Acute and subacute oral toxicity of Litsea elliptica Blume essential oil in rats

Litsea elliptica Blume has been traditionally used to treat headache, fever, and stomach ulcer, and has also been used as an insect repellent. The acute and subacute toxicities of L. elliptica essential oil were evaluated orally by gavage in female Sprague-Dawley rats. For the acute toxicity study, L. elliptica essential oil was administered in doses from 500 to 4 000 mg/kg (single dose), and in the subacute toxicity test, the following doses were used: 125, 250, and 500 mg/kg, for 28 consecutive days. In the acute toxicity study, L. elliptica essential oil caused dose-dependent adverse behaviours and mortality. The median lethal dose value was 3 488.86 mg/kg and the acute non-observed-adversed-effect level value was found to be 500 mg/kg. The subacute toxicity study of L. elliptica essential oil did not reveal alterations in body weight, and food and water consumptions. The haematological and biochemical analyses did not show significant differences between control and treated groups in most of the parameters examined, except for the hemoglobin, mean cell hemoglobin concentration, mean cell volume, mean cell hemoglobin, serum albumin, and serum sodium. However, these differences were still within the normal range. No abnormalities or histopathological changes were observed in the liver, pancreatic islet of Langerhans, and renal glomerulous and tubular cells of all treated groups. In conclusion, L. elliptica essential oil can be classified in the U group, which is defined as a group unlikely to present an acute hazard according to World Health Organization (WHO) classification.     

Increasing teachers' use of communication-supporting strategies: findings from an exploratory study using the Communication Supporting Classroom Observation Tool (CSCOT) in primary schools in Brunei

The Communication Supporting Classroom Observation Tool (CSCOT) is used in the UK to identify how teachers support children's communication development. This study evaluates the feasibility and impact of collaborative training for teachers using the CSCOT, delivered by specialist teachers and a speech and language therapist. Classroom practice was observed twice using the CSCOT before the collaborative training (repeated baseline). Five teachers then received the collaborative training, informed by their baseline CSCOT results. The training consisted of detailed feedback, target setting and support from the school Special Educational Needs Assistant (SENA) over a period of 20 weeks. Five further teachers did not participate in this training but acted as a control group. The CSCOT observations were then repeated for all 10 classroom teachers. The total score of the CSCOT significantly increased for the five teachers who received training only. There was no increase during the repeated baseline phase, suggesting that the increase was due to the training. All five teachers who participated in training increased their use of their targeted communication-supporting strategies. The CSCOT can be used as part of collaborative training to increase teachers' use of communication-supporting strategies in primary schools in Brunei.     

Google docs for higher education: Evaluating online interaction and reflective writing using content analysis approach

Education and Information Technologies - This study explores the types of online interaction used and levels of reflection achieved by undergraduate students, including the influence of the former...     

Diversity in education using blended learning in Sarawak

One of the objectives of Malaysia Ministry of Education is to provide educational opportunities for all Malaysians. Are education opportunities given fairly to all Malaysians who come from two big regions and divided by the South China Sea？ The web infancy era, where the World Wide Web （WWW） is blooming fast, has changed the new millennium teaching and learning process tremendously. Although the online learning can reach to students regardless of their location and backgrounds, human contact is still very important in traditional face-to-face learning. Blended learning course comprising online learning and traditional face-to-face learning components is an effective teaching and learning method, where it combines the best from both worlds. Blended learning courses only started a few years ago in Malaysia higher learning institutions to give everybody equal opportunities to study. The key acceptance of blended learning approach and continuing improvement is students＇ satisfaction. This study focused on students＇ satisfaction related to the nine components of blended learning （course content, technical, flexibility, community learning, motivation, sharing, feedback, complementary learning and personalized learning） from two locations： urban and rural areas. The study employed a mixed method consisting of a survey questionnaire distributed first to collect the quantitative data and followed by the interview to refine and explain the data. The population of the study consisted of students who enrolled in the Mathematics Blended Learning Course in Sarawak state in semester July-November, 2007. Census was used in the study. The survey instrument was developed and validated using Rasch model. The semi-structured questionnaire was used in qualitative data collection. The quantitative data was analyzed by using SPSS v 14.0 whilst the qualitative data was coded by using NVivo software. Results from the quantitative data showed that students were satisfied in all nine components regardless of the location. The grand mean of all components also indicated that respondents were satisfied with blended learning course. This result was supported by the qualitative data.     

AN ANALYSIS OF INDONESIAN AND JAPANESE STUDENTS’ UNDERSTANDINGS OF MACROSCOPIC AND SUBMICROSCOPIC LEVELS OF REPRESENTING MATTER AND ITS CHANGES

This study investigated Indonesian and Japanese students’ understandings of macroscopic and submicroscopic levels of representing matter and its changes and the difficulties they have with these concepts. A multiple-choice questionnaire was constructed and delivered to 447 Indonesian and 446 Japanese public senior high school students. The data were analyzed using quantitative and qualitative methods. The findings of the study show students’ understandings of macro- and submicroscopic levels are stronger for higher-grade levels, except that the Indonesian students’ pattern is slightly different. The average percentage of students responding correctly on the macroscopic level ranges between 62% and 69% (Indonesia) and between 58% and 73% (Japanese), whereas on the submicroscopic level ranges between 56% and 62% (Indonesian) and 44% and 66% (Japanese). Their understandings of the macroscopic level, however, are higher than for the submicroscopic level. The soundness of students’ understandings of the concepts increases with grade level, except for Indonesian pattern slightly different. The average percentage of students responding correctly ranges between 37% and 48% (Indonesian) and between 28% and 52% (Japanese). Furthermore, students’ level of sound understandings of the concepts is lower than their understandings on either the macroscopic level or the submicroscopic level. It is found that students have great difficulties with and hold some alternative conceptions of the concepts of homogeneous mixtures, phase changes from solid to liquid, and phase changes from solid to gas. The study has implications, for example, the use of several routes to meaningful learning and the careful use of technical words.     

