Digital Commons Network^™

The Future Of Blue Carbon Science, Peter Macreadie, Andrea Anton, John A. Raven, Nicola Beaumont, Rod M. Connolly, Daniel A. Friess, Jeffrey J. Kelleway, Hilary Kennedy, Tomohiro Kuwae, Paul Lavery, Catherine E. Lovelock, Dan A. Smale, Eugenia T. Apostolaki, Trishia B. Atwood, Jeff Baldock, Thomas S. Bianchi, Gail L. Chmura, Bradley D. Eyre, James W. Fourqurean, Jason M. Hall-Spencer, Mark Huxham, Iris E. Hendriks, Dorte Krause-Jensen, Dan Laffoley, Tiziana Luisetti, Nuria Marba, Pere Masque´, Karen J. Mcglathery, J. Patrick Megonigal, Daniel Murdiyaso, Bayden D. Russell, Rui Santos, Oscar Serrano, Brian R. Silliman, Kenta Watanabe, Carlos M. Duarte

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The term Blue Carbon (BC) was first coined a decade ago to describe the disproportionately large contribution of coastal vegetated ecosystems to global carbon sequestration. The role of BC in climate change mitigation and adaptation has now reached international prominence. To help prioritise future research, we assembled leading experts in the field to agree upon the top-ten pending questions in BC science. Understanding how climate change affects carbon accumulation in mature BC ecosystems and during their restoration was a high priority. Controversial questions included the role of carbonate and macroalgae in BC cycling, and the degree to which greenhouse gases …

Theoretical Modelling Approaches Of Heat Pipe Solar Collectors In Solar Systems: A Comprehensive Review, Abdellah Sharifian, Mehdi Khiadani, Ataollah Nosrati

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The invention of heat pipe solar collectors (HPSCs) is considered as an immense step forward towards solving the challenges of conventional solar thermal systems. Their unique qualities have acted as a great motivation for researchers to focus their studies on HPSCs and their applications. A considerable share of these studies has been allocated to theoretical studies due to several technical and economic reasons. However, to the authors’ knowledge and despite many valuable efforts in this field, there is no review paper available to summarise the relevant proposed and developed theoretical models to date and identifies the research gaps in this …

Wellness In Allied Health Students: The Case For Change, Abigail Lewis, Alison Kirkman, Lisa Holmes

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Introduction: The case for change. There are increasing mental health issues among young people, including higher education students. millennial students face unique challenges relating to attention, critical thinking and managing stress. Specifically, allied health students engage in multiple placements in which they need to interact with real people in real time while being evaluated in assessment and treatment strategies. Some universities have been using wellness programs and mindfulness strategies to support student mental health across campuses for some time. However, as allied health students face unique challenges, there is a need for a particular focus on wellness at an individual …

The Nexus Between Social Impacts And Adaptation Strategies Of Workers To Occupational Heat Stress: A Conceptual Framework, Victor Fannam Nunfam, Kwadwo Adusei-Asante, Eddie John Van Etten, Jacques Oosthuizen, Samuel Adams, Kwasi Frimpong

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Adverse effects of occupational heat stress in the context of the changing climate on working populations are subtle but considerably harmful. However, social dimensions and impacts of climate change–related occupational heat concerns on workers’ safety and health, productivity and well-being are often overlooked or relegated as minor issues in social impact analyses of occupational heat exposure due to climate change. This paper offers a conceptual framework based on an appraisal and synthesis of the literature on social impacts of climate change–related occupational heat exposure on workers’ safety and health, productivity and social welfare and the quest to localise and achieve …

Toward Collaborative Open Data Science In Metabolomics Using Jupyter Notebooks And Cloud Computing, Kevin M. Mendez, Leighton Pritchard, Stacey N. Reinke, David I. Broadhurst

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background

A lack of transparency and reporting standards in the scientific community has led to increasing and widespread concerns relating to reproduction and integrity of results. As an omics science, which generates vast amounts of data and relies heavily on data science for deriving biological meaning, metabolomics is highly vulnerable to irreproducibility. The metabolomics community has made substantial efforts to align with FAIR data standards by promoting open data formats, data repositories, online spectral libraries, and metabolite databases. Open data analysis platforms also exist; however, they tend to be inflexible and rely on the user to adequately report their methods …

Capacitive Sensor And Its Calibration: A Technique For The Estimation Of Solid Particles Flow Concentration, Usama Abrar, Liu Shi, Nasif R. Jaffri, Qin Li, Mian W. Omar, Hassan R. Sindhu

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The precise and accurate measurement of flow rate in the batch flow of the solid particles is of primary importance in many process industries for the improvement of the efficiency of the system. Many techniques developed for the measurement of mass flow rate. The capacitive sensors has a significance of being non-invasive, higher accuracy and low cost for mass flow measurement despite the fact that many factors adversely affect the performance- including non-uniform flow, multiphase flow, temperature, pressure, and moisture in the solid particles. This paper covers preliminary investigations of the offline estimation of mass flow concentration based upon the …

Synthesis Report: Defining Thresholds And Indicators Of Primary Producer Response To Dredging-Related Pressures: Report Of Theme 5 Prepared For The Dredging Science Node, Paul Lavery, Kathryn Mcmahon, John Statton, Mat Vanderklift, Simone Strydom, Gary Kendrick

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Seagrasses form a small component of a diverse group of organisms termed ‘benthic primary producers’. Benthic primary producers are organisms that grow on the sea-bed that obtain some or all of their energy needs from photosynthesis. This includes animals such as scleractinian corals and some sponges that host microscopic intercellular algae, coralline and turf algae, and the larger seaweeds such as the kelps and sargassum. Seagrasses are marine flowering plants, more closely related to land plants than seaweeds and algae. Seagrasses live mostly in soft sediments, and can be found from the shallow intertidal zone through to a depth of …

Modelling Of The Radiant Heat Flux And Rate Of Spread Of Wildfire Within The Urban Environment, Greg Penney, Steven Richardson

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

One approach to increase community resilience to wildfire impacts is the enhancement of residential construction standards in an effort to provide protective shelters for families within their own homes. Current wildfire models reviewed in this study assume fire growth is unrestricted by vegetation fuel bed geometry; the head fire has attained a quasi-steady rate of spread; and the shielding effects of urban development are ignored. As a result, radiant heat flux may be significantly overestimated for small vegetation fires in road reserves, urban parklands, and similar scenarios. This paper proposes two new models to address this issue, and utilises two …

Population Data Centre Profile - The Western Australian Data Linkage Branch, Steve Hodges, Tom Eitelhuber, Alexandra Merchant, Janine Alan

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Established in 1995, the Western Australian Data Linkage Branch (DLB) is Australia’s longest running data linkage agency. The Western Australian Data Linkage System (WADLS) employs an enduring linkage model spanning over 60 data collections supported by internally developed and supported software and IT infrastructure. DLB has delivered, and continues to deliver, a range of significant data linkage innovations, many of which have been adopted elsewhere. A current restructure within the Western Australian Department of Health (which we will refer to as the Department of Health) will provide an improved funding model geared toward addressing issues with staff retention, capacity and …

Proof-Of-Familiarity: A Privacy-Preserved Blockchain Scheme For Collaborative Medical Decision-Making, Jinhong Yang, Md Mehedi Hassan Hasan Onik, Nam-Yong Lee, Mohiuddin Ahmed, Chul-Soo Kim

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The current healthcare sector is facing difficulty in satisfying the growing issues, expenses, and heavy regulation of quality treatment. Surely, electronic medical records (EMRs) and protected health information (PHI) are highly sensitive, personally identifiable information (PII). However, the sharing of EMRs, enhances overall treatment quality. A distributed ledger (blockchain) technology, embedded with privacy and security by architecture, provides a transparent application developing platform. Privacy, security, and lack of confidence among stakeholders are the main downsides of extensive medical collaboration. This study, therefore, utilizes the transparency, security, and efficiency of blockchain technology to establish a collaborative medical decision-making scheme. This study …

Effective Modeling For Integrated Water Resource Management: A Guide To Contextual Practices By Phases And Steps And Future Opportunities, Jennifer Badham, Sondoss Elsawah, Joseph H.A. Guillaume, Serena H. Hamilton, Randall J. Hunt, Anthony J. Jakeman, Suzanne A. Pierce, Valerie O. Snow, Meghna Babbar-Sebens, Baihua Fu, Patricia Gober, Mary C. Hill, Takuya Iwanaga, Daniel P. Loucks, Wendy S. Merritt, Scott D. Peckham, Amy K. Richmond, Fateme Zare, Daniel Ames, Gabriele Bammer

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The effectiveness of Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) modeling hinges on the quality of practices employed through the process, starting from early problem definition all the way through to using the model in a way that serves its intended purpose. The adoption and implementation of effective modeling practices need to be guided by a practical understanding of the variety of decisions that modelers make, and the information considered in making these choices. There is still limited documented knowledge on the modeling workflow, and the role of contextual factors in determining this workflow and which practices to employ. This paper attempts …

Effective Plant Discrimination Based On The Combination Of Local Binary Pattern Operators And Multiclass Support Vector Machine Methods, Vi N T Le, Beniamin Apopei, Kamal Alameh

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Accurate crop and weed discrimination plays a critical role in addressing the challenges of weed management in agriculture. The use of herbicides is currently the most common approach to weed control. However, herbicide resistant plants have long been recognised as a major concern due to the excessive use of herbicides. Effective weed detection techniques can reduce the cost of weed management and improve crop quality and yield. A computationally efficient and robust plant classification algorithm is developed and applied to the classification of three crops: Brassica napus (canola), Zea mays (maize/corn), and radish. The developed algorithm is based on the …

Real-Time Classification Of Multivariate Olfaction Data Using Spiking Neural Networks, Arnup Vanarse, Adam Osseiran, Alexander Rassau, Therese O'Sullivan, Jonny Lo, Amanda Devine

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Recent studies in bioinspired artificial olfaction, especially those detailing the application of spike-based neuromorphic methods, have led to promising developments towards overcoming the limitations of traditional approaches, such as complexity in handling multivariate data, computational and power requirements, poor accuracy, and substantial delay for processing and classification of odors. Rank-order-based olfactory systems provide an interesting approach for detection of target gases by encoding multi-variate data generated by artificial olfactory systems into temporal signatures. However, the utilization of traditional pattern-matching methods and unpredictable shuffling of spikes in the rank-order impedes the performance of the system. In this paper, we present an …

Microstructure Evolution And Electrochemical Properties Of Tio 2 /Ti-35nb-2ta-3zr Micro/Nano-Composites Fabricated By Friction Stir Processing, Hao Gu, Zihao Ding, Zhi Yang, Weiqiang Yu, Wenjie Zhang, Weijie Lu, Lai-Chang Zhang, Kuaishe Wang, Liqiang Wang, Yuan-Fei Fu

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Forming stable anti-corrosion surface layer and homogenized microstructure on the surface of material has become a major challenge in developing biomedical β titanium alloy. In the study, TiO 2 /Ti-35Nb-2Ta-3Zr anti-corrosion micro/nano-composites with different amount of TiO 2 particles were successfully fabricated by one-pass friction stir processing (FSP). The composition, microstructure and electrochemical properties of the material are characterized systematically. In particular, compact passive oxide films formed on surface of the material after electrochemical corrosion are elaborated from constituent, thickness and structural characteristics. Furthermore, the relationship between various FSP parameters, microstructure presented and corresponding corrosion resistance has been discussed in …

Noninvasive Diagnosis Of Irritable Bowel Syndrome Via Bowel Sound Features: Proof Of Concept, Xuhao Du, Gary Allwood, K. Mary Webberley, Andrisha-Jade Inderjeeth, Adam Osseiran, Barry James Marshall

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

INTRODUCTION: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common and debilitating disorder estimated to affect approximately 11% of the world's population. Typically, IBS is a diagnosis of exclusion after patients undergo a costly and invasive colonoscopy to exclude organic disease. Clinician's and researchers have identified a need for a new cost-effective, accurate, and noninvasive diagnostic test for IBS.

