
Authors: POROCH Vladimir
Published: May 2023

In a demarche to explore the specialized literature, our paper makes a brief theoretical review of the aspects that need to be approached holistically and integrated into the creation and implementation of the component elements of the ethics management system in the institutions of the healthcare sector. The analysed issues may also be subjects of interest for further research to offer a better understanding and effective tools for the practice and performance of healthcare organizations.
SUCCESS AND IMPACT OF STRATEGIC PLANS IMPLEMENTATION ON PUBLIC SERVICE DELIVERY IN THE GAMBIA
Authors: SAWANEH Banna
Published: May 2023

The study investigated strategic planning practices for public service delivery (PSD) in The Gambia, and examined the effectiveness of perceived strategic plans implementation impact on PSD in the study area. This study revealed that strategic plans implementation in public service organisations (PSOs) was remarkably effective, and had positive impact on public service delivery. The study showed that there was an established nexus between strategic plan implementation and public service delivery in the area under review. The findings indicated that strategic planning and implementation played a significant role for PSD in The Gambia. Simple linear regression analysis indicated significant relationship between strategic plans implementation in PSOs and PSD in the country.
EFFECTS OF FEDERATED PENSION SCHEME ON THE WELFARE OF PENSIONERS IN THE GAMBIA
Authors: SAWANEH Banna , JOBE Tijan , JAWARA Hamidou
Published: May 2023

The study investigated Security and Housing Finance Corporation (SSHFC) as a service provider and the welfare of pensioners in The Gambia. This was with the view to determining the effect of Federated Pension Scheme (FPS) at SSHFC on the welfare of pensioners in the country. Both primary and secondary data were used for the study. Primary data were collected through questionnaire administration and policy documents. The population of the study was 3383 respondents which comprised pensioners and administrative staff who were responsible for managing pensions at SSHFC. Using proportionate-to-size sampling technique, a sample size of 345 respondents was selected and contacted for questionnaire administration. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data obtained from the questionnaire while content analysis was used to analyse the documentary data. The findings revealed that the regulatory frameworks for SSHFC i.e., FPS, lacks the necessary components such as Project 59, and a provision to review the computation formula to ensure adequate pensioners’ welfare from SSHFC. Also, the findings revealed that there is a significant relationship between the welfare of pensioners and the Federated Pension Scheme services provided by SSHFC in The Gambia. The study concludes that FPS has a positive effect on the welfare of pensioners in country.
RURAL WOMEN EMPOWERMENT AND DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA
Authors: URHIBO Bridget Onajite , ORHERO Abraham Ejogba
Published: May 2023

The study looked at the relationship and impact of rural women empowerment and rural development in Nigeria's south-south geopolitical zone. A cross-sectional research design was used, and data was gathered through a survey of 750 people using a non-probability sampling technique. 476 of the 750 questionnaires distributed were retrieved and analyzed. Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 23 was used to analyze data collected using percentages, Pearson product moment correlation, and linear regression analysis. The study's findings revealed a significant relationship between rural women empowerment and rural development in Nigeria's south-south geopolitical zone. The study also found that rural women empowerment has a positive and statistically significant impact on rural development in Nigeria's south-south geopolitical zone. Based on these findings, the study suggests, among other things, that government empowerment policies should always take the female gender into account for necessary upliftment, as this will help to improve their status and rural development in Nigeria.
UNDERSTANDING THE ELITE THEORY AND RURAL UNDERDEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Authors: AFONUGHE Irikefe Omamuyovwi , AKPOMUVIRE Mukoro , CHRISTOPHER Sokoh Gbosien
Published: May 2023

The paper examines the threshold of the elitist theory and its underpinning application or relationship to rural under development within local government in Delta and Edo states of Nigeria. It is persuasive to averred that rural under development in Nigeria is not a news neither is it a scientific discovery because every nook and cranny of the areas speaks for itself in terms of all manners of human and capital under development that strongly persist or exist every where in the nation of Nigeria . Sad as it is Nigeria as a geographical entity is managed and control by government officials cadre that are broken down to the last level of government known as the local government which are hereby bequeathed with the cardinal responsibilities of rural management and development, yet it is not demeaning to state that these arm of government has outlived their usefulness due to so many factors amongst which is the sterile officials that make up the crop of the elite who could be regarded as the steering men of governance that has turn their subjective aspirations, desires and wills into the annals of governance instead of an objective desires that comes out of the local communities who are supposed to be at the center of it all. This state of affairs underscores the perpetual reasons behind the uncontrollable industry and super structure of underdevelopment created by these officials over the successive years of governance nationwide especially in Delta and Edo state as the area of analysis. The study made some salient recommendations among which are the idea of community development in concept and context should be popularized in our local communities so that people can also take responsibility of the development of their community serious however it is or look like, as it has always being argued that local government, laws should be repeal to tame the overwhelming influence of the elite against the system, laws enacted should be practice to the letter, the public information act should be effective for people to know when to hold government accountable as far as governance is concerned.
Effect of Employee Management Practices on Employee Performance in Trans Nzoia County Government, Kenya
Authors: Lydia Chebet Naibei , Evans Dr. Ogoti O.
Published: May 2023

