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 ∼ 50 per cent of the sky (20,630 deg2); (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 ∼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 μJy beam−1. Additionally, the survey will be supplemented by similar observations covering 1296–1440 MHz over 38 per cent of the sky. POSSUM will enable the discovery and detailed investigation of magnetized 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.

We present the Evolutionary Map of the Universe (EMU) survey conducted with the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP). EMU aims to deliver the touchstone radio atlas of the southern hemisphere. We introduce EMU and review its science drivers and key science goals, updated and tailored to the current ASKAP five-year survey plan. The development of the survey strategy and planned sky coverage is presented, along with the operational aspects of the survey and associated data analysis, together with a selection of diagnostics demonstrating the imaging quality and data characteristics. We give a general description of the value-added data pipeline and data products before concluding with a discussion of links to other surveys and projects and an outline of EMU’s legacy value.

In the late 1950s, the Minnesota Department of Transportation used eminent domain to clear the path for I-94, displacing over 700 families and 300 businesses in Rondo, a predominantly African-American neighborhood. In the 2010s, Rondo residents and faculty at Macalester College teamed up to create Remembering Rondo, a digital public history project that included (among other things) a community-based archive and map of the neighborhood’s historic businesses from 1920 to 1960. Rondo Avenue, Inc., the neighborhood’s community council, asked to host the project themselves. Then in 2020, they forgot to renew the domain. The site went dark. This essay explores where we went wrong and what we can do about it, and raises questions about how we can reimagine digital sustainability through the lens of a shared authority.

Herbaceous perennials must annually rebuild the aboveground photosynthetic architecture from carbohydrates stored in crowns, rhizomes, and roots. Knowledge of carbohydrate utilization and storage can inform management decisions and improve control outcomes for invasive perennials. We monitored the nonstructural carbohydrates in a population of the hybrid Bohemian knotweed [Polygonum ×bohemicum (J. Chrtek & Chrtková) Zika & Jacobson [cuspidatum × sachalinense]; syn.: Fallopia ×bohemica (Chrtek and Chrtková) J.P. Bailey] and in Japanese knotweed [Polygonum cuspidatum Siebold & Zucc.; syn.: Fallopia japonica (Houtt.) Ronse Decr.]. Carbohydrate storage in crowns followed seasonal patterns typical of perennial herbaceous dicots corresponding to key phenological events. Starch was consistently the highest nonstructural carbohydrate present. Sucrose levels did not show a consistent inverse relationship with starch levels. Lateral distribution of starch in rhizomes and, more broadly, total nonstructural carbohydrates sampled before dormancy break showed higher levels in rhizomes compared with crowns. Total nonstructural carbohydrate levels in crowns reached seasonal lows at an estimated 22.6% of crown dry weight after accumulating 1,453.8 growing degree days (GDD) by the end of June, mainly due to depleted levels of stored starch, with the estimated minimum of 12.3% reached by 1,220.3 GDD accumulated by mid-June. Depletion corresponded to rapid development of vegetative canopy before entering the reproductive phase in August. Maximum starch accumulation in crowns followed complete senescence of aboveground tissues by mid- to late October. Removal of aboveground shoot biomass in late June to early July with removal of vegetation regrowth in early September before senescence would optimize the use of time and labor to deplete carbohydrate reserves. Additionally, foliar-applied systemic herbicide translocation to belowground tissue should be maximized with applications in late August through early fall to optimize downward translocation with assimilate movement to rebuild underground storage reserves. Fall applications should be made before loss of healthy leaf tissue, with the window for control typically ending by late September in Minnesota.

Objectives/Goals: This study demonstrates the utility of the CBID biodesign process for identifying and prioritizing high-impact neurosurgical needs. The research emphasizes the process’s role in developing innovative medical technologies that align with the healthcare ecosystem’s demands and stakeholder priorities. Methods/Study Population: The CBID Spiral Innovation Model, integrating clinical, technical, business, and strategic considerations across clinical challenges in neurosurgery was employed over a 15-week period at a tertiary care center. The process involved three phases: (1) needs identification through 8 weeks of clinical immersion, (2) 7–8 weeks of stakeholder engagement via informational interviews, surveys, and conferences, and (3) iterative refinement based on evidence generation and market value. Stakeholders included over 70 clinicians (neurosurgeons, neurocritical care specialists, neurologists, etc.) across 15 institutions as well as more than 10 payers and hospital administrators. Data collection encompassed direct observation, structured interviews, and comprehensive literature review. Results/Anticipated Results: The initial list of 300+ identified neurosurgical needs was reduced to 271 after clinician and market input. High-level market and clinical evidence assessments further reduced this to 74 needs. Finally, through iterative evaluation of evidence generation, market opportunity, and stakeholder feedback, five critical unmet needs in stroke, traumatic brain injury, hydrocephalus, and epilepsy were identified for technological innovation. These needs met the criteria for clinical importance, economic viability, and market accessibility. The findings highlight the effectiveness of the biodesign process in creating a roadmap for innovation that is both clinically relevant and commercially viable. Discussion/Significance of Impact: This study underscores the effectiveness of structured need-finding and prioritization within neurosurgery. Integrating stakeholder perspectives and rigorous analysis, it provides a replicable framework for medical innovation to accelerate the development of impactful solutions across medicine.

