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Seen and Heard: Women and Mother’s Experiences of Navigating a Drug and Alcohol Recovery Community
Full text link\ua9 2025 by the authors.Women Who Use Drugs (WWUD) are amongst the most stigmatised groups in society and are subject to stigma as they engage with services and within their own recovery communities. WWUD who are also mothers have been found to experience increased stigma and disproportionate surveillance by professionals when accessing services, leading to a constant fear of child removal and apprehension to accessing, engaging and seeking support. In this study, we report findings from a community asset mapping project conducted with drug and alcohol recovery services in the North-East of England. The aim of this study is to examine the gender-specific and recovery-related experiences of WWUD when accessing services and women-only spaces. Semi-structured interviews (n = 13) and focus groups (n = 4) were carried out with professionals working in the recovery community and women in recovery from substance use. A reflexive thematic analysis approach was used to analyse the data, resulting in three themes being identified: (1) The role of peer support in empowering women in recovery; (2) Navigating recovery as a mother; and (3) Working with women in recovery. Findings revealed that gender-specific groups provide a sense of safety, connection, identification, and empowerment for WWUD. This study further highlights the gender-based stigma WWUD experience when accessing services, and the challenges they experience where appropriate spaces are limited in the recovery community. We conclude by recognising the importance of sisterhood for WWUD and recommending the promotion of gender-specific peer support groups and for practitioners working with WWUD to reflect on their own stigmatising behaviour and how this can manifest in the increased monitoring of women and mothers in recovery
The Population Neuroscience-Dementia Syndemics Framework to better understand global sex and gender-based risk in low- and middle-income countries
No full text\ua9 Springer Nature America, Inc. 2026.Globally, the burden of dementia profoundly affects low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), with a greater burden and risk for late-life women than men. Structural and social determinants of health, crucial constructs conferring risk and protection from later-life dementia, are relatively understudied, yet essential in LMICs. Typical neuroscience studies have historically been small, with highly selected samples that do not generalize well to target populations in LMICs. To better understand gender and sex differences in dementia risk in LMICs, this Perspective lays out a guiding framework for a global dementia research plan—the Population Neuroscience-Dementia Syndemics Framework. Population neuroscience considers the brain in a multilevel context, from a lifecourse perspective, using tools to enhance internal and external validity, while syndemics suggest that diseases and social conditions may cluster and interact in populations with syndemic risk factors—sociocultural, political, economic, and environmental factors that promote stress pathways and disease
Uncovering UK coastal legacy wastes and their potential contaminant release risks through mineralogy and geochemistry
Full text link\ua9 2026 The AuthorsFor centuries, coastal zones have been used as disposal sites for industrial and municipal wastes, often without adequate records of their composition, raising long-term concerns regarding the potential release of contaminants. The absence of detailed mineralogical and geochemical data has limited the ability to evaluate the mobility of metal(loid)s and to design effective protection strategies. In this study, 83 samples of legacy wastes were collected from coastal sites in England, Wales, and Scotland to investigate the influence of mineralogy on the release of potentially toxic elements (PTEs). Samples were collected from 18 priority sites, selected to be representative of the major legacy waste types found along the UK coastline. Non-ferrous slags displayed variability in mineralogy and PTE concentrations, including As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Sb, V, and Zn. These elements were predominantly hosted in stable silicates (e.g., sorosilicates, olivine) and oxides (e.g., cassiterite, spinel), with minor associations in sulfides, sulfates, and carbonates. Coal and metal mining wastes contained PTEs in redox-sensitive sulfides and secondary phases such as sulfates and iron oxides, representing the highest potential for contaminant release under seawater inundation and erosion. Bauxite waste exhibited the greatest median concentrations of Cr and V, whereas municipal solid wastes were enriched in Pb and Ni compared to ferrous slags and colliery wastes, with Ni median concentrations being the highest among all waste types. These insights emphasise the importance of mineralogical characterisation in assessing risks and managing coastal legacy wastes under climate change scenarios
Revised models still do not show evidence for motivational trade-offs modulating nociception in bees
Full text linkUrban road network resilience under emergencies: a microscopic simulation framework
