Exploring lived experiences of participants in the Intercultural Employment Pathways (IEP) program from 2019 to 2022
- Cooper, Kimberlea, Patil, Tejaswini, Ottmann, Goetz, Williams, Dominic, Mummery, Jane
- Authors: Cooper, Kimberlea , Patil, Tejaswini , Ottmann, Goetz , Williams, Dominic , Mummery, Jane
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Technical report
- Full Text:
- Description: This report documents research conducted by Federation University in relation to the City of Ballarat Intercultural Employment Pathways (IEP) program from 2019 - 2022. The IEP program aims to enhance social inclusion, employment, and education pathways for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) migrants in the Ballarat region. The purpose of the research was to explore the lived experiences of migrants who participated in the IEP program to better understand the strengths of the program and propose recommendations for its future. The research was a qualitative study that used a survey, interviews, and a focus group to explore the perspectives of IEP participants and encourage them to share deep and rich accounts of their lived experiences. Overall, 39 migrants involved with the IEP program participated in the research. The findings are grouped into four themes: Connection: The communal nature of the IEP program enabled participants to establish social and professional connections which increased their networking capacity to find gainful employment. Participants valued the networking opportunities created by the IEP program as many felt as though they were ‘starting again’ after migrating to Australia. Culture: The IEP program assisted participants to adapt to Australian norms of job-hunting and workplace culture and to learn practical strategies to utilise in their job application and interview techniques. The IEP program created a broader platform for cultural exchange within the community and can contribute to wider changes in representation and appreciation of diversity. Confidence: The IEP program assisted participants to improve their levels of confidence and feelings of self-worth. The tailored support that is available to each participant enabled them to develop confidence in their abilities and focus upon their strengths. Context: Participants shared experiences of the many challenges and barriers they have faced when looking for meaningful and secure employment in Australia. Understanding these wider experiences provide the context in which the IEP program operates and emphasises its importance in providing valuable assistance to migrants settling in the City of Ballarat.
- Authors: Cooper, Kimberlea , Patil, Tejaswini , Ottmann, Goetz , Williams, Dominic , Mummery, Jane
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Technical report
- Full Text:
- Description: This report documents research conducted by Federation University in relation to the City of Ballarat Intercultural Employment Pathways (IEP) program from 2019 - 2022. The IEP program aims to enhance social inclusion, employment, and education pathways for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) migrants in the Ballarat region. The purpose of the research was to explore the lived experiences of migrants who participated in the IEP program to better understand the strengths of the program and propose recommendations for its future. The research was a qualitative study that used a survey, interviews, and a focus group to explore the perspectives of IEP participants and encourage them to share deep and rich accounts of their lived experiences. Overall, 39 migrants involved with the IEP program participated in the research. The findings are grouped into four themes: Connection: The communal nature of the IEP program enabled participants to establish social and professional connections which increased their networking capacity to find gainful employment. Participants valued the networking opportunities created by the IEP program as many felt as though they were ‘starting again’ after migrating to Australia. Culture: The IEP program assisted participants to adapt to Australian norms of job-hunting and workplace culture and to learn practical strategies to utilise in their job application and interview techniques. The IEP program created a broader platform for cultural exchange within the community and can contribute to wider changes in representation and appreciation of diversity. Confidence: The IEP program assisted participants to improve their levels of confidence and feelings of self-worth. The tailored support that is available to each participant enabled them to develop confidence in their abilities and focus upon their strengths. Context: Participants shared experiences of the many challenges and barriers they have faced when looking for meaningful and secure employment in Australia. Understanding these wider experiences provide the context in which the IEP program operates and emphasises its importance in providing valuable assistance to migrants settling in the City of Ballarat.
Integrated generalized zero-shot learning for fine-grained classification
- Shermin, Tasfia, Teng, Shyh, Sohel, Ferdous, Murshed, Manzur, Lu, Guojun
- Authors: Shermin, Tasfia , Teng, Shyh , Sohel, Ferdous , Murshed, Manzur , Lu, Guojun
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Pattern Recognition Vol. 122, no. (2022), p.
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- Description: Embedding learning (EL) and feature synthesizing (FS) are two of the popular categories of fine-grained GZSL methods. EL or FS using global features cannot discriminate fine details in the absence of local features. On the other hand, EL or FS methods exploiting local features either neglect direct attribute guidance or global information. Consequently, neither method performs well. In this paper, we propose to explore global and direct attribute-supervised local visual features for both EL and FS categories in an integrated manner for fine-grained GZSL. The proposed integrated network has an EL sub-network and a FS sub-network. Consequently, the proposed integrated network can be tested in two ways. We propose a novel two-step dense attention mechanism to discover attribute-guided local visual features. We introduce new mutual learning between the sub-networks to exploit mutually beneficial information for optimization. Moreover, we propose to compute source-target class similarity based on mutual information and transfer-learn the target classes to reduce bias towards the source domain during testing. We demonstrate that our proposed method outperforms contemporary methods on benchmark datasets. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd
- Authors: Shermin, Tasfia , Teng, Shyh , Sohel, Ferdous , Murshed, Manzur , Lu, Guojun
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Pattern Recognition Vol. 122, no. (2022), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Embedding learning (EL) and feature synthesizing (FS) are two of the popular categories of fine-grained GZSL methods. EL or FS using global features cannot discriminate fine details in the absence of local features. On the other hand, EL or FS methods exploiting local features either neglect direct attribute guidance or global information. Consequently, neither method performs well. In this paper, we propose to explore global and direct attribute-supervised local visual features for both EL and FS categories in an integrated manner for fine-grained GZSL. The proposed integrated network has an EL sub-network and a FS sub-network. Consequently, the proposed integrated network can be tested in two ways. We propose a novel two-step dense attention mechanism to discover attribute-guided local visual features. We introduce new mutual learning between the sub-networks to exploit mutually beneficial information for optimization. Moreover, we propose to compute source-target class similarity based on mutual information and transfer-learn the target classes to reduce bias towards the source domain during testing. We demonstrate that our proposed method outperforms contemporary methods on benchmark datasets. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd
Understanding and addressing digital disadvantage in Wimmera Southern Mallee :Research report
- Tischler, Catherine, McDonald, Kelsey, Reeves, Keir
- Authors: Tischler, Catherine , McDonald, Kelsey , Reeves, Keir
- Date: 2022
- Type: Report , Technical report
- Full Text:
- Description: The Understanding and addressing digital disadvantage in Wimmera Southern Mallee Project (the project) explored the challenges Wimmera Southern Mallee residents, focusing on low-income individuals and families, small/micro businesses and migrant groups have in accessing and effectively engaging with digital technology to help guide future regional actions. The project team interviewed 31 people from across five Local Government areas in the Wimmera Southern Mallee (Hindmarsh, West Wimmera, Northern Grampians, Horsham Rural City and Yarriambiack) who have low engagement with digital technology and/or limited internet access, as well as a representative sample of those who work to support those with low digital literacy. Ethnographic research was undertaken to understand the factors that impact on digital engagement and accessibility across the three key demographic groups in the study area. The research investigated people’s access to hardware (e.g. computers, phones and tablets) as well as networks (internet plans and connections – broadband, satellite, mobile etc.). Understanding the challenges in engaging with and interpreting digital technology will help inform future advocacy and policy responses for this region. The research will also facilitate better targeting of information and support to Wimmera Mallee residents to actively improve uptake, access, and engagement. This is important, as the region has been identified as having the lowest digital literacy of any area in Victoria (Australian Digital Inclusion Index 2020).
