Digital Commons Network^™

The Digital Loophole: Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Child Age Verification Methods On Social Media, Fatmaelzahraa Eltaher Ph.D, Rahul Gajula, Luis Miralles-Pechuán, Christina Thorpe, Susan Mckeever

Conference papers

Social media platforms are an integral part of daily life for nearly five billion people worldwide. However, the growing presence of underage users on these platforms raises significant concerns regarding children's exposure to harmful content and its impact on their mental health. This paper examines the effectiveness of age verification measures implemented on leading platforms Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and X. We evaluate the age verification processes required for account creation by simulating the registration steps for minors on these platforms. We also compare these methods to best practices in online age assurance in finance, betting and public transportation …

Synthesising Cross-Speaker Data For Low-Resource Pathological Speech Recognition With Peft, Kesego Mokgosi, Milad Dadgar, Cathy Ennis, Robert Ross

Conference papers

Dysarthric speech recognition is essential for enhancing communication and accessibility for individuals with speech impairments, yet its development is hindered by a scarcity of robust, speaker-specific datasets. This study explores low-resource dysarthric speech recognition through cross-speaker transfer using synthetic data and parameter-efficient fine-tuning (PEFT). We integrate SpeechT5 text-to-speech (TTS) synthesis with x-vector speaker embeddings to generate speaker-specific dysarthric speech, enabling model adaptation while preserving pathological speech characteristics such as prosodic irregularities. Experiments on the TORGO dataset show that mixed cross-synthetic data with LoRA fine-tuning achieves a WER of 0.17, representing a 71.7% improvement over the standard model (0.60 WER) without …

Fostering A Culture Of Collaboration For Change:​ Tu Dublin’S Engaged Research Network ​, Catherine Bates, Mary Deasy, Ade Baruwa, Caroline Mcgowan, Catherine E. Gorman, Claire Mcdonnell, Fiona Prendergast, Lucía Morales, Sorcha Hyland

Research and Innovation - Other

Engagement drives a strong research culture, fostering collaboration, impact, and sustainability. It enables integration by connecting early-career and senior researchers; enhances research outcomes; and creates more opportunities for funding. This creates a more inclusive, diverse, and dynamic research ecosystem. Engaged research is co-created with stakeholders, e.g. communities, industries, and policymakers, to provide tangible outcomes and impact.

TU Dublin has established an Engaged Research Network (ERN) to enable knowledge co-creation. The aim is to build its capacity for Engaged Research, with a focus on the UN Sustainable Development Goals. It focuses on connecting and supporting staff and PhD students and developing …

Characterization Of Bacterial And Fungal Populations In Retail Kefirs In Ireland, Léon Maughan, Leonard Koolman, Guerrino Macori, Christina Killian, Séamus Fanning, Paul Whyte, Declan Bolton

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

No abstract provided.

Apoptotic Cell Death Induced By Copper (Ii), Manganese (Ii) And Silver (I) Complexes Containing Bridging Dicarboxylate And 1,10-Phenanthroline Ligands: One Of The Multi-Modes Of Anticancer Activity?, Ella O’Sullivan, Denis O’Shea, Michael Devereux, Orla Howe

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Cu(II), Mn(II) and Ag(I) complexes incorporating bridging dicarboxylate and 1,10-phenanthroline ligands have exhibited anti-cancer potential with significant in vitro and in vivo cytotoxic efficacies. Our study focuses on regulated cell death process of apoptosis as a mode of action of the anti-cancer activity by the complexes. Cytotoxicity screening of the complexes demonstrated all the metal-dicarboxylate-phenanthroline complexes exhibit superior activity compared to their non-phenanthroline containing precursors, in addition to cisplatin. The Cu(II) and Mn(II) complexes were shown to induce reactive oxygen species (ROS) but this was not observed for the Ag(I) analogues. Furthermore, apoptosis was found to be induced by all …

Integration Of The Portionsize Ed App Into Snap-Ed For Improving Diet Quality Among Adolescents In Hawaii: A Randomized Pilot Study, Emerald S. Proctor, Kiari H.L. Aveiro, Ian Pagano, Lynne R. Wilkens, Leihua Park, Leilani Spencer, Jeannie Butel, Corby K. Martin, John W. Apolzan, Rachel Novotny, John Kearney, Chloe P. Lozano

