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Enriching research practices through knowledge about Indigenous research methodologies

- Bolton, Joanne, Remedios, Louisa, Andrews, Shawana

  • Authors: Bolton, Joanne , Remedios, Louisa , Andrews, Shawana
  • Date: 2023
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Focus on health professional education Vol. 24, no. 2 (2023), p. 163-175
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  • Description: Learning about Indigenous research paradigms and methodologies offers insights and reflexive opportunities for those who seek to improve their research practice. This paper explores how research at the "interface" can enrich scholarly inquiry across the academy. Whilst a single paper cannot do justice to the sophistication and nuance of Indigenous methodologies, as an authorship team of one Indigenous and two non-Indigenous academics and through our established relationship and subsequent conversations, we present in this paper seven distilled methodological learnings that can enrich standard qualitative research practice. We predominantly explored the work of Indigenous scholars worldwide and, where relevant, have drawn on non-Indigenous scholars when there may be "interface" compatibilities. We also build off some of our previous work, such as Andrews (2020a, 2020b, 2021) and Bolton and Andrews.

Erdos properties of subsets of the Mahler set S

- Chalebgwa, Taboka, Morris, Sidney

  • Authors: Chalebgwa, Taboka , Morris, Sidney
  • Date: 2023
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Bulletin of the Australian Mathematical Society Vol. 108, no. 3 (2023), p. 504-510
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  • Description: Erd.os proved that every real number is the sum of two Liouville numbers. A set W of complex numbers is said to have the Erd.os property if every real number is the sum of two members of W. Mahler divided the set of all transcendental numbers into three disjoint classes S, T and U such that, in particular, any two complex numbers which are algebraically dependent lie in the same class. The set of Liouville numbers is a proper subset of the set U and has Lebesgue measure zero. It is proved here, using a theorem of Weil on locally compact groups, that if m ∈ [0,∞), then there exist 2c dense subsets W of S each of Lebesgue measure m such that W has the Erd.os property and no two of these W are homeomorphic. It is also proved that there are 2c dense subsets W of S each of full Lebesgue measure, which have the Erd.os property. Finally, it is proved that there are 2c dense subsets W of S such that every complex number is the sum of two members of W and such that no two of these W are homeomorphic. © 2023 The Author(s).
  • Description: Erd.os proved that every real number is the sum of two Liouville numbers. A set W of complex numbers is said to have the Erd.os property if every real number is the sum of two members of W. Mahler divided the set of all transcendental numbers into three disjoint classes S, T and U such that, in particular, any two complex numbers which are algebraically dependent lie in the same class. The set of Liouville numbers is a proper subset of the set U and has Lebesgue measure zero. It is proved here, using a theorem of Weil on locally compact groups, that if m

Erds-liouville sets

- Chalebgwa, Taboka, Morris, Sidney

Essential elements of optimal dietary and exercise referral practices for cancer survivors: expert consensus for medical and nursing health professionals

- Joseph, Ria, Hart, Nicolas, Bradford, Natalie, Wallen, Matthew, Han, Chad, Pinkham, Elizabeth, Hanley, Brigid, Lock, Gemma, Wyld, David, Wishart, Laurelie, Koczwara, Bogda, Chan, Alexandre, Agbejule, Oluwaseyifunmi, Crichton, Megan, Teleni, Laisa, Holland, Justin, Edmiston, Kelli, Naumann, Leonie, Brown, Teresa, Chan, Raymond

