Physical Behavior Research Articles

Association between the transition to metabolically unhealthy obesity and lifestyle behavior: A nationwide cohort study.

To identify the characteristics of individuals transitioning from metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) to unhealthy obesity and the factors influencing the change. This is a nationwide cohort study using data from the National Health Insurance Service in South Korea. Individuals with obesity but metabolically healthy in 2009 and 2010 and those still obese 4 years later were selected. Sociodemographic, physical, metabolic, and health behavior variables were collected, and logistic regression was used to find an association with the transition. We analyzed 1,564,467 individuals, observing significant differences in all variables and the transition from MHO to unhealthy obesity. Among males, the transition was associated with smoking and drinking positively and physical activity negatively. Among females, drinking demonstrated a negative correlation. Regardless of age, regular exercise was negatively associated with the transition for all individuals. Except for older adults, all age groups showed a positive correlation with smoking and drinking. Considering the significant factors in the transition, it is essential to develop and implement interventions varied by gender and age to delay and prevent the change in metabolic status. The necessity of developing interventions enables individuals to engage in regular exercise, regardless of age and gender.

Information management in social media to promote engagement and physical activity behavior

Social media can be an effective tool to foster values and lifestyles such as physical activity. However, it is still largely unknown what type of social media information helps to promote physical activity practices. This research aims to (1) identify the combination of variables that explain social media engagement in physical activity (SME-PA) and its relationship with physical activity behavior and (2) determine what type of social media content posted on social media could be most effective in promoting physical activity behaviors. Using a quasi-experimental and an experimental study, the findings showed that the conditions of high levels of information availability, social ties, trust in social media information, and opportunity seeking were present and combined in three of the four solutions (77% of the cases). SME-PA was correlated with the intention to improve physical fitness, and the physical shape, the type of benefit associated with physical activity practice and the gender of the person in the photo practicing physical activity were found to be relevant variables for improving the physical activity-related behavior of social media users. Finally, several implications are proposed to improve the administration of social media content for SME-PA.

Evaluating flexure properties, hardness, roughness and microleakage of high-strength injectable dental composite: an in vitro study

BackgroundRecently, a new generation of high-strength flowable dental composites has been introduced by manufacturers. The manufacturers claim that these materials have enhanced mechanical and physical properties and are suitable for use in a wide range of direct anterior and posterior restorations, even in high-stress bearing areas.AimThe objective of this study was to assess certain physical and mechanical properties of these recently introduced high-strength flowable composites in comparison to conventional multipurpose dental composites.MethodsFour types of high-strength flowable composites (Genial Universal FLO, Gaenial Universal Injectable, Beautifil Injectable, and Beautifil Flow Plus) were tested in experimental groups, while a nanohybrid conventional composite (Filtek Z350 XT) was used as the control. For flexure properties, ten rectangular samples (2 × 2 × 25 mm) were prepared from each composite material and subjected to 5000 cycles of thermocycling. Samples were then subjected to flexural strength testing using the universal testing machine. Another twenty disc-shaped specimens of dimensions (5 mm diameter × 2 mm thickness) were fabricated from each composite material for surface roughness (Ra) (n = 10) and hardness (VHN) test (n = 10). All samples underwent 5000 cycles of thermocycling before testing. Additionally, microleakage testing was conducted on 60 standardized class V cavities prepared on molar teeth and divided randomly into five groups (n = 12). Cavities were then filled with composite according to the manufacturer’s instructions and subjected to thermocycling for 1000 cycles before testing using methylene blue solution and a stereomicroscope.ResultsAll tested materials were comparable to the control group in terms of flexural strength and surface roughness (p > 0.05), with Gaenial Universal FLO exhibiting significantly higher flexural strength compared to the other flowable composite materials tested. However, all tested materials demonstrated significantly lower elastic modulus and surface hardness than the control group (p < 0.05). The control group exhibited higher microleakage scores, while the lowest scores were observed in the Gaenial Universal FLO material (p < 0.05)ConclusionThe physical and mechanical behaviors of the different high-strength flowable composites investigated in this study varied. Some of these materials may serve as suitable alternatives to conventional composites in specific applications, emphasizing the importance of dentists being familiar with material properties before making material selections.

