Digital Commons Network^™

Assessing Cognitive Performance And Comfort Under Simulated Mri Noise And Its Association With Autistic Like Traits, Jasmin Woodhouse

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanners produce noise levels between 65 and 130 decibels. This noise, alongside the broader sensory environment of the MRI, poses challenges for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Noise exposure has been shown to impair task performance, increase errors, and affect brain activity. ASD traits are associated with decreased sound tolerance, including hyperacusis, misophonia, and phonophobia. In ASD, noisy environments disrupt inferior frontal gyrus function, impairing task response and brain connectivity. Given this, it’s crucial to understand how these sensory challenges specifically affect ASD experience and performance during MRI procedures. This study assesses cognitive performance and …

Microplastic Accumulation In A Mixed Species Seagrass Bed In The Tamar Estuary, Torpoint, Cornwall, Uk, Hannah G. Phillips

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Microplastic pollution is a major threat to UK seagrass habitats, which provide essential ecosystem services by supporting biodiversity and economically valuable fish species. Seagrass beds, acting as long-term ‘sinks’ for microplastics due to their dense canopies face a high risk of degradation. This study investigated microplastic accumulation in the sediment of a mixed species (Zostera marina and Nanozostera noltei) seagrass bed in the Tamar Estuary, Southwest England, considering the effect of sediment particle size. Microplastics were extracted by density separation using Sodium Bromide (NaBr) and sediment particle size analysis was used to investigate the seagrass bed sediment. FT-IR …

Detecting Concealed Autobiographical Information Using Feedback And Recognition P300 Erps. Exploring The Impacts Of Changed Feedback Proportions And Social Pressure In The Fcit, Cerys Parkinson-Johns, Grace Shillito, Callum Starr, Rosemary Wilmshurst

The Plymouth Student Scientist

The feedback concealed information test (fCIT) incorporates feedback on memory concealment performance within the classical CIT. Providing feedback facilitates the analysis of feedback related ERPs in addition to initial recognition related ERPs within each trial. Combining multiple ERPs aims to improve the reliability and efficiency of the test. The present study investigated the efficiency of combining recognition and feedback related P300 ERPs in detecting concealed birthdates in a personal item fCIT. Feedback proportions were altered to improve believability in feedback. Detection efficiencies using combined P300 amplitudes within this altered paradigm and the impacts of social pressures on feedback P300s were …

A Generational Analysis Of Psychological Motivators Influencing Seafarer Retention, Perisah Tahanci

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Seafarer retention is a growing concern amid increasing global demand for skilled maritime officers. This study investigates the generational differences in psychological motivators influencing seafarer retention, where ‘psychological motivators’ encompass the cognitive factors, including mental and physical wellbeing, work-life balance, compensation, working conditions, and external factors, that shape retention intentions. A cross-sectional survey (n=214) combined quantitative and qualitative analyses to systematically assess how the perceived importance and experience of these factors vary across Generation Z, Millennials, Generation X, and Baby Boomers.

The findings reveal that significant generational differences exist across most factors, particularly in work-life balance and mental wellbeing, in …

Effects Of Maternal Hypoxia On Developmental Plasticity, Matilda Powell

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Developmental plasticity enables organisms to adjust phenotypes to environmental cues, yet the transgenerational consequences of maternal effects remain unclear. Hypoxia, intensified by climate change and eutrophication, triggers taxon-specific plastic responses. Daphnia magna exhibits plasticity dependence, making it a critical model species for studying environmental responses. While maternal hypoxia (MH) influences generational plasticity, its long-term impacts on reproductive and physiological traits across generations remain insufficiently explored, limiting predictions of species resilience to environmental change. This study employed a controlled two-generation design: gravid F0 adults were exposed to moderate hypoxia (40% air saturation) or normoxia (100% AS) for 8 days, with reproductive …

Examining The Correlation Between The Competing Values Framework And Other Scales Of Measure, Jesina Mistry

