Digital Commons Network^™

Detection Of Surface Cracks In Metals Using Microwave And Millimeter-Wave Nondestructive Testing Techniques-A Review, Mohamed A. Abou-Khousa, Mohammed Saif Ur Rahman, Kristen M. Donnell, Mohammad Tayeb Al (Tayeb) (Al) Qaseer

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Integrity Assessment of Metallic Structures Requires Inspection Tools Capable of Detecting and Evaluating Cracks Reliably. to This End, Many Microwave and Millimeter-Wave Nondestructive Testing and Evaluation (NDT&E) Methods Have Been Developed and Applied Successfully in the Past. Detection of Fatigue Cracks with Widths Less Than 5 Μ M using Noncontact Microwave-Based Inspection Methods Was Demonstrated in the 1970s. Since their Introduction, These Methods Have Evolved Considerably Toward Enhancing the Detection Sensitivity and Resolution. Undertaking Key Application Challenges Has Attracted Considerable Attention in the Past Three Decades and Led to the Development of the Near-Field Techniques for Crack Detection. to Address …

Extended Kalman Filter Based Resilient Formation Tracking Control Of Multiple Unmanned Vehicles Via Game-Theoretical Reinforcement Learning, Lei Xue, Bei Ma, Jian Liu, Chaoxu Mu, Donald C. Wunsch

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In This Paper, We Discuss the Resilient Formation Tracking Control Problem of Multiple Unmanned Vehicles (MUV). a Dynamic Leader-Follower Distributed Control Structure is Utilized to Optimize the Performance of the Formation Tracking. for the Follower of the MUV, the Leader is a Cooperative Unmanned Vehicle, and the Target of Formation Tracking is a Non-Cooperative Unmanned Vehicle with a Nonlinear Trajectory. Therefore, an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) Observer is Designed to Estimate the State of the Target. Then the Leader of the MUV is Adjusted Dynamically According to the State of the Target. in Order to Describe the Interactions between the …

Tourists' Perceptions Of And Reactions To Child Sex Tourism: An Exploratory Qualitative Investigation, Joshua Aston, Jun Wen, Shaohua Yang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: Using a qualitative approach, this cross-disciplinary study integrating modern slavery, tourism and marketing expertise outlines Chinese outbound tourists' perceptions of and reactions to issues related to child sex tourism.

Design/methodology/approach: In total, 27 in-depth interviews were conducted, and data were analysed. Manual coding was chosen as an efficient method to process qualitative interview data given the relatively small sample size in this study.

Findings: Three main themes emerged from analysis: (1) tourists' negative perceptions of child sex tourism; (2) tourist boycotts against child sex tourism destinations and activities as reactions to this socially deviant and illegal phenomenon and (3) …

Treg-Specific Deletion Of The Phosphatase Shp-1 Impairs Control Of Inflammation In Vivo, Qinlei Gu, Kenneth S Tung, Ulrike M Lorenz

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: To achieve a healthy and functional immune system, a delicate balance exists between the activation of conventional T cells (Tcon cells) and the suppression by regulatory T cells (Treg). The tyrosine phosphatase SHP-1, a negative regulator of TCR signaling, shapes this 'activation-suppression' balance by modulating Tcon cell resistance to Treg-mediated suppression. Treg cells also express SHP-1, but its role in influencing Treg function is still not fully understood.

METHODS: We generated a Treg-specific SHP-1 deletion model,

RESULTS: We show that SHP-1 modulates Treg suppressive function at different levels. First, at the intracellular signaling level in Treg cells, SHP-1 attenuates …

Nursing Students Doing Gender: Implications For Higher Education And The Nursing Profession, Lesley J. Andrew, Ken Robinson, Julie Dare, Leesa N. Costello

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The average age of women nursing students in Australia is rising. With this comes the likelihood that more now begin university with family responsibilities, and with their lives structured by the roles of mother and partner. Women with more traditionally gendered ideas of these roles, such as nurturing others and self-sacrifice, are known to be attracted to nursing as a profession; once at university, however, these students can be vulnerable to gender role stress from the competing demands of study. A qualitative research design, guided by Gadamer's hermeneutic philosophy, explored the gendered behaviours and experiences of 22 women nursing students, …

Designing Implementation Strategies To Improve Identification, Cascade Testing, And Management Of Families With Familial Hypercholesterolemia: An Intervention Mapping Approach, Laney K Jones, Ross C Brownson, Anne C Goldberg, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a common inherited cholesterol disorder that, without early intervention, leads to premature cardiovascular disease. Multilevel strategies that target all components of FH care including identification, cascade testing, and management are needed to address gaps that exist in FH care. We utilized intervention mapping, a systematic implementation science approach, to identify and match strategies to existing barriers and develop programs to improve FH care.