  • Authors: Joseph, Ria , Hart, Nicolas , Bradford, Natalie , Wallen, Matthew , Han, Chad , Pinkham, Elizabeth , Hanley, Brigid , Lock, Gemma , Wyld, David , Wishart, Laurelie , Koczwara, Bogda , Chan, Alexandre , Agbejule, Oluwaseyifunmi , Crichton, Megan , Teleni, Laisa , Holland, Justin , Edmiston, Kelli , Naumann, Leonie , Brown, Teresa , Chan, Raymond
  • Date: 2023
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Supportive Care in Cancer Vol. 31, no. 1 (2023), p.
  • Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/1194051
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  • Description: Purpose: To develop and establish expert consensus on essential elements of optimal dietary and exercise referral practices for cancer survivors. Methods: A four-round modified, Delphi method (face-to-face and electronic). In round 1, initial statements were drafted based on Cancer Australia’s Principles of Cancer Survivorship and input from key stakeholders through a cancer preconference workshop. In round 2, the initial statements were distributed to a panel (round 1 participants) to establish consensus by rating the importance of each statement using a five-point Likert scale. Statements that required significant changes in wording were redistributed to panel members in round 3 for voting. Round 4 was for consumers, requiring them to rate their level of agreement of final statements. Results: In total, 82 stakeholders participated in round 1. Response rates for survey rounds 2 and 3 were 59% (n = 54) and 39% (n = 36). Panel members included nurses (22%), dietitians (19%), exercise professionals (16%), medical practitioners (8%), and consumers (4%). The mean “importance” rating for all essential elements was 4.28 or higher (i.e., fairly important, or very important). Round 4’s consumer-only engagement received responses from 58 consumers. Overall, 24 elements reached consensus following some revised wording, including the development of three new statements based on panel feedback. Conclusion: Our developed essential elements of optimal dietary and exercise referral practices can help provide guidance to medical and nursing health professionals relevant to dietary and exercise referral practices. Future research should conduct an implementation intervention and evaluation of these essential elements to optimise dietary and exercise care in cancer survivors. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.

Estimating the mean cutting force of conical picks using random forest with salp swarm algorithm

- Zhou, Jian, Dai, Yong, Tao, Ming, Khandelwal, Manoj, Zhao, Mingsheng, Li, Qiyue

  • Authors: Zhou, Jian , Dai, Yong , Tao, Ming , Khandelwal, Manoj , Zhao, Mingsheng , Li, Qiyue
  • Date: 2023
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Results in Engineering Vol. 17, no. (2023), p.
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  • Description: Conical picks are widely used as cutting tools in shearers and roadheaders, and the mean cutting force (MCF) is one of the important parameters affecting conical pick performance. As MCF depends on a number of parameters and due to that the existing empirical and theoretical formulas and numerical modelling are not sufficient enough and reliable to predict MCF in a proficient manner. So, in this research, a novel intelligent model based on a random forest algorithm (RF) and a heuristic algorithm called the salp swarm algorithm (SSA) have been applied to determine the optimal hyper-parameters in RF, and root mean square error is used as a fitness function. A total of 188 data samples including 50 rock types and seven parameters (tensile strength of the rock

Estimation of precipitation fraction in the soil water of the Hillslope Vineyard using stable isotopes of water

- Kovač, Zoran, Krevh, Vedran, Filipović, Lana, Defterdarović, Jasmina, Balaž, Borna-Ivan, Filipović, Vilim

  • Authors: Kovač, Zoran , Krevh, Vedran , Filipović, Lana , Defterdarović, Jasmina , Balaž, Borna-Ivan , Filipović, Vilim
  • Date: 2023
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Water (Switzerland) Vol. 15, no. 5 (2023), p.
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  • Description: This paper presents research related to the estimation of the precipitation fraction in the soil water of a sloped vineyard at the SUPREHILL Critical Zone Observatory (CZO) in Zagreb, Croatia. Numerous investigations have shown that exploration of hillslope soils can be very challenging due to the existence of heterogeneity and different soil properties, as well as due to anthropogenically induced processes, which can affect precipitation infiltration and soil water flow. Within this research, physicochemical soil properties, soil water content (SWC), and isotopic composition of soil water and precipitation (

Evaluation of resource allocation for undergraduate nursing professional experience placements coordination in Australian Higher Education; a cross-sectional study with descriptive qualitative thematic analysis