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Organisational culture is widely acknowledged as a critical determinant of performance and employee engagement, yet debates persist regarding how best to conceptualise and measure it. This study examines the construct validity of two widely used diagnostic tools: the Competing Values Framework (CVF) and the Organisational Culture Inventory (OCI). While the CVF has achieved broad application across sectors, questions remain regarding its empirical grounding and cross-cultural relevance. Using a quantitative, cross-sectional design, this research investigates the degree of convergence between CVF and OCI dimensions within a diverse UK-based sample spanning multiple industries and job levels. In addition, it incorporates three underexplored …

Assessing Overtopping Hazard To The Dawlish Railway Line: Integrating Wave Propagation Models For Coastal Metocean Condition Analysis, Matthew R. Owen

The Plymouth Student Scientist

With rising sea levels and increasingly frequent and intense storms due to climate change, coastal communities and structures are at an increasing risk of overtopping occurring. This study investigates the coastal metocean conditions responsible for overtopping at coastal defences, using Delft3D to model these processes with Dawlish as the case study site. Wave propagation models were employed to simulate metocean conditions from December 2021 to March 2022 to compare inshore wave conditions, alongside water level and wind parameters, with observed overtopping data from the WireWall system installed on top of the seawall, next to the railway line. The results indicate …

From Sea To Shore: Wind-Driven Aerosolization Of Harmful Algal Bloom Toxins In Qingdao, China, During The Winter Of 2019, Madeleine K. Martin

The Plymouth Student Scientist

In Qingdao, China, harmful algal blooms (HABs) are a known hazard to coastal communities. Aerosolization is a mechanism by which HAB toxins can be transported from the sea surface into the air when wind speeds exceed 5 m/s. Previous studies have analysed the composition of aerosolized marine biotoxins (AMBs) in the breathable air surrounding Qingdao, but the role of the onshore winds in transporting them there would benefit from further research. Ciguatoxin is one such AMB, and this study analyses the role of onshore winds in aerosolizing and transporting toxins inland from a ciguatoxin bloom in Aoshan Bay, Qingdao during …

Comparing The Effect Of Marine Aquarium Salts And Sodium Chloride On Vicia Faba Stress Response, Bethany Smerdon

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Soil salinity is a major abiotic stressor limiting agricultural productivity. Many salt stress studies rely solely on sodium chloride (NaCl) solutions, despite not accurately representing natural saline conditions. This study investigated the stress response of Vicia faba to NaCl and marine aquarium salt (MAS) solutions to assess the impact of a more complex ionic composition on plant physiology. Plants were cultivated in a controlled greenhouse and treated with either NaCl, MAS, or rainwater (control) for up to 55 days. Growth parameters, water status, proline accumulation, chlorophyll content, and root nodule weight were measured to evaluate stress responses. The results indicate …

Evaluating The Impacts Of The Invasive Macrophyte, Crassula Helmsii, On Macroinvertebrate Assemblages At Small Spatial Scales In Lentic Ecosystems, Keivan Rakhshani

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Freshwater ecosystems cover only three percent of the Earth’s surface yet support approximately ten percent of global biodiversity. These systems play a crucial role in maintaining native biodiversity across spatial and temporal scales but are increasingly threatened by anthropogenic stressors, including habitat modification, pollution, and biological invasions. The introduction of non-native macrophytes can fundamentally alter community structure by modifying habitat complexity, resource availability, and competitive interactions. This study assesses the impact of the invasive macrophyte Crassula helmsii on macroinvertebrate assemblages at small spatial scales within partially invaded ponds in Dartmoor National Park, southwest England. Three ponds with varying degrees of …

Assessing Jasmonic Acid Seed Priming In Brassica Napus: Impacts On Aphid Herbivory Resistance And Seedling Fitness Trade-Offs, Daisy Stradling

