Digital Commons Network^™

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 …

Modulation Of Macrophage And Epithelial Cell Immune Defences By Probiotic Bacteria: Immune Stimulation Versus Suppression, Luma S.Abdulqader Al-Abdulwahid

Other Faculty of Health Theses

Abstract Probiotic bacteria are live organisms, if consumed in adequate amounts might confer health benefits. These bacteria, such as Lactic acid bacteria (LAB), include a number of strains that have specific health promoting activi-ties, attributed to their immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties. Gut mucosal macrophage subsets play a fundamental role in driving muco-sal immune responses. These include, tolerance, associated with an M2-, regulatory macrophage phenotype and inflammatory activation with an M1-like phenotype. The cross-link between mucosal tolerance and inflammatory cytokine suppression, and augmentation of IL-10 production in the gut relate to endotoxin tolerance. Endotoxin tolerance is a context; it could present …

Collaboration Practices In Intellectual (Learning) Disability Services’ Multidisciplinary Teams, Madeleine Tremblett

Other Faculty of Health Theses

This thesis takes an approach that combines discursive psychology, conversation analysis and ethnography to explore how collaboration works in practice. Clinical guidance refers to collaboration as the chosen form of teamwork for multidisciplinary teams (MDT). Professionals in intellectual (learning) disability (I(L)D) services are advised by NHS England to collaborate in MDTs to address the multiple and complex needs of clients. However, clinical guidance for healthcare professionals uses the term collaboration without explaining what collaboration might look like. Previous research on collaboration focuses on the barriers and facilitators to collaboration, again treating collaboration as a concept that does not need explanation …

Birth Trauma: A Mixed-Methods Investigation, Grace Baptie

Other Faculty of Health Theses

Approximately one-third of women appraise their childbirth experience as traumatic and many women experience symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result. Whilst earlier work concentrated on prevalence and risk factors of clinically significant trauma, recent research focuses on the large group of women who experience childbirth as traumatic but do not necessarily meet the threshold for PTSD. This thesis comprises a mixed-methods design to investigate predisposing factors associated with presentation of postnatal posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms and the appraisal of childbirth as a traumatic experience. Specifically, this thesis aims to address the following questions: What perinatal risk factors …

High Throughput Sequencing Technologies In Blood Group Genotyping And Applications In Transfusion Medicine: Establishment Of Rh Genes Reference Allele Sequences, Wajnat Ali Tounsi

Other Faculty of Health Theses

The Rh blood group system (ISBT004) is the second most important blood group after ABO and the most polymorphic one, with 55 antigens encoded by two genes, RHD and RHCE. The two genes are homologous and located on chromosome 1 with 10 coding exons. This research uses next generation sequencing (NGS) on Ion Torrent Personal Genome Machine™ (Ion PGM™) to sequence the Rh genes (RHD, RHCE, RHAG) using overlapping Long Range-PCR (LR-PCR) amplicons. The aim was to study different RHD and RHCE alleles present in the population to establish reference RHD and RHCE allele sequences by utilising the analysis of …

Developing And Embedding A Feasible Digital Health Champion Scheme Into The Nursing Curriculum: A Collaborative Action Research Approach, Toni Page

Other Faculty of Health Theses

Technology can help meet the health needs of service users and carers. However, both local communities and our future workforce require support in becoming aware of and in using such technologies. Universities must do more to prepare our future nurses but these students can also support local communities in the transition to this digital future. This PhD aimed to develop and embed a feasible model offering nursing students the opportunity to support their local community in health technology, while listening to and learning from people’s experiences of healthcare. This study comprised three collaborative action research cycles with multiple stakeholders using …

The Effects Of Mindfulness Meditation On Attention Regulation, Paul Sharpe

Other Faculty of Health Theses

The research in this thesis tested the claim that mindfulness meditation regulates attention. Attention regulation was operationalised as an improvement on alerting, orienting or executive attention measured using the Attention Network Test (ANT), or a reduction in the attentional blink (AB) effect, measured using a Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP) task. Chapter 1 reviews the relevant literature. Chapters 2 and 3 report five experiments which tested the effects of Focused Attention Meditation (FAM) on the ANT. In Chapter 2, no effects of brief FAM were found on the ANT in novices (Experiment 1), or long-term meditators (Experiments 2 and 3). …

Dll4 And Jag1 In The Glioblastoma Response To Temozolomide Chemotherapy, Carly Bunston

