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Hollow Knight Silksong: how 3 people in Australia made the world’s hottest game
No full textThis professional online article, published in The Conversation, examines the international success of Hollow Knight and its sequel Silksong, developed by Adelaide studio Team Cherry. It analyses these titles as exemplars of Australia’s independent game development sector, contextualising their achievements through industry data from the Australia Plays 2025 and Australian Game Development Survey 2024 reports. The discussion highlights structural characteristics of the Australian games industry, including export orientation, intellectual property generation, and sectoral resilience, while also considering the scale and diversity of the national player community. The article argues that the prominence of these globally acclaimed indie titles underscores both the creative capacity of small studios and the continuing requirement for stable, long-term policy support to ensure sustainable industry growth
Dietary Counselling Interventions in Malnutrition Research: Achieving an International Consensus on Best Practices Using an Amended Delphi Process
No full textIntroduction: The evidence for the use of dietary counselling interventions in the management of malnutrition is inconsistent. Lack of consistency limits the ability to compare studies, impacting research, clinical practice and policy development. Aims: To establish an international consensus on minimum requirements for dietary counselling interventions used for the prevention and management of malnutrition in adults in a clinical research context. Methods: An international expert panel with seven members was formed. An amended Delphi study was conducted with 37 initial consensus statements generated from a targeted search of the literature. The agreement was assessed across two Delphi rounds and two online meetings. The full consensus was defined as the assignment of a score of 5 (strongly agree). A preliminary external validation was conducted with clinical and/or research dietetic professionals when delegates at the International Congress of Dietetics (ICD) 2021 voted during an online meeting on agreement with statements relating to patient assessment and delivery of a dietary counselling intervention. Results: Consensus was achieved for 27 statements across four themes, with justifications and commentary. Minimum requirements included eight statements for ‘nutritional assessment’ (theme 1), seven for ‘nutritional intervention content’ (theme 2), five for ‘nutritional intervention delivery’ (theme 3) and seven for ‘monitoring and follow-up’ (theme 4). The ICD delegates voted on elements of assessment (77 of 140 delegates in agreement) and delivery of the intervention (37 of 101 delegates in agreement), demonstrating that consensus on these aspects of nutritional support interventions was low to moderate in this delegate sample. Conclusions: Consensus was achieved by an international group of experts to define the minimum essential factors for delivering dietary counselling interventions for the management of malnutrition in a research context; however, further external validation is required. The minimum requirements have the potential to influence research, clinical practice and policy development
How CPC Policies in Tibet are Shaping the Region’s Climate
No full textThe Communist Party of China (CPC) governance structure and development model is based on Marxism-Leninism, which is articulated as socialism with Chinese characteristics. 1Chinese President and General Secretary of the CPC, Xi Jinping, has repeatedly stated thatMarxism is the ideological basis of the CPC. For example, quoted by the State Council Information Office, he said: “We should review the fresh experience gained by the people under the leadership of the Party, constantly adapt Marxism to Chinese conditions and make contemporary Marxism shine brighter in China.”
Major depressive disorder and pareidolia: An investigation in a clinical sample
Get PDFBackground: While there have been several studies investigating pareidolia in several patient populations, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and Alzheimer’s disease, to our knowledge, no study has investigated pareidolia in patients with major depressive disorder. In the current study, we, for the first time, study pareidolia in patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder. Methods: We have recruited 75 drug-naïve patients (i.e., to minimise side effects of antidepressants) diagnosed with major depressive disorder and anxiety. We have used the following measures: demographic scale, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), and the novel Noise Pareidolia Task (NPT-20). Results: Results show that higher depression was associated with a lower capacity to distinguish noise from faces. Higher depression was also associated with a greater probability of seeing faces when they are not there (i.e., face pareidolia). Surprisingly, we did not find any relations between anxiety and pareidolia. Discussion: Our results suggest that pareidolia is a common phenomenon in several patient populations and should be investigated in clinical settings in relation to visual hallucinations
Improving patient adherence to wearing compression stockings in the management of venous leg ulcers
No full textCan motivation and self-efficacy predict a law enforcement officer’s general and job-specific fitness?
