Digital Commons Network^™

Opportunities And Challenges In Realizing Universal Access To Obstetric Ultrasound In Sub-Saharan Africa, Sikolia Wanyonyi, Charles Muriuki Mariara, Sudhir Vinayak, William Stones

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

The potential benefits of obstetric ultrasound have yet to be fully realized in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), despite the region bearing the greatest burden of poor perinatal outcomes. We reviewed the literature for challenges and opportunities of universal access to obstetric ultrasound and explored what is needed to make such access an integral component of maternity care in order to address the massive burden of perinatal morbidity and mortality in SSA. Original peer-reviewed literature was searched in various electronic databases using a ‘realist’ approach. While the available data were inconclusive, they identify many opportunities for potential future research on the subject …

Antenatal Corticosteroids For Women At Risk Of Imminent Preterm Birth In Low-Resource Countries: The Case For Equipoise And The Need For Efficacy Trials, Joshua P. Vogel, Olufemi T. Oladapo, Cynthia Pileggi-Castro, Ebunoluwa A. Adejuyigbe, Fernando Althabe, Shabina Ariff, Adejumoke Idowu Ayede, Abdullah H. Baqui, Anthony Costello, Davy M. Chikamata, Caroline Crowther, Bukola Fawole, Luz Gibbons, Alan H. Jobe, Monica Lulu Kapasa, John Kinuthia, Alka Kriplani, Oluwafemi Kuti, James Neilson, Janna Patterson, Gilda Piaggio, Rahat Qureshi, Zahida Qureshi, Mari Jeeva Sankar, Jeffrey S. A. Stringer, Marleen Temmerman, Khalid Yunis, Rajiv Bahl, A. Metin Gülmezoglu

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

The scientific basis for antenatal corticosteroids (ACS) for women at risk of preterm birth has rapidly changed in recent years. Two landmark trials—the Antenatal Corticosteroid Trial and the Antenatal Late Preterm Steroids Trial—have challenged the long-held assumptions on the comparative health benefits and harms regarding the use of ACS for preterm birth across all levels of care and contexts, including resource-limited settings. Researchers, clinicians, programme managers, policymakers and donors working in low-income and middle-income countries now face challenging questions of whether, where and how ACS can be used to optimise outcomes for both women and preterm newborns.

In this article, …

Effects Of Injectable Progestogen Contraception Versus The Copper Intrauterine Device On Hiv Acquisition: Sub-Study Of A Pragmatic Randomised Controlled Trial, G. Justus Hofmeyr, Mandisa Singata-Madliki, Theresa A. Lawrie, Eduardo Bergel, Marleen Temmerman

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Background: Evidence from observational studies suggests an increased risk of HIV acquisition among women using depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) contraception.

Methods: Within the context of a South African programme to increase women's access to the intrauterine contraceptive device (IUD), we conducted a pragmatic, open-label, parallel-arm, randomised controlled trial (RCT) of the IUD versus injectable progestogen contraception (IPC) at two South African hospitals. The primary outcome was pregnancy; secondary outcomes included HIV acquisition. Consenting women attending termination of pregnancy services were randomised after pregnancy termination between July 2009 and November 2012. Condoms were promoted for the prevention of sexually transmitted infections. …

Analytics, Innovation, And Organizational Adaptation, Gerard George, Yimin Lin

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

With the advent of big data, organizations are integrating powerful computing tools into their organizational processes to drive efficiencies and improve service delivery. Yet, at the heart of this conversation lies the role of analytics and big data in innovation within and across organizations. In this article, we provide a stylistic model of the role of analytics in innovation and call for further research on the underlying processes, contingencies, and outcomes.

When Price Precision Pays In Negotiations, Michael Schaerer

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

When negotiating, is an offer of 99.95 euros better than 100 euros? Our recent study shows that there is no universally true answer to the question of price precision and that the right strategy depends on with whom you are negotiating.

Advancing The Scientific Understanding Of Trust In The Contexts Of Negotiations And Repeated Bargaining, Dejun Tony Kong, Robert B. Lount, Mara Olekalnsc, Donald L. Ferrin

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

More than half a century ago, Deutsch (1949, 1958) recognised the critical role that trust plays in negotiations and related forms of social interactions. Despite this very early recognition, and rapidly expanding research on trust in several fields, only in recent decades have negotiation researchers begun a systematic exploration of trust in the contexts of negotiations and repeated bargaining. In the last two decades, researchers have increasingly focused their attention on the role of trust in negotiations.

