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NHC-stabilized early main group species : reactivity and emerging catalysis
Get PDFN-Heterocyclic carbenes are commonplace in modern-day homogeneous catalysis due to their easily tunable steric and electronic features. Within the main group elements, NHCs have enabled the isolation of a range of complexes in unusual coordination environments and/or low oxidation states. With significant research efforts developing the transition-metal-like behavior of main group elements, emerging trends are now starting to showcase the potential of NHCs in enabling catalytic application of main group elements. This perspective highlights the potential of NHCs to transform main group catalysis, including a focus on relatively underexplored tethered and bis-NHC complexes for early main group elements
Incorporating immunostimulatory lipids into lipid nanoparticles : exploring expression and immune responses
Get PDFLipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are a well-established platform for mRNA vaccine delivery, offering efficient encapsulation and intracellular delivery. However, opportunities remain to understand how lipid composition influences immunogenicity. In this study, we investigated the incorporation of dimethyldioctadecylammonium bromide (DDAB), a permanently cationic lipid with reported immunostimulatory properties, into SM-102 LNPs. The fixed positive charge of DDAB at physiological pH can enhance cellular uptake, support local antigen expression, and promote immune activation, all features desirable for vaccine applications. LNPs were prepared with a fixed combined content of 50 mol% SM-102 and DDAB, blended at varying molar ratios (50:0 to 0:50), alongside 10 mol% DSPC, 38.5 mol% cholesterol, and 1.5 mol% DMG-PEG2000. Formulations were characterised for particle size, polydispersity index, zeta potential, and mRNA encapsulation efficiency. Physicochemical characterisation showed that increasing DDAB content led to a progressive increase in particle size while maintaining low polydispersity, neutral surface charge, and high mRNA encapsulation efficiency across all formulations. Incorporation of ≥ 40% DDAB also altered the apparent pKa profile of the LNPs, consistent with increasing dominance of permanent cationic charge. In vitro transfection assays in HEK293 cells demonstrated enhanced expression with DDAB-containing LNPs, with the 10% DDAB formulation achieving a six-fold increase in mRNA expression compared to SM-102-only LNPs. However, in vivo luciferase expression following intramuscular administration was significantly reduced in DDAB-LNPs compared to the SM-102 LNPs (
WAFFLE – an automated platform for enhancing the performance of electrochemical biosensors
No full textElectrochemical biosensors and microfluidics have an inherently synergistic relationship which can allow unparalleled levels of signal enhancement, automation and scalability. In spite of this, the full advantages of fluidic automation remain underexplored with most works automating some but not all biosensor fabrication steps. In this work, we present for the first time the Wee Ally for Flow Functionalisation of Low-cost Electrodes (WAFFLE) – an automated platform designed specifically for researchers to standardise the fabrication of electrochemical biosensors and enhance their performance, and a novel data analysis scheme based on the Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method for increasing the robustness of data fitting. We first discuss the design of the WAFFLE which features a modular construction, off-the-shelf components (ESP32 microcontroller, Bartels mp-6 μ-pump and memetis μ-valves), an easy-to-manufacture fluidic cartridge, and web interface that can be accessed from any Wi-Fi enabled device. The entire platform can be manufactured for approximately £1 k, less than the cost of a single standard syringe pump. We showcase the sensing benefits of the WAFFLE using two electrochemical immunoassays of high clinical relevance for interleukin-6 (IL-6) and cardiac troponin I (TnI), and one aptamer-based impedimetric assay for cortisol. As well as unilaterally enhancing the sensitivity of those sensors and decreasing sensor variability, the WAFFLE also highlighted some key insights into the assembly of the bioactive surface layer under flow. Finally, we demonstrate how MCMC-integration into impedance fitting algorithms can resolve the issue of local minima trapping
The behavioural, toxicological, and biochemical effects of caffeine on Lumbriculus variegatus