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Jasmonic acid (JA) is a key phytohormone involved in plant defence, offering a potential sustainable alternative to conventional chemical pesticides. While JA seed priming has been explored as a strategy to enhance herbivore resistance in certain plant families, its potential fitness trade-offs remain poorly understood. This study investigates the effects of JA seed priming on Brassica napus (oilseed rape), a key agricultural crop, focusing on seedling fitness and resistance to Brevicoryne brassicae (mealy cabbage aphid), a major agricultural pest. To assess potential fitness trade-offs, seeds were primed with 75 µM JA, and multiple seedling fitness parameters were measured. Germination monitoring …

The Lived Experience Of Uk Students Transitioning To University With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, Emelia C. Steel

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Transitioning from secondary school to university is a high-risk period for managing type 1 diabetes among UK students. Canadian research identified limited systemic support during this period. However, there is a lack of qualitative insight into how students navigate this transition in the UK, where healthcare and education systems differ. This study addressed that gap through semi-structured interviews to understand what makes this transition particularly challenging and what support students would find most helpful. A purposive sample comprised seven participants aged 19–29 from four UK universities. Thematic analysis, guided by Braun and Clarke’s (2022) six-phase framework, identified three superordinate themes: …

Investigating Deception-Related Moral Conflict Using Electroencephalography (Eeg) Hyperscanning, Madie Ades

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Amplitudes of the early Bereitschaftspotential (BP) and deceptive behaviour have been theorised to be modulated by moral conflict experienced when making deceptive decisions, as the decision to lie can depend upon our moral perceptions of what is right and wrong (Panasiti et al., 2014). However, most Electroencephalography (EEG) deception paradigms lack ecological validity by utilising instructed lying and failing to incorporate genuine social interaction (Ganis & Keenan, 2009) and therefore may fail to elicit genuine moral conflict. The present study combined hyperscanning EEG with a competitive two-player social game, where participants freely chose to respond accurately or deceptively for …

The Use Of Alcohol-Free And Low-Alcohol Drinks In Pregnancy In The Uk, Kate Maslin, Heather Hopper, Jill Shawe

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Alcohol-free drinks [beers, ciders, wines, and spirits containing <0.05% alcohol by volume (ABV)], and lowalcohol drinks (between 0.05% and 1.2% ABV) are increasingly available and may be used as a harm reduction measure. However, it is not known what pregnant women think and feel about these drinks and how regularly they are consumed before and during pregnancy. A cross-sectional online survey was developed and piloted. Women ≥18 years in the UK who were pregnant, or recently pregnant, were recruited via targeted social media advertising. Of the 2092 respondents, 47.8% (n ¼ 1001) were currently pregnant; 55.7% (n ¼ 1167) were between 25 and 34 years, 90.0% were White (n ¼ 1881); 6.1% (n ¼ 128) were drinking alcohol at “increasing risk” levels (>14 units/week) before pregnancy. During pregnancy, 13.5% (n ¼ 282) consumed alcohol, which was more common in the increasing risk category (P < .01). Alcohol-free or low-alcohol drinks were consumed by 71.3% (n ¼ 1491) of respondents during pregnancy; 91.4% of the increasing risk category versus 69.9% of the lower risk category (P < .01). The most common reasons for consuming alcohol-free or low-alcohol drinks were “to choose a safer alternative” (71.9%, n ¼ 1073) and “to feel included in social events involving alcohol” (68.8%, n ¼ 1026). More than half of respondents (56.7%) thought there was insufficient information available about consuming alcohol-free and low-alcohol drinks during pregnancy, with internet searching the primary source of information. Although alcohol-free and low-alcohol drinks are commonly consumed during pregnancy, there are some safety concerns. Their role as a harm reduction measure in those who are drinking alcohol at increasing risk levels prepregnancy needs further investigation.

