Drylands cover 41% of Earth’s land surface, support 36% of the global population and contribute 60% of global food production. Despite these ecosystems’ importance and high vulnerability to droughts and heatwaves, drylands remain some of the most understudied systems on Earth. Monitoring drylands is challenging due to their complex ecosystem structure of visible soil mixed with diverse plant species that respond rapidly to weather and climate. In 2023 and 2024, a NASA scoping study was conducted for a proposed dryland terrestrial ecology field campaign called Adaptation and Response in Drylands (ARID). Thereafter, the NASA ARID scoping team submitted their campaign proposal to NASA Headquarters, providing a study design for how field, aircraft and satellite measurements, as well as modeling, could address the most critical fundamental and applied science questions in drylands. The extensive strategic vision was created by and for the drylands research community, including remote sensors, modelers, experimentalists and ecologists from across the world, and the overall approach can be further utilized and altered for different uses and data information needs. Here, we summarize the final ARID research agenda, including its main objectives, field campaign strategy, data end-user support strategy, and U.S. and global community engagement.

Spectral-line results from a new cryogenic phased array feed (cryoPAF) on the Murriyang telescope at Parkes are presented. This array offers a significant improvement in field of view, aperture efficiency, bandwidth, chromaticity, and survey speed compared with conventional horn-fed receivers. We demonstrate this with measurements of sky calibrators and observations of 21-cm neutral hydrogen (HI) in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and the nearby galaxy NGC 6744. Within 0.3 deg of the optical axis, the ratio of system temperature to dish aperture efficiency ($T_\mathrm{sys}/\eta_{d}$) is 25 K, and the ratio with beam efficiency ($T_\mathrm{sys}/\eta_\mathrm{mb}$) is 21 K (at 1.4 GHz). For the previously measured $T_\mathrm{sys} = 17$ K, respective efficiency values $\eta_{d} \approx 0.7$ and $\eta_\mathrm{mb} \approx 0.8$ are derived. Our HI observational results are in good agreement with previous results, although detailed comparison with multibeam observations of the LMC suggests that the earlier observations may have missed an extended component of low-column-density gas ($\sim$$8\times 10^{18}$ cm$^{-2}$). We use the cryoPAF zoom-band and wideband data to make a preliminary investigation of whether the large number of simultaneous beams (72) permits the use of novel data reduction methods to reduce the effects of foreground/background continuum contamination and radio-frequency interference (RFI). We also investigate if these methods can better protect against signal loss for the detection of faint, extended cosmological signals such as HI intensity maps. Using robust higher-order singular value decomposition (SVD) techniques, we find encouraging results for the detection of both compact and extended sources, including challenging conditions with high RFI occupancy and significant sky continuum structure. Examples are shown that demonstrate that 3D SVD techniques offer a significant improvement in noise reduction and signal capture compared with more traditional layered 2D techniques.

This study examines Hispanic formal volunteering and the cultural, social, and community context factors that affect their decision to volunteer. Using data from three surveys in the United States, the study finds that religious attendance, cultural background, and education are the most consistent and significant predictors of Hispanic formal volunteering. Religious attendance has a stronger positive impact on Hispanic volunteering than on non-Hispanics. The impacts of income, social resources, and community characteristics on Hispanics’ volunteering vary by surveys. Secular organizations serving children and youth and religious organizations are the favorite organizations for Hispanic volunteers.

To investigate the advantages and disadvantages of two multi-swirl fuel-rich dome configurations, namely the triple-swirler and double-swirler, for a novel high-temperature rise centre-staged combustor, this study employed ANSYS Fluent software. Utilising the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equation as the governing equation, three-dimensional numerical simulations were conducted using the Realisable k-ε turbulence model and non-premixed probability density function (PDF) combustion model to analyse the flow and combustion characteristics of both configurations. A comparative study was then performed to evaluate the performance differences between the two dome configurations under take-off and idle conditions. The results demonstrate that, under both conditions, the fuel-air mixing in the triple-swirler combustor occurs faster and more uniformly. Specifically, during takeoff, the primary zone temperature distribution in the triple-swirler combustor is more uniform, while during idle, the fuel-rich combustion region is more symmetrical. Furthermore, across both conditions, the outlet temperature distribution of the triple-swirler combustor is of superior quality, albeit with equivalent combustion efficiency. Notably, the formation of NOx and soot in the triple-swirler combustor, during takeoff conditions, exceeds that of the double-stage combustor along the flow path, whereas the generation of CO and UHC, during idle conditions, is lower in the former.

