Royal Society Research Articles

History of the Development of the Department of Neurosurgery of the Russian Medical Academy of Medical Sciences (to the 90th Anniversary of the Department of Neurosurgery)

According to the order of April 15, 1935, the opening of the Department of Neurosurgery, the first head of which was Nikolai N. Burdenko, laid the foundation for the development of neurosurgical activity and training of neurosurgical personnel in the USSR within the walls of the Russian Medical Academy of Medical Sciences (TsIUV). N.N. Burdenko was an outstanding Soviet surgeon, one of the founders of neurosurgery, academician of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR (1939) and the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR (1944-1946), Hero of Socialist Labor, honorary member of the British Royal Society of Surgeons and the Paris Academy of Surgery, Colonel General of Medical Service.

Double degree programs and education for sustainable development implementation: Experience of Ukrainian and UK universities cooperation in wartime

The internationalization of higher education has become a key trend and response to the growth of globalization and online learning. After the start of the Russian war in Ukraine, Ukrainian higher education underwent significant destruction. Ukrainian HEIs have been significantly losing their capacity for development. Loss of human capital, including educational losses, becomes more relevant from the perspective of further sector development.This paper explores the intersection of DDP implementation and the implementation of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), focusing on faculty members’ experiences within the Twinning Initiative framework. By investigating faculty members’ perceptions of quality assurance gaps and examining the impact of DDPs on the integration of SDGs, the study provides insights into how these programs contribute to advancing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in higher education. This study employed semi-structured interviews. Interviewees were selected from the academic staff of five of the six Ukrainian universities involved in DDPs. Nine interviews were conducted in the period from April 2024 to June 2024. All interviewees represent the double-degree staff from different roles.Despite some differences between the procedures, the principles of internal quality assurance in Ukrainian universities correspond to those of their British partners. The findings show that implementing DDP promotes “learning by doing” for teaching staff, encouraging curriculum innovation and professional development. This study highlights the potential of DDP to stimulate the implementation of ESD principles in higher education and suggests directions for future research, particularly in war-affected regions. Acknowledgment This contribution is prepared with the support and funding under Researchers at Risk Fellowships Programme led by the British Academy in partnership with the Academy of Medical Sciences, the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Royal Society and Council for At-Risks Academics (CARA), and in the framework of the realization the Erasmus+ KA 2 CBHE project “Universities-Communities: Strengthening Cooperation” (Grant Agreement 101083077), and Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence “EU Studies of Social Innovations in Education” (ESSIE) – 101085552 – ERASMUS-JMO-2022-COE.The European Commission’s support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents that reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.

“Unentangled in the intricate windings of modern practice”: William Blake’s Apprentice Copperplates and Engravings

In 1809 the antiquarian Richard Gough (1735–​1809) bequeathed a substantial collection of preparatory drawings, copperplates, and proof impressions to the Bodleian Library. This material relates to his publications on British history and topography and medieval funerary monuments, as well as his work as the first director of the Society of Antiquaries, which included supervising the publication of both its journal and the occasional papers Vetusta Monumenta, along with other projects. During his time as director, Gough also worked on his self-published study Sepulchral Monuments, in Great Britain (1786–​96), illustrated with engravings by James Basire, engraver to the Society of Antiquaries and the Royal Society. Although none of the work was published until 1786, Basire’s studio had begun the engraving project in the 1770s, a period that coincided with William Blake’s apprenticeship (1772–​79). Among the materials in the Gough Collection are the copperplates after Blake’s preparatory drawings. On the versos of three of the copperplates are incised linear patterns and motifs made with burins, a drypoint needle, and a compass, suggesting that these plates were used by an apprentice to practice and develop the techniques of line engraving. This article revisits Basire’s studio at 31 Great Queen Street and Blake’s apprenticeship period before describing the markings on these plates and offering evidence for their attribution to Blake.

