Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Digital Commons Network™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

University of Plymouth

Discipline
Keyword
Publication Year
Publication
Publication Type
File Type

Articles 2281 - 2310 of 6794

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

On The Relation Between Robustness, Evolvability And Phenotypic Complexity: Insight From Artificial Evolutionary Experiments, Nicola Milano Jan 2021

On The Relation Between Robustness, Evolvability And Phenotypic Complexity: Insight From Artificial Evolutionary Experiments, Nicola Milano

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

This thesis addresses the study of evolutionary methods to achieve robustness and evolvability in artificial systems. Chapter 1 introduces the research area, reviews the state of the art, discusses promising research directions, and presents the two major scientific objectives of the thesis. The first objective, which is covered in Chapter 2, is to verify and exploit the impact of the environmental variations on the evolvability of an artificial system. This is accomplished through the use of two experimental setup: the simulation of digital circuits and the simulation of a robotic agent situated in an external environment. Digital circuits are used …


The Legal Exploitation Of Farm Animals: ‘Unnecessary Suffering’ In A Nation Of Animal Lovers, Megan Parker Jan 2021

The Legal Exploitation Of Farm Animals: ‘Unnecessary Suffering’ In A Nation Of Animal Lovers, Megan Parker

Plymouth Law Review

This article examines the necessity of farm animal suffering in the farm-to-fork process. Given the interdisciplinary nature of animal welfare, it covers a broad range of influencing factors, such as law, animal sentience science and the ethical dilemma of meat eating, including the ‘meat paradox’ and its effects on animal welfare. The current animal welfare law is outlined and the rise in veganism, thanks to social media, is discussed. The legal application of the term ‘unnecessary suffering’ is considered in detail, discussing whether the term, in its current form, is fit for purpose and the possibility of legal personhood for …


A Critical Analysis Of Uk Equality And Anti-Discrimination Law In Light Of Social Change, Focusing On The Lgbtq+ Community, Ruby Forster Jan 2021

A Critical Analysis Of Uk Equality And Anti-Discrimination Law In Light Of Social Change, Focusing On The Lgbtq+ Community, Ruby Forster

Plymouth Law Review

This article aims to analyse UK equality and anti-discrimination law, mainly the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Equality Act 2010, and government policies surrounding them, in order to assess whether these frameworks have kept up with social change, particularly focusing on the LGBTQ+ community. The statutory frameworks and the effectiveness of their provisions will be examined, and the case law that has emanated from them. The Equality Act 2010 and its success in practice will be explored by assessing governmental policies and bodies like the role of the Equality and Human Rights Commission and the 2011 and 2018 ‘LGBT …


Drivers And Dynamics Of Commercial Coral-Reef Fisheries Footprint Expansions And Implications For Stocks, Ecosystems, And Societies, Javier Cuetos Bueno Jan 2021

Drivers And Dynamics Of Commercial Coral-Reef Fisheries Footprint Expansions And Implications For Stocks, Ecosystems, And Societies, Javier Cuetos Bueno

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Coral-reef fisheries have provided food security and recreation for societies across the tropics for countless generations, and are also estimated to provide nearly $6 billion USD in net benefits to the world annually while supporting the livelihood of over 6 million fishers and their families. Yet, unsustainable fisheries regimes with ensuing impacts to coral-reefs and societies that depend on them have been reported over the last decades across most tropical regions. Alongside, management frameworks continue to struggle to ensure sustainable fishing regimes in the face of limited evidence-based guidance and the prevalent context of limited capacity and resources. This thesis …


Deep-Sea Discovery - Mining Marine Environments For Novel Biologics., Poppy Jessica Hesketh-Best Jan 2021

Deep-Sea Discovery - Mining Marine Environments For Novel Biologics., Poppy Jessica Hesketh-Best

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Global antimicrobial resistance will change the face of modern medicine, and the discovery of novel antimicrobials is one of the many solutions to this challenge. Furthermore, expanding antimicrobial natural product discovery to poorly explored ecological habitats may lead to the identification of novel compounds. In this body of work, deep-sea sponges are investigated as a source for bacterially derived antibiotics. Both cultivation dependent and independent strategies were employed to isolate and identify promising bacterial candidates, in addition to further understanding the sponge host microbiome. Pheronema carpenteri was identified during cultivation efforts as a sponge from which multiple active bacterial strains …