Other Faculty of Health Theses

Introduction: Glioblastoma multiforme is the most common aggressive primary malignant brain tumour in adults. The current gold standard treatment comprises of surgery followed by radiotherapy and adjuvant temozolomide (TMZ) chemotherapy. Prognosis is poor, with a median survival of 14.6 months following diagnosis. Treatment often fails due to intrinsic or acquired TMZ resistance of a small population of cells termed glioma cancer stem cells (GCSCs). A promising target for glioblastoma therapy is the Notch signalling pathway, which can be suppressed using gamma-secretase inhibitors such as dibenzazepine (DBZ). We investigated the effects of the Notch ligands, Delta-like 4 (DLL4) and Jagged-1 (JAG1) …

Social And Commercial Enterprise Interactions: Insights From Uk Business Incubators, Eleanor Browne

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

With numbers of social enterprises in the UK continuing to grow and innovate, this research responds to the scarcity of information surrounding social and commercial enterprises co-located in business incubators, and asks: how and why do social and commercial enterprises interact in a business incubator? The research provides qualitative insights for a rich understanding of the network dynamics, subtle interactions and influences that occur amongst peer groups of mixed social and commercial enterprises during business incubation. Drawing on social capital theory, the study utilises multiple methods through a practice-led, qualitative methodology. Employing novel observation techniques in business incubation and semi-structured …

Prosthetic Realities, Prosthetic Futures: Challenging The Status Quo Of External Breast Prosthesis Design, Rosie Brave

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

This practice-based research identifies the need and opportunity to update the design approach used in the production of external breast prostheses (EBP) for women post mastectomy. Spurred by accounts of some women’s negative experiences with their EBP, this research took influence from colour psychology, emotional design and consumer psychology to explore the potential to create a satisfying and transformative product and user-experience. Drawing on grounded theory, design ethnography and human-centred design practices, an iterative, empathic and participant-centred design process and methodology emerged. Insights from interviews, cultural probes, co-design activities and solo practice were combined to inform the making of speculative …

How Progressive Was The Representation Of Physical Disability Within Mainstream Film In The 1990s, Given The Increased Awareness About Disability During The Decade?, Connor David Ruse

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

This dissertation will explore the representation of physical disability in mainstream films in the 1990s, determining that this onscreen representation was only slightly progressive in nature. It is based on a qualitative analysis of sixteen characters with disabilities in fifteen mainstream films released between 1987 and 1999. The observations from this analysis were compiled into a database examining: the type of impairment a character had, the character’s screen time, the disability terminology used within the film and common tropes used to tell the character’s narrative within the film. Using the database and supportive sources, like interviews with the films’ casts …

The Role Of Autophagy In Protecting Periodontium Integrity, And Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Osteoclast Differentiation, Portia Grayson

Other Faculty of Health Theses

The periodontium is a dynamic tissue that undergoes constant remodeling to maintain its structure and function. There is much evidence in the literature that autophagy can be activated by both mechanical stretching and inflammation, however the mechanisms involved are highly context dependent. Autophagy may also be important for bone remodeling in the oral cavity. Two scenarios where bone remodeling is key to the physiological outcome are orthodontic tooth movement and inflammatory-induced periodontal disease. This thesis aims to investigate the hypothesis that autophagy is involved in bone remodeling during orthodontic tooth movement and periodontal disease. While the stem cells concerned in …

Regulation Of The Expression And Lysine Acetylation Of Pro-Inflammatory Molecules By Lipid-Modifying Enzyme (Lpcat2) In Raw264.7 Cells, Victory Ibigo Poloamina

Other Faculty of Health Theses

Lysophosphatidylcholine Acyltransferases (LPCATs) are Lipid modifying enzymes that significantly regulate changes in the glycerophospholipid components of the macrophage membrane phospholipid bilayer. LPCAT2 is a subtype of LPCAT that regulates inflammatory responses to infection by lipopolysaccharides and lipopeptides. LPCAT2 co-localises with TLR4 and prevents its translocation to the signalling site (lipid rafts) of macrophage membranes. The first response to inflammation involves infiltration of macrophages to the infected site, where they fight infection by phagocytosing the microbial pathogen. Changes in the macrophage membrane phospholipid bilayer are essential for phagocytosis and receptor signalling. Regulation of protein acylation is also an integral mechanism for …

The Psychology Of Anxiety & Pain In Fibromyalgia, Anna Kharko

Other Faculty of Health Theses

Understanding pain is integral to understanding fibromyalgia, a chronic musculoskeletal pain condition of undetermined aetiology, and for which no single successful medical therapy exists. Most of what is known about fibromyalgia pain comes from psychophysical research of central sensitisation, a phenomenon of abnormally amplified pain following disruptions in the central nervous system. Anxiety has been long theorised to mediate this centralised pain, but its contribution is yet to be characterised. This thesis presents a multimodal investigation of pain perception under different manifestations of anxiety in both fibromyalgia-diagnosed and pain-free cohorts. Chapter 3 presented the findings from the first study in …

