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  Amla enhances autophagy and modulates beta amyloid metabolism in an in vitro model of Alzheimer’s disease

  Elham Teimouri, Prashant Bharadwaj, Stephanie R. Rainey-Smith, Paul Fraser, Giuseppe Verdile, and Ralph N. Martins

  Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive, fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by extensive neuronal loss associated with increased accumulation of the beta amyloid (Aβ) protein. Reducing production, preventing aggregation and improving clearance of Aβare areas of active research in the development of therapeutic agents to ameliorate neurodegeneration in AD. The Indian plant amla (Emblicaofficinalis), commonly known as Indian gooseberry, has widely been utilized in traditional Ayurvedic medicine preparations in the treatment of a variety of disease conditions including cardiovascular disease and diabetes: accumulating evidence also suggests that amla may be beneficial in AD. Amla exhibits antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic mechanisms and more recently has been shown to modulate autophagy; a vital protein degradation pathway involved in the clearance of damaged organelles and aggregate proteins in cells. Our own recent in vitro work shows that amla extract enhances autophagy and modulates accumulation of proteolytic products of Amyloid precursor protein (APP) such as APP-C terminal fragments (C99, C83). Amla treatment (50-300 μg/ml) induced a dose-dependent increase in autophagic flux, as measured by Western blotting utilizing an LC3 directed antibody as an autophagosome marker. At similar concentrations, amla treatment also reduced accumulation of APP C-terminal fragment levels by 33 to 77%. However, no significant changes were observed in APP levels, indicating that amla did not alter APP production. Overall, our findings suggest that amla may confer beneficial effects through modulating autophagy and Aβ metabolism, and warrants further investigation as a potential therapeutic agent in AD

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  Assessing visual perception using letters and numbers

  Janet Richmond

  To create a new visual perceptual test using letters and numbers in isolation and in context. Producing a linear scale to measure the ability of primary school children to visually discriminate upper and lower case letters in readiness for learning to read and perform mathematical calculations.

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  A story of the red lantern

  Anh Do

  The aim of my research is to understand how a sotck market in one country reacts to a "shock" from a stock market in another country, using the Generalised autoregressive conditional heterosedasticity model (GARCH)

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  Braking ground reaction force during 90deg sidestep cut and leg muscle strength.

  Walter Yu, Sophia Nimphius, Greg Haff, and Kazunori Nosaka

  Change of direction (COD) total time is influenced by linear sprint ability and technique. Therefore, COD performance should be isolated from COD total time by measuring only the time taken to perform the COD and COD technique should be controlled. Current COD studies focus on the plant and penultimate (PEN) braking steps (Dos’ Santos et al, 2017, Jones et al, 2017), however, deceleration during a COD extends beyond these two steps (Nedergaard et al, 2014), thus, more braking steps ground reaction forces (GRF) needs to be examined. Cross sectional COD studies have shown that athletes with faster COD performance were stronger during eccentric squat (Spiteri et al, 2015) and produced higher force during eccentric isokinetic knee extensor and flexor test than athletes who exhibit slower COD performance (Jones et al, 2017). Therefore, it seems that eccentric strength is associated with COD performance. It is necessary to examine braking steps before the PEN step to examine braking strategies of faster and slower performers. Additionally, eccentric strength, which is deemed advantageous for COD braking should be further examined using a multi-joint strength assessment to further determine eccentric capacity during COD performance.

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  Comparison of the 400 metre timed endurance surf paddle between elite competitive surfers, competitive surfers and recreational surfers

  Oliver Farley, Joseph Coyne, Josh Secomb, Lina Lundgren, Tai T. Tran, Chris Abbiss, and Jeremry Sheppard

  Surf competitions demand the ability to out paddle opposition to gain an optimal position for wave take offs. Those who can out paddle a heat opponent and catch waves at the most critical point when breaking are likely to maximize their scoring potential. Currently appropriate and valid testing protocols evaluating the physiological fitness of surfing athletes are not well established. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the testing procedure of a pool based, 400 endurance time trial is more appropriate (compared to geometry testing) given the nature of the sport, and pride a test that is a better discriminator of performance.

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  Developing the Anker Bilateral Spatial System

  Janet Richmond

  Determining the effect of using the Anker Bilateral Spatial System (ABSS) to enhance the development of bilateral and spatial functioning of individuals with visual perceptual or sensory processing difficulties.

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  Distance to default

  Viet Dung Dinh

  This poster covers default risk and the significance of the Distance to Default (DD) model in predicting financial distress for 6 countries in the ASEAN region.

