134125 research outputs found
Sort by
The use of virtual reality for closed motor skill acquisition and transfer
Get PDFVirtual Reality (VR), particularly head mounted display systems, impose different demands on people as compared to the real-world when performing a visuomotor task. One example is in visual perception, which has known impacts on visuomotor coordination. Although VR has been shown to have effects on how people perform visually guided skills, the technology is being used for visuomotor skills training, in both sport and non-sport contexts. There are several reasons for the use of VR technologies for skills practice and training, namely that skills can be performed, studied, and optimised in ways that are difficult to achieve in the real-world. The purpose of this thesis was to explore the use of VR for visuomotor skill evaluation, practice and training, and how the novel use of VR may improve real-world performance, independent of physical practice within a VR environment. Three studies are presented, each of which use the task of golf putting, a task selected based on a literature base with established performance evaluation metrics, related to both putting and visuomotor coordination as measured by eye-gaze.
Study 1 aimed to evaluate whether real-world skill expertise when putting in VR environments is similar to putting in the real-world. Participants novice to golf (n = 46), split into low and high performing groups (LPN and HPN), national and international athletes in a sport other than golf (n = 14) and experts in golf (n = 5) putted in VR and in the real-world. The main measure of performance was radial error (the distance between the resting position of the ball and the hole). The results showed that performance is better in the real-world than in VR, while the real-world performance advantage of experts was reduced in VR. Quiet Eye, a gaze behaviour linked to improved performance, predicted a lower radial error when putting in the real-world, but not in VR. The results suggest that visually guided skills may be impaired in VR, and that VR testing environments may need to account for visuomotor differences to the real-world when evaluating performance or if VR is used for the practice of visuomotor skills (such as for repetitive golf putting).
Study 2 examined Quiet Eye Training (QET), which aims to teach the QE fixation behaviour of experts. It evaluated how practicing golf putting in VR or in the real-world, with or without first receiving QET, affects skill performance pre-to-post and at a 1-week retention test. Golf novices were randomly divided into practice environment (real-world, RW; VR) and training type (QET, Control) groups to create four conditions: RW Control (n =16), RW QET (n = 11), VR Control (n = 10), and VR QET (n = 9). Receiving QET, irrespective of whether subsequent practice occurred in VR or in the real-world, improved real-world putting performance pre-to-post and at a longer-term retention interval, which was associated with more expert like gaze behaviours. Participants who practiced in the real-world, irrespective of training method, improved in their VR performance, while those who practiced in VR did not improve when tested in VR. The results suggest that VR practice alone may be unsuitable for skill learning and may need to be integrated within a training framework, such as QET, to produce real-world benefits to performance.
Study 3 evaluated how showing a novice the eye-gaze behaviour of an expert golfer, without providing technical instructions or allowing for physical practice, affects gaze behaviour and putting performance in a pre-post design. The experts eye gaze was shown through an orange circle, displayed through a VR headset. One video showed the gaze cursor only (Cursor; n = 14), another with the peripheral information blurred (Blurred; n = 14), while the final condition was a passive Control group (n = 14). Cursor participants improved in radial error, showed a reduction in putt length, and had a better putt line pre-to-post. Blurred participants had a lower radial error, while Cursor participants did not show any performance improvement. QE duration increased for all conditions pre-to-post, with the largest increase for the Cursor group, followed by Blurred, then Control, while there was no difference between groups at post-test. The results show that observing the eye gaze of an expert through VR can assist visuomotor skill learning, independent of any further instruction or practice, which may expedite visuomotor skill acquisition.