What Are The Determinants Of Interpersonal Trust In Dyadic Negotiations? Meta-Analytic Evidence And Implications For Future Research, Serena Changhong Lu, Dejun Tony Kong, Donald Lee Ferrin, Kurt T. Dirks

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Given the practical importance of interpersonal trust in dyadic negotiations, scholars have increasingly turned their attention to the study of determinants of trust in negotiations. However, research in this area has not been well connected or integrated, which limits the ability of scholars and practitioners to ascertain the state of current scientific knowledge and identify questions for future research. Based on attribution theory and social exchange theory, we present a conceptual framework for understanding how a variety of factors combine to influence the development of interpersonal trust in dyadic negotiations. Then, to verify the conceptual framework, we identified and meta-analysed …

Are Shorts Equally Informed? A Global Perspective, Ekkehart Boehmer, Zsuzsa R. Huszar, Yanchu Wang, Xiaoyan Wang

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Short selling predicts future stock returns globally. We use 11 short-sale measures to examine the informativeness of short sales in 38 countries for the July 2006 to December 2014 period. We find that different short-sale measures display different return predictability. The days-to-cover ratio and loan supply measures have the most robust predictive power in the global capital market. We also document significant cross-country differences in the predictive power of the short selling measures and find that return predictability is stronger in countries with mild forms of short-sale restrictions, better market quality, and more developed markets.

Literatura Heterónoma A La Salida Del Franquismo: El Caso Del Primer Nacionalismo Marxista Gallego, Pablo García Martínez

Publications and Research

Centrándose en el final del franquismo y el primer post-franquismo, este artículo estudia la teoría literaria articulada en un momento de inflexión, también para Galicia, como fue la consolidación de lo que se hizo llamar el “Nacionalismo Popular” gallego. El estudio se centrará en los años inmediatamente posteriores al cambio en la dirección del partido Unión do Povo Galego (UPG) producido en noviembre de 1976, momento desde el cual la cultura pasa a convertirse en piedra angular del discurso de esta organización. Se trata de un proceso resultado de dos dinámicas entrecruzadas, como son la utilización de herramientas de la …

The Evolution Of Ownership Structure In Japanese Firms (1962-2012), Jungwook Shim, Toru Yoshikawa

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

In this chapter, we investigate the evolution of ownership structure and corporate governance in Japanese firms based on the entire population of listed firms from 1962 to 2012.

The Development Of A Tertiary Level Visual Communication Module Incorporating An Art Appreciation Approach / Maithreyi Subramaniam, Subramaniam Maithreyi

Student Works (2010-2019)

The central purpose of this study was to build and examine a tertiary visual communication module incorporating an art appreciation approach, a unit in graphic design and multimedia programme offered as an integral part of a subject of instruction in art education for tertiary level. The majority of the art educators is facing problems related to art appreciation. They have only been emphasizing studio art production and have no background knowledge in preparing a teaching module. The quantitative research design and procedures were employed in this study. An experimental research using the quasi-experimental design that is a single-group interrupted time …

Natural Radioactivity And Heavy Metal Pollutants In Staple Foodstuff And Human Teeth Collected From Selected Areas In Peninsular Malaysia / Khandoker Asaduzzaman, Asaduzzaman Khandoker

Student Works (2010-2019)

This study is aimed at the evaluation of natural radioactivity (natural decay chains of 238U and 232Th, and non-series long-lived natural radionuclide 40K) and heavy metal (Pb, Cd, As, Hg, Cr, Cu, Sr, Al, Mg, Sb, Ba, Bi, Zn, Rb, Mn and Ni) exposures resulting from the consumption of staple foodstuffs such as rice, vegetables and marine animals. In addition, heavy metal levels in human teeth have been assessed as a bio-indicator of exposure to environmental pollution. The studied samples were collected from different locations across the Peninsular Malaysia. The radioactivity concentrations have been measured by -ray spectrometry using high …

Aberrant Activation Of Sphingosine-1-Phosphate Signalling In Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma / Lee Hui Min, Hui Min Lee

Student Works (2010-2019)

