Digital Commons Network^™

Pollen-Based Maps Of Past Regional Vegetation Cover In Europe Over Twelve Millennia - Evaluation And Potential, Esther Githumbi, Behnaz Pirzamanbein, Johan Lindström, Anneli Poska, Ralph Fyfe, Florence Mazier, Anne Brigitte Nielsen, Shinya Sugita, Anna Kari Trondman, Jessie Woodbridge, Marie José Gaillard

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

No abstract provided.

Media Coverage, Attention Cycles And The Governance Of Plastics Pollution, Ian Bailey

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

No abstract provided.

Culturally Adapted Pulmonary Rehabilitation For Adults Living With Post-Tuberculosis Lung Disease In Kyrgyzstan: Protocol For A Randomised Controlled Trial With Blinded Outcome Measures, A Akylbekov, Mw Orme, Av Jones, Et Al

Peninsula Medical School

Introduction Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is a programme of individually prescribed physical exercise, education and self-management activities. PR is recommended in international guidelines for managing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other chronic respiratory diseases. PR is still under-recognised in tuberculosis (TB) guidelines and PR is not available in many low and middle-income countries and for people with post-TB lung disease (PTBLD). The main aims of the study are to adapt and define a culturally appropriate PR programme in Kyrgyzstan for people living with PTBLD and to test, in a fully powered randomised controlled trial (RCT), the effectiveness of PR in …

Big-Data Approaches Lead To An Increased Understanding Of The Ecology Of Animal Movement, Mark A. Whiteside

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

Measuring Trustworthiness Or Automating Physiognomy? A Comment On Safra, Chevallier, Grèzes, And Baumard (2020), Rw Spanton, O Guest

School of Psychology

Interpersonal trust - a shared display of confidence and vulnerability toward other individuals - can be seen as instrumental in the development of human societies. Safra, Chevallier, Gr\`ezes, and Baumard (2020) studied the historical progression of interpersonal trust by training a machine learning (ML) algorithm to generate trustworthiness ratings of historical portraits, based on facial features. They reported that trustworthiness ratings of portraits dated between 1500--2000CE increased with time, claiming that this evidenced a broader increase in interpersonal trust coinciding with several metrics of societal progress. We argue that these claims are confounded by several methodological and analytical issues and …

Perceptions Of Long-Term Impact And Change Following A Midwife-Led Biomass Smoke Education Programme For Mothers In Rural Uganda: A Qualitative Study, Lucy L. Cartwright, Lynne Callaghan, Rupert Cm Jones, Rebecca Nantanda, James Fullam

More Faculty of Health Research

Introduction: Women and children in Uganda and other low- and middle-income countries are exposed to disproportionately high levels of household air pollution from biomass smoke generated by smoke-producing cookstoves, especially in rural areas. This population is therefore particularly vulnerable to the negative health effects caused by household air pollution, including negative pregnancy outcomes and other health issues throughout life. The Midwife Project, a collaboration between research and health teams in the UK and Uganda, began in 2016 to implement an education program on lung health for mothers in Uganda, to reduce the health risks to women and children. Education materials …

Epilepsy In Adults With Neurodevelopmental Disability - What Every Neurologist Should Know, Lance V. Watkins, Christine Linehan, Christian Brandt, Francesca Snoeijen-Schouwenaars, Paula Mcgowan, Rohit Shankar

Peninsula Medical School

This seminar in epileptology addresses Learning Objective 6.1.4 of the International League against Epilepsy Curriculum: Demonstrate the ability to recognize and manage the special needs of persons with epilepsy (and Neurodevelopmental Disorders [NDDs]). The review identifies the essential competencies for neurologists working with people with epilepsy and NDDs, and these competencies are discussed alongside clinical examples. Furthermore, the seminar explores the opportunities offered by integrated service provision between neurology and services for NDD. The epileptic encephalopathies are not a subject of this seminar paper as they are circumscribed by other ILAE learning objectives. This seminar frames the complexity of seizures …

An Investigation Of The Sociality And Behaviour Of Captive Polar Bears Housed In Bachelor Groups, A Cavalleri, A Bell, K Wilkins, J Brereton, R Preziosi, Pastorino G Quintavalle

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) is a popular and easily recognisable species and has a long history of being housed in zoological collections. However, due to concerns regarding space requirements and welfare, many zoos have since removed this species from their collection plans. Polar bears require spacious enclosures with considerable amounts of enrichment and are susceptible to stereotypy if their needs are not met. Yorkshire Wildlife Park, UK, has set up a large enclosure to demonstrate best-practice care of polar bears. Observations of four male captive polar bears were conducted at the collection, to investigate behaviour and sociality between the …

