Digital Commons Network^™

Humanity Undone, A Practice Led Enquiry Into Self-Injury, Karen Abadie

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

This thesis enquires into my lived experience of self-injury (cutting my own skin), asking to what extent can moving image, sound and performance in the context of art installation reveal an understanding of the processes of self-injury. I employ an embodied onto-epistemological methodology that blends artistic enquiry with active engagement with phenomenological and new materialist feminist theory. This investigation reveals a dynamic yet subtle relationship between the body-as-object and the body-as- subject, as initially described by Husserl as Leib and Körper (1990). I use 16mm film and performance in a haptic immersive installation environment to articulate these dynamic subtleties. Merleau-Ponty …

Performance Writing, Objects And Millennial Precarity: A Co-Authored Par Exploration Between Friends, Katheryn Owens

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

This practice-as-research project uses performance writing to understand, illustrate and work through aspects of millennial experience, with a specific interest in precarious housing and labour. For us, experiencing precarity means that fundamental aspects of what is required to experience what Lauren Berlant calls ‘a good life’ (including secure working contracts, renters’ rights, access to leisure time) are not being met. This leads to a feeling of ‘living on the edge’ (Ahmed, 2017: 238), which in turn prevents us from being able to imagine alternatives. This performance writing takes the form of scores, instructions, maps, walking, knitting, zines, and audio recordings. …

Tutti Frutti: A Body Of Paintings Informed By A Study Of Symbols And Appropriation Techniques In Contemporary Romanian Painting, Petre Bogdan Sassu

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

The body of paintings presented in this PhD serve as an embodied mode of research developed through experimental practices, and through theoretical research. The research is focused on painting due to the medium’s familiarity as well as its status as the dominant discipline of the post 2000 generation of Romanian artists. The theoretical research scrutinises this crucial phase in Romanian cultural history, in which the post-communist landscape intersects and overlaps with postmodernist theory. The research pays particular attention to figurative symbols, their collective and personal implications, and meanings, and how such symbols have been appropriated and re-employed by Romanian artists …

A Scientometric Analysis Of Global Scientific Literature On Learning Resources In Higher Education, Muhandiramge Kasun Samadhi Gomis, Olugbenga Timo Oladinrin, Mandeep Saini, Chaminda Pathirage, Mohammed Arif

School of Art, Design and Architecture

There is a significant increase in the literature on learning resources in Higher Education (HE) but very limited evidence of studies that have taken a global overview of the context, range, and emerging trends from the previous research. This study aims to conduct a Scientometric analysis of research articles to accommodate a global overview and research trends under the theme of learning resources in HE. 4489 scientific articles were obtained as the dataset from the Web Of Science database between 1970 and 2022. Network maps and critical data were obtained by conducting co-authorship analysis for authors, organisations and countries and …

Nonaligned Modernism: Socialist Postcolonial Aesthetics In Yugoslavia, 1945–1985. By Bojana Videkanić. Montreal: Mcgill-Queen's University Press, 2019. 304 Pages. Notes. Illustrations. Figures. £99.00, Hard Bound; £33.00, Paper; $31.35, Ebook., N Bobic

School of Art, Design and Architecture

Book review

Visualizing The Untranslateable, M Punt

School of Art, Design and Architecture

No abstract provided.

Impacts Of Polyethylene Microplastics On The Microalga, Spirulina (Arthrospira Platensis), Sajjad Abbasi, Sahar Amiranipour, Javad Karimi, Sasan Mohsenzadeh, Andrew Turner

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Microalgae play a critical role in the food web and biogeochemical cycling and produce compounds that are commercially exploited. However, their reactions and responses to microplastic contamination are not well understood. In this study, the widely distributed and commercially important cyanobacterium, Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis), was exposed to different concentrations (1–100 mg L−1) of low-density polyethylene microplastics (<5 μm) over a 20-d period. Various end-points were combined with different microscopic techniques in order to examine physiological and biochemical effects and interactions between the plastic and microalga. Growth rate and photosynthetic activity decreased with increasing microplastic concentration, and a maximum inhibition ratio of about 9% was calculated from optical density measurements. Plastic concentrations above 10 mg L−1 resulted in oxidative stress and the intracellular production of proline. Fragmentation and swelling of trichomes and attachment of microplastics was observed in the exposures, and microplastics appeared to adhere or aggregate around fragmented or fragmenting regions. The latter effect may indicate trichome weakening by microplastics or their concentration around cytosolic debris; nevertheless, it provides a potential mechanism for internalisation of small particles. Although unrealistically high concentrations of well-defined microplastics have been employed, relatively small disruptions at the population level incurred by lower concentrations could have more serious implications for ecosystem services and functioning.

