The Remote Assessment Of Parkinsonism Supporting The Ongoing Development Of Interventions In Gaucher Disease, Abigail Louise Higgins, Marco Toffoli, Stephen Mullin, Chiao Yin Lee, Sofia Koletsi, Micol Avenali, Fabio Blandini, Anthony H.V. Schapira

Peninsula Medical School

Mutations in GBA which are causative of Gaucher disease in their biallelic form, are the most common genetic risk factor for Parkinson's disease (PD). The diagnosis of PD relies upon clinically defined motor features which appear after irreversible neurodegeneration. Prodromal symptoms of PD may provide a means to predict latent pathology, years before the onset of motor features. Previous work has reported prodromal features of PD in GBA mutation carriers, however this has been insufficiently sensitive to identify those that will develop PD. The Remote Assessment of Parkinsonism Supporting Ongoing Development of Interventions in Gaucher Disease (RAPSODI GD) study assesses …

Investigating Smoking And Nicotine Dependence Among People With Severe Mental Illness During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Analysis Of Linked Data From A Uk Closing The Gap Cohort, Emily Peckham, Victoria Allgar, Suzanne Crosland, Paul Heron, Gordon Johnston, Elizabeth Newbronner, Elena Ratschen, Panagiotis Spanakis, Ruth Wadman, Lauren Walker, Simon Gilbody

Peninsula Medical School

Summary Smoking rates are higher for people who use mental health services, which contributes substantially to health inequalities. Smoking can lead to worse COVID-19 outcomes, yet it remains unclear whether smoking has changed for people who use mental health services. We examined smoking patterns in a large clinical cohort of people with severe mental illness, before and during the pandemic. We found high levels of nicotine dependence and heavier patterns of smoking. Although some people had reported quitting, it is likely that smoking inequalities have become further entrenched. Mental health services should seek to mitigate this modifiable risk and source …

Assessing Sociology And Psychology In Uk Undergraduate Medical Education: Square Peg In A Round Hole?, J Harden, T Collett, S Forrest, K Kendall

Peninsula Medical School

No abstract provided.

What Impact Does Teaching In Outreach Activities Have On Medical Students Own Teaching Skills? A Pilot Study, Louise Alldridge, Enam Haque, Andy Kardaz

Peninsula Medical School

No abstract provided.

Eslicarbazepine Acetate Response In Intellectual Disability Population Versus General Population, Jon Allard, Charlotte Lawthom, William Henley, Brendan Mclean, Sharon Hudson, Phil Tittensor, Sanjeev Rajakulendran, Shan Ellawela, Adrian Pace, Rohit Shankar

Peninsula Medical School

Background: A quarter of people with intellectual disability (ID) have epilepsy, compared to approximately one in a hundred across the general population. Evidence for the safe and effective prescribing of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) for those with ID is, however, limited. Aims of Study: This study seeks to strengthen the research evidence around Eslicarbazepine Acetate (ESL), a new AED, by comparing response of individuals with ID to those from the general population who do not have ID. Methods: A single data set was created through retrospective data collection from English and Welsh NHS Trusts. The UK-based Epilepsy Database Research Register (Ep-ID) …

How Does A Country’S Developmental Status Affect Ambient Air Quality With Respect To Particulate Matter?, R. Johnson, J. Rieuwerts, S. D.W. Comber

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

No abstract provided.

