The fossil record of dinosaurs in Scotland mostly comprises isolated highly fragmentary bones from the Great Estuarine Group in the Inner Hebrides (Bajocian–Bathonian). Here we report the first definite dinosaur body fossil ever found in Scotland (historically), having been discovered in 1973, but not collected until 45 years later. It is the first and most complete partial dinosaur skeleton currently known from Scotland. NMS G.2023.19.1 was recovered from a challenging foreshore location in the Isle of Skye, and transported to harbour in a semi-rigid inflatable boat towed by a motor boat. After manual preparation, micro-CT scanning was carried out, but this did not aid in identification. Among many unidentifiable elements, a neural arch, two ribs and part of the ilium are described herein, and their features indicate that this was a cerapodan or ornithopod dinosaur. Histological thin sections of one of the ribs support this identification, indicating an individual at least eight years of age, growing slowly at the time of death. If ornithopodan, as our data suggest, it could represent the world's oldest body fossil of this clade.

Basal channels, which are troughs carved into the undersides of ice shelves by buoyant plumes of water, are modulators of ice-shelf basal melt and structural stability. In this study, we track the evolution of 12 large basal channels beneath ice shelves of the Amundsen and Bellingshausen seas region in West Antarctica using the Landsat record since its start in the 1970s through 2020. We observe examples of channel growth, interactions with ice-shelf features, and systematic changes in sinuosity that give insight into the life cycles of basal channels. We use the last two decades of the record, combined with contemporary ice-flow velocity datasets, to separate channel-path evolution into components related to advection by ice flow and those controlled by other forcings, such as ocean melt or surface accumulation. Our results show that ice-flow-independent lateral channel migration is overwhelmingly to the left when viewed down-flow, suggesting that it is dominated by Coriolis-influenced ocean melt. By applying a model of channel-path evolution dominantly controlled by ice flow and ocean melt, we show that the majority of channels surveyed exhibit non-steady behavior that serves as a novel proxy for increased ocean forcing in West Antarctica starting at least in the early 1970s.

The objective of this study was to describe the epidemiology of COVID-19 in Nigeria with a view of generating evidence to enhance planning and response strategies. A national surveillance dataset between 27 February and 6 June 2020 was retrospectively analysed, with confirmatory testing for COVID-19 done by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The primary outcomes were cumulative incidence (CI) and case fatality (CF). A total of 40 926 persons (67% of total 60 839) had complete records of RT-PCR test across 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory, 12 289 (30.0%) of whom were confirmed COVID-19 cases. Of those confirmed cases, 3467 (28.2%) had complete records of clinical outcome (alive or dead), 342 (9.9%) of which died. The overall CI and CF were 5.6 per 100 000 population and 2.8%, respectively. The highest proportion of COVID-19 cases and deaths were recorded in persons aged 31–40 years (25.5%) and 61–70 years (26.6%), respectively; and males accounted for a higher proportion of confirmed cases (65.8%) and deaths (79.0%). Sixty-six per cent of confirmed COVID-19 cases were asymptomatic at diagnosis. In conclusion, this paper has provided an insight into the early epidemiology of COVID-19 in Nigeria, which could be useful for contextualising public health planning.

Our research on bias in family formation is rooted in the extant literature of gender and academia but moves beyond discussion of the “leaky-pipeline” metaphor to explore less frequently addressed issues including pregnancy loss, illness, lactation, and challenges faced by academic parents who are the partners of those who have given birth. We explore the lower-order processes that inform the gap in professional achievement between men and women in political science specifically and in academia more broadly. In turn, these lower-order processes manifest as more observable higher-order outcomes such as the disparate rates of tenure and promotion. We conducted a 100-question survey from November 2017 through July 2019 involving more than 300 respondents. Through analysis of open-ended survey responses, we identified a common theme uniting faculty experiences at a range of universities: family formation and parenting can be isolating processes for academics, and there often is a gross lack of both formal and informal support within universities, which creates the potential for setbacks in both personal and professional life. We highlight the challenges confronting academic parents—especially women—and suggest potential avenues to a more inclusive and balanced approach to academia.

Cementitious matrices are being assessed for immobilization of radioactive wastes. This paper discusses some mineralogical aspects of cement chemistry and the uses of siliceous minerals as selective sorbants to enhance immobilization potential.

