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Applying multispecies justice in nature-based solutions and urban sustainability planning:tensions and prospects
No full textWhile substantial efforts have been made to identify and address issues of environmental justice in urban areas, the question of how to consider and plan for the concerns of humans and other species remains a major challenge. This paper provides a conceptualisation of what 'justice' might mean from a multispecies justice (MSJ) perspective within the contexts of nature-based solutions (NBS) and urban sustainability planning. We offer a wider conceptualisation of representation, distribution and agency compared with dominant framings in NBS scholarship and provide exemplar cases on how to integrate these concepts in planning discourse. We critically discuss some of the challenges and opportunities of considering MSJ when confronted by established procedures and practices in NBS science and decision-making, focusing on (i) moving beyond existing standards for biodiversity conservation; (ii) embracing MSJ as a process and practice; and (iii) building the capacity of NBS planners to work with MSJ.</p
Ignorance of the crowd:dysfunctional thinking in social networks
No full textCognitive dysfunction, and the resulting social behaviours, contribute to major social problems, ranging from polarisation to the spread of conspiracy theories. Most previous studies have explored these problems at a specific scale: individual, group, or societal. This study develops a synthesis that links models of cognitive failures at these three scales. First, cognitive limits and innate drives can lead to dysfunctional cognition in individuals. Second, cognitive biases and social effects further influence group behaviour. Third, social networks cause cascading effects that increase the intensity and scale of dysfunctional group behaviour. Advances in communications and information technology, especially the Internet and AI, have exacerbated established problems by accelerating the spread of false beliefs and false interpretations on an unprecedented scale, and have become an enabler for emergent effects hitherto only seen on a smaller scale. Finally, this study explores mechanisms used to manipulate people's beliefs by exploiting these biases and behaviours, notably gaslighting, propaganda, fake news, and promotion of conspiracy theories.</p
Understanding the relationship between driving cessation and depressive symptomology in older adults:a systematic review
No full textBackground: Older adults (aged 65 and older) are considered a vulnerable group of road users due to age-related declines inhibiting their fitness to drive. This often results in older drivers having to transition from ‘drivers’ to ‘retired drivers’ (RD), which has been associated with increased depressive symptoms. Despite the significant implications on well-being, only one previous review has systematically examined the literature on the relationship between driving cessation and depressive symptomology in older adults. Objective: This systematic review aimed to synthesise both cross-sectional and longitudinal literature examining the relationship between driving cessation and depressive symptomology in older adults. Data sources: The reviewed included peer-reviewed studies published up to April 2024 and were sourced from PsycINFO, PubMed and Scopus. To meet the inclusion criteria, studies had to: be peer-reviewed, be in English, have a mean participant age of over 65 years, include a measure of depressive symptoms, and include sample of RD. Results: A total of 19 cross-sectional and longitudinal studies met the inclusion criteria. Findings were consistent, with significant relationships reported between driving cessation and higher depressive symptoms in over 80 % of included studies, both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Limitations: The measures used to assess depressive symptoms were inconsistent across studies. Additionally, the studies did not define the length of time since driver retirement for their sample, limiting the ability to make accurate conclusions on the long-term effects of driving cessation on depressive symptoms. Future research should utilise valid and reliable measures of depressive symptoms and work towards a standard criterion for RD. Conclusions: Overall, the findings suggest that driving cessation is associated with higher depressive symptoms among older adults. This underscores the importance of providing tools and support to navigate and cope with this transition. However further research is required to better understand the relationship between driving cessation and depressive symptomology in older adults.</p
A dynamic and stochastic perspective on time headway in traffic oscillations and its implications for traffic safety
No full textTraffic oscillations refer to the alternating patterns of vehicle deceleration and acceleration in congested conditions, which usually create significant safety concerns on freeways. Thus, it is imperative to understand the mechanisms of traffic oscillations and their underlying safety implications. This paper presents a novel approach to exploring the combined effects of dynamic time headway (DTH) and stochasticity on traffic oscillations during car-following. Using high-precision trajectory data, we demonstrate a strong correlation between DTH and stochasticity strength with the power functions of speed. We then extend the car-following model framework that considers both the dynamic characteristics and stochasticity of time headway to investigate the mechanisms of traffic oscillation. The model calibration and validation results demonstrate that our extended model outperforms the original model in terms of trajectory fitting accuracy, successfully replicating the asymmetric driving behavior and the concave growth pattern of speed standard deviation. Building upon this novel perspective, linear stability and safety evaluation are systematically conducted to understand the comprehensive influence of DTH and stochasticity. Our theoretical and numerical experiments show that DTH significantly increases the range of string instability in traffic flow, particularly at low-speed regimes. The influence of the stochasticity on the marginal stability of traffic flow shows a pattern of increasing followed by decreasing tendencies. Also, the combined effect of drivers’ DTH characteristics and stochasticity could expand the rear-end collision risks at low-speed regimes, showing a backward diffusion effect. Our findings further establish the interconnection of traffic oscillations with traffic stability and safety concerns.</p
