Hot Rocks Survey II. the thermal emission of TOI-1468 b reveals a bare hot rock

Context: terrestrial exoplanets orbiting nearby small cool stars, known as M dwarfs, are well suited for an atmospheric characterisation. Because the intense X-ray and UV (XUV) irradiation from M dwarf host stars is strong, orbiting exoplanets are thought to be unable to retain primordial hydrogen- or helium-dominated atmospheres. However, it is currently unknown whether heavier secondary atmospheres can survive. Aims.: the aim of the Hot Rocks Survey programme is to determine whether exoplanets can retain secondary atmospheres in the presence of M dwarf hosts. In the sample of nine exoplanets in the programme, we aim to determine whether TOI-1468 b has a substantial atmosphere or is consistent with a low-albedo bare rock. Methods: the James Webb Space Telescope provides an opportunity to characterise the thermal emission with MIRI at 15 μm. The occultation of TOI-1468 b was observed three times. We compared our observations to atmospheric models that include varying amounts of CO2 and H2O. Results: the observed occultation depths for the individual visits are 239±52 ppm, 341±53 ppm, and 357±52 ppm. A joint fit yields an occultation depth of 311±31 ppm. The thermal emission is mostly consistent with no atmosphere and a zero Bond albedo at a confidence level of 1.65, or a blackbody at a brightness temperature of 1024 ± 78 K. A pure CO2 or H2O atmosphere with a surface pressure above 1 bar is ruled out at higher than 3.Conclusions: surprisingly, the surface of TOI-1468 b is marginally hotter than expected. This indicates an additional source of energy on the planet. This source might originate from a temperature inversion or induction heating, or it might be an instrumental artefact. The results within the Hot Rocks Survey build on the legacy of studying the atmospheres of exoplanets around M dwarfs. The outcome of this survey will prove useful to the large-scale survey of M dwarfs that was recently approved by the STScI.</p

ZTF-observed late-time signals of pre-ZTF transients

With large-scale surveys such as the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF), it has become possible to obtain a well-sampled light curve spanning the full length of the survey for any discovery within the survey footprint. Similarly, any transient within the footprint that was first detected before the start of the survey will likely have a large number of post-transient observations, making them excellent targets to search for the presence of late-time signals, in particular due to interaction with circumstellar material (CSM). We search for late-time signals in a sample of 7718 transients, mainly supernovae (SNe), which were first detected during the 10 years before the start of ZTF, aiming to find objects showing signs of late-time interaction with CSM. We find one candidate whose late-time signal is best explained by late-time CSM interaction, with the signal being around 300 days after transient discovery. A thin, distant shell containing $\lesssim5$ M$_\odot$ of material could explain the recovered signal. We also find five objects whose late-time signal is best explained by faint nuclear transients occurring in host nuclei close to the pre-ZTF transient locations. Finally, we find two objects where it is difficult to determine whether the signal is from a nuclear transient or due to late-time CSM interaction >5 years after the SN. This study demonstrates the ability of large-scale surveys to find faint transient signals for a variety of objects, uncovering a population of previously unknown sources. However, the large number of non-detections show that strong late-time CSM interaction occurring years after the SN explosion is extremely rare

Exploring inclusive practices from the perspectives of children in an early years setting

Inclusion is a term which has evaded precise definition. This has challenging implications for those working with children, and it is important to explore how notions of inclusion are enacted in practice. For young children in particular, there has been a lack of research regarding factors that contribute to the creation of an inclusive educational setting. In order to better understand inclusion within the Early Years, for children aged from birth to five, this thesis seeks to investigate the perspectives of families, staff and children.This thesis consists of three chapters. Chapter one includes an introduction to the topic and rationale for the thesis. Chapter two presents a systematic literature review to explore factors which contribute to an inclusive Early Years environment, according to key stakeholders, such as children, families and staff. The review consists of eight papers and finds eight overall themes. Implications for a broad readership are discussed, such as families, Early Years staff and researchers. The third chapter presents the findings of a qualitative study exploring what can be discovered from the perspectives and voices of young children to enable a better understanding of what inclusion means for them, as well as investigating their views on what adults can do to support inclusion. Participants were eight children, aged two to three, who took part through the use of the Mosaic approach (Clark, 2007; Clark &amp; Moss, 2017). Reflexive thematic analysis led to the generation of four themes, each consisting of several sub-themes. The discussion provides implications for adults who work with young children, as well as for future participatory research.<br/

