Effect of community participation on sustainable development: an assessment of sustainability domains in Malaysia

Introduction: Community participation is also one of the critical factors, in the success of coral reef conservation efforts in Malaysia. The key determinants of community participation in coral reef conservation in the country include awareness, understanding, benefits, and incentives.Objectives: The study aimed to investigate the impact of community participation on sustainable development in Malaysia, specifically in coral reef conservation. The study assessed the relationships between sociodemographic variables and various sustainability domains, including community participation, ecotourism development, and economic, environmental, and social sustainability.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted from July to October 2022 in Setiu, Terengganu and recruited 338 adult local villagers. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis for factors such as employment status, knowledge of coral reefs, practice of coral reef conservation and willingness to volunteer for conservation were analysed using SPSS version 26.Results: An increase in community participation was associated with an increase in all four sustainability domains of ecotourism development, economic, environmental and social sustainability (Unadjusted B range = 0.46–0.77, all p-value <0.001). Participants with acceptable knowledge of coral reefs (AOR = 7.11, 95% CI: 3.84–13.15), good practice of coral reef conservation (AOR = 5.26, 95% CI: 2.54–10.91), and willing to volunteer for coral reef conservation (AOR = 1.98, 95% CI: 1.02–3.83) had higher odds of positive social sustainability, compared to those with low knowledge, poor practice and not willing to volunteer, respectively. However, those employed in marine-related jobs (AOR = 0.27, 95% CI: 0.10–0.72) had less odds of positive social sustainability, compared to those who are not employed.Conclusion: The study highlighted the importance of community participation in promoting sustainable development and the influence of socioeconomic factors and education on community participation. The importance of educational initiatives and engagement and the factors associated with positive economic, environmental and social sustainability have been highlighted. These findings can be used by policymakers and stakeholders to design and implement effective interventions for coral reef conservation, aimed at promoting sustainable development in Malaysia

Micelle and nanotape formation of Benzene Tricarboxamide analogues with selective cancer cell cytotoxicity

Analogues of benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxamide bearing combinations of different alkyl chains (dodecyl to octadecyl) and ester-linked PEG (polyethylene glycol) chains are shown to self-assemble into either micelles or nanotapes in aqueous solution, depending on the architecture (number of alkyl vs PEG chains). The cytotoxicity to cells is selectively greater for breast cancer cells than fibroblast controls in a dose-dependent manner. The compounds show strong stability, retaining their self-assembled structures at low pH (relevant to acidic tumor conditions) and in buffer and cell culture media

A comparison of three thromboprophylaxis regimens in critically ill COVID-19 patients: An analysis of real-world data

Introduction: Thrombotic complications of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have received considerable attention. Although numerous conflicting findings have compared escalated thromboprophylaxis doses with a standard dose to prevent thrombosis, there is a paucity of literature comparing clinical outcomes in three different anticoagulation dosing regimens. Thus, we investigated the effectiveness and safety profiles of standard, intermediate, and high-anti-coagulation dosing strategies in COVID-19 critically ill patients. Methodology: This retrospective multicenter cohort study of intensive care unit (ICU) patients from the period of April 2020 to August 2021 in four Saudi Arabian centers. Inclusion criteria were age ≥ 18 years, diagnosis with severe or critical COVID-19 infection, and receiving prophylactic anticoagulant dose within 24–48 h of ICU admission. The primary endpoint was a composite of thrombotic events, with mortality rate and minor or major bleeding serving as secondary endpoints. We applied survival analyses with a matching weights procedure to control for confounding variables in the three arms. Results: A total of 811 patient records were reviewed, with 551 (standard-dose = 192, intermediate-dose = 180, and high-dose = 179) included in the analysis. After using weights matching, we found that the standard-dose group was not associated with an increase in the composite thrombotic events endpoint when compared to the intermediate-dose group {19.8 vs. 25%; adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) =1.46, [95% confidence of interval (CI), 0.94–2.26]} or when compared to high-dose group [19.8 vs. 24%; aHR = 1.22 (95% CI, 0.88–1.72)]. Also, there were no statistically significant differences in overall in-hospital mortality between the standard-dose and the intermediate-dose group [51 vs. 53.4%; aHR = 1.4 (95% CI, 0.88–2.33)] or standard-dose and high-dose group [51 vs. 61.1%; aHR = 1.3 (95% CI, 0.83–2.20)]. Moreover, the risk of major bleeding was comparable in all three groups [standard vs. intermediate: 4.8 vs. 2.8%; aHR = 0.8 (95% CI, 0.23–2.74); standard vs. high: 4.8 vs. 9%; aHR = 2.1 (95% CI, 0.79–5.80)]. However, intermediate-dose and high-dose were both associated with an increase in minor bleeding incidence with aHR = 2.9 (95% CI, 1.26–6.80) and aHR = 3.9 (95% CI, 1.73–8.76), respectively. Conclusion: Among COVID-19 patients admitted to the ICU, the three dosing regimens did not significantly affect the composite of thrombotic events and mortality. Compared with the standard-dose regimen, intermediate and high-dosing thromboprophylaxis were associated with a higher risk of minor but not major bleeding. Thus, these data recommend a standard dose as the preferred regimen. Copyright © 2022 Alrashed, Cahusac, Mohzari, Bamogaddam, Alfaifi, Mathew, Alrumayyan, Alqahtani, Alshammari, AlNekhilan, Binrokan, Alamri, Alshahrani, Alshahrani, Alanazi, Alhassan, Alsaeed, Almutairi, Albujaidy, AlJuaid, Almalki, Ahmed, Alajami, Aljishi, Alsheef, Alajlan, Almutairi, Alsirhani, Alotaibi, Aljaber, Bahammam, Aldandan, Almulhim, Abraham and Alamer.Open access journalThis item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]

The evolving role of social media in enhancing quality of life: a global perspective across 10 countries

Abstract Background Excessive or inappropriate use of social media has been linked to disruptions in regular work, well-being, mental health, and overall reduction of quality of life. However, a limited number of studies documenting the impact of social media on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) are available globally. Aim This study aimed to explore the perceived social media needs and their impact on the quality of life among the adult population of various selected countries. Methodology A cross-sectional, quantitative design and analytical study utilized an online survey disseminated from November to December 2021. Results A total of 6689 respondents from ten countries participated in the study. The largest number of respondents was from Malaysia (23.9%), followed by Bangladesh (15.5%), Georgia (14.8%), and Turkey (12.2%). The prevalence of social media users was over 90% in Austria, Georgia, Myanmar, Nigeria, and the Philippines. The majority of social media users were from the 18–24 age group. Multiple regression analysis showed that higher education level was positively correlated with all four domains of WHOQoL. In addition, the psychological health domain of quality of life was positively associated in all countries. Predictors among Social Media Needs, Affective Needs (β = -0.07), and Social Integrative Needs (β = 0.09) were significantly associated with psychological health. Conclusion The study illuminates the positive correlation between higher education levels and improved life quality among social media users, highlighting an opportunity for policymakers to craft education-focused initiatives that enhance well-being. The findings call for strategic interventions to safeguard the mental health of the global social media populace, particularly those at educational and health disadvantages