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.

Partial remission after major depressive disorder (MDD) is common and a robust predictor of relapse. However, it remains unclear to which extent preventive psychological interventions reduce depressive symptomatology and relapse risk after partial remission. We aimed to identify variables predicting relapse and to determine whether, and for whom, psychological interventions are effective in preventing relapse, reducing (residual) depressive symptoms, and increasing quality of life among individuals in partial remission. This preregistered (CRD42023463468) systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis (IPD-MA) pooled data from 16 randomized controlled trials (n = 705 partial remitters) comparing psychological interventions to control conditions, using 1- and 2-stage IPD-MA. Among partial remitters, baseline clinician-rated depressive symptoms (p = .005) and prior episodes (p = .012) predicted relapse. Psychological interventions were associated with reduced relapse risk over 12 months (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.60, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.43–0.84), and significantly lowered posttreatment depressive symptoms (Hedges’ g = 0.29, 95% CI 0.04–0.54), with sustained effects at 60 weeks (Hedges’ g = 0.33, 95% CI 0.06–0.59), compared to nonpsychological interventions. However, interventions did not significantly improve quality of life at 60 weeks (Hedges’ g = 0.26, 95% CI -0.06 to 0.58). No moderators of relapse prevention efficacy were found. Men, older individuals, and those with higher baseline symptom severity experienced greater reductions in symptomatology at 60 weeks. Psychological interventions for individuals with partially remitted depression reduce relapse risk and residual symptomatology, with efficacy generalizing across patient characteristics and treatment types. This suggests that psychological interventions are a recommended treatment option for this patient population.

We present the most sensitive and detailed view of the neutral hydrogen (${\rm H\small I}$) emission associated with the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), through the combination of data from the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) and Parkes (Murriyang), as part of the Galactic Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (GASKAP) pilot survey. These GASKAP-HI pilot observations, for the first time, reveal ${\rm H\small I}$ in the SMC on similar physical scales as other important tracers of the interstellar medium, such as molecular gas and dust. The resultant image cube possesses an rms noise level of 1.1 K ($1.6\,\mathrm{mJy\ beam}^{-1}$) $\mathrm{per}\ 0.98\,\mathrm{km\ s}^{-1}$ spectral channel with an angular resolution of $30^{\prime\prime}$ (${\sim}10\,\mathrm{pc}$). We discuss the calibration scheme and the custom imaging pipeline that utilises a joint deconvolution approach, efficiently distributed across a computing cluster, to accurately recover the emission extending across the entire ${\sim}25\,\mathrm{deg}^2$ field-of-view. We provide an overview of the data products and characterise several aspects including the noise properties as a function of angular resolution and the represented spatial scales by deriving the global transfer function over the full spectral range. A preliminary spatial power spectrum analysis on individual spectral channels reveals that the power law nature of the density distribution extends down to scales of 10 pc. We highlight the scientific potential of these data by comparing the properties of an outflowing high-velocity cloud with previous ASKAP+Parkes ${\rm H\small I}$ test observations.

Background: Decisions to treat large-vessel occlusion with endovascular therapy(EVT) or intravenous alteplase depend on how physicians weigh benefits against risks when considering patients’ pre-stroke comorbidities. Methods: In an international survey, experts chose treatment approaches under current resources and under assumed ideal conditions for 10 of 22 randomly assigned case-scenarios. Five included comorbidities(metastatic/non-metastatic cancer, cardiac/respiratory/renal disease, non-disabling/mild cognitive impairment[MCI], physical dependence). We examined scenario/respondent characteristics associated with EVT/alteplase decisions using multivariable logistic regressions. Results: Among 607 physicians(38 countries), EVT was favoured in 1,097/1,379(79.6%) responses for comorbidity-related scenarios under current resources versus 1,510/1,657(91.1%,OR:0.38, 95%CI.0.31-0.47) for six “level-1A” scenarios (assuming ideal conditions:82.7% vs 95.1%,OR:0.25,0.19-0.33). However, this was reversed on including all other scenarios(e.g. under current resources:3,489/4,691[74.4%], OR:1.34,1.17-1.54). Responses favouring alteplase for comorbidity-related(e.g.75.0% under current resources) scenarios were comparable to level-1A scenarios(72.2%) and higher than all others(60.4%). No comorbidity-related factor independently diminished EVT-odds. MCI and dependence carried higher alteplase-odds; cancer and cardiac/respiratory/renal disease had lower odds. Relevant respondent characteristics included performing more EVT cases/year (higher EVT, lower alteplase-odds), practicing in East-Asia (higher EVT-odds), and in interventional neuroradiology(lower alteplase-odds vs neurology). Conclusions: Moderate-to-severe comorbidities did not consistently deter experts from EVT, suggesting equipoise about withholding EVT based on comorbidities. However, alteplase was often foregone when respondents chose EVT.

