Rapid Electrochemical Biosensor With Enhanced Accuracy And Repeatability Using Pyrene Nhs Ester Modified 3d Graphene Electrodes, S. Nazir, D. Jenkins, G. Pan

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

A consistent and reproducible chemical modification of the transducer interface is essential to ensure effectiveimmobilization of bioreceptors, thereby improving the sensitivity and reproducibility of biosensors. Althoughnotable progress has been made in fabricating graphene-based biosensors, the effects of surface biofunctionalization on sensing performance remain not fully understood. This study shows that combining threedimensional (3D) graphene foam electrodes with a straightforward, single-step surface biofunctionalizationmethod is key to enhancing the performance of graphene-based biosensors. Specifically, it presents a single-stepapproach to functionalize the 3D graphene foam (Gii-Sens) with 1-pyrenebutyric acid N-hydroxysuccinimideester (Pyrene-NHS ester). Electrochemical techniques, including cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulsevoltammetry (DPV), confirmed …

Shelled Shut-Ins: A Conditional Escape Task Showing Perceptual Awareness In Hermit Crabs, Ari Drummond, John Spicer, Mark Briffa

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Sentience is an increasingly popular topic in animal welfare and behavioural research. However, studying sentience can be difficult and contentious. Sentience has frequently been associated with ‘feelings’ and ‘subjective states’ not directly accessible to human observers; thus, investigating awareness in animals could be an alternative approach. Frameworks of awareness have been developed for the experimental examination of cognitive capacities that might underpin ‘feelings’ as affective states and subjective experiences. Using a framework of four hierarchically arranged levels of awareness (that is, perceptual, cognitive, assessment and executive), the awareness of an intertidal crustacean, the common hermit crab, Pagurus bernhardus , was …

Measuring Outcomes In Evaluations Of Interventions To Prevent Youth Crime And Violence: Challenges And Potential Solutions, Sajid Humayun, Finlay Green, Helen Downham, Nick Axford

Peninsula Medical School

There is a clear imperative to prevent youth crime and violence owing to the significant social and economic costs for individuals involved and wider society. A considerable evidence base for ‘what works’ in this space exists but gaps remain. To address these, it is necessary to evaluate intervention effectiveness. The aim of this article is to explore challenges and potential solutions regarding outcome measurement in such evaluations. To do this we draw on the literature and our experience as evaluators. We argue that outcome selection should be informed by a robust theory of change, and that normally this will mean …

Growth In The Margins: Field Measured Protein Metabolism Rates In The Common Limpet, Patella Vulgata, Ignacio A. Cienfuegos, Benjamin J. Ciotti, Richard A. Billington, Paul A. Sutton, Keiron P.P. Fraser

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Intertidal shores are characterised by a high variability in abiotic conditions, resulting in marked daily, tidal, seasonal and vertical differences in stress conditions, yet our ability to understand the consequences for key physiological processes at corresponding scales are limited. In particular, no previous studies have directly measured protein metabolism, the key process underpinning animal growth, in the field, in any organism. We measured whole-animal (SGR) and tissue (TSGR) mass growth, protein metabolism (synthesis (k_s), degradation (k_d) and growth (k_g)), RNA to protein ratios and oxidative stress in Patella vulgata in the field every season …

Microplastics, Nanoplastics And Liver Disease: An Emerging Health Concern?, Shilpa Chokshi, Ashwin Dhanda, Matthew E. Cramp, Richard Thompson

Peninsula Medical School

Human liver tissue has been found to contain microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs), with evidence that hepatic MNP accumulation has markedly increased over the past 10 years, prompting critical questions regarding their potential causal role in liver disease. In cell-based and murine models, MNP exposure can trigger oxidative stress, fibrogenesis and inflammation, pathological features that resemble those of advanced liver disease, suggesting shared mechanistic pathways. Furthermore, the capacity for MNPs to act as vectors for microbial pathogens, antimicrobial resistance, endocrine-disrupting chemicals and carcinogenic additives might have important implications for liver pathology. This Perspective examines emerging evidence on the consequences of MNPs …

Designing A Mobile App For Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: Insights From Lived Experience And Clinical Practice, Rohit Shankar, Richard Laugharne, Michael Loizou, Marius Varga, Sivia Lin, Bojana Daw Srdanovic, Roger Farrell

