Objective:To investigate the interrelationship between cardiovascular health awareness,risk perception,behavioural intention,and INTERHEART risk stratification in a middle-aged adult population in Malaysia.Methods:A c...Objective:To investigate the interrelationship between cardiovascular health awareness,risk perception,behavioural intention,and INTERHEART risk stratification in a middle-aged adult population in Malaysia.Methods:A cross-sectional survey with convenience sampling was conducted during November 2022 and January 2023.Participants completed validated questionnaires assessing cardiovascular health awareness,risk perception of cardiovascular diseases,behavioural intention towards adopting healthy habits,and INTERHEART risk stratification score(IHRS)based on established risk factors.A total of 602 respondents were included in the final analysis.Data were analysed with independent t-test/one-way ANOVA or Mann-Whitney/Kruskal-Wallis to test the differences,Pearson correlation or linear regression test to analyze the association of independent and dependent variables.Results:There was a significant positive correlation between medical knowledge related to cardiovascular disease(CVD)and knowledge related to CVD risk prevention,risk perception,behavioural intention and IHRS(P<0.05,Pearson correlation).Notably,individuals with higher IHRS tended to have lower knowledge related to CVD and CVD risk prevention,risk perception,and behavioural intention.Males,laborers,active/former smokers,individuals with lower household income and educational levels,those involved in occupations not related to the healthcare sector,and those who did not receive the CVD health brochure or are unaware of health self-assessment tools are likely to have lower levels of knowledge,risk perception,and poorer behavioural intention regarding cardiovascular health(P<0.05,one-way ANOVA).While educational level,smoking status,awareness about CVD poster,self-assessment tools were repeatedly significantly associated with knowledge related to CVD and CVD risk prevention,risk perception,behavioral intention and/or IHRS(P<0.05,linear regression).Conclusions:These findings underscore the importance of promoting cardiovascular health awareness and risk perception among middle-aged adults to foster positive BI and reduce CVD risk.Tailored interventions targeting specific risk factors identified by INTERHEART may enhance risk stratification accuracy and facilitate targeted preventive strategies.展开更多
Background Little is known about the association between stressors(especially positive stressors)during pregnancy and postpartum depression and anxiety.Aims We investigated the association between positive and negativ...Background Little is known about the association between stressors(especially positive stressors)during pregnancy and postpartum depression and anxiety.Aims We investigated the association between positive and negative stress events during different stages of pregnancy and postpartum mental health outcomes among low-income pregnant women with symptoms of anxiety in Pakistan and evaluated whether an intervention based on cognitive behavioural therapy(CBT)had a regulatory effect.Methods Participants were 621 pregnant Pakistani women with mild anxiety.Using the Pregnancy Experience Scale-Brief Version,six scores were created to assess positive and negative stressors.We performed a multivariate linear regression to examine whether these six scores,measured both at baseline and in the third trimester,were associated with postpartum anxiety and depressive symptoms.The effect of the intervention on this relationship was examined by adding an interaction term to the regression model.Results Hassles frequency measured in the third trimester was positively associated with depression(B=0.22,95%confidence interval(Cl):0.09 to 0.36)and anxiety(B=0.19,95%Cl:0.08to 0.30).At the same timepoint,uplifts intensity was negatively associated with symptoms of depression(B=-0.82,95%Cl:1.46 to-0.18)and anxiety(B=-0.70,95%Cl:-1.25 to-0.15),whereas hassles intensity was positively related to symptoms of depression(B=1.02,95%Cl:0.36 to 1.67)and anxiety(B=0.90,95%Cl:0.34 to 1.47).The intensity ratio of hassles to uplifts reported in the third trimester was positively related to both depression(B=1.40,95%Cl:0.59 to 2.20)and anxiety(B=1.26,95%Cl:0.57 to 1.96).The intervention strengthened the overall positive effects of uplfts and the negative effects of hassles.Pregnancy experiences at baseline during early pregnancy to mid-pregnancy were not associated with mental health outcomes.Conclusions Stressors in the third trimester but not earlier in pregnancy were associated with postpartum symptoms of anxiety and depression.The CBT intervention modified the association between pregnancy stressors and postpartum mental health outcomes.Programmes that promote positive experiences and reduce negative experiences,especially in late pregnancy,may mitigate postpartum mental health consequences.展开更多
Introduction: Wise prescription of antibiotics is an ethical duty of physicians in view of rising antimicrobial resistance in the community, it should be balanced between the health requirements of the patients and re...Introduction: Wise prescription of antibiotics is an ethical duty of physicians in view of rising antimicrobial resistance in the community, it should be balanced between the health requirements of the patients and resulting long-term antibiotics resistance. Overuse of antimicrobials is a major cause of emerging resistance to antimicrobials. There are multiple factors in the community that influence the physician’s antibiotic prescriptions. Methods: This is a systematic case-control study on antibiotics prescription for paediatric patients attending Latifa Hospital for Women and Children (LWCH), Dubai Health Authority, to know the effects of behavioral interventions on rates of inappropriate antimicrobials prescription by doctors in the Paediatric Emergency Department. Results: The results of our study showed the effectiveness of behavioral insights by peer comparison in antibiotic use among paediatricians in Latifa Hospital had a statistical significance (P = 0.0038). The rate of the prescription decreased from 41% to 21%, a difference of 20%. Conclusion: The study concluded behavioural intervention is an effective measure in reducing the improper prescription of antibiotics in the hospital setting.展开更多
Extending recent findings that reptile embryos seek optimal temperatures inside eggs for thermoregulation,our study demonstrates that this thermoregulatory behaviour can be affected by the amount of oxygen available t...Extending recent findings that reptile embryos seek optimal temperatures inside eggs for thermoregulation,our study demonstrates that this thermoregulatory behaviour can be affected by the amount of oxygen available to an embryo.We exposed embryos of a freshwater turtle(Mauremys reevesii)to two heat sources(an optimal temperature of 30°C and a high temperature of 33°C)under three different oxygen levels–hypoxia(12%O2),normoxia(21%O2)and hyperoxia(30%O2)–and quantified the interactive effects of temperature and oxygen availability on embryonic thermoregulatory behaviour.Our results demonstrated that,in both thermal treatments,embryos exposed to hypoxia did not move as close to the heat source and therefore selected lower temperatures than those exposed to normoxia or hyperoxia.Embryos may select low temperatures under hypoxic conditions to decrease oxygen consumption and therefore alleviate the negative impact of hypoxic stress.展开更多
