We present a demonstration version of a commensal pipeline for Fast Radio Burst (FRB) searches using a real-time incoherent beam from the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA). The main science target of the pipeline are bright nearby FRBs from the local Universe (including Galactic FRBs like from SGR 1935+2154) which are the best candidates to probe FRB progenitors and understand physical mechanisms powering these extremely energetic events. Recent FRB detections by LOFAR (down to 110 MHz), the Green Bank Telescope (at 350 MHz), and Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) detections extending down to 400 MHz, prove that there is a population of FRBs that can be detected below 350 MHz. The new MWA beamformer, known as the ‘MWAX multibeam beamformer’, can form multiple incoherent and coherent beams (with different parameters) commensally to any ongoing MWA observations. One of the beams is currently used for FRB searches (tested in 10 kHz frequency resolution and time resolutions between 0.1 and 100 ms). A second beam (in 1 Hz and 1 s frequency and time resolutions, respectively) is used for the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) project. This paper focuses on the FRB search pipeline and its verification on selected known bright pulsars. The pipeline uses the FREDDA implementation of the Fast Dispersion Measure Transform algorithm (FDMT) for single pulse searches. Initially, it was tested during standard MWA observations, and more recently using dedicated observations of a sample of 11 bright pulsars. The pulsar PSR J0835-4510 (Vela) has been routinely used as the primary probe of the data quality because its folded profile was always detected in the frequency band 200 – 230 MHz with typical signal-to-noise ratio $>$10, which agrees with the expectations. Similarly, the low dispersion measure pulsar PSR B0950+08 was always detected in folded profile in the frequency band 140–170 MHz and so far has been the only object for which single pulses were detected. We present the estimated sensitivity of the search in the currently limited observing bandwidth of a single MWA coarse channel (1.28 MHz) and for the upgraded, future system with 12.8 MHz (10 channels) of bandwidth. Based on expected sensitivity and existing FRB rate measurements, we project an FRB detection rate between a few and a few tens per year with large uncertainty due to unknown FRB rates at low frequencies.

We describe the design, validation, and commissioning of a new correlator termed ‘MWAX’ for the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) low-frequency radio telescope. MWAX replaces an earlier generation MWA correlator, extending correlation capabilities and providing greater flexibility, scalability, and maintainability. MWAX is designed to exploit current and future Phase II/III upgrades to MWA infrastructure, most notably the simultaneous correlation of all 256 of the MWA’s antenna tiles (and potentially more in future). MWAX is a fully software-programmable correlator based around an ethernet multicast architecture. At its core is a cluster of 24 high-performance GPU-enabled commercial-off-the-shelf compute servers that together process in real-time up to 24 coarse channels of 1.28 MHz bandwidth each. The system is highly flexible and scalable in terms of the number of antenna tiles and number of coarse channels to be correlated, and it offers a wide range of frequency/time resolution combinations to users. We conclude with a roadmap of future enhancements and extensions that we anticipate will be progressively rolled out over time.

The experience of working from home changed drastically with the arrival of COVID-19. Compared to pre-pandemic experiences, key differences included the vast number of people involved, its involuntary nature, the suddenness of its implementation, its lengthy duration, and the presence of others at home. The demands of this form of remote work during lockdown have partly been mitigated by the resources employees have accessed. This study aimed to investigate the factors impacting employee performance and wellbeing while compulsorily working from home during New Zealand's first nationwide lockdown. We analyzed qualitative data gathered from employees in two organizations. The resulting aggregate dimensions across both demands and resources include organizational factors, furniture and technology factors, and individual factors. Given the ongoing nature of COVID-19 we identify new research directions for investigating remote work, and practical implications focusing on suitable home furniture and technology, plans for future remote work, and supporting employees.

