Digital Commons Network^™

Virtual Reality And Spatial Cognition: Bridging The Epistemic Gap Between Laboratory And Real-World Insights, Alastair D. Smith

School of Psychology

Immersive virtual reality (VR) carries important potential, both for the creation of scientific knowledge and also for its communication. This is particularly important for studies of human spatial cognition, where psychologists now possess the power to combine the scale and fidelity of the real world with the malleability and control of the laboratory. Accordingly, the application of immersive and motile VR tasks to the study of spatial navigation appears to be the ideal means to bring the real world into the laboratory, and an accessible solution for acquiring more ecologically valid data with which to build our theories. Reports of …

Patient And Public Involvement In Abortion Research: Reflections From The Shaping Abortion For Change (Sacha) Study, The Sacha Study Team N/A, Rebecca Blaylock, Maria Lewandowska, Charlotte Kelly, Becky Gunn, Rebecca Meiksin, Rachel H. Scott, Melissa J. Palmer, Kaye Wellings, Patricia A. Lohr, Rebecca S. French, Jill Shawe, Wendy Norman, Sharon Cameron, Clare Murphy, Geoffrey Wong, Paula Baraitser, Caroline Free, Annette Aronsson, Jennifer Reiter, Sally Sheldon, Louise Keogh, Rachel Scott, Natasha Salaria, Ona Mccarthy

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Patient and public involvement (PPI) is limited within abortion-related research. Possible reasons for this include concerns about engaging with a stigmatised patient group who value confidentiality and may be reluctant to re-engage with services. Structural barriers, including limited funding for abortion-related research, also prevent researchers from creating meaningful PPI opportunities. Here, we describe lessons learnt on undertaking PPI as part of the Shaping Abortion for Change (SACHA) Study, which sought to create an evidence base to guide new directions in abortion care in Britain. Two approaches to PPI were used: involving patients and the public in the oversight of the …

A Scoping Review Of The Oral Health Status, Oral Health Behaviours And Interventions To Improve The Oral Health Of Children And Young People In Care And Care Leavers, Joelle Booth, Jo Erwin, Lorna Burns, Nick Axford, Jane Horrell, Hannah Wheat, Robert Witton, Jill Shawe, Janine Doughty, Sarah Kaddour, Skye Boswell, Urshla Devalia, Abigail Nelder, Martha Paisi

Peninsula Dental School

BACKGROUND: Children and young people (CYP) in care experience poorer physical health and overall wellbeing in comparison to their peers. Despite this, relatively little is known about what their oral health needs and behaviours are. The aim of this scoping review was to provide a global perspective on the oral health status and behaviours of CYP in care and care leavers. It also aimed to synthesise interventions that have been trialled in this population to improve oral health.

METHODS: Five databases were searched, Ovid Embase, Ovid MEDLINE, CINAHL (EBSCOhost), SocINDEX (EBSCOhost) and Dentistry and Oral Sciences Source (EBSCOhost), alongside grey …

Experiences Of An Inpatient Penicillin Allergy De-Labelling Pathway: Capturing The Patient Voice, Neil Powell, Mathew Upton, Bridie Kent, Jonathan Sandoe, Sarah Tonkin-Crine

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Background: Non-allergist-delivered penicillin allergy de-labelling (PADL) is supported by UK and other national guidelines but is not yet routine practice in UK hospitals. Those who have undergone PADL report high rates of acceptance, but it is unknown why some continue to avoid penicillin, and why some decline testing. Objectives: To explore the experiences of patients recently approached for penicillin allergy (penA) assessment and de-label by non-allergists in a UK hospital to determine the barriers and enablers to patient acceptance of PADL. Methods: Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with patients who were penA assessed and delabelled during an inpatient stay between …

A Failure In Decryption Process For Bivariate Polynomial Reconstruction Problem Cryptosystem, Siti Nabilah Yusof, Muhammad Rezal Kamel Ariffin, Sook Chin Yip, Terry Shue Chien Lau, Zahari Mahad, Ji Jian Chin, Choo Yee Ting

