Digital Commons Network^™

Essential Omega‐3 Fatty Acids Are Depleted In Sea Ice And Pelagic Algae Of The Central Arctic Ocean, Katrin Schmidt, Martin Graeve, Clara J.M. Hoppe, S Torres‐Valdes, Nahid Welteke, Laura M. Whitmore, Philipp Anhaus, Angus Atkinson, Simon T. Belt, Tina Brenneis, Robert G. Campbell, Giulia Castellani, Louise A. Copeman, Hauke Flores, Allison A. Fong, Nicole Hildebrandt, Doreen Kohlbach, Jens M. Nielsen, Christopher C. Parrish, C Rad‐Menéndez, Sebastian D. Rokitta, Sandra Tippenhauer, Yanpei Zhuang

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Microalgae are the main source of the omega‐3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), essential for the healthy development of most marine and terrestrial fauna including humans. Inverse correlations of algal EPA and DHA proportions (% of total fatty acids) with temperature have led to suggestions of a warming‐induced decline in the global production of these biomolecules and an enhanced importance of high latitude organisms for their provision. The cold Arctic Ocean is a potential hotspot of EPA and DHA production, but consequences of global warming are unknown. Here, we combine a full‐seasonal EPA and DHA dataset …

Understanding Dyslexia In Secondary Schools: Perspectives Of Students (With And Without Confirmed Diagnosis) And Educators, Kerissa Nelson

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences Theses

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 seeks high quality education for all (UNSDG4). This requires classrooms to have improved access and opportunity for all students including those with dyslexia. Research regarding dyslexic students’ experiences and inclusive education have not yet been thoroughly investigated. This research specifically addressed the experiences that both shape and are shaped by one’s own perspectives and those of others in their environment. The study’s objectives were to create knowledge and promote understanding of the experiences of students with dyslexia and to gain educators’ perspectives on classroom practices. The study drew on these different perspectives using …

‘The More Empowered I Feel, The More Vulnerable I Become’: Exploring The Entanglements Of Human Rights Education (Hre), Legal Discourses And Notions Of Agency And Vulnerability Amongst Human Rights Educators In Colombia, Claudia Blandon

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences Theses

In the 21st century, notions of human rights are symbols of dignity, freedom, and equality (UNDHR, 1948) and equated with notions of empowerment. Simultaneously, in an epoch of recurrent waves of displacement, international instruments of protection are failing to safeguard displaced people and those who provide sanctuary. By the end of 2022, 104 million people had been forcibly displaced globally because of conflict and human rights violations (UNHCR, 2023). Against this global backdrop, empowering women through human rights education and legal discourses has become a priority, (Bajaj et al., 2017, Altinova et al., 2019). With a firm conviction that the …

The Role Played By Non-Formal Education In The Lives Of Iraqi-British Citizens: A Study Of Three Iraqi-British Cultural Institutions And How Non-Formal Education Empowers Individuals And Communities, Nadeem Al-Abdalla

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences Theses

This thesis highlights the role played by non-formal education in the lives of Iraqi community members who participate in the activities offered by London’s Iraqi-British cultural centres. The key aims of this thesis were; to research, document and analyse London’s Iraqi community and their experiences of non-formal learning within Iraqi cultural centres; and to establish the extent to which they found their participation in this non-formal learning empowering, both at an individual and community level. Many studies have been conducted into the lives of newly arrived communities. Generally, these studies tend to focus on their early years in the UK …

How Does Living In A Rural Location Affect Experiences Of Acquired Vision Impairment?, Rebecca Woods

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences Theses

This research explores the lived experiences of adults with acquired sight loss who live in rural areas in Southwest England. There is a scarcity of published academic research with this group. Vision impaired people who live in rural locations are therefore unrecognised sources of vision impairment rehabilitation knowledge. The research is conducted in an interpretivist paradigm. The research is guided by phenomenological understanding, rooted in Merleau-Ponty’s concepts of perception, the centrality of tool-use, and human embodiment. Attention is centred on the process of adapting to sight loss in a domestic setting, placing this research in an experiential, community-based educational context. …

Teaching An English Geography Curriculum Abroad: Who Is The Other?, Kay Chapman

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences Theses

In former British colonies, such as Sri Lanka, affluent families from that country may choose to send their children to international schools because they want their children to have a British education and qualifications and be taught by British teachers. This research investigates how some of the actors involved negotiate a geography curriculum constructed for sixteen year olds in England with pupils from Sri Lanka. This small scale, multi-method, qualitative study focuses on one geography department at one international school in Sri Lanka. Data collected includes in-depth interviews with a Sri Lankan teacher, British teachers at the school and an …

