Perspectives on Place: what the English think about their local area

This briefing summarises findings from a survey conducted by YouGov in England in September 2025 which sought to measure and track how people view their local area (relative to other areas and the past) and understand the connection between those perceptions of place (and place-based attitudes towards government and politics) and material conditions – measured across a range of domains (e.g. crime, high streets, housing, health). The survey interviewed 2,610 adults online in England between 18 and 19 September 2025. It also asked about what people thought the most important issue was locally, what specific improvement(s) might make places better, prioritisation between growing the economy as a whole vs improving ‘left behind’ areas, and support for a range of proposals to tackle policy issues (such as on transport, high streets, education and skills). The survey included a number of items that previously had been fielded in surveys by UK in a Changing Europe (with KCL) and the Centre for the South at the University of Southampton in 2022 and 2024 respectively. This enables us to determine how perceptions of place have changed over the past three years, and in particular since Labour took office in July 2024. Our data also enables us to link respondents to contextual data at constituency or local authority level (e.g. English Indices of Deprivation), such as on crime, health, housing or employment outcomes, so that we can determine if people’s perceptions of their area correspond to objective measures of conditions or outcomes

Safety, feasibility and efficacy of exercise as an airway clearance technique in cystic fibrosis - a randomised pilot feasibility trial

Objectives: To test the feasibility and safety of exercise as an airway clearance technique (ExACT) for people with cystic fibrosis (pwCF) versus usual care (UC). Methods: Dual-site, two-arm randomised pilot trial. Fifty pwCF (≥10 years, forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV 1) ≥40% predicted), stable on Elexacaftor/ Tezacaftor/Ivacaftor, were recruited, of whom 48 were randomly assigned (1:1 with minimisation) to daily ExACT (stopping all other airway clearance techniques) or UC. Feasibility was measured by recruitment, retention and adherence against preset progression criteria. Key measures of safety and signals of efficacy included spirometry (FEV 1), lung clearance index (LCI 2.5), pulmonary exacerbations, physical activity, treatment burden and quality of life across 28 days. Qualitative interview data and preliminary health economic data were also collected. Findings: ExACT was safe over 28 days, measured by change in LCI 2.5 (ExACT −0.1 (0.6) vs UC 0.2 (0.8), mean (SD)) and FEV 1 (ExACT +2.1 (6.6) vs UC −0.8 (5.5), % predicted mean (SD)). Relative (ExACT/UC) differences of 0.97 (0.92, 1.02) for LCI 2.5 and absolute differences (ExACT-UC) of 3.2 (−0.6, 6.9) % predicted for FEV 1 suggest potential intervention efficacy. Few adverse events were reported; none serious. Recruitment and retention data suggest progression to a definitive trial, with 48/117 (41% of approached) randomised, 45/48 (92%) completing the study and a 60% overall adherence rate. Discussion: Testing of our primary hypothesis within a feasibility trial showed ExACT to be a safe, acceptable and feasible intervention for pwCF. These data support advancement to a definitive, longer-term, multisite trial evaluating the safety, efficacy and cost-effectiveness of ExACT, following minor refinement.</p

Language in migrant discourse

Discourse studies, in general, have captured how migrants position themselves, make sense of their migratory experiences, navigate social relations, and identify what matters to them in the diaspora. Language plays a crucial role in the migration experience, acting either as a tool to facilitate social participation in new networks or as a barrier that hinders interaction with other social groups. These discourses are context-dependent and continually shaped by evolving circumstances

Long-term impacts of mixotrophy on ocean carbon storage: insights from a 10 000 year global model simulation

Mixotrophs – organisms that combine the use of light and inorganic resources with the ingestion of prey – have been shown in simulations to increase mean organism size and carbon export in the ocean. These simulations have, however, been limited to decade-long timescales that are insufficient to investigate the impacts of mixotrophy on the ocean's long-term capacity for carbon storage. Here we explore these long-term impacts using a low-resolution ocean model that resolves important feedbacks between surface ecology and the ocean interior over multi-millennial periods. The model was compared in two configurations: one with a strict distinction between phytoplankton and zooplankton populations and one in which all populations were assumed to be capable of mixotrophy. Consistent with earlier studies, we found that increased carbon and nutrient export associated with mixotrophy was rapidly established within the first few years of the simulation and was robust over long time scales. However, we also found that these increases were partially offset over longer time scales by a decline in “preformed” inorganic carbon and nutrients entering the deep ocean via the sinking of surface waters. Over the 10 000 year duration of the simulations, we found that ecologically-driven changes in C export increased the oceanic C inventory by up to 537 Pg, and that this was partially offset by decline of 150 Pg in the preformed C inventory, leaving a net increase of up to 387 Pg C (∼1 %)

Beyond the hospital: what is the role of social networks in acute kidney injury recovery?

