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Chemical Characteristics Of Artificial Plastic Plants And The Presence Of Hazardous Elements From The Recycling Of Electrical And Electronic Waste, Andrew Turner, Montserrat Filella Dec 2023

Chemical Characteristics Of Artificial Plastic Plants And The Presence Of Hazardous Elements From The Recycling Of Electrical And Electronic Waste, Andrew Turner, Montserrat Filella

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Because of their convenience, the demand for decorative plastic plants has been increasing over recent years. However, no information exists on the origin or nature of the polymers employed or the type of additives used in order to understand potential environmental impacts and inform safe and sustainable disposal or recycling practices. In this study, 203 parts or offcuts from 175 plastic plants acquired from European shops and venues have been analysed by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry to determine elemental content, while a selection has been analysed by infrared spectrometry to establish polymer type. The (usually green) moulded components (n = 159) …

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Triassic And Jurassic Possible Planktonic Foraminifera And The Assemblages Recovered From The Ogrodzieniec Glauconitic Marls Formation (Uppermost Callovian And Lowermost Oxfordian, Jurassic) Of The Polish Basin, Malcolm B. Hart, Holger Gebhardt, Eiichi Setoyama, Christopher W. Smart, Jarosław Tyszka Dec 2023

Triassic And Jurassic Possible Planktonic Foraminifera And The Assemblages Recovered From The Ogrodzieniec Glauconitic Marls Formation (Uppermost Callovian And Lowermost Oxfordian, Jurassic) Of The Polish Basin, Malcolm B. Hart, Holger Gebhardt, Eiichi Setoyama, Christopher W. Smart, Jarosław Tyszka

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

In the 1960s and 1970s Werner Fuchs of the Austrian Geological Survey (Vienna) described a significant number of new foraminiferal taxa that he considered ancestral to the planktonic foraminifera. All these taxa are well-curated in the collections of the Austrian Geological Survey and have been studied by one of us (Malcolm B. Hart). Some of these taxa, from the Triassic and lowermost Jurassic strata of Austria and northern Italy, are poorly preserved, possibly the result of having an original aragonitic wall structure. None of these taxa possess characters which give the appearance of a planktonic mode of life, although some …

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University Business Students As Charity Trustees: A Win-Win For All?, Carl Evans, Nigel Jackson Dec 2023

University Business Students As Charity Trustees: A Win-Win For All?, Carl Evans, Nigel Jackson

Plymouth Business School

Charities are facing a crisis in recruiting board trustees. Additionally, boards have been criticised for lacking diversity and being unrepresentative of society. The purpose of this paper is to propose a solution to the problem of trustee recruitment, by considering university business students as trustees. Through an analysis of advertised trustee jobs, the proposal is evaluated against degree subject benchmark statements. The findings identify some key person characteristics specified by charities when recruiting trustees. The generic criteria could be met by most students and many of the personal skills are developed by students while at university. However, to address some …

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Suspended And Deposited Microplastics In The Coastal Atmosphere Of Southwest England, Giannis Kyriakoudes, Andrew Turner Dec 2023

Suspended And Deposited Microplastics In The Coastal Atmosphere Of Southwest England, Giannis Kyriakoudes, Andrew Turner

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Atmospheric microplastics (MPs) have been sampled from coastal southwest England during twelve periods over a 42-day timeframe in late autumn. MPs were dominated by fibres, with foams, fragments and pellets also observed. The majority of fibres were identified as the semisynthetic polymer, rayon, while other shapes were dominated by various petroleum-based thermoplastics (including polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl alcohol, polyamide and polyester) and paints. MP concentrations suspended in air ranged from 0.016 to 0.238 items per m3 but displayed no clear dependence on wind speed or direction. Total depositional fluxes ranged from 0.47 to 3.30 m−2 h−1 and showed no clear dependence …

