Open Research Exeter - University of Exeter
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Sustainable Apparel Purchase Intention: A Nostalgia-Evoked Approach
No full textHow can marketers encourage consumers to choose sustainable apparel products? As consumer skepticism toward firms' sustainability efforts increases, it becomes increasingly important to understand the conditions under which consumers are more likely to purchase sustainable apparel products. Our research suggests that employing a simple, low-cost, and subtle nostalgia marketing intervention can offer a promising approach. A field study conducted with a genuinely sustainable activewear brand on social media platforms demonstrates that triggering nostalgic feelings can increase consumers' click-through rates. Four follow-up studies across various product categories, including jeans, running shoes, and activewear, show that nostalgia increases participants' purchase intention for sustainable apparel. Our findings also indicate that this nostalgia-evoked approach is especially effective among consumers with low levels of environmental consciousness, offering valuable insights for marketers seeking to deliver genuinely sustainable apparel products to the market.</p
Sustainable Carbon–Carbon Composites from Biomass-Derived Pitch: Optimizing Structural, Electrical, and Mechanical Properties via Catalyst Engineering
No full textThis work is based on our previous research on sulfur-assisted graphitization of biopitch by focusing on catalyst-driven optimization of biomass-derived pitch (BDP) composites as sustainable alternatives to coal tar pitch (CTP). Biomass from eucalyptus sawdust was pyrolyzed to produce BDP, which was used as a binder for carbon–carbon composites. The properties of BDP/graphite and CTP/graphite composites, including bending strength, electrical conductivity, hardness, density, porosity, mass loss, and shrinkage, were compared. Furthermore, the influence of catalysts (NiSO4, K2SO4, CuSO4, FeSO4, and KOH) on composite performance was systematically investigated. Results show that catalyst selection significantly enhances structural, electrical, and mechanical properties, demonstrating the potential of combining eco-friendly materials with strategic catalyst engineering to develop high-performance, sustainable composites.</p
Reproducibility and agreement of pulse wave velocity and augmentation index over repeated assessments using two different devices in adolescents
No full textObjectives: We investigated the agreement between pulse wave velocity (PWV) and augmentation index (AIx%) obtained in a controlled fasted condition versus a non-fasted, uncontrolled, “real-world” condition. Thereafter, we assessed the reproducibility of PWV and AIx% over three repeated visits under controlled fasted conditions. Methods: PWV and AIx% were assessed in one uncontrolled visit, and three controlled fasted visits after a 10-min supine rest in 28 adolescents (61% girls) aged 12–14 years. Results: Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) between controlled visits were 0.5–0.6 (PWV) and −0.3–0.6 (AIx%) for PulsePen, and 0.5–0.6 (PWV) and 0.4–0.7 (AIx%) for Arteriograph. ICCs between a single uncontrolled visit and controlled visits were lower, especially for the Arteriograph (PWV: 0.0–0.1; AIx%: −0.4–0.0). Device agreement was poor (PWV ICC: −0.2–0.1; AIx% ICC: −0.5–0.3). Reproducibility using PulsePen was (PWV: 0.2–0.8; AIx%: −0.3–0.6) and Arteriograph (PWV: 0.0–0.1; AIx%: −0.4–0.0). Conclusion: The PulsePen had better reproducibility of PWV than the Arteriograph. Both devices had limited reliability and high variability in AIx% measurements. PWV from the PulsePen may be applicable in healthcare, while results from the Arteriograph should be interpreted with caution. Because of the poor agreement between the devices, the data from these devices should not be directly compared. These results may not be generalizable based on the modest sample size. In addition, the variability in real-world situations should not be overlooked.</p
A hitch-hiker’s guide to ‘slowing down’ heritage engagement? Archaeological ethnography, indigenous heritage and decoloniality in the south-central Andes
No full textThe chapter outlines archaeological ethnography as an undisciplined source for decolonising hierarchical classifications and state-authorised discourses about heritage, indigeneity and rights. Two vignettes describe how consultation and consent-seeking processes with Indigenous governance bodies have influenced the definition of common terms of collaboration and my own participation in and understanding of heritage politics at the World Heritage Site of Tiwanaku (Bolivia) and the Sacred City of Quilmes (NW Argentina). Adopting a hitchhiker’s perspective as a kind of “walking methodology” helped me to notice what was slowing down consultation with local communities and turn it into a source of inquiry. Through multisite ethnography, counter-mapping of meeting places, and interviews with Indigenous leaders and community authorities, these interactions and materials challenge mainstream conservation and development regimes by foregrounding indigeneity as an alternative to state selfdetermination and neoliberal multiculturalism. The affirmation of a space for the co-creation of knowledge and the commitment to return the results of the research puts politics back into community consultation and participatory ethics, revealing the generative and transformative capacities of anthropological engagements with decoloniality. Archaeological ethnography renews the complexities of collaboration and discloses alternative ways of linking Indigenous heritage and rights beyond disciplinary frameworks and the entrenched coloniality of modern nation-states.</p
Blockade Law in the Contemporary Context: the Russia-Ukraine conflict and Broader Trends
No full textThis dissertation considers the contemporary law of maritime blockade, focusing on the example of the international armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine which has taken place since 24 February 2022 and considering the effectiveness of the law on blockade in light of contemporary trends.
