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The Botanical University Challenge: Bridging isolation and empowering plant-aware students
Get PDFSocietal Impact StatementIn some indigenous languages, plants are referred to as ‘those who care for us’, reflecting their essential role in tackling global challenges. Yet, urbanisation and other factors have reduced engagement with plants and botany, decreasing awareness, especially among students. To combat this, three botanists launched the Botanical University Challenge (BUC) to inspire plant-aware students in the United Kingdom and Ireland. We show how, through competition, BUC fosters a community of budding botanists, equips students with skills to tackle environmental issues and bridges fragmented interest in plants. Its success has sparked similar contests internationally, showcasing BUC's broad appeal and potential to elevate botany globally. SummaryThe Botanical University Challenge (BUC) competition was first devised by three academic botanists in 2015 to champion plants and plant-aware students and to help connect disparate and disconnected student botanists across the United Kingdom and Ireland. Since then, BUC has grown in popularity to become the largest annual botanical contest in Europe (and possibly the world) with teams competing from a total of 33 higher education institutions from the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland answering questions on the full breadth of the botanical sciences. Through running the competition and (since 2023) an associated Student Botany Festival, the BUC Planning Team has had the opportunity to engage with a diverse cohort of plant-aware students, from undergraduate to doctoral level, enabling them to share their values, passions and concerns for the future. We discuss the development of BUC and our ambitions concerning the future growth and impact of the BUC competition and the ways in which BUC has supported plant-aware students, such as skills training and career pathway development. We also present two international case studies where the BUC format has been used to facilitate student education and engagement in other countries. We envision BUC as a vehicle to enable connections between plant-aware students, not only nationally within the United Kingdom but internationally, by encouraging and supporting other communities in similar endeavours
Apparent diffusion coefficient for genetic characterisation of untreated adult gliomas: a meta-analysis stratified by methods
Get PDFBackgroundIsocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutation and chromosome 1p19q genotyping have become fundamental to the prognostic grouping of adult diffuse gliomas. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values may enable non-invasive prediction of glioma molecular status. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of ADC for IDH and 1p19q genotyping, considering measurement techniques and tumour grade.MethodsA systematic search of PubMed and Cochrane Library databases was performed in December 2024. Studies were grouped according to the ADC parameter measured and the measurement techniques used. A meta-analysis was performed, supplemented by Egger’s regression testing. The quality of studies was assessed with the QUADAS-2 tool.ResultsThirty-three studies including a total of 4297 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. IDH mutation and 1p19q deletion status were assessed by 30 and 14 studies respectively. Pooled area under the curve (AUC) values for the prediction of an IDH mutation and 1p19q codeletion ranged from 0.743 (0.680-0.805) to 0.804 (0.689-0.919), and 0.678 (0.614-0.741) to 0.692 (0.600-0.783). No significant differences were identified between regional and volumetric measurements, between ADCmean and ADCmin values, or comparing normalised and raw ADC data.ConclusionThis meta-analysis supports ADC as an imaging biomarker in untreated gliomas, specifically to predict IDH status. ROI measurement, particularly by a single ADCmean, is rapid, reproducible and appears statistically equivalent to volumetric read outs. We found no evidence for superior diagnostic accuracy by ADC normalisation. Published ADC thresholds have been summarised for consideration of prospective testing across institutions
Prolonged nicotine exposure, via electronic cigarette, selectively increases Bdnf/TrkB transcription, dynorphin peptide levels and OLIG2 in male rat VTA
Get PDFDifferent drugs of abuse affect the Central Nervous System (CNS) neuronal networks and reshape the expression of neuroplasticity-related genes in crucial parts of the mesocorticolimbic reward circuitry, such as the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Recent evidence suggests that neuronal activity and life experience, including repeated drug exposure, can modulate oligodendrogenesis thus altering neuronal myelination. This study aimed to investigate whether the prolonged exposure to nicotine, via electronic cigarettes, affects oligodendrocyte differentiation. Results showed that exposure to nicotine mainstream enhances the expression of OLIG2, a transcription factor essential for oligodendrocyte differentiation, in male rat VTA. This effect was associated with increased mRNA levels of the epigenetic enzyme Kdm6b, which is involved in regulating OLIG2 expression and synaptic plasticity. In the same brain region, nicotine increased Bdnf and TrkB gene expression as well as dynorphin peptide levels, which are positive regulators for oligodendroglial differentiation. Noteworthy, these molecular changes occurred alongside a reduction in neurofilament light levels, suggesting potential axonal remodelling associated with enhanced oligodendrogenesis. No significant changes in investigated parameters were detected in the NAc, thus suggesting that the reported molecular alterations selectively occurred in the VTA. Protein correlation analysis revealed that prolonged nicotine exposure primarily affects neuroplasticity-related protein networks within this area. Overall, these findings suggest that prolonged nicotine exposure, through electronic cigarettes, induces alterations of oligodendrogenesis modulators in the VTA. These molecular changes may impact axonal conduction velocity and reward circuitry connectivity, promoting neuronal adaptations that could be relevant for the development of addictive behaviour