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

In 1999, the Polynomial Reconstruction Problem (PRP) was put forward as a new hard mathematics problem. A univariate PRP scheme by Augot and Finiasz was introduced at Eurocrypt in 2003, and this cryptosystem was fully cryptanalyzed in 2004. In 2013, a bivariate PRP cryptosystem was developed, which is a modified version of Augot and Finiasz's original work. This study describes a decryption failure that can occur in both cryptosystems. We demonstrate that when the error has a weight greater than the number of monomials in a secret polynomial, p, decryption failure can occur. The result of this study also determines …

Access To Dental Care For Children And Young People In Care And Care Leavers: A Global Scoping Review, Jo Erwin, Jane Horrell, Hannah Wheat, Nick Axford, Lorna Burns, Joelle Booth, Robert Witton, Jill Shawe, Janine Doughty, Sarah Kaddour, Skye Boswell, Urshla Devalia, Abigail Nelder, Martha Paisi

Peninsula Dental School

AIMS: This scoping review aimed to explore three research questions: 1. What is the dental care access for children and young people (CYP) in care and care leavers? 2. What factors influence CYP in care and care leavers' access to dental care? 3. What pathways have been developed to improve access to oral health care for CYP in care and care leavers?

METHODS: Five databases (Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, CINAHL, SocINDEX and Dentistry and Oral Sciences Source) and grey literature sources were systematically searched. Articles relating to CYP in care or care leavers aged 0-25 years old, published up to …

Developing Public Health Surveillance Dashboards: A Scoping Review On The Design Principles, Reza Rabiei, Peivand Bastani, Hossein Ahmadi, Shirin Dehghan, Sohrab Almasi

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Background: Public Health Dashboards (PHDs) facilitate the monitoring and prediction of disease outbreaks by continuously monitoring the health status of the community. This study aimed to identify design principles and determinants for developing public health surveillance dashboards. Methodology: This scoping review is based on Arksey and O'Malley's framework as included in JBI guidance. Four databases were used to review and present the proposed principles of designing PHDs: IEEE, PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus. We considered articles published between January 1, 2010 and November 30, 2022. The final search of articles was done on November 30, 2022. Only articles in …

A Proposed Method For Quality Evaluation Of Covid-19 Reusable Face Mask, Mehrbakhsh Nilashi, Rabab Ali Abumalloh, Hossein Ahmadi, Mesfer Alrizq, Abdullah Alghamdi, Omar A. Alghamdi, Sultan Alyami

School of Nursing and Midwifery

During the time of COVID-19, the use of face masks has become an essential control and prevention measure. The wide usage of disposable face masks has presented a great challenge to governments to face the impact of plastic waste on humans health and the environment. The quality of reusable face masks was assessed in previous research based on general measures such as the fabric, size fit, arrival time, price, and convenience, and based on more-specific measures related to the number of layers and the included filters. However, as the quality of reusable face masks includes several other dimensions, the general …

On Crashworthiness And Energy-Absorbing Mechanisms Of Hygrothermal-Aged Cfrp Structures Subjected To Quasi-Static Loads, Dongdong Chen, Yining Wang, Maozhou Meng, Tao Zhu, Zikun He, Shoune Xiao

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Understanding the gradual performance degradation of carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP) is critical for the design of engineering structures that are expected to be affected by hygrothermal environments. This study aims to investigate the effects of hygrothermal aging on the degradation mechanisms of the mechanical properties and energy absorption of CFRP structures. An experimental database comprising tensile, compressive, and shear tests for CFRP composite laminates (in this study) and axial crushing tests for energy-absorbing structures (from the literature) was constructed, in which all CFRP samples were immersed in deionized water to achieve a saturated water-absorption state. A material constitutive model …

A Mixed-Methods Study Of Compassionate Mind Training For Pupils (Cmt-Pupils) As A School-Based Wellbeing Intervention, Frances A. Maratos, Wendy Wood, Rory Cahill, Yessica Abigail Tronco Hernández, Marcela Matos, Paul Gilbert

