The 14th Annual Postgraduate Research Conference Wednesday 30 November 2022
This annual event shines a spotlight on the range of postgraduate research taking place at Bournemouth University across our four faculties through a variety of platforms. There are oral presentations being delivered via Zoom and a poster exhibition taking place on campus in the Fusion Building. This campus hub is an opportunities to network with fellow PGRs, the Doctoral College and wider colleagues.
The conference commences with our live poster exhibition followed by opening remarks from the Heads of the Doctoral College Dr Fiona Knight and Dr Julia Taylor. This year we are delighted to welcome Professor Anna Feigenbaum as our conference keynote speaker. Professor Feigenbaum is a highly experienced and regarded academic and doctoral supervisor, you can read her biography and keynote abstract on page 3 as she shares her insights into the why and how of networking.
I would like to thank those who have contributed to the co-ordinating and delivery of the conference this year. To all of our PGR presenters and poster exhibitors and of course to you for attending and showing your support to our postgraduate research community, helping nurture a positive and encouraging postgraduate research culture here at Bournemouth University.
I hope you find the conference interesting, engaging and inspiring. We look forward to sharing the day with you.
Doctoral College Conference Organisers
Natalie Stewart - Doctoral College Programme Manager (@NatStewartBU)
Enrica Conrotto - Postgraduate Research Administrator Thom Stroud and Deborah SmytheResource Administrators
On page 4 you will discover the conference programme, followed by headline details of each oral presentation presenter and their abstracts. On pages 11 - 27 you can see the posters being exhibited in the Fusion Building, followed by their full poster abstracts.
You can also check out all of the posters also on our virtual poster exhibition webpage.
CONFERENCE PROGRAMME & ABSTRACTS bournemouth.ac.uk/pg-conference
Event feedback
Each year we draw upon your feedback to enhance the conference. To provide feedback on what you are enjoying or what you think could be improved please submit your feedback via https://bournemouth.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/bupgrconf22.
Professor
Anna Feigenbaum is a Professor in Digital Storytelling and co-director of the Centre for Science, Health and Data Communication at BU. She is a writer, researcher, teacher and workshop leader specialising in data storytelling for civic good. From digging into dusty archives to data visualising absent deaths, She is drawn to the difficult, the messy, the ethically challenging questions that exist around the edges of debates over how we tell stories with science and data. As a consultant and trainer, she collaborated with charities, NGOs, Public Health organisations, investigative journalists and other researchers to explore empathetic and effective ways to tell data stories. She believes that it is often those without access to big budgets and fancy tools that hold the data stories we most need to change the world.
@drfigtree http://annafeigenbaum.com/ http://wethinkingtheclassroom.wordpress.com/ @protestcamps http://protestcamps.com
You can view Anna’s full academic profile on the BU Staff Profile pages.
Networking from below
As postgraduate research students and early career researchers you likely hear the word “networking” all the time. You must network at conferences, network for participant recruitment, network for jobs. You need to network for funding bids, network for sharing your research with the public and network for making an impact. But what is this elusive art of networking?
In this talk Professor Anna Feigenbaum will introduce her career approach of “networking from below”. This includes building ‘survive and thrive’ networks with doctoral student colleagues, learning how to approach senior academics, identifying what you have to give and how to best ask for the support or collaboration you want to receive. Delivering this practical advice, Professor Feigenbaum will share her 4C principles for networking success: curiosity, clarity, co-ordination, and care.
Anna Feigenbaum, Professor in Digital Storytelling Bournemouth University, Faculty of Media & Communication4 CONFERENCE PROGRAMME
09:00-11:00
09:30
Poster exhibition (FG06)
Opening remarks
Dr Fiona Knight and Dr Julia Taylor
Heads of the Doctoral College
11:15 – 12:00
Session 1 oral presentations (Zoom, with screening in Create LT)
Chair: Natalie Stewart
11:15 – 11:30 Rutherford
The self as auteur: An interpretative phenomenological investigation of self-reflective photography
11:30 – 11:45 Benjamin Awuah
Sustainable Development Goals reporting: A structured literature review and research agenda
11:45 – 12:00 Joshua Rieser
British foreign policy in the Cold War setting: A critique of democratic peace theory
12:00 – 12:15 Break
12:15 – 13:15 Session 2 oral presentations (Zoom, with screening in Create LT)
Chair: Tomasz Tomczyk
12:015 – 12:30 Chloe Casey
Promoting the mental health, wellbeing, and resilience of postgraduate researchers: An institutional perspective
12:30– 12:45 Mike Scott
Twitter and the post-16 ‘neurodivergent educator’ – identities and spaces
12:45 – 13:00 Shel Silva
Does motorcyclists’ identification, perception, and knowledge of risks change regarding their motorcycling qualifications and experience?
13:00 – 13:15 Jastine Antolin
Gaze behaviour in social anxiety
13:15 – 14:00 Lunch break and poster viewings (FG06)
14:00 – 14:40 Keynote
Professor Anna Feigenbaum - Professor of Digital Storytelling
Networking from below
14:40-14:45 Break
14:45 – 15:45 Session 3 oral presentations (Zoom, with screening in Create LT)
Chair: Belinda Stuebinger
14:45 – 15:00 Fred McClintock
Validity and reliability of inertial measurement units used to measure motion of the lumbar spine: A systematic review of individuals with and without low back pain
15:00 – 15:15 Burak Uzunova
Euroscepticism and nationalism: A comparison between the United Kingdom and Turkey
15:15 – 15:30 Sasha Alexdottir
Phantom Touch phenomenon as a manifestation of the Visual-Auditory-Tactile Synaesthesia and its impact on the users in virtual reality
15:30 – 15:45 Fahad Alzahrani
The narrative of communication response during the Covid-19 pandemic: A comparative study of KSA and UAE
15:45 – 16:00 Break
16:00 – 17:00 Session 4 oral presentations (Zoom, with screening in Create LT)
Chair: Natalie Stewart
16:00 – 16:15 Arkadiusz Tomasz Tomczyk
Personalisation through co-creation: Pricing strategies and customer willingness to pay
16:15 – 16:30 Omowonuola Okunnu
The implications of religious affiliations and political literacy on electoral outcomes in Nigeria: Is there a significant difference between southern and northern women voters?
16:30 – 16:45 Sarah Chessell
Staff perspectives of a near-real time feedback intervention to improve patient experiences 16:45– 17:00 Ogochukwu Ijezie
Structural equation modelling of quality of life in adults with Down syndrome in Nigeria
17:00 Closing remarks, drinks reception (FG06)
Natalie Stewart
Doctoral College Programme Manager
Visit www.bournemouth.ac.uk/pg-conference
Arkadiusz
Tomczyk(PhD, BUBS)
Personalisation through co-creation: Pricing strategies and customer willingness to pay
In the era of connectivity, personalisation is an increasingly popular phenomenon in the marketplace. Every customer is unique, and personalisation enables delivering tailored products and services to satisfy customers’ requirements and understand and estimate their value to the company. Furthermore, the development of customer-dominant logic illuminates the transmission of value-creating roles to customers beyond visible service interaction. However, while the literature recognises the paradigm shift towards a more significant customer role, the relationship between personalisation benefits and willingness to pay still lacks a comprehensive understanding. This study explores the role of personalisation in affecting customer willingness to pay. By adopting the pragmatism paradigm, this study follows an exploratory mixed-method approach consisting of 42 semi-structured interviews and 205 surveys, allowing for holistic knowledge development. The findings contribute to marketing and revenue management knowledge by enhancing understanding of the personalisation components and indicate whether and how personalisation influences customer willingness to pay.