This paper examines the relationship between human resource management practices and employee performance in Trans Nzoia County government. Despite receiving considerable funds from the National Treasury and other local revenue, underperformance as a problem among employees characterizes most of the county governments in the country; underperformance in the county is depicted by failure to meet set targets, late coming, unjustified absenteeism, and unsatisfactory revenue collection. The paper specifically focused on the influence of compensation and career management practices on employee performance. The paper is an output of a study that was carried out on “human resource management practices and employee performance” in Trans Nzoia County. The study was guided by Human Capital Theory advanced by Theodore Schultz. It employed a correlational survey design. The target population comprised all the102 employees attached to the Department of Public Service Management in Trans Nzoia County. A questionnaire was used to collect primary data. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the collected data. The regression analysis results indicated that both compensation and career management practices (β1= 0.462, P value=0.000<0.05 and β4 = 0.579, P value=0.000<0.05) respectively had a significant positive effect on employee performance. It was concluded that both compensation and career planning affect employee performance. The paper thus, makes contribution to the extant literature regarding relationship between HRM practices and employee performance by establishing that compensation and career management practices are essential in predicting employee performance specifically in Trans Nzoia County government since a similar study had not been conducted in the area. Furthermore, the study recommends that county governments in Kenya should design effective compensation policy that will ensure employees are compensated according to the value they bring to the organization and the market standards, additionally employees should be allowed to embrace career planning prospects in fast tracking their career goal progress, self-management and professional abilities.
Implementation of Educational Policies for Socio-Economic and Political Development
Authors: Ajayi ADEDAPO Adesina , Francis FAKUNLE Adewunmi , Taiwo TOGUNLOJU
Published: May 2023

Lack of effective in respect to serious implementation of educational policy has hampered Nigeria’s socioeconomic and political progress. The impetus or driving force behind implementing the policies created for efficient management of educational institutions is proper and sincere policy execution. It is thought that Nigeria’s socioeconomic and political development suffers greatly from the way that policymakers and those that implement handle educational initiatives. The paper thus provided a description of the application of educational policies, discussed some previously developed policies, identified the main reasons for pitiable application of educational policies, and discussed the detrimental effects of poor application of educational policies on Nigeria’s socioeconomic and political development. The study found that political inconsistencies were a significant hindrance to the socioeconomic and political development of Nigeria, and it stressed that the political elite in charge of implementing educational programs were mostly to blame for these issues. In order to achieve this, the study recommended appropriateness when making appointments, that poor educational policy implementation be sanctioned, and that all interested parties work together to ensure that viable and good educational policies are developed and that the necessary funds and resources are made available for proper implementation of educational policies so as to improve socio-economic and political development.
The Role of English in Relation to Foreign Tourists’ Revisit Intention for Tourism Development in Mentawai, Indonesia
Authors: Elfiondri Elfiondri
Published: May 2023

English plays an important role in tourism. In tourism activity in Mentawai cultural tourism, foreign tourists involve in cultural activities in which they are served in English by Mentawaian people. Previous studies on Mentawai tourism show that before covid-19 pandemic, foreign tourists from different countries visiting Mentawai to experience Mentawai indigenous tradition were served in English. Unfortunately it is not examined yet whether or not the service in English has effects on tourists intention to revisit cultural tourism villages in Mentawai. Their revisit intention is certainly related to the service with which they have a tourism experience. This study examines the role of the English service in relation to foreign tourists’ revisit intention with the aim of finding out the effect of English on the revisit intention. The study is important for the developing of Mentawai tourism in this era of new normal and post-covid 19 in the future. The study conducted quantitatively resulted in that service in English had a positive effect on foreign tourists ‘ revisit intention, meaning that English supported tourists’ cultural contact with Mentawai tradition in tourism activity. Tourism service in English influenced tourists’ intention in the future time to visit cultural tourism villages in Mentawai. English plays an important role in improving tourists’ revisit intention to cultural tourism villages in Mentawai.
The Perceived Role of Parental Involvement in Secondary School Management: Implications for Student Counselling and Managerial Decision Making in Kericho County, Kenya
Authors: Koros Dr. Peter Kiplangat Arap
Published: May 2023

