Digital Commons Network^™

Barriers And Enablers To A Healthy Food Environment In Australian Childcare Services: Exploring Directors' Perspectives, Amy Kirkegaard, Chris Irwin, Rebecca Byrne, Ros Sambell, Lisa Vincze

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Issue Addressed: Early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings are ideal environments to optimise nutrition and positively influence children's food behaviours. However, recent research has identified the need to improve nutrition policies, food provision, and mealtime environments in Australian ECEC settings. This study explored the perceptions of ECEC directors regarding barriers and enablers to a health-promoting food environment within ECEC services. Methods: Eleven directors from ECEC services in Nerang, Queensland, and surrounding areas, participated in qualitative interviews between March and May 2021. Transcripts were analysed using qualitative content analysis that followed a deductive-inductive approach employing nutrition-related domains from the Wellness …

Board Responsibility And Corporate Finance, Ahmad Saiful Azlin Puteh Salin, Zubaidah Ismail, Malcolm Smith

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between board responsibility and the performance of the company. It is the ultimate responsibility of the board to properly discharge their duty as stipulated by the laws and prohibit any unnecessary actions and decisions that are detrimental to the company (Salin, Ismail, et al., 2019). Board responsibility in this study is proxied by having a clear board function, formation of sustainability policy, directors’ access to information and existence of a board charter. This study uses archival analysis of the annual report of the top 500 publicly listed companies in Malaysia …

Corporate Governance And Firm Performance: Evidence From Political Instability, Political Ideology, And Corporate Governance Reforms In Pakistan, Irfan Haider Shakri, Jaime Yong, Erwei Xiang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

We examine impact of corporate governance on firm performance following the implementation of the changes to the Code of Corporate Governance of Pakistan in 2012. Our sample period from 2008 to 2022 include periods of political instability and shifts in Pakistan's political landscape, providing an opportunity to examine the effectiveness of corporate governance mechanisms in enhancing accounting- and market-based firm performance measures. We find significant improvements attributed to reforms in the regulatory framework surrounding corporate governance practices particularly from expanded scope and composition of boards and audit committees. This led to broader capabilities and effective controls, thus improving firm performance …

Recovery From Sport-Induced Muscle Damage In Relation To Match-Intervals In Major Events, Kazunori Nosaka, Trevor C. Chen

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Muscle damage could affect the next match performance in sports when the time to recover from a previous match is shorter. We examined the interval between matches in nine team sports (e.g., soccer, rugby, field hockey, basketball, volleyball, baseball) and two racket sports (badminton, tennis) in World Cups held in 2022-2023, 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games and Gland Slam in 2023. We then performed narrative review using three electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar) to get information about muscle damage and recovery in the 11 sports, and discussed whether the intervals in the events would be enough for athletes. We found …

Resting Heart Rate And Risk Of Dementia: A Mendelian Randomization Study In The International Genomics Of Alzheimer’S Project And Uk Biobank, Xingxing Chen, Yi Zheng, Jun Wang, Blake Yue, Xian Zhang, Kenta Nakai, Lijing L. Yan

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Observational studies have demonstrated that a higher resting heart rate (RHR) is associated with an increased risk of dementia. However, it is not clear whether the association is causal. This study aimed to determine the causal effects of higher genetically predicted RHR on the risk of dementia. Methods: We performed a two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis to investigate the causal effect of higher genetically predicted RHR on Alzheimer’s disease (AD) using summary statistics from genome-wide association studies. The generalized summary Mendelian randomization (GSMR) analysis was used to analyze the corresponding effects of RHR on following different outcomes: 1) diagnosis of …

Secrecy Rate Maximization For Active Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface Assisted Mimo Systems, Bin Gao, Jingru Zhao, Shihao Yan, Shaozhang Xiao