Foodservice provision is a key contributor to both dietary intake and food waste production(1). The development of ‘root-to-tip’ recipes in foodservice that incorporate more of the plant (i.e. peels and stalks) is being explored to reduce the climate impact of food waste(1) and improve suboptimal population intakes of fruits and vegetables, which provide useful sources of dietary fibre associated with lower risk of all-cause mortality(2). However, given low peels and stalks consumption in the UK(3), the extent to which ‘root-to-tip’ dishes may just shift food waste along the supply chain by increasing plate waste is unknown. The aim of this study is to understand the acceptability of ‘root-to-tip’ dining by exploring consumer attitudes towards food waste and perceived barriers and enablers to eating peels and stalks.

In-person focus groups were conducted at a UK university with current students and employees. Convenience sampling was used to recruit between five to eight participants across six focus groups. A semi-structured topic guide with open-ended questions was developed to facilitate discussion. Discussions were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and an inductive thematic analysis undertaken. The research protocol was approved by the King’s College London Research Ethics Committee (Ref: MRA-24/25-46016; LRS/DP- 24/25-46017)

Six focus group discussions were conducted with forty participants (November 2024 to January 2025), primarily aged 18-25 years (53%) and female (75%). Six preliminary themes were identified: 1) food waste as a structural issue; 2) personal food waste awareness and the intention-behaviour gap; 3) the role of social modelling in ‘root-to-tip’ behaviours; 4) safety and edibility concerns around peels and stalks; 5) knowledge as a facilitator for ‘root-to-tip’ adoption; and 6) the importance of sensory appeal. These themes illustrate consumers’ perception of food waste as primarily occurring up the supply chain prior to the preparation stage, with structural barriers to its reduction. Participants perceive a growing societal and personal consciousness of food waste and desire to reduce its associated negative consequences. However, results highlight social and personal barriers, such as cost and convenience, which may contribute to an intention-behaviour gap. These barriers were referenced regarding the use of peels and stalks specifically, with upbringing, social modelling and food habits described as factors influencing consumption. Improving awareness of the safety and edibility of peels and stalks and practical knowledge related to their use may facilitate adoption of ‘root-to-tip’ behaviours. Anticipation of an unappealing sensory experience was described as a deterrent for consuming ‘root-to-tip’ dishes. Therefore, ensuring ‘root-to-tip’ dishes have sensory appeal is important to increase acceptability and prevent plate waste.

Our findings contribute to the understanding of attitudes towards food waste reduction practices at the preparation stage, in particular the use of peels and stalks, and highlight a need for increased knowledge to facilitate behaviour adoption.

The millisecond pulsar PSR J1713$+$0747 is a high-priority target for pulsar timing array experiments due to its long-term timing stability, and bright, narrow pulse profile. In April 2021, PSR J1713$+$0747 underwent a significant profile change event, observed by several telescopes worldwide. Using the broad bandwidth and polarimetric fidelity of the Ultra-Wideband Low-frequency receiver on Murriyang, CSIRO’s Parkes radio telescope, we investigated the long-term spectro-polarimetric behaviour of this profile change in detail. We highlight the broad-bandwidth nature of the event, which exhibits frequency dependence that is inconsistent with cold-plasma propagation effects. We also find that spectral and temporal variations are stronger in one of the orthogonal polarisation modes than the other and observe mild variations ($\sim 3$ – $5\,\sigma$ significance) in circular polarisation above 1 400 MHz following the event. However, the linear polarisation position angle remained remarkably stable in the profile leading edge throughout the event. With over three years of data post-event, we find that the profile has not yet recovered back to its original state, indicating a long-term asymptotic recovery, or a potential reconfiguration of the pulsar’s magnetic field. These findings favour a magnetospheric origin of the profile change event over a line-of-sight propagation effect in the interstellar medium.

