A reevaluation of the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the spiritual well-being questionnaire (SWBQ)
- Gomez, Rapson, Watson, Shaun
- Authors: Gomez, Rapson , Watson, Shaun
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Religion and Health Vol. 62, no. 3 (2023), p. 2112-2130
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The 20-item Gomez and Fisher (Personal Individ Differ 35:1975–1991, 2003) Spiritual Well-Being Questionnaire (SWBQ) is a widely used measure of spiritual well-being. Its theoretical model is a higher-order model with primary factors for personal, communal, environmental, and transcendental well-being, and a secondary global spiritual well-being factor. The current study, conducted in Australia, reevaluated the factor structure of the SWBQ. Unlike previous studies, the current study also used exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) to examine the factor structure of the SWBQ and selected the preferred model using not only global model fit values, but also the clarity, reliabilities, and validities of the factors in the models. A total of 227 adults (males = 63; females = 164; M age = 26.1 years; SD = 5.2 years) completed the SWBQ. Based on the model selection criteria applied in the study, the ESEM model with four group factors was selected as the preferred model. However, there was also adequate support for the proposed theoretical higher-order model and the first-order oblique model with the four well-being factors. Concerning our preferred model, its factors showed reasonable clarity for factor loadings and (omega) reliabilities. However, only the communal domain scale was supported empirically for external validity. The implications of the findings for the theoretical model, the use of the SWBQ, and future studies are discussed. In this respect, there are three potential models (theorized higher-order model, 4-factor first-order oblique model, and the ESEM model proposed in this study) that warrant further detailed investigation with a larger, more representative population and additional validation measures. © 2022, The Author(s).
- Authors: Gomez, Rapson , Watson, Shaun
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Religion and Health Vol. 62, no. 3 (2023), p. 2112-2130
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The 20-item Gomez and Fisher (Personal Individ Differ 35:1975–1991, 2003) Spiritual Well-Being Questionnaire (SWBQ) is a widely used measure of spiritual well-being. Its theoretical model is a higher-order model with primary factors for personal, communal, environmental, and transcendental well-being, and a secondary global spiritual well-being factor. The current study, conducted in Australia, reevaluated the factor structure of the SWBQ. Unlike previous studies, the current study also used exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) to examine the factor structure of the SWBQ and selected the preferred model using not only global model fit values, but also the clarity, reliabilities, and validities of the factors in the models. A total of 227 adults (males = 63; females = 164; M age = 26.1 years; SD = 5.2 years) completed the SWBQ. Based on the model selection criteria applied in the study, the ESEM model with four group factors was selected as the preferred model. However, there was also adequate support for the proposed theoretical higher-order model and the first-order oblique model with the four well-being factors. Concerning our preferred model, its factors showed reasonable clarity for factor loadings and (omega) reliabilities. However, only the communal domain scale was supported empirically for external validity. The implications of the findings for the theoretical model, the use of the SWBQ, and future studies are discussed. In this respect, there are three potential models (theorized higher-order model, 4-factor first-order oblique model, and the ESEM model proposed in this study) that warrant further detailed investigation with a larger, more representative population and additional validation measures. © 2022, The Author(s).
Cognitive behavioral therapy-based treatments for insomnia and nightmares in adults with trauma symptoms : a systematic review
- Isaac, Fadia, Toukhsati, Samia, DiBenedetto, Mirella, Kennedy, Gerard
- Authors: Isaac, Fadia , Toukhsati, Samia , DiBenedetto, Mirella , Kennedy, Gerard
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Current Psychology Vol. 42, no. 27 (2023), p. 23495-23505
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Authors: Isaac, Fadia , Toukhsati, Samia , DiBenedetto, Mirella , Kennedy, Gerard
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Current Psychology Vol. 42, no. 27 (2023), p. 23495-23505
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
Cross disciplinary teaching : a pedagogical model to support teachers in the development and implementation of outdoor learning opportunities
- Neville, Ian, Petrass, Lauren, Ben, Francis
- Authors: Neville, Ian , Petrass, Lauren , Ben, Francis
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education Vol. 26, no. 1 (2023), p. 1-21
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: There is a growing body of empirical evidence documenting the positive effects associated with participation in environmental education and outdoor learning for students, teachers and the wider community. Despite this, there has been a substantial reduction in outdoor learning opportunities for school students, possibly due to the focus on evidenced-based outcomes, high-stakes standardised testing programs, and a lack of teacher knowledge, confidence and expertise in teaching and learning outdoors. Accordingly, this study presents an evidenced based model to support teaching practice. The model will assist teachers in the development and implementation of outdoor learning opportunities and offers applied examples that address curriculum outcomes. A comprehensive literature review methodology was implemented to identify peer-reviewed literature on teaching and learning outdoors and outdoor pedagogies. A thematic synthesis and constant comparative technique enabled development of themes, from which three themes emerged: the environment; the learner; and the educator, which inform the proposed model offered by the authors. The three interrelated components (the environment, the learner and the educator) require consideration for students to gain maximum benefit from outdoor learning experiences. The model, coupled with the applied examples, supports teachers to plan and facilitate immersive outdoor experiences that promote learning. © 2022, The Author(s).
- Authors: Neville, Ian , Petrass, Lauren , Ben, Francis
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education Vol. 26, no. 1 (2023), p. 1-21
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: There is a growing body of empirical evidence documenting the positive effects associated with participation in environmental education and outdoor learning for students, teachers and the wider community. Despite this, there has been a substantial reduction in outdoor learning opportunities for school students, possibly due to the focus on evidenced-based outcomes, high-stakes standardised testing programs, and a lack of teacher knowledge, confidence and expertise in teaching and learning outdoors. Accordingly, this study presents an evidenced based model to support teaching practice. The model will assist teachers in the development and implementation of outdoor learning opportunities and offers applied examples that address curriculum outcomes. A comprehensive literature review methodology was implemented to identify peer-reviewed literature on teaching and learning outdoors and outdoor pedagogies. A thematic synthesis and constant comparative technique enabled development of themes, from which three themes emerged: the environment; the learner; and the educator, which inform the proposed model offered by the authors. The three interrelated components (the environment, the learner and the educator) require consideration for students to gain maximum benefit from outdoor learning experiences. The model, coupled with the applied examples, supports teachers to plan and facilitate immersive outdoor experiences that promote learning. © 2022, The Author(s).