Get PDFSedentary behaviors contribute to law enforcement officer fitness declines over a career. An officer’s motivation (desire to exercise) and self-efficacy (belief in ability to exercise) could affect whether they exercise and predict resulting fitness. Data from 60 officers (48 men, 12 women) were analyzed. Motivation (amotivation, external, introjected, identified, integrated, and intrinsic regulation) was measured via the Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire. A 6-item questionnaire assessed coping (confidence in exercising under challenging conditions) and scheduling (confidence in scheduling exercise) self-efficacy. General fitness variables included sit-and-reach, grip strength, 60-s push-ups, 60-s sit-ups, and step test recovery heart rate. Job-specific fitness variables included 99-yard obstacle course, body drag, 6-foot chain link fence and solid wall climbs, and 500-yard run. Stepwise regression, controlling for sex, derived relationships between motivation and self-efficacy, with general and job-specific fitness (p<0.05). Grip strength was predicted by introjected, identified,and integrated motivation (~71% explained variance). Push-ups were predicted by integrated motivation and coping self-efficacy (~43% explained variance). The obstacle course, fence and solid wall climbs, were predicted by coping self-efficacy (~24-47% explained variance). Internal motivation and coping self-efficacy predicted certain general and job-specific fitness metrics. Grip strength, an indicator of muscular strength, was predicted by introjected (internal rewards), identified (exercise is valued), and integrated (exercise integrated within beliefs) regulation. Integrated regulation and coping self-efficacy, or confidence to overcome barriers to exercise, predicted push-ups as a muscular endurance metric. Coping self-efficacy could also contribute to the exercise needed to maintain job-specific fitness relative to obstacle courses and obstacle clearance
Globalisation Disrupted: Competing Futures in a Multipolar World
No full textThis book explores the complexities of globalization, examining its evolving role in a world characterized by increasing interdependence and tension. Globalization has enabled the free flow of people, capital, information, and trade, driving economic prosperity. However, its legitimacy is increasingly questioned, particularly as institutions that underpin the global economy continue to reflect post-World War II structures, favoring Western hegemonic actors while limiting the influence of developing nations. The rise of China and organizations like BRICS has amplified calls for more equitable representation and a rethinking of global economic governance.The book presents a series of essays, offering diverse perspectives on key issues shaping the future of globalization. Unlike earlier works, this book emphasizes the broadening conception of geopolitical conflict, which now extends beyond the military sphere to include economic legitimacy. The contributions focus on the economic security implications of global developments, touching on themes such as nationalism, technological decoupling, and the shifting balance of power between the West and emerging economies. Central to the book is the fragmentation of globalization, with discussions on the challenges posed by rising nationalism, protectionism, and the impact of major geopolitical shifts such as Brexit, China's Belt and Road Initiative, and the US-China rivalry. It also delves into the role of emerging economies in reshaping global trade dynamics, the challenges facing global institutions like the WTO, and the implications of technological advancements for global governance. Overall, this book offers a timely and critical analysis of globalization, exploring its stressors and future direction
Rotator cuff imaging abnormalities in asymptomatic shoulders: A systematic review
No full textObjective: To estimate the prevalence of rotator cuff (RC) imaging abnormalities (tendinopathy, partial-thickness tear, full-thickness tear, or calcification) on radiograph, ultrasound, computed tomography, or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in asymptomatic adult shoulders. Study Design:Systematic review.Literature Search:Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and Web of Science (searched September 1, 2024), with forward and backward citation searches. Study Selection Criteria:We included studies reporting the prevalence of RC abnormalities on imaging of asymptomatic shoulders. Data Synthesis:Due to heterogeneity, data were synthesized without meta-analysis. Risk of bias was assessed using a tool for prevalence studies. Certainty of evidence was determined using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. Results:After screening 3801 records and 188 studies in full text, we included 53 studies (29 ultrasound, 24 MRI) across population-based, miscellaneous, and athlete populations. The certainty of evidence was low to very low. For full-thickness tears, prevalence on ultrasound was 11% to 17% in 2 population-based samples (1631 shoulders), 0% to 35% across 14 studies of miscellaneous populations (3390 shoulders), and 0% to 22% across 4 studies of athlete populations (346 shoulders). On MRI, the prevalence was 20% in 1 population-based study (20 shoulders), 0% to 14% across 10 studies of miscellaneous populations (490 shoulders), and 0% to 11% across 12 studies of athlete populations (326 shoulders). For tendinopathy and/or partial-thickness tears, the prevalence on ultrasound was 34% in 1 population-based sample (539 shoulders), 0% to 47% across 11 studies of miscellaneous populations (1971 shoulders), and 7% to 70% across 4 studies of athlete populations (346 shoulders). On MRI, the prevalence was 65% in 1 population-based sample (20 shoulders), 0% to 100% across 10 studies of miscellaneous populations (490 shoulders), and 6% to 96% across 13 studies of athlete populations (426 shoulders). Conclusion:Across studies with low- to very low-certainty of evidence, the prevalence of RC imaging abnormalities in asymptomatic shoulders ranged from 0% to 100%