School of Health Professions

Objectives: Mental health difficulties in children are increasing, especially following transition from elementary to high-school education. In attempts to mitigate risk of these difficulties, proactive wellbeing interventions are becoming increasingly explored in school settings. Recently, Compassionate Mind Training (CMT) has been shown to be well-accepted and efficacious in promoting school staff wellbeing and prosocial behaviours. This paper outlines the impact of CMT as a pupil wellbeing intervention. Method: Sixty-seven pupils aged 11–12 took part in either Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) lessons as usual (n=30), or CMT-Pupils (n=37) as their PSHE lessons, over a 5-week period. A mixed-methods quantitative …

A Relational Approach To Knowledge Exchange In Higher Education, Harriet Dismore, Verity Campbell-Barr, Rachel Manning, Paul Warwick

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

Reference to Knowledge Exchange (KE) in UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) has become common place, reflecting the continued changing role of universities within society. Arguably, KE draws together notions of HEIs as purveyors of knowledge, with students helping to create a tripartite relationship with HEIs and the wider community as well as a civic responsibility to contribute to the wider public good. Realising the potential benefits of this inter-relationship required a problematising of the meanings of both knowledge and the notion of an exchange, drawing on the work of Dewey and Bernstein. Our paper offers an analysis of the different …

Nature Of The Evidence Base And Approaches To Guide Nutrition Interventions For Individuals: A Position Paper From The Academy Of Nutrition Sciences, Mary Hickson, Constantina Papoutsakis, Angela M. Madden, Mary Anne Smith, Kevin Whelan

School of Health Professions

This Position Paper from the Academy of Nutrition Sciences is the third in a series which describe the nature of the scientific evidence and frameworks that underpin nutrition recommendations for health. This paper focuses on evidence which guides the application of dietary recommendations for individuals. In some situations, modified nutrient intake becomes essential to prevent deficiency, optimise development and health, or manage symptoms and disease progression. Disease and its treatment can also affect taste, appetite and ability to access and prepare foods, with associated financial impacts. Therefore, the practice of nutrition and dietetics must integrate and apply the sciences of …

Invisible Labours: The Reproductive Politics Of Second Trimester Pregnancy Loss In England, Aimee Middlemiss

School of Nursing and Midwifery

REVIEWS“In this original and conceptually sophisticated project Middlemiss handles incredibly difficult interview material with extraordinary sensitivity and care. She does not shy away from difficult details but makes these often very raw stories more understandable through serious analytic work.” • Linda L. Layne, University of Cambridge“This is an excellent book … As someone working in the field of reproduction/family studies (though not specifically on pregnancy loss), this book has expanded my thinking regarding how legal, medical, kinship systems and cultures come together in defining our understandings of life/death, personhood and relatedness.” • Leah Gilman, University of Manchester“This is an excellent, …

Reproductive And Whole-Body Toxicity Of Ag-Doped And -Undoped Zif-8 Nanoparticles And The Building Blocks: An Artemia-Based Comparative Bioassay, Joo H Salari, Seyed Ali Johari, Tayemeh M Behzadi, Richard D. Handy, Hesamoddin Abaei, Nathaniel Clark, Javad Seyedi, Megan Anne Jones

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

The present research assessed, for the first time, toxicity of ZIF-8 (1 mg/L) and the building blocks (0.1 mg/L Zn2+ and 0.4 mg/L 2-methylimidazole (2-MIm)), besides that of AgNPs@ZIF-8 (0.25, 0.5, and 1 mg/L) and AgNO3 (0.1 mg/L) to aquatic organisms. Two consecutive generations (F0 & F1) of Artemia salina were exposed to these chemicals. All of the chemical treatments considerably caused mortality in F0, especially AgNPs@ZIF-8 and AgNO3, whereas F1 displayed notable tolerance and survived comparable to the control group, except in the case of AgNO3 treatment. Similarly, growth indices (weight, mainly in ZIF-8, Zn2+, and 2-MIm; length, in …

Psychotropic Medicines' Prevalence, Patterns And Effects On Cognitive And Physical Function In Older Adults With Intellectual Disability In Ireland: Longitudinal Cohort Study, 2009-2020, Marina Odalović, Ashleigh Gorman, Aviejay Paul, Philip Mccallion, Éilish Burke, Malcolm Maclachlan, Mary Mccarron, Martin C. Henman, Maeve Moran, Juliette O'Connell, Michael Walsh, Rohit Shankar, Caitriona Ryan, Máire O'Dwyer

