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Where is My Favourite Toy? Inferring the Mental States of Users in False Belief Understanding
Get PDFThe increasing prevalence of social robots in today's world has made it crucial to have autonomous systems that can interact with humans and adjust to their behaviour. Doing so requires a deep understanding of the human mind, including complex mental states such as beliefs and preferences. To tackle this issue, we have developed a model that can identify false beliefs using the principles of Theory of Mind (ToM), a unique human cognitive mechanism that attributes mental states to others. False belief understanding has always been the primary benchmark used to evaluate ToM in psychology, and this still remain true when testing it in machine systems such as robots. Our model is a modified version of the Bayesian Theory of Mind (BToM), a probabilistic model that reasons on agents' mental states regarding their interactions within the environment. To test the model's performance, we set up a complex assistive scenario with a robot and two human agents playing with toys. In this scenario, the model serves as the cognitive component of the robot, responsible for organising a room with toys while considering the preferences and beliefs of the agents regarding the toys' locations. We have provided results to demonstrate the model's performance in different conditions. Additionally, we have used the Unity Engine as a platform to simulate the cleaning scenario and show the robot's role in such situations
Lecturers don’t know everything: students listening to the thought processes of lecturers on unfamiliar ground
No full textDue to the nature of the teaching environment, students may often develop perceptions of their lecturers’ ability as mathematicians, based on the pre-prepared and well-rehearsed content they present. In reality, performing mathematical calculations and solving problems is a difficult skill, and students may compare their own experiences unfavourably with the ease they see lecturers display. To interrogate this disparity, an exercise was included in an undergraduate maths session during which lecturers attempted unseen problems from A-level maths papers, so the students could see them describing the process of problem-solving—including making mistakes, applying helpful strategies and techniques, correcting their own errors and identifying gaps in their knowledge. As well as describing these positive behaviours for students, the session aimed to develop the students’ understanding that their own experiences of struggling with maths are normal and healthy. The activity formed part of a broader session on making mistakes in maths, which also included some advice and opportunities to find mistakes in mathematical working-out. The students were invited to participate in questionnaires and focus groups to explore their perceptions and attitudes towards their lecturers’ knowledge and capacity to make mistakes, and in this paper we analyse these responses and consider how this relates to teaching, and to students’ personal development
Normalising the Implementation of Pharmacogenomic (PGx) Testing in Adult Mental Health Settings: A Theory-Based Systematic Review
Get PDFPharmacogenomic (PGx) testing can help personalise psychiatric prescribing and improve on the currently adopted trial-and-error prescribing approach. However, widespread implementation is yet to occur. Understanding factors influencing implementation is pertinent to the psychiatric PGx field. Normalisation Process Theory (NPT) seeks to understand the work involved during intervention implementation and is used by this review (PROSPERO: CRD42023399926) to explore factors influencing PGx implementation in psychiatry. Four databases were systematically searched for relevant records and assessed for eligibility following PRISMA guidance. The QuADS tool was applied during quality assessment of included records. Using an abductive approach to codebook thematic analysis, barrier and facilitator themes were developed using NPT as a theoretical framework. Twenty-nine records were included in the data synthesis. Key barrier themes included a PGx knowledge gap, a lack of consensus in policy and guidance, and uncertainty towards the use of PGx. Facilitator themes included an interest in PGx use as a new and improved approach to prescribing, a desire for a multidisciplinary approach to PGx implementation, and the importance of fostering a climate for PGx implementation. Using NPT, this novel review systematically summarises the literature in the psychiatric PGx implementation field. The findings highlight a need to develop national policies on using PGx, and an education and training workforce plan for mental health professionals. By understanding factors influencing implementation, the findings help to address the psychiatric PGx implementation gap. This helps move clinical practice closer towards a personalised psychotropic prescribing approach and associated improvements in patient outcomes. Future policy and research should focus on the appraisal of PGx implementation in psychiatry and the role of pharmacists in PGx service design, implementation, and delivery
Strategy in Sport Performance: How Training Programmes Could Shape Dynamic, Adaptive Intentional Processes in Performers
Get PDFRecent developments in sports science have indicated that traditional models for planning training programs typically lack coherence for developing the complexity of adaptive processes that emerge from and are invited bytraining and competition. Here, we argue that the strategic management of training programs for sports performance development may emerge from continuous interactions between individuals in a non-linear transformative causality, displaying transactional intentionality. Based on the understanding and application of theories in complexity sciences, and from the perspective of the ecological dynamics of human behavior, it is intended to contribute to the strategic process that underlies the development of sports performance.Here, we seek to articulate how the strategic process that underlies sports performance development is based on an "educated intentionality" that guides the coaches' actions (e.g., problem-solving, decision-making, planning, and organization). This approach requires a co-evolving design process and decision-making in sports performance development so that athletes can implement adaptive behaviors in competitive contexts