METHODS: Data were collected utilizing two methods: a scoping review of published literature, related to any component of FH care, and a parallel mixed method study using interviews and surveys. The scientific …

Communety: Deep Learning-Based Face Recognition System For The Prediction Of Cohesive Communities, Syed Afaq Ali Shah, Weifeng Deng, Muhammad Aamir Cheema, Abdul Bais

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Effective mining of social media, which consists of a large number of users is a challenging task. Traditional approaches rely on the analysis of text data related to users to accomplish this task. However, text data lacks significant information about the social users and their associated groups. In this paper, we propose CommuNety, a deep learning system for the prediction of cohesive networks using face images from photo albums. The proposed deep learning model consists of hierarchical CNN architecture to learn descriptive features related to each cohesive network. The paper also proposes a novel Face Co-occurrence Frequency algorithm to quantify …

Covid-19 Two Years On: A Review Of Covid-19-Related Empirical Research In Major Tourism And Hospitality Journals, Songshan (Sam) Huang, Xuequn Wang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: This study aims to provide a timely review of the COVID-19-related empirical research published in 19 quartile one (Q1) and quartile two (Q2) tourism and hospitality journals in social science citation index (SSCI).

Design/methodology/approach: A total of 407 COVID-19-related empirical papers were collected from the 19 SSCI Q1 and Q2 tourism and hospitality journals via Scopus database. Thematic content analysis was supplemented with Leximancer software to identify the research themes/subthemes, research methods and countries/regions of research.

Findings: The study found studies of COVID-19’s impact on consumer behaviour predominate in number, followed by studies on response actions and recovery strategies, …

Care Visits: Obligations, Opportunities And Constraints For Vietnamese Grandparent Visitors In Australia, Hien Thi Nguyen, Loretta Baldassar, Raelene Wilding

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

In examining the ageing-migration nexus from a Global South perspective, this paper explores the obligations, opportunities and constraints of caregiving performed by Vietnamese grandparent visitors during their sojourns in Australia. Employing a grounded theory approach and care circulation framework, we investigate how grandparent visitors and adult migrant children experience and understand care and ageing in contexts of mobility, including an analysis of how gender, age, socio-economic contexts and culture shape and affect their care norms and practices. The analysis emphasizes the critical contributions that Vietnamese grandparents make to the reproductive labour of their adult migrant children who often face challenges …

Perceptions And Experiences Of Career Success Among Aspiring And Early Career Accountants And The Role Of Organisational Support, Denise Jackson, Julia Richardson, Grant Michelson, Rahat Munir

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Positive perceptions of career success are critical among accounting professionals, given their connection with performance, turnover and organisational commitment. Drawing on career stage theory, this study explores the perceptions and experiences of career success among 475 aspiring (Accounting/Finance students), 305 early career accountants (ECAs) and 165 managers/recruiters in Australia. Findings reflected both objective and subjective dimensions of career success alongside notable differences between aspiring accountants and ECAs, highlighting shifting views across the career stages of exploration and establishment. While ECAs were largely positive about their access to career success, managers/recruiters identified ways to create further opportunities for ECAs' career success.

Shale Wettability Characteristics Via Air/Brines And Air/Oil Contact Angles And Influence Of Controlling Factors: A Case Study Of Lower Indus Basin, Pakistan, Darya Khan Bhutto, Abdul Majeed Shar, Ghazanfer Raza Abbasi, Ubedullah Ansari

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Wettability is the fundamental parameter that influences the productivity of hydrocarbon reservoirs. The knowledge of this regarding shale formation is yet inadequate; thus, detailed analysis is essential for successful development of such reservoirs. The Early Cretaceous Sembar formations in the Lower Indus Basin, Pakistan, is considered as the key target for energy exploration; however, it exhibits large uncertainties due to the lack of data availability. Sembar shales hold significant hydrocarbon volumes rich in organic content; however, prior to this, no comprehensive research has been conducted to quantify the wetting behavior of these shales. Thus, precise information about the wetting behavior …

From Real Life To Story – And Back Again: Using Autobiographical Fiction Writing To Understand Self, Others And Family Generations, Alberta N. Adji