- Osman, Abdi, Bradley, Leah, Plummer, Virginia

  • Authors: Osman, Abdi , Bradley, Leah , Plummer, Virginia
  • Date: 2023
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Nurse Education in Practice Vol. 67, no. (2023), p.
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  • Description: Aims and objective: To assess the implementation of standards by Australian Nursing higher education providers as set by accrediting and regulating bodies and to identify any barriers or enablers to optimizing Professional Experience Placement. To recommend strategies for safeguarding and improving any identified enablers as well as mitigating factors for any identified barriers. Background: Professional Experience Placement is an essential element of all accredited Nursing Programs in Australia. The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council is responsible for developing accreditation standards and mandates minimum of 800 h of Professional Experience Placement scaffolded across curriculum which some Higher Education Providers set as their exact baseline for clinical placement duration. Design: Descriptive study using; questionnaire survey with qualitative thematic analysis and CROSS checklist. Method: Quantitative method with descriptive qualitative thematic analysis and purposive sampling was used to target 37 higher education institutions that offer BN and BN/BM programs, 33 of these institutions were randomly selected for inclusion. Data was collected over a six-week period from 24th May to 4th July 2022 using Qualtrics online survey. Results: Out of the 33 Higher Education providers who were invited to participate, 51.5 % (n = 17) responded. The respondent's demographics were: 94 % Bachelor of Nursing only placements coordinators while one respondent reported covering both Bachelor of Nursing and Bachelor of Midwifery; Most of the respondents (65 %) were in 40–55 years age group. The respondents reported to have overall responsibility across one to 6 campuses (Mean = 2.2) and having support/administrative staffs ranging from 0 to 15 (Mean = 4.11). Student population among the institutions ranged from 500 to 7500 with a mean of 2365.38. The number of campuses covered had statistically significant relationship with the student population (p < 0.001; 0.392–0.929 confidence interval) however no statistically significant relationship with the number of administrative staff allocated (p = 0.319;

Evaluation of rural general practice experiences for pre-vocational medical graduates

- McGrail, Matthew, Chhabra, Jasleen, Hays, Richard

  • Authors: McGrail, Matthew , Chhabra, Jasleen , Hays, Richard
  • Date: 2023
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Rural and Remote Health Vol. 23, no. 1 (2023), p.
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  • Description: Introduction: Despite substantial investment in rural workforce support, sustaining the necessary recruitment and retention of general practitioners (GPs) in rural areas remains a challenge. Insufficient medical graduates are choosing a general/rural practice career. Medical training at postgraduate level, particularly for those ‘between’ undergraduate medical education and specialty training, remains strongly reliant on hospital experience in larger hospitals, potentially diverting interest away from general/rural practice. The Rural Junior Doctor Training Innovation Fund (RJDTIF) program offered junior hospital doctors (interns) an experience of 10 weeks in a rural general practice, aiming to increase their consideration of general/rural practice careers This study aimed to evaluate the educational and potential workforce impact of the RJDTIF program. Methods: Up to 110 places were established during 2019–2020 for Queensland’s interns to undertake an 8–12-week rotation (depending on individual hospital rosters) out of regional hospitals to work in a rural general practice. Participants were surveyed before and after the placement, although only 86 were invited due to the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Descriptive quantitative statistics were applied to the survey data. Four semistructured interviews were conducted to further explore the experiences post-placement, with audio-recordings transcribed verbatim. Semi-structured interview data were analysed using inductive, reflexive thematic analysis. Results: In total, 60 interns completed either survey, although only 25 were matched as completing both surveys. About half (48%) indicated they had preferenced the rural GP term and 48% indicated strong enthusiasm for the experience. General practice was indicated as the most likely career option for 50%, other general specialty 28% and subspecialty 22%. Likelihood to be working in a regional/rural location in 10 years was indicated as ‘likely’ or ‘very likely’ for 40%, ‘unlikely’ for 24% and ‘unsure’ for 36%. The two most common reasons for preferencing a rural GP term were experiencing training in a primary care setting (50%) and gaining more clinical skills through increased patient exposure (22%). The overall impact on pursuing a primary care career was self-assessed as much more likely by 41%, but much less by 15%. Interest in a rural location was less influenced. Those rating the term poor or average had low pre-placement enthusiasm for the term. The qualitative analysis of interview data produced two themes: importance of the rural GP term for interns (hands-on learning, skills improvement, influence on future career choice and engagement with the local community), and potential improvements to rural intern GP rotations. Conclusion: Most participants reported a positive experience from their rural GP rotation, which was recognised as a sound learning experience at an important time with respect to choosing a specialty. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, this evidence supports the investment in programs that provide opportunities for junior doctors to experience rural general practice in these formative postgraduate years to stimulate interest in this much-needed career pathway. Focusing resources on those who have at least some interest and enthusiasm may improve its workforce impact © 2023, Rural and Remote Health.All Rights Reserved.