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  How start-up accelerators facilitate innovation

  Farzaneh Eslamloo

  In today’s economy, innovation is the strategic driving force in getting unique opportunities and adding value to knowledge assets. Many countries, to compete and to adapt themselves to the complexity of the new world, try to be innovative and continuously upgrade their knowledge along with changes happened in the environment. Theses countries consider innovation as the key strategy in achieving sustainable competitive advantage and making continuous improvement in their structures, processes, and programs. The interesting thing about start-up accelerator centres that is the main interest of my research is that they try to respond to the demand shaped in the world about the necessity of innovation- related issues. Start-up accelerator is an organization that support start-ups to work on their innovative idea and successfully transform it into commercial products and services. They assist in reinforcing innovation process through the adoption of structured and systematic program.

  Based on research accounts of the effective role of start-up accelerators in facilitating start-ups’ innovation process, the researcher proposes to probe into the functions of such companies to yield crucial data about their role and significance in the commercialisation of new ideas proposed by start-ups. To help identify the characteristics, functions, and mechanisms which work in start-up accelerators and accelerate the start-ups’ success in commercialisation, the researcher will conduct ‘critical realism’ philosophy and ‘realist review’ methodology to deeply evaluate the acceleration program.

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  Hyperlink connectivity of WA tourism websites

  Hossein Raisi

  This poster shows the network of hyperlink connectivity between tourism websites in Western Australia. The network has 1515 websites and 6059 links. Network analysis was used to analyse the network from different perspectives. The analyses showed the main properties of the network such as very low connectivity, the hierarchical structure of the network, high clustering, tendency to link to geographically proximate organisations, and low acknowledgment between the websites. WA tourism websites need to create more links to each other to become more visible on the internet.

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  Impact of corporate governance on capital structure of Pakistan

  Irfan Haider Shakri

  Corporate Governance-CG is a mechanism that protects the interest of all stakeholders specially shareholders in a modern economic and corporate world that is responsible for economic growth of an economy. Capital structure is one of the weightiest decision that effects the performance of the firm. This study empirically finds how corporate governance practices impact the capital structure of the firm.

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  Kinematic repeatability analyses of multi-segment foot motion in university-level ballet dancers

  Sarah Carter, Nahoko Sato, and Luke Hopper

  Background:

  Dancers are susceptible to overuse foot and ankle injuries, however there is a lack biomechanical studies examining foot mechanics to explain the causality of these injuries. The purpose of this study was to determine the intra and inter-assessor repeatability of a modified Rizzoli Foot Model (RFM) for ballet dancers.

  Methods: Six university-level ballet dancers performed the following trials in randomized order, natural stance, turnout plié and stance, and two dynamic trials; turnout rise and flex-point-flex movement. A twelve-camera motion capture system were used to track fourteen reflective markers and one triad on the following segments: shank, entire foot, hindfoot, midfoot, forefoot and hallux. A repeated-measure design was used with each participant undergoing four data collection sessions; i.e. two sessions were conducted by each researcher over two consecutive days. Variability of the 3D segment rotations and planar angles were determined using intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) for the intra and inter-assessor repeatability.

  Results:

  Intra and inter-assessor reliability demonstrated excellent (ICC ≥ 0.75) reliability for 1st metatarsophalangeal joint sagittal plane measurements. Intra-assessor variability demonstrated excellent (ICC ≥ 0.75) reliability in the sagittal plane and frontal planes for all the discrete static variables, except the midfoot-forefoot articulation which was in the sagittal and transverse planes. Whereas the inter-assessor variability revealed fair to good repeatability (0.5 ≤ ICC < 0.75). The trend towards a lower inter-assessor repeatability indicates the lack of training of the marker placement protocol. A similar trend was found in the repeatability in the dynamic trials.

  Intra and inter-assessor reliability demonstrated excellent (ICC ≥ 0.75) reliability for 1st metatarsophalangeal joint sagittal plane measurements. Intra-assessor variability demonstrated excellent (ICC ≥ 0.75) reliability in the sagittal and frontal planes for all the discrete static variables, except the midfoot-forefoot articulation which was in the sagittal and transverse planes. Inter-assessor repeatability revealed large variability from poor to excellent (0.5 > ICC ≥ 0.75) repeatability for the 3D segmental rotations.

  Conclusion:

  Three-dimensional multi-segment foot models have the potential to be reliably used in dance screenings to ascertain whether technical errors and/or biomechanical abnormalities are the cause of a dancers’ lower limb overuse injury. However, research laboratories should develop good marker placement protocol to endeavour to produce repeatable between assessor results.

