Displaying all 11 publications

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  1. Wu SL, Yaacob SN
    Child Adolesc Ment Health, 2017 May;22(2):84-90.
    PMID: 32680320 DOI: 10.1111/camh.12188
    BACKGROUND: Suicide has become a serious worldwide mental health problem, including Asian countries. Suicidal ideation happens prior to the actual suicidal behaviour; thus, identifying the roots of suicidal ideation is vital. This study investigated the relationships between parental closeness, self-efficacy and suicidal ideation among adolescents in Malaysia. The mediation effect of self-efficacy on the relationship between parental closeness and suicidal ideation was also examined.

    METHOD: A total of 684 school-going adolescents aged 14-17 years old were recruited via multistage cluster sampling. Bivariate analysis was conducted using Pearson's correlation analysis. The mediation model was tested using SPSS macro developed by Preacher and Hayes.

    RESULTS: The results showed that mother closeness, father closeness and self-efficacy had significant negative correlation with suicidal ideation. Specifically, self-efficacy emerged as a partial mediator in the relation between mother closeness and suicidal ideation. Self-efficacy also fully mediated the relationship between father closeness and suicidal ideation.

    CONCLUSIONS: The findings implied that mother closeness had stronger correlation with adolescents' suicidal ideation compared to father closeness, while self-efficacy plays an important role in the relationship between parental closeness and suicidal ideation. Prevention and intervention efforts by practitioners dealing with adolescents' mental health issues, specifically on suicidal ideation, should seriously consider providing them with skills to enhance mother-adolescent relationship and their self-efficacy.

  2. Ahadzadeh AS, Ong FS, Wu SL
    Curr Psychol, 2023;42(11):8874-8886.
    PMID: 34393466 DOI: 10.1007/s12144-021-02198-1
    The prevalence of conspiracy theories about COVID-19 in the wide-open social media environment has raised considerable concerns about the adverse effects of believing such theories. The previous work showed that skepticism is negatively associated with acceptance of media content. However, this association has yet to be investigated between skepticism towards content on social media and conviction of COVID-19 conspiracy theories. Furthermore, this association can be a function of social media users' dark triad traits comprising Machiavellianism, narcissism and psychopathy. A convenient sample of 439 Malaysian young adult social media users was recruited to complete the survey. Results showed that skepticism has a negative relationship with belief in conspiracy theories about COVID-19. However, the strength of the relationship is varied depending on respondents' Machiavellianism and narcissism levels. The negative association between skepticism and belief in COVID-19 conspiracy theories is weaker for individuals with high scores on Machiavellianism. High and moderate scores on narcissism were also found to diminish the negative relationship of skepticism with COVID-19 conspiracy ideation. The results yield implications for enhancing healthy skepticism to mitigate belief in conspiracy theories promulgated on social media. Nonetheless, Machiavellianism and narcissism appeared to weaken the power of skepticism on conspiracy theories.
  3. Ahadzadeh AS, Ong FS, Wu SL, Deng R
    J Psychol, 2021;155(3):334-355.
    PMID: 33705270 DOI: 10.1080/00223980.2021.1884035
    Past studies examining the direct relationship between private self-consciousness and online self-presentation behavior have not met with much success. The aim of this study was to examine the direct relationship between private self-consciousness and self-monitoring as well as the indirect relationship between these two variables through the mediation of locus of control and self-concept among Instagram users. Besides investigating locus of control and self-concept independently, serial mediation of locus of control and self-concept in the relationship between private self-consciousness and self-monitoring was also examined. A sample of 309 university students was conveniently drawn from three private universities in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Participants completed a survey that collected data on private self-consciousness, internal locus of control, self-concept, self-monitoring on Instagram and relevant demographic data. Results of this study showed that there is no direct relationship between private self-consciousness and self-monitoring on Instagram. Independently, locus of control was found to mediate the relationship between private self-consciousness and self-monitoring while self-concept did not. The serial-multiple mediation test supported the mediating role of locus of control and self-concept on this relationship. These indirect relationships contribute to our understanding of the underlying mechanism through which private self-consciousness influences self-monitoring on Instagram.
  4. Ahadzadeh AS, Wu SL, Ong FS, Deng R
    J Med Internet Res, 2021 Dec 29;23(12):e28086.
    PMID: 34964718 DOI: 10.2196/28086
    BACKGROUND: Mobile health (mHealth) as an innovative form of information and communications technology can efficiently deliver high-quality health care by enhancing communication and health management, reducing costs, and increasing access to health services. An individual's internal health locus of control (HLOC) is found to be associated with the behavioral intent to adopt mHealth. However, little is known about the underlying mechanism of this association.

    OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this study was to test the mediation influence of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) on the relationship between internal HLOC and the behavioral intention to use mHealth.

    METHODS: A total of 374 responses were collected from Malaysian adult users of mHealth, using convenience and snowball sampling methods. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. Data were collected for variables, including demographics, internal HLOC, and modified UTAUT constructs (ie, performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and social influence).

