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Evolution of chondrichthyan jaw morphology, from ecological generalists to specialists
Full text linkLiving chondrichthyans comprise only a fraction of their historical diversity represented in the fossil record, but together they provide insights into the evolution of this ancient clade. Using a theoretical morphology approach, we sought the evolutionary drivers of mandible morphology, a key factor in the feeding ecology of the clade, across their more than 400 million year evolutionary history. Using an empirical sample of 122 extant and 95 extinct species across 35 orders, we created a theoretical morphospace that encompasses, and expands beyond, sampled variation. We sampled morphologies from this theoretical morphospace and subjected them to biomechanical analysis of speed and strength, deriving landscapes of functional performance and optimality into which we projected a phylomorphospace. We examined how the optimality landscape has been navigated by chondrichthyan evolution and how it has been occupied by taxa characterized according to habitat and trophic level. The empirical chondrichthyan morphospace occupation was dispersed from the trade-off optimality peaks. Early chondrichthyans occupy morphospace characterized by narrow, curved jaws before expanding to more robust morphologies through time. This move toward robust morphologies does not follow the most optimal trade-off morphologies, instead avoiding areas that are least optimal. Deep-water species occupy the largest morphospace area, while higher trophic level species stay closer to the trade-off optimality peaks. Our study shows that chondrichthyans, rather than being living fossils, have explored increasingly specialized jaw morphologies, likely related to shifts in ecology such as increased numbers of durophagous taxa, as opposed to a more generalist optimization of component biomechanical constraints
Off-design operation of grid-scale pumped thermal energy storage:A comparative analysis of control strategies
Full text linkThis work explores and compares control strategies to enable off-design operation of grid-scale pumped thermal energy storage (PTES) systems. Four relevant control strategies are identified to provide this kind of operational flexibility: inventory control, variable speed operation, flow control with bypass valves, and variable turbomachine geometry. These are applied to a comprehensive system model of a 100MW, 10h commercial PTES concept. The system model is characterised by a dynamic consideration of the thermal reservoirs, off-design performance models for all components and a more detailed description of electrical components. Each control strategy’s operating range and its impact on component performance, system performance, and electrical energy capacity are quantified. The findings indicate that none of the strategies cover the entire operating range. Inventory control is confirmed as the most promising strategy, covering 61.4% of the theoretical nominal operating range, without significant performance loss. Variable speed covers 38.6% of the nominal operating range and shows performance drops in off-design. Bypassing the turbine enables limited flexibility on the charging side and covers the lowest operating range (22.1%). Bypass control can only modulate the discharging power by incurring high losses. Variable compressor inlet guide vanes have a similar effect to variable speed, covering 30.7% of the operating range, but at a much lower cost. Variable speed, turbine bypass, and variable compressor inlet guide vanes significantly alter the cycle’s specific work; this, in turn, causes temperature fluctuations in the liquid storage tanks. Temperature fluctuations in one cycle can affect subsequent cycles, making those control options less attractive as stand-alone options
Incision of the pre-Descemet layer and Descemet membrane affects outflow facility:<i>ex-vivo</i> studies on a human eye perfusion model
Full text linkPurpose: The collagen and elastin fibres of the pre-Descemet layer or Dua layer (PDL) fan out to become the beams of the trabecular meshwork (TM), indicating similarities in the structural elements in the PDL and TM. This study evaluated the effects of disruption of the PDL and Descemet membrane (DM) on the facility of aqueous outflow from the anterior chamber, using human eyes and an anterior segment perfusion model (ASPM). Methods: The ASPM was established using human donor eyes. The PDL and DM in the experimental eyes were half incised circumferentially along an 8 mm diameter circle for 180°, and the other half was left non-incised. Results: The experimental eyes in the ASPM model exhibited a decrease in the outflow rate, indicating an increased outflow resistance. In the TM, the expressions of fibronectin, myocilin and alpha-smooth muscle actin were increased in incised compared to non-incised and control samples. The outflow perfusates in the experimental eyes showed a significant increase in the level of active MMP-9 on day 4 and a subsequent decrease on day 9 compared to the control eyes. Myocilin was only detected in the perfusate on day 9 in the experimental eyes. Conclusion: Our study suggests that surgical disruption of the PDL and DM results in decreased outflow, which can be due to an alteration in biomechanical properties, with consequent molecular changes in the TM, adversely affecting the resistance to outflow. This could explain why the incidence of raised pressure is greater with penetrating keratoplasty compared to deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty
From local production to global consumption:Assessing the carbon footprints of Chinese cities in global value chains
Full text linkAs cities take on increasingly specialized roles in global value chains (GVCs), the spatial disconnect between where emissions occur and where responsibility lies continues to widen. However, city-level carbon flows across GVCs remain largely underexamined, hindering the design of effective climate policies. Here, we develop a GVC-oriented carbon accounting framework by nesting a multiregional input–output (MRIO) model of 313 Chinese cities within a global MRIO system. We quantify the upstream and downstream carbon footprints of Chinese cities via GVCs and assess their economic gains from GVC integration. Our analysis reveals a strong concentration of foreign demand–driven emissions (FDEs) in major coastal hubs, with the top 10 cities accounting for 25% of national FDE. In these cities, up to 43% of FDE stems from intermediate goods trade. Carbon emissions per unit of gross domestic product from international trade were 1.5 times higher than those solely relying on domestic industrial chains. In 54 service- and high-tech-oriented cities, over 20% of emissions occurred outside their borders and were induced by international supply chains (foreign GVC segment), with the United States being the largest contributor. At the national level, the United States alone accounted for 43.7% of emissions embodied in Chinese 313 cities’ gross exports. Our framework may inform more equitable allocation of responsibilities to develop collaborative decarbonization strategies across cities
Glioblastoma Invasion into Different Organoid Hosts Reveals Cell-Intrinsic and Proliferative Migratory Programmes
No full textAkhunbay-Fudge et al. develop two complementary single-cell profiling methods to determine glioblastoma (GB) invasion phenotypes, focusing on the influence of host organoid developmental lineage (neural versus endodermal) and cell cycle progression on GB invasion within tumour assembloids. Notably, GB cells invaded both neural and endodermal organoid hosts, whereas non-malignant adult brain cells lacked this capacity. Single-cell mRNA sequencing revealed gene expression changes in invading tumour cells and surrounding environmental assembloid cells. Concurrently, the ‘DyPheT’ automated tracking tool enabled real-time correlation of cell cycle phases with malignant cell migration within cerebral organoids, which can be utilised for treatment response assessment, exemplified by the investigational compound RP-6306. Collectively, these approaches identify an intrinsic (cell-autonomous) gene expression signature linked to GB invasion and support a “go-and-grow” paradigm by revealing a highly migratory (and RP-6306-refractory) GB subpopulation active in the G2/M phase of the cell cycle
Sustainability Challenges to the Steel Industry in a Developing Country:Sanctions and Security Issues at the Forefront
Full text linkThis article contributes to sustainability research by investigating the complex, geopolitically induced challenges faced by industrial supply chains under international sanctions. Using Iran's steel industry as a case, it examines sustainability barriers through the lens of stakeholder theory. A mixed methods approach was employed. First, seven critical sustainability challenges were identified through a thematic analysis of qualitative data from 18 expert interviews and two panel discussions. These challenges were then quantitatively prioritized using the best–worst method (BWM) and its Bayesian extension, based on survey responses from 28 representatives across four stakeholder categories: manufacturers, government, NGOs, and buyers. The findings reveal that while challenges such as resource scarcity align with global studies, international sanctions and cyberattacks emerge as distinct, high-priority barriers in the sanctioned context. Quantitative BWM results identified resource scarcity (final weight: 0.0789) and international sanctions (final weight: 0.056) as the two highest priority challenges across the stakeholder landscape. However, significant stakeholder divergence was observed: Manufacturers emphasized sanctions as paramount, whereas NGOs and buyers downplayed their significance. These results underscore the critical need for context-sensitive policies and multistakeholder collaboration that explicitly acknowledges these prioritization disparities. The study contributes to stakeholder theory by contextualizing its application in politically constrained environments and advocates policy reforms to address the interplay among geopolitical, institutional, and operational factors in building resilient and sustainable supply chains
Everyday exposures:feasibility of community-based trace metal monitoring using non-invasive bio-sampling in children’s environments, a pilot study
