Most of the photons that reionized the Universe came from dwarf galaxies.

The identification of sources driving cosmic reionization, a major phase transition from neutral hydrogen to ionized plasma around 600-800 Myr after the Big Bang1-3, has been a matter of debate4. Some models suggest that high ionizing emissivity and escape fractions (fesc) from quasars support their role in driving cosmic reionization5,6. Others propose that the high fesc values from bright galaxies generate sufficient ionizing radiation to drive this process7. Finally, a few studies suggest that the number density of faint galaxies, when combined with a stellar-mass-dependent model of ionizing efficiency and fesc, can effectively dominate cosmic reionization8,9. However, so far, comprehensive spectroscopic studies of low-mass galaxies have not been done because of their extreme faintness. Here we report an analysis of eight ultra-faint galaxies (in a very small field) during the epoch of reionization with absolute magnitudes between MUV ≈ -17 mag and -15 mag (down to 0.005L⋆ (refs. 10,11)). We find that faint galaxies during the first thousand million years of the Universe produce ionizing photons with log[ξion (Hz erg-1)] = 25.80 ± 0.14, a factor of 4 higher than commonly assumed values12. If this field is representative of the large-scale distribution of faint galaxies, the rate of ionizing photons exceeds that needed for reionization, even for escape fractions of the order of 5%.

A high black-hole-to-host mass ratio in a lensed AGN in the early Universe.

Early JWST observations have uncovered a population of red sources that might represent a previously overlooked phase of supermassive black hole growth1-3. One of the most intriguing examples is an extremely red, point-like object that was found to be triply imaged by the strong lensing cluster Abell 2744 (ref. 4). Here we present deep JWST/NIRSpec observations of this object, Abell2744-QSO1. The spectroscopy confirms that the three images are of the same object, and that it is a highly reddened (AV ≃ 3) broad emission line active galactic nucleus at a redshift of zspec = 7.0451 ± 0.0005. From the width of Hß (full width at half-maximum = 2,800 ± 250 km s-1), we derive a black hole mass of M BH = 4 - 1 + 2 × 1 0 7 M ⊙ . We infer a very high ratio of black-hole-to-galaxy mass of at least 3%, an order of magnitude more than that seen in local galaxies5 and possibly as high as 100%. The lack of strong metal lines in the spectrum together with the high bolometric luminosity (Lbol = (1.1 ± 0.3) × 1045 erg s-1) indicate that we are seeing the black hole in a phase of rapid growth, accreting at 30% of the Eddington limit. The rapid growth and high black-hole-to-galaxy mass ratio of Abell2744-QSO1 suggest that it may represent the missing link between black hole seeds6 and one of the first luminous quasars7.

The nature of an ultra-faint galaxy in the cosmic dark ages seen with JWST.

In the first billion years after the Big Bang, sources of ultraviolet (UV) photons are believed to have ionized intergalactic hydrogen, rendering the Universe transparent to UV radiation. Galaxies brighter than the characteristic luminosity L* (refs. 1,2) do not provide enough ionizing photons to drive this cosmic reionization. Fainter galaxies are thought to dominate the photon budget; however, they are surrounded by neutral gas that prevents the escape of the Lyman-α photons, which has been the dominant way to identify them so far. JD1 was previously identified as a triply-imaged galaxy with a magnification factor of 13 provided by the foreground cluster Abell 2744 (ref. 3), and a photometric redshift of z ≈ 10. Here we report the spectroscopic confirmation of this very low luminosity (≈0.05 L*) galaxy at z = 9.79, observed 480 Myr after the Big Bang, by means of the identification of the Lyman break and redward continuum, as well as multiple ≳4σ emission lines, with the Near-InfraRed Spectrograph (NIRSpec) and Near-InfraRed Camera (NIRCam) instruments. The combination of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and gravitational lensing shows that this ultra-faint galaxy (MUV = -17.35)-with a luminosity typical of the sources responsible for cosmic reionization-has a compact (≈150 pc) and complex morphology, low stellar mass (107.19 M⊙) and subsolar (≈0.6 Z⊙) gas-phase metallicity.

Photonic topological insulator induced by a dislocation in three dimensions.

