Primordial black holes and their gravitational-wave signatures.

In the recent years, primordial black holes (PBHs) have emerged as one of the most interesting and hotly debated topics in cosmology. Among other possibilities, PBHs could explain both some of the signals from binary black hole mergers observed in gravitational-wave detectors and an important component of the dark matter in the Universe. Significant progress has been achieved both on the theory side and from the point of view of observations, including new models and more accurate calculations of PBH formation, evolution, clustering, merger rates, as well as new astrophysical and cosmological probes.

Evidence of a 4.33 billion year age for the Moon's South Pole-Aitken basin.

The Moon's farside South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin is the largest and oldest visible impact basin in the inner Solar System. Determining the timing of this catastrophic event is key to understanding the onset of the lunar basin-forming epoch, with implications for understanding the impact bombardment history of the inner Solar System. Despite this, the formation age of the SPA basin remains poorly constrained.

The Effect of Plaque Detectors on the Color Stability of Two Types of Restorative Materials.

Objective: To investigate the color stability of a one-shade resin-based composite material (RC) and a glass-ionomer cement (GIC) after staining with plaque detectors (PDs) with different formulations and delivery forms.

Materials And Methods: Rectangular-shaped specimens (7 × 3 × 2 mm) were produced with RC (Venus Diamond One, Kulzer) and GIC (Fujy IX GP, GC) (n = 30). Further, the following PDs were used on the specimens: (1) tablets (T; Plaq-Search, TePe); (2) mouthwash (M; Plaque Agent, Miradent); and (3) light-curing liquid (L; Plaque test, Ivoclar).

Vitamin K1 Administration Increases the Level of Circulating Carboxylated Osteocalcin in Critically Ill Patients.

Background/objectives: Vitamin K-dependent proteins (VKDPs) all commonly possess specially modified γ-carboxyglutamic acid residues created in a vitamin K-dependent manner. Several liver-derived coagulation factors are well characterised VKDPs. However, much less is known about extrahepatic VKDPs, which are more diverse in their molecular structures and functions, and some of which have been implicated in inflammatory disorders.

Learning from the community: iterative co-production of a programme to support the development of attention, regulation and thinking skills in toddlers at elevated likelihood of autism or ADHD.

Programmes designed to support children with known, or increased likelihood of, autism or ADHD often focus on reducing behaviours central to a clinical diagnosis. However, supporting children to pursue their own goals and cope with everyday life through fostering executive function (EF) development, without enforcing neuro-normative assumptions, may be more acceptable to neurodivergent people, and more beneficial. The co-production process for this neurodiversity-affirming programme involved: Review of research priorities identified during published public-and-clinician consultations; iterative programme development through two pilot rounds with a general community sample; and consultation with stakeholders (parents with a connection to autism or ADHD, alongside early years specialists, psychologists and therapists) to check acceptability of the proposal, and refine the logic model and materials.

Establishing a Pan-European, multi-disciplinary taphonomic research Infrastructure: The 'UK-Netherlands decomposition experimental research (UNDER) Group'.

This study unveils the establishment of the United Kingdom-Netherlands Decomposition Experimental Research (UNDER) working group, marking a pioneering initiative in practical Forensic Taphonomy within the UK. Our primary objective was to craft a cohesive multidisciplinary framework, designed to ethically orchestrate, execute, and assess human decomposition. Concurrently, we aimed to amass data through human burials, fostering collaboration among diverse forensic experts across Europe.

At early stages of heart development, the first and second heart fields are a continuum of lateral head mesoderm-derived, cardiogenic cells.

Pioneering work in the chicken established that the initial development of the heart consists of two stages: the quick assembly of a beating heart, followed by the recruitment of cells from adjacent tissues to deliver the mature in-and outflow tract. Cells to build the primitive heart were dubbed the first heart field (FHF) cells, cells to be recruited later the second heart field (SHF) cells. The current view is that these cells represent distinct, maybe even pre-determined lineages.

Naturally occurring, rostrally conjoining chicken twins attempt to make a forebrain.

Conjoined twinning is a special case of monozygotic, monoamniotic twinning. Human conjoined twinning, and vertebrate conjoined twinning in general, is a very rare phenomenon. It has been suggested that the risk of conjoined twinning increases with some medication and upon assisted reproduction.

Using the Hospital Frailty Risk Score to predict length of stay across all adult ages.

Background: Hospital Frailty Risk Score (HFRS) has recently been used to predict adverse health outcomes including length of stay (LOS) in hospital. LOS is an important indicator for patient quality of care, the measurement of hospital performance, efficiency and costs. Tools to predict LOS may enable earlier interventions in those identified at higher risk of a long stay.

Understanding the role of mutations in voltage-gated sodium ion channels for cardiovascular disorders.

Elhanafy et al. used Molecular Dynamics simulations and electrophysiology to show how identical mutations in the volgage sending domain of sodium channels can yield differential functional effects.

Toughening of thermoset composites using glass/polypropylene commingled stitching yarns.

This paper investigates the damage resistance and tolerance of thermoset composite laminates stitched by glass and hybrid glass/polypropylene commingled yarns. Different impact energies (10-70 J) were applied to stitched composite laminates before compression after impact (CAI) tests were conducted. The results showed that, except for 70J, commingled yarn-stitched laminates absorbed more energy than glass-stitched laminates.

Eyewitness Lineup Identity (ELI) database: Crime videos and mugshots for eyewitness identification research.

