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Reliability and Validity of a Novel Instrument to Quantify Psychology Students’ Perception of Statistics Learning
No full textThis study reports on the validity and reliability of a modified survey tool based on the extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The tool was designed to help identify the factors that affect psychological sciences students’ perceptions of the ease of use and usefulness of statistical concepts and their application in psychology using the statistical software, SPSS. The proposed survey instrument was tested for its reliability and structural validity using data from 530 students enrolled in a first-year statistics for psychology subject during the global pandemic. First, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted on 168 of 191 respondents who completed a pre-intervention survey to explore the structure of the constructs of students' attitudes, confidence, and perceptions. Out of the 42 questions which were divided into 8 sections, five factors of confidence, attitude, dependent learner belief, independent learner belief, and mindfulness were identified. These findings provide a valid and reliable assessment of students’ attitudes, confidence, and beliefs toward statistics learning for predicting academic performance. Consequently, this may help as a guide for effective decision-making in the design and development of the study of statistics for non-mathematical background students. This research is conducted in accordance with La Trobe University's ethics approval license- HEC19013
A New Archaeostomatopod from the Pennsylvanian Wea Shale Member, Nebraska
No full textMantis shrimp (Stomatopoda) are extant, marine, predatory arthropods, but these malacostracan pancrustaceans are also occasionally preserved in fossil assemblages, particularly in Carboniferous and Cretaceous deposits. Carboniferous species fall into two suborders—Palaeostomatopodea and Archaeostomatopodea—and represent the ancestral forms that gave rise to modern lineages. Herein, we describe hitherto unknown specimens belonging to the archaeostomatopod genus Tyrannophontes from the Pennsylvanian-aged Wea Shale Member, eastern Nebraska. We explore the preservation of these fossils using scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. These approaches reveal additional morphological characteristics, including unique appendicular data, such as the earliest occurrence of biramous gilled appendages in Stomatopoda. We suggest that further examination of black shales will likely uncover novel records of these rare pan crustaceans
Spatially variable recruitment response to fire severity in golden-top wattle (Acacia mariae, family: Fabaceae), a thicket-forming shrub of semi-arid forests
No full textContext. Investigations into the life history strategies of organisms in ecosystems prone to fires are essential for effective fire impact management. In Australia, fire severity is expected to increase under anthropogenic climate change (ACC), therefore understanding plant responses to this fire regime element is essential for developing conservation-focused burning practices. Aims. Assess the recruitment response of golden-top wattle (Acacia mariae) to varying fire severities (high, low and unburnt) in the semi-arid Pilliga forest in Northern Inland New South Wales. Investigate seedbank dynamics and germination biology to inform post-fire recruitment patterning. Methods. Longitudinal seedbank studies were performed to understand seedbank dynamics and the associated influence on post-fire regeneration. A laboratory trial was conducted to assess the effects of heat shock and incubation temperature on seed germination. Field surveys were conducted at four sites to assess fire severity impacts and evaluate spatial variability in post-fire recruitment after the 2018 Gibbican Rd wildfire. Key results. Recruitment varied among sites but was highest in shrubs burned by high-severity fire (5.8 seedlings/shrub), followed by low-severity fire (0.8 seedlings/shrub) and unburnt shrubs (0.1 seedlings/shrub). Over 5 years, seedbank densities fluctuated markedly, peaking in 2021 following a major seeding event but declined rapidly thereafter. Germination was optimised when seeds underwent heat shock at temperatures between 100 and 140°C and incubated at warm temperatures. Conclusions. Acacia mariae germination is promoted by heat stimulation, explaining why high intensity burns with higher soil temperatures enhance recruitment. Differences in seedbank densities at the time of fire may account for varied recruitment across landscapes. Overall, A. mariae regenerates well after high-severity fires but poorly after low-severity fires, indicating that the species may be resilient to increased fire severity under ACC but struggle under current widespread low-severity prescribed management burning regimes
