Singapore University Research Articles

Evolution of Artificial Intelligence in Medical Education From 2000 to 2024: Bibliometric Analysis.

Incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into medical education has gained significant attention for its potential to enhance teaching and learning outcomes. However, it lacks a comprehensive study depicting the academic performance and status of AI in the medical education domain. This study aims to analyze the social patterns, productive contributors, knowledge structure, and clusters since the 21st century. Documents were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection database from 2000 to 2024. VOSviewer, Incites, and Citespace were used to analyze the bibliometric metrics, which were categorized by country, institution, authors, journals, and keywords. The variables analyzed encompassed counts, citations, H-index, impact factor, and collaboration metrics. Altogether, 7534 publications were initially retrieved and 2775 were included for analysis. The annual count and citation of papers exhibited exponential trends since 2018. The United States emerged as the lead contributor due to its high productivity and recognition levels. Stanford University, Johns Hopkins University, National University of Singapore, Mayo Clinic, University of Arizona, and University of Toronto were representative institutions in their respective fields. Cureus, JMIR Medical Education, Medical Teacher, and BMC Medical Education ranked as the top four most productive journals. The resulting heat map highlighted several high-frequency keywords, including performance, education, AI, and model. The citation burst time of terms revealed that AI technologies shifted from imaging processing (2000), augmented reality (2013), and virtual reality (2016) to decision-making (2020) and model (2021). Keywords such as mortality and robotic surgery persisted into 2023, suggesting the ongoing recognition and interest in these areas. This study provides valuable insights and guidance for researchers who are interested in educational technology, as well as recommendations for pioneering institutions and journal submissions. Along with the rapid growth of AI, medical education is expected to gain much more benefits.

Characterisation of pregnancy-induced alterations in apolipoproteins and their associations with maternal metabolic risk factors and offspring birth outcomes: apreconception and longitudinal cohort study.

Apolipoproteins as an integral part of lipoproteins are crucial for the transport and metabolism of lipids. However, there is a lack of longitudinal studies to quantify the concentrations of maternal apolipoproteins from preconception to postpartum and their associations with maternal metabolic health and offspring birth outcomes. Quantification of apolipoproteins was performed on maternal plasma samples (N=243 trios) collected at preconception, 26-28 weeks' pregnancy, and three months postpartum in the Singapore PREconception Study of long-Term maternal and child Outcomes (S-PRESTO) cohort study. Linear regression models and network analysis were implemented to investigate the association of apolipoproteins with maternal genetic variants, biochemical measures, metabolic risk factors, and offspring birth outcomes. The concentrations of ApoC-III, ApoB and ApoL1 substantially increased in pregnancy compared to preconception and postpartum. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) identified multiple single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with plasma apolipoproteins (P<5.00E-08), including APOE-rs7412 for ApoE, LPA-rs56393506 for Apo(a), APOM-rs707921 for ApoM, ABCC4-rs117797426 for ApoJ, THSD7B-rs575613 for ApoA-II, and LOC102724443-rs140433245 for ApoA-IV. Plasma apolipoproteins were strongly associated with biochemical measures including lipidomic profiles, lipoprotein features and fat-soluble vitamins, as well as metabolic risk factors including glycaemic traits, liver enzymes, inflammatory markers, albumin, and blood pressure. Integrative network analysis of apolipoproteins and their correlates/determinants revealed both shared and specific associations, with the strongest relationships observed among apolipoproteins, cholesterol, triglycerides, alpha tocopherol, and GlycA (Padj<0.05). Higher maternal ApoC-I and ApoC-III concentrations at preconception were significantly associated with shorter gestational age of the offspring. We describe the longitudinal landscape of maternal circulating apolipoproteins from preconception to postpartum and their associations with maternal metabolic risk factors and offspring birth outcomes. This multi-omics characterisation of biochemical correlates and genetic determinants of maternal apolipoproteins will deepen our understanding of the molecular basis of metabolic flexibility in expectant mothers, leading to better assessment of pregnancy-related outcomes. This research was supported by the Singapore National Research Foundation under its Translational and Clinical Research (TCR) Flagship Programme and administered by the Singapore Ministry of Health's National Medical Research Council (NMRC), Singapore- NMRC/TCR/004-NUS/2008; NMRC/TCR/012-NUHS/2014. The Singapore Lipidomics Incubator (SLING) is supported by grants from the National University of Singapore via the Life Sciences Institute, the National Research Foundation (NRF, NRFI2015-05 and NRFSBP-P4) and A∗STAR IAF-ICP I1901E0040. Additional funding is provided by Institute for Human Development and Potential (IHDP)-Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A∗STAR), Singapore.