Social networks are vital in providing emotional, practical and informational support that may reduce the risk of readmissions and improve recovery outcomes for patients with acute kidney injuryBackground: acute kidney injury (AKI) is a prevalent and serious condition which can lead to significant short- and long-term health risks—including mortality, readmissions and progression to chronic kidney disease.Aims: this study explored the literature around the role of social networks in self-management support for patients recovering from AKI.Methods: a systematic review was conducted using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines to examine studies that included social networks and self-management in AKI.Findings: a 3-step search strategy was used in this literature search. An initial limited search of MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase, Psycho info and AMED was undertaken to identify articles on the topic, followed by an analysis of the text words contained in the titles and abstracts of retrieved papers and of the keywords used to describe the articles. After implementing the search strategy no applicable literature was found. Literature on AKI recovery lacks insight into how informal and formal social networks supports patients in the post-AKI period.Conclusions: further research is needed to explore whether social network support can improve AKI recovery

Disturbed Sleep and its Association with Poor Mental Health

Sleep is an essential physiological process with a variety of functions. Disturbed sleep is common across mental health disorders and demonstrates a close relationship, with poor sleep predisposing to mental health problems, as well as being a symptom of them. I have conducted four studies into aspects of poor sleep and mental health using differing methodologies. Firstly, a meta-analysis into sleep and emotional reactivity in experimental studies (n=24 studies), which found that self-reported arousal ratings of negative stimuli were significantly increased post-sleep but not post-waking. However, such studies need more consistency in methodology. Secondly, a cross-sectional analysis of sleep measures on the Hamilton Anxiety and Hamilton Depression scales in a sample of young adult gamblers. This found that gambling disorder is associated with higher levels of anxiety and depression, reaching a clinical cut-off, as well as insomnia symptoms. Thirdly, I performed a longitudinal analysis of sleep symptoms as measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) in the women who participated in the NiPPeR Randomised Controlled Trial. Group-based trajectory modelling identified that those reporting fewer hours of sleep at preconception typically also had shorter sleep during pregnancy and post-delivery. More than 30% of women had a clinically significant PSQI score &gt;5 maintained throughout, indicating persistent substantial sleep difficulties. The group of worst sleepers had significantly higher levels of anxiety and depression throughout pregnancy. Finally, I examined the relationship between Vitamin D deficiency, sleep, depression and anxiety in the NiPPeR RCT. Sleep quality was worse in Vitamin D deficient participants only at preconception. There was a significantly higher level of depression in those who were Vitamin D deficient at preconception and at 7 weeks gestation, but not at 28 weeks gestation or at 6 months post-delivery. There was no impact of Vitamin D status on anxiety symptoms. Collectively this thesis underscores the close relationship between poor sleep and poor mental health. This research contributes to a more nuanced understanding of how sleep impacts mental health in different contexts. It focusses on specific under-researched groups including young adult gamblers and women in the perinatal period, who may present a future target for the primary prevention of mental health difficulties by addressing sleep problems at an earlier stag

Controlled fabrication of highly ordered platinum nanostructures using pulsed electrodeposition

Pulsed potential (PP) electrodeposition was utilized for the first time to fabricate three-dimensional (3D) platinum (Pt) nanostructures within phytantriol-based double diamond cubic templates, both with or without 20 % w/w Brij-56 as a pore swelling agent. Unlike conventional direct potential (DP) deposition, the PP approach yielded Pt nanostructures with markedly enhanced uniformity and superior lattice ordering. Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) revealed that PP-grown structures exhibited sharp, well-defined Bragg peaks corresponding to lattice parameters of 134.2 ± 2.1 Å without Brij-56 and 236.7 ± 2.5 Å with 20 % w/w Brij-56, whereas DP-grown structures showed broader, less distinct peaks with smaller lattice parameter (130.7 ± 1.9 Å and 197.1 ± 2.8 Å, respectively). Notably, In-situ SAXS measurements provided real-time insights into the evolution of 3D Pt nanostructures, enabling direct monitoring of orientational and lateral ordering within the templated phases. High resolution SEM further confirmed the superior quality of PP-grown structures, revealing highly ordered 3D nanowire network with uniform pore sizes of 89.5 ± 1.3 (without Brij-56) and 102.0 ± 0.7 Å (with 20 % w/w Brij-56). Overall, these findings highlight the effectiveness of PP electrodeposition in mitigating structural inhomogeneities, establishing it as a powerful strategy for fabricating well-ordered 3D Pt nanostructures.</p

Precarious migrant entrepreneurship: gendered in-work poverty for new migrants in the UK

This research project examines whether self-employment leads to social and occupational mobility for migrant entrepreneurs or traps them in low-value, low-pay sectors. The project focuses on the gendered experiences of work, highlighting the implications for men and women in precarious self-employment (low-paid/low-valued) and the support available to them. Previous studies have found that entrepreneurship for migrants can offer an alternative source of employment to overcome racialised discrimination in the labour market and achieve self-realisation and positive integration in the countries of settlement. Advantages of working self-employed include being able to escape precarious paid employment, fulfil professional aspirations, and have more independence and control in daily work life. However, previous research has also shown that migrant entrepreneurs make paltry returns on their businesses. This may lead to them experiencing ‘in-work’ poverty. While in-work poverty has been studied in terms of paid employment, there is little research on this area linked to business activity and less on migrant entrepreneurship