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Reply to the ‘Comment on “Why there is no evidence that pyridine killed the English crabs”’
Get PDFWe highlight that the commentary by Peters which uses a CREED/CRED risk assessment framework supports the previous government reports that rejected the pyridine hypothesis and considers the previous evidence as unreliable. This reaffirms our conclusions that pyridine didn\u27t kill the Teesside crabs
The Voice of Gods in Your Ear:: Becoming the Avatar in Immersive Performance
No full textThis chapter explores how immersion and participation are experienced and conjured through augmented reality (AR) technologies through the case study of the located and augmented reality-enabled performance Nobody’s Ocean. In the performance, audiences navigated the story-world of Homer’s The Odyssey augmented in the streets of Melbourne, Australia, through audio, visual and social media content facilitated by their smartphone. The chapter examines three relationships that distinguish immersion in AR-enabled performance: that between seamlessness and disruption, between place and narrative and between avatars and a sense of located embodiment. Nobody’s Ocean was performed in Melbourne 13-22 October 2016, directed by Misha Myers with technical design by Chris Heywood, and produced by Monash Academy of Performing Arts and the Monash University Centre for Theatre and Performance in partnership with the Greek Centre for Contemporary Culture
Exploring children\u27s and their parents\u27 experiences in urgent treatment centres: A qualitative study protocol
Get PDFBackgroundYoung children are frequent users of urgent and emergency care (UEC) services (Blair et al., 2025). The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC, 1989) highlights children’s rights to healthcare (Article 24), to express their views (Article 12), and to receive information to support participation (Article 13). Existing research in UEC has primarily focused on parental decision-making and help-seeking behaviours when accessing care (Neill et al., 2016). While there is increasing evidence on children’s experiences and involvement in their healthcare, there is limited research which has examined children’s experiences in UTCs and even less which has engaged with young children. This is an important gap considering the increasing role these services play in urgent care delivery (NHS England, 2023). AimTo explore the experiences and perceptions of children aged 2–7 years and their parents when receiving care in UTCs.MethodsThis study will use a critical ethnographic approach to explore young children and their parent’s experiences of urgent care. This presentation discusses the development of the study and the creative methodology through Public Involvement groups in schools and online with young children and parents. Walking interviews, conducted alongside observation of a child’s journey within the UTC will be complemented by creative child-friendly methods. Semi-structured interviews will also be held with children, their parents, and healthcare professionals (HCPs) involved in the child’s care. Purposive sampling will be used to recruit child–parent dyads on arrival, as well as HCPs working within the service. Researcher reflexivity will be central to the study. Data analysis will follow a two-phase approach, using reflexive thematic analysis to identify key patterns in experiences, and critical discourse analysis to interrogate the social, cultural, and institutional contexts shaping care. Ethical approval will be sought from the Health Research Authority and the University Ethics Committee.ConclusionThis study will generate new insights into children’s experiences of UTCs, highlighting their perspectives in a setting where their voices have rarely been heard. Findings will inform the development of more child-friendly urgent care services and contribute to embedding children’s rights within UEC policy and practice.ReferenceBlair, M., Fanner, M., Maye, G., Bedford, H., Morton, A. (2025) Troubling rise in emergency department attendance of babies and young children in England: Time to focus on prevention and support. Journal of Family and Child Health, 2 (8), pp. 340- 343 https://doi.org/10.12968/jfch.2025.2.8.340 Neill, S.J., Jones, C.H., Lakhanpaul, M., Roland, D. and Thompson, M., (2016). Parent’s help-seeking behaviours during acute childhood illness at home: A contribution to explanatory theory. Journal of Child Health Care, 20(1), pp.77–86. https://doi.org/10.1177/1367493514551309NHS England (2023) Urgent treatment centres – principles and standards. Available: NHS England » Urgent treatment centres – principles and standards (Accessed 25.9.25)United Nations. (1989). The United Nations convention for the rights of the child. Available:Convention on the Rights of the Child text | UNICEF [Accessed 25.09.25
Exploring children’s and their parents’ Experiences within urgent treatment centres: PhD plan
