CNN based deep learning modeling with explainability analysis for detecting fraudulent blockchain transactions

In the era of growing cryptocurrency adoption, Blockchain has emerged as a leading player in the digital payment landscape. However, this widespread popularity also brings forth various security challenges, including the need to safeguard against fraudulent activities. One of the paramount challenges in this regard is the detection of fraudulent transactions within the realm of Bitcoin data. This task significantly influences the trust and security of digital payments. Yet, it\u27s a formidable challenge given the relatively low occurrence of fraudulent Bitcoin transactions. While deep learning techniques have demonstrated their prowess in fraud detection, there remains a scarcity of studies exploring their potential, particularly in Blockchain. This study aims to fill that gap, focusing on our 1D Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) model, which combines the power of eXplainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) techniques. To understand how our model works and explain its decisions, we use the Shapley Additive exPlanation (SHAP) method, which measures each feature\u27s impact. We also deal with data imbalance by exploring various methods to balance fraudulent and benign Bitcoin transaction data. Our findings are significant, indicating that the proposed 1D CNN model achieves higher accuracy while simultaneously reducing the False Positive Rate (FPR)

Exercise medicine as adjunct therapy during RADIation for CAncer of the prostaTE to improve treatment efficacy – protocol for the ERADICATE study: A phase II randomised controlled trial

Background: Tumour hypoxia resulting from inadequate perfusion is common in many solid tumours, including prostate cancer, and constitutes a major limiting factor in radiation therapy that contributes to treatment resistance. Emerging research in preclinical animal models indicates that exercise has the potential to enhance the efficacy of cancer treatment by modulating tumour perfusion and reducing hypoxia; however, evidence from randomised controlled trials is currently lacking. The ‘Exercise medicine as adjunct therapy during RADIation for CAncer of the prostaTE’ (ERADICATE) study is designed to investigate the impact of exercise on treatment response, tumour physiology, and adverse effects of treatment in prostate cancer patients undergoing external beam radiation therapy (EBRT). Methods: The ERADICATE study is a two-arm, parallel group, phase II randomised controlled trial. Fifty patients diagnosed with prostate cancer will be randomised (1:1) to either an exercise intervention group (EBRT + exercise) or a usual care control group (EBRT only) for the duration of treatment (i.e., 2 to 8 weeks of EBRT). The exercise intervention will be clinic-based and supervised by exercise physiologists. Exercise sessions will include moderate- to vigorous-intensity aerobic and resistance exercise conducted two to three times per week for 60 min per session. Treatment response (primary outcome) will be assessed by change in tumour apparent diffusion coefficient derived from magnetic resonance imaging. Secondary outcomes will include acute and chronic changes in tumour perfusion and hypoxia, treatment-related toxicity, body composition, physical function, and quality of life. Survival outcomes will be assessed as exploratory endpoints. Study measurements will be conducted at baseline (i.e., prior to commencing EBRT), immediately after completion of EBRT, and during follow-up at 3 months as well as 2 years and 5 years post treatment. The study was approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee at Edith Cowan University. Discussion: The ERADICATE study will investigate exercise as a novel therapeutic approach for sensitising prostate cancer to EBRT by targeting a known mechanism of treatment resistance. Improving treatment efficacy of EBRT with exercise may result in better patient outcomes clinically, while also addressing adverse effects of treatment and quality of life in prostate cancer patients. Trial registration: The study was registered on the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12624000786594) on 26/06/2024

Industry return predictability using health policy uncertainty

This paper examines how a change in health policy uncertainty affects US industry returns using monthly data from January 1985 to September 2020. We employ in-sample and out-of-sample analyses, and we find evidence that 25 out of 49 considered industries are predictable during the health crisis periods, including severe acute respiratory syndrome and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The out-of-sample tests corroborate the evidence for the in-sample predictability. Furthermore, using a mean–variance utility function-based trading strategy, we observe that investors can use this simple tool for their trading strategies and make profits from 2.99 to 11.44% per annum. Our findings are robust after accounting for different business cycles, macroeconomic factor effects, the fluctuation in economic policy uncertainty, and different pandemic phases. These results complement the existing literature on industry return predictability and have potential implications for asset pricing and risk management

