DOI:  

The research, published in is part of the Stroke IMPaCT study (Stroke 鈥� Immune Mediated Pathways and Cognitive Trajectory), a network of European and North American researchers who are working to discover how inflammation and immune responses contribute to post-stroke cognitive decline.

The team followed patients treated for an ischaemic stroke at Salford Royal Hospital, part of Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust. They measured levels of a protein called interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the days after stroke and again at both 6-9 and 18-21months. Participants also completed detailed tests of memory and thinking.

Interleukin-6 levels increased soon after stroke and, in most people, fell back to typical levels within 6-9 months. But in some patients, levels stayed high or rose again. These individuals were about eight times more likely to develop difficulties with thinking ability.

The researchers also saw differences between smokers and non-smokers. Smokers showed a different pattern of IL-6 change after stroke, with signs of longer-lasting inflammation. This ongoing inflammation was more strongly linked to problems with thinking and memory.

Lead author an MBPhD researcher at 黑料网吃瓜爆料, said: 鈥淚nflammation after stroke doesn't just happen once and disappear. By tracking this protein over time, we may be able to identify patients at greater risk of cognitive problems and eventually tailor support or treatments to them.鈥�

Professor Craig Smith, Professor of Stroke Medicine at 黑料网吃瓜爆料 and Consultant at Salford Royal, said: 鈥淥ur findings suggest it's not just the initial spike in inflammation that matters- it's whether it properly settles down after the stroke. Smoking appears to interfere with this recovery, leaving people more vulnerable to memory and thinking problems.

Professor Stuart Allan added: 鈥�When the immune system's recovery after stroke doesn't occur as expected, patients appear more likely to experience cognitive difficulties. If future studies confirm interleukin-6 is the cause, we might one day use medications that block it to protect brain health.鈥�

Co-lead author Harry Deijnen from the University of 黑料网吃瓜爆料 added: 鈥淭hough it is clear that more research is needed, these results point towards new opportunities to improve long-term brain health by focusing on the body鈥檚 inflammatory recovery after stroke.鈥�

• The work  was funded by the Leducq Foundation, Kennedy Trust, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and the British Heart Foundation. Philanthropic support has also been central to enabling this research. The University is proud to partner with donors in support of this work, including Louis and Amy Wong. Find out more about how supporting 黑料网吃瓜爆料 drives impact across our research here: Challenge Accepted. It was supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) 黑料网吃瓜爆料 Biomedical Research Centre (BRC)鈥�
• The paper Longitudinal Plasma IL-6 and Post-Stroke Cognitive Outcomes: The Stroke-IMPaCT Study is available DOI:

The study, led by Keele University, in collaboration with 黑料网吃瓜爆料 and University of Ottawa, looked at geological evidence from Oman to better understand processes that occur in subduction zones - where one of the Earth鈥檚 tectonic plates sinks beneath another due to the plates colliding together. Such zones are active around much of the Pacific 鈥淩ing of Fire鈥� today.

Subduction zones are key to the global carbon cycle because ocean sediments carried by the sinking plate contain large amounts of CO鈧�. Scientists have long debated what happens to this carbon after it sinks - some is transported deep into the Earth, while some returns to the atmosphere via volcanic eruptions.

Another possibility is that CO鈧� becomes trapped in rocks when carbon-rich fluids react with them, forming minerals known as carbonates, which lock the carbon away for millions of years. These reactions happen tens of kilometres underground, so are difficult to observe and study.

To resolve this, the team analysed halogens - chlorine, bromine and iodine - which were present within individual mineral grains. These elements can leave a fingerprint of the fluid reactions and sources of carbon which formed the carbonate minerals.

Their results, published in , indicated that there were at least two separate events where CO鈧� reacted with the rocks. It found that most of the carbonate minerals formed from fluids that match those usually found in subduction zones.

They also calculated that over 90% of the CO鈧� in the sinking plate could have been channelled along the plate boundary fault into the shallow mantle and locked away, indicating that carbon sinks in subduction zones are not only real, but could play a significant role in the Earth鈥檚 carbon cycle, by offering a way to store huge amounts of CO鈧� for millions of years.

Lead author, Dr Elliot Carter, from the School of Life Sciences at Keel University said: 鈥淎s our climate warms there鈥檚 been increasing attention on these strange and enigmatic rocks and what they can tell us about how the Earth moves carbon around and how humans could store it in the future鈥�

鈥淶ooming into chemical differences between different microscopic crystals really gave us the key to unlock the story of these rocks鈥�

鈥淲e can now tell that rocks such as those in Oman likely form an important part of Earth鈥檚 long-term carbon cycle.鈥�

This research was published in the journal Nature Communications.

Full title: Carbonated mantle peridotites represent a hidden sink for subducted CO₂

 DOI:  

Professors Grieve and Yin were honoured for their research in developing a new device to detect crop viruses, alongside peers from Rothamsted Research in the UK, and Rutgers and North Carolina State University in the US.

The new tool can detect early-stage viral infections in crops more rapidly and in a less expensive way than traditional methods of genetic testing, with the project addressing Cassava Mosaic and Brown Streak diseases in particular, which threaten a key carbohydrate crop found in Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America: Cassava.

As Cassava is increasingly used as a replacement for wheat flour in the US and Europe, the new technology can increase our ability to safeguard our food security, by identifying and containing diseases before they spread and devastate crops.

Vice-President for Research, Colette Fagan, commented, 鈥�I was delighted to attend this UKRI award event at the British Embassy, Washington, as part of a Russell Group delegation visit to meet with USA universities and research funders. Professors Grieve and Yin's team was one of the small number of teams to be awarded this new prize, and I was proud to see their work at our University recognised and celebrated by the Washington audience.鈥�

The PUB awards are centred around research collaboration between the UK and US, and celebrate the impact of bringing together researchers and scientists on both sides of the Atlantic to address global challenges through innovation partnerships.

In the case of this revolutionary new tool, it was 黑料网吃瓜爆料 and the Rothamsted Research facility鈥檚 sensor engineering and machine learning expertise who provided the UK鈥檚 share of research impact, which combined with the US institutions鈥� crop virology capabilities, to bring about this step towards a more secure global food supply.

Prof Grieve commented, 鈥淩eceiving the US-UK reward brought home to me the impact that working with complimentary teams across the globe, and across engineering and the life-sciences, can have 鈥� with the crop viruses that we are working on threatening the main carbohydrate source for 800 million people in Africa and Latin-America.鈥�

Not only have our researchers contributed to creating a more resilient future for worldwide food system - but their device will also be supporting local livelihoods and strengthening rural economies, where the effects of crop loss are felt most keenly in developing areas of the world.

Dr Grieve and Prof Yin were handed their awards by HM Ambassador to the US, Sir Christian Turner, and UKRI鈥檚 International Director, Frances Wood, and were one of seven collaborations recognised, from cancer research to particle physics.

Prof Yin, said of the occasion, 鈥淚t was a great honour and encouragement for our work, and shows the importance of transatlantic collaborations, as well as the positive impact that AI and advanced sensing can make in tackling the challenges facing the world in terms of food, energy and sustainability. While in this project we target cassava brown steak virus, the device, once verified in field tests in Tanzania over next few months, could be extended to other produces.鈥�

This work was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and US National Science Foundation through the Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Disease Programme.

The investment was led by , with contributions from the UK Innovation & Science Seed Fund (UKI2S, managed by Future Planet Capital), and Northern Universities Ventures Fund, managed by Parkwalk in collaboration with Northern Gritstone. Cytotrait鈥檚 seed funding will enable the Company to build on strong early data from its proprietary Mutant Organelle Selection System (MOSS) technology, initiating new development programmes to explore enhanced traits in major crop species.

Cytotrait鈥檚 MOSS technology is uniquely designed to tackle longstanding hurdles in crop engineering and address the growing challenge of global food security and sustainable agricultural practices. In contrast to other methods, MOSS rapidly achieves homoplasmy, delivering genes and gene edits into chloroplasts and mitochondria to ensure the desired genetic changes are engineered across every organelle in a cell or plant. 

This approach enables crop characteristics to be engineered with both localised and high-level expression, reduced transgene phytotoxicity, easier backcrossing and trait stacking, efficient containment and an easier regulatory route.

Building on foundational data for developing novel crop traits, Cytotrait will use its seed funding for new research targeting wheat, maize, potato and canola in European and North American markets. 

The programmes will utilise MOSS to explore potential applications in these crops, including enhancements in yield and resilience, the potential to introduce valuable new food traits, and the ability to drive more sustainable practices through improved carbon sequestration.

Since its formation, Cytotrait has worked closely with the the University鈥檚 technology transfer office, the University of 黑料网吃瓜爆料 Innovation Factory. Innovation Factory has guided the founders on intellectual property strategy, company formation, on business planning, and investor readiness. 

Innovation Factory also previously supported Cytotrait to access pre-seed investment from the University, hired a key commercial lead with grant funding from the Northern Triangle Talent Initiative, and assisted during their recent fundraising process.

Cytotrait was previously awarded 拢498k funding from the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) to develop MOSS for reliable hybrid seed production in wheat, one of the world鈥檚 largest food crops¹. 

