Digital Commons Network^™

Mdpi Oceans: A New Publication Channel For Open Access Science Focused On The Ocean, Antonio Bode, Fátima Abrantes, Agostinho Antunes, Alvise Benetazzo, Chen-Tung A. Chen, Emmanuel Devred, Martin Gade, Eulàlia Gràcia, Jochen Horstmann, Diego Macías, Joseph M. Maina, Pere Masqué Barri, Nicholas Meskhidze, Luis Somoza

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The ocean is the most important subsystem of the Earth’s climate system and functions as its heart, regulating the energy distribution of the planet. It has absorbed more than 90% of the energy accumulated since 1971 and about 30% of the emitted anthropogenic carbon dioxide. As a result, water temperature rises and oceans acidify and deoxygenate, which lead to changes in oceanic circulationand biogeochemistry, to rising sea levels, to more extreme weather events, to shifts in the distribution ofspecies and migratory routes, and to loss of species and habitat diversity. Awareness of the importanceof oceans for the sustainability of the …

How Location-Aware Access Control Affects User Privacy And Security In Cloud Computing Systems, Wen Zeng, Reem Bashir, Trevor Wood, Francois Siewe, Helge Janicke, Isabel Wagner

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The use of cloud computing (CC) is rapidly increasing due to the demand for internet services and communications. The large number of services and data stored in the cloud creates security risks due to the dynamic movement of data, connected devices and users between various cloud environments. In this study, we will develop an innovative prototype for location-aware access control and data privacy for CC systems. We will apply location-aware access control policies to role-based access control of Cloud Foundry, and then analyze the impact on user privacy after implementing these policies. This innovation can be used to address the …

Interdisciplinary Sport Research Can Better Predict Competition Performance, Identify Individual Differences, And Quantify Task Representation, Ben Piggott, Sean Müller, Paola Chivers, Ashley Cripps, Gerard Hoyne

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Sport performance consists of interacting individual, task and environmental constraints, but research has used a monodisciplinary, rather than an interdisciplinary approach to understand performance. This study used Australian football (AF) as the exemplar sport to investigate the value of an interdisciplinary approach to understand sport performance. Through this, it was also possible to quantify individual differences and representative task design. Fifty-nine semi-professional Australian footballers participated. Based upon accessibility, combinations of these players completed physiological (3 × 1 km trial) and perceptual-cognitive-motor (small-sided game, SSG) tests, with coach rating of psychological skill (mental toughness coach, MTC). Univariate monodisciplinary models indicated that …

Large Reductions In Match Play Physical Performance Variables Across A Professional Football Season With Control For Situational And Contextual Variables, Matthew Springham, Sean Williams, Mark Waldron, Darren Burgess, Robert Usher Newton

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This investigation examined match play physical performance across a professional football season using a multicamera computerized tracking system. A linear mixed-effects model, controlling for situational and contextual variables, identified decreases in team average total distance (TD): season quarter 1 (Q1) (11,047 m) > season quarter 2 (Q2) (10,473 m) ( = ; ES = ), season quarter 3 (Q3) (10,449 m) ( < 0.001; ES = ), and season quarter 4 (Q4) (10,385 m) ( < 0.001; ES = ); work rate (WR): Q1 (115 m/min) > Q3 (108 m/min) ( < 0.001; ES = ), Q4 (107 m/min) ( < 0.001; ES = ); Q2 (109 m/min) > Q4 (107 m/min) ( = 0.003; ES = ); high-speed running distance (HSR): Q1 (1,051 m) > Q2 (813 m) ( = 0.006; ES = ); number of high-speed runs (NHSR): Q1 (87) > Q2 (65) ( …

Use, Adoption, And Effectiveness Of Tippy-Tap Handwashing Station In Promoting Hand Hygiene Practices In Resource-Limited Settings: A Systematic Review, Balwani C. Mbakaya, Fatch W. Kalembo, Maggie Zgambo

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background:

Tippy-taps are locally made devices for washing hands with running water. They are simple and low-cost, enabling technology that provides adequate water sources, handwashing stations and motivation for people to prioritise handwashing. This systematic review aimed to establish the use, benefits, adoption and effectiveness of enabling technology; tippy-tap handwashing station, in resource-limited settings.