No full text\ua9 2025 Elsevier Ltd. Urban transportation systems face growing risks from climate-induced disasters and infrastructure disruptions. This study presents a resilience-oriented evaluation framework integrating microscopic traffic simulation via SUMO to examine both structural and functional performance of urban road networks facing four distinct emergency scenarios. Utilized in the context of China\u27s Greater Bay Area, the framework quantifies system responses in terms of travel delays, congestion propagation, and network connectivity. Results indicate that (i) peak-hour delays are nearly six times higher than off-peak under severe disturbances; (ii) flood events lead to the highest departure delays despite limited changes in travel distance; and (iii) failure of coastal bridges triggers significant structural fragmentation. These findings highlight spatial temporal vulnerabilities in urban transport systems and provide actionable insights for emergency traffic management, climate adaptation planning, and resilient infrastructure design in rapidly urbanizing regions
Calibration of the species threat abatement and restoration metric\u27s threat abatement component in a Costa Rican landscape
Full text link\ua9 2026 The Author(s). Conservation Biology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society for Conservation Biology.Achieving global conservation policy goals requires the ability to set and measure progress toward science-based targets for biodiversity. The species threat abatement and restoration (STAR) metric was developed to enable actors to set science-based targets for species. STAR scores quantify the potential contribution of actions to abate threats and restore habitat to reduce species extinction risk in a particular place and can be aggregated and disaggregated among species, threats, and areas of interest. Estimated STAR scores are based on data from the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List and provide initial information on the species and threats expected to be present in an area. Operationalization of the metric requires verification of the presence of species and the presence and severity of threats in the area to inform calculation of a calibration STAR score. We applied a pilot calibration process for the threat abatement component of STAR (START) in the San Jose northern subcatchments landscape in Costa Rica. We used specialist knowledge and geospatial analyses of habitat loss to determine the species present and the intensity of threats affecting them in the landscape. Calibration yielded a more even distribution of scores among threats than was apparent from estimated START and identified that reducing the threat from livestock farming and ranching had the greatest potential to reduce species extirpation risk. Calibration also showed that there is an opportunity to prevent the extinction of a critically endangered endemic amphibian, but the species’ presence requires confirmation. The pilot demonstrated how specialist knowledge and geospatial analyses can be combined during calibration to produce a calibrated START score capable of informing science-based targets for species conservation. Our calibration process can be applied to other areas
A mixed method evaluation using the RE-AIM framework of a student-led community-based cardiovascular disease screening clinic in an urban community setting
Full text linkCopyright \ua9 2026 Long, Cooper, Richardson and Nazar.Introduction: Evaluations of public health interventions often prioritise outcomes while neglecting contextual and implementation factors essential for sustainability. Using the RE-AIM framework (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance), this study assessed the Young@Heart (Y@H) student-led cardiovascular disease (CVD) screening clinic—a community-based initiative that simultaneously delivers preventive health services and experiential learning for undergraduate pharmacy students. Methods: A concurrent mixed-methods case study was conducted across organisational, service, and individual levels over 12 months. Data sources included semistructured interviews with academic staff, patients, and external stakeholders; focus groups with student volunteers; service-activity data from 1,152 clinic attendees; and 20 fidelity assessments of service delivery. Quantitative and qualitative data were analysed independently, then integrated using the RE-AIM framework to triangulate findings across datasets. Results: Reach: the clinic attracted 1,152 participants (mean age 53 years), with representation from all socioeconomic deciles and 31% from the most deprived quintiles, demonstrating strong accessibility but limited engagement from younger adults. Effectiveness: High rates of modifiable risk were detected (44% elevated blood pressure, 62% overweight/obese, 36% cholesterol >5 mmol/L). Significant pre-post gains in self-reported motivation for dietary and physical-activity change (p < 0.001) aligned with qualitative reports of increased awareness and intention to act. Adoption: Stakeholders and participants valued the clinic’s dual educational–public health role; however, formal referral rates were low (9%), highlighting weak system integration. Implementation: fidelity checks showed >80% adherence in 18/20 observations, indicating strong interpersonal delivery but procedural inconsistency in referral and signposting practices. Maintenance: participants and stakeholders perceived the model as sustainable if embedded within curricula and supported by stable funding, though absence of follow-up data limited assessment of long-term behavioral maintenance. Conclusion: Applying the RE-AIM framework provided a comprehensive evaluation of the Y@H clinic, evidencing its accessibility, effectiveness, and educational value. While strong interpersonal delivery and measurable health impact were achieved, structural limitations in referral systems and follow-up impede sustained outcomes. Strengthening cross-sector referral pathways, standardising procedures, and embedding routine evaluation will be essential to ensure scalability, equity, and long-term sustainability of this innovative student-led community health model