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Engaging With Communities In Rural, Coastal And Low-Income Areas To Understand Barriers To Palliative Care And Bereavement Support: Reflections On A Community Engagement Programme In South-West England, Lorraine Hansford, Katrina Wyatt, Siobhan Creanor, Jennie Davies, Gillian Horne, Amanda Lynn, Sheena Mccready, Susie Pearce, Anna Peeler, Ann Rhys, Libby Sallnow, Richard Harding Dec 2023

Engaging With Communities In Rural, Coastal And Low-Income Areas To Understand Barriers To Palliative Care And Bereavement Support: Reflections On A Community Engagement Programme In South-West England, Lorraine Hansford, Katrina Wyatt, Siobhan Creanor, Jennie Davies, Gillian Horne, Amanda Lynn, Sheena Mccready, Susie Pearce, Anna Peeler, Ann Rhys, Libby Sallnow, Richard Harding

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Background: England’s South-west Peninsula is largely rural, has a high proportion of over 65s, and has areas of rural and coastal deprivation. Rural and low-income populations face inequities at end of life and little is known about the support needs of rural, coastal and low-income communities. Objectives: To understand how to foster community support for dying and grieving well, a regional, multi-sectoral research partnership developed a community engagement programme to explore experiences of seeking support, issues important to people and the community support they valued. This article shares what people told us about the role that communities can play at …

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Rapid Switching From Levetiracetam To Brivaracetam In Pharmaco-Resistant Epilepsy In People With And Without Intellectual Disabilities: A Naturalistic Case Control Study, L. V. Watkins, H. Dunstall, C. Musicha, C. Lawthom, K. John, C. Bright, C. Richings, K. Harding, S. Moon, S. E. Pape, R. Winterhalder, V. Allgar, R. H. Thomas, B. Mclean, R. Laugharne, Rohit Shankar Dec 2023

Rapid Switching From Levetiracetam To Brivaracetam In Pharmaco-Resistant Epilepsy In People With And Without Intellectual Disabilities: A Naturalistic Case Control Study, L. V. Watkins, H. Dunstall, C. Musicha, C. Lawthom, K. John, C. Bright, C. Richings, K. Harding, S. Moon, S. E. Pape, R. Winterhalder, V. Allgar, R. H. Thomas, B. Mclean, R. Laugharne, Rohit Shankar

Peninsula Medical School

BackgroundApproximately one quarter of people with an intellectual disability (PwID) have epilepsy of whom nearly three-quarters are pharmaco-resistant. There are higher reported neuropsychiatric side-effects to anti-seizure medication (ASM) in this group. Levetiracetam (LEV) is a first-line ASM with a stronger association with neuropsychiatric symptoms for PwID than other ASMs. Brivaracetam (BRV) is a newer ASM. Recent studies suggest a beneficial effect of swapping people who experience neuropsychiatric events with LEV to BRV. However, there is limited evidence of this for PwID. This evaluation analyses real world outcomes of LEV to BRV swap for PwID compared to those without ID.MethodsWe performed …

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Artificial Light At Night Alters Predation On Colour-Polymorphic Camouflaged Prey, Emma Moyse, Louise Firth, Tim Smyth, Thomas Davies, Svenja Tidau Dec 2023

Artificial Light At Night Alters Predation On Colour-Polymorphic Camouflaged Prey, Emma Moyse, Louise Firth, Tim Smyth, Thomas Davies, Svenja Tidau

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Artificial light at night (ALAN) disrupts biological processes across taxa and at all levels of organisation. Despite growing interest in this globally pervasive sensory pollutant, its impact on colour-guided processes remains largely unexplored. This is especially concerning given the rapid transition in recent years away from narrow-spectrum lighting and towards broad-spectrum options such as white LEDs, which are rich in the short wavelengths of light to which many taxa are particularly sensitive. Camouflage is particularly likely to be disrupted by broader spectra of ALAN due to changes in conspicuousness in background matching prey, which may alter prey recognition in visually …

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Constraints And Affordances For Uk Doctors‐In‐Training To Exercise Agency: A Dialogical Analysis, Karen Mattick, Anna Goulding, Daniele Carrieri, Nicola Brennan, Bryan Burford, Gillian Vance, Tim Dornan Dec 2023

