50716 research outputs found
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But what about the ecological capabilities? Relationality and school-based food gardening in the Australian early years learning framework
No full textReflecting on students' personal and social capabilities is essential for individual and societal benefits. Typically, the focus is on emotional awareness, collaboration, resilience, conflict resolution, and learning to function within school settings. However, there is little emphasis on building ecological capabilities. As we face climate uncertainty, understanding how to exist in a changing world is crucial, and developing ecological capabilities is now of utmost importance for our survival. This paper aims to demonstrate that ecological learning (and the accompanying capabilities) is inherently linked to personal-social development and suggests that education should move beyond human-centric approaches. We observed a 10-week gardening program at an Early Childhood School in ACT/Ngunnawal country. Our analysis reveals that students show empathy towards plants, engage confidently with human and non-human participants, understand food sharing, and make autonomous decisions. They also develop self-regulation skills and consider the well-being of non-human participants. Students extend their learning beyond the classroom, showing resilience in diverse multispecies contexts. By integrating ecological understanding with personal-social development, our findings demonstrate the benefits of non-human companionship and ecological connections in education, which are crucial for navigating ecological uncertainty.</p
Using AI to improve English language skills in health students
No full textBackground: Effective communication skills are essential for patient-centred care and safety. Teaching verbal communication can be difficult and expensive. Complexity can increase when teaching students with English as an additional language (EAAL). The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in developing verbal communication is an innovative solution to a contemporary issue. Sample: Six undergraduate health students from three disciplines who self-identified EAAL. Method: A pre–post intervention study was conducted. The Coherence, Lexical, Grammatical, Pronunciation (CLIP) assessment was conducted pre- and post-intervention. Students completed a debrief to explore their perceptions of the intervention. Results: Improved English language was noted in two criteria of the CLIP. Students reported that the intervention assisted their conversational skills; however, its effectiveness was limited as it was not human. Conclusion: AI software may support students in developing conversational English skills; however, it should be used to complement, not replace, traditional teaching methods. Briefing and Debriefing should be facilitated to optimise student learning.</p
Inspiratory muscle training for people with Parkinson's disease:A protocol for a mixed methods randomised controlled trial
No full textIntroduction Inspiratory muscle weakness is a known consequence of Parkinson's disease and could be a potential contributor to the dyspnoea experienced by many people living with the condition. Inspiratory muscle training is effective in improving inspiratory muscle strength and reducing dyspnoea in other chronic diseases. However, inspiratory muscle training has received little attention in people with Parkinson's disease, and it is unclear how this training affects inspiratory muscle strength, dyspnoea and quality of life. Methods and analysis This mixed methods, randomised controlled trial will recruit 50 participants with idiopathic Parkinson's disease who will be randomly allocated to either the experimental group, for 8 weeks, or the control group. Inspiratory muscle strength (maximum inspiratory pressure) will be the primary outcome. The secondary outcomes include motor experience of daily living (Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale part II), rate of perceived exertion (modified Borg Scale), exercise capacity (6-minute walk test) and quality of life (39-item Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire). Quantitative data will be analysed using descriptive statistics. Semi-structured interviews will be conducted with participants who underwent inspiratory muscle training. Inductive reflexive thematic analysis will be used to explore the participants' experiences of inspiratory muscle training and its impact on dyspnoea, activities of daily living and overall quality of life.</p
The Combination of Physical Activity and Cognitive Games is Associated With Better Cognitive Performance and Gray Matter Volume in Older Adults
No full textObjectives: Investigate whether engaging in cognitive and physical activity is associated with cognitive performance and gray matter volume. Specifically, this study investigated the role of both activity types performed in close temporal proximity to each other. Methods: Cognitively healthy older adults (n = 155; 73–78 years; 45% female) enrolled in the PATH Through Life study with valid cognitive, MRI and physical activity (PA) measures were included in the study. PA was objectively measured with a SenseWear Armband for 7 days. PA and cognitive engagement were self-reported through a 1-week activity diary. The number of 3-h periods in which ≥ 15 min of objective moderately vigorous physical activity (MVPA) > 3METs, cognitive activity, or both occurred, were assessed. Cognitive game activity periods were also coded. Associations between activity engagement and outcome measures were assessed with hierarchical regression models while controlling for age, sex, and education. Results: For cognitive engagement, greater activity diversity was associated with better symbol digits modalities test performance (SDMT), while a greater number of cognitive activity periods were associated with better SDMT, and digit span backward performance. Greater cognitive game periods improved model fit for several cognitive outcomes and right hippocampal volume. MVPA periods were not associated with any outcome. The number of periods in which cognitive activity and MVPA were present together was associated with better immediate recall. Periods in which cognitive games and MVPA co-existed were associated with cognitive and volumetric outcomes. Discussion: These findings support the notion that both cognitive and physical activity are positively related to brain health. They highlight the potential importance of performing both activity types in close temporal proximity to support the aging brain.</p
Mandibular repositioning effects on running until exhaustion at moderate intensity