Benjamin Awuah (PhD, BUBS)
Sustainable Development Goals reporting: A structured literature review and research agenda
The SDGs framework emerged as a guidepost for the transition to sustainable development. To achieve this transition, the private sector is encouraged to integrate these goals into their business strategies and reporting cycle. Using a structured literature review methodology, this paper reviews 50 empirical papers published on corporate SDGs reporting to identify how the field has developed, offer a critique, and identify avenues to advance the field. The results demonstrate that this field is developing as an area of great importance. Yet, the current literature is fragmented, lacks theorisation, and overly focused on listed companies, and succinctly describes corporate reporting practices as superficial. Some regions and research topics within this field remain under-investigated. Further, there currently exists low levels of international collaborations among authors as well as practitioners. The paper contributes to deepening this nascent research field by identifying three distinct areas and offer valuable insights to future research needs.
Burak Uzunova (PhD, FMC)
Euroscepticism and nationalism: A comparison between the United Kingdom and Turkey
This PhD project aims to scrutinise the relationship between national identity constructions and Euroscepticism in the UK and Turkey. In the last decade, the dominance of the nationalist political traditions that have sought to turn away from Europe has been witnessed in these two countries which have deep-rooted ties with the European Union. The project will be conducted through a Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) of texts produced in the last decade by the hard Eurosceptic and nationalist parties in the UK and Turkey, namely the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) and the Nationalist Action Party (NAP). The project will try to provide a new perspective to European studies by comparing the discursive construction of Euroscepticism in the UK and Turkey, which have many differences but also considerable similarities in the context of European Integration.
Chloe Casey (PhD, FHSS)
Promoting the mental health, wellbeing, and resilience of postgraduate researchers: An institutional perspective
The mental health and wellbeing of postgraduate researchers (PGRs) is a priority in the UK, with a recent increase in research interest. Several small-scale interventions have been conducted within universities nationally. However, these seldom involved PGRs in their production and tended to lack comprehensive mixed-methods evaluation, leading to varying success. Therefore, there remains a need for co-produced, tailored interventions. A multi-phase study was conducted at Bournemouth University between 2018-2021, with student engagement throughout. Firstly, PGRs participated in a survey and follow-up interviews, exploring the factors that affect their mental health. With these findings in mind, three discrete 4–6-week pilot interventions were co-created within PGR focus groups: project management, mindfulness, and mentoring. The subsequent feasibility study involved implementing and evaluating these. By disseminating the challenges and limitations of three novel wellbeing interventions, this research contributes to the development of further interventions to support mentally healthy and successful postgraduate research communities.
Fahad Alzahrani (PhD, FMC)
The narrative of communication response during the Covid-19 pandemic: A comparative Study of KSA and UAE
This research aims to analyse the response strategies of Saudi Arabia and the UAE governments in their communication during the COVID-19 pandemic from March 2020 to March 2022. A qualitative research approach will be used in this study, and in-depth interviews will be carried out with government representatives and PR practitioners in governmental institutions about the government’s communication strategy during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) model will be applied to analyse the government communication strategies throughout the different stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study contributes to the field of crisis communication providing Middle Eastern perspectives from KSA and UAE; it applies the CERC model and offers a comparative and longitudinal analysis of the main narratives, cultural and religious symbols used in government communication during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fred McClintock (PhD, FHSS)
Validity and reliability of inertial measurement units used to measure motion of the lumbar spine: A systematic review of individuals with and without low back pain.
Low back pain (LBP) is a major societal and economic burden. There are no methods of accurately quantifying lumbar movement in clinical practice as current methods are expensive and inaccessible. Advances in the use of inertial measurement units (IMUs) offer a solution. Studies have correlated the use of IMUs with gold standard measures on lumbar spines of individuals. The aim of the review was to establish concurrent validity and repeated measures reliability of using IMUs for measurement of the movement of the lumbar spine in individuals with LBP. A search of five databases revealed 503 results of which 16 studies were included and quality appraised. A synthesis of the results indicated good/very good concurrent validity and high reliability. There is evidence to suggest that IMUs are valid and reliable devices for measuring lumbar spine movements.
Jastine Antolin (PhD, FST) Gaze behaviour in social anxiety
Socially anxious people are assumed to avoid eye contact however, research suggests this may be context dependent. Thus, further work is needed to accurately characterise gaze behaviour in SA. The current study developed the Function of Gaze in Social situations (FOGS) Scale, which assesses the fear and avoidance in social scenarios and the function of gaze behaviour in a non-clinical sample (N=411). Exploratory factor analysis of fear and avoidance ratings yielded three factors: Fears: (1) conflict interactions (2) initiating affectionate interaction (3) group-leading interaction; Avoidance: (1) conflict interactions (2) initiating affectionate interaction (3) attractive social partner. FOGS-subscales were re-assessed using a new sample (N=420) and confirmatory factor analysis showed that the three-factor model for fear and avoidance ratings provided adequate fit for the data. FOGS demonstrated excellent internal consistency, convergent and discriminant validity. In further analyses, it is predicted that preference for gaze avoidance increases with severity of social anxiety.
Joshua Rieser (PhD, FMC)
British foreign policy in the Cold War setting: A critique of democratic peace theory
Democratic peace theory suggests that democratic states do not engage in covert action against one another. Recent academia, however, suggests that democratic states will use covert action against an elected government if national security planners perceive there is democratic decay in its trajectory. This, however, does not account for why a state would contravene democratic norms and international law. The presentation will introduce the audience to a new theory termed ‘covert peace theory’ (CPT). CPT explains why, in the non-European Cold War setting, Britain engaged in covert action against elected governments and how it continued to interfere in the internal affairs of states despite participating in international law conferences.
Mike Scott (EdD, FMC) Twitter and the post-16 ‘neurodivergent educator’ – identities and spaces
During the Covid-19 pandemic, educators within the UK used Twitter for professional agency, practise and socialisation (Carpenter et al. 2022). The aim is to consider the neurodivergent post-16 educators usage of Twitter and how this contributes to the shaping of their professional identity and agency. The research will be conducted through a reflexive, first-person approach, in line with a part auto-ethnographic and participatory action research. The study will examine whether professional identities are shaped, to various degrees, according to the neurodivergent educator’s socio-cultural background, career progression and spaces within which they work. Furthermore, the study will look at neurodivergent educators’ use of Twitter as a ‘third’ space and how they see this space contrast to more ‘formal’ professional spaces. Viewed in this way I anticipate that the outcome of the study will allow academia to better understand the ways in which professional identities are performed by neurodivergent educators (Wharmy 2017).
Ogochukwu Ann Ijezie (PhD, FST)
Structural equation modelling of quality of life in adults with Down syndrome in Nigeria
Little is known about the quality of life (QoL) of adults (aged ≥ 18 years) with Down syndrome (DS) in Nigeria. This research builds a quality of life (QoL) structural model for adults with DS in Nigeria. Using Schalock and Verdugo’s multidimensional QoL model, data were collected from 168 adults with DS and 53 caregivers in 9 states using a Personal Outcomes Scale, alongside data on COVID-19. Preliminary findings indicate similarities in self- and proxy reports in the domains of material well-being (getting a skilled job) and social inclusion (accepted in society). Adults with DS reported loving music, becoming independent, getting married, learning to read and write and exercising their human rights. Most adults with DS (91%) were unemployed. Proxies reported that adults with DS require social and financial support. A QoL framework and interventions will be developed as an evidence base to improve QoL in adults with DS.
Omowonuola Okunnu (PhD, FMC)
The implications of religious affiliations and political literacy on electoral outcomes in Nigeria: Is there a significant difference between southern and northern women voters?