Quantum electrodynamics mediated by a photon with continuous spin

In recent work with Zhou, we studied classical interactions of matter with a “continuous spin” field, whose excitations have zero mass but nonzero spin Casimir (spin scale) ρ. We reported evidence that such theories are a calculable infrared deformation of familiar massless theories including electromagnetism. Building on the aforementioned work, this paper presents rules for computing scattering amplitudes involving charged scalar matter and continuous spin photons with nonzero spin scale. As a concrete example, we compute the pair annihilation and Compton scattering amplitudes in this theory and comment on their physical properties, including unitarity and scaling behavior at small and large ρ. Like the classical physics and soft factors studied in prior work, these amplitudes exhibit “helicity correspondence,” recovering familiar amplitudes at energy scales ≫ρ, but with calculable deviations that could be experimentally tested. These results bolster the conjecture that continuous spin particles with a very small ρ could mediate long-range forces in nature (e.g., the photon could be a continuous spin particle), and extend the range of physical effects that could be used to test this hypothesis. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Is patients’ activities of daily living self-care score in Norwegian home care a proxy for workers standing at work?

BackgroundProlonged standing at work may contribute to increased risk of musculoskeletal pain in home care workers. Patients’ activities of daily living (ADL) score may be a proxy for home care workers’ standing time at work. The objective of the present study was to investigate the association between patients’ ADL self-care score, and workers standing time.MethodsThis cross-sectional study measured time spent standing, sitting and in physical activity for seven days using thigh-worn accelerometers, among 14 home care workers. Patients’ ADL self-care scores are routinely adjusted by home care nurses, and time intervals of home care visits are stored in home care services electronic patient journal. We collected ADL self-care scores and start and end time points of visits, and categorized ADL self-care scores as low (ADL ≤ 2.0), medium (ADL > 2.0 to 3.0) or high (ADL > 3.0). Physical behavior data were transformed to isometric log-ratios and a mixed-effect model was used to investigate differences in physical behavior between the three ADL self-care score categories.ResultsWe analyzed 931 patient visits and found that high ADL self-care scores were associated with longer standing times relative to sitting and physical activity, compared to low ADL score (0.457, p = 0.001). However, no significant differences in time spent standing were found between high and medium ADL patient visits (0.259, p = 0.260), nor medium and low (0.204, p = 0.288). High ADL score patients made up 33.4% of the total care time, despite only making up 7.8% of the number of patients.ConclusionOur findings suggest that caring for patients with high ADL self-care score requires workers to stand for longer durations and that this group of patients constitute a significant proportion of home care workers’ total work time. The findings of this study can inform interventions to improve musculoskeletal health among home care workers by appropriate planning of patient visits.

Towards the Analytical Generalization of the Transcendental Energy Equation, Group Velocity, and Effective Mass in One-Dimensional Periodic Potential Wells with a Computational Application to Common Coupled Potentials

The analytical generalization for N periodic potential wells coupled to a probe rectangular-like potential and a zero potential is extremely important in the study of one-dimensional periodic potentials in solid state physics, e.g., in the calculation of transport, optical, and magnetic properties. These findings raise the possibility of calculating equations for the generalization of N arbitrary potentials related to any potential V(x) using special functions as a solution. In this work, a novel analytical generalization of the transcendental energy equation, group velocity, and effective mass for N-coupled potentials to a probe one-dimensional potential V=V(x) was proposed. Initially, two well-known linear periodic potentials V=V(x) were employed to obtain analytical solutions for rectangular-like and Dirac-delta potentials. Python libraries were used to easily represent the equations for one or two rectangular-like potentials coupled with an arbitrary potential, highlighting the transcendental energy, group velocity, and effective mass. The results showed that the group velocity behavior changed its orientation due to the sign of the potential, whereas the width of the potential V(x) strongly influenced the group velocity behavior. The effective mass was also modified by the potential shapes, and their combinations, both effective mass and group velocity, exhibited similar physical behaviors to those found in ordinary rectangular-like potentials.

Evaluating the effects of hormone therapy termination on skeletal muscle and physical independence in postmenopausal women.

