Spatio-temporal landslide inventory and susceptibility assessment using Sentinel-2 in the Himalayan mountainous region of Pakistan.

The 2005 Kashmir earthquake has triggered widespread landslides in the Himalayan mountains in northern Pakistan and surrounding areas, some of which are active and are still posing a significant risk. Landslides triggered by the 2005 Kashmir earthquake are extensively studied; nevertheless, spatio-temporal landslide susceptibility assessment is lacking. This can be partially attributed to the limited availability of high temporal resolution remote sensing data. We present a semi-automated technique to use the Sentinel-2 MSI data for co-seismic landslide detection, landslide activities monitoring, spatio-temporal change detection, and spatio-temporal susceptibility mapping. Time series Sentinel-2 MSI images for the period of 2016-2021 and ALOS PALSAR DEM are used for semi-automated landslide inventory map development and temporal change analysis. Spectral information combined with topographical, contextual, textural, and morphological characteristics of the landslide in Sentinel-2 images is applied for landslide detection. Subsequently, spatio-temporal landslide susceptibility maps are developed utilizing the weight of evidence statistical modeling with seven causative factors, i.e., elevation, slope, geology, aspect, distance to fault, distance to roads, and distance to streams. The results reveal that landslide occurrence increased from 2016 to 2021 and that the coverage of areas of relatively high susceptibility has increased in the study area.

Twelve tips for conducting team-based learning session online in synchronous setting.

INTRODUCTION: COVID-19 pandemic has challenged the educators to creatively develop teaching and assessment methods that can work effectively and efficiently while maintaining the social distancing and avoiding the gatherings of the classrooms and examination halls. Online approach has emerged as an effective alternate for classroom teaching. AIM: To equip faculty with tools to conduct TBL session online, synchronously, effectively and efficiently. METHODS: We examined the published literature in the area of online teaching and combined it with our own experience of conducting TBL sessions online. RESULTS: We created 12 tips to assist faculty to facilitate an effective and engaging TBL session online. CONCLUSIONS: Applying these 12 tips while facilitating a TBL-online session will ensure the full engagement of students in the process of active learning.

Tips for Managing Resistance to Innovation in Medical Education

@#Resistance to innovation is a natural protective mechanism and it should be perceived as a “conditional acceptance” rather than outright rejection. The change agents need to take a number of steps to convert the conditional acceptance to a “welcome change”. The aim of this article is to equip the staff members in the institutions of higher learning with tools for effectively managing the resistance to innovations in medical education. We examined the published literature in the area of managing the resistance to change and combined it with our own experiences in the established as well as new medical schools in two Asian countries and developed 12 tips to assist the change agents to manage the resistance to innovations effectively. Application of these tips will help change agents to use their time and efforts efficiently and effectively to achieve credible and lasting changes in the field of medical education.

Effect of Pyrazosulfuron-Methyl on the Photosynthetic Characteristics and Antioxidant Systems of Foxtail Millet.

Foxtail millet (Setaria Italica L.) plays a principal role in food security in Africa and Asia, but it is sensitive to a variety of herbicides. This study was performed to clarify whether pyrazosulfuron-methyl can be used in foxtail millet fields and the effect of pyrazosulfuron-methyl on the photosynthetic performance of foxtail millet. Two foxtail millet varieties (Jingu 21 and Zhangzagu 10) were subjected to five doses (0, 15, 30, 60, and 120 g ai ha-1) of pyrazosulfuron-methyl in pot and field experiments. The plant height, leaf area, stem diameter, photosynthetic pigment contents, gas exchange parameters, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, antioxidant enzyme activities, and antioxidant contents at 7 and 15 days after pyrazosulfuron-methyl application, and the yield of foxtail millet were measured. The results suggested that pyrazosulfuron-methyl inhibited the growth of foxtail millet and reduced the photosynthetic pigment contents, photosynthetic rate, and photosynthetic system II activity. Similarly, pyrazosulfuron-methyl decreased the antioxidant enzyme activities and antioxidant contents. These results also indicated that the toxicity of pyrazosulfuron-methyl to foxtail millet was decreased gradually with the extension of time after application; however, the foxtail millet yield was still significantly reduced. Therefore, pyrazosulfuron-methyl is not recommended for application in foxtail millet fields.