Over the three studies, the evidence suggests that perception and action may be poorly coupled in VR, at least when compared to the real-world. The inferior coupling may have flow on effects for how practice and training in VR should be conducted. The results suggest that an effective way to use VR is to show people how to perform skills in ways that are difficult to achieve in the real-world, as physical practice or further technical instruction beyond observation of an experts' eye-movements may not be required to produce benefits to real-world motor skill performance. When wanting to use VR to practice a visuomotor skill, it is suggested that a skill learning framework, such as QET, may be required in addition to practice to produce benefits to real-world skill learning. Training specific skills related to performance, such as QE, may benefit from being taught implicitly (such as through observation) and within the context of a wider visuomotor gaze sequence.Thesis (PhD Doctorate)Doctor of PhilosophySchool of Applied PsychologyGriffith HealthFull Tex
Enhancing intercultural education: strategies for challenging Eurocentrism and centring Indigenous perspectives in teacher education
Get PDFNavigating Eurocentric teacher education settings presents significant challenges for both educators and learners, particularly when engaging with issues of race, privilege, and Indigenous perspectives. This paper draws on interviews with 16 Indigenous experts from Australia, Canada, the US, and New Zealand, woven together with reflective practice from compulsory Indigenous studies courses in Queensland, Australia. Our analysis reveals three key strategies: critical self-reflection, the use of metaphors, and intergenerational mentorship, which enable initial teacher education (ITE) programs to challenge deficit thinking and promote meaningful inclusion of Indigenous Knowledges. Our paper examines the affective and intellectual tensions experienced by preservice teachers when they are invited to confront their cultural positioning, whiteness, and colonial complicity. We contend that scaffolded engagement with Indigenous epistemologies provides a potent means for challenging deficit discourses and fostering more ethically responsive educational practices. Methodologically, our paper integrates dialogic reflection and Indigenous-led analysis to generate a praxis-oriented contribution for those engaged in curriculum and pedagogical reform. While grounded in the Australian context, comparative references to other settler-colonial nations enhance global debates on decolonising teacher education, offering applied strategies for critical reflexivity, relational accountability, and the ethical inclusion of Indigenous knowledges.Full Tex
Brain Injury Within Intimate Partner Violence: What Are the Cognitive Effects?
No full textIntimate partner violence (IPV) is a worldwide health concern with devastating implications for physical, mental, and cognitive health. IPV-associated brain injuries (IPV-BIs) induced through impacts to the head (e.g., mild traumatic brain injury [mTBI]) and non-fatal strangulation (NFS; i.e., a hypoxic-ischemic injury) have long been overlooked among IPV victim-survivors. Identifying their presence and consequences is vital to inform interventions. Cross-sectional design with 3 groups including women with IPV-BI (1-6; >6) sustained through NFS and/or mTBI, women exposed to IPV without BI, and healthy age-matched controls. All participants completed medical history, biopsychosocial questionnaires, and cognitive tests of premorbid IQ, learning and memory, processing speed, and executive function. A total of 146 women aged 40.99 years (SD = 13.97) were included: 46 with IPV-BI (27 1-6; 19 > 6), 42 with IPV alone, and 58 Healthy controls. IPV-BI was significantly associated with poorer performances on Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) Total Learning, Delayed Recall trials, and Trails Making Test B (TMT-B). Planned comparisons revealed that women with more than 6 IPV-BIs scored significantly lower on RAVLT Total Learning and Delayed Recall compared to other groups, with medium and large effect sizes. The association between IPV-BI and performances on the RAVLT remained significant after controlling for potential confounders, including age, premorbid functioning, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, substance use disorder, and other causes of BI. In contrast, the effect of IPV-BI on TMT-B performance was attenuated when anxiety was included in the model, rendering the IPV-BI group difference non-significant. There was evidence of impairments in memory and new learning among women with IPV-BI relative to the other groups beyond 6 months post-injury, with cumulative mTBI and NFS worsening outcomes. These findings highlight the need for IPV-BI screening, neuropsychological assessment, and targeted education and therapy for this underserved population.No Full Tex
Improving social marketing for beach safety: Assessing communication messages using physiological measures