No full textBACKGROUND: Wearing a mandibular repositioning dental splint may enhance ventilatory function and exercise performance. We aim to analyze the performance and the biophysical effects of wearing an intraoral splint with mandibular repositioning when running until exhaustion at moderate intensity. METHODS: Sixteen trained male runners completed a crossover randomized controlled study to evaluate the effects of two intraoral splints (with and without mandibular forward repositioning) on performance, ventilatory and bioenergetic profiles during running until exhaustion at the velocity corresponding to the anaerobic threshold. Ventilatory variables were analyzed at different running time-points, and a paired samples t-test was employed to compare the experimental conditions across all evaluated variables. RESULTS: The splint with mandibular forward repositioning facilitated ~12% longer running than the splint without mandibular repositioning. Oxygen uptake was the sole ventilatory variable demonstrating a higher value across all the analyzed running time-points when the mandible was advanced (10th min, 58.1±9.4 vs. 55.3±9.8; 10 min before the end, 57.7±8.7 vs. 55.3±9.1; and at the end of the exercise, 57.2±8.2 vs. 54.2±9.0 mL∙kg-1∙min-1; P≤0.05). The splint with mandibular forward repositioning also elicited a lower rate of perceived exertion (17.1±0.77 vs. 17.4±0.63, P=0.05) and higher aerobic contribution (2611±708 vs. 2212±640 kJ), overall energy spent (2633±708 vs. 2232±642 kJ) and exercise energy cost (0.28±0.05 vs. 0.26±0.05 kJ∙m-1, P≤0.005). CONCLUSIONS: The mandibular forward repositioning elicited a marked improvement in moderate intensity performance, with beneficial physiological and perceived effects.</p
Where next for global climate deliberation:From proof of concept to a role in transformation
No full textBuilding on the proof of concept that was the 2021 Global Assembly on the Climate and Ecological Crisis, we explore an expanded and even institutionalized role for effective and consequential citizen deliberation in global climate governance. Such an expanded role could not just strengthen citizen voices in negotiations, but also counter vested interests, promote civic learning, enhance the legitimacy of governance, foster global solidarity, and generate reflective input to galvanize policies.</p
A CrossMod-Transformer deep learning framework for multi-modal pain detection through EDA and ECG fusion
No full textPain is a multifaceted phenomenon that significantly affects a large portion of the global population. Objective pain assessment is essential for developing effective management strategies, which in turn contribute to more efficient and responsive healthcare systems. However, accurately evaluating pain remains a complex challenge due to subtle physiological and behavioural indicators, individual-specific pain responses, and the need for continuous patient monitoring. Automatic pain assessment systems offer promising, technology-driven solutions to support and enhance various aspects of the pain evaluation process. Physiological indicators offer valuable insights into pain-related states and are generally less influenced by individual variability compared to behavioural modalities, such as facial expressions. Skin conductance, regulated by sweat gland activity, and the heart’s electrical signals are both influenced by changes in the sympathetic nervous system. Biosignals, such as electrodermal activity (EDA) and electrocardiogram (ECG), can, therefore, objectively capture the body’s physiological responses to painful stimuli. This paper proposes a novel multi-modal ensemble deep learning framework that combines electrodermal activity and electrocardiogram signals for automatic pain recognition. The proposed framework includes a uni-modal approach (FCN-ALSTM-Transformer) comprising a Fully Convolutional Network, Attention-based LSTM, and a Transformer block to integrate features extracted by these models. Additionally, a multi-modal approach (CrossMod-Transformer) is introduced, featuring a dedicated Transformer architecture that fuses electrodermal activity and electrocardiogram signals. Experimental evaluations were primarily conducted on the BioVid dataset, with further cross-dataset validation using the AI4PAIN 2025 dataset to assess the generalisability of the proposed method. Notably, the CrossMod-Transformer achieved an accuracy of 87.52% on Biovid and 75.83% on AI4PAIN, demonstrating strong performance across independent datasets and outperforming several state-of-the-art uni-modal and multi-modal methods. These results highlight the potential of the proposed framework to improve the reliability of automatic multi-modal pain recognition and support the development of more objective and inclusive clinical assessment tools.</p
Adding noise can reduce response biases in addition to improving perceptual performance
No full text“Stochastic resonance” (SR) is a phenomenon whereby adding an “optimal” amount of noise can improve perceptual capabilities. Although this performance enhancement is important, in many tasks we also want to reduce biases, such as the tendency to respond “absent” to an infrequent stimulus. To address this, we designed a perceptual task where we presented six possible letters (“C,”“B,”“H,” “O,”“E,” and “U”) at threshold levels. We induced a response bias by manipulating the frequency of the consonants and vowels at 80% (frequent stimuli) versus 20% (rare stimuli) and induced SR using Gaussian visual luminance noise. We observed SR-based improvements in performance (accuracy and d’) across 22 observers at low to intermediate noise levels. Additionally, response biases (i.e., criterion) decreased due to an increase in correctly identified rare stimuli. Our results suggest that low-to-moderate noise can improve performance and reduce response biases, with potential implications for real-world tasks (such as cancer screening) where target (i.e., tumor) occurrence is rare.</p
A Comparison of Inswing and Outswing Bowling Arm Kinematics of Pathway and Elite Male Fast Bowlers
No full textCricket fast bowlers can increase the difficulty for batters to accurately intercept their deliveries by swinging the ball. To generate swing, bowlers must use a technique that creates an angled and upright ball seam when it is released from the hand and projected towards the batter. The ability to create both inswing and outswing can provide bowlers with an advantage over opposition batters and requires a high level of skill, but little is known about the bowling actions to achieve this. This exploratory investigation aimed to compare the ball grip angle, bowling arm joint angles during the delivery stride and bowling arm segment orientations at the point of ball release of conventional new ball inswing and outswing deliveries. A three-dimensional motion analysis system captured a group of 10 pathway and elite Australian fast bowlers delivering inswing and outswing. Statistical differences were observed in ball grip (p = 0.041), elbow pronation–supination (p = 0.050), shoulder adduction–abduction (p = 0.002), forearm lateral (p = 0.009) and hand lateral (p = 0.002) angles. These differences in bowling mechanics may assist bowlers in achieving the desired ball release positions and seam angles required to swing the ball in both directions. The findings of this study provide initial insight into the biomechanics of swing bowling, allowing for hypotheses that are generated from the data to be tested in future research and offering athletes and coaches strategies that can be employed to enhance performance.</p