Expectation formation in financial markets:heterogeneity and sentiment
No full textWe set up an endowment based asset pricing model in which agents have heterogeneous expectations about future price levels. Expectations are a function of fundamentals or trends, both interacted with sentiment. Agents are able to switch between expectation formation functions based on past performance combined with sentiment. Estimation results on the S&P500 index as well as its constituents reveal that there is heterogeneity between agents, with substantial switching between groups. We find that sentiment has both a direct and an indirect effect on expectations. Specifically, heterogeneity between groups is increasing in sentiment, and higher sentiment reduces the frequency of switching between functions. Our results imply that the true expectation formation process is a dynamic process based on multiple information sources.</p
A review of few-shot image classification: Approaches, datasets and research trends
No full textOver the past decade, deep learning has made significant advancements in image classification. However, these models struggle with data scarcity and distribution shifts, commonly referred to as the few-shot image classification (FSIC) problem. FSIC aims to recognize novel classes using only a limited number of labeled samples, posing challenges for conventional deep learning models that rely on large datasets for optimal performance. This paper provides a comprehensive review of FSIC methodologies, categorizing them into five main approaches: meta-learning, transfer learning, data augmentation, attribute-related, and vision-language foundation model adaptation. Meta-learning approaches are further classified into metric-based, model-based, and optimization-based methods, while transfer learning approaches are divided into hybrid and non-hybrid methods. Vision-language foundation model adaptation approaches are grouped into few-shot parameter tuning, dynamic or unsupervised tuning, and training-free adaptation methods. Beyond general FSIC, this paper also explores specialized FSIC methods in fine-grained classification, cross-domain classification, and class-incremental learning. Additionally, it reviews commonly used few-shot image datasets and compares the performance of representative methods through experimental results. Practical applications of FSIC across various domains are also discussed, highlighting its potential to address real-world challenges. Finally, the research trends of FSIC are identified, offering insights into the state-of-the-art FSIC methods and guiding future advancements in this field.</p
Development of early choral expertise:insights from middle school elite choristers
No full textGeneral models of talent development have highlighted the importance of a community of practice to nurture talent potential, with recent studies refining factors that contribute to the developmental journey. In music, an early model described three phases of talent development, while current research has focused on transitions between these. Choral music research has investigated conductors’ expertise and choristers’ experiences, highlighting positive social impacts for children in addition to the development of choral skills. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate talent development of 11 elite middle school choristers utilising interviews. Thematic analyses identified four themes and 10 sub-themes, demonstrating that choristers followed a developmental pathway similar to choral conductors, acquiring vocal competence and mastery, nurturing a sense of belonging to a choral community, participating in meaningful experiences, and becoming advanced choristers through intensive training. Chorister talent development was also linked to personality development, with transformation in choral identity leading to growth in personal confidence. This study extends research into choral talent development by documenting the voices of middle school children participating in an advanced choir, showing that high levels of performance can be achieved through expert choral coaching and without sacrificing the enjoyment of singing.</p
‘I did not choose teaching because…’:Examining the underrepresentation of ethnic minority teacher candidates in Australia
No full textEthnic minority teacher candidates are disproportionately underrepresented in Australia’s teacher education programs. This study examined the perceptions of ethnic minorities who considered but did not choose teaching to understand the inhibitors and what could have motivated them to pursue teaching. Using Margaret Archer’s theory of reflexive decision-making and data from 152 survey respondents and 48 interview participants, we found that participants’ teaching career decision is influenced by personal conditions (personal beliefs), structural conditions (racism and discrimination, financial consideration, and career pathway), and cultural conditions (status and image of teaching and social influence). Strategies to attract ethnic minorities into teaching are discussed.</p
Silence as a quiet strategy:understanding the consequences of workplace ostracism through the lens of sociometer theory
No full textExisting research has predominantly framed defensive silence as an avoidance response to interpersonal mistreatments. Moving beyond this view, this study theorizes defensive silence as a proactive strategy for managing interpersonal relationships through the lens of sociometer theory. We posit that workplace ostracism will reduce employees’ organization-based self-esteem (OBSE), which in turn increases their subsequent defensive silence to avert further damage to relationships. In addition, we also expect a moderating role of the sense of power in mitigating the negative impact of workplace ostracism on OBSE. Based on the multi-wave, multi-source data of 345 employees and their 82 immediate supervisors, we tested all the hypotheses. Results from multilevel modeling indicated that OBSE mediated the indirect effect of workplace ostracism on defensive silence, and also supported the moderation role of sense of power. Our theoretical model provides a novel perspective that deepens the understanding of defensive silence and suggests implications for managerial practices.</p