Digital Commons Network^™

Stim1 And Lipid Interactions At Er-Pm Contact Sites, Yuepeng Ke, Ritchel Gannaban, Junchen Liu, Yubin Zhou

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Store-operated calcium (Ca2+) entry (SOCE) represents a major route of Ca2+ permeation across the plasma membrane (PM) in non-excitable cells, which plays an indispensable role in maintaining intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis. This process is orchestrated through the dynamic coupling between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-localized Ca2+ sensor stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1) and the PM-resident ORAI1 channel. Upon depletion of ER Ca2+ stores, STIM1 undergoes conformational rearrangements and oligomerization, leading to translocation of STIM1-containing ER membrane towards the PM. This movement is facilitated by the physical interaction between positively charged cytosolic domains within STIM1 and negatively charged phospholipids embedded in the PM, …

Combining Biology-Based And Mri Data-Driven Modeling To Predict Response To Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy In Patients With Triple-Negative Breast Cancer, Casey E Stowers, Chengyue Wu, Zhan Xu, Sidharth Kumar, Clinton Yam, Jong Bum Son, Jingfei Ma, Jonathan I Tamir, Gaiane M Rauch, Thomas E Yankeelov

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive breast cancer subtype associated with limited targeted treatment options, heterogeneous treatment response, and high risk of early recurrence. Artificial intelligence (AI) has rapidly emerged as a powerful tool to address key clinical challenges in TNBC across diagnosis, treatment response assessment, and prognosis. Diagnostic and staging challenges persist due to variable imaging features in TNBC and limitations in conventional modalities, increasing the risk of delayed detection. Predicting response to neoadjuvant systemic therapy remains difficult, as patient responses are heterogeneous, and existing clinical markers provide limited early predictive value. Prognostication in TNBC is similarly constrained …

Novel Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy Approach For Lattice Radiation Therapy For Bulky Liver Tumors, Christine V Chung, Saurabh S Nair, Meena S Khan, Callistus I Nguyen, Rachael M Martin-Paulpeter, Ethan B Ludmir, Laurence E Court, Joshua S Niedzielski

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: Lattice radiation therapy (LRT) is a type of spatially fractionated radiation therapy that has emerged as an effective treatment approach for bulky solid tumors. RapidArc Dynamic (RAD) is a novel beam delivery approach that may be advantageous for LRT. The purpose of this in silico study was to evaluate and compare a novel RAD-based LRT approach (RAD-LRT) with conventional volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT)-based LRT (VMAT-LRT).

Methods: Twenty patients with bulky liver tumors treated with RT were retrospectively identified. VMAT-LRT and RAD-LRT plans were generated for all patients. Lattice spheres were placed in a standardized hexagonal pattern with alternating …

Accumulated Seizure Burden Predicts Neurodevelopmental Outcome At 36 Months Of Age In Patients With Tuberous Sclerosis Complex, S Katie Z Ihnen, Samuel Alperin, Jamie K Capal, Alexander L Cohen, Jurriaan M Peters, E Martina Bebin, Hope A Northrup, Mustafa Sahin, Darcy A Krueger

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: Epilepsy and intellectual disability are common in tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). Although early life seizures and intellectual disability are known to be correlated in TSC, the differential effects of age at seizure onset and accumulated seizure burden on development remain unclear.

Methods: Daily seizure diaries, serial neurodevelopmental testing, and brain magnetic resonance imaging were analyzed for 129 TSC patients followed from 0 to 36 months. We used machine learning to identify subgroups of patients based on neurodevelopmental test scores at 36 months of age and assessed the stability of those subgroups at 12 months. We tested the ability of …

Development Of Microcystoid Macular Degeneration In The Retina Of Nonhuman Primates: Time-Course And Associated Pathologies, Thomas C M Lavery, Carol A Rasmussen, Alexander W Katz, Charlene B Y Kim, James N Ver Hoeve, Paul E Miller, Peter J Sonnentag, Brian J Christian, Christopher J Murphy, David R Piwnica-Worms, Seth T Gammon, Xudong Qiu, Paul L Kaufman, T Michael Nork

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: Microcystoid macular degeneration (MMD) is a condition where cystoid vacuoles develop within the inner nuclear layer of the retina in humans in a variety of disorders. Here we report the occurrence of MMD in non-human primates (NHPs) with various retinal ganglion cell (RGC) pathologies and evaluate the hypothesis that MMD does not precede RGC loss but follows it.