Background: TERT promoter mutation (TPM) is an established biomarker in meningiomas associated with aberrant TERT expression and reduced progression-free survival (PFS). TERT expression, however, has also been observed even in tumours with wildtype TERT promoters (TP-WT). This study aimed to examine TERT expression and clinical outcomes in meningiomas. Methods: TERT expression, TPM status, and TERT promoter methylation of a multi-institutional cohort of meningiomas (n=1241) was assessed through nulk RNA sequencing (n=604), Sanger sequencing of the promoter (n=1095), and methylation profiling (n=1218). 380 Toronto meningiomas were used for discovery, and 861 external institution samples were compiled as a validation cohort. Results: Both TPMs and TERTpromoter methylation were associated with increased TERT expression and may represent independent mechanisms of TERT reactivation. TERT expression was detected in 30.4% of meningiomas that lacked TPMs, was associated with higher WHO grades, and corresponded to shorter PFS, independent of grade and even among TP-WT tumours. TERT expression was associated with a shorter PFS equivalent to those of TERT-negative meningiomas of one higher grade. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the prognostic significance of TERT expression in meningiomas, even in the absence of TPMs. Its presence may identify patients who may progress earlier and should be considered in risk stratification models.

Background: Meningiomas are the most common intracranial tumors. Radiotherapy (RT) serves as an adjunct following surgical resection; however, response varies. RTOG-0539 is a prospective, phase 2, trial that stratified patients risk groups based on clinical and pathological criteria, providing key benchmarks for RT outcomes. This is the first study that aims to characterize the molecular landscape of an RT clinical trial in meningiomas. Methods: Tissue from 100 patients was analyzed using DNA methylation, RNA sequencing, and whole-exome sequencing. Copy number variations and mutational profiles were assessed to determine associations with meningioma aggressiveness. Tumors were molecularly classified and pathway analyses were conducted to identify biological processes associated with RT response. Results: High-risk meningiomas exhibited cell cycle dysregulation and hypermetabolic pathway upregulation. 1p loss and 1q gain were more frequent in aggressive meningiomas, and NF2 and non-NF2 mutations co-occurred in some high-risk tumors. Molecular findings led to the reclassification of several cases, highlighting the limitations of histopathologic grading alone. Conclusions: This is the first study to comprehensively characterize the molecular landscape of any RT trial in meningioma, integrating multi-omic data to refine treatment stratification. Findings align with ongoing genomically driven meningioma clinical trials and underscore the need for prospective tissue banking to enhance biomarker-driven treatment strategies.

Background: The WHO grade of meningioma was updated in 2021 to include homozygous deletions of CDKN2A/B and TERT promotor mutations. Previous work including the recent cIMPACT-NOW statement have discussed the potential value of including chromosomal copy number alterations to help refine the current grading system. Methods: Chromosomal copy number profiles were inferred from from 1964 meningiomas using DNA methylation. Regularized Cox regresssion was used to identify CNAs independenly associated with post-surgical and post-RT PFS. Outcomes were stratified by WHO grade and novel CNAs to assess their potential value in WHO critiera. Results: Patients with WHO grade 1 tumours and chromosome 1p loss had similar outcomes to those with WHO grade 2 tumours (median PFS 5.83 [95% CI 4.36-Inf] vs 4.48 [4.09-5.18] years). Those with chromosome 1p loss and 1q gain had similar outcomes to those with WHO grade 3 cases regardless of initial grade (median PFS 2.23 [1.28-Inf] years WHO grade 1, 1.90 [1.23-2.25] years WHO grade 2, compared to 2.27 [1.68-3.05] years in WHO grade 3 cases overall). Conclusions: We advocate for chromosome 1p loss being added as a criterion for a CNS WHO grade of 2 meningioma and addition of 1q gain as a criterion for a CNS WHO grade of 3.

