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First impressions of a humanoid social robot with natural language capabilities
No full textConcurrent developments in robotic design and natural language processing (NLP) have enabled the production of humanoid chatbots that can operate in commercial and community settings. Though still novel, the presence of physically embodied social robots is growing and will soon be commonplace. Our study is set at this point of emergence, investigating people’s first impressions of a humanoid chatbot in a public venue. Specifically, we introduced “Pepper” to attendees at an innovation festival. Pepper is a humanoid robot outfitted with ChatGPT. Attendees engaged with Pepper in a bounded interaction and provided feedback about their experience (n = 88). Qualitative analyses reveal participants’ mixed emotional resonance, reactions to Pepper’s embodied form and movements, expectations about interpersonal connection and rituals of interaction, and attentiveness to issues of diversity and social inclusion. Findings document live responses to a humanoid chatbot, highlight the affective, social, and material forces that shape human–robot interaction, and underscore the value of “in the wild” studies, creating space and scope for user-publics to express their perspectives and concerns. Such insights are acutely relevant as we enter this next era of social robotics.</p
Adaptive leadership of schools in Australia during the Covid-19 pandemic:lessons for future crises
No full textThis research reports the findings of a qualitative study conducted in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) in 2022, which examined school leadership experiences in relation to crisis leadership during the Covid-19 pandemic through the prism of an adaptive leadership model. Interviews with leaders, including school principals, assistant principals, school board members, and education administrators, were thematically analysed, resulting in four key areas leaders reflected on which were related to adaptive leadership. These were the ability to change and adapt; the important role of communication; the focus on well-being; and productive collaborations. The findings showed how school leaders and education administrators interacting in their different roles and levels achieved effective collective action in responding to crisis with a heightened awareness of the wellbeing of the school community. The need for reflection and understanding of what occurred during this period is important to understand how leaders, including education administrators, adapted their leadership to meet the collective purpose of steering school communities through the chronic (ongoing) crisis. An adaptive leadership lens was used to explore the combined perspectives of different tiers of school leaders, which can provide useful insights for other chronic crisis situations, such as the widespread, ongoing teacher shortage
From Interaction to Relationship:The Role of Memory, Learning, and Emotional Intelligence in AI-Embodied Human Engagement
No full textThe evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) has profoundly reshaped human-AI interactions, transitioning from rule-based systems to advanced machine learning algorithms capable of nuanced tasks. This paper introduces a novel architecture for embodied AI in human-robot interaction (HRI), designed to foster meaningful, long-term relationships. Central to the approach is the integration of persistent memory, enabling AI systems to recall past interactions, build continuity, and deliver personalised, contextually aware responses. Additionally, the architecture incorporates emotional intelligence to allow AI to recognise, interpret, and respond to human emotions, enhancing emotional engagement and trust. Key contributions of this paper include a unified approach that links attention mechanisms, memory, and generative AI to support dynamic, context-sensitive interactions; a focus on embodiment as a critical factor in HRI, highlighting its role in grounding interactions within physical and social contexts; and theoretical and practical advancements that extend existing attention-based systems by incorporating persistent memory and emotional intelligence for deeper human-AI connections. This work lays the foundation for developing AI systems capable of forming enduring, meaningful relationships with users, setting a new benchmark for human-centered AI design.</p
The spatial analysis of multimorbidity in Thai Cohort Study
No full textBackground: This study used Thai Cohort Study (TCS) data to investigate the spatial and sociodemographic determinants of multimorbidity (two or more chronic conditions coexistence on one person) prevalence in Thailand in 2013. Methods: Crude and age-adjusted prevalence were calculated for each province. Hotspot analysis was conducted to identify regions with statistically significant hotspots and cold spots, including areas without significant clustering. Then, ordinal logistic regression was used to identify sociodemographic background variables that predict hotpots. Results: The highest age-adjusted provincial level prevalence of multimorbidity was in Sing Buri (18.26%). Sak Lek District in Phichit Province also had the highest age-adjusted district level prevalence of multimorbidity at 37.13%. The cold spots region in crude and age-adjusted prevalence of multimorbidity were clustered in Southern Thailand. Forty-eight districts were identified as hotspots in both crude and age-adjusted multimorbidity prevalence, 19 of which are in Bangkok (the capital). Population density (person/km 2, odd ratio, provincial level: OR:1.00, 95% CI: 1.00–1.01; district level: OR: 1.01, 95% CI: 1.00–1.01), Aging index (provincial level: OR:1.03, 95% CI: 1.01–1.04; district level: OR: 1.01, 95% CI: 1.00–1.01), and average educational years (provincial level: OR:1.92, 95% CI: 1.07–3.48; district level: OR: 1.27, 95% CI: 1.02–2.26) were greater in hot spots areas. Conclusion: This study shows that the prevalence of multimorbidity in Thailand is positively correlated with the degree of development of the region. Spatial cluster analysis provides new evidence for policymakers to design tailored interventions to target multimorbidity and allocate health resources to areas of unmet need.</p
Considerations in the selection of patient-reported outcome measures for assessing function related to chronic ankle instability
