Digital Commons Network^™

Macroparasite Communities Of Wild Rats From Island And Coastal Habitats In Peninsular Malaysia / Nur Syazana Binti Mad Tahir, Nur Syazana Mad Tahir

Student Works (2010-2019)

The occurrences of macroparasites communities in 363 wild rats of two urban coastal cities (Kuantan and Malacca) and two islands (Carey Island and Penang) of Peninsular Malaysia were recorded between May 2010 to August 2011. The wild rats from both habitats comprised of mainly commensal rat species namely; Rattus norvegicus, Rattus rattus diardii, Rattus tiomanicus and Rattus argentiventer. Overall, higher numbers of females (60.3%) were captured compared to males (39.7%) with more adults (87.9%) compared to juveniles (12.1%). The rats were infected with a minimum of one species and a maximum of six species of ectoparasites while up to five …

Genetic Diversity And Characterization Of Mungbean Germplasm Through Morphological Characters And Microsatellite Markers / Fatemeh Abna, Fatemeh Abna

Student Works (2010-2019)

Twenty mungbean accessions were characterized and their genetic diversity was studied. Eight morphological characters including, plant height, number of fruiting branches per plant, number of pod per plant, number of pod clusters per plant, pod length, number of grains per pod, 1000 grain weight and total grain yield per plant were measured. Analysis of variance for all traits showed significant differences among genotypes. For cluster analysis UPGMA method was used to determine genetic variation and four main groups were defined. Principal component analysis was done to evaluate diversity, three components explained near 79% of total variation among genotypes. The first …

Speciation Of Heavy Metals In Sludge From Electroplating Industry / Noorhazlina Binti Abu Bakar, Noorhazlina Abu Bakar

Student Works (2010-2019)

Application of sequential extraction method to environmental samples provides relevant information about possible toxicity, mobility, and bioavailability of heavy metals when they are discharged into the environment. The concentration of heavy metals in three electroplating sludge samples (two samples from Zn electroplating industries and one sample from Ni electroplating industry) and potential of mobility based on its association form were studied. BCR sequential extraction method was used to fractionate the metal content into acid soluble/exchangeable, reducible and oxidizable fractions. Residual and total metal content were determined in aqua regia digest. The extract were analysed for metals using inductively coupled plasma …

Investigation Of Electro-Coagulation Process For The Reduction Of Total Suspended Solids From Palm Oil Mill Effluent / Firdaus Ghazali, Ghazali Firdaus

Student Works (2010-2019)

Palm oil mill effluent (POME) is characterized by high chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total suspended solids (TSS). This leads to difficulties in their treatment by conventional treatment methods thus failing to meet the minimum allowable discharge. The attractive option incorporating a pre-treatment process to reduce the values of these parameters is electrocoagulation (EC) technology. In this study, the EC process of POME (19,000 – 21,000 mg/L of TSS and 60,000 – 63,000 mg/L of COD) was investigated utilizing aluminum electrode. The effects of initial pH, current density, stirring speed, temperature and operating time on the removal efficiency of TSS …

The Conservation Of Biodiversity In Malaysia: Options For An Integrative Statutory Framework / Sarah Aziz Abdul Ghani Aziz, Abdul Ghani Aziz Sarah Aziz

Student Works (2010-2019)

This thesis lies hinged on the conclusion embedded in the National Biodiversity Policy 1998 (“NBP”), that there is no single comprehensive legislation in Malaysia which relates to biological diversity conservation and management as a whole. The NBP goes on to state that the existing legislative framework is sectoral, to an extent restrictive causing some deficiencies, due to an absence of an ntegrative approach across sectors, lacking consideration of the overall objectives of conservation and comprehensive coverage of biological diversity issues. This stems from the provisions of the Constitution of Malaysia 1957 which has unwittingly led to legislative non-uniformity.

Assessment Of Leucaena Leucocephala For In Vivo Anti-Diabetic And Antioxidant Effects In Streptozocin-Induced Diabetic Rats / Nooriza Azaman, Azaman Nooriza

Student Works (2010-2019)

Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) deWit (Leguminosae) also known as 'Petang Belalai' is a fast growing shrub or tree found in tropical and subtropical areas. Its fruit has been consumed as food by people in Malaysia, Thailand, Philipines, Indonesia and Mexico. In Indonesia and Mexico the fruits have been used to treat diabetes.

