Digital Commons Network^™

Translation, Cultural Adaptation, And Validation Of The German Empathic-30g Questionnaire For Use In The Neonatal Intensive Care Setting, Katja Odermatt, Marie Roumet, Christine Arnold, Juerg Burren, Jos M. Latour, Mark T. Marston, Martin Nagl-Cupal, Ralph C.A. Rippe, Christoph E. Schwarz, Alexander Simma, Hannah Ferentzi, André Kidszun

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Background: Parental satisfaction is a key quality indicator in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). While the EMPATHIC-30 questionnaire is widely used internationally, no validated German version exists for NICU settings. This study aimed to translate, culturally adapt, and validate the EMPATHIC-30G for use in German-speaking NICUs. Methods: A structured Delphi process involving multidisciplinary experts and parents guided the translation and cultural adaptation, including forward-backward translation and cognitive debriefing. The German version was validated in a prospective observational study at a Swiss NICU. Parents of infants hospitalized for ≥24 h completed the questionnaire at discharge. Results: A total of 228 questionnaires …

Exploring Positive Psychology And Goal Setting In Esports Coaching: A Thematic Analysis Of Professional Fortnite Coaches, Samuel Jaffe, Nigel Jackson, Jonathan Rhodes

School of Psychology

This study investigates how professional Fortnite coaches integrate positive psychology, specifically Seligman’s PERMA (positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment) model and goal-setting frameworks, to enhance player performance and well-being. Through semistructured interviews with 16 esports coaches, the research examines how psychological strategies influence motivation, resilience, and long-term success in a highly competitive, digital coaching environment. Using Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis, three key themes were constructed: defining and measuring success, goal-setting practices, and balancing positive versus pressured coaching styles. Coaches defined success beyond tournament outcomes, emphasizing player development, consistency, and psychological resilience. Goal-setting strategies were highly individualized, blending …

The Construction Of Mathematical Reasoning As A Pedagogical Object, Nick Pratt, Julie Alderton

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

This paper explores how policy aims in mathematics curricula appear in classrooms and, crucially, how the resulting pedagogical practice affects the nature of mathematics itself. Whereas there have been many studies of policy and its relationship with teachers’ practices, few have examined epistemological effects; what mathematics becomes as it is translated from an educational, and political, intention into classroom activity. To focus the study, we examine reasoning as a central idea in mathematics, in the English primary (5-11 years) context. Rather than concentrating on best practice, as an objective account of how to teach reasoning, we adopt a post-structural theoretical …

Examining The Role Of Social Environment On Covid-19 Infections And Vaccine Uptake Among Migrants In Japan: Findings From Nationwide Surveys In 2021 And 2023, Yuanyuan Teng, Clive E Sabel, Tomoya Hanibuchi, Tomoki Nakaya

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Studies have shown that migrants and ethnic minority groups were disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, yet the role of the social environment in shaping their vulnerabilities remains underexplored in Japan. This study explored the experiences of migrants in Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic and examined the association between social environmental factors (i.e., population density, neighborhood deprivation, ethnic density, and social networks) and both COVID-19 infections and vaccination uptake. Two nationwide online surveys were conducted in 2021 and 2023 to capture migrants' experiences and analyze these associations during the middle and waning stages of the pandemic. Modified Poisson regressions with …

Stroke Prevention Medication Information Provision For Individuals With Aphasia: Clinical Audit Results, Janine Andrews

South West Clinical School Journal

#400WORDS: KNOWLEDGE + ACTION

A Clinical Audit Of Women’S Records Of Care Providing Warm Compresses In The Second Stage Of Labour, Rebecca Glover

South West Clinical School Journal

#400WORDS: KNOWLEDGE + ACTION

A Capacity Building Call To Action For Clinical Academics, Frazer Underwood

South West Clinical School Journal

Editorial

Improving Efficiency In Phlebotomy And Investigation Services: A Quality Improvement Project, Irene Okumu-Taylor

South West Clinical School Journal

No abstract provided.

