Volcanoes: 10 Things You Should Know

In ten short and informative essays, leading volcanologist Dr Rebecca Williams reveals everything you need to know about volcanoes. From the deadliest eruptions of all time and how to survive a volcanic eruption to why a volcano won’t erupt in your back garden and volcanoes in outer space, discover all of this and much, much more!Volcanoes: 10 Things You Should Know is an illuminating and engaging guide to exploring the most exciting natural phenomena on planet earth

Dermoscopy vs standard marking practices for the completeness of excision of non-melanoma skin cancers: a single-centre randomized controlled trial—protocol for the ClearMark trial

Non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is the most prevalent cancer globally, with rising incidence. Complete excision is essential to prevent recurrence and additional treatment. Standard marking with loupes and theatre lights has an incomplete excision rate of ~11%. Dermoscopy may improve accuracy, but its clinical advantage remains unproven due to a lack of direct comparisons. To assess whether dermoscopy-guided preoperative marking improves peripheral margin clearance compared to standard methods. Secondary outcomes include 5-year recurrence, further treatment, patient satisfaction, adverse events and marking efficiency. This is a single-centre, superiority randomized controlled trial. Patients will be randomized (1:1) via computer software, stratified by lesion location, to dermoscopy or conventional marking. Dermoscopy training will ensure protocol adherence. An internal pilot will evaluate feasibility and inform full-scale implementation. A total of 1376 patients will be recruited to yield 688 histologically confirmed NMSCs for analysis. This trial addresses a key evidence gap in NMSC management by evaluating dermoscopy’s potential to improve surgical accuracy. While limited by its single-centre design, it may inform a larger multi-centre study. Aligned with the James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership priorities, it could influence surgical practice by improving outcomes, reducing recurrence and enhancing patient care

The rhetoric and reality of socially engaged arts projects delivered by cultural mega events: the case of Hull UKCoC 2017

This thesis examines the intersection of two cultural phenomena: socially engaged arts (SEA) and cultural mega events (CME). It analyses several cases where these phenomena have interconnected and explores the resulting tensions. Both phenomena are present in cultural policies (Green, 2019), the funding strategies of national arts organisations (ACE, 2020), as well as local and national government agendas (DCMS, 2009; Hull City Council, 2018). Though they appear distinctly different at first glance, both SEA and CME are part of the contemporary arts ecology and are employed as a means to engaging new audiences. This research aims to develop a better understanding of the influences that CME and SEA have on each other, and the potential benefits and challenges of combining these two phenomena in cultural policy.Despite their differences, when CME and SEA are brought together, they form a hybridised (Harvey, 2013) aspect of the arts environment. This thesis provides an in-depth analysis of the two cultural phenomena and their overlapping history, particularly contextualised through the Hull2017 UK City of Culture (UKCoC). The intention has been to establish a nuanced understanding of the effects of CME on SEA, and potential opportunities for the arts in future.In order to verify Hull2017’s claim to have achieved significant community engagement through the Land of Green Ginger (LoGG) project, this research compares its legacy to that of another less well-funded Hull2017 project, Back to Ours (BtO).The questions addressed in this research include the history of SEA in Hull, whether Hull had a precedent of arts organisations working in non-traditional spaces, and if Hull2017 should have collaborated more with local arts groups/artists to better embed their cultural programme in the lives of local communities. Although SEA and CME represent distinct approaches to creating cultural offerings, they can collaborate effectively if mutual benefits are identified. Lastly, the thesis considers the potential risks facing both CME and SEA due to the cost of living crisis in the UK, as arts funding is often reduced during economic downturns. Collaboration may help secure the future of CME but should not be seen as the sole path forward for SEA, which must remain critical of State-led agendas while continuing to innovate. SEA should maintain its practice rooted in challenging established patterns and exploring new methods

Forever but not everywhere? Unexpected non-detection of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in major Philippines rivers

Recent studies suggest per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are ubiquitous in rivers worldwide. In the Asia-Pacific region, the frequency of PFAS detection in rivers is increasing. However, the overwhelming majority of studies and data represent high population and urbanized river catchments. In this study, we investigate PFAS occurrence in major Philippines river systems characterized by both high and low population densities. In the Pasig Laguna de Bay River, which drains a major urban conurbation, we detected PFAS at concentrations typical of global rivers. Unexpectedly, we did not detect PFAS in river water or sediments in low population density river catchments, despite our instrument detection limits being lower than the vast majority of river concentrations reported worldwide. We hypothesize that septic tanks, as the dominant wastewater treatment practice in Philippines catchments, may control the release of PFAS into groundwater and rivers in the Philippines. However, no groundwater PFAS data currently exist to validate this supposition. More broadly, our findings highlight the need for more representative PFAS sampling and analysis in rivers to more accurately represent regional and global detection frequencies and trends