A Pilot Study Investigating The Impact Of Cigarette Smoking On Oral Nitrate-Reducing Bacteria Within The Oral Microbiome, Tomas L Nicholas, Raul Bescos, Amazon Doble, Katie Muddiman, Paul Kellett, Abish S Stephen, Lisa Du Toit, Robert Witton, Zoë Ls Brookes

Peninsula Dental School

ObjectiveTo evaluate the impact of cigarette smoke on the activity and abundance of oral nitrate reducing bacteria (ONRB) in vivo and in vitro.Materials and MethodsAn observational study comprising of eleven cigarette smokers and thirty-one non-smokers. A saliva and nitrate-rinse sample were collected from each participant to analyse salivary biomarkers and the activity and abundance of ONRB in vivo. Additionally, the effect of cigarette smoke on the nitrate-reducing activity of four Rothia species was investigated in vitro.ResultsThe beta diversity of the oral microbiome was significantly different between smokers and non-smokers (P = 0.0063). Neisseria flavescens and Actinomyces oris were significantly higher …

Threshold Sites Of Encounter: Dialogic (Place) Making To Enable Cross-Cultural Community Development—Lessons From Tuti Island, Khartoum, Sudan, Ioana Popovici, Robert Brown

School of Art, Design and Architecture

This text explores a possibility for extending our thinking on enacting dialogical placemaking and its potential to contribute to cross-cultural exchange through co-joining making and place as threshold sites of encounter. Advancing our knowledge and practice of dialogical placemaking and cross-cultural interaction is significant owing to the increasing presence of cultural differences, and with it economic, environmental, and social disparities, in an ever-increasingly globalized world. To advance this intention, this text will, through qualitative research, critically reflect upon the experience of a postgraduate Design Studio project based around the regeneration of an urban community situated in Khartoum, Sudan. Preliminary conclusions …

Future Screens. Special Issue. Editorial, Gianni Corino, Andrew Prior, Tatiana Mazali

School of Art, Design and Architecture

No abstract provided.

Reading Ability Underlies The Composite Effect For Arabic Words, Rayan Kouzy, Zahra Hussain

School of Psychology

The composite effect, originally demonstrated for faces, has recently been shown to suggest holistic processing of words. The effect is associated with reading fluency in Latin script, but not in nonalphabetic Chinese script, suggesting that script properties influence its relationship with reading expertise. We measured the composite effect for Arabic, a visually complex alphabetic script that offers a useful contrast against Latin and Chinese. Arabic-English bilinguals (N = 24), and English-only readers (N = 22) completed a composite effect task, in which they judged whether the left or right halves of word pairs were the same or different. The unattended …

Peer Connect: An Embedded Qualitative Study Of The Experiences Of A Peer Well-Being Coaching Intervention For People Living With A Long-Term Health Condition, Rachel Dennett, Julian Elston, Tom P. Thompson, Wendy Clyne, Joanne Hosking, Krystina Bones, Helen Davies-Cox, Agne Straukiene

Peninsula Medical School

Introduction Many people with long-term conditions such as pain and arthritis struggle with their health and well-being. To support better self-management, a new peer-delivered coaching intervention (Health Connect Coaching) was set up at a National Health Service integrated care organisation in Southwest England. Based on principles of personalised care and supported goal setting, the one-to-one coaching programme, targeting patients with low activation, delivered coaching sessions in a step-down approach over 6 months. A randomised controlled feasibility trial (fRCT) of Health Connect Coaching was conducted to inform the design of a definitive randomised controlled trial. This article reports the embedded qualitative …

Rewilding Gender: Toward Relational Understandings Of ‘The Wild’, Kim Ward

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

This commentary reframes gender and rewilding through a relational understanding of wildness. Moving beyond a binary lens of ‘the wild’, it examines how gendered relations shape rewilding's material, emotional, and epistemic dimensions. Centring relational wildness exposes how rewilding challenges masculine imaginaries of control and ownership while opening space for more equitable multispecies relations.