Successful Academic Remediation of Undergraduate Medical Students for Exit Examination: Lessons Learned

@#Introduction: To ensure that they will be the safe health-care providers, the medical schools must guarantee that their students meet the predetermined criteria before graduating. To fulfil this condition, usually a small proportion of students, need remedial training before they could graduate. In October 2018 we designed an academic remediation programme for 24 students who were to re-appear in their Final Professional MBBS Examination (FPE) in March/ April 2019. Aim of the remediation programme was not only to help the students to pass the examination but also to train them as safe future doctors. Methods: A rotational programme was drawn to cover all the relevant disciplines. A number of well-planned interventions were applied. A clinical examination in various combinations of a long case, short cases and OSCE stations was conducted at the end of each rotation and the written examination was conducted after completing the full 24 weeks of the programme before they sat in the FPE. Results: The five most useful interventions identified in the students’ feedback included: “Patient to book approach”; Mentoring; Group study; Mock examinations and Flipped class-rooms. Eighteen of the 24 (75%) students passed the FPE. The five of the six students failed because of the poor performance in the clinical examination. Conclusion: Remedial interventions can be successful by having clear goals and directions. Individualized approach in identifying and addressing the issues and by seeking help from the relevant professionals ensures the success.

Tips for Developing an Outcome-based Undergraduate Medical Curriculum

@#Although the transformation towards adopting an Outcome-based Education (OBE) is gathering momentum globally, several medical schools are finding it hard to implement the change. Based and built on authors’ experience and cues from the literature, the tips – relating to the process of identification, description and dissemination of learning outcomes (LOs); usage of LOs to ascertain the curricular contents, the teaching/learning and assessment methods; implementing, monitoring and reviewing the curriculum – are the actions that the institutions of higher learning need to perform to transform the existing curriculum or to develop an altogether a new curriculum according to OBE approach. The development of the faculty through dialogues, discussions and training sessions should be an initial and essential step in this process. It is hoped that these tips will alley some of the fears and facilitate the adoption of OBE curriculum in new as well as in existing established institutions.

Developing a Bank of Faculty-authored, Valid and Reliable Objective Questions for Institutional Use: Sharing the Experience

@#Introduction: With the increasing number of institutions implementing competency-based education which demands to provide feedback to students at regular intervals, there is an increase in the frequency of assessments. For this purpose, the written examinations using multiple choice questions (MCQs) are the most feasible form of assessment. However, constructing MCQs is an arduous task and significantly adds to the work-load of the academic staff members. To ease this burden, the institutions may consider to develop banks of valid and reliable MCQs. Methods: Based and built on our experience and literature review, the steps – relating to the process of constructing valid and reliable questions and development of question banks (QBs) – are the actions needed to develop new QBs or improve on the existing ones. Results: We have described ten practical steps for developing and banking of MCQs. The first five steps relate to the development of quality items and the remaining steps relate to the development of QBs, their maintenance, growth and safety and security. We have also established the criteria for selection and the frequency of reuse of questions. Conclusion: Using QBs will alleviate some of the burden of constructing novel quality questions needed for frequent assessments of students using 21st century teaching/learning approaches. The use of banked questions with known psychometric properties would allow the authorities to take charge and control of items’ quality and overall examination standards.

Mechanisms and Adaptation Strategies to Improve Heat Tolerance in Rice. A Review.