Objects, drawings, and texts as tools of persuasion: the interactions of three Dutch microscopists with the Royal Society around 1670

Three Dutch microscopists, Regnier de Graaf, Johannes Swammerdam and Antoni van Leeuwenhoek all started corresponding with the Royal Society in London around 1670. Their letters were often accompanied by drawings and objects, thus devising inventive ways of using words, images and objects to inform their correspondents of their newly observed discoveries. An examination of this correspondence clearly reveals the value of images; reports on observations could never dispense with textual descriptions yet gained more authority through the inclusion of images. However, on the hierarchy of persuasive tools, the objects themselves stood highest. Specimens were thus sent across the Channel to satisfy the curiosity of Fellows of the early Royal Society.

Nancy Jane Rothwell: Brain inflammation and the path to leadership

Breaking barriers in both the lab and the boardroom, Dame Nancy Rothwell has shaped modern British science in ways few others have. Beginning her research journey at the University of London, she made a pivotal move to the University of Manchester in 1987 – a decision that would forge an extraordinary partnership spanning over three decades. During her early career, she followed her scientific curiosity into the intricate world of fat cells with groundbreaking research that cracked open our understanding of how the body regulates its weight through thermogenesis and brown fat metabolism, providing crucial insights into obesity and cachexia. Then, in a bold pivot that would define the next phase of her career at Manchester, she turned her attention to the brain's inflammatory response in stroke and other neurological conditions, conducting pioneering research that bridged the gap between basic biology and clinical applications. Her scientific brilliance earned her Fellowship in the Royal Society, marking her place among Britain's most elite scientists. Her deep connection with Manchester deepened further when, without planning it, she found herself making history in 2010 as the University's first female President and Vice-Chancellor, steering one of Britain's largest universities through fourteen years of growth and transformation until 2024. Her leadership style, marked by the same curiosity and determination that drove her research, helped position Manchester as a global powerhouse in higher education. Now, as the University's Campaign and External Relations Ambassador, she sits down with Genomic Press to share what she has learned about science, leadership and why sometimes the best discoveries come from taking the road less travelled – offering readers a rare glimpse into the mind of someone who has excelled at both groundbreaking research and institutional leadership while helping build Manchester into a world-leading centre of academic excellence.

Paton Prize Lecture Winner 2024:Gordon Holmes and the Irish spirit of adventure: Lessons for modern thinkers.

This lecture is given in honour of Sir William Paton (1917-1993), physiologist, pharmacologist and Fellow of the Royal Society. His passion for the history of medicine led to generous donations to the Society, who consequently founded the Paton Prize Fund for historical research. After his death, this eponymous Prize Lecture was debuted in 1994. It has been a singular honour for me to acclaim the similarly influential Irish neurologist Gordon Morgan Holmes (1876-1965), whose work has been a particular preoccupation of mine for my entire career, since I first heard of him as an undergraduate in 1991. Holmes' work on the World War I battlefield completely transformed neurology, in terms both of clinical practice and its knowledge base. Clinical techniques developed by him at that time remain established current practice, and his visual field maps were not superseded for 73 years. His legacy to neurology is extensive, with his editorship of the journal Brain from 1922 to 1937. He had a profound influence both here and across the Atlantic, evinced by global warm tributes published on his death in 1965. The Lecture concentrates on a confluence of events and circumstances existing in the Flanders trenches that met a man singularly suited to overcoming the challenges posed. He received training in neuroanatomy from the German anatomists and clinical skills from the British greats in the National Hospital Queen Square. Coupled with an Irish adventurousness and insatiable curiosity, this experience presaged advances that resonate >100 years on. His legacy speaks profoundly of curiosity, interdisciplinarity and reconciliation.

How should we bend the curve of biodiversity loss to build a just and sustainable future?