Methods: Morphological studies were performed of the retinas of NHPs, specifically both rhesus (Macaca mulatta) and cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis), in which MMD was identified after induction of experimental glaucoma (EG), hemiretinal endodiathermy axotomy (HEA), and spontaneous …

Correction: Topss: Tolerability Of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation In Pediatric Stroke Survivors, Stuart Fraser, Anna Clearman, Melika Abrahams, Bernadette Gillick, Tia Lal, Sean Savitz, Nuray Yozbatiran

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2025.1629499.].

Mechanisms Of How Sarcopenia Affects Functional Outcomes In Acute Ischaemic Stroke, Dong-Seok Gwak, Jinyong Chung, Dawid Schellingerhout, Hyerin Oh, Sang-Wuk Jeong, Ji Sung Lee, Dong-Eog Kim

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Sarcopenia, a common geriatric condition characterized by the loss of skeletal muscle mass and function, can negatively affect functional outcomes in acute ischaemic stroke; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We hypothesized that sarcopenia affects post-stroke outcomes, mediated through its impact on dysphagia, early neurological deterioration, or post-stroke recovery, particularly in patients with motor deficits. To explore this hypothesis, we included 600 consecutive elderly (≥65 years) patients with acute (< 1 week) ischaemic stroke and assessed: (i) the relationships sarcopenia has with dysphagia, early neurological deterioration and various phases of recovery after stroke (in-hospital, post-discharge [up to 3 months], and chronic [3 months to 1 year]) and (ii) whether either presenting symptoms or lesion locations modify the impact of sarcopenia on stroke outcomes. Temporal muscle thickness, a marker of sarcopenia, was measured by brain magnetic resonance imaging and dichotomized into low versus high temporal muscle thickness at the 25th percentile cut-off point. Logistic regression analysis, mediation analysis and statistical brain mapping were conducted. Mean age was 75.3 ± 6.1 years and 303 (50.5%) were male. Low temporal muscle thickness (< 5.1 mm) was independently associated with dysphagia (adjusted odds ratio 1.89 [95% confidence interval 1.06–3.37], P = 0.03), early neurological deterioration (adjusted odds ratio 2.75 [95% confidence interval 1.61–4.71], P < 0.001) and post-discharge recovery (adjusted odds ratio 0.56 [95% confidence interval 0.34–0.94], P = 0.03) but not with in-hospital or chronic recovery. In addition, dysphagia, early neurological …

Electrical Characterization Of The Alleged Bio-Memristor Physarum Polycephalum, Markus Schmidt, Günter Seyfried, Uliana Reutina, Zeki Seskir, Eduardo R. Miranda

School of Art, Design and Architecture

This study investigates the potential of the slime mold Physarum polycephalum to function as a bio-memristor. In contrast to earlier reports, our experimental results did not show a significant memristive behavior. Instead, all tested slime molds exhibited elliptical I-V characteristics, attributed to their inherent capacitance. To model this behavior, we developed replacement circuits consisting solely of resistors and capacitors, which accurately reproduced the observed results. While these circuits lack memristive properties, they demonstrate potential utility as sub-circuits in analog applications, such as filters, timing circuits, and phase shift networks. Despite it not being a memristor, P. polycephalum may hold promise …

Intertidal Encounters: Centre For Sustainable Practice In The Arts Quarterly, Sarah Blissett, James Jordan Johnson, Cherry Truluck, Anastasia (A) Alevtin, Monstera Deliciosa, Arbonauts, Sam Hodge, Olga (F) Koroleva

School of Art, Design and Architecture

Intertidal Encounters ask: what are the stories cast up by intertidal being/s and how do they come to matter?