The incidence of short episodes of high temperature in the most productive rice growing region is a severe threat for sustainable rice production. Screening for heat tolerance and breeding to increase the heat tolerance of rice is major objective in the situation of recent climate change. Replacing sensitive genotypes with heat tolerant cultivars, modification in sowing time, and use of growth regulators are some of the adaptive strategies for the mitigation of yield reduction by climate change. Different strategies could be adopted to enhance the thermos-tolerance of rice by (1) the modification of agronomic practices i.e., adjusting sowing time or selecting early morning flowering cultivars; (2) induction of acclimation by using growth regulators and fertilizers; (3) selecting the genetically heat resistant cultivars by breeding; and, (4) developing genetic modification. Understanding the differences among the genotypes could be exploited for the identification of traits that are responsible for thermo-tolerance for breeding purpose. The selection of cultivars that flowers in early morning before the increase of temperature, and having larger anthers with long basal pore, higher basal dehiscence, and pollen viability could induce higher thermo-tolerance. Furthermore, the high expression of heat shock proteins could impart thermo-tolerance by protecting structural proteins and enzymes. Thus, these traits could be considered for breeding programs to develop resistant cultivars under a changing climate.

Highly magnetic nanoporous carbon/iron-oxide hybrid materials.

The preparation of size-controllable Fe2O3 nanoparticles grown in nanoporous carbon with tuneable pore diameters is reported. These hybrid materials exhibit strong non-linear magnetic properties and a magnetic moment of approximately 229 emu g(-1), which is the highest value ever reported for nanoporous hybrids, and can be attributed to the nanosieve effect and the strong interaction between the nanoparticles and the carbon walls.

Twelve tips for effective lecturing in a PBL curriculum.

BACKGROUND: Retaining lectures in problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum places new demands on lecturers. In addition to subject knowledge, the lecturers must know the overall aims of the lectures, their context in the course, their relation to the subsequent examinations and the underlying educational philosophy. AIM: Aim of this communication is to propose ways that will transform the traditional didactic lectures into PBL-compliant teaching/learning sessions. METHODS: Insights from the self-experience and that of colleagues and the feedback from students are synthesised with current literature regarding best teaching practices to develop these tips. RESULTS: These tips, ranging from involving students in the learning process to a routine practice of reflection after delivering a lecture, highlight methods of preparing and delivering lectures that follow the educational philosophy underpinning the PBL approach. CONCLUSION: We believe that these tips by advancing the driving force for meaningful learning will transform the didactic lectures of traditional curriculum to interactive sessions that would enhance understanding, augment critical thinking and promote self-directed learning among students.

Iron oxide nanoparticles embedded onto 3D mesochannels of KIT-6 with different pore diameters and their excellent magnetic properties.

Here, we report the results of our detailed study on the fabrication of iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles confined in mesoporous silica KIT-6 with a 3D structure and large, tunable pore diameters. It was confirmed by XRD, nitrogen adsorption, high-resolution (HR) TEM, and magnetic measurements that highly dispersed iron oxide nanoparticles are occupied inside the mesochannels of KIT-6. We also demonstrated that the size of the iron oxide nanoparticle can be controlled by simply changing the pore diameter of the KIT-6 and the weight percentage of the iron oxide nanoparticles. The effect of the weight percentage and size of the iron oxide nanoparticles, and the textural parameters of the support on the magnetic properties of iron oxide/KIT-6 has been demonstrated. The magnetization increases with decreasing iron content in the pore channels of KIT-6, whereas coercivity decreases for the same samples. Among the KIT-6 materials studied, KIT-6 with 7.5 wt % of iron showed the highest saturation magnetic moment and magnetic remanence. However, all the samples register a coercivity of around 2000 Oe, which is generally observed for the hard magnetic materials. In addition, we have found a paramagnetic-to-superparamagnetic transition at low temperature for samples with different iron content at low temperature. The cause for this exciting transition is also discussed in detail. Magnetic properties of the iron oxide loaded KIT-6 were also compared with pure iron oxide and iron oxide loaded over SBA-15. It was found that iron oxide loaded KIT-6 showed the highest magnetization due to its 3D structure and large pore volume. The pore diameter of the iron oxide loaded KIT-6 support also plays a critical role in controlling the magnetization and the blocking temperature, which has a direct relation to the particle diameter and increases from 48 to 63 K with an increase in the pore diameter of the support from 8 to 11.3 nm.

Twelve tips for developing an integrated curriculum.

