Digital Commons Network^™

Diagnosing Long-Term Divergence In Build Back Better Outcomes In Low- And Lower-Middle-Income Communities, E. A. Opabola, M. Baiguera, A. Raby, T. Rossetto, A. Pomonis, E. Meilianda, Y. Idris, S. Nurdin, K. Adams, D. J. Mcgovern, N. Acikgoz, H. Mistry, F. Marafini

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Low-income communities in disaster-prone regions face persistent challenges in translating post-disaster recovery investments into sustained resilience, as they navigate trade-offs among engineering objectives, policy constraints, and evolving socio-economic needs. Despite the widespread adoption of Build Back Better (BBB) principles, evidence on the long-term sustainability of outcomes remains limited, particularly in low- and lower-middle-income contexts. This study examines the sustainability of BBB outcomes in two Indonesian case studies: Banda Aceh (approximately 18 years after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami) and Central Sulawesi (approximately 4 years after the 2018 earthquake, liquefaction, and tsunami). Drawing on structured housing assessments, household surveys, semi-structured interviews, …

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.

Investigating Spatial And Seasonal Differences In Microgastropod Assemblages Within The Little-Studied Camamu Bay, Brazil: A Potential Bioindicator For Remote Tropical Areas?, Francisco Kelmo, Sol De Maria Cesar Ferreira, Eduardo Henrique Galvão, Martin J. Attrill

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

This study investigates spatial and seasonal variation in the assemblages of benthic microgastropods (snails < 5–10 mm in length) within a poorly studied tropical bay. As these organisms are abundant, diverse and relatively easy to sample, with well-established taxonomy, they may prove a highly suitable group for ecological studies in such areas. Sediment samples were collected from three river basins in Camamu Bay, Brazil, during the wet and dry seasons. A total of 132 microgastropod species was recorded, demonstrating high diversity. The most abundant species were Eulithidium affine, Bittiolum varium, Cerithium atratum, Vitta virginea and Schwartziella bryerea. The least abundant species were Tenaturris gemma, Turbinella laevigata, Petaloconchus erectus, Parviturboides interruptus and Vitrinella cupidinensis. Statistical analysis revealed significant seasonal and spatial differences in diversity and assemblage composition, which correlated with environmental gradients. The results suggest that microgastropods are a suitable component of the biota for ecological and applied studies in marine sediments, particularly in remote tropical locations where full macrofaunal analysis may be challenging. Whilst further testing across impact gradients is needed, this approach offers a practical solution for ecological investigations in remote regions with limited taxonomic expertise and highlights microgastropods as a useful indicator taxon for impact biomonitoring in tropical marine sediments.

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 …

Does In-Bed Cycling Delivered Within 48 Hours Of Mechanical Ventilation, Reduce The Occurrence Of Delirium In Critically Ill Patients: A Mixed-Methods Feasibility Randomised Controlled Trial Protocol, Jacqueline Bennion, Mark Hudson, Mary Hickson, Victoria Allgar, Bridie Kent, David Mcwilliams, Daniel Martin

Peninsula Medical School

Background: Delirium is a severe neuropsychiatric clinical state presenting as an acute onset of cognitive deficits. Patients receiving invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), have the highest incidence (50%–80%) of delirium amongst patients admitted to intensive care units. Preliminary data indicates that early mobilisation is associated with reduced delirium in critically ill patients. However, definitive evidence is lacking. Current practice varies due to many barriers to patients, who require IMV, receiving early mobilisation interventions. In-bed cycling may address some of these barriers. This research aims to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of early in-bed cycling to reduce delirium in critically ill patients. …

Patient And Practitioner Workshops For An Intellectual Disabilities And Epilepsy Neuropsychiatric Genetic Research Database Register: Ethical Dilemmas For Study Design, Rohit Shankar, Jon Allard, Dannielle Bilkey, Brendan Mclean, Pamela Bowman, Chloe Staples, Lance Watkins, Anna Simpson, Elizabeth Boardman, Sarah Mitchell, Sarah Lennard

Peninsula Medical School

BackgroundThere is a need for more research studies focussed on People with ID (PwID) and Epilepsy and for the design of these studies to be shaped by this complex and vulnerable population and those who care for and support them.AimsTo develop understanding as to how a future NHS genetic research database register for PwID and Epilepsy should be conducted in a way which is inclusive, suitable and appropriate for them, their carers and the NHS settings where the research would be undertaken.MethodsThree workshops were completed with 17 formal participants: (1) PwID and Epilepsy (n2); (2) carers of PwID and Epilepsy …