Discussion : effects of plastic waste materials on geotechnical properties of clayey soil [doi: 10.1007/s40515-020-00145-4]
- O’Kelly, Brendan, Soltani, Amin
- Authors: O’Kelly, Brendan , Soltani, Amin
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Transportation Infrastructure Geotechnology Vol. 10, no. 2 (2023), p. 359-362
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Authors: O’Kelly, Brendan , Soltani, Amin
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Transportation Infrastructure Geotechnology Vol. 10, no. 2 (2023), p. 359-362
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
Education for living well in a world worth living in
- Authors: Kemmis, Stephen
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Book chapter
- Relation: Living Well in a World Worth Living in for All: Volume 1: Current Practices of Social Justice, Sustainability and Wellbeing p. 13-25
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This chapter sets out to articulate and provide a theoretical justification for the view that education has a double purpose: the formation of individual persons and the formation of societies. The argument proceeds in four parts. First, it outlines the dialectic of the individual and the collective articulated in Marx’s third thesis on Feuerbach. Second, using the theory of practice architectures, it describes the three-dimensional intersubjective space in which this dialectic is realised: the space in which people encounter one another as interlocutors, as embodied beings, and as social and political beings. Third, it shows that the dialectic of the individual-collective, as it unfolds through time, is more than an abstract matter, which Hegel pursued in the form of a history of ideas; against Hegel, the Young Hegelians, including Feuerbach and Marx, argued that the dialectic of the individual-collective is a concrete and practical matter, realised in human history and practice. The final section draws these three strands together in a contemporary theory of education underpinned by the theory of practice architectures. © The Author(s) 2023.
- Authors: Kemmis, Stephen
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Book chapter
- Relation: Living Well in a World Worth Living in for All: Volume 1: Current Practices of Social Justice, Sustainability and Wellbeing p. 13-25
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This chapter sets out to articulate and provide a theoretical justification for the view that education has a double purpose: the formation of individual persons and the formation of societies. The argument proceeds in four parts. First, it outlines the dialectic of the individual and the collective articulated in Marx’s third thesis on Feuerbach. Second, using the theory of practice architectures, it describes the three-dimensional intersubjective space in which this dialectic is realised: the space in which people encounter one another as interlocutors, as embodied beings, and as social and political beings. Third, it shows that the dialectic of the individual-collective, as it unfolds through time, is more than an abstract matter, which Hegel pursued in the form of a history of ideas; against Hegel, the Young Hegelians, including Feuerbach and Marx, argued that the dialectic of the individual-collective is a concrete and practical matter, realised in human history and practice. The final section draws these three strands together in a contemporary theory of education underpinned by the theory of practice architectures. © The Author(s) 2023.
Effects of a structured reflective interview on parental reflective functioning : a pilot randomised controlled trial
- Low, Yu, Lewis, Andrew, Serfaty, Irene
- Authors: Low, Yu , Lewis, Andrew , Serfaty, Irene
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Child and Family Studies Vol. 32, no. 2 (2023), p. 516-529
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The Parental Reflective Interview Procedure was developed as part of an initial assessment interview for an attachment-based intervention for child mental health conditions. This study was a pilot randomised controlled trial that utilised a parallel, single-blind trial design to evaluate the differences in the effects of the Parental Reflective Interview Procedure compared to a diagnostic interview on parental reflective functioning. The control group was administered a structured diagnostic interview (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview for Children and Adolescents—Parent Version) and matched for time with clinician. The study sample were 25 parents of clinic-referred children who scored above the clinical cut-off score on the Child Behaviour Checklist. Parental reflective functioning was measured with the Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire at baseline and repeated post-intervention, and then again at a two-week follow up. Results showed that the Parental Reflective Interview Procedure produced moderate improvements in parents’ understanding of their children’s mental states and maintenance in their reflections on intergenerational parent-child relationship patterns. The diagnostic interview showed decreases in both these dimensions. The findings suggest that the Parental Reflective Interview Procedure is a promising format for initial assessment when referral indicates difficulty in the parent-child relationship. The interview acts as a good orientation for parents to an intervention focused on parent-child relationship dynamics. Further work refining this interview, its coding and integration into a tailored feedback session is required. © 2023, The Author(s).
- Authors: Low, Yu , Lewis, Andrew , Serfaty, Irene
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Child and Family Studies Vol. 32, no. 2 (2023), p. 516-529
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The Parental Reflective Interview Procedure was developed as part of an initial assessment interview for an attachment-based intervention for child mental health conditions. This study was a pilot randomised controlled trial that utilised a parallel, single-blind trial design to evaluate the differences in the effects of the Parental Reflective Interview Procedure compared to a diagnostic interview on parental reflective functioning. The control group was administered a structured diagnostic interview (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview for Children and Adolescents—Parent Version) and matched for time with clinician. The study sample were 25 parents of clinic-referred children who scored above the clinical cut-off score on the Child Behaviour Checklist. Parental reflective functioning was measured with the Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire at baseline and repeated post-intervention, and then again at a two-week follow up. Results showed that the Parental Reflective Interview Procedure produced moderate improvements in parents’ understanding of their children’s mental states and maintenance in their reflections on intergenerational parent-child relationship patterns. The diagnostic interview showed decreases in both these dimensions. The findings suggest that the Parental Reflective Interview Procedure is a promising format for initial assessment when referral indicates difficulty in the parent-child relationship. The interview acts as a good orientation for parents to an intervention focused on parent-child relationship dynamics. Further work refining this interview, its coding and integration into a tailored feedback session is required. © 2023, The Author(s).
