Attributes of expert anticipation should inform the design of virtual reality simulators to accelerate learning and transfer of skill
- Müller, Sean, Dekker, Evan, Morris-Binelli, Khaya, Piggott, Benjamin, Hoyne, Gerard, Christensen, Wayne, Fadde, Peter, Zaichkowsky, Leonard, Brenton, John, Hambrick, David
- Authors: Müller, Sean , Dekker, Evan , Morris-Binelli, Khaya , Piggott, Benjamin , Hoyne, Gerard , Christensen, Wayne , Fadde, Peter , Zaichkowsky, Leonard , Brenton, John , Hambrick, David
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Sports Medicine Vol. 53, no. 2 (2023), p. 301-309
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- Description: Expert sport performers cope with a multitude of visual information to achieve precise skill goals under time stress and pressure. For example, a major league baseball or cricket batter must read opponent variations in actions and ball flight paths to strike the ball in less than a second. Crowded playing schedules and training load restrictions to minimise injury have limited opportunity for field-based practice in sports. As a result, many sports organisations are exploring the use of virtual reality (VR) simulators. Whilst VR synthetic experiences can allow greater control of visual stimuli, immersion to create presence in an environment, and interaction with stimuli, compared to traditional video simulation, the underpinning mechanisms of how experts use visual information for anticipation have not been properly incorporated into its content design. In themes, this opinion article briefly explains the mechanisms underpinning expert visual anticipation, as well as its learning and transfer, with a view that this knowledge can better inform VR simulator content design. In each theme, examples are discussed for improved content design of VR simulators taking into consideration its advantages and limitations relative to video simulation techniques. Whilst sport is used as the exemplar, the points discussed have implications for skill learning in other domains, such as military and law enforcement. It is hoped that our paper will stimulate improved content design of VR simulators for future research and skill enhancement across several domains. © 2022, The Author(s). Correction to: Sports Medicine https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-022-01735-7, Page 1: The affiliation for Evan Dekker, which previously read: 2Academic Services and Support Directorate, University Drive, Mt. Helen, Ballarat, VIC 3350, Australia has now been updated to read: Academic Services and Support Directorate, Federation University, University Drive, Mt. Helen, Ballarat, VIC 3350, Australia. The original article has been corrected.
- Authors: Müller, Sean , Dekker, Evan , Morris-Binelli, Khaya , Piggott, Benjamin , Hoyne, Gerard , Christensen, Wayne , Fadde, Peter , Zaichkowsky, Leonard , Brenton, John , Hambrick, David
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Sports Medicine Vol. 53, no. 2 (2023), p. 301-309
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Expert sport performers cope with a multitude of visual information to achieve precise skill goals under time stress and pressure. For example, a major league baseball or cricket batter must read opponent variations in actions and ball flight paths to strike the ball in less than a second. Crowded playing schedules and training load restrictions to minimise injury have limited opportunity for field-based practice in sports. As a result, many sports organisations are exploring the use of virtual reality (VR) simulators. Whilst VR synthetic experiences can allow greater control of visual stimuli, immersion to create presence in an environment, and interaction with stimuli, compared to traditional video simulation, the underpinning mechanisms of how experts use visual information for anticipation have not been properly incorporated into its content design. In themes, this opinion article briefly explains the mechanisms underpinning expert visual anticipation, as well as its learning and transfer, with a view that this knowledge can better inform VR simulator content design. In each theme, examples are discussed for improved content design of VR simulators taking into consideration its advantages and limitations relative to video simulation techniques. Whilst sport is used as the exemplar, the points discussed have implications for skill learning in other domains, such as military and law enforcement. It is hoped that our paper will stimulate improved content design of VR simulators for future research and skill enhancement across several domains. © 2022, The Author(s). Correction to: Sports Medicine https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-022-01735-7, Page 1: The affiliation for Evan Dekker, which previously read: 2Academic Services and Support Directorate, University Drive, Mt. Helen, Ballarat, VIC 3350, Australia has now been updated to read: Academic Services and Support Directorate, Federation University, University Drive, Mt. Helen, Ballarat, VIC 3350, Australia. The original article has been corrected.
Australian men’s sheds and their role in the health and wellbeing of men : a systematic review
- Barbagallo, Michael, Brito, Sara, Porter, Joanne
- Authors: Barbagallo, Michael , Brito, Sara , Porter, Joanne
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Health & Social care in the Community Vol. 2023, no. (2023), p. 1-9
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- Description: Men’s sheds are a community-based organisation that allows a space for a community of men to interact and engage with one another with hands-on activities. As such, men’s sheds form an appropriate setting to deliver health and wellbeing initiatives. This review aims to understand the role of Australian men’s sheds with respect to the health and wellbeing of their male participants. This review was conducted in accordance with the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis (PRISMA) following a three-step process of planning, conducting, and reporting the review. All three authors reviewed all the eligible articles. There was significant methodological heterogeneity between the sources identified (n = 11). A narrative synthesis identified three key themes: health promotion, wellbeing, and socialisation intergenerational mentoring and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men’s health. Men’s sheds serve as ideal locations for the delivery of initiatives that can positively impact on the health and wellbeing of their male participants. Furthermore, research is needed to explore the implementation and evaluation of these health and wellbeing initiatives for men in their respective communities.
- Authors: Barbagallo, Michael , Brito, Sara , Porter, Joanne
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Health & Social care in the Community Vol. 2023, no. (2023), p. 1-9
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Men’s sheds are a community-based organisation that allows a space for a community of men to interact and engage with one another with hands-on activities. As such, men’s sheds form an appropriate setting to deliver health and wellbeing initiatives. This review aims to understand the role of Australian men’s sheds with respect to the health and wellbeing of their male participants. This review was conducted in accordance with the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis (PRISMA) following a three-step process of planning, conducting, and reporting the review. All three authors reviewed all the eligible articles. There was significant methodological heterogeneity between the sources identified (n = 11). A narrative synthesis identified three key themes: health promotion, wellbeing, and socialisation intergenerational mentoring and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men’s health. Men’s sheds serve as ideal locations for the delivery of initiatives that can positively impact on the health and wellbeing of their male participants. Furthermore, research is needed to explore the implementation and evaluation of these health and wellbeing initiatives for men in their respective communities.