This research paper examined the perceptions of stakeholders regarding parental involvement in secondary school management and its implications for student counselling and managerial decision-making. ANOVA quantitative data analysis revealed that there was a significant difference in stakeholder perceptions of parental involvement in regularly checking and advising on syllabus coverage, while stakeholder perceptions were almost similar for parental involvement in counselling on open days, advising children on academic days, spiritual guidance, and dealing with deviant behaviour through counselling as indicated in the high F-values and low corresponding P-values at the 5% significance level. The findings suggest that school administrators who involve parents in school management decisions are likely to receive more support from parents, while those who do not involve parents may face resistance. Based on these findings, the study recommends that school administrators involve parents in the management of student counselling, as it can positively impact parental support and improve managerial decision-making. Future research can also explore other areas of parental involvement in other aspects of school management.
Submission Trends of Medical Education Manuscripts to Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences
Authors: Jamaludin Amirah Farzana , Abas Razif
Published: May 2023

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Development of a Valid and Reliable Scale to Assess Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) on Frailty, Nutrition and Exercise among Malaysian Elderly
Authors: Mohd Suffian Nurul Izzati , Adznam Siti Nur ‘Asyura , Abu Saad Hazizi , Ibrahim Zuriati , Omar Noraida
Published: May 2023

Introduction: “Frailty Intervention through Nutrition Education and Exercise (FINE)” program is an educational program, an initiative to ameliorate frailty status among elderly due to the alarming number of frailty cases in Malaysia. The current study aims to develop and determine the validity and reliability of the KAP questionnaire on frailty, nutrition and exercise to assess the effectiveness of the “FINE” program among the Malaysian elderly. Methods: The KAP questionnaire was created based on the developed frailty module and education materials. Content and face validity were conducted before the reliability study among five health professionals and 20 elderly, while 79 elderly were involved in a reliability study in three different Projek Perumahan Rakyat (PPR) flats in the Kuala Lumpur area. Data were analysed to determine its internal consistency reliability. Results: Six items were removed during content and face validity, two from each domain. All items in the knowledge section were within an acceptable range of difficulty and discrimination following the item analysis. Yet, item-to-total correlation removes one item for attitude and four items for the practice domain. The analysis found that the internal consistency reliability was 0.852, 0.732 and 0.600 for the KAP section, respectively. Conclusion: The final version of the KAP questionnaire consisted of (11) knowledge, nine (9) attitudes and six (6) practice items proven to be valid and reliable. Thus, it could be used to assess the effectiveness of the “FINE” program among the Malaysian elderly.
Effectiveness of “Oral Health Care for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Module” in Improving Tooth-Brushing Practice among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia
Authors: Mohd Fadzillah Mah Roslina , Abd Rahman Normastura , Mohd Adnan Munirah , Zakaria Norzila
Published: May 2023

Introduction: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with behavioural problems which may affect children’s oral health statuses. Caregivers have crucial roles in caring for these children’s oral health. Thus, this study is aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Oral Health Care for Children with ASD (OHASD) Module in improving caregivers’ tooth-brushing difficulties in children ASD. Methods: Quasi-experimental study on caregivers of children with ASD aged 7 to 12 years who were registered at the Psychiatry Clinic Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Kelantan. The sociodemographic data obtained, and behavioural problems were assessed. Tooth-brushing difficulties were evaluated at pre- and six months post-intervention using OHASD Module. Data were analysed using IBM SPSS 26.0. Results: A total of 32 Malay children with ASD including their caregivers participated in this study. Caregivers were mostly mothers (78.1%) and children were mostly boys (84.4%), with mean age (SD) of 39.1 (4.19) and 8.8 (1.52) years respectively. Parent-reported questionnaire using the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) showed 65.6% of children were highly sensitive to noises, 53.1% sometimes stared at nothing or wandered without purpose and 59.4% were unable to imitate caregivers’ faces. Significant differences between pre- and post-intervention for items; children who liked to close their mouths, turn their heads in different directions, did not understand the purpose of tooth-brushing (P<0.05). Conclusion: OHASD Module is useful in assisting caregivers in practising daily tooth-brushing of children with ASD.
Qualitative Insights on the Caregiving of Gastrointestinal Cancer Patients with Low Quality of Life Scores
Authors: Abdullah Nik Nairan , Yamat Hamidah , Idris Idayu Badilla , Abdullah Nik Muhd. Aslan
Published: May 2023