The dissertation draws primarily on customary international law to conclude that Russia has not undertaken a maritime blockade of Ukraine in the conflict but instead declared a form of maritime zone. The analysis finds that despite the absence of a maritime blockade, the conflict is illustrative of broader contemporary questions for the law of blockade, which the research goes on to consider.
These include that the Law of Armed Conflict relating to starvation applies only to belligerent populations, that there are multiple ways in which those breaching the Law of Naval Warfare and law of blockade may be held accountable, including domestic and international legal forums such prize courts and the ICC and ICJ, and through enforcement by neutral States. The dissertation extrapolates from the use of new technology in the conflict, including increasingly long-distance weaponry, uncrewed and autonomous systems and considers what these mean for blockade law. In doing so, it argues that faced with grey-zone activities falling short of blockade but having similar effects, States which are committed to maintaining the law of blockade and global maritime commerce must undertake to clearly articulate the law and assist neutral States that are victims of breaches of the Law of Naval Warfare in challenging and preventing this, whether through strategic messaging, assistance in international institutions or facilitating neutral convoy operations.
The dissertation highlights areas of the San Remo Manual which may warrant reconsideration in its ongoing redrafting, including the provisions on proportionality and starvation in blockade.
The dissertation concludes that maritime blockade will remain an essential component of the Law of Naval Warfare in future and affirms the importance of multi-lateral efforts to clearly articulate the law such as the redrafting of the San Remo Manual.</p
Influence of tapered geometry on modal frequencies of bamboo frames
No full textTraditional full-culm bamboo buildings are predominantly found across South America, Africa and Asia, often located in seismically active regions. Despite bamboo's inherently favourable strength-to-weight ratio, which can contribute to good seismic performance, natural bamboo culms can be characterised by significant geometrical variability in their cross-sectional dimensions, causing a non-uniform distribution of the stiffness and mass along the structural element. Nevertheless, common design practice involves modelling bamboo structures with uniform or equivalent uniform culms, determined by using either the average or the smallest cross-section dimensions. This practice can result in a non-conservative design in the case of dynamic response, depending on the computed structural modal frequencies, which differ when using tapered rather than prismatic elements. This study assessed the impact of each geometrical parameter on the transverse vibration properties of bamboo culms through the analytical formulation of a dynamic taper beam of hollow circular section. Parametric modal analyses, considering the natural variation of common bamboo species, were carried out on beam and frame systems. Comparison with the equivalent uniform approach proposed in ISO 22156:2021 highlighted the limiting cases in which the simplified approach could still be applied to the dynamic design of full-culm bamboo structures.</p
Impact of control selection strategies on GWAS results: a study of prostate cancer in the UK Biobank
No full textAs genome-wide association studies (GWAS) studies move from array-based genotyping to whole exome and genome sequencing, there is a significant increase in cost. Applying an appropriate technique for the selection of which controls to include, in large studies where more potential controls are available than needed for the study, may be a useful technique for minimizing resource intensity whilst maintaining statistical power. We evaluated three control selection strategies in prostate cancer GWAS using 15 250 UK Biobank cases: (a) all controls, (b) matched controls, and (c) random selection. Both (b) and (c) achieved comparable power in detecting significant loci relative to (a), but matched controls (b) showed greater consistency in identifying leading single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). However, using (b) matched controls reduced discovery power by ~30% compared with (a) all controls, highlighting a trade-off. Matching controls (1:4 ratio) offers a cost-effective approach for targeted SNP analysis across phenotypes but may miss novel associations.</p
Light in Living Systems: Ultra-Weak Photon Emission and Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging of Cellular Dynamics
No full textUltra-weak photon emission (UPE) is a phenomenon intrinsic to oxidative metabolism, yet its detection and biological role remain contested. This thesis bridges theoretical, technical, and biological perspectives to advance the study of cellular light.
Part I provides a critical review of UPE, charting its discovery, mechanistic links to reactive oxygen species (ROS), and the evolution of detection technologies.
