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Fixed point results for generalized almost contractions and application to a nonlinear matrix equation
No full textThe goal of this paper was to improve some known results of fixed points by using wdistances and properties of locally symmetric H-transitivity of binary relations. Also, we gave the application of the obtained results for finding the solution of nonlinear matrix equations. Finally, we gave a numerical example to demonstrate the applicability of our results
Climate Custodianship Fire Retardant Plants
No full textA quick yarn by Madison Shakespeare about climate custodianship fire retardant plants
Impacts of biostimulants on crop yield and biological activity under drought conditions
No full textIntroduction: Biostimulants are proposed to have a role in sustainable food production and are being increasingly used strategies to limit the negative effects of drought stress on crop yield and soil health. However, how different biostimulants used alone, or in combination with conventional management approaches affect soil health and crop yield under drought in different soils is not well understood. Here we conducted a glasshouse experiment to investigate this. Materials and Methods: Two soil types from fields maintained under intensive (IM) and extensive (EM) management practices were used with two commercial biostimulants [Universal Natural Plant food (UNP) and Converte Seed Primer (CSP)] on soil microbial populations and crop yield (lettuce) under well-watered and drought stressed conditions. We examined the activity and biomass of soil microorganisms as well as seed germination and root and shoot biomass to examine the effect of application of biostimulants on parameters of soil health and crop yield. Results: Biostimulants generally increased crop yield, basal soil respiration and microbial biomass, with effects stronger in EM soils than in IM soils, but effects on soil enzyme activities were variable. The combined use of biostimulant and inorganic fertiliser negated the benefits of the biostimulant on soil biological properties in some cases. Nevertheless, effects of biostimulants had a positive impact on crop yield with the combined use of soil-applied and seed applied biostimulants have the greatest impact on plant biomass and also conferring some resistance in both soil microbial communities and plant growth to drought. Conclusions: While biomass and activity of the microbial community and plant growth responses to biostimulant additions are both soil and biostimulant dependent, their combined use has potential to aid both plants and maintain promote microbial activity under of drought, compared to conventional fertiliser treatments in extensively managed soils
The arrival time and energy of FRBs traverse the time-energy bivariate space like a Brownian motion
No full textThe origin of fast radio bursts (FRBs), the brightest cosmic explosion in radio bands, remains unknown. We introduce here a novel method for a comprehensive analysis of active FRBs’ behaviors in the time-energy domain. Using “Pincus Index” and “Maximum Lyapunov Exponent”, we were able to quantify the randomness and chaoticity, respectively, of the bursting events and put FRBs in the context of common transient physical phenomena, such as pulsar, earthquakes, and solar flares. In the bivariate time-energy domain, repeated FRB bursts’ behaviors deviate significantly (more random, less chaotic) from pulsars, earthquakes, and solar flares. The waiting times between FRB bursts and the corresponding energy changes exhibit no correlation and remain unpredictable, suggesting that the emission of FRBs does not exhibit the time and energy clustering observed in seismic events. The pronounced stochasticity may arise from a singular source with high entropy or the combination of diverse emission mechanisms/sites. Consequently, our methodology serves as a pragmatic tool for illustrating the congruities and distinctions among diverse physical processes
Pilot study outcomes and recommendations from developing an Australian residential treatment for eating disorders
No full textIndividuals with eating disorders often face difficulty accessing sufficiently intensive, recovery-focused treatment. Residential treatment may fill a gap in the spectrum of care, offering 24-h support in a more home-like environment than a hospital and using a holistic approach including individual and group psychological therapy, meal support, and lived experience staff. As residential treatment has not previously been examined in Australia, the current study aimed to document the development, treatment components, and structure of this first Australian residential service for eating disorders and provide a pilot of its treatment outcomes. Preliminary outcomes are included from a sample of 19 individuals from the first six months of admissions, including eating disorder symptoms, eating disorder-related impairment, anxiety, and depression. Significant pre- to post- treatment improvement was found in total eating disorder psychopathology, dietary restraint, eating concerns, body mass index, eating disorder-related impairment, and depression, but not from pre- treatment to a six-month follow-up. Pilot outcomes were positive at end-of-treatment but require further clinical evaluation to examine follow-up effects. Clinical insights are discussed from the establishment of this new treatment service, including recommendations for clinicians involved in the current roll-out of residential programs across Australia