What Works, For Whom, In What Circumstances And Why, When Integrating Voluntary And Statutory Community Mental Health Services: A Realist Evaluation Case Study, Charley Hobson-Merrett, Rebecca Hardwick, Jane Yeandle, Beccy Wardle, Catherine Connor, John Gibson, Vanessa Pinfold, Alexandra Stirzaker, Richard Byng

Peninsula Medical School

Background: Integration of voluntary and statutory mental health services may address gaps in mental health care. The Community Mental Health Framework for Adults and Older Adults 2019 provided impetus for integration within England. It was unknown how, why, or under what circumstances integration would occur.Methods: A realist evaluation of Framework implementation in Somerset was undertaken. The extent of change, and how, why and under what circumstances change occurred were evaluated. Embedded researchers collected observational and interview data, and reviewed internal records. Realist qualitative analysis created and tested a programme theory exploring the extent, cause, and impact of change.Results: Services worked …

Sibling Species Differently Distributed Around A Co2 Vent Show Transplantation Proteomic Remodelling, While Displaying Metabolomic Signatures Associated With Their Origin, Lucy Turner

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

The cellular homeostatic response (CHR) and cellular stress response (CSR) work together to maintain homeostasis. Studying phylogenetically closely-related species inhabiting different environments can help investigate the interplay between the CHR and CSR. We conducted reciprocal in situ transplant experiments in a natural CO2 vent (Ischia, Italy), using the sibling annelid species Platynereis cf.. dumerilii and Platynereis cf.. massiliensis which have been shown to have different preferential distributions around the CO2 vent. Following transplantations, we characterised the response of each individual’s proteome, metabolome, and lipidome, to short or long-term exposure to different pCO2 regimes (i.e., high and low), and confirmed its …

Psychiatry Of Intellectual Disability In The Uk: Looking Back, Moving Forward, Rohit Shankar, Richard Laugharne

Peninsula Medical School

In this century, psychiatry for people with intellectual disability in the United Kingdom has undergone profound shifts, shaped by deinstitutionalization, legislative reform, a focus on psychotropic reduction, an increasing recognition of the premature mortality, and a growing recognition of rights-based, person-centred approaches. Despite progress, entrenched challenges remain, including fragmented services, inconsistent outcome measures, inappropriate psychotropic prescribing, and health inequalities. The coming decades promise transformative opportunities through genomics, digital health, and personalized interventions, through integrated management of co-occurring conditions, but risk deepening inequities if inclusion is not intentional. This paper synthesizes past developments, including the impact of abuse scandals, legal reforms, …

The Role Of Community Engaged Dental Education In Producing Socially Accountable Graduates In The Context Of The General Dental Council's Safe Practitioner Framework, Anastasios Plessas, Martha Paisi, Nilufar Ahmed, Zoe Brookes, Robert Witton

Peninsula Dental School

The General Dental Council's Safe Practitioner Framework sets out the required behaviours and learning outcomes for UK graduates across four domains, and social accountability is a new competency in the domain of professionalism. Community engagement is a type of community-based education, which has been advocated as a promising pedagogical approach to help institutions produce socially accountable graduates. It is conceptualised as a form of experiential education which uses community exposure educational programmes or activities (i.e., students are exposed to the population/community of interest usually in a non-clinical setting) to highlight and address community health care needs. Community engaged education can …

Fit For Whose Future? A Critical Omission Of People With Intellectual Disability In The 2025 Nhs 10 Year Health Plan For England, Rohit Shankar

Peninsula Medical School

The NHS 2025 Health Plan aims for radical reform but overlookspeople with intellectual disability. This editorial highlights criticalomissions in policy, services, research and rights protections.Without intentional inclusion, digital and community shifts riskdeepening inequality. True progress demands co-producedstrategies to ensure equitable care for this vulnerable population.

