Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring The Potential Use Of Tead Inhibition As Part Of A Combination Therapy For Nf2-Deficient Schwannoma And Meningioma., Jamie Blake

Peninsula Medical School Theses

NF2-related Schwannomatosis is a genetic cancer predisposition syndrome, resulting in the development of schwannoma, meningioma and ependymoma tumours. Although surgical resection and adjuvant radiotherapy can be used, new avenues of therapeutic development are essential to target inoperable and recurrent tumours. Previous studies evaluating small molecule TEAD auto-palmitoylation inhibitors have distinguished their anti-proliferative effect in NF2-deficient cancers. Here we aim to identify compounds that could be utilised in conjunction with TEAD inhibition, to target aberrant Hippo signalling and secondary resistance mechanisms. We utilised immortalised and primary cells to evaluate the efficacy and potential synergism of TEAD inhibitors VT3989 and VT107 in …

Virtually Painless: An Investigation Into The Therapeutic Potential Of Virtual Natural Environments For Chronic Low Back Pain, Alexander Smith

School of Psychology Theses

Chronic pain conditions represent one of the greatest causes of disability in the UK, affecting up to 28 million people nationwide. Despite its prevalence, chronic low back pain (cLBP) in particular remains poorly served by existing treatments. Growing evidence suggests that engagement with natural environments provides analgesic and restorative benefits, yet access to nature is profoundly limited for people living with chronic pain. This thesis investigated whether a codesigned, immersive virtual reality (VR) nature experience could deliver meaningful pain relief to individuals with cLBP, drawing on Attention Restoration Theory (ART) and Stress Reduction Theory (SRT) as key theoretical frameworks. The …

Exposing The Work Of The Market Through The Case Of Alternative Provision For English School Students, Nick Pratt, Elizabeth Done, Sam Morahan

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

Pupils in England who for some reason are not able to attend school often find themselves in Alternative Provision (AP). These are special arrangements designed to address their specific needs and help them return to mainstream schooling. AP involves a financial agreement between the provider and the organisation that commissions the provision and thus operates as an explicit form of education market in which educational services are traded directly for financial recompense. We report on a case study of one AP provider in the South-West of England undertaken over a one-year period which generated data through individual, semi-structured interviews and …

An Evidence Review Of Technology Enabled Social Care In The Uk: Report For Cornwall Health Determinants Research Collaboration, Sheena Asthana, Michael Loizou, Marius Varga, Oliver Beer, Rory Baxter, Kieran Green

School of Nursing and Midwifery

The Urgent Need for a Shift from Crisis Intervention to Prevention. As highlighted by the Chief Medical Officer, demographic ageing—particularly acute in coastal areas like Cornwall—necessitates a fundamental shift in care models to allow individuals to live as independently as possible. Currently, the potential of digital technologies to support this aim is not being realised. To maintain wellbeing and reduce demand on statutory services, the system must pivot from reactive crisis management to a greater focus on prevention. While technology can play a pivotal role, it will only succeed if integrated into interoperable, data-driven systems that facilitate early intervention and …

How Does Pre-Registration Child Specific Education Prepare Newly Qualified Nurses’ To Care For Children, Young People, And Their Families? An Empty Narrative Review, Matt Carey, Danielle Edge, Julie Blamires, Mandie Foster, Sarah Neill

School of Nursing and Midwifery

This narrative review investigates the influence of child-specific content within pre-registration nursing programs on newly qualified nurses’ perceptions of preparedness to care for children, young people, and their families. Despite international recognition of the specialised competencies required for pediatric nursing, the proportion and quality of child-focused education across Higher Education Institutions is not clear. The Population, Exposure, Outcome framework provided a comprehensive search strategy applied across eight databases to identify relevant studies that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Of 663 records identified, 451 were screened and 25 full texts wereassessed for eligibility by two reviewers. No studies met the …

Seeing Anxiety: Ecological Video Ethnography And Simulation To Understand Anxiety And Decision-Making In Dental Care, Mona Nasser, Hannah Drayson, Sally Hanks, Nicholas Peres, Michael Punt

Peninsula Dental School

BACKGROUND: Dental anxiety is a widespread barrier to care, often contributing to appointment avoidance, treatment disruption, and emotional strain for both patients and clinicians. While extensively studied as a psychological trait, less attention has been paid to how anxiety manifests situationally and relationally, through non-verbal, affective, and spatial cues within clinical encounters. Moreover, in certain contexts, such affective signals can intersect with decision-making processes, shaping how patients interpret, engage with, or withdraw from clinical choices.