On the Recovery of Malformed Horseshoe Crabs Across Multiple Molting Stages
No full textMalformed horseshoe crabs have been documented for over a century. However, most of these records are anecdotal observations of often striking morphologies recorded in isolation. There is therefore little understanding of how malformations are manifested and how they can develop in the group. Here we consider the molt sequences of three Limulus polyphemus individuals to explore different patterns of malformation development. One specimen with an injured telson demonstrates a gradual recovery of the telson section over three molting events. The second individual shows a thoracetronic injury incurred during at least molt-stage 7 that shows no evidence of recovery over five molting stages. The third individual demonstrates a fused thoracetron-telson articulation with a hole for the telson. This individual shows consistent growth of a reduced telson across molts. These records illustrate that horseshoe crab malformation recovery is far more complicated than previously thought. This also suggests that unless an exoskeletal section has functional morphological importance (i.e., the telson), the region is unlikely to recover from an older malformation. From a conservation standpoint, the ability or inability to fully recover from injury affects a horseshoe crab’s ability to survive and/ or reproduce in the wild particularly if the injury affects the telson. Given the global decline in horseshoe crab populations and conservation efforts underway, the extent of injuries in extant populations of horseshoe crabs may affect population recovery and should be considered
Gait in people with nonhealing diabetes-related plantar ulcers
No full textBackground. Abnormalities in gait have been associated with high plantar pressures and diabetes-related plantar foot ulcers. Whether these are a transient response to the ulcer or are representative of long-term lower limb biomechanical abnormalities is currently unknown. Objective. The aim of this study was to examine whether 12 gait parameters identified as being associated with nonhealing diabetes-related plantar foot ulcers at baseline remained associated during a 6-month follow-up period. Design. This was a longitudinal observational case-control study. Methods. Gait assessments were performed at entry and twice during follow-up over a 6-month period in 12 participants with nonhealing diabetes-related plantar foot ulcers (case participants) and 62 people with diabetes and no history of foot ulcers (control participants) using a standardized protocol. Linear mixed-effects random-intercept models were used to identify gait parameters that consistently differed between case participants and control participants at all assessments after adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, presence of peripheral neuropathy, and follow-up time. Standardized mean differences (SMD) were used to measure effect sizes. Results. Five of the 12 gait parameters were significantly different between case participants and control participants at all 3 time points. Case participants had a more abducted foot progression angle (SMD = 0.37), a higher pelvic obliquity at toe-off (SMD = −0.46), a greater minimum pelvic obliquity (SMD = −0.52), a lower walking speed (SMD = −0.46), and a smaller step length (SMD = −0.46) than control participants. Limitations. The limitations included a small sample size, the observational nature of the study, and the inability to evaluate the impact of gait on wound healing. Conclusions. This study identified abnormal gait parameters consistently associated with nonhealing diabetes-related plantar foot ulcers. Further research is needed to test the clinical importance of these gait characteristics
Late Cretaceous bimodal volcanic rocks in Shuanghu induced by lithospheric delamination beneath the Southern Qiangtang, Tibet
No full textThe southern Qiangtang (SQT) in central Tibet is characterized by sporadic Late Cretaceous magmatic rocks whose petrogenesis and tectonic implications remain unclear. Here, new zircon U–Pb ages and Hf isotope compositions, together with whole-rock element and isotope data have been collected for the Duoma volcanic rocks from the SQT, central Tibet. Zircon U–Pb dating indicates that the Duoma volcanic rocks crystallized at ca. 98 Ma. The basalts of the Duoma volcanic rocks have low SiO2 (51.49–53.36 wt%), high total alkalis (4.65–6.25 wt%), and display OIB-like isotopic signatures (87Sr/86Sr)i = 0.7051 to 0.7058, εNd(t) = +0.04 to +1.10), overall similar to intra-plate alkali basalts. Moreover, basalts exhibit slight depletion of high-field-strength