University of Birmingham

Evaluation of a cathelicidin derivative fusion polypeptide for pathogen-targeted antimicrobial approach

Abstract The human cathelicidin LL-37 is one of the most promising candidates for replacing standard antibiotics due to its broad-spectrum activity and low propensity for resistance development. However, the widespread clinical adoption of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) is current...

High-content image-based screening reveals vaccinia virus membrane proteins as potential regulators of LC3 lipidation

Autophagy is a catabolic process used for the degradation of organelles and proteins, and it also functions as a cellular defense mechanism, known as xenophagy, during infection. Vaccinia virus (VACV), the prototypic poxvirus, replicates exclusively in the cytoplasm of host cells...

Ultrasonic Vibration Assisted Laser Processing: A Hybrid Paradigm for Extreme Surface Enhancement

ABSTRACT Traditional laser processing techniques offer many advantages, but they often encounter limitations such as heat‐affected zones, recast layers, residual tensile stresses, and poor surface finish. The integration of ultrasonic vibration (UV) presents a promising hybrid ap...

Clinical outcomes and complication rates following medial collateral ligament reconstruction using Achilles tendon allograft or hamstring tendon autograft: A systematic review

Abstract Purpose The medial collateral ligament (MCL) is the most commonly injured knee ligament, yet indications for reconstruction remain debated. Although consensus statements support allograft and hamstring autograft, comparative evidence regarding graft superiority is limite...

PRISM with a Pinch of Salt: Simple, Efficient, and Strongly Unforgeable Signatures from Isogenies

Abstract The problem of computing an isogeny of large prime degree from a supersingular elliptic curve of unknown endomorphism ring is assumed to be hard both for classical as well as quantum computers. In this work, we first build a two-round identification protocol whose securi...

High Strength Steel Fatigue Crack Growth Database for Offshore Renewable Energy Applications

ABSTRACT High strength steels can reduce costs and carbon emissions in offshore renewable energy, but their effect on structural integrity remains unclear. In welded structures, such as support structures for offshore wind and tidal turbines, fatigue life is dominated by crack gr...

Integrating menopausal neurocognitive and psychosocial dynamics into economic behavior: the Behavioral Finance–Menopausal Cognition (BF-MC) Model (MARiE WP2A study)

Objective: Traditional behavioral finance—which examines how cognitive biases, emotions, and context shape economic decision-making— often assumes cognitive stability, rationality, and consistent risk evaluation, based largely on male-dominated samples. Emerging evidence from the...

Raewyn Connell’s Critique of “Intersectionality”: A Reconsideration

Since the publication of Raewyn Connell’s Masculinities in 1995, feminist scholars have extensively elaborated her notion of multiple masculinities with insights from intersectional feminism. While acknowledging the many points of resonance between these two important frameworks,...

Optical coherence tomography imaging device comparison study in papilloedema secondary to idiopathic intracranial hypertension

Abstract Background Optic nerve imaging assessing papilloedema is an increasingly important clinical measure to guide treatment. The aim of this study was to understand the agreement between two commonly used OCT devices and whether pooling of papilloedema OCT imaging data could...

Supporting participatory PhDs: a call to action

Abstract There has been sustained and growing interest in public policy, professional practice, and research, in what has come to be called patient and public, or service user, involvement. Requirements for such involvement are now embedded within health and care legislation, pro...

Bilateral progressive myelinated retinal nerve fibres

Fig. 1: Bilateral progressive myelinated retinal nerve fibres. Full size image Fundus images of the right ( A ) and left ( B ) eye of a 5-year-old boy with myelinated retinal nerve fibre layers (MRNFLs) identified as white striated patches with poorly defined borders radiating fr...

Effect of diet on cognition, mental health and wellbeing among adolescents: a systematic review

A healthy diet is crucial for adolescents’ health and wellbeing. Current literature on dietary intake and its association with cognition, mental health and wellbeing has mainly focused on younger children. The aim of this systematic review was to explore the evidence for these as...

Understanding the impact of Multiple Long-Term Conditions (MLTC) on the completion of delirium screening documentation: analysis using routinely collected clinical data

Abstract Introduction Multiple Long-Term Conditions (MLTC) are a recognised risk factor for delirium, but little is known about the impact of MLTC on delirium screening. This study aimed to explore the impact of MLTC on delirium screening documentation for older, hospitalised peo...

High-salt diet modulates endocrine regulation between cortisol and FGF23

Excessive dietary salt intake is a global health concern, affecting cardiovascular, renal, and bone health. While the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) is a known regulator of dietary salt-induced hormonal responses, the impact of adrenal cortisol remains unclear. Here,...

Adapting but not in rhythm: the realities of integrated care leadership

Purpose To explore the nature and realities of integrated care leadership through the perspectives of systems leaders and the theoretical lens of adaptive leadership. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative methodology involving interviews and focus groups with twenty-seven par...

The ‘In-Between Space’ of Peer Research: Sharing the Lessons Learned From a Study With Young People

The use of a participatory approach to research concerned with children and young people, where they act as peer researchers working as part of a research team, has been both promoted and critiqued in the literature. Drawing on the challenges and solutions identified by Bradbury-...

How Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus became a model for invasive bacterial predation

ABSTRACT Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus is a gram-negative Proteobacterium that has evolved to use a novel, predatory, intrabacterial lifestyle. Once encountered under a microscope, in a lecture, or a textbook, it is seldom forgotten. B. bacteriovorus speedily collides with, enters,...

Intra‐Seasonal Variability of Serial Clustering of Severe European Winter Windstorms

Abstract Clustering of severe European winter windstorms causes large economic loss and social‐environmental impacts. We present a detailed analysis of the intra‐seasonal variability of clustering of severe European winter windstorms based on ERA5 reanalysis, with the focus on im...

Reflections on Co-Research Methods: Realities of Inclusive Research With Marginalised Communities.

Participatory research methods have gained prominence in the past decade, particularly in studies involving marginalised communities. Sex workers have critiqued the lack of depth and understanding in research findings, which may arise from their exclusion from the research proces...

An Integrated Methodology for Identifying and Classifying Questions and Answers in Spoken Conversation

Abstract Questions provide speakers with a means of managing turn-taking, demonstrating engagement, and giving the communicative ‘floor’ to their interlocutor, among a range of other functions. When English interrogatives function as direct questions, they are typically identifia...