OBJECTIVE: To explore how anxiety manifests within the micro-choreography of dental encounters, develop a taxonomy of 'anxious tells', and assess the utility of ecological video …

Can The 2025 Nobel Prizes In Physics And Economics Inspire A “Quantum” Turn In Tourism Research?, Waqas Ali

Plymouth Business School

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Conflicting Cognitions In Changing Hazardous Consumer Behaviour, Krzysztof Kubacki, Krzysztof Stepaniuk, Dariusz Siemieniako, Karolina Małagocka, Chrystyna Misiewicz

Plymouth Business School

Despite diverse approaches deployed worldwide to address harmful alcohol consumption, understanding binge drinking as a hazardous consumption behaviour remains a pressing issue in marketing and consumer behaviour research. Thus, this study examines the role of cognitive dissonance – and its absence – in facilitating transitions between different phases of binge drinking. Drawing on 38 biographical interviews conducted in Australia, the Netherlands, Poland, and the United States, we identify six instances where cognitive dissonance, or the absence thereof, contributes to the transition into, between, and out of phases of binge drinking. By examining conflicting cognitions that emerge from the gaps between …

Dampened Social Motivation In Dysphoria: The Role Of Negative Social Expectancies And Internal Causal Attribution Style, Julie L Ji, Nilly Mor, Colin Macleod

School of Psychology

Dysphoria is associated with dampening of social interaction intention, but the cognitive mechanisms that underpin this relationship are under-investigated. This study tested the hypothesis that heightened negative social expectancies mediate the association between dysphoria and dampened social motivation. Additionally, it tested the hypothesis that the association between dysphoria and negative social expectancies is mediated by an attribution style bias that attributes negative, but not positive, outcomes to internal causes. University students (N = 271) with varied levels of dysphoria read vignettes describing hypothetical situations where they initiate a social interaction that results in positive or negative outcomes. Participants rated their …

Training Healthcare Professionals To Deliver A Group-Based Intervention For People Living With Severe Obesity: Lessons From The Progroup Feasibility Trial, Shokraneh Moghadam, Mark Tarrant, Lily Hawkins, Dawn Swancutt, Rod Sheaff, Laura Hollands, Raff Calitri, Jonathan Pinkney, Jenny Lloyd

School of Psychology

Introduction: Group-based programmes are increasingly adopted to support people living with obesity, as they have the potential to reduce staff time and costs and enhance motivation and capability for behaviour change. Group-based programmes could also provide members with opportunities to form meaningful social connections. As such, training should equip healthcare professionals to deliver group interventions successfully and be accessible and feasible for them to complete. This study presents how mixed-methods process evaluation data from the feasibility randomised controlled trial of PROGROUP (a group-based weight management intervention for people living with severe obesity) informed optimisation of the PROGROUP training programme. Methods: …

Making The Implicit Explicit: Leadership In Primary Care Dental Practice, Sally Hanks, Debby R.E. Cotton

Peninsula Dental School

Objectives: This paper reports on research aimed at understanding leadership activities in primary care dental practice, an under-explored area within the extant literature. Methods: The research employed a qualitative, exploratory paradigm, using Video Reflexive Ethnography (VRE) and Activity Theory (AT) to capture the lived experiences of seven participating dentists. Results: The research outlines the ways in which dentists demonstrate leadership skills in their daily work, identifying three interacting activity systems that define leadership in this setting: Patient Care (PC), Running the Surgery (RS), and Running the Practice (RP). Findings emphasise that leadership is directly related to patient care and is …

Who Seeks Help? Characteristics Of Doctors Accessing Mental Health Support In England: 4-Year National Review, Rohit Shankar

Peninsula Medical School

BackgroundMental health difficulties affect the well-being of doctors and compromise the delivery of healthcare. However, large-scale data on doctors’ mental health needs are limited.AimsDescribe patterns of self-referrals for mental health support among doctors in England and explore associations with demographic factors, speciality, neurodevelopmental and mental health indicators.MethodObservational study using data from doctors who self-referred for mental health difficulties to a national service in England over a 4-year period. Logistic regression was used to explore associations between speciality and mental health indicators.ResultsOf the 16 815 doctors who self-referred during the study period, 80% were under the age of 49 and 70.6% …