In Nigeria, there are substantial cultural differences between women in the north and the south which arguably accounts for lower political literacy and reliance on religion as a determinant of voting. Despite the volume of studies in this area, literature on how culture serves as a moderating factor on religion and the importance of literacy as well as their distinct impact on political outcomes is quite scant. Consequently, this study conceptualises religion, culture, and electoral outcomes in the Nigerian context, and utilises statistical analysis to compare women voters in Nigeria from the south and the north. Using survey data collected between June and July 2022 from n = 2011 and n = 2204 respondents in each region respectively, the results show significant differences between southern and northern women voters. Such regional differences have severe adverse implications for the exploitation of women voters in times of election in Nigeria.
Rutherford (PhD, FMC)
The self as auteur: An interpretative phenomenological
investigation of self-reflective photography
When our attention is attracted to a scene ‘out there’ with which we have no conscious connection, it may be because we have intuitively recognised a symbolic description of an affective memory, experience or belief to which our unconscious is trying to bring to our attention. These might be allegorical descriptions of the world we believe that we inhabit, or a metaphorical depiction of the person we have become in our efforts to navigate through this. In making photographs for this project, participants were encouraged to resist the conscious selection of scenes they considered attractive as well as their natural inclination to produce a ‘good’ photo of these but instead, to put the camera ‘in the hands of their unconscious’. This project uses Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to investigate how participants make sense of the resulting photographs as well as their efforts to integrate their possible significance into their personal narratives.
Staff perspectives of a near-real time feedback intervention to improve patient experiences
Following several major reports of poor-quality care in the NHS, a multi-centre study was undertaken to improve patient-centred care by implementing near-real time patient feedback. This study follows on from this and explores experiences and learning of staff from one hospital involved. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight individuals involved in the original study, including five clinical staff members and three volunteers. The interviews highlighted four inter-related themes: importance of communication; normalising feedback; confidence to talk to patients; and seeing from the patient perspective. Participants described how near real-time feedback enhanced staff-patient communication, giving them confidence to interact with patients and creating more positive experience for both patients and staff. Staff responded to negative patient feedback by making improvements to patient experiences. The initiative was not sustained following conclusion of the original study. This study highlights the need to examine sustainability of improvement initiatives, as well as initial effectiveness.
Sasha Alexdottir (PhD, FMC)Phantom Touch phenomenon as a manifestation of the Visual-Auditory-Tactile Synaesthesia and its impact on the users in virtual reality
Phantom Touch in VR is an emerging phenomenon where a user can experience another person’s touch in VR without any real-life contact or haptics. This research focuses on what causes Phantom Touch to occur and how any individual can develop this pseudo haptic. VRChat users were questioned for primary data findings – which showed comparison between users who feel Phantom Touch and those who do not. The data was analysed through psychological studies, and later a methodology was proposed through which individuals could evoke Phantom Touch – The HTT method. The technique was then tested on participants, along with a control group to prove HTT method’s validity. Heart rate pattern, as well as qualitative data was collected during the experiment to analyse Phantom Touch’s effect on people. The findings from this study can have a potential impact on the medical field, social VR settings, and more.
Shel Silva (PhD, FHSS)
Does motorcyclists’ identification, perception, and knowledge of risks change regarding their motorcycling qualifications and experience?
Motorcyclists are the most vulnerable road user group in the U.K. with an average of six deaths per week. A common collision scenario is a road user driving across the path of a motorcyclist. Consequently, this research investigated where motorcyclists and car drivers direct their visual attention and potential differences between advanced motorcyclists vs standard trained motorcyclists. Prior research targeted at motorcycle collision prevention is limited, with only 15 studies using eye-tracking methodology. To target gaps in the literature; this is a mixed methods study using qualitative interviews, questionnaires, and eye-tracking. Eye-tracking findings indicate that motorcyclists and car drivers demonstrate different visual attention patterns. 1:1 interviews revealed motorcyclists know the hazards, yet the immersive experience and ‘helmet time’ that motorcycling provides far outweighs the risks. Thus, research impact can influence policy and change driving and motorcycle test training to teach how to direct visual attention and cognition to hazards.
Adam Nyende (PhD, FHSS)
Exploring the lived experience of control and well-being of older persons living with frailty within the care service provision in southern England.
Alice Brown (PhD, FHSS)
School readiness prediction in children who revived hypothermia treatment for hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy: sensory processing, behaviour profiles and neuroimaging data
Amanda Brockinton (PhD, FST)
This one secret will make scientists hate you! Online eye-tracking, fake news, and decision-making in virtual space
Ariella Thompson (PhD, FHSS)
Exploring how people with type 1 diabetes and disordered eating (T1DE) experience diabetes communication.
Aziean Binti Jamin (PhD, BUBS)
Extending the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) to promote work inclusion behaviour in disability employment.
Belinda Stuebinger (PhD, FMC) The evolution of the serial killer archetype in contemporary fiction
Berkan Oztas (PhD, FST)
Using machine learning to enhance transaction monitoring controls in anti-money laundering
Bohan Liu (PhD, BUBS)
Exploring one-child generation Chinese female’s meaning and intention of travel from the perspective of culture and gender
Caterina Franzon (PhD, FST) Do young adults consume dairy in the UK? Focus groups and interviews to explore reasons for dairy consumption.
Catherine Beresford (PhD, FHSS)
The experiences of people with liver disease of end-of-life care.
Chirag Ratwani (PhD, FST)
Surface engineering of transition metal dichalcogenides for self-healing hydrogels
Chloe Casey (PhD, FHSS)
Supporting postgraduate researchers’ mental health and wellbeing during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Daniel Dimanov (PhD, FST)
MIRA-ME: Muli-ObjectIve CoReset Discovery through EvolutionAry AlgorithMs in ComputEr vision.
Danielle Guy (PhD, FST)
Healthy sustainable eating: Public perceptions and understanding
www.bournemouth.ac.uk/pg-conference
Hadeel Alhatamleh (PhD, FHSS)
How effective are the interventions designed to improve end-of-life care for hospital in patients with dementia?: a systematic review
Helen Allen (PhD, FHSS)
“If I only knew then what I know now …” Reflections of a second year PhD student exploring the lived experiences of women who have been detained under the Mental Health Act whilst experiencing postpartum psychosis
Jack Wieland (PhD, FST)
Genomic instability and the link to infertility: A focus on microsatellites and genomic instability syndromes
Jasmine McCain (MRes, FST)
Exploring the psychological dimensions of social-engineering
Joseph Udo (PhD, FST)
Risk driven security framework for autonomous robots
Kate Rattley (PhD, FHSS)
Exploring validity of predictive protocols for VO2 max in women during and after menopause
Lily Hill (PhD, FST)
The trajectory of rape and serious sexual offences
Liz Bailey (PhD, FMC)
Once upon a time in copyright
Louise Davies (EdD, FMC)
Media, gender and habitus - how far can explicit teaching of Media Studies impact on the reading skills of male students across the curriculum?
Lucy Boxall (PhD, FST)
Protocol for a randomised controlled trial investigating the effects of nutrient- vs food- vs food substitution based dietary recommendations for reducing free sugar consumption, on free sugar intakes, dietary profiles, and sweet taste outcomes
Maria Sandoval (PhD, FST)
Molten salts electrochemical conversion of tyres recycling waste to advanced materials for high-temperature energy storage system
Marianna Constantinou (PhD, FST)
Arousal effect, prior to sustained visual stimulation, on episodic memory retrieval in young and old adults
Matthew Edge (PhD, BUBS)
Exploring closed loop supply chain strategies for single use medical device manufacturers toward developing sustainable and competitive manufacturing processes within the United Kingdom.