The complexities of chemical composition and crystal structure are fundamental characteristics of minerals that have high relevance to the understanding of their stability, occurrence and evolution. This review summarises recent developments in the field of mineral complexity and outlines possible directions for its future elaboration. The database of structural and chemical complexity parameters of minerals is updated by H-correction of structures with unknown H positions and the inclusion of new data. The revised average complexity values (arithmetic means) for all minerals are 3.54(2) bits/atom and 345(10) bits/cell (based upon 4443 structure reports). The distributions of atomic information amounts, chemIG and strIG, versus the number of mineral species fit the normal modes, whereas the distributions of total complexities, chemIG,total and strIG,total, along with numbers of atoms per formula and per unit cell are log normal. The three most complex mineral species known today are ewingite, morrisonite and ilmajokite, all either discovered or structurally characterised within the last five years. The most important complexity-generating mechanisms in minerals are: (1) the presence of isolated large clusters; (2) the presence of large clusters linked together to form three-dimensional frameworks; (3) formation of complex three-dimensional modular frameworks; (4) formation of complex modular layers; (5) high hydration state in salts with complex heteropolyhedral units; and (6) formation of ordered superstructures of relatively simple structure types. The relations between symmetry and complexity are considered. The analysis of temporal dynamics of mineralogical discoveries since 1875 with the step of 25 years show the increasing chemical and structural complexities of human knowledge of the mineral kingdom in the history of mineralogy. In the Earth's history, both diversity and complexity of minerals experience dramatic increases associated with the formation of Earth's continental crust, initiation of plate tectonics and the Great Oxidation event.

Across Eurasia, horse transport transformed ancient societies. Although evidence for chariotry is well dated, the origins of horse riding are less clear. Techniques to distinguish chariotry from riding in archaeological samples rely on elements not typically recovered from many steppe contexts. Here, the authors examine horse remains of Mongolia's Deer Stone-Khirigsuur (DSK) Complex, comparing them with ancient and modern East Asian horses used for both types of transport. DSK horses demonstrate unique dentition damage that could result from steppe chariotry, but may also indicate riding with a shallow rein angle at a fast gait. A key role for chariots in Late Bronze Age Mongolia helps explain the trajectory of horse use in early East Asia.

There is a strong relationship between low birth weight (LBW) and an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). In postnatal life, LBW offspring are becoming more commonly exposed to the additional independent CVD risk factors, such as an obesogenic diet. However, how an already detrimentally programmed LBW myocardium responds to a secondary insult, such as an obesogenic diet (western diet; WD), during postnatal life is ill defined. Herein, we aimed to determine in a pre-clinical guinea pig model of CVD, both the independent and interactive effects of LBW and a postnatal WD on the molecular pathways that regulate cardiac growth and metabolism. Uterine artery ablation was used to induce placental insufficiency (PI) in pregnant guinea pigs to generate LBW offspring. Normal birth weight (NBW) and LBW offspring were weaned onto either a Control diet or WD. At ˜145 days after birth (young adulthood), male and female offspring were humanely killed, the heart weighed and left ventricle tissue collected. The mRNA expression of signalling molecules involved in a pathological hypertrophic and fibrotic response was increased in the myocardium of LBW male, but not female offspring, fed a WD as was the mRNA expression of transcription factors involved in fatty acid oxidation. The mRNA expression of glucose transporters was downregulated by LBW and WD in male, but not female hearts. This study has highlighted a sexually dimorphic cardiac pathological hypertrophic and fibrotic response to the secondary insult of postnatal WD consumption in LBW offspring.

Diet is a modifiable risk factor for chronic disease and a potential modulator of telomere length (TL). The study aim was to investigate associations between diet quality and TL in Australian adults after a 12-week dietary intervention with an almond-enriched diet (AED). Participants (overweight/obese, 50–80 years) were randomised to an AED (n 62) or isoenergetic nut-free diet (NFD, n 62) for 12 weeks. Diet quality was assessed using a Dietary Guideline Index (DGI), applied to weighed food records, that consists of ten components reflecting adequacy, variety and quality of core food components and discretionary choices within the diet. TL was measured by quantitative PCR in samples of lymphocytes, neutrophils, and whole blood. There were no significant associations between DGI scores and TL at baseline. Diet quality improved with AED and decreased with NFD after 12 weeks (change from baseline AED + 9·8 %, NFD − 14·3 %; P < 0·001). TL increased in neutrophils (+9·6 bp, P = 0·009) and decreased in whole blood, to a trivial extent (–12·1 bp, P = 0·001), and was unchanged in lymphocytes. Changes did not differ between intervention groups. There were no significant relationships between changes in diet quality scores and changes in lymphocyte, neutrophil or whole blood TL. The inclusion of almonds in the diet improved diet quality scores but had no impact on TL mid-age to older Australian adults. Future studies should investigate the impact of more substantial dietary changes over longer periods of time.

The first demonstration of laser action in ruby was made in 1960 by T. H. Maiman of Hughes Research Laboratories, USA. Many laboratories worldwide began the search for lasers using different materials, operating at different wavelengths. In the UK, academia, industry and the central laboratories took up the challenge from the earliest days to develop these systems for a broad range of applications. This historical review looks at the contribution the UK has made to the advancement of the technology, the development of systems and components and their exploitation over the last 60 years.