Amazon Tree Dominance Across Forest Strata, Frederick C. Draper, Flavia R.C. Costa, Gabriel Arellano, Oliver L. Phillips, Alvaro Duque, Manuel J. Macía, Steege H Ter, Gregory P. Asner, Erika Berenguer, Juliana Schietti, Jacob B. Socolar, Souza Fc De, Kyle G. Dexter, Peter M. Jørgensen, J. Sebastian Tello, William E. Magnusson, Timothy R. Baker, Carolina V. Castilho, Abel Monteagudo-Mendoza, Paul V.A. Fine, Kalle Ruokolainen, Euridice N.Honorio Coronado, Gerardo Aymard, Nállarett Dávila, Mauricio Sánchez Sáenz, Marcos A.Rios Paredes, Julien Engel, Claire Fortunel, C. E.Timothy Paine, Jean Yves Goret, Aurelie Dourdain, Pascal Petronelli, Elodie Allie, Juan E.Guevara Andino, Roel J.W. Brienen, Leslie Cayola Pérez, Ângelo G. Manzatto, Narel Y.Paniagua Zambrana, Jean François Molino, Daniel Sabatier, Jerôme Chave, Sophie Fauset, Roosevelt Garcia Villacorta, Maxime Réjou-Méchain, Paul E. Berry, Karina Melgaço, Ted R. Feldpausch, Elvis Valderamma Sandoval, Rodolfo Vasquez Martinez, Italo Mesones, André B. Junqueira, Katherine H. Roucoux, Toledo Jj De, Ana C. Andrade, José Luís Camargo, Aguila Pasquel J Del, Flávia D. Santana, Wf Laurance, Sg Laurance, Thomas E. Lovejoy, James A. Comiskey, David R. Galbraith, Michelle Kalamandeen, Gilberto E.Navarro Aguilar, Jim Vega Arenas, Carlos A.Amasifuen Guerra, Manuel Flores, Gerardo Flores Llampazo, Luis A.Torres Montenegro, Ricardo Zarate Gomez, Marcelo P. Pansonato, Victor Chama Moscoso, Jason Vleminckx, Oscar J.Valverde Barrantes, Joost F. Duivenvoorden, Sousa Sa De, Luzmila Arroyo, Ricardo O. Perdiz, Jessica Soares Cravo, Beatriz S. Marimon, N/A Junio

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The forests of Amazonia are among the most biodiverse plant communities on Earth. Given the immediate threats posed by climate and land-use change, an improved understanding of how this extraordinary biodiversity is spatially organized is urgently required to develop effective conservation strategies. Most Amazonian tree species are extremely rare but a few are common across the region. Indeed, just 227 ‘hyperdominant’ species account for >50% of all individuals >10 cm diameter at 1.3 m in height. Yet, the degree to which the phenomenon of hyperdominance is sensitive to tree size, the extent to which the composition of dominant species changes …

Using Dartmoor Ponies In Conservation Grazing To Reduce Molinia Caerulea Dominance And Encourage Germination Of Calluna Vulgaris In Heathland Vegetation On Dartmoor, Uk, Paul H. Lunt, Jakob L. Leigh, Samantha A. Mcneil, Malcolm J. Gibb

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The increasing dominance of purple moor-grass Molinia caerulea in heathland ecosystems in the UK is of growing concern due to its detrimental impact on plant and animal diversity on sites of nature conservation interest. The use of free-ranging ponies to reduce Molinia dominance was investigated from 2017 to 2019 within a 425 ha site on Dartmoor, UK. Salt blocks were used to attract the ponies to a Molinia-dominated area of heath within the site, away from their previously-preferred grazing areas. The impact of pony grazing was assessed by measurements of vegetation structure and plant species composition. The increased presence of …

Secondary Analysis Of Loot Box Data: Are High-Spending “Whales” Wealthy Gamers Or Problem Gamblers?, James Close, Stuart Gordon Spicer, Laura Louise Nicklin, Maria Uther, Joanne Lloyd, H Lloyd

Peninsula Medical School

IntroductionLoot boxes are purchasable randomised reward mechanisms in video games. Due to structural and psychological similarities with gambling, there are fears that loot box purchasing may be associated with problematic gambling. Whilst monthly expenditure is typically modest (i.e. < $20), the distribution is highly skewed, with a small number of high-level spenders, sometimes referred to as “whales”. It is not known what proportion of industry profits are derived from such players, and whether they are typically wealthy individuals and/or problem gamblers.MethodsWe used structured literature searches to identify surveys of gamers with open-access loot box data. The resulting datasets were aggregated, and correlations between loot box expenditure, problem gambling and earnings investigated using Spearman’s rho correlations.ResultsThe combined open-access data comprised 7,767 loot box purchasers (5,933 with self-report earnings). Secondary analysis of this self-report data confirmed that disproportionate revenue appears to be generated from high-level spenders: the top 5% of spenders (> $100/month) represent half of loot box revenue. Previously reported correlations between problem gambling and loot box expenditure were confirmed, with an aggregate correlation of ρ = 0.34, p < .001. In contrast, there was no significant correlation between loot box spend and earnings ρ = 0.02, p = .10.ConclusionOur secondary analysis suggests that games developers (unwittingly or not) are disproportionately profiting from moderate and high-risk gamblers, rather than high earning customers. Such patterns of spending mirror those observed with gambling revenues, and have implications for harm minimisation and ongoing policy debates around loot boxes.