Automated methods for diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease and predicting severity level
- Ayaz, Zainab, Naz, Saeeda, Khan, Naila, Razzak, Imran, Imran, Muhammad
- Authors: Ayaz, Zainab , Naz, Saeeda , Khan, Naila , Razzak, Imran , Imran, Muhammad
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Neural Computing and Applications Vol. 35, no. 20 (2023), p. 14499-14534
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: The recent advancements in information technology and bioinformatics have led to exceptional contributions in medical sciences. Extensive developments have been recorded for digital devices, thermometers, digital equipments and health monitoring systems for the automated disease diagnosis of different diseases. These automated systems assist doctors with accurate and efficient disease diagnosis. Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects the nervous system. Over the years, numerous efforts have been reported for the efficient automatic detection of Parkinson’s disease. Different datasets including voice data samples, radiology images, and handwriting samples and gait specimens have been used for analysis and detection. Techniques such as machine learning and deep learning have been used broadly and reported promising results. This review paper aims to provide a comprehensive survey of the use of artificial intelligence for Parkinson’s disease diagnosis. The available datasets and their various properties are discussed in detail. Further, a thorough overview is provided for the existing algorithms, methods and approaches utilizing different datasets. Several key peculiarities and challenges are also provided based on the comprehensive literature review to diagnose a healthy or unhealthy person. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag London Ltd., part of Springer Nature.
- Younas, Ahtisham, Porr, Caroline, Maddigan, Joy, Moore, Julia, Navarro, Pablo, Whitehead, Dean
- Authors: Younas, Ahtisham , Porr, Caroline , Maddigan, Joy , Moore, Julia , Navarro, Pablo , Whitehead, Dean
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Clinical Nursing Vol. 32, no. 13-14 (2023), p. 4024-4036
- Full Text: false
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- Description: Aims and objectives: To explore behavioural indicators of compassionate nursing care from the perspectives of individuals with multimorbidities and complex needs. Background: Complex patients are individuals with multimorbidity and/or mental health concerns, andoften with medication and drug-related problems requiring ongoing person-centered care, mental health interventions, and family and community resources. They are frequent consumers of health-care services and it is documented that these patients experience discrimination and substandard care. Compassionate care can improve patient care experiences and health outcomes. However, missing is the guidance on how to provide compassionate care for this population from the perspectives of complex patients. Design: A qualitative descriptive approach was conducted in eastern Canada from December 2020–April 2021. The COREQ guidelines were followed for reporting. Methods: Data from in-person and virtual semi-structured interviews with 23 individuals having experiences as complex patients were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Among them 19 were homeless and lived in a shelter. Findings: Six indicators of compassionate nursing care were generated: sensitivity, awareness, a non-judgmental approach, a positive demeanour, empathic understanding, and altruism. Conclusions: Individuals perceived that nurses who acknowledge personal biases are better at providing compassionate care by manifesting compassion through their genuine and selfless interest in the complicated health problems and underlying socio-cultural determinants of each patient. Kindness, positivity, and a respectful nursing approach elicit openness and the sharing of heartfelt concerns. Relevance to clinical practice: Comprehensive health assessment, dedicated efforts to know the patient as a human being, and listening to the patient's preferences can improve health outcomes among individuals with complex needs. Healthcare administrators can effect the change by supporting nurses to address complex health and social care needs with compassion. Patient or public contribution: Patients and healthcare professionals helped in data collection at the community care centre. © 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Being private, big 4 auditors, and debt raising
- Sharpe, Wen, Carey, Peter, Zhang, Hong
- Authors: Sharpe, Wen , Carey, Peter , Zhang, Hong
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Accounting and Finance Vol. 63, no. 2 (2023), p. 2295-2345
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- Description: This study investigates the role of auditor choice (Big 4/Non-Big 4) in debt financing for private and public firms. We find private firms have less access to debt than public firms, and Big 4 auditors support debt raising in both private and public firms. Consistent with private firms facing greater information asymmetry, Big 4 auditors are more important for debt raising in private firms than in public firms. The benefit of appointing Big 4 auditors for private firms' debt raising is greater in the opaque information environment of the global financial crisis. It is also greater when firms are smaller, younger, or have poorer financial reporting quality. We also find evidence consistent with Big 4 auditors mitigating agency conflicts and enhancing debt raising when ownership concentration is higher in private firms. © 2022 The Authors. Accounting & Finance published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand.
- Authors: Sharpe, Wen , Carey, Peter , Zhang, Hong
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Accounting and Finance Vol. 63, no. 2 (2023), p. 2295-2345
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This study investigates the role of auditor choice (Big 4/Non-Big 4) in debt financing for private and public firms. We find private firms have less access to debt than public firms, and Big 4 auditors support debt raising in both private and public firms. Consistent with private firms facing greater information asymmetry, Big 4 auditors are more important for debt raising in private firms than in public firms. The benefit of appointing Big 4 auditors for private firms' debt raising is greater in the opaque information environment of the global financial crisis. It is also greater when firms are smaller, younger, or have poorer financial reporting quality. We also find evidence consistent with Big 4 auditors mitigating agency conflicts and enhancing debt raising when ownership concentration is higher in private firms. © 2022 The Authors. Accounting & Finance published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand.