Get PDFCaffeine is an emerging contaminant of concern frequently detected in freshwater systems, yet the behavioural, toxicological and biochemical effects of caffeine in aquatic invertebrates remain poorly characterised. Here, we investigate the effects of caffeine exposure on survival, behaviour, locomotion, and energy stores in the freshwater annelid Lumbriculus variegatus. Exposure to ≥ 5.0 mM caffeine for 10 min or ≥ 3.0 mM for 24 h reduced stimulated behaviours, with locomotion suppressed at ≥ 5.0 mM (10 min) and ≥ 1.0 mM (24 h) (p < .05, n = 8), which persisted 24 h after exposure to 10 mM (10 min) or 3.5 mM (24 h). A 24-hour LC50 of 4.7 mM (95% CI: 4.60–4.70 mM) was observed, with significant lethality after seven days at 4.5 mM (p < .0001). These findings provide the first characterisation of caffeine’s effects in L. variegatus and inform environmental risk assessment of caffeine in freshwater systems
Economic commentary [February 2026]
Get PDFThis issue of our quarterly economic commentary presents a mixed view on Scotland’s economy: on one hand, we’ve seen consistent GDP growth across seven consecutive quarters, with Q4 2025 outpacing UK-wide GDP growth for the first time in two years. At the same time, inflation ticked up slightly in December, whilst the number of people in payrolled employment dropped
Little evidence for group differences in 2D:4D ratios based on sexual orientation after adjusting for publication bias
Get PDFThe ratio between the lengths of the second and fourth digits (2D:4D) has been proposed as a putative marker of prenatal androgen exposure and investigated for its potential link to sexual orientation. In a recent updated meta-analysis, Swift-Gallant et al. (2025) reported more male-typical digit ratios in same-sex-oriented women than in heterosexual women, while homosexual men showed more female-typical ratios than heterosexual men. Their analyses found no evidence of publication bias for female sexual orientation but did for male sexual orientation, with effects remaining statistically significant after adjustment. Here, we reanalyzed the dataset compiled by Swift-Gallant et al. (2025) using Robust Bayesian Meta-Analysis (RoBMA), a framework that models uncertainty across multiple sources, including the presence or absence of an effect, heterogeneity, and publication bias. Our analyses showed little evidence for group differences in 2D:4D ratios by sexual orientation: RoBMA indicated moderate evidence against differences between homosexual and heterosexual women, with moderate to strong evidence of publication bias, and for men, moderate evidence against a right-hand difference but a small left-hand effect moderated by publication status. Thus, when publication bias was modeled directly using Bayesian model averaging of complementary bias adjustments, the evidence for a difference in 2D:4D ratios according to sexual orientation was substantially weakened, with this evidence for publication bias not attributable to unmodeled heterogeneity. Overall, these findings challenge claims of reliable group differences in 2D:4D ratios based on sexual orientation and question assertions that publication bias in this literature is negligible or reversed
Advancing infectious disease research through a chicken embryo model for developmental studies and antimicrobial screening of lipid nanoparticles
Get PDFAntibiotic resistance is a global threat, driven by limited new antimicrobials and rising multidrug-resistant infections. Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) combine tunable material properties with antimicrobial functionality, providing biocompatibility, controlled release, and biofilm penetration. LNPs provide key advantages over metallic and polymeric nanocarriers, including high biocompatibility, the ability to encapsulate both hydrophilic and hydrophobic agents, controlled release profiles, and reduced cytotoxicity and immune activation. These features enhance drug stability and bioavailability and may help circumvent bacterial defences such as biofilms and efflux pumps. Robust preclinical evaluation platform of antimicrobial biomaterials requires platforms that capture biologically relevant interactions while remaining ethically and economically feasible. The chick embryo model (CEM) has emerged as a versatile platform for infection studies, bridging conventional in vitro assays and mammalian in vivo models. Its vascularized and developing tissue environment enables assessment of nanoparticle biodistribution, local toxicity, and antimicrobial efficacy within a dynamic biological context. This review critically examines the application of the CEM for evaluating LNP-based antimicrobial systems, highlighting current methodological variability and limitations in experimental standardization. By identifying gaps in protocol harmonisation and comparative assessment, this work outlines opportunities to improve reproducibility and translational relevance. Overall, integrating rationally designed LNP systems with optimised CEMs may accelerate the development of next-generation antimicrobial biomaterials to combat antibiotic-resistant infections
