Lancaster University

Apprentice voice in assessments: a case of realist evaluation of feedback-innovation in business degree apprenticeships

Purpose This case study aims to evaluate the implementation of a strategically targeted assessment-feedback “mechanism” to enhance apprentice satisfaction within business degree apprenticeships (BDAs) in the UK. The study addresses persistent challenges associated with inconsiste...

Towards Sustainable Bioleaching of Platinum Group Metals from Spent Automotive Catalysts

Spent automotive catalysts represent an important secondary resource for platinum group metals, offering environmental and economic advantages over primary mining. This review evaluates bioleaching-based recovery strategies of these metals as sustainable alternatives to conventio...

Positive equilibria in mass action networks: geometry and bounds

Abstract Any mass action network gives rise to a parameterised family of polynomial equations whose positive solutions are the positive equilibria of the network. Here, we consider alternative systems of equations, whose solutions are in smooth, one-to-one correspondence with pos...

Developing and validating the Spanish version of the large language models dependency scale (LLM-D12-SP)

<title>Abstract</title> There is a growing need for reliable and culturally validated instruments to assess psychological dependency on large language models (LLMs), particularly as LLMs are increasingly used for task execution, decision-making, and communication in organizationa...

Multi-dimensional market framework for electricity, environment, and security in Thailand’s energy transition

Achieving carbon neutrality in the power sector requires market designs that align economic efficiency with environmental sustainability and system reliability. This paper proposes a multi-dimensional electricity market-clearing framework that co-optimises carbon pricing, renewab...

Low-frequency resistance training enhances 2D strain-derived carotid strain and strain rate: a novel longitudinal application of strain imaging in healthy middle-aged females

Exercise delays arterial decline in middle‑aged females, yet participation declines with age. We assessed whether 12-weeks of low‑frequency resistance training alters carotid and brachial arterial function in inactive middle‑aged females. Sixteen inactive middle-aged females (57...

Does plastic waste present an infection hazard? Current evidence, surveillance challenges and research priorities

Abstract Unmanaged plastic waste is widespread in settings with limited waste collection, yet its contribution to infectious disease risk remains poorly understood. In this review, we synthesise current evidence on the human health implications of plastic waste, with a specific f...

“Who am I without my disorder?”: An interpretative phenomenological analysis of recovery from combined bulimia nervosa and borderline personality disorder

Abstract Background Co-occurring Bulimia Nervosa (BN) and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) affect a substantial population in the United Kingdom. This study explored how individuals experience recovery from these conditions, with a focus on interpreting how individuals with...

Prekindergarten and Kindergarten Predictors of Reading Comprehension in Monolingual English and Spanish-English Bilingual Sixth Graders.

PURPOSE: Poor reading comprehension performance by children in the United States is a continuing concern. Early identification and intervention can reduce the number of children with significant reading problems. We documented prekindergarten and kindergarten predictors of Grade...

The Ethical, Legal and Psychosocial Implications of Genetic Testing in Adoption: A Review of the Current Evidence

Genetic testing helps determine the risk an individual faces in developing genetic diseases. Understanding the risk can allow measures to be put in place to increase preparation for the potential onset of certain diseases. Adoptees and adopters are often provided with limited inf...

Design Principles for a Risk-Aware Conversational Agent in Digital Mental Health Information Access: The Case of Cognitive Theatre

Abstract This study investigates digital mental health as a high-stakes problem of conversational information access and interaction. Using Design Science Research Methodology, it develops Cognitive Theatre , a risk-aware conversational agent informed by cognitive behavioural the...

Grazing abandonment in Iceland: unearthing the consequences for root biomass and community-level root functional traits

Abstract Background and aims In northern ecosystems, plants allocate biomass predominantly to roots, which are central to the transfer of recent photosynthate from plants to soil and thus soil carbon accumulation. Grazing typically modifies above-ground vegetation composition and...

Adjusting to becoming parents by adoption: a systematic review of qualitative research through thematic synthesis

Research highlights the varying experiences individuals have when seeking to become parents for the first time or wishing to extend their existing family through adoption. This review synthesizes qualitative literature on these experiences. Nine papers were analyzed using themati...

Epistemic norms for AI safety and alignment research

Abstract Mainstream AI research emphasises capability growth and tolerates low failure rates when average-case performance is high. AI safety and alignment research has a different mission: to ensure that catastrophic failures never occur, under sparse evidence, adversarial dynam...

A novel metamaterial for tunable load-bearing and broadband vibration isolation based on combined double-helix and chiral unit cell

In the advanced high-performance mechanical systems, such as those in aerospace, automotive powertrains, and precision instrumentation, demand components that can simultaneously provide structural support and mitigate harmful vibrations. However, achieving an optimal balance betw...

Eruption source parameters for a Canadian mafic explosive eruption: an example from Sii Aks (Tseax) volcano

Abstract Observations from tephra fall deposits are needed to constrain input parameters used to model tephra fall hazard, but this is challenging for mafic Canadian volcanoes, which are often in remote locations. Here, we present eruption source parameters (ESPs) for the approxi...

Sowing the seeds of exploitation: colonial statecraft and racial capitalism at Britain’s agricultural border

Abstract The reproduction of the global agri-food system is, at a systemic level, conditional on the exploitation of migrant labour, raising the question of how exploitation became the default mechanism through which states regulate the sector. This paper disentangles the conting...