‘The Truth Was, Most Biodiversity Was Redundant’: Caring About Mass Extinction In Ned Beauman’S Venomous Lumpsucker, David Sergeant

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

This essay reads Ned Beauman’s Venomous Lumpsucker as exploring the gap that exists between caring about mass species extinction and taking meaningful action to prevent it. The novel, at first, undermines the conventional reasons for caring; however, one of its protagonists is then revealed as having become willing to die for the issue. Equally, the reason for this change proves strangely hard to locate. This essay argues that the real reason for caring about species extinction in Venomous Lumpsucker is connected to a transcendence of the self that aligns the novel with both science fiction and spiritual traditions; however, this …

Neuropsychiatric Research Databases For People With Intellectual Disabilities And Epilepsy (Refine): A Feasibility Study Protocol, Crispin Musicha, Helen Neilens, Emily Stanyard, Victoria Allgar, Joe Lomax, Ryan Ashford, Helen Hambly, Paigan Aspinall, Emma O’Shaughnessy, Chris Rollinson, Sarah Lennard, Brendan Mclean, Anna Simpson, Pamela Bowman, Heather Angus-Leppan, Lance Watkins, Richard Laugharne, Jon Allard, Rohit Shankar

Peninsula Medical School

Introduction This project explores the feasibility of setting up a neuropsychiatric de-identified database (DiD) and a Research Register (RR) to collect, analyse, monitor and systematically report clinical data for people with intellectual disabilities (PwIDs) and epilepsy.Methods and analysis A multicentre project designed to collect de-identified data from clinical records at three adult ID specialist services in England and Wales and to develop an RR of PwID and epilepsy. Patients added to the DiD will be identified from patient clinic lists, clinic letters, in-house databases and electronic systems. Patients to be added to the RR will also be identified through attendance …

Exploring Experiences Of Mental Health Challenges In Under-Represented Young People (Aged 16–24 Years) In England: A Narrative Inquiry Protocol, Rebecca Syed Sheriff, Jason Arday, Rohit Shankar, Roisin Mooney, Louise Chandler, Helen Adams, Lili Z Nagy, Roger Farrell, Daisy Fancourt, Scott Weich, Catherine Henderson, Shaima Hassan, Joe Langley, Kamaldeep Bhui

Peninsula Medical School

Introduction Three-quarters of mental health problems start before the age of 25. However, young people are the least likely to receive mental healthcare. Some young people (such as those from ethnic minorities) are even less likely to receive mental healthcare than others. Long-term impacts of mental health problems include poorer physical health, relationships, education and employment. We aim to elicit the views, experiences and needs of diverse young people (aged 16–24 years), to better understand (1) their experiences of under-representation, mental health and coping, (2) mechanisms that shape mental health trajectories and (3) how online arts and culture might be …

Assessment And Management Of Albuminuria In Adults, Sophie E. Claudel, Debasish Kar, Azeem Majeed, Pamela S. Burgwinkle, Ashish Verma

Peninsula Medical School

No abstract provided.

A Geological Carbon Cycle Sink Hosted By Ocean Crust Talus Breccias, Rosalind M. Coggon, Elliot J. Carter, Lewis Grant, Aled D. Evans, Christopher Lowery, Damon A.H. Teagle, Pamela Kempton, Matthew J. Cooper, Claire Routledge, Elmar Albers, Justin Estep, Gail Christeson, Michelle Harris, Thomas Belgrano, Jason Sylvan, Julia Reece, Emily Estes, Trevor Williams

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Calcium carbonate precipitation in ageing ocean crust sequesters carbon dioxide dissolved in seawater through seafloor weathering reactions, influencing atmospheric CO2 concentrations on million-year timescales. However, this crustal carbon sink, and the extent it balances CO2 degassing during crustal formation at mid-ocean ridges, remain poorly quantified due to limited sampling of the vast ridge flanks where CO2 uptake continues for millions of years. Here we quantify the carbon sink hosted within talus breccias that accumulated through mass wasting 61 million years ago during rift faulting at the slow spreading Mid-Atlantic Ridge, cored during International Ocean Discovery Program South Atlantic Transect Expedition …

Low-Energy Multiphoton Scattering At Tree-Level And One-Loop Order In A Homogeneous Electromagnetic Field, James Edwards, Ivan Ahumada Hernandez, Patrick Copinger

