50716 research outputs found
Sort by
Co-creating a research-based e-storybook for children coping with parental moral injury:insights from affected communities and partners
No full textThis study provided an account of the affected community and partner (stakeholders) input into the interdisciplinary co-creation process and preliminary testing of the suitability of a research-based e-storybook for children coping with parental moral injury. Children whose parents have trauma-related mental health difficulties, including moral injury, tend to misunderstand their parent’s responses and behaviours. To date, there have been no research-based narrative resources to support these children. Our interdisciplinary, international team of researchers, clinicians, and those with lived experience co-created a bibliotherapy storybook using moral injury narratives. Using a mixed methods approach, a cross-sectional online survey of key affected communities and partners was conducted to explore the resources’ suitability. Preliminary findings suggest overall suitability and that the e-storybook’s narratives acted as a springboard to conversations about what was happening in their families. Thus, the co-creation process is an effective approach to developing targeted supports for children coping with parental moral injury.</p
Spotify continues to change music. What’s next – will AI musicians replace music made by humans?
No full textSwarm Imitation Learning From Observations
No full textLearning from observation (LfO) is a process where an agent learns a task by passively observing a more competent agent perform it. LfO differs from classical Learning from demonstration (LfD) in that the former requires access to the demonstrator' s states only, whereas the latter requires both the demonstrator' s states and the corresponding actions. On the one hand, LfO avoids the sometimes costly or impractical burden of collecting the demonstrator' s actions, and instead only requires the demonstrator' s states which are more easily captured through cameras or sensors. On the other hand, LfO is more challenging than classical LfD because of the lack of detailed guidance from action labels. Despite the success of LfO in single-agent tasks, the literature falls short of assessing its feasibility in swarm systems, where multiple agents act simultaneously to enact a system-level state change. We tackle this research gap by proposing Swarm-LfO that extends single-agent LfO by leveraging the centralised training with decentralised execution framework to learn a useful agent-centric inverse dynamic model (AIDM). AIDM enables the imitator swarm to predict agent-level actions that would lead to swarm state transitions similar to those exhibited by the demonstrator swarm. Pairs of states and the corresponding estimated actions are then used for learning to imitate the demonstrated behaviour in a supervised learning manner. Evaluation experiments are conducted using four tasks that require different levels of coordination between swarm members: flocking, sheltering, dispersion, and herding. The results show that the performance of Swarm-LfO is comparable to classical LfD methods that require access to action information. Swarm-LfO is extensively evaluated and has demonstrated continued success under various experimental conditions including noise and different sizes of the demonstrator and imitator swarms. Our contribution will pave the way for imitation learning in swarm..
Digital transformation in commercial banks:Unraveling the flow of Industry 4.0
No full textThis study investigates the strategies employed by commercial banks during their digital transformation, particularly regarding the integration of Industry 4.0 technologies. A systematic literature review of 287 articles was conducted to identify strategies at micro, meso, and macro levels. At the micro level, three key strategies emerged: value co-creation, security, and inclusion, aiming to enhance customer experience, secure data, and improve digital accessibility. At the meso level, banks adopt agile organisational structures, automation, and expand digital platforms to optimise internal processes and foster external collaborations. At the macro level, strategies include establishing fully digital banks, incorporating digital features into traditional operations, or collaborating with other stakeholders to innovate business models. A conceptual framework is presented to illustrate the dynamic interaction between these levels, emphasising the importance of a holistic approach for successful digital transformation. The research connects its findings to theories of general-purpose technology and dynamic capabilities. Implications highlight the need for overcoming challenges such as legacy systems, regulatory complexities, and internal resistance. These findings offer valuable insights for banks implementing Industry 4.0 technologies, with a focus on strategic alignment, organisational readiness, and technological innovation.</p