Constraints And Affordances For Uk Doctors‐In‐Training To Exercise Agency: A Dialogical Analysis, Karen Mattick, Anna Goulding, Daniele Carrieri, Nicola Brennan, Bryan Burford, Gillian Vance, Tim Dornan

Peninsula Medical School

Introduction The goal of medical education is to develop clinicians who have sufficient agency (capacity to act) to practise effectively in clinical workplaces and to learn from work throughout their careers. Little research has focused on experiences of organisational structures and the role of these in constraining or affording agency. The aim of this study was to identify priorities for organisational change, by identifying and analysing key moments of agency described by doctors-in-training. Methods This was a secondary qualitative analysis of data from a large national mixed methods research programme, which examined the work and wellbeing of UK doctors-in-training. Using …

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The South West Clinical School Model: An Initiative To Transform Clinical Academic Career Pathways, Frazer Underwood, Bridie Kent, Pamela Rae, Kim O’Keeffe, Jill Shawe Nov 2023

The South West Clinical School Model: An Initiative To Transform Clinical Academic Career Pathways, Frazer Underwood, Bridie Kent, Pamela Rae, Kim O’Keeffe, Jill Shawe

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Abstract Background: The Clinical School Model connects professorial staff from the university directly to practitioners in the National Health Service to promote evidence informed practice and develop clinical academic careers. These are promoted widely, but strategic adoption into organisational culture and workforce plans are challenging to overcome. Aims: To describe the development of the Clinical School Model in Cornwall and explore how it generates impact through staff engagement activities to support clinical academic career pathways. Structure, process and outcomes developments over the last 3-years are reported. Methods: Donabedian’s framework (structure, process and outcome) was used to report on the development …

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Chinese Seafarers’ Use Of The Internet And Social Media To Promote Labor Rights, Lijun Tang Nov 2023

Chinese Seafarers’ Use Of The Internet And Social Media To Promote Labor Rights, Lijun Tang

Plymouth Business School

Research on seafarers and the Internet so far has focused primarily on Internet access onboard ships. It frames Internet access as a welfare issue concerning seafarers’ communication with their families. This paper expands the focus to examine how seafarers use the Internet and social media to build and extend their social networks for reciprocal support and solidarity. Taking a case study approach, this paper examines two cases of Chinese seafarers protecting their rights online. The data were collected from relevant Internet and social media sites in 2022. The two cases demonstrate that the Internet and social media provide social spaces …

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Towards The Global Plastic Treaty: A Clue To The Complexity Of Plastics In Practice, Montserrat Filella, Andrew Turner Nov 2023

Towards The Global Plastic Treaty: A Clue To The Complexity Of Plastics In Practice, Montserrat Filella, Andrew Turner

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Following the decision of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) to start negotiations for a legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution, discussions and reflections are ongoing on why and how plastic chemicals and polymers of concern should be integrated into the global plastics treaty. One of the points that has been identified as requiring attention is the reduction of the complexity of the composition of plastic objects. This article, addressed to decision-makers and other stake-holders involved in the negotiations, illustrates in a practical and graphical way what complexity means in the case of the presence of inorganic additives.

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Response Of Co2 And Ch4 Emissions From Arctic Tundra Soils To A Multifactorial Manipulation Of Water Table, Temperature And Thaw Depth, K Best, D Zona, E Briant, C-T Lai, Da Lipson, Kr Mcewing, Sj Davidson, Wc Oechel Nov 2023

Response Of Co2 And Ch4 Emissions From Arctic Tundra Soils To A Multifactorial Manipulation Of Water Table, Temperature And Thaw Depth, K Best, D Zona, E Briant, C-T Lai, Da Lipson, Kr Mcewing, Sj Davidson, Wc Oechel

