Digital Commons Network^™

Hybrid Mamdani Fuzzy Rules And Convolutional Neural Networks For Analysis And Identification Of Animal Images, Hind R. Mohammed, Zahir M. Hussain

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Accurate, fast, and automatic detection and classification of animal images is challenging, but it is much needed for many real-life applications. This paper presents a hybrid model of Mamdani Type-2 fuzzy rules and convolutional neural networks (CNNs) applied to identify and distinguish various animals using different datasets consisting of about 27,307 images. The proposed system utilizes fuzzy rules to detect the image and then apply the CNN model for the object’s predicate category. The CNN model was trained and tested based on more than 21,846 pictures of animals. The experiments’ results of the proposed method offered high speed and efficiency, …

Deep Learning Versus Spectral Techniques For Frequency Estimation Of Single Tones: Reduced Complexity For Software-Defined Radio And Iot Sensor Communications, Hind R. Almayyali, Zahir M. Hussain

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Despite the increasing role of machine learning in various fields, very few works considered artificial intelligence for frequency estimation (FE). This work presents comprehensive analysis of a deep-learning (DL) approach for frequency estimation of single tones. A DL network with two layers having a few nodes can estimate frequency more accurately than well-known classical techniques can. While filling the gap in the existing literature, the study is comprehensive, analyzing errors under different signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs), numbers of nodes, and numbers of input samples under missing SNR information. DL-based FE is not significantly affected by SNR bias or number of nodes. …

Classification Of Skin Disease Using Deep Learning Neural Networks With Mobilenet V2 And Lstm, Parvathaneni N. Srinivasu, Jalluri G. Siva Sai, Muhammad F. Ijaz, Akash K. Bhoi, Wonjoon Kim, James J. Kang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Deep learning models are efficient in learning the features that assist in understanding complex patterns precisely. This study proposed a computerized process of classifying skin disease through deep learning-based MobileNet V2 and Long Short Term Memory (LSTM). The MobileNet V2 model proved to be efficient with a better accuracy that can work on lightweight computational devices. The proposed model is efficient in maintaining stateful information for precise predictions. A grey-level co-occurrence matrix is used for assessing the progress of diseased growth. The performance has been compared against other state-of-the-art models such as Fine-Tuned Neural Networks (FTNN), Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), …

Infrequent Pattern Detection For Reliable Network Traffic Analysis Using Robust Evolutionary Computation, A. N. M. Bazlur Rashid, Mohiuddin Ahmed, Al-Sakib K. Pathan

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

While anomaly detection is very important in many domains, such as in cybersecurity, there are many rare anomalies or infrequent patterns in cybersecurity datasets. Detection of infrequent patterns is computationally expensive. Cybersecurity datasets consist of many features, mostly irrelevant, resulting in lower classification performance by machine learning algorithms. Hence, a feature selection (FS) approach, i.e., selecting relevant features only, is an essential preprocessing step in cybersecurity data analysis. Despite many FS approaches proposed in the literature, cooperative co-evolution (CC)-based FS approaches can be more suitable for cybersecurity data preprocessing considering the Big Data scenario. Accordingly, in this paper, we have …

Functional Maturation Of Immature Β Cells: A Roadblock For Stem Cell Therapy For Type 1 Diabetes, Zi-Yi Sun, Ting-Yan Yu, Fang-Xu Jiang, Wei Wang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is a chronic autoimmune disease caused by the specific destruction of pancreatic islet β cells and is characterized as the absolute insufficiency of insulin secretion. Current insulin replacement therapy supplies insulin in a non-physiological way and is associated with devastating complications. Experimental islet transplantation therapy has been proven to restore glucose homeostasis in people with severe T1DM. However, it is restricted by many factors such as severe shortage of donor sources, progressive loss of donor cells, high cost, etc. As pluripotent stem cells have the potential to give rise to all cells including islet β …

A Survey Of Western Australian Teachers’ Use Of Texts In Supporting Beginning Readers, Simmone Pogorzelski, Susan Main, Susan Hill

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Connected text reading is crucial to beginning reading development as this is where children apply the reading skills they are learning. The most recent version of the Australian Curriculum includes the requirement that teachers use both predictable and decodable texts in early reading instruction. As each text type is underpinned by a different approach to reading instruction, this creates a potential dilemma for teachers when implementing the curriculum. A preliminary study of the instructional practices used to teach reading in the first two years of schooling was therefore conducted to investigate how early years teachers make use of two different …

Prevalence Of Distress, Its Associated Factors And Referral To Support Services In People With Cancer, Deborah Kirk, Istvan (Ishti) Kabdebo, Lisa Whitehead

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Aims and objectives:

To (i) characterise prevalence of distress amongst people diagnosed with cancer, (ii) determine factors associated with increasing distress, (iii) describe reported problems for those with clinically significant distress and (iv) investigate the factors associated with referral to support services.