Smart Water Metering As A Non-Invasive Tool To Infer Dwelling Type And Occupancy – Implications For The Collection Of Neighbourhood-Level Housing And Tourism Statistics, A. Newing, O. Hibbert, J. Van-Alwon, S. Ellaway, A. Smith

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The international rollout of advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) in the residential water supply sector affords tremendous benefits in driving water-use efficiencies, accurate billing and network management (e.g. leak detection). AMI, using ‘smart meters’ fitted at a dwelling level, record water consumption at high temporal resolution. Since water is typically only consumed when householders are present, these data could offer a non intrusive means of inferring dwelling occupancy patterns. These insights could have a range of benefits dependent upon the spatiotemporal scale and the intended application – our interest is in the potential of these data to identify dwelling type, specifically …

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 …

An Analysis Of A Public Health Media Campaign In Switzerland, Eleanor Saskia Faulk-Antonakis

Plymouth Business School Theses

This multidisciplinary, grounded theory study analyses public health media communication for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) prevention in Switzerland. Health communication researchers measure the effects of media campaigns on populations to improve prevention. However, such effects may evade measurement due to complex interactions between audiences, media channels and ecology, message content, and targeting strategies. Competing theories explain media effects on health behaviours but there is a dearth of research examining upstream planning and stakeholder perceptions of media campaigns. In effect, interactions between communities, health officials, practitioners, and communication/media stakeholders are politically sensitive, and inaccessible to researchers. …

What Factors Influence Individuals’ Level Of Engagement In A Banking Relationship In Jordan?, Nawal Wafa Tarazi

Plymouth Business School Theses

In a study (NFIS 2018-2019), conducted by the Central Bank of Jordan (CBJ) in cooperation with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, it was reported that 67% of people in Jordan above the age of 15 years do not have access to the formal financial system in terms of bank account ownership; 38.0% of adults are excluded from any formal financial services and 24.8% of adults are completely excluded from any formal and informal financial services. Only 33% of adults in Jordan, 27% of women, are financially included in terms of bank account ownership, which is a low percentage …

Exploring The Impact Of Big Data Analytics Capability On Port Performance: The Mediating Role Of Sustainability, Xiaotian Xie

Plymouth Business School Theses

Many ports are redefining business processes and operations by adopting digital technologies. These can help them to provide efficient and competitive port operations and meet the growing demand for comprehensive port logistics services. Digital technologies provide a harvest of immense amounts of data, known as Big Data. Port management needs the capability to store, process and analyse Big Data to provide meaningful information and thus to maximise organisational performance. Furthermore, one of the most important trends in port development is increased sustainability awareness by regulators and customers. Port managers can employ Big Data technology to reduce environmental pollution and use …

Economic Order Quantity Predictive Model Using Supervised Machine Learning For Inventory Management Of The Fast-Moving Consumer Goods Distributors, Nancy Deraz

Plymouth Business School Theses

Due to the tough competition that exists today, most distribution companies are in a continuous effort to increase their profits and reduce their costs. An improvement in the distributors’ forecasting process could have significant financial and organizational benefits. This requires decision-makers to have a fast, accurate, and efficient demand forecasting solution to be integrated into their business processes. One of the problems that face the distribution industry is how to control inventory levels by means of accurate demand and economic order quantity (EOQ) prediction. Due to some limitations, EOQ cannot be calculated by the formulas. In this situation, machine learning …

Transformational Leadership And Employee Innovative Behaviour In The Egyptian Travel Agents: A Mediation – Moderation Model, Ahmed Hammad

Plymouth Business School Theses

The tourism industry is one of the largest and fastest growing industries in the world. Specifically, tourism is a vital industry in the Egyptian economy as it is an essential source of its national income. Unfortunately, since 2010, tourism has been severely affected in Egypt due to terrorist attacks, attacks against tourist areas, and recently, the devastating impact of COVID-19, impacting Egypt as a tourist destination. Accordingly, to encounter these challenges, frontline employees’ innovative behaviour (EIB) is significantly needed as they personally engage with clients and meet their needs, and so, their input is crucial to the tourism industry’s survival. …

