Factors affecting willingness to help a suicidal peer in two levels of closeness – friends and acquaintances.

The study evaluates the effect of empathic concern and perceived controllability, on willingness to help a suicidal individual in 2 separate contexts of closeness – 'friends' and 'acquaintances'. Survey data were collected from 100 undergraduates, aged 19 to 26, from a university in Singapore. Results reported empathic concern as a significant predictor of willingness to help in friends, but not in acquaintances, indicating that the empathy-altruism hypothesis is more evident in the context of friendship. Perceived controllability did not predict willingness to help in both friends and acquaintances. Implications of the study of willingness to help a suicidal peer and suggestions for future research are discussed.Bachelor of Art

SPEAKING IN THE NAME OF ISLAM: A DISCURSIVE STUDY OF THE CONTESTATIONS OVER POLYGYNY AND CHILD MARRIAGE IN CONTEMPORARY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE

Master'sMASTER OF ARTS (RSH-FASS

A case study: justification of humanitarian intervention / Mohamed Shahrul Fazli Kamarulzaman and Syed Zain Abdul Rahman Alhadad

The use of force for humanitarian purposes has led to a dilemma to the United Nations and consequently the organization is loosing its significance in settling international disputes. To some, this dilemma poses United Nations as a "harlot" at the disposal of everyone. The doctrine of humanitarian intervention made the United Nations conflicts with its own statutory principles that are Article 2(7) of Charter of United Nations stating on state sovereignty against its preamble of the Charter which deemed human rights (individual sovereignty) as the essential basis of the organization. Kofi Annan, the former Secretary -General of United Nations expresses his concerns; "It has cast in stark relief the dilemma of what has been called humanitarian intervention: on one side, the question of the legitimacy of an action taken by a regional organization without a United Nations mandate; on the other, the universally recognized imperative of effectively halting gross and systematic violations of human rights with grave humanitarian consequences."1 This research concentrates on the justifications of humanitarian intervention by discussing the various definitions to the role of United Nations and other international actors. This research also encompasses several initiatives namely the Just war theory, Blair's Doctrine of International Community and International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty report on Responsibility to Protect. On this note Kofi Annan states; "I sought to develop the idea of two notions of sovereignty: one for States, another for individuals. This idea was rooted firmly in the UN Charter, which affirms the sovereignty of States even as it challenges us to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war... How to protect individual lives while maintaining and even strengthening the sovereignty of States has become clearer with the publication of this report. You are taking away the last excuses of the international community for doing nothing when doing something can save lives."2 The motive of this research is to gather and critically discuss issues related to humanitarian intervention. Furthermore, this research aims to shed light on the future of intervention as a right to safeguard human rights and compliment the dilemma by analyzing a workable defined doctrine which fuses both conflicting principles. As forwarded by Kofi Annan; "Just as we have learned that the world cannot stand aside when gross and systematic violations of human rights are taking place, so we have also learned that intervention must be based on legitimate and universal principles if it is to enjoy the sustained support of the world's peoples. This developing international norm in favour of intervention to protect civilians from wholesale slaughter will no doubt continue to pose profound challenges to the international community."3 The significance of this research is to provide a thorough understanding of humanitarian intervention and respond to the unsettled confusions circulating this doctrine. Alas, it is our notion that humanitarian intervention shall be defined and universally accepted as a legal right and not a political tool to interfere in the internal affairs of a sovereign state

Religious Fasting of Muslim Patients After Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery: a Modified Delphi Consensus

Background Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five pillars of the Muslim faith. Despite the positive effects of fasting on health, there are no guidelines or clear recommendations regarding fasting after metabolic/bariatric surgery (MBS). The current study reports the result of a modified Delphi consensus among expert metabolic/bariatric surgeons with experience in managing patients who fast after MBS

Association of baseline hematoma and edema volumes with one-year outcome and long-term survival after spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage: A community-based inception cohort study

Background Hospital-based studies have reported variable associations between outcome after spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage and peri-hematomal edema volume. Aims In a community-based study, we aimed to investigate the existence, strength, direction, and independence of associations between intracerebral hemorrhage and peri-hematomal edema volumes on diagnostic brain CT and one-year functional outcome and long-term survival. Methods We identified all adults, resident in Lothian, diagnosed with first-ever, symptomatic spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage between June 2010 and May 2013 in a community-based, prospective inception cohort study. We defined regions of interest manually and used a semi-automated approach to measure intracerebral hemorrhage volume, peri-hematomal edema volume, and the sum of these measurements (total lesion volume) on first diagnostic brain CT performed at ≤3 days after symptom onset. The primary outcome was death or dependence (scores 3–6 on the modified Rankin Scale) at one-year after intracerebral hemorrhage. Results Two hundred ninety-two (85%) of 342 patients (median age 77.5 y, IQR 68–83, 186 (54%) female, median time from onset to CT 6.5 h (IQR 2.9–21.7)) were dead or dependent one year after intracerebral hemorrhage. Peri-hematomal edema and intracerebral hemorrhage volumes were colinear ( R2 = 0.77). In models using both intracerebral hemorrhage and peri-hematomal edema, 10 mL increments in intracerebral hemorrhage (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.72 (95% CI 1.08–2.87); p = 0.029) but not peri-hematomal edema volume (aOR 0.92 (0.63–1.45); p = 0.69) were independently associated with one-year death or dependence. 10 mL increments in total lesion volume were independently associated with one-year death or dependence (aOR 1.24 (1.11–1.42); p = 0.0004). Conclusion Total volume of intracerebral hemorrhage and peri-hematomal edema, and intracerebral hemorrhage volume alone on diagnostic brain CT, undertaken at three days or sooner, are independently associated with death or dependence one-year after intracerebral hemorrhage, but peri-hematomal edema volume is not. Data access statement Anonymized summary data may be requested from the corresponding author. </jats:sec