Full text linkChildren are uniquely vulnerable to environmental pollution due to their developing physiology, distinct behaviours, and higher exposure per body mass, and have limited influence over how their environments are designed and managed. However, the real-world feasibility of integrating non-invasive biomonitoring with community-sourced environmental sampling in children’s everyday settings remains under-evaluated. The absence of validated, field-feasible biomonitoring methods for use in schools and homes, limits the early detection of harmful exposures and constrains the development of routine paediatric environmental surveillance. This pilot study evaluated the feasibility of non-invasive bio-sampling to assess trace-metal exposure in 13 UK schoolchildren. Paired urine and exhaled breath condensate (EBC) samples, EBC being a condensed fraction of exhaled respiratory droplets that may reflect airway-level exposure, were collected alongside drinking water and soil from participants’ school and home environments. All samples were analysed for multiple trace elements using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. To relate internal and external measures, Enrichment factors (EFs), were calculated as the ratio of metal concentrations in biological matrices relative to corresponding environmental sources. Despite small sample sizes, meaningful trends emerged. Elevated zinc and copper levels in tap water corresponded to higher urinary concentrations, suggesting urine is a sensitive matrix for waterborne exposure. In contrast low EFs in EBC relative to soil highlight matrix-specific limitations in using soil as a proxy for inhaled exposure in this matrix. The study demonstrates the practical and ethical suitability of non-invasive biomonitoring in paediatric populations, reinforcing the need for improved standardisation and comprehensive metadata collection. Findings support the potential value of integrating non-invasive methods into larger environmental health surveillance efforts involving children. This work contributes a scalable model for child-focused environmental health research that bridges scientific-data with social-justice, environmental education and equity
Publisher Correction:Misspecified models create the appearance of adaptive control during value-based choice
Full text linkCorrection to: Communications Psychology https://doi.org/10.1038/s44271-025-00374-8, published online 14 January 2026.In the PDF version of the article initially published, there was an error in the last term of Equation (1), where “– ∥∅ ∥” was originally rendered as “– ∅”; the equation is now amended in the PDF version of the article.<p/
Promoting engagement in patient-initiated follow-up and self-care behaviours:acceptability of the 'ACT now & check-it-out' intervention for head and neck cancer (PETNECK2 study)
Full text linkObjectives Due to increasing incidence of head and neck cancer (HNC) and overwhelming clinical demand on follow-up services, a new risk-stratified pathway, patient-initiated follow-up (PIFU) with a patient support package is being evaluated (PETNECK2 study). We aimed to (a) explore acceptability to both HNC patients and health professionals and the impact on self-management behaviours including self-surveillance and fear of cancer recurrence and (b) conduct intervention optimisation.Design Qualitative interviews conducted 1–2 months after receiving the PIFU support package.Setting Eight hospital trusts across the UK.Participants 25 patients around 1-year post-HNC treatment receiving the PETNECK2 intervention, and 7 health professionals from NHS Trusts involved in recruitment and/or intervention delivery.Intervention All patients received the intervention (PIFU) following a clear PET-CT scan, which included a face-to-face education session with a health professional and a digital app and/or booklet, that aimed to support engagement in PIFU self-care behaviours (including regularly checking for symptom changes; prompt help-seeking; self-management of fear of recurrence). Patients had open access to their hospital team if concerns arose.Results The PIFU intervention with a patient support package was largely acceptable to health professionals and most patients. Engagement in new habitual self-care behaviours was evident in most, influenced by having increased knowledge and confidence regarding these behaviours, provided by key elements of the PIFU support package (eg, demonstration of self-examination). Acceptability appeared lower in a few patients reporting low self-efficacy for self-examination, ongoing challenges with fear of recurrence and concerns over no scheduled appointments.Conclusions Our intervention support package was largely acceptable and promoted patient engagement with PIFU and key self-management behaviours. Findings can usefully inform the design of future PIFU support packages and highlight important considerations for future evaluations of patient acceptability of PIFU pathways. Following intervention optimisation, a UK-wide trial is now underway.Trial registration number ISRCTN13709798
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