Digital Commons Network^™

Top Ten Epilepsy Research Priorities: A Uk Priority Setting Partnership, Rohit Shankar

Peninsula Medical School

Purpose: Research into epilepsy has experienced decades of chronic underfunding compared to other neurological conditions despite its prevalence and seriousness. To evidence the need for greater investment, the Epilepsy Research Institute (formerly Epilepsy Research UK) funded, led and managed a James Lind Alliance (JLA) Priority Setting Partnership (PSP). This “industry standard” methodology brings together healthcare professionals, patients, carers and patient group representatives to identify and prioritise research uncertainties within a defined area of health or care.Methods: The UK Epilepsy PSP is a once-in-a-generation, national consensus that collated and ranked the research priorities of the UK epilepsy and associated condition community. …

Trastuzumab Deruxtecan With Nivolumab In Her2-Expressing Metastatic Breast Or Urothelial Cancer: Analysis Of The Phase Ib Ds8201-A-U105 Study., E Hamilton, Galsky Md, S Ochsenreither, Conte G Del, M Martín, De Miguel Mj, Yu Ey, Anja Williams, M Gion, Tan Ar, L Agrawal, A Rutten, Machiels Jp, S Hurvitz, Philip Debruyne

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Purpose:This multicenter phase Ib study investigated trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) plus nivolumab in patients with HER2-expressing metastatic breast cancer (mBC) and metastatic urothelial cancer (mUC).Patients and Methods:Part 1 determined the recommended dose for expansion of T-DXd plus nivolumab. Part 2 evaluated efficacy and safety; the primary endpoint was confirmed objective response rate by independent central review.Results:In part 1, seven patients with mBC were enrolled and received T-DXd 3.2 mg/kg (four patients) or 5.4 mg/kg (three patients) plus nivolumab. The recommended dose for expansion for T-DXd was 5.4 mg/kg plus nivolumab 360 mg intravenously every 3 weeks. In part 2, 32 patients …

Carbon Stocks In Marine Habitats Across Jersey's Territorial Waters, Bede Ffinian Rowe Davies, Samantha Blampied, Francis Binney, Graham Epstein, Paul Chambers, Emma V. Sheehan

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Marine areas have been shown to store varying amounts of carbon. The densities of these stores varies considerably across environmental settings, including the biotic and physical habitat type, the productivity of these habitats, the ephemeral or permanent nature of the habitats as well as the hydrological energy of the area, its depth and its exposure to anthropogenic activities. To appropriately incorporate carbon storage into management plans, baseline information on the carbon held within marine areas is required. Here, an inventory of carbon was carried out for marine habitats found within the territorial waters of Jersey, one of the Channel Islands …

Evaluation Of The Thermal Insulation Potential Of Post-Harvest Blocks Using The Native Strain Of The Edible Mushroom Pleurotus Ostreatus, Miguel Aravena, Leonardo Almonacid-Munoz, Carlos Rojas-Herrera, Hector Herrera, Juan Pablo Cardenas Ramirez, Alejandro Veliz Reyes, Cristiane Sagredo-Saez

School of Art, Design and Architecture

In recent years, the need to adopt materials that are partially or fully recyclable or biodegradable has grown significantly. This paper presents a study aiming to develop a physical and thermal characterization of post-harvest blocks (spent mushroom substrate) used in the production of the edible mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus in order to test its feasibility as an insulation material. For this purpose, culture blocks based on wheat straw residues were prepared using a wild strain of the fungus. After the mushroom harvest, the post-harvest blocks were evaluated for stability, thermal conductivity, moisture content, fire behavior, and surface analysis. The results showed …

Differential Relationship Between Meditation Methods And Psychotic-Like And Mystical Experiences, T. Palmer, K. Kadri, E. Fakra, J. Scholl, E. Fouragnan

School of Psychology

Much work has investigated beneficial effects of mindfulness-based meditation methods, but less work has investigated potential risks and differences across meditation methods. We addressed this in a large pre-registered online survey including 613 mediators where we correlated participants’ experience with fifty meditation techniques to psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) and mystical experiences. We found a positive correlation for both PLEs and mystical experiences with techniques aiming at reducing phenomenological content (‘null-directed’, NDM) or classified as non-dual or less embodied. In contrast, methods aiming at achieving an enhanced cognitive state (CDM), also described as ‘attentional’ or strongly embodied, showed negative correlations with PLEs. …