The hallmark of topological insulators (TIs) is the scatter-free propagation of waves in topologically protected edge channels1. This transport is strictly chiral on the outer edge of the medium and therefore capable of bypassing sharp corners and imperfections, even in the presence of substantial disorder. In photonics, two-dimensional (2D) topological edge states have been demonstrated on several different platforms2-4 and are emerging as a promising tool for robust lasers5, quantum devices6-8 and other applications. More recently, 3D TIs were demonstrated in microwaves9 and  acoustic waves10-13, where the topological protection in the latter  is induced by dislocations. However, at optical frequencies, 3D photonic TIs have so far remained out of experimental reach. Here we demonstrate a photonic TI with protected topological surface states in three dimensions. The topological protection is enabled by a screw dislocation. For this purpose, we use the concept of synthetic dimensions14-17 in a 2D photonic waveguide array18 by introducing a further modal dimension to transform the system into a 3D topological system. The lattice dislocation endows the system with edge states propagating along 3D trajectories, with topological protection akin to strong photonic TIs19,20. Our work paves the way for utilizing 3D topology in photonic science and technology.

An optical atomic clock based on a highly charged ion.

Optical atomic clocks are the most accurate measurement devices ever constructed and have found many applications in fundamental science and technology1-3. The use of highly charged ions (HCI) as a new class of references for highest-accuracy clocks and precision tests of fundamental physics4-11 has long been motivated by their extreme atomic properties and reduced sensitivity to perturbations from external electric and magnetic fields compared with singly charged ions or neutral atoms. Here we present the realization of this new class of clocks, based on an optical magnetic-dipole transition in Ar13+. Its comprehensively evaluated systematic frequency uncertainty of 2.2 × 10-17 is comparable with that of many optical clocks in operation. From clock comparisons, we improve by eight and nine orders of magnitude on the uncertainties for the absolute transition frequency12 and isotope shift (40Ar versus 36Ar) (ref. 13), respectively. These measurements allow us to investigate the largely unexplored quantum electrodynamic (QED) nuclear recoil, presented as part of improved calculations of the isotope shift, which reduce the uncertainty of previous theory14 by a factor of three. This work establishes forbidden optical transitions in HCI as references for cutting-edge optical clocks and future high-sensitivity searches for physics beyond the standard model.

Parity-time-symmetric photonic topological insulator.

Topological insulators are a concept that originally stems from condensed matter physics. As a corollary to their hallmark protected edge transport, the conventional understanding of such systems holds that they are intrinsically closed, that is, that they are assumed to be entirely isolated from the surrounding world. Here, by demonstrating a parity-time-symmetric topological insulator, we show that topological transport exists beyond these constraints. Implemented on a photonic platform, our non-Hermitian topological system harnesses the complex interplay between a discrete coupling protocol and judiciously placed losses and, as such, inherently constitutes an open system. Nevertheless, even though energy conservation is violated, our system exhibits an entirely real eigenvalue spectrum as well as chiral edge transport. Along these lines, this work enables the study of the dynamical properties of topological matter in open systems without the instability arising from complex spectra. Thus, it may inspire the development of compact active devices that harness topological features on-demand.

Divergent signaling requirements of dSARM in injury-induced degeneration and developmental glial phagocytosis.

Elucidating signal transduction mechanisms of innate immune pathways is essential to defining how they elicit distinct cellular responses. Toll-like receptors (TLR) signal through their cytoplasmic TIR domains which bind other TIR domain-containing adaptors. dSARM/SARM1 is one such TIR domain adaptor best known for its role as the central axon degeneration trigger after injury. In degeneration, SARM1's domains have been assigned unique functions: the ARM domain is auto-inhibitory, SAM-SAM domain interactions mediate multimerization, and the TIR domain has intrinsic NAD+ hydrolase activity that precipitates axonal demise. Whether and how these distinct functions contribute to TLR signaling is unknown. Here we show divergent signaling requirements for dSARM in injury-induced axon degeneration and TLR-mediated developmental glial phagocytosis through analysis of new knock-in domain and point mutations. We demonstrate intragenic complementation between reciprocal pairs of domain mutants during development, providing evidence for separability of dSARM functional domains in TLR signaling. Surprisingly, dSARM's NAD+ hydrolase activity is strictly required for both degenerative and developmental signaling, demonstrating that TLR signal transduction requires dSARM's enzymatic activity. In contrast, while SAM domain-mediated dSARM multimerization is important for axon degeneration, it is dispensable for TLR signaling. Finally, dSARM functions in a linear genetic pathway with the MAP3K Ask1 during development but not in degenerating axons. Thus, we propose that dSARM exists in distinct signaling states in developmental and pathological contexts.