Current rates of habitat and biodiversity loss, and the threat they pose to ecological and economic productivity, would be considered a global emergency even if they were not occurring during a period of rapid anthropogenic climate change. Diversity at all levels of biological organization, both within and among species, and across genomes and communities, is critical for the resilience of the world's ecosystems in the face of such change. However, it remains an urgent scientific challenge to understand how biodiversity underpins these ecological outputs, how patterns of biodiversity are being affected by current threats, and how and where such biodiversity contributes most directly to human economies, well-being and social justice. In addition, even with such scientific understanding, there is a pressing need for societies to incorporate biodiversity protection into their economies and governance, and to stop subsidizing the loss of humanity's future prosperity for short-term private benefit. We highlight key issues and ways forward in these areas, inspired by the research and career of Dame Georgina Mace FRS, and by our discussions during the Royal Society meeting of June 2023.This article is part of the discussion meeting issue 'Bending the curve towards nature recovery: building on Georgina Mace's legacy for a biodiverse future'.

Spatial effects with missing data

Abstract In recent years, there has been an increased attention and interest in quantitative and statistical models of language contact and language diffusion in space. This article presents an improved model, multivAreate 2, to estimate spatial and contact relations between languages and dialects based on work by Guzmán Naranjo and Mertner ((2022). Estimating areal effects in typology: A case study of african phoneme inventories. Journal of Linguistic Typology 27(2), 455–80) and Ranacher et al. ((2021). Contact-tracing in cultural evolution: A Bayesian mixture model to detect geographic areas of language contact. Journal of the Royal Society Interface 18(181), 1–15). We test our model on three different datasets: Balkans, South America (Ranacher et al. (2021). Contact-tracing in cultural evolution: A Bayesian mixture model to detect geographic areas of language contact. Journal of the Royal Society Interface 18(181), 1–15), and the Americas (Urban et al., (2019). The areal typology of western middle and south america: Towards a comprehensive view. Linguistics 57(6), 1403–63). We show that this new model can address shortcomings found in previous models, and it offers some useful tools for researchers working on contact and areal linguistics.

Exploring pre-diagnosis hospital contacts in women with endometriosis using ICD-10: a Danish case-control study.

How does pre-diagnosis use of hospital care differentiate between women later diagnosed with endometriosis and age-matched controls without a diagnosis? Women with hospital-diagnosed endometriosis had more frequent hospital contacts in the 10 years leading up to the diagnosis compared to women without a diagnosis of endometriosis, and the contacts were related to registered diagnoses in nearly all of the included ICD-10 chapters for the entire period. Only a few studies have investigated the utilization of health care among women with endometriosis in the time before diagnosis, but current research shows that women with endometriosis have a higher utilization compared to women without diagnosed endometriosis. To our knowledge, no study has investigated the type of contact related to the higher utilization by using the ICD-10 diagnoses registered to the hospital contact. This study was conducted as a national Danish registry-based case-control study of 129696 women. Cases were women with a first-time hospital-based diagnosis of endometriosis between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2017. Using density sampling, we identified 21616 cases. Each case was matched on age at the date of diagnosis (index date) to five women without hospital-diagnosed endometriosis (n = 108080) at the time of matching. The utilization and registered ICD-10 diagnoses related to the hospital contact were included for the 10 years before the index date. The probability of having a high number of hospital contacts (six or more) was more common among women with endometriosis (68.6%) compared to women without endometriosis (55.7%) In general, women without endometriosis were more likely to have fewer than six contacts. The diagnoses registered to the contact among cases were related to a greater variety of ICD-10 chapters when compared to controls with the same number of contacts. For nearly all of the included ICD-10 chapters, women with endometriosis were more likely to have a diagnosis over the entire period compared to controls, with the only exception being in the chapter related to pregnancy. Our results are only applicable for women with hospital-based diagnosed endometriosis since we were not able to include women diagnosed at the general practitioner or private gynecologists. We were not able to make a causal interpretation, as we do not have information on the onset of symptoms of the included diseases. The association may be overestimated due to detection bias. However, a sensitivity analysis only changed the results slightly, indicating a low risk of this bias. This study is in accordance with previous studies on the subject, indicating that the utilization of health care prior to endometriosis is not necessarily restricted to endometriosis-related symptoms and that endometriosis can be associated with many other diseases. Future studies may explore hospital contacts and causes/diagnoses following the endometriosis diagnosis to further shed light on whether our results are due to a pattern of multiple pathologies or rather an expression of misdiagnoses among women with endometriosis before diagnosis. This study is supported by grants from the project Finding Endometriosis using Machine Learning (FEMaLe/101017562), which has received funding from The European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program and Helsefonden (21-B-0141). A.W.H. received grant funding from NIHR, CSO, Roche Diagnostics, and Wellbeing of Women. A.W.H.'s institution received consultation fees from Theramex, Joii, Gesynta, and Gedeon Richter. A.W.H.'s institution received honoraria for lectures from Theramex and Gedeon Richter. A.W.H. is listed as co-inventor on a patent application (UK Patent App No. 2217921.2, International Patent App No. PCT/GB2023/053076). P.T.K.S.'s institution (University of Edinburgh) received consultation fees from Gesynta Pharma AB and BenevolentAI Bio Ltd. P.T.K.S's institution (University of Edinburgh) declares a patent application (UK Patent Application No. 2310300.5. Androgens in diagnostic strategies for endometriosis). P.T.K.S. is a treasurer of the World Endometriosis Society, Fellowship in the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and a Scientific Advisor of the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. N/A.