There is a long history of experimental research on eyewitness identification, and this typically involves staging a crime for participants to witness and then testing their memory of the "culprit" by administering a lineup of mugshots. We created an Eyewitness Lineup Identity (ELI) database, which includes crime videos and mugshot images of 231 identities. We arranged the mugshots into 6-, 9-, and 12-member lineups, and then we tested the stimuli in an eyewitness experiment.

Community science as a potential tool to monitor animal demography and human-animal interactions.

Community science can provide crucial insights into population dynamics and demography. To date, its effectiveness for understanding human-wildlife interactions has not been tested. This is vital for designing effective wildlife management plans.

Imperatives and co-benefits of research into climate change and neurological disease.

Evidence suggests that anthropogenic climate change is accelerating and is affecting human health globally. Despite urgent calls to address health effects in the context of the additional challenges of environmental degradation, biodiversity loss and ageing populations, the effects of climate change on specific health conditions are still poorly understood. Neurological diseases contribute substantially to the global burden of disease, and the possible direct and indirect consequences of climate change for people with these conditions are a cause for concern.

Trajectories of platelet indices and their association with mortality in the ICU-a longitudinal cohort study.

While thrombocytopenia's link to mortality is known, the prognostic impact of longitudinal trajectories of platelet indices in combination with analysis of thrombocytopenia's mediating role remains unexplored. This is the first study that addresses this significant gap by investigating the association between seven platelet indices trajectory subphenotypes and ICU mortality, considering thrombocytopenia's mediating influence. Four hundred and twenty-one adult ICU patients were enrolled in this longitudinal cohort study.

Role of Hb to RDW ratio in metastatic renal cell carcinoma patients treated with first-line immunotherapy combinations.

Background: The present study aimed to investigate the prognostic and predictive roles of Hb/RDW ratio in patients with mRCC treated with first-line immunotherapy combinations (TKI plus ICI or ICI plus ICI).

Materials And Methods: We performed a sub-analysis of a multicenter retrospective observational study (ARON-1 project) involving patients with mRCC treated with first-line immunotherapy combinations.

Results: Three hundred and twenty-nine patients were enrolled, 244 males and 85 females.

Decision-making under flood predictions: A risk perception study of coastal real estate.

Flood models, while representing our best knowledge of a natural phenomenon, are continually evolving. Their predictions, albeit undeniably important for flood risk management, contain considerable uncertainties related to model structure, parameterization, and input data. With multiple sources of flood predictions becoming increasingly available through online flood maps, the uncertainties in these predictions present considerable risks related to property devaluation.

Regulatory workshop on standardisation of clinical procedures, endpoints and data robustness of human challenge studies - A stakeholder meeting report.

Inno4Vac, a public-private partnership funded by the IMI2/EU/EFPIA Joint Undertaking (IMI2 JU), brings together academic institutions, SMEs, and pharmaceutical companies to accelerate and de-risk vaccine development. The project has made significant strides in the selection and production of challenge agents for influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and toxigenic Clostridioides difficile for controlled human infection model studies (CHIMs). A regulatory workshop held on March 20, 2024, addressed the standardisation of clinical procedures, ethical considerations, endpoints, and data integrity, highlighting the ongoing initiatives related to these CHIMs.

Concurrent validity of skin-based motion capture systems in measuring dynamic lumbar intervertebral angles.

Spine kinematics are commonly measured by external sensors such as motion capture and accelerometers. However, these skin-based measures cannot directly capture intervertebral motion of the lumbar spine. To date, research in this area has focused on the estimation of intervertebral kinematics using static trials but no study has analyzed agreement throughout the dynamic range of motion.

Permeability Benchmarking: Guidelines for Comparing , , and Measurements.

Permeability is a measure of the degree to which cells can transport molecules across biological barriers. Units of permeability are distance per unit time (typically cm/s), where accurate measurements are needed to define drug delivery in homeostasis and to model dysfunction occurring during disease. This perspective offers a set of community-led guidelines to benchmark permeability data across multidisciplinary approaches and different biological contexts.

Effect of condensed heat acclimation on thermophysiological adaptations, hypoxic cross-tolerance, exercise performance and de-acclimation.

Short duration heat acclimation (HA) (≤5 daily heat exposures) elicits incomplete adaptation compared to longer interventions, possibly due to the lower accumulated thermal 'dose'. It is unknown if matching thermal 'dose' over a shorter timescale elicits comparable adaptation to a longer intervention. Using a parallel-groups design, we compared: i) 'condensed' HA (CHA; =17 males) consisting of 4×75 min∙day heat exposures (target rectal temperature ()=38.

Ketone monoester ingestion improves cardiac function in adults with type 2 diabetes: a double-blind, placebo controlled, randomised, crossover trial.

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a metabolic disease associated with cardiovascular dysfunction. The myocardium preferentially uses ketones over free fatty acids as a more energy efficient substrate. The primary aim was to assess the effects of ketone monoester (K) ingestion on cardiac output index ().

Attribute Conditioning is insensitive to cue competition and is not predicted by the Big Five Personality Traits.

When a neutral stimulus is paired with a stimulus denoting an attribute, the neutral stimulus inherits that attribute (i.e., Attribute Conditioning; AC).

Prevalence and factors associated with childhood malaria and anaemia in Osun state, Nigeria: a baseline household malariometric study.

Background: Under-5 children have been known to bear a significant burden of malaria in endemic countries. Though significant progress has been made towards malaria prevention and control in Nigeria, it is expected that the addition of new malaria prevention strategy, such as perennial malaria chemoprevention (PMC) can contribute to a more rapid decline in malaria cases. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with malaria and anaemia among children aged 2-18 months in Osun State.