Identifying The Big Questions In Paleontology: A Community-Driven Project, Tracy Aze

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Paleontology provides insights into the history of the planet, from the origins of life billions of years ago to the biotic changes of the Recent. The scope of paleontological research is as vast as it is varied, and the field is constantly evolving. In an effort to identify “Big Questions” in paleontology, experts from around the world came together to build a list of priority questions the field can address in the years ahead. The 89 questions presented herein (grouped within 11 themes) represent contributions from nearly 200 international scientists. These questions touch on common themes including biodiversity drivers and …

Patient Experiences After Open Heart Surgery: A Qualitative Systematic Review, Halil Kaya, Orachorn Lumprom, Patricia Schofield, Matt Carey, Jos Latour

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Aim: The aim of this systematic review was to synthesise findings from qualitative studies exploring patients' experiences in hospital or at home following open-heart surgery.Methods: Systematic searches were conducted in CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, ProQuest Dissertation and Theses, and Web of Science, covering the period from 2006 to 2023. Studies were selected if they reported a qualitative inquiry into patients’ experiences after open-heart surgery. The quality of eligible studies was assessed using the JBI Critical Appraisal tool. A meta-aggregation approach was used to synthesise the findings.Results: Twenty-one studies were included, representing 266 patients across 10 countries. Findings were aggregated into five …

Ahp Priorities For Sustainable Healthcare Survey Data (2025), Clare Pettinger

Faculty of Health Datasets

1) Data from a survey sent to UK AHP professionals about priorities for sustainable healthcare 2) summary of above survey to show top 5 priorities

What Is Known About The Fish Intake Of People Living In Disadvantaged Communities In The Uk? A Scoping Review, Sarah Gale, Roseline Aboluwade, Louise Hunt, Clare Pettinger

School of Health Professions

Fish provides essential nutrients, including protein, omega-3 fatty acids (oily fish) and other micronutrients, and may be seen to have a prominent role in protecting against non-communicable diseases, especially cardiovascular disease. Recent UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey analysis suggests people are not meeting their weekly fish intake recommendation of at least two portions per week, of which one should be oily. Lower socioeconomic groups are more likely to eat poor-quality diets, with low fish intake, resulting in poor health outcomes. The aim of this scoping review was to examine the factors influencing fish consumption in people living within ‘disadvantaged …

When The Eyes Break The (Naturalistic) Scene: Investigation On The Eye-Gaze Following Mechanisms In Complex Scenarios, Bianca Monachesi, Anna Pecchinenda, Gustav Kuhn

School of Psychology

Processing eye-gaze and aligning one’s own attention with the gaze direction of others (gaze following) is a crucial ability and it underpins several cognitive and affective mechanisms. However, we know little about how this gaze following operates in realistic scenarios in adults. The present study addresses this gap by presenting naturalistic scenes, in which models were portrayed centrally or peripherally (7°), with their eye gaze directed straight ahead, averted towards an object (valid cue) or away from it (invalid cue), while maintaining a straight head position. Eye movements were recorded while participants (N = 60) performed two tasks: a free …

Identification Of Critical Brain Regions For Autism Diagnosis From Fmri Data Using Explainable Ai: An Observational Analysis Of The Abide Dataset, Suryansh Vidya, Kush Gupta, Amir Aly, Andy Wills, Emmanuel Ifeachor, Rohit Shankar

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

BACKGROUND: Diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) significantly improves quality of life, yet current diagnostic practices rely on subjective behavioural assessments. While machine learning models using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) show promise for objective diagnosis, existing approaches have critical limitations. High-accuracy models often neglect interpretability, increasing clinical distrust, while interpretable approaches frequently suffer from low accuracy and lack neuroscientific validation of identified biomarkers. Furthermore, no studies have systematically benchmarked which interpretability methods are most effective for fMRI data, hindering the translation of Artificial intelligence (AI) findings into clinical practice.