Differential Relationship Between Meditation Methods And Psychotic-Like And Mystical Experiences, Timothy Palmer, Kenza Kadri, Eric Fakra, Jacqueline Scholl, Elsa Fouragnan

School of Psychology

Much work has investigated beneficial effects of mindfulness-based meditation methods, but less work has investigated potential risks and differences across meditation methods. We addressed this in a large pre-registered online survey including 613 mediators where we correlated participants' experience with fifty meditation techniques to psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) and mystical experiences. We found a positive correlation for both PLEs and mystical experiences with techniques aiming at reducing phenomenological content ('null-directed', NDM) or classified as non-dual or less embodied. In contrast, methods aiming at achieving an enhanced cognitive state (CDM), also described as 'attentional' or strongly embodied, showed negative correlations with PLEs. …

Potential Of Ecklonia Maxima As A Feed Supplement In Aquafeed: A Review, Tlou Kevin Ngoepe, Moses Okpeku, Esau Matthews Mbokane, Molatelo Junior Madibana, Sahya Maulu, Selaelo Jaqueline Mphalo, Ronewa Lieborn Nemakhavhani, Sithembile Zenith Ndlela

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

This review examines the potential of Ecklonia maxima, a brown seaweed, as a sustainable feed supplement in aquaculture. With the industry facing pressure to adopt environmentally friendly practices, E. maxima offers promise due to its bioactive compounds that promote growth and health in aquatic organisms. Studies have shown that dietary supplementation with E. maxima improves fish growth rates, feed conversion efficiency, and nutrient retention. The seaweed’s bioactive compounds, including phlorotannins and fucoidans, enhance digestibility, modulate gut health, and stimulate immune responses. This review assesses the impact of E. maxima supplementation on fish growth performance and feed utilization, considering factors like …

A Modeling Framework For Flocculated Cohesive Sediment Transport In The Current Bottom Boundary Layer, Jorge A. Penaloza-Giraldo, Liangyi Yue, Tian Jian Hsu, Bernhard Vowinckel, Andrew Manning, Eckart Meiburgc

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Cohesive sediment transport, where its settling velocity is controlled by the flocculation process, is a crucial component in determining biochemical cycles, fate of pollutants, and morphodynamics in many aquatic ecosystems. In this study, a modeling framework is presented to investigate how flocculation influences cohesive sediment transport in the current bottom boundary layer in dilute conditions, consistent with the calibration range of the flocculation model. From a local analysis of floc dynamics in homogenous turbulence, we identify that the floc size distribution is mainly controlled by floc cohesion and yield strength. The uncertainty in fractal dimension plays a minor role for …

Contribution Of Fish To Food And Nutrition Security In Southern Africa: Challenges And Opportunities In Fish Production, Sahya Maulu, Confred Godfrey Musuka, Montshwari Molefe, Tlou Kevin Ngoepe, Ndakalimwe Naftal Gabriel, Joseph Mphande, Msumenji Phiri, Valdemiro Muhala, Messias Alfredo Macuiane, Mzime Regina Ndebele-Murisa, Oliver Jolezya Hasimuna, Thethela Bokhutlo, Mexford Mulumpwa, Victoria Ndinelago Erasmus, Wilson Jere, Chipo Hazel Dekesa, Chipo Plaxedes Mubaya, Manecas Francisco Baloi, Johannes Angala Iitembu, Enock Siankwilimba, Lin Zhang

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

This study investigated the role of fish in addressing food and nutrition security challenges in Southern Africa, focusing on 10 countries including Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini, and South Africa. It examined the current state of food and nutrition security, fish production, and fish consumption patterns. Additionally, the study investigated the challenges and opportunities to enhance fish production in these countries thereby enhancing food and nutrition security. The findings revealed persistent challenges such as a high prevalence of food insecurity and malnutrition throughout the region. Fish production is hindered by overexploitation of fishery resources, inadequate fisheries …

Developing A Digital Phenotype To Subdivide Adult Immunosuppressed Covid-19 Outcomes Within The English Primary Care Sentinel Network, Debasish Kar

Peninsula Medical School

Background: Adults classified as immunosuppressed have beendisproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Compared to theimmunocompetent, certain patients are at increased risk of suboptimal vaccineresponse and adverse health outcomes if infected. However, there has beeninsufficient work to pinpoint where these risks concentrate within theimmunosuppressed spectrum; surveillance efforts typically treat theimmunosuppressed as a single entity, leading to wide confidence intervals. Aclinically meaningful and computerised medical record (CMR) compatiblemethod to subdivide immunosuppressed COVID-19 data is urgently needed.Methods: We conducted a rapid scoping review into COVID-19 mortality acrossUK immunosuppressed categories to assess if differential mortality risk was aviable means of subdivision. We converted the …

