Digital Commons Network^™

An Adaptive Grid To Improve The Efficiency And Accuracy Of Modelling Underwater Noise From Shipping ,, Le Trigg, F Chen, Gi Shapiro, S Ingram, C Embling

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

Pathophysiology Of Chronic Subdural Haematoma: Inflammation, Angiogenesis And Implications For Pharmacotherapy, Ellie Edlmann, Susan Giorgi-Coll, Peter C. Whitfield, Keri L.H. Carpenter, Peter J. Hutchinson

Peninsula Medical School

No abstract provided.

Channelling Passion For The Ocean Towards Plastic Pollution, Sabine Pahl, Kayleigh J. Wyles, Richard C. Thompson

School of Psychology

Plastic pollution is caused exclusively by humans. It poses growing global threats to the ocean and to society and requires urgent action. Using psychological principles can motivate and implement change by connecting symptoms and sources.

Not All Waits Are Equal: An Exploratory Investigation Of Emergency Care Patient Pathways, Dawn Swancutt, Sian Joel-Edgar, Michael Allen, Daniel Thomas, Heather Brant, Jonathan Benger, Richard Byng, Jonathan Pinkney

Peninsula Medical School

No abstract provided.

Variation In Referral And Access To New Psychological Therapy Services By Age: An Empirical Quantitative Study, Sophie Pettit, Adam Qureshi, William Lee, Alex Stirzaker, Alex Gibson, William Henley, Richard Byng

Peninsula Medical School

Background Older people with common mental health problems (CMHPs) are known to have reduced rates of referral to psychological therapy. AimTo assess referral rates to the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services, contact with a therapist, and clinical outcome by age. Design and setting Empirical research study using patient episodes of care from South West of England IAPT services. Method By analysing 82 513 episodes of care (2010–2011), referral rates and clinical improvement were compared with both total population and estimated prevalence in each age group using IAPT data. Probable recovery of those completing treatment was calculated for each …

High Dependency Care Provision In Obstetric Units Remote From Tertiary Referral Centres And Factors Influencing Care Escalation: A Mixed Methods Study, Alison James

Other Faculty of Health Theses

Background Due to technological and medical advances, increasing numbers of pregnant and post natal women require higher levels of care, including maternity high dependency care (MHDC). Up to 5% of women in the UK will receive MHDC, although there are varying opinions as to the defining features and definition of this care. Furthermore, limited evidence suggests that the size and type of obstetric unit (OU) influences the way MHDC is provided. There is robust evidence indicating that healthcare professionals must be able to recognise when higher levels of care are required and escalate care appropriately. However, there is limited evidence …

The Moderating Effect Of Intergroup Climate On The Prejudice-Reducing Effects Of Intergroup Contact, Jaysan Charlesford

Other Faculty of Health Theses

Drawing upon intergroup contact theory (Allport, 1954; Pettigrew 1998) and the emerging literature on intergroup climate (e.g., Christ et al., 2013, 2014), I utilised various antipathetic intergroup relationships (e.g., Black people vs. White people; non-Muslims vs. Muslims), and various models of contact (e.g., Pettigrew, 1998; Koschate & van Dick, 2011) to test whether the effect of higher quality contact on less prejudice was facilitated by perceptions of a more positive intergroup climate. Results supported Allport’s (1954) classic model of four contact conditions independently predicting prejudice, although the conditions of ‘equal status’, ‘goal interdependence’, and ‘cooperation’ loaded strongly onto a separate …

Sialylation Of Porphyromonas Gingivalis Lps And Its Effect On Bacterial-Host Interactions., Ss Zaric, Mj Lappin, Cr Fulton, Ft Lundy, Wa Coulter, Cr Irwin

Peninsula Dental School

Porphyromonas gingivalis produces different LPS isoforms with significant structural variations of their lipid A and O-antigen moieties that can affect its pro-inflammatory and bone-resorbing potential. We show here, for the first time, that P. gingivalis LPS isolated from W83 strain is highly sialylated and possesses significantly reduced inflammatory potential compared with less sialylated ATCC 33277 strain LPS. Nevertheless, the reduction in the endotoxin activity is not mediated by the presence of sialic acid LPS moieties as the sialic acid-free LPS produced by the mutant W83 strain exhibits a similar inflammatory potential to the wild type strain. Furthermore, our findings suggest …