The unexpected influence of legacy conspecific density dependence.

When plants die, neighbours escape competition. Living conspecifics could disproportionately benefit because they are freed from negative intraspecific processes; however, if the negative effects of past conspecific neighbours persist, other species might be advantaged, and diversity might be maintained through legacy effects. We examined legacy effects in a mapped forest by modelling the survival of 37,212 trees of 23 species using four neighbourhood properties: living conspecific, living heterospecific, legacy conspecific (dead conspecifics) and legacy heterospecific densities. Legacy conspecific effects proved nearly four times stronger than living conspecific effects; changes in annual survival associated with legacy conspecific density were 1.5% greater than living conspecific effects. Over 90% of species were negatively impacted by legacy conspecific density, compared to 47% by living conspecific density. Our results emphasize that legacies of trees alter community dynamics, revealing that prior research may have underestimated the strength of density dependent interactions by not considering legacy effects.

Polarity and chirality control of an active fluid by passive nematic defects.

Much like passive materials, active systems can be affected by the presence of imperfections in their microscopic order, called defects, that influence macroscopic properties. This suggests the possibility to steer collective patterns by introducing and controlling defects in an active system. Here we show that a self-assembled, passive nematic is ideally suited to control the pattern formation process of an active fluid. To this end, we force microtubules to glide inside a passive nematic material made from actin filaments. The actin nematic features self-assembled half-integer defects that steer the active microtubules and lead to the formation of macroscopic polar patterns. Moreover, by confining the nematic in circular geometries, chiral loops form. We find that the exact positioning of nematic defects in the passive material deterministically controls the formation and the polarity of the active flow, opening the possibility of efficiently shaping an active material using passive defects.

Increased human papillomavirus viral load is correlated to higher severity of cervical disease and poorer clinical outcome: A systematic review.

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide and is caused by persistent infection with high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV viral load, the amount of HPV DNA in a sample, has been suggested to correlate with cervical disease severity, and with clinical outcome of cervical cancer. In this systematic review, we searched three databases (EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science) to examine the current evidence on the association between HPV viral load in cervical samples and disease severity, as well as clinical outcome. After exclusion of articles not on HPV, cervical cancer, or containing clinical outcomes, 85 original studies involving 173 746 women were included. The vast majority (73/85 = 85.9%) reported that a higher viral load was correlated with higher disease severity or worse clinical outcome. Several studies reported either no correlation (3/85 = 3.5%), or the opposite correlation (9/85 = 10.6%); possible reasons being different categorization of HPV viral load levels, or the use of specific sampling methods. Despite variations in study design and populations, the above findings suggest that HPV viral load is correlated to clinical outcome, and may become an important biomarker for treatment selection and response monitoring for cervical cancer.

Interhemispheric Structural Connectivity Underlies Motor Recovery after Stroke.

OBJECTIVE: Although ample evidence highlights that the ipsilesional corticospinal tract (CST) plays a crucial role in motor recovery after stroke, studies on cortico-cortical motor connections remain scarce and provide inconclusive results. Given their unique potential to serve as structural reserve enabling motor network reorganization, the question arises whether cortico-cortical connections may facilitate motor control depending on CST damage. METHODS: Diffusion spectrum imaging (DSI) and a novel compartment-wise analysis approach were used to quantify structural connectivity between bilateral cortical core motor regions in chronic stroke patients. Basal and complex motor control were differentially assessed. RESULTS: Both basal and complex motor performance were correlated with structural connectivity between bilateral premotor areas and ipsilesional primary motor cortex (M1) as well as interhemispheric M1 to M1 connectivity. Whereas complex motor skills depended on CST integrity, a strong association between M1 to M1 connectivity and basal motor control was observed independent of CST integrity especially in patients who underwent substantial motor recovery. Harnessing the informational wealth of cortico-cortical connectivity facilitated the explanation of both basal and complex motor control. INTERPRETATION: We demonstrate for the first time that distinct aspects of cortical structural reserve enable basal and complex motor control after stroke. In particular, recovery of basal motor control may be supported via an alternative route through contralesional M1 and non-crossing fibers of the contralesional CST. Our findings help to explain previous conflicting interpretations regarding the functional role of the contralesional M1 and highlight the potential of cortico-cortical structural connectivity as a future biomarker for motor recovery post-stroke. ANN NEUROL 2023;94:785-797.