A Global Systematic Review Of The Cultural Ecosystem Services Provided By Wetlands, Kevin A. Wood, Lucy L. Jupe, Francisca C. Aguiar, Alexandra M. Collins, Scott J. Davidson, Will Freeman, Liam Kirkpatrick, Tatiana Lobato-De Magalhães, Emma Mckinley, Ana Nuno, Jordi F. Pagès, Antonella Petruzzella, Dave Pritchard, Jonathan P. Reeves, Sidinei Magela Thomaz, Sara A. Thornton, Hiromi Yamashita, Julia L. Newth

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Wetlands make a disproportionately large contribution to global biodiversity and provide critical ecosystem services for humanity. Yet, our understanding of the cultural ecosystem services (CES) provided by wetlands remains limited, with benefits often only recognised at local scales. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a global systematic review of wetland CES. Our synthesis addressed key questions related to the provision of CES by different types of wetlands, their economic value, their co-occurrence and associations with other ecosystem services, threats to the provision of CES by wetlands, as well as the availability and use of CES information. Based on 861 …

Drone Imagery And Deep Learning For Mapping The Density Of Wild Pacific Oysters To Manage Their Expansion Into Protected Areas, Aser Mata, David Moffat, Sílvia Almeida, Marko Radeta, William Jay, Nigel Mortimer, Katie Awty-Carroll, Oliver Thomas, Vanda Brotas, Steve Groom

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The recent expansion of wild Pacific oysters already had negative repercussions on sites in Europe and has raised further concerns over their potential harmful impact on the balance of biomes within protected areas. Monitoring their colonisation, especially at early stages, has become an urgent ecological issue. Current efforts to monitor wild Pacific oysters rely on “walk-over” surveys that are highly laborious and often limited to specific areas of easy access. Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), commonly known as drones, can provide an effective tool for surveying complex terrains and detect Pacific oysters. This study provides a novel workflow for automated …

Blood From A Stone: Do The Trace Metals Of Sperm Whale Coproliths Reveal A Contribution From Squid Haemolymph?, Steven J. Rowland, Robert Clough, Paul A. Sutton, George H. Rowland

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Background: Ambergris is a coprolith produced by some sperm whales (∼1 %). It has been hypothesised that the metals in ambergris derive from the haemolymph of squid in the whale diet (mainly copper). However, few data exist. We report analysis of 10 trace metals in each of 50 ambergris samples by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Main Findings: Acid digests of the samples contained ∼5 to >6880 µg g⁻¹ air-dried weight total metals; mainly of iron (present in ∼90 % of samples, 38), copper (∼95 % of samples, 40), zinc (93 % of samples, 39) and cadmium (∼95 % of …

Utilising Blood-Derived Products For Guided Tissue Regeneration In Periradicular Surgery: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Gabriele Baniulyte, Lorna Burns, Kamran Ali

Peninsula Dental School

BackgroundSince 1982, guided tissue regeneration (GTR) has become increasingly popular. The recent progress in GTR research focuses on the application of blood-derived products. However, no comprehensive systematic review has been conducted to assess its effectiveness specifically in periradicular surgery. Therefore, the aim of this review was to analyse the outcomes of root-end surgery compared to periapical surgery incorporating GTR using blood-derived products.MethodsThis review involved randomised controlled trials exploring the comparison between GTR utilising blood-derived products and the conventional periapical surgery. The databases Embase, MEDLINE, Cochrane CENTRAL, and Dentistry and Oral Sciences Source were searched, with the most recent search conducted …

The Effect Of Breathing Hypoxic Gas (15% Fio2) On Physiological And Behavioral Outcomes During Simulated Driving In Healthy Subjects, Jaspreet Kaur, Lebbathana Manokaran, Michael Thynne, Mirza M.F. Subhan

School of Biomedical Sciences

Hypoxia is mainly caused by cardiopulmonary disease or high-altitude exposure. We used a driving simulator to investigate whether breathing hypoxic gas influences driving behaviors in healthy subjects. Fifty-two healthy subjects were recruited in this study, approved by the Science and Engineering Ethical Committee. During simulated driving experiments, driving behaviors, breathing frequency, oxygen saturation (SpO 2 ), and heart rate variability (HRV) were analyzed. Each subject had four driving sessions; a 10-min practice and three 20-min randomized interventions: normoxic room air (21% FIO 2 ) and medical air (21% FIO 2 ) and hypoxic air (equal to 15% FIO 2 ), …

Short- And Midterm Outcomes Of Off- And On-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass In Patients With A Mean Age Of 65 Or More: Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Jake Trotman, Toluwalase Eboka, Neil Smart, Nicola King

