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Development of a reporting guideline for Trochim’s concept mapping
Get PDFReporting guidelines are created with the intention to enhance the quality and transparency of reporting different research methods. Trochim’s concept mapping (often referred to as group concept mapping) is a six-phase, participatory mixed-method approach to understanding complex constructs. Currently, there is no reporting guideline for concept mapping. Developing a reporting guideline typically follows a three-step process: 1. a systematic review to establish the need for a reporting guideline, 2. a Delphi study to identify candidate items, and 3. consolidation process to inform a draft guideline. We have previously reported our step 1, a systematic review of health-related concept mapping studies. In this paper, we report on steps 2 and 3, guideline development. In developing our reporting guideline, we opted to use concept mapping rather than the Delphi method. Stakeholders including researchers and experts in concept mapping were identified from papers included in our systematic review and invited to participate. Thirty-two stakeholders participated in the brainstorming phase of the concept mapping generating 96 discrete statements. The prioritisation and clustering phase involved 24 stakeholders. The final concept map included 11 clusters that represented key concepts for inclusion in the reporting guideline. The clusters were relatively small and positioned in a circle around the edge of the map, suggesting each was of equal importance and conceptually discreet. In phase 3, a guideline was drafted using the findings from both the phase 1 systematic review and phase 2 concept mapping study. The draft was reviewed by eight stakeholders (who had participated in our phase 2 concept mapping study) to check the completeness and clarity of expression of the items included in the guideline. The final reporting guideline (called the ConMapT) has 27-items organised under 14 headings. The guideline will be made freely available via the EQUATOR network. Registration: The study protocol was registered with the Open Science Framework (OSF) before recruiting the first study participant. The EQUATOR network has listed the study as a guideline under development
Insights into prey handling and feeding strategies by ghost crabs on sea turtle eggs and hatchlings
Get PDFThe feeding behaviour on sea turtle eggs and hatchlings by the golden ghost crab Ocypode convexa, a species endemic to the west coast of Australia, was observed in field and laboratory settings using infrared videography. On beaches where ghost crab densities are high, multiple crabs can feed on nests over several nights, often resulting in destruction of clutches. Crabs appear to anticipate the emergence of hatchlings, often congregating near nests in the moments prior to emergence. When feeding on eggs crabs rupture eggshells using the sharp tips of their claws, with tissue subsequently moved to the mouthparts for ingestion using the minor claw while the broken shell is held with the major claw. When feeding on hatchlings crabs generally restrain hatchlings using the large claw to grip them around the neck, while the small claw cuts through the soft skin around the neck to partially or fully sever the head before feeding from the cavity. Infrared videography was successfully used to observe cryptic prey handling and feeding behaviours that may be compromised by more traditional observational methods
Non-stereotypy (to species) in mysticete downsweeps
Get PDFThe Australian EEZ provides habitat for ten species of mysticete whales seasonally supporting critical life functions ranging from feeding to breeding. All of these species produce downsweeping calls, which may confound passive acoustic monitoring efforts. In an attempt to optimize a detector for Eastern Indian Ocean pygmy blue whale (EIOPBW) downsweeps, we tried a spectrogram correlator based on confirmed templates and a neural network trained on general blue whale D-calls followed by clustering algorithms. Outputs were manually validated by bioacousticians. We found that downsweeps exhibit significant variability and form a graded continuum of acoustic features, as opposed to clusters. Comparative analysis demonstrated parallels between EIOPBW call variants and downsweeps of other mysticete species, raising concerns about the reliability of assigning calls to species based solely on spectrographic features. Geographical and seasonal patterns of downsweeps were more conclusive for EIOPBW when aligned with known migratory routes and timings. Challenges in automated detection, variability in environmental noise, and human biases in manual classification were acknowledged. To improve species identification, we suggest integrating soft labeling, advanced acoustic transforms, sound propagation corrections, and cross-referenced databases. Until automated methods achieve higher reliability, passive acoustic monitoring will require a multidisciplinary approach incorporating regional ecological insights and manual validation
Perceived professional identity formation and influencing characteristics among speech pathology students