Niranjala Fernando (PhD, FST)
The mobility revolution: Next-generation Li-ion battery materials
Paula Shepherd (PhD, FHSS)
Appreciating the Registered Nurse Degree experience
Rabeea Maqsood (PhD, FHSS)
Comparative analysis of carotid versus femoral arterial signals for ultra-short term heart rate variability measurement in injured servicemen- a reliability study
Rama Permana (PhD, BUBS)
Exploring factors shaping tourists’ mobility in the global south – Case Study: Bali
Samantha Everard (PhD, FHSS)
This is a research study of how people with multiple disabilities choose self-employment as an option, and their experiences of formal self-employment support
Samira Al-Nasser (PhD, FST) Deep learning for load sensing devices
Sara Stride (PhD, FHSS)
A systematic review to explore whether organisational support is offered to midwives when women sustain severe perineal tears during birth
Sarah Morton (PhD, FHSS)
“Jabs Army” The challenge of selecting routes to recruit participants as part of a phenomenological study
Sheila Breeze (PhD, FST)
Understanding hand dexterity in two Hominin species: A key to success in Homo sapiens?
Sophie Willis (MRes, FST)
Detecting and defining immunity to cytomegalovirus (CMV) in allo-HSCT patients; combining CMV QuantiFERON and flow cytometry to predict CMV infection risk
Stephen Fordham (PhD, FST)
Nosocomial outbreak of blaCTX-M-15 encoding Klebsiella pneumoniae from Poole Hospital
Stuart McNally (PhD, FMC)
The sound of dramatic reconstructions in documentary-drama
Toby Denholm-Smith (MRes, FST)
The first meta-analysis investigating the physical overlap between emotion and reward processing as motivational factors
Tuba Aydin (PhD, FST)
Investigation of social media platform preferences depending on who they contacted
Adam Nyende (PhD, FHSS)
Exploring the lived experience of control and well-being of older persons living with frailty within the care service provision in southern England.
Older people living with frailty are more likely to develop and live with complex co-morbidities linked to chronic illnesses, injuries and decreased bodily reserve and functional capacity all of which contribute to personal and social restrictions. A sense of control is considered an important psychological resource in supporting older people to maintain physical functions and develop adaptive functioning and coping skills to optimise well-being. However, there is limited evidence about the lived experiences of a sense of control and well-being in older people living with frailty within their care service use. Utilising a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, 30 semi-structured interviews were conducted with both older people living with frailty and clinicians to explore first-hand experiences of what they feel increases the level of control and well-being within care services and how these practices can then be built into future service development, inform care policies, and provide new understanding for future research.
Alice Brown (PhD, FHSS)
School readiness prediction in children who revived hypothermia treatment for hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy: sensory processing, behaviour profiles and neuroimaging data
Neonatal hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE) is the neurological sequalae and neuronal injury that can occur following perinatal asphyxia at birth (Ahearne et al., 2016; Fatemi et al., 2009). The introduction of therapeutic hypothermia treatment provides an effective form of neuroprotection in infants with HIE, which has resulted in reductions in mortality rates and neuro-disability, such as cerebral palsy; however, the long-term benefits remain unknown and under-researched (Edwards et al., 2010; Jacobs et al., 2011).In a collaborative study with the University of Southampton, this ongoing research aims to explore outcomes in children with HIE at the ages of 6 to 8 years, comparing their sensory processing and behavioural profiles to those of typically developing controls. Neuroimaging data will also be utilised to investigate the relationship between cognitive and behavioural function and structural and functional connectivity in school aged children with HIE.
Amanda Brockinton (PhD, FST)
This one secret will make scientists hate you! Online eye-tracking,
fake news, and decision-making in virtual space
Hofstede’s (2011) cultural dimensions is a framework applied to understand cultural backgrounds and its impact on FN (fake news). An online eye-tracking study used participant’s own webcam to explore user interactions with real/fake social media posts based on articles from Snopes (an online news debunking website). One eye-tracking study was used, comprised of two parts with around 30 participants; the UK and China were the main country backgrounds, due to geographical limitations, most participants were from the UK. Participants were recruited from two platforms; SONA, a research incentive scheme where Bournemouth University students completed the study in exchange for credits, and; Prolific, a platform which paid participants in exchange for completing the study. Eye measurements (i.e. initial eye-fixations) are used to present preliminary findings between these two main groups to discuss how information, real/fake, is discerned in virtual space and if differences and/or similarities in cultural backgrounds impact this discernment.
Ariella Thompson (PhD, FHSS)
Exploring how people with type 1 diabetes and disordered eating (T1DE) experience diabetes communication.
Eating disorders are twice as likely to occur in people with type 1 diabetes (T1D) than people without diabetes. Type 1 diabetes and disordered eating (T1DE) is associated with increased risk of complications and mortality. People with T1D receive information about how to manage their condition from a range of sources including healthcare professionals, their peers and online sources. Learning to manage diabetes is vital to ensuring good health outcomes and reducing the risk of complications. However, little is known about the experiences of people with T1DE engaging with diabetes communication. This study takes a qualitative approach to with the aim of providing insight on the communication experiences of people with T1DE, including the sources of communication they engage with and their responses to the communication. The primary method will be semi-structured interviews with people with T1DE, with a preliminary online questionnaire shaping the structure of the interviews.
Aziean Binti Jamin (PhD, BUBS)
Extending the theory of planned behaviour (tpB) to promote work inclusion behaviour in disability employment.
The study contributes to understanding the psychosocial factors influencing non-disabled co-workers toward supporting work inclusion for People with Disabilities (PWDs) in the organisational context. The aim is to fill the gap in the literature regarding the supportive behaviours of co-workers in the hospitality industry. Existing Human Resource Management (HRM) research has concentrated on policies and organisational practices from managerial and employer levels. Further investigation into employee behaviours is needed to strengthen inclusive practices and eliminate discriminatory behaviour. The study aims to expand the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). The findings have significant implications for understanding individual behaviour within the organisation, particularly for creating an inclusive work environment for this marginalised group. Underlying factors in defining positive employee behaviours can help businesses improve inclusive policies and practices, reduce work stress, and promote positive work environments.
Belinda Stuebinger (PhD, FMC)
The evolution of the serial killer archetype in contemporary fiction
Serial killing is a phenomenon that is not only prevalent in real life but has also been picked up by the entertainment industry and appears in films, literature, comic books, etc.This practice-based research uses a mixed-method approach to offer original insights into key traits of the serial killer persona as a protagonist in contemporary fiction, as well as into structural patterns in the writing styles of authors when creating these narratives. Six novels, written in the first person, will be textually analysed for literary devices, such as metaphors, as well as any discourse relating to the creation of the persona. These discursive items will then be thematically coded in order to make the data easier to read and more meaningful. With the production of the creative artefact, these original insights will be put into practice and will offer guidance for anyone looking to construct such a narrative.
Berkan Oztas (PhD, FST)
Using machine learning to enhance transaction monitoring controls in anti-money laundering
Money laundering has become a great economic problem with huge consequences on society and financial institutions in the last decade. Current anti-money laundering (AML) procedures within the industry are inefficient due to criminals’ increasingly sophisticated approaches and technological advancements. The rulesbased methods have led to high false-positive rates which generate huge costs for financial institutions. This presentation will identify and analyse the machine learning methods to detect money laundering through transaction monitoring in the literature. The machine learning methods are categorised and split into different approach types depending on how they identify suspicious transactions. Moreover, the presentation will identify research gaps and based on the observed limitations, will suggest future research directions and areas in need of improvements.
