Digital Commons Network^™

Leveraging Spanning Tree To Detect Colluding Attackers In Federated Learning, Priyesh Ranjan, Federico Coro, Ashish Gupta, Sajal K. Das

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Federated learning distributes model training among multiple clients who, driven by privacy concerns, perform training using their local data and only share model weights for iterative aggregation on the server. In this work, we explore the threat of collusion attacks from multiple malicious clients who pose targeted attacks (e.g., label flipping) in a federated learning configuration. By leveraging client weights and the correlation among them, we develop a graph-based algorithm to detect malicious clients. Finally, we validate the effectiveness of our algorithm in presence of varying number of attackers on a classification task using a well-known Fashion-MNIST dataset.

Tension-Stiffening Effect Consideration For Modeling Deflection Of Cracked Reinforced Uhpc Beams, Le Teng, Rongling Zhang, Kamal Khayat

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Tension-stiffening effects can significantly influence the flexural performance of cracked reinforced concrete specimens. Such effect is amplified for fiber-reinforced concrete, given the fact that fibers can bridge the cracks. The objective of this study was to develop a model to predict the deflection of cracked reinforced ultra-high performance concrete (R-UHPC) beam elements. The modeling approach characterized the average bending moment of inertia by combining the existing model used for conventional reinforced concrete and the analytical model of stress distribution of UHPC along the cross-section. The finite element analysis (FEA) was employed to evaluate the flexural deflection based on the average …

Relationship Between Subjective Taste Sensations And Taste Strip Test In Patients With Taste Disorders With And Without Burning Mouth Syndrome, Hong‐Seop Kho, Yu-Jin Park

Journal of Dental Sciences

Abstract Background/purpose Both subjective and objective evaluations are required to assess taste function. Evaluation of taste function has important clinical significances in patients with burning mouth syndrome (BMS) due to pain-taste interactions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between subjective and objective taste evaluations in patients with taste disorders based on the presence of BMS. Materials and methods Fifty–one patients with taste disturbances were included. The patients completed questionnaires on subjective taste sensations. The taste strip test was performed to examine objective taste function. The patients were divided into two groups: subjects with BMS (n = …

Retracted: Microrna-28-5p As A Potential Diagnostic Biomarker For Chronic Periodontitis And Its Role In Cell Proliferation And Inflammatory Response, Linghui Jia, Pengcheng Huang

Journal of Dental Sciences

This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier policy on Article Correction, Retraction and Removal ( https://www.elsevier.com/about/policies-and-standards/article-withdrawal ). This article has been retracted at the request of the authors. During their follow-up investigations, the authors discovered that the data underlying the analysis are inaccurate, possibly due to a malfunction of the spectrophotometer used in the RT-qPCR. It led to serious concerns about the robustness of the analysis and conclusions. The Editors were in agreement with the authors that such concerns justify a retraction of the article. Apologies are offered to readers for any confusion caused.

Shaping Ability Of Rotary And Reciprocating Single-File Systems In Combination With And Without Different Glide Path Techniques In Simulated Curved Canals, Lu Shi, Yunfei Yang, Jie Wan, Wen Xie, Ruiming Yang, Ying Yao

Journal of Dental Sciences

Abstract Background/purpose Glide path management (GPM) is a consequential clinical step that serves to influence predictably successful root canal therapy. However, the effect of GPM on the shaping ability of single-file system remains controversial. This study compared the performance of rotary single-file One Curve (OC) and reciprocating single-file Reciproc Blue (RCB) in combination with/without different glide path techniques: no glide path preparation (NG), PathFile (PF), ProGlider (PG) and WaveOne Gold Glider (WOGG), respectively. Materials and methods 80 simulated curved canals (n = 10 canals/per group) were instrumented to an apical size of 0.25 mm using OC and RCB in combination …

Supporting Premature Infants’ Oral Feeding In The Nicu—A Qualitative Study Of Nurses’ Perspectives, Evalotte Mörelius, Charlotte Sahlén Helmer, Maria Hellgren, Siw Alehagen

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

One major task in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) involves ensuring adequate nutrition and supporting the provision of human milk. The aim of this study was to explore nurses’ experiences of the oral feeding process in the NICU when the infant is born extremely or very preterm. We used a qualitative inductive approach. Nine nurses from three family-centered NICUs were interviewed face-to-face. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using content analysis. Five sub-categories and two generic categories formed the main category: ‘A complex and long-lasting collaboration.’ The nurses wished to contribute to the parents’ understanding of the feeding …

