Digital Commons Network^™

State Responsibility In Promoting Environmental Corporate Accountability, Lakshman Guruswamy

Publications

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Consanguinity On Neonatal And Infant Health, Alan H. Bittles, Michael L. Black

Research outputs pre 2011

Marriage between biological relatives is widely popular in many parts of the world, with over 1000 million people living in countries where 20–50+% of unions are contracted between couples related as second cousins or closer. Consanguinity is, however, a controversial topic, in part due to public misunderstanding, complicated by often exaggerated past estimates of the adverse health outcomes. While some consanguineous couples are at high risk of conceiving a child with a genetic disorder, they are a small minority. Thus a multi-population meta-analysis has indicated an excess infant death rate of 1.1% in the progeny of first cousins, and even …

Differences In Satiety Effects Of Alginate- And Whey Protein-Based Foods, Vicky A. Solah, Deborah A. Kerr, Cynthia D. Adikara, Xingqiong Meng, Colin W. Binns, Kun Zhu, Amanda Devine, Richard L. Prince

Research outputs pre 2011

Satiety is important in regulating food intake and has important public health significance in the control of obesity. Food containing protein and non-starch polysaccharides provides a satiety effect through various mechanisms but a comparison of the satiety effect on each has not previously been investigated. This study compared the satiety effect or reduction of hunger after consumption of (i) a whey proteinbased drink versus an alginate-based drink of the same viscosity where only the protein content differed, (ii) two alginate-based drinks differing in alginate type and viscosity, and (iii) a whey protein-based drink versus an alginate-based drink differing in protein …

Assemblage Turnover And Taxonomic Sufficiency Of Subtidal Macroalgae At Multiplespatial Scales, Dan A. Smale, Gary A. Kendrick, Thomas Wernberg

Research outputs pre 2011

Spatial variability in the structure of subtidal macroalgal assemblages in southwest Australia was examined at multiple spatial scales using a three-factor hierarchal design. Spatial extents ranged from metres (between quadrats) to many hundreds of kilometres (between regions), and the study encompassed N2000 km of temperate coastline. In addition, the influence of taxonomic resolution, from species level data to class level, on spatial patterns was investigated to assess the potential evolutionary timescales of the pattern and for developing cost effective regionally applicable surrogates for biodiversity monitoring. Almost 300 species were identified from 14 sites, representing considerable biodiversity and a significant subset …

Autonomous Bee Colony Optimization For Multi-Objective Function, F Zeng, James Decraene, Malcolm Low, Philip Hingston, C Wentong, Z Suiping, M Chandramohan

Research outputs pre 2011

An Autonomous Bee Colony Optimization (A-BCO) algorithm for solving multi-objective numerical problems is proposed. In contrast with previous Bee Colony algorithms, A-BCO utilizes a diversity-based performance metric to dynamically assess the archive set. This assessment is employed to adapt the bee colony structures and flying patterns. This self-adaptation feature is introduced to optimize the balance between exploration and exploitation during the search process. Moreover, the total number of search iterations is also determined/optimized by A-BCO, according to user pre-specified conditions, during the search process. We evaluate A-BCO upon numerical benchmark problems and the experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness …

Evolving Group Strategies For Ipd, Philip Hingston

Research outputs pre 2011

The Iterated Prisoners Dilemma (IPD) is often used to model cooperation between self-interested agents. In an earlier study, we introduced a framework using IPD to study the effects of species-level competition on the evolution of cooperative behaviour. In this paper, we extend the previous work, using co-evolutionary simulations of interactions between species of IPD-playing agents to investigate how group strategies may evolve. We find that the ability to cooperate more with agents of the same species greatly increases the ferocity of competition between species.

A Wrapper-Based Feature Selection For Analysis Of Large Data Sets, Jinsong Leng, Craig Valli, Leisa Armstrong

Research outputs pre 2011

Knowledge discovery from large data sets using classic data mining techniques has been proved to be difficult due to large size in both dimension and samples. In real applications, data sets often consist of many noisy, redundant, and irrelevant features, resulting in degrading the classification accuracy and increasing the complexity exponentially. Due to the inherent nature, the analysis of the quality of data sets is difficult and very limited approaches about this issue can be found in the literature. This paper presents a novel method to investigate the quality and structure of data sets, i.e., how to analyze whether there …

Absorption Enhancement Of Msm Photodetector Structure With A Plasmonic Double Grating Structure, Chee Leong Tan, Volodymyr V. Lysak, Narottam Das, Ayman Karar, Kamal Alameh, Yong Lee

Research outputs pre 2011

We present finite difference time domain simulation to analyze the optical absorption enhancement of metal-semiconductor-metal photo detectors employing double plasmonic grating structures. Simulation results show that the combination of a subwavelength aperture and double nano-structured metal grating results in up to 25 times enhancement in optical absorption, in comparison to MSM photodetector structures employing only a subwavelength aperture. This improvement of the absorption enhancement is due to the coupling out function of the bottom grating structure which distributes the light to both side of the subwavelength aperture.

A Practical Approach To Assess Depression Risk And To Guide Risk Reduction Strategies In Later Life, Osvaldo Almeida, Helman Alfonso, Jane Pirkis, Ngaire Kerse, Moira Sim, Leon Flicker, John Snowdon, Brian Draper, Gerard Byrne, Robert Goldney, Nicola Lautenschlager, Nigel Stocks, Marcia Scazufca, Martijn Huisman, Ricardo Araya, John Pfaff

Research outputs pre 2011

Background: Many factors have been associated with the onset and maintenance of depressive symptoms in later life, although this knowledge is yet to be translated into significant health gains for the population. This study gathered information about common modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors for depression with the aim of developing a practical probabilistic model of depression that can be used to guide risk reduction strategies. Methods: A cross-sectional study was undertaken of 20,677 community-dwelling Australians aged 60 years or over in contact with their general practitioner during the preceding 12 months. Prevalent depression (minor or major) according to the Patient …

The Pregnancy Hormones Human Chorionic Gonadotropin And Progesterone Induce Human Embryonic Stem Cell Proliferation And Differentiation Into Neuroectodermal Rosettes, Miguel Gallego, Prashob Porayette, Maria Kaltcheva, Richard Bowan, Sivan Vadakkadath Meethal, Craig Atwood

Research outputs pre 2011

Introduction: The physiological signals that direct the division and differentiation of the zygote to form a blastocyst, and subsequent embryonic stem cell division and differentiation during early embryogenesis, are unknown. Although a number of growth factors, including the pregnancy-associated hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) are secreted by trophoblasts that lie adjacent to the embryoblast in the blastocyst, it is not known whether these growth factors directly signal human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). Methods: Here we used hESCs as a model of inner cell mass differentiation to examine the hormonal requirements for the formation of embryoid bodies (EB’s; akin to blastulation) …

Predicting Memory Decline As A Risk Factor For Alzheimer's Disease In Older Post-Menopausal Women: Quod Erat Demonstrandum?, Mark Rodrigues, Jonathan Foster, Giuseppe Verdile, Karen Joesbury, Richard Prince, Amanda Devine, Pankaj Mehta, John Beilby, Ralph Martins

Research outputs pre 2011

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the major form of age-related dementia worldwide, accounting for more than two-thirds of all dementia cases. The disease is characterized by a progressive loss of cognitive and intellectual functioning (Gilman, 1997). A number of risk factors for AD have been identified. The prevalence of AD increases with age, diabetes, depression, family history of Parkinson's disease and following head injury or exposure to solvents (Jorm et al., 1991; van Duijn et al., 1991; Ott et al., 1995; Yoshitake et al., 1995; Devanand et al., 1996). Published research further suggests that low education levels are associated with increased …

Extensive Proteomic Screening Identifies The Obesity-Related Nyggf4 Protein As A Novel Lrp1-Interactor, Showing Reduced Expression In Early Alzheimer's Disease, Yuji Kajiwara, Sonia Franciosi, Nagahide Takahashi, Lisa Krug, James Schmeidler, Kevin Taddei, Vahram Haroutunian, Ulrik Fried, Michelle Ehrlich, Ralph Martins, Samuel Evans Gandy

Research outputs pre 2011

Background The low-density lipoprotein receptor related protein 1 (LRP1) has been implicated in Alzheimer's disease (AD) but its signalling has not been fully evaluated. There is good evidence that the cytoplasmic domain of LRP1 is involved in protein-protein interactions, important in the cell biology of LRP1. Results We carried out three yeast two-hybrid screens to identify proteins that interact with the cytoplasmic domain of LRP1. The screens included both conventional screens as well as a novel, split-ubiquitin-based screen in which an LRP1 construct was expressed and screened as a transmembrane protein. The split-ubiquitin screen was validated in a screen using …

Sources Of Variability In Iso-Inertial Jump Assessments, Kristie-Lee Taylor, John Cronin, Nicholas Gill, Dale Chapman, Jeremy Sheppard

Research outputs pre 2011

Purpose: This investigation aimed to quantify the typical variation for kinetic and kinematic variables measured during loaded jump squats. Methods: Thirteen professional athletes performed six maximal effort countermovement jumps on fouroccasions. Testing occurred over 2 d, twice per day (8 AM and 2 PM) separated by 7 d, with the same procedures replicated on each occasion. Jump height, peak power (PP), relative peak power (RPP), mean power (MP), peak velocity (PV), peak force (PF), mean force (MF), and peak rate of force development (RFD) measurements were obtained from a linear optical encoder attached to a 40 kg barbell. Results: A …

Wireless Acoustic Communications And Power Supply For In-Vivo Biomedical Devices, Graham Wild, Steven Hinckley

Research outputs pre 2011

Pacemakers are common biomedical devices used in the treatment of specific cardiovascular problems. Current research in biomedical engineering is investigating the use of so called brain pacemakers to regulate conditions such as Parkinson's and other neurological conditions. In this paper, we demonstrate the principle of acoustic communications and power harvesting, in vivo. The signals are intended to be used for fixed in vivo biomedical devices, such as pacemakers, were wired and wireless RF communications cannot be used. Results show the performance of the communications channel. The frequency response, transfer function and transient response (at resonance) of the communications channel were …

Light Reductions Drive Macroinvertebrate Changes In Amphibolis Griffithii Seagrass Habitat, Adam Gartner, Paul S. Lavery, Kathryn Mcmahon, Anne Brearley, Helen Barwick

Research outputs pre 2011

Numerous anthropogenic activities can significantly reduce the amount of light reaching seagrass habitats. Typically these result in morphological and physiological changes to the plant and associated algal epiphytes. However, the flow-on effects to seagrass-dependent fauna induced by these disturbances has yet to be examined. This study investigated the effects of different light reduction intensity (high: ~92% reduction; moderate: ~84% reduction), duration (3, 6 and 9 mo) and timing (post-winter and post-summer) on the density and biomass of macroinvertebrate epifauna within an Amphibolis griffithii seagrass ecosystem (Western Australia). There were generally lower epifauna densities and biomass within shaded seagrass plots. When …

Proximity To Rocky Reefs Alters The Balance Between Positive And Negative Effects On Seagrass Fauna, Fernando Tuya, Mathew Vanderklift, Glenn Hyndes, Thomas Wernberg, Mads Thomsen, Christine Hanson

Research outputs pre 2011

Proximity to habitat margins can alter the balance between positive and negative forces on species abundance. Based on this idea we examined abundance patterns of herbivorous gastropods in seagrasses adjacent to rocky reefs. We tested whether the balance between the intensity of predation (negative effect) and recruitment of new individuals (positive effect) changes with increasing distance from reefs. Abundances of gastropods varied with distance to reefs, but the direction of changes in abundance was taxon-specific: some taxa decreased in abundance with increasing distance from reefs (e.g. Pyrene bidentata), while others showed the opposite pattern (e.g. Cantharidus lepidus). Predators were more …

Stable Isotopes Reveal A Consistent Consumer-Diet Relationship Across Hundreds Of Kilometres, Mathew A. Vanderklift, Thomas Wernberg

Research outputs pre 2011

Characterising geographical variation in trophic interactions is an important step towards understanding the consequences of changes in food webs. We characterised geographical variation across ~1000 km in stable isotope values (δ15N and δ13C) of the widely distributed sea urchin Heliocidaris erythrogramma and macroalgae that are its potential food. Variation in δ15N of H. erythrogramma and macroalgae was typically greatest among locations separated by hundreds of km, while variation in δ13C was typically greatest among reefs separated by a few km. Geographical variation in δ15N and δ13C of H. erythrogramma was well-explained by variation in δ15N and δ13C of the kelp …

The Adsl Router Forensics Process, Patryk Szewczyk

Research outputs pre 2011

In 2010 the number of threats targeting ADSL routers is continually increasing. New and emergent threats have been developed to bypass authentication processes and obtain admin privileges directly to the device. As a result many malicious attempts are being made to alter the configuration data and make the device subsequently vulnerable. This paper discusses the non-invasive digital forensics approach into extracting evidence from ADSL routers. Specifically it validates an identified digital forensic process of acquisition. The paper then discusses how the approach may be utilised to extract configuration data ever after a device has been compromised to the point where …

Bayesian Model Of The Dynamics Of Motion Integration In Smooth Pursuit And Plaid Perception, Kameliya Dimova

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

In this thesis, a model of motion integration is described which is based on a recursive Bayesian estimation process. The model displays a dynamic behaviour qualitatively similar to the dynamics of the motion integration process observed experimentally in smooth eye pursuit and plaid perception. The computer simulations of the model applied to smooth pursuit eye movements confirm the psychophysical data both in humans and monkeys, and the physiological data in monkeys. The temporal dynamics of motion integration is demonstrated together with its dependence on contrast, size of the stimulus and added noise. A new theoretical approach to explaining plaid perception …

Pyrosequencing Of Mytilus Galloprovincialis Cdnas: Tissue-Specific Expression Patterns, Ja Craft, Ja Gilbert, B Temperton, Ke Dempsey, K Ashelford, B Tiwari, Th Hutchinson, Jk Chipman

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

No abstract provided.

Bio-Informatics Analysis Of A Gene Co-Expression Module In Adipose Tissue Containing The Diet-Responsive Gene Nnat., X Li.X, Pa Thomason, Dj Withers, J Scott

Peninsula Medical School

Obesity causes insulin resistance in target tissues - skeletal muscle, adipose tissue, liver and the brain. Insulin resistance predisposes to type-2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Adipose tissue inflammation is an essential characteristic of obesity and insulin resistance. Neuronatin (Nnat) expression has been found to be altered in a number of conditions related to inflammatory or metabolic disturbance, but its physiological roles and regulatory mechanisms in adipose tissue, brain, pancreatic islets and other tissues are not understood.

Pax3 Expression In Normal Skin Melanocytes And Melanocytic Lesions (Naevi And Melanomas), Sandra Medic, Mel Ziman

Research outputs pre 2011

Background Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma is an aggressive form of skin cancer, arising in cutaneous melanocytes. The transcription factor PAX3 regulates melanocyte specification from neural crest cells during development but expression in differentiated melanocytes is uncertain. By contrast it is frequently found in melanomas and naevi and is a marker for melanoma staging and detection. In this study we analysed the expression of PAX3 across the spectrum of melanocytic cells, from normal melanocytes to cells of benign and malignant lesions to better assess its function in these various tissues. Pax3 and PAX3 (italicized) refer to the mouse and human gene, respectively; …

Turban Snails As Habitat For Foliose Algae: Contrasting Geographical Patterns In Species Richness, Thomas Wernberg, Fernando Tuya, Mads Thomsen, Gary Kendrick

Research outputs pre 2011

Understanding patterns of species richness is a major goal for ecologists, especially in space-limited habitats where many organisms live on top of others (epibiosis, e.g. by algae growing on gastropods in marine environments). We tested the hypotheses that species richness of epiflora on the gastropod Turbo torquatus would not differ between regions with similarly rich algal floras, and that epifloral richness would increase with increasing gastropod size. Macroalgal floras of Hamelin Bay (HB), Marmion (M), Jurien Bay (JB) and Kalbarri (K), Western Australia, ranged from ~20 to 40 species reef–1 (JB = HB = M ≥ K). Epiflora on small …

Implementing The Customer Relationship Paradigm In Sports Marketing, Lynn W. Mcgee

AMTP Proceedings 2010

With the increasing attention to services marketing, the paradigms that guide marketing practitioners are shifting. An emerging approach useful to sports marketing is the study of customer relationships and their role in marketing mix design. This qualitative study examines the process, benefits and costs of implementing the customer relationship paradigm in brand identity development. A new baccalaureate university introduced athletics—and needed a mascot, colors and visual identity. Gronroos’ model of external, internal and interactive marketing guided the process. The results demonstrated the benefits of the approach and identified the need for stronger concepts and measures in this emerging research.

Business Literature: A Cross-Disciplinary Approach To Marketing Education, Nancy L. Bush

AMTP Proceedings 2010

This paper looks at a course for marketing majors developed to examine literature in

several areas of the business disciplines that are relevant to marketing professionals-to- be. The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and potential

employers have increasingly suggested that the integration of learning rather than functional silo-oriented learning is the preferred andragogy for business schools, providing students with soft skills as well as technical expertise that are needed for the contemporary employment environment. In examining the then existing traditional General Education Requirements (GER) for Wingate University, the faculty assembly considered ways to increase such cross disciplinary …

Bite Size Oral Health Promotion., Robert Witton

Peninsula Dental School

UNLABELLED: Improving health is part of the Government's wider public health agenda and central to this theme is the requirement to help patients make informed healthy choices. The aim of the article is to review the basis of oral health promotion in primary dental care, explain why it is necessary and to give some practical tips on behaviour change in practice. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Understanding and relating well to your patients can make oral health promotion more successful, with communication skills being paramount in achieving this goal, along with the creation of a supportive health-orientated practice environment.

Looking Back: Primary Decision Makers' Narratives About The Decision To Withdraw Life-Sustaining Treatment From A Family Member., Jean M. Seifarth

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background. Advances in biomedical and critical care technology make it possible to prolong life in patients with severe illness or injury; however, these innovations render choices regarding Life-Sustaining Treatments (LST) more complex for the decision maker. This study addressed a gap in the literature regarding how primary decision makers reflected on the time they were responsible for making a critical decision to withdraw LST for their family member who experienced an unexpected illness or trauma. Purpose. The purpose of this study was to examine the primary decision makers’ narratives about the decision to withdraw Life Sustaining Treatment (LST) of a …

Panel I: The Patent Landscape With Bilski On The Map, Jeanne C. Fromer, James W. Dabney, Clarisa Long, Brian P. Murphy

Faculty Scholarship

Welcome to the 2009 Fordham Intellectual Property, Media and Entertainment Law Journal’s Symposium titled, “Functionality: At the Crossroads of IP.” My name is Regina Schaffer-Goldman, and I am the Editor-in- Chief of the 20th Volume of the Journal, which is more affectionately known as the IPLJ.

We are so pleased to see the culmination of many months of preparation today. It is the IPLJ’s 20th Anniversary Edition, and we wanted to commemorate this occasion with a fantastic Symposium. As you will see, we have assembled a truly all-star group of legal scholars and practitioners today.

Impact Of Static Stretch And Muscular Contractions On Force Production Within The Human Triceps Surae Muscle-Tendon Complex, Anthony D. Kay

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Pre-performance routines commonly include stretching and intense muscular contractions in an attempt to optimise muscular performance and reduce injury risk. However, the isolated and combined effects of stretching and muscle contractions on neuromuscular performance are not well described. The aims of this research were to examine the effects of acute static stretch and intense muscular contractions on force production of the human plantarflexors and to examine possible mechanical and neuromuscular mechanisms underpinning any changes. Techniques including isokinetic dynamometry, electromyography (EMG), sonography and motion analysis were used in three studies on recreationally active human volunteers (n=20). In the first study, three …

Living Fifo: The Experiences And Psychosocial Wellbeing Of Western Australian Fly-In/Fly-Out Employees And Partners, Anne M. Sibbel

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Using a concurrent multi-methods design employing both quantitative and qualitative methodologies this study investigated the psychosocial wellbeing Western Australian fly-in/fly-out (FIFO) mining employees and their partners. The quantitative phase of the study assessed the psychological wellbeing, relationship satisfaction and perceptions of family function of 90 FIFO mining employees and 32 partners of FIFO employees using the General Health Questionnaire 12, the Dyadic Adjustment Scale and the Family Assessment Device. Analyses revealed that both FIFO employees and their partners are within the norms for healthy functioning on the scales and sub-scales of the measures of psychological wellbeing, relationship satisfaction and perceptions …