Study Protocol On Defining Core Outcomes And Data Elements In Chronic Subdural Haematoma, Dana C. Holl, Aswin Chari, Christian Iorio-Morin, Ruben Dammers, Der Gaag Na Van, Angelos G. Kolias, Peter J. Hutchinson, Ellie Edlmann

Peninsula Medical School

Abstract BACKGROUND Core Outcome Sets (COSs) are necessary to standardize reporting in research studies. This is urgently required in the field of chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH), one of the most common disease entities managed in neurosurgery and the topic of several recent trials. To complement the development of a COS, a standardized definition and baseline Data Elements (DEs) to be collected in CSDH patients, would further improve study quality and comparability in this heterogeneous population. OBJECTIVE To, first, define a standardized COS for reporting in all future CSDH studies; and, second, to identify a unified CSDH Definition and set of …

Five Steps For Astronomers To Communicate Climate Change Effectively, Alison Anderson, Gina Maffey

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

No abstract provided.

Covid-19, Leadership And Gender Equality: Preparing For The Challenges Ahead, Ian Mills, Patricia Neville

Peninsula Dental School

No abstract provided.

The Dental Therapist's Role In A 'Shared Care' Approach To Optimise Clinical Outcomes, Z Sadura, S Hanks, C Tredwin, E Mccoll

Peninsula Dental School

Introduction: Dental therapists have a key role to play in the provision of dentistry in the UK. The Dental Workforce Advisory Group has reported this is relevant in multiple areas, including prevention and care in young children, and to support dentists in providing advanced and routine treatment for complex adult patients within the wider collaborative dental team. There remain diverse and multiple barriers and challenges to utilising the optimal scope of the dental therapist in general practice. In 2013, the General Dental Council introduced direct access (DA) legislation in the UK. By utilising the potential of dental therapists, some of …

Effect Of Servant Leadership On Job Satisfaction In Nigerian Mortgage Banks, Adedayo Aderemi Olatunbode

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractSeveral researchers examined the relationship between servant leadership and job satisfaction in organizations and reported a significant positive correlation between the two variables. However, the generalizability of these results was limited because 97% of the studies were conducted in the West and China, and none were conducted in Nigeria or in mortgage banks. The purpose of this nonexperimental, quantitative, correlational study was to examine the relationship between servant leadership and job satisfaction in a high-power distance culture, specifically in the mortgage bank industry in Nigeria. The theoretical frameworks were the leader-member exchange theory and motivation-hygiene theory. The research questions addressed …

The History Of Congressional Apportionment, Charles M. Biles

Trade & Scholarly Monographs

NEW REVISED SECOND EDITION.

The Congressional apportionment problem is deceptively easy to state: How many seats in the U. S. House of Representatives does each state get? To answer that question, Charles Biles, award-winning Professor Emeritus of Mathematics at Humboldt State University, examines the math and politics that has shaped government and power from the founding of the country to the modern day.

Employing an interdisciplinary approach that stems from his research in mathematical modeling and the modeling of natural resource systems, Biles tells a flowing evolutionary tale of how slight changes in calculating apportionment has wrought massive shifts in …

Humboldt Bay Shoreline, North Eureka To South Arcata: A History Of Cultural Influences, Jerry Rohde

Trade & Scholarly Monographs

In 1850 the area east of Arcata Bay was a tapestry of wetlands and sloughs, fringed by conifer-clad hillsides. Canoe channels and trails connected a string of Wiyot villages that nearly encircled the bay.

Then white settlers arrived, establishing towns at Eureka and Union (Arcata). With them came profound changes in the landscape. Rock quarries. Log drives. “Reclaimed” ranchland. An airport. Four and a half railroads. In 170 years the area was transformed into a web of structures and infrastructures that connected what became the two largest cities in Humboldt County.

Recently a new period of change has begun, promising …

Interoperability Of Contact And Contactless Fingerprints Across Multiple Fingerprint Sensors, Brady M. Williams

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Contactless fingerprinting devices have grown in popularity in recent years due to speed and convenience of capture. Also, due to the global COID-19 pandemic, the need for safe and hygienic options for fingerprint capture are more pressing than ever. However, contactless systems face challenges in the areas of interoperability and matching performance as shown in other works. In this paper, we present a contactless vs. contact interoperability assessment of several contactless devices, including cellphone fingerphoto capture. During the interoperability assessment, the quality of the fingerprints was considered using the NBIS NFIQ software with the contact-based fingerprint performing the best overall …