Raw milk cheeses are commonly consumed in France and are also a common source of foodborne outbreaks (FBOs). Both an FBO surveillance system and a laboratory-based surveillance system aim to detect Salmonella outbreaks. In early August 2018, five familial FBOs due to Salmonella spp. were reported to a regional health authority. Investigation identified common exposure to a raw goats' milk cheese, from which Salmonella spp. were also isolated, leading to an international product recall. Three weeks later, on 22 August, a national increase in Salmonella Newport ST118 was detected through laboratory surveillance. Concomitantly isolates from the earlier familial clusters were confirmed as S. Newport ST118. Interviews with a selection of the laboratory-identified cases revealed exposure to the same cheese, including exposure to batches not included in the previous recall, leading to an expansion of the recall. The outbreak affected 153 cases, including six cases in Scotland. S. Newport was detected in the cheese and in the milk of one of the producer's goats. The difference in the two alerts generated by this outbreak highlight the timeliness of the FBO system and the precision of the laboratory-based surveillance system. It is also a reminder of the risks associated with raw milk cheeses.

This report is on the synthesis by electrospinning of multiferroic core-shell nanofibers of strontium hexaferrite and lead zirconate titanate or barium titanate and studies on magneto-electric (ME) coupling. Fibers with well-defined core–shell structures showed the order parameters in agreement with values for nanostructures. The strength of ME coupling measured by the magnetic field-induced polarization showed the fractional change in the remnant polarization as high as 21%. The ME voltage coefficient in H-assembled films showed the strong ME response for the zero magnetic bias field. Follow-up studies and potential avenues for enhancing the strength of ME coupling in the core–shell nanofibers are discussed.

The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) is a planned large radio interferometer designed to operate over a wide range of frequencies, and with an order of magnitude greater sensitivity and survey speed than any current radio telescope. The SKA will address many important topics in astronomy, ranging from planet formation to distant galaxies. However, in this work, we consider the perspective of the SKA as a facility for studying physics. We review four areas in which the SKA is expected to make major contributions to our understanding of fundamental physics: cosmic dawn and reionisation; gravity and gravitational radiation; cosmology and dark energy; and dark matter and astroparticle physics. These discussions demonstrate that the SKA will be a spectacular physics machine, which will provide many new breakthroughs and novel insights on matter, energy, and spacetime.

In the 2015 review paper ‘Petawatt Class Lasers Worldwide’ a comprehensive overview of the current status of high-power facilities of ${>}200~\text{TW}$ was presented. This was largely based on facility specifications, with some description of their uses, for instance in fundamental ultra-high-intensity interactions, secondary source generation, and inertial confinement fusion (ICF). With the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics being awarded to Professors Donna Strickland and Gerard Mourou for the development of the technique of chirped pulse amplification (CPA), which made these lasers possible, we celebrate by providing a comprehensive update of the current status of ultra-high-power lasers and demonstrate how the technology has developed. We are now in the era of multi-petawatt facilities coming online, with 100 PW lasers being proposed and even under construction. In addition to this there is a pull towards development of industrial and multi-disciplinary applications, which demands much higher repetition rates, delivering high-average powers with higher efficiencies and the use of alternative wavelengths: mid-IR facilities. So apart from a comprehensive update of the current global status, we want to look at what technologies are to be deployed to get to these new regimes, and some of the critical issues facing their development.

The experience of trauma could be considered a central event in one’s life, such that it could be a core component of one’s identity and life story. Indeed, trauma memories are well-remembered, vivid, intense, and easily accessible (Berntsen & Rubin, 2006). The present study investigated the mediating role of sensory-based trauma memory quality in the relationship between centrality of event and mental health outcomes among child and adolescent survivors of a natural disaster (N = 225) in its immediate aftermath. Results of mediation analyses revealed that centrality of trauma event is related to symptoms of acute stress disorder and depression through sensory-based trauma memory quality (indirect effect 95% C.I. [.06, .11] and [.04, .10], respectively). These findings support the contention that centrality of event is associated to heightened accessibility and vividness of sensory-based trauma memory quality, which in turn is related to an increase in trauma-related symptoms in the immediate aftermath of a natural disaster, where the reminders of trauma are particularly salient in the survivors’ environment and daily activities.