METHODS: In this observational study, we used the Autism Brain …

Addressing Food System Determinants Of Health Inequalities In Urban Environments:: Learnings From The Foodsequal And Foodsequal-Health Projects, Carol Wagstaff, Clare Pettinger

School of Health Professions

Diet is just one social determinant of health, with obesity and diet-related illness as leading causes of premature deaths and disability in the UK. People living in deprived areas of the UK are more likely to experience poor health outcomes, linked to many social determinants of health such as diet, housing, employment, education, power and discrimination and psycho-social factors such as isolation, quality of social network and perceived level of control. While socio-economic deprivation is a key risk for health inequalities, protected characteristics, vulnerable groups and geographical factors also indicate populations at risk of experiencing health inequalities. In this ‘opinion …

Celebrating Children And Young People’S Nursing Conference, 2025 ‘Our Present, Our Future: Keynote Presentation: The Fit4cyp Project, Matt Carey, Sarah Neill

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Northumbria University is delighted to be hosting this national conference in partnership with the Great North Childrens Hospital (Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust), Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (Childrens Nursing Services) and South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust (Childrens Nursing Services).Conference aim:This conference will provide one of the largest national and international forums for children and young people’s (CYPs) nurses to collaborate and network on a range of contemporary topics relevant to their practice. A broad range of activities is planned with the aim to connect, inspire, and educate, encouraging thought provoking exchanges. Delegates will be offered the opportunity …

Collecting And Sharing Person-Centered Ai Clinical Summaries Across Frailty Services Provided By The National Health Service And Voluntary, Community, And Social Enterprise: Protocol For A Co-Design And Feasibility Study, Kieran Green, John Downey, Sheena Asthana, Oscar Ponce Ponte, Joanne Watson

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Background:Due to its association with multimorbidity, frailty gives rise to multidimensional needs for different services. Too often, patient preferences and service encounter information are not adequately shared.Objective:This developmental study aims to co-design, collect, and analyze encounter data from multiple community and primary-based multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) providing services for people with frailty to develop prototype large language models that can generate clinical and person-centered care summaries.Methods:Engaging stakeholders in 2 primary care networks, we will co-design the large language model to ensure it meets local needs and preferences as well as infrastructure, information governance, and regulation requirements. General practitioners will identify 50 …

A Growing Threat Of Multi-Hazard Cascades Highlighted By The Birch Glacier Collapse And Blatten Landslide In The Swiss Alps, Nazimul Islam, Jonathan L. Carrivick, Tom Coulthard, Matthew Westoby, Stuart Dunning, Saskia Gindraux

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Rapid atmospheric warming, especially at high altitude, leads to alpine mountain landscapes becoming more vulnerable to mass movements and consequently unstable. For example, decay of mountain permafrost contributes to rockfalls, landslides and debris flows; glaciers are retreating and losing mass at alarming rates, exposing unstable slopes that are more likely to fail; and meltwater, which collects in a growing number of glacial lakes, can pose an outburst flood hazard, putting communities and infrastructure downstream at risk of damage. Occurring now with increasing frequency, these natural phenomena often combine to create complex multi-hazard cascades that are more powerful and have a …

Common Enforcement Manual For Heritage Crime At Sea: None, Jason Lowther, Michael Williams, Beccy Austin

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

This report summarises the results of a project to produce a Common Enforcement Manual (CEM) for Heritage Crime at Sea. The CEM provides easy access to the substance of the regulatory framework in England and bespoke operational protocol for observation, investigation, and interdiction (if permissible) and communication with relevant organisations. This will enable improved interagency collaboration to enhance the protection of underwater cultural heritage at a marginal cost, thereby generating sustainable added value for government in protecting a valuable and threatened national resource.

Development Of Entrepreneurial Identity And Intent In The Early Years Of Higher Education, Sarah Preedy, Peter Mcluskie, Andreas Walmsley, Kelly Smith

Plymouth Business School

PurposeTo examine the process of entrepreneurial identity and intent formation in Higher Education(HE) and to assess the contribution of Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Education (EEE) aspart of this process.Design/MethodologyThe study adopted a mixed method, longitudinal research design. An e-survey (n=145)obtained baseline data on entrepreneurial intentions and identity at the start of a group ofundergraduate students’ first academic year. Based on an ideal-typical sampling strategyeighteen students completed fortnightly diary entries over the course of the academic year.FindingsIn-year fluctuations in and between entrepreneurial identity and intent scores werepronounced. This challenges perceptions of an uncomplicated, linear relationship betweenboth constructs. Explaining these fluctuations, two types …