Improving Microbial Safety Of Food Products By Thermal And Non-Thermal Technology And Evaluate The Knowledge Of Antibiotic Resistant Issue Among Local Produce Growers, Wentao Jiang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Microbial contamination of food products is one of the main transmission routes of disease in the world today, which is responsible for about two-thirds of all food-borne disease outbreaks although the hygiene process was improved recently. Improving microbial safety and implementing a good food management system are important elements to reduce microbial contamination and improve food safety and security. To improve microbial safety, I conducted inactivation studies on food pathogens and further explored antibiotic resistant risks. Initial research evaluated the efficacy of commercial antimicrobials distribution by comparing electrostatic sprayer with conventional sanitization process. The antibiotics applied by electrostatic spraying achieved …

A Qualitative Study Of College Athletes’ Experiences Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Carra Johnson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic took a toll on collegiate athletics, as all in-person sport activity was shut down temporarily, and competition schedules were heavily altered. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to develop an understanding of how Division I collegiate athletes experienced the pause in college sports that resulted from the COVID-19 crisis, during the first seven to nine months of the pandemic (depending on the time of interview). Between October and December 2020, eleven participants (six females, five males) engaged in individual, semi-structured interviews in which they were asked to describe how the COVID-19 pandemic affected their …

Nuclear Aurora-A Kinase-Induced Hypoxia Signaling Drives Dissemination And Metastasis In Breast Cancer., Kristina Marinak Whately

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Metastatic breast cancer causes the vast majority of cancer-associated deaths, especially in triple negative breast cancers (TNBC). TNBC is still poorly understood and has no effective treatment. Here we reveal that presence of Aurora-A Kinase (AURKA) in the nucleus and metastatic dissemination are molecularly connected through HIF1 (Hypoxia induced factor-1) signaling. The nuclear AURKA in the complex with constitutively expressed HIF-1β subunit activates transcription of “hypoxia induced genes” under normoxic conditions (the phenomenon called pseudohypoxia) without upregulation of oxygen-sensitive HIF-1α subunit. We uncover that AURKA preferentially binds to and phosphorylates HIF-1β, and co-localizes with HIF complex on DNA. The mass …

Quantification Of Bacterial Shedding From The Respiratory Tract Of Health Care Workers Wearing Paprs And Other Types Of Air-Purifying Respirators On Sterile Conditions In A Simulated Operating Rooms (Ors), Segun Olanrewaju Ajewole

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The role of powered air- purifying respirators (PAPRs) in healthcare settings during infectious diseases outbreaks and highly contagious pathogens (e.g., SARS, HINI, Ebola, COVID etc.) has attracted much interest based on the level of respiratory protection they provide and their many positive user features. A common practice among healthcare workers to minimize airborne contaminant exposure has been to use surgical masks or N95 filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs). Surgical masks have been shown to offer minimal respiratory protection and while N95 FFRs offer better respiratory protection, they are not comfortable to use for a prolonged period. With current PAPR designs, exhaled …

Janus Kinase 1 Drives Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress-Induced Transcriptional Reprogramming In Astrocytes, Savannah Graham Sims

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Neurological and neurodegenerative diseases are heterogenous and devastating diseases with limited therapeutic options and no cures. The broad, long-term goal of this project was to elucidate therapeutic targets for neurodegenerative conditions that attenuate damaging inflammation while leaving the beneficial immune response intact and avoiding broad immunosuppression. Inflammation and the accumulation of misfolded proteins are associated with a wide variety of neurological diseases. Here, we have examined how the accumulation of misfolded proteins shapes inflammatory signaling in the glial cell population astrocytes. Astrocytes are the most populous cell in the central nervous system (CNS) and provide physical and trophic support to …

Determining The Effects Of Imidacloprid On Non-Target Soil Organisms In Hemlock Stands, Braley Burke

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA), Adelges tsugae Annand (Hemiptera: Adelgidae), is an invasive insect that is causing mortality of eastern hemlock trees, Tsuga canadensis, and Carolina hemlock trees, Tsuga caroliniana, across the eastern United States. To protect these ecologically important tree species, a neonicotinoid insecticide, imidacloprid, is commonly used. Imidacloprid is an effective treatment and can remain effective against HWA for four to six years but long-term (≥ one year after application) non-target effects of imidacloprid on forest ecosystems are not well-studied. This study examined terrestrial non-target effects of imidacloprid in hemlock stands with different treatment histories to …

