Digital Commons Network^™

Two-Year Changes Of Macular Choroidal Thickness In Response To 0.01% Atropine Eye Drops: Results From The Myopia Outcome Study Of Atropine In Children (Mosaic) Clinical Trial, Emmanuel Kobia-Acquah, Gareth Lingham, Daniel Ian Flitcroft, James Loughman

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Purpose: To investigate 2-year changes in macular choroidal thickness (ChT) in children receiving 0.01% atropine eyedrops and its relationship with spherical equivalent refraction (SER) progression and axial length (AL) elongation. Methods: A total of 250 myopic children aged 6–16 years (167%–0.01% atropine, 83-placebo) were enrolled in the MOSAIC (ISRCTN36732601) clinical trial. Participants with complete 2-year ChT (Topcon Triton Swept-Source OCT), SER, and AL data were included in this study. Changes in macular ChT at 2 years and associations with changes in SER and AL elongation were analysed using linear mixed models. Results: A total of 187 children (126%–0.01% atropine, 61-placebo) …

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No abstract provided.

Digital Passivity-Based Control Of Underactuated Mechanical Systems, Mattia Mattioni, Pablo Borja

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Most sensors and controllers are discrete-time devices, which may have a detrimental impact on the performance of continuous-time control laws, even leading to unstable behaviors. This paper proposes a sampled-data passivity-based control approach that solves the regulation problem for discrete-time underactuated mechanical systems. Moreover, in contrast to other discrete-time controllers for these systems, the proposed control design method does not require the solution of partial differential equations. To illustrate the approach, we consider three case studies with computational details and simulations.

Prediction Of Compressive Strength Of Fly Ash-Recycled Mortar Based On Grey Wolf Optimizer–Backpropagation Neural Network, Jing Jing Shao, Lin Bin Li, Guang Ji Yin, Xiao Dong Wen, Yu Xiao Zou, Xiao Bao Zuo, Xiao Jian Gao, Shan Shan Cheng

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

The evaluation of the mechanical performance of fly ash-recycled mortar (FARM) is a necessary condition to ensure the efficient utilization of recycled fine aggregates. This article describes the design of nine mix proportions of FARMs with a low water/cement ratio and screens six mix proportions with reasonable flowability. The compressive strengths of FARMs were tested, and the influence of the water/cement ratio (w/c) and age on the compressive strength was analyzed. Meanwhile, a backpropagation neural network (BPNN) model optimized by the grey wolf optimizer (GWO), namely the GWO-BPNN model, was established to predict the compressive strength of FARM. The input …

New Ethereum-Based Distributed Pki With A Reward-And-Punishment Mechanism, Chong Gee Koa, Swee Huay Heng, Ji Jian Chin

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

This paper explores the critical role of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) in ensuring the security of electronic transactions, particularly in validating the authenticity of websites in online environments. Traditional Centralised PKIs (CPKIs) relying on Certificate Authorities (CAs) face a significant drawback due to their susceptibility to a single point of failure. To address this concern, Decentralised PKIs (DPKIs) have emerged as an alternative. However, both centralised and decentralised approaches encounter specific challenges. Researchers have made several attempts using blockchain-based PKI, which implements a reward and punishment mechanism to enhance the security of traditional PKI. Most of the attempts are focused …

Speech-Aided Facial Video Super Resolution With Accurate Lip Motion And Enhanced Frequency Details, Shailza Sharma, Vivek Singh, Abhinav Dhall, Vinay Kumar

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Despite recent breakthroughs in face hallucination, video face hallucination remains a challenging task due to the issue of consistency across video frames. The temporal dimension in videos makes it difficult to learn facial motion and maintain color uniformity throughout the sequence. To address these challenges, we propose a novel audio-visual cross-modality support based video face hallucination network. The framework excels in learning fine spatiotemporal motion patterns by leveraging the correlation between movement of the facial structure and associated speech signal. Another significant challenge generic to face hallucination is blurriness around the key facial regions, such as mouth and lips. These …

‘The Transition Home With A Premature Baby’: How Prepared Are Parents For Discharge From Nicu: A Narrative Review, Beth Taylor, Kevin Hambridge

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Aims: To systematically review qualitative studies, investigating how prepared parents are for discharge home from NICU with their premature baby. Design: A qualitative narrative review and thematic synthesis of selected qualitative research evidence. Data sources: Searches were found between December 2022 and March 2023. Electronic databases (CINAHL, PsycINFO, PUBMED, Science Direct) were used. Additionally, Google Scholar for grey literature. Studies were searched within the ten-year time frame. Review methods: Seven primary studies met the inclusion criteria and were appraised for quality using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program tool. Qualitative data was collected, therefore creating a thematic synthesis. Results: Seven qualitative …

