A new series of 11 radiocarbon (AMS) dates were obtained to the Biśnik Cave, one of the most important Central European sites. New AMS dates contributed to a more precise stratigraphic model for the complex sequence of sediments in this site. Received results showed that layer 1a is younger than 15 kyr, and layers 1b, 1 and 2 are dated on 25–15 kyr. Layers 4–3 were dated on 40–35 kyr, while layers 7–5 on 70-40 kyr. Layer 7 is the first and the uppermost strata in the whole profile out of the radiocarbon method. The new re-examination of chronology and fauna shed new light on the history of Biśnik fauna. The obtained UTh date of an age of 225 ± 27 kyr confirmed assignation layer 18 to MIS 7. Results of AMS dating were compared with optically stimulated luminescence (OSL), thermoluminescence (TL) and uranium-thorium dates as well as with results of biostratigraphic analysis. Results of data received from different direct dating methods (AMS, UTh, OSL, and TL) are confirmed also by data obtained from the biostratigraphic analysis. Only the maximum age of the lowermost sediments is still debatable. The whole, exceptionally abundant fauna, documented last ∼340 kyr, roughly between MIS 10/9-1. Among mammals, ancient species, early and mid-Middle Pleistocene faunal markers are absent.

Dietary guidelines shape public health by translating nutritional evidence into recommendations that support healthier eating and reduce chronic disease risk. The current revision of the Australian Dietary Guidelines (ADGs) provides an opportunity to integrate emerging scientific evidence and respond to contemporary dietary challenges. However, translating evidence from nutrition science into policy remains methodologically complex. Much of the available evidence is derived from observational studies, often synthesised in systematic reviews and meta-analyses. These syntheses may obscure contextual variation, residual confounding and heterogeneity in dietary assessment methods. Australia’s cultural diversity, unique food systems and the distinct dietary practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples underscore the need for high-quality, context-specific research to inform recommendations. Additional challenges also arise from the need to treat diet as a dynamic, multidimensional exposure, alongside variability in global evidence and inconsistencies in definitions of key constructs, including dietary patterns and ultra-processed foods (UPFs). While the ADG revision incorporates methodological improvements and prioritises key areas such as dietary patterns and UPFs, the strength and relevance of the resulting guidance will ultimately depend on the quality of underlying data. Strengthening investment in robust, culturally inclusive Australian nutrition research is essential to ensure credible and contextually relevant recommendations.

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are bright (Jansky-level) and short-duration ($\sim$1 ms) flashes of extragalactic origin. Observations of single events have now been complemented by large-area surveys, delivering FRB catalogues and enabling the first population studies. The Northern Cross (NC) radio interferometer is one of the instruments performing observations of FRBs. In this work, we present the Italian Northern Cross Atlas of Radio Transients (INCART), a public platform for the distribution of data products from the NC. INCART makes available to the community the FRBs observed by the NC through manageable frequency-time series datasets and catalogues with best-fit physical parameters. The design of INCART guarantees the possibility of scientific re-analysis of the FRB properties, in view also of future releases of the processing pipeline. Furthermore, INCART focuses on long-term storage optimisation, which is a key aspect of state-of-the-art instrumentation. Public access to the FRB data from the NC maximises the legacy value of the collection, facilitates the synergy with other publicly available catalogues, and fosters research group collaborations.

National foodborne outbreaks of gastrointestinal disease often require rapid case–control investigations to identify the source. Online market panels offer a potential alternative to traditional control recruitment. We compared market panel controls to traditional controls in case–control recruitment during a 2024 UK outbreak of STEC O145. Two case–control studies were conducted for two different control groups (a) Salmonella cases as case–controls and (b) online market panel members. Timeliness, cost, and resources were compared, and a logistic regression compared findings in a control–control analysis. In total, 43 cases of STEC O145, 63 Salmonella case–controls, and 93 panel controls were recruited. Neither control group reached the recruitment target for the younger adult age group. Salmonella case–controls had a ninefold greater staff time to recruit and cost five times more than panel controls (£25.82 vs. £4.99 per control), partially due to interviewer-administered questionnaires compared with self-completion by panel controls. Both analytical approaches identified the same outbreak source, with no significant differences in exposures between the control groups. The cost and resource savings associated with panel controls justify their use as a standard procedure in outbreak investigations. We recommend exploring engagement with age groups that are difficult to recruit and assessing alternative strategies to reach them.

The 2025 HTAi Global Policy Forum (GPF) report offers a timely and thoughtful synthesis of the opportunities and challenges associated with the use of artificial intelligence (AI), and particularly generative AI (GenAI), in Health Technology Assessment (HTA) (1). Its emphasis on trust, human agency, and risk-based approaches reflects both the maturity of the discussion within the HTA community and a shared recognition that technical capability alone is insufficient for responsible adoption. The report succeeds in articulating a common set of principles and a broadly aligned vision across HTA bodies, life sciences, and other interest holders.

Scholars trained in disciplines like anthropology, history, law, political science, and sociology helped to give rise to the field of law and society over the past two generations. What theories does law and society offer those disciplines in return, and are scholars in those fields looking back to law and society? To answer these questions, this article, which introduces a symposium celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Law & Society Review, brings together scholarship across disciplines to share the possible future influence of law and society on the disciplines. This theoretical and forward-looking inquiry invites us all to reflect upon law and society’s contributions over the past two generations and to consider what law and society will contribute to the next generation of interdisciplinary – and disciplinary – scholarship.

This article contributes to our understanding of merits and weaknesses associated with the subnational comparative case study. Despite its methodological strengths and the increasing importance of subnational units in politics, the subnational comparative case study remains underutilized in comparative politics. The root cause of the method’s merits lies in the substantive importance of subnational units in politics; at the same time, however, the difficulty of abstracting theory from local specificities hinders the wide utilization of this method. Through examining some important studies in comparative politics and Chinese politics that use comparative case studies, I identify problems in case selection and in achieving generalizability in research design of subnational comparative case studies.