elements (HFSEs; e.g., Nb, Ta, and Ti), but enrichment of light rare earth (LaN/YbN = 6.7–7.6) with no negative Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu* = 0.91–0.99). These geochemical features, together with their high La/Nb (1.56–1.70) and Zr/Hf (44.70–45.87) but low La/Ba (0.08–0.09) and Ca/Al (0.43–0.65) ratios, suggest that the Duoma basalts originated from partial melting of garnet clinopyroxenite that was metasomatized by depleted mantle-derived melts. The coexisting rhyolites have high SiO2 (69.78–69.92 wt%) and exhibit significant enrichment in large-ion lithophile elements (LILEs) and depletion in HFSEs (Nb, Ta, and Ti). Furthermore, the Duoma rhyolites are characterized by the decoupled Nd (εNd(t) values ranging from 4.4 to 11.1) and Hf (εHf(t) values ranging from 0.7 to +2.7) compositions, that character indicates that they were probably derived from the partial melting of the lower continental crust. The compositional bimodality and heterogeneous source of the Late Cretaceous volcanism indicate that they were formed in an extension setting, presumably triggered by lithospheric delamination beneath the SQT
Digital learning of clinical skills and its impact on medical students’ academic performance: a systematic review
Full text linkBackground The constraints imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic has led to the rapid development and implementation of digital methods for teaching clinical skills in medical education. This systematic review presents both the benefits, challenges, and effectiveness of this transition. Methods A systematic search of six electronic databases (SCOPUS, Medline, CINAHL, PsycINFO, ERIC & Informit) was conducted on 1st October 2023 and updated on 1st April 2024 to identify peer-reviewed articles, from 2019 onwards, which used any type of digital tool (online or otherwise) to teach clinical skills to medical trainees (undergraduate or postgraduate) and were published in English language. The primary outcome synthesised was the reported effectiveness of these digital tools in the development of clinical skills. Risk of bias of included studies was assessed using the Quality Assessment With Diverse Studies (QuADS) tool. Results Twenty-seven studies involving 3,895 participants were eligible for inclusion in this review. The QuADS quality assessment scores ranged from 22 to 35, indicating medium quality and thirteen of the studies were randomized trials. Overall, digital teaching of clinical skills demonstrated improved or comparable outcomes to in person teaching. There was a beneficial effect of digital learning tools on assessment outcomes, with meta-analysis showing a mean difference increase of 1.93 (95% CI 1.22 to 2.64), albeit with a high amount of statistical heterogeneity I2 97%, P Conclusion Teaching of clinical skills using digital tools is an important alternative to the traditional format of face-to-face delivery, which is resource intensive and difficult to implement during a pandemic. This review demonstrates their potential efficacy in improving education outcomes, student satisfaction and potentially reducing costs. However, the integration of traditional and innovative digital teaching methods appeared to provide the most comprehensive learning experience. Future research could focus on longitudinal studies to assess the long-term impact and efficacy of different digital and blended learning modalities on the acquisition of clinical skills and professional competencies
Trust and suspicion at the airport
No full textAnyone who has ever travelled to or from Australia will agree that the last thing you want after getting off a long-haul flight is any further barriers between you and the outside world, a shower, and a bed. However, given the ever-increasing securitization of borders across the global north, international travellers must first succeed in convincing border officials that they do not pose any type of threat to the nation
The Authentic Influence of Stoic Philosophy on the Life and Principate of Marcus Aurelius Antoninus
No full textThis thesis is an investigation into whether the Roman emperor, Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, is entitled to be considered an authentic adherent of Stoic philosophy, and whether this philosophy, as presented in the work now called the Meditations, can reasonably be considered to have been very influential in his life and principate. The thesis at the outset (chapter 1) attempts to determine the validity of the notion of an individual who was not a professor of philosophy, or an ascetic teacher, attempting to live a committed “philosophical life,” and to what extent this conception had cogency and credibility for any individual in antiquity, let alone an individual ruling a vast