An overview of Australian exercise and sport science degrees
- Authors: Kittel, Aden , Stevens, Christopher , Lindsay, Riki , Spittle, Sharna , Spittle, Michael
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Frontiers in Education Vol. 8, no. (2023), p.
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- Description: Exercise and Sport Science (EXSS) is a common degree offered at Australian universities, yet there is no systematic overview of this multidisciplinary field of study. This study aimed to determine the broad curriculum content of Australian EXSS degrees by summarizing the units offered, identify most commonly delivered content areas, and capture course information such as work-integrated learning (WIL) requirements and majors offered. Data were gathered through publicly available university course pages, with 30 EXSS courses included and only core units identified. The most common Australian EXSS units were “Exercise Physiology,” “Biomechanics,” “Research Methods and Data Analysis,” “Exercise Prescription and Delivery,” and “Exercise and Sport Psychology.” WIL requirements ranged from 140 to 300 h per course, and five courses offered majors. This study provides an overview of Australian EXSS courses, with the focus on exercise-related components reflecting accreditation requirements. Future research should examine how these courses equip students for the multidisciplinary EXSS industry. Copyright © 2023 Kittel, Stevens, Lindsay, Spittle and Spittle.
An overview of long covid support services in australia and international clinical guidelines, with a proposed care model in a global context
- Authors: Luo, Shiqi , Zheng, Zhen , Bird, Stephen , Plebanski, Magdalena , Figueiredo, Bernardo , Jessup, Rebecca , Stelmach, Wanda , Robinson, Jennifer , Xenos, Sophia , Olasoji, Micheal , Wan, Dawn , Sheahan, Jacob , Itsiopoulos, Catherine
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Public Health Reviews Vol. 44, no. (2023), p.
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- Description: Objective: To identify gaps among Australian Long COVID support services and guidelines alongside recommendations for future health programs. Methods: Electronic databases and seven government health websites were searched for Long COVID-specific programs or clinics available in Australia as well as international and Australian management guidelines. Results: Five Long COVID specific guidelines and sixteen Australian services were reviewed. The majority of Australian services provided multidisciplinary rehabilitation programs with service models generally consistent with international and national guidelines. Most services included physiotherapists and psychologists. While early investigation at week 4 after contraction of COVID-19 is recommended by the Australian, UK and US guidelines, this was not consistently implemented. Conclusion: Besides Long COVID clinics, future solutions should focus on early identification that can be delivered by General Practitioners and all credentialed allied health professions. Study findings highlight an urgent need for innovative care models that address individual patient needs at an affordable cost. We propose a model that focuses on patient-led self-care with further enhancement via multi-disciplinary care tools. Copyright © 2023 Luo, Zheng, Bird, Plebanski, Figueiredo, Jessup, Stelmach, Robinson, Xenos, Olasoji, Wan, Sheahan and Itsiopoulos.
An update on the influence of natural climate variability and anthropogenic climate change on tropical cyclones
- Authors: Camargo, Suzana , Murakami, Hiroyuki , Bloemendaal, Nadia , Chand, Savin , Deshpande, Medha , Dominguez-Sarmiento, Christian , González-Alemán, Juan , Knutson, Thomas , Lin, I. , Moon, Il-Ju , Patricola, Christian , Reed, Kevin , Roberts, Malcolm , Scoccimarro, Enrico , Tam, Chi , Wallace, Elizabeth , Wu, Liguang , Yamada, Yohei , Zhang, Wei , Zhao, Haikun
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Tropical Cyclone Research and Review Vol. 12, no. 3 (2023), p. 216-239
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- Description: A substantial number of studies have been published since the Ninth International Workshop on Tropical Cyclones (IWTC-9) in 2018, improving our understanding of the effect of climate change on tropical cyclones (TCs) and associated hazards and risks. These studies have reinforced the robustness of increases in TC intensity and associated TC hazards and risks due to anthropogenic climate change. New modeling and observational studies suggested the potential influence of anthropogenic climate forcings, including greenhouse gases and aerosols, on global and regional TC activity at the decadal and century time scales. However, there are still substantial uncertainties owing to model uncertainty in simulating historical TC decadal variability in the Atlantic, and the limitations of observed TC records. The projected future change in the global number of TCs has become more uncertain since IWTC-9 due to projected increases in TC frequency by a few climate models. A new paradigm, TC seeds, has been proposed, and there is currently a debate on whether seeds can help explain the physical mechanism behind the projected changes in global TC frequency. New studies also highlighted the importance of large-scale environmental fields on TC activity, such as snow cover and air-sea interactions. Future projections on TC translation speed and medicanes are new additional focus topics in our report. Recommendations and future research are proposed relevant to the remaining scientific questions and assisting policymakers. © 2023 The Shanghai Typhoon Institute of China Meteorological Administration
Analysis of microalgal density estimation by using lasso and image texture features
- Authors: Nguyen, Linh , Nguyen, Dung , Nguyen, Thang , Nguyen, Binh , Nghiem, Truong
- Date: 2023
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- Relation: Sensors Vol. 23, no. 5 (2023), p.