Benchmarking Australian enabling programs for a national framework of standards, a practice report
- Davis, Charmaine, Cook, Chris, Syme, Suzi, Dempster, Sarah, Duffy, Lisa, Hattam, Sarah, Lambrinidis, George, Lawson, Kathy, Levy, Stuart
- Authors: Davis, Charmaine , Cook, Chris , Syme, Suzi , Dempster, Sarah , Duffy, Lisa , Hattam, Sarah , Lambrinidis, George , Lawson, Kathy , Levy, Stuart
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Student Success Vol. 14, no. 2 (2023), p. 41-49
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- Description: Enabling education programs in Australia assist students, who would otherwise have been excluded from higher education, to transition into undergraduate study. These programs emerged independently in response to the needs of individual universities and the varying cohorts of students they serve. The exclusion of these programs from the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) has meant they remain unregulated, with no national framework for standards. The development of academic standards is a dynamic, consensus driven process, and benchmarking provides a method through which academics from across institutions can work in partnership to reach shared understandings and improve and align practices. This practice report outlines the results of the first comprehensive cross-institutional benchmarking project involving nine Australian universities and demonstrates there is shared understanding of the standards of enabling programs between institutions. These findings will contribute to the establishment of national standards for enabling programs in Australia. ©The Author/s 2023.
- Authors: Davis, Charmaine , Cook, Chris , Syme, Suzi , Dempster, Sarah , Duffy, Lisa , Hattam, Sarah , Lambrinidis, George , Lawson, Kathy , Levy, Stuart
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Student Success Vol. 14, no. 2 (2023), p. 41-49
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Enabling education programs in Australia assist students, who would otherwise have been excluded from higher education, to transition into undergraduate study. These programs emerged independently in response to the needs of individual universities and the varying cohorts of students they serve. The exclusion of these programs from the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) has meant they remain unregulated, with no national framework for standards. The development of academic standards is a dynamic, consensus driven process, and benchmarking provides a method through which academics from across institutions can work in partnership to reach shared understandings and improve and align practices. This practice report outlines the results of the first comprehensive cross-institutional benchmarking project involving nine Australian universities and demonstrates there is shared understanding of the standards of enabling programs between institutions. These findings will contribute to the establishment of national standards for enabling programs in Australia. ©The Author/s 2023.
Beyond survival : strengthening community-based support for parents receiving a family service intervention
- Goff, Rachel, Sadowski, Christina, Bagley, Kerryn
- Authors: Goff, Rachel , Sadowski, Christina , Bagley, Kerryn
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Child and Family Social Work Vol. 28, no. 2 (2023), p. 491-502
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- Description: This paper presents parents' experiences of community support and their recommendations for how their communities, and the services within them, might support their families. Generated through a human-centred design methodology and using a desire-centred framework, the findings suggest that parents receiving a family service require support invoking feelings of intimacy, trust, reciprocity, inclusivity, connection and belonging. Parents' recommendations for community support include addressing material and attitudinal constraints impacting on engagement with services; creating non-judgmental services tailored to their needs but accessed as a last resort; and creating peer-based opportunities to support each other. Parents reflect that moving beyond basic survival of risk and vulnerability to a position where thriving is possible requires purposeful integration of parent's existing and desired community into service interventions. Facilitating deliberate change at the intersection of community and service support is pertinent to current and future social work policy and practice. Wider opportunities for understanding and enabling the needs and aspirations of parents, which are often overlooked because of a focus on addressing risk and vulnerability, are considered. © 2022 The Authors. Child & Family Social Work published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
- Authors: Goff, Rachel , Sadowski, Christina , Bagley, Kerryn
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Child and Family Social Work Vol. 28, no. 2 (2023), p. 491-502
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This paper presents parents' experiences of community support and their recommendations for how their communities, and the services within them, might support their families. Generated through a human-centred design methodology and using a desire-centred framework, the findings suggest that parents receiving a family service require support invoking feelings of intimacy, trust, reciprocity, inclusivity, connection and belonging. Parents' recommendations for community support include addressing material and attitudinal constraints impacting on engagement with services; creating non-judgmental services tailored to their needs but accessed as a last resort; and creating peer-based opportunities to support each other. Parents reflect that moving beyond basic survival of risk and vulnerability to a position where thriving is possible requires purposeful integration of parent's existing and desired community into service interventions. Facilitating deliberate change at the intersection of community and service support is pertinent to current and future social work policy and practice. Wider opportunities for understanding and enabling the needs and aspirations of parents, which are often overlooked because of a focus on addressing risk and vulnerability, are considered. © 2022 The Authors. Child & Family Social Work published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Blockchain technology and application : an overview
- Dong, Shi, Abbas, Khushnood, Li, Meixi, Kamruzzaman, Joarder
- Authors: Dong, Shi , Abbas, Khushnood , Li, Meixi , Kamruzzaman, Joarder
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: PeerJ Computer Science Vol. 9, no. (2023), p.
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- Description: In recent years, with the rise of digital currency, its underlying technology, blockchain, has become increasingly well-known. This technology has several key characteristics, including decentralization, time-stamped data, consensus mechanism, traceability, programmability, security, and credibility, and block data is essentially tamper-proof. Due to these characteristics, blockchain can address the shortcomings of traditional financial institutions. As a result, this emerging technology has garnered significant attention from financial intermediaries, technology-based companies, and government agencies. This article offers an overview of the fundamentals of blockchain technology and its various applications. The introduction defines blockchain and explains its fundamental working principles, emphasizing features such as decentralization, immutability, and transparency. The article then traces the evolution of blockchain, from its inception in cryptocurrency to its development as a versatile tool with diverse potential applications. The main body of the article explores fundamentals of block chain systems, its limitations, various applications, applicability etc. Finally, the study concludes by discussing the present state of blockchain technology and its future potential, as well as the challenges that must be surmounted to unlock its full potential. © Copyright 2023 Dong et al
- Authors: Dong, Shi , Abbas, Khushnood , Li, Meixi , Kamruzzaman, Joarder
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: PeerJ Computer Science Vol. 9, no. (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: In recent years, with the rise of digital currency, its underlying technology, blockchain, has become increasingly well-known. This technology has several key characteristics, including decentralization, time-stamped data, consensus mechanism, traceability, programmability, security, and credibility, and block data is essentially tamper-proof. Due to these characteristics, blockchain can address the shortcomings of traditional financial institutions. As a result, this emerging technology has garnered significant attention from financial intermediaries, technology-based companies, and government agencies. This article offers an overview of the fundamentals of blockchain technology and its various applications. The introduction defines blockchain and explains its fundamental working principles, emphasizing features such as decentralization, immutability, and transparency. The article then traces the evolution of blockchain, from its inception in cryptocurrency to its development as a versatile tool with diverse potential applications. The main body of the article explores fundamentals of block chain systems, its limitations, various applications, applicability etc. Finally, the study concludes by discussing the present state of blockchain technology and its future potential, as well as the challenges that must be surmounted to unlock its full potential. © Copyright 2023 Dong et al
Bundle enrichment method for nonsmooth difference of convex programming problems
- Gaudioso, Manilo, Taheri, Sona, Bagirov, Adil, Karmitsa, Napsu
- Authors: Gaudioso, Manilo , Taheri, Sona , Bagirov, Adil , Karmitsa, Napsu
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Algorithms Vol. 16, no. 8 (2023), p.
- Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP190100580
- Full Text:
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- Description: The Bundle Enrichment Method (BEM-DC) is introduced for solving nonsmooth difference of convex (DC) programming problems. The novelty of the method consists of the dynamic management of the bundle. More specifically, a DC model, being the difference of two convex piecewise affine functions, is formulated. The (global) minimization of the model is tackled by solving a set of convex problems whose cardinality depends on the number of linearizations adopted to approximate the second DC component function. The new bundle management policy distributes the information coming from previous iterations to separately model the DC components of the objective function. Such a distribution is driven by the sign of linearization errors. If the displacement suggested by the model minimization provides no sufficient decrease of the objective function, then the temporary enrichment of the cutting plane approximation of just the first DC component function takes place until either the termination of the algorithm is certified or a sufficient decrease is achieved. The convergence of the BEM-DC method is studied, and computational results on a set of academic test problems with nonsmooth DC objective functions are provided. © 2023 by the authors.
- Authors: Gaudioso, Manilo , Taheri, Sona , Bagirov, Adil , Karmitsa, Napsu
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Algorithms Vol. 16, no. 8 (2023), p.
- Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP190100580
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The Bundle Enrichment Method (BEM-DC) is introduced for solving nonsmooth difference of convex (DC) programming problems. The novelty of the method consists of the dynamic management of the bundle. More specifically, a DC model, being the difference of two convex piecewise affine functions, is formulated. The (global) minimization of the model is tackled by solving a set of convex problems whose cardinality depends on the number of linearizations adopted to approximate the second DC component function. The new bundle management policy distributes the information coming from previous iterations to separately model the DC components of the objective function. Such a distribution is driven by the sign of linearization errors. If the displacement suggested by the model minimization provides no sufficient decrease of the objective function, then the temporary enrichment of the cutting plane approximation of just the first DC component function takes place until either the termination of the algorithm is certified or a sufficient decrease is achieved. The convergence of the BEM-DC method is studied, and computational results on a set of academic test problems with nonsmooth DC objective functions are provided. © 2023 by the authors.
Caffeine does not influence persistent inward current contribution to motoneuron firing
- Mackay, Karen, Orssatto, Lucas, Polman, Remco, Van der Pols, Jolieke, Trajano, Gabriel
- Authors: Mackay, Karen , Orssatto, Lucas , Polman, Remco , Van der Pols, Jolieke , Trajano, Gabriel
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Neurophysiology Vol. 130, no. 6 (2023), p. 1529-1540
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether caffeine consumption would change persistent inward current (PIC) contribution to motoneuron firing at increased contraction intensities and after repetitive sustained maximal contractions. Before and after the consumption of 6 mg·kg-1 of caffeine or placebo, 16 individuals performed isometric triangular-shaped ramp dorsiflexion contractions (to 20% and 40% of peak torque), followed by four maximal contractions sustained until torque production dropped to 60% of maximum, and consecutive 20% triangular-shaped contractions. Tibialis anterior motor unit firing frequencies were analyzed from high-density surface electromyograms. PIC contribution to motor unit firing was estimated by calculating the delta frequency (DF) using the paired motor unit technique. Motoneuron peak firing frequencies at 20% and 40% contractions and total torque-time integral during the repetitive sustained maximal contractions were also assessed. DF increased 0.69 peaks per second (pps) (95% CI ¼ -0.98, -0.405; d ¼ -0.87) from 20% to 40% contraction intensities and reduced 0.85 pps (95% CI ¼ 0.66, 1.05; d ¼ 0.99) after the repetitive sustained maximal contractions, regardless of caffeine consumption. Participants produced 337 Nm·s (95% CI ¼ 49.9, 624; d ¼ 0.63) more torque integral during the repetitive sustained maximal contractions after caffeine consumption. A strong repeated-measures correlation (r ¼ 0.61; 95% CI ¼ 0.49, 0.69) was observed between reductions of DF and peak firing frequencies after the repetitive sustained maximal contractions. PIC contribution to motoneuron firing increases from 20% to 40% contraction intensities, with no effect of caffeine (on rested tibialis anterior). Repetitive sustained maximal contractions reduced PIC contribution to motoneuron firing, regardless of caffeine or placebo consumption, evidencing that changes in intrinsic motoneuron properties contributed to performance loss. Caffeine-attenuated reduction of torque production capacity was unlikely mediated by PICs. © 2023 American Physiological Society. All rights reserved.