Communities In Action: Developing A Dental Ambassador Training Programme For Adults With Learning Disability., R. Witton, R. Potterton, W. Smith

Peninsula Dental School

Adults with learning disabilities may be at higher risk of poor oral health. The community outreach programme attached to Plymouth University Peninsula Dental School used established links with local agencies for this group to try out an intervention using service users as dental ambassadors. A programme was developed to meet the needs of the group and training in oral health key messages was provided along with support in presentation skills. Early evaluation shows promise in terms of feasibility, interest and improved self-care. Public health competencies being illustrated: Strategic leadership, communication, teaching and training, and collaborative working for health and oral …

Risk Edecisions: Online Behaviour And Decision Making From The Igeneration To The Silver Surfer, Claire May White

Other Faculty of Health Theses

Since the inception of the Internet there has been immense growth in the number of internet users worldwide, and the integration of social media in our daily lives has become commonplace for many. Yet, alongside the many benefits of this global connectivity come numerous risks. Research shows that individuals of all ages are exposed to, and engage in, risky activities online, despite numerous campaigns to highlight the perils of risky online behaviour. Although the rates of victimisation increase year-on-year, surprisingly little is known about the psychological mechanisms underlying online risk-taking. The work in this thesis aimed to address this gap …

Do Intracoelomic Telemetry Transmitters Alter The Post‐Release Behaviour Of Migratory Fish?, Alexander D.M. Wilson, Todd A. Hayden, Christopher S. Vandergoot, Richard T. Kraus, John M. Dettmers, Steven J. Cooke, Charles C. Krueger

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

AbstractElectronic tags have become a common tool in fish research, enhancing our understanding of how fish interact with their environment and move among different habitats, for estimating mortality and recording internal physiological states. An often‐untested assumption of electronic tagging studies is that tagged fish are representative of untagged conspecifics and thus show ‘normal’ behaviour (e.g. movement rates, swimming activity, feeding). Here, we use a unique data set for potamadromous walleye (Sander vitreus) in Lake Huron and Lake Erie tributaries to assess whether the lack of appropriate controls in electronic tagging could seriously affect behavioural data. We used fish tagged in …

The Effect Of Hospital Biocide Sodium Dichloroisocyanurate On The Viability And Properties Of Clostridium Difficile Spores., L. T. Joshi, A. Welsch, J. Hawkins, L. Baillie

Peninsula Dental School

UNLABELLED: Clostridium difficile is the primary cause of healthcare-associated diarrhoea globally and produces spores which are resistant to commonly used biocides and are able persist on contaminated surfaces for months. This study examined the effect of sublethal concentrations of the biocide sodium dichloroisocyanurate (NaDCC) on the viability of spores produced by 21 clinical isolates of C. difficile representing a range of PCR ribotypes. Spores exposed to 500 ppm NaDCC for 10 min exhibited between a 4-6 log10 reduction in viability which was independent of spore PCR ribotype. The effect of sublethal concentrations of biocide on the surface properties of exosporium …

Characterisation Of Pharmacological Mechanisms And Potential Therapeutic Uses Of Fk866, Niketa Ferguson

Other Faculty of Health Theses

The finding that NAD+ plays a role in a variety of signalling pathways, including gene expression, Ca2+ signalling and DNA repair mechanisms, has sparked interest in the proteins involved in these pathways as potential pharmacological targets for drug development. Recently, FK866, a potent inhibitor of nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (Nampt) an important enzyme in the NAD+ rescue pathway, has been evaluated in clinical trials against cancer. The aim of this study is to further investigate the mechanisms and therapeutic characteristics of FK866 in different cancer cell lines and to determine if decreasing intracellular NAD+ levels can be used as a co-therapy strategy …

Validity Of The Activpal3 Activity Monitor In People Moderately Affected By Multiple Sclerosis, E. H. Coulter, L. Miller, S. Mccorkell, C. Mcguire, K. Algie, J. Freeman, B. Weller, P. G. Mattison, A. Mcconnachie, O. Wu, L. Paul

School of Health Professions

No abstract provided.