High-intensity interval training is safe, feasible and efficacious in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis : a randomized controlled trial
- Keating, Shelley, Croci, Ilaria, Wallen, Matthew, Cox, Emily, Thuzar, Moe, Pham, Uyen, Mielke, Gregore, Coombes, Jeff, Macdonald, Graeme, Hickman, Ingrid
- Authors: Keating, Shelley , Croci, Ilaria , Wallen, Matthew , Cox, Emily , Thuzar, Moe , Pham, Uyen , Mielke, Gregore , Coombes, Jeff , Macdonald, Graeme , Hickman, Ingrid
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Digestive Diseases and Sciences Vol. 68, no. 5 (2023), p. 2123-2139
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Background: High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) involves bursts of high-intensity exercise interspersed with lower-intensity exercise recovery. HIIT may benefit cardiometabolic health in people with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Aims: We aimed to examine the safety, feasibility, and efficacy of 12-weeks of supervised HIIT compared with a sham-exercise control (CON) for improving aerobic fitness and peripheral insulin sensitivity in biopsy-proven NASH. Methods: Participants based in the community [(n = 14, 56 ± 10 years, BMI 39.2 ± 6.7 kg/m2, 64% male), NAFLD Activity Score 5 (range 3–7)] were randomized to 12-weeks of supervised HIIT (n = 8, 4 × 4 min at 85–95% maximal heart rate, interspersed with 3 min active recovery; 3 days/week) or CON (n = 6, stretching; 3 days/week). Safety (adverse events) and feasibility determined as
- Authors: Keating, Shelley , Croci, Ilaria , Wallen, Matthew , Cox, Emily , Thuzar, Moe , Pham, Uyen , Mielke, Gregore , Coombes, Jeff , Macdonald, Graeme , Hickman, Ingrid
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Digestive Diseases and Sciences Vol. 68, no. 5 (2023), p. 2123-2139
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Background: High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) involves bursts of high-intensity exercise interspersed with lower-intensity exercise recovery. HIIT may benefit cardiometabolic health in people with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Aims: We aimed to examine the safety, feasibility, and efficacy of 12-weeks of supervised HIIT compared with a sham-exercise control (CON) for improving aerobic fitness and peripheral insulin sensitivity in biopsy-proven NASH. Methods: Participants based in the community [(n = 14, 56 ± 10 years, BMI 39.2 ± 6.7 kg/m2, 64% male), NAFLD Activity Score 5 (range 3–7)] were randomized to 12-weeks of supervised HIIT (n = 8, 4 × 4 min at 85–95% maximal heart rate, interspersed with 3 min active recovery; 3 days/week) or CON (n = 6, stretching; 3 days/week). Safety (adverse events) and feasibility determined as
Mothering ideology : a qualitative exploration of mothers’ perceptions of navigating motherhood pressures and partner relationships
- Williamson, Tricia, Wagstaff, Danielle, Goodwin, Jane, Smith, Naomi
- Authors: Williamson, Tricia , Wagstaff, Danielle , Goodwin, Jane , Smith, Naomi
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Sex Roles Vol. 88, no. 1-2 (2023), p. 101-117
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Good mother ideology refers to beliefs that women are only ‘good’ mothers if they adhere to the tenets of dominant parenting discourse, such as intensive mothering ideology, which prioritizes children’s needs and child-raising above all else. Undergirded by this ideology, mothers’ attempts to navigate the transition to motherhood are fraught with pressures, and the transition is associated with negative health outcomes for mothers and children; yet existing research gives little attention to the quality or dynamics of the partner relationship as part of this transition. The current study examined motherhood pressure and the impact on partner relationships through individual, semi-structured interviews with 19 mothers living in Australia who were 18 years or older in a heterosexual relationship with at least one child under the age of five. Thematic analysis revealed four key themes: discourses on motherhood: criticisms of mothers and internalised guilt; transformation of identity; entrenchment of gender roles through childrearing; and positive relationship dynamics: supportive fathers and challenging gender roles. This study contributes to the larger body of literature highlighting the complexity of dominant mothering ideology and its entanglement with and impact on partner relationships. Further, this study includes mothers’ perceptions of how they navigate these pressures within the relationship with their partner and the family unit. These findings have implications for programs to support mothers and other caregivers, as well as challenge unrealistic standards for motherhood. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.
- Authors: Williamson, Tricia , Wagstaff, Danielle , Goodwin, Jane , Smith, Naomi
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Sex Roles Vol. 88, no. 1-2 (2023), p. 101-117
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Good mother ideology refers to beliefs that women are only ‘good’ mothers if they adhere to the tenets of dominant parenting discourse, such as intensive mothering ideology, which prioritizes children’s needs and child-raising above all else. Undergirded by this ideology, mothers’ attempts to navigate the transition to motherhood are fraught with pressures, and the transition is associated with negative health outcomes for mothers and children; yet existing research gives little attention to the quality or dynamics of the partner relationship as part of this transition. The current study examined motherhood pressure and the impact on partner relationships through individual, semi-structured interviews with 19 mothers living in Australia who were 18 years or older in a heterosexual relationship with at least one child under the age of five. Thematic analysis revealed four key themes: discourses on motherhood: criticisms of mothers and internalised guilt; transformation of identity; entrenchment of gender roles through childrearing; and positive relationship dynamics: supportive fathers and challenging gender roles. This study contributes to the larger body of literature highlighting the complexity of dominant mothering ideology and its entanglement with and impact on partner relationships. Further, this study includes mothers’ perceptions of how they navigate these pressures within the relationship with their partner and the family unit. These findings have implications for programs to support mothers and other caregivers, as well as challenge unrealistic standards for motherhood. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.