BACKGROUND: Integration of curriculum is meant to make the teaching/learning activities meaningful; however, the interpretation of 'integration' varies in different institutions and among individuals. Many medical schools find it hard to change their existing curriculum or develop a new integrated curriculum mainly because of lack of will, infrastructure and understanding the process of change. AIM: Drawn from experience, these 12 tips relating to staff development, establishing working groups, organizing the teaching/learning materials under themes and developing some innovative teaching/learning and assessment strategies, are the techniques that a teaching institution can use to change the existing curriculum to an integrated one or develop a new curriculum. CONCLUSION: Knowing about the different levels of integration and steps for developing an integrated curriculum can make it easier to integrate an existing curriculum or develop a new one.

Three-dimensional ultralarge-pore ia3d mesoporous silica with various pore diameters and their application in biomolecule immobilization.

Highly ordered mesoporous three-dimensional Ia3d silica (KIT-6) with different pore diameters has been synthesized by using pluronic P123 as surfactant template and n-butanol as cosolvent at different synthesis temperatures in a highly acidic medium. The materials were characterized by XRD and N(2) adsorption. The synthesis temperature plays a significant role in controlling the pore diameter, surface area, and pore volume of the materials. The material prepared at 150 degrees C, KIT-6-150, has a large pore diameter (11.3 nm) and a high specific pore volume (1.53 cm(3) g(-1)). We also demonstrate immobilization of lysozyme, which is a stable and hard protein, on KIT-6 materials with different pore diameters. The amount of lysozyme adsorbed on large-pore KIT-6 is extremely large (57.2 micromol g(-1)) and is much higher than that observed for mesoporous silicas MCM-41, SBA-15, and KIT-5, mesoporous carbons, and carbon nanocages. The effect of various parameters such as buffer concentration, adsorption temperature, concentration of the lysozyme, and the textural parameter of the adsorbent on the lysozyme adsorption capacity of KIT-6 was studied. The amount adsorbed mainly depends on solution pH, ionic strength, adsorption temperature, and pore volume and pore diameter of the adsorbent. The mechanism of adsorption on KIT-6 under different adsorption conditions is discussed. In addition, the structural stability of lysozyme molecules and the KIT-6 adsorbent before and after adsorption were investigated by XRD, nitrogen adsorption, and FTIR spectroscopy.

Decomposition of dinuclear manganese complexes for the preparation of nanostructured oxide materials.

The crystal structures of several dinuclear complexes of manganese are reported, and the decomposition and analysis of the nanostructured products derived from them are presented. 1,4,7,10-Tetraazacyclododecane (cyclen) forms dinuclear complexes 1-4 containing doubly oxo-bridged or oxo-acetato bridging ligands depending on the manganese salt used for the reaction. Doubly oxo-bridged 1 crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pnma, a = 22.3850(14) A, b = 9.1934(5) A, c = 13.2424(10) A, V = 2725.2(3) A(3). 2, containing [Mn(SCN)5](3-) conteranions, crystallizes in monoclinic space group I2/a with a = 18.2699(10) A, b = 11.2384(6) A, c = 18.6432(9) A, alpha = 90.00 degrees, beta = 114.510(6) degrees, gamma = 90.00 degrees, V = 3483.0(3) A(3). Oxo-acetato-bridged 3 crystallizes in orthorhombic space group Pca21, a = 13.9322(11) A, b = 16.2332(13) A, c = 14.6794(8) A, V = 3320.0(4) A(3). Compound 4 consists of a templated quasi-one-dimensional manganese oxalate crystallized in the triclinic space group P1, a = 9.5442(11) A, b = 10.3758(10) A, c = 21.851(2) A, alpha = 83.720(12) degrees, beta = 80.106(13) degrees, gamma = 85.457(13) degrees, V = 2114.9(4) A(3). Compounds 1, 3, and 4 decompose to nanostructured oxide materials, which may be isolated in bulk as lamellar-structured particles or microspheres or deposited on substrates.

Nanostructured microspheres of MnO2 formed by room temperature solution processing.

