Gravitational wave interferometers achieve their profound sensitivity by combining a Michelson interferometer with optical cavities, suspended masses, and now, squeezed quantum states of light. These ...states modify the measurement process of the LIGO, VIRGO and GEO600 interferometers to reduce the quantum noise that masks astrophysical signals; thus, improvements to squeezing are essential to further expand our gravitational view of the Universe. Further reducing quantum noise will require both lowering decoherence from losses as well more sophisticated manipulations to counter the quantum back-action from radiation pressure. Both tasks require fully understanding the physical interactions between squeezed light and the many components of km-scale interferometers. To this end, data from both LIGO observatories in observing run three are expressed using frequency-dependent metrics to analyze each detector's quantum response to squeezed states. The response metrics are derived and used to concisely describe physical mechanisms behind squeezing's simultaneous interaction with transverse-mode selective optical cavities and the quantum radiation pressure noise of suspended mirrors. These metrics and related analysis are broadly applicable for cavity-enhanced optomechanics experiments that incorporate external squeezing, and-for the first time-give physical descriptions of every feature so far observed in the quantum noise of the LIGO detectors.
Abstract
Background
Suboptimal diets continue to be a major contributor to the global burden of disease, while food production contributes to climate change and environmental degradation. Food ...systems account for >30% of anthropogenic global greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE), and around 70% of freshwater use. Research on healthier diets having lower environmental impacts has been inconsistent. This study aimed to explore the association between environmental footprints and diet quality among older Irish adults.
Methods
The Mitchelstown Cohort was a cross-sectional study conducted between 2010 and 2011 in County Cork, Ireland. Dietary data was available for 1,862 participants. Adherence to three a priori defined diet quality metrics (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), Mediterranean diet (MD), and the Healthy Eating Index 2015 (HEI-2015)) were measured. Those in quartile four (Q4) of each metric were the most adherent to the respective dietary recommendations. Environmental impact of foods was quantified by linking food items to GHGE and blue water (BW) use impact factors, based on life cycle assessment (LCA) literature.
Results
The median daily diet in Ireland was associated with 6.8 kg CO2-equivalents per day and 425.1 litres of blue water. Males had significantly higher dietary GHGE but a lower water footprint compared to females (P < 0.001). Higher diet quality was inversely associated with GHGE according to the DASH and MD diet (adjusted for age, sex, and energy intake). Adherence to the DASH and MD diet was positively associated with BW use. No association between the HEI and GHGE and BW use was found in the adjusted model.
Conclusions
Irish dietary patterns are unhealthy and unsustainable. Higher quality diets reduced GHGE but increased water use. Future research must focus on identifying culturally-acceptable, optimised dietary patterns, where health and impact indicators align to curtail environmental burdens potentially transferring.
Key messages
• The healthiness of a diet is dependent in part on the constructs and scoring criteria of the diet quality metric used. The metrics have conceptual differences which may explain heterogeneous findings.
• The sustainability of diets is dependent on the environmental indicator(s) assessed. Future dietary patterns must be healthy, culturally-acceptable, equitable, and align across multiple indicators.
Spectroscopic observations of H alpha and H beta emission lines of 128 star-forming galaxies in the redshift range 0.75 < or =, slant z < or =, slant 1.5 are presented. These data were taken with ...slitless spectroscopy using the G102 and G141 grisms of the Wide-Field-Camera 3 (WFC3) on board the Hubble Space Telescope as part of the WFC3 Infrared Spectroscopic Parallel survey. Interstellar dust extinction is measured from stacked spectra that cover the Balmer decrement (H alpha /H beta ). We present dust extinction as a function of H alpha luminosity (down to 3 x 10 super(41) erg s super(-1)), galaxy stellar mass (reaching 4 x 10 super(8) M sub(middot in circle)), and rest-frame H alpha equivalent width. The faintest galaxies are two times fainter in H alpha luminosity than galaxies previously studied at z ~ 1.5. An evolution is observed where galaxies of the same H alpha luminosity have lower extinction at higher redshifts, whereas no evolution is found within our error bars with stellar mass. The lower H alpha luminosity galaxies in our sample are found to be consistent with no dust extinction. We find an anti-correlation of the OIII lambda5007/H alpha flux ratio as a function of luminosity where galaxies with L sub(H alpha ) < 5 x 10 super(41) erg s super(-1) are brighter in OIII lambda5007 than H alpha . This trend is evident even after extinction correction, suggesting that the increased OIII lambda5007/H alpha ratio in low-luminosity galaxies is likely due to lower metallicity and/or higher ionization parameters.
Automated visual assessment of plant condition, specifically foliage wilting, reflectance and growth parameters, using machine vision has potential use as input for real-time variable-rate irrigation ...and fertigation systems in precision agriculture. This paper reviews the research literature for both outdoor and indoor applications of machine vision of plants, which reveals that different environments necessitate varying levels of complexity in both apparatus and nature of plant measurement which can be achieved. Deployment of systems to the field environment in precision agriculture applications presents the challenge of overcoming image variation caused by the diurnal and seasonal variation of sunlight. From the literature reviewed, it is argued that augmenting a monocular RGB vision system with additional sensing techniques potentially reduces image analysis complexity while enhancing system robustness to environmental variables. Therefore, machine vision systems with a foundation in optical and lighting design may potentially expedite the transition from laboratory and research prototype to robust field tool.
