Digital Commons Network^™

The Propagation And Emplacement Mechanisms Of The Tenteniguada Volcanic Debris Avalanche (Gran Canaria): Field Evidence For Brittle Fault-Accommodated Spreading, Symeon Makris, Matteo Roverato, Alejandro Lomoschitz, Paul Cole, Irene Manzella

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The Tenteniguada volcanic debris avalanche deposit is located on the east of the island of Gran Canaria, Spain. Its internal structure is composed of a complex assemblage of extensional features and shearing structures including normal faults, horst and graben, brittle/ductile boudinage and clastic dike injections. Examination of these features in the field and evaluation of their distribution have allowed the generation of a new conceptual model for the transport and emplacement of this debris avalanche, and potentially others. In the majority of the deposit, the degree of disaggregation is low, with large portions of the original edifice preserved, although displaced …

Trade-Off Between Microbial Carbon Use Efficiency And Specific Nutrient-Acquiring Extracellular Enzyme Activities Under Reduced Oxygen, Ji Chen, Irene Cordero, Daryl L. Moorhead, Jennifer K. Rowntree, Loraé T. Simpson, Richard D. Bardgett, Hayley Craig

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

• Reduced oxygen increased microbial metabolic quotient (qCO2). • Reduced oxygen enhanced microbial specific C-, N- and P-acquiring enzyme activity. • Reduced oxygen increased microbial C relative to N and P limitation. • Reduced oxygen increased microbial N relative to P limitation. • Specific enzyme activity was positively related to qCO2 under reduced oxygen. Mangroves are one of the most ecologically sensitive ecosystems to global climate change, which have cascading impacts on soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) cycling. Moreover, mangroves are experiencing increasing N and P loadings and reduced oxygen availability due to intensified climate change and …

Voices From The Field: Brexit, Citizenship And Agricultural Labour, Richard Yarwood, Gina Kallis, Leonie Boland

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Drawing on a case-study of Cornwall in the South-West of England, this paper has three main aims. First, it seeks to listen to the voices of migrant workers and, in doing so, learn more about their experiences of moving to, and working in, the British countryside. Second, it evaluates the impact of Brexit on their lives and, in particular, how it influences their decision to work in the UK or elsewhere. Finally, consideration is given to the significance of citizenship to their lives, both as a formal contract with the EU and as a lived experience.

Evaluating The Risks Of Human Factors Associated With Social Media Cybersecurity Threats, Fai Ben Salamah, Marco A. Palomino, Maria Papadaki, Matthew J. Craven, Steven Furnell

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Human behaviors and attitudes play a significant role in cybersecurity. However, studies to quantify the impact of such behaviors and attitudes are scarce, and they are not always considered when developing mitigation strategies. To compensate for this, we have looked into a large sample of employees with different levels of expertise and backgrounds across a variety of industrial sectors and organizations. We have found that age and job role constitute the main human factors associated with social media cybersecurity risks. We can confirm that the youngest employees are the most risk prone within an organization, and the employees working in …

A Two-Dimensional Double Layer-Averaged Model Of Hyperconcentrated Turbidity Currents With Non-Newtonian Rheology, Yining Sun, Ji Li, Zhixian Cao, Alistair George Liam Borthwick

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Hyperconcentrated turbidity currents typically display non-Newtonian characteristics that influence sediment transport and morphological evolution in alluvial rivers. However, hydro-sediment-morphological processes involving hyperconcentrated turbidity currents are poorly understood, with little known about the effect of the non-Newtonian rheology. The current paper extends a recent two-dimensional double layer-averaged model to incorporate non-Newtonian constitutive relations. The extended model is benchmarked against experimental and numerical data for cases including subaerial mud flow, subaqueous debris flow, and reservoir turbidity currents. The computational results agree well with observations for the subaerial mud flow and independent numerical simulations of subaqueous debris flow. Differences between the non-Newtonian and …

Monitoring Of Drying Kinetics Evolution And Hygrothermal Properties Of New Earth-Based Materials Using Climatic Chamber Simulation, Athmane Azil, Karim Touati, Nassim Sebaibi, Malo Le Guern, Francois Streiff, S Goodhew, Moussa Gomina, M Boutouil