METHODS: Using a diagnostic case-control study, we explored the use of bowel sounds to characterize IBS with a view to diagnostic use. We recruited participants with an existing clinical diagnosis of IBS or healthy (asymptomatic) digestive systems. We recorded bowel sounds for 2 …

Integration Of Biometrics And Steganography: A Comprehensive Review, Ian Mcateer, Ahmed Ibrahim, Guanglou Zhang, Wencheng Yang, Craig Valli

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The use of an individual’s biometric characteristics to advance authentication and verification technology beyond the current dependence on passwords has been the subject of extensive research for some time. Since such physical characteristics cannot be hidden from the public eye, the security of digitised biometric data becomes paramount to avoid the risk of substitution or replay attacks. Biometric systems have readily embraced cryptography to encrypt the data extracted from the scanning of anatomical features. Significant amounts of research have also gone into the integration of biometrics with steganography to add a layer to the defence-in-depth security model, and this has …

Achieving Economic Sustainability For Niche Social Profession Courses In The Australian Higher Education Sector: Final Report, Trudi Cooper, Miriam Rose Brooker

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The purpose of this fellowship was to develop a nationwide collaborative strategy to improve the economic sustainability and geographic availability of niche social profession courses. The niche courses in social professions examined in this program meet specialist social needs in disability services, social gerontology, and youth work. Specialist courses in social professions have limited availability across the Australian university sector and availability has declined over the last decade. This is despite a continuing need for specialist graduates, as attested by the relevant professional bodies, and by policy implementation reviews in the areas where graduates from these courses might provide stronger …

Climate Change And Occupational Heat Stress Risks And Adaptation Strategies Of Mining Workers: Perspectives Of Supervisors And Other Stakeholders In Ghana, Victor Fannam Nunfam, Eddie Van Etten, Jacques Oosthuizen, Kwadwo Adusei-Asante, Kwasi Frimpong

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Increasing air temperatures as a result of climate change are worsening the impact of heat exposure on working populations, including mining workers, who are at risk of suffering heat-related illnesses, injury and death. However, inadequate awareness of climate change-related occupational heat stress risks and adaptation strategies have been shown to render occupational heat stress management ineffective. A concurrent mixed-methods approach was used to assess the perceptions of climate change and occupational heat stress risks and adaptation strategies of mining workers among supervisory personnel and other stakeholders in Ghana. Questionnaires and interviews were used to elicit data from 19 respondents. Data …

Sandwich-Structured, Damage-Resistant Tin/Graded Tisin/Tisin Film, Shuang Peng, Jiang Xu, Paul Munroe, Zonghan Xie

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The development of hard, multi-layer coatings is an effective strategy to enhance the wear resistance of cutting tools and so extend their service life. In the present study, a sandwich structured TiN/g-TiSiN/TiSiN film (where a graded (g-) TiSiN layer with an increasing Si content from 0 to 10 at% was inserted as a transitional layer between the TiN layer and the TiSiN layer with a fixed silicon content of 10 at%) was prepared on to a M42 tool steel substrate. Its mechanical properties were compared to both a dual-layered TiN/g-TiSiN film and a monolithic TiN film. Nanoindentation testing, assisted by …

Time-To-Event Analysis For Sports Injury Research Part 1: Time-Varying Exposures, Rasmus Oestergaard Nielsen, Michael Lejbach Bertelsen, Daniel Ramskov, Merete Møller, Adam Hulme, Daniel Theisen, Caroline F. Finch, Lauren Victoria Fortington, Mohammad Ali Mansournia, Erik Thorlund Parner

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

BACKGROUND: ‘How much change in training load is too much before injury is sustained, among different athletes?’ is a key question in sports medicine and sports science. To address this question the investigator/practitioner must analyse exposure variables that change over time, such as change in training load. Very few studies have included time-varying exposures (eg, training load) and time-varying effect-measure modifiers (eg, previous injury, biomechanics, sleep/stress) when studying sports injury aetiology.

