Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Frequency Domain Characterization And Performance Bounds Of Alms Loop For Rf Self-Interference Cancellation, Anh Tuyen Le, Le Chung Tran, Xiaojing Huang, Y J. Guo, J (Yiannis) Vardaxoglou

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

Analog Least Mean Square (ALMS) loop is a promising method to cancel self-interference (SI) in in-band fullduplex (IBFD) systems. In this paper, the steady state analyses of the residual SI powers in both analog and digital domains are firstly derived. Eigenvalue decomposition is then utilized to investigate the frequency domain characteristics of the ALMS loop. Our frequency domain analyses prove that the ALMS loop has an effect of amplifying the frequency components of the residual SI at the edges of the signal spectrum in the analog domain. However, the matched filter in the receiver chain will reduce this effect, resulting …

The Development And Ballistic Performance Of Protective Steel-Concrete Composite Barriers Against Hypervelocity Impacts By Explosively Formed Projectiles, Alex M. Remennikov, Edward Gan, Tuan D. Ngo, Michael Netherton

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

Explosively formed projectiles (EFP) are one of the most severe explosive and impact loading threats for civil infrastructure and military vehicles. Currently, there is no effective means of protection for military vehicles and infrastructure facilities from EFPs. This paper presents the experimental results of the hypervelocity impact of EFPs on steel-concrete (SC) barrier systems of finite dimensions. The SC barrier units tested were broadly representative of the type of protective SC units used in the expedient construction of barriers for mitigating improvised explosive device (IED) and EFP threats to critical infrastructure facilities. The response of non-composite, partially-composite, and fully-composite SC …

Investigation Of Engineering Properties Of Normal And High Strength Fly Ash Based Geopolymer And Alkali-Activated Slag Concrete Compared To Ordinary Portland Cement Concrete, Nabeel Farhan, M Neaz Sheikh, Muhammad N. S Hadi

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

Fly ash-based geopolymer (FAGP) and alkali-activated slag (AAS) concrete are produced by mixing alkaline solutions with aluminosilicate materials. As the FAGP and AAS concrete are free of Portland cement, they have a low carbon footprint and consume low energy during the production process. This paper compares the engineering properties of normal strength and high strength FAGP and AAS concrete with OPC concrete. The engineering properties considered in this study included workability, dry density, ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV), compressive strength, indirect tensile strength, flexural strength, direct tensile strength, and stress-strain behaviour in compression and direct tension. Microstructural observations using scanning electronic …

A Comparative Study Of A Niti Alloy Subjected To Uniaxial Monotonic And Cyclic Loading-Unloading In Tension Using Digital Image Correlation: The Grain Size Effect, Xiaohui Bian, Azdiar Adil Gazder, Ahmed A. Saleh, Elena V. Pereloma

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

The present digital image correlation study characterised the local axial and shear strain fields of a 56Ni-44Ti wt.% shape memory alloy with an average grain size of 100 μm, under uniaxial monotonic and cyclic loading-unloading in tension. To elucidate the grain size effect, the results were compared with a previous investigation of the same alloy with an average grain size of 10 μm. The maximum local axial strain rate signified the direction and extent of the localised transformation. The widened single inclined transformation band and multiple criss-crossing patterns assist in straightening the sample edge by releasing an in-plane moment instigated …

Smart Approaches In Facilitating Engineering Students To Learn Health Technology, Winson Lee, Gursel Alici

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

Partly due to the aging population around the world, job markets for developing biomedical devices and technology have been rapidly expanding. Organizations are recruiting engineers of various disciplines to design and test biomedical devices. This arouses interest of some engineering students to take academic subjects to learn some health technology, while keeping their main disciplines in specific engineering areas like mechanical engineering. Engineers need to have good understanding of the human body and different sorts of diseases, before they can apply good engineering solutions to solve the medical problems. However, teaching engineering students without prior education in medical-related aspects could …

Tele-Monitoring Technology As A Tool For Monitoring And Management Of Patients With Congestive Heart Failure, Elena Vlahu-Gjorgievska, Swetha Nagapuri, Khin Than Win

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

Telehealth interventions are designed to facilitate the remote exchange of information and data between patients and health care providers, improving the quality and safety of the patients and increasing efficiency and cost-effectiveness of health care providers. The development of telecommunications and virtual technology allowed a number of telehealth systems to be applied in different health care areas. These technologies can provide an alternative monitoring and solutions for decreasing the hospital readmission rates for patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). In this paper, a systematic literature review regarding telemonitoring and its use in the management of patients with CHF is conducted. …