The safety of hormone replacement therapy in gynecological cancer survivors

Treatment of gynecological cancers often induces a premature menopause. Plus advancing treatments mean more gynecological cancer survivors are living to physiological menopause. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has proven substantial long-term benefits in physiological menopause and premature menopause particularly. We aimed to evaluate the current evidence on the safety of HRT in gynecological cancer survivors to help clinicians counsel these patients. HRT is not contraindicated in most gynecological cancer survivors, as evidence available often shows safety or even benefit with HRT use. However, HRT is contraindicated in a few cancers-in low-grade serous ovarian carcinoma, high-risk endometrial carcinoma, and some uterine sarcomas. Caution is advised in high-grade serous, late-stage endometrioid, and granulosa ovarian carcinomas when there is substandard evidence demonstrating safety, but also a theoretical harm present. Due to deficient large randomized controlled trials and methodological biases being present in most studies, HRT use needs to be individualized in most cancers-ovarian carcinomas, endometrial carcinomas, and cervical adenocarcinomas. Justification for HRT use is strong, and HRT is not contraindicated in most gynecological cancers due to largely reassuring evidence. More robust long-term data are needed for further reliable guidance for clinicians and patients.</p

Fastest spinning millisecond pulsars: indicators for quark matter in neutron stars?

We study rotating hybrid stars, with a particular emphasis on the effect of a deconfinement phase transition on their properties at high spin. Our analysis is based on a hybrid equation of state with a phase transition from hypernuclear matter to color-superconducting quark matter, where both phases are described within a relativistic density functional approach. By varying the vector meson and diquark couplings in the quark matter phase, we obtain different hybrid star sequences with varying extension of the quark matter core, ensuring consistency with astrophysical constraints from mass, radius, and tidal deformability measurements. As a result, we demonstrate the impact of an increasing rotational frequency on the maximum gravitational mass, the central energy density of compact stars, the appearance of the quasiradial oscillations, and nonaxisymmetric instabilities. We demonstrate that for the most favorable parameter sets with a strong vector coupling, hybrid star configurations with a color superconducting quark matter core can describe the fastest spinning and heaviest galactic neutron star PSR J0952-0607, while it is out of reach for the purely hadronic hypernuclear star configuration. We also revise the previously proposed empirical relation between the Kepler frequency, gravitational mass, and radius of nonrotating neutron stars, obtained based on the assumption that all neutron stars, up to the heaviest, are hadronic. We show how the phase transition to quark matter alters this relation and, consequently, the constraints on the dense matter equation of state. Our findings reveal that incorporating the hybrid equation of state has significant implications for the constraints on the properties of strongly interacting matter and neutron stars, placing the upper limit on R1.4≤14.90 and R0.7&lt;11.49 km (considering 716 Hz frequency limit from PSR J1748+2446ad) and R1.4≤11.90 km (for 1000 Hz).</p

Exploring Diverse Approaches to Iterative Microbiome Passaging in Soil and Plant Systems

Efficient use of managed land depends on our ability to optimize relevant processes (e.g., crop growth) in that space. Microbial activities are critical to this goal, given their enormous contributions to biogeochemical flux and organismal health. Unfortunately, we still cannot predictably harness their potential in the same way that we can introduce nutrients or manipulate plant composition, for example. In recent years, iterative microbiome passaging has been investigated as an approach for capturing and optimizing groups of microorganisms that contribute additively to functions of interest, such as plant growth promotion or litter decomposition. Early trials show that this approach can alter microbiome function, but functional gains can seem almost stochastic, unlike archetypes of breeding within individual lineages. In this Perspective, we highlight the importance of continuing to explore diverse approaches to iterative microbiome passaging in soil and plant systems, given our limited knowledge about how this process works. There is no single “best” approach, but experimental design choices can have large impacts on outcomes. Ultimately, we believe that a better understanding of different forms of iterative microbiome passaging will allow us to (i) leverage the power of uncultivated microbes, additive/synergistic microbial contributions, and intermicrobial interactions and (ii) understand how land use choices will shape the functional trajectories of microbiomes through time