Global Manta And Devil Ray Population Declines: Closing Policy And Management Gaps To Reduce Fisheries Mortality, Betty J.L. Laglbauer, Nidhi G. D'Costa, Joshua D. Stewart, Marta D. Palacios, Melissa Cronin, Daniel Fernando, Nerea Lezama-Ochoa, Asia O. Armstrong, Rima W. Jabado, Sarah Fowler, Julia M. Lawson, Olga Koubrak, Jefferson Murua, Thanda Ko Gyi, Divya Karnad, Mayuri Chopra, Giuseppe Notarbartolo-Di-Sciara, Joshua Rambahiniarison, Don Croll, Stefany Rojas, Abdulaziz Fahmi, Joanna L. Harris, Alifa Binthe Haque, Hilario Murua, Juan Carlos Pérez-Jiménez, Emily Humble, Ellen Barrowclift, Muhammad G. Salim, Godefroy De Bruyne, Issah Seidu

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Significant progress has been made in advancing priority actions to conserve manta and devil rays, yet implementation and enforcement of protective measures often fall short, leaving most mobulid populations at risk of overfishing. Drawing on a literature review, fisheries databases, agency reports, and expert interviews, we assess global trends in mobulid catch and mortality. We examine both targeted and incidental catch, in small (<15 m, ‘SV’) and large (>15 m, ‘LV’) vessel fisheries to identify hotspots with the highest risk of fisheries-related mortality and population decline. We estimate global fisheries catch at 264,520 (184,407–344,987) mobulids per year, with SV fisheries accounting for 87 % …

Investigating The Potential For First Year Residential Field Courses To Facilitate The Establishment Of Teacher-Student Relationships In Biological Sciences Undergraduate Degrees, Anne Plessis, Alison Stokes

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Teacher-student relationships (TSRs) in higher education impact many aspects of the student experience, including engagement and performance. However, relatively little is known about the mechanisms of establishment of TSRs, and in particular how these are influenced by specific learning environments and contexts. Here, we undertake an exploratory investigation using first year biological sciences undergraduate residential field courses to examine how this teaching context affected the frequency and nature of teacher student interactions, and consequently the development of TSRs. Data were collected from teacher and student participants using questionnaires and focus groups. We found that interactions during fieldwork took place frequently …

Healthcare Providers’ Prescribing Practices And Emergency Management Planning For Pre-Hospital Seizure Emergencies: A Comparison Of Hungary To Norway And The United Kingdom, Rohit Shankar

Peninsula Medical School

Background: Seizure emergencies, include prolonged seizures and status epilepticus (SE). Benzodiazepines are recommended as first-line rescue therapy. We investigate prescribing practices, emergency planning, and clinician experiences regarding rescue medication in Hungary and compare findings with those from the United Kingdom and Norway. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey (CHERRIES-compliant) was conducted between March and October 2025 among neurologists and pediatric neurologists in Hungary. The questionnaire explored demographics, prescribing behaviours, emergency management planning, and training practices. Descriptive statistics were used for Hungarian data, and comparative analyses with the combined UK and Norwegian cohorts were performed using chi-squared, Fisher's exact, and Mann–Whitney U …

Biocompatibility Of Silver And Hydroxyapatite Antimicrobial Nanocoatings On Titanium Alloy Dental Implants With Human Gingival Fibroblasts, S Morgan, R D Handy, V M Salih, R N Salaie, C J Tredwin, A Besinis

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

OBJECTIVES: Peri-implantitis compromises soft and hard tissues around dental implants, often leading to implant failure. Antibacterial nanocoatings offer a promising infection control strategy, but maintaining biocompatibility is essential. This study investigated, through a range of assays and analytical techniques, the biocompatibility of antimicrobial silver and hydroxyapatite (HA) nanocoatings applied to titanium implants with human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs).