- Authors: Tischler, Catherine , McDonald, Kelsey , Reeves, Keir
- Date: 2022
- Type: Report , Technical report
- Full Text:
- Description: The Understanding and addressing digital disadvantage in Wimmera Southern Mallee Project (the project) explored the challenges Wimmera Southern Mallee residents, focusing on low-income individuals and families, small/micro businesses and migrant groups have in accessing and effectively engaging with digital technology to help guide future regional actions. The project team interviewed 31 people from across five Local Government areas in the Wimmera Southern Mallee (Hindmarsh, West Wimmera, Northern Grampians, Horsham Rural City and Yarriambiack) who have low engagement with digital technology and/or limited internet access, as well as a representative sample of those who work to support those with low digital literacy. Ethnographic research was undertaken to understand the factors that impact on digital engagement and accessibility across the three key demographic groups in the study area. The research investigated people’s access to hardware (e.g. computers, phones and tablets) as well as networks (internet plans and connections – broadband, satellite, mobile etc.). Understanding the challenges in engaging with and interpreting digital technology will help inform future advocacy and policy responses for this region. The research will also facilitate better targeting of information and support to Wimmera Mallee residents to actively improve uptake, access, and engagement. This is important, as the region has been identified as having the lowest digital literacy of any area in Victoria (Australian Digital Inclusion Index 2020).
A case study of grinding coarse 5 mm particles into sand grade particles less than 2.36 mm
- Reed, Aaron, Koroznikova, Larissa, Khandelwal, Manoj
- Authors: Reed, Aaron , Koroznikova, Larissa , Khandelwal, Manoj
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Vietnam Journal of Earth Sciences Vol. 43, no. 1 (2021), p. 57-70
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- Description: This paper presents the viability study of utilising a rod or ball mill to grind a ‘5 mm grit’ to 100% passing 2.36 mm and fit in with a desired particle size analysis. The aim is to introduce this grit into the concrete grade sand produced at the Hanson owned Axedale Sand & Gravel quarry to reduce generated waste and improve the process efficiency. A ball mill and rod mill were used to grind the samples at an interval of 5 and 10 minutes. From the laboratory experimental analysis, it was found that a ball mill with 5 minutes grinding time in closed-circuit using a classifier to remove undersize and reintroduce oversize to the mill would be a viable option in an industrial setting. A Bond Ball Mill Grindability Test was undertaken to determine the grindability of the 5 mm grit, which served to determine the power (kWh/t) required to grind it to 100% passing 2.36 mm. The bond ball mill grindability test showed that the grit had a work index value of 17.66 kWh/t. This work index gives an actual work input of 13.54 kWh/t, meaning that for every ton of feed material introduced to the mill, 13.54 kWh of work input is required to grind it to 150 microns. © 2021 Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology.
- Authors: Reed, Aaron , Koroznikova, Larissa , Khandelwal, Manoj
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Vietnam Journal of Earth Sciences Vol. 43, no. 1 (2021), p. 57-70
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This paper presents the viability study of utilising a rod or ball mill to grind a ‘5 mm grit’ to 100% passing 2.36 mm and fit in with a desired particle size analysis. The aim is to introduce this grit into the concrete grade sand produced at the Hanson owned Axedale Sand & Gravel quarry to reduce generated waste and improve the process efficiency. A ball mill and rod mill were used to grind the samples at an interval of 5 and 10 minutes. From the laboratory experimental analysis, it was found that a ball mill with 5 minutes grinding time in closed-circuit using a classifier to remove undersize and reintroduce oversize to the mill would be a viable option in an industrial setting. A Bond Ball Mill Grindability Test was undertaken to determine the grindability of the 5 mm grit, which served to determine the power (kWh/t) required to grind it to 100% passing 2.36 mm. The bond ball mill grindability test showed that the grit had a work index value of 17.66 kWh/t. This work index gives an actual work input of 13.54 kWh/t, meaning that for every ton of feed material introduced to the mill, 13.54 kWh of work input is required to grind it to 150 microns. © 2021 Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology.
A combination of expert-based system and advanced decision-tree algorithms to predict air-overpressure resulting from quarry blasting
- He, Ziguang, Armaghani, Danial, Masoumnezhad, Mojtaba, Khandelwal, Manoj, Zhou, Jian, Murlidhar, Bhatawdekar
- Authors: He, Ziguang , Armaghani, Danial , Masoumnezhad, Mojtaba , Khandelwal, Manoj , Zhou, Jian , Murlidhar, Bhatawdekar
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Natural Resources Research Vol. 30, no. 2 (2021), p. 1889-1903
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- Description: This study combined a fuzzy Delphi method (FDM) and two advanced decision-tree algorithms to predict air-overpressure (AOp) caused by mine blasting. The FDM was used for input selection. Thus, the panel of experts selected four inputs, including powder factor, max charge per delay, stemming length, and distance from the blast face. Once the input selection was completed, two decision-tree algorithms, namely extreme gradient boosting tree (XGBoost-tree) and random forest (RF), were applied using the inputs selected by the experts. The models are evaluated with the following criteria: correlation coefficient, mean absolute error, gains chart, and Taylor diagram. The applied models were compared with the XGBoost-tree and RF models using the full set of data without input selection results. The results of hybridization showed that the XGBoost-tree model outperformed the RF model. Concerning the gains, the XGBoost-tree again outperformed the RF model. In comparison with the single decision-tree models, the single models had slightly better correlation coefficients; however, the hybridized models were simpler and easier to understand, analyze and implement. In addition, the Taylor diagram showed that the models applied outperformed some other conventional machine learning models, including support vector machine, k-nearest neighbors, and artificial neural network. Overall, the findings of this study suggest that combining expert opinion and advanced decision-tree algorithms can result in accurate and easy to understand predictions of AOp resulting from blasting in quarry sites. © 2020, International Association for Mathematical Geosciences.
- Authors: He, Ziguang , Armaghani, Danial , Masoumnezhad, Mojtaba , Khandelwal, Manoj , Zhou, Jian , Murlidhar, Bhatawdekar
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Natural Resources Research Vol. 30, no. 2 (2021), p. 1889-1903
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This study combined a fuzzy Delphi method (FDM) and two advanced decision-tree algorithms to predict air-overpressure (AOp) caused by mine blasting. The FDM was used for input selection. Thus, the panel of experts selected four inputs, including powder factor, max charge per delay, stemming length, and distance from the blast face. Once the input selection was completed, two decision-tree algorithms, namely extreme gradient boosting tree (XGBoost-tree) and random forest (RF), were applied using the inputs selected by the experts. The models are evaluated with the following criteria: correlation coefficient, mean absolute error, gains chart, and Taylor diagram. The applied models were compared with the XGBoost-tree and RF models using the full set of data without input selection results. The results of hybridization showed that the XGBoost-tree model outperformed the RF model. Concerning the gains, the XGBoost-tree again outperformed the RF model. In comparison with the single decision-tree models, the single models had slightly better correlation coefficients; however, the hybridized models were simpler and easier to understand, analyze and implement. In addition, the Taylor diagram showed that the models applied outperformed some other conventional machine learning models, including support vector machine, k-nearest neighbors, and artificial neural network. Overall, the findings of this study suggest that combining expert opinion and advanced decision-tree algorithms can result in accurate and easy to understand predictions of AOp resulting from blasting in quarry sites. © 2020, International Association for Mathematical Geosciences.
