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Graduates with well-developed capabilities in finance are invaluable to our society and in increasing demand. Universities face the challenge of designing finance programmes to develop these capabilities and the essential knowledge that underpins them. Our research responds to this challenge by identifying threshold concepts that are central to the mastery of finance and by exploring their potential for informing curriculum design and pedagogical practices to improve student outcomes. In this paper, we report the results of an online survey of finance academics at multiple institutions in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and the United Kingdom. The outcomes of our research are recommendations for threshold concepts in finance endorsed by quantitative evidence, as well as a model of the finance curriculum incorporating finance, modelling and statistics threshold concepts. In addition, we draw conclusions about the application of threshold concept theory supported by both quantitative and qualitative evidence. Our methodology and findings have general relevance to the application of threshold concept theory as a means to investigate and inform curriculum design and delivery in higher education.

Dystonia is a neurological disorder characterised by involuntary muscle contractions. Pain is the primary non-motor symptom, and limited studies have investigated how dystonic pain is experienced. This study aimed to investigate how people with isolated dystonia describe their pain and compare across subgroups of dystonia. Anonymous online survey via social media asking participants to describe their pain in their own words, complete the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ), and answer demographic questions. Thematic analysis identified common themes and frequencies were calculated for demographic and MPQ data. One-hundred and sixty-five respondents were included (mean age 51 years, 85% female). Thematic analysis identified four major themes "Physical sensations", "Temporal features", "Destruction", "Impact on life" with several sub-themes. The most chosen MPQ descriptor was "exhausting" followed by "tight," "sharp," "pulling," and "aching". The most common descriptors showed similar prevalence across subgroups of dystonia. As no objective tests for pain exist, pain sufferers must use language to describe their pain experience. People with isolated dystonia used sensory words combined with metaphorical language to detail temporal features of pain, as well as destructive internal battles or feelings of external forces acting upon them, and the significant toll pain has on everyday life. Pain is a common and debilitating non-motor symptom for people living with dystonia and should be discussed in a persons treatment plan. Pain sufferers use language to discuss their pain experience with others and report they don't feel well understood by others including health professionals. People with dystonic pain commonly described physical sensations, temporal features, destructive forces, and the impact on life caused by their pain. Findings suggest the experience of pain with dystonia is varied and better pain management options for people with dystonia are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: Social engagement is an important active aging strategy to promote older adults' mental health. The purposes of this study were to compare social engagement in older populations around the world and explore associations with mental health outcomes. Materials and methods: An international cross‐sectional survey was conducted from 2017 to 2019. Data were retrieved from The International Social Survey Programme for a secondary data analysis across 30 countries. This study applied the Taxonomy of Social Activities and its six levels as operational definitions for a consistent concept of social engagement for international comparisons. Results: In total, 9403 older adults with a mean age of 72.85 ± 6.40 years responded. The highest levels of older adults' social engagement were found in Switzerland, Thailand, and New Zealand. Older adults of a higher age, with a lower educational level, who were permanently sick or disabled, who had no partner, who were widowed or whose civil partner had died, who lived alone, and who had lower self‐placement in society had significantly lower social engagement than did their counterparts. In the regression model, older adults' social engagement positively predicted general health, self‐accomplishment, and life satisfaction, but negatively predicted loneliness and depression. Conclusions: In aging societies worldwide, encouraging older adults' social engagement would be beneficial to promote mental health. Implications for nursing practice and health policies: Community professional nurses can develop strategies of social engagement based on the needs and sociodemographic factors of older adults to improve their mental health. Developing efficient strategies and local policies by learning from successful experiences in other countries is important to promote social engagement in aging societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Using data from an international collaborative research project on youth resilience in the context of migration, this study aims to investigate how different acculturation patterns (i.e. integration, assimilation, separation and marginalization) influence the mental health of migrant youth, and whether resilience might function