20588 research outputs found
Sort by
Sustainable tourism paradigms across cultures: A continuum from Western to Eastern perspectives
No full textThis special issue explores the cultural diversities in conceptualising and practising sustainable tourism in emerging destination societies. By examining both Western and Eastern paradigms through ontological, epistemological, and methodological lenses, this collection seeks to broaden the discourse on sustainable tourism. While Western frameworks have significantly shaped the field, an Eastern perspective—rooted in Confucianism and Taoism—offers complementary insights that emphasise the unity of nature and humanity, ethical thinking, self-cultivation, and humanistic approaches illustrated through concepts such as Guanxi and Mianzi. Rather than treating these paradigms as opposing forces, this special issue explores their potential synergies by placing them on a continuum—encouraging a more inclusive and context-sensitive approach to understanding sustainability. By encouraging dialogues between diverse cultural traditions, this study aspires to enrich sustainable tourism research and practice, offering valuable perspectives for scholars, policymakers, and practitioners navigating the complexities of global tourism development
A comparative study of the pullout strength of geostraps and geogrids in reinforced soil
Get PDFThe sustainable development of geotechnical infrastructure necessitates using durable, efficient, and environmentally resilient reinforcement materials. This study investigates the pullout performance of geostraps to assess their potential as a sustainable alternative to conventional geosynthetics. This study focuses on the pullout performance of geostraps, flexible, polymeric reinforcement materials. There has not been a thorough study of their pullout resistance, which directly affects the stability and durability of reinforced soil structures. Pullout tests were conducted on sandy soil in a controlled environment. The experimental findings from the pullout test were then validated in a numerical model. The model was used to determine the pullout resistance of different grades of geostraps for comparative analysis. This helped to identify the possible application areas based on the pullout capacity of various grades. The results obtained for the geostraps were then compared with those in the established literature on geogrids. Initially, the pullout resistance of the M65 geostrap was up to 20% higher than that of a biaxial geogrid. This makes it a suitable option for reinforced earth applications. However, the maximum pullout resistance of geogrids was up to 8% higher than that of geostraps when subjected to a surcharge of 17 kN m−2 in poorly graded sand. This study highlights the potential of geostraps as reinforcement materials, particularly in challenging environments where conventional geosynthetics may underperform. Future research may explore their behaviour with different soil types and other controlled environmental factors to establish their broader applicability and design charts
Perfect is boring: The character problem of electric vehicles
Get PDFBy many critical measures, electric cars are better than their internal combustion engine (ICE) counterparts–they are capable of being faster, cheaper to run and have no tailpipe emissions. Yet, a common complaint in automotive enthusiast circles is that most electric vehicles are lacking in what might be called character. In the words of one car reviewer, referring to faster electric cars while driving a V8 muscle car, ‘perfect is boring’. Character here is defined as both the embodied feel of a car and the ways in which that feel is technologically structured. Importantly, this apparent lack of character is not an inherent quality of electric cars, it is designed into them as part of a larger process of creating ‘frictionless’ experiences derived from Silicon Valley priorities. This article therefore draws upon the work of philosopher Matthew Crawford, who argues that the character and mastery of our cars is a powerful expression of our agency and capacity to ‘self-govern’. Ultimately, this work argues that new design philosophies are required to better address the needs for both characterful imperfection and saving the environment
A large-scale multi-centre study characterising atrophy heterogeneity in Alzheimer\u27s disease
Get PDFPrevious studies identified atrophy-based Alzheimer\u27s disease(AD) subtypes linked to distinct clinical symptoms, but their consistency across subtyping approaches remains unclear. This large-scale study evaluates subtype concordance using two data-driven approaches. In this work, we analyzed data from n=10,011 patients across 10 AD cohorts spanning Europe, the US, and Australia, extracting regional volumes using Freesurfer. To characterize atrophy heterogeneity in the AD continuum, we developed a two-step approach, Snowphlake (Staging NeurOdegeneration With PHenotype informed progression timeLine of biomarKErs), to identify subtypes and atrophy-event sequences within each subtype. Results were compared with SuStaIn (Subtype and Stage Inference), which jointly estimates subtypes and staging, using similar training and validation. Training included Aβ+ participants (n=1,195) and Aβ− cognitively unimpaired controls (n=1,692). We validated model-staging in a held-out clinical dataset (n=6,362) and an independent dataset (n=762), and assessed clinical significance in Aβ+ subsets(n=1,796 held-out; n=159 external). Concordance analysis evaluated