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Longitudinal associations between residential density and body mass index:The mediating role of walking for transport and the moderating effect of neighbourhood disadvantage
No full textBackground: Longitudinal evidence regarding the associations between residential density, walking for transport (WfT) and body mass index (BMI) is limited, and how these relationships vary across different neighbourhood socioeconomic contexts is not yet known. Therefore, we examined longitudinal associations between residential density and BMI: the mediating role of WfT and the moderating effects of neighbourhood disadvantage. Methods: Data from the HABITAT (How Areas in Brisbane Influence HealTh and AcTivity) multilevel longitudinal (2007-2016) study of 11 035 middle-aged adult residents of 200 neighbourhoods in Brisbane, Australia, were used. Residential density was objectively assessed within a 1 km network buffer around residents' homes, and BMI was calculated from self-reported height and weight. Participants self-reported their previous week's minutes of WfT. Generalised structural equation modelling was used to estimate the mediating effect of WfT in explaining residential density-BMI associations across the quintiles of neighbourhood disadvantage, adjusting for time-varying and time-invariant confounders, including distance to Brisbane Central Business District (CBD) and residential self-selection. Results: Residents living in high-density neighbourhoods were found to engage in more WfT and maintain a lower BMI. WfT mediated approximately 6.44% of the density-BMI relationships. These longitudinal relationships remained consistent in moderately disadvantaged neighbourhoods but differed in areas with other levels of disadvantage and when accounting for CBD distance. Conclusion: Residentially dense neighbourhoods facilitate transport-related walking, potentially reducing the risk of weight-related chronic conditions. However, these effects vary across different neighbourhood socioeconomic contexts. Urban planning and policy efforts should focus on context-specific measures to leverage the anticipated benefits of residential density.</p
Independent and joint associations of sedentary behaviour and physical activity with risk of recurrent cardiovascular events in 40,156 Australian adults with coronary heart disease
No full textObjective: Explore the independent and joint associations between sedentary behaviour and physical activity with cardiovascular events, among individuals with coronary heart disease (CHD). Methods: Cohort study including Australians ≥45 years with CHD (2006–2020). Time in sedentary behaviour, walking, moderate-, and vigorous- physical activity were self-reported. Cardiovascular events were identified using health registers (2006–2022). Cox proportional hazard regressions explored the association. Restricted cubic splines explored the shape of the association. Results: There were 40,156 individuals included, with a mean age of 70 (SD=10) years old, 62 % men. During a median of 8.3 (IQR = 10.03) years, 3260 non-fatal-, 5161 total cardiac events, and 14,383 major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) were recorded. Sedentary behaviour of 7–10.4 h/day was associated with a 15 % lower risk of total cardiac events and MACE compared to ≥ 10.5 h/day. A higher level of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular events, with 14–21 % lower risk for 1–149 min/week compared to 0 min/week. A similar pattern was seen for walking and activities at a moderate- or vigorous intensity. The joint association of ≥150 min/week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and <7 h/day in sedentary behaviour had the lowest risk (29–48 % lower) for cardiovascular events compared to the reference group. However, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity seems to be of greater importance and partly modifies the risk of sedentary behaviour in the joint association. Sedentary behaviour hours were linearly associated with risks of non-fatal and total cardiac events. Meanwhile time in physical activity had a curvilinear association with cardiovascular events, with the greatest benefits at the beginning of the curve. Conclusion: More time in physical activity and less time in sedentary behaviour are associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular events. This emphasizes the importance of providing recommendations for both physical activity and sedentary behaviour to people with CHD.</p
Estimating the Fiscal Value of Children Conceived from Assisted Reproduction Technology in Australia Applying a Public Economic Perspective
Get PDFBackground: Public funding for assisted reproduction varies across countries, which can influence the numbers of infertile couples treated annually, and consequently the numbers of children born each year from this technology. As infertility is a medical condition treated within the healthcare system, it must compete against all other medical interventions for funding. This raises questions about how to evaluate a technology that gives rise to human life compared with other healthcare interventions that reduce morbidity and mortality. Objective: To evaluate annual public spending on assisted reproduction technology (ART) in Australia to determine the likely fiscal impact for government over the projected lifetime of an ART-conceived birth cohort. Methods: A public economic framework was used to evaluate the number of children born from ART procedures performed in Australia in 2021 based on projected future lifetime tax contributions and public benefits received. We leveraged data from the Survey of Income and Housing conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics and imputations from tax-transfer microsimulations over the lifetime of the cohort estimating cumulative net-taxes. Public spending per pupil for education and lifetime health costs (in Australian dollars) were included in the benefits estimates. Results: We estimated lifetime gross taxes per individual of A580 182 in direct taxation of earnings and A70 688 in discounted lifetime net tax revenue. Based on average government spend per child, a lifetime fiscal benefit-cost ratio of 2.68 was observed. Based on the 2021 ART treatment cohort, the government was projected to net A1 spent on assisted reproduction yielded A$2.68 in future discounted net tax revenue. These findings were sensitive to economic conditions such as future wage growth and inflation.</p