This paper combines a review of recent advances in quantum thermodynamics, including work on objective collapse (Zurek’s quantum Darwinism) and quantum gravity (Verlinde’s quantum gravity explanation), with a redefi...This paper combines a review of recent advances in quantum thermodynamics, including work on objective collapse (Zurek’s quantum Darwinism) and quantum gravity (Verlinde’s quantum gravity explanation), with a redefinition of entropy generation as systems’ change process. These concepts are used as systems’ behaviour analysis tools to allow us to revisit Hartle and Hawking’s 1983 quantum universe and develop a hypothesis for how physically a universe starting in a quantum state could evolve into our current universe, based on systems analysis. The outcome of this analysis raises a question: do we already have the elements of a “theory of everything” hiding in plain sight within recent advances in quantum thermodynamics?展开更多
The engagement of students is a recognised challenge for teachers.Technology offers some practical student engagement tools,and this paper examines the use of low-stakes online tests and immediate dialogic feedback to...The engagement of students is a recognised challenge for teachers.Technology offers some practical student engagement tools,and this paper examines the use of low-stakes online tests and immediate dialogic feedback to improve behavioural engagement.The academic exploration of low-stakes tests and dialogic feedback has been extensive,and they are credible teaching tools.In this study,we explore the learning benefit of their combination.Postgraduate engineering students’self-reported and learning analytics data shows conclusive evidence of improved behavioural engagement.We measured a 500%increase in the Learning Management System(LMS)page views on the days when we ran the low-stakes tests(each worth 2%of the marks for the subject)and engaged in immediate dialogic feedback.To interpret these results,we draw on theories of behavioural engagement,low-stakes tests,and feedback.We conclude that the combination of low-stakes tests and immediate feedback improves student behavioural engagement.展开更多
The relationship between habitat and behaviour provides important information for species management.For large,free roaming,marine animals satellite tags provide high resolution information on movement,but such datase...The relationship between habitat and behaviour provides important information for species management.For large,free roaming,marine animals satellite tags provide high resolution information on movement,but such datasets are restricted due to cost.Extracting additional biologically important information from these data would increase utilisation and value.Several modelling approaches have been developed to identify behavioural states in tracking data.The objective of this study was to evaluate a behavioural state prediction model for blue shark(Prionace glauca)ARGOS surface location-only data.The novel nature of the six SPLASH satellite tags used enabled behavioural events to be identified in blue shark dive data and accurately mapped spatio-temporally along respective surface location-only tracks.Behavioural states modelled along the six surface location-only tracks were then tested against observed behavioural events to evaluate the model’s accuracy.Results showed that the Behavioural Change Point Analysis(BCPA)model augmented with K means clustering analysis performed well for predicting foraging behaviour(correct 86%of the time).Prediction accuracy was lower for searching(52%)and travelling(63%)behaviour,likely related to the numerical dominance of foraging events in dive data.The model’s validation for predicting foraging behaviour justified its application to nine additional surface location-only(SPOT tag)tracks,substantially increasing the utilisation of expensive and rare data.Results enabled the critical behavioural state of foraging,to be mapped throughout the entire home range of blue sharks,allowing drivers of critical habitat to be investigated.This validation strengthens the use of such modelling to interpret historic and future datasets,for blue sharks but also other species,contributing to conservational management.展开更多
Applications of a constitutive framework providing compound complexity analysis and indexing of coarse-grained self-similar time series representing behavioural data are presented. A notion of behavioural entropy and ...Applications of a constitutive framework providing compound complexity analysis and indexing of coarse-grained self-similar time series representing behavioural data are presented. A notion of behavioural entropy and hysteresis is introduced as two different forms of compound measures. These measures provide clinically applicable complexity analysis of behavioural patterns yielding scalar characterisation of time-varying behaviours registered over an extended period of time. The behavioural data are obtained using body attached sensors providing non-invasive readings of heart rate, skin blood perfusion, blood oxygenation, skin temperature, movement and steps frequency. The results using compound measures of behavioural patterns of fifteen healthy individuals are presented. The application of the compound measures is shown to correlate with complexity analysis. The correlation is demonstrated using two healthy subjects compared against a control group. This indicates a possibility to use these measures in place of fractional dimensions to provide a finer characterisation of behavioural patterns observed using sensory data acquired over a long period of time.展开更多
Background Avoidant paruresis is a common clinical condition in urology and psychosomatic medicine.However,it has limited treatment options that are safe and effective with few side effects.Aims Our study aimed to inv...Background Avoidant paruresis is a common clinical condition in urology and psychosomatic medicine.However,it has limited treatment options that are safe and effective with few side effects.Aims Our study aimed to investigate the effectiveness and safety of the Chinese herbal Yangxin Tongquan decoction combined with cognitive-behavioural therapy(CBT)for avoidant paruresis.Methods Sixty-eight patients with avoidant paruresis were divided into a treatment group(33 patients)and a control group(35 patients).The control group was assigned 10 weeks of CBT and systematic desensitisation.In addition to CBT and systematic desensitisation,the treatment group was given the Chinese herbal Yangxin Tongquan decoction during the 10-week study.The Shy Bladder Syndrome Scale(SBS)and the Self-rating Anxiety Scale(SAS)were administered before and after treatment to measure any change.Results The overall efficacy in the treatment group(n=30)was 80.0%vs 62.5%in the control group(n=33).Comparing pretreatment and post-treatment measures,both groups showed improvement in SBS scores and SAS scores(treatment group:t_((SBS))=8.397,p_((SBS))<0.001,t_((SAS))=8.216,p_((SAS))<0.001;control group:t_((SBS))=6.802,p_((SBS))<0.001,t_((SAS))=5.171,p_((SAS))<0.001).Moreover,both groups’SBS and SAS scores changed significantly over time(SBS scores:F_(time)=118.299,p<0.001;SAS scores:F_(time)=92.114,p<0.001).However,the treatment group performed better than the control group(SBS scores:F_(time*group)=5.709,p=0.020;SAS scores:F_(time*group)=7.235,p=0.009).Conclusions The Chinese herbal Yangxin Tongquan decoction combined with cognitive-behavioural psychotherapy positively affects the treatment of avoidant paruresis without significant adverse effects.展开更多