The company was spun out with support from the University of 黑料网吃瓜爆料 Innovation Factory, the University鈥檚 technology transfer office, which works to commercialise University research through spinouts, licensing and investments. Cytotrait is also a recent graduate of NG Studios, Northern Gritstone鈥檚 venture building program for deeptech spinouts.

Dr Elliott Jennings, Head of Investment & Licensing (Life Sciences) of the University of 黑料网吃瓜爆料 Innovation Factory, said: 鈥淚t has been a privilege to support the Cytotrait team on their commercialisation journey, from early-stage research through to this successful seed funding round. This milestone reflects the strength of the science, the ambition of the founders and the collaborative efforts of colleagues, the investors and partners who have helped bring the company to this point. We are proud to have worked alongside the team and look forward to continuing to support Cytotrait as they pursue their commercial ambitions.鈥�

Duncan Johnson, CEO, Northern Gritstone, said: "Cytotrait is a prime example of the world-class innovation from the North of England鈥檚 universities and the ambitious founders and teams we see on our venture building program, NG Studios. Northern Gritstone is very pleased to be working with Dr Ji and the team and look forward to positive results from this first tranche of new development programmes.鈥�

鈥淢OSS is truly a breakthrough in the field of crop technology, allowing us to precisely engineer characteristics that can not only enhance yield and resilience, but also help to drive a more sustainable future for modern agriculture,鈥� said Dr Tim Brears, Executive Chair. He continued: 鈥淲e鈥檙e extremely proud of everything our team has already accomplished, and thankful to our investors, whose support will enable us to expand our pipeline and explore the applications of MOSS in some of the world鈥檚 major crop types.鈥�

Hassan Mahmudul, Investment Manager, UK Innovation & Science Seed Fund, remarked: 鈥淯KI2S invests in companies developing novel engineering biology solutions to tackle large, global challenges. We are delighted to welcome Cytotrait to our growing agritech portfolio, recognising the strength of its platform technology, which has the potential to unlock high-value trait expression at levels significantly beyond what is achievable through conventional nuclear genome engineering.鈥�

1.     Press Release (1^st September, 2025):

The findings partly explain why around 70% of rare diseases go undiagnosed, even in the UK, which arguably has the worlds most advanced genomic medicine service.

Led by a geneticist from 黑料网吃瓜爆料, the findings are published by the Editorial team at the Genetics in Medicine Journal (GIM)-  considered a world-leading clinical genetics journal -  in

It is frustrating news for the parents of the a year with rare genetic diseases, most of whom never receive a diagnosis, and many dying without the underlying cause being determined.

Correct nomenclature - as it is known- could also reduce the to the NHS of pursuing avoidable lengthy diagnostic journeys into rare genetic diseases -  thought to be over  拢3 billion per decade.

Miscommunication caused by inconsistent genetic naming has, over time, led to documented cases of incorrect clinical management.

The researchers found that every manuscript submitted to the Genetic in Medicine Journal (the journal of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), who develop global professional standards in Clinical Genomics),  contained one or more errors.

That, they say, substantially reduced the probability of finding variants during routine searches. Such searches are required to gather diagnostic evidence, but if the evidence cannot be found due to findability issues, then a diagnosis may be missed.

The research is being incorporated into a new ACMG-led professional standard, which is being collaboratively developed with all the major professional societies and quality assurance bodies across the US, EU, UK and Canada, to be announced later this year.

The standard will govern the minimal acceptable standards for variant data in clinical reporting, databases and literature.  

Such standards have been legally binding in the United States but there is no indication yet that the UK will follow suit; however, the quality bodies that control UK genomic medicine standards are part of the ACMG-led coalition.

Dr Freeman, formerly of the University of Leicester, and now based at 黑料网吃瓜爆料 devised a tool called to give each variant a standardised name, allowing diagnostic evidence to be shared and found.

Working with the , the Genetics in Medicine (GIM) editors assembled a technical editing team led by Dr Freeman to develop instructions for authors on proper variant reporting.

Hospital geneticists rely on published evidence to make diagnoses, but because of inconsistent variant naming, say the authors, they are often unable to locate relevant information, even if it exists.

Many geneticists, they say, are using simpler but less accurate nomenclature, preventing databases like ClinVar and the Leiden Open Variation Database (LOVD), and widely used AI discovery tools from identifying critical evidence and adding literature to ClinVar and LOVD records.

Dr Freeman, whose son has an undiagnosed genetic disorder, said: 鈥淭he language of genomics, which guides everything from discoveries of gene-disease associations to rare disease diagnosis, relies on an established standardized system of naming genomic variants.

鈥淭his study has revealed a shocking level of inaccuracy in the naming of genetic variants-  which has real-world consequences. Me and my team have yet to find a journal article which uses the correct nomenclature and did not require intervention.鈥�

He added: 鈥淒octors almost always describe DNA variants using various outdated or non-standard naming systems, or fail to accurately apply the current standard. This means they are publishing data which is less findable, so may be missed by others in the field attempting to reach a diagnostic decision, denying the possibility of treatment.

鈥淏ut even more importantly, for children like my son, not having a diagnosis means they cannot access the support services they desperately need to support their wellbeing and development.

鈥淣omenclature should accurately describe the changes in DNA sequencing observed when there is a genetic variant. But in many cases, this is simply not happening and is part of a complex set of problems that is causing miss or missed diagnoses.鈥�

The team recommend:

• Universally adopting gene/variant nomenclature guidelines within published works.
• Implementing robust peer review processes to enforce gene/variant nomenclature standards.
• Supporting automated submission of structured variant and classification data into publicly available repositories
• Work with publishers to educate production and copyediting teams.

What misnaming means for patients

In an infamous example over decades, laboratories and clinicians used conflicting naming systems for Factor V Leiden, a common inherited genetic mutation that causes ,

That resulted in misinterpretation of patients鈥� thrombosis risk and inappropriate treatment decisions.

In another example, inconsistent reporting of variants of the gene CFTR in cystic fibrosis  has contributed to misunderstandings of carrier status and disease risk, leading to errors in family鈥憄lanning counselling for affected couples.

• The paper Universal Presence of Gene/Variant Nomenclature Errors in Journal Manuscript Submissions is available   

The awards celebrate excellence across the North of England鈥檚 life sciences community and recognise organisations delivering meaningful impact through scientific innovation, healthcare advancement and commercial success.

Professor Emma Stanmore, CEO of the NHS-approved downloadable health platform called , and the KOKU Team accepted the accolade at the Concorde Conference Centre in Greater 黑料网吃瓜爆料 last week.

KOKU-  short for Keep-On-Keep-Up -  has been widely used in NHS programmes, care homes, and by older adults at home to help improve strength, balance, and independence while preventing falls.

Researchers have shown it reduces functional decline by improving strength and balance and lowers the risk of falls, helping older people maintain independence and improve quality of life while reducing pressure on health and care services.

Falls remain one of the leading causes of injury, hospital admission and loss of independence among older adults, creating a significant challenge for health systems across the UK and globally.

By combining clinically validated exercise programmes with engaging digital design, KOKU supports sustained participation in strength and balance training that can be delivered safely at home.

The platform enables older adults to access tailored exercises suited to their individual ability and progress at their own pace while maintaining motivation through game-based features.

Healthcare providers can also use the platform to support preventative care strategies aimed at improving mobility, strength and confidence in ageing populations.

This year鈥檚 awards  saw 149 applications from 86 organisations, a record level of engagement that reflected the strength and diversity of innovation across the region

Emma Stanmore  is  Professor in Gerontology and Healthy Ageing Research Group Lead at the University of 黑料网吃瓜爆料 鈥檚 School of Health Sciences.

She said: 鈥淭his award is a fantastic recognition of the work our team has done to create a solution that genuinely improves people鈥檚 lives.

鈥淥ur goal has always been to help older adults stay stronger, safer and more independent for longer, and we are incredibly proud to see KOKU recognised for the positive impact it is already making.

鈥淲inning Product of the Year highlights the growing importance of digital health technologies that combine clinical evidence with scalable solutions capable of reaching large patient populations.

鈥淜OKU continues to expand its partnerships with healthcare providers and organisations focused on healthy ageing as demand grows for digital tools that support preventative care and long-term wellbeing.鈥�

Bionow is a membership organisation that supports and connects companies, universities, and professionals in the life sciences and biotech sectors across Northern England.

It provides networking, events, industry advocacy, and business support to help grow the regional life sciences ecosystem

• See more about KoKu

The team found that growing a widely used magnetic alloy, permalloy, on ultra鈥憈hin MoS鈧� alters the film鈥檚 internal crystal structure, changing how and where energy is lost as magnetic spins move. By separating energy losses that occur at the surface of the film from those arising within its internal structure, the researchers provide new design insights for devices that use two鈥慸imensional (2D) materials to control magnetism more efficiently.

Crucially, the work uses large鈥慳rea, manufacturing鈥慶ompatible MoS鈧�, showing that these effects are not confined to laboratory鈥憇cale samples but are relevant for real, scalable spintronic technologies.