Macrophage phagocytosis of tumour cells is modulated by trained innate immunity

Cancer represents the second leading cause of death having long-lasting socioeconomic impact. There is an increasing need to better understand disease pathogenesis to inform the development of therapeutic approaches and to address the timely question of how to increase the efficacy of current immunotherapies. Macrophages in solid tumours display hallmarks of cancer and their role is critical in shaping the balance between pro-tumour and anti-tumour responses. One of their major effector functions, named phagocytosis, has been implicated in regulating anti-tumour immunity. Trained innate immunity (TII) is induced via modulation of mature myeloid cells or their bone marrow progenitors and mediates sustained increased responsiveness to secondary challenges. Despite the advances in the study of TII-mediated anti-tumour activity, the impact of TII on the orchestration of phagocytosis in the tumour setting warrants further elucidation. This thesis investigated whether macrophage-dependent phagocytosis of tumour cells can be modulated through TII induction.To assess phagocytosis, mice were pre-treated with the fungal-derived TII inducer β-glucan and bone marrow was isolated for macrophage differentiation. Macrophages were then co-cultured with tumour cells that were either apoptotic or opsonised with an antibody recognising a tumour antigen, to mimic efferocytosis and antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP), respectively.TII did not have any impact on the modulation of ADCP. Interestingly, efferocytosis was decreased in macrophages from mice pre-treated with β-glucan, which was associated with reduced levels of active caspase-1 and the subsequent release of the IL-1β cytokine. Similarly, the mRNA levels of molecules promoting efferocytosis were down-regulated in macrophages from the β-glucan group. Combined in vitro treatment of macrophages from mice pre-treated with β-glucan and a commercially available MerTK tyrosine kinase inhibitor further decreased efferocytosis.Considering that efferocytosis has been linked to tumour progression, this study may aid in improving existing cancer immunotherapies by modulating efferocytosis through induction of TII

From science to storytelling: Advancing a climate knowledge–action framework through reflections on youth-focused, participatory action research in Vietnam

Climate change presents urgent global challenges that demand swift and transformative responses. However, current efforts often fall short, revealing a crisis not only of environmental concern but also of social action. Responses to this have included climate change and sustainability education and communication, though these have tended to be knowledge-heavy, operating under outdated knowledge deficit-based assumptions that merely providing more information will drive action. Such responses and assumptions have also privileged scientific knowledge while overlooking diverse epistemologies and ways of knowing. This paper challenges these assumptions and puts forward a redefining of what it means to ‘know’ and ‘act’ on climate change. Within this, we propose integrating diverse knowledge systems, embracing both scientific and historically marginalised local knowledges, including indigenous, youth-led, experiential, emotional and affective perspectives. Importantly, we also propose a novel way to operationalise this democratically through utilising participatory action research and creative storytelling. Drawing upon our international collaboration with youth in three provinces along the Red River Catchment in northern Vietnam in 2022, a region facing significant climate challenges and injustices, we illustrate the potential of this research approach to bridge the knowledge–action gap. We conclude by introducing our holistic CLIMATE Knowledge Framework that encapsulates this pluralistic and democratic view of knowledge co-creation. This framework serves as a set of guiding principles for educators, researchers and policymakers to advance a more democratic, critically engaged, justice-framed and action-oriented paradigm, facilitating the envisioning and implementation of tangible solutions

Effect of meso/micro multiple scale turbulent shear mixing on the synthesis process of micro/nano oxide particles in continuous multistage Rankine vortex flow

An Eulerian Computational Fluid Dynamics modelling coupled with the use of Lagrangian Discrete Phase Model (CFD/DPM) was employed to investigate the effect of meso/micro multiple-scale turbulent mixing on the synthesis process of micro/nano oxide particles in a continuous multistage Rankine vortex flow. The changes from micro- to macro-scale interactions among different scales, including the coupling of particle entrainment by turbulent eddies and synthesis reaction in the Rankine vortex flow and the mesoscale structure (i.e., particle aggregates and reactor scales) were systematically studied, especially focusing on the influence of meso/micro scale turbulent eddies on the synthesized micro/nano particles. It has been demonstrated that the use of Eulerian-Lagrangian framework (CFD/DPM) can effectively capture the simultaneous interactions between aggregated particles and turbulent eddies, enabling the evaluation of how operational variations, specifically in the eddy size based Reynolds number and reactant concentration, to affect the final particle properties. Numerical results for a range of these conditions have shown a strong agreement with the experimental data. The present study has demonstrated that the multistage Rankine vortex flow can effectively intensify the local turbulence induced shear at meso/micro scales, thereby controlling nanoparticle aggregation and breakage to facilitate the production of uniform, meso-sized particles with well-defined morphology

Examining Employee Empowerment within a Jordanian Bank

This research aims to examine how employee empowerment is enacted and experienced within a Jordanian bank. The study adopts an interactional perspective, viewing empowerment as a phenomenon shaped by everyday social interactions within the broader sociocultural, economic, and political contexts. The research employs a qualitative methodology based on an interpretive phenomenological approach to examine the lived experiences of empowerment. A total of 34 semi-structured interviews were conducted with managers and employees at a bank in Jordan. Among these, 20 employees were direct subordinates of 11 participating managers, facilitating a relational understanding of how empowerment is enacted by managers and experienced by subordinates. The findings show that empowerment within the bank takes the form of making recommendations rather than having decision-making authority, aiming to avoid risk. Employees and managers often prepare tasks or propose actions, but final decisions are reserved for higher levels of the bank. The study also revealed that managers differ in their approach to empowerment: some adopt a participatory style by fostering employee involvement and input, while others take a more directive stance. Consequently, employees experience empowerment differently based on their understanding of empowerment and how their manager interacts with them. These experiences are further shaped by broader cultural factors, where elements such as origin, whether the employee comes from an urban or rural background, gender, religion, socioeconomic status, wasta, and internal politics influence the shaping of empowerment. This study extends structural and psychological empowerment theories by demonstrating that empowerment is shaped through daily relationships, practices, and social context, rather than being defined by formal authority or internal employee cognition. Methodologically, it offers a relational, dual-perspective approach by incorporating both managers and subordinates. Future research could investigate comparative cases, additional sectors, and longitudinal dynamics