Demonstration of active neutron interrogation of special nuclear materials using a high-intensity short-pulse-laser-driven neutron source.

Detecting shielded special nuclear material, such as nuclear explosives, is a difficult challenge pursued by non-proliferation, anti-terrorism, and nuclear security programs worldwide. Interrogation with intense fast-neutron pulses is a promising method to characterize concealed nuclear material rapidly but is limited by suitable source availability and proven instrumentation. In this study we have pioneered a demonstration of such an interrogation method using a high-intensity, short-pulse, laser-driven neutron source that offers potential benefits compared to conventional neutron sources.

Impact of the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 pandemic on the patient journeys of those with a newly diagnosed paediatric brain tumour in the UK: a qualitative study.

Objectives: To explore the impact of the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 pandemic on the diagnosis, management and patient journey for children and young people with a newly diagnosed brain tumour in the UK.

Design: Exploratory qualitative study focused on patient journeys from multiple perspectives, conducted as part of a wider mixed-methods study.

Setting: Three paediatric oncology tertiary centres in the UK.

A Faster Walking Speed Is Important for Improving Biomechanical Function and Walking Performance.

This study compares joint kinematics and kinetics of young stroke survivors who walk <0.79 m/s (slow) or >0.80 m/s (fast) with reference to a healthy able-bodied group and provides clinical recommendations for guiding the gait rehabilitation of stroke survivors.

Disentangling Sources of Momentum Fluctuations in Xe+Xe and Pb+Pb Collisions with the ATLAS Detector.

High-energy nuclear collisions create a quark-gluon plasma, whose initial condition and subsequent expansion vary from event to event, impacting the distribution of the eventwise average transverse momentum [P([p_{T}])]. Disentangling the contributions from fluctuations in the nuclear overlap size (geometrical component) and other sources at a fixed size (intrinsic component) remains a challenge. This problem is addressed by measuring the mean, variance, and skewness of P([p_{T}]) in ^{208}Pb+^{208}Pb and ^{129}Xe+^{129}Xe collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.

Community-based snakebite risk mapping for resource prioritisation in Eastern Province, Rwanda.

Background: Snakebite envenoming is a medical emergency that requires rapid access to essential medicines and well-trained personnel. In resource-poor countries, mapping snakebite incidence can help policymakers to make evidence-based decisions for resource prioritisation. This study aimed to characterise the spatial variation in snakebite risk, and in particular to identify areas of relatively high and low risk, in Eastern Province, Rwanda.

Soil phosphorus stocks could prolong global reserves and improve water quality.

Combining existing databases, we estimated global phosphorus stocks in croplands and grasslands that are not readily available to plants as 32-41% of the 2020 estimated geologic phosphorus reserves, representing 146-186 years of the 2020 mass of phosphorus fertilizer applied annually. Especially if accessed by more efficient crops, this stock could reduce the need for additional fertilizer, improve water quality and contribute to all-round phosphorus sustainability.

Deep learning-based aberration compensation improves contrast and resolution in fluorescence microscopy.

Optical aberrations hinder fluorescence microscopy of thick samples, reducing image signal, contrast, and resolution. Here we introduce a deep learning-based strategy for aberration compensation, improving image quality without slowing image acquisition, applying additional dose, or introducing more optics. Our method (i) introduces synthetic aberrations to images acquired on the shallow side of image stacks, making them resemble those acquired deeper into the volume and (ii) trains neural networks to reverse the effect of these aberrations.

Double-quantum filtered Na NMR and MRI: Selective detection of ordered sodium in an inhomogeneous B field.

Double-quantum filtered Na NMR experiments with one or two "magic angle" (54.7°) pulses in the filter step are widely used for selective observation of sodium ions that are interacting with ordered biological structures ("ordered sodium") and hence exhibit a distribution of quadrupolar splittings in their NMR spectrum. This approach has recently been extended to Na MRI where the conventional experiment has been modified, omitting the 180° pulse to reduce the absorption of radiofrequency energy during human studies.

Increased resilience and a regime shift reversal through repeat mass coral bleaching.

Ecosystems are substantially changing in response to ongoing climate change. For example, coral reefs have declined in coral dominance, with some reefs undergoing regime shifts to non-coral states. However, reef responses may vary through multiple heat stress events, with the rarity of long-term ecological datasets rendering such understanding uncertain.

Exploring adolescents' and stakeholders' perceptions of online and school-based mental health provision.

Background: Adolescents' engagement with online mental health support (e.g., apps, social media) may affect their engagement with traditional support, including in schools.

Deficit irrigation differentially modulates rhizosphere microbial community and metabolites of two potato genotypes differing in drought tolerance.

