More than one third of children (10-11years) are estimated to be overweight or living with obesity (1). A range of public health policies are in place that are intended to assist consumers to make healthier food choices. Point of sale policies include the government-approved voluntary scheme for front of pack Traffic Light Labels (TLL) and the requirement for large out-of-home food outlets to display energy information (calories on menus). There is concern that policies focusing on individual responsibility for calorie restriction may inadvertently increase preoccupation with food and weight. Such policies could therefore lead to increases in disordered eating behaviours and cognitions, particularly among vulnerable groups, such as children and young people (CYP) (2).

The aim of this study was to explore the relative benefits and harms of TLL and calories on menus for CYP, as part of their overall environment.

Focus group discussions were conducted in primary and secondary schools in the southeast of England with children in Years 5-8 (aged 9-13 years). Interviews explored (i) choosing snacks from a range displayed; (ii) choosing items from menus with or without calorie information; (iii) perceptions of the overall food environment including social media and advertising. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using NVivo with framework analysis. Themes were developed deductively and sub-themes inductively.

Focus groups (n=16) took place with CYP (n=80) between December 2023 and June 2024. Sub-themes for theme 1 ‘TLL’ were: (1.1) ‘only red and green make sense’ and (1.2) ‘TLL aren’t for us’. Participants recalled seeing TLL and viewed them as possibly useful for adults or people on special diets but generally not for them. Instead, CYP prioritised visual appeal, marketing, familiarity and taste when choosing food products. Sub-themes for theme 2 ‘calories on menus’ were: (2.1) ‘calories might mean health’; (2.2) ‘I just choose what I like’ and (2.3) ‘it could make people feel bad’. Older participants in particular spoke about potential feelings of guilt or upset in response to seeing calorie information and some spoke about compensatory behaviours. Sub-themes for theme 3 ‘the wider environment’ were: (3.1) ‘TikTok shows ways to become perfect’; (3.2) ‘McDonald’s adverts pop up all the time’ and (3.3) ‘my mum is against sugar’. CYP described being exposed to engaging media and marketing, which prompted immediate desires for food and influenced their food choices. Social media content was also seen as sometimes presenting unhealthy eating behaviours and promoting unrealistic body ideals.

TLL and calories on menus presented limited benefits for CYP and potentially some negative impacts. CYP recognised their wider environment, particularly social media exposure as driving food choices and negatively impacting cognitions relating to eating and body image.

Comprehend, Cope and Connect (CCC) is a trauma-informed, transdiagnostic and evidence-based psychological intervention for mental health crises that can be applied cross-culturally. CCC has been implemented in acute and crisis mental health settings across the South of England and in services elsewhere in the UK. More recently, it has been taken up and adapted for specialist community settings, including perinatal services, addiction services and primary care settings. A continuously growing evidence base indicates that CCC could be the next step towards solving the national problem of mental health crises. It is now time for CCC to be piloted and researched nationally.

Multicenter clinical trials are essential for evaluating interventions but often face significant challenges in study design, site coordination, participant recruitment, and regulatory compliance. To address these issues, the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences established the Trial Innovation Network (TIN). The TIN offers a scientific consultation process, providing access to clinical trial and disease experts who provide input and recommendations throughout the trial’s duration, at no cost to investigators. This approach aims to improve trial design, accelerate implementation, foster interdisciplinary teamwork, and spur innovations that enhance multicenter trial quality and efficiency. The TIN leverages resources of the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) program, complementing local capabilities at the investigator’s institution. The Initial Consultation process focuses on the study’s scientific premise, design, site development, recruitment and retention strategies, funding feasibility, and other support areas. As of 6/1/2024, the TIN has provided 431 Initial Consultations to increase efficiency and accelerate trial implementation by delivering customized support and tailored recommendations. Across a range of clinical trials, the TIN has developed standardized, streamlined, and adaptable processes. We describe these processes, provide operational metrics, and include a set of lessons learned for consideration by other trial support and innovation networks.