Experimental investigation of nonlinear cyclic flexural behaviour of hollow and concrete-filled aluminium beams

This study presents an experimental programme to characterise, for the first time, the nonlinear cyclic flexural behaviour of hollow and concrete-filled aluminium tubular beams at large rotation levels up to 0.08 rad. Particularly, four different tubular cross-sections, fabricated from two grades of structural aluminium alloys –6082-T6 and 6063-T6– with various cross-sectional slenderness were tested with and without concrete infill to establish their hysteretic flexural behaviour. All tested specimens showed hysteretic loops without significant gradual strength and stiffness degradation under cyclic loading. The influence of aluminium alloy type, cross-sectional slenderness and presence of concrete infill on the plastic hinge deformation, ultimate strength, failure mode, secant stiffness degradation and energy dissipation capacity is thoroughly investigated. Analysis of the in-plane strain measurements from Digital Image Correlation suggest that under large cyclic loads the examined members can develop an average plastic hinge length equal to 1.5 times the largest cross-sectional dimension measured from the fixed end of the members. Overall, the experimental results demonstrate that hollow and concrete-filled aluminium beam members can sustain large deformations without any structural damage under large rotation levels

PTFA: an LLM-based agent that facilitates online consensus building through parallel thinking

Consensus building is inherently challenging due to the diverse opinions held by stakeholders. Effective facilitation is crucial to support the consensus building process and enable efficient group decision making. However, the effectiveness of facilitation is often constrained by human factors such as limited experience and scalability. In this research, we propose a Parallel Thinking-based Facilitation Agent (PTFA) that facilitates online, text-based consensus building processes. The PTFA automatically collects real-time textual input and leverages large language models (LLMs) to perform all six distinct roles of the well-established Six Thinking Hats technique in parallel thinking. To illustrate the potential of the agent, a pilot study was conducted, demonstrating its capabilities in idea generation, emotional probing, and deeper analysis of idea quality. Additionally, future open research challenges such as optimizing scheduling and managing behaviors in divergent phase are identified.Furthermore, a comprehensive dataset that contains not only the conversational content among the participants but also between the participants and the agent is constructed for future study

Dissociation, self-states and social anxiety: relationships and measurement

Dissociation is increasingly recognised as a transdiagnostic process with significant implications for psychological functioning and treatment outcomes. Difficulties in emotional regulation, social functioning, and therapeutic outcomes are associated with dissociative processes across a range of mental health presentations. Despite its relevance, dissociation remains poorly differentiated in much of the empirical literature, with a reliance on broad measures that offer limited insight into specific mechanisms, such as disruptions between self-states. This thesis contributes to a more refined understanding of dissociation through two complementary studies.The first line of enquiry explored the relationship between dissociation and social anxiety, a condition characterised by disrupted self and social processing, where emerging evidence suggests dissociative experiences may be particularly relevant. A systematic review identified 17 quantitative studies that measured both dissociation and social anxiety, with a meta-analysis conducted on a subset of 11 studies, indicating a moderate positive association (r = .39) between the two constructs. The review also highlighted potential moderating and mediating factors including childhood trauma and emotion regulation difficulties.Building on these findings, the second study sought to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Dissociation-Integration of Self-States Scale (D-ISS), a theory-driven measure of dissociation between self-states, grounded in a cognitive model of dissociation. This validation study included 344 clinical participants and 147 non-clinical participants, enabling comparison between groups. Results supported the internal consistency, test-retest reliability, convergent validity, partial divergentvalidity, and five-factor structure of the D-ISS. The scale differentiated between clinical and non-clinical groups, providing evidence for its potential clinical utility in assessing dissociation between self-states. Both studies, built on insights from empirical and quantitative research, contribute to improving the conceptualisation and measurement of dissociation in clinical contexts. In particular, they highlight the importance of recognising and assessing dissociation across a range of mental health presentations, beyond its traditional associations with dissociative disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder. These findings have important implications for clinical assessment practices, highlighting the value of measuring specific dissociative processes, such as self-state fragmentation. Incorporating dissociation-focused measures should help to enhance case formulation and guide more targeted and effective interventions. Finally, the studies offer directions for future research, including the importance of assessing, formulating and intervening with dissociation in the context of social anxiety, and the continued development of robust measures of specific forms of dissociation

