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Learning, Practising and Competing in Chess: A Study Investigating the Relationship Between Chess in Schools and Standardised Literacy and Numeracy Scores
No full textThis doctoral study investigates the relationship between students who have progressed beyond the beginner level in chess and their performance on standardised literacy and numeracy assessments (NAPLAN) in Queensland, Australia. The research is grounded in a systematic and scoping literature review of 393 studies, revealing a fragmented field and a notable gap in research linking chess proficiency with academic outcomes. While prior studies, such as those by Sala and Gobet (2016, 2017a, 2017b, 2017c, 2018), question the existence of far transfer effects from chess to academic domains, this study builds on emerging evidence suggesting that chess rating, rather than mere participation, may be a critical factor influencing academic performance. Adopting a postpositivist paradigm, the study employed a quantitative, explanatory design. Chess proficiency was operationalised through rating-based groupings (novice, rookie, intermediate, advanced), while academic achievement was measured using NAPLAN scores across five domains: numeracy, reading, grammar and punctuation, writing, and spelling. Advanced statistical analyses, including MANOVA, ANOVA and t-tests, were conducted to test the study’s hypotheses. Findings indicate a statistically significant relationship between higher chess ratings and improved performance in spelling, writing and particularly numeracy. Furthermore, schools with a stronger chess culture, measured by the proportion of rated players to school population, demonstrated significantly higher average scores across all five NAPLAN domains. These results suggest that chess, when practised and competed in beyond the beginner level, may contribute to far transfer effects, especially in numeracy, thereby offering pedagogical value for schools seeking to enhance academic outcomes through extracurricular programmes. The study also identifies future research directions and raises questions about the influence of school types and chess culture on academic achievement. As a Doctor of Professional Studies (DProfSt) thesis, the research contributes not only to educational practice but also to the candidate’s development as a reflective practitioner-scholar, with a reflexive account of professional growth included in the concluding chapter
Death on the table: how do operating room staff experience intraoperative deaths? A narrative synthesis of qualitative evidence
No full textBackground Intraoperative deaths, though statistically rare, may evoke varied emotions among operating room (OR) staff that remain underrecognized and inadequately addressed.
Aim To synthesise the qualitative evidence regarding experiences of OR staff following patient death in the OR. A secondary aim is to unpack strategies to support OR staff following an intraoperative death experience.
Design Narrative review of qualitative studies.
Data sources Peer-reviewed databases (PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science, Scopus and Cochrane Review Library) and grey literature sources (such as thesis databases) were extensively searched for peer-reviewed primary studies and non-peer-reviewed literature respectively reporting on intraoperative deaths or deaths occurring in the OR.
Results Six studies were retained. The synthesis revealed that unexpected OR deaths or those deaths perceived as sudden or preventable evoked more severe and enduring psychological repercussions, marked by guilt, hypervigilance, emotional and moral distress.
In contrast, anticipated fatalities, particularly in patients with advanced illness, evoked less intense emotions but did not eliminate emotional tolls. The findings revealed divergent coping mechanisms among OR professionals: surgeons often engaged in meaning-making or employed emotion-focused and problem-focused strategies to process loss. In contrast, anaesthetists described emotional desensitisation over time. Nurses, meanwhile, navigated a pervasive culture of silence.