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Significant uncertainties persist concerning how Arctic soil tundra carbon emission responds to environmental changes. In this study, 24 cores were sampled from drier (high centre polygons and rims) and wetter (low centre polygons and troughs) permafrost tundra ecosystems. We examined how soil CO2 and CH4 fluxes responded to laboratory-based manipulations of soil temperature (and associated thaw depth) and water table depth, representing current and projected conditions in the Arctic. Similar soil CO2 respiration rates occurred in both the drier and the wetter sites, suggesting that a significant proportion of soil CO2 emission occurs via anaerobic respiration under water-saturated conditions in …

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Modeling Low Energy Demand Futures For Buildings: Current State And Research Needs, Alessio Mastrucci, Leila Niamir, Benigna Boza-Kiss, Nuno Bento, Dominik Wiedenhofer, Jan Streeck, Shonali Pachauri, Charlie Wilson, Souran Chatterjee, Felix Creutzig, Srihari Dukkipati, Wei Feng, Arnulf Grubler, Joni Jupesta, Poornima Kumar, Giacomo Marangoni, Yamina Saheb, Yoshiyuki Shimoda, Bianka Shoai-Tehrani, Yohei Yamaguchi, Ruijven B Van Nov 2023

Modeling Low Energy Demand Futures For Buildings: Current State And Research Needs, Alessio Mastrucci, Leila Niamir, Benigna Boza-Kiss, Nuno Bento, Dominik Wiedenhofer, Jan Streeck, Shonali Pachauri, Charlie Wilson, Souran Chatterjee, Felix Creutzig, Srihari Dukkipati, Wei Feng, Arnulf Grubler, Joni Jupesta, Poornima Kumar, Giacomo Marangoni, Yamina Saheb, Yoshiyuki Shimoda, Bianka Shoai-Tehrani, Yohei Yamaguchi, Ruijven B Van

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Buildings are key in supporting human activities and well-being by providing shelter and other important services to their users. Buildings are, however, also responsible for major energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions during their life cycle. Improving the quality of services provided by buildings while reaching low energy demand (LED) levels is crucial for climate and sustainability targets. Building sector models have become essential tools for decision support on strategies to reduce energy demand and GHG emissions. Yet current models have significant limitations in their ability to assess the transformations required for LED. We review building sector models ranging …

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Domicide: Architecture, War, And The Destruction Of Home In Syria By Ammar Azzouz, S Murrani Nov 2023

Domicide: Architecture, War, And The Destruction Of Home In Syria By Ammar Azzouz, S Murrani

School of Art, Design and Architecture

No abstract provided.

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Visual Methods In Entrepreneurial Identity Research: Reflections From An Enterprise Educator Perspective, Sarah Preedy, Peter Mcluskie Nov 2023

Visual Methods In Entrepreneurial Identity Research: Reflections From An Enterprise Educator Perspective, Sarah Preedy, Peter Mcluskie

Plymouth Business School

No abstract provided.

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Substantial Light Woodland And Open Vegetation Characterised The Temperate Forest Biome Before Homo Sapiens, Elena A. Pearce, Florence Mazier, Signe Normand, Ralph Fyfe, Valérie Andrieu, Corrie Bakels, Zofia Balwierz, K Binka, Steve Boreham, Olga K. Borisova, Anna Brostrom, Beaulieu J-L De, Cunhai Gao, P Gonzalez-Samperiz, Wojciech Granoszewski, Anna Hrynowiecka, P Kolaczek, P Kunes, Donatella Magri, Małgorzata Malkiewicz, T Highall, Alice M. Milner, P Moller, Małgorzata Nita, Bożena Noryśkiewicz, Irena Agnieszka Pidek, Maurice Reille, Ann Marie Robertsson, J. Sakari Salonen, Patrick Schläfli, Jeroen Schokker, Paolo Scussolini, Vaida Šeirienė, Jaqueline Strahl, Brigitte Urban, Hanna Winter, Jens Christian Svenning Nov 2023