Hands-on Consensus Building: Leveraging Deep Learning Models to Unveil Hand Gestures in Consensus-Building Discourses

From the lens of embodied cognition, hand gestures emerge as vital embodiments facilitating shared meaning-making among learners in collaborative learning. Despite this recognition, the specific role of hand employment in various consensus-building discourses remains elusive, and there is a lack of quantitative evidence of hand employment in authentic classrooms. This study delves into the nuanced application of embodied cognition through hands across distinct consensus-building scenarios—quick, integration-oriented, and conflict-oriented consensus-building discourses. Forty engineering students from a Singapore university collaborated in dyads to solve design problems in a face-to-face computer-supported collaborative learning environment. Their collaboration process was video recorded. A deep learning-based model was applied to quantify students’ hand movement. The different kinds of individual and collaborative hand gestures were analyzed. The results found a significantly larger quantity and more balanced quantity of hand gesture employment during conflict-oriented consensus-building discourse than other consensus-building discourses. Students most often applied depictive gestures and idea alternations to demonstrate their understanding and build on each other’s ideas. This study quantitatively explores how hand gestures contribute to consensus-building in collaborative learning, corroborating existing qualitative research. It suggests that incorporating hand gestures in classrooms may enhance students’ thought processes and foster shared understanding.

Is medical school culture conducive to women’s academic success? a survey on faculty perceptions and experiences of gender equity

BackgroundIn academic medicine, the lack of gender equity hinders the career progression of women academics. This can often affect scientific productivity and widen the gender gap that exists in this field. As such, this study aimed to understand how full-time faculty members in academic medicine perceive the climate for women academics and identify target areas for interventions supporting gender equity.MethodsThis study adopted an embedded mixed-methods design. Data collection was done from November 2022 to January 2023, at the National University of Singapore (NUS) School of Medicine. The participants comprised academic clinicians and non-clinician faculty members who were either currently employed full-time at the NUS School of Medicine or had recently resigned. They completed an adapted version of the Culture Conducive to Women’s Academic Success (CCWAS) questionnaire, which assessed their perceptions of the faculty climate across four domains: equal access, work-life balance, freedom from gender bias, and supportive leadership. Quantitative findings were complemented by qualitative data gathered through open-ended survey questions. ANOVA and t-test were used to analyse the quantitative data, and content analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data.ResultsCompared to female participants (M = 140.0, SD = 57.9), male participants perceived greater gender equity (M = 158.7, SD = 62.9). Personal experiences of gender inequity were described by some female participants. Participants also raised various suggestions to improve work-life balance for both male and female faculty members, mitigate structural gender bias and increasing support for women faculty.ConclusionsFemale faculty members tend to have a less favourable view of the working climate for women in academic medicine, compared to their male counterparts. This might be attributed to differences in awareness of gender inequity and understanding of gender bias. Findings of this study provided further insight into the perceptions of faculty members regarding workplace gender equity and interventions that can be implemented to support them in their career.Trial registrationEthical approval was obtained from the National University of Singapore Institutional Review Board (NUS-IRB-2022-325).

Technology Applications in Waste Management across Southeast Asia: A Bibliometric Analysis over the Past Decades

Using technology in waste management in the current era is crucial in enhancing efficiency, sustainability, and positive environmental impact. Therefore, this research aims to understand publication trends related to technology applications in waste management from 2013 to 2024 across Southeast Asia through bibliometric analysis. In this analysis, VOSviewer software and the bibliometric analysis applications RStudio and biblioshiny were employed to analyse the bibliographic data obtained graphically. After filtering, 553 documents from the Scopus database were analysed. The results revealed fluctuating trends in the number of publications, with the Journal of Cleaner Production being the highest contributor with 33 documents. Malaysia ranked first in the number of documents, with 452 focusing on technology utilisation in waste management. Additionally, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia and the National University of Singapore were the most productive affiliations, each contributing the highest number of publications, with 58 each. Two institutions within the top twenty also represented Indonesia as the most relevant affiliations, namely (1) Bandung Institute of Technology and (2) Universitas Sebelas Maret. According to the research findings, 68 Indonesian researchers contributed to the analysed theme, with the top author originating from the Czech Republic with 13 documents. The globally most cited documents, published in the Journal of Resources, Conservation, and Recycling, have been cited 535 times. Visualisation of research trends revealed popular topics aligned with research and discussion, including waste management, sustainable development, recycling, waste disposal, solid waste, municipal solid waste, anaerobic digestion, waste treatment, biogas, pyrolysis, and environmental impact. These findings aid researchers in guiding future analyses and determining research themes, especially in waste management technology, while also assisting in resource allocation and evidence-based strategy formulation to enhance waste management efficiency and sustainability. Nonetheless, the study recommends further research using diverse data sources, bibliographic connections, and qualitative analysis.

