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Fulltext Learning and happiness during Covid-19 school closure in urban Malaysia

Asadullah MN, Tham E

Int J Educ Dev, 2023 Sep;101:102822.
PMID: 37347031 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijedudev.2023.102822

COVID-19 school closure has disrupted education systems globally raising concerns over learning time loss. At the same time, social isolation at home has seen a decline in happiness level among young learners. Understanding the link between cognitive effort and emotional wellbeing is important for post-pandemic learning recovery interventions particularly if there is a feedback loop from happiness to learning. In this context, we use primary survey data collected during the first school closure in urban Malaysia to study the complex association between learning loss and student happiness. Machine learning methods are used to accommodate the multi-dimensional and interaction effects between the covariates that influence this association. Empirically, we find that the most important covariates are student gender, social economic status (SES) proxied by the number of books ownership, time spent on play and religious activity. Based on the results, we develop a conceptual framework of learning continuity by formalizing the importance of investment in emotional wellbeing.
Fulltext Gender stereotypes and education: A comparative content analysis of Malaysian, Indonesian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi school textbooks

Islam KMM, Asadullah MN

PLoS One, 2018;13(1):e0190807.
PMID: 29351305 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0190807

Using government secondary school English language textbooks from Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan and Bangladesh, we conducted a quantitative content analysis in order to identify gender stereotypes in school education. In total, 21 categories of exclusion and quality of representation were used to study gender stereotypes. Our analysis confirms a pro-male bias in textbooks: the aggregate female share is 40.4% in textual and pictorial indicators combined. Female occupations are mostly traditional and less prestigious while the characters are predominantly introverted and passive in terms of personality traits. Women are also shown to be mostly involved in domestic and in-door activities while men have a higher presence in professional roles. Systematic underrepresentation of females is evident regardless of whether we look at the text or pictures. A cross-country analysis shows that the female share in picture content is only 35.2% in Malaysia and Bangladesh. Overall, the proportion of female to male characters (text and pictures combined) is balanced in Malaysia and Indonesia (44.4% and 44.1% respectively) while this share is only 24.4% and 37.3% in Pakistani and Bangladeshi textbooks respectively. The finding of underrepresentation of women in Pakistani textbooks, in terms of quality and quantity, is robust to the selection of province-, grade- and subject-specific textbooks, as well as the range and type of categories used.
Fulltext What matters for life satisfaction among the oldest-old? Evidence from China

Ng ST, Tey NP, Asadullah MN

PLoS One, 2017;12(2):e0171799.
PMID: 28187153 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0171799

OBJECTIVE: The world population is aging rapidly and the well-being of older people is of great interest. Therefore, this study investigates the determinants of life satisfaction among the oldest-old (i.e. individuals aged 80 or over) in China.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: We use the 2011/2012 Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey data (n = 6530) for this paper. Logistic regression is used to analyse the effects of socio-demographic, economic, health, instrumental activities of daily living, family and community factors on life satisfaction and depression among the oldest-old in China.
RESULTS: Our analysis confirms the significance of many factors affecting life satisfaction among the oldest-old in China. Factors that are correlated with life satisfaction include respondent's sex, education, place of residence, self-rated health status, cognitive ability (using mini mental state examination), regular physical examination, perceived relative economic status, access to social security provisions, commercialized insurances, living arrangements, and number of social services available in the community (p<0.05 for all these variables). Although life satisfaction is negatively associated with instrumental activities of daily living (β = -0.068, 95%CI = -.093-.043), and depression (β = -0.463, 95%CI = -.644-.282), the overall effect of self-rated health status is positive (p<0.001). This confirms the primacy of health as the determinant of well-being among the oldest-old.
CONCLUSIONS: Majority of the oldest-old in China rated their life satisfaction as good or very good. Our findings show that health and economic status are by far the most significant predictors of life satisfaction. Our finding on the primacy of health and relative income as determinants of well-being among the oldest-old, and the greater influence of self-rated health status over objective health measures is consistent with the findings of many past studies. Our results suggest that efforts should be directed at enhancing family support as well as health and social service provisions in the community to improve life satisfaction of older people.
Child marriage, climate vulnerability and natural disasters in coastal Bangladesh