The CFS Choux Questionnaire

A riff on the well-riffed Proust Questionnaire, the CFS Choux Questionnaire is meant to elicit a tasty and perhaps surprising experience, framed within a seemingly humble exterior. (And yes, some questions have a bit more craquelin than others.) Straightforward on their own, the queries combined start to form a celebratory pyramid of extravagance. How that composite croquembouche is assembled and taken apart, however, is up to the respondents and readers to determine. Respondents are invited to answer as many questions as they choose. The final question posed—What question would you add to this questionnaire?—prompts each respondent to incorporate their own inquisitive biome into the mix, feeding a forever renewed starter culture for future participants. For this edition, our respondent has replied to a question from Lisa Heldke (CFS Vol. 10 #2). Our Choux Questionnaire respondent for this issue Lenore Newman. Lenore is the director of the Food and Agriculture Institute at the University of the Fraser Valley, where she holds a Research Chair in Food and Agriculture Innovation. She is a professor in the Faculty of Science at UFV, and is an emeritus member of the Royal Society of Canada's New College.

"Hello… I'm Here!" A Co-Productive Qualitative Study Involving Older People With Vision Impairment and Their Experiences of Acute Hospital Care.

To understand the experience and care needs of older people living with vision impairment in the acute hospital setting. A qualitative study using co-productive user-based design. Seven older people living with vision impairment and six healthcare students collaborated in a series of six researcher facilitated co-productive workshops. Recorded data were analysed using thematic analysis. The needs of older people with vision impairment are often overlooked in the acute hospital setting. Four themes identified (1) Trauma and Loss; (2) Vulnerability and Feeling Invisible; (3) Being disabled, and (4) Feeling safe. Trauma associated with vision loss was acute, particularly if acquired during the hospital admission. The experience of vision impairment coupled with illness served to heighten feelings of vulnerability and needs were often overlooked creating a sense of invisibility. The hospital environment was experienced as disabling, and care needs were not always acknowledged. Supportive communications and access to own audio/supportive devices were vital in supporting a sense of safety. Our study is significant in highlighting the increasing global importance of vision aware care in the context of an ageing population. The study is also unique in illustrating the potential for inclusive and creative co-productive approaches which engage both older people with sight loss and healthcare students to promote vision aware practice. Supporting vision impaired older people through diagnosis, care and discharge is vital for promoting equitable positive health outcomes and quality of life. What problem did the study address? Despite a high prevalence of sight loss within the older patient population, it is unclear how the acute hospital setting supports people living with vision impairment. What were the main findings? The hospital environment and lack of vision aware care can impact negatively on the care experience resulting in poorer physical and psychosocial wellbeing. Where and whom will the research have an impact? This work will inform the development of vision aware care educational resources, policy, and practice. Vision aware care is vital for supporting quality of life and health outcomes for all older people. EQUATOR guidelines have been adhered to using the COREQ checklist. The charitable organisation Sheffield Royal Society of Blind (SRSB) was involved in the planning of the research to ensure that volunteer participants could take part and the conduct of the research was inclusive to their needs.