An Exploration Of The Significant Issues At Work For People With A Diagnosed Mental Health Issue, From The Perspective Of Individuals And Line Managers., Lindsay Louise Rose Badger

Plymouth Business School Theses

This thesis presents findings from an exploratory, in-depth qualitative research project that focused upon surfacing and exploring the significant issues at work for people with diagnosed mental health issues, from the perspective of individuals and line managers. There is growing awareness of the number of people in work with mental health issues; an estimated one in six workers (Elliott et al., 2008; McManus et al., 2016) and the organisational costs: an estimated £42 to £45billion per year (Hampson & Jacob, 2020). The current research field of mental health issues at work focuses upon how work can shape individuals’ mental health …

Exploring The Roles Of Service Supply Chain Performance Measurements In Thai Medical Tourism Industry, Sutinee Somabutr

Plymouth Business School Theses

Medical tourism, a promising industry offering significant economic potential, particularly for Southeast Asian countries like Thailand, has generated a critical academic discourse. The medical tourism industry is complicated by its nature, combining aspects of healthcare, hospitality, and customer satisfaction within a service supply chain. A key academic challenge in this industry is the insufficient exploration and understanding of service supply chain (SSC) performance measurements. The rapid growth of the industry and the existing research gap make a detailed academic study necessary. Addressing this challenge, this study narrows its focus on the important roles and interrelationship of SSC performance measurements within …

Spatial And Seasonal Variations In Dissolved Methane Across A Large Lake, Mike Peacock, Scott J. Davidson, Dolly N. Kothawala, Joel Segersten, Martyn N. Futter

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Lakes process large volumes of organic carbon (OC), are important sources of methane (CH4), and contribute to climatic warming. However, there is a lack of data from large lakes >500 km2, which creates uncertainty in global budgets. In this data article, we present dissolved CH4, OC bioreactivity measurements, water chemistry, and algal biovolumes at 11 stations across Lake Mälaren, the third largest (1,074 km2) Swedish lake. Total phosphorus concentrations show that during the study period the lake was classed as mesotrophic/eutrophic. Overall mean CH4 concentration from all stations, sampled five times to cover seasonal variation, was 2.51 μg l−1 (0.98–5.39 …

The Impact Of Firm Ownership On Innovation: Evidence From China, Xiaoqi Mi

Plymouth Business School Theses

This thesis uses data from the Shanghai Stock Exchange from 2013 to 2019 to focus on the impact of five ownership structures on firm innovation. In this context, innovation refers to firm performance innovation, specialisation innovation and diversification innovation. The results show that concentrated ownership is positively related to firm innovation performance, while foreign ownership is negatively related to firm innovation performance. However, there is no significant linear relationship between firm ownership and innovation performance. Nevertheless, the innovation performance of concentrated ownership does not differ significantly between the different levels when a threshold is used. Insider ownership positively impacts innovation …

Acceptance Of E-Mobility In India, Anja Marlen Buechler

Plymouth Business School Theses

India signed in 2015 the historic Paris climate agreement together with more than 170 nations in order to fight against global warming and to reduce CO2-emissions in order to control global warming caused by greenhouse effect. The transportation sector was in 2021 the second biggest source of CO2-emissions worldwide. Decarbonising this sector will have a major effect on the worldwide greenhouse gas emissions. That is the reason why this sector will be challenged by the pressure through politics and legal demands for CO2-neutral and emission free vehicles. India is also facing those challenges. At the Glasgow Climate Change Conference in …

Cooperation And Collective Action And Its Prospect To Collective Intelligence In Global German Companies, Kujtime Ademi

Plymouth Business School Theses

Contemporary business organisations face a fierce struggle to survive in a global economic environment which is increasingly characterised by rapid change and transitions. Against the backdrop of such burgeoning competition, corporations are confronted with diminishing innovation, rising customer expectations as well as a workforce distributed across the globe. These factors converge to create a pressing need for companies to organise effective application of employees’ knowledge, skills and experiences. As the changes within the global environment constrain the ability of organisations to adapt to these transitions, they must seek recourse to mechanisms that enable them to proactively tackle economic and social …