On the SCD semismooth* Newton method for generalized equations with application to a class of static contact problems with Coulomb friction
- Gfrerer, Helmut, Mandlmayr, Michael, Outrata, Jiri, Valdman, Jan
- Authors: Gfrerer, Helmut , Mandlmayr, Michael , Outrata, Jiri , Valdman, Jan
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Computational Optimization and Applications Vol. 86, no. 3 (2023), p. 1159-1191
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: In the paper, a variant of the semismooth
- Authors: Gfrerer, Helmut , Mandlmayr, Michael , Outrata, Jiri , Valdman, Jan
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Computational Optimization and Applications Vol. 86, no. 3 (2023), p. 1159-1191
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: In the paper, a variant of the semismooth
Optimality conditions in DC-constrained mathematical programming problems
- Correa, Rafeal, López, Marco, Pérez-Aros, Pedro
- Authors: Correa, Rafeal , López, Marco , Pérez-Aros, Pedro
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications Vol. 198, no. 3 (2023), p. 1191-1225
- Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP180100602
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This paper provides necessary and sufficient optimality conditions for abstract-constrained mathematical programming problems in locally convex spaces under new qualification conditions. Our approach exploits the geometrical properties of certain mappings, in particular their structure as difference of convex functions, and uses techniques of generalized differentiation (subdifferential and coderivative). It turns out that these tools can be used fruitfully out of the scope of Asplund spaces. Applications to infinite, stochastic and semi-definite programming are developed in separate sections. © 2023, The Author(s).
- Authors: Correa, Rafeal , López, Marco , Pérez-Aros, Pedro
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications Vol. 198, no. 3 (2023), p. 1191-1225
- Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP180100602
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This paper provides necessary and sufficient optimality conditions for abstract-constrained mathematical programming problems in locally convex spaces under new qualification conditions. Our approach exploits the geometrical properties of certain mappings, in particular their structure as difference of convex functions, and uses techniques of generalized differentiation (subdifferential and coderivative). It turns out that these tools can be used fruitfully out of the scope of Asplund spaces. Applications to infinite, stochastic and semi-definite programming are developed in separate sections. © 2023, The Author(s).
Psychological distress, fear and coping strategies among hong kong people during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Chair, Sek, Chien, Wai, Liu, Ting, Lam, Louisa, Cross, Wendy, Banik, Biswajit, Rahman, Muhammad Aziz
- Authors: Chair, Sek , Chien, Wai , Liu, Ting , Lam, Louisa , Cross, Wendy , Banik, Biswajit , Rahman, Muhammad Aziz
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Current Psychology Vol. 42, no. 3 (2023), p. 2538-2557
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The COVID-19 pandemic contributed to potential adverse effects on the mental health status of a wide range of people. This study aimed to identify factors associated with psychological distress, fear and coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among general population in Hong Kong. Psychological distress was assessed using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale; level of fear was evaluated using the Fear of COVID-19 scale; and coping strategies were assessed using the Brief Resilient Coping Scale. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify key factors associated with these mental health variables. Of the 555 participants, 53.9% experienced moderate to very high levels of psychological distress, 31.2% experienced a high level of fear of COVID-19, and 58.6% showed moderate to high resilient coping. Multivariable logistic regression indicated that living with family members, current alcohol consumption, and higher level of fear were associated with higher levels of psychological distress; perceived stress due to a change in employment condition, being a frontline worker, experiencing ‘moderate to very high’ distress, and healthcare service use to overcome the COVID-19 related stress in past 6 months were associated with a higher level of fear; and perceived better mental health status was associated with a moderate to high resilient coping. This study identified key factors associated with distress, fear and coping strategies during the pandemic in Hong Kong. Mental health support strategies should be provided continuously to prevent the mental impact of the pandemic from turning into long-term illness. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.
- Authors: Chair, Sek , Chien, Wai , Liu, Ting , Lam, Louisa , Cross, Wendy , Banik, Biswajit , Rahman, Muhammad Aziz
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Current Psychology Vol. 42, no. 3 (2023), p. 2538-2557
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The COVID-19 pandemic contributed to potential adverse effects on the mental health status of a wide range of people. This study aimed to identify factors associated with psychological distress, fear and coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among general population in Hong Kong. Psychological distress was assessed using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale; level of fear was evaluated using the Fear of COVID-19 scale; and coping strategies were assessed using the Brief Resilient Coping Scale. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify key factors associated with these mental health variables. Of the 555 participants, 53.9% experienced moderate to very high levels of psychological distress, 31.2% experienced a high level of fear of COVID-19, and 58.6% showed moderate to high resilient coping. Multivariable logistic regression indicated that living with family members, current alcohol consumption, and higher level of fear were associated with higher levels of psychological distress; perceived stress due to a change in employment condition, being a frontline worker, experiencing ‘moderate to very high’ distress, and healthcare service use to overcome the COVID-19 related stress in past 6 months were associated with a higher level of fear; and perceived better mental health status was associated with a moderate to high resilient coping. This study identified key factors associated with distress, fear and coping strategies during the pandemic in Hong Kong. Mental health support strategies should be provided continuously to prevent the mental impact of the pandemic from turning into long-term illness. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.
Radius theorems for subregularity in infinite dimensions
- Gfrerer, Helmut, Kruger, Alexander
- Authors: Gfrerer, Helmut , Kruger, Alexander
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Computational Optimization and Applications Vol. 86, no. 3 (2023), p. 1117-1158
- Relation: https://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP160100854
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The paper continues our previous work (Dontchev et al. in Set-Valued Var Anal 28:451–473, 2020) on the radius of subregularity that was initiated by Asen Dontchev. We extend the results of (Dontchev et al. in Set-Valued Var Anal 28:451–473, 2020) to general Banach/Asplund spaces and to other classes of perturbations, and sharpen the coderivative tools used in the analysis of the robustness of well-posedness of mathematical problems and related regularity properties of mappings involved in the statements. We also expand the selection of classes of perturbations, for which the formula for the radius of strong subregularity is valid. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.