Get PDFWhile professional identity formation (PIF) is an important facet of employability and becoming a health professional, there has been little research on PIF among speech pathology (SP) students. This single group, cross-sectional study explored perceived PIF among SP students at a large, urban, Australian university selected via stratified sampling from a four-year undergraduate program. Using an established online self-assessment tool to measure perceived employability, the study reports on seven related constructs relevant to PIF. The self-assessment has previously been found to have strong validity and reliability and the subset used in this study likewise had strong validity and reliability. There were 84 participants and the PIF constructs were: self and program awareness (SPA); identification with commitment (IC); reconsideration of commitment (RC); self-esteem (SE); perceived program relevance (PPR); career exploration and awareness (CEA); and ethical and responsible behaviour (ERB). Descriptive and multivariate statistics were used to estimate the proportion of variance for year level and individual characteristics for each construct and overall PIF. Perceived professional identity increased from first to fourth year, significant only for SPA, IC and PPR constructs. Students aged over 25 years self-rated significantly higher on ERB than younger students, as did students studying part-time compared to those studying full-time. Participants not engaged in paid work had significantly higher SE than those who were working, as did students from low socio-economic status (SES) compared with medium or high SES students. No differences were found for other individual characteristics, although some group sizes were very small. Recommendations to enhance PIF include incorporating a range of reflective activities, assertiveness training and opportunities to explore ethical dilemmas within the curriculum
Postharvest jasmonic acid and methyl jasmonate dip treatments alleviate chilling injury and maintain quality of cold-stored ‘Black Amber’ and ‘Tegan Blue’ Japanese plums (Prunus salicina Lindell)
Get PDFBACKGROUND: Chilling injury (CI) in Japanese plums (Prunus salicina Lindell) is a critical cold storage constraint that adversely impacts fruit quality and marketability. Jasmonic acid (JA) and its methyl derivative ‘methyl jasmonate’ (MeJA) are widely studied phytohormones for the mitigation of CI in several fruit crops, whereas their efficacy in Japanese plums remains unexplored. Freshly harvested ‘Black Amber’ and ‘Tegan Blue’ plums were dipped for 1 min in 0 (control), 25, 75 or 250 ppm of aqueous solutions/emulsion of jasmonic acid (JA), methyl jasmonate’ (MeJA) and the ethylene precursor aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC), and cold stored for 14 and 28 days followed by 1 and 2 days under shelf conditions. Fruits were evaluated for CI incidence, CI index, relative electrolyte leakage (REL) and other physicochemical quality attributes. RESULTS: JA and MeJA treatments significantly reduced CI in both cultivars. In ‘Black Amber’ plums, MeJA 250 ppm decreased CI incidence to 16.6% compared to control (56.7%). In ‘Tegan Blue’ plums, 250 ppm JA and 25 ppm MeJA lowered CI incidence to 35% compared to 81.7% in control. REL was significantly reduced in JA and MeJA treatments. The flesh firmness remained higher in ‘Tegan Blue’ plums treated with all three concentrations of MeJA dip treatment. The soluble solids content (SSC) and SSC:titratable acidity (TA) ratio was significantly increased in ‘Black Amber’ plums dipped in an aqueous solution of ACC (250 ppm). The percentage of TA was not significantly affected by JA, MeJA and ACC treatments. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to show that the application of MeJA and to a lesser extent JA alleviated CI in both cultivars of plum fruit without compromising fruit quality. © 2025 The Author(s). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry
The impact of solvent extraction and enzyme-assisted extraction on the yield and quality of black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens) oil
Get PDFThe increased interest in black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) oil is driven by its beneficial fatty acid composition, leading to the development of effective extraction methods. This study evaluated the impact of solvent extraction (SE) and enzyme-assisted extraction (EAE) on the yield and quality of BSFL oil. SE using hexane, petroleum ether, isopropanol, and ethanol after 6 hr of extraction resulted in higher yields compared to EAE using alcalase, papain, and trypsin after 24 hr, with the highest yield recorded for petroleum ether (33%), followed by isopropanol (30%). Isopropanol extraction demonstrated the highest antioxidant activity (77%). The results indicated a high saturated fatty acids (SFAs) content (63%-78%), with lauric acid being the predominant fatty acid (32%-42%). The SFAs content was significantly affected by SE and EAE, while the unsaturated fatty acid content showed no significant differences. Petroleum ether is an effective solvent for achieving high yield, and isopropanol is a prominent green solvent offering both high yield and strong antioxidant activity. These outcomes exhibit the flexibility of selecting oil extraction treatments for BSFL to meet specific needs of food products and applications
Investigating the interplay of thermal, lighting, and acoustics in intensive care for enhanced patient well-being and clinical outcomes