Perceptions and Practices of Clinicians Undertaking Invasive Procedures With Patients Experiencing Delirium in Hospital:A Sequential Mixed Methods Study
No full textPeople with cognitive impairment account for ~30% of hospital admissions, commonly require invasive procedures, and are vulnerable to hospital-acquired complications. This sequential mixed methods research explored clinician approaches to procedures for patients experiencing cognitive impairment. Data were collected 2021–2022 in a 26-bed medical ward containing a secure eight-bed unit in Australia. Observational data and semi-structured interview data were analyzed using Framework Analysis and synthesized with Pillar Integration. There were 24 procedures conducted on 12 unique patients and nine clinicians were observed; 12 clinicians were interviewed. During seven (29%) procedures, patients were distressed; however, most (n = 22, 92%) were completed. Clinicians were observed to value the patient, foster familiarity and trust, engage at each step, and adopt last resort actions. Clinicians reported key strategies: knowing the individual and context, adopting known strategies, and getting it done. Three overarching themes were: (1) Creating a safe shared space for care, (2) Enabling the procedure, and (3) When things don't go to plan. Clinicians were cognizant of risks and used tacit knowledge and specific strategies to enable effective procedures. These strategies may be adopted in other settings.</p
The Fear of Losing National and Institutional Face:Exploring Australia’s Resistance to World Heritage in Danger Listing
No full textThe World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger are prominent examples of listing mechanisms, which have been described as apparatuses in which the reputation of States can rise or fall. As an historically-significant player within the World Heritage regime, Australia has both embraced World Heritage as a tool for global conservation, whilst, at the same time, engaged in protracted political and diplomatic campaigning against In Danger listings for its own sites. In this paper we critically explore and theorise Australia’s resistance to the List of World Heritage in Danger through the concept of ‘face’, addressing how one State Party’s fear of losing face became deeply intertwined with regime’s need to save its institutional face, and foreshadowing broader phenomena of such resistance in the World Heritage regime
“Waka Ŋurrkanhayŋu - Regenerating the existence of life”: Bringing back our ancestors and belongings & giving back ancestors and belongings
No full textSince 2020, the Waka Ŋurrkanhayŋu team consisting of Yolŋu Ŋgorrudawalngu (clan leaders) and Djuŋgaya (CEO/Guardians) from the 16 Clans living on the very remote Galiwin’ku on Elcho Island and Western researchers have been working two-way to restore Yolŋu living again according to their Yolŋu ROM. We identified eight intertwined pathways for strengthening us. The ‘bringing back Yolŋu belongings pathway’ gained momentum at the AIATSIS Summit 2023 when we connected with staff of the Australian Museum, AIATSIS Collections and ABC Archive. We discovered that each of them holds different Yolŋu belongings - our ancestors and diverse artifacts including secret sacred artifacts (AM); collections of video and sound recordings, photos, manuscripts (AIATSIS); and video and sound recordings (ABC). Rather each institution trying to give back our belongings separately, we joined forces and are working together two-way. In the ensuing months, we yarned several times via ZOOM to create relationships with each other and work out a pathway for us Yolŋu to bring back our belongings and for the three organisations to give us back our belongings. The first step that emerged was four of us Yolŋu to visit all three institutions for several days in July 2024 to see our belongings for the first time and get an overview of our belongings. This transformative visit led to us now working on bringing back our first ancestor. We offer insights into our profoundly healing and transformative journey including the diverse values for each party involved and the challenges from our respective three perspectives. <br/
Comparison of stable load, unstable load and variable resistance training interventions