In women, the age-related decline in skeletal muscle structure and function is accelerated after menopause, which implicates the role of decreased circulating estrogen levels. Indeed, boosting estrogen, by means of postmenopausal hormone therapy (HT), generally proves beneficial to skeletal muscle. The evidence regarding whether these benefits persist even after cessation of HT is limited, nor is it clear how physical behavior (PB) impacts on benefits. Hence, this exploratory study focused on the interplay between HT administration/cessation, PB and in vivo skeletal muscle structure and function. Fifty healthy women (≥60 y) were included; 19 had an HT administration history (≥9 mo, with now ~8-y hiatus in treatment) and 31 no such history. On seven continuous days, PB data were collected using triaxial accelerometry and analyzed using compositional data analysis. Gastrocnemius medialis muscle volume, architecture, and function were determined using ultrasonography, electromyography, dual x-ray absorptiometry, and dynamometry. Current serum estradiol levels were measured using ELISA. Only fascicle length and duration of HT administration were positively associated. With respect to PB levels, we found a pattern suggesting greater vitality (higher physical activity and lower sedentarism) in previous HT users, compared with nonusers, despite the two groups currently no longer exhibiting significantly different levels of circulating estradiol. After an 8-year hiatus in treatment, HT provides limited advantages in gastrocnemius medialis muscle properties. Interestingly, it perhaps enhances vitality despite prolonged cessation, which in the longer term would facilitate greater physical independence, especially considering the association of sedentary behavior with greater frailty.

Twenty-four-hour physical activity patterns associated with depressive symptoms: a cross-sectional study using big data-machine learning approach

BackgroundDepression is a global burden with profound personal and economic consequences. Previous studies have reported that the amount of physical activity is associated with depression. However, the relationship between the temporal patterns of physical activity and depressive symptoms is poorly understood. In this exploratory study, we hypothesize that a particular temporal pattern of daily physical activity could be associated with depressive symptoms and might be a better marker than the total amount of physical activity.MethodsTo address the hypothesis, we investigated the association between depressive symptoms and daily dominant activity behaviors based on 24-h temporal patterns of physical activity. We conducted a cross-sectional study on NHANES 2011–2012 data collected from the noninstitutionalized civilian resident population of the United States. The number of participants that had the whole set of physical activity data collected by the accelerometer is 6613. Among 6613 participants, 4242 participants had complete demography and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) questionnaire, a tool to quantify depressive symptoms. The association between activity-count behaviors and depressive symptoms was analyzed using multivariable logistic regression to adjust for confounding factors in sequential models.ResultsWe identified four physical activity-count behaviors based on five physical activity-counting patterns classified by unsupervised machine learning. Regarding PHQ-9 scores, we found that evening dominant behavior was positively associated with depressive symptoms compared to morning dominant behavior as the control group.ConclusionsOur results might contribute to monitoring and identifying individuals with latent depressive symptoms, emphasizing the importance of nuanced activity patterns and their probability of assessing depressive symptoms effectively.

The contribution and interplay of implicit and explicit processes on physical activity behavior: empirical testing of the physical activity adoption and maintenance (PAAM) model

The adoption and maintenance of physical activity (PA) is an important health behavior. This paper presents the first comprehensive empirical test of the Physical Activity Adoption and Maintenance (PAAM) model, which proposes that a combination of explicit (e.g., intention) and implicit (e.g., habit,, affect) self-regulatory processes is involved in PA adoption and maintenance. Data were collected via online questionnaires in English, German, and Italian at two measurement points four weeks apart. The study included 422 participants (Mage= 25.3, SDage= 10.1; 74.2% women) from Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Canada, and the U.S. The study results largely supported the assumptions of the PAAM model, indicating that intentions and habits significantly mediate the effects of past PA on future PA. In addition, the effect of past PA on future PA was shown to be significant through a mediation chain involving affect and habit. Although the hypothesis that trait self-regulation moderates the intention-behavior relationship was not supported, a significant moderating effect of affect on the same relationship was observed. The results suggest that interventions targeting both explicit and implicit processes may be effective in promoting PA adoption and maintenance.

