A cognitive behavioural therapy in the form of self-help for patients with sleep disturbance and chronic health conditions

Background: Sleep disturbance, including insomnia disorder, is common among patients with chronic health conditions, and is associated with psychological difficulties and impaired health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Less is known about whether a similar relationship exists in individuals with chronic health conditions who do not have a clinical diagnosis of sleep disturbance (NCSD). Recent evidence suggests that Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) in the form of self-help (SH) is an effective treatment for individuals with chronic health conditions and has the advantage of low cost and ease of access. Any form of sleep disturbance may be perceived as problematic for individuals with chronic health conditions. This study aims to: a) examine whether the NCSD population with chronic health conditions at baseline have poor sleep quality, insomnia symptoms, high levels of psychological distress (anxiety, depression and stress), sleep-related dysfunctional beliefs and impaired HRQoL, and b) assess the effectiveness of the CBT-SH booklet. Method: Participants were recruited from outpatient clinics and received a 6-week CBT-SH booklet for sleep-related problems. Outcome measures included evaluations of subjective sleep quality and the severity of insomnia symptoms, psychological distress (anxiety, depression and stress) sleep-related dysfunctional beliefs and HRQoL. Measures were completed before and after the intervention. Results: Forty-nine participants (44 females) completed the study. Prior to the intervention, 46 participants reported poor sleep quality and 47 participants reported clinical or subthreshold insomnia. Mean scores for the measures of psychological distress indicated moderate levels of anxiety, depression and stress and sleep-related dysfunctional beliefs respectively. HRQoL was also impaired. Following the CBT intervention, participants showed significant improvements in sleep outcomes, sleeprelated dysfunctional and stress levels. No significant differences were found in HRQoL depression and anxiety outcomes. Conclusion: A brief CBT-SH booklet for sleep-related problems is effective for patients with chronic health conditions and NCSD in clinical settings.awd_pdtunpub2081_ethesesunpu

Assessing the environmental sustainability of biofuels.

Biofuels vary in their potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions when displacing fossil fuels. Savings depend primarily on the crop used for biofuel production, and on the effect that expanding its cultivation has on land use. Evidence-based policies should be used to ensure that maximal sustainability benefits result from the development of biofuels.E.K. acknowledges funding from the EU FP7 DEMA project (reference number 309086).This is the accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Elsevier at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1360138514002039

Preparing UK students for the workplace: The Acceptability of a Gamified Cybersecurity Training

This pilot study aims to assess the acceptability of Open University’s training platform called Gamified Intelligent Cyber Aptitude and Skills Training course (GICAST), as a means of improving cybersecurity knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours in undergraduate students using both quantitative and qualitative methods. A mixed-methods, pre-post experimental design was employed. 43 self-selected participants were recruited via an online register and posters at the university (excluding IT related courses). Participants completed the Human Aspects of Information Security Questionnaire (HAIS-Q) and Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) Scale. They then completed all games and quizzes in the GICAST course before repeating the HAIS-Q and FoMO scales as well as several open-ended questions. Pre-training HAIS-Q Knowledge, Attitude and Behaviour all improved from ‘reasonable’ pre-training levels to become ‘very high’ following training with large effect sizes estimated. FoMO improved to a lesser degree but also predicted the degree of HAIS-Q improvement suggesting it is relevant to the impact of this training course. Qualitatively, five key themes were generated: enjoyment, engagement, usability of GICAST, content relevance, and perceived educational efficacy. Overall, sentiment towards training was very positive as an enjoyable engaging and usable course. GICAST was found to be a feasible course for a wide range of students at a UK university: overall the training improved cyber-security awareness on a well validated measure with outcomes comparable to information-security-trained employees of a secure workplace. Despite a diversity of views about content, the course appears to be well suited to the non-IT undergraduate sector and may suit wide uptake to enhance students’ employability in a wide range of cybersecurity relevant contexts