AIM To review available evidence on the use of cognitive behavioural therapy(CBT) for treating obsessive compulsive disorder co-occurring with psychosis.METHODS In this paper we present a detailed and comprehensive re...AIM To review available evidence on the use of cognitive behavioural therapy(CBT) for treating obsessive compulsive disorder co-occurring with psychosis.METHODS In this paper we present a detailed and comprehensive review of the current literature focusing on CBT treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder(OCD) co-occurring with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. We identified relevant literature published between 2001 and May 2016 through MEDLINE/PubM ed search using as search string("obsessive compulsive disorders" or "obsessive compulsive symptoms") and("schizophrenia" or "schizoaffective disorder" or "psychosis") and("cognitive behavioural therapy"). Other citations of interest were further identified from references reported in the accessed articles. The search was limited to studies written in English and carried out in adult patients. A total of 9 studies, 8 case reports and 1 case series, were found.RESULTS The reviewed evidence indicates that CBT is:(1) safe, i.e., does not worsen psychotic symptoms;(2) well accepted, with a discontinuation rate quite similar to that reported for patients with OCD without psychosis comorbidity;(3) effective, with a symptom reduction quite similar to that reported for patients with OCD without psychosis and for SRIs treatment of OCD cooccurring with psychosis; and(4) effective in patients with OCD induced by second-generation antipsychotic as well as in patients with OCD not induced by secondgeneration antipsychotic. Alcohol/substance use disorder comorbidity and OCD onset preceding that of SCH/SA was predictors of poor outcome. These results are derived only by additional studies with adequate sample size.CONCLUSION Our results support the use of CBT for OCD in patients with psychosis.展开更多
Mental health problems in children and adolescents include several types of emotional and behavioural disorders, including disruptive, depression, anxiety and pervasive developmental(autism) disorders, characterized a...Mental health problems in children and adolescents include several types of emotional and behavioural disorders, including disruptive, depression, anxiety and pervasive developmental(autism) disorders, characterized as either internalizing or externalizing problems. Disruptive behavioural problems such as temper tantrums, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, oppositional, defiant or conduct disorders are the commonest behavioural problems in preschool and school age children. The routine Paediatric clinic or Family Medicine/General Practitioner surgery presents with several desirable characteristics that make them ideal for providing effective mental health services to children and adolescents. DSM-5 and ICD-10 are the universally accepted standard criteria for the classification of mental and behaviour disorders in childhood and adults. The age and gender prevalence estimation of various childhood behavioural disorders are variable and difficult to compare worldwide. A review of relevant published literature was conducted, including published metaanalyses and national guidelines. We searched for articles indexed by Ovid, Pub Med, Pub Med Medical Central, CINAHL, EMBASE, Database of Abstracts and Reviews, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic reviews and other online sources. The searches were conducted using a combination of search expressions including "childhood", "behaviour", "disorders" or "problems". Childhood behaviour and emotional problems with their related disorders have significant negative impacts on the individual, the family and the society. They are commonly associated with poor academic, occupational, and psychosocial functioning. It is important for all healthcare professionals, especially the Paediatricians to be aware of the range of presentation, prevention and management of the common mental health problems in children and adolescents.展开更多
As per most other earth science engineering problems,the underground coal geotechnical environment and the way in which roof and rib support interacts with the rock mass are complex issues.It is therefore generally re...As per most other earth science engineering problems,the underground coal geotechnical environment and the way in which roof and rib support interacts with the rock mass are complex issues.It is therefore generally recognised that without prudent simplification,the complexity of the problem will overwhelm all current geotechnical methods of modelling,not least for the reason that a rock mass can never be characterised to a level that allows a"non-simplified"analysis.The fact that numerical models,which are commonly purported to be a"simulation"tool and the so-called epitome of advanced geotechnical engineering,always need to be"calibrated"to a known reality is taken to be conclusive proof of this statement.While the problem should not be oversimplified(i.e.the dominant failure mechanisms or critical data input parameters should not be ignored),without question judicious simplification is at the heart of all engineering design,to the point that it has a well-established name–"reductionism".The hypothesis addressed in this paper,is that horizontal and vertical stress-driven slender beam and column behaviour(which includes unstable Euler Buckling)are respectively the dominant(but not only)roadway roof and ribline behavioural mechanism that(if not controlled)can lead to excessive deformation,failure and eventual collapse.As a part of the Scientific Method,a hypothesis can only be tested via real-world observations,measurements and analyses in establishing it is a credible Theory.Utilising the Scientific Method,this paper demonstrates that slender beam/column behaviour is the dominant instability mechanism within a coal mine roof/rib subject to elevated horizontal/vertical stress conditions and therefore,must be representatively accounted for in any credible empirical,analytical,or numerical approach to coal mine roof/rib stability assessment and associated ground support design.展开更多
This paper proposes an original behavioural finance representative agent model,to explain how fake news’empirical price impacts can persist in finance despite contradicting the efficient-market hypothesis.The model r...This paper proposes an original behavioural finance representative agent model,to explain how fake news’empirical price impacts can persist in finance despite contradicting the efficient-market hypothesis.The model reconciles empirically-observed price overreactions to fake news with empirically-observed price underreactions to real news,and predicts a novel secondary impact of fake news:that fake news in a security amplifies underreactions to subsequent real news for the security.Evaluating the model against a large-sample event study of the 2019 Chinese ADR Delisting Threat fake news and debunking event,this paper finds strong qualitative validation for its model’s dynamics and predictions.展开更多
Reinforcement Learning is a commonly used technique for learning tasks in robotics, however, traditional algorithms are unable to handle large amounts of data coming from the robot’s sensors, require long training ti...Reinforcement Learning is a commonly used technique for learning tasks in robotics, however, traditional algorithms are unable to handle large amounts of data coming from the robot’s sensors, require long training times, and use dis-crete actions. This work introduces TS-RRLCA, a two stage method to tackle these problems. In the first stage, low-level data coming from the robot’s sensors is transformed into a more natural, relational representation based on rooms, walls, corners, doors and obstacles, significantly reducing the state space. We use this representation along with Behavioural Cloning, i.e., traces provided by the user;to learn, in few iterations, a relational control policy with discrete actions which can be re-used in different environments. In the second stage, we use Locally Weighted Regression to transform the initial policy into a continuous actions policy. We tested our approach in simulation and with a real service robot on different environments for different navigation and following tasks. Results show how the policies can be used on different domains and perform smoother, faster and shorter paths than the original discrete actions policies.展开更多