Evaluation of various support intensities of digital mental health treatment for reducing anxiety and depression in adults : protocol for a mixed methods, adaptive, randomized clinical trial

- Andrews, Brooke, Klein, Britt, McLaren, Suzanne, Watson, Shaun, Corboy, Denise

  • Authors: Andrews, Brooke , Klein, Britt , McLaren, Suzanne , Watson, Shaun , Corboy, Denise
  • Date: 2023
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: JMIR Research Protocols Vol. 12, no. (2023), p.
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  • Description: Background: Anxiety and depression are leading causes of disease worldwide, requiring timely access to evidence-based treatment. Digital mental health (dMH) interventions increase accessibility to evidence-based psychological services delivered in a variety of web-based formats (eg, self-help and therapist-assisted interventions). Robust and rigorous studies of adaptive web-based intervention designs are scarce. No identified randomized clinical trial has investigated the efficacy of a 2-stage adaptive design, whereby the program-only condition or no support dMH treatment program is augmented by either low or high therapist assistance, if a participant does not improve or engage in the program-only condition. Objective: The primary objective is to assess whether low or high therapist-assisted support delivered via video chat is more effective in reducing anxiety and depressive symptoms compared with a dMH program–only condition. The secondary objective is to evaluate the role of motivation; self-efficacy; and preferences in participant engagement, adherence, and clinical outcomes (anxiety and depression symptoms) among the 3 treatment conditions (program only, low-intensity therapist assistance, and high-intensity therapist assistance). A mixed methods analysis of factors affecting participant attrition, participant reasons for nonengagement and withdrawal, and therapist training and implementation of dMH interventions will be completed. Qualitative data regarding participant and therapist experiences and satisfaction with video chat assessment and treatment will also be analyzed. Methods: Australian adults (N=137) with symptoms or a diagnosis of anxiety or depression will be screened for eligibility and given access to the 8-module Life Flex dMH treatment program. On day 15, participants who meet the augmentation criteria will be stepped up via block randomization to receive therapist assistance delivered via video chat for either 10 minutes (low intensity) or 50 minutes (high intensity) per week. This adaptive trial will implement a mixed methods design, with outcomes assessed before the intervention (week 0), during the intervention (weeks 3 and 6), after the intervention (week 9), and at the 3-month follow-up (week 21). Results: The primary outcome measures are for anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder–7) and depression severity (Patient Health Questionnaire–9). Measures of working alliance, health status, health resources, preferences, self-efficacy, and motivation will be used for secondary outcomes. Qualitative methods will be used to explore participant and therapist experiences of video chat assessment and treatment, participant reasons for withdrawal and nonengagement, and therapist training and implementation experiences. Data collection commenced in November 2020 and was completed at the end of March 2022. Conclusions: This is the first mixed methods adaptive trial to explore the comparative efficacy of different intensity levels of self-help and a therapist-assisted dMH intervention program delivered via video chat for adults with anxiety or depression. Anticipated results may have implications for the implementation of dMH interventions. © Brooke Andrews, Britt Klein, Suzanne McLaren, Shaun Watson, Denise Corboy. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (https://www.researchprotocols.org), 28.04.2023.

Examining the work–life balance of immigrants in Australia : an anomie theory perspective

- Pillay, Soma, Riaz, Shoaib, Dorasamy, Nirmala

  • Authors: Pillay, Soma , Riaz, Shoaib , Dorasamy, Nirmala
  • Date: 2023
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: International Journal of Intercultural Relations Vol. 93, no. (2023), p.
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  • Description: Against the backdrop of significant migration changes and the predicted further diversification of the workforce, we present the concept of anomie to explain how different sociological and cultural settings influence migrants’ work and family experiences. Anomie refers to the feeling of disorientation and alienation from society caused by a sense of absence of supporting social systems. This article integrates cross-cultural management research into the migration and work–family interface and presents findings from a study of migrants residing in Australia. Through a qualitative methodology using semi-structured interviews and open-ended surveys, our study explored participants’ experiences of social and cultural adaptation orientations and behavioural anomie shifts. The findings and theoretical explanation lend strong support to the understanding that sociological influences and cultural orientation moderate migrants’ experiences. We also present an argument for refining Durkheim's anomie theory to incorporate strains of social, cultural and behavioural consequences concerning migrants’ work and life experiences across cultures. © 2023

Exchange liquidity and redemption liquidity

- Culham, James

  • Authors: Culham, James
  • Date: 2023
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Cambridge Journal of Economics Vol. 47, no. 3 (2023), p. 667-679
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  • Description: Disagreements over the nature of money and consequent confusions regarding liquidity contribute to difficulties integrating monetary theory into the theory of value. For example, an abundance of market liquidity is assumed in asset pricing, whereas a scarcity of monetary liquidity is deemed necessary for consumer price-level determinacy. This paper builds on the insights gained from the evolution of finance to introduce a distinction between exchange liquidity and redemption liquidity as a means of resolving this conceptual dissonance. Both exchange and redemption liquidity can be conceptualised as types of financial option differing in the exercise mechanism offered to the option holder by the option-writer. © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Cambridge Political Economy Society. All rights reserved.

