Is sea-basing a viable method of providing logistic support to the UK amphibious force?

Maritime power has traditionally been a central part of the UK’s defence planning and is well suited to supporting a wide range of military operations. The littoral area has always created problems for naval planners as most landings historically have had to endure a tactical separation of the naval and land components, and hence an artificial seam between the Navy and the Marines. With the end of the Cold War, amphibious operations are going to be more difficult to conduct than in the past, and amphibious forces are going to have to adopt manoeuvre warfare capabilities in order to successfully complete their missions. It is very likely that amphibious forces will have to conduct operations against a numerically superior enemy, who is on his own terrain, and be surrounded by a neutral, if not hostile populace. As such, the concept of Operational Manoeuvre From The Sea (OMFTS) whereby the sea is used as a manoeuvre space, and command and control is fast enough to cope with large amounts of information, but at the same time allow subordinates maximum flexibility to use their initiative, is increasingly attractive. It will be important not only for the combat elements to be able to use this new concept, but the Combat Service Support (CSS) elements as well

Are the Earth and the Moon compositionally alike? Inferences on lunar composition and implications for lunar origin and evolution from geophysical modeling

The main objective of the present study is to discuss in detail the results obtained from an inversion of the Apollo lunar seismic data set, lunar mass, and moment of inertia. We inverted directly for lunar chemical composition and temperature using the model system CaO-FeO-MgO-Al2O3-SiO2. Using Gibbs free energy minimization, stable mineral phases at the temperatures and pressures of interest, their modes and physical properties are calculated. We determine the compositional range of the oxide elements, thermal state, Mg#, mineralogy and physical structure of the lunar interior, as well as constraining core size and density. The results indicate a lunar mantle mineralogy that is dominated by olivine and orthopyroxene ( 80 vol%), with the remainder being composed of clinopyroxene and an aluminous phase (plagioclase, spinel, and garnet present in the depth ranges 0–150 km, 150–200 km, and >200 km, respectively). This model is broadly consistent with constraints on mantle mineralogy derived from the experimental and observational study of the phase lationships and trace element compositions of lunar mare basalts and picritic glasses. In particular, by melting a typical model mantle composition using the pMELTS algorithm, we found that a range of batch melts generated from these models have features in common with low Ti mare basalts and picritic glasses. Our results also indicate a bulk lunar composition and Mg# different to that of the Earth’s upper mantle, represented by the pyrolite composition. This difference is reflected in a lower bulk lunar Mg# ( 0.83). Results also indicate a small iron-like core with a radius around 340 km.The Carlsberg Foundation, NER

The poetry of Guy Butler

[From the introduction]: Guy Butler, born in Cradock on 21 January 1918, was a serious poet. Nearly a third of his poems are about death or loss, and many of the rest about parting failure, or difficult self-denial. His poetry is generally thoughtful and responsible to a deep religious vision. Of the ninety poems published between 1939 and 1979 the finest are those written between 1943 and 1963, from “Syrian Spring” to “Sweetwater.” The best poems cluster like moons round “On First Seeing Florence,” which is a major poem seldom given its rightful attention

Quantum Non-Equilibrium Steady States Induced by Repeated Interactions

We study the steady state of a finite XX chain coupled at its boundaries to quantum reservoirs made of free spins that interact one after the other with the chain. The two-point correlations are calculated exactly and it is shown that the steady state is completely characterized by the magnetization profile and the associated current. Except at the boundary sites, the magnetization is given by the average of the reservoirs' magnetizations. The steady state current, proportional to the difference in the reservoirs' magnetizations, shows a non-monotonous behavior with respect to the system-reservoir coupling strength, with an optimal current state for a finite value of the coupling. Moreover, we show that the steady state can be described by a generalized Gibbs state.Comment: to appear in Phys. Rev. Let

Exploring the ‘middle ground’ between state and market: the example of China

Studies of housing systems lying in the ‘middle ground’ between state and market are subject to three important shortcomings. First, the widely used Esping-Andersen (EA) approach assesses only a subset of the key housing outcomes and may be less helpful for describing changes in housing policy regimes. Second, there is too much emphasis on tenure transitions, and an assumed close correspondence between tenure labels and effective system functioning may not be valid. Third, due attention has not been given to the spatial dimensions in which housing systems operate, in particular when housing policies have a significant devolved or localised emphasis. Updating EA’s framework, we suggest a preliminary list of housing system indicators in order to capture the nature of the housing systems being developed and devolved. We verified the applicability of this indicator system with the case of China. This illustrates clearly the need for a more nuanced and systematic basis for categorising differences and changes in welfare and housing policies

Cytotoxic antibody in acute myeloblastic leukaemia during immunotherapy: lack of tumour specificity.