Bohan Liu (PhD, BUBS)
Exploring one-child generation Chinese female’s meaning and intention of travel: from the perspective of culture and gender
China’s rapid expansion of tourism is a relatively recent phenomenon. The social and self-identity components of Chinese women’s one-child generation travel experiences had not previously gotten much attention. Therefore, this study aims to explain the mechanisms by which Chinese female one-child generation travellers’ travel intentions are influenced by cultural, identity, and gender-related travel barriers and facilitators. Using a feminist pragmatism perspective, this study trying to analyse and evaluates how Chinese female one-child generation tourists perceive their own and other people’s social identities in relation to travel constraints and facilities, and how travel constraints and facilities related to culture, gender, and identity influence the travel decisions of Chinese female one-child generation tourist. Sequential mixed method will be adopted in the following research process. This study will aiming come up with the significance of gender roles and sociocultural norms in the lives of Chinese women influence their travel intention and the experiences.
Caterina Franzon (PhD, FST)
Do young adults consume dairy in the UK? Focus groups and interviews to explore reasons for dairy consumption.
Dairy consumption has been linked to health benefits and has a lower environmental impact than meat consumption; however, recent studies report low intakes among young adults aged 18-30 years old. Aimed at identifying reasons, facilitators and barriers that may influence people’s dairy consumption, focus groups and individual interviews were conducted between May and August 2022. Twenty-two students and workers aged 18-30 years old shared their opinions about a range of different dairy products, e.g., milk, yoghurt, dairy-todrink, cheeses, and their plant-based alternatives. Several factors were suggested to have an impact on dairy consumption. Alongside product-related (e.g., taste, texture) and individual-related reasons (e.g., liking, habits), other factors included the versatility of a product, accessibility, and price. The reasons identified during this study will be used to develop an online questionnaire. Identifying and exploring reasons for dairy consumption is a fundamental step towards developing strategies to improve the diets of young adults.
The experiences of people with liver disease of end-of-life care
This poster presentation will explore the background to this research project and methodological decisionmaking and planning for the research. Liver disease is the fifth commonest cause of death in the UK and cases are rising. In people aged 35-49, it is the main cause of mortality. There is a lack of research into perspectives of people with liver disease regarding end-of-life care. This study seeks to address this gap in knowledge through qualitative exploration. In addition to offering new knowledge and understanding of receiving end-of-life care, the findings could be used to help improve the effective implementation of person-centred palliative care for people with liver disease. The aim is to describe and explore the experiences of people receiving end-of-life care for liver disease. Methods: Two phases: A systematic literature review and a qualitative study informed by Constructivist Grounded Theory.
Chirag Ratwani (PhD, FST)
Surface engineering of transition metal dichalcogenides for self-healing hydrogels
Transitional metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have attracted a lot of research in this post-graphene era of 2D materials owing to their diverse electronic properties and the ability to fine tune them. In this work, selfhealable hydrogels have been produced by actively involving the TMDs in the healing chemistry by surface functionalisation using organic thiols, resulting in a highly processable, non-leaky, super strong hydrogel with high healing efficiency. Tensile strength and healing efficiency of the hydrogels increased by almost four times, and it could also be processed into a thin film. This surface modification technique provides a glimpse into the possibility of using TMDs in self-healable nanocomposites and can be further escalated to different disulfide based TMDs and polymeric backbones for enhanced hydrogen bonding based self-healing systems.
Chloe Casey (PhD, FHSS)
Supporting postgraduate researchers’ mental health and wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic
Poor mental health and wellbeing in postgraduate researchers (PGRs) was exacerbated during the pandemic, with 80% of UK PGRs experiencing mental distress during this period. This exploratory, two-phase feasibility study had two aims; firstly, to identify and coproduce a range of wellbeing interventions with PGRs that may support wellbeing during the pandemic. The second aim was to pilot and evaluate these wellbeing interventions with PGRs at Bournemouth University. Three discrete 4–6-week pilot interventions were developed: project management, mindfulness, and mentoring. The effectiveness and feasibility of these interventions were evaluated via several outcome measures, including recruitment rates, response rates, attrition, and adherence data in combination with qualitative feedback. A summary and evaluation of each intervention will be shared. The findings of this feasibility study may inform future research and contribute to the development of further interventions to support mentally healthy and successful postgraduate research communities within the UK or internationally.
MIRA-ME:
Muli-ObjectIveCoReset Discovery through EvolutionAry AlgorithMs in ComputEr vision
This work presents a novel way of coreset discovery with evolutionary algorithms. We first benchmark our approach to existing state-of-the-art models showcasing that our approach beats them in balancing our two objectives– preserving accuracy while using the lowest number of samples. Compared to the state-of-the-art, our work automatically determines the best size for the coreset and it allows the user to choose a final coreset based on a produced optimal set of solutions. We also show how the generated multiple sets can grant insights into the importance of the samples. To achieve this, we use continuous instead of discrete variables to find the coresets. In essence each sample is assigned a weight, which boosts the explain ability of the results and makes them significantly more interpretable. We also offer the first fully evolutionary algorithm based unsupervised approach, which can discover coresets without the need for any labels.
Danielle Guy (PhD, FST)
Healthy sustainable eating: Public perceptions and understanding
The term “sustainable eating” is not a new concept but is often misunderstood in society due to the complexity in defining it. However, with increasing concerns about environmental sustainability, it is a term that needs to be understood alongside the guidelines to following a healthy diet. There has been limited success in addressing poor dietary intake, with the facilitators and barriers to sustainable eating often ignored. The present study aims to determine current knowledge on sustainable eating, current eating behaviours, willingness, and practicality in adopting a healthier sustainable diet. A questionnaire was developed, and the pilot stage involved 65 participants completing a 4-day food diary alongside this questionnaire. Descriptive analyses were conducted to validate the questions used, and the questionnaire is now being distributed around the UK. The results from this study will provide a basis for future interventions to encourage sustainable eating and motivate long-term change.
Hadeel Alhatamleh (PhD, FHSS)
How effective are the interventions designed to improve end-of-life care for hospital in patients with dementia?: A systematic review.
Background: dementia is a progressive, life-limiting illness. People with dementia at their end-of-life (EoL) stage have significant needs. Many of these patients are admitted into the hospital. Aim: the aim of this study was to systematically identify the interventions designed to improve end-of-life care (EoLC) for hospital in-patients with dementia and evaluate their effectiveness. Methods: A systematic literature review of the research published between 2009 and 2019 around the world in hospitals. A total of ten papers included in the review. Outcomes: A number of areas of concern were identified through the literature in relation to identifying EoL stage for people with dementia, symptoms and needs assessment, palliative advance care planning and interventions and the sustainability of these interventions. Conclusion: with the areas of concern identified in the literature, we need to further explore the facilitators and barriers to provide a quality EoLC for people with dementia and their close others in hospitals.
Helen Allen (PhD, FHSS)
“If I only knew then what I know now …” Reflections of a second year PhD student exploring the lived experiences of women who have been detained under the Mental Health Act whilst experiencing postpartum psychosis
During the first year of my part-time PhD, I have read academic literature, articles in the lay press, biographies and autobiographies of service users and research interview transcripts. I have spoken to many BU colleagues. I have attended workshops and spoken to mental health service providers and recipients. Some things I have learned. Complexity: The issues surrounding my chosen topic are complex, disparate and affect many individuals. Positionality: My own emotional overlay will require management and monitoring. The enormous complexity of the dynamic between researcher and topic. Service user involvement: Timely, ongoing and comprehensive service user input is key from the outset for this complex, emotive topic. Practical considerations/suggestions: frontload everything, good note keeping is essential, time is of the essence, everything takes longer than you think.