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Background/Objectives: Coupling mobile health (mHealth) technology with community-based nutrition programs may enhance diet quality in adolescents. This pilot study evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of integrating PortionSize Ed (PSEd), an image-assisted dietary assessment and education app, into the six-week Hawaii Food and Lifeskills for Youth (HI-FLY) curriculum delivered via Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed). Methods: Adolescents (grades 6–8) from two classrooms were cluster-randomized into HI-FLY or HI-FLY + PSEd. Both groups received HI-FLY and completed Youth Questionnaires (YQ) and food records (written or app-based) at Weeks 0 and 7. Feasibility and acceptability were assessed via enrollment, attrition, …

Microbial Solutions In Agriculture: Enhancing Soil Health And Resilience Through Bio-Inoculants And Bioremediation, Rahul Kumar, Beatrice Farda, Amedeo Mignini, Rihab Djebaili, Leonard Koolman, Alivia Paul, Subhankar Mondal, Joy M. Joel, Aditi Pandit, Periyasamy Panneerselvam, Marika Pellegrini, Debasis Mitra

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Soil microbes are important for maintaining agricultural ecosystems by promoting nutrient cycling, plant growth, and soil resilience. Microbial-based inoculants, such as bio-inoculants and bioremediation agents, have been identified as suitable means to promote soil health, reduce environmental deterioration, and achieve sustainable agriculture. Bio-inoculants, such as biofertilizers and biopesticides, promote nutrient availability, plant growth, and chemical input dependency reduction. Diverse microbial populations, especially plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB), enhance resistance by promoting a symbiotic association with plants and inducing natural resistance against insects. Bioremediation, the second significant microbial intervention, is the use of microorganisms for detoxifying and rehabilitating polluted soils. Methods effectively …

Patient-Reported Outcomes, Postoperative Pain And Pain Relief After Day Case Surgery (Poppy): Methodology For A Prospective, Multicentre Observational Study*, William M. Hare, Martha Belete, Adam B. Brayne, Harriet Daykin, Matthew Everson, Anna Ratcliffe, Katie Samuel, Lexy Sorrell, Mark Rockett

Peninsula Medical School

Background: In the UK, approximately 70% of surgical procedures are undertaken as day-cases. Little information exists about recovery from day-case surgery, yet international data highlights patients are at risk of developing significant longer-term health problems including chronic post-surgical pain and persistent postoperative opioid use. The Patient-reported Outcomes, Postoperative Pain and pain relief after daY case surgery (POPPY) study was a national prospective multicentre observational study, measuring short- and longer-term patient-reported outcomes, postoperative pain and pain relief after day-case surgery. Methods: This was a collaborative project led by resident anaesthetists under the Research and Audit Federation of Trainees umbrella. Adult day-case …

Mortality Prediction After Major Surgery In A Mixed Population Through Machine Learning: A Multi-Objective Symbolic Regression Approach, Pietro Arina, Davide Ferrari, Nicholas Tetlow, Amy Dewar, Robert Stephens, Daniel Martin, Ramani Moonesinghe, Vasa Curcin, Mervyn Singer, John Whittle, Evangelos B Mazomenos

Peninsula Medical School

INTRODUCTION: Understanding 1-year mortality following major surgery offers valuable insights into patient outcomes and the quality of peri-operative care. Few models exist that predict 1-year mortality accurately. This study aimed to develop a predictive model for 1-year mortality in patients undergoing complex non-cardiac surgery using a novel machine-learning technique called multi-objective symbolic regression.

METHODS: A single-institution database of patients undergoing major elective surgery with previous cardiopulmonary exercise testing was divided into three datasets: pre-operative clinical data; cardiorespiratory and physiological data; and combined. A multi-objective symbolic regression model was developed and compared against existing models. Model performance was evaluated using the …

The Added Value Of Narrow Band Imaging In Sinonasal Tumour Resection And Surveillance: Our Experience, Yazan Kanaan, Ra'ed Al-Ashqar, Hisham Khalil, Konstantinos Geronatsios, Marios Stavrakas

Peninsula Medical School

BACKGROUND & PURPOSE: Narrow Band Imaging (NBI), developed by Olympus Medical Systems, has played a role in diagnosing digestive tract lesions and cancers, diagnosing and characterizing bladder cancers during cystoscopy and in the diagnosis and management of Head and Neck cancers. We aim to explore the potential use of NBI in the diagnosis, management, and follow-up of sinonasal tumours.