Matrilateral Bias Of Grandparental Investment In Grandchildren Persists Despite The Grandchildren’S Adverse Early Life Experiences, Samuli Helle, Antti O. Tanskanen, David A. Coall, Mirkka Danielsbacka

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Evolutionary theory predicts a downward flow of investment from older to younger generations, representing individual efforts to maximize inclusive fitness. Maternal grandparents and maternal grandmothers (MGMs) in particular consistently show the highest levels of investment (e.g. time, care and resources) in their grandchildren. Grandparental investment overall may depend on social and environmental conditions that affect the development of children and modify the benefits and costs of investment. Currently, the responses of grandparents to adverse early life experiences (AELEs) in their grandchildren are assessed from a perspective of increased investment to meet increased need. Here, we formulate an alternative prediction that …

Walking Improvement In Chronic Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury With Exoskeleton Robotic Training (Wise): A Randomized Controlled Trial, Dylan J. Edwards, Gail Forrest, Mar Cortes, Margaret M. Weightman, Cristina Sadowsky, Shuo-Hsiu Chang, Kimberly Furman, Amy Bialek, Sara Prokup, John Carlow, Leslie Vanhiel, Laura Kemp, Darrell Musick, Marc Campo, Arun Jayaraman

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Study design:

Clinical trial.

Objective:

To demonstrate that a 12-week exoskeleton-based robotic gait training regimen can lead to a clinically meaningful improvement in independent gait speed, in community-dwelling participants with chronic incomplete spinal cord injury (iSCI).

Setting:

Outpatient rehabilitation or research institute.

Methods:

Multi-site (United States), randomized, controlled trial, comparing exoskeleton gait training (12 weeks, 36 sessions) with standard gait training or no gait training (2:2:1 randomization) in chronic iSCI ( > 1 year post injury, AIS-C, and D), with residual stepping ability. The primary outcome measure was change in robot-independent gait speed (10-meter walk test, 10MWT) post 12-week intervention. Secondary …

Do Liquid Assets Lure Managers? Evidence From Corporate Misconduct, Rashid Zaman, Nader Atawnah, Muhammad Nadeem, Stephen Bahadar, Irfan H. Shakri

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

We examine the effect of asset redeployability on corporate misconduct and find a significant positive relationship. Utilizing a large sample of public US firms for the period of 2001 to 2015, we find that a one standard deviation (SD) increase in the proportion of redeployable assets leads to a 7.2% increase in corporate fines. We also find that the positive association between asset redeployability and corporate misconduct varies across types of misconduct and industrial heterogeneity. In our channel analysis, we find that managerial risk-taking is a potential mechanism through which asset redeployability is associated with misconduct. Additional tests reveal that …

Covid-19 And Csr Disclosure: Evidence From New Zealand, Stephen Bahadar, Rashid Zaman

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose – Stakeholders’ uncertainty about firms’ value drives their urge to get information, as well as managerial disclosure choices. In this study, the authors examine whether and how an important source of uncertainty – the recent COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure – is beyond managerial and stakeholders’ control. Design/methodology/approach – The authors develop a novel construct for daily CSR disclosure by employing computer-aided text analysis (CATA) on the press releases issued by 125 New Zealand Stock Exchange (NZX) listed from 28 February 2020 to 31 December 2020. To capture COVID-19 intensity, the authors use the growth …

Advancing Feminist Innovation In Sport Studies: A Transdisciplinary Dialogue On Gender, Health And Wellbeing, Holly Thorpe, Sheree Bekker, Simone Fullagar, Nonhlanhla Mkumbuzi, Sophia Nimphius, Madeleine Pape, Stacy T. Sims, A. Travers

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Athlete health and wellbeing requires a holistic, multidimensional approach to understanding, supporting, and treating individual athletes. Building more supportive, inclusive, and equitable environments for the health and wellbeing of women and gender expansive people further requires gender-responsive approaches that promote broader cultural change. Feminist sport and exercise medicine practitioners, sports scientists, and social science researchers are increasingly coming together in their efforts to do this work. However, working across disciplines inevitably includes an array of ontological, epistemological, and political challenges. In this paper, we offer a curated ‘dialogue’ with a group of feminist scholars engaged in research and practice across …

High Latency Unmanned Ground Vehicle Teleoperation Enhancement By Presentation Of Estimated Future Through Video Transformation, Md Moniruzzaman, Alexander Rassau, Douglas Chai, Syed Mohammed Shamsul Islam