School of Biomedical Sciences

Background. Advancing age is a nonmodifiable risk factor for the development of coronary artery disease. Furthermore, patients >65 years old are considered at high risk for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). The aim of this study was to investigate whether there were any differences in clinical outcomes for patients with a mean age ≥65 undergoing CABG on or off pump. Methods. Systematic searches were conducted in EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central Registry of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL). The key search terms used were "cardiopulmonary bypass"OR "On pump"AND "off pump"OR "beating heart"AND "coronary artery bypass grafting"OR "CABG"AND "age."This was …

Editorial: Bacteriocins And Other Ribosomally Synthesised And Post-Translationally Modified Peptides (Ripps) As Modulators Of The Microbiome, Harsh Mathur, Des Field, Caitriona Guinane, Maire Begley, Mathew Upton, Hilario C. Mantovani, Paul D. Cotter

School of Biomedical Sciences

No abstract provided.

Production And Preservation Of Organic Carbon In Sub-Seafloor Tephra Layers, Jack Longman, Hayley R. Manners, Thomas M. Gernon, James Mcmanus, Martin R. Palmer, Steven J. Rowland, Paul A. Sutton

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The deposition of volcanic ash into the ocean initiates a range of chemical and biological reactions. During diagenesis, these reactions may enhance the preservation of organic carbon (OC) in marine sediments, which ultimately promotes CO2 sequestration from the ocean-atmosphere system. However, this interpretation is reliant on a small number of studies that make a link between tephra and OC burial. Here, we compare organic and inorganic geochemical data from tephra-bearing marine sediments from three sites that differ widely in their location, age, and composition. We show that OC is buried in, and proximal to, tephra layers, in proportions higher than …

Double Testing With Lateral Flow Antigen Test Devices For Covid-19: Does A Second Test In Quick Succession Add Value?, Matthias E Futschik, Sarah A Tunkel, Elena Turek, David Chapman, Zareen Thorlu-Bangura, Raghavendran Kulasegaran-Shylini, Edward Blandford, Andrew Dodgson, Paul E Klapper, Malur Sudhanva, Derrick Crook, John Bell, Susan Hopkins, Tim Peto, Tom Fowler

School of Biomedical Sciences

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: We investigated if performing two lateral flow device (LFD) tests, LFD2 immediately after LFD1, could improve diagnostic sensitivity or specificity for detecting severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antigen.

STUDY DESIGN: Individuals aged ≥16 years attending UK community testing sites (February-May 2021) performed two successive LFD tests and provided a nose-and-throat sample for a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. Using the PCR result as the reference diagnosis, we assessed whether improvements could be achieved in sensitivity (by counting a positive result in either LFD as a positive overall test result) or specificity (by using LFD2 as confirmatory test). …

Gut Pathobiont Enrichment Observed In A Population Predisposed To Dementia, Type 2 Diabetics Of Mexican Descent Living In South Texas, Lisa M Matz, Nisarg S Shah, Laura Porterfield, Olivia M Stuyck, Michael D Jochum, Rakez Kayed, Giulio Taglialatela, Randall J Urban, Shelly A Buffington

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a common forerunner of neurodegeneration and accompanying dementia, including Alzheimer's Disease (AD), yet the mechanisms underlying this comorbidity remain unresolved. Individuals of Mexican descent living in South Texas have increased prevalence of comorbid T2D and early onset AD, despite low incidence of the APOE-ε4 risk variant among the population and an absence of a similar predisposition among relatives residing in Mexico - suggesting a role for environmental factors in coincident T2D and AD susceptibility. We therefore sought to test if differences in gut community structure could be observed in this population prior to any AD …

Optimisation Of Classification Methods To Differentiate Morphologically-Similar Pollen Grains From Ft-Ir Spectra, Laura Scoble, Simon J. Ussher, Mark F. Fitzsimons, Lauren Ansell, Matthew Craven, Ralph M. Fyfe

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

A growing body of research is demonstrating the potential of Fourier-Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) to identify and differentiate morphologically similar pollen taxa. The Poaceae (grass) family is a large and complex with morphologically similar pollen grains. It is not possible to use traditional light microscopy to differentiate Poaceae species, or genus, based on pollen morphological characteristics. This research presents a study of five species from the Poaceae family found across a wide variety of different moorland vegetation communities, to test the extent to which FT-IR microspectroscopy can be used to separate and identify these species and develop statistical approaches for …

Lessons Learned: Facilitating A Health And Wellness Intervention For Frontline Child Welfare Workers During Covid-19, Kara Haughtigan, Austin Griffiths, Kim Link, Oliver Beer, Lindsey Powell