Background:

International studies report a high prevalence of clinically significant distress in people with cancer. Australian studies are notably lacking. Additionally, clinicians still do not fully understand the factors associated with cancer-related distress.

Design:

Period prevalence study.

Methods:

Distress screening data were analysed for 1,071 people accessing the Cancer Council Western Australia information and support line between 01/01/2016–31/12/2018. …

Vegetable Nitrate Intake, Blood Pressure And Incident Cardiovascular Disease: Danish Diet, Cancer, And Health Study, Catherine P. Bondonno, Frederik Dalgaard, Lauren C. Blekkenhorst, Kevin Murray, Joshua R. Lewis, Kevin D. Croft, Cecilie Kyrø, Christian Torp-Pedersen, Gunnar Gislason, Anne Tjønneland, Kim Overvad, Nicola P. Bondonno, Jonathan M. Hodgson

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Whether the vascular effects of inorganic nitrate, observed in clinical trials, translate to a reduction in cardiovascular disease (CVD) with habitual dietary nitrate intake in prospective studies warrants investigation. We aimed to determine if vegetable nitrate, the major dietary nitrate source, is associated with lower blood pressure (BP) and lower risk of incident CVD. Among 53,150 participants of the Danish Diet, Cancer, and Health Study, without CVD at baseline, vegetable nitrate intake was assessed using a comprehensive vegetable nitrate database. Hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated using restricted cubic splines based on multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards models. During 23 years of …

Habitual Flavonoid Intake And Ischemic Stroke Incidence In The Danish Diet, Cancer, And Health Cohort, Benjamin H. Parmenter, Frederik Dalgaard, Kevin Murray, Aedin Cassidy, Catherine P. Bondonno, Joshua R. Lewis, Kevin D. Croft, Cecilie Kyrø, Gunnar Gislason, Augustin Scalbert, Anne Tjønneland, Jonathan M. Hodgson, Nicola P. Bondonno

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background

Flavonoid-rich foods have antiinflammatory, antiatherogenic, and antithrombotic properties that may contribute to a lower risk of ischemic stroke.

Objectives

We aimed to investigate the relationship between habitual flavonoid consumption and incidence of ischemic stroke in participants from the Danish Diet, Cancer and Health Study.

Design

In this prospective cohort study, 55,169 Danish residents without a prior ischemic stroke [median (IQR) age at enrolment of 56 y (52–60)], were followed for 21 y (20–22). We used Phenol-Explorer to estimate flavonoid intake from food frequency questionnaires obtained at study entry. Incident cases of ischemic stroke were identified from Danish nationwide registries …

Validation Of Fatty Liver Disease Scoring Systems For Ultrasound Diagnosed Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease In Adolescents, Fuzhen Wan, Feng Pan, Oyekoya T. Ayonrinde, Leon A. Adams, Trevor A. Mori, Lawrence J. Beilin, Therese A. O'Sullivan, John K. Olynyk, Wendy H. Oddy

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background and Aims: The incidence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is increasing in young populations. However, there are inadequate data regarding diagnosis of NAFLD. We aimed to validate three scoring systems against a previous standard of suprailiac skinfold thickness for diagnosing NAFLD in population-based adolescents.

Methods: Seventeen-year-old adolescents (n = 899), participating in the Raine Study, attended a cross-sectional follow-up. NAFLD was diagnosed using liver ultrasound. Scores for Fatty liver index (FLI), Hepatic Steatosis Index (HSI) and Zhejiang University index (ZJU index) were calculated. Diagnostic accuracy of these diagnostic tests was evaluated through discrimination and calibration.