    RESULTS: The results showed that there was no direct relationship between internal HLOC and the behavioral intention to use mHealth (β=-0.039, P=.32). The indirect relationship between internal HLOC and the intent to adopt mHealth was supported, indicating that the UTAUT constructs performance expectancy (β=0.104, P

  5. Cong CW, Tan CS, Noew HS, Wu SL
    PMID: 35010416 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19010156
    The Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale III (FACES-III) has been widely used to measure an individual's family functioning in terms of cohesion and adaptability. In Malaysia, the FACES-III has been translated into the Malay language for the community, but its psychometric properties in this context remain unknown. Thus, the purpose of this research is to examine the psychometric properties of the Malay version of the FACES-III in 852 adolescents attending secondary schools in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Data were randomly split into two halves: the exploration sample and the validation sample. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted on the exploration sample and a two-factor model was discovered after removing nine items that showed low factor loading. Then, confirmatory factor analysis was conducted on the validation sample to compare the one-factor models, two-factor models, and three-factor models. Results showed that the 11-item two-factor model (FACES-III-M-SF) was superior to the other competing models. Both the exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses replicated the two-factor structure of the original version of FACES-III. The reliability of the overall scale was consistently good, but the subscale results were mixed. This suggests that researchers should use the overall score, but not the subscale scores, in analyses.
  6. Chia D, Yap CC, Wu SL, Berezina E, Aroua MK, Gew LT
    Waste Manag Res, 2023 Aug 28.
    PMID: 37638683 DOI: 10.1177/0734242X231187559
    Food waste is a global challenge that threatens the sustainable development of human societies. Although food waste is produced in all stages of the food supply chain, household food waste is the biggest contributor to the food waste fraction. In this research, we systematically reviewed 54 empirical studies to explore drivers and barriers to household food waste reduction and prevention. Key aspects, such as comprehension and perception of food waste issues, practices and lifestyles, were examined. Our findings suggest that a great understanding of the impact of one's food waste on health, environment and economy directly promotes food waste management. Additionally, the food waste issue is not attributed to a single factor, it may differ varies across countries. The majority of the reviewed literature on household food waste comes from European countries, where similar geographical, economic and cultural characteristics may lead to comparable drivers and barriers. This could be the reason for showing optimistic experience to the respective food waste management interventions. However, the applicability of these findings and interventions to regions beyond Europe are uncertain. Future studies should also be expanded to include regions such as Asia, North America, Africa, Oceania, Latin America and the Caribbean. To support the sustainable management of household food waste, mapping country-specific food waste determinants is crucial in developing easy-to-implement food waste interventions that can specifically address the food waste issue in each country.
  7. Eng Hui E, Ooi PB, Chow SK, Hwang JS, Peh SC, Teh JKL, et al.
    Health Psychol Behav Med, 2024;12(1):2377716.
    PMID: 39010867 DOI: 10.1080/21642850.2024.2377716
    BACKGROUND: As the recognition of psychological factors in chronic illness management grows, this study examined the interplay of psychological traits - grit, self-efficacy, resilience, and nature-relatedness - and their collective impact on the Quality of Life (QoL) among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Malaysia.

    METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 222 patients with RA at a private hospital in Malaysia. Utilizing validated scales, including the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, Short Grit Scale, Nature Relatedness Scale, and Arthritis Self Efficacy Scale, data were collected. Pearson Product-moment Correlation analyses assessed the relationships between variables, and a multiple mediation analysis explored the mediating effects of resilience, grit, and self-efficacy on the relationship between nature-relatedness and QoL.

    FINDINGS: Of the 222 participants (86% female, mean age = 56.03, S.D. = 13.42), the analysis revealed a significant mediating role of resilience in the relationship between nature-relatedness and QoL among RA patients (b = -.117, SE = .042, 95% BCa CI [-.208, -.046]). Although grit and self-efficacy positively correlated with QoL, they did not serve as significant mediators in the nature-relatedness - QoL relationship. This highlights the pivotal role of building a sense of resiliency among patients with RA.

    INTERPRETATION: Individuals with RA are not only resilient in terms of their psychological traits such as grit, self-efficacy, and general resilience but also exhibit resilience in their connection and interaction with the natural environment (nature-relatedness). This holistic concept recognizes that fostering resilience in both psychological aspects and the context of one's environment is crucial for promoting overall well-being, particularly in the management of chronic illnesses like RA. It emphasizes the interconnectedness of psychological factors and environmental engagement in contributing to an individual's ability to cope and thrive despite health challenges.

  8. Roxas A, Mehndiratta MM, Bornstein N, Macdonell R, Lim KS, Ng PW, et al.
    J Neurol Sci, 2017 Nov 15;382:108-115.
    PMID: 29111001 DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2017.09.022
    OBJECTIVE: To survey AOAN member countries regarding their organizational structure, postgraduate neurology training program, and resources for neurological care provision.

    METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional survey using a 36-item questionnaire was conducted among country representatives to AOAN from August 2015 to August 2016.