Background: We previously developed a DNA methylation-based risk predictor for meningioma, which has been used locally in a prospective fashion. As a follow-up, we validate this model using a large prospective cohort and introduce a streamlined next-generation model compatible with newer methylation arrays. Methods: The performance of our next-generation predictor was compared with our original model and standard-of-care 2021 WHO grade using time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curves. A nomogram was generated by incorporating our methylation predictor with WHO grade and extent of resection. Results: A total of 1347 meningioma cases were utilized in the study, including 469 prospective cases from 3 institutions and a retrospective cohort of 100 WHO grade 2 cases for model validation. Both the original and next-generation models significantly outperformed 2021 WHO grade in predicting postoperative recurrence. Dichotomizing into grade-specific risk subgroups was predictive of outcome within both WHO grades 1 and 2 tumours (log-rank p<0.05). Multivariable Cox regression demonstrated benefit of adjuvant radiotherapy in high-risk cases specifically, reinforcing its informative role in clinical decision making. Conclusions: This next-generation DNA methylation-based meningioma outcome predictor significantly outperforms 2021 WHO grading in predicting time to recurrence. This will help improve prognostication and inform patient selection for RT.

Background: Meningiomas exhibit considerable heterogeneity. We previously identified four distinct molecular groups (immunogenic, NF2-wildtype, hypermetabolic, proliferative) which address much of this heterogeneity. Despite their utility, the stochasticity of clustering methods and the requirement of multi-omics data limits the potential for classifying cases in the clinical setting. Methods: Using an international cohort of 1698 meningiomas, we constructed and validated a machine learning-based molecular classifier using DNA methylation alone. Original and newly-predicted molecular groups were compared using DNA methylation, RNA sequencing, whole exome sequencing, and clinical outcomes. Results: Group-specific outcomes in the validation cohort were nearly identical to those originally described, with median PFS of 7.4 (4.9-Inf) years in hypermetabolic tumors and 2.5 (2.3-5.3) years in proliferative tumors (not reached in the other groups). Predicted NF2-wildtype cases had no NF2 mutations, and 51.4% had others mutations previously described in this group. RNA pathway analysis revealed upregulation of immune-related pathways in the immunogenic group, metabolic pathways in the hypermetabolic group and cell-cycle programs in the proliferative group. Bulk deconvolution similarly revealed enrichment of macrophages in immunogenic tumours and neoplastic cells in hypermetabolic/proliferative tumours. Conclusions: Our DNA methylation-based classifier faithfully recapitulates the biology and outcomes of the original molecular groups allowing for their widespread clinical implementation.

Background: The combination of PARP inhibitor and immune checkpoint inhibitors have been proposed as a potentially synergistic combinatorial treatment in IDH mutant glioma, targeting dysregulated homologous recombination repair pathways. This study analyzed the cell-free DNA methylome of patients in a phase 2 trial using the PARP inhibitor Olaparib and the PD-1 inhibitor Durvalumab. Methods: Patients with recurrent high-grade IDH-mutant gliomas were enrolled in a phase II open-label study (NCT03991832). Serum was collected at baseline and monthly and cell-free methylated DNA immunoprecipitation and high-throughput sequencing (cfMeDIP-seq) was performed. Binomial GLMnet models were developed and model performance was assessed using validation set data. Results: 29 patients were enrolled between 2020–2023. Patients received olaparib 300mg twice daily and durvalumab 1500mg IV every 4 weeks. The overall response rate was 10% via RANO criteria. 144 plasma samples were profiled with cfMeDIP-seq along with 30 healthy controls. The enriched circulating tumour DNA methylome during response periods exhibited a highly specific signature, accurately discriminating response versus failure (AUC 0.98 ± 0.03). Additionally, samples that were taken while on treatment were able to be discriminated from samples off therapy (AUC 0.74 ± 0.11). Conclusions: The cell-free plasma DNA methylome exhibits highly specific signatures that enable accurate prediction of response to therapy.