Results: NAFLD …

Predicting The Settlement Of Geosynthetic-Reinforced Soil Foundations Using Evolutionary Artificial Intelligence Technique, Muhammad Nouman Amjad Raja, Sanjay K. Shukla

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

In order to ensure safe and sustainable design of geosynthetic-reinforced soil foundation (GRSF), settlement prediction is a challenging task for practising civil/geotechnical engineers. In this paper, a new hybrid technique for predicting the settlement of GRSF has been proposed based on the combination of evolutionary algorithm, that is, grey-wolf optimisation (GWO) and artificial neural network (ANN), abbreviated as ANN-GWO model. For this purpose, the reliable pertinent data were generated through numerical simulations conducted on validated large-scale 3-D finite element model. The predictive power of the model was assessed using various well-established statistical indices, and also validated against several independent scientific …

Educational Outcomes Of Adolescents Participating In Specialist Sport Programs In Low Ses Areas Of Western Australia: A Mixed Methods Study, Eibhlish O'Hara, Craig Harms, Fadi Ma'ayah, Craig Speelman

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Specialist Sport Programs (SSPs) are an underexamined activity that combines the best features of two different contexts for adolescent development: a sporting program and a secondary school. A mixed-methods study was conducted to determine the influence of participation in SSPs on the educational outcomes of lower secondary students in Western Australia. The results demonstrated a significant improvement in specialist students' mean grade for Mathematics over the course of a year, while their mean grade for all other subjects, and their level of engagement with school, remained stable over the same period of time. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with key …

A Novel Augmented Deep Transfer Learning For Classification Of Covid-19 And Other Thoracic Diseases From X-Rays, Fouzia Atlaf, Syed M. S. Islam, Naeem K. Janjua

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Deep learning has provided numerous breakthroughs in natural imaging tasks. However, its successful application to medical images is severely handicapped with the limited amount of annotated training data. Transfer learning is commonly adopted for the medical imaging tasks. However, a large covariant shift between the source domain of natural images and target domain of medical images results in poor transfer learning. Moreover, scarcity of annotated data for the medical imaging tasks causes further problems for effective transfer learning. To address these problems, we develop an augmented ensemble transfer learning technique that leads to significant performance gain over the conventional transfer …

Hydrogen Adsorption On Sub-Bituminous Coal: Implications For Hydrogen Geo-Storage, Sefan Iglauer, Hussein Abid, Ahmed Z. Al-Yaseri, Alireza Keshavarz

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Hydrogen is a clean fuel that can potentially revolutionize the energy supply chain and decarbonize fuel consumption. However, a key hurdle that needs to be overcome before a full-scale hydrogen economy can be established is hydrogen storage which is currently the main limitation. Here, we propose that hydrogen gas can be stored in underground coal seams, where it adsorbs on the coal surface. However, currently, no hard data related to such a procedure exists. We, therefore, demonstrate experimentally that significant amounts of hydrogen gas can be stored via this route. Hydrogen adsorption capacities reached 0.6 moles H₂/kg of …

Collaboration And Opportunism In Megaproject Alliance Contracts: The Interplay Between Governance, Trust And Culture, Peter Galvin, Stephane Tywoniak, Janet Sutherland

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Alliance contracts have been introduced in megaprojects to improve the alignment of objectives, risk and reward between client and contractor. However, the relational norms of alliances are not sufficient on their own to eliminate opportunistic behaviors. This study shows that, investing in mechanisms supportive of governance, culture, and trust provides a platform upon which firms may foster collaboration and limit self-interest oriented behavior amongst alliance partners. Our qualitative case study of a major project-based organization reveals the impact of these mechanisms, and more pointedly, how they interact and often reinforce each other. Governance, culture and trust are interlinked and complementary, …

Impacts Of Traverse Speed And Material Thickness On Abrasive Waterjet Contour Cutting Of Austenitic Stainless Steel Aisi 304l, Jennifer Milaor Llanto, Majid Tolouei Rad, Ana Vafadar, Muhammad Aamir

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Abrasive water jet machining is a proficient alternative for cutting difficult-to-machine materials with complex geometries, such as austenitic stainless steel 304L (AISI304L). However, due to differences in machining responses for varied material conditions, the abrasive waterjet machining experiences challenges including kerf geometric inaccuracy and low material removal rate. In this study, an abrasive waterjet machining is employed to perform contour cutting of different profiles to investigate the impacts of traverse speed and material thickness in achieving lower kerf taper angle and higher material removal rate. Based on experimental investigation, a trend of decreasing the level of traverse speed and material …

Educative Power And The Respectful Curricular Inclusion Of Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Music, Michael Webb, Clint Bracknell

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This chapter argues for the full, respectful curricular inclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander music in order to promote a more balanced and equitable social and cultural vision of the nation-state in Australian schools. It challenges views that claim Indigenous cultures have been irretrievably lost or are doomed to extinction, as well as the fixation on musical authenticity. We propose that the gradual broadening of Indigenous musical expressions over time and the musical renaissance of the new millennium have created an unprecedented opportunity for current music educators to experience the educative power of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander music. …