Exercise and the gut microbiome : implications for supportive care in cancer

- Hart, Nicholas, Wallen, Matthew, Farley, Morgan, Haywood, Darren, Boytar, Alexander, Secombe, Kate, Joseph, Ria, Chan, Raymond, Kenkhuis, Marlou-Floor, Buffart, Laurien, Skinner, Tina, Wardill, Hannah

  • Authors: Hart, Nicholas , Wallen, Matthew , Farley, Morgan , Haywood, Darren , Boytar, Alexander , Secombe, Kate , Joseph, Ria , Chan, Raymond , Kenkhuis, Marlou-Floor , Buffart, Laurien , Skinner, Tina , Wardill, Hannah
  • Date: 2023
  • Type: Text , Journal article , Review
  • Relation: Supportive Care in Cancer Vol. 31, no. 12 (2023), p.
  • Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/1194051
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  • Description: Purpose: Growing recognition of the gut microbiome as an influential modulator of cancer treatment efficacy and toxicity has led to the emergence of clinical interventions targeting the microbiome to enhance cancer and health outcomes. The highly modifiable nature of microbiota to endogenous, exogenous, and environmental inputs enables interventions to promote resilience of the gut microbiome that have rapid effects on host health, or response to cancer treatment. While diet, probiotics, and faecal microbiota transplant are primary avenues of therapy focused on restoring or protecting gut function in people undergoing cancer treatment, the role of physical activity and exercise has scarcely been examined in this population. Methods: A narrative review was conducted to explore the nexus between cancer care and the gut microbiome in the context of physical activity and exercise as a widely available and clinically effective supportive care strategy used by cancer survivors. Results: Exercise can facilitate a more diverse gut microbiome and functional metabolome in humans; however, most physical activity and exercise studies have been conducted in healthy or athletic populations, primarily using aerobic exercise modalities. A scarcity of exercise and microbiome studies in cancer exists. Conclusions: Exercise remains an attractive avenue to promote microbiome health in cancer survivors. Future research should elucidate the various influences of exercise modalities, intensities, frequencies, durations, and volumes to explore dose-response relationships between exercise and the gut microbiome among cancer survivors, as well as multifaceted approaches (such as diet and probiotics), and examine the influences of exercise on the gut microbiome and associated symptom burden prior to, during, and following cancer treatment. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.

Experienced teacher educators hunting assumptions to examine their pedagogy : an international collaborative study

- Brandenburg, Robyn, Garbett, Dawn, Ovens, Alan, Thomas, Lynn

  • Authors: Brandenburg, Robyn , Garbett, Dawn , Ovens, Alan , Thomas, Lynn
  • Date: 2023
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Frontiers in Education Vol. 7, no. (2023), p.
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  • Description: The research presented in this article focuses on an international collaboration conducted by four experienced teacher educators who used assumption identification and examination to advance pedagogical practice. It describes and examines how teacher educators deliberately undertook reflective practices to inform and enhance teaching. Four vignettes are described and analyzed—Practica woes and Modelling practice—and examined using the simple, complicated, and complex teaching framework. The key outcomes include the impact and role of assumption definition, identification, and examination as powerful reflective tools. Researching practice in teacher education is an effective way to advance pedagogical knowledge and practice and a disposition of inquiry is necessary to enhance knowledge at all stages of teacher educator experience. This international collaboration highlights the importance of problematizing teaching, continually inquiring into and interrogating practice and grasping the teachable moments. Copyright © 2023 Brandenburg, Garbett, Ovens and Thomas.