Focal high-intensity focused ultrasound therapy for localized prostate cancer: An interim analysis of the multinational FASST study.

BACKGROUND: High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) emerged as a novel approach for the treatment of localized prostate cancer (PCa). However, prospective studies on HIFU-related outcomes and predictors of treatment failure (TF) remain scarce. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a multinational prospective cohort study among patients undergoing HIFU therapy for localized, low- to intermediate-risk PCa. Follow-up data on serial prostate specific antigen (PSA), multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI), targeted/systematic biopsies, adverse events and functional outcomes were collected. The primary endpoint was TF, defined as histologically confirmed PCa requiring whole-gland salvage treatment. Uni- and multi-variable adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated using Cox proportional hazard regression models. RESULTS: At baseline, mean (standard deviation) age was 64.14 (7.19) years, with the majority of patients showing T-stage 1 (73.9%) and International Society of Urological Pathology grading system Grade 2 (58.8%). PSA nadir (median, 1.70 ng/mL) was reached after 6 months. Of all patients recruited, 16% had clinically significant PCa, as confirmed by biopsy, of which 13.4% had TF. Notably, T-stage and number of positive cores at initial biopsy were independent predictors of TF during follow-up (HR [95% CI] 1.27 [1.02-1.59] and 5.02 [1.80-14.03], respectively). Adverse events were minimal (17% and 8% early and late adverse events, respectively), with stable or improved functional outcomes in the majority of patients. CONCLUSIONS: This interim analysis of a multinational study on HIFU therapy for the management of low-to-intermediate-risk PCa reveals good functional outcomes, minimal adverse events and low incidence of TF over the short-term. Data on long-term outcomes, specifically as it relates to oncological outcomes, are awaited eagerly.

Geogenomic predictors of genetree heterogeneity explain phylogeographic and introgression history: a case study in an Amazonian bird (Thamnophilus aethiops).

Can knowledge about genome architecture inform biogeographic and phylogenetic inference? Selection, drift, recombination, and gene flow interact to produce a genomic landscape of divergence wherein patterns of differentiation and genealogy vary nonrandomly across the genomes of diverging populations. For instance, genealogical patterns that arise due to gene flow should be more likely to occur on smaller chromosomes, which experience high recombination, whereas those tracking histories of geographic isolation (reduced gene flow caused by a barrier) and divergence should be more likely to occur on larger and sex chromosomes. In Amazonia, populations of many bird species diverge and introgress across rivers, resulting in reticulated genomic signals. Herein, we used reduced representation genomic data to disentangle the evolutionary history of four populations of an Amazonian antbird, Thamnophilus aethiops, whose biogeographic history was associated with the dynamic evolution of the Madeira River Basin. Specifically, we evaluate whether a large river capture event ca. 200 Ka, gave rise to reticulated genealogies in the genome by making spatially explicit predictions about isolation and gene flow based on knowledge about genomic processes. We first estimated chromosome-level phylogenies and recovered two primary topologies across the genome. The first topology (T1) was most consistent with predictions about population divergence and was recovered for the Z chromosome. The second (T2), was consistent with predictions about gene flow upon secondary contact. To evaluate support for these topologies, we trained a convolutional neural network to classify our data into alternative diversification models and estimate demographic parameters. The best-fit model was concordant with T1 and included gene flow between non-sister taxa. Finally, we modeled levels of divergence and introgression as functions of chromosome length and found that smaller chromosomes experienced higher gene flow. Given that (1) gene-trees supporting T2 were more likely to occur on smaller chromosomes and (2) we found lower levels of introgression on larger chromosomes (and especially the Z-chromosome), we argue that T1 represents the history of population divergence across rivers and T2 the history of secondary contact due to barrier loss. Our results suggest that a significant portion of genomic heterogeneity arises due to extrinsic biogeographic processes such as river capture interacting with intrinsic processes associated with genome architecture. Future phylogeographic studies would benefit from accounting for genomic processes, as different parts of the genome reveal contrasting, albeit complementary histories, all of which are relevant for disentangling the intricate geogenomic mechanisms of biotic diversification.

