How small-sided and conditioned games enhance acquisition of movement and decision-making skills

This article summarizes research from an ecological dynamics program of work on team sports exemplifying how small-sided and conditioned games (SSCG) can enhance skill acquisition and decision-making processes during training. The data highlighted show how constraints of different SSCG can facilitate emergence of continuous interpersonal coordination tendencies during practice to benefit team game players.

Strategies for co-targeting the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in NSCLC

The PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway regulates cell growth and proliferation and is often dysregulated in cancer due to mutation, amplification, deletion, methylation and post-translational modifications. We and others have shown that activation of this pathway in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) leads to a more aggressive disease which correlates to poor prognosis for patients. A multitude of selective inhibitors are in development which target key regulators in this pathway, however the success of PI3K targeted inhibition has been hampered by a high rate of innate and acquired resistance. Response to PI3K inhibition may be improved by co-targeting potential mediators of resistance, such as related cell surface receptors or other intracellular signaling pathways which cross-talk with the PI3K pathway. Inhibition of the PI3K pathway may also overcome radioresistance, chemoresistance and immune evasion in NSCLC. The identification of appropriate patient cohorts who will benefit from PI3K co-targeted inhibition strategies will be key to the success of these inhibitors.

A parcel-scale assessment tool to measure sustainability through urban ecosystem components : the MUSIX model

In recent years a number of urban sustainability assessment frameworks are developed to better inform policy formulation and decision-making processes. This paper introduces one of these attempts in developing a comprehensive assessment tool—i.e., Micro-level Urban-ecosystem Sustainability IndeX (MUSIX). Being an indicator-based indexing model, MUSIX investigates the environmental impacts of land-uses on urban sustainability by measuring urban ecosystem components in local scale. The paper presents the methodology of MUSIX and demonstrates the performance of the model in a pilot test-bed—i.e., in Gold Coast, Australia. The model provides useful insights on the sustainability performance of the test-bed area. The parcel-scale findings of the indicators are used to identify local problems considering six main issues of urban development—i.e., hydrology; ecology; pollution; location; design, and; efficiency. The composite index score is used to propose betterment strategies to guide the development of local area plans in conjunction with the City's Planning Scheme. In overall, this study has shown that parcel-scale environmental data provides an overview of the local sustainability in urban areas as in the example of Gold Coast, which can also be used for setting environmental policy, objectives and targets.

Reluctantly virtual : modelling copyright industry dynamics

During the evolution of the music industry, developments in the media environment have required music firms to adapt in order to survive. Changes in broadcast radio programming during the 1950s; the Compact Cassette during the 1970s; and the deregulation of media ownership during the 1990s are all examples of changes which have heavily affected the music industry. This study explores similar contemporary dynamics, examines how decision makers in the music industry perceive and make sense of the developments, and reveals how they revise their business strategies, based on their mental models of the media environment. A qualitative system dynamics model is developed in order to support the reasoning brought forward by the study. The model is empirically grounded, but is also based on previous music industry research and a theoretical platform constituted by concepts from evolutionary economics and sociology of culture. The empirical data primarily consist of 36 personal interviews with decision makers in the American, British and Swedish music industrial ecosystems. The study argues that the model which is proposed, more effectively explains contemporary music industry dynamics than music industry models presented by previous research initiatives. Supported by the model, the study is able to show how “new” media outlets make old music business models obsolete and challenge the industry’s traditional power structures. It is no longer possible to expose music at one outlet (usually broadcast radio) in the hope that it will lead to sales of the same music at another (e.g. a compact disc). The study shows that many music industry decision makers still have not embraced the new logic, and have not yet challenged their traditional mental models of the media environment. Rather, they remain focused on preserving the pivotal role held by the CD and other physical distribution technologies. Further, the study shows that while many music firms remain attached to the old models, other firms, primarily music publishers, have accepted the transformation, and have reluctantly recognised the realities of a virtualised environment.

Strategies for rapid congestion recovery using ramp metering

This research investigated strategies for motorway congestion management from a different angle: that is, how to quickly recover motorway from congestion at the end of peak hours, given congestion cannot be eliminated due to excessive demand during the long peak hours nowadays. The project developed a zone recovery strategy using ramp metering for rapid congestion recovery, and a serious of traffic simulation investigations were included to evaluate the developed strategy. The results, from both microscopic and macroscopic simulation, demonstrated the effectiveness of the zone recovery strategy.

Participation in science and technology : young people's achievement-related choices in late modern societies

Young people’s participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) is a matter of international concern. Studies and careers that require physical sciences and advanced mathematics are most affected by the problem and women in particular are under-represented in many STEM fields. This article views international research about young people’s relationships to, and participation in, STEM subjects and careers through the lens of an expectancy value model of achievement-related choices. In addition it draws on sociological theories of late-modernity and identity, which situate decision-making in a cultural context. The article examines how these frameworks are useful in explaining the decisions of young people – and young women in particular – about participating in STEM and proposes possible strategies for removing barriers to participation.

Understanding the pre-internationalization phase decision heuristic of Australian SMEs

Since the 1970s, the Uppsala stages model has been one of the dominant explanations of firm internationalization. The model's focus on internationalization as a firm's gradual and incremental process of increasing international involvement has attracted much debate, with one criticism being that it is unclear in explaining how the internationalization process first originates within a firm. In this paper, the Uppsala model is extended through the incorporation of a pre-internationalization phase to explore the antecedents of firm internationalization. Adopting the Uppsala model's theoretical underpinnings, this paper develops and operationalizes a pre-internationalization phase decision heuristic in the form of an ‘export readiness index'. Four constructs are proposed that drive and inhibit export commencement decision-making during a firm's preinternationalization phase: export stimuli, attitudinal/psychological commitment, resources and lateral rigidity. Through a survey of Australian exporting and non-exporting small-medium sized enterprises (SMEs), the Export Readiness Index (ERI) is developed through factor analysis and tested using logistic regression. Results of the study and their potential implications are discussed.