School of Art, Design and Architecture

This study focuses on the drying kinetics of cob and light-earth layers comprising a hybrid walling system. Volumetric water content sensors are immersed and placed at different positions on the walls of a building to measure the drying kinetics. In addition, an experimental analysis of the effect of temperature, relative humidity (RH), and wind velocity variations on thermal conductivity in a climatic chamber under winter and summer conditions was conducted. The analysis of samples in laboratory aims to investigate the hygrothermal properties of cob and light-earth materials, and their dependency on the aforementioned parameters. The in situ drying kinetics of …

Assessing The Association Between Overcrowding And Human Physiological Stress Response In Different Urban Contexts: A Case Study In Salzburg, Austria, Zhaoxi Zhang, Kristýna Měchurová, Bernd Resch, Prince Amegbor, Clive E. Sabel

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Overcrowding in densely populated urban areas is increasingly becoming an issue for mental health disorders. Yet, only few studies have examined the association between overcrowding in cities and physiological stress responses. Thus, this study employed wearable sensors (a wearable camera, an Empatica E4 wristband and a smartphone-based GPS) to assess the association between overcrowding and human physiological stress response in four types of urban contexts (green space, transit space, commercial space, and blue space). A case study with 26 participants was conducted in Salzburg, Austria. We used Mask R-CNN to detect elements related to overcrowding such as human crowds, sitting …

Topical Review: Optometry In Nepal—Clinical Practice, Research Advances, And Challenges, Safal Khanal, Nabin Paudel, Rabindra Adhikary, Mahesh Raj Joshi

School of Health Professions

SIGNIFICANCE This article reviews educational standard, clinical practice, research advances, and challenges associated with optometry in Nepal and provides critical considerations for contemporary and new optometry programs in countries with similar socioeconomic status and health care systems. Optometry education started in Nepal in 1998 with the primary objective of addressing the unmet needs of eye health and vision care in the country. Over the last two decades, this program has made significant contributions to facilitating and improving the delivery of quality eye care and establishing the nation's eye health system as an exemplary model in South Asia. Despite the positive …

Mental Imagery Of Suicide And Non-Suicidal Self-Injury: A Meta-Analysis And Systematic Review, Hannah R. Lawrence, Emma G. Balkind, Julie L. Ji, Taylor A. Burke, Richard T. Liu

School of Psychology

Background The vast majority of research on, and clinical assessment of, cognitions related to suicide and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) has focused on verbal thoughts. And yet, mental imagery is more realistic and emotionally arousing than verbal thoughts. Methods We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis documenting the prevalence of suicidal and NSSI mental imagery and describing the content and characteristics of suicidal and NSSI mental imagery, links between suicidal and NSSI mental imagery and suicidal and NSSI behavior, and how to intervene on suicidal and NSSI mental imagery. Studies published through December 17, 2022 were identified through a systematic search …

Who Are The Marine Fungi?, Michael Cunliffe

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Fungi are widespread throughout marine habitats. Most marine fungi are microscopic, either microfungi, yeasts, or swimming zoospore-producing groups such as the Chytridiomycota (‘the chytrids’). The macroscopic exceptions are the marine lichens along coastlines. Marine mushrooms are yet to be discovered. The functional roles of marine fungi include parasites (e.g., infecting phytoplankton; Hassett & Gradinger, 2016), saprotrophs recycling organic matter (e.g., degrading phytoplanktonproduced polysaccharides; Cunliffe et al., 2017) and in symbiosis with other marine life (e.g., seaweeds; Bonthond et al., 2022). Here, I briefly summarize my perspective of marine fungi with an emphasis on identity. Looking into the crystal ball, I …

Organisms In A Changing World, Melody S. Clark, Ariel Shabtay, Elizabeth R. Waters, Manuela Truebano

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Since its foundation in 1999 by Lawrence Hightower, the Cell Stress Society International (CSSI) has actively promoted international collaboration in the field of stress research. Over the years, the Society has gone from strength to strength, with one of its main, and highly, visible outputs being the journal ‘Cell Stress & Chaperones’. Although initially, the full title of the journal was ‘Cell Stress & Chaperones: An Integrative Journal of Stress Biology and Medicine’ with an emphasis on the medical feld, original scientifc articles were always welcomed from a wide range of organisms and diferent aspects of stress molecular biology. However, …

Modern Cemented Furlong Hemiarthroplasty: Are Dislocations Rates Better?, C. U. Menakaya, M. Shah, H. Ingoe, R. Malhotra, A. Mannan, T. Boddice, V. Allgar, S. Gopal, A. Mohsen, N. Muthukumar