Fostering Sustainability through Educational and Research Initiatives at ETUT

This paper conducts a comparative analysis of sustainability-focused educational initiatives at Oguz Han Engineering and Technology University of Turkmenistan (ETUT) alongside other young universities, including Duke Kunshan University (China), Ashoka University (India), Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST, Saudi Arabia). The study examines how these institutions integrate sustainability into their curricula, student engagement, and community outreach efforts, emphasizing the role of emerging universities in advancing sustainability education. Through an in-depth case study of ETUT and a comparative review of global trends, the research highlights innovative approaches aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This paper illustrates how young universities leverage their agility to embed sustainability into their operations, curricula, and community interactions, preparing students to address pressing environmental and social challenges in the 21st century.

The utility and feasibility of incorporating death cafes in undergraduate education: A qualitative exploration of medical and nursing students' perspectives

BackgroundThe current medical and nursing curricula place little emphasis on palliative and end-of-life care. Consequently, students are less comfortable in communicating about topics related to death and dying when providing palliative and end-of-life care. Death cafés utilizes a facilitator-led small group to encourage conversations about death and dying to take place alongside food and beverages in a safe environment. In light of the presence of death taboos, there is a need to understand how medical and nursing students perceive the incorporation of a death café within the undergraduate program. ObjectivesThis study aimed to explore the perceptions of medical and nursing students regarding the utility and feasibility of incorporating death cafés into their undergraduate education. DesignA qualitative study was conducted. MethodsThis study was conducted in one medical school in a university in Singapore. Participants above the ages of 18 years, pursuing a full time undergraduate medical or nursing program were invited. A purposive sampling approach using the maximum variation sampling technique to enhance representativeness was used to select the participants based on their sociodemographic and academic variables. A total of 32 medical and nursing students were included in the study. Online individual interviews were conducted. The interviews were then transcribed and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. ResultsThree main categories were developed from the content analysis: (1) Perceptions of death cafés, (2) Features of a death café, and (3) Contents of a death café conversation. Participants viewed the death café as a platform for conversations surrounding death and dying. Several features such as the presence of a facilitator and discussions to be held in small groups were surfaced. The proposed topics to be discussed ranged from communication skills, coping with death encounters, and understanding more about the concepts of palliative care. ConclusionMedical and nursing students view death cafes as a feasible and potential approach in learning pallative and end-of-life care. The use of a faciliator-guided small group discussion on topics such as coping with death, communication techniques and concepts of palliative care are proposed. Further work is needed to examine how the death café method can potentially impact students' confidence and skills in managing palliative and end-of-life care.

Assessment and the Future Development of the Zagreb 3D City Model

The first 3D model of the city of Zagreb was developed in 2008. Since then, the model has been improved and updated. Today, it is used for various purposes in the city planning and management. It is also publicly available to citizens through the ZG3D Web application. In this paper, an assessment of the existing 3D model is provided by considering different factors (i.e. consistency between models, standardization, data quality, data interoperability, data maintenance/governance, and use cases) that need to be tackled in order for the 3D city model to be further improved and used towards the creation of the digital twin and ultimately to support the smart city concept. The assessment considered some general criteria and also the 3D City Index assessment tool developed by the Urban Analytics Lab, National University of Singapore (NUS). The assessment results show that the existing model is used for various purposes, but to evolve towards a true digital twin, it must be improved.