Introduction: Caring for gastrointestinal cancer patients can be demanding and to some, caregivers, burdensome; resulting in them having low quality of life (QOL) and thus they may become the next potential patients. Hence, true heartfelt experiences need to be captured to highlight issues and preventive measures that are not voiced out as most often caregiving is done in silence and out of responsibility. Therefore, this study aimed to explore on the caregivers’ insights on how caregiving experience has resulted in their low QOL. Methods: Seven family caregivers were purposively selected from two oncology centres in the Klang Valley, Malaysia for this qualitative case study. The selection was based on the low scores obtained from Malay Caregiver Quality of Life Cancer (MCQOL) questionnaire during an initial cross-sectional study. Following that, in-depth interviews were performed on those selected caregivers. Interview data were triangulated with the questionnaire and observations for validity. Member and expert checking were conducted to ensure credibility and trustworthiness. A thematic content analysis was later performed. Results: Thematic analysis revealed four distinct contributors to the caregivers’ QOL; namely, patients’ financial and stress management; impact towards physical, psychological, social (including relationship) wellbeing, communication; and support from families, organisation and community. Conclusion: The qualitative study discovered evidence for collaborative support needed to ensure better QOL for the caregivers.
Characterization of Alar Ligament in Young Adult on 3.0T MRI: A Cross-sectional Study in IIUM Medical Centre, Kuantan
Authors: Haroon Raihanah , Che Mohamed Siti Kamariah , Abd. Aziz Karimah Hanim
Published: May 2023

Introduction: Alar ligament is a paired craniocervical junction ligaments which stabilizes the atlantooccipital and atlantoaxial joints. The main purpose of the study was to compare the normal anatomy of alar ligament on MRI between male and female. The prevalence of alar ligament visualized on MRI and its characteristics were also studied apart from determining the association between the heights of respondents with alar ligament signal intensity and dimensions. Methods: Fifty healthy volunteers were studied using 3.0T MR scanner (Siemens Magnetom Spectra) by 2-mm proton density, T2 and fat-suppression sequences. Alar ligament visualization, dimensions and variability of the ligament courses, shapes and signal intensity characteristics were determined. Results: The orientation of the ligament was laterally ascending in most of the subjects (60%), predominantly oval in shaped (54%) and 67% showed inhomogenous signal. Females are 70% less likely to exhibit alar ligament signal inhomogeneity than males. There were positive correlation between height and the craniocaudal diameter of the alar ligament as well as the anteroposterior diameter, which were statistically significant (r = 0.25, n = 100, p = 0.01 and r = 0.201, n = 100, p = 0.045 respectively). Conclusion: Tremendous variability of alar ligament shows that clinical and multimodality correlation needs to be exercised, especially in evaluating alar ligament MR signal in male. Taller individuals otherwise tend to have longer and thicker ligaments. Future studies with larger samples of alar ligaments including trauma cases are also recommended to supplant a new classification system of alar ligament injury.
Detection of Calreticulin as a Candidate Prognostic Biomarker in Invasive Breast Carcinoma from a Biological Scaffold-Based 3D Co-culture System
Authors: Sabaghpour Azarian Mohammad Mehdi , Saad Norazalina , Mohamad Aslah , Rosli Rozita
Published: May 2023

Introduction: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and the world’s second leading cause of death in women, after lung cancer. Calreticulin (CRT), an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) multipurpose protein, has been proposed as a potential biomarker for breast cancer. However, reports on the correlation between CRT expression and cell invasiveness in breast cancer micro-tissues are scarce. Thus, in the current study, we analyzed the potential correlation between CRT and invasiveness of breast cancer in a biological scaffold-based 3D co-culture system. Methods: MCF7, MDA-MB-231 and MCF-10A breast cell lines were co-cultured in a 3-dimensional (3D) system with MRC-5 lung fibroblast cell line in the cell density ratio of 3:1. Thereafter, calreticulin gene and protein expression levels were determined based on quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and immunohistochemistry, respectively. Moreover, via RT-qPCR analysis, the gene expression levels of calreticulin-related candidate metastasis genes in breast cancer micro-tissues were carried out. Results: The results showed occasional foci of lumen-like morphology in the non-cancerous breast micro-tissues and the formation of solid clusters for breast cancer micro-tissues. Moreover, immunohistochemistry results revealed protein expression of calreticulin in non-cancerous and cancerous breast micro-tissues with cytoplasmic and nucleic acid localizations. It was found that PCMT1 and ER-α genes were significantly downregulated (p < 0.01) in invasive breast cancer micro-tissues. Conclusion: This study suggests that CRT and CRT-related candidate metastasis genes may potentially serve as prognostic biomarkers in invasive breast carcinoma.
Prevalence and Factors Associated with Alcohol Use among Dayak Adolescents in Sarawak, Malaysia
Authors: Gahamat Mohd Faiz , Rahman Md Mizanur , Safii Razitasham
Published: May 2023