Estimating The Background Error For Variational Data Assimilation Of An Ocean Model Using A Binless Analysis Of Innovations, Lewis William Lloyd Sampson Jan 2021

Estimating The Background Error For Variational Data Assimilation Of An Ocean Model Using A Binless Analysis Of Innovations, Lewis William Lloyd Sampson

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

In order to create the cost function for variational data assimilation one needs to compute the background error covariance matrix, and this in turn requires information on the true state of the physical variables being modelled. This introduces a large difficulty which is often overcome by estimating the background error and then using this behaviour of the error to model the entire covariance during assimilation. A common approach for the estimation is the Hollingsworth and Lonnberg method, whereby the model forecasts subtracted from the observational data, known as the innovations, are manipulated using assumptions of correlation. This method requires the …


Distribution Ecology Of The Harpy Eagle: Spatial Patterns And Processes To Direct Conservation Planning, Luke James Sutton Jan 2021

Distribution Ecology Of The Harpy Eagle: Spatial Patterns And Processes To Direct Conservation Planning, Luke James Sutton

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Accurately demarcating species distributions has long been at the core of ecology. Yet our understanding of the factors limiting species range limits is incomplete, especially for tropical species. Human-driven threats to the survival of many taxa are increasing, particularly habitat loss and climate change. Identifying distributional range limits of at-risk species can thus inform spatial conservation planning to mitigate these threats. The harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja) is a large raptor distributed across Neotropical lowland forests, from southern Mexico to northern Argentina, currently threatened by habitat loss and persecution. Coupled with climate change, harpy eagle distribution may contract or shift leading …


The Role Of Environmental Temperature In Immunocompetence And Disease Susceptibility In Bivalves, George Mason Jan 2021

The Role Of Environmental Temperature In Immunocompetence And Disease Susceptibility In Bivalves, George Mason

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Disease outbreaks and mass mortality events affecting marine species and ecosystems during periods of high temperature have increased in frequency and intensity over the past several decades. Accordingly, understanding the causes of such thermally-induced outbreaks is increasingly important, particularly in the context of global climate change and predictions of increased pathogen prevalence and disease incidence. Whilst our understanding of immune functions and their adequate energetic provisioning for disease resistance is well developed, little is known on how temperature affects immunological and energetic status in bivalves. Furthermore, even less is known on the potential combined effects between thermal and pathogenic stressors …


Do Abiotic Environmental Drivers Disrupt The Biotic Response Of Marine Larvae?, Stanley Butt Jan 2021

Do Abiotic Environmental Drivers Disrupt The Biotic Response Of Marine Larvae?, Stanley Butt

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Phenotypic plasticity, the ability of a given genotype to express different phenotypes in response to altered environmental conditions has been identified as a means by which organisms may be able to cope with environmental change. While significant progress has been made in the study of phenotypic plasticity in response to both individual and combined abiotic environmental drivers, very few studies have investigated the effects of abiotic and biotic drivers in combination. In this thesis, I investigate the combined effects of increased temperature (15 °C versus 20 °C) and the presence of predation threat in the form of predatory kairomones (skin …


The Neural Correlates Of Ongoing Conscious Thought, Jonathan Smallwood, Adam Turnbull, Hao Ting Wang, Nerissa S.P. Ho, Giulia L. Poerio, Theodoros Karapanagiotidis, Delali Konu, Brontë Mckeown, Meichao Zhang, Charlotte Murphy, Deniz Vatansever, Danilo Bzdok, Mahiko Konishi, Robert Leech, Paul Seli, Jonathan W. Schooler, Boris Bernhardt, Daniel S. Margulies, Elizabeth Jefferies Jan 2021

The Neural Correlates Of Ongoing Conscious Thought, Jonathan Smallwood, Adam Turnbull, Hao Ting Wang, Nerissa S.P. Ho, Giulia L. Poerio, Theodoros Karapanagiotidis, Delali Konu, Brontë Mckeown, Meichao Zhang, Charlotte Murphy, Deniz Vatansever, Danilo Bzdok, Mahiko Konishi, Robert Leech, Paul Seli, Jonathan W. Schooler, Boris Bernhardt, Daniel S. Margulies, Elizabeth Jefferies

School of Psychology

No abstract provided.