School of Health Professions

Child maltreatment is one of the nation’s most significant public health concerns. The estimated annual economic burden of child maltreatment in the United States is more than $292 billion (Peterson et al., 2018). In 2021, approximately four million referrals were made to child protective service agencies alleging the maltreatment of more than seven million children (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [HHS], 2023). The primary mechanism for evaluating these referrals is the frontline child welfare workforce. Frontline child welfare workers (FCWWs) engage families and make decisions about the safety of children that directly impact children’s futures (Edwards & Wildeman, …

Aesthetic Experience Of Metabolic Processes: By Desiree Förster, Hannah Drayson

School of Art, Design and Architecture

No abstract provided.

Associations Between Fatigue Impact And Physical And Neurobehavioural Factors: An Exploration In People With Progressive Multiple Sclerosis, L Connolly, S Chatfield, J Freeman, A Salter, Mp Amato, G Brichetto, J Chataway, Nd Chiaravalloti, G Cutter, J Deluca, U Dalgas, R Farrell, P Feys, M Filippi, M Inglese, C Meza, Nb Moore, Rw Motl, Ma Rocca, Bm Sandroff, A Feinstein

School of Health Professions

Background: Fatigue is common in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Understanding the relationship between fatigue, physical and neurobehavioural factors is important to inform future research and practice. Few studies explore this explicitly in people with progressive MS (pwPMS). Objective: To explore relationships between self-reported fatigue, physical and neurobehavioural measures in a large, international progressive MS sample of cognitively impaired people recruited to the CogEx trial. Methods: Baseline assessments of fatigue (Modified Fatigue Impact Scale; MFIS), aerobic capacity (VO _2peak), time in moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA; accelerometery over seven-days), walking performance (6-minute walk test; 6MWT), self-reported walking difficulty (MS Walking …

Navigating The Complexity Of Applying Nutrition Evidence To Individualised Care: Summary Of An Academy Of Nutrition Sciences Position Paper, Judith Buttriss, Mary Hickson, Kevin Whelan, Christine Williams

School of Health Professions

Diet is key to the maintenance of health and crucial in the prevention and management of many diseases. Modified nutrient intake may become essential to prevent deficiency, optimise development and health or manage symptoms and disease progression. Adding to the complexity, disease and its treatment can also affect taste, appetite and ability to access and prepare foods. Coupled with this, individual requirements for energy, macronutrients and micronutrients are influenced by factors such as life stage (age, growth, pregnancy, etc.) and health status, which can affect the processes of consuming, digesting, absorbing, metabolising or excreting nutrients. First and foremost, dietary advice …

Tending The Margins: Learnings From The Birthing Body As A Membrane, Johara Bellali

School of Art, Design and Architecture

This paper, grounded in a birthing body, explores the ecology of birth by contrasting the internalphysiological systems with the external socio-cultural ones. I propose that the birthing body is amembrane between these systems offering a space of encounter and access to other forms ofknowing. One of the objects of knowing is what Nora Bateson (2021) calls the ongoing vitality, a formof communication between organisms in living systems. I argue that ongoing vitality can not only beperceived but its perception can support the actualisation of healthy possibilities present at themargins of internal physiological and the external socio-cultural systems.I situate my brief …

Long-Term Accretion Rates In Uk Salt Marshes Derived From Elevation Difference Between Natural And Reclaimed Marshes, Gerd Masselink, Robert B. Jones

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

The future of salt marshes depends in a large part on the balance between the future rate of marsh accretion and the future rate of sea-level rise (SLR). Current accretion rates can provide some insight into future resilience of salt marshes to SLR, but representative long-term rates across the complete salt marsh area are difficult to obtain. Here, we introduce a new method based on the elevation difference between a natural marsh and a neighbouring reclaimed marsh. The method, referred to as the ‘reclaimed salt marsh method’, was applied to 19 UK salt marshes and yielded a UK-averaged accretion rate …

How Does A Global Climate Cycle Affect The Reproductive Output Of A Neotropical Migratory Bird?, Abby K. Bressette, Emma Cummings, Daniel Albrecht-Mallinger, Lesley Bulluck

UROP Posters

El-Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) causes regional changes in climate and has been found to have varying effects on the survival, fecundity, and recruitment of migratory songbirds. This study seeks to better understand the effect of ENSO on the fecundity of Virginia-breeding Prothonotary warbler (Protonotaria citrea; PROW), a neotropical migratory songbird. PROW breed in the Eastern United States and spend the non-breeding season primarily in Panama and Colombia. Ongoing research in Virginia has found a positive relationship between spring precipitation and predicted number of PROW fledgelings during La Niña, but the opposite during El Niño. To better understand this relationship, we …