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- Description: Monitoring and estimating the density of microalgae in a closed cultivation system is a critical task in culturing algae since it allows growers to optimally control both nutrients and cultivating conditions. Among the estimation techniques proposed so far, image-based methods, which are less invasive, nondestructive, and more biosecure, are practically preferred. Nevertheless, the premise behind most of those approaches is simply averaging the pixel values of images as inputs of a regression model to predict density values, which may not provide rich information of the microalgae presenting in the images. In this work, we propose to exploit more advanced texture features extracted from captured images, including confidence intervals of means of pixel values, powers of spatial frequencies presenting in images, and entropies accounting for pixel distribution. These diverse features can provide more information of microalgae, which can lead to more accurate estimation results. More importantly, we propose to use the texture features as inputs of a data-driven model based on L1 regularization, called least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), where their coefficients are optimized in a manner that prioritizes more informative features. The LASSO model was then employed to efficiently estimate the density of microalgae presenting in a new image. The proposed approach was validated in real-world experiments monitoring the Chlorella vulgaris microalgae strain, where the obtained results demonstrate its outperformance compared with other methods. More specifically, the average error in the estimation obtained by the proposed approach is 1.54, whereas those obtained by the Gaussian process and gray-scale-based methods are 2.16 and 3.68, respectively © 2023 by the authors.
Animal population decline and recovery after severe fire: Relating ecological and life history traits with expert estimates of population impacts from the Australian 2019-20 megafires
- Authors: Ensbey, Michelle , Legge, Sarah , Jolly, Chris , Garnett, Stephen , Gallagher, Rachael , Lintermans, Mark , Nimmo, Dale , Rumpff, Libby , Scheele, Ben , Whiterod, Nick , Woinarski, John , Ahyong, Shane , Blackmore, Caroline , Bower, Deborah , Burbidge, Allan , Burns, Phoebe , Butler, Gavin , Catullo, Renee , Chapple, David , Dickman, Christopher , Doyle, Katie , Ferris, Jason , Fisher, Diana , Geyle, Hayley , Gillespie, Graeme , Greenlees, Matt , Hohnen, Rosemary , Hoskin, Conrad , Kennard, Mark , King, Alison , Kuchinke, Diana , Law, Brad , Lawler, Ivan , Lawler, Susan , Loyn, Richard , Lunney, Daniel , Lyon, Jarod , MacHunter, Josephine , Mahony, Michael , Mahony, Stephen , McCormack, Rob , Melville, Jane , Menkhorst, Peter , Michael, Damian , Mitchell, Nicola , Mulder, Eridani , Newell, David , Pearce, Luke , Raadik, Tarmo , Rowley, Jodi , Sitters, Holly , Southwell, Darren , Spencer, Ricky , West, Matt , Zukowski, Sylvia
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Biological conservation Vol. 283, no. (2023), p. 110021
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- Description: Catastrophic megafires can increase extinction risks identifying species priorities for management and policy support is critical for preparing and responding to future fires. However, empirical data on population loss and recovery post-fire, especially megafire, are limited and taxonomically biased. These gaps could be bridged if species' morphological, behavioural, ecological and life history traits indicated their fire responses. Using expert elicitation that estimated population changes following the 2019–20 Australian megafires for 142 terrestrial and aquatic animal species (from every vertebrate class, one invertebrate group), we examined whether expert estimates of fire-related mortality, mortality in the year post-fire, and recovery trajectories over 10 years/three generations post-fire, were related to species traits. Expert estimates for fire-related mortality were lower for species that could potentially flee or shelter from fire, and that associated with fire-prone habitats. Post-fire mortality estimates were linked to diet, diet specialisation, home range size, and susceptibility to introduced herbivores that damage or compete for resources. Longer-term population recovery estimates were linked to diet/habitat specialisation, susceptibility to introduced species species with slower life histories and shorter subadult dispersal distances also had lower recovery estimates. Across animal groups, experts estimated that recovery was poorest for species with pre-fire population decline and more threatened conservation status. Sustained management is likely needed to recover species with habitat and diet specialisations, slower life histories, pre-existing declines and threatened conservation statuses. This study shows that traits could help inform management priorities before and after future megafires, but further empirical data on animal fire response is essential.