Methods:

We systematically searched for articles in the PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, AMED, CINAHL, DOAJ and Google Scholar databases guided by the acceptable best practice developed by the PROSPERO and COCHRANE for systematic search and selection of articles. Search terms such as tippy-taps, enabling technology, hand-washing station, …

Consumer Choice Of Counterfeits Or Generic Products: The Case Of Egypt, Mostafa Aboelsoud, Kenzy Seireg

Economics

The counterfeiting market is increasing at an alarming rate because consumers are often unwilling to pay for brand names. This study investigates the factors that influence consumers’ preferences toward counterfeit and generic products by studying Egyptian consumers. By surveying a sample of 271 consumers, our study concluded that demographic variables, perceived risk, and prior experience are insignificant factors in choosing counterfeits or generics, while price, taste and preferences, quality, the price of related products, subjective norms, and expected prices are variables that significantly affect consumer preferences and demand. The research concludes that consumers who care about the quality, expected prices, …

Electrochemically Desulfurized Molybdenum Disulfide (Mos2) And Reduced Graphene Oxide Aerogel Composites As Efficient Electrocatalysts For Hydrogen Evolution, Sanju Gupta, Taylor Robinson, Nicholas Dimakis

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

Recent developments in graphene related materials including molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) is gaining popularity as efficient and cost-effective nanoscale electrocatalyst essential for hydrogen production. These “clean” energy technologies require delicate control over geometric, morphological, chemical and electronic structure affecting physical and electrochemical catalytic properties. In this work, we prepared three-dimensional hierarchical mesoporous aerogels consisting of two-dimensional functionalized graphene and MoS₂ nanosheets of varying ratio of components under hydrothermal–solvothermal conditions (P bar, T °C). We systematically characterized these hybrid aerogels in terms of surface morphology, microstructure, understand heterointerfaces interaction through electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, optical absorption and emission …

A Joint Fermi-Gbm And Ligo/Virgo Analysis Of Compact Binary Mergers From The First And Second Gravitational-Wave Observing Runs, R. Hamburg, C. Fletcher, E. Burns, Teviet Creighton, Mario C. Diaz, Soma Mukherjee, Volker Quetschke, Malik Rakhmanov, Karla E. Ramirez, Wenhui Wang, Adam Zadrozny

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

We present results from offline searches of Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) data for gamma-ray transients coincident with the compact binary coalescences observed by the gravitational-wave (GW) detectors Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo during their first and second observing runs. In particular, we perform follow-up for both confirmed events and low significance candidates reported in the LIGO/Virgo catalog GWTC-1. We search for temporal coincidences between these GW signals and GBM-triggered gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). We also use the GBM Untargeted and Targeted subthreshold searches to find coincident gamma-rays below the onboard triggering threshold. This work implements a refined statistical approach by …

Gw190814: Gravitational Waves From The Coalescence Of A 23 Solar Mass Black Hole With A 2.6 Solar Mass Compact Object, R. Abbott, T. D. Abbott, S. Abraham, A. Aich, G. Bissenbayeva, Teviet Creighton, Mario C. Diaz, Soma Mukherjee

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

We report the observation of a compact binary coalescence involving a 22.2 - 24.3 M⊙ black hole and a compact object with a mass of 2.50 - 2.67 M⊙ (all measurements quoted at the 90% credible level). The gravitational-wave signal, GW190814, was observed during LIGO's and Virgo's third observing run on August 14, 2019 at 21:10:39 UTC and has a signal-to-noise ratio of 25 in the three-detector network. The source was localized to 18.5 deg2 at a distance of 241+41−45 Mpc; no electromagnetic counterpart has been confirmed to date. The source has the most unequal mass ratio yet measured with …

Bayesian Modelling Of Nonlinear Poisson Regression With Artificial Neural Networks, Hansapani Rodrigo, Chris P. Tsokos