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  Letter and Number Reversals – Identifying the problem

  Janet Richmond

  Letter and number orientation affects legibility

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  Lower leg and foot contributions to turnout in university-level female ballet dancers: A preliminary investigation

  Sarah Carter, Alan R. Bryant, and Luke Hopper

  Functional turnout in ballet involves maximal external rotation through the lower limb kinetic chain. Hip external rotation, is considered the primary contributor of functional turnout. However, dancers will tend to increase their functional turnout angle through additional tibiofemoral external rotation and pronation of the foot/ankle complex. Hip external rotation measures in functional turnout has received extensive examination in dance science. However, the relationship between the ‘below the hip' assessments with functional turnout is poorly understood. We hypothesis that dancers with greater passive external tibiofemoral rotation (pTFR) and/or pronated stance will have a greater functional turnout angle.

  Nineteen female university-level classical ballet and modern dance students (mean age 17.9 ± 0.9 years) volunteered in this descriptive correlational study. All dancers were injury free and signed a consent form prior to data collection. Navicular drop, Foot Posture Index (FPI), pTFR and functional turnout were measured for the participants' right and left lower limbs. Measures of pronation were conducted with the dancer standing in parallel and turnout. All clinical measures demonstrated excellent reliability, ICC 0.90-0.93. A multiple linear regression model was used to estimate the amount of variance in functional turnout which can be explained by the measured variables.

  The stepwise multiple linear regression model analyses revealed a weak relationship between pTFR and functional turnout, with the latter accounting for approximately 19.0 % variance of functional turnout. Spearman's rho correlation analysis revealed a moderate negative relationship between pTFR and FPI in functional turnout (ρ = - 0.47, P = 0.043). Suggesting dancers with limited tibiofemoral rotation recruited pronation about the foot/ankle complex to further increase their functional turnout angle.

  Our findings suggest dancers used variable amounts of motion at the anatomical locations depending on their functional and anatomical capability. Ongoing research would benefit from in situ measures of dancers' lower leg contributions to functional turnout such as that provided by modern three-dimensional biomechanical evaluations

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  Mobile banking adoption by senior citizens in Australia

  Madugoda Gunaratnege Senali

  Mobile banking is technological innovation provided by banks to its customers to do their banking activities such as, viewing account balances, paying bills, transfer of funds and checking new offers and products through their smart phones by using mobile banking application. Though mobile banking has raised high expectations in research and practice, it neither experienced broad adoption nor allows it banks to realize additional earnings yet. This research aims to investigate the factors affecting the mobile banking adoption by senior citizens in Australia by using technology acceptance models. It's important to improve the mobile banking amongst senior Australians to enhance their lives. Results of this study will have implications for academia, practitioners and, public.

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  My Research Online: What's in it for me?

  Janice Chan, Gordon McIntyre, Julia Gross, Lisa K. Billingham, Kay Saunders, and Paul Wong

  ECU’s world class research is showcased in the institutional repository, Research Online. Research Online can help you expand the reach of your work and raise your research profile.

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  Prediction Models for Corporate Financial Distress in Southeast Asia

  Viet Dung Dinh

  Building prediction models of corporate financial distress plays a critical part of evaluating and managing credit risk. There is a combination of financial statements and volatility in market values of firm assets to measure distance to default as well as discriminate between distressed and non-distressed firms

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  Quality, determinants and consequences of integrated reporting in South Africa

  Kwadjo Appiagyei

  Integrated reporting (IR) is expected to be the next corporate reporting norm which combines the relevant financial and sustainability information in one report to meet the needs of capital providers. IR application all over the world has been largely voluntary while South Africa has introduced a mandatory apply or explain basis for firms on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. Although numerous benefits have been attributed to IR, empirical evidence to support these assertions and establish a business case for the adoption of IR is desirable. The research examines the mandatory South African context for the quality of IR since its application in 2010. The factors influencing IR quality as well as the outcomes are examined to provide information to capital market regulators and governments considering the mandatory adoption of IR and to the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) in their promotion of IR.

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  Quest for quality: Logistics management in Vietnamese local SME

  Vanessa Cao

  What are the key issues and problems facing local SME logistics companies in Vietnam and their main causes? How can Vietnamese local SME firms improve their capacity to compete against their foreign counterparts operating in Vietnam. Provides a quality framework for local companies.