METHODS: We present a series of cases treated at our institution, where NBI played a crucial role in the diagnosis, surgical management, intraoperative decision-making, and follow-up. The cases include a patient with sinonasal lymphoma, 2 patients with sinonosal malignant melanoma and …

Tolerance Of Ambiguity And Psychological Wellbeing In Newly Qualified Doctors: An Analysis Over Multiple Time Points, Tom Gale

Peninsula Medical School

Introduction: There is evidence of an association between tolerance of ambiguity and psychological wellbeing in doctors, but this relationship is not well understood. We explored this relationship, and the individual or workplace factors moderating it, in a population of newly qualified doctors. Methods: We examined the experiences of newly qualified doctors in the UK as they started a novel interim role (Time 1) and later moved into foundation year 1 roles (Times 2 and 3) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Doctors completed the Tolerance of Ambiguity of Medical Students and Doctors scale (TAMSAD Range: 0–100), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS: 0–40), …

Systematic Review Of Paediatric Sudep And Epilepsy-Related Deaths To Inform A Safety Counselling Checklist For Clinical Practice, Rohit Shankar

Peninsula Medical School

BackgroundOne in 200 children - in the UK have epilepsy. Approximately, 1 in 1,000 children with epilepsy die yearly from Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP), a leading cause of death in epilepsy. Various risk factors contributing to epilepsy mortality particularly SUDEP, some modifiable, have been identified. Structured discussion of risks results in behavioural change that reduces individual risk factors.AimTo investigate and collate risk factors for SUDEP and epilepsy mortality in children to propose a structured communication tool (“Checklist”) for person centred communication.MethodsA Systematic review for children’s epilepsy mortality risk factors was conducted. The search strategy was developed by clinical …

Patterns Of Intra-Cluster Correlation Coefficients In School-Based Cluster Randomised Controlled Trials Of Interventions For Improving Social-Emotional Functioning Outcomes In Pupils: A Secondary Data Analysis Of Five Uk-Based Studies, Kitty Parker, Michael Nunns, Zhi Min Xiao, Tamsin Ford, Paul Stallard, Willem Kuyken, Nick Axford, Obioha C. Ukoumunne

Peninsula Medical School

Background: The cluster randomised trial (CRT) design is increasingly used to evaluate the impact of school-based interventions for improving social-emotional functioning outcomes in pupils. Good knowledge is required on plausible values of the intra-cluster correlation coefficient (ICC) of the outcome to calculate the required sample size in such studies. Using data from five school-based CRTs in the UK, we estimate, and describe patterns in, ICCs for social-emotional functioning outcomes. Methods: Mixed effects linear regression models were fitted to estimate the ICC and variance components. Estimates for baseline data were obtained by fitting “null” models that had no predictor variables; estimates …

Evidence For Alcohol-Mediated Hemolysis And Erythrophagocytosis, Chaowen Zheng, Siyuan Li, Johannes Mueller, Cheng Chen, Huanran Lyu, Guandou Yuan, Ane Zamalloa, Lissette Adofina, Parthi Srinivasan, Krishna Menon, Nigel Heaton, Stephan Immenschuh, Ines Silva, Vanessa Rausch, Seddik Hammad, Steven Dooley, Shilpa Chokshi, Antonio Riva, Songqing He, Sebastian Mueller

Peninsula Medical School

Alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) is the most common liver disease worldwide; however, its underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we identify ethanol-mediated hemolysis and erythrophagocytosis as major contributors to ALD pathogenesis using both in vitro and in vivo models, as well as surrogate markers such as heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and CD163, a scavenger receptor for hemoglobin-haptoglobin complexes. A key initial observation was the direct optical evidence of serum hemolysis in heavy drinkers, which diminished after one week of alcohol withdrawal. In parallel, soluble CD163 (sCD163) levels declined during alcohol detoxification correlating with liver damage and fibrosis stages. Moreover, red …

Epidemiology Of Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia Syndrome 2011 To 2022: English Sentinel Network Cohort Studies, José M. Ordóñez-Mena, Debasish Kar, Xuejuan Fan, Filipa Ferreira, Sneha N. Anand, Deborah Layton, David Clifton, Mark Joy, Anshul Thakur, Anu Alessi, Andrew Lee, Lisa Mather, Simon De Lusignan

Peninsula Medical School

Background and Objective: Thrombotic thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) is a rare condition following vaccination with adenovirus-vectored coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines. This retrospective analysis of England primary care data aimed to estimate TTS event rates before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic, and following AZD1222 (ChAdOx1-nCoV-19) vaccination. Methods: Primary care data on TTS events were collected using the Oxford-Royal College of General Practitioners Research and Surveillance Centre sentinel network. TTS events were defined as thromboembolism with coincident (± 7 days) thrombocytopenia events using Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine clinical terms (the current Brighton Collaboration definition could not be used in the study …