Substantial Light Woodland And Open Vegetation Characterised The Temperate Forest Biome Before Homo Sapiens, Elena A. Pearce, Florence Mazier, Signe Normand, Ralph Fyfe, Valérie Andrieu, Corrie Bakels, Zofia Balwierz, K Binka, Steve Boreham, Olga K. Borisova, Anna Brostrom, Beaulieu J-L De, Cunhai Gao, P Gonzalez-Samperiz, Wojciech Granoszewski, Anna Hrynowiecka, P Kolaczek, P Kunes, Donatella Magri, Małgorzata Malkiewicz, T Highall, Alice M. Milner, P Moller, Małgorzata Nita, Bożena Noryśkiewicz, Irena Agnieszka Pidek, Maurice Reille, Ann Marie Robertsson, J. Sakari Salonen, Patrick Schläfli, Jeroen Schokker, Paolo Scussolini, Vaida Šeirienė, Jaqueline Strahl, Brigitte Urban, Hanna Winter, Jens Christian Svenning

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The extent of vegetation openness in past European landscapes is widely debated. In particular, the temperate forest biome has traditionally been defined as dense, closed-canopy forest; however, some argue that large herbivores maintained greater openness or even wood-pasture conditions. Here, we address this question for the Last Interglacial period (129,000–116,000 years ago), before Homo sapiens–linked megafauna declines and anthropogenic landscape transformation. We applied the vegetation reconstruction method REVEALS to 96 Last Interglacial pollen records. We found that light woodland and open vegetation represented, on average, more than 50% cover during this period. The degree of openness was highly variable and …

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Archaeology In 2022: Counter‐Myths For Hopeful Futures, M Berihuete‐Azorín, Chelsea Blackmore, Lewis Borck, James L. Flexner, Catherine J. Frieman, Corey A. Herrmann, Rachael Kiddey Nov 2023

Archaeology In 2022: Counter‐Myths For Hopeful Futures, M Berihuete‐Azorín, Chelsea Blackmore, Lewis Borck, James L. Flexner, Catherine J. Frieman, Corey A. Herrmann, Rachael Kiddey

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

Archaeology in 2022 features more calls than ever for a socially and politically engaged, progressive discipline. Archaeologists increasingly respect and integrate decolonizing and Indigenous knowledge in theory and practice. They acknowledge and embrace the fluidity and diversity of sexes and genders, past and present. They document patterns of migration, ancient as well as contemporary, to combat retrograde and racist narratives that remain pervasive in the public sphere. At the same time, the field has a deep‐seated conservative bastion toward which many scholars retreat, arguing for an “objective” past that is free of political implications or interpretive ambiguity. As anarchist archaeologists, …

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Evaluating The Relative Pollen Productivity Estimates Using The Reveals Model: A Case Study From The Cultural Landscape In Shandong, China, Furong Li, Marie José Gaillard, Siqi Xie, Qiaoyu Cui, Ralph Fyfe, Laurent Marquer, Shinya Sugita Nov 2023

Evaluating The Relative Pollen Productivity Estimates Using The Reveals Model: A Case Study From The Cultural Landscape In Shandong, China, Furong Li, Marie José Gaillard, Siqi Xie, Qiaoyu Cui, Ralph Fyfe, Laurent Marquer, Shinya Sugita

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The Landscape Reconstruction Algorithm (LRA) is regarded as the soundest approach for quantifying taxon-specific plant cover from pollen data. The reliability of relative pollen productivity (RPP) estimates is fundamental in the accuracy of quantitative vegetation reconstruction using the LRA approach. Inconsistent RPP estimates produced by different studies can cast doubt on the reliability and applicability of quantitative vegetation reconstruction. Therefore, it is crucial that the RPP estimates are evaluated before being applied for quantitative vegetation reconstruction. We have tested two alternative approaches, namely, a leave-one-out cross-validation (LOO) method and a splitting-by-subregion strategy, using surface pollen assemblages and the REVEALS model—the …

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Influence Of Fault System Geometry And Slip Rates On The Relative Role Of Coseismic And Interseismic Stresses On Earthquake Triggering And Recurrence Variability, Claudia Sgambato, Walker Jp Faure, Gerald P. Roberts, Zoë K. Mildon, Marco Meschis Nov 2023