The Perceived Value Co-Creation And The Degree Of Value Co-Creation Of Chinese Senior Travellers: A Case Study In Guizhou Province (China), Yu Lei

Plymouth Business School Theses

Gifted with the reality that the number of aged people has been growing at a high rate of speed from year to year, China has great potential to benefit from the development of senior tourism. Besides, value co-creation has become a more and more attractive research topic in tourism context. However, although previous research (including both English and Chinese literature) has paid considerable attention to value co-creation, few studies have focused on senior travellers’ attitudes on value co-creation in tourism industry. As mentioned above, since more and more Chinese seniors show great interest in tourism-related activities, especially in the post …

The Development Of A Maturity Model To Assess Supplier Relationship Management (Srm) Performance In The Egyptian Food Processing Sector, Lobna Hafez

Plymouth Business School Theses

The food processing sector is one of the most important industrial sectors in Egypt. The sector, however, faces various challenges arising from the local supply side, leading to the inconsistent quality of inputs. This could be traced to poor cultivation practices, low quality and unavailability of inputs, lack of quality assurance and quality control and limited skills. Supplier relationship management (SRM) can provide a solution to these challenges. If buying firms worked on improving their relationship with suppliers, mutual benefits could be achieved. For this reason, this research focuses on developing a maturity model to assess the level of SRM …

An Investigation Of Organic Dining Behaviour In Restaurants At Three Selected Cities In The Uk: A Holistic Approach, Lokman Dinc

Plymouth Business School Theses

An Investigation of Organic Dining Behaviour In Restaurants At three selected cities in the UK : A Holistic Approach Lokman Dinc Abstract The organic food market has experienced significant growth in recent decades all over the world. Within the context of the UK, a remarkable rise can be seen considering the recent popularisation of organic food products. UK diners are becoming increasingly conscious about what they eat, while several reasons such as health and environmental concerns shape diners’ organic food consumption. With these trends in mind, the aim of this research is to develop a holistic understanding of organic dining …

An Empirical Study Of Crowd Dynamics And Managing Safety At Events, Kristin Finn

Plymouth Business School Theses

The UK live events market has long been considered to be a growth sector. Given the range of challenges linked to event crowd safety felt by the industry in recent years, and despite recent setbacks associated with new safety measures and public uncertainty following the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, event organisers remain optimistic about the future. Many authors have studied crowd dynamics and safety planning in recent years, but often the emphasis has been one of objective observation and expert opinion. The outcomes of this thesis are timely as it aimed to investigate attitudinal differences among event …

“I'M Making A Positive Change In My Life”: A Mixed Method Evaluation Of A Well-Being Tertiary Education Unit, Ben Piggott, Paola Chivers, Caroline Bulsara, Jenny Conlon, Kaine Grigg, Sarah Ann Harris, Michelle Lambert, Lynne Millar, Christina M. Pollard

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Issue Addressed:

Mental health disorders (MHDs) are prevalent amongst university students with detrimental impacts on individual students, universities and the wider community. There is an urgent need for proactive and preventative strategies to address the mental health crisis in the university population. This study evaluated the efficacy of a 13-week unit developed to directly educate university students about ways to improve and maintain well-being.

Methods:

Fifty-eight university students from five disciplines participated in a 13-week elective undergraduate unit “Well-Being Fundamentals for Success” as part of their degree. The Act Belong Commit mental health promotion campaign framework formed the basis of …

A Novel Skin Cancer Prevention Strategy: Preservice Teachers' Perceptions Of A Sun Safety Intervention And Experiences In Schools, Joseph J. Scott, Robyn S. Johnston, Jill Darby, Sally Blane, Mark Strickland, Bronwen M. Mcnoe

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Issue addressed:

Teachers play a vital role in developing children's sun protection routines however upskilling preservice teachers (PSTs) while at university has not yet been trialled as a targeted skin cancer prevention strategy. Hence, this study investigated PSTs perceptions and experiences of sun safety following a brief pilot intervention and placement in primary schools in Western Australia.