Conclusion The emotional toll captured underscores urgent needs for interventions, such as team-based debriefing support, alongside systemic reforms to normalise vulnerability and integrate emotional stewardship into institutional policies.Addressing this is not only ethically imperative but critical to sustaining a resilient workforceand ensuring patient safety in an era of escalating surgical demand
The Spin–orbit alignment of two short period eclipsing binary systems
No full textWe present a joint analysis of TESS photometry and radial velocity measurements obtained from the Minerva–Australis facility for two short-period eclipsing binaries, TIC 48227288 and TIC 339607421. TIC 339607421 hosts an M-dwarf companion ( M, R) orbiting an F6V star ( M, R), while TIC 48227288 contains a late K class companion ( M, R) orbiting an F3V star ( M, R). Both companions follow short period, near-circular orbits ( = 2.4–3.0 d, ). Sky-projected obliquities for each system were derived using a classical analysis of the RV perturbation and the Reloaded Rossiter–McLaughlin (RRM) technique. The classical method indicates minor spin–orbit misalignment for both systems ( and for TIC 339607421 and TIC 48227288, respectively). The RRM analysis yields smaller obliquities ( and respectively), but confirms the minor misalignment inferred from the classical analysis. The findings of misaligned, circular orbits are notable even though the misalignments are not large, and suggest potential gaps in current models of binary formation and orbital evolution. As such, further investigation of these and similar systems appears warranted
Why do Clergy Stay? Investigating the Nature of Contemporary Clergy Work and Retention, with a Focus on Mainstream and Church-Specific Resilience Training
No full textThis study examines the persistent phenomenon of clergy retention within Australia, interrogating the multifaceted nature of contemporary clergy work. The research reframes that discourse by exploring clergy resilience as a dynamic, context-dependent process and seeks to understand why frontline clergy sustain their vocational commitment. Adopting a constructivist, work-based learning paradigm, this phenomenological inquiry relies on purposive sampling and semi-structured interviews to elicit rich, contextual data. Thematic analysis bridges existing literature with the lived experiences of participating clergy. Three principal findings emerge: First, the literature’s prevailing economic conceptualisation of work as employment, remuneration, and productivity does not reflect the intrinsic, relational, and purpose-driven dimensions articulated by clergy, whose well-being is integrally linked to their vocational activities. Second, while clergy often perceive their vocation as a Calling, their ongoing engagement is dependent upon the development of spiritual and professional competencies that foster resilience and enable fulfilment of this Calling. Third, operational paradigms within the Church, which traditionally distinguish vocation from employment, may inadvertently limit opportunities for competency-based training. Expanding clergy training beyond liturgical functions to encompass broader resilience-building strategies would better support long-term retention and vocational efficacy. These conclusions call for a reconsideration of prevailing frameworks regarding work, purpose, and identity, highlighting the insufficiency of remuneration-based models for understanding vocational motivation among clergy. The study advocates for integrating mainstream resilience literature and targeted professional development into clergy preparation to enhance career longevity and support. While not positioned to reverse attrition among former clergy, this research underscores the necessity of systemic change to both acknowledge past service and better equip current and future clergy for sustainable ministry
A research guide to the literature of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
No full textSince the mid-1950s, a significant global research and publishing program has accompanied the teaching of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, founder of the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi program, Science of Creative Intelligence (SCI), Maharishi Vedic Science and Technology, Maharishi Technology of the Unified Field, Maharishi International University (MIU) in USA, Maharishi Vedic University (MVU) in Holland, and Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Vedic Vishwavidyalaya in India. This research program in Vedic knowledge and its application, along with its accompanying international publishing effort, consists of thousands of published documents, many authored by Maharishi, including books, booklets, literature reviews, white papers, conference proceedings, display charts, and posters, most in English but many also translated into languages as diverse as Spanish, Russian, Turkish, Hindi, Malayalam, and Mandarin.
Topics addressed by Maharishi include investigations into Veda and the Vedic Literature, consciousness, Natural Law and the laws of nature, physics (particularly quantum unified field theories), biochemistry, physiology, mathematics, law, justice and rehabilitation, education, health and ageing, government, business and industry, management, economics, art and architecture, and agriculture, among many other academic disciplines and applied areas of life. Moreover, a corpus of more than 650 experimental and quasi-experimental studies, time-series analyses, meta-analyses, mixed methods, and social impact assessments, along with theoretical and review studies associated with Maharishi Vedic Science and its applied technologies, accompany Maharishi’s published literature.
This unique record of research excellence combines with experiential, qualitative, descriptive, and case study accounts of Maharishi’s teaching and its application to all areas of life, such as health, education, business, government, and social well-being—all of it documented with evidentiary support and explained using a range of charts, graphs, conceptual maps, diagrams, and other visual aids—to provide a vast body of advanced Vedic knowledge dedicated to establishing the fullness of individual and social life for everyone on earth.
