The Statistical Physics of Athermal Materials

At the core of equilibrium statistical mechanics lies the notion of statistical ensembles: a collection of microstates, each occurring with a given a priori probability that depends only on a few macroscopic parameters such as temperature, pressure, volume, and energy. In this review article, we discuss recent advances in establishing statistical ensembles for athermal materials. The broad class of granular and particulate materials is immune from the effects of thermal fluctuations because the constituents are macroscopic. In addition, interactions between grains are frictional and dissipative, which invalidates the fundamental postulates of equilibrium statistical mechanics. However, granular materials exhibit distributions of microscopic quantities that are reproducible and often depend on only a few macroscopic parameters. We explore the history of statistical ensemble ideas in the context of granular materials, clarify the nature of such ensembles and their foundational principles, highlight advances in testing key ideas, and discuss applications of ensembles to analyze the collective behavior of granular materials

WALLABY Early Science - I. The NGC 7162 Galaxy Group

We present Widefield ASKAP L-band Legacy All-sky Blind Survey (WALLABY) early science results from the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) observations of the NGC 7162 galaxy group. We use archival HIPASS and Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) observations of this group to validate the new ASKAP data and the data reduction pipeline ASKAPsoft. We detect six galaxies in the neutral hydrogen (HI) 21-cm line, expanding the NGC 7162 group membership from four to seven galaxies. Two of the new detections are also the first HI detections of the dwarf galaxies, AM 2159-434 and GALEXASC J220338.65-431128.7, for which we have measured velocities of $cz=2558$ and $cz=2727$ km s$^{-1}$, respectively. We confirm that there is extended HI emission around NGC 7162 possibly due to past interactions in the group as indicated by the $40^{\circ}$ offset between the kinematic and morphological major axes for NGC 7162A, and its HI richness. Taking advantage of the increased resolution (factor of $\sim1.5$) of the ASKAP data over archival ATCA observations, we fit a tilted ring model and use envelope tracing to determine the galaxies' rotation curves. Using these we estimate the dynamical masses and find, as expected, high dark matter fractions of $f_{\mathrm{DM}}\sim0.81-0.95$ for all group members. The ASKAP data are publicly available.Comment: 20 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA

Questionnaire study to gain an insight into the manufacturing and fitting process of artificial eyes in children: an ocularist perspective

Purpose To gain an insight into the manufacturing and fitting of artificial eyes in children and potential improvements to the process. Method An online qualitative survey was distributed to 39 ocularists/prosthetists in Europe and Canada. Participants were recruited through purposive sampling, specifically maximum variation sampling from the researcher’s contacts and an online search. Results The findings highlighted the current impression technique as being the most difficult yet most important part of the current process for both the ocularist and child patient. Negatively affecting obtaining a good impression, the child patients distress can be reduced by their parents by providing encouragement, reassurance, practicing the insertion and removal of the artificial eye and being matter of fact. Whilst improvements to the current process provided mixed views, the incorporation of current technology was perceived as not being able to meet the requirements to produce aesthetically pleasing artificial eyes. Conclusion The current artificial eye process can be seen as an interaction with its success being dependent on the child patient’s acceptance and adjustment which is dependent on the factors associated to the process. Investigation into the needs of the patient and whether technology can improve the process are the next steps in its advancement

Changes in global ocean bottom properties and volume transports in CMIP5 models under climate change scenarios

Changes in bottom temperature, salinity and density in the global ocean by 2100 for CMIP5 climate models are investigated for the climate change scenarios RCP4.5 and RCP8.5. The mean of 24 models shows a decrease in density in all deep basins except the North Atlantic which becomes denser. The individual model responses to climate change forcing are more complex: regarding temperature, the 24 models predict a warming of the bottom layer of the global ocean; in salinity, there is less agreement regarding the sign of the change, especially in the Southern Ocean. The magnitude and equatorward extent of these changes also vary strongly among models. The changes in properties can be linked with changes in the mean transport of key water masses. The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation weakens in most models and is directly linked to changes in bottom density in the North Atlantic. These changes are due to the intrusion of modified Antarctic Bottom Water, made possible by the decrease in North Atlantic Deep Water formation. In the Indian, Pacific and South Atlantic, changes in bottom density are congruent with the weakening in Antarctic Bottom Water transport through these basins. We argue that the greater the 1986-2005 meridional transports, the more changes have propagated equatorwards by 2100. However, strong decreases in density over 100 years of climate change cause a weakening of the transports. The speed at which these property changes reach the deep basins is critical for a correct assessment of the heat storage capacity of the oceans as well as for predictions of future sea level rise