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Long-distance, high latency teleoperation tasks are difficult, highly stressful for teleoperators, and prone to over-corrections, which can lead to loss of control. At higher latencies, or when teleoperating at higher vehicle speed, the situation becomes progressively worse. To explore potential solutions, this research work investigates two 2D visual feedback-based assistive interfaces (sliding-only and sliding-and-zooming windows) that apply simple but effective video transformations to enhance teleoperation. A teleoperation simulator that can replicate teleoperation scenarios affected by high and adjustable latency has been developed to explore the effectiveness of the proposed assistive interfaces. Three image comparison metrics have been used to fine-tune …

Anatomy Of An Internet Hijack And Interception Attack: A Global And Educational Perspective, Ben A. Scott, Michael N. Johnstone, Patryk Szewczyk

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The Internet’s underlying vulnerable protocol infrastructure is a rich target for cyber crime, cyber espionage and cyber warfare operations. The stability and security of the Internet infrastructure are important to the function of global matters of state, critical infrastructure, global e-commerce and election systems. There are global approaches to tackle Internet security challenges that include governance, law, educational and technical perspectives. This paper reviews a number of approaches to these challenges, the increasingly surgical attacks that target the underlying vulnerable protocol infrastructure of the Internet, and the extant cyber security education curricula; we find the majority of predominant cyber security …

Sibling Concordance In Symptom Onset And Atrophy Growth Rates In Stargardt Disease Using Ultra-Widefield Fundus Autofluorescence, Rachael C. Heath Jeffery, Jennifer A. Thompson, Johnny Lo, Tina M. Lamey, Terri L. Mclaren, John N. De Roach, Dimitar N. Azamanov, Ian L. Mcallister, Ian J. Constable, Fred K. Chen

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: To investigate concordance in symptom onset, area of dark autofluorescence (DAF), and growth rate (GR) between Stargardt disease siblings at an age-matched time point. Methods: In this retrospective longitudinal study of sibling pairs with identical biallelic ABCA4 variants, age at symptom onset, best-corrected visual acuity, atrophy area, and effective radius of DAF on ultra-widefield fundus autofluorescence were recorded. Absolute intersibling differences for both eyes were compared with absolute interocular differences using the Mann-Whitney test. Results: Overall 39 patients from 19 families were recruited. In 16 families, age-matched best-corrected visual acuity and DAF were compared between siblings. In 8 families, …

Effects Of A Nurse-Led Tai Chi Programme On Improving Quality Of Life, Mental Wellbeing, And Physical Function Of Women With Breast Cancer: Protocol For A Randomized Controlled Trial, Carol Chunfeng Wang, Sadie Geraghty, Caitlin Fox-Harding, Calvin Wang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objectives:

Quality of life, mental wellbeing, and physical function deteriorate among women with breast cancer. Tai Chi is a moderate form of exercise that may be effective in improving the mental and physical wellbeing, therefore, the quality of life of women with breast cancer. This protocol paper outlines a trial to determine the therapeutic effects of a Tai Chi programme on breast cancer management.

Methods:

The study will be an interventional, single-blind, double-armed, randomized, and controlled trial involving a 12-week Tai Chi programme for women with breast cancer. Forty participants aged 18 years and above who are diagnosed with breast …

The Agreement Between A Portable Contact-Mat And Force-Plates During Bilateral Vertical Jumps, Stuart N. Guppy, Yosuke Kotani, Jason Lake, Christopher Latella, Jodie Cochrane Wilkie, Kristina Kendall, G. Gregory Haff

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Force plates are commonly used when assessing vertical jumping performance but are not always affordable or practical tools for all testing situations. Twenty-four participants volunteered to take part in a study investigating the agreement between bilateral force plates and a new commercially available contact mat that records jump height, flight-time (FT), and FT of individual limbs during both countermovement (CMJ) and squat (SJ) jumps. Each participant performed six jumps of each type while standing on a contact mat placed upon a pair of in-ground force plates. When compared to the force plate via ordinary least products regression, the contact mat …

Origin Of The Term 'Dude', Gerald Leonard Cohen, Barry A. Popik, Peter J. Reitan

Arts, Languages and Philosophy Faculty Research & Creative Works

The book (261 pages, soft-covered) is intended as a scholarly study and therefore contains more detail than would appear in a book intended for a broad readership.

Development Of Terminology Of Word-Formation Synthesis. Features Of The Terminological System (Based On The Verbs Of The Sound Of The Russian Language), Irina V. Ivliyeva

Arts, Languages and Philosophy Faculty Research & Creative Works

English Abstract:

The purpose of the research is to present the terminology of word-formation synthesis as an organized system, to identify the stages of development of relevant terms. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the fact that a structured corpus of terms of word-formation synthesis with elements of definitional analysis is introduced into scientific circulation. different stages of research. The system of terms of modification synthesis is applied and studied in practice – in the author's search program for web extraction of verbs of sound from the databases of modern dictionaries and the Russian National Corpus.