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

Modelling and prediction of count and rate responses have substantial usage in many fields, including health, finance, social, etc. Conventionally, linear Poisson regression models have been widely used to model these responses. However, the linearity assumption of the systematic component of linear Poisson regression models restricts their capability of handling complex data patterns. In this regard, it is important to develop nonlinear Poisson regression models to capture the inherent variability within the count data. In this study, we introduce a probabilistically driven nonlinear Poisson regression model with Bayesian artificial neural networks (ANN) to model count and rate data. This new …

Evaluation Of Lead (Pb(Ii)) Removal Potential Of Biochar In A Fixed-Bed Continuous Flow Adsorption System, Pushpita Kumkum, Sandeep Kumar

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Background. Lead (Pb(II)) exposure from drinking water consumption is a serious concern due to its negative health effect on human physiology. A commercially available filter uses the adsorption potential of activated carbon for removing heavy metals like Pb(II). However, it has some constraints since it uses only surface area for the adsorption of these contaminants. Biochar produced via slow pyrolysis of biomass shows the presence of oxygen-containing functional groups on its surface that take part in the adsorption process, with higher removal potential compared to activated carbon.

Objectives. The current study examined the adsorption kinetics and mechanisms of Pb(II) removing …

Nonhydrostatic Modeling Of Flow Interactions With Highly Flexible Vegetation, Navid Tahvildari, Ramin Familkhalili, Gangfeng Ma

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Improving our understanding of the interactions between gravity waves, currents, and coastal vegetation, which are nonlinear in nature, enables coastal engineers and managers to better estimate hydrodynamic forces on coastal infrastructure and utilize natural elements to mitigate their impacts. Aquatic vegetation is ubiquitous in coastal waters and it is well-known that flow loses energy over vegetation. Computational modeling of wave-vegetation interaction has been the subject of numerous recent studies and many improvements have been achieved in reducing limitations applied on wave and vegetation behavior in these models. Mechanisms for highly flexible vegetation have been incorporated in a Boussinesq-type model and …

Parameter Estimation Of A Seasonal Poisson Inar(1) Model With Different Monthly Means, Turaj Vazifedan, Homa Jalaeian Taghadomi, Xixi Wang, Mujde Erten-Unal

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Analysing seasonality in count time series is an essential application of statistics to predict phenomena in different fields like economics, agriculture, healthcare, environment, and climatic change. However, the information in the existing literature is scarce regarding the performances of relevant statistical models. This study provides the Yule-Walker (Y-W), Conditional Least Squares (CLS), and Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) for First-order Non-negative Integer-valued Autoregressive, INAR(1), process with Poisson innovations with different monthly means. The performance of Y-W, CLS, and MLE are assessed by the Monte Carlo simulation method. The performance of this model is compared with another seasonal INAR(1) model by reproducing …

The Reproductive Priming Effect Revisited: Mate Poaching, Mate Copying, Or Both?., Rebecca Burch, T. Joel Wade, James Moran

Faculty Journal Articles

According to the reproductive priming effect, an individual who enters into a romantic relationship tends to see an increase in admirers. To further understand the mechanisms underlying this effect and its relationship with mate poaching and copying, 560 undergraduates were asked to report their experiences of being a romantic target (i.e., experiencing more admirers when in a new relationship) or an admirer (having greater attraction for someone in a relationship). Over two thirds of respondents noticed this increase in admirers, and approximately half reported being more attracted to a person who recently entered a new relationship. Many of the responses …

Cosmographical Warfare: Secrecy And Heroism In Juan De Miramontes's Armas Antárticas, Jason Mccloskey

Faculty Journal Articles

This article examines the historical and cultural significance of cosmography in the early modern Spanish Empire, as seen in Juan de Miramontes Zuázola’s seventeenth-century epic poem, Armas antárticas (2006). It takes the description of a pilot in the harbor of Callao, Peru, on the eve of Francis Drake’s arrival at the port as its point of departure. The essay examines the portrayal of cosmography as a “secret science”, to use the words of María M. Portuondo (2009). The poem suggests that Drake’s surprise attack was made possible by cosmographical knowledge. It also depicts cosmography as a countermeasure to combat future …