Studies of sorption and leaching of caesium from pulverized fuel ash (PFA), blast furnace slag, tobermorite, xonotlite, and clinoptilolite are reported. The role of incorporation of these additives in cement and the effect on the nature of the composite matrix on caesium behaviour has been investigated. Specific mechanisms of the interaction of additives with highly alkaline cement environment are described. While slags, PFA, and clinoptilolite undergo reaction at different rates, tobermorite and xonotlite appear to be stable in cement.

The discovery of the first electromagnetic counterpart to a gravitational wave signal has generated follow-up observations by over 50 facilities world-wide, ushering in the new era of multi-messenger astronomy. In this paper, we present follow-up observations of the gravitational wave event GW170817 and its electromagnetic counterpart SSS17a/DLT17ck (IAU label AT2017gfo) by 14 Australian telescopes and partner observatories as part of Australian-based and Australian-led research programs. We report early- to late-time multi-wavelength observations, including optical imaging and spectroscopy, mid-infrared imaging, radio imaging, and searches for fast radio bursts. Our optical spectra reveal that the transient source emission cooled from approximately 6 400 K to 2 100 K over a 7-d period and produced no significant optical emission lines. The spectral profiles, cooling rate, and photometric light curves are consistent with the expected outburst and subsequent processes of a binary neutron star merger. Star formation in the host galaxy probably ceased at least a Gyr ago, although there is evidence for a galaxy merger. Binary pulsars with short (100 Myr) decay times are therefore unlikely progenitors, but pulsars like PSR B1534+12 with its 2.7 Gyr coalescence time could produce such a merger. The displacement (~2.2 kpc) of the binary star system from the centre of the main galaxy is not unusual for stars in the host galaxy or stars originating in the merging galaxy, and therefore any constraints on the kick velocity imparted to the progenitor are poor.

A total of 4551 sera from 863 Strain 19 vaccinated and non-vaccinated adult cattle, independent of disease status, were tested by five serological methods to detect the presence of antibodies to B. abortus. Results from Standard Agglutination Tube (SAT), Buffered Brucella Antigen or card (CT), Complement Fixation (CF), Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and Rivanol (Riv) methods were compared.

There was a 95% probability for agreement among CT negative sera, between serological methods, for all groups of vaccinated and non-vaccinated cattle. The agreement between tests with Riv Positive sera, excluding the calfhood and adult vaccinated group tested by the CF method, was 91–100%. The probability of a serum which was serologically negative by other methods being Riv negative was 98%. The usefulness of serological results from Riv (≥ 1/50) tests for classifying the reactor status of cattle are of doubtful supplemental value to confirm card test positive results.

Vaccination history is an important consideration when evaluating serological data on cattle sera particularly from SAT and CF methods.

The behavior of H in p-GaN(Mg) at temperatures >400°C is modeled by using energies and vibration frequencies from density-functional theory to parameterize transport and reaction equations. Predictions agree semiquantitatively with experiment for the solubility, uptake, and release of the H when account is taken of a surface barrier.

The Parkes multibeam pulsar survey uses a 13-element receiver operating at a wavelength of 20 cm to survey the inner Galactic plane with remarkable sensitivity. To date we have collected and analyzed data from 45% of the survey region (|b| < 5°; 260° < l < 50°), and have discovered 440 pulsars, in addition to re-detecting 190 previously known ones. Most of the newly discovered pulsars are at great distances, as inferred from a median dispersion measure (DM) of 400 cm−3 pc.

The behavior of H in p-GaN(Mg) at temperatures >400°C is modeled by using energies and vibration frequencies from density-functional theory to parameterize transport and reaction equations. Predictions agree semiquantitatively with experiment for the solubility, uptake, and release of the H when account is taken of a surface barrier.

A number of localizations for the putative susceptibility gene(s) have been identified for both Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. In a genome wide scan, Hugot et al. (1996) identified a region on chromosome 16 which appeared to be responsible for the inheritance of inflammatory bowel disease in a small proportion of families. Subsequent work has suggested that this localization is important for susceptibility to Crohn's disease rather than ulcerative colitis (Ohmen et al. 1996; Parkes et al. 1996). We investigated the contribution of this localization to the inheritance of inflammatory bowel disease in 54 multiplex Australian families, and confirmed its importance in a significant proportion of Crohn's disease families; we further refined the localization to a region near to D16S409, obtaining a maximum LOD score of 6.3 between D16S409 and D16S753.