Russian Abstract: …

Books To Support Mental Well-Being: A Study On The Possible Challenges In Implementing Bibliotherapy In The Sri Lankan Context, R.A.P.S. Senevirathna, L.H.M.D.S. Lansakara

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This ongoing research examines the Bibliotherapy in several aspects. Bibliotherapy is the "process of dynamic interactions between the personality of the reader and literature as a psychological field which may be utilized for personality assessment, adjustment and growth" (Shrodes, 1949). The focus of the study is on defining the concept, determining the capacity of Bibliotherapy to support mental well-being and discuss the possible challenges in applying Bibliotherapy to the Sri Lankan context. The study involved a qualitative thematic analysis concerning the selected areas. The study revealed that Bibliotherapy is a therapeutic approach which is assisted by the healing power of …

Teaching Income Inequality With Data-Driven Visualization, Sang T. Truong, Humberto Barreto

School of Business and Leadership Working Papers

The distribution of household income is a central concern in economics due to its strong influence on society’s well-being and social cohesion. Yet, non-expert audiences face serious obstacles in understanding conventional measures of inequality. To effectively communicate the extent of income inequality in the United States, we have developed a novel technique for visualizing income distribution and its dispersion over time by using U.S. household income microdata from the Current Population Survey. The result is a striking dynamic animation of income distribution over time, drawing public attention and encouraging further investigation of income inequality. Detailed implementation is available at https://github.com/sangttruong/incomevis. …

Interannual Variability And Seasonal Dynamics Of Evapotranspiration Of Arundo Donax L. And Populations Of Its Biological Control Agent (Tetramesa Romana), Alexis Racelis, Pradeep Wagle, Jose R. Escamilla Jr., John A. Goolsby, Prasanna Gowda

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Giant reed (Arundo donax L.), a woody grass native to the Mediterranean, has become a cause of concern for national water security in its invaded range of the arid southwestern United States, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. The main objective of this study was to provide the first, landscape-level estimates of water use by giant reed. The study utilized the eddy covariance method to quantify evapotranspiration (ET) throughout the 2014 and 2015 growing seasons along the Rio Grande River in Eagle Pass, Texas. We monitored ET concurrently with the implementation of a biological control program targeting giant reed. …

Mega‐Analysis Methods In Enigma: The Experience Of The Generalized Anxiety Disorder Working Group, André Zugman, Anita Harrewijn, Elise M. Cardinale, Hannah Zwiebel, Gabrielle F. Freitag, Katy E. Werwath, Janna Marie Bas-Hoogendam, Nynke A. Groenewold, Moji Aghajani, Anderson M. Winkler

School of Medicine Publications

The ENIGMA group on Generalized Anxiety Disorder (ENIGMA-Anxiety/GAD) is part of a broader effort to investigate anxiety disorders using imaging and genetic data across multiple sites worldwide. The group is actively conducting a mega-analysis of a large number of brain structural scans. In this process, the group was confronted with many methodological challenges related to study planning and implementation, between-country transfer of subject-level data, quality control of a considerable amount of imaging data, and choices related to statistical methods and efficient use of resources. This report summarizes the background information and rationale for the various methodological decisions, as well as …

A Bim+Blockchain Approach To Ensure Transparency In The Strategic Housing Development Planning System, Carlo Orani, Malachy Mathews Dr

Conference papers

The introduction of the fast-tracking housing regulations in Ireland has modified the dynamics in which democratic participation is deployed in planning decisions. The resulting planning process has favoured inequality phenomena and has strengthened the position of construction lobbies in large-scale developments. This paper enforces citizen engagement in the Strategic Housing Development (SHD) framework using Building Information Modelling (BIM) and blockchain technologies to build digital trust. Digital tools have enormous potential to deliver more transparent planning by establishing proven accountability for building permissions and promoting trusted interactions between citizens and local administrations. This study first describes all the reasoning underpinning the …

Energy-Efficient Dynamic Directional Modulation With Electrically Small Antennas, Adam Narbudowicz, Abel Zandamela, Nicola Marchetti, Max Ammann

Articles

This letter proposes a compact and energy-efficient directional modulation scheme for small and power constrained devices (e.g., Internet of Things wireless sensors). The scheme uses a uniform circular array of monopole antennas, with a single radiofrequency chain and antenna active at a time. The antennas can be located in close proximity, offering significant size reduction. Furthermore, the schemewas demonstrated to operate successfully with an array of 0.6 λ diameter. The system does not generate additional artificial noise, limiting interference to other systems. Finally, the antenna switching sequence can be randomly generated and without fine-tuned synchronization with the transmitter.