Experimental Study To Examine The Role Of Under Sleeper Pads For Improved Performance Of Ballast Under Cyclic Loading, Wickramarachchi Withanage Chamindi Jayasuriya, Buddhima Indraratna, Ngoc Trung Ngo

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

The degradation and deformation of ballast critically affect the track geometry, safety, and passenger comfort. The increase in axle loads and train speed increases the stress applied on the ballast and exacerbates the rate of ballast degradation. This situation is more critical when tracks are built on stiff subgrades (e.g. bridges, tunnels and crossings), hence the use of energy absorbing (damping) layers in track substructure is a countermeasure to minimize track damage. In this study, a series of large-scale laboratory tests using the track process simulation testing apparatus (TPSA) is carried out to assess the performance of under sleeper pads …

Evaluation Of Data-Driven Models For Predicting The Service Life Of Concrete Sewer Pipes Subjected To Corrosion, Xuan Li, Faezehossadat Khademi, Yiqi Liu, Mahmoud Akbari, Chengduan Wang, Philip Bond, Jurg Keller, Guangming Jiang

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

Concrete corrosion is one of the most significant failure mechanisms of sewer pipes, and can reduce the sewer service life significantly. To facilitate the management and maintenance of sewers, it is essential to obtain reliable prediction of the expected service life of sewers, especially if that is based on limited environmental conditions. Recently, a long-term study was performed to identify the controlling factors of concrete sewer corrosion using well-controlled laboratory-scale corrosion chambers to vary levels of H2S concentration, relative humidity, temperature and in-sewer location. Using the results of the long-term study, three different data-driven models, i.e. multiple linear regression (MLR), …

Post‐Marketing Studies Of Pharmaceutical Opioid Abuse‐Deterrent Formulations: A Framework For Research Design And Reporting, Amy Peacock, Briony K. Larance, Raimondo Bruno, Sallie-Anne Pearson, Nicholas A. Buckley, Michael P. Farrell, Louisa Degenhardt

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background and aims Opioid formulations with properties to deter abuse (abuse‐deterrent formulations; ADFs) have been developed as one response to the prescription opioid 'epidemic'. As for all medicines, ADFs undergo evaluation of safety and efficacy prior to registration for marketing. However, reduced extra‐medical use (the primary intended outcome of ADFs and reason for their introduction) can only be established in post‐marketing observational studies, comparing them to opioid formulations without abuse‐deterrent properties. This has implications for various features of study design and analysis. We discuss proposals for the design, conduct, governance and reporting of post‐marketing studies on the effectiveness of pharmaceutical …

Energy Expenditure Associated With Posture Transitions In Preschool Children, Katherine Downing, Xanne Janssen, Dylan P. Cliff, Anthony D. Okely, John J. Reilly

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background Despite growing scientific interest in the benefits of breaking up sedentary time with intermittent standing or walking, few studies have investigated the energy cost of posture transitions. This study aimed to determine whether posture transitions are associated with increased energy expenditure in preschool children. Methods Forty children (mean age 5.3 ± 1.0y) completed a ~150-min room calorimeter protocol involving sedentary, light, and moderate- to vigorous-intensity activities. This study utilised data from ~65-min of the protocol, during which children were undertaking sedentary behaviours (TV viewing, drawing/colouring in, and playing with toys on the floor). Posture was coded as sit/lie, stand, …

Remembering And Forgetting 1974: The 2011 Brisbane Floods And Memories Of An Earlier Disaster, Scott J. Mckinnon

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The city of Brisbane, capital of the Australian state of Queensland, sits on a floodplain and has been struck by two devastating flood disasters in the last 50 years. This article contributes to the growing literature on disaster memory by tracing memories of a flood in 1974 as they were constructed and re-enacted in a more recent disaster in 2011. The article examines how disaster memories shape local identities and considers how such memories influence policy and local knowledge, doing so by reference to an analysis of three forms of memory media-personal narratives, news media reporting, and built memorials. At …

Does Dissatisfaction With, Or Accurate Perception Of Overweight Status Help People Reduce Weight? Longitudinal Study Of Australian Adults, Xiaoqi Feng, Andrew Wilson

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: With studies around the world suggesting a large proportion of people do not recognise that they are overweight (or feel satisfied with being overweight), this fuels the view that such 'misperceptions' need to be 'corrected'. However, few longitudinal studies have examined the consequences of under-perceived weight status, nor over-perceived weight status (when a person feels overweight when they are not) and weight-related satisfaction on trajectories in body mass index (BMI).

