University of Birmingham

Impact of a Mediterranean diet and physical activity intervention on the gut microbiome and faecal metabolites: findings from the MedEx-UK randomised controlled trial

Abstract Diet and physical activity (PA) are potential modulators of the gut microbiome, although research findings are inconsistent, and few studies have explored their combined effects. This study used data from ninety-three participants (forty-seven with pre- and post-interven...

Mapping the evidence base of kidney, prostate and urinary tract tumours to inform the WHO classification of tumours

Background The project ‘World Health Organization (WHO) Classification of Tumours (WCT): a Living Evidence Gap Map by Tumour Type’ applies the Evidence and Gap Map (EGM) methodology to systematically synthesise evidence to support iterative refinements of the WCT. As part of this...

Gestational Changes in Placental Iron Homeostasis are Associated With Ferroptosis‐Associated Redox Signaling and Trophoblast Behavior

Well-regulated trophoblast proliferation, migration, invasion, and cell turnover are essential for normal placental development in humans and rodents. Given the established role of oxidative stress in placentation and the redox activity of iron, we investigated whether ferroptosi...

Migration Power Europe: Diplomacy, Crises and Power Struggles at the EU Periphery

Abstract This article introduces the conceptual framework of migration power Europe to dissect the multiple forms of power at play in how the European Union (EU) and its member states navigate migration diplomacy, through and beyond the apparent display of ‘Fortress Europe’. Thro...

Development of a complex intervention to optimise pre-operative healthcare and early recovery for people having knee or hip replacement: My Knee/Hip Plan

Abstract Background Approximately 250,000 total hip and knee replacements were performed in the UK in 2024. One in five patients who have a knee replacement and one in seven who have a hip replacement are dissatisfied with their outcome and/or have chronic pain after surgery. Som...

Energy consumption prediction of range-extended electric vehicles using dependency-guided physics-regularised neural networks

The reliable prediction of energy consumption for range-extended electric vehicles under unseen driving scenarios remains challenging due to variations in driving conditions and vehicle operating characteristics. This paper proposes a two-stage framework integrating a difference-...

Computational and Data‐Driven Strategies for Lignocellulosic Biomass Valorization: From Multiscale Modeling to Digitalized Biorefinery Design

ABSTRACT Lignocellulosic biomass is a major renewable carbon resource for sustainable production of fuels, chemicals, and functional materials. Yet its valorization remains constrained by structural recalcitrance, feedstock heterogeneity, and the coupling of molecular and process...

Decoupled Dielectric Optimization and YbO x Contact Engineering in All‐Spray‐Processed Oxide Thin‐Film Transistors

ABSTRACT Control of dielectric transport and contact energetics remains a central challenge in scalable oxide electronics. We present a decoupled optimization strategy for fully spray‐processed oxide thin‐film transistors with In 2 O 3 :W channels, where dielectric densification...

The Gravitational-wave Optical Transient Observer (GOTO) Fast Analysis and Spectroscopy of Transients (FAST) Surveys

Abstract The study of young and fast astronomical transients is often limited by the difficulty of acquiring data, particularly spectra, within hours to days of explosion. Historically, follow-up programmes have rarely obtained spectra until many days after discovery; coupled wit...

Exploring future sustainable urban transport through scenarios: a critical review of contemporary practice

Under deep uncertainty, long-range transport forecasts are prone to inaccuracy. Scenario planning – a foresight approach from futures studies – offers a means to explore different long-range transport possibilities while also engaging transport stakeholders. Transport scenario na...

Syndroming: When difference becomes diagnosis

Abstract In this article, I examine ‘syndroming’: the expansion and institutionalisation of diagnostic framings of school difficulty in contemporary education systems. Drawing on accounts of classification and critiques of medicalisation and mental health discourse, I argue that...

Rare‐Earth Multivariate Metal–Organic Frameworks: Cationic Radius Biased Compositional Control and Property Tuning

ABSTRACT The synthesis of a multivariate metal–organic framework (MTV‐MOF) family, [Ln(DNNDI) 1.5 ] n ( UoB‐116 ), is reported (DNNDI: N , N' ‐bis(dinicotinate)‐1,4,5,8‐naphthalenetetracarboxydiimide). UoB‐116(Ln) is formed by 15 different metals (Ln = Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu,...

Selinexor potentiates NK cell activation against multiple myeloma

INTRODUCTION: Selinexor is a first in class selective inhibitor of nuclear export (SINE) targeting Exportin-1 (XPO1) and approved for the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM). Selinexor has previously been shown to enhance natural killer (NK) cell activation against lymphoma cells...

Molecular modelling of high-entropy alloys: from quantum to atomistic, and machine learning

Abstract High-entropy alloys (HEAs), characterized by complex multielement compositions, offer broad opportunities to tune mechanical, corrosion, thermal, wetting, and functional properties, while their vast configurational space makes molecular modelling essential. This review e...

Rare‐Earth Multivariate Metal–Organic Frameworks: Cationic Radius Biased Compositional Control and Property Tuning

ABSTRACT The synthesis of a multivariate metal–organic framework (MTV‐MOF) family, [Ln(DNNDI) 1.5 ] n ( UoB‐116 ), is reported (DNNDI: N , N' ‐bis(dinicotinate)‐1,4,5,8‐naphthalenetetracarboxydiimide). UoB‐116(Ln) is formed by 15 different metals (Ln = Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu,...

Schools as youth-friendly climate shelters: co-designing socio-spatial infrastructures of care for urban heat adaptation

Urban heat is unevenly distributed, while adaptation often overlooks young people’s lived experiences. This study examines how embodied and emotional experiences, everyday spatial practices, and participatory co-design inform youth-friendly climate shelters as socio-spatial infra...

Suppressing Catalyst Reconstruction via Electric-Field-Enhanced Cu–Sn Alloying for Stable CO2 Electroreduction

Abstract The electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2RR) on copper (Cu) catalysts holds great promise for the sustainable production of value-added carbonaceous chemicals and fuels. However, these Cu nanostructures suffer from severe surface reconstruction due to Cu’s oxi...

Exploring the impact of recipe boxes on dietary quality and food agency: a pilot and feasibility randomized controlled trial in households with school-aged children

Abstract Background Preparing and consuming food at home is associated with healthier diets. Recipe box subscriptions may support meal preparation at home while improving dietary quality and cooking skills, reducing time-poverty, and facilitating family cohesion. We are conductin...

Is Exercise Effective at Reducing Pain Catastrophizing in People with Chronic Non-Specific Spinal Pain? A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES: This review assessed the effectiveness of exercise in reducing pain catastrophizing for people with chronic non-specific spinal pain. METHODS: Seven databases were searched from inception until May 2025. Randomized controlled trials and secondary analyses assessing ex...

ROS/HIF-1 signalling in alveolar macrophages: implications for lung fibrosis

Alveolar macrophages (AMs) in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) display stabilisation of hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-1 despite their residence within the well oxygenated alveolar space. This highlights a contradiction between oxygen supply and hypoxic signalling in the fibr...