The challenge of securing future food production for aquaculture species under environmental change: enhancing physiological performance under environmental stress

Rising sea surface temperatures and ocean acidification present profound challenges for many marine species, leading to cascading effects on ecosystem functionality and food security. Phenotypic plasticity is anticipated to play a key role in helping marine ectotherms maintain performance and acclimate to changes in these global environmental drivers. However, our understanding of phenotypic plasticity in the context of climate change is largely based on short-term studies, with limited ecological relevance, which often overlook some important response modifiers such as environmental context, exposure nature, reproductive modes, and potential trade-offs between fitness components. As a result, the full potential for marine ectotherms to exhibit physiological acclimation within and across generations remains not well understood. This thesis addresses this knowledge gap by investigating the extent of physiological plasticity in key intertidal species, which are crucial for both ecological and commercial purposes, considering such response modifiers. Different species are exposed to ocean warming (OW) and/or ocean acidification (OA) across various life-cycle stages. I first characterize metabolic plasticity in adult intertidal gastropods after exposure to OW and OA, exploring the effects of exposure length (over 12 months) and seasonal dynamics on metabolic responses (Chapter 2). I then assess the cost of thermal acclimation in adults of two gastropods with different reproductive modes, examining the potential trade-off between scope for growth (SfG), reproduction, and survival in relation to reproductive mode and the magnitude of temperature change (Chapter 3). I also compare the effects of two thermal regimes different in their nature (repeated heat shocks vs chronic warming) on thermal tolerance and performance in adults of a commercial gastropod, characterizing differences in condition index and thermal performance and tolerance traits (Chapter 4). Lastly, I evaluate the effects of exposing parents of a commercially important gastropod to these 7 thermal regimes (applied in Chapter 4) on offspring thermal performance developed under two temperatures (15 °C or 20 °C), exploring the potential for parental effects and/or developmental plasticity (Chapter 5). My findings reveal several important insights. Firstly, the interactive effects of OW and OA on metabolism of gastropods were observed only after 6 months of exposure under summer conditions, with species-specific responses. Metabolic changes were intricately linked to how species respond to seasonal environmental fluctuations, either exacerbating or mitigating the consequences of stressors. Secondly, a trade-off between SfG, reproduction, and survival during thermal acclimation was observed, where the pattern was dependent on temperature change magnitude and reproductive mode. Thirdly, the nature of the thermal regime influenced adult responses as, while both thermal regimes (repeated heat shocks or chronic warming) resulted in higher thermal tolerance compared with control, differences in the measured traits indicated different mechanisms were at play, and differences in the overall cost of exposure. Finally, chronically warmed parents showed an increase in maternal provisioning, however reduced hatching success, larval development, and overall performance regardless of developmental conditions. Conversely, heat-hardened parents produced eggs of a smaller average size, yet they exhibited comparable hatching success to control parents. When compared to offspring from control parents, those from heat-hardened parents demonstrated heightened overall physiological performance under warm developmental conditions across stages. Overall, my results provide valuable insights for understanding the capacity for physiological acclimation within and across generations of important mollusc species, with promising effects of heat hardening on thermal performance in both parents and their offspring. This knowledge is paramount for better conservation and commercial sustainability management of our marine resources under predicted climate change scenarios

Reflective practitioner or unconsciously incompetent?

#400WORDS: DELIVERING A RESEARCH SKILLED WORKFORCE SPECIAL EDITIO

Supporting NMAHP research professional development: identification of barriers and facilitators to becoming a clinical academic

#400WORDS: DELIVERING A RESEARCH SKILLED WORKFORCE SPECIAL EDITIO

Developing a Research Skilled Workforce Strategy

EDITORIAL: DELIVERING A RESEARCH SKILLED WORKFORCE SPECIAL EDITIO

Knowledge Discovery of Patients Reviews on Breast Cancer Drugs: Segmentation of Side Effects Using Machine Learning Techniques