Peninsula Medical School

Background The frequent prescribing of psychotropics and high prevalence of polypharmacy among older adults with intellectual disabilities require close monitoring. Aims To describe change in prevalence, predictors and health outcomes of psychotropic use during the four waves (2009/2010, 2013/2014, 2016/2017, 2019/2020) of the Intellectual Disability Supplement to the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (IDS-TILDA). Method Eligible participants were adults (≥40 years) with intellectual disabilities who participated in all four waves of IDS-TILDA and who reported medication use for the entire period. Differences between groups were tested using Cochran's Q test for binary variables and the McNemar-Bowker test for variables with …

Non-Allergist Healthcare Workers Views On Delivering A Penicillin Allergy De-Labelling Inpatient Pathway: Identifying The Barriers And Enablers, Neil Powell, Mathew Upton, Bridie Kent, Jonathan Sandoe, Sarah Tonkin-Crine

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Background: Non-Allergist delivered PADL is supported by UK and World Health Organization guidelines but is not yet routine in UK hospitals. Understanding the views of healthcare workers (HCWs) on managing patients with penA records and exploring perspectives on delivering a PADL inpatient pathway are required to inform the development of non-Allergist delivered PADL pathways. Objective: To explore the perspectives of non-Allergist HCWs working in medical specialties on managing patients with penA records, and to explore the enablers and barriers to embedding PADL as a standard of care for inpatients. Methods: Semi-structured interviews with doctors, nurses, pharmacists and medicines optimization pharmacy …

An In-Depth Analysis On Efficiency And Vulnerabilities On A Cloud-Based Searchable Symmetric Encryption Solution, Prithvi Chaudhari, Ji-Jian Chin, Soeheila Moesfa Mohamad

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Searchable Symmetric Encryption (SSE) has come to be as an integral cryptographic approach in a world where digital privacy is essential. The capacity to search through encrypted data whilst maintaining its integrity meets the most important demand for security and confidentiality in a society that is increasingly dependent on cloud-based services and data storage. SSE offers efficient processing of queries over encrypted datasets, allowing entities to comply with data privacy rules while preserving database usability. Our research goes into this need, concentrating on the development and thorough testing of an SSE system based on Curtmola’s architecture and employing Advanced Encryption …

Microplastic Trapping Efficiency And Hydrodynamics In Model Coral Reefs: A Physical Experimental Investigation, F Mendrik, Rc Houseago, Cr Hackney, Dr Parsons

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Coastal ecosystems, such as coral reefs, are vulnerable to microplastic pollution input from proximal riverine and shoreline sources. However, deposition, retention, and transport processes are largely unevaluated, especially in relation to hydrodynamics. For the first time, we experimentally investigate the retention of biofilmed microplastic by branching 3D printed corals (staghorn coral Acropora genus) under various unidirectional flows (U = {0.15, 0.20, 0.25, 0.30} ms ⁻¹) and canopy densities (15 and 48 corals m ⁻²). These variables are found to drive trapping efficiency, with 79–98% of microplastics retained in coral canopies across the experimental duration at high flow velocities …

Bordered Youth: Analysing Citizenship And Identities In Post-Brexit Northern Ireland, Mark Holton, Suzanne Beech, Sara Mcdowell, Amy Reid

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

“Young people living in the North of Ireland are put into boxes which perhaps do not adequately represent their views and opinions – the Bordered Youth Project seeks to change that”.This project analyses how young people negotiate the complex and overlapping identities and citizenships produced by living in border regions. We are working with young people aged 18 to 24 living in Northern Ireland, using creative participatory methods to assess how their interpretations, imaginations and encounters with bordered spaces shape, or are shaped by, their everyday movements and cultural interactions. The question of citizenship in a Northern Irish context is …

Links Between The Three-Dimensional Movements Of Whale Sharks (Rhincodon Typus) And The Bio-Physical Environment Off A Coral Reef, Ben D'Antonio, Luciana Ferreira, Mark Meekan, Paul Thompson, Lilian Lieber, Patti Virtue, Chloe Power, Charitha Pattiaratchi, Andrew Brierley, Ana Sequeira, Michele Thums

