Mechanisms of long-term presynaptic plasticity at Schaffer-collateral synapses by Padamsey, Z

“…I discovered that glutamate is inhibitory and unnecessary for the induction of LTP at the presynaptic locus. My findings support a novel model of presynaptic plasticity in which the net activity-dependent changes in Pr at an active presynaptic terminal is jointly determined by two opposing processes that can be simultaneously active: 1) postsynaptic depolarization, which, via the activation of L-type voltage-gated Ca²⁺ channels, increases Pr by driving the synthesis and release of nitric oxide from neuronal dendrites and 2) glutamate release, which through the activation of presynaptic GluN receptors, decreases Pr. …”

Are Europeans ready for a more democratic European Union? New evidence on preference heterogeneity, polarisation and crosscuttingness by Hale, T, Koenig-Archibugi, M

“…For observers worried about how high polarisation and low crosscuttingness in policy preferences may combine to threaten democratic stability, these findings should be reassuring.…”

Phenotypic vs. genetic mismatch of BMI and type 2 diabetes: evidence from two perspective cohort studies by Li, A, Gong, S, Yu, C, Pei, P, Yang, L, Millwood, IY, Walters, RG, Chen, Y, Du, H, Yang, X, Hou, W, Chen, J, Chen, Z, Lv, J, Li, L, Sun, D, China Kadoorie Biobank Collaborative Group

“…In addition, normal-weight individuals with discordantly high BMIPGM faced a higher risk of type 2 diabetes than overweight individuals. These findings suggest that BMI-PGM may play a potential role in reassessing the risk of type 2 diabetes, particularly among normal-weight populations.…”

The use of subwavelength structures to control and enhance the photoacoustic effect by Patterson, I

“…The simulated structure was capable of increasing the amplitude of the generated acoustic signal by about 15% at a target frequency, compared to previous methods. These findings indicate that as new photoacoustic composites have reduced dimensions (<10nm), the resonant properties of both light and sound could be utilised to enhance the conversion from optical to acoustic energy.…”

Surface modified polymers for controlled macroscopic functions by Chng, S

“…</p> <p>Lastly, a surprising finding on adhesion function generated from the diaryldiazo compound is disclosed, with preliminary results of lap-shear and t-peel tests showing high levels of adhesion. …”

The local welfare safety-net: fit for purpose? by Cole Norton, F

“…It begins by outlining the design of LWA across England. It finds that meso-level actors make decisions by drawing on different discretionary strategies, which causes marginalisation and exclusion of vulnerable communities. …”

Strong electron–phonon coupling in magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene by Chen, C, Nuckolls, KP, Ding, S, Miao, W, Wong, D, Oh, M, Lee, RL, He, S, Peng, C, Pei, D, Li, Y, Hao, C, Yan, H, Xiao, H, Gao, H, Li, Q, Zhang, S, Liu, J, He, L, Watanabe, K, Taniguchi, T, Jozwiak, C, Bostwick, A, Rotenberg, E, Chen, Y

“…Calculations suggest that the formation of these flat-band replicas in superconducting MATBG are attributed to the strong coupling between flat-band electrons and an optical phonon mode at the graphene K point, facilitated by intervalley scattering. These findings, although they do not necessarily put electron–phonon coupling as the main driving force for the superconductivity in MATBG, unravel the electronic structure inherent in superconducting MATBG, thereby providing crucial information for understanding the unusual electronic landscape from which its superconductivity is derived.…”

Acceptability of improved cook stoves-a scoping review of the literature by Adhikari, B, Kang, SSY, Dahal, A, Mshamu, S, Deen, J, Pell, C, von Seidlein, L, Knudsen, J, Bøjstrup, TC

“…The analysis identified factors at micro, meso, and macro-social levels that potentially contribute to an adoption of an improved cooking stove (ICS). The findings from the review were discussed and refined among a group of experts identified based on their prior academic or commercial contributions related to ICS. …”

Chimpanzee self-medication in Budongo Forest: investigating the use of putative self-medicative resources in the Sonso and Waibira communities by Freymann, E

“…Beyond enriching our general understanding of chimpanzee behavior, our findings may also lend insight into the evolutionary origins of modern human medicine. …”

Response to clozapine in treatment resistant schizophrenia is related to alterations in regional cerebral blood flow by Sun, J, Zelaya, F, Sendt, K, McQueen, G, Gillespie, AL, Lally, J, Howes, OD, Barker, GJ, McGuire, P, MacCabe, JH, Egerton, A

“…Longitudinal reductions in CBF in the ACC and thalamus were associated with less improvement in negative (ACC), positive (thalamus), and total (thalamus) symptoms. These findings suggest that changes in CBF on clozapine administration in TRS may accompany symptomatic improvement, and that CBF prior to clozapine initiation may determine the degree of clinical response.…”