empire. An examination throughout various sections of the thesis chapters of some of the longestablished and most up-to-date modern scholarship of the various aspects of what Stoicism was by the mid-second century C.E., and whether it had changed very much from the Hellenistic period, was important in determining what a philosophical life actually might be for a Stoic of that time. The thesis addresses (chapters 1, 2, 4 and 5) some of the major critics and defenders of Marcus Aurelius’ authenticity in attempting to live a philosophical life, as well as his technical knowledge and understanding of the philosophy to which he adhered throughout his life. Moreover, the thesis will attempt to address (chapters 4-6 and 8) the putative problem of how Marcus was able to reconcile his attitude to a supposed rational and providential cosmos in a less than perfect lived reality, and the perceptions of his hypocrisy in regard to Stoic cosmopolitan ethics and Roman militarism, as well as a desire for fame and glory. The thesis examines (in various sections of chapters 3 to 7) how the central doctrines of the Stoics are utilized in the philosophical language of the Meditations and tries to determine whether Marcus Aurelius was cognisant of the need for a profound working knowledge of these interrelated philosophical components and how their “practical living” integration into the Stoic adherent’s life (particularly in terms of one making philosophical “progress” to wisdom) was of vital importance. It concludes that Marcus was completely aware of this as an authentic and educated Stoic, and that this is demonstrated in the acute cognisance of his place in God’s providentially determined cosmos of rational agents, and in his assiduous desire for justice (δικαιοσύνη) in the fulfilment of the perceived duties of his particular role (ὑπόθεσις) as emperor. The final task has been to align as much as possible (in chapters 6, 7 and especially 8) Marcus’ attitude – really the only thing, as a Stoic, he doubtless believed was genuinely ‘up to him’ – to selected aspects of his activity in his role as an emperor, attempting to follow what he conceived as the guiding “right reason” of God, but also the “best-practice” rational example of his “good” imperial predecessors, with various aspects of the philosophical and psychological-motivational evidence cited and discussed throughout the various chapters of the thesis. By investigating the material in his philosophical writings and positioning it within the broader context of the extant earlier Stoic literary work, indeed going back to the foundations of the school, the thesis concludes that not only was Marcus Aurelius a serious philosopher who was far more adept in, and committed to, the precepts of the Stoa than his critics have given him credit for, it also argues that his philosophy was a constant and genuine influence on him as a man who was for nearly twenty years the most powerful person in the Roman Empire
Advancement of life and death education research: Recommending implementation of the Life + Death Education Framework for teaching & research purposes
No full textLife and death education is a distinct field of study that has potential practicality and life relevance for us to consider. For example, one notable inquiry pertaining to life education teaching entails appreciation and theoretical understanding of quality life functioning (e.g., a person's desire to attain spiritual wisdom vs. a person's desire to attain immense financial wealth). Our research undertakings recently involved the development of a blueprint or framework, which we termed as the 'Life + Death Education Framework'. This framework is intended to provide relevant information that may serve to assist educators, stakeholders, caregivers, etc. with their teaching practices of life and death education. We premise that to date, there is no clear consensus or agreement among educators as to what one is expected (e.g., specific learning outcome) to teach to students who wish to study and learn about life and death education (e.g., do we introduce to students the metaphysical lens about death?). Moreover, from our point of view, the Life + Death Education Framework may yield insightful guidelines and life-related benefits, such as the heightening of a person's well-being and/or his or her daily life functioning. As such, then, the focus of the present theoretical-conceptual article is for us to provide an in-depth narrative of the Life + Death Education Framework and how this framework, or potential universal blueprint, could help introduce and clarify our proposition of a life functioning-related concept known as 'self well-being'. Self well-being, for us, is an alternative nomenclature that may be used in place of subjective well-being