Introducing the area under stress–velocity curve: Theory, measurement and association with rock properties

AbstractSince many years ago, ultrasonic velocity has been used to investigate the physical and mechanical behaviour of rocks, thereby playing an important role in reservoir characterization and seismic interpretation. In order to develop the knowledge of ultrasonic tools, we performed a noble analysis on the ultrasonic behaviour of rocks under confining stress and evaluated a distinctive property of porous media that is measured as the area under the stress–velocity curve (here defined as S*). We further investigated its relationship with elastic and mechanical behaviours of rock. To validate the theoretical framework developed in this work, 20 core plugs from various rock units with complex microstructures were subjected to triaxial compressional tests to calculate their area under the curve. Calculations were made for crack‐closing, elastic and post‐elastic stages (e.g. pore collapse) along the ultrasonic velocity–stress curve. Moreover, the selected samples had their microstructure investigated by thin‐section studies to quantify their porosity and pore type. The results were analysed to check for the effect of pore type on S* in different stages of the stress–velocity curve. Based on the outputs of the analysis of variance and Pearson's correlation coefficient analysis, the curve had its shape and underlying area closely related to the porosity and pore geometry. Indeed, the results showed that the shale and sandstone with micro cracks and carbonate with stiff pores correspond to smaller and larger areas under the curve in crack‐closing and inelastic stages, respectively. Cross‐correlating the results to compressibility (inverse of bulk modulus), it was figured out that the calculated area under curve was well consistent with the compressibility. In addition, S* represents both static and dynamic behaviours of the rock, and the results revealed that the shape and curvature of the stress–velocity curve give valuable information about the rock microstructure. Another finding was the fact that the type of fluid and wave velocity seemingly affect the S*. Our findings can help interpret wave velocity behaviour in reservoir rocks and other stressful porous media.

Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a 12-month automated text message intervention for weight management in postpartum women with overweight or obesity: protocol for the Supporting MumS (SMS) multisite, parallel-group, randomised controlled trial

IntroductionThe reproductive years can increase women’s weight-related risk. Evidence for effective postpartum weight management interventions is lacking and engaging women during this life stage is challenging. Following a promising pilot...

Phase stability and physical behaviour of Fe3Pd, FePd and FePd3 binary intermetallic compounds

The FP-LAPW method is used to examine the physical properties of Fe–Pd binary intermetallic compounds. The calculated formation enthalpies indicate that FePd and FePd3 compounds are thermodynamically stable in L10 and L12 phases, respectively, and the ferromagnetic Fe3Pd can be formed in a tetragonal Z1 structure with a small negative formation enthalpy. The elastic coefficients and their related parameters show that all compounds are mechanically stable and ductile in nature. The FePd-L10 is the harder compound and Fe3Pd-Z1 exhibits the highest anisotropy. The band structure, the TDOS profile and the charge density distribution show that these compounds are ferromagnetic with a metallic character and covalent-metallic bonds. The PDOS shows that the Pd-4d and Fe-3d states are dominant, and the asymmetry of Fe-3d states is behind the system strong spin polarization. The calculated magnetic moments agree well with previous theoretical results. The thermodynamic parameters are determined using the quasi-harmonic Debye model.

MPIGAN: An end-to-end deep based generative framework for high-resolution magnetic particle imaging reconstruction.

Magnetic particle imaging (MPI) is a recently developed, non-invasive in vivo imaging technique to map the spatial distribution of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) in animal tissues with high sensitivity and speed. It is a challenge to reconstruct images directly from the received signals of MPI device due to the complex physical behavior of the nanoparticles. System matrix and X-space are two commonly used MPI reconstruction methods, where the former is extremely time-consuming and the latter usually produces blurry images. Currently, we proposed an end-to-end machine learning framework to reconstruct high-resolution MPI images from 1-D voltage signals directly and efficiently. The proposed framework, which we termed "MPIGAN", was trained on a large MPI simulation dataset containing 291597 pairs of high-resolution 2-D phantom images and each image's corresponding voltage signals, so that it was able to accurately capture the nonlinear relationship between the spatial distribution of SPIONs and the received voltage signal, and realized high-resolution MPI image reconstruction. Experiment results showed that, MPIGAN exhibited remarkable abilities in high-resolution MPI image reconstruction. MPIGAN outperformed the traditional methods of system matrix and X-space in recovering the fine-scale structure of magnetic nanoparticles' spatial distribution and achieving enhanced reconstruction performance in both visual effects and quantitative assessments. Moreover, even when the received signals were severely contaminated with noise, MPIGAN could still generate high-quality MPI images. Our study provides a promising AI solution for end-to-end, efficient, and high-resolution magnetic particle imaging reconstruction.