Get PDFBackground:Children under 18 are frequent users of urgent and outpatient care, yet their perspectives, especially those of younger children under 7, are rarely captured in research. Urgent Treatment Centres (UTCs), established to reduce attendance to Emergency Departments, must be responsive to the needs (RCPCH, 2018) and rights of children as outlined in the UNCRC (1989), including their right to be heard and involved in decisions about their care.Aim:To critically explore the experiences and perceptions of children aged 2–7 and their parents when receiving care in Urgent Treatment CentresMethods:This doctoral study is underpinned by a child rights-based approach and has been developed through three phases:1. Patient and Public Involvement (PPI): Development of a Children’s Research Advisory Group (CRAG) and engagement with parents to co-design inclusive research tools and methods.2. Systematic Literature Review: A PRISMA-guided review (PROSPERO CRD42025651940) to synthesise current evidence on experiences in walk-in urgent care.3. Critical ethnographic study (Upcoming): Data will be collected through walking interviews, observations, and child-friendly creative methods. Reflexive Thematic Analysis and Critical Discourse Analysis will explore narrative themes and underlying power dynamics.Results (in progress):The systematic review is nearing completion, and preliminary findings confirm a lack of existing research focused on children\u27s and parents\u27 experiences in urgent care settings. The CRAG has been successfully established, with children meaningfully contributing to the development of research materials. Ongoing consultation with UTC staff, CRAG and parent advisory group to develop ethics application.Conclusion:This study will offer novel insights into how young children and their parents experience urgent care. By amplifying children’s voices and examining structural and interactional influences, it aims to inform more inclusive, rights-respecting models of care in UTCs. ReferencesEdge, D., Neill, S., Bray, L., Paisi, M. (2025) Children’s and parents’ experiences of receiving care in walk-in urgent care settings: A systematic review. PROSPERO. Available from:https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42025651940RCPCH (2018) Facing the future – standards for children and young people in emergency care settings. Available: Facing the Future - standards for children and young people in emergency care settings | RCPCH [Accessed 26.6.25]United Nations. (1989). The United Nations convention for the rights of the child. Available: Convention on the Rights of the Child text | UNICEF [Accessed 01.12.25
Illustration as a participatory tool for diverse(queering) discussions on the climate crisis: Exploring the workshop method
Get PDFThis practitioner reflection examines the role of illustration within participatory community settings to facilitate diverse and meaningful discussions on the climate crisis. The focus is on leveraging illustration to challenge traditional modes of climate conversation, emphasising tactical and emotional responses to climate engagement through visual methods rather than relying solely on verbal dialogue. This study involved bringing together LGBTQ+ communities within a city on the South-West Coast of England, UK. Through a series of five illustrative workshops, they provided a platform for participants to share their perspectives and experiences, to highlight the often-overlooked connections between LGBTQ+ identity and the climate crisis. I reflect on the workshop design process, its intended outcomes, and the integration of a queer methodological approach to ensure socially just research practices. My aim is to prompt discussion on how participatory visual mediums such as illustration can contribute to enacting sustainable and socially just futures for all demographics, LGBTQ+ and otherwise
Optimal treatment duration in metastatic renal cell carcinoma patients responding to immune checkpoint inhibitors: should we treat beyond two years?
Get PDFBACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Optimal treatment duration is unknown in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) responding to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICPIs). Prolonged treatment can lead to late toxicity, burden for day clinics and financial impact.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: This multicenter retrospective study included mRCC patients responding to ipilimumab/nivolumab in first-line or nivolumab in later lines, who were treated for at least 21 months and did not stop for toxicity. Progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and cancer-specific survival (CSS) were modeled non- and semi-parametrically. The effect of elective ICPI discontinuation (i.e. treatment interruption at the clinician\u27s discretion) between 21 and 25 months on PFS was assessed by a causal inference approach using artificial censoring along with inverse probability of censoring weighting.
RESULTS: Ninety-five patients were included with a median follow-up of 62.1 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 57.3-67.5) months. Fifty-four received ipilimumab/nivolumab, whereas 41 patients received nivolumab, for a median treatment duration of 33.8 (95% CI: 28.5-39.6) months. Fifty-seven patients discontinued ICPIs electively. Three-year PFS after discontinuation was 57.1% (95% CI: 34.3-95.1), 3-year OS 67.5% (95% CI: 37.0-100.0), and 3-year CSS 90.0% (95% CI: 73.2-100.0). Fifteen (15.8%) patients discontinued ICPIs between 21 and 25 months. Compared to 80 patients who were treated longer, they had more often a metachronous metastatic pattern (p = 0.048) and a complete response (p = 0.045). Elective ICPI stop between 21 and 25 months did not significantly impact the hazard for progression/death (adjusted HR 1.08, 95% CI: 0.64-1.84, p = 0.766).