Get PDFThis research explores the interplay among noise levels, thermal conditions, and lighting intensity in an intensive care unit (ICU), focusing on preserving circadian rhythm and promoting nighttime sleep to advance patient-centric care. This investigation assesses lighting levels (Lux), natural versus artificial light ratios, ICU room temperature, and correlations with acoustic data during a field research period and examines the collective impact of patient exposure to sleep linked to delirium and health outcomes, addressing critical gaps in understanding. Findings reveal that noise levels between 60 and 90 dB(A) during patient occupancy exceed sleep disruption thresholds, with daytime averages of 53.6 dB(A) and nighttime averages of 48.5 dB(A) surpassing recommended criteria. Temperature fluctuations, often outside the optimal sleep range, and suboptimal diurnal variations impact patient comfort and clinician challenges. Lux levels mostly fall short of the optimum range, affecting circadian rhythms. Temporal distinctions of these environmental factors directly impact clinicians and patients, with correlated spikes in noise, lighting, and temperature during admission periods requiring heightened attention for optimal care. These cumulative impacts necessitate clinicians to navigate challenges and ensure consistent and effective care. Patients experience sleep disruptions, highlighting the need for a holistic healthcare design addressing interconnected environmental dynamics. The findings underscore the importance of comprehensive approaches to healthcare design, optimizing the ICU environment for patient-centric care and supporting healthcare professionals’ well-being. Recommendations include targeted interventions to improve sleep, reduce delirium incidence, and enhance recovery, advancing ICU design for better patient outcomes; and facilitating effective communication among healthcare practitioners
An improved ultra-lightweight anonymous authenticated key agreement protocol for wearable devices
No full textFor wearable devices with constrained computational resources, it is typically required to offload processing tasks to more capable servers. However, this practice introduces vulnerabilities to data confidentiality and integrity due to potential malicious network attacks, unreliable servers, and insecure communication channels. A robust mechanism that ensures anonymous authentication and key agreement is therefore imperative for safeguarding the authenticity of computing entities and securing data during transmission. Recently, Guo et al. proposed an anonymous authentication key agreement and group proof protocol specifically designed for wearable devices. This protocol, benefiting from the strengths of previous research, is designed to thwart a variety of cyber threats. However, inaccuracies in their protocol lead to issues with authenticity verification, ultimately preventing the establishment of secure session keys between communication entities. To address these design flaws, an improved ultra-lightweight protocol was proposed, employing cryptographic hash functions to ensure authentication and privacy during data transmission in wearable devices. Supported by rigorous security validations and analyses, the proposed protocol significantly boosts both security and efficiency, marking a substantial advancement over prior methodologies
An uphill battle: School library professionals fostering student reading engagement
Get PDFReading engagement influences students’ literacy attainment. School library professionals provide resources, environments and guidance to promote reading for pleasure, but little is known about how this role is currently supported or challenged. Drawing on mixed methods survey responses from 971 school library professionals from 63 countries, integrated findings suggest that younger students had greater access to the library, and that limiting access may negatively influence student engagement. The educative value of reading aloud and reading for pleasure may be poorly understood in some schools. Most parents had no access to the school library; in some contexts, this was due to safety concerns. Student choice may be constrained by low resourcing, censorship and book levelling. Some multi-purpose uses of libraries are incompatible with sustained reading. To enhance student reading engagement, school leaders should promote reading for pleasure as a vital responsibility shared by school library professionals and classroom teachers
A researcher’s journey to the use of AI for qualitative data analysis: Findings from a test case with ChatGPT
Get PDFThe use of artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education has mostly focused on issues associated with teaching and assessment. In this paper I used AI to support the analysis of data which consisted of public comments on a newspaper article. This small, low risk research was chosen to demonstrate the potential use of AI and how it may support qualitative data analysis. I present my journey from a naïve user of AI to a position whereby I would consider using it as a support for future data analysis. My article touches on some of the ethical and accountability issues for the use of AI and provides recommendations that address ethical and accountability issues