No full textPatient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are essential tools in evaluating chronic ankle instability (CAI), capturing subjective experiences such as “giving way” and instability. However, no standardized guidelines exist for selecting PROMs in CAI, resulting in limited comparability across studies and clinical settings. This paper highlights four key considerations for selecting PROMs in assessing CAI: recalibration in populations including individuals with CAI, identifiability of ankle instability, detectability of CAI characteristics, and cross-cultural adaptability. It emphasizes that CAI-specific PROMs should demonstrate high pertinence, accurately distinguishing CAI from other conditions, and effectively detecting symptom changes over time. Furthermore, widely adopted PROMs may offer greater credibility and applicability. Addressing these considerations is crucial for improving CAI diagnosis, treatment evaluation, and advancing patient-centered care
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No full textFree vibration and large deformation characteristics of metamaterial thickness-deformable plates with initial geometrical imperfection
No full textA geometrically imperfect third-order auxetic metamaterial thickness- and shear-deformable plate is considered, and both the non-linear bending as well as the free vibrations are analysed. Distribution of the effective material properties from plate’s top surface to the bottom one follows a functionally graded form; material properties are effectively approximated via genetic programming-assisted micromechanics models from previous studies. Without ignoring geometrical non-linearities, the fourfold coupled axial, transverse, rotational, and stretching non-linear motion equations are formulated for a geometrically imperfect third-order auxetic metamaterial thickness- and shear-deformable plate using Hamilton’s principle. The generalised differential quadrature method is implemented to discretise the motion equations; the discretised motion equations are then solved for both the non-linear bending as well as the linear free vibrations. For partial validation, the model is compared with available data from the open literature for simplified cases (i.e., single-layer homogeneous plates without metamaterial characteristics) and with a single-layered isotropic rectangular perfectly straight plate modelled in ANSYS. The complex non-linear mechanics and linear free vibration of the metamaterial system are analysed for different geometrical parameters, graphene origami contents, folding degrees, and geometrical imperfections, and also for both the symmetric and asymmetric distribution patterns of graphene origami. The results reveal that the geometric imperfections reduce the transverse deflection, and metamaterial plates with asymmetric graphene origami distributions consistently have the largest non-linear deflections among all the graphene origami distributions studied
Young people's participation in their own mental health care:Session-by-session feedback in youth mental health services (headspace)
No full textAim: Young people's participation in their own mental healthcare requires ways for them to provide feedback to their clinicians on how they are experiencing their treatment. Key dimensions of session experience are willingness to attend, feeling listened to and understood, working on issues important to them, feeling hopeful for the future and feeling that things are improving in their lives. This study reports on young people's session experiences over time and by key demographics for headspace youth mental health services. Methods: The sample comprised 16 484 young people aged 12–25 years who commenced an episode of care at one of the 150 headspace centres between 1 July 2021 and 30 June 2022 and who had attended at least two services. Data were collected via the routinely collected headspace minimum data set. Results: Overall, young people reported very positive session experiences over all the session dimensions. Few demographic differences were found: session ratings were more positive for young adults (18+ years) compared with adolescents (under 18 years). Scores on all five dimensions improved with more visits, and willingness to attend and working on issues important to the young person were strong predictors of service engagement. Better session experience scores were associated with more positive ratings of quality of life. Conclusions: Young people experience their headspace sessions very positively, and more positive experiences are associated with better service engagement and quality of life. Routinely collecting session feedback gives young people a valuable way to participate in and inform their own care.</p
Is chronic ankle instability associated with contractile thickness of gluteus medius and gluteus maximus during functional movement and exercise?:A systematic review and meta-analysis
No full textINTRODUCTION: The gluteus medius (GMED) and gluteus maximus (GMAX) play a crucial role in postural control, and postural control is impaired in individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI). However, the association between CAI and the recruitment of these muscles remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to explore the contractile thickness of GMED and GMAX during functional movements in individuals with CAI compared to healthy controls.EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: A systematic search was conducted in six databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, EBSCO, and PEDro). Included studies involved the contractile thickness of GMED and/or GMAX comparing CAI with non-CAI. The extracted data were subjected to meta-analysis for observing the differences between the two. The correlation and difference in contraction between GMED and GMAX were analyzed using the Pearson Correlation Coefficient (PCC) and t-test, respectively.EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Six studies with 176 participants were found. Contractile thickness measured by ultrasound showed GMED thickness change to be lower in CAI than in controls during functional movements and exercise (WMD: -0.08; 95% CI: -0.11, -0.04; P<0.00001). There was no significant difference between the two groups with respect to contraction of GMAX (WMD: 0.02; 95% CI: -0.01, 0.05; P=0.25). The PCC and P value (t-test) between the ratio of contractile thickness of GMED and GMAX in CAI were 0.397 and 0.029 respectively, indicating activity differences.CONCLUSIONS: CAI may be associated with weaker GMED recruitment during functional movements and exercise, but the activation of GMAX in CAI may be unaffected.</p