Strengthening Angel Shark Conservation In The Northeastern Mediterranean Sea, I Giovos, D Katsada, Rna Spyridopoulou, D Poursanidis, Et Al

Peninsula Medical School

Angel sharks are among the most threatened species of sharks globally. Twenty-two species have been identified globally so far, with three species being present in the Mediterranean Sea: Squatina aculeata, Squatina oculata, and Squatina squatina. The Mediterranean populations of all three species have been assessed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species due to the steep decline of their populations as a result of their historical and current overexploitation by demersal fisheries. Therefore, currently there is an ongoing increasing effort for advancing the conservation of the species in the basin. Recently, in the context of the …

Geometric Asymmetry In The Energy Conversion And Wave Attenuation Of A Power-Take-Off-Integrated Floating Breakwater, B Zhou, Q Zhang, P Jin, Y Li, Et Al

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

A hybrid system integrating a power take-off (PTO) system into a floating breakwater is a promising candidate for both shoreline protection and commercial wave energy extraction. Although geometric asymmetry is important to such PTO-integrated breakwaters, its role in energy conversion efficiency and wave attenuation is poorly understood. In this study, a two-dimensional semi-analytical model dealing with floats with arbitrary bottom shapes is established based on the potential flow theory. To quantify the geometric asymmetry reflected by PTO-integrated breakwaters with different contours, the degree of asymmetry and the absolute asymmetry are newly defined mathematically. A set of symmetric and asymmetric PTO-integrated …

How Do We Engage People In Testing For Covid-19? A Rapid Qualitative Evaluation Of A Testing Programme In Schools, Gp Surgeries And A University, Daniella Watson, Natalia Laverty Baralle, Jawahr Alagil, Krithika Anil, Sandy Ciccognani, Rachel Dewar-Haggart, Sarah Fearn, Julia Groot, Kathryn Knowles, Claire Meagher, Carmel Mcgrath, Sarah Muir, Jo Musgrove, Kate Glyn-Owen, Kath Woods-Townsend, Andrew Mortimore, Paul Roderick, Janis Baird, Hazel Inskip, Keith Godfrey, Mary Barker

School of Health Professions

Background

The UK Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) emphasises the need for high levels of engagement with communities and individuals to ensure the effectiveness of any COVID-19 testing programme. A novel pilot health surveillance programme to assess the feasibility of weekly community RT-LAMP (Reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification) testing for the SARS-CoV-2 virus using saliva samples collected at home was developed and piloted by the University of Southampton and Southampton City Council. Methods

Rapid qualitative evaluation was conducted to explore experiences of those who took part in the programme, of those who declined and of those in the educational …

Evaluating The Gad-2 To Screen For Post-Stroke Anxiety On An Acute Stroke Unit, Meghan Mccrory, Donnchadh F. Murphy, Reg C. Morris, Rupert F. Noad

School of Psychology

No abstract provided.

What The Curtains Do Not Shield: A Phenomenological Exploration Of Patient‐Witnessed Resuscitation In Hospital. Part 1: Patients' Experiences, Martina Fiori, Jos M. Latour, Ruth Endacott, Clara A. Cutello, Maureen Coombs

School of Nursing and Midwifery

No abstract provided.

‘Do I Have The Capacity To Make Capacity Judgements?’ Researcher Reflections From A Person-Centred Dementia Support Study, Sarah Griffiths, Alex Gude, Leanne Greene, Lauren Weston, Caroline L. Sutcliffe, Hannah Wheat, Tomasina M. Oh, Richard Byng

Peninsula Medical School

Background and purpose Adults lacking capacity are under-represented in research; therefore, the evidence-base surrounding their support needs is inferior compared to other populations. Involving this group in research is fraught with challenges, including researcher uncertainties about how to carry out capacity judgements. Whilst ethical guidelines and principles provide overarching guidance, there is a lack of detailed guidance and evidence-based training, incorporating practical ‘on the ground’ strategies and advice on communication practices. Experiences and reflections on research procedures used to gauge and address capacity are under reported, resulting in a lack of shared knowledge within the field. Design To help address …