Signature of electrothermal transport in 18nm vertical junctionless gate-all-around nanowire field effect transistors

Abstract Addressing temperature hot-spots resulting from self-heating effects (SHE) poses a significant challenge in the design of emerging nanoscale transistors, such as vertical junctionless nanowire field-effect transistors (VNWFETs), due to reduced thermal conductivity. Consequently, electrothermal modeling becomes crucial for a comprehensive understanding of the underlying physical mechanisms governing carrier degradation and thermal conduction in these nanoscale devices. In this study, we present an enhanced drift-diffusion model coupled with nonlocal Guyer-Krumhansl (GK) equations to accurately capture carrier-phonon interactions and explore the electrothermal characteristics of gate-all-around (GAA) VNWFETs. Pulsed current-voltage (I–V) measurements are employed to investigate the performance of a state-of-the-art 18nm VNWFET technology. Furthermore, we report on the influences of both trapping and SHE under high-bias conditions for varying pulse widths. Our findings reveal that optimization of mobility degradation mechanisms allows for improved control over the physical behavior of carrier transport in these emerging technologies. Through careful consideration of these factors, it becomes possible to enhance the overall performance of GAA VNWFETs, particularly in mitigating temperature hot-spots and addressing challenges associated with self-heating effects.&amp;#xD;

Abstract PO4-11-09: Feasibility of physical activity behaviour change for women living with metastatic breast cancer, a randomised controlled trial

Abstract Background Physical activity benefits women living with metastatic breast cancer by improving outcomes such as physical function, health-related quality of life and fatigue. These findings have been reported within well-resourced trials that involve exercise equipment and supervision. Home or community-based settings, however, may be preferable and more accessible. This trial evaluated the feasibility of a remotely delivered behaviour change intervention for increasing physical activity for women living with metastatic breast cancer, and evaluated the program’s efficacy. Methods A 12-week randomised controlled trial was conducted in which 20 women living with metastatic breast cancer were recruited from a metropolitan outpatient cancer clinic. Inclusion criteria were over 18 years old, English speaking, ambulatory, and not regularly active at time of recruitment. Participants were randomised 1:1 to an intervention or attention control group. Both groups received a recommendation for 150 minutes of physical activity, a wrist-worn activity monitor, a physical activity diary, and nine phone or video call sessions (six weekly, three fortnightly). The intervention group received individualised behaviour change advice on topics such as physical activity benefits, motivation, barriers and social support; the attention control group received a recurring symptom questionnaire and no behavioural advice. Feasibility outcomes included recruitment, dropout and session adherence rates, and acceptability of methods was evaluated with an interview at trial completion. Baseline and 12-week outcomes included: i) physical activity minutes measured with a 5-day Actigraph wear, ii) 6-minute walk distance, iii) 30-second sit-to-stands, iv) questionnaires for self-reported physical activity, health-related quality of life, fatigue, behavioural factors (stage of change, self-efficacy, decisional balance, processes of change, social support), and patient-specific function. Questionnaires were measured again at 18 weeks. Results Recruitment, baseline measures and within-trial sessions are completed; 12 and 18-week measures will conclude late August. Thirty-two women were approached to enrol the target sample of 20, with exclusion reasons being disinterest (n=5), health problems (n=4), loss of contact (n=2) and already physically active (n=1). Median age was 62 years (IQR: 60-69), and median time since metastatic diagnosis was 4 years (IQR: 1-5). Twelve women had bone metastases, and ten had a musculoskeletal comorbidity. Session delivery through video or phone calls were equally preferred (n=10 each). Participants completed 84% of the sessions, with reasons for missed sessions consisting of forgetting (55%), feeling unwell (24%), IT problems (7%), holiday (7%), and work commitments (7%). Median session duration for the intervention group was 23 minutes (IQR: 20-28), and control group was 17 minutes (IQR: 14-21). The preferred type of physical activity was predominantly walking, and no adverse events were reported. Four women dropped out after loss of contact. Compared to age-matched normative values, baseline outcomes varied: actigraphy-measured physical activity was low (median: 68 minutes/day, IQR: 45-88), self-reported physical activity was high (median: 289 MET-minutes/day, IQR: 52-728), 6-minute walk distance was equal (median: 529m, IQR: 416-579), 30-second sit-to-stands were low (median: 11, IQR: 8-14), health-related quality of life was high (median: 80, IQR: 70-100), and fatigue was equal (median: 30, IQR 20-40). Conclusions Women living with metastatic breast cancer were generally receptive of the trial, and recruitment, dropout and session adherence rates were positive. The women who dropped out were more physically active, physically functional and/or rated higher on the questionnaires, indicating that the trial may be more suited to those with limited physical activity experience. Citation Format: Mark Liu, Sharon Kilbreath, Elizabeth Dylke, Jasmine Yee, Jane Beith. Feasibility of physical activity behaviour change for women living with metastatic breast cancer, a randomised controlled trial [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO4-11-09.