‘Trying to pin down jelly’ - exploring intuitive processes in quality assessment for meta-ethnography

Background: Studies that systematically search for and synthesise qualitative research are becoming more evident in health care, and they can make an important contribution to patient care. However, there is still no agreement as to whether, or how we should appraise studies for inclusion. We aimed to explore the intuitive processes that determined the ‘quality’ of qualitative research for inclusion in qualitative research syntheses. We were particularly interested to explore the way that knowledge was constructed. Methods: We used qualitative methods to explore the process of quality appraisal within a team of seven qualitative researchers funded to undertake a meta-ethnography of chronic non-malignant musculoskeletal pain. Team discussions took place monthly between October 2010 and June 2012 and were recorded and transcribed. Data was coded and organised using constant comparative method. The development of our conceptual analysis was both iterative and collaborative. The strength of this team approach to quality came from open and honest discussion, where team members felt free to agree, disagree, or change their position within the safety of the group. Results: We suggest two core facets of quality for inclusion in meta-ethnography - (1) Conceptual clarity; how clearly has the author articulated a concept that facilitates theoretical insight. (2) Interpretive rigour; fundamentally, can the interpretation ‘be trusted?’ Our findings showed that three important categories help the reader to judge interpretive rigour: (ii) What is the context of the interpretation? (ii) How inductive is the interpretation? (iii) Has the researcher challenged their interpretation? Conclusions: We highlight that methods alone do not determine the quality of research for inclusion into a meta-ethnography. The strength of a concept and its capacity to facilitate theoretical insight is integral to meta-ethnography, and arguably to the quality of research. However, we suggest that to be judged ‘good enough’ there also needs to be some assurance that qualitative findings are more than simply anecdotal. Although our conceptual model was developed specifically for meta-ethnography, it may be transferable to other research methodologies

Ears of the Armadillo: Global Health Research and Neglected Diseases in Texas

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) have\ud been recently identified as significant public\ud health problems in Texas and elsewhere in\ud the American South. A one-day forum on the\ud landscape of research and development and\ud the hidden burden of NTDs in Texas\ud explored the next steps to coordinate advocacy,\ud public health, and research into a\ud cogent health policy framework for the\ud American NTDs. It also highlighted how\ud U.S.-funded global health research can serve\ud to combat these health disparities in the\ud United States, in addition to benefiting\ud communities abroad

Effect of ketoconazole on the pharmacokinetics of axitinib in healthy volunteers

Objective Axitinib (AG-013736), an oral, potent, and selective inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors 1, 2, and 3, is metabolized primarily by cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A with minor contributions from CYP1A2, CYP2C19, and glucuronidation. Co-administration with CYP inhibitors may increase systemic exposure to axitinib and alter its safety profile. This study evaluated changes in axitinib plasma pharmacokinetic parameters and assessed safety and tolerability in healthy subjects, following axitinib co-administration with the potent CYP3A inhibitor ketoconazole. Methods In this randomized, single-blind, two-way crossover study, 32 healthy volunteers received placebo, followed by a single 5-mg oral dose of axitinib, administered either alone or on the fourth day of dosing with oral ketoconazole (400 mg/day for 7 days). Results Axitinib exposure was significantly increased in the presence of ketoconazole, with a geometric mean ratio for area under the plasma concentration–time curve from time zero to infinity of 2.06 (90% confidence interval [CI]: 1.84–2.30) and a geometric mean ratio for maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) of 1.50 (90% CI: 1.33–1.70). For axitinib alone or with ketoconazole, Cmax occurred 1.5 and 2.0 h after dosing, respectively. Adverse events were predominantly mild; the most commonly reported treatment-related adverse events were headache and nausea. Conclusions Axitinib plasma exposures and peak concentrations were increased following concurrent administration of axitinib and ketoconazole in healthy volunteers. Axitinib alone and in combination with ketoconazole was well tolerated. These findings provide an upper exposure for expected axitinib plasma concentrations in the presence of potent metabolic inhibition