The study, published in , demonstrates that transition鈥憁etal dichalcogenides (TMDs) can alter the fundamental properties of magnetic films. The results highlight the importance of careful comparison with control materials when assessing the impact of 2D layers on magnetic behaviour.

Spintronics is an alternative to conventional electronics that uses not only the charge of electrons, but also their spin, to store and process information. This approach underpins emerging technologies for magnetic memory and has potential applications in energy鈥慹fficient, high鈥憇peed computing. A major challenge in spintronics, however, is energy loss: as magnetic spins move, some energy is inevitably dissipated as heat, limiting device speed and efficiency.

In this work, the researchers studied thin films of permalloy grown on top of large鈥慳rea MoS鈧� produced using industry鈥慶ompatible chemical vapour deposition. They found that the ultra鈥慶lean interface between permalloy and MoS鈧� reduces energy loss at the surface of the magnetic film. At the same time, subtle changes within the film鈥檚 crystal structure slightly increase internal energy loss.

By clearly separating these two effects, the team was able to explain why previous studies of 2D materials and magnetism have sometimes produced conflicting results.

To reach these conclusions, the researchers used ferromagnetic resonance, a technique in which a high鈥慺requency magnetic field causes spins inside a magnetic material to wobble, similar to a spinning top slowing down due to friction. By measuring how quickly this wobble fades, the team could determine how and where energy is dissipated. Varying the thickness of the magnetic layer allowed them to distinguish losses occurring at the surface from those within the bulk of the film.

The results point to new routes for designing lower鈥憄ower, faster spintronic memory, where material interfaces are engineered to minimise unwanted energy loss without sacrificing performance.

鈥淭his work is exciting because the fundamental effects a two鈥慸imensional material can have on magnetic thin films are still largely unexplored,鈥� said , lead author of the study and Research Associate in THz Spintronics at the University of 黑料网吃瓜爆料. 鈥淲e鈥檝e shown how these changes affect energy loss, which is a crucial property for next鈥慻eneration memory technologies.鈥�

The study shows that 2D materials do not always increase energy loss and that, with the right interface, they can reduce it.

This research was published in the journal .

Full title: Separation of bulk and surface contributions to the damping of permalloy on large-area chemical-vapor-deposited 惭辞鈦鈧�.

DOI:

The National Graphene Institute (NGI) is a world-leading graphene and 2D material centre, focussed on fundamental research. Based at 黑料网吃瓜爆料, where graphene was first isolated in 2004 by Professors Sir Andre Geim and Sir Kostya Novoselov, it is home to leaders in their field 鈥� a community of research specialists delivering transformative discovery. This expertise is matched by 拢13m leading-edge facilities, such as the largest class 5 and 6 cleanrooms in global academia, which gives the NGI the capabilities to advance underpinning industrial applications in key areas including: composites, functional membranes, energy, membranes for green hydrogen, ultra-high vacuum 2D materials, nanomedicine, 2D based printed electronics, and characterisation.

Published today in , it is the first experimental observation of a half-M枚bius electronic topology in a single molecule. To the scientists鈥� knowledge, a molecule with such topology has never before been synthesized, observed, or even formally predicted. 

Understanding this molecule鈥檚 behavior at the electronic structure level required something equally fundamental: a high fidelity quantum computing simulation. The discovery advances science on two fronts. For chemistry, it demonstrates that electronic topology - the property governing how electrons move through a molecule - can be deliberately engineered, not merely found in nature. 

For quantum computing, it is a concrete demonstration of a quantum simulation doing what it was designed to do: representing quantum mechanical behavior directly, at the molecular scale, to produce scientific insight that would otherwise have remained out of reach. 

鈥淔irst, we designed a molecule we thought could be created, then we built it, and then we validated it and its exotic properties with a quantum computer,鈥� said Alessandro Curioni, IBM Fellow, Vice President, Europe and Africa, and Director of IBM Research Zurich. 鈥淭his is a leap towards the dream laid out by renowned physicist Richard Feynman decades ago to build a computer that can best simulate quantum physics and a demonstration where, as he said, 鈥楾here鈥檚 plenty of room at the bottom.鈥� The success of this research signals a step towards this vision, opening the door for new ways to explore our world and the matter within it.

, paper co-author, Lecturer in Computational and Theoretical Chemistry at 黑料网吃瓜爆料, added: 鈥淐hemistry and solid-state physics advance by finding new ways to control matter. In the second half of the 20th century, substituent effects were very popular. For example, researchers explored how the potency of a drug or the elasticity of a material changes if, for example, a methyl is replaced with chlorine. The turn of the century brought us spintronics, introducing electron spin as a new degree of freedom to play with, and transforming data storage. Today, our work shows that topology can also serve as a switchable degree of freedom, opening a new powerful route for controlling material properties. 

鈥淭he non-trivial topology of this molecule, and the exotic behavior of many other systems, arises from interactions between their electrons. Simulating electrons with classical computers is very hard 鈥� a decade ago we could exactly model 16 electrons, and today we can go up to 18. Quantum computers are naturally well-suited for this problem because their building blocks 鈥� qubits 鈥� are quantum objects, which mirror electrons. Using IBM鈥檚 quantum computer, we were able to explore 32 electrons. However, the most exciting part is this is just the start. Quantum hardware is advancing rapidly, and the future is quantum.鈥�

A Never-Before-Seen Molecule 

The molecule, with the formula C鈧佲們Cl鈧�, was assembled atom-by-atom at IBM from a custom precursor synthesized at Oxford University, with individual atoms removed one at a time using precisely calibrated voltage pulses under ultra-high vacuum at nearabsolute-zero temperatures. 

Experiments with scanning tunneling and atomic force microscopy, both techniques pioneered at IBM, combined with quantum computing to reveal an electronic configuration with no counterpart in chemistry's existing record: an electronic structure that undergoes a 90-degree twist with each circuit, requiring four complete loops to return to the starting phase. 

This half-M枚bius topology is qualitatively distinct from any previously known molecule and can be reversibly switched between clockwise-twisted, counterclockwise-twisted and untwisted states 鈥� demonstrating that electronic topology is not a property to be discovered, but one that can now be deliberately engineered under specific conditions.

A Disruptive Scientific Tool: Quantum-Centric Supercomputing 

The scientists in this experiment created a molecule that had never existed. Now they had to figure out why it worked, a task which challenged conventional computers. The electrons within C鈧佲們Cl鈧� interact in deeply entangled ways 鈥� each influencing all the others simultaneously. Modeling that behavior requires tracking every possible configuration of those interactions at once, requiring computational demands that grow exponentially and can quickly overwhelm classical machines.

Quantum computers are different by nature because they operate according to the same quantum mechanical laws that govern electrons in molecules, and they can represent these systems directly rather than approximate them. They 鈥渟peak鈥� the same fundamental language as the matter they are built to study and that distinction, once largely theoretical, can now contribute to concrete scientific results.

This capability offers tremendous potential for quantum computers to support realworld experimentation with quantum-centric supercomputing workflows. By integrating quantum processing units (QPUs), CPUs, and GPUs, quantum-centric supercomputing allows complex problems to be broken into parts that are orchestrated and solved according to each system鈥檚 strengths 鈥� achieving what no single compute paradigm can deliver alone.

Utilizing an IBM quantum computer within such a workflow, the team found helical molecular orbitals for electron attachment, a fingerprint of the half-M枚bius topology. Moreover, simulation via quantum computing helped reveal the mechanism behind the formation of the unusual topology: a helical pseudo-Jahn-Teller effect.

This achievement builds on IBM鈥檚 long legacy in nanoscale science. The scanning tunneling microscope (STM) was invented at IBM in 1981, for which IBM scientists Gerd Binnig and Heinrich Rohrer were awarded the Nobel Prize in 1986. Its creation enabled researchers to image surfaces atom by atom. In 1989, IBM scientists developed the first reliable method for manipulating individual atoms. Over the past decades, the IBM team has extended these techniques to build and control increasingly exotic molecular structures.

This research was published in the journal Science 

Full title: A molecule with half-M枚bius topology

DOI:  

Researchers from 黑料网吃瓜爆料 suggest that during the Early Pleistocene, the arrival and presence of these early hominins drove the mosquitoes to adapt to feeding on humans.

The study, published in , uncovers how and why certain mosquitoes developed this preference, and the environmental triggers which brought about its development.

The findings could provide critical insight into mitigating the impacts of novel diseases caused by mosquito-borne pathogens, which place a significant burden on global human health, and shed light on the colonisation of Southeast Asia by early humans.

, Senior Lecturer in Earth and Environmental Sciences at 黑料网吃瓜爆料, said 鈥淥ur findings suggest that early humans must not only have been present in Sundaland at this time, but there in substantial numbers, which is an important piece of evidence, beyond fossil records, to the broader puzzle of the colonization of hominins in insular Southeast Asia.

The team focused on the Anopheles leucosphyrus group, made up of 20 different species of mosquitoes native to Southeast Asia. Some species are extremely anthropophilic (human targeting) and very efficient spreaders of human malaria parasites. Others feed mainly on monkeys, gibbons, and orangutans in forest canopies, spreading a form of malaria that would be harmless to humans, but can be deadly for these other primates.