From Recognition To Action: Surf-Driven Governance In The Manly And Freshwater World Surfing Reserve, Kizzy Beaumont, Joao Castro

School of Art, Design and Architecture

Executive summary This report presents findings from a focus group with members of the Manly and Freshwater World Surfing Reserve (WSR) Local Stewardship Council. Participants reflected on changes over the past decade and imagined future pathways for the WSR. Discussions revealed a strong sense of community pride and renewed momentum following the WSR’s relaunch, which has reconnected previously fragmented grassroots efforts.Key challenges identified included surf crowding, political inertia, water pollution, and a lack of formal governance mechanisms. While engagement with the local Council has improved, participants stressed the need for more consistent follow-through, youth inclusion, and funding security. Concerns were …

Balancing Nature And Tradition: Ocean Governance In The Noosa World Surfing Reserve, Kizzy Beaumont, Kirra Molnar, Michael Court

School of Art, Design and Architecture

Executive summary This report captures insights from focus groups and interviews held in Noosa in September 2024 as part of ongoing research into Transformative Ocean Governance. Participants shared reflections on the successes and struggles of the Noosa World Surfing Reserve (WSR) and outlined visions for its future.The WSR was praised for its cultural importance, environmental values, and grassroots leadership, but concerns were raised about crowding, tourism pressure, outdated policies, and fragmented governance. Participants highlighted gaps in environmental and surf-amenity data, funding shortages, and limited capacity to engage diverse community voices. Governance overlaps between the WSR, Council, and Biosphere Reserve have …

Canopy Functional Trait Variation Across Earth’S Tropical Forests, Jesús Aguirre-Gutiérrez, Sophie Fauset, Sami W. Rifai, Xiongjie Deng, Hans Ter Steege, Eleanor Thomson, Jose Javier Corral-Rivas, Aretha Franklin Guimaraes, Sandra Muller, Joice Klipel, Angelica F. Resende, Göran Wallin, Carlos A. Joly, Katharine Abernethy, Stephen Adu-Bredu, Celice Alexandre Silva, Edmar Almeida De Oliveira, Danilo R. A. Almeida, Esteban Alvarez-Davila, Gregory P. Asner, Timothy R. Baker, Maíra Benchimol, Lisa Patrick Bentley, Erika Berenguer, Lilian Blanc, Damien Bonal, Kauane Bordin, Robson Borges De Lima, Sabine Both, Jaime Cabezas Duarte

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Tropical forest canopies are the biosphere’s most concentrated atmospheric interface for carbon, water and energy1,2. However, in most Earth System Models, the diverse and heterogeneous tropical forest biome is represented as a largely uniform ecosystem with either a singular or a small number of fixed canopy ecophysiological properties3. This situation arises, in part, from a lack of understanding about how and why the functional properties of tropical forest canopies vary geographically4. Here, by combining field-collected data from more than 1,800 vegetation plots and tree traits with satellite remote-sensing, terrain, climate and soil data, we predict variation across 13 morphological, structural …

Relationships Between Sediment Size Distribution And Microplastic Abundance And Characteristics Along The Strandline Of A Sandy Embayment (Whitsand, Southwest England), Oliver J. Fenn, Edward J. Walklett, Andrew Turner

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Beach sediments taken from 1 m² areas of strandline across an embayment in southwest England (Whitsand) have been analysed for grain size distribution and elemental content. Large (1–5 mm) and small (< 1 mm) microplastics were isolated by sieving and flotation in NaBr solution, respectively, and characterised by size, shape, colour and polymeric makeup. Sediments displayed varying median diameters and degrees of sorting but distributions were always positively skewed. Concentrations of Fe, K, Mn and Ti were relatively invariant, but Ca concentrations exhibited heterogeneous distributions across the bay. Large microplastics were largely composed of polyolefin-based pre-production pellets, bio-beads and fragments whose numbers were correlated with each other. Positive and inverse relationships between beads and sediment skewness and sorting, respectively, suggests that deposition of this type of plastic is favoured where sediment is well-sorted and contains a high proportion of fine material. Small microplastics were dominated by fragments and fibres <200 μm in size composed of a broader array of polymers (including epoxy resin, polyetherimide and polyvinyl alcohol). Fibres exhibited an inverse relationship with bead and pellet abundance but there was no evidence of dependency on grain size distribution, and their presence is attributed to entrapment in interstitial spaces between sediment grains. Compositional differences between large (1–5 mm) and small (< 1 mm) microplastic fragments suggests they are derived from different sources, with the former coupled with pellet and bead deposition and the latter small enough to be retained in interstitial spaces with fibres. However, a positive relationship between mean (small) fragment size and median sediment diameter suggests that their retention is more constrained by interstitial space than fibres. The study provides evidence that microplastics of different size and shape behave differently but are, ultimately, related to or controlled by sediment size distribution in the coastal littoral zone.