Jack Wieland (PhD, FST)
Genomic instability and the link to infertility: A focus on microsatellites and genomic instability syndromes
Infertility affects approximately 10-15% of the global population to date. Infertility is categorised as two types: primary and secondary. Primary infertility is the failure to conceive a child after one year without birth control methods while, secondary is the failure to conceive after the first successful birth. Infertility is a multifactorial clinical phenotype associated with genomic defects and some genetic diseases. These are linked to defective DNA repair and microsatellite instability. A database was created containing published research to date, identifying areas lacking in human infertility. This revealed that microsatellite studies in infertility is under researched. Four studies in total were identified where microsatellite instability may be a contributor to idiopathic infertility. In cases with genetic diseases microsatellite instability appears to be a genomic feature instead of a contributor. Microsatellite instability may be a contributor to idiopathic infertility and a genomic feature when infertility is associated to a genetic disease.
Jasmine McCain (MRes, FST) Exploring the psychological dimensions of social-engineering
This project explores the psychological dimensions of social engineering (SE). SE is applicable in the context of social psychology, information security and political science. In political science, SE refers to the intentionally influencing behavioural change in specific populations. In social psychology, SE refers to influencing individuals into making decisions that are not in their best interest, using psychological manipulation. In cybersecurity, this manipulation is used to breach both physical and digital security systems, or to obtain sensitive information. To achieve this successfully, social engineers exploit the decision-making process by taking advantage of systematic deviations from rationality, called cognitive biases and fallacies. This necessitates sophistication and skill to ensure the victim trusts that what they are doing is right. Such skillsets require understanding and time to perfect. The implication is that there are influential elements that contribute to the development of a socialengineer’s career, such as individual experience, personality, and morality.
Risk driven security framework for autonomous robots
Industrial environments have been evolving, and currently, the working environment in which autonomous robots work with humans shows how advanced the industrial environment has become. Risks management concerns are paramount, and industries use various means to secure autonomous robots’ communication, to avoid vulnerabilities that can lead to exploitation. Despite the up-to-date security management approaches, there are still cyber risks that affect industries. With the use of the current state-of-the-art frameworks for risk management, threat severity can be rated. However, current threat rating frameworks do not have the metrics to rate all forms or modes of work in an industrial environment, before concluding on the final score. This research focuses on filling in the gap and developing a risk driven security framework with new metrics that will be used to rate threat severity. The threat severity rating will be used to rate the severity during the form or mode of work.
Kate Rattley (PhD, FHSS)
Exploring validity of predictive protocols for VO2 max in women during and after menopause.
Menopause has three stages: pre-, peri- and post-menopause, with each stage exhibiting hormonal changes that result in differences to physiological responses to exercise and aerobic capacity. A VO2 max test is the gold standard measurement of maximal aerobic capacity, however these tests are very physically demanding, time consuming and expensive. Submaximal protocols are often used instead, with an equation estimating VO2 max using heart rate. This research explores the accuracy of three predictive VO2 max protocols in peri- and postmenopausal women (45-60 years). This will allow better understanding of how menopause impacts maximal aerobic capacity and the most optimal predictive VO2 max protocol in this population. 46 women will complete 3 different predictive cycling protocols and 1 maximal test on 4 separate occasions. Each visit will include measures of lung, heart, and metabolic function via spiroergometric system, heart rate, and rate of perceived exertion.
Lily Hill (PhD, FST)
The trajectory of rape and serious sexual offences
Research to date on the trajectory of offending, which includes the quantitative changes of behaviour over time, frequency of offending over time and rate and shape of offending across the life course, is limited and out of date. This poster will cover my three-year plan for my PhD, which explores escalation in repeat suspects who have committed rape and other sexual offences. Study one aims to examine the frequency of offending across subtypes of sexual offending. Study two aims to identify if the severity of harm increases across an offender’s pathway, and lastly, study three will explore behavioural indicators of cross-over from non-contact to contact sexual offences using crime scene analysis. This research aims to bridge the gap between the application of scientific knowledge and investigative practices utilised by the police and other agencies with the hope of providing a unique insight into how to target repeat suspects.
Liz Bailey (PhD, FMC)
Once upon a time in copyright Music is an industry controlled by gatekeepers; the record labels, a small group of producers and musicians known as the ‘Song Machine’, and consumers guided by deep rooted institutions such as Billboards and radio airplay. This presentation steps into the shoes of six claimants from the last 20 years, who accused famous musicians of infringement. Considering their perspective through case commentary and media interviews telling their story from the ‘not so famous’ side of life and the difficulty of proving someone stole your work. There is debate around what music is within the bounds of the law and which parts are protected within copyright protection. The listener hears with their own inflection enhanced by their own experiences and background knowledge and understanding of technical stylistic and contextual factors. This can make judging similarities near impossible with devastating effects on those who truly believe their work has been plagiarised.
Louise Davies (EdD, FMC)
Media, gender and habitus - how far can explicit teaching of Media Studies impact on the reading skills of male students across the curriculum?
Media Studies has frequently been dismissed as a ‘Mickey Mouse’ subject and positioned on the lower rungs of perceived knowledge hierarchies. It has had to fight for its position in ‘knowledge rich’ curricula and undergo modification to allow it to fit into governments’ perception of what a ‘subject’ should entail. Much has been said about the relationship between Media and English, but can the pedagogies of subject Media enable learners who have experienced difficulty with reading more traditional texts, more specifically male learners, to access them more effectively? Is this because the pedagogies of Media Studies enable their habitus to be engaged and their agency to be taken into account? This early stage research poster illustrates existing literature in a number of key areas: the impact of habitus on boys’ reading and achievement in literacy, the relationship between English and Media Studies’ pedagogies and recent government education policy.
Lucy Boxall (PhD, FST)
Protocol for a randomised controlled trial investigating the effects of nutrient vs food vs food substitution based dietary recommendations for reducing free sugar consumption, on free sugar intakes, dietary profiles, and sweet taste outcomes.
Dietary guidelines are designed to promote the improvement of dietary intakes and health risks in the general public. Evaluations into the effectiveness of dietary guidelines, however, is rarely investigated. In this study, the effectiveness of three types of free sugar reducing dietary recommendations on free sugar intakes will be tested over 12 weeks. Using a parallel randomised control trial with four groups (three intervention, one control), 242 healthy adults consuming >5% of their total energy intake from free sugars will be randomised to receive: nutrient-based, nutrient-and-food-based, nutrient-food-and-food substitution-based recommendations or no recommendations. Primary outcomes are free sugar intakes and recommendation adherence. Secondary outcomes include dietary profiles, physical measurements, food perceptions, preferences, attitudes, and choice, eating behaviour, nutritional knowledge, lifestyle variables, quality of life, adverse events, and adherence barriers and facilitators. This work will provide new insight into the effectiveness of dietary interventions to enact behavioural change (Trial registration: www.clinicaltrials.gov: NCT04816955).
Maria Sandoval (PhD, FST)
Molten salts electrochemical conversion of tyres recycling waste to advanced materials for high-temperature energy storage systems.
There is an increasing awareness across the globe of the disposal of plastic waste materials from automotive industry. The significance of the problem increases for waste with high heterogeneity, which complicates their recycling in terms of environmental and economic feasibility. On the other hand, the biggest challenge for the development of more efficient supercapacitors is the necessity of materials that in combination with electrolytes allows them to operate at higher temperatures. This research comprehends the electrochemical conversion of the black carbon (BC) from tyres recycling using molten salts to obtain carbon nanostructures for novel sustainable electrodes with enhanced thermal properties.
Marianna Constantinou (PhD, FST)
Arousal effect, prior to sustained visual stimulation, on episodic memory retrieval in young and old adults.