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a highly metastatic disease arising from the epithelial cells in the nasopharynx that is exceptionally prevalent in Southeast Asia and Southern China. NPC is classified into keratinising and non-keratinising carcinoma in which non-keratinising NPC is consistently associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection; close to 100% of cases in endemic regions are EBV-associated. More than 70% of NPC patients present with late stage disease and existing treatment for advanced disease is limited to concurrent chemo-radiotherapy. Approximately 30% of these patients develop distant metastases post therapy and due to the location of tumours in close proximity to many …

Factors Influencing Electronic Commerce Adoption In Malaysian Small And Medium Sized Enterprises (Smes) / Fatima Ajmal, Ajmal Fatima

Student Works (2010-2019)

Electronic commerce (E-commerce) plays an important role in growth of Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as it allow them compete efficiently in both domestic and international markets. This study identifies factors that influence adoption of e-commerce in SMEs, in order to formulate a proposed model for e-commerce. These factors act as a set of guidelines that are needed by SMEs for the successful and comprehensively secure implementation of e-commerce within their businesses. This study uses the IS success model by Molla and Licker (2001), as the basis for this research. The model proposes a partial extension and respecification of the …

Development And Usage Of Self-Organising Maps In High Energy Physics Analysis With High Performance Computing / Mohd Adli Md Ali, Md Ali Mohd Adli

Student Works (2010-2019)

The Self-Organizing Map (SOM) was put forward by Teuvo Kohonen in 1982 as a computational technique to produce a set of globally ordered quantized vectors. At the present time, it is regarded as one of the primary machine learning techniques to perform unsupervised clustering analysis on a large variety of huge data. Implementation wise, the algorithm is also parallelizable to a large extent thus allowing it to scale up/down vertically and horizontally and its adaptable to the high-performance computing environment. Thus, development of an SOM algorithm for high energy physics datasets was performed. In this research, the effects of several …

Samarium Oxide And Samarium Oxynitride Thin Film Gate Oxides On Silicon Substrate / Goh Kian Heng, Kian Heng Goh

Student Works (2010-2019)

Sputtered pure samarium (Sm) metal films on silicon substrates were thermally oxidized and oxynitrided at various temperatures (600 – 900 °C) and durations (5 – 20 min). Effects of thermal oxidation ambient in oxygen (O2) and nitrous oxide (N2O) gas ambient on the physical and electrical properties of samarium oxide (Sm2O3) and samarium oxynitride (SmxOyNz) thin films were investigated. For all samples oxidized in O2, the XRD patterns showed that crystallinity did not increase with oxidation duration. The crystallinity of Sm2O3 increased as the oxidation temperature increased. Two interfacial layers were observed in high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) cross …

Indole And Bisindole Alkaloids From Tabernaemontana Corymbosa / Nge Choy Eng, Choy Eng Nge

Student Works (2010-2019)

A total of 59 alkaloids (1−59) were isolated and characterized from the leaf and stem-bark extracts of the Malayan Tabernaemontana corymbosa Roxb. ex Wall.. Of these, 25 are new alkaloids. Among the new alkaloids, the pentacyclic alkaloids, voatinggine (1) and tabertinggine (2), which are postulated to derive from a common cleavamine-type precursor, the hexacyclic iboga-derived indole, cononuridine 3, the pentacyclic indoles, criofolinine (4) and vernavosine (5) incorporating pyrroloazepine and pyridopyrimidine moieties, respectively, are notable for incorporating novel or intriguing molecular skeletons. Other new alkaloids isolated from this study include a seco-yohimbine (taberisidine, 7), five iboga (conodusines A−E, 8−12), seven Aspidosperma …

Fabrication And Characterization Of Nanostructured Ceramic Thin Films For Electrochemical Studies / Rabia Naeem, Naeem Rabia

Student Works (2010-2019)

This work describes some general procedures for the synthesis and characterization of monometallic and heterobimetallic single source precursors [Cu2Ti4(O)2(OH)4(TFA)8(THF)6]∙THF (1), [Co2Ti4(μ-O)6(TFA)8(THF)6]·THF (2), [Mg2Ti4(O)2(OH)4(TFA)8(THF)6]∙THF (3), [Mn(dmae)2(TFA)4] (4) and [Sn(dmae)(OAc)]2 (5) and their disposal for the growth of thin films for electrochemical applications. The complexes have been characterized by m.p, elemental analyses, FT-IR, TG/DTG and single crystal X-ray analysis. The precursors (1), (2) and (3) were applied as a single source for the fabrication of CuO-2TiO2 and CoTiO3-TiO2 composites and MgTi2O5 solid solution thin films, whereas film precursor (4) has been applied as a dual source along with Ag(I) acetate for the …