Methods: Five-year BMI trajectories were examined among 8174 participants in an Australian nationally representative cohort. Each person was classified into groups according to their neighbourhood socioeconomic circumstances, baseline BMI …

Understanding Non-Vaccinating Parents' Views To Inform And Improve Clinical Encounters: A Qualitative Study In An Australian Community, Catherine Helps, Julie Leask, Lesley M. Barclay, Stacy M. Carter

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objectives: To explain vaccination refusal in a sample of Australian parents.

Design: Qualitative design, purposive sampling in a defined population.

Setting: A geographically bounded community of approximately 30 000 people in regional Australia with high prevalence of vaccination refusal.

Participants: Semi structured interviews with 32 non-vaccinating parents: 9 fathers, 22 mothers and 1 pregnant woman. Purposive sampling of parents who had decided to discontinue or decline all vaccinations for their children.

Recruitment: via local advertising then snowballing.

Results: Thematic analysis focused on explaining decision-making pathways of parents who refuse vaccination. Common patterns in parents' accounts included: perceived deterioration in health …

Narrative Identity Reconstruction As Adaptive Growth During Mental Health Recovery: A Narrative Coaching Boardgame Approach, Douglas Kerr, Frank P. Deane, Trevor P. Crowe

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective: The purpose of this paper is to construct a conceptual framework for investigating the reconstruction of narrative identity in mental health recovery from a complexity perspective. This conceptual framework provides the foundation for developing a health boardgame to facilitate narrative identity reconstruction.

Methods: A selective integrative review of the theoretical and empirical literature relevant to narrative identity reconstruction in recovery was conducted. Sources included books, dissertations, internet resources, and professional journals.

Findings: The reviewed material provides a conceptual framework that offers an enriched understanding of narrative identity reconstruction in recovery as a process of adaptive growth. It identifies the …

There's No Evidence 5g Is Going To Harm Our Health, So Let's Stop Worrying About It, Sarah P. Loughran

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Hype continues to surround the roll-out of 5G technology in Australia and across the world. While there is promise of faster network speeds, and talk of exciting technologies like driverless cars, there's also a growing movement to stop the implementation of 5G due to concerns about the effects it may have on our health. But the scientific evidence we've got assures us there's no reason to worry. The radio frequencies powering 5G will be well below the exposure limits known to cause harm.

Effects Of Postural Stability, Active Control, Exposure Duration And Repeated Exposures On Hmd Induced Cybersickness, Dante Risi, Stephen Palmisano

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Cybersickness is common during head-mounted display (HMD) based virtual reality. This study examined whether it is possible to: (1) identify people who are more susceptible to this cybersickness; and (2) find general ways to reduce its occurrence and severity. Our participants were exposed to HMD-based virtual reality four times over two different days (using "Freedom Locomotion VR"). During these 10-min trials, participants were either free-standing or posturally restrained as they actively controlled or passively viewed their locomotion through the virtual environment. Cybersickness was found to increase steadily over time during each exposure. While this cybersickness was markedly reduced on day …

Development Of Australia's Front-Of-Pack Interpretative Nutrition Labelling Health Star Rating System: Lessons For Public Health Advocates, Michael Moore, Alexandra Jones, Christina Pollard, Heather Yeatman

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objectives: To draw advocacy lessons from actions undertaken by public health groups to assist the development of Australia and New Zealand's Health Star Rating (HSR) front-of-pack nutrition labelling system.

Methods: The advocacy approaches undertaken by the Public Health Association of Australia leading up to the time of the adoption of the HSR is examined using a 10 step advocacy framework. Key roles in advocacy planning and implementation are described, along with coordinating efforts by health and consumer groups during the HSR development processes.