Ageing has been associated with a decline of the episodic memory system with older, compared to younger adults, retrieving episodic memories less accurately and more slowly. Evidence points towards a contextdependent effect of arousal on episodic memory, with the presentation of arousing, compared to non-arousing stimuli, improving the speed and accuracy of episodic memories in young and old adults. The objectives of the study are twofold: i) to examine, using a novel paradigm, the strength of the arousal effect, prior to visual sustained stimulation, on episodic memory retrieval, and ii) to investigate potential age-related neural differences, using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) during episodic memory retrieval. Preliminary results will be presented and discussed. Insights from this study may be of assistance to clinical research, considering that a reduction in memory specificity is a transdiagnostic process across disorders.
Matthew Edge (PhD, BUBS)
Exploring closed loop supply chain strategies for single use medical device manufacturers toward developing sustainable and competitive manufacturing processes within the United Kingdom.
Current research suggests the UK healthcare system experiences critical and enduring regulatory and budgetary challenges, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic. One solution considers reprocessing Single Use Medical Devices (SUMDs), currently performed across US, Europe and Asia, to potentially offer cost-savings and environmental sustainability. By conducting concurrent systematic and thematic analysis identified literature research gaps thereby leading to the formulation of primary research questions. Interviews with logistic specialists discussed and explored potential reprocessing opportunities, challenges, and limitations within their existing supply chains. Following primary and secondary research outcomes, a cause-and-effect model attempts to identify causal relationships and issues across social, economic and environmental factors. In order to operationalise this model, survey questionnaires are proposed to wider industry with results to be statistically validated. This research intends to establish a transferable model for medical device manufacturers and industry for SUMD sustainability, behaviours and approaches potentially implemented in event of change and reprocessing adoption.
Niranjala Fernando (PhD, FST)
The mobility revolution: Next-generation Li-ion battery materials.
Lithium-ion batteries are widely used as the key power source in smartphones, medical devices, drones, satellites, electric vehicles etc. The battery generates electrochemical energy by moving lithium ions between two electrodes-a negatively charged anode and a positively charged cathode. The application of lithium-ion batteries is constantly expanding; however, the safety and electrochemical performances such as energy, power and cycle life are still limited by conventional graphite anode material. As potential substitutes for the graphite, research attention has been drawn to transition metal oxides, Si, Sn, Ge etc. In this study, NiO/Graphene/Expanded graphite composite is proposed as a potential high-performance anode material for next-generation Li-ion batteries.
Paula Shepherd (PhD, FHSS)
Appreciating the Registered Nurse Degree experience.
The role of apprenticeships within education is increasingly recognised as an essential tool for encouraging widening participation and developing professional skills in the workplace. Within nursing, it provides an opportunity to ‘earn while you learn’. With a potential misconception that nursing is returning to its roots. With the Registered Nurse Degree Apprentice (RNDA) growing it is important to identify how this programme differs from other routes and past programmes, supporting the development of strategies that enhance learner experience and prevent attrition. The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the RNDA experience to develop an appreciation of motivation, benefits and challenges.
Rabeea Maqsood (PhD, FHSS)
Comparative analysis of carotid versus femoral arterial signals for ultra-short term heart rate variability measurement in injured servicemen- a reliability study
This study investigated the utility of carotid-versus-femoral waveforms for ultra-short term heart rate variability (HRVUST) measurement following combat-related traumatic injury. Carotid-femoral waveforms obtained during pulse wave velocity measurement (recording <16-second) provided cardiac Inter-beat Intervals in a sample (n=50) from the ArmeD serVices trAuma and rehabilitatioN outComE (ADVANCE) study, UK. HRVUST was reported as the root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD). Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) and the BlandAltman plot demonstrated blinded inter-rater reliability. The participants’ mean age was 34.0±4.8 years. Femoral waveform offered a more reliable signal than the carotid waveform (Fisher’s Exact test; p<0.001). Carotid-derived RMSSD moderately correlated with that from the femoral artery (r=0.82, p<0.001). There was a strong inter-rater correlation (ICC: 0.99, 95%CI 0.994-0.997) and agreement in femoral-derived RMSSD scores (mean difference: 0.55ms, limit-of-agreement: -7.21-8.32ms). This is the first study to demonstrate femoral waveforms’ superiority for HRVUST measurement in servicemen offering translational potential in enhancing clinical risk-stratification.
Exploring factors shaping tourists’ mobility in the global south – Case Study: Bali
Sustainable tourism studies have a low exposure to the global south. Transport represents the largest emissions in tourism, yet it is critical for tourism-dependent developing areas, especially their ground transport. As natural resources at rural destinations are at stake, managing the overland travel is important. Social practice theory can explain the interplay between individual and the social structure. It enables transport use to be set within context of transport availability, the travellers’ competence to use available transport modes, and their motivations for travel. Drawing upon multi-stakeholders semi-structured interviews on tourist mobility in Bali, the Shove’s 3-elements of social practice model (materials, competences, and meanings) have been analysed. Travel practices are differentiated by travel companions’ profiles and are shaped by the transport provision. The emergence of elements over time have perpetuated vehicle hire use. Sustaining subsidy and managing stakeholders are identified as key challenges in shifting to more sustainable travel practices.
Samantha Everard (PhD, FHSS)
This is a research study of how people with multiple disabilities choose self-employment as an option, and their experiences of formal self-employment support.
Once upon a time there lived the hard to reach, a community of disabled people who wanted to find meaningful employment. Apparently, they lived furthest away from the job market with no idea how to get there or what support they could ask for along the journey. Although self-employment can be a positive step forward for disabled people, one of the fundamental challenges is that most advisers in existing self-employment support roles do not fully understand their lifestyles or challenges. This is of particular concern because advisers are often unaware of what practical support they can offer to effectively assist the disabled person when exploring and sustaining their self-employed role (Pearson. et al., 2019). This gap in practice knowledge and understanding is a key motivator for my own study as I have assisted many disabled people that have been refused tailored support by other self-employment and business start-up organisations.
Samira Al-Nasser (PhD, FST)
Deep learning for load sensing devices
Deep Learning is a new and evolving tool used for a variety of applications including biomedical engineering. This research focuses on developing a load sensor for total knee replacements (TKRs). Deep learning is applied to this sensor to overcome problems with triangulation including a small sensing area. By training and applying an artificial neural network (ANN) to a load sensor used for total TKRs the accuracy of load sensing can be improved by including contact points outside of the sensing area. This poster shows an application of an ANN for an intraoperative load sensor for TKRs.
A systematic review to explore whether organisational support is offered to midwives when women sustain severe perineal tears during birth.
When women sustain severe perineal tears called Obstetric anal sphincter injuries (OASI) midwives report feeling stress. Stress is known to impact on an individual’s physical and psychological health, both of which can impact on the retention of midwives. From the literature little is known about the type of support that is currently provided to midwives following these experiences in workplaces in the UK. The main objective of this systematic review is to establish what types of support are currently provided to midwives. To develop the research question and search terms a PEO (population, exposure and outcome) framework was used. The findings will include a PRISMA flow chart outlining the screening and selection process, a table of included reviews and the number of studies included without duplicates. This work will underpin an intervention that can be used to support midwives when they encounter these experiences.
Sarah
Morton (PhD, FHSS)
“Jabs Army” The challenge of selecting routes to recruit participants as part of a phenomenological study.