Part II provides comparative analysis of photomultiplier tube (PMT), electron-multiplying charge-coupled device (EMCCD), and Single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD), highlights the challenges of resolving signals at the edge of noise, while modelling of mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) energetics suggests plausible origins of biophoton emission.
Part III presents original experimental investigations of UPE in Platynereis dumerilii larvae and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Fibre-coupled SPADs, confocal SPAD hybrids, EMCCD imaging, and PMT systems were implemented to test biological photon emission against mechanical artefacts. Entropy mapping, autocorrelation, and spectral analyses show that apparent low frequency rhythms are explained by system level artefacts (e.g. stepper motor vibrations and electromagnetic interference); yeast UPE was indistinguishable from background under practical integration times, and P. dumerilii traces overlapped pump induced signatures.
Part IV extends optical interrogation into the fluorescence regime, employing dual dye Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET)-fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) to probe mitochondrial nano-organisation. Dual staining with MitoTracker^(TM) Green FM (MTG) (donor) and MitoTracker^(TM) Orange (MTO) (acceptor) produced consistent lifetime shifts and phasor displacements e.g. ∆r ≈ 0.030), with global efficiencies of 10.7% and 20.9% corresponding to donor acceptor separations of 7.8 nm and 6.9 nm (assuming R0 ≈ 4.9 nm). Phasor mapping, principal component analysis, and constrained optimisation demonstrate the feasibility of reconstructing mitochondrial structure from FRET efficiency distributions.
Finally, Part V synthesises insights across review and experiments, situating UPE within the broader context of bioimaging. In conclusion evidence for spontaneous UPE in living systems remains ambiguous with current instrumentation, whereas FRET-FLIM provides a validated, redox contingent framework for mapping intracellular oxidative dynamics. Integrating ultra-sensitive detection with lifetime based imaging points toward future methodologies linking endogenous photon emission to functional mitochondrial states.</p
Chief executive officer incentives and integrated reporting practices: Evidence from the US market
No full textThis study examines whether the horizon structure (short-term vs. long-term) of incentives for a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) influences their tendency toward integrated reporting practices. Drawing from alignment incentive theory and using a sample from the United States, we find that providing CEOs with long-term incentives (stocks and options) significantly increases the integration of economic, social, and environmental sustainability considerations into their day-to-day decision-making. Conversely, our results show that short-term incentives (salary and bonuses) have a significantly negative effect. These findings remain consistent when we separately examine the influence of each component of CEO compensation on sustainability integration. Further analysis finds that firm value creation is enhanced when CEOs are incentivized with long-term rewards through their engagement in integrated reporting. However, when CEOs are incentivized with short-term rewards, value creation diminishes due to a focus on immediate results rather than strategic decision-making. The analysis also shows that CEOs with a long-term decision horizon tend to adopt integrated reporting, especially when incentivized with long-term rewards, while short-term incentives reduce this tendency.</p
Bacterial genotype and infection host shape the potential for cheating and evolution of virulence during passage in <i>Bacillus thuringiensis. </i>Experimental data
No full textThis is the experimental data associated with the article "Bacterial genotype and infection host shape the potential for cheating and evolution of virulence during passage in Bacillus thuringiensis", published in Journal of Invertebrate Pathology, article 108564, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jip.2026.108564Article abstractUnderstanding the evolution of pathogen host range is a challenging problem but one that is important for emerging infections and for biocontrol. Theory predicts that sequential selection in multiple host species should select for broad host range. Using two genotypes of B. thuringiensis we tested whether selection in alternating host environments would produce bacteria with increased virulence in both hosts, relative to bacteria passaged in single host species (fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda or diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella). Since the Cry toxins of B. thuringiensis are public goods that benefit groups of bacteria, not individual cells, we employed a passage design which provided reproductive benefits to groups of pathogens, based on infectivity. Passage of one bacterial genotype (Bt morrisoni) led to the loss of virulence, while the second genotype (Bt galleriae) evolved virulence that was dependent on selection treatment. In contrast to expectation, selection in P. xylostella produced lineages with increases in virulence in both hosts; selection in S. frugiperda led to very low virulence and the alternating host treatment produced intermediate levels of virulence. Modest increases in virulence were accompanied by a reduction in fitness, consistent with a cost of increased investment in virulence factors. In contrast, infection in S. frugiperda selected for cheaters that had reduced investment in Cry toxins and high competitive fitness within hosts. In conclusion, the selection favouring cheaters depended strongly on both host species and bacterial genotype. Importantly, the host (P. xylostella) that favoured cooperation produced mutants with gains in virulence across multiple hosts.</p