The Role Of Signal Regulatory Protein Alpha In Regulating Macrophage Subset Activity In Homeostasis And Inflammation, Helene Stern Jan 2021

The Role Of Signal Regulatory Protein Alpha In Regulating Macrophage Subset Activity In Homeostasis And Inflammation, Helene Stern

School of Biomedical Sciences Theses

Macrophages (Mφs) exist on a phenotypic spectrum characterised by the polar extremes of two subsets, pro-inflammatory M1s and regulatory M2s. Both subsets express signal regulatory protein alpha (SIRPα), receptor to CD47. Characterised as a “don’t eat me” signal, SIRPα-CD47 ligation negatively regulates Mφ phagocytic activity. This study developed a co-culture system between CD47+ HL-60 and K562 cells, and SIRPα+ Mφ subsets in order to investigate whether the regulatory effect of SIRPα-CD47 ligation extends to negative regulation of TLR-mediated TNFα production, and how this differs between Mφ subsets and under various TNFα-inducing stimuli. SIRPα and CD47 expression in THP-1-derived M1- and …


Implementing Sustainability Practices: Challenges In Bangladeshi Garment Industry, Md Faisul Alam Jan 2021

Implementing Sustainability Practices: Challenges In Bangladeshi Garment Industry, Md Faisul Alam

Plymouth Business School Theses

Human activities have had a significant influence on global business with sustainable development challenges in the social, environmental and economic context of businesses. As an important part of the global garment industry, Bangladesh also has many more challenges in terms of sustainability. Though a significant percentage of GDP growth of Bangladesh is contributed by the garment sector, it has some loopholes with respect to social and environmental issues. This research reviews existing literature on supply chain, sustainable supply chain, sustainable development implementation and practices. It specially focuses on the garment industry in Bangladesh. However, the purpose of this research is …


Increase Supply Chain Performance By Addressing Knowledge Governance, Resilience Capabilities, And Risks: Empirical Evidence From The Agri-Food Industry, Guoqing Zhao Jan 2021

Increase Supply Chain Performance By Addressing Knowledge Governance, Resilience Capabilities, And Risks: Empirical Evidence From The Agri-Food Industry, Guoqing Zhao

Plymouth Business School Theses

Agri-food supply chain (AFSC) are becoming more complex due to the prevalent of lean strategy, a higher rate of innovation, and customer preference towards high quality and fresh agri-food products. AFSC can operate smoothly and efficiently in stable business environments but are highly vulnerable to various risks and uncertainties. Knowledge is a vital resource for firms to survive and to achieve sustainability and profitability in the dynamic and volatile business environment. However, according to author’s knowledge, little research has been conducted to explore the interactions among knowledge governance mechanisms (KGMs), AFSC resilience capabilities, AFSC risks, and AFSC performance. KGMs are …


Developing Port Sustainability Awareness And Management: Systems, Processes And Planning, Ridvan Anil Karacay Jan 2021

Developing Port Sustainability Awareness And Management: Systems, Processes And Planning, Ridvan Anil Karacay

Plymouth Business School Theses

The Port Sustainability Management System (PSMS) is a well-known sustainability management system for smaller ports. Attempting to update and modify the PSMS for more global use, involves standardising requirements and needs and addressing certain areas where necessary. The primary aim of this thesis is to review the suitability of an existing bespoke PSMS with a view to facilitating additional applications in the port industry to enable wider perspectives for self-evaluation in terms of port size, type and governance. In addition, it aims to address the lack of a holistic approach in port sustainability management systems. The potential impact of this …


Using Diffractive Activity To (Re)Configure Parental Choice Of Pre-Compulsory Education, Vicky Bamsey Jan 2021

Using Diffractive Activity To (Re)Configure Parental Choice Of Pre-Compulsory Education, Vicky Bamsey

Plymouth Institute of Education Theses

Prompted by the increasing number of children accessing alternatives to mainstream education, this research project was designed to investigate the activity of parents as they engaged in choosing different forms of education for their four-year-old child. The intention was to highlight the individual and entangled activity of parental choice in the English system of education. Facet methodology facilitated an exploration of the multi-dimensionality of each parent’s lived experience. It allowed for flexibility within the research process that used open interviews to follow the narratives of six sets of parents while they were thinking about and making different educational choices for …