Get PDFTwo alternate loading strategies that are increasingly prevalent within athletic, rehabilitation and general settings are unstable load and variable resistance training. However, the relative effectiveness of these strategies compared with conventional stable load training is unclear. We compared three different 4-week resistance training interventions using unstable loads, variable resistance, or traditional stable loads (i.e., barbells, dumbbells), on measures of strength, power, endurance and stability, as well as acceleration and change of direction performance. Twenty-seven recreationally trained males (age 23.4 ± 2.9 years; resistance training experience 4.1 ± 2.8 years, mean ± SD) participated in this study. A single leg quiet stand; single leg land-and-hold; countermovement jump; 10-metre sprint; modified 5-0-5 change of direction test; the athletic shoulder test; isometric mid-thigh pull; 30° isometric hamstring test; and the 60° trunk flexion test were measured before and after each of the three interventions. There were significant improvements in shoulder strength for all three groups, and improvements in other measures: isometric hamstring strength (stable, variable training) stability (stable and unstable), core endurance (unstable, variable), 10 m sprint (unstable) but not in countermovement jumping, or change of direction running. It appears that training with an unstable load can yield substantial improvements in core endurance, whereas the use of variable resistance loads showed improvements in isometric shoulder strength across a range of positions. All three forms of resistance training loads (stable, unstable, variable) offer athletes and coaches the opportunity to target discrete strength, power, endurance and stability qualities.</p
The effectiveness of air-cleaning technologies against COVID-19 transmission in healthcare settings
Get PDFBackground: The healthcare setting is a high-transmission-risk environment for COVID-19. Attending clinicians and patients are at risk of infection if measures are not established to secure the microbial safety of the health facility. Air cleaning technologies may deliver a safer clinical environment by depleting airborne viral concentrations.Aim: This systematic review aims to assess the effectiveness of air-cleaning methods in preventing COVID-19 transmission in health facilities and the effectiveness of air cleaning rated by microbial depletion.Method: This study is a rapid systematic review.Results: No study assessed COVID-19 transmission relative to the air cleaning methods. HEPA filtration produced a more rapid and thorough removal of aerosols from health facilities. HEPA filtration showed mixed performance in removing COVID-19 viral RNA from a routine care ward and an intensive care unit (ICU). Meta-analyses could not be conducted due to dissimilarities in included studies.Conclusion: The reviewed papers demonstrate that HEPA filtration hastens the depletion of aerosols from the indoor space in the health facility. Further translation of this finding to prevent COVID-19 transmission should assume the relevance of room occupancy density, virus-free outdoor air supply, recirculated filtered air, virus source strength, number of sources, and the use of facemasks by health workers and visitors to the health facility
A B-Spline Function Based 3D Point Cloud Unwrapping Scheme for 3D Fingerprint Recognition and Identification
No full textA three-dimensional (3D) fingerprint recognition and identification system offers several advantages: in addition to sharing the hygiene property of a 2D contactless fingerprint system in reducing the risk of contamination, it offers an exceptional anti-proofing attack capability over the traditional two-dimensional (2D) fingerprint, including 2D contactless fingerprint, recognition and identification systems. This is because capturing a 3D fingerprint sample will require a synchronized operation of multiple 3D-spaced cameras. It is infeasible to construct a quality 3D fingerprint sample based on a set of random 2D fingerprint images. In addition to capturing surface ridge and valley patterns similar to a 2D fingerprint system, 3D fingerprints capture depth, curvature, and shape information, enabling the development of more precise and robust authentication systems. Despite recent advancements, significant challenges remain. The topological height of fingerprint pixels complicates the extraction of ridge and valley patterns. Furthermore, registration issues limit the acquisition process, requiring consistent direction and orientation across all samples. To address these challenges, this article introduces a method that unwraps 3D fingerprints, represented as 3D point clouds, using B-spline curve fitting to mitigate height variation and reduce registration limitations. The unwrapped point cloud is then converted into a grayscale image by mapping the relative heights of the points. This grayscale image is subsequently used for recognition through conventional 2D fingerprint identification methods. The proposed approach demonstrated superior performance in 3D fingerprint recognition, achieving Equal Error Rates (EERs) of 0.2072%, 0.26%, and 0.22% across three experiments, outperforming existing methods. Additionally, the method surpassed 3D fingerprint flattening technique in both recognition and identification during cross-session experiments, achieving an EER of 1.50% when fingerprints with varying registrations were included.</p