In the study, the researchers sequenced 38 mosquitoes - supplemented with publicly available genome data of two others - from 11 species within the leucosphyrus group.  The specimens were collected between 1992-2020 and involved sampling larvae from animal wallows hidden deep in the forest or in remote areas of Southeast Asia.

The study included species of all three subgroups (Leucosphyrus, Riparis and Hackeri), and represent all three blood-feeding behaviours - human, non-human primate, and mixed - providing a solid evolutionary framework mapping host preference within the Leucosphyrus group.

They found that the ancestors of the Leucosphyrus Group likely originated in the permanently humid conditions of Sundaland (Borneo, peninsular Malaysia, Sunda Shelf), during the early Pliocene, between 5.3 and 3.6 million years ago. These conditions favoured feeding in the canopy, so the mosquitoes most likely fed primarily on non-human primates.

However, the late Pliocene and into the Pleistocene, saw extensive environmental change, where the global climate became cooler and drier. The shift from permanent humidity to seasonal, open forest and expanding savannah, saw the arrival of a host of new mammals. This led to an adapted species of mosquitoes that could feed readily both in the canopy and on the ground.

The researchers suggest that this shift toward more flexible feeding behaviour may have been the bridge to human-feeding behaviour.

This paper was published in the journal Scientific Reports

Full title: Early hominin arrival in Southeast Asia triggered the evolution of major human malaria vectors

DOI:

Professor Ruth Itzhaki from The Universities of 黑料网吃瓜爆料 and Oxford, reveals how for many woman and girls, extreme violence, sexual attacks, killings tied to the honour of a family or clan, and female genital mutilation are a common reality.

A  leading neurovirologists who is known for her pioneering research into the role of viruses in Alzheimer鈥檚 disease, her book is the culmination of years of work published by World Scientific.

She was inspired to turn her hand to global women鈥檚 rights after reading harrowing  news reports-  and a shocking TV documentary showing Dalit women in India forced to remove human waste by hand using only straw brushes and pans.

Drawing on authoritative sources from the United Nations, the World Health Organization, and under researched government surveys, she presents a comprehensive and troubling picture of women鈥檚 rights in low and middle income countries (LMIC).

The book draws on extensive evidence from LMICs where data is available, showing abuses are widespread but nearly always under鈥憆eported.

In some LMICs, even if the crimes are punishable by law, public opinion in general tolerates or even condones the crimes.

Professor Itzhaki said: 鈥淔or millions of women and girls, their value is frequently measured solely by their ability to produce sons, forcing many into repeated pregnancies regardless of age or health.

鈥淎n innocent glance at a man can lead to punishment; dishonour can lead to violent retribution or even death, inflicted by male relatives -  sometimes, with the assent of female relatives-  who believe they are restoring family pride.

鈥淕irls can be married long before adolescence; their education restricted or banned entirely in some countries.

鈥淲idows can be blamed for their husbands鈥� deaths, accused of witchcraft, dispossessed of their homes, and forbidden to remarry.

鈥淚n one country 鈥� Afghanistan - women are even banned from speaking audibly in public.鈥�

The book also offers practical guidance on how individuals and communities can help combat gender鈥慴ased violence and discrimination.

It emphasises the importance of supporting organisations that protect survivors, promote equal rights, and work to end violence against women.

And it urges parents and educators to help shaping children鈥檚 understanding of equality, respect, and human rights, calling for conversations that help young people reject rigid expectations of how men and women should behave.

She added: 鈥淚 hope this book will inspire readers to take action, advocate for justice, and support initiatives that empower women through education, healthcare, and economic opportunity.

鈥淚t shows these abuses are not isolated incidents but systemic crimes affecting vast numbers of girls and women simply because of their sex.

鈥淏ut despite that,  public awareness remains dangerously low; silence allows these injustices to persist.

鈥淓specially pertinent on international women鈥檚 day, this book is an attempt to redress that balance.鈥�

The annual ceremony, which took  place on Wednesday  March 4 at 1:15pm, will remember the donors whose selfless gift has helped hundreds of medical, dental and science students gain a deeper understanding of human anatomy.

The donors also give surgeons a crucial opportunity to further their knowledge of anatomy in their quest to constantly improve clinical techniques and procedures.

The service, which is distinct from the final committal or funeral service of the donors, will be multi-denominational so any religious belief - or those without - are warmly welcomed.

Relatives and friends of the donors attended the ceremony alongside students, academics, technical and bequethals staff along with senior leaders at the University.

There will be a candle lighting ceremony during the service where a candle will be lit for each donor and their names read out.

Professor Margaret Kingston, Director of Undergraduate Medical and Dental Education will speak alongside Dr Bipasha Choudhury, School Lead for  Anatomy.

There will also be readings from Humanist minister Paul Costello, Methodist minister Richard Mottershead and Father Dushan, a Roman Catholic priest.

The Deputy Lord-Lieutenant of Greater 黑料网吃瓜爆料, His Majesty the King鈥檚 representative for Greater 黑料网吃瓜爆料, will be present.

Professor Nalin Thakkar,  Vice-President for Social Responsibility at the University of 黑料网吃瓜爆料 said: suggested  quote: 鈥淎s a University, we would like to express our deepest thanks to those who gave their bodies to science: your final act became a beginning for countless others.

鈥淭heir generosity helps knowledge to grow, medicine and science to advance, and humanity to move forward. Their wonderful gift will not be forgotten.鈥�

Dr Choudhury said: 鈥淲e are sincerely grateful to the donors for the gift they have bestowed upon our students and staff, helping us learn human anatomy in a profoundly moving way.

鈥淭丑谤辞耻驳丑 their generosity, and the generosity of their families, future health care professionals gain a deep understanding of the form and workings of the human body.鈥�

The wife of one of our donors said: 鈥淲e were moved by the serious gratitude expressed in the words of the service. The candle and name card represent the fact that the last resting place of John鈥檚 body is not under a gravestone or in a casket but it the brain and memory of each student for whom this was his final teaching role.鈥�

• For more details about donating your body to education and science, visit the University鈥檚 bequethals webpage .

The full conference programme and ticket information can be found at , or you can follow @fm44conference on X (Twitter) and @fm44conference.bsky.social on Bluesky. 

Conference sponsors: British Commission for Military History (BCMH), Society for Latin American Studies (SLAS) and 黑料网吃瓜爆料鈥檚 Student Enhancement Fund.

At a time of interconnected global crises, this partnership is grounded in two-way learning: MSF鈥檚 frontline operational experience will inform research-led teaching at 黑料网吃瓜爆料, while the University鈥檚 interdisciplinary expertise will support critical reflection, enquiry-based learning, and innovation in humanitarian practice.

This partnership will deepen the relationship between the two institutions, developing associated teaching and research collaborations, improving awareness of mutual expertise, and expanding the networks which facilitate cooperation.

Operating in over 75 countries, such as Iraq, Afghanistan and Sudan, MSF provide life-saving medical humanitarian assistance where it is needed most and use their expertise to ease the suffering of those in crisis situations around the world.

For the next four years, the University will continue to take on cohorts of MSF staff for blended learning through its Leadership Education Academic Partnership (LEAP) Programme in Humanitarian Practice, a collaboration between the University鈥檚 Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute (), the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and MSF.

The new partnership aims to build on the benefits of staff exchange, stimulating academic input in research and development projects at MSF, and the creation of joint seminars and events, with staff from both organisations holding a mutual presence on steering committees and bodies such as MSF鈥檚 internal think tank, Centre de R茅flexion sur l'Action et les Savoirs Humanitaires (CRASH).

Professor Nicolas Lemay-H茅bert, Executive Director of HCRI, said: 鈥淭he HCRI is committed to bringing together a broad range of expertise to facilitate positive global change and improve worldwide crisis response.

鈥淥ur part in helping to train MSF鈥檚 leaders through our multi-disciplinary approach to humanitarian solutions is an essential part of this mission. This partnership will benefit from a sharing of valuable expertise and resources and will work to accelerate that global change.鈥�

The partnership also builds on what is an already-strong student engagement with MSF through Friends of MSF 黑料网吃瓜爆料, a student-led society for students interested in international crises, health equity and humanitarian work.

This new arrangement will allow the University to influence humanitarian activity by providing world-class research and resources to support MSF鈥檚 global humanitarian work in crises such as the civil war in Sudan, or widespread malnutrition, while gaining insight from MSF鈥檚 operations across the globe.

This March, the Masood Entrepreneurship Centre (MEC) at 黑料网吃瓜爆料 is marking International Women鈥檚 Month through a focused campaign celebrating women leaders, founders and practitioners within the MEC entrepreneurial community, alongside two dedicated events designed to inspire and support women across the University. 

Supporting Women in Entrepreneurship 

While the UK is one of Europe鈥檚 leading startup ecosystems, gender imbalance persists. Around 20% of UK startups include women founders, and all-female teams receive less than 2% of venture capital investment. Women also remain underrepresented in senior leadership roles and continue to face barriers to funding, networks and visibility. 

