Gravitational waves from coalescing neutron stars encode information about nuclear matter at extreme densities, inaccessible by laboratory experiments. The late inspiral is influenced by the presence of tides, which depend on the neutron star equation of state. Neutron star mergers are expected to often produce rapidly rotating remnant neutron stars that emit gravitational waves. These will provide clues to the extremely hot post-merger environment. This signature of nuclear matter in gravitational waves contains most information in the 2–4 kHz frequency band, which is outside of the most sensitive band of current detectors. We present the design concept and science case for a Neutron Star Extreme Matter Observatory (NEMO): a gravitational-wave interferometer optimised to study nuclear physics with merging neutron stars. The concept uses high-circulating laser power, quantum squeezing, and a detector topology specifically designed to achieve the high-frequency sensitivity necessary to probe nuclear matter using gravitational waves. Above 1 kHz, the proposed strain sensitivity is comparable to full third-generation detectors at a fraction of the cost. Such sensitivity changes expected event rates for detection of post-merger remnants from approximately one per few decades with two A+ detectors to a few per year and potentially allow for the first gravitational-wave observations of supernovae, isolated neutron stars, and other exotica.

BACKGROUND: Metabolomics technology has the potential to revolutionize how we screen, diagnose, and treat cancer, as well as improve upon existing cancer molecular tests that may not sufficiently capture the complexity of most malignancies. In this study, we explore the clinical potential of metabolomics analysis in the diagnosis and risk-stratification of brain tumors. METHODS: To test the hypothesis that brain tumor type and survival could be predicted with metabolomics, we analyzed the pre-operative serum and urine samples of patients with glioblastoma (GBM), oligoastrocytoma (OA2), meningioma (M1) and compared them to healthy controls. (HC). Sera from immune-deficient NOD-SCID mice xenografted with human GBM brain tumor initiating cells were also studied. RESULTS: Metabolomics analysis of patient samples was able to accurately differentiate GBM, OA2, M1 and HC (p = 2.3 x 10-26). Subsequently, a prediction model developed and validated internally was able to diagnose GBM with a sensitivity of 86.7% and specificity of 93.8%, and distinguish whether a GBM patient possess O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter methylation (p = 7.4 x 10-10). Within the MGMT methylated group, the model was able to predict longevity (p = 3.25 x 10-4). The model was also able to predict survival irrespective of MGMT methylation status (p = 2.9 x 10-6). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we demonstrate that metabolomic analysis of patient biofluids can identify brain tumors, distinguish brain tumor subtypes, and independently predict MGMT status as well as longevity among GBM patients. Metabolomics analysis may facilitate non-invasive diagnosis of aggressive brain tumours.

The overall objective of design against fatigue is to achieve adequate safety and reliability for minimum structural weight and, having this end in view, the fatigue performance of an aircraft structure is a major consideration in the design, testing and operation of an aircraft. This has not always been the case, indeed until the early 1950s the design of aircraft structures was based almost entirely on strength considerations with little regard to fatigue. However, in the decade following the Second World War a series of accidents both in the military and civil field, culminating in the Comet disasters, focused attention on the need to consider the problem of fatigue in design and provided the climate of opinion to support requirements for much more extensive and expensive full scale fatigue testing than had been contemplated hitherto. Since that time, advances in safety and reliability have been achieved in the face of customer requirements for major increases in overall fatigue life and for higher standards of day-to-day reliability of the structure. For example, in the military field a required fatigue life exceeding 6000 hours would not be exceptional now for a combat aircraft (Fig. 1) as compared with a life in service of about 1500 hours for such an aircraft in the years immediately following the Second World War. On the civil side, whereas lives of about 20 000 hours would have been considered adequate in the early 1950s, operators now require lives in excess of 60 000 hours. The European Airbus shown in Fig. 2 typifies such aircraft currently in service. Both military and civil aircraft are now expected to be in service for 20 or more years.

A method of high resolution simulation is proposed for Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles (UCAVs) undergoing manoeuvress at high angle-of-attack or transonic speeds. Motivation for the need to develop such a method is first presented to show payoff in the design cycle, followed by results of using the method on current manned fighter aircraft. Finally, a notional UCAV shape from Boeing military aircraft is presented to show the possibilities of how the method can accurately capture the relevant phenomenon of these difficult flight regimes.

This paper describes the system architecture of a newly constructed radio telescope – the Boolardy engineering test array, which is a prototype of the Australian square kilometre array pathfinder telescope. Phased array feed technology is used to form multiple simultaneous beams per antenna, providing astronomers with unprecedented survey speed. The test array described here is a six-antenna interferometer, fitted with prototype signal processing hardware capable of forming at least nine dual-polarisation beams simultaneously, allowing several square degrees to be imaged in a single pointed observation. The main purpose of the test array is to develop beamforming and wide-field calibration methods for use with the full telescope, but it will also be capable of limited early science demonstrations.