Pulmonary nodule malignancy probability: A meta-analysis of the Brock model

Aim: This study aims to quantify the performance of the Brock model through a systematic review and meta-analysis and to clarify its overall accuracy in predicting malignant pulmonary nodules. Materials and Methods: A systematic search was conducted in databases including the Cochrane Library, Excerpta Medica database (EMBASE), MEDLINE, Web of Science, Chinese Biological Medicine Database (CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP, and Wanfang from their inception until May 1, 2024, to collect observational cohort studies involving the Brock model. The primary outcome was the pooled area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) the area under curve (AUC) for the Brock model. Secondary outcomes included sensitivity and specificity. The metaprotocol was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD42024538163). Results: A total of 52 studies involving 85,558 patients were included. The pooled AUC was 0.796 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.771-0.820), with a pooled sensitivity of 0.82 (95% CI: 0.76-0.87) and specificity of 0.80 (95% CI: 0.72-0.86). Subgroup analysis showed that the performance of the full model was significantly better than that of the simplified model (0.822, 95% CI: 0.794-0.849 versus 0.687, 95% CI: 0.611-0.763). The model performed excellently for pulmonary nodules with diameters of 1- to 8 mm (AUC: 0.927, 95% CI: 0.900-0.954). However, its performance was lower in Asian populations (AUC = 0.741, 95% CI: 0.703-0.780), solitary pulmonary nodules (AUC = 0.767, 95% CI: 0.693-0.842), and subsolid pulmonary nodules (AUC = 0.747, 95% CI: 0.661-0.832). Conclusion: This meta-analysis confirms the Brock model\u27s overall strong performance. However, the results indicate certain application limitations of the Brock model, with reduced accuracy for larger nodules (\u3e15 mm), solitary pulmonary nodules, subsolid nodules, and in Asian populations

Satellite and eddy covariance analysis reveals short-lived evapotranspiration changes after fire in Mediterranean woodland

Ecosystem evapotranspiration (ET) varies through space and time in response to environmental gradients and disturbances like fire. Field-based techniques (e.g. eddy covariance) can directly measure how ET responds to fire; however, these measurements are localised and only represent small areas. Remotely sensed ET products can potentially evaluate fire impacts on ecosystem ET, but their performance for this task remains largely unassessed. This paper uses three widely available remote sensing products: the CSIRO MODIS ReScaled ET (CMRSET), MODIS ET (MOD16), and Penman–Monteith–Leuning (PML), to assess ET changes caused by a fuel reduction burn in a Mediterranean woodland in comparison to the changes detected using eddy covariance measurements. All remotely sensed ET products were first compared to ET measured at the Gingin OzFlux eddy covariance tower at annual and monthly timescales. Then, we tested the ability of these products to identify fire-induced changes by comparing ET between burned and unburned areas. At the annual timescale, CMRSET, MOD16, and PML agreed well with eddy covariance with R2 ranging from 0.44 to 0.56 and RMSE equalling 3.0 to 4.0% of the annual eddy covariance estimate. However, the agreement was worse at the monthly timescale with R2 ranging from 0.14 to 0.54 and RMSE equalling 10.0 to 18.0% of the monthly eddy covariance estimate. In addition, CMRSET exhibited a two-month phase lag with measured ET. Eddy covariance suggested that the fuel reduction burn decreased ET by 56 mm over the first year post-fire (i.e. 10% of the annual pre-fire ET); however, ET quickly returned to pre-fire conditions as vegetation regrew. All remote sensing products could detect the direction, timing, and duration of the fire disturbance, but PML showed the greatest potential in quantifying ET changes over the first year following the fire, with an error of 9%, or approximately 5 mm/year. Based on these results, we are confident in PML capability to assess fire impacts on ecosystem ET in Mediterranean drylands

Effect of relative isometric strength on countermovement jump performance in professional and semi-professional soccer players

