Poor iron status is one of the most prevalent problems facing infants worldwide, in both developing and developed countries(1). A complex interplay of both dietary and non-dietary factors affects iron intake, absorption, and requirements, and subsequently iron status(2). We aimed to describe iron status in an ethnically diverse cohort of urban-dwelling infants. Data were collected from 364 infants aged 7.0 to 10.0 months living in two main urban centres in New Zealand (Auckland and Dunedin) between July 2020 and February 2022. Participants were grouped by total ethnicity, with any participants who did not identify as either Māori or Pacific categorised into a single ‘others’ group. Haemoglobin, plasma ferritin, soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR), C-Reactive protein, and alpha-1-acid-glycoprotein were obtained from a non-fasting venous blood sample. Inflammation was adjusted for using the Biomarkers Reflecting Inflammation and Nutritional Determinants of Anaemia (BRINDA) method(3). Body iron concentration (mg/kg body weight) was calculated using the ratio of sTfR and ferritin. A total of 96.3% of Pacific infants were iron sufficient, defined as body iron ≥0 mg/kg body weight and haemoglobin (Hb) ≥105 g/L, compared to 82.3% of Māori and 76.0% of ‘other’ (i.e. neither Māori nor Pacific) infants. ‘Other’ infants had the highest prevalence of iron deficiency overall, with 2.8% categorised with iron-deficiency anaemia (IDA) (body iron <0 mg/kg, haemoglobin <105 g/L), 11.8% with early ‘functional’ iron deficiency (body iron <0 mg/kg, haemoglobin ≥105 g/L), and 9.4% with iron depletion (ferritin <15 µg/L, in the absence of early ‘functional’ iron deficiency and iron deficiency anaemia). For Māori infants, 3.2% and 6.5% had IDA and early ‘functional’ iron deficiency respectively, and 8.1% were iron depleted. One (3.7%) Pacific infant was iron depleted, and the remainder were iron sufficient. Plasma ferritin and body iron concentration were, on average, higher in Pacific compared to non-Pacific infants. These findings give an up-to-date and robust understanding of the iron status of infants by ethnicity, highlighting an unexpected finding that infants who are neither Māori nor Pacific may be at higher risk of poor iron status in NZ.

The Australian SKA Pathfinder (ASKAP) offers powerful new capabilities for studying the polarised and magnetised Universe at radio wavelengths. In this paper, we introduce the Polarisation Sky Survey of the Universe’s Magnetism (POSSUM), a groundbreaking survey with three primary objectives: (1) to create a comprehensive Faraday rotation measure (RM) grid of up to one million compact extragalactic sources across the southern $\sim50$% of the sky (20,630 deg$^2$); (2) to map the intrinsic polarisation and RM properties of a wide range of discrete extragalactic and Galactic objects over the same area; and (3) to contribute interferometric data with excellent surface brightness sensitivity, which can be combined with single-dish data to study the diffuse Galactic interstellar medium. Observations for the full POSSUM survey commenced in May 2023 and are expected to conclude by mid-2028. POSSUM will achieve an RM grid density of around 30–50 RMs per square degree with a median measurement uncertainty of $\sim$1 rad m$^{-2}$. The survey operates primarily over a frequency range of 800–1088 MHz, with an angular resolution of 20” and a typical RMS sensitivity in Stokes Q or U of 18 $\mu$Jy beam$^{-1}$. Additionally, the survey will be supplemented by similar observations covering 1296–1440 MHz over 38% of the sky. POSSUM will enable the discovery and detailed investigation of magnetised phenomena in a wide range of cosmic environments, including the intergalactic medium and cosmic web, galaxy clusters and groups, active galactic nuclei and radio galaxies, the Magellanic System and other nearby galaxies, galaxy halos and the circumgalactic medium, and the magnetic structure of the Milky Way across a very wide range of scales, as well as the interplay between these components. This paper reviews the current science case developed by the POSSUM Collaboration and provides an overview of POSSUM’s observations, data processing, outputs, and its complementarity with other radio and multi-wavelength surveys, including future work with the SKA.