Peninsula Medical School

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a disabling anxiety disorder precipitated by severe trauma. Many people with this condition have little access to clinical interventions, especially in low-middle-income countries. For the development of any digital health intervention, it is vital to know the opinions of PLE and clinicians to guide the developers. We conducted two focus groups, one with clinicians (n = 5) and one with people with lived experience (PLE) (n = 11), to gain knowledge of their views on the development of a PTSD App. Transcripts of both focus groups were coded and thematically analysed. The key themes that …

Royal College Of Psychiatrists College Report 244: Optimising Psychotropic Medication Prescribing For People With Intellectual Disability, Rohit Shankar

Peninsula Medical School

No abstract provided.

Testing The Transferability Of Ai Models For Cold-Water Coral Detection And Classification, Kyran P. Graves, Louise Allcock, David K.A. Barnes, Amelia E.H. Bridges, Kerry L. Howell

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

The proliferation of accessible deep-water imaging platforms has resulted in the acquisition of vast amounts of image data, resulting in an analysis bottleneck. Object detection is now being applied to assist the image annotation process, with the potential to reduce analysis time. However, for object detectors to effectively tackle the scale of the challenge, models need to be generalisable to allow the transfer between imaging platforms and in space. This study trains YOLOv5 object detection models to identify six coral morphology groups using annotated imagery collected by ROV ISIS in the UK (JC136). Model performance was tested with independent datasets …

Best Practice Guidelines For Professional Carers In Emergency Seizure Medication, Rohit Shankar

Peninsula Medical School

No abstract provided.

Picturing The Past: The Role Of Photo Cue Visual Perspective On Positive Autobiographical Memory Recall In Dysphoria, Sarah Snow, Zachary Adolph Niese, Julie L Ji

School of Psychology

Positive autobiographical memory plays a key role in emotional well-being and is distorted by cognitive processing biases in dysphoria. This experiment investigated how the visual perspectives (first-person vs. third-person) of personal photographs influence recall of positive memories depending on dysphoria. Eighty-five participants (42 low dysphoria, 43 high dysphoria) submitted photos of positive events from both perspectives. Later, participants recalled these events while viewing either a first- or third-person photo before rating and describing their memory. While first-person photos promoted more recall from an own-eyes vantage point regardless of dysphoria level, dysphoria was still associated with greater observer-like recall, reduced mental …

Enhancing Monitoring In Protected Areas: Evaluating Mobile Apps As A Tourism Proxy, Jorge Costa, Alberto Gomes, Martin Stokes, Miguel Saraiva

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Crowdsourced data, such as that from mobile fitness apps (MFAs), has the potential to transform tourism research. This opportunity is particularly valuable as tourism to protected areas (PAs) increases, making it more difficult to manage their environmental impacts. However, such data sources come with challenges. Therefore, their representativeness should be carefully evaluated, particularly as their use continues to grow. We use the Paiva Walkways (Portugal) to assess MFAs as a tourism proxy using Spearman’s rank correlation, to evaluate kernel density and fishnet methods for spatialising visitor movements, and to analyse the visitors’ spatiotemporal behaviour using GIS, kernel density estimation, and …

Making The Implicit Explicit: Leadership In Primary Care Dental Practice, Sally Hanks, Debby R.E. Cotton

Peninsula Dental School

Objectives: This paper reports on research aimed at understanding leadership activities in primary care dental practice, an under-explored area within the extant literature. Methods: The research employed a qualitative, exploratory paradigm, using Video Reflexive Ethnography (VRE) and Activity Theory (AT) to capture the lived experiences of seven participating dentists. Results: The research outlines the ways in which dentists demonstrate leadership skills in their daily work, identifying three interacting activity systems that define leadership in this setting: Patient Care (PC), Running the Surgery (RS), and Running the Practice (RP). Findings emphasise that leadership is directly related to patient care and is …

Numerical Study Of Air Vents Influence On Wave Forces Acting On Box-Type Bridge Girders With Cavities Under Storm Surge, Khalida H. Jihad

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Along with the continuous rise of sea level, direct interaction between elevated coastal structures, such as coastal bridges, and seawater during storm surge, has been shown to potentially cause bridge failures in the past. For example, Hurricane Irma (2017) generated storm surge levels exceeding 2-3 m in portions of South Florida, causing widespread transportation disruption including roadway washouts, erosion, and bridge approach damage along US-1 in Florida Keys. Similar failures have occurred during Hurricane Ivan (2004), where uplift forces displaced spans of the Escambia Bay Bridge, and Hurricane Ian (2022), which caused partial collapse of the Sanibel Causeway when elevated …

Investigating The Effects Of Pressure On Fe And Co Intercalated 2h-Tas2 Through First-Principle Calculations, Ronald E. Putnam Jr.