METHODS: Silver and hydroxyapatite nanocoatings were applied to the surface of titanium alloy specimens using electroplating, deposition and sintering techniques. The biocompatibility of the nanocoatings with HGFs was assessed by measuring cell metabolic activity (alamarBlue), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, collagen production (Sircol assay), …

Post-Release Mortality Of European Bass (Dicentrarchus Labrax) Discarded From Small-Scale Estuarine Fishing, J. E. Stewart, T. Stamp, P. Davies, A. Hall, T. Robbins, L. Stewart, E. V. Sheehan

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Estuaries provide essential habitats for many fish species, but their confined and accessible nature may increase fish vulnerability to capture, and few empirical studies have quantified the value of restricting net fisheries in such areas. Furthermore, management measures for some fisheries promote discarding (e.g., of European sea bass; Dicentrarchus labrax), yet the mortality of fish discarded from small-scale inshore fisheries is poorly understood. We used condition assessments, Reflex Action Mortality Predictor scores and acoustic tracking to evaluate post-release mortality of bass captured in small-scale estuarine netting and angling. Gillnet-caught bass exhibited a range of stress responses and 20%–24% mortality shortly …

On The Edge Of Science?: Commentary On Birch On Edge Of Sentience, Mark Briffa, Lynne U. Sneddon

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

In The Edge of Sentience, Jonathan Birch (2024) provides a thought-provokingsynthesis of current perspectives on animal (and artificial) sentience. He addresses the question from conceptual, ethical, regulatory and empirical viewpoints. Here we focus on some of the scientific issues raised, including defining and operationalising the concept of sentience and the implications for policy and regulation. Despite unresolved conceptual challenges, the book makes a compelling case for the continued scientific investigation of animal sentience.

Review Of 'The Royal Musical Association: Creating Scholars, Advancing Research' By Leanne Langley, Nuria Bonet

School of Art, Design and Architecture

No abstract provided.

Enhancing Market Transparency Through Co-Creation Of Csr And Sustainability Ratings Between Firms, Rating Agencies And Customers, Christopher Agyapong Siaw

Plymouth Business School

No abstract provided.

All Life As Witness: Developing A Mode Of Investigation Into Political Disappearance In 1960s Venezuela Reframed By Skinner Releasing Technique And Indigenous Knowledge, Livia Daza-Paris

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

This practice-based research develops Ecologies of Poetic Forensics, an investigative mode for approaching political disappearance as a felt, ongoing condition that also reverberates across worlds beyond the human. Focused on my father's disappearance during Venezuela's 1960s revolutionary movement, the research follows relational dynamics within the personal, political, ecological ‘many worlds’ (Indígena Zapatistas 1996) shaped by state violence, including those of campesinos (land-based workers) in Cocorote, Lara State. The inquiry unfolds across Venezuela, Canada, and the United States, tracing territory that exceeds state borders.

The research brings the Skinner Releasing Technique, a movement practice oriented by poetic imagery and embodied …

The Persistent Shock Of The Old: Making The Case For The Responsive Development Of Artwork Deploying Historical Museological Display Techniques., Duncan Cameron

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

My sculpture work and thesis investigate the potential of historical museological practices—particularly Victorian and Edwardian display technologies—in contemporary art-making and sculptural practice. I ask three central questions: how can the collection and display of natural history materials be ethically defended in the present day; how might traditional exhibition orthodoxies be reconfigured to privilege the prosaic, domestic, and handmade over the novel and precious; and what role does the idiosyncratic and beautiful play in narrating material stories within an ethical, Anthropocene-aware framework?The study employs a practice-led methodology combining iterative art-making, critical reflection, and active fieldwork. Working from a studio in Somerset, …

Planetarity And Relation: Ecology As Method, Ashish Ghadiali

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

The List of Works submitted comprises research through film, text, exhibition, performance and policy engagement, developed during a three-year period from 2021 to 2024 in the site-specific location of Southwest England. This multi-modal and interdisciplinary practice is framed in response to the question of how art and cultural strategy can, in the contexts of climate breakdown and global racial inequity, be conceived of as agency for environmental justice. In this integrative summary, I present a theoretical framework where ecology, in response to conditions of environmental crisis, is understood not only as a subject of inquiry but also as method. In …

Feminism, Domestic Abuse And The Singer-Songwriter, Kathryn Ferguson

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

This project explores how feminism and domestic abuse can be articulatedthrough songwriting. Research in music therapy, sociology and popular musicincreasingly speaks to the value of songwriting as a tool for personal andcommunity empowerment, but there is space to actively use songwriting toexplore feminist issues independently of the traditional commercial context ofpopular music. Existing feminist music has been deemed as at its mostsuccessful when it is linked clearly to social change in our communities(Greene, 2017, p.8). Modern popular feminist songwriting has been criticised fornot going far enough in deconstructing systemic patterns of patriarchy (Tong,2024, p.9). Considering this, engaging with academic research …