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) is a promising technology for future 6G communications and has been used to enhance secrecy performance. However, the performance improvement is restricted by the 'double fading' effect of the reflection channel link. To address this issue, we introduce an active RIS design, where the reflecting elements of RIS not only adjust the phase shift but also amplify the reflected signal through the amplifier integrated into its elements. To obtain a satisfactory solution to the non-convex problem resulting from this design, the penalty dual decomposition based alternating gradient projection (PDDAPG) method is proposed. We compare the proposed …

Alzheimer's Disease Genetic Risk And Changes In Brain Atrophy And White Matter Hyperintensities In Cognitively Unimpaired Adults, Anja Soldan, Jiangxia Wang, Corinne Pettigrew, Christos Davatzikos, Guray Erus, Timothy J. Hohman, Logan Dumitrescu, Murat Bilgel, Susan M. Resnick, Leonardo A. Rivera-Rivera, Rebecca Langhough, Sterling C. Johnson, Tammie Benzinger, John C. Morris, Simon M. Laws, Jurgen Fripp, Colin L. Masters, Marilyn S. Albert

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Reduced brain volumes and more prominent white matter hyperintensities on MRI scans are commonly observed among older adults without cognitive impairment. However, it remains unclear whether rates of change in these measures among cognitively normal adults differ as a function of genetic risk for late-onset Alzheimer's disease, including APOE- ε4, APOE-ε2 and Alzheimer's disease polygenic risk scores (AD-PRS), and whether these relationships are influenced by other variables. This longitudinal study examined the trajectories of regional brain volumes and white matter hyperintensities in relationship to APOE genotypes (N = 1541) and AD-PRS (N = 1093) in a harmonized dataset of middle-aged …

Can Frontline Employees Help Consumers Improve Their Financial Planning Behavior? Implications From Triadic Analysis, Vida Siahtiri, Welf Hermann Weiger, Christian Tetteh-Afi, Tobias Kraemer

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: As consumer debt can substantially impair subjective well-being, it is crucial for research to gain insights into how consumers can be motivated to improve financial planning. This paper aims to investigate how frontline employees in financial services can help consumers regulate their financial planning behaviors and how financial service providers can effectively support their frontline employees in this effort through leadership and organizational climate. Design/methodology/approach: We incorporate regulatory focus theory and conservation of resource theory to develop a conceptual model that we test in a triadic study with a unique dataset collected from consumers, frontline employees, and managers in …

Measuring Attitude Change In Nursing Students After Completion Of A First Nations Peoples’ Health Unit: Embedding A Validated Tool In Learning And Assessment Practices, Kylie Mccullough, Angela Genoni, Melanie Murray, Darren Garvey, Linda Coventry

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The health inequities experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, rooted in the historical and ongoing negative impacts of colonisation and disrupted traditional lifestyles, sees higher rates of illness and hospitalisations, increased morbidity and higher premature death rates than other Australians. Nurses represent the majority of Australia’s health workforce and nursing students must have knowledge to provide culturally safe care to Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. An Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ Health and Wellbeing unit was developed and introduced into an undergraduate nursing curriculum. This project aimed to determine the effectiveness of the unit content …

Optimal Pilot Length For Key Generation In Correlated Wireless Channels, Danqi Li, Shihao Yan, Jia Zhang, Jiande Sun, Feng Shu

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This work examines the optimal pilot length for key generation in correlated wireless channels. We first deduce the secret key capacity as a function of the pilot length N and other system parameters. Then, derive two fixed-point equations to identify the optimal N with and without an eavesdropper. Our analysis and numerical results confirm the existence of the optimal N that maximizes the secret key capacity, and both results for optimal N are consistent. Furthermore, the optimal N generally decreases with average signal-to-noise ratio and maximum Doppler shift. Our examination can provide useful guidelines in designing practical key generation systems.

Novel Analog Holographic Wavefront Sensors In A Photopolymer Medium, Emma Branigan

Doctoral

Wavefront sensing is a vital technology that allows for recovery of information and image resolution, from otherwise corrupted signals. Combined with computational systems, wavefront sensors (WFS) enable rapid, accurate measurement of optical distortions, or aberrations. The analog holographic wavefront sensor (AHWFS) is a recent advancement that measures wavefront aberration modes using intensity ratios at paired diffraction spots. The modal AHWFS is an elegant solution to wavefront sensing that is low-cost, highly photon efficient, high speed, and insensitive to scintillation effects.

