The present status of the VIRGO Central Interferometer

The VIRGO Central Interferometer (CITF) is a short suspended interferometer operated with the central area elements of the VIRGO detector, The main motivation behind the CITF is to allow the integration and debugging of a large part of the subsystems of VIRGO while the construction of the long arms of the antenna is being completed. This will permit a faster commissioning of the full-size antenna. In fact, almost all the main components of the CITE with the exception of the large mirrors and a few other details, are the same as those to be used for the full-size detector. In this paper the present status of the VIRGO CITF is reported

The present status of the VIRGO Central Interferometer

The VIRGO Central Interferometer (CITF) is a short suspended interferometer operated with the central area elements of the VIRGO detector, The main motivation behind the CITF is to allow the integration and debugging of a large part of the subsystems of VIRGO while the construction of the long arms of the antenna is being completed. This will permit a faster commissioning of the full-size antenna. In fact, almost all the main components of the CITE with the exception of the large mirrors and a few other details, are the same as those to be used for the full-size detector. In this paper the present status of the VIRGO CITF is reported

Last stage control and mechanical transfer function measurement of the VIRGO suspensions

The automatic control of the suspended mirrors is a major task in operating an interferometric gravitational wave antenna. To reach the extreme sensitivity required for this kind of detector, an accurate alignment and a stable locking of the interferometer on its working point are crucial. The solution of this problem is particularly complex in the case of a multistage pendulum, such as the suspension system for seismic isolation adopted in VIRGO. A precise knowledge of the suspension mechanical transfer functions (TFs) for different forces applied in the control servo-loops represents essential information to reach the goal. In this article, we describe the apparatus we developed to measure the VIRGO suspension TF and we report the results thus obtained on full-scale suspensions at the VIRGO site. Preliminary results for the implemented control system of the last suspension stage are also presented. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics

Affected female carriers of MTM1 mutations display a wide spectrum of clinical and pathological involvement: delineating diagnostic clues.

X-linked myotubular myopathy (XLMTM), a severe congenital myopathy, is caused by mutations in the MTM1 gene located on the X chromosome. A majority of affected males die in the early postnatal period, whereas female carriers are believed to be usually asymptomatic. Nevertheless, several affected females have been reported. To assess the phenotypic and pathological spectra of carrier females and to delineate diagnostic clues, we characterized 17 new unrelated affected females and performed a detailed comparison with previously reported cases at the clinical, muscle imaging, histological, ultrastructural and molecular levels. Taken together, the analysis of this large cohort of 43 cases highlights a wide spectrum of clinical severity ranging from severe neonatal and generalized weakness, similar to XLMTM male, to milder adult forms. Several females show a decline in respiratory function. Asymmetric weakness is a noteworthy frequent specific feature potentially correlated to an increased prevalence of highly skewed X inactivation. Asymmetry of growth was also noted. Other diagnostic clues include facial weakness, ptosis and ophthalmoplegia, skeletal and joint abnormalities, and histopathological signs that are hallmarks of centronuclear myopathy such as centralized nuclei and necklace fibers. The histopathological findings also demonstrate a general disorganization of muscle structure in addition to these specific hallmarks. Thus, MTM1 mutations in carrier females define a specific myopathy, which may be independent of the presence of an XLMTM male in the family. As several of the reported affected females carry large heterozygous MTM1 deletions not detectable by Sanger sequencing, and as milder phenotypes present as adult-onset limb-girdle myopathy, the prevalence of this myopathy is likely to be greatly underestimated. This report should aid diagnosis and thus the clinical management and genetic counseling of MTM1 carrier females. Furthermore, the clinical and pathological history of this cohort may be useful for therapeutic projects in males with XLMTM, as it illustrates the spectrum of possible evolution of the disease in patients surviving long term