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Writing autobiographically includes complicated responsibilities to the subjects involved: to family members, friends, colleagues, and even cultural communities. This article explores creative developments occurring during the process of writing an autobiographical novel called ‘The longing’, which is drawn from a recollection of intergenerational lived experiences of a middle-class Chinese Indonesian family from 1956 to 2018. I reflect on my strategies and approaches on tackling challenges that arose while using autobiographical material and autofictional techniques to write fiction and communicating cultural complexities for it allows agreeable distance between the author and her writing subject. In the article, I also argue that …

A New Augmented Reality System For Calculating Social Distancing Between Children At School, Omar Alshaweesh, Mohammad Wedyan, Moutaz Alazab, Bilal Abu-Salih, Adel Al-Jumaily

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Social distancing is one of the most important ways to prevent many diseases, especially the respiratory system, where the latest internationally spread is coronavirus disease, and it will not be the last. The spreading of this pandemic has become a major threat to human life, especially to the elderly and people suffering from chronic diseases. During the Corona pandemic, medical authorities were keen to control the spread through social distancing and monitoring it in markets, universities, and schools. This monitoring was mostly used to estimate the distance with the naked eye and interfere with estimating the distance on the observer …

Exploring The Use Of Photovoice In Understanding The Lived Experience Of Neurological Conditions: A Scoping Review And Reflexive Thematic Analysis, James Smith, Andre Nels, Laura Emery, Mandy Stanley

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

People living with neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and dementia may experience physical impairment, social disengagement, cognitive issues, and emotional disturbances. While qualitative research utilising in-depth interviews can access lived experience perspectives, the use of photovoice has the potential to obtain rich insights that include images and raise community awareness. The purpose of this scoping review was to document salient themes relating to the lived experience of neurological conditions as reported in photovoice studies. Following established scoping review methods of the Joanna Briggs Institute, a comprehensive search of five electronic databases, including MEDLINE, EMBASE, PSYCHINFO, CINAHL, and …

Spore-Forming Clostridium (Clostridioides) Difficile In Wastewater Treatment Plants In Western Australia, Jessica M. Chisholm, Papanin Putsathit, Thomas V. Riley, Su-Chen Lim

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

There is growing evidence that shows Clostridium (Clostridioides) difficile is a pathogen of One Health importance with a complex dissemination pathway involving animals, humans, and the environment. Thus, environmental discharge and agricultural recycling of human and animal waste have been suspected as factors behind the dissemination of Clostridium difficile in the community. Here, the presence of C. difficile in 12 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Western Australia was investigated. Overall, C. difficile was found in 90.5 % (114/126) of raw sewage influent, 48.1 % (50/104) of treated effluent, 40 % (2/5) of reclaimed irrigation water, 100 % (38/38) of untreated …

Relationship Between Residential Aged Care Facility Characteristics And Breaches Of The Australian Aged Care Regulatory Standards: Non-Compliance Notices And Sanctions, Janine Alan, Sean Randall, Anna Ferrante, Davina Porock

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objectives

To examine the relationship between structural characteristics of Australian residential aged care facilities (RACFs) and breaches of the aged care quality standards.

Methods

Facility-level analysis of audits, sanctions and non-compliance notices of all accredited Australian RACFs between 2015/16 and 2018/19. Structural factors of interest included RACF size, remoteness, ownership type and jurisdiction. Two government data sources were joined. Each outcome was analysed to calculate time trends, unadjusted rates and relative risks.

Results

Non-compliance notices were imposed on 369 RACFs (13%) and 83 sanctions on 75 RACFs (3%). Compared with New South Wales (NSW), non-compliance notices were less likely in …

Fabrication And Optimization Of Nafion As A Protective Membrane For Tin-Based Ph Sensors, Shimrith P. Shylendra, Magdalena Wajrak, Kamal Alameh

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

In this study, a solid-state modified pH sensor with RF magnetron sputtering technology was developed. The sensor consists of an active electrode consisting of a titanium nitride (TiN) film with a protective membrane of Nafion and a reference glass electrode of Ag/AgCl. The sensitivity of the pH sensor was investigated. Results show a sensor with excellent characteristics: sensitivity of 58.6 mV/pH for pH values from 2 to 12, very short response time of approximately 12 s in neutral pH solutions, and stability of less than 0.9 mV in 10 min duration. Further improvement in the performance of the TiN sensor …