We report the lattice parameters and cell volume for cristobalite powder added at 35 wt% to Ba-Al-Silicate glass (CGI930) as reflowed bulk glass bars where the embedded cristobalite phase is constrained within the glass matrix. Analysis confirms that the room temperature lattice parameters and cell volume obtained for the bulk glass–ceramic are larger compared with single-phase cristobalite powders. The increased volume of the cristobalite phase in a glass matrix is driven by tensile stresses developed at the interface between the cristobalite and matrix glass phase, and this stress impacts the phase transition temperature and thermal hysteresis of the cristobalite phase. In situ high-temperature measurements confirm that the tetragonal to cubic α–β phase transformation of the cristobalite phase within the glass matrix is ~195 °C with complete suppression of hysteresis behavior. In contrast, bulk glass–ceramic material ground to a powder form displays the expected thermal hysteresis behavior and more comparable phase transition temperatures of 245 °C on heating and 220 °C on cooling. Isothermal holds at varying temperatures above or near the α–β phase transition suggest that the cristobalite phase does not undergo significant relaxation within the matrix phase to reduce accumulated stress imposed by the constraining matrix glassy phase.

A ground vortex engendered by the interaction of uniform flow over a plane surface with suction into a cylindrical conduit whose axis is normal to the cross-flow and parallel to the ground plane is investigated in wind tunnel experiments. The formation and evolution of the columnar vortex and its ingestion into the conduit’s inlet are explored using planar/stereo particle image velocimetry over a broad range of formation parameters that include the speeds of the inlet and cross-flows and the cylinder’s elevation above the ground plane with specific emphasis on the role of the surface vorticity layer in the vortex initiation and sustainment. The present investigations show that the appearance of a ground vortex within the inlet face occurs above a threshold boundary of two dimensionless formation parameters, namely the inlet’s momentum flux coefficient and its normalised elevation above the ground surface. Transitory initiations of wall-normal columnar vortices are spawned within a countercurrent shear layer that forms over the ground plane within a streamwise domain on the inlet’s leeward side by the suction flow into the duct. At low suction speeds, these wall-normal vortices are advected downstream with the cross-flow but when their celerity is reversed with increased suction, they are advected towards the cylinder’s inlet, gain circulation and stretch along their centrelines and become ingested into the inlet at a threshold defined by the formation parameters. Finally, the present investigations demonstrated that reduction of the countercurrent shear within the wall vorticity layer by deliberate, partial bypass of the inlet face flow through the periphery of the cylindrical duct can significantly delay the ingestion of the ground vortex to higher level thresholds of the formation parameters.

Are women legislators punished for not supporting women’s substantive policy interests? We test these gendered expectations. We marshal an original content analysis of cable news coverage and two survey experiments testing voters’ assessment of hypothetical legislators on the issues of abortion and equal pay. We find that voters rate both women and men legislators positively for supporting women’s issues and negatively evaluate legislators of both genders when they do not support women’s interests. We also find that women voters negatively evaluate women legislators who act against women’s interests at a greater rate than men voters. While we do not find evidence of voters holding women legislators to gendered expectations, we do find that legislators, regardless of their gender, have strategic incentives to promote women’s substantive representation. Our results suggest that voters care more about the substantive representation of women’s political interests than who supports those interests.

An increasing number of older adults require residential care. Concurrently, older adults’ alcohol use is increasing. This review explored the perspectives of all relevant stakeholders on older adults’ alcohol use within residential care settings, through a systematic review and thematic synthesis of qualitative studies. Eight databases were searched for qualitative studies focusing on older adults’ alcohol consumption (defined as aged ≥ 50) within residential care settings, sampling any involved stakeholders, published up until January 2024. Quality appraisal utilised the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklist and included 15 studies of mainly moderate quality across seven high-income countries, reporting data from a range of stakeholders and representing varied older adults’ alcohol histories. Three themes were identified: alcohol use by older adults is socially acceptable and purposeful in residential care settings; alcohol helps in the pursuit of an ‘ideal’ outcome; and decision-making around older adults’ alcohol use varies depending on the involvement, knowledge, skills and beliefs of the participating stakeholders, who also vary. Reports of problematic alcohol use were rare and older adults in residential care settings should be supported to exercise their own choice in determining their alcohol use. However, residential care settings face particular challenges in managing the alcohol intake of older adults with limited mental capacity and alcohol dependency; owing to a lack of guidance, front-line staff make subjective decisions. Future research should develop guidance that involves all relevant stakeholders, including family members. Limitations include lack of generalisability to low- and middle-income countries and limited availability of raw data.