Lassa fever outbreaks, mathematical models, and disease parameters: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Understanding the epidemiological parameters and transmission dynamics of Lassa fever, a significant public health threat in west Africa caused by the rodent-borne Lassa virus, is crucial for informing evidence-based interventions and outbreak response strategies. Therefore, our study aimed to collate and enhance understanding of the key epidemiological parameters of Lassa fever. We conducted a systematic review, searching PubMed and Web of Science for peer-reviewed studies published from database inception up to June 13, 2024, to compile and analyse key epidemiological parameters, mathematical models, and outbreaks of Lassa fever. English-language, peer-reviewed, original research articles were included if they reported on Lassa fever outbreak sizes, transmission models, viral evolution, transmission, natural history, severity, seroprevalence, or risk factors. Non-peer-reviewed literature was excluded. Data were extracted by two independent individuals from published literature, focusing on seroprevalence, transmissibility, epidemiological delays, and disease severity. We performed a meta-analysis to calculate pooled estimates of case-fatality ratios (CFRs) and the delay from symptom onset to hospital admission. This study is registered with PROSPERO (identifier number CRD42023393345). The database search returned 5614 potentially relevant studies, and a further 16 studies were identified from backward citation chaining. After de-duplication and exclusion, 193 publications met our inclusion criteria and provided 440 relevant parameter estimates in total. Although Lassa virus is endemic in west Africa, the spatiotemporal coverage of general-population seroprevalence estimates (ranging from 2·6% [6/232] to 58·2% [103/177]) was poor, highlighting the spatial uncertainty in Lassa fever risk. Similarly, only four basic reproduction number estimates (ranging from 1·13 to 1·40) were available. We estimated a pooled total random effect CFR of 33·5% (95% CI 25·8-42·2, I2=95%) and found potential variation in severity by geographical regions typically associated with specific Lassa virus lineages. We estimated a pooled total random effect mean symptom-onset-to-hospital-admission delay of 8·19 days (95% CI 7·31-9·06, I2=93%), but other epidemiological delays were poorly characterised in the existing literature. Our findings highlight the absence of empirical Lassa fever parameter estimates despite its high burden in west Africa. Improved surveillance approaches to capture mild cases in humans and to further cover rodent populations are needed to better understand Lassa fever transmission dynamics. Addressing these gaps is essential for developing accurate mathematical models and informing evidence-based interventions to mitigate the effect of Lassa fever on public health in endemic regions. UK Medical Research Council, National Institute for Health and Care Research, Academy of Medical Sciences, Wellcome, UK Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy, British Heart Foundation, Diabetes UK, Schmidt Foundation, Community Jameel, Royal Society, and Imperial College London. For the French translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

"He strove that such innocent creatures should come to no harm": Thomas Hardy and the RSPCA

abstract: The year 2024 marks the bicentenary of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), the world's first registered animal welfare organization, established in 1824. This analysis explores Thomas Hardy's response to animal rights discourses during his life, with special emphasis on the common pursuits of the RSPCA as a champion of animal rights and of Hardy as an evolutionary meliorist who cared about animals. As evidenced by Hardy's literary and non-literary, public and personal writings, his vision of a humanitarian future was inseparable from the question of animal rights, including the plights of working / performing animals, and cruelty to animals in slaughterhouses, battlefields, laboratories and animal sports. Although Hardy was disappointed in his aims to save animals and to alter people's consciousness on the issue, animal rights movements have come a long way through decades of struggle, as reflected in the achievements of the RSPCA and other animal welfare movements. Hardy's attitude toward animals also anticipates subsequent developments in animal studies, including post-humanist approaches.