Statistics support and anxiety explored
Get PDFMost higher education institutions in the UK now offer some form of additional individual support for mathematics and statistics. Whilst numerous studies have shown mathematics support can improve grades and reduce failure rates, there is a lack of research on other outcomes of interest such as anxiety or confidence, and very little research relating specifically to statistics support. This study uses quantitative and qualitative results from student questionnaires to evaluate the effectiveness of support in reducing anxiety and increasing confidence immediately after the first statistics support session and in the longer term. Comparisons of and preferences for online or face-to-face sessions and other aspects relating to anxiety were also explored. Key quantitative findings include a significant reduction in statistics anxiety after only one session of statistics support and a long-term increase in confidence with statistics. When asked how support impacts on anxiety or confidence, key themes emerging included feeling comfortable asking questions in statistics support, tailoring to individual needs and confirmation of understanding. The majority of students preferred face-to-face sessions over online particularly those with higher levels of statistics anxiety. Although differences were generally not significant, higher levels of anxiety were observed before online sessions and greater changes in anxiety occurred during face-to-face sessions
Experiences and Perceived Impacts of the Apprenticeship Minimum Wage: A Qualitative Scoping Study
Get PDFAround 14% of apprentices are paid the apprenticeship minimum wage in England (LPC, 2022). These apprentices tend to be younger, on a Level 2 apprenticeship, and employed by small businesses (Ibid). Our research sought to uncover the experiences of those paid the apprenticeship minimum wage. We interviewed 10 current and former apprentices about their initial choices, their experiences on the apprenticeship, including pay, and their post-apprenticeship pathways and plans. Most had discovered their apprenticeship through family or an advert online, with none having been given a positive view of apprenticeships by their school. We found that all apprentices were motivated by the opportunity to gain a “foot in the door” and progress on a career path. However, whilst accepting the concept of earning a lower wage while training to earn more in future, those apprentices who were living independently were not able to make ends meet on the apprenticeship minimum wage. We conclude that Level 2 apprenticeships can be an effective stepping stone for a career but that pay needs to be set high enough that apprentices can support themselves
Evaluation of models of sequestration flow in coronary arteries—Physiology versus anatomy?
Get PDFBackground:
Myocardial ischaemia results from insufficient coronary blood flow. Computed virtual fractional flow reserve (vFFR) allows quantification of proportional flow loss without the need for invasive pressure-wire testing. In the current study, we describe a novel, conductivity model of side branch flow, referred to as ‘leak’. This leak model is a function of taper and local pressure, the latter of which may change radically when focal disease is present. This builds upon previous techniques, which either ignore side branch flow, or rely purely on anatomical factors. This study aimed to describe a new, conductivity model of side branch flow and compare this with established anatomical models.
Methods and results:
The novel technique was used to quantify vFFR, distal absolute flow (Qd) and microvascular resistance (CMVR) in 325 idealised 1D models of coronary arteries, modelled from invasive clinical data. Outputs were compared to an established anatomical model of flow. The conductivity model correlated and agreed with the reference model for vFFR (r = 0.895, p
<
0.0001; ＋0.02, 95% CI 0.00 to ＋ 0.22), Qd (r = 0.959, p
<
0.0001; −5.2 mL/min, 95% CI −52.2 to ＋13.0) and CMVR (r = 0.624, p
<
0.0001; ＋50 Woods Units, 95% CI −325 to ＋2549).
Conclusion:
Agreement between the two techniques was closest for vFFR, with greater proportional differences seen for Qd and CMVR. The conductivity function assumes vessel taper was optimised for the healthy state and that CMVR was not affected by local disease. The latter may be addressed with further refinement of the technique or inferred from complementary image data.The conductivity technique may represent a refinement of current techniques for modelling coronary side-branch flow. Further work is needed to validate the technique against invasive clinical data
“I am no longer part of this rat race”: student resistance to neoliberal accounting education in Pakistan
Get PDFStudies of accounting education have exposed the link between traditional ways of teaching accounting and neoliberal beliefs. Nevertheless, the perspectives of students are yet to attract a level of attention that is consistent with their crucial role in the accounting education system. Drawing upon Scott’s understanding of “infrapolitics” and resistance, the study investigates how students make sense of neoliberal accounting education and react. Interviews with students at five highly regarded universities in Pakistan show how the former are aware of the challenges posed by neoliberal approaches to accounting education. By investigating the under-explored context of Pakistan, this study enhances understanding of power and resistance by illuminating how accounting students perceive neoliberal values taught in higher education and resist their inculcation. The study focuses on less obvious forms of resistance, showing how allegedly passive actors as students may well be resisting neoliberal principles enshrined in accounting education in unobstructive forms