THE EFFECT OF INTRA-INFUSION EXERCISE ON CHEMOTHERAPY SIDE EFFECTS; AN INTERIM ANALYSIS

INTRODUCTION Chemotherapy treatment results in side effects that impact quality of life and physical activity behaviours. Aerobic exercise in parallel with chemotherapy reduces side effects particularly fatigue and improves quality of life. Our recent clinical pilot work has shown that an acute bout of aerobic exercise increases blood flow to tumours. Therefore, if exercise is performed during chemotherapy (intra-infusion exercise), the result may be increased drug delivery and treatment efficacy. Intra-infusion exercise also provides a supervised opportunity to overcome patient-reported barriers to exercise during a period where a patient would be otherwise sedentary. AIM: The aim of this ongoing randomised controlled trial is to determine the effects of aerobic intra-infusion exercise on chemotherapy side effects and physical activity behaviours. METHODS Adults under 75 years receiving chemotherapy with stage I-III breast, colorectal or ovarian cancer, and ECOG 0-2 were eligible. Four chemotherapy sessions were included, cycle 1 (C1) a baseline and cycles 2-4 (C2-4) included exercise intervention or usual care. The exercise task was 20-minutes of moderate intensity cycling (40-50% heart rate reserve) during infusion. All participants received exercise education. A 7-day symptom diary (including Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI) and Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS)) was completed following C1-C4 and an activity monitor worn. RESULTS Nineteen participants have completed the trial (79% female), with no adverse events reported in either group. Physical symptoms increased across cycles in both groups (p=0.003). 1-week mean ESAS physical symptoms total in the exercise group (C1 16±9.8, C4 23±13.7) and control group (C1 18±7.1, C4 23±12.7) were similar. No significant effects were seen for fatigue or step count. CONCLUSION Intra-infusion exercise is safe and does not increase side effects in patients receiving chemotherapy. Expected increases in physical symptoms were observed without difference between usual care and exercise. Further analysis with ongoing recruitment will continue to examine any differences between groups.

Age Unplugged: A Brief Narrative Review on the Intersection of Digital Tools, Sedentary and Physical Activity Behaviors in Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

This brief narrative review assesses how digital technologies-such as wearables, mobile health apps, and various digital tools such as computers, game consoles, tablets, smartphones, and extended reality systems-can influence sedentary and physical activity behaviors among community-dwelling older adults. Each section highlights the central role of these technologies in promoting active aging through increased motivation, engagement and customized experiences. It underlines the critical importance of functionality, usability and adaptability of devices and confirms the effectiveness of digital interventions in increasing physical activity and reducing sedentary behavior. The sustainable impact of these technologies needs to be further investigated, with a focus on adapting digital health strategies to the specific needs of older people. The research advocates an interdisciplinary approach and points out that such collaborations are essential for the development of accessible, effective and ethical solutions. This perspective emphasizes the potential of digital tools to improve the health and well-being of the aging population and recommends their strategic integration into health promotion and policy making.