MEC鈥檚 International Women鈥檚 Month activity responds to these challenges by combining reflection, practical skills development and direct engagement with experienced women entrepreneurs.

Our Activities

5th March | Female Founders Vision Boarding | #MECIWD26 

4:00鈥�6:00pm | Alliance 黑料网吃瓜爆料 Business School 

To mark International Women鈥檚 Day, this hands-on workshop invites participants to pause, reflect and confidently envision their next steps. Through open discussion and a creative vision-boarding activity, attendees will explore entrepreneurial aspirations, identify potential challenges and translate ambition into action. 

The session creates space to discuss confidence, access and visibility while connecting participants to MEC鈥檚 wider support ecosystem. Pizza will be provided.

24th March | Women in Leadership and Entrepreneurship 

4:00鈥�6:30辫尘 

This panel event brings together women founders, programme leaders, students and professionals to explore leadership journeys, venture growth and inclusive professional environments. 

Through shared experiences and interactive discussion, participants will gain practical insight into navigating challenges, building networks and strengthening their impact across business and academia.

2nd 鈥� 30th March | Social Media Campaign: Read. Lead. Inspire. #MECIWD26 

Alongside our two flagship events, MEC will run an interactive Instagram campaign throughout International Women鈥檚 Month. From 2鈥�30 March, Read. Learn. Inspire. invites students, staff, and alumni to celebrate women in entrepreneurship. 

• Read: Leaders and academics share their favourite books written by women, with reflections on leadership and entrepreneurship.
• Learn: Take a fun quiz to discover the women inventors and entrepreneurs behind products we use every day.
• Inspire: Celebrate the vital role of women in the economy, society, and science. Follow @uom_mec, get involved throughout the month, and share the campaign. #MECIWD26 

Through polls, book-inspired features, and interactive content, join the conversation, discover new role models, and celebrate bold, women-led ventures. By amplifying these stories, we inspire future founders to step forward and see entrepreneurship as a space where they belong.

About the Masood Entrepreneurship Centre 

The Masood Entrepreneurship Centre (MEC) at 黑料网吃瓜爆料's, supports students, graduates and researchers to develop entrepreneurial skills, launch ventures and engage with innovation through structured programmes, competitions and ecosystem partnerships. 

Through initiatives including 黑料网吃瓜爆料 Venture Builder, Venture Further Awards and the Female Founders Network, MEC is committed to fostering inclusive entrepreneurship and ensuring talented individuals have the confidence, capability and networks to transform ambitious ideas into impactful ventures.

If you would like to learn more and get involved with any of the above activities, please contact entrepreneurship@manchester.ac.uk

Self-harm has become increasingly common among young people in the UK. It can be a significant concern for young people themselves, their families, and the services that support them, and is associated with a range of other psychological difficulties in both the short and long term. This trial follows previous research suggesting that CAT may show promise in helping adults who self-harm.

Dr Peter Taylor, from 黑料网吃瓜爆料 and co-lead of the trial, said: 鈥淲e know that difficulties with self-harm often begin during adolescence, and for some people they can have a lifelong impact. Talking therapies can help. We believe CAT has potential here, but further research is needed.鈥�

Professor Stephen Kellett, from Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust and the other co-lead, added:鈥淐AT is different from many therapies currently used for self-harm, as it focuses more on the relationships young people have with others and with themselves, and how these patterns can contribute to self-harm.鈥�

RELATE-YP is a feasibility trial, meaning it is an early step in testing whether CAT is a suitable treatment for young people who self-harm. The study will explore whether young people find CAT helpful and whether a larger trial would be appropriate.

The trial is currently running across three NHS Foundation Trusts:

1.                  Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust

2.                  Greater 黑料网吃瓜爆料 Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust

3.                  Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust

The study is recruiting young people through Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

Cameron Latham, a co-investigator who also has personal experience of self-harm, commented on why this research is needed: 鈥淪elf-injury affects the lives of so many people and a brief, effective, available therapy for young people would be a valuable addition to treatment. Throughout this trial part of my role is to further ensure the well-being of those who self-injure and through PPI involvement ensure the voices of patient, parents and carers are heard.鈥�

As the UK prepares for a rapid expansion of tidal energy, (not)NOISY (Propagation of NOISe generated by tidal arraYs and its environmental impacts) will develop the first advanced tools capable of predicting the cumulative underwater noise produced by tidal turbine arrays before they are built.

The research will support industry, regulators and policymakers to strengthen the evidence base used in environmental assessments and enable informed, proportionate decision-making as the sector grows.

Tidal energy is emerging as a key part of the UK鈥檚 renewable energy mix. Unlike wind and solar power, which depend on weather conditions, tidal power is highly predictable and can deliver a steady, reliable source of energy day in, day out, making it the perfect complement to other renewable energy.

As the sector scales-up and larger turbine arrays, with 10 devices or more, are planned for deployment, understanding their environmental impacts is becoming increasingly important, particularly potential collision risks with marine macro-fauna and underwater noise. Modelling suggests turbine noise could travel up to 8 km through the ocean.

Lead researcher , Research Fellow in the Department of Civil Engineering and Management at 黑料网吃瓜爆料, said: 鈥淭idal stream energy has enormous potential to support the UK鈥檚 Net Zero ambitions, but its long-term success depends on our ability to accurately assess and manage environmental impacts, hence accelerating project permitting and licensing.

鈥淣oise generation is one of the biggest uncertainties facing tidal projects today but tools to estimate cumulative acoustic outputs with high confidence do not yet exist. With tidal arrays expected to grow in number and size, we need tools that can predict their cumulative acoustic footprint prior to deployment. (not)NOISY will provide exactly that.鈥�

The research team will develop advanced high-fidelity computer models and AI-assisted rapid tools that closely replicate real world tidal stream site conditions, allowing researchers to quantify how noise from tidal turbines travels through real marine environments. The model will be applied in both near- and far-wake regions, across different turbine types (floating and bottom-fixed) and environmental conditions at four major European sites 鈥� EMEC and in Scotland, Raz Blanchard between France and the Channel Islands and Morlais in Wales.

The findings will lead to the development of PyTAI (Python Tidal-Array Induced acoustics), an open-source, AI-driven tool that will enable rapid prediction of tidal turbine noise under a wide range of operating conditions. The tool will support future environmental impact assessments and contribute to the development of evidence-based policy and regulatory guidance.

Dr Ouro added: 鈥淏y improving confidence in marine noise prediction, we hope this project will help accelerate the next generation of tidal-stream developments, supporting clean energy growth while protecting marine ecosystems, in order to  foster an industry of national importance.鈥�

(not)NOISY is funded by UKRI Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council Supergen Offshore Renewable Energy Impact hub and brings together a strong international consortium, including three European turbine manufacturers, UK and French tidal project developers, policymakers and academic partners, ensuring close collaboration between research, industry and regulation.

Published in , the study was mainly funded by the Medical Research Council. Respondents were members of a long-term project on police health at Imperial College London, which also provided infrastructure support for the survey. 

Most UK police officers wear an ear-piece in one ear. The devices are capable of high sound levels so that they can be heard over background noise. Past reports have emphasised that officers must choose low volume-control settings to protect their hearing. 

Until now, there has been no research into the volume settings actually used, or their effects on hearing health. 

黑料网吃瓜爆料 researchers asked 4,498 UK police personnel about their volume-control settings, patterns of ear-piece use, immediate after-effects, and long-term hearing symptoms. 

Over 45% of ear-piece users reported experiencing signs of temporary hearing loss (muffled hearing or ringing in their ear) immediately after using an ear-piece. These after-effects were more common in police who used higher volume-control settings. 

Even more important were links to long-term hearing problems. Ear-piece use accompanied by immediate after-effects more than doubled an officer鈥檚 risk of having tinnitus (spontaneously ringing ears, which can indicate permanent hearing damage). It also raised the risk of having diagnosed hearing loss by 93%. 

Crucially, symptoms were much more common in the ear with the ear-piece than the opposite ear, increasing the likelihood that hearing problems were directly linked to ear-piece use. 

The project鈥檚 senior advisor, Professor Chris Plack of 黑料网吃瓜爆料, said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 not unusual to experience signs of temporary hearing loss after being in extremely noisy environments, such as nightclubs or concerts. For police to experience these after-effects in the workplace is concerning.鈥� 

The lead researcher, of 黑料网吃瓜爆料, said: 鈥淲e were surprised that ear-piece use with after-effects was so strongly linked to long-term hearing symptoms. And the fact that symptoms tended to appear in the exposed ear, rather than the opposite ear, is a particularly telling finding.鈥�

But Dr Guest cautioned: 鈥淚t鈥檚 important not to over-interpret our results, since they are based on survey responses. Going forward, laboratory hearing tests are needed to confirm whether ear-piece users have measurable differences between their ears.

鈥淭hese should include standard clinical hearing tests, like those used by NHS audiologists, but also tests that are sensitive to the early warning signs of hearing damage.鈥�

Professor Plack said: 鈥淲e also need to understand why officers choose such high volume-control settings. This knowledge could help us find ways to reduce risks to police hearing, such as improved ear-piece technology, training for officers on safe use, and increased monitoring of hearing health.

