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The relationship between postural control by instrumented assessment and adiposity in children and adolescents: a systematic review
No full textBackground: The impact of living with overweight or obesity on child and adolescent postural control is being increasingly researched, yet heterogenous methodology leaves the relationship unclear. Objective: This review aimed to investigate associations between adiposity and instrumentally assessed postural control in children/adolescents. Methods: The review was registered a priori with PROSPERO and reported according to PRISMA guidelines. Searches across six electronic databases were conducted from inception to November 2024, and grey literature between December 2024 to January 2025. Eligibility required analyses of an adiposity measure with instrumented postural control in otherwise healthy children and adolescents of varying weight status. The McMaster Critical appraisal tool was used, and FORM framework guided the synthesis. Results: A total of 5624 database articles and seven grey literature yielded 53 eligible articles, examining a total of 8509 participants. Higher adiposity was reported to be associated with impaired postural control in 31 studies, as having no/unclear associations in 13 studies, and improved postural control in 9 studies. Participants with increased weight status consistently showed impaired postural control in more challenging assessments. The FORM overall grade of recommendation was 'C-satisfactory'. Conclusion: Most outcomes reported increasing adiposity to be associated with poorer postural control. Clinicians are encouraged to screen children and adolescents with excess adiposity for postural control deficits using challenging test conditions
Reconceptualising Australian Parliamentary Scrutiny Committees as Norm Builders and Pre-Deliberation Facilitators.
No full textScrutiny committees, such as the Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills, are some of the oldest parliamentary committees in our system, with terms of reference that embody and reflect core principles and values underpinning our system of Westminster parliamentary democracy. This Article explores the ways in which the role and impact of scrutiny committees are conceptualised within the Australian context and provides fresh perspective from which other parliamentary democracies may consider the role of parliamentary committees play in rights protection. It challenges the conventional view that the work of scrutiny committees should be defined by their ‘technical’ review functions, and instead argues that such committees should be recognised for the role they play as norm builders and pre-deliberation facilitators. The Article argues that re-conceptualising scrutiny committees in this way would provide the foundations for a more holistic evaluation of their role and impact, and better identify the types of investments needed to improve their effectiveness
How knowledge recombination fuels technological innovation? Insights from IPC co-occurrence networks
No full textAs knowledge recombination increasingly shapes technological advancement, scholarly efforts have focused on how integrating knowledge elements can enhance technological innovation performance. Our study contributes to this literature by adopting a network perspective and assessing the predictive value of various knowledge linkage features. Using granted patents in the pharmaceutical field, we constructed the annual International Patent Classification (IPC) co-occurrence network and extracted the real-time linkage features of pairwise co-occurring IPCs, including tie strength, knowledge distance, node assortativity, and betweenness centrality. Based on explainable machine learning, we found that XGBoost outperformed in predicting both patent impact and patent disruptiveness. More importantly, feature interpretation based on the Shapley value illustrates that patent impact and patent disruptiveness have different determinants, implicating different knowledge combinative strategies. Specifically, we found that betweenness centrality and node assortativity contribute significantly in predicting patent impact, suggesting that localised search combining hotspot and marginal knowledge components are more likely to produce impactful inventions. Conversely, tie strength between combined knowledge components is the most important predictor for patent disruptiveness, indicating that deeper exploitation along existing technology portfolios can effectively enhance patent disruptiveness. These results provide new insights into how knowledge recombination fuels technological innovation and offer practitioners valuable strategies for developing target technologies
Intergenerational arts programs for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities: a scoping review
No full textThis scoping review explores key attributes of intergenerational arts programs within Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities, identifying factors for success and challenges in implementation. Using the PRISMA-ScR framework, 39 studies were selected from 374 publications (2000-2025) across five databases supplemented by Google Scholar searches. Findings were viewed through Kaplan's Seven Levels of Intergenerational Engagement Scale and analyzed through thematic analysis covering themes of Ecologies of Place, Creativity, and Social Inclusion. Results emphasize the importance of cultural spaces, community hubs, and gathering places in fostering engagement. Creativity emerged as a key pedagogical tool, while movement arts proved effective in overcoming language and cultural barriers. This review provides foundational insights for future research and program development, supporting the design of culturally responsive intergenerational arts initiatives that enhance social connection and cultural exchange within CALD communities
Fragile and fractured communities of 'lived experience': Desistance and co-optation
No full textThis article interrogates the growing emphasis on ‘lived experience’ in Australian criminology and within criminal legal contexts, with particular attention to the complexities and contradictions inherent in this emergent paradigm. While the inclusion of voices with firsthand experience of imprisonment and broader criminal legal processes has been lauded for humanising criminalisation and fostering the roots of systemic change, it remains neither monolithic nor unequivocally emancipatory. A principal tension centres on desistance, often implicitly required as a benchmark for credibility, thereby excluding individuals who remain system-impacted or do not align with conventional notions of ‘rehabilitation.’ This exclusion narrows the scope of transformative insights and inadvertently reinforces institutional power structures that privilege sanitised, commodified narratives. The article further contends that the rising demand for ‘lived experience experts’ runs the risk of co-optation, as institutions integrate personal testimony and expertise without truly addressing the underlying injustices and hierarchies they perpetuate. This paper exposes the fragile and fractured nature of these communities and advocates for a reimagined approach that honours a broader spectrum of lived realities, challenges gatekeeping practices, and realigns expertise with the pursuit of systemic equity
Mining area skyline objects from map-based big data using Apache Spark framework
No full textThe computation of the skyline provides a mechanism for utilizing multiple location-based criteria to identify optimal data points. However, the efficiency of these computations diminishes and becomes more challenging as the input data expands. This study presents a novel algorithm aimed at mitigating this challenge by harnessing the capabilities of Apache Spark, a distributed processing platform, for conducting area skyline computations. The proposed algorithm enhances processing speed and scalability. In particular, our algorithm encompasses three key phases: the computation of distances between data points, the generation of distance tuples, and the execution of the skyline operators.