Modelling The Hydrodynamic Response Of A Floating Offshore Wind Turbine – A Comparative Study, Shimin Yu, Edward Ransley, Ling Qian, Yang Zhou, Scott Brown, Deborah Greaves, Martyn Hann, Anna Holcombe, Emma Edwards, Tom Tosdevin, Sudhir Jagdale, Qian Li, Yi Zhang, Ningbo Zhang, Shiqiang Yan, Qingwei Ma, Bonaventura Tagliafierro, Salvatore Capasso, Iván Martínez-Estévez, Malin Göteman, Hans Bernhoff, Madjid Karimirad, José M. Domínguez, Corrado Altomare, Giacomo Viccione, Alejandro J.C. Crespo, Moncho Goméz-Gesteira, Claes Eskilsson, Gael Verao Fernandez, Jacob Andersen

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

This paper summarises the work conducted within the 1st FOWT (Floating Offshore Wind Turbine) Comparative Study organised by the EPSRC (UK) ‘Extreme loading on FOWTs under complex environmental conditions’ and ‘Collaborative computational project on wave structure interaction (CCP-WSI)’ projects. The hydrodynamic response of a FOWT support structure is simulated with a range of numerical models based on potential theory, Morison equation, Navier-Stokes solvers and hybrid methods coupling different flow solvers. A series of load cases including the static equilibrium tests, free decay tests, operational and extreme focused wave cases are considered for the UMaine VolturnUS-S semi-submersible platform, and the results …

Scaled Physical Modelling Of Floating Offshore Wind Turbines Using A Neural Network-Based Surrogate Model For Aerodynamic Emulation, Emma C Edwards, Edward Barbour, Tom Tosdevin, Edward Ransley, Kieran Monk, Alastair Reynolds, Anna Holcombe, Scott Brown, Deborah Greaves, Martyn Hann

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Scaled physical modelling of floating offshore wind turbines is a crucial step in the continued development of floating offshore wind to reach Net-Zero goals. However, it is an inherently difficult task due to the incongruity between Reynolds scaling (important for wind effects) and Froude scaling (important for wave effects). One option to overcome this difficulty is to use a real-time hybrid testing approach, whereby a Froude-scaled model is tested in a wave basin with a thruster replacing the wind turbine. Typically, a low-fidelity numerical model is run in real time to determine the appropriate aerodynamic thrust applied by the thruster. …

The Moral Regime Of Midwifery Continuity Of Carer Implementation In England, Aimee Louise Middlemiss, Susan Channon, Julia Sanders, Heather Strange, Rebecca Milton, Sara Kenyon, Tina Prendeville, Susan Barry, Aled Jones

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Since 2016, the National Health Service (NHS) in England has been aiming to implement midwifery continuity of carer (MCoC), a model of maternity care in which the same midwife or small group of midwives provides antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal care for women, other birthing people and their babies. However, the implementation has faced significant difficulties. As part of a wider investigation into barriers to and facilitators of MCoC implementation, we carried out qualitative interviews with senior stakeholders involved in the implementation of MCoC at regional or national level in England. In this paper, we present an analysis of sociocultural values …

Determination Of Titanium Speciation In Consumer Plastics By Raman Microspectroscopy, Johanna Brazard, Takuji B.M. Adachi, Andrew Turner, Montserrat Filella

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The main component of objects made of plastic is an organic polymer matrix, but plastics also contain a wide range of other chemicals, such as additives, processing aids and unintentionally added substances. At present, the scientific and regulatory communities face challenges due to the lack of access to basic information on their quantity and identity, which is crucial in relation to potential toxicity, management, recycling, environmental fate and resource uses. Moreover, an additional problem is that some additives, such as titanium oxide (TiO₂), can be present in different crystallographic forms, which makes it necessary to characterise not only …

Productivity History Of The Central Okhotsk Sea And Northeast Russia During The Mid-Pleistocene Transition, Li Lo, Wei Zhu Chen, Julie Lattaud, Yi Hsueh Tsai, Simon T. Belt, Lukas Smik, Yuen Tung Kiki Wan

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Biological productivity, shaped by climate and environmental factors, is critical to climate feedback mechanisms and the global carbon cycle. This study investigates the measurement of six phytosterols (β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, campesterol, dinosterol, epi-brassicasterol, and 24-methylene cholesterol) from core MD01-2414 in the central Okhotsk Sea, covering the past 1.5 million years (Ma). These sterols serve as proxies for terrestrial and marine productivity in the central Okhotsk Sea and northeast Siberia. Sterol concentrations reflect global glacial/interglacial cycles between 1.2 and 0.6 Ma, with higher and lower values during interglacial and glacials intervals, respectively. X-ray fluorescence (Ba/Ti) and total organic carbon/total nitrogen (TOC/TN) ratios …