Checking-in within the opening interactional sequences of therapy
No full textHow mental health practitioners open sessions of psychotherapy is important to the establishment of a therapeutic alliance and ultimately influential on therapeutic outcomes. Openings in conversation analytic terms are dynamic interactional sequences. One suggestion by Schegloff (1968) is that in openings, participants orient to achieve one or several of three tasks: gatekeeping, (re)constructing their relationship, and/or establishing topic(s) of their talk. Within therapeutic interactions, openings serve the purpose of beginning the work of therapy. Those early sequences also orient participants to the reconstruction of their relationships where they have previously engaged in interactions or the establishment of their relationship where it is their first encounter (Schegloff, 1968). A common feature of the opening sequences of therapeutic interactions is known as ‘checking-in’. Checking-in is broadly refers to the therapist’s enquiry about the client’s subjective experiences of therapy, and may include their expectations, progress or emotional, physical, or cognitive state (Egan & Reese, 2018). Despite the recognition that checking-in is an important feature of opening therapeutic interactions (Furrow et al., 2011; Yalom, 2002), most advice provided to therapists regarding its formulation and use is theoretical and not based on empirical evidence. Drawing on a corpus of recorded therapeutic interactions, this study uses conversation analysis to examine session openings at various stages of therapy, with a particular focus on checking-in sequences of talk. By focusing on checking-in sequences, the study provides the opportunity to examine observable interactional evidence for common recommendations. Analysis of therapeutic interactions from a range of settings and various therapists and clients will also provide the opportunity to identify the prevalence of checking-in, common interactional practices and its utility within the therapeutic interaction. The study also investigates how checking-in achieves any or all the three tasks of openings identified by Schegloff (1968). This presentation will outline an overview and preliminary findings of the study which will contribute to the understanding of the interactional practices and challenges of opening therapeutic interactions, also known as ‘session-initiating sequences’ (Clark & Rendle-Short, 2016). By using interactional evidence to appraise existing recommendations for mental health practitioners, this presentation will provide preliminary insights into ways conversation analysis can practically inform training and development of mental health practitioners
[In Press] From individual to household decision-making : a practical perspective on the base of the pyramid consumer
No full textThis paper proposes a new household decision-making model for base of pyramid (BoP) consumers. Many decision-making models focus on general consumer behaviour theory, with few focusing on the resource constraints experienced at the BoP. By focusing on the dynamics of household decisions, the data collected bring a unique perspective to BoP consumer behaviour and extend recent work in the BoP domain. The study comprised qualitative interviews with 61 household representatives (representing 233 household members) to explore decision-making, loyalty, budgeting, shopping and category trade-offs. The study proposes a household-focused decision-making framework, which is far more characteristic of BoP consumer behaviour (as opposed to isolated individual decisions). The proposed framework reveals the impact of situations and financial constraints on BoP household decision-making and how most households operate in both the formal and informal economy. Family obligation was observed to be a key factor, as well as how functional illiteracy drives brand loyalty but also creates embarrassment. Word of mouth trumps all other sources of information and, due to household complexities, there is significant decision-maker ambiguity, making it hard to define a target audience with a communication strategy. Brands are important, but fundamental value is still key and there is inexorable monthly variation in finances, making category trade-offs commonplace
[In Press] A qualitative approach to explore the cognitive processes used by members of an adult learn-to-cycle program