Measurement Of Orientation And Distance Change Using Circularly Polarized Uwb Signals, Janusz Przewocki, Max Ammann, Adam Narbudowicz

Articles

The article proposes methodology to use circularly polarized (CP) ultra-wideband (UWB) signals for simultaneous measurement of orientation and distance changes between transmitter and receiver. The proposed technique uses the rotational Doppler effect on CP pulsed communication. The amplitude of a CP signal is immune to polarization misalignment in the presence of rotation; however, the phase is subjected to a frequency-invariant shift proportional to the rotation angle. This significantly distorts the pulse shape in the time domain and can be used for the measurement of the rotated angle. By combining the technique with the well-known localization capability of UWB systems, one …

Boundary Resource Interactions In Solution Networks, Ruiqi Wei, Roisin Vize, Susi Geiger

Articles

Purpose – This study aims to explore the interactions between two different and potentially complementary boundary resources in coordinating solution networks in a digital platform context: boundary spanners (those individuals who span interorganizational boundaries) and boundary interfaces (the devices that help coordinate interfirm relationships, e.g. electronic data interchanges, algorithms or chatbots).

Design/methodology/approach – The authors conducted a multiple case study of three firms using digital platforms to coordinate solution networks in the information communication technology and lighting facility industries. Data were collected from 30 semi-structured interviews, which are complemented by secondary data.

Findings – As task complexity increases, smarter digital …

Extensive Thiol Profiling For Assessment Of Intracellular Redox Status In Cultured Cells By Hplc-Ms/Ms, Jiandong Wu, Anna Chernatynskaya, Annalise Pfaff, Huari Kou, Nan Cen, Nuran Ercal, Honglan Shi

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Oxidative stress may contribute to the pathology of many diseases, and endogenous thiols, especially glutathione (GSH) and its metabolites, play essential roles in the maintenance of normal redox status. Understanding how these metabolites change in response to oxidative insult can provide key insights into potential methods of prevention and treatment. Most existing methodologies focus only on the GSH/GSH disulfide (GSSG) redox couple, but GSH regulation is highly complex and depends on several pathways with multiple redox-active sulfur-containing species. In order to more fully characterize thiol redox status in response to oxidative insult, a high-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry …

Optimizing Exterior Lighting Illuminance And Spectrum For Human, Environmental, And Economic Factors., S. M. Simmons, Stuart Werner Baur, William L. Gillis, Devin Michael Burns, Heath Pickerill

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

With the recent widespread adoption of LED lighting in outdoor areas, numerous concerns have been raised about the potential for harmful effects on humans, animals, plants, and the night sky. These stem from the high blue light content of some LED bulbs and an incentive to increase lighting levels caused by higher efficiency and lower costs. While new lighting installations are often described as environmentally friendly due to their energy efficiency, factors such as light pollution are often neglected or not given enough weight. This research focuses on optimizing the design of exterior lighting for human, environmental, and economic factors …

Bcmnet: Cross-Layer Extraction Structure And Multiscale Downsampling Network With Bidirectional Transpose Fpn For Fast Detection Of Wildfire Smoke, Jiayong Li, Guoxiong Zhou, Aibin Chen, Chao Lu, Liujun Li

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

At present, the wildfire smoke detection algorithm based on YOLOv3 has problems, such as low accuracy and slow detection speed. In this article, we propose a cross-layer extraction structure and multiscale downsampling network with bidirectional transpose FPN (BCMNet) for fast detection of wildfire smoke. First, a cross-layer extraction module, which combines linear feature multiplexing and receptive field amplification, is designed. It can improve the speed and accuracy of wildfire smoke detection. Second, a multiscale downsampling module with different convolution kernels and maximum pooling operation is designed to preserve the details of the image while downsampling. Then, a bidirectional transposed FPN …

Extraction Of Stripline Surface Roughness Using Cross-Section Information And S-Parameter Measurements, Zeyi Sun, Jian Liu, Xiaoyan Xiong, Victor Khilkevich, Donghyun Kim, Darvl Beetner

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

To characterize additional conductor loss introduced by conductor surface roughness, various models have been proposed to describe the relationship between foil roughness levels and surface roughness correction factor. However, all these empirical or physical models require a PCB sample to be manufactured and analyzed in advance. The procedure requires dissecting the PCB and is time- and labor-consuming. To avoid such a process, a new surface roughness extraction process is proposed here. Only the measured S-parameter and nominal cross-sectional information of the board are needed to extract the roughness level of conductor foils. Besides, this method can also deal with boards …