Cytotoxic antibodies to antigens specific for leukaemic myeloblasts have been sought in the serum of patients with acute myeloblastic leukaemia treated by immunotherapy with irradiated allogeneic myeloblasts and BCG. Assays of complement- and K-cell-mediated activity were used. Cytotoxicity to allogeneic myeloblasts was detected in both assays. When sera from 15 patients, taken at various times during immunotherapy, were systematically tested against a panel of 5 myeloblasts, the following patterns emerged: 1. No antibody was cytotoxic against all myeloblasts of the panel in either the K-cell or complement-dependent assay. However, all myeloblasts of the panel were lysed by a number of sera. 2. Cytotoxic antibody was detected as often against a panel of lymphocytes from healthy donors as against the panel of allogeneic myeloblasts. 3. Fresh and cryopreserved myeloblasts were equally susceptible to lysis in both assays. 4. Experiments failed to demonstrate any deterioration of cytotoxic antibody on storage. 5. The number of K-cell-revealed cytotoxic antisera increased with length of immunotherapy. This pattern was not apparent for antibodies revealed by complement. 6. No instance of cytotoxicity in either assay was seen when serum was tested against 12 autologous myeloblasts. It is considered that cytotoxic antibody detected with allogeneic myeloblasts is probably directed against HLA antigens common to immunizing and test target myeloblasts and target lymphocytes

Making connections: Housing, productivity and economic development

This is a scoping study with the immediate aim of reviewing links between housing and productivity. It uses scans of existing literature, assessments of local strategies for planning, and interviews with key practitioners involved in metropolitan and local economic development strategies. Published research and practitioners' experiences are used to suggest new ways in which to construct an understanding of how housing might impact productivity and future economic growth. The longer, broader aim of the report is to encourage housing sector advocates, practitioners and policy-makers to become better equipped to argue economic cases for housing and for equivalent groups dealing with economic policy and local economic development strategies to be more aware of the economic consequences of housing outcomes

Mitoxantrone is superior to doxorubicin in a multiagent weekly regimen for patients older than 60 with high-grade lymphoma: results of a BNLI randomized trial of PAdriaCEBO versus PMitCEBO

A prospective, multicenter, randomized trial was undertaken to compare the efficacy and toxicity of adriamycin with mitoxantrone within a 6-drug combination chemotherapy regimen for elderly patients (older than 60 years) with high-grade non-Hodgkin lymphoma (HGL) given for a minimum of 8 weeks. A total of 516 previously untreated patients aged older than 60 years were randomized to receive 1 of 2 anthracycline-containing regimens: adriamycin, 35 mg/m2 intravenously (IV) on day 1 (n = 259), or mitoxantrone, 7 mg/m2 IV on day 1 (n = 257); with prednisolone, 50 mg orally on days 1 to 14; cyclophosphamide, 300 mg/m2 IV on day 1; etoposide, 150 mg/m2 IV on day 1; vincristine, 1.4 mg/m2 IV on day 8; and bleomycin, 10 mg/m2 IV on day 8. Each 2-week cycle was administered for a minimum of 8 weeks in the absence of progression. Forty-three patients were ineligible for analysis. The overall and complete remission rates were 78% and 60% for patients receiving PMitCEBO and 69% and 52% for patients receiving PAdriaCEBO (P = .05, P = .12, respectively). Overall survival was significantly better with PMitCEBO than PAdriaCEBO (P = .0067). However, relapse-free survival was not significantly different (P = .16). At 4 years, 28% of PAdriaCEBO patients and 50% of PMitCEBO patients were alive (P = .0001). Ann Arbor stage III/IV, World Health Organization performance status 2-4, and elevated lactate dehydrogenase negatively influenced overall survival from diagnosis. In conclusion, the PMitCEBO 8-week combination chemotherapy regimen offers high response rates, durable remissions, and acceptable toxicity in elderly patients with HGL

Calcium supplements and cancer risk : a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

Peer reviewedPublisher PD