WALLABY Pilot Survey: Hydra Cluster Galaxies UV and HI morphometrics

Galaxy morphology in atomic hydrogen (HI) and in the ultra-violet (UV) are closely linked. This has motivated their combined use to quantify morphology over the full H i disk for both H i and UV imaging. We apply galaxy morphometrics: Concentration, Asymmetry, Gini, M20 and Multimode-Intensity-Deviation statistics to the first moment-0 maps of the WALLABY survey of galaxies in the Hydra cluster center. Taking advantage of this new HI survey, we apply the same morphometrics over the full HI extent on archival GALEX FUV and NUV data to explore how well HI truncated, extended ultraviolet disk (XUV) and other morphological phenomena can be captured using pipeline WALLABY data products. Extended HI and UV disks can be identified relatively straightforward from their respective concentration. Combined with WALLABY HI, even the shallowest GALEX data is sufficient to identify XUV disks. Our second goal is to isolate galaxies undergoing ram-pressure stripping in the H i morphometric space. We employ four different machine learning techniques, a decision tree, a k-nearest neighbour, a support-vector machine, and a random forest. Up to 80% precision and recall are possible with the Random Forest giving the most robust results.Comment: 17 figures, 12 figures, 7 tables, accepted by MNRA

WALLABY Pilot Survey: HI gas kinematics of galaxy pairs in cluster environment

We examine the H I gas kinematics of galaxy pairs in two clusters and a group using Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) WALLABY pilot survey observations. We compare the H I properties of galaxy pair candidates in the Hydra I and Norma clusters, and the NGC 4636 group, with those of non-paired control galaxies selected in the same fields. We perform H I profile decomposition of the sample galaxies using a tool, BAYGAUD which allows us to de-blend a line-of-sight velocity profile with an optimal number of Gaussian components. We construct H I super-profiles of the sample galaxies via stacking of their line profiles after aligning the central velocities. We fit a double Gaussian model to the super-profiles and classify them as kinematically narrow and broad components with respect to their velocity dispersions. Additionally, we investigate the gravitational instability of H I gas disks of the sample galaxies using Toomre Q parameters and H I morphological disturbances. We investigate the effect of the cluster environment on the H I properties of galaxy pairs by dividing the cluster environment into three subcluster regions (i.e., outskirts, infalling and central regions). We find that the denser cluster environment (i.e., infalling and central regions) is likely to impact the H I gas properties of galaxies in a way of decreasing the amplitude of the kinematically narrow H I gas (⁠MnarrowHI role= presentation style= box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: normal; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; display: inline; word-spacing: normal; overflow-wrap: normal; white-space: nowrap; float: none; direction: ltr; max-width: none; max-height: none; min-width: 0px; min-height: 0px; position: relative; \u3eMHInarrowMnarrowHI/MtotalHI role= presentation style= box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: normal; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; display: inline; word-spacing: normal; overflow-wrap: normal; white-space: nowrap; float: none; direction: ltr; max-width: none; max-height: none; min-width: 0px; min-height: 0px; position: relative; \u3eMHItotalMtotalHI⁠), and increasing the Toomre Q values of the infalling and central galaxies. This tendency is likely to be more enhanced for galaxy pairs in the cluster environment

WALLABY Pre-Pilot and Pilot Survey: the Tully Fisher Relation in Eridanus, Hydra, Norma and NGC4636 fields

The WALLABY pilot survey has been conducted using the Australian SKA Pathfinder (ASKAP). The integrated 21-cm HI line spectra are formed in a very different manner compared to usual single-dish spectra Tully-Fisher measurements. It is thus extremely important to ensure that slight differences (e.g. biases due to missing flux) are quantified and understood in order to maximise the use of the large amount of data becoming available soon. This article is based on four fields for which the data are scientifically interesting by themselves. The pilot data discussed here consist of 614 galaxy spectra at a rest wavelength of 21cm. Of these spectra, 472 are of high enough quality to be used to potentially derive distances using the Tully-Fisher relation. We further restrict the sample to the 251 galaxies whose inclination is sufficiently close to edge-on. For these, we derive Tully-Fisher distances using the deprojected WALLABY velocity widths combined with infrared (WISE W1) magnitudes. The resulting Tully-Fisher distances for the Eridanus, Hydra, Norma and NGC 4636 clusters are 21.5, 53.5, 69.4 and 23.0 Mpc respectively, with uncertainties of 5–10%, which are better or equivalent to the ones obtained in studies using data obtained with giant single dish telescopes. The pilot survey data show the benefits of WALLABY over previous giant single-dish telescope surveys. WALLABY is expected to detect around half a million galaxies with a mean redshift of 푧 = 0.05(200푀 푝푐). This study suggests that about 200,000 Tully-Fisher distances might result from the survey