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Using first-principles methods, we investigate the effects of applied isotropic pressure on the electronic and magnetic properties of intercalated Fe1/3TaS2 and Co1/3TaS2. Fe1/3TaS2 has been shown to be a ferromagnet that undergoes structural and magnetic phase transitions under applied pressure. The magnetic phase transitions are observed to be linked to the structural shift, and a mixture of magnetic phase states is present between 3 GPa and 6 GPa. Co1/3TaS2 was found to be antiferromagnetic, as confirmed by experimental work. One- and two-unit-cell systems of Co1/3TaS2 are analyzed, both showing band splitting that disappears under pressure. The application of pressure forces …

What Novice Educators Find Supportive, Robin M. Bossinger

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Teacher shortages have increased in the past two decades, creating greater emphasis on recruitment, talent development, and retention efforts for educational leaders. Novice educators feature prominently in these considerations. A teacher’s first years can be extremely challenging, and induction, the professional learning experiences specific to early career professionals, is often considered the answer. Despite the seeming ubiquity of induction, there is much variability in interpretation, enactment and outcomes. While it is generally accepted that some induction is better than no induction, new teachers deserve more intentionally designed support.

This study sought to reexamine assumptions about induction, adding to the literature …

Exploring The Undergraduate Student Perceptions Of Sense Of Belonging At Their University: A Q-Methodological Approach, Jose Acevedo

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

       The transition to higher education is a significant life event requiring substantial social, academic, and psychological adjustment, during which a powerful sense of belonging is critical for student success and retention. While traditional models of student retention often prioritize support services and academic integration, they frequently overlook the intricate relational dynamics and deeply personal subjective experiences that shape belonging. This research utilized Q methodology to explore the multifaceted ways undergraduate students at the University of North Florida (UNF) understand and prioritize the determinants of institutional belonging. Guided by an integrated conceptual framework of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, Self-Determination Theory, Social …

Finding Community: Addressing Doctoral Student Loneliness And Fostering Belonging In Higher Education, Sydney Hamrick

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Doctoral students often experience loneliness, isolation, marginalization, and other challenges related to belonging. While prior research has connected belonging to persistence, well-being, and academic success, little is known about doctoral students’ lived experiences of belonging and loneliness. This hermeneutic phenomenological study, grounded in Max van Manen’s Phenomenology of Practice, guided by the Sense of Community Theory and informed by a Transformative Worldview, explored how institutional, structural, relational, and personal factors shaped doctoral students’ experiences. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using an interpretive phenomenological approach informed by van Manen’s lifeworld existentials, including lived relation, lived space, lived …

Teacher Judgment In The Age Of Artificial Intelligence: Collaborative Inquiry Into Generative Ai For Udl-Aligned Instructional Planning In Elementary English Language Arts, Melissa G. Metz

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This action research study explores how teacher-facing generative artificial intelligence (GAI), specifically Google Gemini, can support educators in UDL-aligned instructional planning within a Title I elementary school. Although AI is often discussed in terms of student-facing applications, less is known about how GAI can assist teachers with lesson planning, differentiation, and the demands of sustaining inclusive Tier I instruction. Guided by a conceptual framework integrating Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and technology integration perspectives, the study engaged four educators in collaborative inquiry through AI Visioning Workshops, reflections, interviews, and planning artifacts.

Data were analyzed through iterative coding, analytic memoing, and …

Implementing Multi-Tiered Systems Of Support For School-Based Mental Health Services: An Explanatory Case Study Of An Elementary School, Laura Acker

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative explanatory case study examined how school-based mental health services (SBMHS) are implemented within an elementary school’s Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS). Guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) and sensemaking theory, the study examined how educators and school-based professionals interpret and enact their roles in supporting student mental health within educational contexts. Data were collected through interviews with five MTSS team members and analyzed using a combination of deductive and inductive coding. Results showed that mental health implementation is not a fully integrated system of supports but rather a process shaped by roles and relationships influenced …

The Un-Bridged Pipeline: Leading And Preparing Women Of Color To Senior-Level Higher Education Administration, Jacqueline D. Slater

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Despite increased educational attainment among Black women, representation in senior‑level leadership positions within higher education remains limited. This qualitative study examines the experiences of Black women who serve or have served in senior‑level academic administrative roles and explores how those experiences inform guidance, preparation, and decision‑making for future Black women leaders. The study focuses on practical barriers, workplace realities, and strategies that shape leadership entry, advancement, and retention.