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

BackgroundMeasuring coastal-pelagic prey fields at scales relevant to the movements of marine predators is challenging due to the dynamic and ephemeral nature of these environments. Whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) are thought to aggregate in nearshore tropical waters due to seasonally enhanced foraging opportunities. This implies that the three-dimensional movements of these animals may be associated with bio-physical properties that enhance prey availability. To date, few studies have tested this hypothesis.MethodsHere, we conducted ship-based acoustic surveys, net tows and water column profiling (salinity, temperature, chlorophyll fluorescence) to determine the volumetric density, distribution and community composition of mesozooplankton (predominantly euphausiids and copepods) …

The Tone Poem: A Stolen Work, Michael Punt

School of Art, Design and Architecture

Medium: Image and text

Don’T Throw The Baby Out With The Bathwater: Preserving Children’S Undergraduate Nurse Education In The Move Towards Genericism In Nursing, Michael J Tatterton, Matthew Carey, Robin Hyde, Catherine Hewitt

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Approaches to nurse education vary internationally. Our approach in the United Kingdom (UK), together with countries including Germany, Italy, and Republic of Ireland is unusual, where field-specific undergraduate nurse education programmes are standard. This approach allows nurses to register as children’s nurses without undertaking generalist training beforehand. Recently, arguments have been made for a move back towards generalist nurse education (Purssell and Sagoo, 2023). This has been met with passionate refutation from children’s (Fallon, 2023), learning disability (Cogher, 2023), and mental health (Warrender, 2022) nursing colleagues.Internationally, generalist nurse education is standard (van Kraaij et al., 2023). In most countries, nurses …

Telephone-Based Training Intervention For Using Digital Communication Technologies For Social Housing Residents During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Mixed Methods Feasibility And Acceptability Evaluation, Tim Walker, Sarah Ann Buckingham, Ria Poole, Lewis Roland Elliott, Tamaryn Menneer, Gengyang Tu, Karyn Morrissey

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Background: In an era in which digital communication technologies play a pivotal role in everyday life, social housing residents remain highly susceptible to digital exclusion. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a telephone-based training intervention designed to empower people to confidently use digital communication technologies (ie, video calls and web-based messaging). Methods: Conducted in collaboration with a UK social housing association, the intervention was facilitated by a unitary authority’s Digital Inclusion Team during the COVID-19 pandemic. A mixed methods approach was used, encompassing quantitative and qualitative data collection on demand, reach, implementation, and potential outcomes. …

Theories Used To Develop Or Evaluate Social Prescribing In Studies: A Scoping Review, Sinah Evers, Kerryn Husk, Hendrik Napierala, Lydia Wendt, Ansgar Gerhardus

Peninsula Medical School

Objective: This scoping review aims to provide an overview of how theories were used in the development or evaluation of social prescribing (SP) intervention studies. Background: SP describes a patient pathway where general practitioners (GPs) connect patients with community activities through referrals to link workers. This review seeks to understand the explanations provided for the outcomes and implementation process of SP. Inclusion criteria: Studies using a defined theory to develop or evaluate a specific SP intervention in primary care and the community sector. Methods: This scoping review was conducted in accordance with JBI methodology. The following databases were searched on …

The Attitudes Of Dental Therapists, Dental Therapy Educators And Dental Therapy Students In The South Of England Towards Domiciliary Dentistry: A Qualitative Study, Robert Emanuel, Joshua Quach, Parul Patel, Robert Witton, Carolina Machuca-Vargas, Eleanor Taylor

Peninsula Dental School

Introduction Dental therapists (DTs) are members of the dental team with a wide scope of practice, who support the provision of dental care to patient groups including those with vulnerabilities. One such group are older patients who are often unable to attend general dental practices to access their dental care. A domiciliary or 'home visit' may be required to deliver this care in a non-clinical setting.Aim To identify how dental therapists and dental therapy educators working in Southern England perceive domiciliary dental services and to explore the possible role of dental therapists in providing domiciliary dentistry.Method A qualitative research design …

Quality Assessment Of Life Cycle Inventory Data For Composites, Badr Moutik, John Summerscales, Jasper Graham-Jones, R Pemberton

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Fibre-reinforced composites are essential to efficient transport and renewable energy systems. However, these materials do incur environmental burdens both in greenhouse gases (climate change) and the broader environment (loss of biodiversity). The route to minimise those impacts is Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). This seminar will review LCA and consider what needs to change to achieve robust assessments.