The purpose of this Research Guide of 369 published documents is to provide the reader–researcher with information and background material on the published works of Maharishi and other authoritative sources and to furnish an appropriate context in which this significant body of work can be accessed and comprehended for scholarly benefit and for the systematic presentation of Maharishi Vedic Science and Technology. The goal of the Research Guide therefore is to create a record of literature by Maharishi and others since 1955 and to provide functionality for its access
Fatigue Behavior of Segmental Precast Concrete Decks Post-Tensioned with GFRP Rods
No full textThis study investigates the cyclic behavior of segmental precast concrete decks reinforced and post-tensioned with glass fiber–reinforced polymer (GFRP) rods, replicating the repetitive loading conditions induced by sea waves during service. Large-scale decks with different levels of post-tensioning in the GFRP rod and loading conditions were prepared and evaluated under a repetitive three-point flexural load. The results of the experimental tests, including load–displacement behavior, strain response, axial load, and failure mechanisms, are presented and analyzed. According to the results, the level of fatigue loading strongly impacts the behavior of GFRP-RC monolithic concrete decks. It was shown that a monolithic deck with a reinforcement ratio of 1.68% could withstand 1 million cycles of wave loading at fatigue stress equal to 0.21 Mu (ultimate bending moment) without showing any sign of cracking. However, increasing the fatigue stress to 0.3 Mu caused failure after 20,585 cycles due to shear compression failure. By applying a precompression stress of 1 MPa, the segmental precast concrete decks could achieve >1,000,000 fatigue cycles without any failure, but only a slight GFRP rod axial load relaxation. The outcome of this study enhances the understanding of the fatigue behavior of the segmental deck with noncorrosive GFRP rods, demonstrating their suitability for onshore maritime infrastructures
Peruvian Upper Primary School Children Who Learn Transcendental Meditation: A Quasi-Experimental Study of Personal Wellbeing
No full textPersonal wellbeing is considered a global measure of how satisfied an individual feels about their life, a measure which encompasses mental and physical health as well as interfacing with resilience and quality-of-life. As part of a pre-, peri-, and post-pandemic research program in Perú, prior controlled evidence by these authors suggested the practice of Transcendental Meditation by 49 orphan girls increased wellbeing by 33%, a statistically significant change. We now to turn our attention to upper primary-age school children. Using a quasi-experimental pretest– posttest design with a N = 402 sample of 5th- and 6th-grade indigenous children at three schools, we found wellbeing increased after practicing Transcendental Meditation from 62.6/90 (69.5%) to 68.4/90 (76.0%), a significant difference, with school, gender and age mostly unrelated to this improvement. As wellbeing is a reliable predicator of both health and longevity, these results suggest a more promising future for children in Perú
Race
No full textThis entry takes as its starting point a critical sociological understanding of race as socially constructed. Framed by a decolonial sensibility, it engages with race as a discursive formation of contradictory forces, facts, and tendencies. I explore foundational concepts and key socio-historic-political moments to interrogate how, through race, power and privilege are established and sustained by the white majority. An interrogation of race opens a space to reconsider notions of merit, deficit, and difference which inform educational policies and practices. Accordingly, key points in this entry include a discussion of ideas foundational to the field of race, alongside consideration of key authors and the contexts from which they speak. In synthesising the main thematic strands that have emerged to date, this entry also considers conceptual limitations via existing debates. It concludes briefly with implications and relevant related frameworks for future studies of race
9th European Conference on Space Debris
No full textA daylight airborne campaign has been conducted in September 2024 to observe the re-entry flight of the Cluster-II Salsa satellite, one of four satellites of the space weather Cluster mission. Salsa, with its highly eccentric orbit, was a suitable target for the observation, because a sufficiently precise prediction of the entry location was possible to allow for an airborne observation. Furthermore, the cluster satellite is a highspeed daylight entry and therefore only the second object of this kind observed after the WT1190F entry in 2015. This target selection also provides an opportunity for repeated experiments using the same targets focused on the other three Cluster satellites re-entering in 2025 and 2026. A team of nine researchers from four different institutions and three different countries deployed 26 scientific instruments on board, 10 instruments observed the entry successfully