Venture capital finance has two aspects,the economic aspect and the behavioural economic aspect.The economic aspect includes issues such as conflict of interest between the entrepreneur and the venture capitalist(VC),...Venture capital finance has two aspects,the economic aspect and the behavioural economic aspect.The economic aspect includes issues such as conflict of interest between the entrepreneur and the venture capitalist(VC),asymmetric information,moral hazard,and compensation issues for both the parties.The behavioural economic aspect is related to relational factors such as empathy and a feeling of fairness and trust shown by both the parties.Therefore,while deciding the financer,entrepreneur should consider both relational aspect and value add services of the financier and strike optimal trade-off.The ensuing case analysis has been carried out focusing on elimination of double-sided moral hazards through a proper trade-off between economy and behavioural economic theories(aspects).The performance of the venture can be enhanced by balancing both of these theories in practice.An equity distribution that represents economic reward is a source of motivation for both the parties to put optimal efforts towards the success of the venture.This was seen in the case analysis,when the parties perceived the initial equity distribution agreement as fair,the satisfaction level of all the parties increased,leading to the reduction in the possibility of double-sided moral hazard and ensuring the success of the venture.Moreover,the analysis shows that information sharing and two-way communication increases trust and improves decision quality.It further focusses on how feedback and proper work distribution results in efficiency of performance for each of the stakeholders,leading to reduced probability of double-sided moral hazards.展开更多
The Meeting on ICD -11 Mental and Behavioural Disorders in China, adopts the outcome document entitled “The mental health working plan for the development and promotion of ICD-11 Mental and Behavioural Disorders diag...The Meeting on ICD -11 Mental and Behavioural Disorders in China, adopts the outcome document entitled “The mental health working plan for the development and promotion of ICD-11 Mental and Behavioural Disorders diagnostic guidelines in China”annexed to the present resolution.展开更多
During the COVID-19 pandemic,medical and nursing students are faced with various challenges such as the need to attend online classes and juggling clinical postings under the new norm.This study aimed to assess the as...During the COVID-19 pandemic,medical and nursing students are faced with various challenges such as the need to attend online classes and juggling clinical postings under the new norm.This study aimed to assess the asso-ciation between depression,anxiety,and behavioural changes among medical and nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic.An online self-administered questionnaire was distributed between March 2021 and July 2021 to 292 undergraduates medical and nursing students in a higher education institute on the East Coast of Malaysia.The questionnaires consisted of four parts:sociodemographic data,the Generalised Anxiety Disor-der-7,the Patient Health Questionnaire-9,and questions related to behaviours during the COVID-19 pandemic.This study found that 23.6%and 33.6%of the students experienced anxiety and depression respectively,possibly caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.Anxiety was associated with a high level of behavioural changes during the pandemic with a total of 87%of the students showing behavioural changes.Therapeutic interventions such as online counselling and consultation should be implemented by the university to reduce the prevalence of depres-sion and anxiety resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic among medical and nursing students.展开更多
Corundum, which is a form of Alumina, is used to manufacture various components and mechanical, electrical and electronics parts. Known for its relatively high hardness, its other characteristics depend on the porosit...Corundum, which is a form of Alumina, is used to manufacture various components and mechanical, electrical and electronics parts. Known for its relatively high hardness, its other characteristics depend on the porosity rate that varies depending on the manufacturing process. One of the characteristics to consider is the tensile stress value changes in a standard test to failure as a function of applied force and porosity rate. In this study, for a better understanding of the effect of the two parameters, we used the statistical method of design of experiments that makes it possible to establish a mathematical model of the response, by which explains the effect of the two parameters in isolation from each other, then their effect simultaneously. Consequently, we can explain the mechanical behaviour of the porous corundum, with curves and graphs, and optimize the final result.展开更多
Background: Temperament is a predictive factor of child behaviour. Thomas and Chess evaluated relationship of temperamental factor with behavioural disturbance in social milo. Method: In this study, 500 children betwe...Background: Temperament is a predictive factor of child behaviour. Thomas and Chess evaluated relationship of temperamental factor with behavioural disturbance in social milo. Method: In this study, 500 children between 4 to 10 years old, who have been admitted for their behavioural disturbance and anxiety to Dr-Sheikh Children Hospital in Mashhad, Iran, have been chosen. The parents fill Malhotra questionnaire and Conner’s questionnaire. Then subscales of questionnaires are compared together. Result: Power and energy (activity) are the only factors which are in relation with conduct behaviour, impulsivity, hyperactivity and anxiety. Conclusion: Among temperament factor only power and energy (activity) have relation with conduct behaviour, impulsivity, hyperactivity and anxiety. Focus of attention (distractibility) is associated with hyperactivity. Sociability has no relationship with hyperactivity.展开更多
This paper investigates residential energy consumption in the UK by using a novel and topical approach based on behavioural analysis. A key lesson from recent advances in behavioural economics is that the responses of...This paper investigates residential energy consumption in the UK by using a novel and topical approach based on behavioural analysis. A key lesson from recent advances in behavioural economics is that the responses of individuals to both policy incentives and uncertainty may differ from the predictions of classical rational optimising behaviour. By employing a focused case study approach using both quantitative and qualitative response analysis, it considers the motivations of residential householders in the UK to reduce fossil fuel use, with additional perspectives from UK landlords, a global environmental NGO, a senior politician, and two senior stakeholder strategy managers from a large energy company. Our interpretative behavioural analysis shows that a variety of incentives are necessary to encourage behaviour change. However, case study participants largely agree on the beneficial role of government regulation and efforts to “nudge” them in the right direction with regard to their energy use. As a means of more effectively reducing carbon dioxide emissions, we conclude that policy should focus on sustainable energy use. The findings allow us to understand why important recent policy initiatives such as the UK Green Deal failed to achieve their objectives and they suggest lessons for more effective incentive based policy making in the field of residential energy consumption.展开更多
基金This work was supported by the Ministry of Higher Education(MOHE),Malaysia,through Fundamental Research Grant Scheme(FRGS/1/2022/SKK10/UTAR/02/1)Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman,Malaysia,through UTAR-Research Grant(IPSR/RMC/UTARRF/2021-C2/L08)MBBS Community Health Project(2022/2023),UTAR.