Breast cancer stands as the most frequently diagnosed life-threatening cancer among women worldwide. Understanding patients\u27 drug experiences is essential to improving treatment strategies and outcomes. In this research, we conduct knowledge discovery on breast cancer drugs using patients’ reviews. A new machine learning approach is developed by employing clustering, text mining and regression techniques. We first use Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) technique to discover the main aspects of patients\u27 experiences from the patients’ reviews on breast cancer drugs. We also use Expectation-Maximization (EM) algorithm to segment the data based on patients’ overall satisfaction. We then use the Forward Entry Regression technique to find the relationship between aspects of patients\u27 experiences and drug’s effectiveness in each segment. The textual reviews analysis on breast cancer drugs found 8 main side effects: Musculoskeletal Effects, Menopausal Effects, Dermatological Effects, Metabolic Effects, Gastrointestinal Effects, Neurological and Cognitive Effects, Respiratory Effects and Cardiovascular. The results are provided and discussed. The findings of this study are expected to offer valuable insights and practical guidance for prospective patients, aiding them in making informed decisions regarding breast cancer drug consumption

An advocacy based cross sectional study of healthcare professionals of factors impacting on medication adherence across nine Sub-Saharan African countries

BackgroundAdherence to anti-seizure medication (ASM) by people diagnosed with epilepsy in sub-Saharan Africa remains low. The factors for low adherence are not well understood. To improve adherence, it is important to understand the perceptions and views of healthcare professionals delivering epilepsy care to this population. The aim was to investigate the factors influencing ASM adherence.MethodsThis study uses a brief online questionnaire which asked healthcare professionals (both from nursing and medical backgrounds) who work in sub-Saharan African countries to rate a set of pre-established options designed with the feedback of a local focus group of epilepsy experts from countries targeted. The questionnaire consisted of six questions and was a mix of multiple choice and Likert scale questions.ResultsThere were 217 healthcare professionals who replied to the questionnaire. The most important factors believed to be influencing adherence from a healthcare professional perspective are; lack of availability of medication for epilepsy (71%), affordability of medication (60%), the patient, family, carer lacking in understanding of medication (43%), cultural misconceptions about epilepsy (40%) and side effects of the medication (32%). The survey was answered by many different healthcare professionals; 65 participants were doctors and 152 were other healthcare professionals such as nurses (59%) pharmacists (10%) and when comparing them, the three most important categories were consistent across groups.ConclusionHealthcare workers in Sub-Saharan Africa identify that the primary factors impacting adherence to ASMs, in their view, is affordability and availability of ASMs.Addressing this issue may reduce the treatment gap

Experiences from patients in mental healthcare accessing their electronic health records: results from a cross-national survey in Estonia, Finland, Norway, and Sweden

Background: Patients’ online record access (ORA) enables patients to read and use their health data through online digital solutions. One such solution, patient-accessible electronic health records (PAEHRs) have been implemented in Estonia, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. While accumulated research has pointed to many potential benefits of ORA, its application in mental healthcare (MHC) continues to be contested. The present study aimed to describe MHC users’ overall experiences with national PAEHR services. Methods: The study analysed the MHC-part of the NORDeHEALTH 2022 Patient Survey, a large-scale multi-country survey. The survey consisted of 45 questions, including demographic variables and questions related to users’ experiences with ORA. We focused on the questions concerning positive experiences (benefits), negative experiences (errors, omissions, offence), and breaches of security and privacy. Participants were included in this analysis if they reported receiving mental healthcare within the past two years. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise data, and percentages were calculated on available data. Results: 6,157 respondents were included. In line with previous research, almost half (45%) reported very positive experiences with ORA. A majority in each country also reported improved trust (at least 69%) and communication (at least 71%) with healthcare providers. One-third (29.5%) reported very negative experiences with ORA. In total, half of the respondents (47.9%) found errors and a third (35.5%) found omissions in their medical documentation. One-third (34.8%) of all respondents also reported being offended by the content. When errors or omissions were identified, about half (46.5%) reported that they took no action. There seems to be differences in how patients experience errors, omissions, and missing information between the countries. A small proportion reported instances where family or others demanded access to their records (3.1%), and about one in ten (10.7%) noted that unauthorised individuals had seen their health information. Conclusions: Overall, MHC patients reported more positive experiences than negative, but a large portion of respondents reported problems with the content of the PAEHR. Further research on best practice in implementation of ORA in MHC is therefore needed, to ensure that all patients may reap the benefits while limiting potential negative consequences