How Epilepsy Risks Might Be Introduced And Discussed In Clinical Consultations, Rohit Shankar

Peninsula Medical School

AbstractAdverse impacts of epilepsy (e.g., injury, depression, and Sudden Unexpected Death from Epilepsy (SUDEP) can be mitigated by factors that patients may control, such as medication adherence, improved sleep and diet, reduced alcohol and taking care around pregnancy. New guidelines state that risk should be discussed at the time of diagnosis but some clinicians express concern about not wanting to raise anxiety.ObjectiveTo explicate practices by which epilepsy expert clinicians broach discussions of risk in specialist epilepsy clinics.Methods24 recordings of initial telephone appointments at specialist clinics where epilepsy is diagnosed from two specialist outpatient epilepsy services in England were subjected to …

Consensus-Based Research Priorities For Post-Collision Care In The Western Cape Province Of South Africa, Naseef Abdullah, Tim Nutbeam, Colleen J. Saunders, Craig Wylie, Nigel Lang, Willem Stassen

Peninsula Medical School

Introduction: Road traffic injuries constitute a significant global health burden, causing 1.3 million deaths and 50million injuries annually, with 92 % of fatalities occurring in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). Despitethis disproportionate impact, research priorities in post-collision care often reflect high-income country contexts,creating a critical misalignment between evidence generation and contextual realities in LMICs.Methods: This mixed-methods study employed a three-phase approach to identify research priorities for postcollision care in the Western Cape, South Africa. Phase 1 consisted of a comprehensive literature review toidentify preliminary thematic areas and research questions. Phase 2 involved a stakeholder engagement workshop using modified nominal group techniques …

Letter-To-The-Editor To The Study By Bartek J Et Al “Multidisciplinary Consensus-Based Statement On The Current Role Of Middle Meningeal Artery Embolization (Mmae) In Chronic Subdural Hematoma (Csdh)” – A Letter From The International Csdh Research Group Committee, Icoric, T.S.R. Jensen, J. Duerinck, D. Holl, C. Iorio-Morin, J. Soleman, E. Edlmann

Peninsula Medical School

No abstract provided.

Globalism, Localism And Blue Food Systems – How Can Cross-Scale Tensions Be Reduced? A Production Perspective From Uk Seafood Stakeholders, Alex J. Caveen, Bryce D. Stewart, Cameron Moffat, Daniel Skerritt, Estelle Jones, Huw Thomas, Lara Funk, Magnus Johnson, Mike Cohen, Michael Roach, Neil A. Auchterlonie, Samuel Peacock, Sarah Hussey, Tim Gray, Tom Pickerell, Umi Muawanah, Vasiliki Kioupi, Yvonne Sadovy De Mitcheson, Neil M. Burns, Charlotte R. Hopkins

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

‘Blue foods’ are derived from aquatic species that are caught or cultivated and are amongst the most globally traded commodities. Growing emphasis is being placed on blue foods in future transitions to sustainable food systems. However, recent international events such as the Covid-19 pandemic, UK-EU ‘Brexit’, and Russia-Ukraine war have caused renewed interest in ideological debates between globalism and localism and associated cross-scale tensions. Here, we aim to provide further insight into cross-scale tensions in blue food systems through a literature review and UK-based seafood stakeholder workshop. From our literature review, the evidence for cross-scale tensions was linked to the …

Factor Substitution Possibilities, Labor Share Dynamics, And Inequality In An Age Of Intangibles, Adnan Velic

Articles

We examine the economy-wide degree of substitutability between intangible capital and other factor inputs in production using a large sample of advanced countries. In this context, we turn to studying the implications of intangible and tangible capital growth for labor income share dynamics. Compared to tangible capital, we find that intangible capital more strongly complements skilled labor. The analysis further indicates relative fungibility between tangible capital and a composite of intangible capital and skilled labor, in line with the rising prominence of knowledge-intensive tasks and AI-driven online platforms. The intrinsic nature of intangibles and their asymmetric effects across skilled and …

Ceo Turnover And Shareholder Awareness In Cartel Cases, Catarina Marvão, Giancarlo Spagnolo

