University of Birmingham

Early evaluation of the WCT EVI MAP project: implementation, challenges, and emerging impact on evidence-based tumour classification

<ns5:p>Background The WHO Classification of Tumours (WCT) underpins cancer diagnosis globally, but the evidence-base used to inform tumour classification has never been systematically appraised. The WCT EVI MAP project was designed to address this need by developing a structured,...

Efficacy of neuromuscular electrical stimulation as a therapy for sarcopenia in people on haemodialysis: study protocol for the STIM-HD randomised controlled trial

Abstract Background Sarcopenia is highly prevalent among adults receiving haemodialysis and is associated with reduced physical function, impaired quality of life, and increased morbidity and mortality. Although structured exercise programmes can improve muscle health, most peopl...

Recent Advances in Microalgae‐Based Functional Coatings and Films for Food Packaging Applications: Opportunities and Challenges

ABSTRACT The increased popularity of sustainable food packaging and its technologies has led to considerable interest in microalgae‐derived functional films and coatings as potential replacements for traditional plastics based on petroleum. The literature in recent years has been...

Retinoic Acid Receptor γ Is a Ligand-Activated Gatekeeper to Stem Cell Developmental Progression

RARγ is expressed during embryogenesis by stem/primitive progenitor cells, indicating a role in controlling their development. Supporting this view is that a physiological level of 10 nM of the RARγ agonist AGN205327 blocked stem/progenitor cell differentiation during zebrafish e...

Assessment of the Delayed Detached-Eddy Simulation Method for Predicting Off-Design Operating Conditions of an Axial Compressor

Abstract Reliable, highly accurate prediction of off-design operating conditions using numerical methods is essential for overcoming the challenges of achieving greener aviation. To assess their capabilities, the high-speed TU Darmstadt axial compressor stage is considered at nea...

Management of high-risk (B3) breast lesions in symptomatic practice: evidence review and practical recommendations for multidisciplinary care

Borderline breast lesions (B3 lesions, also termed lesions of uncertain malignant potential or high-risk lesions) represent a heterogeneous group of entities associated with variable risks of malignancy. While the management of screen-detected B3 lesions has become increasingly s...

Deep learning-based prediction of self-energies from ab initio dynamical mean-field theory for real materials with minimal data sets

Abstract Density-functional theory (DFT) has been the workhorse of first-principles calculations for decades, and DFT-derived energies and forces are now widely used to train machine learning models of inter-atomic potentials. However, DFT’s single-particle treatment of exchange-...

Social welfare optimisation under institutional reward and punishment

Institutional incentives are widely used to promote cooperation among autonomous, self-regarding agents, from human societies to multi-agent and AI systems. Existing work typically treats incentive design as a bi-objective problem: minimise institutional cost while achieving a hi...

Fragmentalist Molinism

Abstract The Grounding Objection alleges that Molinist counterfactuals of creaturely freedom (CCFs) lack prevolitional truthmakers, while a related Alternative Possibilities Objection maintains that any determinate prevolitional basis for such ‘would’-facts threatens the alternat...

Time Averaged CCE

ABSTRACT A popular approach to interactive effects panel data models is the common correlated effects (CCE) estimator of Pesaran (Estimation and inference in large heterogeneous panels with a multifactor error structure. Econometrica 74 , 967–1012, 2006). The current paper propos...

Managing the product lifecycle of non-fungible tokens: A micro-level perspective

Abstract Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) have become part of the product portfolios of many brands, ranging from individual creators to established firms. Yet, we currently have a limited understanding of how NFTs should be designed, launched, and managed effectively over their lifecy...

Stakeholder Integration, Ethical Orientation, and Environmental Performance: Evidence From SMEs in Ghana

ABSTRACT This paper offers a novel theoretical account of how and when stakeholder pressures translate into environmental performance. Building on the Natural Resource‐Based View, we develop a moderated‐mediation model showing (a) stakeholder integration mediates the effect of pr...

Chloride-permeable channels in white adipocytes: their role in adipogenesis and membrane potential

Abstract Ion fluxes, regulated by membrane potential (Vm), are vital to white fat adipocyte (WFA) function and adipogenesis. These processes present a novel target to intervene in obesity. To explore this possibility we applied transcriptomics, immunohistochemistry, electrophysio...

A clinical and experimental investigation of liraglutide effects on the brain-kidney axis

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists elicit diuresis and natriuresis in humans and rodents. However, little is known about their interactions with the bodies hormonal systems that control fluid homeostasis. We performed a single center, open-label, before-and-after study and...

Accelerating biomass loss from forest disturbances across Europe

Abstract Forest disturbances are rising globally due to climate change and land-use pressures, weakening the terrestrial carbon sink. However, declines in aboveground biomass from tree cover loss remain poorly quantified, limiting our understanding of the role of disturbances in...

A temporal differentiation program after birth delineates γδ T cell immunity

Type 1 and type 3 γδ T cells develop in the embryonic thymus, yet it is not known whether they continue to differentiate after birth in tissues. Here, we show that in the first week of life, intestinal γδ T cells up-regulated many T cell activation and type 3 genes, while the pos...

The Permeable Lip: A Critical Knowledge Gap for Systemic Exposure to Lip Cosmetic Chemicals

The pervasive use of lip cosmetics results in chronic, low-dose exposure to complex mixtures of chemicals via multiple routes, yet current cosmetic safety regulations treat lip products as conventional topical applications to skin. While the EU safety assessment framework acknowl...

Promises and pitfalls of mRNA-based vaccines as cancer treatment

The success of mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines has accelerated interest in applying mRNA technology to oncology. mRNA cancer vaccines offer the potential for precise, patient-specific treatment with reduced off-target effects and may become an important component of future cancer ca...

Optimization of thermal comfort in residential buildings: analysis of indoor thermal energy cycle in low-carbon green design

Abstract With the intensification of global climate change and energy crisis, people’s attention to thermal comfort and low-carbon design of building environment is increasing day by day. Indoor thermal comfort not only affects the health and quality of life of residents, but is...

Reporting of justifications for withholding established effective interventions in randomised placebo-controlled trials: a systematic review

Randomised-controlled-trials (RCTs) are crucial for assessing the efficacy of new treatments. Some RCTs are placebo-controlled, which is uncontroversial when there is no established effective intervention or when a placebo is added to one. However, withholding an established effe...