Influence Of Fault System Geometry And Slip Rates On The Relative Role Of Coseismic And Interseismic Stresses On Earthquake Triggering And Recurrence Variability, Claudia Sgambato, Walker Jp Faure, Gerald P. Roberts, Zoë K. Mildon, Marco Meschis

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

We model Coulomb stress transfer (CST) due to 30 strong earthquakes occurring on normal faults since 1509 CE in Calabria, Italy, including the influence of interseismic loading, and compare the results to existing studies of stress interaction from the Central and Southern Apennines, Italy. The three normal fault systems have different geometries and long‐term slip‐rates. We investigate the extent to which stress transfer can influence the occurrence of future earthquakes and what factors may govern the variability in earthquake recurrence in different fault systems. The Calabrian, Central Apennines, and Southern Apennines fault systems have 91%, 73%, and 70% of faults …

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Insights From The First Brazilian Symposium On Human Biometeorology, E Krüger, Acds Gomes, Ps Lucio, Jpa Gobo, As Nedel, Flt Gonçalves, M Piacenti-Silva, Cd Napoli, Ckc Lam Nov 2023

Insights From The First Brazilian Symposium On Human Biometeorology, E Krüger, Acds Gomes, Ps Lucio, Jpa Gobo, As Nedel, Flt Gonçalves, M Piacenti-Silva, Cd Napoli, Ckc Lam

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

A current systematic literature review has stated several deficiencies and knowledge gaps in biometeorology research conducted in Brazil. This finding encouraged a group of local professionals in the field to foster research initiatives in topics and regions yet unexplored in the country. Motivated by that, the group organized the first Brazilian Symposium on Human Biometeorology between July 4 and 8, 2022, in Natal (RN), northeastern Brazil. This paper aims to summarize the main studies presented at the symposium and highlight a few ideas that could be pursued next in human biometeorology in future research initiatives.

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Traces Of An Imperial Japanese Imaginary: Positioning The Japanese & Okinawan Settlements Of Southern Alberta, Canada, 1910s-1930s, D Aoki Oct 2023

Traces Of An Imperial Japanese Imaginary: Positioning The Japanese & Okinawan Settlements Of Southern Alberta, Canada, 1910s-1930s, D Aoki

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

This article develops a case study of two settlements of Japanese colonists—one ethnically Japanese, and one Okinawan—in the southern region of the Canadian province of Alberta between the 1910s and 1930s. It explores these communities’ aims and institutional structures to propose that these shaped membership in the trans-Pacific imperial Japanese imaginary, one that—in the navigation of dual Japanese and British Dominion imperial loyalties—sought to promote Japanese racial progress and cultivate the Japanese identity of future generations. It adds to scholarship on imperial Japan’s projection into North America through its diaspora. Highlighting southern Alberta’s Japanese communities, a distinctive opportunity is opened …

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A Climate Perturbation At The Middle –Late Jurassic Transition? Evaluating The Isotopic Evidence From South-Central England, Gregory D. Price, Bernát Heszler, Charlton L-M Tansley, Jade Cox Oct 2023

A Climate Perturbation At The Middle –Late Jurassic Transition? Evaluating The Isotopic Evidence From South-Central England, Gregory D. Price, Bernát Heszler, Charlton L-M Tansley, Jade Cox

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

No abstract provided.

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Metrics Matter: Multiple Diversity Metrics At Different Spatial Scales Are Needed To Understand Species Diversity In Urban Environments, Kathryn A. O'Shaughnessy, Antony M. Knights, Stephen J. Hawkins, Mick E. Hanley, Paul Lunt, Richard C. Thompson, Louise B. Firth Oct 2023

Metrics Matter: Multiple Diversity Metrics At Different Spatial Scales Are Needed To Understand Species Diversity In Urban Environments, Kathryn A. O'Shaughnessy, Antony M. Knights, Stephen J. Hawkins, Mick E. Hanley, Paul Lunt, Richard C. Thompson, Louise B. Firth