Palaeoecological Data Indicates Land-Use Changes Across Europe Linked To Spatial Heterogeneity In Mortality During The Black Death Pandemic, A. Izdebski, P. Guzowski, R. Poniat, L. Masci, J. Palli, C. Vignola, M. Bauch, C. Cocozza, R. Fernandes, F. C. Ljungqvist, T. Newfield, A. Seim, D. Abel-Schaad, F. Alba-Sánchez, L. Björkman, A. Brauer, A. Brown, S. Czerwiński, A. Ejarque, M. Fiłoc, A. Florenzano, E. D. Fredh, R. Fyfe, N. Jasiunas, P. Kołaczek, K. Kouli, R. Kozáková, M. Kupryjanowicz, P. Lagerås, P. Lagerås, M. Lindbladh, J. A. López-Sáez, R. Luelmo-Lautenschlaeger, K. Marcisz, F. Mazier, S. Mensing, A. M. Mercuri, K. Milecka, Y. Miras, A. M. Noryśkiewicz, E. Novenko, M. Obremska, S. Panajiotidis, M. L. Papadopoulou, A. Pędziszewska, S. Pérez-Díaz, G. Piovesan, A. Pluskowski, P. Pokorny, A. Poska, T. Reitalu, M. Rösch, L. Sadori, Ferreira C Sá, D. Sebag, M. Słowiński, M. Stančikaitė, N. Stivrins, I. Tunno, S. Veski, A. Wacnik, A. Masi

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

AbstractThe Black Death (1347–1352 ce) is the most renowned pandemic in human history, believed by many to have killed half of Europe’s population. However, despite advances in ancient DNA research that conclusively identified the pandemic’s causative agent (bacterium Yersinia pestis), our knowledge of the Black Death remains limited, based primarily on qualitative remarks in medieval written sources available for some areas of Western Europe. Here, we remedy this situation by applying a pioneering new approach, ‘big data palaeoecology’, which, starting from palynological data, evaluates the scale of the Black Death’s mortality on a regional scale across Europe. We collected pollen …

What Factors Have Influenced Quality Of Life In People With Dementia And Their Family Carers During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study, Stephanie Daley, Nazire Akarsu, Elise Armsby, Nicolas Farina, Yvonne Feeney, Bethany Fine, Laura Hughes, Joanna Pooley, Naji Tabet, Georgia Towson, Sube Banerjee

Peninsula Medical School

Objectives.The COVID-19 pandemic has led to significant disruption to health and social care services. For people with dementia and their family carers this is problematic, as a group who rely on timely and responsive services to live well with the condition. This study has sought to understand how COVID-19 has affected the quality of life of people diagnosed with dementia and their family carers.Design.Our mixed-methods study was nested in a larger cohort study of an education programme, Time for Dementia.SettingThe study took place in the South-East of England.ParticipantsExisting study participants, family carers were approached about the COVID-19 nested study. A …

Mental Health Interventions For International Seafarers During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Pilot Study, S Abila, L Tang, M Kitada, S Malecosio, R Subong

Plymouth Business School

No abstract provided.

A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Phase Ii Trial To Explore The Effects Of A GabaA-Α5 Nam (Basmisanil) On Intellectual Disability Associated With Down Syndrome, Clematis Study Group, Celia Goeldner, Priya S. Kishnani, Brian G. Skotko, Julian Lirio Casero, Joerg F. Hipp, Michael Derks, Maria Clemencia Hernandez, Omar Khwaja, Sian Lennon-Chrimes, Jana Noeldeke, Sabine Pellicer, Lisa Squassante, Jeannie Visootsak, Christoph Wandel, Paulo Fontoura, Xavier Liogier D’Ardhuy, Rafael De La Torre Fornell, Paul Glue, Julie Hoover-Fong, Sonja Uhlmann, Jorge Malagón Valdez, Andrew Marshall, Federico Martinón-Torres, Lorenzo Redondo-Collazo, Carmen Rodriguez-Tenreiro, Valeria Marquez Chin, Adriana G. Michel Reynoso, Ed A. Mitchell, Sarah Loveday, Fernando Moldenhauer, Ramon Novell, Cesar Ochoa, Michael S. Rafii, Anne Sophie Rebillat, Damien Sanlaville, Pierre Sarda, Rohit Shankar, Margaret Pulsifer, Casey L. Evans, Alexandra M. Silva, Mary Ellen Mcdonough, Maria Stanley, Lindsay M. Mccary, Stefano Vicari, William Wilcox, Giuseppe Zampino, Alessandro Zuddas