Intra-Rater Reliability Of The Multiple Single-Leg Hop-Stabilization Test And Relationships With Age, Leg Dominance And Training., L Sawle, J Freeman, J Marsden

School of Health Professions

BACKGROUND: Balance is a complex construct, affected by multiple components such as strength and co-ordination. However, whilst assessing an athlete's dynamic balance is an important part of clinical examination, there is no gold standard measure. The multiple single-leg hop-stabilization test is a functional test which may offer a method of evaluating the dynamic attributes of balance, but it needs to show adequate intra-tester reliability. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the intra-rater reliability of a dynamic balance test, the multiple single-leg hop-stabilization test on the dominant and non-dominant legs. DESIGN: Intra-rater reliability study. METHODS: Fifteen active participants …

Humeral Elevation Reduces The Dynamic Control Ratio Of The Shoulder Muscles During Internal Rotation, William Howard, Jonathan Burgess, Borut Vrhovnik, Christian Stringer, Sherrie T. Choy, Jonathan F. Marsden, Ingrid A. Gedikoglou, Gary L. Shum

School of Health Professions

No abstract provided.

Mature Women And The Edd: Changing Identity And Family Relationships, Louise Webber, Nick Pratt, John Hilsdon

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

This project investigated the impact of postgraduate study on mature women students and their families. It built on my previous EdD thesis research with Foundation Degree (FD) students regarding HE study for mature women, identity change and family relationships. My previous findings showed women's identity and confidence changed, this then affected family relationships through a change in roles, changes to childcare approaches, changes in attitude and the perspective of woman students which often rubbed off onto husbands (Webber, 2015). Husbands and children were good producers of family capital and provided capital in the forms of social, economic, cultural and emotional …

Computerized Virtual Reality Simulation In Preclinical Dentistry: Can A Computerized Simulator Replace The Conventional Phantom Heads And Human Instruction?, A Plessas

Peninsula Dental School

No abstract provided.

Human Cytomegalovirus Interleukin-10 Enhances Matrigel Invasion Of Mda-Mb-231 Breast Cancer Cells, Cendy Valle Oseguera, Juliet Spencer

Biology Faculty Publications

Background: While some risk factors for breast cancer are well-known, the influence of other factors, particularly virus infection, remains unclear. Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is widespread in the general population, and both molecular and epidemiological evidence has indicated links between HCMV and breast cancer. The HCMV protein cmvIL-10 is a potent suppressor of immune function that has also been shown to promote proliferation and migration of breast cancer cells. In this study, the impact of cmvIL-10 on tumor cell invasion through a simulated basement membrane was investigated.

Results: MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells exhibited invasion through a matrigel layer that was significantly …

Exact Classical And Quantum Dynamics In Background Electromagnetic Fields, Tom Heinzl, Anton Ilderton

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

No abstract provided.

Nonverbal Immediacy As A Characterisation Of Social Behaviour For Human–Robot Interaction, J Kennedy, P Baxter, T Belpaeme

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

An increasing amount of research has started to explore the impact of robot social behaviour on the outcome of a goal for a human interaction partner, such as cognitive learning gains. However, it remains unclear from what principles the social behaviour for such robots should be derived. Human models are often used, but in this paper an alternative approach is proposed. First, the concept of nonverbal immediacy from the communication literature is introduced, with a focus on how it can provide a characterisation of social behaviour, and the subsequent outcomes of such behaviour. A literature review is conducted to explore …

Developing And Evaluating ‘Plymtour’ A New Mobile Online Educational Resource For Students On Plymouth’S People And Places, Mark Holton, Nichola Harmer, Rebecca Vickerstaff

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The aim of the project was to develop and evaluate a new mobile digital resource for place-based learning in Geography and wider disciplines. The objectives were: • To work with ASTI to develop ‘PlymTour’, a digital walking tour of central Plymouth accessed through the Mobile with Plymouth University (MwPU) app and hosting multi-media resources on a dedicated Plymouth University Digital Learning Environment (DLE) page. • To research how Geography students engage with PlymTour in order to evaluate its use as a pedagogic tool for deepening knowledge of the socio-economic geographies of Plymouth and supporting learning in existing modules. • To …

Depletion Of Intense Fields, D. Seipt, T. Heinzl, M. Marklund, S. S. Bulanov

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

No abstract provided.