Medical care is predicated on ‘do no harm’, yet the urgency to find drugs and vaccines to treat or prevent COVID-19 has led to an extraordinary effort to develop and test new therapies. Whilst this is an essential cornerstone of a united global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the absolute requirements for meticulous efficacy and safety data remain. This is especially pertinent to the needs of pregnant women; a group traditionally poorly represented in drug trials, yet a group at heightened risk of unintended adverse materno-fetal consequences due to the unique physiology of pregnancy and the life course implications of fetal or neonatal drug exposure. However, due to the complexities of drug trial participation when pregnant (be they vaccines or therapeutics for acute disease), many clinical drug trials will exclude them. Clinicians must determine the best course of drug treatment with a dearth of evidence from either clinical or preclinical studies, where at least in the short term they may be more focused on the outcome of the mother than of her offspring.

Respiratory distress syndrome results from inadequate functional pulmonary surfactant and is a significant cause of mortality in preterm infants. Surfactant is essential for regulating alveolar interfacial surface tension, and its synthesis by Type II alveolar epithelial cells is stimulated by leptin produced by pulmonary lipofibroblasts upon activation by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ). As it is unknown whether PPARγ stimulation or direct leptin administration can stimulate surfactant synthesis before birth, we examined the effect of continuous fetal administration of either the PPARγ agonist, rosiglitazone (RGZ; Study 1) or leptin (Study 2) on surfactant protein maturation in the late gestation fetal sheep lung. We measured mRNA expression of genes involved in surfactant maturation and showed that RGZ treatment reduced mRNA expression of LPCAT1 (surfactant phospholipid synthesis) and LAMP3 (marker for lamellar bodies), but did not alter mRNA expression of PPARγ, surfactant proteins (SFTP-A, -B, -C, and -D), PCYT1A (surfactant phospholipid synthesis), ABCA3 (phospholipid transportation), or the PPARγ target genes SPHK-1 and PAI-1. Leptin infusion significantly increased the expression of PPARγ and IGF2 and decreased the expression of SFTP-B. However, mRNA expression of the majority of genes involved in surfactant synthesis was not affected. These results suggest a potential decreased capacity for surfactant phospholipid and protein production in the fetal lung after RGZ and leptin administration, respectively. Therefore, targeting PPARγ may not be a feasible mechanistic approach to promote lung maturation.

Cardiac strangulation is a rare and potentially deadly complication of epicardial pacemaker implantation. A young boy presenting with chest pain and tiredness almost 7 years after pacemaker implantation was found to have cardiac strangulation. Literature review revealed 22 cases reported to date with a worrying rise in the number of reports over the past 3 years. Strangulation is associated with implantation of leads at a young age and appears to be related to somatic growth. Serial assessment with chest X-ray and echocardiogram is recommended, at least until full adult growth is attained with further coronary artery imaging reserved for symptoms or suspicious echocardiographic findings. If cardiac strangulation is diagnosed prompt replacement of the offending system is needed.

Nutrition during the periconceptional period influences postnatal cardiovascular health. We determined whether in vitro embryo culture and transfer, which are manipulations of the nutritional environment during the periconceptional period, dysregulate postnatal blood pressure and blood pressure regulatory mechanisms. Embryos were either transferred to an intermediate recipient ewe (ET) or cultured in vitro in the absence (IVC) or presence of human serum (IVCHS) and a methyl donor (IVCHS+M) for 6 days. Basal blood pressure was recorded at 19–20 weeks after birth. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) were measured before and after varying doses of phenylephrine (PE). mRNA expression of signaling molecules involved in blood pressure regulation was measured in the renal artery. Basal MAP did not differ between groups. Baroreflex sensitivity, set point, and upper plateau were also maintained in all groups after PE stimulation. Adrenergic receptors alpha-1A (αAR1A), alpha-1B (αAR1B), and angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AT1R) mRNA expression were not different from controls in the renal artery. These results suggest there is no programmed effect of ET or IVC on basal blood pressure or the baroreflex control mechanisms in adolescence, but future studies are required to determine the impact of ET and IVC on these mechanisms later in the life course when developmental programming effects may be unmasked by age.