Amid resurgent geopolitical fissures and in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, there is a growing awareness in the sector of the need for, and concern about, national and international collaboration in archaeological projects. This article reflects on present-day challenges for international collaboration in central Eurasian archaeology and furthers a much-needed discussion about (re)integrating local narratives with inter-regional trends in future research. Responsible and practical proposals for bridging collaborator differences in institutional or publishing obligations, language capacities and access to resources are discussed.

We present an overview of the Middle Ages Galaxy Properties with Integral Field Spectroscopy (MAGPI) survey, a Large Program on the European Southern Observatory Very Large Telescope. MAGPI is designed to study the physical drivers of galaxy transformation at a lookback time of 3–4 Gyr, during which the dynamical, morphological, and chemical properties of galaxies are predicted to evolve significantly. The survey uses new medium-deep adaptive optics aided Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) observations of fields selected from the Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey, providing a wealth of publicly available ancillary multi-wavelength data. With these data, MAGPI will map the kinematic and chemical properties of stars and ionised gas for a sample of 60 massive (${>}7 \times 10^{10} {\mathrm{M}}_\odot$) central galaxies at $0.25 < z <0.35$ in a representative range of environments (isolated, groups and clusters). The spatial resolution delivered by MUSE with Ground Layer Adaptive Optics ($0.6-0.8$ arcsec FWHM) will facilitate a direct comparison with Integral Field Spectroscopy surveys of the nearby Universe, such as SAMI and MaNGA, and at higher redshifts using adaptive optics, for example, SINS. In addition to the primary (central) galaxy sample, MAGPI will deliver resolved and unresolved spectra for as many as 150 satellite galaxies at $0.25 < z <0.35$, as well as hundreds of emission-line sources at $z < 6$. This paper outlines the science goals, survey design, and observing strategy of MAGPI. We also present a first look at the MAGPI data, and the theoretical framework to which MAGPI data will be compared using the current generation of cosmological hydrodynamical simulations including EAGLE, Magneticum, HORIZON-AGN, and Illustris-TNG. Our results show that cosmological hydrodynamical simulations make discrepant predictions in the spatially resolved properties of galaxies at $z\approx 0.3$. MAGPI observations will place new constraints and allow for tangible improvements in galaxy formation theory.

We have observed the G23 field of the Galaxy AndMass Assembly (GAMA) survey using the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) in its commissioning phase to validate the performance of the telescope and to characterise the detected galaxy populations. This observation covers ~48 deg2 with synthesised beam of 32.7 arcsec by 17.8 arcsec at 936MHz, and ~39 deg2 with synthesised beam of 15.8 arcsec by 12.0 arcsec at 1320MHz. At both frequencies, the root-mean-square (r.m.s.) noise is ~0.1 mJy/beam. We combine these radio observations with the GAMA galaxy data, which includes spectroscopy of galaxies that are i-band selected with a magnitude limit of 19.2. Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) infrared (IR) photometry is used to determine which galaxies host an active galactic nucleus (AGN). In properties including source counts, mass distributions, and IR versus radio luminosity relation, the ASKAP-detected radio sources behave as expected. Radio galaxies have higher stellar mass and luminosity in IR, optical, and UV than other galaxies. We apply optical and IR AGN diagnostics and find that they disagree for ~30% of the galaxies in our sample. We suggest possible causes for the disagreement. Some cases can be explained by optical extinction of the AGN, but for more than half of the cases we do not find a clear explanation. Radio sources aremore likely (~6%) to have an AGN than radio quiet galaxies (~1%), but the majority of AGN are not detected in radio at this sensitivity.

The electron spin resonance spectrum of a sample of natural, orange-coloured fluorite from Broken Hill, Australia, has been observed and shown to arise from the presence of manganese ions. From an analysis of the structure of this spectrum it has been possible to estimate the various contributions to the ionic energy level splitting and to show that these are in good agreement with comparable results for synthetic material. It is evident that the manganese ions have entered the lattice substitutionally at Ca2+ sites and the nature of this site is discussed.

