Tagged / MS

BU Briefing – Mii-vitaliSe: Using Nintendo Wii™ to increase activity levels, vitality and well-being in people with multiple sclerosis.

Our BU briefing papers are designed to make our research outputs accessible and easily digestible so that our research findings can quickly be applied – whether to society, culture, public policy, services, the environment or to improve quality of life. They have been created to highlight research findings and their potential impact within their field. 

The benefits of physical activity for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) have been recognised. Physical activity has been shown to be associated with improvements in mobility, muscle strength and physical fitness. Other secondary benefits might include reduced fatigue, depression and anxiety and improved sense of wellbeing.

This research team have developed a home-based physiotherapist supported Nintendo Wii™ intervention (‘Mii-vitaliSe’) for people with MS that uses commercial software. This is a pilot study to explore the feasibility of conducting a full scale clinical and cost-effectiveness trial of Mii-vitaliSe.

Click here to read the briefing paper.

For more information about the research, contact Sarah Thomas at saraht@bournemouth.ac.uk.
To find out how your research output could be turned into a BU Briefing, contact research@bournemouth.ac.uk.

BU Briefing – Fatigue management programme for people with multiple sclerosis

Our BU briefing papers are designed to make our research outputs accessible and easily digestible so that our research findings can quickly be applied – whether to society, culture, public policy, services, the environment or to improve quality of life. They have been created to highlight research findings and their potential impact within their field. 

The manualised group-based programme called FACETS (Fatigue: Applying Cognitive behavioural and Energy effectiveness Techniques to lifeStyle) is a conceptual framework integrating elements from cognitive behavioural, social-cognitive, energy effectiveness, self-management and self-efficacy theories. The aim of the intervention is to help people with multiple sclerosis (MS) normalise their fatigue experiences, learn helpful ways of thinking about fatigue and use available energy more effectively.

This paper presents the results from one year follow-up data obtained from a pragmatic three-centre trial of FACETS.

Click here to read the briefing paper.

For more information about the research, contact Professor Peter Thomas at pthomas@bournemouth.ac.uk or Roger Baker at rbaker@bournemouth.ac.uk.
To find out how your research output could be turned into a BU Briefing, contact research@bournemouth.ac.uk.

BU paper shortlisted for the UKLA/ Wiley-Blackwell Research in Literacy Education Award 2014

Congratulations to Associate Professors Julian McDougall and Richard Berger in the Media School who have had a paper (Berger, Richard and McDougall, Julian (2013)  Reading videogames as (authorless) literature.  Literacy 47 (3): 142-149) shortlisted for the UKLA/ Wiley-Blackwell Research in Literacy Education Award 2014. 

This is an output from Julian and Richard’s AHRC funded project on how the videogame L.A. Noire (which was released for Playstation 3 and XBOX 360 in May 2011) can be used to teach the English Literature curriculum (see our previous blog post: http://blogs.bournemouth.ac.uk/research/2012/02/01/bus-richard-berger-wins-an-ahrc-grant/).  This was an open access publication, funded from BU’s Open Access Publication Fund.

The award is given annually for papers published in each of UKLA’s journals – Literacy and Journal of Research in Reading (JRR) – judged to be exemplary in terms of the following criteria:

  • Relevance to readership – taking account of an international readership
  • Accessibility to a knowledgeable readership
  • Original content which contributes significantly to existing knowledge or the development of new knowledge, policy or strategy
  • Clear theoretical position
  • Methodologically sound research processes /design appropriate to the theoretical standpoint
  • Sound level of critical analysis
  • Relevant and appropriate citation base 

The shortlists will be announced online next week.  Good luck Julian and Richard!

You can download a copy of the paper on BURO here: http://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/20847/

Science and the Media – Invitation to participate

The new ‘Science and the Media’ research cluster, situated in the Media School, is holding a mini-conference on Wednesday, 12 December from 2 to 4:30 pm (in CG01, Christchurch House).

We are hoping to involve all BU colleagues and doctoral students engaged in research on a topic related to this broad theme, so please consider joining us.

If you would like to make a short, informal presentation describing what you are researching (15 minutes or so, followed by questions), kindly get in touch with one of us asap. We will be pleased to add you to the afternoon’s programme.

