50716 research outputs found
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You, me, the lakes and the storm water drain
No full textThis exposition charts a creative collaboration between two humans, two lakes and a stormwater drain. By thinking with water as archive and unknowability, making art with the water-bodies of significance to them, and drawing upon the thoughts of key scholars and Indigenous artists, the authors explore questions of ancestry, memory, belonging, and ecological recuperation. Throughout this process, they reflect upon and dialogue about the pedagogical implications of their creative collaboration, undertaken at the intersection of new-materialist arts and common worlds environmental education
Qualia structures collapse for geometric shapes, but not faces, when spatial attention is withdrawn
No full textTop-down attentional amplification is often assumed to affect ‘what’ we see, that is, the contents of conscious experience. Previously, this claim has been examined by studies that manipulated attention and characterized conscious perception in binary categorical labels (e.g. seen versus unseen). However, these categorical judgments are not powerful enough to characterize the quality of conscious perception, or ‘how’ we see, or qualia, for short. To address this, we introduce a similarity rating paradigm to consciousness research that tries to characterize the attentional effects on the structure of the quality of experience, or qualia structures for short. Under the dual-task paradigm, participants rated the similarity of stimulus pairs in the periphery. We used three stimulus sets, the rotated letters ‘L’ and ‘T’ (N=14), rotated red/green bisected disks (N=14) or greyscale faces (N=13). The similarity ratings of all the pairs described the phenomenological relationships between the stimuli, and served as a proxy for the qualia structure of conscious experience of the stimuli; which we characterized with dimension reduction and an unsupervised optimal transport alignment technique. We found that alignment accuracy remained high for face qualia structures under both full and poor attention. Withdrawal of attention collapsed qualia structures for letters and disks. Extending previous dual-task approaches from binary categorizations to relational judgments, our approach establishes a novel pathway to elucidate qualia structures.</p
Girls just wanna have funds and job stability in dementia research: A cross-sectional worldwide survey exploring gender differences in career motivations, satisfaction, perceived challenges and retention
No full textBackground As a leading cause of death worldwide, research into dementia-related diseases is crucial. Women represent two-thirds of people with dementia, yet women are underrepresented in dementia research leadership. To explore this, our gender-stratified study of dementia researchers investigated their motivations, role satisfaction, and perceived barriers to career progression and retention. Method Our global survey targeted early career dementia researchers (ECDRs) through social media and email lists. Multi-choice questions were used, often with an ?Other? write-in option. Descriptive statistics were compared using chi-square or Fisher's exact tests as appropriate. For gender comparisons, women and men were included, given the low sample size of other genders. Result Three-hundred-and-nine respondents included undergraduates to full professors: 68% women, 30% men, and 1% genderqueer, non-binary, or self-described. Half of respondents were considering leaving dementia research, particularly women (57% vs. 46% of men, p = 0.07) and ECDRs (40% of undergraduates, 61% postgraduates, 63% postdocs, 30% assistant professors, 21% full professors, p = 0.009). One in five women, but no men, reported their gender as one of the most significant barriers to their career progression. Job availability/security and work-life balance were also considered career barriers by more women than men (70% vs. 47%, p
Oral Health in Individuals with Severe Mental Illness on Second-Generation Antipsychotics—A Scoping Review
No full textIntroduction: There has been a significant increase in antipsychotic usage, particularly belonging to second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs), in the management of severe mental illnesses (SMIs) over the past few decades, but their impact on oral health is unclear. This review evaluated the oral side effects of the SGAs used in managing SMIs. Methods: A PRISMA-guided scoping review was conducted, using predefined criteria and relevant word combination in Medline (PubMed), Embase, Scopus and Cochrane databases. Eligible studies were assessed for study type, population demographics, antipsychotic medication usage, oral diseases and conditions, and their outcomes. Primary outcomes were explicitly studied oral conditions or diseases, and secondary outcomes were broader oral or general “treatment-emergent adverse effects.”. Results: Twelve studies met the inclusion criteria for the primary outcomes and 13 for the secondary outcomes. The most reported primary outcomes were salivary gland dysfunction (hypofunction, three studies; hypersalivation, two studies), dental caries (positive association, three studies; no association, one study), and periodontal disease (five studies). Secondary outcomes included dysgeusia and oral hypoesthesia (six studies). Discussion: SGAs significantly compromise oral health, particularly through salivary gland and sensory dysfunction, highlighting the need for up-to-date guidelines on routine oral screening and preventive care.</p
Incorporating “moving more and sitting less” into daily activities of hospitalised older medical patients:a stakeholder-directed systematic review with meta-analysis of complex interventions
No full textPurpose: To evaluate the benefits and harms of increasing body movement throughout the day, via activities of daily living (ADLs), in older adults (≥50 years) hospitalised with an acute medical illness. Method: Prospectively registered systematic review (PROSPERO CRD42023438101). Five databases were searched until September 2024. Risk of bias was assessed using Cochrane Risk of Bias tools. Random-effects meta-analyses were conducted of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and non-randomised studies separately, for use of the GRADE approach to establish evidence certainty. Main outcomes selected by stakeholders, including consumers, were: functional maintenance/improvement, independence in ADLs, self-efficacy, wellbeing, quality of life and clinical deterioration (delirium, other complications) at hospital discharge. Results: Nineteen studies were included, with 15 suitable for meta-analysis. Estimates of effect from RCTs (n = 2) provided low-certainty evidence, favouring the intervention for independence in ADLs (SMD 0.29, 95%CI 0.05,0.52). Very low-certainty evidence from non-randomised studies favoured the intervention for maintaining/improving function (OR 1.95, 95%CI 1.53,2.50; n = 3 studies), positive beliefs about mobility (OR 2.11, 95%CI 1.28,3.48; n = 1 study), reduced pressure injury prevalence (OR 0.53, 95%CI 0.32,0.89; n = 1 study) and LOS (MD −1.01, 95%CI −0.14,−1.87; n = 9 studies). Conclusion: Maximising movement opportunities in hospital may improve some outcomes for older adults at risk of functional decline.</p