Mind The Gap - The Need To Integrate Novel Plankton Methods Alongside Ongoing Long-Term Monitoring, Matthew M. Holland, Luis Felipe Artigas, Angus Atkinson, Mike Best, Eileen Bresnan, Michelle J. Devlin, Dafne Eerkes-Medrano, Marie Johansen, David G. Johns, Margarita Machairopoulou, Sophie Pitois, James Scott, Jos Schilder, Rowena Stern, Karen Tait, Callum Whyte, Claire Widdicombe, Abigail Mcquatters-Gollop

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Changes in plankton have important implications for ecosystem services, including supporting fish stocks, carbon sequestration, nutrient cycling, and oxygen production. Standard long-term plankton monitoring relies on light microscopy to identify and count plankton taxa, with methods fully supported by international standards, providing high quality trusted data. Novel methods, including imaging and molecular, offer means of collecting select types of plankton data efficiently, filling targeted knowledge gaps left by standard monitoring and generating a more complete picture of plankton dynamics. Standard and novel monitoring methods present different advantages and costs, positioning their suitability to address different management needs. Standard plankton monitoring …

Social Exclusion Of Refugees With A Disability In Australian Society Within The Context Of Healthcare Quality Theory And E-Health, Hossein Adibi

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The phrase social exclusion came to Australia via Britain. Discussion on 'inclusion and exclusion' mainly focus on those individuals and groups living in poverty. Socially excluded occurs as a result of many factors, based on sex, race, ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation, and disability. Until 2012 people with a disability were excluded from Australian' resettlement programs representing a significant discrimination concern. As a result of strong opposition to this issue, the policy changed in 2012 and the number of refugees with disabilities increased. This in turn led to more ethnic diversity of people with disabilities within NDIS. However, since NDIS …

Educator Professional Subjectivities In Gamification: Knowing, Being And Doing, Natalie-Jane Howard, Elizabeth J. Cook

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Gamification has emerged as a prominent innovation in contemporary education, yet its influence on the enactment of educators’ professional subjectivities remains underexplored. As such, little is known about how online gamification applications like Kahoot shape the dynamic ways educators perceive, understand and enact their professional selves within higher education contexts. Adopting a tripartite framework of knowing (epistemological), being (ontological) and doing (praxiological), this qualitative study employed visual-elicitation interviews and remote observations with ten lecturers at a Middle Eastern college. The analysis revealed three key themes shaping educator subjectivities: creating and sharing quiz content; conforming with institutional culture; and infantilizing students …

Robust Trend Estimation From Temporally Irregular Recreational Fisheries Surveys: A Panel Modeling Framework For Sparse Time Series, Ebenezer Afrifa-Yamoah, S. M. Taylor, Ute A. Mueller

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Monitoring of recreational fisheries faces ongoing challenges due to irregular data collection and sampling gaps. We used a robust statistical approach combining cross-sectional panel modeling with generalized linear models to analyze discontinuous time series data. We modeled recreational boating patterns across four distinct Western Australian locations using camera monitoring data (2011–2014), and integrated weather conditions and temporal factors to improve trend estimation. Environmental conditions were strongly related to boating activity, particularly wind effects of distinct north–south patterns. Recreational activity decreased at northern locations during easterly winds and at southern locations during northerly winds. Cross-validation demonstrated how environmental factors can be …

Assessment Of Multilingual Children By Western Australian Speech-Language Pathologists: A Survey Of Practices, Barriers And Facilitators, Emily Frances Hunt, Charn Nang, Suzanne Jacqueline Meldrum, Elizabeth Armstrong

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: In the past decade, diagnostic criteria for developmental language disorder, guidelines for assessment of multilingual children, and reviews of the diagnostic utility of dynamic assessment have been published. It is unknown how Australian speech-language pathologists currently assess multilingual children or how local factors influence assessment. Method: A mixed-method anonymous online survey of Western Australian speech-language pathologists explored the frequency and perceived usefulness of assessment practices recommended for multilingual children, elements of dynamic assessment used, and the utility of specific client factors for diagnosis. Confidence ratings and descriptions of barriers and facilitators that affect assessment of multilingual children were also …

Elizabeth Usher Memorial Lecture 2024: Speech-Language Pathology Practice In Aboriginal Spaces: A Journey Of Learning And Unlearning, Elizabeth Armstrong