Current data science capacity building initiatives for health researchers in LMICs: global & regional efforts by Kiosia, A, Boylan, S, Retford, M, Marques, LP, Bueno, FTC, Kirima, C, Islam, MS, Naheed, A, Wozencraft, A

“…Articles were screened based on inclusion criteria. Findings: From 212 records, 85 met inclusion criteria, with 20 from PubMed and Scopus, and 65 from grey literature. …”

The SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein interferes with the full enzymatic activation of UPF1 and its interaction with UPF2 by Nuccetelli, V, Mghezzi-Habellah, M, Deymier, S, Roisin, A, Gérard-Baraggia, F, Rocchi, C, Coureux, P, Gouet, P, Cimarelli, A, Mocquet, V, Fiorini, F

“…Furthermore, we characterized how this interaction affects UPF1’s enzymatic function. Our findings demonstrate that Np inhibits the unwinding activity of UPF1 by physically obstructing its access to structured nucleic acid substrates. …”

Heightened interoception in adults with fibromyalgia by Todd, J, Plans, D, Lee, M, Bird, J, Morelli, D, Cunningham, A, ponzo, S, Murphy, J, Bird, G, Aspell, J

“…Some evidence suggests that people with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) – a condition characterised by chronic pain and fatigue – may have altered interoceptive processing. However, extant findings are inconclusive, and some tasks previously used to measure interoception are of questionable validity. …”

Epigenetic drug screening identifies enzyme inhibitors A-196 and TMP-269 as novel regulators of sprouting angiogenesis by Beter, M, Pulkkinen, HH, Örd, T, Sormunen, A, Kilpeläinen, L, Dunford, JE, Kaikkonen, MU, Aavik, E, Laham-Karam, N, Oppermann, U, Laakkonen, JP, Ylä-Herttuala, S

“…In contrast TMP-269, a selective class IIa HDAC inhibitor, exhibited anti-angiogenic effects by downregulating angiogenesis-related proteins and upregulating pro-inflammatory signaling. These findings highlight the suitability of the modified TeloHAEC fibrin bead assay for drug screening purposes and reveal both pro-angiogenic and anti-angiogenic drug candidates with therapeutic potential.…”

From demonetisation to Covid-19: Insights on the dynamics between informality and financial inclusion from the city of Kolkata, India by Ma, T

“…</p> <p>Empirical research finds that while Demonetisation and Covid-19 managed to reduce some forms of financial informality associated with the use of cash in saving, payment, and borrowing through their catalytic effects on digitalisation, other informal financial practices persisted or even increased, serving as substitutes for or supplements to insufficient and dysfunctional formal ones. …”

Maize monoculture supported pre-Columbian urbanism in southwestern Amazonia by Lombardo, U, Hilbert, L, Bentley, M, Bronk Ramsey, C, Dudgeon, Gaitan-Roca, A, Iriarte, J, Mejía Ramón, AG, Quezada, S, Raczka, M, Watling,JG, Neves, E, Mayle, F

“…Phytolith analyses of 178 samples from 18 soil profiles in drained fields, farm ponds and forested settings record the singular and ubiquitous presence of maize (Zea mays) in pre-Columbian fields and farm ponds, and an absence of evidence for agricultural practices in the forest. Collectively, our findings show how the Casarabe culture managed the savannah landscape for intensive year-round maize monoculture that probably sustained its relatively large population. …”

Ultrafast laser writing of liquid crystal waveguides by Chen, B, Xie, P, Zhao, Z, Salter, PS, Li, M, Xue, L, Qiu, X, Booth, MJ, Elston, SJ, Morris, SM

“…Characteristics of the waveguide are investigated for different fabrication conditions and geometrical configurations, including the dimensions of the waveguide and laser writing power. Our findings reveal that smaller waveguide geometries result in reduced intensity attenuation. …”

Development of HDX-MS methods to further investigate complex protein samples by Smith, L

“…The thesis also includes several case studies of protein complexes analysed using HDX-MS, which had not previously been investigated with this technique. These findings were corroborated with complementary methods and aligned with expectations based on prior research.…”

Words of liberty: the origins and evolution of constitutional ideas by Versteeg, M

“…</p> <p>This thesis's most important finding is that constitutions are inherently “transnational” documents. …”

Multiple independent genetic code reassignments of the UAG stop codon in phyllopharyngean ciliates by McGowan, J, Richards, TA, Hall, N, Swarbreck, D

“…Furthermore, we show that the function of UAA is firmly fixed as the preferred stop codon. These findings shed light on the evolvability of the genetic code in understudied microbial eukaryotes.…”