鈥淥ur data aren鈥檛 the final word, but they are a notable discovery that warrants further investigation. They point to the need not only for follow-up laboratory testing but also for practical steps to reduce long-term risk.鈥�

Dr Guest added: 鈥淲e are pleased that key groups within UK policing - including the Disabled Police Association and the Police Chief Medical Officer - have been open to discussing our findings and are keen to explore measures to protect police hearing.鈥�

• The paper, Leveraging monaural exposures to reveal early effects of noise: Evidence from police radio ear-piece use, is published at
• Simple visualisations of the key study findings are available for media professionals and the public at

The researchers found the same pattern of seasonal variation in the highest quality sperm in two very different climates鈥� Denmark and Florida鈥� suggesting that seasonality affects male fertility more than temperature alone.

The study was published in the peer-reviewed journal and has practical implications for male fertility care.

Understanding seasonal patterns, for example, could help clinics optimise the timing of treatment and fertility testing to provide better guidance to couples trying to conceive.

Though scientists have long known that many human biological processes change with the seasons, previous studies on the quality of semen at different times of the year have provided conflicting results due to small sample sizes or differences in climate and laboratory methods from study to study.

To address that, this new study analysed semen samples from 15,581 men applying to be sperm donors between 2018 and 2024.

The men were aged 18 to 45 and lived near Cryos International clinics in Denmark and Florida.

All samples were analysed within an hour using the same computer assisted system to ensure consistent measurement.

The team examined sperm concentration, sperm motility (how well sperm can swim and move forward), and ejaculate volume across all months of the year.

They also looked at outdoor temperatures during the month the sperm was collected and two months earlier, when early sperm development begins.

Advanced statistical models were used to identify seasonal trends while accounting for the man鈥檚 age, outdoor temperatures, and long-term changes across the study period.

The results revealed strong and consistent seasonal variation in the concentration of progressively motile sperm.

Fast鈥憁oving sperm were most abundant in June and July in both Denmark and Florida.

Levels were lowest in December and January, even though Florida remains warm year round.

The study found no seasonal changes in total sperm concentration or ejaculate volume, suggesting the number of sperm produced does not vary by season, though their ability to move effectively does.

The number of motile sperm per ejaculate also followed a seasonal pattern, even after accounting for temperature, indicating that factors other than heat鈥攕uch as variation in lifestyle, daylight, or environmental exposures鈥攎ay influence sperm motility.

Co-author P from 黑料网吃瓜爆料 said: 鈥淲e were struck by how similar the seasonal pattern was in two completely different climates.

鈥淓ven in Florida, where temperatures stay warm, sperm motility still peaked in summer and dipped in winter, which tells us that ambient temperature alone is unlikely to explain these changes.鈥�

He added: 鈥淥ur study highlights the importance of considering seasonality when evaluating semen quality. It also shows that seasonal variation in sperm motility occurs even in warm climates. These findings deepen our understanding of male reproductive health and may help improve fertility outcomes.鈥�

Medical director at Cryos international, Anne-Bine Skytte said: 鈥淭hese data suggest that the month of the year when a man first attends a clinic to be evaluated as a sperm donor, will impact on the quality of the sample he produces and therefore may influence the chances of him being accepted as a donor.

鈥淗aving an ejaculate that contains a high number of swimming sperm is one of the main characteristics we look for when deciding whether he is suitable or not.

• The paper Seasonal trends in sperm quality in Denmark and Florida is available https://doi.org/10.1186/s12958-026-01537-w

黑料网吃瓜爆料 and Calgary researchers publish their study today in the Journal of Health Economics amid a backdrop of dwindling numbers of GPs practice owners-known as partners.

That, say the researchers, puts the managerial and financial burden of operating a practice on increasingly smaller numbers of GPs, with a heightened consequential risk of burnout and stress.

It is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Policy Research Unit (PRU) in Health and Social Care Systems and Commissioning.

Practices in the UK are generally owned and operated by one or more self-employed independent contractors referred to as partners.

Under most general practice contracts with the NHS, there must be at least one General Practitioner (GP) partner at a practice; however, not all partners need to be GPs.

One potential way to provide a sustainable alternative structure for general practice they say, could be non-clinical ownership with practice managers as partners.

The managers, responsible for administration, HR, and financial management, typically handle the business and operational aspects of the practice and do not usually have medical training.

By 2022, the number of practices reporting they had a manager partner had grown to 335, from 0 in 2015, serving 7% of patients registered at general practices in England.

Based on analysis of data from England鈥檚 37,660 practice-years from 5,026 general practices between 2015 and 2023, the researchers use a range of sources to investigate the impact of non-clinical ownership stakes on key primary care outcomes.

They found that appointing a manager partner leads to significant increases in full-time equivalent (FTE) direct patient care staff, excluding GPs and nurses, as well as administrative staff numbers and total patient list size.

Practices that appoint a manager partner were found to be more sustainable because they were less likely to subsequently merge or close.

There were no significant impacts on numbers of GP or nurse staff, GP turnover, quality of care, patients鈥� satisfaction and access. And income from reimbursement for non-core services, such as local or direct enhanced service, quality outcome framework payments, and medication administration payments,  were higher following appointment of a practice manager as a partner.

Co -author from 黑料网吃瓜爆料 said: 鈥淥ur study shows shared GP and manager partnership has the potential to reduce risk of closure of practices while easing GP partners financial and administrative burden.鈥�

鈥淭his ownership model is feasible within many other healthcare systems, where physicians may seek to share with non-clinical colleagues the financial and administrative burden associated with operating practices.鈥�

Co-author Dr Sean Urwin from 黑料网吃瓜爆料, said: 鈥淎s the number of GP partners continues to decrease, the managerial and financial burden of operating a practice is placed upon an increasingly smaller number of GPs.

鈥淲hile not a like-for-like substitute for GPs, we argue that non-GP partners can alleviate some partnership burdens and offer additional managerial skills.

鈥淥ur analysis also indicates that manager partners offer a potential route for smaller practices to retain their independence rather than being integrated into larger organizations.鈥�

Co-author Dr Ben walker from the University of Calgary, Canada, said: 鈥淭he appointment as of practice managers as partners may offer a number of benefits.

鈥淭he increase in direct patient care staff in practices that appoint manager partners could be indicative of the manager鈥檚 efforts to improve the organisational efficiency and performance of the practice.

鈥淲ith expertise in business planning, they may be better placed and more incentivised to maximise income, leaving more time for GPs to concentrate ion patient care and even potentially slowing the decline in GP partner retention.

鈥淏ut also, manager partners鈥� skills in HR and financial planning may improve staff organisation and recruitment.鈥�

• The paper Shared Stakes in English General Practice: The Impact of Practice Managers as Partners on Outcomes is available  

Although focused on Mexico, the findings have global relevance as countries accelerate restoration pledges and international initiatives led by organisations such as the United Nations. The researchers hope their work will help policymakers to design fairer, more effective restoration strategies, ensuring that efforts to restore nature also strengthen communities and deliver lasting benefits for people and the planet.

DOI:

The , authored by the Sustainable Materials Innovation Hub at 黑料网吃瓜爆料, explores the consequences of terminology choices on end-of-life solutions for plastic waste. While recycling has long been touted as a solution for plastic sustainability - it comes in many forms, and can sometimes serve as a smokescreen for genuine discussions around sustainability.

The researchers, Seiztinger, Lahive, and Shaver, find directional terms - such as 鈥榰pcycling鈥� and 鈥榙owncycling鈥� - to be poorly defined as value propositions, and that their use can skew perceptions of the benefits, potentially posing barrier to circularity.

鈥楧owncycling鈥�, for instance, implies the production of a less favourable or 鈥榣ess good鈥� material as the end product of the recycling process, while 鈥榰pcycling鈥� has positive connotations. However, despite what these terms suggest, a 鈥榙owncycled鈥� stream may produce a high value product, while an 鈥榰pcycled鈥� path may have a greater negative environmental impact than alternative routes.

Using these terms assigns disproportionate value to certain end-of-life plastic solution strategies, and can be used by supporters or detractors of different recycling technologies to obscure genuine evaluation of their environmental impact.

The study, published in the journal , suggests that plastic waste solutions consistently fail to live up to their marketed messaging, and that clearer communication of the true value of the product from a recycling process is essential to drive investment in proper plastic waste management. Corresponding author, Professor of Polymer Science at 黑料网吃瓜爆料, said: 鈥淭he confused terminology surrounding the fate of waste plastic often lacks a consideration of value and unintended consequences. As these terms are now being used to promote technologies outside of a sustainable system, we felt it important to argue for clarity and caution when presuming quality from this directional terminology.鈥�

The researchers argue that no single solution offers a quick fix, and that it is wrong for the terminology to suggest otherwise. They call for greater clarity over how we value end-products. They suggest a 鈥榮piral system鈥� of reuse, in which plastic materials are treated as complex mixtures that, like crude oil, can be chemically deconstructed at the end of their life and transformed to become a huge range of longer-lasting products over their lifetime.