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

In this paper I describe learnings gained from 15 years collaboration with Aboriginal colleagues in Australia, in endeavours to improve rehabilitation services for Aboriginal people with brain injury and their families. Colleagues include Aboriginal researchers, clinicians, and people with communication and other disorders associated with brain injury and their families. My research journey in this field has been made possible through the work, mentoring, and support of these colleagues who introduced me to Aboriginal ways of knowing, being, and doing. My journey has involved challenging and un-learning some widely accepted Western tenets of speech-language pathology practice in order to explore …

The Accidental School Nurse: How Australian Registered Nurses Enter School Nursing, Anita Moyes, Susan Karemba

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Australia has a long history of school nursing and a strong orientation to formal educational pathways for nursing specialization. Despite this, pathways for becoming a school nurse are lacking, and how Australian nurses became a school nurse is unclear. The aim of this study was to gain insight into this issue. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 45 Australian school nurses. Data was analyzed using inductive content analysis. Findings identified that Australian school nurses typically became a school nurse by accident, not design. They entered school nursing having already had a long and diverse clinical career and were drawn to school …

The Impact Of Opening A Private Hospital Emergency Department On The Hospital And Patient Characteristics, Christiana Mustac, John Maxwell, Paola Chivers, Gordon Laing, Terry Bayliss

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Introduction Australian public hospital emergency departments (EDs) are under increasing pressure with higher patient volumes, failure to meet triage target times and increased ambulance wait times. Further, there is limited literature exploring how the opening of an ED affects Australian hospitals. This study focuses on Hollywood Private Hospital (HPH), a large private hospital in Western Australian which opened their ED in November 2021. The research aimed to examine how the introduction of the ED influenced the hospital’s service demands and resourcing. Method This study investigated hospital inpatient characteristics including admissions, clinical deterioration episodes, deaths, aft er-hours theatre activity and companion …

Reducing Methamphetamine Use In Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Communities With The “We Can Do This” Web App: Qualitative Evaluation Of Acceptability And Feasibility, Leda Sivak, Rachel Reilly, Shani Crumpen, Carla Treloar, Rebecca Mcketin, Julia Butt, Yvette Roe, Nadine Ezard, Brendan Quinn, Jack Nagle, Wade Longbottom, Clifford Warrior, James Ward

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Preventing and treating methamphetamine-related harm in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations is a significant challenge for health care services. Digital health care may offer opportunities to support individuals and families in ways that complement existing methamphetamine treatment options. This study responds to a community-identified priority as Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services identified methamphetamine use as a key concern and sought support to respond to the needs of people who use methamphetamine and their families. Objective: This paper reports on a process evaluation of the web application’s acceptability and feasibility when used by clients and clinicians in residential rehabilitation …

Entrepreneurship: A Practical Guide For Business Success, Jalleh Sharafizad, Violetta Wilk, Kerry Brown, Aglae Hernandez Grande, Fleur Sharafizad, Dorothy Wardale

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This book is tailored for entrepreneurs in their startups or moving to the next stage of their businesses, micro and small business owners, as well as individuals who are considering starting their own ventures. It brings together essential insights, practical tools, and valuable resources developed through two Western Australian government initiatives focused on entrepreneurial training and support. In addition, it draws on a range of business concepts from other sources, refining and simplifying them to suit the specific needs of emerging and growing enterprises.

Designed to be both flexible and supportive, the book serves multiple roles throughout your entrepreneurial journey. …

Improving Hpv Vaccine Rates For Aboriginal Young People Through A Social Media Campaign: An Interrupted Time Series, Natalie A. Strobel, Jocelyn Jones, Kim Gates, Simon L. Turner, Joanne E. Mckenzie, Daniel R. Mcaullay

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a common sexually transmitted infection that can lead to HPV-related cancers such as cervical cancer and other cancers such as anal, vaginal, and penile cancer. HPV rarely produces symptoms and cannot be cured or treated; therefore, vaccination is essential to protect against HPV and HPV-related diseases. However, young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (hereafter, respectfully, ‘Aboriginal’) people are not receiving their HPV vaccine dose, resulting in missed opportunities to be protected from HPV-related cancers. Health promotion is a critical way to empower people to take ownership over and control their health and is a core function …

Do Anxiety, Depression, Fear Of Movement And Fear Of Achilles Rupture Correlate With Achilles Tendinopathy Pain, Symptoms Or Physical Function?, George White, Fletcher Bright, Ebonie K. Rio, Ruth L. Chimenti, Myles C. Murphy