Because You’Re Worth The Risks: Acts Of Oppositional Courage As Symbolic Messages Of Relational Value To Transgender Employees, Christian Thoroughgood, Katina Sawyer, Jennica R. Webster

Management Faculty Research and Publications

Achieving greater social equity in organizations often depends on majority members taking risks to challenge the status quo on behalf of their colleagues with stigmatized identities. But, how do employees enact courageous behavior in this regard, and what are the social implications of these courageous acts on stigmatized group members who witness them at work? To begin examining these questions, we conducted 4 studies using qualitative and quantitative data collected from 428 transgender employees. Drawing on the core principles of sociometer theory, we argue that these acts of oppositional courage serve an important symbolic function in the eyes of transgender …

Creating Utopia: Memories And Learning To Live Well, Caroline Mikhail

Plymouth Institute of Education Theses

The focus of this research was how we might learn to live well. The research was conducted in collaboration with people living in an eco-community. The overarching questions framing this work are- What is their interpretation of living well and how is it realised in the day-to-day actions and dynamics of the community? How and what is learnt in these day-to-day situations? How did the collaborators (and researcher) learn to be who they are and how relevant is one’s subjectivity for living well? The methods used to answer these questions were immersion, observation, journal, and interviews. The researcher spent time …

Hospital Librarianship: What’S The New Normal?, Seema Bhakta

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

No abstract provided.

Healthier Oregon Qualitative Study, Core (Center For Outcomes Research & Education)

Reports

No abstract provided.

Maternal Social Support, Depression And Emotional Availability In Early Mother-Infant Interaction: Findings From A Pregnancy Cohort, Kelli K. Macmillan, Andrew J. Lewis, Stuart J. Watson, Declan Bourke, Megan Galbally

Nursing Papers and Journal Articles

Background: Social support theory suggests that parental social support may influence the nature of early parenting behaviours and specifically the mother-infant relationship. This study examines whether support from a partner, friends or family is associated with differences in quality of mother-infant interactions in the context of maternal depression.

Methods: 210 women were followed from early pregnancy to six months postpartum within Australian pregnancy cohort, the Mercy Pregnancy and Emotional Wellbeing Study (MPEWS). Mother-infant interactions within a standardised observation at six months postpartum were measured by the Emotional Availability (EA) Scales using total scores of the parental scales. In early and …

Infant Removal From Birth Parents - How Does Health Information Impact Court Decisions? A Scoping Review, Rachel Gregory-Wilson, Liesel Spencer, Elizabeth Handsley, Toby Raeburn

Nursing Papers and Journal Articles

Problem: Courts make complex decisions daily regarding removal of infants from birth parents and placement in out-of-home care. Nurses and other health professionals often take part in such processes, either as court informants, witnesses, or via their role delivering healthcare to infants and/or birth parents involved. To date there has been very little research exploring how health information impacts upon decision-making about infant removal.

Aim: To explore how health information impacts court decisions about removing infants from birth parents.

Methods: Using Arksey and O’Malley’s five-stage method for scoping reviews as a guide, eight electronic databases were searched to identify relevant …

Impact Of Covid-19 On Consumer Purchasing Activity In Georgia By County, Mekhia Freeman, Erykah Hoskins, Brett Kohler, Rylee Waldrep, Ben Cosby, Jean Vintilescu

Georgia Municipal Association Practicum (2013-2022)

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Covid-19 On Consumer Purchasing Activity By State, Pamela Goodman, Corbin Dantes-Perry, Chad Burch

Georgia Municipal Association Practicum (2013-2022)

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Spinal Anatomy Segmentation Methods Using Synthetic Computed Tomography Volumes, Austin Tapp, Michel Audette

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Severe adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is corrected by surgical procedures that necessitate ligament releases. To determine appropriate release allotments, soft tissues must be localized on a patient-specific basis, However, routine computer tomography (CT) imaging precludes traditional, voxel-based soft tissue localization. Fortunately, recent studies have proposed top-down segmentation methods, which elucidate soft tissues using pre-operative CT volumes. While the accuracy of vertebral segmentations obtained from these methods has not been determined, the accuracy of soft tissue segmentations has not. To ensure the soft tissue segmentation methods are clinically applicable, soft tissue validation must occur. This study presents an evaluation measure for …

An Examination Of Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms And Aggression Among Children With A History Of Adverse Childhood Experiences, Elizabeth M. Mcrae, Laura Stoppelbein, Sarah E. O'Kelley, Paula Fite, Shana B. Smith

