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Quantitative Integration of FRET and Molecular Dynamics for Modeling Flexible Peptides
No full textFlexible protein regions, often enriched in glycine- and serine-rich segments, play a central role in biomolecular dynamics and function. The combination of time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations provides a powerful framework to characterize these motions at atomic resolution. In this work, we investigate the conformational and kinetic properties of Trp-(GS)n-Dbo and Trp-(PP)n-Dbo peptides (n = 0,1,2,3) in aqueous solution using microsecond-scale MD simulations, informed by an improved description of the Dbo-labeled aspartic residue compatible with the G54A7 force field. The simulations quantitatively reproduce experimental end-to-end distances derived from FRET measurements, with deviations below 5% for all (GS)n peptides, and correctly capture the systematic relationship between chain flexibility and fluorophore separation. Analysis of looping kinetics further shows quantitative agreement with experimentally measured contact formation rates after viscosity correction, supporting a diffusion-controlled mechanism for intrachain contact formation. Together, these results establish a consistent, quantitative link between structural ensembles, dynamical observables, and FRET experiments, and provide benchmark data for modeling fluorophore-labeled peptides and intrinsically disordered protein segments.</p
The Alphabet Book of Big Words for Smart Little Kids (Who Want to Impress Their Friends and Parents)
No full textThe Alphabet Book of Big Words for Smart Little Kids (Who Want to Impress Their Friends and Parents) is a book of cautionary tales by folklorist, Jack Zipes, who has has been writing about folk and fairy tales for over sixty years.Original Stories: Jack ZipesDesign: Barrie TullettIllustrations: Jim Hutcheson</p
The Bafta film awards are going greener – but some climate problems are hiding off camera
No full textThe article examines the environmental impact of awards culture within the film and television industry, with particular attention to the disparity between visible sustainability measures at high-profile ceremonies and the less visible sources of carbon emissions across production ecosystems. Drawing on industry data from BAFTA albert and related research on screen production sustainability, the piece argues that travel and transport — especially aviation associated with awards season — constitute the largest share of emissions, often exceeding those from energy use, materials, and waste combined.It situates recent sustainability initiatives by BAFTA within a broader discussion of behavioural signalling, industry norms, and the role of cultural prestige events in shaping production practices. The article proposes that meaningful emissions reductions will depend on addressing high-impact activities such as long-haul travel, rather than focusing primarily on symbolic or highly visible interventions.</p
Ecological Influences on the Evolution of Skull Morphology in Triassic Archosaurs
No full textArchosaurs are one of the most successfully diverse groups of vertebrates widely studied in palaeobiology. Previous studies have previously investigated the skull morphology within Archosauria, with many conclusions around how they evolved. This study investigates the evolution of skull morphology within Archosauria, with a focus on the orbit and external naris fenestrae. By examining 152 species of archosauromorphs from the Triassic Period, this research investigates how ecological traits of diet, locomotion, and biotope influence skull morphology with the use of phylogenetic comparative methods and morphometric analyses.Ancestral state reconstructions indicate that the orbit and external naris sizes when compared to skull size evolved through different selective pressures, suggesting stabilizing selection. However, when comparing the eye orbit to the external naris sizes, the best fitting model was the Early Burst model, which reflects a rapid initial diversification.There is a positive allometric relationship between skull size and both the orbit and external naris sizes. There was little difference between the orbit size relative to skull size for the diet types. The biotope had the most influence on the orbit size, reflecting the relationship between visual acuity and the habitat that a species occupies. Aerial species exhibited the largest external naris size, likely reflecting the adaptation of weight loss in the skull for flight. Herbivores and omnivores had the largest external naris, suggesting a likely increase in olfactory and respiratory adaptations. Locomotion had the least influence on the orbit and external naris sizes, with there being little difference between the traits.Comparisons with extant archosaurs and work on previous studies of extinct archosaurs reinforce these results, showing that skull morphology underwent distinctive evolutionary pressures, forging the diversity of archosaurs. This research enhances the understanding of adaptive radiation, specifically in Triassic archosaurs, further demonstrating the influences of ecological factors on skull morphology. This study contributes to a broader understanding of vertebrate evolution by demonstrating how morphological traits can evolve in response to ecological pressures.</p
More Than a Warning: Dynamic Consent Builds Trust While Static Disclosure Can Harm It in Public Service Robots
No full textAs service robots are deployed in public spaces, they inherently collect data about their environment and the people within it. This creates a critical tension between ensuring users are aware of data collection and maintaining their trust. We investigate how different disclosure and consent mechanisms shape user perceptions of trust and privacy. We conducted a Wizard-of-Oz experiment with 36 participants on a university campus, comparing three conditions: no disclosure, a one-time static disclosure, and a dynamic ongoing consent mechanism. Post-interaction analysis reveals that dynamic consent not only increases user awareness but also significantly builds trust. Surprisingly, we found that a one-time, static disclosure was often more damaging to user trust than no disclosure at all. The results of our pilot study provide empirical evidence that interactive and continuous consent is crucial for the ethical and successful deployment of robots in public spaces, suggesting that designers should avoid simple, static warnings in favour of more granular and interactive interfaces.</p
Nocturne: 111 Poems by Georg Trakl