秦少游诗歌研究述评

近年来对秦少游诗歌研究渐渐增温,对其诗的评价,存在一些分歧,多集中在元好问对秦观＂女郎诗＂之讥的辩驳、陈师道等人的评价。本文就秦观诗歌研究的现状加以综述和评说,如,秦观＂诗如词＂之论的省思及秦观诗歌分期的讨论等,凡此种种困惑。     

‘Get Foot in the Door’: International Students’ Perceptions of Work Integrated Learning

Work-integrated learning (WIL) is regarded as an important vehicle to assist students’ development of relevant professional skills, knowledge and attributes that can enhance their employability. WIL arrangement for international students is a challenging issue for institutions, international students themselves as well as other related stakeholders. While there is an emerging body of literature that examines WIL for international students, how the value of WIL is perceived by this cohort is little known. This paper responds to this dearth of the literature by exploring the different meanings that international students in the vocational education and training sector attach to WIL. Using Bourdieu’s thinking tools of capitals and habitus to interpret interview data from 105 international students, this paper shows that WIL is seen to not only add value to student learning, career aspiration and employability but also transform and enhance their symbolic and social capitals. The paper underscores the instrumental, symbolic and developmental meanings that international students associate with WIL. In particular, it highlights the reciprocal relationship between students’ development of vocational ‘being’ and personal ‘being’ through WIL.     

MMP 9 Gene Promoter Polymorphism in Gastric Cancer

Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (gelatinase B) plays a key role in cancer invasion and metastasis by degrading the extracellular matrix and basement membrane barriers. A cytosine (C) > thymidine (T) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at position −1562 in the MMP-9 promoter is reported to influence the expression of the gene. Genotyping of MMP-9 −1562 C→T promoter polymorphism in 140 gastric cancer patients and 132 healthy control subjects was carried out in order to evaluate its association with progression and development of gastric cancer. The SNP was genotyped by tetra-primer amplification refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction followed by agarose gel electrophoresis. Statistical methods were adopted to test for the significance of the results. Risk factor profile of the patients revealed age above 50 years, smoking, alcoholism as the factors associated with the disease. The distribution of genotype frequencies in gastric cancer patients were 28.7 % of CC, 45.5 % of CT and 25.7 % of TT, whereas in control subjects 31.8 % of CC, 53.03 % of CT and 15.15 % of TT, respectively. The allelic frequencies were 51.51 % of C and 48.48 % of T in patient group and 58.33 % of C and 41.66 % of T in controls respectively. The present study shows the possible association of epidemiological risk factors with gastric cancer. There is an increased frequency of T allele in the disease compared to control subjects. However, there is no association of the MMP-9 −1562 C→T promoter polymorphism in the development of gastric cancer.     

The Relation of Career Indecision and Parental Attachment among Iranian Undergraduate Students

Career indecision particularly among college and undergraduate students is a concern of counselors and psychologists. This concern has led to numerous research studies related to career indecision and factors that influence it, such as family relationships. In this regard, several studies have reported a significant relationship between career indecision and parental attachment. However, little research has been undertaken on the influence of this factor in regard to career indecision for Iranian students. For this purpose, 158 Iranian freshmen and sophomores who had completed the ‘Career Decision Scale’ (Osipow et al., Journal of Vocational Behavior 9:233–243, 1976) and had been identified as career-undecided, completed the ‘Inventory of Parents and Peer Attachment-Revised’ (Armsden & Greenberg, Journal of Youth and Adolescence 16:427–453, 1987). The results revealed that a significant negative relationship was found between career indecision and attachment to mother, whilst the relationship between career indecision and attachment to father was not significant. However, regression analysis showed parental attachment did not significantly predict career indecision of students. Implications and recommendations for further research are discussed.     

Anatomy education environment measurement inventory: A valid tool to measure the anatomy learning environment

Students' perceptions of the education environment influence their learning. Ever since the major medical curriculum reform, anatomy education has undergone several changes in terms of its curriculum, teaching modalities, learning resources, and assessment methods. By measuring students' perceptions concerning anatomy education environment, valuable information can be obtained to facilitate improvements in teaching and learning. Hence, it is important to use a valid inventory that specifically measures attributes of the anatomy education environment. In this study, a new 11‐factor, 132‐items Anatomy Education Environment Measurement Inventory (AEEMI) was developed using Delphi technique and was validated in a Malaysian public medical school. The inventory was found to have satisfactory content evidence (scale‐level content validity index [total] = 0.646); good response process evidence (scale‐level face validity index [total] = 0.867); and acceptable to high internal consistency, with the Raykov composite reliability estimates of the six factors are in the range of 0.604–0.876. The best fit model of the AEEMI is achieved with six domains and 25 items (X² = 415.67, P < 0.001, ChiSq/df = 1.63, RMSEA = 0.045, GFI = 0.905, CFI = 0.937, NFI = 0.854, TLI = 0.926). Hence, AEEMI was proven to have good psychometric properties, and thus could be used to measure the anatomy education environment in Malaysia. A concerted collaboration should be initiated toward developing a valid universal tool that, using the methods outlined in this study, measures the anatomy education environment across different institutions and countries. Anat Sci Educ 10: 423–432. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists.