University of Cambridge

Gravitational instability in planet-forming discs

During the earliest phases of star and planet formation, a young star is surrounded by a disc that can become gravitationally unstable. Indeed, if the protoplanetary disc is sufficiently massive, its self-gravity triggers the formation of large scale spiral arms, transporting ang...

It's not easy being green: embedding environmental sustainability in training material

UKRI is committed to reaching Net Zero by 2040 and RSE/DRI will be key to achieving this. Green software practices will play a crucial role in this transition and so are increasingly discussed in the community - in part thanks to the Green RSE Special Interest Group. For full ado...

Multi-stromal organoid co-culture modelling reveals epithelial–fibroblast heterogeneity in pancreatic cancer and pancreatitis

Abstract Interactions between epithelial cells and fibroblasts influence disease progression and treatment response in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). While the diversity of fibroblasts in PDAC is increasingly recognized, it remains unclear how these cells differ from fi...

Hyperbolic actions of Thompson’s group F and generalizations

We study the poset of hyperbolic structures on Thompson’s group F and its generalizations F n for n ≥ 2 . The global structure of this poset is as simple as one would expect, with the maximal non-elementary elements being two quasi-parabolic actions corresponding to well-known as...

Robust Bayesian hierarchical models for basket trials enabling joint evaluation of toxicity and efficacy

Basket trials have gained increasing attention for their efficiency, as multiple patient subgroups are evaluated simultaneously. Conducted basket trials focus primarily on establishing the early efficacy of a treatment, yet continued monitoring of toxicity is essential. In this a...

Dual effect of α-synuclein disease variants on condensate formation

Abstract α-synuclein is a pre-synaptic protein implicated in synucleinopathies including Parkinson’s disease, Parkinson’s disease dementia, and dementia with Lewy bodies, where it accumulates in intracellular aggregates termed Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites. Recent studies have re...

Activation of transposable elements is linked to a region- and cell type–specific interferon response in Parkinson’s disease

Abstract Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder involving a neuroinflammatory response, the cause of which remains unclear. Transposable elements (TE) have been linked to inflammation, but their potential role in PD remains unexplored. Using bulk- and single-nuc...

Human cortical networks trade communication efficiency for computational reliability

Brains are often described as cost-efficient communication networks, optimally balancing the cost of long connections with the benefits of fast communication. Here, inspired by the "use it or lose it" principle, we present a novel game-theoretic model of self-organizing neural un...

Geomorphological dynamics at the coast: A sedimentary stratigraphy for Atlit-Yam, the earliest coastal village at the Eastern Mediterranean and its submerged landscape

During the early Holocene, rapid sea level rise led to the inundation of worldwide coastal areas, with the surrounding shallow landscapes being the most affected. The Carmel coast, located in the East Mediterranean, preserves a rich record of such a submerged landscape dotted by...

The true masses of radial-velocity exoplanets constrained by stability

Abstract Exoplanets discovered with the radial velocity method suffer from a mass-inclination degeneracy: only the minimum mass Mmin = Msin i is measured. An exoplanet with an Earth-sized minimum mass could actually therefore be a sub-Neptune, or even a gas giant. However, for co...

Urban design interventions reduce fear of crime in public spaces in gender-sensitive ways

Abstract Fear of crime in public spaces is a major policy problem worldwide. Environmental Crime Prevention proposes that modifying the built environment can reduce the fear of crime, but key questions remain: are these interventions equally effective across genders, and what int...

Poincaré inequality and quantitative De Giorgi method for hypoelliptic operators

We propose a systematic approach based on trajectories to prove a Poincaré inequality for weak non-negative sub-solutions to hypoelliptic equations with an arbitrary number of Hörmander commutators, both in the local and in the non-local case. As a consequence, we deduce the weak...

Flyby-induced high-eccentricity migration and the prevalence of hot Jupiters in M67

Abstract Few planetary systems form in isolation. Rather, interactions in their birth environments may sculpt their architectures or drive them into unstable configurations. Here we study the role of environmental perturbations in triggering dynamical instabilities leading to hot...

Modeling of Diamond Trench Metal Oxide Semiconductor Barrier Schottky Rectifier Based on Dynamic Reverse Bias Simulation Framework

This work presents an electrothermal optimization study of diamond‐based trench metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) barrier Schottky (TMBS) rectifiers using mixed‐mode drift‐diffusion technology computer aided design simulations under quasi‐static and dynamic reverse‐bias conditions....

Charting Endocrine Progenitors Across Species and Organs

ABSTRACT Hormone‐producing cells in the pancreas and intestine regulate whole‐body metabolism and are dysregulated in obesity and diabetes. A deeper understanding of endocrine lineage formation (endocrinogenesis) in these organs is essential to elucidate the healthy state and dis...

From mass-loss histories to lightcurves: a generalised framework for interaction-powered transients

Abstract We introduce a fast (~1–50 ms) and generalised public framework for modelling interaction-powered transients. The framework solves the thin-shell equations of motion for ejecta colliding with circumstellar material (CSM), and supports arbitrary CSM density and velocity p...

An evolutionarily conserved N-terminal domain of RRF-3 governs GTSF-1 binding in nematodes

Abstract GTSF1 is an essential activating cofactor for PIWI proteins in many metazoans. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans , however, GTSF-1 does not bind PIWI, but is associated with the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase RRF-3, supporting endo-siRNA (26G-RNA) biogenesis. Here, we...

Seven lessons for financial incentivisation schemes in healthcare: a qualitative study of NHS Resolution’s Maternity Incentive Scheme

Objectives: Avoidable harm and variations in quality have remained persistent features of health systems, but the track record of financial incentives in driving improvement is mixed. Based on an evaluation of NHS Resolution’s Maternity Incentive Scheme (MIS), which focuses on sa...

Tracking Variability in Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Riverine Inputs to the Iberian Margin Over the Last 250 kyr

Abstract The Iberian Margin provides an exceptional archive of climate variability due to its high sedimentation rates. However, uncertainties persist regarding the provenance of terrigenous detrital sediments on the Iberian Margin, and the climate‐driven changes in their source...

Epistemic dependence in AI-mediated learning

Abstract Artificial intelligence (AI) systems increasingly mediate how learners obtain explanations, synthesise sources, receive feedback and judge the quality of academic work. This critical-integrative review argues that the central educational question is not whether learners...