Many thanks, and with best wishes

Stuart (and Shelley and An)

 

Brief bios:

Stuart Allan’s science-related publications include Environmental Risks and the Media (co-edited, 2000), Media, Risk and Science (2002), and Nanotechnology, Risk and Communication (co-authored, 2009). Recent co-written journal articles have appeared in New Genetics and Society (2005), Science Communication (2005), Health, Risk & Society (2007), Public Understanding of Science (2009), and Journal of Risk Research (2010), amongst others. In 2011, he edited a special issue of Journalism: Theory, Practice and Criticism focusing on the topic ‘Science Journalism in a Digital Age.’

Shelley Thompson lectures in Corporate and Marketing Communications in the Media School at BU. Shelley’s current research explores the framing of nanotechnology in the mainstream press, in both print and online contexts. Her research interests around science primarily link to communicating science to a non-specialist audience, especially looking at the ways the mainstream media frame emerging science and technology.

An Nguyen is Senior Lecturer in Journalism in the Media School at BU. His research interests include public engagement in science debates in the media and the role of journalists in facilitating that process. An area where he has explored these issues in-depth is public connections to climate change. He is writing a book, Science News and the Public, for Bloomsbury Academic.

Grade Grubbing – survey open

Steph Allen in the Media School is starting the UK pilot on the topic of Grade Grubbing (grade enhancement) and is looking for academic colleagues (both at BU and external to BU) to complete a survey on the topic. Is this has happened to you in the past, or if you think it might happen in the future bearing in mind that students are now seeing themselves as customers, then she’d appreciate you spending a few moments completing a short, anonymous pilot survey.

You can access the survey here:http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ZCJD7BG

Multiple Sclerosis Society – Innovative Awards

Funding opportunities

The Multiple Sclerosis Society invites applications for its innovative awards. These provide support for short-term, small-scale projects to allow researchers to explore new ideas in MS research that might merit further support.

The MS Society is interested in the following research areas:

•care and services research, such as relieving symptoms of MS, developing and evaluating services for people affected by MS or exploring the social and economic impact of MS;

•biomedical research to identify the causes of MS, or identifying and developing disease-modifying therapies.

The society particularly encourages proposals with focus on translational and clinical biomedical research.

Projects should take place in a university, hospital, medical school or other research institution or place of medical practice based in the UK, and may provide for the salary of scientific or technical assistants and researchers, the running costs of the project and the purchase of items of essential equipment. Innovative awards are worth up to £40,000 and last a maximum of 12 months.

The deadline for applications is 12 noon on Tuesday 3 July with funding decisions communicated in December. For details on how to apply please read the guidance for applicants.

All applications should be submitted via the MS Society online application system, available at: https://research.mssociety.org.uk/

For any questions regarding research grant applications please call the MS Society Research Team on 020 8438 0822 or email research@mssociety.org.uk.

The RKE Operations team can help you with your application.

Congratulations to BU’s newly appointed AHRC reviewers!

Congratulations to Neal White and Dr Bronwen Thomas in the Media School who have both been appointed as reviewers to the AHRC. This is fantastic news!

Their membership of the AHRC peer review college will run from April 2012 until December 2015.

College members are invited to submit peer reviews which are used by moderating panels as the basis to make decisions on whether applications are of a fundable standard. Assessments are made using a pre-defined grading scale. Typically three reviews are required for each funding proposal.

Dr Richard Berger is already a member of the AHRC peer review college – you can read his previous blog post on the life of a reviewer here – http://blogs.bournemouth.ac.uk/research/2011/11/23/life-as-an-ahrc-panel-reviewer/

This is great news for Neal and Bronwen, and also for the Media School and the University. Congratulations!

BU submits an EOI to the AHRC’s Block Grant Partnership call!

Awarded & submitted bids

The AHRC called for expressions of interest in the Block Grant Partnership (BGP) awards for PhD studentships. Because I had managed to get one studentship in the previous phase 1 of the BGP I was encouraged to have a go. The level of scheming and alliance building for these very large pots of money was something to behold! Universities had to decide which of two awards to express an interest in, route A or route B, and the Centre for Broadcasting History opted for Route B, which meant finding some consortium partners. Because of limits imposed on who can bid for what there followed some impressive deal making in which universities, including Bournemouth, positioned themselves to get in the right team. I won’t reveal who our consortium partners are but all I can say is that I won’t miss the rushed mobile phone conversations in Pizza Express and on trains or the conversations including ‘what do you mean you haven’t got a Pro VC for research?’ All was well in the end and I like to think we put in a serious and well constructed EOI for the not unimpressive sum of £3 million.