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objectives: To determine if psychological factors, such as anxiety, depression, fear of movement and fear of rupture are associated with increased tendon-related disability, quantified by the Tendinopathy Severity Assessment-Achilles (TENDINS-A). Design: Cross-sectional. Setting: Online Qualtrics survey. Participants: Sixty-eight participants (54% female) with Achilles tendinopathy and a mean (standard deviation) age of 40.1 (12.6) years. Main Outcome Measures: The TENDINS-A (including subscales of pain; symptoms such as stiffness; physical function), Patient Health Questionnaire-9, General Anxiety Disorder-7, Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia and fear of tendon rupture. Associations were evaluated using generalised linear models (adjusting for age and sex), with significance accepted when …

2025 Asia-Pacific Symposium For Music Education Research: Conference Proceedings, Jason Goopy, Jason Boron, Emily Wilson, Han Meng, Cynthia Howard, Philippa Chapman

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The 2025 Asia-Pacific Symposium for Music Education Research (APSMER) was held from 9 – 11 July at Edith Cowan University in partnership with the School of Education and the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA). APSMER is the official regional conference of the International Society for Music Education (ISME), and in 2025, it was proudly supported by the Australian Society for Music Education (ASME). The symposium was last held in Australia in Launceston, Tasmania, in 1999. APSMER 2025 welcomed over 300 international delegates to Perth, Western Australia, for scholarly and cultural exchange. The theme, “Being and becoming musical in …

Explosions Are Always Entertaining But…: Investigating The Impacts Of Science Shows On High School Students, Shanii Phillips, Miriam Sullivan, Ann Grand

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Science shows are often posited as a route to encourage young people to engage with science. Using a mixed methods approach, our research investigated the impact of attending a science show on high school students’ intentions to study science or pursue a career in science. We found that while a single visit to a science show has little impact on students’ aspirations, it can reinforce students’ confidence in their ability to succeed in science. In terms of design and performance, the best-received shows included ‘real-world’ content that students could identify as relevant to their lives.

Driving Impactful Change: Entrepreneurial Insights For Social Responsibility In The Irish Context, Anna Zherdeva, Deirdre Mcquillan, Lucia Morales

Articles

Today’s volatile situation at the global level, provoked by a significant rise in Economic and Political Uncertainty, emerged as an answer on countries attempts to manage the climate change crisis, armed conflicts, the rising cost of living, a growing divide between the more prosperous Global North and the poorest Global South that are reflected on the emergence of multifaceted, multiple and long-lasting crises. During periods of heightened instability and economic uncertainty, businesses struggle to build trusting relationships with stakeholders as they seek to reduce costs. Additionally, companies seek deep engagement as they confront the costs associated with sustainability challenges and …

A Computational Fluid Dynamics (Cfd) Based Assessment Of Animal Borne Data Logger Impact, Christopher Pass

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

Animal borne data loggers are powerful tools that provide researchers with valuable insight into the behaviour and ecology of free-ranging marine animals. Despite their usefulness, the addition of a tag inevitably alters the forces acting on a swimming body and can increase the energetic cost of swimming. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) tools offer a powerful means of assessing tag impact and a number of previous works have employed CFD to this end but have typically been based on a range of simplifying assumptions. Chief amongst these simplifications is that animals can be modelled as rigid bodies with a simple tag …

Graphene Biosensors For The Detection Of Alzheimer's And Cardiovascular Disease Protein Biomarkers, Theodore Bungon

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

Dementia describes a syndrome or group of symptoms associated with the decline of brain functioning such as loss of memory, mood, judgment, language, thinking speed, mental sharpness and other mental abilities. Different classes of Dementia are Jakob Disease, Korsakoff Syndrome, Vascular dementia, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington disease, young onset dementia, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) etc. At present, AD is irreversible and incurable, and it worsens overtime, it is neurodegenerative, caused by the accumulation or build-up of abnormal protein in the brain. It is a type of dementia that is common, affecting about 60% of patients with dementia diagnosis. Globally, over 54 million …

Automated Vulnerability Scanning And Security Audit Framework For Maritime Systems, Avanthika Vineetha Harish

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

The maritime industry is a well-established sector, with the shipping industry dating back hundreds of years. The devices in this sector differ from those in the Information Technology (IT) sector in their usage, operations, hardware, andprotocols. Technological advancements have introduced new challenges in the sector, including the increased risk of cyber attacks. To effectively identify, respond to, and analyse these threats, it is essential to understand the cyber securityvulnerabilities in maritime systems and system-of-systems.Currently, there are no standardised methods or automated tools for conducting cyber security testing of maritime systems. This thesis presents an automated vulnerability scanning and security audit …