Descriptive analysis of national bovine viral diarrhoea test data in England (2016–2023)
Get PDFBackground: Bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD)is an endemic disease in the UK. In England, a voluntary control and eradication scheme, BVDFree England, has been running since 2016. Methods: We analysed test results from 7005 herds that were submitted to BVDFree England between 2016 and 2023 to investigate changes in the prevalence of BVD in participating herds and engagement by farmers since the previously published analysis covering the period up to 2020. Results: Herds that tested for multiple consecutive years were more likely to be BVD negative in later testing years than when starting. Few herds were still positive after 5 years of testing. Overall, the prevalence of BVD-positive herds in the dataset declined between 2020 and 2023; however, fewer farmers joined the scheme for the first time each year since 2019 (214 in 2023 compared with 2614 in 2019). Limitations: This dataset represents the herds that submit tests to BVDFree England and is not representative of all cattle herds in England. Conclusion: Herds that tested for multiple consecutive years in the scheme were less likely to be BVD positive in later years of testing, and the prevalence of BVD in participating herds has continued to fall since 2020
Voluntary Disclosures and Climate Change Uncertainty: Evidence from CDS Premiums
No full textWe examine the effect of voluntary climate risk disclosure on Credit Default Swap (CDS) premiums. We develop a structural model, in which climate-related disclosures serve as an informationsource reducing climate change uncertainty. The model predicts a negative relation between the informativeness of climate risk disclosure and the CDS premium, and asymmetric effects of positiveand negative disclosure tone on the CDS premium. Using climate risk measures quantified from earnings call transcripts, we provide evidence supporting these predictions with causal inference.Our study suggests that climate risk is priced in the CDS market, where investors pay attention to climate risk disclosures
Come rain or shine: effects of external conditions on the properties of linyphiid silk
Get PDFSpiders have adapted to a wide range of ecological niches, accompanied by the diversification of their silk, which performs various ecological functions under different environmental conditions. This study investigates the physical properties of silk produced by highly mobile linyphiid spiders, whose airborne silken “sails” enable long-distance, high-altitude windborne dispersal. Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy imaging demonstrated that linyphiid silk interacts with moisture in its surroundings, leading to changes in stiffness and increased torsion at relative humidities greater than 60%. The estimated tensile strength under low moisture conditions is estimated to be up to 1 GPa but drops by the order of a factor of 2 when exposed to moisture (>60% relative humidity) or to short (30 minute) bursts of short wavelength (UV-C) light. In contrast, storage at temperatures ranging from -18°C to 70°C had no significant impact on tensile strength. These findings demonstrate the resilience of linyphiid silk to low temperatures typical of high altitudes, with important implications for understanding wind-assisted dispersal, global spider distribution, and potential responses to climate change. We also show that the silk can withstand exposure to ultraviolet light at intensities that would induce damage or death to living tissue, albeit with an increased likelihood of fracture. Together these findings provide important insights needed to understand ecological processes and explore uses and limitations of synthetic analogues of these biological materials in medicine and engineering
Captain of the Roving Bandits : “Collaborationist” Theatre and the Pacification of “Red Drama” in Japanese-Occupied China
No full textCaptain of the Roving Bandits was a three-act play first performed in Yan’an in 1938. Written by Wang Zhenzhi, it was designed to remind audiences about the threats posed by “traitors” (hanjian), and the need for resistance fighters to behave in an upright manner in their struggle against Japanese imperialism. The same play was specifically chosen by the Ministry of Propaganda under the “collaborationist” regime of Wang Jingwei in 1941, however, as a means of promoting the anti-resistance Rural Pacification campaign, and warning against the dangers of communism. The story of the transformation of this play from an anti-hanjian work of CCP propaganda into an anti-resistance work of “collaborationist” propaganda – as well as the controversy that this engendered within the closeknit theatrical community that worked for organs of the “occupation state” – highlights the common practice of cultural borrowing across wartime borders, but also the shared provenance of so much Chinese cultural output during the war, be it communist, Nationalist, or “collaborationist.” Moreover, this case underlines the difficulties that cultural workers employed by the Wang Jingwei regime in Nanjing faced when trying to strike a balance between the political necessities of occupation and a desire to celebrate forms of modern Chinese cultural expression that had developed in the pe-war years, including spoken drama
Higher intraoperative blood pressure does not reduce acute kidney injury in non-cardiac surgery: what do the results of the POISE-3 trial tell us?