Engineering education's Odyssey with ChatGPT: Opportunities, challenges, and theoretical foundations
No full textThis study investigates what Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the generative pre-trained transformer (ChatGPT) software offer to engineering education. First, our literature review shows key challenges and considerations linked to infrastructure and resource requirements, digital inequality, data privacy, copyright and some complex ethical issues that come with this pedagogical transformation. However, the article next contextualizes AI and ChatGPT within foundational learning theories such as Constructivist Learning Theory, Personalized Learning Theory, Cognitive Load Theory, and Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development, showing how AI and ChatGPT can shift educational practices towards more individualized, dynamic, and active learning experiences. By bringing together practical considerations demanding attention when introducing AI and ChatGPT to engineering course, and the learning theories the digital tools can promisingly enact, this study significantly contributes to ongoing discourse on AI and ChatGPT in engineering education. Different stakeholders, including educators, students, institutions, and industry partners contemplating AI and ChatGPT introduction are likely to be weighing up options. Readers considering whether pedagogical benefits are worth the considerable care needed to introduce these tools in their own engineering faculty should find this article helpful.<br/
Are Robots Social Beings? Exploring Embodiment and Social Presence in Human-Robot Interactions
No full textAs robots are becoming increasingly common within social settings, understanding the drivers of effective Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) becomes crucial. One factor emerging as a potential key variable in HRI is social presence, which is the extent to which a person feels connected to, or aware of, the presence of another. In the context of HRI, social presence has been identified as a factor that shapes human responses to robots, impacting outcomes such as attachment, trust, and social influence. Social presence itself appears to be influenced by factors including the nature of the embodiment. However, HRI research examining social presence is limited by the lack of consistent operationalization of social presence and conflation with the variance in embodiment of the robot. The current pilot study is designed to tease apart embodiment and social presence by exploring the relative impacts of interactions with two matched representations of a social robot (physical and virtual), finding that even controlling for size, proximity and response mechanisms, physical embodiment is associated with higher reported social presence. The study also identified both consistencies and inconsistencies in the measurement of social presence across assessments. The findings provide a foundation for further study into social presence in HRI, by clarifying mechanisms of quantifying and experimentally manipulating social presence, allowing insight into ways in which this factor drives HRI.</p
Reframing Social Presence for Human Robot Interaction
No full textSocial Presence (SP) is a critical factor in human-robot interaction (HRI), influencing how users perceive and engage with social robots. Traditionally, SP has been conceptualized by focusing on the user's subjective perception of a robot's social capabilities, which we label, Attributed Social Presence (ASP). However, this perspective overlooks the inherent capabilities of robots that can engender a sense of presence, which we argue can be termed, Intrinsic Social Presence (ISP). In this paper we explicitly explore and distinguish between ASP and ISP, highlighting the limitations of solely focusing on attributed user perceptions in HRI. We address the challenges associated with the conceptual ambiguity of SP, the difficulties in benchmarking due to inconsistent definitions, and the lack of research examining robot presence modulation. To overcome these issues, we propose reframing SP as a multidimensional construct encompassing three interconnected domains. By emphasizing ISP and providing a practical framework for its implementation, this paper aims to enhance the development of adaptable, responsive robots capable of meaningful engagement. This approach bridges the gap between rigid robotic behaviour and the fluid, adaptive presence characteristic of human interactions, emphasizing that genuine trust and connection are integral to the full functionality and effectiveness of social robots.</p
Awareness of Venous Thromboembolism in Patients With Cancer and Their Carers: Protocol for Systematic Review