State of the art constraints on black hole formation: The story of black holes told with high-precision kinematics

Black holes have been the subject of study by mathematicians and physicists alike for over 100 years, though the challenges associated with observing them mean they remain the most enigmatic objects in the Universe. This is an era of astronomy defined by unprecedented access to data, including groundbreaking astrometric surveys and advanced spectrographs. Such high-precision kinematic measurements offer insight into the most fundamental characteristics of black holes: their masses, through the orbital motion of companion stars; and their velocities, through analysis of their motion with respect to the Galactic potential. These observations act as keystones, around which to build and develop theory, enabling a deeper understanding of physics in the most extreme environments. Taking advantage of groundbreaking astrometric surveys, this thesis presents the most extensive study of X-ray binary natal kicks to date, analysing 68 X-ray binaries including both neutron stars and black holes. This investigation finds that, contrary to theoretical predictions, the natal kicks applied to neutron stars and black holes are formally indistinguishable. This suggests that natal kicks are governed by similar physics irrespective of remnant type, and necessitates a revision of supernova hydrodynamic theory. With these results comes an observationally motivated distribution for implementation in future models: a Gamma distribution with mean 147 km/s. This prescription is agnostic to the drivers of these natal kicks, thereby removing a key degeneracy in population synthesis studies. The biggest caveat to this study, and to much of the research on compact objects, is that the vast majority of confirmed black holes exist in X-ray binaries, meaning they are actively accreting matter from a stellar companion. In light of this, high-precision astrometry and dynamical observations were used to identify and characterise a small sample of black hole candidates. These putative black holes were identified as ordinary stellar binaries, highlighting the complexities of astrometric studies of two-component systems. Nevertheless, the number of confirmed non-interacting black holes is growing, providing further constraints on black hole evolution beyond the X-ray binary population.An additional issue in the study of black holes is the difficulty of observing their luminous companions (and, consequently, determining the mass of the compact object) in the heavily extincted regions within the Galactic plane. The development of microcalorimeters marks a significant step forward in X-ray astronomy and presents an opportunity to study new high-precision observations in the X-ray waveband, offering the potential to probe regions that are significantly obscured in the optical. The narrow component of the iron fluorescent line, originating from the X-ray irradiated companion, provides a potential means to further constrain the binary system properties, including the mass of the compact object. Modelling the geometry of the binary system and considering the composition of the stellar surface indicates the equivalent width of this narrow iron line should be 2-40 eV (dependent on the binary mass ratio). The precision of cutting-edge X-ray spectrographs means velocity deviations can be measured within &lt; 40 km/s (depending on X-ray flux), enabling dynamical mass measurements of systems which are inaccessible with optical and infrared observations.State of the art observing instruments and techniques provide exceptionally precise measurements of the kinematics of black holes, which in turn offer insight into their velocities and provide dynamical measurements of their masses. The mass and velocity distributions of black holes are intrinsically linked to their formation processes and subsequent evolution, many aspects of which remain uncertain, and have appreciable implications for gravitational wave astronomy. This thesis aims to highlight the interconnection of observation and theory, with the ultimate goal of understanding the genesis of black holes