Tangdanite, ideally Ca2Cu9(AsO4)4(SO4)0.5(OH)9·9H2O and monoclinic, is a new mineral species (IMA No. 2011-096) occurring in the Tangdan and Nanniping mines, southeast Dongchuan copper mining district, Dongchuan County, Kunming City Prefecture, Yunnan Province, P. R. China (26°11’N 103°51’E). The mineral is found in the oxidized zone (gossan) of an As-bearing Cu sulfide deposit and is clearly of supergene origin. Associated minerals are chalcopyrite, bornite, chalcocite, covellite, tennantite, enargite, cuprite, malachite, azurite, copper and brochantite. Crystals form radiating or foliated aggregates of flaky crystals up to 3 mm, flattened parallel to (100) and elongated along [001]. It is emerald green with a light green streak, translucent and has a pearly to silky lustre. It is sectile having perfect cleavage on {100} although neither parting nor fracture was observed. No fluorescence in long- or short-wave ultraviolet radiation was observed. The hardness is VHN50 42.0−43.6, mean 42.8 kg mm−2 (2−2½ on the Mohs scale). The density measured by pycnometry is 3.22 g cm−3 (Ma et al., 1980). The calculated density from the empirical chemical formula is 3.32 g cm−3. The compatability index gives 1 − (Kp/Kc) = −0.041 (good). The empirical formula (based on 36 O a.p.f.u) of tangdanite is Ca2.05Cu9.08(As1.03O4)4(S0.63O4)0.5(OH)9·9H2.04O. The simplified formula is Ca2Cu9(AsO4)4(SO4)0.5(OH)9·9H2O. The strongest five reflections in the X-ray powder-diffraction pattern [d in Å(I) (hkl)] are: 4.782(100) ( 1 1), 4.333(71) (6 0 2), 5.263(54) ( 0 2), 3.949(47) (8 0 2) and 2.976(46) ( 1 1). The unit-cell parameters are a = 54.490(9), b = 5.5685(9), c = 10.4690(17) Å, β = 96.294(3)o, V = 3157.4(9) Å3, Z = 4. Its structure was solved and refined in space group C2/c, with R = 0.110.

Globally, the prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) disease is higher in males. This study examined the effect of sex and age on Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection. Demographic and exposure data were collected on household contacts of sputum smear-positive pulmonary TB patients in Brazil. Contacts with tuberculin skin test induration ⩾10 mm at baseline or 12 weeks were considered Mtb infected. The study enrolled 917 household contacts from 160 households; 508 (55.4%) were female, median age was 21.0 years (range 0.30–87.0) and 609 (66.4%) had Mtb infection. The proportion infected increased with age from 63.3% in girls <5 years to 75.4% in women ⩾40 years and from 44.9% in boys <5 years to 73.6% in men ⩾40 years. Multivariable modelling showed the odds of infection increased between age 5 and 14 years among female contacts (OR 1.5 per 5-year age increase; 95% CI 1.1–2.2; P = 0.02) and between ages 0–4 and 15–39 years among male contacts (OR 2.7, 95% CI 0.83–8.9 and 1.1, 95% CI 0.99–1.3 per 5-year age increase; P = 0.10, 0.07, respectively). The study suggests that the age at which Mtb infection increases most is different in females compared with males. Studies are needed to explore whether these findings are due to differences in host susceptibility, exposure outside the household or other factors.

The triplite LiFeSO4F displays both the highest potential ever reported for an Fe-based compound, as well as a comparable specific energy with that of popular LiFePO4. The synthesis is still a challenge because the present approaches are connected with long time, special equipments or organic reagents, etc. In this work, the triplite LiFeSO4F powder was synthesized through an ambient two-step solid-state route. The reaction process and phase purity were analyzed, coupled with structure refinement and electrochemical test.