No full textBackgroundThere is an increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) for people living with cancer. However, the awareness of VTE in this population or their carers appears to be low. This lack of awareness may lead to poor outcomes, such as VTE due to low adherence to thromboprophylaxis or delayed hospital presentations with neglected VTE symptoms. This study protocol will guide researchers in conducting a systematic review of existing studies (quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods) which have assessed VTE awareness among patients living with cancer or their carers. It will also investigate the rates and predictors of VTE awareness in those populations.MethodsThis protocol was designed following the PRISMA-P 2015 statement and the methodological guidance from the PRISMA 2020 statement. Six databases (APA PsycINFO, CINAHL, Google Scholar, Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science Core Collection) will be searched to retrieve all eligible studies. Covidence software will be utilized to assist in the screening of studies for eligibility. A standard data extraction form will be used, and the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) will be used to assess the methodological quality of each included study. Both a qualitative descriptive approach and meta-analysis will be used for data synthesis and integration where possible. The protocol has been registered with PROSPERO (CRD42025628429)
Light Inhibits Lens-Induced Myopia through an Intensity-Dependent Dopaminergic Mechanism
No full textPurpose: Bright light exposure has been postulated to underlie the ability of time spent outdoors to prevent the development of myopia in humans. In support of this, bright light inhibits the development of form-deprivation myopia (FDM) in all species studied. While lens-induced myopia (LIM) is also inhibited by bright light in most species, it remains unclear whether this is brought about in an intensity-dependent manner and whether dopamine (DA) plays the same critical role in this paradigm as is seen in FDM. Design: An experimental study. Subjects: White Leghorn chickens (Gallus gallus). Methods: To examine the effect of light on LIM, chicks fit with lenses of −10 diopters were exposed to 500, 20 000, or 40 000 lux for 14 days (n = 6 per group). To assess the role of DA, its levels were measured 30 minutes after light exposure in previously dark-adapted animals over 6 light intensities (between dark and 40 000 lux). In a separate experiment, a D1-like (SCH-23390) or D2-like (spiperone) receptor antagonist was administered (once daily) to chicks wearing negative lenses under 40 000 lux (n = 5 to 6 per group) for a period of 5 days. Main Outcome Measures: Refraction (infrared photoretinoscopy), axial length (A-scan ultrasonography), and DA levels (liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry). Results: Bright light inhibited LIM in an intensity-dependent manner (P < 0.05) but did not prevent full compensation. The protection afforded by bright light was significantly reduced by administration of spiperone (D2-like, P < 0.05), but not SCH-23390 (D1-like, P = 0.77). Retinal DA levels showed an intensity-dependent increase (P < 0.05). Conclusions: As previously observed for FDM, bright light can inhibit the development of LIM in an intensity-dependent manner. This protection occurs, at least in part, via a DA-dependent mechanism. However, bright light's inability to prevent compensation to negative lenses is indicative of mechanistic differences between the 2 experimental models of myopia. These differences are most likely linked to the presence of a defocus-driven end point for growth in LIM that is not present in FDM. Financial Disclosure(s): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article.</p
Spirituality in social entrepreneurship:an ethical approach to sustainability
No full textPurpose: This study aims to present a sustainability framework that advances the conceptual understanding of the role of spirituality in the context of social entrepreneurship. Design/methodology/approach: Through a systematic literature review of spirituality at both the individual and organisational levels, the triple bottom line framework of sustainability, and business ethics, this study offers a sustainability framework for social entrepreneurship. It explains how spirituality at these levels influences various dimensions of social entrepreneurship and helps achieve social, economic, environmental and ethical outcomes. Findings: The study proposed that individuals with spiritual practices are more likely to engage in entrepreneurial, social, ethical and environmental orientations, while organisations with spiritual practices are more likely to engage in employee, market and ethical orientations. Spiritual capability can serve as a strategic advantage and contribute to the sustainable development of social enterprises. Originality/value: This study makes three significant contributions. First, it presents an emergent framework for integrating spirituality (at both individual and organisational levels) and sustainability within the social entrepreneurship literature, offering implications for both social entrepreneurs and social enterprises. Second, this study proposes incorporating ethics as the fourth dimension of sustainability and argues that spirituality can act as a catalyst for achieving sustainability in social entrepreneurship. Third, this study identifies seven critical dimensions of social entrepreneurship: spiritual capabilities, entrepreneurial orientation, social orientation, environmental orientation, market orientation, ethical orientation and employee orientation, all of which contribute to ethical and sustainable development.</p
THE C–N–STAR, S–STAR AND C–MINUS PARTIAL ORDERS
Get PDFIn this paper, we derive several characterizations of the s-star partial order in terms of the core-nilpotent decomposition, and establish the conditions under which the s-star partial order implies the C-N-star partial order. By applying the core-EP decomposition, we introduce a new partial order, the c-minus partial order, which generalizes the core-minus partial order. Additionally, we provide several characterizations and properties of the c-minus partial order.</p