Peninsula Medical School

Background Dislocation following hip hemiarthroplasty is a major complication with increased mortality and morbidity. Data looking at dislocation following contemporary bipolar stems are lacking in literature. Methods Retrospective review of our prospective national hip fracture database over a two-year period. Group 1 comprised of consecutive patients receiving bipolar Furlong prosthesis (N222) while Group 2 was made up of a historical cohort (uncemented; N254). Clinical and radiological records were reviewed to determine dislocation rates, causes and associative factors of dislocations. Data were analysed using SPSS. Results Following 476 hemiarthroplasties performed during the study period, 12 (2.5%) dislocations were reported (eight in …

Transition Theory And The Emotional Journey To Medical Educator Identity: A Qualitative Interview Study, J Browne, T Collett

Peninsula Medical School

Background. Medical academia is in crisis, with fewer people entering and growing concern at numbers leaving. While faculty development is often seen as part of the solution, there are significant issues with faculty not engaging with and resisting development opportunities. Lack of motivation may be linked to what might be called a ‘weak’ educator identity. We studied medical educators' experiences of career development to gain further insights into: how professional identity may develop; individuals' accompanying emotional responses to perceived identity change; and consideration of the accompanying temporal dimensions. Drawing on new materialist sociology, we explore medical educator identity formation in …

Recommendations From Diabetes Uk's 2022 Diabetes And Physical Activity Workshop, Anna Morris, Chris Bright, Matthew Cocks, Neil Gibson, Louise Goff, Colin Greaves, Simon Griffin, Ben Jane, Florence Kinnafick, Paul Robb, Michelle Roberts, David Salman, John Saxton, Adrian Taylor, Daniel West, Thomas Yates, Rob C. Andrews, Jason M.R. Gill

Peninsula Medical School

Abstract Aims To describe the process and outputs of a workshop convened to identify key priorities for future research in the area of diabetes and physical activity and provide recommendations to researchers and research funders on how best to address them. Methods A 1‐day research workshop was conducted, bringing together researchers, people living with diabetes, healthcare professionals, and members of staff from Diabetes UK to identify and prioritise recommendations for future research into physical activity and diabetes. Results Workshop attendees prioritised four key themes for further research: (i) better understanding of the physiology of exercise in all groups of people: …

Victrices Scientiarum Of 1904: Who Were The First Women Elected As Fellows Of The Linnean Society Of London?, R Boden

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Published within The Linnean Special Issue No. 10 "‘The Door Was Opened’ Pioneering Women at the Linnean Society of London and Their Continuing Legacy" Compiled and edited by Gina Douglas Hon FLS and Leonie Berwick

Lichen Zonation On Uk Rocky Seashores: A Trait-Based Approach To Delineating Marine And Maritime Lichens, Beth Tindall-Jones, Michael Cunliffe, Nathan Chrismas

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

Oral Microbes And The Formation Of Cerebral Abscesses: A Single-Centre Retrospective Study, Raul Bescos, Holly Roy, Ewen Mccoll, Umar Rehman, Elizabeth Cray, Louise A. Belfield, King David Nweze, Kevin Tsang, William Singleton, Peter Whitfield, Zoe Brookes

Peninsula Medical School

Objective: Intracranial abscesses are relatively uncommon, but can result in significant mortality and morbidity. Whilst many potential causes of brain abscesses are recognised, in many cases the origin of infection remains clinically unidentified. Our objective was to investigate the role of bacteria found in the oral cavity in the development of brain abscesses. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed using data from 87 patients admitted to a single UK neurosurgical unit with brain abscesses over a 16-year period. Using microbiological data obtained from abscess sampling and peripheral cultures, species of bacteria were categorised in patients where no primary source of …

Investigating A Motivation Model For Gamified E-Learning: A Self-Determination Approach, A Sen, J Lean, J Kelland, J Moizer

Plymouth Business School

There has been a recent increase in educational interest in gamification over the past 5 years [1, 2]. A central tenet of the increase in its popularity may stem from its motivational power in educational settings [3, 4]. However, prior research on gamification has not sufficiently investigated the mechanisms by which the phenomenon induces its motivational effects. A crucial question to consider is how the motivational theories that underpin gamification really work. Consequently, the current study looks at how game elements map into the notion of self-determination to explore the relationship between intrinsic motivation and gamification in the context of …

Paternal Supervisor Gatekeeping: How Supervising Fathers Hinder Other Fathers At Work In Their Uptake Of Flexible Work Arrangements, Sophie Hennekam, Jasmine Kelland, Jean Pierre Dumazert