This work presents the first fabrication of an AHWFS in a self-developing acrylamide-based photopolymer for measuring defocus and spherical aberration. …

Heritage Languages In The Irish Primary School Context: Teachers’ Views And Practice In The Area Of First Language Maintenance In Bilingual Pupils, Suzanne Mccarthy

Doctoral

This research set out to explore the reality for current Irish primary school teachers working with children who speak a language other than English or Irish in the home context. The study sought to investigate teachers’ views on bilingualism and heritage languages, to examine their practice and experiences around support for heritage language (HL) inclusion in the classroom, and to consider any potential differences in teachers’ views and practice depending on the age of the children they teach.

Attention-Aware With Stacked Embedding For Sentiment Analysis Of Student Feedback Through Deep Learning Techniques, Shanza Zafar Malik, Khalid Iqbal, Muhammad Sharif, Yaser Ali Shah, Amaad Khalil, M. Abeer Irfan, Joanna Rosak-Szyrocka

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Automatic polarity prediction is a challenging assessment issue. Even though polarity assessment is a critical topic with many existing applications, it is probably not an easy challenge and faces several difficulties in natural language processing (NLP). Public polling data can give useful information, and polarity assessment or classification of comments on Twitter and Facebook may be an effective approach for gaining a better understanding of user sentiments. Text embedding techniques and models related to the artificial intelligence field and sub-fields with differing and almost accurate parameters are among the approaches available for assessing student comments. Existing state-of-the-art methodologies for sentiment …

The Potential Of Edible Insects As A Safe, Palatable, And Sustainable Food Source In The European Union, Ann D. Conway, Swarna Jaiswal, Amit K. Jaiswal

Articles

Entomophagy describes the practice of eating insects. Insects are considered extremely nutritious in many countries worldwide. However, there is a lethargic uptake of this practice in Europe where consuming insects and insect-based foodstuffs is often regarded with disgust. Such perceptions and concerns are often due to a lack of exposure to and availability of food-grade insects as a food source and are often driven by neophobia and cultural norms. In recent years, due to accelerating climate change, an urgency to develop alternate safe and sustainable food-sources has emerged. There are currently over 2000 species of insects approved by the World …

A Scientometric Study On Research Trends And Characteristics Of Ameloblastoma, Hui Li, Chenping Zhang, Wei Liu, Lanming Chen

Journal of Dental Sciences

Abstract Background/purpose Ameloblastoma is a benign tumor derived from odontogenic epithelium in the jaws. The purpose of this study was to analyze the scientometric characteristics and research trends of ameloblastoma. Materials and methods All the papers on ameloblastoma were comprehensively retrieved from the Scopus database. The years of publication were divided into before 2014 and 2014–2024 in the analysis of research trends. Results There were 2507 papers on ameloblastoma, with total citations of 34,691 and the h index of 70. The related disorders of the diagnosis of ameloblastoma were mandibular neoplasms, maxillary neoplasms, ameloblastic carcinoma, odontogenic cyst, lung neoplasms, and …

Cementocyte-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Regulate Osteoclastogenesis And Osteoblastogenesis, Eiji Nemoto, Jiajun Li, Yukihiko Sakisaka, Kentaro Maruyama, Shigeki Suzuki, Kaixin Xiong, Hiroyuki Tada, Taichi Tenkumo, Satoru Yamada

Journal of Dental Sciences

Abstract Background/purpose Cementum shares many properties with bone; however, in contrast to bone, it is not innervated or vascularized and has a limited capacity for remodeling. Osteocytes located in the lacunae-canalicular system of bone tissue play a central role in bone remodeling by communicating with osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Although cementocytes are present in cellular cementum and are morphologically similar to osteocytes, it remains unclear whether they are involved in the dynamic functional regulation of metabolism in cementum. The present study focused on the extracellular vesicles (EVs) secreted by cementocytes and examined their effects on osteoclasts and osteoblasts. Materials and methods …

