University of Oxford

Facilitating megacity electricity decarbonization via grid-interactive demand-side resource management

City power systems face intensified mismatches between generation and dynamic demand under rising zero-carbon energy penetration levels. Although demand-side resource management offers mismatch mitigation potential by regulating load patterns, its city-level capability remains un...

Identifying phenotype-genotype-function coupling in 3D organoid imaging using Shape, Appearance and Motion Phenotype Observation Tool (SPOT)

Abstract Live cells in tissue are plastic, phenotypically dynamic, and modify their function in response to genetic and environmental perturbations. To unleash the power of live-cell imaging to identify phenotype-genotype-function coupling over time, we report the development of...

Mixed positive and negative feedback loops drive diverse single-cell gene expression dynamics

Abstract Genetic circuits with only a few components can generate complex gene regulatory dynamics. Here, we combine stochastic modelling and single-cell time-lapse microscopy to reveal the possible dynamics generated by a key gene circuit motif: the mixed positive/negative feedb...

Imprecise Probabilistic Programming, Precisely: Credal Sets via Graded Monads, BDDs, and Semiring-Parametric Inference (Functional Pearl)

Imprecise probability generalizes standard probability theory by replacing a single distribution with a convex set of possible distributions. We show that this generalization requires no change to the standard BDD compilation and weighted model counting pipeline used by discrete...

Design of Stainless Steel Homogeneous and Hybrid I-Sections Exhibiting Strong Flange Behavior

Abstract Stainless steel built-up I-profile are frequently designed with webs significantly more slender than their flanges and greater material strength in the flanges in case of hybrid sections. Given the fundamental load case of pure compression or bending, the compressed flan...

Virtual worlds and mental health: A scoping review

<title>Abstract</title> The constant increase in the use of virtual worlds in recent decades has raised concerns about their potential effects on users’ mental health. However, the great heterogeneity of the scientific literature on this topic makes it difficult to identify exist...

Enhancing iNKT cell immunotherapy through the integration of optimized CAR endodomains and iNKT engagers

Abstract iNKT cells are emerging as a highly promising immunotherapy platform for the treatment of cancer. To maximise the anti-cancer activity of CAR-iNKT against the blood cancer multiple myeloma we investigated optimal CAR designs and their combination with new iNKT-specific e...

The fast destruction of methane by heterogeneous electrochemistry induced by martian dust activity: An experimental approach

Methane (CH 4 ) on Mars is of high scientific importance, particularly for its generation and destruction mechanisms. With an estimated photochemical lifetime of approximately 300 years, sporadic methane plumes observed on Mars by orbital, landed missions, and Earth-based telesco...

An Energy-GradientStrategy for Triplet-Pair Separationin Singlet-Fission Oligomers

Abstract Singlet fission (SF) offers a pathway to surpass the Shockley–Queisser limit by converting one photoexcited singlet exciton into two triplet excitons. However, in molecular assemblies, this process commonly yields a strongly exchange-coupled correlated triplet pair, 1(TT...

Challenges and barriers to musculoskeletal injury research in sub-Saharan Africa

Aims: Musculoskeletal (MSK) injuries are a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. However, research into MSK injuries is hampered by significant challenges and barriers, particularly in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). Our aim was to identify the most important...

Cell surface remodeling caused by the loss of the flippase subunit TMEM30A in immune cells

Plasma membrane lipid asymmetry is tightly regulated and fundamental to mammalian cell physiology. TMEM30A is the β-subunit of P4-ATPases, flippase enzymes that maintain strict phosphatidylserine (PS) asymmetry by pumping it from the outer to the cytosolic leaflet. Loss of TMEM30...

MuSpAn: a toolbox for multiscale spatial analysis

Abstract Advances in multiplex imaging and spatial omics have revolutionised spatial data generation in biology, revealing complex tissue organisation across multiple scales. However, methods for analysing these data have lagged behind, with fragmented, study-specific pipelines a...

Insulin resistance is associated with mammary mitochondrial dysfunction at the onset of human lactation

Insulin resistance (IR) has emerged as a risk factor for lactation insufficiency and delays the onset of milk secretion after childbirth, termed secretory activation (SA). This may cause inadequate infant weight gain and early breastfeeding cessation. However, the mechanisms unde...

Enhancing large language model reasoning with reward models: an analytical survey

Abstract Reward models (RMs) play a critical role in enhancing the reasoning performance of LLMs. For example, they can provide training signals to finetune LLMs during reinforcement learning (RL) and help select the best answer from multiple candidates during inference. In this...

Conserved dimerization architecture in C‐type lectins from virus‐vector mosquitoes

Abstract C-type lectins (CTLs) play key roles in innate immunity and microbial carbohydrate recognition. In the disease vector mosquito Aedes aegypti , the CTLD-S family comprises 34 soluble CTLs whose members are implicated in flavivirus dissemination and microbial homeostasis,...

Surface Redox Behavior of a High Entropy Spinel Catalyst during Propene Oxidation

Abstract High entropy (HE) oxides have the potential to deliver a step-change in heterogeneous catalysts. HE oxides allow for unprecedented compositional flexibility with a diverse range of possible active sites, promoting higher catalyst activity and long-term stability. However...

Measuring masses of transiting Earth-like planets: first insights from the PLATO RV Data Challenge

Abstract The PLATO Stellar Variability Mitigation Working Group designed a radial-velocity (RV) data challenge to assess the precision and accuracy achievable on RV semi-amplitudes in the context of the future PLATO follow-up. Using Sun-as-a-star observations obtained with HARPS-...

Duodenal hamartomatous polyps in three pedigree-related laboratory ferrets (Mustela putorius furo)

Gastrointestinal polyps are considered rare in the ferret. This case series describes duodenal polyps in three related ferrets, all localised to the cranial duodenal flexure. Three mature intact female laboratory ferrets ( Mustela putorius furo ) were found to have hamartomatous...

Measuring Ocean Surface Waves

Abstract Propagating waves on the ocean surface can be represented as a stochastic process whose statistics are characterized by a spectrum. This paper reviews methods for measuring the wave spectrum and related quantities. Observations begin by sensing fluid dynamical properties...

Commensal bacteria inhibit viral infections via a tryptophan metabolite

Clinical outcomes following viral exposures exhibit substantial interindividual variability. Although developing evidence suggests commensal bacteria modulate viral infections, the specific bacteria and mechanisms remain underexplored. Here, we define a pathway by which viral inf...