INTERPRETATION: Among mRCC patients responding to ICPI, elective therapy discontinuation approximately 24 months after initiation does not appear to compromise outcomes compared to continuing therapy
Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Large (1–5 mm) Microplastics on the Strandline of a Macrotidal Sandy Beach (Polzeath, Southwest England) and Their Association with Beach-Cast Seaweed
Get PDFMicroplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous and persistent contaminants of the marine environment, but a clear understanding of their cycling, fate, and impacts in coastal zones is lacking. In this study, large MPs (1–5 mm) were sampled spatially and temporally from the strandline of a macrotidal, sandy beach (Polzeath) in southwest England. MPs encompassing a diversity of sources were categorised by morphology (foams, nurdles, biobeads, fragments, fibres, films) and quantified by number and mass, with a selection analysed for polymer type. A total of about 17,600 particles of around 350 g in mass were retrieved from 30 samples over a period of five months, with an abundance ranging from 35 and 2048 per m2. The space- and time-integrated average mass of MPs on the beach strandline was about 2 kg and was dominated (\u3e90%) by fragments, nurdles, and biobeads of polyethylene or polypropylene construction. Nurdles, biobeads, fragments, and, to a lesser extent, fibres were correlated with strandline seaweed abundance, which itself was correlated with previous storm activity. Relationships with seaweed abundance were also supported by visible associations of these MP morphologies with macroalgal deposits through entanglement and adhesion. These observations, coupled with a lack of MPs below the sand’s surface (50 cm depth), suggest that the majority of MPs are transported from an offshore stock with floating organic debris, resulting in a transitory strandline repository and a habitat enriched with small plastics
Spatially variable response of Antarctica\u27s ice sheets to orbital forcing during the Pliocene
No full textVariations in Earth’s orbit pace global ice-volume/sea-level changes, but the variability in the response for different sectors of the Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS) to orbitally-forced climate change remains unclear. We present geological records of iceberg-rafted debris (IBRD) and other proxies from locations adjacent to the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) and East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS) spanning ~3.3-2.3 Ma. Iceberg calving events from the WAIS recorded in Ross Sea sediment cores show a linear response to orbital forcing at timescales corresponding to obliquity (40 kyr) and precession (23-19 kyr) modulated by eccentricity (100 kyr). This contrasts with records adjacent to the EAIS, which lack obliquity pacing. Geological data and ice sheet model sensitivity tests show the WAIS is highly dynamic and responsive to oceanic melt driven by changes in Southern Ocean circulation, together with atmospheric forcing through variations in local insolation. Conversely, the EAIS appears less responsive to oceanic forcing, despite being the dominant source of meltwater to the global ocean during the mid-Pliocene. Our results imply a significant role for atmospheric warming on mid-Pliocene sea-level
A fluorescence lifetime-based FLIM-timer for measuring the protein turnover of transcription factor Nrf2 in live cells
Get PDFMeasuring protein turnover in cells has been greatly assisted by fluorescent timers (FT). However, FT quantification requires relatively high fluorescence intensity samples, prohibiting their use for proteins with low or non-uniform expression like transcription factor Nrf2, the master regulator of redox homeostasis. To visualise changes in stability/turnover of Nrf2, we constructed a genetically encoded tag combining sfGFP and mCherry and used intensity-independent Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging (FLIM) to measure Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) within the tag (named FLIM-timer). We show that the ability of mCherry to act as a FRET-acceptor develops as the protein matures, allowing the use of FLIM-FRET as a readout of the FLIM-timer. FLIM-timer-tagged Nrf2 allowed to observe differences in its turnover between cellular compartments with equal precision in regions of high and low brightness. The reduction in fluorescence lifetime of FLIM-timer-Nrf2 confirmed its stabilisation by sulforaphane. Depletion of a degron for either Keap1-Cul3 or SCFβ-TrCP-mediated degradation decreased the fluorescence lifetime of Nrf2-FLIM-timer. FLIM-timer labelled cyclin B was also successfully used to track its destabilisation during mitotic exit. Thus, FLIM-timer methodology increases the FT applicability for visualisation and quantification of protein turnover, expanding it to cells with low and variable levels of any protein of interest