Methods:

This study used a triangulation mixed methods design. Participants (n = 161) completed a post intervention survey which was analysed quantitatively. A random sub-sample was invited to participate in focus groups (three groups, n = 21) and one-on-one interviews (n = 4). …

Consensus Guidelines For Sarcopenia Prevention, Diagnosis And Management In Australia And New Zealand, Jesse Zanker, Marc Sim, Kate Anderson, Saliu Balogun, Sharon L. Brennan-Olsen, Elsa Dent, Gustavo Duque, Christian M. Girgis, Mathis Grossmann, Alan Hayes, Tim Henwood, Vasant Hirani, Charles Inderjeeth, Sandra Iuliano, Justin Keogh, Joshua R. Lewis, Gordon S. Lynch, Julie A. Pasco, Steven Phu, Esmee M. Reijnierse, Nicholas Russell, Lara Vlietstra, Renuka Visvanathan, Troy Walker, Debra L. Waters, Solomon Yu, Andrea B. Maier, Robin M. Daly, David Scott

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background:

Sarcopenia is an age-associated skeletal muscle condition characterized by low muscle mass, strength, and physical performance. There is no international consensus on a sarcopenia definition and no contemporaneous clinical and research guidelines specific to Australia and New Zealand. The Australian and New Zealand Society for Sarcopenia and Frailty Research (ANZSSFR) Sarcopenia Diagnosis and Management Task Force aimed to develop consensus guidelines for sarcopenia prevention, assessment, management and research, informed by evidence, consumer opinion, and expert consensus, for use by health professionals and researchers in Australia and New Zealand.

Methods:

A four-phase modified Delphi process involving topic experts and informed …

Decoding The Mechanism Of Hypertension Through Multiomics Profiling, Eric Adua

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Hypertension, characterised by a constant high blood pressure, is the primary risk factor for multiple cardiovascular events and a major cause of death in adults. Excitingly, innovations in high-throughput technologies have enabled the global exploration of the whole genome (genomics), revealing dysregulated genes that are linked to hypertension. Moreover, post-genomic biomarkers, from the emerging fields of transcriptomics, proteomics, glycomics and lipidomics, have provided new insights into the molecular underpinnings of hypertension. In this paper, we review the pathophysiology of hypertension, and highlight the multi-omics approaches for hypertension prediction and diagnosis.

Ecohydrology Of Coastal Aquifers In Humid Environments And Implications Of A Drying Climate, Madeleine Dyring, Harald Hofmann, David Stanton, Patrick Moss, Ray Froend

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Coastal groundwater-dependent ecosystems (GDEs), such as wetlands, estuaries and mangrove forests, are globally important habitats that promote biodiversity, provide climate regulation and serve as refugia for plant and animal communities. However, global warming, coastal development and over-abstraction threaten the availability and quality of groundwater in coastal aquifers and, by extension, the ecohydrological function of dependent ecosystems. Because ecohydrological knowledge of coastal groundwater is disparate across disciplines and habitat types, we begin by summarising the physiochemical, biological and hydrological processes supported by groundwater across coastal watersheds. Groundwater makes a significant but poorly recognised contribution to the function and resilience of coastal …

Leukocyte Surface Biomarkers Implicate Deficits Of Innate Immunity In Sporadic Alzheimer's Disease, Xin Huang, Yihan Li, Christopher Fowler, James D. Doecke, Yen Ying Lim, Candace Drysdale, Vicky Zhang, Keunha Park, Brett Trounson, Kelly Pertile, Rebecca Rumble, John W. Pickering, Robert A. Rissman, Floyd Sarsoza, Sara Abdel-Latif, Yong Lin, Vincent Doré, Victor Villemagne, Christopher C. Rowe, Jurgen Fripp, Ralph Martins, James S. Wiley, Paul Maruff, Jacobo E. Mintzer, Colin L. Masters, Ben J. Gu

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Introduction:

Blood-based diagnostics and prognostics in sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD) are important for identifying at-risk individuals for therapeutic interventions.

Methods:

In three stages, a total of 34 leukocyte antigens were examined by flow cytometry immunophenotyping. Data were analyzed by logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses.

Results:

We identified leukocyte markers differentially expressed in the patients with AD. Pathway analysis revealed a complex network involving upregulation of complement inhibition and downregulation of cargo receptor activity and Aβ clearance. A proposed panel including four leukocyte markers – CD11c, CD59, CD91, and CD163 – predicts patients’ PET Aβ status with an …