Using Virtual Reality Recreation Therapy to Enhance Social Interaction and Well-Being in Homebound Seniors

In view of Singapore’s rapidly ageing population, this study is an exploratory pilot designed to assess the feasibility and potential impact of virtual reality recreation therapy (VRRT) on homebound seniors. A tri-party research partnership was formed between the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS), NTUC Health Home Care, and Vue Reality Labs. The aim was to explore the benefits of VR recreation therapy for homebound seniors, contributing to the goal of ‘aging in place’. Over two years, a 52-week VR curriculum was developed, featuring social, travel, and cultural topics tailored to the seniors. Five care associates from NTUC Health Home Care received facilitator training by Vue Reality Labs. A total of 71 homebound senior participants aged 50 to 102 engaged in over 1600 session hours during the 52-week trial; 62% had varying levels of dementia. A mixed-methods approach was adopted to explore the general impact and feasibility of VR recreation therapy, incorporating quantitative data on participants’ emotional, social, and cognitive conditions and qualitative data from facilitator interviews. The findings revealed that most senior participants enjoyed the VR sessions, perceiving them to positively impact their overall health and well-being. Caregivers reported improvements in cognitive, social, and emotional functioning of the participants. The positive effects extended to caregivers and facilitators, with renewed relationships and enhanced skills, respectively. The insights and observations gathered from this pilot study will serve as a foundation for designing a more robust study for deploying the VR recreation therapy programme in senior care.

In-depth analysis of research hotspots and emerging trends in AI for retinal diseases over the past decade.

The application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in diagnosing retinal diseases represents a significant advancement in ophthalmological research, with the potential to reshape future practices in the field. This study explores the extensive applications and emerging research frontiers of AI in retinal diseases. This study aims to uncover the developments and predict future directions of AI research in retinal disease over the past decade. This study analyzes AI utilization in retinal disease research through articles, using citation data sourced from the Web of Science (WOS) Core Collection database, covering the period from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2023. A combination of WOS analyzer, CiteSpace 6.2 R4, and VOSviewer 1.6.19 was used for a bibliometric analysis focusing on citation frequency, collaborations, and keyword trends from an expert perspective. A total of 2,861 articles across 93 countries or regions were cataloged, with notable growth in article numbers since 2017. China leads with 926 articles, constituting 32% of the total. The United States has the highest h-index at 66, while England has the most significant network centrality at 0.24. Notably, the University of London is the leading institution with 99 articles and shares the highest h-index (25) with University College London. The National University of Singapore stands out for its central role with a score of 0.16. Research primarily spans ophthalmology and computer science, with "network," "transfer learning," and "convolutional neural networks" being prominent burst keywords from 2021 to 2023. China leads globally in article counts, while the United States has a significant research impact. The University of London and University College London have made significant contributions to the literature. Diabetic retinopathy is the retinal disease with the highest volume of research. AI applications have focused on developing algorithms for diagnosing retinal diseases and investigating abnormal physiological features of the eye. Future research should pivot toward more advanced diagnostic systems for ophthalmic diseases.

Validation of Service-Learning Outcomes Measurement Scale-Short Version (S-LOMS-SV) With New Samples and Cross-Cultural Comparisons

Background: The Service-Learning Outcomes Measurement Scale (S-LOMS) with 56 items is an established tool for evaluating student developmental outcomes arising from service-learning in Hong Kong. However, its length may have deterred potential users. Hence, the current study used a shortened version (S-LOMS-SV) with 21 items for validation in Hong Kong and Singapore. Purpose: The purpose of the current study is to validate S-LOM-SV with new samples, as is required for shortened scales. Methodology/Approach: We recruited 970 respondents from Hong Kong and Singapore universities. They answered the 21-item S-LOMS-SV before and after service-learning, along with a service-learning experience questionnaire. We tested scale validity and reliability and used multisample analyses to examine factor stability and cross-cultural validity. In addition, we employed structural equation modeling to establish the relationship between service-learning experience and developmental outcomes. Findings/Conclusions: The current study established the scale validity and reliability and preliminary cross-cultural validity of the S-LOMS-SV. Results revealed developmental differences between traditional undergraduate students and adult learners and reaffirmed the positive relationships between service-learning experience and student development. Implications: The validated S-LOMS-SV provides a succinct and reliable tool for academic research and quality assurance purposes and paves the way for developing a centralized database for cross-cultural and cross-institutional comparisons.