A comparative study on the role of polyvinylpyrrolidone molecular weight on the functionalization of various carbon nanotubes and their composites
- Namasivayam, Muthuraman, Andersson, Mats, Shapter, Joseph
- Authors: Namasivayam, Muthuraman , Andersson, Mats , Shapter, Joseph
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Polymers Vol. 13, no. 15 (2021), p.
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- Description: Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) nanocomposites filled with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) wrapped carbon nanotubes were prepared via a solution casting technique. The effect of the molecular weight (polymer chain length) of the PVP on the ability to wrap different nanotube structures and its impact towards nanotube dispersibility in the polymer matrix was explored. The study was conducted with PVP of four different molecular weights and nanotubes of three different structures. The composites that exhibit an effective nanotube dispersion lead to a nanotube network that facilitates improved thermal, electrical, and mechanical properties. It was observed that nanotubes of different structures exhibit stable dispersions in the polymer matrix though PVP functionalization of different molecular weights, but the key is achieving an effective nanotube dispersion at low PVP concentrations. This is observed in MWNT and AP-SWNT based composites with PVP of low molecular weight, leading to a thermal conductivity enhancement of 147% and 53%, respectively, while for P3-SWNT based composites, PVP of high molecular weight yields an enhancement of 25% in thermal conductivity compared to the non-functionalized CNT-PVDF composite. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
- Authors: Namasivayam, Muthuraman , Andersson, Mats , Shapter, Joseph
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Polymers Vol. 13, no. 15 (2021), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) nanocomposites filled with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) wrapped carbon nanotubes were prepared via a solution casting technique. The effect of the molecular weight (polymer chain length) of the PVP on the ability to wrap different nanotube structures and its impact towards nanotube dispersibility in the polymer matrix was explored. The study was conducted with PVP of four different molecular weights and nanotubes of three different structures. The composites that exhibit an effective nanotube dispersion lead to a nanotube network that facilitates improved thermal, electrical, and mechanical properties. It was observed that nanotubes of different structures exhibit stable dispersions in the polymer matrix though PVP functionalization of different molecular weights, but the key is achieving an effective nanotube dispersion at low PVP concentrations. This is observed in MWNT and AP-SWNT based composites with PVP of low molecular weight, leading to a thermal conductivity enhancement of 147% and 53%, respectively, while for P3-SWNT based composites, PVP of high molecular weight yields an enhancement of 25% in thermal conductivity compared to the non-functionalized CNT-PVDF composite. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
A comparison of the public's use of PPE and strategies to avoid contagion during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia and Germany
- Moore, Kathleen, Bouchoucha, Stephane, Buchwald, Petra
- Authors: Moore, Kathleen , Bouchoucha, Stephane , Buchwald, Petra
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Nursing and Health Sciences Vol. 23, no. 3 (2021), p. 708-714
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- Description: The SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19 pandemic has raised public awareness around disease protection. The aims in this study were to recruit participants from Australia and Germany to determine their use of personal protective equipment and COVID-19 avoidance strategies using scales designed for this study. Principal components analysis with the Australian data revealed two factors in the Protection from Infection Scale, Self-Care and Protective Behaviors, and a single factor in the Infection Avoidance Scale, with each scale demonstrating strong internal reliability. Data from German participants were used to confirm the scales' structure using confirmatory factor analysis. A comparison of the two data sets data revealed that Australian participants scored higher overall on protection and avoidance strategies but at the item level there were several commonalities, including self-care behaviors people adopted to avoid contracting COVID-19. With no foreseeable end to this pandemic, it is important that follow-up studies ascertain whether the public continues to adopt high levels of PPE use and follows government advice or if pandemic fatigue sets in. © 2021 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.
- Authors: Moore, Kathleen , Bouchoucha, Stephane , Buchwald, Petra
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Nursing and Health Sciences Vol. 23, no. 3 (2021), p. 708-714
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19 pandemic has raised public awareness around disease protection. The aims in this study were to recruit participants from Australia and Germany to determine their use of personal protective equipment and COVID-19 avoidance strategies using scales designed for this study. Principal components analysis with the Australian data revealed two factors in the Protection from Infection Scale, Self-Care and Protective Behaviors, and a single factor in the Infection Avoidance Scale, with each scale demonstrating strong internal reliability. Data from German participants were used to confirm the scales' structure using confirmatory factor analysis. A comparison of the two data sets data revealed that Australian participants scored higher overall on protection and avoidance strategies but at the item level there were several commonalities, including self-care behaviors people adopted to avoid contracting COVID-19. With no foreseeable end to this pandemic, it is important that follow-up studies ascertain whether the public continues to adopt high levels of PPE use and follows government advice or if pandemic fatigue sets in. © 2021 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.
A critical review of intrusion detection systems in the internet of things : techniques, deployment strategy, validation strategy, attacks, public datasets and challenges
- Khraisat, Ansam, Alazab, Ammar
- Authors: Khraisat, Ansam , Alazab, Ammar
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Cybersecurity Vol. 4, no. 1 (2021), p.
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- Description: The Internet of Things (IoT) has been rapidly evolving towards making a greater impact on everyday life to large industrial systems. Unfortunately, this has attracted the attention of cybercriminals who made IoT a target of malicious activities, opening the door to a possible attack on the end nodes. To this end, Numerous IoT intrusion detection Systems (IDS) have been proposed in the literature to tackle attacks on the IoT ecosystem, which can be broadly classified based on detection technique, validation strategy, and deployment strategy. This survey paper presents a comprehensive review of contemporary IoT IDS and an overview of techniques, deployment Strategy, validation strategy and datasets that are commonly applied for building IDS. We also review how existing IoT IDS detect intrusive attacks and secure communications on the IoT. It also presents the classification of IoT attacks and discusses future research challenges to counter such IoT attacks to make IoT more secure. These purposes help IoT security researchers by uniting, contrasting, and compiling scattered research efforts. Consequently, we provide a unique IoT IDS taxonomy, which sheds light on IoT IDS techniques, their advantages and disadvantages, IoT attacks that exploit IoT communication systems, corresponding advanced IDS and detection capabilities to detect IoT attacks. © 2021, The Author(s).