Loss Of Trace Elements From Agricultural Soil, S. D.W. Comber, R. J. Schindler, M. S.A. Blackwell, T. Darch

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Soil erosion is a world-wide issue driven by land management and climate change. Research has focussed on soil loss rates from agricultural land. However, the loss of trace elements essential for soil and plant health, or potentially toxic elements that occur as impurities in fertilisers and manures, is poorly understood. This study reports on the loads and forms of copper, cadmium, manganese, nickel, selenium and zinc lost from three types of agricultural systems at Rothamsted Research’s North Wyke Farm Platform over five individual storm events. Loads reflected a combination of concentrations in the soil, annual additions from fertilisers, the ability …

Occupational Therapy In Pain Management: An Exploration And Description Of Current Uk Practice, Rebecca Slee, Alison Warren, Miriam Noonan, Tristan Henderson

School of Health Professions

Introduction: There is a growing body of evidence regarding the contribution to the management of chronic pain by occupational therapists. However, there is limited research available regarding contemporary practice in the United Kingdom (UK). Method: An on-line questionnaire was circulated via social media, profession specific publications and specialist interest groups. Responses were requested from UK-based Health and Care Professions Council registered occupational therapists who identified working with those living with chronic pain and their friends, family and supporters. Findings: A total of 26 occupational therapists responded. Occupational therapists are working in diverse service settings, offering a range of interventions and …

Cardiac Output-Guided Haemodynamic Therapy For Patients Undergoing Major Gastrointestinal Surgery: Optimise Ii Randomised Clinical Trial, Optimise Ii Trial Group, Mark R. Edwards, Mark R. Edwards, Rupert M. Pearse, Brennan C. Kahan, Thomas Hamborg, Garima Priyadarshini, Neil Macdonald, Borislava Mihaylova, Vladimir Gordeev, Esubalew Assefa, Priyanthi Dias, Ann Thomson, Michael P.W. Grocott, Monty G. Mythen, Michael A. Gillies, Michael Sander, Tuong Phan, Lisbeth Evered, Duminda N. Wijeysundera, Stuart A. Mccluskey, Andrew D. Shaw, Mitchell Weinstein, Cesar Aldecoa, Javier Ripollés-Melchor, Christoph K. Hofer, Hussein Abu Khudair, Wojciech Szczeklik, Ioana Grigoras

Peninsula Medical School

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the clinical effectiveness and safety of a perioperative algorithm for cardiac output-guided haemodynamic therapy in patients undergoing major gastrointestinal surgery. DESIGN Multicentre randomised controlled trial. SETTING Surgical services of 55 hospitals worldwide. PARTICIPANTS 2498 adults aged ≥65 years with an American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification of II or greater and undergoing major elective gastrointestinal surgery, recruited between January 2017 and September 2022. INTERVENTIONS Participants were assigned to minimally invasive cardiac output-guided intravenous fluid therapy with low dose inotrope infusion during and four hours after surgery, or to usual care without cardiac output monitoring. MAIN OUTCOME …

Chagos Archipelago, Claire Collins, David J. Curnick, Tom Letessier, Joanna Harris

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

Impact Of The 2020 Covid-19 Lockdown On The Concentration Of Non-Methane Volatile Organic Compounds In A Uk Urban Atmosphere, Emmanuel Bernard, Rebecca L. Cordell, Robert S. Blake, Michael J. Wilde, Paul S. Monks

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The changes in air quality brought about by the COVID-19 lockdowns can provide valuable insight into how longer-term reductions in emissions might affect atmospheric composition. In urban Leicester UK, the 2020 COVID “lockdown” brought about several notable changes in atmospheric composition, including a considerable decrease (20–60%) in concentrations of non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs). Given their varied emission sources and lifetimes, NMVOC data can give valuable insights into how behavioural change impact atmospheric composition. The total concentration of 48 NMVOCs at roadside (RS) sites decreased from a pre-lockdown (sampled 16th-24th March 2020) concentration of 181.3 ± 41.4 μg/m³ to …

Environmental Transport And Sorting Of Glass Retroreflective Microbeads And Their Potential As Proxies For Road Marking Paints, Andrew Turner, Adam Bridgwater, Emily Marshall

