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Developing a sustainability index for hotels and resorts in Malaysia: A hybrid Delphi–AHP approach
No full textThis study proposes a context-specific sustainability index for hotels and resorts in developing countries (e.g., Malaysia), aligning with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. The proposed index consists of five dimensions: social, economic, environmental, resilience, and governance. Using the Delphi method and the Analytical Hierarchy Process, a finalised index with 119 indicators was established. Findings show that governance is the most significant dimension, followed by economic, resilience, social, and environmental. This study paves the way for a comprehensive sustainability index, aiding hotel practitioners in assessing sustainability levels and assisting global tourism policymakers in crafting effective strategies to promote responsible practices
Teacher Resilience in South Africa: The Self-Efficacy and Teacher Efficacy of Pre-Service Teachers Preparing to Teach in a Challenged Context
Get PDFThis publication addresses a gap in high-quality, quantitative studies on teacher resilience within the less-researched context of the Global South. Specifically, it examines the self-efficacy and teacher efficacy of three cohorts of final-year pre-service teachers in South Africa (N = 1,193). This article aimed to contribute evidence on teacher resilience from an under-researched African context and population. Despite contextual challenges, the pre-service teachers indicated high intrapersonal resilience-enabling pathways, with a statistically significant relationship between their self-efficacy and teacher efficacy. The authors propose an evidence-based framework of how high levels of self-efficacy and teacher efficacy may enable prospective teachers to teach despite chronic and cumulative challenges. Few teacher resilience studies exist in the Global South and South Africa, and this study contributes to the body of literature in this field and hopes to promote place-based (e.g., Global South) research through contextual lenses to provide necessary needed evidence for teacher resilience
Careful Whisper: Using eCoaching and a Feedback Taxonomy to Provide Practicum Feedback for Preservice Teachers
Get PDFMany institutes for initial teacher education struggle to organise effective performance feedback within the context of student teaching practicum. As the cooperating teachers who provide this feedback bring their individualised ontologies, feedback practices have been characterised by inconsistencies in the amount and quality of performance feedback. In this small-scale study carried out in the Netherlands, we explored affordances of eCoaching using a standardised feedback taxonomy. With the help of Bluetooth technology and the Synchronous Online Feedback Taxonomy, four teacher educators provided eCoaching to eight preservice teachers over the course of three lessons. We interviewed teacher educators and preservice teachers about their experiences with eCoaching using the feedback taxonomy during secondary school practicum. Overall, both groups of participants were positive about eCoaching using the taxonomy. Teacher educators observed preservice teachers self-regulating when implementing prior feedback in their lessons. Preservice teachers indicated increased confidence following the lessons with eCoaching
Changing age profile and incidence of injecting drug use initiation among people in Australia who inject drugs: Evidence from two national repeated cross-sectional studies
Get PDFBackground: The age of people who inject drugs appears to be increasing in some high-income countries. We aimed to explore trends in the age of people injecting and recently starting to inject drugs in Australia, and to model incidence of initiation over time. Methods: We obtained data from the Illicit Drug Reporting System (IDRS) and the Australian Needle Syringe Program Survey (ANSPS), which comprise annual cross-sectional surveys with people who inject drugs (2000–2019). Outcome measures were current age, age of initiation, and time since initiation (both surveys), and drug first injected (IDRS only). We estimated time trends in age using quantile regression. We used the relative number of people initiating injecting drug use each year and existing population size estimates to model incidence of initiation. Findings: In total, 58,465 interviews with people who reported injecting drugs in the past month (33.7% women) were included. In both surveys, the median age increased over the study period (IDRS: 28–43 years; ANSPS 28–44 years). The median time since initiation also increased over the study period (IDRS: 8–22.5 years; ANSPS: 9–24 years), and the median age of initiation increased with calendar year of initiation (IDRS: 18–34 years; ANSPS: 20–30 years). Women tended to be younger and commence injecting drug use at a younger age than men. Modelling suggested that similar numbers of people injected drugs for the first time each year from 1980 (national estimates of 15,570 and 17,020 new initiates using IDRS and ANSPS data, respectively) to 1996 (IDRS: 16,360; ANSPS: 22,300 new initiates), followed by a decisive decline in incidence until 2012 (IDRS: 1110; ANSPS: 1830), whereafter it has fluctuated but remained low. Meth/amphetamine was consistently the predominant drug injected at initiation among IDRS participants, although there were peaks in heroin as the drug injected at initiation in the early 1980s and mid-1990s. Interpretation: In 2019, most people who were injecting drugs in Australia were part of a cohort that began injecting in the 1980s or 1990s. Consequently, the population was older and had been injecting drugs for longer compared to those injecting drugs in 2000. This has implications for health service delivery to people who inject drugs, with increasing age likely to be accompanied by a rise in chronic health conditions and an increase in injecting duration potentially resulting in higher incidence of injecting-related injuries and diseases. Funding: Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care
Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile in hospitalised children in Cambodia
Get PDFBackground: Children may play an important role in disseminating Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile within hospital and community settings. In many parts of the world, there has been a recent increase in interest in C. difficile infection (CDI) in paediatric populations. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of, risk factors for, and molecular types of C. difficile in hospitalised children in Cambodia. Methods: Stool samples were collected from children at the National Paediatric Hospital in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, between June 2022 and March 2023, for C. difficile culture. Toxin gene PCR and PCR ribotyping were performed on all isolates. Results: Of 122 hospitalised children recruited, C. difficile was identified in 47 (38.5 %). Toxigenic strains accounted for 25.5 % (12/47), with ribotype (RT) 012 the most predominant (7/12), followed by RTs 014/020 (3/12) and 017 (1/12). Non-toxigenic strains were dominated by RTs QX011, QX675 and 009/QX107. Novel strains represented 70 % (33/47) of isolates. Significant risk factors included antimicrobial use in the week before detection (OR = 5.15; 95 %CI: 1.125–21.21) and current use of other medications (OR = 13.02, 95 %CI: 1.32–128.67). Diarrhoea and abdominal pain were negatively associated with the presence of C. difficile. Conclusions: A high prevalence of C. difficile was found in hospitalised children, with a high proportion of non-toxigenic and novel strains. Larger studies are required with whole genome sequencing necessary for characterising novel strains and advancing molecular epidemiological research in Asia
Drawing on international pre-service teachers’ funds of knowledge to enhance professional experience
Get PDFFollowing the COVID- 19 pandemic, international student enrolments in Australia\u27s initial teacher education (ITE) programs have sharply increased. ITE courses are obligated to comprehensively support international students, particularly during professional experiences (PEx). These students often face challenges due to cultural and linguistic differences, and universities typically address these through intervention programs and workshops aimed at developing communicative and work-based skills. This pilot study adopted a unique Funds of Knowledge (FoK) and Funds of Identity (FoI) lens to enhance culturally responsive communication between pre-service teachers and various stakeholders (mentor teachers, supervisors and unit coordinators) during PEx. An ethnographic visual methodology, employing comic-based digital storytelling, was used across two phases to identify and address challenges. In Phase One, participants created a comic to convey a challenge from their first PEx, followed by an interview about their comic and experience. In Phase Two, participants used their comic during their second PEx to facilitate discussion with their mentor teacher about previous challenges. A final interview assessed the comics\u27effectiveness. Three themes developed from the data, reflecting the significant challenges international students faced while completing PEx in an Australian school setting. These were: developing a teacher identity, building transcultural identity and the additional cognitive demand when translanguaging. Findings indicated the process of creating a digital comic strip amplified international students\u27voices thus providing insights into their experiences and perceptions
Exercise for postmenopausal bone health – Can we raise the bar?
Get PDFPurpose of Review: This review summarises the latest evidence on effects of exercise on falls prevention, bone mineral density (BMD) and fragility fracture risk in postmenopausal women, explores hypotheses underpinning exercise-mediated effects on BMD and sheds light on innovative concepts to better understand and harness the skeletal benefits of exercise. Recent Findings: Multimodal exercise programs incorporating challenging balance exercises can prevent falls. Emerging clinical trial evidence indicates supervised progressive high-intensity resistance and impact training (HiRIT) is efficacious in increasing lumbar spine BMD and is safe and well-tolerated in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis/osteopenia. There remains uncertainty regarding durability of this load-induced osteogenic response and safety in patients with recent fractures. Muscle-derived myokines and small circulating extracellular vesicles have emerged as potential sources of exercise-induced muscle-bone crosstalk but require validation in postmenopausal women. Summary: Exercise has the potential for multi-modal skeletal benefits with i) HiRIT to build bone, and ii) challenging balance exercises to prevent falls, and ultimately fractures. The therapeutic effect of such exercise in combination with osteoporosis pharmacotherapy should be considered in future trials
IgG N-glycosylation contributes to different severities of insulin resistance: Implications for 3P medical approaches