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Worldwide, natural habitats are being replaced by artificial structures due to urbanisation. Planning of such modifications should strive for environmental net gain that benefits biodiversity and ecosystems. Alpha (α) and gamma (γ) diversity are often used to assess ‘impact’ but are insensitive metrics. We test several diversity measures across two spatial scales to compare species diversity in natural and artificial habitats. We show γ-diversity indicates equivalency in biodiversity between natural and artificial habitats, but natural habitats support greater taxon (α) and functional richness. Within-site β-diversity was also greater in natural habitats, but among-site β-diversity was greater in artificial habitats, contradicting …

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Digital Competence And Psychological Wellbeing In A Social Housing Community: A Repeated Survey Study, Sarah Buckingham, G Tu, L Elliott, R Poole, T Walker, E Bland, K Morrissey Oct 2023

Digital Competence And Psychological Wellbeing In A Social Housing Community: A Repeated Survey Study, Sarah Buckingham, G Tu, L Elliott, R Poole, T Walker, E Bland, K Morrissey

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Abstract Background Little is known about whether digital competence is related to psychological wellbeing, with most previous research focusing on students and elderly people. There is also limited evidence on seasonal changes in psychological wellbeing, particularly in specific groups. Social housing residents are an underserved and under-researched population. The objectives of this study were to explore associations between digital competence (assessed by general technology self-efficacy) and psychological wellbeing (assessed by mental wellbeing and life satisfaction), and to explore seasonal effects, in social housing residents. Methods A repeated survey design was used. The Happiness Pulse questionnaire with a bespoke digital module …

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Scoping Potential Routes To Uk Civil Unrest Via The Food System: Results Of A Structured Expert Elicitation, A Jones, S Bridle, K Denby, R Bhunoo, D Morton, L Stanborough, B Coupe, V Pilley, T Benton, P Faloon, T Matthews, C Pettinger Oct 2023

Scoping Potential Routes To Uk Civil Unrest Via The Food System: Results Of A Structured Expert Elicitation, A Jones, S Bridle, K Denby, R Bhunoo, D Morton, L Stanborough, B Coupe, V Pilley, T Benton, P Faloon, T Matthews, C Pettinger

School of Health Professions

We report the results of a structured expert elicitation to identify the most likely types of potential food system disruption scenarios for the UK, focusing on routes to civil unrest. We take a backcasting approach by defining as an end-point a societal event in which 1 in 2000 people have been injured in the UK, which 40% of experts rated as “Possible (20–50%)”, “More likely than not (50–80%)” or “Very likely (>80%)” over the coming decade. Over a timeframe of 50 years, this increased to 80% of experts. The experts considered two food system scenarios and ranked their plausibility …

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Relative Risks Of Adverse Perinatal Outcomes In Three Australian Communities Exposed To Per- And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances: Data Linkage Study, Hd Law, Da Randall, Bk Armstrong, C D’Este, Et Al Oct 2023

Relative Risks Of Adverse Perinatal Outcomes In Three Australian Communities Exposed To Per- And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances: Data Linkage Study, Hd Law, Da Randall, Bk Armstrong, C D’Este, Et Al

School of Health Professions

Introduction: Firefighting foams containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have caused environmental contamination in several Australian residential areas, including Katherine in the Northern Territory (NT), Oakey in Queensland (Qld), and Williamtown in New South Wales (NSW). We examined whether the risks of adverse perinatal outcomes were higher in mothers living in these exposure areas than in selected comparison areas without known contamination. Methods: We linked residential addresses in exposure areas to addresses collected in the jurisdictional Perinatal Data Collections of the NT (1986–2017), Qld (2007–2018), and NSW (1994–2018) to select all pregnancies from mothers who gave birth while living in …

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Functional Behaviour Of Flocs Explained By Observed 3d Structure And Porosity, Tj Lawrence, Sj Carr, Aj Manning, Jat Wheatland, Aj Bushby, Kl Spencer Oct 2023

Functional Behaviour Of Flocs Explained By Observed 3d Structure And Porosity, Tj Lawrence, Sj Carr, Aj Manning, Jat Wheatland, Aj Bushby, Kl Spencer