As powerful actions commonly proceed goal scoring opportunities within soccer, enhancing powerful actions could be essential to optimize performance. There is a large body of evidence supporting the positive associations between maximal isometric mid-thigh pull force-generating qualities and jump performance. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine if relative maximal isometric force production can discriminate between higher- and lower-performing jumpers among professional and semi-professional soccer players. As such, it was hypothesized that stronger players would have a greater jump performance than weaker players. Methods: An observational cross-sectional research design was used to assess ballistic and isometric force production of the lower limbs across players from four professional and semi-professional soccer clubs during the pre-season period. Seventy-six professional male lower-league soccer players (mass: 82.5 ± 8.2 kg; height: 1.80 ± 0.07 m; age: 25.8 ± 4.3 years) performed three trials of the countermovement jump (CMJ) and isometric mid-thigh pull (IMTP) using force plates. Players were categorized as strong and weak using the group’s average IMTP relative peak force (33.41 N/kg). A series of one-way Bayesian independent t-tests were performed to determine the difference between strong and weak groups. Results: A large magnitude of difference was observed between strong and weak players for relative peak force (d [95% CI] = 2.53 [2.017–∞]), with strong evidence supporting the hypothesis (BF10 = 2.698 × 10+14). There was moderate evidence to support the hypothesis that strong players (n = 37) had a greater modified reactive strength index (mRSI) and relative average braking force in comparison to weaker players (n = 39). All other evidence was weak, with trivial-to-small differences (d = 0.10–0.42) for jump height, jump momentum, propulsive force, force at minimum displacement, time to take off, and countermovement depth. Conclusions: Maximal relative strength has implications on jump performance, albeit not on the jump outcome. Stronger players performed the CMJ more efficiently when observing the mRSI, with a shorter time to take off, while producing greater average relative forces during the braking phase. This could have potential implications in the sporting environment when performing jumping tasks, where they can achieve a similar outcome over a shorter duration

Floor talk | Searching for my work – PhD work in progress

Searching for My Work is a research residency that unfolds through material experimentation and artistic inquiry, focusing on the intersections of identity, memory, and decolonial feminist perspectives. This project explores how personal and collective histories are preserved, embodied, and reinterpreted through mixed-media processes. Working between photography, cyanotypes, textiles, and archival materials, I investigate the ways in which cultural heritage and gendered experiences are inscribed onto the body and space. My process is slow and layered, embracing the act of making as a means of reflection and discovery. By engaging with fabric, light-sensitive prints, and material residues, I trace connections between past and present, absence and presence, visibility and erasure. Rather than presenting a final exhibition, this residency transforms Spectrum into an evolving workspace—an active site where research takes form through artistic practice. The space will reveal how material choices, processual methods, and conceptual frameworks shape the work’s development. Through this approach, Searching for My Work invites audiences to engage with the fluid, iterative nature of art-making, positioning the act of searching itself as a critical mode of inquiry

Enhancing energy efficiency in solar thermal systems: The role of hybrid nanofluids in sustainable energy harvesting and storage