Υποστήριξη ομίλου Πληροφορικής Αξιοποιώντας το περιβάλλον του LAMS

Το LAMS αποτελεί ένα διαδικτυακό περιβάλλον που προσφέρει τη δυνατότητα σε έναν εκπαιδευτικό να δημιουργήσει ακολουθίες δραστηριοτήτων αξιοποιώντας πληθώρα εργαλείων που διαθέτει και στη συνέχεια να τις αναθέσει στους εκπαιδευόμενους για εκπόνηση. Το LAMS - Σύστημα Διαχείρισης Μαθησιακών Δραστηριοτήτων (Learning Activity Management System) - ως εργαλείο διαχείρισης μάθησης μπορεί να αξιοποιηθεί από εκπαιδευτικούς όλων των ειδικοτήτων στη σχεδίαση μαθημάτων παρέχοντας ευελιξία στα εργαλεία που θα αξιοποιήσουν και τα οποία θα υλοποιήσουν την επιθυμητή διδακτική προσέγγιση/εκπαιδευτική μέθοδο και δίνοντας τη δυνατότητα υποστήριξης διαφορετικών μαθησιακών αναγκών. Αντικείμενο της συγκεκριμένης εργασίας αποτελεί η αξιοποίηση του LAMS για τη δημιουργία εκπαιδευτικού υλικού και την υποστήριξη της εκπαιδευτικής διαδικασίας. Το εκπαιδευτικό υλικό αφορά την εκμάθηση προγραμματισμού στη γλώσσα Python και απευθύνεται σε μαθητές Λυκείου στο πλαίσιο διεξαγωγής μαθημάτων του Ομίλου Πληροφορικής. Καθ' όλη τη σχολική χρονιά 2020-21 υπήρχε διδασκαλία του αντικειμένου, εξ' αποστάσεως στα περισσότερα μαθήματα, γεγονός που οδήγησε στη σταδιακή δημιουργία του εκπαιδευτικού υλικού στο LAMS και σε συνεχείς διορθώσεις και βελτιώσεις ως προς τον σχεδιασμό των δραστηριοτήτων και την αξιοποίηση των εργαλείων του περιβάλλοντος. Μετά από κάθε μάθημα, λαμβάνοντας υπόψη τις αντιδράσεις και τα συναισθήματα των μαθητών, ακολουθούσε αναστοχασμός σχετικά με την καταλληλότητα και την αποτελεσματικότητα του σχεδιασμού και βελτίωση των επόμενων μαθημάτων στην κατεύθυνση αξιοποίησης εναλλακτικών ή συμπληρωματικών εργαλείων. Οι μαθητές εκφράστηκαν θετικά για τις δραστηριότητες και τις δυνατότητες του περιβάλλοντος και έδειξαν να μην αντιμετωπίζουν κάποια δυσκολία ως προς τη χρήση του περιβάλλοντος και την εκπόνηση δραστηριοτήτων όντας εξοικειωμένοι με την τεχνολογία. Βρήκαν ενδιαφέρουσα την ακολουθία δραστηριοτήτων και πολύ βοηθητική την οργάνωση των μαθημάτων. Για τα εξ' αποστάσεως μαθήματα, το LAMS αποτελεί εύχρηστο εργαλείο, διευκολύνει την εποπτεία του μαθήματος και δίνει κίνητρο στους μαθητές για ενασχόληση.LAMS is an online platform that enables a teacher to create sequences of learning activities using a variety of tools available to the system and then outsourcing them to learners. In the LAMS environment, the teacher can pass lesson plans with the material he wishes and at the same time easily modify it according to the needs of each learner. LAMS as a learning management tool can be used by teachers of all specialties as due to the tools and capabilities it offers can be used in lesson planning providing flexibility to the teacher to follow the educational method he desires and supports different learning requirements. This thesis is about the investigation of the usage of LAMS, (Learning Activity Management System), for the creation of lesson plans. The lesson plans are intended for learning programming in the Python language and is aimed to high school students in the context of conducting courses of the Informatics Group. Regarding the plan of courses for teaching Python to high school students in the context of the Informatics Group, throughout the school year 2020-21, as the teaching process includes distance courses in majority, that led to gradual creation of educational material in LAMS and in continuous corrections and improvements in the designing of learning activities and the use of the tools of the system. After each lesson, the students' reactions and feelings were taken into account, followed by a reflection on the appropriateness and effectiveness of the planning of that lesson and the following ones. The results from the performance of the activities by the students were positive in the majority. The students did not show any difficulty in using the system and doing activities as they are familiar with the technology. They found the sequence of activities interesting and very helpful as the material was gathered in this way. For e-learning, LAMS is an effective learning and supervision tool. A learning tool because it motivates students to participate and a supervision tool because it allows the teacher to know what level the students are on at each moment of the sequence of activities and to have access to their answers

How mutualisms arise in phytoplankton communities: building eco-evolutionary principles for aquatic microbes.