AIM: To discuss advanced statistical methods suitable for the complex analysis of time-varying exposures such as changes in training load and injury-related outcomes.

CONTENT: Time-varying exposures and time-varying effect-measure …

Strategies To Improve The Thermal Performance Of Heat Pipe Solar Collectors In Solar Systems: A Review, Abdellah Sharifian, Mehdi Khiadani, Ataollah Nosrati

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Invention of evacuated tube heat pipe solar collectors (HPSCs) was a huge step forward towards resolving the challenges of conventional solar systems due to their unique features and advantages. This has led to their utilization in a wide range of solar applications surpassing other conventional collectors. However, relatively low thermal efficiency of heat pipe solar (HPS) systems is still the major challenge of solar industry evidenced by numerous studies conducted mainly during the last decade to improve their efficiency. To date, several review papers have been published summarizing studies relevant to utilization of HPSCs in various thermal applications. However, to …

Understanding Visitor Expectations For Responsible Tourism In An Iconic National Park: Differences Between Local And International Visitors, Angus Morrison-Saunders, Michael Hughes, Jenny Pope, Anneli Douglas, Jan-Albert Wessels

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

A survey on expectations for responsible tourism was administered to 201 visitors to the iconic Kruger National Park, comprising 55% South African nationals and 45% international tourists. Using Likert-scale questions, respondents were invited to indicate the level of importance they attached to 38 aspects of responsible tourism. Space was also provided for open comments. Conservation of biodiversity and geological features were rated very highly by both groups while aspects related to the local community, though considered important overall, were ranked lowest overall, with international tourists rating this category as more important than South Africans. Aspects related to traffic and access …

Security And Accuracy Of Fingerprint-Based Biometrics: A Review, Wencheng Yang, Song Wang, Jiankun Hu, Guanglou Zhang, Craig Valli

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Biometric systems are increasingly replacing traditional password- and token-based authentication systems. Security and recognition accuracy are the two most important aspects to consider in designing a biometric system. In this paper, a comprehensive review is presented to shed light on the latest developments in the study of fingerprint-based biometrics covering these two aspects with a view to improving system security and recognition accuracy. Based on a thorough analysis and discussion, limitations of existing research work are outlined and suggestions for future work are provided. It is shown in the paper that researchers continue to face challenges in tackling the two …

Doppler Radar-Based Non-Contact Health Monitoring For Obstructive Sleep Apnea Diagnosis: A Comprehensive Review, Vinh Phuc Tran, Adel Ali Al-Jumaily, Syed Mohammed Shamsul Islam

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Today’s rapid growth of elderly populations and aging problems coupled with the prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and other health related issues have affected many aspects of society. This has led to high demands for a more robust healthcare monitoring, diagnosing and treatments facilities. In particular to Sleep Medicine, sleep has a key role to play in both physical and mental health. The quality and duration of sleep have a direct and significant impact on people’s learning, memory, metabolism, weight, safety, mood, cardio-vascular health, diseases, and immune system function. The gold-standard for OSA diagnosis is the overnight sleep monitoring …

The Export Flux Of Particulate Organic Carbon Derived From 210po/210pb Disequilibria Along The North Atlantic Geotraces Ga01 Transect: Geovide Cruise, Yi Tang, Nolwenn Lemaitre, Maxi Castrillejo, Montserrat Roca-Martí, Pere Masqué, Gillian Stewart