Find out about Mixtape – the Media School’s excellent flexible CPD portfolio

BU is committed to developing its Continuing Professional Development portoflio. One School that has already done some excellent work in this area is the Media School. They launched their provision two years ago and now have over 250 students on a variety of CPD pathways – some delivered by BU and some delivered in partnership with employers such as the BBC and Pearson. All of the courses are accredited by Skillset, the sector skills council for creative and media. To find out more about the short course offer in the Media School and to hear from current students and employers, watch this amazing short video: http://mixtape.bournemouth.ac.uk/overview.html

Visit the Mixtape website here: http://mixtape.bournemouth.ac.uk/

BU academics win AHRC grant!

Awarded & submitted bids

We heard some excellent news at the end of last week that BU academics Dr Bronwen Thomas and Dr Julia Round, both based in the Media School, have been awarded funding from the AHRC!

The research project, due to start imminently, aims to understand the impact of digital transformations on the reading process. Digital technologies have made it much easier for readers to participate in a wide range of activities around their reading, including connecting with other readers, commenting on a range of texts, and even writing stories themselves.  Online communities and fan forums present researchers with a wealth of data not only on what readers are reading, but how they are reading and engaging with texts. This data is potentially invaluable, especially in a context where reading is supposedly in decline, and where new devices such as ereaders are threatening to supplant the printed book.  This project will investigate the implications of these changes, and how they may potentially benefit a wide range of stakeholders, including those working in education and in the creative industries, as well as academics interested in readers and audiences.  The research will provide insights into emerging forms, practices and epistemologies amongst readers, while also reflecting on the ethical and methodological implications for researchers engaged in this kind of activity.

This is an excellent achievement, congratulations Bronwen and Julia 🙂

Bronwen and Julia’s successful proposal was reviewed internally via our internal peer review scheme (the RPRS) prior to submission, and they also received support from Martin Pickard during one of his grant writing sessions. BU regularly hosts these sessions with Martin – keep an eye on the Blog for the next one to be advertised! It is strongly advised that all research proposals are reviewed via the RPRS prior to submission. See our RPRS webpage or contact Caroline O’Kane for further details.

Research within the Bournemouth University Clinical Research Unit (BUCRU)

Funding opportunities

In previous blogs we have described how BUCRU can help in developing grant applications. In this blog we describe some of the funded projects we are involved in.

BUCRU led research

Fatigue management in multiple sclerosis (MS):  We have just completed a multi-centre randomised trial of a cognitive behavioural approach to fatigue management in people with multiple sclerosis1. This project was funded by the MS Society (http://www.mssociety.org.uk).

Improving activity and wellbeing in people with MS: We are just starting a MS Society funded pilot study to look at the Nintendo Wii home gaming system as a method of helping people with MS increase their activity levels and wellbeing.

Systematic review of psychological interventions for people with MS: A small grant to update our existing Cochrane review2

BUCRU collaborative projects

IDvIP: A National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB) (http://www.ccf.nihr.ac.uk/RfPB/Pages/home.aspx) funded project. This is a multi-centre trial comparing 2 methods of pain relief for women in labour; diamorphine and pethidine3. The Chief Investigator is a Consultant in one of the local hospitals and a member of the Bournemouth University Visiting Faculty. BUCRU staff were involved in the design of the study, applying for the grant, data management, statistical analysis and interpretation, and advice on project management.*

WEIGHTED: A small grant from the College of Emergency Medicine held by a local Consultant/ member of the Visiting Faculty. This study is about to start and aims to develop a robust method of estimating the weight of patients attending a hospital emergency department. Many patients require a weight dependent dose of potentially life saving medication, but are too ill to be actually weighed.  BUCRU were involved in designing the study and securing funding, and will be involved in ongoing advice on project and data management, statistical analysis and interpretation.