Advanced imaging techniques are enhancing research capacity focussed on the developmental origins of adult health and disease (DOHaD) hypothesis, and consequently increasing awareness of future health risks across various subareas of DOHaD research themes. Understanding how these advanced imaging techniques in animal models and human population studies can be both additively and synergistically used alongside traditional techniques in DOHaD-focussed laboratories is therefore of great interest. Global experts in advanced imaging techniques congregated at the advanced imaging workshop at the 2019 DOHaD World Congress in Melbourne, Australia. This review summarizes the presentations of new imaging modalities and novel applications to DOHaD research and discussions had by DOHaD researchers that are currently utilizing advanced imaging techniques including MRI, hyperpolarized MRI, ultrasound, and synchrotron-based techniques to aid their DOHaD research focus.

Introduction: Prognostication is a significant challenge early in the post-cardiac arrest period. Common prognostic factors for neurological survival are unreliable (high false positive rates) until 72 hours post-cardiac arrest. It is not known whether there are a combination of factors that can be utilized earlier in the post-cardiac arrest period to accurately predict patient outcome. Our objective was to predict neurological outcome utilizing a novel combination of patient factors early in the post-cardiac arrest period. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using data from our local cardiac arrest registry. We included adult patients who obtained a return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). We excluded patients who did not survive for at least 24 hours post-ROSC and those who had a do not resuscitate (DNR) order within 2 hours of ROSC. We performed an ordinal regression analysis using the proportional odds model to predict neurological outcome (modified rankin score (mRS)). We included a good neurological outcome (mRS 0-2), poor neurological outcome (mRS 3-5), and dead (mRS 6) as an ordinal outcome. We included a number of patient demographics, intra- and post-cardiac arrest factors as covariates in our model. The predictive performance of our model was analyzed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves for discrimination and Brier statistic for calibration. Results: We included 3448 patients in our analysis. We found that an initial shockable rhythm (odds ratio (OR) 4.1; 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.6, 5.4), the absence of pupillary reflexes (OR 3.5; 95% CI 2.4,4.8) and maximum motor score on the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) (OR 1.5; 95% CI 1.4,1.6) had the greatest association with improved neurologic outcome. Longer duration of resuscitation was associate with worse outcomes (OR 0.84, 95% CI 0.82,0.87). The overall performance of our model was excellent with an area under the ROC curve of 0.89 and a Brier statistic of 0.13. Conclusion: Our model predicted good neurological outcome with a high rate of accuracy, however external validation of the model is required. This model may be useful in providing initial risk stratification of patients in clinical practice and future research on post-cardiac arrest care.

Introduction: Despite recent advances in resuscitation, some patients remain in ventricular fibrillation (VF) after multiple defibrillation attempts during out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Vector change defibrillation (VC) and double sequential external defibrillation (DSED) have been proposed as alternate therapeutic strategies for OHCA patients with refractory VF. The primary objective was to determine the feasibility, safety and sample size required for a future cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) with crossover comparing VC or DSED to standard defibrillation for patients experiencing refractory VF. Secondary objectives were to evaluate the intervention effect on VF termination and return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). Methods: We conducted a pilot cluster RCT with crossover in four Canadian paramedic services and included all treated adult OHCA patients who presented in VF and received a minimum of three defibrillation attempts. In addition to standard cardiac arrest care, each EMS service was randomly assigned to provide continued standard defibrillation (control), VC or DSED. Services crossed over to an alternate defibrillation strategy after six months. Prior to the launch of the trial, 2,500 paramedics received in-person training for VC and DSED defibrillation using a combination of didactic, video and simulated scenarios. Results: Between March 2018 and September 2019, 152 patients were enrolled. Monthly enrollment varied from 1.4 to 6.1 cases per service. With respect to feasibility, 89.5% of cases received the defibrillation strategy they were randomly allocated to, and 93.1% of cases received a VC or DSED shock prior to the sixth defibrillation attempt. There were no reported cases of defibrillator malfunction, skin burns, difficulty with pad placement or concerns expressed by paramedics, patients, families, or ED staff about the trial. In the standard defibrillation group, 66.6% of cases resulted in VF termination, compared to 82.0% in VC and 76.3% of cases in the DSED group. ROSC was achieved in 25.0%, 39.3% and 40.0% of standard, VC and DSED groups, respectively. Conclusion: Findings from our pilot RCT suggest the DOSE VF protocol is feasible and safe. VF termination and ROSC were higher with VC and DSED compared to standard defibrillation. The results of this pilot trial will allow us to inform a multicenter cluster RCT with crossover to determine if alternate defibrillation strategies for refractory VF may impact patient-centered, clinical outcomes