Synthetic hematocrit from virtual non-contrast images for myocardial extracellular volume evaluation with photon-counting detector CT.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the accuracy of a synthetic hematocrit derived from virtual non-contrast (VNC) and virtual non-iodine images (VNI) for myocardial extracellular volume (ECV) computation with photon-counting detector computed tomography (PCD-CT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Consecutive patients undergoing PCD-CT including a coronary CT angiography (CCTA) and a late enhancement (LE) scan and having a blood hematocrit were retrospectively included. In the first 75 patients (derivation cohort), CCTA and LE scans were reconstructed as VNI at 60, 70, and 80 keV and as VNC with quantum iterative reconstruction (QIR) strengths 2, 3, and 4. Blood pool attenuation (BPmean) was correlated to blood hematocrit. In the next 50 patients (validation cohort), synthetic hematocrit was calculated using BPmean. Myocardial ECV was computed using the synthetic hematocrit and compared with the ECV using the blood hematocrit as a reference. RESULTS: In the derivation cohort (49 men, mean age 79 ± 8 years), a correlation between BPmean and blood hematocrit ranged from poor for VNI of CCTA at 80 keV, QIR2 (R2 = 0.12) to moderate for VNI of LE at 60 keV, QIR4; 70 keV, QIR3 and 4; and VNC of LE, QIR3 and 4 (all, R2 = 0.58). In the validation cohort (29 men, age 75 ± 14 years), synthetic hematocrit was calculated from VNC of the LE scan, QIR3. Median ECV was 26.9% (interquartile range (IQR), 25.5%, 28.8%) using the blood hematocrit and 26.8% (IQR, 25.4%, 29.7%) using synthetic hematocrit (VNC, QIR3; mean difference, -0.2%; limits of agreement, -2.4%, 2.0%; p = 0.33). CONCLUSION: Synthetic hematocrit calculated from VNC images enables an accurate computation of myocardial ECV with PCD-CT. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: Virtual non-contrast images from cardiac late enhancement scans with photon-counting detector CT allow the calculation of a synthetic hematocrit, which enables accurate computation of myocardial extracellular volume. KEY POINTS: Blood hematocrit is mandatory for conventional myocardial extracellular volume computation. Synthetic hematocrit can be calculated from virtual non-iodine and non-contrast photon-counting detector CT images. Synthetic hematocrit from virtual non-contrast images enables computation of the myocardial extracellular volume.

Learning how to find targets in the micro-world: the case of intermittent active Brownian particles.

Finding the best strategy to minimize the time needed to find a given target is a crucial task both in nature and in reaching decisive technological advances. By considering learning agents able to switch their dynamics between standard and active Brownian motion, here we focus on developing effective target-search behavioral policies for microswimmers navigating a homogeneous environment and searching for targets of unknown position. We exploit projective simulation, a reinforcement learning algorithm, to acquire an efficient stochastic policy represented by the probability of switching the phase, i.e. the navigation mode, in response to the type and the duration of the current phase. Our findings reveal that the target-search efficiency increases with the particle's self-propulsion during the active phase and that, while the optimal duration of the passive case decreases monotonically with the activity, the optimal duration of the active phase displays a non-monotonic behavior.

Vilsmeier-Haack-Initiated Formylative Rearrangement of Spirodioxo-lan-5-ones into Functionalized 4,5,6,7-Tetrahydrobenzofurans.

Pharmaceutically relevant bicyclic furans can be synthesized in a single step from substituted dioxolan-5-ones by reacting with Vilsmeier-Haack reagents. These reagents are generated from POCl3 or PBr3 and DMF. The reaction cascade is mechanistically complex and involves deoxyhalogenation, iminomethylation, and electrophilic rearrangement steps, which are facilitated by the DMF solvent. The synthesis of hard-to-access 4,5,6,7-tetrahydrobenzofurans and substituted aliphatic furans is particularly useful. These compounds are potential isosteres of 2,3-dihydrobenzofuran pharmacophores and could be of interest for drug discovery.

Recovered grasping performance after stroke depends on interhemispheric frontoparietal connectivity.