Asadullah MN, Islam KMM, Wahhaj Z

J Biosoc Sci, 2021 11;53(6):948-967.
PMID: 33190656 DOI: 10.1017/S0021932020000644

This study examined the nature and correlates of child marriage in eight villages in climate-affected coastal Bangladesh using a mixed-methods approach: focus group discussions and in-depth qualitative interviews of female victims of child marriage as well as quantitative data collected using structured interviews of households. More than two-thirds of the qualitative survey respondents had encountered at least one event of natural disaster before marriage. Quantitative data confirmed significantly higher exposure to flood and river erosion among the coastal population. The quantitative data also suggested a positive association between shocks related to climate events and the incidence of child marriage, while the qualitative data indicated multiple themes related to the causes of child marriage, such as economic vulnerability, coping with risk and patriarchal norms. Yet the qualitative study respondents did not directly refer to natural disasters and climate changes when narrating their marital histories. The qualitative and quantitative evidence does not suggest that dowry-related factors are leading to early marriage. Rather, child marriage appears to be a coping strategy adopted by households in response to their increased vulnerability to natural disasters.
Effect of ultrasound radiation duration on emulsification and demulsification of paraffin oil and surfactant solution/brine using Hele-shaw models

Hamidi H, Mohammadian E, Asadullah M, Azdarpour A, Rafati R

Ultrason Sonochem, 2015 Sep;26:428-36.
PMID: 25616638 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2015.01.009

Ultrasound technique is one of the unconventional enhanced oil recovery methods which has been of interest for more than six decades. However, the majority of the oil recovery mechanisms under ultrasound reported in the previous studies are theoretical. Emulsification is one of the mechanisms happening at the interface of oil and water in porous media under ultrasound. Oppositely, ultrasound is one of the techniques using in oil industry for demulsification of oil/water emulsion. Therefore, the conditions in which emulsification becomes dominant over demulsification under ultrasound should be more investigated. Duration of ultrasound radiation could be one of the factors affecting emulsification and demulsification processes. In this study a technique was developed to investigate the effect of long and short period of ultrasound radiation on emulsification and demulsification of paraffin oil and surfactant solution in porous media. For this purpose, the 2D glass Hele-shaw models were placed inside the ultrasonic bath under long and short period of radiation of ultrasound. A microscope was used above the model for microscopic studies on the interface of oil and water. Diffusion of phases and formation of emulsion were observed in both long and short period of application of ultrasound at the beginning of ultrasound radiation. However, by passing time, demulsification and coalescence of brine droplets inside emulsion was initiated in long period of ultrasound application. Therefore, it was concluded that emulsification could be one of the significant oil recovery mechanisms happening in porous media under short period of application of ultrasound.
Fulltext Happiness in Old Age: The Daughter Connection

Sukontamarn P, Asadullah MN, Photphisutthiphong N, Nguyen YTH

J Happiness Stud, 2023;24(5):1729-1757.
PMID: 37293325 DOI: 10.1007/s10902-023-00655-1

Family and intergenerational relationships are becoming increasingly important as sources of support and care for the elderly population in rapidly ageing Asian societies. However, this has also raised concerns over reinforcement of cultural preference for sons as a source of old-age security. This paper therefore revisits the question-what determines happiness in old age-by investigating the role of adult children's gender in the context of Thailand, an ageing Asian country with no legacy of sex-preference in fertility. We employ nationally representative data to examine the association between old-age happiness and presence of a co-residing child. Compared to living alone, living with at least one child is found to positively associate with older persons' happiness. However, this result is specific to daughters. Moreover, compared to older men, women systematically benefit from a "daughter effect". Co-residing daughters with university education and those who maintain a good relationship with their parents help explain the positive happiness effect on older persons. Co-residing daughters are also positively linked to reduced loneliness; improved self-rated health; and improved economic conditions of older parents. Our findings suggest that policies that increase human capital of the girl child and enhance family solidarity are likely to have long term intergenerational wellbeing benefits.
Fulltext A year of missed opportunity: Post-Covid learning loss - A renewed call to action

Asadullah MN, Bouhlila DS, Chan SJ, Draxler A, Ha W, Heyneman SP, et al.