Using a descriptive case study design, five Black women with professional experience as presidents, provosts, vice provosts, and academic deans participated in semi‑structured interviews lasting 45 to 75 minutes. Purposeful sampling ensured …

The Composition Of Gases From A Diffusion Flame Above Longleaf Pine Needle Fuel Beds, David R. Weise, Thomas H. Fletcher, Timothy J. Johnson, Weimin Hao, Russell G. Tonkyn, Catherine A. Banach, Javier Palarea-Albaladejo, Mahsa Alizadeh, Stephen Baker

Faculty Publications

The gas and tar composition of a wildland fire diffusion flame from longleaf pine needles is currently relatively unmeasured and more data are needed to fill in the gap between pyrolysis data and smoke plume data, thus improving physical and chemical modeling of wildland smoke formation. A pilot experiment to measure light gas and tar composition of such a flame is described for three flame zones: persistent flame (flame base), intermittent flame, and smoke plume. Flame gases from 24 experimental fires were collected in canisters and analyzed for CO2, CO, H2, CH4, and C2 to C7 hydrocarbon gases. Other light …

Experimental Investigations Of Cataract-Related Visual Degradation, Intraocular Lens Optics And Dynamic Stability, Sherrie Choy

School of Health Professions Theses

Cataract commonly occurs in older adults and is associated with degraded vision, impaired mobility and increased risk of falls. Cataract surgery restores transparency of the optical media by replacing the natural lens with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL). Modern toric and aspheric IOLs can improve optical quality and refractive outcomes; yet their potential impact on dynamic balance and fall risk is not well understood. This thesis used an experimental research methodology to examine how controlled changes in visual quality, arising from simulated cataract and from differences in IOL design, toric alignment and aberration profile, influence dynamic stability and gaze behaviour, …

Digital Marine Citizenship Training Module: Toolkit For Digital Placemaking, Katharine Willis

School of Art, Design and Architecture

As a coastal nation, the UK has long drawn inspiration from the sea - shaping our history through travel, industry, the arts, leisure and more. The coastline remains a place of identity and possibility. It also offers signifi cant benefi ts for health, wellbeing and connection, yet many local people are disconnected from nearby shores.This Training Module is an easy to use resource to reimagine community relationships with the sea and make coastal spaces more inclusive, welcoming and vibrant for all.Connected SeascapesOrigins of the Training Module The Connected Seascapes Toolkit stems from a collaborative project between Plymouth City Council, the …

Adherence And Compliance With Exercise Training In Progressive Multiple Sclerosis: Rates And Correlates From The Cogex Trial, Cogex Research Team, Robert W. Motl, Andrew Argie, Roberto S. Hernandez, Brian M. Sandroff, Maria Pia Amato, Giampaolo Brichetto, Jeremy Chataway, Nancy D. Chiaravalloti, Gary Cutter, Ulrik Dalgas, John Deluca, Rachel Farrell, Peter Feys, Massimo Filippi, Jennifer Freeman, Matilde Inglese, Cecilia Meza, Maria A. Rocca, Amber Salter, Anthony Feinstein

School of Health Professions

Background: There is limited understanding of adherence and compliance rates for exercise training(ET) in people with progressive multiple sclerosis(PMS).Objectives: This secondary, exploratory data analysis examined rates of adherence and compliance for continuous, moderate intensity training and high-intensity intervaltraining(HIIT) and possible correlates among people with PMS from the CogEx trial.Methods: CogEx was a multi-site, multi-arm, randomized, double-blinded, and shamcontrolled trial undertaken by 11 sites in six di8erent countries. Participants(N=311) wererandomized into one of four conditions with di8erent combinations of ET and cognitive rehabilitation, including respective sham conditions, delivered twice weekly over 12 weeks.The analysis focused on adherence and compliance rates and …