Temperate Eurasian Origins Of Hawaiian Chenopodium (Amaranthaceae) Plus Description Of A New Species Endemic To Moloka‘I, Jason T. Cantley, Angela J. Mcdonnell, J Branson, S R. Long, W Garnett, Christopher T. Martine

Faculty Journal Articles

Chenopodium taxa of Hawai‘i are tetraploids distinguished from other members of the circumglobally distributed genus by minute morphological characters. Because of these reasons, the geographic origin of Hawaiian Chenopodium has remained unclear. Across the Hawaiian Archipelago, Chenopodium taxa are morphologically variable and grow in highly disparate xeric habitats, especially in terms of precipitation, temperature, wind, salt spray, and solar irradiation. Habitats include dry subalpine shrublands, sandy beach strand of atolls in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands, dry forests, and precipitously tall sea cliffs of northwestern Moloka‘i. From the Moloka‘i sea cliffs, which are battered by high energy winds, salt spray, and …

Distribution Of Human Exposure To Ozone During Commuting Hours In Connecticut Using The Cellular Device Network, Owais Gilani, Simon Urbanek, Michael J. Kane

Faculty Journal Articles

Epidemiologic studies have established associations between various air pollutants and adverse health outcomes for adults and children. Due to high costs of monitoring air pollutant concentrations for subjects enrolled in a study, statisticians predict exposure concentrations from spatial models that are developed using concentrations monitored at a few sites. In the absence of detailed information on when and where subjects move during the study window, researchers typically assume that the subjects spend their entire day at home, school, or work. This assumption can potentially lead to large exposure assignment bias. In this study, we aim to determine the distribution of …

Edaphic Factors And Initial Conditions Influence Successional Trajectories Of Early Regenerating Tropical Dry Forests, Sergio Estrada Villegas, Mario Bailón, Jefferson S. Hall, Stefan A. Schnitzer, Benjamin L. Turner, Trevor Caughlin, Michiel Van Breugel

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

1. Edaphic factors and initial conditions can regulate the speed of forest succession. Edaphic factors, which include soil chemistry and topography, determine soil resource availability and can filter species as forests mature. Initial plant cover early in succession can determine the rates at which secondary forests change in structure, richness, biomass and composition over time. While some of the effects of edaphic factors and initial conditions on forest succession have been studied, how they simultaneously modify young regenerating tropical forest has rarely been examined.
2. We surveyed 22 young forests plots in Panama for 7 years (11, 6 and 3‐year‐old stands when …

The Prognostic Impact Of Circulating Tumour Dna In Melanoma Patients Treated With Systemic Therapies—Beyond Braf Mutant Detection, Gabriela Marsavela, Peter A. Johansson, Michelle R. Pereira, Ashleigh C. Mcevoy, Anna L. Reid, Cleo Robinson, Lydia Warburton, Muhammad A. Khattak, Tarek M. Meniawy, Benhur Amanuel, Michael Millward, Nicholas K. Hayward, Melanie R. Ziman, Elin S. Gray, Leslie Calapre

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. In this study, we evaluated the predictive value of circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) to inform therapeutic outcomes in metastatic melanoma patients receiving systemic therapies. We analysed 142 plasma samples from metastatic melanoma patients prior to commencement of systemic therapy: 70 were treated with BRAF/MEK inhibitors and 72 with immunotherapies. Patient-specific droplet digital polymerase chain reaction assays were designed for ctDNA detection. Plasma ctDNA was detected in 56% of patients prior to first-line anti-PD1 and/or anti-CTLA-4 treatment. The detection rate in the immunotherapy cohort was comparably lower than those with BRAF inhibitors …

The Performance Of Stock Portfolios: Evidence From Analysing Malaysia Case, And Implication For Open Innovation, Ariful Hoque, Sharmeen Rakhi, Kamrul Hassan, Thi Le