There is increasing epidemiological evidence linking sub-optimal vitamin D status with overweight and obesity. Although increasing BMI and adiposity have also been negatively associated with the change in vitamin D status following supplementation, results have been equivocal. The aim of this randomised, placebo-controlled study was to investigate the associations between anthropometric measures of adiposity and the wintertime serum 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25(OH)D) response to 15 μg cholecalciferol per d in healthy young and older Irish adults. A total of 110 young adults (20–40 years) and 102 older adults ( ≥ 64 years) completed the 22-week intervention with >85 % compliance. The change in 25(OH)D from baseline was calculated. Anthropometric measures of adiposity taken at baseline included height, weight and waist circumference (WC), along with skinfold thickness measurements to estimate fat mass (FM). FM was subsequently expressed as FM (kg), FM (%), FM index (FMI (FM kg/height m2)) and as a percentage ratio to fat-free mass (FFM). In older adults, vitamin D status was inversely associated with BMI (kg/m2), WC (cm), FM (kg and %), FMI (kg/m2) and FM:FFM (%) at baseline (r − 0·33, − 0·36, − 0·33, − 0·30, − 0·33 and − 0·27, respectively, all P values < 0·01). BMI in older adults was also negatively associated with the change in 25(OH)D following supplementation (β − 1·27, CI − 2·37, − 0·16, P = 0·026); however, no such associations were apparent in younger adults. Results suggest that adiposity may need to be taken into account when determining an adequate wintertime dietary vitamin D intake for healthy older adults residing at higher latitudes.

Influenza vaccines used in trials appeared to stimulate a small increase of saline-reactive anti-A1 antibodies in group O volunteers. There was no evidence that haemolysins were elicited by adjuvant vaccine. It is unlikely that influenza vaccines would cause ABO haemolytic disease in infants.

Trials of aqueous and oil adjuvant vaccines in young adult volunteers showed that severe local reactions were rare. However, the incidence of minor symptoms was too high for a vaccine which requires to be administered repeatedly. In contradistinction to some reports, systemic and allergic reactions did not constitute a problem.

In trials with polyvalent commercial influenza vaccines the antibody responses to oil-adjuvant vaccine persisted longer and were often higher. Antibody conversion was poor after all vaccines and delayed after adjuvant.

We present studies on a series of ICMEs detected by Ulysses and for which the solar sources on the Sun could be identified. EUV and white light data are used in order to correlate characteristics seen during eruption with those measured in-situ. Particularly, an attempt was made to find solar features that show a relationship with the type of ICME seen later (i.e. cloud or non-cloud ICME). For magnetic clouds (MC) the chirality of the magnetic field was then analyzed. Finally, the charge states of oxygen ions contained in ICMEs were used to obtain freezing-in temperatures and then compare these with the presence of flares occurring close (spatially and temporally) to the CME eruption.

We have found no solar feature that could be used to predict the presence of a MC in interplanetary space, they occur with the same frequency for cloud and non-cloud ICMEs. The chirality of the clouds seems to follow only weakly the hemisphere rule. The presence of solar flares do not seem to be correlated with the oxygen freezing-in temperatures seen in-situ.

From all the transient events identified in interplanetary space by in-situ measurements, Magnetic Clouds (MCs) are among the most intriguing ones. They are a special kind of Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejections (ICMEs), characterized by a well-defined magnetic field configuration. We use a list of 40 MCs detected by Ulysses to study bidirectional flows of protons in the $\sim$0.5 MeV energy range. Solar wind ions are also analysed in order to compare cloud to non-cloud ICMEs.

The enhancement in freezing-in temperatures inside the clouds, obtained with data from the SWICS instrument, provides insights into processes occurring early during the ejection of the material and represents a complementary tool to differentiate cloud from non-cloud ICMEs. At higher energies, directional information for protons obtained with the EPAC instrument allows a comparison with previous results concerning bidirectional suprathermal electrons. The findings are qualitatively comparable. Apparently, the portion of bidirectional flows inside magnetic clouds is neither heavily dependent on distance from the Sun nor on parameters obtained from a flux rope model.To search for other articles by the author(s) go to: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abstract_service.html

The effects of space allowance during transportation and duration of a mid-journey lairage period on measurements of stress, injury, dehydration, food restriction and rest in young calves were assessed during and after transport. Groups of calves were transported for two 9-h journeys (at a space allowance of either 0·375 or 0·475 m2 per calf) separated by a mid-journey lairage period of either 1 or 12 h. Non-transported calves were offered milk replacer and drinking water either at the usual times or only at the same times as the transported calves.

During transport, transported calves spent significantly less time lying down and had a greater plasma cortisol concentration than control calves. Under the driving conditions used, increased space allowance was not associated with greater injury or loss of stability. The duration of the mid-journey lairage was not an important factor; the shorter lairage time, giving the calves sufficient time to receive milk replacer but little opportunity to rest, had no major detrimental effects on the variables used to assess welfare. Although there was little evidence that transport affected immunological variables, there was some evidence that it adversely affected the health of the calves post transport.

Zn2SiO4:Mn thin films were deposited and studied as thin film phosphors for flat panel cathodoluminescent displays. Crystallized films with improved electrical conductivity were obtained after conventional and rapid thermal annealings in a N2 environment at 850Xy11100 °C for 0.25 to 60 minutes. A maximum cathodoluminescent efficiency of 1.3 Lm/W was achieved under dc excitation at 1500 volts. The luminescent emission from these thin films was peaked around 525 nm. The decay time of these films was controlled in the range of 2 to 10 ms by varying the deposition and annealing parameters. The fast response time of these thin films overcomes the long decay limitation of the Zn2SiO4:Mn powder phosphor in practical display applications.

Six streams of dust were unexpectedly detected by the Ulysses dust detector while this spacecraft was approximately within one AU distance from Jupiter (Grün et al., 1993). Stream durations ranged from hours to days for individual streams. It was clear that the dust in these streams (or bursts), from their directionality of approach to the spacecraft and from the nearness of stream occurrences to Jupiter, emanated from the Jovian system.

Following the original report, Baguhl et al. (1994) later relaxed the criteria for differentiating true dust impacts from “noise pulses” and found almost triple the number of dust impacts in the six streams already found. They also found 5 more streams that, except for one stream, clearly emanated from the Jovian system. The criteria were relaxed in such a way as to not introduce “noise events” into the data.