Environmental Controls On The Skeletal Mineralogy Of Marine Calcifiers, Kilian Eichenseer Jan 2021

Environmental Controls On The Skeletal Mineralogy Of Marine Calcifiers, Kilian Eichenseer

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

Calcifying organisms secrete skeletons consisting of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). The two principle CaCO3 polymorphs used by marine calcifiers are aragonite and calcite. In the abiotic precipitation of CaCO3, the Mg/Ca ratio and the temperature are established controls of polymorph formation, but the importance of other factors, for example salinity, remains uncertain. The first objective of this thesis was to clarify the role of salinity in abiotic CaCO3 precipitation (Chapter 2). Experiments at salinities of 20, 35 and 50 and a Mg/Ca ratio of 2 resulted in co-precipitation of aragonite and calcite in all experiments, and no significant salinity influence on …


Optimising Oak Woodland Establishment Into Uk Upland Pastures In The Context Of Climate Change; And The Role Of Oak Woodland In Soil Hydrological Recovery For Natural Flood Management, Thomas Murphy Jan 2021

Optimising Oak Woodland Establishment Into Uk Upland Pastures In The Context Of Climate Change; And The Role Of Oak Woodland In Soil Hydrological Recovery For Natural Flood Management, Thomas Murphy

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

Increases in the magnitude and extremity of upland (>250-300m a.s.l.) precipitation associated with anthropogenic climate change (ACC) and coinciding with soil compaction leave downstream communities at elevated flood risk. The study examines changes in upland precipitation and the impact of upland ‘Atlantic’ oak (Quercus robur, Quercus petraea) woodland establishment on the recovery of soils for natural flood management (NFM). The soil moisture, livestock grazing and dispersal constraints for potential oak woodland expansion in upland pastures are assessed. The study is located within Dartmoor National Park (DNP) and finds greater increases in precipitation in upland areas than the lowland site, …


Evaluating The Emerging Environmental Risks Of Mycotoxins In Freshwater Ecosystems., Emily Eagles Jan 2021

Evaluating The Emerging Environmental Risks Of Mycotoxins In Freshwater Ecosystems., Emily Eagles

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

Deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZON) are two of the prominent mycotoxins which regularly contaminate food, both of these natural toxins are produced by fungi within the Fusarium genus. With the known widespread occurrence of these toxins in cereal crops there has been rising interest into the potential transference into freshwaters. Multiple reports of mycotoxin occurrence in freshwater samples have led to their consideration as natural chemicals of emerging concern, particularly with ZON seen to act in an oestrogenic nature, yet the ecotoxicological data to support analysis of risk to freshwater ecosystems is lacking. The main aim of this work was …


The Holistic Assessment And Care Planning In Partnership (Happi) Study A Mixed Methods Feasibility Study Of A Nurse-Led Intervention For Older People Who Live With Frailty, Helen Lyndon Jan 2021

The Holistic Assessment And Care Planning In Partnership (Happi) Study A Mixed Methods Feasibility Study Of A Nurse-Led Intervention For Older People Who Live With Frailty, Helen Lyndon

School of Nursing and Midwifery Theses

Aim. This mixed-methods feasibility study aimed to identify and to develop consensus on the components of a holistic assessment and care planning intervention for frail older people in primary care and to conduct a feasibility cluster randomised, controlled trial with an embedded qualitative study to assess potential trial methods for a definitive trial.Background. Frailty is a serious but not inevitable consequence of ageing that can be managed as a long-tern condition. Frail older people are more at risk to adverse health outcomes than the non-frail, yet many do not receive evidence based management including a comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA); a …


Across The River: Ferries As A Vehicle For Exploring Riverborderscapes, Eva Mcgrath Jan 2021

Across The River: Ferries As A Vehicle For Exploring Riverborderscapes, Eva Mcgrath

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

This thesis uses the concept of the riverborderscape to provide new understandings of watery geographies, borders and landscape. This is a spatial and conceptual term used to explore the space of the river through a holistic approach, focusing upon the materialities, experiences and narratives that shape, emerge within and construct this space. These ideas are applied in relation to three rivers that form an everyday border between places at different scales in the South West of England: the River Tamar (regional), River Torridge (district) and Helford River (parish). Research is situated on and across the river, through the routes of …