Voltage regulation, power balancing and battery storage discharge control by smart demand side management and multi-objective decision making

A novel intelligent online demand side management system is proposed for peak load management. The method also regulates the network voltage, balances the power in three phases and coordinates the battery storage discharge within the network. This method uses low cost controllers with low bandwidth two-way communication installed in costumers' premises and at distribution transformers to manage the peak load while maximizing customer satisfaction. A multi-objective decision making process is proposed to select the load(s) to be delayed or controlled. The efficacy of the proposed control system is verified through an event-based developed simulation in Matlab.

Control strategies to prevent total hip replacement-related infections : a systematic review and mixed treatment comparison

OBJECTIVE: To synthesise the available evidence and estimate the comparative efficacy of control strategies to prevent total hip replacement (THR)-related surgical site infections (SSIs) using a mixed treatment comparison. DESIGN: Systematic review and mixed treatment comparison. SETTING: Hospital and other healthcare settings. PARTICIPANTS: Patients undergoing THR. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The number of THR-related SSIs occurring following the surgical operation. RESULTS: 12 studies involving 123 788 THRs and 9 infection control strategies were identified. The strategy of 'systemic antibiotics+antibiotic-impregnated cement+conventional ventilation' significantly reduced the risk of THR-related SSI compared with the referent strategy (no systemic antibiotics+plain cement+conventional ventilation), OR 0.13 (95% credible interval (CrI) 0.03-0.35), and had the highest probability (47-64%) and highest median rank of being the most effective strategy. There was some evidence to suggest that 'systemic antibiotics+antibiotic-impregnated cement+laminar airflow' could potentially increase infection risk compared with 'systemic antibiotics+antibiotic-impregnated cement+conventional ventilation', 1.96 (95% CrI 0.52-5.37). There was no high-quality evidence that antibiotic-impregnated cement without systemic antibiotic prophylaxis was effective in reducing infection compared with plain cement with systemic antibiotics, 1.28 (95% CrI 0.38-3.38). CONCLUSIONS: We found no convincing evidence in favour of the use of laminar airflow over conventional ventilation for prevention of THR-related SSIs, yet laminar airflow is costly and widely used. Antibiotic-impregnated cement without systemic antibiotics may not be effective in reducing THR-related SSIs. The combination with the highest confidence for reducing SSIs was 'systemic antibiotics+antibiotic-impregnated cement+conventional ventilation'. Our evidence synthesis underscores the need to review current guidelines based on the available evidence, and to conduct further high-quality double-blind randomised controlled trials to better inform the current clinical guidelines and practice for prevention of THR-related SSIs.

School-based youth health nurses and adolescent decision-making concerning reproductive and sexual health advice : how can the law guide healthcare practitioners in this context?

This paper outlines some of the issues faced by School-Based Youth Health Nurses working in Queensland, in relation to the legal principles surrounding the provision of reproductive and sexual health advice. The paper outlines a number of specific issues faced by nurses working within this setting and considers the legal principles underpinning the issues concerning consent and confidentiality. The discussion in this paper demonstrates how the legal principles – which are often viewed as complex and uncertain by nurses working within this field – may be used as a guide to underpin good practice and compliance with the law. Although this paper is considered in the context of nurses working within Queensland, the principles and factors outlined are relevant to healthcare practitioners working within all Australian jurisdictions.

Establishing research in a palliative care clinical setting : perceived barriers and implemented strategies

There are many challenges in developing research projects in research-naïve clinical settings, especially palliative care where resistance to participate in research has been identified. These challenges to the implementation of research are common in nursing practice and are associated with attitudes towards research participation, and some lack of understanding of research as a process to improve clinical practice. This is despite the professional nursing requirement to conduct research into issues that influence palliative care practice. The purpose of this paper is to describe the process of implementing a clinical research project in collaboration with the clinicians of a palliative care community team and to reflect on the strategies implemented to overcome the challenges involved. The challenges presented here demonstrate the importance of proactively implementing engagement strategies from the inception of a research project in a clinical setting.

Cartographic Strategies of Postmodernity : the Figure of the Map in Contemporary Theory and Fiction

The last fifty years have witnessed the growing pervasiveness of the figure of the map in critical, theoretical, and fictional discourse. References to mapping and cartography are endemic in poststructuralist theory, and, similarly, geographically and culturally diverse authors of twentieth-century fiction seem fixated upon mapping. While the map metaphor has been employed for centuries to highlight issues of textual representation and epistemology, the map metaphor itself has undergone a transformation in the postmodern era. This metamorphosis draws together poststructuralist conceptualizations of epistemology, textuality, cartography, and metaphor, and signals a shift away from modernist preoccupations with temporality and objectivity to a postmodern pragmatics of spatiality and subjectivity. Cartographic Strategies of Postmodernity charts this metamorphosis of cartographic metaphor, and argues that the ongoing reworking of the map metaphor renders it a formative and performative metaphor of postmodernity.

An analysis of ranking principles and retrieval strategies

The assumptions underlying the Probability Ranking Principle (PRP) have led to a number of alternative approaches that cater or compensate for the PRP’s limitations. All alternatives deviate from the PRP by incorporating dependencies. This results in a re-ranking that promotes or demotes documents depending upon their relationship with the documents that have been already ranked. In this paper, we compare and contrast the behaviour of state-of-the-art ranking strategies and principles. To do so, we tease out analytical relationships between the ranking approaches and we investigate the document kinematics to visualise the effects of the different approaches on document ranking.