文摘Objective:To investigate the interrelationship between cardiovascular health awareness,risk perception,behavioural intention,and INTERHEART risk stratification in a middle-aged adult population in Malaysia.Methods:A cross-sectional survey with convenience sampling was conducted during November 2022 and January 2023.Participants completed validated questionnaires assessing cardiovascular health awareness,risk perception of cardiovascular diseases,behavioural intention towards adopting healthy habits,and INTERHEART risk stratification score(IHRS)based on established risk factors.A total of 602 respondents were included in the final analysis.Data were analysed with independent t-test/one-way ANOVA or Mann-Whitney/Kruskal-Wallis to test the differences,Pearson correlation or linear regression test to analyze the association of independent and dependent variables.Results:There was a significant positive correlation between medical knowledge related to cardiovascular disease(CVD)and knowledge related to CVD risk prevention,risk perception,behavioural intention and IHRS(P<0.05,Pearson correlation).Notably,individuals with higher IHRS tended to have lower knowledge related to CVD and CVD risk prevention,risk perception,and behavioural intention.Males,laborers,active/former smokers,individuals with lower household income and educational levels,those involved in occupations not related to the healthcare sector,and those who did not receive the CVD health brochure or are unaware of health self-assessment tools are likely to have lower levels of knowledge,risk perception,and poorer behavioural intention regarding cardiovascular health(P<0.05,one-way ANOVA).While educational level,smoking status,awareness about CVD poster,self-assessment tools were repeatedly significantly associated with knowledge related to CVD and CVD risk prevention,risk perception,behavioral intention and/or IHRS(P<0.05,linear regression).Conclusions:These findings underscore the importance of promoting cardiovascular health awareness and risk perception among middle-aged adults to foster positive BI and reduce CVD risk.Tailored interventions targeting specific risk factors identified by INTERHEART may enhance risk stratification accuracy and facilitate targeted preventive strategies.
基金the National Institute of Mental Health at the US National Institutes of Health(grant number:R01 MH111859).
文摘Background Little is known about the association between stressors(especially positive stressors)during pregnancy and postpartum depression and anxiety.Aims We investigated the association between positive and negative stress events during different stages of pregnancy and postpartum mental health outcomes among low-income pregnant women with symptoms of anxiety in Pakistan and evaluated whether an intervention based on cognitive behavioural therapy(CBT)had a regulatory effect.Methods Participants were 621 pregnant Pakistani women with mild anxiety.Using the Pregnancy Experience Scale-Brief Version,six scores were created to assess positive and negative stressors.We performed a multivariate linear regression to examine whether these six scores,measured both at baseline and in the third trimester,were associated with postpartum anxiety and depressive symptoms.The effect of the intervention on this relationship was examined by adding an interaction term to the regression model.Results Hassles frequency measured in the third trimester was positively associated with depression(B=0.22,95%confidence interval(Cl):0.09 to 0.36)and anxiety(B=0.19,95%Cl:0.08to 0.30).At the same timepoint,uplifts intensity was negatively associated with symptoms of depression(B=-0.82,95%Cl:1.46 to-0.18)and anxiety(B=-0.70,95%Cl:-1.25 to-0.15),whereas hassles intensity was positively related to symptoms of depression(B=1.02,95%Cl:0.36 to 1.67)and anxiety(B=0.90,95%Cl:0.34 to 1.47).The intensity ratio of hassles to uplifts reported in the third trimester was positively related to both depression(B=1.40,95%Cl:0.59 to 2.20)and anxiety(B=1.26,95%Cl:0.57 to 1.96).The intervention strengthened the overall positive effects of uplfts and the negative effects of hassles.Pregnancy experiences at baseline during early pregnancy to mid-pregnancy were not associated with mental health outcomes.Conclusions Stressors in the third trimester but not earlier in pregnancy were associated with postpartum symptoms of anxiety and depression.The CBT intervention modified the association between pregnancy stressors and postpartum mental health outcomes.Programmes that promote positive experiences and reduce negative experiences,especially in late pregnancy,may mitigate postpartum mental health consequences.