Nanostructured microspheres of manganese oxide have been prepared by the solution processing ofmanganese(II) salts using 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane and utilizing a crystalline intermediate stage.

Carboxyl group functionalization of mesoporous carbon nanocage through reaction with ammonium persulfate.

Carbon nanocage, a three dimensional cage type mesoporous carbon with very high surface area and pore volume, has been functionalized with carboxyl groups for the first time via a simple oxidation using ammonium persulfate solution (APS). The carboxyl groups functionalized carbon nanocage materials have been unambiguously characterized by various sophisticated instruments such as FT-IR, HRSEM-EDX, XRD, nitrogen adsorption, and HRTEM. The degree of carboxyl group functionalization has been controlled by the simple adjustment of the oxidation parameters such as oxidation time, APS concentration and oxidation temperature. FT-IR spectroscopy combined with the HRSEM-EDX has been used to provide a quantitative analysis of the carboxyl groups on the surface of the carbon nanocage materials before and after the APS treatment. In addition, the effect of the oxidation parameters on the structural order and the textural parameters of the carbon nanocage materials has been studied. It has been found that the role of oxidation parameters is highly critical to obtain carbon nanocage materials with a high density of carboxyl groups without affecting the structural order and the pore parameters. Thus, the reaction parameters have been carefully optimized and the best condition for the preparation of carboxyl group functionalized carbon nanocage with well-ordered structure has been proposed.

Core curriculum and special study modules at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak.

INTRODUCTION: The Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS), follows a problem-based learning, integrated and community-based curriculum which reflects the specific needs of doctors working in Sarawak. Using paediatrics as an example, this paper describes the process of development of core content (knowledge, procedural and communication skills, attitudes), additional knowledge and special study modules at the FMHS. OBJECTIVES: In 2003, the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health conducted a workshop to evaluate and update its 5-year-old curriculum. METHODS: The wise-men approach was adopted. Local and guest academicians (including members of the Department of Community Medicine and Basic Health Sciences), consultants, registrar, house officer and nursing staff of the Paediatric Department of Sarawak General Hospital (SGH), paediatric nursing lecturer and members of Medical Education Unit were involved. The review was based on three approaches: Problem/Task-based learning; Spiral curriculum; Outcome-based education. RESULTS: Core content and additional knowledge topics were modified. The special study modules were retained, but their duration was reduced. It was recommended that the curriculum should be reviewed at regular intervals. DISCUSSION: To select the core content and additional knowledge topics, clear and specific criteria were developed. Some topics were dropped, others were added, and some were moved from core to the additional knowledge section. CONCLUSION: It was a rewarding activity. The reviewed curriculum was received well by both the students and faculty. The enthusiasm and cooperation extended, especially by the faculty at SGH in the implementation of this curriculum, was remarkable.

Clinical experience of medical students in a developing country.

OBJECTIVE: This paper compares the clinical experience in acute conditions of the undergraduate students of a medical school from a developing country (Malaysia) with those from a developed country (UK). METHODS: This study was conducted at the School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). Through questionnaire survey enquiry was made about 27 acute medical conditions (i.e. conditions related to internal medicine, paediatrics, and psychiatry), 15 acute surgical conditions (i.e. conditions related to general surgery, orthopaedics, ophthalmology, otorhinolaryngology, gynaecology and obstetrics), 15 surgical operations and 26 practical procedures. The results obtained were compared with published data from the UK. RESULTS: Acute medical conditions were seen by higher number of the USM students but with less frequency than the British students. The USM students saw practical procedures more frequently than the British students did, but almost an equal number performed these procedures independently. The British students attended surgical operations more frequently than the USM students did. CONCLUSION: Given the limitations of comparison (epidemiological, cultural and geographical differences, conventional curriculum (in the British medical schools) vs. problem based learning curriculum (in the Malaysian medical school)) the overall clinical experience of the medical students in the USM and the UK was comparable. The USM students had more opportunities to observe cases and procedures but "hands on" experience was similar to that of the British students.