Self-Compassion, Social Connectedness And Self-Regulation Of Health Behaviour: A Preliminary Study On Local Undergraduates In Malaysia

Self-compassion refers to the ability to care and have compassion towards oneself during the hard time in their life, which offers them a sense of warmth, connectedness and concern. Social connectedness refers to how individuals relate themselves with others and how they perceive themselves in those relationships. Self-regulation of health behaviour refers to one’s initiatives, such as setting goals, taking action and monitoring progress, in personal health management. This study examined 1) gender difference in self-compassion, 2) the level of self-compassion, social connectedness and self-regulation of health behaviour, and 3) the relationship between self-compassion, social connectedness and self-regulation of health behaviour, among local undergraduates in Malaysia. Participants were 292 local undergraduates in a Malaysian public university who completed a questionnaire package on Self-Compassion Scale (α = .79), the Health Responsible part of Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II (α = .85) and The Social Connectedness Scale-Revised (α = .87). Findings reported insignificant gender difference in self-compassion among local undergraduates. Findings also reported adequate level of self-compassion, high level of social connectedness and low level of self-regulation of health behaviour among local undergraduates in Malaysia. There was significant and positive relationship between self-compassion, social connectedness and self-regulation of health behaviour. Contribution, limitation and future research direction of current study were discussed

Gender Differences in Tourism Destination Choice in Malaysia

This paper examines the criteria that males and females when choosing their tourism destination and whether such differences result in different destination preferences. Gender is an important variable in shaping consumer behaviour. As Aitchison (2003) posits holiday experience can be evaluated as a process, wherein gender relations are “constructed, legitimated, reproduced and reworked”, gender differences are an important aspect for tourist destination. Given that tourism is an important sector in Malaysia, the study intends to examine the gender differences in tourism destination choices. Based on online survey among 134 males and females young travelers ranging from 20-40 years old, responses were analysed using systematic analysis to understand the gender differences when choosing preferred tourism destination. The study found that gender differences had some influence on tourist preferences and the justifiability of destination decisions. This finding strengthens the theory by Bem (1981) and Spence (1986) that gender is significantly linked to different consumer variables such as leisure activities and preferences including tourism destination choices. As gender has been accepted as a functional factor in tourism especially for market segmentation, it is recommended that marketers as such recognise that there are gender differences in information processing when designing tourism destination marketing campaigns

CrackCLF: Automatic Pavement Crack Detection based on Closed-Loop Feedback

Automatic pavement crack detection is an important task to ensure the functional performances of pavements during their service life. Inspired by deep learning (DL), the encoder-decoder framework is a powerful tool for crack detection. However, these models are usually open-loop (OL) systems that tend to treat thin cracks as the background. Meanwhile, these models can not automatically correct errors in the prediction, nor can it adapt to the changes of the environment to automatically extract and detect thin cracks. To tackle this problem, we embed closed-loop feedback (CLF) into the neural network so that the model could learn to correct errors on its own, based on generative adversarial networks (GAN). The resulting model is called CrackCLF and includes the front and back ends, i.e. segmentation and adversarial network. The front end with U-shape framework is employed to generate crack maps, and the back end with a multi-scale loss function is used to correct higher-order inconsistencies between labels and crack maps (generated by the front end) to address open-loop system issues. Empirical results show that the proposed CrackCLF outperforms others methods on three public datasets. Moreover, the proposed CLF can be defined as a plug and play module, which can be embedded into different neural network models to improve their performances

A Novel Invadopodia-Specific Marker for Invasive and Pro-Metastatic Cancer Stem Cells

IntroductionStem-like cancer cells or cancer stem cells (CSCs) may comprise a phenotypically and functionally heterogeneous subset of cells, whereas the molecular markers reflecting this CSC hierarchy remain elusive. The glycolytic enzyme alpha-enolase (ENO1) present on the surface of malignant tumor cells has been identified as a metastasis-promoting factor through its function of activating plasminogen. The expression pattern of surface ENO1 (sENO1) concerning cell-to-cell or CSC heterogeneity and its functional roles await further investigation.MethodsThe cell-to-cell expression heterogeneity of sENO1 was profiled in malignant cells from different types of cancers using flow cytometry. The subcellular localization of sENO1 and its functional roles in the invadopodia formation and cancer cell invasiveness were investigated using a series of imaging, molecular, and in vitro and in vivo functional studies.ResultsWe showed here that ENO1 is specifically localized to the invadopodial surface of a significant subset (11.1%-63.9%) of CSCs in human gastric and prostate adenocarcinomas. sENO1+ CSCs have stronger mesenchymal properties than their sENO1- counterparts. The subsequent functional studies confirmed the remarkable pro-invasive and pro-metastatic capacities of sENO1+ CSCs. Mechanistically, inhibiting the surface localization of ENO1 by downregulating caveolin-1 expression compromised invadopodia biogenesis, proteolysis, and CSC invasiveness.ConclusionsOur study identified the specific expression of ENO1 on the invadopodial surface of a subset of highly invasive and pro-metastatic CSCs. sENO1 may provide a diagnostically and/or therapeutically exploitable target to improve the outcome of patients with aggressive and metastatic cancers

Reconsultation, self-reported health status and costs following treatment at a musculoskeletal Clinical Assessment and Treatment Service (CATS): a 12-month prospective cohort study

Objectives To determine (1) reconsultation frequency, (2) change in self-reported health status, (3) baseline factors associated with reconsultation and change in health status and (4) associated healthcare costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), following assessment at a musculoskeletal Clinical and Assessment Treatment Service (CATS). Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Single musculoskeletal CATS at the primary–secondary care interface. Participants 2166 CATS attenders followed-up by postal questionnaires at 6 and 12 months and review of medical records. Outcome measures Primary outcome was consultation in primary care with the same musculoskeletal problem within 12 months. Secondary outcome measures were consultation at the CATS with the same musculoskeletal problem within 12 months, physical function and pain (Short Form-36), anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), time off work, healthcare costs and QALYs. Results Over 12 months, 507 (38%) reconsulted for the same problem in primary care and 345 (26%) at the CATS. Primary care reconsultation in the first 3 months was associated with baseline pain interference (relative risk ratio 5.33; 95% CI 3.23 to 8.80) and spinal pain (1.75; 1.09 to 2.82), and after 3–6 months with baseline assessment by a hospital specialist (2.06; 1.13 to 3.75). Small mean improvements were seen in physical function (1.88; 95% CI 1.44 to 2.32) and body pain (3.86; 3.38 to 4.34) at 6 months. Poor physical function at 6 months was associated with obesity, chronic pain and poor baseline physical function. Mean (SD) 6-month cost and QALYs per patient were £422.40 (660.11) and 0.257 (0.144), respectively. Conclusions While most patients are appropriate for a ‘one-stop shop’ model, those with troublesome, disabling pain and spinal pain commonly reconsult and have ongoing problems. Services should be configured to identify and address such clinical complexity

A Toolkit for Women Migrant Workers' Empowerment in Malaysia: Meeting Sexual and Reproductive Health Needs

Malaysia continues to be one of the largest importers of labour in Asia. Women migrant workers constitute a significant workforce in its manufacturing, service and domestic sectors. It is estimated that women constitute almost 40 percent of its migrant population today1. Women migrant workers work under severe and punitive conditions in Malaysia, with few rights and entitlements at work and in their communities. In this toolkit, we focus on advancing their sexual and reproductive health. Women’s migration has wide-reaching implications for their sexual and reproductive health, but this aspect of their health has not attracted sufficient attention by the government, employers, health care providers, civil society or researchers in Malaysia. There is a lack of gender-sensitive policies overall, to address these needs and protection of this aspect of health and well-being is minimal. Consequently, little is known about the difficulties these women face in coping with sexual and reproductive health illnesses or when seeking treatment, or of interventions which can meet their sexual and reproductive health needs

Validation Of The Multicultural Masculinity Ideology Scale In The Malaysian Context

The Multicultural Masculinity Ideology Scale (MMIS) measures an individual’s perception of being a man, adapting in a specific cultural context. The MMIS was first introduced in a study by Doss and Hopkins (1998), where gender-specific masculinity ideology items were chosen based on theoretical grounds and constructed into a scale. The MMIS has been empirically examined and validated in different cultures (e.g., Anglo-American, African-American, Chilean, Russian and Korean cultures). The aim of this study is to explore the psychometric properties of the MMIS in the Malaysian context from the responses of 100 Malaysian male respondents in a public university. Psychometric properties were investigated using factor analysis, convergent validity tests, discriminant validity tests and internal consistency reliability assessment. Factor analysis by using varimax rotation discovered two cross-cultural components: Hypermasculine Posturing and Achievement. Internal consistency reliability was supported by high Cronbach’s alpha coefficients of the components and total scale. Evidence for discriminant validity was demonstrated through the relationship between the MMIS and the Bem Sex Roles Inventory (BSRI). Evidence for convergent validity was demonstrated by the relationship between the MMIS and the Gender Equity Men Scale (GEM). Findings validated MMIS in the Malaysian context. Implications for future research in the area of masculinity in Malaysia were discussed

Determining cardiovascular risk in patients with unattributed chest pain in UK primary care: an electronic health record study

BACKGROUND: Most adults presenting in primary care with chest pain symptoms will not receive a diagnosis ("unattributed" chest pain) but are at increased risk of cardiovascular events. AIM: To assess within patients with unattributed chest pain, risk factors for cardiovascular events and whether those at greatest risk of cardiovascular disease can be ascertained by an existing general population risk prediction model or by development of a new model. METHODS: The study used UK primary care electronic health records from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) linked to admitted hospitalisations. Study population was patients aged 18 plus with recorded unattributed chest pain 2002-2018. Cardiovascular risk prediction models were developed with external validation and comparison of performance to QRISK3, a general population risk prediction model. RESULTS: There were 374,917 patients with unattributed chest pain in the development dataset. Strongest risk factors for cardiovascular disease included diabetes, atrial fibrillation, and hypertension. Risk was increased in males, patients of Asian ethnicity, those in more deprived areas, obese patients, and smokers. The final developed model had good predictive performance (external validation c-statistic 0.81, calibration slope 1.02). A model using a subset of key risk factors for cardiovascular disease gave nearly identical performance. QRISK3 underestimated cardiovascular risk. CONCLUSION: Patients presenting with unattributed chest pain are at increased risk of cardiovascular events. It is feasible to accurately estimate individual risk using routinely recorded information in the primary care record, focusing on a small number of risk factors. Patients at highest risk could be targeted for preventative measures