PEARLS: A large multi-centre trial of training maternity staff in assessing and repairing tears to the perineum acquired during labour and delievery4. This project is funded by the Health Foundation (http://www.health.org.uk) and run under the auspices of the Royal College of Midwives. BUCRU has been involved in data management, statistical analysis and interpretation.

PREVIEW: A pilot randomised trial comparing two methods of looking after tears to the perineum. The Chief Investigator is based in Birmingham, and the study is funded by the NIHR RfPB funding scheme. This study has recently started, and BUCRU was involved in the design of the study and the funding application. Further involvement will be in advising on project management, data management and statistical analysis.

Clinical Doctoral Research Fellowship: (http://www.nihrtcc.nhs.uk). Award held by BU and won by a radiographer based at the Anglo-European College of Chiropractic. The project involves tracking and measuring spinal motion. The research may have important implications in diagnosing people with chronic lower back pain. BUCRU were involved in the study design and funding application, and 2 members of staff are supervisors for her PhD.

Contact us:

In the first instance please contact

Louise Ward (administrator):

Bournemouth University Clinical Research Unit

R505 Royal London House

Christchurch Road

Bournemouth BH1 3LT

BUCRU@bournemouth.ac.uk

Tel: 01202 961939

 http://blogs.bournemouth.ac.uk/bucru/

1 Thomas, P.W., Thomas, S., Kersten, P., Jones, R., Nock, A., Slingsby, V., et al., 2010. Multi-centre parallel arm randomised controlled trial to assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a group-based cognitive behavioural appoach to managing fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis. BMC Neurology, 10:43

2 Thomas, P.W., Thomas, S., Hillier, C., Galvin, K., and Baker, R. (2006). Psychological interventions for multiple sclerosis. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (Vol. Issue 1, pp. Issue 1. Art. No.: CD004431. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD004431.pub2): John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.

3 Wee, M.Y.K., Tuckey, J.P., Thomas, P., Burnard, S. 2011. The IDvIP Trial: A two-centre randomized double-blind controlled trial comparing intramuscular diamorphine and intramuscular pethidine for labour analgesia. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 11: 51

4 Bick, D.E., Kettle, C., MacDonald, S., Thomas, P.W., Hill, R.K., Ismail, K.. 2010. PErineal Assessment and Repair Longitudinal Study (PEARLS): protocol for a matched pair cluster trial. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 10:10.

Radio heritage digitised and available on the British Universities Film & Video Council website

Watch this excellent short video from BU’s Professor Hugh Chignell who has worked with London Broadcasting Company’s independent radio news archive to digitalise over 8,000 tapes, creating a live history account which is now available on the British Universities Film and Video Council’s website: http://radio.bufvc.ac.uk/lbc/

To see other BU videos on YouTube go to the BU YouTube page.

 

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svdm_2f4V24

World Premier of Rufus Stone the movie

Back in May the BU Research Blog bought you the news about the impending Rufus Stone movie, directed by Josh Appignanesi, and based on research undertaken by Dr Kip Jones (see the previous post here: BU research based film to be directed by Josh Appignanesi).

The World Premier of the film will be held at BU:

16 November 2 pm at the Kimmeridge Theatre, Talbot Campus

Red carpet, Celebs, Glitz and Glamour all guaranteed!

Places are limited.  The Eventbrite mechanism will be live shortly for registration.

More information on the background research and the making of the film at: http://blogs.bournemouth.ac.uk/rufus-stone/

BU academics in the media

In the last few days, BU academics have achieved a series of major results by having their expertise featured in key national media outlets.

This includes stories in:

  • The Sunday Telegraph (31 July) – featuring Professor Rudy Gozlan in the School of Applied Sciences commenting on the decline of the world’s river fish at the recent  annual conference of the Fisheries Society of the British Isles hosted by BU; 
  • Broadcast* (29 July) – a thought leadership article by Jon Wardle in the Media School which calls for improved media education in light of the recent phone-hacking scandal;
  • The Times* (29 July) – a thought leadership article by Professor Edwin van Teijlingen in the School of Health and Social Care on the role of GPs in the provision of maternity care;
  • The Guardian (28 July) – a thought leadership article by Dr Heather Hartwell in the School of Tourism on link between tourism strategies and health and well-being.

 * – subscriptions are required to view these articles online. If you are a BU staff member and would like to receive a hard copy please email: press@bournemouth.ac.uk