Rethinking Remimazolam: Reconciling Regulatory Positioning With Clinical Reality, Theodora Wingert, J Robert Sneyd

More Faculty of Health Research

Goyal and colleagues share a large United States health system’s experience of 9431 cases of real-world remimazolam use, offering insight into current practice patterns, recovery times, and accurate adverse event rates. The authors report rapid recovery after remimazolam, including shorter time to post-anaesthesia care unit discharge readiness and faster return to baseline on the Richmond Agitation–Sedation Scale following flumazenil administration, with a critical event rate of 0.7%. Interesting practice patterns were observed, including frequent co-administration with other anaesthetics rather than as a sole agent. Although only licensed for procedural sedation in the United States, the authors reported extensive use of …

The Career Choices Of Final Year Nursing Students In The United Kingdom: A Qualitative Study., Kevin Hambridge, Frazer Underwood, Gosia Bettache, Matt Carey, Halil Kaya, Lisa Burrows, Rachel Tims, Christian Brailsford

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Aim: The aim of this study is to explore the career choices of final year under-graduate nursing students in the United Kingdom. Background: Worldwide there is a decreasing number of nurses and in the United Kingdom there is a decreasing amount of nursing students. There is sparce evidence relating to the career's choices of nursing students and reasons for those choices. Obtaining a deeper comprehension of these choices may aid healthcare employers, in partnership with universities, to design the future nursing workforce. Design: A qualitative design was used. Methods: Twenty-one final year under-graduate nursing students from across a range of …

Mapping The Role Of Occupational Therapy Within Primary Care Services: A Scoping Review, Katie-Mai Davies, Alison Warren, Sam Wakley

School of Health Professions

Introduction:Occupational therapy is named a key profession within primary care, with growing demand due to an ageing population and increase of people living with long-term conditions. Despite this, occupational therapy within primary care remains an evolving, under researched area of practice. This scoping review explored the role of occupational therapy within primary care including the populations and interventions currently provided.Methods:The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology for scoping reviews was followed with systematic searches conducted across CINAHL, PubMED and AMED databases with grey literature also sourced. The findings are presented in tabular format and analysed using descriptive statistics and frequency counts …

Defining Consensus‐Based Components For Integrating Dietitians Into Primary Dental Care For Paediatric Populations: A Delphi Study, Lauren Hallewell, Raul Bescos, Zoe Brookes, Robert Witton, Patricia Casas‐Agustench

School of Health Professions

Background: Diet is a modifiable risk factor linking oral and systemic health, contributing to dental caries and weight-related outcomes (including underweight, overweight and obesity) in the paediatric population. However, dietary advice provided by dental professionals in primary dental care is often brief and sugar-focused, representing a missed opportunity to address shared risk factors. Integrating dietitians into primary dental care may support more holistic paediatric preventative care. Objective: To develop expert consensus on the components required to integrate dietitians into primary dental care to address diet as a common risk factor in paediatric oral health and weight-related outcomes. Methods: A three-round …

Presence And Characteristics Of Plastics And Microplastics On The Seabed Of The Western English Channel, Faye Read, Andrew Turner

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Little is known about the presence, distribution, origins and characteristics of plastic litter and microplastics on the ocean floor. In this study, plastics trawled from the bed of the western English Channel have been categorised and analysed by a variety of optical and spectroscopic techniques. A total of 90 plastic samples were classified, in descending order of abundance, as food-drink packaging, unknown, homeware, military and fishing. Most samples showed varying degrees of weathering (e.g., discolouration, distortion, cracking, fragmentation) and were visibly fouled by calcareous deposits. The majority of samples were constructed of polymers of negative buoyancy (e.g., polyamides, polyethylene terephthalate …

The Hows And Whys Of Gendered Grouping Practices In Primary Physical Education In England, Shaun D. Wilkinson, Annette Stride, Dawn Penney

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Single- and mixed-sex grouping have long been a focus of attention in physical education (PE) and are matters often at the fore of discussions about curriculum planning, teaching, and learning. Nonetheless, there remains little consensus or guidance on which approach (or combination of approaches) should be preferred in PE in primary and secondary schools in England. Further, while single- and mixed-sex grouping have been extensively researched in PE in secondary schools, hitherto there remains an absence of research examining these practices in PE in primary schools. This research sought to address gaps in the literature to build a stronger …