The incidences of both breast cancer and obesity are rising in the UK. Obesity increases the risk of developing breast cancer in the postmenopausal population and leads to worse outcomes in those of all ages treated for early-stage breast cancer. In this review we explore the multifactorial reasons behind this association and the clinical trial evidence for the benefits of physical activity and dietary interventions in the early and metastatic patient groups. As more people with breast cancer are cured, and those with metastatic disease are living longer, cancer survivorship is becoming increasingly important. Therefore, ensuring the long-term implications of cancer and cancer treatment are addressed is vital. Although there remains a lack of definitive evidence that deliberate weight loss after a diagnosis of breast cancer reduces disease recurrence, a number of studies have reported benefits of weight loss and of physical activity. However, the limited data currently available mean that clinicians remain unclear on the optimal lifestyle advice to give their patients. Further high-quality research is needed to provide this evidence base, which will be required to optimise clinical care and for the commissioning of lifestyle interventions in the UK in breast cancer survivors.

Tropical forest regions in equatorial Africa are threatened with degradation, deforestation and biodiversity loss as a result of land-cover change. We investigated historical land-cover dynamics in unprotected forested areas of the Littoral Region in south-western Cameroon during 1975–2017, to detect changes that may influence this important biodiversity and wildlife area. Processed Landsat imagery was used to map and monitor changes in land use and land cover. From 1975 to 2017 the area of high-value forest landscapes decreased by c. 420,000 ha, and increasing forest fragmentation caused a decline of c. 12% in the largest patch index. Conversely, disturbed vegetation, cleared areas and urban areas all expanded in extent, by 32% (c. 400,000 ha), 5.6% (c. 26,800 ha) and 6.6% (c. 78,631 ha), respectively. The greatest increase was in the area converted to oil palm plantations (c. 26,893 ha), followed by logging and land clearing (c. 34,838 ha), all of which were the major factors driving deforestation in the study area. Our findings highlight the increasing threats facing the wider Littoral Region, which includes Mount Nlonako and Ebo Forest, both of which are critical areas for regional conservation and the latter a proposed National Park and the only sizable area of intact forest in the region. Intact forest in the Littoral Region, and in particular at Ebo, merits urgent protection.

Indigenous women and children experience some of the most profound health disparities globally. These disparities are grounded in historical and contemporary trauma secondary to colonial atrocities perpetuated by settler society. The health disparities that exist for chronic diseases may have their origins in early-life exposures that Indigenous women and children face. Mechanistically, there is evidence that these adverse exposures epigenetically modify genes associated with cardiometabolic disease risk. Interventions designed to support a resilient pregnancy and first 1000 days of life should abrogate disparities in early-life socioeconomic status. Breastfeeding, prenatal care and early child education are key targets for governments and health care providers to start addressing current health disparities in cardiometabolic diseases among Indigenous youth. Programmes grounded in cultural safety and co-developed with communities have successfully reduced health disparities. More works of this kind are needed to reduce inequities in cardiometabolic diseases among Indigenous women and children worldwide.

A small fraction of Tidal Disruption Events (TDE) produce relativistic jets, evidenced by their non-thermal X-ray spectra and transient radio emission. Here we present milliarcsecond-resolution imaging results on TDE J1644+5734 with the European VLBI Network (EVN). These provide a strong astrometric constraint on the average apparent jet velocity βapp < 0.27, that constrains the intrinsic jet velocity for a given viewing angle.

The Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope (MOST), which at present images a fully synthesised 70′ field in 12 h, is being converted to enable observing modes which extend the field size to 160′. The new observing modes will allow the MOST to survey completely the sky south of δ = −30° to a (5σ) sensitivity limit of about 5 mJy. The result will be a catalogue of over 400,000 radio sources with a spatial density of less than 1 source per 100 beam areas, providing the foundation for a number of novel astronomical and cosmological investigations. The conversion involves construction of 352 low-noise HEMT preamplifiers, 88 digitally controlled UHF quad phase shifters, 88 mixers and IF sections, a new communication and control system, and several other new sub-systems. The project has been funded and developments are well advanced.

During 1990 we surveyed the southern sky using a multi-beam receiver at frequencies of 4850 and 843 MHz. The half-power beamwidths were 4 and 25 arcmin respectively. The finished surveys cover the declination range between +10 and −90 degrees declination, essentially complete in right ascension, an area of 7.30 steradians. Preliminary analysis of the 4850 MHz data indicates that we will achieve a five sigma flux density limit of about 30 mJy. We estimate that we will find between 80 000 and 90 000 new sources above this limit. This is a revised version of the paper presented at the Regional Meeting by the first four authors; the surveys now have been completed.

Non-typhoidal Salmonella are an important but poorly characterized cause of paediatric diarrhoea in developing countries. We conducted a hospital-based case-control study in children aged <5 years in Ho Chi Minh City to define the epidemiology and examine risk factors associated with Salmonella diarrhoeal infections. From 1419 diarrhoea cases and 571 controls enrolled between 2009 and 2010, 77 (5·4%) diarrhoea cases were stool culture-positive for non-typhoidal Salmonella. Salmonella patients were more likely to be younger than controls (median age 10 and 12 months, respectively) [odds ratio (OR) 0·97; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0·94–0·99], to report a recent diarrhoeal contact (8·1% cases, 1·8% controls; OR 5·98, 95% CI 1·8–20·4) and to live in a household with >2 children (cases 20·8%, controls 10·2%; OR 2·32, 95% CI 1·2–4·7). Our findings indicate that Salmonella are an important cause of paediatric gastroenteritis in this setting and we suggest that transmission may occur through direct human contact in the home.