Results: HSR aims to support consumers to make informed choices to protect from diet-related diseases, including obesity. …

"I Feel My Body Moving And I Hear The Word": Using Gesture-Like Movement To Enhance Productive Word Recall, Bianca Mister Colmenares, Michael S. Burri

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Have you ever been in a situation where you just can't quite think of the word you want to say? You know the word. Perhaps you've used the word many times before. But for some reason, on this occasion you just can't recall and produce the precise word you want. It's in your mind, you know it's there, but it just won't come out. This is a linguistic event which has been quite widely researched and is known as the tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon. Add to the mix the fact that you are learning a second language (L2) and need to navigate …

Accounts From Developers Of Generic Health State Utility Instruments Explain Why They Produce Different Qalys: A Qualitative Study, Kristen Pickles, Emily Lancsar, Janelle Seymour, David Parkin, Cam Donaldson, Stacy M. Carter

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Purpose and setting: Despite the label "generic" health state utility instruments (HSUIs), empirical evidence shows that different HSUIs generate different estimates of Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) in the same person. Once a HSUI is used to generate a QALY, the difference between HSUIs is often ignored, and decision-makers act as if 'a QALY is a QALY is a QALY'. Complementing evidence that different generic HSUIs produce different empirical values, this study addresses an important gap by exploring how HSUIs differ, and processes that produced this difference. 15 developers of six generic HSUIs used for estimating the QOL component of …

Process Trumps Potential Public Good: Better Vaccine Safety Through Linked Cross-Jurisdictional Immunisation Data In Australia, Katherine M. Duszynski, Nicole Pratt, John Lynch, Annette J. Braunack-Mayer, Lee K. Taylor, Jesia G. Berry, Vicki Xafis, Jim Buttery, M S. Gold

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective: To provide insights into complexities of seeking access to state and federal cross‐jurisdictional data for linkage with the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register (ACIR). We provide recommendations for improving access and receipt of linked datasets involving Australian Government‐administered data.

Methods: We describe requirements for linking eleven federal and state data sources to establish a national linked dataset for safety evaluation of vaccines. The required data linkage methodology for integrating cross‐jurisdictional data sources is also described.

Results: Extensive negotiation was required with 18 different agencies for 21 separate authorisations and 12 ethics approvals. Three variations of the 'best practice' linkage model …

Sports Participation, Health Behaviours, And Body Fat During Childhood And Early Adolescence: A Multiple Mediation, Stewart A. Vella, Lauren Gardner, Byron Kemp, Matthew Schweickle, Dylan P. Cliff

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objectives: The aim of this study was to simultaneously explore multiple pathways through which sports participation during childhood and adolescence may be associated with adiposity over time.

Design: Data were drawn from the Kindergarten cohort of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. A total of 4286 children provided sports participation data at age 10 years and were followed up 24 and 48 months later.

Method: Time spent in organised sports at age 10 years and time spent in physical activity at age 12 years were measured via parental-reported time-use diary. Dietary behaviours were self-reported at age 12 years. Screen time …

International Consensus Statement On The Psychosocial And Policy-Related Approaches To Mental Health Awareness Programmes In Sport, Gavin Breslin, Andy Smith, Brad Donohue, Paul Donnelly, Stephen Shannon, Tandy Haughey, Stewart A. Vella, Christian F. Swann, Stewart Cotterill, Tadhg Macintyre, Tim Rogers, Gerard Leavey

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Research focused on mental health in sport has revealed a need to develop evidence-supported mental health practices that are sensitive to sport culture, particularly for non-elite athletes. A consensus statement was produced to assist effective mental health awareness in sport and guide programme implementation in this rapidly emerging field.

Method: The AGREE Reporting Checklist 2016 was used in two international expert consultation meetings, followed by two online surveys. Experts from 10 countries and over 30 organisations contributed.

Results: Six objectives were agreed: (1) to define mental health awareness and service implementation constructs for inclusion in programmes delivered in sporting …

Shifts In Space And Self: Moving From Community To University, Sarah Elizabeth O'Shea, Erica Southgate, Ann Jardine, Shamus Smith, Janine Delahunty

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

University enrolments have grown at an unprecedented rate over the last decade and this participation is only set to increase (Kemp & Norton, 2014; Universities Australia, 2015). However, rates of completion during the same period have remained relatively static, and the numbers of students who depart university remains significant, consistently hovering between 15-18 per cent of the total Australian student population (Higher Education Standards Panel, 2018). Disproportionate numbers of these early leavers are from rural and remote areas, so exploring how regional and remote learners consider their post-schooling futures can provide some insight into the fundamental issues behind this attrition. …

Adiposity And Attained Height In Adolescents: A Longitudinal Analysis From The Labmed Physical Activity Study, Rafaela Rosario, Cesar A. Agostinis-Sobrinho, Luis Carlos Oliveira Lopes, Pedro Moreira, Patricia Padrao, Andre Oliveira, Carla Moreira, Susana Povoas, Jorge Mota, Rute Santos

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

To investigate the associations between adiposity and attained height over a 2-year period in healthy adolescents. One thousand and seventeen adolescents aged 12-18 years participated in this cohort study; 893 (87.8%) were reevaluated 1 year later (T2) and 734 (72.2%) subjects 2 years later (T3). Body fat and anthropometry were measured according to standardized procedures. Socioeconomic status, pubertal stage and lifestyles determinants were gathered and used as confounders. Prospective associations between adiposity and height were examined using generalized linear models. Greater adiposity at T1 was significantly associated with a lower attained height over time, when adjusting for confounders, which varied …

Adherence To Southern European Atlantic Diet And Physical Fitness On The Atherogenic Index Of Plasma In Adolescents, Cesar A. Agostinis-Sobrinho, Arieli Dias, Caroline Brand, Sigute Norkiene, Sandra Abreu, Adroaldo Gaya, Anelise Gaya, Luis Carlos Oliveira Lopes, Carla Moreira, Jorge Mota, Rute Santos

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

We sought (i) to evaluate the associations of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), muscular fitness (MF) and Southern European Atlantic Diet (SEADiet) with atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) and (ii) to investigate de combined association of MF, CRF and SEADiet on AIP in adolescents. A cross-sectional school-based study was conducted on 493 adolescents (285 girls and 208 boys) aged 15-18 years, from the Portuguese Azorean Archipelago. CRF was measured by shuttle run test and MF by curl up and push up tests. Adherence to SEADiet was assessed with a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). The AIP was estimated as log (TG/HDL-C). Measures …

How Do Students Adapt In Response To Academic Failure?, Rola Ajjawi, David J. Boud, Nadine Zacharias, Mary Dracup, Sue Bennett

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Ensuring student success has long been on the research agenda in higher education. In this study, we seek to understand if the changes students make in light of academic failure are consistent with this literature. Little is known about students who fail but subsequently persist in their studies. Through an online survey with students who had failed and persisted, we identified drivers for persistence and how students adapted in response to academic failure. Thematic analysis showed that the majority of students did not seek institutional support following academic failure but they did seek support from peers, family and friends. These …

Establishing A Scientific Consensus On The Cognitive Benefits Of Physical Activity, Nesrin Nazlieva, Myrto F. Mavilidi, Martine Baars, Fred Paas

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Research suggests that physical activity can be used as an intervention to increase cognitive function. Yet, there are competing views on the cognitive effects of physical activity and it is not clear what level of consensus exists among researchers in the field. The purpose of this study was two-fold: Firstly, to quantify the scientific consensus by focusing on the relationship between physical activity and cognitive function. Secondly, to investigate if there is a gap between the public's and scientists' interpretations of scientific texts on this topic. A two-phase study was performed by including 75 scientists in the first phase and …

Social And Spatial Inequalities In Allostatic Load Among Adults In China: A Multilevel Longitudinal Study, Fan Mao, Thomas E. Astell-Burt, Xiaoqi Feng, Yunning Liu, Jianqun Dong, Shiwei Liu, Lijun Wang, Yingying Jiang, Wenlan Dong, Maigeng Zhou, Limin Wang

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2019. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ. Objectives To investigate potential geographical and socioeconomic patterning of allostatic load (AL) in China. Design Multilevel longitudinal study of the 2010 Chronic Disease Risk Factor Surveillance linked to the National Death Surveillance up to 31 December 2015. Setting All 31 provinces in China, not including Hong Kong, Macao or Taiwan. Participants 96 466 ≥ 18 years old (women=54.3%). Exposures Person-level educational attainment and mean years of education in counties. Outcome AL was measured using clinical guidelines for nine biomarkers: body …

Learning And Teaching In Culturally Diverse Classrooms, Skye Playsted

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

No abstract provided.

Shark Nets Are Destructive And Don't Keep You Safe - Let's Invest In Lifeguards, Leah Maree Gibbs, Lachlan Fetterplace, Quentin A. Hanich

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

As Australians look forward to the summer beach season, the prospect of shark encounters may cross their minds. Shark control has been the subject of furious public debate in recent years and while some governments favour lethal methods, it is the wrong route. Our study, published today in People and Nature, presents further evidence that lethal shark hazard management damages marine life and does not keep people safe. We examined the world's longest-running lethal shark management program, the New South Wales Shark Meshing (Bather Protection) Program, introduced in 1937. We argue it is time to move on from shark nets …