Get PDFVisitor health and safety are vital concerns in the tourism industry, particularly in relation to hazardous locations such as beaches and waterways. These locations often require the communication of perceived hazards to visitors via various forms of communication channels (i.e. videos, websites, on site signage, etc.) to reduce safety risks. This is a particularly salient concern for international visitors who are often vulnerable to beach hazards due to their unfamiliarity with remote beach locations and language barriers that can hinder safety communication. This research thus investigates international visitor perceptions of beach risks, effective beach safety communication and factors influencing precautionary swimming measures. This is achieved through an exploratory and confirmatory mixed methods study design using qualitative interviews and physiological data collection (eye tracking) to understand international visitors’ responses to beach safety messaging. Findings provide message framing recommendations to attract higher attention to safety communications and improvements in precautionary behaviours.Full Tex
Coupling Agents in Acoustofluidics: Mechanisms, Materials, and Applications
Get PDFAcoustic coupling agents serve as critical interfacial materials connecting piezoelectric transducers with microfluidic chips in acoustofluidic systems. Their performance directly impacts acoustic wave transmission efficiency, device reusability, and reliability in biomedical applications. Considering the rapidly growing body of research in the field of acoustic microfluidics, this review aims to serve as an all-in-one reference on the role of acoustic coupling agents and relevant considerations pertinent to acoustofluidic devices for anyone working in or seeking to enter the field of disposable acoustofluidic devices. To this end, this review seeks to summarize and categorize key aspects of acoustic couplants in the implementation of acoustofluidic devices by examining their underlying physical mechanisms, material classifications, and core applications of coupling agents in acoustofluidics. Gel-based coupling agents are particularly favored for their long-term stability, high coupling efficiency, and ease of preparation, making them integral to acoustic flow control applications. In practice, coupling agents facilitate microparticle trapping, droplet manipulation, and biosample sorting through acoustic impedance matching and wave mode conversion (e.g., Rayleigh-to-Lamb waves). Their thickness and acoustic properties (sound velocity, attenuation coefficient) further modulate sound field distribution to optimize acoustic radiation forces and thermal effects. However, challenges remain regarding stability (evaporation, thermal degradation) and chip compatibility. Further aspects of research into gel-based agents requiring attention include multilayer coupled designs, dynamic thickness control, and enhancing biocompatibility to advance acoustofluidic technologies in point-of-care diagnostics and high-throughput analysis.Full Tex
Predicting Engagement and Retention During an Online Theory-Based Intervention to Promote Physical Activity Among Inactive Parent-Child Dyads
Get PDFInsufficient physical activity is a widespread health concern, necessitating the broad implementation of evidence-based behavior change interventions. Such evidence commonly derives from randomized controlled trials, but questions arise about who is willing to enroll and actively engage in such trials. This study investigated factors predicting engagement and retention in an online physical activity intervention for inactive parent-child dyads. Participants were recruited from the general Finnish population and assigned to either an intervention or wait-list control group. The intervention consisted of online materials, SMS prompts, and four online sessions. Partial least squares regression models were used to analyze autonomous motivation, parent and child gender, parental education, employment status, and recruitment source as predictors of intervention retention and engagement. Results showed that intervention retention was predicted by higher autonomous motivation, being a mother, social media recruitment, and university education. Session attendance was higher for autonomously motivated parents, fathers, parents of daughters, and university-educated parents. These findings highlight the importance of autonomous motivation and demographic factors in intervention engagement. However, the higher engagement of already motivated participants demonstrates challenges for reaching and intervening on those who might benefit most from such programs. Future research should explore strategies to engage and retain less motivated individuals and investigate reasons behind non-compliance to improve the effectiveness of physical activity interventions for inactive families.Full Tex
Mild traumatic brain injury and concussion and persisting post-concussion symptoms: new guidelines to support evidence-based assessment and management in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand
No full textAdvances in research, technology, and clinical practices are rapidly changing our understanding and treatment of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and concussion, which is a form of mTBI. Emerging evidence challenges the previous dogma that these are minor injuries without long term consequences.1, 2 Frontline clinicians, however, report a lack of knowledge and confidence in managing these conditions, and community resources are limited.3 Until recently, there was no guidance specific to the Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand context.Full Tex