Experimental and numerical investigation of mixed mode fracture of high-performance grouting materials based on peridynamics

- Yao, Jiaxu, Chen, Tao, Chen, Ke, Yuan, Guokai, Xiao, Zhigang

  • Authors: Yao, Jiaxu , Chen, Tao , Chen, Ke , Yuan, Guokai , Xiao, Zhigang
  • Date: 2023
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Fatigue and Fracture of Engineering Materials and Structures Vol. 46, no. 9 (2023), p. 3225-3243
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  • Description: This paper investigates the fracture behavior of high-performance grouting materials in the grouted connection section of marine structures, where they are subjected to complex stress states. This study utilizes a combination of experimental and numerical simulation methods to establish a reliable numerical simulation technique for the fracture process of high-performance grouting materials. The mixed mode fracture behavior is analyzed using six different types of specimens, and the strain contour is analyzed using the Digital Image Correlation technique. An extended peridynamics model is proposed for the numerical simulation, which adopts a fracture criterion based on strain energy density. The accuracy of the model is verified qualitatively and quantitatively, and the simulation results are consistent with the experiments. Overall, this study provides insights into the fracture behavior of high-performance grouting materials in complex stress states and presents a reliable numerical simulation technique for the fracture process. © 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Experimental study on cyclic simple shear behaviour of predominantly dilative silica sand

- Baghbani, Abolfazl, Costa, Susanga, O’Kelly, Brendan, Soltani, Amin, Barzegar, Milad

  • Authors: Baghbani, Abolfazl , Costa, Susanga , O’Kelly, Brendan , Soltani, Amin , Barzegar, Milad
  • Date: 2023
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: International Journal of Geotechnical Engineering Vol. 17, no. 1 (2023), p. 91-105
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  • Description: This study investigated the cyclic behaviour of a severe dilative silica sand from Rudsar, Northern Iran, through simple shear tests. For this purpose, monotonic (constant volume/vertical stress) and cyclic (constant vertical stress) tests were performed on moist sand specimens prepared at initial relative densities of 20–60%, vertical stresses of 100–300 kPa, and cyclic stress ratios of CSR = 0.20, 0.25 and 0.30. These also included bender element tests to determine the small-strain shear modulus G max. An increase in initial relative density, vertical stress and number of loading cycles led to a nonlinear increase in the secant shear modulus G sec, while the opposite was observed for increasing CSR. Moreover, increasing CSR improved the damping ratio, whereas increasing the initial relative density, vertical stress and/or number of loading cycles had negative effects on the damping ratio. Finally, the bender element test results showed that G max increased for increasing vertical stress and initial relative density. © 2022 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Explainable reinforcement learning for broad-XAI: a conceptual framework and survey

- Dazeley, Richard, Vamplew, Peter, Cruz, Francisco

  • Authors: Dazeley, Richard , Vamplew, Peter , Cruz, Francisco
  • Date: 2023
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Neural Computing and Applications Vol. 35, no. 23 (2023), p. 16893-16916
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  • Description: Broad-XAI moves away from interpreting individual decisions based on a single datum and aims to provide integrated explanations from multiple machine learning algorithms into a coherent explanation of an agent’s behaviour that is aligned to the communication needs of the explainee. Reinforcement Learning (RL) methods, we propose, provide a potential backbone for the cognitive model required for the development of Broad-XAI. RL represents a suite of approaches that have had increasing success in solving a range of sequential decision-making problems. However, these algorithms operate as black-box problem solvers, where they obfuscate their decision-making policy through a complex array of values and functions. EXplainable RL (XRL) aims to develop techniques to extract concepts from the agent’s: perception of the environment; intrinsic/extrinsic motivations/beliefs; Q-values, goals and objectives. This paper aims to introduce the Causal XRL Framework (CXF), that unifies the current XRL research and uses RL as a backbone to the development of Broad-XAI. CXF is designed to incorporate many standard RL extensions and integrated with external ontologies and communication facilities so that the agent can answer questions that explain outcomes its decisions. This paper aims to: establish XRL as a distinct branch of XAI; introduce a conceptual framework for XRL; review existing approaches explaining agent behaviour; and identify opportunities for future research. Finally, this paper discusses how additional information can be extracted and ultimately integrated into models of communication, facilitating the development of Broad-XAI. © 2023, The Author(s).