For example, a yoghurt pot could be reconstituted into car parts, and then after that into a park bench. Ultimately, after many years of service, it could be chemically deconstructed, and turned back into a yoghurt pot. As the polypropylene in such simple packaging is already used in cars, hard shell suitcases, garden furniture, appliances, and plumbing, a cross-sector approach to reuse of plastic waste could generate more value than an approach focused solely on single-use packaging.

By moving away from direction-loaded terminology, researchers suggest that plastic waste solutions can be judged on the measurable environmental and economic value of the end-products, rather than an assumed or subjective value based on language, that is not always supported by full life-cycle assessment or economic analysis.

Dr Claire Seitzinger added: 鈥淏uilding a circular plastics economy means looking at the whole system, not isolated solutions pitched against each other. Policy, industry, innovation and collaboration across sectors are essential for a sustainable future. The next time you eat a yoghurt, where do you want the pot to end up? Should it become another yoghurt pot? A park bench? A car? What is best? And what should you, the packaging producer, or the government do to make that to happen?鈥�

Paper details:

Journal: Cambridge Prisms: Plastics 

Full title: Up, down and back again: Value judgements in polymer recycling

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/plc.2026.10041.pr1

DOI:  

A short report for national government will be produced following the event, drawing on the insights of all participants. It will set out what linked administrative data can achieve, what infrastructure already exists across the North to support it, and what policy action is needed to scale it nationally.

In a new study by University of 黑料网吃瓜爆料 scientists published in , researchers aimed to uncover why these treatments fail for some individuals. To do this, the team analysed blood samples from people living with MG and compared them to those of healthy volunteers to understand the underlying cellular differences that drive standard therapy resistance.

A Pattern of Immune Imbalance
The study revealed distinct immune system abnormalities in patients with refractory MG. These patients showed an overactive adaptive immune response, specifically involving increased numbers of memory B cells.

At the same time, the researchers found that regulatory T cells鈥攚hich normally act as a 鈥榖raking system鈥� to suppress excessive inflammation鈥攚ere markedly reduced. This combination of an overactive attack and a weakened braking system contributes to significant immune dysregulation.

The research also identified changes in the innate immune system, including reduced dendritic cells and increased monocytes, along with heightened activity of the complement system, all pointing to ongoing immune-mediated damage at the neuromuscular junction.

Predicting Treatment Response
The team also examined a small group of refractory patients treated with rituximab, a drug designed to remove B cells. Although B cells were successfully reduced in all patients, only some showed meaningful clinical improvement.

The study found that those who did not respond appeared to have a version of the disease driven by long-lived plasma cells and particularly high complement activity. This discovery suggests that these specific patients may benefit more from therapies that target the complement pathway rather than just B cells.

鈥淔or patients whose symptoms do not improve with existing treatments, the lack of clear answers can be incredibly frustrating,鈥� said , Neurology Consultant at 黑料网吃瓜爆料 Centre for Clinical Neuroscience. 鈥淥ur findings help explain why some therapies work for certain patients but not others, and point toward more personalised approaches that could improve outcomes in the future.鈥�

鈥淥ur study identifies a distinct immune signature associated with treatment-resistant myasthenia gravis,鈥� said , UKRI Future Leaders Fellow at the  and lead author of the paper. 鈥淯nderstanding these immune differences brings us closer to predicting how patients will respond to therapy and to developing more targeted, personalised treatment approaches.鈥�

• Lymphocyte alterations and elevated complement signaling are key features of refractory myasthenia gravis published in . DOI: 

The second half goes here

Published in the journal European Urology Oncology today (20/02/26), the researchers show men with learning disabilities are 35% more likely than similar aged men without learning disabilities to have prostate cancer symptoms but 34% less likely to have a diagnostic PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) test. 

The study is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Greater 黑料网吃瓜爆料 Patient Safety Research Collaboration (GM PSRC). The research team is supported by both the NIHR GM PSRC and the NIHR 黑料网吃瓜爆料 Biomedical Research Centre (BRC). 

Following an elevated PSA, referrals are 17% less likely, biopsies 46% less likely and prostate cancer diagnoses 49% less likely. 

They were almost six times more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer on the date of death, 79% more likely to present with metastatic disease at an advanced stage and had a two-fold increased risk of death following diagnosis. 

And they were also 61% more likely to have missing Gleason scores, the grading system used to evaluate prostate cancer based on how cancer cells look under a microscope. 

However, when prostate cancer was diagnosed at a localised stage and deemed to require treatment, men with learning disabilities received curative therapies at similar rates to those without. This suggests that the benefits of early diagnosis apply equally to this group.

The study population comprised 29,554 men with a learning disability compared to 518,739 men with no recorded diagnosis of a learning disability, linked to hospital, mortality, and cancer registry data. 

Lead author Dr Oliver Kennedy a clinical lecturer from 黑料网吃瓜爆料 and The Christie NHS Foundation Trust said: 鈥淟earning disabilities are increasingly recognised as a hidden driver of cancer mortality. However, evidence on prostate cancer care in this population is limited. 

鈥淭his study is the first to identify specific points along the prostate cancer diagnostic and treatment pathway that may contribute to poorer outcomes for patients with a learning disability.鈥� 

And co-author , director of the NIHR Greater 黑料网吃瓜爆料 PSRC and professor at 黑料网吃瓜爆料, said: 鈥淟earning 鈥� or intellectual - disability is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition characterised by significant impairments in intellectual functioning and adaptive behaviour, with onset in childhood. 

鈥淚n the UK, 1.5 million people have a learning disability. This group frequently encounters barriers within healthcare services, including communication difficulties, not doing enough to remove barriers, and the overshadowing of new symptoms on existing  health conditions. 

鈥淢en with a learning disability face disparities across the prostate cancer care pathway, from investigation of relevant symptoms to survival after diagnosis. Targeted interventions are needed to address these inequities.鈥�

Dr Kennedy added: 鈥淎ddressing these health disparities has been recognised as a priority by the NHS Long Term Plan, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance, and the Learning from Lives and Deaths programme in England.

鈥淲e hope our study provides strong evidence that prostate cancer should be part of that conversation

Jon Sparkes OBE, Chief Executive of learning disability charity Mencap, said: 鈥淭oo many men with a learning disability are being let down by a health system that doesn鈥檛 spot their cancers early enough or support them to navigate complex treatments.

鈥淭his important research into what is now the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the UK should be a wake-up call: with the right reasonable adjustments, accessible information and specialist support, these inequalities are not inevitable.

鈥淭丑谤辞耻驳丑 we鈥檙e working with health partners across the UK to get more people on the Learning Disability Register. Being on the register means they鈥檒l receive free annual health checks and support in the way they need it, so health problems can be spotted and treated earlier.

鈥淏ut we can鈥檛 do this alone. We need the NHS, government and cancer services to join us in making inclusive health a priority 鈥� acting on this evidence and putting the right support in place at every stage of the cancer pathway.鈥�

Natalia Norori, Head of Data & Evidence at Prostate Cancer UK, said: "The results of this paper are deeply concerning. It sheds light on the stark inequalities men with learning disabilities face at every stage of the pathway - from diagnosis, to treatment and even death.

"This issue goes beyond prostate cancer, but by understanding the impact of these inequalities in the most common cancer in the UK, we can begin to tackle it.

"More work now needs to be done to understand more about why these men are facing so many obstacles to accessing care and how to prevent them. That's why Prostate Cancer UK's TRANSFORM screening trial has been specifically designed to evaluate the impact of screening in all men, including those with learning disabilities, to ensure no man is left behind."

• The paper Prostate Cancer Care in Men with an Intellectual Disability: A Population-Based Cohort Study of Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment and Survival is  available DOI : https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euo.2026.01.004

From the 23rd to the 27th February 2026, a new exhibition will showcase the exciting work of ' and its' digital research activity.

Focusing on its five research themes - Digital Cultures, Digital Economy, Digital Health, Digital Society and Digital Worlds, and two capability themes - Digital Skills and AI@ 黑料网吃瓜爆料, the exhibition will present a series of posters and the existing multidisciplinary strengths at 黑料网吃瓜爆料.

The exhibition will be at based in space B2 on the Ground Floor of The Nancy Rothwell Building all week. Visit us to learn more and explore new ways to shape our digital future!

The landmark licensing agreement was announced at a celebration of the sixtieth anniversary of the Cypriot university this week (18 Feb) in Limassol.

黑料网吃瓜爆料鈥檚 School of Medical Sciences programme will be used as a model to develop a new offering to teach undergraduate medical students at a new medical school in 2028, with a new building planned at the Limassol campus.

The agreement is testament to the quality of medical education at 黑料网吃瓜爆料 which can trace its roots way back over 250 years.

It is also reflects the university鈥檚 commitment to  social responsibility by helping to reduce the global deficit of health professionals.

黑料网吃瓜爆料 will provide training to support staff at Frederick University working with two private hospitals in Limassol: Ygia hospital and the Mediterranean Hospital of Cyprus to deliver clinical placements for the Frederick University medical students.