The UK was one of few European countries to document a substantial wave of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza in summer 2009. The First Few Hundred (FF100) project ran from April–June 2009 gathering information on early laboratory-confirmed cases across the UK. In total, 392 confirmed cases were followed up. Children were predominantly affected (median age 15 years, IQR 10–27). Symptoms were mild and similar to seasonal influenza, with the exception of diarrhoea, which was reported by 27%. Eleven per cent of all cases had an underlying medical condition, similar to the general population. The majority (92%) were treated with antiviral drugs with 12% reporting adverse effects, mainly nausea and other gastrointestinal complaints. Duration of illness was significantly shorter when antivirals were given within 48 h of onset (median 5 vs. 9 days, P=0·01). No patients died, although 14 were hospitalized, of whom three required mechanical ventilation. The FF100 identified key clinical and epidemiological characteristics of infection with this novel virus in near real-time.

The Jimberlana Norite Intrusion, situated near Norseman, Western Australia, is the first real analogue of the Great Dyke of Rhodesia to be discovered. The intrusion has the external form of a dyke, extends for at least 180 km (112 miles), has a maximum width of 2.5 km (1.5 miles), and follows the general easterly trend of the other members of the Widgiemooltha Dyke Suite, all of which have so far revealed characteristics of true dykes. It has a very steep funnel-shaped cross-section, like the Great Dyke, and shows many internal, canoe-shaped complexes along its length, consisting of cumulate ultramafic and basic rocks together with minor acid differentiates. The ultramafic and basic rocks display phase, rhythmic and cryptic layering. The differentiation sequence from ultrabasic to basic rocks is repeated more than once, and therehave clearly been several pulses of magma up the tensional opening. This is confirmed by the recognition of at least two magmatic unconformities. The broader petrogenetic questions posed by this unusual intrusion are discussed.

1. Two methods were used to estimate the frequencies of nine morphological classes of spermatozoa in 257 ejaculates from one Guernsey, five Friesian and seven Hereford bulls at an insemination centre. In nigrosin-eosin stained preparations and in fixed wet preparations the respective mean frequencies (%) were: malformed heads, 1·08 and 0·98; malformed middle pieces, 0·88 and 0·89; bent tails, 3·92 and 4·56; coiled tails, 0·60 and 0·43; free heads, 3·72 and 2·63; free tails, 1·79 and 1·85; neck beads, 0·87 and 0·93; middle-piece beads, 4·91 and 6·83.

2. There were close correlations between the two sets of measurements, but the differences of means were significant for free heads, bent tails, coiled tails, neck beads and middle-piece beads.

3. The mean percentage of dead (eosinophil) spermatozoa was 21·0.

4. The variations in the frequencies of each morphological class and of dead spermatozoa were divided within and between samples, ejaculates, bulls and breeds. The frequencies of all classes differed significantly between ejaculates within bulls; all but broken necks differed between bulls within breeds, and the Friesian and Hereford bulls differed in the frequencies of malformed heads, free heads, malformed middle pieces, free tails, neck beads and dead spermatozoa. The frequencies of bent tails, coiled tails and dead spermatozoa declined significantly with order of ejaculate.

5. The interrelationships of the frequencies of each class were examined. Two new methods used to measure the dead-sperm content of semen were shown to give results significantly correlated with those obtained by the conventional staining method and with motility ratings.

6. The interrelationships of measurements of the individual characteristics and conception rate were examined. Within-bull variations in conception rate showed a significant positive correlation (P < 0·05) with the frequencies of malformed heads and free heads. The between bull variation in conception rate showed a negative correlation with the frequency of neck beads (P < 0·05).

A comparison was made between 1308 mothers delivered of twins in Aberdeen between 1950 and 1969 and mothers of singleton infants. There was a greater number of tall women amongst mothers of twins. This was more marked in primigravidae than in multiparae. The rate of twinning was less in thin women than in those who were obese or of normal build. The social class of the husband did not appear to influence the incidence of twins. The rate of weight gain in twin pregnancies, even in early pregnancy, was high compared with the rate in singleton pregnancies. The more frequent occurrence of twinning in heavier, taller women, suggests that nutrition might be responsible but this is not borne out by the findings about social class.

Potential hosts for infective juveniles of entomopathogenic nematodes can vary considerably in quality based on the characteristics of the host species/stage, physiological status (e.g. stress, feeding on toxins), and infection status (heterospecific or conspecific infection). In this study, we investigated responses of the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema riobrave to hosts (Galleria mellonella or Tenebrio molitor) that were previously parasitized with conspecifics or injected with the nematode-symbiotic bacterium, Xenorhabdus sp., to determine if there is a preference for previously parasitized/injected hosts and when this preference might occur. In no-choice bioassays, the number of juveniles infecting both host species decreased with increasing time post-infection. However, infective juveniles continued to infect previously parasitized hosts up to 72 h. Significant preference was exhibited by S. riobrave for 24 h post-infection G. mellonella larvae over uninfected, and by 24 h post-injection G. mellonella larvae over 48 h post-injection larvae. No significant preference was exhibited by S. riobrave for T. molitor hosts previously parasitized with conspecifics or those injected with bacteria in any treatment combination. Such preference for, or continued infection of parasitized insects, has the potential to impact nematode efficacy.