Concept Mapping To Define Components For An Occupation-Based Intervention For Parkinson's Disease And Anxiety, Christopher J. Lovegrove, Ingrid H.W.M. Sturkenboom, Jonathan Marsden, Katrina Bannigan

School of Health Professions

Background: Anxiety, a common symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD), results in reduced life quality, reduced participation in meaningful roles and daily activities, and increased health burden. There are no evidence-based interventions to reduce the impact of anxiety in PD on participation. Objective: This study aimed to identify the key components required for the co-production of an occupation- and community-based intervention for people with PD-related anxiety. Methods: A participatory mixed-methods research study was conducted using online Group Concept Mapping methodology that included five stages: brainstorming, idea synthesis, sorting activity, rating activity, and analysis. A cluster map, pattern match, and 'go-zone' charts …

Addressing Comorbidities In People With Parkinson's Disease: Considerations From An Expert Panel, Camille Carroll, Carl E. Clarke, Donald Grosset, Arshad Rather, Biju Mohamed, Miriam Parry, Prashanth Reddy, Robin Fackrell, Kallol Ray Chaudhuri

Peninsula Medical School

In the UK, guidance exists to aid clinicians and patients deciding when treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD) should be initiated and which therapies to consider. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance recommends that before starting PD treatment clinicians should discuss the following: the patient's individual clinical circumstances; lifestyle; preferences; needs and goals; as well as the potential benefits and harms of the different drug classes. Individualization of medicines and management in PD significantly improves patients' outcomes and quality of life. This article aims to provide simple and practical guidance to help clinicians address common, but often overlooked, …

Real-World Evaluation Of The Feasibility, Acceptability And Safety Of A Remote, Self-Management Parkinson's Disease Care Pathway: A Healthcare Improvement Initiative, Angie A. Kehagia, Sarah Chowienczyk, Michelle Helena Van Velthoven, Emma King, Tracie North, Deb Shenton, Jane Abraham, Joseph Langley, Rebecca Partridge, Ursula Ankeny, Terry Gorst, Emma Edwards, Sue Whipps, Martha Batup, Jane Rideout, Mat Swabey, Jemma Inches, Sue Bentley, Georgina Gilbert, Camille Carroll

Peninsula Medical School

Background: There is significant unmet need for effective and efficiently delivered care for people with Parkinson's disease (PwP). We undertook a service improvement initiative to co-develop and implement a new care pathway, Home Based Care (HBC), based on supported self-management, remote monitoring and the ability to trigger a healthcare contact when needed. Objective: To evaluate feasibility, acceptability and safety of Home Based Care. Methods: We evaluated data from the first 100 patients on HBC for 6 months. Patient monitoring, performed at baseline and 6-monthly, comprised motor (MDS-UPDRS II and accelerometer), non-motor (NMSQ, PDSS-2, HADS) and quality of life (PDQ) measures. …

Performance Analytical Modelling Of Mobile Edge Computing For Mobile Vehicular Applications: A Worst-Case Perspective, W Miao, M Geyong, Y Zhengxin, Z Xu

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Quantitative performance analysis plays a pivotal role in theoretically investigating the performance of Vehicular Edge Computing (VEC) systems. Although considerable research efforts have been devoted to VEC performance analysis, all of the existing analytical models were designed to derive the average system performance, paying insufficient attention to the worst-case performance analysis, which hinders the practical deployment of VEC systems to support mission-critical vehicular applications, such as collision avoidance. To bridge this gap, we develop an original performance analytical model by virtue of Stochastic Network Calculus (SNC) to investigate the worst-case end-to-end performance of VEC systems. Specifically, to capture the bursty …