Interactions Of Anthropogenic Microfibres With The Marine Macroalga, Ulva Lactuca, Adam Collins, Andrew Turner

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Little information exists on the interactions between microfibres (MFs) and marine macroalgae. In this study, the translucent green seaweed, Ulva lactuca, has been exposed to ∼2 mg L⁻¹ suspensions of MFs prepared from dryer lint under controlled conditions, with MFs on the alga surface and remaining in seawater subsequently counted and characterised. MFs were mainly <2 mm and cellulosic, and contained various additives and chemicals used in textile treatment. Interactions of MFs with U. lactuca were spatially heterogeneous but correcting for pre-existent MFs on the surface, mean trapping efficiencies on a dry mass and surface area basis were 252 mL g⁻¹ and 0.858 mL cm⁻², respectively. Despite this heterogeneity, there was evidence of differential trapping based on fibre colour and length. Interactions between the amphiphilic algal surface and MFs are likely both hydrophobic and electrostatic and are not fully reversible, with only …

A Systematic Review Of Biomonitoring Microplastics In Environmental Matrices: Emphasis On Airborne Particles, Dry Deposits, And Comparative Analysis With Traditional Methods, Faezeh Jahedi, Neamatollah Jaafarzadeh Haghighi Fard, Andrew Turner

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The use of plastics continues to rise each year due to their versatility and essential role in industries like manufacturing, agriculture, and food packaging. However, plastics present a serious environmental challenge because they take over 500 years to decompose. During this time, they break down into tiny particles known as microplastics (MPs), which are now found everywhere, water, soil, and even the air we breathe. Recently, researchers have even detected MPs in clouds, making their presence in the atmosphere a growing concern for both the environment and public health. Traditional methods for sampling MPs in the air, such as active …

Care‐Ful Encounters: A Case For Empathetic Youthful Encounters With Coastal Environments, Mark Holton

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

This paper extends discourse of environmental stewardship and coastal management by examining the intersecting and overlapping relationships between notions of care and encounter in generating and maintaining forms of environmental empathy among young people at various socio-spatial scales. Exploring ‘care-ful encounters’ matters in terms of developing new ways of understanding how the choreographies of care and self-care shape, and are shaped by, encounters with human and non-human others, and prompts critical engagement and reflection with care as felt and experienced, that could otherwise be considered as distanced and ‘over there‘. Two key contributions emerge – first, that the combined role …

Metal Contamination In Sediments Of An Estuary Impacted By Discharges Of Antifouling Waste (Yealm, Southwest England), Oliver Bradley, Gillian A. Glegg, Geoffrey E. Millward, Andrew Turner

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The Yealm is a small, protected estuary in southwest England. A paint-testing laboratory on the estuary operated from the 1920s until 2011 but sometime in 2015 or 2016, an unauthorised discharge of antifouling waste occurred. In this study, concentrations of metals and forms thereof associated with contemporary and historical antifouling formulations (As, Cu, Hg, Pb, Sn, Zn, organic Hg, organic Sn), along with other elements of geochemical or anthropogenic interest, were measured in fractionated (<180 μm) surface sediments at different distances from the discharge. Close to the discharge, concentrations of organic-Sn, representative of tributyltin, exceeded a level that requires material disposal in landfill; here and upestuary, concentrations of Cu and Hg exceeded respective predicted effect levels for estuarine sediments. Analysis of paint flakes isolated from sediments outside the laboratory revealed similar chemical signatures (high concentrations of Cu in most flakes and high levels of Hg and Sn in several cases), consistent with antifouling paint being the cause of contamination. Concentrations of Cu, Hg and organic Sn in sections of a dated core sampled close to the discharge exhibited enrichment since the opening of the laboratory nearly 100 years ago, with distinctive peaks for Hg and organic Sn coincident with periods shortly after these biocidal metals began to be phased out or restricted. These observations suggest that historical waste discharges may have been important and that any remediation measures will be challenging. The general observations might also be applicable to other facilities where contemporary and legacy antifouling waste is commonly discharged to sediments (e.g., boatyards).