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This research examines the performance of the Islamic stock portfolio (ISP) and conventional stock portfolio (CSP) for the five industrial sectors and market in Malaysia. The capital asset pricing model statistics indicate that the ISP provides a higher return with a lower systematic risk compared to the CSP in different sectors; however, the ISP and CSP perform equally in the market. The non-parametric stochastic dominance approach reveals that the ISP is better than the CSP for portfolio return without considering the riskiness for all sectors except properties; further, the ISP outperforms …

Australian Consumers Are Willing To Pay For The Health Star Rating Front-Of-Pack Nutrition Label, Sheri L. Cooper, Lucy M. Butcher, Simone D. Scagnelli, Johnny Lo, Maria M. Ryan, Amanda Devine, Therese A. O’Sullivan

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. The Australia and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation has supported the recommendations set out in the 2019 Health Star Rating System Five Year Review Report. Specifically, the forum supported, in principle, Recommendation 9, to mandate the Health Star Rating if clear uptake targets were not achieved while the system is voluntary. Given that mandatory labelling is being considered, it is important to investigate how much consumers value the Health Star Rating in order to understand potential consumer uptake and inform industry. The aim of this study was to assess …

A Quest For Quality Care: Exploration Of A Model Of Leadership Relationships, Work Engagement, And Patient Outcomes, Jenny M. Parr, Stephen Teo, Jane Koziol-Mclain

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

© 2020 The Authors. Journal of Advanced Nursing published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd Aim: To explore the effects of resonant leadership, leader exchange relationships and perceived organizational support on work engagement and patient outcomes. Design: A cross-sectional survey design. Methods: Data were collected in June and July 2016 from 252 nurses and clerical staff and institutional patient safety (falls rates) and patient satisfaction (Friends and Family Test) in New Zealand. Data were analysed with structural equation modelling (SEM). Results: The final model was an excellent fit to the data (χ2 (22, N = 252) = 39.048, p = …

Commemorative Insights: The Best Of Life, In Death, Martin Maccarthy, Ker Ni Heng Rigney

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This study explores visitor experience at the National Anzac Centre in Western Australia using multiple qualitative methods. Initially, Nethnography is used to assemble a blend of lived experience and online non-dialogical commentary. Nethnography (an alternative to Netnography) is used here as a mechanism for data grooming. Three data sets inform this study: 500 Trip Advisor comments, 500 Visitors’ Book comments and four days of participant observation. The data are then analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis and Leximancer in the unsupervised mode. This methodological collage is designed to improve the veracity of interpretation through both lived experience and triangulation across data …

Enchanted Animism: A Matter Of Care, Jane Merewether

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

© The Author(s) 2020. Jean Piaget, whose work continues to be very influential in early childhood education, associated young children’s animism with their ‘primitive thought’ claiming children remain animists until they reach a more advanced and rational stage of development. This article proposes a rethinking of the Piagetian view of animism, suggesting instead that children’s animism be conceived as a ‘matter of care’ which may then offer possibilities for living more responsively and attentively with non human others. Drawing on two recent research projects involving two-to-eight-year-old children, the article contends that children’s playful and speculative ‘enchanted animism’ can create a …

Predictors Of Hand Hygiene Behaviours Among Primary And Secondary School Children In A Rural District Setting In Zimbabwe: A Cross-Sectional Epidemiologic Study, France Ncube, Artwell Kanda, Maude Chahwanda, Margaret Macherera, Bigboy Ngwenya

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

© 2020, IWA Publishing. All rights reserved. Hand hygiene is one of the most effective and efficient ways of controlling faecal–oral diseases. However, little is known about the predictors of hand hygiene behaviours among school children. A predesigned checklist guide was used to observe hygiene behaviours of 460 pupils from four rural schools in Shamva South district, Zimbabwe. A pretested questionnaire was administered to obtain demographic data of the observed school children. Membership of a Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) club, age, gender and the level of education were associated with hand hygiene practices (p < 0.05). The findings indicated that investing in hand hygiene behaviour change processes among school children using the promotion, formation, resuscitation and empowerment of WASH clubs in schools is important in disease prevention among communities in developing countries.