The Development Of Collaborative Relationships Between Disaster Relief Ngos: Barriers And Solutions, Christopher Phillips

Plymouth Business School Theses

Collaborative responses amongst disaster relief NGOs can be more effective in delivering aid when compared with responses conducted individually. Collaboration enables the sharing of resources, expertise, personnel, and funding, resulting in more efficient aid distribution in the wake of natural disasters. However, current research highlights that it is often challenging for NGOs to establish and sustain collaborative relationships due to different barriers. The challenges these barriers cause have been explored in previous research, but limited attention has been given with respect to how these can be addressed. Additionally, there is a lack of understanding of the relationships between these barriers, …

Analysis Of Volatility Between Macroeconomic Variables And Busan Port Cargo Throughput According To Global Risks, Sang Ho Cho

Plymouth Business School Theses

This study investigates how container (BPC) and non-container (BPB) cargo throughput at Busan Port responds to structural shocks in global and domestic macroeconomic variables, and how their relative importance changes over time. The selection of variables was based on a combination of a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) and semi-structured interviews (SSI). The econometric analysis applied a stepwise framework, employing cumulative Impulse Response Functions (IRF) and Forecast Error Variance Decomposition (FEVD) based on Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) estimations, as well as Historical Decomposition (HD) for specific crisis periods. While IRF and FEVD were used to capture dynamic properties under general …

Driving Venture Success: A Collaborative Framework For The Consumer Goods Industry, Mohammad Alhusaeini Mohammad

Plymouth Business School Theses

This thesis addresses the persistent gap between the strategic promise of external corporate venturing (ECV) and its frequently disappointing outcomes in the global consumer goods industry, with a specific focus on the non-durable consumer goods sub‑sector. Despite ECV’s recognised importance for innovation—particularly in a sector characterised by rapid consumer preference shifts, tight margins, and complex supply chains—collaborations with external start-ups are often undermined by cultural misalignment, strategic ambiguity, and ineffective performance measurement. Through an abductive, mixed-methods research design within an interpretivist paradigm—integrating archival analysis, six in-depth corporate case studies (P&G, PepsiCo, Unilever, Danone, Henkel, and L’Oréal), and 32 interviews with …

Measuring Outcomes In Evaluations Of Interventions To Prevent Youth Crime And Violence: Challenges And Potential Solutions, Sajid Humayun, Finlay Green, Helen Downham, Nick Axford

Peninsula Medical School

There is a clear imperative to prevent youth crime and violence owing to the significant social and economic costs for individuals involved and wider society. A considerable evidence base for ‘what works’ in this space exists but gaps remain. To address these, it is necessary to evaluate intervention effectiveness. The aim of this article is to explore challenges and potential solutions regarding outcome measurement in such evaluations. To do this we draw on the literature and our experience as evaluators. We argue that outcome selection should be informed by a robust theory of change, and that normally this will mean …

Same Interdependent Risk, Different Valuation: How Risk Representation Shapes Ecosystem Investment Decisions, Shiyao Bao, Jiamin Zhao, En Yang, Llewellyn D. W. Thomas, Hansjörg Neth, Jan K. Woike, Sebastian Hafenbrädl

School of Psychology

Why do decision makers value the same risky opportunity differently when the underlying probability of success is unchanged? We study this question in ecosystem investment decisions, where success requires that none of the critical components fail, causing component risks to compound. We conducted a high-powered preregistered replication and extension of Adner and Feiler's key study (N = 3,600). Participants valued a $100,000 opportunity that required six independent components to succeed, each with a 75% chance of success, yielding an overall success probability of ≈18%. Replicating prior work, participants reported higher confidence and assigned higher valuations when they first saw the …

Leveraging Natural Language Processing Methods For Next Generation Customer Service In Telecommunications Industry, Hesham Abdelmotaleb

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

This research explores application of Natural Language Processing (NLP) methods to better understand and improve customer service feedback in telecom industry. We collect novel reallife datasets of customer reviews and social media comments within British telecommunication industry over one year. Then, we apply three main modelling approaches. First, we study topic modelling for short text: we propose a new evaluation metric for GSDMM model and demonstrate that our metric helps to choose meaningful topics when texts are very brief. Second, we perform an extensive comparative study of word embedding models for text classification: we test nine word embedding and feature …