Psychotropic Medication Prescribing To Children And Young People Mental Health Inpatient Services: An English National Study, David Branford, Anne Webster, Marinos Kyriakopoulos, Shermin Imran, Prathiba Chitsabesan, Tina Irani, Teresa Randon, Kirsten Peebles, Rohit Shankar

Peninsula Medical School

Background:Mental disorders frequently begin in childhood or adolescence. Worldwide, psychotropics are commonly prescribed for under-18s to stabilise behaviour, mood or thoughts. Psychotropics could cause long-term effects on children and young people (CYP) health, growth and development. There is a knowledge gap about psychotropic prescribing in CYP mental health inpatient units.Aims:To understand and compare psychotropic prescribing patterns in England mental health inpatient units for CYPs and to solicit CYP and their parents’ and carers’ views of it.Method:A national Quality Improvement programme authorised by National Health Service (NHS) England invited all English CYP mental health inpatient units to participate. The programme included …

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 …

Small-Molecule Therapies Targeting Tumor-Associated Macrophages In Glioma: Mechanisms And Potential, Hua Wang, Heng Luo, Haijian Zhong, Amy Ockleton, Feng Jiang, Renhui Yi, Shaochun Yang, Ming Li

Peninsula Medical School

Glioblastoma, a highly prevalent and aggressive primary brain tumor, is marked by poor prognosis due to the blood-brain barrier and chemoresistance, which limit conventional pharmacotherapy. Recent research has pivoted toward targeting the tumor microenvironment, where tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) drive gliomagenesis and malignant progression through immunosuppressive signaling. Small-molecule agents targeting TAMs have emerged as promising therapeutics, capable of reprogramming macrophage polarization, modulating immune cell dynamics, and suppressing glioma growth. This review explores the mechanistic roles of TAMs in glioma and evaluates how small-molecule compounds exert antitumor effects via TAM modulation. These insights lay a foundation for developing next-generation TAM-targeted therapies, offering …

The Giant Antarctic Amphipod Paraceradocus Miersi Will Not Fare Well If Freshening Continues In The Southern Ocean, John I. Spicer, Simon A. Morley, Katie N.G. Thiessen, Lloyd S. Peck

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Sea water provides a stable environment for marine animals. Most oceanic invertebrates have body fluids similar in ionic composition to sea water. However, Antarctic coastal ecosystems are increasingly exposed to freshening—a reduction in salinity driven by glacial melt, increased precipitation, and extreme weather events. Such changes can cause mortality in Antarctic invertebrates, which generally are intolerant to reduced salinity. This study investigated osmotic and ionic regulation of the Antarctic amphipod Paraceradocus miersi exposed to simulated freshening. When salinity was reduced (from S = 34.6 to 28.0) for 12–48 h, haemolymph osmolality and sodium concentration declined, while calcium remained stable; magnesium …

Video Interaction Guidance With Adults With Intellectual Disabilities And Their Support Workers: A Service Evaluation, Áine Maguire, Vicky Anagnostopoulou, Joe Levi-French, Deanna J. Gallichan

School of Psychology

Background: This service evaluation focused on support workers' perceptions of Video Interaction Guidance (VIG) offered by an NHS Community Learning Disabilities Team. Methods: A mixed-methods design was employed. Support workers developed goals and rated their progress before and after VIG sessions. Thematic analysis was used to analyse qualitative data on the nature of the goals developed, and the strengths and working points identified. The differences between progress ratings before and after VIG were analysed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Retrospective interviews helped to further understand support workers' experiences of VIG. Findings: Support workers identified goals, strengths and working points that …

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 …

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: …

Psychophysiological Recovery From Viewing Nature And Urban Settings: A Multisite Replication, A. E. Van Den Berg, K. Dijkstra, D. Meuwese, F. Beute, P. M. Darcy, S. Dewitte, B. Gatersleben, C. J. Gidlow, C. M. Hägerhäll, J. A. Hipp, Y. Joye, Y. A.W. De Kort, S. C.M. Lechner, C. Neale, Sang Ode Sang, J. Roe, D. T. Scheepers, K. Smolders, H. Staats, R. S. Steensma, K. J. Wyles, S. L. Koole

School of Psychology

The idea that merely viewing nature can promote stress recovery has profound societal implications, driving the use of nature imagery in the design of environments where access to real nature is limited. Scientific support for this concept originates from a pioneering study by Ulrich et al. (1991), which demonstrated superior psycho-physiological stress recovery during exposure to nature videos compared to urban videos. Despite its influence, this foundational study has never been systematically replicated. To address this gap, ten research teams across the Netherlands, Belgium, the UK, Sweden, and the USA collaborated on a multisite replication. A final sample of 959 …