Int J Educ Dev, 2023 May;99:102770.
PMID: 36987508 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijedudev.2023.102770
Fulltext Perspectives and Consensus among International Orthopaedic Surgeons during Initial and Mid-lockdown Phases of Coronavirus Disease

Jerome JTJ, Mercier F, Mudgal CS, Arenas-Prat J, Vinagre G, Goorens CK, et al.

J Hand Microsurg, 2020 Dec;12(3):135-162.
PMID: 33408440 DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1713964

With a lot of uncertainty, unclear, and frequently changing management protocols, COVID-19 has significantly impacted the orthopaedic surgical practice during this pandemic crisis. Surgeons around the world needed closed introspection, contemplation, and prospective consensual recommendations for safe surgical practice and prevention of viral contamination. One hundred orthopaedic surgeons from 50 countries were sent a Google online form with a questionnaire explicating protocols for admission, surgeries, discharge, follow-up, relevant information affecting their surgical practices, difficulties faced, and many more important issues that happened during and after the lockdown. Ten surgeons critically construed and interpreted the data to form rationale guidelines and recommendations. Of the total, hand and microsurgery surgeons (52%), trauma surgeons (32%), joint replacement surgeons (20%), and arthroscopy surgeons (14%) actively participated in the survey. Surgeons from national public health care/government college hospitals (44%) and private/semiprivate practitioners (54%) were involved in the study. Countries had lockdown started as early as January 3, 2020 with the implementation of partial or complete lifting of lockdown in few countries while writing this article. Surgeons (58%) did not stop their surgical practice or clinics but preferred only emergency cases during the lockdown. Most of the surgeons (49%) had three-fourths reduction in their total patients turn-up and the remaining cases were managed by conservative (54%) methods. There was a 50 to 75% reduction in the number of surgeries. Surgeons did perform emergency procedures without COVID-19 tests but preferred reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR; 77%) and computed tomography (CT) scan chest (12%) tests for all elective surgical cases. Open fracture and emergency procedures (60%) and distal radius (55%) fractures were the most commonly performed surgeries. Surgeons preferred full personal protection equipment kits (69%) with a respirator (N95/FFP3), but in the case of unavailability, they used surgical masks and normal gowns. Regional/local anesthesia (70%) remained their choice for surgery to prevent the aerosolized risk of contaminations. Essential surgical follow-up with limited persons and visits was encouraged by 70% of the surgeons, whereas teleconsultation and telerehabilitation by 30% of the surgeons. Despite the protective equipment, one-third of the surgeons were afraid of getting infected and 56% feared of infecting their near and dear ones. Orthopaedic surgeons in private practice did face 50 to 75% financial loss and have to furlough 25% staff and 50% paramedical persons. Orthopaedics meetings were cancelled, and virtual meetings have become the preferred mode of sharing the knowledge and experiences avoiding human contacts. Staying at home, reading, and writing manuscripts became more interesting and an interesting lifestyle change is seen among the surgeons. Unanimously and without any doubt all accepted the fact that COVID-19 pandemic has reached an unprecedented level where personal hygiene, hand washing, social distancing, and safe surgical practices are the viable antidotes, and they have all slowly integrated these practices into their lives. Strict adherence to local authority recommendations and guidelines, uniform and standardized norms for admission, inpatient, and discharge, mandatory RT-PCR tests before surgery and in selective cases with CT scan chest, optimizing and regularizing the surgeries, avoiding and delaying nonemergency surgeries and follow-up protocols, use of teleconsultations cautiously, and working in close association with the World Health Organization and national health care systems will provide a conducive and safe working environment for orthopaedic surgeons and their fraternity and also will prevent the resurgence of COVID-19.