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Clay-rich flocculated suspended sediments are an important constituent of estuarine and coastal systems globally. They are responsible for the host, movement and deposition of a variety of pollutants, contaminants and sediment itself. Accurate modelling of the movement of these sediments is crucial for a number of industries including fisheries, aquaculture, shipping and waste management. This requires an accurate and reliable measurements of the physical properties of flocs and their behaviour. Porosity is a key element in floc structures, and this research provides updated 3D quantified porosity and pore space morphological data in relation to influences on floc settling behaviour. We …

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Coastal Permafrost Was Massively Eroded During The Bølling-Allerød Warm Period, Alessio Nogarotto, Riko Noormets, Teena Chauhan, Gesine Mollenhauer, Jens Hefter, Hendrik Grotheer, Simon T. Belt, Florence Colleoni, Francesco Muschitiello, Lucilla Capotondi, Claudio Pellegrini, Tommaso Tesi Oct 2023

Coastal Permafrost Was Massively Eroded During The Bølling-Allerød Warm Period, Alessio Nogarotto, Riko Noormets, Teena Chauhan, Gesine Mollenhauer, Jens Hefter, Hendrik Grotheer, Simon T. Belt, Florence Colleoni, Francesco Muschitiello, Lucilla Capotondi, Claudio Pellegrini, Tommaso Tesi

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The Bølling-Allerød interstadial (14,700–12,900 years before present), during the last deglaciation, was characterized by rapid warming and sea level rise. Yet, the response of the Arctic terrestrial cryosphere during this abrupt climate change remains thus far elusive. Here we present a multi-proxy analysis of a sediment record from the northern Svalbard continental margin, an area strongly influenced by sea ice export from the Arctic, to elucidate sea level - permafrost erosion connections. We show that permafrost-derived material rich in biospheric carbon became the dominant source of sediments at the onset of the Bølling-Allerød, despite the lack of direct connections with …

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Microplastics In Surface Coastal Waters Around Plymouth, Uk, And The Contribution Of Boating And Shipping Activities, Chloé Higgins, Andrew Turner Oct 2023

Microplastics In Surface Coastal Waters Around Plymouth, Uk, And The Contribution Of Boating And Shipping Activities, Chloé Higgins, Andrew Turner

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Microplastics determined in surface water trawls from coastal waters around Plymouth, southwest England, ranged from 0.26 to 0.68 n m−3, with a decrease evident from the lower estuaries of the Tamar and Plym to areas in Plymouth Sound more remote from urbanisation. Microplastics were dominated by fibres of rayon and polypropylene and fragments of polyester and epoxy resins, with fragment concentration demonstrating a significant and positive linear relationship with concentration of floating and suspended matter retrieved by the trawls. Observations are attributed to the suspension of land-based (e.g., treated municipal waste) sources of textile fibres, and the flotation of land-based …

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Strengthening The Role Of The Executive Nurse Director: A Qualitative Interview Study, Daniel Kelly, Zoe Horseman, Fiona E. Strachan, Sharon Hamilton, Aled Jones, Aisha Holloway, Anne Marie Rafferty, Helen Noble, Joanne Reid, Ruth Harris, Pam Smith Oct 2023

Strengthening The Role Of The Executive Nurse Director: A Qualitative Interview Study, Daniel Kelly, Zoe Horseman, Fiona E. Strachan, Sharon Hamilton, Aled Jones, Aisha Holloway, Anne Marie Rafferty, Helen Noble, Joanne Reid, Ruth Harris, Pam Smith

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Aim To explore the challenges and opportunities facing executive nurse directors in the UK and identify factors to strengthen their role and support more effective nurse leadership. Design A qualitative descriptive study using reflexive thematic analysis. Methods Semi-structured, telephone interviews were carried out with 15 nurse directors and 9 nominated colleagues. Results Participants described a uniquely complex role with a broader scope than any other executive board member. Seven themes were identified: preparation for the role, length of time in role, role expectations, managing complexity, status, being political and influencing. Strengthening factors included successful working relationships with other board colleagues, …

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