Introduction: Alcohol is classified as a psychoactive substance, and its dependence is one of the three leading risk factors for death, disability, or disease. Early age alcohol use by the age of 15 is implied to be harmful due to interference in the brain development of adolescents, causing alcohol-related problems later in life. This study aims to determine the prevalence and factors associated with alcohol use among Dayak adolescents in Sarawak, Malaysia. Methods: This was a cross-sectional quantitative research approach. A total of 12 districts within the 12 divisions were selected by multistage stratified cluster sampling. Dayak housing area lists were obtained from district offices and the local councils. The respondents were selected systematically according to male and female respondent houses, and they were interviewed using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Data were entered into Microsoft Excel and analysed through IBM SPSS Version 27.0. Results: Dayak adolescents’ mean age was 17.31 years. They were either low-risk (50.0 %), hazardous (31.0%), abstainers (11.0%), harmful (5.0%) or alcohol dependant (3.0%) drinkers. Age (p<.001), gender (p<.05), ethnicity (p<.001), religion (p<.05), employment (p<.001), level of education (p<.01), allowance (p<.001), family relationship (p<.05), and family size (p<.05) were the potential predictors of alcohol use disorder. Conclusion: Dayak adolescent alcohol drinking is prevalent and a public health problem, particularly among disadvantaged socio-economic families. The lower proportion of abstainers suggested that alcohol use among adolescents is on the rise. Hence, the results should be utilised to do targeted health promotion regarding harmful alcohol use among adolescents since early use of alcohol among adolescents may lead to more severe health and non-health outcomes in the future.
Predictors of Asthma Control among Libyan Adolescents with Persistent Asthma
Authors: Elfeturi Elarusy Nadya Mohamed , Mohd Tamrin Shamsul Bahri , Sann Lye Munn , Binti Ismail Siti Irma Fadhillah
Published: May 2023

Introduction: Among adolescents, asthma is an important public health burden that is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Poor asthma control is likely in this age group. Our aim was to identify the predictors of well controlled asthma among adolescents with persistent asthma in Northwest of Libya. Methods: A sample of 92 adolescents with persistent asthma were recruited from the respiratory clinic in Sabratha Teaching Hospital, and completed questionnaires measuring demographic and clinical characteristics, asthma knowledge, self-efficacy, and asthma control. Logistic regression analysis was carried out, taking the asthma control as the dependent variable. Results: Twenty-four percent of participants had well controlled asthma. In a bivariate analysis, well controlled asthma was significantly associated with adolescents having mild persistent asthma, not having allergic rhinitis, using preventive inhalers regularly, reporting higher level asthma knowledge, and higher self-efficacy. However, in multiple logistic model, only self-efficacy was an independent predictor of asthma control, with higher self-efficacy associated with well-controlled asthma (Adjusted OR= 1.107, 95% CI: 1.012 – 1.210, p= 0.026). Conclusion: Identifying and targeting modifiable predictors of well controlled asthma could improve asthma control. In adolescents with asthma, enhancing self-confidence of adolescents to undertake health behaviour modification seems to be an important step toward a better asthma control.
The Effect of Eating Alone and Eating with Familiar or Unfamiliar Others on Food Intake: A Systematic Review
Authors: Mohamed Nor Noraishah , Mohd Nasir Nurul Khaleda , Mohd Shukri Nor Azwani
Published: May 2023

Aims and Design: Individuals’ food intake may vary depending on their situation and with whom they are having their meal. Thus this systematic review aimed to compare the effect of social facilitation between eating alone and eating with others, and evaluate the social modeling effect when eating with familiar or unfamiliar others, on food intake. Data Sources: Articles were screened and reviewed based on titles, abstracts and keywords. Inclusion criteria included experimental design, English language, open-accessed, and published from 1980 until the review was conducted in 2018. Review Methods: Using the PRISMA method, potential studies were identified on Science Direct, ProQuest, PubMed, Scopus, and BASE databases using two different keywords combinations. Results: Seventeen studies were included. For social facilitation, seven studies found that food intake increases when eating alone while five others stated it would increase when eating with others. One study suggested that it increases in both situations. For social modeling of food intake, two studies found that it commonly occurs when an individual eats in the presence of unfamiliar others, while one study reported that it happens more often with familiar others. Two other studies observed that social modeling occurs in both situations. Conclusion and Impact: Food intake tends to increase when eating alone than eating with others while the presence of familiar or unfamiliar others may either increase or limit an individual’s food consumption to socially match their co-eaters’ intake. Thus, good self-control is crucial for setting a dietary limit regardless of whether ones are eating alone or with familiar or unfamiliar others.
A Scoping Review on the Educational Strategies Used in Intervention Studies to Improve Oral Health in Children
Authors: Ayub Siti Sarah , Sinor Mohd Zulkarnain , Sanusi Sarliza Yasmin , Ahmad Basaruddin
Published: May 2023

This study reviewed the educational strategies of oral health intervention studies on children aged three to 18 years. Eighteen studies, published between January 2015 and December 2021, were found in the major databases and met the eligibility criteria. Information on the educational activities, topics, and study participants were extracted and synthesised, and the association between the number of strategies and oral health improvement was examined.Demonstrations, distribution of printed materials, and provision of oral health kits were frequently employed educational activities of the 14 studies identified.. Of ten topics, oral health care, diet, and oral diseases were frequently included. Most interventions involved children only and few had involved the parents, children, and teachers. Improvement in clinical and non-clinical outcomes are associated with fewer topics and targeting children only, respectively. It is unclear whether mixed and multiple strategies are advantageous and cost-effective in preventing oral diseases in children.
QGIS Application for Spatial and Temporal Visualisation of Data for Food Safety Audits in Malaysia
Authors: Kuan Shuping , Chin Nyuk Ling , Tee Tuan Poy , binti Noor Hasnan Noor Zafira , bin Senapi Mahamad Sukor
Published: May 2023

Introduction: Advancement in digital technology opens new doors for food safety auditors when it comes to performing food safety audits. Surge of Covid cases since year 2020 has seen an unprecedented switch to remote auditing by the Food Safety and Quality Programme under the arm of Ministry of Health in Malaysia. Methods: This paper presents the use of QGIS, an open-source cross-platform for geographic information system (GIS) to store, manage and visualise 2 types of data, i.e. real time data collected via a mobile device using QField, an open-source mobile application and also fixed data retrieved from existing database. New data from obtained from field sampling and surveillance presents updated information for food safety auditing and enforcement purposes. A total of 4972 datasets were obtained from the Ministry of Health’s Food Safety and Quality Division database on food factories from all 13 states and 3 federal territories in Malaysia. These datasets were transformed and stored into QGIS point layer for performing data classification analysis on clustering of HACCP, GMP and MeSTI certifications. Results: The Penang state has the most HACCP certified companies in fish and fish product category, Selangor is the highest for confectionery industry and Sabah for food services. The general output of mobile GIS provides a big picture of distribution of food safety certifications in Malaysia while more specific adoption of QField can assist in effective field work planning for enforcement officers and auditors leading to cost calculation via information on location, distance and time. Conclusion: QGIS application for spatial and temporal visualisation of data benefits the food safety auditing in Malaysia.
Towards Healthy Adolescents: A Review of Smoking Impact According to Dental Perspectives
Authors: Dolah Sharina , Mohd Adnan Munirah , Abd Rahman Normastura
Published: May 2023

Nowadays, tobacco companies target to recruit new smokers among adolescents due to this age group was easy to be influenced by smoking behaviours. This narrative review aimed to explore the possible impact of smoking among adolescents. Knowing the negative impacts of smoking might result in avoiding continuing the habit or preventing from initiation of the habit. The literature search on PubMed, SCOPUS, and Epistemonikos database with related search terms of “adolescents”, “smoking” and “impact”. Only papers published within the year 2017 to 2021 and in the English language were included. However, articles without full text were excluded from this review. Fourteen articles were selected and divided impacts into three categories which are effect on oral health, effect on general health and other impacts. Possible impacts of smoking among adolescents were identified, and it could be beneficial in the development of customized smoking prevention or smoking cessation intervention for adolescents.
Trametes elegans: Sources and Potential Medicinal and Food Applications
Authors: Kanakasundar Arivananthan , binti Mazlan Nurzafirah , binti Ishak Ruzaina
Published: May 2023

The emergence of microfungi medicinal applications represents a turnover in the drug discovery field. These microfungi species are found in rotten woods and leaf litters collected from forests and reserves in some tropical countries during rainy seasons. Among these species is Trametes elegans, which shares a commensalism-based relationship with the host (plants), offering protection against external invasions. Thus, Trametes elegans possesses unique compositional values and gained tremendous interest in the last decade for its promising applications, such as inhibiting a wide range of bacteria and harmful fungi, reducing oxidative stresses caused by free-radicals, nitric oxide, and hydrogen peroxide, as well as extending food shelf-life. This mini-review reports the available literature on Trametes elegans sources, studied extracts applications, and urges the investigation of other Trametes elegans potential applications as antiviral and anticancer agents.
HLA-B 15:13 Positive in an Indonesian Patient with Phenytoin-Induced SJS/TEN
Authors: Oktapiani Putri Putu Devi , Nurul Hidayati Afif , Tambunan Betty Agustina , Hertanto Andrea
Published: May 2023

Steven-Johnson Syndrome (SJS) and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN) are severe forms of delayed hypersensitivity reaction with an underlying immunologic mechanism involving the interaction between HLA and drug molecules. A-35-year-old Javanese-Indonesian-male, with a history of seizures, presented with skin peeling, mucosal erosions, and purulent eye discharges. He was clinically diagnosed as overlapping SJS/TEN, and both phenytoin and valproic acid became the suspected drugs. Unfortunately, the seizure relapsed and alternative antiepileptic drugs were urgently needed. HLA typing was then performed, revealing the presence of HLA-B*15:13, which has been proven to be correlated with phenytoin adverse reaction by previous study. Thus, phenytoin was totally discontinued and he
only prescribed monotherapy valproic acid. Given the high prevalence and common use of phenytoin in clinical practice, HLA evaluation before phenytoin prescription in Indonesia is important. Further studies are recommended to provide more evidence regarding the role of HLA-B*15:13 in phenytoin-induced severe hypersensitivity reactions in Indonesia.
Modified Impression Technique of a Custom Made Hand Painted Iris For an Ocular Prosthesis: A Case Report
Authors: Mohamed Nusima , Azahari Muhammad Amin
Published: May 2023

The enucleation of the eye due to variety of causes such as trauma, tumor and severe eye disease or infection has resulted to permanent defect of sight and aesthetic. Defects of the eye may include removal of a part of or the entire orbit which has affected patient’s psychology. Restoring the defect with pre-fabricated or custom-made ocular prosthesis will restore aesthetics and improves patient’s social confidence. This is a case report of construction a custom-made; hand painted iris of ocular prosthesis on a patient with missing left eye due to trauma using modified impression method. The case describes the process of constructing the custom-made ocular prosthesis with modification of impression technique to improve accuracy and fitting. It is aim to highlight the importance of custom-made
prosthesis as compared to pre-fabricated ocular prosthesis on its property, fitting to eye socket, hygiene and aesthetic satisfaction.
Development and Feasibility Assessment of a Nutrition Screening Guideline in Older Patients for Use by Healthcare Staff in Health Clinic Setting: An Action Research Study
Authors: Sheikh Hishamuddin Siti Nur Amirah , Hamirudin Aliza Haslinda , Harith Sakinah , Md Aris Mohd Aznan , Abd Aziz Karimah Hanim , A Rashid Nurul Syaireen
Published: May 2023

Introduction: Older persons are more susceptible to malnutrition. However, malnutrition identification through nutrition screening is not routinely performed in Malaysia’s health clinics due to no specific nutrition screening guideline and validated tool in this setting. This study aimed to develop a nutrition screening guideline for older patients and assess its feasibility for use by healthcare staff in health clinic setting. Methods: This study was conducted in three phases. In Phase I, needs assessment was conducted amongst healthcare staff. Development of nutrition screening guideline in Phase II involved scoping review and validation amongst six experts and twelve healthcare staff. In Phase III, twenty-two healthcare staff participated in feasibility assessment using in-depth interviews after completing nutrition screening in older patients. Interview data was analysed thematically using NVivo Software 12.0. Results: A Malay language version of nutrition screening guideline in A4-sized with 31 pages was developed and validated. Items with a content validity index ≥0.83 from experts review were retained, while <0.83 were revised accordingly. Validation amongst healthcare staff showed positive responses. The guideline was then assessed for feasibility, where 110 older patients (mean age= 68.7±6.1 years) were screened by healthcare staff using the newly developed nutrition screening guideline. Four themes emerged from in-depth interviews: 1) Ease of use; 2) Identification and management of malnutrition; 3) Acceptability; and 4) Implementation of nutrition screening. Conclusion: The newly developed and validated nutrition screening guideline is well-accepted and feasible for healthcare staff to screen older patients in health clinic setting for timely malnutrition identification and management.
Does the Choice of Teaching Approach and ICT affect Teaching Quality During the Global COVID-19 Pandemic? A Case Study from Suranaree University of Technology
Authors: Phiakoksong Somjin , Noimano Sudarat , Pentamwa Prapat
Published: May 2023