as a mediator in the association between acculturation and mental health. Study design: A cross-sectional pilot study conducted in six countries employing a common survey questionnaire. Methods: The study sample was 194 youths aged 10-17 years (median = 13.6) from six countries (Australia, Canada, China, New Zealand, South Africa, and United Kingdom) and included cross-border and internal migrants. Mental health and well-being was measured by the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS). Resilience was measured by the Child and Youth Resilience Measure-28 (CYRM-28). Acculturation was assessed using the Acculturation, Habits, and Interests Multicultural Scale for Adolescents (AHIMSA). Multivariate regression and path analysis were performed to examine the hypothesized mediation model. Results: Resilience scores correlated strongly with mental health and well-being. Acculturation exerted no significant direct effects on the mental health of migrant youths. Nevertheless, compared to youths who were integration-oriented, assimilation-oriented youths tended to exhibit lower levels of resilience, resulting in poorer mental health. Compared to youths from other countries, migrant youths from China also reported lower levels of resilience, which led to poorer mental health outcome. Conclusion: Acculturation plays a significant role in the mental health of migrant youth, with different acculturative orientations exhibiting different influences through the mediation effect of resilience. Fostering resilience and facilitating integration-oriented acculturation are recommended public health strategies for migrant youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports an international study of research data management (RDM) activities, services, and capabilities in higher education libraries. It presents the results of a survey covering higher education libraries in Australia, Canada, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and the UK. The results indicate that libraries have provided leadership in RDM, particularly in advocacy and policy development. Service development is still limited, focused especially on advisory and consultancy services (such as data management planning support and data-related training), rather than technical services (such as provision of a data catalog, and curation of active data). Data curation skills development is underway in libraries, but skills and capabilities are not consistently in place and remain a concern. Other major challenges include resourcing, working with other support services, and achieving "buy in" from researchers and senior managers. Results are compared with previous studies in order to assess trends and relative maturity levels. The range of RDM activities explored in this study are positioned on a "landscape maturity model," which reflects current and planned research data services and practice in academic libraries, representing a "snapshot" of current developments and a baseline for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The transition shock or Imposter Phenomena sometimes associated with moving from student to Registered Nurse can lead to feelings of self-doubt and insecurity especially with the increased expectations and responsibilities that registration brings. Aim The aim of this study was to examine the extent at which imposter phenomenon is evident in four final year nursing student cohorts in Australia, New Zealand and the UK. Design A survey design. Settings The study took place at four higher education institutes - two metropolitan campuses and two regional campuses between October 2014 - February 2015 in Australia, New Zealand and the UK. A sample of 223 final year nursing students undertaking nationally accredited nursing programmes were approached. Results Each cohort exhibited mild to moderate feelings of Imposter Phenomena. A positive weak correlation between imposter phenomena and preparedness for practice was found. The New Zealand cohort scored higher than both the Australian and UK cohorts on both feelings of imposterism and preparedness for practice. Conclusions Nursing students possess internalized feelings which suggest their performance and competence once qualified could be compromised. There is some speculation that the respective curriculums may have some bearing on preparing students for registration and beyond. It is recommended that educational programmes designed for this student cohort should be mindful of this internal conflict and potential external hostility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/aim The successful development and maintenance of professional identity is associated with professional development and retention in the health workforce. This paper explores students' perspectives on the ways pre-entry experiences and curricula content shape professional identity. Methods An online cross-sectional survey was sent to students enrolled in the final year of entry-level programmes in five countries. Descriptive statistical analyses of data were completed. Results The results reflect the perceptions of 319 respondents from five countries. Respondents identified professional education (98%) and professional socialisation during placement (92%) as curricula components with the greatest influence on professional identity formation. Discipline-specific knowledge such as, occupation-focussed models and occupational science were ranked lower than these aspects of practice. The students' length of programme and level of entry-level programme did not impact on these results. Conclusion When designing curricula educators need to be mindful that students perceive practice education and professional socialisation have the greatest affect on professional identity formation. The findings reinforce the need for curricula to provide students with a range of practice experiences, which allow the observation and application of occupation-based practices. It highlights a need for educators to provide university-based curricula activities, which better prepare students for a potential dissonance between explicit occupation-based curricula and observed practice education experiences. The study indicates the need for further research into the role curricula content, and in particular practice education, plays in the multidimensional formation of professional development within entry-level programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some research suggests that the risk of physical aggression by an intimate partner is related to marital status, but this relationship may vary across cultures and by gender. In the present study, we systematically examine the relationship between marital status and physical partner aggression by gender across 19 countries. Logistic and multilevel regression confirmed previous findings of lower rates of physical aggression for legally married versus cohabiting and separated/divorced women and men across most, but notably, not all countries. Single status was associated with higher risk in some countries and lower in others reflecting possible cultural differences in risk for different marital statuses. For example, single women had significantly lower rates of victimization than did married women in India where violence against wives is often accepted. The variation in the cross-cultural findings highlights the importance of examining both men and women and considering the cultural context when interpreting the relationship between partner aggression and marital status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To describe an international comparison of dependency of long-term care residents. Methods: All Auckland aged care residents were surveyed in 1998 and 2008 using the 'Long-Term Care in Auckland' instrument. A large provider of residential aged care, Bupa-UK, performed a similar but separate functional survey in 2003, again in 2006 (including UK Residential Nursing Home Association facilities), and in 2009 which included Bupa facilities in Spain, New Zealand and Australia. The survey questionnaires were reconciled and functional impairment rates compared. Results: Of almost 90 000 residents, prevalence of dependent mobility ranged from 27 to 47%; chronic confusion, 46 to 75%; and double incontinence, 29 to 49%. Continence trends over time were mixed, chronic confusion increased, and challenging behaviour decreased. Conclusion: Overall functional dependency for residents is high and comparable internationally. Available trends over time indicate increasing resident dependency signifying care required for this population is considerable and possibly increasing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Athletes competing at the World Masters Games have either initiated exercise later in life or pursued a physically active lifestyle for an extended period. There is a paucity of information regarding the prevalence of chronic health disorders for this unique cohort of mature adults. PURPOSE: To investigate the different aspects of health of the Sydney 2009 World Masters Games North American participants. METHODS: An online survey was developed to investigate participant demographics, physiological measures of health, and medical health history. Questionnaire responses were collected from competitors representing 95 countries in 28 sports. Data were culled to focus on North American participants for comparison purposes (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). RESULTS: A total of 928 participants from Canada and the United States (age 52.6±9.8 yrs) completed the survey, with 55% reported having previously competed in the World Masters Games. The top five sports were football (25.6%), track and field (15.4%), swimming (8.4%), volleyball (8.2%), and softball (7.8%). Very few (2.5%) reported currently smoking with an average of 65 cigarettes per week, while 13.6% were ex-smokers. Alcohol consumption (82.0% of the participants) averaged 4.7 drinks week, while 0.6% were ex-drinkers. The top five chronic disorders were rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis (10.0%), hypertension (HTN 9.1%), hyperlipidemia (8.0%), asthma (6.5%), and depression (5.3%). Top three operative treatments were knee replacement or repair (12.2%), hernia repair (6.1%), and herniated disc surgery (2.0%). Top four prescription medications were anti-HTN (6.9%), thyroid hormones (6.6%), hypolipidaemic (6.0%), and medications to increase bone strength (5.9%). Prevalence was significantly lower versus the general US population for HTN, hyperlipidemia, arthritis, asthma, and depression (all p-values <0.01). CONCLUSION: Chronic disease and disorder indicators reported by participants of the 2009 World Masters Games were significantly lower versus the general US population. APPLICATIONS IN SPORT: Competitive sport in mature aged participants requires adherence with physical activity. Exercise adherence in competitive masters sport may promote successful aging and a counter measure to many chronic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]