Application of a universal parasite diagnostic test to biological specimens collected from animals
- Authors: Lane, Meredith , Kashani, Mitra , Barratt, Joel , Qvarnstrom, Yvonne , Yabsley, Michael , Garrett, Kayla , Bradbury, Richard
- Date: 2023
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- Relation: International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife Vol. 20, no. (2023), p. 20-30
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- Description: A previously described universal parasite diagnostic (nUPDx) based on PCR amplification of the 18S rDNA and deep-amplicon sequencing, can detect human blood parasites with a sensitivity comparable to real-time PCR. To date, the efficacy of this assay has only been assessed on human blood. This study assessed the utility of nUPDx for the detection of parasitic infections in animals using blood, tissues, and other biological sample types from mammals, birds, and reptiles, known to be infected with helminth, apicomplexan, or pentastomid parasites (confirmed by microscopy or PCR), as well as negative samples. nUPDx confirmed apicomplexan and/or nematode infections in 24 of 32 parasite-positive mammals, while also identifying several undetected coinfections. nUPDx detected infections in 6 of 13 positive bird and 1 of 2 positive reptile samples. When applied to 10 whole parasite specimens (worms and arthropods), nUPDx identified all to the genus or family level, and detected one incorrect identification made by morphology. Babesia sp. infections were detected in 5 of the 13 samples that were negative by other diagnostic approaches. While nUPDx did not detect PCR/microscopy-confirmed trichomonads or amoebae in cloacal swabs/tissue from 8 birds and 2 reptiles due to primer template mismatches, 4 previously undetected apicomplexans were detected in these samples. Future efforts to improve the utility of the assay should focus on validation against a larger panel of tissue types and animal species. Overall, nUPDx shows promise for use in both veterinary diagnostics and wildlife surveillance, especially because species-specific PCRs can miss unknown or unexpected pathogens. © 2022
Application of KRR, K-NN and GPR algorithms for predicting the soaked CBR of fine-grained plastic soils
- Authors: Verma, Gaurav , Kumar, Brind , Kumar, Chintoo , Ray, Arunava , Khandelwal, Manoj
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering Vol. 48, no. 10 (2023), p. 13901-13927
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- Description: California bearing ratio (CBR) test is one of the comprehensive tests used for the last few decades to design the pavement thickness of roadways, railways and airport runways. Laboratory-performed CBR test is considerably rigorous and time-taking. In a quest for an alternative solution, this study utilizes novel computational approaches, including the kernel ridges regression, K-nearest neighbor and Gaussian process regression (GPR), to predict the soaked CBR value of soils. A vast quantity of 1011 in situ soil samples were collected from an ongoing highway project work site. Two data divisional approaches, i.e., K-Fold and fuzzy c-means (FCM) clustering, were used to separate the dataset into training and testing subsets. Apart from the numerous statistical performance measurement indices, ranking and overfitting analysis were used to identify the best-fitted CBR prediction model. Additionally, the literature models were also tried to validate through present study datasets. From the results of Pearson’s correlation analysis, Sand, Fine Content, Plastic Limit, Plasticity Index, Maximum Dry Density and Optimum Moisture Content were found to be most influencing input parameters in developing the soaked CBR of fine-grained plastic soils. Experimental results also establish the proficiency of the GPR model developed through FCM and K-Fold data division approaches. The K-Fold data division approach was found to be helpful in removing the overfitting of the models. Furthermore, the predictive ability of any model is considerably influenced by the geological location of the soils/materials used for the model development. © 2023, The Author(s).