Policy analysis in sport: a review of mainstream meso-level frameworks and developing more sustainable policy for grassroots sport
No full textThis paper reviews some mainstream meso-level policy analysis frameworks widely applied in sport. There is, however, an absence of consensus for an established framework for analysing sport policy in general and, instead, techniques emanating from other fields of study have been relied upon. The resultant approach to sport policy analysis is inconsistent, multidimensional, and lacks unanimity, leading to calls for a sport-specific framework. This research outlines how meso-level frameworks have been applied in sport policy and issues linked to sustainability from a grassroots policy perspective. A narrative literature review provides an overview of prevalent approaches, namely Institutional Analysis, the Multiple Streams Framework, Policy Network Theory, and the Advocacy Coalition Framework. Aspects of applying these models to sport policy—including some key advantages and disadvantages—are outlined, especially the issue of conventional top-policy processes, the impact on policy implementers at grassroots level, and the potential for bottom-up policy influence. The article examines the four frameworks in the context of praxes in sport, noting the overall importance of a meso-level approach to sport policy analysis and that arriving at an holistic and inclusive accord has merit.</p
Assessing the health benefits and economic costs of interventions to reduce exposure to air pollution from biomass combustion in Australia
No full textFine particulate matter (PM 2.5) pollution related to biomass combustion is an established driver of poor health outcomes. While interventions such as face masks and portable air cleaners (PACs) reduce exposure, the health benefits and cost effectiveness of these interventions are not well understood. In this study, we modelled the benefits and costs of face masks and PACs across eight capital cities in Australia. We used historic daily PM 2.5 concentrations coupled with fire activity and temperature data to create a statistically representative year of data. We used established concentration-response functions for long-term exposure to PM 2.5 to estimate reductions in mortality risk and monetised them using the value of a statistical life. We calculated intervention costs by considering investment and operating expenses. We calculated the PM 2.5 reduction potential and the benefit-cost ratio (BCR) as measures to compare interventions, using Monte Carlo simulation to account for uncertainty. All interventions were found to have a BCR above 1. Despite being the least effective intervention for reducing personal PM 2.5 exposure, surgical masks, used for 3.6 h during smoky days, had the greatest BCR compared to P2/N95 masks, home-made PACs and branded PACs (BCR > 18.8 surgical masks; BCR > 3.7 P2/N95 masks; BCR > 1.8 home-made PACs; BCR > 1.4 branded PACs). This was due to the very low unit cost of surgical masks. Overall, the health benefits of using face masks and/or PACs outweighed the economic costs. </p
Temporal variations and spatial clusters of diarrheal diseases before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Jakarta province, Indonesia
No full textBACKGROUND: Diarrheal diseases continue to be an important public health problem in developing countries including Indonesia, possibly made worse by COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, this study aimed to outline the epidemiology of diarrheal diseases in Jakarta Province in Indonesia.METHODS: The diarrhoeal data from 2018 to 2021 were obtained from the Epidemiological Surveillance Unit, Jakarta Provincial Health Office. Seasonal and trend decomposition using Loess was used to analyse the temporal analysis. The Local Indicators for Spatial Association was used to detect spatial clustering of diarrheal cases at the sub-district level. Multivariable Poisson regression was used to study the association between diarrhoea and climatic factors.RESULTS: Diarrheal diseases were highly seasonal with cases peaking in the beginning of each year. The diarrheal diseases incidence showed an increase from 2018, peaking in 2020, and then gradually decreasing until middle 2021, and it slightly increased towards the end of 2021. High-risk sub-districts of diarrhoea were observed in Kalideres and Cengkareng throughout the study period. Additionally, there was a spatial variation of cases across the province with hotspots located in sub-districts in the western part of the province in the peri-urban region. Diarrhoea decreased by 17.0% (RR = 0.83,95% CI = 0.83-0.84) for 1 °C increase in average temperature. Similarly, diarrhoea decreased by 3.0% (RR = 0.97,95%CI = 0.97-0.97) and 27.0% (RR = 0.73, 95%CI = 0.72-0.73) for 1% in average humidity and 1 m/s wind speed. Meanwhile, diarrhoea increased by 3% (RR = 1.03, 95%CI = 1.02-1.03) and 1% (RR = 1.01, 95%CI = 1.01-1.01) in 1 h duration of sunshine per week and 1 mm increase average rainfall respectively.CONCLUSION: Several sub-districts demonstrated disease clusters which indicate the area has a significantly higher risk. In addition, climatic factors were associated with diarrheal incidence. Interventions such as environmental and climatic adaptation and climatic data monitoring need to be carried out in areas that have a high risk as an early warning system.</p
I trust my ‘good neighbour’:Why people trust local news
No full textDespite growing recognition of the importance of understanding trust in news, few studies have focused specifically on local news. To address this gap, we investigated the reasons underlying trust in local news from an audience perspective. We analysed 5395 open-text responses from an online survey of Australian adults. Using content analysis, we identified eight factors influencing trust in local news. In line with existing news media trust research, factors of journalistic standards and quality, less bias, less agenda-driven, reputation of the news organisation, and relevance at a personal level were considered important. We uncovered factors unique to local news, including local relevance and accountability, local verifiability, and benevolence for the community. These factors were especially important to older audiences and those living in regional areas. Findings highlight the importance of relational trust – trust built on emotional and social bonds between news providers and audiences – in the local news context.</p