An Exploratory Investigation Of The Impact Of Psychological Intimate Partner Violence On College Women: A Qualitative Study, Dana Juel Conzemius-Schindler

Theses and Dissertations

Researchers have found psychological intimate partner violence (P-IPV; defined as emotional and verbal abuse utilized to degrade, demean, create fear, control, or isolate; Tolman, 1989; Sullivan et al., 2012) is detrimental to mental health functioning, including increased sexual risk behaviors, depressive and anxious symptomology, and relationship dissatisfaction (Hellemans et al., 2015; Overstreet et al., 2015). Despite this, little is known regarding the academic and psychological lived experiences of survivors of P-IPV. Therefore, the current study sought to qualitatively explore the lived experiences of female-identified students exposed to psychological intimate partner violence while in college. Through a Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR; …

Ecological Dynamics In Beaver-Engineered Boreal Wetlands: Amphibian Phenology, Occupancy, And Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Communities, Talon Stammen

Theses and Dissertations

Boreal wetlands are ecologically rich yet vulnerable ecosystems shaped by hydrological dynamics, cold climate regimes, and landscape-scale disturbances. Among the most influential agents of change in these systems are beavers (Castor canadensis), whose engineering activities create a mosaic of lentic habitats at varying stages of ecological succession. This dissertation investigates the structure and dynamics of amphibian and aquatic macroinvertebrate communities across a beaver-influenced wetland landscape in Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota, USA.The first study (Chapter II) examines breeding phenology and detection patterns of boreal anurans using a combination of passive acoustic monitoring and visual encounter surveys at 25 wetlands over four …

The Necessity Of Electric School Bus: A Comparative Study Of Myanmar And Vietnam, Yang Ho Lee, Saeyeon Roh, Jin Woong Yoo

Plymouth Business School

Purpose: This research aims to ascertain key factors which influence the necessity of South Korean electric school buses in Myanmar and Vietnam. The interest in business sustainability and the demand for electric or safe school buses are increasing in Myanmar and Vietnam. Design/methodology/approach: As quantitative research, this study relies on a non-probability sampling method to collect data sets from experts in both countries. As this research covers three steps, including 1) literature reviews, 2) preliminary analysis and 3) Consistent Fuzzy Preference Relations (CFPR) analysis, robust outcomes were found and established in this study. Findings: Among five driving factors, including 1) …

Mesotopia: Towards A Place Of Lyrical Inquiry, Tristan Verran

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

This research project is a comprehensive investigation into the practical applications of a theoretical place of creative intuition I have called ‘the mesotopia’. A mesotopia is a place between conceptual and physical terrains in which inter-object experiential encounters are turned into communicative events. Mesotopian thinking unsettles purely anthropocentric utopian or dystopian future visions, as well as romantic images of Arcadian pasts. I have been attending to the material present of our coastal regions while attempting to intuit, rather than imagine, concealed aspects of these compositional sites. This thesis argues that attending to local environments using a more embodied form of …

Creative Psychotherapy, Including Art. A Module For Pluralistic Identities And A Case Study From An Artist's Perspective., Amani Alsaad

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

This thesis investigates the complexities of pluralistic identities, focusing on Arab Muslims in non-Muslim countries and Westerners residing in the Arabian Gulf. Grounded in the author’s dual heritage as an Arab Muslim artist and psychological practitioner, this study offers a distinctive perspective informed by lived experience. The author’s unique background, shaped by a Saudi Arabian birthplace and upbringing in the United Kingdom, serves as a foundation for this multidisciplinary research.The study aims to develop a creative psychotherapy module integrating art-making as a therapeutic technique to address the mental health challenges faced by individuals with pluralistic identities. These challenges, arising from …

Ontological Machines: Subjectivity And Relational Desire In Immersive And Interactive Environments, Toby Chanter

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

This practice-based artistic research focuses on two contemporary spaces; namely the pedagogical spaces of healthcare Simulation Based Education (SBE), and the exhibition spaces of installation art. These seemingly unrelated activities share a range of technological and operational similarities that render their combined study under the banner of ‘immersive and interactive environments’ both novel and necessary. The lack of broad engagement with questions of representation, aesthetics, and affect is conspicuous in an educational practice that is reliant on, and implemented through, a network of overtly visual mediums, material technologies, and sensory modalities. In healthcare SBE, clinical skills are acquired, and medical …