Disciplinary differences in undergraduate students' engagement with generative artificial intelligence

The rapid development of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) technologies has sparked widespread discussions about their potential applications in higher education. However, little is known about how students from various disciplines engage with GenAI tools. This study explores undergraduate students' GenAI knowledge, usage intentions, and task-specific engagement across academic disciplines. Using a disciplinary categorization framework, we examine how the hard/soft and pure/applied dimensions relate to students' interactions with GenAI. We surveyed 193 undergraduates from diverse disciplines at a university in Singapore. The questionnaire assessed students' GenAI knowledge, usage intentions, and engagement with GenAI for cognitive and routine tasks against their disciplinary background. The results indicate substantial disciplinary disparities in the level of engagement of students with GenAI. Compared to pure fields, applied fields (both hard and soft) consistently exhibit higher levels of GenAI knowledge and utilization intentions. Furthermore, the engagement of GenAI in routine tasks is relatively consistent across disciplines; however, there are substantial disparities in cognitive tasks, with applied fields exhibiting higher engagement. These results suggest that the practical orientation of applied fields drives GenAI adoption and utilization in academic settings. The study emphasizes considering disciplinary differences to better integrate GenAI into higher education and calls for tailored approaches that align with each field's unique epistemological and methodological traditions to balance GenAI's practical benefits with the preservation of core disciplinary knowledge and skills.

A new initiative in synchronous international learning

This paper outlines the initial development and delivery of a Global Classroom (GC) experience using COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) pedagogy for students studying in health and health sciences, that capitalises on the opportunities for interdisciplinary health humanities experiences using the campus museums and galleries of participating partners at The University of Melbourne, National University of Singapore, and The University of Hong Kong. The goal of the curriculum is to enhance students’ intercultural capabilities, including effective communication and effective teamwork skills, and to develop an understanding of different cultural and global perspectives on healthcare. The innovations of this project relate to the transplantation of museums-based interdisciplinary pedagogy for students studying in health into a virtual learning environment, using digital surrogate objects and collections. Technology-enhanced learning is integral to the project design, in the creation of shared digital collections in synchronous online learning.

Perceived challenges and opportunities for basic scientists transitioning to basic science educators in medical and health professions education

Basic science educators play a significant role in medical and health professions curricula, particularly in the biomedical science components. Although the shift from basic scientists to educators seems promising, no study has yet explored the transition process from the perspective of basic scientists themselves, especially in the early stages of their transition. An anonymous survey with voluntary participation was administered to all basic scientists in National University of Singapore (NUS) Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine. The survey aimed to identify the perceived challenges faced by basic scientists transitioning to basic science educators in medical and health professions education. This study consisted of Likert scale questions, followed by one multiple-choice question and two open-ended questions. Twenty-one basic scientists either postdoctoral fellows or instructors, completed the study. The study found that gaps in clinical content and experience, along with teaching pedagogy and training were among the major concerns for basic scientists aspiring to be basic science educators. These challenges and shortcomings could potentially be addressed by providing them with clinical shadowing opportunities, education mentorship and teaching training. Since most respondents lacked teaching experience, the results might differ if the majority had been involved in teaching within medical and health professions education. Nonetheless, it is important to understand and acknowledge the challenges and concerns experienced by basic scientists and examine how they can navigate them in the process of their transition to teaching medical and health professions. This also provides opportunities for personal reflection and development so that basic science educators will be more prepared for greater challenges and the ever-changing demands of contemporary medical and health professions education.

Tensions at the University and Living in Liminality: English Language Teachers Navigating through New Research Expectations

This study examined tensions affecting university English language teachers, and subsequently the liminal space they occupied. In this study, tensions arose because of the introduction and promotion of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) for conducting language pedagogical research. This move had inadvertently displaced existing research perspectives and approaches and compelled a reconfiguration of the teacher’s professional sense of self. There were four English language teachers involved in this study, all of whom were teaching different types of English courses for academic purposes in a public university in Singapore. Data for this study comprised reflections written by the participants, which were analyzed as case studies. Through the examination of tensions and liminality affecting the participants, it became apparent that distinct strategies and coping mechanisms were enacted. There were those who sought to distinguish existing research perspectives, and those who embarked on a productive journey to navigate through the new research requirement. All these constituted professional development for the participants in personalized ways. The examination of the case studies also indicated how top-down research endeavors may be challenged, especially in a field like English language education, given its long-standing and established research traditions. Yet, the circumstance which saw novel research approaches being introduced illustrate how the professional community of English language teachers in the higher education setting remain on the fringes of academia. Future studies should consider taking an ecological approach to examining tension to gain a more comprehensive understanding of English language teachers’ professional identity.