Pharmacology Of Boldine: Summary Of The Field And Update On Recent Advances, Juan C. Sáez, Justin C. Burrell, Catherine M. Cahill, D. Kacy Cullen, Lakshmi A. Devi, Ryan J. Gilbert, Zachary A. Graham, Vadim J. Gurvich, Leif A. Havton, Ravi Iyengar, Rajesh Khanna, Edmund F. Palermo, Mustafa Siddiq, Carlos A. Toro, Walter Vasquez, Wei Zhao, Christopher P. Cardozo

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Over the past decade, boldine, a naturally occurring alkaloid found in several plant species including the Chilean Boldo tree, has garnered attention for its efficacy in rodent models of human disease. Some of the properties that have been attributed to boldine include antioxidant activities, neuroprotective and analgesic actions, hepatoprotective effects, anti-inflammatory actions, cardioprotective effects and anticancer potential. Compelling data now indicates that boldine blocks connexin (Cx) hemichannels (HCs) and that many if not all of its effects in rodent models of injury and disease are due to CxHC blockade. Here we provide an overview of boldine's pharmacological properties, including its …

A Review Of The Roles Of Exosomes In Salivary Gland Diseases With An Emphasis On Primary Sjögren's Syndrome, Yubin Cao, Xianzhen Cui, Liu Liu, Chengchen Duan, Suning Mao, Guanru Wang, Honglin Li, Cheng Miao

Journal of Dental Sciences

Abstract Salivary gland diseases encompass a broad range of conditions, including autoimmune, inflammatory, obstructive, and neoplastic disorders, significantly impacting oral health and overall well-being. Recent research has highlighted the crucial role of exosomes, small extracellular vesicles, in these diseases. Exosomes mediate intercellular communication by transferring bioactive molecules such as proteins, microRNAs, and lipids, positioning them as potential diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic agents. In primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS), exosomes derived from Epstein–Barr virus-infected B cells and activated T cells transfer key microRNAs that impair calcium signaling, contributing to glandular dysfunction. Exosome-based biomarkers like Ro/SSA and La/SSB, found in saliva, serum, and …

A Scientometric Study On Research Trends And Characteristics Of Behçet's Disease, Linjun Shi, Wenying Zhang, Xuanning Chen, Liying Gu

Journal of Dental Sciences

Abstract Background/purpose Behçet's disease (BD) is a chronic systemic vasculitis characterized by recurrent oral and genital ulcers, skin lesions, and uveitis. The purpose of this study was to analyze the scientometric characteristics and research trends of BD. Materials and methods All the articles on BD were comprehensively retrieved from the Scopus database. Regional comparison (Turkey versus outside of Turkey) and chronological comparison (before 2010 versus after 2010) were performed. Results Among the 7023 articles on BD, Turkey was the country publishing most articles (2012 articles). In Turkey, questionnaire, quality of life, depression, and scoring system were distinctive keywords. In outside …

A Scientometric Study On Research Characteristics And Trends Of Amyloidosis Involving The Oral Cavity, Wei Liu, Cheng Jiang, Xuemin Shen, Yunteng Wu, Jie Wei

Journal of Dental Sciences

Abstract Background/purpose Oral involvement often constitutes the first sign of amyloidosis as a life-threatening disease that can lead to multiple organ impairment. The purpose of this study was to analyze the scientometric characteristics and research trends of amyloidosis involving the oral cavity. Materials and methods All the papers on oral involvement of amyloidosis were comprehensively retrieved from the Scopus database. The years of publication were divided into before 2015 and 2015–2024 in the analysis of research trends. Results There were 2540 relevant papers on amyloidosis involving the oral cavity, with total citations of 73,896 and the h index of 119. …