Research, Publications & Creative Work

Childhood aggression is associated with many deleterious outcomes and is a common reason for psychiatric referral (Card and Little 2006; Gurnani, Ivanov, and Newcorn 2016). One factor associated with childhood aggression is Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs; Felitti et al. 1998). However, existing research remains equivocal on which characteristics of ACEs (e.g., cumulative impact, typology, etc.) are significantly elated to aggression, especially when considering differential effects of ACEs on proactive aggression (PA) and reactive aggression (RA; Dodge and Coie, 1987). Post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) are a common negative sequalae of ACEs and are characterized by disruptions in several cognitive, emotional, and …

Health Reform Reconstruction, Lindsay F. Wiley, Elizabeth Y. Mccuskey, Matthew B. Lawrence, Erin C. Fuse Brown

Faculty Articles

This Article connects the failed, inequitable U.S. coronavirus pandemic response to conceptual and structural constraints that have held back U.S health reform for decades and calls for reconstruction. For more than a half-century, a cramped “iron triangle” ethos has constrained health reform conceptually. Reforms aimed to balance individual interests in cost, quality, and access to health care, while marginalizing equity, solidarity, and public health. In the iron triangle era, reforms unquestioningly accommodated four legally and logistically entrenched fixtures — individualism, fiscal fragmentation, privatization, and federalism — that distort and diffuse any reach toward social justice. The profound racial disparities and …

Examining Organizational Factors And Their Impact On Older Adults In Life Plan Communities, Ajla Basic

Master's Theses

Aging in America continues to reveal multi-faceted concerns for both the industry and retirees; insufficient retirement savings, loneliness, and a high influx of older adults entering the retirement scene. It is expected that by 2030, 18% of the nation's population, the baby boomers, will have turned 65 (Cohn & Taylor, 2010). This demographic reality has led to increased research seeking answers to questions which emerge about the retirement age population. The Age Well Study is a longitudinal study looking at the impact of residing in a Life Plan Community. The data is collected through self-report measures by residents in the …

Plasmodium Tlap-2 Is A Microtubule-Associated Protein With Microtubule Stabilization Properties, Grifin Berge

Master's Theses

Microtubules facilitate major cellular and morphological changes in eukaryotic cells, including the protozoan parasite Plasmodium. Microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs), only very few of which have been characterized in the malaria parasite, regulate the highly dynamic microtubules. Thioredoxin-like associated protein 2 (TLAP2) is a MAP unique to the phylum apicomplexa, which in addition to Plasmodium includes the important human pathogen Toxoplasma. Here we report on the cloning and microtubule-binding activity of TLAP2 of the rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium berghei (PbTLAP2). PbTLAP2 is coded by a single exon gene and consists of 598 amino acids. The protein contains a putative C-terminal microtubule-binding domain. …

Why Is Race A Risk Factor For Infants Born With Birth Defects?: Deconstructing The Biological Basis Of Race In Maternal-Fetal Medicine Through The Lens Of Reproductive Justice, Amrita Bhagia

Master's Theses

Several studies have shown that marginalized populations, especially those of non-white race/ethnicity, have an increased risk of having infants born with severe birth defects. Existing hypotheses from the scientific literature on the topic of birth defects have primarily suggested that these trends may be the result of differential genetic susceptibilities within certain racial groups, a theory that reifies the (currently disproven) biological basis of race. Through this thesis, I argue that the myth of the biological basis of race continues to exist within maternal-fetal medicine today, where it is used to further the narrative that the bodies of women of …

Chga-Depleted Urothelial Amp And Immune Response During Urinary Tract Infection, Theadora Jane Ceccarelli

Master's Theses

Women are 8 times more likely than men to experience a urinary tract infection (UTI) with up to 60% of women reporting a UTI in their lifetime. This significant healthcare burden is caused by the infection of uropathogenic Escherichia coli in the urinary tract. At this time, treatment is limited to antibiotic therapy, which is challenged by antibiotic-resistance. These factors make UTIs an NIH priority and are motivation for our research.CgA is a protein of the granin family co-released with catecholamines from neuroendocrine cells throughout the body. Pro-hormone convertases post-translationally cleave CgA into peptides, like catestatin, which can have antimicrobial …

The Identification Of Lxr-Dependent Pathways In The Dorsal Root Ganglia In Models Of Obesity, Nadia Elshareif

Master's Theses

Peripheral Neuropathy is characterized as injury to the peripheral nervous system. In terms of sensory neuropathy, metabolic syndrome is involved in chronic inflammation and ER stress pathways induced by lipid overload, leading to the structural and physiological damage of afferent sensory nerves. To protect the cell from lipid-induced ER stress, Liver X Receptors (LXRs) are sterol-activated nuclear transcription factors that are of particular interest due to its role in the regulation of lipid homeostasis, membrane phospholipids, and inflammation in metabolic tissues. Their role in the peripheral nervous system remains to be elucidated. LPCAT3, regulated by LXRs, has been shown to …