- Authors: Khraisat, Ansam , Alazab, Ammar
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Cybersecurity Vol. 4, no. 1 (2021), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The Internet of Things (IoT) has been rapidly evolving towards making a greater impact on everyday life to large industrial systems. Unfortunately, this has attracted the attention of cybercriminals who made IoT a target of malicious activities, opening the door to a possible attack on the end nodes. To this end, Numerous IoT intrusion detection Systems (IDS) have been proposed in the literature to tackle attacks on the IoT ecosystem, which can be broadly classified based on detection technique, validation strategy, and deployment strategy. This survey paper presents a comprehensive review of contemporary IoT IDS and an overview of techniques, deployment Strategy, validation strategy and datasets that are commonly applied for building IDS. We also review how existing IoT IDS detect intrusive attacks and secure communications on the IoT. It also presents the classification of IoT attacks and discusses future research challenges to counter such IoT attacks to make IoT more secure. These purposes help IoT security researchers by uniting, contrasting, and compiling scattered research efforts. Consequently, we provide a unique IoT IDS taxonomy, which sheds light on IoT IDS techniques, their advantages and disadvantages, IoT attacks that exploit IoT communication systems, corresponding advanced IDS and detection capabilities to detect IoT attacks. © 2021, The Author(s).
A field investigation of the relationship between rotating shifts, sleep, mental health and physical activity of Australian paramedics
- Khan, Wahaj, Jackson, Melinda, Kennedy, Gerard, Conduit, Russell
- Authors: Khan, Wahaj , Jackson, Melinda , Kennedy, Gerard , Conduit, Russell
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Scientific Reports Vol. 11, no. 1 (2021), p.
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- Description: Paramedics working on a rotating shift are at an increased risk of developing chronic health issues due to continuous circadian rhythm disruption. The acute effects of shift rotation and objectively measured sleep have rarely been reported in paramedics. This study investigated the relationships between a rotating shift schedule and sleep (using actigraphy), subjective reports of sleepiness, mood, stress and fatigue. Galvanic Skin Response, energy expenditure and physical activity (BodyMedia SenseWear Armband) were also recorded across the shift schedule. Paramedics were monitored for a period of eight consecutive days across pre-shift, day shift, night shift, and 2 days off. Fifteen paramedics (M age = 39.5 and SD = 10.7 years) who worked rotational shifts experienced sleep restriction during night shift compared to pre-shift, day shift and days off (p < 0.001). Night shift was also associated with higher levels of stress (p < 0.05), fatigue (p < 0.05), and sleepiness (p < 0.05). One day off was related to a return to pre-shift functioning. Such shift-related issues have a compounding negative impact on an already stressful occupation with high rates of physical and mental health issues. Therefore, there is an urgent need to investigate methods to reduce rotating shift burden on the health of paramedics. This could be through further research aimed at providing recommendations for shift work schedules with sufficient periods for sleep and recovery from stress. © 2021, The Author(s).
- Authors: Khan, Wahaj , Jackson, Melinda , Kennedy, Gerard , Conduit, Russell
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Scientific Reports Vol. 11, no. 1 (2021), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Paramedics working on a rotating shift are at an increased risk of developing chronic health issues due to continuous circadian rhythm disruption. The acute effects of shift rotation and objectively measured sleep have rarely been reported in paramedics. This study investigated the relationships between a rotating shift schedule and sleep (using actigraphy), subjective reports of sleepiness, mood, stress and fatigue. Galvanic Skin Response, energy expenditure and physical activity (BodyMedia SenseWear Armband) were also recorded across the shift schedule. Paramedics were monitored for a period of eight consecutive days across pre-shift, day shift, night shift, and 2 days off. Fifteen paramedics (M age = 39.5 and SD = 10.7 years) who worked rotational shifts experienced sleep restriction during night shift compared to pre-shift, day shift and days off (p < 0.001). Night shift was also associated with higher levels of stress (p < 0.05), fatigue (p < 0.05), and sleepiness (p < 0.05). One day off was related to a return to pre-shift functioning. Such shift-related issues have a compounding negative impact on an already stressful occupation with high rates of physical and mental health issues. Therefore, there is an urgent need to investigate methods to reduce rotating shift burden on the health of paramedics. This could be through further research aimed at providing recommendations for shift work schedules with sufficient periods for sleep and recovery from stress. © 2021, The Author(s).
A fine romance? Developing a transformational school-university partnership
- Goriss-Hunter, Anitra, Sellings, Peter, Lenk, Karen, Scash, Melinda
- Authors: Goriss-Hunter, Anitra , Sellings, Peter , Lenk, Karen , Scash, Melinda
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Educational Practice and Theory Vol. 43, no. 1 (2021), p. 57-76
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- Description: This paper investigates the complexities involved in a school-university partnership between a secondary school, Highview College and Federation University, both located in Australia. The authors argue that Federation University and Highview College have worked together to develop a transformational partnership in a Community of Practice (CoP) that has benefits for both parties. The authors report the findings through the analogy of a relationship unfolding. Using a qualitative methodology, it was found that through the development of a transformational partnership, a number of benefits had even-tuated. These benefits include authentic learning experiences and the raising of university aspirations for school students. © 2021 James Nicholas Publishers.
- Authors: Goriss-Hunter, Anitra , Sellings, Peter , Lenk, Karen , Scash, Melinda
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Educational Practice and Theory Vol. 43, no. 1 (2021), p. 57-76
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This paper investigates the complexities involved in a school-university partnership between a secondary school, Highview College and Federation University, both located in Australia. The authors argue that Federation University and Highview College have worked together to develop a transformational partnership in a Community of Practice (CoP) that has benefits for both parties. The authors report the findings through the analogy of a relationship unfolding. Using a qualitative methodology, it was found that through the development of a transformational partnership, a number of benefits had even-tuated. These benefits include authentic learning experiences and the raising of university aspirations for school students. © 2021 James Nicholas Publishers.
A global-scale screening of non-native aquatic organisms to identify potentially invasive species under current and future climate conditions
- Vilizzi, Lorenzo, Copp, Gordon, Hill, Jeffrey, Adamovich, Boris, Lloyd, Lance
- Authors: Vilizzi, Lorenzo , Copp, Gordon , Hill, Jeffrey , Adamovich, Boris , Lloyd, Lance
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Science of the Total Environment Vol. 788, no. (2021), p.