Application of various robust techniques to study and evaluate the role of effective parameters on rock fragmentation
- Authors: Mehrdanesh, Amirhossein , Monjezi, Masoud , Khandelwal, Manoj , Bayat, Parichehr
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Engineering with Computers Vol. 39, no. 2 (2023), p. 1317-1327
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- Description: In this paper, an attempt has been made to implement various robust techniques to predict rock fragmentation due to blasting in open pit mines using effective parameters. As rock fragmentation prediction is very complex and complicated, and due to that various artificial intelligence-based techniques, such as artificial neural network (ANN), classification and regression tree and support vector machines were selected for the modeling. To validate and compare the prediction results, conventional multivariate regression analysis was also utilized on the same data sets. Since accuracy and generality of the modeling is dependent on the number of inputs, it was tried to collect enough required information from four different open pit mines of Iran. According to the obtained results, it was revealed that ANN with a determination coefficient of 0.986 is the most precise method of modeling as compared to the other applied techniques. Also, based on the performed sensitivity analysis, it was observed that the most prevailing parameters on the rock fragmentation are rock quality designation, Schmidt hardness value, mean in-situ block size and the minimum effective ones are hole diameter, burden and spacing. The advantage of back propagation neural network technique for using in this study compared to other soft computing methods is that they are able to describe complex and nonlinear multivariable problems in a transparent way. Furthermore, ANN can be used as a first approach, where much knowledge about the influencing parameters are missing. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag London Ltd., part of Springer Nature.
Applications of machine learning and deep learning in antenna design, optimization, and selection : a review
- Authors: Sarker, Nayan , Podder, Prajoy , Mondal, M. , Shafin, Sakib , Kamruzzaman, Joarder
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: IEEE Access Vol. 11, no. (2023), p. 103890-103915
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- Description: This review paper provides an overview of the latest developments in artificial intelligence (AI)-based antenna design and optimization for wireless communications. Machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) algorithms are applied to antenna engineering to improve the efficiency of the design and optimization processes. The review discusses the use of electromagnetic (EM) simulators such as computer simulation technology (CST) and high-frequency structure simulator (HFSS) for ML and DL-based antenna design, which also covers reinforcement learning (RL)-bases approaches. Various antenna optimization methods including parallel optimization, single and multi-objective optimization, variable fidelity optimization, multilayer ML-assisted optimization, and surrogate-based optimization are discussed. The review also covers the AI-based antenna selection approaches for wireless applications. To support the automation of antenna engineering, the data generation technique with computational electromagnetics software is described and some useful datasets are reported. The review concludes that ML/DL can enhance antenna behavior prediction, reduce the number of simulations, improve computer efficiency, and speed up the antenna design process. © 2013 IEEE.
Apprenticeships : the problem of attractiveness and the hindrance of heterogeneity
- Authors: Smith, Erica
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Training and Development Vol. 27, no. 1 (2023), p. 18-38
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- Description: This paper examines a question posed in 2019 in the International Journal on Training and Development: ‘How do we solve a problem like apprenticeship?’ Data sources covering a substantial number of countries are used to present findings on, and analyse, initiatives that have been implemented or that have been considered, and then to develop some analytical constructs to help address the question. Fundamental issues such as the status of vocational education and training and the status of apprenticed occupations are important, but the nature of the apprenticeship arrangements, within countries and within industries are also major factors affecting perceived attractiveness. The paper therefore argues that the heterogeneity of apprenticeship systems and arrangements is a major barrier to solving the attractiveness problem. Moreover, the heterogeneity of potential apprenticeship applicants means that marketing campaigns or other efforts to attract more, and higher quality, apprentices need to be cognisant of individuals’ backgrounds, characteristics, and aspirations. Some tentative ways of addressing these matters are presented, but the conclusion is that the topic needs large-scale research. © 2022 The Authors. International Journal of Training and Development published by Brian Towers (BRITOW) and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Association of constipation with increased risk of hypertension and cardiovascular events in elderly Australian patients
- Authors: Judkins, Courtney , Wang, Yutang , Jelinic, Maria , Bobik, Alex , Vinh, Antony , Sobey, Christopher , Drummond, Grant
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Scientific Reports Vol. 13, no. 1 (2023), p.