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Road marking paints are a potentially important contributor to the global microplastic pool but very little reliable information is available on their erosion or environmental distributions. As potential carriers of or proxies for road paints, we determine the concentrations and sorting of retroreflective glass microbeads in marking materials and in fractionated (< 5 mm) local dusts, soils and sediments. As an aid to our investigation, we also determine the concentrations of metals of geochemical significance or components of road paint pigments in markings and geosolids. Concentrations of beads up to 92,800 kg⁻¹ were observed in street dusts, with a median diameter (350 μm) greater than that in road marking samples (270 μm). Few beads were found in adjacent (< 5 m) or more remote soils (six beads in ten 50-g samples) and none were detected in replicates of a sample of roof dust, suggesting that aeolian transport is limited. Concentrations up to 3700 kg⁻¹ were found in estuarine sediments close to bridges or stormwater runoff effluents, and with increasing sediment depth concentrations and …

Higher Abundance Of Disturbance-Favoured Trees And Shrubs In European Temperate Woodlands Prior To The Late-Quaternary Extinction Of Megafauna, Elena A. Pearce, Florence Mazier, Ralph Fyfe, Charles W. Davison, Signe Normand, Maria Antonia Serge, Paolo Scussolini, Jens Christian Svenning

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Large herbivorous mammals strongly influence vegetation structure by creating and maintaining open areas and causing disturbance within closed woody habitats. The herbivores alive today in Europe are only a small remnant of the large species that existed in high diversity and abundance before modern humans. The extinction of so many large herbivores during the last 50,000 years, and the loss of megaherbivores (body weight ≥1000 kg) from most of the continent before the Pleistocene–Holocene transition, is likely to have had cascading effects on vegetation structure and composition. To evaluate these effects within the European temperate forest biome, we examine the …

Assessing Impact Risk To Tropical Marine Ecosystems From Human Activities With A Southeast Asian Example, Fiona Culhane, Melanie C. Austen, Matthew Ashley, Jonson Javier, Sui Hyang Kuit, Nguyen Phuc Hung, Hau Duc Tran, Radisti A. Praptiwi, Sainal Sainal, Eva Justine, Prawesti Wulandari, Stefanie Broszeit, Jean Beth Jontila, Sofia Johari, Lota Creencia, Amy Yee Hui Then, Lea Janine Gajardo, Carya Maharja, Hong Ching Goh, Wan Mohd Syazwan, Yang Amri Affendi, Lê Ngọc Thảo, Jito Sugardjito, Tom Mullier, Olivia Langmead

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Society relies on intact marine ecosystems for ecosystem services such as nutrition, livelihoods, health and well-being. Yet, to obtain these benefits, we carry out activities, introducing pressures to ecosystems, damaging and degrading habitats and reducing their capacity to optimally provide ecosystem services. Biodiversity and ecosystem services are consequently being lost globally but impact chains from these activities are poorly understood, especially in tropical marine ecosystems. We identified for the first time impact chains linking activities with pressures they introduce in five tropical coastal and marine habitats, specifically through application in four Southeast Asian case study sites. Using expert elicitation based …

A Sentinel Watching Over Inter-Tidal Seagrass Phenology Across Western Europe And North Africa, Bede Ffinian Rowe Davies, Simon Oiry, Philippe Rosa, Maria Laura Zoffoli, Ana I. Sousa, Oliver R. Thomas, Dan A. Smale, Melanie C. Austen, Lauren Biermann, Martin J. Attrill, Alejandro Roman, Gabriel Navarro, Anne Laure Barillé, Nicolas Harin, Daniel Clewley, Victor Martinez-Vicente, Pierre Gernez, Laurent Barillé

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Seagrasses are marine flowering plants that form extensive meadows from the inter-tidal zone up to ~50 m depth. As biological and ecological Essential Biodiversity Variables, seagrass cover and composition provide a wide range of ecosystem services. Inter-tidal seagrass meadows provide services to many ecosystems, so monitoring their occurrence, extent, condition and diversity can be used to indicate the biodiversity and health of local ecosystems. Current global estimates of seagrass extent and recent reviews either do not mention inter-tidal seagrasses and their seasonal variation, or combine them with sub-tidal seagrasses. Here, using high-spatial and high-temporal resolution satellite data (Sentinel-2), we demonstrate …

The Effects Of Casein Glycomacropeptide On General Health Status In Children With Pku: A Randomized Crossover Trial, Alex Pinto, Anne Daly, Camille Newby, Abigail Robotham, Simon Heales, Simon Eaton, Helen Aitkenhead, Kimberly Gilmour, Richard Jackson, Catherine Ashmore, Sharon Evans, Júlio Cesar Rocha, Fatma Ilgaz, Mary Hickson, Anita Macdonald