The programme is being thoughtfully adapted to reflect the healthcare priorities, regulatory framework, and cultural context of Cyprus, ensuring that graduates are prepared to meet local and regional medical needs while benefiting from an internationally respected academic framework.

The programme, which is still being finalised, will be submitted to the Cyprus Agency of Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Higher Education.

黑料网吃瓜爆料, one of the UK鈥檚 leading centres for medical education, research, and clinical excellence, will provide ongoing support and training for each academic year.

Deputy Dean and Deputy Vice President of the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health at 黑料网吃瓜爆料, Professor Allan Pacey and Professor Margaret Kingston,  Director of Undergraduate Medical and Dental Studies, were at the celebration.

Professor Pacey said: 鈥淎s one of the United Kingdom鈥檚 largest and most innovative medical schools, we are delighted to announce this partnership.

鈥淏ased in one of Europe鈥檚 largest healthcare hubs in 黑料网吃瓜爆料, our medical students benefit from early patient contact, world-class teaching hospitals, and a curriculum grounded in innovation, compassion, and evidence-based practice.

鈥淕raduates leave not only as highly skilled clinicians, but as leaders ready to shape the future of global healthcare.

鈥淲e are delighted to be able to share our experience with Frederick University so they will be able to nurture their own world class medics in Cyprus.鈥�

Professor Tony Heagerty, Head of the School of Medical Sciences said: 鈥満诹贤怨媳�,  founded as a civic university, has had a historic focus on social responsibility and this partnership has been built on a foundation of those shared values.  

鈥淥ur agreement between School of Medical Sciences and Frederick University  reflects our part in helping to reduce the global deficit of health professionals.

鈥淎nd It aligns with the university's commitment to ensuring teaching can make a positive, ethical, and lasting impact on society.

鈥淚n Frederick, we recognise a partner which is also focused on making a difference in Cyprus and the rest of the world.鈥�

President of the Council of Frederick University, Natassa Frederickou said: 鈥淲e are honoured to partner with 黑料网吃瓜爆料 in this landmark collaboration, which marks an important milestone for Frederick University and for the development of medical education in Cyprus.

鈥淭he establishment of the first Medical School in Limassol reflects the shared long-term vision of Frederick University and 黑料网吃瓜爆料 to advance medical education and research in the region. This partnership is grounded in a common commitment to academic excellence, social responsibility, and global impact.

鈥淏y sharing the curriculum approach, academic philosophy, and rigorous standards associated with one of the world鈥檚 leading medical schools, we will offer education of international calibre. Together, we aim to educate future doctors who combine scientific expertise with compassion, while strengthening healthcare systems and advancing medical research for the benefit of society. This partnership is built on shared values, and we are proud to take this significant step forward together.鈥�

The briefing 鈥� drawing on research and insights from academics at 黑料网吃瓜爆料鈥� finds that healthcare in prisons is fragmented across the health and justice departments, with responsibility split between multiple agencies and service providers and no single body in charge. Poor coordination between the Department of Health and Social Care, the Ministry of Justice and healthcare providers continues to undermine the quality and continuity of care available to prisoners.

This lack of joined-up working is compounded by severe pressures in the prison system itself. Overcrowding, staff shortages and an ageing, crumbling prison estate are making it harder to deliver basic healthcare and are contributing to poor health outcomes among prisoners. On average, people in prison have a life expectancy more than 20 years lower than the general population. While around 70% of prisoners are estimated to need mental health support, only around 10% are recorded as receiving treatment.[1]

Supporting people鈥檚 underlying health needs has been identified as a critical component of reducing reoffending. Chief Medical Officer for England, Professor Chris Whitty, highlighted offending and reoffending are strongly linked to health, with the greatest risks occur at moments of transition: entry into prison, transfers between facilities, and after release.[2]

The pressures within the system are only set to get worse, due to an ageing prison population. Nearly 1 in 4 prisoners is now aged 50 or over, a group with complex and chronic health needs that prisons were never designed to meet.[3] Deaths from natural causes among older prisoners have increased over the past decades, yet access to appropriate care, including palliative and end-of-life support, remains inconsistent.

The SMF warns that without reform, the prison health system will continue to miss the chance to break cycles of ill health, disadvantage and crime.

To address these challenges, the Social Market Foundation sets out four key priorities for government, including:

• establishing a sustainable, long-term funding settlement for prison healthcare;
• improving coordination and integration between health services, justice agencies and service providers;
• prioritising prevention and early intervention; and
• strengthening cross-government oversight of prisoner health.

Jake Shepherd, Senior Researcher at the Social Market Foundation, said: "Healthcare is a human right 鈥� that includes people in prison. Many prisoners enter custody in poor health, and weaknesses in the system mean health outcomes in prison are consistently worse than in the wider population. While investing in prison health may not be politically popular, it brings wider public health benefits and can help reduce reoffending, leading to long-term savings. Prison health is therefore not just a moral issue, but a practical one鈥�.

鈥淭he Government should start by investing more, focusing on prevention, and improving how organisations work together on prisoner healthcare, to make prisons safer places that support healthy lives and rehabilitation.鈥�

, Senior Research Fellow in Social Care and Society at 黑料网吃瓜爆料 said: 鈥淭his report from Policy@ 黑料网吃瓜爆料 and the Social Market Foundation identifies the systemic barriers that prevent people living in prison from accessing the health and social care they need. Health and social care in prisons should be on an equivalent footing to services provided in the community, but research at 黑料网吃瓜爆料 shows this is consistently not the case. 

鈥淧oor health amongst people living in prison is the product of overstretched systems, deteriorating environments, and long鈥憇tanding inequalities that follow people into prison. Crucially, this work highlights the growing health needs of older people and women of all ages living in prison. Addressing these issues will deliver benefits far beyond the prison walls, and policymakers should act on the evidence-led recommendations this report provides.鈥� 

• The SMF report will be published at   

[1] Mental Health in Prison.

[2] The Health of People in Prison, on Probation, and in the Secure NHS Estate in England (Department of Health and Social Care and Ministry of Justice, 2025).

[3] ^cx The Health of People in Prison, on Probation, and in the Secure NHS Estate in England.

Earth-observation satellites are increasingly relied upon to support efforts to meet the United Nations鈥� 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), providing critical data on issues like land use, urban development, ecosystems and disaster response. However, the rapid growth of satellite missions is also making Earth鈥檚 orbits more crowded and hazardous, increasing the risk of collisions and the creation of long-lasting space debris.

There are currently around 11,800 active satellites in orbit, but some predictions suggest that number could rise to more than 100,000 by the end of the decade. Collisions in space can generate large amounts of debris, threatening satellites, astronauts and the long-term usability of key orbital regions.

The new model, which links satellite mission objectives with collision risk as a key first step in mission design, is presented in the journal .

Lead author , PhD researcher at 黑料网吃瓜爆料, said: 鈥淥ur research addresses what is described as a 鈥渟pace sustainability paradox鈥�, the risk that using satellites to solve environmental and social challenges on Earth could ultimately undermine the long-term sustainability of space itself.

鈥淏y integrating collision risk into early mission design, we ensure Earth-observation missions can be planned more responsibly, balancing data quality with the need to protect the orbital environment.鈥�

Many applications that support the SDGs rely on very high-resolution satellite imagery. To achieve this level of detail, satellites often operate at lower altitudes, which reduces their field of view. Alternatively, they can operate at higher altitudes but must be larger and heavier to carry bigger optical systems. This increases their exposure to space debris and makes collisions more likely and potentially more damaging.

The new modelling framework allows satellite performance requirements and collision risk to be considered together during mission design, rather than being assessed separately or late in development.

The approach links mission requirements, such as image resolution and coverage, with estimates of satellite size, mass, the numbers of satellites in a constellation, and the level of debris present in different regions of low Earth orbit. This allows designers to explore how different mission choices affect both data quality and collision risk.

Using the model, the researchers found that collision risk does not simply peak where debris is most concentrated - satellite size also plays a major role. For example, for a satellite designed to deliver 0.5 metre resolution imagery, collision probability was highest between 850 and 950 kilometres above Earth - about 50 kilometres higher than the peak in debris density.

The study also found that although higher orbits require fewer satellites to achieve coverage, those satellites carry a greater individual collision risk because they are much larger. Lower orbits need more satellites, but each one can be smaller and therefore less hazardous.

Dr , Lecturer in Aerospace Systems at 黑料网吃瓜爆料, said: 鈥淎s satellite use continues to grow, our method offers a practical way to ensure that space remains safe, sustainable and usable for generations to come, while still delivering the data needed to address the world鈥檚 most pressing challenges.鈥�

, Professor of Space Technology at 黑料网吃瓜爆料, added: 鈥淭he method could also be adapted for different Earth-observation systems and expanded to include more detailed space-environment impacts. In future work, we could account for how long debris fragments stay in orbit, how likely they are to hit other satellites, and the wider environmental effects of satellite re-entry. This would allow mission designers to evaluate trade-offs across the full sustainability picture.鈥�

This research was published in the journal Advances in Space Research

Full title: Collision risk from performance requirements in Earth observation mission design

DOI: