Validating a teaching survey which drives increased response rates in a unit survey

At Curtin University, student perceptions of teaching and learning are gathered and reported online through eVALUate, a system that includes separate unit and teaching surveys. This article reports the development and validation of one of those surveys, the eVALUate teaching survey, which was developed based on the research literature on excellent teaching and evaluation. Since its development in 2006, repeated statistical testing using progressively larger samples has shown that the survey is valid and reliable. Moreover, the way in which the teaching survey is deployed within eVALUate, appended to the unit survey, which provides crucial institutional data, has significantly increased university response rates. This validated instrument is used for self-reflection, professional development, and rewarding staff.     

The usage and adoption of cloud computing by small and medium businesses

Cloud computing has become the buzzword in the industry today. Though, it is not an entirely new concept but in today's digital age, it has become ubiquitous due to the proliferation of Internet, broadband, mobile devices, better bandwidth and mobility requirements for end-users (be it consumers, SMEs or enterprises). In this paper, the focus is on the perceived inclination of micro and small businesses (SMEs or SMBs) toward cloud computing and the benefits reaped by them. This paper presents five factors influencing the cloud usage by this business community, whose needs and business requirements are very different from large enterprises. Firstly, ease of use and convenience is the biggest favorable factor followed by security and privacy and then comes the cost reduction. The fourth factor reliability is ignored as SMEs do not consider cloud as reliable. Lastly but not the least, SMEs do not want to use cloud for sharing and collaboration and prefer their old conventional methods for sharing and collaborating with their stakeholders.     

Renal Cell Carcinoma: Molecular Aspects

Renal cell carcinoma is the most common form of the kidney cancer accounting for more than 85% of the cases of which clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the major histological subtype. The central molecular signature for ccRCC pathogenesis is the biallelic inactivation of VHL gene due to the presence of mutations/hyper-methylation/complete gene loss, which results in the downstream HIF activation. These events lead to increased tyrosine kinase receptor signalling pathways (RAS/MEK/ERK pathway, PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and NF-κB pathway), which through their downstream effector proteins causes the cell to proliferate and migrate. Recent studies have shown that VHL inactivation alone is not sufficient to induce the tumor. Mutations in numerous other genes that codes for chromatin modifiers (PBRM1, SETD2 and BAP1) and signalling proteins (PTEN and mTOR) have been identified along with activation of alternate signalling pathways like STAT and Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) pathway. It has also been shown that STAT pathway also works cooperatively with HIF to enhance the tumor progression. However, SHH pathway reactivation resulted in tumor regardless of the VHL status, indicating the complex nature of the tumor at the molecular level. Therefore, understanding the complete aetiology of ccRCC is important for future therapeutics.     

Diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction: CK-MB versus cTn-T in Indian patients

The comparative diagnostic efficacy of two cardiac markers: CK-MB and cTn-T, has scarcely been investigated in Indian patients of acute myocardial infarction. The present study was conducted for the same objective. The present study comprised of 59 patients. Males were 44 (75%) and females were 15 (25 %). The age of patients ranged from 32–84 years with mean age of 62.8 yrs. The mean age of males and females were 60 and 63 yrs respectively. All patients presented with history of chest pain with a 12 leads ECG proven MI (ST Elevation, discordant T-waves). CK-MB was estimated in peripheral blood samples at 0,24,48 and 72 hours by an autoanalyzer. Following 12 hours of admission bed side Troponin-T test was done employing cTn-T marker kit. Initially (0 hr), in 50% patients CK-MB was elevated. By end of 24 hours all the patients were CKMB positive and peak level was attained at 24 hrs. Then it tended to decline over next 48 hrs. There were no false positive or negative results. The cTn-T test was positive only in 22 % of ECG positive infarctions. However, the cTn-T positive cases were always accompanied by a higher CK-MB levels. A significantly lower cTn-T positive cases in Indian patients can only be attributed to some difference in amino acid sequence of Indian cTn-T and occidental cTn-T. A larger study from other Indian cardiac centers can either substantiate or contradict our results.     

Circadian periodicity of plasma lipid peroxides and anti-oxidant enzymes in pulmonary tuberculosis

The circadian periodicity of plasma lipid peroxide levels and activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were studied in 50 clinically, bacteriologically and radiologically proven fresh cases of pulmonary tuberculosis (age: 21–45 years) and 60 age-matched healthy volunteers with diurnal activity from 06∶00 to about 22∶00 and nocturnal rest. A marked circadian variation in plasma lipid peroxide level was recorded in healthy subjects and pulmonary tuberculosis patients with significant amplitude and acrophase around 16∶21 and 17∶12 respectively. The acrophase tended to be delayed in tuberculosis patients. Furthermore, a statistically significant circadian rhythm was found in SOD, CAT and GPx activities in normal volunteers and pulmonary tuberculopsis patients. SOD and CAT enzyme activity was noted to be maximum at 06∶00 and minimum at 00∶00 in tuberculosis patients. The circadian acrophase for GPx activity was recorded at 16∶15 in normals and around 22∶45 in patients. Moreover, the activity was found to be decreased at all sampling hours during 24-hours sleep-awake period in patients in comparison to healthy counterparts. The MESOR and circadian amplitude also decreased markedly. The decreased activity of measured antioxidant enzymes in pulmonary tuberculosis patients could probably be associated with oxidative stress and/or decreased anti-oxidant defensive mechanism in such patients.     

Improvement in electrolyte imbalance in critically ill patient after magnesium supplementation — A case report

Hypomagnesaemia is common finding in current medical practice mainly in critically ill, post-operative patients and patients admitted to ICU in tertiary cancer cases. Magnesium has been directly implicated in hypokalemia, hypocalcaemia and dysrrthymias. We report a case of 60 year old patient, suffering from rectal carcinoma for a period of one year with confirmed hypokalemia, hypocalcaemia and hyponatremia. Magnesium supplementation corrected the underlying multiple electrolyte disturbances in the patient thus, establishing a positive correlation of magnesium with sodium, potassium and calcium.     

Perceived parenting styles,academic achievement,and life satisfaction of college students: the mediating role of motivation orientation

European Journal of Psychology of Education - Using the perspective of self-determination theory, we examined college students’ motivation orientation as a mediator of the relationship...