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- Description: The threat posed by invasive non-native species worldwide requires a global approach to identify which introduced species are likely to pose an elevated risk of impact to native species and ecosystems. To inform policy, stakeholders and management decisions on global threats to aquatic ecosystems, 195 assessors representing 120 risk assessment areas across all six inhabited continents screened 819 non-native species from 15 groups of aquatic organisms (freshwater, brackish, marine plants and animals) using the Aquatic Species Invasiveness Screening Kit. This multi-lingual decision-support tool for the risk screening of aquatic organisms provides assessors with risk scores for a species under current and future climate change conditions that, following a statistically based calibration, permits the accurate classification of species into high-, medium- and low-risk categories under current and predicted climate conditions. The 1730 screenings undertaken encompassed wide geographical areas (regions, political entities, parts thereof, water bodies, river basins, lake drainage basins, and marine regions), which permitted thresholds to be identified for almost all aquatic organismal groups screened as well as for tropical, temperate and continental climate classes, and for tropical and temperate marine ecoregions. In total, 33 species were identified as posing a ‘very high risk’ of being or becoming invasive, and the scores of several of these species under current climate increased under future climate conditions, primarily due to their wide thermal tolerances. The risk thresholds determined for taxonomic groups and climate zones provide a basis against which area-specific or climate-based calibrated thresholds may be interpreted. In turn, the risk rankings help decision-makers identify which species require an immediate ‘rapid’ management action (e.g. eradication, control) to avoid or mitigate adverse impacts, which require a full risk assessment, and which are to be restricted or banned with regard to importation and/or sale as ornamental or aquarium/fishery enhancement. © 2021 The Authors. **Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 5 including Federation University Australia affiliate “Lance Lloyd" is provided in this record**
- Authors: Vilizzi, Lorenzo , Copp, Gordon , Hill, Jeffrey , Adamovich, Boris , Lloyd, Lance
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Science of the Total Environment Vol. 788, no. (2021), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The threat posed by invasive non-native species worldwide requires a global approach to identify which introduced species are likely to pose an elevated risk of impact to native species and ecosystems. To inform policy, stakeholders and management decisions on global threats to aquatic ecosystems, 195 assessors representing 120 risk assessment areas across all six inhabited continents screened 819 non-native species from 15 groups of aquatic organisms (freshwater, brackish, marine plants and animals) using the Aquatic Species Invasiveness Screening Kit. This multi-lingual decision-support tool for the risk screening of aquatic organisms provides assessors with risk scores for a species under current and future climate change conditions that, following a statistically based calibration, permits the accurate classification of species into high-, medium- and low-risk categories under current and predicted climate conditions. The 1730 screenings undertaken encompassed wide geographical areas (regions, political entities, parts thereof, water bodies, river basins, lake drainage basins, and marine regions), which permitted thresholds to be identified for almost all aquatic organismal groups screened as well as for tropical, temperate and continental climate classes, and for tropical and temperate marine ecoregions. In total, 33 species were identified as posing a ‘very high risk’ of being or becoming invasive, and the scores of several of these species under current climate increased under future climate conditions, primarily due to their wide thermal tolerances. The risk thresholds determined for taxonomic groups and climate zones provide a basis against which area-specific or climate-based calibrated thresholds may be interpreted. In turn, the risk rankings help decision-makers identify which species require an immediate ‘rapid’ management action (e.g. eradication, control) to avoid or mitigate adverse impacts, which require a full risk assessment, and which are to be restricted or banned with regard to importation and/or sale as ornamental or aquarium/fishery enhancement. © 2021 The Authors. **Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 5 including Federation University Australia affiliate “Lance Lloyd" is provided in this record**
A modified MTS proliferation assay for suspended cells to avoid the interference by hydralazine and β-Mercaptoethanol
- Wang, Yutang, Nguyen, Dinh, Anesi, Jack, Kelly, Jason, Ahmady, Fahima, Charchar, Fadi
- Authors: Wang, Yutang , Nguyen, Dinh , Anesi, Jack , Kelly, Jason , Ahmady, Fahima , Charchar, Fadi
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Assay and Drug Development Technologies Vol. 19, no. 3 (2021), p. 184-190. https://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/1062671
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium (MTS) assay is one of the most commonly used tests of cell proliferation. Hydralazine has been reported to interfere with the performance of the MTS assay when used on adherent cells. This study aimed to investigate whether hydralazine interferes with the performance of the MTS assay on suspended cells. THP-1 (a monocytic leukemia cell line) cells were cultured in the presence or absence of hydralazine (0, 10, 50, 100, and 500 μM) for 2 or 24 h. Cell numbers were analyzed using the MTS, trypan blue exclusion, or microscopic assays. A modified version of the standard MTS assay was established by centrifuging the cells and replacing the test medium with fresh culture medium immediately before the addition of the MTS reagent. Culture of THP-1 cells with hydralazine at concentrations of 50, 100, and 500 μM for 2 h increased absorbance (p < 0.001) in the standard MTS assay, whereas both the trypan blue exclusion assay and microscopy suggested no change in cell numbers. Culture of THP-1 cells with 100 and 500 μm hydralazine for 24 h increased absorbance (p < 0.05) in the standard MTS assay; however, trypan blue exclusion and microscopy suggested a decrease in cell numbers. In a cell-free system, hydralazine (100 and 500 μM) increased absorbance in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. The modified MTS assay produced results consistent with trypan blue exclusion and microscopy using THP-1 cells. In addition, the modified MTS assay produced reliable results when K562 and Jurkat cells were incubated with hydralazine or β-mercaptoethanol (βME). In conclusion, a simple modification of the standard MTS assay overcame the interference of hydralazine and βME when assessing suspended cells. © Copyright 2021, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers 2021. *Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the Federation University Australia affiliates “Yutang Wang, Dinh Nguyen, Jack Anesi, Jason Kelly, Fahima Ahmady, Fadi Charchar" is provided in this record**
- Authors: Wang, Yutang , Nguyen, Dinh , Anesi, Jack , Kelly, Jason , Ahmady, Fahima , Charchar, Fadi
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Assay and Drug Development Technologies Vol. 19, no. 3 (2021), p. 184-190. https://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/1062671
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium (MTS) assay is one of the most commonly used tests of cell proliferation. Hydralazine has been reported to interfere with the performance of the MTS assay when used on adherent cells. This study aimed to investigate whether hydralazine interferes with the performance of the MTS assay on suspended cells. THP-1 (a monocytic leukemia cell line) cells were cultured in the presence or absence of hydralazine (0, 10, 50, 100, and 500 μM) for 2 or 24 h. Cell numbers were analyzed using the MTS, trypan blue exclusion, or microscopic assays. A modified version of the standard MTS assay was established by centrifuging the cells and replacing the test medium with fresh culture medium immediately before the addition of the MTS reagent. Culture of THP-1 cells with hydralazine at concentrations of 50, 100, and 500 μM for 2 h increased absorbance (p < 0.001) in the standard MTS assay, whereas both the trypan blue exclusion assay and microscopy suggested no change in cell numbers. Culture of THP-1 cells with 100 and 500 μm hydralazine for 24 h increased absorbance (p < 0.05) in the standard MTS assay; however, trypan blue exclusion and microscopy suggested a decrease in cell numbers. In a cell-free system, hydralazine (100 and 500 μM) increased absorbance in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. The modified MTS assay produced results consistent with trypan blue exclusion and microscopy using THP-1 cells. In addition, the modified MTS assay produced reliable results when K562 and Jurkat cells were incubated with hydralazine or β-mercaptoethanol (βME). In conclusion, a simple modification of the standard MTS assay overcame the interference of hydralazine and βME when assessing suspended cells. © Copyright 2021, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers 2021. *Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the Federation University Australia affiliates “Yutang Wang, Dinh Nguyen, Jack Anesi, Jason Kelly, Fahima Ahmady, Fadi Charchar" is provided in this record**