Litter size has a great impact on the profit of swine producers. Uterine development is an important determinant of reproduction efficiency and could hence affect litter size. Chinese Erhualian pig is one of the most prolific breeds in the world, even though large phenotypic variation in litter size was observed within Erhualian sows. To dissect the genetic basis of the phenotypic variation, we herein conducted genome-wide association studies for total number born and number born alive (NBA) of Erhualian sows. In total, one significant single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) (P<1.78e−06) and 11 suggestive SNPs (P<3.57e−05) were identified on 10 chromosomes, confirming seven previously reported quantitative trait loci (QTL) and uncovering six QTL for litter size or uterus length. One locus on Sus scrofa chromosome (SSC) 13 (79.28 to 90.43 Mb) harbored a cluster of suggestive SNPs associated with multiparous NBA. The SNP (rs81447100) within this region was confirmed to be significantly (P<0.05) associated with litter size in Erhualian (n=313), Sutai (n=173) and Yorkshire (n=488) populations. Retinol binding protein 2 and retinol binding protein 1 functionally related to the development of uterus were located in a region of 2 Mb around rs81447100. Moreover, four genes related to embryo implantation and development were also detected around other significant SNPs. Taken together, our findings provide a potential marker (rs81447100) for the genetic improvement of litter size not only in Chinese Erhualian pigs but also in European commercial pig breeds like Yorkshire, and would facilitate the final identification of causative variant(s) underlying the effect of SSC13 QTL on litter size.

The discovery of the first electromagnetic counterpart to a gravitational wave signal has generated follow-up observations by over 50 facilities world-wide, ushering in the new era of multi-messenger astronomy. In this paper, we present follow-up observations of the gravitational wave event GW170817 and its electromagnetic counterpart SSS17a/DLT17ck (IAU label AT2017gfo) by 14 Australian telescopes and partner observatories as part of Australian-based and Australian-led research programs. We report early- to late-time multi-wavelength observations, including optical imaging and spectroscopy, mid-infrared imaging, radio imaging, and searches for fast radio bursts. Our optical spectra reveal that the transient source emission cooled from approximately 6 400 K to 2 100 K over a 7-d period and produced no significant optical emission lines. The spectral profiles, cooling rate, and photometric light curves are consistent with the expected outburst and subsequent processes of a binary neutron star merger. Star formation in the host galaxy probably ceased at least a Gyr ago, although there is evidence for a galaxy merger. Binary pulsars with short (100 Myr) decay times are therefore unlikely progenitors, but pulsars like PSR B1534+12 with its 2.7 Gyr coalescence time could produce such a merger. The displacement (~2.2 kpc) of the binary star system from the centre of the main galaxy is not unusual for stars in the host galaxy or stars originating in the merging galaxy, and therefore any constraints on the kick velocity imparted to the progenitor are poor.

Individuals develop three types of cognitions in the aftermath of a traumatic experience: negative cognitions about the self, negative cognitions about the world, and self-blame (Foa et al., 1999). Although the relationship of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and posttraumatic cognitions has been supported in literature, memory-related responses affecting this relationship need further exploration. It was the intention of the present study to address this gap by examining the moderating role of emotional intensity of trauma memory in the relationship between posttraumatic cognitions and PTSD symptoms. In a sample of survivors of typhoon Haiyan (N = 632), one of the strongest typhoons ever recorded, it was found that in general, negative cognitions about the self and the world, but not self-blame, predict PTSD symptoms; and emotional intensity of trauma memory generally moderates the relationship between posttraumatic cognitions and PTSD. The findings of the study would be useful in the development and enhancement of interventions to help the survivors of natural disasters in maintaining their mental health and wellbeing.

We investigated the prevalence, diversity, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) profiles of non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) and associated risk factors on 341 pig, chicken, and duck farms in Dong Thap province (Mekong Delta, Vietnam). Sampling was stratified by species, district (four categories), and farm size (three categories). Pooled faeces, collected using boot swabs, were tested using ISO 6575: 2002 (Annex D). Isolates were serogrouped; group B isolates were tested by polymerase chain reaction to detect S. Typhimurium and (monophasic) serovar 4,[5],12:i:- variants. The farm-level adjusted NTS prevalence was 64·7%, 94·3% and 91·3% for chicken, duck and pig farms, respectively. Factors independently associated with NTS were duck farms [odds ratio (OR) 21·2], farm with >50 pigs (OR 11·9), pig farm with 5–50 pigs (OR 4·88) (vs. chickens), and frequent rodent sightings (OR 2·3). Both S. Typhimurium and monophasic S. Typhimurium were more common in duck farms. Isolates had a high prevalence of resistance (77·6%) against tetracycline, moderate resistance (20–30%) against chloramphenicol, sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim, ampicillin and nalidixic acid, and low resistance (<5%) against ciprofloxacin and third-generation cephalosporins. Multidrug resistance (resistance against ⩾3 classes of antimicrobial) was independently associated with monophasic S. Typhimurium and other group B isolates (excluding S. Typhimurium) and pig farms. The unusually high prevalence of NTS on Mekong Delta farms poses formidable challenges for control.