Interventions to foster inclusive learning environments may benefit college STEMM instructors (NASEM, 2019). We investigated the impact of a social inclusion intervention (SII) on scientific self-efficacy, identity, community values, and persistence intentions in a large and diverse sample of biomedical college instructors (n = 116) in the USA. The results indicated that the SII group developed stronger scientific community values than the control group, and the effect was the strongest for instructors who had initially expressed lower values. From a mentoring perspective, the intervention helps boost feelings of community values, which is linked to increased persistence in STEMM careers.

Objectives/Goals: There has been a significant increase in the engagement of researchers with persons with lived and living experience, driven by a growing recognition of the invaluable insights and expertise these individuals bring to the research process. However, there remains a need for research teams to learn how to engage with patients and community partners. Methods/Study Population: The EMPOWER project is a collaborative of members with lived/living expertise of substance use during pregnancy. EMPOWER meets three times per month in support of their goals of patient-centered research, changing the narrative through conversations, and building the capacity of persons with lived experience to co-lead research. Through over 4 years of active collaboration and co-learning, EMPOWER has identified and created methods that support meaningful patient engagement and capacity building. Results/Anticipated Results: EMPOWER has identified the following methods that support meaningful engagement and capacity building: Mind-Mapping Exercises, Personal and Collective Journey Mapping, 8-month research training curriculum, Digital Storytelling, Learning Labs, and World Cafe Meetings. These methods have led to a collaborative of 20 individuals with lived experience of substance use to identify research gaps, prioritize research questions, design data collection tools, analyze research data, disseminate research results, and consult with healthcare teams in efforts to improve clinical care. To-date EMPOWER have given over 10 invited presentations and is currently writing manuscripts. Discussion/Significance of Impact: Meaningful patient and community engagement is critical to developing and implementing healthcare interventions. Unfortunately, engagement efforts are often lack in building capacity of patients and community, which impedes their ability to fully engage in all phases of research.

Objectives/Goals: To design a flexible, comprehensive framework for Data Science Units to cultivate sustainable, long-term relationships with Clinical and Translational Science Research Units. Best practices for managing Data Science collaborations are presented to improve the quality and efficiency of research conducted throughout academic health centers. Methods/Study Population: Leaders of Data Science Units across six institutions formed a workgroup to develop guidance and best practices for Data Science Units to establish long-term, sustainable collaborations with Clinical and Translational Science Research Units. This guidance is based on tools and protocols developed and employed by the participating units, which range from larger groups with over 20 partnerships to a unit with three partnerships that is actively working to expand. Importantly, partnerships are highly variable, with some partnerships at one institution representing engagement with over 500 faculty, whereas some partnerships at another institution involve the lab of a single investigator. Results/Anticipated Results: We offer guidance in three domains: (1) Identifying the needs for a new partnership, including assessing required effort and data science expertise, setting partnership priorities, developing formal agreements, and identifying goals and metrics; (2) managing data science teams by implementing regular meetings, creating project intake and prioritization processes, and effort monitoring; and (3) evaluating the successes and failures/gaps of the collaboration by measuring the metrics mapped to the goals. For each domain, we provide specific suggestions on which parties should be involved and how frequently the processes should occur. This guidance is applicable both to larger collaborative partnerships and to smaller, single faculty or staff partnerships, whether they are new or well-established. Discussion/Significance of Impact: Effective collaboration between data scientists and clinical and translational investigators is key to advancing data-driven research. The guidance and resources are presented to support Data Science Units in successfully managing long-term collaborations through goal-development, evaluation, and adapting to evolving research needs.