The Role Of Hippo Signalling In Merlin Null Tumours Of The Nervous System, Liyam Laraba Jan 2021

The Role Of Hippo Signalling In Merlin Null Tumours Of The Nervous System, Liyam Laraba

Other Faculty of Health Theses

Meningiomas and schwannomas are mostly benign tumours of the nervous system that currently have no clinically approved treatments apart from surgical resection. The tumour suppressor Moesin-Ezrin-Radixin-Like Protein (Merlin) is deleted in 50-60% and 70% of meningiomas and schwannomas respectively. The Hippo pathway is an evolutionarily conserved pathway that has been shown to control tissue size by contactmediated growth inhibition. Previous studies have shown that there is aberrant nuclear activity of yes-associated protein (YAP) and transcriptional coactivator with PDZbinding motif (TAZ), the co-transcriptional activators of the Hippo pathway in Merlinnull meningioma and schwannoma. Nuclear YAP and TAZ activate transcription, primarily by …


Ionic Dysregulation In White Matter Damage, Christopher Bulman Jan 2021

Ionic Dysregulation In White Matter Damage, Christopher Bulman

Other Faculty of Health Theses

White matter damage can occur in a variety of neurological diseases where it contributes significantly to impairment of brain function. Dysregulation of ion gradients across membranes is a common phenomenon across many diseases and can be damaging due to increased metabolic demand, oedema and activation of destructive enzyme cascades. Breakdown of ionic gradients can occur under many circumstances. For example, loss of energy supply to ion pumps causes disruption early in stroke progression. Activation of ion channels through voltage or ligand gating contributes greatly to complications such as intracellular calcium overload in many diseases. This thesis investigated the contribution of …


Helping People With Dementia To Eat Well At Home: An Investigation To Understand And Enhance Nutritional Care, Louise Mole Jan 2021

Helping People With Dementia To Eat Well At Home: An Investigation To Understand And Enhance Nutritional Care, Louise Mole

Other Faculty of Health Theses

In this thesis I developed a complex intervention to help people living at home with dementia to eat well, and improve nutritional care. This was achieved through four studies conducted using multiple methods. A scoping review found 61 studies reported in 63 articles after searching six databases from inception to July 2016. Content analysis was used, and the overarching categories were: ‘timely identification of nutritional risk and subsequent regular monitoring of nutritional status’, ‘multi-component tailored interventions’, and the ‘influence of the caregiving dyad on nutritional status’. Most studies were cross-sectional (n=24), cohort (n=15) or qualitative (n=9). Only three were randomised …


‘The Agony & The Ecstasy: Managing A Chronic Pain Condition Whilst Being A Mother’, Movita Chapman-Moyle Jan 2021

‘The Agony & The Ecstasy: Managing A Chronic Pain Condition Whilst Being A Mother’, Movita Chapman-Moyle

Other Faculty of Health Theses

Persistent pain is a debilitating condition affecting more women than men, and for women in their child-rearing years this means struggling to bring up children whilst contending with an unforgiving pain condition. Existing research in this area has found increased levels of pain complaints in children of mothers with persistent pain, raising the risk of them developing some form of pain in later years. A primary aim of this research was to investigate ways attachment influences pain development in children of maternal persistent pain sufferers. Additionally, the aim was to investigate how transmission of pain behaviour, including the experience of …


From Cancer Stem Cells To Brain Tumour Formation: The Role Of Heatr1 And Ribosome Biogenesis, Laura Rodríguez Díaz Jan 2021

From Cancer Stem Cells To Brain Tumour Formation: The Role Of Heatr1 And Ribosome Biogenesis, Laura Rodríguez Díaz

Other Faculty of Health Theses

Brain tumours are initiated by neoplastic transformation of brain cells followed by uncontrolled proliferation, and are driven by genetic mutations. Despite years of study towards increasing our understanding of their origin and development, the high recurrence rate and poor prognosis of brain tumours in general, and specially of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most aggressive type, highlight the need for more efficient therapeutic approaches. According to the Cancer Stem Cell (CSC) hypothesis, tumour initiation and relapse might be caused by a subpopulation of cells with stem cell characteristics. Loss of the Drosophila melanogaster tumour suppressor Brat or its human orthologue, TRIM3, …