Liposarcoma is an extremely rare primary bone sarcoma.
We report a case of primary pleomorphic liposarcoma that arose in an 18 year old male in the metaphysis of the left tibia. Plain radiographs ...showed a partly sclerotic lesion and MR imaging a heterogeneous tumour predominantly isointense on T1- and high-signal on T2-weighted sequences with focal areas of increased T1 signal that suppressed with fat saturation. PET/CT showed marked FDG uptake (SUV = 17.1) in the primary tumour as well as a metastasis in the right distal femur and multiple small pulmonary metastases. Histologically, the tumour was a pleomorphic liposarcoma containing large tumour cells with vacuolated cytoplasm and hyperchromatic pleomorphic nuclei as well as numerous lipoblasts and scattered brown fat-like cells. Tumour cells strongly expressed FABP4/aP2, a marker of adipocyte differentiation, and UCP1, a marker of brown fat, but not S100. The case was treated with neoadjuvant MAP chemotherapy, resulting in extensive (> 95%) necrosis in the primary tumour and almost complete resolution of the femoral and pulmonary metastases.
Pleomorphic liposarcoma can present as a sclerotic primary malignant bone tumour; markers of adipose differentiation are useful in histological diagnosis and neoadjuvant MAP chemotherapy results in significant tumor necrosis.
High-quality optical resonant cavities require low optical loss, typically on the scale of parts per million. However, unintended micron-scale contaminants on the resonator mirrors that absorb the ...light circulating in the cavity can deform the surface thermoelastically and thus increase losses by scattering light out of the resonant mode. The point absorber effect is a limiting factor in some high-power cavity experiments, for example, the Advanced LIGO gravitational-wave detector. In this Letter, we present a general approach to the point absorber effect from first principles and simulate its contribution to the increased scattering. The achievable circulating power in current and future gravitational-wave detectors is calculated statistically given different point absorber configurations. Our formulation is further confirmed experimentally in comparison with the scattered power in the arm cavity of Advanced LIGO measured by in situ photodiodes. The understanding presented here provides an important tool in the global effort to design future gravitational-wave detectors that support high optical power and thus reduce quantum noise.
The purpose of this study was to test how surgical ventricular restoration (SVR) affects early and late survival in a registry of 1,198 post-anterior infarction congestive heart failure (CHF) ...patients treated by the international Reconstructive Endoventricular Surgery returning Torsion Original Radius Elliptical shape to the left ventricle (RESTORE)team.
Congestive heart failure may be caused by late left ventricular (LV) dilation after anterior infarction. The infarcted segment is often akinetic rather than dyskinetic because early reperfusion prevents transmural necrosis. Previously, only dyskinetic areas were treated by operation. Surgical ventricular restoration reduces LV volume and creates a more elliptical chamber by excluding scar in either akinetic or dyskinetic segments.
The RESTORE group applied SVR to 1,198 post-infarction patients between 1998 and 2003. Early and late outcomes were examined, and risk factors were identified.
Concomitant procedures included coronary artery bypass grafting in 95%, mitral valve repair in 22%, and mitral valve replacement in 1%. Overall 30-day mortality after SVR was 5.3% (8.7% with mitral repair vs. 4.0% without repair; p < 0.001). Perioperative mechanical support was uncommon (<9%). Global systolic function improved postoperatively. Ejection fraction (EF) increased from 29.6 ± 11.0% preoperatively to 39.5 ± 12.3% postoperatively (p < 0.001). The left ventricular end-systolic volume index (LVESVI) decreased from 80.4 ± 51.4 ml/m2preoperatively to 56.6 ± 34.3 ml/m2postoperatively (p < 0.001). Overall five-year survival was 68.6 ± 2.8%. Logistic regression analysis identified EF ≤30%, LVESVI ≥80 ml/m2, advanced New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class, and age ≥75 years as risk factors for death. Five-year freedom from hospital readmission for CHF was 78%. Preoperatively, 67% of patients were NYHA functional class III or IV and postoperatively, 85% were class I or II.
Surgical ventricular restoration improves ventricular function and is highly effective therapy in the treatment of ischemic cardiomyopathy with excellent five-year outcome.
We have assembled a first-generation anchor map of the mouse genome using a panel of 94 whole-genome-radiation hybrids (WG-RHs) and 271 sequence-tagged sites (STSs). This is the first genome-wide RH ...anchor map of a model organism. All of the STSs have been previously localized on the genetic map and are located 8.8 Mb apart on average. This mouse WG-RH panel, known as T31, has an average retention frequency of 27.6% and an estimated potential resolution of 145 kb, making it a powerful resource for efficient large-scale expressed sequence tag mapping. All of the mapping data for the maps presented here have been deposited at the Research Genetics, Inc., web site and can be freely accessed and downloaded at http://www.resgen.com/.
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