Plymouth Business School

This study explores the role that supervisors play in the low uptake of Flexible Work Arrangements (FWA) among fathers in France. We draw on 28 interviews with fathers who had requested access to FWA and reported on the reaction of their supervisors. These supervisors were all fathers themselves and had previously benefitted from such arrangements themselves, but did not grant such policies to other fathers. To understand these unexpected findings, we conducted an additional 16 interviews with supervising fathers in organizations who had previously enjoyed similar FWA. The findings show that supervising fathers can act as barriers to other fathers …

Implementing Smart Factory: A Fuzzy-Set Analysis To Uncover Successful Paths, Hyunmi Jang, Mohamed Yacine Haddoud, Saeyeon Roh, Adah Kole Emmanuel Onjewu, Taeeun Choi

Plymouth Business School

Despite the pervasiveness of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, few studies have examined the adoption of smart factories. Scholars have long examined firms' willingness to adopt smart factories. Thus, this study heeds this call by investigating the factors driving the adoption of smart factories. It employs a fuzzy-set configuration approach to capture the complex interactions underlying these drivers in the context of South Korean marine equipment firms. Based on data from a sample of 180 respondents, the findings revealed four complex paths with factors including government support, the entrepreneurial spirit of top management, efficiency expectation, and financial preparedness shaping the high …

Spatial Robustness: Double-Design And The Democratization Of Space, An Exploration Of Designing For Multiple Uses, Michael Cassidy

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

Spatial Robustness: Double-design And The Democratization Of Space, An Exploration Of Designing For Multiple Uses by Michael Warren Arkinstall Cassidy Differing attitudes to the expected life and value of architecture characterize the sustainability debate, yet space itself is rarely mentioned. The buildings for which architecture is responsible comprise both space and materials. While it is taken for granted that some existing buildings can be reused productively, this cultural phenomenon has not influenced the design of the new stock. While content to revere old buildings, the qualities that make them valued have not influenced design principles for new projects. Should new …

Shanshuihua: ‘Mountain-Water-Painting’ For An Ecological Age, Lei Liu

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

This practice-led research project appraises the tradition of shanshuihua, or ‘mountain-water painting’, within broader traditions of Chinese ink painting, or shuimohua, and, through links with ancient Chinese philosophies, considers its continuing relevance to contemporary painting, and modern ecological themes, both in China and beyond. The research initially assesses historical connections between ink painting and the fundamental philosophies of Chinese history and culture, namely Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism, and maps certain connections to the development of shanshuihua. Through a series of interviews with contemporary Chinese artists, the project investigates whether the influence of these philosophic traditions have a continuing significance to …

The Importance Of Multimodal Play And Storytelling In Medtech For Children: A Case Study Of Co-Designing A Mixed Realities Play Kit To Prepare 4 To 10-Year-Olds For An Mri Scan, D Yamada-Rice, S Love, J Thompson, S Thompson, H Mcquillian

School of Art, Design and Architecture

This article examines the research and development of a mixed realities play-kit to prepare children for an MRI scan to be undertaken without the need for a General Anaesthetic. The kit uses three different types of play; augmented, virtual reality and physical to help children become familiar with the look of an MRI scanner, the noises it makes, the role of the radiographer, what to expect when they go to hospital and to practise staying still. We reflect on the initial multimodal research methods that were used to bring children into the first stages of the design and development process. …

Hippo Signaling: Advances In Potential Therapeutic Targets For Sinoatrial Node Disorders

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The cardiac conduction system (CCS) propagates electrical impulses, generates cardiac contractions, and ultimately ensures regular heartbeats. Disruptions within the CCS lead to cardiac arrhythmias, which are known to be the leading cause of cardiac-related mortalities in humans. The sinoatrial node (SAN) is a key component of the CCS and functions as the natural cardiac pacemaker to initiate normal cardiac impulse and conduction. The SAN is characterized by significant heterogeneity and contains various cell types, including pacemaker cells that spontaneously generate action potentials to maintain a constant beating rhythm. The fundamental Hippo signaling pathway plays a key role in heart development …