No full textAttaining movement proficiency under various constraints is well-researched; of particular interest here is how conscious processing and self-consciousness influence learning and performance. Current research relevant to these variables e.g., reinvestment, tends to utilize quantitative methods and thus overlooks a potentially rich source of understanding. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to apply a qualitative approach to explore the cognitive processes and self-consciousness within a less practiced population of adults participating in a non-competitive leisure activity. To achieve this, eleven semi-structured interviews were conducted with adult women learning or relearning to ride a bicycle. Using thematic analysis, two distinct themes were evident and corroborated those illustrated in scales such as the movement-specific reinvestment scale (Masters et al., 2005). These themes included Conscious Processing, Recalling Experiences and Movement Analysis, in addition to Style of Movement, and Self-Consciousness. Anxiety also emerged as an additional and relevant theme to learning a new complex movement skill. The findings indicated that participating women attuned to their movements to the extent that there was a conscious attempt to control their movements, but less so regarding movements being altered by self-awareness. Whilst further research is required, qualitative methods provide a promising basis for exploring the cognitive process involved with the conscious process involved in learning
An experimental investigation into soil-structure interactions of integral bridge abutments due to cyclic translations
No full textIntegral bridges are built without expansion joints to avoid many of the persistent issues with joint degradation and maintenance problems regularly experienced by traditional bridges. In the absence of expansion joints, the cyclic thermal displacements of the integral bridge would be transferred unmitigated by the joints to the abutment resulting in accentuated soil–structure interactions. Previous studies have mainly focussed on the rotational mode of integral abutment movement while the translational mode of movement and backfill deformations have received much less attention. This paper presents the results of laboratory tests conducted on a semiscale (1:2) physical model, which was designed using dimensional analysis to achieve field stress and strain similarity with a full-scale 1.92 m high-prototype integral abutment. The comparative effects from five tests covering low to high cyclic translation amplitude on backfill surface settlement and heave, and lateral earth pressures behind the abutment were investigated over assumed 120 seasonal cycles. Asymptotic settlement depth of the backfill was obtained in each test. Full passive failure surface was observed when the cyclic translation amplitude of the test exceeded the threshold amplitude. The findings also suggest that the settlement depth seemed to be linked to the development of passive failure surface in the following sense——the asymptotic settlement depth in those tests which developed full passive failure surface would attain the same (ultimate) asymptotic depth; conversely, when the passive failure surface had not or only partially developed in that test, the asymptotic settlement depth was dependent on the cyclic translation amplitude, but it was less than the ultimate observed for full passive failure surface. Lateral earth pressure only stabilized to an asymptotic state for the test with the lowest cyclic translation amplitude during the 120 cycles. Shakedown limit state was observed for this case. At larger cyclic translation amplitudes, the lateral earth pressure did not stabilize but continued to evolve with the elapsed cycles, and shakedown limit state was not observed for these cases
Reconceptualising how to internationalise-at-home : using dialogue to stimulate intercultural capacity within university students
No full textIn an increasingly globalised world approaches to internationalisation continue to evolve within the education sector. Calls to reframe how higher education approaches internationalisation are clearly noted in the literature. Additionally, most education institutions have adopted mission statements promising to produce graduates with the capacity to work successfully across international borders and cultures. This means creating students who are interculturally competent and capable of interacting effectively in a range of contexts. However, in the current global climate, a host of challenges have presented obstacles for moving the well-intentioned internationalisation agenda forward, and in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, many Australian higher education institutions have been left questioning how internationalisation-at-home can best be achieved, if at all. This paper presents findings from a purpose-built internationalisation-at-home program piloted at a regional Australian university. A mixed group of domestic and international students participated in this program, founded on dialogic forums designed to promote intercultural interactions. This paper reports on shifts found in participants’ knowledge, attitude, and skill development, all framed as vital for intercultural competence to flourish. The importance of adopting a dialogic approach to stimulate intercultural competence development in students was key to the success of the internationalisation-at-home initiative. Embracing dialogic interaction as a teaching and learning pedagogy is presented as one way to promote internationalisation as we grapple to move the internationalisation agenda forward in a much-changed higher education arena