19683 research outputs found
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mHealth low carbohydrate dietary intervention ameliorates glycaemic profile, blood pressure and weight status in people with type 2 diabetes
No full textAbstract: Low carbohydrate diets (LCD) have shown efficacy in managing clinical outcomes in type 2 diabetes (T2D). Incorporating digital tools into health care provides an adjunct treatment modality, to educate patients and provide clinical support. This study examines the effect of a mobile health (mHealth) LCD application (app) on glycaemic profile, blood pressure and weight status, in people with T2D. The study is an online single-arm, pre-post study that recruited people with T2D from around Australia, referred via registered supporting general practitioners (GPs). The intervention (Defeat Diabetes app) provides education and resources on the use of a LCD for ongoing management of T2D. After 3 months, our cohort of 99 participants (mean age 59 ± 11 years, 55 females) showed reduced dietary carbohydrate intake as a proportion of overall energy (−14%kJ/day, 95% CI: −17 to −11). Improvement in the primary outcome HbA1c (−1.0%, 95% CI: −1.3 to −0.7), was associated with reduction in dietary carbohydrate intake. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) improved (−6 mmHg, 95% CI: −10 to −1), while 21 participants reduced their diabetes medication dose with two participants discontinuing all diabetes medication. These findings demonstrate that people with T2D receiving LCD education and resources through the Defeat Diabetes app for 3 months improved their glycaemic profile and SBP despite decreased overall medication usage in almost one third of the study sample prescribed medication at baseline.</p
The Pacific foodfish list: a standardized list of over 1000 species of marine fish consumed by Pacific people
No full textContext: The sustainable supply of fish in the face of climate change and other drivers of change is a policy priority for Pacific nations. Creel and market surveys are increasingly used to document catches but this information has not been aggregated at a regional scale. Aims: In this paper we provide a comprehensive and standardized list of Pacific marine foodfishes in 22 Pacific Island Countries and Territories to enable comparative analyses and improved national surveys. Methods: National lists of marine teleost fish caught for food were cleaned of errors and standardized to current valid names using authoritative global databases. National lists were subsequently aggregated to subregional and regional scales. Key results: Pacific people were found to consume more than 1000 species of marine fish (presently 1031 species), with the highest diversity observed in Melanesia and the lowest in Polynesia. A total of 14% of species names have changed since surveys were completed. An estimated 3847 species of marine fish are recorded from the region, most of which are small reef species. This list of Pacific foodfish is available through the Pacific Data Hub curated by the Pacific Community. Conclusions: The study quantifies, for the first time, the great diversity of fishes consumed by Pacific people and highlights the need for more baselines of catch, acquisition and consumption. Implications: These findings provide a foundation across the region for analysing species’ relative importance in local economies and diets, supporting fisheries management and food security policies critical to the wellbeing of Pacific people in a changing world.</p
An Algorithm for Detecting Brute Force Attacks on FTP and SSH Services Utilizing Deep Learning with Probabilistic Neural Networks (PNN)
No full textBrute force attacks remain one of the most prevalent and effective methods cybercriminals use to gain unauthorized access to networks and systems. These attacks involve systematically attempting various password or key combinations until the correct one is identified, often targeting critical services such as FTP (File Transfer Protocol) and SSH (Secure Shell). The consequences of these attacks can be severe, including data breaches, financial losses, and reputational damage. Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) play a crucial role in mitigating these threats by monitoring network traffic and identifying malicious activities. However, traditional IDS methods - such as signature based detection and anomaly detection - struggle to detect emerging and evolving threats. To address these challenges, this study presents an advanced detection model utilizing deep learning techniques, specifically a Probabilistic Neural Network (PNN), to identify brute force attacks on FTP and SSH protocols. The model is trained and evaluated using the CICIDS2018 dataset, with the Bat Optimization Algorithm employed to fine-tune parameters and enhance performance. The proposed model achieves remarkable results, with an accuracy of 99.968%, precision of 99.949%, recall of 99.986%, and an F1-score of 99.968%. These findings highlight the model's potential as a highly effective tool for strengthening network security and preventing unauthorized access.</p
Long-term free-air-CO₂-enrichment increases carbon distribution in the stable fraction in the deep layer of non-clay soils
No full textElevated CO2 (eCO2) in the atmosphere can increase plant C input into soils. However, in dryland cropping systems, it remains unclear how eCO2 may alter soil organic C content and stability in relation to potential changes in microbial community composition and whether these changes may depend on soil type and depth. Using an eight-year free-air-CO2-enrichment (SoilFACE) system, this study addressed these questions in three farming soils including a sandy Calcarosol, a clay Vertosol and a silt loam Chromosol at depths of 0–40 cm. Long-term eCO2 did not change soil C content or its distribution in different C fractions in the top 30-cm soil. The majority of the relatively abundant bacterial taxa significantly affected by eCO2 in the 0–10 cm layer were copiotrophic; this also occurred to fungal community, except for the Calcarosol where some saprotrophs showed a decreasing trend. These changes in microbial taxa indicate that eCO2 accelerated the decomposition of both new and pre-existing C pools in the topsoil. Although eCO2 did not change soil C content in the 30–40 cm layer, it increased soil C content in the stable C fraction associated with particles 2. Further investigation is warranted on whether the enhanced stability subsoil C under eCO2 results from the leaching of stable organic molecules from the topsoil to the subsoil for buildup in the non-clay Calcarosol and Chromosol. Overall, these findings suggest that eCO2 is likely to enhance soil C stability in the deeper parts of the profile of non-clay soils.</p