Exercise Medicine Considerations For Pregnancy-Associated Breast Cancer: Characteristics, Prognosis And Treatment, Brianna Fleay, Favil Singh, Christobel Saunders, Dennis R. Taaffe, Daniel A. Galvao, Robert Newton, Caitlin Fox-Harding

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer in women worldwide and is the most common cancer diagnosis made during pregnancy or in the postpartum period. When breast cancer is diagnosed either during pregnancy or in the first-year postpartum, it is referred to as pregnancy-associated breast cancer. The aim of this review is to assess existing literature regarding the recommendations and outcomes of participating in exercise for people with pregnancy-associated breast cancer. The occurrence of pregnancy-associated breast cancer is increasing as a growing number of women delay first pregnancies. Women undergoing treatment for pregnancy-associated breast cancer are dealing with both cancer …

The Importance Of Trust And Authenticity Among Stakeholders Involved In Higher Education Data Infrastructure Redevelopments: An Australian Critical Discourse Study, Elizabeth Cook

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Governments require higher education providers (HEPs) to be transparent in their use of public funds and have developed specialised higher education (HE) data infrastructure to enable the data transfer from HEPs to government departments. In 2018, Australia’s Department of Education, Skills and Employment launched Transforming the Collection of Student Information (TCSI) to enhance HE data infrastructure for student data transfer. This critical discourse study explores the discourses, discursive strategies and perspectives surrounding TCSI. Findings included HEP issues and concerns that the interviewees believed were inadequately addressed or ignored despite the Department’s claims of extensive engagement with HEPs to achieve mutually …

A Cross-Domain Trust Model Of Smart City Iot Based On Self-Certification, Yao Wang, Yubo Wang, Zhenhu Ning, Sadaqat Ur Rehman, Muhammad Waqas

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Smart city refers to the information system with Internet of things and cloud computing as the core technology and government management and industrial development as the core content, forming a large-scale, heterogeneous and dynamic distributed Internet of things environment between different Internet of things. There is a wide demand for cooperation between equipment and management institutions in the smart city. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a trust mechanism to promote cooperation, and based on this, prevent data disorder caused by the interaction between honest terminals and malicious terminals. However, most of the existing research on trust mechanism is divorced …

An Empirical Examination Of The Antecedents Of Residents' Support For Of Future Film Tourism Development, Deborah Castro, Sangkyun Kim, Guy Assaker

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study aimed to develop and test a conceptual model of the antecedents of residents' attitudinal behavior to support future film tourism in a popular tourism destination. These antecedents include: socio-cultural impacts of existing tourism, place attachment, external perceived realism of media programs, and perceived importance of residents' involvement. A total of 416 survey questionnaires were completed from residents living in the province of Seville, Spain. Partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to examine the relationship between these factors and the residents' support for future film tourism (RSFFT). The results indicate that place attachment and perceived importance of …

Blockchain And Sustainability Disclosure: A Scenario-Based Application For Supply Chains, Laura Corazza, Junru Zhang, Dilhani Kapu Arachchilage, Simone Domenico Scagnelli

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper presents the implications of blockchain technologies on sustainability reporting and disclosure, and specifically proposes blockchain use-cases as a possible solution for problems experienced in the field of supply chain carbon information. This study addresses how the reliability of supply chains’ carbon-related information can become more transparent and reliable through a decentralized approach based on blockchain thinking (BT), issues that have been identified as a gap in the literature and in the practice. Scenario analysis and design science research (DSR) are used as a methodological driver to conceptualize over the nature of practical solutions using unified modeling language (UML) …

2023 Fall Commencement, Georgia Southern University

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

2023 Spring Commencement, Georgia Southern University

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Designing For Circularity: Sustainable Pathways For Australian Fashion Small To Medium Enterprises, Lisa Westover Piller

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: Australians consume twice the global average of textiles and are deeply engaged in a linear take/make/waste fashion model. Furthermore the Australian fashion sector has some unique supply chain complications of geographical distances, sparse population and fragmentation in processing and manufacturing. This research aims to examine how Australian fashion small to medium enterprises (SMEs) are overcoming these challenges to run fashion businesses built around core principles of product stewardship (PS) and circularity.