The aim of this study is to determine the effects of early and mid-gestation nutrient restriction on maternal metabolites and foetal growth. Primiparous Angus cows were synchronized and inseminated with semen from one sire. Dietary treatments were: control to gain 1 kg/week (CON) or 0.55% maintenance energy and CP requirements (nutrient restricted; NR). A subset of dams was fed NR (n=8) or CON (n=8) from days 30 to 110 of gestation. Another group was fed CON (n=8), days 30 to 190; NR (n=7), days 30 to 110 followed by CON days 110 to 190; or CON, (n=7) days 30 to 110 followed by NR days 110 to 190. Cows were harvested at days 110 or 190 of gestation, when foetal measurements and samples were collected. Cows that were NR during days 30 to 110 or 110 to 190 of gestation lost significant BW and body condition score (P<0.001), this was associated with reduced plasma glucose during NR (P<0.002). Foetal weights, empty foetal weights, abdominal and thoracic circumferences were all reduced (P<0.03) in day 110 NR animals. Foetal perirenal adipose as a percentage of empty foetal weight was increased (P=0.01) in NR day 110 female foetuses compared with CON foetus. Maternal serum triglycerides at day 110 of gestation were decreased (P<0.05) in NR dams, whereas foetal serum triglycerides were increased (P<0.05) in response to maternal NR. Foetal weights tended to be reduced (P=0.08) in NR/CON and CON/NR v. CON/CON cattle at day 190 of gestation. Empty foetal weights, abdominal and thoracic circumferences were reduced (P⩽0.03) in NR/CON and CON/NR v. CON/CON cattle. Brain weight as a percentage of empty foetal weight was increased (P<0.001) in NR/CON and CON/NR v. CON/CON cattle. Foetal perirenal adipose as a percentage of empty foetal weight was increased (P=0.003) in NR/CON and CON/NR v. CON/CON cattle. Maternal serum triglycerides at day 190 of gestation were decreased (P<0.05) in association with maternal NR. Foetal serum triglycerides at day 190 of gestation were increased (P<0.05) in response to maternal NR during early gestation but decreased by NR in mid gestation compared with CON foetuses. The data show that maternal nutrient restriction during early or mid-gestation cause’s asymmetrical foetal growth restriction, regardless if the restriction is preceded or followed by a period of non-restriction.

Public health interest in norovirus (NoV) has increased in recent years following improved diagnostics, global burden estimates and the development of NoV vaccine candidates. This study aimed to describe the detection rate, clinical characteristics and environmental features associated with NoV detection in hospitalized children <5 years with diarrhoea in South Africa (SA). Between 2009 and 2013, prospective diarrhoeal surveillance was conducted at four sites in SA. Stool specimens were collected and screened for NoVs and other enteric pathogens using molecular and serological assays. Epidemiological and clinical data were compared in patients with or without detection of NoV. The study detected NoV in 15% (452/3103) of hospitalized children <5 years with diarrhoea with the majority of disease in children <2 years (92%; 417/452). NoV-positive children were more likely to present with diarrhoea and vomiting (odds ratio (OR) 1·3; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·1–1·7; P = 0·011) with none-to-mild dehydration (adjusted OR 0·5; 95% CI 0·3–0·7) compared with NoV-negative children. Amongst children testing NoV positive, HIV-infected children were more likely to have prolonged hospitalization and increased mortality compared with HIV-uninfected children. Continued surveillance will be important to consider the epidemic trends and estimate the burden and risk of NoV infection in SA.

Urban slum environments in the tropics are conducive to the proliferation and the spread of rodent-borne zoonotic pathogens to humans. Calodium hepaticum (Brancroft, 1893) is a zoonotic nematode known to infect a variety of mammalian hosts, including humans. Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) are considered the most important mammalian host of C. hepaticum and are therefore a potentially useful species to inform estimates of the risk to humans living in urban slum environments. There is a lack of studies systematically evaluating the role of demographic and environmental factors that influence both carriage and intensity of infection of C. hepaticum in rodents from urban slum areas within tropical regions. Carriage and the intensity of infection of C. hepaticum were studied in 402 Norway rats over a 2-year period in an urban slum in Salvador, Brazil. Overall, prevalence in Norway rats was 83% (337/402). Independent risk factors for C. hepaticum carriage in R. norvegicus were age and valley of capture. Of those infected the proportion with gross liver involvement (i.e. >75% of the liver affected, a proxy for a high level intensity of infection), was low (8%, 26/337). Sixty soil samples were collected from ten locations to estimate levels of environmental contamination and provide information on the potential risk to humans of contracting C. hepaticum from the environment. Sixty percent (6/10) of the sites were contaminated with C. hepaticum. High carriage levels of C. hepaticum within Norway rats and sub-standard living conditions within slum areas may increase the risk to humans of exposure to the infective eggs of C. hepaticum. This study supports the need for further studies to assess whether humans are becoming infected within this community and whether C. hepaticum is posing a significant risk to human health.