Get PDFBackground: Reliable biomarkers capturing immunometabolic processes in insulin resistance (IR) remain limited. IgG N-glycosylation modulates immune responses and reflects metabolic disorders, yet its role in IR remains unclear. This study investigated its potential for early detection, risk stratification, and targeted prevention within the framework of predictive, preventive, and personalised medicine (PPPM/3PM). Methods: A total of 313 participants were categorized into three groups based on the homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR): insulin-sensitive (HOMA-IR \u3c 2.69 without diabetes, n = 75), mild IR (HOMA-IR ≥ 2.69 without diabetes, n = 155), and severe IR (HOMA-IR ≥ 2.69 with type 2 diabetes, n = 83). Canonical correlation analysis was conducted to explore the overall relationship between IgG N-glycosylation and IR-related inflammation, indicated by tumour necrosis factor-α, interleukin- 6, C-reactive protein, and adiponectin. Mediation analysis was performed to evaluate the effect of IgG N-glycans on IR. Ordinal logistic regression was used to assess the association between IgG N-glycans and IR severity, with discriminative power evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curves. Results: Pro-inflammatory IgG N-glycoforms, characterized by reduced sialylation and galactosylation, along with increased bisecting N-acetylglucosamine, were observed as IR severity increased. IgG N-glycosylation significantly correlated with inflammatory markers in the insulin-sensitive (r = 0.599, p \u3c 0.05), mild (r = 0.461, p \u3c 0.05), and severe (r = 0.666, p \u3c 0.01) IR groups. IgG N-glycosylation significantly influenced IR (β = 0.406) partially via modulation of inflammation. Increased glycoforms FA2[6]G1 (OR: 0.86, 95% CI: 0.78–0.96) and A2G2S2 (OR: 0.88, 95% CI: 0.82–0.94) were associated with a lower IR risk, with respective area under the curves (AUCs) of 0.752, 0.683, and 0.764 for the insulin sensitive, mild, and severe IR groups. Conclusions: IgG N-glycosylation contributes to IR by modulating inflammatory responses. Glycoforms FA2[6]G1 and A2G2S2 emerge as protective biomarkers, offering potential for predicting and preventing IR through primary prevention strategies within the PPPM framework
Nutritional strategies to improve post-exercise recovery and subsequent exercise performance: A narrative review
Get PDFPost-exercise recovery strategies influence the body’s ability to restore physiological homeostasis, replenish energy stores, repair muscle damage, and promote desired adaptations, which improve exercise performance. This narrative review examines the impact of nutritional strategies commonly used for enhancing recovery and subsequent exercise performance, particularly when athletes face short recovery periods. Carbohydrate ingestion is essential for glycogen replenishment, especially within the initial hours post-exercise, with its impact dependent on the types, timing, and amount. Protein is essential for accelerating muscle recovery and achieving a positive nitrogen balance, depending on the type and dosage. The co-ingestion of carbohydrates with proteins or fats is explored for its role in maximizing glycogen resynthesis and muscle repair, with evidence supporting the addition of protein to suboptimal carbohydrate intake for enhanced recovery. Moreover, this review addresses the potential benefits of creatine and caffeine co-ingestion for accelerating glycogen synthesis and improving subsequent performance. Hydration strategies, including the use of milk-based beverages and electrolyte solutions, are also discussed, emphasizing their importance in maintaining fluid balance and optimizing recovery. This review also highlights the emerging role of micronutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and sodium bicarbonate in reducing muscle damage and improving acid–base balance. Evidence supports the tailored use of these nutritional strategies, particularly for athletes managing tight competition/training schedules. Future research should focus on refining individualized approaches for recovery and investigating the impact of novel supplements on subsequent performance
PanoSCU: A simulation-based dataset for panoramic indoor scene understanding
Get PDFPanoramic images offer a comprehensive spatial view that is crucial for indoor robotics tasks such as visual room rearrangement, where an agent must restore objects to their original positions or states. Unlike existing 2D scene change understanding datasets, which rely on single-view images, panoramic views capture richer spatial context, object relationships, and occlusions—making them better suited for embodied artificial intelligence (AI) applications. To address this, we introduce Panoramic Scene Change Understanding (PanoSCU), a dataset specifically designed to enhance the visual object rearrangement task. Our dataset comprises 5,300 panoramas generated in an embodied simulator, encompassing 48 common indoor object classes. PanoSCU supports eight research tasks: single-view and panoramic detection, single-view and panoramic segmentation, single-view and panoramic change understanding, embodied object tracking, and change reversal. We also present PanoStitch, a training-free method for automatic panoramic data collection within embodied environments. We evaluate state-of-the-art methods on panoramic segmentation and change understanding tasks. There is a gap in existing methods, as they are not designed for panoramic inputs and struggle with varying ratios and sizes, resulting from the unique challenges of visual object rearrangement. Our findings reveal these limitations and underscore PanoSCU’s potential to drive progress in developing models capable of robust panoramic reasoning and fine-grained scene change understanding