Frontiers of myopia research in the 21st century: A bibliometric analysis of the top 100 most influential articles in the field.

Myopia is the most common refractive error worldwide, contributing not only to visual impairment but also serving as a potential risk factor for various severe ocular diseases. Its impact on patients' quality of life and health is significant and imposes substantial socioeconomic burdens. In this study, we analyzed the top 100 most cited articles related to myopia published in the Web of Science Core Collection database from January 2000 to February 2024. Using data visualization tools CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and Scimago Graphica, we identified the most influential research papers and academic journals in the field of myopia. The top 100 most influential articles were published in 25 renowned journals across 30 countries, with Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science being the most prolific. Ophthalmology had the highest total citation frequency, while The Lancet had the highest average citation frequency. The United States and the National University of Singapore were the top countries and institutions with the most published papers. The 3 major research directions are Ophthalmology, Medicine, General & Internal, and Genetics & Heredity. The top 5 co-occurring keywords were refractive error, risk factors, prevalence, eye growth, and form-deprivation myopia. Cluster analysis results highlighted focal points such as retinal detachment, high myopia, and contrast sensitivity, indicating potential future research trends. Prospective research directions include investigating the pathogenesis of myopia, updating diagnostic technologies, and identifying risk genes for myopia and its complications.

A cross-sectional study on advance care planning documentation attitudes during national advance care planning week in a South-East Asian country

BackgroundThrough advocacy initiatives such as roadshows during “National ACP Week”, the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) had increased advance care planning (ACP) engagement since 2011. Project Happy Apples (PHA), a community initiative project led by medical students from the National University of Singapore, also conducted a public exhibition to raise ACP awareness during this period. This study aimed to investigate and identify predictors of attitudes towards ACP documentation among ‘ACP Week’ respondents which may be used to formulate strategies to increase ACP documentation in Singapore.MethodsA cross-sectional study on ACP documentation attitudes of 262 respondents during local roadshows were conducted. Multiple logistic regression models were built to investigate the associations between demographic variables and attitudes toward ACP documentation.ResultsThe mean age was 43.5 years (SD = 17.4), 79 (30.15%) were males and 49 (18.7%) were healthcare professionals (HCP). 117 (44.66%) respondents had prior experience with serious illness and 116 (44.27%) had heard of ACP. Age was a significant predictor of readiness to sign official papers naming nominated healthcare spokesperson (NHS) (OR = 1.04, 95%CI: 1.02–1.07). Experience with serious illness was a significant predictor of readiness to discuss end-of-life (EOL) care with healthcare professionals (HCP) (OR = 3.65, 95%CI: 1.36–11.61). Being female was a significant predictor for readiness to speak to their nominated healthcare spokesperson about EOL care (OR = 7.33, 95%CI: 2.06–46.73). Subgroup analyses revealed that those aged 20–39 were less likely to speak to their healthcare professional about or sign official papers regarding EOL care. We also found that being a healthcare professional does not necessitate better or worse attitudes.ConclusionAdvocacy programs tailored to targeting respondents of different age groups and prior experience with serious illness may improve the efficacy of advocacy efforts.

Trends of machine learning for dental caries research in Southeast Asia: insights from a bibliometric analysis.

Dental caries is a common chronic oral disease, posing a serious public health issue. By analyzing large datasets, machine learning shows potential in addressing this problem. This study employs bibliometric analysis to explore emerging topics, collaborations, key authors, and research trends in Southeast Asia related to the application of machine learning in dental caries management. A comprehensive selection using the Scopus database to obtain relevant research, covering publications from inception to July 2024 was done. We employed the Bibliometric approaches, including co-authorship networks, yearly publishing trends, institutional and national partnerships, keyword co-occurrence analysis, and citation analysis, for the collected data. To explore the visualization and network analysis, we employed the tools such as VOSviewer and Bibliometrix in R package. The final bibliometric analysis included 246 papers. We found that Malaysia became the top contributor with 59 publications, followed by Indonesia (37) and Thailand (29). Malaysia had the highest Multiple Country Publications (MCP) ratio at 0.407. Top institutions including the Universiti Sains Malaysia led with 39 articles, followed by Chiang Mai University (36) and the National University of Singapore (30) became the leader. Co-authorship analysis using VOSviewer revealed six distinct clusters. A total of 1220 scholars contributed to these publications. The top 10 keywords, including 'human' and 'dental caries,' indicated research hotspots. We found growing evidence of machine learning applications to address dental caries in Southeast Asia. The bibliometric analysis highlights key authors, collaborative networks, and emerging topics, revealing research trends since 2014. This study underscores the importance of bibliometric analysis in tackling this public health issue.