Flying Through The Air With The Greatest Of Ease? Evaluation Of Glide Capability In Basal Maniraptoran Theropods, Norah Zoller, Kierra Miller, Michael B. Habib, Hans C. Larsson, T. Alexander Deccechi

Annual Research Symposium

Pterosaurs, a lineage of Mesozoic flying archosaurs, include the largest flying animals ever known. Quetzalcoatlus nortropi a Late Cretaceous representative, had a wingspan of over 10 m and likely weighed more than 200 kg. It presents a combination of features (large head, massive wingspan, shoulder height equivalent to an extant giraYe) that has led to ecological interpretations of it as a major predator in the North American Maastrichtian Biome, perhaps second to only Tyrannosaurus rex. Here we examine the probability of that from an energetics perspective. Despite the great wingspan of Quetzalcoatlus, the body length (gleno- acetabular distance) is relatively …

Assessment Of Simultaneous Alcohol And Cannabis Use And Its Related Consequences And Cognitions In College Students: A Narrative Review, Jennifer L. Shipley, Abby L. Braitman

Psychology Faculty Publications

As rates of students using cannabis continue to rise, simultaneous use of alcohol and cannabis (such that their effects overlap; commonly referred to as simultaneous alcohol and marijuana [SAM] use) is prevalent among college students who use both substances. Although research focusing on SAM use and related cognitions and consequences continues to grow, there are no common established measures, as approaches vary across studies. This narrative review identifies current methods for assessing SAM use and measures of SAM-related consequences and cognitions (motives and expectancies) among college students, evaluates how they were developed, identifies gaps in the literature, and provides recommendations …

Leadership And Environmental Sustainability: An Integrative Conceptual Model Of Multilevel Antecedents And Consequences Of Leader Green Behavior, Hannes Zacher, Clara Kühner, Ian M. Katz, Cort W. Rudolph

Psychology Faculty Publications

Environmental sustainability is a strategic and ethical imperative for organizations, and numerous studies have investigated associations between leadership and employee pro-environmental or “green” behavior. However, these studies have typically focused on leadership styles that conflate leader behavior with its assumed antecedents or consequences. Moreover, the literature on relations between leadership and environmental sustainability constructs is fragmented and in need of systematic integration to effectively guide future research and practice. Accordingly, we pursue three goals in this conceptual paper. First, after a brief review of key insights from extant theoretical and empirical research, we define leadership in the context of environmental …

Mental Workload Modulates The Effects Of Baroreceptor Afferents On Sensorimotor Processing, Xiao Yang, Katie Herberlein, Anthony Reid, Dongfang Jiao, Fang Fang

Psychology Faculty Publications

The heart–brain interaction is the main mechanism for maintaining normative physiological processes, and its dysregulation underlies the somatic symptoms of various mental disorders. Cortical inhibition, triggered by afferent signals from baroreceptor activation, induces systematic variations in sensorimotor responses within a cardiac cycle, with reaction times (RTs) slower at cardiac systole compared to diastole (known as cardiac cycle time effects). However, recent data suggest that baroreceptor afferents not only inhibit simple responses but also facilitate complex sensorimotor responses during cardiac systole. The mental workload that is implicated in complex responses may modulate the cardiac cycle time effects. The current study aimed …

Ethical Decision-Making In Older Drivers During Critical Driving Situations: An Online Experiment, Amandeep Singh, Sarah Yahoodik, Yovela Murzello, Samuel Petkac, Yusuke Yamani, Siby Samuel

Psychology Faculty Publications

The present study examined the impact of aging on ethical decision-making in simulated critical driving scenarios. 204 participants from North America, grouped into two age groups (18–30 years and 65 years and above), were asked to decide whether their simulated automated vehicle should stay in or change from the current lane in scenarios mimicking the Trolley Problem. Each participant viewed a video clip rendered by the driving simulator at Old Dominion University and pressed the space-bar if they decided to intervene in the control of the simulated automated vehicle in an online experiment. Bayesian hierarchical models were used to analyze …