Sequential Proteolytic Processing Of The Triggering Receptor Expressed On Myeloid Cells-2 (Trem2) Protein By Ectodomain Shedding And Γ-Secretase-Dependent Intramembranous Cleavage, P Wunderlich, K Glebov, N Kemmerling, Nt Tien, H Neumann, J Walter

Peninsula Medical School

No abstract provided.

Analytic And Algebraic Aspects Of Integrability For First Order Partial Differential Equations, Waleed Aziz

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

This work is devoted to investigating the algebraic and analytic integrability of first order polynomial partial differential equations via an understanding of the well-developed area of local and global integrability of polynomial vector fields. In the view of characteristics method, the search of first integrals of the first order partial differential equations P(x,y,z)∂z(x,y) ∂x +Q(x,y,z)∂z(x,y) ∂y = R(x,y,z), (1) is equivalent to the search of first integrals of the system of the ordinary differential equations dx/dt= P(x,y,z), dy/dt= Q(x,y,z), dz/dt= R(x,y,z). (2) The trajectories of (2) will be found by representing these trajectories as the intersection of level surfaces of …

Bayesian Stochastic Differential Equation Modelling With Application To Finance, Muhannad Al-Saadony

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

In this thesis, we consider some popular stochastic differential equation models used in finance, such as the Vasicek Interest Rate model, the Heston model and a new fractional Heston model. We discuss how to perform inference about unknown quantities associated with these models in the Bayesian framework. We describe sequential importance sampling, the particle filter and the auxiliary particle filter. We apply these inference methods to the Vasicek Interest Rate model and the standard stochastic volatility model, both to sample from the posterior distribution of the underlying processes and to update the posterior distribution of the parameters sequentially, as data …

An Investigation Of Electromyographic (Emg) Control Of Dextrous Hand Prostheses For Transradial Amputees, Ali Hussian Ali

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

There are many amputees around the world who have lost a limb through conflict, disease or an accident. Upper-limb prostheses controlled using surface Electromyography (sEMG) offer a solution to help the amputees; however, their functionality is limited by the small number of movements they can perform and their slow reaction times. Pattern recognition (PR)-based EMG control has been proposed to improve the functional performance of prostheses. It is a very promising approach, offering intuitive control, fast reaction times and the ability to control a large number of degrees of freedom (DOF). However, prostheses controlled with PR systems are not available …

The Development Of Bio-Inspired Cortical Feature Maps For Robot Sensorimotor Controllers, Samantha Adams

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

This project applies principles from the field of Computational Neuroscience to Robotics research, in particular to develop systems inspired by how nature manages to solve sensorimotor coordination tasks. The overall aim has been to build a self-organising sensorimotor system using biologically inspired techniques based upon human cortical development which can in the future be implemented in neuromorphic hardware. This can then deliver the benefits of low power consumption and real time operation but with flexible learning onboard autonomous robots. A core principle is the Self-Organising Feature Map which is based upon the theory of how 2D maps develop in real …

Interactive Concept Acquisition For Embodied Artificial Agents, Joachim De Greeff

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

An important capacity that is still lacking in intelligent systems such as robots, is the ability to use concepts in a human-like manner. Indeed, the use of concepts has been recognised as being fundamental to a wide range of cognitive skills, including classification, reasoning and memory. Intricately intertwined with language, concepts are at the core of human cognition; but despite a large body or research, their functioning is as of yet not well understood. Nevertheless it remains clear that if intelligent systems are to achieve a level of cognition comparable to humans, they will have to posses the ability to …

Self Organisation And Hierarchical Concept Representation In Networks Of Spiking Neurons, Timothy Rumbell