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

We study low energy photons coupled to scalar and spinor matter in the presence of an arbitrary homogeneous electromagnetic field in a first-quantized (worldline) approach. Utilizing a Fock-Schwinger gauge for both the scattering photons and homogeneous background, simple compact expressions are found for both the photon- and background-dressed effective action and propagator in scalar and spinor quantum electrodynamics. The low-energy limit allows identification of the coupling of the scattering photons as one of an effective homogeneous superposition of their field strengths, with amplitudes following from application of a suitable linearization operator. To treat the linearization, several techniques are employed, including …

Using Fluency-Building Approach To Increase The Knowledge And Fluency Of Signing With Preschool Teachers: A Pilot Study, Angel Jia Yiuen Tan, Bryan Wen Xiao Tang, Gray Atherton, Liam Cross, Bethan Mair Williams

School of Psychology

Keyword signing, an augmentative communication strategy, is known to promote language acquisition in young children, yet staff in educational settings often receive insufficient training, leading to low retention and usage rates. This pilot study examined the feasibility and impact of a Precision Teaching-based intervention designed to improve preschool teachers’ proficiency and fluency in Makaton signing. Eleven teachers from a mainstream preschool in North Wales, with limited prior training, participated in a six-week intervention involving fluency training with 238 Makaton signs. Pre- and post-intervention assessments measured knowledge acquisition, and post-intervention tests evaluated fluency through retention, endurance, and application. Results demonstrated significant …

Barriers And Facilitators To Engaging With Academia: A Black Dental Student Perspective – Pilot Study., Amitha Ranauta, Favour Onwudiwe, Tanaka Anthony Jeremy Kadiyo, Obioma Mofiyinfoluwa Ukoha, Rachel Adebukola Anuoluwa Ogunleye, Vivienne Banke Onamusi, Nicole Meerah Elango, Oluwasola Helen Asaolu, Antonia Oluwatosin Oluwakemi Ajayi, Modupe Toluwanimi Osunkoya, Kaamilah Shitta-Bey, Amy Maame Aba Amanfu, Cathy Coelho, Alasdair Robertson, Julie Monk, Nikos Donos, Sally Hanks

Peninsula Dental School

Introduction This pilot study investigates barriers and facilitators to Black dental students' engagement with academic careers in dentistry, focusing on underrepresentation in academia despite efforts to diversify the workforce. Methods and results Through qualitative analysis of focus group discussions with Black dental students from two UK dental schools, several key themes emerged. Participants highlighted the importance of active patronage in addressing underrepresentation, advocating for proactive support systems beyond mere mentoring. They also emphasised the significance of various forms of capital – economic, cultural, and social – in shaping career trajectories and success in academia. Intersectionality, encompassing experiences of sexism, racism, …

Exploring The Perceived Management Priorities Between Physiotherapy And Osteopathy For Chronic Low Back Pain, Mollie Ford, Alec Rickard

School of Health Professions

Purpose:Physiotherapists and osteopaths are integral to the management of chronic low back pain (CLBP), yet patient confusion often arises due to overlap in their roles and techniques. Whilst existing literature has examined the approaches of each profession separately, limited research explores the perceived roles and management priorities. Thus, the aim of this study was to explore the perceived roles and management priorities of physiotherapists and osteopaths in addressing CLBP.Methods:A qualitative phenomenological design was used. Individual online semi-structured interviews were conducted with five UK-based healthcare professionals; two physiotherapists and three osteopaths. Participants were recruited through volunteer sampling and data was collected …

The Mcgill Diverse Face Database: 92 Complex Mental States Across Socially Perceived Racial Categories, Gunnar Schmidtmann

School of Health Professions

Theory of Mind (ToM)—the ability to infer others’ mental states—is fundamental to social cognition. Social categorization, the grouping of individuals into in-group or out-group categories, shapes these inferences. These processes co-occur during facial perception, with recent research suggesting both shared neurocognitive mechanisms and modulation of ToM by social category cues. However, existing tools for studying the impact of racial diversity on social cognition are limited: some databases prioritize racial representation but restrict stimuli to the six basic emotions, while others broaden mental state diversity but lack diversity in social appearance.Here we introduce the McGill Diverse Face Database, a validated set …