About 20 years ago de Vaucouleurs (1955, 1960) drew attention to faint but extensive nebulosity in the region of the South Celestial Pole. He tentatively identified it as being emission nebulosity, excited by OB stars in the overlying galactic plane. The extent of these nebulae has become even more apparent in recent years on IIIa-J plates taken for the U.K. Schmidt survey of the southern sky. From a study of survey plates covering the sky south of declination 80° a map has been prepared of the nebulosity visible in the region. A study made of this ∽nebulosity suggests that it is predominantly reflection nebulosity, with the main source of illumination being integrated starlight of the overlying Carina spiral arm. The bulk of it is of very low surface brightness (fainter than about 26 mag. per square arcsec) and appears to be in the form of a broken layer underlying the local galactic plane at an altitude of ∽ 40–80 pc. There are a number of brighter nebulous patches and filaments, frequently highly structured on a scale of minutes of arc, and extending across several degrees, usually parallel to the galactic plane.

The Thumbprint Nebula (TPN) in Chamaeleon (first described by Fitzgerald (1974), and shown in Figure 1) is a good example of the class of dense, dark nebulae that exhibit dark cores and bright rims, and have been referred to (Lynds 1967) as ‘bright dark nebulae’. Early observations of these nebulae established that the dust grains within them were strongly forward-scattering (Struve and Elvey 1936, Struve 1937). However, the treatment of the radiative transfer problem was too inadequate to permit more than tentative conclusions regarding the nebulae. In more recent years, with the advent of modern computers, the transfer of radiation through a dust cloud has been treated more rigorously, using Monte Carlo techniques (Mattila 1970, Witt and Stephens 1974). Witt and Stephens (1974) have demonstrated that for a dense nebula the surface brightness profile is sensitive to the dust grain density distribution within the cloud and to the scattering properties of the grains. The scattering model approach can be valuable in the investigation of very opaque dark nebulae that cannot be studied by conventional star counting techniques. This has been demonstrated in the case of the TPN by Fitzgerald et al (1976), who used the Witt and Stephens model.

Coronae Austrinae is one of the few star formation areas lying well away from the galactic plane (l = 360°, b = −17°) and is visible predominantly from the Southern Hemisphere.

Lynds 1642 is a small, somewhat insignificant dark cloud centred at 04h 33, — 14°20 (1950). On a IIIaJ UKSTU Schmidt plate it may be seen to lie within an approximately circular patch of nebulosity which we believe to be visible by reflection. Its galactic location (l = 210°.9 b = -36°.5) places it beneath the local arm in the direction of Orion and it is likely that it is seen by reflection of the integrated light of the stars in that region of the galaxy.

The spectrophotometric results from the Copernicus satellite have stimulated considerable interest in interstellar molecular hydrogen. In this note calculations are presented which suggest that it may be possible for hydrogen molecules on grains to give rise to diffuse interstellar lines in the ultraviolet.

We present maps in the visible emission lines of [S II] and the infrared emission lines of H2, at 2.12μm, for several bipolar outflow complexes which exhibit jet structures. A comparison of the morphology of this infrared emission and that seen in visible emission lines shows both the visible and the H2 emission exhibit clumpy structure on similar scales. It appears that the brightest H2 emission occurs at the working surfaces of the jets. Virtually no H2 emission is associated with the jets themselves.

Velocity profiles are presented for several objects and possible emission mechanisms are discussed.

The Corona Australis cometary globule is a large southern object known to be a region of slow star formation. We have mapped the complex in the 21cm hydrogen line and preliminary results are reported in Llewellyn et al. (1981) and Taylor et al. (1981). The most extensive A, map of the region is given by Rossano (1978) and is based on star counts.

MM-(millimetre) wave astronomy offers over one hundred gigahertz of explorable spectrum within which the transitions of a large number of important molecules occur. Some of these molecules are as simple as carbon monoxide while others are as complex as trans-ethyl alcohol and methylamine; the former species are widely distributed in the Galaxy while the latter species are more localized in extent.