Explainable robotic systems : understanding goal-driven actions in a reinforcement learning scenario

- Cruz, Francisco, Dazeley, Richard, Vamplew, Peter, Moreira, Ithan

  • Authors: Cruz, Francisco , Dazeley, Richard , Vamplew, Peter , Moreira, Ithan
  • Date: 2023
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Neural Computing and Applications Vol. 35, no. 25 (2023), p. 18113-18130
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  • Description: Robotic systems are more present in our society everyday. In human–robot environments, it is crucial that end-users may correctly understand their robotic team-partners, in order to collaboratively complete a task. To increase action understanding, users demand more explainability about the decisions by the robot in particular situations. Recently, explainable robotic systems have emerged as an alternative focused not only on completing a task satisfactorily, but also on justifying, in a human-like manner, the reasons that lead to making a decision. In reinforcement learning scenarios, a great effort has been focused on providing explanations using data-driven approaches, particularly from the visual input modality in deep learning-based systems. In this work, we focus rather on the decision-making process of reinforcement learning agents performing a task in a robotic scenario. Experimental results are obtained using 3 different set-ups, namely, a deterministic navigation task, a stochastic navigation task, and a continuous visual-based sorting object task. As a way to explain the goal-driven robot’s actions, we use the probability of success computed by three different proposed approaches: memory-based, learning-based, and introspection-based. The difference between these approaches is the amount of memory required to compute or estimate the probability of success as well as the kind of reinforcement learning representation where they could be used. In this regard, we use the memory-based approach as a baseline since it is obtained directly from the agent’s observations. When comparing the learning-based and the introspection-based approaches to this baseline, both are found to be suitable alternatives to compute the probability of success, obtaining high levels of similarity when compared using both the Pearson’s correlation and the mean squared error. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag London Ltd., part of Springer Nature.

Exploration of associations between occupational exposures and current adult eczema

- Lopez, Diego, Alif, Sheikh, Dharmage, Shyamali, Lodge, Caroline, Bui, Dinh, Le Moual, Nicole, Waidyatillake, Nilakshi, Su, John, Abramson, Michael, Walters, E., Hamilton, Garun, Bowatte, Gayan, Erbas, Bircan, Benke, Geza, Perret, Jennifer, Lowe, Adrian

  • Authors: Lopez, Diego , Alif, Sheikh , Dharmage, Shyamali , Lodge, Caroline , Bui, Dinh , Le Moual, Nicole , Waidyatillake, Nilakshi , Su, John , Abramson, Michael , Walters, E. , Hamilton, Garun , Bowatte, Gayan , Erbas, Bircan , Benke, Geza , Perret, Jennifer , Lowe, Adrian
  • Date: 2023
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Occupational and Environmental Medicine Vol. 80, no. 10 (2023), p. 564-571
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  • Description: Objectives There is a scarcity of evidence on occupational exposures that may increase eczema in adults. We aimed to investigate potential associations between occupational exposures and eczema in middle-aged adults. Methods A lifetime work history calendar was collected from the Tasmanian Longitudinal Health Study participants when they were at age 53. Their work history was collated with the occupational asthma-specific job exposure matrix to define ever-exposure and cumulative exposure unit-years since no eczema job exposure matrix is available. Eczema was determined using the report of flexural rash that was coming and going for at least 6 months in the last 12 months. Skin prick tests were used to further subgroup eczema and atopic eczema (AE) or non-AE (NAE). Logistic and multinomial regression models were used to investigate the associations. Results Eczema prevalence was 9.1%. Current occupational exposure to animals (adjusted OR, aOR=3.06 (95% CI 1.43 to 6.58)), storage mites (aOR=2.96 (95% CI 1.38 to 6.34)) and endotoxin (aOR=1.95 (95% CI 1.04 to 3.64)) were associated with increased risk of current eczema. Furthermore, increased odds of NAE were associated with current exposure to animals (aOR=5.60 (95% CI 1.45 to 21.7)) and storage mites (aOR=5.63 (95% CI 1.45 to 21.9)). Current exposures to isocyanates (aOR=5.27 (95% CI 1.17 to 23.7)) and acrylates (aOR=8.41 (95% CI 1.60 to 44.3)) were associated with AE. There was no evidence of associations between cumulative exposures and eczema prevalence. Cumulative exposure to metalworking fluids (aOR=1.10 (95% CI 1.01 to 1.22)) was associated with NAE and acrylates (aOR=1.24 (95% CI 1.04 to 1.46)) with AE. Conclusions In this exploratory assessment, multiple occupational exposures were associated with current eczema in middle-aged adults. Raising awareness and limiting these exposures during an individual's productive working life will likely have various health benefits, including reducing eczema prevalence. © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.