And The Skylarks Called Out Your Name: Posthuman Encounters With Loss Through Embracing The More-Than-Human World., Jennifer-Anne Bradbury-Crowther

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

Howling at the sea, tears in damp morning air, songs on the wind, syrup-thick summer warmth, dawn before midnight, red moon, humming, whispers. Meet me where the sky meets the sea. This thesis proposes that immersion in the more-than-human world offers possibilities for an exploration of loss and its transformative potential. Loss here not only relates to personal bereavement, but also to a lack of connection with the natural world; in these post-Covid days many are feeling overwhelmed by feelings of isolation and alienation and a sense that something intrinsic has been lost in the modern world.Posthumanism creates a supportive …

Grassroots Playwriting : Practice-Led Research Exploring The Impact Of Producing Historical Verse Drama For A Local Community, Chris Savery

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

Christ SaveryGrassroots Playwriting: Practice-led research exploring the Impact of Producing Historical Verse Drama for a local CommunityOver the past thirty years, Practice as Research has contributed to a deeper understanding of theatre ecology, particularly in relation to the complexities and nuances of grassroots community theatre. This study builds upon this body of knowledge by addressing the question: How can the creation and performance of a historical verse drama by a self-producing grassroots playwright serve as a catalyst for community engagement? Central to this thesis is the investigation into my role as a self-producing playwright within the context of grassroots theatre, …

Un-Framing Transiting Trajectories: A ‘Beyond Disciplinary’ Approach To Curating In The Context Of Art And Science Discourse, Christina Ioanna Kazakou

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

Abstract

Above And Below The Horizon: A Practice-Led Investigation Into Liminal Thresholds Of Bodies Of Water, Rachael Allain

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

This thesis contributes to the debate on the interactions between art, science, and phenomenological experience, whilst offering new possibilities for investigation in this interdisciplinary field. The research investigated thresholds of the aquatic horizon; the outline in the distance where sky and water appear to coalesce. Artistic practice and critical discourse challenged and interrogated the intersection between analogue and digital, still and moving technologies, revealing aspects of the physical and conceptual horizons within and beyond the visible light spectrum. A range of theoretical concepts reconfigured my readings and interpretations of the phases of experience, through liminality and phenomenology. This provided a …

The Resistant Body In Sound: Cripping Music Creation Through Technology, Embodiment, And Disability Philosophy, Amble Ysgawen-Skuse

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

We are currently in a period where many music organisations are beginning to engage with disabled artists as a part of their diversity agenda. However, practice seems limited to questions of physical access to spaces and asks little around the philosophies of disability and how that might change the way that we think about working with disabled creatives. If issues of physical access are all that are taken into consideration we risk creating projects which embed ableists assumptions and practices into our disabled music making, which results in negative experiences for disabled artists. In order to make the progression of …

Determinants Of Sme Internationalisation In Developing Economies: An In-Depth Analysis Of The Sri Lankan Market, Sumalka Mendis

Plymouth Business School Theses

This research explores how internationalisation intersects with Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) when considering the global economy. The focus of the research is on the ways in which SMEs engage in internationalisation, particularly through exporting, and examines the role of government policies in supporting this process. The study highlights a noticeable research gap related to the barriers encountered by SMEs in underdeveloped economies and the service sector. These areas have received little attention in existing literature, which are focussed on developed nations and considering manufacturing firms.Through a case study of Sri Lanka, this research aims to evaluate the barriers towards …

An Investigation Of Maritime Piracy And Its Implications To The Development And Sustainability Of The Port Harcourt Seaport, Its Local Communities And The Niger Delta Region In Nigeria., Nsikan Umoette

Plymouth Business School Theses

ABSTRACTWithin the last decade, widespread ramifications of maritime piracy occasioned by insurmountable piratical attacks in the Gulf of Guinea region have been evidently seen in the Nigerian territorial waters with hallmarks on strategic areas in the Niger Delta region, Nigeria – the Port Harcourt seaport, its local communities, and the Niger Delta region. It is against this backdrop that this study investigates maritime piracy and its implications for the development and sustainability of the Port Harcourt Seaport, its local communities, and the Niger Delta region in Nigeria. Incorporating maritime piracy and sustainability in the literature review showed the social and …