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  Relationship marketing: Customer’s perception of using loyalty cards

  Mitra Maboud

  Retail companies offer range of loyalty programs to increase the number of loyal customers, although they are not sure whether loyalty programs are truly cost-effective. This research aims to identify the major factors affecting the use of loyalty cards from the customers’ perspective. A semi-structured qualitative method will be adopted.

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  Taking references beyond your PC: Collaborating with local and internationally dispersed colleagues to write and publish a paper

  Agnes Noronha, Gordon McIntyre, Jennifer Moore, and Maureen Couacaud

  EndNote, EndNote Web and RefWorks can be used to assist you when collaborating with internationally dispersed colleagues on writing and publishing an academic paper.

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  The consumer-based brand equity development in the Australian luxury and upscale hotel sector

  Sharon Shan

  A main strategy for a luxury or upscale hotel to succeed in a competitive market is to develop a strong brand which is recognised, trusted and preferred by the consumers. This strength of a brand is defined as the consumer-based brand equity. There is limited research identifying factors that drive consumer-based brand equity in the specific sectors of luxury and upscale hotels. This limits managers in this sector in being able to efficiently manage their brands. Therefore, the current research investigated antecedents and measurements of consumer-based brand equity, based on the specific hotel consumers’ expectations and perceptions of a strong brand (e.g. a reputable business endorsed by the consumer community, a complex outlet where consumers need to consistently feel comfortable and desired, and a business promise about the quality and reliability). The prevalent influence of the consumer-generated content online to hotel brand equity has also been tested in the current research. A mixed method using focus groups and an online questionnaire in the sequential stages has been adopted with detailed findings presented in the poster.

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  The development of a test of letter and number reversal tendency for primary school children

  Janet Richmond and Ted Brown

  Development of a standardised instrument to assess visual perceptual skills or primary age school children using letters and numbers

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  The effect of family ownership on financing decisions of listed Vietnamese companies

  Trang Tran

  The poster is a visualisation of my research proposal. Family firms play an important role in the global economies, especially in Vietnam. There have been studies on family firms' financing decisions; however, the results were mixed. On the one hand, family shareholders have strong control motives. Hence they are argued to employ more debt because debt is a non-control diluted security. On the other hand, family shareholders are risk averse, and have incentives to pass down their businesses. Thus, they may prefer equity since debt incorporates bankruptcy risks. The literature gap calls for a demand of investigating how family ownership impacts on financing decisions of listed Vietnamese companies. I will use panel regression approach to analyse data collected from listed companies on Vietnam's stock exchanges from 2008 to 2016. The regression results will show the effects of business characteristics (e.g, size, age, profitability, tangibility), corporate governance quality and family ownership on corporate financing decisions. My research has significance to researchers, practitioners and the Government

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  The factors impacting customers’ intention to use of an online grocery retail store

  Mitra Maboud

  In an effort to increase sales, most major retail companies seek to recruit and reward loyal customers for regular frequent purchases. Companies inspire and reward their loyal customers to enhance repeat purchase and sales opportunities. There are a number of factors influencing the customers’ mindset in choosing a specific grocery store, such as loyalty, word of mouth, risks, brand image and brand value. Further analyses of these factors will assist company’s customer relationships and marketing strategy development and implementation.

  The benefit of developing loyalty among customers is to increase repeat purchase behaviour (Das, 2014; Jarvis & Wilcox, 1977). Customers’ satisfaction can increase the rate of customers’ repeat of purchase through developing habitual use of the store (Chiu, Hsu, Lai, & Chang, 2010, 2012). In this study, the researcher aims to determine the major factors affecting customers’ use of instore grocery versus an online grocery store, and to develop a new model to show this relationship.

  This research will enable the retail companies to gain a better understanding of the factors that impact customer’ intentions to use the instore grocery channel versus online channel. Furthermore, the researcher will develop a model of the relationships impacting satisfaction, habit, loyalty and the intention to repurchase instore and online. The researcher will also contribute to the literature by providing a greater understanding of the factors which impact the customers’ use of grocery stores.

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  The validity and inter-unit reliability of custom-made SurfTraX GPS units and use during surfing

  Oliver Farley, M Andrews, Josh Secomb, Tai T. Tran, Lina Lundgren, Chris Abbiss, and Jeremry Sheppard

  The purposes of the study were to: i) gain further understanding of the movement patterns during surfing using custom made GPS units which are designed for surfing (SurfTraX, Gold Coast, Australia), and ii) determine the validity and inter-unit reliability of these units.