A multi-proxy approach to track ecological change in Gunbower Wetlands, Victoria, Australia
- Authors: Mall, Neeraj
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: The wetlands of the Murray-Darling Basin have come under the threat of a drying climate, the over-allocation of water for irrigation agriculture and widespread catchment disturbance. A synthesis of many paleolimnological assessments undertaken in the upper and lower sections of the Murray floodplain, and the Murrumbidgee, reveal considerable ecological change in wetlands from early in European settlement. The wetlands of the Gunbower Forest lie in the middle reaches of the Murray River. They are located on Gunbower Island that is deemed a wetland of international significance under the Ramsar Convention and an icon site under the Living Murray Initiative. Many Gunbower Island wetlands are located in protected forests, while others are within a zone developed for irrigation, mostly dairy, agriculture. This study analysed the sedimentary records of two wetlands within the forest estate and two within irrigation lands intending to compare long term change in the Gunbower wetlands to studies on floodplains both up and downstream, and to assess the relative impact of regional causes of change and that of local land use. Sediments constitute natural archives of past environmental changes. Sediment records were recovered from four wetlands and radiometric dating and multi-proxy paleoecological techniques were applied to assess how these wetlands have responded to changes in human occupation and other factors, such as climate. Then, extracted sediment cores were taken from Black (core length: 84 cm) and Green (86 cm) Swamps located in the forest, and Taylors (94 cm) and Cockatoo (74 cm) Lagoons were situated amongst dairy farms. In order to reconstruct ecological and water quality changes from the study sites, the cores were analysed using four different analysis techniques, i.e., Itrax-XRF (X-Ray Fluorescence) scanning, Lead-210 (210Pb) dating, Stable isotope and diatom analysis. XRF scanning provided evidence of the elemental composition of the cores. Detrital enrichment in the lower parts of all cores was observed, indicating elevated erosion rates or low water levels. In addition to this, some recent metal pollution was evident with high Cu, Ni and Pb inputs. Stable isotopes provided limited information on the carbon and nitrogen sources. The
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Mall, Neeraj
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: The wetlands of the Murray-Darling Basin have come under the threat of a drying climate, the over-allocation of water for irrigation agriculture and widespread catchment disturbance. A synthesis of many paleolimnological assessments undertaken in the upper and lower sections of the Murray floodplain, and the Murrumbidgee, reveal considerable ecological change in wetlands from early in European settlement. The wetlands of the Gunbower Forest lie in the middle reaches of the Murray River. They are located on Gunbower Island that is deemed a wetland of international significance under the Ramsar Convention and an icon site under the Living Murray Initiative. Many Gunbower Island wetlands are located in protected forests, while others are within a zone developed for irrigation, mostly dairy, agriculture. This study analysed the sedimentary records of two wetlands within the forest estate and two within irrigation lands intending to compare long term change in the Gunbower wetlands to studies on floodplains both up and downstream, and to assess the relative impact of regional causes of change and that of local land use. Sediments constitute natural archives of past environmental changes. Sediment records were recovered from four wetlands and radiometric dating and multi-proxy paleoecological techniques were applied to assess how these wetlands have responded to changes in human occupation and other factors, such as climate. Then, extracted sediment cores were taken from Black (core length: 84 cm) and Green (86 cm) Swamps located in the forest, and Taylors (94 cm) and Cockatoo (74 cm) Lagoons were situated amongst dairy farms. In order to reconstruct ecological and water quality changes from the study sites, the cores were analysed using four different analysis techniques, i.e., Itrax-XRF (X-Ray Fluorescence) scanning, Lead-210 (210Pb) dating, Stable isotope and diatom analysis. XRF scanning provided evidence of the elemental composition of the cores. Detrital enrichment in the lower parts of all cores was observed, indicating elevated erosion rates or low water levels. In addition to this, some recent metal pollution was evident with high Cu, Ni and Pb inputs. Stable isotopes provided limited information on the carbon and nitrogen sources. The
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
A new global index for short term voltage stability assessment
- Alshareef, Abdulrhman, Shah, Rakibuzzaman, Mithulananthan, Nadarajah, Alzahrani, Saeed
- Authors: Alshareef, Abdulrhman , Shah, Rakibuzzaman , Mithulananthan, Nadarajah , Alzahrani, Saeed
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: IEEE Access Vol. 9, no. (2021), p. 36114-36124
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The utility scale of non-conventional generators (NCGs), such as wind and photovoltaic (PV) plants, are competitive alternatives to synchronous machines (SMs) for power generation. Higher penetration of NCGs has been respondent of causing several recent incidents leading up to voltage collapse in power systems due to the distinct characteristics of NCGs under different operating conditions. Consequently, the so-called system strength has been reduced with higher NCGs penetration. A number of indices have been developed to quantify system strength from the short-term voltage stability (STVS) perspective. None of the indices capture the overall performances of power systems on dynamic voltage recovery. In this paper, an improvement in one of the STVS indices namely, the Voltage Recovery Index (VRI), is proposed to overcome shortcomings in the original index. Moreover, the improved index is globalized to establish a new index defined as system voltage recovery index (VRIsys) to quantify STVS at the system level. The amended VRI and developed VRIsys are used in systematic simulations to quantify the impact and interaction of various factors that could affect system strength. The assessment was conducted using time-domain simulation with direct connected induction motors (DCIMs) and a proliferation of converter-based technologies on both the generation and load sides, namely, NCGs and Variable Speed Drives (VSDs), respectively. © 2013 IEEE.
- Authors: Alshareef, Abdulrhman , Shah, Rakibuzzaman , Mithulananthan, Nadarajah , Alzahrani, Saeed
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: IEEE Access Vol. 9, no. (2021), p. 36114-36124
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The utility scale of non-conventional generators (NCGs), such as wind and photovoltaic (PV) plants, are competitive alternatives to synchronous machines (SMs) for power generation. Higher penetration of NCGs has been respondent of causing several recent incidents leading up to voltage collapse in power systems due to the distinct characteristics of NCGs under different operating conditions. Consequently, the so-called system strength has been reduced with higher NCGs penetration. A number of indices have been developed to quantify system strength from the short-term voltage stability (STVS) perspective. None of the indices capture the overall performances of power systems on dynamic voltage recovery. In this paper, an improvement in one of the STVS indices namely, the Voltage Recovery Index (VRI), is proposed to overcome shortcomings in the original index. Moreover, the improved index is globalized to establish a new index defined as system voltage recovery index (VRIsys) to quantify STVS at the system level. The amended VRI and developed VRIsys are used in systematic simulations to quantify the impact and interaction of various factors that could affect system strength. The assessment was conducted using time-domain simulation with direct connected induction motors (DCIMs) and a proliferation of converter-based technologies on both the generation and load sides, namely, NCGs and Variable Speed Drives (VSDs), respectively. © 2013 IEEE.
A new proof of Balinski's theorem on the connectivity of polytopes
- Pineda-Villavicencio, Guillermo
- Authors: Pineda-Villavicencio, Guillermo
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Discrete Mathematics Vol. 344, no. 7 (2021), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Balinski (1961) proved that the graph of a d-dimensional convex polytope is d-connected. We provide a new proof of this result. Our proof provides details on the nature of a separating set with exactly d vertices; some of which appear to be new. © 2021 Elsevier B.V.