- Authors: Gfrerer, Helmut , Kruger, Alexander
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Computational Optimization and Applications Vol. 86, no. 3 (2023), p. 1117-1158
- Relation: https://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP160100854
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The paper continues our previous work (Dontchev et al. in Set-Valued Var Anal 28:451–473, 2020) on the radius of subregularity that was initiated by Asen Dontchev. We extend the results of (Dontchev et al. in Set-Valued Var Anal 28:451–473, 2020) to general Banach/Asplund spaces and to other classes of perturbations, and sharpen the coderivative tools used in the analysis of the robustness of well-posedness of mathematical problems and related regularity properties of mappings involved in the statements. We also expand the selection of classes of perturbations, for which the formula for the radius of strong subregularity is valid. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.
Reinforcement sensitivity theory of personality questionnaire : measurement and structural invariance across age and gender groups
- Gomez, Rapson, Stavropoulos, Vasileios, Watson, Shaun, Footitt, Trent, Corr, Philip
- Authors: Gomez, Rapson , Stavropoulos, Vasileios , Watson, Shaun , Footitt, Trent , Corr, Philip
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction Vol. 21, no. 1 (2023), p. 131-144
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Revised reinforcement sensitivity theory (r-RST) of personality is a major neuropsychological theory of motivation, emotion, and personality. To measure the specific components of r-RST, the Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory of Personality Questionnaire (RST-PQ; Corr & Cooper(Psychological Assessment 28(11), 1427–1400, 2016) has been developed. The current study examined the measurement (configural, metric, scalar, and residual) and structural (factor variances, covariances) invariance across gender and age groups for an exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) version of the theorized six-factor oblique model. A total of 901 adults (M = 32.07, SD = 16.38) from the general community completed ratings of the RST-PQ. Multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported full measurement and structural invariance. There was also no difference for the six latent mean scores across gender and age. The psychometric and practical implications of the findings are discussed. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.
- Authors: Gomez, Rapson , Stavropoulos, Vasileios , Watson, Shaun , Footitt, Trent , Corr, Philip
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction Vol. 21, no. 1 (2023), p. 131-144
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Revised reinforcement sensitivity theory (r-RST) of personality is a major neuropsychological theory of motivation, emotion, and personality. To measure the specific components of r-RST, the Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory of Personality Questionnaire (RST-PQ; Corr & Cooper(Psychological Assessment 28(11), 1427–1400, 2016) has been developed. The current study examined the measurement (configural, metric, scalar, and residual) and structural (factor variances, covariances) invariance across gender and age groups for an exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) version of the theorized six-factor oblique model. A total of 901 adults (M = 32.07, SD = 16.38) from the general community completed ratings of the RST-PQ. Multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported full measurement and structural invariance. There was also no difference for the six latent mean scores across gender and age. The psychometric and practical implications of the findings are discussed. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.
Robust and continuous metric subregularity for linear inequality systems
- Camacho, J., Cánovas, Maria, López, Marco, Parra, Juan
- Authors: Camacho, J. , Cánovas, Maria , López, Marco , Parra, Juan
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Computational Optimization and Applications Vol. 86, no. 3 (2023), p. 967-988
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This paper introduces two new variational properties, robust and continuous metric subregularity, for finite linear inequality systems under data perturbations. The motivation of this study goes back to the seminal work by Dontchev, Lewis, and Rockafellar (2003) on the radius of metric regularity. In contrast to the metric regularity, the unstable continuity behavoir of the (always finite) metric subregularity modulus leads us to consider the aforementioned properties. After characterizing both of them, the radius of robust metric subregularity is computed and some insights on the radius of continuous metric subregularity are provided. © 2022, The Author(s).
- Authors: Camacho, J. , Cánovas, Maria , López, Marco , Parra, Juan
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Computational Optimization and Applications Vol. 86, no. 3 (2023), p. 967-988
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This paper introduces two new variational properties, robust and continuous metric subregularity, for finite linear inequality systems under data perturbations. The motivation of this study goes back to the seminal work by Dontchev, Lewis, and Rockafellar (2003) on the radius of metric regularity. In contrast to the metric regularity, the unstable continuity behavoir of the (always finite) metric subregularity modulus leads us to consider the aforementioned properties. After characterizing both of them, the radius of robust metric subregularity is computed and some insights on the radius of continuous metric subregularity are provided. © 2022, The Author(s).
Single-dose pharmacokinetics and lung function of nebulized niclosamide ethanolamine in sheep
- Weiss, Anne, Bischof, Robert, Landersdorfer, Cornelia, Nguyen, Tri-Hung, Davies, Andrew, Ibrahim, Jibrill, Wynne, Paul, Wright, Phillip, Ditzinger, Gunter, Montgomery, Alan, Meeusen, Els, McIntosh, Michelle, Sommer, Morten
- Authors: Weiss, Anne , Bischof, Robert , Landersdorfer, Cornelia , Nguyen, Tri-Hung , Davies, Andrew , Ibrahim, Jibrill , Wynne, Paul , Wright, Phillip , Ditzinger, Gunter , Montgomery, Alan , Meeusen, Els , McIntosh, Michelle , Sommer, Morten
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Pharmaceutical Research Vol. 40, no. 8 (2023), p. 1915-1925
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- Description: Purpose: Niclosamide is approved as an oral anthelminthic, but its low oral bioavailability hinders its medical use requiring high drug exposure outside the gastrointestinal tract. An optimized solution of niclosamide for nebulization and intranasal administration using the ethanolamine salt has been developed and tested in a Phase 1 trial. In this study we investigate the pulmonary exposure of niclosamide following administration via intravenous injection, oral administration or nebulization. Methods: We characterized the plasma and pulmonary pharmacokinetics of three ascending doses of nebulized niclosamide in sheep, compare it to intravenous niclosamide for compartmental PK modelling, and to the human equivalent approved 2 g oral dose to investigate in the pulmonary exposure of different niclosamide delivery routes. Following a single-dose administration to five sheep, niclosamide concentrations were determined in plasma and epithelial lining fluid (ELF). Non-compartmental and compartmental modeling was used to characterize pharmacokinetic profiles. Lung function tests were performed in all dose groups. Results: Administration of all niclosamide doses were well tolerated with no adverse changes in lung function tests. Plasma pharmacokinetics of nebulized niclosamide behaved dose-linear and was described by a 3-compartmental model estimating an absolute bioavailability of 86%. ELF peak concentration and area under the curve was 578 times and 71 times higher with nebulization of niclosamide relative to administration of oral niclosamide. Conclusions: Single local pulmonary administration of niclosamide via nebulization was well tolerated in sheep and resulted in substantially higher peak ELF concentration compared to the human equivalent oral 2 g dose. © 2023, The Author(s).