    RESULTS: A total of 18/20 AOAN member countries participated in the survey. All the countries have organized association with regular meetings, election of officers and neurology training program. In 9/18 countries, professionals other than neurologists were eligible for affiliation. In 11/18 countries, prior Internal medicine training (or equivalent postgraduate housemanship) is prerequisite to neurology program. Recertification examination is not a practice, but submission of CME is required in 7/18 countries to maintain membership. 12/18 countries publish peer-reviewed journals with at least 1 issue per year. Subspecialty training is offered in 14/18 countries. The ratio of neurologist to population ranges from 1:14,000 to as low as 1:32 million with 9/18 having <1 neurologist per 100,000 population. 6/18 countries have at least 1 specialized center solely for neurological diseases. In government-funded hospitals, the lag time to be seen by a neurologist and/or obtain neuroimaging scan ranges from 1day to 3months. All except one country have several medical- and lay- advocacy or support groups for different neurological conditions.

    IMPLICATIONS: The data generated can be used for benchmarking to improve neurological care, training, collaborative work and research in the field of neurosciences among the AOAN member countries. The paper presented several strategies used by the different organizations to increase their number of neurologists and improve the quality of training. Sharing of best practices, academic networking, exchange programs and use of telemedicine have been suggested.

  9. Adachi I, Adye T, Ahmed H, Ahn JK, Aihara H, Akar S, et al.
    Phys Rev Lett, 2018 Dec 28;121(26):261801.
    PMID: 30636113 DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.121.261801
    We present first evidence that the cosine of the CP-violating weak phase 2β is positive, and hence exclude trigonometric multifold solutions of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) Unitarity Triangle using a time-dependent Dalitz plot analysis of B^{0}→D^{(*)}h^{0} with D→K_{S}^{0}π^{+}π^{-} decays, where h^{0}∈{π^{0},η,ω} denotes a light unflavored and neutral hadron. The measurement is performed combining the final data sets of the BABAR and Belle experiments collected at the ϒ(4S) resonance at the asymmetric-energy B factories PEP-II at SLAC and KEKB at KEK, respectively. The data samples contain (471±3)×10^{6}BB[over ¯] pairs recorded by the BABAR detector and (772±11)×10^{6}BB[over ¯] pairs recorded by the Belle detector. The results of the measurement are sin2β=0.80±0.14(stat)±0.06(syst)±0.03(model) and cos2β=0.91±0.22(stat)±0.09(syst)±0.07(model). The result for the direct measurement of the angle β of the CKM Unitarity Triangle is β=[22.5±4.4(stat)±1.2(syst)±0.6(model)]°. The measurement assumes no direct CP violation in B^{0}→D^{(*)}h^{0} decays. The quoted model uncertainties are due to the composition of the D^{0}→K_{S}^{0}π^{+}π^{-} decay amplitude model, which is newly established by performing a Dalitz plot amplitude analysis using a high-statistics e^{+}e^{-}→cc[over ¯] data sample. CP violation is observed in B^{0}→D^{(*)}h^{0} decays at the level of 5.1 standard deviations. The significance for cos2β>0 is 3.7 standard deviations. The trigonometric multifold solution π/2-β=(68.1±0.7)° is excluded at the level of 7.3 standard deviations. The measurement resolves an ambiguity in the determination of the apex of the CKM Unitarity Triangle.
  10. Aad G, Abbott B, Abeling K, Abicht NJ, Abidi SH, Aboulhorma A, et al.
    Phys Rev Lett, 2024 Jan 12;132(2):021803.
    PMID: 38277607 DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.132.021803
    The first evidence for the Higgs boson decay to a Z boson and a photon is presented, with a statistical significance of 3.4 standard deviations. The result is derived from a combined analysis of the searches performed by the ATLAS and CMS Collaborations with proton-proton collision datasets collected at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) from 2015 to 2018. These correspond to integrated luminosities of around 140  fb^{-1} for each experiment, at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The measured signal yield is 2.2±0.7 times the standard model prediction, and agrees with the theoretical expectation within 1.9 standard deviations.
  11. Hayrapetyan A, Tumasyan A, Adam W, Andrejkovic JW, Bergauer T, Chatterjee S, et al.
    Phys Rev Lett, 2024 Jun 28;132(26):261902.
    PMID: 38996325 DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.132.261902
    A combination of fifteen top quark mass measurements performed by the ATLAS and CMS experiments at the LHC is presented. The datasets used correspond to an integrated luminosity of up to 5 and 20  fb^{-1} of proton-proton collisions at center-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV, respectively. The combination includes measurements in top quark pair events that exploit both the semileptonic and hadronic decays of the top quark, and a measurement using events enriched in single top quark production via the electroweak t channel. The combination accounts for the correlations between measurements and achieves an improvement in the total uncertainty of 31% relative to the most precise input measurement. The result is m_{t}=172.52±0.14(stat)±0.30(syst)  GeV, with a total uncertainty of 0.33 GeV.
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