- Authors: Pineda-Villavicencio, Guillermo
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Discrete Mathematics Vol. 344, no. 7 (2021), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Balinski (1961) proved that the graph of a d-dimensional convex polytope is d-connected. We provide a new proof of this result. Our proof provides details on the nature of a separating set with exactly d vertices; some of which appear to be new. © 2021 Elsevier B.V.
A new regularity criterion of weak solutions to the 3D micropolar fluid flows in terms of the pressure
- Gala, Sadek, Ragusa, Maria, Théra, Michel
- Authors: Gala, Sadek , Ragusa, Maria , Théra, Michel
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Bolletino dell Unione Matematica Italiana Vol. 14, no. 2 (2021), p. 331-337
- Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP160100854
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: In this study, we establish a new regularity criterion of weak solutions to the three-dimensional micropolar fluid flows by imposing a critical growth condition on the pressure field. © 2020, Unione Matematica Italiana.
- Authors: Gala, Sadek , Ragusa, Maria , Théra, Michel
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Bolletino dell Unione Matematica Italiana Vol. 14, no. 2 (2021), p. 331-337
- Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP160100854
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: In this study, we establish a new regularity criterion of weak solutions to the three-dimensional micropolar fluid flows by imposing a critical growth condition on the pressure field. © 2020, Unione Matematica Italiana.
A novel fusion approach in the extraction of kernel descriptor with improved effectiveness and efficiency
- Karmakar, Priyabrata, Teng, Shyh, Lu, Guojun, Zhang, Dengsheng
- Authors: Karmakar, Priyabrata , Teng, Shyh , Lu, Guojun , Zhang, Dengsheng
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Multimedia Tools and Applications Vol. 80, no. 10 (Apr 2021), p. 14545-14564
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Image representation using feature descriptors is crucial. A number of histogram-based descriptors are widely used for this purpose. However, histogram-based descriptors have certain limitations and kernel descriptors (KDES) are proven to overcome them. Moreover, the combination of more than one KDES performs better than an individual KDES. Conventionally, KDES fusion is performed by concatenating them after the gradient, colour and shape descriptors have been extracted. This approach has limitations in regard to the efficiency as well as the effectiveness. In this paper, we propose a novel approach to fuse different image features before the descriptor extraction, resulting in a compact descriptor which is efficient and effective. In addition, we have investigated the effect on the proposed descriptor when texture-based features are fused along with the conventionally used features. Our proposed descriptor is examined on two publicly available image databases and shown to provide outstanding performances.
- Authors: Karmakar, Priyabrata , Teng, Shyh , Lu, Guojun , Zhang, Dengsheng
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Multimedia Tools and Applications Vol. 80, no. 10 (Apr 2021), p. 14545-14564
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Image representation using feature descriptors is crucial. A number of histogram-based descriptors are widely used for this purpose. However, histogram-based descriptors have certain limitations and kernel descriptors (KDES) are proven to overcome them. Moreover, the combination of more than one KDES performs better than an individual KDES. Conventionally, KDES fusion is performed by concatenating them after the gradient, colour and shape descriptors have been extracted. This approach has limitations in regard to the efficiency as well as the effectiveness. In this paper, we propose a novel approach to fuse different image features before the descriptor extraction, resulting in a compact descriptor which is efficient and effective. In addition, we have investigated the effect on the proposed descriptor when texture-based features are fused along with the conventionally used features. Our proposed descriptor is examined on two publicly available image databases and shown to provide outstanding performances.
A novel OFDM format and a machine learning based dimming control for lifi
- Nowrin, Itisha, Mondal, M., Islam, Rashed, Kamruzzaman, Joarder
- Authors: Nowrin, Itisha , Mondal, M. , Islam, Rashed , Kamruzzaman, Joarder
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Electronics (Switzerland) Vol. 10, no. 17 (2021), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This paper proposes a new hybrid orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) form termed as DC‐biased pulse amplitude modulated optical OFDM (DPO‐OFDM) by combining the ideas of the existing DC‐biased optical OFDM (DCO‐OFDM) and pulse amplitude modulated discrete multitone (PAM‐DMT). The analysis indicates that the required DC‐bias for DPO‐OFDM-based light fidelity (LiFi) depends on the dimming level and the components of the DPO‐OFDM. The bit error rate (BER) performance and dimming flexibility of the DPO‐OFDM and existing OFDM schemes are evaluated using MATLAB tools. The results show that the proposed DPO‐OFDM is power efficient and has a wide dimming range. Furthermore, a switching algorithm is introduced for LiFi, where the individual components of the hybrid OFDM are switched according to a target dimming level. Next, machine learning algorithms are used for the first time to find the appropriate proportions of the hybrid OFDM components. It is shown that polynomial regression of degree 4 can reliably predict the constellation size of the DCO‐OFDM component of DPO‐OFDM for a given constellation size of PAM‐DMT. With the component switching and the machine learning algorithms, DPO‐OFDM‐based LiFi is power efficient at a wide dimming range. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
- Authors: Nowrin, Itisha , Mondal, M. , Islam, Rashed , Kamruzzaman, Joarder
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Electronics (Switzerland) Vol. 10, no. 17 (2021), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This paper proposes a new hybrid orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) form termed as DC‐biased pulse amplitude modulated optical OFDM (DPO‐OFDM) by combining the ideas of the existing DC‐biased optical OFDM (DCO‐OFDM) and pulse amplitude modulated discrete multitone (PAM‐DMT). The analysis indicates that the required DC‐bias for DPO‐OFDM-based light fidelity (LiFi) depends on the dimming level and the components of the DPO‐OFDM. The bit error rate (BER) performance and dimming flexibility of the DPO‐OFDM and existing OFDM schemes are evaluated using MATLAB tools. The results show that the proposed DPO‐OFDM is power efficient and has a wide dimming range. Furthermore, a switching algorithm is introduced for LiFi, where the individual components of the hybrid OFDM are switched according to a target dimming level. Next, machine learning algorithms are used for the first time to find the appropriate proportions of the hybrid OFDM components. It is shown that polynomial regression of degree 4 can reliably predict the constellation size of the DCO‐OFDM component of DPO‐OFDM for a given constellation size of PAM‐DMT. With the component switching and the machine learning algorithms, DPO‐OFDM‐based LiFi is power efficient at a wide dimming range. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
A patient agent controlled customized blockchain based framework for internet of things
- Authors: Uddin, Md Ashraf
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Although Blockchain implementations have emerged as revolutionary technologies for various industrial applications including cryptocurrencies, they have not been widely deployed to store data streaming from sensors to remote servers in architectures known as Internet of Things. New Blockchain for the Internet of Things models promise secure solutions for eHealth, smart cities, and other applications. These models pave the way for continuous monitoring of patient’s physiological signs with wearable sensors to augment traditional medical practice without recourse to storing data with a trusted authority. However, existing Blockchain algorithms cannot accommodate the huge volumes, security, and privacy requirements of health data. In this thesis, our first contribution is an End-to-End secure eHealth architecture that introduces an intelligent Patient Centric Agent. The Patient Centric Agent executing on dedicated hardware manages the storage and access of streams of sensors generated health data, into a customized Blockchain and other less secure repositories. As IoT devices cannot host Blockchain technology due to their limited memory, power, and computational resources, the Patient Centric Agent coordinates and communicates with a private customized Blockchain on behalf of the wearable devices. While the adoption of a Patient Centric Agent offers solutions for addressing