Sleep Disturbances And Psychological Well-Being Among Military Medical Doctors Of The Swiss Armed Forces: Study Protocol, Rationale And Development Of A Cross-Sectional And Longitudinal Interventional Study, Dena Sadeghi-Bahmani, Viola Rigotti, Zeno Stanga, Undine E. Lang, Rebecca K. Blais, Michelle L. Kelley, Serge Brand

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background: Compared to civilians and non-medical personnel, military medical doctors are at increased risk for sleep disturbances and impaired psychological well-being. Despite their responsibility and workload, no research has examined sleep disturbances and psychological well-being among the medical doctors (MDs) of the Swiss Armed Forces (SAF). Thus, the aims of the proposed study are (1) to conduct a cross-sectional study (labeled ‘Survey-Study 1’) of sleep disturbances and psychological well-being among MDs of the SAF; (2) to identify MDs who report sleep disturbances (insomnia severity index >8), along with low psychological well-being such as symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress, but …

Expanding A Behavioral View On Digital Health Access: Drivers And Strategies To Promote Equity, Maura M. Kepper, Lauren A. Fowler, Isabelle S. Kusters, Jean W. Davis, Manal Baqer, Sarah Sagui-Henson, Yunyu Xiao, Adati Tarfa, Jean C. Yi, Bryan Gibson, Kristin E. Heron, Nicole M. Alberts, Marissa Burgermaster, Veronica Njie-Carr, Lisa M. Klesges

Psychology Faculty Publications

The potential and threat of digital tools to achieve health equity has been highlighted for over a decade, but the success of achieving equitable access to health technologies remains challenging. Our paper addresses renewed concerns regarding equity in digital health access that were deepened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our viewpoint is that (1) digital health tools have the potential to improve health equity if equitable access is achieved, and (2) improving access and equity in digital health can be strengthened by considering behavioral science-based strategies embedded in all phases of tool development. Using behavioral, equity, and access frameworks allowed for …

All The Better To Hear You With: Using Social Media For Employee Listening, C. S. Ju, E. A. Liguori, N. M. Savage

Psychology Faculty Publications

The article explores the use of social media for employee listening in organizations, highlighting the importance of employee voice and its positive impact on the workplace. It suggests that social media platforms can provide a space for employees to express themselves, share ideas, and connect with others. However, caution is advised when integrating social media into formal workplace decisions and the hiring process due to concerns about fairness, privacy, and discrimination. The article also addresses the challenges faced by minority employees in voicing dissent and the potential for social media to amplify their voices. It recommends consulting the book "Social …

Gaze Transition Entropy As A Measure Of Attention Allocation In A Dynamic Workspace Involving Automation, Zixin Cui, Tetsuya Sato, Austin Jackson, Sampath Jayarathna, Makoto Itoh, Yusuke Yamani

Psychology Faculty Publications

Real-world work environments require operators to perform multiple tasks with continual support from an automated system. Eye movement is often used as a surrogate measure of operator attention, yet conventional summary measures such as percent dwell time do not capture dynamic transitions of attention in complex visual workspace. This study analyzed eye movement data collected in a controlled a MATB-II task environment using gaze transition entropy analysis. In the study, human subjects performed a compensatory tracking task, a system monitoring task, and a communication task concurrently. The results indicate that both gaze transition entropy and stationary gaze entropy, measures of …

Neuroticism Mediates The Association Between Autistic Traits And Choice Reaction Time Among Young Adults, Kassandra De Jesus Cintron, Xiao Yang

Psychology Faculty Publications

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that influences an individual’s cognitive functions and social interaction. While most studies have focused on children and adolescents diagnosed with ASD, elevated levels of autistic traits in subclinical populations may also influence individuals’ daily functioning. Autistic traits are also linked to the Big Five personality. In particular, neuroticism (emotion instability) has been shown to be positively associated with autistic traits, which may contribute to behavioral symptoms of autistic traits. The present study aimed to investigate the association between autistic symptoms and sensorimotor processing among a subclinical population. One hundred young adults (M …