This poster aims to explore recruitment aspects within a research project covering the motivations and experiences of nurses who returned to practice during the Covid-19 pandemic to deliver the Covid-19 vaccinations. Within the project, the recruitment aims to ethically identify and recruit sufficient numbers of participants. The objective is to gather data concerning individual’s participation during extra-ordinary events. Inclusion and exclusion criteria pertaining to the recruitment is described along with applicable timeframes. Anticipated challenges regarding the recruitment process are captured, particularly that, given practitioners returned to practice due to an irregular event, some may have subsequently ceased practice. Therefore, recruitment routes will extend more broadly than via, for example, employer communications and are described. The ethics application is currently in progress. It is hoped through appropriate recruitment, as this poster explores, in due course this research may offer insight into possible workforce capacity approaches during extra-ordinary surge scenarios.
Sheila Breeze (PhD, FST)
Understanding hand dexterity in two Hominin species: A key to success in Homo sapiens?
Fossil bones and stone tools can be examined to reveal dexterous hand grips that were possible by early hominin species such as Homo neanderthalensis and Homo naledi. Increased hand mobility is derived with the evolution of the ‘precision grip’ conferring greater flexibility. This contributed to a more effective stone tool, enhancing life skills and therefore longevity. This research will examine comparative bones from non-human primates’ hands, shown to have similarities to past hominins. Additionally, collection of functional kinematic data of modern humans including dynamometer measurements for power together with dexterity testing using a clinical peg board will be investigated. The aim of this work is to understand key elements of evolutionary processes that have resulted in different derived characteristics of hand morphology. It will further contribute to a more detailed and multifaceted picture of hand evolution within our own lineage leading to the repertoire of precision grips we see today.
Sophie Willis (MRes, FST)
Detecting and defining immunity to cytomegalovirus (CMV) in allo-HSCT patients; combining CMV QuantiFERON and flow cytometry to predict CMV infection risk.
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a B-herpesvirus estimated to infect 83% of the global population. CMV reactivation from latency or primary infection can cause severe disease in the immunocompromised, such as individuals undergoing haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). History of infection with CMV is a vital factor in donor/recipient stem cell matching as it precludes several complications in allogenic HSCT patients. Diagnosis of CMV disease in HSCT patients remains difficult and patients are monitored by CMV PCR for the first 100 days post HSCT during the peak of immunosuppression and risk of severe disease. There is presently no clear cut off for the cessation of PCR monitoring and prophylactic/immunosuppressive treatments after this timeframe. Defining each patients level of T-cell immunity will tell physicians if they have sufficient immunity to control potential infection which reduces their risk of severe disease. Therefore, risk stratification, monitoring and treatment could become personalised by utilising this assay.
Stephen Fordham (PhD, FST)
Nosocomial outbreak of blaCTX-M-15 encoding Klebsiella pneumoniae from Poole Hospital
Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pnuemoniae) is one of six leading pathogens responsible for 929,000 (660,000–1,270,000) deaths attributable to antibiotic resistance (AMR) and 3.57 million (2.62–4.78) deaths associated with AMR in 2019 (Antimicrobial resistance collaborators, 2019). In 2018, Poole Hospital NHS Foundation trust experienced an outbreak of a bacterial pathogen associated with poor patient outcomes. Following extensive engineering control measures, the outbreak was deemed under control months later. Samples were saved from the outbreak period to better understand the epidemic success of the pathogen. This project aims to characterise the outbreak strains, to help identify the genes that contributed to their epidemic success in a clinical environment. To achieve this, a comprehensive sequencing program, supported by Pfizer, was undertaken to build the genomes of the bacterial pathogens. Herein, the bacterial pathogen, K. pnuemoniae is described. Broad spectrum resistance genes are discovered.
Stuart McNally (PhD, FMC)
The sound of dramatic reconstructions in documentary-drama
Sound design is the final stage of the post-production process in film, television, and now content created for online publication. Each audio production decision is a conscious choice by a creative professional, these decisions create an impact on the audience’s emotion. The focus of the research centres on television documentary-drama containing dramatic micro-reconstructions involving trauma. The key objective in the thesis is to overview discourse throughout the production process, examining if measures have been discussed in editing specific sounds relating to trauma, with their justifications for added them into the mix, especially if the incident occurs off-screen. All these choices will be compared to the regulation guidance, to ensure best practice is occurring. Whilst in the initial stages of the thesis, there is a mixed methodology of primary and secondary research, involving historical and archival explorations, case studies and interviews with creative professionals, that have experience with dramatic micro-reconstructions.
Toby Denholm-Smith (MRes, FST)
The first meta-analysis investigating the physical overlap between emotion and reward processing as motivational factors.
A large-scale meta-analysis was conducted to investigate any overlapping brain areas between two different motivational factors: emotion and reward processing. A total of 2,630 neuroimaging studies with 88,744 recorded brain activations were downloaded from the publicly available database Neurosynth. Special neuroimaging maps were generated and compared to one another to find any overlapping brain structures between emotion and reward processing. Results found significant overlaps in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), superior frontal gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus and insula parts of the brain. Activation was found in the ACC in both the left and right side of the brain (hemisphere) with corresponding to a specific process. These findings proved our hypothesis successful as well as supporting conclusions from previous key literature. These findings are the first of their kind, providing supporting evidence between the physical relationship between emotion and reward processing in the brain. Limitations highlight the lack of literature and methodological inconsistences in current available literature.
Tuba Aydin (PhD, FST)
Investigation of social media platform preferences depending on who they contacted.
Along with technological developments, social media platforms have entered our lives. Every day a new platform emerges, and the number of users is increasing. However, the factors affecting the preferences of social media platforms are wondered. From this viewpoint, this study aimed to investigate social media platform preferences depending on who they contacted. The study was conducted with 100 British participants aged between of 18-45. Demographic information form was used. While using texting, WhatsApp, and Facebook in contact with family members; they used texting, Instagram, and WhatsApp in contact with close friend, respectively. Also, while using Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp in contact with other people they just met; they used mail, WhatsApp, and texting in contact with people of higher status, respectively. Social media platform preferences differ from depending on who they contacted. The relationship between the social media platform preferences difference and expression of emotions should be examined.
Aneta Postek-Mioduszewska (PhD, FMC)
Jim Henson’s legacy. From Yoda to Grogu (case study).
Emilija Strelcenia (PhD, FST)
A novel machine learning method for credit card fraud detection
Pre-recorded Presentation Abstracts
Aneta Postek-Mioduszewska (PhD, FMC)
Jim Henson’s Legacy. From Yoda to Grogu (case study).
One of the tribute letters read during the special episode of the Muppets expressed the profound impact and value of Henson’s legacy. ‘It is a good thing there are people who can do Jim Henson’s Job. He will be with us every time we watch the Muppets’ (Legacy, 2015). Nowadays, muppets, puppets and animatronics continue to captivate audiences, regardless of the media or generations. The paper investigates these influences on Lucas and Favreau. It aims to focus on the people trained and encouraged by Jim to be independent creators, for example: Frank Oz. The paper seeks to answer the questions: What are Jim Henson’s influences on Lukas and Favreau? Who are the people behind the success of Yoda and Grogu?
Emilija Strelcenia (PhD, FST)
A novel machine learning method for credit card fraud detection
Deep learning-based classifiers for object classification and recognition have been utilised in various sectors. However according to research deep neural networks achieve better performance using balanced datasets than imbalanced ones. It’s been observed that datasets are often imbalanced due to less fraud cases in production environments. Deep generative approaches, such as GANs have been applied as an efficient method to augment high-dimensional data. In this research study, the classifiers based on a Random Forest, Nearest Neighbour, Logistic Regression, MLP, Adaboost were trained utilising our novel GAN approach and compared using other oversampling approaches achieving higher performance metrics.Experiments demonstrate that the classifiers trained on the augmented set achieved far better performance than the same classifiers trained on the original data producing an effective fraud detection mechanism. Furthermore, this research demonstrates the problem with data imbalance and introduces a novel data augmentation method which is better than existing data augmentation methods.