We provide an assessment of the Infinity Two fusion pilot plant (FPP) baseline plasma physics design. Infinity Two is a four-field period, aspect ratio $A = 10$, quasi-isodynamic stellarator with improved confinement appealing to a max-$J$ approach, elevated plasma density and high magnetic fields ($ \langle B\rangle = 9$ T). Here $J$ denotes the second adiabatic invariant. At the envisioned operating point ($800$ MW deuterium-tritium (DT) fusion), the configuration has robust magnetic surfaces based on magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equilibrium calculations and is stable to both local and global MHD instabilities. The configuration has excellent confinement properties with small neoclassical transport and low bootstrap current ($|I_{bootstrap}| \sim 2$ kA). Calculations of collisional alpha-particle confinement in a DT FPP scenario show small energy losses to the first wall (${\lt}1.5 \,\%$) and stable energetic particle/Alfvén eigenmodes at high ion density. Low turbulent transport is produced using a combination of density profile control consistent with pellet fueling and reduced stiffness to turbulent transport via three-dimensional shaping. Transport simulations with the T3D-GX-SFINCS code suite with self-consistent turbulent and neoclassical transport predict that the DT fusion power$P_{{fus}}=800$ MW operating point is attainable with high fusion gain ($Q=40$) at volume-averaged electron densities $n_e\approx 2 \times 10^{20}$ m$^{-3}$, below the Sudo density limit. Additional transport calculations show that an ignited ($Q=\infty$) solution is available at slightly higher density ($2.2 \times 10^{20}$ m$^{-3}$) with $P_{{fus}}=1.5$ GW. The magnetic configuration is defined by a magnetic coil set with sufficient room for an island divertor, shielding and blanket solutions with tritium breeding ratios (TBR) above unity. An optimistic estimate for the gas-cooled solid breeder designed helium-cooled pebble bed is TBR $\sim 1.3$. Infinity Two satisfies the physics requirements of a stellarator fusion pilot plant.

We present the first results from a new backend on the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder, the Commensal Realtime ASKAP Fast Transient COherent (CRACO) upgrade. CRACO records millisecond time resolution visibility data, and searches for dispersed fast transient signals including fast radio bursts (FRB), pulsars, and ultra-long period objects (ULPO). With the visibility data, CRACO can localise the transient events to arcsecond-level precision after the detection. Here, we describe the CRACO system and report the result from a sky survey carried out by CRACO at 110-ms resolution during its commissioning phase. During the survey, CRACO detected two FRBs (including one discovered solely with CRACO, FRB 20231027A), reported more precise localisations for four pulsars, discovered two new RRATs, and detected one known ULPO, GPM J1839 $-$10, through its sub-pulse structure. We present a sensitivity calibration of CRACO, finding that it achieves the expected sensitivity of 11.6 Jy ms to bursts of 110 ms duration or less. CRACO is currently running at a 13.8 ms time resolution and aims at a 1.7 ms time resolution before the end of 2024. The planned CRACO has an expected sensitivity of 1.5 Jy ms to bursts of 1.7 ms duration or less and can detect $10\times$ more FRBs than the current CRAFT incoherent sum system (i.e. 0.5 $-$2 localised FRBs per day), enabling us to better constrain the models for FRBs and use them as cosmological probes.

Good nutrition during the postpartum period, which is also the inter-pregnancy period for many women, has short and long-term health benefits for the mother and her offspring(1). Gaining a better understanding of mothers’ dietary patterns at the postpartum stage will help shape appropriate strategies to encourage the adoption of a healthy and more varied diet. This exploration is a preliminary analysis that aims to assess intake of total fat and dietary fibre in a UK cohort of postpartum women with overweight and obesity and examine its relationship with income and ethnicity.

A sample of 892 postpartum women (up to two years after having a baby) with overweight or obesity were recruited from five UK locations (Belfast, Bradford, London, Stirling, Cardiff) to participate in the Supporting MumS (SMS) randomised controlled trial to examine the effectiveness of an automated text-based delivered weight management intervention. At baseline, researchers measured participants’ height and weight and calculated their body mass index (BMI). Baseline diet was self-reported and assessed using the Fat and Fibre Barometer (FFB), a validated scale measuring the consumption frequency of 20 dietary sources of fibre or fat(2). Items were scored from 1-5 and an average FFB score was calculated; greater values indicate a diet higher in fibre-rich foods and lower in fat-rich foods. Information on income and ethnicity was also collected. Multivariable linear regression analysis tested for associations between FFB scores and ethnicity and household income, accounting for BMI, age and study site.