Digital Forensic Readiness In Operational Cloud Leveraging Iso/Iec 27043 Guidelines On Security Monitoring, Sheunesu Makura, H. S. Venter, Victor R. Kebande, Nickson M. Karie, Richard A. Ikuesan, Sadi Alawadi

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

An increase in the use of cloud computing technologies by organizations has led to cybercriminals targeting cloud environments to orchestrate malicious attacks. Conversely, this has led to the need for proactive approaches through the use of digital forensic readiness (DFR). Existing studies have attempted to develop proactive prototypes using diverse agent-based solutions that are capable of extracting a forensically sound potential digital evidence. As a way to address this limitation and further evaluate the degree of PDE relevance in an operational platform, this study sought to develop a prototype in an operational cloud environment to achieve DFR in the cloud. …

Digital Forensic Readiness Intelligence Crime Repository, Victor R. Kebande, Nickson M. Karie, Kim-Kwang R. Choo, Sadi Alawadi

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

It may not always be possible to conduct a digital (forensic) investigation post-event if there is no process in place to preserve potential digital evidence. This study posits the importance of digital forensic readiness, or forensic-by-design, and presents an approach that can be used to construct a Digital Forensic Readiness Intelligence Repository (DFRIR). Based on the concept of knowledge sharing, the authors leverage this premise to suggest an intelligence repository. Such a repository can be used to cross-reference potential digital evidence (PDE) sources that may help digital investigators during the process. This approach employs a technique of capturing PDE from …

‘Mingren Are The Respectable Ones’: An Analysis Of Everyday Engagements With Contemporary Celebrity Culture In China, Min Xu, Stijn Reijnders, Sangkyun (Sean) Kim

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

To investigate the values and social norms underpinning celebrity culture, it is crucial to study everyday uses of celebrity culture. Yet, studies in this area have been limited thus far, especially in non-Western contexts. This exploratory study focuses on the ways how young and middle-aged adults in everyday life in urban China discuss and value media celebrities. The results show that respondents have a rather similar way of valuing celebrity: celebrities need to have strong work ethics and showcase social responsibility; only then do they ‘earn’ their right to be considered ‘famous’. We conclude that these values are closely related …

Shyness, Self-Esteem, And Loneliness As Causes Of Fa: The Moderating Effect Of Low Self-Control, Mohammad Iranmanesh, Behzad Foroughi, Davoud Nikbin, Sunghyup Sean Hyun

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This study examined the impacts of shyness, self-esteem and loneliness on Facebook addiction by considering their inter-relations. Furthermore, the moderating effect of low self-control on the relationship between Facebook addiction and individuals’ performance was also examined. Data were collected via an online survey from 348 Malaysians and were analysed using the partial least squares technique. The results showed that shyness has both a direct effect and an indirect effect through loneliness on Facebook addiction. Although self-esteem has no direct effect on Facebook addiction, it has an indirect effect through loneliness. The results also confirmed that low self-control negatively moderates the …

Development And Validation Of A Scale To Explore Pre-Service Teachers’ Sense Of Preparedness, Engagement And Self-Efficacy In Classroom Teaching, Jessy Abraham, Tania Ferfolja, Aaron Sickel, Anne Power, Christina Curry, Denise Fraser, Karin Mackay

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Raising the quality of initial teacher education can make an important contribution to raising the overall quality of the school system. In Australia, the National Framework for Professional Standards for Teaching is used as a common framework to set standards for the accreditation of teacher education programs. However, institution-wise assessments need to be carried out regularly to explore the quality of preparation pre-service teachers receive and to what extent they feel well prepared to enter teaching. This will enable teacher education programs to implement strategies to strengthen the link between university coursework and professional practice of pre service teachers. This …

Understanding Social-Emotional Reciprocity In Autism: Viewpoints Shared By Teachers, Lizaan Schwartz, Wendi Beamish, Loraine Mckay

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Poor social-emotional reciprocity (SER) has been identified as one of the defining traits of autism. It is a key criterion in recent Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders editions, DSM-IV and DSM-V (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 1994, 2013). Yet this difficulty related to socially engaging and interacting with others is poorly understood. The study reported here was a small-scale, qualitative inquiry underpinned by a phenomenological approach in which social-emotional reciprocity (SER) was the phenomenon being studied. Semi-structured interviews with three experienced teachers at an Australian autism-specific school were used to capture their understandings and experiences related to the trait. …

Working The Third Space: Reformulating Practice In The Transition From Classroom Teacher To Teacher Educator, Fleur Diamond, Stephanie Wescott, Kristen Molloy