Extensive sampling and metagenomics analyses of plankton communities across all aquatic environments are beginning to provide insights into the ecology of microbial communities. In particular, the importance of metabolic exchanges that provide a foundation for ecological interactions between microorganisms has emerged as a key factor in forging such communities. Here we show how both studies of environmental samples and physiological experimentation in the laboratory with defined microbial co-cultures are being used to decipher the metabolic and molecular underpinnings of such exchanges. In addition, we explain how metabolic modelling may be used to conduct investigations in reverse, deducing novel molecular exchanges from analysis of large-scale data sets, which can identify persistently co-occurring species. Finally, we consider how knowledge of microbial community ecology can be built into evolutionary theories tailored to these species' unique lifestyles. We propose a novel model for the evolution of metabolic auxotrophy in microorganisms that arises as a result of symbiosis, termed the Foraging-to-Farming hypothesis. The model has testable predictions, fits several known examples of mutualism in the aquatic world, and sheds light on how interactions, which cement dependencies within communities of microorganisms, might be initiated.EK is grateful for funding from UKERC and EU FP7 DEMA project, grant agreement no. 309086. KEH was supported by the UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), grant BB/I013164/1.This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Wiley via http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ele.12615

Απόψεις εκπαιδευτικών προσχολικής ηλικίας για την εγκατάσταση καμερών στο χώρο του σχολείου: Μια ποιοτική έρευνα

Η Συστημική θεωρία, η οποία έφερε την επανάσταση στην μεθοδολογία της επιστημονικής έρευνας, εισήγαγε ένα νέο τρόπο σκέψης αναφορικά στην ολότητα των συστημάτων, στις σχέσεις μεταξύ των υποσυστημάτων τους στο εσωτερικό τους καθώς και την αλληλεπίδραση των συστημάτων αυτών με το εξωτερικό περιβάλλον. Το σύγχρονο εκπαιδευτικό πλαίσιο βιώνει τους κραδασμούς από την αλληλεπίδραση με την κοινωνία, ενώ ταυτόχρονα οι συγκρούσεις αυτές μεταφέρονται εντός του σχολείου και αντανακλούν στις συμπεριφορές των παιδιών οι οποίες διακρίνονται συχνά από βία και επιθετικότητα. Ως πρόταση για την αναχαίτηση των φαινομένων αυτών, οι κάμερες παρακολούθησης στους σχολικούς χώρους, έφερε βαθύ διχασμό στην κοινή γνώμη και την εκπαιδευτική κοινότητα. Εκκινώντας από την Θεωρία των συστημάτων, τις θεωρίες αλλαγής και των εργαλείων διαχείρισης της αλλαγής, το παρόν πόνημα επιχειρεί να φωτίσει με την συστημική σκέψη, τις σύγχρονες προβληματικές της εκπαίδευσης. Ειδικότερα, διερευνώντας τις απόψεις των εκπαιδευτικών για τις κάμερες, οι οποίες χαρακτηρίζονται από πολικότητα η παρούσα μελέτη επιχειρεί να απαντήσει α) ποια είναι τα επιχειρήματα των εκπαιδευτικών για την θέση τους β) ποιες λύσεις προτείνουν για την αντιμετώπιση του φαινομένου γ) ποιες είναι και από πού προέρχονται οι αρνητικές συμπεριφορές στον χώρο του σχολείου; Μέσα από την ποιοτική ανάλυση περιεχομένου από δεκαπέντε συνεντεύξεις, τα δεδομένα κατέδειξαν ότι τα επιχειρήματα των εκπαιδευτικών για την τοποθέτηση καμερών δεν είναι αμιγώς υπέρ ή κατά, θεωρούν εναλλακτικές λύσεις αποδοτικότερες οι οποίες εστιάζουν στην εκπαίδευση τόσο των παιδιών, όσο και των γονέων και τέλος, οι αρνητικές συμπεριφορές προέρχονται κυρίως από το εξωτερικό περιβάλλον του σχολείου, όμως φτάνουν και στην τάξη λόγω της φύσης των παιδιών να μιμούνται. Μπροστά στις αδιέξοδες συνθήκες που έχουν διαμορφωθεί και σχετίζονται με το εξωτερικό περιβάλλον του σχολείου, η συστημική θεωρία και τα εργαλεία διαχείριση της αλλαγής που διαθέτει θεωρείται η αποδοτικότερο μέθοδος για να αναζητηθούν αποδοτικές λύσεις.The General Theory of Systems, which initiated a revolution against the prevailed research methodology, introduced science into a new perception of systems wholeness, their interaction within its elements, as well as the interconnection between different systems. In the aftermath of social conflicts, the contemporary educational system experiences these conflicts in its inner limits through children behaviors, often depicted with violence and aggressivity. In order to contradict such phenomena, the proposal of CCTV monitoring within the schools, raised further conflicts of opinions with the community of educators and public opinion. Setting as a start point the Systems Theory, Theories of Change, as well as the tools designed to facilitate the theories of change, the present study attempts to shed light to contemporary educational difficulties, throygh the view of systemic approach. More specific, analyzing interviews with educators attempts to answer the following research questions a) how teachers stand for the CCTV measure b) which alternatives should be considered c) which negative behaviors are detected with in the school context and where they come from. Through a qualitative content analysis of 15 interviews, the data showed that the teachers’ arguments for the CCTV measures their not solid against or for, they consider alternatives aiming in education of children and families to be more efficient, as well as the negative behaviors derive mostly from the external educational environment, however they tend to integrate with school classrooms through children’s cognitive skills to imitate the observed behaviors within their environment. Facing contemporary challenges which seem to be unsolvable, systemic theory and change theory driven tools seems to be the more efficient method to provide guidance and sustained solutions