Understanding hydrogen oxidation and oxygen reduction reactions\u27 kinetics in non-stoichiometric protic ionic liquids
Full text linkCopyright \ua9 2026. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Protic ionic liquids (PILs), prepared from a stoichiometric acid-base mixture, can function as electrolytes in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) under low humidity. However, using platinum (Pt) microelectrode studies, we showed that in stoichiometric PILs, oxygen reduction (ORR) and hydrogen oxidation (HOR) kinetics are sluggish due to the lack of free protons for proton-transfer reactions. This can be addressed by adding excess acid to form non-stoichiometric PILs. In this work, we introduce new PILs: butyl pyrrolidinium triflate [Bu-Pyrr][TfO] and ethyl piperidinium triflate [Et-Pip][TfO], featuring thermally stable cations (boiling points: 155 \ub0C and 131 \ub0C). Adding 200 mM triflic acid enhanced Pt activity, yielding ORR currents of -7.17 and -3.08 mA/cm2 at 0 V vs. RHE, and HOR currents of 2.31 and 1.43 mA/cm2 at 0.75 V vs. RHE for [Bu-Pyrr][TfO] and [Et-Pip][TfO], respectively. ORR was limited by O2 solubility beyond 300 and 400 mM added acid for [Bu-Pyrr][TfO] and [Et-Pip][TfO], respectively, while HOR currents remained linearly dependent on added acid up to 500 mM. This study concludes that stoichiometric PILs are unsuitable for PEMFCs. Although non-stoichiometric PILs support electrochemical activity, cation adsorption on Pt increases overpotentials and reduces limiting currents; [Bu-Pyrr] raised ORR and HOR overpotentials by ∼10% and 6%, respectively
A novel clay–metal–polymer nanocomposite for efficient phenol removal via electrochemical degradation
No full text\ua9 The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2026.Phenolic compounds are persistent pollutants in industrial wastewater, requiring efficient and sustainable removal technologies. In this work, we report the synthesis of a novel PbO2–montmorillonite/polyaniline (PbO2–MMt–PANI) nanocomposite electrode for the electrochemical degradation of phenol. Structural analyses confirmed the successful dispersion of nanosized PbO2 within the clay framework, stabilized and interconnected by the conductive PANI matrix. Electrochemical tests demonstrated remarkable redox stability and resistance to passivation, in contrast to conventional PbO2. Under constant current electrolysis, the composite achieved 93.8% phenol degradation within 180 min, compared to 72.5% with pure PbO2. This synergy between PbO2, montmorillonite, and PANI provides enhanced efficiency, stability, and durability, highlighting the potential of the composite as a promising electrode material for advanced wastewater treatment
Sociodemographic variation in symptomatic faecal immunochemical testing return: a population-based analysis of 125 659 patients
Full text link\ua9 The Authors. BACKGROUND: In the UK, patients presenting in primary care with possible symptoms of colorectal cancer complete faecal immunochemical testing (FIT) as triage for (urgent) colorectal investigation. Little is known about FIT completion rates or sociodemographic variations in these. AIM: To measure overall FIT return for the year 2023 and assess sociodemographic variation in completion. DESIGN AND SETTING: A population-based analysis of FIT requests made in 2023 to one pathology laboratory serving the North East, North Yorkshire, and Shropshire. METHOD: The study included patients aged ≥18 years, for whom sex, postcode sector, and return status were recorded. Index of Multiple Deprivation quintiles, ethnicity tertiles, and rural-urban categories were assigned. Multiple logistic regression assessed associations between sociodemographic characteristics and test (non-)return within 10 weeks. Sensitivity analyses were undertaken: a) excluding younger patients (aged <50 years); and b) removing the 10-week window for test return. RESULTS: In total, 93% (n = 116 786/125 659) of patients returned their test. Of those who returned them, 54% (n = 63 534) did so within 1 week; only 5% (n = 5637) took >3 weeks. Patients aged <50 years, male patients, those in the most deprived and ethnically diverse areas, and urban residents all had a significantly higher likelihood of non-return. Findings were unchanged in sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSION: Although FIT completion was high, sociodemographic patterning of (non-)return was evident. Further work is needed on barriers to and facilitators of FIT completion to inform measures to address these observed inequalities and support patients to access timely diagnosis