continuous monitoring of patients’ health, dealing with storage, data privacy and network security issues, the architecture is vulnerable to Denial of Services(DoS) and single point of failure attacks. To address this issue, we advance a second contribution; a decentralised eHealth system in which the Patient Centric Agent is replicated at three levels: Sensing Layer, NEAR Processing Layer and FAR Processing Layer. The functionalities of the Patient Centric Agent are customized to manage the tasks of the three levels. Simulations confirm protection of the architecture against DoS attacks. Few patients require all their health data to be stored in Blockchain repositories but instead need to select an appropriate storage medium for each chunk of data by matching their personal needs and preferences with features of candidate storage mediums. Motivated by this context, we advance third contribution; a recommendation model for health data storage that can accommodate patient preferences and make storage decisions rapidly, in real-time, even with streamed data. The mapping between health data features and characteristics of each repository is learned using machine learning. The Blockchain’s capacity to make transactions and store records without central oversight enables its application for IoT networks outside health such as underwater IoT networks where the unattended nature of the nodes threatens their security and privacy. However, underwater IoT differs from ground IoT as acoustics signals are the communication media leading to high propagation delays, high error rates exacerbated by turbulent water currents. Our fourth contribution is a customized Blockchain leveraged framework with the model of Patient-Centric Agent renamed as Smart Agent for securely monitoring underwater IoT. Finally, the smart Agent has been investigated in developing an IoT smart home or cities monitoring framework. The key algorithms underpinning to each contribution have been implemented and analysed using simulators.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Uddin, Md Ashraf
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Although Blockchain implementations have emerged as revolutionary technologies for various industrial applications including cryptocurrencies, they have not been widely deployed to store data streaming from sensors to remote servers in architectures known as Internet of Things. New Blockchain for the Internet of Things models promise secure solutions for eHealth, smart cities, and other applications. These models pave the way for continuous monitoring of patient’s physiological signs with wearable sensors to augment traditional medical practice without recourse to storing data with a trusted authority. However, existing Blockchain algorithms cannot accommodate the huge volumes, security, and privacy requirements of health data. In this thesis, our first contribution is an End-to-End secure eHealth architecture that introduces an intelligent Patient Centric Agent. The Patient Centric Agent executing on dedicated hardware manages the storage and access of streams of sensors generated health data, into a customized Blockchain and other less secure repositories. As IoT devices cannot host Blockchain technology due to their limited memory, power, and computational resources, the Patient Centric Agent coordinates and communicates with a private customized Blockchain on behalf of the wearable devices. While the adoption of a Patient Centric Agent offers solutions for addressing continuous monitoring of patients’ health, dealing with storage, data privacy and network security issues, the architecture is vulnerable to Denial of Services(DoS) and single point of failure attacks. To address this issue, we advance a second contribution; a decentralised eHealth system in which the Patient Centric Agent is replicated at three levels: Sensing Layer, NEAR Processing Layer and FAR Processing Layer. The functionalities of the Patient Centric Agent are customized to manage the tasks of the three levels. Simulations confirm protection of the architecture against DoS attacks. Few patients require all their health data to be stored in Blockchain repositories but instead need to select an appropriate storage medium for each chunk of data by matching their personal needs and preferences with features of candidate storage mediums. Motivated by this context, we advance third contribution; a recommendation model for health data storage that can accommodate patient preferences and make storage decisions rapidly, in real-time, even with streamed data. The mapping between health data features and characteristics of each repository is learned using machine learning. The Blockchain’s capacity to make transactions and store records without central oversight enables its application for IoT networks outside health such as underwater IoT networks where the unattended nature of the nodes threatens their security and privacy. However, underwater IoT differs from ground IoT as acoustics signals are the communication media leading to high propagation delays, high error rates exacerbated by turbulent water currents. Our fourth contribution is a customized Blockchain leveraged framework with the model of Patient-Centric Agent renamed as Smart Agent for securely monitoring underwater IoT. Finally, the smart Agent has been investigated in developing an IoT smart home or cities monitoring framework. The key algorithms underpinning to each contribution have been implemented and analysed using simulators.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
A preliminary investigation of the effect of ethical labeling and moral self-image on the expected and perceived flavor and aroma of beer
- Doorn, George, Ferguson, Rose, Watson, Shaun, Timora, Justin, Berends, Dylan, Moore, Chris
- Authors: Doorn, George , Ferguson, Rose , Watson, Shaun , Timora, Justin , Berends, Dylan , Moore, Chris
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Beverages Vol. 7, no. 2 (2021), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Ethical labelling has been shown to influence taste/flavour perception. Across two experiments, the present study examined how ethical labelling and moral self-image influenced both the expected (Experiment One) and perceived (Experiment Two) taste/flavour characteristics of beer. In Experiment One, 170 participants read either a ‘moral’ or ‘control’ label describing a brewery, after which they were presented with an image of a beer. Participants then completed a Beer Taste Perception Questionnaire and the Moral Self-Image Scale. In Experiment Two, 59 participants were exposed to either the moral or control label before tasting a beer and completing the same questionnaires from Experiment One. The results of Experiment One indicated that label type moderated the relationship between moral self-image and the intensity ratings of the beer. Specifically, in the presence of a control label, the expected intensity of the beer’s flavour increased as moral self-image increased. Experiment Two found no evidence that the moral label influenced the perceived taste of the beer. However, the results showed that as moral self-image became more positive the perceived refreshingness of the beer increased. This study provides novel evidence of the potential relationship between an individual’s moral self-image and the expected and perceived taste/flavour characteristics of beer. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
- Authors: Doorn, George , Ferguson, Rose , Watson, Shaun , Timora, Justin , Berends, Dylan , Moore, Chris
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Beverages Vol. 7, no. 2 (2021), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Ethical labelling has been shown to influence taste/flavour perception. Across two experiments, the present study examined how ethical labelling and moral self-image influenced both the expected (Experiment One) and perceived (Experiment Two) taste/flavour characteristics of beer. In Experiment One, 170 participants read either a ‘moral’ or ‘control’ label describing a brewery, after which they were presented with an image of a beer. Participants then completed a Beer Taste Perception Questionnaire and the Moral Self-Image Scale. In Experiment Two, 59 participants were exposed to either the moral or control label before tasting a beer and completing the same questionnaires from Experiment One. The results of Experiment One indicated that label type moderated the relationship between moral self-image and the intensity ratings of the beer. Specifically, in the presence of a control label, the expected intensity of the beer’s flavour increased as moral self-image increased. Experiment Two found no evidence that the moral label influenced the perceived taste of the beer. However, the results showed that as moral self-image became more positive the perceived refreshingness of the beer increased. This study provides novel evidence of the potential relationship between an individual’s moral self-image and the expected and perceived taste/flavour characteristics of beer. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.