consistency between methods. In the AD dementia(AD-D) training data, both Snowphlake and SuStaIn identified four subtypes. In the validation datasets, staging with both methods correlated with Mini-Mental State Examination(MMSE) scores. The Snowphlake subtypes assigned in Aβ+ validation datasets were associated with alterations in specific cognitive domains(Cohen\u27s f: [0.15−0.33]). Similarly, the SuStaIn subtypes were also associated specific cognitive domains(Cohen\u27s f:[0.17−0.34]). However, we observed low concordance between Snowphlake and SuStaIn, with 39.7% of AD-D patients grouped in concordant subtypes by both methods. In conclusion, Snowphlake and SuStaIn identified four atrophy-based subtypes that linked to distinct symptom profiles. While this highlights that the neuro-anatomically defined subtypes also meaningfully associate with different cognitive impairments at a group level, the low concordance between methods suggests that future research is needed to better understand the biological and methodological factors contributing to the observed variability
Good Arts, Good Mental Health®: The effectiveness of an Australian health promotion media campaign in promoting community mental wellbeing via the arts
No full textIntroduction: This study describes and evaluates Good Arts, Good Mental Health® (GAGMH), a groundbreaking, population-level, arts-mental health promotion media campaign. The objectives of the campaign (Wave 1) were to increase brand awareness, comprehension, and agreement with the tagline Good Arts, Good Mental Health® and empower the general population to form an intention to engage in the Arts for their mental wellbeing. Methods: The campaign ran from August to September 2024 (4 weeks), cost AUD0 for free/organic media to 0.02) were delivered by Meta (Facebook and Instagram). Measured as both (1) a proportion of total respondents and (2) a sub-set analysis of each preceding level in the cognitive impact hierarchy, post-campaign, one-in-four respondents were aware of Good Arts, Good Mental Health®. This is comparatively high for a new tagline and health campaign without TV advertising. Overall, comprehension was satisfactory. Agreement and intention to act on the message were high and double that of comparison Western Australian health promotion campaigns. Discussion: Study findings indicate the GAGMH campaign was successful. If funded, future waves of the campaign could build on Wave 1 to reinforce message awareness, increase understanding of GAGMH concepts, focus more on the arts-mental health dose, and extend the outcome evaluation by measuring behavioral action. The information contained in this study is useful to Public Health, Mental Health, and Arts-Health professionals in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of future arts-mental health promotion strategies and campaigns
Impacts of dredging and restoration on sedimentary carbon stocks in seagrass meadows of Pari Island, Indonesia
Get PDFThe effects of dredging and restoration on carbon sequestration in seagrass sediments is not well understood. Our knowledge is derived from few studies conducted in areas affected by dredging or restoration, the majority of which are from temperate regions. There is limited information available for tropical regions, where seagrass sediments can differ greatly in species composition, geomorphology, and hydrodynamic conditions. This study aims to assess the effects of dredging and seagrass restoration on sediment organic carbon concentrations and stocks at Pari Island, Indonesia. The results indicated that sediment organic carbon concentrations (%Corg) were higher in persistent seagrass meadows than in dredged, restored seagrass, and bare sand areas. Dredging at Pantai Perawan, Pari Island, led to the removal of seagrass vegetations and sediments. We found that the organic carbon concentrations in the sediment of dredged areas were 17% lower than that of persistent seagrass sediments. Although seagrass restoration has increased seagrass cover, the organic carbon concentrations in restored meadows were still lower than in persistent meadows. Therefore, we inferred that there have been no significant gains in organic carbon concentrations or stocks in sediments under the restored seagrass after 13 years. Protecting existing seagrass meadows is fundamental because restoring seagrass after disturbance and re-establishing carbon sequestration requires considerable time and resources
Implementation fidelity of a smartphone application for population-based general movement assessment: The Early Moves study
Get PDFObjective: To describe the infant and maternal characteristics of the Early Moves cohort and to assess representativeness to the general population, and to evaluate the implementation fidelity of an application-based collection of General Movement Assessment (GMA) videos at writhing and fidgety age. Study design: Prospective observational study. Mothers who had recently delivered or were enrolled to deliver at maternity hospitals in Perth, Western Australia, were recruited from November 2019 to December 2023. Sociodemographic and infant clinical characteristics were extracted from hospital records. Parents were invited to record GMA videos using the Baby Moves smartphone application, which were assessed for scorability by certified GM assessors. Results: A total of 3002 infants (mean gestation, 38.9 ± 1.7 weeks; 46.6% female) were recruited. Infants were representative of the local population with respect to key infant risk factors, although mothers were