Unveiling The Prognostic Implications Of Rplp1 Upregulation In Osteosarcoma, Ruiying Zhao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Osteosarcoma, a malignant bone tumor characterized by a high rate of metastasis and poor survival, presents a critical need for identifying novel biomarkers associated with metastasis. In this study, we conducted an extensive analysis utilizing transcriptional and clinical data sourced from databases such as GEO, TCGA, CCLE, R2, and Xena. And we discovered that Ribosomal protein LP1 (RPLP1) ranked among the top upregulated genes in relation to osteosarcoma metastasis. Notably, RPLP1 exhibited significant expression in both osteosarcoma cell lines and patient samples. Moreover, multiple osteosarcoma studies revealed a strong correlation between RPLP1 overexpression and worse metastasis-free survival as well as …

Frequentist Model Averaging For Analysis Of Dose-Response In Epidemiologic Studies With Complex Exposure Uncertainty

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

In epidemiologic studies, association estimates of an exposure with disease outcomes are often biased when the uncertainties of exposure are ignored. Consequently, corresponding confidence intervals (CIs) will not have correct coverage. This issue is particularly problematic when exposures must be reconstructed from physical measurements, for example, for environmental or occupational radiation doses that were received by a study population for which radiation doses cannot be measured directly. To incorporate complex uncertainties in reconstructed exposures, the two-dimensional Monte Carlo (2DMC) dose estimation method has been proposed and used in various dose reconstruction efforts. The 2DMC method generates multiple exposure realizations from …

Peripheral Vascular Access As Exclusive Access Mode In Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Sonya Hayes Armstrong, Shantaveer Gangu, Alina Nico West, Thomas Spentzas

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: The type of vascular access (central or peripheral) in pediatric critical care depends on several factors, including the duration of treatment, the properties of the medication (osmolarity or vesicant), and the need for central pressure monitoring. The utilization of peripheral intravascular catheters (PIVCs) has shown a notable increase in the number of patients being treated. Extended dwell or midline catheters are another peripheral access option in addition to PIVCs. However, there are currently no established guidelines on their placement.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to estimate the duration of dwell time for PIVCs, analyze the specific parameters …

Determinants Of Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Hesitancy Among Lebanese Parents, Ramia Zakhour, Hani Tamim, Farah Faytrouni, Maha Makki, Rayan Hojeij, Lama Charafeddine

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection. HPV is responsible for cancer of cervix uteri. Despite its safety and immunogenicity, HPV vaccine hesitancy is one of the most challenging topics that pediatricians face.

Methods: We aimed to describe the impact of knowledge, attitude, and practice towards vaccines in general, on practice related to HPV vaccination in Lebanon. A questionnaire addressed to parents of students (3-18 years of age) was distributed in 2 public and 2 private schools randomly selected from the greater Beirut area during the school year 2017-2018. Questionnaires covered knowledge, attitude, and practices of …

Editorial: Expert Opinions In Neurocognitive Aging And Behavior: Neural Rehabilitation For Elder People, Ping Zhou, Yingchun Zhang, Sheng Li

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Imaging Neuroscience Opening Editorial, Stephen Smith, Til Ole Bergmann, Birte Forstmann, Alain Dagher, Shella Keilholz, Kristen Kennedy, Sonja A Kotz, Cindy Lustig, Bruce Pike, Marc Tittgemeyer, Mark Woolrich, B T Thomas Yeo, Andrew Alexander, Janine Bijsterbosch, Tjeerd Boonstra, Mallar Chakravarty, Chris Chambers, Catie Chang, Bradley Christian, Sarang S Dalal, Nai Ding, Audrey Duarte, Audrey P Fan, Alexandre Gramfort, Gesa Hartwigsen, Mbemba Jabbi, Peter Kochunov, Ulrike Krämer, Martin Lindquist, Jean-Francois Mangin, Kevin Murphy, Jonathan Polimeni, Emma Robinson, Monica Rosenberg, Sepideh Sadaghiani, Mohamed Seghier, Yen-Yu Ian Shih, Axel Thielscher, Lucina Q Uddin, Dimitri Van De Ville, Wim Vanduffel, Chao-Gan Yan, Anastasia Yendiki

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

In this editorial we introduce a new non-profit open access journal, Imaging Neuroscience. In April 2023, editors of the journals NeuroImage and NeuroImage:Reports resigned, and a month later launched Imaging Neuroscience. NeuroImage had long been the leading journal in the field of neuroimaging. While the move to fully open access in 2020 represented a positive step toward modern academic practices, the publication fee was set to a level that the editors found unethical and unsustainable. The publisher of NeuroImage, Elsevier, was unwilling to reduce the fee after much discussion. This led us to launch Imaging Neuroscience with …