- Authors: Weiss, Anne , Bischof, Robert , Landersdorfer, Cornelia , Nguyen, Tri-Hung , Davies, Andrew , Ibrahim, Jibrill , Wynne, Paul , Wright, Phillip , Ditzinger, Gunter , Montgomery, Alan , Meeusen, Els , McIntosh, Michelle , Sommer, Morten
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Pharmaceutical Research Vol. 40, no. 8 (2023), p. 1915-1925
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Purpose: Niclosamide is approved as an oral anthelminthic, but its low oral bioavailability hinders its medical use requiring high drug exposure outside the gastrointestinal tract. An optimized solution of niclosamide for nebulization and intranasal administration using the ethanolamine salt has been developed and tested in a Phase 1 trial. In this study we investigate the pulmonary exposure of niclosamide following administration via intravenous injection, oral administration or nebulization. Methods: We characterized the plasma and pulmonary pharmacokinetics of three ascending doses of nebulized niclosamide in sheep, compare it to intravenous niclosamide for compartmental PK modelling, and to the human equivalent approved 2 g oral dose to investigate in the pulmonary exposure of different niclosamide delivery routes. Following a single-dose administration to five sheep, niclosamide concentrations were determined in plasma and epithelial lining fluid (ELF). Non-compartmental and compartmental modeling was used to characterize pharmacokinetic profiles. Lung function tests were performed in all dose groups. Results: Administration of all niclosamide doses were well tolerated with no adverse changes in lung function tests. Plasma pharmacokinetics of nebulized niclosamide behaved dose-linear and was described by a 3-compartmental model estimating an absolute bioavailability of 86%. ELF peak concentration and area under the curve was 578 times and 71 times higher with nebulization of niclosamide relative to administration of oral niclosamide. Conclusions: Single local pulmonary administration of niclosamide via nebulization was well tolerated in sheep and resulted in substantially higher peak ELF concentration compared to the human equivalent oral 2 g dose. © 2023, The Author(s).
The essence of being a year nine teacher
- Authors: Ambrosy, Josh
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Curriculum Perspectives Vol. 43, no. 2 (2023), p. 169-181
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- Description: Year nine students present a perpetual problem to schools and teachers alike. Typically aged 14 or 15 years old, year nines simultaneously experience puberty and adolescence. These converging life stages result in students’ whom teachers have described as being lost, disengaged and, more alarmingly, in never-never land. A largely unrecognised group of schools and teachers in Victoria, Australia, have chosen a novel approach to engaging year nine students through specific schooling structures and targeted curriculum—I term these approaches year nine programmes. These programmes typically involve different structures to mainstream schooling, including residential components, a greater focus on learning through experience and the use of an integrated curriculum. This paper shares the stories of six teachers who work on one such programme. The stories of the teachers are shared using phenomenological found poetry in search of the ‘essences’ of being a year nine teacher. Through the presentation of these essences, I argue that teachers of year nine programmes are required to have an accoutrement of skills, in addition to the skills needed by teachers who work in more mainstream settings. © 2023, The Author(s).
- Authors: Ambrosy, Josh
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Curriculum Perspectives Vol. 43, no. 2 (2023), p. 169-181
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Year nine students present a perpetual problem to schools and teachers alike. Typically aged 14 or 15 years old, year nines simultaneously experience puberty and adolescence. These converging life stages result in students’ whom teachers have described as being lost, disengaged and, more alarmingly, in never-never land. A largely unrecognised group of schools and teachers in Victoria, Australia, have chosen a novel approach to engaging year nine students through specific schooling structures and targeted curriculum—I term these approaches year nine programmes. These programmes typically involve different structures to mainstream schooling, including residential components, a greater focus on learning through experience and the use of an integrated curriculum. This paper shares the stories of six teachers who work on one such programme. The stories of the teachers are shared using phenomenological found poetry in search of the ‘essences’ of being a year nine teacher. Through the presentation of these essences, I argue that teachers of year nine programmes are required to have an accoutrement of skills, in addition to the skills needed by teachers who work in more mainstream settings. © 2023, The Author(s).