Performance improvement of silicon carbide gate oxide interface by pre-oxidation
No full textAdvances in silicon carbide (SiC) metal–oxide–semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) devices have been significantly hampered by poor quality and reliability of gate oxide. Pre-oxidation process has been proposed and used in this work to demonstrate the improvement of the 4H-SiC/SiO2 interface properties with the growing of a thin sacrificial oxide layer, by dry oxidation and followed by post grown annealing with nitric oxide (NO). After the sacrificial oxide layer was removed via wet etching, a gate oxide was thermally oxidized, and NO post-oxidation annealing was performed. The modification of SiC surface was achieved by pre-oxidation, which not only led to a smoother surface, but also could suppress the generation of interface traps. This pre-oxidation treatment effectively reduced the density of negative effective fixed charge and near interface traps. Specifically, the density of interface states was decreased from approximately 9 × 1011 to 6 × 1011 cm−2 eV−1 at 0.2 eV below the conduction band edge. Furthermore, the pre-oxidation treatment enhanced the gate oxide insulating properties with a higher Fowler-Nordheim barrier height (2.52 eV), higher electrical breakdown field (9.89 MV/cm), and better stability under bias temperature stress if compared with none pre-oxidation treated samples. By adopting the pre-oxidation treatment for the gate oxide of a MOSFET, the device showed a higher drain current, lower threshold voltage, and higher transconductance. Considering the interface properties and reliability performance, pre-oxidation treatment is a promising approach to produce a high-quality gate oxide for SiC-based MOS devices.No Full Tex
Epidemiology and Outcomes of Patients with Adult Congenital Heart Disease in Queensland Intensive Care Units: A Multicentre Retrospective Observational Study
Get PDFObjectives
: To describe the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and outcomes of adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) across Queensland, Australia.
Design
: Multicentre, retrospective cohort study.
Setting
: Twelve adult ICUs across Queensland, including tertiary referral and regional centres, from January 1st, 2015, to December 31st, 2021.
Participants
: Adults (≥18 years) with ACHD.
Interventions
: No interventions.
Measurements and Main Results
: ACHD cases were stratified by lesion complexity and admission type (medical vs surgical). Outcomes included ICU and hospital length of stay, and 30-day and 1-year mortality.
Of 89,184 ICU admissions, 1,870 (2.1%) involved ACHD. The most common diagnoses were valvular (57.9%) and septal (31.0%) malformations. Lesion complexity was classified as simple (1,543/1,870; 82.5%), moderate (220/1,870; 11.8%), and complex (60/1,870; 3.2%).
Medical patients (253/1,870; 13.5%) had greater illness severity, more frequent use of renal replacement therapy and ECMO, and longer ICU (3(2-6) vs 2(2-6) days; p < 0.001) and hospital length of stay: 18(10-33) vs 8(6-13) days; p < 0.001) when compared to surgical patients. Mortality was significantly higher in medical admissions (30-day: 34/253: 13.4%; 1-year: 50/253: 19.8%) than surgical (30-day: 20/1,617: 1.2%; 1-year: 42/1617: 2.6%; p < 0.001). One-year mortality was also higher in patients with complex lesions (11/60; 18.3%) vs simple (67/1,543; 4.3%).
Conclusions
: ACHD patients are an uncommon but important ICU population. Outcomes vary significantly by admission type and lesion complexity. Emergency and medical admissions were associated with a disproportionately high mortality compared to elective surgical admissions and should prompt early escalation of care.Full Tex
A wide range of abiotic and biotic variables leaves most variation in bird nest architecture unexplained
Get PDFNests are the locations or containers for offspring, and mediate interactions between offspring and the environment. However, understanding how environmental factors shape the evolution of nest architecture is complicated. In particular, the relative contributions of biotic (e.g. protection from predation) and abiotic (e.g. microclimate maintenance) factors to the evolution of nest architecture have not been clearly quantified, and multiple nest traits, such as their location or shape, are rarely considered together. Here, we use a dataset of 3685 bird species for which data exist across multiple nest traits to characterize a multivariate 'morphospace' of nest architecture and use phylogenetic comparative methods to explore whether abiotic or biotic factors better explain this variation. We detect that abiotic environmental factors (climate) explain more variation than biotic factors. However, substantial variation in nest architecture remains unexplained after accounting for the variables used here, suggesting that commonly used nest traits may not capture covariation between nest architecture and the environment as expected. Nonetheless, our study demonstrates how nest evolution is affected by the environment on a global scale. This provides a foundation to explore a more diverse array of nest traits and environmental variables, to better understand nest evolution in the world's birds.Full Tex