School of Health Professions

In PKU, it is suggested that casein glycomacropeptide based protein substitute (GMP) may have physiological advantage when satiety, oxidative stress, renal function and inflammation are considered. Its prebiotic properties may also help gastrointestinal (GI) tolerance. In children with PKU, a randomized/crossover trial comparing phenylalanine-free amino acids (AA) vs GMP as the single source of protein substitute for 12-weeks in each arm was conducted. There was a 4-week wash out period with AA in-between. At baseline and end of each intervention, blood and fecal samples were taken to monitor gut health, oxidative stress, renal function, inflammatory markers and plasma amino acids. …

Drivers Of Variability In Surf Zone Habitat Use By Sandy Beach Fish: Unwitting Citizen Scientists Reveal Detailed Spatiotemporal Patterns, Ryan Hepburn, Tim Scott, Sam Prodger, Benjamin J. Ciotti

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Surf zones of sandy beaches are among the most heavily impacted aquatic ecosystems, yet are of criticalecological importance for inshore fish and fisheries. Knowledge of the drivers of fish habitat use in surf zones isneeded across broad scales to advise conservation and fisheries management, but sampling capabilities can belimited in spatio-temporal extent and resolution. The lesser weever Echiichthys vipera is a small, benthic,venomous fish that dominates surf zone fish assemblages in Northwest Europe and inflicts painful stings onbeachgoers. This study capitalises on an extensive record of E. vipera sting incidents to characterise variations insurf zone habitat use in relation to …

Low Toxicity Of Dissolved Silver From Silver-Coated Titanium Dental Implants To Human Primary Osteoblast Cells, Ranj Nadhim Salaie, Alexandros Besinis, Christopher Tredwin, Richard D Handy

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

The controlled release of silver as a biocide from Ag-coated medical implants is desirable. However, the biocompatibility of Ag leachates is poorly understood. This study investigated the toxicity of silver released from the silver plated titanium implants to human primary osteoblast cells; and the effect of cell culture medium on the silver speciation and bioavailability.

METHODS: Ti6Al4V discs were coated with Ag nanoparticles (NPs), silver plus hydroxyapatite (HA) nanoparticles (Ag+nHA), or Ag NPs plus microparticles (Ag+mHA). Primary human osteoblast cells were exposed to the leachates from the various discs for up to 7 days.

RESULTS: the total Ag concentrations released …

Waves Of Flickering Murmurs In Everyday Life: Playing Between Ages, Joanna Haynes, Jan Georgeson, Karen Wickett, Mandy Andrews, Dani Landau, Kathrin Paal, Emma Bush, Magda Costa Carvalho, Viktor Johansson, Tiago Almeida, Lois Peach, Giovanna Caetano-Silva, Rose-Anne Reynolds, Bakhtawar Khosa, Patricia Hannam, Arthur C Wolf, Claudia Blandon, Georgios Petropoulos, Hanna Oester-Barkey

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

The article explores the rich and varied experiences of a collective writing project, unfolding through an anecdote involving Charlie, a young boy who creatively disrupted conventional pho-tography methods. This incident, during an evening promenade by the sea in Ericeira (Portugal), epitomizes the project's embrace of playfulness and exploration of diverse perspectives—materialized through Charlie's playful insistence on experimenting with different angles. The event embodied the group’s approach to writing, leading to a collective inquiry into the interplay of ages, angles, and other themes like waves, threads, shadows, and liminal spaces. The project, driven by the Between Ages Collective, began with informal …

An Evaluation Of A Multidisciplinary Care Planning Tool For People With Intellectual Disabilities And Behaviours Of Concern, Rohit Shankar

Peninsula Medical School

No abstract provided.

Characterising The Anxiogenic Network From Functional Connectivity Analysis Of The Co2 Challenge Model, Daniel Graham, Santra Mathew, Jonathan Marsden, Alastair D Smith, Gary Smerdon, Stephen D Hall

School of Psychology

The CO2 challenge model (CCM) is a gas inhalation paradigm that provides precisely controlled anxiety induction in experimental settings. Despite its potential as an experimental model of anxiety, our understanding of the neural effects of the CCM is incomplete. This study employs resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) to explore functional connectivity (FC) changes underlying the CCM. Following a preliminary CO2 tolerance assessment, participants completed an MRI session that included three rs-fMRI scans: during inhalation of control air (pre and post), and during a 6% CCM exposure. Here, we confirm that 6% CCM is a tolerable anxiogenic model in the …