Fabry-Perot Interferometer Measurement of the Temperature and Wind at F Layer Heights
No full textA thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Division of Theoretical and Space Physics, School of Physical Sciences, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia.</p
Physical layer security techniques for grant-free massive Machine-Type Communications in 5G and beyond: A survey, challenges, and future directions
No full textThe future of smart cities, industrial automation, and connected vehicles is heavily reliant on advanced communication technologies. These technologies, particularly massive Machine-Type Communication (mMTC), are the backbone of the many connected devices required for these applications. Grant -free access in 5G and beyond, while enhancing transmission efficiency by eliminating the need for permission requests, also introduces significant security risks. These risks, such as unauthorised access, data interception, and interference due to the absence of centralised control, are of paramount importance. Physical layer security (PLS) techniques, with their ability to exploit the unique properties of wireless channels to bolster communication security, offer a promising solution. This paper provides a comprehensive review of PLS techniques for securing grant-free mMTC, comparing different approaches and exploring the challenges of their integration. Our findings lay the groundwork for future research and the practical implementation of advanced security solutions in grant-free mMTC, a development that will also enhance the security of advanced 5G and 6G networks.</p
The crystal structure of the toxin EspC from enteropathogenic Escherichia coli reveals the mechanism that governs host cell entry and cytotoxicity.
No full textEnteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) is a significant cause of diarrhea, leading to high infant mortality rates. A key toxin produced by EPEC is the EspC autotransporter, which is regulated alongside genes from the locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE), which collectively result in the characteristic attaching and effacing lesions on the intestinal epithelium. In this study, we present the crystal structure of the EspC passenger domain (αEspC) revealing a toxin comprised a serine protease attached to a large β-helix with additional subdomains. Using various modified EspC expression constructs, alongside type III secretion system-mediated cell internalization assays, we dissect how the αEspC structural features enable toxin entry into the intestinal epithelium to cause cell cytotoxicity.</p
Fire, flammability and grasses: does fire regime effect the grass-fire cycle in a northern Australian savanna?
No full textSubmitted in total fulfilment of the requirements for a Master of Science to the School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia.</p
Patient and Carer Understandings and Experiences of Living With Type 2 Diabetes in India
No full textBackground: The prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) is rapidly increasing in India. Evidence suggests that adherence to both pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatment regimens combined with support from carers may help in the optimal management of T2D. However, adherence to treatment and the role of carers is not clearly understood in the management of T2D in India. Objective: To explore the perceptions of people living with T2D and the role of carers in the management of T2D. Methods: Semi‐structured face‐to‐face interviews were conducted with people living with T2D in Mysuru, India, and their carers. A total of 22 participants were included, of which 12 were supported by carers. All interviews were conducted in the participant's home, were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and thematically analyzed. Results: Two themes were identified (a) the illness journey of people living with T2D; (b) the role of carers in supporting the illness journey of their family members living with T2D. The beliefs and perceptions of people living with T2D impacted their adherence to T2D management. Lack of rapport and open‐ended discussions regarding medication use with doctors are some factors that contributed to self‐medication practices. In addition, there was little trust towards Western medicines, thereby increasing self‐medication of traditional medicines. Carers provided support to their family members in managing T2D, however perceived a sense of powerlessness in their ability to effectively provide support for the management of the disease. Conclusion: Participants reported non‐adherence to the T2D treatment regimen prescribed by their doctor despite support from carers. There were multiple individual and systemic factors that encouraged self‐medication for people living with T2D. Strategies to garner trust between doctors and patients as well as inclusion of carers during consultations should be considered. This may allow for more open communication and disclosure of self‐medicating and use of traditional forms of medicine.</p
Complex numbers with a prescribed order of approximation and Zaremba's conjecture
No full textGiven b = −A±i with A being a positive integer, we can represent any complex number as a power series in b with coefficients in A = {0,1,...,A2}. We prove that, for any real τ ≥2and any non-empty proper subset J(b) of A with at least two elements, there are uncountably many complex numbers (including transcendental numbers) that can be expressed as power series in b with coefficients in J(b) and with the irrationality exponent (in terms of Gaussian integers) equal to τ. One of the key ingredients in our construction is the ‘Folding Lemma’ applied to Hurwitz continued fractions. This motivates a Hurwitz continued fraction analogue of the wellknown Zaremba’s conjecture. We prove several results in support of this conjecture.</p