Activity changes in the ipsi- and contralesional parietal cortex and abnormal interhemispheric connectivity between these regions are commonly observed after stroke, however, their significance for motor recovery remains poorly understood. We here assessed the contribution of ipsilesional and contralesional anterior intraparietal cortex (aIPS) for hand motor function in 18 recovered chronic stroke patients and 18 healthy control subjects using a multimodal assessment consisting of resting-state functional MRI, motor task functional MRI, online-repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) interference, and 3D movement kinematics. Effects were compared against two control stimulation sites, i.e. contralesional M1 and a sham stimulation condition. We found that patients with good motor outcome compared to patients with more substantial residual deficits featured increased resting-state connectivity between ipsilesional aIPS and contralesional aIPS as well as between ipsilesional aIPS and dorsal premotor cortex. Moreover, interhemispheric connectivity between ipsilesional M1 and contralesional M1 as well as ipsilesional aIPS and contralesional M1 correlated with better motor performance across tasks. TMS interference at individual aIPS and M1 coordinates led to differential effects depending on the motor task that was tested, i.e. index finger-tapping, rapid pointing movements, or a reach-grasp-lift task. Interfering with contralesional aIPS deteriorated the accuracy of grasping, especially in patients featuring higher connectivity between ipsi- and contralesional aIPS. In contrast, interference with the contralesional M1 led to impaired grasping speed in patients featuring higher connectivity between bilateral M1. These findings suggest differential roles of contralesional M1 and aIPS for distinct aspects of recovered hand motor function, depending on the reorganization of interhemispheric connectivity.

Infrapatellar Branch of the Saphenous Nerve: Therapeutic Approaches to Chronic Knee Pain.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The infrapatellar branch of the saphenous nerve (IPS) is an under-investigated nerve that can be a source of chronic knee pain. This literature review aims to deliver an up-to-date review of chronic pain transmitted via the IPS along with therapeutic approaches available for pain refractory to conservative measures. RECENT FINDINGS: Knee pain transmitted via the IPS can arise from several etiologies. Damage to the IPS is often iatrogenic and develops following total knee arthroplasty, anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, and other knee surgical procedures. Other causes of IPS-derived pain include entrapment of the nerve, neuromas, Schwannomas, and pain from knee osteoarthritis transmitted through the IPS.This article investigated therapeutic approaches to pain derived from the IPS. Common approaches included radiofrequency ablation, neuroma excisions, Schwannoma excision, nerve blocks, surgical exploration, surgical release of an entrapped nerve, cryoablation, and peripheral nerve stimulation. Pain scores, duration of pain relief, adverse events, and secondary outcomes were all included in this review. A subset of the patient population experiences chronic pain deriving from the IPS that is refractory to conservative treatment measures. This review aims to evaluate the etiologies and therapeutic approaches for chronic pain arising from the IPS refractory to conservative treatments.

Attitudes toward children: Distinguishing affection and stress.

BACKGROUND: Adults' views and behaviors toward children can vary from being supportive to shockingly abusive, and there are significant unanswered questions about the psychological factors underpinning this variability. OBJECTIVE: The present research examined the content of adults' attitudes toward children to address these questions. METHOD: Ten studies (N = 4702) identified the factor structure of adults' descriptions of babies, toddlers, and school-age children and examined how the resulting factors related to a range of external variables. RESULTS: Two factors emerged-affection toward children and stress elicited by them-and this factor structure was invariant across the United Kingdom, the United States, and South Africa. Affection uniquely captures emotional approach tendencies, concern for others, and broad positivity in evaluations, experiences, motivations, and donation behavior. Stress relates to emotional instability, emotional avoidance, and concern about disruptions to a self-oriented, structured life. The factors also predict distinct experiences in a challenging situation-home-parenting during COVID-19 lockdown-with affection explaining greater enjoyment and stress explaining greater perceived difficulty. Affection further predicts mentally visualizing children as pleasant and confident, whereas stress predicts mentally visualizing children as less innocent. CONCLUSIONS: These findings offer fundamental new insights about social cognitive processes in adults that impact adult-child relationships and children's well-being.

A cross-country assessment of conspiracy beliefs, trust in institutions, and attitudes towards the Covid-19 vaccination.

Conspiracy beliefs have spread during the Covid-19 pandemic. It is important to understand them because of their potential to undermine trust in societal institutions and willingness to get vaccined. In the present research (N = 538), we assessed the links between conspiracy beliefs, trust in institutions (e.g., government, WHO), and attitudes towards the Covid-19 vaccination across the USA, Brazil and the UK. A moderated mediation analysis revealed the crucial role of political leaders in linking conspiracy beliefs with vaccination attitudes. Trust in the president was positively associated with conspiracy beliefs in Brazil because of its conspiracist president at the time (Bolsonaro), which in turn was negatively associated with vaccination attitudes. In contrast, trust in political leaders at the time in the UK (Johnson) and the USA (Biden) was negatively associated with conspiracy beliefs. In conclusion, our findings contribute to understanding the underlying mechanisms that link conspiracy beliefs with trust and vaccination attitudes.