No full textCollection of selected poems by Georg Trakl, translated from the German by Daniele Pantano.Georg Trakl is recognized as one of the leading figures of the Austro-German expressionist movement during the early twentieth century. Marked by nightmarish visions of disintegration, death, and murder, as well as of natural decay, his poetry has influenced poets, painters, musicians, and playwrights for more than a century. Translated and edited by Daniele Pantano, Nocturne: 111 Poems offers a vivid introduction to one of the most important voices in twentieth-century world poetry. This collection of Trakl’s most beautiful and haunting poems also includes two newly discovered poems.Trakl’s poems bear haunting witness to a world devoid of faith, meaning, and hope. Truth is what Trakl attempts to detect through his striking lyric visions, in which the speaker’s unconscious horror mirrors the horrors of reality, as we cope with our human condition. Nevertheless, Trakl captures glimpses of beauty in this wasteland, often equated with erotic or familial relationships, and seen only in contrast with death, corruption, and decay. Darkly ntrospective, Trakl’s poems bear a disquieting new resonance in the present day.</p
The largest extinct volant bird Pelagornis could not meet the energetic demands of skimming
No full textThis study uses biomechanical, hydrodynamic and aerodynamic modelling to test whether the giant extinct seabird Pelagornis could have fed by skimming the water surface, a behaviour previously hypothesised from its distinctive pseudo‑toothed bill. By analysing the jaw morphology and flight energetics of Pelagornis chilensis and P. sandersi, and comparing them with modern skimmers and pelagic birds, the research shows that both species would experience drag and energetic demands far exceeding their maximum metabolic capabilities whenever even a small portion of the bill was submerged. These findings rule out skim‑feeding and strongly suggest that Pelagornis was also unlikely to capture prey from the water surface while in flight. The results reinforce earlier doubts about its ability to sustain powered flapping flight and point instead toward alternative feeding strategies such as kleptoparasitism or predatory behaviour.</p
Revisiting COX-2 Inhibitors for Alzheimer's Disease as Multitargeted Ligands: Development of 4-Hydrazono-Pyrazolidinediones with Tuned COX Selectivity Profile and Improved Cellular Potency
No full text Herein, we expand on our previously reported 4-hydrazono-pyrazolidinedione COX-2 inhibitors as multitargeted agents for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Structural modifications of the 4-phenylhydrazono group led to the identification of several highly potent COX-2 inhibitors, with compound 3 exhibiting the strongest COX-2 inhibition (IC50 = 0.07 μM), with a balanced COX-2/COX-1 profile, suggesting lower cardiovascular risk. Compounds 2 and 9 showed high potency and selectivity shift toward COX-1 and displayed strong antiplatelet activity. Several derivatives showed 4-7 times improved submicromolar cellular potency, significantly inhibiting PGE2 release in LPS-stimulated THP-1 cells. Compounds 2, 3, 7, and 9 maintained the multitarget profile and inhibited Aβ and tau aggregation. Compounds 2, 3, and 7 protected against Amyloid-beta (Aβ)- and H2O2-induced cytotoxicity, confirming their neuroprotective activity with high potential for BBB permeability demonstrated via PAMPA and MDCK-MDR1 assays. These results support the potential of multitargeted COX-2 inhibitors as AD therapeutics and suggest a re-evaluation of their role in neurodegenerative disease treatment. </p
Social characteristics of children and families involved in Idiopathic Toe-Walking research: a rapid scoping review
No full textBackground & justification for review: Idiopathic toe-walking is a common condition affecting children. Persistent toe walking can significantly impact physical and social quality of life. Despite known social determinants for long-term health outcomes, little is currently known about the social characteristics of children and families participating in idiopathic toe-walking research.Specific objective for review: This rapid scoping review aims to map the social characteristics of children participating in idiopathic toe-walking research.Search criteria: Characteristics to be examined include age, sex, ethnicity, socioeconomic status and neurodiversity. MEDLINE (Ovid), CINAHL, AMED & Embase were searched for quantitative and qualitative studies exploring outcomes or experiences of idiopathic toe-walking interventions. Studies excluded from inclusion were research syntheses, studies focused on children with underlying neurological, neuromuscular conditions or congenital foot deformity or those involving children aged under 2 or over 18 years Studies published in the last 20 years were included.Study appraisal & synthesis methods: Single-reviewer study selection and data extraction were completed, with 20% independently reviewed. Studies were not appraised for quality in line with rapid scoping review methodology. Age, sex, ethnicity, socio-economic position, and neurodiversity of participants in idiopathic toe walking research were analysed using descriptive statistics.Results: We identified 2416 titles and 52 texts were included in the final review. The age and sex of participants were reported in most studies. Mean age of participants ranged from 3-13 years and 58% were male. Neurodiversity was reported in only 37% of studies, ethnicity was reported in 6% and socioeconomic status in only 4% texts.Limitations: In common with many rapid scoping review methods, this review was planned and carried out in a resource-efficient manner. A focus on papers published in the past 20 years, limiting dual approaches to screening and data extraction, and the inclusion of poster and conference abstracts may have led to important study details being omitted.Conclusions: Future research would benefit from considering both biological and social factors during data collection and reporting to avoid increasing health disparities and inefficiencies.</p
Introduction to The Routledge Companion to Elizabeth Gaskell
No full textThis introduction traces how, since the publication of The Cambridge Companion to Elizabeth Gaskell (2007), scholarship on Gaskell has burgeoned to reflect her status as an eminent Victorian woman of letters, and her expanded appeal as an author ripe for adaptation into multiple popular cultural forms. It considers recent work in Gaskell studies, in particular on the shorter fiction, her cultural reception and legacy, and in relation to developments in material culture studies, ecocriticism, studies of Victorian religion, and on the intersections between race, class and gender. It concludes by considering Gaskell’s legacy in creative critical reflections and present-day media, and by offering a summary of the twenty-five chapters included in this volume.</p