The Evaluative Chameleon: The Valance Of Observed Action Outcomes Determines Automatic Imitation, Helen Sharps Jan 2021

The Evaluative Chameleon: The Valance Of Observed Action Outcomes Determines Automatic Imitation, Helen Sharps

Other Faculty of Health Theses

Humans have a tendency to imitate the actions they observe in others, a process assumed to rely on an automatic bottom-up mapping of observed action features to one’s own motor system. In contrast, imitation in children is goal-directed, aimed at achieving the same outcome as the model. This thesis examines whether such an outcome-dependence can also be observed in automatic imitation. In six experiments, participants watched an actor make movements after observing the same movements and evaluated the valence of these outcomes with either compatible or incompatible responses. Chapter 2 showed that automatic imitation depends on action outcomes and showed …


Can The Value And Acceptability Of A Patient Feedback Tool For Revalidating Psychiatrists Be Improved For Both Patients And Psychiatrists Through Its Co-Production? An Action Research Approach., Rebecca Baines Jan 2021

Can The Value And Acceptability Of A Patient Feedback Tool For Revalidating Psychiatrists Be Improved For Both Patients And Psychiatrists Through Its Co-Production? An Action Research Approach., Rebecca Baines

Other Faculty of Health Theses

Background: Co-production is often suggested as an alternative approach to patient feedback design. However, critical exploration of how co-production may affect the perceived value and acceptability of a patient feedback tool is severely limited, particularly in the context of revalidation for practising psychiatrists. Aim: This research sought to address four research questions: i) how are patients and the public involved in the design, delivery and evaluation of patient feedback tools for practising psychiatrists, if at all; ii) what are patient and psychiatrist perceptions, experiences and aspirations for patient feedback tools in revalidation; iii) how do these compare and iv) can …


The Role Of Daxx In The Selective Autophagy Receptor Sqstm1/P62 Phase Condensation, Yi Yang Jan 2021

The Role Of Daxx In The Selective Autophagy Receptor Sqstm1/P62 Phase Condensation, Yi Yang

Other Faculty of Health Theses

Macroautophagy (‘autophagy’ hereafter) is a lysosome-dependent degradation system for intracellular protein quality control. Autophagy can selectively remove cargo materials, which is dependent on cargo receptors. SQSTM1/p62 (‘p62’ hereafter) is one of the best characterised receptors mediating the autophagic degradation of misfolded proteins, and its body formation is essential for its cargo recognition and clearance. Mounting evidence has revealed that membraneless compartments, participating in various biological processes, are assembled via liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS). These phase-separated condensates ensure that cellular activities occur in a spatiotemporally controlled manner and provide a method for concentrating and segregating cellular components. Liquid-like non-membrane condensates present …


An Assessment Of Universal Tumour Associated Antigens In Primary Liver Neoplasms, Oliver Rupar Jan 2021

An Assessment Of Universal Tumour Associated Antigens In Primary Liver Neoplasms, Oliver Rupar

Other Faculty of Health Theses

Rates of primary liver cancer are increasing in the Western world, a fact yet to be reflected in research with most currently undertaken in Asia. Whilst here in the UK, during a diagnostic and therapeutic workup within the NHS, surgically resected tumours are routinely kept in storage for up to thirty years. Meaning there is a huge, currently unused, resource that could potentially be included in clinical research. The regional specialist centre in the Southwest of England has been performing liver resections since 2005, no basic-science research has been performed using these archived specimens. In this research I have assessed …


Exploring The Design, Use And Impact Of Companion Pet Robots And Automata For Older Adults And People With Dementia, Hannah Bradwell Jan 2021

Exploring The Design, Use And Impact Of Companion Pet Robots And Automata For Older Adults And People With Dementia, Hannah Bradwell

Other Faculty of Health Theses

Companion robots, socially assistive robots typically possessing zoomorphic features, have shown potential in the care of older adults and people with dementia. Previous research demonstrated reduced agitation, anxiety, loneliness and blood pressure for older adults, and reduced carer burden. However, many literature gaps and methodological flaws remained, and there was limited evidence of real-world adoption into health and care practice. In particular, most research involved Paro, the robot seal costing ~£5000, a prohibitive cost for most intended end-users. Furthermore, contradictory research results, robot failures and variable responses of older people suggested sub-optimal robot design. This thesis therefore aimed to expand …