Cancer classification utilizing voting classifier with ensemble feature selection method and transcriptomic data
- Khatun, Rabea, Akter, Maksuda, Islam, Md Manowarul, Uddin, Md Ashraf, Talukder, Md Alamin, Kamruzzaman, Joarder, Azad, Akm, Paul, Bikash, Almoyad, Muhammad, Aryal, Sunil, Moni, Mohammad
- Authors: Khatun, Rabea , Akter, Maksuda , Islam, Md Manowarul , Uddin, Md Ashraf , Talukder, Md Alamin , Kamruzzaman, Joarder , Azad, Akm , Paul, Bikash , Almoyad, Muhammad , Aryal, Sunil , Moni, Mohammad
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Genes Vol. 14, no. 9 (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Biomarker-based cancer identification and classification tools are widely used in bioinformatics and machine learning fields. However, the high dimensionality of microarray gene expression data poses a challenge for identifying important genes in cancer diagnosis. Many feature selection algorithms optimize cancer diagnosis by selecting optimal features. This article proposes an ensemble rank-based feature selection method (EFSM) and an ensemble weighted average voting classifier (VT) to overcome this challenge. The EFSM uses a ranking method that aggregates features from individual selection methods to efficiently discover the most relevant and useful features. The VT combines support vector machine, k-nearest neighbor, and decision tree algorithms to create an ensemble model. The proposed method was tested on three benchmark datasets and compared to existing built-in ensemble models. The results show that our model achieved higher accuracy, with 100% for leukaemia, 94.74% for colon cancer, and 94.34% for the 11-tumor dataset. This study concludes by identifying a subset of the most important cancer-causing genes and demonstrating their significance compared to the original data. The proposed approach surpasses existing strategies in accuracy and stability, significantly impacting the development of ML-based gene analysis. It detects vital genes with higher precision and stability than other existing methods. © 2023 by the authors.
- Authors: Khatun, Rabea , Akter, Maksuda , Islam, Md Manowarul , Uddin, Md Ashraf , Talukder, Md Alamin , Kamruzzaman, Joarder , Azad, Akm , Paul, Bikash , Almoyad, Muhammad , Aryal, Sunil , Moni, Mohammad
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Genes Vol. 14, no. 9 (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Biomarker-based cancer identification and classification tools are widely used in bioinformatics and machine learning fields. However, the high dimensionality of microarray gene expression data poses a challenge for identifying important genes in cancer diagnosis. Many feature selection algorithms optimize cancer diagnosis by selecting optimal features. This article proposes an ensemble rank-based feature selection method (EFSM) and an ensemble weighted average voting classifier (VT) to overcome this challenge. The EFSM uses a ranking method that aggregates features from individual selection methods to efficiently discover the most relevant and useful features. The VT combines support vector machine, k-nearest neighbor, and decision tree algorithms to create an ensemble model. The proposed method was tested on three benchmark datasets and compared to existing built-in ensemble models. The results show that our model achieved higher accuracy, with 100% for leukaemia, 94.74% for colon cancer, and 94.34% for the 11-tumor dataset. This study concludes by identifying a subset of the most important cancer-causing genes and demonstrating their significance compared to the original data. The proposed approach surpasses existing strategies in accuracy and stability, significantly impacting the development of ML-based gene analysis. It detects vital genes with higher precision and stability than other existing methods. © 2023 by the authors.
- Lauder, Cassandra, March, Evita
- Authors: Lauder, Cassandra , March, Evita
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Computers in Human Behavior Vol. 140, no. (2023), p.
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Catfishing, the act of deceiving and exploiting another person online, can have significant negative impact on the target. To date, limited research has explored individual differences in perpetration of catfishing. We address this paucity by adopting an evolutionary psychology theoretical framework (the “cheater strategy” hypothesis) and exploring the utility of gender and the “Dark Tetrad” personality traits of psychopathy, sadism, Machiavellianism, and narcissism to predict catfishing perpetration. A sample of 664 participants (55.8% men, 40.3% women) with an average age of 28.84 years (SD = 9.60) were recruited via social media and completed an anonymous online questionnaire which comprised measures of personality and catfishing behaviours. Combined, the variables explained 62.6% of variance in catfishing perpetration. Results partially supported the hypotheses, with only psychopathy, sadism, and narcissism emerging as positive predictors of catfishing perpetration. Findings of the current study indicate that evolutionary psychology may be a useful theoretical framework when exploring antisocial online behaviours. Further, these findings provide crucial information regarding the psychological profile of a “catfish” and may have important practical implications by informing the prevention and management of this online behaviour. © 2022 Elsevier Ltd
CenGCN : centralized convolutional networks with vertex imbalance for scale-free graphs
- Xia, Feng, Wang, Lei, Tang, Tao, Chen, Xin, Kong, Xiangjie, Oatley, Giles, King, Irwin
- Authors: Xia, Feng , Wang, Lei , Tang, Tao , Chen, Xin , Kong, Xiangjie , Oatley, Giles , King, Irwin
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: IEEE Transactions on Knowledge and Data Engineering Vol. 35, no. 5 (2023), p. 4555-4569
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Graph Convolutional Networks (GCNs) have achieved impressive performance in a wide variety of areas, attracting considerable attention. The core step of GCNs is the information-passing framework that considers all information from neighbors to the central vertex to be equally important. Such equal importance, however, is inadequate for scale-free networks, where hub vertices propagate more dominant information due to vertex imbalance. In this paper, we propose a novel centrality-based framework named CenGCN to address the inequality of information. This framework first quantifies the similarity between hub vertices and their neighbors by label propagation with hub vertices. Based on this similarity and centrality indices, the framework transforms the graph by increasing or decreasing the weights of edges connecting hub vertices and adding self-connections to vertices. In each non-output layer of the GCN, this framework uses a hub attention mechanism to assign new weights to connected non-hub vertices based on their common information with hub vertices. We present two variants CenGCN_D and CenGCN_E, based on degree centrality and eigenvector centrality, respectively. We also conduct comprehensive experiments, including vertex classification, link prediction, vertex clustering, and network visualization. The results demonstrate that the two variants significantly outperform state-of-the-art baselines. © 1989-2012 IEEE.