An Engineered Community Approach for Industrial Cultivation of Microalgae.

Although no species lives in isolation in nature, efforts to grow organisms for use in biotechnology have generally focused on a single-species approach, particularly where a product is required at high purity. In such scenarios, preventing the establishment of contaminants requires considerable effort that is economically justified. However, for some applications in biotechnology where the focus is on lower-margin biofuel production, axenic culture is not necessary, provided yields of the desired strain are unaffected by contaminants. In this article, we review what is known about interspecific interactions of natural algal communities, the dynamics of which are likely to parallel contamination in industrial systems. Furthermore, we discuss the opportunities to improve both yields and the stability of cultures by growing algae in multi-species consortia.EK acknowledges funding from the FP7 DEMA project (Reference number 309086). ASR received funding from the People Programme (Marie Curie Actions) of the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme FP7/2007-2013/ under REA grant agreement n° 317184.This is the accepted manuscript. This is a copy of an article published in Industrial Biotechnology © 2014 [copyright Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.]; Industrial Biotechnology is available online at: http://online.liebertpub.com

High-throughput detection of ethanol-producing cyanobacteria in a microdroplet platform.

Ethanol production by microorganisms is an important renewable energy source. Most processes involve fermentation of sugars from plant feedstock, but there is increasing interest in direct ethanol production by photosynthetic organisms. To facilitate this, a high-throughput screening technique for the detection of ethanol is required. Here, a method for the quantitative detection of ethanol in a microdroplet-based platform is described that can be used for screening cyanobacterial strains to identify those with the highest ethanol productivity levels. The detection of ethanol by enzymatic assay was optimized both in bulk and in microdroplets. In parallel, the encapsulation of engineered ethanol-producing cyanobacteria in microdroplets and their growth dynamics in microdroplet reservoirs were demonstrated. The combination of modular microdroplet operations including droplet generation for cyanobacteria encapsulation, droplet re-injection and pico-injection, and laser-induced fluorescence, were used to create this new platform to screen genetically engineered strains of cyanobacteria with different levels of ethanol production.This research has received funding from EC within the FP7 DEMA project, grant agreement no. 309086. Both S.A.C. and E.K. are supported by DEMA funding.This is the final published version. It first appeared at http://rsif.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/12/106/20150216#ack-1

Cross-exchange of B-vitamins underpins a mutualistic interaction between Ostreococcus tauri and Dinoroseobacter shibae.

Ostreococcus tauri, a picoeukaryotic alga that contributes significantly to primary production in oligotrophic waters, has a highly streamlined genome, lacking the genetic capacity to grow without the vitamins thiamine (B1) and cobalamin (B12). Here we demonstrate that the B12 and B1 auxotrophy of O. tauri can be alleviated by co-culturing with a heterotrophic bacterial partner Dinoroseobacter shibae, a member of the Rhodobacteraceae family of alpha-proteobacteria, genera of which are frequently found associated with marine algae. D. shibae lacks the complete pathway to synthesise three other B-vitamins: niacin (B3), biotin (B7), and p-aminobenzoic acid (a precursor for folate, B9), and the alga is in turn able to satisfy the reciprocal vitamin requirements of its bacterial partner in a stable long-term co-culture. Bioinformatics searches of 197 representative marine bacteria with sequenced genomes identified just nine species that had a similar combination of traits (ability to make vitamin B12, but missing one or more genes for niacin and biotin biosynthesis enzymes), all of which were from the Rhodobacteraceae. Further analysis of 70 species from this family revealed the majority encoded the B12 pathway, but only half were able to make niacin, and fewer than 13% biotin. These characteristics may have either contributed to or resulted from the tendency of members of this lineage to adopt lifestyles in close association with algae. This study provides a nuanced view of bacterial-phytoplankton interactions, emphasising the complexity of the sources, sinks and dynamic cycling between marine microbes of these important organic micronutrients.EU FP