Get PDFHypotension is a common cause of acute kidney injury (AKI), with strong associations between the duration and magnitude of hypotension seen across a range of situations including major surgery. However, it is less clear whether targeting higher intraoperative MAP results in lower rates of AKI. In a prespecified analysis of the Perioperative Ischemic Evaluation-3 (POISE-3) randomized controlled trial, this question is addressed for noncardiac major surgery. Despite an increase in cessation of antihypertensive medications and higher intraoperative mean arterial blood pressure in the intervention arm, no differences were seen in the rates of postoperative AKI. This commentary discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the trial, as well as providing some interpretation of results and their relevance to clinical practice
From bones to bytes: anticipating and addressing the governance challenges of human digital remains and posthumous digital human twins
Get PDFDuring the nineteenth century, advances in medical research led to grave robbing and an illicit market in human biological remains (HBR). The historical episode of grave robbing illustrates how science can upend social norms. A similar scenario could soon emerge, but this time it will not be with people's biological remains, but with people's digital remains. Artificial intelligence and extended reality now create digital representations from avatars to human digital twins. In addition to the sophisticated digital appearance, the representations are drawing on personal and biometric data to create complex behavioural and biological replications of people. These digital artefacts form part of a person's digital estate, which persists after death as Human Digital Remains (HDR). HDR presents an urgent socio-technological risk because like the 19th-century trade in HBR, HDR presents existing legal and ethical gaps. The research responds by adopting what is to our knowledge, the first of its kind cross-disciplinary study that combines conceptual analysis, anticipatory and precautionary governance frameworks, and doctrinal review to analyse and anticipate legal and ethical gaps and grey areas. Our analysis shows that neither General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) nor the AI Act (2025) currently extends rights to the deceased. In response, we outline a HDR governance framework, supported by six targeted policy-facingrecommendations: (1) build HDR-specific anticipatory governance capacity, (2) innovate and safeguard posthumous privacy and data protections, (3) protect citizen autonomy with advance data directives and data trustees, (4) leverage existing tools by developing a data-donor card and support the right to gift or trade HDR, (5) enhance the right to be forgotten post-mortem, and (6) update digital identity and legacy rights, including the right to continuation or erasure of Digital Human Twins
A comparative study of Japanese and English medium instruction: the driving factors behind academic success
Get PDFThis paper compares direct measures of content knowledge for students studying Chemistry through English Medium Instruction (EMI) and Japanese Medium Instruction (JMI). It also examines a range of contextual differences between the two mediums of instruction. A total of 53 undergraduate students undertook pre–post course content tests at a university in Japan. These measurable test outcomes were triangulated with data from semi-structured interviews with eight EMI and five JMI students and two content teachers as well as field notes from ten EMI and ten JMI lecture observations. While the quantitative results revealed no statistically significant differences in the post-test scores between the two courses, the qualitative data illuminated a huge range of context-dependent differences which shed light on possible explanations of this non-significant result. Findings revealed that while there were unique challenges only experienced by EMI students, many of the students navigated their EMI studies successfully through a combination of effective institutional and academic language support, teacher support and – not least – collaborative peer networks. This comparative study of an EMI and non-EMI course contributes to the currently limited research evidence on medium of instruction differences on content learning outcomes
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