Abraham Trembley & the Creature that Defies Classification

We describe a historical inquiry case based on the investigations of hydra (H. viridissima) by the 18th-century naturalist Abraham Trembley, who ultimately received the Royal Society’s prestigious Copley Medal for his work. Students are invited to participate in the research by working virtually alongside Trembley. They engage in many fully contextualized scientific practices and discuss reflective questions that help highlight aspects of the nature of science. Here, the dilemma of classifying zoophytes serves as an occasion to invigorate the often dry topic of classification by focusing on the distinction between plants and animals—not nearly as simple as it may seem to the novice.

One Scale to Rule them All – A Unified Redox Scale

Thermodynamic quantities of single ions, such as the proton activity (i.e. pH values) or single ion Gibbs solvation energies (i.e. redox potential values), are widely used in chemistry and related sciences.[1] Thus, methods for the experimental determination of these values are of great interest. Our work focuses on the experimental determination of Gibbs transfer energies Δtrans G(i, S1 → S2) of the ion i, between the different solvents S1 and S2, as the central values for the solvent independent, unified acidity scale pHabs H2O and redox scale E abs H2O, and their two-dimensional combination, the Protoelectric Potential Map (PPM).[2] We established an 'ideal' ionic liquid salt bridge (ILSB) setup, using potential measurements between two electrochemical half cells (Fig. 1).[3] In this setup, the electroactive species is dissolved in different solvents, like water or acetonitrile, and the half-cells are connected by an ILSB. 'Ideal' regarding identical diffusion coefficients for both cation and anion of the ionic liquid to minimize liquid junction potentials at the phase boundaries.Up to now, our research focused on solvents with high permittivity, like water or acetonitrile, utilizing the redox systems Ag+/Ag and Cl2/Cl−.[4] Within this contribution, we present the E abs H2O-scale extended by measured transfer energies in low permittivity solvents, like dichloromethane or fluorobenzene, which are not compatible with the previous setup due to the low solubility of the redox systems used. For this application the redox systems Ag+/Ag and Ferrocenium/Ferrocene (Fc+/Fc) were used. In this way, we can include several values measured by cyclic voltammetry.[5] The E abs H2O-scale gives the experimental chemist the possibility of a more straightforward synthesis design and the theoretical chemist values to benchmark his calculations. REFERENCES P. Hünenberger, M. Reif, Single-ion solvation. Experimental and theoretical approaches to elusive thermodynamic quantities, Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, 2011.V. Radtke, D. Himmel, K. Pütz, S. K. Goll, I. Krossing, Chem-Eur. J. 2014, 20, 4194.a) V. Radtke, A. Ermantraut, D. Himmel, T. Koslowski, I. Leito, I. Krossing, Chem. Int. Ed. 2018, 130, 2368; b) A. Ermantraut, V. Radtke, N. Gebel, D. Himmel, T. Koslowski, I. Leito, I. Krossing, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2018, 130, 2372.a) V. Radtke, N. Gebel, D. Priester, A. Ermantraut, M. Bäuerle, D. Himmel, R. Stroh, T. Koslowski, I. Leito, I. Krossing, Eur. J. 2022, 28, e202200509.; b) V. Radtke, D. Priester, A. Heering, C. Müller, T. Koslowski, I. Leito, I. Krossing, Chem. Eur. J. 2023, 29, e202300609.I. Krossing, C. Armbruster, M. Sellin, M. Seiler, T. Würz, F. Oesten, M. Schmucker, T. Sterbak, J. Fischer, V. Radtke et al., e-preprint DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3921217/v1. Figure 1