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The disequilibrium between 210Po activity and 210Pb activity in seawater samples was determined along the GEOTRACES GA01 transect in the North Atlantic during the GEOVIDE cruise (May-June 2014). A steady-state model was used to quantify vertical export of particulate 210Po. Vertical advection was incorporated into one version of the model using time-averaged vertical velocity, which had substantial variance. This resulted in large uncertainties for the 210Po export flux in this model, suggesting that those calculations of 210Po export fluxes should be used with great care. Despite the large uncertainties, there is no question that the deficits of 210Po in the …

Nesting Cavity Temperature Impacts Nesting Choice And Development Of The Alfalfa Leafcutting Bee (Megachile Rotundata), Elisabeth Susan Wilson

Biological Sciences

Megachile rotundata is an agriculturally important pollinator of alfalfa and is not doing well in the U.S due to a 50% return rate (Pitts-Singer and Bosch, 2011). Nesting boxes can reach temperatures between 35˚C-48˚C (see Chapter 2). These temperatures can cause damage to multiple stages of development, including death (Barthel et al. 2002, Rossie et al. 2010). To date, it is unclear how cavity temperature varies across the box. Traditionally, nesting cavity temperatures have been monitored using 1-3 temperature probes to measure thousands of cavities (CaraDonna et al. 2018). These methods do not account for the accuracy of the temperature …

Environmental Impacts On Behavior And Personality In The Caviomorph Rodent, Octodon Degus, Nicholas Edwin Johnson

Biological Sciences

Environmental factors can have large impacts in shaping the way that animals behave. Biotic elements, such as predators and conspecifics that individuals interact with, are two environmental factors that animals may encounter on a regular basis. Here, we present the results of two studies examining the relationship of these biotic factors to behavior and personality in the degu (Octodon degus), a social rodent species endemic to central Chile. We found that long-term experimental isolation from predators has not impacted behavior, as indicated by an open field test in this species. We also found that social groups in this species do …

Physiological Mechanisms Underpinning Growth And Aging In Wild Birds, Aubrey Erin Sirman

Biological Sciences

Life-history trade-offs have been well-documented within the literature through correlational and experimental studies. However, the physiological mechanisms underlying these trade-offs are less understood. Currently, there is great interest in shared mechanisms, specifically endocrine mechanisms, that might underlie the variation in life-history traits. Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) may be one shared mechanism that is particularly important. IGF-1 is a metabolic hormone that is part of a highly conserved insulin-signaling pathway known to influence multiple life-history traits including growth and longevity across taxa, however, little is known about these trade-offs outside of laboratory populations. This dissertation focuses on the role of IGF-1 …

Peripheral Hormone Interactions With The Growth Hormone-Insulin-Like Growth Factor (Gh-Igf) System In Rainbow Trout, Lindsey Ann Dickey

Biological Sciences

The growth of vertebrates is primarily regulated by the growth hormone-insulin-like growth factor (GH-IGF) system, but not in isolation. The central question of this dissertation was how do other hormones peripheral to the GH-IGF system interact with the system, including feedbacks by GH and IGF themselves on various tissues in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)? The representative hormones selected were thyroxine, cortisol, and the sex steroids testosterone and estrogen, along with GH and IGF. These hormones were chosen because they are known to affect overall growth and development during specific life events, but exactly what target genes and what mechanisms are …

A Survey Of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Identification Using Psychophysiological Data, S. De Silva, S. Dayarathna, G. Ariyarathne, D. Meedeniya, Sampath Jayarathna

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurological disorders among children, that affects different areas in the brain that allows executing certain functionalities. This may lead to a variety of impairments such as difficulties in paying attention or focusing, controlling impulsive behaviours and overreacting. The continuous symptoms may have a severe impact in the long-term. This paper explores the ADHD identification studies using eye movement data and functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). This study discusses different machine learning techniques, existing models and analyses the existing literature. We have identified the current challenges and possible future directions …