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The working lives and identities of teacher educators remain an under-researched aspect of teacher education. This paper reports on a collaborative narrative inquiry by three early career teacher educators as they made the transition from classroom practice in schools, to teacher education in a university setting. The authors confronted technical understandings, or ‘official stories’ (Zukas & Malcolm, 2019) of what it means to prepare prospective teachers, derived from contemporary standards-based policies about teacher professionalism. The paper proposes the concept of ‘working the third space’ as a way of framing teacher educators’ efforts to draw upon classroom teaching experience while challenging …

Antioxidative And Lipid-Reducing Activities Of Ficus Deltoidea In Palmitic Acid-Induced Wrl68 Cells, Noor Nazirahanie Abrahim

Student Works (2020-2029)

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a series of liver disorder caused by deposition of fat without involving alcohol. This chronic liver disease has become a major concern globally due to its high mortality and morbidity rate. This situation leads to the quest of finding natural remedy to overcome this condition. Ficus deltoidea or commonly known as mistletoe fig or Mas Cotek, is a plant that is very well known especially in Malaysia for its blood glucose lowering effect. However, the potential value of F. deltoidea has not been fully evaluated, and no studies have been published on the effects …

Professional Development For Working With Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders And Teacher Self-Efficacy, Alison Johnson, Lina Soares, Antonio P. Gutierrez De Blume

Georgia Educational Researcher

The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the effect of teacher professional development for working with students with Autism Spectrum Disorders and teacher (N = 56) self-efficacy in the general education classroom. A pretest/posttest quasi-experimental research design was implemented. Teachers in one randomly assigned school received professional development training on research-based practices in working with students with autism to determine if the training had any effect on their perceived self-efficacy ratings and teachers in the other school were randomly assigned to serve as the control (i.e., no additional professional development training was provided during the research phase). …

Teaching Statistics For Social Justice - An Autoethnographic Research Report, Sheffield L. Dacia, Sierra Brooks, Basil M. Conway, Ha Nguyen

Georgia Educational Researcher

The following autoethnography was completed by two graduate students at University A learning to enact teaching for social justice while building content underpinnings in statistics at University B. The authors present a research base for teaching for social justice followed by a description of their lesson, observations during enactment, and reflection of change in beliefs about teaching for social justice afterward. Findings in this study are shared from the authors’ personal perspectives through the enactment of teaching a lesson for social justice in an undergraduate statistics course at University B. Implications provide encouragement that the inclusion of social justice topics …

Academic Goal Orientation: New Insights And Cultural Adaptation Of Academic Goal Orientation Questionnaire Into The Turkish Language, Fuat Findikoglu, Mehmet Gurol

Georgia Educational Researcher

This study aims to review and provide new perspectives for academic goal orientation. The study introduces first chronological history of goal orientation and depicts how goal orientation evolved into a new construct in learning from the discussion on motivational factors. At first, this study isolates goal orientation from motivation and provides novel insights into goal orientation as a separated factor affecting learning. Then, this study provides analyses of the adaptation work of the academic goal orientation questionnaire into the Turkish language. The translated scale was applied to a sample of 729 undergraduate students, 376 (51.6%) of which were female and …

Beyond Tickets And Comma Splices: Using Writing Center Coaching Techniques To Support Online Learners, Lisa Mcneal, Jennifer P. Gray

Georgia Educational Researcher

Many college students struggle with technical difficulties when enrolled in an online or hybrid class. Sometimes students do not even have a choice about online options, such as in the COVID-19 era, when the shift to remote instruction has happened and could happen at any time. Students need support for success in the online environment, yet many support models focus on the immediate problem rather than deeper root causes for the problem or misunderstanding. Traditional support models may use a ticket-based system that strives to quickly resolve the issue at hand. While the ticket-based system has some merit, there is …

Quality-Of-Service Architecture For Cloud Computing Networking, Ken R. Owens Jr., Steve Eugene Watkins

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Quality-of-service (QoS) performance is an important consideration for real-time and high-priority traffic on internet protocol (IP) networks. Service differentiation can provide a more efficient and customer-oriented internet. The “best-effort” internet models in use today cannot provide guarantees or service differentiation for end-to-end individual and aggregate data flows. Hardware-based models and software-based models do not completely address the total service-enabled solution. We propose a hybrid architecture that combines software and hardware features to handle network traffic with diverse QoS requirements. Since cloud providers leverage IP networks today, the model is based on a systems engineering approach that uses cloud computing technologies. …