Beneficial interactions between plant root exudates and the rhizosphere microbial community can alleviate the adverse effects of environmental stress on crop yields, but these interactions remain poorly understood in potato growing in drying soil. We investigated the responses of rhizosphere soil microorganisms and metabolites, and biochemical and physiological responses of two potato genotypes with contrasting drought tolerance (drought tolerant 'C93' and drought sensitive 'Favorita'), to two different irrigation treatments imposing contrasting soil water availability in the field. Deficit irrigation altered rhizosphere soil bacterial communities and metabolites of C93 more than Favorita.

Visualizing Patient Pathways and Identifying Data Repositories in a UK Neurosciences Center: Exploratory Study.

Background: Health and clinical activity data are a vital resource for research, improving patient care and service efficiency. Health care data are inherently complex, and their acquisition, storage, retrieval, and subsequent analysis require a thorough understanding of the clinical pathways underpinning such data. Better use of health care data could lead to improvements in patient care and service delivery.

"A young person in an old person's body": a reflexive thematic analysis of the experience of living with young onset Parkinson's disease.

Background: People with young-onset Parkinson's disease (YOPD), a term for those diagnosed with Parkinson's disease (PD) under the age of 60, face unique challenges compared to those diagnosed with PD later in life. A better understanding of the lived experience of those with YOPD is essential to delivering bespoke rehabilitation and improving quality of life.

Purpose: To provide insight into the emotional and social lived experience of individuals with YOPD.

Assessment of organochlorine pesticide residues in agricultural soils of southern Nigeria and analysis of potential health risks.

The use of pesticides in commercial farms can lead to exposure among various vulnerable groups. This study assessed the distribution, human health risks, and origins of 13 targeted organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in soil samples from commercial farms in Southern Nigeria. Following a questionnaire survey on pesticide usage, soil samples were subjected to Soxhlet extraction and analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Linking Foraging Behaviour and Habitat Preferences During Moult Across Multiple Populations of Red-Throated Diver.

Understanding the habitat use of individuals can facilitate methods to measure the degree to which populations will be affected by potential stressors. Such insights can be hard to garner for marine species that are inaccessible during phases of their annual cycles. Here, we quantify the link between foraging habitat and behaviour in an aquatic bird of high conservation concern, the red-throated diver () across three breeding populations (Finland, Iceland and Scotland) during their understudied moult period.

A Linguistic-Sensorimotor Model of the Basic-Level Advantage in Category Verification.

People are generally more accurate at categorizing objects at the basic level (e.g., dog) than at more general, superordinate categories (e.

Parametric analysis on the global design of flexible riser under different environmental conditions using OrcaFlex.

The application of flexible risers has led to increased production of fluid contents in the marine industry. This paper presents the design challenges of a flexible riser subjected to internal pressure under deep-water conditions, at a water depth of 2000 m. Parametric variations with extensive dynamic analysis were carried out.

A Preplanned Multi-Stage Platform Trial for Discovering Multiple Superior Treatments With Control of FWER and Power.

There is a growing interest in the implementation of platform trials, which provide the flexibility to incorporate new treatment arms during the trial and the ability to halt treatments early based on lack of benefit or observed superiority. In such trials, it can be important to ensure that error rates are controlled. This paper introduces a multi-stage design that enables the addition of new treatment arms, at any point, in a preplanned manner within a platform trial, while still maintaining control over the family-wise error rate.

Preliminary evidence that self-incentives uniquely promote smoking cessation in incarcerated populations: A pilot randomized controlled trial.

Introduction: Smoking prevalence rates in prison are typically four times higher than the rates found within community-based settings, increasing premature mortality. Encouraging smokers to self-administer incentives contingent on abstinence (i.e.

Decision-making about palliative sedation for patients with cancer: a qualitative study in five European countries linked to the Palliative sedation project.

Background: Palliative sedation refers to the proportional use of titrated medication which reduces consciousness with the aim of relieving refractory suffering related to physical and psychological symptoms and/or existential distress near the end of life. Palliative sedation is intended to be an end of life option that enables healthcare professionals to provide good patient care but there remains controversy on how it is used. Little is known about decision-making processes regarding this procedure.

Regulatory preparedness for multicomponent nanomaterials: Current state, gaps and challenges of REACH.

In 2018 the European Commission adopted revisions to the Annexes of Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 concerning registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals (REACH) to introduce nanomaterial-specific clarifications and provisions. Multicomponent nanomaterial (MCNM) is a non-regulatory term that has been used in recent EU-funded projects to describe nanomaterials with a complex structure and/or composition and which are expected to be increasingly used in products in the near future. This paper examines the regulatory preparedness of REACH, and its revised Annexes, for MCNMs.

Factors affecting women's access to primary care in the United States since the Affordable Care Act: A mixed-methods systematic review.

Background: In the United States, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) expanded public and private health coverage, increased health insurance affordability, reduced healthcare costs, and improved healthcare quality for many. Despite ACA provisions, lack of insurance and other factors continue to affect working-age women's access to primary care services.

Methods: We conducted a mixed-method systematic review to identify factors that affect women's access to primary care services since the ACA.