Exploration of the preliminary effectiveness and acceptability of a self-help digital intervention to support benzodiazepine cessation and improve mental health and wellbeing : a one-group pilot trial

- Klein, Britt, Oldenhof, Erin, Nguyen, Huy, Schattner, Peter, Shandley, Kerrie

  • Authors: Klein, Britt , Oldenhof, Erin , Nguyen, Huy , Schattner, Peter , Shandley, Kerrie
  • Date: 2023
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Journal of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapy Vol. 33, no. 3 (2023), p. 179-193
  • Full Text: false
  • Reviewed:
  • Description: Introduction: Benzodiazepines (BDZs) are often inappropriately prescribed to manage anxiety and insomnia for longer-term use, despite guidelines recommending short-term use (i.e., <4 weeks). A range of harms can occur rapidly with regular use, and dependence can make stopping BDZs challenging. Evidence shows that a combination of BDZ tapering and psychological support are effective interventions, yet are not widely accessible. Methods: This was a one-group pilot trial of a 6-week fully automated self-help BDZ digital intervention (‘BDZ digital health’), providing guidance on how to safely taper BDZs as well as psychological support. The trial was undertaken with Australian adults considering a reduction and/or withdrawal from their BDZ (N = 43). Participants were assessed at pre-intervention (Week 0), during intervention (Week 3), post-intervention (Week 6), and at a 3- and 6-month follow-up (Week 18 and 30 respectively). Results: Reductions in BDZ use and self-reported dependency were observed over the course of the intervention. Significant symptom reductions in anxiety, insomnia, depression, psychological distress, and emotional dysregulation, as well as improvements in mental wellbeing and quality of life were observed when looking across all timepoints. However, the specific assessment timepoint changes for depression and psychological distress did not reach significance from the pre- to post-intervention timepoint. The intervention acceptability ratings were in the moderately high to high range. Discussion: The preliminary results of the pilot trial suggest that BDZ digital health is an acceptable and promising self-help digital intervention to assist adults reducing and withdrawing from their BDZs, and to improve their mental health and wellbeing. Trial registration: ACTRN12617000574347 (24/04/2017). © 2023 Association Française de Therapie Comportementale et Cognitive

Exploring adaptations to the clinical reasoning cycle for forensic mental health nursing : a qualitative enquiry

- Maguire, Tessa, Garvey, Loretta, Ryan, Jo, Levett-Jones, Tracy, Olasoji, Michael, Willetts, Georgina

  • Authors: Maguire, Tessa , Garvey, Loretta , Ryan, Jo , Levett-Jones, Tracy , Olasoji, Michael , Willetts, Georgina
  • Date: 2023
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: International Journal of Mental Health Nursing Vol. 32, no. 2 (2023), p. 544-555
  • Full Text:
  • Reviewed:
  • Description: Forensic mental health nurses (FMHN) provide care to address the needs of people who have mental illnesses across a range of diverse settings. The Clinical Reasoning Cycle (CRC) has been identified as a potential framework to assist FMHNs; however, adaptations were required to reflect the unique nature of the clinical setting. This study aimed to explore adaptations made to determine suitability prior to implementation in practice. Nominal Group Technique was used to explore suggested adaptations determined from a previous study and reach a consensus on the changes. Fourteen senior nurses from a state-wide Forensic mental Health (FMH) service participated. A consensus was reached for two proposed changes. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Three main themes were interpreted from the data; FMH adaptations are warranted, the focus of the CRC, and who owns the cycle? Nurses in this study considered the need to include offence and risk issues due to the impact these factors have on the therapeutic relationship and cognitive bias; however, they also identified the need to focus on recovery-oriented care while engaging in clinical reasoning. Nurses in this study also expressed some reluctance for nursing to ‘own' the model, due to concern that ownership may cause division among the team or result in inconsistency in care. However, some participant's suggested the CRC with adaptations assisted FMH nurses to articulate their specialist skills and knowledge to others and highlight the nursing contribution to care. Further work is needed to finalize adaptations with a focus on engaging the consumer carer workforce and interdisciplinary team. © 2022 The Authors. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.