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- Description: The association between constipation and cardiovascular risk is unclear. This population-level matched cohort study compared the association of constipation with hypertension and incident cardiovascular events in 541,172 hospitalized patients aged
Associations between smartphone keystroke metadata and mental health symptoms in adolescents: findings from the future proofing study
- Authors: Braund, Taylor , O'Dea, Bridianne , Bal, Debopriyo , Maston, Kate , Larsen, Mark , Werner-Seidler, Aliza , Tillman, Gabriel , Christensen, Helen
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: JMIR Mental Health Vol. 10, no. (2023), p.
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- Description: Background: Mental disorders are prevalent during adolescence. Among the digital phenotypes currently being developed to monitor mental health symptoms, typing behavior is one promising candidate. However, few studies have directly assessed associations between typing behavior and mental health symptom severity, and whether these relationships differs between genders. Objective: In a cross-sectional analysis of a large cohort, we tested whether various features of typing behavior derived from keystroke metadata were associated with mental health symptoms and whether these relationships differed between genders. Methods: A total of 934 adolescents from the Future Proofing study undertook 2 typing tasks on their smartphones through the Future Proofing app. Common keystroke timing and frequency features were extracted across tasks. Mental health symptoms were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-Adolescent version, the Children's Anxiety Scale-Short Form, the Distress Questionnaire 5, and the Insomnia Severity Index. Bivariate correlations were used to test whether keystroke features were associated with mental health symptoms. The false discovery rates of P values were adjusted to q values. Machine learning models were trained and tested using independent samples (ie, 80% train 20% test) to identify whether keystroke features could be combined to predict mental health symptoms. Results: Keystroke timing features showed a weak negative association with mental health symptoms across participants. When split by gender, females showed weak negative relationships between keystroke timing features and mental health symptoms, and weak positive relationships between keystroke frequency features and mental health symptoms. The opposite relationships were found for males (except for dwell). Machine learning models using keystroke features alone did not predict mental health symptoms. Conclusions: Increased mental health symptoms are weakly associated with faster typing, with important gender differences. Keystroke metadata should be collected longitudinally and combined with other digital phenotypes to enhance their clinical relevance. ©Taylor A Braund, Bridianne O'Dea, Debopriyo Bal, Kate Maston, Mark Larsen, Aliza Werner-Seidler, Gabriel Tillman, Helen Christensen.
Associations of UPPS-P negative urgency and positive urgency with ADHD dimensions : moderation by lack of premeditation and lack of perseverance in men and women
- Authors: Gomez, Rapson , Watson, Shaun
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Personality and Individual Differences Vol. 206, no. (2023), p.
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- Description: The study examined how dimensions of Whiteside and Lynam's (2003) UPPS-P model of impulsivity (lack of premeditation, lack of perseverance, negative urgency, and positive urgency) were associated directly and interactively with the attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) dimensions of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity in men and women separately. A total of 550 adults (men = 147, women = 403), ages ranging from 18 to 65 years, from the general community completed questionnaires covering the study variables. For women, there was support for the additive model for the prediction of inattention, and both inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity were predicted by lack of premeditation × positive urgency. For men, inattention was predicted by lack of premeditation × negative urgency, and lack of premeditation × positive urgency. In all instances, low levels of premeditation reduced the relationships between the urgency dimensions and ADHD dimensions. The theoretical and clinical implications of the findings are discussed. © 2023 The Author(s)
Attributes of expert anticipation should inform the design of virtual reality simulators to accelerate learning and transfer of skill
- 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.
Australian men’s sheds and their role in the health and wellbeing of men : a systematic review
- 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.
Being private, big 4 auditors, and debt raising
- 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.
Benchmarking Australian enabling programs for a national framework of standards, a practice report
- 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.
Beyond survival : strengthening community-based support for parents receiving a family service intervention
- 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.
Blockchain technology and application : an overview
- 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
Bundle enrichment method for nonsmooth difference of convex programming problems
- 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
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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.