Generative AI and Courts in the UK : a Candle in a Hurricane
No full textIn December 2023, the United Kingdom’s first set of guidelines relating to the judicial use of artificial intelligence (AI) was published by the Courts and Tribunals Judiciary. In the absence of a targeted legal framework pertaining to the use of AI by courts or public authorities in the UK, these are the primary source of regulatory guidance, upon which judges can draw, to understand how AI ought to be appropriately used in their professional context. This contribution provides critical reflection upon the content and effectiveness of the guidelines, ultimately concluding that more extensive – and legally binding – regulatory action is needed to accurate and accountable judicial decision-making in the era of AI. The chapter first surveys general attitudes towards AI within the UK judiciary, before moving to engage directly with the technical foundations of AI and examples of its usage in administrative and judicial decision-making in the UK. It concludes with an analysis of the guidelines, following discussion of several key legal and constitutional issues that may arise where AI is deployed in judicial settings. Throughout this contribution, we caution that the regular use of AI to make decisions does not simply change the process of discrete procedures, but rather, will challenge existing structures within the legal and political system at a broader level
Does modified 5-item frailty index correlate with survival in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma?
Get PDFIntroduction: Oropharyngeal squamous cell cancer (OPSCC) is a common subtype of head and neck cancer. It is generally stratified into high, intermediate, and low risk prognostic groups on the basis of HPV (human papillomavirus) status and smoking history (Ang risk stratification). Frailty has been shown to have a negative survival effect in head and neck cancer. The effect of frailty on survival in OPSCC is unknown. The aim of this study was to explore overall survival (OS) and disease‐specific survival (DSS) in OPSCC based on the modified 5‐item frailty index (mFI‐5). Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of patients diagnosed with OPSCC in the West of Scotland. The mFI‐5 is a validated score that categorizes patients according to their level of frailty. Univariate and multivariate survival analyses were performed. Results: One thousand and one patients with OPSCC diagnosed between 2012 and 2020 were identified. The median OS was shortened in both the 'Moderately Frail' (39 months) and 'Severely Frail' groups (11 months) compared with the 'Not Frail' group (82 months) (p < 0.001). DSS was shorter in the'Severely Frail' group (16 months) compared with the'Moderately Frail' group (66 months) (p < 0.001). However, after adjustment for other characteristics including HPV and PS (World Health Organization/Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status), frailty was not significant on multivariate analysis. Conclusion: Survival in patients with OPSCC decreases significantly with increasing frailty as measured by the mFI‐5. However, PS and HPV status are better predictors of OS and DSS
“I want to be honest…but how much can I share?” : Sustainable influencing and experiences of moral residue
Get PDFTransparency is the cornerstone of social media influencing. Research has explored how influencers disclose commercial interests, yet little is known about influencers’ self-disclosure of private consumption. Building on the transparency management and moral hypocrisy literatures, this paper explores how sustainable influencers navigate moral dilemmas as they communicate about sustainability. Through interviews and analysis of media articles, we find that sustainable fashion influencers experience persistent emotional baggage, which we frame as moral residue as well as moral hypocrisy, in navigating three moral dilemmas: (anti)consumption; (non)promotion; and (non)commercialization. To reconcile this, sustainable fashion influencers engage in transparency management, choosing between strategies of confessing, concealing, and/or conning. These strategies may inadvertently lock sustainable influencers in perpetual cycles of moral residue and moral hypocrisy. In explicating the process and potential outcomes of managing transparency around moral dilemmas, we provide an intrapersonal view of moral hypocrisy and offer implications for theory and practice
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