A late Oligocene chiton fauna (Polyplacophora) from a rocky shore ecosystem, Cosy Dell, Southland, New Zealand

ABSTRACT Chiton (Class Polyplacophora) fossils are rare globally, mostly because they are restricted to hard habitats such as rocky shores that are taphonomically under-represented in the geological record. New Zealand is rich in Cenozoic marine molluscan fossils, but chitons are very uncommon. The earliest New Zealand records of fossil chiton species are all from the Late Oligocene (Duntroonian) Chatton Formation in Southland. They include Callochiton chattonensis Ashby 1929 [New Zealand fossil Polyplacophora (Chitons). Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 60:366–369], Acanthochitona (Notoplax) ashbyi (Laws 1932 [New Tertiary Mollusca from New Zealand. No. 2. Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 62:183–199]) and Rhyssoplax allanthomsoni Mestayer 1929 [Notes on New Zealand Mollusca. Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 60(4):247–150]. At Cosy Dell farm, Waimumu, New Zealand, the Chatton Formation contains a diverse chiton fauna representing seven families and seven genera, including Callochiton cf. chattonensis, Acanthochitona cf. ashbyi, Ischnochiton sp., Leptochiton cf. inquinatus, Lorica sp., Plaxiphora sp., and Rhyssoplax sp., the highest recorded fossil chiton diversity in New Zealand. All genera described in the fossil assemblage are associated with extant taxa around modern New Zealand rocky intertidal and shallow near shore environments. The study extends the New Zealand stratigraphic range of four genera (Ischnochiton, Plaxiphora, Lorica and Leptochiton) back to the Duntroonian (Late Oligocene), provides the first taxonomic descriptions of each chiton taxon from the site and discusses the paleoecological and biostratigraphic significance of these rarely preserved components of a rocky shore ecosystem.

Ana Cristina Andreazza: Driven by curiosity – transforming mental health through mitochondrial innovation

Dr. Ana Cristina Andreazza is a Professor of Pharmacology Toxicology and Psychiatry at the University of Toronto, holding the Thomas C. Zachos Chair in Mitochondrial Research and a Tier II Canada Research Chair in Molecular Pharmacology of Mood Disorders. As the visionary Founder and Scientific Director of the Mitochondrial Innovation Initiative (Mito2i), she leads pioneering research on the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in neurological and psychiatric diseases, organ transplants, and novel therapeutic strategies. Her groundbreaking work has revolutionized our understanding of the relationship between mitochondrial function and mental health disorders, particularly bipolar disorder. Dr. Andreazza's career was inspired by early curiosity, family influence, and a commitment to reduce the stigma surrounding metabolic and psychiatric conditions. Her innovative work bridges multiple disciplines, aiming to discover biomarkers that could enable personalized treatments in mental health. A recipient of numerous prestigious awards, including membership in the Royal Society of Canada College of New Scholars, Dr. Andreazza has published over 200 peer-reviewed papers and is internationally recognized for her contributions to metabolic psychiatry. In this Genomic Press Interview, she shares insights into her remarkable journey from studying wine chemistry in Brazil to becoming a leading force in mitochondrial research while discussing her perspectives on collaborative science and innovation. Driven by a passion for teaching and collaborative science, Dr. Andreazza continues to foster innovation and mentorship in the mitochondrial research community.

The modern synthesis and "Progress" in evolution: a view from the journal literature.