Peninsula Medical School

Background: There are currently no pharmacological therapies to address the intellectual disability associated with Down syndrome. Excitatory/inhibitory imbalance has been hypothesized to contribute to impairments in cognitive functioning in Down syndrome. Negative modulation of the GABA_A-α5 receptor is proposed as a mechanism to attenuate GABAergic function and restore the excitatory/inhibitory balance. Methods: Basmisanil, a selective GABA_A-α5 negative allosteric modulator, was evaluated at 120 mg or 240 mg BID (80 or 160 mg for 12–13 years) in a 6-month, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase II trial (Clematis) for efficacy and safety in adolescents and young adults with Down …

Detection Of A Double-Stranded Mgmt Gene Using Electrochemically Reduced Graphene Oxide (Ergo) Electrodes Decorated With Aunps And Peptide Nucleic Acids (Pna), Mina Safarzadeh, Genhua Pan

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

The ability to detect double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) as a biomarker without denaturing it to single-stranded DNA (ss-DNA) continues to be a major challenge. In this work, we report a sandwich biosensor for the detection of the ds-methylated MGMT gene, a potential biomarker for brain tumors and breast cancer. The purpose of this biosensor is to achieve simultaneous recognition of the gene sequence, as well as the presence of methylation. The biosensor is based on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) electrodes decorated with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and uses Peptide Nucleic Acid (PNA) that binds to the ds-MGMT gene. The reduction of GO …

A Psychological Model For The Prediction Of Energy‐Relevant Behaviours In Buildings: Cognitive Parameter Optimisation, J Von Grabe, S Korsavi

School of Art, Design and Architecture

Energy consumption in buildings is a major contributor to global warming and therefore has become a field of intensive research. This type of energy consumption can be described in two dimensions: an appliance-based dimension and a behaviour-based dimension. To address the behaviour-based dimension a recent study proposed a cognitive human-building interaction model that builds on the instance-based learning paradigm. However, since the values of the standard cognitive parameters commonly used for modelling lab-based behaviours are not suitable for the ‘real-world’ domain of human-building interaction, this paper aims to identify cognitive parameter values adapted to and suitable for the specific character …

Working In An Urgent Dental Care Hub During The Covid-19 Pandemic From A Dental Nurses' Perspective, A Plessas, M Paisi, R Baines, H Wheat, Mb Delgado, I Mills, R Witton

School of Nursing and Midwifery

A qualitative study

Covid-19 Vaccine Hesitancy And Anti-Vaxxers – Supporting Healthcare Workers To Navigate The Unvaccinated: Reflections From Clinical Practice, J Hoare, M Mendelson, L Frenkel

Peninsula Medical School

An important step in preparation for the fourth COVID-19 wave is to provide healthcare workers (HCWs) with skills to facilitate behaviour change in vaccine-hesitant patients. Convincing members of the public who are vaccine hesitant rather than anti-vaxxers should be the focus of our efforts. Our experience is that vaccine-hesitant individuals and anti-vaxxers are generally distinct cohorts, with differing reasons for their vaccine reluctance. If we are to truly address hesitancy, we must take time to understand the reasons for an individual’s hesitancy. Developing a conceptual framework and skills for HCWs during encounters with unvaccinated individuals will be important not only …

Changes To Postdiagnostic Dementia Support In England And Wales During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study, A Wheatley, M Poole, L Robinson

Peninsula Medical School

Objectives To explore the impact of COVID-19 on postdiagnostic dementia care and support provision in England and Wales. Design Qualitative research using semistructured interviews, via video or telephone conferencing. Setting Services providing postdiagnostic support across health, social care and the third sector. Participants 21 professionals previously recruited to an ongoing research programme on postdiagnostic dementia care (or colleagues, if unavailable). Results Key themes identified from the data were: challenges caused by COVID-19; responses to those challenges, including a widespread shift to remote working; and effects of COVID-19 on future postdiagnostic support. Challenges included changing and sometimes conflicting guidelines; a lack …

“I Love A Party With A Happy Atmosphere”; Notes On The Ontology Of Interpersonal Atmosphere, H Drayson

School of Art, Design and Architecture

No abstract provided.