- Authors: Xia, Feng , Wang, Lei , Tang, Tao , Chen, Xin , Kong, Xiangjie , Oatley, Giles , King, Irwin
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: IEEE Transactions on Knowledge and Data Engineering Vol. 35, no. 5 (2023), p. 4555-4569
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Graph Convolutional Networks (GCNs) have achieved impressive performance in a wide variety of areas, attracting considerable attention. The core step of GCNs is the information-passing framework that considers all information from neighbors to the central vertex to be equally important. Such equal importance, however, is inadequate for scale-free networks, where hub vertices propagate more dominant information due to vertex imbalance. In this paper, we propose a novel centrality-based framework named CenGCN to address the inequality of information. This framework first quantifies the similarity between hub vertices and their neighbors by label propagation with hub vertices. Based on this similarity and centrality indices, the framework transforms the graph by increasing or decreasing the weights of edges connecting hub vertices and adding self-connections to vertices. In each non-output layer of the GCN, this framework uses a hub attention mechanism to assign new weights to connected non-hub vertices based on their common information with hub vertices. We present two variants CenGCN_D and CenGCN_E, based on degree centrality and eigenvector centrality, respectively. We also conduct comprehensive experiments, including vertex classification, link prediction, vertex clustering, and network visualization. The results demonstrate that the two variants significantly outperform state-of-the-art baselines. © 1989-2012 IEEE.
- Terry, Daniel, Peck, Blake, Biangone, Marianne
- Authors: Terry, Daniel , Peck, Blake , Biangone, Marianne
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship Vol. 20, no. 1 (2023), p.
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Objectives: To examine changes in grit and psychological capital among nursing students prior to, during the height of the pandemic, and more than 12 months after the initial pandemic announcement. Methods: A cross-sectional study design addressed the aim of the study. Nursing students undertaking a three-year baccalaureate degree between 2019 and 2021 were included. Results: Mean grit levels among the n=818 unique student participants were significantly lower in 2020 than in 2019 and 2021; however, no significant difference was detected for psychological capital over the same period. Conclusions: Although normative day-to-day challenges may aid grit development, a major event has a negative impact yet has a buffering effect of negative life events at the time of a crisis. The study further placates that psychological capital remains malleable and open to change at the time of a crisis and may be an essential mechanism to mediate grit and has the capacity to influence student performance over time. It remains essential to develop grit through the mediating elements of psychological capital to enable nursing student to undertake academic studies, particularly in the event of major challenges, such approaches may further enable students' endurance to withstand major crises as they enter the workforce. © 2023 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston.
Changes in lesson plans as teachers participate in a professional development on statistical literacy
- Tran, Dung, Nguyen, An Thi, Nguyen, Duyen, Ta, Phuong, Pham, Nga, Huynh, Binh
- Authors: Tran, Dung , Nguyen, An Thi , Nguyen, Duyen , Ta, Phuong , Pham, Nga , Huynh, Binh
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research Vol. 22, no. 5 (2023), p. 281-301
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Research on mathematics teacher knowledge has gained momentum recently; however, research on teacher planning is scarce, especially using lesson plans as the primary data source. This study examines how teachers' lesson plans change as they participate in a professional development, supporting them in implementing the Vietnamese reformed Curriculum 2018. Using a design-based research methodology, we developed a research-informed framework that assesses teachers' lesson plans for developing students' statistical literacy as emphasized in the mathematics Curriculum. Informed by research literature and data collected from teachers, the framework including seven criteria was shared and used by 61 teachers to reflect on the quality of their lessons. The analysis of 38 lesson plans shows all criteria have improved from pre- to post-lesson plans. The teachers included more explicit and comprehensive learning intentions in their post-lessons. Tasks in the post-lesson plans afforded more opportunities for students to develop statistical literacy, helped them engage in the statistical investigation using real data, and included multiple representations. Finally, the post-lesson plans tended to follow the constructivist teaching principles. Implications on ways to develop teachers' planning competence and suggestions for future studies are included. © 2023 Authors.
- Authors: Tran, Dung , Nguyen, An Thi , Nguyen, Duyen , Ta, Phuong , Pham, Nga , Huynh, Binh
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research Vol. 22, no. 5 (2023), p. 281-301
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Research on mathematics teacher knowledge has gained momentum recently; however, research on teacher planning is scarce, especially using lesson plans as the primary data source. This study examines how teachers' lesson plans change as they participate in a professional development, supporting them in implementing the Vietnamese reformed Curriculum 2018. Using a design-based research methodology, we developed a research-informed framework that assesses teachers' lesson plans for developing students' statistical literacy as emphasized in the mathematics Curriculum. Informed by research literature and data collected from teachers, the framework including seven criteria was shared and used by 61 teachers to reflect on the quality of their lessons. The analysis of 38 lesson plans shows all criteria have improved from pre- to post-lesson plans. The teachers included more explicit and comprehensive learning intentions in their post-lessons. Tasks in the post-lesson plans afforded more opportunities for students to develop statistical literacy, helped them engage in the statistical investigation using real data, and included multiple representations. Finally, the post-lesson plans tended to follow the constructivist teaching principles. Implications on ways to develop teachers' planning competence and suggestions for future studies are included. © 2023 Authors.