Design/methodology/approach: SMEs make up 88% of the Australian apparel manufacturing sector. This qualitative exploratory study included in-depth interviews with three Australian fashion SMEs engaged in circular design practice, …

Determinants Of Intention To Use E-Wallet: Personal Innovativeness And Propensity To Trust As Moderators, Madugoda Gunaratnege Senali, Mohammad Iranmanesh, Fatin Nadzirah Ismail, Noor Fareen Abdul Rahim, Mana Khoshkam, Maryam Mirzaei

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study aims to investigate the determinants of intention to use e-wallets. Drawing on the technology acceptance model (TAM), the conceptual framework was developed. The study extends the TAM in the context of e-wallets, by testing the influences of product-related factors namely perceived compatibility, perceived risk, and perceived emotions and investigating the moderating impacts of personal innovativeness and propensity to trust. To conduct an empirical study, the data were collected from Malaysian individuals with no experience with e-wallets using an online survey. Data from 374 participants were obtained and analyzed using the partial least squares technique. The results showed that …

Updates In The Chronic Kidney Disease-Mineral Bone Disorder Show The Role Of Osteocytic Proteins, A Potential Mechanism Of The Bone-Vascular Paradox, A Therapeutic Target, And A Biomarker, Matthew J Williams, Sarah C White, Zachary Joseph, Keith A Hruska

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The chronic kidney disease-mineral bone disorder (CKD-MBD) is a complex multi-component syndrome occurring during kidney disease and its progression. Here, we update progress in the components of the syndrome, and synthesize recent investigations, which suggest a potential mechanism of the bone-vascular paradox. The discovery that calcified arteries in chronic kidney disease inhibit bone remodeling lead to the identification of factors produced by the vasculature that inhibit the skeleton, thus providing a potential explanation for the bone-vascular paradox. Among the factors produced by calcifying arteries, sclerostin secretion is especially enlightening. Sclerostin is a potent inhibitor of bone remodeling and an osteocyte …

Consensus Guidelines For Sarcopenia Prevention, Diagnosis And Management In Australia And New Zealand, Jesse Zanker, Marc Sim, Kate Anderson, Saliu Balogun, Sharon L. Brennan-Olsen, Elsa Dent, Gustavo Duque, Christian M. Girgis, Mathis Grossmann, Alan Hayes, Tim Henwood, Vasant Hirani, Charles Inderjeeth, Sandra Iuliano, Justin Keogh, Joshua R. Lewis, Gordon S. Lynch, Julie A. Pasco, Steven Phu, Esmee M. Reijnierse, Nicholas Russell, Lara Vlietstra, Renuka Visvanathan, Troy Walker, Debra L. Waters, Solomon Yu, Andrea B. Maier, Robin M. Daly, David Scott

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background:

Sarcopenia is an age-associated skeletal muscle condition characterized by low muscle mass, strength, and physical performance. There is no international consensus on a sarcopenia definition and no contemporaneous clinical and research guidelines specific to Australia and New Zealand. The Australian and New Zealand Society for Sarcopenia and Frailty Research (ANZSSFR) Sarcopenia Diagnosis and Management Task Force aimed to develop consensus guidelines for sarcopenia prevention, assessment, management and research, informed by evidence, consumer opinion, and expert consensus, for use by health professionals and researchers in Australia and New Zealand.

Methods:

A four-phase modified Delphi process involving topic experts and informed …

Leveraging Machine Learning To Analyze Sentiment From Covid-19 Tweets: A Global Perspective, Md Mahbubar Rahman, Nafiz Imtiaz Khan, Iqbal H. Sarker, Mohiuddin Ahmed, Muhammad Nazrul Islam

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Since the advent of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, analyzing public sentiment has become one of the major concerns for policy and decision-makers. While the priority is to curb the spread of the virus, mass population (user) sentiment analysis is equally important. Though sentiment analysis using different state-of-the-art technologies has been focused on during the COVID-19 pandemic, the reasons behind the variations in public sentiment are yet to be explored. Moreover, how user sentiment varies due to the COVID-19 pandemic from a cross-country perspective has been less focused on. Therefore, the objectives of this study are: to identify the most effective …

Profiling Ambivalence In The Context Of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury, Nicole Gray, Hannah Uren, Ethan James Pemberton, Mark Boyes

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: We aimed to identify profiles of ambivalence among individuals with a history of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and tested whether profiles differed across various theoretically informed constructs: NSSI-related characteristics, cognitive (outcome expectancies, self-efficacy to resist NSSI), emotional (psychological distress, difficulties in emotion regulation), personality, and incentives to engage/not engage in NSSI. Methods: Individuals with a lifetime history of NSSI (n = 224) reported the extent to which they wanted to and did not want to engage in NSSI and completed well-validated measures of the constructs of interest. Results: Latent profile analysis indicated four ambivalence profiles (avoid: n = 39; moderately …