New Insights Into Combined Surfzone, Embayment, And Estuarine Bathing Hazards, Christopher Stokes, Timothy Poate, Gerd Masselink, Tim Scott, Steve Instance

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Rip currents are the single largest cause of beach safety incidents globally, but where an estuary mouth intersects a beach, additional flows are created that can exceed the speed of a typical rip current, significantly increasing the hazard level for bathers. However, there is a paucity of observations of surfzone currents at estuary mouth beaches, and our understanding and ability to predict how the bathing hazard varies under different wave and tide conditions are therefore limited. Using field observations and process-based XBeach modelling at an embayed, estuary mouth beach, we demonstrate how surfzone currents can be driven by combinations of …

Intraspecific Variation Of Thermal Tolerance Along Elevational Gradients: The Case Of A Widespread Diving Beetle (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae), Susana Pallares, Jose Antonio Carbonell, Felix Picazo, David T Bilton, Andres Millan, Pedro Abellan

More Faculty of Science and Engineering Research

Species distributed across wide elevational gradients are likely to experience local thermal adaptation and exhibit high thermal plasticity, as these gradients are characterised by steep environmental changes over short geographic distances (i.e., strong selection differentials). The prevalence of adaptive intraspecific variation in thermal tolerance with elevation remains unclear, however, particularly in freshwater taxa. We explored variation in upper and lower thermal limits and acclimation capacity among Iberian populations of adults of the widespread water beetle Agabus bipustulatus (Dytiscidae) across a 2000 m elevational gradient, from lowland to alpine areas. Since mean and extreme temperatures decline with elevation, we predicted that …

Deep Learning Classification Of Mri Differentiates Brain Changes In Genetic And Idiopathic Parkinson’S Disease, Megan Courtman, Mark Thurston, Hongrui Wang, Sube Banerjee, Adam Streeter, Lucy Mcgavin, Stephen Hall, Lingfen Sun, Emmanuel Ifeachor, Stephen Mullin

Peninsula Medical School

BackgroundThe prospect of neuroprotective treatments for Parkinsons disease highlights the need for early diagnostic tests. Specialised MRI sequences suggest changes related to Parkinsons disease may be detectable. ObjectivesWe used the Parkinsons Progression Markers Initiative dataset to investigate whether deep learning can detect early brain MRI changes of idiopathic and GBA/LRRK2 prodromal Parkinsons disease. MethodsPairs of matched cohorts were used to train convolutional neural networks to classify T2 axial images. Explainability methods were used to visualise drivers of model predictions. ResultsModels built to distinguish between idiopathic Parkinsons disease scans (n=504) and matched controls exhibited good classification performance for scans taken more …

Predictors Of Long-Term Variability In Ne Atlantic Plankton Communities, Matthew M. Holland, Angus Atkinson, Mike Best, Eileen Bresnan, Michelle Devlin, Eric Goberville, Pierre Hélaouët, Margarita Machairopoulou, Matthew Faith, Murray S.A. Thompson, Abigail Mcquatters-Gollop

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Anthropogenic pressures such as climate change and nutrient pollution are causing rapid changes in the marine environment. The relative influence of drivers of change on the plankton community remains uncertain, and this uncertainty is limiting our understanding of sustainable levels of human pressures. Plankton are the primary energy resource in marine food webs and respond rapidly to environmental changes, representing useful indicators of shifts in ecosystem structure and function. Categorising plankton into broad groups with similar characteristics, known as “lifeforms”, can be useful for understanding ecological patterns related to environmental change and for assessing the state of pelagic habitats in …

Multi-Generational Dispersal And Dynamic Patch Occupancy Reveals Spatial And Temporal Stability Of Seascapes, Charlotte Clubley, Tiago A M Silva, Louisa E Wood, Louise Firth, David T Bilton, Edna O'Dea, Antony Knights

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

The success of non-native species (NNS) invasions depends on patterns of dispersal and connectivity, which underpin genetic diversity, population establishment and growth. In the marine environment, both global environmental change and increasing anthropogenic activity can alter hydrodynamic patterns, leading to significant inter-annual variability in dispersal pathways. Despite this, multi-generational dispersal is rarely explicitly considered in attempts to understand NNS spread or in the design of management interventions. Here, we present a novel approach to quantifying species spread that considers range expansion and network formation across time using the non-native Pacific oyster, Magallana gigas (Thunberg 1793), as a model. We combined …