Human-Robot Sensor Interface For Cardiac Rehabilitation, Js Lara, J Casas, A Aguirre, M Munera, M Rincon-Roncancio, B Irfan, E Senft, T Belpaeme, Ca Cifuentes

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

No abstract provided.

A Methodology Pruning The Search Space Of Six Compiler Transformations By Addressing Them Together As One Problem And By Exploiting The Hardware Architecture Details, Vasilios Kelefouras

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

No abstract provided.

Realising The Full Potential Of Primary Care: Uniting The ‘Two Faces’ Of Generalism, Joanne Reeve, Richard Byng

Peninsula Medical School

Faced with an unprecedented mismatch between presented health needs and resources available, we must rethink both how we deliver healthcare and what care we deliver. Work has already started on the ‘how’: notably with efforts to strengthen access and integration — improved coordination of the comprehensive care needed to meet a diverse range of needs.2 It is defining ‘what’ to deliver that is proving more challenging. To address emerging problems of over- and under-treatment associated with the undue specialisation of healthcare,3 we need to strengthen delivery of generalist medical care.4 This means that we need to bolster the capacity to …

Outcomes Of Specialist Discharge Coordination And Intermediate Care Schemes For Patients Who Are Homeless: Analysis Protocol For A Population-Based Historical Cohort, Ruth M. Blackburn, Andrew Hayward, Michelle Cornes, Martin Mckee, Dan Lewer, Martin Whiteford, Dee Menezes, Serena Luchenski, Alistair Story, Spiros Denaxas, Michela Tinelli, Fatima B. Wurie, Richard Byng, Michael C. Clark, James Fuller, Mark Gabbay, Nigel Hewett, Alan Kilmister, Jill Manthorpe, Joanne Neale, Robert W. Aldridge

Peninsula Medical School

IntroductionPeople who are homeless often experience poor hospital discharge arrangements, reflecting ongoing care and housing needs. Specialist integrated homeless health and care provision (SIHHC) schemes have been developed and implemented to facilitate the safe and timely discharge of homeless patients from hospital. Our study aims to investigate the health outcomes of patients who were homeless and seen by a selection of SIHHC services.Methods and analysisOur study will employ a historical population-based cohort in England. We will examine health outcomes among three groups of adults: (1) homeless patients seen by specialist discharge schemes during their hospital admission; (2) homeless patients not …

Fluvial Archives Of Nw African Climate And Tectonic Evolution, Atlas Mountains, Central Morocco, Jr Zondervan, M Stokes, Ae Mather, Sj Boulton

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The Atlas mountains in Morocco are a natural laboratory at the junction between the Atlantic Ocean (passive margin), the Mediterranean (subduction) and the African Craton. Here, interactions between the mantle and lithosphere, crustal compression and uplift have been recorded in river terraces, alluvial fans, drainage patterns, river long profiles, and in wedge-top & foreland sediments. Limited work on terraces in one of the catchments crossing the south Atlas thrust front has shown rates of incision are low and have been sustained since the Pleistocene. Dating of terraces using Optically Stimulated Luminescence, together with field sedimentology, links the formation of terraces …

Computerised Cognitive–Behavioural Therapy For Depression In Adolescents: Feasibility Results And 4-Month Outcomes Of A Uk Randomised Controlled Trial, Barry Wright, Lucy Tindall, Elizabeth Littlewood, Victoria Allgar, Paul Abeles, Dominic Trépel, Shehzad Ali

Peninsula Medical School

ObjectivesComputer-administered cognitive–behavioural therapy (CCBT) may be a promising treatment for adolescents with depression, particularly due to its increased availability and accessibility. The feasibility of delivering a randomised controlled trial (RCT) comparing a CCBT program (Stressbusters) with an attention control (self-help websites) for adolescent depression was evaluated.DesignSingle centre RCT feasibility study.SettingThe trial was run within community and clinical settings in York, UK.ParticipantsAdolescents (aged 12–18) with low mood/depression were assessed for eligibility, 91 of whom met the inclusion criteria and were consented and randomised to Stressbusters (n=45) or websites (n=46) using remote computerised single allocation. Those with comorbid physical illness were included …

Storm Overwash Of A Gravel Barrier: Field Measurements And Xbeach-G Modelling, Luis Pedro Almeida, Gerd Masselink, Robert Mccall, Paul Russell

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.