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Foundation mathematics courses play a crucial role in allowing students who have not achieved the pre-requisite mathematics credits for tertiary studies to re-engage with STEM studies. This paper describes how targeting self-efficacy, skill development and social connectedness have influenced the design of a foundation mathematics course at a New Zealand university. These design goals are grounded in education literature, and the paper outlines how focusing on these goals has resulted in the design of a course that incorporates novel approaches to learning and assessment, including online and face-to-face components. These approaches include the use of large, automatically graded weekly quizzes; adaptive learning quizzes for essential skills such as fraction arithmetic; and an emphasis on face-to-face learning and connection through tutorials and collaborative problem-solving workshops. The paper concludes with reflections on the success of the course so far and raising questions for future investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Blended feeding has become increasingly prevalent in recent years with its practice gaining some momentum. With anecdotal reports of benefits and little evidence of harm in the literature regarding blended feeding, this scoping review was deemed important. The aim of this scoping review was to summarise the published evidence about blended feeding in gastrostomy‐fed children. Method: The scoping review methodology used included searches in specific online databases: PUBMED, PsychINFO, CINAHL, SCOPUS, AMED and EMBASE for articles that addressed issues pertaining to blended feeds in gastrostomy‐fed children. Grey literature was also considered. Inclusion criteria included papers that pertained to information and research on blended feeding in gastrostomy‐fed children. Studies published in English over the past 11 years (2011–2022) were included. This resulted in 59 papers being included in this scoping review. Results: Thematic analysis of the literature identified eight overall themes. It was clear that parents found blended feeding promoted the normalising of feeding, their own involvement in decision‐making around foods and promotion of a socially inclusive mealtime. The need for dietician and health professional input and support is key, whereas a lack of guidelines acts as a barrier to blended feeding. Furthermore, risks associated with blended feeding are identified but also the benefits to the physical well‐being of the child are considered. Conclusion: The review was comprehensive in that it identified a broad range of literature, exploring the extent, range and nature of research activity related to the use of blended feeds. The lack of original research is a concern. However, it is expected this review will provide direction for researchers, and in particular inform policy and practitioners working in the field where blended feeds may be an option for gastrostomy‐fed children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tensile behaviour dependency on the process parameters of blended nonwoven fabric is highly non-linear. This paper explores the potentiality of fuzzy logic inference in such a nonlinear environment as predictive process modelling with minimal experimental data. A model based on fuzzy inference engine has been attempted using recycled polyester fibre blend percentage, needling density and depth of needle penetration as the input variables and tensile strength in both machine direction (MD) and cross direction (CD) as the output variables. Proposed model was built in MAT LAB/Simulink and has been verified by experimental sample data set. Mean relative error percentage and correlation coefficient between the fuzzy model predicted and actual experimental sample values were found to be around ±2.5% and up to 0.97 respectively. These results validate that the model may be applied with high accuracies for the prediction of tensile behaviour of the blended nonwoven fabric in the textile industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hybrid models that integrate both in-person and remote health services are increasingly recognized as a promising approach. Nevertheless, research that defines and characterizes these models in children and young people is scarce and essential for establishing guidelines for implementation of hybrid allied health services. This scoping review evaluates four key aspects of hybrid allied health services in children and young people: 1. definitions, 2. service characteristics, 3. outcome measures, and 4. results of hybrid allied health services. Methods: Six databases were searched: Medline (Ovid), Embase, CINHAL, Psycinfo, Cochrane CENTRAL, and Web of Science. Of the 9,868 studies potentially meeting the inclusion criteria, 49 studies focused on children and young people. Following full-text review, n = 21 studies were included. Results: Terminology used for hybrid allied health services varied across studies which targeted diverse clinical populations and varied in study design, type and frequency of remote and in-person treatments. Over 75% of cases used custom-written software, limiting scalability. All interventions started in-person, possibly to establish a therapeutic alliance and solve technological issues. Most hybrid allied health services (67%) were in mental health, while only a minority involved physical, occupational or speech therapy. The most common outcomes were feasibility and satisfaction, but tools used to measure them were inconsistent. Although 57% of studies demonstrated effectiveness of hybrid allied health services, none measured cost-effectiveness. Discussion: Despite the potential of hybrid allied health services for children and young people, the literature remains at a preliminary stage. Standardization of definitions and outcome measures, and clearer reporting of service characteristics and results would likely promote consolidation of hybrid allied health services in children and young people into clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]