Notably, the second phase employs a local partial skyline extraction technique to minimize the volume of data transmitted from each executor (a parallel processing procedure) to the driver (a central processing procedure). Afterwards, the driver processes the received data to determine the final skyline and creates filters to exclude irrelevant points. Extensive experimentation on eight datasets reveals that our algorithm significantly reduces both data size and computation time required for area skyline computation
Unbiased Anomalous Trajectory Detection With Hierarchical Sequence Modeling
No full textAnomalous trajectory detection plays an important role in the field of trajectory big data mining, providing significant support for identifying drivers traveling at inappropriate speeds and detecting cab fraud. Current studies often use equal-sized grids to represent trajectory points, and they mainly focus on the general shape of trajectories while ignoring the spatial density distribution of trajectories. In addition, existing generative models are biased in learning the patterns of normal trajectories, and the same bias exists in processing labeling information. To address the above two problems, we propose an unbiased anomalous trajectory detection method (HS-UATD) based on hierarchical sequence modeling. Our method constructs a hierarchical structure of the entire spatial region using a quadtree, which captures the location density distribution of the entire spatial region. Our model captures the rich spatio-temporal pattern of trajectories containing spatial hierarchical information and learns the probability distribution of unbiased normal trajectories. We employ both clustering algorithms and anomaly injection techniques to obtain unbiased labeling information, and we define trajectories that deviate from the normal pattern as anomalies. Through extensive experiments on three unbiased, biased and real trajectory datasets, we validate the effectiveness of the method
Challenges to practicum: the neliberal context
No full textThis article outlines some of the challenges facing educators, professional bodies, and tertiary institutions in providing professional placement opportunities for students seeking to work in the human services, primarily focusing on social work. The article reflects on how these challenges, while not solely a function of neoliberal rationalities and the gendered nature of placement, have been exacerbated by the marketisation of human service delivery over the past several decades. The article reflects on the need to rethink the structure and requirements of social work. field placement considering a rapidly changing student demographi
The walkable environment: a systematic review through the lens of Space Syntax as an integrated approach
No full textPurpose: This study reviews research applying Space Syntax, in conjunction with other methodologies, to explore walkability and socio-spatial relations in urban environments, with a particular emphasis on moderate- and low-density city centers.
Design/methodology/approach: A systematic literature review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines, reviewing English-language studies published from 2013 to 2023, involving introduction to research context, information sources and search strategy, screening process and application of eligibility and inclusion criteria to ensure a comprehensive evaluation of relevant papers.
Findings: This research highlights that the predominant focus in the literature has been on high-density city centers in existing Space Syntax studies, revealing a significant gap in understanding socio-spatial dynamics, particularly in moderate- and low-density city centers. Furthermore, this research found that technology-based tools were the most frequently used in past studies, with 454 instances, compared to participatory tools (191 instances) and observational tools (57 instances), when using Space Syntax as an integrated approach to explore socio-spatial relations in urban environments. Moreover, emerging technology-based tools remain the least used technological tools in the literature. Combining these approaches represents a recent trend that could offer valuable insights into pedestrian socio-spatial experiences in both broader urban contexts and smaller-scale city centers.
Originality/value: Unlike previous literature reviews on Space Syntax that neglected its use as an integrated approach, this study uniquely explores the correlation between spatial configurations and human experiences through a review of studies that combine space syntax with other methods, including observational, participatory and technology-based tools to pinpoint the gaps. The research recommends further exploration of pedestrians’ socio-spatial needs by integrating Space Syntax with trends and less-explored technology-based tools
Oral edaravone ameliorates myocardial fibrosis in type 2 diabetic rats by TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway
No full textMyocardial fibrosis, characterized by increased reactive oxygen species (ROS), is a key pathological feature of diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM). Although oral edaravone (EDA) shows therapeutic potential in ameliorating myocardial fibrosis in DCM, the precise mechanisms remain unclear. Transcriptome analysis of myocardial tissues revealed a dramatic up-regulation of the TGF-β1/Smad pathway, which was reversed by oral EDA treatment. In vitro studies showed that oral EDA attenuated myocardial fibrosis by inhibiting the TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway and its downstream fibrosis key factors, Col3a1 and α-SMA. These findings suggest that oral EDA improves myocardial fibrosis in Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) by inhibiting the TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway and holds promise as an effective treatment for myocardial fibrosis in DCM