The Importance of Experience: Supporting Pupils’ Creative Writing About the Natural World

The first part of this article considers the challenge of supporting pupils to write creatively about the natural world. It examines a text by a gifted young writer: Diary of a Young Naturalist by Dara McAnulty. It asks what the challenges might be for pupils who maybe motivated to model their writing on McAnulty’s, but have limited experience of the natural world. Drawing on the scholarly work of John Dixon, Robert Eaglestone and others, the article highlights the importance of pupil experience in the formation of their writerly voice, thereby emphasising the need for writing pedagogies that deepen and enrich pupils’ experiences. In the second part, the authors present a series of interdisciplinary activities that are intended to enrich pupil experiences, and ultimately encourage creativity. The plan is aimed at pupils in Manchester in the north-west of England, but the activities can be adapted to work in other locations

Understanding cyber-risks in complex next-generation maritime technologies: Autonomy and offshore wind energy operations

When developing maritime technology, each new technology is often developed and assessed separately. However, it is likely with the convergence of systems, and greater interconnectivity between systems in the sector, that new technologies will be inter-connected digitally or operationally. Understanding the cyber risks of the larger systems of systems is important. This paper looks at the potential cyber-physical risk of future autonomy and offshore renewable energy solutions co-existing together. A threat scenario is presented using real cyber-vulnerabilities in autonomy and offshore wind systems. This paper discusses potential overall vulnerabilities when combining these two emerging technologies. It concludes with suggested mitigations ranging from technical (e.g., secure communication channels) through policy (e.g., new standards for secure devices on the market) to social (e.g., cybersecurity training for remote operators). This type of multi-solution scenario can be a useful tool for analysing risks in complex circumstances and can be applied to other sectors with multiple emerging technologies

Barriers and facilitators to parents’ engagement with and perceived impact of a childhood obesity app: A mixed-methods study

Childhood obesity is a growing global health concern. Although mobile health apps have the potential to deliver behavioural interventions, their impact is commonly limited by a lack of sufficient engagement. The purpose of this study was to explore barriers and facilitators to engagement with a family-focused app and its perceived impact on motivation, self-efficacy, and behaviour. Parents with at least one child under 18 and healthcare professionals working with children were recruited; all participants were allocated to use the NoObesity app over a 6-month period. The mixed-methods design was based on the Non-adoption, Abandonment, Scale-Up, Spread, and Sustainability and Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance frameworks. Qualitative and quantitative data were gathered through semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, and app use data (logins and in-app self-reported data). 35 parents were included in the final analysis; quantitative results were analysed descriptively and thematic analysis was conducted on the qualitative data. Key barriers to engagement were boredom, forgetting, and usability issues and key barriers to potential impact on behaviours were accessibility, lack of motivation, and family characteristics. Novelty, gamification features, reminders, goal setting, progress monitoring and feedback, and suggestions for healthy foods and activities were key facilitators to engagement with the app and behaviours. A key observation was that intervention strategies could help address many motivation and capability barriers, but there was a gap in strategies addressing opportunity barriers. Without incorporating strategies that successfully mitigate barriers in all three determinants of behaviour, an intervention is unlikely to be successful. We highlight key recommendations for developers to consider when designing the features and implementation of digital health interventions. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05261555)