more likely to be Caucasian and reside in higher socioeconomic suburbs compared with the broader Perth metropolitan birth population. Overall adherence was 76%, with 2272 families returning at least 1 scorable GMA video, with the majority (\u3e69%) requiring personalized reminders to upload. Risk factors for nonengagement were infant prematurity, special care nursery stay, low maternal age, low socioeconomic status, minority ethnicity, and single caregiver mothers. Conclusions: Inclusive recruitment strategies and broad inclusion criteria supported participation from diverse sociodemographic groups and infants representative of the local population on key medical risk factors. Parent-recorded GMA can be implemented in a large population-based cohort, though application-based notifications alone may be insufficient to facilitate engagement. Population-based applications should ensure targeted implementation strategies to support priority families
Incorporating waste plastics into pavement materials: A review of opportunities, risks, environmental implications, and monitoring strategies
Get PDFThe integration of waste plastics into pavement materials offers a dual benefit of enhancing road performance and mitigating the environmental burden of plastic waste. This review critically examines the opportunities and challenges associated with incorporating waste plastics in pavement construction, with an emphasis on their impact on the mechanical properties, durability, and life cycle performance of pavements. Special attention is given to the environmental implications, particularly the potential generation and release of micro- and nano-plastics during the pavement life cycle. This paper further evaluates current monitoring and analytical methodologies for detecting plastic emissions from road surfaces and explores emerging approaches for minimizing environmental risks. By providing a comprehensive synthesis of existing knowledge, this review seeks to support sustainable practices and inform policy development within the frameworks of circular economy and environmental stewardship
The use of K-means clustering for the organisation of training groups in Australian football
Get PDFThis study investigated the potential use of k-means clustering for organising training groups in Australian Football (AF) based upon match performance data. Global positioning system (e.g., distance per minute) and technical action (e.g., kicks) data were collected on 38 AF players from 22 matches during the 2021 season. Each player was assigned their season average for all metrics, as well as their primary playing position (the position they occupied the most during the season). Following the application of the elbow method, the data was grouped into four clusters; cluster one could be defined as the low technical action players, cluster two as the low physical output players, cluster three as the high technical action players, and cluster four as the high physical output players. The results of the k-means clustering revealed that each group had unique match performance characteristics compared to each other. The clustering revealed that the majority of players within each cluster shared common playing positions, similar to traditional AF groupings. However, it was also able to highlight that some players were grouped away from their traditional positions based upon their match performance data, indicating that they may require an alternative training stimulus to successfully prepare for competitive matches. Training recommendations for each of the four groups are provided. The study indicated that k-means clustering could provide a useful additional tool for the organisation of training groups within AF populations, and potentially for other similar team sports
Exploring the barriers to mental health help-seeking among African migrants in Australia: A qualitative study
Get PDFBackground: The health of African migrants in Australia is a largely under-researched topic despite the steadily increasing size of the population and its uniqueness. In particular, few studies have explored the mental health of African migrants in Australia or their utilization of mental health services.
Aims: This study explored the barriers to mental health help-seeking among first-generation African migrants in Australia.
Methods: In this qualitative study conducted using the hermeneutical phenomenological research approach, the purposive sampling method was used to recruit participants. In-depth interviews with participants were undertaken online via Zoom, Teams, and WhatsApp calls. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim, utilizing a thematic analysis as the primary data analysis method.
Results: African migrants were more inclined to seek support for mental health conditions from religious figures such as priests instead of seeking professional help. Religion and poor knowledge about mental illness were highlighted as barriers to mental health help-seeking. Participants also considered cultural beliefs, fear of stigma as well as the high cost of healthcare in Australia as significant barriers to mental health help-seeking among African migrants.
Conclusions: Findings reinforce the critical need for culturally competent mental health services tailored to the beliefs, values, religion, and experiences of African and other migrant communities in Australia. Given the strong attachment of many African migrants in Australia to their cultural and religious beliefs, such services are essential for practical support and intervention