Carry-Over Effects Of Climate On Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria Citrea) Feather Quality, Alyssa N. Spasic, Dan Albrecht-Mallinger, Lesley Bulluck

UROP Posters

Avian species have inspired numerous studies on ornamentation, exploring its role in intra- and intersexual selection as a marker for individual quality. Male birds have been the focus of most of these studies while females, which can also display ornamentation, have been studied less. Coloration achieved through molt, particularly carotenoid-based pigments, requires energy derived from food resources. As climate affects insect abundance, there may be a link between climate conditions during molt and feather quality the following season. We assessed the relationship between temperature and precipitation during molt and female Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea) breast and crown feather reflectance metrics …

Shipwrecks Act As De Facto Marine Protected Areas In Areas Of Heavy Fishing Pressure, Jenny Hickman, Joe Richards, Adam Rees, Emma V. Sheehan

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Ubiquitous, industrial use of bottom‐towed fishing gear since the 1800s has altered marine communities and ecosystem services. Outside of legal protection, only areas inaccessible to trawlers are offered any protection. Shipwrecks present hazards to fishing gear and are rarely subject to trawling pressure. As many have been in situ for >100 years, they offer a baseline of ecological potential when trawling pressure is reduced or removed. Five shipwrecks were surveyed off the Berwickshire coast, some within the Static Gear Reserve and others outside. Video transects were collected of shipwrecks, the surrounding 50 m radius and control locations >150 m from …

La Jolla Park Coastal Historic District, National Register Of Historic Places, 2024, Molly Mcclain, Seonaid Mcarthur

History: Faculty Scholarship

The “La Jolla Park Coastal Historic District,” a dramatic stretch of coastline that is part of the unceded ancient homeland and traditional territory of the Kumeyaay Nation, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 9, 2024. The coastal area, anchored by Ellen Browning Scripps Park, was the focal point for La Jolla’s planning and development between 1887 and 1940.

Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect …

Bioaccumulation And Biological Effects Of Hydrogenated Cement Particles In The Marine Bivalve, Mytilus Galloprovincialis, María Florencia Ferreira, Andrew Turner, Mickaël Payet, Christian Grisolia, Veronique Malard, Michael N. Moore, Awadhesh N. Jha

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

The decommissioning and normal functioning of nuclear facilities can result in the production and release of airborne particles in the environment. Aquatic biota are expected to be exposed to these particles considering that nuclear facilities are often located near water bodies. Aerosols, such as cement dust, can interact with radionuclides as well as with heavy metals, and therefore elicit not only radiological impacts but also chemical toxicity. In the present study, we aimed to determine the effects of hydrogenated cement particles (HCPs) as a first step before evaluating any radiotoxicity of tritiated cement particles in the marine mussels, Mytilus galloprovincialis. …

Density And Abundance Estimation Of West Indian Manatee, Trichechus Manatus, Between The States Of Ceará And Piauí, Northeast Brazil, Using Active Acoustics, Katherine Fiedler Choi Lima, Denis Moledo De Sousa Abessa, Daniel Gonzalez-Socoloske, Renata Sousa-Lima, Ana Carolina Oliveira De Meirelles, Cristine Pereira Negrão Silva

Faculty Publications

The West Indian manatee is one of the most threatened species in Brazil. The species has currently a patchy distribution from the state of Alagoas to the state of Amapá. The difficulty of observing manatees, especially in estuarine waters, is a challenge for conservation. Therefore, it is necessary to use new methodologies and technologies to solve manatee detection problems in their natural habitats. The goal of this study was to use an active acoustic method of detection to estimate manatee density and abundance in the estuarine complex of the Timonha and Ubatuba rivers, between the states of Ceará and Piauí, …

The Sense Of Safety Theoretical Framework: A Trauma-Informed And Healing-Oriented Approach For Whole Person Care, Kurt C. Stange

Faculty Scholarship

Objectives: This research describes four aspects of the development of the Sense of Safety Theoretical Framework for whole person care: exploring the meaning of the phrase “sense of safety”—the whole person language; the range of human experience that impacts sense of safety—whole person scope; the dynamics that build sense of safety—the healing goals; and the personal and cross-disciplinary trauma-informed practitioner skills and attitudes that facilitate sense of safety. Methods: This qualitative participatory study was conducted in two phases. Researchers iteratively explored the concept of sense of safety using focus groups and semi-structured interviews. Overarching research questions were: “Does the transdisciplinary …