The Media's Framing Of Incarceration In West Virginia, Patrick John Orsagos

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The following is a professional project that examines the way in which the mass incarceration of West Virginians has been framed by the news media. The research presented explains the scope of the problem of mass incarceration, followed by an explanation of research conducted on framing. The literature review explores what other media scholars have published about framing and argues which frame is most dominant in crime reporting by state media. Following this is a methodology for production of a podcast series that utilizes a thematic frame and the practice of solutions journalism to promote dialogue around the systemic issues …

Mechanisms And Therapeutic Interventions For Breast Cancer-Induced Fatigue And Mitochondrial Dysfunction, David Andrew Stanton

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

According to the latest statistics from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), about 1 in 8 U.S. women (~13%) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of their lifetime. This translates to an estimated 268,600 new cases of breast cancer for the year 2019, and these diagnoses will collectively make up 15% of all new cancer cases across all cancer types. The majority of these women will experience the often-debilitating symptom of breast cancer-induced fatigue. these patients often have difficulty performing normal activities of daily living, have decreased tolerance to traditional tumor-directed therapies, and have higher rates of cancer recurrence. …

Investigation Of Foundation Failures, Ali Buabbas

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

ABSTRACT

Investigation of Foundation Failures

Ali Buabbas

Foundations form a very critical component of any structure. The integrity and lifespan of the structure are dependent on the strength and durability of the foundation. Under ideal conditions, immediately after the structure is constructed, the foundation meets all the requirements of the structure. However, after a while, due to the action of many other factors, the structure’s foundation may no longer satisfy the needs of the structure.

Some of the factors contributing to the failure of the foundation can be due to natural events. Construction engineers should anticipate these factors to minimize …

The Impact Of Driver Reaction In Cooperative Vehicle Safety Systems, Elwarfalli Ibrahim

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cooperative Vehicular Safety (CVS) has recently been widely studied in the field of automated vehicular systems. CVS systems help decrease the rates of accidents. However, implementing and testing CVS applications in real world is very costly and risky. Hence, most of the related research studies on CVS applications have relied mainly on simulations. In simulated CVS systems, it is important to consider all critical aspects of used models, and how these models affect one another.

The movement model is a key component in the simulation study of CVS systems, which controls the mobility of vehicles (nodes) and responses to the …

Aerosol Sampling Strategy: Effect Of Particle Transfer To Sampler Covers And Estimation Of Conversion Factors Between The United States And German Methods For Quartz Sampling, Godwin Akpevwe Erekaife

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

ABSTRACT

AEROSOL SAMPLING STRATEGY: Effect of Particle Transfer to Sampler Covers and Estimation of Conversion Factors between the United States and German Methods for Quartz sampling

GODWIN A. EREKAIFE

In many countries, communities of experts, including industrial hygienists, have developed unique sampling strategies to determine workers’ exposure to aerosolized particles (e.g., metals, wood dust etc.). However, using different sampling and analytical methods for the same chemical often results in different exposure levels for a similar exposure group (SEG). The exposure discrepancies among different countries that are caused by using different measurement strategies are not always systematically defined. Therefore, this study …

Fostering Music Performers In The 21st Century: A Contemporary Professional Perspective Toward A New Curricular Agenda For Graduate Study In Music, Andre Januario

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

What if the core curriculum for graduate students in music performance were designed to prepare students to succeed in the world of the Fourth Industrial Revolution?

This dissertation offers a hypothetical answer: a structured and systematic academic curricular framework for music graduate students of performance of concert music (especially those in terminal degrees, such as doctoral students), along with music instructors, professional music performers, school administrators, and college professors, seeking to prepare such students for achieving and maintaining a music career more in keeping with the current work environment, especially those skills demanded by the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the …

Improving Performance And Durability Of Intermediate Temperature Proton‐Conducting Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells Via Materials Design And Catalyst Surface Engineering, Hanchen Tian

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Solid oxide steam electrolysis cell, a promising electrical-chemical conversion device for the next generation efficient hydrogen production and energy storage, has been actively studied because of their high energy conversion efficiencies and prospective applications as electrochemical reactors. After decades of research on protonic ceramic materials, remarkable advances have been made in the protonic ceramic electrochemical cells (PCECs) air electrode and electrolyte. However, the existing air electrodes are far from satisfying the requirements of practical applications, a series of issues, including the lack of active and durable electrodes, greatly limit the commercialization. To date, the systematic development of triple conducting catalysts …