Y-BALANCE TEST BUT NOT FUNCTIONAL MOVEMENT SCREEN SCORES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH PEAK KNEE VALGUS MOMENTS DURING UNPLANNED SIDESTEPPING: IMPLICATIONS FOR ASSESSING ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT INJURY RISK

This study explores if scores on the y-balance test (YBT) and functional movement screen (FMS) correlate with peak knee valgus moments during unplanned sidestepping. Fifteen female netballers performed the YBT, FMS and unplanned bilateral sidestepping. Their movements were recorded using a three-dimensional motion capture system. Scores on the YBT and FMS were correlated with peak knee valgus moments; a predictor of injury risk to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL); of the left leg using Pearson’s R. A moderate-to-strong negative correlation was found between posterolateral reach composite (r = -0.60) and absolute (r = -0.61) scores with peak knee valgus moments. The posterolateral reach component of the YBT could be a simple test to infer peak knee valgus moments during sidestepping and potentially ACL injury risk

Deconstructing Stigmatisation by Heterosexuals of LGBT Against the Backdrop of Religion in Malaysia

The study focussed on deconstructing heterosexuals’ stigmatisation of LGBT in the context of religion in Malaysia. The qualitative study involved semi-structured interviews with 21 heterosexuals (Buddhist, Christian, Muslim). The interview questions focussed on societal and personal views of LGBT. Thematic analysis of interview transcripts totalling 30,488 words showed the lay perspective on the construction of homosexuality interms of personal choice, situational factors, and ideologies of stigma. The participants were able to empathize with personal choice only because they perceived the LGBT individuals had no chance of reverting to a so-called normal identity. The participants re-animated, rehearsed and re-presented the ideological defence of heterosexuality through repeated stigmatisation of difference and non-conformity in the context of the normative religious beliefs. They also perceived homosexuals as a potential threatto the morality of the norm-compliant population, prone to emotional and psychological instability, and a threat to the veneer of normalcy. The study showed that such popular theorising is not a neutral instrument of knowledge but one that carries ideological power in normalizing stigma towards LGB

Social Interaction as the Source of Social Knowledge about LGBT in Malaysia

The study investigated perceptions of LGBT identities in Malaysia by examining social interaction as the source of social knowledge about LGBT. The perception is relevant now as the topic of sexual orientation is once again occupying the discourse of morality and human rights in the country. As they re-enter into mainstream consciousness, question should be asked about the sources that inform public opinion when talking about LGBT. Using a semi-structured interview, 12 participants living in Kuching and Kota Samarahan districts of Sarawak, Malaysia, were asked about what they thought about LGBT individuals, the sources of their information and the people that they are predisposed to share conversation with on the topic. The results showed that people‟s opinions are informed by social interaction. Those who tend to develop a positive evaluation are more likely to encounter the LGBT individuals through personal friendship. Further, we discover that people who talked with parents and friends tend to look for information that corroborate pre-existing tendency. The study concludes by emphasising the role of social interaction as a key source of social knowledge about LGBT among Malaysians

Obligate Ant-Associated Macaranga bancana is Better Protected from Herbivory Than Facultative Ant-Associated Macaranga tanarius

Protective mutualism between ant and Macaranga plants are complex between species interactions found only in the tropical environment. In such interactions, plants provide housing structures (in the form of domatia) and food (in the form of food bodies) to their ant symbionts. In return, the ants protect their Macaranga plant hosts against herbivore attacks. Macaranga ant protective mutualism is manifested in a wide range of interactions, from facultative to obligate. In facultative interactions, Macaranga plants attract predatory ants to the plant via food rewards. In return, foraging ants may opportunistically provide protection from insect herbivores. In obligate interactions, plants provide shelter and food rewards to permanent ant partners. We hypothesize that in obligate Macaranga, the host is better protected because of the permanent presence of its resident ant partners, whereas in facultative Macaranga, the defense against insect herbivores may be less efficient depending on the attractiveness of the food rewards and the aggressiveness of the ant species in the plant’s vicinity. In this study, we compare herbivory damage and phytophagous insect herbivore types between a facultative ant-plant M. tanarius and an obligate anti-plant M. bancana. This study further highlights that co-evolved ant partners are more efficient in defending their host plants against phytophagous insect herbivores than facultative ant-plant interactions

A longitudinal investigation of repressive coping and ageing

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Aging & Mental Health on October 2016, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13607863.2015.1060941.Two studies investigated the possibility that repressive coping is more prevalent in older adults and that this represents a developmental progression rather than a cohort effect. Study 1 examined repressive coping and mental health cross-sectionally in young and old adults. Study 2 examined whether there was a developmental progression of repressive coping prevalence rates in a longitudinal sample of older adults.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

Marketing Singapore : heritage sites for sustained tourism growth.

The aim of this study is to establish if heritage tourism can be a vehicle for sustained tourism growth in Singapore, and explore tourists’ preferred mix of activities within a heritage zone. 107 tourists were surveyed in Singapore and subsequently distinguished between heritage and non-heritage tourists. Findings compared the attitudes between heritage tourists and non-heritage tourists. Heritage tourists are inclined to extend their stay; non-heritage tourists were more likely to revisit Singapore and are concerned on availability of heritage sites in their decision making to revisit; both groups of tourists are willing to recommend Singapore’s heritage sites to others. Chinatown appeals to both groups of tourists with its wide tourist-centric range of activities. Arab Street, which remained the most “authentic”, appeals to heritage tourists while non-heritage tourists preferred Little India, which is more developed. Proposed recommendations addressing the findings include increasing the visibility of the less-known heritage sites, increasing the mix of activities available at each site while maintaining a diverse experience across the heritage zones and improving information available to tourists on the heritage sites in Singapore before their visit.BUSINES

Ontario family physicians’ perspectives about their scope of practice: what is it, what drives it and how does it change?

Abstract Background There is little evidence to show what scope of practice (SOP) means from the point of view of family physicians, how family physicians think about their SOP as it changes over time, or what factors shape and influence their SOP. Understanding family physician perspectives on SOP and the factors that influence it can aid our understanding of how it can constrain and enable physicians’ agency and autonomy in professional practice. Methods Using qualitative description and incorporating constructivist grounded theory data collection and analysis techniques, four focus groups were conducted involving twenty-four Ontario-based family physicians from different contexts, at different career stages, and with different practice experiences. Results Participants’ SOP was highly dynamic, changing throughout their careers due to factors both within and beyond their control. Their sense of their own SOP was the product of a continuous cycle of personal and professional transitions, exposures, and experiences throughout their careers. These family physicians sought regular and sustained mentorship, support, and engagement for their SOP throughout their careers. This was particularly the case during professional transitions and for drivers of their SOP for which they felt unprepared early in their careers, such as through the first years of independent practice, and when functioning as owner-operators of medical practices. Four descriptive themes were identified focusing on the nature of their current practice, their professional preparedness and supports, practice management dynamics, and ‘doctors are people, too’. Conclusions The SOP of the family physicians in this study was dynamic and unique to each individual, it emerged from interactions between their personal and professional lives and identities, and it was embedded in their lived experiences. SOP was also to some extent imposed and externally driven. This study advances understanding by exploring the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of SOP rather than focusing solely on what it is

Guidance for the prescription of human immunodeficiency virus pre-exposure prophylaxis in Singapore.

10.11622/smedj.2022043Singapore Med