Global energy demand continues to grow, making the reliance on fossil fuels increasingly unsustainable due to dwindling reserves and environmental impacts. Among these, solar thermal systems have emerged as a practical and environmentally friendly solution, with applications ranging from industrial heating and solar water heating to concentrated solar power (CSP) plants and solar desalination units. Solar-based thermal systems offer a promising alternative, with nanofluids (NFs) emerging as a transformative solution. Engineered by dispersing nanoparticles into base fluids, NFs enhance thermal conductivity, heat absorption, and efficiency. Notably, nanoparticles such as titanium nitride also act as nano-catalysts, improving chemical reactions and reducing waste in solar-driven processes like hydrogen production and photocatalysis. NFs significantly boost the performance of solar collectors, concentrated solar power plants, and desalination systems, representing a critical step towards cleaner, more sustainable energy solutions. Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs), a class of highly porous materials, are gaining recognition for their exceptional energy adsorption, storage, and transfer properties. MOFs have been extensively studied for solar energy harvesting due to their ability to absorb specific wavelengths of light, making them ideal for applications such as solar thermal storage systems and photocatalysis. With tunable porosity and surface chemistry, MOFs enhance light absorption, thermal stability, and energy conversion efficiency, providing a cutting-edge pathway for solar energy utilization. The performance of MOF-based NFs can be further improved by incorporating advanced nanoparticles such as Titanium nitride (TiN) and MXenes. Titanium nitride nanoparticles are particularly promising due to their superior photothermal conversion efficiency, high thermal stability, and unique plasmonic properties, which significantly enhance the heat absorption, energy conversion, and thermal conductivity of MOF-based NFs. Similarly, MXenes, with their layered structure, high electrical conductivity, and outstanding thermal characteristics, synergize effectively with MOFs to optimize solar energy capture and transfer. The integration of TiN and MXenes into MOF-based NFs creates hybrid materials with enhanced solar absorption, improved energy storage, and superior heat transfer properties. This thesis introduces innovative strategies for incorporating advanced nanocomposites into base fluids such as water and ethylene glycol, aiming to improve their optical properties, stability, and photothermal performance for solar energy harvesting. These nanofluids not only facilitate more efficient solar-to-thermal energy conversion but also reduce heat losses and improve overall system efficiency, even at lower nanoparticle concentrations. By integrating novel nanocomposites into solar thermal systems, this study aims to support the development of cost-effective, scalable, and high-performance renewable energy technologies, thereby contributing to the broader transition toward sustainable and low-carbon energy solutions. A range of nanoparticles and nanocomposites, including NH2-MIL125 (Ti), titanium nitride, NH2-UiO-66 (Zr), TiN/NH2-MIL125 (Ti), MIL-88B (Fe), MXene/NH2-UiO-66 (Zr), MXene/MIL-88B (Fe), and MXene/NH2-MIL125 (Ti), were synthesized and characterized using advanced techniques. These included X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis. The synthesized materials were incorporated into base fluids, and their photothermal and stability properties were evaluated using a range of parameters, including thermal conductivity, transmittance variations, zeta potential, spectral irradiance, solar energy absorption fraction, temperature distribution, surface and bulk temperature profiles, and photothermal conversion efficiency. This research offers valuable insights into the development of advanced hybrid NFs, making a significant step forward in improving the efficiency and adaptability of solar energy systems. By integrating novel materials and employing advanced characterization techniques, this work establishes a strong foundation for future innovations in sustainable energy harvesting

The potential impact of social prescribing on meaningful engagement in collective aged care settings: Perspectives from the Global South

Background: Promoting collective care philosophies in residential aged care homes that enhances person-centred care remains a global challenge. More success is evident when an organisation’s approach to care impacts the well-being of everyone who lives and works in the home. However, funding systems are seldom applied in favour of a collective approach. The uptake of social prescribing is potential yet another obstacle in eradicating the prevailing dominance of the medical model of care in aged care homes. Objective: In the Global South, institutionalised care is becoming a more acceptable and viable option to ensure health and well-being of older adults. Introducing person-centred care philosophies, such as the Eden Alternative (EA), in settings where care approaches are not predetermined by stringent funding schemes (i.e., related to addressing ‘challenging behaviours’ or specifying social prescribing), provides an opportunity to explore the intricacies of collective approaches. This project specifically considered how the EA philosophy impacted the quality of collective care within state-wide organisations in South Africa. Methods: A qualitative, descriptive research design supported the investigation of four residential aged-care settings in South Africa. Ten focus groups, guided by the nominal group technique, were conducted with 68 participants, including residents, operational staff, and management staff. Quantitative and qualitative findings were deductively analysed using the EA’s domains of well-being as the guiding framework. Results: The findings mostly indicated agreement between staff and residents on the positive contributions of the EA to support well-being associated with security, autonomy, identity, growth, connectedness, meaning and joy. Overall, security was the most prevalent theme and linked with needs for physical and emotional safety. Conclusion: Partnerships with external bodies, such as the EA, could support cross-national learning and exchange to support stakeholders working more closely with government agencies in creating realistic and supportive operational and funding policies for collective long-term care settings

Navigating travel therapy: Balancing benefits and risks for optimal wellness

This research note examines travel therapy as a novel healthcare approach in which positive travel experiences serve to promote well-being. It emphasizes the need for a balanced assessment of the benefits and risks associated with travel therapy, offering insights into this practice\u27s evolving roles in the health and wellness domains