Faculty’s attitudes towards inclusive education for university students with special educational needs (SENs) in Singapore

ABSTRACT This study seeks to examine faculty’s attitudes towards inclusive education for university students with special educational needs (SENs). A cross-sectional survey design was adopted. A total of 147 faculty (79 male, 53.7%) from six publicly funded universities in Singapore completed the survey, which consists of the researcher-developed Faculty Attitude toward Inclusive Education for Students with Special Educational Needs (FAISEN) scale. Results showed that faculty generally had positive attitudes towards inclusive education for university students with SENs. Faculty’s attitudes did not differ on major demographic variables, except their academic disciplines (i.e., STEM vs. non-STEM). Faculty also expressed a high level of training needs, especially on how to provide inclusive education for students with more invisible disabilities or difficulties. Faculty’s attitudes on the behavioral domain significantly and positively predicted their overall training needs. Implications for inclusive higher education, limitations, and directions for future research are also discussed.

The Effectiveness of a Digital Mental Fitness Program (Positive Intelligence) on Perceived Stress, Self-Compassion, and Ruminative Thinking of Occupational Therapy Undergraduate Students: Longitudinal Study.

Health care students often endure numerous stressors throughout their undergraduate education that can have lasting negative effects on their mental well-being. Positive Intelligence (PQ) is a digital mental fitness program designed to enhance self-mastery and help individuals reach their potential by strengthening various "mental muscles." This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a 6-week app-delivered PQ program in reducing perceived stress, increasing self-compassion, and decreasing rumination tendencies among health care undergraduates. We hypothesized that students would show reductions in perceived stress, increases in self-compassion, and decreases in rumination tendencies by the end of the PQ program, compared with their preprogram scores. We adopted an exploratory approach for the 5-month follow-up due to the limited research consensus on the sustained effects of app-based programs over varying periods. The PQ program includes weekly hour-long videos, weekly group meetings, and daily 15-minute app-guided practices. Participants were first-year students from the occupational therapy program at a university in Singapore. Participants completed surveys measuring self-compassion, perceived stress, and rumination levels before and after the PQ program, and again at a 5-month follow-up. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA to assess differences across the pretest, immediate posttest, and follow-up posttest. Out of 87 students enrolled in the study, the final sample consisted of 64 students (n=47, 73%, female; mean age 23 years, SD 5.06 years) with complete data. At the end of the 6 weeks, students exhibited significant increases in self-compassion (before the intervention: mean 3.07, SD 0.35; after the intervention: mean 3.34, SD 0.35; P<.001) and reductions in rumination tendencies (before the intervention: mean 3.57, SD 0.40; after the intervention: mean 3.27, SD 0.34; P<.001). However, no significant change in perceived stress levels was observed (before the intervention: 2.99, SD 0.14; after the intervention: mean 2.97, SD 0.16; P=.50). These effects were not influenced by the daily app-based practice of PQ exercises, and there were no sustained effects on self-compassion (mean 3.17, SD 0.27; P=.09) or rumination tendencies (mean 3.42, SD 0.38; P=.06) at the 5-month follow-up. Additionally, there was a significant increase in perceived stress at follow-up (mean 3.17, SD 0.21; P<.001) compared with pre- and postintervention levels. The PQ program did not directly alter stress perceptions but may have reframed students' automatic negative thought processes, increased their awareness of self-sabotaging behaviors, and enhanced their self-compassion while reducing ruminative thinking. These findings highlight the importance of self-awareness for students' well-being. Students can benefit from practices such as mindfulness and peer discussions to enhance self-compassion and reduce rumination. Educators trained in the PQ program can foster a supportive environment that encourages self-compassion, challenges negative self-talk, and helps students manage stress.