Changes in soil physicochemical and water properties in response to exotic acacia invasion in a Bornean coastal heath forest
- Ibrahim, Mohamad, Sukri, Rahayu, Tennakoon, Kushan, Rosli, Nurul, Metali, Faizah
- Authors: Ibrahim, Mohamad , Sukri, Rahayu , Tennakoon, Kushan , Rosli, Nurul , Metali, Faizah
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition Vol. 23, no. 3 (2023), p. 3393-3406
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This study investigates the impacts of Acacia invasion on Bornean heath forest (HF) soils. Soil profiles and water properties at one soil depth (< 1 m) and physicochemical properties with Soil Fertility Index(SFI) and Soil Evaluation Factor (SEF) from the topsoil or three soil depths of Acacia-invaded and non-invaded HF were assessed. Acacia invasion modified soil profiles by producing thicker horizons O and B but waning horizon E. Thick leaf litter layer in invaded HF was associated with a significant decrease in soil bulk density, moisture, organic matter (OM), total organic carbon, water volume, and NH4+ but a significant increase in soil temperature, and soil water pH, NO3
- Authors: Ibrahim, Mohamad , Sukri, Rahayu , Tennakoon, Kushan , Rosli, Nurul , Metali, Faizah
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition Vol. 23, no. 3 (2023), p. 3393-3406
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This study investigates the impacts of Acacia invasion on Bornean heath forest (HF) soils. Soil profiles and water properties at one soil depth (< 1 m) and physicochemical properties with Soil Fertility Index(SFI) and Soil Evaluation Factor (SEF) from the topsoil or three soil depths of Acacia-invaded and non-invaded HF were assessed. Acacia invasion modified soil profiles by producing thicker horizons O and B but waning horizon E. Thick leaf litter layer in invaded HF was associated with a significant decrease in soil bulk density, moisture, organic matter (OM), total organic carbon, water volume, and NH4+ but a significant increase in soil temperature, and soil water pH, NO3
Characterizing Australia's east coast cyclones (1950–2019)
- Gray, Jessie, Verdon-Kidd, Danielle, Jaffrés, Jasmine, Hewson, Michael, Clarke, John, Sharma, Krishneel, English, Nathan
- Authors: Gray, Jessie , Verdon-Kidd, Danielle , Jaffrés, Jasmine , Hewson, Michael , Clarke, John , Sharma, Krishneel , English, Nathan
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Climatology Vol. 43, no. 7 (2023), p. 3324-3352
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: East coast cyclones (ECCs) provide an essential reprieve from dry periods across eastern Australia. They also deliver flood-producing rains with significant economic, social and environmental impacts. Assessing and comparing the influence of different types of cyclones is hindered by an incomplete understanding of ECC typology, given their widely variable spatial and temporal characteristics. This study employs a track-clustering method (probabilistic, curve-aligned regression model) to identify key cyclonic pathways for ECCs from 1950 to 2019. Six spatially independent clusters were successfully distinguished and further sub-classified (coastal, continental and tropical) based on their genesis location. The seasonality and long-term variability, intensity (maximum Laplacian value ± 2 days) and event-based rainfall were then evaluated for each cluster to quantify the impact of these lows on Australia. The highest quantity of land-based rainfall per event is associated with the tropical cluster (Cluster 6), whereas widespread rainfall was also found to occur in the two continental clusters (clusters 4 and 5). Cyclone tracks orientated close to the coast (clusters 1, 2 and 3) were determined to be the least impactful in terms of rainfall and intensity, despite being the most common cyclone type. In terms of interannual variability, sea surface temperature anomalies suggest an increased cyclone frequency for clusters 1 (austral winter) and 4 (austral spring) during a central Pacific El Niño. Furthermore, cyclone incidence during IOD-negative conditions was more pronounced in winter for clusters 1, 2, 3— and clusters 4 and 5 in spring. All cyclones also predominantly occurred in SAM-positive conditions. However, winter ECCs for clusters 1 and 3 had a higher frequency in SAM-negative. This new typology of ECCs via spatial clustering provides crucial insights into the systems that produce extreme rainfall across eastern Australia and should be used to inform future hazard management of cyclone events. © 2023 The Authors. International Journal of Climatology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Royal Meteorological Society.
- Authors: Gray, Jessie , Verdon-Kidd, Danielle , Jaffrés, Jasmine , Hewson, Michael , Clarke, John , Sharma, Krishneel , English, Nathan
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Climatology Vol. 43, no. 7 (2023), p. 3324-3352
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: East coast cyclones (ECCs) provide an essential reprieve from dry periods across eastern Australia. They also deliver flood-producing rains with significant economic, social and environmental impacts. Assessing and comparing the influence of different types of cyclones is hindered by an incomplete understanding of ECC typology, given their widely variable spatial and temporal characteristics. This study employs a track-clustering method (probabilistic, curve-aligned regression model) to identify key cyclonic pathways for ECCs from 1950 to 2019. Six spatially independent clusters were successfully distinguished and further sub-classified (coastal, continental and tropical) based on their genesis location. The seasonality and long-term variability, intensity (maximum Laplacian value ± 2 days) and event-based rainfall were then evaluated for each cluster to quantify the impact of these lows on Australia. The highest quantity of land-based rainfall per event is associated with the tropical cluster (Cluster 6), whereas widespread rainfall was also found to occur in the two continental clusters (clusters 4 and 5). Cyclone tracks orientated close to the coast (clusters 1, 2 and 3) were determined to be the least impactful in terms of rainfall and intensity, despite being the most common cyclone type. In terms of interannual variability, sea surface temperature anomalies suggest an increased cyclone frequency for clusters 1 (austral winter) and 4 (austral spring) during a central Pacific El Niño. Furthermore, cyclone incidence during IOD-negative conditions was more pronounced in winter for clusters 1, 2, 3— and clusters 4 and 5 in spring. All cyclones also predominantly occurred in SAM-positive conditions. However, winter ECCs for clusters 1 and 3 had a higher frequency in SAM-negative. This new typology of ECCs via spatial clustering provides crucial insights into the systems that produce extreme rainfall across eastern Australia and should be used to inform future hazard management of cyclone events. © 2023 The Authors. International Journal of Climatology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Royal Meteorological Society.
Charophytes of Australia’s Northern Territory – I. Tribe Chareae
- Casanova, Michelle, Karol, Kenneth
- Authors: Casanova, Michelle , Karol, Kenneth
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australian Systematic Botany Vol. 36, no. 1 (2023), p. 38-79
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This study of Northern Territory charophytes documents 22 species in 3 of the genera in tribe Chareae, family Characeae, including 15 previously described species (Chara benthamii, C. erythrogyna, C. globularis, C. karolii, C. lucida, C. porteri, C. protocharoides, C. setosa, C. submollusca, C. wightii, C. zeylanica, Lamprothamnium capitatum, L. compactum, L. stipitatum, Lychnothamnus barbatus) of which 2 are new for the Australian flora (C. erythrogyna and C. wightii), as well as 5 varieties raised to species rank (C. aridicola, C. arnhemensis, C. bancroftii, C. behriana, C. duriuscula), and 2 newly described species (C. lamprothamniformis, C. schultae). Three previously reported species in the tribe (C. braunii, C. corallina, C. fibrosa) are not recorded from the Northern Territory in this study, as previous records were based on erroneous identifications or localities. Although Northern Territory specimens of Lychnothamnus barbatus have not been seen, it has been included in this treatment, because it occurs in south-eastern Queensland, the Gulf of Carpentaria, Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste. A key, illustrations and descriptions of all the species are provided.