In this paper we describe the preparation, microstructure, and x-ray excited luminescence of vapor-deposited CaWO4 films up to about 50 μm thick, comparing them to particulate CaWO4 phosphor screens, used in medical diagnostic imaging. Films that we e-beam evaporated on substrates heated at or above 500 °C were polycrystalline with the scheelite structure, while on unheated substrates, films were initially amorphous but became crystalline after annealing them in air above about 750 °C. Crystalline CaWO4 films irradiated with x-rays produced light emission peaked at 430 nm. The emission intensity depended on film thickness and grain size and was comparable to particulate CaWO4 phosphor screens. Because the vapor-deposited films also exhibited superior resolution, they are promising for diagnostic x-ray imaging.

The temperature dependence of the specific contact resistance of W and WSi0.44 contacts on n+ In0.55Ga0.35N and InN was measured in the range -50 °C to 125 °C. The results were compared to theoretical values for different conduction mechanisms, to further elucidate the conduction mechanism in these contact structures. The data indicates the conduction mechanism is field emission for these contact schemes for all but as-deposited metal to InN where thermionic emission appears to be the dominant mechanism. The contacts were found to produce low specific resistance ohmic contacts to InGaN at room temperature, ϱc ∼ 10-7 Ω ·cm2 for W and ϱc of 4× 10-7 Ω ·cm for WSix. InN metallized with W produced ohmic contacts with ϱc ∼ 10-6 Ω ·cm and ϱc ∼ 10-6 Ω ·cm. for WSix at room temperature.

Quantum well microdisk laser structures have been fabricated in the GaN/InGaN, GaAs/AlGaAs and GaAs/InGaP systems using a combination of ECR dry etching (Cl2/CH4/H2/Ar, BC13/Ar or CH4/H2/Ar plasma chemistries respectively) and subsequent wet chemical etching of a buffer layer underlying the quantum wells. While wet etchants such as HF/H2O and HCI/HNO3/H2O are employed for AlGaAs and InGaP, respectively, a new KOH-based solution has been developed for AlN which is completely selective over both GaN and InGaN. Typical mask materials include PR or SiNx, while the high surface recombination velocity of exposed AlGaAs (∼105cm·sec-1) requires encapsulation with ECR-CVD SiNx to stabilize the optical properties of the modulators.

Light emitting electroluminescent devices have been studied in which the conjugated light emitting polymer is separated on both sides from the device electrodes by a film of nonconducting polyaniline. The devices operate under an AC applied potential.Aluminum, copper or gold serve as the metal electrodes. Flexible, completely organic polymer dispersed liquid crystal light valves have been fabricated from transparent plastic substrates on which a conducting film of polypyrrole has been deposited. A new concept, “microcontact printing”, is being investigated for patterning the polypyrrole.

While a number of site testing campaigns are in progress throughout the world, the dominant efforts seem to be associated with plans for very large telescopes. These plans, improved telescope technology, and the realization that astronomical observations from space will put increasing demands on ground-based observing facilities have given new impetus to site identification and to the optimum utilization of existing sites. A most excellent review of the factors involved in site identification is now available in the Proceedings of the ESO Workshop on Site Testing for Future Large Telescopes, edited by A. Ardeberg and L. Woltjer 1981. These Proceedings and Woolf’s review (1982, Ann. Rev. Astron. Astrophys. 20 367) provide a solid background of current site evaluation factors.

As usual, this report contains contributions from a number of authors, as follows: § 2, P. D. Jackson and M. P. FitzGerald; §§ 3 and 4, F. J. Kerr and D. L. Crawford; §5, P. O. Lindblad; §§ 6A and C, R. Wielen; §§ 6B and 7, J. Einasto; §§ 6D and E, K. C. Freeman, § 6F, M Fujimoto. The layout follows previous practice, except that a new Section 7 on the galactic environment has been added. A longer version of the Report will be published by the University of Maryland and will be distributed to all members of Commission 33 and to astronomical institutions.