文摘Introduction: Wise prescription of antibiotics is an ethical duty of physicians in view of rising antimicrobial resistance in the community, it should be balanced between the health requirements of the patients and resulting long-term antibiotics resistance. Overuse of antimicrobials is a major cause of emerging resistance to antimicrobials. There are multiple factors in the community that influence the physician’s antibiotic prescriptions. Methods: This is a systematic case-control study on antibiotics prescription for paediatric patients attending Latifa Hospital for Women and Children (LWCH), Dubai Health Authority, to know the effects of behavioral interventions on rates of inappropriate antimicrobials prescription by doctors in the Paediatric Emergency Department. Results: The results of our study showed the effectiveness of behavioral insights by peer comparison in antibiotic use among paediatricians in Latifa Hospital had a statistical significance (P = 0.0038). The rate of the prescription decreased from 41% to 21%, a difference of 20%. Conclusion: The study concluded behavioural intervention is an effective measure in reducing the improper prescription of antibiotics in the hospital setting.
基金This work was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32030013,31821001).
文摘Extending recent findings that reptile embryos seek optimal temperatures inside eggs for thermoregulation,our study demonstrates that this thermoregulatory behaviour can be affected by the amount of oxygen available to an embryo.We exposed embryos of a freshwater turtle(Mauremys reevesii)to two heat sources(an optimal temperature of 30°C and a high temperature of 33°C)under three different oxygen levels–hypoxia(12%O2),normoxia(21%O2)and hyperoxia(30%O2)–and quantified the interactive effects of temperature and oxygen availability on embryonic thermoregulatory behaviour.Our results demonstrated that,in both thermal treatments,embryos exposed to hypoxia did not move as close to the heat source and therefore selected lower temperatures than those exposed to normoxia or hyperoxia.Embryos may select low temperatures under hypoxic conditions to decrease oxygen consumption and therefore alleviate the negative impact of hypoxic stress.
文摘This paper combines a review of recent advances in quantum thermodynamics, including work on objective collapse (Zurek’s quantum Darwinism) and quantum gravity (Verlinde’s quantum gravity explanation), with a redefinition of entropy generation as systems’ change process. These concepts are used as systems’ behaviour analysis tools to allow us to revisit Hartle and Hawking’s 1983 quantum universe and develop a hypothesis for how physically a universe starting in a quantum state could evolve into our current universe, based on systems analysis. The outcome of this analysis raises a question: do we already have the elements of a “theory of everything” hiding in plain sight within recent advances in quantum thermodynamics?
文摘The engagement of students is a recognised challenge for teachers.Technology offers some practical student engagement tools,and this paper examines the use of low-stakes online tests and immediate dialogic feedback to improve behavioural engagement.The academic exploration of low-stakes tests and dialogic feedback has been extensive,and they are credible teaching tools.In this study,we explore the learning benefit of their combination.Postgraduate engineering students’self-reported and learning analytics data shows conclusive evidence of improved behavioural engagement.We measured a 500%increase in the Learning Management System(LMS)page views on the days when we ran the low-stakes tests(each worth 2%of the marks for the subject)and engaged in immediate dialogic feedback.To interpret these results,we draw on theories of behavioural engagement,low-stakes tests,and feedback.We conclude that the combination of low-stakes tests and immediate feedback improves student behavioural engagement.
文摘The relationship between habitat and behaviour provides important information for species management.For large,free roaming,marine animals satellite tags provide high resolution information on movement,but such datasets are restricted due to cost.Extracting additional biologically important information from these data would increase utilisation and value.Several modelling approaches have been developed to identify behavioural states in tracking data.The objective of this study was to evaluate a behavioural state prediction model for blue shark(Prionace glauca)ARGOS surface location-only data.The novel nature of the six SPLASH satellite tags used enabled behavioural events to be identified in blue shark dive data and accurately mapped spatio-temporally along respective surface location-only tracks.Behavioural states modelled along the six surface location-only tracks were then tested against observed behavioural events to evaluate the model’s accuracy.Results showed that the Behavioural Change Point Analysis(BCPA)model augmented with K means clustering analysis performed well for predicting foraging behaviour(correct 86%of the time).Prediction accuracy was lower for searching(52%)and travelling(63%)behaviour,likely related to the numerical dominance of foraging events in dive data.The model’s validation for predicting foraging behaviour justified its application to nine additional surface location-only(SPOT tag)tracks,substantially increasing the utilisation of expensive and rare data.Results enabled the critical behavioural state of foraging,to be mapped throughout the entire home range of blue sharks,allowing drivers of critical habitat to be investigated.This validation strengthens the use of such modelling to interpret historic and future datasets,for blue sharks but also other species,contributing to conservational management.
文摘Applications of a constitutive framework providing compound complexity analysis and indexing of coarse-grained self-similar time series representing behavioural data are presented. A notion of behavioural entropy and hysteresis is introduced as two different forms of compound measures. These measures provide clinically applicable complexity analysis of behavioural patterns yielding scalar characterisation of time-varying behaviours registered over an extended period of time. The behavioural data are obtained using body attached sensors providing non-invasive readings of heart rate, skin blood perfusion, blood oxygenation, skin temperature, movement and steps frequency. The results using compound measures of behavioural patterns of fifteen healthy individuals are presented. The application of the compound measures is shown to correlate with complexity analysis. The correlation is demonstrated using two healthy subjects compared against a control group. This indicates a possibility to use these measures in place of fractional dimensions to provide a finer characterisation of behavioural patterns observed using sensory data acquired over a long period of time.
基金Longhua Hospital,Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine(yw.005.008)National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China(HDSL202001038)+1 种基金Shanghai Municipal Health Commission(ZHYY-ZXYJHZX-202008)and Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine(SHUTCM2021KC121).