- Authors: Casanova, Michelle , Karol, Kenneth
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australian Systematic Botany Vol. 36, no. 1 (2023), p. 38-79
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This study of Northern Territory charophytes documents 22 species in 3 of the genera in tribe Chareae, family Characeae, including 15 previously described species (Chara benthamii, C. erythrogyna, C. globularis, C. karolii, C. lucida, C. porteri, C. protocharoides, C. setosa, C. submollusca, C. wightii, C. zeylanica, Lamprothamnium capitatum, L. compactum, L. stipitatum, Lychnothamnus barbatus) of which 2 are new for the Australian flora (C. erythrogyna and C. wightii), as well as 5 varieties raised to species rank (C. aridicola, C. arnhemensis, C. bancroftii, C. behriana, C. duriuscula), and 2 newly described species (C. lamprothamniformis, C. schultae). Three previously reported species in the tribe (C. braunii, C. corallina, C. fibrosa) are not recorded from the Northern Territory in this study, as previous records were based on erroneous identifications or localities. Although Northern Territory specimens of Lychnothamnus barbatus have not been seen, it has been included in this treatment, because it occurs in south-eastern Queensland, the Gulf of Carpentaria, Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste. A key, illustrations and descriptions of all the species are provided.
Charophytes of Australia’s Northern Territory – II. Tribe Nitelleae
- Casanova, Michelle, Karol, Kenneth
- Authors: Casanova, Michelle , Karol, Kenneth
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australian Systematic Botany Vol. 36, no. 4 (2023), p. 322-353
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This study of Northern Territory charophytes deals with the tribe Nitelleae in family Characeae. We recognise 16 species of Nitella for the Territory. The list includes seven previously described species (Nitella belangeri, N. biformis, N. congesta, N. heterophylla, N. micklei, N. myriotricha and N.tumulosa, of which N. belangeri and N. tumulosa are newly recorded for the Australian flora), and nine newly described species (N. acanthospora, N. boreali-australis, N. crocodylus, N. limosa, N.martinii, N. nitida, N. oollooensis, N. silicea and N. townsendii). Of the five previously reported Nitella species in the Northern Territory (N. hyalina, N. myriotricha, N. penicillata, N. pseudoflabellata and N. subtilissima), only N. myriotricha is recorded in this study, because the other records were based on erroneous identifications or localities. All Nitella species described here can be distinguished on the basis of their morphology and reproductive arrangement. Keys, illustrations and descriptions of all the species are provided.
- Authors: Casanova, Michelle , Karol, Kenneth
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australian Systematic Botany Vol. 36, no. 4 (2023), p. 322-353
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This study of Northern Territory charophytes deals with the tribe Nitelleae in family Characeae. We recognise 16 species of Nitella for the Territory. The list includes seven previously described species (Nitella belangeri, N. biformis, N. congesta, N. heterophylla, N. micklei, N. myriotricha and N.tumulosa, of which N. belangeri and N. tumulosa are newly recorded for the Australian flora), and nine newly described species (N. acanthospora, N. boreali-australis, N. crocodylus, N. limosa, N.martinii, N. nitida, N. oollooensis, N. silicea and N. townsendii). Of the five previously reported Nitella species in the Northern Territory (N. hyalina, N. myriotricha, N. penicillata, N. pseudoflabellata and N. subtilissima), only N. myriotricha is recorded in this study, because the other records were based on erroneous identifications or localities. All Nitella species described here can be distinguished on the basis of their morphology and reproductive arrangement. Keys, illustrations and descriptions of all the species are provided.
Chinese students’ decisions to study in Australia after the COVID pandemic-based on the PESTLE factor analysis
- Paynter, Merryn, Sharpe, Wen, Halabi, Abdel, Reimers, Vaughan, Ma, Hongming, Johnstone, Carolyn
- Authors: Paynter, Merryn , Sharpe, Wen , Halabi, Abdel , Reimers, Vaughan , Ma, Hongming , Johnstone, Carolyn
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Intercultural Relations Vol. 96, no. (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of the PESTLE (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, and Environmental) framework on the motivations of Chinese students to pursue a higher education degree at Australian universities following the COVID-19 pandemic. We conduct a survey with a unique sample of 446 Chinese undergraduate students who are looking to study a postgraduate degree abroad. Seldom used in an educational setting, our empirical findings show a positive effect of PESTLE, particularly the economic factor, on students’ choice to study abroad, which is contrary to the null hypothesis. This study has broader implications for university administrators as it suggests that the PESTLE model can be a useful tool in analyzing education choices at a time of uncertainty. © 2023 The Authors
- Authors: Paynter, Merryn , Sharpe, Wen , Halabi, Abdel , Reimers, Vaughan , Ma, Hongming , Johnstone, Carolyn
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Intercultural Relations Vol. 96, no. (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of the PESTLE (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, and Environmental) framework on the motivations of Chinese students to pursue a higher education degree at Australian universities following the COVID-19 pandemic. We conduct a survey with a unique sample of 446 Chinese undergraduate students who are looking to study a postgraduate degree abroad. Seldom used in an educational setting, our empirical findings show a positive effect of PESTLE, particularly the economic factor, on students’ choice to study abroad, which is contrary to the null hypothesis. This study has broader implications for university administrators as it suggests that the PESTLE model can be a useful tool in analyzing education choices at a time of uncertainty. © 2023 The Authors