Identifying The Critical Factors Of Sustainable Manufacturing Using The Fuzzy Dematel Method, Luwei Jiang, Tenghao Zhang, Yanfei Feng

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

© 2020 Luwei Jiang et al., published by Sciendo 2020. The burgeoning trend of globalization gives rise to the formation of the manufacturing ecosystem. This study aims to identify the critical factors of sustainable manufacturing for countries and regions across the globe finding their unique ecological niches. From the perspective of the ecological niche, we develop an evaluation system of the manufacturing niche. By using the fuzzy Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method, the critical factors, and its causal relationships of the manufacturing niche can be quantified and visualized. The results indicate that: (1) the evaluation system of the …

Integrated Assessment—How Does It Help Unpack Water Access By Marginalized Farmers?, Serena H. Hamilton, Wendy S. Merritt, Mahanambrota Das, M. Wakilur Rahman, Sumana S. Bhuiya, Lucy Carter, Michaela Cosijn, Christian H. Roth, Sambhu Singha, Geoffrey J. Syme

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Water is critical to the lives and livelihoods of rural communities in developing countries; however, access to water can be inequitable within communities. This paper uses a generalized integrated assessment approach to explore the determinants of water access by marginalized farmers in two villages in coastal Bangladesh, before and after the setup of local water institutions. The study was part of a broader project aimed at promoting socially inclusive agricultural intensification. An integrative framework was developed in this study to capture and link the diverse range of factors that influence the …

Mental Distress And Quality Of Life Following Provision Of Vascular Imaging Results Of The Coronary And Carotid Arteries To Asymptomatic Adults: A Scoping Review Protocol, Reindolf Anokye, Ben Jackson, James Dimmock, Joanne M. Dickson, Lauren C. Blekkenhorst, Jonathan M. Hodgson, Joshua Lewis, Mandy Stanley

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: Non-invasive screening for atherosclerosis or asymptomatic cardiovascular disease of the coronary and carotid arteries is commonly undertaken, and research has been focussed on how results from these screenings lead to behaviour change. However, no review has focused on the effects of these results on mental distress and quality of life. This protocol will outline how a scoping review will be conducted to map all available evidence on mental distress or quality of life outcomes following the provision of vascular imaging results of the coronary and carotid arteries.

Methods: Arksey and O’Malley’s (2005) framework will guide the scoping review. Databases …

Traumatic Dances Of The ‘Non-Self’: Bodily Incoherence And The Hysterical Archive, Jonathan Marshall

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

"We seem to be living in hysterical times. A simple Google search reveals the sheer bottomless well of “hysterical” discussions on diverse topics such as the #metoo movement, Trumpianism, border wars, Brexit, transgender liberation, Black Lives Matter, COVID-19, and climate change, to name only a few. Against the backdrop of such recent deployments of hysteria in popular discourse––particularly as they emerge in times of material and hermeneutic crisis––Performing Hysteria re-engages the notion of “hysteria”. Performing Hysteria rigorously mines late 20th- and early 21st-century (primarily visual) culture for signs of hysteria. The various essays in this volume contribute to the multilayered …

Tripping Over The Other: Could Psychedelics Increase Empathy?, Emily Blatchford, Stephen Bright, Liam Engel

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

There is increasing evidence that psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy is effective for a range of psy-chological conditions. There are likely numerous mechanisms of action that contribute to these clinicaleffects. One such mechanism of action might involve psychedelics increasing levels of empathicfunctioning. This paper synthesises research concerning the relationship between psychedelics andempathy, emphasising neuroscientific and clinical contexts. We conclude that neuropsychological andclinical evidence imply psychedelics could lead to increased empathic functioning. The effects of psy-chedelics on the 5-HT system, default mode network, neural connectivity and ego dissolution areimplicated in these changes. Changes in empathic functioning also likely relate to increases in thepersonality trait …