An Alternative Approach To Measuring University Reputation, Katie Angliss

Plymouth Business School

Competition among universities has existed for many decades, with universities now under intense scrutiny due to increased marketisation with perceptions of their reputation becoming ever more important to remain competitive. Current measures of university reputation, such as league table rankings, focus predominantly on student achievement and research success. However, these measures do not consider perceptions from these institutions’ diverse range of stakeholders. Measuring reputation from multiple stakeholders and multiple areas of organisations has previously been done in for-profit organisations using the RepTrak™ model. Nevertheless, the characteristics used in this model have not been tested for their applicability to measure University …

Message Journal, Issue 5: Covid-19 Special Issue Capturing Visual Insights, Thoughts And Reflections On 2020/21 And Beyond…, Sadia Abdisalam, James Alexander, Tom Ayling, Jessica Barness, Diana Bîrhală, Maria Borțoi, Bernard J. Canniffe, Patti Capaldi, Tânia A. Cardoso, Megan Culliford, Stephanie Cunningham, Meg Davies, Subir Dey, Matthew Frame, Aaron Ganci, Peter Gibbons, Sofia Gvozdeva, Elizabeth Herrmann, Chae Ho Lee, Alma Hoffmann, Hedzlynn Kamaruzzaman, Merle Karp, Holly K. Kaufman-Hill, John Kilburn, Joshua Korenblat, Warren Lehrer, Erica V.P. Lewis, Christine Lhowe, Xinyi Li, Kelly Salchow Macarthur, Shelly Mayers, Steven Mccarthy, Bianca Milea, Sara Nesteruk, Cat Normoyle, Jessica Teague, Paul Nini, Emily Osborne, Sima Elizabeth Shefrin, Kyuha Shim, Angelica Sibrian, Gianni Sinni, Irene Sgarro, David Smart, Matt Soar, Junie Tang, Rebecca Tegtmeyer, Ane Thon Knutsen, Isobel Thomas, Darryl Westley, Lisa Winstanley, Danne Woo, Dave Wood, Helena Gregory, Colin Raeburn, Jackie Malcolm

Message Graphic Communication Design Research

No abstract provided.

The Use Of Virtual Reality In Environment Experiences And The Importance Of Realism, M. Newman, B. Gatersleben, K. J. Wyles, E. Ratcliffe

School of Psychology

IntroductionVirtual reality (VR) can be extremely useful in simulating nature when physical presence is not possible. Additionally, it allows for environments to be customised (e.g., weather, or topography) and facilitates the design of controlled experimental settings. However, VR can involve the use of expensive equipment and complex software to create highly realistic immersive experiences. But is it necessary for experiences to rival the latest Hollywood blockbuster? This paper explores whether such investment can be valuable in research on nature experiences.StudiesTwo studies were conducted to examine how realism of environmental presentations impact affective responses and participant perceptions. Study One (n = …

Paediatric Residents And Fellows Ethics (Perfect) Survey: Perceptions Of European Trainees Regarding Ethical Dilemmas, Boer Mc Den, A. Zanin, J. M. Latour, J. Brierley

School of Nursing and Midwifery

No abstract provided.

Application Of Machine Learning In Thermal Comfort Studies: A Review Of Methods, Performance And Challenges, Z Qavidel Fard, Zs Zomorodian, Ss Korsavi

School of Art, Design and Architecture

This paper provides a systematic review on the application of Machine Learning (ML) in thermal comfort studies to highlight the latest methods and findings and provide an agenda for future studies. Reviewed studies were investigated to highlight ML applications, parameters, methods, performance and challenges. The results show that 62% of reviewed studies focused on developing group-based comfort models, while 35% focused on personal comfort models (PCMs) which account for individual differences and present high prediction accuracy. ML models could outperform PMV and adaptive models with up to 35.9% and 31% higher accuracy and PCMs could outperform PMV models with up …

Barriers And Facilitators To Hepatitis C Screening And Treatment For People With Lived Experience Of Homelessness: A Mixed‐Methods Systematic Review, Martha Paisi, Neeltje Crombag, Lorna Burns, Annick Bogaerts, Lyndsey Withers, Laura Bates, Daniel Crowley, Robert Witton, Jill Shawe

School of Nursing and Midwifery

BackgroundPeople experiencing homelessness have an increased risk of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, with rates higher than the general population. However, their access to HCV diagnosis is limited and treatment uptake is low.ObjectivesTo identify and describe the barriers and facilitators for HCV screening and treatment for adults with lived experience of homelessness in highly developed countries.MethodsBibliographic databases (Embase, MEDLINE, CINAHL and SocINDEX) and grey literature (Google, EThOS, the Health Foundation, Social Care Online, the World Health Organisation, Shelter, Crisis and Pathway) were searched. Two reviewers independently screened and appraised all studies. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool and the Joanna …