Exploring The Views Of Children With Cerebral Palsy, Their Parents And Physiotherapists On Participating In A Feasibility Randomised Controlled Trial Testing An Exergaming Device: A Qualitative Study, Rachel Rapson, Jos M. Latour, Jonathan Marsden, Bernie Carter

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Background: This study aimed to understand the experiences and views of children with cerebral palsy, their parents and physiotherapists participating in the ACCEPT feasibility randomised controlled trial, which explored a 10-week physiotherapy intervention using an interactive gaming training device. Design: Qualitative methods included semi-structured interviews, e-diary and photographs. Nine parent–child dyads and three physiotherapists participated. Children were aged between 7 and 16 years; four had co-existing additional needs. Interviews were transcribed. Reflexive thematic analysis was used. Results: Five themes covered the breadth of participants’ experiences: (1) Fitting in therapy; (2) Motivation; (3) New opportunities; (4) Physiotherapists out of their comfort …

Which Aspects Of Abortion Care Do Healthcare Practitioners In Britain Think Nurses/Midwives Should Provide? Findings From The Sacha Study, Rebecca French Sacha Study Team, Alice Fulton, Ona Mccarthy, Jill Shawe, Rebecca Meiksin, Maria Lewandowska, Melissa Palmer, Rachel Scott, Kaye Wellings, Patricia Lohr, Geoffrey Wong, Sally Sheldon, Annette Aronsson, Paula Baraitser, Sharon Cameron, Louise Keogh, Clare Murphy, Wendy V. Norman, Jennifer Reiter, Natasha Salaria

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Aim: To explore the views of healthcare practitioners in Britain regarding the role of midwives and nurses in the delivery of medical and surgical abortion. Design: An observational study of the Shaping Abortion for Change study healthcare practitioner survey (2021–2022). Methods: Relationships between healthcare practitioner type, participant characteristics, knowledge of and attitudes towards abortion, and views about nurses' and midwives' role in abortion care were examined using Pearson's Chi-squared tests of association and multivariable logistic regression. Results: Amongst 763 participants including doctors, nurses, midwives and pharmacists, 71.6% supported specialist nurses in sexual and reproductive health and abortion clinics and hospitals, …

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 …

Widening Participation In Dentistry: A Quantitative Study Of Changing Demographics At A South West Uk Dental School (2014-2021)., Sally Hanks, Ian Mills, Marie Bryce, Daniel Zahra, Rebecca Glanville

Peninsula Dental School

Introduction: Access to National Health Service (NHS) dental care in the UK, particularly in rural and coastal regions such as the South West, remains a significant concern. Increasing socio-economic diversity in the dental workforce has previously been reported to improve access to care in underserved areas. Widening Participation (WP) initiatives aim to address this by encouraging applications from underrepresented groups. Methods: This study analysed admissions data from the University of Plymouth's Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) programme for cohorts between 2014 and 2021. Metrics included entry qualifications, age, gender, ethnicity, disability and socio-economic markers. Statistical analyses included chi-squared tests and …

Quantifying The Response Of Bankfull Channel Width To Active Faulting In The Qianhe Graben On The Southwest Margin Of Ordos Block, China, Zhiheng Liu, Sarah Boulton, Suiping Zhou, Jianhua Guo, Tingting Wu, Wenjie Zhang, Ling Han

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

River longitudinal profiles have been widely used to quantify the transient landscape response to active faulting, but the fluvial cross-section is often ignored, yet width can also reveal river incision and tectonic activity. Channel width responds to tectonic forcing through flow concentration effects resulting in channel narrowing where vertical incision dominates during uplift acceleration. Here we employ a novel bankfull channel width extraction method using Landsat and ZY-3 satellite images, and SRTM DEM data to evaluate the cross-section landscape response to active faulting in the Qianhe Graben of southwest Ordos, China. Although some areas are difficult to access (e.g., thick …

Presence And Characteristics Of Plastics And Microplastics On The Seabed Of The Western English Channel, Faye Read, Andrew Turner

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Little is known about the presence, distribution, origins and characteristics of plastic litter and microplastics on the ocean floor. In this study, plastics trawled from the bed of the western English Channel have been categorised and analysed by a variety of optical and spectroscopic techniques. A total of 90 plastic samples were classified, in descending order of abundance, as food-drink packaging, unknown, homeware, military and fishing. Most samples showed varying degrees of weathering (e.g., discolouration, distortion, cracking, fragmentation) and were visibly fouled by calcareous deposits. The majority of samples were constructed of polymers of negative buoyancy (e.g., polyamides, polyethylene terephthalate …