The feasibility of pelvic floor training to treat urinary incontinence in women with breast cancer : a telehealth intervention trial
- Colombage, Udari, Soh, Sze, Lin, Kuan-Yin, Kruger, Jennifer, Frawley, Helena
- Authors: Colombage, Udari , Soh, Sze , Lin, Kuan-Yin , Kruger, Jennifer , Frawley, Helena
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Breast Cancer Vol. 30, no. 1 (2023), p. 121-130
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- Description: Purpose: To investigate the feasibility of recruiting into a pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) program delivered via telehealth to treat urinary incontinence (UI) in women with breast cancer on aromatase inhibitors. Methods: We conducted a pre-post single cohort clinical trial with 54 women with breast cancer. Participants underwent a 12-week PFMT program using an intra-vaginal pressure biofeedback device: femfit®. The intervention included eight supervised individual PFMT sessions over Zoom™ and a 12-week home exercise program. The primary outcome of this study was feasibility, specifically consent rate. Secondary outcomes which included prevalence and burden of UI measured using the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire–Urinary Incontinence Short Form (ICIQ-UI SF), and pelvic floor muscle (PFM) strength measured as intravaginal squeeze pressure were compared using McNemar’s and paired t tests. Results: The mean age of participants was 50 years (SD ± 7.3). All women who were eligible to participate in this study consented (n = 55/55, 100%). All participants reported that the program was beneficial and tailored to their needs. The results showed a statistically significant decline in the prevalence (percentage difference 42%, 95% CI 28, 57%) and burden (ICIQ-UI SF score mean change 9.4, 95% CI 8.5, 10.4) of UI post intervention. A significant increase in PFM strength was observed post-intervention (mean change 4.8 mmHg, 95% CI 3.9, 5.5). Conclusion: This study indicated that PFMT delivered via telehealth may be feasible and potentially beneficial in treating stress UI in women with breast cancer. Further studies such as randomized controlled trials are required to confirm these results. © 2022, The Author(s).
- Authors: Colombage, Udari , Soh, Sze , Lin, Kuan-Yin , Kruger, Jennifer , Frawley, Helena
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Breast Cancer Vol. 30, no. 1 (2023), p. 121-130
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Purpose: To investigate the feasibility of recruiting into a pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) program delivered via telehealth to treat urinary incontinence (UI) in women with breast cancer on aromatase inhibitors. Methods: We conducted a pre-post single cohort clinical trial with 54 women with breast cancer. Participants underwent a 12-week PFMT program using an intra-vaginal pressure biofeedback device: femfit®. The intervention included eight supervised individual PFMT sessions over Zoom™ and a 12-week home exercise program. The primary outcome of this study was feasibility, specifically consent rate. Secondary outcomes which included prevalence and burden of UI measured using the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire–Urinary Incontinence Short Form (ICIQ-UI SF), and pelvic floor muscle (PFM) strength measured as intravaginal squeeze pressure were compared using McNemar’s and paired t tests. Results: The mean age of participants was 50 years (SD ± 7.3). All women who were eligible to participate in this study consented (n = 55/55, 100%). All participants reported that the program was beneficial and tailored to their needs. The results showed a statistically significant decline in the prevalence (percentage difference 42%, 95% CI 28, 57%) and burden (ICIQ-UI SF score mean change 9.4, 95% CI 8.5, 10.4) of UI post intervention. A significant increase in PFM strength was observed post-intervention (mean change 4.8 mmHg, 95% CI 3.9, 5.5). Conclusion: This study indicated that PFMT delivered via telehealth may be feasible and potentially beneficial in treating stress UI in women with breast cancer. Further studies such as randomized controlled trials are required to confirm these results. © 2022, The Author(s).
The relationship between familiarity, gender, disagreement, and status and bouts of solitary and joint laughter
- Authors: McLachlan, Angus
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Current Psychology Vol. 42, no. 29 (2023), p. 25730-25744
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- Description: The current research treated laughter as an indexical with two closely allied properties: to designate talk as non-serious and to serve as a mode of address signalling a preference for solidarity. These properties gave rise to four discrete forms of laughter bout, solitary speaker, solitary listener, speaker-initiated joint, and listener-initiated joint laughter, which were examined using 55 same-gender pairs discussing three choice dilemma items. By exploring the associations between the wider contextual factors of familiarity, gender, disagreement and status, and the frequencies of each form of bout within the dyad, it was hoped to establish whether laughter was related to how participants modulated their social relationships. Neither familiarity nor disagreement had any effect on any of the forms of laughter bout, while females were found to demonstrate higher frequencies of joint speaker laughter than males. In unequal status pairs, high status female staff joined in the laughter of their low status female student interlocutors less often than the reverse, a finding comparable with the exchange of other terms of address, such as second person pronouns in European languages. It was concluded that joint laughter was a signal of solidarity and solitary speaker laughter was a declared preference for solidarity, but the significance of solitary listener laughter, beyond an acknowledgement of the speaker’s non-serious talk, remained less clear. It was also noted that norms associated with the setting and topic of interaction were influential in determining the extent to which laughter would be used to modulate the relationships between interlocutors. © 2022, The Author(s).
- Authors: McLachlan, Angus
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Current Psychology Vol. 42, no. 29 (2023), p. 25730-25744
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The current research treated laughter as an indexical with two closely allied properties: to designate talk as non-serious and to serve as a mode of address signalling a preference for solidarity. These properties gave rise to four discrete forms of laughter bout, solitary speaker, solitary listener, speaker-initiated joint, and listener-initiated joint laughter, which were examined using 55 same-gender pairs discussing three choice dilemma items. By exploring the associations between the wider contextual factors of familiarity, gender, disagreement and status, and the frequencies of each form of bout within the dyad, it was hoped to establish whether laughter was related to how participants modulated their social relationships. Neither familiarity nor disagreement had any effect on any of the forms of laughter bout, while females were found to demonstrate higher frequencies of joint speaker laughter than males. In unequal status pairs, high status female staff joined in the laughter of their low status female student interlocutors less often than the reverse, a finding comparable with the exchange of other terms of address, such as second person pronouns in European languages. It was concluded that joint laughter was a signal of solidarity and solitary speaker laughter was a declared preference for solidarity, but the significance of solitary listener laughter, beyond an acknowledgement of the speaker’s non-serious talk, remained less clear. It was also noted that norms associated with the setting and topic of interaction were influential in determining the extent to which laughter would be used to modulate the relationships between interlocutors. © 2022, The Author(s).