The concept of "progress" in evolutionary theory and its relationship to a putative notion of "Progress" in a global, normatively loaded sense of "change for the better" have been the subject of debate since Darwin admonished himself in a marginal note to avoid using the terms 'higher' and 'lower.' While an increase in some kind of complexity in the natural world might seem self-evident, efforts to explicate this trend meet notorious philosophical difficulties. Numerous historians pin the Modern Synthesis as a pivotal moment in this history; Michael Ruse even provocatively hypothesizes that Ernst Mayr and other "architects" of the Synthesis worked actively to eliminate Progress from evolutionary biology's scientific purview. I evaluate these claims here with a textual analysis of the journals Evolution and Proceedings of the Royal Society B (a corpus of 27,762 documents), using a dynamic topic modeling approach to track the fate of the term 'progress' across the Modern Synthesis. The claim that this term declines in importance for evolutionary theorizing over this period can, indeed, be supported; more tentative evidence is also provided that the discussion of 'progress' is largely absent from the British context, emphasizing the role of American paleontology in the rise and fall of 'progress' in 20th-century evolutionary biology.

Sustainable metals: integrating science and systems approaches.

This article introduces a special issue of the transactions arising from a Royal Society Discussion Meeting on 'sustainable metals'. Recognizing that progress to date toward the goals of 'sustainability' has been limited, the meeting aimed to open up a new level of interdisciplinary dialogue, collaboration and discussion of disruptive approaches. In this paper, the major concerns of sustainability are enumerated, and climate change is identified as the most urgent. The constraints on deploying technical innovations at scale and speed are discussed, suggesting that much of the required change will require using existing technologies differently, and many opportunities of this type have been overlooked. These constraints also give useful direction for future research and suggest an expanded future role for scientists. Previously, scientists and technologists have aimed largely to 'solve' problems in sustainability through invention. This introductory paper argues that they have an equally important role as participants in the complex societal discussions required to identify pathways to change. Scientific expertise is as important for explaining what cannot be achieved in time or at scale, as it is for promoting the excitement of invention.This article is part of the discussion meeting issue 'Sustainable metals: science and systems'.

Assessing adherence to Government's sugar, salt, and calorie reduction targets of the top 20 UK restaurants' menus in 2024: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundTo address high obesity rates in adults and children, the UK government published voluntary targets for industry to reduce the sugar, salt, and calorie content of food products. Initial reports indicate little progress, however there has been limited assessment of the eating out, takeaway, and delivery sector. This study aims to assess the proportion of menu items that meet the government's sugar, salt, and calorie targets, from the 20 highest-grossing chained restaurants in the UK. MethodsWe identified the top 20 UK chained restaurants using data from market research company Euromonitor International. Nutritional information for 4054 products was collected directly from restaurant websites. Each product was assigned an overall category (eg, main meals, sides, etc.), and categories defined by the sugar, salt, and calorie targets. Findings36% (n=207) of products met sugar targets, 60% (n=1411) met salt targets, 72% (n=1592) met calorie targets, and 43% (n=1269) met all applicable targets. Categories with the highest proportion of products meeting the respective target were ‘Breakfast Items’ for sugar (73%, n=138), ‘Burgers’ for salt (100%, n=85), and ‘Salads’ for calories (96%, n=44) and all applicable targets (96%, n=44). Restaurants with the highest proportion of products meeting the respective target were Leon for sugar (63%, n=15), Burger King for salt (97%, n=32), Dominos for calories (95%, n=209), and Subway for all applicable targets (78%, n=62). InterpretationThe calorie targets were reasonably well adhered to whilst a large proportion of products still exceeded the target levels for sugar and salt. Ambiguities in the targets’ food categorisation makes their application somewhat subjective, risking low transparency and hindering a level playing field between companies. These findings can inform which companies and food groups need to be prioritised when implementing similar public health schemes in the future. FundingAOH is funded by the SALIENT project, which is funded by the ESRC (ES/Y00311X/1). RP is funded by a Royal Society and Wellcome Trust Sir Henry Dale fellowship (222566/Z/21/Z). RP is also supported by NIHR Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre. HF is funded by the COPPER project. The COPPER project is funded by the NIHR Public Health Research programme (NIHR133887). The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care. LB is funded by NIHR Applied Research Collaborations (ARC) Oxford and Thames Valley. The funders had no role in the study design, data collection, analysis or interpretation. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the funders.