文摘Background Avoidant paruresis is a common clinical condition in urology and psychosomatic medicine.However,it has limited treatment options that are safe and effective with few side effects.Aims Our study aimed to investigate the effectiveness and safety of the Chinese herbal Yangxin Tongquan decoction combined with cognitive-behavioural therapy(CBT)for avoidant paruresis.Methods Sixty-eight patients with avoidant paruresis were divided into a treatment group(33 patients)and a control group(35 patients).The control group was assigned 10 weeks of CBT and systematic desensitisation.In addition to CBT and systematic desensitisation,the treatment group was given the Chinese herbal Yangxin Tongquan decoction during the 10-week study.The Shy Bladder Syndrome Scale(SBS)and the Self-rating Anxiety Scale(SAS)were administered before and after treatment to measure any change.Results The overall efficacy in the treatment group(n=30)was 80.0%vs 62.5%in the control group(n=33).Comparing pretreatment and post-treatment measures,both groups showed improvement in SBS scores and SAS scores(treatment group:t_((SBS))=8.397,p_((SBS))<0.001,t_((SAS))=8.216,p_((SAS))<0.001;control group:t_((SBS))=6.802,p_((SBS))<0.001,t_((SAS))=5.171,p_((SAS))<0.001).Moreover,both groups’SBS and SAS scores changed significantly over time(SBS scores:F_(time)=118.299,p<0.001;SAS scores:F_(time)=92.114,p<0.001).However,the treatment group performed better than the control group(SBS scores:F_(time*group)=5.709,p=0.020;SAS scores:F_(time*group)=7.235,p=0.009).Conclusions The Chinese herbal Yangxin Tongquan decoction combined with cognitive-behavioural psychotherapy positively affects the treatment of avoidant paruresis without significant adverse effects.
基金Supported by "Fondazione dell’Istituto di Psicopatologia Onlus",Rome,Italy
文摘AIM To review available evidence on the use of cognitive behavioural therapy(CBT) for treating obsessive compulsive disorder co-occurring with psychosis.METHODS In this paper we present a detailed and comprehensive review of the current literature focusing on CBT treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder(OCD) co-occurring with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. We identified relevant literature published between 2001 and May 2016 through MEDLINE/PubM ed search using as search string("obsessive compulsive disorders" or "obsessive compulsive symptoms") and("schizophrenia" or "schizoaffective disorder" or "psychosis") and("cognitive behavioural therapy"). Other citations of interest were further identified from references reported in the accessed articles. The search was limited to studies written in English and carried out in adult patients. A total of 9 studies, 8 case reports and 1 case series, were found.RESULTS The reviewed evidence indicates that CBT is:(1) safe, i.e., does not worsen psychotic symptoms;(2) well accepted, with a discontinuation rate quite similar to that reported for patients with OCD without psychosis comorbidity;(3) effective, with a symptom reduction quite similar to that reported for patients with OCD without psychosis and for SRIs treatment of OCD cooccurring with psychosis; and(4) effective in patients with OCD induced by second-generation antipsychotic as well as in patients with OCD not induced by secondgeneration antipsychotic. Alcohol/substance use disorder comorbidity and OCD onset preceding that of SCH/SA was predictors of poor outcome. These results are derived only by additional studies with adequate sample size.CONCLUSION Our results support the use of CBT for OCD in patients with psychosis.
文摘Mental health problems in children and adolescents include several types of emotional and behavioural disorders, including disruptive, depression, anxiety and pervasive developmental(autism) disorders, characterized as either internalizing or externalizing problems. Disruptive behavioural problems such as temper tantrums, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, oppositional, defiant or conduct disorders are the commonest behavioural problems in preschool and school age children. The routine Paediatric clinic or Family Medicine/General Practitioner surgery presents with several desirable characteristics that make them ideal for providing effective mental health services to children and adolescents. DSM-5 and ICD-10 are the universally accepted standard criteria for the classification of mental and behaviour disorders in childhood and adults. The age and gender prevalence estimation of various childhood behavioural disorders are variable and difficult to compare worldwide. A review of relevant published literature was conducted, including published metaanalyses and national guidelines. We searched for articles indexed by Ovid, Pub Med, Pub Med Medical Central, CINAHL, EMBASE, Database of Abstracts and Reviews, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic reviews and other online sources. The searches were conducted using a combination of search expressions including "childhood", "behaviour", "disorders" or "problems". Childhood behaviour and emotional problems with their related disorders have significant negative impacts on the individual, the family and the society. They are commonly associated with poor academic, occupational, and psychosocial functioning. It is important for all healthcare professionals, especially the Paediatricians to be aware of the range of presentation, prevention and management of the common mental health problems in children and adolescents.
文摘As per most other earth science engineering problems,the underground coal geotechnical environment and the way in which roof and rib support interacts with the rock mass are complex issues.It is therefore generally recognised that without prudent simplification,the complexity of the problem will overwhelm all current geotechnical methods of modelling,not least for the reason that a rock mass can never be characterised to a level that allows a"non-simplified"analysis.The fact that numerical models,which are commonly purported to be a"simulation"tool and the so-called epitome of advanced geotechnical engineering,always need to be"calibrated"to a known reality is taken to be conclusive proof of this statement.While the problem should not be oversimplified(i.e.the dominant failure mechanisms or critical data input parameters should not be ignored),without question judicious simplification is at the heart of all engineering design,to the point that it has a well-established name–"reductionism".The hypothesis addressed in this paper,is that horizontal and vertical stress-driven slender beam and column behaviour(which includes unstable Euler Buckling)are respectively the dominant(but not only)roadway roof and ribline behavioural mechanism that(if not controlled)can lead to excessive deformation,failure and eventual collapse.As a part of the Scientific Method,a hypothesis can only be tested via real-world observations,measurements and analyses in establishing it is a credible Theory.Utilising the Scientific Method,this paper demonstrates that slender beam/column behaviour is the dominant instability mechanism within a coal mine roof/rib subject to elevated horizontal/vertical stress conditions and therefore,must be representatively accounted for in any credible empirical,analytical,or numerical approach to coal mine roof/rib stability assessment and associated ground support design.
文摘This paper proposes an original behavioural finance representative agent model,to explain how fake news’empirical price impacts can persist in finance despite contradicting the efficient-market hypothesis.The model reconciles empirically-observed price overreactions to fake news with empirically-observed price underreactions to real news,and predicts a novel secondary impact of fake news:that fake news in a security amplifies underreactions to subsequent real news for the security.Evaluating the model against a large-sample event study of the 2019 Chinese ADR Delisting Threat fake news and debunking event,this paper finds strong qualitative validation for its model’s dynamics and predictions.
文摘Reinforcement Learning is a commonly used technique for learning tasks in robotics, however, traditional algorithms are unable to handle large amounts of data coming from the robot’s sensors, require long training times, and use dis-crete actions. This work introduces TS-RRLCA, a two stage method to tackle these problems. In the first stage, low-level data coming from the robot’s sensors is transformed into a more natural, relational representation based on rooms, walls, corners, doors and obstacles, significantly reducing the state space. We use this representation along with Behavioural Cloning, i.e., traces provided by the user;to learn, in few iterations, a relational control policy with discrete actions which can be re-used in different environments. In the second stage, we use Locally Weighted Regression to transform the initial policy into a continuous actions policy. We tested our approach in simulation and with a real service robot on different environments for different navigation and following tasks. Results show how the policies can be used on different domains and perform smoother, faster and shorter paths than the original discrete actions policies.
文摘Venture capital finance has two aspects,the economic aspect and the behavioural economic aspect.The economic aspect includes issues such as conflict of interest between the entrepreneur and the venture capitalist(VC),asymmetric information,moral hazard,and compensation issues for both the parties.The behavioural economic aspect is related to relational factors such as empathy and a feeling of fairness and trust shown by both the parties.Therefore,while deciding the financer,entrepreneur should consider both relational aspect and value add services of the financier and strike optimal trade-off.The ensuing case analysis has been carried out focusing on elimination of double-sided moral hazards through a proper trade-off between economy and behavioural economic theories(aspects).The performance of the venture can be enhanced by balancing both of these theories in practice.An equity distribution that represents economic reward is a source of motivation for both the parties to put optimal efforts towards the success of the venture.This was seen in the case analysis,when the parties perceived the initial equity distribution agreement as fair,the satisfaction level of all the parties increased,leading to the reduction in the possibility of double-sided moral hazard and ensuring the success of the venture.Moreover,the analysis shows that information sharing and two-way communication increases trust and improves decision quality.It further focusses on how feedback and proper work distribution results in efficiency of performance for each of the stakeholders,leading to reduced probability of double-sided moral hazards.
文摘The Meeting on ICD -11 Mental and Behavioural Disorders in China, adopts the outcome document entitled “The mental health working plan for the development and promotion of ICD-11 Mental and Behavioural Disorders diagnostic guidelines in China”annexed to the present resolution.
基金supported by the International Islamic University Malaysia under Collaborative Research Initiative Grant Scheme(C-RIGS19-006-0012).
文摘During the COVID-19 pandemic,medical and nursing students are faced with various challenges such as the need to attend online classes and juggling clinical postings under the new norm.This study aimed to assess the asso-ciation between depression,anxiety,and behavioural changes among medical and nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic.An online self-administered questionnaire was distributed between March 2021 and July 2021 to 292 undergraduates medical and nursing students in a higher education institute on the East Coast of Malaysia.The questionnaires consisted of four parts:sociodemographic data,the Generalised Anxiety Disor-der-7,the Patient Health Questionnaire-9,and questions related to behaviours during the COVID-19 pandemic.This study found that 23.6%and 33.6%of the students experienced anxiety and depression respectively,possibly caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.Anxiety was associated with a high level of behavioural changes during the pandemic with a total of 87%of the students showing behavioural changes.Therapeutic interventions such as online counselling and consultation should be implemented by the university to reduce the prevalence of depres-sion and anxiety resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic among medical and nursing students.
文摘Corundum, which is a form of Alumina, is used to manufacture various components and mechanical, electrical and electronics parts. Known for its relatively high hardness, its other characteristics depend on the porosity rate that varies depending on the manufacturing process. One of the characteristics to consider is the tensile stress value changes in a standard test to failure as a function of applied force and porosity rate. In this study, for a better understanding of the effect of the two parameters, we used the statistical method of design of experiments that makes it possible to establish a mathematical model of the response, by which explains the effect of the two parameters in isolation from each other, then their effect simultaneously. Consequently, we can explain the mechanical behaviour of the porous corundum, with curves and graphs, and optimize the final result.
文摘Background: Temperament is a predictive factor of child behaviour. Thomas and Chess evaluated relationship of temperamental factor with behavioural disturbance in social milo. Method: In this study, 500 children between 4 to 10 years old, who have been admitted for their behavioural disturbance and anxiety to Dr-Sheikh Children Hospital in Mashhad, Iran, have been chosen. The parents fill Malhotra questionnaire and Conner’s questionnaire. Then subscales of questionnaires are compared together. Result: Power and energy (activity) are the only factors which are in relation with conduct behaviour, impulsivity, hyperactivity and anxiety. Conclusion: Among temperament factor only power and energy (activity) have relation with conduct behaviour, impulsivity, hyperactivity and anxiety. Focus of attention (distractibility) is associated with hyperactivity. Sociability has no relationship with hyperactivity.
文摘This paper investigates residential energy consumption in the UK by using a novel and topical approach based on behavioural analysis. A key lesson from recent advances in behavioural economics is that the responses of individuals to both policy incentives and uncertainty may differ from the predictions of classical rational optimising behaviour. By employing a focused case study approach using both quantitative and qualitative response analysis, it considers the motivations of residential householders in the UK to reduce fossil fuel use, with additional perspectives from UK landlords, a global environmental NGO, a senior politician, and two senior stakeholder strategy managers from a large energy company. Our interpretative behavioural analysis shows that a variety of incentives are necessary to encourage behaviour change. However, case study participants largely agree on the beneficial role of government regulation and efforts to “nudge” them in the right direction with regard to their energy use. As a means of more effectively reducing carbon dioxide emissions, we conclude that policy should focus on sustainable energy use. The findings allow us to understand why important recent policy initiatives such as the UK Green Deal failed to achieve their objectives and they suggest lessons for more effective incentive based policy making in the field of residential energy consumption.