A new dimensionality-unbiased score for efficient and effective outlying aspect mining
- Samariya, Durgesh, Ma, Jiangang
- Authors: Samariya, Durgesh , Ma, Jiangang
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Data Science and Engineering Vol. 7, no. 2 (2022), p. 120-135
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- Description: The main aim of the outlying aspect mining algorithm is to automatically detect the subspace(s) (a.k.a. aspect(s)), where a given data point is dramatically different than the rest of the data in each of those subspace(s) (aspect(s)). To rank the subspaces for a given data point, a scoring measure is required to compute the outlying degree of the given data in each subspace. In this paper, we introduce a new measure to compute outlying degree, called Simple Isolation score using Nearest Neighbor Ensemble (SiNNE), which not only detects the outliers but also provides an explanation on why the selected point is an outlier. SiNNE is a dimensionally unbias measure in its raw form, which means the scores produced by SiNNE are compared directly with subspaces having different dimensions. Thus, it does not require any normalization to make the score unbiased. Our experimental results on synthetic and publicly available real-world datasets revealed that (i) SiNNE produces better or at least the same results as existing scores. (ii) It improves the run time of the existing outlying aspect mining algorithm based on beam search by at least two orders of magnitude. SiNNE allows the existing outlying aspect mining algorithm to run in datasets with hundreds of thousands of instances and thousands of dimensions which was not possible before. © 2022, The Author(s).
- Authors: Samariya, Durgesh , Ma, Jiangang
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Data Science and Engineering Vol. 7, no. 2 (2022), p. 120-135
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The main aim of the outlying aspect mining algorithm is to automatically detect the subspace(s) (a.k.a. aspect(s)), where a given data point is dramatically different than the rest of the data in each of those subspace(s) (aspect(s)). To rank the subspaces for a given data point, a scoring measure is required to compute the outlying degree of the given data in each subspace. In this paper, we introduce a new measure to compute outlying degree, called Simple Isolation score using Nearest Neighbor Ensemble (SiNNE), which not only detects the outliers but also provides an explanation on why the selected point is an outlier. SiNNE is a dimensionally unbias measure in its raw form, which means the scores produced by SiNNE are compared directly with subspaces having different dimensions. Thus, it does not require any normalization to make the score unbiased. Our experimental results on synthetic and publicly available real-world datasets revealed that (i) SiNNE produces better or at least the same results as existing scores. (ii) It improves the run time of the existing outlying aspect mining algorithm based on beam search by at least two orders of magnitude. SiNNE allows the existing outlying aspect mining algorithm to run in datasets with hundreds of thousands of instances and thousands of dimensions which was not possible before. © 2022, The Author(s).
A practical guide to multi-objective reinforcement learning and planning
- Hayes, Conor, Rădulescu, Roxana, Bargiacchi, Eugenio, Källström, Johan, Macfarlane, Matthew, Reymond, Mathieu, Verstraeten, Timothy, Zintgraf, Luisa, Dazeley, Richard, Heintz, Frederick, Howley, Enda, Irissappane, Athirai, Mannion, Patrick, Nowé, Ann, Ramos, Gabriel, Restelli, Marcello, Vamplew, Peter, Roijers, Diederik
- Authors: Hayes, Conor , Rădulescu, Roxana , Bargiacchi, Eugenio , Källström, Johan , Macfarlane, Matthew , Reymond, Mathieu , Verstraeten, Timothy , Zintgraf, Luisa , Dazeley, Richard , Heintz, Frederick , Howley, Enda , Irissappane, Athirai , Mannion, Patrick , Nowé, Ann , Ramos, Gabriel , Restelli, Marcello , Vamplew, Peter , Roijers, Diederik
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Autonomous Agents and Multi-Agent Systems Vol. 36, no. 1 (2022), p.
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- Description: Real-world sequential decision-making tasks are generally complex, requiring trade-offs between multiple, often conflicting, objectives. Despite this, the majority of research in reinforcement learning and decision-theoretic planning either assumes only a single objective, or that multiple objectives can be adequately handled via a simple linear combination. Such approaches may oversimplify the underlying problem and hence produce suboptimal results. This paper serves as a guide to the application of multi-objective methods to difficult problems, and is aimed at researchers who are already familiar with single-objective reinforcement learning and planning methods who wish to adopt a multi-objective perspective on their research, as well as practitioners who encounter multi-objective decision problems in practice. It identifies the factors that may influence the nature of the desired solution, and illustrates by example how these influence the design of multi-objective decision-making systems for complex problems. © 2022, The Author(s).
- Authors: Hayes, Conor , Rădulescu, Roxana , Bargiacchi, Eugenio , Källström, Johan , Macfarlane, Matthew , Reymond, Mathieu , Verstraeten, Timothy , Zintgraf, Luisa , Dazeley, Richard , Heintz, Frederick , Howley, Enda , Irissappane, Athirai , Mannion, Patrick , Nowé, Ann , Ramos, Gabriel , Restelli, Marcello , Vamplew, Peter , Roijers, Diederik
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Autonomous Agents and Multi-Agent Systems Vol. 36, no. 1 (2022), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Real-world sequential decision-making tasks are generally complex, requiring trade-offs between multiple, often conflicting, objectives. Despite this, the majority of research in reinforcement learning and decision-theoretic planning either assumes only a single objective, or that multiple objectives can be adequately handled via a simple linear combination. Such approaches may oversimplify the underlying problem and hence produce suboptimal results. This paper serves as a guide to the application of multi-objective methods to difficult problems, and is aimed at researchers who are already familiar with single-objective reinforcement learning and planning methods who wish to adopt a multi-objective perspective on their research, as well as practitioners who encounter multi-objective decision problems in practice. It identifies the factors that may influence the nature of the desired solution, and illustrates by example how these influence the design of multi-objective decision-making systems for complex problems. © 2022, The Author(s).