Hybridization, where two species mate and produce offspring is being increasingly recognised as having an important role in the evolution of new species and even groups of species. It has been implicated in the evolution of the Hawaiian crickets, the Lake Baikal sculpins and the African lacustrine cichlids (three radiations of several hundred species each) to name but three. In this study I will investigate the role hybridization has played in the evolution of a group of South American catfish, many of which have undergone a doubling of their DNA at some point in their evolutionary history. I will determine the sequences of mitochondrial DNA genes (which are inherited solely from the mother), and nuclear genes, for which a copy is inherited from the father and the mother. The relationships between species will then be determined using differences in these DNA sequences. In species in which hybridization has occurred, DNA sequences from both the parental species should be present at nuclear genes, and this may allow the evolutionary history of which species have hybridised to produce new species to be determined. Microsatellite markers will also be used to investigate the minimum ploidy level of each taxa in order to determine whether the genome of each species has been doubled in its evolutionary history.

The PhD seeks deconstruct the techno-cultural practices of the modernisation of risk modelling as a sustainable praxis through a knowledge management lens; and to contribute to WAG's Carbon Net Zero 2050 through epistemic redefinition of sustainability in risk modelling for industry. The research will be a mixed methods action research drawing on primary and secondary data. Appropriate correlational statistical analysis along with thematic analysis will be employed.

Context Over 1.2 million people in the UK are living with the effects of a stroke, most commonly an impaired arm. Stroke research indicates that better recovery is possible with therapies that promote use of the affected limb. Based upon this principle, our proposed research will establish the foundational science necessary to develop new Virtual Reality (VR) based therapies for stroke survivors. By targeting processes that govern hand choice, these new therapies will increase the likelihood that patients will choose to use their affected hand. Rationale VR gaming has proven to be uniquely valuable for stroke rehabilitation. The storytelling nature and richly immersive environment is highly engaging, and can easily be practiced from the patient's home. The proposed research will take VR gaming for upper-limb rehabilitation in a new direction. Instead of focusing only on the movements themselves, we will target and exploit 'upstream' processes underpinning the choice of which hand to use to perform actions. Aims We will develop VR games that track hand movements and use this information to dynamically alter the user's hand choice. We will then trial these methods with stroke patients, co-designing their refinement according to individual needs. Research questions (1) What game features influence hand choice? (2) What game features should be customisable given a patient's rehabilitation needs? (3) What makes games engaging? Methods Our first games will closely model the experimental paradigms we have used to study hand choice in the lab (e.g., Valyear et al. 2018). From this basepoint, the student will have ample opportunity to steer the research in their preferred directions. There are many exciting, unexplored possibilities-for example, can we change a user's hand choice by systematically rewarding more game points to actions made with one hand? And, would reward schemes with social elements, like shared leaderboards, be useful? Games will be designed in cooperation with patients and according to known rehabilitation principles. We may, for example, augment performance of the patient's affected side, and gradually phase this out, consistent with the principles of 'shaping'. Rescape has immense expertise in storytelling and personalising games to enhance user engagement. We will draw from this knowledge, and explore new ways to further our understanding of what makes games engaging and fun. Outcomes (1) A greater understanding of the principles that govern hand choice. (2) The development of new VR-based therapies for upper-limb rehabilitation. (3) Initial tests of clinical feasibility and proof-of-concept.

Quality of residential care for people with severe dementia is poor and in urgent need of improvement. While improving quality of care is important for all residents, there is a risk that people with more severe dementia, many of whom no longer communicate verbally, will be marginalised and fail to have their psychological and social needs met. Carers may assume that people with severe dementia are unaware of their surroundings and of what is happening to them. As a result, carers may focus on getting tasks done without paying much attention to the reactions and responses of the resident. Recent research indicates, however, that people with very severe dementia may still retain a degree of awareness. If care staff can be trained to observe the signs of awareness, this should help them to increase their sensitivity to the needs of the resident and to enhance their care practice. Training for care staff that includes both information provision and ongoing support for implementing new skills can be very effective in improving resident well-being. In this study we aim to develop a measure that staff can use to help them observe subtle signs of awareness, to provide staff with training and support in using this measure, and to evaluate the effects on resident quality of life and on staff attitudes and practices. In developing the measure we will use as a starting-point a similar measure developed for people with severe brain injury, and we will hold focus groups for carers to establish how the measure should be initially adapted. We will then use the measure to observe residents? behaviour and responses, and refine it accordingly. Finally we will carry out an intervention study comparing homes where staff receive training and support in using the new measure with homes where residents simply receive their usual care. We expect to see improvements in resident quality of life and staff attitudes and practice in the homes where staff received training, but not in the homes where residents received usual care. The information we gain from this initial study will allow us to develop a definitive trial of the intervention that will provide sound evidence for practitioners and policy-makers. In the meantime, the findings will influence training provision for care staff, and the new measure of awareness in people with severe dementia will be useful for both practitioners and researchers.

The sustainable management of marine ecosystems relies upon the existence of a clear baseline which involves quantifying species, habitats and processes within ecosystems and the connections between them. Understanding the functioning of ecosystems requires an understanding of the role species play in ecosystem processes and the delivery of services. This project has been developed collaboratively between benthic ecologists, social scientists, socio-economists, and marine managers to integrate functional approaches within a natural capital framework and give new insight for sustainable management of marine resources. Offshore wind is expected to grow fivefold by 2030, and therefore understanding its impacts on benthic communities and the ecosystem services they provide using long term datasets is critical to enabling a sustainable energy transition. Benthic communities play an essential role in mediating EF and time-series data have been gathered through preand post-construction monitoring surveys at offshore wind farm (OWF) sites around the UK. However, compared to more iconic, mobile species such as birds, fish and mammals, ecosystem-level impacts from OWF on the benthic community structure and function are poorly understood. EF is closely related to biological diversity, which has led to the development of trait-based approaches (TBA) to link community composition and functions. Organisations that are responsible for management of the marine environment are actively seeking new approaches to improve decision-making within the context of environmental change at a systems level. This project aims to support the Sustainable Management of Marine Resources by developing new TBA to inform natural capital valuation and assessment within an applied, offshore context. Developing an understanding of the economic, social and environmental value provided by the marine environment and how different activities impact natural capital assets (both positively and negatively) is an important priority for TCE.