The Presence Of Family Members During Brainstem Testing: An Ethical Dilemma, Natalie L. Mcevoy, Pierce Geoghegan, Sophia Downey, Jos Latour, Alan Gaffney, James O'Rourke, Gerard F. Curley

School of Nursing and Midwifery

The purpose of this article was to discuss the ethical issues relevant to inviting family members to witness brainstem testing in the intensive care unit (ICU). To highlight these issues, we begin by discussing a hypothetical clinical case of a patient admitted to the ICU following an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. A brief review of the literature on current practice will be presented, followed by a balanced discussion on the practice of permitting relatives to witness brainstem testing under the ethical principles of beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy and justice. Finally, we will present a discussion on international recommendations surrounding this practice as …

Comparison Of Floating Offshore Wind And Tidal Range For Green Hydrogen Production And Storage For Industrial Decarbonization, D. Pegler, R. Rawlinson-Smith, S. Michele, D. Coles, D. Greaves

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

UK Government targets 5 GW of electrolysers by 2030, however the role of green hydrogen for decarbonisation is not explicit. The government identifies the need to research the “archetypes” of production, transport, storage, and use. This paper presents a techno-economic model, comparing Floating Offshore Wind (FLOW) to tidal range, supplying uninterrupted power and hydrogen for industrial decarbonisation. The model employs Levelised Cost of Electricity (LCoE) and Hydrogen (LCoH), with sensitivities for Discount Rate (DR) and electrolyser efficiency. Storage is essential; FLOW must overcome seasonal patterns and changeability between years, and tidal must bridge both the springs-neaps, and equinox cycles. The …

Young People’S Experiences Of Living With Endocrine Conditions., Hannah Godfrey, Alyson Norman, Susan Jackson, Yasmin Steven

School of Psychology

Background: The management of endocrine conditions can beproblematic and have a detrimental impact on mental wellbeing. Despitethe large number of young people with a range of endocrine conditions,research is limited on the psychological and physical impact of theconditions on their daily lives.Aim: To explore the lived experiences of young people aged 10 to 25 withendocrine conditions regarding condition management and psychosocialsymptoms.Methods: Nine young people aged 11 to 25 years (all female) took part insemi-structured interviews about the impact of their condition. Data wereexplored using thematic analysis.Findings: Three themes were identified: impact on daily life (includingcondition management, organisation, impact on work …

A Retrospective Cohort Study Of Valproate And Infertility In Men With Epilepsy Or Bipolar Disorder Using International Health Data, Lance Watkins

Peninsula Medical School

Valproate is highly effective at treating epilepsy and bipolar disorder. It faces prescribing restrictions in men due to concerns it causes testicular dysfunction and infertility. These mostly stem from animal models – the human evidence is limited and conflicting. We report the largest ever retrospective cohort study of infertility in men with epilepsy or bipolar disorder, using real-world healthcare data from TriNetX. 91,917 of the men are exposed to valproate, and 535,803 unexposed. Cohorts are propensity score matched for a comprehensive set of baseline covariates, and survival analysis is undertaken using Cox-proportional hazards models. No significant difference is seen between …

A Picture Paints A Thousand Words: Understanding How People Conceptualise Autism Through Images, Gray Atherton, Emily Dawson, Andrea Piovesan, Lauren Hawksworth-Quill, Liam Cross

School of Psychology

Conceptions of autism and neurodiversity vary widely, with differing views on how they are portrayed in contemporary culture. Although autism scholars have long advocated for greater involvement of autistic individuals in knowledge creation, meaningful co-production between autistic stakeholders, researchers, and the broader community remains limited. To explore differences in autism knowledge between autistic and non-autistic people, we used a qualitative method called visual elicitation. We invited the public to upload an image they felt represented autism and explain their choice. Through thematic analysis of these images and their accompanying descriptions, we identified three key themes highlighting how autism is currently …