Vanishing twin syndrome is a miscarriage of multiples where one or more fetuses ‘vanishes’ (i.e., partial or full resorption or via calcification) during pregnancy, often before detection via ultrasound. It affects 30−50% of multifetal pregnancies, with most cases resulting in full resorption within the first trimester. Despite its recognition since 1945 and rising occurrence in both natural and assisted pregnancies, standardized clinical guidelines remain inadequate, leading to inconsistent diagnosis, counseling, and communication from healthcare providers. This study examines the experiences of mothers and gestational carriers diagnosed with VTS, focusing on patient-provider communication, risks, and symptom disclosure. A global online survey collected qualitative and quantitative data from 153 participants across 17 countries. Results show that most patients with formal diagnoses experienced negative interactions with healthcare providers, with an average sentiment score of −0.7 (on a scale from −2 to 2). Over 53.4% rated their communication experience as −1, and the average satisfaction score for the amount of information received was 3.5/10. Additionally, 43% of respondents were not informed about chorionicity, a key factor affecting fetal outcomes. Significant discrepancies in care were observed across different countries. The findings highlight major gaps in patient-provider communication and inconsistent clinical practices regarding VTS. Addressing these issues through improved education, clearer protocols, and standardized guidelines could enhance patient experiences and decision-making. Future research should focus on provider training and evidence-based strategies to improve the management of VTS and other types of miscarriage and death of multiples during pregnancy and postpartum.

The laboratory experiment described in this paper provides evidence on play in signaling games in the context of electoral competition. In this game, voters must infer the preferred policy of each candidate from the candidate’s choice of whether to announce (truthfully) his preferred policy or to take no position. Bayesian voters would put high probability on a candidate having an extreme policy preference after observing him take no position, but cursed voters would not fully appreciate the informational content of the decision to take no position. Stated beliefs reveal substantial uncertainty about other players’ strategies. Based on estimates of a structural model of cursed equilibrium allowing for heterogeneity in the degree of cursedness, 32% of choices between candidates are consistent with Bayesian updating, 32% imply no inferences about others’ types after observing their actions, and the remainder indicate partial updating. Though the experiment also includes treatments with subjects in both roles, these estimates are based on interactions with programmed candidates, implying that uncertainty about others’ rationality and strategic sophistication is not driving the result. We also find that the quantal response error structure in which errors depend on payoff differences cannot explain the pattern of errors that subjects make.

Detection of the weak cosmological signal from high-redshift hydrogen demands careful data analysis and an understanding of the full instrument signal chain. Here, we use the WODEN simulation pipeline to produce realistic data from the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) Epoch of Reionisation experiment and test the effects of different instrumental systematics through the AusEoRPipe analysis pipeline. The simulations include a realistic full sky model, direction-independent calibration, and both random and systematic instrumental effects. Results are compared to matched real observations. We find that, (i) with a sky-based calibration and power spectrum approach we have need to subtract more than 90% of all unresolved point source flux (10 mJy apparent) to recover 21-cm signal in the absence of instrumental effects; (ii) when including diffuse emission in simulations, some k-modes cannot be accessed, leading to a need for some diffuse emission removal; (iii) the single greatest cause of leakage is an incomplete sky model; and (iv) other sources of errors, such as cable reflections, flagged channels, and gain errors, impart comparable systematic power to one another and less power than the incomplete sky model.

The cosmological argument for the existence of God seems to have significant intuitive resonance. According to a familiar version of the cosmological argument, there must be some explanation for why the universe exists, and God provides the explanation. This argument seems to depend on the Principle of Sufficient Reason (PSR), according to which, if something exists, there must be an explanation for why it exists. As we detail, recent evidence indicates that people presuppose something like the PSR in their explanatory outlook. However, the other key part of the cosmological argument is that God is supposed to be self-explanatory – God’s existence is necessary. We examine this empirically and find that people do not generally think that the existence of God is necessary in the sense relevant for the cosmological argument.