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

We examine the consequences of cartel detection for the careers of CEOs in the US and the EU; the characteristics of colluding CEOs (e.g., tenure, age); and shareholders’ awareness of management misbehavior. Additionally, we examine at what level cartel decisions are made according to the available case documents. We find that only 4% of all CEOs in convicted EC cartel firms (1998-2020) are explicitly fired due to collusion, and that 30% of CEOs indicted in DOJ cartels (1985-2011) are fired. Often, CEOs remain in place or take on other high-level positions in the firm. This suggests that (most) shareholders are …

Which Discourses Underpin Long-Term, Autistic/Non-Autistic Romantic Couples’ Understandings Of Their Relationship As They Live With And Accommodate Each Other? A Critical Discourse/Narrative Inquiry, Vivien Southall

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences Theses

This piece of work draws on both critical discourse and critical narrative inquiry to examine the long-term romantic relationship experiences of those in autistic/non-autistic long-term romantic relationships. Four couples participated, three heterosexual and one female same-sex couple. The participants were given the opportunity to tell their narratives in a variety of forms, through interviews, emails, stories and with photographs and mementoes as prompts. These forms inspired the way that the data was retold in the research using a variety of styles reflecting the narrative choices of the participants. Through interviews with participants individually and as a couple, over sixteen months, …

Bridging The Divide: How Do Lecturers In Undergraduate Sound Engineering Courses Bridge The Gap Between Industry And Education?, Daniel Tregenna

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences Theses

The formal study of sound engineering is a relatively modern and under-researched field within modern arts education. However, this subject has a number of features that are common across a range of subjects of a similar nature. How the lecturers who work on these courses influence students and tie them to the wider industry is potentially pivotal in an industry so intrinsically tied to the nature of interpersonal connections. Particularly where this industry simultaneously does not provide stable and sustained working partnerships. This international comparative study looks to explore the role lecturers on undergraduate sound engineering courses play in bridging …

Exploring Inclusive Education And Listening In Relation To Children's Experiences And Teachers' Perspectives, Ramazan Merk

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences Theses

This thesis addressed the field of inclusive education and the importance of listening from the perspectives of both children and teachers. Drawing on experiences in pre-school and reception classrooms in England, I explored the essence of inclusive education and effective implementation strategies to meet the needs of children, including those with diverse needs. Emphasis was placed on the necessity for teachers to acknowledge and address each child's individual needs when developing early years learning environments. Moreover, the study underlined the important role of active listening in promoting communication and understanding between teachers and children as a cornerstone of inclusive pedagogy. …

Reducing Marine Plastic Pollution: Critical Assessment Of The Potential To Develop A Civil Liability And Compensation Mechanism Under The Law Of The Sea Convention, Alexandra Leaton

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences Theses

Plastic pollution has had a detrimental global impact, particularly in the marine environment, due to its mobility, longevity, and tendency to be difficult to retrieve. The situation has worsened because of the increased production and consumption of plastics and the fact that pollution occurs throughout the entirety of plastics’ production and lifecycle. Its pathways/vectors to the marine environment are diffuse and complex. The combined environmental, social, and potential health impacts of plastics have resulted in the development of over 40 international legal and other regulatory mechanisms, although inconsistent implementation has resulted in a fragmented framework with gaps and overlaps. The …

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 …

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

First Destination Survey 2025: For Degrees Awarded December 2024-August 2025, Hart Career Center, Illinois Wesleyan University

First Destination Survey

No abstract provided.

Individual, Family, Peer, And Religious Community Predictors Of Adolescent Religious Deidentification, Sam A. Hardy, Russ Amelang, Michael Goodman

Faculty Publications

This study examined individual, family, and peer religiosity, and religious community supportiveness as predictors of adolescent religious deidentification. The longitudinal study involved two waves of data, two years apart, from U.S. families (1,021 families; religious adolescents from 11–17 years of age), with measures of dimensions of religiosity at Time 1 and changes in religious identification from Time 1 to Time 2. Within each domain, at least one dimension of religiosity at Time 1 predicted religious deidentification at Time 2. Specifically, youth higher in individual, family, and peer religiosity, and religious community supportiveness, were less likely to leave religion. These relations …

Personalized Persuasion In The Digital Age: A Data-Driven Approach To Effective Communication, Annye Braca

Doctoral

This thesis investigates the potential of Machine Learning (ML) to personalize persuasive marketing messages. It explores the identification of individuals receptive to specific persuasion techniques based on their psychometric profiles. By developing ML models that incorporate these profiles, the thesis aims to predict the impact of tailored messages and improve the effectiveness of marketing communication.