Virtual Building Models in Built Environments

The global building sector plays a pivotal role in addressing sustainability, climate change, and carbon neutrality. This study introduces the original concept of virtual building models (VBMs) throughout the lifecycle of the building industry, considering the unique characteristics of this industry. VBMs are defined as mathematical models that represent the physical behavior of buildings throughout their lifecycle. These models consist of subvirtual models that represent the physical operational environments of the target building, encompassing physical variables, equipment, systems, indoor environments, and structural and material behaviors. This concept can contribute to achieving the existing concepts of building information modeling, digital twins, and cyber-physical systems within building operations, communities, and environments. In this study, building models are categorized into five aspects: virtual model environments, types, interactions, integrations, and levels of detail (LODs). The LODs are classified into five levels (LOD100, LOD200, LOD300, LOD350, and LOD400) depending on the primary environments of the virtual models and their coverage across the entire building. Virtual modeling methodologies are proposed considering the virtual model aspects to achieve higher or intended LOD states from both academic and industrial perspectives. Finally, future research directions are discussed to drive the concept of virtual buildings to shape the future of the building industry through digital transformations.

A scoping review of the use of bioacoustics to assess various components of farm animal welfare

Recording and analyzing animal sounds, including vocal and non-vocal cues, is a relevant tool to access and monitor different aspects of animal physiology, behaviour and general welfare in a remote, non-invasive and continuous fashion. This field, known as bioacoustics, is considerably growing, notably due to the development of machine learning techniques. Yet, applications of these methods in animal husbandry remain limited, and their potential may not be fully acknowledged. This review aims to present the potential of bioacoustic tools to monitor various aspects of the welfare of farm animals, and focuses on studies published since 2010. The first section of the review introduces the concept of bioacoustics, describes the different parameters that can be extracted from the sounds of animals, and explains how they can be analysed. The potential of these measures to inform about the physical characteristics, individuality, health, physiology, behaviour, and affective states of different species of farm animals are then presented, through a contemporary overview of the research field. Although this analysis identifies a variety of applications of bioacoustics tools in relation to the assessment and monitoring of farm animal welfare, it also points out the current scarcity of methods implemented in practice and available to farm management. Barriers to the development of bioacoustics measures in conventional farming are also discussed, and future directions for this field of research are suggested.

INTERPROFESSIONAL BEHAVIOURAL COUNSELLING; AN ESSENTIAL SKILL FOR OUR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

INTRODUCTION Collaborative healthcare practices have positive impacts on dietary and physical activity behaviours (Patnode, et al., 2022). An immersive interprofessional work-integrated learning experience was developed for UOW Exercise Science and Rehabilitation(ExSc), and Dietetics and Nutrition(DNut) students, to appropriately prepare novice practitioners for significant growth in workforce interprofessional collaboration opportunities. METHOD Undergraduate(ExSc:n=47;DNut:n=48) students participated in an Interprofessional Education Workshop(IEW) aimed at improving understanding of interprofessionalism and behaviour counselling techniques. Students then formed into 46 pairs(ExSc:n=1+DNut:n=1) with each pair providing Interprofessional Behavioural Counselling(IBC) to a community client at two separate timepoints; Initial consultation and a 2-week Follow Up(FU). Student volunteers(n=38;ExSc:n=10,DNut:n=28) agreed to participate in the research phase, completing two surveys, Interprofessional Collaborative Competency Attainment Scale(ICCAS) &amp; Students Perceptions of Interprofessional Clinical Education Revised(SPICE-R2) at two timepoints; immediately post IEW, and post FU. Additionally, volunteers(n=14;ExSc:n=3,DNut:n=11) participated in focus groupsfollowing IBC. Significance, set at (p&amp;lt;0.01) with mean score differences, and relative change (%) reported. RESULTS Participant responses(n=31) to ICCAS showed improvement across the five key areas of interprofessional practice; communication(0.8,23%), collaboration(1.1,32%), role and responsibilities(1.1, 33%), patient-centred care(1.2,36%), conflict-management and team-functioning(1.1,30%). Similarly, improvements in SPICE-R2 for patient outcomes(0.30,7%) and roles and responsibilities with collaborative-practice(0.67,17%), but not (p=0.06) for interprofessional teamwork and team-based practice. Focus groups indicated that students were confused pre-IBC about effective collaboration, specifically apprehension relating to perceived time constraints involved in having two professionals in one consultation. Conversely, post-IBC student’s reported increased confidence in adopting a collaborative approach, better understanding of scope of practice overlap and could see value in client outcomes following an interprofessional approach. CONCLUSION UOW will continue to embed interprofessional work integrated learning experiences in the future to improve understanding of collegial collaboration ensuring patient-centred care and best practice.