University of Exeter

Public perceptions of polygenic testing and embryo selection for non-medical traits

Abstract Some advances in reproductive technologies raise substantial ethical and psychological challenges, for example, the use of preimplantation genetic testing to select embryos based on non-medical traits. While studies have explored public willingness to use preimplantation...

Tunable asymmetric swimming in biflagellate microswimmers

Many biological microswimmers can modulate their swimming gait to achieve directional control of motility, especially when performing steering towards specific directional cues. This can be achieved without the need for obvious morphological or structural asymmetries in the form...

Assessing financial risk to property portfolios from physical rainfall extremes

Abstract. Physical climate risk from extreme rainfall is often poorly understood by financial investors, potentially extending to pension funds that manage assets of substantial societal importance. There is a growing need for investors to better understand these risks to ensure...

Parallelised detection of bacteria viability using an electrode array and the Exeter Multiscope

Abstract Antimicrobial resistance remains a global existential threat. Given that antimicrobial therapy commonly starts before pathogen identification, rapid and scalable methods capable of determining effective antimicrobial compounds are needed. In this paper, we demonstrate a...

Pressure Gradient Driven Multistage Leak Localization for Multiple Simultaneous Leaks in Water Distribution Networks under Uncertainty

Abstract Leak localization in water distribution networks (WDNs) is inherently challenging due to the nonuniqueness of solutions, where different leak configurations can produce similar pressure responses at monitoring sensors. These challenges are further exacerbated by uncertai...

A compilation of global bio-optical in situ data for ocean-colour satellite applications – version four

Abstract. A global in situ dataset for validation of satellite products from the ESA Ocean Colour Climate Change Initiative (OC-CCI) is presented. This version of the compilation, with data starting in 1996, extends to 2025, which is important for the validation of recent algorit...

A novel combinatorial treatment for Neurofibromatosis type 1 tumours revealed through cross-species genetic analysis

Abstract Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a multisystem genetic disorder associated with a wide range of symptoms, including the formation of tumours along nerves. These tumours can affect nerve function, leading to pain and loss of sensory or motor capacity. Drug treatments are...

Impacts of droughts on biomass burning emissions, air quality, and public health in the Amazon

Abstract. Wildfires in the Amazon, increasingly influenced by climate variability and anthropogenic activities, pose severe environmental and health challenges. While drought events amplify fire activity and emissions, the cascading effects of droughts and deforestation on air qu...

The Radicals: towards a practical framework for anticolonial museum practice and museology

Whilst a consensus has begun to emerge that museums should decolonise, debate remains around how. Indigenous museology has already reimagined museum practice, and yet a way forward for anticolonial practice elsewhere has not yet emerged. The repatriation of Ancestors and belongin...

Clinical Utility of a Type 1 Diabetes Genetic Risk Score Measured as Part of MODY Genetic Testing

<p dir="ltr">Objective</p><p dir="ltr">To evaluate the clinical utility of incorporating a type 1 diabetes genetic risk score (T1DGRS) into monogenic diabetes gene panel testing for individuals referred with suspected maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY)...

Modulators of epithelial-mesenchymal transitions in prostate cancer: potential for novel therapeutics development

Abstract Research in the area of hallmarks of cancer has opened the possibility of designing novel therapeutic interventions based on modulating cancer properties. Interestingly, the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), important in both tumour growth and metastasis, has not...

Cost-Effectiveness of an Artificial Intelligence as a Medical Device (AIaMD) for Triaging Patients Presenting to Primary Care with Concerns that They Have a Skin Cancer: A Modelling Study

Health services are struggling to cope with the growing numbers of people coming with skin lesions they are worried could be cancer. Using artificial intelligence (AI) to assist in the triage process is one potential approach. Deep Ensemble for the Recognition of Melanoma (DERM)...

Forecast-based attribution of the role of stratospheric variability in weather extremes

Abstract. Variability of the stratospheric polar vortex, particularly its dramatic breakdown during sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) events, has been linked to a number of surface weather extremes. However, attributing the role of stratospheric variability in a specific observe...

Defining ‘psychedelic’

Humphry Osmond coined the term ‘psychedelic’ in 1956, conjoining ‘psyche’ for ‘soul’ and ‘delic’ for ‘to manifest’ or ‘illuminate’. Soul-illumination is a compound noun that describes a psychological state or process. Osmond intended for it to be a taxonomic noun—naming, not just...

Predictive Processing in Sport and Exercise Science: A Scoping Review and Theoretical Overview

Abstract Background This scoping review explored the application of predictive processing in sport and exercise science, examining how cognitive and computational models have been used to understand perceptual-motor skills, decision-making, and physical performance. The review pr...

Artificial Intelligence and Nursing: Freedom From the Mundane or Subservience to a New Nobility

AIM: To explore the notion of post-humanism and the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on society, nursing and healthcare. DESIGN: Discursive paper. METHODS: Critical reflection on concepts relating to post-humanism and the impact of AI, sourced from contemporary and establis...

Perspectives on Meditation-based Preparation for Psychedelic Experiences: Insights from Practitioners with Combined Meditation and Psychedelic Experience

Abstract Objectives Emerging research suggests that meditation may support more beneficial psychedelic experiences while reducing the likelihood of lasting negative effects, yet its specific preparatory benefits remain underexplored. This study aimed to investigate the perceived...

Measurement incompatibility in Bayesian multiparameter quantum estimation

We present a comprehensive and pedagogical formulation of Bayesian multiparameter quantum estimation. Within this framework, we analyse the role of measurement incompatibility and establish its quantitative effect on attainable precision. We achieve this by deriving upper bounds...

From Public Good to Private Provision: The Role of Hospitality Workers in Gatekeeping Toilet Access

Public toilet closures in the UK, driven by austerity, have led to increasing reliance upon private or commercial facilities, such as toilets in bars and cafes. The extra labour required to maintain and monitor these toilets became especially visible under COVID-19 restrictions....

Inaugural editorial: Towards understanding, managing and conserving entomological diversity

We are excited to announce the launch of npj Entomology, a fully open-access journal in the Nature Portfolio that is dedicated to rapidly publishing high-quality, cutting-edge research in all aspects of entomology and arachnology. As Editor-in-Chief, I am deeply honoured to launc...