Performance Analysis Of Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Integrated With Omni Direction-Guide-Vane / Behzad Shahizare, Shahizare Behzad

Student Works (2010-2019)

Wind energy is the conventional source of clean and renewable energy and it is the fastest-growing source of sustainable energy in the world. Numerical computation can offer important insight and data that are either difficult or expensive to measure or to perform tests experimentally. In this dissertation, we used the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to present effects of the Omni Direction Guide Vane shape on the performance of a H-rotor Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT). For this purpose, five straight-bladed VAWTs have been simulated via the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). Hence, the VAWTs without the ODGV covering were simulated and …

Passive Video Forgery Detection Using Frame Correlation Statistical Features / Aminu Mustapha Bagiwa, Bagiwa Aminu Mustapha

Student Works (2010-2019)

The use of digital videos in criminal investigation and civil litigation has become popular, this is due to the advancement of embedded cameras in handheld devices such as mobile phones, PDA’s and tablets. However, the content of digital videos can be extracted, enhanced and modified using inexpensive and user friendly video editing software, such as; Adobe Photoshop, Sefexa, etc. Thus, the influx of these video editing softwarelead to the creation of serious problems that are associated with the authenticity of digital videos by making their validity questionable. In order to address these problems, two approaches for the authentication of digital …

Kerjasama Dan Konflik Antara Parti Komunis Malaya Dengan British Di Tanah Melayu, 1941-1948 / Ahmad Zaki Mohd Johari, Mohd Johari Ahmad Zaki

Student Works (2010-2019)

This thesis examines the relationship between the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) and the British Colonial Government in Malaya, from 1941 to 1948. During this period, relations between the two powers took place in two different situations. This study has proven that during the period relation between the two powers were either of conflict or political cooperation. The relationship began in the 1920s before the outbreak of the Second World War and continued when the war broke out, and the post-war era, and ended in 1948. The findings of this thesis revealing the agreement signed between the two parties and …

Assessment Of Occupational Safety And Health Practices In Selected Laboratories At Sirim Bhd Shah Alam / Rabiatul Adawiyah Md Hasim, Md Hasim Rabiatul Adawiyah

Student Works (2010-2019)

This study was aimed to assess the occupational safety and health practices in laboratory in SIRIM Berhad Shah Alam by Observation, Interview and questionnaire surveys. There are two type laboratories involves in this research which are chemical and biology laboratories. The method use to determine the compliance was by using Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment and Risk Control (HIRARC) procedure which make the identification, collection and analyze the parameter easier. Four laboratories has been selected which are (1) Applied Chemical Laboratory, (2) Analytical Biochemical Laboratory, (3) Microbial Isolation and Screening Laboratory and (4) Bacteriology Laboratory. Laboratory practise was reviewed and evaluated …

Comparative Study Of Understorey Bird Diversity Of Selected Forest Reserves In Peninsular Malaysia / Norlelah Hassan, Hassan Norlelah

Student Works (2010-2019)

Logging activities have significantly contributed toward changes in habitat structure of many Peninsular Malaysia forests. It affected food resources and lead to reduction in diversity and abundance of forest birds. In this study, diversity, abundance and community composition of understorey birds inhabiting four forest reserves throughout Peninsular Malaysia were studied. These forest reserves are Berembun Forest Reserve, Pasir Raja Forest Reserve, Tekam Forest Reserve and Endau-Rompin Johor National Park. All forests have component of unlogged and logged forests with various regenerating levels (years of left undisturbed since last logging activity was conducted) such as 1-15 years, 16-30 years, and more …

Myth, Fantasy And Fairy-Story In Tolkien’S Middle-Earth / Buveneswary Vathemurthy, Vathemurthy Buveneswary

Student Works (2010-2019)

This dissertation explores J.R.R. Tolkien’s ideas and beliefs on myth, fantasy and fairy story and their roles in portraying good and evil in his famous works. Indeed, many authors and critics such as Bradley J. Birzer, Patrick Curry, Joseph Pearce, Ursula Le Guin, and Jay Richards have researched Tolkien based on this connection. They have worked on the nature of good and evil in his stories, the relevance of Tolkien in contemporary society, and the importance of myth and fantasy. However, my original contribution would be to examine the pivotal roles of myth, fantasy and fairy story as a combined …