The global pandemic has disrupted conventional higher education that relies on in-person instruction. Online instruction has largely replaced in-person instruction in regions where COVID-19 restrictions are firm. This study investigates teaching pattern effectiveness and ICT use support at Suranaree University of Technology (SUT). The data were collected from 377 students and 217 teachers via online questionnaires. The Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) and the Tukey-HSD method were able to identify significant trends in teaching approaches and ICT usage affecting both teaching and learning achievements. The results showed that effective teaching techniques included (1) Pre-recorded teaching videos as the main process at medium usage (average at 51.92% of teaching time) combined with (2) F2F live teaching and/or (3) Homework and assignments at low usage (average at 28.14% and 26.28% of teaching time, respectively). The ICT with significant impacts on teaching achievement were (1) ICT for communication i.e., Zoom Meeting and (2) ICT for classroom participation specifically Google forms. These teaching approaches and ICT usages patterns may support student were achievement and thus their learning during the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Should A Rule of Thumb be used to Calculate PLS-SEM Sample Size
Authors: Jhantasana Chanta
Published: May 2023

Partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) is more commonly used in marketing research because small sample sizes can be used. The main advantage is that the rule of thumb is often used to determine sample size, but the results may be underpowered. Therefore, appropriate sample size is still required to reach the acquired power of 0.80, which should be adequate to avoid false positive and false adverse effects arising from sample sizes that are too large or too small.
This research investigates the impact of different sample sizes on the power of analysis, the effect size, and the significance level of the model fitness and parameter estimation process. Many methods are used to generate study sample sizes, such as minimum R2, ten-time rule, inverse square root method, Marsh et al. method, Soper method, and Yamane method. The rule of thumb methods of minimum R2 and ten-time rule generate sample sizes that are too small and inappropriate for PLS-SEM.
However, the findings have shown that PLS-SEM can be effective with small sample sizes, but the sample size should be more significant than that generated by the rule-of –thumb methods. The appropriate sample size for this study was 50, with a power of 0.81 and an effect size (f2) ranging between 0.437 and 0.506.
Reviewing ADANCO 2.3.1 for a Modern Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Model to be Used in Online Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Jhantasana Chanta
Published: May 2023

The current study employed a composite model to examine the factors affecting student satisfaction with online education (OE) and the relationship between it and student life quality during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the research reviewed the ADANCO 2.3.1 software for composite analysis. A sample of 257 management science students from anonymous Rajabhat University was used for this study. The findings indicate that only the factors of output and setup had a significant relationship with student satisfaction concerning OE. The relationship between student satisfaction with OE and the quality of student life was found to be significant. The ADANCO was extremely useful for doing confirmatory composite analysis (CCA) in modern partial least squares structural equation models (PLS-SEM). It was also a helpful tool for transforming latent and observable variables into emergent ones for CCA research. This study successfully resolved the standard bias method resulting in a better outcome.
Marital Status and Family Establishment among Diverse Sexuality
Authors: Homla-or Nitibhat
Published: May 2023

While the time has been ticking, social paradigm and movements towards an individual life, romantic emotions have been playing their crucial roles in support of our happiness and for the sake of living people’s lives in the very-long term. No matter what (your) status is - whether single or married-, our rights and liberties are protected by the Constitution (regardless of different jurisdictions). Meanwhile, they shall not be constitutionally discriminatory as long as such discrimination must not significantly impact social activities. This paper aims to define and underline how important both ‘marital status’ and ‘family establishment’ would be among the diverse sexuality through the lens of recognizable social perceptions as well as modern media. Hence, the aforementioned analysis is to point out that the Thai existing Civil and Commercial Code (CCC) is not in line with the modern social perceptions. This paper also concludes that the CCC’s objectives are obsolete and not responsive to the growing recognition of diverse sexuality, particularly in the Thai society. The CCC was initially drafted to affirm the formation of heterosexual and monogamous family institution. This article argues that reproductivity cannot be a requirement of lawful marriage and a norm for a family institution.