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

The aim of this work is to introduce modular processing mechanisms for cortical functions implemented in networks of spiking neurons. Neural maps are a feature of cortical processing found to be generic throughout sensory cortical areas, and self-organisation to the fundamental properties of input spike trains has been shown to be an important property of cortical organisation. Additionally, oscillatory behaviour, temporal coding of information, and learning through spike timing dependent plasticity are all frequently observed in the cortex. The traditional self-organising map (SOM) algorithm attempts to capture the computational properties of this cortical self-organisation in a neural network. As such, …

Distributed Control For Collective Behaviour In Micro-Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Fabio Ruini

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

The work presented herein focuses on the design of distributed autonomous controllers for collective behaviour of Micro-unmanned Aerial Vehicles (MAVs). Two alternative approaches to this topic are introduced: one based upon the Evolutionary Robotics (ER) paradigm, the other one upon flocking principles. Three computer simulators have been developed in order to carry out the required experiments, all of them having their focus on the modelling of fixed-wing aircraft flight dynamics. The employment of fixed-wing aircraft rather than the omni-directional robots typically employed in collective robotics significantly increases the complexity of the challenges that an autonomous controller has to face. This …

Using Digital Representations Of Practical Production Work For Summative Assessment, C. Paul Newhouse

Research outputs 2013

This paper presents the findings of the first phase of a three-year study investigating the efficacy of the digitisation of creative practical work as digital portfolios for the purposes of high-stakes summative assessment. At the same time the paired comparisons method of scoring was tried as an alternative to analytical rubric-based marking because we believed that it was likely that a more holistic approach to scoring would be more appropriate. Researchers created digital representations of the practical submissions of 75 Visual Arts and 82 Design students graduating from secondary school in Western Australia. These digital portfolios were scored using the …

Threats And Knowledge Gaps For Ecosystem Services Provided By Kelp Forests: A Northeast Atlantic Perspective, Dan A. Smale, Michael T. Burrows, Philippa J. Moore, Nessa O'Connor, Stephen J. Hawkins

Research outputs 2013

Kelp forests along temperate and polar coastlines represent some of most diverse and productive habitats on the Earth. Here, we synthesize information from >60 years of research on the structure and functioning of kelp forest habitats in European waters, with particular emphasis on the coasts of UK and Ireland, which represents an important biogeographic transition zone that is subjected to multiple threats and stressors. We collated existing data on kelp distribution and abundance and reanalyzed these data to describe the structure of kelp forests along a spatial gradient spanning more than 10° of latitude. We then examined ecological goods and …

Coastal Bacterioplankton Community Dynamics In Response To A Natural Disturbance, Sara K. Yeo, Megan J. Huggett, Alexander Eiler, Michael Rappe

Research outputs 2013

In order to characterize how disturbances to microbial communities are propagated over temporal and spatial scales in aquatic environments, the dynamics of bacterial assemblages throughout a subtropical coastal embayment were investigated via SSU rRNA gene analyses over an 8-month period, which encompassed a large storm event. During non-perturbed conditions, sampling sites clustered into three groups based on their microbial community composition: an offshore oceanic group, a freshwater group, and a distinct and persistent coastal group. Significant differences in measured environmental parameters or in the bacterial community due to the storm event were found only within the coastal cluster of sampling …

Energy Efficiency Performance Improvements For Ant-Based Routing Algorithm In Wireless Sensor Networks, A. M. Zungeru, Kah Phooi Seng, Li-Minn Ang, W.C. Chia

Research outputs 2013

The main problem for event gathering in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) is the restricted communication range for each node. Due to the restricted communication range and high network density, event forwarding in WSNs is very challenging and requires multihop data forwarding. Currently, the energy-efficient ant based routing (EEABR) algorithm, based on the ant colony optimization (ACO) metaheuristic, is one of the state-of-the-art energy-aware routing protocols. In this paper, we propose three improvements to the EEABR algorithm to further improve its energy efficiency. The improvements to the original EEABR are based on the following: (1) a new scheme to intelligently initialize …

Markers Of Circulating Tumour Cells In The Peripheral Blood Of Patients With Melanoma Correlate With Disease Recurrence And Progression, Anna L. Reid, M Millward, Robert Pearce, M Lee, M Frank, A Ireland, L Monshizadeh, Tapan Rai, P Heenan, Sandra Medic, P Kumarasinghe, Melanie R. Ziman

Research outputs 2013

Background: Multimarker quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) represents an effective method for detecting circulating tumour cells in the peripheral blood of patients with melanoma.

Objectives: To investigate whether the phenotype of circulating melanoma cells represents a useful indicator of disease stage, recurrence and treatment efficacy.

Methods: Peripheral blood was collected from 230 patients with melanoma and 152 healthy controls over a period of 3 years and 9 months. Clinical data and blood samples were collected from patients with primary melanoma (early stages, 0-II, n = 154) and metastatic melanoma (late stages, III-IV, n = 76). Each specimen was examined …

Predicting Alzheimer Disease With Β-Amyloid Imaging: Results From The Australian Imaging, Biomarkers, And Lifestyle Study Of Ageing, Christopher Rowe, Pierrick Bourgeat, Kathryn Ellis, Belinda M. Brown, Lim Yen Ying, Rachel Mulligan, Gareth Jones, Paul Maruff, Michael Woodward, Roger Price, Peter Robins, Henri Tochon-Danguy, Graeme O'Keefe, Kerryn Pike, Paul Yates, Cassandra Szoeke, Olivier Salvado, S Lance Macaulay, Tim O'Meara, Richard Head, Lynne Cobiac, Greg Savage, Ralph N. Martins, Colin Masters, David Ames, Victor Villemagne

Research outputs 2013

Objective: Biomarkers for Alzheimer disease (AD) can detect the disease pathology in asymptomatic subjects and individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), but their cognitive prognosis remains uncertain. We aimed to determine the prognostic value of β-amyloid imaging, alone and in combination with memory performance, hippocampal atrophy, and apolipoprotein E ε4 status in nondemented, older individuals. Methods: A total of 183 healthy individuals (age = 72.0 ± 7.26 years) and 87 participants with MCI (age = 73.7 ± 8.27) in the Australian Imaging, Biomarkers, and Lifestyle study of ageing were studied. Clinical reclassification was performed after 3 years, blind to biomarker …

How Mean Is The Mean?, Craig P. Speelman, Marek Mcgann

Research outputs 2013

In this paper we voice concerns about the uncritical manner in which the mean is often used as a summary statistic in psychological research. We identify a number of implicit assumptions underlying the use of the mean and argue that the fragility of these assumptions should be more carefully considered. We examine some of the ways in which the potential violation of these assumptions can lead us into significant theoretical and methodological error. Illustrations of alternative models of research already extant within Psychology are used to explore methods of research less mean-dependent and suggest that a critical assessment of the …

Floracultures: Conserving Perth's Botanical Heritage Through A Digital Repository, John C. Ryan

Research outputs 2013

FloraCultures is a 2013 pilot project in development with Kings Park and Botanic Garden in Perth, Western Australia, and funded by Edith Cowan University’s Early Career Researcher grant scheme. The project aims to develop a model for documenting the plant-based cultural heritage of 30–50 indigenous species occurring in the Kings Park bushland. The FloraCultures initiative integrates archival and digital design techniques, creating a unique web portal of potential interest to a range of users -- from first-time tourists and amateur naturalists to heritage consultants and evironmental conservationists . The initiative reflects the belief that research into environmental heritage (defined broadly …

Protected Species: Perspectives On Organisational Life, Maryam Omari, Megan Paull, Julie A. Crews

Research outputs 2013

Analogies can be drawn between a modern organisation and a complex ecosystem. In both, the players compete for scarce resources; survival often depends on how effectively an individual, organism or group capitalises on what is available to them. In natural settings, the laws of nature provide a backdrop to relationships, including where each individual or group is positioned in the hierarchy. In such settings, unusual and complex interrelationships can be formed where groups either assist or manipulate each other to survive. In organisational settings, the laws and boundaries are less clear, context specific and subject to organisational cultures and norms, …

Postpartum Depression Screening: A Modernized And Evidence-Based Approach, Christin Stiffler, Lindsey Krueger

Honors Projects

No abstract provided.

The Characterisation Of Pax3 Expressant Cells In Adult Peripheral Nerve [Journal Article], Judith Blake, Melanie Ziman

Research outputs 2013

Pax3 has numerous integral functions in embryonic tissue morphogenesis and knowledge of its complex function in cells of adult tissue continues to unfold. Across a variety of adult tissue lineages, the role of Pax3 is principally linked to maintenance of the tissue’s resident stem/progenitor cell population. In adult peripheral nerves, Pax3 is reported to be expressed in nonmyelinating Schwann cells, however, little is known about the purpose of this expression. Based on the evidence of the role of Pax3 in other adult tissue stem and progenitor cells, it was hypothesised that the cells in adult peripheral nerve that express Pax3 …

Latrepirdine: Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Potential Therapeutic Roles In Alzheimer’S And Other Neurodegenerative Diseases, P R. Bharadwaj, K A. Bates, T Porter, E Teimouri, G Perry, J W. Steele, S Gandy, D Groth, R N. Martins, Giuseppe Verdile

Research outputs 2013

Latrepirdine (Dimebon^TM) was originally marketed as a non-selective antihistamine in Russia. It was repurposed as an effective treatment for patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Huntington’s disease (HD) following preliminary reports showing its neuroprotective functions and ability to enhance cognition in AD and HD models. However, latrepirdine failed to show efficacy in phase III trials in AD and HD patients following encouraging phase II trials. The failure of latrepirdine in the clinical trials has highlighted the importance of understanding the precise mechanism underlying its cognitive benefits in neurodegenerative diseases before clinical evaluation. Latrepirdine has shown to affect …

Molecular Insights Into Appetite Control And Neuroendocrine Disease As Risk Factors For Chronic Diseases In Western Countries, I J. Martins, Rhona Creegan, W. L. F. Lim, Ralph Martins

Research outputs 2013

Environmental factors such as stress, anxiety and depression are important to consider with the global increase in chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, stroke, obesity, diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases. Brain metabolic diseases associated with conditions such as obesity and diabetes require early intervention with diet, lifestyle and drug therapy to prevent diseases to various organs such as the liver with non alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and other organs such as the heart, lungs thyroid, pancreas, brain, kidneys and reproductive systems. Behavioural stress and the molecular mechanisms that are involved in neuroendocrine diseases such as insulin resistance in obesity …

Rethinking: The Understanding Of Learning And Assessment In The Millennial Generation, Joseph R. Stasio Jr.

AMTP Proceedings 2013

Much has been written and discussed about the challenges of educating members of the Millennial Generation. There is little agreement about which sentiment is more accurate; they are lazy, entitled and spoiled with little incentive to excel academically or they are different than other generations in learning styles and motivation. What does garner agreement is that changes in teaching approaches are warranted if improvement in learning is to be achieved. This paper explores some of these arguments and makes a case for a number of changes to achieve this end.

The Effect Of Antecedent Mood On Customer Loyalty Intentions: A Mood-By-Gender Interaction, Michael L. Thomas, Lindsay Larson, Linda G. Mullen

AMTP Proceedings 2013

This study suggests that induced antecedent moods may, in a systematic manner, influence subsequent levels of loyalty intention within consumer scenarios. Furthermore, this research finds that there exists differential responses to induced mood states by gender, which fall in line with research on the underlying gender differences in cognitive processing, levels of risk aversion, motivation, and the experience of emotion while shopping. Past studies in this area have shown only a mild connection between induced antecedent mood state and loyalty intentions, which may be due in part to the issue of an emotion by gender interaction. This paper reinforces previous …

Relationship Of Demographic Traits And Situational Factor Determinants With The Tech Readiness Of Self-Service Consumers, Jon M. Martin

AMTP Proceedings 2013

Over the past 20 years, self-service technology (SST) has become prevalent as a service delivery option. To ensure that SST options reach full potential, firms need to understand what customer traits and situational factors are related to the propensity to use SSTs. From a subset of data and independent determinants from an original dissertation model on SST adoption, this study uses linear regression to examine: H1) the relationship between: H1) consumers’ tech readiness (TR) and the consumer demographics of age (AG), gender (GN), income (IN), education (ED), and ethnicity (ET) (H1), and H2) the relationship between consumer’s tech readiness and …