On Hamilton Cycles In Regular Graphs / Nor Nadia Zainal Abidin, Zainal Abidin Nor Nadia

Student Works (2010-2019)

The purpose of this dissertation is to discuss the hamiltonicity of r-regular 3-connected planar graphs (rR3CPs) with faces of given types, in particular, r ∈ {3, 4}. In general, let Gr (k1, k2, . . . , kt) denotes the class of all rR3CPs whose faces are of only t types, namely k1-, k2-, . . . , kt-gons where ki ≥ 3, ki 6= kj ∀ i 6= j and i, j ∈ {1, 2, . . . , t}. The problem related to the hamiltonicity of 3R3CPs with only two types of faces are widely discussed and many …

Exploring The Interactions Of Therapeutic Phytochemicals, Flavokawain B, Pinostrobin And 6-Shogaol With Human Serum Albumin: Spectroscopic And Molecular Docking Investigations / Shevin Rizal Feroz, Feroz Shevin Rizal

Student Works (2010-2019)

The rhizomes of the plants of Zingiberaceae family are rich sources of bioactive phytochemicals and therefore, are major targets for discovering new phytomedicines. Three of these phytochemicals, namely, flavokawain B (FB), pinostrobin (PS) and 6-shogaol (6S) have shown various therapeutic properties including antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities. The interactions of these compounds with the main in vivo drug carrier, human serum albumin (HSA) were investigated using a multitude of spectroscopic methods, supported by molecular docking studies. Significant quenching of HSA fluorescence intensity was observed upon titration of the protein with these compounds. Analysis of the fluorescence data revealed the …

The Cost Of Dengue Vector Control Programme In Malaysia / P. Raviwharmman Packierisamy, Packierisamy P. Raviwharmman

Student Works (2010-2019)

Dengue fever, an arbovirus disease transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, has spread rapidly, especially in the tropical countries of the Americas and Asia-Pacific regions. It is endemic in Malaysia, with an annual average of 35,403 reported dengue cases from 2001 to 2010. The economic burden of dengue for Malaysia in 2009 was MYR 359.79 million (US$102.2 million) but these estimates are incomplete because the public sector costs of disease control had not been considered. This study estimated the costs of dengue control and prevention in Malaysia and measured the overall economic impact of dengue in the country. It also examined the …

The Development And Pilot Testing Of A Doctor-Pharmacist Collaboration Intervention To Improve Medication Safety For Patients With Chronic Disease In Primary Care / Renukha A/P Selllapans, Renukha Selllapans

Student Works (2010-2019)

Patients with chronic diseases are often prescribed with complex medication regimens. This puts them at a higher risk of adverse drug events, leading to poor disease control and increased health care costs. Previous studies have shown that the provision of pharmaceutical care by pharmacists as part of a multidisciplinary team, can improve disease control and medication safety. It is however unclear how these interventions were developed, and how the doctor-pharmacist working relationship affects patients’ therapeutic outcomes. The aim of this study was to systematically develop and pilot test a doctor-pharmacist collaboration intervention to improve medication safety for patients with chronic …

A Review Of Emergency Obstetric Care Services And Obstetric Fistula In North Western Nigeria / Tukur Ismail, Ismail Tukur

Student Works (2010-2019)

Confinement is a life-changing, pleasant and joyful event and experience for many mothers. It is a period of difficulty and sadness for some women and her immediate families, particularly when it is accompanied by serious illness, debilitating injuries and death of the baby, mother or both. About half a million women die yearly from causes related to pregnancy and delivery. For each maternal death, approximately 10 to 15 other women sustain serious morbidity, including obstetric fistula (OF) which is closely associated to overall maternal morbidity and mortality. The most effective approach to reducing OF occurrence is to provide essential obstetric …

Nationalism And International Disputes In China: Implications For Transnational Corporations As Corporate Diplomats, Lisa Tam, Soojin Kim

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

For decades, the territorial dispute between China and Japan over the sovereignty of the Senkaku Islands has caused diplomatic deteriorations in Sino-Japanese relations. When there is extensive media coverage on news about the dispute, nationalist sentiments in both two countries would be triggered and could be expressed through detrimental behaviors towards transnational corporations (hereinafter TNCs). While TNCs play a significant political function as corporate diplomats for their home countries, they are subject to the risk of crises when their home countries are involved in political and economic conflicts with the foreign countries in which they have operations. Against this backdrop, …