Participants were from a range of ethnicities (Asian: 17%, N = 151; Black: 11%, N = 100; White: 66%, N = 589; Mixed/Other: 6%, N = 52). Household income distribution was: ≤£40K = 41.5%, N = 370; and >£40K = 49.8%, N = 445. Average age was 35 years ranging from 21-57 years. Thirty-nine per cent of women lived with overweight and 61% with obesity. The FFB score was calculated for the 856 of 892 participants who provided complete dietary information (Mean ± SD=3.03 ± 0.42, range: 1.9-4.6). There was no statistically significant association between FFB score and ethnicity.

There was a significant relationship between the FFB score and household income (0.015, P = 0.025, CI = 0.002−0.028), with women from higher incomes having higher FFB scores.

Our results from a large, socioeconomically diverse sample of women with overweight or obesity in the postpartum period showed that mothers from higher income households consumed more fibre and less fat. This is consistent with results of national surveys highlighting the income gradient in food habits and in meeting dietary guidelines among women in the UK(3). Addressing these dietary inequalities will require concerted action from a wide range of stakeholders.

The SMS study is funded by the National Institute for Health Research (Research award: NIHR131509).

We report two congenitally malformed hearts found at autopsy to have common arterial trunk and pulmonary atresia. Both exhibited usual atrial arrangement, along with concordant atrioventricular connections. In one case, the common arterial trunk arose predominantly from the right ventricle, while the other had a balanced commitment. In both, the atretic pulmonary trunk arose from the left posterolateral aspect of the common trunk. Confluent right and left pulmonary arteries, which were hypoplastic but patent, were present. On the inner aspect of the common trunk, there was a dimple immediately adjacent to the atretic segment of the pulmonary component identified externally. In one case, the fibrous pulmonary component had been accidentally cut during dissection. A solitary coronary artery was identified in both cases.

Efficient evidence generation to assess the clinical and economic impact of medical therapies is critical amid rising healthcare costs and aging populations. However, drug development and clinical trials remain far too expensive and inefficient for all stakeholders. On October 25–26, 2023, the Duke Clinical Research Institute brought together leaders from academia, industry, government agencies, patient advocacy, and nonprofit organizations to explore how different entities and influencers in drug development and healthcare can realign incentive structures to efficiently accelerate evidence generation that addresses the highest public health needs. Prominent themes surfaced, including competing research priorities and incentives, inadequate representation of patient population in clinical trials, opportunities to better leverage existing technology and infrastructure in trial design, and a need for heightened transparency and accountability in research practices. The group determined that together these elements contribute to an inefficient and costly clinical research enterprise, amplifying disparities in population health and sustaining gaps in evidence that impede advancements in equitable healthcare delivery and outcomes. The goal of addressing the identified challenges is to ultimately make clinical trials faster, more inclusive, and more efficient across diverse communities and settings.

From early on, infants show a preference for infant-directed speech (IDS) over adult-directed speech (ADS), and exposure to IDS has been correlated with language outcome measures such as vocabulary. The present multi-laboratory study explores this issue by investigating whether there is a link between early preference for IDS and later vocabulary size. Infants’ preference for IDS was tested as part of the ManyBabies 1 project, and follow-up CDI data were collected from a subsample of this dataset at 18 and 24 months. A total of 341 (18 months) and 327 (24 months) infants were tested across 21 laboratories. In neither preregistered analyses with North American and UK English, nor exploratory analyses with a larger sample did we find evidence for a relation between IDS preference and later vocabulary. We discuss implications of this finding in light of recent work suggesting that IDS preference measured in the laboratory has low test-retest reliability.

Aortic atresia is a rare finding and has not been previously described with superior-inferior ventricles. Presented here is a case of a heart with these concomitant findings and review of reported cases of aortic atresia in the absence of hypoplastic left heart syndrome. The aim of this report is to help highlight associated findings and the clinical approach taken. Also highlighted is the importance of not mistaking aortic atresia for common arterial trunk.

Most of the Ross Sea has been designated a marine protected area (MPA), proposed ‘to protect ecosystem structure and function’. To assess effectiveness, the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) selected Adélie (Pygoscelis adeliae) and emperor (Aptenodytes forsteri) penguins, Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) and Antarctic toothfish (Dissostichus mawsoni) as ecosystem change ‘indicator species’. Stable for decades, penguin and seal populations increased during 1998–2018 to surpass historical levels, indicating that change in ecosystem structure and function is underway. We review historical impacts to population trends, decadal datasets of ocean climate and fishing pressure on toothfish. Statistical modelling for Adélie penguins and Weddell seals indicates that variability in climate factors and cumulative extraction of adult toothfish may explain these trends. These mesopredators, and adult toothfish, all prey heavily on Antarctic silverfish (Pleuragramma antarcticum). Toothfish removal may be altering intraguild predation dynamics, leading to competitive release of silverfish and contributing to penguin and seal population changes. Despite decades of ocean/weather change, increases in indicator species numbers around Ross Island only began once the toothfish fishery commenced. The rational-use, ecosystem-based viewpoint promoted by CCAMLR regarding toothfish management needs re-evaluation, including in the context of the Ross Sea Region MPA.